NMU hockey skates to 1-1 tie with Chargers

MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan University hockey team crashed the net in the final minutes of regulation but were unable to break the 1-1 tie after a five-minute overtime as they wrapped up their home opener against Alabama-Huntsville Friday night at the Berry Events Center.

NMU outshot UAH 11-3 in the third period and fired off four of those shots in the final minute of action.

The Wildcats remain unbeaten on the season moving to 4-0-1 overall while UAH moved to 0-6-1 on the campaign.

NMU took a 1-0 lead when senior forward Reed Seckel attempted a wrap around which created a pile up at the net. Wildcat defenseman Jake Baker was able to take the puck and bang it into the net at the 1:04 mark of the second period. Seckel and sophomore forward Dominik Shine recorded assists on the play.

Huntsville then scored a short-handed goal when Brent Flecher took advantage of a misfeed from the NMU defense and passed to Matt Salhany who went to the upper corner of the net at the 16:51 mark of the second period.

“I mean we are disappointed to not get the win, but I didn’t think some of our top guys weren’t as sharp as they needed to be,” said NMU head coach Walt Kyle. “We had good opportunities but we put the puck off frame. You have to give it to their goalkeeper credit he played pretty well. They played really well but I thought we tried to get too creative with the puck which slowed our tempo a little bit.”

The Wildcats hammered UAH goalie Carmine Guerriero outshooting the Chargers 35-19 in the contest. NMU sophomore goaltender Mathias Dahlstrom made 18 saves in net for the Wildcats.

Sophomore forward Gerard Hanson led the Wildcats with six shots while Shine had five.

The Wildcats will wrap up their non-conference series with the Chargers at 7:07 p.m. Saturday at the Berry Events Center.

(Information Courtesy of NMU Athletics)