NMU shutout at home vs. Bowling Green
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan University hockey team was shutout by No. 14 Bowling Green 5-0 in game two of their Western Collegiate Hockey Association series, Saturday. The Falcons improve to 11-3-2 overall with an 8-1-1 mark in conference, while No. 19 NMU drops to 8-4-2 overall with a 5-4-1 record in WCHA play.
The Wildcats would have several quality opportunities including hitting pipe on three separate chances, but couldn’t bury one against BGSU freshman goalie Chris Nell who improved to 5-0-0 on the season.
“Our guys got really tired and really flat, we had four posts tonight and we needed a couple of those to go in to maybe give us a spark and it didn’t,” said NMU head coach Walt Kyle. “We have got to have some of these guys that we expect to provide offense for us start to provide offense for us and that is our challenge right now. This week we need to get back and get re-energized, we have had a really good start and need to get some points at Bemidji and I will be comfortable with where we are.”
An early five-minute major and game misconduct on Bowling Green gave NMU an extended power play. The Wildcats would fire three shots on goal during the power play but came up empty. Late in the first, Bowling Green was able to get on the board when junior forward Ben Murphy found the back of the net for his first goal of the season at the 17:14 mark. NMU continued to push offensively after the goal with three shots on goal in the final minutes, but went into the first intermission down 1-0.
Northern Michigan would hold Bowling Green to only eight shots on net in the opening frame, while the Wildcats had 10 shots of their own.
Bowling Green would score twice in the second period at the 14:16 and 17:32 marks to extend their lead out to 3-0. Junior forward Darren Nowick nearly put Northern Michigan on the board in the final seconds of the period but found the pipe. The Wildcats once again held the Falcons to single digit shots with nine in the period.
A pair of power play goals in the third period from Bowling Green would finish out the third period giving BGSU the 5-0 victory.
Sophomore goalie Mathias Dahlstrom finished the night with 24 saves in net for the Wildcats, while senior forward Reed Seckel led NMU with five shots on net.
Northern Michigan will be in action next weekend when they travel to Bemidji State Dec. 12-13. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:37 p.m. (EST) for game one and 8:07 p.m. (EST) for the second contest.
(Information Courtesy of NMU Athletics)