NMU hockey keeps Cappo Cup close, but not with a win | News, Sports, Jobs

Northern Michigan University’s Tynan Ewart, right, tries to block Lake Superior State’s William Ahlrik, center, from taking a shot on Wildcats’ goaltender Oliver Auyeung-Ashton, left, during their CCHA hockey game played at Taffy Abel Arena in Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

SAULT STE. MARIE — The hockey team at Northern Michigan University welcomed back their freshman sensation of a goaltender on Saturday night, but it wasn’t quite enough to make a second dent in the win column this season.

Adam Barone scored the game-winning goal just past the halfway point of overtime as Lake Superior State pulled out a 2-1 victory over the Wildcats in the opening game of the Cappo Cup season series.

It marked the return of Northern goalie Oliver Auyeung-Ashton, who was among several teammates returning from injury. The netminder hadn’t played since early November.

The teams were meeting again at Taffy Abel Arena on Sunday evening with NMU looking for is second victory of the season.

While they didn’t win Saturday, the Wildcats did pick up a point in the CCHA standings by taking the game to OT. They’re now 1-20 overall and 1-12 in the league with five points.

That got them within three points — the value of a regulation win — of eighth-place Ferris State, which was swept at St. Thomas over the weekend 5-3 and 8-4 as the Bulldogs are now 4-18 and 3-11.

Back in the Soo, Northern got its offense from its now-reliable source, Ferris transfer Caiden Gault, who notched his 11th goal of the season early in the third period to knot the score 1-1. He has produced just shy of a third of the team’s goals, 34, for 32% of its goal production this season.

Coincidence or not, though, Gault doesn’t have a single assist.

Gault finished off a beautiful bang-bang play, as NMU Sports Information described it in its game report, that began with Kyle Bettens and Girts Silkalns 1:26 into the final regulation period. Bettens won a battle in the corner, playing the puck to Silkalns, who snuck into the offensive circle. The latter played a pass to Gault at the far-side post and Gault redirected the puck over the pad of LSSU goaltender Rorke Applebee.

Each team finished with 30 shots on goal, Auyeung-Ashton making 28 saves, Applebee 29.

Just before regulation ended, Northern’s Jakub Altrichter almost ended the game with 2 seconds left.

However, in OT Auyeung-Ashton made a save on a Lakers’ 2-on-1 break before teammate Medrick Bolduc hit the post at the other end of the rink.

As happens on a certain number of scoring chances, the opposition was able to quickly get the puck back, and LSSU’s Branden Piku waited for his team to finish a line change at the NMU blueline before making a saucer pass to an unchecked Adam Barone, who stormed the slot with speed and made a decisive shot through the Wildcat netminder’s five-hole to end it.

Well before that, the first period was a scoreless standoff, as was a majority of the second before Lake State’s Calem Mangone broke through with a shade under six minutes left in the middle period.

Actually, LSSU thought it scored early in the game, but a goal scored 3 1/2 minutes in was waved off for goalie interference.

Northern also had a pair of abbreviated breakaways by Michael Burchill and Matthew Argentina early in the second that didn’t produce a goal.

Auyeung-Ashton made the save of the game about a minute before the Lakers actually did score, making a nifty move laterally to his left.

Olivier Beaulieu made his NMU debut on this night, while teammates Zane Demsey and Danny Ciccarello each played in their 100th collegiate contest.

Lake State improved to 7-13-1 overall and 4-9 in the CCHA, good for 14 points and seventh place, nine points ahead of the Wildcats.

Lake Superior St. 2, NMU 1 (OT)

Saturday at Sault Ste. Marie

Summary:

First period — None

Second period — 1. LSSU, Calem Mangone (Barone, Ramos) 14:03

Third period — 2. NMU, Caiden Gault (Silkalns, Bettens) 1:26

Overtime — 3. LSSU, Adam Barone (Piku, Bushy) 2:44

Penalties-minutes: NMU 3-6, Lake Superior St. 3-6

Power-play opportunities: NMU 0 of 1, Lake Superior St. 0 of 1

Goalie saves: NMU, Oliver Auyeung-Ashton 28 (8-11-7-2); Lake Superior St., Rorke Applebee 29 (8-8-13-0)

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the game. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.