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Northern Michigan University\u2019s Tynan Ewart, right, tries to block Lake Superior State’s William Ahlrik, center, from taking a shot on Wildcats\u2019 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)<\/p>\n
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SAULT STE. MARIE \u2014 The hockey team at Northern Michigan University welcomed back their freshman sensation of a goaltender on Saturday night, but it wasn\u2019t quite enough to make a second dent in the win column this season.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
It marked the return of Northern goalie Oliver Auyeung-Ashton, who was among several teammates returning from injury. The netminder hadn\u2019t played since early November.<\/p>\n
The teams were meeting again at Taffy Abel Arena on Sunday evening with NMU looking for is second victory of the season. <\/p>\n
While they didn\u2019t win Saturday, the Wildcats did pick up a point in the CCHA standings by taking the game to OT. They\u2019re now 1-20 overall and 1-12 in the league with five points.<\/p>\n
That got them within three points \u2014 the value of a regulation win \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s goals, 34, for 32% of its goal production this season.<\/p>\n
Coincidence or not, though, Gault doesn\u2019t have a single assist.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Each team finished with 30 shots on goal, Auyeung-Ashton making 28 saves, Applebee 29.<\/p>\n
Just before regulation ended, Northern\u2019s Jakub Altrichter almost ended the game with 2 seconds left.<\/p>\n
However, in OT Auyeung-Ashton made a save on a Lakers\u2019 2-on-1 break before teammate Medrick Bolduc hit the post at the other end of the rink.<\/p>\n
As happens on a certain number of scoring chances, the opposition was able to quickly get the puck back, and LSSU\u2019s 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\u2019s five-hole to end it.<\/p>\n
Well before that, the first period was a scoreless standoff, as was a majority of the second before Lake State\u2019s Calem Mangone broke through with a shade under six minutes left in the middle period.<\/p>\n
Actually, LSSU thought it scored early in the game, but a goal scored 3 1\/2 minutes in was waved off for goalie interference.<\/p>\n
Northern also had a pair of abbreviated breakaways by Michael Burchill and Matthew Argentina early in the second that didn\u2019t produce a goal.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Olivier Beaulieu made his NMU debut on this night, while teammates Zane Demsey and Danny Ciccarello each played in their 100th collegiate contest.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Lake Superior St. 2, NMU 1 (OT)<\/p>\n
Saturday at Sault Ste. Marie<\/p>\n
Summary:<\/p>\n
First period \u2014 None<\/p>\n
Second period \u2014 1. LSSU, Calem Mangone (Barone, Ramos) 14:03<\/p>\n
Third period \u2014 2. NMU, Caiden Gault (Silkalns, Bettens) 1:26<\/p>\n
Overtime \u2014 3. LSSU, Adam Barone (Piku, Bushy) 2:44<\/p>\n
Penalties-minutes: NMU 3-6, Lake Superior St. 3-6<\/p>\n
Power-play opportunities: NMU 0 of 1, Lake Superior St. 0 of 1<\/p>\n
Goalie saves: NMU, Oliver Auyeung-Ashton 28 (8-11-7-2); Lake Superior St., Rorke Applebee 29 (8-8-13-0)<\/p>\n
Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the game. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee\u2019s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n IRON MOUNTAIN \u2014 Marquette dominated in both boys and girls meets to open the high school alpine skiing season at …<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n