Monday, October 23, 2006

Warriors split down south

The Wayne State Warriors (1-3-0, 1-1-1 CHA) closed out their season opening, four-game road trip on a high note as they split a two game set with the Alabama Huntsville Chargers at the Von Braun Center.

Friday night the Chargers scored all their goals with the man advantage en route to 4-2 victory.

Shaun Arvai, Brett McConnachie, Grant Selinger, and Matt Sweazey scored for the Chargers who won for the first time in five games this season.

Seniors Jason Bloomingburg and Nate Higgins (pictured) scored for the Warriors and Will Hooper turned away 29 of 33 shots in net.

Jordan Erickson stopped 24 of 26 for UAH.

Saturday's night the Warriors grabbed their first win of the year as they outlasted the Chargers in a shootout, 8-6.

UAH led 2-1 after twenty minutes, but the Warriors ripped off five unanswered goals in the second period to take a 6-3 lead.

The Chargers tied the game with 3 goals to start the third, but Nate Higgins notched the hat trick at 17:06 for the eventual game winner.

Derek Bachynski added an empty netter and the Warriors skated out of Huntsville with an important early season conference victory.

Mike Forgie, Matt Krug, Jared Katz, Mark Nebus also scored for the green and gold.

Selinger and McConnachie led the Chargers with two goals each.

Freshman Brett Bothwell got the win in his second collegiate start, stopping 53 of 59 shots. In two games this year, Bothwell has been bombarded with 109 shots on goal.

Marc Narduzzi started between the pipes for the home team, was pulled in favor of Erickson in the second period, and then replaced after Erickson gave up 3 goals on five shots.

WSU and UAH both finished the night 3-for-9 on the power play.

Wayne State comes back the State Fair Coliseum next weekend for their first home games of the year. Friday night the Warriors host Atlantic Hockey's Sacred Heart Pioneers and Saturday the ECAC's St. Lawrence Saints take the ice.

photo courtesy of WSU Athletic Department and Mark Hicks / Westside Photography

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