Lakers and Wildcats do the splits

By Susannah Nichols/ Northern Michigan Beat Writer

Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State each took away a victory from their weekend series: the 'Cats defeated the Lakers 4-1 on Saturday, and the Lakers retaliated by taking Saturday's game 3-1.

Andrew Cherniwchan and Tyler Gron scored to give the 'Cats a 2-0 lead on Friday. Late in the second, Domenic Monardo capitalized on a Laker power play to bring Lake State within a goal.

Jared Brown scored his first goal of the season to widen the 'Cats lead, and Greger Hanson sealed the deal with the team's fourth goal. Cherniwchan picked up an assist on Hanson's goal.

Justin Florek had two assists in the win, and Northern goalie Reid Ellingson recorded his first victory of the season with 42 saves. Lakers goalie Brian Mahoney-Wilson had 25 saves in the loss.

The Lakers tried to take the lead early on Saturday--they outshot the 'Cats 15-5 in the first period--but didn't get on the board until the second stanza. Laker Kyle Haines got slapped with a major penalty, but the team managed to use it to their advantage: Kyle Jean lit the lamp at 5:26. Monardo assisted on the goal, which was Jean's first of the season. Rick Schofield scored later in the period to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead.

Things happened fast after that: just over a minute after Schofield's goal, Cherniwchan and Kyle Follmer set up Florek for a power play goal. And less than a minute after Florek's goal, Monardo banged in the last goal of the game.

The 'Cats outshot the Lakers 10-6 in the last period, but couldn't get a shot past Laker goalie Kevin Kapalka, who had 22 saves for the win.

Jared Coreau was between the pipes for the 'Cats and had 30 saves in the loss.

The Lakers (3-5-2, 1-4-1 CCHA) take on Ferris State next weekend at home. The Wildcats (3-5-1, 3-3-0 CCHA) return home for two games against Bowling Green.

Broncos take both from Michigan State

By Karl Henkel/Western Michigan Beat Writer

Last season, Western Michigan had to wait until February to pick up its first CCHA weekend sweep.

The Broncos accomplished that feat this weekend after knocking off Michigan State in back-to-back games at Lawson Arena.

WMU edged the Spartans 4-3 in the opener before winning the second game, 3-1.

"Were taking a step toward becoming a good hockey team,” WMU coach Jeff Blashill said. “We're going to have to take a lot of steps all year long, so hopefully by the end of the year we're a really good hockey team. This was certainly one of those steps forward.”

It was the first time Western Michigan swept the Spartans since Feb. 16-17, 2007, during a home-and-home series.

In the first game, after Brett Perlini’s two goals gave Michigan State an early 2-0 lead, the Broncos scored three second-period goals.

Matt Tennyson, Greg Squires and Max Campbell scored for Western Michigan and then Tennyson scored a power-play goal midway through the third to give WMU a 4-3 lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

Nick Pisellini made 22 stops for Western Michigan. Drew Palmisano stopped 26 for Michigan State.

In the second game, WMU’s Ryan Watson and MSU’s Dustin Gazley traded first-period goals, despite Western Michigan holding a 12-6 advantage in shots on goal.

WMU outshot Michigan State 24-20 overall.

Former Spartan Ben Warda, who scored his first goal for Western Michigan, then put the Broncos ahead 2-1 in the second.

"It was one of the best feelings that I've had playing so far,” Warda said. “Scoring against those guys was awesome, and even better to get the win."

Campbell added an empty-net goal in the third.

The Spartans had two goals — one in the second and one in the third — disallowed.

Pisellini stopped 19 shots and Palmisano 21.

Western Michigan (6-2-2, 2-1-1-0 CCHA) takes a weekend off before heading to Big Rapids Nov. 19-20 to face Ferris State. Both games start 7:05 p.m.

Michigan State (3-2-3, 1-2-1-0) hosts Ohio State next weekend. Friday’s game begins at 6:35 p.m. and Saturday’s contest at 7:05 p.m.

MiCHO Power Poll 11.03.2010

The Michigan State Spartans remain atop the MiCHO Power Poll this week after taking three of four points from Division I independent Alabama-Huntsville on home ice last weekend.

Michigan stays in the No. 2 spot after getting three key CCHA points from Ferris State by virtue of a win and a shootout loss.

Speaking of Ferris State, the Bulldogs jump to No. 3, while Western Michigan drops to the No. 4 slot, ahead of Michigan Tech, who saw its fast start quieted by a Wisconsin sweep.

Northern Michigan sits in the sixth rank and Lake Superior State is in the No. 7 spot.

1) Michigan State (tie, win against Alabama-Huntsville)
2) Michigan (shootout loss, win against Ferris State)
3) Ferris State (shootout win, loss against Michigan)
4) Western Michigan (loss, shootout loss against Notre Dame)
5) Michigan Tech (swept by Wisconsin)
6) Northern Michigan (sweep over Ohio State)
7) Lake Superior State (loss, shootout loss against Miami)

Each week, MichiganCollegeHockey.com staffers will compile the MiCHO Power Poll. Contrary to popular belief, there is no coin flip involved. The poll comprises the seven Division I teams in the state of Michigan.

MTU's hot start cooled by Wisconsin

By Andy Bourdeau / MTU Beat Writer

Michigan Tech came into the weekend series with Wisconsin undefeated, but were unable to hold on to leads in both games as the Badgers swept the Huskies, 5-2 and 4-1 on the weekend.

The Huskies came out, weathered the storm both nights and took the lead in both games. Friday the Huskies took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, but then UW rattled off five straight goals, including an empty-netter, to give the Huskies their first loss.

Scoring for MTU was Ryan Furne and Ricky Doriott, with Doriott's being his first career goal. Kevin Genoe started in net and finished with 27 saves on 31 shots.

On Saturday, the two teams skated to a 0-0 tie at the end of 1, and then MTU started the scoring with a power-play goal by Alex MacLeod. The Badgers answered with four consecutive goals and the weekend sweep.

Genoe was in net again, making 23 saves on 27 shots.

“We did some very good things this weekend,” said Michigan Tech head coach Jamie Russell. “We are certainly heading in the right direction. We had a lapse at the end of the second period which was the difference (Saturday) night."

MTU (3-2-2, WCHA 1-2-1) will have next weekend off, then travel to Duluth for a weekend series with the Bulldogs, the last games for MTU in the old DECC.

Lakers get point on road at Miami

By Bob Miller/Lake Superior State Beat Writer

Lake Superior State continued their very difficult initial CCHA schedule this weekend, tripping to Oxford, Ohio, to face the nation's top-ranked Miami RedHawks for a two-game set.

After opening the CCHA season with a pair of 4-2 losses to Notre Dame in South Bend, the Lakers managed to eke out their first point of the conference schedule with Saturday night's 2-2 draw.

Matt Cowie's goal, set up by Rick Schofield, with only seven seconds remaining in the game earned the Lakers the hard-fought point, although Miami picked up the extra shootout point after a scoreless overtime.

Kevin Kapalka stopped 26 of Miami's 28 shots to enable the Lakers to be in position for Cowie's heroics.

Brian Mahoney-Wilson didn't fare as well in the Lake Superior net on Friday, giving up six goals on only 21 shots in the RedHawks' 6-2 conquest of the Lakers.

Chad Nehring and Colin Campbell supplied third period goals to the Laker cause in the series opener.

Lake Superior opens a four-game homestand this coming weekend, hosting fellow Upper Peninsula rival Northern Michigan for a weekend pair of games.