From Northern Collegiate Hockey League
Week four produced two amazing games between Marian University and Concordia University WI. Each game saw Marian and CUW fighting until the last horn sounded as no outcome was assured. Big leads were built, only to see them evaporate, and last minute goals were scored. When all was said and done, CUW was still not able to outlast Marian. Their best chance came on Friday night but two goals by Marian in the last minute erased CUW’s one goal lead, along with their hopes for overtime. CUW tried to return the favor on Saturday night but came up just short. With the sweep, Marian increased their lead in the Black Division to seven points.
St. Norbert College went on the road and felt no ill effects of the road trip or extended break from game action in their decisive game one victory over Roosevelt University. Game two would not be as friendly for SNC as Roosevelt was able to avenge the previous night’s defeat. With the split SNC took over the top spot in the Orange Division and Roosevelt secured their first points of the season.
In non-conference action Marquette University lost to UW Madison and Northern Michigan University lost to Finlandia University.
Marian University put to the test in sweep of Concordia University WI:
Marian University struck first in game one against Concordia University WI at the Blue Line Family Ice Center in Fond du Lac, WI. However, their jubilation was short lived as CUW would score three unanswered goals to close out the first period. Scoring for CUW were Nick Roberts, assisted by Tommy Cassel, Garrett Wilderman, assisted by Wyatt Wilderman and John Swiatek, and Sherman, assisted by Liam Butler.
Two goals late in the second period saw Marian pull even with CUW as they made their way off the ice for the second intermission.
A third unanswered goal for Marian found the back of the net four minutes into the third stanza, giving them the lead for the first time since early in the first period. CUW kept fighting and eventually tied the game at four off the stick off Cassel, with an assist by Sherman. A fifth CUW goal would put them up by one. Holding on to a one goal lead is always a precarious position against a team with the fire power of Marian. Then with only a minute left Marian would once again pull themselves even with CUW. The game looked to be heading to overtime, but with only 28 seconds remaining in regulation Marian snuck one past Mack Willy for the game winner.
Details for game one came from an article posted on the CUW Sports page as the gamesheet had not been posted as of press time.
Game two saw a venue change to the Ozaukee Ice Center in Mequon, WI. While the venue changed, the Marian offense was not fazed. An early powerplay goal, scored by DJ Horne and assisted by Karl Lavoie and Tyler Studant, gave Marian the lead at 5:26. It would only take 11 second ticking off the clock before Lavoie, assisted by Studant and Simon Ellingson, increased the lead to two. A holding penalty on Connor Doyle with 7:17 to go in the first put Marian back on the powerplay. As they did with their first powerplay opportunity, Marian was able to find the back of the net. Scoring Marian’s third goal of the night was Studant, assisted by Horne and Lavoie, at the 13:23 mark.
The Marian offense kept chugging along and at the 10:46 mark of the second period Dean Whitcomb, assisted by Logan Drolet and Colby Sherlock, put Marian up a seemingly insurmountable 4-0. Marian was back on the powerplay with 8:48 to go in the second period, hoping to build upon their lead. However, CUW finally got the break they needed when Nicholas Roberts, assisted by Thomas Cassell, netted a shorthanded goal to bring the score to 4-1.
The third period started with Marian holding a 4-1 lead, but two early penalties put them on the defensive as CUW had a 5-on-3 advantage. CUW was not able to capitalize and after the first penalty to Marian had expired Sherlock put Marian up 5-1. The CUW special teams scored a power play goal two minutes and 28 seconds later; scoring for CUW was Easton Williams and he was assisted by John Swiatek and Garrett Wilderman. There was no give up in front of their home crowd and CUW pulled within two with 10:11 remaining when G. Wilderman hit twine. Then with 52 seconds left in regulation, and down two, CUW went back on the powerplay. After 28 seconds of man advantage CUW’s Wyatt Wilderman, assisted by G. Wilderman and Swiatek, made it a one goal game. Unfortunately, CUW was not able to pull off the same feat of two goals in the last minute as Marian had the night before and the final horn sounded with Marian holding on for a 5-4 victory.
Earning the victory for Marian was Jonathan Bateman and absorbing the loss for CUW was Mack Willy.
Roosevelt University splits with St. Norbert College:
Roosevelt University and St. Norbert College split their series this past weekend. SNC did not feel the doldrums of travel as they took game one by a score of 5-1. However, game two saw Roosevelt rebound with an 8-6 victory. The split gave SNC the two points necessary for them to overtake Northern Michigan University for first place in the Orange Division. As of press time the gamesheets had not been posted for a more detailed account of the games.
Inter-Division Games:
Purdue University Northwest swept Lewis University, winning 9-6 on Friday and 6-4 on Saturday.
Non-Conference Games:
Marquette University was defeated by UW Madison 5-2 on Friday.
Northern Michigan University lost to Finlandia University 5-3 on Friday and Saturday’s game was postponed.
Idle:
Aurora University
DePaul University
UW Oshkosh
(Originally published at http://nchlhockey.pointstreaksites.com/view/nchl_hockey/news-1147/news_537813)
