KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Minus three of its top six forwards, who also happen to be three of its top five scorers, fourth-ranked Minnesota Duluth fought Western Michigan to a 1-1 overtime draw in NCHC play Saturday, Dec. 3, at Lawson Ice Arena.
The Bulldogs, winless in their final three games before the holiday break, return to Duluth with just one league point on the weekend after losing 3-2 on Friday and getting beat in the third round of a shootout Saturday.
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Considering the circumstances, however, the Bulldogs were pleased with the result Saturday going into a two-week layoff because the effort was there.
鈥淭onight we came out strong. Everyone was going for a full 60 minutes. There wasn鈥檛 a lack of heart. There was passion for Bulldog hockey,鈥� UMD sophomore defenseman Scott Perunovich said. 鈥淪ometimes you don鈥檛 get the outcome you want, but everyone went out there and gave it their all. That鈥檚 all you can ask for.鈥�
UMD fielded a lineup Saturday that featured 11 forwards and eight defensemen, with senior center Peter Krieger, senior wing Parker Mackay and sophomore wing Nick Swaney all out with injuries for the series finale.
Freshman defenseman Hunter Lellig, appearing in his ninth game this season, was bumped up to right wing to fill out the fourth forward line. Meanwhile, the special teams were all jumbled, including the power play.
UMD was 0-for-7 on the man advantage when freshman center Noah Cates - who was named this week to the U.S. National Junior Team preliminary roster - ripped a shot down the middle to tie the game at 1-1 just past the 13-minute mark of the second period.
Cates鈥� fourth goal of his rookie season came after a pair of Broncos penalties 11 seconds apart turned a UMD penalty kill into a 4-on-3 Bulldogs advantage.
鈥淲e had a lot of space,鈥� Cates said. 鈥�(Perunovich) made a nice play, a nice backhand pass to the middle that found me in the slot. I was lucky enough it went in.
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鈥淲e hadn鈥檛 been too good on the power play, so an opportunity like that is huge.鈥�
Western took a 1-0 lead on the game鈥檚 second shift. Junior center Hugh McGing - who scored in the shootout - flew into the UMD zone, skated across the visiting crease and backhanded a puck past UMD junior goaltender Hunter Shepard just 46 seconds in.
McGing鈥檚 goal marked the third straight game that UMD gave up a goal in the opening minutes to fall behind 1-0, but Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin said he didn鈥檛 care about the quick goal. It didn鈥檛 dampen his perception of his team鈥檚 start Saturday.
The Bulldogs鈥� new-look top line of freshman wing Cole Koepke, sophomore center Justin Richards and senior wing Billy Exell started the game with an electric opening shift, and McGing simply made a great play once he hit the ice to give his team the early advantage.
Sandelin said the opening shift by Koepke, Richards and Exell set the tone for the rest of the night.
鈥淚t was a hell of a hockey game. Our guys battled their butts off right from the first shift with Richy鈥檚 line. I thought our guys played a heck of a game, so did they,鈥� Sandelin said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of our team, really proud of their effort. I thought our guys came together and put a really good 60-minute game in.鈥�
Minnesota Duluth
0-1-0-0-1
Western Michigan
1-0-0-0-1
Broncos win shootout in third round.
First period - 1. WMU, Hugh McGing 10 (Mattias Samuelsson, Luke Bafia), 0:46. Penalties - Matt Anderson, UMD (high sticking), 6:29; Ethen Frank, WMU (hooking), 11:19; Mikey Anderson, UMD (tripping), 13:18.
Second period - 2. UMD, Noah Cates 4 (Scott Perunovich, Jarod Hilderman), 13:09 (pp). Penalties - Paul Washe, WMU (interference), 0:10; Tanner Laderoute, UMD (slashing), 11:49; Wade Allison, WMU (interference), 12:12; Kale Bennett, WMU (holding), 12:33.
Third period - No scoring. Penalties - Jackson Cates, UMD (elbowing), 2:10; Josh Passolt, WMU (slashing), 6:49; Passolt, WMU (slashing), 13:43; Laderoute, UMD (slashing), 13:43.
Overtime - No scoring. Penalties - Justin Richards, UMD (cross checking), 2:12; Luke Bafia, WMU (cross checking), 2:12;
Shots on goal - UMD 11-11-13-4-39; WMU 5-8-7-3-23. Goalies - Hunter Shepard (23 shots-22 saves); Trevor Gorsuch (39-38). Power plays - UMD 1-of-5; WMU 0-of-4. Referees - Brad Shepard, Joe Sullivan. Linesmen - Brent Gawlik, John Philo. Att. - 3,123.
