MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Alaska Anchorage Seawolves' comeback fell short as the Northern Michigan Wildcats picked up all four Western Collegiate Hockey Association points on the weekend, as NMU won, 5-4 on Saturday at the Berry Events Center.
The Seawolves produced a solid first 20 minutes of play, trailing just 2-1 and affording NMU a 10-9 advantage for shots on goal. Unfortunately, the next seven and half minutes proved otherwise as the Wildcats took a 5-1 lead, before senior Blake Tatchell and junior Brad Duwe cut the lead to two heading into the second intermission. Senior Blake Leask got the final tally for the Seawolves, skating with an extra attacker late in the third, but the Seawolves were unable to find the equalizer.
The Seawolf comeback started when Tatchell collected his 99th career point and seventh goal of the season at 16:10 of the second. One minute and six seconds later, Duwe matched Tatchell's goal total for the season, scoring at 17:16. Tatchell and Duwe are tied for second among UAA goal scorers behind sophomore Tad Kozun (12).
Down 5-3 and with netminder Olivier Mantha pulled for the extra attacker, Leask registered his first tally of the season with 1:20 remaining in the game. Sophomore Anthony Conti saved an empty-net strike by NMU, before finding freshman Nils Rygaard and Leask to bring the game within one. Rygaard's assist was the first of his collegiate career, while Conti contributed with two assists for the second straight game.
An icing call on the Wildcats with 1.7 seconds left in the game gave the Seawolves a faceoff to the left of goaltender Mathias Dahlstrom, but UAA wasn't able to get the shot on net in time.
Tatchell's and Duwe's even-strength goals were following the Wildcat's goal scoring spree in the first eight minutes of the second. Dominik Shine collected his second of the night, just 19 seconds into the period, chasing Mantha from goal. Sophomore Jared D'Amico stepped in and allowed strikes by Denver Pierce (6:32) and Barrett Kaib (7:28).
Meanwhile, Shine started the scoring for the Wildcats in the opening stanza, scoring at 4:48, before junior Dylan Hubbs collected his fourth of the season at 5:42 to knot the game. Brock Maschmeyer, who scored Friday for NMU, furnished a power-play strike at 14:41.
Mantha, who made 17 saves in the loss, was returned to the crease for the third period. D'Amico made five saves in the second frame, while Dahlstrom turned aside 20 shots. UAA was outshot, 27-24.
With the NMU sweep and Lake Superior State being swept by the hands of Michigan Tech (3-0, 3-1), the Seawolves (10-15-3, 7-13-2 WCHA) remain tied for No. 7 in the league with LSSU, each with 16 points.
