Minnesota State Falls 2-1 to Northern Michigan on Friday
Minnesota State dropped a 2-1 decision to Northern Michigan on Friday evening on the road, managing 36 shots on goal compared to the hosts’ 30. The Mavericks converted one of three power-play opportunities but remained scoreless in the first and third periods to slip to 2-5-2 overall and 0-1-2 in CCHA play.
Northern Michigan capitalized on early pressure in the opening frame when Ian Engel scored at the 11:44 mark off an assist from Reilley Kotai. Despite outshooting the Wildcats and generating late attempts from skaters including Will Skahan, Liam Hupka, Jakob Stender, Jacob Conrad, and Alex Zetterberg, Minnesota State faced a 1-0 deficit heading into the first intermission.
Special Teams Spark Second-Period Tie
The Mavericks erased the deficit in the second period during a power play. Easton Hewson netted his first goal as a Maverick at 5:52, utilizing assists from Conrad and Jack Christ to level the score at 1-1. Oliver Auyeung-Ashton stopped subsequent Maverick chances, while Lassi Lehti turned away three shots during a second-period penalty kill to keep the game deadlocked through forty minutes.
Wildcats Secure Victory in the Third
Branden Piku broke the tie for Northern Michigan early in the final frame, scoring at 4:11 off feeds from Noah Houle and Coster Dunn to put the Wildcats ahead 2-1. Minnesota State pressed with a subsequent power play and pulled Lehti for an extra attacker at 18:40, but late looks from Skahan, Mason Kraft, and Luigi Benincasa failed to beat Auyeung-Ashton.
Northern Michigan Improves Record After Lehti Makes 28 Saves
Lehti finished the night with 28 saves for the Mavericks, while Kraft paced the attack with five shots on goal. Fin Williams won seven faceoffs at a 70% rate and blocked one shot, and Hewson added two shots alongside his power-play marker. Northern Michigan improved its record to 3-6-0 overall and 1-2-0 in conference play following the win.
Minnesota State concludes its weekend series against Northern Michigan on Saturday with puck drop scheduled for 5:07 p.m. CST at the Berry Events Center in Marquette, Michigan.
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