Lakers complete sweep of Spartans, 4-2

Icers let 2-0 first period lead slip away

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Sault Ste. Marie — The MSU hockey team had a two goal lead with 52 seconds remaining in the first period.

But Lake Superior scored four unanswered goals on the Spartans en route to a 4-2 win at Taffy Abel Arena.

The Spartans (7-18-3 overall, 4-13-2-2 CCHA) recorded 38 shots in the game – a season high.

MSU head coach Rick Comley said his team played much better in Saturday’s game than they did in Friday’s 2-0 loss.

“I thought we played well and worked hard,” Comley said. “I thought it was a gutsy effort.”

MSU’s first goal came at 13:34 of the first period when the Spartans sprung a 2-on-0 while shorthanded. The shorthanded tally was the second this season for the Spartans.

Sophomore forward Andrew Rowe took the initial shot on the breakaway, and senior defenseman Kurt Kivisto was right behind him to pick up the trash and put the puck into the net.

“It got a lucky bounce on my stick and I batted it through a guy to Rowe, who had the breakaway,” Kivisto said. “I was hoping he was going to score. I just followed up the play and the rebound came to my stick and I was able to hit in it.”

MSU senior forward Matt Schepke put the Spartans up 2-0 on the power play at 19:08 of the first period. The Spartans capitalized six seconds after the Lake Superior penalty was called.

After a quick faceoff win, Kivisto received the puck at the blue line and passed it across the width of the ice to sophomore defenseman Jeff Petry. Petry wound up, but instead of firing the shot at the net, he played a crisp pass to Schepke who was streaking through the slot. Schepke simply had to redirect the puck into the wide open net.

Lake Superior answered 22 seconds later on a power play of its own and the two teams went into the first intermission with a score of 2-1.

The Lakers followed up with goals at 11:27 and 17:41 of the second period. Lake Superior’s second power play goal of the night at 7:36 sealed up the game and the weekend sweep for the Lakers.

MSU freshman forward Ben Warda said his team continued to play well offensively despite falling behind, but couldn’t seem to get any favorable bounces to help get the puck by Lake Superior goaltender Pat Inglis.

“I thought we played a lot better tonight and we had a lot more shots – especially in the third period,” Warda said. “We were dominating, but luck just isn’t on our side right now.”

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