This blog is so much fun when our guys win, but its not exactly easy recapping a loss. Especially when a lot of things didn't exactly go right. Coach Ferguson is pretty good at putting it all out on the table, but I didn't even go to the post game conference this time around (first time this season, actually). After the game was over, I didn't even really know what to think.
It's not like the 'Nooks didn't have their chances. With 42 shots on goal, chances were plentiful, but Reid Ellingson and the Wildcat defense stifled the 'Nooks offense all night. “We had some quality chances, but we just couldn’t get them in the back of the net,” Coach Ferguson said. Couldn't have put it better myself. Every chance we got up to the doorstep, Ellingson shut the door. Ronnie Meyers (who had a hell of a game, as per usual) had an excellent chance to bury one on a breakaway, but Reid Ellingson and that quick glove of his stopped The Cowboy cold.
It wasn't until 59:58.1 into the game that Bryant Molle buried the only Nanooks goal of the game, and his first goal of the year off of an outlet pass from Kevin Petovello, that was tipped to Molle as he was pinching down by Erik Slemp, who earned his first collegiate point. “Peto got the puck to the middle and it kind of deflected off somebody,” said Bryant Molle, “and I just kind of gripped it, and it looked like there was a little bit of space on the left side and I just shot it there.” I'm sure Ellingson wished he could have held on for the shutout. Close, but no cigar.
Northern's goals came from Andrew Cherniwchan, who waited for an opening through traffic and got one past Greenham. Justin Florek would get the eventual empty net game winner from behind his own blue line. Cherniwchan got his second point of the night, taking the puck away and getting it to Florek, who fired it down the ice, unimpeded for the score.
The Nanooks head down to Columbus for a chance to rebound against last place Ohio State. The Friday game is ridiculously early, at 9:45AM. With Saturday's game at 4:05PM. Alaska will then enjoy a week off, followed by another trip down to Big Rapids to close out the first half of the season against Ferris State.
The Nanooks are now tied for 4th in the CCHA standings with 16 points alongside Northern Michigan, 5 points behind 3rd place Miami.
The Wildcats have extended their unbeaten streak against Alaska to 7-0-5-0. The Nanooks have won all 5 shootout tiebreakers in conference play. Shootouts, of course, are not observed by the NCAA at large...
1 comment:
Painful loss, mostly because we played a pretty good game...I would even say a better offensive game than what NMU put forth. However, that goalie for the Wildcats just played out of his mind. Painful as it was, it was also impressive to watch.
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