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NMU Hockey Team Finishes Trip With OT Victory
 Photo courtesy of Ferris State University; stories from NMU Sports Information. The Northern Michigan University hockey team won twice this weekend downstate at Ferris State University, taking Friday's game, 6-3, and Saturday's contest, 7-6, in overtime. SATURDAY GAME RECAP Depth scoring proved the difference maker in the Northern Michigan University hockey team's 7-6 overtime thriller at Ferris State University Saturday night. Mike Van Unen, a junior defenseman, net the game-winning puck at 1:36 of the overtime session while two others lit the lamp for their first career goals in the victory. Reminiscent of game one, the Wildcats found themselves down a goal heading into the second period and on the penalty kill.  Mack Byers tied things up minutes later when he net the first of his career at 12:23. The sophomore forward skated into the offensive zone, taking the puck along the far side before cutting in on net and beating both defenders for the tying tally. FSU reclaimed the lead with 3:04 to play in the first period when a shot from the near circle beat DiMatteo glove side as NMU found themselves down, 2-1, at the end of one period. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 3-1 less than two minutes into the second period and the 'Cats fought to claw their way back, scoring four unanswered goals to carry the 5-3 lead into the final period of regulation. Rylan Van Unen pulled NMU within one on a delayed penalty call, negating a penalty shot opportunity as Vincent de Mey was tripped up at the crease. Andre Ghantous then knotted things up, 3-3, with 6:54 elapsed in the period before AJ Vanderbeck scored a power play goal and Oscar Geschwind scored the first of his career to round out the period scoring. FSU made it a one-goal game just two minutes into the final period of regulation as a shot whizzed by DiMatteo for the 5-4 score. The Wildcats were then called for a series of penalties and played the majority of the first half of the frame on the kill. At 12:43, again on the penalty kill, Ben Newhouse found Hank Crone alone in the neutral zone for the shorthanded breakaway goal, extending NMU's lead back to two.  With just 30 ticks left in regulation, the Wildcats froze the puck and a face-off to the right of DiMatteo was set up. The Bulldogs won the ensuing draw and fired a shot off. DiMatteo made the initial save but the rebound found the tape of an FSU stick and they buried the puck into a wide open net. The Wildcats dominated possession in the overtime period, allowing just one shot on goal by the opposition before Mike Van Unen net the game-winning tally at 1:36 of the extra session. Mack Byers slipped through defenders through the offensive zone, crossing the crease and sliding a back-handed shot into the back of the net to knot things up at one-all just over halfway through the first period. Tanner Vescio and David Keefer each earned assists on the goal. Vincent de Mey skated in on the breakaway, getting tripped up late, leaving the puck out front. Rylan Van Unen found the puck sitting on the goal line and tapped it home for his second goal of the weekend. Andre Ghantous tied things up at 3-3 with an unassisted tally scored from the slot at 6:54 of the second period. The Wildcats saw their first lead of the game when AJ Vanderbeck fired a shot off from the point on the man-advantage. The goal, assisted by Hank Crone, came at 15:26 of the second stanza. Oscar Geschwind got the rebound shot for his first career tally, beating FSU's Stein in the crease at 17:16 to extend the NMU lead to 5-3. Ben Newhouse cleared the puck out of the Wildcats' defensive end to an open Crone out at center ice. The junior from Dallas, Texas skated in alone on net to score the team's first shorthanded goal of the season and made it a 6-4 game. Mike Van Unen scored the overtime game-winner at 1:36 of the extra period when he weaved into the offensive zone, splitting defenders and fired a shot top shelf to beat Stein in the FSU net. Crone and de Mey both picked up assists on the overtime winner. The Wildcats had seven goals off 18 shots on net in Saturday night's victory while Rico DiMatteo turned aside 38 of 44 shots faced. Two Wildcats tallied first career goals in the win as Mack Byers and Oscar Geschwind each scored the first of their careers. NMU registered nine blocked shots in the contest, led by Mike Van Unen and Andre Ghantous with two each. Three Wildcats boasted multi-point games, including Hank Crone (1-2-3) and Vincent de Mey (0-3-3). Rylan Van Unen also highlighted the box score on multiple occasions, netting an goal and an assist in the win. After Saturday night's victory, six Wildcats are now on point streaks, including Crone and Ben Newhouse, Geschwind and R. Van Unen who all ride current career-highs. The team leader in points, Crone now boasts six goals and 14 assists for 20 points as a Wildcat. He's tallied at least one point in each of his last six games (3-8-11) for a team-best streak. Newhouse has scored a point (1-4-5) in each of his last five games for a career-best point-streak. Andre Ghantous (3 games, 2-3-5), de Mey (2 games, 1-4-5), R. Van Unen (2 games, 2-1-3) and Geschwind (2 games, 1-2-3) also ride point streaks currently. For the first time as Wildcat teammates, both Van Unens found the back of the net, including Mike's game-winner in the three-on-three overtime session. The Wildcats return home to the Berry Events Center for a Thanksgiving weekend series against CCHA foe Bowling Green State University, Nov. 26-27. Puck drop for both games is set for 6:37 p.m. Tickets for both games are still available and can be purchased online at tickets.nmu.edu or in-person at any NMU ticketing outlet. FRIDAY GAME RECAP Behind a dominant third-period performance, the Northern Michigan University hockey team defeated Central Collegiate Hockey Association foe Ferris State University, 6-3. After two periods of play both teams skated to the locker rooms hopeful to come back strong in the final period and take an important three points in conference play. A three-goal period was just that for the Wildcats as they outlasted the home Bulldogs inside the Ewigleben Ice Arena Friday night. The Bulldogs struck first at 12:47 of the opening period when a rebound found the stick of an FSU attacker in front of a wide open net. Before Rico DiMatteo could get himself back in place the puck had found the back of the net and the 'Cats found themselves trailing 1-0 part way through the first. The Wildcats answered with a goal of their own just 64 seconds later to swing all momentum back in their favor when Andre Ghantous lit the lamp at 13:51 of the first frame. NMU had another good look on an odd-man rush shortly after their equalizer but were unable to take advantage of the shot and the two teams played on, tied 1-1. Both teams fired shot after shot on net with the Wildcats picking up 11 shots on goal through the first period of play but it was FSU who found themselves up 2-1 after one. After allowing a goal with 1:15 left in the frame, the Wildcats saw two short-handed opportunities late to knot things back up but were unable to beat FSU's Stein in net and skated to the intermission down a goal. A slew of penalties opened the second period of play with five calls between the two teams to carry us to the halfway point of the period with each team successfully killing off the opposition's chances. Mikey Colella and Vincent de Mey both scored in the waning minutes of the second period to give the Wildcats the 3-2 lead as they approached the 40 minute mark. FSU answered with a goal of their own with 90 ticks left on the clock to make it 3-3. After a breakaway chance was denied by DiMatteo, the Bulldogs continued to pressure the NMU defense and eventually found the back of the net to knot it up heading into the final period. The Wildcats came out blazing in the third period, unwilling to let the late FSU goal in the last period deter them. Colella and Rylan Van Unen combined for a pair of goals just 19 seconds apart in the opening minutes of the third to give NMU the 5-3 lead. Senior captain Joseph Nardi rounded out the scoring Friday night with a power play tally at 11:52 of the third to give the Wildcats the 6-3 final on the road. Between the pipes, DiMatteo recorded 28 saves on 31 shots faced to improve his season record to 6-5-0 as the Wildcats advanced to 6-6-0 on the season and 4-5-0 in CCHA play. Andre Ghantous lit the lamp for NMU at 13:51 of the first period when his shot slid off the right pad of the FSU netminder and into the back of the net. Mikey Colella and Joseph Nardi each tallied an assist on the goal. Mikey Colella picked up the loose puck off a turnover in the offensive zone, spinning around in front of the crease and getting a shot past Stein in net to tie things up at 2-2. Less than two minutes later Vincent de Mey scored a goal of his own with a wrister in the slot to give NMU their first lead of the night. Oscar Geschwind, who earned the primary assist on the goal, picked up his first point as a Wildcat. Hank Crone was also credited with an assist on the play. Oscar Geschwind skated the puck up ice, finding an open Colella at the doorstep where he tapped the puck home for the eventual game-winner. Andre Ghantous also tallied an assist on the goal. Rylan Van Unen lit the lamp 19 seconds after Colella's game-winner with a shot from inside the hashes. Standing along between the two hashmarks, he found a pass from Ben Newhouse and sent a shot home to make it 5-3 at 2:14 of the third period. Joseph Nardi rounded out the scoring in Friday's contest with a power play goal at 11:12 of the third period to give NMU the 6-3 final. Vincent de Mey picked up the puck off the face-off and waited for an open lane. He sent the puck up to Ghantous at the goal line who threw the Bulldog defenders off, quickly releasing a pass back out to Nardi who stood just to the right of the near dot to one-time it home. Oscar Geschwind tallied his first collegiate point Friday night, with an assist on Vincent de Mey's goal late in the second period. Rico DiMatteo made 28 saves in the victory, turning aside all but three en route to NMU's 6-3 win. The 'Cats went one-for-five on the power play, finding twine at the hands of Joseph Nardi while killing all FSU attempts with the man-advantage. NMU blocked four shots in the contest. With 29 shots on net, the Wildcats were led by Mikey Colella, de Mey and Nardi who each boasted four a piece. |
