I had typed a much more complete version of this story in earlier, but
just before completing it my telephone's call waiting feature disrupted
my modem's communication with our mainframe and I have now lost the
entire file--Grrr!!  I don't have the time or energy to repeat that
(ahem!) journalistic masterpiece (no cheers, now!), so I'll just send an
abbreviated version.
 
For the second evening in a row the Golden Gophers and the Wildcats
battled to a a tie at Marquette's Lakeview Arena.  This time power plays
were critical to the Wildcats, as they were to the Gophers the previous
night.  NMU scored all five of its goals while the Gophers were
shorthanded; Minnesota scored one power play goal and one shorthanded
marker.  Minnesota took a 4-1 lead early in the second period, but the
Wildcats stormed back with the help of a huge and inexplicable number of
Gopher penalties, scoring three ppgs in 5:04 of the second to knot it at
4-4.  Minnesota took the lead at 19:48 of the second, but Northern
Michigan tied it at 9:08 of the third, and that ended the scoring.
 
It was a goaltenders' show, with the Gophers' Jeff Callinan making 28
stops, most of them on point-blank shots.  His two most notable efforts
occurred late and saved the tie for Minnesota. Near the end of the third
period NMU's Jason Hehr broke into the offensive zone fairly unmolested
and let go a screamer from the left point which was headed for the 2
hole; Callinan gloved it cleanly.  The momentum of the shot carried
Callinan's glove, arm, and entire body around in a complete circle, and
out of the crease.  Half way through the overtime the Wildcats buzzed
the net feroucisouly for about ten seconds and Callinan stopped a
close-in shot and then two attempts on the rebounds following from it.
The last of these actually got through his pads and was sliding toward
the goal line when he reached behind his own leg and made a first
baseman-style backhand stop.  Saurdiff had 32 saves, to go with the 37
he notched the previous night; however, he did not seem *quite* as sharp
as he was on Friday.
 
Wildcat fans, coaches and players are breathing easier, at least.  They
now feel the team will be competitive, anyway.  The return of Joe
Frederick really helped (although his other ankle was injured late in
the second period, and it remains to be seen what effect that will have
on future play).  Minnesota's Darby Hendrickson separated a shoulder
late in the Friday night game and is out for several weeks, at least.
Doug Woog said he might even be red-shirted now.
 
The second period was wild, wooly, and strange with all the fouling and
fighting which occurred.
 
Goals: First Period
 
       1.  Minn, Bohin (3) (Dziedzic), 5:11
 
       2.  NMU, Frederick (3) (Riplinger, Hehr), ppg, 13:19
 
       3.  Minn, Nielsen (4) (Bonin), 16:11
 
       4.  Minn, Brill (4) (McHugh, Bonin), 18:17
 
       Second Period
 
       5.  Minn, McHugh (3) (Richards), shg, 2:54
 
       6.  NMU, Hadden (4) (Frederick, Harding), ppg, 7:13
 
       7.  NMU, Riplinger (1) (unassisted), ppg, 9:26
 
       8.  NMU, Johnson (1) (Hehr, Frederick), ppg, 13:16
 
       9.  Minn, Johnson (5) (unassisted), ppg, 19:48
 
       Third Period
 
      10.  NMU, Riplinger (2) (Frederick, Carpenter), ppg, 9:08
 
Power play opportunities: Minn 1/5; NMU 5/10
 
Goalie saves: NMU, Saurdiff 12-9-9-2
 
              Minn, Callihan 8-9-6-5
 
Penalties: Minn 17-34; NMU 13-34
 
Attendance: 4,106
                      ***********************************
                     *      Steve Christopher, NMU       *
                    *  "Go 'Cats!''Goin' for it again in  *
                    *     '93--With a lot less "O"        *
                    *       but a little more "D"!        *
                     *        [log in to unmask]         *
                      ***********************************