The Northern Michigan University Wildcats doubled their season win total last night with a 5-4 Western Collegiate Hockey Association victory over the Tigers of Colorado College. This was a rather strange game. For one thing, the paid attendance was 3,891 while the actual attendance was announced as 3,011. In other words, 880 of our loyal season ticket holders didn't show. Actually, I suppose for a day-after-Thanksgiving game this isn't so surprising. The first period, with the exception of the first three minutes when the Wildcats kept play in the Tigers' end, was all Colorado College. I've never seen a game when virtually the entire first period went without a penalty being called--nor were there any obvious plays which were ignored by the officials. There was VERY little contact between the players. The Tigers took the first lead at 5:47 when Colin Schmidt was credited with a fluke goal. He was attempting a centering pass from behind the Wildcat net; the pass struck the skate of NMU defenseman Steve Carpenter and deflected into the goal behind Corwin Saurdiff. The period ended at 1-0, and the first penalty wasn't called until more than 17 minutes had expired. It was on CC, and quickly followed by another on the Tigers, but the 'Cats did nothing with the 5-3 and 5-4 advantages with which they ended the 1st and began the 2nd periods. The second period was entirely different in character as the Wildcats came out hitting everyone in sight, and naturally the Tigers responded in kind. Penalties came fast and furious. There were so many power plays that it was difficult to keep track. Many of them were extremely short (one was only five seconds) due to the overlapping nature of the penalties being called. At least two serious injuries occurred. NMU senior defenseman suffered a separated shoulder when he was attempting to put a check on a CC player and missed most of the opponent's body but caught the boards flush on his shoulder. He will be out several weeks. A CC player also had to leave the game and may be out for a while as well (sorry, his name isn't in the morning's Mining Journal, and I don't recall it from the game or the TV replay). The Wildcats knotted the score at 10:03 of the wild second period on Mike Harding's third goal of the season; assists went to Brent Riplinger and Jason Hehr. Hehr had passed to Riplinger between the net and the right faceoff circle; Brent's shot was blocked by Tiger goalie Ryan Bach but the rebound was left between Bach and the goal and Harding (in a play which in "real time" seemed to take seconds!) slapped it into the net. At the 17:36 mark the Wildcats took a 2-1 lead on a similar play during a scramble in front of the net when previously-unknown Scott Smith got his first goal of the year with assists from Steve Woog and Bill MacGillivray. However, Colordo College tied it again less than a minute of playing time later when Steve Nelson deflected in a screaming slap shot from the blue line by Chris Hynnes; ? McNeil was also given an assist. In the third period the 'Cats jumped out to a quick two-goal lead. At 1:29 Don Ruoho scored his 3rd goal of the season (but first since the opening series with Alaska-Anchorage) with a hard shot from the right faceoff circle. Bach got his pads on it but the puck got through and slid-ever so slowy-across the goal line. The puck stopped not far beyond the line, and the goal judge didn't turn on the light. This was in the end where my seats are, and it looked clear to me. Anyway, the official who was positioned right on the goal line ruled it a goal. Ironically, some of the Tigers pounded angrily on the glass at the goal judge, who hadn't made the call! That made it 3-2. Then at 4:50 season scoring leader Greg Hadden put a nice wrist shot over Bach's left shoulder after passes from Harding and Saurdiff. Yes, the goaltender received an assist due to his clearing pass to mid-ice taken by Harding. The Tigers showed no quit whatsoever and stormed back to tie the game at 4-4. They got their third score at 10:53 when Hynnes scored on another blazing slap shot from the blue line. That guy has an AMAZING shot. Saurdiff let it go through his pads, and was obviously unhappy with himself about that--as was Rick Comley. Then at 13;19 Jody Jaraczewski was the beneficiary of a centering pass which somehow suddenly slid out of a pack of Wildcats and Tigers tussling over the puck between the left faceoff circle and the boards. The puck crossed the slot and was quickly fliced into the lower left corner of the net by Jaraczewski before Saurdiff could move far enough from his left to his right. The game-winner was scored by freshman forward Kyuin Shim when he scored his second goal of the season from just in front of the net's right hand post. The credit should mostly go to new hero Scott Smith, however, who held the puck behind the Tiger net for several seconds, fought off two CC players while Shim got into position to the right of the crease, and slid a great pass to him. The injury to MacDonald--and a Charley horse suffered by Troy Johnson--had Rick Comley down to three lines, which as he said in the postgame radio interview, "isn't supposed to happen to you at home." Comley was quoted in the Saturday Mining Journal as saying, "Tonight was a big, emotional win for us. Our confidence isn't real good yet which caused us some problems in the early going. But, when (Colorado College ) tied things up, we came back to win. Working to come back like that will make us a better team." Tiger coach Brad Buetow said, "I think that we dominated the first period. Afte that, we got off our game. We lost our discipline, our work ethic, and we lost the game." Rematch tonight at 7:05 EST in Lakeview Arena Goalie saves: NMU, 18 (Saurdiff 4-8-6); CC 25 (Bach 8-10-7) (First time Wildcats have outshot opponents all season, I think!) Penalties: NMU 9, CC 13 Powe play opportunities: NMU, 1-9; CC 2-6 (The Wildcats' string of successfully killed power plays reached 31 in this game before the Tigers finally broke through with Hynnes' marker.) Looking forward to tonight! *********************************** * 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] * ***********************************