Northern Michigan broke a tie with two late second-period goals and spoiled UAH’s Senior Day with a 6-3 win at the Von Braun Center on Saturday.

UAH (6-24-2 overall, 6-16-2-2 WCHA), which honored eight seniors prior to the Chargers’ final home game of the season, will have next week off before heading to Ferris State looking to lock down a WCHA playoff spot.

Northern Michigan (15-13-1, 14-7-1-0) took four of six points for the weekend, and moved into a tie for second place with Bowling Green in the WCHA standings.

BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY

UAH, which took two points Friday by winning in the 3-on-3 overtime following a 2-2 tie, scored first again Saturday. Connor James’s blast from long range and through traffic got past Atte Tolvanen.

His third goal of the season came at the 5:56 mark and was assisted by Christian Rajic and Madison Dunn.

The Wildcats, who scored both of their goals on Friday on the power play, struck again with the man advantage to tie the game at 1-1. Vincent De Mey got the goal from the left circle.

NMU took its first lead of the series early in the second period, as Griffin Loughran’s wrap-around past Jake Theut (34 saves) put the Wildcats up 2-1 at the 4:02 mark.

UAH tied the game on a beautiful power play goal two minutes later. Bauer Neudecker from the left circle passed to Austin Beaulieu near the left post, who set up Hans Gorowsky in the slot. Gorowsky beat Tolvanen high for his ninth goal of the season.

The Wildcats regained the lead at 3-2 with 3:25 left in the second. During 4-on-4 action, NMU had a 3-on-1 rush, with Tony Bretzman backhanding the puck in.

NMU took a two-goal advantage at 4-2 with 46 seconds left in the period. Jarrett Lee scored on another wrap-around, bouncing the puck just over Theut’s glove.

The Chargers started a rally on the power play in the third period. James scored again, this time from the right side, to cut NMU’s lead to 4-3 with 11:21 to go.

Dunn and Rajic provided the assists again. Rajic has a team-high 11 helpers on the season.

But the rally was snuffed when the Wildcats struck yet again on the power play. Denver Pierce’s one-timer in the slot glanced off the post and in and NMU lead by two again, 5-3, with 6:49 remaining.

The Wildcats finished with four power play goals on the weekend, beating a UAH penalty kill that was as high as fifth in Division I but has since fallen to 24th over the last three weeks.

Troy Loggins sealed the game with a long-range, empty-net goal with 24 seconds remaining.

Tolvanen stopped 24 of 26 UAH shots for the win.

UAH entered the day eight points ahead of FSU for eighth place in the WCHA standings and four points ahead of Alaska for seventh.

A roller-coaster of emotions ends up on the joyful side as the Chargers took two WCHA points from Northern Michigan following a 2-2 tie at the Von Braun Center on Friday.

NMU had tied the game with 5:34 remaining in regulation, and had won the game in overtime before video review overruled the goal because of goaltender interference.

Cam Knight scored just 36 seconds into the 3-on-3 second overtime, which gave the Chargers the second WCHA point. UAH had to withstand its own video review before it was finally confirmed.

BOX SCORE

The Chargers (6-23-2 overall, 6-15-2-2 WCHA) needed the points to enhance their WCHA playoff chances. With Ferris State getting just one point after its tie with Bemidji State, UAH increased its hold of the eighth and final playoff berth to eight points over FSU. UAH also pulled within four points of Alaska, which lost to Alaska Anchorage, for seventh.

For Northern Michigan (14-13-1, 13-7-1-0), its single point moved the Wildcats to within one point of third-place Lake Superior State.

Game two of the series and the final UAH home game of the season is Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The eight Charger seniors will be honored before the game.

The whole game was one of highs and lows.

Plenty of up-and-down action in the first period, although it did not lead to any scoring. The Wildcats outshot the Chargers 8-6 in the frame.

Scoring did start frantically in the second period, with the Chargers putting two up quickly.

At the 1:44 mark, Jack Jeffers drove up the left side and beat Atte Tolvanen to put UAH up 1-0. It was the seventh goal of the season for the freshman, and Hans Gorowsky had the assist.

Gorowsky had a hand on UAH’s second goal at 4:05. He and Brandon Salerno had a two-on-none, and Salerno finished off the give-and-go for his fifth goal of the season. Bailey Newton got his first assist.

Northern Michigan got on the board right after a Jeffers hooking penalty. Troy Loggins notched his 13th goal of the season on a one-timer to cut UAH’s lead to 2-1 at 5:12.

NMU had another power play almost immediately afterward, and the Wildcats at least used that time to test Sinclair with lots of rubber. NMU had 12 shots on goal within the first eight minutes of the second period, and 20 for the whole frame.

A scary moment for the Wildcats came with 5:45 left in the second when Tolvanen, who has started all 28 games this season, had to be tended to after Andrew Dodson collided with him. Dodson received a minor penalty for charging, but the Chargers were able to kill it.

UAH had a chance to put it away about halfway through the third period when back-to-back penalties by Loggins and Griffin Loughran gave the Chargers a two-man advantage for 1:48.

But Tolvanen (22 saves) came up big, making a glove save on Bauer Neudecker and covering up another possible Jeffers goal.

The Wildcats killed the penalties, then capitalized on Tyr Thompson’s hooking call with 5:34 left in regulation with a power play goal by Ty Readman.

In the regular 5-on-5 overtime, both teams had big chances with under two minutes to go. Joseph Nardi missed high on a breakaway with 1:40 left, and Tolvanen stopped Gorowsky 20 seconds later.

Adam Rockwood appeared to have scored to snatch victory from the Chargers with 26 seconds remaining in overtime, but the officials determined after video review that there was a Wildcat in the crease causing interference, and the goal was overturned.

The overtime ended to officially make it a 2-2 draw, and with renewed life the Chargers made it count. Cam Knight beat Tolvanen on a breakaway just 36 seconds in to give UAH two of the three league points.

UAH goaltender Mark Sinclair finished with 41 saves, the third 40-plus-save outing of the season.

Three stars of the game:

1. Cam Knight, UAH (3-on-3 OT goal)
2. Hans Gorowsky, UAH (2 assists)
3. Mark Sinclair, UAH (41 saves)

File photo of Cam Knight by Todd Thompson/RiverCat Photography

The sixth-ranked Mavericks clamped down on the Chargers again on Saturday in a 4-0 decision, completing a series sweep in Mankato, Minn.

UAH (6-23-1 overall, 6-15-1-1 WCHA) was held to only 12 shots on goal, half of which came in the third period when the game was pretty much decided.

The Chargers still hold eighth place in the WCHA standings by seven points over Ferris State, which was swept by Lake Superior.

But the Mavericks (23-6-1, 18-4-0-0) showed again why they are the best team in the conference. MSU now has a commanding 11-point advantage over second-place Bowling Green, which lost to Northern Michigan.

If the standings hold, the Chargers would be back in Mankato for the WCHA quarterfinals. Since MSU outscored UAH 10-1 in this series, the Chargers must find a way to compete with the Mavericks over the final weeks of the regular season.

Minnesota State scored early again in this one, this time at the 2:34 mark when Chris Van Os-Shaw flipped the puck just over Mark Sinclair, who could not cover the puck in the crease.

UAH would not get its first shot on goal until 11:19 in, when Jack Jeffers drove to the net and collided with MSU goaltender Dryden McKay. Jeffers received a penalty on the play.

That would be the only shot on goal for the Chargers in the first, one of only two shot attempts as just about the whole period was held in the UAH end.

Things got dicey in the second period. Just over two minutes in, Sinclair misplayed the puck behind the net, giving it to Jake Jaremko, who tucked it in the open net to make it 2-0.

Less than a minute later, Connor Wood put Connor Mackey into the boards hard. Wood got a five-minute major and a game misconduct.

UAH was able to hold on until Parker Tuomie put a high stick to the head of Sinclair, knocking his helmet off. Tuomie received a five-minute major for spearing and a game misconduct, giving the Chargers three minutes of power play to work with.

However, the Chargers only got one shot on goal during the advantage.

Minnesota State would extend its lead to 3-0 on its next power play following a Kurt Gosselin slashing penalty. Julian Napravnik scored high from the left point.

David French made it 4-0 Mavericks with 51 seconds left in the second. The third period was garbage time.

McKay got the shutout with 12 saves. Sinclair stopped 31 of 35 shots for UAH, which was shut out for the sixth time this season.

The Chargers are now 0-24-4 in their last 28 games against Minnesota State, dating back to 2002.

UAH has its final home series of the season next week. The Chargers host Northern Michigan on Friday (6:07 p.m.) and Saturday (3:37 p.m.).

Alaska quashed a lot of the momentum UAH had after its sweep of Anchorage last week. The Chargers did not help themselves Saturday.

UAH was swept by the Nanooks after a 5-2 defeat at the Von Braun Center, giving Alaska a six-point advantage over UAH for seventh place in the WCHA standings.

BOX SCORE

The Chargers (6-21-1 overall, 6-13-1-1 WCHA), leaving points on the table against the team they were tied with coming into the weekend, heads to Mankato next week to face the top team in the league in Minnesota State.

The Chargers uncharacteristically racked up penalties, particularly in the first two periods, in what was their least disciplined game of the season. UAH had 32 penalty minutes, 10 on major penalties.

Alaska (8-16-2, 8-11-1-1) exploited the Chargers’ penalty kill, who had the fifth-highest efficiency in Division I coming into the weekend. The Nanooks scored four times on 10 power play opportunities.

UAH committed four penalties in the first period, including a cross-checking penalty on Dayne Finnson that needed video review (it was kept as a two-minute minor).

The first was a slashing call on Cam Knight at 1:17, and Alaska converted at 2:05 when Tyler Cline’s shot from the left point found its way through traffic and UAH goalie Mark Sinclair (32 saves).

The penalties were not conducive to generating offense, and it showed in the period shot totals. Alaska only lead in shots on goal 8-4, but had at 20-7 advantage in shot attempts thanks to the four power plays.

UAH did tie the game at 1-1 in the first, almost by accident. A turnover in the Alaska zone saw the puck come right to Christian Rajic in the right circle. Rajic quickly just threw the puck on net, and it got past Anton Martinsson (19 saves) for his second goal of the season with 4:11 left in the period.

The second period was more of the same, except worse. UAH was shorthanded for literally half the period because of two major penalties.

The first was against Bailey Newton, whose hit on Matthew Doran just 37 seconds in drew a five-minute penalty, his second in as many games. This time, however, Newton did not get a game misconduct.

Colton Leiter scored late in the extended power play to give Alaska a 2-1 lead at the 5:31 mark of the second.

The second UAH major penalty was against Andrew Dodson, who checked Tyler Cline from behind. Cline had to be helped to the bench, but he would return to action. Dodson did get the game misconduct and was ejected with 11:31 left in the second.

The Nanooks used this to score two more power play goals and increase their lead to 4-1. Tristan Thompson found gold from long range, and Max Newton’s goal was originally waved off but video review overturned the call.

With 3:17 left in the second, Hans Gorowsky scored his eighth goal of the season from the slot to cut Alaska’s lead in half. Despite all the penalties, the Chargers found themselves down only two entering the third.

UAH had many looks but hardly any shots in a power play early in the third. Alaska then extended its lead to 5-2 after Chad Staley finished off a 2-on-1 with 13:13 to go, and that was all she wrote.

The Chargers were outshot 37-21 in the game and were 0-for-4 on the power play.

UAH’s final home series of the season is Feb. 8-9 against Northern Michigan.

The power plays. The penalty shot. The 2-on-1 shorthanded breaks. So many chances went for naught.

The Chargers lost to Alaska 3-1 at the VBC on Friday, seeing their 3-game overall unbeaten streak and 3-game home winning streak come to an end. UAH will go for the series split Saturday at 7 p.m. as Military Appreciation Weekend continues.

UAH (6-20-1 overall, 6-12-1-1 WCHA) went 0-for-7 on the power play and outshot the Nanooks 32-29.

BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY

Anton Martinsson was the answer for Alaska (7-16-2, 7-11-1-1), which moved three points up on UAH for sole possession of seventh place in the WCHA standings. The junior goaltender made 31 saves, including a diving stop on Connor Merkley’s penalty shot in the third period.

The Chargers struck first when Bauer Neudecker’s backhander from the left circle beat Martinsson at the 8:16 mark of the first period.

Neudecker’s fifth goal of the season was assisted by Jack Jeffers and Madison Dunn.

UAH had a chance to increase its lead with a two-man advantage for over a minute late in the first, but the Martinsson and the Nanooks kept the Chargers at bay.

At 2:11 of the second, Bailey Newton boarded Jack Weiss hard, and got a five-minute major and a game misconduct. Newton has taken a sizeable team lead in penalty minutes in his freshman season with 51.

Two minutes of the major penalty were killed almost immediately with an Alaska penalty, but the Nanooks capitalized when the power play resumed. Kylar Hope’s redirection past UAH goalie Mark Sinclair (26 saves) tied the game up at 1-1 at 6:26.

UAH give the lead to the Nanooks. Colton Leiter scored just after the halfway point of the game to put Alaska up 2-1.

The Charger power play, which went 4-for-9 against Alaska Anchorage last week, struggled through the second and third periods, making missed chances for them to tie the game.

With 16:23 to go, Merkley was hooked on a breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot. Martinsson dove ahead on the attempt and swiped the puck away from Merkley before he could get a good shot.

Max Newton increased Alaska’s lead to 3-1 after scoring with 10:58 to go.

Even while getting breaks shorthanded, UAH couldn’t get the payoff. Hans Gorowsky and Drew Lennon each had chances on 2-on-1 breaks that were swept aside by Martinsson.N