After last night’s win, everyone’s hopes bubbled: could this be a sweep?  After all, our last sweep had come on February 28th at Niagara, completing a sweep started on February 12th, the day of the Amy Bishop rampage. (Charge on.)  Our last two-game winning streak came during the final CHA tournament with wins over Robert Morris and Niagara.  The thought on all our minds was this: we’re due.

Not tonight.

Once again, the Lakers came out strong; unlike last night, they lit the lamp in the first stanza.  Worse, they did it three times.  Whether it was a matter of Gregg Gruehl (13 SV) not seeing the puck (probable) or the boys not being up to the early pressure (more probable), things just didn’t go right from the start.

Speaking of that opening: the Lakers’ first goal came just :24 in, but only because the Chargers were reeling a bit from a hit on Curtis deBruyn that looked like a classic boarding minor to me.  He slumped to the ice, and it seems as if everyone—including one Laker—anticipated a whistle that did not come.  Ben Power wriggled free and it was a quick 1-0 deficit.

Goals from Chris Ciotti (12:40) and Stephen Perfetto (15:02) made the gap quite wide; the Chargers hadn’t scored four goals in a game since Jan. 14, 2011 over Merrimack in Nashville.  A UAH team that’s struggled to score this season could still have done that given the great efforts that we’ve seen in the last two weeks, but it wasn’t in the cards.  Kevin Murdock was much stronger tonight than on Friday, stopping all 25 shots, including some high-quality opportunities by the good guys.

Johnny Griggs (33 SV) came out for Gruehl to start the second frame, and the boys were buzzing: forechecking hard, intercepting passes, and laying the wood to the bad guys.  The increased activity was rewarded in the shots column, with nearly half the game’s attempts in the middle frame.  Sadly, the Lakers held on to their end of things, and a Ciotti goal (12:23) in the third put this one out of reach.

The road warriors are almost done with their brutal stretch!  As of tonight, the team has played half of their road games for the season, and the last of the six-straight trips comes next weekend at Nebraska-Omaha.  We’re not sure when the bus will leave with classes still in session on Wednesday, but we do know that everyone will miss American Thanksgiving in Huntsville.

It was bound to happen. When the opportunity for that elusive first victory was in their grasp, the boys refused to let it go.

The Chargers beat Lake Superior State 2-1. Kyle Lysaght’s goal, his third of the season with 9:07 to go, was the game winner.

The Lakers fired away, as most opponents have, but the Chargers’ calling card these past few seasons — strong goaltending — kept them in the game. John Griggs stopped 35 of 36 shots, withstanding charges mostly in the first and third periods.

The Lakers began their barrage in the first period, and Griggs showed early he was on, stopping slapshots, wrist shots, and the occasional one-on-one.

The Chargers would get the bulk of their chances in the first toward the end of the period. Justin Cseter’s wrister in the slot of saved by Laker goalie Kevin Murdock. Murdock would also rob Alex Allen in the final moments of the first.

UAH would tighten the shooting lanes the Lakers enjoyed in the first period, while increasing the pressure in the Lake State zone.

However, it was a defensive lapse that led to the Lakers taking the first lead. Kelin Ainsworth picked off Lasse Uusivirta in the UAH zone, drove in on Griggs and scored with 4:21 left in the second.

The Chargers answered late in the period. With both teams a man down, UAH created a 3-on-1 break. Justin Cseter from the left side fired the puck past Murdock to tie the game at 1 for his first goal of the season. Michael Webley got the assist, his second of the year.

Lake State regained their aggressiveness early in the third on a power play, but Griggs was up to the task. Lakers had six of the first seven shots of the period, with Griggs pouncing on loose pucks and gloving just about anything from long range.

And finally, as the Chargers were crashing the net, Lysaght buried the winner, assisted by Cseter and Ben Reinhardt. And for the next few minutes, UAH skated with pep.

With five to go, Lake Superior played as if they realized they were losing to a winless team. They cranked up the aggressiveness, continuing to pound the puck toward Griggs, who wouldn’t allow many rebounds. UAH would hold on as the Lakers pulled Murdock for the extra attacker.

And when the final horn sounded, jubilation on the ice and bench for the UAH Chargers. Never let it be said they take these moments for granted.

But when the puck drops tomorrow at 6:05 p.m. Central, the boys will want win No. 2 as much as the first. Charge on.

Johnny Griggs did everything he could to keep UAH in the hunt, but the Chargers fell to Northeastern 3-0 on Saturday night in Boston.

Northeastern dominated the possession from the get-go with great puck movement and numerous scoring chances. The Huskies outshot the Chargers 54-19, and won 46 of 67 faceoffs.

Griggs made 51 saves, tying his career high set on October 13 in the 2-2 tie against Minnesota State.

Braden Pimm got the Huskies on the board at the 13:06 mark. Cody Ferriero centered the puck to Pimm from the right wing, and Pimm slid the puck past Griggs after a deke.

Ludwig Karlsson made it 2-0 Huskies after beating Griggs high from the left circle at 17:13. Kevin Roy fed Karlsson from the corner.

The Huskies kept the pressure in the second, but Griggs was up to the task.  He stopped all 15 shots he faced, and also took a hit when Northeastern’s Mike McMurtry and UAH’s Graeme Strukoff crashed into the net. McMurtry would get the penalty for roughing the goaltender.

Karlsson scored his second goal of the game in the third on a slapshot that Griggs got a piece of, but the puck trickled through for the final 3-0 score. The goal came on a 5-on-3 advantage after Chad Brears, Justin Cseter, and Graeme Strukoff were called for penalties in a span of 1:22.

The Chargers and Huskies complete the two-game series Sunday night at 6 p.m. CST.

The Chargers put up a stronger effort on Saturday in a 3-1 loss at St. Lawrence. The Saints swept the series after winning game one 4-0 on Friday.

The Saints took a 2-0 lead in the first period on two Greg Carey power-play goals. The first came at 5:52 from the right-wing circle following a Doug Reid slashing penalty. The second came at 14:24 after an Anderson White hook killed a Charger power play.

Except for the penalty-killing woes, there was more time in the St. Lawrence zone compared to the first game. The Chargers were able to put together some chances and were only down 11-9 in shots on goal in the first period.

John Griggs was  in goal for UAH for the first period after a mask issue prevented Gregg Gruehl from getting the start. Mask issue fixed, Gruehl finally made his official Charger debut to start the second period.

St. Lawrence led 3-0 after a Tommy Thompson followed up on a rebound from a Jordan Dewey shot, beating Gruehl at 13:20.

The Chargers put on some pressure in the third, and they did get some reward. Jeff Vanderlugt finally got UAH’s lone goal of the series with 7:17 left in the game. His second goal of the season came unassisted.

Gruehl was admirable in his first action, stopping 20 of 21 shots over two periods. Griggs stopped nine of 11 in the first.

UAH next travels to Boston next weekend to face Northeastern University. It’s a Saturday-Sunday series, with both games starting at 6 p.m. CST.

UAH’s offense just couldn’t get going Friday night, as the Chargers fell to No. 16 St. Lawrence 4-0 in Canton, N.Y.

Most of the first period was held at the UAH end, but it wasn’t until 14:07 in that the Saints got on the board. A cross-ice pass by George Hughes made for a wide-open net that Connor Hughes wouldn’t miss to give St. Lawrence a 1-0 lead.

The Saints kept the pressure during the rest of a period, particularly during a power play where John Griggs had to make seven saves in a row. At the end of one period, St. Lawrence had an 18-6 shots on goal advantage.

St. Lawrence continued domination in the second period, and three goals were the result. Greg Carey scored on another wide-open net following a cross ice pass to make it 2-0 Saints at 5:20. Kyle Flanagan scored on a backhanded shot following a steal at 8:01 for a 3-0 St. Lawrence lead. The Saints made it 4-0 after a 3-on-1 break at 10:35.

UAH‘s defense was no match for St. Lawrence tonight. That didn’t help Griggs, who held his own in net with 37 saves. Meanwhile, many of the Chargers’ 21 shots were not close range, providing not much of a challenge to Saints goaltender Matt Weninger.

Game two of the series is Saturday night at 6 p.m. CT.