HUNTSVILLE — Northern Michigan (5-5-5, 4-4-3 WCHA) rolled into Huntsville and pressured the Chargers into costly mistakes, coming away with a last-minute goal to snatch victory from the UAH Chargers (3-9-1, 2-8-1 WCHA) by a 4-3 margin.  The Wildcats were powered by junior alternate captain Dominik Shine (Pinckney, Mich.) scoring his first collegiate hat trick.

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I’ve spent the last three hours trying to figure out what to say about this game.  I’ll say this: when UAH was clicking, they were clicking.  They put 22 shots on goal in the first period, netting one of them, and put 47 on all told, a mark that the Chargers hadn’t met since March 14, 2009, the last time the team had poured on 40+, in a season-ending tie in the 3rd-place game in the 2009 #CHAForever tournament.

But then there were the ghastly, ghastly turnovers in their end.  There were some real head-shakers — the WCHA video cutters left them there for you to see.  Puck security was often there, but when it leaked a little, it was like Niagara Falls.

Max McHugh had a solid night on the score sheet, and at a number of points his steadiness with the puck made the offense really click.  UAH had one long 1:00+ sustained offensive possession that had NMU scrambling so hard that I actually checked to make sure that I hadn’t missed a penalty.  It was that kind of quality execution that we’ve come to expect after having lacked it for so long.

But the turnovers … man, yeah.  The first was a forward trying to hold the puck in and blindly making a pass that Shine saw coming and intercepted with a full head of steam.  The next, he and a teammate flummoxed retreating UAH defensemen so much that they put the puck right on Shine’s stick.  And while you can’t see it in the video, Shine again was the thief, jumping a play and drawing a penalty on his shorthanded breakaway.

All hats are off for Shine, and the bareheaded among us can now be left to shake those heads at our side.

UAH could not break out of its slump on Saturday, falling 4-1 to Bemidji State at the Von Braun Center for its sixth straight loss.

The Chargers (3-8-1 overall, 2-7-1 WCHA) could only muster a second-period goal by Chad Brears as they stayed tied with Lake Superior State at the bottom of the WCHA standings. Bemidji State (4-6-3 overall, 3-5-2 WCHA) earned its first series sweep of the season after winning 4-1 on Wednesday.

Cory Ward scored the game’s first goal for the Beavers at 16:06 of the first.

Brears notched his fourth goal of the season at 7:04 of the second to tie the game at 1-1, assisted by Max McHugh and Brennan Saulnier, but the Beavers took the lead again just 15 seconds later on a goal by Graeme McCormack.

BSU extended its lead just 1:32 after that, as Justin Baudry scored his first collegiate goal. The Beavers scored an empty-netter by Charlie O’Connor with 56 seconds left in the third for the final score.

UAH managed only 17 shots on Bemidji goaltender Reid Mimmack, who made 16 saves. The Beavers had 26 shots on net, with 22 stopped by Charger goaltender Carmine Guerriero.

The Chargers are back in action next Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4 and 5, against Northern Michigan. Puck drop is 7:07 p.m. both nights.

Bemidji State scored three third-period goals, including two in the final minute to put the game away, to defeat UAH 4-1 on Wednesday in Huntsville.

Brandon Carlson scored his third goal of the season just 1:36 into the contest to give UAH (3-7-1 overall, 2-6-1 WCHA) the early lead, but the Chargers could not find any more offense as they lost their fifth straight game.

John Parker tied the game up at 1-1 at 7:20 of the second. Gerry Fitzgerald notched his eighth goal of the season with 7:05 remaining in the third to put Bemidji State (3-6-3 overall, 2-5-2 WCHA) up for the first time.

Graeme McCormack scored an empty netter with 43 seconds to go to seal the win for the Beavers. Nate Arentz followed with a goal with eight seconds left.

Bemidji State outshot UAH 24-20. UAH goaltender Matt Larose made 20 saves on 23 shots. Bemidji State goaltender Reid Mimmack made 19 saves.

Game two of the series is Friday night at 7:07 p.m. at the Von Braun Center.

A flurry of hits, then a flurry of goals. But the result is the same: The Chargers lost to Bowling Green.

The 15th-ranked Falcons finished a two-game sweep of UAH with a 4-3 win in Ohio on Saturday night. UAH has lost eight straight and 15 of 16 to BGSU.

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This despite outshooting the Falcons 36-28. But UAH could not capitalize where Bowling Green could in a jagged game which saw several boarding, cross-checking, and hitting from behind penalties.

Brandon Carlson, Brandon Parker, and Brent Fletcher scored the goals for the Chargers (3-6-1 overall, 2-5-1 WCHA), who have lost four straight games heading into their holiday series with rival Bemidji State.

Bowling Green (7-3-3 overall, 4-2-2 WCHA) extended its home unbeaten streak to nine games.

Each team had its share of offensive zone time in the first period, but no goals to show for it. The Chargers had a 12-8 shots on goal advantage for the period thanks to two power plays.

UAH lost the services of its leading scorer, Brennan Saulnier, for late in the first and early in the second because of a 10-minute misconduct penalty, earned after slapping the puck in frustration after the whistle on an offsides call.

Speaking of frustration, the hitting level started to rise in the second period. Richard Buri was penalized for boarding Bowling Green leading scorer Kevin Dufour. Then Dufour was cross-checked by Cam Knight, and the Falcons took advantage of that power play as Matt Pohlkamp beat UAH goaltender Carmine Guerriero on a rising shot at 10:04 for a 1-0 BG lead.

Then it was the Chargers’ turn on the power play after Fletcher was creamed into the boards by Jakob Reichert. It didn’t take long for UAH to level the game as Carlson deflected a Max McHugh shot, trickling the puck past BG goalie Chris Nell at 11:32. It was Carlson’s second goal of the year, assisted by McHugh and Jetlan Houcher.

The minor penalties did not deter the hitting, and Bowling Green’s Mark Cooper finally was the first to be served a major as he crunched Parker from behind in the corner of the UAH zone. Cooper was also given a game misconduct with 5:28 left in the second.

On the ensuing major power play, the Chargers were able to pass the puck well, but Nell, who led the WCHA with a 1.28 goals against average coming into the game, was able to weather the storm with some big saves and covers. The second period ended with the Chargers holding a 29-17 shots on goal advantage, but with the teams tied at 1-1.

Bowling Green took control of the game in the third period with the first even-strength goal by either side in the series. Pohlkamp netted is second goal of the game on a nice centering pass from Pierre-Luc Mercier to give the Falcons a 2-1 lead at 3:26.

At 7:26 of the third, UAH’s Madison Dunn received a major checking-from-behind penalty and a game misconduct, which had to be called after Cooper’s penalties in the second period. The Falcons made them pay, with Brent Tate scoring to make it 3-1 at 8:41.

The Chargers weathered the rest of the major penalty — and another penalty for too many men on the ice. By then, UAH had yet to register a shot on goal, while Bowling Green had 10.

UAH then got its chances to stay in the game. However, the Chargers could not capitalize on a Tate roughing penalty (that occurred during a scuffle between UAH’s Buri and BG’s Pohlkamp) with 6:56 to go and Mitch McLain’s intereference penalty with 4:45 to go.

A total of 15 penalties were called in the game, eight on the Chargers for 27 minutes, and seven on the Falcons for 33 mnutes.

But then came the barrage in the final two minutes. Carlson’s second goal of the year came from the left circle with 1:24 remaining to cut the Falcons’ lead to 3-2. He was assisted by Matt Salhany.

UAH pulled Guerriero, who finished with 24 saves, for the extra attacker in the final minute, but Pierre-Luc Mercier won the draw and later took the puck to the house for an empty netter and a 4-2 Falcon lead with 26 seconds left.

UAH was still not done. Fletcher found the net after a scramble in front to make it 4-3 Bowling Green with 10.2 seconds left.

A desperation shot by UAH from its own zone in the final seconds turned into an icing call, and Bowling Green was able to secure the win.

UAH hosts Bemidji State at the Von Braun Center on Wednesday and Friday. Puck drop is 7:07 both nights.

Notes: The Chargers had two scratches. Jack Prince, who has hurt in Friday’s game, was substituted with Tyler Poulsen at right wing, which moved Cody Marooney to left. Chad Brears was a late scratch, replaced with Hans Gorowsky.

Special teams give UAH a chance, but special teams gave this game away.

Brandon Hawkins’ goal with 2:08 left in overtime lifted 15th-ranked Bowling Green (6-3-3 overall, 3-2-2 WCHA) to a 3-2 victory over the Chargers (3-5-1 overall, 2-4-1 WCHA) on Friday night.

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All five goals in the game were power play goals, but none more costly than the third PPG allowed by UAH after Josh Kestner was called for boarding in the extra session.

The Chargers did hang tough with the Falcons, who have typically dominated the series having won 13 of the last 14 meetings. Bowling Green is now 8-1-1 all-time against the Chargers at BGSU Ice Arena.

Bowling Green outshot the Chargers 28-18.

Most of the first period saw a lot of back and forth, with not many scoring chances.

Both teams ranked at the bottom of the WCHA in power play efficiency coming in, but with the offensive potential of the Falcons, Charger penalties would tempt fate.

So it happened on UAH’s second penalty — a cross-checking call by Brandon Parker — that Bowling Green would break through with the first goal. Kevin Dufour was on the spot with the rebound putback past UAH goaltender Matt Larose gave the Falcons a 1-0 lead at 10:04. It was Dufour’s seventh goal of the season.

No goals in the second period, but both teams had few more chances, as well as a few more hits.

Bowling Green had a great chance short handed as Sean Walker had a breakaway, but Larose made a huge glove save to keep it a one-goal game.

For the Chargers, there was a three-minute span where they rolled lines twice while keeping the puck on the Falcon end. UAH could not find the net as Falcon goaltender Chris Nell was able to save five shots.

UAH would make its move in early in the third period, when on a two-man advantage, Chad Brears tied the game at 1-1 at the 1:34 mark. His third goal of the season was assisted by Max McHugh and Kurt Gosselin.

Bowling Green retook the lead after a Cody Champagne cross-checking penalty, one of three cross checks called against the Chargers. Brett D’Andrea’s blast beat Larose with 13:08 left.

Keeping the power play trend, UAH tied it up after Dajon Mingo was sent to the box for kneeing. Jetland Houcher, all alone in the right circle, rifled the puck past Nell to tie the match at 2-2 with 10:34 to go. Kestner and Madison Dunn got the assists.

Larose kept the game tied with big saves throughout the rest of regulation, and Nell was also up to the task after stopping Houcher on a 2-on-1 break.

In overtime, UAH never got a shot on net. Bowling Green had three chances during the delayed boarding call, followed by Hawkins’s goal to give the Falcons the win.

Larose finished with 25 saves as he started the Friday night game for the second consecutive series. Chris Nell made 16 saves.

Game two of the series is at 6:07 p.m. Central Time.