Last week in St. Cloud, the Chargers were bitten twice by huge periods, but this time they found their own to end their slump. UAH scored four times in the first period to defeat Alaska Anchorage 5-2 on Friday at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage.

BOX SCORE

The Chargers (3-7-1 overall, 3-3-1 WCHA) set a season high for goals to end an eight-game winless streak. The Seawolves fell to 1-6-0 overall and 0-3-0 in conference play.

UAH took control of the game from the start. At 1:29, Cam Knight’s blast from the right point put the Chargers on the board, assisted by Madison Dunn and Matt Salhany.

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On their first power play at 1:54, UAH made it 2-0 as Hans Gorowsky deflected a shot from Brandon Parker. Max McHugh got the secondary assist.

The Chargers led 3-0 after a miscue by UAA starting goaltender Rasmus Reijola. Jordan Larson took the puck behind the net after a shot, and Reijola crossed the crease to his left. But Larson went the other way, sending a puck in front to Brennan Saulnier, who scored on the open net at the 6:19 mark.

Reijola would last only 7:24 before being pulled for Olivier Mantha.

The Seawolves asserted themselves for the rest of the period, and got on the board with 6:53 left, when Brad Duwe, making his season debut after preseason knee surgery, beat UAH goalie Jordan Uhelski with a backhander from just inside the goal line.

UAH regained its three-goal lead at 4-1 with 1:54 left in the first. John Teets scored his first collegiate goal on a nice centering pass from McHugh. Tyler Poulsen got the other assist as the Chargers scored four times in a period for the first time since March 4 of last season against Bowling Green.

Duwe scored his second goal while UAA had a two-man advantage early in the second period, this time from the doorstep to Uhelski’s right, cutting UAH’s lead to 4-2. It was UAA’s first multi-goal game in seven games this season.

Meanwhile, Kestner had a couple of chances for goals denied. Reijola got him in the first period, and Mantha stoned him on a two-on-none in the second period.

UAH got the exclamation point after UAA’s Mason Mitchell knocked down Kester after the whistle, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Kurt Gosselin converted on the power play with a long-range shot with 5:31 to go, assisted by Saulnier and Larson.

UAH ended up outshooting the Seawolves 29-27. Uhelski made 25 saves in the win. Mantha stopped 19 of 21 shots for the Seawolves.

It was UAH’s second win ever in Anchorage in 16 tries, the first victory coming last season.

Game two of the series is Saturday at 10:07 p.m. Central Time.

This time, it was the second period when things got away from a potential upset.

After scoring four third-period goals to win 5-1 on Friday, St. Cloud State netted four in the second on Saturday to turn a 1-0 UAH lead into a 5-2 win.

BOX SCORE

The Chargers (2-7-1) are now winless in their last eight games after winning their first two. They head to Alaska Anchorage to resume WCHA play next week. The 10th-ranked Huskies improved to 4-2-0.

The Huskies came out throwing pucks on net just like Friday, getting six shots on goal in the first five minutes.

UAH’s first big chance of the game came when Matt Salhany broke away from a SCSU defender, but his shot went off the right post.

The Chargers got another breakaway, but this time it led to UAH’s first lead of the series. Josh Kestner stole the puck at center ice, made SCSU goaltender Zach Driscoll commit to the left, and scored on the right.

It was Kestner’s third goal of the season and second of the series.

Meanwhile, it was another hot start for UAH goaltender Jordan Uhelski, starting both games of a series for the first time. After a 48-save performance on Friday, he made 10 in the first period Saturday.

However, St. Cloud State blew the game open in the second period.

The Huskies tied the game a 1-1 shorthanded after Patrick Newell stole the puck from Kestner and went the distance to beat Uhelski at 2:07.

SCSU took a quick two goal lead with back-to-backs 2:18 apart. First Blake Winiecki scored from the top of the circles, then Jack Ahcan from downtown through the middle made it 3-1 Huskies.

The Huskies went for the kill with a late power play, and Ryan Poehling delivered with just 23 seconds left in the second period.

UAH got back into the game with a goal with 9:58 left. As a St. Cloud power play expired, UAH got a 2-on-1 break. Cam Knight centered to Hans Gorowsky who scored his second goal of the season to cut the Huskies lead to 4-2.

St. Cloud answered with a Judd Peterson goal to lead 5-2 with 6:19 to go.

The Huskies outshot the Chargers 29-12. Uhelski finished with 24 saves.

St. Cloud State scored four times in the third period to break open a 1-1 tie and douse any thoughts of an upset to beat UAH 5-1 Friday in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

UAH (2-6-1) saw its winless streak extended to seven games. St. Cloud (3-2-0), ranked 10th in the national polls, won its third straight game.

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Game two of the non-conference series is Saturday at 7:07 p.m.

The Huskies blasted 53 shots on goal to just 16 for the Chargers. Despite this on goal disparity, UAH didn’t play bad for the first 40 minutes of the contest.

The Chargers had an excellent chance to strike first after back-to-back tripping and cross-checking calls against St. Cloud gave them a 2-man advantage. UAH managed some good looks, but only two shots on goal.

The Huskies got on the board first at the 8:09 mark. Jake Wahlin’s initial shot from the right circle was stopped by Jordan Uhelski, but the rebound came back to him and he would not miss on Uhelski’s glove side.

St. Cloud had a 16-8 shots on goal in the first period, but UAH had enough chances and possession to make it closer than that stat looks.

After the Chargers survived two more penalty kills to start the second period, UAH got its equalizer thanks to Josh Kestner. The junior stole the puck from Blake Winiecki, drove down the right side and blasted it past Jeff Smith.

Kestner’s second goal of the season came at the 7:51 mark, assisted by Hunter Anderson, who notched his first career UAH point.

The Huskies continued to fire away and keep Uhelski working, adding another 16 shots on goal in the second period. UAH only had five.

The game was decided early in the third period, as the blocks and saves by UAH turned into St. Cloud goals. The Chargers had a decent penalty kill after a John Teets hooking penalty in the first minute, but then the Huskies scored three goals on three shots in a span of 1:28.

SCSU took a 2-1 lead on a tip-in by Ryan Poehling that Uhelski had no chance with at 3:22. Then Judd Peterson made it 3-1 as he snuck in a rebound at 4:07. Then Patrick Newell tuned it to a 4-1 lead at 4:50.

The barrage continued as Winiecki made it 5-1 at 8:06. St. Cloud had 21 shots in the third period alone, while UAH had three.

Uhelski finished with 48 saves for the game.

Max McHugh scored twice, but the Chargers could not dig out of another early hole in a 5-2 loss to Lake Superior State at the Von Braun Center on Saturday.

UAH (2-5-1 overall, 2-3-1 WCHA) is now winless in its last six games, while the Lakers remained undefeated at 4-0-0 overall and 2-0-0 in WCHA play.

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The first crucial error was committed by the Lakers, and the Chargers’ leading scorer pounced. A turnover behind the net led to a loose puck in the slot, and Max McHugh was there to chip it over Lake Superior goaltender Gordon Defiel for a 1-0 UAH lead just one minute in.

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LSSU tied the game at the 8:50 mark on the power play following a Hans Gorowsky holding penalty. J.T. Henke’s shot from the left point bounced off UAH goalie Jordan Uhelski and left him staggered, and Anthony Nellis was there to put in the rebound.

With 4:06 left in the period, the Lakers took a 2-1 lead after a UAH turnover. It left Bryan Basilico with the puck, getting around a defender, and backhanding it past Uhelski.

Lake Superior padded the lead early in the second, when Mitch Hults beat Uhelski from the slot at 1:33.

Nellis scored his second goal of the game with 5:40 left in the second. He was all alone in front of Uhelski, receiving a Henke pass from the boards, dekeing Uhelski, beating him high, and making it 4-1 Lakers.

McHugh then got his second goal of the night on a power play early in the third to put the Chargers within striking distance. After Nellis tripped Brennan Saulnier, McHugh shot the puck from the goal line, ricocheting it off LSSU defenseman Aidan Wright and in. Saulnier and Jordan Larson got the assists.

While UAH was down 4-2, it became more difficult after Gorowsky checked Kris Bindulis hard from behind, earning Gorowsky a 5-minute major and game misconduct with 11:14 left in regulation.

The Chargers killed off the major power play, with Uhelski making five saves.

The Lakers sealed the game with 1:56 to go, as Diego Cuglietta deflected a pass while diving toward the net.

Lake Superior State outshot UAH 33-20 for the game, including a 15-9 margin in the third period with the help of the major power play. Uhelski finished with 28 saves while Defiel had 18 stops.

UAH heads to St. Cloud State for non-conference action next week. The Chargers return home in three weeks to face Alaska.

It hasn’t rained hardly any in Huntsville the past month. But so far this season for the Chargers, when it does rain, it certainly does pour. And coming home after three straight weekends on the road has not helped, at least not yet.

UAH lost to Lake Superior State by a score of 6-3 on Friday at the Von Braun Center in its home opener. After starting the season with two wins, the Chargers have lost four of their last five with a tie. In the four loses, UAH has been outscored 23-6.

BOX SCORE

UAH fell to 2-2-1 in WCHA play, while it was the conference opener Lake Superior State (3-0-0 overall).

The Lakers, who scored 13 goals in a season-opening sweep over Michigan State at home, got back at it early in this one. Brayden Gelsinger beat UAH goaltender Matt Larose at a narrow angle, just in front of the goal line on the left side, at 1:03.

Lake Superior State made it 2-0 at 10:44 as Gage Torrel snuck the puck past Larose and a crowd of Chargers in front of the net, just after a Laker power play ended.

UAH got on the board early in the second period, as Brennan Saulnier from the left boards fed Josh Kestner in the high slot, and Kestner slapped the puck past Gordon Defiel at 3:34.

Then the Lakers unloaded with four goals in 7:27. Gelsinger got it started, skating his way around a couple of Chargers and scored high on Larose to make it 3-1.

LSSU would get another sneaker in with 6:58 left in the second, thanks to Diego Cuglietta, for a 4-1 lead.

Cuglietta struck gain with a shorthanded breakaway with 4:48 left. 5-1 Lakers. Then J.T. Henke scored with 1:41 left. 6-1 Lakers.

Jordan Uhelski came into the third period at goal for UAH, stopping all six shots he faced.

Jordan Larson scored his second goal of the season at 3:06 of the third to cut LSSU’s lead to 6-2. He was assisted by Matt Salhany, who won the faceoff in the right circle and passed to Larson in the slot.

Brandon Salerno’s backhander at the doorstep with 1:29 left made it 6-3, assisted by Josh Kestner and John Teets, who got his first UAH career point.

The Chargers had more offensive pressure in the third period, outshooting the Lakers 11-6. That evened the final shots count at 31 apiece.

UAH lost its home opener for the eighth consecutive season.

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

Three stars of the game:

1. Diego Cuglietta, LSSU (2 goals, 1 assist)
2. Brayden Gelsinger, LSSU (2 goals)
3. Josh Kestner, UAH (1 goal, 1 assist)

On the one hand, UAH played a lot better, particularly defensively. And, the Chargers finally earned a point in Houghton, which has been major trouble spot.

But Reid Sturros’s goal 31 seconds into the 3-on-3 second overtime gave Michigan Tech the extra point in the WCHA standings. It was the first official WCHA game to use the new overtime rules, which determine a winner for all league games.

BOX SCORE

Technically, how the NCAA will considers it, UAH (2-3-1 overall, 2-1-1 WCHA) earned a 1-1 tie with Michigan Tech (1-4-1 overall, 1-2-1 WCHA). The Chargers were 0-11 overall and 0-7 in Houghton against the Huskies coming into the contest, and considering how bad things were with getting swept at Connecticut and the 7-3 loss to MTU on Friday, it’s still significant.

The Chargers certainly their best start in two weeks, even though the first period was scoreless. UAH outshot MTU by an 8-5 margin, and the Chargers didn’t commit the critical turnovers that had plagued them in the first periods of the last three games.

UAH’s best chance to score happened when Tech goaltender Devin Kero, who didn’t play Friday, misplayed a puck that went to Max McHugh, whose backhander hit the crossbar.

The five shots on net the Huskies got were solid, and Jordan Uhelski, making his first start ever between the pipes for UAH, made the stops.

Uhelski was really tested in the second period, as the Huskies had the pressure throughout most of the frame. Tech outshot UAH 12-4 for the second.

The action flowed both ways in the third, and finally it was the Huskies who broke through. Matt Roy’s blast from the right point beat Uhelski with 9:30 left in regulation broke the scoreless deadlock.

The question was how the Chargers would respond. They did not fold, and quickly answered with the equalizer 40 seconds later. Kurt Gosselin’s shot from the left side found the right side of the net, eluding Kero’s glove for this first goal of the season. Brandon Carlson and Max McHugh got the assists.

Uhelski then had to make some saves to keep things going beyond regulation, including stopping Jake Lucchini all alone in front with under seven minutes left.

Each team had great chances in the final minute. Matt Salhany had a partial break and a shot stopped by Kero. Then Brent Baltus had a chance for Michigan Tech, but his shot went over the crossbar.

The game then went to the normal overtime with the score tied 1-1. Most of the action was in the UAH end, but Uhelski and the Chargers survived to get the official tie.

Uhelski finished with 29 saves on 30 shots.

The Chargers finally play their home opening series against Lake Superior State on Oct. 21 and 22.