The Chargers won their fourth straight road game, tying a program record, with a 3-1 victory Saturday night over Northern Michigan in Marquette, Michigan.
UAH (7-11-2 overall, 7-7-2 WCHA) matched the road winning streak set in the 2004-05 season. It was the Chargers’ third road sweep of the season, and UAH is 6-1-1 in road WCHA games.
UAH has matched its highest WCHA win total with 12 conference games to go. With 23 points, UAH is tied with Bowling Green for third place in the WCHA standings.
Northern Michigan (4-14-2 overall, 2-11-1 WCHA) is still searching for its first home win of the season.
There was no score in a brief 26-minute first period. The Chargers had one power play opportunity on a questionable tripping call when Kurt Gosselin lost an edge and fell around NMU’s Luke Voltin.
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While UAH didn’t convert, the Chargers did provide the pressure early, but the Wildcats asserted themselves more as the first period went on. NMU outshot UAH 7-6 in the period.
The second period took a bit longer with more penalties and more goals.
It started with a five-minute major for NMU’s Philip Beaulieu for contact to Hans Gorowsky’s head. Beaulieu was also given a game misconduct at 3:37.
UAH used the power play to take the first lead on a nice passing play. Jordan Larson from behind the net sent the puck to Brennan Saulnier in the right circle, and he found Regan Soquila in the slot, who beat Atte Tolvanen for his first goal of the season at 4:44.
Another odd call on UAH’s Brennan Saulnier for slashing — given despite NMU’s Dominik Shine just falling — killed two minutes of the major power play.
But the Chargers extended their lead to 2-0 during the resulting 4-on-4. Josh Kestner tallied his sixth goal of the season, assisted by Tyler Poulsen and Cody Champagne, just 1:26 after Soquila’s goal.
The Wildcats cut the lead to 2-1 on a goal by Troy Loggins with 5:19 left in the second. He had Brock Maschmeyer on a 2-on-1, and after Champagne went down to block, Loggins fired the puck past Jordan Uhelski’s right side.
That was the only goal Uhelski would allow, as he was on point with every close call the Wildcats would put on. He had 23 saves in the game, and stopped 47 of 49 shots on the weekend.
UAH put the game away with 4:07 left in the game when Brandon Parker’s blast from the right circle for the final 3-1 score. It was Parker’s fifth goal of the season and fourth in his last five game. Cam Knight and Kestner each got their 10th assists of the season.
The goal came after an NMU holding penalty, the Chargers’ second power play goal of the night.
Northern Michigan outshot UAH 24-21 in the contest.
The Chargers are off the next two weekends for the holiday break. They face Massachusetts in the opener at the Mariucci Classic at Minnesota on Dec. 30.