The Chargers held a lead for the longest time they’ve had all season, so it feels like one that got away.
UAH (1-31-1, 1-21-1 WCHA) lead by a goal after the first period, but Lake Superior State (15-15-1, 11-12-0 WCHA) netted two in the second to win 2-1 in front of 2,488 at the Von Braun Center on Friday.
The Lakers dominated possession for the first 10 minutes of the game, but the Chargers gradually started to put on pressure. It eventually paid off on the power play, as Brandon Carlson beat LSSU goalie Kevin Kapalka give him his first goal of the season and the Chargers a 1-0 lead with 1:56 left in the period. He was assisted by Graeme Strukoff and Regan Soquila.
UAH was playing with just its fifth lead of the season, and first since taking a 1-0 lead at Alaska-Anchorage on Nov. 9.
The Chargers tried as they could to extend their lead in the second, but they would give up the lead instead. Colin Campbell tied the game with 13:42 left, and Stephen Perfetto put in a rebound to give the Lakers a 2-1 lead with 4:08 to go.
Lake State, as it did at the start of the first two periods, continued with the puck possession. The Lakers finished with a 44-23 shots advantage. UAH goaltender Matt Larose had a good night despite the two goals in the second, stopping 42 of those shots and earning the second star of the game.
The Chargers killed a big penalty after Cody Marooney crashed into Kapalka for a goaltender interference penalty. UAH then made it interesting the rest of the way with numerous scoring opportunities, but could not get the right shot and net the equalizer.
The same two teams play tomorrow night at 7. Again, general admission is free, courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.
Commentary by Geof Morris: This is the kind of game that a young team has to learn how to win. They’ll go home tonight, play it over in their heads, and be ready to watch film in the morning. Then they’ll see that they flat-out dominated portions of this game, and they’ll see what went poorly for three minutes. They’ll learn, they’ll adjust, and they’ll play better on Saturday night. Count on that. This team has a lot of heart, and they’re going to figure this game out. It’s been three years since we’ve beaten a Division I team at home, but I don’t think we’re going to go more than three more games.
Stars of the Game:
1. Stephen Perfetto (LSSU, game-winning goal)
2. Matt Larose (UAH, 42 saves)
3. Colin Campbell (LSSU, goal)
Photos from Chris Brightwell:
Photos from Timothy Burns: