Thanks to a balanced scoring attack and 31 saves from goaltender Nolan Kent, the No. 15 Wildcats defeated Ferris 5-2 and further solidified their hold on third place in the conference standings. However, even though the game had the same final score as Friday’s contest, Northern head coach Grant Potulny said it felt different.

“I was a little concerned in the first period,” he said. “I didn’t think we were closing on the puck quick enough in our end. If you remember, a lot of times, you start to see it. They extended time and people were moving and that gets dangerous. All of a sudden, you’ve got to follow your guy around the rink for five or eight seconds. I thought it was our first responder. He was a little slow to the puck and it allowed them to keep some offensive zone time. After that, it was fixed in the second period and we kind of got our forecheck going and then we got into the game. From that point on, especially in the second period, I thought we played very well.”

Unlike the previous night, it was the Wildcats (15-8-4, 13-5-1-1 WCHA) who were on their heels in the first period. Ferris started to put more pressure on NMU and kept the puck in the ‘Cats defensive zone for most of the period. However, Kent kept them off the scoreboard and it stayed 0-0 through the majority of the first.

Northern got its first good scoring chance when Vincent de Mey got a shot off right off the faceoff, but Bulldogs goalie Roni Salmenkangas kicked the puck aside.

Northern Michigan University forward Grant Loven skates with the puck in the Ferris State defensive zone as the Bulldogs' Brendan MacLaren (24) and Dominic Lutz defend Saturday at the Berry Events Center in Marquette. (Photo courtesy Shannon Stieg)

As the period wore on, Ferris (7-19-2, 5-14-2) started to get better looks on net and almost scored with a little more than five minutes left when Cam Clarke stole the puck from NMU defenseman Phil Beaulieu near the Wildcats’ net, but Kent made a chest save by the near post.

At the 16:39 mark, Northern gave its goalie some scoring support as center Joe Nardi fed Andre Ghantous on a rush and the freshman one-timed the puck past Salmenkangas’ blocker. The ‘Cats couldn’t celebrate for long though. Less than a minute later, Ferris tied the game up. After getting robbed by Kent a few seconds earlier, Bulldogs forward Dallas Tulik tapped the puck past the sophomore netminder during a scrum in front and it was 1-1 going into the second period.

The Wildcats may have been on their heels in the first period, but they were on their toes in the second, getting some good shots on net early. At the 4:37 mark, NMU found the back of the net again as Nardi got a pass from Ghantous, skated across the crease and tucked the puck under Salmenkangas’ pad to give the ‘Cats a 2-1 lead. About two minutes later, Northern got its third tally of the game as Brandon Schultz collected a loose puck at center ice, skated into the Bulldogs’ zone and beat Salmenkangas five-hole.

Later, NMU got a golden opportunity to take a three-goal lead as Ferris’ Jake Willets was handed a 5-minute major for checking from behind, and the Wildcats took advantage of it. After de Mey sent two shots wide to start off the long power play, center Luke Voltin got control of a deflection in front of the crease and tapped a bouncing puck past Salmenkangas to make the score 4-1 at the 12:20 mark. That advantage carried over into the third period.

“They’re (the Voltin line) playing great and it’s whoever we put there,” Potulny said. “No disrespect to A.J. (Vanderbeck) or to Brandon because they both have played very well there and they have to do their part too. But Luke and Darien (Craighead) have just been driving that line. You need your seniors and you need seniors down the stretch. We don’t have a lot of them, so the guys that we have are important and those two guys are playing fantastic hockey.”

Northern Michigan University center Luke Voltin fights for position with Ferris State's Brenden MacLaren in front of the Bulldogs' net Saturday at the Berry Events Center in Marquette. Also pictured are Wildcats forward Darien Craighead and FSU goalie Roni Salmenkangas. (Photo courtesy Shannon Stieg)

Needing a goal to get back into it, the Bulldogs almost got it in the first two minutes of the third, but defenseman Joe Rutkowski’s shot from the slot was saved by Kent. Ferris did cash in at the 6:46 mark though as Coale Norris got a cross-ice pass from Hunter Wendt and beat Kent high blocker-side to make the score 4-2.

Things got much more physical after that. NMU forward Griffin Loughran started jawing with Ferris’ Justin Michaelian at the center face-off circle and seconds later, Loughran sent the Bulldogs’ Max Finner flying backward with a hit. One second later, Loughran was decked by Ferris’ Liam MacDougall and the Bulldog was sent to the box for charging. The Wildcats couldn’t do much on the ensuing power play though.

“I think they were picking on me a little bit and I’d kind of had enough,” Loughran said with a smirk. “You mess with me or my teammates, you’re gonna get bopped. The guy (Michaelian) whacked me in the ankle and that was the boiling point.”

“He’s (Loughran) a junkyard dog,” Potulny said. “He gives you what he’s got every night. He’s emotional. He’s passionate. I think he’s learning too, that at times, he kind of got in his own way last year. I think he’s learning how to manage those emotions better and obviously, this next weekend, there can be no overstep of emotion in an environment like that.”

Ferris almost pulled within one of NMU with about 7:45 remaining as Loughran coughed up the puck at the Bulldogs blue line to Marshall Moise, but Kent stonewalled the winger on a breakaway. Just when it appeared as if the Bulldogs were about to climb back into it though, Wildcats forward Caleb Schroer got a pass from Grant Loven and broke free down the right boards before beating Salmenkangas five-hole to put the game away.

Northern Michigan University's Vincent de Mey (14) and Ty Readman (26) fight for the puck with Ferris State's Max Finner (2), Liam MacDougall (20) and Nate Kallen (23) in front of the Bulldogs' net Saturday at the Berry Events Center in Marquette. (Photo courtesy Shannon Stieg)

Northern heads to WCHA leader Minnesota State next weekend.

Ryan Stieg can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 252. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.

Northern Michigan University forward Griffin Loughran gets hit by Ferris State's Nate Transit during the third period as the Bulldogs' Nate Kallen (23) looks for the puck Saturday at the Berry Events Center in Marquette. Also pictured is FSU's Liam MacDougall. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

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