on his impression of 3-on-3 overtimes

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MARQUETTE — Last weekend was a roller coaster for the Northern Michigan University hockey team as it experienced the thrill of highs and the devastating lows in two games against Lake Superior State.

In Saturday’s opener, the Wildcats blew a 4-2 lead in the second period and lost in overtime, which was similar to the last home game they had against the Lakers a month earlier.

Northern Michigan University's Mason Palmer, right, and Ferris State's Marshall Moise battle along the boards in the NMU defensive zone during the second period on Jan. 29 at the Berry Events Center in Marquette. (Photo courtesy Shannon Stieg)

Then on Sunday, the same thing almost repeated as NMU collapsed again, giving up two goals in the final two minutes of regulation that forced overtime. In the extra session, Northern forward A.J. Vanderbeck appeared to score the game winner, but the goal was waved off. Fortunately for the Wildcats, Vanderbeck scored again a short time later to complete his hat trick and earn a split for NMU (5-11, 3-3 WCHA).

In a Zoom interview Monday, Northern head coach Grant Potulny said he dealt with the same emotions his team did over the weekend.

“On Saturday night, I was, you just feel so bad for your players,” he said. “You control the whole game; we played way better on Saturday than we played on Sunday, to be honest. Like offensively for sure, probably defensively, too.

“The scoring chances again, they’re (in) 5-on-5 (situations), 17-6. When you just consistently do that and you can’t find a way (to score) for multiple reasons, there were a couple pucks that went in that were real heartbreaking. Our power play did not show very well and the penalty kill kind of cost us, too. So it was a special teams … deal.

“After the game on Saturday, I went in and I was upset, and I said ‘I’m not upset at you. I’m upset for you.’ And I was mad. I was mad that we lost because you’re doing everything that one could (be) asked to do and again the game, it just slips away at the end.

“Then on Sunday, I thought we blocked more shots defensively, but I don’t think we played as well. I don’t think they played as well and I don’t think we played as well offensively.

“I think it was a much harder game. I think that both teams played extremely hard and there was very little room on the rink to be able to generate a play or make anything happen. And I challenged the team a little bit before the third period, the forwards, because you can’t rely on (just) four players.

“Really, the last little bit, it’s been (Joe) Nardi’s line and Alex Frye. We haven’t got much contribution from lots of other players, especially the forward group. And A.J. comes out and scores two goals on two great individual efforts.

“There’s three minutes left, you’re up 3-1 and they end up getting the one. And you go ‘OK, there’s a couple things we could’ve done better.’ I thought we could’ve blocked a couple of those shots. We really didn’t have a chance to clear the puck. We didn’t really recover a rebound or we didn’t have a chance to freeze it and they had an extended time in there and those things are going to happen.

“And then there’s a minute left and for 40 seconds of that minute, the puck’s in their end. They can’t even get their goalie out and they get the puck in. The puck goes to the corner and they just whip it in front and it goes off Vinny’s (de Mey) skate, goes in the net.

“And that was about as devastating of a moment that a hockey team could have. When I’ve continually said to you guys … we’re playing better than our record, we’re playing better than our record. We’re giving ourselves a chance to win almost every night, over the last six to eight games, and then that happens. And it was tough.

“I will say this. Having Hank Sorensen back, number one in practice and in the locker room, he is just beloved by the players. And you see why on Sunday, when he’s looking guys in the eye before overtime saying ‘We got this, we’re gonna win.’ And it wasn’t false and there’s a lot of people on that bench that were down. His influence and his attitude and some of those things, it kind of helped push us through a little bit.

“And then overtime starts and I thought, 3-on-3 (format) is interesting. It’s almost like a shootout because people are gonna get (scoring) chances. Both are getting chances and you try and get the puck so you can get the first chance. And really, if you win the draw and you get the first chance and you don’t score, and it’s off the rush, it’s just like the NHL….

“It’s just going like this, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom until somebody scores, or goalies keep making saves. And our goalie (Rico DiMatteo) continued to make saves (allowing) us to score.”

Potulny was displeased, to the say the least, on Vanderbeck’s first OT goal that was waved off.

“I disagree with the hand pass call,” the coach said. “You can’t tell if they touch it or not touch it. The video is too hard to tell. So it gets called back, and again, (it) could be devastating. And then two minutes later, the goalie makes another save or two and we go down and win the game.

“So I’m disappointed, not in our team, I’m just disappointed in the fact that we didn’t get six points because I thought we deserved six points. But it’s the old adage that if you can split on the road and find a way to sweep at home, you’re going to be in a great spot in the end.

“With the exception of (Minnesota State-)Mankato, who hasn’t dropped a (conference) game yet, we’ve done that to this point so far. And this is going to be a tall task this weekend, trying to go to Bemidji (State) and making sure that you get points.”

It wasn’t just the final outcome of the games that were up-and-down experiences for the ‘Cats, it also had to do with the roster as star forward Griffin Loughran suffered an injury Sunday that made his status for this weekend up in the air. However, a bright spot for the Wildcats was the performance of DiMatteo, who made his debut during Sunday’s win and left Potulny impressed.

DiMatteo and fellow goalie Nolan Kent will have to be sharp this weekend as NMU is going to face a Bemidji team (7-4-3, 2-1-1) that always plays them tough defensively. It could easily come down to which netminder blinks first.

“Their (the Beavers) goaltending is elite,” Potulny said. “Their penalty killing is elite and their team defense is elite.

“So for us to think we’re going to win, the games that we’ve won against them over the past three, four years have been like 3-2, 2-1. If we think we’re going to score four again, or win 5-4, it’s just not going to happen.

“So you have to make really smart decisions with the puck. You have to defend like crazy and you have to capitalize when you get an opportunity.

“And that’s where, part of, I think, the last couple games have been closer than they maybe could’ve or should’ve been, is not executing on that chance at the net. And a couple times, not even taking the chance, not even taking the shot, trying to be just too fine and pass it in the net.

“But this weekend, if you get a chance to shoot it, you have to shoot it and you have to hit the net and you have to crash for rebounds because that’s kind of the only way you’re going to score on them.”

The puck drops at 8:07 p.m. EST Friday and 7:07 p.m. Saturday in Bemidji.

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