MARQUETTE – After settling for two ties last weekend against Wisconsin, the Northern Michigan University hockey team was looking to finish the job this weekend against Lake Superior State.

The Wildcats accomplished that objective Friday, defeating the rival Lakers 6-3 in the Wildcats’ home opener at the Berry Events Center. Though both play in the WCHA, this weekend’s series is considered nonconference.

NMU (1-0-2) winger Robbie Payne notched a hat trick, while goalie Mathias Dahlstrom, who made his first start since Jan. 30, made 13 saves to get the win.

Dahlstrom was pulled after the second period due to fatigue and was replaced by last weekend’s star, Atte Tolvanen.

Payne was relaxed in the locker room and was happy to notch the first hat trick of his NMU career.

“It feels really good,” he said. “I haven’t had a hat trick yet here. The first goal I got was really lucky. The puck just bounced to me and I put it in.

“My second goal, I just got around the defenseman and I shot, I was shooting at the net and trying to get a rebound for the other guys, and it went in.

“The third one was just a great pass from (Brock) Masch(meyer) for a power-play goal.”

Maschmeyer congratulated his teammate for coming through.

“You have to give him credit,” he said. “Those were great plays and he was able to put the puck in the net.”

While the players were feeling good, NMU head coach Walt Kyle wasn’t as thrilled with the Wildcats’ performance.

“There were some good things I took from the game,” he said. “At times, we really did a great job with our counterattack. We had some good speed going early and we had it at times in the second and times in the third.

“But we kept breaking it up with penalties and breaking up our flow. We can’t do that.”

After controlling play from the start, NMU got on the board 7:14 into the game on a power play. Maschmeyer fired a shot from the blue line that ricocheted off a Lakers’ skate and into the net.

Four minutes later, the Wildcats scored again. On the penalty kill, Gerard Hanson broke free and sent a pass to a trailing Darren Nowick, who made a move to his right and beat Lakers goalie Gordon Defiel five-hole for the short-handed goal.

Down 2-0 at the start of the second, the Lakers (0-3-0) caught fire, scoring on a power play. Dahlstrom made a sliding save, but the rebound trickled over to Mitch Hults, who lifted the puck over the Wildcats goalie.

Less than a minute later, NMU was sent to the penalty box again and was burned by the Lakers. Just seconds into the power play, Hults scored his second goal of the night, and just like that the game was tied at 2-2.

However, whatever momentum Lake State had mustered disappeared midway through the period. With the man advantage, Wildcats defenseman Barrett Kaib fired a blast past Defiel to put NMU the lead again.

Then with a minute left before the second intermission, the Wildcats went back up by two goals as Payne slipped the puck past Defiel and NMU went into the break up 4-2.

When asked about Dahlstrom leaving after the period, Kyle said that his goalie was just tired.

“He’s fine,” he said. “One of the things we talked about with him was his fatigue. I did not want him playing on fatigued legs.

“He’s not injured, but it’s a work in progress. We do not want him to get hurt. We want him to play and get his timing, but we don’t want him in there if he’s fatigued. And we feel comfortable with Atte.”

In the third period, NMU took a 5-2 lead when Payne scored his second goal of the night, again on a pretty play near the net, and fired a slap shot from the point to complete the hat trick.

The Wildcats finish the home-and-home series tonight when they play the Lakers in Sault Ste. Marie. The puck drops at 7:07 p.m.

Ryan Stieg can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 246. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.