NMU fell to 3-28-1 overall and 3-20-1 in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. With only this weekend’s two-game series left in the regular season, mathematically it may look like Northern has a chance with 12 points, but the best it can do now is pull even with eighth-place Ferris State as the Bulldogs (6-25-1, 5-18-1 CCHA) have 18 points. That’s because league wins in regulation are worth three points.

But the Wildcats will in all likelihood lose on any tiebreaker with Ferris, which swept NMU the previous weekend in Big Rapids.

Lake Superior State improved its chances of moving up from seventh place with the sweep in Marquette, now sporting records of 11-19-2 overall and 8-15-1 in the league for 29 points. Bemidji State (12-17-3, 10-11-3 CCHA) is just in front of the Lakers with 32 points and one weekend left in the season.

LSSU also swept the Cappo Cup series this is contested annually between themselves and Northern, having also won a pair of 2-1 decisions, one of them in overtime, in Sault Ste. Marie the first weekend of January. That’s three straight seasons the Lakers have kept the trophy in the eastern Upper Peninsula.

Northern Michigan University’s Caiden Gault, center, scores in the second period on Lake Superior State goaltender Rorke Applebee during their CCHA game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Northern lost this past weekend’s Friday opener despite scoring its most goals in a game all season in a 7-5 setback. Saturday night was a 5-2 loss as the Lakers scored an empty-net goal in the final two minutes each night.

The Wildcats finish their season at fourth-place Minnesota State-Mankato this weekend, with game times at 8:07 p.m. EST Friday and 7:07 p.m. EST Saturday.

With 46 points, the Mavericks aren’t the typical fourth-place team, however. They’re only four points behind league-leader Augustana’s 50 — and its the Vikings’ turn to be off this weekend so they’ll stay stuck at 50 — and only two points behind the pair of second-place teams, Michigan Tech and St. Thomas, with 48 points.

In addition, Mankato could lose its home ice in the first round of the upcoming CCHA playoffs if it falls behind fifth-place Bowling Green State, which is only two points back of the Mavs.

Before Saturday’s game, NMU honored its seven seniors in front of family, friends and fans. They are Nicolas Ardanaz, Tynan Ewart, Zane Demsey, Caiden Gault, Kyle Bettens, Danny Ciccarello and Matthew Argentina.

Here are details from the games:

LSSU 7, NMU 5

On Friday night, special teams produced goals all over the place — five power play and two shorthanded goals were scored between the teams, each team getting one shortie.

Lake State also held a fairly narrow 34-28 edge in shots on goal, NMU’s William Gramme making 23 saves while allowing six goals as Max Weilandt came in about 5 1/2 minutes into the third period and stopped three shots without allowing a goal.

The Lakers’ Rorke Applebee made 22 saves, including 10 in the final period.

NMU also had an advantage in faceoffs won, 37-24, and blocked shots, 17-15, but in the end Lake State won where it counted, the scoreboard.

Five Wildcats scored a goal — Michael Burchill, Ewart, Mathew Ward, Joe Schiller and Peter Cisar — with each getting an assist as teammates Jakub Altrichter, Tobias Pitka and

Bettens also got single assists for a total of eight players putting up points.

LSSU’s Calem Mangone scored two goals to go with an assist, while Hunter Ramos had a goal and two assists. Teammate Adam Barone also registered two assists.

Northern took advantage of the game’s first power play less than five minutes in when Burchill fired in a wrist shot to the far side after good puck movement in the zone, according to a game account from NMU Sports Information.

After each team had a goal waved off following coaches’ challenges, the Wildcats made it 2-0 with 3:02 left in the opening period as Ewart scored his first goal of the season.

There wasn’t much good news for NMU for a long time after that, however. The Lakers tacked on a power play goal 40 seconds into period No. 2 from Ramos, then got two more just over three minutes apart near the midpoint of the period even strength from Mangone and Connor Milburn.

That made it 3-2 after two periods with the Wildcats still having to kill off almost half of a five-minute shorthanded situtation to start the third after a major was called on Aidyn Hutchinson for boarding.

However, NMU took those lemons and made lemonade when Ward stole the puck and knocked in just his team’s second shorthanded goal of the season 19 seconds into the third to reknot the score 3-3.

But that power play soon after produced not one, but two man-advantage goals for the Lakers 18 seconds apart by Mangone and Wilson Dahleimer to make it 5-3.

A few minutes later, Mangone was whistled for a minor penalty and the Lakers answered their hosts’ shorthanded goal with one of their own when Sasha Teleguine scored with 14:17 left to make it 6-3.

To the Wildcats’ credit, though, they dug in and produced a power play goal by Schiller less than three minutes after Teleguine’s, then closed the gap to a single goal with 1:13 to go when, with the goalie pulled, Cisar scored.

But instead of being able to get the tying goal to force overtime, Lake State’s William Ahlrik knocked the puck into Northern’s empty net with 27 seconds remaining.

LSSU 5, NMU 2

On Saturday night, the game was tight for two periods until the Lakers scored three unanswered goals in the final period, the last one into an empty net with 1:49 to go.

Cisar made it two straight goals — he scored Northern’s final goal Friday — and two straight games with NMU opening the scoring when he let off a wicked one-timer from the left circle on a power play just 6:18 in.

The score remained 1-0 until the final seven minutes of the second period as three goals were scored in a span of less than 3 1/2 minutes. NMU had some good opportunities before that, outshooting the Lakers 15-4 in the opening period as a five-minute power play went for naught after Cisar’s goal, as did about 35 seconds of a 5-on-3 power play that ended the first and started the second period.

LSSU tied the score with 7:32 left in the middle period on an Ahlrik power play goal, then went ahead about 2 1/2 minutes later on a Mike Brown even-strength goal.

The Wildcats retied it 61 seconds after Brown’s goal when leading scorer Gault broke through for the first time during the weekend with an even-strength goal.

The game remained tied until Lake State got to work again with its scorers, taking the lead for good with 11:38 left on a Branden Piku power play tally, than making it 4-2 just 1:17 later on a John Herrington even-strength goal.

That prompted NMU head coach Dave Shyiak to pull Weilandt from goal with about eight minutes left, and while Northern couldn’t get closer, their six skaters did keep Lake State out of the net until the final two minutes when Teleguine notched an empty-netter.

Weilandt finished with 23 saves, including 11 in the second period, while Applebee had 27 stops, 14 coming in the opening frame.

LSSU 7, NMU 5

Friday at Berry Events Center

Summary:

First period — 1. NMU, Michael Burchill (Altrichter, Schiller) ppg 4:54; 2. NMU, Tynan Ewart (Burchill, Bettens) 16:58

Second period — 3. LSSU, Hunter Ramos (Barone, Mangone) ppg 0:40; 4. LSSU, Calem Mangone (Ramos, Mason) 8:24; 5. LSSU, Connor Milburn (Herrington) 11:41

Third period — 6. NMU, Mathew Ward (unassisted) shg 0:19; 7. LSSU, Mangone (Ramos, Barone) ppg 2:04; 8. LSSU, Wilson Dahlheimer (Levandowski) ppg 2:22; 9. LSSU, Sasha Teleguine (Beck) shg 5:43; 10. NMU, Joe Schiller (Cisar, Ward) ppg 8:35; 11. NMU, Peter Cisar (Pitka, Ewart) 18:47; 12. LSSU, William Ahlrik (Brown) eng 19:33

Penalties-minutes: Lake Superior St. 6-12, NMU 8-19

Power-play opportunities: Lake Superior St. 3 of 8, NMU 2 of 5

Goalie saves: Lake Superior St., Rorke Applebee 22 (8-4-10); NMU 23 (William Gramme 13-10-0, Max Weilandt x-x-3)

LSSU 5, NMU 2

Saturday at Berry Events Center

Summary:

First period — 1. NMU, Peter Cisar (Schiller, Pitka) ppg 6:18

Second period — 2. LSSU, William Ahlrik (Piku, Mangone) ppg 12:28; 3. LSSU, Mike Brown (Galloway, Ahlrik) 14:51; 4. NMU, Caiden Gault (Argentina) 15:52

Third period — 5. LSSU, Branden Piku (Barone, Mangone) ppg 8:22; 6. LSSU, John Herrington (Milburn) 9:39; 7. LSSU, Sasha Teleguine (unassisted) eng 18:11

Penalties-minutes: Lake Superior St. 6-23, NMU 6-12

Power-play opportunities: Lake Superior St. 2 of 6, NMU 1 of 5

Goalie saves: Lake Superior St., Rorke Applebee 27 (14-8-5); NMU, Max Weilandt 23 (4-11-8)

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press releases reviewing the games. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.