MARQUETTE It took a long time, but the Northern Michigan University hockey Wildcats were able to get four points out of a weekend again.

Wildcats right winger Sami Salminen tipped a shot past Alaska-Anchorage goalie Olivier Mantha in overtime to give NMU a 3-2 win over the Seawolves Saturday at the Berry Events Center.

The win gave the Wildcats their first sweep since late October when they beat Lake Superior State in Sault Ste. Marie.

Wildcats goalie Michael Doan earned his first win of the season and made 11 saves.

“We needed some points,” NMU head coach Walt Kyle said. “We needed to get back into a rhythm and get some momentum going for us.

“I thought tonight was our most complete performance. I thought collectively, we were really good.

“Our mentality was really good all weekend and we were focused on doing what we had to do,” he added.

When asked about his goal, Salminen said he was just doing what his coaches have told him to do.

“Coach always says go to the net, go to the net, that’s how you score goals” he said. “I just went in there and Shane (Sooth) either shot it or tried to pass it.

” I just tried to tip it and I put my stick there and it went in. I didn’t see how it went in, but then I saw people yelling at me.”

Said Kyle: “He (Salminen) has been doing a great job. His effort is good right now. His energy is good.

“We’ve used him in a lot of different situations and he’s getting a lot of critical ice time,” he added. “Twenty 20 games ago, we never would’ve had him out there in overtime.”

It was an uneventful first period with few scoring chances until NMU’s Robbie Payne was able to get the Wildcats on the board with less than four minutes left.

Payne’s point-blank shot trickled through the legs of Mantha and NMU held a 1-0 lead.

However, the lead didn’t last long. The Seawolves went on the power play two minutes later and captain Brett Cameron scored before the penalty was announced to the crowd.

Both teams finished with only four shots on net in the frame and Alaska-Anchorage finished with 13.

When asked about the lack of shots he faced, Doan said it was unexpected and he didn’t enjoy it.

“I didn’t like it,” he said with a laugh. “Sometimes when they got their best chances, they missed the net. Shots weren’t being recorded as shots on net, but they had their chances.

“Sometimes that happens, it happens to us from time to time as well, but from my point of view, it was tough.”

With time running out on a major UAA penalty early in the third period, NMU center Mitch Jones skated in and fired a slap shot past Mantha.

NMU had several more chances to score, but Mantha denied the Wildcats.

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