By Journal Sports Staff

EAST LANSING — Northern Michigan University forward Darien Craighead might’ve emerged as the team’s clutch performer.

The junior led the nation in game-winning goals last season and with his team in desperate need of a spark in the third period, Craighead provided it.

After the Wildcats coughed up a two-goal lead early in the period, Craighead snapped a shot over Michigan State goalie Drew DeRidder’s glove for a power play goal to give NMU the lead again and it stayed in control the rest of the way to defeat the Spartans 4-3 for their first win of the season.

Down 3-1 in the third, MSU got one goal back when Taro Hirose’s shot rang off the pipe and past NMU goalie Atte Tolvanen at the 1:46 mark, and then just 40 seconds later, the Spartans struck again. With the Wildcats in the box after an interference call, MSU’s Patrick Khodorenko caught the Wildcats napping and tied the game 3-3.

NMU head coach Grant Potulny called a timeout immediately after the game-tying goal, and it apparently worked as the Wildcats amped up their offensive pressure and Craighead eventually gave them the lead four minutes later.

Heading into the second period, NMU led 1-0 before surrendering a tying power play goal on a wrister by MSU’s Sam Saliba. Later in the period, Northern’s top line came up big. Three minutes after Saliba’s goal and with the Wildcats on the penalty kill again, senior Adam Rockwood tapped a rebound past DeRidder for a shorthanded tally, giving Northern a 2-1 lead. With two minutes remaining in the period, fellow linemate and team captain Denver Pierce padded NMU’s advantage. With the Wildcats’ on the man advantage, Pierce backhanded a rebound past DeRidder to give them a 3-1 lead.

NMU got the first good scoring chance on a power play just three minutes in. A shot from the slot managed to get past DeRidder, but Troy Loggins couldn’t tap the puck into the net as it sat on the doorstep.

The Wildcats did cash in on their next opportunity. On a strong rush, Northern forward Joseph Nardi fired a wrister to DeRidder’s blocker-side that rang off the pipe and into the net. Craighead and Robert Fosdick picked up the assists.

MSU started to generate some offense once it got its first power play. However, Tolvanen stopped a good shot in front and slid it across the crease and out of harm’s way.

Later in the opening period, Tolvanen came up big as he made a sliding save with a little less than seven minutes remaining. He also blocked a wrister from MSU’s Brody Stevens with 5:04 left and gloved a Zach Osburn shot from the blue line with 2:26 remaining.

Northern heads to Minnesota next weekend to play St. Cloud State for a nonconference series at 8:07 p.m. EDT Friday and 7:07 p.m. Saturday.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Writer Ryan Stieg. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.