By Sam O’Toole –
KALAMAZOO – After a third-place finish at the Shillelagh Tournament in South Bend, Ind., last weekend, the Western Michigan Broncos fell to North Dakota 3-2 after giving up a two power play goals Friday night.
Sophomores Nolan Laporte and Josh Pitt scored the two Bronco goals in the game. Frank Slubowski stopped 21 shots for the home team in front of 3,110 fans at Lawson Ice Arena.
WMU coach Andy Murray referred to Friday’s game against North Dakota as a “man’s game” and liked his team’s effort, just not the end result.
“Coaching in those kind of games and playing in those kind of games is what it’s all about,” said Murray. “From our perspective, we liked our 5-on-5 game a great deal. Obviously, we came up short on special teams and we need to be better on our power play.”
North Dakota forward Luke Johnson notched his team’s first two goals for the night. The freshman recorded his first multi-goal game of his collegiate career.
Zane Gothberg was stellar in net for North Dakota recording 36 saves while only allowing two goals. Gothberg minimized second chance opportunities for the Broncos all game.
Jordan Schmaltz also added two assists giving the sophomore defenseman six points in 14 games this season for North Dakota.
Western Michigan opened the scoring early with a goal just 2:04 into the game on a nifty face-off play by Chase Balisy who hit a wide-open Nolan LaPorte in the slot for the tap-in goal, his fifth of the season.
After a questionable penalty call on sophomore Colton Hargrove that had Murray visibly frustrated, North Dakota answered with 7:41 left in the first period on a 5-on-3 powerplay. Luke Johnson put home a rebound off Jordan Schmaltz’s shot from the point for his first goal of the night.
North Dakota took a 2-1 lead after Johnson scored his second goal of the game from the slot. Rocco Grimaldi assisted on the goal using his patience to create time and space for the pass to Johnson.
North Dakota added to their lead after Derek Rodwell scored mid-way through the third period. Stephane Pattyn and Connor Gaarder assisted on North Dakota’s third goal of the game.
Shane Berschbach continued his torrid pace from the month of November where he recorded 15 points and was named NCHC Player of the Month when he recorded an assist on the final Western Michigan goal, pulling him within one point of the century mark.
Overall, Murray liked the effort from the Broncos tonight, but expects a different result on Saturday.
“I liked our energy, I liked our worth ethic, and I liked our determination,” said Murray. “I would suspect it would be the same sort of game tomorrow. We talked to our players about how anything less is unacceptable tomorrow. It is why these college games are interesting, its not like football where you have to wait a week to play again, we get back at it tomorrow and we are expecting more of the same.”
Western Michigan looks to bounce back Saturday on their home ice where they will take on North Dakota in the weekend series final. Puck drops at 7:05 p.m.