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HANCOCK -- With his team trailing 4-3 in a game where they had already surrendered three power play goals, Finlandia Lions men’s hockey coach Joe Burcar watched from the bench in dismay as the Lions were whistled for a major penalty with just 3:41 left in regulation.
The visiting Concordia Wisconsin Falcons scored twice on the major to put the game away, 6-3, Thursday night at the Houghton County Arena.
Burcar was visibly frustrated after the contest as he felt that his young squad, playing with a roster that included 14 freshmen, let one slip away in the late stages.
“We’ve played three games so far,” said Burcar. “I even said earlier today that wouldn’t be an issue and shame on me. I didn’t see that coming. I thought we learned our lesson. I’m disappointed. I’m truly disappointed because we work so hard to get back in that game, and it’s just disappointing.”
Nick Guerra buried the first goal on the major power play when he batted a rebound past Lions goaltender Ben Kelsch at 17:37 of the third period. On the same play, the Lions were whistled for another penalty, setting up two minutes of a two-man advantage.
Alex Way scored with 50 seconds remaining in the game to seal the win for the Falcons.
Kelsch made 17 of his 42 saves on the night in the final frame to give the Lions a chance, which is all Burcar and his staff could ask of the sophomore.
After the teams traded early chances, the game was even up until the Lions (0-3, 0-3 NCHA) were whistled in a situation where they felt they were defending their own goaltender. With freshman defenseman Andrew Rubstov off for cross checking, the Falcons got to work quickly and were rewarded less than a minute in when Cole Pickup took a pass in the slot, made a move to his backhand and slid the puck underneath Kelsch for the goal at 12:02.
To add salt to the wound, the Lions were also addressed a penalty for tripping on the play that led to the goal. With another advantage, the Falcons (5-7, 3-0 NCHA) struck again.
Guerra crashed the net and buried a rebound off a shot from Jordan Guiney to give the visitors a 2-0 lead at 13:35.
Looking to claw their way back in, the Lions pushed the puck up the ice repeatedly. They were rewarded at 18:18 when assistant captain Tyler Vanuden drove between a pair of Falcons’ defenders, crashed the net and buried the puck past Falcons netminder Liam McGarva with a deke to his forehand.
It was the type of play that Burcar knew Vanuden had in his repertoire.
"Love to see that leadership out of him. It’s great," Burcar said. "We just need some guys to start following him more and more.”
The Lions didn't capitalize on the momentum created by the Vanuden goal when they drew a power play at 18:47. Instead, the Falcons took advantage of a miscue at their own defensive blue line and quickly found themselves on an odd-man rush the other way.
Brandon MacKinnon, who picked up the puck off a blocked shot by Jacob Palmerio, skated in with Palmerio on a 2-on-0. Looking to feed the puck over, MacKinnon waited until he saw Kelsch start to move. Rather than pass, he elected to shoot. The momentum of making the save carried Kelsch over the goal line, giving the Falcons a shorthanded tally at 19:24.
The Lions cut into the Falcons’ lead again early in the middle frame. Vanuden started the play by moving the puck over to freshman defenseman Chris Beyer. Beyer fed the puck over to freshman winger Tyler Perkins, who fired a shot on goal. The rebound bounced out in front to where junior winger Sheldon Brett was waiting. He deposited the puck into the net at 6:04.
The game remained 3-2 in favor of the Falcons until freshman defenseman Kevin Bostwick took an ill-timed penalty at 8:52. Just 10 seconds later, Nick Guiney put the Falcons back up by two.
From there, the Falcons hemmed the Lions in their own end for stretches until they took a penalty of their own when Pickup was called for roughing at 16:56.
The Lions nearly cut the lead in half early in the advantage when Perkins had two good looks in quick succession. While neither of his chances went in, freshman defenseman Blake Gutterman did not miss on his own rebound chance at 17:42. His first shot was stopped, but he lifted his second shot over a sprawled McGarva for his first collegiate goal.
The teams will return to action at 6 p.m. Saturday as they travel to Mequon, Wisconsin. The opening faceoff is set for 6 p.m.
CUW 3 1 2 -- 6
FU 1 2 0 -- 3
First Period -- Scoring -- 1, CUW, Cole Pickup (Nick Guiney, Jordan Guiney), 12:02, pp. 2, CUW, Nick Guerra (J. Guiney, Braydon Barker), 13:35, pp. 3, FU, Tyler Vanuden (Braden Bain), 18:18. 4, CUW, Brandon MacKinnon (Jacob Palmerio), 19:24, sh.
Second Period -- Scoring -- 5, FU, Sheldon Brett (Tyler Perkins, Chris Beyer), 6:04. 6, CUW, N. Guiney (Guerra, J. Guiney), 10:02, pp. 7, FU, Blake Gutterman (Perkins, Brett), 17:42, pp.
Third Period -- Scoring -- 8, CUW, Guerra (J. Guiney), 17:37, pp. 9, CUW, Alex Way (MacKinnon, Tyler Pang), 19:10, pp.
Saves -- CUW, McGarva, 10-6-6--22 saves. FU, Kelsch, 10-15-17--25
Power-play Opportunities -- CUW 5 of 6. FU 1 of 3.
Penalties -- CUW 4-8. FU 7-17.