After falling to Michigan Tech, 11-0, on Thursday night, the USA-Under 18 team tied Lake Superior State 3-3 on Saturday night after 65 minutes of hockey at the Taffy Abel Arena.
“We didn’t have the passionate jump that we are going to need to have to in
order to win,” said LSSU coach Frank Anzalone, who returned to start his second stint as Lake Superior head coach after replacing Scott Borek in the offseason.
USA started the scoring when Taylor Bustead netted a goal at the 3:20 mark of the first period.
Kevin Wilson earned his fourth point of the weekend when he scored at 14:46 to tie the game at one. Late in the second, LSSU jumped out to a one-goal lead when sophomore Adam Nightingale scored his first collegiate goal and put the Lakers up, 3-2.
Early in the second, Team USA had taken a 2-1 lead with a goal from Mark Stuart, but freshman Bo Cheesman banged in the tying goal for the Lakers at 8:26 from just in front of USA goaltender Tim Roth.
Just past the halfway mark of the third period, Brett Sterling scored the game-tying goal for Team USA off a Matt Carle pass. Tim Wallace added the second assist on Sterling’s goal, his seventh of the season.
Both teams went scoreless in the five-minute overtime period and finished in a 3-3 tie.
All three Laker goaltenders saw time in the net this weekend. Freshman Terry Denike wrapped up Friday night’s game against Lakehead and played the first two periods against Team USA. Denike stopped 20 USA shots and allowed two goals.
Laker freshman Matt Violin finished in net for the Lakers. He stopped seven USA shots and allowed one goal. Junior Scott Murray started the first two periods of Friday’s game.
Team USA outshot the Lakers 30-24.
Lake Superior State will travel to East Lansing, Mich. on Thursday to play a
two-game series against CCHA rival Michigan State.
