MANKATO, Minn. - The Northern Michigan University hockey program battled it out in their first road contest of the 2021-22 season as they dropped a close fight to Minnesota State University - Mankato, 4-2, Friday night.

Both teams skated a very defensive first period, with snake eyes on the board through the first 20 minutes of play.

Sophomore net minder Rico DiMatteo made 17 saves in the opening frame to keep the third-ranked Mavericks off the board while the Wildcats sent five pucks on net, all of which were turned aside. 

Mikey Colella broke the scoring drought at 2:47 of the second period to give his Wildcats the 1-0 lead.

MSU got one back later in the period with a power play tally to knot things back up, a 1-1 tie they were carry into the final period of play.

After skating even through the first half of the third period, the Mavericks net their second power play goal of the night to make it 2-1. Less than a minute later MSU snuck another past DiMatteo to make it a 3-1 game with just over 10 minutes to go.

At 12:49 of the final period, the Wildcats lit the lamp to cut the deficit to one when Vincent de Mey found the back of the net on the power play.

A late empty net goal for the Mavericks rounded out the scoring Friday for the 4-2 final to drop the Wildcats to 2-4-0 on the season and 2-3-0 in Central Collegiate Hockey Association play.

The Wildcats finished the night with 18 shots on goal while blocking 17 of the Mavericks' chances.

GOALS

• Mikey Colella broke the stalemate with 17:13 to play in the second period when Hank Crone passed the puck across the ice on a two-on-one chance as a Mavericks' power play expired.
• On the power play, Vincent de Mey ripped a one-timer off which beat MSU's goaltender. Trevor Cosgrove and Colella set up the power play goal along the blue line where de Mey fired the shot off twice before finding twine.

• With 43 saves in the contest, Rico DiMatteo set a career-high, surpassing his previous best of 39 set last season at Bowling Green.
• With the first goal of the game and an assist on Vincent de Mey's tally, Mikey Colella extended his point streak to three games with five points off three goals and two assists. 
• Hank Crone is riding a five-game point-streak heading into game two of the series, having scored three goals and six assists for nine points in his Wildcat career.
• NMU picked up 17 blocked shots on the evening, led by Andre Ghantous and Mike Van Unen with four a piece. 
• De Mey led the team in shots on goal, firing six pucks on net and lighting the lamp once.
• The Wildcats scored once on the power play for a 33 percent success rate while allowing two goals on six attempted kills. 

The two teams battle it out again Saturday evening with puck drop set for 7:07 p.m. ET. 

NMU returns to the Berry Events Center next weekend to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1990-91 championship team when Boston University comes to Marquette.