BEMIDJI, Minn. -- The Northern Michigan University hockey team opened their final true road series of the regular season with a convincing 5-1 victory over 17th-ranked Bemidji State University, Friday evening.

Five Wildcat skaters lit the lamp in the contest while two Mikey Colella recorded his first career point in the contest, an assist on the first goal of the night.

In a very defensive first period, the Wildcats held the Beavers to just seven shots on net as both teams remained scoreless heading to the locker rooms at the end of 20 minutes.

NMU pressured the Beavers' zone early in the second period, peppering their netminder with shots before Joseph Nardi broke the stalemate at 1:21 of the frame. His one-timer from the right circle found the back of the net after Mikey Colella picked up the puck behind the net and passed it up to Andre Ghantous out front who found Nardi in the far circle for the 1-0 tally. With the secondary assist on the goal, Colella registered his first collegiate point.

The Wildcats played a large portion of the latter half of the period on the penalty kill as Rico DiMatteo turned shot after shot aside to keep his team up 1-0. 

At the end of the second period, shots on goal were tied 14-14 as the Wildcats boasted another 11 shots blocked to help keep the Beavers out of their net.

Holding a narrow 1-0 lead going into the third period, the Wildcats came out full speed ahead and refused to let up in the final frame, netting four goals in the final 20 minutes of action for the 5-1 final.

The Wildcats struck early in the frame, taking advantage of a four-on-four situation when Brandon Schultz found the back of the net for an insurance goal that became the game-winning tally. Shortly after, AJ Vanderbeck struck gold on the power play for a team-best 10th goal of the season.

Ghantous would score the Wildcats first shorthanded goal of the season when his shot from the slot found twine at 13:19 of the final period. Just over a minute later, on the same penalty, Garrett Klee also net a goal of the penalty kill for NMU's final goal of the night.

DiMatteo's shutout bid was interrupted with less than five minutes to play when the Beavers scored an even-strength tally at 15:12 of the third period for the 5-1 final.   

The Wildcat win snaps the Beavers' six-game unbeaten streak and moves NMU to 6-11-0 on the season and 4-3-0 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

DiMatteo picked up his second-straight victory between the pipes as the Wildcat newcomer registered 20 saves on the night and improved to 2-0-0 as starter.

GOALS

• Joseph Nardi opened the scoring with a beauty of a goal pathway through the second period as the senior gave his team the 1-0 lead. Andre Ghantous and Mikey Colella were credited with assists on the play, the first of Colella's career.

• Brandon Schultz sniped one home for the 2-0 lead as the teams skated four-a-side. Tim Erkkila and Alex Frye both earned assists on the second Wildcat goal of the game.

• Moments later AJ Vanderbeck extended the NMU lead to three goals when his shot from the slot found twine at 4:33 of the third period. Andre Ghantous stood in front of the net, throwing the puck behind him onto the stick of Vanderbeck for his team-leading 10th goal of the year.

• With a Wildcat in the box, Andre Ghantous fired one home from the slot for the 4-0 tally with 6:41 to play. Nardi picked up the lone assist on the goal.

• As a two-on-one rush shorthanded formed, Connor Marritt and Garrett Klee connected for the fifth NMU goal of the game. Marritt carried the puck into the zone and sent it over to Klee who's shot initially hit the right post before bouncing over the goal line to light the lamp.

KEY STATS

• The Wildcats led the shots on goal margin, posting 25 shots to BSU's 21. 

• Rico DiMatteo recorded 20 saves in the contest and remains undefeated between the pipes.

• Andre Ghantous and Garrett Klee tied for the team-lead in shots Friday evening, registering two a piece while both men scored a goal in the contest.

• Joseph Nardi and Ghantous each led the team with three points as both individuals recorded a goal and two assists in the victory. 

• Four individuals now boast point streaks as Ghantous, Frye, Nardi and Vanderbeck have all highlighted the box score in each of the last three or more games. Ghantous leads the pack with 13 points in his last six games (4-9-13) while Frye is on a four-game streak with two goals and two assists. Nardi has scored in each of his last three games (3-4-7) along with Vanderbeck who had four goals and an assist in the last three contests.

• 6th - Following his three-point night, Joseph Nardi's 1.29 points per game ranks sixth in the nation.

• 9th - Angre Ghantous and Garrett Klee's shorthanded tallies in the victory Friday night now ranks ninth overall with one each.

• 10th - Ghantous owns 11 assists in 13 games played, averaging 0.85 apples per game for 10th overall.

• 11th - Nardi's 14 assists in 17 games, or 0.82 assists per game, ranks 11th nationally.

• 11th - With his power play tally Friday, AJ Vanderbeck's 0.59 goals per game off 10 goals in 17 games, is 11th in all Division I hockey.

• 16th - Ghantous boasts 15 in 13 games played for an average of 1.15 per game which is 16th nationally.

• 21st - Nardi and Vanderbeck are currently tied for 21st overall in game-winning goals, boasting two each.

UP NEXT

The Wildcats and Beavers return to the Sanford Center Saturday evening for game two of the series with puck drop scheduled for 6:07 p.m. CT.