SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. -- A last second offensive rush for the home team sealed the fate for Northern Michigan University's hockey team Saturday night as they fell to Lake Superior State University in overtime, 5-4. The Wildcats and Lakers met in their first of two Western Collegiate Hockey Association matchups Saturday in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, with the Lakers claiming victory with just 3.2 seconds remaining in the extra period of hockey.

It didn't take long for NMU to light the lamp as the senior captain Joseph Nardi fired a wrist shot past the Laker netminder at 4:06 of the opening period for the 1-0 lead. 

Just over two minutes later, the Lakers answered back with a goal of their own to knot the game at 1-1 with 13:33 to play in the first frame.

The Wildcats had a few more chances on net but were unable to break the LSSU goaltender as both teams skated to the locker rooms after one period tied at one. 

Nardi net his second of the game with just 40 seconds elapsed in the second period to give the Wildcats the 2-1 lead. 

LSSU would tie things up off a lucky bounce out front of Nolan Kent at 4:53 of the period to make it a 2-2 game. 

With just moments remaining on the man-advantage, Alex Frye capitalized on the power play, sending a sniper over the blocker of LSSU's Eisele for the go-ahead tally. It didn't take long for the Wildcats to strike again as Griffin Loughran danced around out front of the Laker net, sending the puck home just 1:11 after Frye's goal for the 4-2 lead. 

The Lakers would record a power play goal of their own later in the period as a Wildcat was sent off for two minutes. Just five seconds into the man-advantage, LSSU would capitalize, winning the draw and sending a quick shot on net, past Kent between the pipes as the Wildcats clung to a 4-3 lead.  

After two periods of play, the Wildcats boasted a 24-16 shots on goal margin with Kent picking up 13 saves through 40 minutes of play.

With 10:29 to play in the third period, the Lakers found the back of the net to tie things up again, 4-4. A rocket from the far circle made its way through traffic and past Kent for the power play tally.

Kent made a flurry of huge saves with five minutes to play in regulation to keep it a tie game. As the clock ticked under a minute to play in regulation the Wildcats fired two huge shots on net that somehow managed to stay out and the teams would head to the three-on-three overtime period.

Throughout the first 60 minutes of play, the Wildcats held the edge in shots on goal, 33-26.

With 3.2 seconds left in the overtime frame, the Lakers fired a rocket past Kent and into the back of the net to take game one of the conference series.

GOALS

• Joseph Nardi found twine at 4:06 of the first period as he skated into the zone and fired a wrister from the top of the circle, assisted by Andre Ghantous.

• On their first shift of the second period, the Wildcats lit the lamp again as Nardi found the back of the net, beating the LSSU netminder just outside the crease. He faked out the Laker defenders, winding up for a shot but chose to send it back to linemate Ghantous. Not seeing an open lane, Ghantous centered the puck back towards Nardi who deflected it into the net for the 2-1 lead. Griffin Loughran also picked up an assist on the goal.

• Alex Frye took advantage of the power play opportunity part way through the second period as he fired one top shelf to make it a 3-2 game at 7:26 of the middle frame. 

• Griffin Loughran picked up the puck on Eisele's blocker side and not seeing an opening at the far post, danced around the front of the crease before sending the puck over the goal line. After a brief review the goal was ruled on-side and Ghantous, who had the primary assist on the play, picked up his fourth point of the night.

KEY STATS

• Nolan Kent finished the night with 23 saves while the Wildcats posted 33 shots on the other end of the ice. 

• Andre Ghantous led the team with four assists, a career-best for the sophomore forward.

• Joseph Nardi topped the night with two goals and an assist for three points.

• Three Wildcats currently ride point streaks following the team's four-goal night. Ghantous has nine points off two goals and seven assists in his last four games while Griffin Loughran has tallied three goals and four assists for seven points since his first game back last weekend against Ferris State. Alex Frye's two goals in as many games ties his career-long point-streak as a Wildcat.

UP NEXT

The two teams meet again for a Sunday matinee contest as they close out their four-game regular season series against each other. Puck drop is set for 3:07 p.m.