DULUTH, Minn. - The Northern Michigan University hockey team concluded its weekend series with the no. 17 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, dropping an offense-driven game by a final score of 8-5.

Special teams were the story from this evening, as there was a combined total of 17 penalties called throughout the game between both teams. The Wildcats surrendered four goals from the UMD power play, and the Wildcats scored three goals from nine power-play attempts.

The Wildcats started hot, scoring on the first shot on goal in the first thirty seconds, but it went downhill after that for the first period. The special teams were the glaring issue in the first period, as the Wildcats allowed two PPGs and one short-handed goal. The 'Cats couldn't convert on any chances of their own, including a 5-on-3 opportunity that wasn't very dangerous.

The 'Cats cranked up the intensity and urgency in the second period, as Tanner Latsch continued to stay hot with his fourth goal of the weekend and Mitch Deelstra scored a beauty for his first as a Wildcat, but the lapses in coverage continued to plague the Wildcats. The 'Cats allowed two more PPGs along with a clear-cut breakaway that resulted in a goal.

The third period was another wild ride, this time with the 'Cats scoring two on the power play and successfully killing its only infraction. Kristof Papp scored his first of the season, and Latsch scored once again while also contributing an assist. The game would end with an empty net tally for the Bulldogs, finishing this wild-wild west shootout by a score of 8-5.

The Wildcats drop to 0-1-1 overall, and the Bulldogs improve to 1-0-2 overall.

Cat Nips

• Andre Ghantous has continued to be a dominant force for the Wildcats, as he registered a goal and three assists tonight, giving him a total of six points on the weekend (2g, 4a)
• Tanner Latsch is making himself an early case for CCHA Rookie of the Year, as he followed up his hat-trick performance from last night with two more goals and an assist. As of tonight, Latsch leads the nation in goals with five and power-play goals with four
• Both Mitch Deelstra and Kristof Papp scored their first goals of the season. This was Deelstra's first goal as a member of the Wildcats
• Five more 'Cats recorded assists, including the first points in green and gold for both Jack Perbix and Isack Bandu
• Beni Halasz allowed five goals on 20 shots before being pulled. Charlie Glockner made 13 saves from 15 shots faced in relief
• The Wildcats were outshot 41-28, won 31 of 28 faceoffs, and blocked 13 shots
• The combined 13 goals scored ties the most goals scored between the two teams in a game, dating back to 2/22/85 when UMD beat the Wildcats 7-6 in overtime
• Though the power play has been effective through two games (6/18, 33.3%), the penalty kill has struggled immensely (8/15, 53.3%)
• Despite scoring five goals in back-to-back outings, the 'Cats couldn't find a result. The last time the Wildcats scored five goals and did not win or tie was October 8, 2016, in a 5-6 loss to Wisconsin. 

How It Happened
1st Period
Fans were still getting to their seats as the Wildcats scored the opening goal of the game, as Andre Ghantous pulled the puck on a string to toe-drag around the defenseman and fired a wicked wrister over the glove of Stejskal.

The Bulldogs were awarded a power play opportunity, and Ben Steeves was left alone down the right side to walk right in on Beni Halasz, making a move to the backhand and beating Halasz in tight.

The Wildcats coughed up a puck at the blue line during a power play opportunity, and Cole Spicer picked up the puck and gained a clear-cut breakaway from the red line. He made a move to the backhand and beat Halasz through the five-hole, giving the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead. 

The Bulldogs capitalized on the man advantage once again, as a deflected shot landed on the stick of Luke Loheit who poked it past a sprawling Halasz.

The 'Cats had two great opportunities to score in the dying minutes of the first period. Kristof Papp had a puck jump over his stick looking at a yawning cage, and Michael Colella beat a defenseman to walk in one-on-one and Stejskal made his biggest save of the game.

2nd Period
The Wildcats were short-handed to start the frame, and the Bulldogs special teams came through again, making it 4-1 early into the frame. 

The Wildcats' power play finally broke through, as a nice tic-tac-toe play went from Artem Shlaine on the half wall to Ghantous in the corner who floated a perfect saucer pass to a wide-open Tanner Latsch on the back door to slam home his fourth goal of the weekend and cut the deficit to two.

The Bulldogs responded with another PPG, and the Wildcat PK continued to struggle. Charlie Glockner entered the game in relief after Halasz allowed five goals on 20 shots.

Not a minute later, Rylan Van Unen was able to spring Mitch Deelstra on a breakaway, and he stepped up and rifled a wrister bar down over the glove hand of Stejskal to cut the Bulldog lead back to two.

Ben Steeves was sprung on a breakaway, making a backhand to forehand move before finishing up over the blocker of Glockner.

3rd Period
Although it didn't go down as a power play goal, as it was scored a second after the penalty expired, the Bulldogs scored its seventh goal on what essentially was still a man advantage as the Wildcat was stepping out of the box.

The Wildcats responded in this wild back-and-forth match, as Tanner Latsch fed Andre Ghantous below the goal line who then found Kristof Papp wide open on the back door to cut into the Bulldog lead with a slick passing play on the power play.

Guess what? Another penalty was called and the Wildcats earned a power play. Latsch's hot hand continued, as he collected the puck and rounded the left circle before turning and firing a wrister by the ear of Stejskal.

The Wildcats pulled the goalie with just over four and a half minutes left in a last-ditch effort to pull within one and tie the game. Despite terrific effort to find a goal, the Bulldogs created a turnover and found the back of the net to seal the deal for the Bulldogs. 

Scoring By Period
1st
0:21 - Andre Ghantous (NMU) - assisted by Jack Perbix and Isaak Bandu  (1-0)
4:30 - Ben Steeves (UMD PP) - assisted by Cole Spicer and Quinn Olson (1-1)
10:14 - Cole Spicer (UMD SHG) - assisted byJack Smith and Kyle Bettens (1-2)
14:05 - Luke Loheit (UMD PPG) - assisted by Ben Steeves and Owen Gallatin (1-3)
2nd
1:09 - Owen Gallatin (UMD PPG) - assisted by Quinn Olson and Ben Steeves (1-4)
7:36 - Tanner Latsch (NMU PPG) - assisted by Andre Ghantous and Artem Shlaine (2-4)
8:38 - Blake Biondi (UMD PPG) - assisted by Blake Biondi and Matthew Perkins (2-5)
9:15 - Mitch Deelstra (NMU) - assisted by Rylan Van Unen (3-5)
14:47 - Ben Steeves (UMD) - assisted by Carter Loney (3-6)
3rd
7:52 - Blake Blondi (UMD) - assisted by Aaron Pionk and Connor McMenamin (3-7)
8:13 - Kristof Papp (NMU PPG) - assisted by Andre Ghantous and Tanner Latsch (4-7)
10:30 - Tanner Latsch (NMU PPG) - assisted by Andre Ghantous and Josh Zinger (5-7)
18:45 - Connor McMenamin (UMD ENG) - unassisted (5-8)

Up Next
The Wildcats continue its non-conference schedule with a trip to the desert, facing off against the Arizona State Sun Devils on Friday the 20th and Saturday the 21st.