Northern Michigan broke a 1-1 tie against Bowling Green with 13 seconds left in the third period and won the league-opener for both teams, 2-1.
Greg Day put Bowling Green ahead for the first time this season with a slapshot from above the left circle that went over the shoulder of Kowalski. The power play goal came at 6:52 of the second period and was Day’s first of the season.
Later in the second period Mark Wires was sent to the penalty box for hooking at 17:59, and 14 seconds later NMU’s Chad Theuer deflected a shot from Chris Gobert to knot the score at 1-1.
With 13 seconds left in the third period and the score tied at 1-1, NMU won a faceoff in the left circle on BG’s side of the ice. Bryce Cockburn fired on goal from the top of the circle and Theuer intercepted the shot above the crease and backhanded the winning goal to the right of a diving Tyler Masters.
“I thought the improvement from last week to this week was tremendous,” said BGSU coach Buddy Powers. “We did a lot of little things right. Four breakaways and no goals, that was the difference.”
The two teams meet again on Saturday night.