The Wayne State Warriors jumped out to a quick lead, but the Northern Michigan Wildcats responded with four unanswered goals to pick up the 4-1 win in the second game of the teams’ nonconference set.
NMU is now 15-7-2 on the season while WSU is 10-11-3.
Mike Stutzel tied the game up with a goal 40 seconds into the second period. Linemates, Chad Theuer and Bryce Cockburn assisted on the goal. Cockburn then scored the game-winner at 10:08 of the period for the Wildcats. Stutzel and Jesse Baraniuk assisted.
Chris Gobert also scored a goal in the second period, from Stutzel and Peter Michelutti, at 13:32 to make it 3-1.
“We did not turn the puck over tonight,” Michelutti said. “We moved the puck well out in the zone, and that’s what we have to do to be successful.”
Stutzel got his second goal of the night at 13:26 of the third period for the final score. Cockburn and Theuer both picked up their second assists on Stutzel’s goal.
“The one line plays very well (Stutzel, Cockburn and Theuer),” Rick Comley, head coach of NMU, said. “Our challenge is just to stretch that balance out.”
Tuomas Tarkki, starting his second game of the season for the Wildcats, went the distance with 30 saves on the night.
“I thought that Tuomas played well when we were struggling tonight,” Stutzel said. “He turned the game around for us.”
