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 Jason Baclig's goal at Denver gave WSU a 2-1 lead. |
Jan. 3, 2004
Denver, Colo. - The Wayne State University men's hockey team (5-11-2) gave sixth-ranked Denver (15-6-3) all it could handle but allowed two third period goals in a 4-2 setback Saturday night.
The Warriors tallied the only goal of the opening period when freshman Mark Nebus (South Lyon, Mich./Texas Tornado) scored his second of the season off an assist from John May (Livonia, Mich./Springfield Junior Blues) with just 39 seconds remaining in the stanza. It was the fourth time in 18 games Wayne State had scored first (WSU is now 3-1-0 when scoring first).
The host Pioneers tied the contest 3:21 into the middle period when junior LukeFulghum netted his ninth of the year.
Wayne State regained the lead just past the halfway mark of the second period (10:58) when freshman Jason Baclig (Leamington, Ont./Leamington Flyers) scored his team-leading seventh goal of the campaign. Classmates Nicholas Staneckyj (Garson, Ont./Rayside Balfour Sabrecats) and Nate Higgins (Calgary, Alb./Green Bay Gamblers) assisted on Baclig's second power-play goal of the season. It was Higggins' team-leading eighth assist and Staneckyj has three assists in five games played this year.
Denver tied the game once again at the 13:12 mark as Brett Skinner scored a power-play goal just 11 seconds after a slashing penalty to Ryan Wright.
The sixth-ranked Pioneers took their first lead of the night 4:58 into the third period on a goal by Jon Foster. Ryan Caldwell, who had two assists earlier in the game, added an empty-net goal with five seconds remaining to complete the scoring.
WSU sophomore netminder Matt Kelly (Hull, Mass./Topeka Scarecrows) stopped 30 shots including double-digit totals in the first (11) and third periods (10). DU's Glenn Fisher was credited with 14 saves. The Warriors went one-for-three with the man-advantage, while allowing Denver only one power-play goal in six opportunities.
Wayne State will conclude its school-record 12-game road trip with a pair of College Hockey America contests at the United States Air Force Academy this Thursday and Saturday. Face-off both nights is slated for 9:05 p.m. Eastern.
The Warriors will play nine of the final 14 regular-season games at the Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth starting with the series against Alabama-Huntsville on January 17 (3:05 p.m.) and January 18 (2:05 p.m.).
