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 Chris Vail assisted on WSU's first goal and scored the Warriors second goal at UAH. |
Feb. 28, 2004
Huntsville, Ala. - The Wayne State University men's hockey team (7-21-3, 3-13-1 CHA) ended its eight-game (0-7-1) league winless streak with a 4-2 triumph at third-place Alabama-Huntsville (10-13-4, 9-7-1 CHA) Saturday afternoon.
Freshman center Nate Higgins (Calgary, Alb./Green Bay Gamblers) recorded his first collegiate first goal just 53 seconds into the contest off assists from Chris Vail (Nashua, N.H./Vernon Vipers) and Ryan Wright (Brownstown, Mich./Texas Tornado).
Higgins' eighth goal of the year marked just the sixth time in 31 games the Warriors had scored first. WSU is now 4-1-1 when taking a 1-0 lead.
The Chargers tied the game at the 11:30 mark on a goal by Todd Bentley.
WSU regained the lead with 1:32 left in the opening period on Vail's fourth of the season off an assist from Wright.
Junior center Billy Collins (Enderby, B.C./Prince George Spruce Kings) gave the Warriors a 3-1 advantage at the 7:44 mark of the middle stanza when he scored WSU's first short-handed goal of the season.
Just 62 seconds later, UAH's Craig Bushey scored a power-play goal to pull the hosts within one at 3-2.
WSU freshman Mark Nebus (South Lyon, Mich./Texas Tornado) added a short-handed goal with 6:04 remaining in the contest off an assist from Higgins.
Warrior sophomore goalie Matt Kelly (Hull, Mass./Topeka Scarecrows) made 32 saves including 15 in the opening period. Scott Munroe turned aside 18 Wayne State shots in the UAH cage. WSU went zero-for-five on the power play, while the Chargers scored once in nine man-advantage opportunities.
The teams conclude the weekend set with a 5:05 p.m. (Eastern) face-off on Sunday at the Von Braun Civic Center in Huntsville.
