In the conference opener for Lawrence Men’s Hockey on Friday, Nov. 8, the team found themselves up 1-0 within the first three minutes of play, thanks to a precise strike from first-year forward Jack Michels. The puck found its way into the back of the Raiders’ net after some slick interplay by the creative sophomore PJ Noonan. This goal was also special as it was the first goal of Michels’ collegiate career.
The following 17 minutes saw an edge-to-edge contest, with both teams peppering each other’s goals — the Vikings with 13 shots and the Raiders with 7, respectively. The intensity would only continue into the second period, as shown by the four penalties called in this time frame alone. Three of these penalties were suffered by Lawrence, who found themselves put on the back foot every five minutes after the first.
The third period is where the game really found its momentum, with an early goal at 01:33 from sophomore Miles McCue. A quick counterattack started by senior forward Akhmed Malsagov saw the Vikings fly across the ice, where the puck passed through a quick interchange between sophomores Ethan Beaumont and Carter Cloutier before being struck by the latter. The puck bounced off of the opposing goalkeeper, allowing McCue to slide it back in on the rebound. Not long after, the Raiders responded with a punch of their own, scoring from close range to halve the deficit at 07:21. An ensuing 12 minutes of heavy bumps, rapid skating and narrowly missed shots followed before the Vikings took advantage of the Raiders’ “ghost goalie” tactics, notching a third goal to make the game 3-1. Jack Michaels was again involved, as his cross-field pass found a wide-open McCue, who slid in his second score from a tight angle to coolly close out the game at 19:25.
The result was Lawrence’s second win of the season and first in conference, leaving them with a record of 2-1-0. The Vikings traveled to Milwaukee on Saturday, Nov. 9 for a rematch in the Raiders’ home stadium.