In the first period, the teams seemed to come out rather tentatively, with neither side able to get any meaningful offense going in the game’s early stages. As the game went on both the Redmen and the Hornets found more opportunities, but neither team was able to find the net, and the period ended 0-0.
The second period began much in the same way as the first, and the pace of play did not deviate from the pattern established in the first period. Both teams tried, but were unable to spark an offensive onslaught. The defenses of both the Hornets and the Redmen were solid until the 10:35 mark, when the Marquette Redmen turned the puck over in their own zone and Saline capitalized, giving the Hornets a 1-0 lead. Saline extended their lead to 2-0 late in the period, and that was the scoreline that stood going into the final stanza of play.
Saline added another goal in the opening minutes of the third period, increasing their lead to 3 goals. The Redmen got one back midway through the period, when Tanner Phillips took a pass from his cousin Joey and buried the puck in the net, bringing Marquette back within two. The lead was cut to one goal by a hard shot from Ethan Jones only a few minutes later, and with just over 3:00 left in regulation, Andrew Pieper tied the game off of a faceoff one-timer. This late marker was enough to send the game into overtime.
The extra period was hard-fought by both teams, with the play going from one end of the ice to the other and then back again several times. The Redmen went on a powerplay with just over 1:00 to go in overtime, after Hunter Doucette was hauled down on a scoring attempt. The Redmen didn’t waste the opportunity, and with just 1.6 seconds left on the clock, Aydin Frost put the biscuit in the basket and gave Marquette the win.
The Marquette Redmen will next take the ice on Thursday, January 4, when they take on the Negaunee Miners. The puck will drop on that game at 7:00 P.M., and you can listen live on Fox Sports Marquette 105.1-99.9 or online at foxsportsmarquette.com.
Listen to the audio from tonight’s game here.
