Hockey Drops Both Games in Weekend Series to Blue Devils

(Redford, MI)-- The Cleary Cougar hockey team returned to the ice for a crucial pair of games against the Lawrence Tech Blue Devils this weekend, and unfortunately dropped both games of their series.

In Game 1 vs. Lawrence Tech:  LTU would score off a Cougar turnover twelve minutes into the game, and then added a second goal two minutes later, taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.  Cleary would be held scoreless until Zane Rydel scored with two minutes left in the second period, with assists from Ethan Lindle and Levi Herauf, to cut the Blue Devil lead to 2-1.  Cleary's offense would sputter in the third period, as the Blue Devil defense prevented any dangerous scoring chances down the stretch to hand Cleary a 2-1 defeat.

Nick Meyering made 28 saves on 30 shots faced in goal while suffering the loss.

In Game 2 at Lawrence Tech:  Cleary would score the game's first goal when Ethan Lindle scored, with an assist from Jared Salminen, to make it 1-0.  LTU would answer late in the period on a power play, and the teams would find themselves tied 1-1 after one period of play.  The Blue Devils would take the lead early into the second period, when they scored back to back goals, making it 3-1.  The Cougars would answer less than a minute later, when Jared Salminen scored, with an assist from Bailey Ewonus, cutting the Blue Devil lead to 3-2.  Blair Krawchyk would tie the game with one minute left in the period when he scored, with assists from Braeden Bzovey and Bennett Sheppard.  In the third period, JC Garbacik would give Cleary a 4-3 lead after his goal, with assists from Ethan Lindle and Collin Kerchoff, but that lead would be short-lived.  LTU scored two final goals to take a 5-4 lead, and held on in spite of Cleary's best efforts, to take the game and the series.

Nick Meyering would suffer the defeat in goal.

The loss drops Cleary out of first place in the WHAC, and now gives the Cougars a 17-7-4 record overall, 11-5-2 within the WHAC.  Cleary will wrap up their regular season next weekend when they take on the Michigan-Dearborn Wolverines in a weekend series that will have plenty of WHAC tournament seeding implications.  Cleary will travel to Dearborn on Friday, and will host the Wolverines on Saturday, February 14, at 140 Ice Den for an 8:00 PM puck drop.

*Picture Courtesy of Bad Cat Media*