FRASER, Mich.--Freshman defenseman
Charlie Ward scored the game-winning goal early in the third period to cap a Lawrence Tech rally from two goals down, as the Blue Devils came back to nip host Rochester, 3-2, in Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference men's hockey play late Saturday evening at Big Boy Arena. The Blue Devils, who have won four consecutive games, improve to 14-8 overall and 13-5 in the WHAC, while the Warriors dip to 0-20 on the season and 0-16 in the conference.
Lawrence Tech Highlights
- Freshman Patric Loeffler got the start in goal, where he made four saves over 20 minutes.
- Sophomore Brett Tome relieved Loeffler at the start of the second period and finished the game with 11 stops to get credit for the win.
- Graduate student Thimo Ey led LTU with two points--both assists.
Rochester Highlights.
- Kyle Banks led the RU offense with a goal and an assist for two points.
- Goalie Connor Maloney posted 50 saves for a career high.
How it Happened
- Lawrence Tech got the go-ahead goal with 18 minutes and 15 seconds remaining in the third period. Ey won an offensive zone face-off back to Ward at the left point, where he fired a slap shot into the back of the net.
- Rochester took a 2-0 lead--its first this season in four games versus LTU--on first-period goals by Banks just 39 seconds after the opening face-off and Bobby Kulka with 5:43 left.
- Freshman David Hoftiezer got LTU on the scoreboard with 17:20 left in the second period to cut the deficit to 2-1.
- Sophomore Justin Hubenschmidt tied it 2-2 at the 2:21 mark, with graduate student Sean Pilet and Ey credited with the assists.
- The Blue Devils outshot the Warriors 53 to 17, including a 24-6 margin in the third as Maloney kept RU in the game.
Beyond the Boxscore
- Lawrence Tech leads the all-time series that started during the 2017-18 season, 17-2 (including a 7-1 road mark).
- The Blue Devils won all four meetings this season by outscoring the Warriors, 32-3.
- Dating to last season, Rochester has lost 45 consecutive games.
- Banks leads Rochester with 12 assists and 22 points.
- Lawrence Tech increased its lead with 39 points on first place in the WHAC standings over nationally-ranked Indiana Tech (34 points). The Blue Devils have a conference-best 13 victories in WHAC play. (Nationally-ranked Michigan-Dearborn is in third-place with 33 points.)
- Tome moves to 13-6-1 on the season, with a 2.28 goals-against average and .925 save percentage.
Next Up
- Next weekend, Lawrence Tech and Indiana Tech play a key home-and-home WHAC series. The Blue Devils will travel to Fort Wayne, Ind., for a Friday game at the SportONE/Parkview Icehouse starting at 7:30 p.m., before hosting the Warriors on Saturday (8 p.m.) at the Farmington Hills Arena.
