HANCOCK, Mich. — Josh DeSmit’s short-handed goal midway through the third period proved to be the game-winner as the Lawrence University hockey team beat Finlandia University 3-2 on Saturday in a Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association game at Houghton County Arena.
The Vikings (9-5-1, 7-3-0 MCHA) swept the weekend series from Finlandia (1-13-0, 1-9-0) after posting a 5-3 win on Friday.
Goaltender Evan Johnson picked up the win by making 27 saves. Mike Wuthrich made 29 saves and took the loss.
Sam Johnson scored his first goal of the season at the 13:43 mark of the first period to give Lawrence a 1-0 lead. William Thoren and Jon Bellotti both picked up assists on the goal.
Lawrnece made it 2-0 at 8:48 of the second when Bellotti got his first goal of the season. Johnson and Matt Hughes both assisted on the goal.
Sebastian Rosendahl’s power-play goal at the 13:34 mark of the second trimmed Lawrence’s lead to 2-1 and it remained that way until midway through the third.
After Corey Garrett got sent off for holding at 8:58, Finlandia went on the power play. Near the end of the power play, the Lions couldn’t get the puck deep in the Lawrence zone, and Hughes took the puck for the Vikings. He passed to DeSmit, who beat Wuthrich at 10:46 to give Lawrence a 3-1 edge.
It was the first short-handed and game-winning goal of the season for DeSmit.
Sean Burke cut the lead back to 3-2 when he scored on the power play at 11:54, but the Lions could not get the equalizer despite pulling the goaltender for the final 53 seconds.