No. 3 CMU Division III hockey throttles SVSU to win eighth straight game


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The Central Michigan Division III men's hockey team shakes hands after a goal against University of Michigan-Flint Friday night at the Isabella County Ice Arena in Mount Pleasant. 

In its first game back from Thanksgiving break, the No. 3 Central Michigan University men’s Division III hockey team secured its 18th win of the season at the Isabella County Ice Arena over No. 14 Saginaw Valley State University, 9-1. 

The Chippewas have won eight straight games improve to 18-4 on the season (7-4 in Michigan Collegiate Hockey Conference). The Cardinals drop to 5-15 (0-11 in MCHC).

CMU started the game with “extra energy” according to Graduate Forward Nathan Algaier, but it seemed to be unfocused as they struggled to get much going on offense.

“We were pretty lazy,” said head coach James Cadzow. “It takes us a good 20 to 30 minutes to get going. The third period was pretty good, but we just started out slow like always.”

Algaier secured the first two goals in the opening period for the Chippewas with the first coming in at the 10:49 mark and the second coming in just as it was wrapping up at one second left. They were Algaiers 18th and 19th of the season.

The Chippewas would hold SVSU to a scoreless first period as both teams headed to the locker room.

In the second period, CMU would continue to try and fire up on the ice and sophomore forward Garrett Diola would get it started with the first goal of the second period with 15:27 left making it 3-0 Chippewas. The goal was Diolas first of the season.

Nathan Algaier would secure another goal for himself, his 20th of the season, as he put one in the back of the net with 10:24 left in the second. He was assisted by sophomore defensemen Brennan Martin, his 12th of the season.

SVSU would get on the board with less than half to go, as assistant captain and forward Steven Roberts would put one past Chippewa Senior Goalie Riley Morgan with just over 12:30 into the second, stopping the shutout.

As the third period would ramp up and CMU would try and pull away, they would do just that when they scored five and SVSU would put up none. CMU would put its biscuits in its basket at the 14:36 mark by sophomore forward Jordan Wadge, 10:42 by birthday boy senior defensemen James Gleason, 15:38 mark by junior assistant captain Dalton Sutherland, his 30th and 31st of the season and lastly with just under a minute left Algaier snagged his fourth goal of the game and his 21st of the season.

“I felt great in warmups and I came out and I just wanted to score,” Algaier said. “I got a couple lucky bounces on a couple and the others just got through with the help of Dalton putting the puck near me. I just try to be in the right position and go from there.”

With the win in the bag and the Chippewas keeping up their momentum, they are still coming out flat and the team will need to figure that out if they want to keep succeeding according to Cadzow.

“We just have to hope that one time it clicks,” Cadzow said about going from good to great. “That’s all we can do for now. It’s not anything that is hindering us to this point. I’m just hoping through our process and work ethic in practice that eventually it’ll happen for us because we’re playing the right way. We’re just going to struggle with this issue until we figure it out.”

The Chippewas will play the second and final game of the bout with SVSU when they play away at 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2 at Saginaw Bay Ice Arena. 

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