USHL Madison Capitols

McCormick's 2nd Hat Trick & Lohin's 4 Points Not Enough

Published on February 19, 2016 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Madison Capitols News Release


Muskegon, MI - The Madison Capitols (17-20-4-3) received a combined seven points from their top line stars, but could not stop a Muskegon Lumberjacks (17-19-2-3) buzzsaw that erased a 5-3 third period deficit en route to a 6-5 win on Friday at the L.C. Walker Arena.

The Capitols were the initiators on offense on this night, garnering eight of the game's first nine shots en route to an 18-shot opening period.

After a three-game hiatus, Sam McCormick returned to the score sheet with a history-making marker. After jumping into a rush on the right, he had his first shot attempt blocked up high by Mitch Eliot. McCormick, undeterred, immediately punched a second chance at the net and beat Devin Cooley for his team-best 20th goal of the campaign. The goal made McCormick the first 20-goal scorer in Capitols history, extending his single-season franchise record in tallies.

Madison continued its shooting gallery at Cooley, but the Jacks' goaltender kept his team within a single goal. At the other end, Drew Hotte had a strong start, fending off the first nine Muskegon tries, including an unsuccessful Jacks' power play.

Unfortunately for the road team, the Jacks were able to parlay a strong effort off a faceoff to force a tie late in the period. With just 1:31 left in the period, off a shot from Tyler Irvine in front, Will Graber snatched a rebound off Hotte's pad and beat the goalie along the ice to deadlock the score, 1-1 into the first intermission.

It appeared the Jacks would ride their late tally in the first into a strong start to the second period, but Hotte came up with a pair of huge replies on one-timers from Matej Paulovic to keep the game tied.

Then the Capitols' rapid-fire attack went to work at a furious pace. First, Sasha Payusov chipped a puck ahead into the left wing corner, where Ryan Lohin caught up to it, held it and moved around a sprawled defender, and fed McCormick in tight for his 21st of the season and second of the evening at 4:05.

Already ahead 2-1, Lohin stayed on the ice and cashed in just 36 seconds later. After he fed Dmitri Buinitsky in the right circle, the Belarusian failed to get the puck to the net to Eugene Fadyeyev. However, the puck stayed right in the slot, where Lohin dove to tap it past Cooley at 4:41 to extend the lead to 3-1.

From there, Marcel Godbout then wanted to join the parade of goal scorers, and he did just that at the 5:59 marker to put the Capitols ahead 4-1. Godbout picked up a puck in center off a Muskegon turnover, moved in at the left circle before cutting sharply to the middle of the ice and beating Cooley back against the grain on the stick side.

The Lumberjacks would not go quietly despite the Capitols' bonanza in the second, as Collin Adams pulled his team within two on a feed from USHL leading scorer Rem Pitlick at 15:33 to cut the lead to 4-2.

Muskegon turned the game around in unique game situations in the third. First, Dante Palecco struck on a shorthanded, short-side shot at 4:49 of the third.

McCormick appeared to give the Capitols the insurance marker and the morale boost they would need when he scored his third of the night at 7:27 of the period. It was the De Pere native's second hat trick of the month, and the Caps had the 5-3 lead. Lohin picked up his fourth point of the night with a beautiful rink-wide pass to the post, where McCormick tapped it home.

The Capitols went shorthanded shortly after the hat trick goal, only to have the Jacks take a penalty 11 seconds after Madison to put the game into four-on-four mode.

Under these unusual circumstances, the Pitlick-Paulovic combination worked their magic, as Pitlick began the comeback by pinballing a shot off of Daniel Willett and Hotte to make it a 5-4 game at 8:22.

Just 1:20 later, at the tail end of the four-on-four, Paulovic and Pitlick moved in on a two-on-one. Pitlick found Paulovic on the left side and chipped it over the arm of Hotte to tie the score, 5-5 at 9:42.

The Caps and Jacks both battened down the hatches defensively after the frenetic first half of play in the final frame. With just five seconds left in regulation, Tyson McLellan was whistled for a slash, just moments after he was clipped up high during a faceoff.

Armed with the overtime power play, Adams picked up a rebound from a Nate Kallen point shot, raced around to the right post from behind the net, and beat Hotte on the wraparound to clinch Muskegon's second straight extra-time win over the Capitols.

The Capitols will hope to shrug off a pair of gut-wrenching defeats as they rematch Muskegon on Saturday at 6:15 p.m. CT. The Capitols then return home for a two-game weekend on Friday & Saturday, March 11-12, at the Alliant Energy Center for a pair of 7:05 p.m. puck drops against Sioux Falls and Youngstown respectively.

March 11 marks the Capitols' Cross Check Cancer initiative, as proceeds from ticket package purchases will benefit the UW Carbone Cancer Center, in conjunction with UW Health Sports Medicine, the Capitols' 2015-16 presenting sponsor.

March 12 brings about the return of four-legged friends to the Coliseum on Pucks N' Paws night, presented by Animart. Dogs will be permitted into the Alliant Energy Center on game night, and each pup will receive a doggy goody bag!

For more ticket information regarding future Capitols games back at the Alliant Energy Center, please call (608) 257-CAPS or visit www.MadCapsHockey.com.

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United States Hockey League Stories from February 19, 2016


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