The Lake Forest College men's hockey team defeated visiting Northland College 13-2 Saturday afternoon. Junior forward Bobby Barrett netted three of the home team's goals and assisted on two more as the Foresters turned in their highest single-game scoring output in more than 22 years.
The last time Lake Forest scored 13 goals in a game was in a shutout of Lawrence University on February 22, 1991. The Foresters' 11-goal margin of victory on Saturday was their highest since blanking Marian College 12-0 on November 1, 1997.
Forester freshman forward Zach Mudge started the scoring with his first career goal just one minute and 48 seconds into the contest. He was assisted by fellow freshman forward Jack Lewis. Junior forward Luke Swardenski made it a 2-0 game on his first goal of the season at 6:55. Barrett and senior forward Mike Violette were each credited with an assist on the play. Aftter Northland got on the scoreboard at 7:49, the Foresters regained their two-goal advantage when Barrett and Swardenski set up Violette's second score of the season just 78 seconds later. Junior defenseman Charlie Stein assisted on Barrett's first goal of the game at 12:38 and junior forward Mcauley Banning scored less than a minute later off a pass from junior forward Jason McAloon.
Lake Forest had a 16-7 advantage in shots on goal in the first 20 minutes of the game. The five-goal period was the team's first since accomplishing the feat at Milwaukee School of Engineering in the quarterfinals of the conference playoffs in 2012.
The Foresters followed that up with their first six-goal period since January of 2010. Junior defenseman Andrew Stein started the scoring barrage with a power play goal just 72 seconds into the period, chasing the LumberJack's starting goaltender. McAloon earned the assist on Stein's third score in as many games this year. Banning then netted another power play goal just 32 seconds later with Charlie Stein and sophomore defenseman Will Seeber assisting. Barrett struck again at 6:07 with Swardenski and senior forward Pat Charron earning assists and Lewis got in the scoring column at 7:49. His third goal of the series was assisted by fellow freshman forward Anthony Annunziato. Northland netted a shorthanded goal at 14:04 but the Foresters converted during the same power play just 37 seconds later. The score was Charron's first of the year and was assisted by Andrew Stein and senior forward Chris Gard. Annunziato closed out the period's scoring with his first career goal at 15:07. Lewis assisted on the play.
The Foresters put 22 shots on goal in the second period while the LumberJacks managed just six.
The disparity in shots continued in the final period as the home team attempted 20 and Northland two, both of which were saves by Forester freshman goaltender Billy Cooper. Cooper finished with 13 saves in his first career victory.
Junior Ben Certo scored Lake Forest's 12th goal of the night at the 6:05 mark of the third period. His first score of the season was assisted by Charlie Stein and freshman forward Jimmy Cusan. Barrett completed his first career hat trick on a power play goal at 15:27. Swardenski recorded his third assist of the game and Violette his second on the score.
Lake Forest is now 3-0-0 overall for the first time since 1999 and the Foresters own a 2-0-0 record in Northern Collegiate Hockey Associaion play. Northland fell to 0-4-0, both overall and in the league.
The Foresters will continue conference play next weekend with a home-and-home series with St. Norbert College, the nation's top-ranked team according to D3hockey.com. The teams will face off at the Cornerstone Community Center in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, Friday night at 7:00 and in Lake Forest College's Alumni Memorial Field House at the same time on Saturday.
