Senior forward Bron Loiselle scored in his third straight game and the Foresters skated to a 2-2 tie at Milwaukee School of Engineering Friday night.
In a lopsided opening period in favor of MSOE in the shot department, the Raiders put 13 attempts on target to Lake Forest's 4 and scored the only goal of the frame with just 59 seconds left.
The Foresters responded by setting a season-high with 21 shots in the second period and tied the game at the 18:17 mark. Sophomore forward Troy Nelson scored his third goal of the season with fellow junior forward Tyler O'Neill and senior defenseman Luke Meade getting credit for the assists. Nelson fielded a pass from O'Neill on the right side of the neutral zone and the Naperville, Illinois, snapped off a shot that beat the goalie glove side. The Foresters were unable to capitalize on their three power play opportunities in the middle frame and, after 40 minutes of play, the score was tied 1-1 with Lake Forest holding a 25-21 edge in shots.
The Raiders struck first in the third period, giving the home team a 2-1 lead at the 5:15 mark. That advantage would not last long, however, as 57 seconds later Loiselle collected the puck below the left circle off a redirected shot from sophomore forward Aaron O'Neill and slammed it home, tying up the game at two. Lake Forest had two more power plays in the final 20 minutes of play but could not convert and finished the game 0-for-5 on the man advantage.
The final 13:48 of the third period and the entire five-minute overtime were scoreless, denying either team a victory.
The Foresters outshot the Raiders 35-31 on the night.
Lake Forest's record went to 10-5-5 overall and 8-2-3 in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association play. MSOE is now 6-10-4 overall and 4-6-3 in the league. With Adrian College falling Friday night at St. Norbert College, the Foresters' lead in the NCHA South Division standings increased to two points.
The Foresters will welcome Concordia University Wisconsin into town Saturday at 7:00 p.m. for Alumni Night. In addition, the annual Peter Taylor Award presentation will take place during the game's first intermission.
by Cam McGuire
