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Sports

Lakeland's Power Play Fails in Shutout Loss

Kettering's Nick Murphy scores twice to lead Captains to a 3-0 victory at Lakeland Ice Arena

WATERFORD - Nick Murphy scored a second period power-play goal and added a second in the third period, as Waterford Kettering defeated the Lakeland Eagles 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Murphy scored the first goal of the game with 9:04 left in the second period, on a power play. The goal came on a wrap-around goal to the left side of the net. He was assisted on the score by Ian Nolan.

Murphy scored again with time winding down in the third period. He received the puck in the neutral zone, leaving him one-on-one with a Lakeland defender. Murphy skated right and shot a 20-foot wrist-shot to the upper left of Eagles goalie Mitch Leist.

Nolan again assisted Murphy, who finished the game with six shots on goal.

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Lakeland though had its opportunities. The Eagles outplayed the Captains in the first period of the contest, roughing up the Kettering attack once they got in the neutral zone. Lakeland's Bobby Schumacher pounded Kettering forwards to the ice, and the Eagles defense amassed 13 hits in the period. 

The Eagles also outshot the opposition 10-5 and seemed to be in total control.

But things went downhill midway though the second for Lakeland (0-3, 0-1). The Eagles were unable to stay in the Captains' offensive zone and struggled with turnovers in the neutral zone.

"We had good pressure in the first. We were all over them (Kettering)," Lakeland head coach Tim Ronayne said. "The second period was pretty even at the start, but that penalty that led to the goal hurt us."

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Ronayne also added that his offense was unable to dump the puck into the opposing net and didn't set up screens in front of Lakeland goalie Tucker Gilliland.

Gilliand, a sophomore, had 23 saves in the shutout victory.

On Lakeland's lack of offensive production, senior captain Jordan Blanzy conveyed that his team needed to screen the goalie more.

The Eagles also struggled on the power play -- the Eagles had four power play opportunities but managed only four shots during those eight minutes. Kettering on the other hand scored converted on its first shot while on a power play in the first period.

Frustration mounted late in the contest for Lakeland, which was penalized twice inside the four minute mark of the final period.

Zach Zimmerman, the Captains' star senior forward, added the final blow on an empty-net goal with fifty-six seconds left.

"We have to start throwing the puck at the net and get bodies in front of the goalie," Ronayne added.

Lakeland took three more shots than their opposition (23-20), and had two more face-off wins (16-14).

The Eagles will continue to look for their first win of the season Saturday against Walled Lake Western.


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