MARQUETTE, Mich. - Lake Superior State lost 5-3 Saturday at Northern Michigan and was swept for the second time this season. The Lakers finished the regular season 16-15-5 overall and 11-13-4-4 in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association heading into the First Round of CCHA playoffs March 2-4. They are expected to play host to Alaska.

Northern Michigan (16-12-6 overall, 11-11-6-3 CCHA), which leap-frogged LSSU in the CCHA standings, took back the Father Cappo Cup after three years in the Lakers' possession. The Wildcats tallied 16 goals over LSSU's 12 to win the cup. They jumped from a three-way tie for seventh place in the standings to sixth place, while LSSU dropped from sixth to seventh.

NMU's Tyler Gron scored the first goal of the game at 10:22 of the first periond. Freshman forward Stephen Perfetto (3-6--9) tied the game with a short-handed, unassisted goal at 16:39 of the first. Perfetto's goal was his third short-handed marker of the season.

NMU replayed last night's game, scoring four unanswered goals by the end of the second period. Back-to-back power-play goals by Matt Thurber and Kyle Follmer gave Northern at 5-1 lead.

Sophomore forward Colin Campbell (7-16--23) added an even-strength goal for the Lakers at 3:26 of the third period from junior defenseman Zach Trotman (9-10--19) and senior forward Fred Cassiani (7-14--21), cutting NMU's lead to 5-2.

Cassiani scored the Lakers' second short-handed goal of the night at 4:57 of the third. Perfetto assisted on Cassiani's goal.

Sophomore goaltender Kevin Kapalka (15-12-5-4) recorded the loss for LSSU, making 18 saves. Kevin Murdock played 18:44 with 11 saves for LSSU. The Wildcats' Reid Ellingson (5-6-4) made 33 saves.

The Lakers were 0-for-3 on the power-play, while NMU was 2-for-5.

As of release time the Lakers will play host to Alaska in the First Round of the CCHA Playoffs. Tickets will go on sale at the Norris Center Ticket Office at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Check www.lssulakers.com for more details in the days to come.

LSSU 3, NMU 5