The New York Ranger prospects had 12 see action Saturday with most seeing their teams come away with wins. This Saturday was very much the Noah Laba show as he once again provided overtime heroics that helped his Colorado College Tigers earn an upset win.
Pretty sure that after this weekend that the folks up at Western Michigan University don’t want to see anymore of sophomore center Noah Laba and his 17th-ranked Colorado College Tigers. Laba and company made it four straight wins on 12th-ranked Western Michigan’s home ice dating back to last season’s NCHC playoffs.
Even more specific is that Noah Laba after he gave his team the win with yet another overtime game-winning goal to defeat Western Michigan 2-1 in NCHC play. The game’s first star, Laba scored both of his team’s goals to earn the win.
In the first period, it would be Laba who put his team on the scoreboard with his 13th goal of the season, an even strength goal coming at 4:59. Off a goal mouth scrum saw Laba grab a rebound of a teammates shot and push it into the Western Michigan net.
Light that Laba Lamp 🚨!!#CCTigers pic.twitter.com/vP4ne3qVRK
— CC Hockey (@CCTigerHKY) January 27, 2024
The goal while giving his team a 1-0 lead extended Laba’s goal scoring streak to five games (six goals) but the leading scorer for the Tigers was not done. Western Michigan would tie the game and force overtime only to see Laba send their fans home heartbroken for the second straight night.
In overtime with both teams skating “three-on-three”, Laba carried the puck into the offensive zone where he dropped the puck to a linemate and went to the net. Teammate Evan Werner would fire a shot on goal but the Western goalie could not control the rebound and Laba poked at it and forced it into the goal for the winning goal at 2:57 of overtime.
Déjà vu?
Laba x2#CCTigers pic.twitter.com/3O2BhMx07G
— CC Hockey (@CCTigerHKY) January 28, 2024
Laba finished the night 2-0-2 on five shots with a +1 and he was 11-6 on his faceoffs. The leading scorer for the Tigers, Laba improved to a career best in goals at 14, his 22 overall points tied his season totals from last year. Laba now has an impressive six game winning goals (four in overtime) to go along with two each in power play and shorthanded goals.
Gabe Perreault had a goal as his second-ranked Boston College Eagles made it two straight wins over top-ranked Boston University this time with a 4-3 win in Hockey East play. In the first period with his team on a “5-on-3” power play, Perreault snuck to the other side of the goal where he was hit with a pass and he slammed the puck in for his ninth goal of the season and a 1-0 Boston College lead.
Perreault on a beautiful feed for his ninth of the season and second of the weekend.
📺 @NESN // TSN2
💻 https://t.co/5s2DsDrJfa pic.twitter.com/oZPa5tHQEP— BC Men’s Hockey (@BC_MHockey) January 28, 2024
The goal also extends Perreault’s scoring streak to nine games (6-10-15), his goal scoring streak to three (3-0-3). he leads his team in overall scoring (9-27-36) which also is tops in the Hockey East conference and third nationally. Perreault is also the leading scorer among first-year players and is tied for third in assists.
All this as Perreault was 1-0-1 on three shots with a +1 and a hooking minor. Teammate Drew Fortescue was scoreless and did not record any stats.
Brody Lamb had the primary assist on what proved to be the game-winning goal as his ninth-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers handed seventh-ranked Michigan State a 5-1 loss in Big Ten play. Lamb set up teammate Aaron Huglen for Minnesota’s second goal of the game 6:14 in the first period. The goal at the time gave them a 2-0 lead as Lamb was 0-1-1 on one shot with a +1 as he improved to 10-9-19 which are career bests for the sophomore forward.
Zakary Karpa had a primary assist to help his Harvard Crimson defeat Colgate 6-3 in ECAC play. It was just the fourth win of the season for the Crimson as they are 4-12-3 om the season.
Karpa was 0-1-1 on one shot with a +1 and was 9-7 on his faceoffs. The assist improved his season totals to 2-3-5 which are not the kind of the numbers that earn one a Entry Level contract when one is a junior.
Victor Mancini was scoreless on four shots as his Omaha Mavericks played St. Cloud State to a 1-1 overtime tie in NCHC play. Omaha would earn the extra point in the standings by winning the shoot out round. 1-0.
Hank Kempf was scoreless as his 13th-ranked Cornell Big Red played to a 2-2 overtime tie with Dartmouth in Ivy League/ECAC play. Dartmouth won the shoot-out round for the extra point in the standings.
Kempf was credited with one shot and a -1.
Hugo Ollas stopped 22 out of 25 shots as his Merrimack Warriors lost to Northeastern 4-1 in Hockey East play. This season keeps going south on Ollas dropped his second straight start and fourth in last five games.
Ollas saw his season totals fall to 4-7 with a 2.96 goals against and a 0.903 save percentage.
Dylan Roobroeck was scoreless as his Oshawa Generals fell to the Barrie Colts 3-2 in OHL play. Roobroeck was credited with four shots while going 9-10 on his faceoffs.
Roobroeck also earned his third fighting major of the season but according to OHL rules every fight major from this point forward will result in a two game suspension.
Ty Henricks did not record a stat as his Muskegon Lumberjacks earned a 3-2 win in USHL play.
Rasmus Lawsson was scoreless on one shot as his Green Bay Gamblers lost via the shootout to the Sioux City Musketeers in USHL play.
Maxim Barbashev was scoreless on one shot with a -1 as his Rimouski Oceanic lost 5-3 to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in QMJHL play.
