MARQUETTE, Mich. â€Ã‚“ The Bay City Rollers had a songcalled â€Ã‚œSaturday Nightâ€Ã‚ in the 70s; the NMU Wildcat hockey team will not beplaying that old record any time soon. For the eighth CCHA Saturday the â€Ã‚˜Cats were defeated. Ã‚  This time the Ohio State Buckeyes defeatedthe â€Ã‚˜Cats by a score of 4-1 at the Berry Events Center.  NMU is now 4-8-1 the second game of a CCHAweekend set.  With the loss NMU is now17-15-2 overall and 13-12-1 in the CCHA. Ohio State improves to 22-10-3 overall and 16-8-2 in theconference.  At home in the Berry EventsCenter the â€Ã‚˜Cats are 11-3-1 for all games and 9-2-1 in CCHA games for theseason. 

Ohio State would get all they needed on the night with theirfirst two goals of the game.  MiguelLafleche scored first at 17:35 of the first period.  R.J. Umberger would follow that up with a power-play goal at15:22 of the second period to give the Buckeyes an early 2-0 cushion.  Nate Guenin would add another Buckeye goalat 16:33 of the second period to make it 3-0.

NMU would avoid the shutout when Chris Gobert scored his 10^thgoal of the season at 9:35 of the third period to make it 3-1.  Dirk Southern and Terry Harrisonassisted.  â€Ã‚œWe did not generate enoughshots tonight,â€Ã‚ Gobert said. â€Ã‚œI was coming through the slot, it hit the goalie,it came up right in my hand, I set it down and put it in the net.â€Ã‚ OSU wouldadd another goal about five minutes later at 14:37 of the final period whenScott May scored for the final margin.

Craig Kowlaski was in goal for the â€Ã‚˜Cats tonight as heregistered 13 saves.  Mike Betz had 11saves for OSU.  NMU had only 12 shots,which is a new season low for the squad. Ã¢Ã‚€ÃƒÃ‚‚œYou have to give them credit for the lack of shots we had,â€Ã‚ Walt Kyle,head coach of NMU, said.  â€Ã‚œWe did notmove the puck well tonight and they were able to stop us.â€Ã‚ÃƒÃ‚ƒÃƒ‚‚  The Buckeyes had 17 shots.  On the power play the â€Ã‚˜Cats were 0-5 and theBuckeyes were 1-7.

NMU will host Notre Dame next weekend (March 7-8) at theBerry Events Center for the final two games of the 2002-03 regular season.  Game time is 7:05 p.m. both nights.