ADRIAN, Mich.--Sophomore Andrew Bellant scored twice, and classmate Trevor Coykendall scored what proved to be the game-winner in the second period, to lead the Adrian men's hockey team to a 5-2 win over visiting Lawrence in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association action on Saturday afternoon.

THE BASICS
= Final Score: Adrian College 5, Lawrence University 2

= Location: Weston Rink at Arrington Ice Arena; Adrian, Mich.

= Updated Records: Adrian Bulldogs, 11-5-3 overall (9-3-2 NCHA-South); Lawrence Vikings, 5-13-1 overall (4-9-1 NCHA-North)

= National Rankings: Adrian is No. 14 (42 points) by U.S. College Hockey Online for NCAA Division III

TOP 'DAWGS
= Junior goalie Cameron Gray posted 27 saves to improve to 8-4-1 on the season.

= Sophomore Sam Ruffin led Adrian in the face-off circle with 14 wins in 24 draws and added an assist.

= Bellant also had an assist to match senior Dino Balsamo (1g, 2a) with a three-point game.  

THE OPPOSITION
= Zach Lodes led the Vikings with a pair of goals.

= Evan Cline made 47 stops in goal.

= Tyler Jensen (11-19) and Jake Drinkard (10-20) led Lawrence at the face-off dot.

HOW IT HAPPENED
= Adrian once again dominated in shots on goal to the tune of a 52-29 advantage.

= With the game tied 1-1 in the second period, Adrian forged a 3-1 lead as senior Bryce Van Horn and Coykendall scored 38 seconds apart beginning 4 minutes and 23 seconds in.

= Bellant added an insurance goal at 5:55 of the third period with Adrian on a five-minute power play. Adrian led 4-1 at the time.

= Lodes scored his second goal of the day on the power play about 10 minutes later to pull LU within 4-2.

= Lawrence pulled Cline in favor of an extra attacker with 2:15 left in the game, but could not get a shot on goal.

= With 31 seconds remaining, Balsamo tapped in an empty-net tally on a pass from Bellant below the goal line and Adrian iced the win.  

= Lodes staked Lawrence to a 1-0 lead on a feed from Ivan Galaguzov with 5:53 to go in the first period.

= Adrian tied it 1-1 3:49 after capitalizing on a LU turnover in its defensive zone. Balsamo intercepted a bad clearing pass and fed Bellant for his first goal in the contest.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
= Adrian leads the all-time series 24-0-3 over Lawrence, including a 15-0-1 home mark versus the Vikings.

= Junior Michael Rounds recorded a primary assist on Coykendall's goal for his first point in a Black and Gold jersey since transferring from Ohio State as a spring semester addition.

= Balsamo made his 100th appearance in a Bulldogs uniform today and he is the team's active career leader in goals (41), assists (56) and total points (97).

= Three of the NCHA's top four scorers reside in Adrian: No. 2 Bellant with 12+17=29; No. 3 Ruffin with 8-20-28; and No. 4 Balsamo with 12+14=26.

UP NEXT
= Adrian will close out its regular season home schedule next Friday (7:05 p.m.) and Saturday (3:05 p.m.) for a pivotal NCHA showdown against South Division leader Lake Forest. The Foresters own a six-point edge over the second-place Bulldogs.  

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