Box Score It hasn't been an easy ride for the Nipissing Lakers men's hockey team this season, facing some of the league's top teams week in and week out, but they've managed to stay competitive.

The Lakers welcomed the Concordia Stingers to Memorial Gardens for the first of a pair of games Friday night.

A good battle throughout 60 minutes wasn't enough for the Lakers, as they fell by a final of 5-2 to the Stingers.

The Stingers jumped out to a quick lead, going up 1-0 less than four minutes into the opening period.

Before the end of the first, they added to their lead and took a 2-0 advantage into the intermission, while the teams were tied 12-12 in the shot department.

The Stingers extended their lead in the second period, going up by three.

Payton Vescio found the back of the net late in the middle frame, cutting into the Stingers lead as the Lakers pushed to close the gap.

Captain Parker Bowman earned the lone assist on the goal.

With the score 3-1 Concordia after two periods of play, the teams traded goals a minute apart early in the third.

The Stingers went up 4-1 before Bowman earned his second point of the night, scoring his third of the season.

Elias Lieffers and Max Griffioen picked up assists on the goal.

As the Lakers continued to push to get within one, the Stingers once again went up by three, scoring late in the game to make it 5-2.

That was the final dagger, as the Lakers came up short Friday night.

Michael Herringer was in net for the Lakers, finishing with 33 saves, while Nipissing fired 32 shots of their own at the Concordia goal.

The Lakers and Stingers hit the ice again Saturday night at 7pm.