CCHA and Big Ten Friday scores Below after stories
BRONCOS DEFEAT MINNESOTA DULUTH IN SERIES OPENER
DULUTH, Minn. – Western Michigan downed Minnesota Duluth, 5-2, on Friday night at AMSOIL Arena. The Broncos improved to 7-1-1 overall and 4-0-1 in NCHC play.
Ethan Wolthers lit the lamp twice, while Owen Michaels, Garrett Szydlowski and Tim Washe each tallied goals of their own. Grant Slukynsky and Liam Valente had two-assist games. In net, Cameron Rowe was sensational, stopping 42 shots to move to 5-0-0 on the year.
FIRST PERIOD
The Broncos blocked a pair of shots and Rowe made a pair of saves in the opening two minutes of the game. Not too long after that, WMU was given a major penalty and went to the PK for five minutes. However, Western Michigan would get the first chance of the UMD man advantage, and the Broncos made the most of it.
Michaels stole the puck at the blue line and broke free on net. He beat Adam Gajan over the shoulder to put the Broncos in front 1-0. The goal was Michaels’ fifth of the season. UMD would eventually knot the game at 1-1 with a goal on the power play.
After some back-and-forth action in the middle portion of the period, the Bulldogs were given a major penalty of their own. WMU had a few looks to end the frame. The Broncos carried 22 seconds of power-play time into the second period.
SECOND PERIOD
It didn’t take long for WMU to take control of the game, as Szdylowski netted the first goal of his career in the opening three minutes of the period. The young forward backhanded a shot by Gajan to put WMU in front 2-1.
A little bit after that goal, WMU was sent off for hooking. UMD got three shots on the man advantage, but Rowe and the Bronco defense would stand tall and get back to full strength. About two minutes after the Bulldogs power play, Wolthers padded the WMU lead, batting a shot in out front. Wolthers’ goal was his first of the season and put the visitors in front 3-1.
Down the stretch of the period, UMD was sent off for slashing, and WMU made the Bulldogs pay. After a couple of nice looks in the early part of the man advantage, Washe tipped a shot in front of the net to make the score 4-1 with under three minutes to play in the period.
WMU would carry a three-goal lead into the final 20 minutes of action.
THIRD PERIOD
Rowe and the WMU defense took care of a couple of early chances from Duluth, keeping it a three-goal game. However, UMD would get one back just over seven minutes into the period. Western Michigan would fight back, making it a 5-2 game not even 30 seconds later.
Valente tipped a pass to Slukynsky who skated up the left boards. He fired a pass across to Wolthers who found the back of the net for the second time. That marked the first multi-goal game of his career.
Following the goal, WMU was sent off for interference. Rowe would make three saves, and the Broncos would return to full strength with under seven minutes to play. With about three minutes left to play, UMD pulled its goalie.
Rowe and the WMU defense would play great defense, keeping UMD off the board. The Broncos closed out a 5-2 win to remain undefeated in NCHC play
Huskies fall to Mavs Friday at the Mac
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The No. 20-ranked Michigan Tech hockey team fell 5-2 to No. 17 Minnesota State Friday at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. The Mavericks scored four goals in the third period to take the win.
“The better team won. I give them credit, but I think our defense is better than what we saw tonight,” Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. “We scored on a 5-on-3 and stole a goal late in the first. From that point on, I don’t think we did a whole lot offensively.”
After the Mavericks took the lead 7:53 into the game, the Huskies responded with a pair of goals before intermission.
Tech had 1:26 of 5-on-3 and Rylan Brown buried a long one-timer for his first collegiate goal at 16:07 of the first. Max Koskipirtti and Marcus Pedersen picked up the assists. Koskipirtti extended his point streak to five games with the helper.
Late in the period, Tom Leppa worked in the corner and kicked the puck out front to Lauri Raiman. His shot was saved, but Leppa was at the doorstep to bang in his second of the season for a 2-1 lead with two seconds left before intermission.
There wasn’t any scoring in the second period, but the Mavs turned it on in the third. Luigi Benincasa tied the game with a shorthanded goal at 10:12 and then scored on the power play for the eventual game winner at 13:54.
Rhett Pitlick iced the game with an empty net breakaway goal with 1:35 left, and then Jordan Power notched the final tally with 4.2 seconds left.
The teams combined for 10 penalties. Tech was 1-for-3 on the power play and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill.
MSU led in shots 27-23. Derek Mullahy had 22 saves for the Huskies, and Alex Tracy stopped 21 shots for the Mavericks.
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak, and the Huskies are now 6-3-0 overall and 4-1-0 in the CCHA. MSU improved to 9-4-3 and 4-1-2 in the CCHA.
The two teams will wrap up the CCHA series at 6:07 p.m. Saturday. It is Junior Hockey Night and Skate With The Huskies after the game. Each youth (3-18 years old) wearing a jersey to the game will receive a coupon at the door for free popcorn from the Husky-Eats concessions. Skate With The Huskies will take place on the ice with a chance for kids to get photos and autographs from the hockey Huskies. Helmets are required.
