MARQUETTE, Mich. – Michigan Tech earned its third straight Saturday shutout after a 4-0 victory and weekend sweep of Northern Michigan. The Huskies improved to 15-9-2 overall and 11-5-2 in the CCHA after the fifth regular season win over the Wildcats this season and the sixth, counting an exhibition game. The Black and Gold also improved to 7-1-2 on the road.
Freshman goaltender Ryan Manzella improved to 6-0 between the pipes and backstopped the Huskies to all three Saturday shutouts. Derek Mullahy also shutout NMU at the Berry Events Center back in November.
“I just wanted to do everything I could do help the team get the win,” Manzella said. “The D in front of me have been amazing. They get all the credit tonight, and they made my life easy.”
“Ryan’s been unbelievable and a big lift for us,” Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. “The guys have confidence in him, and we haven’t seen a weak spot in his game yet. We’re going to ride it out.
“It was about as complete of a game as we’ve played this season. The guys competed hard and stayed in our structure. I’m happy for our seniors to have success in their last game in this building.”
Logan Morrell opened scoring 12:21 into the game when he tapped in a centering setup feed from Jack Works. Stiven Sardarian added the second assist on Morrell’s 10th of the season which ties Sardarian for the team lead.
Ryder Matter made it 2-0 with a snipe from below the goal line for his second of the season 6:29 into the second period. Nick Williams and Viktor Hurtig assisted on the goal.
Max Koskipirtti added to the lead with a shorthanded goal with 1:09 left in the second, going in on a 2-on-1 and ripping it over the goalie’s glove his fifth of the season. Isaac Gordon and Kasper Vaharautio assisted.
NMU (4-21-1, 3-14-1 CCHA) pulled its goaltender early in the third and Elias Jansson scored into the empty net for the final tally at 12:36. It was Jansson’s third of the weekend and seventh of the season.
The Huskies outshot the Wildcats 30-22. Ryan Manzella made his fifth career start and stopped all 22 shots he faced. He holds a 0.86 goals-against average and .965 save percentage through seven games after joining the team in late December.
Ryan Ouellette stopped 26 shots for the Wildcats.
The Huskies are off until Winter Carnival on Feb. 7-8 when they host Bemidji State.
