What a difference a weekend makes
HOUGHTON, Mich. – No. 20 Michigan Tech swept Bowling Green in their best-of-three CCHA Tournament Quarterfinal series and advanced to the semifinal. The Huskies won 3-2 Saturday at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena to improve to 23-12-3.
The Huskies will have to wait until Sunday evening to learn their opponent. Minnesota State and Ferris State will play a series-deciding Game 3. If the Mavericks win, Tech will travel to Mankato. If the Bulldogs pull off the upset, the Black and Gold will travel to Augustana.
“I’m really proud of our group,” Tech coach Bill Muckalt said. “We inserted Lauri Raiman and Owen Baker this weekend, and they made our staff look good. They kept working and believing and showed our depth.
“I have a lot of respect for Bowling Green and Dennis. They’re a very good hockey team and pushed us about as far as we can handle.”
Tech jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals in each of the first two periods. Stiven Sardarian opened the scoring 8:22 into the game, putting in his 12th of the season and 32nd of his career. He finished off a passing play from Michael Cicek and Owen Baker.
Lauri Raiman added to the lead 11:37 into the second when he redirected a shot by Kalem Parker for his second of the season and fifth of his career. Michael Cicek again assisted on the goal.
BGSU (18-11-7) scored on the power play early in the third period, but for the second night in a row, Tech challenged the play, and the officials waved it off for goaltender interference.
The Falcons did make it a one-goal game when Jackson Neidermayer scored 4:44 into the third after extended offensive zone time. Quinn Emerson and Ty Higgins assisted on the play.
BG pushed in the third, outshooting the Huskies 17-4. The extra attacker was added with 1:53 left. Owen Baker was able to break free, and Stiven Sardarian found Luca Fasciano, who blasted the puck into the empty net for a 3-1 lead.
Sardarian earned his 100th NCAA point on the play. He tallied 21 points in his first two years at New Hampshire and has tallied 79 points for the Huskies.
The Falcons added a goal with 26 seconds left after pulling the goaltender again. Dominik Rymon scored from Ty Higgins and Ben Doran.
Tom Leppa and Matthew Van Blaricom each had a late block, and Owen Bartoszkiewicz had to make one late save to seal the win.
Tech’s penalty kill was 3-for-3 which included 40 seconds of 5-on-3.
Owen Bartoszkiewicz made 38 saves and won his 23rd game this season and 34th of his career.
The CCHA Semifinals will be played on Saturday, March 14, at the two highest remaining seeds. The game times will be staggered, and the conference office will determine the time of puck drop.
