Huskies win the shootout for the extra CCHA point
HOUGHTON, Mich. – For the second night in a row, No. 14 Michigan Tech and No. 8 Augustana skated to a 2-2 tie, and the Huskies earned the extra CCHA point with a shootout win after overtime. Tech is now 6-2-2 overall and 1-1-2 in the CCHA. The Vikings remain undefeated at 7-0-3 overall and 2-0-2 in conference play.
“It was a great weekend of college hockey. We made each other better,” Tech coach Bill Muckalt said. “They gave us all they could handle, and I loved our character, our heart, and our resolve. We found a way to get the extra point in the shootout. It was a heck of a hockey game on both sides.”
Tech never trailed in the game. Lauri Raiman was in the lineup for the first time this season and opened the game’s scoring 12:58 into the second period. Tyler Miller worked the puck to the net. Carson Latimer got a stick on it before Raiman put it five-hole for his sixth career goal.
The Huskies were whistled for three straight penalties, and the Vikings finally capitalized on the last one with a goal by Brett Meerman with 1:03 left in the second. The puck deflected off a Tech skate and into the net. Owen Baumgartner and Leonid Bulgakov assisted.
Tech regained its lead 7:44 into the third period with a power-play goal by Tyler Miller. His initial shot was blocked, and he put his own rebound with a shot through traffic. Luke Shipley and Max Koskipirtti assisted on Miller’s fifth career goal.
Augustana tied the game up again at 10:26 when Hunter Bischoff scored from Brett Meerman and Easton Young. It was another deflection goal that snuck in.
The Vikings controlled most of the overtime, outshooting Tech 6-0. The visitors got a power play with 1:41 left, but Owen Bartoszkiewicz kept the puck out to get to the shootout.
Max Koskipirtti scored in the shootout for the second straight night. Owen Bartoszkiewicz stopped Jacob Jastrzebski and Brett Meerman, and then Isaac Gordon scored to send the 3,507 Tech fans happy.
Shots favored Augustana 38-35. Owen Bartoszkiewicz made 36 saves, and Mathis Langevin stopped 33 shots on the other end of the ice.
Tech was 1 for 2 on the power play and 4 for 5 on the penalty kill.
Saturday was Marketplace Foods Kids Day. The grocery store purchased and handed out 400 youth tickets during the week.
The Huskies remain at home next weekend, hosting Lake Superior State for another CCHA series.
