Home and home with NMU this weekend
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech hockey team fell 2-1 in overtime to Clarkson on Saturday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena. The Golden Knights scored on the power play with 17.1 seconds left in the extra session to earn the victory.
“I thought we played well,” Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. “We did some line juggling and established a little bit of an identity. Both goaltenders played really well and theirs got one more save.
“A lot of young guys are still learning how to manage the game, and we didn’t execute on the power play.”
Just like Friday night, there wasn’t any scoring in the first. Clarkson took the lead 6:48 after intermission with a power play goal by Ellis Rickwood from Ryan Taylor.
Tech tied it at 15:28 of the second period when Chase Pietila took a shot through traffic that found its way in for his second goal of the season and fifth of his career. Tom Leppa earned his first collegiate point with an assist along with Nick Williams.
Pietila thought he scored at the end of the second period but the puck went into the net after the clock had expired.
The story of the game was Tech’s inability to find the back of the net on the power play. The Huskies had a power play with 42.8 left in regulation, but one shot went wide while two others were blocked.
The Golden Knights (5-2) blocked two more shots in the overtime and killed off the penalty. They went on a power play of their own with 58 seconds left in the game and Ryan Richardson ended it with a sharp angled one-timer with 17.1 left on the clock.
Tech (2-2) led in shots 35-33 in the game. Derek Mullahy made his first start for the Huskies and had 31 saves. Ethan Langenegger stopped 34 shots for the visitors.
The Huskies were 0-for-6 on the power play and 1-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Tech honored its Sports Hall of Fame Class which consisted of former hockey players Shawn Harrison and John Scott along with Tim Bedenis (football), Ali Haidar (basketball), Jennifer (Jung) Lucas (volleyball), Mitch Lake, Glenn Mroz, Dave Nordstrom, Sarah (Stream) Stanek (basketball), and Tom VanWagner (football).
The Huskies jump into CCHA play next weekend against Northern Michigan. The teams will play in Marquette on Friday and Houghton on Saturday.
