Tech heads to Ferris State next weekend
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech earned a CCHA series sweep of Northern Michigan after a 6-3 victory over the Wildcats on Saturday at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. NMU held a 3-1 lead after the first period, but the Huskies scored five unanswered goals.
“I’m proud of the team for its resilience,” Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. “We didn’t give up a ton and the pucks went in for us tonight. Six points are big but what’s important to me is the way we played this weekend and in the last four games.”
Tech scored 32 seconds into the game when Lauri Raiman one-timed in a pass from Tom Leppa at the top of the circle. The line generated the first goal of the game for the second night in a row. Chase Pietila added the second assist.
NMU (1-7, 0-2 CCHA) then scored three straight before the first intermission. Grayden Slipec tied it with an unassisted tally at 7:15 and then gave the visitors the lead with a power-play goal at 12:21. Medrick Bolduc added another power-play goal with 1:07 left in the first for a 3-1 NMU lead.
The Huskies went to work early in the second. Marcus Pedersen made it a one-goal game 70 seconds in when he drove to the net and snuck in his first of the season and seventh of his career from Stiven Sardarian and Max Koskipirtti.
“We wanted to get that quick one. Stiven’s pass was perfect and I got a good look at it,” Pedersen said. “I don’t care who scores as long as I’m able to help us win.”
Trevor Kukkonen buried his first NCAA goal with 2:51 left in the second to tie the game. From behind the net, Logan Morrell had a pass into the slot that Kukkonen kicked to his stick and fired under the glove. It was Morrell’s first collegiate point with Lauri Raiman adding the second assist.
“I’ve been getting a lot of chances in the last couple of games so it felt really good to see one go in,” Kukkonen said. “I got a couple pucks in the slot and it happened to go in.
Stiven Sardarian scored the go-ahead goal, and eventual game-winner, 6:51 into the third period. Max Koskipirtti caught a breakout pass and fed it over to a streaking Sardarian for a quick one-touch that went five-hole for his second of the weekend and fourth of the season. Marcus Pedersen also assisted on the play.
Max Koskipirtti scored Tech’s fifth goal with an empty-netter from outside the blue line with 59.6 seconds left. Marcus Pedersen and Isaac Gordon assisted.
Trevor Kukkonen added another empty-netter with seven-tenths of a second left with a backhanded flip from deep in the Tech defensive zone. Tom Leppa was credited with an assist.
“Coach is always challenging us to be our best,” added Kukkonen. “We’re all rooting for each other in the locker room. We’re a really tight knit group, and it doesn’t matter who scores as long as we get the win.”
Tech dominated in shots 43-17. Derek Mullahy earned his second straight win with 14 saves. Ryan Ouellette stopped 37 shots for NMU.
The Huskies are now 4-2 overall and 2-0 in the CCHA and head to Ferris State for the first road series of the season.
