Beavers skate to a 5-3 victory
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech opened the 2025 Winter Carnival series with a 5-3 loss to Bemidji State on Friday at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. The Huskies drop to 15-10-2 overall and 11-6-2 in the CCHA.
“We played like we’ve practiced the last two weeks,” Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. “Bemidji played a really good hockey game tonight, and they’re so well coached.”
Tech found itself down 2-0 entering the third period. After an early power play—the Huskies’ first of the game—Owen Baker made it a one-goal game 3:53 after intermission, putting in a loose puck in the crease. Stiven Sardarian and Henry Bartle assisted on Baker’s third of the season.
The Beavers (10-15-2, 7-11-3 CCHA) then scored three quick goals in a span of 2:06 to go up 5-1. Jere Vaisanen gave the visitors their two-goal lead back at 8:23, Kasper Magnussen scored on the power play at 9:52, and Jake McLean made it a four-goal game at 10:29.
The Huskies didn’t curl over, scoring pair of late goals. Matthew Campbell blasted in one from the top of the faceoff circle on the power play at 12:27. His sixth of the season was assisted by Owen Baker and Henry Bartle.
Chase Pietila fired a long shot through traffic over the goaltender’s blocker to make it a two-goal game with 2:08 left in regulation. Stiven Sardarian and Rylan Brown assisted on Pietila’s fifth of the season.
The Huskies added the extra attacker with 50 seconds remaining and got three good scoring chances, but Mattias Sholl saved them all to keep it a two-goal margin.
After a scoreless first period, Noah Quinn opened scoring 11:50 after intermission to give the Beavers the lead, scoring on a one-timer in the slot after a pass from below the goal line.
Eric Martin made it 2-0 in favor of BSU at 17:51 of the second, finishing off a 3-on-2.
Tech led in shots 29-26. Ryan Manzella made the start and stopped 21 shots in the first 50:50. Derek Mullahy finished the game for the Black and Gold.
The Huskies were 1-for-2 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.
The teams will wrap up the series at 5:07 p.m. Saturday. The team with the most goals on the weekend will go home with the MacInnes Trophy, and a Winter Carnival MVP will be named after the game.
