Huskies travel to Bowling Green for first round of CCHA Playoffs
MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. – The Michigan Tech hockey team wrapped up the 2024-25 regular season with a 2-1 loss at St. Thomas on Saturday. The Huskies tied the game in the third period, but the Tommies scored the go-ahead goal with 12:49 left to secure home ice for the first round of the CCHA Mason Cup Playoffs.
Tech will hit the road for the first round as the No. 5 seed and will play at No. 4 seed Bowling Green. It will be a best-of-three series on Friday, Saturday, and if necessary, Sunday at the Slater Family Ice Arena.
“I think the better team won this weekend,” Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. “They competed hard on the puck, played with speed, and blocked a lot of shots. I thought we battled and didn’t give up. We didn’t give the game away. They beat us.
“The regular season is behind us, and now we have to find a way to put it together and gain some confidence if we want to make a playoff push.”
Trailing 1-0 entering the third period, Jack Works tied the game 1:23 after intermission with a wraparound from behind the net. Logan Morrell and Isaac Gordon assisted on the fifth goal of the season for Works.
Lucas Wahlin scored the eventual game-winner 7:11 into the third period when he broke into the zone and zipped a backhanded shot past the blocker of the goaltender. Matthew Gleason and Chase Foley assisted on the play.
Cooper Gay opened scoring 58 seconds into the second period when he put in a rebound in the slot for his CCHA-leading 16th goal of the season. Ryan O’Neill and Chase Foley added assists.
Similar to Friday night, Coach Shawhan pulled the goaltender for the extra attacker earlier than normal, but the Huskies weren’t able to find the equalizer.
UST led in shots 36-31. Ryan Manzella made 34 saves for the Huskies, and Jake Sibell stopped 30 shots for the Tommies. His teammates also blocked 23 shots in front of him.
The Huskies were 0-for-5 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Tech finished the regular season 16-15-3 overall and 12-11-3 in the CCHA. St. Thomas improved to 16-13-5 and 13-9-4 in the CCHA.
In other first-round playoff matchups, No. 8 Lake Superior will travel to No. 1 Minnesota State. No. 2 Augustana hosts No. 7 Bemidji State, and No. 6 Ferris State travels to No. 3 St. Thomas.
The Huskies had a 3-0 shutout win and a 2-2 tie and shootout loss at Bowling Green in late November in their only meeting with the Falcons in the regular season.
