Huskies return to MacInnes this weekend
Courtesy of MTU Athletics
*BACK ON HOME ICE*
The Huskies return to home ice for the first time since Dec. 14-15 vs. North Dakota when they host Bemidji State this weekend. Michigan Tech has compiled a 2-6-1 record at home this season (compared to 2-6-2 on the road and 2-0-0 at a neutral site) with a 3.1 goals per game average (compared to 2.7 for all games).
*COPLEY STREAK ENDS*
Freshman Pheonix Copley <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/copley%20pheonix00.html> stopped 41-of-42 shots in Friday’s (Jan. 11) game at Minnesota Duluth. The North Pole, Alaska, native entered the contest with a 125:45 shutout streak which was ended 17:43 into the first period (143:32 total). Copley, who made a combined 70 saves in the two shutouts at the GLI Dec. 29-30, posted 111 saves on 112 shots (.991 save percentage) in the three-game stretch. Copley saved 30-of-35 shots last Saturday (Jan. 12) and owns an .899 save percentage on the season.
*PETAN NOTCHES FIFTH MULTI-POINT GAME OF DEBUT SEASON*
Rookie Alex Petan <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/petan%20alex00.html> posted a three-point night at Minnesota Duluth last Saturday (Jan. 12) for his fifth multi-point game of the year. The 5-8 right wing scored the Huskies’ first goal then had assists on goals by Ryan Furne <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/furne%20ryan00.html> and David Johnstone <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/johnstone%20david00.html> later in the contest. Petan holds the team lead in points with 7-11=18. He’s averaging .86 points per game—that’s eighth nationally among freshmen.
*THE SERIES*
This weekend’s Michigan Tech-Bemidji State series will be the second between the teams this year. The Huskies swept a November series in Bemidji with a pair of overtime decisions 5-4 and 2-1. BSU still holds a 5-4-1 all-time advantage over the Huskies. Tech looks to hold on to its winning home record vs. Bemidji (2-1-1).
*FOUR GOALS USUALLY EQUALS A WIN*
Last Saturday’s (Jan. 12) loss at Minnesota Duluth was the Huskies’ first when they had scored four goals or more in a game. Prior to that, they were 5-0-1 when tallying four goals in a contest.
*BREAKOUT GAME FOR FURNE?*
Junior Ryan Furne snapped a 15-game streak without a goal when he scored at Minnesota Duluth last Saturday (Jan. 12). The left wing also had an assist in the game for his first multi-point night in since the previous series vs. UMD (Dec. 1). Furne now has two goals and seven assists in 20 games this season. He paced the team in goals a year ago with 12 after ranking second on the team in 2010-11 with 12.
*JOHNSTONE NETS FIFTH OF THE SEASON*
David Johnstone scored his fifth goal of the season with a third-period tally at Minnesota Duluth. Johnstone is second on the team points with 5-11=16 this season. The sophomore fired 14 shots on goal in two games during the weekend and has a team-high 73 shots on goal for the season.
*GIVING UP FEWER*
Despite giving up five goals at UMD last Saturday (Jan. 12), Michigan Tech’s goals against average has improved drastically since the start of the season. The Huskies allowed 3.92 goals per game over the first 12 games of the year and just 2.44 in the last nine contests.
*BLAKE PIETILA STILL HOLDS TEAM GOAL LEAD*
Sophomore Blake Pietila <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/pietila%20blake00.html>, who helped Team USA to a gold medal at the IIHF World Junior Championships in Ufa, Russia, Jan. 5, played in both games at UMD. The left wing did not score, but still holds the team lead in goals with 10. He’s tied for 22nd in the nation in goal scoring at .53 per game.
*SEIGO HITS 50 ASSISTS FOR CAREER*
Senior Steven Seigo <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/seigo%20steven00.html> posted a goal and an assist at Minnesota Duluth last Saturday (Jan. 12) for his first points in six games. The defenseman has quietly accumulated 10 points on five goals and five assists this season. He is tied for fifth on the team in total points. Seigo now has 50 assists to go with 18 goals in 134 career games.
*OVERACHIEVING IN OVERTIME*
Five of Michigan Tech’s games this season have required overtime. The Huskies are 2-0-3 in those contests and 6-1-7 in overtimes in the last two seasons combined under coach Mel Pearson. Michigan Tech is 8-1-14 in its last 23 overtime games stretching back to 2009.
*HUSKIES BITES*
Tech is 6-1-1 when scoring the first goal of the game and 0-11-2 when its opponent scores first … Each of Tech’s six wins this season have come in pairs. Oct. 13 and 19 vs. Lake Superior State and Minnesota, Nov. 16-17 at Bemidji State and Dec. 29-30 at the Great Lakes Invitational.
*PENALTY KILL STREAK*
Michigan Tech had killed off 23 consecutive penalties before allowing two power play goals to UMD last Saturday (Jan. 12). The Huskies penalty killing unit is 75-of-95 (78.9 percent) on the season.
*NIELSEN CAPTAIN; SEIGO AND STEBNER TO ASSIST*
Senior defenseman Carl Nielsen <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/nielsen%20carl00.html> will serve as the Huskies’ captain in 2012-13. The Amherst, Ohio, native was an assistant captain for the team a year ago and has played in 122 career games at Tech. Senior Steven Seigo and junior Brad Stebner will be assistant captains, giving the Huskies three defensemen in leadership roles.