MTU Hockey swept by Minnesota Duluth
Courtesy of MTU Athletics
DULUTH, Minn. — Michigan Tech dug itself a two-goal deficit in the opening period and never recovered in a 5-4 loss at Minnesota Duluth tonight. The Huskies battled back within a goal four times in the game but couldn’t pull even.
Alex Petan, Ryan Furne, and Steven Seigo all registered multi-point nights for the Huskies.
UMD’s Joe Basaraba opened scoring just 1:48 into the contest with a shot from the slot over Pheonix Copley’s left shoulder. The hosts added another goal with 2:08 remaining in the frame for a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Petan put the Huskies on the board for the first time on the weekend with a goal from just outside the crease. Jujhar Khaira waited patiently for the passing lane to open, then fed it to Petan for his seventh of the season.
The teams traded goals the rest of the way. UMD made it 3-1 at the 6:14 mark of the second before Furne posted his second goal of the season and first since Oct. 20 with a wrister from the slot. The shot leaked through goaltender Matt McNeely to pull Tech within 3-2.
Tony Cameranesi scored his second goal of the game for UMD to again push the differential to two at 16:57 of the second.
Steven Seigo scored a power play goal 1:20 into the third to bring the Black and Gold within one at 4-3.
Wade Bergman answered with a power-play goal of his own midway through the frame.
Tech pulled Copley for the extra attacker with 2:40 to play and it paid off. David Johnstone sniped a shot from the left circle to again bring the Huskies within one at 5-4. Copley returned to net, then went off again in the final minute. Tech got the extra attacker on the ice, but never got another good look to knot the game up.
Final shot totals were 35-33 in favor of Minnesota Duluth.
Copley stopped 30 shots compared to 29 for McNeely. UMD was 2-for-3 on the power play compared to 1-for-3 for the Huskies.
“We played from behind the whole night, and that’s tough to do,” said head coach Mel Pearson. “We gave up a couple bad goals and had a couple costly penalties. But I liked our effort. I’m proud of how we hung in there and battled to the end.”
Michigan Tech will play its first home game in more than a month when Bemidji State comes to the MacInnes Student Ice Arena this Friday and Saturday (Jan. 18-19).