Tech Hockey ready for St. Cloud State

Courtesy of Michigan Tech Athletics

SETTING THE SCENE
Michigan Tech will play its third straight series against a team within one spot in WCHA standings when it entertains St. Cloud State this weekend. The teams come in with identical overall records of 13-15-4, while Tech is one point ahead of SCSU in the league standings with one fewer loss.

SENIOR WEEKEND
The weekend series will be the final regular season games at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena for six Michigan Tech seniors. Forwards Jordan Baker, Alex MacLeod, Brett Olson and Bryce Reddick along with goaltenders Corson Cramer and Josh Robinson will be honored with an on-ice ceremony following Saturday night’s contest. The seniors have played in a combined 551 games for the Black and Gold in their careers.

JJ PRODUCES PAIR
Jacob Johnstone moved within one of the team lead in goals with two markers in last Friday’s (Feb. 17) game. The sophomore center scored two goals in the first period-both on tip-ins. It was his second two-goal game of the season after scoring twice vs. American International in Tech’s second game of the year. Johnstone now has 9-5–14 in 30 games this season. He is one of four Tech players who have nine goals.

ROBO SET TO MAKE 22ND STRAIGHT START
Josh Robinson made his 20th and 21st consecutive starts last weekend and recorded 31 saves each night. The senior goaltender has tallied 30 or more saves in 12 of his 29 appearances this year and averages 28.4 saves per 60 minutes of work. With 789 saves and 78 goals allowed, Robinson owns a .910 saves percentage. That ranks his 12th nationally among goaltenders who have made at least 750 saves.

UNBEATEN IN THEIR LAST 19 OVERTIMES
Michigan Tech played its seventh overtime game of the season last Saturday (Feb. 18) at North Dakota and came away with a 1-all tie. The Huskies have not been defeated in an overtime game this season with three wins and four ties. Tech has a 19-game unbeaten streak in overtime dating back to the 2008-09 season. The last team to beat Michigan Tech in overtime was Denver with a 4-3 decision on Jan. 9, 2009.

PENALTY KILL STILL 87 PERCENT SINCE JAN. 1
Despite giving up three goals on eight North Dakota power plays last weekend, Michigan Tech’s penalty kill still rates as fourth best in the WCHA at 82.6 percent. The Huskies have surrendered just six goals on 47 power plays since Jan. 1-a percentage of 87.2.

BAKER TALLIES SHORTY
Senior Jordan Baker scored a shorthanded goal at North Dakota Saturday for his 80th career point. The forward has posted 10-16–26 this season and is tied for the team lead in goals. Baker is the fourth different Tech player to register a shorthanded goal during the season (Jacob Johnstone, Brett Olson and Dennis Rix are the others).

MacLEOD ADDS TO STRONG SENIOR SEASON
Alex MacLeod tallied the primary assist on both of Jacob Johnstone’s goals last Friday (Feb. 17). The forward has raised his point total to 4-10–14 in 31 games in his breakout senior season. In 106 games his previous three years, MacLeod had recorded 15-8–23

OLSON MAINTAINS TEAM POINT LEAD
Team point leader Brett Olson snapped a three-game pointless streak with his primary assist on Baker’s game-tying, shorthanded goal Saturday at UND. It was Olson’s 19th assist of the season. He owns 9-19–28 in 32 games this season and 41-50–91 in 120 career games.

SERIES BUSINESS
Michigan Tech trails the series of the Huskies vs. the Huskies by a 53-26-5 count. St. Cloud State swept Tech in the only two games between the teams a year ago. SCSU hasn’t played in Houghton since Oct. 30-31, 2009, when the squads split a series. Michigan Tech is 17-21-2 against St. Cloud State at home.

THIS AND THAT
Tech has played 14 games against nationally-ranked opponents in 2011-12. It is 5-6-3 in those contests … Friday night North Dakota became the first team to score more than one power play goal against Michigan Tech since Minnesota on Dec. 10 … Saturday’s (Feb. 18) 1-1 tie at North Dakota snapped a 12-game losing streak for the Huskies against the Fighting Sioux.

LOOKING AHEAD
Michigan Tech will play its final regular season games next weekend at Colorado College. The first meetings of the season between the teams will be Friday (Mar. 2) at 9:37 p.m. ET and Saturday (Mar. 3) at 9:07 p.m. ET.

Posted by Jerry Taylor