MTU hockey blanks Colorado College 2-0
Courtesy of MTU Athletics
HOUGHTON, Mich. — Freshman goaltender Jamie Phillips made 22 saves to backstop Michigan Tech to a 2-0 shutout victory over Colorado College tonight at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena. The Huskies scored in the first 10 minutes of the game and added an empty netter in the final minute to earn their 12th win of the season.
Tech opened scoring at the 9:40 mark as Milos Gordic’s shot rebounded off goaltender Joe Howe and a defenseman’s skate into the net. Linemates Jujhar Khaira and David Johnstone picked up assists on the play.
Both teams had numerous power plays later in the first and throughout the second period including 1:43 of 5-on-3 for Tech midway through the second. Neither team registered a power-play goal in the contest. CC was 0-for-4 while the Huskies were 0-for-3.
Phillips made two big plays in the third period to keep it a 1-0 Tech advantage. He stopped a point-blank chance from Rylan Schwartz with nine minutes to play, then broke up a pass through the crease to an open player on the back door with three minutes to go.
Tanner Kero missed an open net with one minute to play but got the insurance goal moments later after the Tigers pulled Howe for the extra attacker with 40 seconds left. Blake Pietila came down on the empty net and slid a pass to Kero, who backhanded it in with :21 to play.
Tech put 33 shots on goal in the contest with 11 in each period. CC came up with 22 shots on goal including just five in the third period when they were trying to knot the game.
“This was probably our best defensive effort of the year,” said head coach Mel Pearson. “Jamie played a great game, but our defense blocked a lot of shots and didn’t give up much.
“We’ve been really stressing defense to the team the last few weeks, and we’re starting to play better on that end of the ice. It’s going to be really important come playoff time.”
Michigan Tech is now 12-17-4 overall and 8-15-4 in WCHA play. Colorado College fell to 13-17-5, 10-13-4 with the loss.
The two teams will finish out their series and the 2012-13 regular season tomorrow at 7:07 p.m.