×

Rough start: No. 17 Tech swept by No. 6 Minnesota Duluth

DULUTH – After struggling to a 6-0 loss to the No. 6 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs Saturday night at Amsoil Arena with senior Matt Wintjes between the pipes, the No. 17 Michigan Tech Huskies started sophomore Devin Kero on Sunday after he finished Saturday night’s contest. The Huskies played better in front of Kero, who looked shaky early but got stronger as the game went on. However, the Bulldogs scored the game’s last three goals to skate away with a 4-3 win and the sweep.

Having scored the previous two goals to even the game, the Bulldogs skated in on the attack in the dying seconds of regulation when things went haywire for the Huskies. The Bulldogs came in on a 3-on-2 and while they were unable to strike on the first scoring chance, the puck came back out to Neal Pionk, who spun and threw the puck into the slot. Alex Iafallo got just enough of the pass with his stick, and the puck found the back of the net at with 15 seconds remaining in the third.

Still, there were reasons for the Huskies to feel better about Sunday’s game.

“We played much better,” said Huskies coach Mel Pearson. “We competed much harder, did a lot more things. If we continually improve as much as we did from the first game to the second game to the next game, we will be fine.”

Pearson and his staff decided to insert freshman defenseman Mitch Reinke into the lineup and move senior Chris Leibinger to forward. The move paid dividends throughout the night.

“I thought Mitch Reinke came in and looked really good as a freshman defenseman,” said Pearson. “Chris Leibinger played some forward and I thought he was one of the most effective forecheckers. We will continue to grow.”

Kero was tested early and often, making a huge save on Bulldogs captain Dominic Toninato. The Huskies cleared the puck the other way and attacked with numbers thanks to the jump junior Mark Auk had to get into the play. Auk picked up a loose puck in the Bulldogs’ zone, looked into the slot and found senior Reid Sturos, whose quick shot beat Bulldogs goaltender Hunter Miska just 3:46 in.

The Huskies (0-2 overall) struck again less than three minutes later. Junior Dylan Steman chased down Pionk and shoved him into the boards, freeing the puck, which came back to sophomore Dane Birks at the right point. Birks shot was blocked in the slot, but it bounced to senior Tyler Heinonen, who fired a shot through traffic that beat Miska at 6:04.

After a pair of icings late in the opening frame, the Huskies found themselves unable to clear the puck for over 30 seconds, leading to a Bulldogs goal when Kyle Osterberg netted his second of the weekend when he tipped a shot from the point past Kero at 19:31.

Kero was tested again early in the second period, but he stopped a quick shot from Adam Johnson off a setup from Iafallo as he cut through the slot.

Kero had to come up big again just over four minutes into the middle frame when Toninato was loose again in front of him. Toninato attempted a backhand shot that was stopped.

The Huskies had a power play just under halfway through the period, but were unable to strike on it. However, it was not long after that they did strike as assistant captain Brent Baltus fed the puck across the slot to junior Joel L’Esperance, who wired a shot just under the crossbar for the tally at 9:29.

During a Huskies’ power play just past the midway point of the period, Auk’s pass across the blue line was intercepted, sending Osterberg on a breakaway, but Kero was there was to make the stop.

With Steman off for interference and assistant captain Mike Neville tossed from the game for a major penalty for kneeing, the Bulldogs (2-0 overall) cut the Huskies’ lead to one when Pionk blasted a shot from the point that found its way through traffic and past Kero.

The Huskies had a power play chance about halfway through the third period, but they could not add to their lead. That would come back to haunt them as the Bulldogs evened the game with 8:25 left in regulation when Billy Exell knocked a rebound past Kero.

SATURDAY NIGHT: On Saturday, the Huskies got off to a good start, but could not gain any momentum off that start, as the Bulldogs struck six times including three times on the power play, en route to a 6-0 loss.

The Huskies looked good early Saturday night as senior Alex Gillies had a great chance just a couple of minutes in when a pass from Neville deflected out front. Gillies attempted a one-timer, but was stopped.

Gillies then affected the game in the wrong way a couple of shifts later as he took a major penalty at 5:05 for contact with the head of a Bulldogs forward.

It did not take long for the hosts to grab a 1-0 lead; just 41 seconds into the advantage, a one-timer from the point by Pionk was tipped in.

Still enjoying momentum from the goal, Minnesota-Duluth was able to extend their lead with 4:51 left in the period when Blake Young took a lead pass, skated in on a 2-on-1 and fired a shot from the right side of the slot that beat Wintjes.

Willie Raskob gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead with a power play goal just 2:09 into the second period. Osterberg ended Wintjes’ night 7:40 later with a shot from the slot.

Kero surrendered a goal to Johnson late in the middle frame and then one more to Jade Miller 2:35 into the third to seal the victory.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today