Daily Mining Gazette/David Archambeau Michigan Tech’s Jake Lucchini celebrates his game-winning goal against Alabama Huntsville, Friday, at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

HOUGHTON — Ice, cold baths and Advil: that’s the aftermath of a tough game, according to Michigan Tech head coach Joe Shawhan. His Huskies experienced all of that after a close, 5-4 win over Alabama Huntsville in the MacInnes Student Ice Arena on Friday.  

It was a back and forth contest with constant shifts in momentum.  

“Those momentum swings weigh on you because you go high to low, high to low and there is a lot of adrenaline shift there and it does drain you,” Shawhan said. 

With 4:39 left in regulation, junior center Jake Lucchini fielded a pass from winger Joel L’Esperance and had a chance to score.  

“I came across the blue line and I was going to try and pull it to my forehand and I lost it,” Lucchini said. “It came back to me and I thought, I should probably shoot so I don’t lose it again.” 

He didn’t lose it. Instead Lucchini found the back of the net on what would be the game’s winning goal, and the Huskies improved to 5-1-1 on the season (2-0-1 in WCHA play). 

This was Michigan Tech’s first home game of the season. The last time black and gold jerseys graced the ice at MacInnes Student Arena, they won in dramatic fashion, defeating Bowling Green in double overtime to claim the WCHA Championship. 

This time the No. 15 Huskies faced the Chargers in a game with lower stakes, but no less drama. 

Michigan Tech opened the first period with a quick power play goal with less than two minutes gone by. Junior defenseman Dane Birks lined up a long shot from the left side of the ice, just outside the face-off circle, and found the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. Tech dominated possession early, and outshot the Chargers 7-1 to start play, but things took a quick turn.  

By the end of the period, UAH had tied the game, and outshot the Huskies 11-9.  

Christian Rajic scored for UAH, after a block by junior goalie Patrick Munson that Tech couldn’t control.  

Michigan Tech got back on top in the second period when sophomore defenseman Mitch Reinke rocketed a shot from just inside the blue line past Chargers goalie, Jordan Uhelski. It was Reinke’s seventh career goal and first of the season.  

He also had a hand in Tech’s next goal, when his shot rebounded to L’Esperance who scored his fifth goal of the season.  

The Huskies seemed to be in control with a 3-1 lead, but UAH bounced back quickly to end the period. Back-to-back power play goals in the last 3:12 sent the teams to their locker rooms tied 3-3.  

The Huskies struggled all night on the penalty kill, allowing three power play goals, including one in the third period that gave the Chargers their first lead of the game.  

The difficulty defending the power player effected their approach, Shawhan said.  

“You’re on the bench and you’re just worried about getting another penalty,” he said. “You want to play aggressive and you want to play hard, so the game goes a lot better when you are able to get out there and kill penalties.” 

But the Huskies battled back and scored two straight goals, the first from freshman wing Justin Misiak, and then Lucchini’s game winner.  

“Resiliency is kind of the word that we live by,” Lucchini said of the late game comeback. “We just keep plugging away.” 

Michigan Tech will look to get its second win against Alabama Huntsville tonight at 7:07 p.m. in the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.  

Alabama Huntsville 1 2 1 – 4

Michigan Tech 1 2 2 – 5

First period

Tech – Dane Birks (Keegan Ford, Greyson Reitmeier), 1:41, 1-0.

UAH – Christian Rajic (Kurt Gosselin, Cam Knight), 6:45, 1-1.

Second period

Tech – Mitch Reinke (Raymond Brice), 9:14, 2-1.

Tech – Joel L’Esperance (Mitch Reinke, Jake Lucchini), 13:16, 3-1.

UAH – Brennan Saulnier (Brandon Salerno, Gosselin), 16:36, 3-2.

UAH – Josh Kestner (Tyler Poulsen, Knight), 18:46, 3-3.

Third period

UAH – Poulsen (Josh Kestner, Rajic), 7:31, 4-3.

Tech – Justin Misiak (Mark Auk, Lucchini), 10:12, 4-4.

Tech – Lucchini (L’Esperance, Gavin Gould), 14:31, 5-4.

Saves

UAH, Uhelski 5 8 9 16 – 33

Tech, Munson 4 10 7 7 – 24

Penalties

UAH: 8/16; Tech: 4-8.

Power plays

UAH: 3/4, Tech: 3/8.