SAULT STE. MARIE — The No. 13-ranked Michigan Tech hockey team scored two goals 53 seconds apart in the third period to break a 2-2 tie and defeat Lake Superior State 4-3 at Taffy Abel Arena Friday. It was WCHA opener for both team and the Huskies’ third win in a row.

“It’s great to get that first league win, especially on the road,” Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. “It’s not an easy place to play, and Lake State’s going to beat a lot of teams this year. Hopefully tomorrow night we can come out even better.”

After LSSU tied it up 4:51 into the third period, Gavin Gould scored his second of the night, and third of the season, to put the Huskies on top 3-2. He pulled the puck off the sidewall and carried it on top of the zone before firing in a wrist shot over the blocker of Nick Kossoff. Joel L’Esperance assisted on the goal.

Moments later, Greyson Reitmeier buried his first career goal to make it 4-2 as his shot slipped under Kossoff with 11:41 remaining. Mitch Reinke carried the puck up, deked a defender at center ice, and hit Reitmeier streaking into the zone. Seamus Donohue added the secondary assist for his first collegiate point.

The Lakers made it a 4-3 game as Brayden Gelsinger scored on the power play with 2:22 left.

LSSU (1-2, 0-1 WCHA) pulled Kossoff and added the extra attacker with 1:46 remaining, but the Huskies iced the puck three times and allowed only one shot to get to goaltender Patrick Munson in the final moments.

Tech outshot LSSU 30-24 in the game. Munson had 21 saves for Tech and Kossoff had 26 for the home team.

Gould opened the game’s scoring 65 seconds after puck drop as he put in a rebound after a long shot by Mark Auk. Birks was credited with the second assist as Jake Lucchini won the faceoff back to Birks.

Jake Jackson made it 2-0 Huskies with a power play goal with 44 seconds left in the first period. Jackson used his speed to get by his defender and slip it under Kossoff as Birks fed him streaking into the zone. Keegan Ford added the second assist.

LSSU got on the board with a power play goal by Max Humitz 16:25 into the second.

Anthony Nellis tied the game up in the third period before Tech scored the final two goals.

Tech was whistled for three penalties and the Lakers had two. The Huskies were 1-for-2 on the man advantage and 1-for-3 on the penalty kill.

“I think 5-on-5 we executed well,” added Shawhan. “Their power play is good. It was really good last year and it’s really good again this year. They played their best players a lot tonight and hopefully that pays some dividends for us tomorrow.”

The two teams wrap up the first WCHA series of the season Saturday at 7:07 p.m.