Michigan Tech senior Justin Misiak (17) shoots against Lake Superior State goaltender Seth Eisele on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, in Houghton, Mich. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — Michigan Tech’s power play unit struck twice, beating Lake Superior State 2-0 Saturday to salvage a weekend split.

Michigan Tech goalie Blake Pietila made 20 saves for his second shutout of the season.

The Huskies (4-3) scored both goals in the first period, avenging a 3-2 overtime loss Friday.

“I thought we had six periods of effort out of our team,” Shawhan said of the weekend series. “We generated (Friday) night, scored two goals. We generated tonight, scored two goals, so we didn’t allow any tonight and that was really probably the difference in the game.”

Shawhan was talking about preventing Lakers’ scoring chances, something the Huskies failed to do the previous night in a 3-2 overtime loss. It was a sour end to a strong offensive night in which the Huskies shellacked the Lakers goal with a 44-21 shots advantage.

Shawhan credited the defense’s gap control for being more successful in keeping the Lakers shots mostly out of the slot.

“Credit goes entirely to our group,” Shawhan said. “There were no passengers, everybody did their jobs. All we had to do was sit there and put bodies on the ice like we did (Friday) night, but tonight we got a better result.”

Pietila still fought off close shots, including a Louis Boudon breakaway shot early in Saturday’s game that deflected off Pietila and trickled just wide of the goal.

“He’s a rock for us,” Shawhan said. “We’re extremely fortunate to have him. Nothing he does surprises me because he’s done it at every level. He fits what we need him to do perfectly, and gives us a chance. He had to make some big saves — he earned that shutout.”

Tech’s first goal came five and a half minutes into the first period, at the tail end of a scrum in front of the goal after Broetzman caught a pass near the crease, spun and backhanded the puck into Lakers goalie Seth Eisele’s pad. Eisele thought he had the puck covered beneath his glove as he laid on his stomach, but the puck sat against his pad. Grant Docter jammed at the puck, which went through the crease to Trenton Bliss, who was open on the back side and shot into the wide open net.

The Huskies struck again 10 minutes later when Colin Swoyer scored on another backside opportunity. Bliss started the chance at the point with a pass to Arvid Caderoth at the goal line to Eisele’s right, and quickly passed to Alec Broetzman for a one-timer. The shot glanced off Eisele and bounced to the left where Swoyer crashed the net on the backside and tapped the rebound into the wide open net.

Friday’s game

Brandon Puricelli scored 32 seconds into overtime to spoil an otherwise strong night by Tech.

The Huskies had outshot the Lakers by a 44-21 margin and held the puck in the Lakers zone for much of the night. They also hit the post and crossbar a couple times, and missed the net on a weakside opportunity in overtime shortly before Puricelli’s goal.

The difference was the Lakers scored on the few quality scoring chances they had. It left a frustrated Shawhan accepting responsibility in the postgame press conference.

“There’s no excuse — it’s completely on me the same results keep happening over and over,” Shawhan said. “That’s a reflection of I’ve got to be better.”

Pietila made 18 saves. LSSU goalie Ethan Langenegger made 42 saves.

Up next

Michigan Tech hosts Northern Michigan in the rivalry’s first CCHA matchup at 7:07 p.m. Friday at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. The Wildcats host the Huckies at 6:37 p.m. Saturday at the Berry Events Center.

Saturday’s Game

LSSU 0 0 0 — 0

MTU 2 0 0 — 2

First Period–Scoring–1, MTU, Bliss, (Docter, Broetzman), 5:32, pp. 2, MTU, Swoyer, (Broetzman, Caderoth), 15:31, pp. Penalties–LSSU, Wildauer, (tripping), 3:57. MTU, Bliss, (interference), 11:46. LSSU, Craft, (too many men), 14:44.

Second Period–Penalties–MTU, Halonen, (cross-checking), 7:18. LSSU, Willets, (hooking), 9:40. MTU, Parrottino, (hooking), 17:50. LSSU, Nordqvist, (slashing), 19:46.

Third Period–Penalties–MTU, Halonen, (roughing), 3:54. LSSU, Nordqvist, (roughing), 3:54. MTU, Lipe, (interference), 12:29.

Friday’s Game

LSSU 0 1 1 1 — 3

MTU 1 0 1 0 — 2

First Period–Scoring–1, MTU, Ashbrook (Thorne), 4:17. Penalties–Broetzman, (holding), 18:30.

Second Period–Scoring–2, LSSU, Jenuwine, 16:21. Penalties–MTU, Ganie (too many men), 9:00. LSSU, Jenuwine, (hooking), 11:51.

Third Period–Scoring–3, MTU, Halonen, 4:31. 4, LSSU, Nordqvist, (Bengtsson, Jenuwine), 4:58.

Overtime–5, LSSU, Puricelli, (Boudon), :32.