Michigan Tech’s Logan Pietila controls the puck in the offensive zone while being pursued by Bemidji State’s Ross Armour during the third period of a game Saturday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — On Friday night, the Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team led 2-0 before the visiting Bemidji State Beavers roared back with five straight goals to come away with a road win. Saturday, it was the Huskies who trailed 2-0 heading into the third period. They struck twice on the power play in the frame to earn a tie and their first conference point of the season.

Freshman winger Kyle Kukkonen, who had not scored a goal since the Huskies (2-2-1 overall, 0-1-1 CCHA) hosted Lakehead in an exhibition game, found the back of the net 7:25 into the third, sparking the team.

He admitted that not scoring in the team’s first four games was starting to wear on him.

“After a while, you start gripping the stick a little bit,” he said, “but after a great feed from Logan (Pietila), it’s obviously nice to hit one and put it in the back of the net. It’s nice to get the monkey off the back early in the year.”

Kukkonen, who had fanned on a shot from a similar spot on the ice earlier in the game on the man advantage, did not miss the second time, and after the goal was scored, the MacInnes Student Ice Arena crowd began to come alive.

“It’s a great atmosphere to play in,” Kukkonen said. “I think we just have to bring that energy for three periods, and we’ll be in great shape.”

With another power play in the final minutes of regulation, Huskies coach Joe Shawhan elected to pull freshman goaltender Max Vayrynen for a two-man advantage of sorts. The gamble paid off 26 seconds later when senior Jake Crespi got the puck from junior winger Nick Nardella and fired a shot that Beavers goaltender Mattias Sholl fought off. The rebound kicked to Sholl’s right, and Kukkonen was there to bury it, tying the game.

“I just tried to throw a rebound at the net and I didn’t even see it go in at first,” said Kukkonen, “but the crowd got pretty loud, so I figured it went in the net.”

Crespi, who is normally a winger, but was slotted as a defenseman for the night, was just trying to get a puck on net.

“I wasn’t really seeing much up top, and the shooting lane was clogged,” said Crespi. “So, (I) figured shoot for the stick, try to get a look there.”

The Huskies had multiple good looks in overtime, including a pair of chances by Crespi on the same shift, but they could not buy a third goal. At the other end of the rink, Vayrynen made three key saves on Beavers forwards who found ways to get to the top of the crease.

Shawhan was proud of his team for fighting to the final buzzer.

“(I am) proud of the effort, proud of the comeback, proud of the players,” he said. “Some players that were really fun to watch.

“I thought Jake Crespi played tremendous. I thought Arvid (Caderoth) stood out. We’re happy for Kyle Kukkonen to get the couple of power play goals for us.”

Shawhan felt that his players got a lift from how loud the arena became as they pressed for the tying goal.

“All of the young guys, freshmen guys, got to see what the environment was like,” he said. “I thought the crowd was dynamic. I’m glad we were able to do something to get them into it, so they could enjoy themselves. The band was absolutely tremendous. Locals, and the students that were there, were all great. We certainly felt the energy.”

The Huskies got a goal in the shootout from Pietila, but could not get a second one when Nardella hit the post as the fifth Huskies’ shooter.

Vayrynen made 24 saves in his college hockey debut.

Huskies fall Friday after Beavers comeback

HOUGHTON — The Huskies scored in the first five minutes of each of the first two periods and appeared to score again early in the third, but after the goal was disallowed, the Huskies’ defense struggled as the Beavers scored four times in a span of 6:07 to earn a 5-2 win.

Senior center Logan Ganie got the Huskies on the board just 2:07 into the contest when he knocked a rebound off a shot from senior defenseman Chris Lipe past Sholl.

Just 3:23 into the second, assistant captain Ryland Mosley extended the Huskies’ lead when a shot from co-captain Logan Pietila bounced out in front of Sholl. Mosley skated across the slot and beat Sholl with a backhand.

The game remained 2-0 in favor of the Huskies under sophomore Alex Nordstrom turned the puck over at center ice. The Beavers struck at 8:27 to pull back within one, 2-1.

Freshman center Kash Rasmussen appeared to regain the two-goal Huskies’ lead 4:22 into the third period when he jumped into a goalmouth scramble and batted the puck over Sholl and in. However, the goal was overturned for goaltender interference.

One minute later, Lleyton Roed, who had the Beavers’ first goal, struck again during a scramble at the top of the crease to even the game. Just 1:11 after that, senior defenseman Ryan O’Connell turned the puck over and Mitchell Martan beat senior goaltender Blake Pietila with a deke to his forehand.

“We came out (and) I thought we did a good job,” said Shawhan. “From that point on…Blake kept us in the game. They were able to bring it to a level that we’re not capable of going to.”

Eric Martin scored the Beavers’ last two goals, one on a turnover, to put the game out of reach.

Up next

The Huskies remain at home this coming weekend as they will host St. Lawrence on Friday and Saturday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.