BIG RAPIDS — The Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team improved to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in CCHA play this past weekend by sweeping the Ferris State Bulldogs on the road. On Friday night, they had to erase a 1-0 deficit to earn the win. Saturday, they jumped out to a quick lead and then held on for the win.

HUSKIES SCORE EARLY, HOLD ON FOR WIN SATURDAY

The Huskies earned its second straight CCHA sweep with a 3-1 victory at Ferris State on Saturday. The Huskies scored three first-period goals in 55 seconds and got 36 saves from goaltender Derek Mullahy to improve to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in the CCHA.

“Derek had as good of a goaltending game as you can have. They beat him with one shot which was a deflection,” Huskies coach Joe Shawhan said. “Ferris played hard after they made the goalie change. It was tilted in their favor late in the second and all of the third. There wasn’t a whole lot of structure to our game, and we did just enough to get by.”

Logan Morrell got the scoring started 5:47 into the game with his first collegiate goal. Kasper Vaharautio dumped the puck deep into the zone, and Owen Baker had a quick feed out front to Morrell for the goal.

Stiven Sardarian added to the lead 41 seconds later, finding the back of the net for the fourth straight game and the sixth time this season. Max Koskipirtti walked into the high slot and fed it over to Sardarian for a smooth wrister to the back of the net. Rylan Brown added the second assist.

Captain Jack Works got into the mix 24 seconds later when the puck popped out to him for a tap in. Brown’s shot was tipped by Elias Jansson and rebounded to alternate captain Isaac Gordon, and his shot rebounded to Works for his first of the season and 19th of his career.

After no scoring in the second, the Bulldogs dominated the third, outshooting the Huskies 14-2. Kaleb Ergang finally broke the shutout when he tipped in a shot off the stick of Holden Doell at the midway point.

Ferris State (2-8-2, 1-5-0 CCHA) didn’t allow a shot on goal in the final 15:11 of the game. The extra attacker was added with 2:45 remaining the clock, but Derek Mullahy only had to make one save down the stretch while his teammates blocked five shots in front of him.

Mullahy stopped 12 shots in first, 11 in the second, and 13 in the third to improve to 3-1-0 this season. His teammates blocked 23 shots with Nick Williams leading the way with five.

Connor McDonough started the game between the pipes for the Bulldogs and was pulled in the first period after three goals against and one save. Noah West played the final 50:23 and stopped 19 shots.

Tech was 2-for-2 on the penalty kill and 0-for-1 on the power play.

HUSKIES COME BACK FOR WIN ON FRIDAY

The Huskies earned a 3-2 victory at Ferris State on Friday. The Bulldogs got on the board first, but the Huskies scored three straight and held on late.

“This is a hard place to play, and we weren’t very comfortable in the first period. They played outstanding in the first and made it difficult for us to get out of our zone,” Shawhan said. “We got some opportunities on the power play and cashed in, and then the third period was by far our best.”

Trailing 1-0 after the first, Tech’s power play came alive in the second. Alternate captain Chase Pietila blasted a long one-timer into the back of the net at 14:41 of the middle period to tie the game. His third of the season and sixth of his career was assisted by Sardarian and Williams.

Marcus Pedersen gave the Huskies the lead 2:37 later, again on the power play, after finding the back of the net for the second straight game. Works tipped a shot by Jansson and the puck loose in the crease. Pedersen whacked at it until it crossed the line for his eighth career goal.

Sardarian scored for the third straight game, and the fifth time in the last six, to make it a two-goal Tech lead 3:31 into the third. He carried the puck across the top of the zone and wristed a shot that found its way in. Koskipirtti extended his point streak to three games with the assist on Sardarian’s fifth of the season and 14th of his NCAA career. Pietila added the second assist.

Ferris pressured late in the third and cut into the lead after Cole Burtch scored with 1:42 remaining on the clock.

The Bulldogs added the extra attacker but never got a shot on goal before time expired.

Max Vayrynen kept the game scoreless with eight early saves before Gavin Best finally broke through with 3:22 left in the first period. He received a pass from Burtch and moved to the center of the zone, firing in his second of the season to give the home team the lead.

Tech led in shots 31-25, including a 16-3 advantage in the third period.

Vayrynen improved to 3-1 on the season with 23 saves. Noah West stopped 28 shots for the home team.

The Huskies were 2-for-5 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill.

UP NEXT

The Huskies have the weekend off before getting back to CCHA action on Nov. 22-23 when Minnesota State comes to town.