Michigan Tech forward Isaac Gordon scores on Bemidji State goaltender Raythan Robbin’s during a shootout in a game Friday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — With a 2-1 win in overtime Saturday night, the Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team earned four of a possible six points on the weekend from the CCHA-leading Bemidji State Beavers at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena. They earned a 2-2 tie on Friday night, with the Beavers taking the extra point in a shootout.

The Huskies are now 8-3-1 overall and 5-0-1 in CCHA play, good for 15 points, which puts them in third place.

Huskies get goal in overtime to earn win Saturday

With a goal in the second period and another in overtime, the Huskies found a way to turn a 1-0 deficit in the middle frame into a 2-1 overtime win Saturday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

“Two really good teams,” said Huskies coach Bill Muckalt, “fighting, clawing, battling, physical, banged up guys on both sides. I thought the officiating was good, calls both ways. (It was a) one-shot hockey game. They got it last night in a shootout. We got it tonight in overtime.

“Really proud of our gut check. Really had a moment after the first period with our guys and saying, ‘Hey, this is how hard we got to play, and how hard it is. There’s no way. You got to look within, you got to dig in.’ I thought we did that. Really proud of our effort up and down the lineup. Guys really stepped up and played and Bart (goaltender Owen Bartoszkiewicz) gave us huge saves when we needed them.”

The Beavers struck first with a tally at 11:01 of the first period when Reilly Funk scored on a shot from a bad angle. However, that was the only shot of 27 Bartoszkiewicz saw that found a way through in the game.

In the second period, the Huskies needed a spark and they got it at 9:46 when senior forward Stiven Sardarian picked up a puck in the neutral zone from alternate captain Joe Prouty. Sardarian drove hard around a Beavers’ defender, skated around goaltender Max Hildebrand and stuffed the puck home.

“We came into the series talking about their best players, and I thought their best players were their best players,” Muckalt said. “Our best players tonight showed up. Great individual effort (by) Stiv, put it on his back, just drove the net, and it just looked like a four-wheel drive, and in four-low, but (he switched into) in four high, and just wasn’t going to be denied. Great goal.”

The teams battled from there to a 1-1 stalemate until the Beavers had a late look that could have ended the weekend. However, Bartoszkiewicz kept the puck out of the net.

“That save he made with a minute and a half left, that was a gamechanger,” said Muckalt. “That’s a goal in the National Hockey League. But he’s unbelievable. I have so much confidence and faith in him, and love what he brings to our group.”

That save allowed the Huskies to get the game to overtime, where sophomore winger Carson Latimer got the puck to alternate captain Max Koskipirtti. Koskipirtti cut to the middle of the slot and fired a wrist shot under the crossbar to win the game 1:35 into overtime.

“‘Lats’ (Latimer) had a lot of speed, and all of their guys went on him,” said Koskipirtti. “I was wide open in the slot, and Lats made a good play. (I) just took the shot and (it) went in.”

Bartoszkiewicz stopped 26 in the win for the Huskies. Hildebrand stopped 21 in the loss for the Beavers.

Huskies play to tie Friday

The Huskies took the lead 2-1 just 3:56 into the third period, but could not keep the Beavers from evening things in the late stages. When the final buzzer sounded, the Huskies and Beavers played to a 2-2 tie at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

The Beavers took the extra point in a shootout.

“(It was a) one-shot hockey game. Obviously, two good teams,” said Muckalt. “I thought it was an exciting hockey game.

“We had, I think, three posts that could have created some separation. They’re a good hockey team. Give them credit. I thought we showed our nerves a little bit with some of the younger players as we got going into the game. I really liked a lot of things about our game.”

Trailing 1-0 after an Oliver Peer tally at 11:12 of the opening frame, the Huskies took advantage of a bounce on the power play and Koskipirtti took advantage of an open net score at 14:14, evening the game. Captain Isaac Gordon, who dumped the puck into the offensive zone to create the scoring chance, picked up the primary assist.

“I honestly thought we played really solid overall,” Gordon said. “I think it just came down to special teams, and we have to score a couple more on the power play.”

The game remained 1-1 into the third period despite scoring chances at both ends of the rink.

The Huskies broke the ice following a power play in the third period when a line change gave Michigan Tech the chance to get Sardarian and sophomore center Elias Janssen on the ice. Sardarian got the puck and carried it behind the Beavers’ net before feeding it back to Janssen, who was crashing the net. Janssen put a wrist shot under the crossbar for the goal at 3:56.

“It’s just a really good play by Stiv,” Muckalt said. “He made some really good looks. I really liked the change before that. ‘Koski’ (Koskipirtti) and ‘Raim’s’ (Lauri Raiman) changed on that play to get fresh bodies out, and I really like the play. It was a big goal at the time to give us that lead.”

Michigan Tech had a chance to extend their lead after that as they were awarded a power play just 23 seconds later, but hit a pipe instead. From there, the Huskies had other chances, but could not find one more goal.

Freshman defenseman Kalem Parker took a delay of game penalty at 15:24 and just 50 seconds later, Adam Flammang tied the game at 2-2 for the Beavers when he slid a puck under Bartoszkiewicz.

“We had the lead,” said Muckalt. “Didn’t like our penalties in the third period. Last one, I guess, is closing our hand on the puck, delay of game. It ended up being the equalizer to get them back in the game, so tough call. Weren’t able to kill that.”

That was the last puck to cross the goal line until a shootout after a 3-on-3 overtime period that saw both teams get at least two good scoring chances.

In the shootout, Vincent Labelle and Oliver Peer scored for the Beavers, while Gordon got the lone goal for the Huskies.

Bartoszkiewicz made 33 saves to earn the tie. Raythan Robbins stopped 24 for the Beavers.

Up next

The Huskies head out on the road next weekend as they travel to Mankato, Minnesota, to battle the Minnesota State Mavericks.