Michigan Tech defenseman Luca Fasciano defends his defensive zone during a game against Bemidji State Saturday at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minnesota. (Photo courtesy of Michigan Tech University)

BEMIDJI, Minn — The Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team came into the weekend three points behind their opponents, the Bemidji State Beavers, in the CCHA standings. When the weekend ended, the Huskies came away with a three-point lead in those same standings.

The Huskies defeated the Beavers 5-2 Friday and 4-3 Saturday to improve to 14-8-2 overall and 9-3-2 in CCHA play.

Huskies 4, Beavers 3

The Huskies earned a CCHA sweep of Bemidji State after a 4-3 victory at the Sanford Center on Saturday. It was the Huskies’ third win of the season over the Beavers.

“We started the game so well, and then it got a little goofy in the third,” Huskies coach Bill Muckalt said. “I’m proud of the way we stayed composed. We’re figuring out how to hold the lead and close out the game. We’re getting contributions up and down the lineup right now, and guys are doing the little things right.”

Similar to Friday night, the Huskies jumped out to a lead in the first period. Sophomore defenseman Tyler Miller took a shot through traffic that found the back of the net 106 seconds into the game. Sophomore forward Tom Leppa and freshman forward Matthew Van Blaricom assisted on Miller’s third of the season.

Freshman forward Brayden Boehm added to the lead with his first of two on the night at 13:44 of the first. He finished off a backhanded cross-ice pass from freshman forward Reid Daavettila while freshman forward Michael Cicek also assisted.

Bemidji State (9-10-3, 7-4-3 CCHA) got on the board 3:22 into the second on a goal by Tory Lund.

The Huskies responded when Boehm buried his sixth of the season on a 2-on-1 with alternate captain Jack Anderson at 7:35 of the second. Daavettila and Cicek were again credited with the assists.

The Beavers weren’t going to go back underwater. Oliver Peer scored his 13th of the season to again make it a one-goal game at 10:39 in the second.

Later in the period, sophomore defenseman Luca Fasciano scored his second of the season with a blast from the point on the power play. Alternate captain Max Koskipirtti and captain Isaac Gordon assisted on the goal with 2:55 left before the second intermission.

Reilly Funk scored the lone goal in the third, capitalizing on a 5-on-3 power play and redirecting the puck at the side of the net.

The Huskies were whistled for four penalties in the third and were down 6-on-3 for the final moments of the game with the goaltender pulled.

Junior goaltender Owen Bartoszkiewicz made 26 saves to earn the win, his 14th of the season and the 25th of his career. He made a pair of tremendous saves midway through the third and at the very end. Max Hildebrand stopped 25 shots for the Beavers.

Huskies 5, Beavers 2

The Huskies defeated Bemidji State 5-2 on Friday at the Sanford Center in its return to CCHA play. Koskipirtti scored twice, and senior forward Stiven Sardarian had a pair of assists.

“It’s huge when you can get off to a start like that on the road,” Muckalt said. “We ran into penalty trouble, but we were able to kill them all off.

“They’re a really good hockey team that is well coached with some very skilled players. We let them get back into the game in the second but reset for the third and played to our identity.”

Tech jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period. Sardarian set up Gordon on the first shift of the game on a 2-on-1 43 seconds after the initial faceoff. Gordon scored his third of the season and 28th of his career.

Leppa added to the lead 6:38 into the first, scoring his fourth of the season. Van Blaricom had a backhanded centering feed to Leppa, while freshman forward Carson Birnie also assisted.

Koskipirtti made it 3-0 in the first period when he tipped in a shot by freshman defenseman Kalem Parker at 15:25. It was Koskipirtti’s eighth of the season.

Connor McClennon scored twice in the second period to get the Beavers back into the game. He got the home team on the board 1:28 after intermission. McClennon made it a one-goal game at 10:20 of the second, scoring on a breakaway.

In the third period,Koskipirtti scored his fourth goal against the Beavers this season, blasting in a centering feed from Sardarian, who stole the puck behind the net. Koskipirtti now has 20 career goals as he made it a two-goal game again at 13:18.

Sophomore forward Elias Jansson sealed the win with an empty netter at 16:41. Anderson and alternate captain Joe Prouty assisted on Jansson’s fifth goal of the season and 17th of his career.

Bemidji State led in shots 21-16. Bartoszkiewicz won his 13th game of the season and the 24th of his career with 19 saves. Raythan Robbins stopped 11 shots on the other end of the ice.

Ranking amongst the nation’s best

Sardarian leads the nation with 22 assists. Koskipirtti is third nationally in faceoff wins after dominating in the circle on Friday with 20 wins and nine losses. Bartoszkiewicz is second in the country in minutes played and fourth in wins.

Up next

Tech finally returns to the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena next weekend, hosting No. 15 Minnesota State for a CCHA showdown.