Michigan Tech goaltender Owen Bartoszkiewicz makes a save during a game against Northern Michigan Saturday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — The No. 19 Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team won big over their rivals from 100 miles down the road, the Northern Michigan Wildcats, Friday to extend their winning streak to six games. However, Saturday, the Huskies got into penalty trouble in the second period and blew a one-goal lead to lose, ending an eight-game winning streak over the Wildcats.

With the split, the Huskies are now 17-9-2 overall and 12-4-2 in CCHA play.

Wildcats 3, Huskies 2

Saturday night, the Huskies came home to the MacInnes Student Ice Arena winners of six in a row and eight in a row over the Wildcats. However, a 1-0 first-period lead melted away with three straight Wildcats’ tallies over the final 40 minutes in a 3-2 loss for Michigan Tech at home.

“I thought we were flat the first two periods,” said Huskies coach Bill Muckalt. “We had plenty of chances to score, but we weren’t committed.”

The Wildcats scored on the power play in the second period when Tobias Pitka tipped a shot from Peter Cisar past Huskies goaltender Owen Bartoszkiewicz at 13:37.

Matthew Argentina scored twice in the third. The first was on a rebound off a shot by Cisar at 10:58 of the third period, and the second at 18:03, when he scored from the left boards into the empty net.

“Give Northern credit, they played hard,” said Muckalt. “First goal, undisciplined penalty, lose their stick on the kill. They made a good play on the seam. Second goal, we turn over the far blue line. We’re defending, we make another mishap, then we don’t back check to our net, and they have free hands at the net. Then third one, we turn it over with the (goalie) out.”

The Huskies fired 42 pucks at Wildcats goaltender Oliver Auyeung-Ashton, but only found a way to beat him twice.

The first came on the power play in the first period. The Huskies were already on a one-man advantage when Tynan took a major penalty for checking from behind. While Michigan Tech did not score on the two-man advantage, they did on the major when sophomore forward Elias Janssen scored his sixth of the year at 13:56. Alternate captain Max Koskipirtti and senior forward Stiven Sardarian both earned assists on the goal.

Michigan Tech’s second goal came after Bartoszkiewicz was pulled for the second time at 18:54. Janssen picked up the puck after freshman winger Carson Birnie freed it up, and he fed freshman forward Teydon Trembecky in the slot. Trembecky unleashed a one-timer for the goal, his 11th of the season, tying him with Sardarian for the team lead.

“I thought there were lots of chances, (but) it wasn’t going in, or going our way,” Muckalt said. “It’s a good lesson in what happens when you don’t play hard for 60 minutes and put it together. Give Northern credit. I thought they got some real good goaltending, they played hard, and we probably got what we deserved.”

The Huskies fired 19 shots at Auyeung-Ashton in the third period, but only solved him the one time.

Bartoszkiewicz made 34 saves in the loss for the Huskies.

Huskies 8, Wildcats 2

MARQUETTE — The Huskies won their sixth straight game after overwhelming the Wildcats, 8-2, Friday at the Berry Events Center. It was the eighth straight win over the Wildcats for the Huskies.

“We were totally in control, and our power play was good,” Muckalt said. “We took our foot off the gas a bit in the third, but I’m happy with the results tonight. It was another important win.”

Michigan Tech jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period. Captain Isaac Gordon gave the Huskies the lead 3:07 into the game on the power play from Koskipirtti and Sardarian for his fifth of the season.

Sardarian made it 2-0 with his 10th of the season 3:00 later. Koskipirtti set up the play while alternate captain Joe Prouty added the second assist.

Freshman forward Noah Reinhart stole the puck in the corner and found Trembecky, who roofed in his ninth of the season 1:50 later.

The Huskies scored four in the second. Freshman defenseman Reid Andresen scored on a setup from Sardarian and Gordon 5:16 in. It was his fourth of the season.

Sardarian scored his second of the game at 6:10, sniping the upper corner on the power play from Koskipirtti and alternate captain Jack Anderson. Sardarian leads the Huskies with 11 goals.

Reinhart scored back-to-back goals for a 7-0 lead. He scored on the power play from sophomore forward Elias Jansson and Andresen at 7:02, and then buried his sixth of the season from Jansson and Trembecky at 16:33.

Northern Michigan found two goals in the third period.

Cisar scored at the 9:01 mark, and Argentina scored at 16:07 to get the home team on the board.

Trembecky scored his second of the game and 10th of the season with 53 seconds left for the final tally. Reinhart and Prouty assisted.

Tech led in shots 36-32 in the game. Bartoszkiewicz made 30 saves to win his 17th game of the season, which is tied for the nation’s lead.

Auyeung-Ashton started for the Wildcats and made four saves. William Gramme stopped 17 shots, and Max Weilandt played the third, making seven saves.

Tech was 3-for-3 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.

Up next

The Huskies head back out on the road to face St. Thomas on Friday and Saturday in St. Paul, Minnesota.