Michigan Tech forward tracks the puck during a game against St. Thomas Friday at the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo courtesy of Michigan Tech University)

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The No. 19 Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team earned a crucial CCHA split after a 4-3 victory over No. 15 St. Thomas, snapping the Tommies’ 11-game winning streak. That followed a Friday night loss to the Tommies of 4-2.

The Huskies improved to 18-10-2 overall and 13-5-2 in the CCHA after the road win at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena.

Huskies 4, Tommies 3

Tech never trailed in the game Saturday and got a goal and an assist from three different players in a 4-3 win over the Tommies.

Sophomore forward Elias Jansson scored the game-winner 6:11 into the third, and the Huskies held off a late surge by the Tommies while on the penalty kill.

“I’m just so proud of our guys,” Huskies coach Bill Muckalt said. “Like I said after we beat Minnesota in the second game of the year, we can beat anybody when we play the right way and play with each other and for each other.

“We had to make a commitment to physicality up and down the lineup against skilled and dangerous players. We smothered them at times. We just beat a team that’s as good as any.”

The teams entered the third period tied at two. Freshman forward Reid Daavettila scored his first career goal 2:17 after intermission to put the Huskies back in front for the third time. He fired the puck past the blocker through traffic from the top of the circles. Freshman forward Brayden Boehm and alternate captain Jack Anderson assisted on the goal.

St. Thomas (17-8-3 overall, 14-4-2 CCHA) tied it up 3:37 later when Alex Gaffney scored his third of the weekend from Hayes Hundley and Lucas Wahlin.

The Black and Gold responded again when freshman defenseman Reid Andresen sent the puck to the net, and Jansson corralled it and quickly flipped in the eventual game-winner with 13:44 left. Freshman forward Noah Reinhart added the second assist on Jansson’s seventh of the season and 19th of his career.

Shots were even 8-8 in the third. Tech kept the play moving, and St. Thomas wasn’t able to add the extra attacker until inside a minute to play. The Huskies were then whistled on a penalty with 35 seconds left and had to kill off a 6-on-4.

Junior goaltender Owen Bartoszkiewicz only had to make one save in the final moments to seal the win.

The Huskies took the lead 4:54 into the game when Reinhart tipped in a pass from Anderson for his second of the weekend and eighth of the season. Jansson added the second assist.

The Tommies tied it up at 13:20 of the first with a power-play goal by Nathan Pilling from Nick Williams and Ryan O’Neill.

Michigan Tech took the lead again at 17:59 when Anderson blasted a one-timer through traffic from senior forward Stiven Sardarian and captain Isaac Gordon. It was Anderson’s sixth of the season and 10th of his career, while Sardarian and Gordon extended their point streaks to nine games.

The Tommies quickly responded 18 seconds later when Jake Braccini found himself alone in the slot and slipped in the tying goal.

Both teams killed off crucial penalties in the second. Tech was down 5-on-3 for 1:18, and the Tommies were whistled for a 5:00 major.

Bartoszkiewicz finished the game with 20 saves to win his 18th game of the season and the 29th of his career. Aaron Trotter also made 20 saves for the home team.

Tommies 4, Huskies 2

The Huskies team fell 4-2 to the Tommies on Friday. The Tommies won their 11th straight game.

“It was a tough end to the second and beginning of the third for us,” Muckalt said. “Give them credit. They’re a well-coached team, and they’ve been on a roll. We need to stick together and bounce tomorrow. We have some things we can improve upon, but tomorrow’s a new day.”

After a scoreless first period, the Tommies scored 3:51 into the second when Gaffney put in a one-timer on a 2-on-1 from O’Neill.

Reinhart tied the game at 14:19 of the second, scoring his sixth of the season from freshman defenseman Kalem Parker and Jansson. Parker had a drop pass at the top of the circles that Reinhart fired over the blocker.

St. Thomas took its lead back with 46 seconds left in the second when Lucas Van Vliet scored on a 2-on-1 rush. It was his fourth goal against the Huskies this season.

Gaffney scored again 35 seconds into the third period for a 3-1 lead.

Braccini made it a three-goal game at 13:26 on the power play with assists going to VanVliet and Chase Cheslock.

The Huskies got on the board again with 30 seconds left in the game when alternate captain Joe Prouty found the back of the net for his second of the season. Sardarian and Gordon assisted on the late goal as they both extended their point streaks to eight games.

St. Thomas dominated in shots 44-22 in the game. Bartoszkiewicz made 40 saves for the Huskies, hitting the 40-save mark for the second time this season. It’s also his fourth straight game with at least 30 saves. Trotter stopped 20 shots on the other end of the ice.

Tech was 3-for-4 on the penalty kill and 0-for-1 on the power play.

Up next

Tech returns home next weekend for the annual Winter Carnival series against No. 16 Augustana. The Huskies and Vikings will play a total goal series for the MacInnes Trophy.