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ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- The No. 12 Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team split on the road this past weekend with the host St. Cloud State Huskies. Michigan Tech bounced back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in overtime. Saturday, they were tied at 3-3 before St. Cloud scored twice to secure a 5-3 win.
Michigan Tech is 3-1 on the season after the split.
Michigan Tech wins 3-2 in OT at St. Cloud State Friday
Michigan Tech earned a come-from-behind 3-2 overtime victory at St. Cloud State Friday. Sophomore forward Teydon Trembecky scored twice, including the game-winner.
“I didn’t like our first period with so many uncharacteristic turnovers,” Huskies coach Bill Muckalt said. “We got better over the last two periods and found a way to squeak one out in overtime. Our special teams and discipline need to be a lot better.”
Michigan Tech trailed 2-0 at the midway point of the game. Trembecky finally got Michigan Tech on the board when he backhanded in a rebound in front of the net for his second goal of the season. Co-captain Max Koskipirtti and sophomore defenseman Kalem Parker assisted on Trembecky’s 17th career goal.
Sophomore defenseman Reid Andresen tied the game 12:29 into the third period, finishing off a great passing play with junior forward Giovanni Morneau and sophomore forward Michael Cicek. It was Andresen’s fifth career goal.
In overtime, Parker made a patient pass to Trembecky streaking to the net. He slipped the puck under the goalie. The official whistled the play dead but then went to the box to review. The play was overturned to a good goal.
St. Cloud then challenged for goaltender interference, and it was reviewed again. The challenge was unsuccessful, and the Huskies from Houghton earned the win. Junior forward Conner Roulette was credited with the second assist on Trembecky’s second OT winner of his career.
St. Cloud jumped out to a 2-0 lead, scoring goals in each of the first two periods. Gavyn Thoreson scored on a rebound at 15:51 of the first period for the first goal of the game. Nolan Roed assisted.
Hayden Paupanekis scored on the power play 4:25 into the second period when he made a great individual effort down at the goal line and roofed it in. Noah Urness and Finn McLaughlin assisted on the goal.
Shots favored the home Huskies, 34-29. Alternate captain Owen Bartoszkiewicz made 32 saves for his 37th career win, which included 13 saves in the first period alone. St. Cloud's Yan Shostak stopped 26 shots on the other side of the ice.
Michigan Tech went 0-for-5 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill. St. Cloud also dominated in the faceoff dot, 31-19.
It was Michigan Tech’s first win over St. Cloud since March 2, 2013.
Michigan Tech splits weekend at St. Cloud State
Michigan Tech hockey team fell 5-3 at St. Cloud State Saturday. The Huskies from Minnesota scored three goals in the third period, including an empty-netter, to hand Michigan Tech its first loss of the season.
“We knew we weren’t going to go undefeated this season,” Muckalt said. “But now we know of some things we have to work on and improve on. Give them credit. They played hard and played desperate. We’re disappointed we couldn’t find a way tonight, but we’ll have to settle for a split on the road against a quality opponent.”
Junior forward Elias Jansson opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal 2:05 into the game. Junior forward Tom Leppa cleared the puck down the ice, and Jansson corralled it in the corner and did a wraparound for his second goal of the season and the 22nd of his career. Bartoszkiewicz was credited with the second assist.
St. Cloud tied it up on the same power play 28 seconds later when Brock Souch scored from Jake Southgate and William Ahlrik.
The home team Huskies took their first lead of the night 8:34 into the second period. Thor Byfuglien scored from Noah Urness and Thoreson.
Michigan Tech tied it up when co-captain Isaac Gordon scored his first of the season with a shot through traffic from the high slot at 15:29 of the second. Sophomore forward Matthew Van Blaricom and sophomore defenseman Luke Shipley assisted on Gordon’s 34th career goal.
St. Cloud took the lead back 44 seconds into the third period when Ahlrik scored on a breakaway from Charlie Lurie and Carson Pilgrim.
Cicek caught a stretch pass from Shipley and ripped in his first of the season 31 seconds later to knot it up at three. Alternate captain Lucas Brenton also assisted on Cicek’s third career goal.
The eventual game-winner was scored by Joseph Belisle with 11:54 remaining in the third. Roed and Thoreson assisted on the play.
St. Cloud added an empty-net goal with 1:12 left off the stick of Thoreson.
St. Cloud led in shots, 35-33. Bartoszkiewicz made 30 saves for Michigan Tech, and Patriks Berzins also stopped 30 shots on the other end of the ice.
Michigan Tech was 0-for-2 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Up next
Michigan Tech is back home next weekend, hosting Alaska for the final non-conference series of the season. It will also be Hall of Fame weekend, and former hockey Huskies Colin Murphy, Darcy Way, and Wayne Weller will be inducted into the Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame Friday and honored at Saturday’s game.