David Archambeau/For the Gazette Michigan Tech forward Isaac Gordon controls the puck in the offensive zone during a game against Minnesota State Friday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton.

By DAVER KARNOSKY

dkarnosky@mininggazette.com

HOUGHTON — Despite leading both nights, the Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team dropped both games of their weekend series against the Minnesota State Mavericks at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena. On Friday, they led 2-1, but ultimately fell 5-2. Saturday night, the Huskies led 1-0, but eventually fell 3-1.

With the losses, the Huskies dropped to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in CCHA play.

HUSKIES GIVE UP TWO IN THE THIRD

TO FALL SATURDAY

The Huskies took a lead just after a power play in the second period, and held the Mavericks to just 11 shots after the first period, but it was the visitors who emerged victorious with a 3-1 decision in the end.

Huskies coach Joe Shawhan felt his team deserved a better fate than it received in the contest.

“We were better tonight,” he said. “I thought our guys put in a good effort. They stuck together. I thought they played hard together, gave us a chance. We had a lead last night, going into the third, gave it up. We had a tie game tonight, gave it up. I think we played good enough, as a team, to win the hockey game.

“I think their talent level, their individual skill level, they showed they didn’t need much to get a couple goals.”

The Huskies took the lead 5:17 into the middle frame just after a power play ended as freshman defenseman Rylan Brown skated the puck deep in the right circle and he fired a shot at Mavericks netminder Alex Tracy. Tracy could not contain the rebound as senior winger Marcus Pedersen got his stick on it. Pedersen’s shot then bounced to captain Jack Works, who knocked it home.

“We got the one goal we got on a scramble play at the end of a power play,” Shawhan said. “In all essence, it’s a power play, muck out, goal.

“I thought as a team we played as a good unit tonight. I’m proud of the guys’ effort.”

From there, the Huskies did everything they could to reduce the number of shots that fifth-year goaltender Derek Mullahy saw.

On just the third shot of the middle frame, the Mavericks evened the game when Zach Krajnik was sprung for a breakaway and he fired a puck over Mullahy’s right shoulder at 10:38.

The Huskies continued to block shots and battle in front of Mullahy until the 12:33 mark of the third period, when the Mavericks’ Ralphs Bergmanis fired a seemingly innocent, bouncing shot that snuck through traffic and past Mullahy.

Shawhan felt that there was a mistake on the faceoff that led to the tally.

“What I saw in the play is that the linesman dropped the puck, and I think he made a mistake on dropping the puck,” Shawhan said. “He put his whistle up to his mouth like he was going to blow it, and he just let him play for some reason. When he let up, like I think we let up, because we thought (he would blow the play dead). I think I saw (Tom) Leppa out there talking to the linesman after the game. He thought he was going to blow the whistle, so he didn’t keep battling for it. Then, he kind of just let it go and ended up in our net.

“So, I think, I do think that the linesman made a mistake on that play. You don’t just let it go. If you’re going to blow the whistle, blow the whistle. I felt they did encroach on the faceoff. So, it should have been blown. Whether the puck hit the ice or not on that encroachment, I don’t know, because it has to hit the ice. But, that’s what I saw on it.”

Then, just 36 seconds later, Adam Eisele got behind the Huskies’ defense, deked to his forehand and stuffed a puck home.

From there, the Mavericks held on for the win.

Tracy stopped 32 shots to earn the win. Mullahy stopped 15 in the loss.

HUSKIES FALL 5-2 ON FRIDAY

For some 30 of the game’s first 50 minutes on Friday, the Huskies led the Mavericks 2-1 after a late first-period tally from freshman forward Tom Leppa put them in that position. They held that advantage until a pair of goals from Luigi Benicasa turned the game for the Mavericks, who came away with a 5-2 win.

“Better team won for sure,” said Shawhan. “I mean, I think everybody saw that. I thought we went down early, we didn’t start out very well. We were given a 5-on-3, got a goal on that 5-on-3 to give us a little life. Stole the goal at the end of the period, I think. I don’t know what happened on that play. I’ll look at it. But good for the good for Leppa and whoever was involved in that. We stole it with just seconds left in the first period. Then, from that point on, we didn’t obviously do a whole lot. I’m proud of our guys. I thought our guys did what they can do. That’s us.”

The Mavericks took their first lead of the night 7:53 into the contest when Kaden Bohlsen took advantage of a Huskies turnover.

The Huskies answered at 16:07 when, while on a two-man advantage, Brown struck from the right point off a feed from sophomore center Max Koskipirtti.

From there, the Huskies continued to battle, and Leppa jumped on a puck in the corner. He kicked the puck out in front of the Mavericks’ net. Sophomore winger Lauri Raiman attempted to knock it home, but his shot was stopped by Tracy.

Raiman’s shot rebounded to Tracy’s right, and Leppa pounced on it, knocking a rebound in the net at 19:58.

From there, the teams traded chances on and off until the third period when Benicasa evened the game just after the Huskies returned to full strength from a 4-on-4 situation. Josh Groll circled the net and made a pass back out front to Benicasa, who buried the shot that deflected off a Huskies skater and in before another Huskies defender could get to him at 10:12. Benicasa then struck again at 13:54 when he buried a rebound to put the visitors up a goal.

Rhett Pitlick extended the lead when he buried an empty net tally at 18:25, and Jordan Power capped the scoring with just under five seconds remaining.

“If I was disappointed in anything in the game tonight, it would have been on the defense,” said Shawhan. “I think our defense is better. I think they’re better than what they’re doing. Their gaps are bad, and (they) trying to slow the puck play down, and not ending plays, and not getting inside cover, giving cycles, changing off coverages. I think our ‘D’ is not playing. I think the ‘D’ are better and they’re not improving.”

Tracy made 21 saves to earn the win for the Mavericks. Mullahy made 22 stops for the Huskies in the loss.

UP NEXT

The Huskies head out on the road next weekend as they travel to face Bowling Green State.