SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team battled hard against the Augustana Vikings on the road this past weekend. On Friday, they fell, 5-1, and on Saturday, they tied 4-4 before earning an extra point in a shootout.

After the weekend, the Huskies are now 15-12-3 overall and 11-8-3 in the CCHA and remain in fourth-place in the conference standings.

HUSKIES GET SHOOTOUT WIN SATURDAY

The Huskies and Vikings skated to a 4-4 tie on Saturday at Midco Arena. The Huskies earned the extra CCHA point with a 2-0 shootout win after overtime.

“It was a great response by our guys after last night. We wanted to establish a forecheck and simplify our game,” Huskies assistant coach Jordy Murray said. “We got away from it a little after we got the lead, but it was important to come away with two points tonight.”

The tie snapped the Viking’s six-game CCHA home winning streak.

Tech jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first period with Alex Nordstrom scoring the first two. Rylan Brown zipped a backhanded pass from the boards behind the net to Nordstrom out front for a quick flip over the goalie 1:18 into the game. Kasper Vaharautio also assisted on the goal.

Alex Nordstrom picked up his third career two-goal game 71 seconds later when he redirected in a long shot by Viktor Hurtig for his fourth goal of the season and eighth of his career. Rylan Brown added the second assist for his seventh helper of the last four games.

Philip Fankl scored his first NCAA goal on a quick snapshot after Blais Richartz created a turnover and sent Fankl in on a partial breakaway 6:00 into the first period.

Augustana (17-9-4, 9-5-2 CCHA) then scored three straight goals of its own to tie it up. The Vikings created a turnover in their offensive zone, and Payton Matsui scored on a breakaway from Brett Meerman with 5:49 left in the first period.

The Vikings made it a one-goal game 43 seconds into the second with a power-play goal by Colton Friesen. Hayden Hennen and Payton Matsui tallied assists.

The home team tied the game at 8:05 of the second period with a sharp-angled shot near the goal line off the stick of Brett Meerman. Simon Falk and Easton Young assisted on the play.

Chase Pietila scored his second of the weekend and seventh of the season to put the Huskies up 4-3 11:05 into the second period. Max Koskipirtti dug the puck out of the corner and fed Pietila in the slot for a wrist shot past the goalie’s glove. Elias Jansson added an assist.

Nace Langus tied the game with the only goal of the third period with 7:15 left in regulation. He tipped in a pass by Evan McIntyre with Luke Mobley also assisting.

A Logan Morrell wraparound and a Pietila chip in front of the net were the best scoring chances in overtime.

Isaac Gordon opened the shootout with a goal under the goalie’s blocker. Dereky Mullahy made a save on Tyler Hennen. Koskipirtti’s chance was saved. Luke Mobley fired his shot over the net, and then Marcus Pedersen ripped it over the goaltender’s glove on his chance to seal it.

Augustana led in shots 29-28. Mullahy made 25 saves in his 18th start of the season. Josh Kotai made two saves and was chased after the first three Tech goals. Christian Manz finished the game for the Vikings and stopped 22 shots.

VIKINGS WIN ON FRIDAY

In its first first-ever game in South Dakota, Michigan Tech fell 5-1 at Augustana on Friday. The Vikings scored three power-play goals.

“Right now, we’re struggling to find our game individually and collectively,” Huskies coach Joe Shawhan said. “The more we try to do offensively, the more we give up defensively. We need some guys to step up if we want to make a playoff push.”

Pietila scored the lone goal of the game for the Huskies 2:36 into the second period to tie it at one. He one-timed in a cross-zone feed from Koskipirtti for his sixth of the season and third on the power play. Rylan Brown also assisted for his fifth assist in the last three games.

Joey DelGreco gave the home team its lead back at 8:17 of the second. He was standing in the crease and backhanded in a rebound, with Brett Meerman and Hayden Hennen assisting.

Hunter Bischoff made it a two-goal game, stepping out of the penalty box and scoring on a breakaway for his second goal of the night with 4:24 left in the second period.

In the third period, Tyler Hennen scored a power-play goal for a 4-1 lead 5:27 after intermission, putting in a backdoor pass from Langus and Easton Young.

Luke Mobley scored the final goal on the power play with three seconds left in the game.

Augustana (17-9-3, 9-5-1 CCHA) opened scoring 16:41 after puck drop when Hunter Bischoff slammed in a centering feed by Friesen from behind the net. Easton Young added the second assist.

Shots favored the home Vikings 27-19. Ryan Manzella made 22 saves for the Huskies, and Kotai stopped 18 shots for Augustana.

Tech was 1-for-2 on the power play and 2-for-5 on the penalty kill.

UP NEXT

Tech wraps up its regular season home schedule next weekend, hosting Ferris State at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. The Huskies will honor their senior class after Saturday’s game.SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team battled hard against the Augustana Vikings on the road this past weekend. On Friday, they fell, 5-1, and on Saturday, they tied 4-4 before earning an extra point in a shootout.

After the weekend, the Huskies are now 15-12-3 overall and 11-8-3 in the CCHA and remain in fourth-place in the conference standings.