Michigan Tech Wins Winter Carnival Opener vs Minnesota Duluth Friday; Alaska Anchorage Earns Road Tie at SCSU
The Michigan Tech Huskies are 2-1 Over Their Last Three WCHA Games |
||||||
 |
Feb. 6, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
MADISON, Wis. – The Michigan Tech Huskies won for the second time in their past three Western Collegiate Hockey Association games on Friday (Feb. 5) evening, taking the opener of their annual Winter Carnival series with a 3-1 victory over Minnesota Duluth at John MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. The Huskies will host the Bulldogs again on Saturday at 5:07 pm ET, with MTU leading the season series, 2-1-0.
In the only other WCHA series being played this weekend, visiting Alaska Anchorage skated to a 4-4 (ot) tie with St. Cloud State on Friday night at the National Hockey Center, giving the Seawolves a 4-2-1 mark over their last seven league encounters. The Huskies, meanwhile, moved to 9-1-1 over their last 11 games overall. SCSU and UAA will face-off on Saturday at 5:07 pm CT, with the Huskies holding a 2-0-1 advantage in their four-game season series.
In non-conference action on Feb. 5, Colorado College and Denver both recorded home-ice victories over Atlantic Hockey Association opponents, with the Tigers defeating Air Force Academy, 2-0, and the Pioneers powering past Mercyhurst, 4-1. In non-conference so far this season, the WCHA is a collective 42-22-5 (.645) through 69 games. On Saturday, the Tigers and Pioneers will trade opponents, with CC hosting Mercyhust at Colorado Springs World Arena at 7:07 pm MT and Denver playing at Air Force at 7:07 pm MT.
Also on Saturday, Wisconsin will host Central Collegiate Hockey Association-member Michigan outdoors in the Culver’s Camp Randall Hockey Classic at Camp Randall Stadium, with the game set to get underway at 5:07 pm CT after the opening tilt between Wisconsin’s women’s team and Bemidji State that is set for 2:07 pm CT. The Badgers lost to the Wolverines 3-2 in a College Hockey Showcase matchup in Ann Arbor back on Nov. 28.
Through games of Feb. 5, just one point lies between the top three clubs in the current WCHA standings, three separate the top five and one separates three teams in sixth and seventh. Pre-season MacNaughton Cup-favorite Denver (17-6-4, 12-4-4 WCHA) is first with 28 points, Minnesota Duluth (17-11-1, 13-7-1 WCHA) and St. Cloud State (17-8-4, 12-6-3 WCHA) are tied for second with 27 points each, and Wisconsin (15-7-4, 11-6-3 WCHA) and Colorado College (16-10-3, 11-8-3 WCHA) share the fourth spot with 25 points apiece. Both the Pioneers and Badgers have games in hand on the UMD, SCSU and CC. Defending WCHA champion North Dakota (13-10-5, 8-9-3 WCHA) is sixth with 19 points, Minnesota (13-13-2, 8-10-2 WCHA) and Alaska Anchorage (10-15-2, 8-13-2 WCHA) are tied for seventh with 18 points each, Minnesota State (12-14-2, 6-13-1 WCHA) is ninth with 13, and Michigan Tech (5-21-1, 4-17-0 WCHA) is 10th with eight points.
A glance at next weekend’s – Feb. 12-13 – schedule finds three conference series on the docket as Denver hosts Minnesota, St. Cloud State hosts North Dakota, and Wisconsin entertains Minnesota State. Alaska Anchorage, Colorado College, Michigan Tech and Minnesota Duluth will all be idle.
At John MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton on Friday (Feb. 5) night, host Michigan Tech crafted a 3-1 WCHA victory over Minnesota Duluth before 2,461 with three third period goals in their annual Winter Carnival series opener. The Huskies received a goal and assist each from centers Brett Olson and Eric Kattelus, with Kattelus netting the game-winner at 2:32 of the third, and goaltender Kevin Genoe turned aside 35 of 36 shots on goal. UMD left winger Rob Bordson scored the game-opening goal at 8:07 of the first period, a lead the Bulldogs held until MTU winger Bennett Royer tied the game with a power-play tally at 2:09 of period three.
At the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud on Friday evening, host St. Cloud State received a game-tying, power-play goal – with an extra attacker –from left winger Ben Hanowski at 19:59 of the third period to gain a 4-4 overtime WCHA tie with visiting Alaska Anchorage before 6,017. The Seawolves, who were led by a two-goal, one assist outing from right winger Kevin Clark and two helpers each from linemates Josh Lunden (LW) and Alex Gellert (C), led 2-1 after the first period and 3-1 after the second. The Huskies were led by right winger Ryan Lasch, who scored twice and had one assist, and defensemen Oliver Lauridsen (1g, 1a) and Garrett Raboin (2a).
At Colorado Springs World Arena on Feb. 5, host Colorado College skated to a 2-0 non-conference shutout win over Air Force Academy before 7,240 as goaltender Joe Howe stopped all 20 shots on goal and right winger Mike Testwuide tallied the game-winner at 1:06 of the second period. The Tigers outshot the Falcons, 28-20, and blanked them on all seven of their power-play chances. Also scoring for CC on a third period power-play was left winger Tim Hall.
And at Magness Arena in Denver on Friday night, the host Denver Pioneers received a goal and two assists from center Anthony Maiani and 32 saves from Adam Murray in nets in a 4-1 non-conference triumph over Mercyhurst before 5,365. DU outshot their guests, 48-33, and connected on 2-of-7 power-play chances. Tallying the game-winner for the Pioneers at 17:59 of the first period was right winger Luke Salazar, his first goal of the season.
This Week in the WCHA
Results of Friday, February 5: Alaska Anchorage 4 at St. Cloud State 4 ot (WCHA); * Minnesota Duluth 1 at Michigan Tech 3 (WCHA); Air Force 0 at Colorado College 2 (nc); Mercyhurst 1 at Denver 4 (nc). * Winter Carnival.
Games for Saturday, February 6: * Minnesota Duluth at Michigan Tech (WCHA), 5:07 pm ET; Alaska Anchorage at St. Cloud State (WCHA), 5:07 pm CT; # Michigan at Wisconsin (nc), 5:07 pm CT; Mercyhurst at Colorado College (nc), 7:07 pm MT; Denver at Air Force (nc), 7:07 pm MT. * Winter Carnival; # Camp Randall Hockey Classic.
|
|
 |
