Tech Falls to Bowling Green Friday at Home
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bowling Green (4-3-1, 3-1-1-0) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
|
Michigan Tech (4-5-1, 2-4-1-1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The No. 20-ranked Michigan Tech hockey team fell 2-1 Friday (Nov. 3) to Bowling Green at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. All three goals were scored on the power play. Tech is now 4-5-1 overall and 2-4-1-1 in the WCHA.
"Again, our special teams let us down," Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. "That's not just on the players it's on the coaches too. We had our chances on the power play but didn't generate the amount of shots we need. We have to figure that out. Special teams were the difference tonight.
"We're going through some growing pains right now. Some guys are getting frustrated and putting a little extra pressure on themselves. Our fans deserve the best effort we can give. I think the effort is there. We just need a little more attention to detail."
Thomas Beretta buried his second of the season to give the Huskies the lead 6:04 after puck drop with the first power play goal of his career. Justin Misiak found him wide-open on the backside post for the easy tap in. Dane Birks also assisted on Beretta's sixth career tally.
BGSU (4-3-1, 3-1-1-0 WCHA) tied it up just over 6:00 later with a power play tally of its own off the stick of John Schilling. Connor Ford took the initial shot from the point that rebounded out to Schilling.
Jake Jackson setup Keegan Ford with a tip out front of the net later in the second, but Falcon goaltender Eric Dop was there for one of his 21 saves on the night.
The Falcons took a 2-1 lead when Schilling scored his second of the game with 2:11 left in the middle frame. He tipped in a shot by Brett D'Andrea on the power play.
Brent Baltus went in on a breakaway moments after the goal, but his shot sailed high.
"It was a turnover on the blue line, and I got a little bit of space," Baltus said. "The puck was rolling a little bit, and I probably should've settled it down before I shot."
In the third period, Beretta had a great chance to get the equalizer with an open net on a rebound, but a BGSU defender lifted his stick after Dylan Steman's initial shot was saved. Dop finished with nine saves in the third period.
Jackson also had a chance out front after a centering feed from Jake Lucchini with 3:40 remaining but once again, Dop pushed the puck to the corner.
Tech added the extra attacker with 1:13 left but none of the five shots made it through to the goaltender.
Devin Kero made the start between the pipes for the Huskies, stopping 26-of-28 shots in his first game action of the season. He had eight saves in the first, 11 in the second, and seven in the third.
"I thought Devin did a great job for us tonight," said Shawhan. "He played a really good hockey game, and we did a good job defensively in front of him."
Tech was 1-for-7 on the man advantage and 2-for-4 on the penalty kill.
"They compete hard and do a good job clogging up the neutral zone and creating turnovers," added Baltus. "Tomorrow night we need to get pucks behind them and establish the fore check. A lot of goals come on second chances in this league. We've got to find a way to get to the net and find some dirty goals."
The two teams will meet on Saturday at 7:07 p.m. to wrap-up the first of two meetings this season. Tech travels to Ohio on February 2-3.
