Bowling Green Edges Tech 3-2 Friday
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bowling Green (8-8-3, 6-6-1) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
|
Michigan Tech (6-9-4, 4-4-3) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
HOUGHTON, Mich. — Michigan Tech put 41 shots on goal compared to 18 for Bowling Green State but lost 3-2 to the Falcons tonight in WCHA action at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. BGSU built a 3-1 lead before the Huskies made it a frenetic finish. The Black and Gold scored with 2:43 left and had nearly two minutes of extra attacker but could not get the equalizer.
"It was a tough game tonight," said head coach Mel Pearson. "Pheonix (Copley) had an off night, but we can't lay it all on him. We're really having trouble scoring goals right now, and that makes every mistake that much more crucial."
Bowling Green (8-8-3, 6-6-1 WCHA) scored first when Matt Pohlkamp wristed a shot past Copley from high on the left circle.
The score was 1-0 after 20 minutes, and the shots were fairly even at 13-10.
Tech dominated the second period, peppering netminder Tommy Burke with 19 shots in 20 minutes. The Huskies had the first 18 shots in the frame including a power-play goal from Ryan Furne that knotted the game 1-all with 5:36 gone. Freshmen Brent Baltus and Reid Sturos worked a tic-tac-toe play to set up Furne's fourth of the season.
Sturos later missed by inches on a tip attempt—one of many quality chances the hosts had to take the lead.
Instead, it was the Falcons regaining their advantage on their first shot of the period. Kevin Dufour beat Copley at the 15:40 mark.
Tech went on to out-shoot the visitors 19-2 in the stanza.
Dufour added to the margin 1:42 into the third period with a wrister from just across the blue line.
Tech replaced Copley, who had made nine saves on 12 shots, with Matt Wintjes in net. The rookie, making his first appearance in a Black and Gold sweater, stopped the three shots he faced in 16:30 of action.
The Huskies put the extra attacker on the ice with 2:47 to go. It paid off immediately as Tech scored off a faceoff. Tanner Kero won the draw, and Blake Pietila centered a pass to Alex Petan, who tapped in his team-leading ninth goal of the season into an open net on the back door.
C.J. Eick was called for a major penalty moments later and Wintjes returned to the Huskies net. A BGSU penalty at 18:14 made it 4-on-4, and Tech put back out the extra skater. Then with 22 seconds remaining, the Falcons were called for a second infraction, in essence giving the Black and Gold a 5-on-3.
Tech won the faceoff, but could not get a shot on net in the waning seconds.
In addition to the 41 shots on goal, the Huskies had three shots that hit pipes. Burke finished with 39 saves in moving his record to 6-1-3 this season.
The Falcons were 0-for-3 on the power play while Tech went 1-for-6.
"I liked our energy and opportunities tonight," said Pearson. "We killed penalties and did some good things on the power play. We're doing a lot of things right, but everything's magnified when you don't score.
"This was a big game. We can't keep giving up points in our building. It makes tomorrow's game even more critical."
Michigan Tech (6-9-4, 4-4-3 WCHA) and Bowling Green will wrap up their two-game series tomorrow night at 7:07 p.m.
Notes: Tech's five-game unbeaten streak was snapped with the loss … The Huskies have put up 41 shots in each of their last two games … Sturos' assist was his first career point.
