Tech Skates into Desert Hockey Classic Title Game With 4-2 Win vs. UConn
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Connecticut (6-13-1) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
|
Michigan Tech (12-7-2) | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Four different players scored and eight Huskies notched at least one point as the Michigan Tech hockey team skated past Connecticut 4-2 in the semifinals of the Desert Hockey Classic tonight (Jan. 8) at Gila River Area.
The Huskies will play the winner of Arizona State and Yale on Sunday (Jan. 10) in the tournament's championship game.
"I thought both teams were pretty even in the first period," said head coach Mel Pearson. "To get a two-goal lead going into the third was huge. Overall it was a big game for us and I'm happy with our performance. If we could have finished some of our great chances the score might have been more in our favor, but we did a good job and now we get a chance to win a championship."
Brent Baltus, Dylan Steman, Alex Gillies and Shane Hanna all scored for Tech, who collected four-straight to erase a 1-0 UConn lead.
UConn opened the scoring 10 minutes into the game, but Baltus buried to tie it just five minutes later. Gillies won a battle on the end wall, moved to the front of the net and sent a perfect backhand pass to Baltus on the backdoor. Baltus settled the puck and put a wrister off the water bottle to bring Tech back to even at the first intermission.
The Huskies connected for a pair of goals during a 12-second span late in the middle frame to build a 3-1 advantage. Steman made it 2-1 when he fought his way to the net and knocked home a Reid Sturos centering feed at 19:47. Then, with just .5 seconds to play in the period, Gillies one-timed a beautiful Jake Lucchini pass home to double the Michigan Tech lead.
Hanna notched his first of the year 5:27 into the third – a blast from the left circle – to give the Huskies all the insurance they needed.
Jamie Phillips appeared in net for Tech and stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced, including several on grade-A chances. Matt Roy has a pair of assists, joining Baltus, Gillies and Hanna as the multi-point performers for the Huskies.
Michigan Tech (12-7-2 overall; 9-6-1 WCHA) will play at either 2 or 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday depending on the result of the late semifinal game at the Desert Hockey Classic. Check MichiganTechHuskies.com for updates on which team Tech will play in the title game.