No. 14 Michigan Tech Begins Stretch Run at Bemidji State
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Michigan Tech (16-8-5; 13-7-3 WCHA) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Bemidji State (14-12-5; 9-10-4 WCHA) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| No. 14 Michigan Tech at Bemidji State | |
| Date | Feb. 19, 2016 |
| Times | 8:37 p.m. ET |
| Location | Sanford Center, Bemidji, Minn. |
| Stream | WCHA.tv |
| Radio | Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ (Dirk Hembroff) |
| Online Audio | Pasty.net |
| Game Notes | Michigan Tech |
| Live Stats | CollegeHockeyStats.net |
| Live Tweeting | Twitter.com/mtuhky |
| Tech's Record | 16-7-5 Overall; 13-6-3 WCHA |
| BSU's Record | 13-12-5 Overall; 8-10-4 WCHA |
TALKING POINTS
• The 14th-ranked Huskies are on the road to play WCHA foe Bemidji State this weekend
in a huge two-game league series. Tonight's contest is set for an 8:37 p.m. ET puck-drop at the Sanford Center in Bemidji.
• Friday's contest marks the 19th meeting between Tech and Bemidji State all-time with the Huskies holding a 9-5-4 edge in the series. Tech is currently riding a 10-game unbeaten streak (7-0-3) against the Beavers dating back to 2012-13, a run on which MTU is 4-0-0 in Bemidji. Tech's last loss to BSU came on Oct. 22, 2011 - a 3-1 setback at Sanford Center.
• Although Michigan Tech is on an outstanding run vs. BSU, the recent history between the two teams is much tighter than the records would indicate. Five of the last 10 games played in the series have gone to overtime (Tech 2-0-3 in those contests) and four of the Huskies' seven victories have been by one goal.
• The Huskies were idle last weekend (Feb. 12-13) but enter the BSU series unbeaten over their last eight games overall (5-0-3). Tech's play within the WCHA has been equally impressive lately and it hasn't lost in a league outing since Dec. 5.
• A win or tie tonight would push Michigan Tech's road unbeaten streak to nine games. The Huskies enter the contest 6-0-2 over their last eight WCHA road games and haven't been beaten in an away game since Oct. 23.
• Success away from Houghton has been a theme of the season for Tech, which is 8-2-3 on the road and 2-1-1 in neutral site games during the 2015-16 campaign. The Huskies have lost just once over their last 14 games played somewhere other than Houghton (4-2 vs. Michigan in the GLI championship game).
• Michigan Tech's offensive consistency in road games has been impressive. The Huskies have scored 45 goals in 13 away games (3.46 goals/game) and are clicking at nearly 27 percent on the power play (26.7).
• Jamie Phillips has played well in every game he's played vs. Bemidji State and has a 4-0-0 record to show for it. The senior netminder has made 25 or more stops in each of those four wins and boasts a 1.25 goals against average and .960 save percentage in his career vs. BSU.
• Nineteen Tech players have game experience vs. the Beavers. Senior co-captain Alex Petan leads the Huskies in games played (10), goals (3), assists (6) and points (9) in his career against Bemidji State.
SERIES-OPENING SUCCESS
The Huskies have been consistently good in the first game of weekend sets during the 2015-16 campaign. Tech is 9-2-3 in the first game of a weekend and has posted a 7-2-3 mark on Friday nights.
RACE TO THREE
Tech is 13-0-2 when it finds the back of the net three or more times, including a 6-0-0 record when scoring three goals, a 4-0-2 mark when scoring four and a perfect 4-0-0 record when notching five or more goals in a game. On the flip side, the Huskies have struggled to win hockey games when its opponent buries three or more times (2-7-2 this season).
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
The Huskies have enjoyed big contributions from their upperclassmen so far this season. Entering the weekend, Tech's seniors had combined for the second best point total in the WCHA (28-40-68) while the team's juniors were third among junior classes in the league with 72 points (24-48). Michigan Tech's 16 upperclassmen (eight seniors, eight juniors) start the series vs. BSU with a combined 140 points on 52 goals and 88 assists - the third- highest combined total in the WCHA and the 17th-best total in all of NCAA Division I college hockey.
STAT LEADERS
Michigan Tech is once again one of the leaders in nearly all statistical categories among WCHA programs. The Huskies come into the weekend leading the conference in goals (84), goals per game (3.00), team defense (2.11 goals against/game), goal margin (+25) and power play efficiency (22.1%).
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Be sure to follow Michigan Tech hockey on social media for the latest news and coverage of the program. The Huskies are on Twitter (@mtuhky), Facebook (/MichiganTechHockey), Instagram (@mtu_hockey) and Snapchat (mtuhuskies). Join the conversation using hashtags #mtuhky and #FollowTheHuskies.
MEL PEARSON SHOW
Back for another season is the Mel Pearson Show featuring Coach Pearson and Dirk Hembroff discussing all things Michigan Tech hockey. The show airs live on Mix 93 FM every Monday at 10 a.m. and can be heard anytime on MichiganTechHuskies.com. Questions for Coach Pearson can be submitted by emailing dj@themix93.com.
WCHA.TV
Followers of the WCHA can watch every league game live online thanks to WCHA. tv. Several subscription options are available, including league-wide and single-team packages. Additional details can be found on the WCHA website or by logging on directly to WCHA.tv.
BLUE LINE CLUB
The Michigan Tech Blue Line Club welcomes all individuals who are interested in promoting and assisting the Huskies. By joining the MTU Blue Line Club, fans are showing support for the program. Several membership options are available and can be found on MichiganTechHuskies.com.
SINGLE-GAME TICKETS
Single-game tickets to all Michigan Tech hockey home games are available at the Student Development Complex Ticket Office, online at BuyHuskiesTickets.com or over the phone at 906-487-2073. The Huskies played seven regular-season home games in the second half of the season.
FINAL FIVE TICKETS
The WCHA Final Five returns to Grand Rapids, Mich., and Van Andel Arena on March 18- 19. The league is offering all-tournament packages to the event, which includes tickets for both days of the Final Five. Ticket packages are $69 per person and can be found at Ticketmaster.com or over the phone at 1-800-745-3000.