Eight Players Score as No. 14 Tech Rolls Past Bemidji State 9-2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Michigan Tech (17-8-5; 14-7-3 WCHA) | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 |
|
Bemidji State (14-13-5; 9-11-4 WCHA) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
BEMIDJI, Minn. – Eight different players scored and 13 Huskies notched at least one point as the No. 14-ranked Michigan Tech hockey team cruised to a 9-2 victory over Bemidji State in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association contest tonight (Feb. 20) at Sanford Center.
The seven-goal outburst was Tech's highest-scoring night of the 2015-16 season and marked the most goals in one game for the Huskies since scoring 10 on Feb. 14, 2015 at Alaska Anchorage.
"I'm really pleased with the effort and the bounce back we had tonight," said head coach Mel Pearson, who's Huskies are now within two points of WCHA-leading Minnesota State in the league standings. "The players did a great job and we played an all-around better game. Things may have gone in tonight when they didn't last night, but I thought we earned our goals and overall it's an important two points, especially when you beat a good team like Bemidji."
The Huskies stormed to a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes thanks to goals by Malcolm Gould, Alex Petan and Shane Hanna.
Gould opened the scoring 11:17 into the contest to give Tech its first lead of the weekend. Joel L'Esperance started the scoring play when he carried the puck towards the net and made a short pass to Gould in the right circle. Gould settled the puck, went to one knee and wristed it over Bemidji State goaltender Michael Bitzer's glove.
Bemidji State answered to tie it at 16:42 but goals by Petan and Hanna in a 23-second stretch gave the Huskies a two-goal cushion.
Petan notched his team-leading 15th of the year when he went to the net and backhanded a rebound into the bottom corner of the net at 18:07. After a great effort low in the offensive zone by Dylan Steman to force a turnover and work the puck to the front of the net, Petan beat his man to the edge of the crease and scored.
Then, at 18:30, Hanna buried to complete a tremendous shift. The Huskies used their speed to work the puck into the zone and immediately went to the net. A Brent Baltus shot bounced right to Hanna, who's first shot was saved before he swooped around the net and knocked the second effort home.
Michigan Tech connected four times in the second to blow the game open.
L'Esperance made it 4-1 7:42 into the middle period when he went upstairs with a rebound from the right circle. Tyler Heinonen scored his first of two second-period goals with an unassisted backhander at 11:32 before Matt Roy sent a bomb through traffic for a power-play marker at 15:21. Heinonen then finished the onslaught with a snipe in the final minute of the frame.
Goals by Max Vallis and Mark Auk in the final stanza widened Tech's lead to 9-2.
L'Esperance and CJ Eick both earned career-highs in the game, as L'Esperance tallied four points (1-3) and Eick collected three assists.
Gould also had three points in the game (1-2), while Baltus record two primary assists and Chris Leibinger and Reid Sturos each had single assists.
Senior goaltender Jamie Phillips turned in a 27-save effort for his WCHA-leading 17th victory of the season.
Michigan Tech (17-8-5 overall; 14-7-3 WCHA) returns to the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena next Friday and Saturday (Feb. 26-27) for a two-game WCHA series against Alaska. Tickets still remain to both games and can be purchased at the SDC Ticket Office, online at BuyHuskiesTickets.com or over the phone at 906-486-2073.
NOTES: Michigan Tech outshot Bemidji State 31-29 … The Huskies scored twice during five power plays and held the Beavers scoreless in their three chances on the man-advantage.