Huskies Begin WCHA Playoffs Tonight vs. Alaska
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alaska (10-21-4, 8-16-4) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
Michigan Tech (22-8-5, 18-7-3) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| No. 13 Michigan Tech vs. Alaska | |
| Date | March 11, 2016 |
| Times | 7:07 p.m. ET |
| Location | John MacInnes Student Ice Arena |
| 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 | 21-8-5 Overall; 18-7-3 WCHA |
| UAF's Record | 10-20-4 Overall; 8-16-4 WCHA |
• No. 13 Michigan Tech hosts a best-of-three WCHA playoff series for the second straight
year this weekend when it plays Alaska at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena.
• The Huskies are the No. 1 overall seed in the WCHA tournament after claiming a share of the MacNaughton Cup last weekend. Should Tech advance to the WCHA Final Five next weekend, it will play the lowest remaining seed in the semifinals.
• Tonight's game marks the 14th all-time between the Huskies and Nanooks and the fifth meeting of the 2015-16 season. Tech is 4-0-0 vs. Alaska this year but the last two contests - Feb. 26-27 in Houghton - were decided by one goal. The Huskies lead the overall series 10-3-0 and hold a 6-2-0 advantage at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena.
• Seven Tech players and head coach Mel Pearson were honored yesterday by the league when it announced its annual awards. Senior co-captain Alex Petan took home WCHA Player of the Year Honors, while goaltender Jamie Phillips was named the Outstanding Student-Athlete and Pearson claimed Coach of the Year recognition. Petan was also named to the All-WCHA First Team. Phillips and Matt Roy earns spots on the All-WCHA Second Team, while three Huskies - Malcolm Gould, Tyler Heinonen and Shane Hanna - werre All-WCHA Third Team honorees. Freshman center Jake Lucchini was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team.
• Petan won the WCHA scoring title after finishing the regular season with 29 points on 16 goals and 13 assists. Petan earned the scoring crown just one season after Hancock's Tanner Kero claimed the honor. Prior to Kero's scoring title, the last Husky to accomplish that feat was Shawn Harrison in 1988-89.
• Pearson has led the Huskies to back-to-back 20-win seasons, the first Michigan Tech coach to hit the 20-win mark in back-to-back years since John MacInnes. Pearson enters the weekend with 93 career victories, good for second all-time among Tech head coaches.
• Phillips, who already boasts the program's all-time shutout record with 10 (and counting), sits just three wins away from tying the career wins record at Michigan Tech. Phillips' 55 victories are second all-time to Bruce Horsch, who earned 58 wins from 1974-78.
RACE TO THREE
Tech is 19-0-2 when it finds the back of the net three or more times, including a 7-0-0 record when scoring three goals, a 5-0-2 mark when scoring four and a perfect 7-0-0 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 (3-8-2 this season).
QUICK HITTERS
• Michigan Tech is 12-2-4 since Dec. 11 after starting the season 9-6-1, including a 10-1-3 mark vs. the WCHA.
• The Huskies are 13-2-2 when wearing their black jerseys, which was the team's road jerseys in the first half of the WCHA schedule and serves are their home sweaters in the second half. Tech is expected to wear black this weekend vs. Alaska.
• Tech is 13-2-1 when leading after one period and 17-2-1 when carrying a lead into the second intermission.
• Michigan Tech is 10-0-1 when Joel L'Esperance scores a goal and 11-1-2 when Petan finds the back of the net. The Huskies also boasts an 11-1-2 mark when Hanna records an assist.
• The Huskies are unbeaten over their last seven games at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena (6-0-1).
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.
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.
