Hockey Huskies Fall to Ferris State in WCHA Final Five Semis
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ferris State (18-14-6, 13-11-4) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|
Michigan Tech (23-9-5, 18-7-3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Michigan Tech goaltender Jamie Phillips turned aside 32 shots, but the Huskies fell to Ferris State 1-0 tonight (March 18) in the WCHA Final Five semifinals at Van Andel Arena.
"Ferris State did a really good job of not letting us really get anything going," said head coach Mel Pearson. "I just want to really thank our seniors, who have done a great job of bringing this program forward. Even though we didn't get the result we wanted tonight, I'm really proud of them."
The Huskies out-chanced Ferris in the opening period but couldn't find the back of the net and settled for a 0-0 draw after 20 minutes.
The script was reversed in the middle frame and Phillips stood tall with 11 saves, most notably on an early breakaway and again midway through the period when he scrambled to keep a puck out of the net on an FSU 2-on-0.
The Bulldogs scored the lone goal of the contest 11:15 into the third and held on for the victory.
Michigan Tech closes its season with a 23-9-5 overall record to secure the program's first back-to-back 20-win seasons since 1981-82 and 1982-83. The nine losses was the fewest by a Tech club since 1975-76, and the Huskies earned the MacNaughton Cup as WCHA regular season champions, bringing the title back to the Copper Country for the first time in 40 years.
NOTES: Finals shots favored Ferris State 33-30 … The Huskies went 0-3 on the power play while holding the Bulldogs scoreless in their five chances with the man-advantage.