Huskies shutout No. 10 Bowling Green Friday
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bowling Green (14-5-3,9-4-2-2 WCHA) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Michigan Tech (11-10-2,10-4-1-1WCHA) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech scored a pair of third-period goals and went on to shutout No. 10 Bowling Green 2-0 Friday (Jan. 11) at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. Goaltender Robbie Beydoun made 27 saves in his first shutout of the season, while Gavin Gould scored the game-winner.
"What I liked most is the way that we grew as the game went on. Our third period was our best period," Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. "We had a good week of practice and we got really good leadership tonight. Guys played a good game and competed hard."
Scoreless early in the third period, the Huskies found some offense after killing off a penalty. Tyler Rockwell held the puck in the zone and flipped it towards the net. A Bowling Green defenseman deflected it but Gould was there at the doorstep to sweep the puck into the open net 6:47 into the period. It was Gould's sixth of the season.
"Everything happened pretty quick," Gould said. "It kind of just popped out, and I had to kick it to my stick. By then I had some time to just put it into the empty net."
"Gavin got a timely goal," Shawhan said. "He got in that hard ice area and capitalized. We're a good team when Gavin is playing the way he did tonight. He's an elite player in this league, and in the nation, when he plays that way."
Tech (11-10-2, 10-4-1-1 WCHA) added to its lead 3:26 seconds later on another rebound. Andrew Bellant got past his defender with a beautiful move and shot five-hole on the goaltender. The puck trickled through and Justin Misiak slipped it across the line for the 2-0 lead. Raymond Brice added the secondary assist on Misiak's fourth of the season.
Holding the lead, the Huskies shut down the Falcons who ranked 10th in the nation in offense coming into the night. BGSU had to kill off a penalty in the final 9:00 but only registered one shot on goal down the stretch—even after pulling their goaltender with 2:35 remaining.
Tech outshot BGSU 30-27. Beydoun made 13 saves in the first period, nine in the second, and five in the third. It was his second straight shutout of BGSU and third shutout of his career.
"Robbie made the saves he needed to make and made some big ones too," added Shawhan. "He's been consistent every game, and he'll give us a chance every night. He's paid his dues this season and is playing well right now."
The Falcons (14-5-3, 9-4-2-2 WCHA) did get one past Beydoun with 3:19 left to go in the first period but the power play goal was waved off due to a man in the crease.
"Robbie's been solid," Gould added. "We feel pretty confident with him back there. The guys are playing good in front of him and he's doing his job."
Ryan Bednard had 28 saves for the visitors. He stopped Gould on a breakaway 7:00 into the second period.
The two teams will wrap up their only WCHA series of the season at 7:07 p.m. on Saturday (Jan. 12).
