The Huskies hockey team traveled to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan this past weekend to take on the Lake Superior State Lakers. The Huskies won Friday night 4-3, and tied the Lakers 2-2 Saturday, but won in the shootout 3-2 for five of six points in the WCHA standings on the weekend.
On Friday, Oct. 13, the Huskies started the scoring just a minute into the game as Gavin Gould secured the first goal of the weekend, assisted by Mark Auk and Dane Birks. The Lakers received a penalty at the 18:59 mark of the first period, and the Huskies Jake Jackson capitalized just fifteen seconds later, assisted by Keegan Ford and Dane Birks to give the Huskies the 2-0 lead, concluding scoring for the first period.
Lake State scored the only goal in the second period after Alex Smith went to the penalty box for boarding making it 2-1 Tech. The Lakers tied it up at the 4:51 mark of the third period, but Tech broke the tie at the 10:48 mark by Gavin Gould for his second of the night, assisted by Joel L’Esperance.
Almost a minute later the Huskies went up 4-2 as the freshman Greyson Reitmeier scored his first goal in a Husky uniform, assisted by Seamus Donohue and Mitch Reinke. Tech’s Joel L’Esperance received a penalty at the 16:25 mark for hooking, and Lake State made it within one for a final score of 4-3.
Tech outshot Lake State 30-24. Packy Munson got the start in net and made 21 saves on the night. The Huskies had three penalties for a total of six minutes in the penalty box.
On Saturday, Oct. 14, the Huskies and Lakers had a game for the record books. Lake State opened the scoring on the night at the 8:30 mark. At the 14:49 mark Tech would go on the powerplay, and just over a minute later Joel L’Esperance would score the Huskies first goal of the night, assisted by Mitch Reinke and Mark Auk. Not even two minutes later Alex Gillies would bank another goal for the black and gold, assisted by Seamus Donohue and Mitch Reinke.
The second period had no scoring. Lake State would tie the game at 2-2 at the 8:44 mark of the third and that is how it would stay to the end of regulation. Overtime produced many nail-biting moments, but no goals, which forced a shootout.
Packy Munson stopped four out of four shots in the shootout. Reinke, Auk, and Jackson all couldn’t get the puck past the LSSU goalie, but then Jake Lucchini answered the Huskies prayers and scored the game winner.
“I’m pleased with the work ethic and execution, so I can live with the result,” Tech head coach Joe Shawhan said. “To get two points out of it is huge. We all know how important those points are at the end of the season.”
The Huskies outshot the Lakers for the second night in a row 42-25. Packy Munson made 23 saves in net for the Huskies. The Huskies had five penalties for ten minutes total in penalties.
The Huskies, now 3-1-1 overall, play the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers in the home opener and Homecoming Weekend at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena at 7:07 both Friday and Saturday night. The Chargers are off to a 0-2 start, getting swept by Notre Dame, and will be opening their WCHA schedule.
