This past weekend the Michigan Tech hockey Huskies traveled down to the University of Alabama-Huntsville to take on the UAH Chargers. The Huskies beat Alabama Huntsville 5-2 on Friday night, contributing to their nine game undefeated streak in WCHA play.
Senior forward Reid Sturos had a pair of goals for the night and was subsequently named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week and recently named assistant captain.
“Neville set me up pretty nicely on the back door for one of the goals and then the other one… the other team turned it over to me and I had an open net,” Sturos commented.
The Huskies went on to tie the Chargers on Saturday night but still gained an extra point in the WCHA in a shootout. The Huskies secured five out of six possible WCHA points for the weekend. After a marathon shootout of nine rounds freshman forward Chris Gerrie found the back of the net for the Huskies.
“I give our players a lot of credit that they continued to battle and found a way to get that extra point,” head coach Mel Pearson commented.
Late in the game Saturday, the Huskies, down by one, pulled freshman goaltender Angus Redmond to add an extra man. With just eleven seconds left in the game sophomore forward Jake Lucchini found the back of the net to tie up the game. Lucchini leads the team in goals with ten total for the season.
Senior defenseman Shane Hanna, freshman defenseman Mitch Reinke, Lucchini, senior forward Joel L’Esperance, sophomore forward Jake Jackson, senior forward Tyler Heinonen, junior defenseman Mark Auk and senior forward Michael Neville all attempted to score in the shootout before Gerrie made it through.
“We’re getting too tight to the goalie and just throwing things at him and not getting him moving. Chris came in on an angle with some speed and got him moving. We’re going to have to get a little more serious practicing the shootout. Those points are important,” Pearson stated.
Michigan Tech is back on the board, nationally ranking No. 20 in the USCHO poll as of January 30. The Huskies boast a 16-9-7 overall record and a 13-3-6-3 in the WCHA. They are on a seven game winning streak currently which is a tie for the longest in the nation.
The Huskies travel to Bemidji this Feb. 3-4 to take on the Beavers. The Huskies and the Beavers are the top two teams in the WCHA currently.
The Huskies are a mere four points behind Bemidji in the WCHA.
Puck drop will be at 8:07 p.m. from Bemidji’s own Sanford Center. Mix 93.5 WKMJ will be broadcasting the series this weekend. In Michigan Tech Hockey alumni news, former Husky goaltender Tony Esposito was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players of All-Time on Jan. 27 during the NHL All-Star Game.
A native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Esposito played for the Huskies from 1964-1967 and was a three time first team All America selection, helping to lead the Huskies to the 1965 NCAA Championship.
Esposito was inducted into the Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. He went on to play for the Chicago Blackhawks, where he holds their record for wins, with 418, and shutouts, with 74. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988 and had his jersey number 35 retired by the Blackhawks that same year. Esposito participated in the ceremonial puck drop of Sunday’s NHL All-Star Game.
