Michigan Tech came back home after a long road trip that included a trip to Alaska and New York to face the #4 ranked Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs, but they could not get an upset, losing the game 5–3.
“We can not be satisfied with just playing good,” Coach Mel Pearson said. “We need to hate to lose, they kids need to know what they are capable of and need to not be satisfied unless we get the win.”
The two teams skated to a scoreless first period. In the second, it was the Bulldogs who scored first, but the Huskies responded quickly with a goal by Milos Gordic, his seventh of the year. On the next shift, the Huskies made it 2–1 when Alex MacLeod tipped in a shot from the point.
The home team had a chance to make it a 2-goal lead when they had a 5-on-3 power play for 1:30 but could not score, and the Bulldogs used that momentum to score on the next shift and make the game a 2–2 tie going into the third.
It was the Jack Connolly show in the third period as one of the leading scorers in the country got two goals and an assist, enough to get the Bulldogs past the Huskies. Michigan Tech made it close when David Johnstone scored on a one-timer with 1:15 to go in the game. It was not enough, however, as the Bulldogs added an empty netter and the game ended 5–3.
Josh Robinson was the starter for the Huskies tonight and played well, but not as well as his Bulldogs counterpart, Kenny Reiter. Robinson made 30 saves on the night.
The Huskies and Bulldogs will battle again tomorrow night in the second of this two-game series.
