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COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- (Courtesy of MTU Athletics) Michigan Tech pulled within 3-2 early in the third period before falling 5-2 at No 19-ranked Colorado College tonight at World Arena. The Huskies got shorthanded goals from Daniel Sova and Bradley Stebner, but it wasn’t enough. The Tigers (17-14-2, 14-12-1 WCHA) got two goals from Jaden Schwartz and two more from Tim Hall to clinch home ice in the playoffs with their win.
Tech remains in contention for the final home ice spot in the league playoffs thanks to a loss by Nebraska Omaha. The Huskies need a win tomorrow along with losses by St. Cloud State and Nebraska Omaha tomorrow to move into sixth in the WCHA standings.
CC grabbed a 1-0 lead after a turnover coming out of the zone turned into a 2-on-1 in front of the Tech net. Josh Robinson made the initial save, but couldn’t prevent the puck from going across the goal line after it appeared to hit a Tiger skate. The goal was reviewed and stood at the 11:28 mark.
The Huskies took back-to-back penalties later in the period and were two men short for 50 seconds. As the first period was expiring, Sova jumped onto the ice and collected the puck in the neutral zone. He skated in the puck on a 2-on-1 rush and buried a laser of a slap shot into the top left corner of the net. The shorthanded goal was Tech’s fifth of the season and Sova’s third of the campaign.
The teams skated through the intermission and 2:43 of the second before Tim Hall broke the 1-all deadlock. Archie Skalback fed a pass from behind the net to a waiting Hall who made it count.
Hall added to the hosts advantage with a wrist shot from the slot at the 11:08 mark of the frame.
Tech took a penalty early in the third period, but Stebner registered a shorthanded tally 5:51 into the period as he took a shot from the left circle that bounced of CC netminder Josh Thorimbert. The puck hit the goal line and trickled across. After a review, the goal stood, giving Stebner his third of the season.
With 26 seconds to work with on the power play, CC answered right back. Michael Boivin got a shot from the left point to leak through Robinson at the 6:13 mark. That stopped the Huskies’ momentum.
Michigan Tech lifted Robinson for an extra skater with three minutes left, but couldn’t get another goal. Brett Olson was called for a major for contact to the head with 2:50 to play and given a game misconduct.
CC added an empty net goal from Schwartz with 10 seconds remaining to close scoring.
“It’s disappointing tonight,” said head coach Mel Pearson. “We just didn’t skate in the first two periods. Then we got some momentum in the third, but their fourth goal was a back breaker.
“It was a lot of pressure for us, and we haven’t been in situations like this before. We have to play more aggressively tomorrow.”
The Tigers scored twice on six power plays. Tech went 0-for-3 on the man advantage.
Robinson recorded 36 saves while Thorimbert tallied 26.
Michigan Tech and Colorado College will wrap up the regular season tomorrow at 9:07 p.m. ET/7:07 p.m. MT.
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