Michigan Tech Earns Share Of MacNaughton Cup With 5-1 Win At Northern Michigan

Huskies Claim MacNaughton Cup for first time since 1976; Michigan Tech to be Top Seed in WCHA Tournament



Junior forward Reid Sturos had a goal and an assist for the Huskies Prd Time Team Score Type Scored By Assists 1st 2:22 MTU 1-0 PP Tyler Heinonen (15) Joel L'Esperance/10, Alex Petan/12 2nd 12:49 MTU 2-0 PP GW Jake Lucchini (6) Malcolm Gould/16, Matt Roy/11 2nd 15:05 MTU 3-0 EV Max Vallis (8) Reid Sturos/11, Matt Roy/12 3rd 1:34 NMU 1-3 EV Cohen Adair (5) Shane Sooth/7, Brock Maschmeyer/8 3rd 2:59 MTU 4-1 EV Reid Sturos (3) Cliff Watson/5 3rd 19:56 MTU 5-1 PP Shane Hanna (3) Alex Petan/13, Max Vallis/4 Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd Final Michigan Tech 1 2 2 5 Northern Michigan 0 0 1 1 Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd SOG Michigan Tech 8 12 13 33 Northern Michigan 11 10 7 28 Team Stats and Records PP PIM SHGF Michigan Tech (21-8-5) 3/7 5/10 0 Northern Michigan (15-14-7) 0/4 8/16 0 Michigan Tech Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves Jamie Phillips (W, 21-7-5) 60:00 1 11 10 6 27 Northern Michigan Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves Mathias Dahlstr�m (L, 7-3-1) 35:05 3 7 6 0 13 Atte Tolvanen 24:16 2 0 4 11 15 Empty Net 0:39 0 View full box score

MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan hockey team fell to No. 13 Michigan Tech, 5-1, Saturday night at the Berry Events Center.

The Huskies used three power play goals and a 27-save effort by Jamie Phillips to down the Wildcats, who wrap up the regular season with a 15-14-7 (12-11-5 WCHA) record.

With tonight's result, Northern Michigan will be the fifth seed in the WCHA tournament. The Wildcats will travel to fourth-seeded Ferris State for a best-of-three quarterfinal series March 11-13.

Michigan Tech capitalized on its first man advantage to jump out to the lead at 2:22. After Alex Petan forced a turnover, Joel L'Esperance found Tyler Heinonen with a cross-ice pass on the right edge of the crease for a tap-in goal.

One of Northern Michigan's better opportunities came with 49.2 seconds remaining on a transition play. Sandwiched between two Huskies, Gerard Hanson managed to find Dominik Shine on the edge of the right circle, but Phillips gloved Shine's shot.

With just over nine minutes remaining in the second, Shine picked Dane Birks's pocket on the Michigan Tech blue line and charged back in on net. After drawing the puck away from a diving Chris Leibinger, he fired a shot that skittered just wide of the right post.

The Huskies netted two goals in a three-minute span to pull ahead by three. First, they converted on their third man advantage of the game at 12:49, with Jake Lucchini redirecting a Malcom Gould point shot. Then, at 15:05, Matt Roy found Reid Sturos with a long outlet pass, who played the puck over to Max Vallis for the shot. Vallis ultimately potted his own rebound.

Cohen Adair netted Northern Michigan's first goal of the weekend at 1:34 of the third. After breaking the puck out of the Wildcat zone, Shane Sooth handed the puck off to Adair, who beat Phillips glove side from the top of the left circle.

Michigan Tech responded at 2:59 when Reid Sturos beat his man on a 2-on-2 rush and slipped a shot past Atte Tolvanen, who relieved Mathias Dahlstrom after the third Husky goal, while sprawling to the ice.

Michigan Tech added a third power play goal, while skating 5-on-3, with 4.4 seconds left on the clock.

NOTES: Northern Michigan leads the all-time series, 69-57-14 ... The Wildcats were selected to finish seventh in both WCHA preseason polls and finished seventh a year ago with an 11-13-4 league record ... Before the game, Northern Michigan honored its senior class: Adair, Dahlstrom, Derek Dun, Barrett Kaib, Aaron Leach, Darren Nowick, Justin Rose and Ryan Trenz.

