January 8, 2023
Quinnipiac Remains Perfect in ECAC; Merrimack Struggling
CHN Staff Report
Michigan Tech didn’t get the win it wanted in the tournament it hosts every year, so it came to the desert to get a tournament win instead.
After coming in third place at the Great Lakes Invitational last week, the Huskies came to Mullett Arena and defeated the host, Arizona State, on Friday, before pouncing on Boston University in Saturday’s championship game.
The Huskies scored three goals in the first period, then staved off the Terriers’ charge over the second half of the game.
“It was not the start we wanted,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo said. “For whatever reason we weren’t ready to play. Give them credit, they came out hard, they forechecked us hard, and we weren’t ready for their pressure off the start. So I’ll take some responsibility for that. I do think we found our game and were pushing there towards the end, we just couldn’t find a way to get it tied up. Give them credit, they blocked a lot of shots, they’re physical, their goalie played well.”
Blake Pietila made 31 saves and was named tournament MVP.
“It was goaltending, goaltending, goaltending,” Michigan Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. “Blake gave us a chance. We scored enough in the first and held on. I couldn’t be prouder of this group. They keep finding a way.”
Pietila said the weekend was a great pushback after losing 8-1 in the GLI opener.
“We knew that we had to stick to our game plan tonight,” Pietila said. “They’re a fast transitioning team so we had to stick to our D zone coverage like we’ve done all year.”
Matt Brown and Devin Kaplan scored for the Terriers, the latter coming halfway through the third period to make it a one-goal game.
Michigan Tech has won three straight, and has inched back to No. 13 in the Pairwise.
Arizona State 2, Air Force 0
It’s been frustrating for Arizona State trying to string wins together, and this weekend was no exception. The thrill of hosting the Desert Classic tournament once again, dissipated amid Friday’s loss to Michigan Tech in the opener.
The Sun Devils did get some consolation, literally and figuratively, by bouncing back with a 2-0 win over Air Force. But they currently stand 11-12-0 overall, with home games against Minnesota State next weekend.
TJ Semptimphelter stopped 32 shots for the shutout win. Ryan Alexander scored…
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