HOUGHTON, Mich. – Despite overcoming a four-goal deficit and tying the game late in the third period, the Alaska Nanooks hockey team fell 6-5 in the final minute of regulation to the Michigan Tech Huskies in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) contest at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena on Friday afternoon. Led by two goal efforts from sophomore defenseman Justin Woods and junior forward Josh Erickson, it still wasn't enough to overcome the Huskies (18-8-5 overall, 15-7-3 WCHA) as the Nanooks overall record drops to 8-19-4 and 6-15-4 in WCHA play.
"The first period was an interesting one for us. We started decent and once MTU scored, the shorthanded goal, we got off track and one goal quickly turned into four. MTU has fire power and if you give them opportunities, they can finish," head coach Dallas Ferguson said following Friday's game. "Our focus going into the second period was simple, focus on the next shift and get the next goal. Our power play got going and that helped with getting momentum back and ultimately, back into the game as well."
Woods (two goals) and Erickson (two goals) were one of four Nanooks to have a two-point night, as sophomore forward Peter Krieger and sophomore defenseman Nick Hinz each dished out two assists. Senior forward Alec Hajdukovich extends his point streak to three games, while junior forward Marcus Basara's assist puts him on a two-game point streak.
Rookie goaltender Jesse Jenks made 10 saves in the first period, before junior goaltender Davis Jones relived Jenks in the second and third period to make a total of 29 saves, including 15 in the third period. Michigan Tech's senior goaltender (and 2015-16 Mike Richter Award Nominee) Jamie Phillips made 12 saves on the night. The Nooks were badly outshot in the first period 14-5 before coming back and outshooting the Huskies 19-15 in the second period. Unfortunately, Tech was able to edge the Nooks in total shots on goal 45-30. The Nooks had their most successful power-play of the season, going 3-of-4 in PP opportunities, while holding the Huskies to 0-of-3 on the power play.
Michigan Tech's Michael Neville started the explosive first period for the Huskies, scoring shorthanded to make it 1-0 MTU at 9:08 into the first. Tech's Joel L'Esperance scored an even-strength goal two minutes later (11:08), after linemate Malcolm Gould avoided a neutral zone turnover before heading into the Nanook defensive zone on a 3-on-2. Gould kicked the puck over to CJ Eick, before passing to the L'Esperance who was trailing the play, to give the Huskies a two-goal lead. MTU's Max Vallis scored almost the exact same way, as the Huskies found themselves on another 3-on-2 before Vallis tipped in a backdoor goal. Defenseman Matt Roy scored his sixth goal of the season as he fired a wrister on net through traffic to make it 4-0.
Junior forward Josh Erickson led the Nanooks comeback, after taking two minute cross-checking penalty early through the second period. The Nanooks were able to kill Erickson's penalty before sending him on a breakaway as he exiting the penalty box. Erickson out-skated the Husky back-checker to come down on Phillips alone before scoring glove-side for his first goal of the night. Erickson's goal was assisted by Hinz and senior defenseman Josh Atkinson.
Three minutes later (11:18), the Nanooks were able to capitalize on the man-advantage when sophomore defenseman Zach Frye scored his third goal of the season to make it 4-2. Hinz received a pass from sophomore forward Tayler Munson on the power play before dishing it over to Frye, who ripped a one-timer past Phillips, snapping a six-game point drought.
Woods kept the comeback alive, scoring at the 15:22 mark to make it 4-3. After a massive scramble in front of Phillips, Krieger was fighting off a MTU defender in front before he tipped a loose puck to Woods, who was crashing the net backdoor for his second goal of the season.
Michigan Tech's Vallis scored his second goal of the night, as Tech's Neville was coming down on the Alaska defenders 1-on-2, dragging them both toward him before leaving a drop-pass to Vallis whose shot went past Jones to make it 5-3 Huskies.
Woods struck again, scoring a power play goal at the 8:47 mark of the third period to make it 4-3 with assists given to Basara and Hajdukovich. Basara was along the half-wall on the far side of the Husky defensive zone, before threading a pass through MTU penalty killers to Woods, who was alone on the far-side blueline. Woods walked into the zone, showcasing extreme patience as two MTU killers went down to block Woods' shot too early, before Woods lifted it above the defenders and past Phillips to keep the comeback alive.
Erickson completed the dramatic comeback at the 15:17 mark of the third, making it 5-5 thanks to a heads-up play by freshman forward Ryker Leer. Leer was battling in the corner before checking over his shoulder to see Erickson alone in front of Phillips. Leer made a backhanded pass from the bottom of the circle to Erickson, who buried his second goal of the night. Krieger was awarded the secondary assist on Erickson's third goal of the season.
"In the third we battled hard to get the game tied, unfortunately a turnover with a minute left cost us the game," Ferguson said of his third period comeback.
Heartbreak ensued as Tech's L'esperance scored his second goal of the night with only 38 seconds remaining in regulation to seal the 6-5 victory.
"It's disappointing how it ended tonight for us, but we have to give our team credit for digging in and getting ourselves back into the game," Ferguson concluded. "We have to take a simple hard-working approach into tomorrow's game in order to be successful."
The Alaska Nanooks close out their regular season road schedule in a WCHA rematch against the Michigan Tech Huskies tomorrow, Feb. 27 at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena, with puck-drop slated for 3:07 p.m. AST.
