Michigan Tech came into the weekend two points out of home ice for the playoffs and looked to surprise the nation's No. 5 team, Denver. After a three-point weekend, MTU is still two points out, but playing very good hockey as they won 2-1 Friday and tied 4-4 on Saturday.
Friday saw the home team get the lead early when Geoff Kinrade put home a shot on the power play to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. Minutes later, DU tied it up on a quick shot from the top of the circle.
Less than two minutes into the third, Tyler Schworchinski netted the game winner, beating the DU netminder with a quick wrister. DU heavily outshot MTU in the third, but Michael-Lee Teslak and the MTU defense were up to the task. Teslak ended the night with 23 saves, with 12 coming in the third period alone.
Saturday was a different story as the visitors came out flying, and opened the scoring with a pair of quick goals. It was then up to the home team to match the scoring, and they did. Jimmy Kerr and Kinrade tallied goals in the first for the Huskies, ending the period in a 2-2 tie.
DU struck first in the second, regaining the lead. Then it was Tyler Shelast, with his 13th goal of the season, evening the game again.
MTU struck again, this time to take their first lead of the game in the third. This time, it was Malcolm Gwilliam who was able to get the puck past the netminder, giving MTU the 4-3 lead. It stayed that way until four minutes to go in the game, when a shot from beyond the blue line fooled netminder Rob Nolan.
The game went to overtime, but neither of the teams had the answer. Nolan ended the game with 26 saves, including three big stops in OT.
Michigan Tech (13-14-5, 8-11-5 WCHA) has the weekend off, but resumes action at home Feb. 23-24 as Wisconsin (tied with MTU for sixth) makes the trip to Houghton.
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