MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Wildcats defended home ice on Saturday against Michigan Tech, defeating the Huskies 3-1 to earn a series split and three crucial points in the CCHA standings.
The 'Cats jumped out of the gates in the opening frame, scoring twice in the opening period with one in the opening minute and one in the dying minutes of the frame. Both teams scored a goal in the second period, but the 'Cats shut down the Huskies from there on out, only allowing 10 shots on goal between the second and third periods. The Huskies pulled the netminder in an effort to get within grasp, but the Wildcat defensive unit stayed strong and finished out the game with a win.
Rylan Van Unen,
Aiden Gallacher, and
Josh Zinger all scored for the 'Cats, and
Reilly Funk recorded two assists for his second career multi-point game. The 'Cats out shot the Huskies 29-19, went 2/2 on the PK, won 33 faceoffs to 29, and blocked 23 shots to 15.
The Wildcats gain three important points in the CCHA standings, improving to 7-9-2 overall and 5-5-0 in CCHA play. The Huskies fall to 8-8-3 overall and 6-4-0 in CCHA play.
Cat Nips
- Rylan Van Unen opened the scoring tonight, giving him his first goal of the season and fifth point (1-4--5)
- Aiden Gallacher scored his third goal of the season, giving him six points (3-3--6)
- Josh Zinger scored his third goal of the season and 15th point (3-12--15)
- Reilly Funk registered two assists, his third point of the season (1-2--3)
- In his return to the lineup, Zach Michaelis recorded an assist, his second point in four games played (0-2--2)
- Andre Ghantous recorded his team-leading 15th assist (6-15--21)
- Artem Shlaine recorded his 10th assist of the season (6-10--16)
- Beni Halasz made 18 saves on 19 shots, a .947 SV%
- The 'Cats now improve to 6-2-1 at home, 4-4-0 when scoring first, 2-2 when leading after the first period, and 7-1-0 when leading after two periods
How It Happened
1st Period
The 'Cats came out with a jump in this rivalry game, as
Rylan Van Unen opened the scoring 23 seconds into the frame.
Reilly Funk tied up his man on a neutral zone faceoff and shoveled the puck to bounce onto the stick of
Rylan Van Unen who was able to carral it below the faceoff circle. Van Unen fired a shot to the short side that beat Pietila over the pad and under the blocker, giving the 'Cats an early 1-0 lead.
The Wildcats struck again in the dying minutes of the frame, as Gallacher took a pass at the point from Funk and wired a one-timer past the blocker of Pietila and gave the Wildcats a 2-0 lead heading into the middle frame.
Along with holding a two-goal cushion, the 'Cats led in shots 13-9. Both teams won nine faceoffs, and the 'Cats blocked four shots to Tech's six.
2nd Period
The 'Cats similarly opened the middle frame to the first, scoring a goal in the opening moments. Ghantous carried the line on a two-on-one, took a look, found Zinger trailing behind, and was able to slip him the puck. Zinger had all day to walk in between the hash marks and fire a shot past the blocker hand of Pietila, giving the 'Cats a three-goal lead.
Ryland Mosley took advantage of an NMU miscue and walked in on a breakaway after receiving a breakout pass. Mosley took a look and fired a shot over the stick hand of Halasz, cutting into the Wildcat lead.
With both teams scoring a goal, the 'Cats took their two-goal cushion into the third period. The 'Cats dominated in the shot department, outshooting the Huskies 13-4, and both teams won 11 faceoffs.
3rd Period
A very defensive period from the 'Cats, NMU limited the Huskies to six shots on goal in the final 20 minutes. The 'Cats finished with 23 blocked shots, a good handful of those coming in the final minutes as the Wildcats held on to the 3-1 lead and went on to win game two from the Berry.
Up Next
The 'Cats start their winter recess and are back at the Berry Events Center on Saturday, January 6, 2024, when they host the Huskies for an exhibition game.
