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Houghton, Mich – No. 13 Michigan Tech defeated rival Northern Michigan 3-0 Friday in front of a sold-out crowd at MacInnes Student Ice Arena. Blake Pietila earned his third straight shutout Friday and tied the single-season shutout record with his seventh of the season.
“I thought it was a good hockey game. North is a good hockey team, and we did a good job with their talented guys,” Tech coach Joe Shawhan said. “We have seven games left against top-ranked teams. Any points we get after this are crucial for home ice.”
For the second home game against NMU, Tyrone Bronte scored in the second period. He found himself wide open in front of the net and Nick Nardella found the back of the net for his third of the season and eighth of his career.
“I’ve got really good linemates and they read it right,” Bronte said. Nardella put it on my stick. I guess I like that net with NMU.”
Twins Logan and Blake Pietila were celebrating their birthdays Friday and both made clutch plays in the game. Logan made it 2-0 with just 2:29 left in the third period with a great individual play. He picked up a loose puck in the fumble and shot between the legs for his eighth of the season and 29th of his career. Kyle Kukkonen and Ryland Mosley assisted.
NMU (12-13, 8-9 CCA) pulled its goaltender late in the third, and Kyle Kukkonen scored his 10th of the season on an empty-netter with 22.8 seconds left to take a 3-0 lead past Ryland Mosley.
Blake Pietila had five saves in the first, eight in the second and seven in the third for his school-record 17th career shutout. The biggest stop came 6:00 into the game when Aiden Gallacher was fouled out of the penalty box on a breakaway. The shot went five-hole but Blake blocked the putts to keep it out. Pietila’s seven shutouts this season lead the nation.
“This was one of our best games as a team this season,” Blake Pietyla said. “It’s a little difficult to get 20 shots, but the guys in front of me are playing really well.”
“There is no player in the country more valuable to our team than Blake,” Shawhan said. “His family and relatives are from here, and it’s great for our community to have someone of Blake’s caliber and ability.”
Tech (17-7-4, 10-5-4 CCHA) led 36-20 in shots. Benny Halasz stopped 33 shots for the visitors.
NMU had four chances and Tech had three, but neither team was able to score on the power play.
Holiday Inn Express sponsored the game and gave away 1,000 free 7th Man t-shirts to 4,179 spectators.
The Huskies and Wildcats wrap up the regular season and weekend series at 6:07 p.m. Saturday at the Berry Events Center in Marquette.
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