HOUGHTON, Mich. — With the ability to host the WCHA playoff championship on the line Sunday, the Michigan Tech Huskies used a hat trick from freshman Gavin Gould and a 20-save performance from freshman Angus Redmond to earn the Game 3 victory, 4-1, over the Minnesota State Mavericks.
The second-seeded Huskies took advantage of two consecutive penalties by the third-seeded Mavericks in the second period for too many men on the ice, with Gould getting two of his three goals on the power plays.
Gould was proud to help the Huskies’ seniors extend their careers at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena to one more game.
“It feels really good to produce something like that for the seniors,” he said. “Especially in a do-or-die game, you want to do whatever it takes for them.”
With the game tied at 1-1 about midway through the second period, Gould positioned himself to Mavericks goaltender Jason Pawloski’s left. With the Mavericks’ penalty killers focused on Huskies winger Joel L’Esperance, Gould encroached on the net and was ready when L’Esperance’s second shot attempt was blocked and kicked right to him. He wasted no time burying the puck at 9:28.
On his second power-play goal, Gould parked himself to Pawloski’s right and first tipped a shot from defenseman Matt Roy before pouncing on the rebound and beating Pawloski at 10:53.
Gould’s first goal of the night came 7:10 into the contest and just shortly after a key stop by Redmond.
A Huskies turnover led to Mavericks co-captain C.J. Franklin skating in on an odd-man rush. Franklin’s shot was kicked away by Redmond and the Huskies quickly transitioned the other direction.
Gould fed the puck over to winger Thomas Beretta, who skated it into the offensive zone before feeding it back to Gould in the slot.
“It just goes to show you, it doesn’t matter what your stature is, it is how you play,” Huskies coach Mel Pearson said of Gould. “He took a bad penalty [Saturday], and I think he felt a little guilty about that, but he bounced back in a big way. He is a goal-scorer. That first goal is a huge goal, and then he is in position on the power play to get two more.”
The lead did not last long, however, as the Huskies were whistled for a penalty shortly after. Redmond fell victim to a dump-in from Ian Scheid from the red line that hit him in the shoulder and dropped into the net at 7:59.
“In Game 3 of a best-of-three, it’s going to be really hard,” said Mavericks coach Mike Hastings. “They get an out-numbered rush and they get one. We answered with a bit of a fluke. We’ll take it. I thought from that point on, we were OK, and then it got away from us after.”
Rather than let the goal affect him, Redmond went right back to work, stopping a couple of other long shots from the Mavericks.
“I just tried to reset and bounce back,” said Redmond. “Obviously, it worked out well in the end.”
After Gould’s third goal of the night, Redmond stood tall for the Huskies, making 13 stops the remainder of the night.
With the win, the Huskies won the right to host fourth-seeded Bowling Green next Saturday night.
Atlantic Hockey
Army 4, Mercyhurst 3
After C.J. Reuschlein gave the Black Knights the lead in the second period on the power play, Phillipe Drouin, Wes Baker and Josh Lammon all answered in a little over three minutes to put the Lakers up 3-1.
Zach Evancho cut the Lakers’ lead to one before the second period came to a close. Trevor Fidler and Mike Preston each struck in the third to lift the Black Knights to the win.
ECAC Hockey
No. 9 Cornell 2, Clarkson 1
Juho Jokiharju got the Golden Knights on the board first with his goal 11:45 into the game. The lead did not last long as Jeff Malott answered for the Big Red just over two minutes later.
Anthony Angello struck at 10:17 of the second period to seal the victory for the Big Red.
Mitch Gillam made 31 saves in the win.
Quinnipiac 3, No. 19 St. Lawrence 2
Thomas Aldworth struck first for the Bobcats about halfway through the first period. Connor Clifton and Alex Whelan then scored in the second to give the Bobcats a 3-0 lead.
The Saints got a late-second-period goal from Eric Sweetman on the power play and another power-play goal in the third from Mike Marnell, but could not find a third goal before the clock ran out.
Hockey East
No. 4 UMass Lowell 8, New Hampshire 2
Kenny Hausinger, C.J. Smith and Colin O’Neill all scored two goals each as the River Hawks erupted for six goals in the first and two more in the second. John Edwardh and Tyler Mueller also scored for the River Hawks.
Marcus Vela and Tyler Kelleher both scored for the Wildcats.
NCHC
No. 7 Western Michigan 2, Omaha 1
Michael Rebry scored 34 seconds into overtime for the host Broncos, who overcame a 1-0 deficit in the first period thanks to a Griffen Molino short-handed goal.
Tyler Vesel put the Mavericks up on the power play just 6:31 into the game.
Ben Blacker made 22 saves in the win.
