MANKATO, Minn. – No. 11 Michigan Tech fell 3-2 in a heartbreaker at No. 12 Minnesota State Saturday. Three goals were scored in the final 2:00 but one was waved off, and the Mavericks were given the MacNaughton Cup after a power play game-winner with 45 seconds left.
Down 2-0 early in the third period, the Huskies’ offense found its groove. Tristan Ashbrook was hooked and then scored on a penalty shot 3:10 into the third for his eighth of the season.
Tech pulled its goaltender late and Ryland Mosley put in a loose puck in front of the net to tie the game with 1:31 left. After a number of in-house replays and lengthy conversations at the home bench, the play finally went under review and was waved off for goaltender interference.
The Huskies were then whistled for a penalty with 1:18 left. Kyle Kukkonen stole the puck on an entry play and made an unbelievable individual effort to the outside of his defender and chipped in his team-leading 16th goal of the season to tie the game with 1:05 on the clock.
But the power play was still on. Cade Borchardt scored with 45 seconds left to send the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center into mayhem.
The Huskies had a late faceoff that Arvid Caderoth was able to get to the front but the Mavs held on to secure their sixth straight MacNaughton Cup.
Lucas Sowder scored the first goal of the weekend for MSU 17:34 into the second period on the power play.
David Silye made it 2-0 in favor of the home team 1:19 into the third with another power-play goal.
Shots favored MSU 36-25. Tech led in shots 9-8 in the first and 13-11 in the third.
Logan Pietila had a breakaway early in the game that was steered aside. The Mavs thought they scored early in the game with the goal horn sounding and the 5,000 fans standing, but the play continued as Blake Pietila continued to stand on his head.
Blake finished with 33 saves. Keenan Rancier stopped 23 shots.
Tech finished the regular season 22-9-4 overall and 15-7-4 in the CCHA. The Huskies are the No. 2 seed in the CCHA Mason Cup Tournament and will host No. 7 seeded St. Thomas next weekend in a best-of-three series at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena.
In other first-round matchups, Minnesota State (1) will host Lake Superior State (8), Bowling Green (3) will host Ferris State (6), and Bemidji State (5) will travel to Northern Michigan (4).
