| CATCHING THE GAMES | |
| Times: | 6:07 p.m. CT Friday and Saturday |
| Watch it: | WCHA.tv (subscription), UAH Charger Union, The Office Break Room and Bar |
| Hear it: | Pasty.net |
| Stats: | CollegeHockeyInc.com |
| Twitter: | @weloveuahhockey, @uahhockey, @mtuhky, @TechHockeyGuide |
The Chargers will be in Houghton, Michigan, this weekend to face the eighth-ranked Michigan Tech Huskies. Puck drop is Friday and Saturday at 6:07 p.m. Central Time.
The games can be seen on WCHA.tv. If you don’t have a WCHA.tv subscription, you can watch the game from Charger Union’s World of Wings on the UAH campus or The Office Break Room and Bar in downtown Huntsville.
All-time series: Michigan Tech has won all four meetings with UAH since the series started last season. The Huskies won both games in Huntsville on Nov. 28-29 by scores of 4-2 and 5-2. Last year in Houghton, Michigan Tech dispatched the Chargers, 4-1 and 10-4.
Defenseman Brandon Parker is tied for the UAH team lead with 10 assists.
Chargers recap: UAH (7-16-3 overall, 6-12-0 WCHA) lost two exhibition games at home to the U.S. National Under-18 Team last week.
On Friday, Brennan Saulnier scored the Chargers’ only goal in a 2-1 overtime loss. Matt Larose made 31 saves from the second period on.
On Saturday, Brandon Carlson and Alex Carpenter each put UAH in front, but two last-minute goals felled the Chargers 4-2. Larose stopped another 39 shots.
Max McHugh’s team-leading 17 points is second among WCHA freshman, two behind Minnesota State’s C.J. Franklin. He also leads the Chargers in goals with seven, and tied for the team lead with Brandon Parker in assists with 10.
Defenseman Frank Misuraca has six goals, one behind McHugh. Jeff Vanderlugt (5-6-11), Prince (4-7-11), and Brears (3-8-11) are tied for second in points.
Carmine Guerriero has taken over the WCHA’s top spot in save percentage at .933, which is good for 10th in Division I. His 2.32 goals against average is eighth in the league.
| UAH | Tale of the tape (WCHA rank) |
MTU |
| 5-16-3 4-12-0 WCHA (T-8th) |
Record | 18-7-1 13-4-1 WCHA (2nd) |
| 1.77 (9th) | Goals/game | 3.23 (2nd) |
| 2.96 (9th) | Goals allowed/game | 2.04 (1st) |
| 15.4 (2nd) | Pen. minutes/game | 11.8 (8th) |
| 16.9% (6th) | Power play | 18.3% (3rd) |
| 84.9% (5th) | Penalty kill | 83.2% (6th) |
About the Huskies: Michigan Tech (18-7-1 overall, 13-4-1 WCHA) sits four points behind Minnesota State at the top of the WCHA standings. The Huskies are ranked 8th in this week’s USCHO.com poll, and currently sit 10th in the Pairwise rankings. They are 8-7-1 after starting the season 10-0-0.
The Huskies are 3-2-0 so far in their current nine-game homestand and 8-5-0 this season at the John J. MacInnes Student Ice Arena. Last week, Michigan Tech swept Alaska, 4-3 in overtime and 3-2.
Michigan Tech boasts one of the more complete teams in the league. They are second only to Minnesota State in scoring (3.23 goals per game) and are tops in scoring defense (2.04 goals allowed per game).
The Huskies have the top two point scorers in the WCHA: Tanner Kero and Alex Petan each have 11 goals and 19 assists for 30 points. Both combined for two goals and five assists in their sweep at UAH. Malcolm Gould has 20 points, and New Jersey Devils draftee Blake Pietila has 10 goals.
Jamie Phillips, a Winnipeg Jets prospect, is second in the WCHA in goals against average at 2.03, and is fifth in save percentage at .926. Phillips only saw 29 shots in the two games at UAH, allowing four goals.
| WCHA Standings | Record | Pts. |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota State | 15-2-1 | 31 |
| Michigan Tech | 13-4-1 | 27 |
| Bowling Green | 11-3-2 | 24 |
| Ferris State | 8-8-0 | 16 |
| Northern Michigan | 6-8-4 | 16 |
| Alaska* | 7-12-1 | 15 |
| Bemidji State | 5-8-3 | 13 |
| Alabama-Huntsville | 6-12-0 | 12 |
| Lake Superior State | 6-14-0 | 12 |
| Alaska-Anchorage | 4-10-2 | 10 |
| * Ineligible for postseason play | ||
Around the WCHA: Four league series are on the docket this weekend.
No. 6 Bowling Green heads to Bemidji State, where the Beavers are riding high after beating Minnesota-Duluth and Minnesota State to win the North Star College Cup.
Minnesota State, which fell to No. 3 in the poll but remains No. 1 in the Pairwise, battles Ferris State in Mankato. The Mavericks won both games at Ferris two weeks ago in another rematch between last season WCHA championship finalists.
Alaska-Anchorage will try to climb out of last place against Northern Michigan in Marquette.
Here’s the schedule for league teams this week. All times are Central. All games can be seen online on WCHA TV.
Friday, January 30
UAH at #8 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska-Anchorage at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
#6 Bowling Green at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
Ferris State at #3 Minnesota State, 7:37 p.m.
Saturday, January 31
UAH at #8 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska-Anchorage at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
#6 Bowling Green at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
Ferris State at #3 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.