HOUGHTON--- Michigan Tech trailed twice on Saturday. but came back both times, and Tanner Kero scored the game winner after a great play by Brent Baltus to earn a WCHA series sweep of Alaska.

The Huskies won 3-2 and improved to 18-7-1 overall and 13-4-1 in the WCHA.
 

"It was big weekend for our guys," Kero said. "We knew we needed to get a few points to stay in that second place spot and gain a couple on Minnesota State. We dug ourselves a few holes but showed a gutsy effort coming back both nights."

Tech trailed 3-1 on Friday before coming back to score the game's final three, including the overtime game winner by Blake Pietila.

At the midway point of the game Saturday, and the Huskies trailing 2-1, Pietila scored for the third game in a row to tie it up. With the home team on a man advantage, Malcolm Gould carried the puck down the left side, dropped it over to the second trailer, Pietila, who one-timed it in. Kero added the second assist.

Kero scored the game winner 12:38 into the third. A long rebound squirted over to Baltus who kicked it up to his stick before finding Kero wide-open on the far side of the ice. For Baltus, it was his second assist of the night and fifth point in the last five games.

Petan also assisted on the play.

"I can't say enough about Brent Baltus," Tech coach Mel Pearson said. "He was in and out of the lineup earlier in the season but never gave up on himself. He kept working hard in practice and has taken advantage of his opportunities.

"He's playing his best hockey since he's been at Michigan Tech, and he's a big part of our team and the success we're having right now."

Husky goaltender Matt Wintjes stood tall for the Huskies in the late stages of the game, earning his first career win in the final two periods of play. He had 11 saves in the third and finished the game tying a career-high with 16 saves.

"Defensively, I think the second half of the game we played unbelievable," Wintjes said. "We stuck to our game plan.

"I feel goaltending is all confidence. I get more confident as I get more ice time, and that can take you a long way as a goaltender."

Alaska scored twice in the first period. Tyler Morley had a power play goal 10:28 into the frame, while Austin Vieth had an unassisted goal with 54 seconds left in the first.

Sandwiched between the two Nanook tallies was Chris Leibinger's first goal of the season and second of his career at the 17:06 mark. The Baltus-Kero-Petan line cycled the puck in the UAF end and swung it out to the blueline. Leibinger carried the puck across the zone and wristed in a long shot to knot it at one. Petan and Baltus were credited with the assists.

The Huskies had chances to take the lead before the Kero goal. Blake Hietala had an open net late in the second, but a bouncing puck allowed UAF goaltender Sean Cahill to get in position for the glove save. Early in the third, Dylan Steman carried the puck across the crease and waited for space before firing a shot that was gloved down by Cahill.

Steman had a chance to make it a two-goal lead late in the game on a shorthanded breakaway. After making a move his shot sailed wide. Reid Sturos also missed an open net after the Nanooks pulled their goaltender in the final minute.

Tech outshot Alaska 30-27. Jamie Phillips started in net for the Huskies and had nine saves in the first period.

Tech was 1-for-5 on the power play after six Alaska penalties. The Nanooks were 1-for-4 on the man advantage after five Husky minors.

The Huskies continue their nine-game home stand next weekend (Jan. 30-31) against Alabama Huntsville. It will be the second meeting between the two teams this season. Tech won 4-2 and 5-2 on Nov. 28-29 in Alabama.

The Chargers currently sit in a tie for eighth in the WCHA standings and have won four of their last six league games.

FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAME SUMMARY BELOW:

HOUGHTON---Senior captain Blake Pietila scored 2:46 into overtime to lift No. 10 Michigan Tech to a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over Alaska on Friday (Jan. 23) night from the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

Down 3-1, the Huskies rallied, scoring the game's final three goals to improve to 17-7-1 overall and 12-4-1 in the WCHA.

The two teams were knotted at one after the first two periods. Tyler Morley and Nolan Youngman each scored to give the Nanooks a 3-1 lead after the first 7:30 of the third.

Alaska (12-12-1, 7-11-1) then took a pair of penalties. On the first power play, Shane Hanna and Cliff Watsonboth had long shots get through to the netminder, while Joel L'Esperance and Patrick Anderson had chances near the crease.

In the second of the back-to-back power plays, Tanner Kero dug the puck out of the corner and fed it to a wide-open Alex Petan out front. Petan gathered the puck and fired it past goaltender Davis Jones at the 13:04 mark to make it 3-2.

Pietila added the secondary assist.

"The character of this team continues to show," Tech coach Mel Pearson said. "We played flat and dug ourselves a hole. There wasn't much going on for us in the third period, but we got a power play and took advantage. That goal sparked us."

Only 39 seconds later, L'Esperance scored his second goal of the game to tie it at three. He stole the puck behind the UAF net, carried it out front and wristed a shot just inside the far post. The unassisted tally was his third career goal.

"I felt confident with the puck today," L'Esperance said. "I had some good touches early in the game and got more and more confident and made some good plays."

The Huskies had to kill off a penalty late in regulation and held off a barrage of shots early in overtime, not allowing any of them to get through to goaltender Jamie Phillips.

Almost to the midway point of overtime, L'Esperance battled for the puck in the corner and chipped it over toMalcolm Gould. Gould found Pietila for a quick one-timer to the right of Jones for the game winner. It was Pietila's third goal in the last two games and the first overtime winner for the Huskies this season.

"Joel and Malcolm went in there and out-worked their guys," Pietila said. "Malcolm made a superb play and got it out to me. I could feel guys around me and knew that I needed to get a shot off quickly."

Tech outshot Alaska 31-28 in the game. Phillips stopped 25 shots for the Huskies, including 11 in the second period. Late in the second he made a highlight reel glove save, robbing Tyler Morley of a goal.

CJ Eick had a chance to give the Huskies the lead late in the first period as he split a pair of Alaska defensemen and went in alone on Jones. Eick tried to slip it 5-hole but Jones was there to make the save. Jones finished with 27 saves in the game.

L'Esperance opened the game's scoring after a beautiful setup by Anderson. Blake Hietala fed the puck up to Anderson who waited for L'Esperance for the backdoor pass. For Anderson, it was the second game in a row he tallied a point.

"Joel's been playing well for a while," added Pearson. "He just wasn't getting puck luck. He's working much harder lately.

"He's a player that's just scratching the surface, and we're going to need him down the stretch this season."

Garrick Perry made it 1-1 8:47 into the second with a power play tally.

Both teams took six minor penalties in the game. Tech was 1-for-4 on the man advantage while Alaska was 2-for-4.

The two teams wrap-up the WCHA series on Saturday (Jan. 24) night at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:07 p.m.