The UAA hockey team is coming home from a road trip to Michigan with two losses -- and no shot at making the playoffs.
The Seawolves fell 3-1 to the Michigan Tech Huskies on Saturday, their second loss in two days in Houghton.
Friday’s 3-2 loss to the Huskies eliminated UAA from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs. The top eight teams in the 10-team league advance to the WCHA tournament, and the Seawolves are mired in last placed with no hope of moving up to eighth place in their final two games of the regular season.
The lone goal for UAA (3-26-3 overall, 2-21-3 WCHA) on Saturday came from senior Jeremiah Luedtke -- his seventh of the season. Sophomore Kris Carlson had 39 saves for the Seawolves, who were outshot 42-22. On Friday, Kristian Stead made 39 saves as the Seawolves were outshot 42-14.
The Huskies (14-16-4, 13-9-4) jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first two periods with a goal from Brian Halonen and a power-play goal from Alec Broetzman. UAA was held scoreless until Luedtke’s power-play goal four minutes into the third period.
Justin Misiak scored the Huskies’ third goal with a little more than two minutes left in the game.
“It was a hard-fought weekend but at end of the day it wasn’t enough,” coach Matt Curley said in a press release from the school. “Michigan Tech is the defending league champions, and they showed why over the course of the weekend. We have one more weekend left and it will be the most important two games of the year. From here forward that will be our focus, and we will build from this series this week in practice.”
The Seawolves return to Sullivan Arena for two Governor’s Cup games against UAF on Friday and Saturday.