Re: Michigan Tech Season Thread Part IV: You Guys Give Up, Or Are You Thirsty For More?
Re: Michigan Tech Season Thread Part IV: You Guys Give Up, Or Are You Thirsty For More?
And I'll double post this to the GLI thread, too.
Tech set for GLI
HOUGHTON - Michigan Tech and Michigan State will open up the 45th annual Great Lakes Invitational Tuesday at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, as the Huskies seek to claim the tournament they co-host for the first time since 1980.
The Huskies are 5-20 against the Spartans all-time in GLI play but defeated MSU 4-1 the last time the teams met, in the semifinals of the 2007 edition. Malcolm Gwilliam had two assists as three seniors (Tyler Shelast twice, Peter Rouleau and Jimmy Kerr) scored for the Huskies.
The Huskies (3-14-0) are looking to end an eight-game losing streak dating back to a 3-2 victory at Minnesota Duluth Nov. 13. Tech lost eight straight from Nov. 16-Dec. 12, 2008, but a loss Tuesday would make the skid the Huskies' longest since a nine-gamer from Nov. 6-Dec. 4, 2004 and would match the longest under coach Jamie Russell.
The Spartans (12-6-2) enter this week's festivities in second place in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, having rebounded nicely from a disastrous '08-09 campaign in which the Spartans had their highest loss total in 20 years.
Leading Michigan State offensively is junior forward Corey Tropp, who has 16 goals and 11 assists in 20 games. Tropp's scoring total is already more than last year's scoring leader (Matt Schepke, now graduated) had all of last season (14). Tropp is carrying a red-hot stick, having scored in the Spartans' last four games, including a hat trick the last time out, Dec. 12 at home against Bowling Green. Tropp also recorded a hat trick in October at Maine.
Two-time defending GLI champions Michigan will meet Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in the late semifinal Tuesday. The Wolverines have been inconsistent out of the gate and at 9-9-0 overall, stand an unusual 10th in the CCHA.
After a five-game losing streak earlier in the season, coach Red Berenson's squad has picked up its play, winning three of its last five including a pair of wins, 6-0 over Minnesota and 3-2 over Wisconsin, in the College Hockey Showcase over Thanksgiving weekend.
Junior Carl Hagelin leads Michigan in scoring with nine goals and seven assists in 18 games. The Wolverines will be without key forward Matt Rust, the team's second-leading scorer, as he is playing with the United States team at this week's World Junior Championships.
RPI (9-9-1) has had a similarly up-and-down start to the season. The Engineers come into their first GLI since 1980 having lost four of their last five games, but the win was a big one: a 5-3 decision over defending national champions Boston University.
Junior forward Chase Polacek has 12 goals and 14 assists to lead the Engineers, who are eighth in the 12-team ECAC Hockey loop.
RPI lost 3-0 to Alaska Anchorage earlier this year in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Engineers and Huskies last met in the 2005 Nye Frontier Classic in Anchorage. RPI won 4-3.
Wednesday's title game will be on FSN Detroit.
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