Friday, November 15, 2002

TECH GAINS 3-3 TIE AGAINST #3 DENVER; CHRIS CONNER WITH A GOAL AND AN ASSIST

HOUGHTON, Mich. -- Freshman Chris Conner had a goal and an assist and
sophomore Cam Ellsworth made 35 saves in helping Michigan Tech earn a
3-3 overtime tie against third-ranked Denver Friday night in Western
Collegiate Hockey Association action at the MacInnes Student Ice
Arena.

No team led by more than a goal in the contest.

Tech got out to a 1-0 lead on junior Frank Werner's second goal of
the year as he beat DU netminder Wade Dubielewicz right out in front.
Brad Sullivan and Chris Durno drew assists on the play. Denver evened
the game at 12:16 and it was a 1-1 standoff after 20 minutes.

"I didn't think we had that great of a period," said Tech Head Coach
Mike Sertich of the opening 20 minutes. "We hung in there though and
I thought we got better as the game wore on."

Just :26 into the second period, Conner broke up middle and beat
Dubielewicz between the legs to put the Huskies back on top. But the
Pioneers tied it up at 9:30 on Greg Barber's fourth goal o f the
season. It was 2-2 after 40 minutes.

Denver took a 3-2 advantage at 2:44 of the third, but sophomore Bryan
Perez tucked one in from the side of the net at after Dubielewicz
misplayed the puck and the game was again knotted. The marker came at
7:38 and with the Huskies in the midst of a five-on-three power play.

Tech had the momentum most of the rest of the way, but Adam Berkhoel,
who replaced the injured Dubiewlewicz, held the Huskies off the board.

The two teams finish the weekend series tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. in Houghton.

NOTES: Tech played its third overtime in the first seven games of the
season tonight. All three of MTU's OT contests have ended in a tie .
. . The game was played in just 2:09 . . . The Huskies broke an
0-for-19 streak on the power play with a 5x3 PPG in the third period
. . . Freshman Matt Gibbons played his first collegiate game and had
two shots on goal . . . The first 1,000 fans received official
Huskies' bandanas, courtesy of the Daily Mining Gazette, Portage
Health Systems, and Mount Bohemia . . . Tech is now 10-3-14 in
overtime games vs. Denver . . . Junior defenseman Justin Brown had
two assists in the game.