HOUGHTON, Mich. (John MacInnes Student Ice Arena) -- The nationally-ranked Michigan Tech men's hockey team got the bounce it needed with 6:01 to play as Tanner Kero potted a rebound back Bemidji State goaltender Michael Bitzer to gain a 2-1 victory and clinch the series sweep Saturday in Houghton, Mich.

Trailing 1-0 after a first period they were out played, Bemidji State came charging back in the second. The Beavers got a power-play goal off the stick of Brendan Harms at the 10:31 mark of the second. Phillip Marinaccio and Gerry Fitzgerald were each credited with an assist on the play.

The Beavers continued to apply pressure on the Huskies through the second period and into the third. BSU out shot MTU 23-12 during the final 40 minutes, but the Huskies goaltender stepped up and kept Bemidji State out of the net.

With just over six minutes to play (6:01), Kero struck.

The Beavers pulled their goaltender during the final minute of action, but were unable to take advantage of the extra attacker.

BSU finished the game with a special teams victory. The Beavers were 1-for-6, netting the game's only power-play goal, while their penalty-kill unit held MTU without a goal in three man advantage opportunities and finished the weekend a perfect 7-of-7.

Bemidji State, now 10-14-4 overall and 6-10-4 in WCHA play, will return to Michigan's Upper Peninsula again Feb. 13-14 to battle Northern Michigan University in a two-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association series.

--bsu--