Former Trail Smoke Eater captain Jake Lucchini went into the Christmas break on a high note, garnering American Sports Network (ASN) Player of the Week honours after scoring two game-winning goals for the Michigan Tech Huskies on the weekend.
On Saturday, Lucchini, played the hero for the second night in a row, scoring the winning goal at 8:31 of the third period to give the Huskies a 2-1 win over Bowling Green.
“Big goal from Jake (Lucchini) just as he did last night,” said Michigan Tech head coach Mel Pearson. “This was a nice way to end what has been a long first half, especially with the travel only playing seven games out of 22 at home.”
In Friday’s 3-1 game, Lucchini assisted on the opening goal to tie it at 1-1 with 2:41 to play in the middle frame. Then with five minutes remaining in regulation and Michigan Tech shorthanded, the J. L. Crowe graduate stole the puck on an aggressive forecheck and wired it by Bowling Green goalie Chris Nell high blocker for the game winner.
Lucchini has seven goals and 12 points on the season, and five of the seven goals have been game winners, the most in the NCAA.
Tech, 12-7-3 overall, sits alone in second place in the WCHA standings behind Bemidji State with an 11-3-2-1 conference record. After a slow start, the Huskies are a sparkling 9-1-1 over the past 11 games.
As a freshman Lucchini was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team as a forward and received the Norbert Matovich Memorial Award as the team’s top freshman after scoring 7 goals and 10 assists in 37 games, including one game winner.
Undrafted, he attended the Edmonton Oilers’ development camp this past summer.
Lucchini was also up for the BCHL's Most Valuable Player award, and was a second-team All Star in the BCHL in 2014-15, scoring 35 goals and 83 points in 58 games as team captain for the Smoke Eaters.
Tech, the only college team not to have a weekend off through the first half and having played 15 road games, is idle until Dec. 29 when it competes in the 52nd annual Great Lakes Invitational at the Joe Louis Arena, the final GLI to be played in the storied rink.