UAH has got to beat Michigan Tech sometime. The Chargers have now made it a habit of getting close, but still need that key goal.

Michigan Tech rallied to beat UAH 5-4 on Friday in Houghton, Mich. in the WCHA conference opener for the Chargers. The Huskies (4-1-1 overall, 2-0-1 WCHA) are now 13-0-2 all-time against UAH (0-3-0 overall, 0-1-0 WCHA).

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The Chargers arguably played their best game against the 15th-ranked Huskies, and held a 4-3 lead at the halfway point of the third period. But UAH’s penalty kill struggles continued, allowing three power play goals, including the one that relinquished that lead.

Jordan Uhelski did all he could to keep victory within reach, making 33 saves, including some critical stops in the third.

The game started inauspiciously for UAH, which is now 0-8-1 at Tech’s MacInnes Ice Arena.

A boarding call on Cam Knight just 25 seconds into the contest quickly put the Chargers on the penalty kill, which has struggled so far this season. And the struggles continued as Dane Birks’s blast from the left point put the Huskies up 1-0 at 1:41.

UAH weathered a cross-checking penalty on Brennan Saulnier before finally asserting itself on offense.

On a 3-on-2 break, Christian Rajic took a shot on Tech goaltender Patrick Munson from the high slot. Munson made the save on it and to rebound tries by Kurt Gosselin. The puck squirted out of the scramble to Rajic, who poked it past Munson’s right to tie the game with 13:15 left in the first.

Rajic’s goal, his first collegiate point, was assisted by Gosselin and Cam Knight.

The Huskies looked to take over the game with two goals in the middle of the second period. Mitch Reinke scored from near the blue line at 9:14, and Joel L’Esperance made it 3-1 Tech with yet another power play goal at the 13:16 mark.

The Chargers did not go away quietly, posting two power play goals of their own to finish off the second period. In fact, UAH was solid on that side of special teams, going 3-for-4 with the man advantage.

With 3:24 left, Saulnier notched his first goal of the season from Munson’s doorstep, deflecting a Brandon Salerno pass from the left point. Gosselin also got an assist on the play.

Josh Kestner tied the game at 3-3 with 1:14 remaining in the period. Tyler Poulsen took the puck in the right circle, waited for an opening, then slid it to Kestner in the left circle. Kestner then fired it top shelf past Munson for this second tally of the year. Knight was also credited with an assist.

L’Esperance almost put Tech up again in the final minute of the second, but Uhelski snatched the puck with his glove for a critical save.

At the end of two, it was even in just about every category. Each team had 20 shots on goal, three penalties, and two power play goals. UAH had a slight edge in faceoffs, 26-22.

With 12:29 left in the third, UAH took its only lead by converting its third straight power play opportunity. Kestner made a nifty pass to Poulsen in the right circle, close to the goal line, and found an opening past Munson.

Then came the Michigan Tech rally. After Gosselin was sent of for interference, Justin Misiak was left all alone on Uhelski’s doorstep, and Mark Auk found him. Misiak easily put in the equalizer with 9:48 left.

Then with 5:29 remaining, Jake Lucchini, who was earlier denied by Uhelski on a breakaway, scored the game-winner for MTU.

The Huskies outshot the Chargers 18-8 in the third and 38-28 for the game. Munson made 24 saves in net for Tech.

Game two of the series is Saturday at 6:07 p.m. CDT and can be seen on WCHA.tv.

Game No. 1,000 for UAH varsity hockey came close to being one of the program’s all-time upsets. While it came short of that, it did show that this Chargers team could have the tools to withstand some tough situations.

UAH never let No. 8 Notre Dame out of its sights on Friday, but the Chargers lost 5-3 in South Bend in the season opener for both teams.

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Tyler Poulsen scored two goals for UAH in the see-saw affair, which saw the Chargers have a lead throughout a bulk of the second period.

Notre Dame had advantages in shots on goal (40-28) and particularly faceoffs (41-22). UAH senior goaltender Jordan Uhelski did his job to keep the upset chance alive with all the pressure around him, making 35 saves.

It was up and down for the first half of the first period, but the Fighting Irish asserted control in the second half. Notre Dame was able to get several close-range shots on Uhelski, who was up to the task with 16 saves in the period.

The Chargers were able to get nine shots on goal on Irish sophomore goalie Cale Morris, with Brennan Saulnier getting a couple to keep him on his toes.

The second period is when things went crazy, with six of the eight goals being scored and each team getting three.

Bobby Nardella finished off a power play from Brandon Parker’s hooking call late in the first to give Notre Dame a 1-0 lead just 12 seconds in.

If you thought that may open the floodgates for the Irish, you were quickly corrected. UAH answered right back as Poulsen scored the Chargers’ first goal of the season just 36 seconds later, redirecting a Saulnier shot from the right circle.

Notre Dame quickly retook the lead at 3:01, with Colin Theisen splitting the defense and wristing the puck over Uhelski.

UAH bounced right back yet again. Josh Kestner tipped a Hans Gorowsky backhander through the slot, fooling Morris as the puck passed to his right and in the net. Levi Wunder got the second assist for his first collegiate point.

In a span of 4:44, four goals were scored and the game was tied at 2-2.

After Nardella was called for hooking during a Kestner breakaway, UAH notched its first power play goal and lead of the season. Kestner had a nifty backdoor pass to Poulsen, who wrapped the puck around an open net as the Chargers took a 3-2 lead at the 7:17 mark.

Notre Dame tied it up at 3-3 with 1:30 left in the second when Dennis Gilbert’s right point blast through traffic beat Uhelski.

In the third, the Irish regained the lead on their second power play goal. Connor James was called for high sticking at 5:30, and just 20 seconds later, Jake Evans tipped a Jordan Gross shot to make it 4-3 Irish.

The Irish went 2-for-5 on the power play Friday, as the penalty killing struggles seemed to continue from last season.

The Chargers had a big chance to tie it up before regulation. Gilbert was called for slashing with 1:06 left, and with Uhelski already pulled for an extra attacker, UAH had a 6-on-4 advantage. However, Evans was able to clear the puck down the length of the ice for a shorthanded empty net goal for the final 5-3 score.

Game two of the series is at 6:05 p.m. CDT, and can be seen online at NBCSports.com.