FORT WAYNE, Ind & HOWELL, Mich. – The No. 7-ranked Indiana Tech men's ice hockey team began Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) play this weekend against Cleary University, defeating the Cougars 11-4 Friday night at the SportONE/Parkview Icehouse before completing the sweep Saturday afternoon with a 9-3 win at 140 Ice Den.
 
Fabian Granqvist netted a hat trick in Friday night's win while Axel Low, Zach Bennett and Malik Ali all had two goals each. Joel Holmberg had a team-high five points with four assists while Alex Carrorthers had three assists. Braedyn Funke made 12 saves to pick up the win.
 
Tech got on the board with just under four minutes gone in the first and never looked back as they got out to a 4-0 lead, but the Cougars cut the deficit in half with a goal just 33 seconds before the first intermission and another 72 seconds into the second period. The Warriors converted two power play opportunities just a little over a minute apart to restore the four-goal advantage at 6-2 and the visitors never got within three goals again.
 
Bennett and Cam Chabot each finished Saturday's contest with two goals and two assists, while Matej Krasny also had two goals. Alex Potter and Cole Barney recorded three assists each while Riley Tucker made 17 saves in goal to notch the win.
 
Krasny put Tech on the board just 22 seconds into the game, but Cleary knotted it up at 1-1 with a goal at 2:02. The Warriors scored four times in the second to blow the game open and headed into the third period leading 5-1. The Cougars cut the deficit to 6-3 with under seven minutes to go in the game, but Tech scored three times in the final four minutes to put the game away and complete the sweep.
 
Tech (4-1-0, 2-0-0 WHAC) returns to action Friday as they travel to Rochester University.