BIG RAPID: After splitting final weekend with the St. Thomas Tommies at dwelling, the No. 14 Michigan Tech Huskies hockey staff is again on the street this weekend to tackle the Ferris State Bulldogs, one other CCHA opponent who has been profitable each weekend on the convention. a tough one
“I believed St. Thomas performed a great sequence,” Huskies coach Joe Shawhan mentioned. “I believed it was a great sequence between two even hockey groups. I believe anybody who noticed it might say that. I believe each staff deserved to win the weekend.”
Shawhan feels his staff obtained what it deserved final weekend, and that if they don’t seem to be cautious, the identical may occur this weekend towards a assured Bulldogs staff that already beat No. 18 Minnesota State twice this season. season.
“(St. Thomas is) shut, as is Ferris this weekend,” he mentioned. “If Ferris is profitable towards us this weekend, they transfer forward of us, forward of us on factors and stuff. So, the separation is minimal.
The Huskies are third within the CCHA rankings proper now because of a 15-7-Three general file and an Eight-5-Three file in convention play. The Bulldogs are 10-10-2 general and 7-6-1 in CCHA play, making them simply 5 factors behind the Huskies within the standings.
“I believe it exhibits that all through our league standings, most groups are comparatively equal, and it is whoever has a great evening on a selected evening, or who will get the objective.” Shawan mentioned. “We play at Lake State, they seem to be a good hockey staff.
“Ferris State beat us earlier within the 12 months. They’re a great hockey staff. They beat Michigan State within the GLI. They swept Mankato. There isn’t a escape, there are definitely no methods, and you need to do your finest each evening to attempt to discover a technique to rating factors.”
Whereas the Huskies have 15 wins on the season, which is greater than Shawhan apparently anticipated going into the season, 10 have include a one- or two-goal lead.
“I simply assume our guys have accomplished a very good job of getting some wins early and over time issues calm down. So, we’ve to continue to grow to attempt to discover methods to be that objective higher than the opposition.”
A giant a part of that, after all, is the standard of goaltending, which the Huskies obtained from senior Blake Pietila, who earned his fifth shutout of the season on Friday in a 2-Zero win over the Tommies. Shawhan feels a giant a part of the Huskies’ success this season is because of Pietila, who earned CCHA Goalie of the Week honors after serving to the staff win the Desert Hockey Basic.
“The truth is that Blake Pietila rescues quite a lot of guys from quite a lot of errors,” Shawan mentioned,
“He will get quite a lot of us out of quite a lot of errors.”
Nonetheless, in addition to he performed all weekend, Pietila delivered the game-winning objective on Saturday with simply Four:33 remaining within the sport. That objective was one among three the Huskies allowed as an virtually direct results of a shedding matchup. Every of the primary two targets the Tommies scored was the direct results of errors made after shedding the faceoff.
Not having co-captain Arvid Caderoth accessible on Saturday modified a few of what the Huskies have been in a position to do in key matchups on their very own facet, however even with that in thoughts, Shawhan felt his staff did not work onerous sufficient to forestall the Tommies from getting scoring possibilities instantly from these head-to-head wins.
“The truth is that there are nonetheless personnel who can execute,” Shawan mentioned. “Simply since you do not win the draw does not imply it ought to find yourself in your community. In each, there was a complacent sport.
Shawhan needs to see his staff be taught to play for one another, and never only for themselves, one thing he feels has been misplaced, regardless of the success the staff has had to date.
“I believe crucial factor for us is the maturity of enjoying for the opposite guys on the staff.” he mentioned. “I believe we prolonged the shifts. I believe we do issues, as a bunch, that fulfill us in some ways individually. I believe that is most likely the largest space the place we have to enhance.”
Exploring the Bulldogs
The Bulldogs simply parted methods final weekend with Lake Superior State, profitable Four-Zero on Friday and shedding Four-1 on Saturday. The Bulldogs have already overwhelmed the Huskies, Canisius, St. Thomas, Mercyhurst, Bowling Inexperienced State, Minnesota State, Northern Michigan and Michigan State this season.
Junior ahead Stepan Pokorny leads the staff in assists (9) and factors with 15 in 21 video games. Rookie winger Tyler Schleppe leads the staff in targets (Eight). Sophomore Bradley Marek has additionally been good with 5 targets and 12 factors.
On the web, sophomore Noah Giesbrecht and junior Logan Stein have been splitting time. Giesbrecht is 7-5 in 18 appearances with a 2.58 goals-against common and a .923 save proportion. Stein is Three-5-2 in 12 appearances with a Three.63 goals-against common and an .894 save proportion.
sport occasions
The Huskies and Bulldogs will meet Friday at 7:07 pm at Ewigleben Enviornment in Massive Rapids. Saturday’s contest is scheduled to start at 6:07 p.m.