The University of Minnesota men’s hockey team visited Houghton for the first time in 14 years for an unusual weekend at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. The Huskies and Golden Gophers were scheduled to open the two-game ranked series Friday, but the game was postponed due to concerns about the ice conditions and player safety. This announcement came through the arena over an hour after the scheduled puck drop. Instead, the game was played on Sunday at 3:07 p.m., and the Saturday night game was moved up to 4:07 p.m. The Huskies went on to win both games and start the season 2-0.
Michigan Tech Coach Bill Muckalt is entering his second season as head coach of the Huskies, coming off a year in which he set the program record for most wins by a first-year head coach with 23 wins. This is Brett Larson’s first-year as head coach of the Gophers. Larson has an extensive playing and coaching career, including time as both a player and coach with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, one of Michigan Tech’s rivals in the former Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).
Prior to Friday’s scheduled game, both head coaches met with Husky fans at the Blue Line Club’s luncheon. During the luncheon, Coach Larson talked about his history with Michigan Tech. He praised the Huskies and the difficulty that comes with playing at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. “I hope I’ve got this across to the players. This is a tough place to play.”
Friday’s scheduled game did not go as planned. The clock struck 7:07 p.m., the scheduled start time, and the players, coaches, and officials were nowhere to be seen. As confusion built throughout the arena, a public announcement came through stating that the game would be delayed due to ice conditions. This same announcement came through several times until the game was finally called off.
On Saturday, the teams returned to the arena for the rescheduled start of the series. It was a hard-fought, physical game, with the Huskies starting on their heels before quickly settling into a groove. Sophomore Forward Matthew Van Blaricom opened the scoring late in the first period, and the Huskies never trailed on their way to a 3-2 victory. Van Blaricom led Michigan Tech with two goals and an assist, while Junior Forward Elias Jansson added a goal. Sophomore Forward Tate Pritchard and Junior Forward Beckett Hendrickson scored goals for Minnesota.
After the game, Van Blaricom said the team needed the opening minutes to settle into its first game of the season. “After we got over that hump, I think we settled in,” he said. After scoring twice in front of the home crowd, Van Blaricom described hearing his name chanted by the fans as “a surreal feeling” and “pretty sweet.”
On Sunday, the Huskies came out looking to complete the sweep. The scoring started in the second period, with a goal by Junior Forward Conner Roulette for Michigan Tech. The Huskies fought for another tough win in which they never trailed. Sophomore Forward Teydon Trembecky scored the game-winning goal, and Van Blaricom scored an empty-net goal to seal the win for the Huskies. Van Blaricom finished the weekend with three goals and an assist.
With the weekend sweep, the Huskies start the season 2-0. Michigan Tech’s next game is in St. Cloud, MN, where it will be a battle of the Huskies. Their next home game is Oct. 16 against the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, concurrent with the Michigan Tech Hall of Fame Weekend.
