The time is upon us once again. The MTU men’s hockey team went up against th Ferris State Bulldogs on Friday, Oct. 7, to which the Huskies fell short of a win. The first period saw both teams score a goal, but in the second period the Bulldogs scored the game winning goal.
After the game, coach Joe Shawhan commented on how he felt while some players played hard, there were others who did not. Shawhan said it came down to “Some players just want offense; they want offense to happen.” He feels this will be a lesson that those players can walk away with, as offense doesn’t happen if you don’t compete hard for the puck.
Shawhan also went on to say, “Some guys were fooled with our exhibition games.” Those exhibition games took place over the last two weekends. The first one Michigan Tech beat Lake Superior State 5-2, and shutout Lakehead with a 6-0 win in the second game. Moving forward the Huskies hope to be better at pushing through bodies and ensuring shots get put into the back of the net.
Last season the Huskies took five wins over Ferris State and one tie. Two of those wins took place during the playoffs. Looking at the teams this season, Ferris State is a more veteran team, according to Shawhan, and he feels they deserved the win. The Huskies are in a place to grow at the moment with the lower number of veteran players. These early game matchups will be key in helping them get that growth and find their flow.
Parker Saretsky made Michigan Tech’s only goal five minutes and twenty-four seconds into the first period. That goal was assisted by Nick Nardella and Alex Nordstrom. Goalie Blake Pietila managed 23 saves throughout the game. The Huskies offense put up 29 shots against Ferris State.
Moving forward, the Huskies head to Alaska for two more away games. Those games will be held on Thursday and Friday. After that, they return to Houghton for the first home game of the season, going up against longtime foes Bemidji State. Last season Bemidji State managed to kick the Huskies out of the playoffs during the Semifinal round, 5-2. This gives the Huskies a prime opportunity to avenge themselves by beating them at home.
