Huskies Open with Home-and-Home Against Lake Superior State

Thu., Oct. 11, 2012 • 7:35 p.m. (EDT) • Taffy Abel Arena (3,373)

Michigan Tech (0-0-0) at Lake Superior State (0-0-0)

Radio Broadcast: WKMJ 93.5 FM (Dirk Hembroff, Wes Frahm)
Video Webcast: americaonesports.com/partner_members.asp?id=23
Audio Webcast: Pasty.net
Live Stats: livestats.prestosports.com/michigantech

Sat., Oct. 13, 2012 • 7:07 p.m. (EDT) • MacInnes Student Ice Arena (4,128)

Michigan Tech hosts Lake Superior State

Radio Broadcasts: WKMJ 93.5 FM (Dirk Hembroff, Steve Coates)
Video Webcasts: HuskiesLive.mtu.edu
Audio Webcasts: Pasty.net
Live Stats: livestats.prestosports.com/michigantech

Full version of game notes in pdf.

92ND SEASON BEGINS
Michigan Tech officially opens its 92nd season of intercollegiate men's ice hockey this week. One of the most storied programs in college hockey, Tech owns three national titles, six WCHA crowns and 1,114 wins in program history.

NIELSEN CAPTAIN; SEIGO AND STEBNER TO ASSIST
Senior defenseman Carl Nielsen will serve as the Huskies' captain in 2012-13. The Amherst, Ohio, native was an assistant captain for the team a year ago and has played in 103 career games at Tech. Senior Steven Seigo and junior Brad Stebner will be assistant captains, giving the Huskies three defensemen in leadership roles.

THE SERIES
Heading into the 2012-13 season, Michigan Tech and Lake Superior State have met 54 times with the Huskies owning a 32-18-4 advantage. The last meeting prior to this year was Oct. 9, 2010, a 6-2 Tech win in Sault Ste. Marie. The Huskies have won four of the last five matchups.

HAT TRICK FOR PETAN
Rookie Alex Petan scored a hat trick with three goals vs. Brock. The 5-8, 155-pound forward netted one goal in each period in his collegiate debut. Freshmen and sophomores accounted for all six goals. Freshman Jujhar Khaira, sophomore Blake Pietila and sophomore David Johnstone each had one goal. Tech has had a player score a hat trick in each of its last two exhibition games as Jacob Johnstone scored three goals vs. Lakehead.

GOALIES ALL PLAY IN THE EXHIBITION
All three of Tech's goaltenders saw one period of action in the exhibition game. Rookie Pheonix Copley got the start and worked a shutout first period. Freshman Jamie Phillips played the second period, making 11 saves on 12 shots. Senior Kevin Genoe saw nine shots in the third and stopped eight.

SAME COACHING STAFF FOR 2012-13
Michigan Tech returns the same cast of coaches it had during the 2011-12 season: head coach Mel Pearson, assistant coaches Bill Muckalt and Damon Whitten and volunteer assistant Steve Shields. Both Muckalt and Shields have NHL playing experience. Muckalt played right wing for four different teams in five years with his most productive season of 16-20=36 coming with the Vancouver Canucks in 1998-99. Shields' career spanned 12 years and six different franchises. The goaltender posted career numbers of 2.67 goals against average and .911 save percentage in 246 games played.

OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER RETURNING
Michigan Tech had an extremely balanced lineup last year as nine players had eight goals or more—the only team in the nation with that many. Six of those nine return to the program led by last year's top two goal scorers in Ryan Furne (12 goals) and David Johnstone (11). Blake Pietila (10 goals), Jacob Johnstone (nine), Tanner Kero (nine) and Milos Gordic (eight) are the others.

OH, BROTHER
The Michigan Tech roster includes lots of family ties. Chad and Blake Pietila are brothers, and Aaron Pietila is their cousin. David and Jacob Johnstone are brothers. Blake Hietala and Tanner Kero are cousins.

THREE NHL DRAFT PICKS
Michigan Tech went three years without an NHL draft pick on the roster until Blake Pietila (New Jersey, fifth round) joined the squad last fall. Now, the Huskies have three draftees in the program. Forward Jujhar Khaira and goaltender Jamie Phillips were both selected in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Khaira was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the third round (63rd overall), while Phillips was picked in the seventh round by the Winnipeg Jets (190th overall).