Future Husky Feature: Joe Schuldt

By Brandon Veale/Daily Mining Gazette

Schuldt gets a kick out of MMA training

HOUGHTON - In the world of college hockey, everyone's trying new and different training methods to get an edge on the competition.

Michigan Tech hockey freshman Joe Schuldt turned to mixed martial arts over the past few years as a way of improving the agility and strength of what was already a 'gritty' approach.

Schuldt said a family friend pointed him in the direction of the MMA ring and that it's something he's come to like.

"It's just a different part of training that uses different muscles in your body. It's a way to get a good workout, think and do other stuff. It's a change of pace and something that I enjoy," he said.

Schuldt, a 6-foot-2 defenseman from Minnetonka, Minn., has been a 'grit' guy for some time, including stints in the United States Hockey League and North American Hockey League.

"I think that's actually how most people describe me and how I describe myself," he said.

As a youngster growing up in the Twin Cities, WCHA hockey was a fixture of his childhood, including the Huskies, though back then the Black and Gold were "kind of the bad guys" in relation to the hometown Minnesota Golden Gophers.

As the recruiting process began, the outdoorsy culture of the Copper Country and the good vibes he got from Michigan Tech's program helped create a match.

"The coaching staff, Mel (Pearson), Billy (Muckalt), those guys are great, and when I came and visited, the team just made me feel at home and welcomed me. It felt right, felt like a good situation for me, so I took the opportunity," he said.

Schuldt played in 89 games over the past two seasons for the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Stampede in the USHL, under another coach whose name is familiar to many WCHA fans, former North Dakota assistant Cary Eaves.

During the course of last season, he was acquired by the NAHL's Austin (Minn.) Bruins, a program headed from its inception by former Michigan Tech assistant Chris Tok.

"He's an amazing teacher, and the guys welcomed me with open arms, I felt like I was a part of the family right off the bat," Schuldt said.

The Bruins reached the NAHL's Robertson Cup Finals, losing in the championship series to Fairbanks.

After a summer of work on speed and fundamentals, Schuldt has arrived in Houghton ready to pursue a course of study in marketing or business management and ready to shake things up a little on the ice.

"I hope to just work as hard as I can for the Huskies, and give that physical presence when the team needs it," he said.