PREVIEW: Huskies wrap-up regular season versus No. 16 NMU

THIS WEEK'S NOTES

THIS WEEKEND'S SERIES
• Tech wraps up the regular season this weekend with a home-and-away series versus Northern Michigan.
• The two teams will meet in Marquette Friday with Saturday's regular-season finale taking place at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena. The puck drops at 7:07 p.m. both nights.
• Evan Anderson, Mark Auk, Brent Baltus, Dane Birks, Mason Blacklock, Alex Gillies, Devin Kero, Joel L'Esperance, and Dylan Steman will be honored after Saturday's game on Senior Night.
• Tech has clinched the fifth seed in the WCHA Playoffs. NMU is playing for the MacNaughton Cup and top seed in the league playoffs.

ON THE RADIO
• Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ broadcasts all Michigan Tech hockey games. You can listen to the games online at Pasty.com or by using the TuneIn Radio App on a smartphone.
• Dirk Hembroff will call all the action in his 16th year behind the microphone.

TV BROADCAST
Both games will be televised live on Fox UP. Mark Evans (play-by-play) and Dave Ellis (color) will call all the action. TV6 and Fox UP began broadcasting the rivalry during the 2013-14 season.

WATCH ON WCHA.TV
Fans of the WCHA can watch the league and their favorite team, live or on-demand, via WCHA.tv. In partnership with Stretch Internet, WCHA.tv provides fans with high-quality, HD broadcasts on multiple platforms, including TV-connected devices via custom apps on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. Many different packages and rates are available from league to single team deals to season, monthly or nightly options.

SERIES INFO
Tech is 61-71-14 all-time against NMU, dating back to 1979. Tech is 33-30-8 at home and 23-40-6 in Marquette.

FIRST MEETING
• Tech and NMU split their first WCHA series of the season on November 10-11. The Huskies won 4-1 Friday at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena and fell 4-0 Saturday at the Berry Events Center.
• Senior captain Brent Baltus scored two goals Friday while Raymond Brice and Gavin Gould also added tallies.

NHL CALL-UP FOR PIETILA
• Former Tech hockey player Blake Pietila was called up to the NHL's New Jersey Devils last Friday and played in Sunday's 3-2 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes. It was his 18th career NHL game and first of the 2017-18 season.
• Pietila has played 45 games for the Binghamton Devils in the AHL this season before the promotion. He scored seven goals and added seven assists while serving as an alternate captain.

WCHA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Mark Auk was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week after leading all WCHA defensemen with seven blocked shots and three points on the weekend, scoring a goal and adding two assists. Auk leads the team with 17 assists and is third overall in points with 24. His 15 points on the power play are fourth in the WCHA. Tech is 7-0-0 when he scores a goal and 12-4-2 when he records a point. Auk is currently on a three-game point streak with two goals and three assists over the span. He has points in nine of the last 12 games.

LUCCHINI-L'ESPERANCE-GOULD LINE
Jake Lucchini is on a six-game point streak with five goals and four assists over the span. Gavin Gould has a point in five straight games with six points on three goals and three assists. Their line mate Joel L'Esperance has nine points over the last eight games.

CURRENT POINT STREAKS
Six-Game
 • Jake Lucchini – 5 goals, 4 assists
Five-Game
 • Gavin Gould – 3 goals, 3 assists
Three-Game
 • Mark Auk – 2 goals, 3 assists

LAST TIME OUT
• Michigan Tech split its final nonconference series of the season last weekend at home. Arizona State won 2-1 in overtime on Friday and the Huskies bounced back with a 5-3 victory Saturday.
• Six different players scored the goals in the series with Jake Lucchini Friday and Mark Auk, Joel L'Esperance, Dylan Steman, Gavin Gould, and Dane Birks finding the back of the net Saturday. Goaltender Devin Kero had 21 saves Friday and 20 Saturday.

IN THE 3-ON-3 AND SHOOTOUT
Tech has five ties this season—all in WCHA play. The Huskies have secured the extra league point twice with a shootout win at Lake Superior State and at home versus the Lakers. Since the new WCHA overtime rules changed at the beginning of last year, Tech is 5-6 after the first 5:00 overtime ends.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Huskies open the WCHA Playoffs as the No. 5 seed and travel to No. 4-seeded Bemidji State for a best-of-three series at the Sanford Center next weekend (March 2-4).

COACH SHAWHAN
• Head coach Joe Shawhan was hired on May 30, 2017 after serving as an assistant coach for the Huskies over the past three seasons and is one of nine new head coaches across Division I college hockey.
• Shawhan was brought on staff in July 2014 to work with the goaltenders and defensemen. Tech went 75-34-14 during his three seasons, going to the NCAA Tournament twice, winning the MacNaughton Cup in 2015-16, and the Broadmoor Trophy in 2016-17. The Huskies were ranked in the top two in the WCHA, and top 10 in the nation, in goals against average all three years. 
• Shawhan spent six seasons at Northern Michigan (2007-14) and was also an assistant coach at his alma mater Lake Superior State from 2005-08.
• As the head coach and general manager of the Soo Indians from 1995-2005, Shawhan compiled a 474-162-43 record to become the winningest coach in the history of the NAHL.
• Coach Shawhan earned four letters as a goaltender at LSSU (1982-87). He led the CCHA in both goals against average and save percentage during the 1985-86 season and left the program tied for first all-time in career GAA at 3.83.

NHL DRAFT PICKS
• Senior defenseman Dane Birks was drafted in the sixth round (164th overall) by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2013 NHL Draft.
• Junior Jake Jackson was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the seventh round (201st overall) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

BALTUS NAMED CAPTAIN
• Senior forward Brent Baltus is the captain of the 2017-18 Huskies.
• Seniors Joel L'Esperance and Dylan Steman, junior Jake Lucchini, and sophomore Mitch Reinke are alternate captains.

ICE BREAKER CHAMPS!
• Michigan Tech won the 2017 Ice Breaker Tournament with a pair of wins over top 20-ranked teams. The Huskies defeated No. 16 Union 6-3 Friday and No. 6 Minnesota Duluth 4-3 Saturday in the Championship Game.
• Seniors Mark Auk and Joel L'Esperance were named to the Ice Breaker All-Tournament Team. Auk was the Tournament MVP after he tallied two goals and two assists. L'Esperance scored two goals.

NEW YEAR TOURNAMENTS
• The Huskies opened up the New Year with runner-up finishes at a pair of tournaments. Tech defeated Michigan State to open the 53rd GLI before falling to Bowling Green in the title game. At the Ice Vegas Invitational, the Huskies defeated No. 13 Boston College in the semifinal before falling to Arizona State in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
• Senior forward Dylan Steman and sophomore defenseman Mitch Reinke were named to the Ice Vegas All-Tournament Team. Steman had four points on the weekend with a goal and an assist each night, while Reinke had a pair of assists in the semifinal win over No. 13 Boston College. Reinke was also named to the GLI All-Tournament Team.

BEST JERSEYS IN COUNTRY
HockeyByDesign.com recently ranked Michigan Tech's jerseys as the top uniforms in all of college hockey. Tech has four uniforms: white, black, gold, and cream. The new blacks are based off a jersey from the 1932-33 season.

TRANSFERRED IN
• Defenseman Keegan Ford played 12 games for the Wisconsin Badgers in 2014-15, recording two assists.
• Goaltender Patrick Munson played 21 games for the Vermont Catamounts in 2015-16 and was Denver's roster last season. Munson had a 9-10-1 record for Vermont with a 2.37 goals against average, and a .920 save percentage.

NHL DEVELOPMENT CAMP ATTENDEES
• Mark Auk – Edmonton (2017, 2016), Chicago (2016)
• Dane Birks – Pittsburgh (2017, 2016, 2015)
• Jake Jackson – San Jose (2017, 2016, 2015, 2014)
• Joel L'Esperance – Anaheim (2016)
• Jake Lucchini – Edmonton (2017, 2016)
• Mitch Reinke – Calgary (2017), Nashville (2016)
• Alex Smith – Calgary (2017)

JOE SHAWHAN HOUR
The Joe Shawhan Hour can be heard every Monday morning at 9 a.m. on Mix 93.5 WKMJ. Host Dirk Hembroff and Coach Shawhan talk about the previous weekend and the upcoming matchup. You can also listen live online at Pasty.com or visit MichiganTechHuskies.com for the full audio recording.

FAMILY AFFAIR
• Gavin Gould – Older brother Malcolm was an All-WCHA forward for the Huskies, playing from 2012-16.
• Devin Kero – Older brother, Tanner, was an All-American Michigan Tech hockey player from 2011-15.
• Joel L'Esperance – Older brother, Alan, lettered in hockey at Michigan Tech in 2010-11.
• Tyler Rockwell – Father John played goaltender for the Huskies from 1975-79.
• Cooper Watson – Older brother Cliff was a two-time team captain in his four-year career from 2013-17.

SUPERIOR PLAYER OF THE GAME
• Wisconsin – Mark Auk // Assisted on both of goals.
• Union – Joel L'Esperance // Scored twice.
• Minnesota Duluth – Justin Misiak // Scored the game-winner for his first collegiate goal.
• Lake Superior State – Gavin Gould // Scored twice.
• Lake Superior State – Mitch Reinke // Assisted on two goals.
• Alabama Huntsville – Jake Lucchini // Had three points and game-winning goal.
• Alabama Huntsville – Gavin Gould // Scored Tech's second goal.
• Minnesota State – Justin Misiak // Scored Tech's lone goal.
• Minnesota State – Jake Jackson // Scored two goals and added an assist.
• Bowling Green – Devin Kero // Had 26 saves in his first start of the season.
• Bowling Green – Gavin Gould // Scored the game-tying goal in the third period.
• Northern Michigan – Brent Baltus // Scored a pair of goals.
• Northern Michigan – Brent Baltus // Just because.
• Alaska Anchorage – Thomas Beretta // Scored the lone goal.
• Alaska Anchorage – Dane Birks // Had a goal and an assist.
• Alaska – Jake Lucchini // Scored the game-winning goal in OT.
• Alaska – Patrick Munson // Stopped 34-of-35 shots.
• Ferris State – Jake Jackson // Had a goal and an assist.
• Ferris State – Robbie Beydoun // Stopped 31-of-32 shots for first win.
• Lake Superior State – Robbie Beydoun // Shutout with 25 saves.
• Lake Superior State – Dylan Steman // Had a goal and an assist.
• Michigan State – Mitch Reinke // Had an assist and was +4.
• Bowling Green – Jake Lucchini // Scored a goal.
• Boston College – Devin Kero // Had 27 saves for first win.
• Arizona State – Dylan Steman // Had a goal and an assist.
• Alaska – Mitch Meek // Had 2 goals and an assist
• Alaska – Joel L'Esperance // Scored game-winner.
• Ferris State – Greyson Reitmeier // Had a goal and an assist.
• Ferris State – Alex Smith // Scored a goal.
• Bowling Green – Alex Smith // Had a goal and an assist.
• Bowling Green – Jake Lucchini // Had 2 goals and 2 assists.
• Bemidji State – Dylan Steman // Scored a goal.
• Bemidji State – Devin Kero // Stopped 36-of-37 shots.
• Arizona State – Jake Lucchini // Scored lone goal.
• Arizona State – Mark Auk // Had a goal and an assist.

WCHA GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK – FEB 12
Devin Kero was named Winter Carnival MVP after stopped 36-of-37 shots Saturday for his third win in a row as the starting goaltender. He was also named WCHA Goaltender of the Week after leading the league with a .973 save percentage on the weekend.

WCHA GOALTENDER OF THE MONTH
Freshman Robbie Beydoun was named the WCHA Goaltender of the Month for December. He played in all four games during the month, making three starts and led WCHA goaltenders with a .944 save percentage. He helped the Huskies to a 2-1-1-1 WCHA record, ranking second in the league with a 1.44 goals-against average.

WCHA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Senior defenseman Mark Auk was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Month after he led all WCHA defensemen with nine points and a plus-4 rating in October. He scored two goals and added seven assists to rank third amongst blueliners in the country in scoring.

WCHA OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF WEEK – FEB. 5
Jake Lucchini was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week after putting up five points at Bowling Green. He had a goal Friday and two goals and two assists Saturday. It was Lucchini's first multi-goal game of his career.

WCHA ROOKIE OF WEEK – DEC. 18
Goaltender Robbie Beydoun was named the WCHA Rookie of the Week after he had his first career shutout with 25 saves in a 3-0 win over Lake Superior State and then made 22 saves the next night in a 3-3 tie and stopped all three Laker shootout attempts to clinch the extra league point. Beydoun appeared in four straight games—making the last three starts—and had a .944 save percentage over the span.

WCHA GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK – NOV. 27
Junior Patrick Munson was named WCHA Goaltender of the Week after having a .936 save percentage in the series at Alaska, making a WCHA-best 73 saves in the two games. He had 39 saves Friday and stopped 34-of-35 shots Saturday.

WCHA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF WEEK – OCT. 9
Senior defenseman Mark Auk was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week after being named the MVP of the Ice Breaker Tournament on October 9. Auk scored two goals and added two assists at the tournament.

WCHA ROOKIE OF WEEK – OCT. 9
Freshman Justin Misiak received WCHA Rookie of the Week honors on October 9 after scoring his first collegiate goal for the game-winner against UMD in the Ice Breaker Championship Game. Misiak played in his first two NCAA games that weekend.

FORMER HUSKIES AT NHL CAMP
Nine former Huskies participated in NHL Preseason Training Camp. Pheonix Copley (Washington), Shane Hanna (Dallas), Tanner Kero (Chicago), Jujhar Khaira (Edmonton), Jamie Phillips (Winnipeg), Blake Pietila (New Jersey), Angus Redmond (Anaheim), Matt Roy (Los Angeles), Cliff Watson (Calgary) were all invited to camp.

PRESEASON ALL-WCHA PICKS
Seniors Mark Auk (Coaches, Media Second Team) and Joel L'Esperance (Media Second Team) and sophomore Mitch Reinke (Media Second Team, Coaches received votes) were recognized on the Preseason All-WCHA Teams. Sophomore Gavin Gould received votes in the media's picks.

TECH PICKED THIRD IN WCHA POLLS
Tech was selected third in both WCHA preseason polls. The Huskies were third behind first-place Minnesota State and Bemidji State in the Mankato Free Press Preseason Coaches' Poll and the UAHHockey.com Preseason Media Poll.