“We played very well at Denver,” said Huskies’ Head Coach Jamie Russell. “We generated offense and we were strong in our end. I was curious to see how we would respond to our week off as it was our first break of the year. We went toe to toe with the No. 5 team in the nation, and could have won either game.”

Huskies earn one point at Duluth

Sophomore Jordan Baker was the only Huskies’ skater to net a goal in a 3-1 loss on December 12. Baker’s goal was assisted by freshmen wingers Brett Olson and Alex MacLeod. Senior Rob Nolan made 19 stops in the loss.

Freshman Josh Robinson made 24 stops the following night in a 1-1 tie. Olson picked up the lone Huskies’ goal on the power play with assists from junior defensman Drew Dobson and Baker.

Huskies earn sweep of U.P. rivals

Robinson would get the nod both nights the following weekend as the Huskies faced a home-and-home with their U.P. rivals, the Northern Michigan Wildcats. Looking for revenge, the Huskies earned a 2-1 win at home on Friday night, December 19.

Sophomore winger Bennett Royer netted his first of the season just 2:44 in, and the Huskies never looked back. Olson picked up the game-winner at the 6:30 mark of the second period off a tremendous effort from Baker. Robinson stopped 36 Wildcats’ shots in the win.

On Saturday night, freshman center Peter Rohn, playing in just his third game of the year, notched his first of the season on the power play at 8:17 of the second period. It was all Robinson needed as he stopped all 20 Wildcats’ shots for his first career shutout.

“Sweeping NMU was huge,” said Russell. “It came at a crucial time and was a big boost for our confidence.”

Huskies take third at GLI

The sweep marked the first time the Huskies had ever swept their CCHA rivals. For their efforts, Robinson and captain John Schwarz were both recognized by the WCHA. Robinson was named Rookie of the Week and Schwarz was named the Defensive Player of the Week.

On December 27, the Huskies faced their toughest challenge to date in the No. 11 Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines chased Robinson out of the net 14:04 in, after scoring on four of their first six shots. Nolan hung tough stopping 22 of the next 23 shots, but the Huskies couldn’t get anything past Wolverines’ goaltender Bryan Hogan and fell 5-0.

In the Third Place game, the Huskies needed a stronger effort across the board. Nolan answered the bell, giving up only one goal on 30 shots as the Huskies stung the North Dakota Fighting Sioux, 2-1.

Senior center Ryan Angelow was sprung for a golden opportunity after a pass from junior winger Ryan Bunger, and he beat Sioux netminder Brad Eidsness with 2:42 left in the opening frame.

After the Sioux tied the game in the third, Baker crashed the net and picked up his team-leading second game-winning goal of the season at 14:02.

Huskies drop pair to WCHA-leading Pioneers

Despite missing top-scorer Tyler Bozak, the Pioneers appeared to be set for another easy sweep of the Huskies on Friday, January 9, but instead found themselves in a battle for their lives, needing a late goal with 17 seconds left in overtime to escape with a 4-3 win.

Senior winger Derek Kitti got the Huskies on the board 7:18 in with his first of the year. Junior defenseman Eli Vlaisavljevich and senior winger Alex Lord both assisted on the goal.

With the score tied at 1-1, senior center Alex Gagne netted his fourth of the season to regain the one-goal lead for the Huskies. Baker and sophomore defenseman Deron Cousens assisted on the goal.

The Pioneers tied the game before the period ended and then took their first lead of the game 13:00 into the third, setting up the need for Russell to pull Nolan late in the game. The move paid off in spades as assistant captain Geoff Kinrade netted his second goal of the season with the extra attacker on. The goal, which came at 19:04, was unassisted.

Nolan made 30 saves for the Huskies.

The Pioneers jumped out to a 1-0 lead 10:00 in on Saturday. Kinrade evened the game with his second of the weekend on a four-on-three advantage with just 39 seconds left in the first period. Olson and Dobson both assisted on the goal.

The Pioneers notched the game-winning goal with just under four minutes left in the second period and added an insurance marker with Nolan pulled and only four seconds left on the clock for the 3-1 win.

“We did some good things, but we have some areas we need to improve,” said head coach Jamie Russell. “The work ethic was there; we’ve got some areas we’ve got to shore up in our systems.”

The Huskies controlled the opening frame, outshooting the Blues 16-5. The Huskies also had three power-play opportunities and held the Blues to just one, yet it was the Blues who led 1-0 on a power-play marker by Eddie Snetsinger, who managed to redirect a shot from Brendan Sherrard past senior netminder Rob Nolan 4:06 in.

The Blues seemed to have a distinct height advantage over the Huskies, and they tried to exploit this at every opportunity by laying out Huskies with huge checks, but once the Huskies discovered that the Blues could be hit just as hard, they fought back with hits of their own. Freshman winger Seth Soley and sophomore center Eric Kattelus both threw some big hits.

Freshman winger Alex MacLeod was the most effective Huskies’ forward at crashing the net in the early stages, showing up around Blues’ goalie Russ Brownell’s crease every time there was a whistle.

The second period looked similar to the first as the Huskies outshot the Blues 14-7 but again gave up a power-play marker as Byron Elliot took a long back-door pass from Snetsinger and roofed a shot over Nolan’s left shoulder at 11:44.

Both teams finished the second period with three power plays each, but the Huskies just couldn’t find the handle on rebound chances in front of Brownell.

Junior defenseman Eli Vlaisavljevich was very visible in the middle frame with both his puck-carrying ability, taking the puck to the net on more than one occasion, and his ability to hit the forward in stride coming out of his own end.

“We’re as deep as any team in the WCHA on defense this year,” said Vlaisavljevich. “I just wanted to make things happen.”

Vlaisavljevich was in on a play that appeared to cut the Blues’ lead in half at the 17:35 mark as he cut to the net, fired a pass to junior winger Ryan Bunger, whose first shot kicked high in the air where Bunger knocked it down to freshman winger Mikael Lickteig, but the goal was disallowed after video review showed that Bunger played the puck with a high stick.

After two periods of lots of shots from the high slot, but almost none from the high traffic areas in front of Brownell, the Huskies finally got pucks into the front of the crease with regularity in the third.

Trailing 3-0 after another power play marker, this time a redirected goal by Robert Kay at 12:05, the Huskies pounded away at Brownell before Bunger finally buried one with 3:18 left. Senior winger Alex Lord and captain John Schwarz assited on the goal.

“We started playing with some urgency [in the third],” said Bunger. “We kind of got that wake-up call.”

Russell pulled Nolan with 1:03 remaining, but the Huskies couldn’t quite get another puck in close.

The Huskies finished zero-for-nine on the man advantage, while the Blues went three-for-seven.

“There’s going to be a lot of special teams,” said Russell. “You’ve got to be able to adapt to that and be successful.”

Despite the final score, there were positives that could be taken from the experience for the Huskies. Russell looks forward to working with the freshmen this week to improve in those areas.

“We have a lot of areas that we can break down [with video] for our younger guys,” said Russell. “We’ll sit down one-on-one with them and go through their shifts.”

Nolan finished the game with 13 saves for the Huskies.

The Huskies will need that prep time to get geared up for this weekend, as they will face the Northern Michigan Wildcats and the Lake Superior State Lakers in the Superior Cup. The Wildcats defeated the Blues 4-1 on Sunday.

Sophomore Mark Olver (21-17=38) led the Wildcats last season in scoring. Senior Nick Sirota (18-18=36) also returns offensively.

Former Huskies’ winger Phil Axtell could make his Wildcats’ debut this weekend after sitting out last season due to his transfer.

Sophomore Erik Gustafsson (0-27=27) will be leaned on heavily, especially on the power play this season on the blueline.

Junior netminder Brian Stewart (15-15-4 overall, 2.61 goals against average, 91.8 save percentage) returns between the pipes after establishing himself as the go-to guy last season.

For the Lakers, junior forward Zac MacVoy (8-19=27) returns after leading the squad in scoring last season. Junior Nathan Perkovich (17-8=25) led the Lakers in goals a year ago.

Sophmore defensemen Simon Gysbers (6-13=19) and Steven Kaunisto (6-10=16) will be counted on to continue the strong seasons they both posted.

Goaltending duties will be split between junior Pat Inglis (4-10-4 overall, 3.55 goals against average, 88.8 save percentage) and sophomore Brian Mahoney-Wilson (6-10-3 overall, 2.99 goals against average, 89.9 save percentage).

The Friday game in Marquette is slated to start at 7:35 p.m., and the game on Saturday in Sault. Ste. Marie is set to start at 7:05 p.m.

“We have some real good leadership up front,” said Russell. “We have some players that have seen quite a bit of ice time and understand their roles.”

All eyes will be on senior winger Malcolm Gwilliam, the highest-scoring returning forward. His 14 points were three shy of his career best, but he netted a pair of power-play markers. He’s set for a career year with classmate Alex Gagne as his pivot for a full season.

Gagne had just nine points last season but found a home on the top line for the last month of the season. This season, he’ll be the top centerman, and he should thrive in the role.

“[Gagne] had a significant injury in his first season,” said Russell. “He definitely skates very well, and I thought that he had a very effective second half on our first line.”

Senior center Ryan Angelow has developed over his career into a valuable faceoff specialist and penalty killer. The two-way forward will be taking the bulk of important faceoffs, at least during the early portion of the season.

Derek Kitti, a senior winger, will be counted on more heavily this season. It took him awhile to break into the lineup last season, but he proved valuable at both ends of the ice and will see his ice time increase if he continues to improve this season.

Two more senior wingers, Justin St. Louis and Alex Lord, will both battle for ice time. St. Louis had flashed brilliance at points during his career but needs to show consistancy this season. Lord, who battled an injury all last season, will be a valuable member of the penalty killing units this season, provided he can stay healthy.

Junior winger Ryan Bunger, a hard-nosed, lunch bucket forward won’t blow away defenders with his breakaway speed, but there isn’t another forward on the Huskies who will get their nose as dirty as he does in front of opposing goaltenders. His seven points a year ago were down from his freshman season, but he’s back with a renewed vigor this season.

“Ryan is a player we look [forward] to bring energy and a physical edge,” said Russell. “If the line he’s on can get pucks to the net, I think he has the ability to score goals like a Tomas Holmstrom.”

Sophomores Eric Kattelus, Jordan Baker and Bennett Royer will all vie for increased ice time this season. Kattelus, a center, had a solid freshman campaign in which the two-way forward proved his awareness at both ends of the ice.

Baker busted out of the gates but struggled to keep up that intensity as the season progressed. He appears to be built from the same mold as Mike Batovanja, but with a stronger offensive upside, so he’ll need to be more consistent this season.

“Jordan has really good speed and will start the year on one of our top two lines,” said Russell. “He’s at his best when he’s competitive.”

Looking a bit like a deer in the headlights, Royer struggled with the speed of the WCHA. However, when paired with Kattelus in the latter stages of the season, he seemed to settle in. His offensive ability should set him up well for a better season this year.

Six freshmen will be working to break into the lineup this season.

Mikael Lickteig, from Little Falls, Minn., scored 74 points in 58 games for the Alexandria Blizzard of the NAHL. He was named team MVP for his efforts.

A two-way forward, Alex MacLeod of Nelson, B.C., compiled 78 points over four seasons split between the Peniton Vees of the BCHL and the Camrose Kodiaks of the AJHL.

Brett Olson, the oldest member of the class, was captain of the Waterloo Blackhawks last season, where he posted 54 points. Olson, a center, has impressed the coaching staff with his poise both in and out of the locker room. He hails from Superior, Wis.

“Brett is an older freshman,” said Russell. “He was a late bloomer, and I think that we’re going to see him settle in a little faster than the rest.”

Son of former NHL goaltender Pokey Reddick, Bryce Reddick played for the Cowichan Valley Capitals of the BCHL where he notched 55 points. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he earned Most Sportsmanlike for the Capitals each of the last two seasons and should be a solid scoring winger for the Huskies.

Seth Soley, a two-way winger from Elk Mound, Wis., will look to have a season like Kattelus. Soley isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty, but he is also conscious in his end, which is something the Huskies’ coaching staff has been preaching the last two seasons with much success.

The Vettre, Norway, born Peter Rohn will have to spend the first 17 games of the season watching his teammates from the press box as he played 17 games over two seasons in the Norweigan Elite League. Last season, he posted 50 points en route to team MVP honors with the Green Mountain Glades of the Eastern Junior Hockey League last season.

Despite the loss of Rohn for the first half of the season, depth is the key word for the Huskies this season. Russell is excited about the possibilities, and certainly if the large freshman class lives up to its billing, there should be plenty to cheer about for Huskies fans this season.

“It’s going to be an interesting year with nine seniors and nine freshmen,” said Russell.

None will be under a larger microscope than netminder Rob Nolan. Nolan has split each of his first three seasons with Michael-Lee Teslak, and while neither ever claimed that competition was a problem, Nolan has been stonger when he’s had to carry the load himself. Compiling a 13-29-5 record over his first three seasons, Nolan will need to at least finish in double-digits in wins if the Huskies are going to compete for home ice.

“Robbie responded really well when he was called upon last season,” said Russell. “I have a lot confidence in Robbie.”

Nolan will have the luxury of playing behind two wiley veterans in assistant captain Geoff Kinrade and captain John Schwarz.

Kinrade equaled career highs in goals (5), assists (14), and points (19) while setting a new high in power play markers (4). He’ll be counted on to continue the rush up the ice as well as be the focal point of the power play this season.

While Schwarz notched his first career goal last season, he struggled early with his new leadership role. This season, he’ll need to be the rock that he developed into as the season progressed, freeing up one of the other puck-carrying defensemen to lead the rush.

“The strides that John has made since his freshman year have been tremendous,” said Russell. “John played, at times, five to six games in a row of error-free hockey.”

Up front, fifth-year senior winger Malcolm Gwilliam is the highest-scoring returning forward. His 14 points last season were disappointing, but he set a new high in assists with nine. He’ll need to boost those numbers this season as the team’s main offensive threat.

Ryan Angelow, a centerman, could be this season’s version of Tyler Skworchinski, as he became counted on to take key faceoffs late in big games last season. He’ll be leaned on heavily to do the same this season.

“Ryan has been very successful in the faceoff circle,” said Russell. “He’s a guy that’s been a penalty killer and logged a lot of ice time for us.”

Centerman Alex Gagne is heading into his third and final season with the Huskies looking to bounce back from a disappointing nine-point campaign.

Rounding out the class are three wingers all vying for increased ice time this season. Derek Kitti, Alex Lord and Justin St. Louis all struggled to find their way into the lineup over the course of their careers, but when they have been in, they’ve made it count.

Kitti needed three seasons to figure out where he fit in the WCHA. Fans of Skworchinski will remember that Tyler needed three seasons to figure himself out, and look where it got him.

Lord and St. Louis battled injuries and inconsistency the last couple of seasons. When St. Louis is on, he can score at will; just ask the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Lord is a tough-as-nails winger who will battle for every inch.

Barring major injuries this season, the Huskies just might be in line for a season like the one they had two years ago. Having lost Chris Conner, Brandon Schwartz, and Taggart Desmet to graduation, that version of the Huskies rattled off 18 victories, so the possibility is out there.