Rolling at the right time
Tech prepares to host 1st-place Bemidji State in showdown of WCHA’s top 2 teams
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HOUGHTON -- After arguably the most difficult four-game road trip any team in the country has to deal with, the Michigan Tech Huskies return home poised to cut into the WCHA standings lead the visiting No. 13 Bemidji State Beavers bring with them this weekend to the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.
While the Huskies faced the Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves and the Alaska Nanooks, both teams in the lower half of the current WCHA standings, no game was an easy one as both teams proved to be capable opponents.
The Huskies won one game and lost the second in a shootout against the Seawolves before downing the Nanooks twice to pick up 10 of a possible 12 points on the trip, pulling them within eight of the Beavers.
“You are never satisfied, but absolutely happy with the way the trip turned out,” said Huskies coach Mel Pearson. “They are good teams. It is hard to play there.”
More importantly, two of the Huskies’ key offensive contributors found the back of the net during the trip, senior Tyler Heinonen and junior Joel L’Esperance.
For Heinonen, his goal Friday against the Nanooks was what is often referred to as a goal-scorer’s goal as he got the puck in close to Alaska goaltender Jesse Jenks on his backhand, made a quick move to his forehand and beating Jenks high.
“Tyler is a goal-scorer,” said Pearson. “It’s good for him. He’s a little frustrated. Obviously he would like bigger numbers but it was good for him to score that goal.”
The goal was Heinonen’s fourth goal of the season. While that total is not where the senior or the Huskies were hoping for, he is really just beginning to hit his stride after off-season surgery slowed his summer workouts.
“He’s just getting into shape after his offseason surgery,” said Pearson. “He missed a lot of time. You just expect to go out there and be ready, but I think the second half will be huge for him.”
L’Esperance’s power play goal on Friday gave him six goals on the season. With 11 points, L’Esperance is now tied with junior Mark Auk, assistant captain Shane Hanna, and freshman Alex Smith for the team lead in scoring.
While the Huskies’ top two offensive threats are starting to score more consistently, three more have emerged. Two are rookies in Smith and Gavin Gould, and the other is a senior defenseman turned forward in Chris Leibinger.
It took Gould four games to score his first goal. He actually struck twice in that game, and has continued to be a key component of the Huskies’ offense since as he has three goals and six points through nine games. He picked up his third assist of the season Friday night.
Though small in stature, Gould is beginning to prove that his game is bigger than his height.
“He’s taken some time to learn how hard you have to compete,” said Pearson. “He has the vision. He has some things you can’t teach. He has some offensive flair and some creativity.”
Leibinger has become a Swiss Army Knife of a hockey player this season. Moved up to forward early in the season, he has responded by scoring five goals and seven points while anchoring any line he plays on.
Saturday night, he played his first game at center for the Huskies, and went 3-3 on faceoffs while his line played strongly throughout the game.
His emergence as a reliable forward has opened things up for Smith, who has benefitted from the opportunity to quietly put up four goals and 11 points.
“[Chris] takes a lot of pressure off of Alex defensively,” said Pearson. “It’s been a good combination. Chris has made that line.”
Of course all of this blossoming of the Huskies’ offense has come from the settling of their goaltending situation.
Freshman Angus Redmond has done a great job since being given the reigns on Oct. 28, going 8-1-1 overall and seeing his goals against average drop to an NCAA-leading 1.46.
The Huskies do not ask him to make many saves, but when they need him to come through, more often than not he does.
“He has some really good saves at critical times in games,” said Pearson. “That’s what you don’t see. Maybe you see he has 22 shots or 16 saves or whatever. There are some opportunities sprinkled in there at key times that he has made really good saves on.”
The Beavers have jumped out to an 11-0-1-1 record in WCHA play. While the Beavers have been very strong to start the year, they did drop a pair of games last weekend at home to Princeton, who recorded their first two wins of the season.
Senior Phillip Marinaccio leads the way for the Beavers with six goals and 14 points. Classmate Brendan Harms is also playing well, having scored six goals and 13 points.
The true strength of the Beavers is junior goaltender Michael Bitzer. Bitzer is 11-3-1 overall with a 1.46 goals against average, tying him with Redmond, and three shutouts.
GAME TIMES: Both games this weekend will start at 7:07 p.m. at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.