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Tech hockey ready for season debut at No. 12 Wisconsin

HOUGHTON — As the Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team looks to defend their 2017 WCHA Playoff title, they are looking forward to their first challenge: a nonconference matchup with the No. 12 Wisconsin Badgers.

Participating in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game at the Kohl Center is a honor the Huskies are proud to have.

“We’re honored to be invited to play in the Hall of Fame,” said coach Joe Shawhan. “We are excited for the opportunity.”

The game will mark the debut of Shawhan as the Huskies’ head coach. Having spent the last two seasons as an assistant to former head coach Mel Pearson, Shawhan oversaw the development of two goaltenders who moved on to NHL contracts in Jamie Phillips and Angus Redmond.

Now the focus is on the team as a whole, and while the team did play an intrasquad scrimmage last Saturday, NCAA practice rules have made it difficult for Shawhan and his staff to determine exactly what type of team he will have come Sunday.

“We haven’t had a lot of time to do a lot of things,” said Shawhan. “A lot of what we do will depend on the upperclassmen. We will look a lot upon our upperclassmen to see us through the first few games.”

With 10 new faces on the roster, including eight freshmen, there is a lot of work to be done early in the season as Shawhan works to bring everyone on the ice up to speed with how he wants the team to play. With 18 returning players, there is a large base of “on-ice instructors” for the coaching staff to lean on.

The veterans have embraced that role readily.

“It’s evident to me that our upperclassmen are taking time with our younger kids,” said Shawhan. “I’m extremely grateful for the effort they have put in.”

NEW VETERANS

Two of the returners who could make an immediate impact are a pair of seniors who missed much of last season in captain Brent Baltus and assistant captain Dylan Steman.

“They are both wearing letters,” said Shawhan. “They are both senior performers. Their impact is going to be tremendous on our team.”

Baltus has 98 career games under his belt, scoring 18 goals and 43 points.

Steman has 74 career games, but only 33 over the past two seasons. Despite the rash of injuries that kept Steman out of the lineup the last two seasons, Shawhan feels there is no concern that the Hanover, Minn., native cannot bounce back this year.

OFFENSIVE LEADERS

Two other Huskies who will serve as offensive catalysts this season both have one thing in common: they finished last season strong. Assistant captain Joel L’Esperance and sophomore Gavin Gould will both be counted on and Shawhan feels confident in the work ethic of both players.

“They both trained extremely hard this summer,” said Shawhan. “They both look absolutely tremendous. Joel looks better than I have ever seen him.”

GOING HOME

One of the Huskies’ newcomers will have a special trip to Madison. Sophomore Keegan Ford played 12 games for the Badgers two seasons ago before deciding the team and the school were not the right fit for him. Ford’s father played and coached at Wisconsin and his brother, Jason, is a senior on the team.

“I’m trying not to get too pumped up,” said Ford. “It’s been a long journey for me to get here. Playing against my brother, being back in my hometown, having friends and family who are going to be there, I think the biggest thing for me is just to relax and enjoy it.”

THE BADGERS

The Badgers begin the second year of the Tony Granato era. Granato, a graduate of the school, had a long NHL career as a player and then spent time as both an assistant and a head coach before returning to his alma mater. In his first season with Wisconsin, Granato led the Badgers to a 20-15-1 record, good for second in the Big Ten, but not quite enough to get them into the NCAA tournament.

While the Badgers lost star forward Luke Kunin to the NHL, sophomore Trent Frederic (15-13=33) and senior Cameron Hughes (7-25=32) both return, giving the Badgers plenty of offensive talent to work with.

Freshman Sean Dhooghe could be an impact player with the ability to help make up for the loss of Kunin. Dhooghe only stands 5-foot-3, but he made waves at the San Jose Sharks development camp this summer, and he scored 18 goals and 37 points for the USA Under-18 team last season.

“They are not hurting for talent,” said Shawhan. “They skate well. They have mobile, skilled defense. They have speed up front… They have everything a program needs.”

MEASURING STICK

Shawhan and his staff look forward to using Sunday’s contest as a tool for figuring out what his team is capable of this season. He and his staff are not intimidated by having to face an improved Badgers team right out of the gate.

“They are going to be as good a hockey team as we are going to play all season long,” said Shawhan. “We know what we are up against.

“We want to know where we are at. We are not trying to dodge anything. We want to get a gauge for what we need.”

GAME TIME

Sunday’s game will take place at 3 p.m. at the Kohl Center.

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