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Tech’s seniors reminisce on careers before final home game

Tech's nine seniors will play their final game at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena tonight at 7:07 p.m. Back row from left to right: Joel L'Esperance, Mason Blacklock, Brent Baltus, Dylan Steman, Dane Birks, Evan Anderson. Front row: Mark Auk, Devin Kero, Alex Gilles. (Michigan Tech photo)

HOUGHTON — Momentum can pick up a mediocre team and carry it past a top-tier opponent. It can turn around a season, and create havoc in standings that appeared to be set in stone, or shake up games with seemingly certain outcomes. 

Unless that team is Michigan Tech. For the Huskies, momentum seems a foreign concept. 

The Huskies have alternated wins and losses over their last eight games, with their last two wins in a row coming against Alaska on Jan. 19 and 20. They haven’t won more than three consecutive games since it happened in October, in their first four games of the season.  

“We have shown with our team every game is a game in itself. I’m not sure we are a team that has shown we can build momentum and ride it,” coach Joe Shawhan said on Saturday after Tech’s win against Arizona State. “We just have to keep grinding and take every game as it comes.”

After Friday’s 2-1 loss to Northern Michigan, Tech has one regular season game left before it takes on Bemidji State in the WCHA playoffs on March 2-4 at Bemidji. 

So with building momentum not a realistic possibility, the Huskies are looking for the next best thing: confidence. 

“It would be big for us (to perform well against Northern),” Shawhan said. “I have high expectations. We have shown we can play with anybody if we are playing intense from the onset of the game.” 

Tech hosts its rival NMU today in the MacIness Student Ice Arena for senior night. The game is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. 

For Tech’s nine seniors, their time in the black and gold Husky uniforms is running out. With only three guaranteed games left on the schedule, Brent Baltus, Mark Auk, Evan Anderson, Dane Birks, Mason Blacklock, Alex Gillies, Devin Kero, Joel L’Esperance and Dylan Steman reflect on hockey, Michigan Tech and what comes next.

– – – 

Brent Baltus, Forward, Nanaimo, B.C. 

Captain Brent Baltus is no stranger to senior nights. The fifth-year player has done it once already, celebrating with the class he entered Tech with last season. But the familiarity doesn’t make it any easier. Especially because Baltus is enjoying his best season as a Husky. Baltus has 20 points, with nine assists and 11 goals — and those numbers come with him missing eight games due to injury.

“I’ve really enjoyed this year,” he said. “I was a little bit of a late bloomer. I didn’t play full-time Junior A hockey until I was about 19, so it was just about getting an opportunity. When I came here as a freshman, and until now, it is night and day how much I’ve improved.” 

When Baltus committed to Tech, he couldn’t point to the U.P. on a map, but Houghton instantly felt like home. He flew in on a late flight and was surprised by the microscopic airport but quickly fell in love with the scenery — eventually he fell in love for real and married his wife Liz. 

For Baltus, his August wedding was the best thing to happen during his time at Tech, no comparison, but he’s enjoyed some great things on the ice as well.

Winning the MacNaughton Cup last year tops his list of hockey memories, but when Baltus leaves the program and puts five years of being a Husky behind him, the camaraderie is what he will miss most. 

“Playing college hockey is pretty special and the bond that you have,” he said. “You are with these guys constantly, in the locker room, and on the road. I love them and all of the support staff we have around here. I am going to miss being around them every day.”

– – –

Mark Auk, Defenseman, St. Clair Shores.

When Mark Auk was a junior in high school, he played Houghton in the state championships. Auk didn’t know it then, but the contest gave his future team its first look at the defenseman. 

Clearly, the Husky coaching staff liked what they saw, and Tech was the first school to recruit Auk. He liked Tech as much as Tech liked him, so after juniors, Auk committed to being a Husky. 

It wasn’t smooth sailing from the start, but now, Auk is content with where he is at.

“I’ve matured and learned to make the smart type of plays rather than trying to do too much,” he said. “I learned to work hard and do the little things. I didn’t play much the first half of my freshman season, but then I started to pay more attention to detail in every shift and every practice.”

Now, Auk is one of Tech’s top defenders with 24 points on the season — 17 assists, seven goals. 

Auk hopes to play professional hockey once he leaves Tech, but if that doesn’t happen, he’ll be happy with the second best thing: the memories Tech provided him with. 

“This goes really fast, so I’d tell the younger guys to take advantage of every single time you get to step onto this ice and wear this logo,” he said. “We have such good team chemistry, and we have a bunch of laughs, but we also bring it every night.”

– – –

Evan Anderson, Forward,

Littleton, Colorado

Forward Evan Anderson isn’t front and center when it comes to notable Tech hockey players. The forward has played in 11 games this season, and 17 overall, but Anderson has done most of his work behind the scenes, helping the Huskies in practice. 

For Anderson, his time at Tech has been all about assisting in creating a culture. During his freshman season, Tech started 10-0, swept Michigan and was ranked No. 1 in the country. Anderson saw what the Huskies could be, and now he wants the program to reach its full potential.

 “It was pretty cool to be ranked No. 1 and have a hand in putting the program back on the map,” he said. “I think (when I got to Tech) it is tough to actually picture it, but it is definitely something you set out to do. I think we came and we wanted to start a culture of excellence and a culture of winning, so it is something we all wanted to do.”

Anderson’s time at Tech may not be over, as an illness his freshman year granted him another season of eligibility. If he chooses not to continue playing, Anderson will pursue a career in finance. 

With the better part of his days as a Husky behind him, Anderson’s little ice time doesn’t matter to him. Regardless of his role, Anderson’s only goal is to better the Tech program, and he says that should be the mindset of every player who comes in.

“I would say take every day as an opportunity to move forward and get better,” he said. “It is all about moving forward as a team. If everyone expects to win, it will bring out the best in everyone.”

– – – 

Dane Birks, Defenseman,

Merritt, B.C. 

Dane Birks knows how fortunate he is. The defenseman grew up in a town of 8,000 and then played college hockey in one of similar size. He was hurt during his first week of WHL hockey and didn’t play a single game. Birks was forced to return home, but all it took was a two-game showcase to get him back on the right hockey track. He was recruited to Tech by former assistant Bill Muckalt, and now he has a shot to play professional hockey with the Pittsburgh Penguins (he was drafted by them in 2013). 

Things haven’t always been easy, but Birks knows he is lucky nonetheless. That’s why, somewhere down the line, he hopes to pass on his hockey knowledge.

“If hockey doesn’t work out, or when it comes to an end, I would like to build my own facility and help kids to train to get to where I and a lot of others have been. I want to give them an opportunity for success,” he said. “There are a lot of people who have helped me along the way, and people who have helped me every day, but the most important people are your family, of course, and then coaches.”

Birks hopes that is a long way off, so for now, he is happy with setting a good example on the ice for Tech’s young fans. 

“When I leave, I will want them to know that you should live every day to the fullest and have fun with it, but at the same time when it is time to work, it is time to work,” he said. 

– – –

Mason Blacklock, Forward, White Rock, B.C.

It’s Feb. 20 and Mason Blacklock can’t believe it. 

He knows it’s cheesy, and he knows everyone has heard it before, but this college thing, boy it goes by fast. So with 12 days of regular-season hockey left, Blacklock is trying to take some time to reflect. And he doesn’t mind passing on his new-found wisdom to his younger teammates.

“I would say enjoy every day because it does go by fast,” he said. “You never think it will, but now I’m sitting here with a week left in my senior season. Just appreciate all of the little things that you might have thought were annoying. You’re going to miss them.”

He’s going to miss the things that weren’t annoying, as well, like walking onto the ice every day and hanging out with his teammates. 

He’s going to miss playing his role on the team, too. Blacklock only saw the ice in 11 games this season, but he’s embraced his position in the locker room all the same. Scoring goals and tallying assists are one thing, but Blacklock has always wanted to be more than that. His role, he says, is to be the ultimate teammate.

“I think I want those younger guys to remember me as a good teammate, a guy who cared about all of them and saw them all as good friends,” he said. “I want them to keep in touch. I want them to remember me as a guy who is positive in the locker room, supportive of others and puts the team first.”

– – –

Alex Gilles, Forward, Vernon, B.C. 

When Alex Gilles started getting recruited to play college hockey, he took it seriously. Gilles spent hours researching schools, teams and academics. 

When Tech came along, it checked all of his boxes. He wanted a school with strong academics, first and foremost, and Tech easily checked that box. He wanted a strong hockey team, and honestly, he wasn’t sure quite what he was getting with the Huskies. But he was intrigued by the potential.

“I saw a program on the rise, and I wanted to help turn around the program,” he said.

Last year, he saw the potential realized when Tech won the WCHA playoffs, something he said will stick with him for a lifetime. 

Gilles was serious about choosing a school, and he’s serious about hockey — to a point. 

After all, that’s why he started playing hockey in the first place: to have fun. Gilles fell in love with the sport playing with his dad and older brothers on an outdoor rink.

It’s more serious now, but the fun is still there. Gilles has learned to balance the two elements. 

“I’ve matured a lot,” he said. “You don’t realize how young you are when you come in. You mature a lot living on your own. You come in and you only want to do the fun things, but you quickly realize you have to make time for school, too. I think I’ve been consistent with that over the four years.”

– – – 

Joel L’Esperance, Forward, Brighton

Joel L’Esperance was first introduced to Houghton in the summertime. He would spend a week each year at his grandparents’ lake house and developed an appreciation for the Copper Country.

So when L’Esperance was recruited by Tech, he jumped at the chance to play hockey in a place with so many good memories. 

“I fell in love with the area, so it made my decision to come here really easy,” he said.

Back then, L’Esperance spent most of his time in Houghton water skiing. Now, he spends it on the ice. 

The change in elements isn’t the only difference for L’Esperance, who says he has gone through a huge maturation process since enrolling at Tech.

When he first arrived as a freshman, L’Esperance had a bit of a temper on the ice. It’s hard to imagine now, as the forward possesses a calm demeanor and speaks in a low, quiet voice. He’s always been quiet and practical off the ice, but that persona has only recently extended to hockey. 

“I’ve learned to control myself a little more,” he said. “When I first got here, I was kind of a hot head. I would scream on the ice, but now I’ve learned to relax and just focus on the next shift.”

That kind of no-nonsense approach has become typical for L’Esperance in all facets of his life. Now, he’s using it to plan the future. Playing professional hockey is the priority, but L’Esperance wants to be prepared for anything. That’s why on Wednesday he sported a suit and tie and made his way to Tech’s career fair. 

“This is obviously a second resort if hockey doesn’t work out,” he said of getting a job with his degree in management information systems. “But obviously you have to have a backup plan.”

– – –

Dylan Steman, Forward,

Hannover, Minnesota

When Dylan Steman was thinking about committing to Tech, he made his visit to Houghton over Fourth of July weekend. 

“Probably not a great time to get a realistic read on the place,” he said laughing. “But I liked it, and I was going to go to school to be an engineer either way, so it was kind of a perfect fit.”

Perfect fit or not, his time here has been less than perfect — at least from an outside perspective — but Steman wouldn’t change it.

Adversity is something Steman has grown accustomed to over the years, as it has become an unwanted accomplice in his life. 

Since he enrolled at Tech as a freshman, Steman has battled countless injuries: He broke his thumb, had wrist surgery, sports hernia surgery, and missed a year with a concussion. Steman has always loved the game, but being sidelined with injuries helped him to renew that passion.  

“When you go through injuries, you realize how much you miss the game when you aren’t playing,” he said. “I hope other people don’t have to get hurt to realize that.”

Steman thinks the adversity has made him stronger, but that is one of the few changes he’s gone through over his four years at Tech. 

“I’ve always tried to stay the same because that is what got me here,” he said. “I’ve always tried to be a hardworking forward and responsible player.”

– – – 

Devin Kero, Goalie, Hancock

When little Devin Kero laid down at night, he dreamt of black and gold uniforms, pep bands and hockey pucks. He dreamt of playing in the MacInnes Student Ice arena like the players he idolized. 

Now Kero is living out the dream.

“Playing here has been very special,” he said. “I always idolized the players, so it has kind of come full circle. To be able to realize my dream has been outstanding. To be part of this culture is not really something I can put into words. It has meant a heck of a lot to me.”

Accomplishing that dream wasn’t easy, and it came with plenty of detours. At one point, Kero wasn’t even sure he would continue playing hockey.

When he graduated from Hancock, Kero was drafted by a team in the North American Hockey League. But when he arrived to play, the team had changed owners and brought in two other goalies.

It proved to be a rough year and Kero returned home unsure of his future. But the Hancock native never got too far away from hockey, and he started skating with Tech because his older brother Tanner was on the team. 

An assistant coach had a connection with Merritt, a team in Canada that needed a goalie. Kero packed his bags and went for a tryout with no promise of making the team. 

The risk paid off — Kero won the starting gig, generated college interest and made the easy decision to attend Tech.

“It is a process; you just have to trust the process,” he said. “It is not always the most fun or the easiest thing, but you always have to show up to the rink. When I got here, I spent three years pretty much waiting and playing behind some good goaltending. But now that I’m getting to play, it definitely makes those hard times worth it.”

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