Michigan Tech defenseman Viktor Hurtig controls the puck in the offensive zone during a game against Minnesota State Satuday, Nov. 21, at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — After dropping a pair of games to the Minnesota State Mavericks, the Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team was looking for a better weekend last weekend, and got in a four-point weekend against the Bowling Green State Falcons.

Coach Joe Shawhan was proud of the way his team battled.

“It was awesome, really,” he said. “I really enjoyed watching our team play. We were good. I thought we were pretty good from the start and got better as the weekend went on. So, it was really enjoyable.

“Not an easy place to play. They competed hard, and they were challenged hard by their coaching staff. So, I really like the way that our group pulled together as a team and played as a team, played as a unit. Seemed to be one heartbeat within the group. So it was really, really enjoyable to watch.”

What really touched Shawhan was the way the Huskies battled back from a 2-0 deficit on Saturday.

“I thought it was a great comeback, and not just that we lucked out on it,” he said. “I think we earned what we got. Lots of scoring chances, lots of looks at the net. Gave up very little. So, it was a response.”

The two losses the Huskies had again the Mavericks came off a bye week. The Huskies are actually 0-4 coming off of bye weeks, so that is something concerning for Shawhan moving forward as the fall semester comes to a close.

“We haven’t played well,” he said. “We’ve lost four games coming out of off-weekends. Certainly have a concern going ahead, coming off of a break, going into the GLI, because I still think that with a group that’s learning, individuals learning how to play the game, that when breaks give us all a chance to go back to habits that we had before until better habits get totally ingrained.

“I think it’s just part of the growth process of a team.”

One of the biggest positives of the weekend was the fact that second-year forward Isaac Gordon broke through on Saturday with his first goal of the season after scoring 18 as a freshman.

“I think it was joy for Gordo,” said Shawhan. “I don’t think as far as the team, it’s like, ‘Oh, thank God.’ But, I think it was a joy. Everybody had a joy for Gordo, because he plays the game the right way. He puts the time in. He works extremely hard. I mean, how many goal posts can you hit? He hit the crossbar Friday, and multiple goal posts most every weekend. Then this one was just a really quick play where Elias (Janssen) stripped a guy in the back, pressured in the slot area, made a quick feed over, and Gordo snapped it off.

“I hope the goaltender, the goaltender pulled a groin, or a knee or something, for Bowling Green. Obviously, we’re hoping that he’s okay on the play, but it was good. Maybe it takes a little bit of pressure off.”

On Friday night, the Huskies scored twice on the power play after going 0-for-7 on Saturday against the Mavericks. Shawhan feels that the Huskies are able to do some good things on the man advantage on Fridays, but still need to figure out how to have success on Saturdays.

“Well, we’ve been scoring on Friday nights,” he said. “For the most part, it’s Saturday nights that are the tricky one. Again Saturday night, we had a five-minute power play at the end. Got chances, I think we got a dozen scoring chances on, or 10 scoring chances anyways, on the power play.

“I think we get a little bit predictable on Saturday. During the week, we kind of try to look at what may work against an opponent. We run that, and then on Saturday the power play, if you looked at this Saturday and last Saturday, they look identical. They go back to that same look. But when they don’t look like that, when we practice all week long and do something on Friday nights, we seem to get, even if they’re off scramble plays, they’re different. They give the penalty kill a different look. Something that they didn’t practice during the week, I think. So, again I thought we moved the puck around, but I thought we were really predictable on Saturday night.”

Friday night’s game also saw the first goal in Black and Gold for junior defenseman Viktor Hurtig. He and his defensive partner have been a big part of the Huskies’ 7-4-1 record overall and 5-2-1 record in CCHA play.

“He’s doing a great job. He and Kasper (Vaharautio) are just absolutely incredible. I think some of our ‘D’ (defense) in the early going have (been) really good. I think we have a good defensive corps, a capable defensive corps that’s got a lot of facets to it. The steadiest part of our defensive corps has been Kasper so far, and Victor has been mostly in with a little bit of struggle in some areas, but he’s really evolving. I thought last weekend he and Kasper were both absolutely off the charts in their anticipation, elimination of time and space, with that coming off of some structured defensive play into creative offensive play.”

SCOUTING THE TOMMIES

The St. Thomas Tommies come to the MacInnes Student Ice Arena this weekend struggling with a record of 3-8-4 overall and 2-5-3 in CCHA play after getting swept at home last weekend by Lake Superior State.

Shawhan feels that some of their struggles might come from the fact that the Tommies are leaving the CCHA for the NCHC, and some teams might be playing them a bit harder than they had traditionally in the past.

At the same time, the Tommies are still a skilled squad led offensively by senior forward Liam Malmquist, who has five goals and 17 points. Junior forwards Cooper Gay and Lucas Wahlin have 11 points each. Gay leads the team in goals with seven.

Junior Aaron Trotter and senior Jake Sibell have been splitting time in goal, with Trotter seeing a little more action. Trotter is 3-4-1 in eight starts with a 2.88 goals against average and a .897 save percentage. Sibell is 0-4-3 in seven starts with a 2.93 goals against average and a .904 save percentage.

GAME TIMES

The Huskies and Tommies are set to face off Friday at 7:07 p.m. at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena. Saturday, the two will meet again at 6:07 p.m.