Michigan Tech defenseman Joe Prouty looks for a teammate to pass to during a game against St. Thomas Friday, Nov. 28, at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — After a tough three-week stretch that saw the Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team take on Bemidji State, then-No. 14 Minnesota State, and St. Thomas, where they went 1-3-2 with a pair of shootout losses, they earned a much-needed break to rest and reset.

First-year coach Bill Muckalt felt that this bye week came at a much better time than their first one did.

“I think it was much, much needed, from a rest, recuperation (position),” he said. “We were a little banged up, so (this was) just (a) good reset. Thought we had a really good week of practice, went over some systems things, and some guys needed some rest as well. So, to get that, I think, was very beneficial.”

Muckalt said that the Huskies (8-6-2 overall, 5-3-2 CCHA) learned some important lessons from their tough November stretch.

“To really be transparent, I think, (the stretch was) educational,” he said. “I think we learned some tough lessons. We learned how that margin for error is so slim. Making a mistake or not making a play, losing 1.2 seconds, we ran into some really hot goaltending, in Alex Tracy and (Aaron) Trotter, so (they were) very hard-fought series.

“Good experience to go through. Probably didn’t get the results we wanted, or maybe even deserved. But, to go through that, I think, will be very beneficial. (We had) some growing pains, for sure.”

While the team struggled to find wins, senior forward Stiven Sardarian continued to chip in offensively. He is now tied for the team lead in goals (6), and leads the team in assists (17) and points (23). He is fourth in the nation in points per game (1.44) just .01 behind Lindenwood’s Charles Savoie, who is in third.

“Offensively, yeah, he’s been great,” said Muckalt. “I’d like to see a couple more guys get on that bandwagon. But, with Stiven specifically, very talented. (We) have a lot of confidence in him. He makes plays. He’s playing with confidence. He generates. So, he’s been a real bright spot for our team and our group.”

Against St. Thomas, Sardarian played with alternate captain Max Koskipirtti and captain Isaac Gordon, and Muckalt liked all three together, especially since it seemed to spark Gordon’s offense.

“Good players make plays,” Muckalt said. “I had ‘Kosk’ and Gordon with him in the last series, and I thought Isaac was really good. We have to get him going offensively. I thought he had his best weekend, so there’s some chemistry there. But, I think, ‘Stiv’s’ going to make plays. He’s offensive. He’s creative. So, it’s fun when he has the puck. It’s fun to watch. It’s fun to coach. I’m sure it’s fun to watch too.”

While Gordon struggled offensively early in the season, he had two assists against St. Thomas, and Muckalt hopes that sparks him heading into the second half.

“He’s done a great job as a captain,” said Muckalt. “He’s a fun person to be around. He’s positive. He’s upbeat. He’s got a smile every day at the rink. He’s done a great job of setting the culture, our standards, our expectations. He does a really good job with that.

“I think there’s more offense there. He had a really good weekend two weeks ago. I think he’s ready to have a breakout second half. It’s tough to score in college. It’s a bounce here, it’s a bounce there, but he’s getting his looks. That’s a real good indicator for our hockey club.”

A pair of former CHL players are having great starts to their collegiate careers in freshman forward Teydon Trembecky, who is second on the Huskies in points with 13, and freshman defenseman Reid Andresen, who leads all Huskies defensemen in points with nine.

“Whether you’re coming from major junior (or junior A, as) freshmen, there’s a transition,” Muckalt. “I’ll tell you one of the things that was, we just had our mid-year season individual meetings. I can tell you, just having been in a room, and sitting across from these freshmen, the maturity difference in three, four months of how they carry themselves, just the growth in them as people, has been tremendous. It really was neat to see that.”

Scouting the Bulldogs

The Huskies hit the road this weekend to face the Ferris State Bulldogs for the second time this season. The Huskies beat the Bulldogs 5-1 and 4-2 in Houghton on Oct. 24 and 25, but Bulldogs come into this weekend riding high after splitting last weekend in Mankato, falling 5-1 on Friday, but defeating the Mavericks 4-1 on Saturday.

The Bulldogs, who are 4-10 overall and 3-7 in CCHA play, are led offensively by senior forward Josh Zary, who has seven goals and 10 points in 16 games. Senior forward Gavin Best (6-3=9) and senior defenseman Xavier Jean-Louis (3-6=9) are also off to good starts offensively.

Sophomore goaltender Martin Lundberg has settled into the starting role, with eight starts. He is 2-6 overall, with a 2.64 goals against average and a .894 save percentage.

“They just beat Mankato,” said Muckalt. “They’re heavy. They’re physical. I just remember how physical that series was (earlier this season) and how heavy it was.

“When you look at those things, we’re going to have to be ready to start on time. Certainly a lot of respect for Brett Riley, their coach. There’s no easy games, and there’s no cupcakes in this league. So, you’re in for it every night, and you better be ready to play.”

Game times

The Huskies and Bulldogs will face off Friday at 7:07 p.m. Saturday, the two teams will be back at it at 6:07 p.m. Both games will be at the Ewigleben Ice Arena in Big Rapids.