Michigan Tech defenseman Jack Anderson keeps the puck away from a Minnesota State forward during a game Saturday, Jan. 17, at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — Following the final week of the CCHA regular season, the No. 19 Michigan Tech Huskies were in a tough spot. They dropped a pair of games to the Bowling Green State Falcons, fell from a potential MacNaughton Cup position to the fourth seed, and they found out they had to face the Falcons again in their CCHA Tournament quarterfinal series.

This time, the Huskies took care of business, winning 5-3 and 3-2, setting up a semifinal matchup with the No. 16 Minnesota State Mavericks.

“We’re in a results-based industry,” said Huskies coach Bill Muckalt. “It’s good. I like the bounce back, the resolve, obviously. This game is the agony of defeat and the thrill of victory. There’s nothing in between. It’s ride or die right now. It’s win or go home, your season’s over. So, yeah, obviously, pretty good. But, it’s on to the next challenge.”

After a weekend where the Huskies scored just three times in two games in the final regular season series, the Huskies scored five on Friday night against the Falcons last weekend.

“It’s such a fine line,” Muckalt said. “I thought we had a little bit of puck luck. I thought (Bowling Green) got puck luck in the first series. They’re a very good hockey team, I think. Tip your cap to Dennis (Williams) and that group.

“I thought maybe we got some bounces that we didn’t get in the first series, and it really comes down to that sometimes.”

One thing the Huskies needed to be better at in the playoff series than they were in the final week of the regular season, was getting out of their own end of the ice. The breakout broke down, rather than function the way Muckalt and his staff wanted it to.

“We had to make some adjustments and we did that,” he said. “I think we were better prepared just having that opponent. That’s the nature sometimes, when you win, you have the answers. We maybe did some things, I think. We matched lines, and made some adjustments that way, in the second series that I think helped us a little bit. But, ultimately, breaking the puck out is a big part of the game, for sure.

“We were able to generate some chances. I thought we had some good looks. We might not have had the volume you wanted, but, even Saturday, I think the shots were 23, 24 apiece, and then some power plays in there that kind of created some separation.”

Another adjustment Muckalt and his staff made was inserting junior forwards Owen Baker and Lauri Raiman. Raiman scored Saturday, while Baker picked up a pair of assists.

“When you talk about a team, everybody is important,” said Muckalt. “We’re only as strong as our weakest link. Packs thrive, lone wolves starve. It’s a real credit to our group. We have a lot of competition that breeds success. The trust and the belief for them to stay with it, I’m sure they’ve wanted to play more at times, but they’ve worked so hard in practice, and we try to reward the guys that are going to give us the best chance. They made our staff look pretty good this weekend. So good for Owen, good for Lauri.

“That’s what you like to see as a coach, when you can bring people into the lineup that bring life, that bring energy, that create value, that make our team better.”

Another player who had a very strong weekend was alternate captain Joe Prouty. A transfer from Lindenwood, just like alternate captain Jack Anderson, much of Prouty’s game falls, Muckalt put it, “under the radar.”

“I think Joe’s game, a lot of times, goes under the radar, but once you get a chance to coach him, and you see what he brings every day to the rink, to our group, I don’t think anybody likes practicing against Joe,” Muckalt said. “You better buckle your chin strap, and put your work boots on, because he’s full throttle every day. He gives us it all.

“Even on their power plays, you could really see the adjustment that he was going out to get in that lane on (Gustav) Stjernberg. That’s a tough one to want to block, because you know it’s coming 95, 100 miles an hour. But it shows you a lot about his character. It’s just really the fabric of our team.”

Scouting the Mavericks

The Minnesota State Mavericks come into this weekend 20-10-7 overall, and they earned the MacNaughton Cup by taking five of six points from Northern Michigan to close out the regular season.

The Huskies and Mavericks split their season series. The Mavericks took both games at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, 3-0 and 3-2, on Nov. 21 and 22, and then the Huskies won both games at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena on Jan. 16 and 17, 3-1 and 4-1.

The Mavericks are led offensively by senior forward Tristan Lemyre, who has a team-high 13 goals and 28 points in 37 games. Junior forward Luigi Benincasa has also been good, scoring nine goals and 26 points in 37 games.

Junior defenseman Evan Murr leads the blue line with nine goals and 25 points in 37 games.

In goal, senior Alex Tracy has started all 36 games he has appeared in, going 19-10-7. He sports a 1.81 goals against average and a .926 save percentage.

Game time

The Huskies and Mavericks will play at 8:07 p.m. Saturday at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato, Minnesota. The winner of that semifinal game will face the winner of Augustana and St. Thomas for the CCHA Mason Cup Championship.