Huskies hockey comes off bye week ready to face Augustana
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HOUGHTON -- With a matchup at home against the No. 11 Augustana Vikings, the No. 14 Michigan Tech Huskies looming, the Huskies spent the past week refining their game during their first bye week of the season.
Huskies coach Bill Muckalt liked having a chance to address some things with his team after their eight-game run to start the season.
"It was (a) good opportunity to spend some extra time with the guys, do some extra video," he said. "I think it came at a good time. (There are) some things definitely that we can work on and do better. That was kind of the approach from our staff to our group."
The Huskies entered their break both nationally ranked and sporting a 6-2 record that included a 5-1 record against non-conference opponents. Muckalt feels there is a lot to like about where the Huskies are at.
"We’ve done a lot of good things," he said. "Obviously, consistency, standard on the road, (but we) had a blemish on the road. We’ve done a lot of good things, but that’s all behind us now. We’re, obviously, not where we want to be as a group, as a team, for our standards, our expectations, our goals. So, we have some work to do."
Looking at the first eight games, there is an awful lot to like, especially when considering the play of sophomore winger Matthew Van Blaricom, who leads the team in goals (4) and points (7). Also, junior forward Connor Roulette has six points (three goals and three assists) in his last six games.
"We have a lot of returning players," said Muckalt. "We have some players that have played very well. We have a few players that I think can go a bit better. But, this is an unbelievable opportunity, and a great challenge, when you look at the NPI for the national tournament and also aspirations that we have for our group, and standard and expectations, and what we want to accomplish this year."
The focus this past week was on improving puck management.
"Ultimately, I think, we want to generate some more shots on the power play," said Muckalt. "Our zone possession and our entries have been fantastic. Puck management is such a critical area. When we’re managing the puck well, I think it gives us an opportunity to have good success. Hopefully we’ll check those boxes after Friday night.
"Right now, it’s just about Friday night. We’re not concerned about two games. We’re just focusing on one game and the task at hand. (Puck management) will be important for us. We’ve spent time on it. We put a point of emphasis on it. When you’re going through the process, hopefully, the results will ultimately follow."
Part of that puck management starts in goal, where senior goaltender Owen Bartoszkiewicz has been developing into a leader. He is wearing a letter this season as an alternate captain, but what Muckalt really likes is how he is remaining calm.
"He seems calm, and he has a confidence to him," Muckalt said. "He’s playing the puck extremely well. So, I think, (he) just looks a little bit more mature, a little bit more confident.
"He’s been great for us, and we’ll need to be well in front of him here this weekend, obviously."
Scouting the Vikings
Augustana comes to the MacInnes Student Ice Arena this weekend fresh off a sweep of Northern Michigan last weekend where they earned 12-0 and 4-1 victories.
"We can’t control what another team does, so we just control what we can control," Muckalt said. "Obviously, they put it on them pretty good. Northern was without their starting goaltender.
"Hats off to Augustana. They’re a well coached team. They’re finding ways to have success. They’re not beating themselves. They’re very structured. They have a lot of bright spots, up and down the lineup, that have key performances. So, it’ll be a big challenge for us. But, we have to focus on what we can control. Friday night’s a huge opportunity for us to put ourselves in a better position."
The Vikings are 7-0-1 on the season and 2-0 in CCHA play. They have a win and tie against Minnesota-Duluth early in the season, and have swept Nebraska-Omaha and Ohio State already this season.
Sophomore forward Leonid Bulgakov leads the team with eight goals and 11 points in eight games. He has also taken 30 shots on net.
Junior forward Nace Langus, freshman forward Heath Nelson, and senior defenseman Owen Baumgartner all have seven points each to add to the scoring depth.
In goal, sophomore Mathis Langevin has done an admirable job taking over from Josh Kotai. He has started all eight games, and sports a 1.59 goals against average and a .940 save percentage.
Game times
The Huskies and Vikings are set to face off Friday at 7:07 p.m. at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. Saturday, the two teams will meet again at 6:07 p.m.