Well he we are Huskies Fans! As we enter this weekend, my personal hell due to a lack of Instat games being submitted our 2024-25 college hockey season starts! Our Michigan Tech Huskies are slated to play the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks. Originally planned to be played in Alaska, the series was moved to Houghton since the Nanooks are currently having the Carlson Center renovated. The Nanooks are currently 0-2 after losing to Penn State in overtime in game one and in regulation in game two.
Analysis
Going into this weekend, we’ll just have to use our imagination when it comes to advanced stats, as we have already started the season off strong with a no submission of game data to instat on the part of the Nanooks for their series against Penn State. That being said, we can still take some pointers from the box score and information I have combed through the replays since my Flo Hockey account hasn’t expired just yet.
Even though they have only played two games this season, we can still glean some information from their top performers:
All of their offense has come from forwards so far this year. All three goals came off the rush against the Nittany Lions and I would assume the same to happen against our Huskies given the opportunity. Also, the Nanooks are still the same physical hard-nosed team Tech fans remember, with head coach Erik Largen’s squad not afraid to lay the body. What UAF lacks in top end skill, they make up for in work ethic and effort. I would compare them to what NMU has been able to put together, but with better recruits and a lack of coaching turn over in the 11th hour.
Our Huskies will be a more highly skilled team, but their downfall could be a lack of fundamentals and stamina. UAF is going to make opponents play honest hockey and as a result, if a team isn’t up for the task, then they are going to be surprised by the outcome.
Speaking of Tech, we need to cover their exhibition against NMU. We saw a pretty exciting preview of what’s to come this season. A lot of questions were answered regarding who will be playing with who, and what line combinations the coaching staff is playing with. Some fundamentals were a little behind, and there were a few system breakdowns but overall I saw it as a really positive game. As is typical of a Joe Shawhan hockey team, I expect our Huskies to continuously improve as the season continues.
As far as standouts, I see Owen Baker, Elias Jansson, and Stiven Sardarian leading the way in terms of offensive potential. Additionally, Philip Fankl, Viktor Hurtig, and Ryder Matter all used their physicality to great effect. As a whole, I would give our Huskies a passing grade on performance with room for improvement. Certain issues that arose were basic things, like positional awareness, such as forwards not covering for a defenseman who dropped deep in the offensive zone, or some broken plays from passes that weren’t the most controllable. All things that should be easily fixable.
As far as the Huskies’ goalies are concerned, both Max Vayrynen and Derek Mullahy looked solid in their first outing splitting time. Both had a few rough patches, but those were few and far between. If I had to give an edge to a starter, I would pick Max, but for this weekend I would give each a game to see how they do. For fans not used to seeing any Tech goalie other than Blake Pietila I will say this; Max reminds me of a Marc-Andre Fleury type of goalie while Derek is more closer to what we saw from Matt Jurusik or Packy Munson in terms of style and positioning.
Keys to the Game
- Keep it simple. Tech needs to just stick to the basics. If they get a chance to stretch their legs on the powerplay great, otherwise they need to stick to Coach Shawhan’s systems or else UAF will outwork them to a win.
- Physicality. I am glad they had an exhibition with Northern as their first game of the year. It really sets the tone regarding how hard they will have to play as a team. UAF will be on the same level as NMU when it comes to hitting.
- Control the transition. The Nanooks are going to try to generate offense off the rush and get the puck deep into the Huskies’ zone. Tech will need to plan accordingly to this style of play. If the can force UAF into zone offense then there will be a good chance at a Huskies win.
My Prediction
I think this is the Huskies’ series to loss. Alaska will make it close, but in the end if Tech is able to utilize their talent they have gained from the off season they should be able to out muscle their opponent. MTU wins 3-1, MTU wins 2-1.
The guys on our Chasing MacNaughton Podcast also made predictions for this coming series against the Nanooks.
Cover photo courtesy Michigan Tech Athletics.
InStat plots created by Zach Aufdemberge.
How to Watch
Both games are available through Mix 93.5 for audio featuring Dirk Hembroff (free), via Midco Sports Plus* (paywall) for video. Game 1 will be Friday at 7:07 ET. Game 2 will be Saturday at 6:07 ET.
*Midco Sports Plus is also the source of all games played in CCHA buildings this season so don’t be afraid to sign up for a month or the year. Midco Sports Plus now has apps for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku.
Jonathan graduated from Michigan Tech in the spring of 2018 with a degree in Physics and Social Science in addition to a minor in Social and Behavioral Studies. He spent his college career watching hockey with the Misfits where he became the treasurer in his last year. When not traveling to away games he resides in Hancock working for a local engineering company and keeping up with all things Tech Hockey.
