Tech Hockey looking for wins vs. Bemidji

Courtesy of MTU Athletics

*RETURNING TO ACTION*
Michigan Tech returns to action this Friday and Saturday (Nov. 16-17) after its first weekend off since the season began Oct. 6. The Huskies have a light November schedule with only five games this month.

*DAVID JOHNSTONE GETS ON THE BOARD*
Sophomore David Johnstone <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/johnstone%20david00.html> scored his first goal of the season to give Tech a 1-0 lead in the Huskies’ last outing (Nov. 3) vs. Nebraska Omaha. The left wing collected a loose puck on the doorstep and put it home for his fourth point of the year. Johnstone tallied 11-18=29 in 39 games as a rookie a year ago. He has a goal and three assists in eight games this year for 12-24=36 in 47 career games.

*PETAN COMING OFF FIRST CAREER MULTI-POINT GAME*
Alex Petan <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/petan%20alex00.html> posted three points vs. UNO with a goal and two assists. The freshman forward had a helper on Blake Pietila <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/pietila%20blake00.html>’s game-tying goal Nov. 2. He then notched his first career multi-point game with an assist and a power-play goal on Nov. 3. Petan has 3-3=6 in eight games this year and is fifth in the WCHA and 19th nationally among rookies in scoring.

*GENOE SHARP IN OMAHA SERIES*
Goaltender Kevin Genoe <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/genoe%20kevin00.html> stopped 26-of-28 shots (.929) in a 2-1 loss to Omaha in his last start (Nov. 2), which was his first action in net since Oct. 13. The senior then played the third period of the Nov. 3 game in relief of freshman Pheonix Copley <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/copley%20pheonix00.html>, saving all 15 shots he faced. Genoe owns a .913 save percentage and 2.64 goals against average in three appearances this season.

*THE SERIES*
This weekend’s Michigan Tech-Bemidji State series will be the first meetings between the teams in more than a year. The Beavers swept an October series in Bemidji last season with scores of 6-5 and 3-1. BSU holds a 5-2-1 all-time advantage over the Huskies. Tech is looking for its first wins at Bemidji State (currently 0-4-0).

*PIETILA WITH POINTS IN LAST TWO GAMES*
Blake Pietila recorded an assist and a goal in the series vs. Omaha to improve his season point total to a team-leading seven on five goals and two assists. Pietila had the primary assist on Tanner Kero <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/kero%20tanner00.html>’s goal Nov. 2, then knotted the game at 2-all with a second-period tally on Nov. 3. The sophomore forward has at least one point in five of the team’s eight games this season.

*TOP LINE PRODUCING*
Michigan Tech’s top line of Blake Pietila, Tanner Kero and Milos Gordic <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/gordic%20milos00.html> has produced nine of the team’s 24 goals this season. It’s also responsible for 17 of the team’s 41 total points.

*HUSKIES BITES*
Michigan Tech’s Saturday (Nov. 3) 5-3 loss to Nebraska Omaha was the first time the Huskies had scored the game’s first goal this season and lost. They were previously 2-0 … Tech is 2-0 when scoring four goals or more and 0-6 when scoring three goals or less … The Huskies have yet to play on an Olympic-sized ice sheet. It’s first 12 games will be on an NHL-sized rink … Josh Robinson and Brett Olson, who were both seniors for the Huskies last season, are both playing in the American Hockey League. Robinson was recalled this week to the Texas Stars from their ECHL affiliate Idaho after posting a 5-0-1 record in his first six professional starts with the Steelheads. Olson has 1-4=5 in 10 games with the Abbotsford Heat.

*NEW FACES IN THE LINEUP*
Two Huskies saw their first action of the season Nov. 3 vs. Omaha. Senior Aaron Pietila <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/pietila%20aaron00.html>, who owns 4-9=13 in 73 career games, hadn’t played in an official game since Dec. 29, 2011, vs. Michigan State at the Great Lakes Invitational. For Blake Hietala <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/hietala%20blake00.html>, it was his first official career game for Tech.

*NIELSEN CAPTAIN; SEIGO AND STEBNER TO ASSIST*
Senior defenseman Carl Nielsen <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/nielsen%20carl00.html> will serve as the Huskies’ captain in 2012-13. The Amherst, Ohio, native was an assistant captain for the team a year ago and has played in 107 career games at Tech. Senior Steven Seigo <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/seigo%20steven00.html> and junior Brad Stebner will be assistant captains, giving the Huskies three defensemen in leadership roles.

*THREE NHL DRAFT PICKS*
Michigan Tech went three years without an NHL draft pick on the roster until Blake Pietila (New Jersey, fifth round) joined the squad last fall. Now, the Huskies have three draftees in the program. Forward Jujhar Khaira <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/khaira%20jujhar00.html> and goaltender Jamie Phillips <http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/mice/2012-13/bios/phillips%20jamie00.html> were both selected in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Khaira was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the third round (63rd overall), while Phillips was picked in the seventh round by the Winnipeg Jets (190th overall).