MTU hockey to face Ferris State

The Michigan Tech hockey team is in the midst of playing six games in a row against nationally ranked opponents. The Huskies split on the road last weekend at Lake State.

Next up on the schedule for Michigan Tech is four straight games against Ferris State. The Bulldogs are ranked as the third best team in the nation according to the latest U.S. College Hockey Online poll.

Ferris State sits at the top of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings with 22 points. Through twelve conference games, the Bulldogs have yet to lose in regulation.

Huskies head coach Mel Pearson is hoping that the tough non conference schedule his team played earlier in the season will benefit his club this weekend in Big Rapids.

“Our team will be ready. That’s why we scheduled the teams that we did earlier in the season,” said Pearson. “That’s why we went to Michigan to play the Wolverines. That’s why we went to Notre Dame to play Notre Dame. That’s why we went to Duluth to play Duluth, to help us get ready for games like this against good teams in a tough environment. Big Rapids is a tough environment.”

The Huskies will play four straight games against Ferris State. The first two will be in Big Rapids on Jan. 10 and 11. The two teams will then play the remaining two games in Houghton on Jan. 24 and 25.

“There’s eight points on the line and there’s an eight point difference between Ferris State, who has 22 points right now and we have 14 (points),” said Huskies forward Ryan Furne. “The next four games are huge for us.”

“Coach (Pearson) always says that’s why he sets up all of those big games early in the season, so you can prepare for them and know what to do,” said Huskies forward Reid Sturos.

The Huskies will have to solve one of the nations top goaltenders in C.J. Motte, who has a stingy 2.18 goals against average, which ranks him 19th among goalies in all of college hockey.

Puck drop is set for 7:07 p.m. on both Friday, Jan. 10 and Saturday, Jan. 11.