The last time Michigan Tech finished with a winning record in Western Collegiate Hockey Association play, Dillon Simpson was one month old.
The last time Michigan Tech averaged more than three goals per game, statistics were not kept on the internet.
And the last time the Huskies hosted a WCHA playoff series, Nebraska-Omaha didn't have a hockey program and Bemidji State was moving up to Division II.
These are the remarkable droughts that the once-proud program and owner of three national championships are threatening to end this season.
Entering this weekend's series against UND (7:37 Friday night, 7:07 p.m. Saturday, Ralph Engelstad Arena), Michigan Tech is 10-9-3 in WCHA play, averaging 3.07 goals per game and is one point behind the Sioux in the league standings in the race for home ice in the first round of the league's playoffs.
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"It's a big turnaround in terms of wins and losses," UND coach Dave Hakstol said, "but if you look at their history the last year and a half, you understand they were without a lot of their key guys. A majority of them are back this year."
Hakstol pointed at Brett Olson and Jordan Baker as two standouts who missed significant portions of last season due to injuries. Olson has 27 points in 30 games and is 10 shy of 100 for his career. Baker has 25 points.
Rookies David Johnstone (23 points) and Blake Pietila (21), who committed under former coach Jamie Russell, have flourished under first-year coach Mel Pearson, who is a candidate for WCHA coach of the year for helping Tech's turnaround.
"Mel's done a good job bringing this group together with a pretty common goal," Hakstol said. "As they always have, they are very hard to play against and they are full value for where they are in the standings, fighting for home ice like us."
Some of Tech's turnaround stats are remarkable. Consider:
n Tech already has scored 92 goals this season -- the most any Husky team has scored since 2003-04, when it scored 97.
n Tech had one victory in its final 33 games last season and four for the year. It had surpassed that win total by the end of October.
n The Huskies have 10 WCHA wins. That's more than they've had in the last three years combined (eight).
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"They've always had the foundation," Corban Knight said. "They work extremely hard and play a tough type of game. This year, they've been able to put it together. You can see the success they're having. I don't think they've changed the foundation of their program. Things are just coming together for them."
It will be a key series for both teams, who want to host a playoff series. UND is clinging to the key sixth spot -- one point ahead of Tech and three ahead of St. Cloud State and Bemidji State.
The Sioux also are fighting for a spot in the NCAA tournament. They're firmly on the bubble -- 15th in the Pairwise Rankings, which mimic the NCAA's selection criteria.
"It's going to be a hard-fought battle for position in the playoffs," Sioux forward Carter Rowney said. "It's very important. We know that. We realize that in the dressing room right now. We know we can't afford to lose a game at this time of season or cost ourselves a game. We've got to work hard and know we've put out our best effort every night."
UND, winners of 11 straight against the Huskies, last dropped a game against them in the 2008 WCHA playoffs.
"It's always fun playing against Tech, because they are a team that plays the right way," Knight said. "They play hockey hard, fast and with high intensity.
"They've always fought like dogs and they're always extremely tough to play against. We're expecting it to be a war this weekend. That's the way hockey's meant to be played. We're looking forward to it."
Briefly
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Tech power forward Milos Gordic, who led the team in goals last season (15), is expected to return to action this weekend, the Mining Gazette reported. . . Pearson was an assistant coach at Michigan last season. . . The Huskies haven't been swept since Dec. 2-3 against Minnesota-Duluth. . . UND has hosted a first-round playoff series for a WCHA-best nine straight years. . . UND's career-leading scorer against Tech is Mario Lamoureux with eight points in 11 games. . . A limited number of tickets remain for both nights.
Reach Schlossman at (701) 780-1129; (800) 477-6572, ext. 129; or send e-mail to bschlossman@gfherald.com .
