Tech hockey staff still busy
August 25, 2011
By Stephen Anderson - DMG Sports Writer (sanderson@mininggazette.com) , The Daily Mining Gazette
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HOUGHTON - It's been a busy offseason for the Michigan Tech hockey program, bringing in a new coaching staff, reacting to college hockey's major conference realignment and putting the foundation in place to get the Huskies back on the winning track.
First-year head coach Mel Pearson and his assistants Bill Muckalt and Damon Whitten have been busy on the recruiting trail, finalizing the 2011-12 roster and building for beyond.
"It's been very productive, and I've been very encouraged by the recruiting process," Pearson said. "We're basically laying the foundations for the future in recruiting."
Jimmy Davis from East Kentwood High School was the first recruit nabbed by Pearson, after watching the 18-year-old play on par with top junior-level players at a Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) camp. Pearson knew East Kentwood coach Todd Bell and noted that western Michigan has become a progressively better recruiting region.
"I'm expecting Jimmy to compete for a spot on our team," Pearson said. "There will be some bumps in the road, especially coming right out of high school, but he's showed us that he's going to be more than a capable player at Michigan Tech."
Defensemen Riley Sweeney and Nick Cecere, who were initially contacted during the Jamie Russell era, both finalized their national letters of intent to play at Michigan Tech this fall.
Pearson noted that Sweeney skates well and is expected to deliver more offense from the blue line. Cecere won't likely put up many points, but prides himself in effort off the puck.
Pearson noted that it could take a few years through the recruiting process to ideally adapt to Pearson's up-tempo, offensively aggressive style. NCAA rules prohibit him from acknowledging specific names of recruits beyond this season, but he said that several have verbally committed to Tech.
"Recruiting has been good. We've had a number of unofficial visits," Pearson said. "It's been very positive and the kids are very impressed with the facilities and enjoy the campus and the community."
One intriguing situation could be that of Nathan Tromp, a standout goaltender for Hibbing-Chisholm High School in Minnesota, who is coming to Tech this fall because he wants to be an engineer. During a discussion about goaltenders, he said, "We have another kid who may possibly be part of our team."
Regarding the Huskies' current goaltenders, all of whom are upperclassmen, Pearson said, "They'll all get a good look early. It's a fresh season. ...I would like to (have a No. 1), but I'm not afraid to split goaltenders.
"We have to do a better job as a team supporting our goaltenders," Pearson added. "That all starts with our forwards and a better puck possession game and working harder defensively with our defensemen."
Pearson emphasized the need to carry the play in the offensive zone, possess the puck, allow forwards more freedom to create and backcheck hard. While systems are fairly well established among the three coaches, line combinations and specific situation-based approaches are yet to be determined - Pearson citing some "intense" discussions about differing forechecking philosophies as an example.
The defense, with the addition of more mobile, puck-moving defensemen, has a nice blend of size and skill, according to Pearson. While defensive pairings are far from determined at this stage, Pearson wants to mix freshmen with upperclassmen.
The Huskies will have their first team meeting Monday to set the tone for the year, establish expectations both on and off the ice, and gauge players' fitness levels. On-ice work with coaches begins Sept. 15, probably four days a week leading into the Oct. 1 exhibition contest against Lakehead. That game, and a pair of series against American International (Oct. 7-8) and current Western Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Wisconsin (Oct. 14-15) will all take place at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena.
Wisconsin and Minnesota will leave for the new Big Ten league in 2013-14, while five other WCHA schools will join the newly-formed National Collegiate Hockey Conference that year.
Talks are currently ongoing between the WCHA and CCHA about a possible merger, according to a press release following a joint meeting of leaders in the two conferences Tuesday in Chicago. All options are being explored, though Pearson does not expect any quick moves. He said the current cooldown period is needed after the initial scramble could have led to hasty decisions.
Michigan Tech looks to take a leadership position in the future of the WCHA, but according to Pearson, "the future of Michigan Tech starts now. By no means are we just throwing this year away to get better in the future. I think we can do some things this year and I believe in those kids in the locker room."
