Michigan Tech Hockey: 2007-08 Season Preview

  • Head coach Jamie Russell currently ranks fifth in wins (55) in school history. He is just 12 wins shy of second place. Hall of Fame coach John MacInnes ranks first with 555 wins.
  • This years squad has nine seniors, the most since the 1977-78 season when the team also had nine.
  • The Huskies are currently on an 18-game unbeaten streak when they score three or more goals. The last time Tech lost was a 5-3 loss at Minnesota Duluth on Jan. 6, 2007.
  • Senior Robbie Nolan returns in net for the Huskies. Last season he posted a win over defending national champion Michigan State and held No. 1 Michigan scoreless for over 80 minutes.
  • Michigan Tech welcomes two new goalies to this year's squad after junior Michael-Lee Teslak left school early for the professional game while senior Kevin Hachey graduated. Corson Cramer, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo., joins the team from the Ohio junior Blue Jackets of the USHL and Josh Robinson of Frankenmuth, Mich., comes to the Huskies from the Sioux City Musketeers.
  • The John MacInnes Student Ice Arena received a major face lift during the off season. New seats were installed in the 37-year old arena as well as a new floor.
  • Even though the Huskies will play two exhibition games at home (Oct. 4th against Toronto and Oct. 24 against the US National Development Team) the team will not play its first regular season home game until Oct. 31st against Alaska Anchorage. The Oct. 31 home game will be the latest that Tech has waited to play a home game since the 1975-76 season when it played its first home game on Nov. 14 against Michigan State.
  • Michigan Tech will open the season with the Superior Cup for the second straight season. The Superior Cup features the four schools (Minnesota Duluth, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State) on Lake Superior.
  • Michigan Tech will once again host the 44th annual Great Lakes Invitational Dec. 27-28. Last year the Huskies defeated defending national champion Michigan State, 4-1, to earn a birth in the title game for the first time since 2000.
  • Michael-Lee Teslak finished his three-year career ranked third in school history in both save percentage (.910) and goals against average (2.66).
  • Senior John Schwarz will serve as captain on this year's squad and senior Geoff Kinrade will be the team's assistant captain.
  • Last year Geoff Kinrade finished tied for seventh in the WCHA in power play points with nine (four goals, five assists). His four power play goals also tied for eighth in the WCHA. He also scored a team-high three game-winning goals, tied for seventh-best in the league. The Nelson, B.C., native tied for seventh among the league's defensmen with 13 points (five goals, eight assists).
  • Last season the Huskies gave up a league-low 24 goals in the third period.
  • Freshman Corson Cramer is the first player from Colorado to wear a Husky sweater while freshman Bryce Reddick is the first player from Nevada to play for Tech.
  • Freshman Bryce Reddick's father Pokey won the Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers in 1990.
  • Sophomore Deron Cousens was the only player to not be called for a penalty last season.
  • Freshman Seth Soley helped the Omaha Lancers win the Clark Cup over fellow teammate Brett Olson and the Waterloo Black Hawks.
  • Freshman Brett Olson was twice a runner-up in the USHL Playoffs with the Waterloo Black Hawks.
  • Junior Drew Dobson and freshman Brett Olson were teammates on the Waterloo Black Hawks during the 2005-06 season.
  • Freshman Josh Robinson helped Team USA to a bronze medal at the 2007 World Junior A Challenge. He also represented the West Division at the 2008 USHL Prospects/All-Star Game.
  • Sophomore Deron Cousens and freshman Alex MacCloud were teammates on the Penticton Vees.
  • Freshman Alex MacLeod lost in the Royal Bank Cup final with the Camrose Kodiaks.
  • Freshman Ricky Doriott's (6-5, 218 lbs.) size resembles that of former Tech blueliners Darcy Martini (1988-92), Andy Sutton (1994-98) and John Scott (2002-06).
  • Michigan Tech has not had an American spend substantial time between the pipes since Brian Rogers appeared in 43 games from 1999-2002.