Bemidji State might have a short highlight reel this season, but the Beavers’ conservative style has made for tight, low-scoring contests en route to a 5-2-1 start. 

North America's best and most exciting youth hockey tournament is back: This Friday through Sunday, OneHockey Syracuse is bringing the best youth teams on the planet to compete for the cup in nonstop hockey action.

Ferris State junior Nate Kallen is finding a new role in Big Rapids as he and freshman defensive partner Cooper Zech are forming a dynamic pairing early on.

The geography of hockey success follows the ancient axiom: “Go north, young man.” The higher the latitude, the greater the ice time on frozen waters. Michigan’s frosty Upper Peninsula is home to three Division I programs, the northernmost being the Michigan Tech Huskies of Houghton, in the heart of rugged Copper Country. 

For Division I hockey fans in the Mitten State, Michigan Tech’s unique team bus is instantly recognizable with its oversized gold-and-black Husky logo. It’s been spotted fighting winter squalls while spanning the Mackinac bridge, tooling down I-75 for the eight-and-a-half-hour trip from Houghton down to Detroit’s Great Lakes Invitational, or filling its lane on Route 131 for trips down the west coast of Michigan. 

A dynamic start to the season from Laker Superior State saw the Lakers crank out five straight wins before No. 12 Michigan forced a series split last weekend to hand them their first loss.

With the WCHA season steering towards intra-conference play, an all-Michigan matchup in Big Rapids is worth noting this weekend. The defending Sauer Cup champion (postseason tourney) Michigan Tech Huskies (3-3) come downstate to face the Ferris State Bulldogs (4-4) in a compelling “pretender or contender” clash. Veteran Ferris coach Bob Daniels enjoys the opportunity to play the program that boasts so much hockey history.

After starting the season with a 1-3 record following consecutive series against ranked teams, the Michigan Tech Huskies are being rewarded for their perseverance.

“Once we had our post-game meeting, I slipped off by myself and had a moment where I broke down. It was an overwhelming moment to beat them, to have a goal and feel like I had a really big impact on the game. It was special, something I’ll always remember.” 

One-on-one with Bowling Green’s Chris Bergeron.