David Archambeau/For the Gazette Michigan Tech forward Isaac Gordon celebrates after scoring a goal against Bemidji State during a game Friday, Jan. 19, at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton. Also pictured are Michigan Tech forwards Jack Works (29) and Logan Pietila (13)

BEMIDJI, Minn. — The last time the Michigan Tech Huskies hockey team faced the Bemidji State Beavers, it was a two-game series at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena on Jan. 19-20. The Huskies won and tied that weekend, to improve to 10-10-5 overall. Since that weekend, the Huskies are 8-4-1 in their last 13, and have gelled into a team that made a stretch run that saw them defeat Minnesota State twice, including last Saturday in their CCHA semifinal matchup, the Bowling Green State Falcons four times, including twice in the CCHA quarterfinals, and St. Thomas.

On the flip side of that run, the Beavers have gone 11-1-1 over that same stretch, with their only loss coming to the Augustana Vikings.

“It’s been a good run for us, but it’s been a better run for them,” said Huskies coach Joe Shawhan. “I don’t know if they’d lost a game since that series. They’ve won nine straight now, and that goes back over a month. That goes back probably to when we played them here. So, they’re a different team as well.

“It comes down at this time of year, I think, to two teams that are playing their best hockey of the year right now. They’re steamrolling people. We’re finding ways to win. So, we’ll see how things go.”

Shawhan feels that the Beavers and the Huskies are often built the same way at the same time in their recruiting cycles, which leads to competitive matchups every time the two teams meet.

“I’ve always had a great respect for Tom Serratore, and what he does, and his staff,” Shawhan said. “They seem to ride our same wave as far as, when they’re at the top of their game, we’re kind of there as well, like a couple of years ago. When they’re kind of in a rebuild a little bit, they’re like us. When a rebuild goes pretty well, like both of us have gone through, we seem to be in that same spot too.

“So, we’re always right next to each other all the time, and kind of riding the same recruiting cycle.”

While the Beavers are 20-15-2 overall, and have risen to No. 20 in the USCHO.com rankings on Monday, they are in the same boat as the Huskies in that they need to win Friday night to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s a one-and-done to go to the national tournament for both teams,” said Shawhan. “I think both teams have confidence right now, so it should be a good hockey game.”

While the two teams are well-matched at this point in the season, the Huskies come into the game with their top line playing about as well as it has all season, if not better.

Alternate captain Ryland Mosley has 17 goals and 32 points in 38 games this season. Freshman winger Isaac Gordon leads the team in goals (18) and points (36) in 38 games. However, the man in the middle, co-captain Logan Pietila, is in the midst of his best season of his career with 13 goals and 29 points in 38 games.

Pietila has had a penchant for scoring goals in big goals throughout his career in Houghton, and that was on display yet again on Saturday against the Mavericks, as he scored twice in the game’s final 4:27 to first even the game, and then to win it.

“I’ve always said that, throughout his career, he’s a 23-point guy, but, to me, he’s a 30, 35-point guy, a 30, 33-point guy,” Shawhan said. “He’s evolved into that.

“His habits are good. His discipline is good. His lifestyle is good. His characteristics are strong.”

Over the past five games, the trio has exploded back on the scene, which is just what the Huskies needed offensively.

“They’ve actually reemerged,” said Shawhan. “At Bowling Green, we got play out of a lot of different people in that series.

“They’ve just become dominant almost every time on the ice. They’ve become a threat almost every time on the ice.”

SCOUTING THE BEAVERS

The Beavers finished the regular season 15-7-2 in CCHA play, which won them the MacNaughton Cup as the conference champions. After defeating the Ferris State Bulldogs on Friday night of their CCHA quarterfinal series in overtime, 5-4, they shutout the Bulldogs, 4-0, the second night and then defeated the Lake Superior State Lakers, 4-1, last Saturday in their CCHA semifinal matchup.

Sophomore forward Lleyton Roed leads the team in goals (14) and points (30) in 37 games.

Fifth-year defenseman Kyle Looft leads the team in assists (22) and is second in points with 28. He also won the CCHA Defenseman of the Year award. He was also named Defensive Defenseman of the Year.

Junior goaltender Mattias Sholl has appeared in 23 games, starting all 23. He has a 14-7-2 record with a 2.53 goals against average and a .909 save percentage. He was named CCHA Goaltender of the Year.

GAME TIME

The Huskies and Beavers will face off Friday night at 8:07 p.m. at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minnesota.