GAME DAY - Nanooks To Return the Favor in Houghton

Game Day

Alaska Nanooks (10-12-4, 7-11-2 WCHA) vs Michigan Tech Huskies (1-24-1, 1-14-1 WCHA)

7:07PM EST - MacInnes Student Ice Center, Houghton, Michigan

Live Stats: CollegeHockeyStats.net | Live Audio: KCBF 820 Sports | 820 AM Fairbanks

Live Internet Video ($8): WCHA TV

Twitter: @NanookHockey

Pretty good coverage of the 'Nooks final roadie of the season. SID Chris Brooks is tagging along with the boys armed with a video camera, a YouTube channel, and the charming hosts in defensemen Nolan Kaiser and J.D. Peterson. Yesterday--Day 3 of the trip--was pretty eventful as the team's bus got stuck in the snow leaving the hotel. The video tells all, but with the snow as deep as it was, and the curve of the hill being just right the coach just didn't have the traction to get 'er up there. Kaiser being the guy that he is hopped out and directed traffic at the top of the hill to try and make way for the bus to get up the hill. The camera obviously wasn't able to get a good shot of him with the traffic, but I'm pretty sure it looked something like that Geico commercial last year. Anybody remember that? I'll just leave this right here...

The guys eventually got bailed out by a tow truck driver, but it didn't look pretty. For those that want to catch a bit of the behind the scenes look at the trip, here's the Nanooks' Trek to Houghton series thus far in order.

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As far as actual hockey is concerned, the 'Nooks need to return the favor in Houghton against the only team to sweep the 'Nooks on home ice this season with a stellar series from North Pole kid Phoenix Copley. It's no secret, but the 'Nooks need points right now. Currently in a tie for 5th, with two teams below having two games in hand, both playing against Alabama-Huntsville, the guys just need to win at this point. Regardless of how you look at it, eventual standings aren't going to be solidified until the last game of the year.

MTU comes in this weekend off of the Winter Carnival and a series against the UAH Chargers, with a cumulative score of 14-5 (4-1, 10-4). That gives the Huskies a 7-3-3 record at home this season, and now a 4-game winning streak with a sweep at Bowling Green. When MTU came to Fairbanks on Thanksgiving weekend, I thought they were terrible. But the 'Nooks must have had a turkey hangover themselves. It was not a good series to watch, and the Huskies just capitalized on the 'Nooks mistakes.

Now Alaska is a much more solid team, and the rookies have a lot more experience under their belt. Expect this to go a much different way than the last series did. It's not going to be very high scoring. The Huskies have a solid defense, and the 'Nooks get Davis Jones back. But the 'Nooks are now at 3.95 goals per game offensively, and MTU has put up some goals as of late.

It's going to be a tough series as both teams obviously are fighting for wins. The 'Nooks are 4 points back from MTU who sits in third. But there is just 6 points separating 3rd place, and 9th place. It's anyone's game right now. The 'Nooks just need to do their thing.