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. 

The Huskies rode this bus straight to the NCAAs last year with a WCHA tournament victory tour: six and a half hours to Bemidji for the quarters, seven to Mankato for the semis, and a mere two hours to neighboring Marquette where they claimed the 2018 Sauer Cup as WCHA champions. The Huskies have unique travel strategies because they start every road trip from their northern outpost in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

“We divide up our bus trips,” said sports information director Calvin Larson, speaking about the Tech trips downstate. “We spend the night at Mackinac bridge (4.5 hours), then travel the next day.” 

Larson is quick to point out that they stay in Mackinaw City, on the southern side of the five-mile-long span over the volatile Straights of Mackinac. 

“We’ve had to wait hours to cross that bridge,” said Larson.

The Huskies followed that exact plan last Thursday, as their iconic black rig pulled into Big Rapids with time to spare before Friday night’s tilt with Ferris State, carrying a club eager for revenge. The Huskies were swept by the Bulldogs last year, depriving their first-year coach a win in Big Rapids. Joe Shawhan’s formula for success, home or road, is based on 12 years of coaching college hockey in the Upper Peninsula. 

“Fridays are the skill nights,” Shawhan said. “On Saturdays, the men have to come out to play.” 

The Huskies executed both ends of the Shawhan mantra this weekend, enjoying a road sweep that has them atop the WCHA standings at 4-0.

“These points are so big,” said Tech’s ebullient captain Jake Lucchini, who powered in a pair of goals in Saturday night’s 4-3 comeback. “Four wins is awesome, hopefully we keep it going.” 

Lucchini had a five-point weekend and now leads the Huskies with 11 points in eight games this season.

Friday night was also a one-goal win, but it was the fourth line that generated the offense, scoring two crucial goals. With scoring star Jake Jackson back in Houghton nursing an injury, Tech success requires production from unexpected sources.

“Some nights guys aren’t going, and you got to step up for them,” said sophomore Raymond Brice, who celebrated his 23rd birthday in style by sniping his first goal of the season. “It was a nice little present there.”

He also got to enjoy skating alongside linemates Zach Noble and Justin Misiak, who combined on the dramatic winning goal off a rush, breaking a 4-4 tie with five minutes remaining on Friday night.

“I realized it was a three-on-two, and I just tried driving to the net,” Misiak said. “I got the puck from [Zach] Noble, and I was able to get a shot on net, and it went in.” 

Misiak was being characteristically humble about his lightning strike of a goal. It made the rounds on social media due to both to its speed, and the hysterical call by Tech’s Dirk Hembroff.

Justin Misiak's game-winner last night. #mtuhky #FollowTheHuskies pic.twitter.com/Arf45pB311

— Michigan Tech Hockey (@mtuhky) November 10, 2018

The line of “Bricer,” “Nobes,” and “Mizzy,” is still searching for a good nickname, but their output is not lost on their bench boss. 

“Those guys were rewarded tonight,” Shawhan said after Friday night’s 5-4 thriller. “It’s a hard building to play in, it takes guys with a lot of grit and jam.” 

Michigan Tech, now in the final leg of a month-long, eight-game road trip, heads to the frozen shores of the St. Lawrence River to take on Clarkson next weekend. Eastern college hockey fans had best beware of the long black bus emblazoned with the black and gold Husky.

Tim Rappleye is the author of "Jack Parker's Wiseguys" and the forthcoming book: "Hobey Baker, Upon Further Review," set for release in November. He can be reached @TeeRaps.