The NIU Hockey Club might not be as familiar to the student body as the other athletic teams, but that doesn’t mean the team is not as good as other NIU squads.

Following last weekend’s victories over Triton and the Milwaukee School of Engineering, the Huskie Hockey Club is 7-0. NIU dumped MSE 9-0 Friday and beat Triton 6-2 Saturday at the Rockford Riverview Icehouse.

Despite the lack of any significant university funding, the Huskies have attracted several big-time players, including a goalkeeper who played with the Chicago Blackhawk’s Dennis Savard in the Canadian junior leagues.

Steve LaPierre, the Huskies’ star goalie, is actually one of two outstanding NIU netminders according to team public relations director Scott Billish. The other is Terry Everson, a three-year starter at St. Mary’s College in Minnesota.

“When our defense has let down, they’ve both come up with big saves to get us back on our feet,” Billish said.

The Huskies play a hard hitting, high-scoring brand of hockey led by starting center Dave Picchetti who has scored in every game this season. Picchetti is joined on the first line with right wing Drew Denoyer and alternate left wings Billish and Tom Mauk. Brothers Len and Scott Edling start on defense.

Huskie fans can expect to “see a lot of hard hitting, and when you hit hard there’s going to be fights,” Billish said.

This was especially true against Triton with whom the Huskies engaged in a bench-clearing brawl that left both squads short-handed for ten minutes of the third period. Denoyer drew a game-misconduct penalty for being the first player to leave the bench when the fighting broke out.

Billish said he has been disappointed by the lack of publicity the Rivervew Icehouse management has provided for NIU this season. He said the club will take over the promotional efforts following Christmas break. Crowds have averaged around 100 spectators per game this year compared to about 700 last year, Billish said. The Huskies drew over 1,200 for a game with Purdue last season.

Billish would also like to see the Huskies renew their relationship with a Rockford pizza chain that held promotions at NIU games last year.

“They would have people from the stands come out on the ice between periods and shoot the puck at our goalie,” Billish said. “If they scored they won a pizza.”

The Huskies have a pool of about 60 players, 20 of whom play on the traveling team. Members pay a $30 club fee and another $35 for jerseys. Each player is expected to provide his own equipment which Billish said could run as high as $1,000.

Though it seems unlikely to occur, Billish hopes NIU can become a major university program so the players will not have to pay as much.

“You never know. We’ve got a new athletic director from Minnesota,” Billish said in wishful reference to the incoming Gerald O’Dell.

The Huskies provide additional seating on their bus for all interested fans wishing to attend games at the Riverview Icehouse. The next NIU home games are Jan. 30 and 31 against the Purdue Boilermakers.