DeKALB – The NIU hockey team (0-8, 0-0 MCH) begin Midwest College Hockey play as they take on the Midland University Warriors (0-6, 0-0 MCH) in a two-game home series on Friday and Saturday.

The Huskies enjoyed scheduled time off last weekend, holding a pumpkin-carving event during the break.

Sophomore defenseman Luke Marks described how off-ice activities like the pumpkin-carving event are important to holding the team together and help translate to on-ice success.

“You kind of have to enjoy the off-ice stuff with your team,” Marks said. “Remember that we’re all here to have fun and enjoy being with each other. Once you can start to do that off the ice, your chemistry on the ice just gets better.”

Head coach Brad Stoffers summed up the importance of team bonding in two words:

“It’s critical,” Stoffers said.

As for the on-ice work, the team is still working on tightening up the defensive zone.

Marks detailed how the team feels energized working on game situations and introducing new strategies.

“We really did put an emphasis on that (defensive zone) … Doing a lot of game situation drills,” Marks said. “Our energy this week has been really good. I really liked it. We’ve also worked on a few new strategies that we’re gonna try to implement this weekend and try to change things up.”

Stoffers is getting the team ready through highly competitive drills with consequences on the line.

“Really trying to bring a level of competitiveness,” Stoffers said. “Trying to add a few more games and doing drills with a purpose. Where there’s a winner and a loser. Where the losing team might have to do an extra conditioning skate.”

With this weekend being the Huskies’ first conference play of the season, Marks is using the non-conference games as a learning experience and sees these games as a reset.

“Look at this as a fresh start,” Marks said. “Now moving forward, obviously we haven’t done the greatest. But starting a new weekend being that we haven’t had any conference games yet, we know we can kind of start over from here … learn from what we’ve done.”

The Warriors are in a similar situation as the Huskies with zero wins. Marks expects a gritty game and stressed the importance of finally getting their first win.

“It is a must-win scenario,” Marks said. “Set the season on the right track. I’m gonna be expecting them (Midland) to be a really physical team.”

Stoffers talked about keeping the same hard-working identity heading into conference play.

“We’re really not changing too much from what we’re doing,” Stoffers said. “We want to try to compete. Have a strong work ethic, kind of a blue-collar mentality to the game … Looking for some success with the way we want to play.”

The first puck drop this weekend will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Canlan Ice Sports in West Dundee. The teams will wrap up the weekend series at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Friday’s game will be a blackout theme and all fans wearing black will receive free admission. The first 25 fans to pay and not wear black will receive free t-shirts.

Students get free admission with their OneCard and general admission is $5.

Both games will be streamed on NIU Hockey’s YouTube channel.