Huskies work through tough season to build program foundation

First-year forward Nick Gonzalez celebrates with his team Sept. 27 during NIU’s home loss against Western Michigan University at the Canlan Ice Sports.DeKALB — Bob Dylan once said anything worth doing takes time.

This sums up the first half of NIU’s first season at the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s D1 level. The team’s record currently sits at 3-12 and 3-5 in Midwest College Hockey conference play, tied for fifth place with Midland University.

However, Head Coach Mike Rucinski and his players realize the program is in the early phases of a rebuild, and their record doesn’t reflect the progress that’s been made. This season, Rucinski said he is measuring success based on experience…