Marquette, Mich. - The Northern Michigan University Hockey team is set to travel to Minnesota for a heavyweight matchup against CCHA rival #8 Minnesota State Mankato. Puck drops are set for Friday, Novemeber 18 at 8:07 PM and Saturday, November 19 at 7:07 PM eastern time.
MSU (7-3-0, 4-0-0) and NMU (8-6-0, 4-2-0) are currently second and third in the CCHA, respectively, and are tied in points with 11.
Follow Along
Make sure to follow @NMUHockey on Twitter to get updates throughout the week leading up to the games and for live updates while the 'Cats are on the ice.
Friday, November 18 - at Minnesota State at 8:07 PM
Live Stats | Watch on FloHockey | Live Audio | Game Notes
Saturday, November 19 - vs. Minnesota State at 7:07 PM
Live Stats | Watch on FloHockey | Live Audio | Game Notes
Last Week
The 'Cats hosted the Bemidji State Beavers for a weekend series, with the 'Cats splitting the weekend with the Beavers.
The 'Cats won game one in the dying moments of the third period, when
Joey Larson stole the puck from a defender to feed
Artem Shlaine in the high slot and he made no mistake in burying his 7th of the year.
Beni Halasz stopped all 25 Beaver shots, earning his first collegiate shutout.
Joey Larson and
Artem Shlaine were involved once again, as Larson scored the lone goal for the Wildcats on Saturday. The game was a 1-1 tie heading into the third frame, but a three-goal period from Bemidji proved too much to overcome and the 'Cats lost 4-1.
Atop The Nation
As a team, the Wildcats are second in the nation in faceoff percentage (57.9%), T5 in PPG (16), 10th in PP% (26.7%), and their PK is 12th (84.7%).
Individually,
AJ Vanderbeck is T6 in points (17) and T9 in goals (8).
David Keefer is T2 in game-winning goals (3), and
Artem Shlaine is 8th in face-offs won (139).
A Look at Minnesota State
Minnestota State is 7-3-0 overall with a 4-0-0 record against conference opponents. They had no games scheduled last weekend, with the last series they played coming November 4 and 5 against St. Thomas, sweeping the Tommies.
A clash of the two best faceoff teams in the nation, Northern only trails Minnesota State in faceoff percentage as they sit one and two in the nation in this category. David Silye leads the Mavericks with eight goals and three assists for 11 points in 10 games played.
Coach Potulny Preview
Etched in History
With his start in net on October 8, 2022, at Colgate,
Beni Halasz became the first Hungarian-born goaltender to play in an NCAA Division I game. Halasz shined with the opportunity, smothering 27 of 28 shots he faced for his first career win. He also helped kill 6 of 7 penalties in the contest.
Preseason Recognition
AJ Vanderbeck has been selected to the All-CCHA Preseason Team after earning Second Team honors last season. Vanderbeck had 24 goals and 19 assists for 43 points. His 24 goals led the CCHA a season ago.
Freshman forward
Joey Larson has been named the CCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year. Larson received Michigan's Mr. Hockey Award in 2019.
2022-23 Captains
AJ Vanderbeck and
Tanner Vescio will represent the Wildcats with the Captain patch this season. Alternate captains
David Keefer and
Andre Ghantous will also participate in the leadership group.
Roster Breakdown
The 30-man 2022-23 roster consists of eight seniors, ten juniors, two sophomores, one redshirt freshman, and nine true freshmen. Four transfers join the 'Cats this season (
Simon Kjellberg - RPI,
Aiden Gallacher - Michigan State,
Kristof Papp - Michigan State, and
Artem Shlaine - Uconn).
The Wildcats represent the United States, Canada, Hungary, Russia, and Sweden.
Year Six for Coach Grant Potulny
Wildcat head coach
Grant Potulny enters his sixth season behind the Wildcat bench. In five previous seasons with the team, Coach Potulny boasts a 95-80-11 record and has led the team to three 20+ win seasons in his five seasons. Last season, Potulny led his Wildcat squad to a 20-16-1 record, besting Lake Superior State in the CCHA Quarterfinals before falling in the Semifinals. In his first season at the helm, Potulny's team recorded a 25-15-3 season, its first 25-win season since 2001-02 when they advanced to the WCHA Championship game.
A Season Ago
NMU finished last season with a 20-16-1 record. Northern fell at Minnesota State in the CCHA Semifinals to end their season. The Wildcats went on the road in the Quarterfinals to take a best-of-three series from Lake Superior State.
