MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan University Hockey team is set to travel to Big Rapids for a matchup against CCHA rival Ferris State before an extended break that won't see the 'Cats return to action until January of 2023. Puck drops are set for Friday, December 9, at 7:07 PM, and Saturday, December 10, at 6:07 PM.

NMU currently sits fifth in the CCHA standings with 15 points and a 10-8-0 overall, 6-4-0 conference record. FSU sits sixth with 14 points and a 6-6-2 overall, 4-3-1 conference record.

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, December 9 - at Ferris State at 7:07 PM
Live Stats  | Watch on FloHockey  |  Live Audio  |  Game Notes (PDF)

Saturday, December 10 - at Ferris State at 6:07 PM
Live Stats  | Watch on FloHockey  |  Live Audio  |  Game Notes (PDF)


Last Time Out
The Wildcats had a home-and-home series against the Michigan Tech Huskies that saw the Wildcats split the series, winning 4-3 in overtime at home and losing 1-3 on the road in Houghton.

Game one saw some "free hockey", as the sold-out crowd was treated to overtime at the Berry Events Center. It looked grim for the 'Cats early as they were whistled for a penalty, but an Andre Ghantous blocked shot led to Aidan Gallacher feeding Alex Frye for a short-handed breakaway, and Frye made no mistake to finish on the backhand. Eight different Wildcats recorded a point and Beni Halasz made 21 saves for the win.

Penalties plagued the Wildcats in game two in Houghton, as 28 minutes of penalties, which included a five-minute major and a 10-minute game misconduct, proved too much for the Wildcats to overcome. David Keefer recorded the Wildcats only goal on the powerplay, with Frye and AJ Vanderbeck recording assists. 


National Ranks
AJ Vanderbeck currently sits T9 in points (21) and T1 in short-handed goals (3). Vanderbeck and David Keefer are T2 in game-winning goals (3) and T14 in goals (10). 

As a team, the 'Cats are third in faceoffs won (558), fourth in faceoff-win percentage (.558), T5 in power-play goals (19), eighth in power-play percentage (.250), and 14 in goals scored (55). 


A Look at Ferris State
The Bulldogs currently sit sixth in the CCHA behind a sweep in Mankato against the nationally-ranked Mavericks. Their efforts earned CCHA recognition, as Noah Giesbrecht earned CCHA goalie of the week after posting a .970 save percentage in their 2-1 win, and Andrew Noel received Rookie of the Month honors, posting a goal and an assist. Stepan Pokorny and Bradley Marek lead the Bulldogs with nine points in 13 games played. 


Coach Potulny Interview 



CCHA Honors
October 1-2 
Aiden Gallacher received Defenseman of the Week after blocking eight shots in two games.
Joey Larson received Rookie of the Week, posting a rookie-best three points (1g, 2a) in two games.

October 20-22
AJ Vanderbeck received Forward of the Week after recording four points (2g, 2a) in two games. 

October 28-29
Beni Halasz received Rookie of the Week after going 1-1-0 with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. 

Player of the Month: October
Vanderbeck received Forward of the month after leading all CCHA skaters in goals (6), points (13), points per game (1.44), multi-point games (4), game-winning goals (2), shorthanded goals (1), shots (52) and shots per game (5.78) in 10 games in the month of October.

Halasz received Rookie of the Month after posting a 3-4-0 record with a 1.97 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in seven October games (6 starts) for the Wildcats. He was second among all NCAA Division I rookies in goals-against average, save percentage, and total saves (173).

November 11-12
Larson received Rookie of the Week after he paced all CCHA rookies with two points on a goal and an assist in the Wildcats' weekend split with Bemidji State.

Player of the Month: November
Halasz earned his second straight Rookie of the Month honor after going 4-2-0 with a 2.18 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage as the starter in all six games for Northern Michigan in November. He led all CCHA rookie netminders in wins, goals-against average, and save percentage while ranking second in total saves (135) and saves per game (22.5). His month was highlighted by recording his first collegiate shutout on November 11 against Bemidji State, where he made 25 stops. He also made a career-high 32 saves against Lake Superior State on November 5. 


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.