MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Wildcats remain home this weekend, squaring off against the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks on November 17 and November 18.
The 'Cats are coming off the back of two crucial wins in league play, earning five of six possible points with wins of 6-4 on Friday and 4-3 in OT on Saturday. Senior captain
Artem Shlaine earned CCHA Forward of the Week for his efforts over the weekend, recording his first-career collegiate hat trick on Friday and then adding two assists on Saturday.
The 'Cats are currently third in the CCHA standings with a conference record of 3-3-0 with nine points and hold a 3-6-1 overall record. The independent Nanooks are currently 6-3-1 overall.
Follow Along
Make sure to follow @NMUHockey on X, formerly known as 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 17 - at 7:07 p.m.
Tickets | Live Stats | Watch on Flo | Live Audio
Saturday, November 18 - at 6:07 p.m.
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Hear From Grant Potulny
"[Fairbanks] is a good team… they find ways to generate offense by kind of playing the same way we want to play, and I think whatever team can do it better is going to be the team on top."
A Look at the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks
The Nanooks (6-3-1) are off to a hot start to their 2023-24 season, currently 10th in the pairwise ranking, and hold a 6-1-1 record their previous eight games, including a current five-game win streak, and are outscoring opponents 30-16 in that frame.
Brady Risk (5-8--13) leads the Nanooks in points and is currently riding a five-game point streak, recording five goals and two assists for seven points in that stretch. Harrison Israels leads the Nanooks in goals (8-3--11) including four goals and two assists for six points in his last five. Israels also leads the Nanooks in PPGs (4) and GWGs (2). Pierce Charleson is the projected starter between the pipes; he currently holds a 6-2-1 record with a .909 SV% and 2.48 GAA.
The Nanooks have scored 39 goals as a team and average 3.9 G/G, currently seventh and eighth-best in the nation. The Nanook's power play has been effective this season, scoring 12 PPGs, one behind Northern and fifth in the nation, on 47 attempts (25.5%, 10th best), and are 44/54 on the PK (81.5%). In their current five-game win streak, the Nanooks are 9/26 on the PP (34.6%) and 24/28 on the PK (85.7%). They have proven stingy away from home, holding a 4-1-1 record on the road, along with a 6-0-1 record when leading after two periods. The second period is where the Nanooks have proven to be most productive this season, scoring 20 of their 39 goals in the middle frame
The 'Cats last faced off against Alaska last season at home, splitting the series with a 1-2 loss and a 3-2 win. In recent history, the 'Cats are 15-5-1 in the previous 21 matchups and 8-3 at home in that frame.
National Ranks
- Andre Ghantous leads all active NCAA skaters in career points (137), assists (90), and is third in goals (47)
- Michael Van Unen leads all active NCAA skaters in career blocks with 292
- Jack Perbix is third among active NCAA skaters in games played with 151, and Ghantous is 11th with 146
- Despite being injured the previous five games, Tanner Latsch sits three goals back of the national lead with seven and still leads the nation in PPGs with six. His six PPGs and seven even-strength goals are first and second nationally among NCAA freshmen, respectively
- Josh Zinger's 11 points and nine assists are T7 among NCAA defensemen
- Aiden Gallacher is currently fifth in the nation in blocks with 27. Michael Van Unen isn't far behind, T7 with 24
- Artem Shlaine has won 129 faceoffs and holds a 61.4 faceoff%, third-best among centers with a minimum of 100 wins
- The Wildcats are third in power-play goals (13), sixth in PP% (28.3), fourth in blocks (160), and their 53.0 faceoff% is only 2.8% away from the leader (Maine, 55.8%).
Cat Nips
- Artem Shlaine has eight points in his last five games (5-3--8), and Kristof Papp has seven in his previous five games (3-4--7)
- Seven different 'Cats enter the weekend on two-game point streaks; Shlaine (3-2--5), Papp (2-3--5), Marx Noren (0-3--3), Eddy (1-1--2), Ghantous (0-2--2), R. Van Unen (0-2--2), Enns (0-2--2)
- The 'Cats are 11/13 on the PK in the last four games
- Andre Ghantous is currently T21 in career points at NMU, one point Behind Kevin Scott (1987-91), and his 90 assists are 19th all-time, four behind Eric Ponath (1979-83).
- The 'Cats are 3-1-0 at home this season, and hold a perfect 3-0-0 record when leading after two periods
- The 'Cats have found success in the second and third periods, scoring 28 of their 31 goals in the final two frames
2023-24 CCHA Honors
Pre-Season:
Week Two (10/13-10/14):
Week Three (10/20-10/21):
Week Four (10/27-10/28):
Week Six (11/10-11/11):
