MARQUETTE, Mich. - The men's ice hockey team is on the road for Thanksgiving, traveling to Bowling Green, Ohio, to take on the divisional opponent, the Bowling Green Falcons for a weekend series.
Coming off the back of two gutsy wins at home against a talented Alaska Fairbanks squad, the 'Cats enter the weekend riding a four-game win streak, sweeping the Lake State Lakers and the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks. The Falcons come into the weekend with one win in their last four match-ups and a 3-9 overall record.
Charlie Glockner was just recognized by the league as the CCHA Goaltender of the Week after he posted two wins with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .967 save percentage last week, aiding the Wildcats in a home sweep of Alaska. Turning away 59-of-61 shots overall, he was perfect on 16 shots while Northern Michigan was shorthanded, leading the penalty kill to an 8-for-8 weekend. On Friday, he made 28 saves in a 3-1 victory, before stopping 31 on Saturday, coming up just 51 seconds from his first collegiate shutout.
The Wildcats (5-6-1 overall, 3-3-0 CCHA) come into the weekend third in the CCHA with nine points, and the Falcons (3-9-0 overall, 1-3-0 CCHA) are currently last in the CCHA with four points.
Hear From Grant Potulny
"Scoring first is going to be important… Playing from the front on the road is something that's paramount to success."
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 24 - at 7:07 p.m.
Live Stats | Watch on Flo | Live Audio
Saturday, November 25 - at 6:07 p.m.
Live Stats | Watch on Flo | Live Audio
A Look at the Bowling Green Falcons
The Falcons are off to a slow start to their regular season, most recently going 1-3 and getting four of a possible 12 points the last two weekends against CCHA opponents St. Thomas and Lake State. The Falcons are 1-5-0 on home ice to start the year, are 0-7 when the opponent scores first, and are 0-6 when trailing after both the first and second periods.
Ryan O'Hara leads the Falcons in goals (8) and points (12), along with PPGs (1). O'Hara is currently riding a two-game point streak (3-1--4), and has 11 points his last nine games (8-3--11). Freshman Brody Waters is next on the team in scoring (4-5--9), and is currently on a three-game point streak (2-1--3). Both Christian Stoever and Cole Moore have split duties this year, with Moore starting both games against LSSU last weekend. Moore comes into the weekend with a .896 SV% and a 3.51 GAA.
The Falcons have been outscored 29-41 this season, averaging 2.4 goals per game while allowing opponents to 3.4 goals per game. The Falcons hold a 15.0 PP% (6-40) and an 85.3 PK% (29-34) while pacing the CCHA in FO% (53.4%).
The last time the Wildcats met the Falcons was in the regular season finale, where the 'Cats swept the Falcons with back-to-back 4-2 wins to secure home ice for the first round of the CCHA playoffs. The 'Cats are 7-2-1 and out-scoring the Falcons 40-30 in the last 10 meetings.
NMU National Ranks
- Andre Ghantous leads all active NCAA skaters in career points (140), assists (92), and is third in goals (48)
- Michael Van Unen leads all active NCAA skaters in career blocks with 299
- Jack Perbix is third among active NCAA skaters in games played with 153, and Ghantous is 11th with 148
- Ghatnous is T13 nationally in points with 16 (4-12--16), and his 12 points are T6
- Despite being injured the previous five games, Tanner Latsch leads the nation in PPGs with six
- Aiden Gallacher leads the nation in blocks with 38. Michael Van Unen isn't far behind, T3 with 31
- Artem Shlaine has won 129 faceoffs and holds a 61.4 faceoff%, second-best among centers with a minimum of 210 face-offs taken
- The Wildcats lead the nation in blocks (221), fourth in power-play goals (15), sixth in PP% (28.3), and their 52.3 faceoff% is only 3.4% away from the leader (Quinnipiac, 55.7%).
Cat Nips
- Artem Shlaine has eight points in his last five games (5-3--8), and Kristof Papp has six in his previous four games (2-4--6)
- Both Andre Ghantous and Kevin Marx Noren are riding four-game point streaks, both sporting a 1-4--5 line in that frame. Aiden Gallacher is currently on a three-game point streak with two goals and an assist, and Artem Shlaine holds a two-game point streak with three goals and two assists
- Since the four-game win streak started (Nov. 10), nationally, the 'Cats are first in blocks (98), fifth in five-on-five goals (13), T7 in goals scored (16),
- The 'Cats are 19/21 (90.5%) on the PK in the last six games
- Andre Ghantous is currently 20th in career points at NMU, three points behind Greg Hadden (1991-95), and his 92 assists are 19th all-time, two behind Eric Ponath (1979-83).
- The 'Cats are 5-1-0 at home this season, and hold a perfect 5-0-0 record when leading after two periods
- The 'Cats have found success in the second and third periods, scoring 33 of their 37 goals in the final two frames (one goal in overtime - 34 of 37 in the 2nd, the 3rd, and OT)
- Multiple 'Cats have had success against the Falcons, led by Andre Ghantous (5-11--16 pts in 15 games). Michael Colella is next in career points against the Falcons (7-4--11 pts in 15 games), along with Artem Shlaine (1-4--5 pts in 4 games)
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):
Week Seven (11/17-11/18)
