MARQUETTE, Mich. - Skating onto home ice for the first time this season, the Northern Michigan University Wildcats will square off against the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves over the weekend.
Puck drop between Northern (0-2-0) and Alaska (0-4-0) is set for 7:07 PM Friday and 6:07 PM Saturday, with streaming coverage on
Midco Sports Plus and radio coverage from
100.3 The Point.
The Wildcats are coming home from a tough weekend series with one of the top-ranked teams in the nation at Colorado College. Despite two losses, the coaching staff saw many positives from the series.
"I liked what I saw from our young group… that's one of the best teams in the NCHC and a group that's looking to get into the NCAAs. We showed real good resiliency, good resolve, and no quit… We've talked about taking steps forward and building blocks, and we're going to use the positives from that series to help prepare for Anchorage."
This marks the first home series for head coach
Dave Shyiak, his staff, and most of his players.
"I'm looking forward to this weekend. Everyone knows we've got a lot of youth, and seeing their growth week-to-week has been a positive for me. It's another weekend for us on Friday night, so how do we get better and win our first game. It's about the process for us right now, and I see us trending in the right direction."
The Wildcats are 29-13-1 all-time and hold an impressive 21-4-1 home record against the Seawolves which includes an 11-1-0 record in the last 12 home contests between the two.
4th Period Party
Please join us after the game on Saturday for a 4th-period party, hosted and sponsored by
Slabz Bar and Grill. Located within the Ramada at 412 West Washington Street, Slabz Bar & Grill is a relaxed bar and restaurant offering Big Local Food in a bold new way. We look forward to seeing you there!
Faculty/Staff Appreciation
Saturday will also be the first of three NMU faculty and staff appreciation nights, with Saturday featuring a $4 ticket discount and a prize giveaway.
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, October 11 - vs Alaska Anchorage at 7:07 PM
Tickets | Live Stats | Watch on MidcoSports | Live Audio
Saturday, October 12 - vs Alaska Anchorage at 6:07 PM
Tickets | Live Stats | Watch on MidcoSports | Live Audio
Hear From Dave Shyiak
Cat Nips
- Matthew Romer (2-0--2) and Tanner Latsch (1-1--2) both have two points in the first two games of the season and lead the 'Cats in both goals and points
- The Wildcats found production throughout the lineup in the opening series, as nine different skaters recorded at least a point
- Projected starting goaltender Ryan Ouellette had a career night in his first time between the pipes for the 'Cats, as the senior netminder made a career-high 45 saves in Friday's 4-3 overtime loss
- The Wildcats are 17-6-0 in the last 23 home openers, counting both two-game series and single games
A Look at Anchorage
The Seawolves enter the third season under Matt Shasby and are coming off its best season in eight years, posting a 15-17-2 record.
The Seawolves have dropped all four contests to start its season, including hosting #1 Denver in the season opener and a road trip to Miami (Ohio).
Dave Shyiak had this to say when asked about the Seawolves ahead of the weekend…
"We're really concentrated on what we need to do to get better. We got better in the defensive zone and our line changes improved, and now we have to look at ways to create a little more offense.
Anchorage is a big team, they get after you physically, and they put a lot of pressure on the puck in their forecheck. We're going to have to make a lot of plays under pressure, and if we do that, hopefully that leads to a little more offense in the other end."
