Skip To Main Content

Northern Michigan University

The Official Website of the Northern Michigan Wildcats Northern Michigan Wildcats
Joe Schiller
Defenseman Joe Schiller last season

Hockey Braden Golisek - Assistant Director of Sports Information

PREVIEW: 50th Season of NMU Hockey Begins against Miami (OH)

MARQUETTE, Mich. -- Hockey season is officially back, and the start of the 50th anniversary season begins when the Green and Gold host the RV/RV Miami (OH) RedHawks in the Berry Events Center.

Puck drop between the Wildcats and the RedHawks is set for 7:07 p.m. ET on Friday, October 2, and 6:07 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 3. Fans can purchase tickets at tickets.nmu.edu; streaming options are available through MidcoSports Plus for both games, and fans can tune in through the airwaves through the Radio Results Network.

To kick off the 50th anniversary celebrations, the Wildcats are honoring Don Waddell, Tom Laidlaw, and Steve Bozek, as their name and numbers are raised in the rafters of the Berry Events Center, commemorating three of the building blocks and pillars of the Wildcats' early success. From the inaugural 1976 team and through the 1980 NCAA Runner-Up team, the trio was key figures in an opening era of Wildcat hockey that springboarded the Green and Gold into a nationally recognized powerhouse.

To honor the three, NMU is hosting a jersey retirement luncheon on Friday afternoon, a pre-game reception in the Berry Events Center Wildcat Room at 6 p.m., and honoring the inductees on the ice prior to puck drop on Friday night. Fans looking to be in attendance at the luncheon at the Holiday Inn can purchase a ticket to the event here.

There are a pair of promotions on the weekend as well. The first 300 people in the Berry Events Center on Friday will receive a bobblehead that features the three retired players, and the first 50 students on Saturday will receive special winter hats. 

 
 

When speaking with local media for the first time this season, the first question third-year head coach Dave Shyiak was asked was about the goaltending room.

Second-year netminder Oliver Auyeung-Ashton returns for his sophomore campaign, and enters with Media Preseason All-CCHA Honors, voted as the best netminder in the CCHA by the members of the media.

A season ago, 'OAA' was a CCHA Rookie of the Year finalist, earned All-CCHA Rookie Team honors, earned a spot on the Mike Richter 'Watch List', an award given annually to the best goalie in the NCAA, and was the 'Cats Hobey Baker nominee, an award given annually to the best player in college hockey, where he was named a finalist.

Auyenung-Ashton is back for year two, and head coach Shyiak confirms that he is good to go on opening night. And while Auyeung-Ashton begins the season with the starting job, Shyiak says he likes where both second-year goalies Jack Fuller and Max Weilandt are at as well.

"Right now, Olly is our number one, and the other guys are getting better. The competition's been pushed way up, and I think right now, Olly coming in, obviously, he's proven as number one, and then we'll kind of take it game by game...  The goalies, they work together. They support one another. Every goalie is different; how they prepare for practice, games, and their own habits. Right now, we've been just making sure their habits and their mindsets are in the right place, and I certainly like where our heads are at right now. They know Olly's the number one right now, but at the same time, they're continuing to get better and push Olly to make sure he's on top of his game. And if he falters and we need one of the other two guys to step up, we have that in place."

Head coach Shyiak is entering his third season as head coach of the program after taking over late in the offseason a few years ago, where him and his staff embarked on filling a roster following an event that "set [the hockey team] three to four years back recruiting wise" shortly before he was hired.

While there have been challenges in his first two seasons, Shyiak says he and his staff are excited about where the team is at this point just before the season. 

"We've built [the roster] with the players that we love, and that want to be here for the right reasons... We've challenged our recruiting staff to revamp what we needed to revamp, and we're better in those areas, and it puts us in a way more competitive situation. So, our guys are excited; It's a great group; It's a young group; [they're] highly energized; I love their battles; They compete; They're really tight with 13 new faces; we're way ahead of where we've been two years ago in terms of systems, tactics, efforts, and habits. So we're excited.

"But practicing for a month now is a long time with no exhibition games. We had some really good scrimmages where the guys battled hard, and all you can do is prep them as best as you can. I think our leadership group's done a good job, I think our staff's done a good job, and I think our mindset leading up to this week has been really good. Now, it's going to be amped up a little bit more."

After intrasquad scrimmaging and intense practices, the Wildcats are ready to square off against a real opponent, and the opportunity finally presents itself this weekend.

The RedHawks, who were selected to finish fifth in the NCHA Preseason Poll and are currently receiving votes in both the USCHO National Poll and USA Today Poll, are entering its third season under head coach Anthony Noreen and an 18-16-2 overall record last year. The RedHawks returned nine of its top 12 scorers from last season.

"Miami is a great team. They want to vie for a position in the national tournament. They're fast, they're skilled, they play tough, and they do things the right way. Any opponent in the Big 10 and NCHC is tough, but I think our guys are excited to battle against somebody different...  I know everybody in the community is itching to play some live games, and it'll set us up for a great matchup on Friday here."


Dave Shyiak - Weekly Media Availability - 9/29/2026



Dave Shyiak - CCHA Media Day - 9/15/2026







 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Oliver Auyeung-Ashton

#30 Oliver Auyeung-Ashton

G
5' 10"
Sophomore
Jack Fuller

#31 Jack Fuller

G
5' 10"
Sophomore
Max Weilandt

#32 Max Weilandt

G
6' 1"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Oliver Auyeung-Ashton

#30 Oliver Auyeung-Ashton

5' 10"
Sophomore
G
Jack Fuller

#31 Jack Fuller

5' 10"
Sophomore
G
Max Weilandt

#32 Max Weilandt

6' 1"
Sophomore
G