NMU Hockey hosts MSU for two this weekend
Courtesy of NMU Athletics
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The No. 20 Northern Michigan hockey team hosts Michigan State for a pair of Central Collegiate Hockey Association games at the Berry Events Center. The puck will drop at 7:35 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 18) and Saturday (Nov. 19) night.
The Wildcats are 4-4-3 overall and 1-4-3-2 in the CCHA. Senior forward
Justin Florek leads the team with six goals and four assists. Junior forward Matt Thurber has a goal and seven assists. Senior goaltender Reid Ellingson has played in nine games and has a 93 percent save percentage and is allowing 2.32 goals against.
Michigan State is 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the CCHA. The Spartans are
currently on a 4-game winning streak after sweeps over non-conference Robert Morris and CCHA opponent Western Michigan last weekend. Lee Reimer leads the Spartans in scoring with five goals and nine assists.
Michigan State leads the all-time series 32-27-3, dating back to 1980. The ‘Cats lead the series in Marquette 13-10-1 and have won four of the last six meetings.
Senior forward Tyler Gron has scored five goals against the Spartans in six career games. He also has two assists. Four of the goals came a season ago. Florek has a goal and three assists in eight games.
Fox Sports Detroit Plus will broadcast Saturday night’s game. Matt Shepard will do the play-by-play with Darrin Elliot on color commentary. Charter Cable users in Marquette and in the Upper Peninsula can find the game on Channel 88. It will be on channel 664 for DIRECTV customers and 449 on DISH Network.
The NMU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is collecting food donations for the annual TV6 Canathon. Collection stations will be located at all Berry Event Center entrances. The drive runs until Thursday, Dec. 1 and accepts all canned goods or other non-perishable food items.
The Wildcats are unbeaten at home this season. The home scheduled opened with a non-conference sweep of St. Cloud State (Oct. 14-15). The ‘Cats defeated Michigan on Friday (Oct. 21) and tied on Saturday (Oct. 22) in the first CCHA home series and NMU had two ties with Notre Dame (Nov. 4-5).
21,748 fans have turned out for games at the Berry Events Center this
season. NMU has sold out two consecutive Saturday night games when 4,260 ‘Cat fans attended the Michigan tie on Oct. 22 and the Notre Dame tie on Nov. 5.
100.3 FM “The Point”, the official radio station of the NMU Wildcats,
broadcasts all hockey games.