NMU Hockey off to Nebraska for weekend series

Courtesy of NMU Athletics

MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan University hockey team continues non-conference play with a series at the University of Nebraska Omaha from CenturyLink Center on Friday and Saturday (Oct. 19-20). The puck drops at 8:37 p.m. Eastern on Friday and 8:07 p.m. on Saturday. It will be the longest bus trip of the season for the Wildcats.

The Mavericks enter the weekend 1-1 after opening the season at the 2012 Icebreaker Tournament in Kansas City. UNO defeated Army 5-1 on Friday to advance to the championship game against Notre Dame on Saturday. The Fighting Irish won 3-2. Seven different Mavericks have scored the seven team goals. The Mavs were picked to finish eighth in its final season in the WCHA, according to a poll of media members who cover the league. UNO’s exhibition game was a 4-1 win over Lethbridge on Oct. 8.

NMU swept Wisconsin in the season-opening, non-conference series from the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wis. The ‘Cats won 2-1 on Friday and 4-2 on Saturday. The last time NMU swept Wisconsin was Jan. 2-3, 2009 in Madison. The ‘Cats have won five of the last six games against the Badgers.

Northern is ranked No. 17 in this week’s USCHO.com college hockey poll and No. 15 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.

Freshman Cohen Adair is the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Gongshow Rookie of the Week after his performance in a season-opening sweep of No. 15 Wisconsin over the weekend. The 6-2 forward from Stratford, Ontario, scored goals both nights in his first series in the Green and Gold. Adair scored the game-winner midway through the third period in Friday’s 2-1 victory for his first career goal. In Saturday’s 4-2 win, Adair buried the team’s first goal. In the exhibition game against Brock on Oct. 7, Adair scored late in the third period.

The two teams met four times during the 2009-10 season with each team earning two victories on home ice. NMU won 5-1 and 6-3 at the Berry Events Center. UNO won 7-2 and 5-3 in Omaha. Kyle Follmer had two assists and Scott Macaulay had an assist in the series at Marquette.

The Mavs and ‘Cats are tied in their all-time series 15-15-2. NMU is 4-11 in Omaha. Kyle Follmer, Kory Kaunisto, Scott Macaulay and Brian Nugent are the only Wildcats who have faced Nebraska Omaha. Follmer has an assist in four games against the Mavericks.

The last time NMU started a season 2-0 was 2003-04 when the ‘Cats swept Bowling Green in their season-opening series. NMU started 3-0 that year. Five of NMU’s six goals have been scored in the third period. The other goal was scored in the second period.

Senior forward Matt Thurber had a goal and two assists last weekend against his former team. Thurber played in 43 games for the Badgers, scoring two goals with nine assists before transferring to NMU.Thurber has a goal and four assists in four games against his former team.

100.3 FM “The Point” is the official radio station of the NMU Wildcats. Wildcat hockey can also be heard on Eagle 107.3 in Escanaba and Eagle 96.7