NMU Hockey set to host Michigan
Courtesy of NMU Athletics
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan University hockey team plays its second Central Collegiate Hockey Association series and second in a row from the Berry Events Center, hosting the University of Michigan on Friday and Saturday (Nov. 2-3). The puck drops at 7:35 p.m. both nights.
The Blue Line Club will be hosting a luncheon in the Wildcat Room at the Berry Events Center on Friday at Noon. Cost is $12.50 per person. NMU coach Walt Kyle along with selected players will be the featured speakers. Fans are also invited to the postgame press conference inside the Wildcat Room both nights.
NMU is ranked No. 20 in this week’s USCHO.com Top 20 Poll. The ‘Cats were No. 16 last week. NMU is 3-3 overall after being swept by Notre Dame last weekend in the CCHA and home opener. NMU’s three wins are over Wisconsin on Oct. 12-13 and at Nebraska Omaha on Oct. 20. The other loss was a Friday night loss at UNO.
Senior forward Matt Thurber leads the ‘Cats in points with a goal and five assists. Sophomore Reed Seckel (2-2) and junior Stephan Vigier (1-3) each have four points. Sophomore Ryan Daugherty and freshman Cohen Adair lead the team with three goals each.
Michigan is ranked No. 8 in this week’s USCHO.com poll and No. 10 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. The Wolverines are 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the CCHA after a split with Miami last weekend from Yost Arena in their CCHA opener. Michigan won 4-2 on Friday and was defeated 4-3 on Saturday. The other wins are over RIT (Oct. 12) and Bentley (Oct. 19). RIT defeated U-M in the season-opener on Oct. 11.
The two teams met on Oct. 21-22 in Marquette last season, NMU defeated Michigan 5-3 on Friday night and the teams tied 3-3 on Saturday. The Wolverines won the shootout. Michigan was ranked No. 1 in the country and Saturday night’s game was a sellout.
U-M swept NMU at Yost Ice Arena on Feb. 25-26. The Wolverines won 4-1 on Friday and 3-2 in overtime on Saturday. U-M was ranked No. 5.
Mitch Jones has two goals against Michigan while Jake Johnson, Ryan Daugherty and Matt Thurber are the other ‘Cats to score on the Wolverines.
Michigan leads the all-time series 37-19-6 and 16-11-2 in Marquette, dating back to a series split in the first meeting in 1981. U-M is unbeaten in seven of the last eight matchups.
100.3 FM “The Point”, the official radio station of the NMU Wildcats, broadcasts all hockey games. Wildcat hockey can also be heard on Eagle 107.3 in Escanaba and Eagle 96.7 in Newberry.