NMU Wildcat Hockey Website

We Are Moving: New NMU Wildcat Site

2006-08-19T10:31:00.001-07:00

The NMU Wildcat Hockey Website is moving to a new web locale. The move was done to create a new and improved site, as well as to gain more national and international exposure for the NMU Wildcat Hockey Program. We want to do everything we can to create more exposure for the program, so Boomark your new NMU Wildcat Hockey site at:

http://www.nmuhockey.net
(http://www.nmuhockey.net/)

TJ Miller Featured on NHL.com

2006-08-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

TJ Miller, incoming freshman for NMU this fall, was recently featured on NHL.com. TJ was a 4th Round pick by the New Jersey Devils (107th overall) in this year's Entry Draft. Last season, he played for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL where he was Defenceman of the Year. He scored 16 goals and added 32 assists for 48 points in 60 games--very impressive for a defenceman.

"I chose NMU because of Walt," he said. "Everyone I talked to before I made my decision said that he's the guy I need to play for if I want to get to the next level. He has experience in the NHL, so he knows what I need to do to get there. I feel he can help me the most in my development."

For the complete story, click on the link below:

http://www.nhl.com/features/system/miller080406.html

Pat Bateman Highlighted on Inside College Hockey

2006-07-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

Pat Bateman was recently interviewed by Insidecollegehockey.com. Pat will be NMU's Captain for the upcoming 2006-07 season. His grit and hard working attitude should make this season's team a strong and cohesive unit. Click on the link below to view Pat's article.

http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/7Archives/az/06/bateman_0445.htm

"K-Wall" Re-Signs with Stanley Cup Champs

2006-07-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

Former NMU Wildcat star goalie, Craig Kowalski, agreed to a one-year contract on Friday with the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes. "K-Wall" played last season for the Florida Everblades of the ECHL near Fort Meyers, and also spent time with the Lowell Lockmonsters of the top notch AHL. He then spent a lot of time during the Canes' Stanley Cup run as a practice goalie and emergency goalie. His name won't go on the Cup, but he at least got to hoist it and share in his great organization's celebration.

CCHA Announces Complete 2006-07 Schedule

2006-07-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

Today, the CCHA officially announced the complete 2006-07 composite schedule. NMU will be paired this season with Miami-Ohio, Ohio State and Lake State in its 4-team cluster. That means a total of 4 games each with these squads and only 2 with the rest of the 8 teams of the league. All 3 teams in NMU's cluster are going to be pretty solid this season, which will bode well for the Cats. The Cats' 2006-07 schedule has already been posted to this site (see below). For the complete CCHA press release, click here, or go to http://www.ccha.com.

NHL Entry Draft: TJ MIller Drafted in 4th Round

2006-06-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

The NHL held its annual Entry Draft on Saturday night in Vancouver, BC. The NHL Entry Draft is the primary means by which players are selected by NHL teams. Incoming freshman TJ Miller of NMU was selected in the 4th Round, Pick 107 by the New Jersey Devils. TJ played last season for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL. In fact TJ was named Defenceman of the Year of the BCHL. He is only 19 and stands at a solid 6'4" and 200 pounds. There is no doubt that TJ will be an instant contributer to the Wildcat 'D' core this upcoming season. He has NHL potential and CCHA stardom written all over.

2006-07 Season Sneak Preview: The Wildcat Hockey Schedule

2006-05-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

The 2006-07 Wildcat Hockey Schedule was recently released by the NMU Athletic Department. The schedule includes 36 regular season games, plus two exhibition games. The Cats will open the season on October 6 & 7 with a "Home" series in Green Bay against defending National Champion Wisconsin Badgers. The Cats will once again play arch-rival Michigan Tech in a home and home series the following weekend. There will be no Christmas tournaments this season, but the Cats will travel to Omaha, Nebraska on October 20 & 21 to compete in the Stampede Tournament. Minnesota-Duluth is finally back on the schedule. The Cats will face the Bulldogs in a unique home and home series at each school's respective rink on two Wednesday nights in November and January. Overall, it looks like a strong schedule with a good non-conference slate to help the Cats in the daunted "Pairwise" system.

2005-06 NMU Hockey Blog Book Now Available

2006-05-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

The NMU Wildcat Hockey Blog book is now available. The book provides a complete collection of articles published during the 2005-06 hockey season by the NMU Wildcat Hockey Blog Website (July 2005 to March 2006) (http://www.nmuhockey.blogspot.com). It is available as a .pdf download for $3.15 or as a printed book for $10. For more information, please contact Rob at: rbalmes@att.net

2006-07 Recruits

2006-05-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of recent buzz about NMU's incoming recruits for the 2006-07 season. However, Coach Walt Kyle has not yet made a formal announcement. Nothing is ever official until coach says so and when all the players submit their written intent. As many Wildcat fans know, some players have verbally comitted over the years but did not show up come the fall campaign....the most famous was Ray "Chicken Parm" Ferraro.

So stay tuned, we'll post the official recruits as soon as Coach Kyle makes his announcment!

Western College Hockey Discusses Season Recaps

2006-04-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

Chris Dilks of Western College Hockey (http://www.Westerncollegehockey.blogspot.com) is conducting a season review of various college hockey teams and blogs. This site is participating in that discussion. We've offered our recap and summary of the Wildcat season, and some assessment for the team's future next season.

Give a brief summary of your team's season

Overall, I thought that the Wildcats had a good season. I believe that people in Marquette are proud of this team. However, they did not take the big step forward that everyone in Marquette was expecting, which was playing for the CCHA title and being in the NCAA tournament. The team did have a nice run, but everyone who follows the team knows that they just couldn't get it done against the top teams of the league. They were 1-7 against Miami, Michigan State and Michigan. From a positive standpoint, they seemed to capture the traditional NMU hard-working mentality during the second half of the season and played with a lot of heart and passion. A final record of 22-16-2 was good, but there is no doubt that the fans and players wanted more.

What were your thoughts on how your team's season ended?

I don't think anyone was happy with how the season ended. If NMU would have beaten either Miami or Michigan, they may have been one of those last "bubble" teams to get in the NCAA tournament. I think they gave it all they could, and just couldn't get over the hump this season against the league's top teams.

What offseason improvements can your team make to be better next year?

I think NMU will be an underrated team next season. The loss of 8 seniors will enable them to slip off the radar. If they can harness Bill Zaniboni's stellar goaltending abilities into consistent play every weekend, along with more attacking on the offensive end, they should be in good shape.

Are there any players on your team that might leave for the pros during the offseason?

I have not heard about any players leaving yet.

Which player(s) will be expected to carry the load for your team next season?

Pat Bateman has been designated team captain and leader. I think he needs to really lead and mold this team under his tough, hard-working mentality. Also, Darin Olver needs to carry the offensive load and show why so many pro scouts think he will be a very good NHL player someday. He wasn't as productive as everyone thought he would be in terms of numbers. But watching him in games and in practices gives you the sense that he can do so much more. I also think Mike Santorelli will be a huge factor on offense as well. Fans will also be pumped up by the sudden impact of incoming freshman Matt Butcher.

Which player will be most vital to your team's success next season?

As mentioned above, Darin Olver is a major key to next season. I also believe that goalie Bill Zaniboni has what it takes, but needs to be more consistent.

What is your expectation for your team next season?

I think the Cats will surprise people next season given their senior losses. I expect them to finish 4th next year.

Coming Soon: 2005-06 Season in Review Book

2006-04-07T15:08:00.000-07:00

The NMU Wildcat Hockey Blog will publish its first annual Season in Review. The book provides a complete collection of articles published during the 2005-06 hockey season by the writers of this Website (July 2005 to March 2006). Stay tuned for a sneak preview and how to get a copy. Coming Spring 2006.

This Day in History: NMU Wins 1991 National Championship

2006-04-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

It was exactly 15 years ago on this night that the NMU Wildcats won the 1991 National Championship 8-7 against Boston University. It was in the 3rd overtime when Daryl Plandowski scored the game winner at 1:57 from Mark Beaufait and Team Captain Dean Antos. This game went down in NCAA history as one of the greatest championship games ever. The late Tom Mees of ESPN was quoted as saying this was the greatest college hockey game of all time.

The game was also filled with numerous future NHL players. From NMU, Brad Werenka, Ed Ward, Dallas Drake, and Jim Hiller all played in the NHL. Dallas Drake is presently playing with the St. Louis Blues. From BU, everyone remembers Amonte, McEachern and Tkachuk. This was truly one of the all time college hockey championship classics.

Superstar Oystrick Signs with Chicago Wolves

2006-03-29T13:57:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, NMU Captain Nathan Oystrick signed an amateur tryout contract with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL), an affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers. According to AHL rules at this time of year, teams cannot sign players to professional tryout contracts because it is past the March 13 roster cut-off. But Nathan will most likely sign a nice contract over the summer and get a try-out with the Thrashers for the 2006-07 season. All Wildcat fans will look forward to his NHL debut sometime in the near future.

Future Stars: 2006 Recruits Receive Major Accolades

2006-03-20T20:22:00.000-08:00

The future is very bright for NMU hockey in 2006-07. Last week, the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) announced its annual awards. NMU recruits Matt Butcher and TJ Miller were selected as league MVP and best defenceman in the BCHL for the 2005-06 season. Both of these guys will be big time players at NMU and in the CCHA next season. Look out!

Best Defenceman Award - The Interior Conference Best Defenceman Award went to TJ Miller of the Penticton Vees. During the regular season, he posted 16 goals, 32 assists for 48 points in 60 games. TJ stands at a solid 6'4 210, and is projected to be selected in the NHL Entry Draft this summer.

Most Valuable Player - The Coastal MVP went to Matt Butcher of the Chilliwack Chiefs. Matt was 2nd overall in scoring with very impressive numbers of 38 goals, 63 assists for 101 points in 57 games. Matt stands at 6'2 205 and was drafted by his father's old club the Vancouver Canucks in the 5th Round of last year's NHL draft.

NMU Edged 3-2, Season Concludes at 22-16-2

2006-03-19T15:00:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats concluded their season Saturday afternoon in the CCHA Consolation game. Unfortunately, the result was a 3-2 loss at the hands of the hated Michigan Wolverines. With the loss, NMU finishes the season at 22-16-2.

The season came to an official conclusion at 11 AM eastern on Sunday when the NCAA announced its tournament brackets. Much to my surprise teams like Colorado College and Nebraska Omaha made the tournament despite finishing 5th in their respective leagues. Meanwhile Dartmouth, Denver and NMU were shunned, despite finishing 1st, 2nd and 4th in their leagues. Denver even went 3-0-1 against Colorado College. But NMU had the weakest argument by far. After playing Michigan, Michigan State and Miami a total of 8 times this season, the Cats could only muster a 1-7 record against these tough CCHA foes. So simply put, a record of say 3-5 would have put NMU in the "Big Dance". There is always next year, and hopefully the returning players and newcomers come back hungry for more success.

Overall, the fans should be greatful for another strong season in Marquette. The seniors of this club were second to none. Nathan Oystrick, Geoff Waugh, Andy Contois, Dirk Southern, Matt Ciancio, Jamie Milam, John Miller and Patrick Murphy will become Wildcat legends, rembered for years to come. They made it to the Joe every year of their career at NMU, and were the group that brought consistent winning back into the Wildcat program. I'm sure we'll hear about these guys in the news as well for years to come in the pro ranks of the hockey world.

Michigan 3 NMU 2

NMU Loses 5-2, Season Finale Tonight Against Michigan

2006-03-18T07:14:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats' NCAA aspirations came to an abrupt end Friday night in a 5-2 loss to Miami, Ohio at the CCHA semifinal game in Detroit. With the loss, NMU drops to 22-15-2 on the season. They also drop to #17 in the "Mock Pairwise" Rankings on College Hockey News, making it virtually impossible to get in the top 13 to 14 of the field. So today's game against Michigan will merely be a true consolation opportunity. But it's been a good year for the Cats. Hopefully next year they won't have any Wayne States or Michigan Techs on the schedule to bring down their Pairwise rankings.

In the first period, the puck bounced NMU's way. Mike Santorelli made a very nice and patient move to the net and wristed a shot past Charlie Effinger for a 1-0 lead at 14:14. Pat Bateman then made one of his own great moves just over 2 minutes later at 16:56 for an unassisted marker to put the Cats up 2-0. At the end of the period, Oystrick's pipe shot almost made it 3-0. But instead the Cats went the the room up by just 2.

In the second period, Miami of Ohio took advantage of NMU breakdowns on defense and in goal to pump in 3 goals. The game suddenly shifted to a series of odd bounces, strange shots and opportunistic scoring by the Redhawks. Give them credit, they took advanage of NMU's meltdown like a true champion, and gained the lead and momentum. The score was Miami, Ohio 3 NMU 2 at the end of 2.

In the third period, the Cats looked gassed. They had 3 golden powerplay opportunities, but couldn't take advantage of them to tie the score. The powerplay simply looked pathetic. Perhaps it was playing on the small ice of Joe Louis that caused the troubles. Then Geoff Waugh made a costly mistake and lost a puck off his stick from behind the net right onto Nino Musatelli's stick for an easy Redhawk goal. With a 4-2 lead just past the half-way point of the period, the Redhawks then went into a defensive shell. NMU could barely muster any good scoring chances, and ones that did make it to the net were easily stopped by Effinger. An empty net goal put the game on ice with 15 seconds left. Miami 5 NMU2.

Overall, NMU fought hard, but just could not overcome a handful of costly mistakes. When you're playing an elite team like Miami, Ohio, you cannot make a lot of errors. Hopefully, the Cats can do NMU and Marquette proud on Saturday by beating the hell out of the hated Wolverines!

Miami, Ohio 5 NMU 2

CCHA Final Four Preview: It's All or Nothing for NMU

2006-03-15T17:38:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats (22-14-2) are playing this weekend at rusty, yet historic Joe Louis Arena for the 5th year in a row in the CCHA Final Four. In previous years it has also been called the Super Six. But this year, the CCHA's 4 best teams will collide for a big time weekend of hockey. Based on last weekend's action, it is great to see the 4 best teams in the league at the Joe. There is no doubt that these 4 are head and shoulders above the other 8 teams in the very competitive CCHA. But is sure has been a competitive season.

For NMU, this weekend reflects a do or die scenario. They must win the CCHA Playoff Title to make the NCAA National Tournament. Since the NCAA Hockey Committee transitioned from utilizing a room of hockey experts to decide the teams for the national tournament to a computer model, the college hockey world has been weird to say the least. Sure the previous system was flawed as teams like Colorado College got shafted one year, but overall this new computer system, the Pairwise, has in my opinion been even more flawed. I am not saying this totally because NMU is on the outside looking in. I say this because other teams like Dartmouth, Denver (2-time Champ) and Colorado College are all on the outside looking in. After seeing these teams, I can tell you that they are all better than New Hampshire, Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakota. But for now, I guess we'll let the computer determine what happens, while the NCAA humans kick-back in cyber world.

The Matchup
The CCHA Champion Miami Redhawks (25-7-4)are an excellent hockey club. Coach Enrico Blasi is one of the league's most talented coaches. He was able to take a team not picked very high in the pre-season, to dominate the CCHA all season long. One of the other the main reasons for the teams success is due to excellent defensemen and the stellar two-headed monster in goal. Sophomore Charlie Effinger (11-3-3, .935 S%, 1.74 GAA) and freshman Jeff Zatkoff (14-4-1, .928S%, 2.02 GAA) have been the best goalie duo in the nation. Enrico Blasi has been very fortunate to get such consistent and excellent goaltending all season from these two young studs. It is no wonder why this squad only gives up an average of 1.94 goals a game, best in the league. On offense, the Redhawks are very similar to NMU. They basically score by committee. Sophomores forward Nathan Davis (19g, 20ast, 39pts) and Ryan Jones (20g, 13ast, 33pts) lead the forwards in scoring. Defenseman Mitch Ganzak (2g, 28ast, 30pts) and team leader Andy Greene (9g, 20ast, 29pts) protect the team's backside while getting a nice amount of points as well . Overall, this team has very good balance and is difficult to beat even on the road and neutral ice. There is no doubt that they are the favorites to win the Playoff crown this weekend.

The Predictions
The Cats are on a roll. They have won 6 consecutive games in very convincing and impressive fashion. After dismantling a highly touted UNO Mavs team last weekend, the Cats should feel very confident that they can run the table this weekend. Miami will be the toughest test, but if they get by the Redhawks, they will face either Michigan or Michigan State in a semi-road environment. Normally this discussion is devoted to what NMU should work on to get themselves in position to win. But with the way Bill Zaniboni is playing in net and how his defense is shutting opponents down, combined with the great intensity on offense and the powerplay, everything seems to have come together beautifully for the Cats just at the moment when it is needed most. They are clearly on the top of their game. Over the last 6 games, they have been a potent 9 for 29 on the powerplay (31%); Zaniboni has gone 6-0 and allowed only 10 goals on 167 shots (94 save%); and the top forwards have been on fire. So if the Cats maintain this level of play, combined with pure desparation, they should be in a great position to take this game against Miami. The Redhawks are merely playing for NCAA seeding and bragging rights, but NMU is playing for their NCAA lives. It's all or nothing, and there is no doubt that Walt and the boys will give everything they possibly have, so let's hope the pucks bounce their way. Even though NMU is lap-top institution,we sure know the computers won't be on their side in the cyber-Pairwise.....NMU 5 Miami 3 in reality!

Michigan State
The Spartans (22-11-8) defeated the Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks in the handi-cap series of the CCHA last weekend 2 games to 1. It was handicapped in favor of the Spartans, because the Nanooks had to spend 3+ consecutive weeks away from home and school in desolate South Bend and Lansing. They put up a valiant fight, but anyone who has spent almost a month away from their home and bed, while eating strange meals every day, can understand why they were in dire straights. So we'll see how the Spartans fare against a well rested and local team in the Wolverines. MSU has been a very good club this season, but their Pairwise computer ranking really beefs up this team a little more than in reality (human reality, not cyber). They are led in scoring by junior Drew Miller (17g, 24asst, 41pts) and sophomore Bryan Lerg (14 g, 22 ast, 36 pts). In goal freshman Jeff Lerg has come on as the top netminder, posting solid stats of 14-5-6, 2.02 GAA and .925 sv%.

Michigan
The Wolverines (20-13-5) swept the Ferris State Bulldogs last weekend in 2 games. Michigan has the most talent in the CCHA, but it is very young and immature. Red's club has been up and down all year, and even sputtered a bit during the last few weeks of the season. Losses to Ferris and Lake State at home most likely got Red deep purple in his stern face. He is not used to such an inconsistent team. But they are in good position for an NCAA berth, especially if they beat Michigan State. The Wolverines are led in scoring by junior TJ Hensick (16g, 34asst, 50pts) and senior Andrew Ebbett (13 g, 27 asst, 40 pts). In goal, senior Noah Ruden has taken over the helm as of late, posting average stats of 9-7-1, 2.85 GAA, .908 s%.

CCHA Final Four in Motown

2006-03-12T19:45:00.000-08:00

SWEEP! NMU Beats Mavs 3-2 to Claim Series

2006-03-11T22:24:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats (22-14-2) put an end to the UNO Mavs' season tonight with a 3-2 victory to sweep the series 2-0. With the win, NMU advances to Joe Louis Arena next Friday against either Miami, OH or Michigan. The matchup will be decided Sunday night between Alaska Fairbanks and Michigan State in their game 3 of the series.

The first period of tonight's game was a back and forth affair with very few great scoring chances by either club. UNO took a page from NMU's playbook last night by playing more defensive. They also mixed up their top line of Parse, Thomas and Marshall with the hope that it would create more scoring chances. But NMU's D held tough again keeping the score 0-0.

In the second period, NMU got a very opportunistic goal from Pat Bateman at 1:41. He scored a great wrap-around goal from behind the net on Kaufmann to put the Cats up 1-0. The Cats powerplay continued its stellar performance at 5:22 when Jamie Milam let loose one of his patend blasts from the point to put NMU up 2-0. This man has one hell of a slapshot, probably the best in NMU hockey history. After some good back and forth play, NMU was called for a penalty. When it appeared that UNO could shift the momentum, Marquette's Andy Contois stole the puck and flew down the ice and blasted a shot past Kaufmann for a beautiful short-handed goal. NMU led 3-0, and was in total control of the game. After two periods, it appeard that NMU's control and dominance would not be tested.

However, in the thir period, the combination of NMU's over-kill on the defensive front, combined with the Mav's desparate and tenacious play, resulted in an interesting finish. A couple dumb penalties on NMU, including a 5 on 3, set up UNO for two powerplay goals. Kaleb Betts scored the first powerplay goal at 12:05. Then on the 5 on 3, Alex Nikiforuk put the second goal past Zaniboni to make the score 3-2. Despite the fact that UNO still had 1:50 in powerplay time left after that goal, the Mavs got very little pressure on the Cats for the rest of the powerplay and even the game. The late game scare forced NMU to get more aggressive and finish off the Mavs for the series sweep.

With the win, NMU is still a longshot for the NCAA tournament (Pairwise #16). They still need to win 1 to 2 more games. The Mavs on the other hand are probably a bubble team just waiting to burst (Pairwise #14). Since they will not play next week at the Joe, they have no control over their destiny. They are most likely going to miss out on the NCAA's. So NMU must step up and be that 4th team from the CCHA to make the "Big Dance!"

NMU 3 UNO 2

NMU Manhandles UNO, Lead Series 1-0

2006-03-10T21:09:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats (21-14-2) took the first game of the best-of-three series tonight against the UNO Mavericks. Overall, it was a game in which the Cats out-worked and out-muscled the Mavs all night long. Simply put, they wanted it more and imposed their will on the kids from Omaha.

In the first period, NMU got off to a great start, contuing their excellent powerplay by getting a tip-in goal by Matt Siddall at 4:06. Jamie Milam provided the blast for the tip, and was helped by Darin Olver. After a rash of horrible calls on both sides by the CCHA refs, UNO managed to get a nice sniper goal by Bill Thomas on the powerplay to tie the game at 1-1 with under 4 minutes to play in the period. NMU's powerplay then struck again at 17:57 when Dirk Southern scored a great goal, set up by Andy Contois and Nathan Oystrick. The Cats led 2-1 after one period, and Bill Zaniboni played great in net.

In the second period, Coach Kyle recognized the horrible officiating and re-positioned the Cats to play more careful and defensive. The strategy worked beautifully as the Cats only committed two more penalties the rest of the game and held the Mavs to just a handful of scoring chances. Marquette native Rob Lehtinen got awarded for his typical hard work by getting a nice tip-in goal at 8:40 to put the Cats up 3-1. For all intensive purposes, the game was over. UNO threw shots at net this period, but rarely challenged Bill Zaniboni.

In the third, Rob Lehtinen capped off the victory with a nice rebound goal from a nice shot by Dusty Collins. The 4-1 lead sealed the Mavs fate for the night. It was clear the Cats came to play and had a lot of energy. The weekend bye and home ice was clearly a big factor. But during the past five games, the Cats have been 5-0, played fantastic defense, performed very well on the powerplay and of course Mr. Zaniboni in net has been huge.

With a 1-0 lead in the series, the Cats must finish off the Mavs Saturday night. Let's hope the CCHA refs don't ruin this series. Both of these teams should be allowed to freely play their games and the let the best man win.

NMU 4 UNO 1

NMU vs. UNO Round II: The Playoffs

2006-03-08T15:38:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats (20-14-2) will play host this weekend in a best of three series against the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks (20-12-6). The team that wins two games takes the series and moves on to the CCHA Final Four at Joe Louis Arena next weekend.

Currently, NMU sits at #18 in the College Hockey News "Mock" Pairwise Rankings (http://www.collegehockeynews.com/ratings/ncaapwcr.php). These rankings are not official, but are derived from a mathematical model almost identical to the NCAA’s version used to select the 16 teams for the Big Dance. UNO on the other hand sits nicely at #5. Despite the fact that NMU has an identical record, the reason for the large disparity is due to the teams’ records against the top tier of the CCHA. NMU is 1-7 against Miami, Michigan State, Michigan and UNO. Meanwhile, the Mavs finished with a record of 6-5-1 against the same teams (including NMU), and are positioned for an NCAA birth no matter what happens this weekend. The only way for NMU to make the NCAA tournament in two weeks will be to sweep UNO and then beat Miami at Joe Louis. So if the Cats go 3-0 the next three, then their chances are pretty good. If other upsets occur in the playoffs though, then NMU would need to win out and claim the CCHA playoff title.

The Matchup
The UNO Mavs are fresh off their 4-2 and 4-2 sweep of last place Bowling Green. As everyone in the college hockey world knows, this team boasts the top offensive line in the nation. Junior Scott Parse currently leads the nation in scoring (20 g, 41 asst, 61 points). He linemates include sophomore studs Bill Thomas (25 g, 22 asst, 45 points) and Bryan Marshall (12 g, 26 asst, 38 points). Plus, newcomer Tomas Klempa has been very impressive and is now healthy. In goal, sophomore Jerad Kaufmann (17-8-6, 2.76 GAA, .906 s%) has been a solid force in net, especially considering he is a walk-on reject. He has proven his previous critics and coaches wrong and made them look like morons. Overall, the Mavs are currently #3 in the nation in scoring with 3.71 goals a game, behind only powerhouse Minnesota and Mercyhurst. This team can light it up with anyone in the nation.

The Predictions
NMU’s sub-par showing against the Mavs just a month ago has stuck in the craws of the Cats. There is no doubt, that the boys are literally chomping at the bit to get revenge. Everyone on the team knows that they played with very little poise and composure, and allowed adversity to destroy their game plan. Coach Kyle though realizes that he must harness this rabid, intense energy to enable to the Cats to find a way to achieve victory this weekend. Coming out of the gate like a maniac, looking to settle a score will only work for maybe one period. Once the adrenalin subsides, they will be spent and the Mavs will easily repeat their performance last month, and head back to Angus country with a series win. Thus, it is imperative that the Cats utilize their world-class coaching and combine it with their well-rested bodies to strategically pick apart the Mavs squad.
During the last four games of the season, the Cats played excellent hockey. They also played with urgency and passion. Bill Zaniboni was aruably the best goalie in the nation during that two-week stretch (CCHA Goalie of the Week twice). His defensive NHL-core of Oystrick and Waugh was also playing on all cylindars. Plus, the Cats powerplay went 6 for 21 (29%). So the Cats are clearly playing their best hockey of the season right now when it all counts.

As everyone knows, the key this weekend will be to shut-down UNO's top offensive line. It is the best in the CCHA. Parse, Thomas and Marshall are capable of taking a game over on offense and burying their opponent. Therefore, there are 3 keys to success, this weekend. 1. Hold the Mavs top line to just a handful of points; 2. Support Zaniboni in net by clearing rebounds and keeping pucks out of the slot ; and 3. Score goals on the powerplay. If the Cats can accomplish these keys then look for them to sweep and move to the Joe. With the olympic sheet, and a healthy set of forwards, the Cats are definitely the favorite to win this series. It is just a matter of whether they focus on their game plan and stay poised. Make your plans for Joe Louis!

CCHA Playoffs, Round 2

2006-03-04T21:03:00.000-08:00

Round One Playoff Scores:

Western Michigan 3 Lake Superior 2 OT
Western Michigan 1 Lake Superior 0
Western Michigan wins series 2-0

Ferris State 3 Ohio State 0
Ferris State 2 Ohio State 1
Ferris wins series 2-0

Alaska Fairbanks 3 Notre Dame 1
Alaska Fairbanks 1 Notre Dame 0
Alaska Fairbanks wins series 2-0

Nebraska-Omaha 4 Bowling Green 2
Nebraska-Omaha 4 Bowling Green 2
Nebraska-Omaha wins series 2-0

Bill Zaniboni Named CCHA Goalie of the Week AGAIN

2006-02-27T18:00:00.000-08:00

Today, the CCHA announced that NMU Sophomore goalie Bill Zaniboni is the CCHA Goalie of the Week for the second consecutive week! Bill had another great weekend in net against Ohio State. In both games combined, he stopped 49 of 52 shots with a .942 save percentage and 1.50 goals against average (GAA). Overall, this was the third time that Bill has been named Goalie of the Week--a nice way to end the regular season.

Weekend Racap: NMU Sweeps Ohio State, Claims First Round Bye

2006-02-25T20:42:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats won for the fifth and sixth times in the last eight en route to a weekend sweep of the Ohio State Buckeyes. With the sweep, NMU finishes the regular season at 20-14-2 overall, and 14-12-2 in the CCHA, good for 4th place, just one point shy of third. Due to the sweep and Nebraska Omaha's loss and tie at Western, NMU won the tiebreaker for 4th by virtue of having more total wins (14) in the league.

With its 4th place finish, NMU will have a first round bye in the CCHA playoffs. They will then face the highest seed of the remaining four teams in round two. In all likelihood, they will get their rematch with the UNO Mavericks at the Berry Events Center. The Cats will be chomping at the bit to get revenge against the angus lovers from Omaha.

Saturday Summary
The Cats started Saturday's game very slow and chippy. The Buckeyes took advantage of the lackluster play and scored two goals in the period. OSU's Andrew Schembri scored a power-play goal at 10:12 of the first period, which set the Cats back a little. Then Kyle Hood scored a nice sniper unassisted goal at 17:31. After one, it appeared that the Cats were a little flat from the Senior Night festivities.

However, in the second period, the Cats once again went wild. For the second weekend in the row, NMU played fabulous hockey in the middle stanza of the game. They totally dominated the Buckeyes, outshooting them 15-5. Jamie Milam started things off for the Cats with an impressive power-play blast at 13:55. Nick Sirota then tied the game just 28 seconds later after NMU pressure and a Buckeye breakdown on D. The second period pressure continued to cause problems for the Buckeyes. During a delayed penalty call on OSU, Darin Olver took the ice to replace Bill Zaniboni. His timing was perfect as he got the puck and set up Nick Sirota who's throw to the net was knocked in by Dusty Collinswith just 11 seconds left in the period. Olver's never say die attitude really paid off again this weekend.

In the third period, the Cats continued to look very strong and left the engine in cruise for a skate to victory. Darin Olver added his 14th goal of the year on an empty netter to ice the game. His goal made up for the fluke stop by Caruso with the end of his goalie stick on Olver earlier in the game. Overall, the Cats continued their strong play this weekend, and have put themselves in a great position for the CCHA playoff race. The leaders of this team and coaches should be congratulated for this achievement, especially since they were counted out and doubted just a couple weekend ago.

NMU 4 Ohio State 2

NMU Defeats Buckeyes 4-1

2006-02-24T19:59:00.000-08:00

Friday Summary
The NMU Wildcats were definitely up to the challenge on Friday night and out-worked the Ohio State Buckeyes for a 4 to 1 victory. OSU did get the first goal though, which seemed to spark the Cats for rest of the game. Andrew Schembri showed his nice offensive skills by putting the Bucks up 1-0 at 4:53 of the first period. But just over a minute later, Zach Tarkir tied the game at 1-1 after the first period.

In the second period, Jamie Milam got what proved the be the game winner at 10:15 of the period. Despite some good pressure by OSU, NMU's D and Zaniboni in net prevailed and shut their hated nemesis down. Nathan Oystrick pumped in a great powerplay goal at 16:24 to bring the lead to 3-1. It appears that NMU's powerplay is now back on track, which is good news now that the playoffs are coming. They were 2-9 on the night.

In the third period, Andy Contois scored his 14th goal of the season on the powerplay at 16:09 to ice the Bucks. OSU threw 11 shots at Zaniboni in the third but were not able to dent the twine. Overall, the Buckeyes outshot the Cats 31-25, but one could argue that NMU had much more quality shots and carried play and had more energy.

NMU 4 Ohio State 1

NMU Hosts Ohio State in Season Finale

2006-02-22T18:28:00.000-08:00

The 5th place NMU Wildcats (18-14-2, 12-12-2 CCHA) conclude the CCHA regular season at home against the 7th place Ohio State Buckeyes (15-15-5, 11-12-3 CCHA). This is the first time all season in which these two teams will square off against each other. Since only one point separates the Cats from the Buckeyes and two points between 5^th to 8^th place, this series is obviously the most important and biggest of the season for both teams. If the Cats can pull off a sweep, they will control their destiny in the first round of the CCHA home playoffs, and make a good move up the NCAA Pairwise rankings.

The Matchup
During the pre-season, the Buckeyes were the talk of the CCHA. Both the media and coaches were self-assured in their assessment of this team, and overwhelmingly voted them the leagues’ pre-season champion. With a veteran lineup and solid goaltender, combined with Michigan’s enormous loss of talent, who could have blamed them? These same coaches and writers also picked NMU to be right there at the top. It may be a cliché, but it matters what you do come game time and not on paper. At game time, the Buckeyes have been just a .500 team and have lived down to everyone’s expectations. They are clearly not a dominate team. But don’t expect them to just roll over this weekend. They have just as much on the line as NMU and will undoubtedly come very well prepared to win. Also don’t expect to see Coach Markell drinking a few pints at Flannigan’s this weekend.

Sophomore Tom Fritsche leads the team in scoring (11g, 18asst, 29 points). Some of his offensive support includes junior Tom Schembri (10g, 11asst, 21 points), sophomore Domenic Maiani (5g, 13asst, 18 points) and junior Mathew Beaudoin (8g, 8asst, 16 points). Like most CCHA teams, the Buckeyes won’t score a lot of goals, but they also don't allow many by them.

In goal, senior Dave Caruso (13-14-5, 2.07 GAA, .917 s%) has posted very good numbers this season. He just hasn’t received enough support on offense or special teams to enable the Buckeyes to win more games. Overall, the Buckeyes are currently 8th in the CCHA in scoring with 2.66 goals a game. They are 3rd best in the league though for least goals allowed (2.26). On the power play, the team is dead-last at 10.9%. On the penalty kill, they are 5th at 84.7%.

The Predictions
Last Saturday night, the Cats played one of their best periods of the season. During the second period, they outscored the Lakers 4-1 and completely dominated the game. They went on to win 5-1, and showed the type of skill and passion that NMU fans were anticipating back in October when the boys were one of the league’s favorites for the crown. After a disastrous series against UNO, Coach Kyle and the team manned up and played to their full potential. The power play was great, goaltending strong, penalty kill aggressive, you name it. As mentioned last week, the great thing about college hockey is that you get the chance to start all over the next weekend.

The keys to success for the Cats this weekend will be whether they can continue that passion and fire. The Buckeyes are definitely not the Lakers in terms of a rivalry, but there is so much on the line that it has to be an even bigger series in the minds of the Cats. This weekend still is true desperation time for NMU. Last Saturday, the Cats went 3-6 on the powerplay. If they can build on that momentum and their paltry 16% for the season, it will be very difficult for the Buckeyes to beat the Cats. It could all come down to special teams this weekend. If they Cats need any more ammo, they should draw back on that total team brawl 25 years ago against OSU when the famous slogan was born – OH HOW I HATE OHIO STATE! -- Coach Kyle was there and knows all about passion, drive and winning championships. Let’s hope the current Cats catch on fast and unleash their true championship-caliber abilities!

Wildcat Hockey History: NMU Blasts Lake Superior State 10-4, Sweeps Weekend Series

2006-02-21T19:17:00.000-08:00

It was exactly 25 years ago on this date that the NMU Wildcats completed a weekend sweep of the Lake Superior State Lakers by blasting them 10-4. Legendary Wildcat sniper Jeff Pyle pumped in 4 goals, and former longtime NHL player Steve Bozek added two goals of his own for good measure. Also worth noting in the goal department is current head coach and former star forward, Walt Kyle. He notched one goal in the rout of the Lakers. Over 3,200 Wildcat fans packed the old Lakeview Arena to witness the game. Since this game coincided with NMU's recent sweep and capture of the Coppo Cup over the Lakers last weekend, it is history worth mentioning. The Wildcats won the first game of the series 5-3.

NMU 10 LSSU 4

Bill Zaniboni Named CCHA Goalie of the Week

2006-02-20T18:48:00.000-08:00

Today, the CCHA announced that NMU Sophomore goalie Bill Zaniboni is the CCHA Goalie of the Week. Bill had an excellent weekend in the sweep of Laker Superior. In both games combined, he stopped 55 of 59 shots with a .932 save percentage and 2.00 goals against average (GAA). This is the second time that Bill has been named CCHA Goalie of the Week this season. He was also Goalie of the Week last December in NMU's win and tie at home against Western.

Weekend Re-Cap: NMU Sweeps Rival LSSU

2006-02-19T15:27:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats (18-14-2, 12-12-2 CCHA) took the brooms out of the Berry Events Center closet and swept the arch-rival LSSU Lakers for the second time this season. The sweep also means that the Father Coppo Cup will remain in Marquette for the sixth straight year. The Cats outscored the Lakers 14-6 in the four game series to claim the cup. With the sweep, NMU now sits in 5th place in the CCHA.

Friday Summary -- Darin Olver Scores Game Winner in OT
On Friday, the Cats and Lakers played to what appeared to be a 3-3 tie. But superstar Darin Olver put an end to those thoughts by the 2,500 plus fans inside the Taffey Abel Arena by scoring the game winner in OT with just 55 seconds left. He stole the puck at center ice and walked in all alone on Jeff Jakaitis for the winner. That put an end to a very evenly matched set of teams in a very tightly contested battle. The win was huge for the Cats, and in reality made up for the 2-1 loss to UNO on the previous Friday. Scoring for the Cats on this night were Andy Contois, Nick Sirota, Nathan Sigmund and of course Darin Olver. Bill Zaniboni played solid once again and stopped 32 of 35 shots. The Cats were 0-3 on the powerplay, while the Lakers were 1-6 with a shorthanded goal as well.

NMU 4 LSSU 3 (OT)

Saturday Summary -- Cats Use Second Period Barage to Smoke Lakers
The NMU Wildcats went wild in the second period of Saturday's game against the Lakers, scoring four unanswered goals en route to an easy 5-1 victory. A total of four players scored a goal each, while Mike Santorelli scored two goals and one assist on the night.

In the first period, the Cats dominated the Lakers from a territorial standpoint. They came out of the gate with high energy and focus, which was a good sign for the 3,500 fans in the Berry. Mike Santorelli got things started with a powerplay goal at 14:38, assisted by Andy Contois and Geoff Waugh. After one period the shots were 10-3, and the three Laker shots required only a set of 2 x 4's in front of the net to stop--the Cats were that good.

In the second period, everything continued to click for the Cats. After a nice powerplay goal by Troy Schwab of the Lakers, NMU got all jacked up and really put the pressure on Jakaitis in net, which ultimately forced him from the game. In fact the Cats scored four goals in a span of seven minutes by four different players. Nathan Oystrick, Matt Siddall, Mike Santorelli and Nick Sirota pumped in the goals to put the Cats on top 5-1 at the end of two.

In the third period, NMU sat back and played a very defensive game, focusing only on ensuring that no come-backs would be possible for the Lakers. The Lakers threw a few tests at Zaniboni, but he was strong and kept all the pucks out of the net and away from being juicy rebounds. Overall, the Cats were an impressive 3-6 on the powerplay, while holding the Lakers to 1-6.

NMU 5 LSSU 1

Coppo Cup Part II This Weekend

2006-02-15T20:49:00.000-08:00

The 7th place NMU Wildcats (16-14-2, 10-12-2 CCHA) continue CCHA play with a home and home series against the 4th place Lake Superior State Lakers (17-11-4, 11-9-4 CCHA). This series will also be a battle for the Monsignor Louis Coppo Cup. Back in October, NMU beat LSSU 3-1 and 2-1 to get a leg-up on the total goal series which determines the winner of the Cup. With two narrow margins of victory, the Cats maintain just a slim lead over the Lakers.

At the beginning of the season, if someone were to say NMU would be fighting to stay out of the bottom of the CCHA standings, while LSSU would be trying to secure a top four finish, I’d say that they were crazy. NMU was favored by many hockey experts to compete for the league championship. The Lakers on the other hand, were slated to finish near the bottom of the league with very little hope of a successful season. Well, here we are four months later, and the total opposite has occurred. The Lakers are clearly having a more successful season than NMU, and are once again back on track as being the U.P.’s best college hockey program. Throw in some good future recruits coming to the Sault next season, and you have the potential for another rise to power with NMU and MTU looking up again at LSSU as their big brother. It is sure interesting how the game of college hockey can quickly change.

The Matchup
Head Coach Jim Roque‘s Lakers have been one of the surprise teams of the CCHA this season. Everyone in the college hockey world knows that Lake State was the king of hockey in the early to mid 1990’s not just in the U.P. but across the entire nation. Since that period, they have not had too many successful seasons. However, this season, the Lakers have demonstrated that they have what it takes to compete and succeed in the CCHA. The team is not pretty, but they get the job done and have been relatively consistent in a topsy-turvy league this year. Junior Trent Campbell currently leads the team in scoring (11 g, 10 asst, 21 points). Not far behind is freshman Troy Schwab (7 g, 12 asst, 19 points) and senior Nathan Ward (6 g, 13 asst, 19 points). The Lakers don't score a lot of goals, but they also don't let many teams out-work them.

In goal, junior Jeff Jakaitis (14-9-6, 2.06 GAA, .924 s%) has been excellent in net this season. He is one of the main reasons why the Lakers are so good at shutting their opponents down on offense. Overall, the Lakers are currently 9th in the CCHA in scoring with 2.77 goals a game. However, they are 2nd best in the league for least goals allowed (2.20). On the power play, the team is 18% and in 5th. On the penalty kill, they are 7th at 83.5%.

The Predictions
Last weekend, the Cats were swept by the UNO Mavs in a tough home series. After a gut-wrenching loss on Friday 2-1, in which the Cats out-played and dominated the Mavs for almost the entire game, the boys fell apart the next night, gave up early and lost 8-3. In fact the first eight shots by the Mavs resulted in four goals. But the great thing about college hockey is that you get the chance to start all over the next weekend. Hopefully, Coach Kyle and the leaders of the team are able to learn from their lethargic performance on Saturday against UNO and move forward with confidence against their archrival.

The keys to success for the Cats will hinge once again on their offensive production. Top forwards Dirk Southern, Darin Olver, Andy Contois, Mark Santorelli, Pat Bateman and Jamie Milam combined for only a grand total of 5 points on the weekend, while going 1 for 11 on the powerplay (9%). It is very puzzling why these guys haven’t put up bigger numbers this season. Collectively, they are as talented a set of forwards as you’ll find in college hockey, so the potential and hope is still there for a late-season explosion. It is never too late to give up on anything in life. When you’re going against one of your top rivals, who now are the best in the U.P., the motivation should be there for the Cats to play as hard as they ever have all season. This is true desperation time for NMU. So look for the boys to win at home and fight hard at the Sault.

NMU Edged by UNO 2-1

2006-02-10T20:06:00.000-08:00

Tonight, the NMU Wildcats came up on the short-end of a tightly contested battle between two very evenly matched teams. Despite the fact that the Cats significantly dominated the first two periods from a territorial stand-point, they found themselves down 2-1. Then in the third period, the air seemed to be out of their sails as UNO coasted to hang on to their slim victory. With the loss, the Cats slide down to 7th place with Ohio State. They are now in a battle to finish at or better than 8th place to secure a first round playoff series at the Berry (The CCHA playoffs this year will involve the top 4 teams getting first round byes, while the bottom 8 duke it out in a best of 3 series).

Brandon Scero got things started for the Mavs on a turnover by Geoff Waugh. He made a nice move on Waugh and then flipped a shot over Bill Zaniboni's shoulder to make the score 1-0 at 5:28. The Mavs then showed their offensive muscle on the powerplay with a goal by the nation's leading scorer, Scott Parse at 18:18. That goal proved to be the game-winner.

In the second period, the Cats appeared to be on the powerplay for 2/3'rds or more of the period, but in reality it was 5 on 5. They totally dominated the Mavs. Jerad Kaufmann, a pre-season third goalie, played very strong and only allowed one goal from the Cat barage. Nathan Sigmund, one of NMU's spark plugs, got awarded for his throwback NMU hard-working style of play from the 1990's. He scored at 6:04 to make it a game at 2-1. Unfortunately for the Cats, there was no more scoring left in them on this night, and only one Nathan Sigmund on the team. Maybe he has some younger brothers?? The lack of finishing plays and solving Kaufmann did the boys in tonight. Hopefully they can fight back and gain a split on Saturday.

UNO 2 NMU 1

Saturday's game summary will be posted on Monday, February 13.

NMU to Square Off Against UNO Mavs

2006-02-09T11:52:00.000-08:00

The 6th place NMU Wildcats (16-12-2, 10-10-2 CCHA) continue their home stand in Marquette this weekend, playing host to the 6th place Nebraska Omaha Mavericks (15-11-4, 9-9-4 CCHA ). This series should be a great matchup between two very evenly matched squads positioned in the middle of the CCHA standings.

The Matchup
The UNO Mavs, led by Head Coach Mike Kemp, have been an average to slightly above average team this season. All season long, they have hovered in the mid to lower ranks of the CCHA standings. The Mavs though are very capable of making a strong run at a home CCHA playoff berth. The team boasts the top offensive line in the nation. Junior Scott Parse currently leads the nation in scoring (17 g, 34 asst, 51 points). Not far behind are sophomore studs Bill Thomas (22 g, 18 asst, 40 points) and Bryan Marshall (9 g, 20 asst, 29 points). Plus, newcomer Tomas Klempa has been very impressive posting 9 goals and 11 assists in his freshman campaign. Clearly, Mike Kemp is one of the league's best recruiters of forwards these past few years.

In goal, sophomore Jerad Kaufmann (12-7-4, 2.69 GAA, .906 s%) has been a solid force in net. He isn't NHL material by any means, but keeps his squad in the game. The Mavs are currently 2nd in the CCHA in scoring with 3.57 goals a game. However, on the power play, the team is only 15.9% and in 8th. On the penalty kill, they are 10th at 81.4%.

The Predictions
Last weekend's sub-par offensive showing against the Wayne State Warriors, demonstrates that NMU’s strong point is not on offense. But when you boast future NHL players like Nathan Oystrick and Geoff Waugh on defense, there is no reason for deep concern. Championships are won on defense and hot goaltending. This is an area where NMU has a far superior edge compared to UNO.

The key this weekend will be to shut-down UNO's top offensive line. Sure, this line pales in comparison to NMU’s 80+ points-a-piece line in 1992 (Beattie, Drake, Hiller), but it is still very potent in the offensively challenged 2000’s. However, the good news for NMU is that the Mavs are basically a one-line team. If you manage to shut this line down, then your chances of winning grow exponentially. If not, then your chances of losing are pretty damn good. Last weekend, Coach Kyle was quoted as saying this Mav's line was the best NMU played against last season. So they should be even better this season.

Last weekend, the Cats played without star forward Darin Olver. One can only hope that he will be in the line-up. His presence is a huge factor not only on the offensive end, but on the powerplay and penalty kill. If he plays, and Bill Zaniboni gets in his zone, look for things to really open up for the Cats. Players like Dirk Southern and Andy Contois should be poised to show their senior leadership and abilities, and put their team over the edge. This series is way too important to the Cats' season for anymore third period let-ups. Look for the boys to play on cylinders this weekend, shut down the UNO super line, and grab 3 to 4 points. This is the Cats' series to win.

NMU Completes Sweep over Wayne State

2006-02-05T19:50:00.000-08:00

It wasn't pretty, but the Cats completed a non-conference sweep against the Wayne State Warriors in Marquette Saturday night with a slim 2-1 victory.

Mike Santorelli started the scoring just 56 seconds into the second period to put NMU up 1-0. Nathan Oystrick then made the score 2-0 on the power play. That was all the scoring NMU needed. On defense, the Cats were superb through two periods, only allowing a total of 9 shots with most of them barely able to challenge Zaniboni in net.

However, in the third period, Wayne State played with passion, and NMU appeared to be playing it safe. Jason Bloomingburg worked hard to get a goal at 8:47 of the third period to cut the lead to 2-1. The Warriors then had several good chances to tie the game, including a shot off the post heard around the rink. But Bill Zaniboni stood tall and kept his squad ahead to stay. The Cats did very little to build their lead in the third and were lucky it didn't bite them in the you know what.

Once again the Cats dominated their opponent for the two first periods of play, and then let up on the pedal to enable Wayne State to make a nice third period comeback. For some reason, the Cats have continuously either let up or run out of gas in third periods at home this season. If this happens against UNO, Lake State or Ohio State, then wins will most certainly slip away. Hopefully this is not a trend, and can be corrected with hard work and the realization that it is all on the line the next three weekends in the CCHA.

NMU 2 Wayne State 1

NMU Coasts in 3-1 Victory over Wayne State

2006-02-03T20:50:00.000-08:00

Details to Follow

NMU 3 Wayne State 1

NMU Hosts Wayne State in Non-Conference Series this Weekend

2006-02-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

The 4th place NMU Wildcats (14-12-2, 10-10-2 CCHA) return home this weekend for a two-game, non-conference series against the Wayne State Warriors (5-14-5, 2-6-4 CHA ). NMU easily beat the Warriors (formerly the Tartars--tough guys, not fish sauce) 6 to 2 at the Badger Showdown in Madison last December.

The Matchup
The Warriors, led by Head Coach Bill Wilkinson, formerly of Western Michigan, have not had a very successful season to date. The team has hovered between 4th and last place in the CHA throughout the entire 2005-06 season. From a positive standpoint, the Warriors man-handled the Western Broncos at the Badger Showdown--a team NMU went 1-1-2 against this season. So there is certainly the potential for this squad to win a game against the Cats. Thus far, the Warriors have been led in scoring by junior Nate Higgins (10g, 7 asst). His supporting cast includes senior Steve Kovalchik (1g, 14 asst), junior Jason Bloomingburg (7g, 5 asst.) and junior Jason Baclig (4 g, 8 asst.). In goal, junior Will Hooper (2-7-2, 3.64 GAA, .879 s%) and senior Matt Kelly (3-7-3, 4.15 GAA, .879 s%) have split times between the pipes.

The Predictions
After an average performance on the road last weekend against the CCHA's worst team, the Cats should feel the need to press hard and get a sweep this weekend. Despite the fact that this series is meaningless to the CCHA race, the Cats need wins. A loss or tie to Wayne State would eliminate the Cats almost 100% from any postseason NCAA possibilities, unless they win the CCHA playoff title. Two wins against such a low ranking opponent won't help at all, but they still need to win. This series should be one-sided, which will also hopefully boost the team's confidence, and get momentum back on their side for next weekend's huge series against UNO. Expect a variety of lineups this weekend and for freshman Derek Janzen to also get a game. NMU should sweep in convinicing fashion!

Monthly Spotlight: 25th Anniversary of the "Brawl"

2006-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

It was exactly 25 years ago to this date when the NMU Wildcats and Ohio State Buckeyes were a part of one of the greatest college hockey brawls of all time in the history of the sport. As part of our spotlight on the program, we felt it was worth discussing this historical game between two old-time arch rivals in the game of college hockey.

"Oh How I Hate Ohio State"

The game between NMU and the Ohio State (OSU) Buckeyes on January 30, 1981 had all the makings for a clash of the titans. NMU and OSU were by far the most talented teams in the CCHA. NMU fell just short of winning the national championship against North Dakota in 1980, and were looking to become an elite team in college hockey. OSU was looking to make a name for itself in the college hockey world, and had a very physical and scrappy team, unmatched by any other team in the league.

The 3,000 plus fans inside chilly Lakeview Arena sat restlessly in their seats in anticipation of a classic hockey game. The blistering cold weather and thundering waves of Lake Superior across Lakeshore Boulevard added to the fantastic setting. This was a big time game with major implications in the CCHA race.

As the game progressed, the intensity began to mount. NMU held a thin lead midway through the second period. The OSU players probably felt great pressure to win, and began to really exert their muscle and physical play. OSU players began to take their aggression out on players like Steve Bozek, arguably the best player in college hockey in 1981. Cheap shots were being thrown, and a lot of post-whistle activities took place, mostly instigated by OSU players.

In particular, there was one player from OSU who was instigating more physical play than anyone else—#2 Pete Mandich. Old Mandich was a tall, lanky defenceman who played cheap and dirty. He couldn’t skate to save his life, but was very capable of massive hits and checks to his opposition.

Coach Comely began to really get annoyed with Mandich and started to yell at him. Fans were also booing and taunting him. He was the epitome of a classic hockey goon. Then all of a sudden after a quick whistle, Mandich threw a cheap shot and then started to chase after Bozek. Both benches quickly emptied and the brawl was on! Every player from both teams was either clutching, grabbing, wrestling or throwing punches. It was pure chaos! The brawl reached its peak when Mandich approached a rabid and screaming Comely, and tried to sucker punch him. Comely made an attempt to grab Mandich. The end result for Comely was a broken finger. A few fans behind the bench witnessed this fiasco, and threatened to climb the glass to beat on the young OSU players. A few players called their bluff and began climbing over the glass as well only to be restrained by fellow teammates and a handful of Marquette police officers. After Marquette’s finest police force helped the referees control the fighting, the crowd and players slowly calmed down. The brawl finally came to an end. The rest of the game even seemed like afterthought.

All in all, there were 185 penalty minutes called on both teams, including a plethora of misconducts, ejections and suspensions. Ironically, Mandich did not even receive a suspension by OSU or the NCAA for starting the brawl and breaking Comely’s finger. As seen in the photo, Rob Balmes, Brian Balmes, Dan Balmes and Jack "Papa" McCarthy had a front row view of it all! Coach Comely was even shooting laser beams out of his eyes at his nemesis, Mr. Mandich (#2). Hence, the slogan "Oh How I Hate Ohio State" began in full force. Rematch anyone? Where is that Mandich guy these days? Oh by the way, NMU won the game 7-2.

NMU Ties Western 2-2, Earns One Point on Weekend

2006-01-29T13:03:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats (14-12-2, 10-10-2 CCHA) and Western Broncos skated to a 2-2 tie Saturday night in Kalamazoo. With the tie, the Cats earned only one point on the weekend. As a result, they now sit in third place, and will slide further after next weekend's non-conference action against Wayne State. They'll have to step it up big time against Nebraska Omaha and Lake State in order to secure a home-playoff spot in the league.

On the negative side, the Cats powerplay was a mere 1-12 on the weekend, which is the main reason why they only got one point in the series. Also, Darin Olver got injured in Friday night's game and did not play on Saturday. So we'll see how he is doing. He is very vital to the success of NMU hockey this season.

On the positive side, Bill Zaniboni played very solid in the series and did what he could to keep his team alive in both games. Also, Nick Sirota and Nathan Sigmund played excellent hockey and gave us a glimpse of the bright future for Wildcat hockey. Plus, the Cats played very hard and had at least seven or so odd-man rushes Saturday. If it were not for the great play of Bellissimo in net, we'd be talking about a split and two points on the weekend.

NMU 2 Western 2

Cats Devoured By Hungry Broncos 4-2

2006-01-27T18:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight, the NMU Wildcats fell victim to a Bronco team that wanted it more. The Cats fell 4-2 to the Broncos, and now stand at 14-12-1 and 10-10-1 in the CCHA.

In the first period, NMU was only able to muster a mere 6 shots. The Broncos controlled play for most of the period and got rewarded for their hard work by getting a goal by Brian Bicek, his first of the season. Bobby Selden was disqualified from the game for a 5-minute major checking from behind penalty, which the Cats were able to kill. He'll be back in the line-up for Saturday, assuming Walt wants him back.

In the second period, Darin Olver showed his world class skills, by taking a puck from Daniel Bellissimo and flipping a back-hander past the netminder for a short-handed goal to tie the game. But the Broncos returned the favor by scoring a sniper-like goal by the CCHA's premier player, Brent Walton to put the Broncos up 2-1 after 2 periods. After a series of great powerplay chances, the Cats could only again muster a few shots. Has this team run out of gas for the year?

In the third period, the Cats fought hard to tie the game, but to no avail. A combination of missed passes and blown powerplay chances caught up to the boys tonight and did them in. The Cats were 0-7 on the powerplay and played most of the period without superstar Darin Olver who left the game with a knee problem. Let's hope it is not too serious.

For now, the Cats are in dire need of a win on Saturday, otherwise any post-season ideas in the NCAA's will be gone for 2005-06. Let's hope they suck it up and get it done!

Western 4 NMU 2

NMU To Play at Western

2006-01-26T16:12:00.000-08:00

The 2nd place NMU Wildcats (14-11-1, 10-9-1 CCHA) hit the road this weekend for a two-game series against the last place Western Michigan Broncos (5-16-3, 5-11-2 CCHA ). This series will conclude the set of four games between the two schools. NMU took 3 of 4 points in December (win and tie). It also marks the last time during the regular season that NMU will travel beyond the U.P. The next out-of-U.P. trips should be to Joe Louis Arena and to the NCAA Regional tournament site.

For the second time this season, the national spotlight will shine on NMU and Western. Saturday's game will be televised on Fox Sports Detroit at 4:35 PM Eastern. Check local listings or satellite providers to see the game live on TV in your area.

The Matchup
The Broncos, led by Head Coach Jim Culhane, have been playing very bad hockey over the past ten games. Their record is 1-8-1 during that stretch, including a loss to Wayne State. The team has simply not performed up to typical Bronco standards. From a positive standpoint, the Broncos are 4-5 at home this season and should be able to "hold their own" against the Cats on the small ice sheet. Thus far, the Broncos have been led in scoring by senior sniper Brent Walton (18g, 10 asst). Walton is probably the league's most talented offensive player with the best set of NHL-type hands. His supporting cast includes junior Paul Szczechura (6g, 15 asst) and senior Mike Erickson (6g, 5 asst.) But that is where the scoring stops, which is indicative of this team's struggles. In goal, sophomore Daniel Bellisimo has been the main force behind the pipes, posting below average stats of 4-15-3, 3.87 GAA and .888 save percentage.

Despite this team's poor record and lack of scoring, NMU and Western always seem to play each other very tough. Wins are often hard to come by for the Cats. These two schools have faced each other 20 times in the past 6 years. Amazingly, 13 games in a row have been held at the Berry! So current NMU players will truly be in a hostile and unfamiliar place this weekend.

The Predictions
The first time the Cats and Broncos met in mid December, the first game ended in a 0-0 tie. Since that time, NMU's special teams, in particular the powerplay, have dramatically improved. However, the Cats have also caught a recent 3rd period fatigue "bug", which has resulted in one blown game and a couple near misses. The two-goal lead collapse against Notre Dame last weekend was a huge loss of 2 points and a chance to solidify 2nd place in the league. It is no secret that the Cats must make up for that loss somewhere on the road. This weekend is the perfect opportunity to get 3 or 4 points against a below average squad. If not, then say goodbye to 2nd place this season.

Overall, the Cats are now a well-seasoned road team. If they stick to Walt's system and take care of the puck, play solid defense and stay extra focused on the small sheet, they should be just fine. I don't see any reason why they cannot or should not get 4 points in this series. There is no doubt that the Broncos will be very hungry at home for a victory, but the Cats should be just as desperate. They are fighting for their NCAA tournament lives and cannot afford losses to sub .500 teams. It is all on the team's shoulders. I believe that it will all come down to whether the Cats want it more than the Broncos. Let's hope so, eh!

NMU Splits at Home Against Scrappy Irish

2006-01-21T08:33:00.000-08:00

Saturday Re-Cap
Tonight's game against the Irish proved to be a tale of two halves. The first half of the game for NMU was a strong performance. The Cats were able to fight off and overcome the tremendously hard-working Irish, and build a 3-1 lead after two periods. Darin Olver continued his strong weekend by getting things going for the Cats in the first period on the powerplay for his 11th of the season. The man amongst boys, Andy Contois, scored twice in a span of just over 2 minutes--one full strength and one on the powerplay to start the 2nd period. At that point in the game, it seemed that NMU was going to cruise to another victory. But after David Brown was pulled for freshman Jordan Pearce, the hard working Irish rallied and proceeded to out-work the living hell out of the Cats.

In the 3rd period, the Irish flexed their muscle and worked their asses off to tie the game at 3-3. Erik Condra scored the tying goal on the powerplay. Then, a combination of NMU's lazy behavior, coupled with the Irish hard-working attitidude, resulted in Tom Sawatske scoring just 8 seconds later to put his squad up 4-3. This goal proved to be the game winner. Despite a mad flury at the end of the game by the Cats on a major powerplay chance, the Irish were too much for the Cats to handle tonight.

There is no doubt that the Cats are the better team than the Irish, but they simply got out-worked tonight. The loss was devastating to NMU's Pairwise rankings as well. They dropped from 12th to 15th., which is on the outside looking in for now.

Notre Dame 4 NMU 3

Friday Re-Cap
The Cats turned up the offensive output and for the second week in a row, scoring 5 goals on a Friday night. Tonight, it was the Darin Olver show. Darin scored his second career hat trick at NMU and also added an assist. It is no wonder why the New York Rangers made him their 2nd round draft pick in 2004.

However, once again the Cats stalled and ran out of gas in the third period to a very hard-working Irish team. Despite scoring 3 times in the third period, NMU's Bill Zaniboni had to make 15 stops to keep the Irish from coming all the way back to tie the game. A late empty net goal by Olver for the natural hat trick made the score look worse than on paper.

Coach Kyle was quoted as saying, “I was not happy with our finish.....I thought for two periods we did a good job defensively.”

NMU finished the game 2 for 4 on the powerplay, and held Notre Dame to 1 for 6 on their powerplay. With the win, the Cats moved up to 12th in the "Mock" Pairwise rankings that USCHO.com maintains. At this point in the season with NMU's weak schedule, any loss will be devastating to its slim NCAA tournament chances. So hopefully the boys can complete the sweep Saturday night to stay alive!

NMU 5 Notre Dame 2

Cats Continue Home Stand Against Irish

2006-01-18T20:14:00.000-08:00

The 2nd place NMU Wildcats (13-10-1, 9-8-1 CCHA) play host this weekend to the 10th place Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-12-3, 5-8-3 CCHA). This two-game series will be the only games between these two schools during the regular season. With so many CCHA teams having multiple games in hand over the Cats right now, this series at home is a "must sweeper!"

The Matchup
The Fighting Irish, coached by Jeff Jackson, have been a very balanced team. Much like NMU, the Irish don’t score a lot of goals, and get contributions from a significant chunk of the roster. Thus far the team is led in scoring by junior Josh Sciba (12 g, 8 asst), freshman star Erik Condra (3 g, 8 asst) and senior leader Tim Wallace (9 g, 8 asst). In goal, junior David Brown has posted solid numbers (5-9-3, 2.86 GAA, .904 sv%), considering the fact that his team is below .500 in the win column and 10th in the CCHA for goals per game. But beware, the Irish have been 2-0-1 over the past three road games, and played Miami very well last weekend at home in a tie and loss.

It was just a decade ago when Jeff Jackson's Lake Superior State Lakers were the most powerful college hockey program in the nation. Two national titles in 1992 and 1994, along with a runner-up finish in 1993 was an amazing accomplishment. Considering the difference in resources and location between Sault Sainte Marie and South Bend, it is just a matter of time before Notre Dame becomes the program to beat in the CCHA. Next to Coach Kyle and Coach Berensen, Jeff Jackson is the premier coach of the league. So even expect the current undermanned Irish to put up a big fight against NMU this weekend, and attempt to steal some points.

The Predictions
It is no secret that the Cats are a very confident and strong team at the Berry. Every CCHA school that comes to play in Marquette must deal with rabid crowds and the olympic sheet. Since Notre Dame is not exactly a speedy team, they will undoubetly have their hands full with NMU’s two top scoring lines. As of late, Bateman, Contois, Olver, Santorelli and Southern have been men amongst boys on offense. Plus, it appears that the team’s power play is getting back on track. Add in the great play of Tarkir, Oystrick and Waugh on defense, combined with Zaniboni’s return to form, and you have a team that will be virtually unbeatable at home the rest of the season. But as all college hockey fans know, it also takes heart and extreme determination to win, including no third periods off (Ferris series). So expect the Cats to come out in full force, sweep the Irish and keep hold of the CCHA’s 2nd place position.

Contois and Tarkir Named CCHA Players of The Week

2006-01-16T15:47:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats won two games last weekend and picked up two weekly awards from two key players in the series. Marquette native, Andy Contois was named the CCHA Offensive Player of the Week. Meanwhile, Zach Tarkir was named the CCHA Defenseman of the Week. The CCHA made this announcement today.

Andy (4 goals, 1 assist, +3) had a hat trick and an assist on Friday as NMU blasted Ferris 5-0. He then chipped in a another goal on Saturday.

Zach (2 assists, +3) played a big role in the 5-0 blasting of Ferris with two assists. He was also the main force behind NMU's stellar penalty kill, which went 11 for 11 on the weekend.

Weekend ReCap: NMU Sweeps Bulldogs

2006-01-14T08:36:00.000-08:00

Saturday: NMU 2 Ferris 1

Friday: NMU 5 Ferris 0

NMU vs. Ferris, Part II

2006-01-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

This weekend's series against the 19th ranked Ferris State Bulldogs (9-6-5, 4-4-4 CCHA) concludes the 4-game season series between these two CCHA Cluster Mates. This series also marks the beginning of NMU’s long awaited and deserved stretch of 11 of the last 14 games at the cozy confines of the Berry Events Center. Currently, Ferris sits tied in 7th place with 12 league games played and 12 points. NMU (11-10-1, 7-8-1 CCHA) sits in 4th place, but with 16 league games played and only 15 points. Hence, this series is very pivotal for NMU to sweep, and remain ahead of Ferris and stay in the upper half of the CCHA standings.

Since most of the college hockey world only looks at results and rankings, NMU’s absence from the national spotlight has caused many fans, even locals to wonder what is wrong? All you have to do is look at the team’s schedule to find the reasons. After going 5-5 during their recent road tour, stretching from Fairbanks to Bowling Green to Big Rapids to Madison to Oxford (OH, not England), the Cats should feel very excited about their upcoming home schedule. Playing .500 hockey against some very strong teams in their barns is a testament to NMU’s character and abilities. This next phase of the season could be the beginning of something really special in Marquette.

The Matchup
At the beginning of the season, all of the so-called experts selected Ferris State to finish near the bottom of the CCHA, and NMU at the top. However, this team is quite a bit better than most people projected. After a tie to 4th ranked Boston College and beating two-time defending national champion Denver on its home ice, the Bulldogs have proven that they are for real, and will be a team to reckon with during the 2nd half of the season. Thus far, the Bulldogs have continued to be led by senior Greg Rallo (12 g. 13 asst), junior Mark Bomersback (9 g. 10 asst) and last year's USHL superstar, freshman Dan Riedel (3 g. 13 asst). So look for these three players to have a big scoring impact on the series. Sophomore Matt Stefanishion played very well in the series against NMU in December and could also play a big factor. In goal, the Dogs have counted on freshman Mitch O'Keefe (6-4-4, 2.71 GAA, .901 S%) to carry the load, posting fairly solid numbers for a youngster. Since Ferris is a low scoring team like NMU, O’Keefe will be counted on in this series to make some big-time stops and carry the team.

The Predictions
When the series between NMU and Ferris began 30 years ago, the Cats were the superior team and program. 16 straight wins reflected this dominance. However, 17 of the last 22 meetings between these two schools have been decided by 2 goals or less. There is no question that Ferris and NMU are on equal footing now in the college hockey world. On paper and based on pre-season hype, NMU is the better team. But thus far, Ferris has the higher ranking and better results. Therefore, NMU must play very hard in this series and go out and dominate in the way they are capable of doing. Playing at home in the Berry should be the difference maker. At home with more talent and world class coaching on their side, NMU should sweep and continue its ascent up the CCHA standings. Look for two solid home games and 4 points!

NMU Bows to Miami 6-3

2006-01-08T07:25:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night in Oxford, Ohio, NMU was unable to complete the sweep of rival Miami. This was due mainly to senior Matt Davis of the Redhawks. Davis had a career night of 4 goals and 1 assist to help lead his squad past NMU 6-3. With the loss, NMU now stands at 7-8-1 in the CCHA and 11-10-1 overall heading into its key
stretch of 11 of the last 14 games at home.

As quoted by Coach Kyle, "It was a tough loss....the team can't take it easy with this kind of team......we played solid and then let up." It was the overall inconsistent play, combined with Davis' 5-point night that ruined any chances of NMU going back to Marquette with 4 points.

On a positive note, the Cats were 2-7 on the powerplay against the nation's #2 penalty kill. Bill Zaniboni played solid throughout the weekend making a total of 75 saves in two games. Miami is an excellent team, so to split on the road in their old barn was a good step forward for the Cats. Next weekend, the Cats begin their home stand against Ferris State Friday and Saturday night at the Berry.

Miami, OH 6 NMU 3

Third Period Goal Surge Lifts NMU past Miami

2006-01-06T21:21:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats showed a lot of poise and composure in a 2-1 defeat of the #2 Miami Redhawks on Friday night in Oxford, Ohio. The first period was very evenly played, but Miami had the upper hand in shots mainly due to a 5 on 3 powerplay for over one minute of play. The Cats and Zaniboni managed to fight off all shots and went to the room with a 0-0 tie. In the second period, both teams matched each other shot for shot with a lot of great back and forth play. However, late in the period at 17:29, Ryan Jones was credited with a very controversial goal. The goal was initially waived off by referee Wilkins. But after he chatted with the goal judge, he decided to award the goal to Miami. Since the CCHA remains in the dark ages of time with no video replays, the Cats were stuck with a raw deal. According to NMU's Dave Danis, the replay showed it was no goal. Fortunately for the Cats, Mike Santorelli scored a great screen goal, set up by Darin Olver at 4:04 to tie the game at 1. Darin Olver then displayed his potential world-class offensive skills by getting the game winner at 15:14. Bill Zaniboni put up the wall for the rest of the game to enable the Cats to hold on for a big road victory!

NMU 2 Miami, OH 1

NMU Back on Road at Miami, Ohio

2006-01-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

The 4th place Wildcats (6-7-1 CCHA, 10-9-1 Overall) head back on the bus to Miami, Ohio for yet another two game road series. I have no idea who set the hockey schedule this year, but all one can say about this string of road games is WOW. NMU has only played 4 games at home in the past 2 months (10 road games). In addition, the road series this weekend will undoubtedly be NMU's toughest of the season. After a game against Wisconsin though, the Cats should be ready to compete hard against Miami.

The Matchup
The 1st place Miami Redhawks (10-1-1 CCHA, 13-2-3 Overall ) boast a very solid hockey club. Last weekend, the Redhawks won against RPI and tied Ohio State (won in a shoot-out) in the Ohio Classic. Currently, the Redhawks have the 2nd rated defense in the nation, behind Wisconsin. The main reason for this success is due to excellent defensemen and the stellar two-headed monster in goal. Sophomore Charlie Effinger (6-0-2, .944 S%, 1.46 GAA) and freshman Jeff Zatkoff (7-2-1, .940S%, 1.59 GAA) are the 3rd and 4th best rated goalies in the nation. Head Coach Enrico Blasi has been very fortunate to get such consistent and excellent goaltending all season from these two young studs. It is no wonder why this squad only gives up an average of 1.61 goals a game. On offense, the Redhawks are very similar to NMU. They basically score by committee. Sophomore forward Nathan Davis and senior defenseman Andy Greene lead the team in scoring with just 15 points. But six other players are in double digits in total points, reflecting good balance.

The Predictions
By now, the Cats shouldn't even be phased by playing on the road. But playing in the small barn of Goggin Ice Arena will be extra difficult for NMU. After playing against the nations #1 team on the road, NMU should feel confident that they can compete against the Redhawks. Given the low-scoring nature of both clubs, these games should be very tight on the scoreboard. NMU's powerplay came back to life last weekend against Wayne State and Wisconsin. But it will not be easy going against Miami's #2 nationally ranked penalty kill. Thus, it could all come down to which team capitalizes on mistakes, and who wants it more. Bill Zaniboni will need to stand tall and play his best hockey of the season for NMU to have success. Hopefully everything comes together this weekend for the Cats so they can get a split, and then begin their well-deserved stretch of 11 of the last 14 games at home.

Weekend Re-Cap: NMU Splits at Badger Showdown

2006-01-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats (10-9-1, 6-7-1 CCHA) managed to split in their tournament action at the Badger Showdown in the Cheeseland Capital of Madison, Wisconsin December 30 and 31.
The result was a second place finish to the host Badgers and #1 team in the nation.

Game 1
NMU started the weekend tournament with a strong start by a pasting the underdog Wayne State Warriors 6-2. Freshman Nick Sirota, playing in his homeland of Wisconsin, started the scoring spree for the Cats at 8:48 of the first period. After a 1-0 first period lead, the Cats then scored 3 more goals in the second period. Dirk Southern managed to break the powerplay-less streak of 6 games by scoring a power play goal at 48 seconds of the period. Matt Siddall then made it 3-0 at 1:13. After a fluke power play goal by Wayne State, Mike Santorelli dented the twine to end the period at 4-1. In the third period, the Cats continued their domination with a goals by Pat Bateman and Darin Olver. Derek Janzen played well when it was needed, making a total of 22 saves. Overall, it was a solid performance, and a well coached and managed game by John Olver and John Kyle.

NMU 6 WSu 2

Game 2
The championship game against the mighty #1 Wisconsin Badgers was a tale of two evenings for the Cats. Night one was domination, and night two was not so good. The host-Badgers came out of the gate and pounced on the Cats in the first period. Even though the score was only 1-0, the Cats were out-shot 17-2. In the second period, NMU managed to gain some control in the game and played their best period of the game. Brian Elliott, the nation's best goaltender and tournament MVP, was tested on several occasions by the Cats offensive pressure. But overall, the game evolved into a pressure cooker by the Badgers. NMU's turnovers and indecisiveness led to two more Badger goals. However, the Cats were able to kill some momentum with a power play goal by Nathan Oystrick at 13:13 to cut the lead to 3-1 after two periods. The third period proved to be more of the same in terms of Badger pressure. NMU could not manage to gain enough momentum and pressure to turn things around. The Badgers proved why they are #1 and claimed the championship prize with a 5-1 victory. Overall, 5 different Badgers scored goals. The Cats were outshot 42-20. On a positive note, there is no doubt that at home in their "backyard", the Badgers would have beaten anyone in the country that evening, so the Cats can hold their head high and move forward with confidence and pride.

Wisconsin 5 NMU 1

Wildcats To Play at Badger Showdown

2005-12-24T12:00:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats (9-8-1, 6-7-1 CCHA) will spend their holiday season playing in the 17th annual Badger Showdown in Madison, Wisconsin (December 30-31). The teams include Wayne State, Western Michigan and the host Wisconsin Badgers. Despite the fact that this is a holiday season tournament with no ramifications in the CCHA race, these two games are very important to NMU’s season. If they want to turn things around and make a 2nd half run, then this is the series to begin that quest.

The Teams
The Wayne State Warriors (3-9-2, 1-4-1 CHA), formerly known as the Tartars (tough guys, not fish sauce), currently reside in 5th place of 6 teams in the CHA. They are led in scoring by senior defenseman Steve Kovalchik (1g, 11 asst), junior forward Nate Higgins (5g, 6 asst) and junior forward Mike Forgie (5g, 5 asst). In goal, junior Will Hooper (1-5, 3.70 GAA, .876 SV%) and senior Matt Kelly (2-4-2, 4.21 GAA, .892 SV%) have split time between the pipes. Led by former Western Michigan head coach Bill Wilkinson, this Detroit area laden roster will bring a ragged, scrappy team to the Showdown. There is no doubt that this team would finish dead last in either the CCHA or WCHA. However, parity in college hockey seems to be the norm these days. On any given day, any team in college hockey can win and even beat the best. So this team will definitely have a shot at doing damage in the tournament.

The Western Michigan Broncos (4-9-3, 4-6-2 CCHA) have been a very average team this season. As stated last week, this team is usually a very potent offensive attack. However, thus far the Broncos are a low scoring and inconsistent team. On paper, it seems that the Broncos should be pretty explosive and tough to beat. But paper and reality are two different levels. Thus far, the Broncos have been led in scoring by senior forward Brent Walton (11g, 8 asst) and junior forward Paul Szczechura (4g, 11 asst). In goal, sophomore Daniel Bellissimo has been the main force behind the pipes, posting stats of 4-8-3, 3.44 GAA and .898 save percentage. Last weekend, the Broncos looked good at times, but came up short in putting together a complete game against NMU. The result was a tie and loss. But if Bellissimo plays well like he did last Saturday night in Marquette, the host Badgers may be in for a shock.

The Wisconsin Badgers (14-2-2, 11-1-2 WCHA) are the premier team of the WCHA and perhaps the nation. Head Coach Mike Eaves' team is led by defense, excellent goaltending and a slightly above average offense. Junior goaltender Brian Elliott has been the best in the nation, posting impressive stats (14-2-2, 1.43 GAA, .943 SV%). His performance has been the real reason why Bucky is #1 in the nation. The Badgers do have a few dynamic offensive players as well. Sophomore forward Joe Pavelski (10g, 12 asst) and junior forward Robbie Earl (8g, 12 asst) have been the team’s main offensive weapons thus far. But do not look for offense to carry this team. Any team wanting to beat the Badgers must take down Elliott and his defensive wall. Since there are really no elite teams in college hockey this season, it appears that Elliott and his Badgers have decided to become that team. They will be very tough to beat at home in this tournament.

The Predictions
By now the Cats should be acclimated to living on the road. 8 of 10 games on the road is not an easy task. Throw in 2 more games after the holidays at Miami, and that will make it 10 of 12. But at least game one of this tournament will be considered neutral. On paper, the Cats are far superior to the Warriors. It is highly doubtful that a single player from the Warriors could make the Cat’s squad. But hockey is a game of heart and teamwork and sometimes odd bounces. Throw in the fact that NMU’s power play has been non-existent, could make this game closer than expected. But with Bill Zaniboni seemingly back on his game and the Cats hungry for wins, this game should be there for the taking. NMU will continue it’s solid play from the Western series and roll the Warriors.

On paper, NMU matches up very well with Wisconsin. However, Wisconsin has been much more consistent than NMU this season, which is partly why they are 14-2-2. The outcome of this championship game could hinge on the power play. It’s not good to continue harping on NMU’s problems on the power play--but it's a reality. Since Wisconsin’s penalty kill is #5 in the nation, this will be a great challenge for the Cats. Even though NMU’s penalty kill is not too far off at #7, Bucky’s special teams have been very solid. So it will be a very difficult task for NMU to win this tournament. If Zaniboni is on his game though and the power play starts clicking, look out! Stay tuned to see what happens…..

Notes: Coach Walt Kyle will not be on the bench for this tournament. He is head coach of the US National Junior Team competing for the World Championships in BC. Assistant John Olver will step in as head coach four the tournament.

Weekend Recap: NMU Wins and Ties with Western

2005-12-18T17:30:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats were able to get 3 of 4 points this weekend in a very competitive series against the Western Michigan Broncos. With the win and tie, the Cats now stand at 6-7-1 in the CCHA and 9-8-1 overall.

On Saturday night, the Cats often outplayed the Broncos and had many shifts of sustained offensive pressure. Two posts were hit and 31 shots were thrown at Daniel Bellissimo, but to no avail. The Cats continued their lethargy on the power play by going a stunning 0-10, and 0-29 over a 5 game stretch. The Broncos fared no better by going 0-9 and only generating a total of 18 shots on goal. But a lot of credit goes to Zaniboni and Bellissimo in goal. Both goaltenders took away several potential goals and enabled their respective teams to have a chance at a 1-0 win.

On Sunday afternoon, live on CSTV, the Cats and Broncos skated to a much more exciting game. Despite the amazing rash of penalties called by the inept CCHA officiating crew, both teams managed to put on a good display of their strong 5 on 5 offensive abilities. For some reason, Tom Anastos appears to want the CCHA to become soccer on ice. So who knows where the league is headed in the future.

The Cats came out on fire from the drop of the puck in the first period. A strong rush to the net by Nathan Oystrick led to a tip in goal by Pat Bateman just 18 seconds into the game. NMU continued their strong offensive period by getting goals from Jamie Milam and Nick Sirota. Nick's goal at 19:31 was a beautiful sniper shot, top shelf, and marked his first career goal at NMU. The second period reflected a lot of back and forth play, but Western started to build momentum and applied a lot of sustained pressure. The result was a Western power play goal, which cut the lead to 3-1 after two. In the third period, both goalies again played very well. After Western scored their second goal of the game (shorthanded) to cut the lead to 3-2, NMU went back on the offensive attack and looked very good during the last 10 minutes of the period. Darin Olver scored his 5th of the season on a rebound after Bellissimo made a fantastic save. Dirk Southern then capped off the great finish by roofing a wrister, top shelf.

Overall, NMU looked very good at times and showed signs of becoming an excellent team--the kind of team we were all expecting this season. However, the power play was another story. It looked good in terms of puck movement, but very poor in quality shots and true scoring chances. Going o-19 on the weekend at home was not good at all. Hopefully Santa Claus will bring NMU a power play this Christmas to help build a big 2nd half season run!

NMU 5 Western 2

NMU 0 Western 0

NMU Comes Home to Face Western

2005-12-15T15:42:00.000-08:00

The 7th place Wildcats (8-8, 5-7 CCHA) finally return home this weekend for a two-game series against the 10th place Western Michigan Broncos (4-8-2, 4-5-1 CCHA ). This series marks the first time the Cats have played a home game since November 12 against Michigan, five weeks ago. So there is no doubt that the team will be very grateful to be able to play at the Berry Center in front of the great home crowd. Due to the U.S. 2006 U.S. Short Track Speedskating Championships at the Berry, this weekend's games will take place on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. CSTV will shine the national spotlight on NMU and its game with Western on Sunday. The puck will drop at 2 PM Eastern. Check local listings or satellite providers to see the game live on TV in your area.

The Matchup
The Broncos, led by Head Coach Jim Culhane, have been a very average team this season. Normally this team fields a very potent offensive attack. However, thus far the Broncos are the lowest scoring team in the CCHA. They have also been very inconsistent. After sweeping pre-season #1 Ohio State, the Broncos then lost 10-0 and 3-1 at home to mediocre Lake Superior State. So it truly remains to be seen how effective this team can be this season. Thus far, the Broncos have been led in scoring by senior sniper Brent Walton (10g, 8 asst) and junior Paul Szczechura (3g, 11 asst). In goal, sophomore Daniel Bellisimo has been the main force behind the pipes, posting below average stats of 4-7-2, 3.60 GAA and .895 save percentage.

Despite this team's poor record and lack of scoring, Coach Walt Kyle believes the Broncos will be tough to play against this weekend. Earlier this week on the CSTV Q&A session, he stated: "I don't know if there are many teams that are better than Western Michigan on paper. I think they have as talented a group of forwards as there is in the CCHA. They have an excellent goaltender in Bellisimo and are a real well coached team. Last year, they gave us everything we could handle in the playoffs and our team has nothing but respect for the Broncos." Since Walt knows more about hockey than anyone else in the U.P., we should take his word for it, and assume that this will be a very competitive series. Walt has commented often in the past about Western's dynamic offense.

The Predictions
It is no secret that the Cats play excellent hockey at the Berry. After a string of six consecutive games on the road, the Cats should be fired up and ready to play on all cylinders this weekend. The keys to success, however, may hinge on NMU's power play. They have been 0 for 19 over the past four games. It is very hard for any team to be consistent without some type of production on the power play. The team also needs to stay strong on defense and avoid mental breakdowns, which probably cost them a win last Friday at Ferris. The loss of Andy Contois (knee injury) and his awesome speed will also need to be compensated for by someone on the squad. Overall, if the Cats play at home in the same manner that they did against Michigan back in mid-November, then look for a sweep. If not, then don't be surprised if Western puts the "smackdown" on the Cats and wins a game. It will all come down to whether the Cats want it more than the Broncos. Let's hope the Cats show up ready to feast on some fresh bronco horse!

NMU 5 Western 2 (Friday)
NMU 4 Western 3 (Saturday)

CSTV Presents Ask Coach Kyle

2005-12-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

This week's "Tuesday @ the Rink" chats on CSTV.com will feature Coach Kyle! He will be chatting live at 1 p.m. ET.

To view answers to all questions, click on the link below.
Click on Walt Kyle chat: http://www.cstv.com/chat/120805aaa.html

NMU Edges Ferris 2-1 to Salvage Split in Series

2005-12-10T18:32:00.000-08:00

The Cats led by Bill Zaniboni's very strong performance in goal pulled out a hard-fought 2-1 win against the Bulldogs Saturday night in Big Rapids. The win enabled the Cats to gain a split in the series and improve their overall record to 8-8 and 5-7 in the CCHA.

"It was a tough game.....Billy played very well tonight....we did what we had to do."--Coach Kyle

Matt Siddall, a healthy scratch from Friday's game, got the Cats off to a 1-0 lead in the first period, and capped off a period dominated and controlled by NMU. In the second period, the Bulldogs took control of the game and applied a lot of pressure, but Zaniboni stood tall and kept all the biscuits thrown his way out of the net. However, the Bulldogs tied it 1-1 with a power play goal by Matt Stefanishion at 3:02 of the third period. But, senior Nathan Oystrick showed his great leadership and poise by putting a goal past Mitch O'Keefe at 10:02 of the third, which proved to be the game winner. The Cats then held on for the victory. Next week the Cats will finally play at home against Western Michigan for a two game series.

Notes: Darin Olver and Bobby Selden were healthy scratches from the game. It was reported by Dave Danis and Dave Mingay that Andy Contois may have torn his knee, but we'll keep track of this news as it develops. This injury could be very severe, so stay tuned.

NMU 2 Ferris State 1

Bulldogs Take Bite Out of Cats 5-3

2005-12-09T18:10:00.000-08:00

On Friday night, the Bulldogs were able to take advantage of key miscues by Wildcat players enabling them to claim a 5-3 victory in game one of the series. The Cats now stand at 7-8 overall and 4-7 in the CCHA, teetering on the brink of last place.

Coach Kyle summed up the loss by stating, "It was a tough loss, one we'd like to have back........we had bad breakdowns by key people which led to goals." Unfortunately for the Cats, untimely defensive melt-downs by veteran NMU players resulted in Bulldog goals. In addition, the Bulldogs were 2 of 7 on the power play, while NMU was 0 for 5.

In the third period, the Cats did dominate play in terms of territorial advantage and offensive pressure, but were unable to capitalize. Pat Bateman, Andy Contois and Dusty Collins scored the 3 goals for NMU. Hopefully the boys can suck it up and come out with a split Saturday night. Otherwise it will be a tough bus ride home to Marquette and a big mountain to climb out of the bottom tier of the CCHA rankings.

Ferris State 5 NMU 3

NMU Continues Road Tour in Big Rapids

2005-12-08T17:23:00.000-08:00

This weekend's series against the Ferris State Bulldogs (7-5-4, 3-3-4 CCHA) concludes the recent stretch of six consecutive CCHA games on the road. After two weeks removed from a series split at Alaska Fairbanks, NMU (7-7, 4-6 CCHA) has found itself all alone in 11th place in the CCHA with a total of 8 points. So the Cats will need to find a way to grab points in almost every series the rest of the season to reach the top of the league.

The Matchup
The Bulldogs, led by 14-year Head Coach Bob Daniels, have been somewhat of a pleasant surprise this season. After losing stars Jeff Legue, Derek Nesbitt and goalie Mike Brown from last year's average performing squad, many experts pegged this team to reside at the bottom of the CCHA standings. However, this team is a little better than most people projected. Thus far, the Bulldogs have been led by senior Greg Rallo (9 g. 11 asst), junior Mark Bomersback (6 g. 9 asst) and last year's USHL superstar, freshman Dan Reidel (3 g. 13 asst). Reidel is clearly one of the best freshmen in the entire CCHA. Coach Daniels always seems to recruit talented forwards to his program, causing many CCHA schools to be very envious. So look for these three studs to have a big scoring impact on the series. In goal, the Dogs have played both freshman Mitch O'Keefe (5-3-4, 2.74 GAA) and sophomore Derek MacIntyre (5-2, 3.22 GAA). O'Keefe has had the edge in terms of more games played, but it could be possible that both split in this series. But don't look for these goalies to single handedly shut down NMU's offense this weekend. They are not a great goaltending team.

The Predictions
NMU must find a way to consistently score goals. The Cats have scored the second lowest number of goals in the CCHA thus far this season (28). The team must also stay disciplined and play hard within the confines of Coach Kyle's system. As Darin Olver said, "I think we need to play a more team oriented game where we play the systems that the coaching staff preaches. I think everyone in the room can tell you we're always on the top of our game when we are totally dedicated to them." If Bill Zaniboni and Derek Janzen split time again, then they must both play solid to help out the defense. If all these things happen, then look for NMU to sweep on the road and get right back in the CCHA race. Since the Cats had two weeks to prepare for this series and get some rest, there is no reason at all why they cannot or should not sweep this team.

NMU 5 FSU 3 (Friday)
NMU 3 FSU 2 (Saturday)

Monthly Spotlight: NMU Star Forward Darin Olver

2005-12-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

We recently tracked down NMU's star forward, Darin Olver. Despite his busy schedule as a student and star hockey player, he graciously answered a few questions and provided an assessment of the team thus far this season. Darin was a second round draft pick of the New York Rangers in 2004. He is currently 3rd on the team in scoring with 4 goals and 7 assists (11 points) through 14 games.

1. Despite the slower than expected start at 7-7 and 4-6 in the CCHA, how do you rate your team's overall performance thus far this season?
"Although we started slow, we had a pretty hard first half schedule and many games on the road. At 7-7 that's obviously not where we want to be, but I think everyone in the room knows we've made some great strides and expect to continue to improve."

2. What do you think the team needs to improve in order to make a run at the CCHA title?
"I think we need to play a more team oriented game where we play the systems that the coaching staff preaches. I think everyone in the room can tell you we're always on the top of our game when we are totally dedicated to them."

3. How do you feel about your performance this season and contribution to the team? Are you where you want to be, or need to work on some things?
"I've once again started out slow. I need to elevate my game and I feel now that playing with Bateman and Santorelli, I'll be able to do that. They are both very skilled guys with good work ethics. It should be exciting to see what we can do in the next few weeks."

4. How has the experience been playing for both Walt Kyle and now your dad, John Olver?
"Walt is like my second dad so when I mess up, I get it twice as bad from him and my dad. I think that Walt and I have found a median over the past 2 years and I think my dad and I are making strides so that he can be both my dad and my coach."

Bye Week: NMU Hockey Gets Week Off

2005-12-02T15:36:00.000-08:00

The Wildcats have a break in their schedule this week, but resume action next weekend in Big Rapids to take on the Ferris State Bulldogs (Dec. 9 & 10). We will conduct our usual series preview and weekend game recaps, so stay tuned! In the meantime, Coach Kyle and Coach Olver are out recruiting big time talent up in B.C. and Alberta. So expect more talented NHL prospects to be coming to NMU in the near future!

Cats Victorious in Fairbanks

2005-11-27T08:39:00.000-08:00

With Gwinn native and NMU grad Geoff Modlin in attendance Saturday night, the Wildcats put together a total team effort and defeated the Nanooks in Fairbanks to salvage a split in the series. Led by Derek Janzen's strong play in goal, the Cats were able to mount timely offensive attacks against the Nanooks and their excellent, young goaltender Chad Johnson. The Cats came out of the gate right away in the first period and dominated the Nanoonks, outshooting them 12 to 1 and scoring one goal. The second period involved a lot of back and forth offensive attacks by both teams with Derek Janzen standing tall and making big saves. In the third period when it seemed at times that the Nanooks would tie the game, the Cats defense and offense got it done. They played very hard and never stopped putting pressure on the Nanooks. Dusty Collins reflected this hard play by scoring a very timely goal, set up by Pat Murphy to essentially ice the game. Dirk Southern added an extra insurance goal by blasting a shot, top shelf past Johnson to let the college hockey world know that the Cats are still alive and ready to make a run.

As stated by Walt Kyle after the game, "It was an excellent result...the kind of game we need to have success....as good as we've been all year."

NMU 4 UAF 1

Wildcats Lose Tough One at Fairbanks

2005-11-25T08:17:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats lost for the 6th time in the past 7 games Friday night at Fairbanks, Alaska. The Nanooks and Wildcats skated to a 0-0 tie after one period. But in the second period, the Nanooks came out flying and put a lot of pressure on NMU's D and Bill Zaniboni. The result was 2 unassisted goals less than 1 minute apart. Unfortunatly, the Cats were not able to get the momentum back on their side until later in the period. The result was a 3-0 deficit after two periods. In the third period, the Cats dominated the Nanooks and totally took control of the game, but could only muster one goal by Zach Tarkir. Nanooks Freshman goaltender, Chad Johnson played an excellent game. At times, it seemed like the Cats were going to bust their scoring drought against Johnson, but it never panned out. Hopefully, the boys can build on their dominating third period and come out harder during the first half of the game on Saturday. The Cats are stuck deep in 10th place with a big mountain to climb in the CCHA standings.

UAF 3 NMU 1

The Future is Bright: A Look at NMU's Prospects for 2006

2005-11-22T10:32:00.000-08:00

As part of our coverage of the Wildcat hockey program, we will monitor the status of NMU's recruits and prospects. Based on our information, the following players have given either a verbal or written committment to play hockey at NMU for 2006. Here is a look at how they are performing with their current clubs. This class looks very talented to say the least.

Stephen Balint, F (Age 19) Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL)
24GP—7G-13A—20 Points
Very talented forward, native of Michigan.

Matt Butcher, F (Age 18) Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL)
24GP—13G-25A—38 Points
2005 5th Round draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks
One of the top players in the BCHL and Player of the Year candidate

Ray Kaunisto, F (Age 19) Cedar Rapids (USHL)
2G-3A—5 Points
On NHL’s Central Scouting Players to Watch List
Native of Sault Sainte Marie, MI

Mick McCrimmon, D (Age 19) Vernon Vipers (BCHL)
Highly skilled defenseman, currently injured

TJ Miller, D (Age 19) Penticton Vees (BCHL)
26GP—10G-14A—24 Points
3rd on team in scoring, highly skilled defenseman

Mark Olver, F (Age 17) Omaha (USHL)
1G-7A—8 Points
Former Marquette Electrians legendary player
Father John is NMU’s assistant and brother Darin is a star forward

Mark Santorelli, F (Age 17) Burnaby Express (BCHL)
22GP—3G-11A—14 Points
Very talented and still very young. Will play with brother Mike on NMU
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Justin Florek, F (Age 15) Marquette Electricians (AAA)
24GP—12G-14A—26 Points
One of the top forwards in the nation for his age. If he stays committed, could become the best player in the history of Marquette hockey.
*2008 recruit

NMU Crumbles, Gets Out-Worked 8-4

2005-11-20T09:34:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats once again failed to fully show up on a Saturday night game on the road. The result was an 8-4 blasting by the mediocre Falcons. I may be biased, but in my opinion, the 2005-06 Wildcat hockey team, man for man, is better than any club in the CCHA. However, as all hockey fans know it matters what transpires on the ice and not on paper or in theory. So for some reason, the Cats had yet another melt-down on defense and in net, allowing 8 goals to a team that is clearly only half as talented. The Cats now stand at 6-6 and 3-5 in the CCHA--10th place. The next four road games at Alaska Fairbanks and Ferris State will be an even greater test to see if NMU has what it takes this season to be a great team.

BGSU 8 NMU 4

Wildcats Devour Falcons 6-3

2005-11-18T23:08:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats came out of the gate on fire Friday night in Bowling Green, Ohio! From the drop of the puck, the Cats began the game totally dominating and out-working the Falcons. The result was a 3-0 lead after one period. Then a combination of typical CCHA whistle-happy officials and a Falcons come-back began to make it an interesting game. The Cats were short handed 6 times in the 2nd, which swung the momentum to the host Falcons. Fortunately for the Cats, Freshman Derek Janzen was very strong in goal and only allowed one biscuit to slip by him. The Cats got back on track during the third and held on to take the win. All in all, based on listening to the typical fantastic coverage of the game by Dave Danis and Dave Mingay, it seems that the Cats played a solid road game and greatly deserved this victory. A total of 6 players scored the goals, which reflects great balance. Hopefully, the boys can pick up where they left off and complete the sweep Saturday night!

NMU 6 BGSU 3

NMU Looks To Rebound Against Falcons

2005-11-17T12:27:00.000-08:00

This weekend’s series against the Bowling Green State Falcons (2-6-1, 2-4-1 CCHA) has become very pivotal to the Wildcats' path of success this season. After a tough and very competitive series with Michigan, NMU (5-5, 2-4 CCHA) has fallen all the way to 8th place in the CCHA with a mere 4 points. So the pressure is definitely on the Wildcats shoulders to win on the road this weekend, especially since the next 6 games are away from Marquette.

The Matchup
The Falcons, led by Head Coach Scott Paluch, have been playing very inconsistent this season. They were great two weeks ago at home in a sweep against Nebraska Omaha, and then turned around and were swept on the road against darkhorse Notre Dame. So it remains to be seen how this team will develop this season. They may be good or perhaps they will turn sour and be mediocre. Thus far, the team has been led by two very talented forwards in Jonathon Matsumoto (6g, 10a) and Alex Foster (2g, 13a). Look for these two studs to force the issue on NMU’s D this weekend. In goal, the void of departed senior Jordan Sigalet has not yet been filled. Jimmy Spratt, Fr. (2-2) and John Horrell, Sr (0-4-1) have split time in net posting unimpressive stats. It appears that BG’s weakness thus far this season has been goaltending.

The crude confines of the BGSU Ice Arena consist of dim florescent lighting, a sound system from seemingly the 1960's, and apparently now a recent ice line problem. They do have a curling rink though which you don’t often see in the United States. All of these unique amenities help make this arena a great classic hockey barn. I witnessed NMU destroy BG in this barn in 1997. The fans were lethargic, yet very knowledgeable and proud of their great hockey tradition. So NMU should show a lot of respect, and not waltz into this comfy old joint and expect to just bus back to Marquette with a sweep. Any team that used to stroll into the old Lakeview Arena barn and show disrespect was sent home in a coffin. This series won’t be easy.

The Predictions
NMU must find a way to avoid bad penalties. Given the current state of officiating in the CCHA, this is a very tough task. But NMU is very good 5 on 5 and should focus on playing to their strengths. Also, consistent goaltending this week, especially on the road is vital. Bill Zaniboni was very shaky last weekend. Let’s also hope that Mike Santorelli gets rolling and starts pumping pucks into the net like last season. I thought that Matt Siddall was NMU’s best forward last Saturday against Michigan. If he can build on that game and use his physical presence in the small rink, NMU should be just fine this weekend. Look for Walt to get the squad back on track and playing great hockey. I sense that a sweep is in the air!

NMU 4 BGSU 3 (Friday)
NMU 5 BGSU 2 (Saturday)

Special Commentary: CCHA In Crisis

2005-11-15T10:17:00.000-08:00

Last September, it appeared that the outlook for the 2005-06 CCHA season was fantastic. As usual, the league was expected to be very competitive with a lot of great rivalries, close games, and an exciting race for the league crown. As many as 4 to 5 teams even had pre-season hopes of making a run at the NCAA tournament.

However, the CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos and his officiating crew have eradicated all of this hype and optimism. There is no need to "dance" around this subject and avoid the heart of the matter—CCHA officiating has been horrendous. There have been a plethora of minor and major penalties, coupled with loads of disqualification (DQ’s). It literally feels strange to see 5 on 5 hockey, almost as if it were an aberration or rare moment in time. So what is the reason for all of this? Has the CCHA become a league of Hanson Brothers or Ogie Ogelthorpes? Is that why there is such a crackdown?

On the contrary! The CCHA has always been a physical league with a lot of clean hitting, tough forechecking, combined with highly skilled players. Over 70 CCHA players currently play in the NHL. 14 players were selected in this year's draft alone. The talent level of the league is second to none. There are tons of skilled players and just a handful of the so-called hockey goons, commonly found in the 1970’s.

So after all these great years of CCHA hockey, blending skill and physicality, why would Tom Anastos and the CCHA officials be so viscous in cracking down on hitting? There is no doubt that boarding and "dirty" checking from behind penalties are a disgrace to the game. But aren’t all CCHA players taught this at like the Mites level? Or at the very least in Squirts? And why now? It’s not like the league is out of control with waves of brawls, cheap shots and tons of injuries caused by extreme physical play.

I was fortunate to witness a great hockey game between NMU and Michigan on Saturday night. Both teams displayed top-notch skill and skating abilities. Unfortunately, it felt to me that a penalty was being called every two minutes (21 total penalties). I swore that by the end of the game, I was seriously worried that an NMU or Michigan player was going to be called for a penalty because his skate lace was loose—it was that bad. The days of being able to smash your opponent against the glass with a clean check are apparently done. It is a sad day indeed.

This website is not about being negative. It’s sole mission is to promote the Wildcat hockey program and its fantastic players and coaches. But the CCHA, in my opinion, is in crisis. This is not a national trend. I’ve witnessed WCHA officiating the past two years, and the games are called completely different from the CCHA. Colorado College’s head coach Scott Owens was even quoted last year as being bewildered by all the calls when he played Miami and Ohio State.

I’ve written a letter to Commissioner Tom Anastos pleading with him to make a dramatic reform to the system. I suggest that every CCHA fan do the same! I have a word document with my letter as a reference if needed. So to all you Wildcat fans out there, take action and demand accountability! Otherwise nothing will happen. CCHA coaches and their respective programs cannot really do this, because they risk their standing in the league, which also includes fines and other penalties. So it is up to the fan—YOU. Take charge and let Tom Anastos know how you feel about the league’s officiating. Here is his contact information:

C/O Commissioner Tom Anastos

Central Collegiate Hockey Association

23995 Freeway Park Drive, Suite 101

Farmington Hills, MI 48335

Weekend Re-Cap: NMU Swept By Michigan

2005-11-14T19:31:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, the Wildcats and Wolverines squared off for two great CCHA league game tilts. Unfortunately, for NMU, the result was two very close defeats (3-1, 4-3 OT). If it were not for the terrific goaltending of Billy "Gerber Baby" Sauer, NMU would have split, and possibly swept the Wolverines.

The good news is that the Cats played excellent hockey this past weekend. In between the multitude of penalties (40 total) called by the CCHA officials, there was some great quality skating and play by two very skilled teams. NMU made a great showing, proving that they can play toe to toe with Michigan. On Saturday night, NMU outplayed the Wolverines for most of the game, but simply could not overcome a few costly mistakes, such as the short-handed turnover goal, and the mysterious "wounded duck" fluttering goal that softly hit Zaniboni’s glove and went into the net. As Coach Walt Kyle told me Saturday night, elite and championship teams simply do not allow these types of mistakes to occur. They are not acceptable. The Cats must eliminate these flaws in order to get back on track for their CCHA title run. So expect some possible line-up changes, including goaltending this weekend in Bowling Green.

Michigan 3 NMU 1

Michigan 4 NMU 3 (OT)

It's All On The Line This Weekend

2005-11-08T15:19:00.000-08:00

This weekend’s games against the Michigan Wolverines (7-1-1, 3-1-1 CCHA ) are the two most important of the season. NMU’s quest for a CCHA crown and NCAA tournament berth could be determined by what transpires in this series.

After a very disappointing weekend against the Spartans, NMU (5-3, 2-2 CCHA) has dropped out of sight from the top 15 polls nationally. Losing Saturday night’s game against MSU 5-0 was a tough loss. However, it was just one game of a long season, which is filled with a lot of promise and optimism in Marquette.

Everyone in college hockey knows about Michigan’s perennial rankings, hype and highly skilled players. Whether you love him or hate him, Red Berensen has built a superpower in the CCHA. Since the early 1990’s, it seems that Michigan is in the hunt for a CCHA crown and NCAA title every season. The 2005-06 team, however, has a lot to prove. The departure of 10 players, plus superstar goaltender Al Montoya from last year’s team has created some uncertainty this season. But this youthful team is still very talented. Freshman goalie Billy Sauer has been very strong thus far this season (4-1-1), which is impressive considering the fact that he is a 17 year old kid barely able to shave. Freshman Andy Cogliano has also been stellar, posting 7 goals and 8 assists--numbers worthy of CCHA Rookie of the Year material. Overall, Michigan is a hated opponent located in a putrid, run-down city. But very few teams will be able to out-skate or out-score this team. They are a Lexus residing in a Ford Escort community.

Back in 1998, on a Saturday night between the 2nd and 3rd periods of an intense NMU-Michigan game, there was an altercation that took place outside of the Wolverine locker room at Lakeview Arena. This "scrap" stemmed from a confrontation between Red Berenson, Marty Turco and Brian Balmes. This incident stemmed from Brian's passion for NMU, and from his resentment for Red's recent offsenive public behavior. Some choice words were shared followed by a few shoves between Marty and Brian. Red Berensen watched and seethed in discontent over Brian’s passion for NMU. This passion and fire was intense, and reflected what NMU hockey was all about in the Lakeview Arena era. Every team that came to Lakeview knew they were in for a brutal war with both players and fans.

In order for NMU to be successful this weekend at the Berry, it will take this same type of "Lakeview" passion and drive that led Brian, the hearty Wildcat fan to scrap with Red and a fully padded Turco, to defeat and sweep the Wolverine squad this weekend. NMU was once characterized as the hardest working and toughest team in college hockey. This label was largely due in part to the type of player that Walt Kyle recruited to NMU--skilled and tough, and filled with unmatched intensity. Let’s hope the Cats rekindle this raging fire and defeat the mighty and arrogant Wolverines. The quest for a CCHA crown and NCAA Pairwise rankings are all on the line. Will NMU unleash its true and full potential and win? Stay tuned to find out!

NMU Gets Blasted By Spartans

2005-11-05T17:32:00.000-08:00

The Wildcats apparently could not recover from the "screw job" last night against the Spartans, and were badly beaten 5-0 at Munn Ice Arena. From the opening period, the Cats could not muster any sustained energy or pressure, and were totally dominated in a bad loss. This series was very important to the Cats' run at a CCHA title, so to get 0 points is a major set-back for the team. NMU generated a mere 15 shots in the loss, which came very close to setting an all-time school record (10 in 1983 against Bowling Green). Hopefully the boys can recover and put it all together for another big time series against Michigan next weekend.

MSU 5 NMU 0

Soccer or Hockey? NMU Gets Hosed By CCHA Ref in Loss to MSU

2005-11-04T21:23:00.000-08:00

The NMU Wildcats lost a very close and hard fought game to the Michigan State Spartans on Friday in East Lansing. However, you cannot blame the loss on a lack of heart or on any aspect of the NMU hockey club. Instead the finger is pointed directly at Commissioner Tom Anastos and the CCHA officiating. Pat Bateman's innocent check in the waning moments of the 2nd period proved lethal to NMU tonight. In any other hockey league, including Women's Pick-up hockey, this would have been recognized as a solid check, but instead was called a 5-Minute Major and DQ. Dave Danis and Dave Mingay seemed politely appalled on the radio. Hence, the 3-1 lead and momentum was destroyed by the referee. Has the CCHA become like a glorified soccer league with all of these touching calls? Should NMU re-join the WCHA to play some real, good hockey? Stay tuned to find out if NMU can pull out a victory Saturday night. But beware, the CCHA loves big schools and sissy play!

MSU 5 NMU 4 OT

Showdown In East Lansing

2005-11-02T17:41:00.000-08:00

This weekend’s series against the Michigan State Spartans (3-1-1) promises to be outstanding. NMU (5-1) is currently ranked #14 in the country, while Michigan State is ranked #10. This series also marks the 11^th and 12^th times that the two schools have met since Rick and Walt took over the head coaching helms at both schools in 2002. Since the 2002-03 season, NMU has owned a 7-3-0 record against MSU, proving that the Wildcat program is definitely on the rise under Coach Kyle.

The Matchup
Since taking over in 2002, the MSU hockey program has faltered—it is not a secret to the fans or alumni. Coach Comley’s record during his first three years was 66-48-8. When compared to the same time period during the previous three years under Ron Mason, the Spartans were 87-25-13, and appeared in three NCAA tournaments and one Frozen Four. Hence, the pressure sits squarely on Rick’s shoulders to produce or hit the road. Even though both NMU and MSU are elite programs, the expectations are a lot higher in East Lansing than Marquette.

This season could be a big year for the Spartans. MSU has a very potent offense and excellent goaltending. Thus far Bryan Lerg (1G, 7A), Tyler Howells (3G, 4A) and Drew Miller (3G, 2A) have led the team in scoring. Dominic Vicari has been strong in net posting a 2-1-1 record, 1.72 GAA and .917 save percentage. MSU has also had the toughest schedule in the country through the first three weeks, and has fared well in a sweep against North Dakota, tie at Michigan and split at Cornell. So expect NMU to face one of its toughest challenges of the entire season at Munn Arena this weekend. This will be a big time opponent, and NMU will be the underdog.

The Predictions

NMU’s defense continues to be the best in the nation. Bill Zaniboni’s goaltending performance has been unreal (5-0, .80 GAA, .97 Save %). Could this be a repeat of Tuomas Tarrki in ’04-’05? If so, then the bulk of the credit should also go to Nathan Oystrick, Geoff Waugh, Zach Tarkir, Bobby Selden and company. NMU definitely does not have any question marks on defense or in goal this season. So it will be up to the average performing offense to generate more shots and pressure in order to have success against big time teams like Michigan State. MSU will bring more talent and offensive ability to the ice this weekend than anything NMU has seen this season. Therefore, the key to success this weekend for the Cats will be their ability to generate more offense 5 on 5, and really “click” on the powerplay. The big guns, Dirk Southern, Darin Olver and Mike Santorelli need to put it all on the line this weekend to prove to themselves, NMU, and the college hockey world that the 2005-06 Wildcats are for real and a national contender. Expect a very competitive series. Let’s hope the Munn Arena crew steals those CCHA ref’s whistles, and let the boys play!

MSU 4 NMU 2 (Friday)
NMU 5 MSU 3 (Saturday)

The Sweep Is On Baby!!

2005-10-30T00:09:00.000-07:00

It was cetainly another tough grinding win for the cats tonight. A 2-1 W is something to be proud of for those old school hockey folks indeed. A home and home sweep against a strong rival is always a positive for any team, but with NMU this season it means a lot. The Wildcats have the momentum now to keep moving forward for the next big weekend challenge.

Having to deal with the refs and not knowing with the hell they will call is something the normal suck wont even know. Dusty Collins was an example tonight. He made a certifiable check on a Laker on the numbers and was called for checking from behind and was given the 5:00 and game misconduct. Coach Kyle will certainly send the tape to the jug heads of the CCHA and show them this bullshit call.

Lets focus on the game. Bill Zaniboni is a damn stud and I hate to jinx him, but this man has been sick!!! He has let in so few goals the league has to acknowledge this man's fortitude so far this season. NMU will ride this horse and he will carry on and be another fine stud in the ranks of the tenders of the Cats lore.

Every key momentum is focused on the next week at hand. Now the Cats go on to face Rick and the Spartans. The key here is smart hockey. Not too many dumb penaltys and mistakes. Remember Rick has been Walts bee atch since he has gone to Lansing and lets hope this continues on forward for the next series and further down the road.

Good NMU Win on Friday Night

2005-10-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

With an increased amount of intensity and drive, the NMU hockey Wildcats got a good win against Lake Superior State on Friday night by a score of 3-1.

Even though the game was full of penalty calls on both sides, the Wildcats put forth a strong effort.
Much drive and heart came with each period and the power play was a weapon of strong results. It was also good to see Darin Olver get his first goal of the season. He is a key for the wildcats and much of the teams chances follow what Olver does. He had a nice wrist shot from deep and Jakaitis, the goaltender of Lake Superior, was screened and puck went in.

More good performances came from freshman Nathan Sigmund. His play is full of zest, speed and disruption. Matt Siddall always has his motor running the whole game and delivered some good hits and also had some nice scoring chances. I have not forgotten goaltender Bill Zaniboni. He has been the wall so far this season and last night was another example. He was stellar and took many tough shots and was up to the task the whole night. The one goal he let is was actually a mishap by the nmu defence.

All in all an impoproved NMU tonight and this can be looked upon as a fine start in the CCHA league. Good work by the coaching staff with the line ups, special teams and the ability to play how the ref is calling the game.

U.P. Hockey Continues Against LSSU

2005-10-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

The NMU Wildcats begin the 2005-06 CCHA season against another U.P. arch rival--the Lake Superior State Lakers. This weekend's series also marks the beginning of the battle for the Coppo Cup. A total of four games will once again determine the winner of this beloved Cup named in honor of the great Monseigneur Louis Coppo. His ties run deep in both Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette regarding Laker and Wildcat hockey. This series has a lot of meaning to both Monseigneur Coppo, NMU and LSSU.

The Matchup
Last weekend, the Lakers (1-0-3 Overall, 0-0-2 CCHA) began their CCHA season with a pair of home games against Ferris State. The two teams skated to two consecutive ties (4-4, 1-1). This was no surprise considering that this site picked Ferris and LSSU to finish at the bottom of the CCHA. Overall, the Lakers have been led thus far in scoring by Dominic Osman, Jeffrey Rainville and Kory Scoran--all with 3 points. Junior goalie Jeff Jakaitis has been very strong in goal with a 2.12 GAA and solid .894 save percentage. He is expected to be a very important component to a successful Laker season. Despite coach Jim Roque's focus on being more offensive, do not expect any major turn arounds this season. The Lakers' strengths are based on grinding it out, punishing its opponent, and low-scoring games. They are a tough opponent to face, especially for teams that don't like to get physical.

Predictions
The NMU defense, led by Nathan Oystrick, Jeff Waugh and of course Bill Zaniboni has been fantastic through four games. Zaniboni currently leads the nation with a 3-0 record and a .973 save percentage and .67 GAA. There is not a team in college hockey that can say they have a better defense than NMU. However, the teams that boast a better offense than NMU right now are a dime a dozen. 17 shots against Michigan Tech last Saturday night was pathetic. The team's offensive superstar, Darin Olver, has just 2 points (2 assists) through 4 games. Thus, it is still very uncertain as to what kind of offensive team NMU will put together this year. On paper, the potential is very good, so hopefully it is just a matter of time and patience. The one positive aspect on offense has been the power play, which is at 20%, good for 14th in the nation.

In order for NMU to have success and sweep this series, the offense must be willing to go toe to toe with the very strong and aggressive Laker team. Finishing checks, forechecking and winning battles for the puck are vital to any offense, especially NMU. So look for a very hard fought and tough series this weekend. Since this is a great rivalry with a lot of pride at stake, look for two close and low-scoring games determined by the power play, goaltending the most importantly, which team wants it more.

NMU 3 LSSU 1 (Marquette)
NMU 2 LSSU 2 (Sault)

Monthly Spotlight--Dave Danis, The Voice of NMU Hockey

2005-10-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

We recently tracked down NMU Hockey radio broadcaster, Dave Danis. He graciously answered a few questions and gave a glimpse into life as the "voice" of NMU Hockey. He can be heard every week during the season live on the radio (the "Bear" 94.1 WUPK Marquette/93.1 WIMK Iron Mountain/Escanaba) or on the internet at: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wnmu/ppr/index.shtml

How long have you been a hockey broadcaster?
The first time I actually did hockey on radio, I was about 12 or 13 years old. I was helping MTU broadcaster Bob Olson with stats during junior hockey tournaments in Hancock and all of a sudden he asks me a question and puts the mike in front of me. I did some high school hockey for radio stations in Houghton/ Hancock in the mid-late 80's and did some work for Wisconsin-Stevens Point as well. My first full season was in 90-91, doing the NMU games on TV for Bresnan Communications. I guess starting your career with a National Championship season is a pretty good introduction.

When did you join Northern Star Broadcasting to broadcast NMU hockey?
Prior to the start of the 2004-05 season, when the broadcast contract changed hands. Ironically, Mark Evans had taken over my spot at Bresnan when I left to go to the pros, and that came full circle when Northern Star took over from Great Lakes Radio.

How does your previous experience in minor league hockey compare to the collegiate level?
Doing the actual games is very much the same. You go through a pretty similar routine within the broadcast itself. But when you work for the team, you also handle all of the PR duties, including the press releases and game notes, and scheduling the media interviews for coaches and players, so game day starts at about 8:00 am and ends about and hour and a half after the games, when the summaries and stats are sent out and the websites are updated. The other big thing at the minor pro level is that there are 70 regular season games. There are very few two game weekend series. There were plenty of times where a weekend would start with a Friday night in Birmingham, board the bus immediately after the game for a 6 hour trip to Tallahassee, play there on Saturday, then make another 6-7 trip to Lafayette, Louisiana for a Sunday game. There were plenty of 4 games in five days or 7 in ten days. The college hockey travel schedule is much less rigorous. Also, with my last two stops in minor pro hockey I worked in hockey operations, so the coach and I would go over a lot of things. Compare notes on players, both ours and our opponents before and after the game. If an injury would come about, we may start to put a list together of potential players to talk to about coming in. We'd also spend a lot of time in the office keeping our networks open. If someone gets hurt or gets called up or you bring someone in, there are travel arrangements to make, paperwork that has to be filled out for the league, the contracts, if the player wasn't American, then you'd have to deal with immigration, and of course make arrangements for housing the player as well.

What type of preparation is involved in a typical NMU weekend series?
Actually, it begins as soon as one weekend ends. I'll usually read about how our upcoming opponent did, start going over stats, maybe look for and interesting story line. Early in the week I try to analyze our last series as well, so I have material for the Walt Kyle Show on Tuesday night and we can go over our weekend and look at the upcoming opponent. As the week goes on I start to put together my notes for the games, which includes my own roster and stat sheets for both teams, statistical comparison, etc. Fridays at home we have the blue line luncheons. Usually I get to talk to the visiting coach and set up an interview for that night's game. I usually get to the rink around 5:00 or 5:30 for a 7:35 game. I'll set up the equipment and then go over my notes and stuff, make sure I have everything in order, notes, stats, commercials, promotional announcements...I'll also record our pregame interview with Walt. There's also plenty of time to talk to others that are there for the game...the opposing coaches, broadcasters, some of our fans and staff members, and of course, Dave Mingay and I also compare notes and complete our game prep. Dave is real easy to work with. He knows the team so well. And we've know each other for many years. We work off each other pretty well. He's a lot of fun to work with. I think that we're pretty much on the same page when it comes to what we like to see in the game.

What is a hockey weekend like on the road? Do you travel with the team? Get any time to sightsee? Yes, we do travel with the team, except maybe for games at Tech or the Soo. Generally we leave on Thursday. What time we leave depends on where we're playing, but its usually somewhere around 11 am. We'll get to our destination and check in at the hotel. Usually the team will head to the rink for a skate. Dave and I will settle in, maybe go for dinner. If I've got friends or relatives in town where we are, Thursday is a good night to get together and hang out. Friday's, it's usually get up for breakfast, get a good look at the local paper and go to the rink for the pregame skate. It's a good opportunity to get a feel for the team, to get the set up staked out, and again, the talk with the people around the home team as well. Then we may go out for lunch and look around town a bit. As for sightseeing, If its somewhere I haven't been to, or haven't seen in while, there's usually some time in Friday or Saturday to check it out. When I worked in the minors, there were a lot of places we'd visit that I'd read about, and so often, when the players would go back to the hotel after lunch, I'd take some time to look around. I've gotten to see places from Norfolk to Albuquerque to Jacksonville to Fairbanks, so there were a lot of interesting places to visit. Even Tupelo, Mississippi was cool, the birthplace of Elvis.

Finally, what is your outlook and prediction for this year's Wildcat squad?
I think that this team has the chance to have an outstanding year. There's not any reason why we shouldn't be in competition for the league title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

NMU 2 MTU 1

2005-10-22T23:59:00.000-07:00

Wildcats Win Penalty Fest 5-1

2005-10-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

Ramada Cup At Stake This Weekend

2005-10-19T07:19:00.000-07:00

The tradition continues this weekend for the battle to claim the Ramada Cup in one of college hockey’s greatest rivalries. Last season, the Wildcats took home the Cup in a very competitive series with a 2-0-2 record against the Huskies. This season’s Cup challenge will only involve a two-game, home and home series, but promises to be very intense and emotional. No matter the records or rankings, NMU and MTU always play each other very tough, and the games usually come down to late game heroics to decide the final outcome.

The Matchup
Last weekend, Tech (1-3) lost two very close games in the Dave Shyiak Nye Classic in Anchorage to Vermont (4-3 OT) and RPI (4-3). The team is led in scoring by Chris Connor (6 points) and Taggart Desmet (5 points) through 4 games. Overall, Tech returns 9 of its top 10 scorers from a 2004-05 team that finished very strong in the second half of the season. Two freshman goalies in net (Michael Lee-Teslak, Rob Nolan) have provided some uncertainty to the "backside" foundation of the lineup. Thus far, both goalies have split time so it remains to be seen which one will take the reigns on the starting job. Despite this potential weakness, look for Tech to be more consistent than last season and make a run for a higher finish in the WCHA standings. Coach Russell is a good coach and has been working hard on bringing in more talented players to the program.

Despite NMU’s more talented and veteran team, we still expect the series to come down to who wants it more. If NMU gets outworked again this weekend, while superstar Darin Olver remains off the box score, then look for MTU to pull off an upset and possibly take the Cup back to Houghton. However, if NMU steps up and performs to its full potential, especially on offense, the Cup will remain in Marquette and collect dust for another season. Given the intensity and tradition of this series, and its significance to Coach Walt, expect nothing less than a complete performance by the Cats this weekend. Look for NMU to rattle the freshmen goalies and sweep the series in convincing fashion.

Predictions
NMU 5 Tech 2 in Marquette
NMU 5 Tech 3 in Houghton

Lackluster Performance Drops NMU to #16

2005-10-17T15:29:00.000-07:00

After a sub-par performance against the St. Cloud State Huskies over the weekend, NMU has dropped to #16 in this week's CSTV/USCHO College Hockey Poll. For the complete poll, see CSTV.com http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-hockey/cs-m-hockey-body.html.

Despite NMU's poor offensive showing this past weekend (5 goals on 45 shots) against a mediocre hockey team, there is no need to panic. The weapons are all there to dominate the CCHA and claim a crown. But unless the Wildcats are willing to dig in and out-work their opponents in the traditional NMU style of play, they will be forced to deal with low-scoring and very close games. Let's hope Walt gets the squad fired up and back on track in time this week to dominate arch-rival Michigan Tech.

NMU Splits On Weekend (Details to Follow)

2005-10-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

St. Cloud 3 NMU 2 (OT)

NMU 3 St. Cloud 0

NMU To Play Old Foe To Begin Regular Season

2005-10-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

The NMU Wildcats will begin the 2005-06 season this weekend with two non-conference games against a former long-time WCHA foe, the St. Cloud State Huskies. Last season, the two teams split their series with the Huskies winning the first game 2-1, followed by an NMU win 4-1 the next night.

The St. Cloud State Huskies finished the 2004-05 season with a disappointing 14-23-3 record and 9th place finish in the WCHA. The good news for the Huskies is that they only lost 4 seniors from last year's squad. The bad news is they also lost their long-time coach Craig Dahl. Coach Dahl was an excellent college hockey coach and tremendous leader for the St. Cloud program. So for Coach Motzko, there will be some big shoes to fill. This team was selected by the WCHA coaches to repeat last year's performance and finish 9th place in this very competitive league, which sent 4 of 4 teams to the Frozen Four.

The Match-Up
The Huskies bring back 6 of last season's top 10 scorers. Look for Joe Jensen, F (26 pts), Justin Fletcher, D (22 pts) and Billy Hengen, F (22 pts) to be a force in this weekend's games. The Huskies may also be a two-headed monster in goal with Tim Boron and newcomer/transfer Billy Goepfert competing for the starting job. Overall, this is a veteran team just like the Wildcats. Also, the NMU home ice advantage won't quite mean as much because the Huskies play on the same Olympic size sheet in St. Cloud, and at several other WCHA venues. So expect a great skating team with a lot of speed and flow.

NMU does have superior offensive and defensive talent. When you look up and down both line-ups, NMU should win easy on paper. But everyone knows that in college hockey, if you don't bring the intensity, composure and focus to win, you will lose. So the keys for NMU will be how they convert on the power play opportunities and how their young goalies perform. If both Bill Zaniboni and Derek Janzen start this weekend, they must play at a high level and not allow soft goals. There will be no room for error or experimentation this weekend. NMU must play hard.

Predictions
NMU is too strong at home to lose a game in this series. Plus we predict that superstar Darin Olver will have a big time series with his new and improved shoulder. Look for him to shine.

NMU 6 St. Cloud 3
NMU 4 St. Cloud 3

NMU Kicks Off Season with Exhibition Games

2005-10-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

The NMU hockey team will begin its 2005-06 campaign Friday and Saturday night at home against the U.S. National Development Under-18 Team and York University (Toronto). Currently, the U.S. Under 18 Team is 7-0, while York is 0-3 in all exhibition games. NMU lost to York 1-0 last season and tied the U.S. Boys 3-3. So we expect better results this year even without a full line-up.

Game Scores

NMU 4 USDT-U18 3

NMU 9 York 2

NMU Ranked 12th in Pre-Season Poll

2005-10-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

The NMU Wildcats received 270 points in the CSTV/USCHO College Hockey Pre-Season Poll today, good for 12th place. Considering the fact that CSTV and USCHO.com is heavily biased in favor of the WCHA, NMU's solid ranking is a good start to the 2005-06 poll season. This site will keep track of the weekly polls as the season progresses. Stay tuned!

Rk	School	Points
1	Denver (17)	662
2	Minnesota (13)	653
3	Boston College (2)	583
4	Cornell	580
5	Ohio State (2)	566
6	Colorado College	523
7	North Dakota (1)	502
8	Michigan	481
9	New Hampshire	459
10	Wisconsin (1)	391
11	Maine	309
12	NMU	270
13	Boston U.	260
14	Dartmouth	242
15	Harvard	222
16	UMass Lowell	208
17	Michigan State	204
18	Colgate	78
19	Vermont	51
19	Minnesota-Duluth	51

2005-06 NMU Hockey Team Preview

2005-10-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

This season could be a special one for the old gold and olive green regime. With the veteran talent level at a very high level, this could be something special. Also, with the good crop of young guns being added to the mix, there will be good depth in each position and line.

At the offensive positions the team returns its top 8 scorers from last season. The leaders are stand out Darin Olver, Andrew Contois, Pat Bateman, Mike Santorelli and Dirk Southern. Along with the scoring leaders, are the tough grinders like Dusty Collins, Pat Murphy and Rob Lehtinen.

Defensively, Northern has 2 of the top defenders in the league with Nathan Oystrick and Geoff Waugh. Along with being great players, their leadership is much heralded in the lockeroom as well. Other important D liners are juniors, Bobby Selden, Zach Tarkir and Matt Manuu. Fine recruiting this season and last season will also give such players as sophomore Blake Cosgrove and freshman Derek May a chance to get some ice time as well.

Special teams was one of Northerns strengths last season and should be there again this year. With the short-handed added offense of Andrew Contois and the fantastic D play, Northern should again have a strong penalty kill. The power play should also be strong with Olver, Southern, Santoreli and the machine gun slap shot of Jameson Milam.

The one concern is the goaltending play. Losing Finn sensation seems like it could cripple this team, but I am on the other side of that issue. The games Bill Zaniboni did play, he played very well. I know he wants the pressure and he wants that number 1 goalie job. He may have a challenge though with freshman Derek Janzen.
Janzen is rated as the 4th best freshman in college hockey and has certainly a high rating.

The important thing this season is to play smart, but still aggressive. Many times last season, Northern would get themselves into too many short handed situations and that took the whole offensive scheme away. Also, Northern must play a whole weekend of hockey. Friday nights game with all its energy must by followed by the same energy for Saturday.

I am hoping for a fine year and will be most excited in the upcoming weeks to see how Northern starts. A good start could and should set the pace for the whole year, so lets hope for a rocket start!!!

CCHA Media Day

2005-09-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

The annual CCHA Media Day took place in suburban Detroit on Tuesday. All 12 CCHA head coaches gathered to discuss with the sports media world their views and insights regarding the upcoming 2005-06 hockey season. Each coach gave a synopsis of his team’s outlook for the season.

"We’re real excited in Marquette for the season to begin. I think that we feel that we had a good run the last half of last year, and really made some strides in becoming the type of team that we want to become….We feel good about the team, we feel good about where we are, and we are excited to get the season going in what we feel will be a very competitive league." –Coach Walt Kyle

It was no surprise that both the Detroit and Ohio biased media selected Ohio State as the consensus 1st place team. Michigan was selected 2nd, followed by NMU 3rd. What the coaches most likely failed to assess in their hazy big school bias, is the fact that NMU plays both Michigan and Ohio State at home this season. NMU also plays 9 of its final 12 CCHA regular season games at home where they were an overall 15-2-4 last season. So we shall see how the coaches and media view NMU at season’s end—most likely looking up at them at the top of the standings. For the complete set of polls, see CCHA.com.

College Sports Television (CSTV) and Fox Sports Detroit (FSN) will broadcast a combined 34 games this season, providing great national exposure for the league. Unfortunately, NMU was once again shafted by the CCHA with only 2 broadcasts—both against beleaguered Western Michigan. However, CSTV will shine the television spotlight on NMU at the Berry Events Center on December 18 (Sunday) at 2 PM. This will be a great opportunity for NMU hockey to prove to the nation how good their club really is this season.

2005-06 CCHA Season Preview

2005-09-19T20:27:00.000-07:00

The college hockey season is just a few weeks away! As part of our assessment and reporting on the NMU Wildcats, we also have been closely studying the CCHA. The league should once again be very competitive and balanced. Despite the CCHA's very poor performance against the other power leagues, we predict that this year's league will be stronger. The CCHA will get 3 to 4 teams in the NCAA field, and will involve a two team race for the Mason Cup between NMU and Ohio State.

Here is a brief summary of each CCHA team in order of their predicted finish for the 2005-06 season:

1. Northern Michigan Wildcats

This is Walt Kyle’s fourth year as head coach of the Wildcats. During his tenure, the team has evolved into a very solid top-tier CCHA program. The large amount of talent on the team is evident with 11 players drafted in the NHL. 21 letterwinners, including all of its top scorers from the 2004-05 3^rd place team return. The big question marks for this team, however, focuses on goaltending and the ability of the offense to consistently score goals. The loss of CCHA Player of the Year Tuomas Tarrki creates a major void to fill by either Sophomore Bill Zaniboni or Freshman Derek Janzen. But the good news for the Wildcats is that they will boast the top set of defensemen in the league with seniors Nathan Oystrick and Geoff Waugh. If offensive players like Darin Olver and Mike Santorelli step up and perform better than their strong output in 2004-05, this team will win the CCHA and make a major run in the NCAA tournament. Look for a great race between NMU and Ohio State for the league crown.

Key Players to Watch: Darin Olver, F; Mike Santorelli, F; Andy Contois, F; Nathan Oystrick, D; Geoff Waugh, D

Key Series for Success: H-Michigan (11/11,11/12), Badger Showdown (12/30,12/31), H-Ohio State (2/24,2/25)

(NMU Season Preview Coming Soon)

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

The 2005-06 Buckeyes are a team loaded with experience. 14 Juniors and Seniors make up a very strong line-up. The Bucks are not exactly a finesse team with loads of speed and scoring ability. But their excellent goaltending, and strong, physical play should make this team very tough to beat. OSU is also by far the most balanced and consistent team in the league. Led by Tom Fritsche and Rod Pelley, OSU will make a CCHA title run, and most certainly land a berth in the NCAA field of 16. Look for a match-up with NMU at the last weekend of the season to decide the CCHA crown.

Key Players to Watch: Tom Fritsche, F; Rod Pelley, F; Dan Knapp, F; Sean Collins, D; Dave Caruso, G

Key Series for Success: A-Colorado College (10/14,10/15), A-Michigan (2/3, 2/4)A-NMU (2/24,2/25)

3. Michigan Wolverines

The Wolverines are the perennial power of the CCHA. The talent level is always the best in the league. However, the 2005-06 campaign will be filled with a lot of new faces and uncertainty. The loss of 10 seniors, plus early departures of 3 others to the NHL, including goaltender Al Montoya and Jeff Tambellini, will really hurt this team’s chances of winning another Mason Cup. Despite new elite recruits like Jack Johnson and Andrew Cogliano, The Wolverines will finish no higher than 3^rd in the CCHA. Since Coach Berenson appears to drive his car only two miles per year to recruit new players (from the US Under 18 Development Team in Ann Arbor), he should be able to spend a lot of extra time sculpting this young team of 10 freshmen into a contender and NCAA tourney team by mid-season.

Key Players to Watch: TJ Hensick, F; Jack Johnson, D; Andrew Cogliano; Billy Sauer, G

Key Series for Success: A-NMU (11/11, 11/12), MN, Wisc (11/25, 11/26), H-Ohio State (2/3, 2/4)

4. Michigan State Spartans

To say Coach Rick Comley has had great success during his tenure at MSU would be a gross misstatement. Since taking over as head coach, the Spartans have been downgraded from an elite team in college hockey to just a good team in the slightly above average CCHA. The 2005-06 season could be a “make it or break it” opportunity for Comley and the Spartans. Talented players such as Colton Fretter, Drew Miller and Jim McKenzie will bolster a solid line-up. In addition, newcomers Justin Abdelkader and Tim Kennedy should provide a boost to an inconsistent team in 2003-04 that lost to CHA teams like Findlay and Wayne State (ouch!). If the Spartans can somehow stay consistent every week, look for them to contend for 3^rd place with Michigan this season, and push for an NCAA bid. If not, then Coach Comley may be looking for a new job.

Key Players to Watch: Colton Fretter, F; Drew Miller, F; Justin Abdelkader, F; Dominic Vicari, G

Key Series for Success: H-NMU (11/4, 11/5), MN, Wisc (11/25, 11/26), Michigan (1/27, 1/28)

5. Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks

The Nanooks made a late season run in 2004-05, which should provide hope for the great fans of Fairbanks for 2005-06. After destroying NMU in the CCHA playoffs at the Joe, the Nanooks bowed to eventual CCHA champ Michigan. Led by one of the best goaltenders in the CCHA, Wylie Rogers will anchor a strong, scrappy team towards achieving home ice advantage for the CCHA playoffs. The Nanooks have a lot of young talent and should beat a lot of good teams both on the road and at home. Bottom line, this team works harder and wants it more than any other team in the league. But with a slight shortage of big time offensive snipers and defenders, Fairbanks won’t finish higher than 5^th in the CCHA race.

Key Players to Watch: Kelly Czuey, F; Curtis Frazer, F; Darcy Campbell, D; Wylie Rogers, G

Key Series for Success: A-Minnesota (10/14, 10/15), H/A-AK-Anchorage (12/30,12/31),
H-Ohio State (1/20, 1/21)

6. Nebraska Omaha Mavericks

The UNO Mavs were somewhat of a surprise team 2004-05. Coach Kemp’s excellent recruiting showed with freshman stars Bill Thomas and Bryan Marshall, providing immediate impact to the team. UNO did lack depth though, and it showed with inconsistent play at times. In 2005-06, the Mavs return 23 letterwinners, including a majority of last year’s scorers. But, the unexpected loss of Chris Holt in goal to the pros will make for some uncertainty at the beginning of the season. If UNO is able to get its goalie situation in order, this team has the potential to be a contender for home playoffs in the CCHA. Until Coach Kemp gets more balance and depth on this team, expect a finish of 6^th in the league this season.

Key Players to Watch: Bill Thomas, F; Bryan Marshall, F; Alex Nikiforuk, F; Dan Knapp, D; Joe Grimaldi, D

Key Series for Success: A-Michigan St. (11/11, 11/12), H-Notre Dame (1/6, 1/7), H-Michigan (2/17, 12/18)

7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Fighting Irish had a major drop in play during the 2004-05 season. Perhaps it was due to the inept coaching ability of Dave Poulin, or the lack of team chemistry. For whatever reason, this 2003-04 NCAA tourney team greatly underachieved last season. But the Irish still have a good amount of talent, along with some new faces that should make this team the darkhorse of the CCHA. Jeff Jackson’s return should also greatly improve the level of play. Before leaving LSSU, he was regarded as the best young coach in all of college hockey. His ability to recruit and coach young players is second to none. Red Berenson and Rick Comley should be very worried about future recruiting wars with Coach Jackson. A new facility is also on the horizon. Look for players like Wes O’Neil and Tim Wallace, and goaltender David Brown to make an impact and lead the Irish to a solid 7^th place finish in 2005-06.

Key Players to Watch: Wes O’Neil, D; Tim Wallace, F; Evan Rankin, F; David Brown, G

Key Series for Success: A-Den./Col. College (10/21, 10/22), H/A-Michigan (11/4, 11/5), H/A-Michigan State (2/3, 2/4)

8. Bowling Green Falcons

The BG Falcons had a successful campaign in 2004-05. However, an early exit in the CCHA playoffs to Alaska Fairbanks brought a disappointing end to the season. BG’s lack of depth appeared to hurt them the most come playoff time. In 2005-06, the Falcons return 18 letterwinners, including a majority of last year’s scorers. But, the loss of Jordan Sigalet in goal, along with brother Jonathon’s early exit to the NHL will leave a gaping hole on defense. When BG gets its goalie situation in order with some stability, this team has the potential to be a strong force in the CCHA. In the meantime, don’t expect a finish any higher than 8^th in the league this season.

Key Players to Watch: Jonathon Matsumoto, F; Alex Foster, F; Michael Hodgson, D; Don Morrison, D

Key Series for Success: H/A-Ohio State (10/20, 10/21), NMU (11/18, 11/19), Notre Dame (2/17, 2/18)

9. Miami Redhawks

The Red Hawks are a team with a solid group of good hockey players, such as Marty Guerin and Andy Greene. Overall, the team lacks the depth of Michigan and Ohio State, but still has the ability to compete hard against any team in the league. 22 letterwinners return from a team that finished 7th in the CCHA in 2004-05. The early departure of Brandon Crawford-West in goal will create some uncertainty and weakness for the first part of the 2005-06 campaign. This team is still a few players away from making a run at the CCHA title, but with a great young coach, and new state of the art facility being constructed, the Red Hawks will be a force to be reckoned with in the CCHA for years to come. Look for a finish of 9^th this season with a potential to upset a higher seed in the CCHA playoffs.

Key Players to Watch: Marty Guerin, F; Matt Christie, F; Nathan Davis, F; Andy Greene, D:

Key Series for Success: H/A- Ohio State (11/4, 11/5), Michigan (12/2, 12/3), H/A- Bowling Green (2/23, 2/25)

10. Western Michigan Broncos

The Broncos will suit up another dynamic offensive team in 2005-06. Coach Culhane's style of play is definitely more up-tempo and offensive minded than the rest of the CCHA’s rugged approach. Actually, Western would probably be more successful if they played in the WCHA. But in the CCHA, this team must deal with a lot of grabbing and scrappy play. The loss of top scorer Vince Bellissimo to the pros will no doubt hurt the Broncos fire power. But a wave of new offensive-minded talent, along with returning players like Brent Walton should help keep the team on pace with last year’s production. Inconsistency and lack of depth on defense and solid goaltending seems to always be the achiles heal of the Broncos. Look for a finish toward the bottom of the standings again this season.

Key Players to Watch: Brent Walton, F; Paul Szczechur, F; Ryan Marhle, D; Daniel Bellissimo, G

Key Series for Success: H- Ohio State (10/28, 10/29), H/A- Michigan State (11/18, 11/19), H- NMU (1/27, 1/28)

11. Ferris State Bulldogs

Since winning the CCHA crown in 2002-03, the Bulldogs have slowly been on a decline to the bottom of the CCHA ranks. Coach Daniels has not been able to re-capture the talent and magic from his championship season just three years ago. Unfortunately, the 2005-06 season will not bring much hope to the loyal fans in Big Rapids. The loss of top offensive players Jeff League and Derek Nesbitt definitely won’t help the situation. But if stud freshmen like Dan Reidel and Chris Zarb step up, Ferris could make a run at a home playoff, or at least pull off some upsets throughout the season. This team is still too thin to make waves in the CCHA race. There are too many teams ahead of them with more depth and talent. So look for a finish near last place.

Key Players to Watch: Mark Bomersback, F; Dan Reidel, F; Greg Rallo, F; Chris Zarb, D

Key Series for Success: H/A-Western Michigan (11/11, 11/12), H- NMU (12/9, 12/10), H/A-Michigan (2/24, 2/25)

12. Lake Superior State Lakers

The demise of the Laker hockey program has been a major disappointment for many fans in the Soo and U.P. It was just a decade ago when the Lakers were the most powerful college hockey team in the nation. Two national titles in 1992 and 1994, along with a runner-up finish in 1993 was an amazing accomplishment by a school with a mere 2,500 students in a city of 15,000. Since the glory years and Jeff Jackson’s departure, the Lakers have hardly made any waves in terms of wins and accumulating talented players. The 2005-06 season, minus Coach Anzalone and team leader Bo Cheeseman, won’t result in much of an improvement from 2004-05 . This team is still very strong and physical though, and will punish its opponents, and pull off a few upsets. If a team can’t figure out how to out-score the Lakers, they will be in for a long, bruising game. Until the Lakers can bring in some serious offensive talent, they will continue to be a ragged step-child of the glorious dynasty teams of the early 90’s. Last place in the CCHA is their destiny for 2005-06.

Key Players to Watch: John Booras, F; Nathan Ward, F; Kory Scoran, D; Steve McJannett, D

Key Series for Success: H/A NMU (10/28, 10/29), H-Ak. Fairbanks (12/2, 12/3), H- Michigan State (2/23, 2/25)

NMU Hockey is NHL U.

2005-08-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

Since Walt Kyle took over as head coach of NMU Hockey, the talent level on the team has dramatically improved. Prior to Walt's arrival, the NMU Hockey Program was lucky to just have a handful of NHL draft picks and prospects in its lineup. The 2005-06 Wildcat team on the other hand, will boast a record 11 NHL draft picks (40% of the roster). NMU's talent-laden roster will be either 1st or 2nd in the entire CCHA with the most NHL draft picks--a truly great accomplishment!

Here is the list of all current drafted Wildcats and their respective rankings within each NHL organization:

Dusty Collins, Forward, Tampa Bay (Top 25 prospect)
Spencer Dillon, Defense, Florida (Top 25 prospect)
Patrick Murphy, Forward, Edmonton (Top 40 prospect)
Darin Olver, Forward, New York (#12 prospect)
Nathan Oystrick, Defense, Atlanta (#8 prospect)
Mike Santorelli, Forward, Nashville (Top 40 prospect)
Andrew Sarauer, Forward, Vancouver (Top 40 prospect)
Matt Siddall, Forward, Atlanta (Top 40 prospect)
Dirk Southern, Forward, Anaheim (Top 30 prospect)
Zach Tarkir, Defense, New Jersey (Top 40 prospect)
Geoff Waugh, Defense, Dallas (#17 prospect)

source: Hockeysfuture.com

2005 NMU Hockey Recruits

2005-08-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

Well, it is that time of the year folks!! The beloved freshmen recruiting class. With this being Dave Shyiaks' last recruiting mission, we appreciate all he has done for NMU hockey.

Derek May, defense, played formerly in the BCHL for Prince George playing 59 games last season totaling 7 goals and 27 assists, totaling 34 points. He is a good size defender at 6' and weighing 190. As the time goes on, he will fill out more and compete for a spot this year and next year for sure as the defense this season is loaded with veterans.

Spencer Dillon, defense, played formerly in the USHL for the Green Bay Gamblers. He had 7 points and 150 penalty minutes in 42 games. At 6-4 205, he provides raw size that will certainly be molded by the leadership of the experience of the Wildcat D core.

Nick Sirota, forward, played formerly for Spruce Grove of the AJHL. He had 23 goals and 26 assists totaling 49 points in 64 games played. At 5-11 190, Nick is a hard nosed power forward playing the old time hockey style. With his rugged play and talent to score, he will certainly fit the size and athletic type that Coach Kyle loves.

Nathan Sigmund, center, also played formerly for Spruce Grove of the AJHL. In 64 games played, he tallied 15 goals and 28 assets for 43 points. At 5-6, 150, Nathan brings back visions of Scott Beatie. With his skill as a centerman, he sees the ice well and will help set up the very talented forward core of the Wildcat team.

Derek Janzen, goalie, played formerly for Chilliwack of the BCHL. In 54 games played he had a record of 33 wins and 19 losses and a GAA of 2.85. At 6 feet 160, he is a good size netminder that has proven to be one of the elite goalies in the BCHL. He will certainly compete with sophomore goalie Bill Zaniboni for the starting job.

I feel strong about this class and combining with the talent already on the team, I feel that this group will do more than just learn. There will be some definite contributions from all these players and you never know if we have another stud freshman like last season in Mike Santorelli.

One last thing; Best wishes to Dave Shyiak and his new journey to Alaska. He was a fine coach, recruiter and man for Northern Michigan University and the city of Marquette.

Coach Walt Kyle Leads Team USA

2005-08-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

Coach Walt Kyle, one of the nation's elite college hockey coaches, is spending this week in Lake Placid evaluating the 2006 U.S. National Junior Team. Currently, Team USA consists of two separate squads of 42 players. As head coach, Walt will undoubtedly have a difficult task of narrowing the talent pool down to one complete team for this winter's World Junior Tournament in Canada.

"The purpose of this camp is to evaluate players in a lot of situations....it's great competition and it's a great environment to evaluate in," said Coach Kyle.

2006 Recruit Drafted in 5th Round

2005-07-31T19:34:00.000-07:00

Matt Butcher, a recent Verbal Committment to NMU for the 2006-07 season was drafted #138 of the 5th Round by the Vancouver Canucks in yesterday's 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Matt, a member of the Chilliwack Chiefs, scored 27 goals and 30 assists for 57 points in 60 games as a forward during the 2004-05 BCHL season. He is listed at 18 years old, 6'1" and 185 pounds with a potential big time NHL game. He is the son of Garth Butcher, the former Canuck defenceman from 1984 to 1991. Before he follows in his father's footsteps with the Canuck organization, the NMU program is anticipated to become his home in the fall of 2006. As Walt continues to bring in big time pro recruits to NMU, the future will become very bright for Wildcat hockey!

Monthly Spotlight--The Berry Events Center

2005-07-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

Every month the NMU Hockey Website will provide an in-depth article about the Wildcat program, including player and coach profiles, special stories and historical games. This month's spotlight is devoted to the home of NMU hockey--The Berry Events Center.

The Berry Events Center, located on the eastern edge of NMU's campus in Marquette, is a beautiful state of the art multi-sport facility. The $12 million facility was constructed in 1999. It is not only home to the Wildcat hockey team, but also the men's and women's basketball teams, United States Olympic Education Center short track speed skating team and special entertainment events. The Berry seats up to 4,000 for hockey (including standing room only), and includes a 100' X 200' Olympic-size ice sheet, NMU Hockey's private NHL-caliber locker room, four multi-purpose locker rooms, state of the art workout and weight rooms, 15 luxury suites and a banquet room.

The Berry's existence was largely made possible by the generous contribution of $2 million by John Berry, a 1971 graduate of NMU. Mr. Berry was a very popular student at NMU and a legendary TKE fraternity member. He also comes from a very distinguished and successful family in Ohio. In fact, Mr. Berry's grandfather invented the modern-day yellow pages, used by virtually every city in the United States. Today, the Berrys are one of the most successful business families in Ohio. NMU will forever owe Mr. Berry a great debt of gratitude for his contribution to the facility.

Despite the Berry's tremendous superiority to NMU's former hockey home at Lakeview Arena, many fans and residents of Marquette have expressed disappointment over the past six years. People have often complained about the poorly designed chair seating, narrow walkways and alcohol ban. In addition, the exterior of the building was constructed with tan-color Spancrete panels, which totally conflict with the campus-wide design standard of brick and mortar. These design flaws have been a major sore point to many fans and supporters of the program.

However, when you observe the Berry as a whole, there are not too many facilities of its kind in college hockey. The atmosphere in the Berry is second to none. The arena's simplicity and small, cozy confines have drawn many great reviews by visiting fans from across the country. During a big game with a sold-out crowd yelling and screaming for the Cats, this facility becomes one of the premier places to play in the country. As the Wildcat program has significantly improved under Coach Kyle over the past three years, so too has the energy and excitement of the Berry. The Olympic-size sheet and fantastic atmosphere has made the Berry truly a great home-ice advantage for the Cats. The Berry has become one of the great gems in college hockey.

John Olver Named New Assistant Coach

2005-07-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

Walt Kyle announced today that John Olver is the new Assistant Hockey Coach at NMU. This announcement comes as no surprise. Olver recently resigned from the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL in Boise to pursue the vacant job left by Coach Shyiak. This hiring marks NMU's biggest move since Walt took over in 2002. Olver is a big time pro coach and will have a major impact on NMU's drive to win another national championship. He beat out numerous applicants, including one of NMU's all time great players, Scott Beatie.

Assuming Darin Olver stays with NMU in 2006, there will be three Olvers in the NMU program. Coach Olver and Darin will be joined by Mark, a verbal commitment for 2006.

Coach Olver's hockey connections will undoubtedly make NMU's recruiting connections swell to new and uncharted heights. Coach Olver was one of the elite coaches in the ECHL within the Dallas Stars organization. NMU hockey should feel lucky that it is getting another big time professional coach added to its ranks. Good times are definitely to come for NMU hockey. Stay tuned. Another national championship is coming!

Coach Shyiak Will Be Missed

2005-07-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

Last month (June 14), the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) announced the hiring of Dave Shyiak as their new head hockey coach. The announcement was very sad news to NMU hockey fans around Marquette and the nation. Coach Shyiak, aka Shick, has been a major prescence and contributor to the NMU hockey program for 10 years. Anyone who witnessed Shick's tremendous coaching and recruiting skills knew that the reason for NMU's success over the past decade was due in large part to him. Hence, the announcement by UAA was also not a surprise. His skills and abilities deserve a higher platform to bring another hockey program to new heights.

To many locals in Marquette, Shick was viewed as a very genuine and good guy. Just ask his long time pal, Geno. He was often seen around town at community events, social gatherings and at a few of Marquette's finest establishments. In this day and age of Division I athletics, you don't find too many coaches saying hello to everyone on the street, sitting down with a total stranger for a beer, and listening to someone's views on the team. Shyiak was all this and more. That is why NMU and Marquette will miss his prescence on and off the ice. He is a class act and tremendous coach.

Even though this site is devoted to NMU hockey, we will still keep a close eye on Coach Shyiak and his new team during the 2005-06 campaign. Just like we all were not surprised by his instant hiring at UAA, no one will be shocked to see UAA climb the standings from mediocrity to competing for a WCHA league title in a few years--who knows maybe sooner.

Perhaps Coach Kyle and Coach Shyiak should schedule a few games against each other in the near future. That would be one hell of a series.

The Great Brawl of 1981

2005-07-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

"Oh How I Hate Ohio State"

The game between NMU and the Ohio State (OSU) Buckeyes on January 30, 1981 had all the makings for a clash of the titans. NMU and OSU were by far the most talented teams in the CCHA. NMU fell just short of winning the national championship against North Dakota in 1980, and were looking to become an elite team in college hockey. OSU was looking to make a name for itself in the college hockey world, and had a very physical and scrappy team, unmatched by any other team in the league.

The 2,000 plus fans inside chilly Lakeview Arena sat restlessly in their seats in anticipation of a classic hockey game. The blistering cold weather and thundering waves of Lake Superior across Lakeshore Boulevard added to the fantastic setting. This was a big time game with major implications in the CCHA race.

As the game progressed, the intensity began to mount. NMU held a thin lead midway through the second period. The OSU players probably felt great pressure to win, and began to really exert their muscle and physical play. OSU players began to take their aggression out on players like Steve Bozek, arguably the best player in college hockey in 1981. Cheap shots were being thrown, and a lot of post-whistle activities took place, mostly instigated by OSU players.

In particular, there was one player from OSU who was instigating more physical play than anyone else—#2 Pete Mandich. Old Mandich was a tall, lanky defenceman who played cheap and dirty. He couldn’t skate to save his life, but was very capable of massive hits and checks to his opposition.

Coach Comely began to really get annoyed with Mandich and started to yell at him. Fans were also booing and taunting him. He was the epitome of a classic hockey goon. Then all of a sudden after a quick whistle, Mandich threw a cheap shot and then started to chase after Bozek. Both benches quickly emptied and the brawl was on! Every player from both teams was either clutching, grabbing, wrestling or throwing punches. It was pure chaos! The brawl reached its peak when Mandich approached a rabid and screaming Comely, and tried to sucker punch him. Comely made an attempt to grab Mandich. The end result for Comely was a broken finger. A few fans behind the bench witnessed this fiasco, and threatened to climb the glass to beat on the young OSU players. A few players called their bluff and began climbing over the glass as well only to be restrained by fellow teammates and a handful of Marquette police officers. After Marquette’s finest police force helped the referees control the fighting, the crowd and players slowly calmed down. The brawl finally came to an end. The rest of the game even seemed like afterthought.

All in all, there were over 180 penalty minutes called on both teams, including a plethora of misconducts, ejections and suspensions. Ironically, Mandich did not even receive a suspension by OSU or the NCAA for starting the brawl and breaking Comely’s finger. As seen in the photo, Rob Balmes, Brian Balmes, Dan Balmes and Jack "Papa" McCarthy had a front row view of it all! Coach Comely was even shooting laser beams out of his eyes at his nemesis, Mr. Mandich (#2). Hence, the slogan "Oh How I Hate Ohio State" began in full force. Rematch anyone? Where is that Mandich guy these days? Oh by the way, NMU won the game.

Welcome NMU Hockey Fans!

2005-07-08T07:06:00.000-07:00

This site is devoted exclusively to the Northern Michigan University Hockey Wildcats. Each week, the writers will provide updates on the Wildcat team during the entire 2005-06 season. This includes a 2005-06 season preview, CCHA season preview, game summaries, special stories and recruiting.

The chief game-reporter, Brian Balmes, will cover every home Wildcat game and provide in-depth summaries. His summaries will be second to none filled with insights that will be missed by the local and national reporters.

Stay tuned for the 2005-06
Wildcat Season Preview Coming Soon!

2005-06 Roster

2005-07-06T20:32:00.000-07:00

2005-06 Hockey Schedule (Home Games in Bold)

2005-07-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

2005-06 Schedule	Date	Result

USNDT (ex.)	10/7/2005	W 4-3
York University (ex.)	10/8/2005	W 9-2
St. Cloud State	10/14/2005	W 3-0
St. Cloud State	10/15/2005	L 2-3 (OT)
Michigan Tech	10/21/2005	W 5-1
Michigan Tech	10/22/2005	W 2-1
Lake Superior State	10/28/2005	W 3-1
Lake Superior State	10/29/2005	W 2-1
Michigan State	11/4/2005	L 4-5 (OT)
Michigan State	11/5/2005	L 0-5
Michigan	11/11/2005	L 1-3
Michigan	11/12/2005	L 3-4 (OT)
Bowling Green	11/18/2005	W 6-3
Bowling Green	11/19/2005	L 4-8
Alaska-Fairbanks	11/25/2005	L 1-3
Alaska-Fairbanks	11/26/2005	W 4-1
Ferris State	12/9/2005	L 3-5
Ferris State	12/10/2005	W 2-1
Western Michigan	12/17/2005	T 0-0
Western Michigan	12/18/2005	W 5-2
Badger Showdown	12/30/2005	W 6-2
vs. Wayne State
Badger Showdown	12/31/2005	L 1-5
vs. Wisconsin
Miami	1/6/2006	W 2-1
Miami	1/7/2006	L 3-6
Ferris State	1/13/2006	W 5-0
Ferris State	1/14/2006	W 2-1
Notre Dame	1/20/2006	W 5-2
Notre Dame	1/21/2006	L 3-4
Western Michigan	1/27/2006	L2-4
Western Michigan	1/28/2006	T 2-2
Wayne State	2/3/2006	W 3-1
Wayne State	2/4/2006	W 2-1
Nebraska-Omaha	2/10/2006	L 1-2
Nebraska-Omaha	2/11/2006	L 3-8
Lake Superior State	2/17/2006	W 4-3 (OT)
Lake Superior State	2/18/2006	W 5-1
Ohio State	2/24/2006	W 4-1
Ohio State	2/25/2006	W 4-2

Sponsor Spotlight

2005-06-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

2005-06 CCHA Standings

2005-06-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

	League				Overall
Team	W-	L -	T	Pts.	W-	L -	T
NMU	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Alaska-Fairbanks	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bowling Green	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ferris State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Lake Superior State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Miami	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Michigan	0	0	0	0	2	0	0
Michigan State	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
Nebraska-Omaha	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Notre Dame	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Ohio State	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Western Michigan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

2005-06-28T18:34:00.000-07:00

2005-06-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

2005-06-27T13:38:00.000-07:00