PLYMOUTH — Most college hockey programs like to open their seasons with an exhibition game, typically against a weaker opponent, so their players can get their feet wet.

The Northern Michigan University team, on the other hand, decided to test itself with its exhibition contest as the Wildcats suited up against the U.S. National Team Development Program Under 18 team. The U18 team is notorious for upsetting college programs, including Wildcats head coach Grant Potulny’s former team at Minnesota back in 2014, and it made a furious third period rally Saturday night against the Wildcats, but NMU held on and emerged with a 4-3 victory. Overall, the Wildcats are now 7-1-1 against the U18 team.

NMU started off hot, getting a goal less than two minutes in from Luke Voltin off a feed from Andre Ghantous. The Wildcats later padded their advantage to two goals at the 18:04 mark. With Northern on the power play, forward Ty Readman snuck the puck past U18 goalie, and Wisconsin commit, Noah Grannan to put the Wildcats up 2-0. Vincent De Mey and Griffin Loughran got the assists for NMU.

In the second period, the U18 team got one goal back. While on the power play, Providence commit Brett Berard got a pass from future Friars teammate Chase Yoder and shot the puck past NMU goalie Nolan Kent at the 7:19 mark. Penn State commit Daniyal Dzhaniyev got the other assist.

Kent and fellow goalie John Hawthorne split time in net with Kent playing the first half of the game. He finished with 10 saves.

Late in the second period, NMU got its lead back to two goals on a great shot by Ghantous. The freshman got a pass from fellow newcomer Jett Jungels and beat Grannan high blocker-side to give the Wildcats a 3-1 advantage.

Leading by two early in the third period, Northern got another tally at the 3:35 mark. Wildcats forward Grant Loven put a weak shot on net and it managed to get by Grannan to give the Wildcats a 4-1 lead. Adam Roeder and Hank Sorensen earned the assists for NMU.

The U18 team didn’t go away though as it cut its deficit to two on a tally by Boston University commit Luke Tuch at the 15:23 mark with Hunter McKown and Michigan commit Jacob Truscott earning the assists. Later, with Grannan pulled for the extra skater, Michigan commit Thomas Bordeleau shot the puck by Hawthorne to pull the U18 team within one of the Wildcats with less than two minutes remaining. Ty Smilanic and North Dakota commit Tyler Kleven got the assists.

However, the Wildcats withstood the final flurry with Hawthorne making an impressive glove save at the buzzer to close out the victory. He finished with 15 saves.

NMU returns to Marquette this weekend as it opens the regular season against Michigan State at the Berry Events Center. The Wildcats split a series with the Spartans in East Lansing last season.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Writer Ryan Stieg. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.