Northern Michigan University’s Joseph Nardi, left, gets knocked to the ice by Ferris State’s Zach Yoder in the third period at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Feb. 1, 2020. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University hockey team hopefully had a good rest with an unanticipated week off as the Wildcats will play six games in 12 days starting Friday.

NMU hosts Lake Superior State at 6:37 p.m. both Friday and Saturday at the Berry Events Center.

Along with this weekend’s series and one the following weekend at Bemidji State in Minnesota, the Wildcats will have makeup games each of the next two Tuesdays against Michigan Tech after their series was postponed from last weekend. The game this Tuesday will be played in Houghton and the following Tuesday, Feb. 8, in Marquette.

Despite not playing, Northern slipped just one spot in this week’s USCHO national poll to No. 20. It also marked the third time this season the Wildcats have broken into the poll’s top 20.

NMU and LSSU will vie for the Cappo Cup based on total goals scored in their four games this season as the Lakers currently lead 11-3 after a Lake State sweep in Sault Ste. Marie in mid-December.

Northern is trying to wrest the cup away from the Lakers for the first time since the Wildcats won it in the 2018-19 season. NMU also has an all-time 75-50-13 advantage vs. LSSU.

Last time out vs. Lake State, AJ Vanderbeck, Mikey Colella and Ben Newhouse scored for NMU.

Northern, which is 13-9-1 overall and 7-8-1 in the CCHA, also has a 10-5-1 home record this season.

Their most recent games played were a split against CCHA leader and then-national No. 1 Minnesota State-Mankato at the BEC, a 4-2 Friday win and 4-1 Saturday setback.

A pair of Wildcats are Hobey Baker Award candidates, seniors Joseph Nardi and Hank Crone.

Nardi, the team captain the past two seasons, is notable for his 170 consecutive games played as he’s never missed a game since donning the Green and Gold. He has also led the nation in faceoff wins.

Crone is on multiple leaderboards in the nation, including assists.

Fans can vote on the candidate, once per day until March 6. Visit hobeybaker.com/vote.

Here are some “Cat Facts” gleaned by NMU Sports Information about Northern players nationally:

• Crone has 24 assists in 23 games, tied for No. 1, while his 33 points also lead Division I as he has nine goals. Averaging 1.43 points per game, he’s fifth there, while Vanderbeck is 10th in points per game at 1.30.

• With 76 blocks in 23 games, Newhouse leads, while fellow blueliners Mike Van Unen is eighth with 44.

• Vanderbeck is second in goals with 17, while his 94 shots are sixth as all five players ahead of him have fewer goals. His shots are No. 1 in the CCHA.

• Vanderbeck’s seven power play goals are tied for third, while Crone’s only NMU shorthanded goal this season puts him 14th.

• Colella’s 13 goals are seventh.

• Vanderbeck’s 23 points make him 14th.

• Andre Ghantous’ 15 assists are 48th best.

• The Wildcats as a team average 3.87 goals per game, fourth overall and second in the league.

NMU reminds fans that wearing a mask is required for all, vaccinated or not, whenever inside an campus facility, including all indoor athletic venues. The only exception is when actively eating or drinking.

To follow the hockey Wildcats or other Northern teams, visit @NMUHockey on Twitter, @nmu_hockey on Instagram, NMU Hockey on Facebook and @nmuhockey on TikTok.

This weekend’s games will be broadcast on radio station WUPT 100.3 FM The Point, with that coverage available online at https://streamdb7web.securenetsystems.net/ce/wupt.

To also follow the team online, video will be available at https://www.flohockey.tv/ and live statistics at https://nmuwildcats.com/sidearmstats/mhockey/summary.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.