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MARQUETTE — If you want to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best.

That could be the theme for the Northern Michigan University hockey team this weekend when it plays one of its two annual home-and-home series against Michigan Tech.

The teams face off at 7:07 p.m. today at the Berry Events Center in Marquette before each takes the drive northwest to play at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton at 6:07 p.m. Saturday.

Northern Michigan University's Vincent de Mey, center, races up the boards in front of the Michigan Tech bench as the Huskies' Brian Halonen, right, and Colin Swoyer defend during the second period on Feb. 27, 2021, at the Berry Events Center in Marquette. (Photo courtesy Shannon Stieg)

While the Wildcats are a solid 9-7 overall and 5-3 in the CCHA, MTU sits atop the league with a 9-3-3 overall and 5-2-3 league records.

The Huskies have 18 points, one ahead of Bowling Green State and Minnesota State-Mankato, and lead NMU by five points as those are the top four teams in the league.

Both games will be telecast on WLUC-TV6 and broadcast on the Wildcats’ home radio station, WUPT 100.3 FM The Point.

Saturday’s game may bump up against Northern’s 4 p.m. men’s basketball game, so one of those NMU teams may be broadcast on one of WUPT’s affiliated stations.

Fans can also follow @NMUHockey on Twitter to get updates throughout the week, while NMU’s sports website, nmuwildcats.com, has video, live statistics, a series preview and history of their series on the hockey team’s schedule part of the website.

Northern Michigan University's AJ Vanderbeck skates with the puck in a game against Lake Superior State at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Jan. 29. (Journal file photo)

Tonight’s game also features the annual Teddy Bear Toss and Sock Toss during the intermission between the first and second periods. Fans are encouraged to bring new teddy bears or socks to throw onto the ice during intermission.

All toys will be donated to Toys for Tots and socks gifted to St. Vincent de Paul, Janzen House, area elementary schools, the Room at the Inn, Beacon House and The Women’s Center.

The Wildcats have notable players on both the offensive and defensive end of the rink.

Freshman goalie Beni Halasz, already recognized as the first Hungarian-born player to play goalie at the NCAA Division I level, was named the CCHA Rookie of the Month for the second straight time this week. He already has a shutout as he went 4-2 in November, starting every NMU game in the month.

Northern captain AJ Vanderbeck is in the top 10 in several NCAA Division I scoring categories, most notably tied for the national lead in shorthanded goals with three. He and teammate David Keefer are tied for second in game-winning goals with three, while Vanderbeck is tied for seventh in total goals with 10 and tied for eighth in points with 19.

As a team, the Wildcats are third nationally in faceoffs won with 523, sixth in faceoff win percentage at .555, fifth in power-play goals with 18 and seventh in power play percentage at .265.

Interestingly, both NMU and Tech last played Minnesota State-Mankato and earned what would be considered a split. Northern had last weekend off.

Two weeks ago, the Wildcats did have an official split at Mankato, handing the Mavericks their first home loss since Oct. 9, 2021.

NMU won the opener 3-2 in overtime when Vanderbeck scored after coming back on the ice after serving a penalty, according to an account from NMU Sports Information.

He had scored the apparent game-winner early in OT, but was called for a penalty on the scoring play. Two minutes later, he snuck into the high slot after getting back on the ice and was fed the puck by Andre Ghantous and scored the official game-winner.

The score was not only the game winner, but was Vanderbeck’s 50th career goal and Ghantous’ 100th collegiate point.

During the shorthanded situation, Halasz made three saves to keep the game going, NMU SI noted.

Mankato bounced back for a 4-1 win in the second game as Keefer scored his eighth goal of the season.

The Mavericks came to Houghton last weekend and opened with a 3-2 victory before the teams tied 2-2 on Saturday, though Mankato won the extra point in a shootout.

The Huskies’ Ryland Mosley is tied with Vanderbeck for the national lead in shorthanded goals with three and tied with Vanderbeck and Keefer for second in game-winning goals with three.

Tech netminder Blake Pietila is ninth in goals-against average at 1.90 and save percentage at .933, while the team is eighth-ranked in penalty kill percentage at .867.

MTU won three of the teams’ four meetings last season, with NMU winning 4-3 in OT in Houghton on Nov. 12. Tech followed it up with a 5-2 win on Nov. 13 and 5-1 and 8-1 wins in February.

In the past 20 seasons dating back to 2002, Tech holds a 37-27-7 series lead against the Wildcats.

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