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MARQUETTE — After a nearly month-long holiday break, the Northern Michigan University hockey team returns to the ice at its home Berry Events Center this weekend.

The Wildcats host Minnesota State-Mankato with games at 7:07 p.m. Friday and 6:07 p.m. Saturday.

While NMU is holding its own above the .500 mark at 11-9 overall and 7-5 in the CCHA, the Mavericks are ranked No. 19 in NCAA Division I with quite similar records — 10-9-1 overall and 7-6-1 in the conference.

Northern Michigan University players on the ice celebrate a goal scored by Hampus Eriksson in their CCHA game played against Ferris State on Feb. 25 at the Berry Events Center in Marquette. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

The Wildcats are sixth in the eight-team league with 18 points, while Mankato is third with 24.

The Mavericks are also the defending NCAA Division I runners-up, having lost to Denver in the national championship game 5-1 last spring after earlier dispatching Harvard, Notre Dame and Minnesota in the tournament.

This season, Mankato has been struggling recently, going 2-5-1 since Thanksgiving. That includes getting swept at home by Bemidji State in its most recent games, Dec. 15-16, where the Beavers won 4-3 and 4-1.

This is the second time the Wildcats and Mavericks have met this season after they split in Minnesota on Nov. 18-19, with Northern winning 3-2 in overtime before Mankato prevailed 4-1.

Wildcats captain AJ Vanderbeck scored the overtime winner in the opener, but NMU is still only 8-23-3 vs. Minnesota State all-time, including 3-7 in their past 10.

David Silye leads the Mavs in scoring and is tied for fifth nationally with 13 goals and is tied for third nationally in power play goals with six.

Mankato also leads the nation in faceoff win percentage at .595.

Northern, meanwhile, has been in “splitsville,” getting a win and a loss in its last four series dating back to mid-November, which includes the series against the Mavericks.

There’s also a home split vs. Bemidji State, a home-and-home split vs. Michigan Tech and a road split at Ferris State.

Bemidji and MTU share the lead in the CCHA with 25 points apiece, though the Beavers have played two fewer games. That means the Wildcats are just seven points out of the top spot in the league and have played two fewer games than three of the five teams ahead of them.

Most recently, Northern skated at Ferris in Big Rapids on Dec. 9-10, losing the opener 5-2 before bouncing back with an identical 5-2 score, but for the win, on the second night.

The Bulldogs chased NMU freshman goalie Beni Halasz in the first half of the first period in the opener, scoring twice in just four shots before Rico DiMatteo came on and allowed two more goals, not including a late empty-netter, over the final 2 1/2 periods.

David Keefer and Kristof Papp scored second-period goals that brought the Wildcats within 3-2 as Papp also assisted on the tally by Keefer, who was dominant in the faceoff circle, winning 13 of 16.

Northern turned the tables to get the split, taking a 3-1 lead late in the second on Saturday as four NMU skaters had multi-point nights — Andre Ghantous had two goals and an assist, Papp two goals, Artem Shlaine two assists and Vanderbeck a goal and an assist.

The Wildcats also rediscovered their power play, getting three goals that way by Ghantous, Vanderbeck and Papp after having a number of chances the night before but not converting.

Plus, Halasz bounced back, going the distance in net and stopping 26 of 28 shots.

Led by Vanderbeck, several NMU players continue to be national leaders on offense. Vanderbeck is tied for the nation’s lead in shorthanded goals with three, while he and Keefer are tied for fifth with three game-winning goals each.

In addition, Ghantous is ninth with 16 assists, Vanderbeck 12th with 24 points and Vanderbeck and Keefer tied for 16th with 11 goals apiece.

Team-wise, Northern is third in faceoff win percentage at .559, fourth with 664 faceoffs won, tied for fifth with 22 power play goals and 11th in power play percentage at .247.

Papp became the latest Wildcat to win a CCHA in-season award, being named the CCHA Forward of the Week for his four-point weekend vs. Ferris.

He joins Halasz as a two-time Rookie of the Month and also a Rookie of the Week, Vanderbeck as a Forward of the Month and Forward of the Week, Joey Larson as a two-time Rookie of the Week and Aiden Gallacher as a Defenseman of the Week.

Fans can follow these Wildcats @NMUHockey on Twitter to get updates throughout the week. For video, live statistics, ticket information, a series preview and a history between this weekend’s combatants, visit the NMU sports website at nmuwildcats.com under the hockey team’s schedule.

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