Northern Michigan University's Isack Bandu, center, and Bemidji State's Kaden Pickering, right, bump shoulders while vying for the puck behind the Wildcats' net during their CCHA game played at the Berry Events Center on Nov. 11 in Marquette. At left are NMU goalie Beni Halasz, foreground, and Andre Ghantous. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — Losers of four of their last five games, the Northern Michigan University hockey team will try to get back in the race for a home spot in the first round of the CCHA playoffs when the Wildcats travel to Bemidji State this weekend.

NMU (11-11, 7-7 CCHA) resides in sixth place in the eight-team league with 18 points. The Wildcats are five points behind fifth-place Ferris State and seven out of the final first-round home playoff spot, which is currently occupied by fourth-place Bemidji (9-8-5, 7-4-3).

With league games worth three points apiece, a sweep would move Northern within a point of the Beavers, though Ferris also has a chance to overtake BSU, too. Games are scheduled for 8:07 p.m. EST Friday and 7:07 p.m. EST Saturday in Bemidji, Minnesota.

One other factor that could help each of those middle-of-the-pack teams is that the league’s top three teams — first-place Bowling Green State, second-place Minnesota State-Mankato and third-place Michigan Tech — have each played two more league games than NMU, Bemidji and Ferris.

In the overall head-to-head meetings between the Wildcats and Beavers, Bemidji holds a 17-9-5 edge, though only 7-6-1 in their own rink.

The teams split their mid-November series at the Berry Events Center with NMU prevailing 2-0 in the opener and Bemidji winning 4-1 in the finisher. Freshman Beni Halasz posted his lone collegiate shutout in the opener, stopping 25 BSU shots.

More recently, the Wildcats were swept at home by Mankato on Jan. 6-7 before getting last weekend off, their last weekend off in the regular season.

The Mavericks scored 5-2 and 5-3 victories to take over first place in the CCHA at the time, though Bowling Green has since edged them out for the top spot.

Though the Wildcats scored the opening goal each night vs. Mankato, the visitors netted three third-period goals on Friday for that win.

David Keefer led the NMU offense that weekend with a goal and assist as Halasz started the first game and came on in relief of Rico DiMatteo in the second one. Halasz stopped a total of 34 shots in 39 attempts in the two games.

Bemidji is also coming off getting swept, this one last weekend at Bowling Green, Ohio, that propelled the Falcons into first place with 4-2 and 5-2 victories.

The Beavers are winless in their last five, which includes a tie, with their last win on Dec. 16 at Minnesota State.

Defenseman Elias Rosen leads the Beavers in points with 17, though that includes just one goal, followed by Lleyton Roed with 16 points, including six goals. Goalie Mattias Sholl has appeared in 17 games and holds a .923 saves percentage and a 2.01 goals against average, both marks the best in the CCHA.

The Wildcats still have some national leaders, including A.J. Vanderbeck remaining tied for the lead in NCAA Division I in shorthanded goals with three. He and Keefer are tied for ninth in game-winning goals, also three, while teammate Andre Ghantous is tied for 13th in assists with 17, Vanderbeck tied for 15th in points with 25 and Keefer also tied for 15th in goals with 12.

Teamwise, Northern is third nationally in faceoff win percentage at .552, eighth in power-play goals with 24 and 10th in power-play conversion percentage at .253.

Ghantous is the Wildcats’ most prolific scorer their past 10 games with two goals and eight assists for 10 points, while Vanderbeck has three goals and five assists for eight points in that same span.

Keefer has five goals in his last seven games, while Kristof Papp has four goals in his last four.

And again as a team, the Wildcats are 5 of 11 (45.4%) on the power play their past three games and are 6-5 on the road this season.

This weekend’s games will be broadcast on radio station WUPT 100.3 FM The Point.

Fans can follow @NMUHockey on Twitter for continuous updates throughout the week, or visit the NMU athletics website at nmuwildcats.com under the hockey schedule for live video and audio, live statistics, ticket information, a game preview and the history between teams.

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