Northern Michigan University’s Jakob Peterson, center, keeps Michigan Tech’s Alex Nordstrom, right, away from Wildcats goalie Beni Halasz during their exhibition college hockey game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University hockey team hopes to build on the momentum it gained with an exhibition victory last weekend when the Wildcats travel to Sault Ste. Marie to take on Lake Superior State tonight and Saturday evening.

While NMU defeated Michigan Tech 7-2 at the Berry Events Center on Saturday, it didn’t count in either the CCHA standings or on either team’s overall record. But the Wildcats’ highest goal output still counted as a chance to flex their offensive and defensive muscles against a quality opponent.

However, Northern hasn’t played a game that actually did count in over a month, the most recent games being a Dec. 8-9 home-and-home split with MTU.

The Lakers should prove to be a challenge as the teams have nearly identical records — while NMU is 7-9-2 overall and 5-5 in league, LSSU is 9-11-1 and 6-6-1. Lake State has three more league points, 18-15, but has also played three more CCHA games.

The toughest part may be the home-away splits, as NMU is only 1-7-1 on the road and Lake State is 4-3-1 at home.

This series will also determine the winner of the Cappo Cup between the Wildcats and Lakers. NMU won the opening two games in Marquette on Nov. 10-11, 6-4 and 4-3. With total goals determining the winner, according to an NMU Sports Information news release previewing the series, Northern only has a tenuous three-goal lead going into tonight.

In that November series, Artem Shlaine recorded a hat trick for Northern in the opener, while teammate Josh Zinger scored the overtime winner in the second game. Shlaine, with three goals and two assists, and Kristof Papp, getting two goals and three assists, led the Wildcats with their five-point weekends.

Subsequently, Shlaine was named CCHA Forward of the Week the Monday after.

Fans can hear this weekend’s games on radio station WUPT 100.3 FM The Point, or follow @NMUHockey on X (formerly Twitter) to get updates at any time and for live game-time updates. Or go to the NMU athletics website at nmuwildcats.com and look under the hockey schedule page for links to a series preview and its history, live statistics, live audio and live video.

With his two-goal night in the exhibition last weekend, team captain Andre Ghantous has four points in his last three games and 10 points in the previous 10, according to NMU SI. With 21 points in 18 games, he’s averaging 1.17 points per game, his best season as a collegian.

Shlaine is also at a point-per-game pace — 16 points in 16 games — putting him No. 2 on the team in points.

Zinger has upped his production dramatically, making him one of the most offensive-minded defensemen in the CCHA. He has 15 points, including three goals, in 18 games, just about matching his total of all of last season when he was named to the CCHA All-Rookie Team (3-13–16 in 38 games). Among defensemen, he’s also fourth in points and tied for first in game-winning goals.

NMU’s Aiden Gallacher leads the league with his 48 blocked shots and his three goals and six points are tops among CCHA defensemen with at least 34 blocks.

Special teams-wise, the Wildcats lead the league with 17 power play goals and are second with their 22.1% power-play percentage. Even on the penalty kill, a sore point for this team early in the season, they have improved by allowing just three power play goals since Dec. 1, third-best in the conference.

Coming into this weekend, LSSU has lost its last two games, both at the Ledyard Classic on Dec. 29-30 when the Lakers fell 4-0 to Dartmouth and 4-2 to RIT. Previous to that, they had won at Ferris State 5-1 on Dec. 16 in an unusual single game, then won the second game of a series on Dec. 9 at Bemidji State 6-1. Overall in December, Lake State went 2-4-1.

The Lakers’ Jared Westcott leads the CCHA in scoring with 24 points in 21 games, with his 12 goals second in the league. He’s also second in just league games in goals and points with 7-8–15 in 13 contests.

Sophomore Connor Milburn is second in goals and points and junior Dawson Tritt is tied with Milburn for second in goals as each has seven.

Goalie Ethan Langenegger leads the CCHA in games played, minutes played, saves and is tied for the top spot in wins. Against the Wildcats, his career numbers are a 2-4 record, .869 saves percentage and 3.73 goals-against average.

Lake State leads the CCHA in league games with 3.5 goals per game and 45 total goals, 27.6% on the power play and 86.7% on the penalty kill.

LSSU has great success when scoring early. While the Lakers are 4-2 when scoring first, 4-2 when leading after the first period and 8-0 when leading after two periods, they are only 5-9-1 when the opposition scores first, 1-6-1 when trailing after one period and 0-10-1 when trailing after two.

Here are some other interesting facts about the Wildcats as gleaned by NMU SI:

• The Wildcats won the Cappo Cup last season, the first time since the 2018-19 season, and hold a 6-4 advantage over the last decade;

• Ghantous has the most career points against the Lakers on NMU’s active roster with 3-12–15 in 18 games. Newer to the rivalry, Shlaine (5-3–8) and Papp (3-4–7) have produced more than a point per game against LSSU;

• The ‘Cats are 8-2 and 4-1 in the Soo against the Lakers in their previous 10 meetings, where Northern has a 38-25 scoring edge;

• Ghantous leads active NCAA skaters in points (50-95–145), and in NMU history, he’s 14th in assists, 19th in points, 36th in goals and and 29th in games played;

• Jack Perbix is fifth among active NCAA skaters in games played with 159

• Shlaine is riding a three-game point streak with four assists in that span, while Reilly Funk has three points, including a goal, in his previous two contests;

• Junior goalie Beni Halasz holds a .922 saves percentage at even strength and .913 against conference opponents. In his career against LSSU, he is 4-1 with a .884 saves percentage and a 2.61 goals-against average;

• The ‘Cats have found success in the second and third periods, scoring 42 of their 51 goals in the final two frames, plus one goal in overtime;

• Three is a crucial number — the ‘Cats are 6-2-1 when scoring three or more goals this season, while the Lakers are 3-11-0 when allowing three or more goals

• NMU has won nine CCHA player of the week awards this season, the most recent for Halasz as Goalie of the Week for Nov. 24-25. Tanner Latsch, who has only played eight games this season because of injuries, has earned four of the honors between Oct. 13-28, while Halasz and Zinger each have won twice.

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