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MARQUETTE — If it was any other team, playing them so often in a relatively short time might be tiresome or maybe even tedious.

But when Northern Michigan University and Michigan Tech get together anywhere, particularly on the ice, it’s usually dramatic and always special.

Even though the Wildcats and Huskies have played each other three times in the past two months, it shouldn’t be boring when they finish their season set of games against each other with a traditional home-and-home series starting tonight at the Berry Events Center.

Northern Michigan University’s Michael Mesic, center in white, and Reilly Funk, right, celebrate a goal scored by teammate Rylan Van Unen in the first period of the Wildcats’ exhibition college hockey game played against Michigan Tech at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Jan. 6. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

They face off there at 7:07 p.m. before traveling in tandem to Houghton to play again at 6:07 p.m. Saturday.

Fans can watch both games on TV on Fox-U.P. or catch audio of the action on radio station WUPT 100.3 FM The Point. Or fans can follow @NMUHockey on X (formerly Twitter) to get updates leading up to the games and for live updates while the ‘Cats are on the ice. Or visit the NMU athletics website at nmuwildcats.com and look under the hockey schedule for links to a series history and preview, NMU’s weekend program, ticket information and live statistics, video and audio.

Northern has won two of the three games so far this season, though the most recent one, Northern’s 7-2 victory in Marquette on Jan. 6, didn’t count even as a nonconference game as it’s only considered an exhibition.

In the ones that did count, each team won at home, Tech prevailing 4-2 on Dec. 8 and the Wildcats winning 3-1 the following night.

In the tight CCHA race, this series like just about any other will be important as teams are around two-thirds of the way through the conference schedule.

Michigan Tech's Trevor Russell, top center, takes a pass in front of the Northern Michigan University net but isn't able to get the puck past Wildcats’ goalie Beni Halasz, second from left, during their CCHA hockey game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Dec. 9. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

NMU only sits sixth with 20 points, but also is only 10 points behind coleaders St. Thomas and Minnesota State-Mankato as all three have played 16 league games.

The Wildcats are 8-13-3 overall and 6-9-1 in the CCHA, the leaders’ records are 10-6 for St. Thomas and 9-5-2 for Mankato.

Tech is only one spot above Northern in fifth, but its 26 points are only four away from the top and six ahead of Northern. The Huskies are 11-11-5 overall and 8-7-1 in the league.

In the Upper Peninsula rivals’ December series, NMU’s Colby Enns and Reilly Funk both scored their first goals of the season in the 4-2 loss, while Rylan Van Unen, Aiden Gallacher and Josh Zinger scored for Northern in the 3-1 win.

With two assists, Funk had three points that weekend while Artem Shlaine had two assists for two points.

Goalie Beni Halasz made 53 saves in total with a .914 saves percentage overall in the pair of contests.

Last weekend, NMU picked up two of a possible six points at Mankato, winning Friday in a shootout after the score remained tied 2-2 after overtime, then being blanked 4-0 on Saturday.

In the shootout game, Northern’s Matvei Kabanov scored the go-ahead goal in the second period before finishing off the game with his nifty move in the third round of the shootout. Jack Perbix recorded his first goal for the ‘Cats, and the trio of Connor Eddy, Gallacher and Shlaine each recorded points.

Despite a quiet weekend, Andre Ghantous continued to lead NMU in scoring with 23 points (7 goals, 16 assists) in 24 games, and he’s also the team leader in career scoring vs. Tech with 13 points (5-8) in 23 games.

The Huskies coming off a series split against the Lake Superior State, losing 3-1 and winning 1-0. Isaac Gordon scored the lone goal for the Huskies on Friday, followed by Ryland Mosley’s game-winner and Blake Pietila’s 26-save shutout on Saturday.

Gordon, who leads the Huskies in scoring (13-10–23), was honored by the league as CCHA Rookie of the Week. With a goal and assist in two games, Gordon has a four-game point streak (2-2–4) and has five points in his last six games (3-2–5).

Mosley (12-8–20) is second in scoring for the Huskies, while Logan Pietila leads MTU in career points against the ‘Cats (8-7–15, 23 games).

Veteran goaltender Blake Pietila is tied for first in the CCHA in games played and wins, first alone in saves, second in saves percentage and third in goals against average among goalies with 10 or more games.

Here are some Wildcat facts as gleaned by NMU Sports Information:

• In conference play, the Wildcats currently lead the CCHA with 242 blocks and three shorthanded goals

• Ghantous has been nominated for the 2024 Hobey Baker award and a link to vote for him is at https://hobeybaker.com/awards/vote-for-hobey/?utm_medium=sidearm-email&utm_source=nmuwildcats.com&utm_campaign=PREVIEW%3a+Rivalry+Weekend&utm_content=68305d0c-4951-4c3a-8bad-89efd5fb911d

• Ghantous also leads all active NCAA skaters in points (51-96–147) in 160 games. He’s 18th in career points, tied for 35th in career goals, tied for 12th in career assists and tied for ninth in career games played in NMU program history

• After Ghantous, NMU’s next best career scorer vs. Tech is Shlaine (0-4–4), Rylan Van Unen (3-0–3) and Zinger (1-2–3)

• Michael Van Unen is one block away from reaching 300 in his career. He has 53 blocks in 20 games against the Huskies, most among the ‘Cats

• NMU is 3-4 against the Huskies the last two seasons. In that time, the ‘Cats have averaged 2.14 goals per game, 2.57 goals against, a .926 saves percentage, are 2 of 24 on the power play (8.3%) and 24 of 28 on the penalty kill (85.7%)

• At home, Northern is 7-3-1, averaging 3.0 goals and 2.3 goals against, a .914 saves percentage, 55.5 faceoff win percentage, a 21.1 power play scoring rate and an 85.7 penalty kill rate.The ‘Cats have scored a power play goal in two straight home games, and have only allowed two power play goals in their previous eight games, killing 23 of 25 situations for 92% success

• On the road, NMU struggles at 1-10-2, average 2.1 goals for and 4.4 goals against, a .867 saves percentage, 48.6 faceoff win rate, a 19.3% power play success and a 69.6% penalty kill rate. The ‘Cats have scored one power play goal and allowed 10 in the previous eight road games

• The ‘Cats are 5-6 when scoring first, 3-7-3 when the opponent scores first, 7-1-1 when leading after two periods and 2-2 in one-goal games

• The race to three goals is crucial — when scoring three or more goals this season, the ‘Cats are 7-2-1 and the Huskies are 9-2-1. Conversely, the ‘Cats are 1-11-2 and the Huskies 3-9-4 when scoring two or fewer goals.

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