Northern Michigan University’s Tanner Latsch readies for a faceoff during a game last season at the Berry Events Center in Marquette. Latsch earned a pair of CCHA weekly awards on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023, after tallying five goals and an assist in his first collegiate action, a two-game series at Minnesota-Duluth. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — Exhibition or not, Saturday night is the start of a whole new era for Northern Michigan University hockey.

With new head coach Dave Shyiak and a roster turned over so much that only four players from last year return, the Wildcats play an exhibition game at Michigan Tech in Houghton at 6 p.m. Saturday.

It’s been a busy summer for Shyiak, his new staff and new players, with his hiring taking place in late June just a few weeks after seven-year head man Grant Potulny resigned.

With the regular NCAA transfer portal and another version of its opening when a head coach change takes place, Shyiak had to assemble more than half his roster pretty much since the Fourth of July.

“(The players) are coming along,” Shyiak said in an NMU Sports Information news release previewing the game and the season. “Right from day one we were doing a lot of ‘culture’ things, it was about getting to know each other … and now they’re starting to feel comfortable.

“We’ve seen some really good growth this last week and a half with our group…. The guys are giving us effort, there’s great effort in practice, great internal competition, and that’s real positive.”

For those looking to purchase tickets to attend the game, visit the Michigan Tech ticket website at https://mtu.universitytickets.com and look for the “Michigan Tech Hockey vs Northern Michigan” listing.

In addition, the game will be the first to be internet live-streamed through the CCHA’s new partner in this venture, Midco Sports Plus. Information on purchasing a monthly or season-long subscription can visit https://www.midcosports.com/streaming/?utm_medium=sidearm-email&utm_source=nmuwildcats.com&utm_campaign=PREVIEW%3a+Wildcats+Face+Huskies+in+Preseason+Exhibition&utm_content=4eb60249-dd36-4c0f-8dc0-a3a410bc636e.

The game will also be broadcast on radio station WUPT 100.3 FM The Point, while fans can follow @NMUHockey on X (formerly Twitter) to get updates throughout the week leading up to games and for live updates while the ‘Cats are on the ice.

By visiting the NMU athletics website at nmuwildcats.com and looking under the hockey schedule, there are links to live video, live audio, live statistics, ticket information and a history of the teams’ series.

“It’s going to be a raucous crowd,” Shyiak said about Saturday night. “For our guys, they get to learn how you have to play college hockey right off the bat, and that sets us up well going into Colorado College.”

Northern opens the regular season next weekend at CC in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with games at 9 p.m. EDT Friday and 8 p.m. EDT Saturday.

The Wildcats’ first home games follow a week later when they host Alaska-Anchorage — a school that Shyiak was once the head coach — at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18, and 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19.

One of the exciting players to watch this year is the development of newly named NMU captain Tanner Latsch, who is in his third year at Northern as a redshirt sophomore.

Last year before most of his season was cut short by injury, he made his college debut in a big way, scoring five goals and an assist in his opening weekend and earning multiple CCHA weekly awards along with CCHA Rookie of the Month for last October. He was also a runner-up for a national award for rookies in that opening month of the season.

Despite playing just eight games, he finished 12th in NMU scoring with eight points that included seven goals. Every player ahead of him in team scoring — and two immediately behind him — tallied their points in at least 27 of NMU’s 34 games.

Several other newcomers who have played at other NCAA Division I universities are assistant captains, along with a returnee who happens to be a Marquette native — Jakob Peterson.

The others getting “A”s include center Jesse Tucker, who has 101 career games at Clarkson and Michigan State.

Zach Michaelis also returns, while joining Peterson on defense will be New York Rangers draft pick Rasmus Larsson. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound freshman is a Stockholm, Sweden, native, and brings both size and skill to the Wildcats’ back end.

New faces at goaltender include senior transfer Ryan Ouellette, who is scheduled to start Saturday, the only NMU netminder with collegiate playing experience.

Michigan Tech, on the other hand, was picked second by coaches and fourth by the media in CCHA preseason polls after the Huskies won their first Mason Cup championship with a 2-1 victory last spring, earning a spot in the NCAA tournament for the third straight season.

Tech’s Isaac Gordon was chosen as one of the CCHA Preseason Players of the Year by coaches, tied with Lucas Wahlin of St. Thomas and Connor Milburn of Lake Superior State for the honor.

Gordon was last season’s CCHA Rookie of the Year and named to the CCHA Second and Rookie teams. He led the Huskies with 18 goals and 36 points, also tops in the league in points and second in goals.

Defenseman Chase Pietila earned preseason CCHA recognition after leading MTU with 19 assists last season and scoring three goals. He ranked fourth in the CCHA and eighth nationally amongst freshmen blueliners in assists.

The Huskies saw roster turnover of their own, with Blake Pietila, Logan Pietila and Jed Pietila moving on, and losing a couple of players to the portal, most notably Kyle Kukkonen, Ryland Mosley and Kash Rasmussen.

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