Northern Michigan University’s Caiden Gault, right, takes a shot at Michigan State goaltender Trey Augustine before the Spartans’ goalie would make the save on Friday at the Berry Events Center in Marquette. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — The gauntlet of ranked teams providing the opposition has just about ended for the hockey team at Northern Michigan University.

Now 0-8, the Wildcats have nothing to show in the win-loss column for opening the season against four straight top-25 nonconference opponents, but they should find CCHA play a bit less daunting — maybe.

The final one of these top opponents probably was the toughest as the nation’s No. 1 team, Michigan State, visited the Berry Events Center and took away 4-0 and 6-2 victories over the weekend.

Northern also played No. 15 Massachusetts, No. 16 Ohio State and No. 19 Colorado College, and stayed in those earlier games often into the third period and several times to the final few minutes of play.

The Spartans brought on another level, though, as they blanked NMU one night, though Northern took MSU to the third period tied the second night.

Actually, with this week opening play in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, the Wildcats still get a nationally ranked team with a road trip to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, putting No. 21 Augustana in Northern’s way.

Here are details from the Spartans’ series:

MSU 4, NMU 0

On Friday night, the Wildcats had six power play opportunities with a shot ringing off the post, but they couldn’t solve Michigan State goaltender Trey Augustine, a Detroit Red Wings 2023 second-round draft pick. He stopped 24 shots, including 10 in the third period, for the first shutout against NMU this season.

Northern’s Joe Schiller, Mathew Ward and Kyle Bettens each had five shot attempts, with Schiller getting three on net and Anthony Cliche and Tynan Ewart each having two.

And NMU blocked 14 Spartans’ shots, with Cliche getting four there, while leading the team in faceoff wins was Jakub Altrichter, Girts Silkalns and Tobias Pitka.

MSU didn’t waste much time waiting to see how good Augustine would be, knocking in two first-period goals by Porter Martone and Charlie Stramel, the second with only 10 seconds to go before the first intermission. Stramel is a 2023 first-round pick of the Minnesota Wild.

Ewart had the earliest good opportunity to score, getting a shot off and setting up Bettens with the rebound, both stopped though.

Then Martone beat Northern goalie Oliver Auyeung-Ashton with 8:41 left in the first period, knocking down an airborne puck, according to an NMU Sports Information news release about the game.

At the end of the period, Auyeung-Ashton stopped an initial shot by Martone but Stramel found the rebound and knocked it into his open side of the net.

Northern kept it 2-0 for nearly 14 minutes of the second period until the Spartans’ Gavin O’Connell cashed in on a power play, then an empty-netter came in the final minute from Tommi Mannisto.

MSU 6, NMU 2

On Saturday night, the Wildcats started generating some offense to get the game square at 2-2 as the Spartans again potted two first-period goals.

Auyeung-Ashton was back in the Northern net and made 39 saves, including 19 in that opening-period barrage. Melvin Strahl took over for MSU (5-1), stopping 22 shots, 10 coming when the Wildcats forged the second-period tie.

After Mannisto got a pair of goals in the game’s first 12 minutes, top NMU offensive transfer Caiden Gault from Ferris State scored goals just over six minutes apart in the first half of the middle period.

MSU’s first goal didn’t really happen as Northern assistant coach Ben Russell helped alert a challenge that was successful.

But even before the game was three minutes old, Mannisto took a bouncing puck that hit several shin pads before he corralled it and wristed in a shot from the slot.

Not even 8 1/2 minutes later, Mannisto slammed home a shot from the faceoff dot for a 2-0 lead.

Gault answered 1:35 into the second period on a power play, as according to NMU SI, Bettens won a battle at the boards, passing to Ewart, who found Gault alone on the far right side.

Before Gault would tie it, Northern successfully challenged another Spartans goal.

Then with 12:22 left in the middle period, MSU’s clearing pass instead landed on Bettens’ stick, who fired from the right wall. His wide shot got to Gault at the near side post and he beat Strahl on the far side, even in tight.

That 2-2 score lasted almost an entire period, as with 13:24 left, Martone scored on a power play.

Tiernan Shoudy put the game out of reach with goals that had 8:49 and 1:22 remaining, the final one shorthanded into an empty NMU net.

MSU 4, NMU 0

Friday at Berry Events Center

Summary:

First period — 1. MSU, Porter Martone (Russell, Travis Shoudy) 11:19; 2. Charlie Stramel (Martone, Russell) 19:49

Second period — 3. MSU, Gavin O’Connell (Strbak, Romani) ppg 13:57

Third period — 4. MSU, Tommi Mannisto (Tiernan Shoudy, Basgall) eng 19:09

Penalties-minutes: Michigan State 9-18, NMU 7-14

Power-play opportunities: Michigan State 1 of 4, NMU 0 of 6

Goalie saves: Michigan State, Trey Augustine 24 (7-7-10); NMU, Oliver Auyeung-Ashton 36 (8-12-16)

MSU 6, NMU 2

Saturday at Berry Events Center

Summary:

First period — 1. MSU, Tommi Mannisto (Tiernan Shoudy, Geary) 2:54; 2. MSU, Mannisto (Tiernan Shoudy) 11:14

Second period — 3. NMU, Caiden Gault (Ewart, Bettens) ppg 1:35; 4. NMU, Gault (Bettens) 7:38

Third period — 5. MSU, Daniel Russell (Stramel, Martone) ppg 6:36; 6. MSU, Porter Martone (Geary, Strbak) 10:56; 7. MSU, Tiernan Shoudy (Mannisto, Baker) 11:11; 8. MSU, Tiernan Shoudy (Mannisto, Travis Shoudy) eng, shg 18:38

Penalties-minutes: Michigan State 12-32, NMU 8-16

Power-play opportunities: Michigan State 1 of 4, NMU 1 of 8

Goalie saves: Michigan State, Melvin Strahl 22 (5-10-7); NMU, Oliver Auyeung-Ashton 39 (19-9-11)

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press releases reviewing the games. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.