That’s what looking behind some of the numbers will tell you about NMU’s still-winless season with Northern at 0-16 overall, 0-8 in the CCHA.

Not only have the Wildcats had the three one-goal setbacks, but four other contests were one-goal scores entering the final minute of regulation before the opposition put in an empty-net goal — or in one case, two empty-netters — in the final 60 seconds for a wider final margin.

This weekend, NMU has another chance to get in the win column with a trip to Ohio to face CCHA foe Bowling Green State. The Falcons reside in third place in the nine-team league with 23 points at 5-2-3 in conference contests and 7-4-3 overall. This will be the only series between these teams this season.

Every single opponent Northern has played was either nationally ranked, was recently nationally ranked or was receiving votes in a national poll at the time of their games.

Northern Michigan University’s Jakub Altrichter, left, tries to get to a loose puck in front of Minnesota State-Mankato goalie Alex Tracy, right, during their CCHA hockey game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

In Bowling Green’s case, it’s receiving votes — actually, just one vote — but that’s good enough to be the 10th team outside the top 20, effectively in 30th place, in Sunday’s USCHO.com weekly poll.

Last week’s opponent, Minnesota State-Mankato, blanked the Wildcats on Friday night, 4-0, before NMU pulled closer for one of those one-goal losses, 3-2.

It was a matter of hot goaltending for the Mavericks on Friday night, with CCHA Preseason First Team goaltender Alex Tracy posting a 35-save shutout, his 10th collegiate blanking and the one with the most saves in it. Tracy has also been selected for the U.S. team to play in the Spengler Cup in Switzerland between Christmas and New Year’s.

And Mankato was ranked No. 14 in USCHO.com poll, now having moved up to No. 13.

“Obviously, they have a good team and a good goaltender in Tracy,” Northern head coach Dave Shyiak said in an NMU Sports Information news release reviewing last weekend and previewing this weekend. “We had a tough time getting pucks by him.

“We did have some good looks, and we’ve been working on getting more traffic in front of goaltenders’ eyes to create second and third chances, but we were unable to do that on Friday.”

Two of the Mavericks’ goals came on the power play each night, but the Wildcats were able to match that on Saturday with two on the man-advantage themselves.

Northern was one of the best teams in the nation on the penalty kill through its first dozen games, stopping 83.7% of power plays with seven goals given up that way, those numbers ranked 10th and tied for 12th, respectively, in the nation.

But since then, NMU has stopped less than half its penalty-kill chances, 47.1% to be exact, allowing the most power play goals and second-worst in percentage over the entire Division I landscape.

Shyiak said this stretch has been “uncharacteristic” for his group.

“We’ve given up too many power play goals,” he said. “I thought pucks were going too easy to the net.

“We need to have both our power play and our penalty kill working at the same time to give us the best chance of success, and we didn’t do that (last) weekend.”

But on Saturday, the Wildcats scored the first and last goals on power plays from freshman Michael Burchill for the first-period goal and sophomore Grayden Slipec on one in the latter stages of the second.

And NMU’s coach was also pleased with his team’s 5-on-5 play.

“We had a great start (on Saturday),” Shyiak said. “In the first 12 minutes, (Mankato) only had one or two shots, we were playing the game downhill and on our toes, but then we weren’t able to convert (on some chances) and then Mankato scored … but we bounced back and I thought we outplayed them 5-on-5.

“I think we had 16 chances to (Mankato’s) seven to score at 5-on-5, and we were unable to do so. We addressed it, but I liked out quality of play. We’re getting there, but at the end of the day, we need to score more goals at 5-on-5.”

Another problem that seems to be fixed was the Wildcats allowing a lot more shots than the opposition. After the season’s inauspicious start when NMU gave up 35 shots on goal in the first period and 70 shots total in the opening game at UMass, things have settled down in the shot-taking department.

Mankato held a narrow 73-68 edge in shots on goal last weekend.

“At the end of the day, we need to become more of a ‘volume-shooting’ team, both at 5-on-5 and on the power play,” Shyiak said about shot totals. “Our two goals on Saturday were a direct result of that. We got pucks and bodies toward the net … and we’ve got to keep doing that (this weekend).

“They have a bigger goaltender, so we have to get in front of him, but at the end of the day we have to get more ‘greasy’ goals around the net.”

The Falcons have just one loss in their past eight games, going 5-1-2 that includes a shootout win and shootout loss that officially count as ties at Mankato on Nov. 7-8.

Bowling Green is the top scoring team in the CCHA in league games, averaging 3.7 goals per contest, but also are third-worst in goals allowed, giving up exactly 3.0 per CCHA encounter.

Northern’s numbers in the conference are 1.5 for and 4.1 against, both at the bottom of the CCHA.

The “bigger” goalies Shyiak was talking about for BGSU are 6-foot Jacob Steinman, 6-foot Tyler Palmer and 6-6 Cole Moore, who have all seen more than 100 minutes in the Falcons’ net. Steinman and Palmer have the most minutes as both have saves percentages of better than .900, goals-against under 2.75 and a combined 7-2-3 record.

On offense, senior forward Quinn Emerson is only fifth in goals for the Falcons, but first in points with 16 on four goals and 12 assists. Top goal scorer is Noah Morneau with seven along with 12 points, one of three players with that many points.

“(Bowling Green is) a good team,” Shyiak said. “They will probably be the most physical team we’ve played against.

“They make it difficult and they’re tough to play against. We have to match their physicality and intensity.”

The Falcons’ roster available at bgsufalcons.com lists 11 players at more than 6-feet tall and nine more at exactly 6-foot; also seven at 200 pounds or more, and another five in the 190s.

The Wildcats come close, as at nmuwildcats.com their roster lists 10 players at over 6-feet and another half-dozen exactly at 6-foot; weight-wise, there are eight Northern players at 200-plus pounds and another seven in the 190s.

Statistically, though NMU just doesn’t have the same firepower — Jakub Altrichter leads the way with nine points on three goals and six assists, while no other player has more than six points. Caiden Gault has the most goals with five, though with no assists.

In net, Northern’s William Gramme has an .896 saves percentage and 4.33 goals against in 10 games, while freshman Oliver Auyeung-Ashton is at .932 saves percentage and 2.68 goals against over eight games.

This weekend’s game times are the same as at NMU home games, 7:07 p.m. today and 6:07 p.m. Saturday.

Fans can watch these games from Ohio on Midco Sports Plus, or listen on Marquette radio station WUPT 100.3 FM The Point. Or visit the NMU athletics website at nmuwildcats.com and look under the hockey schedule for links to live audio, live statistics and a preview and history.

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