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Back home again

MARQUETTE – It’s been a long two weeks for the Northern Michigan University hockey team.

The Wildcats (8-3-1, 5-3 in the WCHA) spent the last two weeks playing in Alaska with mixed results – a pair of splits against each of the 49th State’s two Division I teams.

During two games against Alaska-Anchorage, NMU posted a shutout but only scored one goal in all.

In Fairbanks against the Alaska Nanooks, the Wildcats began by being shut out for the second straight game before bouncing back with four power-play goals in the final game in the state this season – at least the regular season.

“You always want to do better, but to go on the road on that trip and to have to stay there for 12 days, and come out of there at .500, I’m not displeased,” NMU head coach Walt Kyle said. “Always the toughest test to the Alaska trip is on the back end, the weekend after you play. You’re always concerned about that, but you have to deal with it.

“Our power play has struggled. We haven’t been a great offensive team and any opportunities to score, we need to take advantage of. I was glad to see that. It was all on the same power play group as well and they got things going.

“Alaska is a fairly passive team when it comes to penalty killing, so we had some time and space. I don’t perceive that’s going to be the same this weekend. Hopefully, we can continue to do that, though, because goals are at a premium for us right now.”

Wildcats captain Ryan Kesti felt that the trip was good overall and that it helped the team connect with each other.

“I think it went well,” he said. “We got to spend a lot of time together and we got to do a lot of fun things together. The bus trip up to Fairbanks was very unique and it was a good time overall. We would’ve liked a little better performance on the ice a couple of games, but overall, it was a good bonding trip.”

Despite returning home, the games don’t get any easier for the nation’s No. 19-ranked Wildcats tonight and Saturday.

NMU hosts WCHA rival and No. 14 Bowling Green State, which sits just above Northern in third place in the league standings. The Wildcats have struggled in the postseason in recent years against the Falcons, so success now would be particularly meaningful.

“We’re fairly familiar with this team,” Kyle said. “The last couple of years they’ve eliminated us in the playoffs when we’ve played in this building.

“They’ve got some good young talent. Their talent has matured. Coach Chris Bergeron has done an exceptional job there. They are a very hard team to play against. They have a great work ethic and we will have our hands full.”

Northern defenseman Jake Baker agreed.

“This will definitely be our most challenging (series) of this year before the break, I’d say,” he said. “They are a good team. We’ve had a rivalry with them in the past and had some struggles with them. It’s a big weekend for us.”

The Falcons (10-3-1, 7-1) have won six of their last seven games, sweeping WCHA rivals Alabama-Huntsville and Bemidji State along with a sweep of the Nanooks in Fairbanks. The Falcons were also able to get splits with another league team, Minnesota State, along with Ohio State from the Big Ten.

BGSU is led offensively by Kevin Dufour with nine goals and 11 points and Matt Pohlkamp (10 points), while Pierre-Luc Mercier has eight assists. While the offense has been consistent, the Falcons have rotated three goaltenders and still seek a No. 1 netminder.

The Wildcats are in nearly the opposite situation, having one of the best goalies in the country in sophomore Mathias Dahlstrom, who leads the nation with a 1.19 goals-against average and is second in saves percentage at .952. Dahlstrom gets the biggest credit for NMU’s top-ranked defense, but the Wildcats have also been effective on the penalty kill at fourth in the nation.

“I think (the defense) has been exceptional,” Kyle said. “I think the commitment level has been exceptional. That’s a great reflection of Mathias in goal. I think it’s a great reflection on the guys in front of him and that’s the kind of commitment we want.”

Each game this weekend starts at 7:07 p.m. at the Berry Events Center.

Ryan Stieg can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 246. His email address is rstieg@miningjournal.net.

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