DULUTH, Minn. – The Northern Michigan University hockey team headed into this weekend with some momentum after sweeping Alaska-Anchorage at home.

However, the Wildcats ran into a brick wall against No. 7 Minnesota-Duluth as the Bulldogs completed a two-game sweep on Saturday with a 6-3 victory.

Unlike Friday’s game, the Wildcats started off on the wrong skate as the Bulldogs fired two goals past them early in the first period.

NMU got one of them back with a power play goal by Reed Seckel with assists going to Shane Sooth and Gerard Hanson. However, UMD struck again shortly before the end of the period to go into the break up 3-1.

NMU pulled within one goal of the Bulldogs at the 7:01 mark in the second on a goal by defenseman Jake Baker, assists going to Seckel and Robbie Payne. UMD would strike back, though, with a goal by Karson Kuhlman, and then Justin Crandall burned the Wildcats with a shorthanded goal with 28 seconds left in the period. This was the second straight game that NMU had given up a shorty.

In the third period, NMU goalie Derek Dun replaced starter Michael Doan but things didn’t improve for the Wildcats. UMD scored again at the 4:23 mark on a goal by Jared Thomas. The Wildcats cut the deficit in half when D.J. Vandercook scored for the second game in a row, but that’s all they could manage.

NMU returns home next weekend to take on WCHA foe Bemidji State. The puck drops at 7:07 p.m. both Friday and Saturday at the Berry Events Center.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Writer Ryan Stieg. He can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 246.