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Wildcats going far north to Fairbanks

MARQUETTE – After finally getting a full two-game series at home, the Northern Michigan University hockey team goes back on the road for a long trip this weekend to Alaska-Fairbanks.

It’s going to be a grueling trip for the Wildcats with an almost full day of travel to get to the interior of the 49th state.

“I don’t think anyone would tell you it’s not a competitive disadvantage. But at the same time, the Alaska teams do it all the time, too,” NMU assistant coach John Kyle said.

“It’s a pretty tough trip with the time change and everything,” he said about the four-hour difference. “I’m going to guess it’s an 18-hour trip and then you take the ‘red eye’ on the way back and that’s about 20 hours.

“That’s why we leave a day early so … players can get their schedules as closely (adjusted) as possible.”

The biggest asset for NMU (3-2-3) is its goaltending, as freshman Atte Tolvanen continues to put on a show while senior Mathias Dahlstrom continues to recover from a knee injury.

Tolvanen has won WCHA Rookie of the Week honors twice. He was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.

He currently boasts a goals-against average of 1.99 and saves percentage of .942.

When asked what he felt is Tolvanen’s biggest attribute, Kyle says it’s his mindset.

“Probably the first and foremost in my mind is his focus,” he said. “He’s a very focused individual. He has very few distractions that he lets bother him.

“He’s keeping his mind on things, and secondly he’s a heck of an athlete.”

The Wildcats will need Tolvanen to continue his stellar play as they face a UAF team that may only be 2-4, but is talented offensively.

The Nanooks were swept by Minnesota State on the road last weekend.

UAF’s biggest offensive threat is center Tyler Morley, who was the WCHA coaches’ choice for Preseason Player of the Year and had 37 points last season.

Sophomore forwards Tayler Munson and Peter Krieger are also capable scorers, while Marcus Basara is coming off a 24-point season.

“I think they’re a real well coached team,” Kyle said. “The thing that might even the scales up a little bit is that we’ve been good on big ice sheets and they are a big-ice-sheet team.

“Our team speed is up this year and they lost a great defender in Colton Parayko. That’s a big hole for anyone to fill, so hopefully, they’re using some young players we can victimize a little, but I doubt it because (coach Dallas Ferguson) has good players.”

“I think we just came out flat-footed Friday,” Darren Nowick said about a scoreless tie last Friday against Bemidji State. “We weren’t playing our game. Our game is speed and aggressiveness and we weren’t finishing our checks.

“Saturday (in a 3-1 win), we came out and finished our checks, created turnovers and created plays.”

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

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