To say that the Northern Michigan Wildcats (0-16-0, 0-8-0) have struggled so far this season would be an understatement.
NMU is one of only two teams in all of college hockey to not have claimed a single victory so far this season, and the only team to have no wins or draws so far this season after Mercyhurst University (0-14-1, 0-8-1) was able to draw 1-1 with Robert Morris University (3-9-2, 3-2-1) last weekend before falling in a shootout.
NMU also ranks poorly among the NCAA in multiple team statistics.
Of the 63 NCAA Div. In hockey teams, the Wildcats sit at 58th in the country for goals scored (24) and are tied for 61st in team shooting percentage (.058).
Within the CCHA, the Green and Gold currently sit at the bottom of the standings and are five points behind the eighth-place team of Ferris State (3-11-0, 2-6-0).
Last weekend, the Wildcats suffered a sweep to the CCHA’s first-place team of Minnesota State (10-2-4, 7-1-2) with scorelines reading 4-0 and 3-2 in favor of the Mavericks.
This weekend, it will be Bowling Green’s (7-4-3, 5-2-3) turn to face the Wildcats at the Slater Family Ice Arena with the Falcons fresh off claiming a series sweep over the Princeton Tigers (5-4-0, 2-2-0) via 4-1 and 4-3 victories.
The Falcons currently rank third in the CCHA standings with 19 points and will be looking to claim all six possible points from this series against the last-place team in the conference.
Bowling Green has been led offensively by senior forward Quinn Emerson, who has scored four goals and 12 assists for a team-leading 16 points through the Falcons’ first 14 games of the season.
Emerson usually lines up with fellow offensive contributors, freshmen forwards Noah Morneau and Dominik Rymon, who have both contributed 12 points on the campaign. Morneau’s seven goals currently lead the team in the category, while Rymon’s five strikes tie him for second on the team with junior forward Tyler Hotson and senior forward and alternate captain Jaden Grant.
Hotson is tied with Morneau and Rymon for second place on the team in points, with Hotson scoring five goals and seven assists, including a team-leading three power-play goals so far this season.
Northern Michigan’s offensive contributors include sophomore forward Jakub Altrichter, whose nine points (three goals and six assists) lead the team in point production so far this season.
For goal scoring, NMU has turned to senior forward and former Ferris State Bulldog Caiden Gault, who has scored a team-leading five goals on the season while serving as an alternate captain for the team.
While Northern Michigan has struggled to create and capitalize on offensive opportunities so far this season, one bright spot on their roster has been their goaltending.
Junior goaltender William Gramme and freshman Oliver Auyeung-Ashton currently lead the CCHA in average saves per game, with Gramme averaging 33.5 per game, closely followed by Auyeung-Ashton’s 30.63.
Auyeng-Ashton appeared in many of NMU’s games at the beginning of the season and has recorded 245 saves and a .932 save percentage to go along with a 2.69 goals against average through the eight games he appeared in.
Gramme has been the team’s main starting netminder throughout the season and has appeared in 10 games so far this season, making 335 saves while recording a 4.33 goals against average and a .896 save percentage.
The Falcons have had three netminders make appearances between the pipes so far this season, with junior Cole Moore, sophomore Tyler Palmer, and freshman Jacob Steinman all making appearances throughout the season.
The position of best statistical goaltender on the roster has been handed back and forth between Palmer and Steinman throughout the season.
The title is currently held by Palmer, who has recorded a 1.95 goals against average and a .910 save percentage while making 91 saves across the six games the Fernie, British Columbia native has appeared in.
Steinman currently leads the goaltending room in games started (7) and games played (9) while ranking second behind Palmer in goals against average (2.71) and save percentage (.907), while making a team-leading 205 saves so far this season.
Bowling Green has begun to creep up the rankings for multiple team statistics across the CCHA and NCAA.
Bowling Green currently ranks first in the CCHA and second in the NCAA in faceoff percentage, with the Orange and Brown having a team faceoff winning percentage of .560.
Bowling Green also ranks well on their power play and penalty kill units.
BGSU currently scores on one out of every four power-play opportunities they receive and has recorded a power-play percentage of .250, which ranks second best in the CCHA and is tied for ninth best in the NCAA.
The Falcons have also consistently played well while shorthanded so far this season and have recorded an .840 penalty kill percentage, which ranks third best in the CCHA and is tied for 15th in the NCAA.
This weekend’s series will be Bowling Green’s final series before the CCHA winter break, as the Falcons will be on a bye week next weekend during the conference’s last weekend of games before the break.
BGSU and NMU will play their games on Dec. 5 and 6, with puck drop scheduled for 7:07 p.m. on Friday and 6:07 p.m. on Saturday at the Slater Family Ice Arena.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Ben Corak will have the call of both games and will be joined by Sean Connelly on Friday and by Nathan Burkett on Saturday on WBGU 88.1 FM.
FALCON FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH
Senior Forward – Caiden Gault, Northern Michigan
In his first year with Northern Michigan after transferring from Ferris State, Gault has recorded a team-leading five goals while serving as an alternate captain. Gault also leads the team in shots on goal, having recorded 46 throughout the course of the season so far.
Sophomore Forward – Jakub Altrichter, Northern Michigan
Altrichter ranks second on the team in shots on goal behind Gault, with 41, but leads the team in point production, having recorded a total of nine points on the season, made up of three goals and six assists.
Freshman Forward – Noah Morneau, Bowling Green
Fresh off being announced as the CCHA Rookie of the Month for November, Morneau currently leads the Falcons in goals (7) and is tied for second on the team in points (12).
Senior Forward – Quinn Emerson, Bowling Green
Emerson currently leads the team in assists (12) and points (16) while playing on a line with Rymon and Morneau. Emerson is also on a seven-game point streak, which shows no signs of ending this weekend.
