The Chargers begin WCHA play in a special Homecoming weekend. UAH hosts Alaska Anchorage on Friday and Saturday nights starting at 7 p.m.

On Friday, the first 500 fans receive the season’s first set of UAH hockey trading cards, sponsored by Wells Fargo.

On Saturday, the 1995-96 UAH Chargers will be honored for the 20th anniversary of their NCAA Division II national championship season. The first 500 kids 12 and under receive a free UAH 1996 replica jersey courtesy of Maynard’s and Total Package Hockey.

All season, kids 12 and under get free general admission courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.

All-time series: Alaska Anchorage leds the all-time series 18-4-1. UAA is 5-4-1 all-time in Huntsville, but UAH is 2-1-1 over the last four meetings at the VBC, including a sweep of the Seawolves by scores of 3-2 and 2-1 last season.

Hans Gorowsky makes it 5-2 UAH in the Chargers’ win vs. UConn (Photo by UAH Athletics)

Charger recap: UAH (1-1-0) defeated Alabama’s club team 11-1 on Saturday in exhibition play, with Cody Marooney and Brent Fletcher each netting two goals to pace nine Charger scorers.

Two weeks ago, UAH split the season-opening series at home against Connecticut. In the first game, the Chargers got two first-period goals from Brennan Saulnier and Max McHugh, but that would be it in a sloppy 5-2 defeat.

UAH played much better in the second game and earned a 5-2 win of its own. Saulnier scored twice and assisted on two other goals, giving him five points on the weekend and earning him WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors. McHugh had the game-winning goal, and Hans Gorowsky scored his first UAH goal on a shorthanded breakaway to seal the deal. Carmine Guerriero made up for a shaky opener by saving 29 of 31 UConn shots on net.

It was the first time UAH got a win in its opening series since 2010.

About the Seawolves: Alaska Anchorage (3-1-o) split its two games at its home tournament two weeks ago, defeating Arizona State 3-2 in overtime and losing to St. Cloud State 6-2. Last week, the Seawolves won both games at the Alaska Goal Rush in Fairbanks, beating Rensselaer 4-3 and American International 6-2.

Despite its strong start, UAA has to guard against a drop similar to last season, when the Seawolves started 3-0-1 after the Alaska tournaments but only won five games the rest of the season. UAA finished 8-22-4 overall and 5-21-2 in the WCHA, which put the Seawolves in last place and out of the WCHA playoffs. The Seawolves are not expected to make the playoffs this year according to the preseason polls, picked to finish ninth in the coaches poll and 10th in the media poll.

That’s not to say Anchorage doesn’t have some weapons. Senior forward Blake Thatchell, last year’s leading scorer, is off to a good start with two goals and three assists through four games. Sophomore Tad Kozun, who had six goals in his rookie season, already has three, as does freshman defenseman Wyatt Ege, who was named the WCHA Rookie of the Week on Monday.

Between the pipes, Olivier Mantha made 29 starts as a freshman last season and posted solid numbers. Through three starts this season, Mantha has a 3.29 goals against average and .881 save percentage.

Around the WCHA: Including Chargers-Seawolves, there are three conference series this week, with two non-conference series against Big Ten programs. Alaska and 12th-ranked Bowling Green are off this weekend.

All times Central. Games featuring WCHA teams at home can be seen on WCHA.tv.

Thursday, Oct. 22
Lake Superior State at Michigan State, 6:05 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 23
* Alaska Anchorage at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
* #16 Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
* Minnesota State at Bemidji State, 7:37 p.m.
Lake Superior State at Michigan State, 6:05 p.m.
Wisconsin at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 24
* Alaska Anchorage at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
* #16 Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
* Minnesota State at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
Wisconsin at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.

The Chargers will be in Houghton, Michigan, this weekend to face the eighth-ranked Michigan Tech Huskies. Puck drop is Friday and Saturday at 6:07 p.m. Central Time.

The games can be seen on WCHA.tv. If you don’t have a WCHA.tv subscription, you can watch the game from Charger Union’s World of Wings on the UAH campus or The Office Break Room and Bar in downtown Huntsville.

All-time series: Michigan Tech has won all four meetings with UAH since the series started last season. The Huskies won both games in Huntsville on Nov. 28-29 by scores of 4-2 and 5-2. Last year in Houghton, Michigan Tech dispatched the Chargers, 4-1 and 10-4.

Defenseman Brandon Parker is tied for the UAH team lead with 10 assists.

Chargers recap: UAH (7-16-3 overall, 6-12-0 WCHA) lost two exhibition games at home to the U.S. National Under-18 Team last week.

On Friday, Brennan Saulnier scored the Chargers’ only goal in a 2-1 overtime loss. Matt Larose made 31 saves from the second period on.

On Saturday, Brandon Carlson and Alex Carpenter each put UAH in front, but two last-minute goals felled the Chargers 4-2. Larose stopped another 39 shots.

Max McHugh’s team-leading 17 points is second among WCHA freshman, two behind Minnesota State’s C.J. Franklin. He also leads the Chargers in goals with seven, and tied for the team lead with Brandon Parker in assists with 10.

Defenseman Frank Misuraca has six goals, one behind McHugh. Jeff Vanderlugt (5-6-11), Prince (4-7-11), and Brears (3-8-11) are tied for second in points.

Carmine Guerriero has taken over the WCHA’s top spot in save percentage at .933, which is good for 10th in Division I. His 2.32 goals against average is eighth in the league.

About the Huskies: Michigan Tech (18-7-1 overall, 13-4-1 WCHA) sits four points behind Minnesota State at the top of the WCHA standings. The Huskies are ranked 8th in this week’s USCHO.com poll, and currently sit 10th in the Pairwise rankings. They are 8-7-1 after starting the season 10-0-0.

The Huskies are 3-2-0 so far in their current nine-game homestand and 8-5-0 this season at the John J. MacInnes Student Ice Arena. Last week, Michigan Tech swept Alaska, 4-3 in overtime and 3-2.

Michigan Tech boasts one of the more complete teams in the league. They are second only to Minnesota State in scoring (3.23 goals per game) and are tops in scoring defense (2.04 goals allowed per game).

The Huskies have the top two point scorers in the WCHA: Tanner Kero and Alex Petan each have 11 goals and 19 assists for 30 points. Both combined for two goals and five assists in their sweep at UAH. Malcolm Gould has 20 points, and New Jersey Devils draftee Blake Pietila has 10 goals.

Jamie Phillips, a Winnipeg Jets prospect, is second in the WCHA in goals against average at 2.03, and is fifth in save percentage at .926. Phillips only saw 29 shots in the two games at UAH, allowing four goals.

Around the WCHA: Four league series are on the docket this weekend.

No. 6 Bowling Green heads to Bemidji State, where the Beavers are riding high after beating Minnesota-Duluth and Minnesota State to win the North Star College Cup.

Minnesota State, which fell to No. 3 in the poll but remains No. 1 in the Pairwise, battles Ferris State in Mankato. The Mavericks won both games at Ferris two weeks ago in another rematch between last season WCHA championship finalists.

Alaska-Anchorage will try to climb out of last place against Northern Michigan in Marquette.

Here’s the schedule for league teams this week. All times are Central. All games can be seen online on WCHA TV.

Friday, January 30

UAH at #8 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska-Anchorage at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
#6 Bowling Green at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
Ferris State at #3 Minnesota State, 7:37 p.m.

Saturday, January 31

UAH at #8 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska-Anchorage at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
#6 Bowling Green at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
Ferris State at #3 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.

The Chargers take a break from WCHA play with a two-game exhibition set with the U.S. National Under-18 Development Team. The puck drops at 2:07 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

All-time series: UAH has played the U-18 team six times, with Team USA is 5-0-1 all-time. Two seasons ago, the Chargers lost 6-2 and tied 1-1 in Huntsville. At the time, the U-18 squad was coached by former UAH head coach Danton Cole.

Chargers recap: UAH (7-16-3 overall, 6-12-0 WCHA) extended its home win streak to four games after a sweep of Northern Michigan last weekend.

The Chargers won 2-1 Friday night on goals by Jack Prince and Frank Misuraca. UAH was outshot 33-15 for the game and 14-2 in the third period to hold off the Wildcats. Carmine Guerriero made 32 saves.

UAH won another one-goal game Saturday night by a score of 3-2. Misuraca netted another goal in the first to give the Chargers the early lead, Chad Brears broke a 1-1 tie in the second, and Richard Buri got the game-winner at the 5:35 mark of the third. Guerriero stopped 25 of 27 shots.

Max McHugh’s team-leading 17 points is second among WCHA freshman, just one behind Minnesota State’s C.J. Franklin. He also leads the Chargers in goals with seven, and tied for the team lead with Brandon Parker in assists with 10.

Misuraca’s two goals for the weekend gives him six, one behind McHugh. Jeff Vanderlugt (5-6-11), Prince (4-7-11), and Brears (3-8-11) are tied for second in points.

About the U.S. National Under-18 Team: The Under-18 Team is 25-10-2 playing a schedule comprised of international teams, junior teams from the USHL, and NCAA Division I and III clubs, including Miami, Michigan, Providence College, Boston University, Cornell, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado College, North Dakota, and Michigan State.

Team USA has won three in a row, coming off a two-game sweep of the Dubuque Fighting Saints at their home in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Auston Matthews of Scottdale, Arizona, is the team’s leading scorer with 27 goals and 28 assists for 55 points. Jeremy Bracco (Boston College commit) has 51 points, leading the team in assists with 36. Matthew Tkachuk, son of former NHL star Keith Tkachuk, also has 20 goals.

Goaltending duties are split between Luke Opilka (Wisconsin commit), who has a 3.07 goals against average and an .883 save percentage with two shutouts, and Michael Lackey (Harvard), who has a 2.91 GAA and .891 save percentage.

Around the WCHA: Only two conference series this weekend, and a very interesting non-conference tournament up in Minnesota.

Sixth-ranked Bowling Green, coming off a split at Michigan Tech and looking to keep hot, hosts Lake Superior, which surprised Bemidji State with a sweep in the Soo last week. Tech, now at No. 10, entertains Alaska, which suffered a sweep in Fairbanks at the hands of their hated rivals from Anchorage.

The North Star Cup features four of the five Division I programs in Minnesota, and this year Bemidji State joins Minnesota State in the tournament. The Beavers play No. 7 Minnesota-Duluth on Friday afternoon, while No. 1 Minnesota State battles No. 17 Minnesota in the nightcap. The third place and championship games are Saturday.

Here’s the schedule for league teams the next two weeks. All times are Central. Games involving WCHA teams at home can be seen online on WCHA TV.

Friday, January 23

* Lake Superior State at #6 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
* Alaska at #10 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Bemidji State vs. #7 Minnesota-Duluth at St. Paul, Minn. (North Star Cup), 4 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Penn State, 6 p.m.
#1 Minnesota State vs. #17 Minnesota at St. Paul, Minn. (North Star Cup), 7 p.m.

Saturday, January 24

U.S. National Under-18 Team at UAH (exhibition), 2:07 p.m.
* Lake Superior State at #6 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
* Alaska at #10 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Penn State, 3:30 p.m.
North Star Cup third place game, 4 p.m.
North Star Cup championship game, 7 p.m.

Sunday, January 25

U.S. National Under-18 Team at UAH (exhibition), 2:07 p.m.

* WCHA game.