Can the Chargers build on the two points they got against Minnesota State and continue a run toward the WCHA playoffs?

The Herd heads to Marquette, Michigan, this weekend to find out. UAH plays Northern Michigan on Friday and Saturday.

UAH is three points behind Alaska Anchorage for eighth place in the WCHA standings, the final conference playoff spot. Northern Michigan is in fifth place, in good shape to make the playoffs but looking to get into the top four and host a first-round series.

Matchup history: Northern Michigan leads the all-time series 9-2-3, including a 5-0-1 mark in Marquette. The two teams met in Huntsville back in December, with the Wildcats winning 4-3 before the teams battled to a 1-1 tie.

Matt Salhany (Photo by UAH Athletics/Doug Eagan)

Charger recap: UAH (6-17-5 overall, 4-13-5 WCHA) had the rare and improbable two-tie split with first-place and 17th-ranked Minnesota State at the Von Braun Center last weekend.

On Friday, Madison Dunn got his first two collegiate goals, one traditionally and one thanks to a Maverick own goal during a delayed penalty, in a 3-3 draw. UAH took the lead three times, with Minnesota State evening the game each time. Goaltender Matt Larose made 34 saves, and Brent Fletcher scored a short-handed goal.

On Saturday, the Mavericks continued to dominate the shots on goal department — getting 50 in all — but could only manage one goal in the second period. Matt Salhany scored on a breakaway shorthanded with 1:03 left in regulation to earn UAH a 1-1 tie. Larose made 49 saves, the most by a WCHA goaltender this season.

Larose earned WCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors. For the season, his .931 save percentage is third-best in the WCHA, and his 2.24 goals against average is seventh.

LEADING SCORERS: Max McHugh (So., 6-15–21, 28 GP), Chad Brears (Sr., 9-8–17, 24 GP), Brennan Saulnier (So., 6-11–17, 24 GP), Kurt Gosselin (Fr., 2-7–9, 23 GP),  Brandon Parker (So., 2-7–9, 28 GP),

GOALTENDING: Carmine Guerriero (Jr., 3.10 GAA, .903 SV%, 16 GP), Matt Larose (Jr., 2.24 GAA, .931 SV%, 13 GP)

	Tale of the tape (WCHA rank)
6-17-5	Overall record	13-11-6
4-13-5 (10th)	WCHA record	10-8-4 (5th)
2.21 (9th)	Goals/game	2.50 (6th)
2.96 (8th)	Goals allowed/game	2.53 (6th)
13.6 (4th)	Pen. minutes/game	13.9 (2nd)
11.3% (10th)	Power play	16.5% (3rd)
83.9% (7th)	Penalty kill	86.4% (2nd)

About the Wildcats: After hovering around .500 almost all season long, Northern Michigan (13-11-6 overall, 10-8-4 WCHA) has been playing well as of late, winning five of its last seven, looking to move into the top four to host a first-round series in the WCHA playoffs. The Wildcats sit in fifth place in the league, four points behind fourth-place Ferris State.

Last week, NMU went to Ferris State and earned a split, losing the first game 5-1 and rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in the second game.

Darren Nowick and Dominik Shine continue to pace the Wildcats, both being among the top four in the WCHA in points scored. Shine, who got a hat trick against the Chargers on Dec. 4, paces NMU with 12 goals. Nowick, along with sophomore Robbie Payne, has 11 goals.

Between the pipes, senior goaltender Mathias Dahlström is back after an injury sidelined him most of the season, including the series in Huntsville last December. In five games since returning Jan. 16, Dahlström has posted a .916 save percentage and 2.44 goals against average. Freshman Atte Tolvanen, who filled in for Dahlström has the No. 1 and started both games at UAH, has a .929 save percentage this season.

LEADING SCORERS: Darren Nowick (Sr., 11-16–27, 29 GP), Dominik Shine (Jr., 12-13–25, 26 GP), Gerard Hanson (Jr., 3-15–18, 30 GP), Robbie Payne (So., 11-6–17, 30 GP), John Siemer (Jr., 6-5–11, 26 GP)

GOALTENDING: Atte Tolvanen (Fr., 2.42 GAA, .929 SV%, 22 GP), Mathias Dahlström (Jr., 2.51 GAA, .911 SV%, 6 GP)

Around the WCHA: 

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

Friday, Feb. 19
UAH at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
#14 Michigan Tech at Bemidji State, 7:37 p.m.
Lake Superior State at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
Bowling Green at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.
Ferris State at #6 Michigan, 6:35 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 20
UAH at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
#14 Michigan Tech at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
Lake Superior State at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
Bowling Green at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.

The Chargers are back at the Von Braun Center for the first time in over a month, hosting 17th-ranked Minnesota State for a WCHA series this Friday and Saturday. Puck drop is 7:07 p.m. both nights.

It’s Military Appreciation Weekend, as all veterans, active military personnel, and their families get free admission to both games. Kids 12 and under also get free general admission.

On Friday, the first 500 fans receive a free set of UAH Hockey trading cards. On Saturday, the first 1000 fans receive a free UAH Hockey team photo.

Matchup history: Minnesota State leads the all-time series 27-19-5, and has not lost to the Chargers in the last 18 meetings. Back in December at Mankato, the Mavericks swept UAH by scores of 2-1 and 4-1. UAH has a 13-10-1 advantage over MSU in Huntsville, but UAH’s last win came on Jan. 4, 2002.

Regan Soquila scored twice in UAH’s last game at Alaska Anchorage. (File photo by UAH Athletics/Doug Eagan)

Charger recap: UAH (6-17-3 overall, 4-13-3 WCHA) was idle last week after splitting a series at Alaska Anchorage, winning and losing one-goal games despite not having Chad Brears and Brennan Saulnier, two of the Chargers’ leading scorers. The Chargers find themselves five points out of eighth place and playoff positioning in the WCHA.

On Friday, Jan. 29, the Chargers won 2-1 on a UAA own goal with 4:39 remaining in the game. Matt Salhany got credit for the game winner, and Adam Wilcox put UAH on top early. Matt Larose withstood a third-period barrage, making 13 saves in the period and a total of 29 in the game.

On Saturday, Jan. 30, UAH managed only 12 shots on goal, but was never out of it in a 4-3 loss to the Seawolves. Regan Soquila scored his first two goals of the season for the Chargers, with Tyler Poulsen also tallying a goal.

Max McHugh is currently tied for second in the WCHA in assists (15) and eighth in points (21).

Larose has posted a .944 save percentage since Dec. 18, the second-highest among WCHA goaltenders and seventh-highest in the nation. His season save perentage of .925 is fourth highest in the league.

LEADING SCORERS: Max McHugh (So., 6-15–21, 26 GP), Chad Brears (Sr., 9-8–17, 22 GP), Brennan Saulnier (So., 6-10–16, 22 GP), Kurt Gosselin (Fr., 2-7–9, 21 GP), Jetlan Houcher (Fr., 4-4–8, 20 GP), Brandon Parker (So., 2-6–8, 26 GP),

GOALTENDING: Carmine Guerriero (Jr., 3.10 GAA, .903 SV%, 16 GP), Matt Larose (Jr., 2.32 GAA, .925 SV%, 11 GP)

	Tale of the tape (WCHA rank)
6-17-3	Overall record	15-10-5
4-13-3 (10th)	WCHA record	13-4-5 (1st)
2.23 (9th)	Goals/game	2.63 (4th)
3.04 (8th)	Goals allowed/game	2.20 (3rd)
13.5 (4th)	Pen. minutes/game	9.9 (9th)
11.4% (10th)	Power play	15.1% (5th)
85.0% (3rd)	Penalty kill	84.8% (5th)

About the Mavericks: Minnesota State (15-10-5 overall, 13-4-5 WCHA) is still on top of the WCHA standings. The Mavericks hold a two-point lead over Bowling Green, whom they split a big series with last weekend in Mankato, and Michigan Tech. MSU beat BGSU 5-1 on Friday before losing 3-1 on Saturday.

The Mavericks lead the WCHA in shots on goal per game (32.9), and shots on goal allowed per game (21.8). Against UAH in December, MSU outshot the Chargers 32-9 and 41-15.

Senior Teddy Blueger, a Pittsburgh Penguins prospect, is the leading point scorer in the WCHA right now with 26 points, and his 18 assists is also tops. C.J. Franklin (Winnipeg) has 12 goals, tied for third in the league, and Bryce Gervais’s 10 goals are tied for ninth. Gervais scored twice in the Mavericks’ win over Bowling Green on Friday.

Casey Nelson’s 15 assists are tied for second in the WCHA, and his 19 points lead all defensemen.

Freshman Jason Pawloski has a 1.85 goals against average, good for second in the WCHA.

LEADING SCORERS: Teddy Blueger (Sr., 8-18–26, 30 GP), Casey Nelson (Jr., 4-15–19, 29 GP), C.J. Franklin (So., 12-6–18, 30 GP), Michael Huntebrinker (Jr., 7-10–17, 30 GP), Bryce Gervais (Sr., 10-6–16, 30 GP)

GOALTENDING: Jason Pawloski (Fr., 1.85 GAA, .901 SV%, 17 GP), Cole Huggins (Jr., 2.36 GAA, .905 SV%, 15 GP)

Around the WCHA: 

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

Friday, Feb. 12
#17 Minnesota State at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
Bemidji State at Lake Superior State, 6:37 p.m.
Miami at #19 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 13
#17 Minnesota State at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
Bemidji State at Lake Superior State, 6:o7 p.m.

If the Chargers want to return to the WCHA playoffs, they will have to show it this weekend.

With 10 games to go, UAH is five points behind the eighth and final WCHA playoff spot, which is currently tied by Alaska Anchorage and Alaska. The Chargers travel to Anchorage to face the Seawolves this weekend in a series where they can’t afford to lose any ground. (Alaska is at Wisconsin in a non-conference series.)

Game time in Anchorage on Friday and Saturday night is 10:07 p.m. Central Time.

Matchup history: To gain ground on the Seawolves, the Chargers will have to win in Anchorage for the first time ever. UAH is 0-13 all-time against UAA in Anchorage dating back to its first visit in 1987. UAA leads the all-time series 19-4-2, including a 4-2-2 mark since UAH joined the WCHA in 2013. Back in October in Huntsville, the Seawolves and Chargers tied 3-3 before UAA took the second game 3-2.

Charger recap: UAH (5-16-3 overall, 3-12-3 WCHA) was idle last week after getting a tie and a loss at Ferris State two weeks ago.

On Friday, Jan. 15, Max McHugh tied the game up at 1-1 in the second period. Ferris State retook the lead early in the third before UAH stormed ahead 3-2 on goals by Matt Salhany and Tyler Poulsen. However, the Bulldogs forced over time on a Kenny Babinksi goal with 1:03 remaining in regulation. No scoring in overtime meant a 3-3 draw. Matt Larose needed to stop 46 Ferris State shots, the season high for a Charger goaltender.

On Saturday, Jan. 16, it was Josh Kestner who got the second-period equalizer, but Ferris State scored two in the second and one in the third to pull away and beat UAH 4-1. Carmine Guerriero make 34 saves.

In the first period of the second game, Brennan Saulnier received a game misconduct penalty for contact to the head of a Ferris State player. The WCHA has suspended Saulnier for the Anchorage series.

McHugh is tied for sixth in the WCHA in points with 20, and third for third in assists with 14. Chad Brears is tied for eighth in goals with nine.

Larose has a 1.51 goals against average and .957 save percentage in his last three starts, averaging 36.3 saves per game. He is fourth in the league in save percentage at .927.

LEADING SCORERS: Max McHugh (So., 6-14–20, 24 GP), Chad Brears (Sr., 9-8–17, 22 GP), Brennan Saulnier (So., 6-10–16, 22 GP), Brandon Parker (So., 2-6–8, 24 GP), Kurt Gosselin (Fr., 2-6–8, 19 GP)

GOALTENDING: Carmine Guerriero (Jr., 3.10 GAA, .903 SV%, 16 GP), Matt Larose (Jr., 2.28 GAA, .927 SV%, 9 GP)

	Tale of the tape (WCHA rank)
5-16-3	Overall record	9-12-3
3-12-3 (10th)	WCHA record	6-10-2 (T-8th)
2.21 (9th)	Goals/game	2.42 (T-7th)
3.08 (T-9th)	Goals allowed/game	3.08 (T-9th)
14.2 (2nd)	Pen. minutes/game	14.0 (3rd)
11.8% (9th)	Power play	11.5% (10th)
85.3% (3rd)	Penalty kill	80.2% (9th)

About the Seawolves: Alaska Anchorage (9-12-3 overall, 6-10-2 WCHA) has lost six of its last eight games. Last week, the Seawolves were swept at Bowling Green by a pair of 6-2 scores. They haven’t won at home since Nov. 15.

Senior Blake Tatchell and sophomore Ted Kozun continue to lead the Seawolves in scoring. Tatchell has 18 points (5 goals, 13 assists, tied for seventh in the WCHA), while Kozun tops the team in goals with 10 (tied for fifth in the WCHA).

Olivier Mantha is UAA’s top goaltender, sporting a .906 save percentage and 2.90 goals against average in 22 starts.

LEADING SCORERS: Blake Tatchell (Sr., 5-13–18, 24 GP), Ted Kozun (So., 10-5–15, 24 GP), Matt Anholt (So., 4-9–13, 24 GP), Mason Mitchell (Fr., 3-9–12, 19 GP), Austin Azurdia (So., 2-9–11, 23 GP)

GOALTENDING: Olivier Mantha (So., 2.90 GAA, .906 SV%, 22 GP), Jared D’Amico (So., 2.85 GAA, .903 SV%, 4 GP)

Around the WCHA: 

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

Friday, Jan. 29
UAH at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
#17 Michigan Tech at #18 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
Minnesota Duluth at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska at Wisconsin, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 30
UAH at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
#17 Michigan Tech at #18 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
#19 Minnesota State vs. #3 St. Cloud State, 1 p.m. (North Star College Cup at St. Paul, Minn.)
Bemidji State vs. #20 Minnesota, 4 p.m. (North Star College Cup at St. Paul, Minn.)
Minnesota Duluth at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska at Wisconsin, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 31
North Star College Cup third-place game, 1 p.m.
North Star College Cup championship, 4 p.m.

The Chargers finally snapped their WCHA losing streak last week. Now they’ll try to build on it in Big Rapids, Michigan, where UAH takes on Ferris State on Friday and Saturday at Ewigleben Ice Arena.

Game time is 6:07 p.m. Central Time both nights.

Matchup history: Ferris State leads the all-time series 12-3-0 going back to 1985, including a 7-1-0 mark at home. Last season, UAH won in Big Rapids for the first time by a 3-2 score, but Ferris State still took the season series 3-1-0.

Matt Larose made 28 saves in UAH’s win on Saturday. (Photo by UAH Athletics/Doug Eagan)

Charger recap: UAH (5-15-2 overall, 3-11-2 WCHA) finally ended an 11-game winless streak in WCHA play by salvaging a split with Alaska at the Von Braun Center.

On Friday, the Chargers took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Chad Brears and Max McHugh, but the Nanooks rallied to tie. Brears added another goal in the second period to regain the lead for UAH, but the Nanooks scored four unanswered, including three in the third period, and won 6-3.

UAH burst to another 2-0 lead in the first period on Saturday, thanks to Cody Marooney and Josh Kestner, but this time Chargers made it hold. Kestner added another goal in the third period, and Alaska would not score until 1:58 remaining in the contest. Matt Larose stopped 28 of 29 shots as the Chargers won 3-1, UAH’s first win over the Nanooks since 1992.

UAH remains in last place in the WCHA, four points behind Alaska Anchorage and Alaska for the eighth and final playoff spot.

McHugh is in a three-way tie for second in the WCHA in points with 19, and leads the league in assists with 14. Brears is tied for fifth in goals with nine.

LEADING SCORERS: Max McHugh (So., 5-14–19, 22 GP), Chad Brears (Sr., 9-7–16, 20 GP), Brennan Saulnier (So., 6-9–15, 20 GP), Brandon Parker (So., 2-6–8, 22 GP), Kurt Gosselin (Fr., 2-5–7, 17 GP)

GOALTENDING: Carmine Guerriero (Jr., 3.04 GAA, .904 SV%, 15 GP), Matt Larose (Jr., 2.20 GAA, .924 SV%, 8 GP)

	Tale of the tape (WCHA rank)
5-15-2	Overall record	9-9-4
3-11-2 (10th)	WCHA record	7-7-2 (5th)
2.23 (9th)	Goals/game	2.59 (3rd)
3.05 (10th)	Goals allowed/game	2.86 (8th)
13.3 (3rd)	Pen. minutes/game	12.4 (6th)
13.0% (8th)	Power play	15.2% (6th)
85.1% (4th)	Penalty kill	80.8% (8th)

About the Bulldogs: Ferris State (9-9-4 overall, 7-7-2 WCHA) was idle last week. The Bulldogs’ last action was in the Mariucci Classic at Minnesota, where they lost to 7th-ranked Harvard 7-3 before beating Connecticut 5-2 in the third-place game.

Ferris State has gotten two points in all eight WCHA series it has played this season: seven splits and a pair of ties against Alaska. The Bulldogs sit tied for fifth place in the standings with Northern Michigan.

Gerald Mayhew leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 19 points, which is tied with McHugh for second in the WCHA. Corey Mackin is making a bid for league Rookie of the Year honors, leading all freshmen with seven goals and 16 points.

Darren Smith has been great as a freshman between the pipes with a .926 save percentage and 2.25 goals against average.

LEADING SCORERS: Gerald Mayhew (Jr., 6-13–19, 22 GP), Corey Macking (Fr., 7-9–16, 22 GP), Kyle Schempp (Jr., 6-8–14, 22 GP), Chad McDonald (Jr., 5-5–10, 17 GP), Andrew Dorantes (So., 4-6–10, 20 GP), Matt Robertson (Sr., 4-6–10, 22 GP)

GOALTENDING: Darren Smith (Fr., 2.25 GAA, .926 SV%, 14 GP), Charles Williams (Sr., 3.59 GAA, .885 SV%, 10 GP)

Around the WCHA: 

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

Friday, Jan. 15
UAH at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
#19 Minnesota State at Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
Arizona State at Bemidji State, 7:37 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 16
UAH at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
#19 Minnesota State at Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska Anchorage at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m.
#16 Bowling Green at Miami, 6:05 p.m.
Arizona State at Bemidji State, 7:37 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 17
Alaska Anchorage at Lake Superior State, 4:07 p.m.

The second half of the Chargers’ WCHA schedule begins this weekend as they host the Alaska Nanooks on Friday and Saturday at the Von Braun Center. Game time is 7:07 p.m. both nights.

The series is crucial for UAH, which finds itself needing some victories to move back into playoff position. The Chargers are four points behind the Nanooks for ninth place in the WCHA and six points behind Alaska Anchorage and Lake Superior State for seventh.

On Friday, the first 500 fans receive a free set of UAH Hockey trading cards. The game will be televised by American Sports Network, and carried on WHNT2 in Huntsville and regional sports network MASN on satellite systems.

On Saturday, the first 500 fans receive a free UAH Hockey foam mini hockey stick. Kids 12 and under get free general admission to both games, courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.

Matchup history: Alaska leads the all-time series 18-6-1 dating back to the first meeting in 1987, and is 6-3-1 all-time in Huntsville. The Nanooks are 6-0-0 against the Chargers since both programs joined the WCHA, including winning all four games last season. Alaska won 4-2 and 4-3 in overtime at the VBC last February. The last time UAH beat Alaska was in 1992.

Carmine Guerriero (Photo by UAH Athletics/Doug Eagan)

Charger recap: UAH (4-14-2 overall, 2-10-2 WCHA) lost two games at No. 2 North Dakota last weekend to finish its non-conference schedule.

On Friday, the Chargers were shut out for the first time all season by a 1-0 score. A power play goal by the Fighting Hawks in the second period ended a string of 34 straight penalties killed by UAH. Carmine Guerriero stopped 38 of 39 shots.

On Saturday, Richard Buri scored UAH’s lone goal in a 4-1 loss. Guerriero made another 34 saves in net.

The Chargers have killed 39 of their opponents’ last 40 power plays, lifting them up to second in the WCHA in penalty killing efficiency at 86.6 percent for the season.

Max McHugh is currently tied for sixth in the WCHA in scoring with 16 points, while Brennan Saulnier is tied for eigth with 15. McHugh is tied for second in assists with 12.

LEADING SCORERS: Max McHugh (So., 4-12–16, 20 GP), Brennan Saulnier (So., 6-9–15, 18 GP), Chad Brears (Sr., 7-6–13, 18 GP), Brandon Parker (So., 2-5–7, 20 GP), Jetlan Houcher (Fr., 4-2–6, 16 GP), Adam Wilcox (3-3–6, 19 GP)

GOALTENDING: Carmine Guerriero (Jr., 2.83 GAA, .911 SV%, 14 GP), Matt Larose (Jr., 2.40 GAA, .918 SV%, 7 GP)

	Tale of the tape (WCHA rank)
4-14-2 2-10-2 WCHA (10th)	Record	5-11-4 3-9-4 WCHA (9th)
2.15 (9th)	Goals/game	2.35 (T-6th)
3.00 (10th)	Goals allowed/game	2.95 (9th)
14.1 (3rd)	Pen. minutes/game	15.0 (1st)
12.5% (10th)	Power play	12.8% (8th)
86.6% (2nd)	Penalty kill	75.6% (10th)

About the Nanooks: Alaska (5-11-4 overall, 3-9-4 WCHA) has been playing plenty of bonus hockey as of late. The last three games for the Nanooks have gone to overtime, including both games last week against Bemidji State in Fairbanks. Alaska lost the first game 6-5 on Friday and tied the second game 1-1 on Saturday. Before the holiday break, the Nanooks won and tied at their arch-rival Alaska Anchorage, making for a 2-1-1 run over their last four.

Senior forward Tyler Morley is the big spark on the Nanooks’ offense, currently tied for the WCHA lead with 19 points. His 10 goals are tied for second in the league. Morley is coming in hot, scoring five points in the series against Bemidji State last week.

Alaska’s goaltending duties have been split by junior Davis Jones and freshman Jesse Jenks.

LEADING SCORERS: Tyler Morley (Sr., 10-9–19, 19 GP), Peter Krieger (So., 2-12–14, 20 GP, Zach Frye (So., 2-10–12, 20 GP, Tyler Munson (So., 6-4–10, 19 GP), Nolan Huysmans (Sr., 3-7–10, 20 GP)

GOALTENDING: Davis Jones (Jr., 3.19 GAA, .895 SV%, 10 GP), Jesse Jenks (Fr., 2.33 GAA, .924 SV%, 10 GP) 

This week in the WCHA:

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

Friday, Jan. 8
Alaska at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
#16 Bowling Green at Lake Superior State, 6:37 p.m.
Northern Michigan at #18 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
Bemidji State at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
Michigan Tech vs. Connecticut at Glendale, Ariz., 6 p.m. (Desert Hockey Classic)

Saturday, Jan. 9
Alaska at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
#16 Bowling Green at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m.
Northern Michigan at #18 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
Bemidji State at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
Michigan Tech vs. #12 Yale or Arizona State at Glendale, Ariz., 1 or 4 p.m. (Desert Hockey Classic)

The Chargers ring in 2016 — and complete its non-conference slate — with a challenge: Face off with No. 2-ranked North Dakota at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks.

Matchup history: UAH and North Dakota have met in only one series, and it was a while back. UND cruised to 12-6 and 11-5 wins in Grand Forks on Oct. 13 and 14, 1989.

Adam Wilcox scored a goal in each game against Colorado College. (Photo by UAH Athletics/Doug Eagan)

Charger recap: UAH (4-12-2 overall, 2-10-2 WCHA) finally ended an 11-game winless streak two weeks ago in Huntsville, getting a split with NCHC foe Colorado College.

On Friday, Dec. 18, Colorado College scored four unanswered goals in the second and third periods and pulled away with a 5-2 win. Adam Wilcox and Chad Brears scored the goals for UAH. Brears has scored five goals in the last eight games.

On Saturday, Dec. 19, Wilcox scored again in the second period to tie the game at 1-1, then Richard Buri netted the game-winner at 2:56 of the third for a 2-1 Charger victory. Matt Larose made 35 saves.

UAH extended its streak of power plays killed to 32 as the Tigers went 0-for-11 for the series with the man advantage.

LEADING SCORERS: Max McHugh (So., 4-12–16, 18 GP), Brennan Saulnier (So., 6-9–15, 17 GP), Chad Brears (Sr., 7-6–13, 16 GP), Brandon Parker (So., 2-5–7, 18 GP), Jetlan Houcher (Fr., 4-2–6, 14 GP), Adam Wilcox (3-3–6, 17 GP)

GOALTENDING: Carmine Guerriero (Jr., 2.96 GAA, .903 SV%, 12 GP), Matt Larose (Jr., 2.40 GAA, .918 SV%, 7 GP)

	Tale of the tape (NCAA rank on 12/29)
4-12-2 2-10-2 WCHA (10th)	Record	16-2-2 9-1-0 NCHC (1st)
2.33 (45th)	Goals/game	3.50 (T-9th)
3.06 (37th)	Goals allowed/game	1.70 (3rd)
14.9 (5th)	Pen. minutes/game	13.2 (11th)
13.2% (47th)	Power play	18.2% (29th)
86.7% (13th)	Penalty kill	84.0% (22nd)

About the Fighting Hawks: North Dakota (16-2-2 overall, 9-1-0 NCHC) is ranked No. 2 in the latest USCHO.com poll and No. 3 in the USA Today/USA Hockey poll, riding a six-game win streak. The Fighting Hawks, who have reached the Frozen Four the last two seasons and six of the last 10, stand on top of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference standings.

The Fighting Hawks boast two of the top 15 point scorers in Division I, with senior forward Drake Caggiula 11th at 27 points, and Chicago Blackhawks prospect Nick Schmaltz 15th with 26. Schmaltz is third in the country with 1.15 assists per game.

Between the pipes, sophomore Cam Johnson is 3rd in the nation in goals against average at 1.20 and 2nd in save percentage at .955. He has been as hot as a goaltender can get, posting three straight shutouts in UND’s last three games, while doing work making 96 saves in that stretch. Johnson has allowed one goal or fewer in his last six starts.

LEADING SCORERS: Drake Caggiula (Sr., 13-14–27, 19 GP), Nick Schmaltz (So., 3-23–26, 20 GP), Brock Boeser (Fr., 13-8–21, 20 GP), Troy Stecher (Jr., 3-10–13, 20 GP), Tucker Poolman (So., 2-11–13, 16 GP)

GOALTENDING: Matt Hrynkiw (Jr., 2.11 GAA, .911 SV%, 12 GP), Cam Johnson (So., 1.20 GAA, .955 SV%, 10 GP)

The Chargers are hungry for a win against struggling Colorado College in UAH’s final non-conference home series of the season.

On Friday night at 7, the first 500 fans will receive a free set of UAH hockey trading cards, courtesy of Colonial Printing. On Saturday night at 7, the first 1,000 fans will receive UAH Christmas cards, courtesy of Robin’s Nest. All kids 12 and under get free general admission, courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.

Matchup history: Colorado College has won all seven meetings against UAH, but this will be the first series in Huntsville. Last season, the Chargers opened the 2014-15 campaign with two one-goal losses (3-2 and 4-3) in Colorado Springs.

Charger recap: UAH (3-11-2 overall, 2-10-2 WCHA) was swept at WCHA leader Minnesota State last week, seeing its winless streak extended to 10 games. Despite the Chargers scoring the first goal in each game, the Mavericks wore them down to win 2-1 and 4-1.

On Friday, Chad Brears made it 1-0 UAH at 12:06 of the first period. After that, the Chargers managed only one shot on goal and allowed two third-period goals to lose 2-1. UAH only had nine shots on goal total to MSU’s 32. UAH goaltender Carmine Guerriero made 30 saves.

On Saturday, it was Jetlan Houcher who put the Chargers on the board first, the Mavericks rolled with three in the second period and an empty-netter in the fourth to down UAH 4-1. MSU outshot UAH 41-15, forcing another 36 saves from Guerriero.

The winless streak has dropped the Chargers to last place in the WCHA, three points behind Alaska and four points behind eight-place Bemidji State.

LEADING SCORERS: Max McHugh (So., 4-11–15, 16 GP), Brennan Saulnier (So., 6-7–13, 15 GP), Chad Brears (Sr., 6-6–12, 14 GP), Brandon Parker (So., 2-5–7, 16 GP), Jetlan Houcher (Fr., 4-1–5, 12 GP)

GOALTENDING: Carmine Guerriero (Jr., 2.71 GAA, .909 SV%, 11 GP), Matt Larose (Jr., 2.78 GAA, .903 SV%, 5 GP)

	Tale of the tape (NCAA rank)
3-11-2 2-7-1 WCHA (10th)	Record	3-15-0 2-8-0 NCHC (8th)
2.38 (T-44th)	Goals/game	1.83 (59th)
3.06 (38th)	Goals allowed/game	3.94 (58th)
14.6 (6th)	Pen. minutes/game	10.4 (34th)
11.9% (52nd)	Power play	16.2% (39th)
84.4% (20th)	Penalty kill	80.6% (39th)

About the Tigers: Colorado College (3-15-0 overall, 2-8-0 NCHC) started the season with 13 straight losses before winning three straight at home (one against Air Force and a sweep of Miami). Last week, the Tigers were swept at Western Michigan and currently reside in last place in the eight-team National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

LEADING SCORERS: Trey Bradley (Fr., 7-4–11, 18 GP), Hunter Fejer (Sr., 6-3–9, 18 GP), Cody Bradley (Sr., 4-4–8, 18 GP), Luc Gerdes (Jr., 3-5–8, 18 GP), Teemu Kivihalme (So. D, 2-6–8, 18 GP).

GOALTENDING: Jacob Nehama (Fr., 3.89 GAA, .886 SV%, 11 GP), Tyler Marble (Jr., 3.70 GAA, .891 SV%, 8 GP).

It’s been a rough month for the Chargers, who will try to get back in the win column and upset Minnesota State this weekend in Mankato.

The Mavericks, leaders in the WCHA and defending conference champions, are ranked No. 20 in this week’s USCHO.com poll.

Matchup history: Minnesota State leads the all-time series against UAH with a 25-19-5 record, and the Mavericks are 15-6-4 all-time against the Chargers in Mankato. MSU is undefeated in the last 16 meetings (14-0-2), with the last Charger win coming Jan. 4, 2002 in Huntsville. The last UAH win in Mankato was Oct. 16, 1999.

Your three goal scorers last Friday vs. NMU. (Photo by UAH Athletics/Doug Eagan)

Charger recap: UAH (3-9-2 overall, 2-8-2 WCHA) garnered one point at home against Northern Michigan. The Chargers lost Friday 4-3 and tied Saturday 1-1. The draw ended a seven-game losing streak.

On Friday, the Chargers got goals from Max McHugh, Chad Brears, and Jetlan Houcher and had a 3-2 lead after two periods. NMU rallied in the third for the win, with Dominik Shine finishing a hat trick with a penalty shot goal with 17 seconds left.

On Saturday, Frank Misuraca scored 2:00 into the third period to tie the game at 1-1, and Carmine Guerriero made it hold with 36 saves in a 1-1 tie.

After a three-point night on Friday, McHugh has the UAH scoring lead by himself with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 14 games, good for sixth in the WCHA. Brennan Saulnier had an assist Friday to up his point total to 12, and Brears had a goal and an assist over the weekend to join them in double-digit points (10).

Guerriero upped his save percentage to .903, which is shared by his fellow junior goaltender Matt Larose. Guerriero’s goals against is 2.75 while Larose is at 2.78. Guerriero has started nine games while Larose has started five.

	Tale of the tape (WCHA rank)
3-9-2 2-8-2 WCHA (10th)	Record	8-6-4 7-1-4 WCHA (1st)
2.57 (2nd)	Goals/game	2.22 (9th)
3.07 (9th)	Goals allowed/game	2.39 (5th)
15.2 (1st)	Pen. minutes/game	10.1 (9th)
13.3% (9th)	Power play	14.4% (8th)
81.8% (5th)	Penalty kill	84.1% (3rd)

About the Mavericks: Minnesota State (8-6-4 overall, 7-1-4 WCHA) is unbeaten in its last six games, although four have been ties, all on the road. Last week, the Mavericks had a pair of 2-2 draws at No. 14 Bowling Green in a battle of league title contenders. Still, MSU is 8-2-4 after an 0-4 start to the season.

The Mavericks are 2.22 goals per game overall, which is ninth in the WCHA, but are tops in scoring offense in conference games alone at 2.97. Seniors Teddy Blueger and Bryce Gervais are leaders for the Maverick offense, with Blueger having 15 points (with 11 asists) and Gervais having seven goals.

Casey Nelson has eight assists, 11 points, and a +8 rating among blueliners for MSU.

Freshman goaltender Jason Pawloski has been putting in some overtime in recent weeks, literally. He has started MSU’s last seven games, five of which have gone into overtime, and in all seven, he has allowed two goals or fewer. Pawloski is now second in the WCHA in goals against average at 1.75.

This week in the WCHA:

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

Friday, Dec. 11
UAH at #20 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
Ferris State at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
Michigan Tech at Lake Superior State, 6:37 p.m.
#14 Bowling Green at Bemidji State, 7:37 p.m.
Alaska at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 21
UAH at #20 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
Ferris State at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
Michigan Tech at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m.
#14 Bowling Green at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
Alaska at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.

The Chargers host Northern Michigan this weekend, trying to end their six-game losing streak.

On Fridayy night at 7, the first 500 fans will receive a free set of UAH hockey trading cards, courtesy of Spirit Coach. On Saturday night at 7, the first 500 fans will receive UAH hockey thunder sticks, courtesy of SportsMed. All kids 12 and under get free general admission, courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.

Matchup history: Northern Michigan leads the all-time series 8-2-2. Those two Charger wins came last season, as UAH beat the Wildcats 2-1 and 3-2 at the Von Braun Center in January. UAH went 2-1-1 against NMU last season.

Chad Brears has scored a goal in each of his last two games. (Photo by UAH Athletics/Doug Eagan)

Charger recap: UAH (3-8-1 overall, 2-7-1 WCHA) was swept at home by Bemidji State last week, seeing its losing streak extended to six games following a 3-2-1 start. The Beavers won both games by a score of 4-1 to send UAH to the bottom of the WCHA standings.

On Wednesday, Brandon Carlson scored just 1:36 into the contest to give UAH a 1-0 lead, but the Chargers could not muster any more goals. Bemidji scored in the second period to tie the game, then three more in the third (including two in the final minute). Matt Larose made 20 saves on 23 BSU shots on net.

On Friday, Chad Brears‘s goal at 7:04 of the third period tied the game at 1-1, but the Beavers retook the lead 15 seconds later, and a 3-1 lead less than two minutes after that. Carmine Guerriero stopped 22 of 25 shots in the loss.

Brennan Saulnier and Max McHugh each registered an assist on Wednesday, and both still lead the team with 11 points each. Saulnier still has six goals, and McHugh has three. Brears’s tally was his fourth of the season.

Larose’s 2.48 goals against average is seventh in the WCHA, while his .918 save percentage is sixth. Guerriero now has a 2.99 goals against average and .891 save percentage.

	Tale of the tape (WCHA rank)
3-8-1 2-7-1 WCHA (10th)	Record	4-5-3 3-4-3 WCHA (5th)
2.67 (2nd)	Goals/game	2.36 (8th)
3.17 (10th)	Goals allowed/game	2.36 (3rd)
14.1 (4th)	Pen. minutes/game	15.3 (1st)
13.5% (9th)	Power play	20.7% (3rd)
79.2% (8th)	Penalty kill	82.0% (4th)

About the Wildcats: Northern Michigan (4-5-5 overall, 3-4-3) has seen a lot of ties this season.

The Wildcats wish they could have had one more after last Saturday night, when they lost at Bowling Green with six second left in overtime to finish a sweep by the Falcons. NMU is winless in its last four games, and is currently in fifth place in the WCHA.

Senior forward Darren Nowick leads the Wildcats with eight points on four goals and four assists. Junior John Siemer has five goals this season, and Shane Sooth and Robbie Payne each have four goals.

The real star for NMU has been a freshman goaltender by the name of Atte Tolvanen, who took over starting duties from injured star netminder Mathias Dahlström. The 6-0 native of Finland has won the WCHA Rookie of the Week award three times (including Rookie of the Month for October), and Defensive Player of the Week one other time. In 14 games, he has a .930 save percentage and a 2.25 goals against average.

This week in the WCHA:

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

Friday, Dec. 4
Northern Michigan at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
Minnesota State at #14 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
Bemidji State at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska Anchorage at #17 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Lake Superior State at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 5
Northern Michigan at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
Minnesota State at #14 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
Bemidji State at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska Anchorage at #17 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Lake Superior State at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.

The Chargers look to snap their losing streak against rival Bemidji State in a rare Wednesday-Friday series around the Thanksgiving holiday.

On Wednesday night at 7, the first 500 fans will receive a free set of UAH hockey trading cards, courtesy of Wells Fargo. On Friday night at 7, the first 500 fans will receive a free UAH hockey turkey stress ball, courtesy of SportsMed. All kids 12 and under get free general admission, courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.

Fans are encouraged to donate toys and clothes at both games of the series as part of the University Place Elementary holiday drive. Interested donors will be able to drop their item off in the VBC lobby.

Matchup history: The UAH-Bemidji State rivalry goes back to 1994, during the programs’ Division II days. The Chargers and Beavers have met 76 times, the most of any UAH opponent. Bemidji State leads the series 43-29-4, buffered with a 30-4-3 mark over the last 37 games since 2006. UAH still holds a 19-15-3 advantage in Huntsville, but Bemidji State is 11-2-3 in the last 16 meetings at the VBC.

Brandon Parker scored a more conventional goal Saturday at Bowling Green. (Photo by UAH Athletics/Doug Eagan)

Charger recap: UAH (3-6-1 overall, 2-5-1 WCHA) was swept at Bowling Green over the weekend, extending its losing streak to four games and falling to eighth place in the WCHA. Both were one-goal affairs, with the Falcons winning 3-2 in overtime on Friday and 4-3 on Saturday.

On Friday, Chad Brears and Jetlan Houcher scored third-period goals, each tying the game for the Chargers. However, UAH lost in overtime as Brandon Hawkins scored with 2:08 remaining. All five goals in the game were on the power play.

Saturday’s game was more physical, with more cross-checking, boarding, and hitting from behind penalties called. Brandon Carlson scored to tie the game at 1-1 in the first, and Brandon Parker and Brent Fletcher scored in the final two minutes to keep UAH in it, but it was not enough.

Brennan Saulnier is still the Chargers’ leading scorer this season with six goals and 10 points, but has only registered one assist in his last four games. Max McHugh also has 10 points after getting his sixth and seventh assists in the Bowling Green series. Brears, who was a late scratch from Saturday’s game, and Cody Marooney each have three goals.

UAH split goaltending duties for the third straight series at Bowling Green. Matt Larose had 36 saves in Friday’s loss, and has a .929 save percentage and 2.30 goals against average in three starts. Carmine Guerriero had 24 saves on Saturday, and has a .893 save percentage and 2.98 goals against in seven starts.

The special teams went in opposite directions last weekend. The Chargers scored three power play goals against Bowling Green — the most of any series this season. However, penalty-killing was only 5-for-10.

	Tale of the tape (WCHA rank)
3-6-1 2-5-1 WCHA (8th)	Record	2-6-3 1-5-2 WCHA (10th)
3.00 (2nd)	Goals/game	2.36 (8th)
3.00 (8th)	Goals allowed/game	2.82 (6th)
15.7 (2nd)	Pen. minutes/game	10.3 (8th)
14.9% (8th)	Power play	26.4% (1st)
76.7% (9th)	Penalty kill	87.5% (1st)

About the Beavers: Bemidji State (2-6-3 overall, 1-5-2 WCHA) has had a slow start to the season, currently sitting in last place in the WCHA. Last weekend, the lost and tied at home to Lake Superior State.

Goal-scoring has been tough to come by for the Beavers, who are eighth in the WCHA with 2.36 goals per game. It hasn’t been for a lack of shots — BSU had 83 shots on goal against the Lakers, but had only three goals to show for it.

Sophomore Gerry Fitzgerald is BSU’s top scorer with seven goals and 10 points. Their second-leading scorer is a defenseman, senior Greame McCormack, with four goals — all on the power play — and nine points. Brendan Harms, an all-WCHA third-team selection last season, is 2-6–8.

Michael Bitzer, the league’s all-rookie goaltender last season, has an .882 save percentage and 2.78 goals against average in nine starts of his sophomore year.

One aspect the Beavers have been strong on this season has been special teams. Bemidji State is tops in the WCHA in both power play (26.4 percent, 5th in Division I) and penalty kill (87.5 percent). The power play has been the majority of their offense: 14 of the their 26 goals this season have come with a man advantage.

Wednesday fact: This will be only UAH’s fifth game to fall on a Wednesday, and the first one at home. The last time UAH played on Wednesday was at Merrimack in 2011, which also was the day before Thanksgiving. UAH is 1-3 all-time on Wednesdays.

This week in the WCHA:

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

Wednesday, Nov.  25
Bemidji State at UAH, 7:07 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 27
Bemidji State at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
Northern Michigan at #15 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
Ferris State at Lake Superior State, 6:37 p.m.
Alaska Anchorage at Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
#19 Michigan Tech at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 28
Northern Michigan at #15 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
Ferris State at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska Anchorage at Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
#19 Michigan Tech at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.