After an off week, the Chargers are back in WCHA action with a trip to their nearest conference foe, Bowling Green. Puck drop Friday and Saturday nights in Ohio are at 6:07 p.m. Central Time.

Matchup history: Bowling Green has a commanding 14-3-1 record over UAH since their first meeting in 2000, and has won 12 of the last 13 meetings. The Falcons are 7-1-1 against the Chargers on their home ice. Since both clubs joined the WCHA in 2013, Bowling Green is 7-1-0. Last season, the Falcons won both games in Huntsville and both games in Bowling Green.

Carmine Guerriero made 28 saves against Michigan Tech on Nov. 7. (Photo by UAH Athletics/Doug Eagan)

Charger recap: UAH (3-4-1 overall, 2-3-1 WCHA) was off last week. Two weeks ago, the Chargers were swept at home by Michigan Tech by scores of 4-2 and 2-1. UAH currently is seventh in the WCHA standings.

In the first game, Josh Kestner scored just 1:21 in to give UAH a 1-0 lead, but the Huskies responded with three straight goals. Brandon Parker scored from his own zone, but that would be as close as the Chargers got. UAH goaltender Matt Larose made 36 saves.

In the second game, Michigan Tech scored both goals in the first period. Cam Knight got his first collegiate goal in the third period for UAH’s only score. Carmine Guerriero had his best outing of the season in net, stopping 28 of 30 shots.

Brennan Saulnier got an assist in the series, giving him 10 points on the season. His 0.86 goals per game average (six goals in seven games played) leads the WCHA and is third-best in NCAA Division I. Max McHugh is secon on the team with eight points, and he and Cody Marooney each have three goals.

UAH has the eighth-highest penalty minute per game average at 14.2.

	Tale of the tape (WCHA rank)
3-4-1 2-3-1 WCHA (7th)	Record	5-3-3 2-2-2 WCHA (6th)
3.12 (2nd)	Goals/game	2.18 (8th)
2.88 (6th)	Goals allowed/game	1.91 (1st)
14.2 (3rd)	Pen. minutes/game	8.5 (9th)
11.1% (9th)	Power play	10.3% (10th)
84.8% (2nd)	Penalty kill	82.5% (5th)

About the Falcons: Bowling Green (5-3-3 overall, 2-2-2 WCHA) comes into the series ranked 15th in the latest USCHO.com poll. They stand in sixth place in the WCHA standings, one point ahead of the Chargers.

Last week, the Falcons split a pair at Michigan Tech in the battle between the WCHA’s two ranked teams. Bowling Green was shut out 2-0 on Friday before winning 3-2 on Saturday.

Bowling Green’s top scorer is Kevin Dufour, a junior who has six goals — tied with Saulnier and four others for the league lead — and eight points. Senior Mark Cooper has five goals this season, three of which are game-winners, including the one over Michigan Tech on Saturday.

Sophomore goaltender Chris Nell has been stellar this season. In eight games (seven starts), he has a 1.20 goals against average and a .958 save percentage, both tops in the WCHA and third in the nation. Nell has been a big reason the Falcons are ninth nationally in goals allowed per game.

This week in the WCHA:

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

Friday, Nov. 20
UAH at #15 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
Minnesota State at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
Lake Superior State at Bemidji State, 7:37 p.m.
Penn State at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 21
UAH at #15 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
Minnesota State at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
Lake Superior State at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
#19 Michigan Tech at Michigan State, 6:05 p.m.
Penn State at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 22
#19 Michigan Tech at Michigan State, 3:05 p.m.

The Chargers are off to their best start since 2004, but they can take a big step foward this weekend at the Von Braun Center this weekend. Their opponent, Michigan Tech, who eliminated UAH in the WCHA quarterfinals last March, is expected to make another run toward the WCHA championship.

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

Matchup history: UAH has never beaten Michigan Tech in eight games since joining the WCHA in 2013.

Last season, the Huskies were 6-0 against the Chargers, sweeping all four regular-season matchups in Huntsville and Houghton and the WCHA quarterfinal series in Houghton.

In that playoff series, the Huskies won Game 1 in triple overtime 1-0 (when Carmine Guerriero had 76 saves) and Game 2 3-0. UAH lost 4-2 and 5-2 last November in the only games in the series played at the VBC.

Brennan Saulnier was named WCHA Player of the Month for October.

Charger recap: UAH (3-2-1 overall, 2-1-1 WCHA) had its first road sweep since 2009 with two wins at Lake Superior State last weekend.

On Friday, Brennan Saulnier scored two goals in the first 4:36 as UAH took a 2-1 lead. The Lakers scored three unanswered goals to take a 4-2 lead after two periods, but freshman Kurt Gosselin, playing his first UAH game after having mono, scored two third-period goals in the third to tie the game at 4-4. In overtime, Cody Marooney scored 1:07 in to give the Chargers a 5-4 victory.

On Saturday, it was all Chargers despite being outshot 31-19. Marooney, Brandon Carlson, Chad Brears, Adam Wilcox, and Tyler Poulsen netted goals as UAH cruised 5-0 for the sweep. Matt Larose stopped all 31 shots for UAH’s first shutout since Cam Talbot blanked Robert Morris on March 12, 2010.

Marooney’s two game-winning goals earned him WCHA Player of the Week honors, and Gosselin won WCHA Rookie of the Week.

Saulnier was named WCHA Player of the Month for his strong start despite missing Saturday’s game. He leads UAH with six goals and nine points in five games. His 1.20 goals per game is tops in the nation, and his 1.80 points per game is sixth.

Max McHugh is second on the team with eight points (three goals, five assists). Marooney also has three goals on the season. Brears has five assists among his seven points.

Goaltender Carmine Guerriero looks to regain his form from last season, currently only having an .885 save percentage in five starts.

	Tale of the tape (WCHA rank)
3-2-1 2-1-1 WCHA (T-3rd)	Record	3-3-0 3-3-0 WCHA (2nd)
3.67 (1st)	Goals/game	3.00 (3nd)
2.83 (7th)	Goals allowed/game	2.67 (T-4th)
10.7 (7th)	Pen. minutes/game	11.2 (5th)
12.5% (T-7th)	Power play	31.6% (1st)
85.7% (2nd)	Penalty kill	83.3% (T-4th)

About the Huskies: Michigan Tech (3-3-0 overall, 3-3-0 WCHA), which reached the WCHA championship game and earned an NCAA tournament berth last season, has played nothing but conference games to start, and saw a lot of Ferris State at that. The Huskies have split all three series: at Ferris State, a home-and-home with Northern Michigan, and at home against Ferris State.

WCHA Player of the Year and Hobey Baker finalist Tanner Kero may be gone, but the Huskies still have plenty of power to make a title run.

Senior all-conference goaltender Jamie Phillips has played every minute for the Huskies this season, posting a 2.64 goals against average and .917 save percentage.

Senior forward Malcolm Gould and junior forward Tyler Heinonen, who scored the winning goal in triple overtime against the Chargers in the playoffs, each have three goals to start the campaign. Another all-WCHA senior forward, Alex Petan, is 2-2–4, but did not play due to injury on Saturday against Ferris State and is questionable for this weekend. Freshman Brett Boeing and sophomore defenseman Mark Auk each have four assists.

Staying out the box would be wise for the Chargers, as Tech’s power play has been very effective so far at 31.6 percent, sixth-highest in Division I.

This week in the WCHA:

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

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

Saturday, Oct. 24
Michigan Tech at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
Minnesota State at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
Lake Superior State at #14 Bowling Green, 6:o7 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.

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.