Where: Propst Arena, Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Ala.
When: Saturday, 2:07 p.m.; Sunday, 2:07 p.m.
Watch: WCHA.tv
Team stats: UAH | Northern Michigan
Madison Dunn had a 3-
point night against Bemidji State last Friday.
(Photo by Todd Thompson/ RiverCat Photography)
Charger update: UAH (9-17-2 overall, 8-12-2 WCHA) split its series with Bemidji State in the first home games in two months. The Chargers won 5-1 on Friday and lost 5-1 on Saturday.
UAH currently sits in seventh place in the WCHA standings with six games to go. The top eight go to the WCHA playoffs.
Josh Kestner opened Friday’s victory with his 17th goal of the season, which ties him with Northern Michigan’s Robbie Payne for most in the WCHA. In league play overall, Kestner is on top alone with 15 goals.
Senior captain Max McHugh made a solid return to the lineup, making his season debut Friday with an assist. He scored his first goal of the season for the lone UAH tally on Saturday.
Tyler Poulsen and a goal on Friday and an assist on Saturday, giving him 19 points on the season. He leads the Chargers with 13 assists.
Senior Brennan Saulnier, who is tied for second on the team in goals and tied for third in points, will miss this series and the next as he is suspended for his actions on Saturday.
Players to watch:
Josh Kestner (Sr., F, 17 goals-6 assists-23 points in 28 games played)
Tyler Poulsen (Jr., F, 6-13-19 in 26 GP)
Christian Rajic (Fr., F, 8-6-14 in 28 GP)
Kurt Gosselin (Jr., D, 5-7-12 in 28 GP)
Jordan Uhelski (Sr., G, 2.79 goals against average, .913 save percentage in 23 starts)
About the Wildcats: Northern Michigan (17-10-3 overall, 15-5-2 WCHA) is hands down the surprise team in the WCHA under first-year head coach Greg Potulny. The Wildcats have won six straight games, all in conference, to move to the top of the WCHA standings and enter the USCHO poll at No. 19.
NMU has a number of offensive weapons. Troy Loggins and Adam Rockwood lead the WCHA in overall points with 32, and Darien Craighead and Philip Beaulieu are tied for seventh with 25.
Craighead and Loggins are second in the league in overall goals with 15, and Robbie Payne is tied with Kestner at the top with 17. Loggins scored two goals in the series against UAH in Marquette in December.
Rockwood, who has a seven-game scoring streak, leads the country in assists with 25.
Goaltender Atte Tolvanen is fourth in the league in overall goals against average at 2.52.
Players to watch:
Robbie Payne (Sr., F, 17-7-24 in 30 GP)
Troy Loggins (Jr., F, 15-17-32 in 30 GP)
Darien Craighead (So., F, 15-10-25 in 29 GP)
Adam Rockwood (Jr., F, 7-25-32 in 30 GP)
Philip Beaulieu (So., D, 8-17-25 in 30 GP)
Atte Tolvanen (Jr., G, 2.52 GAA, .906 SV%, 2 SHO in 22 starts)
 |
Tale of the tape (per game averages) |
 |
| 9-17-2 | Overall record | 17-10-3 |
| 8-12-2 | WCHA record | 15-5-2 |
| 2.55 (7th) | Goals/game | 3.14 (3rd) |
| 3.00 (7th) | Goals allowed/game | 2.32 (T-3rd) |
| 16.2 (3rd) | Penalty minutes | 12.4 (9th) |
| 16.5% (6th) | Power play | 21.2% (3rd) |
| 82.9% (5th) | Penalty kill | 84.9% (3rd) |
| WCHA rank in parentheses, conference games only | ||
Series notes: Northern Michigan leads the overall series 12-5-3, with a 4-2-2 mark at the Von Braun Center. The teams met in Marquette back on Dec. 1-2, with NMU winning 3-1 and UAH winning 3-2. The last six games have been at NMU: The last series in UAH was Dec. 4-5, 2015, a 4-3 NMU win and a 1-1 tie.
Promotions: On Saturday, the first 500 fans get a free UAH Hockey trading card set courtesy of Colonial Printing
Free general admission is available to all home games, courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.
This week in the WCHA: All times are Central. Games featuring WCHA teams at home can be seen on WCHA.tv.
Friday, Feb. 2
Michigan Tech at #14 Bowling Green, 6:37 p.m.
Lake Superior State at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
Alaska Anchorage at #7 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
Ferris State at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 3
#19 Northern Michigan at UAH, 2:07 p.m.
Michigan Tech at #14 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
Lake Superior State at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
Alaska Anchorage at #7 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
Ferris State at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 4
#19 Northern Michigan at UAH, 2:07 p.m.