WHERE: Berry Events Center, Marquette, Mich.
WHEN: Friday, 6:07 p.m.; Saturday, 5:07 p.m. (CDT)
WATCH: FloHockey.tv (subscription)
The Chargers head north this weekend in search of their first win of the season, taking on Northern Michigan in the first road WCHA series.
UAH has found some success against Northern Michigan in recent years. Last season, the Chargers took a 2-point tie at home. In 2017-18, UAH went 3-4 against the Wildcats. Two of those wins came in Marquette, including one victory in the WCHA quarterfinals.
UAH (0-6-0 overall, 0-2-0 WCHA) lost 5-1 and 4-1 to No. 2-ranked Minnesota State last weekend in the Chargers’ first series at home. The second game was tied 1-1 with 10 minutes to go, but the Mavericks scored two quick goals to pull away.
Despite being outshot 88-30 for the series, the Chargers got a strong effort from goaltender Mark Sinclair. The junior played both games and made 79 saves, including 45 in the first game, one short of his career high.
UAH continued to struggle offensively, now with only five goals on the season. Jack Jeffers and Sean Rappleyea had the tallies for the Chargers against Minnesota State. Jeffers and freshman Josh Latta lead UAH with three points.
Northern Michigan (4-1-1, 2-0-0) is off to a strong start, getting a sweep at Ferris State (4-3 and 6-4) last week to start WCHA play and enter the USCHO.com poll at No. 20. The Wildcats also posted a tie and win at Boston University to weeks ago.
Two sophomore forwards have been tearing it up for NMU. Vincent de May and Griffin Loughran each have six goals already. Loughran scored four goals, including a hat trick on Saturday, against Ferris State to earn WCHA forward of the week honors.
Northern Michigan has split time in net between sophomore Nolan Kent and freshman John Hawthorne. Hawthorne has put up the better numbers in his three starts, with a 2.27 goals against average and .921 save percentage.
Series preview by the Marquette Mining Journal
This week in the WCHA: All times Central.
Thursday, October 31
Omaha at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
Friday, November 1
* UAH at #20 Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
* Ferris State at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m.
* #18 Bowling Green at #2 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
* Bemidji State at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.
Omaha at Alaska Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
Saturday, November 2
* UAH at #20 Northern Michigan, 5:07 p.m.
* Ferris State at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m.
* #18 Bowling Green at #2 Minnesota State, 6:07 p.m.
* Bemidji State at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.
Michigan Tech at #14 North Dakota, 7:07 p.m.