Men’s Hockey to host Northern Michigan

After coming off a series split on the road against Bowling Green, the Mavericks return home to face the Northern Michigan Wildcats on Friday.

The Mavs return home after the road trip as they look to improve their home record and have the support of the Maverick fans behind them. The Mavs are currently 6-5-0 at home while holding a 6-4-3 record on the road. 

The Mavericks sit at third in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association standings with a 8-5-1 conference record and a 12-9-3 overall record while Northern Michigan is in sixth place with a 6-8-0 conference record and a 8-12-2 overall record. 

The Mavs have yet to face Northern Michigan this season which will make for a very interesting matchup. With the end of the season winding down, a sweep for the Mavs would put them in the perfect position to finish top of the CCHA as they cannot afford a loss at this crucial point in the season at home. 

The Mavs have beaten Northern Michigan in 8 of their 10 last meetings. The last time these two teams faced off it was a battle; the Mavs coming out on top in the CCHA championship winning 3-2 in overtime. 

Maverick Senior Lucas Sowder is fresh off winning CCHA forward of the week after his electric performance against Bowling Green scoring two goals and two assists. 

Sowder is a player to watch. He has caught fire in the past few matches for the Mavs scoring four goals and recording three assists for seven points over his past seven games. 

Sam Morton leads all Maverick scorers this season with 18 goals and eight assists for 26 points. Morton has scored a goal in each of his last three games as he looks to continue that streak. 

“They’re two of the biggest pillars we have, they keep each other competitive on and off the rink,” Head Coach Luke Strand said about Morton and Sowder during a press conference. “At the end of the day, they haven’t tried to do things by themselves. They’ve got a great mind of what they’ve been through and what they’re going to go forward with.”

Northern Michigan will look to improve their away record against the Mavs as they have been terrible on the road with a 1-9-1 away record. Northern Michigan comes facing the Mavericks having lost three of their last four games. 

Northern Michigan will be looking to Andre Ghantous and Michael Colella to continue their productive seasons; Ghantous has 7 goals and 16 assists for 23 points thus far, Colella comes into the game with 2 goals and 2 assists. in the past four games. 

“They’ve got size and some mobility, they’re going to play a connected game,” Strand said. “They’ve got some dynamic on the frontside that can change the game. You’ve got to get to their side of the rink and put pressure on their goaltending and their D’s.” 

The standings are tight and the Mavs need to peak at the right time. If the Mavs pull off a sweep this weekend then it’d push their win streak to six against Northern Michigan. 

This weekend’s games will be held at Mayo Health Civic Center at 7:07 p.m. on Friday and 6:07 p.m. on Saturday. 

“Finding our way to play the best hockey at the best time of the year takes everyone,” said Strand” They’ve got to decide what they’re willing to do versus what they’re just capable of.”

Photo caption: The Mavericks are set to take on the Northern Michigan Wildcats this weekend. The Mavs have beaten Northern Michigan in 8 of their last 10 meetings (Courtesy Maverick Athletics)

Write to Ahmed Hassan at ahmed.hassan.4@mnsu.edu