NMU Opponent Preview- St. Cloud State Huskies
The Northern Michigan Wildcats hockey team heads to St. Cloud, Minnesota for their second weekend of the non-conference schedule. They will face off against the currently #4 ranked St. Cloud State Huskies. The Wildcats are coming off a series split last weekend in East Lansing, getting a huge win on Saturday night against the Michigan State Spartans.
Let’s take a look at what they can expect this weekend against a powerful NCHC team:
St. Cloud State Huskies
(2–0–0)
The Huskies are undefeated thus far under new head coach Brett Larson, earning an exhibition win against Mt. Royal and a pair of wins against Alaska last weekend in Fairbanks. The Wildcats will need to be at their best in order to hand St. Cloud their first loss this season.
Last Year’s Results:
25–9–6
NCHC regular season conference champions.
#1 Overall seed in the NCAA tournament.
Upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament by Air Force.
Get Joshua Kaskinen’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Key Departures:
- Head Coach Bob Motzko- One of the major stories this offseason was watching who would replace retiring Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Don Lucia. NMU’s Grant Potulny was a name that became a large part of this conversation, but the job ultimately went to Motzko, who will hope to return one of college hockey’s premiere programs to the national powerhouse that they once were.
- Forward and Captain Judd Peterson- A seventh round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2012, Peterson played in 40 games for the Huskies last season. He is now playing for the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones
- Forward and Alternate Captain Blake Winiecki- Winiecki had 8 goals and 8 assists last season. The Huskies will miss his leadership presence on the ice. He is currently skating for the Florida Everblades of the ECHL.
Key Veterans:
- Patrick Newell- currently has 3 goals and 2 assists in 2 games played this season. He will be a constant scoring threat for the Huskies. Newell was named the NCHC player of the week and NCAA 2nd star of the week for his performance against the Nanooks.
- Robby Jackson- The Senior forward will be putting a lot of pucks on the net. He scored two goals on thirteen shots last weekend.
- Jack Ahcan- The Junior defenseman has already posted 5 assists in two games this season.
- David Hrenak- As a Freshman, the Slovakian goaltender played in 25 games, and posted a SV% of .919. He looks to be Larson’s top option in net.
Freshman to Watch:
- Sam Hentges- The Freshman forward will be seeing first line minutes this season. He contributed two assists against Alaska.
Series Expectations:
For the Wildcats to steal a win or two against a powerhouse NCHC team this weekend, they will need to be on top of their game. Look for Atte Tolvanen to continue his strong play in goal, and for veteran forwards Craighead, Rockwood and Loggins to continue to find the back of the net. This series will be a test of just how strong Northern Michigan will be this year. Expect them to climb up into the top 20 of the national rankings if they win at all this weekend.
