After an upsetting five game losing streak over the last few weeks, the NMU men’s club hockey team came back strong for their last home game of the season against University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee last weekend.
At both games in the series the ’Cats were unscored upon winning 8-0 on Friday and 10-0 Saturday.
Team captain Evan Weber said he was excited about the win because he saw a lot of guys step up and put the puck in the net who hadn’t had a chance to earlier in the year.
“This was a good weekend to get some confidence built. It was good to see a lot of guys who don’t score goals put some pucks in,” Weber said. “A few guys who had been struggling were able to put some away; to see the whole group contribute to the win instead of just a few brought a lot more smiles to bench.”
Freshman player Tj Aiyash said he was also glad to have a big win at a home game.
“I got a goal second period in first game,” Aiyash said. “It felt really good to win on our home ice, (it was a) good confidence boost.”
He is glad to see the older and rookie players on the team playing well together and attributes their recent success to that.
“We are really getting to get to know each other on the ice and playing together well; we have a really good group of guys,” Aiyash said.
Recently asked to apply to be on a WCHA all star team, right wing Kellen Michalak was glad to close the home season on such a good note.
“I played well, I had a goal and two assists. We needed to win; it was exciting because it’s been a while,” Michalak said. “We hadn’t been used to winning and putting a couple good games together for the home crowd, so it was nice to do it our last game home.”
He hopes the momentum from last weekend will carry over into their next series against Rober Morris College – Chicago (White Team) that has an overall 10-13 record and a home record of 8-5.
“After this past weekend, we showed ourselves we can still play well. We are not worried about their record, we know what we are up against and we know what we have to do to get it done,” Michalak said.
The opposing team is unranked this year and last year the ‘Cats split the series against them losing 2-4 in the first game and winning the second 4-1.
Senior Matt Dorich is excited for a good game against the Eagles next weekend.
“We’re hoping for a big win against them,” Dorich said.
Weber said he isn’t worried about the team’s motivation going into this game.
“If we show up like we did this weekend with confidence and improve on what we did this the last couple of weeks like getting systems down and more focused we are going to do well,” Weber said.
Aiyash is planning on the confidence boost he got to do more than just motivate him next weekend.
“I’m feeling pumped going into Robert Morris, it’s going to be a good game. Going to keep the momentum from last weekend going,” Aiyash said. “I’m just going to go in there and give it my all.”
The Wildcat’s season is coming to a close with their second to last series against Robert Morris College (White Team) this Friday, Feb. 11 at 9 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 12 at 8:25 p.m. in The Edge Ice rink in Bensenville, Ill.
