The Wildcats kicked off the 2023-24 CCHA season with a two-game series against the Ferris State Bulldogs. The Wildcats were able to secure a win in the second game following an overtime loss in the first.
In the opening contest, the score remained tied 0-0 after the first period. However, it was the Bulldogs who broke the scoreless tie in the second period. Nevertheless, graduate student Andre Ghantous managed to tie the game up for the Wildcats with a crucial goal late in the second, which also sent the game all the way into overtime. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs would get the better of the Wildcats in the extra period, winning game one with a 2-1 victory.
The second game saw the Wildcats bouncing back with a commanding 4-1 win. After falling behind 1-0 in the first period, the Wildcats regrouped in the second, as Sophomore Josh Zinger and Freshman Kevin Marx Noren, scored two goals for the Cats to take a 2-1 lead. In the third period, Senior Artem Shlaine tallied another goal for the Cats with Freshman Viking Gustafsson Nyberg sealing the win for the Cats with an empty-net goal, which also marked his first career goal.
Coach Grant Potulny said, “To get that win on Saturday down one nothing … we hung in there, we thought we stayed with it and found our game a little bit.”
Potulny acknowledged the challenges faced due to limited practice time and looked ahead to the upcoming matchup against the University of St. Thomas by saying, “Another tough road trip against a team that I believe has done an incredible job in recruiting … It’s a team that plays very, very hard, so we have to match their effort.”
The Wildcats’ victory provided a much-needed boost, and Potulny stressed the importance of starting fresh after the win, considering the tight competition in the league. The Wildcats look for their next win as they take on St. Thomas in back to back games Friday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. with both games at St. Thomas.
“We have to find a way to continue to get points every week. That starts for us on Friday night,” Potulny said. “We have to go in there, be willing to play the game the right way. Be willing to follow the game plan. Be willing to win our 50/50s … hopefully those things are non-negotiables this weekend.”
