NMU Wildcats 2015-2016 Season Thread

[gfmorris]

Re: NMU Wildcats 2015-2016 Season Thread

That crowd was stunning. It got a little better, but dang.

GFM

[DonorRoomDrinker]

Re: NMU Wildcats 2015-2016 Season Thread

The 2015-16 NMU Hockey team is (6-2-0) in their last 8 games!!!!!!!!!!!! Let's hope they can keep on winning during the remaining (5) regular season games and into the WCHA Playoffs!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NMU's LAST (8) GAMES (6-2-0)
NMU 3 Alabama-Huntsville 0
NMU 3 Ferris State 2
Ferris State 5 NMU 1 (*Loss)
NMU 5 Alaska-Anchorage 4
NMU 3 Alaska-Anchorage 2
UMD 3 NMU 1 (*Loss)
NMU 4 UMD 3
NMU 5 Alaska-Fairbanks 3

[DonorRoomDrinker]

Re: NMU Wildcats 2015-2016 Season Thread

Great 3-1 win for NMU tonite over Alabama-Huntsville and get a sweep in Marquette.... NMU Senior goalie Mathias Dahlstrom gets the win and only gives up 1 goal on the weekend.... Dahlstrom is (7-0-0) on the year since coming back from injury.... NMU is now (15-11-6).... NMU @ LSSU next weekend Feb 26th & 27th.... NMU is (7-2-0) in last 9 games and is on a roll....

[aparch]

Re: NMU Wildcats 2015-2016 Season Thread

... NMU is (7-2-0) in last 9 games and is on a roll....

And their second home series sweep. This team is really coming together.

[aparch]

Re: NMU Wildcats 2015-2016 Season Thread

This weekend is going to be interesting for the 'Cats. LSSU has been a tough team to beat this year, going 8-12-4 in league play and being involved in physical altercations during their losses lately. When LSSU went to MTU for Winter Carnival, Mel Pearson almost punched former co-worker and LSSU head coach Damon Whitten in the handshake line for the antics his team pulled late in the game. And, judging by Twitter, LSSU once again lost their temper in what turned into a UA_ blowout late in the third.

LSSU is third in the nation in penalty minutes, averaging 14.9 PIM per Game.

'Cats aren't too far behind, averaging 13.5 PIM/gm. BUT! This is consistant with the 'Cats reduction in PIM/gm since the 2010/11 season:

2015-16: NMU 6th in Nation 13.5 Penalty Minutes per Game (currently)
2014-15: NMU 7th 14.1 PIM/G
2013-14: NMU 8th 14.8 PIM/G
2012-13: NMU 7th 15.2 PIM/G
2011-12: NMU 7th 16.4 PIM/G
2010-11: NMU 6th 17.6 PIM/G


Thankfully the 'Cats Penalty Kill ranks 7th in the nation at 87.0% success.

[NMU Fan]

Mathias Dahlstrom is 7-0-0 in 7 starts now. Do we ride with him till he loses or give Tolvanen another chance?

[davyd83]

Re: NMU Wildcats 2015-2016 Season Thread

Mathias Dahlstrom is 7-0-0 in 7 starts now. Do we ride with him till he loses or give Tolvanen another chance?

You've got to stick with the hot hand. Even a loss wouldn't change that, unless he was awful that night. Atte has shown what he can do and he and Israelson have the position covered for the next few years.

[DonorRoomDrinker]

Re: NMU Wildcats 2015-2016 Season Thread

I agree with Davyd83 that NMU currently has a very formidable Freshman goalie duo on the team with Tolvanen & Israelsson so they should be fine in goal the next 3 seasons.... One of the better goalie combinations that I've seen at NMU in quite some time.... Hats off to Walt for getting them to come to NMU....

[noremorse1]

Re: NMU Wildcats 2015-2016 Season Thread

Great sweep this weekend! Dahlstrom is hot! However, the NMU students and Marquette crowd suck. I know from experience that Marquette is a hard town to get people to show up for events. However, as Dave said... you have craft beer, great food and a hot hockey team with a great home record. What more do they want? I don't know what the promotion is like. My freshman year (99-00) it was not free for games yet. However, the student section was always packed. Kids in the dorms would collect cans to get $$ for tickets.

Anyhow... way to go Cats! I'll be there in a few for the MTU series!

[noremorse1]

I agree with Davey83 that NMU currently has a very formidable Freshman goalie duo on the team with Tolvanen & Israelsson so they should be fine in goal the next 3 seasons.... One of the better goalie combinations that I've seen at NMU in quite some time.... Hats off to Walt for getting them to come to NMU....

Hopefully they don't leave early for the pro's.
*cough* Coreau *cough*

[MaizeRage]

Re: NMU Wildcats 2015-2016 Season Thread

Considering games are free to students too. Where is everybody? 8,000 students on campus and we can't get 1,000 to come out. As you said they got everything they wanted. I don't get it.

Maybe try ditching the 0-0-5 defensive system. Tough to get excited about scoring two goals per game, even if they're winning 60% of the time.

[DonorRoomDrinker]

Re: NMU Wildcats 2015-2016 Season Thread

NMU Senior Goalie Mathias Dahlstrom (6'0" 175lbs) named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week after being in net for NMU's (3-0) & (3-1) wins this past weekend and NMU Freshman Defenseman James Vermeulen (6'2" 190lbs) named WCHA Rookie of the Week for his play last weekend....

[davyd83]

Maybe try ditching the 0-0-5 defensive system. Tough to get excited about scoring two goals per game, even if they're winning 60% of the time.

Average is over 3 goals per game at home. Run & gun hockey will not produce wins. The team also has two of the top 3 scorers in the league.

[DonorRoomDrinker]

Re: NMU Wildcats 2015-2016 Season Thread

WCHA NEWS

Northern Michigan Wildcat Hockey Express????

February 22nd, 2016

MARQUETTE - Northern Michigan (15-11-6) is on a bit of a roll after sweeping Alabama Huntsville 3-0 and 3-1 this past weekend. The Wildcats have won 3 in a row, 5 of their last 6 and 7 of their last 9 games are now tied for fourth place with Ferris State (which lost a single nonconference game to Michigan on Friday). Northern is scoring more goals now, it appears, and that’s scary for any team it faces in the playoffs (in any round), especially with its fantastic goaltending. Here’s what’s crazy: Freshman Atte Tolvanen (.929 save percentage, 2.42 goals-against average in 22 games) hasn’t been the hot goalie. That title belongs to Senior Mathias Dahlström, who is 7-0 with .922 and 1.98 since returning to the lineup. When healthy, Dahlström has been one of the top goalies in the WCHA.

[aparch]

Re: NMU Wildcats 2015-2016 Season Thread

Maybe try ditching the 0-0-5 defensive system. Tough to get excited about scoring two goals per game, even if they're winning 60% of the time.

Considering the games against Huntsville was the first time NMU limited an opponents SOG to under 20 a game this season. In fact, NMU hasn't held a team not named Alabama-Huntsville or Alaska-Anchorage to less than 20 SOG/gm since Wisconsin.

October 17th.


Of 2014.


In fact, with Wisconsin's struggles, the last team NMU held to less than 20 SOG/gm not named Huntsville, Anchorage, or Wisconsin was Ferris State. February 8th and 9th. Of 2013.

NMU's opponents SOG average for this season, again excluding Huntsville, is 33.53. Adding in Huntsville drops the average a whole 1.03 SOG/gm to 32.50 SOG/gm. Oooohh. Yep, a team consistently giving up 33 SOG a game and being out-shot 3:2 on average really are the flashing neon signs advertising a "defense first" strategy. The portable turnstiles at the front door of the Berry would make better blueliners.