NMU-MTU hockey series will determine playoff positions

Northern hates* Tech. Tech hates Northern.

It doesn’t matter if it’s football or ROTC or fly fishing—a loss to its biggest rival stings a bit more than a defeat at the hands of any other school.

But the rivalry between Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech takes on added significance in the hockey arena. Hockey is the marquee program—and only Division I sport—at each school, so bragging rights mean more on the ice.

This weekend, the Wildcats (15-12-7 overall; 12-9-5 WCHA) and Huskies (19-8-5; 16-7-3) wrap up their WCHA schedules with a home-and-home series set for Friday in Houghton and Saturday in Marquette. And this time around, the results will affect playoff seedings and could help decide a league champion.

Here are three things to keep an eye on this weekend:

More than bragging rights

Michigan Tech, 8-1-3 since Jan. 1, is currently tied for second place in the WCHA standings with Bowling Green, two points behind Minnesota State. Depending on this weekend’s results, the Huskies could finish the regular season in first, second or third place.

MTU last won the MacNaughton Cup, awarded to the WCHA’s regular-season champion, in 1976. No matter what happens, Tech will be home for the league quarterfinals March 11-13.

The Wildcats are alone in fourth place, one point ahead of Ferris State. If they can maintain their position, they’ll earn home ice in the WCHA quarters for the first time since 2012. NMU can finish no better than fourth and no worse than fifth.

They’ve already outperformed others’ expectations this season (the preseason coaches’ and media polls both had the Cats finishing in seventh), but a home playoff berth would help rejuvenate community interest in the team.

League’s best offense

Michigan Tech (ranked 13th and 14th in the two national polls) has the WCHA’s top offense (3.19 goals per game), top power play (24.4 percent) and top scorer. Alex Petan, a senior forward from Delta, British Columbia, leads the conference with 26 points on 15 goals and 11 assists.

Northern Michigan counters with the No. 2 and No. 4 scorers in a middle-of-the-pack offense that averages 2.46 goals per game. Dominik Shine (junior forward, Pinckney, Mich.) has recorded 25 points in league play (12g-13a), and Darren Nowick (senior forward, Long Beach, Calif.) is a point behind (11-13).

Shine on a roll

Not only is Shine leading the Wildcats in scoring, he recently became the first two-time winner of the WCHA Player of the Month Award. In February, while helping lead NMU to a 5-2-1 record, Shine posted league-best totals in points (11), assists (7) and shots (31).

Shine also won the award in December. He enters the Michigan Tech series on a nine-game scoring streak, having recorded 12 points (4-8) over that span.

Predictions?

In the teams’ previous series this season—a home-and-home in October—NMU posted a 4-1 victory in Marquette and MTU rebounded with a 3-1 home win the following night.

Any predictions for this weekend?

* Of course, “sports hate” isn’t really hate. Close, but not quite the real thing.