N o r t h e r n m i c h i g a n H o c k e y 2 0 0 8 - 0 9 m e d i a g u i d e W i l d c a t s www.nmu.edu/athletics Quick Facts Table of Contents 2008-09 Outlook. 1 Head Coach Walt Kyle. 2 Coaching Staff. .3 ational prominence and national dominance are what separates 2008-09 Roster. 4 Nthe Central Collegiate Hockey Association from the rest of college Pronunciation Guide. 4 hockey. Player Profiles. 5-12 CCHA teams have won more NCAA Championships (8) in the last 25 years than any other conference. Bowling Green began the 1991 NCAA Champions . .12 run in 1984, followed by Michigan State in 1986 and 2007. The Lake 2007-08 Team Statistics. .13 Superior State Lakers, who own the most titles of a CCHA-member 2007-08 Individual Statistics. .14 team, captured three in a span of seven years (1988, 1992, 1994). Michi- 2007-08 Game-by Game Scoring. .15 gan’s pair as a CCHA member (1996, 1998) brings its overall NCAA NMU Profile. .16 Championship total to nine, the most in the nation. Northern Michigan won the crown in 1991 as a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey 2008-09 Wildcat Hockey Schedule. Back cover Association. The CCHA began in 1971-72 with four teams - Bowling Green, Ohio State and Ohio University from the Midwest Collegiate Hockey NMU Quick Facts Association and an independent, St. Louis University. Lake Superior Location: Marquette, Mich. 49855 State joined the league the following year. Northern Michigan’s arrival Founded: 1899 in 1977-78 brought the CCHA’s membership to six teams. Northern Michigan rejoined the conference in 1997-98 following Enrollment: 9,500 13 years as a member of the WCHA, bringing the CCHA membership School Colors: Old Gold and Olive Green to 11 teams. The 1999-00 campaign marked the addition of a 12th Nickname: Wildcats member - Nebraska-Omaha. The conference schedule features 28 National Affiliation: NCAA II, NCAA I for hockey games to determine the regular-season champion. The teams are divided Conference: Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) into three “clusters,” with each team playing the other three members : Alaska, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake of its cluster four times - twice at home and twice on the road. Conference Members Superior State, Miami (Ohio), Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska- The CCHA postseason tournament structure includes all 12 Omaha, Northern Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Western Michigan teams. The top four finishers during the regular season have a bye in the first round as finishers five through eight host nine through 12 in President: Dr. Leslie (Les) Wong a best-of-three series. The winners of the four first-round series are Athletic Director: Ken Godfrey re-seeded based on their regular season finish and travel to the campus Athletic Faculty Representative: Dr. Julie Rochester of the teams who finished one through four in the regular season to Home Arena: Berry Events Center play a best-of-three series. The winners advance to Joe Louis Arena for Capacity: 3,902 the CCHA Championship where they are re-seeded based upon their Ice Surface: 200’ x 100’ regular-season finish. The No. 1 seed plays the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 Constructed: 1999 seed plays the No. 3 seed. The winners advance to the CCHA Cham- Press Box Phone: 906-227-1720 pionship. The winner of the CCHA Tournament receives the league’s Head Hockey Coach: Walt Kyle automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Alma Mater: Northern Michigan University, 1981 Overall Record/Years: 122-104-21/6 NMU Record/Years: 122-104-21/6 Assistant Coach: John Kyle Alma Mater: Northern Michigan University, 1982 Assistant Coach: Robert Facca Alma Mater: University of Nebraska-Omaha, 2000 Sports Information Director: David Faiella Office Phone: 906-227-1013 Home Phone: 906-226-8435 E-mail: [email protected] Sports Information Fax: 906-227-2492 NMU Sports Hotline: 906-227-1014 World Wide Web Address: www.nmu.edu/athletics Team Information Northern Michigan University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, 2007-08 Overall Record: 20-20-4 religion, gender, national origin, age, height, weight, marital status, familial status, 2007-08 CCHA Record/Finish: 12-13-3, 6th handicap/disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status in employment or the Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 17/3 Forwards: 9/2, provision of services and provides, upon request reasonable accommodation including auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford individuals with disabilities Defensemen: 7/0 Goaltenders: 1/1 an equal opportunity to participate in all programs and activities. 2008-09 Outlook ntering the 2007-08 season the Northern seniors Tim Hartung (3-5-8) and Nathan record of 15-15-4, a 2.62 goal-against average EMichigan University hockey team was an Sigmund (0-3-3). Sophomores Mike Maltese and a .918 save-percentage. “Stewart has the unknown: a group of untested players dotted (1-0-1) and Nicholas Kosinski (0-0-0) also potential to be one of the best goaltenders the roster. But after a rough start, the players return. in the league,” said Kyle. “He is a key guy for rebounded. Now the Wildcats are a us.” year older and have that experience Derek Janzen will back up Stew- under their belts. NMU was 1-8-0 af- art. He saw action in eight games last ter nine games and only 7-10-1 at the year. Janzen was 1-1-0 with a 2.82 Christmas break. The second half of goal-against average and a .894 save- the season the Wildcats were 13-10-3. percentage. Two of last year’s top four scor- Devan Hartigan will be the third ers were freshmen. Mark Olver led goalkeeper. Last year, he played for with 38 points on a team-leading 21 Port Hope in the Ontario Provincial goals and 17 assists, and Erik Gustafs- Junior Hockey League where he went son was in fourth with 27 points, all 4-1-0 with a 3.19 goal-against average assists. The now departed Matt Siddal and a .880 save-percentage. with (18-18-36) and senior Nick Sirota Northern will play with Bowling also (18-18-36) were the only non- Green, Notre Dame and Lake Superior freshmen in the top four. State in CCHA cluster play, and see “We are cautiously optimistic each team four times during the sea- about this year,” said Walt Kyle. I like son (two home and two away). Other the group of guys we had last year. I Mark Olver led the 2007-08 Wildcats in overall points (38) and goals conference teams stopping by the thought our chemistry was good the (21) as a freshman. Berry Events Center include Alaska, second half of the year. The bulk of Ferris State, Michigan and Ohio State. that is in place.” Phil Axtell, a sophomore, who last played NMU begins the season by hosting two Kyle is entering his seventh season with at Michigan Tech in 2006-07, will hit the ice games in the Superior Cup against Minnesota- an NMU and overall collegiate record of for the ’Cats this season. He tallied nine Duluth and Michigan Tech of the Western 122-104-21. He led the 2007-08 ’Cats to points on two goals and seven assists for the Collegiate Hockey Association. The Huskies Joe Louis Arena and the Central Collegiate Huskies. Three other freshmen could see and ’Cats go home-and-home for two more Hockey Association (CCHA) championships some ice time along the front line: Andrew games in December. NMU will travel to for the fifth time. The ’Cats ended the 2007- Cherniwchan, Justin Florek and Tyler Gron. Madison, Wis., to take on the Badgers to 08 campaign with a 20-20-4 record and a Cherniwchan playing for the Nanaimo begin the new year (Jan. 2-3). 12-13-3 mark in conference play. Entering the Clippers last year had 21 points on 12 goals A top-four finish is not out of the ques- postseason last year the ’Cats were a sixth and nine assists. Playing 2006-07 for the tion and Kyle has proven he knows how to seed as they defeated Ohio State in the first Drayton Valley Thunder, he put up 36 goals get his team ready for the playoff push the round and then went on the road to knock and 17 assists for 53 points. Florek played second half of the season, which has made the the defending NCAA I National Champion, in the United States National Team Develop- ’Cats very dangerous in March over the past the Michigan State Spartans, out of CCHA ment Program the past two seasons and had few years. According to Kyle, the framework tournament play. Northern lost to Michi- 59 points (26-33) for the U-17 team and is there for this team to be good. All they gan in the semifinal game (4-6) but defeated 16 points (8-8) for the U-18 team last year. have to do now is just come together. Notre Dame in the consolation contest (2-1). Gron recorded 77 points (39-38) last year for Gone from last year’s squad at forward Ft. McMurray. are Siddall and Andrew Sarauer (3-6-9). All The blue line should be a big strength for the defensemen are back. Goaltender Reid the ’Cats with seven letterwinners back. Vet- Ellingson has decided to play juniors this erans of the rear guard include seniors Blake season.