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MARQUETTE — Bring the Mavericks to town every weekend!

The Northern Michigan University hockey team put up a solid cement block in its rebuilding process by pulling off a split against nationally ranked Minnesota State-Mankato over the weekend at the Berry Events Center.

The Wildcats backed up a hat trick by freshman forward Ryan Duguay for a 3-2 victory on Friday night before Mankato came back to take a 6-1 win Saturday. Duguay also had NMU’s lone goal in the second contest for a four-goal weekend and the team lead in goals with five.

Northern Michigan University’s Ryan Ouellette, left, and Ryan Duguay hug to celebrate the Wildcats win after a CCHA hockey game played against Minnesota State-Mankato at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Friday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

This is the same Mavericks team that Northern defeated in a shootout in Minnesota on Nov. 16 for their only other CCHA points this season. On that night, NMU’s Jakub Altrichter got the lone score by either team during the shootout round after they tied 1-1 through overtime.

Breaking an eight-game losing streak on Friday, the Wildcats have five points for the campaign — the shootout win in November was worth two points and the regulation triumph on Friday worth three — with a 1-12-1 league record and 2-19-1 overall.

Despite the split, Mankato still leads the league with 10-2-2 conference and 15-5-2 overall records for 31 points, and more importantly, a .738 percentage of points based on points earned vs. possible points that is being used this year to determine the standings this season.

League newcomer Augustana is in second place despite having just 16 points, which gives the Vikings a .667 percentage as they’ve only played eight conference games vs. 14 for every other CCHA team.

The Mavericks, ranked No. 12 in the nation entering the weekend, had won all five of their non-exhibition games since the shootout loss to NMU.

Northern hits the road for its next three games before returning home at 6:07 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, to finish off a home-and-home series against heated Upper Peninsula rival Michigan Tech.

Before that, the Wildcats travel to Bemidji State this weekend for games at the Minnesota school at 8:07 p.m. EST Friday and 7:07 p.m. Saturday, then travel to MTU for the home-and-home opener in Houghton at 7:07 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24. It’s expected both Tech-Northern games will be telecast by WLUC-TV6 or Fox-U.P.

Here are details on the series vs. Mankato:

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Northern Michigan University 3, Minnesota St.-Mankato 2

On Friday night, Northern’s victory was also its first win vs. a ranked opponent since a 4-0 whitewash of MTU on March 11, 2023.

“We really needed it, and it’s a new start to the second half,” Wildcats head coach Dave Shyiak said in his postgame press conference as relayed by NMU Sports Information in a game report. “As well as we played in the (Great Lakes Invitational), we just needed to get over the hump and find out what it feels like to win a hockey game.

“We had to will our way to get a win, and I’m proud of our guys.”

The Wildcats lost 2-0 to national No. 1 Michigan State on Dec. 29 and 4-3 in overtime to MTU on Dec. 30 at the GLI in Grand Rapids.

Duguay, who now has six points following his quad-goal weekend, notched his first collegiate hat trick with the final two coming on power plays. It is Northern’s first hat tick since Artem Shlaine turned the trick on Nov. 10, 2023, and the first by anyone vs. the Mavs since Oct. 7, 2022.

“It was special,” Duguay said. “I owe it all to my linemates; they did a great job of finding me and it just felt like the puck was following me today, which is always a good thing to have.”

Altricher and Aidyn Hutchinson each assisted on two of Duguay’s goals, while Tynan Ewart and Matthew Argentina had one helper apiece, making Altrichter, Ewart and Grayden Slipec as the Wildcats’ top point producers with eight apiece.

Making Duguay night’s stand up was NMU goalie Ryan Ouellette, who stopped 25 of 27 shots, a .926 saves percentage. That included a 10-save shutout in the first period, when Duguay opened the scoring with his only even-strength goal of the night.

Ouellette and Northern’s defense stopped 5 of 6 Mankato power plays, including an extended 5-on-3 kill during the third.

“It was a gutsy effort from everyone,” said Duguay as his team blocked a season-high 34 shots, including six each from Ewart, Danny Ciccarello and Anthony Cliche. “We had guys sacrificing all over the ice tonight, and scoring three definitely helps.”

Duguay’s first goal came with less than four minutes left in the opening period. Hutchinson won a battle along the boards and slipped a pass to Altrichter at the right faceoff dot, according to NMU SI. Altrichter spun around his defender and drove to the goal line to the glove hand of Mankato goalie Alex Tracy. Alertly, Altrichter saw Duguay crashing the far post, fired a pass through the crease and Duguay redirected the feed past the outstretched goalie.

The Mavericks came out of the first intermission and scored just 26 seconds into the second. Will Hillman corralled a loose puck along the right wall and walked to the faceoff dot, then fired a wrister through traffic that found a way under Ouellette’s arm on the short side, according to NMU SI.

The Wildcats’ Matthew Romer set up a power play just a few minutes later, forcing a turnover and streaking in on a breakaway that forced the Mavericks to take a penalty.

On that power play just over four minutes into the period, NMU orchestrated a perfect passing play to regain the lead. Altrichter walked down the middle from the point and slid a perfect pass to Hutchinson on the right faceoff dot, according to NMU SI. Hutchinson made a quick one-touch pass to Duguay streaking down the slot once again, who had a yawning cage to look at.

Halfway through the second, Minnesota State captain Josh Groll was whistled for a five-minute major and game misconduct, and on that power play, Brendan Poshak had a back-door tap-in robbed by an outstretched Tracy as Northern kept a 2-1 lead to start the third.

Then a little over six minutes into the final period, Altrichter kept his feet moving and drew a tripping penalty, giving the Wildcats a power play that Duguay would convert on again just before it expired. Ewart walked the line and fired a shot from the point as Argentina screened the goalie and the rebound came right to his stick on top of the crease, according to NMU SI. Argentina slid a pass to Duguay, who crashed the net and emphatically completed the hat trick.

Not long after that goal, NMU took penalties 44 seconds apart to give the Mavs an extended 5-on-3 power play. A gutsy effort from the special teams, including multiple blocks, kept the Wildcats’ lead at 3-1.

Then with 2:53 left, NMU was called for a slashing penalty, and just 12 seconds into the ensuing power play, a fluttery shot from the point found its way through a screen and past Ouellette.

But Northern hunkered down when Mankato pulled Tracy and preserved the victory.

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Minnesota St.-Mankato 6, Northern Michigan University 1

On Saturday night, the Wildcats fell into a big hole before they hardly knew what hit them, giving up the first goal just over five minutes in and trailing 4-0 by the end of the opening period.

After the third goal, Ouellette was pulled in favor of Ethan Barwick, who finished giving up three more goals over the last nearly 2 1/2 periods. Ouellette had six saves and Barwick 20.

Nevertheless, it was Duguay who added another goal to his team-leading total after it was already 6-0 near the midpoint of the second period.

Groll led the Mavericks with a goal and two assists, while Evan Murr and Steven Bellini each had a goal and assist. Tracy made 21 saves.

This foul-filled game included 16 penalties, including a major and four 10-minute misconducts, with five minors and a misconduct called on NMU. The 67 minutes of penalties was the most in a Wildcats’ game since 68 were whistled in a game against St. Thomas almost a year ago on Jan. 20, 2024.

Though Northern opened with a strong offensive push and generated early opportunities, it was the Mavs who struck first. At the 5:02 mark, Groll found Kaden Bohlsen in the slot for a goal.

About 4 1/2 minutes later, Mankato capitalized on a power play with Brian Carrabes sending a shot from the left wall past Ouellette. Groll made it 3-0 another three minutes later, forcing Shyiak’s hand in the NMU goal.

Barwick staved off Mankato for about six minutes before another power play goal was scored by Murr on a rocket from the top of the zone that hit the right pipe and found the back of the net.

Mankato pumped in two more before the second period was eight minutes old, the Mavs’ final goal on another power play for a total of three with the man advantage.

Duguay spoiled the shutout when he intercepted a stretch pass in the Mavericks zone and walked in 1-on-1 on Tracy, beating the netminder under the glove and over the pad for his fourth goal of the weekend.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.