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MARQUETTE — Their Upper Peninsula rivalry series ended with a whimper on Saturday night for the Northern Michigan University hockey team at the Berry Events Center in Marquette when Michigan Tech posted a 4-0 shutout.

Combined with a 3-2 win a night earlier at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton, it gave the Huskies a 6-0 whitewash of the games they’ve played between them this season.

Granted, the first contest was an exhibition that doesn’t count for either team in anybody’s standings, but one of the few consolations for the Wildcats was that half of these games were decided by a single goal, including the early October exhibition.

Northern Michigan University’s Jakub Altrichter, second from right, takes a shot at Michigan Tech goaltender Ryan Manzella, right, during their CCHA hockey game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

NMU fell to 4-21-1 overall and 3-14-1 in the CCHA, while MTU is flying high at 15-9-2 and 11-5-2.

Playing in front of a packed arena on Saturday, the first period started with promise for Northern. The Wildcats brought energy and controlled the play early, taking the game’s first four shots on goal in the opening minutes that included a two-minute power play that started less than three minutes in.

After the Huskies weathered that storm, they began to turn the tide. A penalty to NMU’s Anthony Cliche midway through the period gave the Huskies a spark. Less than two minutes after Tech’s power play expired, Logan Morrell capitalized on a loose puck in front of the net, beating Northern goaltender Ryan Ouellette to make it 1-0 with 7:39 left before the first intermission.

That goal seem to shift the momentum to the Huskies. NMU, which started strong, struggled to maintain its pace as Michigan Tech took control, though it remained a 1-0 game as the Huskies had the edge in shots, 7-6.

Power plays littered the second period, also a time of missed opportunities for the ‘Cats. Early in the frame, NMU found itself shorthanded twice, with penalties to Wolfgang Govedaris and Rasmus Larsson. While Northern’s penalty kill held strong and Ouellette stood tall in net, Tech eventually broke through just after its second straight power play ended when Ryder Matter scored from the goal line with just about 13 1/2 minutes left.

From left, Northern Michigan University goaltender Ryan Ouellette keeps a watchful eye on the puck, as do skaters Danny Ciccarello of NMU, Isaac Gordon of Michigan Tech and Northern’s Anthony Cliche during their CCHA hockey game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Late in the period, the Huskies were whistled for two minor penalties, putting the Wildcats on power plays for a stretch of four minutes during seven minutes clock time.

But without being able to generate sustained pressure, Tech instead pounced when Max Koskipirtti delivered a crushing blow with a shorthanded goal just over a minute before the period ended to extend its lead to 3-0.

The Huskies had taken complete control, and even with Northern gaining another power play, they couldn’t solve MTU goaltender Ryan Manzella, who turned aside every opportunity the Wildcats threw his way.

In a desperate attempt to spark a comeback, NMU head coach Dave Shyiak pulled Ouellette with more than eight minutes left. The gamble backfired, as Michigan Tech’s Elias Jansson scored on the empty net from center ice for the final score.

Manzella’s shutout included 22 saves, while Ouellette tried to keep the Wildcats in the game with 26 saves on 29 shots. Despite his solid performance, the Wildcats couldn’t generate offense even on power plays, where they were outscored 1-0.

The Huskies’ depth was visible throughout, with key contributions from Morrell, Matter, Koskipirtti and Jansson. Their defensive structure and penalty kill proved too much for Northern, which failed to capitalize on the Huskies’ frequent trips to the penalty box.

Things may not get any easier for the Wildcats this weekend, when they host Bowling Green State on Friday and Saturday nights. The Falcons are 12-9-4 overall and 8-6-4 and have played nothing but one-goal games since Jan. 10, going 2-2-2 in them.

Caden Sierra can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 551. His email address is csierra@nmu.edu.