Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan University (NMU) hockey team suffered a 3-1 defeat against Ferris State on Friday night in Marquette, Michigan. The Wildcats, who now hold a record of 1-13-1 overall and 0-8-1 in conference play, saw their only goal come from Aidyn Hutchinson. Hutchinson's goal was the result of a well-executed passing sequence involving teammates Grayden Slipec and Jakub Altrichter. This marked Hutchinson's second goal this season, while Slipec earned his sixth point and fourth assist, and Altrichter recorded his fifth assist and point.

Ferris State improved to 5-10-2 overall with a conference record of 4-7-0. They had three different players score goals in the game. Goalie Noah West played a crucial role for the Bulldogs with an impressive performance, making 35 saves for a .975 save percentage—his third-highest single-game save total and best non-shutout save percentage this season.

Despite outshooting Ferris State 36 to 26, NMU could not capitalize on their chances. This game marked the second consecutive match where NMU outshot their opponents, achieving their second-highest shot differential of the season.

NMU showed dominance in faceoffs, winning 44 draws compared to Ferris State's 23. Jesse Tucker excelled with a faceoff win rate of 74.1% (20/27), while Danny Ciccarello also performed well at 76.9% (10/13).

Special teams played a decisive role in the game's outcome as Ferris State converted two out of three power-play opportunities. In contrast, NMU failed to score on any of their three power-play chances.

The Wildcats will seek redemption as they face Ferris State again tomorrow night at Berry Events Center at 6:07 p.m., featuring events like the Sock Toss during the game and Skate with the 'Cats following its conclusion.