Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan Wildcats men's ice hockey team is set to begin its Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) season with a weekend series against the Augustana Vikings in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The games will be held at Midco Arena, starting at 8:07 p.m. ET on Friday, October 31, and continuing at 7:07 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 1. Fans can follow the action through broadcasts on MidcoSportsPlus and Radio Results Network (100.3 The Point).

The Wildcats enter conference play with a record of 0-8-0 overall and are seeking their first CCHA win of the season. Their opponents, the Augustana Vikings, hold a 3-3-0 overall record but are also looking for their first conference victory after starting CCHA play with two losses.

Northern Michigan has faced Augustana four times since the Vikings' program began two seasons ago, with Augustana winning all previous matchups. Last season in Sioux Falls, the Vikings secured two 4-1 victories during their first year under head coach Dave Shyiak.

Reflecting on his team's preparation from playing a challenging non-conference schedule—including games against several top-20 teams and the current top-ranked Michigan State Spartans—head coach Dave Shyiak said he appreciates how tested his group has become: "We went through some growing pains, and we discussed that as a team. [The non-conference schedule] did make us better, and some of our growing pains were shown in that course of eight games, but there were a lot of positives. I thought we took growth in every weekend, and I thought our first period on Friday night was the best period of hockey we've played [all season]... If we were to blueprint a game plan for how we have to play and what our identity is, that would be it."

Augustana received votes in preseason national polls and remained ranked for four consecutive weeks this season after sweeping Arizona State but recently dropped out following losses to Bemidji State last weekend.

Looking ahead to this week's series, Shyiak commented on the challenge his team faces: "I think [Augustana] is one of the best teams in our league. Every game is hard, and we have to be at our best to give us a chance to win. They just got swept, and now they're coming back home, so we're walking into a hornet's nest, and we better be on top of our game from the hop."

Shyiak emphasized focusing on immediate goals: "Our focus has to be on Friday night, not what we've done in the past. [We will] build on some of the positives to prepare us to get better, and now we get into league play against another very good opponent; it isn't going to be easier. We have to prepare ourselves mentally, get on the road, and play our best game on Friday."