Marquette, MI – December 10th, 2025 – Northern Michigan University opened the season with a tough schedules, facing five top-25 teams right out of the gate: UMass, Ohio State, Colorado College, Michigan State, and Minnesota State. After a challenging 0–16 start, this past weekend finally offered the breakthrough the Wildcats had been fighting for.
NMU struck first when Caden Gault buried a goal at 13:23 of the opening period, assisted by Girts Silkalns. The Wildcats carried their 1–0 lead into the first intermission. Their momentum continued in the second period as Landon MacDonald found the back of the net at 13:42, assisted by Tyler Stearns and Danny Ciccarello, extending the lead to 2–0 heading into the final frame.
Early in the third, the Wildcats kept the pressure on. Girts Silkalns added another goal at 2:01, with help from Grayden Slipec and Warren Clark, pushing the lead to 3–0. Bowling Green mounted a late push with goals from Connor Levis (5:33) and Brody Waters (18:56), but the comeback fell short. NMU held on for a 3–2 victory – its first win of the season.
In the weekend finale, NMU once again controlled much of the game and carried a lead deep into the third period. However, Bowling Green battled back to tie it and forced overtime, eventually netting the game-winner and handing the Wildcats a 4–3 OT loss.
The Wildcats return home this weekend to host St. Thomas. Friday’s game begins at 7:07 p.m. and will feature the annual Teddy Bear Toss, while Saturday’s matchup starts at 6:07 p.m. with a Sock Toss promotion. NMU will look to build on its recent strong play, and they’d love to have you in the stands cheering them on.
