Miami has not faced Northern Michigan in nearly 14 years, when the teams were CCHA foes.
The RedHawks have not beaten the Wildcats on their home ice since 2009 and are just 7-22-2 all-time in Marquette.
VFG takes a look at the upcoming series:
WHO: Miami RedHawks (18-16-2) at Northern Michigan Wildcats (3-29-2).
WHERE: Berry Events Center (3,800), Marquette, Mich.
WHEN: Friday — 7:07 p.m.; Saturday — 6:07 p.m.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Northern Michigan leads, 35-21-5.
VIDEO STREAMING: Midco Sports Plus ($).
MIAMI RADIO: MiamiRedHawks.com (Greg Waddell, PxP).
NORTHERN MICHIGAN RADIO: WUPT-FM (100.3), Marquette, Mich.
NOTES: This is the 50th season of Northern Michigan hockey, but the Wildcats have been in decline the last four.
Following a 21-win campaign in 2022-23, NMU’s victory total dropped to 12 the next season, and third-year coach Dave Shyiak won just five times in Season 1 and went 3-29-2 in 2025-26 (poor former Miamian Zane Demsey transferred there after Miami’s three-win season in 2024-25 only to win three times last year in Marquette as well).
Northern Michigan was the worst offensive team in college hockey in 2025-26, averaging just 1.65 goals, and it looks like the Wildcats may struggle to score again this season.
Up front, Northern Michigan is in total rebuild mode, as none of its double-digit points-producers are back from last season. Peter Cisar (4-5-9), Michael Burchill (5-3-8) and Matthew Ward (2-6-8) are the Wildcats’ top returning forwards.
Branden Piku is NMU’s top forward transfer, having scored eight goals and assisted on nine more for Lake Superior State last season, and Brendan Lamb scored seven times and picked up five assists for Mercyhurst. Northern Michigan also added Merril Steenari from Colorado College to its forward corps.
Joe Schiller is the Wildcats’ leading returning scorer on the blue line after scoring three goals and adding seven helpers, and Tampa Bay draftee Warren Clark went 2-4-6 in 2025-26 after playing defense for two campaigns in St. Cloud State.
NMU did add transfer Noah Houle, who registered 16 points on the back end for Lindenwood in 2024-25, as well as Ian Engel, a North Dakota, who was buried on the Fighting Hawks’ depth chart.
And Evan Depatie comes to Northern Michigan after scoring 14 goals and dishing for 30 assists between Moncton and Rimouski of the QMJHL.
Arguably the best returning Wildcat overall is goalie Oliver Auyeung-Ashton, who went 2-13-1 despite a .930 save percentage and 2.67 goals-against average as a freshman.
Backup Max Weilandt is also back after logging five games in net for NMU.
Miami is winless in its last four games in Marquette, with its last win there coming on Halloween of 2009. But the RedHawks are 2-1-2 in their last five overall vs. the Wildcats.
This will be the first time since the COVID Pod that MU has opened the season against an opponent other than Ferris State.
