Watching the Wildcats:  The Under-18 Team opens its home and NCAA slate this Saturday (Oct. 5) against the Northern Michigan Wildcats. The game will be the first game of the Wildcats 2019-20 season. The Wildcats are coming off of a 21-16-2 season in 2018-19. The Wildcats won the 1991 NCAA National championship and have eight NCAA tournament appearances. They made it to the WHCA (Western Collegiate Hockey conference) semifinals last season and are ranked fourth in the Mankato Free Press WCCHA Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Wildcats are returning 14 players from last year’s roster and have 11 new additions.

The Under-18 Team is 1-6-1 (W-L-T) in the previous eight match-ups against Northern Michigan. The sole win came in 2008 when the NTDP took home a 5-2 win against the Wildcats.

Unlucky Irish: The Under-18 Team faces-off against the University of Notre Dame for the eighth time in program history on Sunday (Oct. 6). Notre Dame leads the series 4-2-2. Last year the two faced-off at Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Ind. where the Under-18 Team defeated Notre Dame, 4-1.

This will be the first game of Notre Dame's season. The Fighting Irish finished the 2018-19 season with a 23-14-3 record, ending their season in the NCAA Northeast Regional against the University of Massachusetts.

Notre Dame is ranked second in the Big Ten Preseason Poll.

Taming the RoughRiders: The Under-17 Team heads to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to open its USHL schedule with a pair of games. Cedar Rapids is currently, 2-0-0 in USHL play after a pair of wins at the USHL Fall Classic. The RoughRiders defeated the Omaha Lancers on (Fri., Sept.27), 4-1 and Youngstown on (Thurs., Sept. 26), 6-2.

RoughRiders Top Scorers: Robby Newton (3-2-5 in 2 GP), Ben Meehan (2-1-3 in 2 GP), Donte Lawson (1-2-3 in 2 GP)

RoughRiders Plus-Minus Leaders: Justin Hryckowian (+6), Robby Newton (+5), Tyler Rollwagen (+5)

RoughRiders Goaltenders: Shamil Shmakov (1-0-0-0 in 1 GP, 1.00 GAA, .968 SV%), Derek Mullahy (1-0-0-0 in 1 GP, 2.00 GAA, .931 SV%)

2018-19 Results vs. Cedar Rapids: November 16, U17s vs. Cedar Rapids (L, 4-3), March 15, U17s vs. Cedar Rapids (L, 6-0), March 16, U17s vs. Cedar Rapids (L, 2-1)

NTDP All-Time Record vs. Cedar Rapids: 15-26-2 (W-L-OTL)
Home: 11-11-0
Road: 4-15-2