NORTHERN MICHIGAN WILDCATS: They start the weekend off at Berry Events Center to take on the Northern Michigan Wildcats.

NMU has a pair of games under their belt on the 2021-22 season, skating to a 2-0-0 (W-L-OTL) record after picking up a pair of regular-season wins last weekend over the St. Thomas (Minn.) Tommies.

Junior forward AJ Vanderbeck has paced the Wildcats offensively, leading the team with three goals and five points through their first two contests, ranking in the top-10 of all collegiate skaters in points per game. Hank Crone (2g-2a) and Hampus Eriksson (0g-4a) follow with four points apiece.

Goaltender Rico DiMatteo has started both games in net for Northern Michigan, turning aside 35 shots en route to a 2-0-0 record with a 2.01 goals-against average and .897 save percentage.

MICHIGAN TECH HUSKIES: Michigan Tech traveled to Madison, Wis., last weekend and picked up a pair of wins over the Wisconsin Badgers, winning 5-2 and 5-1.

Forwards Alec Broetzman (2g-3a)  and Logan Pietila (3g-1a) and have led the offensive charge so far for the Huskies, not only being the top two point-scorers for Tech, but also with an impressive +6 and +5 ratings, respecitvely. Broetzman is building off back-to-back 20+ point seasons for the Huskies, and his 2.50 points-per-game average to start 2021-22 is currently tied for the lead amongst all NCAA skaters.

In the cage, it's been junior netminder Bake Pietila, twin brother of Logan, who got the first pair of starts in net. Pietila allowed just three goals over the two wins, posting a 1.50 goals-against average and .952 save percentage, ranked ninth among all NCAA goaltenders.

MADISON CAPITOLS: The Caps have gotten out to a quick start in the USHL season, playing to a 3-1-1-0 record for seven points in five games, and sits in second place of the league's Eastern Conference.

Madison has used the "Jack Attack" of Jack Musa (3g-3a) and Jack Horbach (2g-4a) to lead the offensive charge, while Reid Pabich (2g-4a) has also pitched in a half-dozen points. 

The Capitols have split their five games between three goaltenders, but Simion Latkoczy has taken the bulk of the playing time and impressed in his action. The netminder from the Czech Republic has a perfect 3-0-0 record with a GAA of 0.99 and a .964 SV%. The GAA is tied for first in the USHL while the SV% ranks second. Latkoczy was named the USHL's Goaltender of the Week earlier this week.

These will be the first two of eight total matchups between Madison and Team USA this season, and the U17s will take six of those contests.