2008 Woodie Awards
COLUMN: Can NMU football rise above the rest?
Kyle Whitney
Issue date: 8/30/07 Section: Sports
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After last year's sub-par regular season, the NMU hockey team showed some fire in their upset victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes in the CCHA Playoffs.
The men's basketball team then attempted to cast a spell of their own come March, pushing the Grand Valley State Lakers to overtime in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament competition.
The Wildcat football team, on the other hand, opened up their season with a pair of victories against Indianapolis and Hillsdale before dropping seven of their final eight games. Following a 47-17 home loss to Grand Valley State, the 'Cats limped into the offseason battered, bruised and exhausted.
But despite finishing far behind the other two aforementioned clubs last year, the NMU football team may be the most rewarding team to follow during the 2007 season. And while it is yet to be seen if the football team has what it takes to finally win a conference title of their own, it appears that the only one of the three major Wildcat men's teams, that will seriously improve on last year's mark, will be the one on the gridiron.
It is no secret that Northern is a hockey school. The skaters face Division-I competition, while most other NMU sports compete at the D-II level. The hockey 'Cats make the headlines, draw the crowds and, we hope, gain national recognition.
The outlook for the upcoming hockey season, however, is not a bright one and the team is in a clear transition period. Through graduation, NMU lost team leaders Pat Bateman and Darin Olver. If that hole wasn't large enough, the 'Cats also lost assistant coach John Olver and forward Mike Santorelli, last year's leading goal-scorer.
All told, the Wildcats have watched 69 of last year's 96 goals walk out the door. They are a young team that is looking to prove themselves and find their niche. After finishing last season 10th in the CCHA (15-24-1 overall, 10-17-1 CCHA), NMU may see an improvement this season, but don't expect anything too drastic.
The men's basketball team then attempted to cast a spell of their own come March, pushing the Grand Valley State Lakers to overtime in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament competition.
The Wildcat football team, on the other hand, opened up their season with a pair of victories against Indianapolis and Hillsdale before dropping seven of their final eight games. Following a 47-17 home loss to Grand Valley State, the 'Cats limped into the offseason battered, bruised and exhausted.
But despite finishing far behind the other two aforementioned clubs last year, the NMU football team may be the most rewarding team to follow during the 2007 season. And while it is yet to be seen if the football team has what it takes to finally win a conference title of their own, it appears that the only one of the three major Wildcat men's teams, that will seriously improve on last year's mark, will be the one on the gridiron.
It is no secret that Northern is a hockey school. The skaters face Division-I competition, while most other NMU sports compete at the D-II level. The hockey 'Cats make the headlines, draw the crowds and, we hope, gain national recognition.
The outlook for the upcoming hockey season, however, is not a bright one and the team is in a clear transition period. Through graduation, NMU lost team leaders Pat Bateman and Darin Olver. If that hole wasn't large enough, the 'Cats also lost assistant coach John Olver and forward Mike Santorelli, last year's leading goal-scorer.
All told, the Wildcats have watched 69 of last year's 96 goals walk out the door. They are a young team that is looking to prove themselves and find their niche. After finishing last season 10th in the CCHA (15-24-1 overall, 10-17-1 CCHA), NMU may see an improvement this season, but don't expect anything too drastic.
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