NIU Hockey is gearing up for a tough challenge as they take a break from conference play to participate in the ACHA Showcase event in Romeoville. The team will face off against three opponents they don’t normally encounter in a season: University of Alabama, University of Rhode Island, and Arizona State University. This showcase event features some top-ranked teams, including the defending national champion Minot State University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Ohio University, and Illinois State University.
To prepare for the tough competition, the Huskies have been focusing on special teams and battle drills in practice. Freshman defenseman Ethan Koval mentioned that they are working hard to keep their competition levels high and are brushing up on power play and penalty kill strategies, emphasizing the importance of special teams in the game.
Despite coming off back-to-back losses to Illinois State, the team is feeling confident after closely competing with a nationally ranked team. Koval expressed that this has given them a boost of confidence and motivation to aim for wins in the upcoming showcase.
The ACHA Showcase marks the final weekend of games before Thanksgiving break, and the team sees this as an opportunity to build confidence for the rest of the season. Koval highlighted the significance of securing wins at this high-level event just before the break, as it could greatly impact their morale and performance in the remainder of the season.
The Huskies will kick off the ACHA Showcase with a game against Alabama at 5:30 p.m. on Friday at Canlan Ice Sports in Romeoville.