HOUGHTON, Mich. â€Â“ The Northern Michigan Universityhockey team had only one win in the five previous trips to Copper Country andfor some time on Saturday night it looked like the â€Â˜Cats would not improve in thewin column.  The Michigan Tech Huskies held a 2-0 lead deep into the secondperiod. NMU rallied to score four un-answered goals to take the game 5-3.  Withthe win the â€Â˜Cats are now 16-9-1 overall on the 2004-05 campaign.  The Huskiesfall to 8-20-3.

MTU scored two power-play goals in the first two periods ofplay.  They scored their first goal at 4:34 of the first frame by Tyler Shelastand then added another one at 4:57 of the second period by Chris Conner.  NathanOystrick broke the ice for the â€Â˜Cats with his sixth goal of the season at 16:03of the second period.  Darin Olver and Bobby Selden assisted on the goal.

Pat Bateman tied the game at two with a short-handedunassisted goal at 5:28 of the third period.  For Bateman it was his eighthgoal of the season.  Andrew Contois gave the â€Â˜Cats the 3-2 lead with his 13^thgoal of the season at 8:15 of the period.  Selden and John Miller assisted.  DirkSouthern gave the â€Â˜Cats a two-goal lead at 4-2 with his ninth marker of theseason at 13:05.  Southernâ€Â™s goal was scored on a five-on-three power play. Bateman and Olver assisted.

Lars Helminen scored his eight goal of the season to get theHuskies within one at 4-3 with 15 seconds left in the game.  Bateman scored hissecond goal of the night and ninth of the season with an empty-netter at19:59.  The goal was unassisted. 

NMU had a 26-24 advantage on shots for the game.  MTU scoredall of their goals on the power play as they had 10 chances with the extraattacker.   NMUâ€Â™s lone power-play goal came in nine chances. 

Tuomas Tarkki had 21 saves on the night.  Cam Ellsworth alsoblocked 21 shots on the night.

The â€Â˜Cats jump back into the CCHA race and will travel toBig Rapids, Mich. to take on Ferris State this Friday and Saturday night (Feb.25-26).