On the 60th episode, Northern Michigan's Ian Engel joins The CCHA Reporter's Corner to chat with co-hosts Jared Rubado and Trent Singer about the Wildcats' opening series of the regular season as well as his journey to Marquette, Michigan.

Hailing from Hortonville, Wisconsin, Engel is in his sophomore year as a defenseman for NMU, his first with the program after transferring from the University of North Dakota during the offseason.

The Wildcats split a two-game series last weekend against visiting Miami (Ohio). In the opener, Engel scored his first career goal while tallying an assist in a 3-0 victory for NMU.

Engel discusses being a part of a new-look Wildcats team, which is looking to get the program back to its winning ways after back-to-back seasons in which they finished ninth in the CCHA.

He also talks about the stellar play of goalie Oliver Auyeung-Ashton and the preparation he puts into his work between the pipes.

Engel fills Rubado and Singer in on his early playing days, his three-year junior career with the Bismarck Bobcats in the North American Hockey League and a wild recruiting story in which he ended up getting to play his first collegiate season with the Fighting Hawks, who reached the Frozen Four.

Before the chat with Engel, Rubado and Singer take a look back at how the league performed on opening weekend as a whole before taking a quick look at what lies ahead in another jam-packed weekend of non-conference action for CCHA teams.

The CCHA Reporter's Corner is a weekly college hockey show that's brought to you by Rubado and Singer, featuring players and coaches from around the CCHA.

To watch this show and to see clips and highlights from this episode, head on over to Midwest Sports Plus, the home of The CCHA Reporter's Corner.

For the audio-only version, subscribe to The CCHA Reporter's Corner on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever podcasts are available. Follow Singer and Rubado on X — @trentsinger and @JaredRubadoBP — and throughout the week, check out their work at siouxfallslive.com and bemidjipioneer.com.