There is a great opportunity ahead of the Nipissing Lakers men's hockey team and it begins – or continues – this weekend.

The opportunity is to finish the first semester on a high note and on a hot streak and with five games left on the schedule, including three on home ice, things are right there for the taking for the Lakers.

Currently on a four game winning streak, Nipissing will look to win number five and number six consecutively with a pair of games in North Bay Friday and Saturday.

The weekends begins with a matchup against the Concordia Stingers, a team that has been slow out of the gates, but is coming off a win in their last game.

Following Friday's game, Nipissing will take on the UQTR Patriotes, a team that is second only to McGill in the standings and one that is directly in front of Nipissing.

Coming into the weekend, UQTR 5-1-0 in their past six games, with their only loss coming to Carleton on Nov. 14.

Concordia enters the weekend with a 4-6-2 record, while UQTR is 9-2-1 with the Lakers holding a 6-3-3 mark.

It wasn't the start the Lakers were looking for when they hit the ice to begin the 2015-16 season, losing their first two games in extra time – one overtime, one shootout.

But the team responded quickly, handing McGill their only loss of the year as well as beating RMC, to avenge an opening game defeat.

But that streak didn't last long, as the Lakers would go on to lose their next four games, including one in double overtime.

A lopsided loss to the Western Mustangs on home ice seemed to spark the team, however, as they have gone on to win four in a row, two of which came on a difficult road trip to Thunder Bay against Lakehead.

In the four wins, the Lakers have given up just 10 goals and offensively, have clicked, scoring 16, thanks to a season-high six goals versus Toronto this past Saturday.

Nipissing is getting contributions from everyone and it's making head coach Mike McParland's job difficult, as he tries to keep everyone fresh and in the lineup, but when the team is hot, there's no real need to chance things up.

Colin Campbell, Erik Robichaud Mackenzie Keirstead and Chad Thibodeau had a big weekend to help the Lakers extend their streak.

The four combined for six goals, nine assists and 15 points through a pair of victories on the weekend.

While those four may have led the attack, McParland noted his team is doing a lot of the little things to be successful – getting pucks out of their zone when they have the chance, dumping the puck deep in the offensive zone, blocking shots, killing penalties – things that may not show up in the stats or on the scoreboard, but are imperative for a team.

While their play of late has been very strong, they need things to continue for the final five games of the semester so they can put themselves in a good position to make a playoff push in January and February.

Game times this weekend are set for 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday night.