Week Twelve Picks, Late Edition

Well, I'm a day late with my picks this week. Part of that was due to tournament games and the larger portion is due to the fact that I just flat didn't get them done in time.

For those of you who missed the scores yesterday: CC defeated Michigan State 5-4 (Great Lakes Invitational), Michigan defeated Michigan Tech (Great Lakes Invitational), and the most surprising victory is SCSU's victory over Cornell in the Florida College Classic.

I said the Huskies victory over Cornell is the most surprising because SCSU trailed 3-0 with just over two minutes left in the second period of that game. They scored late in the second to draw within two goals, and tied it up with about seven minutes left. The scored the game winner midway through OT. This was the first time the Huskies have overcome a three goal deficit and won since Feb. 3, 2001. Maybe this is the type of game that will get the Huskies back on track...

Last week I went 3-0 to improve my record to 76-60 on the season. There are a lot of picks this week and every game is non-conference, with a couple games WCHA vs. WCHA.

Great Lakes Invitational
Michigan State vs. MTU, Thursday 3:05
Neither MTU of MSU are having great seasons, but Tech has been pretty awful as of late.
MSU wins 4-2

CC vs. Michigan, Thursday 6:35
CC has been on a roll as of late, but Michigan is no slouch. I don't know who to pick in this one. I'm going to have to give it to the "home" team though.
Michigan wins 4-3

Florida College Classic
SCSU vs. Miami, Thursday 6:35
This marks the third meeting between these two teams this season. Miami won the first game 6-3 and the two teams tied the second 1-1 at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud at the beginning of the season. SCSU is now 2-9-1 in its last 11, but they had a nice come from behind win last night. I have to go with the trend here.
Miami wins 4-1

Mariucci Classic
Ferris State vs. BSU, Friday 3:07
Bemidji has kept a pretty good chunk of their games in the first half of the season close with great goaltending and good defense. They will need both again in this one.
Ferris State wins 4-3

Union vs. UMN, Friday 6:07
Union has had a pretty good season thus far and the Gophers have been very up and down so far. Yes, this is the Gophers "tournament", but I think Union is going to pull this one out.
Union wins 4-3

Union vs. BSU, Saturday 4:07
Bemidji, again, will need great goaltending and good D. I think Union will prove too much for them. However, the Beavers have certainly surprised me before.
Union wins 3-2

Ferris State vs. UMN, Saturday 7:07
The Gophers should be hungry enough to rebound from their previous night's loss to win this one.
Gophers win 4-3

Shillelagh Tournament
MSUM vs. Notre Dame, Saturday 6:05
Mankato played UND very tough two weeks ago, and they always seem to work their butts off. However, Notre Dame should be able to pull off the W in this one.
Irish win 4-2

MSUM vs. Boston U. or Brown, Sunday TBD
Given that this is a true tournament I don't know who Mankato will play for sure.
If they play BU, the lose 4-1. If they play Brown, they win 3-1

Non-conference
UNO vs. Quinnipiac, Thursday 6:30, Friday 11:00 am
UNO is a pretty solid team and they should be able to keep up the pace with this opponent to start the second half. UNO sweep.
UNO 4-3, 3-1

UMass vs. UW, Thursday/Friday 7:07
UMass is having a tough time of it this season while Badgers look like they haven't really lost a step. UW sweep.
UW 3-1, 4-0

UND vs. UMD, Thursday 7:37
This game marks the grand opening of UMD's new arena, Amsoil Arena. This should be a pretty good game to watch. However, sometimes all of the pomp and circumstance can be a distraction with these things. This really could go either way, but I really think the Sioux are going to get the last word on this one.
Sioux win 3-2

Northern Michigan vs. Denver, Friday 7:07, Saturday 8:07
NMU isn't having a bad season, but Denver is doing really well given all of the losses they had coming into the season. It's going to be tough to get into the win column this weekend for NMU. Denver sweeps.
DU 5-2, 4-3

UMD vs. Clarkson, Monday/Tuesday 6:00
Duluth will be coming off of a game on Thursday, but they'll be hungry to get into the win column again. Clarkson is no slouch, though. Split.
UMD wins Monday 4-2, Clarkson wins Tuesday 3-2

Week Eleven Picks

We are now at the last weekend of the first half of the season. The only real surprise last weekend was UMD managing only a point at the Gophers. I picked a split in the series, but there wasn't a scenario, given the current lineups and states of the teams, that would've led me to believe that the Gophers would take three of four points from the Dogs.

Bemidji was swept by Wisconsin. Yes, I picked a split, but a sweep wasn't surprising in the least. CC swept SCSU. Definitely no surprise there. Omaha and the Sioux also completed sweeps of Tech and Mankato, respectively. The other series of the weekend saw Denver take three of four points from Anchorage. Again, no surprise there.

Be looking for my mid-season report late next week or early the following week with rundowns of each team and my new predictions on the final standings of the WCHA. Once March hits I'm also going to start a bracketology segment each week, so be looking for that, too.

We have a total of three GAMES this week in the WCHA (excluding the Sioux exhibition game, of course). Last week I went 7-5 and am now 73-60 on the season. That's not too bad considering what a crapshoot it is picking games every week in this league.

Non-conference
Tech @ Northern Michigan, Friday 6:35
Tech and NMU have squared off twice already this season with Tech taking the first game in OT and the second game ending in a tie. Northern has managed to keep a .500 record going this season while Tech has stumbled since the early weeks. I'm going to go with NMU in this one.
NMU wins 5-4

League Games
UNO @ CC, Saturday 8:07, Sunday 7:07
If the last six games are any indication of how a team is performing, the winner is CC. The Tigers are 5-1, with their only loss coming at the hands of the mighty Seawolves in OT. Omaha, on the other hand, is 3-3 with losses against the Sioux (1) and Bemidji (2). The loss against the Sioux doesn't bother me so much. It's being swept by Bemidji that does. Now, I don't know if it was just hot goaltending, or what, but that doesn't sit well with me. By looking at the box score it looks like UNO outplayed the Beaver's both nights, but came up empty. This is a tough series to pick. You have two good teams. One playing well, the other not. I think I'm going to go the safe route and pick a split.
CC wins Friday 4-2, UNO wins Saturday 3-1

Week Ten Picks

Well, I don't even know where to start this week. There were four sweeps in the six series played. Two weren't surprising, one was could've gone either way, and one of them, I think, surprised EVERYONE! Yes, I'm talking about Bemidji State sweeping the Mavericks of UNO. No one, except maybe a few delusional BSU fans, would've thought that Bemidji would absolutely stifle the Mavericks offense the way they did. It really was a sight to be seen.

Not only that, it raises some questions regarding both teams. Is Omaha as good as we all thought they were, or did they just have an off week? Is Bemidji that much better than they've been playing, or did they dig down deep and pull two great games out of their behinds?

I'll start with Omaha. They are your typical Dean Blais team. They are a hard-working, in your face team. Their defensemen are huge, as is their entire team. They are the biggest team in the league. Now, I didn't see the entire game, but I have heard from some people who were there and they relayed to me that UNO decided not to show up to Friday's game. (I didn't get word on the effort Saturday.) I don't think UNO is THAT talented, but I do think that they definitely have some talent on that team, and when you couple that with the Dean Blais work ethic, you get an outstanding product.

Bemidji is another hard-working, but I didn't feel like they were as much of an in your face kind of team as UNO. They really only have had the one line (Read-Lowe-George) this year, but it looks like some others have started to pitch in a little as those top line players only accounted for 3 of the 6 goals on the weekend. That line, is one of the best in all of college hockey, so unless you find a way to shut it down, good luck! Let's not forget the absolutely stellar play of Dan Bakala, too. He did stop 64 of 65 shots last weekend, including 39 of 40 on Saturday. This can be one of those sleeper teams if they can continue to get stellar goaltending.

The other sweep that was, somewhat, shocking was the Mankato sweep of the Gophers. They were two fairly low scoring games that great goaltending out of Phil Cook for the Mavericks. He stopped 82 of 85 shots on the weekend including an incredible 49 of 50 on Saturday night. That is a game changer right there!

The final two weren't very surprising. Although I didn't pick it (but I should have!), CC went into Michigan Tech and swept them pretty convincingly. CC can put up some goals, but they can't seem to do it consistently yet. Sometimes, all it takes is one great offensive weekend for the flood gates to open. Finally, we come to the disappointment that is SCSU. Picked to finish either 2nd or 3rd, the Huskies are proving to everyone that they are not the team we all thought they were. Friday was a pretty good effort by the Huskies, but they let a very winnable game slip away from them. Goaltending and goal scoring were absolutely non-existent against the Sioux on Saturday, and led to an embarrassing loss on the road. I'm still trying to figure out how you let a team absolutely blitz you like that!?!? Sometimes, one player makes a huge enough difference to determine the outcome of the season, and sadly, I think, that player was Ryan Lasch. Unless the Huskies can pull the heads out of the you-know-where, they're going no where this season and might as well continue to pack it in like they've been doing.

After all of that I went a very sorry 5-7 last weekend, but still maintain a winning record at 66-55 on the season. Not too shabby if I say so myself. This week sees all 12 teams in league play, once again. The reason this is out so early is because there is a Thursday evening game and this was the only time I could write before then. So, here we go...

Tech @ UNO, Thursday/Friday 7:37
Omaha and Tech are both coming off of weekends where they were swept. Tech is looking to be the gutter team that everyone predicted them to be. I have to go with the home team both nights (and hope they don't disappoint me this time). UNO sweeps.
UNO 4-2, 4-1

Bemidji @ Wisconsin, Friday/Saturday 7:07
Bemidji is coming off of a fresh sweep at home against UNO and the Badgers defeated Anchorage on Saturday night in Anchorage. The Badgers have proven they can score some goals, but they've also proven that against the top teams their D isn't the greatest. Bemidji hasn't found the scoring touch yet, but they've gotten some pretty good goal tending. Both teams have excellent coaches, so this could go either way. I'm going to stay on the safe side and predict a split.
Bemidji wins Friday 3-1, Wisconsin wins Saturday 2-1

Duluth @ Minnesota, Friday/Saturday 7:07
The Bulldogs are coming into the U having split their final series at the DECC with Denver last weekend, and the Gophers are coming off of being swept at Mankato. The Dogs are a much better team than the Gophers, but sometimes Goldy can surprise you. The Gophers need to win some games at home, and I think they're going to get one there this weekend.
UMD wins Friday 4-3, UMN wins Saturday 3-2

CC @ SCSU, Friday/Saturday 7:07
This is kind of a must split series for the Huskies (if not sweep!). If they want a shot at a top half finish, they'd better get their act together. They're 4 points out of 5th place with two games in hand on that team (and all but three other teams). They need to find a way to win some games. Unfortunately, I don't think they're going to win two games this weekend. CC is coming off of a huge offensive weekend at Tech, so their confidence should be through the roof. The Huskies just got blasted on the road, so they could be a little timid. I'm going with a split, but could easily see Tech sweep the lowly Huskies.
CC wins Friday 5-4, SCSU wins Saturday 4-3

UND @ Mankato, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
Both teams are coming off of home sweeps last weekend, so both teams should be feeling pretty good about themselves. I think the key in this series is going to be the defense of the Sioux. They are a very frustrating team defensively, and the Mavs may find it difficult to bury the puck. Stranger things have happened in this league, i.e. Bemidji sweeping UNO... I think the better team will win here. Sioux sweep.
Sioux 6-3, 4-2

Denver @ Anchorage, Friday/Saturday 10:07
Both teams are coming off of splits last weekend, but Denver is the clear-cut favorite to win. Anchorage, on the other hand, has been a very pesky team thus far. This is another series where I'm not 100%. Logic says that Denver should sweep, but that doesn't mean anything in this league. I'm feeling a split in this one.
Denver wins Friday 3-1, Anchorage wins Saturday 3-2

Week Nine Picks

Well, I'm back online and in full swing this week. Vegas was great, but it's good to be home.

The only league series last weekend was a split by UAA and CC at CC. All other series were non-conference series, including the  Big Ten Showdown (or whatever they call it) where the WCHA teams went 2-1-1. UND got a win and a tie out of Notre Dame. Mankato swept lowly UMass Lowell. Denver took out LSSU and Air Force. Finally, Bemidji split a series with Northern Michigan in Bemidji.

This weekend sees two series played by "natural rivals", as dubbed by the WCHA. The SCSU/UND series and the UNO/Bemidji series. The other rivalry series taking place this weekend is the Gopher/Mankato series in Mankato.

The SCSU/UND series see Aaron Marvin returning to Grand Forks for the first time since he sat Chay Genoway for the season after checking him from behind last year. I think, for the most part, the Sioux players are FINALLY over it, but I am kind of interested to see what the fan reaction is. Yes, the Huskies did play them three times after the incident last year, but two of those games were at the NHC and the other was at the X. Drunk college students tend to exacerbate a situation that doesn't need to be. Chay said at the beginning of the season that he didn't think it was a dirty hit and that it was done.

The UNO/Bemidji series marks the first match-up between the newbies of the WCHA. They really are telling two different tales with the success and failure of each season. UNO has come in and surprised, I think, everyone in the league with their success. No one was expecting them to be this good this soon. I guess it's not surprising that UNO is having success this early on. It has a coach that has been in the WCHA before and knows how to win it. The Beavers, on the other hand, have been met with many failures in this early season when some of their fans thought they'd come in and have an impact immediately. Sadly, those fans thought the CHA was just as competitive as the WCHA is...

Last weekend I went 9-5 and am now 61-48 on the season. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. This weekend sees all 12 teams playing conference games, so we have six league match-ups for the first time ever.

CC @ Tech, Friday/Saturday 6:07
CC comes into this series having split with UAA in Colorado Springs last weekend while Tech had a weekend off after being swept at home by the Gophers. CC is still trying to find/define itself as we approach the midway point of the season. They're a struggling team who's trying dig themselves out of an early hole. Tech is trying to keep itself from being buried in the cellar of the league for another season. Both teams have had good offensive games, but can either do it this weekend? I'm gonna call a split here.
Tech wins Friday 4-2, CC wins Saturday 4-3

DU @ UMD, Friday/Saturday 7:07
This series marks that end of an era at UMD. These are the final two games to be played at the DECC. The Dogs will even be wearing throwback jerseys this weekend in commemoration of the event. Add all the hoopla together with the fact that they're a pretty good hockey team and you could get another good weekend out of them. They're 6-0 at the DECC this season, and I don't know if that's going to change. Denver comes into the weekend with a .500 road record and they'll be facing a very full, very tough crowd at the DECC. Yes, they're a good team, but they did get blown out by CC already this year and Bemidji gave them a run for their money too. I'm not quite sure what to expect yet, but my gut is telling me that UMD is going to sweep this one.
UMD 4-1, 4-3

UMN @ MSUM, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
The Gophers come into this series fresh off a win over #8 Michigan, and Mankato is fresh off a sweep of UMass Lowell. This is usually a pretty intense series because it's the Gophers. (Do they have a series in this league that isn't a rivalry?) The question is, what Gopher team is going to show up? The one doesn't compete and buries themselves early on, or the one that comes out flying and doesn't quit? I'm going to have to go with the second one. The Gophers have played much better away from the confines of Mariucci arena than they have in the building. They're 4-5-1 at home and 4-0-0 on the road. Mankato will outwork you if you're not ready for them, so the Gophers need to be careful to not get blitzed in the early goings of either game. I don't suspect that'll be a problem, though. Gopher sweeps this one.
Gophers 5-2, 3-1

UNO @ Bemidji, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
This marks the first time these two teams have met as members of the WCHA. As mentioned earlier, it really has been a tale of success and failure for these two. UNO has all the success and Bemidji the failure. The Beavers have shown little to no life at home, and it doesn't seem to matter to UNO where they win. Bemidji is a hardworking team, but so is Omaha. Omaha seems to be more physical than Bemdji and they are definitely bigger than the Beavers. I don't think these games are going to be too close. Omaha sweeps.
Omaha 6-1, 5-2

SCSU @ UND, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
Both teams came into the season with high expectations. The Sioux were picked to win the league, while the Huskies were picked to finish second or third, depending on the poll. With the exception of an embarrassing sweep at Maine, the Sioux have mostly lived up to their expectations, thus far. The Huskies can't seem to get it ingrained into their thick skulls that they need to play a full 60 minutes. This could be the weekend that they turn it all around, but I highly doubt that. If they couldn't figure it out against Omaha (which is the hardest working team I've seen thus far), there's nothing to make me think they can figure it out against the Sioux. This series could end up in a split, but I highly doubt it. Sioux sweep.
Sioux 5-2, 4-1

UW @ UAA, Friday/Saturday 10:07
Anchorage seems to have this uncanny ability to keep the game close and make it interesting. They haven't been defeated by multiple goals many times this season, and I don't expect that trend to stop this weekend. The Badgers have found a way to beat the teams they should, but haven't found a way to beat the ones they shouldn't. I got chewed out by a Twitter follower during the UND series because I said I didn't believe in them yet because they hadn't beaten/played anyone too tough up to that point. I think I was right in what I said. They proceeded to be swept by UND and UMD at home in consecutive weekends. Although I'm still not sold on the, I do think they'll be able to to continue they're trend of beating the teams the should. I have to go with a Badger sweep in two one-goal games (Anchorage could easily salvage a tie or pull one out, though).
UW 4-3, 3-2

Week Eight Picks

Well, I'm in Vegas right now for a little R&R, so I'm going to keep it short this week and only give my prediction on the scores. I'll be back in full swing next weekend.

I went 5-5 last week and am now 52-43 on the year.

Conference Games
Anchorage @ CC, Friday 8:37, Saturday 8:07
UAA wins Friday 3-2, CC wins Saturday 4-2

Non-conference Games
Mankato @ Lowell, Friday 6:00, Saturday 3:00
Mankato sweeps 4-1, 4-2

Notre Dame @ UND, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
Notre Dame wins Friday 4-3, Sioux win Saturday 5-2

Northern Michigan @ Bemidji, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
NM wins Friday 3-2, Bemidji wins Saturday 3-1

Lake Superior @ Denver, Friday 8:37
DU wins 3-1

Air Force @ Denver, Saturday 8:07
Denver wins 4-1

Michigan @ Wisconsin, Friday 7:07
Wisconsin wins 5-4

Michigan State @ Wisconsin, Saturday 8:07
Wisconsin wins 3-1

Michigan State @ Minnesota, Friday 7:07
Minnesota wins 4-3

Michigan @ Minnesota, Sunday 4:37
Michigan wins 5-4

Week Seven Matchups

Here we are in week seven already. This season is flying by so far, which is kind of disappointing. However, there are still a lot of games to be played.

Last weekend saw Bemidji State get its first win at their new arena. Congrats to them for (finally) getting it.

UND went in to Badger country last weekend and took all four points from the Badgers for the first time in 62 games! I know some of you may not like my take on the Badgers, but I'm still not sold on them. A win last weekend would have went a long way with my, but they dropped two games at home. With that said, they're still better than I thought they would be this season. At the looks of it, they'll probably be in the top three or four to end the season.

UNO continue its hot streak when they walked in to the National Hockey Center and took three of a possible four points from the Huskies with a convincing 3-0 win Friday and a 4-4 tie on Saturday. Dean Blaise's coaching style has not changed one bit. Watching this UNO team is exactly like watching his Sioux teams. They are hard working, hard hitting, and never give up. They don't ever seem to let off of the gas, and it works.

SCSU is now 4-6-2 overall and 2-3-1 in the WCHA. Remember, this is the team that was picked to finish second or third in the WCHA this season. Their biggest problem in that they don't move their feet the entire game. They have got to start skating. They were outplayed badly by UNO last Friday until about the midway point of the second when they finally started to skate to the puck instead of gliding to it. It was still tough to get a shot through the trees they have for defensemen, but they were no longer being outplayed. Saturday's game saw the Huskies come out flying the first two periods and taking a 3-2 lead into the third. The Mavericks came out of the second intermission and were flying (very UND-esque). I don't know if the Huskies were shocked, or what, but they weren't moving their feet for the first 10 minutes of the third and that led to two UNO goals to take a 4-3 lead. It wasn't until the midway point that the Huskies started moving again, and they were reward with 1:04 left with the game tying goal. OT was end-to-end, and both teams had chances to win. The Huskies had the best chance when Ben Hanowski had a mostly open net to shoot at, but shot the puck high. When SCSU starts consistently moving its' feet, they'll be a force to be reckoned with.

Duluth continues its (mostly) hot start with a sweep of Michigan Tech, and Bemidji split with Anchorage in Bemidji.

Last week I went 7-5 in my picks, and would've been 8-4 had I not switched my Bemidji/Alaska picks at the last minute. I am now 47-38 on the season. This week sees five WCHA series and no non-conference series.

Minnesota @ Michigan Tech, Friday/Saturday 6:07
These teams are, surprising, very evenly matched at this point in the season. Yes, the Gophers have found a way to win more games, but the Huskies seem to playing more consistently. Tech boasts a PP that's four points better than the U's, and their PK's are pretty even with Tech getting a slight edge there too. The difference maker in this series could be determined by how many times Tech gets to the penalty box and if the Gophers can capitalize on those opportunities. In my mind, this series is really a coin flip. However, I have to go with the trend for the Gophers right now.
Tech wins Friday 4-2, Gophers win Saturday 4-2

Duluth @ Wisconsin, Friday/Saturday 7:07
This is an interesting series this weekend. When you look at the statistical comparison for each of these teams, they are very evenly matched. Special teams are with a point of each other, and scoring offense/defense is pretty even as well, with Duluth getting a slight edge in goals scored in league games. Wisconsin is coming off of a weekend where they were swept at home, and the Dogs are coming off of a home sweep against Tech. Against the upper echelon teams in the country Wisconsin is winless. With that said, Duluth has really only played UND, where they split. I think UW finally gets the monkey off its back this weekend, but it won't last long.
Wisconsin wins Friday 2-1, Duluth wins Saturday 4-3

North Dakota @ Nebraska-Omaha, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
I am looking forward to this series. I actually with that I were going to this series, because I think it's going to be a great one. Dean Blaise faces his old team for the first time since returning to the college coaching ranks. In the statistical areas, UNO wins the PK battle (almost six points better than UND), and they're scoring over one goal per game more than the Sioux. Both coaches are going to have their teams ready to play, but I don't think Blaise is going to let his predecessor get the better of him right away. This should be a fast paced, hard hitting series, and I envy you who are there.
Omaha wins Friday 5-2, Sioux win Saturday 4-3

Bemidji @ Denver, Friday 8:37, Saturday 8:07
Bemidji takes its second road trip of the season, and it doesn't get any easier at Denver than it did at St. Cloud. Denver is coming off of a sweep of Mankato at home while the Beavers split with Anchorage in Bemidji. Statistically, the Beavers hold a huge advantage on the PP and Denver holds a huge advantage on the PK. Overall, Denver outscoring its opponents by a goal and Bemidji is being outscored by a goal. This game could come down to a special teams battle. I think Denver is going to find the back of the net on the PP more often than Bemidji. Taking into account that this is a road series, in the mountains, for the Beavers, I have to call a sweep.
Denver sweeps 4-1, 4-2

St. Cloud @ Anchorage, Friday 10:37, Saturday 10:07
This is a must sweep series for the Huskies if they have any hopes of finishing in the top three or four in the WCHA. They are currently 2-3-1 so it's still not out of reach, but it's going to be tough. The Huskies holds an advantage on special teams, scoring offense, and scoring defense. Alaska holds the edge in work ethic, at least so far in this early season. Anchorage is a hard working team that will beat to lose pucks if you don't work hard as well. I am down on the Huskies right now because they can't seem to put a full game together. A road trip is just what these guys need to get their season back on track. (Here's what a roadtrip can do for a team.)
Huskies sweep 3-2, 4-3

Week Six Matchups

Congratulations to Bemidji on its first WCHA win in program history. Sadly, it came on a horribly weak goal given up by SCSU's Dan Dunn :46 into OT, but it was their first win, nonetheless.

The Gophers continued to prove that they are ready and willing to roll over to any team in the league which was evidenced by their 6-0 drubbing at the hands of the Badgers last Friday at Mariucci. I don't know what's with this team, but something's got to change for them. If I were a member of Gopher nation, I'd be worried at this point. From what I'm hearing and seeing there doesn't seem to be much in the way of team unity/chemistry right now, nor does there seem to be a will to win on most nights.

Omaha is off to a hot start this season, and remains as the lone unbeaten school in the WCHA. They just look to be clicking everywhere so far this season. Unfortunately, clicking early isn't the key. In any sport, it's not who's hot first, it's who's hot last. We'll see if Omaha can keep it up.

Denver and CC are two teams who are still trying to find their identities in this early season. Neither team really knows what's going on. They both have great nights, and the both have awful nights (see CC's 9-2 loss to the Gophers and then coming back the following weekend and beating Denver 9-2).

Tech is a team that I'm still not sure of. They showed some scoring ability early, but haven't really played anyone. In fact, the only real WCHA test they had was against the Badgers and they were swept.

I went 6-4 in my picks last weekend and am now 40-33 on the season. Things are moving in the right direction as far as that's concerned. It ought to be another interesting weekend.

Conference Games
Tech @ Duluth, Friday/Saturday 7:07
This will prove to be Tech's toughest battle in this early season. They boast one of the top PP unit's in the country, but so does Duluth, and both teams PK's are similar, with Tech killing at about a 5% higher rate. Tech has showed the ability to score some goals this season, but their Achilles heal is still goaltending. They're giving up over 3.5 GPG so far this season. They're shown the ability to score. Now, they need to show the ability to keep their puck out of their own net. I don't see that happening this weekend, however, going up against the potent UMD Bulldogs.
'Dogs sweep 6-2, 4-1

North Dakota @ Wisconsin, Friday/Saturday 7:07
This is the first true test the Badgers will have in this early season. They've played the U and Denver, but both of those teams are sketchy at best in this early season. Neither team really knows its full capabilities. The Sioux, on the other hand, is a pretty solid team. They come out to battle every night (with the blatant exception of the Maine series, of course). If what the Badgers have done so far this season is any indication of the telling tale of this team, the Sioux may have their hands full. UW boasts the 3rd best offense and 4th best defense in the nation, thus far. Again, they haven't really had strong competition thus far. It should be a fun series to watch, though, as this is one of the bigger rivalries in college hockey.
Split. North Dakota wins Friday 4-2, Badgers win Saturday 3-2

Anchorage @ Bemdji, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
Having not seen Alaska play in this early season makes it difficult to really say what kind of team they are. Bemidji, on the other hand, is a quick, hardworking team that will beat you to many pucks if you're not moving. They're problem is that they have one line. Last weekend, against St. Cloud, the Beavers only line that was able to produce anything was the George-Read-Lowe line. It's good to have one top line, but you still need to have other lines that can produce. The Beavers don't look to have that yet. Anchorage is not a great team, by any means, but they have shown some heart early on when they came back from a four goal deficit to tie the Sioux. I could see Bemidji completing the sweep in this one, but I just don't think the Seawolves are going to roll over for them.
Split. Bemidji wins Friday 2-1, Anchorage wins Saturday 4-3

Mankato @ Denver, Friday 8:37, Saturday 8:07
This is one of those series that I just don't know about. Offensively, they are identical, but it's defensively where there's almost a half GPG difference in favor of DU. After last Saturday's embarrassing loss to CC, I have to say that Denver is going to come out with a vengence. They're going to be hungry to get on the board often and get the W. Mankato, on the other hand, is Mankato. They're going to play their game, but it just isn't going to be enough...especially playing at Denver.
Denver sweeps 6-0, 4-1

Omaha @ St. Cloud, Friday/Saturday 7:07
This series could very easily end up in an Omaha or St. Cloud split. The Mavericks are playing extremely well so far this season, and the Huskies have been inconsistent at best. Omaha boasts the second best offense in the nation, the fifth best PP, and the 13th best PK. I don't even want to say where St. Cloud is in those categories... Omaha is a large team, with 12 players 6'2"+ and 15 over 200 lbs. St. Cloud has eight and seven players in those categories, respectively. With that said, when St. Cloud shows up to play, they are one of the best teams in the country. They are fast, skillfull, and have a nose for the net. The Huskies problem is that they seem to forget that they are playing 60 minute games twice per weekend. They showed flashes of absolute domination in each series this season for extended periods of time, and those flashes always came when they were moving their feet. When they stop moving their feet, they get beat. If the Huskies can move their feet for 120 minutes this weekend, I'd chalk up a sweep for the Huskies. As it stands, I just don't see that happening.
Split. Omaha Friday 5-2, Huskies Saturday 4-3

Non-Conference Games
Colorado College @ Air Force, Friday 8:05
Air Force is a mis-leading team. They boast an offense that has score nearly four GPG, but they scored 12 goals in one game against American International... CC plays in the WCHA; the toughest league in the nation. They proved to themselves that they could score some goals with their 9-2 drubbing of Denver last Saturday. I think they're going to continue they're winning ways.
CC Wins 4-1

Yale @ Colorado College, Saturday 8:07
Yale comes into this game boasting a 4-0-0 record, but they haven't played anyone of any significance so far. CC has played ten games so far and should have a better grip on who they are as a team. The PK looks to be the Achilles heal of Yale. If CC can capitalize on their PP's, they should be able to get a win.
CC wins 4-2

Week Five Matchups

It was an interesting week last week. Tech showed their true colors, the Gophers had an offensive explosion, and St. Cloud continued its inability to show up for at least one game of the weekend.

A few teams will be without players this week for various reasons. The Gophers will be without Nick Bjugstad and Jake Parenteau due to mono, and they will also be missing Zach Budish after he injured his knee in a moped accident earlier in the week. Mankato's Ryan Galiardi will be out a couple more week's with a knee injury. Denver will be without Adam Murray (groin injury), Nick Shore (wrist), Dustin Jackson (mono), and Jesse Martin due to a vicious hit by UND's Brad Malone, who is suspended for Friday's game vs. UMD.

This week should be a fun week with five league series, and all of them are, or are close to, rivalries. Bemidji's at SCSU, Wisconsin travels to the Gophers, Duluth and UND square off at the Ralph, the Mavericks battle the Mavericks in Omaha, and CC and Denver play a home-and-home series. All games should be fun to watch, and all are fairly unpredictable.

Unpredictability isn't going to keep me from picking scores for the weekend. Last weekend I went 6-6 and am now 34-29 on the year. Not too bad considering how tough it is to pick scores in this league.

Wisconsin @ Minnesota, Friday/Saturday 7:07 pm
This could be one of the biggest rivalries in the game. Bucky traveling to Goldy is always fun to watch. I honestly don't know who to pick in this and on what night. I am fairly certain that this will not be a sweep for either team. The Badgers have shown some offensive prowess and defensive ability. The Gophers have shown that they can score some goals, after their offensive outburst against CC last weekend. It ought to be an interesting weekend. I'm picking a split.
Wisconsin wins Friday 5-2, Minnesota wins Saturday 3-1

Duluth @ North Dakota, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
Duluth comes into this series as the nation's #2 ranked team and the only team in the WCHA that is still unbeaten in this early season. They are flying offensively and defensively, and it's going to take quite a team to take them down. I think UND is just the team to do that. With the exception of the series at Maine, the Sioux have been a pretty tough team to beat this year, too. I see a tie and win for the Sioux here.
Tie Friday 3-3, UND wins Saturday 3-2

Mankato @ Omaha, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
This could be an interesting series this early. Omaha is coming off a bye week after suffering their first loss of the season at the University of Michigan the previous week. They have scored a ton of goals so far this season, where Mankato has not. Both teams are giving up about 3 goals per game so far in this early season. I think Omaha's offense is going to be the difference maker here, though.
UNO sweeps 5-2, 6-1

CC @ Denver, Friday 8:37, Denver @ CC, Saturday 8:07
One of the bigger rivalries in the league, this has the potential to be a low scoring affair. Both teams have given up about the same amount of goals and have also scored the same. There is a half goal difference in the goals against category in favor of Denver. Traditionally, Denver is the better defensive team, but if it weren't for the performance last weekend against the Gophers CC would be tied, or leading, Denver in that category this year. Neither team is proving to be offensive power-houses, and I don't see that changing too much this weekend. I'm going to go with the home team both nights.
Denver wins Friday 2-1, CC wins Saturday 3-2

Bemidji @ St. Cloud, Friday/Saturday 7:07
This is the first meeting between these two teams since October 2008, where the teams split a pair of games in Bemidji. This is also the first conference matchup between these two teams since the 1986-87 season when both teams were playing at the D-III level. Bemidji has played only four game this season, all at home, and are 0-3-1 so far. Their PP is clipping along at 16.7% and their PK is at 68.2. In addition, Bemidji isn't the greatest on Olympic sheets, posting a 5-28-3 all-time record. Although, they were 2-1-1 last season. The Huskies PP isn't much better at 17%, but their PK is 83.3%; much better than BSU's. I think the big sheet and special teams play will spell a Husky sweep, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Bemidji squeak out a win when St. Cloud decides they don't need to show up for one of the games.
St. Cloud sweeps 4-2, 5-1

Huskies Drop One to Quinnipiac

The Huskies decided they didn't want to show up for tonights game against the Quinnipiac Bobcats. After a sluggish first period, which saw the Huskies standing around most of the period, the Huskies managed to come out tied at 1.

The Huskies found their stride in the 2nd and outshot the Bobcats 10-1 and took a 2-1 lead into the 3rd.

The Bobcats, then, poured on the pressure in the third and put three goals behind Husky goalie Mike Lee and secured a 4-2 win.

Cam Reid scored his first collegiate goal and Taylor Johnson scored his first goal of the season for the Huskies.

Alright Husky fans, I know it looks grim right now, but it is still early and this is a pretty stacked team. We need to be patient. I know that all of us want to see the Huskies tearing it up and amassing win after win right now, but I'd rather see us get off to a slow start and finish strong than start strong and finish weak.

We've got one more non-conference game before we get into the bulk of the WCHA schedule. Tomorrow's another night, and I expect to see the Huskies come out with some fire.

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Week Four Matchups

Week four is here, and we have some pretty good matchups. NoDak takes on Denver at REA, Bemidji takes on Duluth at the BREC, and Wisconsin takes on Tech at the Kohl Center.

The NoDak/Denver rivalry has been brewing since the Robby Bina incident at the 2005 Final Five. There have been some pretty tense games over the last five seasons. Let's not forget the Gwoz being tossed twice in the span, too.

The Duluth/Bemidji matchup is intriguing because they are so close to one another...natural rivals. In addition, this is the first time these teams have met in league play.

Wisconsin/Tech is intriguing because of the role reversal we've seen, so far, this season. Tech is top five in scoring in the nation this season and Wisconsin has had recent trouble scoring.

Now, I saw a blog today that said it was almost do-or-die time for Bemidji because they're 0-2 in league play. Anyone who follows the WCHA knows that just isn't true. We're not even heavily into the season at this point, and I've seen more than one team come from a slow start to finish in the top 3 of the league.

Last weekend I went 8-4 and predicted 2 scores correctly. That puts my record on the season at 28-23 with 3 scores predicted correctly.

WCHA Games
Denver at North Dakota, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
Some pretty heated games have been played in this series recently. With Denver not have a very offensively talented team, and the Sioux coming off of an embarrassing last weekend, I expect to see the Sioux sweep.
UND 5-2, 3-2

Duluth at Bemidji, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
With the arena opener out of the way against the Sioux, the Beavers welcome the Bulldogs to town for their second league series of the season. Unfortunately for the Beavers, things don't get any easier. The Dogs have outscored their opponents 24-7 in their first six games, and I don't see that streak ending against the Beav's. Duluth sweeps the Beavers.
Duluth 7-1, 4-2

Michigan Tech at Wisconsin, Friday/Saturday 7:07
Tech is off to its best start since the '72-'73 season when they went 8-0 to start the season. Wisconsin has been able to win a few games this season, but they've been against the likes of Holy Cross and Alabama-Hunstville. We'll find out more about Tech this weekend and see how far the Badgers have fallen.
Split. Tech wins Friday 4-3, Wisconsin wins Saturday 3-2

Minnesota at Colorado College, Friday 8:37, Saturday 8:07
The Gophers have not faired well in league play so far this season, but they did manage to squeak out a win against SCSU on Sunday. CC has had a tough go of it as well, dropping a game last Friday to Mankato. This series could go either way, so I'll pick a split.
Minnesota wins Friday 3-2, CC wins Saturday 2-1

Mankato at Anchorage, Friday/Saturday 10:07
These two teams are "rivals" for scheduling. They always play each other four times per season. They're also two unpredictable teams. Last Friday, Anchorage took the Bulldogs to the brink, but fell short in OT and Mankato knocked off CC at home on Friday. It's tough to say who wins. Both teams have scored a few goals this season, but both teams have given some up too. I'll go with a split.
Mankato wins Friday 4-3, Anchorage wins Saturday 5-3

Non-Conference
Quinnipiac at St. Cloud, Friday/Saturday 7:07
Quinnipiac is 3-1 so far on the season, but they haven't really played anyone, and all of their games have been at home. The Huskies, on the other hand, are 2-3-1 and are looking for a breakout weekend. After being embarrassed during their last home stand against Miami, the Huskies should be hungry to win a couple at home. They were able to put a mostly complete game together last Friday against the U. I'm gonna go with a sweep for the home team.
St. Cloud 6-1, 4-3

Gophers Hold Off Huskies to Manage a Split

The Huskies have apparently reverted to their old ways. After scoring first, to go up 1-0, the Huskies gave up a goal a mere 33 seconds later. The Gophers scored the game winner with 1:30 left in the first.

The Huskies opened the scoring on a Brett Barta goal to take a 1-0 lead at 6:12 of the first. After some nice puck movement down low, Mitch MacMillan passed the puck to Kevin Gravel, who then passed to Barta who buried his head and unleashed a slap shot from the point that beat Kent Patterson, in net for the Gophers.

On a play that I didn't get a good look at, the Gophers managed to beat Dan Dunn at 6:45 of the first. With 1:43 left in the 1st, the Huskies Drew LeBlanc took a penalty for interference. It too the Gophers just 13 seconds to score. The puck took a funny bounce right to Eric Haula, who was standing in front of the Husky net. He passed to Jacob Cepis on the far side, and he passed the puck to Jay Barribal, who shot the puck into a wide open net.

Today's game was completely different than Friday's game for the Huskies. They came out of the gate pretty slow and sluggish, and ended the game controlling play and competing. The Gophers, on the other had, came out of the gate flying. They beat the Huskies to lose pucks all over this ice and created good opportunities for the first two periods of play.

The Huskies found their stride in the third, and had multiple opportunities to tie the game, but Patterson proved too strong in nets for the Huskies.

All-in-all, the Huskies only showed up for 20 minutes of a 60 minute game, and it caught up them here. They should have already learned this in their first few games, but if they don't learn how to play for 60 minutes EVERY night, they're not going to win as many games as they should. Hopefully they'll figure it out soon enough.

Huskies Smoke the Gophers

Well, Husky fans, this is something we all enjoy seeing. Our hockey team took down the "mighty" Minnesota Golden Gophers in a very convincing manner. Yeah, they scored a couple of late goals on us, but the game was pretty much over at that point anyway. It was a bummer to see Mike Lee miss the shutout, yet again, though.

The Huskies opened the scoring 2:21 into the game on a Brian Volpei goal. Garrett Roe shot the puck from the point and the puck deflected right to Volpei who buried it into the open net, giving the Huskies a 1-0 lead.

Nine-and-a-half minutes later, the Huskies struck again; this time on the power play. With the Gophers a man short, the Huskies were controlling the puck in the offensive zone. They were getting some good rotation on the power play and created some space to open the door for Jared Festler. From the half wall, Drew LeBlanc passed to Tony Mosey, standing in the faceoff circle, who then passed to Festler on the backside for a beautiful bing, bing play to put the Huskies up 2-0.

Period two saw even more offense from the Huskies, and effectively put the game out of reach for the Gophers. With the Huskies on a 4-on-3 power play, Nick Jensen and Roe were playing catch from about the top of the faceoff circles trying to setup one-timers for one another. Finally, Roe got a clean one off and it hit the pipe. Fourtunately, it bounced right to Tony Mosey, who was camped out on the back of the crease, and he buried it to give the Huskies a 3-0 lead at 5:22 of the second.

The Gophers started to show signs of life after the third goal by the Huskies, but it didn't last too long. St. Cloud took a penalty chasing after Gophers in their zone. With Minnesota on the power play the Huskies got another break. The Gophers dumped the puck in deep and Chris Hepp found the puck behind the net. He rang the puck around the boards and Roe picked it up around the Husky blue line. He then skated up the wall, into the Gopher zone, and cut back to the middle of the ice where he fired a shot, using the defenseman as a screen, that beat goalie Alex Kangas to put the Huskies up 4-0.

A mere 44 seconds later, the fourth line for the Huskies found the back of the net on a nifty move by freshmen wing Nic Dowd. He got control of the puck near the boards, cut towards the net, used a great move to freeze the defenseman, moved around him, and got Kangas to bite on the play, thus opening the net for the fifth goal of the game for the Huskies.

Mike Hoeffel scored midway through the third for the Gophers and Tyler Matson scored with just over 30 seconds left in the game to cut the embarrassment for the Gophers down a little. They were, however, meaningless goals.

Overall, I thought the Huskies played well. They gave up some turnovers, but they didn't end up in the back of the net because of the superb play of goalie Mike Lee. The D and forwards did a nice job, all night, of clearing the puck away from the front of the net any time there was a rebound which eliminated a lot of scoring chances for the Gophers.

The Huskies finally had a offensive outburst tonight, and it was led by Roe's three points. "In the first four games, I haven't played well," Roe said. "There's a lot of pressure and a lot of focus on me and how I play.

"I had been turning the puck over," said Roe. "The coaches had kind of been harping on me to improve right away and deservedly so. I'll take that. I got back to my roots and working hard."

"Nobody puts more pressure on Garrett than he does to himself," said Husky goalie Mike Lee. "I know I wasn't worried about him and I don't think anybody else was worried about him. He's going to find a way to get it done and be that little bulldog."

And that's exactly what happened.

The rematch is set for 2:07 on Sunday afternoon at Mariucci arena. Let's hope the Huskies can close out their first sweep of the season.

What would you like to see?

I've been struggling to decide on how often to post and on what I should post on a weekly basis. I'd like to know what you all would like to see and how often. Please leave your suggestions in the comment area.

Week Three Matchups

Week three of play is upon us already. It's still too early to predict too much, but some of the early results have been interesting thus far. Take, for instance, Michigan Tech. Through five games they're 3-0-2 and are off to their best start since the '70's. Who ever would have thought that would have happened. I know I wouldn't have. I guess that trip to Europe, in August, has helped them out.

Instead of sweeping, or even winning a game, the Gophers decided that it would be better to lose their first two WCHA games to UNO while they were welcoming them to the league. UND, on the other hand, decided to welcome Bemidji into the league by sweeping them at the brand new Bemidji Regional Events Center. Denver lost two games at home to the #1 ranked BC Eagles, and SCSU managed to squeak a tie out of their series with Miami last weekend. On a positive note, Duluth and Wisconsin both swept their opponents last weekend.

I went 9-8 in last weekends picks and am 20-19 so far on the season. At least I'm over .500. Here are this week's picks.

WCHA Games
Anchorage @ Duluth, Friday/Saturday 7:07
Duluth has put up some goals in the first two weekends of the season and they're at home. I don't see Anchorage having too much of a chance here. I'm going to go with the Duluth sweep.
Duluth 5-2, 6-3

Colorado College @ Mankato, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
The Mavericks are a pretty feisty team and have scored more goals than CC has so far this year. However, they've also given up twice as many. I'm going to go with a split on this one.
Mankato wins Friday 4-3, CC wins Saturday 3-1

Wisconsin @ Denver, Friday 8:37, Saturday 8:07
This is really going to be the first tough weekend for the Badgers. You saw what happened against BU in their first game, and the subsequent three games have been against sub-par competition, to put it lightly. The Pios are coming off of being swept at home by the Eagles. I honestly don't know on this one, so I'll go the easy route and pick a split.
UW wins Friday 4-2, Denver wins Saturday 4-2

St. Cloud @ Minnesota, Friday 7:07, Sunday 2:07
Instead of your typical Friday/Saturday series, game two in this one had to be pushed back to Sunday due to a visit from Obama. This is the second time I can recall that the Huskies have played the Gophers in back-to-back games at Mariucci in the regular season, so it ought to be interesting. This one could yield some interesting results. The Gophers are fresh off of being downright embarassed on their home ice last weekend by UNO, and the Huskies should be hungry for another win. The Huskies played a much improved game on Saturday nigh, as compared to Friday, and they looked like they were starting to finally get their feet under them. It sounds like the Gophers, really, have yet to do that. This is always a fun series as it's one of the closest geographically in the league. It's tough to pick a sweep in this one, so split it is.
Huskies win Friday 5-2, Gophers win Sunday 6-3

Non-Conference
North Dakota @ Maine, Friday 6:30, Saturday 6:00
These non-conference games are always tough to pick because we just don't see the teams enough to really know them. Just looking at the record of Maine, and knowing the level the Sioux compete and play at, I have to pick a Sioux sweep here.
North Dakota 3-1, 4-3

Omaha @ Michigan, Friday/Saturday 6:35
UNO has been hot so far this season, and they haven't, necessarily, beat only slouches either. However, this is being played at Michigan, and the Mavericks haven't done too hot against these guys in the past. I will give them the benefit of a new season here and go with the split.
UNO wins Friday 4-2, Michigan wins Saturday 5-3

Well, there you have it. Please feel free to leave any comments you may have.

Week Two Matchups

Well, who would’ve thought that Michigan Tech would be 2-0-1 after three games, with two of those games coming against Northern Michigan? If you’re read my blog, you know it wasn’t me. I also wouldn’t have picked the Sioux to blow a four goal lead to Anchorage…ANCHORAGE!

It was an interesting weekend for the WCHA. They went 13-2-5 in all games, with SCSU and UW losing the only two. In what is the most surprising loss, Clarkson defeated SCSU 6-2 in what should’ve been an easy game for the Huskies. Predictably, UW lost to BU. Although, it was a closer game than I thought it would be.

I went 11-11 on my picks last weekend, with seven of those games picked wrong actually ending in ties. I only picked one final score correctly.

League Games
North Dakota @ Bemidji, Friday 7:37, Saturday 7:07
Bemidji is opening up its new arena so expect them to be pumped up for this one. The Sioux are still a pretty good team though. Expect a split.
Bemidji wins Friday 3-2, UND wins Saturday 3-2

Mankato @ Tech, Friday/Saturday 6:07
We have the 2-0-1 Michigan Tech Huskies vs. the 0-0-2 Mankato Mavericks. Who’d have thought either one of these teams would be unbeaten at any point in the season. I’m going to go with a win and a tie for the home team.
Tech wins Friday 4-2, Tie on Saturday 3-3

Omaha @ Minnesota, Friday/Saturday 7:07
The Gophers are coming off of a high scoring weekend last weekend. Jay Barriball is officially back folks. Omaha won pretty convincingly on Friday with an 8-0 win over Clarkson. They then capped the weekend off with a win over RIT. I’ve gotta go with the home team both nights on this one. Welcome to the WCHA…
UMN sweeps 3-1, 3-2

Non-Conference Games
Boston College @ Denver, Friday 8:37, Saturday 8:07
This is going to be a tough series. Both games could go either way. I still don’t know what to expect out of this new look Denver team. I’m predicting a split.
BC wins Friday 3-1, DU wins Saturday 4-2

Miami @ St. Cloud, Friday/Saturday 7:07
The Huskies record against Miami isn’t the greatest at 1-7-1. Miami went to UNH last week and managed to split a pair of 6-3 games. The Huskies struggled to score against RIT, but managed to win. Saturday’s games were marred be defensive errors in a 6-2 loss against Clarkson. Expect a Miami sweep.
Miami 3-1, 4-1

Providence @ Duluth, Friday/Saturday 7:07
Honestly, I’m not sure what to expect out of Providence as I’m not real familiar with Hockey East schools. I can say that UMD will be a tough team, and if you put them on the PP you’re probably not going to win. I’m going to call both games for UMD.
Duluth 4-1, 5-2

Huntsville @ Wisconsin, Friday 7:07, Sunday 1:07
I don’t expect a lot out of Huntsville. However, they are an independent trying to prove themselves to the different leagues to try and gain admission into one. The Badgers, on the other hand, still have some question marks they’re dealing with, like who’s going to score, etc.? They lost a close one last weekend to BU and then killed Holy Cross. Should be an easy sweep for the Badgers.
UW 5-2, 6-2

Alaska Gold Rush, Carlson Center, Fairbanks, Alaska
Colorado College vs. Anchorage, Friday 7:07
Anchorage came away with a surprising tie last Friday against UND. They were down 5-1 in the game and scored 4 unanswered goals to tie the game. They then went on to beat Air Force. CC won a 2-1 game against RPI and then tied them the following night. Offense could be an issue for CC. I have to go with Anchorage here.
UAA wins 3-2

Union vs. Anchorage, Saturday 7:07
Union has scored some goals this year, but they were against lowly Sacred Heart. I’m going to give this one to the “home team”.
UAA wins 4-2

Colorado College vs. Alaska, Saturday 10:07
Alaska had a tough time scoring against the Sioux last weekend, but didn’t give up much. I’m gonna stay with the WCHA again.
CC wins 4-2

SCSU/Gopher Schedule Change

The Saturday, October 23 game between the Huskies and Gophers has been moved to Sunday, October 24 at 2:07 due a visit by the President to the U of M campus on the 23rd.

This Shouldn't Be Shocking, but It Is...

So I'm listening to the Gopher hockey game on my way to a friends house this evening and heard UMass score a goal. It just happened to be their third goal of the evening and a Gopher player committed an infraction deserving of a penalty. Wally Shaver (play-by-play guy) proceeds to tell the unintelligent Glen "the Gophers do no wrong" Sonmor that he remembers reading somewhere that a team can score on a delayed penalty and it will still result in a power play. Well, this is a new rule in the WCHA this year. The part that really got me was when he commented on how he didn't know what league it was and that he thought it was the NHL. The genius Sonmor then pipes up with a classic, well I don't know. I never heard that. 30 seconds later the ref brought the Gopher player to the box and Wally says, "I guess it was college that they introduced that rule to."

Seriously!?! How stupid are you two? You are the radio broadcasters for one of the biggest programs in the nation and you can't keep up on the few rule changes that come through each year. This is why your fans are so stupid! You're being paid, what I'm sure is a hefty sum of money, to know these things and pass them on to the fans throughout the course of the game!

TV Schedule

For those of you looking for a nation wide TV schedule, I found one on USCHO.com.

Game on! SCSU vs. RIT, SCSU vs. Clarkson

Finally, the season is starting. I don't know about all of you, but I've been waiting for this. Sadly, we Husky fans have to wait another week to see our squad in person. Sadly, all I've been able to find is streaming audio for the game, but I'll keep my eyes open for streaming video as well.

RIT comes into this season having advanced to the Frozen Four last season. They are the coaches pick to finish first in Atlantic Hockey this year. The line on them is that they should have some good offensive fire power, but lack defensive depth and have some question marks in goaltending.

The Huskies actually are a similar team, in respect to the defense. Last year's D was mediocre at best, and the loss of minute-eater Garrett Raboin could be a problem. However, I do think guys like Oliver Lauridsen and Chris Hepp are ready to make that next step and eat some valuable minutes. We have one of the best one-two goalie tandems in the country in Mike Lee and Dan Dunn, and Hobey hopeful Garrett Roe up front to lead the team.

This years teams should have no problem scoring goals. We still have Roe, Mosey, and LeBlanc who can not only score, but can skate with the best of them. We also have one of the fastest skaters in the country in Travis Novak who, if he can finally match his puck handling to his speed, should be able to have a 30+ point season. Captain Aaron Marvin is also looking to bounce back after a very mediocre, if not bad, junior season and lead this team. The addition of forwards Mitch MacMillan and Nic Dowd should prove to be invaluable, and we also have Ben Hanowski and Jared Festler coming back with improved games.

The Huskies should win this game. I'm going to keep it close, though, and say 3-2. It is possible, however, that the Huskies will put up some bigger numbers if RIT's goaltending is suspect like people are saying it is.

Clarkson, on the other hand, is a completely different story. They were picked to finish 12th in their league by the coaches and the media. They look to have issues on offense and between the pipes. Then again, the offseason can do a lot for a player if they really work at it. I don't think they have a shot, though. The Huskies should win this fairly convincingly by a score of 5-1.

Week One Picks

 Each week I will be giving quick breakdowns and predictions on each of the series. I'll do my best to track my accuracy. Enjoy.

Non-Conference

Massachusetts at Minnesota, Friday/Saturday 7:05 CT

The Gophers come into the season with something to prove. Is there a better way to start the season than with two, what should be, easy games against UMass? Not for this program. It should be an easy sweep for the maroon and gold.

Gophers: 4-2, 5-1

Rensselaer at Colorado College, Friday 8:35, Saturday 8:05 CT

RPI was picked to finish sixth in the ECAC and CC was picked to finish sixth or seventh, depending on the poll. CC needs to win some of these early games to build confidence for the season. RPI is returning it’s leading scorers from last year, though, and they’re mighty impressive. Split

CC wins Friday 3-1, RPI Saturday 3-2

St. Lawrence at Mankato, Friday 7:35, Saturday 7:05 CT

Mankato should have a pretty easy time dispensing of the predicted bottom dwellers of the ECAC. If for some reason they split. It could be signs of things to come for Mankato.

Mankato sweeps 3-2, 4-2

Denver at Vermont, Friday/Saturday 6:05 CT

This could be a good battle for the Pioneers to start their season. Vermont was picked to finish sixth, but it looks like it was a pretty close vote. I think these two teams will both be finding themselves early on. Split.

DU Friday 3-2, Vermont Saturday 4-1

Northern Michigan at Tech, Tuesday 6:05 CT

See below for the breakdown.

NMU wins 4-2

Ice Breaker Tournament (St. Louis, MO)

Boston University vs. Wisconsin, Friday 8:30 CT

BU is a middle of the pack finisher according to the preseason polls. Wisconsin lost too much fire power in the off season. It’s going to be awhile before the Badgers find themselves again.

BU wins 5-2.

Holy Cross/Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin, Sunday 12:00 or 3:00 CT

If the Badgers play Holy Cross, Badgers win 4-1.

If they play Notre Dame, they lose 3-2.

Maverick Stampede

RIT vs. St. Cloud State, Friday 4:35 CT

RIT made its first Frozen Four trip last April. St. Cloud State had its first ever NCAA win. St. Cloud’s in a much better league playing better competition nightly. I have to give it to the Huskies.

Huskies win 3-2

Clarkson at Nebraska-Omaha, Friday 7:35 CT

The coaches picked Clarkson to finish 12^th in the ECAC this season after only winning nine games last season. Should be an easy win for UNO.

UNO 4-2

Clarkson vs. St. Cloud State, Saturday 4:05 CT

Last place finisher vs. a potential top three.

SCSU 5-1

RIT at Nebraska-Omaha, Saturday 7:05 CT

I’m going to give RIT the edge here and give them the upset.

RIT 2-1

Superior Showcase

Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan, Friday 6:35 CT

NMU should field a decent team this year after having made the NCAA tournament last season. They’ve been picked to finish anywhere from fourth to sixth. Tech, on the other hand, will be on the bottom of the WCHA this season. Northern Michigan should win this one.

NMU wins 3-1

Duluth at Lake Superior, Friday 6:05 CT

LSU doesn’t a ton of scoring punch, but does have, what looks to be, decent goaltending. With Duluth’s returning firepower I don’t think LSU has a chance to win this, though.

UMD wins 5-2

Duluth at Northern Michigan, Saturday 6:35 CT

NMU looks to be bringing back its leading scorers from the previous season. They should be able to give Duluth some fits. I think home ice will play into this game.

NMU wins 3-2

Tech at Lake Superior, Saturday 6:05 CT

A battle of the bottom feeders. Who will win?

Tech wins 2-1

Kendall Hockey Classic

North Dakota at Anchorage, Friday (Saturday) 12:05am CT

Do I need to say anything here, really? Should be an easy one for the Sioux. Sorry Seawolves fans.

Sioux win 5-0

North Dakota vs. Alaska, Saturday 8:05 CT

Alaska was picked to finish fifth in the CCHA this year. I think they could give the Sioux some trouble, but not enough.

Sioux win 3-1

Air Force at Anchorage, Saturday 11:05 CT

There’s not a lot of firepower left for the Falcon’s. Anchorage is missing one of its better defenseman in LaFranchise for the first half of the season. It’s a tough call here, but I have to give it to the team from Atlantic Hockey.

Air Force wins 3-2

WCHA Season Preview Final Edition

University of Minnesota-Duluth:
WCHA: 16-11-1, Overall: 22-17-1 (6-5-0 NC)
Key Losses: Rob Bordson, F, Jr (12-28-40); Drew Akins, F, Sr (6-11-17); Jordan Fulton, F, Sr (4-13-17); Brady Hjelle, G, So (9-7-1, 2.85 GAA, .898 SV)
Key Returners: Jack Connolly, F, Jr; Justin Fontaine, F, Sr; Mike Connolly, F, Jr; Brady Lamb, D, Jr; Mike Montgomery, D, Sr; Kenny Reiter, G, Sr
Key Recruits: Justin Faulk, D; Joe Basaraba, F

The Bulldogs come into the season not having lost a whole lot. Their biggest loss was 40 point scorer Rob Bordson, and the next biggest was sophomore goalie Brady Hjelle. Overall, though, the Bulldogs retain nearly 90% of their scoring from last season, and only lost six total games on defense.

They need to have a solid year out of goalie Kenny Reiter, and also need to find a mediocre backup for his nights off. This league is too tough for one goalie to play every night. Their biggest problem could be coaching. I’m not big on Scott Sandelin; never have been. Yes, he got his team to the Frozen Four earlier in the decade, but his teams have under achieved, for the most part, much of his tenure, including last year’s team.

I can see them pushing the Huskies for the number two spot, but don’t see them pushing the Sioux for the top spot. Strong defense and good goaltending are the keys to finishing here.

Predicted finish – 3rd

St. Cloud State University:
WCHA: 15-9-4, Overall: 24-14-5 (9-5-1 NC)
Key Losses: Ryan Lasch, F, Sr (20-29-49); Garrett Raboin, D, Sr (8-16-24); Craig Gaudet, D, Sr (3-7-10)
Key Returners: Garrett Raboin, F, Sr; Tony Mosey, F, Sr; Drew LeBlanc, F, Jr; Chris Hepp, D, Sr; Oliver Lauridsen, D, Jr; Mike Lee, G, So
Key Recruits: Kevin Gravel, D; Mitch MacMillan, F; Nic Dowd

The Huskies have one of the best returning scoring groups in the league. They did lose leading scorer Ryan Lasch and their top scoring defenseman in Garrett Raboin, but that’s pretty much it. The Huskies get back Garrett Roe (who tied Lasch for the scoring lead last year), Tony Mosey (who quietly put up 42 points), and one of the best one-two goalie tandems in the league.

The big question for SCSU is defense. Even though they only lost two defensemen from last year’s team, the defense wasn’t the best. Things should be ok, though. The Huskies have some size on the blue line in Oliver Lauridsen and some grit in Chris Hepp. The key for the Huskies is going to be finding offense from the blue line. Raboin led the D with 24 points last year, and I’m curious to see who’s going to step up. Sam Zabkowicz, Taylor Johnson, and Lauridsen all had 12 points from the blue line last year, with the latter’s coming mostly in the second half of the season.

Special teams will also be a key for the Huskies this season. They were very much middle of the pack last season on the PP, but their PK was in the bottom four of the league. They need to find more hustle and make sure that their spacing is consistent.

I can really see the Huskies challenging for the top spot in league most of the year, but think that the solidity the Sioux has will be too much for them to overcome.

Predicted finish – 2nd

University of North Dakota:
WCHA: 15-10-3, Overall: 25-13-5 (10-3-2 NC)
Key Losses: Chris Vande Velde, F, Sr (16-25-41); Darcy Zajac, F, Sr (8-11-19); David Toews, F, So (4-11-15)
Key Returners: Jason Gregoire, F, Jr; Danny Kristo, F, So; Evan Trupp, F, Sr; Chay Genoway, D, Sr; Derrick LaPoint, D, Sr; Brad Eidsness, G, Jr
Key Recruits:  Derek Forbort, D; Dillon Simpson, D; Brock Nelson, F

The Sioux, as always, are stacked. They lost only three forwards from last year’s team and ZERO defensemen. Hands down, the Sioux should have no problem being the best defensive team in the league. They return all of their defensemen and get a first round pick on defense in Derek Forbort. I didn’t think Eidsness was that great of a goalie going into last season, and still don’t think he’s the best. However, he has one of the best defenses in the country playing in front of him and that makes such a tremendous difference.

In addition to that, they get Chay Genoway back for this season. Chay could be the most dynamic defenseman in the country. In fact, I’m sure he is. It’s very rare that one player can make such a huge impact on a team, but we all saw what happened to the Sioux last season when he left. They went from unbeatable, to beatable. They were, in no way, pushovers, though, and still had one heckuva team.

I am hoping that all of you Fighting Sioux fans out there can finally let go of the hit that cost Chay his season. I am in no way saying that it wasn’t a hit from behind, but it wasn’t malicious and wasn’t dirty as all of you people say it was. Heck, CHAY even said it wasn’t a dirty hit! (I’m hoping this is the only time I have to talk about this this season.)

With all of the returning players, and the addition of Genoway, I can’t see the Sioux finishing lower that number one.

Predicted finish – 1st

WCHA Season Preview Part Three

Colorado College:
WCHA: 12-13-3, Overall: 19-17-3 (7-4-0 NC)
Key Losses: Bill Sweatt, F, Sr (15-18-33); Mike Testwuide, F, Sr (21-10-31); Nate Prosser, D, Sr (4-24-28)
Key Returners: Rylan Schwartz, F, So; Tyler Johnson, F, Sr; Stephen Schultz, F, Sr; Gabe Guentzel, D, Jr; Ryan Lowery, D, Sr; Joe Howe, G, So
Key Recruits: Jaden Schwartz, F; Dakota Eveland, F; Eamon, McDermott, D

Things weren’t great for CC last year. Joe Howe had a great start to the season, but eventually joined us back here on earth. The good news is that CC has the coaches pick for the rookie of the year in Jaden Schwartz. He’s considered to be an offensive threat already, and could help bring some of the scoring back to CC.

CC needs to have more than Jaden Schwartz carry this team. They need to have players like Rylan Schwartz build on his great freshman season, and senior’s like Tyler Johnson continue to lead this team.

Either way, they’re going to be a competitive team, as always. Scott Owens won’t let them falter too much. I suspect we’ll see them in the middle of the pack.

Predicted finish – 6th

Denver University:
WCHA: 19-5-4, Overall: 27-10-4 (8-5-0 NC)
Key Losses: Rhett Rakhshani, F, Sr (21-29-50); Joe Colborne, F, So (22-19-41); Tyler Ruegsegger, F, Sr (16-25-41); Patrick Wiercoich, D, So (6-21-27); Marc Cheverie, G, Jr (24-6-3, 2.08 GAA, .932 SV)
Key Returners: Anthony Maiani, F, Sr; Kyle Ostrow, F, Sr; Jesse Martin, F, Sr; John Lee, D, Jr; Matt Donovan, D, So; Adam Murray, G, So
Key Recruits: Sam Brittain, G; Beau Bennett, F; Nick Shore, F; Jason Zucker, F

Denver was also hit hard with key losses from last year’s team. Three of their top five scorers are gone, as is one of the best goalies in the league in Marc Cheverie. Defensively, they’re still going to be one of the best, and that is going to help out their young goalies tremendously.

The Gwoz seems to always have his teams ready to play, and that goes a long way in this league. Offensively, they should be able to hang in there as they have one of best scorers from the BCHL coming in this year in Sam Brittain (2nd in the league to SCSU’s Mitch MacMillan).

The Pioneers could finish anywhere in the top half of the league, but with goaltending a question, I can’t place them any higher.

Predicted finish – 5th

University of Minnesota:
WCHA: 12-14-2, Overall: 18-19-2 (6-5-0 NC)
Key Losses: Tony Lucia, F, Sr (11-17-28); Jordan Schroeder, F, So (9-19-28); Mike Carman, F, Sr (8-10-18); Nick Leddy, D, Fr (3-8-11)
Key Returners: Jay Barriball, F, Sr; Jacob Cepis, F, Sr; Mike Hoeffel, F, Sr; Aaron Ness, D, Jr; Cade Farichild, D, Sr; Alex Kangas, G, Sr
Key Recruits: Nick Bjugstad, F; Tom Serratore, F

The Gophers are somewhat of a question mark this year, but they shouldn’t be. They certainly have the talent to be a tremendous hockey team. It’s going to come down to whether or not the players want to play for Don Lucia. For the past two seasons I’ve watched Gopher teams take the ice and play uninspired hockey. The intensity seems to have left the team, and I believe it falls squarely on Don Lucia’s shoulders.

The Don does have some pretty good recruits coming in this year in Nick Bjugstad and Tom Serratore, and they will get Jay Barriball back from injury to help Jason Cepis carry this team. They have one of the better WCHA goalies between the pipes in Alex Kangas. Their Achilles heel will be on defense, as they have a pretty young D-corps.

I have a feeling that the Gophers are going to be much tougher than people are giving them credit for. They could finish anywhere from 7th to 4th. I think they’re going to bounce back this year.

Predicted finish – 4th