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
