Friday, December 11, 2009

WCHA weekend Preview

No in depth preview from me, however, I am excited to take in the University of North Dakota game versus Wisconsin on the NHL Network Saturday night. With no television for the Gophers this weekend I may come away a little less saddened about college hockey.

From the WCHA website....

MADISON, Wis. – The upcoming weekend of Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11-12, promises plenty of excitement for Western Collegiate Hockey Association member team fans as the top six clubs in the current standings – all ranked in the nation’s polls – matchup in three key two-game series that will mark the conclusion of conference play for the first half of the 2009-10 season. Pre-season league favorite, first place and No. 2-ranked Denver plays at third place (tie) and No. 12/14-ranked Minnesota Duluth, second place and No. 6-ranked Colorado College heads to third place (tie) and No. 17-ranked St. Cloud State, and third place (tie) and No. 11-ranked Wisconsin visits No. 3-ranked North Dakota.

The Pioneers (10-4-2, 8-2-2 WCHA) and Bulldogs (10-5-1, 7-4-1 WCHA) face-off at the DECC (5,303) in Duluth on Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:07 pm CT. These will be the only two regular season meetings between DU and UMD, who met in the Broadmoor Trophy championship game of the 2009 Red Baron WCHA Final Five last March 21, with the Bulldogs prevailing 4-0.

The Tigers (10-4-2, 7-3-2 WCHA) and Huskies (8-6-2, 7-4-1 WCHA) meet up at the National Hockey Center (5,371) in St. Cloud at 7:07 pm CT both Friday and Saturday.

The Badgers (10-5-1, 7-4-1 WCHA) and the Fighting Sioux (9-5-2, 6-5-1 WCHA) go head-to-head at Ralph Engelstad Arena (11,634) in Grand Forks on Friday at 7:37 pm CT and Saturday at 7:07 pm CT. This, too, will be the only regular season matchups between UW and UND.

And in one other WCHA series to be contested Dec. 11-12, Minnesota (6-9-1, 4-7-1 WCHA) travels to Houghton to take on Michigan Tech (3-11-0, 2-10-0 WCHA) at John MacInnes Student Ice Arena (4,128) at 7:07 pm ET both Friday and Saturday.

Outside the WCHA, Minnesota State, Mankato (7-8-1, 5-8-1 WCHA) will hit the road to face streaking Bemidji State (13-2-1) of College Hockey America on Friday and Saturday at John Glas Fieldhouse. The Beavers, who already have a 12-point lead in their conference race, join the WCHA family in 2010-11 along with Nebraska-Omaha. So far this season, WCHA-member teams are an impressive 22-12-2 in non-conference competition for a .639 winning percentage.

Alaska Anchorage (6-12-0, 4-10-0 WCHA) is now idle until Jan. 8-9.

In action last weekend, Dec. 4-5, the five head-to-head conference series saw St. Cloud State and Wisconsin record sweeps at Alaska Anchorage and over Michigan Tech, respectively. In a battle of league co-leaders, Denver took three of four points from Colorado College in a home-and-home set, while both the North Dakota at Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota vs Minnesota State home-and-home series resulted in splits.

Through games of Dec. 6, just three points, and one victory, separate the top five teams in the WCHA standings – Denver (18 points), Colorado College (16 points), Minnesota Duluth (15 points), St. Cloud State (15 points) and Wisconsin (15 points). Defending conference champion North Dakota, meanwhile, is just two points out of third place with 13 points, while Minnesota State is just two points back of the Sioux.

Six WCHA-member teams sport winning records overall this season in DU (10-4-2, .688), CC (10-4-2, .688), UMD (10-5-1, .656), UW (10-5-1, .656), UND (9-5-2, .625) and SCSU (8-6-2, .562).

On the docket for the final weekend of on-ice action prior to the two-week Christmas holiday break – Dec. 18 and Dec. 19 – three conference-member teams will be engaged in non-conference action. Minnesota State will play a home-and-home set against CCHA-member Nebraska-Omaha (@ MSU Friday, @ UNO Saturday), Michigan Tech plays at CCHA-member Northern Michigan on Friday, and North Dakota entertains the U.S. Under-20 Team on Saturday.

In this week’s (Dec. 7) USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Div. 1 Men’s College Hockey Poll, Denver is No. 2, North Dakota is No. 3, Colorado College is No. 6, Wisconsin is No. 11, Minnesota Duluth is No. 12 and St. Cloud State is No. 17.

In the latest (Dec. 7) USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men’s Div. 1 Poll, Denver is No. 2, North Dakota is No. 3, Colorado College is No. 6, Wisconsin is No. 11 and Minnesota Duluth is No. 14. Also receiving votes was St. Cloud State.

This 2009-10 campaign marks the 58th in the storied history of the WCHA, with the league owning a record 36 national championships. It will also mark the final season with a membership consisting of 10 teams, as both Bemidji State University and the University of Nebraska-Omaha come on board as the 11th and 12th members in 2010-11.

This Week in the WCHA

Games for Friday, December 11: Minnesota at Michigan Tech (WCHA), 7:07 pm ET; Colorado College at St. Cloud State (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; Denver at Minnesota Duluth (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; Wisconsin at North Dakota (WCHA), 7:37 pm CT; Minnesota State at Bemidji State (nc), 7:35 pm CT.

Games for Saturday, December 12: Minnesota at Michigan Tech (WCHA), 7:07 pm ET; Colorado College at St. Cloud State (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; Denver at Minnesota Duluth (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; Wisconsin at North Dakota (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; Minnesota State at Bemidji State (nc), 7:05 pm CT.

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