tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169122196654897652024-03-05T03:11:02.345-06:00WCHA BlogThe WCHA Blog will touch on all aspects of Division I NCAA Men's Ice Hockey, but as the name suggests, this blog will primarily focus on the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, which is home to 10 teams that have combined to win a total of 36 national championships since its inception in 1951.WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comBlogger274125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-65400491349380955792010-07-23T17:57:00.001-05:002010-07-23T17:57:53.824-05:00Just For FHG, Pt. 2<object id="283073" alt="Kissing Video - Two Smokin Hot Girls Kissing Funny Videos" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="464" height="383" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="_cx" value="12276"><param name="_cy" value="10133"><param name="FlashVars" value=""><param name="Movie" value="http://embed.break.com/MjgzMDcz"><param name="Src" value="http://embed.break.com/MjgzMDcz"><param name="WMode" value="Window"><param name="Play" value="-1"><param name="Loop" value="-1"><param name="Quality" value="High"><param name="SAlign" value=""><param name="Menu" value="-1"><param name="Base" value=""><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="Scale" value="ShowAll"><param name="DeviceFont" value="0"><param name="EmbedMovie" value="0"><param name="BGColor" value=""><param name="SWRemote" value=""><param name="MovieData" value=""><param name="SeamlessTabbing" value="1"><param name="Profile" value="0"><param name="ProfileAddress" value=""><param name="ProfilePort" value="0"><param name="AllowNetworking" value="all"><param name="AllowFullScreen" value="false"><embed src="http://embed.break.com/MjgzMDcz" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" width="464" height="383"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.break.com/index/two_smokin_hot_chicks_kissing.html" target="_blank">Kissing Video - Two Smokin Hot Girls Kissing</a> - Watch more <a href="http://www.break.com/" target="_blank">Funny Videos</a></span>WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-30584684603885728162009-10-29T21:09:00.000-05:002009-10-29T21:10:55.280-05:00Just for FHG<object alt="Two Girls Kissing Compilation Funny Videos" width="464" height="376"><param name="movie" value="http://embed.break.com/234359"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://embed.break.com/234359" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" width="464" height="376"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://www.break.com/index/two_girls_kissing_compilation.html">Two Girls Kissing Compilation</a> - Watch more <a href="http://www.break.com/">Funny Videos</a></span>WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-33663648584317092812007-12-03T21:48:00.000-06:002007-12-03T21:51:38.423-06:00It was a nice run...As readers may have noticed in recent days, the amount of updates has gone down a bit on the WCHA Blog, and this is due to the fact that my "A" job has changed in recent days, and I now have much less time to focus on extracurricular things, which unfortunately includes this blog. I've been fortunate to have had ample time in the past months to handle starting and maintaining the blog, but with my new job, my hands will be much more full than they have been in the past.<br /><br />Professionally, this is a great thing for me, but obviously not for the blog.<br /><br />I may try to kick things into gear again down the road once I get settled in at my new place of employment, but for now, the updates won't be coming as frequently.<br /><br />Thanks to everyone who has read the blog over the last few months...WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-74434797385114828892007-11-29T15:55:00.000-06:002007-11-30T10:17:52.241-06:00Weekend Preview: Nov. 30 - Dec. 2<strong>North Dakota at Denver</strong><br />Friday – 8:30 p.m. CST (Live on FSN Rocky Mountain and FCS Pacific)<br />Saturday – 8 p.m. CST<br /><br />North Dakota travels to Denver this weekend to take on the second-place Denver Pioneers, and the Fighting Sioux will look to buck their early-season trend of splitting WCHA series. The Sioux are 4-4-0 in WCHA play, and have split each of their conference series (at Michigan Tech, at Wisconsin, versus Colorado College, versus Minnesota Duluth), which has left them in fifth place in the WCHA. The Pioneers split a home-and-home series with the first place Colorado College Tigers last weekend, with each team winning on home ice. Both teams have senior netminders, but the difference this weekend could be on the blueline, where North Dakota would appear to have more talent and experience. UND is also older up front, but DU’s sophomores (Brock Trotter, Rhett Rakhshani, and Tyler Ruegsegger) have done a very admirable job in carrying the load for DU.<br /><br /><strong>Michigan Tech at Minnesota</strong><br />Friday – 7 p.m. CST (Tape-Delayed on FSN North and FCS Central)<br />Saturday – 7 p.m. CST (Live on FSN North and FCS Central)<br /><br />The Minnesota Golden Gophers return to conference play this weekend as they play host to the Michigan Tech Huskies. Both teams are off to slower than expected starts, and in particular Minnesota, whose troubles have been well documented. They rank near the bottom of the WCHA in nearly every key statistical element, including power play, penalty kill, scoring offense, scoring defense, and third period goal differential. The key to the weekend could be the play of Minnesota’s goals – Jeff Frazee and Alex Kangas. Both have been okay this season, but with Michael-Lee Teslak likely in net for the Huskies on both nights, Minnesota likely cannot afford any soft goals. Michigan Tech, meanwhile, will likely try to play a tight, physical game with the Gophers and try to grind out a pair of road wins. Goal-scoring has been an issue for Tech as well, so a pair of low-scoring games could be on tap at Mariucci.<br /><br /><strong>Colorado College at Alaska Anchorage</strong><br />Friday – 10:30 p.m. CST<br />Saturday – 10 p.m. CST<br /><br />The first place Colorado College Tigers will look pad their four-point lead over DU for first place in the WCHA as they head north to take on Alaska Anchorage this weekend. They key to these games will be the Seawolves’ ability to slow down CC’s high-octane offense, which is led by the likes of Chad Rau, Jimmy Kilpatrick, and Billy Sweatt. They are averaging 3.6 GPG in WCHA play; the Seawolves have been scoring just 2.17 GPG in conference play, and go up against one of the conference’s best goaltenders in the form of Tiger freshman Richard Bachman, who has been the biggest surprise of the season so far. Expect CC to handle UAA handily in one night, but don’t be surprised if the Seawolves push the Tigers to the limit in one of the two contests.<br /><br /><strong>St. Cloud State at Wisconsin</strong><br />Friday – 7 p.m. CST (Live on FSN North-Wisconsin and showing at 1 a.m. on FCS Central)<br />Saturday – 7 p.m. CST<br /><br />In what could end up being a key series down the road for home-ice advantage in the WCHA playoffs, St. Cloud State travels to Madison to take on Mike Eaves’ Wisconsin Badgers, who are coming off a loss and a tie during last weekend’s College Hockey Showcase against Michigan and Michigan State, respectively. UW has four points in six conference games, which leaves them tied with UAA for eighth place in the WCHA. The Badgers need to come away from this weekend with at least two points to keep themselves in the hunt. The Huskies bring their top-ranked power play into Madison, and UW will need to key on sophomore Ryan Lasch and freshman Garrett Roe – the duo each have 20 points in 12 WCHA games, and are the conference’s co-leaders in scoring. UW’s scoring issues haven’t been as serious as they have been in year’s past, but they are far from an offensive juggernaut. SCSU has been yielding over 30 shots per game on a regular basis, so the Badgers will need to cash in on some of those chances, since it’s likely that the Huskies will get theirs in the offensive end.<br /><br />Minnesota Duluth at Minnesota State<br />Friday – 7:30 p.m. CST<br />Saturday – 7 p.m. CST<br /><br />Minnesota Duluth will look to keep gaining ground on CC and DU in the WCHA this weekend when they travel to Mankato to take on the Minnesota State Mavericks. On paper, it looks like four points should be in the Bulldogs’ future, but the Mavericks always have a propensity to play in-state teams tough, and certainly have the ability to take a point or two from UMD at the Alltel Center. Statistically speaking, UMD certainly wouldn’t appear to be a top WCHA team, but they have played well during the arguably toughest stretch of their schedule, and are primed to make a run at the top of the league with their next six WCHA games coming against the Mavs and Alaska Anchorage. Minnesota State didn’t play last weekend, and currently sits at the bottom of the WCHA, having amassed just three points in eight WCHA games, though most of their games have been away from home.<br /><br /><u>Other Noteable Games:</u><br /><br /><strong>Boston University vs. Boston College</strong><br />Friday - at BC<br />Saturday - at BUWCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-61138427877892792572007-11-28T10:30:00.000-06:002007-11-28T11:07:09.312-06:00WCHA Blog Power Rankings - 11/28<p face="trebuchet ms">To compliment the <a href="http://www.uscho.com/rankings/?data=uscho1m" target="_blank">USCHO.com/CSTV Division I men's poll</a> and the <a href="http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/5Polls/0708/polls_0611.htm" target="_blank">Inside College Hockey Power Rankings</a> that are updated on a weekly basis, the WCHA Blog will establish its own weekly ranking system. The number in parenthesis to the right of the team's name shows the change in rank from last week's rankings.</p><p face="trebuchet ms"><strong>1. Colorado College (+1)</strong><br />Last Week: 5-1 win and 3-2 loss versus Denver<br />This Week: Two games at Alaska Anchorage<br /><br />The Tigers have a nice four-point lead in the WCHA race heading into this weekend's series at Alaska Anchorage, which gives them a decent shot to expand that lead, with second place Denver playing a though home series against North Dakota. CC has played arguably the toughest schedule in the nation and has obviously fared very well. They don't play another game at the World Arena until January 11, but play just five goad games from that date on.<br /><br /><strong>2. Denver (-1)<br /></strong>Last Week: 5-1 loss and 3-2 win versus Colorado College<br />This Week: Two games versus North Dakota<br /><br />The Pioneers are probably the most pleasant surprise in the WCHA this season. Like Michigan in the CCHA, the Pioneers infusion of youth, combined with an upperclassmen goalie, have allowed them to have great success on the ice. Their next two weekends are tough, as they host UND before heading to St. Cloud State to take on the Huskies.<br /><br /> <strong>3. North Dakota (-)</strong><br />Last Week: 8-3 win and 4-2 loss versus Minnesota Duluth<br />This Week: Two games at Denver<br /><br />Despite their average 6-4-1 overall record (4-4-0 in WCHA play), you haven't had to follow college hockey long to know that Dave Hakstol's teams always turn it on in the second half. This season, they have just as much talent as any of his previous teams at UND, so there's no reason to think another second-half surge isn't in store. That being said, it looks like DU and CC are near locks to finish in the top three, so that last spot appears to be North Dakota's to lose at this point, but leaving the Mile High City this weekend with points will be helpful to that quest.<br /><br /><strong>4. St. Cloud State (-1)</strong><br />Last Week: 4-1 win and 3-2 loss at Clarkson<br />This Week: Two games at Wisconsin<br /><br />Sophomore Ryan Lasch and freshman Garrett Roe continued their hot play last weekend as SCSU went to Clarkson and left with a split. They now head into the teeth of their schedule, as their next six series shapes up like this: two at Wisconsin, two versus Denver, two versus Colorado College, Ohio Hockey Classic with Miami, Harvard, and Ohio State, two versus North Dakota, and a home and home versus Minnesota.<br /><br /><strong>5. Minnesota Duluth (+1)</strong><br />Last Week: 8-3 loss and 4-2 win at North Dakota<br />This Week: Two games at Minnesota State<br /><br />Speaking of tough stretches in a team's schedule, it appears as though the best is yet to come for UMD, who currently sits a 6-4-2 overall and 5-4-1 in conference play. The Bulldogs play their next six conference games against Minnesota State and Alaska Anchorage, so it would appears as though a rise in the standings is on the way for UMD.<br /><br /><strong>6. Wisconsin (-)</strong><br />Last Week: 3-2 loss at Michigan and 4-4 tie at Michigan State<br />This Week: Two games versus St. Cloud State<br /><br />Like the Gophers, UW left the College Hockey Showcase with more questions than answers. They lost a 3-2 game to Michigan that, by most accounts, could have been 6-2 if not for the Maize and Blue putting several pucks off pipes. The Badgers then skated to a 4-4 tie with Michigan State. They head home to Madison for a key series with SCSU this weekend.<br /><br /><strong>7. Michigan Tech (-)</strong><br />Last Week: Idle<br /><br />This Week: Two games at Minnesota<br /><br />Michigan Tech will look to cure their goal-scoring issues this weekend as they travel to Minneapolis to take on the Golden Gophers after not playing last weekend. The Huskies are just 4-5-1 in conference play with have just one win in their last seven games. They have just one home game from now until January 25, so they are going to have to learn how to get points on the road.<br /><br /><strong>8. Minnesota (-)</strong><br />Last Week: 3-3 tie at Michigan State and 5-1 loss at Michigan<br />This Week: Two games versus Michigan Tech<br /><br />Minnesota played a solid road game on Friday night last weekend but blew a pair of third period leads versus Michigan State in tying 3-3. On Saturday, Michigan didn't run them up and down the ice, but the duo of Chad Kolarik and Kevin Porter was just too much for Minnesota to stop. The Gophers are obviously having a down year, and will probably need a pair of wins over the next two weekends to remain in the race for home-ice.<br /><br /><strong>9. Alaska Anchorage (-)</strong><br />Last Week: Idle<br />This Week: Two games versus Colorado College<br /><br />The Seawolves will do their best to slow down the high-powered Colorado College Tigers this weekend at Sullivan Arena. UAA will look to carry over some momentum from it's 4-2 win on Nov. 17 at Mariucci Arena versus Minnesota. CC is averaging 3.60 GPG, while UAA is scoring just 2.17, so the Seawolves will likely look to bottle up CC and play a 2-1 type game if they can.<br /><br /><strong>10. Minnesota State (-)</strong><br />Last Week: Idle<br />This Week: Two games versus Minnesota Duluth<br /><br />The Mavs have lost four-straight WCHA games, but have been in all but one of them. They take on another in-state rival this weekend in the form of UMD, who will be favored in each game. However, it wouldn't be shocking if they Mavs take a point or two from the Bulldogs in Mankato this weekend.</p>WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-25857024860343194352007-11-27T20:49:00.000-06:002007-11-27T20:54:30.175-06:00UND adds goalie to replace GriecoEarlier this month, North Dakota sophomore goalie Anthony Grieco <a href="http://wchablog.blogspot.com/2007/11/unds-grieco-leaves-team-for-ohl.html" target="_blank">left the team</a> to pursue a career in the OHL. Today, <a href="http://www.fightingsioux.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=58684&SPID=6405&DB_OEM_ID=13500&ATCLID=1327541" target="_blank">the Fighting Sioux replaced Grieco on the roster</a> with freshman Landon Snider, a former Brainerd High School player who was already enrolled at North Dakota as a freshman but not part of the hockey program.<br /><br />From the press release:<br /><br /><em>Snider, a 6-foot, 170-pound UND freshman from Brainerd, Minn., has joined the team and begun practicing with the Sioux.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>A 2007 Brainerd High School graduate, Snider was a three-year member of the Warriors boys hockey team. He lettered and was the starting goalie for his last two seasons. He helped Brainerd to the Central Lakes Conference championship in his junior season and a second-place conference finish as a senior.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Snider was named Brainerd’s team MVP in his senior year, and in his senior year he was also an all-conference selection along with being named academic all-conference. Snider was on the high school honor roll for two years.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>In Snider’s senior season, Brainerd lost 1-0 in double overtime to Elk River in the quarterfinals of the Minnesota 7AA sectionals.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Snider’s high school head coach was Ty Eigner, and his position coach was former Sioux goalie Toby Kvalevog, who played at UND from 1993-97. Kvalevog is UND’s all-time leader in games played by a goalie (121), and ranks second in all-time saves.</em>WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-48754153906513444472007-11-27T15:29:00.000-06:002007-11-27T15:32:18.817-06:00WCHA Players of the Week - 11/27Colorado College forward Chad Rau and goalie Richard Bachman, along with St. Cloud State defenseman John Swanson have been named the WCHA Players of the Week.<br /><br />From the <a href="http://wcha.cstv.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/112707aaa.html" target="_blank">press release</a>:<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Colorado College center <strong>Chad Rau</strong>, who led all conference players over the Thanksgiving weekend with four scoring points, has been named the Red Baron WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for Nov. 27-Dec. 3. This marks the second straight week Rau has earned the offensive honor. </span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><br />A 5-11, 184-pound junior from Eden Prairie, Minn., Rau recorded his first collegiate three-goal hat trick - including his league-best fourth game-winner of the season - to boost the league-leading Tigers to a 5-1 victory over arch-rival Denver last Friday (Nov. 23) night at the Colorado Springs World Arena. His three goals came in succession in the first, second and third periods, giving him a natural hat trick.<br /><br />Then last Saturday at DU, Rau added an assist on teammate Jimmy Kilpatrick's game-opening power-play goal at 1:11 of the first period in a game the Tigers dropped, 3-2.<br />In addition to his four points, Rau also extended his point-scoring streak to six games, fired 11 shots on goal and earned a +2 plus-minus rating in the series.<br /><br />Through 12 games of the 2007-08 season, Rau is third in scoring overall among WCHA players with 15 points, including nine goals and six assists. He is an NHL Draft choice of the Toronto Maple Leafs.<br /><br />Also nominated this week were: Tyler Ruegsegger, F, DU; and Ben Street, F, UW. </span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">St. Cloud State University defenseman<strong> John Swanson</strong>, who excelled at both ends of the ice in the Huskies' road series at No. 7-ranked Clarkson over the Thanksgiving weekend, has been named Red Baron WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for Nov. 27-Dec. 3. </span><br /></span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><br />A 5-11, 180-pound junior from St. Cloud, Minn., Swanson has moved from forward to defense this season. He earned a +3 plus-minus rating in the series split against the host Golden Knights on Nov. 23-24, helped the Huskies kill nine of 10 CU power-play attempts, produced three scoring points, and had five shots on goal.<br /><br />In a 4-1 St. Cloud State victory last Friday night, Swanson had one assist, was +2, and helped the Huskies go 6-of-6 on the penalty-kill in a game they were outshot, 33-13.<br /><br />To complete the weekend, he scored his first goal of the season and his first collegiate shorthander to give SCSU a 1-0 lead in the second period, later added one assist, and earned a +1 plus-minus mark in a 3-2 setback last Saturday (Nov. 24) evening.<br /><br />On the season, Swanson has one goal, five assists and six points in 12 games played.<br /><br />Also nominated this week were: Nate Prosser, D, CC; and Alex Kangas, G, UM.<br /></span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Colorado College first-year goaltender <strong>Richard Bachman</strong>, who stopped 52 of 56 shots on goal and posted three shutout periods in a weekend split against arch-rival Denver, has been named Red Baron WCHA Rookie of the Week for Nov. 27-Dec. 3. This marks the second time this season Bachman has earned the rookie honor. </span><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><br />A 5-10, 172-pound freshman from Highlands Ranch, Colo., Bachman stopped 28 of 29 shots on goal and blanked the visiting Pioneers on all four of their power-play chances in a 5-1 victory last Friday (Nov. 23) night at the Colorado Springs World Arena. He was named the game's second star.<br /><br />He then came back with 24 stops in a 3-2 loss at Denver last Saturday (Nov. 24) evening, again stoning the Pioneers on both of their power-play chances. For the series, Bachman posted a .929 saves percentage , three shutout periods, and helped CC blank DU on all six man-advantage opportunities.<br /><br />On the 2007-08 season, the Dallas Stars' (NHL) draftee sports a WCHA-best 8-2-0 (.800) record, a league-best .944 saves percentage, and ranks fifth overall in goals-against average at 1.70.<br /><br />Also nominated this week were: Alex Kangas, G, UM; and Ryan McDonagh, D, UW. </span><br /></span>WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-44148986084913191432007-11-27T10:57:00.000-06:002007-11-27T11:00:45.804-06:00USCHO Poll - 11/19<a href="http://www.uscho.com/rankings/?type=d1" target="_blank">Click here</a> to view the entire poll. The number in parenthesis represents the movement in the poll from last week. Miami received 44 of the 50 first place votes, while Michigan received the other six. WCHA teams, which occupy eight of the 20 spots, are in bold.<br /><br />1. Miami (-)<br />2. Michigan (-)<br /><strong>3. Denver (-)</strong><br /><strong>4. Colorado College (-)</strong><br />5. Michigan State (-)<br />6. New Hampshire (+2)<br />7. Notre Dame (+2)<br /><strong>8. North Dakota (-2)</strong><br />9. Clarkson (+2)<br /><strong>10. St. Cloud State (-)</strong><br />11. Massachusetts (-1)<br /><strong>12. Minnesota Duluth (+3)</strong><br /><strong>13. Wisconsin (-2)</strong><br /><strong>14. Minnesota (-1)</strong><br />15. Harvard (+3)<br />16. Northeastern (+4)<br />17. Niagara (-)<br />18. Rensselaer (+2)<br />19. Boston College (-5)<br /><strong>20. Michigan Tech (-1)</strong>WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-10099675212872038962007-11-27T10:38:00.000-06:002007-11-27T10:39:37.707-06:00USHL Update - 11/27<a href="http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=puUzT1X4h9sT54yFHAB1GYg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see the individual stats for USHL players that are committed to play in the WCHA. I will update this on a weekly basis during the USHL season. If you see a player I missed or a mistake, please take advantage of the comments section and let me know.WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-75875623375887062252007-11-27T07:48:00.000-06:002007-11-27T07:52:40.009-06:00UW recruit Crandall mixes it upWisconsin recruit Aaron Crandall, a former goalie at St. Thomas Academy who now plays for the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL, got into a pretty sweet fight with Chicago goalie Nick Pisellini in the Steel's 8-3 victory over Green Bay on Nov. 21.<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CxXAA2T3PrE&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CxXAA2T3PrE&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-57012508310350562212007-11-26T12:25:00.000-06:002007-11-26T12:32:52.471-06:00Ex-White Bear Lake defenseman Johnson to SCSU<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSk_xgdtKSY3264ny7dcmne7D6uNePhG-Q7PfE7GkQ_fphIE9gigJ76v0PqqywQca8Y_we8FPTDuZlTe-dd3EpXpLTaaVrW5jZFko-gAMPKpZhEEnI9UDPduwsqZGw0T0aunPCJutkW9a/s1600-h/stc120.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5137218794678281058" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSk_xgdtKSY3264ny7dcmne7D6uNePhG-Q7PfE7GkQ_fphIE9gigJ76v0PqqywQca8Y_we8FPTDuZlTe-dd3EpXpLTaaVrW5jZFko-gAMPKpZhEEnI9UDPduwsqZGw0T0aunPCJutkW9a/s200/stc120.gif" border="0" /></a>As <a href="http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pq-RP3oulY40QD4LEtZ3kFg&gid=1">Chris Heisenberg</a> first reported, former White Bear Lake <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">defenseman</span> Taylor Johnson has committed to St. Cloud State for the fall of 2008. Johnson, who currently plays for Green Bay in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">USHL</span>, would have been a senior for the Bears this fall. So far this year, Johnson, who currently stands at 5'9", 175 lbs., has played in 17 games for the Gamblers, posting two goals and four assists with a minus three rating.WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-46199269770311612262007-11-26T10:46:00.000-06:002007-11-26T10:54:09.534-06:00Around the Country - 11/26In the Rensselaer Holiday Hockey Tournament, <strong>Notre Dame</strong> was able to take down the host team – <strong>RPI</strong> – to capture the tournament title. In their first semi-final, the Fighting Irish took down <strong>Alabama-Huntsville</strong>, who pushed the Irish to double-overtime in last year’s NCAA Tournament, by a 4-1 score. On Saturday, the Irish needed a pair of third period goals – including Ryan Thang’s score with fewer than four minutes left – to topple RPI by a 4-3 score.<br /><br />After dropping a 2-1 game in overtime to <strong>Harvard</strong> on Tuesday night,<strong> Boston University</strong> traveled to Madison Square Garden to take on the <strong>Cornell Big Red</strong> on Friday night. And in a game between two teams that are traditionally very defensive minded, the teams combined for 70 shots – 42 by BU – and the Terriers won by a 6-3 score. BU got goals from six different scorers, including a goal from each of their four forward lines. Brett Bennett made 25 saves in improving his record to 4-2-2.<br /><br /><strong>Notes: Miami</strong>, the No. 1 team in the nation, outscored <strong>Canisius</strong> by a 15-1 margin in sweeping the Golden Griffins in Oxford … <strong>Boston College</strong> continues to be arguably the biggest bust of the season, as their record dropped to 3-4-5 after losing to <strong>Northeastern</strong> by a 4-3 score in overtime at home.WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-88952614089620312842007-11-26T10:41:00.000-06:002007-11-26T10:46:01.248-06:00WCHA Weekend Recap - 11/26<p>Neither the <strong>Wisconsin Badgers</strong> nor the <strong>Minnesota Golden Gophers</strong> faired too well in the College Hockey Showcase, as both teams left the state of Michigan winless. On Friday night, Minnesota – playing without junior center Blake Wheeler who sat out with a knee injury – played a pretty solid road game at Michigan State, but were unable to hold on to a pair of third period leads, as they skated to a 3-3 tie. In Ann Arbor, the Badgers found themselves down 3-0 going into the third period versus the Michigan Wolverines, but a pair of late goals by Podge Turnbull and Ben Street gave the Cardinal and White a chance at the end, but they still came out on the losing end by a score of 3-2. Having a chance at the end of the game was not something that Minnesota had the next night versus Red Berenson and Co., as Michigan steamrolled the Gophers by a 5-1 score, ending their six-game skid versus Minnesota. The Badgers, like Minnesota, skated to a tie with MSU, but unlike the Gophers, UW again scored two goals in the third period to crawl back into the game. UW outshot the Spartans by a 37-27 margin.<br /><br />As expected, <strong>Colorado College</strong> and <strong>Denver</strong> split in a home-and-home series, with each team winning on home ice. On Friday night, junior Chad Rau’s hat trick sparked the Tigers to a 5-1 win. Both of his linemates – Jimmy Kilpatrick and Scott Thauwald – each had two helpers, while defenseman Nate Prosser had a goal and an assist. Freshman Richard Bachman picked up his eighth win of the year, stopping 28 DU shots. The Pioneers rebounded nicely the next night though, as they limited CC to just 22 shots, including just five in the third period, en route to a 3-2 win. Sophomore Tyler Ruegsegger had a goal and an assist for DU. Senior Peter Mannino picked up his ninth win of the season.<br /><br />In Grand Forks, the <strong>Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs</strong> managed a split when, after Friday night’s game, it looked like <strong>North Dakota</strong> would roll to a sweep. In the first game of the series, North Dakota got out to a three-goal first period lead just 9:01 into the game. UMD then scored the next three goals to knot the game at 3-3. However, UND would score five unanswered goals to close the game out, winning by an 8-3 score. UND got goals from eight different scorers, and three of their four lines contributed two goals each; freshman Derrick LaPoint also scored from the blueline. In the Saturday rematch, the game was tied 2-2 midway through the third period, when UMD’s Drew Akins dumped the puck in on UND goalie Jean-Philippe Lamoureux. And much like Robbie Bina’s goal last year at Minnesota, the dump-in skipped over JPL’s glove and into the net, giving UMD a 3-2 lead. Matt McKnight would tack on an empty-netter to give UMD a big 4-2 win.</p><p> </p><p>In a rematch of last year’s two games in St. Cloud, the <strong>St. Cloud State Huskies</strong> went to Clarkson and came home with a split, which certainly has to be an outcome that the SCSU faithful would be happy with. On Friday night, SCSU was outshot by a 33-13 margin, but managed to win a by a 4-1 score, as sophomore Jase Weslosky made 32 saves for his sixth win of the year. Fellow sophomore Ryan Lasch continued his torrid pace, scoring a pair of goals. In the rematch on Saturday, the Huskies would again give up 30-plus shots, but freshman goalie Dan Dunn could not put up a performance similar to Weslosky’s, as SCSU lost 3-2. Clarkson’s Nick Dodge’s fifth goal of the season late in the third period was the difference for the Golden Knights. </p>WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-51545722458317000812007-11-26T10:20:00.000-06:002007-11-26T10:22:26.937-06:00INCH Power Rankings: 11/26<a href="http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/5Polls/0708/polls_0611.htm" target="_blank">Click here</a> to view the list in detail. WCHA teams, which hold seven of the 20 spots, are in bold.<br /><br />1. Miami<br />2. Michigan<br /><strong>3. Denver</strong><br />4. Michigan State<br /><strong>5. Colorado College</strong><br />6. New Hampshire<br />7. Notre Dame<br />8. Clarkson<br /><strong>9. North Dakota</strong><br /><strong>10. Minnesota Duluth</strong><br />11. Northeastern<br /><strong>12. St. Cloud State</strong><br />13. Massachusetts<br /><strong>14. Wisconsin</strong><br /><strong>15. Minnesota</strong><br />16. RPI<br />17. Harvard<br />18. Boston College<br />19. Niagara<br />20. Bowling GreenWCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-42794675140939163052007-11-22T23:36:00.000-06:002007-11-26T10:19:45.429-06:00Weekend Preview: Nov. 23-25<strong>College Hockey Showcase</strong><br /><strong>Minnesota & Wisconsin at Michigan and Michigan State</strong><br />Friday & Saturday Nights<br /><br />For the first time a quite a while, both the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Wisconsin Badgers will be the heavy underdogs in all four games of the College Hockey Showcase, as the two WCHA rivals head east to tangle with Michigan and Michigan State. Both WCHA schools are coming off disappointing weekends, with the Badgers having been swept by Colorado College and Minnesota taking two points from Alaska Anchorage at Mariucci Arena. Their CCHA opponents, meanwhile, are both off to great starts: Michigan has just one loss on the season, and that came at the hands of the Golden Gophers in the championship game of the Ice Breaker Invitation back in early October, while the Spartans have just three losses – one at North Dakota and two to the Miami Redhawks, who are the No. 1 team in the nation. It would appear that the most common theme in these matchups will be the CCHA’s edge in goal. Michigan’s Billy Sauer is finally living up to the hype that surrounded his arrival in Ann Arbor, while Michigan State’s Jeff Lerg proved his worth last spring in Sparty’s national title run. Minnesota’s combination of freshman Alex Kangas and junior Jeff Frazee has been okay at best, while UW junior Shane Connelly has struggled at times, especially during WCHA play. On the surface, if the WCHA could manage a split in these four games, it would be a nice accomplishment when you consider where all four teams are currently sitting.<br /><br /><strong>Denver vs. Colorado College</strong><br />Friday – 8:30 p.m. CST at Colorado College<br />Saturday – 8 p.m. CST at Denver<br /><br />The marquee series in the WCHA – and around the nation for that matter – takes place in Colorado this weekend as the Colorado College Tigers and Denver Pioneers are set to do battle in a home-and-home series. The Pioneers, who are currently ranked No. 3 in the latest USCHO.com poll, currently trail the No. 4-ranked Tigers by four points in the WCHA standings, though the Pios have played two fewer games. DU’s defense has been stifling this year, allowing just 13 goals in 10 games. CC’s high-octane offense, led by the likes of Chad Rau, Jimmy Kilpatrick, and Billy Sweatt, will certainly test Peter Mannino and Co. this weekend. The series opens up at the World Arena on Friday night, and then shifts to Magness Arena on Saturday evening.<br /><br /><strong>Minnesota Duluth at North Dakota</strong><br />Friday – 7:30 p.m. CST<br />Saturday – 7 p.m. CST<br /><br />Minnesota Duluth will look to get back to build off their win and tie versus Michigan Tech last weekend as they travel to Grand Forks to duel with the Fighting Sioux, who have plagued the Bulldogs over the last few years. To that point, UMD last beat North Dakota in December of 2004. The Sioux were off last weekend after going 3-3 in their first six WCHA games. UMD’s best shot to pull off the upset will likely be Friday night, as they might be able to take advantage of a potentially rusty UND squad.<br /><br /><strong>St. Cloud State at Clarkson</strong><br />Friday – 6 p.m. CST<br />Saturday – 6 p.m. CST<br /><br />The Huskies won a pair of games from the Golden Knights last season at the National Hockey Center, so No. 7 Clarkson will be looking for a little revenge this weekend as SCSU visit Cheel Arena. These two teams were possibly set to meet in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, but both were upset in the first round of the East Regional. As is the case with ECAC teams early in the season, Clarkson will need to prove that, despite their 6-1-0 record and lofty national ranking, they can hang with a pretty good WCHA team in the form of the Huskies.<br /><br />Michigan Tech, Alaska Anchorage, and Minnesota State are off this week.WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-87802027038677081762007-11-22T23:00:00.000-06:002007-11-22T23:18:56.736-06:00Brainerd defenseman Olson commits to UMDBrainerd High School defenseman Drew Olson has committed to Minnesota Duluth for the fall of 2008 or 2009. Olson, who currently stands at 5'11", 195 lbs, will be a senior for Brainerd this year and could join UMD as early as next fall. Olson was recently rated "B" prospect for this summer's NHL Entry Draft by the NHL's Central Scouting Service, and was a fourth round pick by the Omaha Lancers in the 2006 USHL Futures Draft. Olson would likely play in Omaha next year if he defers his enrollment at UMD to the fall of 2009.WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-80308866341785218202007-11-20T23:31:00.000-06:002007-11-20T23:32:40.090-06:00Tyler Ruegsegger plays hockey well<object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5sEw9lwfVxY&rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5sEw9lwfVxY&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-90361338646648830092007-11-20T23:17:00.000-06:002007-11-20T23:27:09.820-06:00WCHA Blog Power Rankings - 11/20<p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms">To compliment the <a href="http://www.uscho.com/rankings/?data=uscho1m" target="_blank">USCHO.com/CSTV Division I men's poll</a> and the <a href="http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/5Polls/0708/polls_0610.htm" target="_blank">Inside College Hockey Power Rankings</a> that are updated on a weekly basis, the WCHA Blog will establish its own weekly ranking system. The number in parenthesis to the right of the team's name shows the change in rank from last week's rankings.<br /><br /><strong>1. Denver (-)</strong><br />Last Week: 2-1 and 7-0 wins versus Minnesota State<br />This Week: Home and Home versus Colorado College</p><br /><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"></p><span style="font-family:Arial;">There’s not movement at the top of the power rankings this week, thanks in large part to a pair of sweeps by the two top teams.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:city st="on">Denver</st1:city> took care of <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Minnesota</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place> last weekend, and did so by outscoring the Mavs by a 9-1 score in the two games.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>They take on <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Colorado</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">College</st1:placetype></st1:place> in what should be a great matchup this weekend in a home-and-home series.<br /><br /><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></span><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"></p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><strong>2. Colorado College (</strong><strong>-</strong><strong>)</strong><br />Last Week: 4-3 and 6-1 wins versus Wisconsin<br />This Week: Home and Home versus Denver</p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">As impressive as DU’s sweep was, CC’s sweep of the Wisconsin Badgers was even more impressive.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>They put 10 goals up on the Badgers in two games, which is not the easiest feat to accomplish.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>CC’s top two lines are arguably the best in the nation, and they are getting great goaltending from freshman Richard Bachman, who continues to dazzle on a nightly basis.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><o:p></o:p></p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"></p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><strong>3. North Dakota (-)</strong><br />Last Week: Idle<br />This Week: Two games versus Minnesota Duluth</p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">After splitting three straight WCHA series, the Fighting Sioux took last weekend off, and return to action this upcoming weekend by playing host to Minnesota Duluth.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>UND last lost to the Bulldogs in December of 2004, so it will be an uphill battle for UMD in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Grand Forks.</st1:place></st1:city></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"></st1:place></st1:city><br /><strong>4. St. Cloud State (-)</strong><br />Last Week: Idle<br />This Week: Two games at Clarkson</p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms">Like <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">North Dakota</st1:place></st1:state>, the Huskies took last weekend off before heading out east for a non-conference series this weekend against Clarkson.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>SCSU swept the Golden Knights last season at the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">National</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Hockey</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> by scores of 4-0 and 7-2, but the upcoming games should be much closer.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Clarkson is 9-3-0 on the season and are currently ranked seventh in the current USCHO.com poll.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><br /><o:p></o:p></p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><strong>5. Minnesota Duluth (+2)</strong><br /></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Last Week: 1-1 tie and 4-1 win versus Michigan Tech</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This Week: Two games at North Dakota</span><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms">The Bulldogs had a successful weekend, taking three of four points from Michigan Tech.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>UMD is now tied with Michigan Tech with 9 points, good for third place in the WCHA.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Junior defensemen Josh Meyers leads the team in scoring with eight points in 10 games, while Alex Stalock has been great in net, posting a 1.97 goals against average and a .929 save percentage.</p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"></p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><strong>6. Wisconsin (-)</strong><br />Last Week: 4-3 and 6-1 losses at Colorado College<br />This Week: One game at Michigan, One game at Michigan State (College Hockey Showcase)</p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms">After going 3-1 in non-conference play to open the season, the Badgers have struggled in WCHA play, winning just two of six games, and most recently were swept on the road by <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Colorado</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">College</st1:placetype></st1:place>.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Scoring, which is usually a struggle for the Badgers, hasn’t been a huge issue in WCHA play, as they are fifth in the league.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>However, they are ninth in the WCHA in terms of scoring defense, ahead of only <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Minnesota</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">State</st1:placetype></st1:place>.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Things don’t get any easier this weekend as they take to the road for the College Hockey Showcase. </p><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms"><br /><strong>7. Michigan Tech (-1)</strong><br />Last Week: 1-1 tie and 4-1 loss at Minnesota Duluth<br />This Week: Idle</p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms">The Huskies got netminder Michael-Lee Teslak back last weekend, but only managed to take one point from UMD at the DECC.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Michigan Tech now has just one win in its last seven games, and have just one game in Houghton from now until January 25.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>The Huskies are a middle-of-the-road team in most key conference statistics, but one of their issues is that they have no player with double-digit points, so the argument could be made that the Huskies lack a true game-breaker to win some of these close games.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><br /><o:p></o:p></p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><strong>8. Minnesota (-3)</strong><br />Last Week: 3-0 win and 4-2 loss versus Minnesota State<br />This Week: One game at Michigan State, One game at Michigan (College Hockey Showcase)</p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms">The Gophers appeared to have righted their ship after last Friday’s 3-0 win over Alaska Anchorage, but then proceeded to fall back to their old ways in yielding three third period goals in a 4-2 loss on Saturday.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>On the season, <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Minnesota</st1:place></st1:state> is a minus six in third period goal differential.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>The right names are appearing on the score sheet for <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Minnesota</st1:place></st1:state> – Jay Barriball, Kyle Okposo, and Blake Wheeler all scored goals last weekend – but the Gophers need to work on playing a full 60 minutes of intense hockey if they hope to emerge as a top team.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>They take on <st1:placename st="on">Michigan</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">State</st1:placetype> and <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Michigan</st1:place></st1:state> this weekend. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><br /> </p><strong></strong><p class="MsoNormal" style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><strong>9. Alaska Anchorage (+1)</strong><br />Last Week: 3-0 loss and 4-2 win at Minnesota<br />This Week: Idle</p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><br /></p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms">The Seawolves used a three goal third period to stop their winless streak at five games last Saturday in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Minneapolis</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>That was their first WCHA win and are now 1-3-2 in conference play.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Sophomores Kevin Clark and Josh Lunden continue to play great hockey for the Seawolves, as they lead UAA in scoring.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span></p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><o:p></o:p><br /><strong></strong></p><p style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms"><strong>10. Minnesota State (-1)</strong><br /></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Last Week: 2-1 and 7-0 losses at Denver</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This Week: Idle</span><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="FONT-FAMILY: trebuchet ms">The Mavericks have now dropped four straight games and have just one win in eight conference games to open the season.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>They are last in the league in both scoring offense (1.50 GPG) and scoring defense (3.62 GPG); and, not surprisingly, their power play and penalty kill both rank toward the bottom of the league as well.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Part of their early season struggles could relate to their schedule: they’ve played nine of 10 games so far on the road.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>They are off this weekend but then host Minnesota Duluth and <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Wisconsin</st1:place></st1:state>, so they have some chances – at home – to get back in the race.<o:p></o:p></p>WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-66086254990809436122007-11-20T23:08:00.000-06:002007-11-20T23:15:26.033-06:00WCHA Players of the Week - 11/20Colorado College forward Chad Rau, Minnesota Duluth goalie Alex Stalock, Denver goalie Peter Mannino, and Alaska Anchorage defensemen Kane Lafranchise have been named the WCHA Players of the Week.<br /><br />From the <a href="http://wcha.cstv.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/112007aaa.html" target="_blank">press release</a>:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Colorado College center iceman </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Chad Rau</span><span style="font-style: italic;">, who helped the host Tigers to a two-game sweep over conference rival Wisconsin last weekend, has been named the Red Baron WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for Nov. 20-26. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">A 5-11, 184-pound junior from Eden Prairie, Minn., Rau produced four scoring points - including two shorthanded goals and a game-winner - as Colorado College moved into sole possession of first place in the WCHA race with a 4-3 victory over the Badgers last Friday at Colorado Springs World Arena and a 6-1 win last Saturday. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Rau scored two goals, including a game-tying shorthander at 3:21 of the third period, and set up another for three points on Nov. 16. Then on Nov. 17, Rau came back to score the eventual game-winning goal at 12:38 of the first period, this time with an unassisted shorthanded effort. In addition to his four points, Rau also earned a +4 plus-minus rating, fired five shots on goal, and won 59.5% of his faceoffs (22-of-37) in the series. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">On the season, Rau is second in scoring for the first place Tigers, showing 6-5-11 in 10 games. He leads the team and shares the WCHA lead with three game-winning goals and two shorthanded tallies. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Also nominated this week were: Tyler Ruegsegger, F, DU; and Josh Meyers, D, UMD. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The University of Denver's </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Peter Mannino</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> and the University of Minnesota Duluth's </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Alex Stalock</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> - a pair of goaltenders who played crucial roles while helping their respective teams to successful results in league series last weekend have been named Red Baron WCHA co-Defensive Players of the Week for Nov. 20-26. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Mannino, a 6-0, 195-pound senior from Farmington Hills, Mich., stopped 56 of 57 shots on goal for a .982 saves percentage in the series and posted five shutout periods to backstop the Pioneers to 2-1 and 7-0 victories over Minnesota State on Nov. 16-17 at Magness Arena. The shutout last Saturday evening was his second of the season and 11th of his collegiate career. Mannino, who also had two assists last Saturday, including one on the game-winning goal, stands 8-2-0 on the season, is second among league goaltenders with a 1.31 goals-against average, and is first in saves percentage at .949. He has allowed one goal or less in DU's eight wins. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Stalock, a 6-0, 185-pound sophomore from South St. Paul, Minn., helped the host Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs to a three-point weekend against WCHA-rival Michigan Tech on Nov. 16-17, with a 1-1 overtime tie last Friday and a 4-1 triumph last Saturday. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Stalock stopped 65 of 67 opponent shots on goal in the series for a .970 saves percentage, did not surrender an even-strength goal as both of the Huskies' tallies came via the power-play, and had five shutout periods, including an overtime. He had 26 stops in the tie on Nov. 16 and 39 - including 34 in the first two periods - in the win on Nov. 17. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">A member of the All-WCHA Rookie Team a year ago, Stalock is now 5-3-2 overall with a 1.97 goals-against average and a .929 saves percentage. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Also nominated this week were: Jon Olthuis, G, UAA; and Nate Prosser, D, CC. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">University of Alaska Anchorage defenseman <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kane Lafranchise</span>, who played a key role in a two-game conference series at Minnesota last weekend, has been named Red Baron® WCHA Rookie of the Week for Nov. 20-26. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">A 6-1, 198-pound freshman from Edmonton, Alberta, Lafranchise recorded his first collegiate goal and multiple-point game last Saturday (Nov. 17) to help the visiting Seawolves to a 4-2 victory over the two-time defending league champion Golden Gophers at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis. He scored a game-tying goal at 15:56 of the first period and then drew an assist on teammate Brad McCabe's insurance goal at 10:02 of the third. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Lafranchise, who skated on UAA's top defensive pairing, also helped his team kill 10 of 11 opponent power-plays in the series, earned a +2 plus-minus rating, and fired four shots on goal. </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><b style="font-style: italic;"><br /></b><span style="font-style: italic;">Also nominated this week were: Richard Bachman, G, CC; and Dustin Jackson, F, DU. </span>WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-5258684327597089642007-11-20T09:28:00.000-06:002007-11-20T09:30:29.100-06:00NHL Update - 11/20Much like the <a href="http://wchablog.blogspot.com/2007/11/ushl-update-1120.html" target="_blank">USHL update</a> I posted earlier today, the WCHA Blog will keep track of former WCHA players that are currently playing in the NHL. <a href="http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=puUzT1X4h9sQYAzuOPvdaMQ" target="_blank">Click here</a> to view that spreadsheet.<br /><br />Please use the comments section below to inform me of any errors or players I missed. If I missed a player that used to play on your favorite team, it's not because I'm an arrogant Gopher fan that hates your school. I promise.WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-20935390513404186722007-11-20T09:26:00.000-06:002007-11-20T09:28:20.895-06:00USHL Update - 11/20<a href="http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=puUzT1X4h9sRkDQzolyOYVQ" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see the individual stats for USHL players that are committed to play in the WCHA. I will update this on a weekly basis during the USHL season. If you see a player I missed or a mistake, please take advantage of the comments section and let me know.WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-51474853971729614412007-11-19T16:12:00.000-06:002007-11-19T16:40:22.039-06:00USCHO Poll - 11/19<a href="http://www.uscho.com/rankings/?type=d1" target="_blank">Click here</a> to view the entire poll. The number in parenthesis represents the movement in the poll from last week. Miami received 48 of the 50 first place votes, while Michigan received the other two. WCHA teams, which occupy eight of the 20 spots, are in bold.<br /><br />1. Miami (-)<br />2. Michigan (-)<br />3. Denver (+1)<br />4. Colorado College (+3)<br />5. Michigan State (-2)<br />6. North Dakota (-1)<br />7. Clarkson (+1)<br />8. New Hampshire (-2)<br />9. Notre Dame (+1)<br />10. Massachusetts (+4)<br />10. St. Cloud State (+3)<br />12. Wisconsin (-3)<br />13. Minnesota (-1)<br />14. Boston College (-3)<br />15. Minnesota Duluth (+2)<br />16. Rensselaer (-1)<br />17. Niagara (+3)<br />18. Harvard (+1)<br />19. Michigan Tech (-1)<br />20. Northeastern (NR)<br /><strong></strong>WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-90903125403583314052007-11-19T14:15:00.001-06:002007-11-19T14:15:59.645-06:00Around the Country - 11/19Each week, the WCHA Blog will take a look at action from around the nation that doesn't involve WCHA teams.<br /><br />In the key series of the weekend, the <strong>Miami Redhawks</strong> posted a very impressive sweep at Munn Ice Arena versus the defending NCAA champion <strong>Michigan State Spartans</strong>. The ‘Hawks outshot MSU by a good margin on both nights in winning 4-2 on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday. Both games witnessed Miami tack on an empty-net goal late in both games. Junior Justin Mercier had two goals in Friday’s win, and also scored in Saturday’s victory. Miami and Michigan have emerged as the top two teams in the CCHA, but will not meet on the ice until February 8-9. <br /><br />Speaking of the Maize and Blue, <strong>Michigan</strong> extended their winning streak to ten games with a sweep at <strong>Lake Superior State</strong>. Junior Billy Sauer continued his great play, posting another pair of wins, while senior Kevin Porter is leading the way for the youthful Wolverines – he had a six-point weekend versus the Lakers. Michigan heads home to host Wisconsin and Minnesota in the College Hockey Showcase this upcoming weekend.<br /><br /><strong>Clarkson</strong> has emerged as the top ECAC team early in the season, holding a 6-1-0 conference record after defeating <strong>Yale</strong> and <strong>Brown</strong> this past weekend. Junior Chris D'Alvise has 12 points in 12 games. After the Golden Knights, it looks like <strong>Harvard</strong> and <strong>Cornell</strong> may be the next best teams. Both clubs split over the weekend, but Harvard topped Cornell on Friday night.<br /><br /><strong>Notes</strong>: <strong>Boston College</strong> went winless on the weekend, tying <strong>Massachusetts</strong> on Friday and losing to the Minutemen on Saturday … The <strong>New Hampshire Wildcats</strong> gained a split, losing to <strong>Northeastern</strong> in Durham by a 4-1 score on Friday night, but bounced back to top <strong>Providence</strong> 5-4 in overtime on Saturday … <strong>Notre Dame</strong> continued their solid play, sweeping <strong>Western Michigan</strong> in a home-and-home series; the Irish have now won five of their last six games …WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-51695346041234074072007-11-19T14:01:00.000-06:002007-11-19T14:02:24.192-06:00WCHA Weekend Recap - 11/19The <strong>Alaska Anchorage Seawolves</strong> ended their five-game winless streak on Saturday night in Minneapolis, as they were able to salvage a split with the <strong>Minnesota Golden Gophers</strong> at Mariucci Arena. They did this despite starring a road sweep right in the eyes, as they were down 2-1 heading into the third period. However, they managed to put up three third period goals and did a great job of limiting the number of chances the Gophers had in their effort to get back into the game. It was a much better effort by the Seawolves than they put forth on Friday night in a 3-0 loss. They managed just 24 shots, and not many of them were of high quality. Minnesota outshot the Seawolves by a 15-3 margin in the first period, but needed a pair of third period goals to seal the deal.<br /><br />The <strong>Colorado College Tigers</strong> further established their first place standing in the WCHA by sweeping the <strong>Wisconsin Badgers</strong> at the World Arena. In Friday’s win, the Tigers needed two third period goals to overtake the Cardinal and White to win by a 4-3 margin, thanks in large part to the Tigers’ top line. Junior Chad Rau had a pair of goals, including the game-tying goal while shorthanded early in the third period, and senior Jimmy Kilpatrick had a pair of tallies as well, including the game-winner. Saturday’s rematch wasn’t close, as the Tigers second line did the majority of the damage in the 6-1 win. Andreas Vlassopoulos and Derek Patrosso each had two goals, while Billy Sweatt chipped in two helpers. Freshman Richard Bachman continued his stellar play, gaining the win in both starts. UW junior Shane Connelly was pulled in Saturday’s loss, but from a ‘glass half full’ perspective, the Badgers got goals from three of their four lines in Friday’s loss, so they aren’t relying on a single line for scoring.<br /><br />As expected, <strong>Minnesota State</strong> gave <strong>Denver</strong> one tough game in the Mile High City this weekend, but ultimately ended up dropping a pair of games. In a scoring oddity, all three of the goals in Friday night’s 2-1 DU win came within a minute-and-a-half of each other. The Mavericks got on the board first thanks to a Trevor Bruess shorthanded tally, but DU freshman Kyle Ostrow tied things up a 1-1 just 33 seconds later. Just 22 seconds later, Brandon Vossberg scored his second goal of the year, and senior Peter Mannino made the one-goal lead stand. Saturday’s rematch was not so close, as the Pioneers cruised to a 7-0 win. Mannino actually ended up with a pair of assists on the night, while sophomores Tyler Ruegsegger (2 G, 1 A) and Brock Trotter (1 G, 2 A) had nice nights.<br /><br />Despite getting junior Michael-Lee Teslak back between the pipes for both nights, the <strong>Michigan Tech Huskies</strong> were only able to take one point from <strong>Minnesota Duluth</strong> at the DECC this weekend. In Friday’s 1-1 tie, UMD got on the board in the first period thanks to Josh Meyers’ second goal of the season. Tech knotted things up on the power play late in the second period, as Tyler Schelast got his sixth goal of the season. UMD netminder Alex Stalock was the story on Saturday, as he stopped 39 of 40 Husky shots in the 4-1 win. That score is a little deceiving, since UMD tacked on two empty-net goals with under a minute to play to secure the win. Meyers scored the game-winning goal late in the second period for UMD, and got his fourth of the season later in the contest.<br /><br /><strong>North Dakota</strong> and <strong>St. Cloud State</strong> were off this past weekend.WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-916912219665489765.post-3604119456311968442007-11-19T13:28:00.000-06:002007-11-19T13:31:03.856-06:00NHL.com article on former UND blueliner Lee<a href="http://www.theahl.com/news/league/index.html?article_id=8122" target="_blank">Click here</a> to read an article done by NHL.<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">com's</span> Lindsay Kramer that talks about former North Dakota <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">defenseman</span> Brian Lee and his development in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">AHL</span> this season with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Binghamton</span> Senators.WCHA Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07189382039447188351noreply@blogger.com