WCHA Blog

Just For FHG, Pt. 2

2010-07-23T17:57:00.001-05:00

Kissing Video - Two Smokin Hot Girls Kissing - Watch more Funny Videos

Just for FHG

2009-10-29T21:09:00.000-05:00

Two Girls Kissing Compilation - Watch more Funny Videos

It was a nice run...

2007-12-03T21:48:00.000-06:00

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.

Professionally, this is a great thing for me, but obviously not for the blog.

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.

Thanks to everyone who has read the blog over the last few months...

Weekend Preview: Nov. 30 - Dec. 2

2007-11-29T15:55:00.000-06:00

North Dakota at Denver
Friday – 8:30 p.m. CST (Live on FSN Rocky Mountain and FCS Pacific)
Saturday – 8 p.m. CST

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.

Michigan Tech at Minnesota
Friday – 7 p.m. CST (Tape-Delayed on FSN North and FCS Central)
Saturday – 7 p.m. CST (Live on FSN North and FCS Central)

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.

Colorado College at Alaska Anchorage
Friday – 10:30 p.m. CST
Saturday – 10 p.m. CST

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.

St. Cloud State at Wisconsin
Friday – 7 p.m. CST (Live on FSN North-Wisconsin and showing at 1 a.m. on FCS Central)
Saturday – 7 p.m. CST

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.

Minnesota Duluth at Minnesota State
Friday – 7:30 p.m. CST
Saturday – 7 p.m. CST

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.

Other Noteable Games:

Boston University vs. Boston College
Friday - at BC
Saturday - at BU

WCHA Blog Power Rankings - 11/28

2007-11-28T10:30:00.000-06:00

1. Colorado College (+1)
Last Week: 5-1 win and 3-2 loss versus Denver
This Week: Two games at Alaska Anchorage

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.

2. Denver (-1)
Last Week: 5-1 loss and 3-2 win versus Colorado College
This Week: Two games versus North Dakota

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.

3. North Dakota (-)
Last Week: 8-3 win and 4-2 loss versus Minnesota Duluth
This Week: Two games at Denver

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.

4. St. Cloud State (-1)
Last Week: 4-1 win and 3-2 loss at Clarkson
This Week: Two games at Wisconsin

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.

5. Minnesota Duluth (+1)
Last Week: 8-3 loss and 4-2 win at North Dakota
This Week: Two games at Minnesota State

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.

6. Wisconsin (-)
Last Week: 3-2 loss at Michigan and 4-4 tie at Michigan State
This Week: Two games versus St. Cloud State

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.

7. Michigan Tech (-)
Last Week: Idle

This Week: Two games at Minnesota

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.

8. Minnesota (-)
Last Week: 3-3 tie at Michigan State and 5-1 loss at Michigan
This Week: Two games versus Michigan Tech

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.

9. Alaska Anchorage (-)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Two games versus Colorado College

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.

10. Minnesota State (-)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Two games versus Minnesota Duluth

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.

UND adds goalie to replace Grieco

2007-11-27T20:49:00.000-06:00

Earlier this month, North Dakota sophomore goalie Anthony Grieco left the team to pursue a career in the OHL. Today, the Fighting Sioux replaced Grieco on the roster 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.

From the press release:

Snider, a 6-foot, 170-pound UND freshman from Brainerd, Minn., has joined the team and begun practicing with the Sioux.

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.

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.

In Snider’s senior season, Brainerd lost 1-0 in double overtime to Elk River in the quarterfinals of the Minnesota 7AA sectionals.

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.

WCHA Players of the Week - 11/27

2007-11-27T15:29:00.000-06:00

Colorado 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.

From the press release:

Colorado College center Chad Rau, 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.

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.

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.
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.

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.

Also nominated this week were: Tyler Ruegsegger, F, DU; and Ben Street, F, UW.

St. Cloud State University defenseman John Swanson, 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.

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.

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.

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.

On the season, Swanson has one goal, five assists and six points in 12 games played.

Also nominated this week were: Nate Prosser, D, CC; and Alex Kangas, G, UM.

Colorado College first-year goaltender Richard Bachman, 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.

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.

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.

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.

Also nominated this week were: Alex Kangas, G, UM; and Ryan McDonagh, D, UW.

USCHO Poll - 11/19

2007-11-27T10:57:00.000-06:00

Click here 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.

1. Miami (-)
2. Michigan (-)
3. Denver (-)
4. Colorado College (-)
5. Michigan State (-)
6. New Hampshire (+2)
7. Notre Dame (+2)
8. North Dakota (-2)
9. Clarkson (+2)
10. St. Cloud State (-)
11. Massachusetts (-1)
12. Minnesota Duluth (+3)
13. Wisconsin (-2)
14. Minnesota (-1)
15. Harvard (+3)
16. Northeastern (+4)
17. Niagara (-)
18. Rensselaer (+2)
19. Boston College (-5)
20. Michigan Tech (-1)

USHL Update - 11/27

2007-11-27T10:38:00.000-06:00

Click here 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.

UW recruit Crandall mixes it up

2007-11-27T07:48:00.000-06:00

Wisconsin 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.

Ex-White Bear Lake defenseman Johnson to SCSU

2007-11-26T12:25:00.000-06:00

As Chris Heisenberg first reported, former White Bear Lake defenseman Taylor Johnson has committed to St. Cloud State for the fall of 2008. Johnson, who currently plays for Green Bay in the USHL, 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.

Around the Country - 11/26

2007-11-26T10:46:00.000-06:00

In the Rensselaer Holiday Hockey Tournament, Notre Dame was able to take down the host team – RPI – to capture the tournament title. In their first semi-final, the Fighting Irish took down Alabama-Huntsville, 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.

After dropping a 2-1 game in overtime to Harvard on Tuesday night, Boston University traveled to Madison Square Garden to take on the Cornell Big Red 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.

Notes: Miami, the No. 1 team in the nation, outscored Canisius by a 15-1 margin in sweeping the Golden Griffins in Oxford … Boston College continues to be arguably the biggest bust of the season, as their record dropped to 3-4-5 after losing to Northeastern by a 4-3 score in overtime at home.

WCHA Weekend Recap - 11/26

2007-11-26T10:41:00.000-06:00

Neither the Wisconsin Badgers nor the Minnesota Golden Gophers 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.

As expected, Colorado College and Denver 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.

In Grand Forks, the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs managed a split when, after Friday night’s game, it looked like North Dakota 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.

In a rematch of last year’s two games in St. Cloud, the St. Cloud State Huskies 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.

INCH Power Rankings: 11/26

2007-11-26T10:20:00.000-06:00

Click here to view the list in detail. WCHA teams, which hold seven of the 20 spots, are in bold.

1. Miami
2. Michigan
3. Denver
4. Michigan State
5. Colorado College
6. New Hampshire
7. Notre Dame
8. Clarkson
9. North Dakota
10. Minnesota Duluth
11. Northeastern
12. St. Cloud State
13. Massachusetts
14. Wisconsin
15. Minnesota
16. RPI
17. Harvard
18. Boston College
19. Niagara
20. Bowling Green

Weekend Preview: Nov. 23-25

2007-11-22T23:36:00.000-06:00

College Hockey Showcase
Minnesota & Wisconsin at Michigan and Michigan State
Friday & Saturday Nights

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.

Denver vs. Colorado College
Friday – 8:30 p.m. CST at Colorado College
Saturday – 8 p.m. CST at Denver

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.

Minnesota Duluth at North Dakota
Friday – 7:30 p.m. CST
Saturday – 7 p.m. CST

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.

St. Cloud State at Clarkson
Friday – 6 p.m. CST
Saturday – 6 p.m. CST

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.

Michigan Tech, Alaska Anchorage, and Minnesota State are off this week.

Brainerd defenseman Olson commits to UMD

2007-11-22T23:00:00.000-06:00

Brainerd 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.

Tyler Ruegsegger plays hockey well

2007-11-20T23:31:00.000-06:00

WCHA Blog Power Rankings - 11/20

2007-11-20T23:17:00.000-06:00

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. Denver took care of Minnesota State last weekend, and did so by outscoring the Mavs by a 9-1 score in the two games. They take on Colorado College in what should be a great matchup this weekend in a home-and-home series.

2. Colorado College (-)
Last Week: 4-3 and 6-1 wins versus Wisconsin
This Week: Home and Home versus Denver

As impressive as DU’s sweep was, CC’s sweep of the Wisconsin Badgers was even more impressive. They put 10 goals up on the Badgers in two games, which is not the easiest feat to accomplish. 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.

3. North Dakota (-)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Two games versus Minnesota Duluth

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. UND last lost to the Bulldogs in December of 2004, so it will be an uphill battle for UMD in Grand Forks.

4. St. Cloud State (-)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Two games at Clarkson

Like North Dakota, the Huskies took last weekend off before heading out east for a non-conference series this weekend against Clarkson. SCSU swept the Golden Knights last season at the National Hockey Center by scores of 4-0 and 7-2, but the upcoming games should be much closer. Clarkson is 9-3-0 on the season and are currently ranked seventh in the current USCHO.com poll.

5. Minnesota Duluth (+2)

Last Week: 1-1 tie and 4-1 win versus Michigan Tech
This Week: Two games at North Dakota

The Bulldogs had a successful weekend, taking three of four points from Michigan Tech. UMD is now tied with Michigan Tech with 9 points, good for third place in the WCHA. 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.

6. Wisconsin (-)
Last Week: 4-3 and 6-1 losses at Colorado College
This Week: One game at Michigan, One game at Michigan State (College Hockey Showcase)

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 Colorado College. 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. However, they are ninth in the WCHA in terms of scoring defense, ahead of only Minnesota State. Things don’t get any easier this weekend as they take to the road for the College Hockey Showcase.

7. Michigan Tech (-1)
Last Week: 1-1 tie and 4-1 loss at Minnesota Duluth
This Week: Idle

The Huskies got netminder Michael-Lee Teslak back last weekend, but only managed to take one point from UMD at the DECC. Michigan Tech now has just one win in its last seven games, and have just one game in Houghton from now until January 25. 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.

8. Minnesota (-3)
Last Week: 3-0 win and 4-2 loss versus Minnesota State
This Week: One game at Michigan State, One game at Michigan (College Hockey Showcase)

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. On the season, Minnesota is a minus six in third period goal differential. The right names are appearing on the score sheet for Minnesota – 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. They take on Michigan State and Michigan this weekend.

9. Alaska Anchorage (+1)
Last Week: 3-0 loss and 4-2 win at Minnesota
This Week: Idle

The Seawolves used a three goal third period to stop their winless streak at five games last Saturday in Minneapolis. That was their first WCHA win and are now 1-3-2 in conference play. Sophomores Kevin Clark and Josh Lunden continue to play great hockey for the Seawolves, as they lead UAA in scoring.

10. Minnesota State (-1)

Last Week: 2-1 and 7-0 losses at Denver
This Week: Idle

The Mavericks have now dropped four straight games and have just one win in eight conference games to open the season. 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. Part of their early season struggles could relate to their schedule: they’ve played nine of 10 games so far on the road. They are off this weekend but then host Minnesota Duluth and Wisconsin, so they have some chances – at home – to get back in the race.

WCHA Players of the Week - 11/20

2007-11-20T23:08:00.000-06:00

Colorado 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.

From the press release:

Colorado College center iceman Chad Rau, 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.

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.

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.

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.

Also nominated this week were: Tyler Ruegsegger, F, DU; and Josh Meyers, D, UMD.

The University of Denver's Peter Mannino and the University of Minnesota Duluth's Alex Stalock - 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Also nominated this week were: Jon Olthuis, G, UAA; and Nate Prosser, D, CC.

University of Alaska Anchorage defenseman Kane Lafranchise, 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.

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.

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.

Also nominated this week were: Richard Bachman, G, CC; and Dustin Jackson, F, DU.

NHL Update - 11/20

2007-11-20T09:28:00.000-06:00

Much like the USHL update I posted earlier today, the WCHA Blog will keep track of former WCHA players that are currently playing in the NHL. Click here to view that spreadsheet.

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.

USHL Update - 11/20

2007-11-20T09:26:00.000-06:00

USCHO Poll - 11/19

2007-11-19T16:12:00.000-06:00

Click here 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.

1. Miami (-)
2. Michigan (-)
3. Denver (+1)
4. Colorado College (+3)
5. Michigan State (-2)
6. North Dakota (-1)
7. Clarkson (+1)
8. New Hampshire (-2)
9. Notre Dame (+1)
10. Massachusetts (+4)
10. St. Cloud State (+3)
12. Wisconsin (-3)
13. Minnesota (-1)
14. Boston College (-3)
15. Minnesota Duluth (+2)
16. Rensselaer (-1)
17. Niagara (+3)
18. Harvard (+1)
19. Michigan Tech (-1)
20. Northeastern (NR)

Around the Country - 11/19

2007-11-19T14:15:00.001-06:00

Each week, the WCHA Blog will take a look at action from around the nation that doesn't involve WCHA teams.

In the key series of the weekend, the Miami Redhawks posted a very impressive sweep at Munn Ice Arena versus the defending NCAA champion Michigan State Spartans. 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.

Speaking of the Maize and Blue, Michigan extended their winning streak to ten games with a sweep at Lake Superior State. 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.

Clarkson has emerged as the top ECAC team early in the season, holding a 6-1-0 conference record after defeating Yale and Brown this past weekend. Junior Chris D'Alvise has 12 points in 12 games. After the Golden Knights, it looks like Harvard and Cornell may be the next best teams. Both clubs split over the weekend, but Harvard topped Cornell on Friday night.

Notes: Boston College went winless on the weekend, tying Massachusetts on Friday and losing to the Minutemen on Saturday … The New Hampshire Wildcats gained a split, losing to Northeastern in Durham by a 4-1 score on Friday night, but bounced back to top Providence 5-4 in overtime on Saturday … Notre Dame continued their solid play, sweeping Western Michigan in a home-and-home series; the Irish have now won five of their last six games …

WCHA Weekend Recap - 11/19

2007-11-19T14:01:00.000-06:00

The Alaska Anchorage Seawolves ended their five-game winless streak on Saturday night in Minneapolis, as they were able to salvage a split with the Minnesota Golden Gophers 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.

The Colorado College Tigers further established their first place standing in the WCHA by sweeping the Wisconsin Badgers 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.

As expected, Minnesota State gave Denver 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.

Despite getting junior Michael-Lee Teslak back between the pipes for both nights, the Michigan Tech Huskies were only able to take one point from Minnesota Duluth 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.

North Dakota and St. Cloud State were off this past weekend.

NHL.com article on former UND blueliner Lee

2007-11-19T13:28:00.000-06:00

Click here to read an article done by NHL.com's Lindsay Kramer that talks about former North Dakota defenseman Brian Lee and his development in the AHL this season with the Binghamton Senators.

Hockey's Future Q&A with Sterling

2007-11-19T13:25:00.000-06:00

Click here to read an interview that was conducted by Hockey's Future with former Colorado College Tigers star Brett Sterling, who started the year playing for the Atlanta Thrashers but was recently sent back to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Sterling led the AHL in goals last season with 55.

Oshie interview with Hockey's Future

2007-11-19T10:44:00.000-06:00

Click here to download / listen to an interview that North Dakota junior T.J. Oshie did recently with Hockey's Futre.

INCH Power Rankings: 11/19

2007-11-19T08:37:00.000-06:00

Click here to view the list in detail. WCHA teams, which hold seven of the 20 spots, are in bold.

1. Miami
2. Michigan
3. Denver
4. Michigan State
5. Colorado College
6. New Hampshire
7. Clarkson
8. North Dakota
9. Notre Dame
10. Boston College
11. Wisconsin
12. Minnesota Duluth
13. St. Cloud State
14. Massachusetts
15. Minnesota
16. RPI
17. Northeastern
18. Harvard
19. Niagara
20. Bowling Green

NTDP defenseman Marciano commits to CC

2007-11-19T08:33:00.000-06:00

According to Kate Crandall's blog, U.S. NTDP Under-18 defenseman Joe Marciano has committed to Colorado College for the fall of 2008. The Alta Loma, Calif. native was also considering Harvard. Prior to joining the NTDP, Marciano, who stands at 6-foot-1, 194-pounds, played for Shattuck-St. Mary's in Fairbault, Minn.

Weekend Preview: Nov. 16-18

2007-11-16T09:09:00.000-06:00

Minnesota State at Denver
Friday – 8:30 p.m. CST
Saturday – 8 p.m. CST

The Denver Pioneers, fresh off their one week break from WCHA play, return to action by hosting five of the next six games at home, starting with two contests this weekend versus Minnesota State. The Pios hosted the Mavs last year for a pair of games, and got three points from Minnesota State. They key to Denver’s success (they are 6-2-0 on the young season) as been their defense: in their six wins, they have allowed a total of just five goals. Senior goalie Peter Mannino has obviously been paramount to their defensive success, and his numbers are stellar: a 1.52 goals against average and a .940 save percentage. The Mavericks are coming off a pair of losses versus Minnesota in a home and home series last weekend. That is becoming the norm for Minnesota State, as they have beat Minnesota just twice in their history. They have traditionally played DU tough, so they should bounce back and be competitive in the Mile High City this weekend.

Wisconsin at Colorado College
Friday – 8:30 p.m. CST
Saturday – 8 p.m. CST

The Colorado College Tigers have been a very streaky team this year: they won their first two games, lost their next three, and are currently riding a three-game winning streak into their series versus the Wisconsin Badgers this weekend. Last weekend, CC dispatched of Minnesota Duluth in a two-game sweep by scores of 5-3 and 3-0. Sophomore Billy Sweatt is off to a great start for CC, as he’s scored four goals and chipped in six assists in just eight games. Freshman netminder Richard Bachman, however, has been the real key: he’s 5-1-0 with a 1.49 goals against average and a .950 save percentage. The Badgers, meanwhile, have split in three of their four weekend series so far this season, and most recently took two points from North Dakota at the Kohl Center. UW has scored 20 goals in their four non-conference games, but just 11 in their four WCHA games. After these two games with Wisconsin and then hosting Denver next Friday on the front-end of a home and home series, the Tigers won’t play their next home game until January 11. However, after that day, they play 11 of their final 16 games at the World Arena.

Alaska Anchorage at Minnesota
Friday – 7 p.m. CST (Live on FSN North and FCS Central)
Saturday – 7 p.m. CST (Live on FSN North and FCS Atlantic)

Minnesota will look to climb back to the .500 mark in WCHA play this weekend as they host the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves in a rematch of last year’s three game WCHA first round playoff series. Despite all the “doom and gloom” that’s been surrounding Minnesota’s season so far, they are 6-4-0 and have played one of the tougher schedules in the nation, so there’s some reason for optimism on behalf of Minnesota fans. The Seawolves start a pretty tough stretch this weekend: they are at Minnesota for two games, then return home to host CC for two, travel back to the state of Minnesota to take on UMD, and they head back to Anchorage for a pair with DU.

Michigan Tech at Minnesota Duluth
Friday – 7 p.m. CST
Saturday – 7 p.m. CST

This series will feature a pair of WCHA teams that got off to very hot starts to the season but have seen those hot starts fizzle a bit in recent weeks. Minnesota Duluth went undefeated in their first four games of the year – all at home at the DECC – but has subsequently lost three of four games at Denver and Colorado College. Michigan Tech, meanwhile, similarly played a majority of their early season games at home, and went 4-2 in those six games; however, they then split at UW and were swept back in Houghton last weekend by St. Cloud State. They key to this series will be the availability of Tech goaltender Michael-Lee Teslak. The junior missed both games last weekend with a sore back and it showed in the two losses to SCSU. Fellow junior Rob Nolan is a very solid goalie, but Teslak is “the guy” for Tech. UMD sophomore Alex Stalock appears to have emerged as a legit D-I goalie after an up and down freshman campaign. He’s played each game this year for UMD, posting a 4-3-1 record with a 2.24 goals against average and a .916 save percentage.

North Dakota and St. Cloud State are off this week.

Other Noteable Games

Miami at Michigan State
Thursday – Miami 4, Michigan State 2
Friday – 6 p.m. CST

These two teams kicked off the weekend a bit early last with, with Miami going into Munn Ice Arena and upending the defending NCAA champions by a 4-2 score. Michigan State’s power play was their downfall last night, going 0-8. Meanwhile, the Redhawks cashed in twice with the man advantage, going 2-6. The game was 2-2 going into the third period, but Miami’s Nathan Davis scored just :54 seconds into the final frame, and Justin Mercier would tack on an empty-netter with :41 seconds left. The Spartans had just three shots in the third period. The rematch is set for tonight.

WCHA Blog Power Rankings - 11/15

2007-11-15T09:21:00.000-06:00

The Pioneers stay on top after taking the previous weekend off, and return to action this weekend as they host Minnesota State. On the surface, it would appear like an easy weekend is ahead for the Pioneers, but the Mavericks will likely put up a pretty good fight in an least one of this weekend's games.

2. Colorado College (+1)
Last Week: 5-3 and 3-0 wins versus Minnesota Duluth
This Week: Two games versus Wisconsin

The Tigers returned home after two straight weekends on the road and took care of business as they swept Minnesota Duluth. Freshman goalie Richard Bachman continued his stellar start to his NCAA career, and is answering one of the biggest questions coming into the season for the Tigers. Things will get a little tougher this weekend as they host the Badgers.

3. North Dakota (-1)
Last Week: 4-0 loss and 3-1 win at Wisconsin
This Week: Idle

After three straight splits to open the WCHA season, the Fighting Sioux take this weekend off before hosting UMD on Thanksgiving weekend. Last weekend in Madison, the Fighting Sioux could have easily won both games -- even in Friday night's 4-0 loss, UND outshot the Badgers 43-24, including 25 shots in the third period.

4. St. Cloud State (+3)
Last Week: 5-2 and 4-1 wins at Michigan Tech
This Week: Idle

St. Cloud State put up an impressive pair of victories last weekend as they swept the Michigan Tech Huskies in Houghton. It should be noted that Tech was without their top goaltender, but SCSU took advantage of that, which isn't always something a team is able to do. Freshman Garrett Roe and sophomore Ryan Lasch are tied with 17 points, which leads the nation.

5. Minnesota (+4)
Last Week: 4-3 and 5-3 wins versus Minnesota State
This Week: Two games versus Alaska Anchorage

Minnesota's power play ended its 0-30 drought last weekend, and -- not surprisingly -- ended up winning a couple games versus Minnesota State. And maybe most importantly, sophomore Kyle Okposo got on the board with a pair of goals, his first since the opening game of the season.

6. Wisconsin (-)
Last Week: 4-0 win and 3-1 loss versus North Dakota
This Week: Two games at Colorado College

I'm sure Mike Eaves and Co. were happy with a home split versus a team of North Dakota's caliber, and they will likely have a similar goal this weekend as they head to Colorado College to take on the Tigers. The Badgers got a good opportunity to play against a high-octane offense last weekend, and will face a similar group of forwards this weekend in the form of the Tigers.

7. Minnesota Duluth (-2)
Last Week: 5-3 and 3-0 losses at Colorado College
This Week: Two games versus Michigan Tech

After going undefeated in their first four games, UMD has dropped three of their last four games, including getting swept at CC last weekend. Now, all four of those games have been on the road against very solid teams (CC and DU). The Bulldogs return home to tangle with Michigan Tech this weekend in what should feature a pair of tightly-contested games.

8. Michigan Tech (-4)
Last Week: 5-2 and 4-1 losses versus St. Cloud State
This Week: Two games at Minnesota Duluth

The Huskies were without goaltender Michael-Lee Teslak last weekend versus St. Cloud State, and subsequently yielded nine goals in a pair of losses against SCSU. That being said, they also scored just three goals against a St. Cloud State team that doesn't appear to be a defensive dynamo. They suffered a big blow this week when star freshman-to-be Casey Pierro-Zabotel elected to enroll at Tech but will rather play in the WHL.

9. Minnesota State (-1)
Last Week: 4-3 and 5-3 losses versus Minnesota
This Week: Two games at Denver

The Mavericks continued to have their struggles versus their top in-state rival as they were swept by Minnesota in a home and home series last weekend. The scores would indicate that the games were fairly close, but there wasn't really a point in either game were it appeared like the Mavs were going to take over and win the game. Things don't get any easier this weekend as they head to Denver to take on the Pioneers, who were off last weekend.

10. Alaska Anchorage (-)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Two games at Minnesota

The Seawolves were off last weekend after taking one point from SCSU the weekend before. They now head back to the state of Minnesota to take on the Golden Gophers in a rematch of last year's hotly contested WCHA first round playoff series. Because of that series, the Seawolves know they can hang with the Gophers. Getting off to a good start will be key for the Seawolves.

Minnesota State picks up another 2009 recruit

2007-11-14T23:24:00.000-06:00

PF Changs Major Midget defenseman Danny Heath has committed to Minnesota State for the 2009 season, according to Chris Heisenberg. The Glendale, Ariz. native is already 6'1", 175 lbs. and was invited to the U.S. NTDP tryouts in 2006. Heath joins goaltender Kevin Murdock (Lincoln - USHL) as the two Maverick recruits for 2009.

Another Mattson picks UND

2007-11-14T23:14:00.000-06:00

As Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald first reported, U.S. NTDP Under-17 defenseman Nick Mattson has verbally committed to the University of North Dakota for the fall of 2010. The Chaska, Minn. native chose the Fighting Sioux over Minnesota and Wisconsin.

This Mattson will join Holy Angels junior forward Danny Mattson (no relation) and several other Twin Cities natives in Grand Forks over the next several years. Schlossman's blog does a good job of outlining the UND / Twin Cities pipeline.

Here are some quotes from Mattson, which come from the GFH article that is linked to in the first paragraph:

“North Dakota kind of matches my personality,” Mattson said. “I’m a small town kid. I just really felt comfortable with the coaching staff and facilities. I had a chance to meet some of the guys when I visited there, asked them some questions, and everyone seemed to love it.”

“This is the biggest relief I’ve ever felt in my life,” Mattson said. “I had a long time to think about it. It’s something I’ve really been thinking about all the time for the past five months. It feels really, really good to have it done with.”

"I have a ton of things to work on to get to where I want to be,” Mattson said. “It’s nice to get this (commitment) out of the way, so I can focus on my game.”

It's official: Pierro-Zabotel to the Dub

2007-11-14T23:07:00.000-06:00

As the Western College Hockey blog speculated last month, Michigan Tech recruit Casey Pierro-Zabotel will not enroll at Michigan Tech, but will rather sign with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, thus giving up his NCAA eligibility. He had been playing in the BCHL while trying to gain eligibility after he was initially denied by the NCAA Clearinghouse this past fall. Pierro-Zabotel was a second round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

WCHA Blog's Take: This is certainly a big blow to Michigan Tech. While their current roster has the makings of a very formidable team, they lack the explosive game-breaking type player that Pierro-Zabotel could have been.

WCHA Players of the Week - 11/13

2007-11-13T16:52:00.000-06:00

St. Cloud State forward Ryan Lasch, Denver goalie Peter Mannino, and Denver forward Tyler Bozak have been named the WCHA Players of the Week.

From the press release:

For the second straight week, St. Cloud State University right winger Ryan Lasch is the Red Baron WCHA Offensive Player of the Week, this time for his efforts in a two-game conference road sweep over league-leading Michigan Tech.

A 5-7, 175-pound sophomore from Lake Forest, Calif., Lasch led all league players with three goals over the Nov. 9-10 weekend, and also added one assist and five shots on goal. In the process, Lasch extended his goal scoring streak to five games and his point scoring streak to six games.

In a 5-2 St. Cloud State victory over the host Huskies last Friday night, Lasch scored the game-opening goal in the first period and then netted the eventual game-winner at 6:53 of the second. Then in a 4-1 SCSU triumph last Saturday, Lasch added another goal and an assist on the game-opening goal.

Lasch, who was a member of the All-WCHA Rookie Team as a freshman in 2006-07, currently shares the scoring lead overall among WCHA players, and is also first among all Division 1 players, with 17 points (8g, 9a) in 10 games played.

Also nominated this week were: Andreas Vlassopoulos, F, CC; and Ben Gordon, F, UM.

University of Wisconsin goaltender Shane Connelly, who stopped 74 of 77 shots on goal and recorded his fifth collegiate shutout in a conference series split against visiting North Dakota last weekend, been named Red Baron WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for Nov. 13-19.

A 5-9, 177-pound junior from Cheltenham, Pa., Connelly posted a .961 saves percentage in the two games, posted four shutout periods and allowed just two even-strength goals.

He had a 43-save shutout - including 25 stops in the third period - in Wisconsin's 4-0 victory over the Fighting Sioux last Friday (Nov. 9) night at the Kohl Center, the second most saves for a UW goaltender in a shutout behind the 50 stops made by Dick Perkins at Michigan State on Feb. 25, 1972 in a 5-0 win.

Then last Saturday (Nov. 10), Connelly came back with 31 saves in a 3-1 setback to UND, including double digit stop totals in all three periods.

In addition to his 74 saves in the series, Connelly also helped hold North Dakota to one power-play goal in nine opportunities.

Also nominated this week were: Jake Gannon, D, CC; and Jase Weslosky, G, SCSU.

Colorado College freshman goaltender Richard Bachman, who backstopped the Tigers into first place in the WCHA with a pair of victories over visiting Minnesota Duluth last weekend, has been named Red Baron WCHA Rookie of the Week for Nov. 13-19. Bachman earned the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week award back on Oct. 23 for his play against Minnesota.

A 5-10, 172-pounder from Highlands Ranch, Colo., Bachman earned his first collegiate shutout, stopped 58 of 61 shots on goal in the series for a .951 saves percentage, and blanked the Bulldogs on all six of their weekend power-play chances. He had double digit save totals in five of the six periods.

Bachman stopped all 34 Minnesota Duluth shots on goal last Saturday (Nov. 10) evening at the Colorado Springs World Arena to notch his first career shutout as the host Tigers logged a 3-0 victory. Last Friday (Nov. 9), he made 24 saves in a 5-3 CC victory.

On the season, Bachman ranks first among WCHA goalies overall in both winning percentage (5-1-0, .833) and saves percentage (.950), and is second in goals-against average at 1.49.

Also nominated this week were: Cade Fairchild, D, UM; and Garrett Roe, F, SCSU.

UW's Shane Connelly is good

2007-11-13T11:12:00.000-06:00

USHL Update - 11/13

2007-11-13T10:50:00.000-06:00

USCHO Poll - 11/12

2007-11-12T18:43:00.000-06:00

Click here to view the entire poll. The number in parenthesis represents the movement in the poll from last week. Miami received 26 of the 50 first place votes, while Michigan received 22 votes and Michigan State got two votes. WCHA teams, which occupy eight of the 20 spots, are in bold.

1. Miami (-)
2. Michigan (-)
3. Michigan State (+1)
4. Denver (+1)
5. North Dakota (-2)
6. New Hampshire (-)
7. Colorado College (+2)
8. Clarkson (-)
9. Wisconsin (+1)
10. Notre Dame (+2)
11. Boston College (-4)
12. Minnesota (+2)
13. St. Cloud State (+4)
14. Massachusetts (+6)
15. RPI (+1)
16. Maine (-5)
17. Minnesota Duluth (-2)
18. Michigan Tech (-5)
19. Harvard (NR)
20. Niagara (-1)

Minnesota's Howe out with a concussion

2007-11-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

In what was a very scary scene at Mariucci Arena on Saturday night, Minnesota senior forward Mike Howe suffered a stage two concussion, according to a report in the Star Tribune. However, it appeared for a moment as though Howe's injury could have been much more severe, as he laid on the ice for several minutes after hitting his head / neck / shoulder off the boards after trying to make a hit on a Minnesota State player. Howe was taken off the ice while strapped to a medical board (not the proper name I'm sure). FSN reported later in the game that he was taken off in a such a manner mainly for precautionary reasons.

Around the Country - 11/12

2007-11-12T09:51:00.000-06:00

Each week, the WCHA Blog will take a look at action from around the nation that doesn't involve WCHA teams.

In the key series of the weekend in all of college hockey, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish was able to go on the road and gain a split with the Miami Redhawks. Notre Dame netminder Jordan Pearce was under siege quite often on Friday night, but managed to turn away 32 of 33 Miami shots in the 2-1 win. The one shot that did get by came from the stick of the Redhawks’ Nathan Davis, who returned to the lineup after missing the last few weeks with a shoulder injury. Miami came out flying on Saturday night, taking a 2-0 lead after the first period and outshooting the Irish by a 16-4 margin. That would be all the Redhawks would need in the 3-1 victory.

In the surprise of the weekend, Providence was able to go into Maine and sweep the Black Bears. On Friday, Maine was outshot by the Friars 39-17 and lost 6-2. Saturday’s game was played much closer to the vest, but Maine still lost by a 1-0 score and was against outshot by a wide margin (34-22).

In the marquee Hockey East matchup of the weekend, the New Hampshire Wildcats took it to the Boston College Eagles in Durham on Saturday night, topping BC by a 5-2 score. The Eagles tied the game early in the third period, but the Wildcats scored three third period goals to gain the win. BC was without junior Nathan Gerbe, who was suspended by Hockey East for an incident in Friday night’s tie versus Merrimack (though Gerbe was not penalized on the play).

Notes: Michigan extended their winning streak to eight games by sweeping Alaska at Yost Ice Arena by scores of 4-0 and 4-2 … Michigan State put up a pair of 6-2 victories at home versus Mercyhurst … Boston University went winless on the weekend, losing to Massachusetts at home on Friday and tying Northeastern on Saturday … Harvard didn’t allow a goal on the weekend, as they blanked RPI and Union in a pair of wins.

WCHA Weekend Recap - 11/12

2007-11-12T09:48:00.000-06:00

In maybe the surprise of the weekend in the WCHA, the St. Cloud State Huskies went into Houghton and swept the Michigan Tech Huskies in a pair of games that weren’t really close. In Friday night’s 5-2 victory, freshman center Garrett Roe three assists, all of which came on the Huskies three power play goals. Junior Rob Nolan got the start between the pipes for Tech on both nights, as fellow junior Michael-Lee Teslak was out with an injury (rumored to be back spasms). On Saturday night, the SCSU power play went 0-3, but sophomore Jase Weslosky made 24 saves in the 4-1 win. SCSU’s Ryan Lasch had a goal and an assist in the win.

In what turned out to be a hotly contested series, the North Dakota Fighting Sioux split for the third weekend in a row against, this time against the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison. On Friday night, Wisconsin’s Shane Connelly turned away 43 North Dakota shots – including 25 in the third period – and the Badgers got three third period goals to propel themselves to a 4-0 win. The Fighting Sioux were able to rebound for a 3-1 win on Saturday, but the game was largely overshadowed by the end-of-game antics which resulted in 122 minutes in penalties at the 16:52 mark of the third period. The video can be viewed here, along with the video of the argument between UND head coach Dave Hakstol and UW head coach Mike Eaves at the end of the game.

The Colorado College Tigers continued their strong play, sweeping the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at the World Arena in Colorado Springs. In Friday night’s 5-3 win, the Tigers scored four goals in the second period to jump out to a 5-2 lead which they would of course hold on to. CC’s top line of Bill Sweatt, Andreas Vlassopoulos and Derek Patrosso combined for seven points on the evening. Freshman goalie Richard Bachman got the win on Friday, which earned him a start in Saturday night’s rematch, and he didn’t disappoint, as he blanked the Bulldogs by a 3-0 score. Senior Jimmy Kilpatrick, back from injury, scored the game-winning goal midway through the first period.

The Minnesota Golden Gophers finally won a WCHA game on Friday night, and followed that up with another win on Saturday as they swept the Minnesota State Mavericks in a home and home series. On Friday night, the Gophers took a 4-1 lead into the third period at the Alltel Wireless Center in Mankato, but the Mavs scored a pair of goals in the third to cut the lead to one, but Minnesota was able to limit MSU’s chances down the stretch and hang on for the 4-3 win. In Saturday’s rematch in Minneapolis, Minnesota’s Kyle Okposo scored a pair of goals – his first since the opening game of the season – as the Gophers topped the Mavs by a 5-3 score. The power play, which had been zero for the last 30 for Minnesota, went 5-10 against MSU, so it would appear that the Gophers are in the process of righting the ship.

Alaska Anchorage and Denver were off this weekend.

INCH Power Rankings: 11/12

2007-11-12T08:26:00.000-06:00

Click here to view the list in detail. WCHA teams, which hold eight of the 20 spots, are in bold.

1. Miami
2. Michigan State
3. New Hampshire
4. Michigan
5. North Dakota
6. Denver
7. Clarkson
8. Colorado College
9. Boston College
10. Wisconsin
11. Notre Dame
12. Minnesota
13. Minnesota Duluth
14. St. Cloud State
15. Harvard
16. RPI
17. Michigan Tech
18. Massachusetts
19. Maine
20. Bowling Green

Shattuck's Novotny commits to Denver

2007-11-09T12:57:00.000-06:00

As Chris Heisenberg first reported, Shattuck St. Mary's forward Stepan Novotny has committed to the Denver Pioneers for the fall of 2008. Novotny is a native of the Czech Republic and has 29 points in 22 games so far this year for SSM, as the Western College Hockey blog points out. Novotny will join Joe Colborne (F - AJHL), Nate Dewhurst (F - USHL), and John Lee (D - USHL) as Pioneer freshmen next fall.

Weekend Preview: Nov. 9-11

2007-11-09T12:54:00.000-06:00

St. Cloud State at Michigan Tech
Friday – 6 p.m. CST
Saturday – 6 p.m. CST

After gaining a split with the Wisconsin Badgers last weekend in Madison, the Michigan Tech Huskies return home to Houghton to tangle with the St. Cloud State Huskies. Michigan Tech currently sits alone in first place in the WCHA, having gained eight points in six conference games. They managed an impressive road split at the Kohl Center, which as always a difficult place to play. But Tech is an experienced team, which will certainly play to their advantage as this season progresses. St. Cloud State, meanwhile, is not a veteran team, and it showed in their first road series of the year, which featured a pair of losses to Minnesota Duluth. Look for a pair of closely contested games between these two teams. Michigan Tech won the only two meetings between the two teams last season.

Minnesota Duluth at Colorado College
Friday – 8:30 p.m. CST
Saturday – 8 p.m. CST

The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, who are a somewhat surprising 4-1-1 overall after six games, head back to the state of Colorado this weekend after taking two points from the Denver Pioneers two weeks ago. This time around, they’ll head down to Colorado College to take on the Tigers, who are coming off a split at North Dakota. They key do UMD’s early season success has been the play of sophomore Alex Stalock and the defensive core. Overall, UMD is yielding just 1.67 goals per game. They are averaging just 2.67, so there isn’t a lot of room for error at this point. CC, meanwhile, is just 3-3 on the year, but they have played one of the toughest schedules in the country, with four of their six games coming away from the World Arena.

Minnesota vs. Minnesota State (Home and Home)
Friday – 7:30 p.m. CST (Live on Charter, FSN North, and FCS Central)
Saturday – 7 p.m. CST (Live on FSN North and FCS Atlantic)

The struggling Golden Gophers take their act to Mankato on Friday night to take on the Minnesota State Mavericks in the Mavs’ home opener. Minnesota’s power play is on a well-documented 0-30 streak, and will need to improve if they hope to capture any points in this weekend’s series. The Mavericks feature a hot goaltender in the form of junior Mike Zacharias, which may be all they need to topple the offensively-challenged Gophers. Minnesota was 3-0-1 against the Mavericks last season, but easily could have lost all four of the contests, so they will need to bring their “A” game – especially on the road on Friday – if they hope to snap out of their funk.

North Dakota at Wisconsin
Friday – 7 p.m. CST
Saturday – 7 p.m. CST (Live on FSN North - Wisconsin and FCS Pacific)

This is absolutely the marquee series of the weekend, as the Fighting Sioux head to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers. UND has split each of their first two WCHA series – the first was a road split at Michigan Tech, where they arguably outplayed the Huskies on both nights, and the other was a home split against Colorado College where they clearly outplayed the Tigers on both nights, so there’s little reason for concern for the pre-season favorites. The Badgers are coming off a home split versus Michigan Tech. They showed good resolve in scoring three third period goals on Saturday night in their 4-2 win. The Badgers’ ability to score goals will be challenged this weekend, as UND will likely get their fair share of chances against UW’s youthful defensive core.

Denver and Alaska Anchorage are off this week.

Other Noteable Games

Notre Dame at Miami
Friday – 7 p.m. CST
Saturday – 6 p.m. CST

The Miami Redhawks, who are the No. 1 team in the nation in both major polls, will look to remain undefeated on the season as they take on the Fighting Irish in a key CCHA series this weekend in Oxford. Miami has been scoring at an outrageous clip (five goals per game!) and have been without last year’s leading scorer Nathan Davis for much of the season. Notre Dame’s goalies (Jordan Pearce and/or Brad Phillips) will need to play very well to keep their team in the games, though the Fighting Irish have a very nice stable of forwards that should be able to hold their own.

Boston College at New Hampshire
Saturday – 6 p.m. CST

The Eagles and Wildcats were, as usual, two of the preseason favorites in Hockey East, and both are off to solid starts to their seasons. New Hampshire had a hiccup in last weekend’s loss at home versus Northeastern, but is an impressive 4-1-0 overall with wins against Colorado College (2) and Boston University (1). The Eagles have just one loss on the season – to the No. 2 team in the nation (Michigan) – and have gotten very good play out of freshman goalie John Muse, which has helped ease any concerns BC fans had when Cory Schneider elected to turn pro this summer after his junior season.

SCSU forward Gale leaves team for BCHL

2007-11-08T16:24:00.000-06:00

As the Western College Hockey blog is reporting, St. Cloud State forward A.J. Gale has left the team to return to the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL. Gale, who was a sophomore this season for the Huskies, played in just 18 games as a freshman last season for St. Cloud State, registering one assist and a eight penalty minutes. He had played his junior hockey for the Clippers prior to joining the Huskies last fall.

Ex-St. Thomas goalie Crandall commits to Wisconsin

2007-11-08T16:18:00.000-06:00

Former St. Thomas Academy goalie Aaron Crandall has committed to the Wisconsin Badgers for the fall of 2009, according to various online reports. The ex-Cadet is currently playing for the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL. So far this season, Crandall has a 2-4-1 record with a 3.70 goals against average and a .888 save percentage. Despite those unimpressive statistics, Crandell is a nice recruit and will likely carry the torch as another good UW goalie, especially head coach Mike Eaves' system.

Apologies for the lack of updates over the last day or so ... the WCHA Blog has had the pleasure of dealing with airline cancellations for the "A" job. Good times. Rant over.

Michigan Tech & Minnesota State add recruits

2007-11-06T21:25:00.000-06:00

According to Chris Heisenberg's recruiting website, Michigan Tech has added Waterloo Blackhawks' forward Brett Olson to its' 2009 recruiting class, while Minnesota State has secured the services of Tri-City defenseman Cameron Cooper for the fall of 2008.

Olson, who hails from Superior, Wisc., has 32 points in 102 USHL games, as the Western College Hockey blog points out. He has average size (5'11", 173 lbs.) but should be a solid role player for the Huskies.

Cooper, meanwhile, is a name that may be familiar to Twin Cities residents, as he recently played for the Academy of Holy Angels before heading to the USHL. The Lakeville, Minn. native is off to a good start this season, as he has six points in 10 games for the Storm.

WCHA Players of the Week - 11/6

2007-11-06T15:47:00.000-06:00

St. Cloud State forward Ryan Lasch, Denver goalie Peter Mannino, and Denver forward Tyler Bozak have been named the WCHA Players of the Week.

From the press release:

St. Cloud State University right winger Ryan Lasch, who produced five scoring points while helping the Huskies to a three-point weekend against league rival Alaska Anchorage, has been named Red Baron WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for Nov. 6-12.

A 5-7, 175-pound sophomore from Lake Forest, Calif., Lasch scored three goals and set up two others while earning First Star of the Game honors both nights. He had two goals and one assist last Friday (Nov. 2) night in a 5-3 victory over the visiting Seawolves, scoring a tying goal and assisting on teammate Tony Mosey's second period game-winner. Lasch then added another goal and another assist on Saturday (Nov. 3) as SCSU overcame a 3-1 deficit to earn a 4-4 overtime tie. Trailing 3-1 in the second period, Lasch scored a goal to make it 3-2 and then drew an assist on teammate Garrett Roe's goal that evened the score at 3-3 in the third.

In addition to his five points, Lasch had eight shots on goal and earned a +1 plus-minus rating in the series. On the 2007-08 season, he is in a three-way tie for the overall scoring lead in the WCHA with 13 points (5g, 8a).

Also nominated this week were: Bill Sweatt, So, F, CC; Rhett Rakhshani, So, F, DU; Mick Berge, Jr, F, MSU; Ryan Duncan, Jr, F, UND; and Kyle Klubertanz, Sr, D, UW.

Peter Mannino, a senior goaltender at the University of Denver, has been named Red Baron WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for Nov. 6-12 as a result of his outstanding play in the Pioneers' two-game road sweep over two-time defending conference champion Minnesota last weekend.

A 6-0, 195-pounder from Farmington Hills, Mich., Mannino backstopped Denver to it's first sweep at Minnesota since Dec. 10-11, 1994. He stopped 68 of 70 shots on goal in the series for a .971 saves percentage, posted four shutout periods, and blanked the Golden Gophers on all 10 of their power-play opportunities.
Notching his first two career victories over Minnesota, Mannino stopped 36 of 37 shots on goal in a 5-1 Denver victory last Friday (Nov. 2) and then came back with 32 saves on 33 shots in a 4-1 triumph last Sunday (Nov. 4).

On the 2007-08 season, Mannino has allowed one goal or less in all six Denver wins and he sports a 6-2-0 record with a 1.52 goals-against average and a .940 saves percentage. He currently ranks second all-time at DU in goals-against average (2.20), third in saves percentage (.920) and shutouts (10), and is tied for ninth in wins (44).

Also nominated this week were: Kris Fredheim, So, D, CC; Drew Dobson, So, D, MTU; Brian Kilburg, Jr, D, MSU; Robbie Bina, Sr, D, UND; and Aaron Brocklehurst, Sr, D, SCSU.

University of Denver center iceman Tyler Bozak, who produced four goals and one assist while helping the visiting Pioneers to a pair of league road victories over defending WCHA champion Minnesota last weekend, has been named Red Baron WCHA Rookie of the Week for Nov. 6-12.

A 6-0, 175-pound freshman from Regina, Sask., Bozak's five scoring points included his first collegiate three-goal hat trick, a pair of shorthanded tallies, seven shots on goal and a +4 plus-minus series rating.

Last Friday (Nov. 2) at Mariucci Arena, Bozak scored one goal and drew an assist on teammate Tyler Ruegsegger's game-winner as DU posted a 5-1 victory over the Golden Gophers. He then came back on Sunday (Nov. 4) afternoon to notch his first hat trick, including two shorthanded goals in the third period, as the Pioneers completed the sweep with a 4-1 triumph.

In addition to his five points, Bozak also went 26-for-38 (68.4%) on faceoffs, added 10 hits, and blocked two shots.

On the season, Bozak is tied for third in scoring overall among WCHA rookies with five goals,two assists and seven points in eight games played.

Also nominated this week were: Richard Bachman, Fr., G, CC; Kurt Davis, Fr., D, MSU; and Cody Goloubef, Fr., D, UW.

USHL Update - 11/6

2007-11-06T14:36:00.000-06:00

WCHA Blog Power Rankings - 11/6

2007-11-06T11:43:00.000-06:00

To compliment the USCHO.com/CSTV Division I men's poll and the Inside College Hockey Power Rankings 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.

1. Denver (+4)
Last Week: 5-1 and 4-1 wins at Minnesota
This Week: Idle

The Pioneers swept the Gophers at Mariucci Arena for the first time since 1994 this past weekend, and now have an impressive 7-2-0 record after playing arguably one of the toughest early-season schedules in the nation. They’ll take the weekend off before taking on Minnesota State at home on Nov. 16-17.

2. North Dakota (-1)
Last Week: 6-2 win and 4-1 loss versus Colorado College
This Week: Two games at Wisconsin

North Dakota has held their own over the last two weekends, splitting at Michigan Tech and then taking two points from Colorado College in Grand Forks. The competition won’t get any easier for the Fighting Sioux this weekend, as they travel to Madison to take on the Badgers.

3. Colorado College (-)
Last Week: 6-2 loss and 4-1 win at North Dakota
This Week: Two games versus Minnesota Duluth

After a pair of very tough roadtrips, the Colorado College Tigers return home this weekend to take on Minnesota Duluth. I’m sure CC head coach Scott Owens is very happy with his team’s 5-3-0 start when you consider the teams they have played so far (Minnesota, New Hampshire, and North Dakota).

4. Michigan Tech (-)
Last Week: 4-2 win and 4-2 loss at Wisconsin
This Week: Two games versus St. Cloud State

The Huskies performed very well in their first road series of the year in splitting with the Badgers in Madison. Michael-Lee Teslak was in goal both nights for Tech and played well. The Badgers scored three third period goals on Saturday night, which was Tech’s lone soft period of the weekend.

5. Minnesota Duluth (+1)
Last Week: Idle
This Week: Two games at Colorado College

The Bulldogs were off last week after taking two points from DU the prior weekend. They return to the state of Colorado to take on the CC Tigers this Friday and Saturday. These will be UMD’s first games on an Olympic-sized sheet of ice this season. Junior MacGregor Sharp leads the Bulldogs with five points in six games.

6. Wisconsin (-4)
Last Week: 4-2 loss and 4-2 win versus Michigan Tech
This Week: Two games vs. North Dakota

After suffering a tough 4-2 loss on Friday night, Wisconsin shook off the rust (they didn’t play the previous weekend) and bounced back nicely to defeat Michigan Tech by a 4-2 score on Saturday. The Badgers had 30-plus shots on net both nights, which is certainly a good sign. Super frosh Kyle Turris had just one point in his first two WCHA games.

7. St. Cloud State (+1)
Last Week: 5-3 win and 4-4 tie versus Alaska Anchorage
This Week: Two games at Michigan Tech

St. Cloud State extended their unbeaten streak to five games this weekend by taking three points from Alaska Anchorage at home. Sophomore Ryan Lasch and freshman Garrett Roe continued their strong play, and they lead the Huskies with 13 points each. It will be a battle of the Huskies this weekend as St. Cloud travels to Houghton to take on Michigan Tech.

8. Minnesota State (+1)
Last Week: 7-0 and 4-2 wins at Alabama-Huntsville
This Week: Home and home series with Minnesota

After dropping their first two games of the season at Michigan Tech, the Mavericks have now gone four games without a loss, including a two-game sweep of Alabama-Huntsville this past weekend. Junior Mike Zacharias appears to have emerged as “the guy” between the pipes, as he sports a .943 save percentage and a 1.47 goals against average. Sophomore Trevor Bruess leads the team with five points in six games.

9. Minnesota (-3)
Last Week: 5-1 and 4-1 losses versus Denver
This Week: Home and home series with Minnesota State

For the first time in league history, the Golden Gophers have started conference play by losing four straight games. Their power play hasn’t scored in 30 consecutive tries, which is a big reason why they have scored just four goals in those four conference games. They’ll look to right the ship versus Minnesota State this weekend.

10. Alaska Anchorage (-)
Last Week: 5-3 loss and 4-4 tie at St. Cloud State
This Week: Idle

After winning three of their first four games, the Seawolves are now winless in their last four contests, and continued their streak of never having won a game in St. Cloud at the National Hockey Center. They had the lead in the third period of Saturday’s game with the Huskies but couldn’t hang on for the win. They are off this week before traveling back to Minnesota to take on the Golden Gophers Nov. 16-17.

2007 U.S. Men’s Select Team roster announced

2007-11-06T08:05:00.000-06:00

USA Hockey revealed its roster for the 2007 Deutschland Cup, which will take place from Nov. 8-11, in Hannover, Germany. Several former -- and one current -- WCHA players will participate.

Most of the players on the 2007 United States Men’s Select Team are currently playing in professional leagues in Europe. Of the WCHA players listed, only Mike Carman -- who is a sophomore at Minnesota but ineligible to play for the Gophers until the second semester -- currently plays in the U.S.

Click here to view the full roster.

Goalies
Adam Hauser - Minnesota

Defensemen
Nick Angell - Minnesota
Andrew Canzanello - Colorado College
Brett Hauer - Minnesota Duluth
Andy Hedlund - Minnesota State
Lee Sweatt - Colorado College

Forwards
Mike Carman - Minnesota
Bryan Lundbohm - North Dakota
David Lundbohm - North Dakota
Tim Stapleton - Minnesota Duluth
Landon Wilson - North Dakota

USCHO Poll - 11/5

2007-11-05T14:55:00.000-06:00

Click here to view the entire poll. The number in parenthesis represents the movement in the poll from last week. Miami received 49 of the 50 first place votes, while Michigan State received the other lone vote. WCHA teams in bold.

1. Miami (-)
2. Michigan (+1)
3. North Dakota (-1)
4. Michigan State (+2)
5. Denver (+2)
6. New Hampshire (-2)
7. Boston College (-2)
8. Clarkson (+3)
9. Colorado College (-)
10. Wisconsin (-)
11. Maine (+1)
12. Notre Dame (+2)
13. Michigan Tech (-)
14. Minnesota (-6)
15. Minnesota Duluth (-)
16. RPI (+1)
17. St. Cloud State (+2)
18. Princeton (NR)
19. Niagara (-1)
20. Massachusetts (-)

UND's Grieco leaves team for OHL

2007-11-05T12:10:00.000-06:00

North Dakota sophomore netminder Anthony Grieco has left the team for the OHL, according to a thread on SiouxSports.com. Grieco played in eight games last season during his freshman season, going 3-2-1 with a .884 save percentage and a 3.49 goals against average. He had yet to see time in a regular season game this year, as senior Jean-Philippe Lamoureux has been fantastic for UND.

Junior Aaron Walski will now serve as the primary backup to JPL. UND brings it highly regarded AJHL netminder Brad Eidsness next fall, and will likley bring in another goalie either at some point this season or as a freshman next fall.

INCH Power Rankings: 11/5

2007-11-05T09:16:00.000-06:00

Click here to view the list in detail. WCHA teams, which hold seven of the 20 spots, are in bold.

1. Miami
2. Michigan State
3. New Hampshire
4. North Dakota
5. Michigan
6. Denver
7. Boston College
8. Clarkson
9. Maine
10. Wisconsin
11. Colorado College
12. Notre Dame
13. Minnesota Duluth
14. Michigan Tech
15. Minnesota
16. RPI
17. Princeton
18. Dartmouth
19. Niagara
20. Massachusetts

Around the Country - 11/5

2007-11-05T09:03:00.000-06:00

Each week, the WCHA Blog will take a look at action from around the nation that doesn't involve WCHA teams.

The Michigan Wolverines continued their winning ways this weekend, taking a pair of games from Nebraska-Omaha on the road. The Maize and Blue were outshot in both games but got good performances in net from junior Billy Sauer to win 6-3 on Friday and 3-2 on Saturday. Michigan returns home to take on Alaska and then heads to Lake Superior State for two games, so it's not unreasonable to think the Wolverines could be carrying a 10-game winning streak into the College Hockey Showcase.

The No. 1 team in all the land, the Miami Redhawks continued their winning ways by sweeping Northern Michigan by scores of 9-2 and 3-2. Senior Ryan Jones had six points on the weekend.

On Friday night, the Maine Black Bears skated to a 1-1 tie with the Boston College Eagles. The Eagles outshot Maine by a 27-20 margin. Maine's power play cost them on this night, going 0-7.

Notes: Speaking of Alaska, they were swept by the Michigan State Spartans by a pair of 3-1 scores ... Northeastern and New Hampshire split a home and home series, with each team winning on the other's home ice ... After being swept at Yost Ice Arena last weekend, Boston University bounced back with a pair of wins against Providence and UMass - Lowell.

WCHA Weekend Recap - 11/5

2007-11-05T09:02:00.000-06:00

The Alaska Anchorage Seawolves remain winless at the National Hockey Center as they lost and tied to the St. Cloud State Huskies this weekend in St. Cloud. In Friday night’s game, the Huskies went 2-7 with the man advantage to propel themselves to a 5-3 win. The line of Tony Mosey, Nate Dey, and Ryan Lasch combined for four goals and seven points, while defenseman Aaron Brocklehurst had a goal and two assists. The following night, the Seawolves got out to a 3-1 lead early in the second period but St. Cloud State stormed back, and eventually tied the game midway through the third period thanks to Andreas Nodl’s third goal of the season. Jon Olthuis was between the pipes on both evenings for the Seawolves, while Jase Weslosky (Friday) and Dan Dunn (Saturday) split the goaltending duties for the Huskies.

In the marquee WCHA matchup of the weekend, the Colorado College Tigers were able to leave Grand Forks with two points after splitting their weekend series with the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. The Sioux used three first period goals on Friday night to get out to a 3-0 lead, and cruised to a 6-2 victory. The duo of Ryan Duncan (2 G, 1 A) and T.J. Oshie (1 G, 2 A) led the way for UND. Senior defenseman Robbie Bina chipped in with three assists as well. Saturday night’s rematch could have got off to a similar start for CC, as they were outshot by an 18-4 margin in the first period. However, freshman netminder Richard Bachman was stellar, and Scott Thauwald’s short-handed tally gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead heading to the first intermission. After a slick move by UND’s Matt Watkins tied the game at 1-1, the Tigers rebounded to score two goals in a 49 second span to regain the lead which they would not relinquish in their 4-1 win.

The Wisconsin Badgers got back into action this week as they played host to Michigan Tech Huskies, and to the surprise of, um, not many, the teams split their series in Madison. The Husky power play was the difference on Friday night, going 2-4. Senior Jimmy Kerr scored a pair of first period goals, including one with the man advantage, and junior netminder Michael-Lee Teslak made 25 saves in the win. For the first time this season, fellow junior Rob Nolan was not in net on Saturday, as head coach Jamie Russell gave Teslak the start. And despite Teslak making 30 saves on the night, the Badgers used three third period goals – all by defensemen – to secure the 4-2 win.

Another two games in WCHA play, and another pair of losses for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who dropped a pair of games to the Denver Pioneers at Mariucci Arena. On Friday night, Minnesota outplayed the Pioneers in the first period but found themselves down 1-0. Then, in the second period, a pair of Tyler Ruegsegger power play goals buried the Gophers, who failed to score on the power play again this weekend, extending their scoreless streak with the man advantage to 30. DU would cruise to a 5-1 win on Friday night, with senior Peter Mannino making 36 saves. Mannino was very good again on Sunday in stopping 32 shots in the 4-1 win. After junior Blake Wheeler got Minnesota out to an early 1-0 lead, the Pioneers used a pair of late first period goals to gain the lead. Freshman Tyler Bozak, who scored one of those goals, would score two more – one short-handed on a breakaway and another with an empty net – on the night. This is the first time in WCHA history that the Gophers have started 0-4.

In non-conference play, the Minnesota State Mavericks extended their unbeaten streak to four games in winning a pair of games at Alabama-Huntsville. They outshot the Chargers by a 44-18 margin on Friday night and scored four goals in the first period to cruise to a 7-0 victory. As one would expect after a pasting like that, the Chargers rebounded to be a bit more competitive on Saturday, but still fell by a 4-2 score. The Mavericks finally play their home opener this weekend as the first game of a home-and-home series with the offensively-challenged Golden Gophers.

Minnesota Duluth was idle this week, but return to action this weekend as they travel to Colorado College to take on the Tigers.

Weekend Preview: Nov. 2-3

2007-11-02T13:32:00.000-05:00

Alaska Anchorage at St. Cloud State
Friday – 7 p.m. CST
Saturday – 7 p.m. CST

For the first time this season, the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves will leave their home state and take to the road for a pair of games. Their opponent, St. Cloud State, is coming off a home sweep of the Bemidji State Beavers, while the Seawolves took just one of a possible four points versus Minnesota State last weekend in Anchorage. SCSU has won four of its six games this season, but those four wins all came at home against “not so stiff” competition in the form of Canisius and Bemidji State. Their two losses, however, were both on the road against a solid team in Minnesota Duluth, so it will be interesting to see how the Huskies play against another WCHA team that appears to be on the upswing.

Colorado College at North Dakota
Friday – 7:30 p.m. CST
Saturday – 7 p.m. CST

The Colorado College Tigers hit the road against this weekend as they take on North Dakota in Grand Forks. The Tigers, who are 2-0-0 in WCHA play this season after sweeping Minnesota two weeks ago in Colorado Springs, are coming off a pair of defeats at New Hampshire last weekend. The Tigers were in both games and certainly played the Wildcats tough, but the bar gets raised a little bit more this weekend against the Fighting Sioux. UND split with Michigan Tech in Houghton last weekend, and will be playing its first home games in nearly three weeks. Expect lots of end-to-end action in this two-game set. One of the key areas in this series is CC’s goaltending. Jean-Philippe Lamoureux has been fantastic this year for UND, so the combination of Drew O’Connell / Richard Bachman will need to be on its game for the Tigers if they hope to leave Grand Forks with any points.

Denver at Minnesota
Friday – 7 p.m. CST (Live on FSN North and FCS Central)
Sunday – 2 p.m. CST (Live on FSN North, FSN Rocky Mountain and FCS Central)

The Minnesota Golden Gophers play their first WCHA home games this weekend as they play host to the Denver Pioneers, who are coming off a home split against Minnesota Duluth. DU has played very well so far this year, having swept the Maine Black Bears at home to open the year, and then gaining a split at Notre Dame. Senior Peter Mannino, who was thought to have needed to play strong if the young Pioneers were going to contend this year, has done just that: he has a .922 save percentage and a 1.69 goals against average. Meanwhile, the Gophers have also received strong play from the combination of Jeff Frazee and Alex Kangas. Minnesota has not allowed more than three goals in any game this year, and held Ohio State to two goals last weekend. The Gopher forwards will need to start increasing their production as Minnesota gets back into WCHA play.

Michigan Tech at Wisconsin
Friday – 7 p.m. CST
Saturday – 7 p.m. CST

After winning three of their first four games before taking last weekend off, the Wisconsin Badgers return to action this weekend as they play host to Michigan Tech. The Huskies split with UND last weekend, and these two games will be their first road games on the season. Because of their strong defense and solid goaltending, it would appear as though the Huskies are built to play well on the road. MTU will be looking to avenge their 4-0 loss to the Badgers in the WCHA Final Five last season. The Badgers, meanwhile, ripped Robert Morris by scores of 7-2 and 8-2 two weeks ago. UW certainly has a fair amount of talent on the ice, but it will be interesting to see if they can keep things going offensively as they get into the WCHA schedule.

Minnesota State at Alabama-Huntsville
Friday – 7 p.m. CST
Saturday – 7 p.m. CST

After playing very poorly in their first two WCHA games, which resulted in a pair of losses at Michigan Tech, rebounded nicely by taking three of four points from Alaska Anchorage last weekend. Junior goalie Mike Zacharias allowed just two goals versus the Seawolves, and will need to continue his strong play for the Mavs to keep winning. Sophomore Trevor Bruess leads the team with three points in four games. Alabama-Huntsville will be playing their first home games of the season this weekend. They opened up the year by topping Canisius by a 4-3 score, but have since dropped three straight to Nebraska-Omaha and UMass Lowell. Look for the Mavericks to get a couple of wins this weekend before taking on Minnesota next weekend.

Minnesota Duluth – No games this week

The Bulldogs, who got two points out of Denver last weekend, are off this weekend. They return to WCHA play next Friday and Saturday as they head back to Colorado to take on the CC Tigers.

Other Noteable Games

Maine at Boston College
Friday – 6 p.m. CST

Assuming Boston College has their arena’s electrical system figured out, this should be a very good game. Maine certainly has the edge in net with junior Ben Bishop, but BC is very deep up front, despite the loss of Brock Bradford until January or February. The Eagles should have the edge at home, and took all three meetings with the Black Bears last season.

Michigan at Nebraska-Omaha
Friday – 7 p.m. CST (Live on CSTV)

Not really a big series, but it’s the only college hockey on national television this weekend aside from the Gophers, and it features two traditionally high-scoring teams, so it could be a fun watch.

Mike Howe article in Friday's Star Tribune

2007-11-01T22:35:00.000-05:00

Click here to read an article in Friday's Star Tribune by Gophers' beat writer Roman Augustoviz about Minnesota senior forward Mike Howe, who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis during his freshman season, and his relationship with Allie Ray, a defenseman on the South St. Paul under-12 girls' hockey B team, who has had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis for five years.

BCHL forward Witt commits to Michigan Tech

2007-11-01T17:26:00.000-05:00

The Michigan Tech Huskies have added BCHL forward Evan Witt to their 2009 recruiting class, according to Chris Heisenberg's recruiting website. Witt, who currently plays for the Vernon Vipers, has three goals and five assists in 18 games this year for the Vipers. This season will be Witt's first in the BCHL, and he'll presumably continue his career in Western Canada next season before heading to Houghton in the fall of 2009. When he hits campus, Witt, who currently stands at 5'11", 175 lbs., will be just short of his 20th birthday.

Tuesday @ The Rink: DU defenseman Chris Butler

2007-10-31T12:44:00.000-05:00

Denver defenseman Chris Butler, a junior, participated in CSTV's "Tuesday @ The Rink" online chat. Click here to see what Butler had to say as the Pioneers head to Minnesota for a two-game set this weekend.

NHL Update - 10/31

2007-10-31T11:10:00.000-05:00

Eden Prairie defenseman Leddy commits to Minnesota

2007-10-31T10:13:00.000-05:00

According to the Gopher Hockey Blog, Eden Prairie High School defenseman Nick Leddy has committed to play for Minnesota. The junior visited Minnesota last Thursday and committed to the Golden Gophers on Monday. He was also interested in North Dakota, St. Cloud State, and Minnesota Duluth.

As the Gopher Hockey Blog points out, Leddy is currently participating in the Upper Midwest High School Elite League, and will play his junior season for Eden Prairie. He's scheduled to join Minnesota in the fall of 2009. He was a first round pick of the Des Moines Buccaneers in the recent USHL draft, so it would appear likley that he'll play in the USHL next year before enrolling at Minnesota.

Leddy's stock has risen rapidly over the last year or so. This past summer, he played very well at the Select 16s Festival in New York and was chosen to play on the U.S. Under-17 Select team that participated in the 2007 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament. Leddy had a goal and two assists in the four games for Team USA.

Toews featured in Buccigross' column

2007-10-31T09:56:00.000-05:00

Former North Dakota star Jonathan Toews is featured in ESPN.com's John Buccigross' weekly column. Click here to read more about Toews, who has nine points in his first nine NHL games for the Chicago Blackhawks.

USHL Update - 10/31

2007-10-31T09:35:00.000-05:00

WCHA Blog Power Rankings - 10/31

2007-10-31T08:30:00.000-05:00

The Fighting Sioux finally yielded a goal to the opposition this weekend, and even dropped a game in Houghton to the Michigan Tech Huskies. Despite the weekend split though, UND outshot MTU on both nights and showed the ability to rebound after a loss on Saturday. Their matchup with Colorado College should be a fun series.

2. Wisconsin (+2)
Last Week: Bye Week
This Week: Two games vs. Michigan Tech

The Wisconsin Badgers didn't play last weekend, but the two teams that were previously ahead of them in the power rankings lost, so UW moves up by default. They will certainly get a shot to prove they deserve this ranking as they host Michigan Tech and North Dakota over the next two weekends, and then travel to Colorado College and Michigan / Michigan State for the College Hockey Showcase.

3. Colorado College (-1)
Last Week: 5-3 and 4-2 losses at New Hampshire
This Week: Two games at North Dakota

The Tigers dropped a pair of games to New Hampshire last weekend, but were in both games until the end. Plus, dropping two games to UNH on the road is nothing to hang your head about, especially when you consider that the Tigers swept Minnesota the weekend before. All that being said, it's key that the Tigers get at least a point or two out of their series with UND this weekend in Grand Forks before returning home to play five of their next six at the World Arena.

4. Michigan Tech (+1)
Last Week: 3-1 win and 6-0 loss vs. North Dakota
This Week: Two games at Wisconsin

Most teams will be very content in splitting with the Fighting Sioux on most weekends, and you have to think that Jamie Russell and Co. were very content to take two points from UND. Starting this weekend with a pair of games in Madison against the Badgers, the Huskies play seven of their next nine on the road. It will be interesting to see if MTU can carry their solid play on the road, after opening the season by going 4-2-0 at home.

5. Denver (-2)
Last Week: 5-1 win and 3-0 loss vs. Minnesota Duluth
This Week: Two games at Minnesota

The Denver Pioneers played very well in both games last weekend versus Minnesota Duluth, but only managed to take two points from UMD. The Pios surrendered three goals on just 13 shots on Saturday night, and couldn't get any of their 43 shots past UMD's Alex Stalock. That came on the heels of Friday's 5-1 win where DU outshot the 'Dogs by a 30-23 margin. Denver heads to Minnesota this weekend for a rematch of last years hotly contested second-half showdown at Mariucci Arena.

6. Minnesota (-)
Last Week: 3-1 and 2-1 wins vs. Ohio State; 3-1 win vs. U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team
This Week: Two games versus Denver

The Golden Gophers got things going in the right direction last weekend as they swept the Ohio State Buckeyes at Mariucci Arena. However, they still didn't put forth a full 60 minutes of solid play, and were somewhat lucky to come away with the win on Saturday night. Freshman Alex Kangas made 32 saves, including 21 in the third period, to preserve the 2-1 win. This weekend's series with Denver should be a good indicator of where the Gophers stand in the WCHA.

7. Minnesota Duluth (-)
Last Week: 5-1 loss and 3-0 win at Denver
This Week: Bye

The Bulldogs have just one loss in their first six games, which had helped them obtain their first place standing in the WCHA. They took two points home with them from the Mile High City last weekend, which is something that they maybe didn't deserve after being severely outshot in Saturday's 3-0 win. UMD will head back out to Colorado next weekend when they take on Colorado College.

8. St. Cloud State (+1)
Last Week: 2-1 and 6-1 wins vs. Bemidji State; 2-2 tie vs. U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team
This Week: Two games vs. Alaska Anchorage

After being swept by Minnesota Duluth the weekend before, the St. Cloud State Huskies returned home and swept the Bemidji State Beavers by scores of 2-1 on Friday and 6-1 on Saturday. On Sunday night, the Huskies skated to a 2-2 tie with the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team, which featured a two-goal third period by the Huskies to force overtime. In all three games this weekend, SCSU allowed 34 shots on goal or more, so there is still work to be done in St. Cloud.

9. Minnesota State (+1)
Last Week: 2-2 tie and 2-0 win at Alaska Anchorage
This Week: Two games at Alabama-Huntsville

The surprise of the weekend in the WCHA was probably Minnesota State taking three of four points from a previously unbeaten Alaska Anchorage team on the road. Junior Mike Zacharias started both games for the Mavs and played well in stopping 52 of 54 shots. In Friday's 2-2 tie, the Mavericks were down 2-0 after the first period. Minnesota State has a good shot to gain a couple of wins this weekend as they travel to Alabama Huntsville before playing their first home game of the season next Friday against Minnesota.

10. Alaska Anchorage (-2)
Last Week: 2-2 tie and 2-0 loss vs. Minnesota State
This Week: Two games at St. Cloud State

The Alaska Anchorage Seawolves suffered their first loss of the season this weekend, but are still 4-1-2 on the young season. They will venture out of Anchorage for the first time this weekend as they travel to St. Cloud to take on the Huskies. They then play two games at Minnesota, two at home versus Colorado College, and then two at Minnesota Duluth, so we'll see how the Seawolves do in the coming weeks against some stiffer competition.

WCHA Players of the Week - 10/31

2007-10-31T08:26:00.000-05:00

North Dakota forward T.J. Oshie, Minnesota State goalie Mike Zacharias, and St. Cloud State forward Garrett Roe have been named the WCHA Players of the Week.

From the press release:

University of North Dakota forward T.J. Oshie, who notched a three-goal hat trick in his team's 6-0 road victory over host Michigan Tech last Saturday night, has been named Red Baron WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for Oct. 30-Nov. 5.

A 6-0, 192-pound junior from Warroad, Minn., Oshie's three goals against the Huskies included his second game-winning goal of the season and allowed him to surpass the 100-point mark in his collegiate career. The 76th player in UND history to reach the century mark in points, Oshie now has 45 goals, 56 assists and 101 points.

In addition to his hat trick, Oshie also fired 11 shots on goal in the series and earned a +1 plus-minus rating.

On the 2007-08 season, the St. Louis Blues (NHL) draftee has scored four goals in his first five games, with two being game-winners.

Also nominated this week were: Tyler Ruegsegger, So., F, DU; and Justin Bostrom, Jr., F, UM.

Mike Zacharias, a junior goaltender at Minnesota State University, has been named Red Baron WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for Oct. 30-Nov. 5 as a result of his outstanding play in the visiting Mavericks' tie and win over WCHA-rival Alaska Anchorage.

A 5-10, 175-pound junior from Plymouth, Minn., Zacharias had six shutout periods in the two-game series - including a five-minute overtime - stopped 52 of 54 shots on goal for a league-best .963 saves percentage, and blanked the Seawolves on all nine of their weekend power-play chances.

Zacharias had 27 saves in a 2-2 overtime tie against UAA last Friday (Oct. 26) evening at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage and then stopped all 25 shots on goal in a 2-0 shutout victory last Saturday (Oct. 27). The shutout was the second of his three-year collegiate career.

Over 224:54 of action so far this season, Zacharias sports a 1.87-goals against average, a .933 saves percentage and a 1-1-1 record.

Also nominated this week were: Michael-Lee Teslak, Jr., G, MTU; Alex Stalock, So., G, UMD; Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, Sr., G, UND; and Jase Weslosky, So., G, SCSU.

St. Cloud State University forward Garrett Roe, who produced five scoring points while helping the Huskies to a home-ice sweep over Bemidji State last weekend, has been named Red Baron WCHA Rookie of the Week for Oct. 30-Nov. 5.

A 5-8, 162-pound freshman from Vienna, Va., Roe had a career-high four points last Saturday (Oct. 27) night, scoring two goals - including the eventual game-winner - and adding two assists as St. Cloud State posted a 6-1 victory over the Beavers at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

Last Friday (Oct. 26) evening, Roe scored the game's first goal on a power-play at 10:28 of the second period as the Huskies went on to a 2-1 triumph.

In addition to his five points over the weekend, Roe also had six shots on goal. On the season, Roe now has a team-leading 10 points with five goals and five assists and ranks second overall in scoring among first-year players in the WCHA.

Also nominated this week were: Tyler Bozak, Fr., F, DU; Bennett Royer, Fr., F, MTU; Alex Kangas, Fr., G, UM; and Justin Fontaine, Fr., F, UMD.

U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team versus St. Cloud State

2007-10-30T08:57:00.000-05:00

The WCHA Blog made the trek up to the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud to watch the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team take on the St. Cloud State Huskies in exhibition play on Sunday night. Below you'll find some video snippets of the five players on the team that are committed to play for WCHA teams.

This first video features UW recruit Nick Pryor. For some reason I accidentally focused the video on his defensive parter Steve West, an Ohio State recruit. You can still see Pryor play in this video though; just look for No. 22, who is playing left defense.

The other videos are of UND recruit Danny Kristo, and of the three Gopher recruits (Grant Scott, Jordan Schroeder, and Sam Lofquist).

As I noted when I posted video of the Upper Midwest High School Elite League, I'm not a professional when it comes to this type of thing and short video clips aren't the best way to view a player's game, but it's better than nothing.

UM recruit Walters to join U.S. NTDP U-17 for Four Nations tournament

2007-10-30T08:04:00.000-05:00

According to the Gopher Hockey Blog, Minnesota recruit Ryan Walters will join the U.S. NTDP Under-17 Team when they travel to Russia to take part in the Four Nations tournament on November 7-11. Walters, who will join Minnesota in 2010 after playing for St. Thomas High School this year and for Des Moines in the USHL the next two seasons, narrowly missed making the team this summer as a full-time player.

Walters will join former Chaska High School defenseman Nick Mattson (uncommitted) as the only two Minnesota-natives on the team.

Around the Country - 10/29

2007-10-29T18:26:00.000-05:00

Each week, the WCHA Blog will take a look at action from around the nation that doesn't involve WCHA teams.

In the biggest series not involving a WCHA team this week, the Michigan Wolverines took on the Boston University Terriers at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Red Berenson's team came out on top in both games. On Friday night, Michigan freshman Matt Rust continued his hot start as he notched a pair of goals, including the game-winner on the power play midway through the third period. Rust now has four goals on the season. In Saturday's rematch, the Wolverines had six different goal-scorers in a 6-2 thumping of BU. Rust had an assist on the night, while fellow freshmen Ben Winnett, Max Pacioretty, Louie Caporusso, and Carl Hagelin all scored for the Maize and Blue. Michigan will no doubt have some ups and downs this season with such a young team, but if Billy Sauer can just be "above average," the Wolverines will be a very dangerous team.

Northern Michigan was swept by the Wolverines last weekend, losing one game by one goal and the other by two. This weekend, they traveled to East Lansing, Mich. to take on the defending NCAA champion Michigan State Spartans, and the Wildcats would again suffer a pair of close losses. On Friday night, NMU was down by a 5-1 score entering the third period, but scored three times to give themselves a chance at the end. On Saturday, the teams combined for five power play goals, and NMU outshot MSU by a 35-26 margin, but a Mike Ratchuk power play goal with just under 12 minutes left gave Sparty the 3-2 win. Things don't get any easier for the Wildcats this weekend, as they return home to play the Miami Redhawks, who are the current No. 1 team in the country.

Notes: RIT upended Cornell by a 4-1 score in a mild upset ... Notre Dame was able to take two points back to South Bend with them after splitting with Ferris State ... Maine won a pair of one-goal games to sweet the Northeastern Huskies on the road.

WCHA Weekend Recap - 10/29

2007-10-29T15:26:00.000-05:00

The Alaska Anchorage Seawolves, who got off to a hot 3-0-1 start, came back down to earth a bit this weekend, as they tied Minnesota State 2-2 on Friday night and then were shutout by the Mavericks on Saturday by a 2-0 score. After the first period on Friday, it appears as though the Seawolves would continue their winning ways, as they got out in front of the Mavs by a 2-0 score. However, they would surrender one goal in each of the final two periods and skated to a draw. In Saturday’s rematch, the Seawolves found themselves trailing by a 1-0 score just 1:18 into the game, and that was all the Mavericks needed on the night. The Seawolves now travel to St. Cloud State and Minnesota for back-to-back road series, though they have a weekend off in between.

Speaking of coming back down to earth, the Colorado College Tigers did just that this weekend, though against arguably one of the top teams in the nation in the form of New Hampshire, who swept CC by scores of 5-3 and 4-2 in Durham, N.H. On Friday night, the Tigers got out to a quick 3-1 lead after the first period, but couldn’t extend their lead past two goals. UNH brought the score to within one after the second period, and then used three third period goals to take control of the game. The Tigers managed just three third period shots in the loss. In Saturday’s rematch, the Tigers outshot the Wildcats by a 33-25 margin, but were only able to get two goals past UNH’s sophomore netminder Brian Foster, who was making his first start of the season. Thing don’t get any easier for the Tigers this weekend, as they travel to Grand Forks to take on the Fighting Sioux before returning home for five of their next six contests.

It was a tale of two nights in the Mile High City this weekend, as the Denver Pioneers were able to gain a split with Minnesota Duluth. In Friday’s opening contest, the Pios used three second period goals to propel themselves to a 5-1 win. Sophomores Tyler Ruegsegger and Rhett Rakhshani each had two-point evenings, while freshman Kyle Ostrow notched his third tally of the year. The tide turned on Saturday though, as UMD’s Alex Stalock made 43 saves, including 18 in the third period, as the Pioneers were shutout by a 3-0 score. The power play killed DU on this night, as they were 0-7 with the man advantage. Denver now travels to Minnesota for a pair of games this weekend versus the Gophers.

It was a similar story in Houghton this weekend as it was in Denver, as the two games played between the Michigan Tech Huskies and North Dakota were very different. In Friday’s game, Michael-Lee Teslak made 26 saves in the Huskies’ 3-1 win. Two third period goals, including an empty-netter, were the difference in this one. On Saturday, Tech’s Rob Nolan could not stop the Fighting Sioux’s offensive onslaught, as UND cruised to a 6-0 win. Tech was 0-7 on the power play, while the Fighting Sioux went an impressive 3-8. The Huskies will look to rebound next weekend when they hit the road for a matchup with the Badgers in Madison

Minnesota rebounded off of their poor performance in Colorado Springs the weekend before by sweeping a pair of games from the Ohio State Buckeyes at Mariucci Arena. Minnesota outshot the Buckeyes by a 16-2 margin and scored two goals in the first period on Thursday night, and cruised to a 3-1 victory. OSU rebounded nicely on Friday and outplayed the Gophers for much of the game. Freshman netminder Alex Kangas was very good in his first college start, as he stopped 32 of 33 Buckeyes shots, and Jay Barriball got the game-winning goal on a breakaway early in the second period in the Gophers’ 2-1 win. Minnesota also topped the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team on Saturday night by a 3-1 score. The Maroon and Gold host Denver for a pair of games this weekend.

The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs continued their strong play this season as they managed to gain two points on the road in Denver. The Bulldogs came out flat on Friday night and got trounced by a 5-1 score, managing just 23 shots on the evening. Saturday night was certainly a different story, as sophomore Alex Stalock was stellar between the pipes, stopping all 43 Pioneers shots that came his way. MacGregor Sharp scored the first goal of the game, which turned out to be the game-winner, midway through the second period. Rob Bordson and Matt Greer tacked on some insurance goals later in the game. The Bulldogs now take a week off before heading back to Colorado to take on the CC Tigers on Nov. 9-10.

After suffering a pair of losses in Houghton to the Michigan Tech Huskies to start off their season, the Minnesota State Mavericks picked up an impressive three points on their trip to Anchorage against the Seawolves. Troy Jutting’s team fought back after finding themselves down a 2-0 score after the first period on Friday night to tie UAA 2-2. Saturday night’s rematch was highlighted by Mike Zacharias’ 25 saves, as the Mavs shutout the Seawolves by a 2-0 score. Mick Berge and James Gaulrapp got the goals for Minnesota State, who now head south to take on Alabama-Huntsville in non-conference play before opening up the WCHA season against Minnesota the following week.

Not only did the North Dakota Fighting Sioux actually lose a game this weekend, but the even allowed three (3!!!) goals – OMG! UND’s offense was held in check on Friday night in their 3-1 loss to Michigan Tech in Houghton, but the came back with vengeance on Saturday in a 6-0 thumping of the Huskies. Friday’s contest was 1-1 going into the third period, and despite UND’s 14 shots on goal in the final frame, they yielded two goals to the Huskies that cost UND the game. Saturday’s effort was headed by junior T.J. Oshie, who notched a hat trick in the win. Reigning Hobey Baker winner Ryan Duncan had three assists, while defensemen Taylor Chorney and Robbie Bina each had two helpers on the night. The Fighting Sioux now return home to take on Colorado College in a big early-season series for both teams.

St. Cloud State returned to the National Hockey Center after being swept the weekend before by the Bulldogs in Duluth to take on the Bemidji State Beavers. The Huskies were outshot by a 40-29 margin on Friday night, but sophomore Jase Weslosky was able to make the two Husky goals standup, as SCSU won by a 2-1 score. Saturday’s rematch was much more lopsided on the scoreboard, as St. Cloud used four power play goals to cruise to a 6-1 win. Nate Dey and Garrett Roe each had two goals for the Huskies, who skated to a 2-2 tie with the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team on Sunday night. The WCHA Blog was in attendance and will post some video later today.

Wisconsin was off this weekend, but hit the ice this Friday for a home series versus Michigan Tech.

USCHO Poll - 10/29

2007-10-29T15:13:00.000-05:00

Click here to view the entire poll. The number in parenthesis represents the movement in the poll from last week. Miami received 39 of the 46 first place votes, while North Dakota (4) and New Hampshire (3) received the other seven. WCHA teams in bold.

1. Miami (+1)
2. North Dakota (-1)
3. Michigan (-)
4. New Hampshire (+3)
5. Boston College (-)
6. Michigan State (+2)
7. Denver (-1)
8. Minnesota (+2)
9. Colorado College (-5)
10. Wisconsin (+1)
11. Clarkson (-2)
12. Maine (+1)
13. Michigan Tech (+1)
14. Notre Dame (-2)
15. Minnesota Duluth (+2)
16. St. Lawrence (-1)
17. RPI (NR)
18. Niagara (NR)
19. St. Cloud State (NR)
20. Massachusetts (-4)

Tech's Pierro-Zabotel to the Dub?

2007-10-29T08:30:00.000-05:00

The Western College Hockey blog is reporting that Michigan Tech freshman Casey Pierro-Zabotel, who isn't eligible to join the Huskies until after the current semester, may opt to play for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL. Pierro-Zabotel, who was the 80th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, was considered a partial qualifier according to the NCAA's initial eligibility standards. He will use the fall semester to fulfill the necessary requirements to become eligible.

As the WCH blog points out, "this is still just a rumor, albeit one from a fairly credible source, and things can always change, but as of right now, it doesn't sound promising for the Huskies."

WCHA Blog's Take: When it was announced that CPZ would have to sit out for the first half of the season, it seemed like there was a fairly good chance that he'd wind up playing major junior hockey as opposed to waiting it out to play for the Huskies, given he's a western Canadian kid and his lofty NHL draft status. We'll see if this rumor comes to fruition, but if it does, this is certainly a blow to a Tech team with high aspirations this season.

INCH Power Rankings: 10/29

2007-10-29T08:26:00.000-05:00

Click here to view the list in detail. WCHA teams, which hold seven of the 20 spots, are in bold.

1. Miami
2. New Hampshire
3. North Dakota
4. Michigan State
5. Michigan
6. Boston College
7. Denver
8. Wisconsin
9. Clarkson
10. Colorado College
11. Minnesota
12. Maine
13. Minnesota Duluth
14. Notre Dame
15. Michigan Tech
16. RPI
17. Niagara
18. St. Lawrence
19. Dartmouth
20. Massachusetts

Gophers land out-of-state recruit in Wausau 's Condon

2007-10-28T09:38:00.000-05:00

As the Gopher Hockey Blog first reported, Wausau West's High School's Nate Condon committed to Minnesota late last week. The senior forward will finish out his four years for Wausau and then play a year in the USHL before joining the Gophers in the fall of 2009.

In addition to the Gopher Hockey Blog's coverage, Wisconsin Prep Hockey has some more info, including some quotes.

A 6'0, 180 lb. forward, Condon currently leads the Upper Midwest High School Elite League in scoring while playing for Team Wisconsin, who take on Russell Stover, a midget AAA team, for the league championship today. The Gopher Hockey Blog reported that Condon was also considering Notre Dame, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State, Dartmouth, and Wisconsin.

He is the first Wisconsin-born player to join the Maroon and Gold since Phil Kessel in 2005-06. US-NTDP member Grant Scott, a forward from Pennsylvania, is the only other current Minnesota recruit not born in the land of 10,000 lakes. This current season and the 1999-2000 season have been the only years under Don Lucia's watch where the Gophers didn't have a out-of-state player on the roster.

Condon was rated an "A" prospect by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau, and was a fifth round choice by the expansion Fargo Force, led by former North Dakota head coach Dean Blais, in the recent USHL Futures Draft.

Tech adds a pair of recruits for 2008

2007-10-26T07:46:00.000-05:00

As the Western College Hockey blog and Chris Heisenberg reported, Michigan Tech has added a pair of recruits for next fall.

The first is Bryce Reddick, a 5'10", 165 lb forward who currently plays for the Cowichan Valley Capitals in the BCHL. The Las Vegas native had 19 points in 54 games last season for the Caps, and currently sits 16th in the BCHL scoring race with 21 points in 15 games. He will have just turned 19-years-old when he steps foot in Houghton next fall.

The other Husky recruit added on Thursday is Seth Soley, who is from Eau Claire, Wisc. The Eau Claire Memorial High School forward has good size at 6'1", 185 lbs., and has played very well thus far in the Upper Midwest High School Elite League -- he is currently the second-leading scorer behind fellow Wisconsin native Nate Condon, who is uncommitted.

Zdeno Chara > David Koci

2007-10-25T20:54:00.000-05:00

Weekend Preview: Oct. 25-28

2007-10-25T18:52:00.000-05:00

Alaska Anchorage
Friday & Saturday – vs. Minnesota State

The undefeated – yes, I said undefeated – Alaska Anchorage Seawolves enjoy one more weekend in Anchorage before taking hitting the road for ten of their next 14 games. On paper, it would appear as though they have the ideal opponent coming to the Sullivan Arena in the form of Minnesota State. The Mavericks have played just two games so far, both losses to Michigan Tech. Sophomores Josh Lunden and Kevin Clark both have eight points, while Winston DayChief is the reigning WCHA Freshman of the Week.

Colorado College
Friday & Saturday – at New Hampshire

In arguably the best series – WCHA-related or not – the Colorado College Tigers head to Durham to take on the New Hampshire Wildcats in what should be a terrific pair of hockey games. Both teams are used to playing on the 200’ x 100’ sheet of ice that the Whittemore Center houses, so the games should be very entertaining if you like end-to-end action. The Tigers, of course, swept the Gophers in Colorado Springs last weekend and are 2-0-0 on the season. UNH has played just one regular season game, and was impressive in topping Boston University by a 4-1 score in the Terriers’ barn.

Denver
Friday & Saturday – vs. Minnesota Duluth

The Denver Pioneers will open up WCHA play this weekend after going an impressive 3-1 in a pair of home games against Maine (two wins) and two games in South Bend, Ind. against Notre Dame (1-1). The Pioneers have used a very balanced scoring attack up to this point, as eight players have two points or more. Not surprisingly though, their three leading point getters – Brock Trotter, Tyler Ruegsegger, and Chris Butler – were all players that head coach George Gwozdecky was counting on heading into the season. Senior goalie Peter Mannino has minuscule 1.51 goals against average to compliment his .935 save percentage.

Michigan Tech
Friday & Saturday – vs. North Dakota

After dropping the first game of their season to Northern Michigan, the Huskies have rebounded to win three straight games by a combined score of 13-4. The competition will certainly be much tougher this weekend as they welcome the North Dakota Fighting Sioux to Houghton. One of they keys to the weekend for Tech will be to get great goaltending out of juniors Michael-Lee Teslak and/or Rob Nolan. Both have been very good against not-so-good competition this season, but they will really have to be on top of their game(s) if the Huskies hope to hang with UND.

Minnesota
Thursday & Friday – vs. Ohio State; Saturday vs. U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team

Minnesota will look to rebound in non-conference action this weekend as they take on the Ohio State Buckeyes at Mariucci Arena. The Maroon and Gold was swept at Colorado College last weekend in a pair of tightly contested affairs. Minnesota swept the Buckeyes in Columbus last October, and has not lost to a CCHA foe since Oct. 14 of 2005 (a 4-3 overtime loss to Alaska Fairbanks). Head coach Don Lucia has said that all three of his goalies, including freshman Alex Kangas, will see time this weekend. The Gophers also play the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team on Saturday night in an exhibition game.

Minnesota Duluth
Friday & Saturday – at Denver

The Bulldogs take to the road this weekend as they look to maintain a piece of first place in the WCHA. Scott Sandelin’s club scored an impressive sweep over St. Cloud State last weekend, and registered a tie and a win in their previous two games against Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan, respectably. Like DU, the ‘Dogs have had many players contributing offensively this season. Eleven players have multiple points, which is something that this UMD team needed having lost their two leading scores off last year’s team (Mason Raymond and Matt Niskanen) to the NHL. Sophomore Alex Stalock will need to stand tall in the team’s first road test of the young season.

Minnesota State
Friday & Saturday – at Alaska Anchorage

The Mavericks were disposed of rather easily last weekend in Houghton at the hands of Michigan Tech, but they will look to bounce back this weekend in Anchorage as they take on the Seawolves. Junior netminder Mike Zacharias played well in both games last weekend; the problem for the Mavs was that on Saturday, he had to come in and relive Dan Tormey, who gave up four goals on 11 shots to the Huskies. The Seawolves have started strong this season, so Minnesota State will need to play well if they hope to leave the Last Frontier with some points.

North Dakota
Friday & Saturday – at Michigan Tech

In addition to hoping for a pair of victories this weekend, the Fighting Sioux are just hoping for the John McInnes Student Ice Arena to have power for both games. North Dakota, of course, skated to a 0-0 tie with Boston College last weekend, but the game was called after two periods because of fog and poor ice conditions due to power failure in the arena. That didn’t phase senior goalie Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, who has played nearly 160 minutes this season without allowing a goal. Junior defensemen Taylor Chorney leads the way for UND with three points. These two contests will be the first WCHA games for the league’s pre-season favorite and current No. 1 team in the country.

St. Cloud State
Friday and Saturday – vs. Bemidji State; Sunday vs. U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team

The Huskies return home to the National Hockey Center this weekend after suffering a tough two-game sweep in Duluth. And though they are taking on a non-conference opponent, WCHA fans have learned not to treat the Bemidji State Beavers lightly. BSU went an impressive 6-5-0 against WCHA teams a year ago and certainly won’t be intimidated heading into St. Cloud. These will be the first road games of the season for Bemidji State, as they are coming off a pair of home losses to Merrimack after winning two versus Army. The Huskies also play the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team on Sunday night in an exhibition game.

Wisconsin
Off

The Badgers are off this weekend as they rest up before taking on Michigan Tech and North Dakota in back-to-back home series in Madison.

Other Noteable Games

Boston University at Michigan

Along with the CC/UNH matchup, this is the other key non-conference series on the weekend. Boston University is off to a rough start, as they possess a 0-1-2 record heading into Yost to take on the Wolverines, who are coming off a road sweep of Northern Michigan. Red Berenson’s team is 3-0-1 on the season and has yet to play a home game.

Shore commits to Pioneers

2007-10-25T13:52:00.000-05:00

Forward Drew Shore has committed to Denver for the fall of 2009, according to the U.S. Hockey Report. The Denver native currently plays for the U.S. NTDP U-17 team. Both of his parents attended DU, so this was a logical choice for Shore. Wisconsin was the only other WCHA school in the mix for Shore, who joins fellow NTDP'ers William Wrenn (D) and Adam Murray (G) as DU recruits for 2009.

2007 U.S. Junior Select Team named

2007-10-24T16:11:00.000-05:00

USA Hockey has announced the 21-player roster and coaching staff for its 2007 U.S. Junior Select Team. The team will compete at the 2007 World Junior A Challenge from Nov. 5-11 in Trail and Nelson, B. C.

Team members that are commited to play at a WCHA school are in bold. The team they are playing for during the 2007-08 regular season is noted after the player's name, and the WCHA school they are commited to play for is in parenthesis.

Goalies
Brady Hjelle - Cedar Rapids / USHL (Minnesota Duluth)
Josh Robinson - Sioux City / USHL

Defensemen
Ben Blood - Des Moines / USHL (North Dakota)
John Carlson - Indiana / USHL
Seth Helgeson - Sioux City / USHL (Minnesota)
Tyler Kieffer - Lincoln / USHL (St. Cloud State)
Blake Kessel - Waterloo / USHL
John Lee - Waterloo / USHL (Denver)
Max Nicastro - Chicago / USHL

Forwards
Barry Almeida - Omaha / USHL
Mike Cichy - Tri-City / USHL (North Dakota)
Jack Connolly - Sioux Falls / USHL (Minnesota Duluth)
Nick Dineen - Sioux Falls / USHL (Colorado College)
Jarred Festler - Lincoln / USHL (St. Cloud State)
Keegan Flaherty - Green Bay / USHL
Tim Hall - Ohio / USHL (Colorado College)
Jimmy Hayes - U.S. NTDP U-18 Team
Nick Larson - Waterloo / USHL
Drew LeBlanc - Chicago / USHL (St. Cloud State)
Nico Sacchetti - Omaha / USHL (Minnesota)
Craig Smith - Waterloo / USHL (Wisconsin)

NHL Central Scouting "Players to Watch"

2007-10-24T15:32:00.000-05:00

The NHL Central Scouting Bureau released their 2008 lists of "Players to Watch" for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. The Gopher Puck Blog did a good job of explaining things, and they list out all kids with Minnesota and WCHA ties.

Here are the kids that are listed that are currently committed to a WCHA school:

"A" Players
Tyler Barnes - Burnsville High School - Wisconsin
Joe Colborne - Camrose of the AJHL - Denver
Jared Festler - Lincoln of the USHL - St. Cloud State
Cory Fienhage - Eastview High School - North Dakota
Michael Fink - Waterloo of the USHL - North Dakota
Jake Gardiner - Minnetonka High School - Wisconsin
Danny Kristo - U.S. NTDP - North Dakota
Aaron Ness - Roseau High School - Minnesota
Derek Stepan - Shattuck St. Mary's - Wisconsin
David Toews - Shattuck St. Mary's - North Dakota

"B" Players
Michael Cichy - Tri City of the USHL - North Dakota
Matt Donovan - Cedar Rapids of the USHL - Denver
Joe Gleason - Edina High School - North Dakota
Tim Hall - Ohio of the USHL - Colorado College
Jake Hendrickson - Burnsville High School - Minnesota Duluth
Tyler Kieffer - Lincoln of the USHL - St. Cloud State
Drew LeBlanc - Chicago of the USHL - St. Cloud State
Sam Lofquist - U.S. NTDP - Minnesota
Brock Montpetit - Waterloo of the USHL - Wisconsin
Jordy Murray - Shattuck St. Mary's - Wisconsin
John O'Neil - Anoka High School - Minnesota Duluth
Travis Oleksuk - Sioux City of the USHL - Minnesota Duluth
Matt Thurber - Omaha of the USHL - Wisconsin
Jake Youso - Green Bay of the USHL - Minnesota

"B" Goalies
Brady Hjelle - Cedar Rapids of the USHL - Minnesota Duluth

"C" Players
Adam Mueller - Roseville High School - Minnesota State
Nick Pryor - U.S. NTDP - Wisconsin
Rylan Schwartz - Notre Dame of the SJHL - Colorado College

"Limited Viewing" Players
Brandon Martell - Tri-City of the USHL - Minnesota
Grand Scott - U.S. NTDP - Minnesota

Tuesday @ The Rink: CC head coach Scott Owens

2007-10-23T21:09:00.000-05:00

Colorado College head coach Scott Owens participated in CSTV's "Tuesday @ The Rink" online chat. Click here to see what the Tigers' head coach had to say on the heels of his team's sweep of Minnesota.

WCHA Players of the Week - 10/23

2007-10-23T14:58:00.000-05:00

Wisconsin forward Kyle Turris, Colorado College goalie Richard Bachman, and Alaska Anchorage forward Winston DayChief have been named the WCHA Players of the Week.

From the press release:

University of Wisconsin forward Kyle Turris, who topped all league players with eight scoring points while leading the Badgers to a two-game sweep of Robert Morris last weekend, has been named Red Baron WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for Oct. 23-29.

A 6-1, 180-pound freshman from New Westminster, B.C., Turris is the top scoring player in both the WCHA and the nation through the first three weeks of the 2007-08 season with 12 points on five goals and seven assists. He is averaging 3.00 points per game and it is believed his 12 points through four games is the best four-game start to a career in UW history. Former Badger and current UW women's hockey coach Mark Johnson began his 1976-77 season with 4-7-11.

Turris collected three goals and five assists in Wisconsin's 7-2 and 8-2 victories over Robert Morris on Oct. 19-20. He had two power-play goals and two assists in the Friday victory and then added another power-play goal and three assists in the win last Saturday. In addition to his eight points, Turris fired seven shots on goal and earned a +2 plus-minus rating.

Turris was the No. 3 overall pick of Phoenix in last spring's NHL Entry Draft.

Also nominated this week were: Chad Rau, F, CC; Brock Trotter, F, DU; and Malcolm Gwilliam, F, MTU.

Richard Bachman, a freshman goaltender at Colorado College, has been named Red Baron WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for Oct. 23-29 as a result of his outstanding play in a weekend sweep of two-time defending conference champion Minnesota.

A 5-10, 172-pound freshman from Highlands Ranch, Colo., Bachman stopped 61 of 63 shots on goal (.968 saves percentage) and posted five shutout periods, including one overtime, while backstopping the host Tigers to a 3-1 victory over the Golden Gophers last Friday (Oct. 19) and a 2-1 overtime win last Saturday (Oct. 20). They were his first two collegiate starts.

Bachman had 23 stops in the series opener and then came back with 38 saves in the series finale as CC swept UM at home for the first time since Feb. 5-6, 1999 and handed UM it's first road sweep since Feb. 27-28, 2004 at Denver.

In addition, Bachman, an NHL draft choice of Dallas, also played a key role in the Tigers' success on the penalty-kill against Minnesota, as CC held their opponents scoreless on all 11 power-play opportunities over the weekend.

Also nominated this week were: Michael-Lee Teslak, G, MTU; Alex Stalock, G, UMD; and Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, G, UND.

University of Alaska Anchorage forward Winston DayChief, who factored in both game-winning goals as the host Seawolves posted a two-game home-ice sweep over in-state rival Alaska Fairbanks last weekend, has been named Red Baron WCHA Rookie of the Week for Oct. 23-29.

A 6-1, 195-pound freshman from Standoff, Alberta, DayChief extended his point-scoring streak to four games by tallying two goals and adding one assist as the Seawolves continued their strong start to the 2007-08 season and pushed their record to 3-0-1 overall.

DayChief assisted on teammate Tommy Grant's third period game-winner at 16:25 of the third period last Friday (Oct. 19) evening as UAA skated past the Nanooks, 4-3, at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. He then came back on Saturday (Oct. 20) night to score two goals, including the eventual game-winner at 18:56 of the second period, as Alaska Anchorage completed the series sweep over UAF with a 5-3 triumph.

Through the first three weeks of the campaign, DayChief is tied for fourth overall in scoring among WCHA rookies with 3-2-5 in four games, averaging 1.25 points per game.

Also nominated this week were: Eric Kattelus, F, MTU; Cade Fairchild, D, UM; and Patrick Johnson, F, UW.

Star Tribune adds Minnesota hockey blog

2007-10-23T13:24:00.000-05:00

Before the season started, word leaked out that the Star Tribune would not be assigning a full-time reporter to cover the Minnesota men's hockey team. However, it seems like those plans have changed, as the Minneapolis-based publication has now established a Gopher hockey blog to compliment their standard coverage of the team. Roman Augustoviz appears to have taken over for Dean Spiros, who had covered the team for the last several years, as the primary beat writer.

You can view the blog by clicking the above link, and I've also added it to the 'WCHA-related Blogs' list on the right side of the page.

WCHA Blog Power Rankings - 10/23

2007-10-23T12:16:00.000-05:00

To compliment the USCHO.com/CSTV Division I men's poll and the Inside College Hockey Power Rankings that are updated on a weekly basis, the WCHA Blog will follow LetsGoDU’s lead and establish its own weekly ranking system.

1. North Dakota
Last Week: 0-0 tie at Boston College, 3-0 win at Northeastern
This Week: Two games at Michigan Tech

The Fighting Sioux have yet to allow a goal this season and were very impressive two weekends ago in taking out the defending NCAA champions Michigan State Spartans by a 6-0 score. This weekend’s series in Houghton should feature a couple of hard-fought contests.

2. Colorado College
Last Week: 3-1 and 2-1 wins versus Minnesota
This Week: Two games at New Hampshire

Freshman goalie Richard Bachman appears to have emerged as the No. 1 guy between the pipes for the Tigers. If CC can continue to have their goalie(s) play well, that answers one of the biggest questions that faced the team during the preseason. They take on New Hampshire this weekend in what should be a very fun series in Durham, N.H.

3. Denver
Last Week: 4-3 loss and 3-1 win at Notre Dame
This Week: Two games versus Minnesota Duluth

The young Pioneers have just one loss in four games against some stiff non-conference competition in the form of Maine and Notre Dame. They return to the Mile High City to take on a Minnesota Duluth team that is unbeaten in four games this season. Senior goalie Peter Mannino has played well thus far, giving a boost to the young DU defensemen and forwards.

4. Wisconsin
Last Week: 7-2 and 8-2 wins versus Robert Morris
This Week: Off

Who says the Badgers can’t score goals? Well, granted they lit up Robert Morris in Madison, but 15 goals is a month’s worth for the typical Wisconsin team over the years. Kyle Turris is leading the nation in scoring, while fellow forwards Ben Street and Blake Geoffrion are also in the top ten nationally in scoring. They will rest up for a week before hosting Michigan Tech and North Dakota in back-to-back series.

5. Michigan Tech
Last Week: 2-0 and 7-1 wins versus Minnesota State
This Week: Two games versus North Dakota

After suffering a tough 3-2 loss to start the year against Northern Michigan, the Huskies have rebounded with three straight wins. Things will get much tougher this weekend with the top team in the country coming to town, but Michigan Tech has the experience and goaltending to hang with the Sioux in Houghton.

6. Minnesota
Last Week: 3-1 and 2-1 losses at Colorado College
This Week: Two games versus Ohio State and one exhibition vs. US-NTDP U-18 Team

It’s been a rocky start to the season for Don Lucia and Co., but the fact remains that the team is 2-2 against some good competition (RPI, Michigan, and CC) and hasn’t played in the friendly confines of Mariucci Arena yet. Junior Jeff Frazee has played very well so far, which is a good sign for Minnesota. They played very well in defeat on Saturday in Colorado Springs, but need their power play (3-26) to improve. The Gophers swept the Buckeyes last season in Columbus in a pair of lopsided games, but OSU should be a tougher test this time around for the Maroon and Gold.

7. Minnesota Duluth
Last Week: 2-1 and 4-2 wins versus St. Cloud State
This Week: Two games at Denver

The Bulldogs have taken care of business in four games at the DECC to start the season, going 3-0-1 over that stretch. They won a pair of close contests with St. Cloud State last weekend to emerge in a three-way tie for first place in the WCHA after one week. The UMD special teams have been very solid this year, as the power play is currently at 4-20, while the penalty kill is a particularly impressive 25 of 27. I’m sure most Bulldogs fans would happy to leave Denver with two points.

8. Alaska Anchorage
Last Week: 4-3 and 5-3 wins over Alaska
This Week: Two games versus Minnesota State

The Seawolves have been very impressive thus far, but the competition hasn’t been especially great, and they have played all of their games thus far in Anchorage. They will continue both of those trends this weekend as they play host to the Minnesota State Mavericks, who got handled by Michigan Tech last weekend. Sophomores Josh Lunden and Kevin Clark each have eight points for the Seawolves.

9. St. Cloud State
Last Week: 2-1 and 4-2 losses at St. Cloud State
This Week: Two games versus Bemidji State and one exhibition vs. US-NTDP U-18 Team

It’s been a tale of two weekends so far this year for the Huskies, who handled – as they should have – Canisius at home rather easily, but then struggled at Minnesota Duluth. SCSU is much younger than they were a year ago, so some inconsistent play early in the season isn’t too shocking. Bemidji State has certainly proved over the years that they can play with (and beat) WCHA teams on a regular basis, so this weekend will be a nice test for Bob Motzko and Co.

10. Minnesota State
Last Week: 2-0 and 7-1 losses at Michigan Tech
This Week: Two games at Alaska Anchorage

The Mavericks don’t play a home game until mid-November, and if last week’s showing in Houghton was any indication, it could be a long couple weeks for Minnesota State. They scored just one goal in two games at Michigan Tech, but did get solid goaltending from junior Mike Zacharias. They head to Anchorage to play a hot Seawolves team this weekend.

NTDP U-18 takes on UM, SCSU this weekend

2007-10-23T10:59:00.000-05:00

The U.S. National Under-18 Team comes to Minnesota this weekend to take on the University of Minnesota on Saturday night and St. Cloud State on Sunday night. This is another good chance for WCHA fans to see several high-end kids play against top-notch competition before they play in the NCAA.

This year, there are fewer kids on the U-18 team that are committed to play in the WCHA than in year's past. Defenseman Sam Lofquist (Minnesota - 2008), forward Grant Scott (Minnesota - 2008), and Nick Pryor (Wisconsin - 2009), forward Jordan Schroeder (Minnesota - 2008), and forward Danny Kristo (North Dakota - 2008) are the WCHA-bound players on the team.

Two weekends ago in Colorado, Minnesota recruit Aaron Ness, who is currently a junior at Roseau High School, joined the team for the weekend. No word yet on if Ness will play in more games with the U-18 team, but it obviously wouldn't be too tough to make the drive down from northern Minnesota to partake in this weekend's games.

Some players to keep an eye on aside from the aforementioned kids are Vinny Saponari, a forward who recently committed to Boston University and was rumored to be interested in Wisconsin; forward Robbie Czarnik, who is a Michigan recruit and was probably the best player I saw on the ice when the team played in Blaine, Minn. at the NAHL Showcase back in September; and Jimmy Hayes, a 6'4", 205 lb. forward who is committed to Boston College.

Patrick Gaul (Notre Dame) recruit stood out to me at the Select 17 festival this past summer in St. Cloud. Defenseman David Warsofsky, who is a BU recruit, is also a fun player to watch.

USHL Update - 10/23

2007-10-23T09:05:00.001-05:00

Bachman named INCH Player of the Week

2007-10-23T07:59:00.001-05:00

Colorado College freshman netminder Richard Bachman was named Inside College Hockey's Player of the Week after his performance against Minnesota last weekend in Colorado Springs. The Highlands Ranch, Colo. native 61 saves and yielded just two goals on the weekend, as the Tigers swept the Gophers by scores of 3-1 on Friday and 2-1 in overtime on Saturday.

UND's Malone out about six weeks

2007-10-22T23:16:00.001-05:00

According to Brad Schlossman's blog, North Dakota freshman forward Brad Malone will miss about six weeks after injuring his shoulder in Friday's game versus Boston College. Junior Brad Miller replaced Malone, a fourth round pick by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, in the lineup.

USCHO Poll - 10/22

2007-10-22T15:44:00.000-05:00

Click here to view the entire poll. The number in parenthesis represents the movement in the poll from last week. North Dakota received 42 of the 50 first place votes, while Miami (7) and New Hampshire (1) received the other eight. WCHA teams in bold.

1. North Dakota (-)
2. Miami (-)
3. Michigan (+3)
4. Colorado College (+6)
5. Boston College (-1)
6. Denver (-1)
7. New Hampshire (+1)
8. Michigan State (+1)
9. Clarkson (-2)
10. Minnesota (-7)
11. Wisconsin (+2)
12. Notre Dame (-1)
13. Maine (+4)
14. Michigan Tech (NR)
15. St. Lawrence (-)
16. Massachusetts (+4)
17. Minnesota Duluth (NR)
18. Cornell (+1)
19. Ohio State (-7)
20. Alaska-Anchorage (NR)

Around the Country - 10/22

2007-10-22T14:46:00.000-05:00

Each week, the WCHA Blog will take a look at action from around the nation that doesn't involve WCHA teams.

On Friday night, New Hampshire scored a key early season victory over Boston University at Agganis Arena by a 4-1 score. UNH's top line, which could be one of the best in the nation, torched the Terriers for three goals and three assists. Freshman James vanRiemsdyk and seniors Mike Radja and Matt Fornataro had a goal and an assist each for the Wildcats. Senior Kevin Regan made 30 saves for UNH. BU is still struggling to replace John Curry between the pipes, as they have yielded 11 goals in three games, including seven to Robert Morris (3) and Alaska Anchorage (4).

One week after getting worked over in Grand Forks by the Fighting Sioux, the defending NCAA champion Michigan State Spartans returned to East Lansing and swept Colgate by scores of 6-3 and 2-1. MSU got out to a 3-0 lead on Friday night and never looked back. The top line of Tim Kennedy / Justin Abdelkader / Tim Crowder combined for just a goal and an assists, but the second line of Matt Schepke (2 G, 1 A), Bryan Lerg (0 G, 4 A), Dustin Gazley (2 G, 0 A) did the damage for Sparty. The Spartan's top line accounted for both goals on Saturday night in MSU's win, as Kennedy and Abdelkader accounted for both MSU goals. Jeff Lerg was in net both nights for the Spartans.

Miami continued their strong early season play, as they dominated in-state rival Ohio State, winning both games of the home and home series by a 5-1 score. The Redhawks were without 2006-07 leading scorer Nathan Davis, who is out with a separated shoulder. On Friday night, junior Justin Mercier had two goals for Miami, while Carter Camper and Alex Martinez each had two helpers. Freshmen Tommy Wingels continued his hot start on Saturday, scoring two goals in the victory. He now has five points in his first four games. The Redhawks are scoring plenty of goals without Davis or fellow senior Ryan Jones, who had 48 points last season and just one so far this year, contributing much, which is a good sign for the boys from Oxford. Junior Jeff Zatkoff continued his strong play; he is 4-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a .960 save percentage.

Notes: Michigan got off to a good start in CCHA play, sweeping their series at Northern Michigan. Seniors Kevin Porter (three goals) and Chad Kolarik (one goal, three assists) were key in both wins for the Wolverines ... Boston College visited Vermont on Sunday, and the two teams skated to a 3-3 tie. The Eagles outshot the Wildcats by a 33-25 margin. Ben Smith and Brian Gibbons each had a goal and an assist for BC, while the same stats applied to Vermont's Peter Lenes and Dean Strong.

WCHA Weekend Recap - 10/22

2007-10-22T12:19:00.000-05:00

Four games into the season and the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves are undefeated. After topping Wayne State and tying Boston University to open the season, the Seawolves defeated the Alaska Nanooks twice in the first of four games in the battle for the Governor's Cup. On Friday night, freshman Tommy Grant scored his first collegiate goal with less than four minutes left in the 4-3 victory. On Saturday night, fellow freshman Winston DayChief scored two goals as the Seawolves completed the home sweep with a 5-3 win. Sophomores Josh Lunden and Kevin Clark continued their strong play, as they both have eight points in four games. Alaska Anchorage opens up WCHA play next weekend by playing host to Minnesota State

After winning a pair of exhibition games the previous two weekends, the Colorado College Tigers used a great weekend of goaltending by freshman Richard Bachman to sweep the Minnesota Golden Gophers at the World Arena and putting themselves in a three-way tie for first place in the WCHA. The Tigers were very impressive on Friday night, as they cycled the puck in the Minnesota end for much of the game, and yielded just 11 shots to the Gophers over the final two periods. Eric Walsky, the former Alaska Anchorage player who wanted to transfer to Minnesota but was denied by the UAA administration, scored the game-winning goal early in the second period for the Tigers, who won 3-1. On Saturday, Bachman was the story in the Tigers’ 2-1 overtime win. He stopped 38 shots – including 21 in the third period – and Chad Rau, an Eden Prairie, Minn. native, scored both goals for the Tigers, who travel out to New Hampshire for a key non-conference series this upcoming weekend.

The Denver Pioneers have to be happy, as they open WCHA play with a 3-1 non-conference record against Maine and Notre Dame. This past weekend, the Pioneers split with the Fighting Irish in South Bend, Ind. In the first contest on Thursday night, the two teams combined for just 38 shots but accounted for seven goals. DU was 0-4 on the power play, which likely cost them the game as they lost 4-3. Sophomore Brock Trotter had two points for DU, while freshmen centers Tyler Bozak and Kyle Ostrow each scored. On Saturday, the DU power play was again poor, going 0-6, but senior netminder Peter Mannino made 19 saves as the Pios captured a 3-1 win. Freshmen Anthony Maiani notched the game-winning tally midway through the third period. DU returns to the Mile High City to take on Minnesota Duluth this weekend.

In another somewhat surprising turn of events, the Michigan Tech Huskies are currently are in a three-way tie for first place in the WCHA after sweeping Minnesota State in Houghton last weekend. On Friday night, Michael-Lee Teslak made 23 saves to earn the shutout in the 2-0 victory, while Jimmy Kerr and Alex Lord scored the Husky goals. The Tech goaltending was again key in Saturday’s 7-1 victory, as Rob Nolan made 35 saves. Malcolm Gwilliam, a junior forward, had a career-night, scoring two goals and chipping in three assists. The Huskies will try to prove they are for real when they host North Dakota, the No. 1 team in the country, this weekend.

It was a very tough weekend for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who dropped a pair of games to Colorado College. The WCHA Blog was in Colorado Springs for both games, and Friday’s effort was as poor of a showing by the Maroon and Gold as I can remember in quite a while. There wasn’t much energy and they generated very few scoring chances. The defensive core had a very tough time getting out of their own zone and turned the puck over several times, and the forwards were unable to generate many scoring chances at all. Freshman Cade Fairchild scored his first collegiate goal in the 3-1 loss. Saturday’s effort was much better, but the end result was another loss while scoring one goal. The defense again had its’ issues, giving up a pair of two-on-zero breaks. Junior Jeff Frazee, the team’s MVP thus far, made a phenomenal save on the first break, but was unable to thwart Rau’s first goal of the night on the second break. The power play really cost the Gophers on Saturday, as it was 0-7. Minnesota has won a lot of games over time via the power play, and it will need to improve as the season goes on. Thankfully for Gopher fans, Don Lucia coached teams generally have a very good power play, and it should improve this season as some of the freshmen defensemen improve. Minnesota will play their first two regular season games of the season at Mariucci Arena this week, as they host Ohio State on Thursday and Friday. They then take on the U.S. NTDP on Saturday night in an exhibition game.

I mentioned earlier the Michigan Tech is in a tie for first in the WCHA, and one of the teams they are tied with is the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, who got a little bit of retribution on St. Cloud State for their heart-breaking defeated of UMD in last year’s WCHA playoffs by sweeping the Huskies at the DECC this weekend. The Bulldogs used a pair of power play goals on Friday night to propel the Dogs to a 2-1 win. Despite giving up two power play goals on Saturday and going 0-5 with the man-advantage, UMD got third period goals from Jason Garrison and Andrew Carroll to complete the sweep with a 4-2 win. Sophomore goalie Alex Stalock was between the pipes for both victories. The Bulldogs travel to Denver this weekend for a pair of games against the Pioneers.

The Minnesota State Mavericks’ season got off to a very rocky start, as they were swept by Michigan Tech and outscored by a 9-1 margin on the weekend. In Friday’s 2-0 loss, Mike Zacharias played very well in net and kept the Mavs in the game, stopping 30 of 32 shots. Junior Dan Tormey got the nod on Saturday, but was pulled after giving up four goals on 11 shots. Zacharias played okay on Saturday, stopping 16 of 19. Sophomore Trevor Bruess scored the lone goal on the weekend for Minnesota State. The Mavericks have a pair of long roadtrips ahead of them – at Alaska Anchorage this weekend and then at Alabama-Huntsville the following weekend – before playing their first home game of the year against Minnesota on Nov. 9.

It was certainly an odd weekend for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux, who left the Boston area with a win and a tie, but only played five periods of hockey. The story of the weekend happened on Friday night, where UND took on Boston College in a much anticipated early-season matchup. The start of the game was delayed by 15 minutes due to fog on the ice after a power outage. BC’s arena, the Conte Forum, has had issues in the past with fog and soft / wet ice. So, after the teams played to a 0-0 tie after two periods, the game was called and will go in the record books as a tie. On Saturday night, North Dakota went across town to take on Northeastern, and emerged with a 3-0 victory. Senior goalie Jean-Philippe Lamoureux has not allowed a goal all season, having shutout Michigan State last weekend in Grand Forks. The Huskies shut down the T.J. Oshie / Ryan Duncan line, but the Sioux got goals from Andrew Kozek, Rylan Kaip, and Brad Miller, who was filling in for injured freshman Brad Malone, who was injured his shoulder in Friday night’s contest. North Dakota travels to Michigan Tech this weekend.

After beating and tying Canisius at home, the competition got cranked up a notch this past weekend, as St. Cloud State traveled to Duluth to take on the Bulldogs. Unfortunately for the Huskies, they were swept by UMD, losing 2-1 on Friday and 4-2 on Saturday. The power play cost SCSU on Friday night, as they went 0-8. Sophomore Ryan Lasch scored the lone Husky goal with less than seven seconds left in the contest. The power play clicked for SCSU on Saturday night, going 2-9, but that wasn’t enough to overcome a pair of third period UMD goals. The Huskies return to the National Hockey Center this weekend to host Bemidji State in non-conference action. They also play the U.S. NTDP on Sunday night in an exhibition game.

The Wisconsin Badgers split the first two games of their season against Notre Dame (win) and Ohio State (loss), and then returned home this past weekend and proceeded to rough up a Robert Morris team that topped Boston University the weekend before. Freshman Kyle Turris and sophomore Ben Street each had two goals and two assists in Friday’s 7-2 victory. Junior Shane Connelly got the win for the Badgers, stopping 24 Colonial shots. Freshman Scott Gudmandson got his first collegiate start on Saturday night, and played well in stopping 25 of 27 shots faced. Turris continued his red-hot start to his season, putting up another four points. Sophomore Blake Geoffrion had one goal and four assists on the night. The Badgers take the upcoming weekend off before hosting Michigan Tech at the Kohl Center on Nov. 2-3.

Cunti saga continues - UPDATED

2007-10-22T09:31:00.000-05:00

The on-going drama involving Luca Cunti and St. Cloud State continues. Cunti played for the Chicago Steel in the USHL on Saturday night, which would indicate that his chances of playing for the Huskies this year appear to be decreasing. As of last weekend, the 2007 third round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning had not yet received his clearance of amateur status from the NCAA.

UPDATED - Pointstreak has since updated the box score from Saturday's game, and apparently Cunti was NOT in the lineup for Chicago, and is still awaiting clearance from the NCAA in St. Cloud.

St. Clair commits to Colorado College

2007-10-22T08:07:00.000-05:00

As noted on the Western College Hockey blog, PF Changs U18 forward Colton St. Clair has verbally committed to Colorado College for the fall of 2010, according to The Scouting News. The PF Changs team was in Colorado Springs this weekend, and the team attended both CC victories over Minnesota.

INCH Power Rankings: 10/22

2007-10-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Click here to view the list in detail. WCHA teams in bold. Minnesota State and St. Cloud State are the only two teams not ranked in INCH's current top 20.

1. North Dakota
2. Miami
3. New Hampshire
4. Michigan State
5. Denver
6. Colorado College
7. Clarkson
8. Boston College
9. Wisconsin
10. Michigan
11. Notre Dame
12. Minnesota
13. Massachusetts
14. Minnesota Duluth
15. Cornell
16. Maine
17. Michigan Tech
18. St. Lawrence
19. Air Force
20. Alaska Anchorage

Jonathan Toews is good at hockey

2007-10-20T10:38:00.000-05:00

Weekend Preview: Oct. 19-21

2007-10-19T00:28:00.000-05:00

The WCHA Blog is live from Colorado Springs this weekend, as I'm in town for the Gophers / Tigers showdown from World Arena. I'll try to keep the blog updated over the weekend on events happening here in the Springs and around the league.

Alaska Anchorage
Friday & Saturday – vs. Alaska

The Seawolves got their season off on a good note last weekend, as they emerged unbeaten after the Nye Frontier Classic. They were arguably more impressive in tying Boston University 4-4 on Saturday night than they were in defeating Wayne State by a 5-2 score on Friday. This weekend, they play the first of four games against in-state rival Alaska. The Nanooks have yet to play an official game, but defeated Southern Alberta IT by a 4-2 score in exhibition play. The night prior to that game, the Seawolves defeated that same team by an 8-0 score. Having already played two official games and the game this weekend played in Anchorage should give the edge to the Seawolves.

Stay tuned to the UAA Hockey Blog for more coverage.

Colorado College
Friday & Saturday – vs. Minnesota (8:30 p.m. CST on Friday, 8 p.m. CST on Saturday on FSN North)

The Tigers will finally hit the ice for some real action after playing one exhibition game each of the last two weekends. Those two games should help them adjust to the Gophers, who of course played – and won – a pair of games last weekend in St. Paul at the Ice Breaker. The Tigers will be without Jimmy Kilpatrick, who is out until mid-November due to a hip injury. CC was swept at home late last season by the Gophers, a series which really killed the Tigers’ post season chances.

Denver
Thursday & Friday – at Notre Dame

After a very impressive sweep of the Maine Black Bears last weekend at Magness Arena, the Pioneers head to South Bend for a key non-conference series against Notre Dame. The Irish were upended by Wisconsin last weekend on Friday night, but rebounded to top Mercyhurst on Saturday. Sophomore Rhett Rakhshani should be back in the lineup for DU after suffering a concussion last weekend. Fellow sophomore Tyler Ruegsegger had three points for DU, while senior Peter Mannino allowed just one goal on 55 shots against Maine. The Irish are a talented team but lost a good deal of production from the blueline and goalie position from last season. Both teams feature very good forwards but play a defensive style, so it will be interesting to see how these games play out. The series being played on a Thursday / Friday basis because of the Notre Dame / Southern California football game on Saturday.

LetsGoDU has continuing coverage.

Michigan Tech
Friday & Saturday – vs. Minnesota State

After a split at home last weekend, Michigan Tech will look to get off to a fast start in WCHA play this weekend when they play host to Minnesota State. The Huskies lost to U.P. rival Northern Michigan by a 3-2 score on Friday night, but managed to defeat Lake Superior State by a 4-3 margin on Sunday. Senior forward Tyler Shelast and sophomore defenseman Drew Dobson each enter the weekend with three points. Both of Tech’s standout netminders – Michael-Lee Teslak and Rob Nolan – saw action last weekend, and the two figure to continue to share the duties until one emerges as the No. 1 netminder in Houghton.

Minnesota
Friday & Saturday – at Colorado College (8:30 p.m. CST on Friday, 8 p.m. CST on Saturday on FSN North)

It was a weekend of highs and lows for the Golden Gophers a week ago in St. Paul. After getting off to a terrible start against RPI on Friday, the team rebounded to win by a 4-3 score. The next night, they came out and took a 2-0 first period lead against Michigan and managed to hang on for the 4-3 win. However, that win came at a large price, as junior forward Ryan Stoa was lost for the season with a knee injury. Junior goalie Jeff Frazee played great last weekend, stopping 69 of 75 shots faced. He’ll need to continue his strong play with the young Gopher defensive core playing in front of him. Expect the CC forwards to test the Minnesota defensemen on the Olympic sheet at the World Arena.

Minnesota Duluth
Friday & Saturday – vs. St. Cloud State

The Bulldogs host the Huskies in a rematch of one of the most memorable WCHA first round playoff matchups of all time. The Bulldogs defeated SCSU by a 3-1 score on Friday night last season, only to lose in overtime the next two nights, including a triple overtime defeat on Sunday to end their season. You can expect this to be another heated series between these in-state rivals. UMD tied Lake Superior State by a 2-2 score last Friday, and then Alex Stalock made 21 saves as the Bulldogs shutout Northern Michigan by a 4-0 score on Saturday. Look for the South St. Paul native to be in net for both games this weekend for UMD.

Minnesota State
Friday & Saturday – at Michigan Tech

The Mavericks are the only WCHA team that has not played an exhibition or regular season game, though they did hold a team scrimmage. This will be a good early season test for the young Mavericks, as they travel to Houghton to play one of the older and more experienced teams in the WCHA. Minnesota State doesn’t play a home game until mid-November, so it will be important for them to get off to a good start on the road.

North Dakota
Friday – at Boston College (7p.m. CST, CSTV)
Saturday – at Northeastern

After thumping the defending NCAA champion Michigan State last weekend, the Fighting Sioux head east to take on Boston College and Northeastern. North Dakota is certainly the favorite in both of these games, and will be looking to payback Boston College for bouncing them from the Frozen Four semifinals each of the last two seasons. The Eagles, much like the Sioux, are a very talented team, but the difference could be in goal, where UND will likely start senior Philippe Lamoureux, while BC will probably start freshman John Muse. Northeastern is an improved team from recent years, but it would very surprising if they were able to hang with the Green and White.

St. Cloud State
Friday and Saturday – at Minnesota Duluth

The Huskies will face a much stiffer test this weekend after gaining a win and a tie at home last weekend against Canisius. Even in the disappointing tie against the Griffins, SCSU outshot them by a three-to-one margin, so they certainly controlled the play on both nights. As previously stated, the Bulldogs will look to avenge their postseason losses to the Huskies last year. The DECC is generally a wild atmosphere, so this will be a good test for a Husky team that is much younger than they were a year ago. How the SCSU goalies play (be it Jase Weslosky, Dan Dunn, or B.J. O’Brien) may determine how the weekend goes for both teams.

Wisconsin
Friday & Saturday – vs. Robert Morris

The young Badgers witnessed mixed reviews last weekend, as they split their two games in the Lefty McFadden Tournament in Dayton, Ohio. On Friday night, they defeated Notre Dame by a 4-1 score and got one goal from each of their four lines. However, on Saturday, they fell to tournament-host Ohio State by a 5-3 score. Freshmen sensation Kyle Turris was able to put up 4 points on the weekend, and he will be counted on to score all season long, given the Badgers offseason losses up front. Shane Connelly will likely start Friday night’s game against the Colonials, while freshmen Scott Gudmandson could get the nod on Saturday. Robert Morris shouldn’t be taken lightly though, as they defeated Boston University last weekend in Anchorage as part of the Nye Frontier Classic, though they were outshot by a good margin.

Other Notable Games

Colgate at Michigan State

The Spartans will look to rebound off last weekend’s butt-kicking at Ralph Engelstad Arena as they take on Colgate. The Raiders defeated Sacred Heart and RIT last weekend.

Miami at Ohio State

Miami may be without senior center Nathan Davis, a preseason Hobey Baker candidate, as they take on their top in-state rival. Ohio State is coming off a two-win weekend and will look to take it to get a leg-up on the Redhawks early in the season.

New Hampshire at Boston University

The two teams play just one game on Friday night, but it’s a key early-season Hockey East matchup. UNH’s James vanRiemsdyk, who was the second overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, will make his regular season debut. He’ll be up against BU’s Kevin Shattenkirk, who was the 14th overall pick last summer by the Colorado Avalanche.

WSJ article on players leaving school early

2007-10-18T07:42:00.000-05:00

Andy Baggot wrote a good article in today's Wisconsin State Journal that talks about the recent trend of WCHA players leaving school early to play in the AHL / NHL. The topic has been re-hashed many times in recent years, but both Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves and Minnesota coach Don Lucia think that trend may change in the coming years.

Four CC players suspended

2007-10-17T11:17:00.000-05:00

Colorado College's senior captain Scott Thauwald, sophomores Andreas Vlassopoulos and Brian Connelly, and freshman Brett Wysopal were all suspended for two weeks and not allowed to participate in hockey team activities for "wearing blackface and costumes of characters in a TV show about a black family," according to an article in the Colorado Springs Gazzette.

UPDATE: The players will be allowed to play this weekend versus Minnesota. LetsGoDU will have continuing coverage as the story develops.

According to the story, the incident occurred at the team's preseason golf outing. The team divided itself into groups, which each group picking a different television show to represent. Groups chose “Baywatch,” “Entourage,” “WWE,” “Scrubs” and “The Office." The group of Thauwald, Vlassopoulos, Connelly, and Wysopal chose to dress up in wigs and makeup as members of the "Family Matters" show.

From the article:

The punishment included two weeks without hockey team activities and disciplinary probation for the rest of the school year. The players were required to meet with members of the local branches of the NAACP and the Urban League, and participate in a campus forum at the school’s multicultural residence, Glass House, with members of the Black Student Union.

“The intent was to have good costumes,” Thauwald said. “We realize now, even though there was no racial intent, that what we did was wrong. We’ve all learned a lot through the last couple of weeks, and we’ve apologized to the school and the people we directly affected, and I feel like a lot of the students were pretty welcoming to our apology. We made a mistake.”

CTSV chat with Ryan Duncan

2007-10-17T07:38:00.000-05:00

North Dakota's Ryan Duncan, who of course won the Hobey Baker award last year, took some time yesterday to partake in CSTV's "Tuesday @ the Rink" chat. Click here to read what the junior forward had to say.

UW's Engel out 2-4 weeks

2007-10-17T07:34:00.000-05:00

Wisconsin senior forward Josh Engel will miss 2-4 weeks with a a shoulder injury, according to Todd Milewski's blog. Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves said that the injury was not as severe as the team originally feared, but that Engel will probably miss closer to four weeks than two. Engel, from Rice Lake, Wisconsin, suffered the injury in the Badgers' season-opening win against Notre Dame last Friday.