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
Showing posts with label Weekend Preview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weekend Preview. Show all posts
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Weekend Preview: Nov. 23-25
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.
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.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Weekend Preview: Nov. 16-18
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.
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.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Weekend Preview: Nov. 9-11
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.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Weekend Preview: Nov. 2-3
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.
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.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Weekend Preview: Oct. 25-28
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.
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.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Weekend Preview: Oct. 19-21
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.
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.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Weekend Preview: Oct. 12-14
Each week during the season, the WCHA Blog will look at each WCHA team and what’s in store for them during the upcoming weekend. I’ll also point out any big matchups from around the country.
Alaska Anchorage
Friday – vs. Wayne State
Saturday – vs. Boston University
Per usual, the Seawolves host the Nye Frontier Classic to start the season. Its setup is similar to the College Hockey Showcase, in that the second-day opponents are predetermined. On Friday, Alaska Anchorage plays Wayne State, while BU takes on Robert Morris. Then, on Saturday, the Seawolves and Terriers will play, while Wayne State and Robert Morris duel. This tournament is a good way for the Seawolves to start the season, as they take on a team they should beat on Friday, and then go up against a BU team that is currently No. 9 in the USCHO.com/CSTV Division I Men's Poll.
The UAA Hockey Fan Blog has a good preview of the weekend.
Colorado College
Friday – vs. U.S. National Team Development Under-18 Team
After a 4-3 win in exhibition play last weekend versus the University of Calgary, the Tigers have one more exhibition game before opening up WCHA play next weekend in Colorado Springs against Minnesota. The Under-18 team always presents a good challenge to college teams these days. Last weekend, Maine defeated them by a 5-3 score despite being outshot by a 23-22 margin.
Denver
Friday & Saturday – vs. Maine
Speaking of the Black Bears, they travel to Denver this weekend to take on the Pioneers. Both teams are a little bit further down in the preseason polls than usual: Maine is currently the No. 12 team while the Pios are No. 13. Like Denver, Maine is very young, as their roster features 10 freshmen and four sophomores. Both teams return proven netminders in the form on Ben Bishop for Maine and Peter Mannino for the Pioneers.
Let’s Go DU has a series of entries covering the matchup.
Michigan Tech
Friday – vs. Northern Michigan
Sunday – vs. Lake Superior (4:30 p.m. CST, ESPNU)
It’s been a very long time since expectations in the U.P. were this high for the Huskies. Michigan Tech will take on a pair of non-conference rivals as part of the Superior Cup in the form of Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State. Both of Tech’s CCHA opponents this weekend should present good challenges for the Huskies.
Minnesota
Friday – vs. RPI (7:30 p.m. CST, FSN North)
Saturday – vs. Michigan / Boston College (7:30 p.m. CST, FSN North)
In what is annual one of the top tournaments in college hockey, Minnesota plays host to RPI, Boston College, and Michigan as part of the 2007 Ice Breaker Invitational, which will be held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The Gophers take on RPI on Friday, with Michigan and Boston College played in the previous semifinal. The winners and losers of each game will play on Saturday, with the Gophers playing in the 7:30 p.m. game regardless of the outcome of Friday’s game. RPI defeated a not-so-good Bentley team yesterday, and should present a nice test for a young Gopher team. The Eagles or Wolverines will certainly challenge the Minnesota defensive core in Saturday’s game.
Minnesota Duluth
Friday – vs. Lake Superior State
Saturday – vs. Northern Michigan
The Bulldogs are the fourth team taking part in the Superior Cup. UMD was picked to finish near the bottom of the WCHA, so it will be interesting to see how they stack-up against two middle-of-the-road CCHA teams. The Bulldogs beat Northern Michigan in both contests last season. According to the Duluth News Tribune, UMD senior winger Mike Curry will sit out this weekend’s games because of a violation of team rules last spring.
Minnesota State
No Games
North Dakota
Saturday – vs. Michigan State
In the marquee matchup of the weekend, the Fighting Sioux play host to the annual U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game. They will welcome the defending NCAA champion Michigan State Spartans to Grand Forks. UND currently pits atop the USCHO poll, while the Spartans are third (Boston College is second). North Dakota received 13 first place votes while the reigning champs got 11. This should be a great game, as both teams return a ton of talent from a pair of Frozen Four teams from a year ago.
St. Cloud State
Friday and Saturday – vs. Canisius
The Huskies open up with what should be a fairly easy home series against the Canisius Golden Griffins, who finished in ninth place last season in Atlantic Hockey. However, their two leading scorers and top goalie last season were freshmen, so there is reason to believe the team could be improved this season. For SCSU, they will likely get two of their three goalies time in these games, and it will be interesting to see how the defensive core plays after losing the likes of Casey Borer, Just Fletcher, and Grant Clafton from last year’s team.
Wisconsin
Friday – vs. Notre Dame
Saturday – vs. Mercyhurst / Ohio State
Sporting the top recruiting class in the WCHA, the Badgers travel to Dayton, Ohio to take part in the Lefty McFadden Invitational. They will take on the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame in their first game, while Mercyhurst and host Ohio State play in the other semifinal. The winners and losers of each game will play on Saturday. Both the Badgers and Irish are debuting new starting goalies this weekend after losing Brian Elliott and David Brown from last year’s teams. Whoever wins this game will be the favorite to take home the tournament title.
Other Notable Games
Vermont at Miami (Fri/Sat)
Alaska Anchorage
Friday – vs. Wayne State
Saturday – vs. Boston University
Per usual, the Seawolves host the Nye Frontier Classic to start the season. Its setup is similar to the College Hockey Showcase, in that the second-day opponents are predetermined. On Friday, Alaska Anchorage plays Wayne State, while BU takes on Robert Morris. Then, on Saturday, the Seawolves and Terriers will play, while Wayne State and Robert Morris duel. This tournament is a good way for the Seawolves to start the season, as they take on a team they should beat on Friday, and then go up against a BU team that is currently No. 9 in the USCHO.com/CSTV Division I Men's Poll.
The UAA Hockey Fan Blog has a good preview of the weekend.
Colorado College
Friday – vs. U.S. National Team Development Under-18 Team
After a 4-3 win in exhibition play last weekend versus the University of Calgary, the Tigers have one more exhibition game before opening up WCHA play next weekend in Colorado Springs against Minnesota. The Under-18 team always presents a good challenge to college teams these days. Last weekend, Maine defeated them by a 5-3 score despite being outshot by a 23-22 margin.
Denver
Friday & Saturday – vs. Maine
Speaking of the Black Bears, they travel to Denver this weekend to take on the Pioneers. Both teams are a little bit further down in the preseason polls than usual: Maine is currently the No. 12 team while the Pios are No. 13. Like Denver, Maine is very young, as their roster features 10 freshmen and four sophomores. Both teams return proven netminders in the form on Ben Bishop for Maine and Peter Mannino for the Pioneers.
Let’s Go DU has a series of entries covering the matchup.
Michigan Tech
Friday – vs. Northern Michigan
Sunday – vs. Lake Superior (4:30 p.m. CST, ESPNU)
It’s been a very long time since expectations in the U.P. were this high for the Huskies. Michigan Tech will take on a pair of non-conference rivals as part of the Superior Cup in the form of Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State. Both of Tech’s CCHA opponents this weekend should present good challenges for the Huskies.
Minnesota
Friday – vs. RPI (7:30 p.m. CST, FSN North)
Saturday – vs. Michigan / Boston College (7:30 p.m. CST, FSN North)
In what is annual one of the top tournaments in college hockey, Minnesota plays host to RPI, Boston College, and Michigan as part of the 2007 Ice Breaker Invitational, which will be held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The Gophers take on RPI on Friday, with Michigan and Boston College played in the previous semifinal. The winners and losers of each game will play on Saturday, with the Gophers playing in the 7:30 p.m. game regardless of the outcome of Friday’s game. RPI defeated a not-so-good Bentley team yesterday, and should present a nice test for a young Gopher team. The Eagles or Wolverines will certainly challenge the Minnesota defensive core in Saturday’s game.
Minnesota Duluth
Friday – vs. Lake Superior State
Saturday – vs. Northern Michigan
The Bulldogs are the fourth team taking part in the Superior Cup. UMD was picked to finish near the bottom of the WCHA, so it will be interesting to see how they stack-up against two middle-of-the-road CCHA teams. The Bulldogs beat Northern Michigan in both contests last season. According to the Duluth News Tribune, UMD senior winger Mike Curry will sit out this weekend’s games because of a violation of team rules last spring.
Minnesota State
No Games
North Dakota
Saturday – vs. Michigan State
In the marquee matchup of the weekend, the Fighting Sioux play host to the annual U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game. They will welcome the defending NCAA champion Michigan State Spartans to Grand Forks. UND currently pits atop the USCHO poll, while the Spartans are third (Boston College is second). North Dakota received 13 first place votes while the reigning champs got 11. This should be a great game, as both teams return a ton of talent from a pair of Frozen Four teams from a year ago.
St. Cloud State
Friday and Saturday – vs. Canisius
The Huskies open up with what should be a fairly easy home series against the Canisius Golden Griffins, who finished in ninth place last season in Atlantic Hockey. However, their two leading scorers and top goalie last season were freshmen, so there is reason to believe the team could be improved this season. For SCSU, they will likely get two of their three goalies time in these games, and it will be interesting to see how the defensive core plays after losing the likes of Casey Borer, Just Fletcher, and Grant Clafton from last year’s team.
Wisconsin
Friday – vs. Notre Dame
Saturday – vs. Mercyhurst / Ohio State
Sporting the top recruiting class in the WCHA, the Badgers travel to Dayton, Ohio to take part in the Lefty McFadden Invitational. They will take on the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame in their first game, while Mercyhurst and host Ohio State play in the other semifinal. The winners and losers of each game will play on Saturday. Both the Badgers and Irish are debuting new starting goalies this weekend after losing Brian Elliott and David Brown from last year’s teams. Whoever wins this game will be the favorite to take home the tournament title.
Other Notable Games
Vermont at Miami (Fri/Sat)
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