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The WCHA got officially started last weekend in
Houghton, the “home” of the MacNaughton Cup (MTU is the cups trustee). The Huskies started off the season on the
right skate, with a 5-3 win over visiting Minnesota. The games between MTU and UM, might have been
the last meeting in Houghton between the two long time foes. Since UM will be leaving the WCHA and doesn’t
like (or perhaps it’s a policy that needs to be re-evaluated) to leave
Minneapolis for non-conference games.
It’s said to think, that after 266 games (UM leads all-time 173-78-15) against
each other, it’s coming to a halt.
WCHA
STANDINGS 2012-2013
Team………………………W-L-T………Points
1. Michigan Tech………….1-1-0…………21. Minnesota…………….…1-1-0…..…….2
2. Minnesota-Duluth….…..0-0-0….……..0
2. Denver…………..………0-0-0………...0
2. North Dakota.………..…0-0-0….……0
2. Colorado College ……..0-0-0……….0
2. St. Cloud St………….…0-0-0………0
2. Nebraska-Omaha………0-0-0……...0
2. Bemidji State……..…….0-0-0.……...0
2. Wisconsin…....………..0-0-0...…..…0
2. Minnesota State………0-0-0...……..0
2. Alaska-Anchorage…....0-0-0………..0
WCHA
Games
Michigan
Tech @ #5 Denver
Last weekend the Huskies split with the Gophers
in Houghton and the Pioneers beat Mass-Lowell 5-1 on Friday and then beat Air
Force 5-2 on Saturday.
I watched the Huskies/Gophers games last
weekend, and MTU looked good. They have
some speed up front and solid goaltending.
Not seeing DU in action, but since they have the number five ranking, it
is safe to say they are a quality team this year (just like every year). Both play on an NHL sized ice sheet, so that
won’t be a factor in these games. It appears
that second year head coach Mel Pearson has gotten the Huskies back on track
and looking like the Tech teams of yore. I’m going to go with a SPLIT in this series.
Minnesota
State @ St. Could St.
Last weekend the Mavericks tied (3-3) and beat
(4-3ot) the Engineers in Mankato and the Huskies obliterated the UAH Chargers,
by scores of 8-3 and 4-0, in St. Cloud.
This in-state rivalry should be a fun series to
start of each teams WCHA season. Both
teams play on the Olympic size ice, so don’t look for too much checking, with all
that space. With all the space special teams
will be accentuated, thus you don’t want to be taking any bad or unnecessary
penalties. Of note, the Mavericks last
three games have gone to overtime, so perhaps the fans of these teams will get
some “bonus” hockey this weekend. I’m
thinking both teams will get their first points of the season. SPLIT
Wisconsin
@ #14 Minnesota-Duluth
Last weekend the Badgers were off and the
Bulldogs split with the Irish, winning thurday 3-1 and then losing Friday 4-1,
in South Bend.
The Badgers are not off the start they wanted,
going 0-2-0, to start their last season in the WCHA. The Bulldogs are off to a 2-2-0 start,
splitting their first two series with CCHA teams, Ohio State and Notre
Dame. UW plays on an almost Olympic size
ice sheet and the Bulldogs play on the NHL size in the new Amsoil arena. This will most likely be the last trip UW
makes to Duluth in a while with the upcoming league changes, so enjoy these
games this weekend. I’m taking the home
team here, Bulldogs 3-pts
Alaska-Anchorage
@ #4 North Dakota
Last weekend the Seawolves lost to NoDak 5-0 and
beat Merrimack 6-3 in the Alaska Gold Rush Tournament in Fairbanks and UND beat
UAA 5-0 and lost to UAF 2-1 in the Alaska Gold Rush Tournament in Fairbanks.
They meet again! Three out of four games these teams play
against each other to start the season. NoDak
put a pretty good licking on the Seawolves in Alaska, with a bunch of players
suspended for that game. Now that they
will have their full rooster, one should predict a similar outcome, which I will. NoDak Sweep
Bemidji
St. @ Nebraska-Omaha
Last weekend the Beavers split with the LSSU
Lakers losing Friday 2-0 and rebounding Saturday with a 5-0 win and the Mavericks
split swept with the Northern Michigan Wildcats winning 5-2 in the first game
and losing 2-1 in the rematch, in Omaha.
The Beavers had UNO’s number a couple of years
ago, but last year the Maverick’s changed that trend. This year the Mavericks are off to a 2-2-0
start and the Beavers are off to a 1-1-0 start.
This is the first of two series these team will play; they also play
each other January 25-26, 2013 in Bemidji.
I’m going to say they each get a win this weekend, SPLIT
#19 Colorado College @ Cornell
Last weekend the Tigers beat Air Force 6-2 and lost to Mass-Lowell 3-1 in Colorado Springs and the Big Red beat the US-U-18 team 6-2 in exhibition play
The Tigers are off to a 3-1-0 start, they won
their first three games before dropping one last weekend. The Big Red have yet to play an official
game, they have played two exhibition games, beating the US U-18 team 6-2, and
tying Brock U. 2-2. Cornell plays in the
ECAC conference; they are located in Ithaca, NY, and have an enrollment of
approx. 13,500. Generally speaking the
ECAC is viewed as a second rate league, so the WCHA team should dispose of teams in lower leagues… Tigers Sweep
Exhibition
US U-18
@ #2 Minnesota (Friday)Last weekend the U-18 team lost to Cornell 6-2 and the Gophers split with the MTU Huskies in Houghton.
Since this game doesn’t official “exist” in
unofficially picking the Gophers…
Non-Conference Games
Canisius
@ #2 Minnesota (Sunday 1:05pm)Last weekend the Golden Griffins where swept by Western Michigan in Kalamazoo and the Gophers split with the MTU Huskies in Houghton.
The Griffins are 1-3-0 to start the year, and
scoop on them is they play in Atlantic Hockey, are located in Buffalo, NY, and
have an enrollment of approx. 3,300 students.
Last year Canisius went 10-22-4 overall and where 10-14-3 in AH,
finishing in 9th place, out of 12 teams. The Gophers have too much talent for the
Griffins, so unless there is some type of self destruction the Gophers should
win.
