WCHA Pre-Season Picks (Sioux7)

Well it has been a year since last I made pre-season predictions. I hope I'm as accurate this year as I was last season. So with out any further delay lets start my WCHA pre-season predictions.

10. Alaska Anchorage
I'm sure I won't be the only one with picking the Seawolves to finish in the basement. They always play a tough physical game, which I like, but they can't seem to score enough goals to get the wins. Unfortunately I don't see them moving up the WCHA ladder this season.

9. Michigan Tech
The Huskies suffered numerous injuries last season which kept them in bottom of the league. I think they will remain in the bottom half again this season, call it a hunch. However, they should be avoid the basement spot this season.

8. Minnesota State - Mankato
The Mavericks, what can I say, but there will two of them next season in the WCHA, with the addition of UNO. These purple puck people will post a poor record this year in the league, according to my crystal ball. Oh, and as a side note I heard Jutting got a multi-year contract extension.

7. St. Cloud State
These Huskies will cause problems in the league and figure to will their fair share of games. I know Motzko will have his dawgs ready to play. They seem to go in go in streaks winning and losing, and unfortunately for them the losing outlasts the winning streaks. They will have a freshman in net, Mike Lee, I saw him play last year here in Fargo, with the Force, (USHL team) and he didn't look bad, seemed to wonder away from the net.

6. Colorado College
The Tigers, have lost some of their roar from last season, Rau and Walsky, last years top scorers. (Asst. coach Mike Guentzel left CC to coach a USHL team) I don't think the incoming freshman will be able to take up the slack of losing their top scorers. Don't get my wrong, they still have talent and will be competitive in the league, but they won't be in the top three. At times this season it will look like these Tigers will have had a bit too much catnip, meow...

5. Minnesota-Duluth
The Bulldogs will be without Alex Stalock in net, but do return four of their top seven scorers from last season. The Duluth boys will be right in the mix for home ice at the end of the season. I've lost track, when, if ever, are they getting a new rink up by the lake?

4. Wisconsin
The Badgers from Mad-town, they have been playing their defensive system for a few years now, not exiting hockey, but affective at winning games. Coach Eaves finds ways to keep his team in games and even steals some wins here and there. The cheese heads may have lost Favre to Minnesota, but the hockey team will win this years series with the Gophers. This season team will dig and claw their way to a top five finish.

3. Minnesota
The Gophers from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, will safely get home ice advantage this year, unlike last season. They return almost all of last years squad to the ice, including both goal-tenders. I'm sure that most UM fans are wondering is which Kangas will show up in net, and Patterson is waiting for his chance to stop some pucks. The Gophers hockey team, unlike the State, will not end up broke at the end of the year.

2. Denver
The Pioneers are looking to put their chuck-wagon into the pole position this season. The Gwoz always seems to put together teams that win, one way or the other (see past seasons ref-ing, lol). Like the Gophers, the Pioneers return most everyone from last season, which is why I think they will end up number two this year.

1. North Dakota
What kind of SIOUX fan would I be if I didn't pick my team to finish first? Even though UND lost six players to graduation and one to poor behavior, I dont' see this as a rebuilding year. North Dakota, as we maybe called the rest of the year, will rely on Eidsness in net to repeat his numbers from last season, and hopefully improve them this year.