Atlantic Hockey Association
Mercyhurst 2 at Connecticut 5
Canisius 3 at Holy Cross 6
Sacred Heart 5 at Air Force 7
American Int'l 0 at RIT 5
CCHA
Alaska 1 at Miami 4
Lake Superior 2 at Notre Dame 3 OT
Bowling Green 1 at Michigan 5
Ferris State 3 at Western Michigan 1
ECAC
Quinnipiac 1 at Cornell 2
Harvard 3 at Dartmouth 2
St. Lawrence 4 at Yale 3 OT
Colgate 1 at Union 4
Hockey East
Maine 4 at Merrimack 5
Northeastern 2 at Boston University 5
Vermont 1 at New Hampshire 3
Massachusetts 1 at Boston College 4
WCHA
Alaska Anchorage 4 at Minnesota 3 [Box Score]
St. Cloud State 2 at Minnesota Duluth 4 [Box Score]
Wisconsin 3 at Colorado College 1 [Box Score]
Bemidji State 4 at Nebraska-Omaha 2 [Box Score]
Minnesota State 2 at Denver 4 [Box Score]
Michigan Tech 0 at North Dakota 8 [Box Score]
Analysis – Last night was an intriguing night of hockey for the WCHA. Two teams that were expected to win now are going to have to win tonight to force a game three.
Bemidji State 4 vs. Nebraska-Omaha 2 – After being snubbed and not making any of the All WCHA teams Dan Bakala stopped 46/48 shots and led the BSU Beavers to another win against the UNO Mavericks. UNO is 0-4-1 against the BSU Beavers and they are the only team the Mavericks haven’t beat this season. [Up North Sports], [Omaha.com]
Wisconsin 3 vs. Colorado College 1 – The Wisconsin Badgers have gone 2-6-1 since February but are on a modest two game unbeaten streak. I still think that the Badgers are going to have to run the table to make the NCAA tourney and have struggled against teams above them in the standing and in the top twenty rankings. The Wisconsin Badgers got timely scoring from their fourth line of Ryan Little (1g-0a-1pts) Jefferson Dahl (1-1-2pts) and Keegan Meuer (0g-1a-1pts) help the Badgers beat the Tigers in Colorado Springs 3-1. Wisconsin Badgers Senior goalie Scott Gudmandson stopped 27/28 shots to push the homesteading Tigers to the brink of elimination. [Madison.com], [Eye of the Tigers]
Minnesota State 2 vs. Denver 4 – The Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks have played the DU Pioneers tough all season long, however, the MSUM Mavericks once again failed to hold lead and lost the game in the third period again as DU scored four goals in the third period, the Ostrow Brother (Kyle and Shawn) scored three goals and Beau Bennett scored leading the Denver Pioneers all the way back to win the game 4-2. [Denver Post], [Puckato]
Michigan Tech 0 vs. North Dakota 8 – The Fighting Sioux demolished the hapless Michigan Tech Huskies 8-0 and hope to close them out in tonight’s game, the Fighting Sioux got hattricks from Jason Gregorie and the b east Matt Frattin. According to Jayson Hajdu the UND SID, The last time two Fighting Sioux hockey players scored a hat trick in the same game was Jan. 17, 2003 at Alaska Anchorage (Zach Parise, Jason Notermann). [UND Hockey Blog], [fightingsioux.COM]
Alaska Anchorage 4 vs. Minnesota 3 – I have been hearing all week long how the Minnesota Gophers were going to cruise to the Final Five win on Thursday night, and beat the Sioux and they would probably be in the NCAA tourney, I think that scenario is easier said than done. I guess the UAA Seawolves also came to play and want to plan a spring trip of their own to the Xcel Energy Center. I do wonder if the Minnesota Gophers looked past the UAA Seawolves as they beat the Minnesota Gophers 4-3 in the John last night and have a chance to make the Final Five for the second time in their team’s history.
Honestly, I told someone this past week I don’t think Minnesota matches up well against the UAA Seawolves because of the style of hockey the Seawolves play. The Minnesota Gophers like to play a finesse game and that involves little physical contact and the UAA Seawolves are the exact opposite of that team philosophy, they are the anti Gophers. I have seen the Seawolves play quite a few times on GCI.COM this season and they are not that bad of a hockey team and ended up finishing tied for 8th place and if they had won a few more games would have been hosting a home series in the first round of WCHA playoffs instead of traveling to the Minnesota. They will play the Gophers tough from the drop of the first puck to the last whistle of the game.
Why the Gophers lose - UAA is a big team that gets in the shooting lanes and is very defensive minded and score goals off turnover in the neutral zone, they erased a four goal lead in Anchorage against the Sioux earlier in the season. I think the Gophers Hockey team looked past the Seawolves based on their past records and they will need to realize that the Seawolves are not a bad hockey team at all. If the Gophers want to win this series they are going to have to limit turnovers in the neutral zone, stay out of the penalty box and use their speed through the neutral zone, if they don’t they will get buried. The Gophers are also going to have to get pucks deep and cycle the puck. [Delusions of Grandeur], [Goal Gophers]
St. Cloud State 2 at Minnesota Duluth 4 – I have to admit after the Huskies beat the Bulldogs in Duluth 8-2 I thought this last night’s game was going to be more of the same and still could be but the Huskies have to win or they are done because they are on the outside looking in. Since February the UMD Bulldogs are unimpressive and mediocre 4-4-3 and kind of stumbling into the playoffs, it will be interesting to see if the Huskies go after the top line of Connolly (X2) , no they are not related and Justine Fontaine and check they hard. [Rink and Run], [SCSU Pucks and Stuff]
