INCH Power Rankings

As always I include the INCH Power Rankings. I can already see the questions in this week's INCH Chat. I can even write the question that some college hockey fans asking, how come UND is ranked 9th when they are only sitting in 6th place in the WCHA?

1. Miami
2. Denver
3. Wisconsin
4. Cornell
5. St. Cloud State
6. Yale
7. Michigan State
8. Minnesota Duluth
9. North Dakota 5 Maybe it’s coincidence, but the Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports that since Brett Hextall has been out of the lineup with an injury, the Fighting Sioux are 1-4-1 and have scored two goals in their last 40 power-play opportunities. 13-10-5 (8-9-3 WCHA) LAST WEEK: L vs. Denver, 2-0; L vs. Denver, 4-2. THIS WEEK: Off
10. Colorado College
11. Bemidji State
12. Ferris State
13. New Hampshire
14. Boston College
15. Union
16. Maine
17. St. Lawrence
18. Massachusetts
19. UMass Lowell
20. Michigan

Dropped out: Vermont

Bubble-licious: Lake Superior State, Vermont, Rensselaer

INCH Power Rankings.

As always for a good laugh I include the INCH power rankings.
1. Denver
2. Wisconsin
3. Yale
4. Miami
5. North Dakota
6. Cornell
7. Michigan State
8. Minnesota Duluth
9. Colorado College
10. Ferris State
11. Boston College
12. Bemidji State
13. UMass Lowell
14. Union
15. Quinnipiac
16. Maine
17. St. Cloud State
18. New Hampshire
19. Massachusetts
20. Alaska

Dropped out: None
Bubble-licious: Lake Superior State, Vermont, Rensselaer

INCH Power Rankings

As always I include the INCH Power Rankings for those looking for a good laugh on Monday Morning.

1. Miami
2. Denver
8-3-1 (6-1-1 WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. North Dakota, 1-0; W vs. North Dakota, 3-2. THIS WEEK: vs. St. Cloud State, vs. St. Cloud State
3. UMass Lowell
4. North Dakota 2 The losses at Denver marked the first time the Sioux suffered a weekend sweep since dropping a pair to Michigan Tech Dec. 15-16, 2006. "Hopefully it doesn't happen again," NoDak forward Chris VandeVelde told the Grand Forks Herald's Brad Schlossman. 7-4-1 (5-4-1 WCHA) LAST WEEK: L at Denver, 1-0; L at Denver, 3-2. THIS WEEK: vs. Ohio State, vs. Miami (Subway Holiday Classic; Grand Forks, N.D.)
5. Colorado College
6. Cornell
7. Bemidji State
8. Michigan State
9. Quinnipiac
10. Massachusetts
11. Yale
12. Alaska
13. Minnesota Duluth
14. Notre Dame
15. Vermont
16. Wisconsin
17. Boston College
18. Ferris State
19. Nebraska-Omaha
20. Colgate
Dropped out: Princeton
Bubble-licious: St. Cloud State, Merrimack, RIT

INCH Chat

Here is the latest from the boys at INCH. Just a couple of things that have to be addressed. I guess when a hockey team has 7 seniors in the line up it's seen as having just enough leadership. What the hell is that?

I guess Jess is starting to realized that his prediction that UND will finish in 7th place might be a little off and is probably going to have to back track from it and possibly retract it.

Our goaltender that Jess has questions about has better numbers than the goalie from UMN. Let compare Brad Eidsness 14-7-2 GAA 2.51 and SV% .908 > Alex Kangas 12-5-5 GAA 2.68 and S% .906. D'oh! I guess Minnesota has goalie issues then? In the last four games Alex Kangas has given up 6,5,2,6 goals.

Lastly, if Minnesota is the best of the rest how come the Sioux took them apart, piece by piece? I don't buy the logic anymore because UND went through Minnesota with ease and is also the only team to beat Cornell. I wonder if Jess even watched the games between the Sioux and Gophers? Let me guess; coach was gone, the WJC players were tired. Hey Jess; just come and say it, you hate UND. I am sure a lot of us wouldn't have a problem with that, because you can't claime you're being objective.

Andrew: (Denver, CO): How do you think the gophers will do for the rest of the season? Do you think that they can pull it together and finish off how they started off and win the WCHA? Who is the strongest team in the WCHA?

Jess Myers: I'd pick Denver as the strongest team in the WCHA, and the Pioneers have a chance to prove that this weekend at North Dakota. Minnesota is definitely behind Denver in my book, but is the best of the rest, from what I've seen. So I don't see them winning the regular season barring a slip-up by Denver, but Minnesota is a very good hockey team.
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Sam: Mandan ND: What do you think about the Sioux and Pioneers series this weekend, and what impact will it have on the outcome of the WCHA for the remainder of the season?

Jess Myers: If Denver sweeps this weekend, the Sioux are in the Pioneers' rear-view mirror for good. Frankly, I don't see that happening, with the way North Dakota is playing right now. Denver is a better team, but the Sioux are hotter. That should make for some great hockey.
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Robert-Denver-CO: Its hard to put a handle on North Dakota this year. History says it will not happen but if ND sweeps a very good Denver team this weekend and sits alone atop the WCHA what will you guys think of this team? It appears they could be turning into something special with a bunch of blue chippers "and" still enough talent with playoff experience. What say you??

Jess Myers: North Dakota is awash in young talent, and has just enough veteran leadership to succeed right now. I may have had the Sioux a bit
underrated early in the season (I picked them for seventh in the WCHA while some were calling them a top five team in the nation) but I figured it would take that young talent a little bit of time to mature. And I was unsure then (and still am a little bit) about their goaltending. Right now they're on the bubble for an NCAA invite, which is quite an accomplishment after the rough start they had.
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Dave (Grand Forks,ND): Do you think it is a down year in the WCHA or are the teams just beating up on each other?

Jess Myers: I definitely think this is a down year overall. Most of the elite teams in the nation are playing in other conferences. Denver and Minnesota are near-locks for the NCAA tournament, and the league will get one or two more teams in (North Dakota and Wisconsin, maybe) but this is not going to be an all-WCHA Frozen Four by any means.

INCH Chat

Here is the latest from The boys at INCH. I actually am thinking about serving Jess Meyers some barbequed crow when he his predictions go dead wrong. I seriously don't expect the Sioux to win the NCAA title this season but I do expect them to make a run at the NCAA tourney. So basically we are to believe the win over UND is a fluke or does Minnesota suck too? What is it Jess?

Billy (Atlanta): Here come the Sioux (I hope)...Nodak is 9-2-0 since the start of December and 4-0 in 2009. What are you thoughts from last weekends spanking of Minnesota, aaaaaand what Sioux team do you foresee heading down the stretch, the back to back 6 goal scoring (20 in the last four) team or the GLI Sioux who couldn't beat my sister and only managed 2 goals on the weekend?

Jess Myers: History tells us that the six-goal version is the one we'll see from now until the opening game of the Frozen Four, when it will all go horribly wrong and Boston College will cruise into the championship game. But more to the point, I stick by my November and December contention that North Dakota is OK, but just OK. They're part of that huge muddle in the middle of the WCHA, and are in the hunt for home ice, but not a lock for home ice.
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Robert/Denver/CO: Will North Dakota make its annual second half (of the season) run and go deep into the playoffs?


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Mark: Fargo, ND: Do you see the UND Fighting Sioux making another second half run, especially with the destruction of the gophers this last weekend or do you think they will still take 7th place in the WCHA?

Jess Myers: I'm someone who admits it when I have it all wrong. But sorry Sioux fans, I'm not convinced just yet that my 7th place prediction was too far off. Of course, after winning four in a row, the folks who bleed
green are certainly convinced that those picking the Sioux in the top five nationally were right on the mark. The key to the recent success North Dakota has had is the improved defensive play, and the on-going maturity of some talented freshmen. In previous years, the second-half surges by North Dakota followed first halves in which they underachieved. If it happens this year it will mean overachieving in the second half.
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