(Picture) North Star College Cup

I hate to say this, but we want the NCHC teams in the North Star Cup to win this weekend. So, this weekend we should cheer for the Huskies and the Bulldogs. Shall we say that the tourney has gone to the dogs.

Session 1

Friday, Jan. 24
Game #1: Minnesota State-Mankato vs. Minnesota Duluth - 4 p.m.
Game #2: St. Cloud State vs. Minnesota - 7 p.m.

Session 2

Saturday, Jan. 25
Game #3: Consolation Game - 4 p.m.
Game #4: Championship Game - 7 p.m.

Related articles

• Some NCHC Stats (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• NCHC Hockey: Breaking Down the Numbers Half Way Point (thehockeywriters.com)
• NCHC Hockey: No Second Thoughts or Regrets (thehockeywriters.com)

So how good are MSU Mavericks?

The most wonderful time of the year

This is the most wonderful time of the year. With the holiday bowl season coming up and the NFL playoffs, you might want to try this on-line betting web page sportsbetting.ag for your sports betting needs.

Who good are the Purple Cows? 

I like transparency, who doesn't? The how they voted posts have been really popular this year on the blog and it’s interesting to see how the other voters in the WCHA Web Media Poll. 

It’s nice of Tim Braun to put his hard earned time off to put this thing together. It will be interesting to see how the WCHA ends up finishing at the end of the season. 

The hot team for discussion right now is the Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks. 

First off, the Mavericks are a nice story there is no denying it and you can’t overlook that the Mavericks  are sitting pretty right now going into the halfway point of the WCHA Schedule, the Mavericks have 14 points and last season they had 18 points for the whole season (8-18-2 WCHA, 12-24-2). But let’s not beat around the bush.   I think their success is really a bi-product of who they have played on their schedule to date. 

If you look at the Minnesota State University Mavericks schedule, they have had a rather easy schedule. I know I am going to take some heat for this but the Mavericks have not played a schedule like DU or UND have. I know the Mavericks can’t be blamed for who they have played and you can only play who is on your schedule. I know, I know, the make college hockey schedules about two season in advance, however, that being said, it’s still a fact. 

Let look at UND’s schedule which is ranked 4^th over-all for Strength of Schedule, they have played Fairbanks (loss), UAA (2-0-1), BU (1-1-0), SCSU (1-1-0), UMD (1-0-1), Notre Dame (1-1-0), Colorado College (1-1-0), DU (1-0-1). 

If you look at the Denver Pioneers schedule, the Pioneers they have played the 16^th toughest schedule to date and they are currently hanging on for the top spot in the WCHA. UMASS Lowell (1-0-0), AFA (1-0-0), MTU (2-0-0), SCSU (1-1-0), MSU (2-0-0), Colorado College (2-0-0), Yale (0-1-0), UNH (0-1-0), UW (0-1-1), UND (0-1-1). 

Minnesota State is an up and coming team and they have some very nice players on their team and you can tell that they have a whole new philosophy. That being said, you can’t change the fact that the Mavericks have played the 43^rd hardest schedule in college hockey through 16 games and have only beaten one team with a winning record they were swept in their two series against SCSU and DU.

The Saint Cloud State Huskies beat the Mavericks pretty handedly (5-1 W - 5-1 W). 

Here is the Mavericks schedule; UAH (2-0-0), RPI (1-0-1), SCSU (0-2-0), UMN (1-1-0), DU (0-2-0), UW (0-2-0), BSU (2-0-0), UAA (2-0-0). The Mavericks have won 6 games against the three worst teams in the WCHA. In my opinion, that’s hardly a challenging schedule. Let’s let the season play out, and as far as I am concerned the Mavericks will not go higher in my power rankings until they beat a team with a winning record, but also a team that’s in the upper part of the WCHA standings. 

This weekend, the Purple Mavericks travel to Nebraska Omaha to play an important two game series with the Red Mavericks. This week, is an awesome opportunity for the MSU Mavericks to prove that they’re a contender and not an average team that has played a very weak schedule.   

My question today is this, do you think the Minnesota State University Mavericks are legit or do you think they're just a product of their easy schedule to date? again, for the fans that want to come on here and beat their chest how good their teams is, please remember that the Mavericks have played the 43rd hardest schedule in college hockey going 6-0 against the bottom three teams who have won a grand total of 13 games combined.  

MSU-M's Eriah Hayes between the legs, no-look pass

For some reason I still get MSU Mankato's highlight video's emailed to me and this one came in my email last night before I went to bed. I thought I would put it up so you could take a look at. It's an awesome hockey play by Eriah Hayes. Thoughts?

Jutting Named New Hockey Assistant Coach at UNO

Congrats to former Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks head coach Troy Jutting for getting the assistant coaching position at the University of Nebraska Omaha.

Last week were were alerted of the impending coaching move by SB Nation Blogger Chuck Schwartz and Bridget Brooks. The University of Nebraska Omaha came out with their "official" press release today.

OMAHA, Neb. – University of Nebraska Omaha head hockey coach Dean Blais announced today that Troy Jutting has been named the team's new assistant coach. Jutting takes over for Brian Renfrew who left Omaha after one year to take a position with the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League.

Jutting is well known to fans of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, having served as the head coach of Minnesota State for the last 12 years.

“We are fortunate that we have been able to add someone of Troy's experience to our staff,” said Blais. “After so many games coaching against us, he knows our program and our players. Just as important, he knows the WCHA and what it takes to be successful there. I think he can help us as we compete for league and national championships.” [Read the whole release here]

WCHA Issues Suspension to MSU Women’s Hockey Coach

Western Collegiate Hockey Association logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This can be marked up as being the head scratcher of the week. The WCHA has suspended MSU-M Women’s coach Eric Means for five games. The suspension isn’t that head scratcher, but the fact that he was suspended two months after the season was over, so much for swift justice.

 April 23, 2012/For Immediate Release

MADISON, Wis. – The Western Collegiate Hockey Association today announced that head women’s hockey coach Eric Means of Minnesota State University, Mankato has been issued a five-game suspension from coaching due to a violation of the WCHA Code of Conduct.

The decision was reached by the WCHA Women’s Executive Committee after a review of his actions during the February 17 (2012) game versus the University of Minnesota Duluth. The five-game suspension, which includes one first round WCHA playoff game that Means sat out voluntarily back on February 24, will consist of the first four conference games (no exhibition or non-conference games) of the upcoming 2012-13 season.

Minnesota State University issued a statement in response to today’s announcement from the Association that said “We understand and accept the decision made by the Women’s WCHA Executive Committee. MSU Athletics supports the underlying principles of sportsmanship, respect, and fair play and insists on integrity, ethical conduct, and accountability from all staff, coaches, and student-athletes. This decision suggests that the WCHA is committed to similar principles and ideals and this outcome sends a strong message to member institutions underscoring those expectations.”

The WCHA will have no further comment on this issue.

Austin Lee Save.

There hasn’t been a lot to cheer about for the Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks this season, however, this is an awesome save by the Mavericks goalie Austin Lee. I have to agree with LaPanta, how did that stay out of the net? I think we will be seeing more of the Mavericks net minder.

Related articles

• UMD-Minnesota State Preview (insidehockey.com)
• WCHA Power Rankings - November 13 (insidehockey.com)

WCHA commissioner has a busy couple of weeks

Image via WikipediaWCHA fans do you feel confident when you read that Bruce McLeod is going to Fairbanks, Alaska to talk to the Fairbanks administration? If my team was going to be in the WCHA after the 2013-2014 season, I would be concerned.

Mick Hatton; SC Times --- McLeod was in Chicago on Tuesday and met with Central Collegiate Hockey Association officials. On Monday, McLeod leaves to meet with officials at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks.

McLeod would not characterize the talks he had with the CCHA as about a possible merger between the two conferences.

“We had a good discussion with the CCHA, agreed to some common ground and talked about some things that could be on the table when we get the whole group together to meet in the future,” McLeod said. “I wouldn’t read too much into the meeting one way or another. It was good and positive and we have a lot of hurdles to overcome.

“It always gets back to do we worry about ourselves and get back to eight (WCHA) members or do we think of the greater good of college hockey? I think more than anything, we’re just trying to keep as nimble as we can possibly be. Gradually, we’ll get ourselves to making a decision.”

McLeod is heading to Alaska after being asked to visit the CCHA school by a committee of athletic directors of the five WCHA schools (St. Cloud State, Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech and Minnesota State-Mankato) that plan to remain in the conference in 2013-14. St. Cloud State is being represented on that committee by Gino Gasparini, who is a special adviser to St. Cloud State President Earl H. Potter III for athletics. That committee is being headed by Michigan Tech.

Alaska-Anchorage, obviously, has an interest in having Alaska-Fairbanks in the same conference.

“I haven’t been up there for a long time ... and I’m going to get a sense of the program commitment. They’ve been fairly aggressive up there,” McLeod said of being in contact with the WCHA. “I can understand why it’s best for those two (Alaska) schools, but I’m not sure I’m convinced it’s the best for everybody.

“They need to convince me why it’s best for the

Related articles

• University of Alaska Fairbanks to the WCHA? (mvn.com)
• What's up SCSU? (mvn.com)
• WCHA commish has no guarantees for MSU Moorhead (mvn.com)

What's up SCSU?

I have been on vacation this past week and I am catching up on some of my reading when I came across this interesting article in the Saint Cloud Times. I am not sure why St. Cloud State President Earl H. Potter III is continuously making some of these statements, on one hand he said, that SCSU isn't going to accept an invitation to the NCHC, a league that his school was never invited to join, and then he does a one 180 and said he would be willing to listen "if" the NCHC wanted to add SCSU. Now we have this. Now Potter is trying to talk down the NCHC, two years before they play their first game.

Mick Hatten; SCTIMES ---- St. Cloud State President Earl H. Potter III has said that the university has looked at the numbers and win-loss records for teams in the newly formed National Collegiate Hockey Conference and for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association teams.

“The NCHC doesn’t look like such a sweet deal for all of these teams,” Potter said.

Here’s a look at some of the numbers that Potter is talking about.

The past six seasons, St. Cloud State has been coached by Bob Motzko. So we’ll use the records of teams from the past six seasons as the base.

The NCHC will, as it stands, have five teams from the WCHA in its inaugural season of 2013-14: Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakota.

Here are the records and winning percentage of those five teams when they competed against each other last season: Colorado College (5-5-1, .500), Denver (5-7, .417), Minnesota-Duluth (3-5-1, .389), Nebraska-Omaha (5-5, .500) and North Dakota (9-5, .643).

Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State-Mankato and St. Cloud State will be the five teams left in the WCHA after those five leave for the NCHC.

Here are the records for the future NCHC teams against the teams that plan to remain in the WCHA from last season: Colorado College (9-6-1, .594), Denver (13-2-2, .824), Minnesota-Duluth (10-3-2, .733), Nebraska-Omaha (8-6-2, .563) and North Dakota (15-0-2, .889).

St. Cloud State President Earl H. Potter III is right there are going to be some winners and there are going to be the teams that finish at the bottom at the new NCHC. These 6-8 teams are going to be beating the hell out of each other and depending on who they play in their non-conference schedule they would be on the out side looking in when it comes to the NCAA Tourney. The same thing is going to happen to the B1G teams as well.

On the other side of this argument is that the PWR ranking of the WCHA is going to go down with the exit of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Denver, Colorado College and University of Nebraska Omaha. With these seven teams leaving the WCHA isn't going to be receiving 4-5 at large NCAA Hockey tourney bids anymore either, it's a mathematical fact. In the past season the WCHA had 10 teams in the top twenty of the PWR ranking, however, the WCHA will not be as strong in the PWR rankings and will have less teams in the NCAA tourney as well.

Related articles

• Will the Gophers want to duck the Sioux? (mvn.com)
• New hockey conference for DU, CC named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (denverpost.com)
• National Collegiate Hockey Conference is new home for DU, Colorado College (denverpost.com)
• Is The New National Collegiate Hockey Conference Good For College Hockey? (stupidhockey.typepad.com)

Gophers want to play state teams

Image via WikipediaIt will be interesting to see what kind of arrangements these various teams will come up with as we get closer to the 2013-2014 season. I would imagine that other teams will have simular tourneys and arrangements. It will also be a good way to schedule nonconference games and spread the wealth around.

Mick Hatten; St Cloud Times --- The University of Minnesota men’s hockey team is in preliminary discussions with St. Cloud State, Bemidji State and Minnesota State-Mankato about playing nonconference games and a tournament both on an annual basis, according to Gophers coach Don Lucia.

Lucia said he has talked with Huskies coach Bob Motzko, Beavers coach Tom Serratore and Mavericks coach Troy Jutting about the Gophers playing games against their programs beginning in 2013-14, which is the first season that the Gophers and Wisconsin leave the Western Collegiate Hockey Association for the Big Ten Conference.

Lucia also said that he plans to talk with Minnesota-Duluth coach Scott Sandelin about the same arrangement with the Bulldogs, who also leave the WCHA after the 2012-13 season and will join the newly formed National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

“We have 14 nonleague games to work with and our goal is to play those (four) teams every year,” Lucia said. “It would be good for our program, all the other programs and for the state of Minnesota.

Related articles

• Tuesday evening free for all (mvn.com)
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• College Hockey: Reshuffling Blurs Picture, Jeopardizing Conferences (nytimes.com)