Image via WikipediaAfter a week hiatus the WCHA Power Rankings are back and are posted at Inside Hockey. Here is the link to Zach Friedli's power rankings.
1. Minnesota – (10-2-0, 7-1-0 WCHA) Split with the Wisconsin Badgers this past weekend in Madison. Up next for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, a home and home series with the pesky Saint Cloud State University Huskies. Due to the two schools proximity to each other, this in state series should prove to be an exciting weekend of hockey. With the Gopher’s win on Saturday night, Don Lucia hit the 300 win mark for his coaching career.
2. Minnesota Duluth – (7-3-2, 5-2-1 WCHA) Swept the lowly University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves in Duluth this past weekend. Up next for the Bulldogs, a home series with the Minnesota State University Mankato. UMD Bulldog goalie Kenny Reiter has been on fire as of late, in the last seven games that Reiter has played in he has 5-0-2 record with a 1.26 goals against average and a .952 saves percentage. With the shutout on Friday night, Reiter tied the UMD record with 9 career shutouts. The Bulldogs are playing great team defense as well as they are ranked 2nd in the WCHA. Just to illustrate how well the Bulldogs are playing defensively they have only given up four goals in last five games.
3. Nebraska Omaha – (6-5-1, 5-2-1 WCHA) The University of Omaha Nebraska Mavericks took three of four points from the Bemidji State University Beavers in Bemidji, Saturday’s victory against the Beavers was the first in eight games for the Mavericks 1-5-2. Up next for the Mavericks, a trip to Denver to play the Pioneers.
4. Denver – (4-3-2, 3-2-2 WCHA), The Pioneer beat their in state rival the Colorado College Tigers 5-4 at home this past weekend, the return game of that series is in Colorado Springs on December 2nd, that game will be on CBS College Sports at 7:07 MT. Up next for the Pioneers, a home series with the UNO Mavericks.
5. Colorado College – (5-2-0, 3-2-0 WCHA) The Colorado College Tigers lost 5-4 in a single game this past weekend against their in state rivals, the Denver Pioneers in Denver. The return game of that series is in Colorado Springs on December 2nd, that game will be on CBS College Sports at 7:07 MT. Up next for the Tigers, a home date with the Wisconsin Badgers.
6. Wisconsin – (5-6-1, 4-5-1 WCHA), The Wisconsin Badgers split their series with the high flying Minnesota Gophers. The Badgers took the Gophers to the woodshed on Friday night and looked a step slow against the Gophers in the second game of the series. In my opinion Badgers Defenseman Justin Schultz (4g-12a—16pts) is one of the best defensemen in the WCHA. Up next for the Badgers, a trip to the Springs to play the high octane Colorado College Tigers.
7. North Dakota – (3-6-1, 1-5-0 WCHA) The University of North Dakota was idle this past weekend, Up next for the Fighting Sioux, a trip down highway 2 to Bemidji, Minnesota to play the BSU Beavers. The Sioux are off to their worst start since the 1974-75 season when the Fighting Sioux started the season 1-9-0. The Fighting Sioux hope to regroup against the Bemidji State Beavers, a team the Fighting Sioux have never lost to in the modern era.
7. Michigan Tech – (6-3-1, 4-3-1 WCHA), The Huskies was idle this past weekend, Up next for the Michigan Tech Huskies, a trip to Anchorage, Alaska to play the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves. People from the Michigan Tech fan base are going to ask me why I don't have the Huskies ranked higher. You can include me in the I am not convinced crowd when it comes to the MTU Huskies. While the Huskies have played better hockey this season, they have also been swept by BSU and beaten badly by MSU-M.
9. St. Cloud State – (5-5-2, 3-2-1 WCHA), the Huskies split with the Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks in Mankato this past weekend. The Huskies have been bitten by the injury bug and are missing two major cogs in their lineup; senior forward Drew LeBlanc broken leg and junior goalie Mike Lee undisclosed lower body injury. Up next for the Huskies, a home and home series with their in state rival the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
10. Bemidji State – (4-7-1, 2-5-1 WCHA), The Bemidji State University Beavers are another team which is hard to figure out, they swept the upstart Michigan Tech Huskies in Bemidji and split with Miami University to start the season but have had trouble getting consistent goaltending and have used all three of their goaltenders so far this season. Leading scorer junior forward Jordan George (6g-2a-8—pts) has been held scoreless in 7 out of 12 games so far this season. Up next for the Beavers is the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux who were idle this past weekend.
11. Minnesota State – (3-7-0, 2-4-0 WCHA), The Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks have had a tough time with injuries and recently lost six games in a row before winning two of the last three games. The Mavericks split with the SCSU Huskies this past weekend in Mankato. Up next for the Minnesota State Mavericks, a trip to Duluth to play the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. The Mavericks who are last in goal scoring in the WCHA are going to have their work cut out for them next weekend against the Bulldogs who have been a defensive juggernaut the last five games.
12. Alaska Anchorage – (3-6-1, 0-6-0 WCHA), The University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves have an impressive 3-0-1 record in non-conference play but a dismal 0-6-0 record in conference play, the Seawolves scored an paltry one goal last weekend and were outscored 8-1 as the Bulldogs swept the Seawolves in Duluth. Up next for the Seawolves, a home series with the MTU Huskies.
