John Ramage on Seth Ambroz

Good clean hard check by the Wisconsin Badgers defenseman John Ramage on Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Seth Ambroz. Ambroz appeared to be a bit shook up from the Ramage hit, but was able to make it back to the game.

Ambroz--> RT @pgabriel15 He got crunched by Ramage behind the net. Couldn't tell exactly, but he was in pain
— Andy Johnson (@AndyJohnsonB5Q) February 17, 2013

Weekend Match-Ups (by Donn)

I can’t believe how tightly packed the standings are, this late in the season.  Only 6 points separate the top 7 teams.  With CC, DU, ND, and SCSU, on their last bye weeks of the year, the other teams have a chance to gain some ground, and move up the standings.  The Huskies have the inside track on the McNaughton Cup, but don’t have too much room for error with six other teams breathing down their neck.  

WCHA STANDINGS 2012-2013

Team………………………W-L-T………Points

1. St. Cloud St……………15-6-1…….….31
2. North Dakota.………….11-5-6………..28
3. Minnesota……………...11-5-4……..…26
3. Nebraska-Omaha…......12-8-2…....…..26
5. Denver…………..……..10-7-5..….......25
5. Minnesota State……….12-9-1.…...….25
5. Wisconsin…....…………9-6-7………...25
8. Colorado College ……..8-10-4..…..….20
9. Minnesota-Duluth….…..8-11-3……….19
10. Michigan Tech………..6-12-4…..……16
11. Bemidji State……..…..4-13-5......……13
12. Alaska-Anchorage…....2-16-6.....……10

WCHA Games

Minnesota-Duluth @ Bemidji St.

Last weekend the Bulldogs were swept by the MSUM Mavericks in Duluth (4-2, 5-1) and the Beavers got a point from the Badgers (2-2ot, 3-2) in Madison.

The Bulldogs have fallen on hard times, and they have lost five in a row.  But the vet might have what these dogs need, a bone, a big meaty, juicy bone, to chew on.  And that bone comes in the form of a Beaver, from Bemidji.  Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they have the UM and UNO left on the league schedule after this weekend. (They get another bone in between there, when they host Huntsville.)  The Beavers are now officially stuck in the bottom half and will travel in the first round of the playoffs. BSU has not won a game in 2013, their last win was December 15^th versus Denver.  That is winless in 12 games, which includes three ties.  If the Beavers don’t get a win this weekend, they might not win in 2013.  They have two more series after this, at North Dakota, and then they host Minnesota.  SPLIT

Michigan Tech @ #9 Minnesota State

Last weekend the Huskies split with the Seawolves (5-4L, 6-1W) in Houghton and the Mavericks swept the Bulldogs (4-2, 5-1) in Duluth.  On Tuesday the Huskies erupted and put a snowman on the scoreboard against Upper Peninsula foe Northern Michigan, a 8-2 victory for the Huskies.

The Huskies have shown signs of life the last three weekends, going 3-2-1 in their WCHA games.  The Mavericks are winners of four of their last five games.  The Mavs are looking to keep up their winning ways and move up the standings with a pair of wins this weekend at the Verizon Center in Mankato.  MSUM can’t look past this weekend; they need to focus on trampling the Huskies in a stampede of goals.  This is what I’m predicting in this series.  MAVERICKS SWEEP

#16 Nebraska-Omaha @ Alaska-Anchorage  

Last weekend the Mavericks were swept by NoDak (2-1, 5-2) in Omaha and the Seawolves split with the MTU Huskies (5-4W, 6-1L) in Houghton.

The Mavericks need to put last weekend in the past and move on, and move on big, with a big trip to Anchorage.  Omaha has a, we’ll call it, a favorable schedule, after UAA, they host Wisconsin and end the regular season at Duluth.  The Seawolves pick up their second league win last weekend, their first was on December 1^st against SCSU.  The Anchorage faithfully can say that the Seawolves are playing their best hockey of the year currently, going 1-1-2 in their last four games.  Perhaps the Seawolves are gaining some confidence at the right time of the season?  If they can score like they have been as of late they could get another win this weekend.  But the Mavs boast a pretty good bunch of goal scores on their team, so UAA will need some defense and solid goal tending to get some more points.  MAVERICKS 3-PTS

#2 Minnesota @ #18 Wisconsin (Fri/Sun)

Last weekend the Gophers split with the SCSU Huskies (4-2W, 4-3L) in St. Cloud and the Badgers took three points from the Beavers (2-2ot, 3-2) in Madison.

I’m sure the Badgers are looking at the weekend with two goals in mind.  One get a pair of wins, to help them get a good grip on a home spot, and two, cost their rivals a chance at the last McNaughton Cup.  The Badgers have cooled off some the last few weekend going 1-1-2 in their last four WCHA games. However, most of the Badgers wins have come against the teams below them in the standings, and now they are playing a team ahead of them.  The Gophers are 2-2-0 in their last four WCHA games, which are their only two losses since December started.  Sunday’s game will be played outside at Chicago’s Soldier Field, let’s hope they don’t have ice problems like UND-UNO did last Saturday.  If Wisconsin can keep the score low and stay out of the box, they could get themselves some valuable points this weekend.  SPLIT

BYE WEEK

Colorado College
#11 Denver
#7 North Dakota
#8 St. Could State 

WCHA Power Rankings: Week 18

Western Collegiate Hockey Association logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here is the week 18 WCHA Power Rankings. This season, I have been doing the WCHA Power Rankings with Taylor Seibel, who is a contributor for College Hockey Weekly.

1. Minnesota  – (19-5-4, WCHA 11-5-4) – This past week, the Minnesota Gophers split (4-2 W – 3-4 L) their weekend series with the Saint Cloud Huskies at the National Hockey Center. This weekend, the Gophers travel to Wisconsin to play the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center on Friday night, before making the trek south to Chicago, Illinois to play in the Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field on Sunday. The game will air on the Big Ten Network at 3:30 p.m. CT.

2. Saint Cloud State – (18-11-1, WCHA 15-6-1) – This past weekend, the Huskies split (2-4 L – 4-3 W) their series with the Minnesota Gophers at the National Hockey Center. This weekend, the Huskies are off.

3. University of North Dakota – (16-8-6, WCHA 11-5-6) – This past weekend, UND swept (2-1 W – 5-2 W) their weekend series with the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks in series that included a game at the CenturyLink Center on Friday night. Saturday’s game moved outdoors to the TD Ameritrade Park. This week, UND is off.

4. Minnesota State Mankato – (18-9-3, WCHA 12-9-1) – This past weekend, the Mavericks swept (4-2 W – 5-1 W) the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at Amsoil Arena. This weekend, the Mavericks entertain the Michigan Tech Huskies at the Verizon Wireless Center in Mankato.

5.   Denver University – (15-9-5, WCHA 10-7-5) – This past weekend, the Denver Pioneers took (1-1 T – 5-6 O.T. L) one point in a home and home series with the Colorado College Tigers. This weekend, the Pioneers are off.

6. Nebraska Omaha – (16-12-2, WCHA 12-8-2) – This past weekend, the Mavericks were swept (1-2 – 2-5) by North Dakota. Friday’s game was at the CenturyLink Center and Saturday’s game was outdoors at TD Ameritrade Park. This weekend, The Maverick travel north to Alaska to take on the last place Seawolves at Sullivan Arena.

7.  Wisconsin – (12-9-7, WCHA 9-6-7) – This past weekend, the Wisconsin Badgers took (2-2 T – 3-2 W) three points in their series with the Bemidji State Beavers at the Kohl Center. This weekend, the Badgers entertain the Minnesota Gophers at the Kohl Center on Friday night, before making the trek south to Chicago, Illinois to play in the Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field on Sunday. The game will air on the Big Ten Network at 3:30 p.m. CT.

8.  Colorado College – (11-14-5, WCHA 8-10-4) – This past weekend, the Colorado College Tigers took (1-1 T – 6-5 O.T. W) three points in a home and home series with the Denver Pioneers. This weekend, the Tigers are off.

9. Minnesota Duluth – (10-15-3, WCHA 8-11-3) – This past weekend, the Bulldogs were swept (2-4 L – 1-5 L) by the Minnesota State Mavericks at Amsoil Arena. This weekend, the Bulldogs travel to Bemidji to play the Beavers at the Sanford Center. The Bulldogs have won one game in their last six games and have been swept two series in a row.

10. Michigan Tech – (9-14-4, WCHA 6-12-4) – This past weekend, the Huskies split (3-4 L – 2-1 W) their weekend series with the last place Alaska Anchorage Seawovles during the Winter Carnival. This week, the Huskies play the Northern Michigan Wildcats in Houghton, Michigan on Tuesday night and then the Huskies travel to Mankato, Minnesota to play the Minnesota State Mavericks at the Verizon Wireless Center in Mankato.

11. Bemidji State – (5-17-6, WCHA 4-13-5) – This past weekend, the Beavers took (2-2 T 2-3 L) one point from the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. This weekend, the Beavers entertain the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at the Sanford Center. The Beavers are winless in 12 games (0-9-3), and they have not won since December, 15, 2012. The Beavers are also, 0-7-1 all-time against the Badgers.

12. Alaska Anchorage – (4-17-7, WCHA 2-16-6) – This past weekend, Seawolves split (5-4 W – 1-6 L) their weekend series with the Huskies during the Winter Carnival in Houghton, Michigan. The Seawolves broke their horrid streak, wining for the first time since December 1, 2012. This weekend, the Seawolves entertain the Omaha Mavericks at the Sullivan arena.

Taylor WCHA Power Rankings

1. St. Cloud State – (18-11-1, 15-6-1 WCHA) – The Huskies managed a split against Minnesota at home.  St. Cloud is in the driver’s seat heading down the stretch run, but will have to continue their great play to skate the MacNaughton around at the end of the season.

2. Minnesota – (19-5-4, 11-5-4 WCHA) – The Gophers continue to play very solid, but lost a tight game on Saturday in St. Cloud.  Nobody in the country is more consistent than Minnesota, and when the Gophers get good or better goaltending, they are nearly unbeatable.  That being said, when Wilcox plays average, Minnesota is highly susceptible.

3. North Dakota – (16-8-6, 11-5-6 WCHA) – This may have been North Dakota’s most complete weekend of hockey all season, earning their first weekend sweep in WCHA play since December.  UND is still in the hunt for the MacNaughton, but would likely need to win out.  Fortunately, North Dakota plays their best hockey in February and March under Hakstol.

4. Nebraska Omaha – (16-12-2, 12-8-2 WCHA) – A disappointing weekend for the Mavs, but UNO is still a talented squad that can beat anyone in the league.  Omaha should get home ice, and the Mavs will be a team to keep an eye to see how they rebound from this past weekend.

5. Denver – (15-9-5, 10-7-5 WCHA) – The Pioneers captured the Gold Pan this weekend but little else.  Perhaps the most inconsistent team in the league, Denver has the ability to put up a half dozen goals on any night, shut you out on any night, or completely lay an egg on any night.  The Pios will need to be on top of their game in the next couple of weeks as they host UND and travel to Minnesota.

6. Minnesota State – (18-9-3, 12-9-1 WCHA) – An impressive weekend for Mankato, as the Mavs swept Duluth in Duluth.  Minnesota State has surprised many this season, and they are in position for home ice.  With one win in their final 6 conference games, the Mavs will have won more league games than any other Mankato squad in a decade.

7. Wisconsin – (12-9-7, 9-6-7 WCHA) – The Badgers took 3 points at home against Bemidji, and are in the midst of a 8-1-5 run in WCHA play.  The test won’t get any more difficult than this weekend, as the Badgers square off against arch-rival Minnesota in what should be a dandy of a series.

8. Colorado College – (11-14-5, 8-10-4 WCHA) – The Tigers played very well, and with a hunger that has not been seen most weekends of late in the Springs.  CC has top-half talent, but with the talent in the WCHA this season, will unlikely get home ice without a tremendous run in the final 6 games of the season.  Regardless, they’ll be a squad that nobody will want to see in the First Round of the WCHA Tournament.

9. Minnesota Duluth – (10-15-3, 8-11-3 WCHA) – The Bulldogs had a disappointing weekend, getting swept at home.  After starting 0-4-2 in WCHA play, the Bulldogs went on a run going 8-3-1 over their next 12 to get in the home ice picture.  Unfortunately for Duluth, they are 0-4-0 in their last two weekends, and are likely going to be on the road for the First Round of the WCHA Tourney.

10. Michigan Tech – (10-14-4, 6-12-4 WCHA) – The Huskies lost a heartbreaker to UAA on Friday, but did manage to salvage a split with a win on Saturday.  To make up for the disappointing loss on Friday, the Huskies also destroyed rival Northern Michigan 8-2 last night.  Tech is almost certainly going to be on the road for the First Round of the WCHA Tournament.

11. Bemidji State – (5-17-6, 4-13-5 WCHA) – The Beavers are a solid team, but that hasn’t shown on the scoreboard of late.  Bemidji has not won since December 15^th against Denver, going 0-9-3 since Christmas Break.  Finishing against Duluth, North Dakota, and Minnesota could very well mean not winning a game in the 2^nd half of the season.

12. Alaska Anchorage – (4-17-7, 2-16-6 WCHA) – The Seawolves made an impressive comeback on Friday to secure their first victory since December 1^st, and only their 2^nd WCHA victory of the season.  UAA will be on the road in the First Round of the WCHA Tournament, but they have played their best against the top teams in the league.

"What-if" calculator is back again

WCHA Final
Team	GP	Pts
SCSU	28	38
UND	28	37
UMN	28	37
Nebraska-Omaha	28	35
Mankato	28	32
Denver	28	31
UW	28	31
CC	28	27
UMD	28	24
MTech	28	19
Bemidji State	28	14
AA	28	11

The “What-if” calculator is back at Sioux Sports, you can login and make your predictions on how you see the season ending, in the WCHA. Here is how I see it shaking out. If you want, you can add your predictions.

UND goalie Zane Gothberg Defensive Player of the Week

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – For the second time in as many weeks, North Dakota freshman goalie Zane Gothberg has garnered weekly honors from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).

One week after being named WCHA Rookie of the Week, Gothberg today was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in UND’s road sweep at No. 14 Nebraska Omaha last weekend. The Thief River Falls, Minn., native held the league’s top-scoring offense to just three goals on 65 shots, registering a 1.50 goals against average and a .954 save percentage in the series.

In Friday’s 2-1 win at CenturyLink Center, Gothberg turned aside 33 of 34 shots, including all 14 he faced in the third period. The following evening, he made 29 saves in UND’s 5-2 win at TD Ameritrade Park in the Mutual of Omaha Battles on Ice.

The sweep gave Gothberg a career-best 4-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1), while giving UND sole possession of second place in the WCHA.

Gothberg has started six of UND's last seven games, losing only once (3-1-2) with a 1.96 goals against average and a .935 save percentage. His .778 winning percentage during league play leads the WCHA, and his .926 save percentage ranks third. Gothberg’s overall save percentage of .918 is the third-lowest by a freshman in UND history.

Gothberg is the first UND player this season to receive WCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors. Minnesota State senior forward Eriah Hayes was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week, while MSU freshman forward Teddy Blueger was the WCHA Rookie of the Week.

UND is idle this week and will return to action Feb. 22-23 at Denver.

UND’s WCHA Players of the Week

Nov. 20: Danny Kristo (Offensive)

Dec. 11:   Carter Rowney (Offensive)

Dec. 11:   Rocco Grimaldi (co-Rookie)

Dec. 18:   Corban Knight (Offensive)

Jan. 8:     Corban Knight (co-Offensive)

Feb. 5:     Zane Gothberg (Rookie)

Feb. 12:   Zane Gothberg (Defensive)

How some of us voted; Tech Hockey Guide Web Media Poll

Andy Johnson, Bucky’s Fifth Quarter

1. Minnesota

2. Saint Cloud

3. North Dakota

4. Denver

5. Nebraska-Omaha

6. Wisconsin

7. Minnesota State

8. Colorado College

9. Minnesota Duluth

10. Michigan Tech

11. Bemidji State

12. Alaska Anchorage

Mathew Semisch, Radio Free Omaha

1. Minnesota

2. Saint Cloud

3. North Dakota

4. Nebraska-Omaha

5. Wisconsin

6. Denver

7. Minnesota State

8. Michigan Tech

9. Colorado College

10. Minnesota Duluth

11. Bemidji State

12. Alaska Anchorage

Eric Burton, Goon’s World

1. Minnesota

2. Saint Cloud

3. North Dakota

4. Minnesota State

5. Denver

6. Nebraska-Omaha

7. Wisconsin

8. Colorado College

9. Minnesota Duluth

10. Michigan Tech

11. Bemidji State

12. Alaska Anchorage

Tim Braun, Tech Hockey Guide

1. Minnesota

2. Saint Cloud State

3. North Dakota

4. Nebraska-Omaha

5. Denver

6. Minnesota State

7. Wisconsin

8. Colorado College

9. Minnesota Duluth

10 Michigan Tech

11. Bemidji State

12. Alaska Anchorage

Troy Mills, The Beaver Pond

1. Minnesota

2. Saint Cloud State

3. North Dakota

4. Denver

5. Minnesota State

6. Nebraska-Omaha

7. Wisconsin

8. Minnesota Duluth

9. Colorado College

10 Michigan Tech

11. Bemidji State

12. Alaska Anchorage

WCHA smartly scraps its “Alaska Plan”

I know that this story is a couple of days old. Last summer, before the WCHA added UAH, the league had decided to go with a cash saving measure known as the “Alaska plan”. Now that the WCHA has add Alabama Huntsville this winter, the league has decided to scrap the “Alaska Plan”. Which was the right move.

Looking at this plan from an outsider’s perspective, I think this plan would’ve made the league look second rate, and also would have cheapened the league’s WCHA post season championship.

Matt Wellens, The Mining Journal --- Over the summer, ADs and presidents from the league's then nine future members - Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Lake Superior State, Ferris State, Bowling Green State, Minnesota State, Bemidji State, Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska-Fairbanks - approved a nine-team playoff format that would send the No. 1 seed straight to the league semifinals.

Meanwhile, the Nanooks and Seawolves would play every year in the first round, whether they finish second and third, or eighth and ninth.

The support for that plan has now been replaced by a traditional, three-round, two-weekend, eight-team bracket that has yet to be presented or approved by the university presidents.

"I think we came up with something that is a better alternative, a more fair alternative and its something that is going to work financially," NMU AD Forrest Karr said.

The "Alaska Plan" prevented the group of eight cash-strapped NCAA Division II schools and one Div. I institution from having to pay for up to two teams flights to the nation's 49th state at the last minute should Anchorage or Fairbanks finish between No. 2 and 5.

Going forward, no one really knows how all of this realignment is going to play out. I don’t think that anyone wants to see any team or league fail, but the "Alaska Plan" was an ill-conceived gong show.

A Brief Recap from Section 104 (RW77)

Hello again, Hockey faithful!

Last night was the indoor game (odd to distinguish two hockey games that way but anyways) for the UND vs. UNO game and I'd like to post my thoughts on the game.

First, disappointment for Real Life.  Due to circumstances that were outside of my control (but within control of students' parents involved... GRRR) I got out of work late so... I missed the first 10 minutes of the game and entered CenturyLink just in time to hear the goal announcement for Rocco's goal.  I was mad I was late to begin with but........

Second, I had awesome seats.  I was thinking it would be like 2 years ago where I was the lone Sioux jersey in a sea of red (stupid UNO ticket office gave me the wrong section).  In truth, I was awash in a sea of green.  Then again, it seemed to me that the UNO crowd comparison between this year and the last time the two teams faced off was quite different.  Seemed to be much less UNO fans than 2 years ago.  There was just under 10,000 in attendance which was interesting to me because the lower bowl looked mostly full.  There was no razzing by UNO or UND fans in my section although there were a lot of young kids and one foul mouthed Sioux fan two rows up from me.  Guess I get sensitive to such things when your normal job is that of an elementary school teacher.

Third, Kristo was good but Rocco was better.  Kristo's game was undoubtedly great (He was named First Star of the game) but I thought Rocco was making great plays all game long.  Honestly, though, the person I expected to notice more was Corbin Knight.  I don't have any stats and I noticed him on the ice, but he, to me, had a rather quiet night.  However, the UND player to me that stood out (bearing in mind I missed the first 10 minutes of the game) was Zane Gothberg.  He came up HUGE all night long in his positioning.  Very solid.  UND's defense took several plays off and got lucky several times (I noticed at least 2 times in the 2nd and 3rd periods where UNO players had open shots between the faceoff circles down low but whiffed on the shots as well as 5-7 wide open shots and a blown 2 on 1).  UND's defense seems more physical on TV than live... if that's even possible.

Fourth, I trust the Turgeon hit as Goon stated to be questionable on TV but live in real time at the arena, it definitely looked like a major.  They didn't show the replay so I just assumed at the time that it was legit.  The officials must have thought it was a bit harsh because I do not recall UND having another PowerPlay the remainder of the game, just 2 bouts of 4 on 4.  I counted 2 interference/tripping noncalls on UNO and 1 on UND throughout the night.  The interference call on Forbort (live without replay) seemed questionable.  Overall, though, I thought Todd Anderson did ok... He kept the major penalty delay down to 10 minutes instead of his usual 20 minutes.  Again, maybe it was being there that tempered my usual rage vs. the stripes.

Fifth, big props to CenturyLink!  They played Gungnam Style a grand total of 0 times while I was in attendance!  I probably missed it.  I'm not crying about it.

Finally, I look forward to today.  It's going to be fun, but cold.  I just hope I can see them playing hockey instead of two differently colored sets of helmets skating back and forth.

Related articles

• North Dakota Stomps Wisconsin (insidehockey.com)
• UND completes the sweep with late goal from Danny Kristo (thehockeywriters.com)

Sneak Peek from Omaha

Heres a sneak peak of the rink for the outdoor game in Omaha twitter.com/bodonnell21/st…
— Brendan O'Donnell (@bodonnell21) February 7, 2013

Here is a sneak peek from Brendan O'Donnell's twitter feed.

UND: The Weekend Ahead (2/8-2/9)

This weekend, the University of North Dakota travels to Omaha, Nebraska to play the Nebraska Omaha Mavericks in a pivotal two game WCHA series at CenturyLink Center (Friday) and the TD Ameritrade Park (Saturday).

Matchup: North Dakota (14-8-6, 9-5-6 WCHA) #7 versus #14 Nebraska Omaha (16-10-5, 12-6-2 WCHA).

Dates: February 8-9, 2013

Times: February 8: 6:37p.m. (CT); February 8: 4:07 p.m. (CT)

Radio:  UND 96.1 (KQHT-FM) – The Fox.

TV Friday: NBC Sports Network, channel 220 DirecTV

TV Saturday: Midco Sports Network, Cox Communications

Webcast: AmericaOneSports.com

SERIES HISTORY: All-Time: The Series is tied between UND and UNO 3-3. In Grand Forks, ND the series is tied 2-2. In Omaha, the series is tied 1-1.

Players to Watch:

North Dakota: Forwards: Corbin Knight (12g-24a—36pts), Danny Kristo (16g-19a—35pts), Rocco Grimaldi (9g-13a—22pts), Mark MacMillan (9g-9a—18pts), Carter Rowney (6g-10a—16pts), Drake Caggiula (6g-6a—12pts).  Defense:  Dillon Simpson (2g-14a—16pts), Derek Forbort (4g-8a—12pts), Joe Gleason (4g-9a—13pts) Jordan Schmaltz (1g-6a—7pts) Andrew MacWilliam (1g-5a—6pts). Goaltenders: Clarke Saunders 10-5-4, 2.34 GAA, .914 save percentage, Zane Gothberg 4-3-2, 2.62 GAA, .910 save percentage.

Nebraska-Omaha: Ryan Walters (16g-24a—40pts), Josh Archibald (15g-12a—27pts), Dominic Zombo (9g-17a—26pts), Matt White (14g-11a—25pts), Johnnie Searfoss (8g-8a—16pts), Defense:  Andrej Sustr (7g-13a—20pts) Bryce Aneloski (4g-11a—15pts). Goalie: John Falkner 15-5-2, 2.72 GAA, .897 save percentage.

UND Officials Web Page

UNO Official Web Page

Cross Posted at the Hockey Writers Combine...

This weekend outlook - a fan perspective (RW77)

As life has been kicking my tail up and down as of late (thanks work and grad school), I'll leave the statistical comparisons and intel stuff to Goon.  However, as someone who lives in Omaha and is attending this weekend's festivities, I wanted to share with all of you my expectations and some recommendations.

First, Omaha.  Omaha is a nice town with good people.  Downtown is a cool area.  The Old Market is fun to walk in good weather.  Food is excellent.  I don't eat down there a lot, since I live about as far away from Downtown Omaha as one can get and still be in the Metro area (it seems anyways).  But here's a few recommendations:  First, sushi.  Blue is a great stop for sushi.  Enjoy classic pub cuisine with new age flair?  How about M's Pub?  I love this place.  The spinach salad with the hot bacon dressing is incredible and that's just the opener!  Prices are decent. 

If you are into salads but the rest of you prefer soups or pizza or even hot sandwiches, then Ingredient is the place to go.  They have an ingredient menu the size of a small van for their salads and their portion sizes are excellent.  It's a bit steep if you are going just for a salad but the taste is fantastic.

There's a ton more.  I'm sure some readers here would add in even more and I encourage any who have partaken downtown cuisine to jump in.

If you are looking for something to do Saturday Morning (or early afternoon if you aren't going to the Lancers vs. Stars USHL game), going to the Durham Museum is a must see.  It's nicely located near or just adjacent to the Old Market and it's pretty decently priced.  You can also go to the zoo.  Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is the best zoo in the world as far as I'm concerned.  I think it's ranked #1 or #2 among Zoos in the US.

The forecast is calling for 30s to 40s and a good chance of rain and snow.  So pack accordingly.

Friday Night's Game:

This will be a typical affair being that it is in the CenturyLink (formerly the Qwest) Center.  If you are feeling generous, my coworker's brother owns a parking lot right across the street (literally) from the front entrance.  It is on 9th and Capitol.  Cost to park is $8 or so.  Most expensive I've ever seen it is $10.

Saturday's Game:

Honestly, if UND wasn't playing, I wouldn't go.  I dislike outdoor games.  Goon is right to think that he'll get a better look at the game watching it on TV.  The worst aspect of the game is that there is no such thing as a good seat in the house.  I've been to TD Ameritrade many times for football and it's the same deal.  You are far away.  The difference with hockey is that if you want elevation to look down at the ice you are going to get even further away.  Following the puck live will be tricky.  It is, however, a very nice facility with above average plastic seating (not good for bad backs but not the worst) and the typical horribly overpriced but decent food. 

I also expect for the conditions to be less than perfect.  You can tell me about how technically sound the outdoor rink structures are but in the end, hockey isn't meant to be played on a surface like a baseball field/football field like TD Ameritrade Park.  I expect the puck to bounce all over the place right away in the game.  I also expect a lot of falling players due to catching edges and ice imperfections.

As a fan, I also expect to be buried among people who are there for the event rather than any semblance of caring for the game.  Omaha is very much an event town.  Nevertheless, I'll go and see the boys fight hard.

I'm hoping for 3 points but a split isn't out of the question.  I also believe that the outdoor game will be VERY sloppy.

How some of us voted in the WCHA Web Media Poll

Each week, 12 of us participate in the WCHA Web Media Poll put on by the Tech Hockey Guide.

Matthew Semisch, Radio Free Omaha
1. Minnesota
2. St. Cloud State
3. North Dakota
4. Nebraska-Omaha
5. Denver
6. Wisconsin
7. Minnesota State
8. Minnesota Duluth
9. Michigan Tech
10. Colorado College
11. Bemidji State
12. Alaska Anchorage

                

Troy Mills, The Beaver Pond
1. St. Cloud State
2. Minnesota
3. North Dakota
4.  Denver
5. Nebraska-Omaha
6. Wisconsin
7. Minnesota State
8. Colorado College
9. Minnesota Duluth
10. Michigan Tech
11. Bemidji State
12. Alaska Anchorage

Tim Braun, Tech Hockey Guide
1. Minnesota
2. Saint Cloud State
3. North Dakota
4. Nebraska-Omaha
5. Denver
6. Minnesota State
7. Wisconsin
8. Minnesota Duluth
9. Michigan Tech
10. Colorado College
11. Bemidji State
12. Alaska Anchorage

Eric J. Burton, Goon’s World.
1. Minnesota
2. Saint Cloud State
3. North Dakota
4. Nebraska-Omaha
5. Denver
6. Minnesota State
7. Wisconsin
8. Colorado College
9. Minnesota Duluth
10. Michigan Tech
11. Bemidji State
12. Alaska Anchorage

Andy Johnson, Bucky’s Fifth Quarter
1. Minnesota
2. Saint Cloud
3. North Dakota
4. Denver
5. Nebraska-Omaha
6. Wisconsin
7. Minnesota State
8. Minnesota Duluth
9. Colorado College
10. Michigan Tech
11. Bemidji State
12. Alaska Anchorage

Center ice logo is in

Logo on the ice in Omaha! Looking good. Thx to @jsparanoiv for the photo twitter.com/JSparanoIV/sta…
— Katie O'Keefe-Hale (@KOKeefeHale) February 6, 2013

I wish I was going, but I can probably see better sitting in front of a television set.

This weekend's NCAA Division one television schedule

Here is this weekend’s National College Hockey television schedule. There is a full slate of college hockey on television again this weekend. Check your television guide for times in your local area.

This weekend, there will also be two college hockey games that will be available in Canada, fans north of the border, should check your local television guides as well.

In the state of Minnesota and North Dakota, fans of the University of North Dakota hockey team will be able to watch the Mutual of Omaha Battles on Ice between the Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakota on the Midco Sports Network at 4:00 p.m. (CT).

Maverick fans in the Omaha, Nebraska area will be able to watch the outdoor game on Cox Communications. As of right now, temperatures at game time should be in the mid to upper-40s with a light rain. 

	Date			Network	Time	Channel
Fri.	Feb. 8		North Dakota at Nebraska-Omaha	NBC Sports Net.	6:30 p.m.	603 / 159
Fri.	Feb. 8		Michigan at Notre Dame	CBS Sports Net.	6:30 p.m.	613 / 158 (C)
Fri.	Feb. 8		Minnesota at St. Cloud State	FSN +	7:30 p.m.	657/444
Fri.	Feb. 8		Colorado College at Denver	ROOT Sports	8:30 p.m.	683 / 414
Sat.	Feb. 9		North Dakota at Nebraska-Omaha	Midco/Cox	4:07 p.m.	Check listing
Sat.	Feb. 9		Massachusetts at Merrimack	NESN	3:00 p.m.	628/434
Sat.	Feb. 9		Minnesota at St. Cloud State	FSN +	7:00 p.m.	657/444
Sun.	Feb. 10		Providence at New Hampshire	CBS Sports Net.	4:00 p.m.	613 / 158 (C)
Mon	Feb. 11		Harvard vs. Boston University	NESN	3.30 p.m.	628/434
Mon	Feb. 11		Boston College vs. North Eastern	NESN	6:30 p.m.	628/434

*NESN = New England Sports Network, FCS = Fox College Sports, FSN+ = Fox Sports North-Plus, NBCSN = NBC Sports Network, DirecTV requires the “Sports Pack” to view the Regional sports Networks, *Cox = Cox Communications, *Midco = Midcontinent Sports Network (Grand Forks, North Dakota), (C) Denotes games available in Canada. All times are Central Standard Time.

Cross Posted at the Hockey Writers - Combine...