EDIT... WCHA Power Rankings: Week 20

Here is the week 20 WCHA Power Rankings. This season, I have been doing the WCHA Power Rankings with Taylor Seibel, who is a contributor for The Hockey Writers Combine.

 1.  Saint Cloud State – (19-12-1, WCHA 16-7-1) – This past weekend, the Huskies split (3-4 L – 5-2 W) their weekend series with the Colorado College Tigers in Colorado Springs. This weekend, the Huskies entertain the Michigan Tech Huskies. The Huskies have split the last two series they have played in. Pairwise Ranking 10.

 2. Minnesota – (21-6-5, WCHA 13-6-5) – This past weekend, the Minnesota Gophers took (5-3 W – 2-2 T) three points in their weekend series with the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, who have won “one” game, in their last ten games (1-7-2). This weekend, the Gophers play the Denver Pioneers at Mariucci Arena. Fun fact, the Gophers have swept one “conference” series this season, Alaska Anchorage 01/11-01/12. The Gophers went an impressive 8-0-0 in their non-conference play. Pairwise Ranking 2.

 3. University of North Dakota – (17-9-6, WCHA 12-6-6) – This past weekend, UND split (4-5 L – 6-1 L) their weekend series with the Denver Pioneers, at Magness Arena. This weekend, UND entertains the Bemidji State Beavers at the Ralph Engelstad Arena. Pairwise Ranking 6.

4. Minnesota State Mankato – (20-9-3, WCHA 14-9-1) – This past weekend, the Mavericks were off. This weekend, the Purple Mavericks travel to Colorado Springs to play the Tigers. Pairwise Ranking 7.
5.  Nebraska Omaha – (18-12-2, WCHA 14-8-2) – This past weekend, the Mavericks lost their exhibition game against the U-18 team 2-3. This weekend, the Red Mavericks entertain the Wisconsin Badgers. Friday’s game between the Mavericks and the Badgers will be on NBCSN. Pairwise Ranking 20t.

6. Denver University – (16-10-5, WCHA 11-8-5) – This past weekend, the Denver Pioneers split (5-4 W – 1-6 L) their weekend series with the University of North Dakota at Magness Arena. This weekend, the Pioneers travel to Minnesota to play the Gophers at Mariucci Arena. The Pioneers in essence, are competing with the Badgers for the last home playoff spot.  Pairwise Ranking 13t.

7.  Wisconsin – (14-11-7, WCHA 10-7-7) – The Wisconsin Badgers  split (5-0 w – 2-3 L O.T.) their non-conference series with future conference foe Penn State at the Kohl Center during a Sunday, Monday series. After starting the season 1-7-3, the Badgers have gone an amazing 13-4-4. This weekend, the Badgers travel to Nebraska-Omaha to play the Mavericks in an important two game series. The Badgers in essence, are competing with the Pioneers for the last home playoff spot.  Friday’s game between the Mavericks and the Badgers will be on NBCSN. Pairwise Ranking 28.

8.  Colorado College – (12-15-5, WCHA 9-11-4) – This past weekend, the Colorado College Tigers split (4-3 W – 2-5 L) their weekend series with the Saint Cloud State Huskies at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This weekend, the Tigers entertain the Minnesota State Mavericks. Pairwise Ranking 30.

9. Minnesota Duluth – (10-17-4, WCHA 8-13-5) – This past weekend, the Bulldogs took a single point (2-4 L – 1-1 T) in their weekend series with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Bulldogs have had a tough go recently, taking only a single point in each of their last two series and have one win in their last 10 games 1-7-2. This weekend that should change, as the Bulldogs entertain the Alabama Huntsville Chargers (1-18-1) at Amsoil Arena.

10. Michigan Tech – (10-16-4, WCHA 6-14-4) – This past week, the Huskies were off. The Michigan Tech Huskies travel to Saint Cloud Minnesota to play the Saint Cloud State Huskies at the National Hockey Center in the battle of the Dogs.

11. Bemidji State – (6-17-7, WCHA 5-13-6) – This past weekend, the Beavers were off. Thiks weekend, the Beavers travel down Highway 2 to play the University of North Dakota in a two game series at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

12. Alaska Anchorage – (4-19-7, WCHA 2-18-6) – This past weekend, the Seawolves were off. This weekend, the Seawolves play their cross state rivals the Nanooks in the Governor’s Cup. The Seawolves travel to Fairbanks on Friday and then entertain the Nanooks on Saturday night. The Seawolves have won one game since December 1, 2012, going 1-14-3.

Taylor Seibel’s WCHA Power Rankings

1.  St. Cloud State – (19-12-1, 16-7-1 WCHA) – The Huskies managed only a split against the Tigers this weekend, but still have a strong hold to the top spot in the WCHA thanks in part to slip-ups from Minnesota and North Dakota.  St. Cloud State has an excellent chance at gaining four points next weekend as the SCSU Huskies host the Michigan Tech Huskies, a team that SCSU has not lost to at home in over a decade.

2. Minnesota – (21-6-5, 13-6-5 WCHA) – The Gophers managed three points on the weekend against Minnesota Duluth, and struggled at times against the visiting Bulldogs.  While Minnesota still has a chance at winning the MacNaughton, the point they dropped on Saturday could prove decisive.  It also gave North Dakota a little bit of room to sneak the #2 spot away from the Gophers.  Next weekend, Denver travels up to Mariucci for WCHA play.

3. North Dakota – (17-9-6, 12-6-6 WCHA) – North Dakota struggled mightily against Denver’s powerplay on Friday, but found a way to largely control Denver’s man advantage on Saturday.  The result was a weekend split between these two rivals.  North Dakota says three points back of St. Cloud and one point back of Minnesota in the race for the MacNaughton.  North Dakota hosts Bemidji State next weekend, and four points will be crucial for UND’s hopes of winning the Cup.

4. Nebraska Omaha – (18-12-2, 14-8-2 WCHA) – The Mavericks were essentially off this past weekend, or at least some of the players thought so, as Omaha was defeated by the USA Under-18 squad.  To be fair, that same Under-18 squad has registered draws against Minnesota and Notre Dame on the season.  While the Mavericks are in good position for home ice, a strong showing next weekend at home against Wisconsin could cement their spot in the top half.

5. Minnesota State – (20-9-3, 14-9-1 WCHA) – The Mavericks of Mankato were also off this weekend.  In a similar position to Omaha, Mankato has a chance to solidify their spot as a top half team next weekend if they can take four points from Colorado College down in Colorado Springs.  Anything less, and it will be a shakier proposition as North Dakota comes down to Mankato to close out the regular season.

6. Denver – (16-10-5, 11-8-5 WCHA) – Denver played quite well in their victory over North Dakota on Friday, but failed to respond effectively on Saturday, and the Pioneers were trounced by the Visiting squad from Grand Forks.  The split drew the Pioneers even with Wisconsin heading into the final two weekends of the season.  Given that Denver loses the tiebreaker with Wisconsin, it makes any points that they can gather next weekend at Minnesota that much more important to their chances for home ice.

7. Wisconsin – (14-10-7, 10-7-7 WCHA) – The Badgers defeated Penn State last night in the first game of an odd Sunday-Monday series.  The victory shot Wisconsin up to an NCAA bubble squad.  The Badgers are also on the bubble when it comes to gaining home ice in the WCHA Tournament.  Currently, Wisconsin is tied with Denver for the 6^th and final spot.  Next weekend, the Badgers travel to Omaha to take on the Mavericks in a key series for both squads.

8. Colorado College – (12-15-5, 9-11-4 WCHA) – The Tigers surprised many in the WCHA with their victory over St. Cloud on Friday, but were unable to complete the sweep, losing on Saturday.  Barring surprising results elsewhere in the conference, it is likely that CC will remain in the #8 slot in the conference.  Any chance at home ice would start next weekend, when Minnesota State comes into town.

9. Minnesota Duluth – (10-17-5, 8-13-5 WCHA) – Minnesota Duluth was able to steal a point from Minnesota this weekend, but it was not enough to prevent the Bulldogs from being eliminated from home ice contention.  With only two WCHA games remaining, the Bulldogs will definitely be a team nobody in the top half will want to square off against in the first round of the WCHA Tournament.  Next weekend, the Bulldogs host Alabama Huntsville.

10. Bemidji State – (6-17-7, 5-13-6 WCHA) – The Beavers were off last weekend, but perhaps no team can play as much of a spoiler role over the next two weekends as Bemidji State.  Next weekend, Bemidji travels to North Dakota.  The following weekend, the Beavers host Minnesota.  Both UND and Minnesota will be looking for sweeps, while Bemidji State will look to dash both teams’ dreams of the MacNaughton Cup.

11. Michigan Tech – (10-16-4, 6-14-4 WCHA) – The Huskies of Michigan Tech were off this weekend.  Hopefully they used the time to come up with a strategy to knock off St. Cloud State in St. Cloud, who they play next weekend. The season has been a disappointment for most Tech fans who were hoping to challenge for home ice, but a strong end to the season, coupled with the program’s first GLI Championship in three decades, would be a good consolation prize.

12. Alaska Anchorage – (4-19-7, 2-18-6 WCHA) – The Seawolves were off this past weekend.  While UAA has been assured the cellar, and a First Round matchup against the MacNaughton Cup Champions, the Seawolves are still playing for pride.  Next weekend, the Seawolves square off against in-state (and future WCHA) rival Alaska before concluding the WCHA and regular season at Denver.

Cross Posted at the Hockey Writers Combine.

Related articles

• WCHA Power Rankings: Week 20 (thehockeywriters.com)

WCHA Power Rankings: Week 19

Western Collegiate Hockey Association logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here is the week 19 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.  Saint Cloud State – (18-11-1, WCHA 15-6-1) – This past weekend, the Huskies were off. This weekend, the Huskies travel to Colorado Springs, Colorado to play the Colorado College Tigers.

2. Minnesota – (20-6-4, WCHA 12-6-4) – This past weekend, the Minnesota Gophers split (3-2 W – 2-3 L) their weekend series with the Wisconsin Badgers. The Gophers won indoors at the Kohl Center on Friday night, and then lost to the Badgers at the Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon. This weekend, the Gophers entertain the slumping Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs who have won one game, in their last eight (1-6-1).

3. University of North Dakota – (16-8-6, WCHA 11-5-6) – This past weekend, UND was off. This weekend, the University of North Dakota travels to Denver, to play the Pioneers in an important two game series at Magness Arena in Denver, Colorado.

4. Minnesota State Mankato – (20-9-3, WCHA 14-9-1) – This past weekend, the Mavericks swept (4-2 W – 6-1 W) the Michigan Tech Huskies at the Verizon Wireless Center in Mankato. This weekend, the Mavericks are off.

5.   Denver University – (15-9-5, WCHA 10-7-5) – This past weekend, the Denver Pioneers were off. This weekend, the Pioneers entertain the University of North Dakota in a pivotal two game series at the Magness Arena in Denver, Colorado.

6. Nebraska Omaha – (18-12-2, WCHA 14-8-2) – This past weekend, the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks swept (3-0 – 6-5 O.T. W) the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves at Sullivan Arena. This weekend, the Mavericks have an exhibition game against the U-18 team.

7.  Wisconsin – (13-10-7, WCHA 10-7-7) – This past weekend, the Wisconsin Badgers split (2-3 L – 3-2 W) their weekend series with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Badgers lost at the Kohl Center on Friday night, before winning on Sunday afternoon at the Hockey City Classic at Soldier Field.  This weekend, the Badgers entertain non-conference foe Penn State at the Kohl Center.

8.  Colorado College – (11-14-5, WCHA 8-10-4) – This past weekend, the Colorado College Tigers were off. This weekend, the Tigers entertain the Saint Cloud State Huskies at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

9. Minnesota Duluth – (10-16-4, WCHA 8-12-4) – This past weekend, the Bulldogs took a single point (2-4 L – 1-1 T) in their weekend series with the Bemidji State Beavers at the Sanford Center. This weekend, the Bulldogs travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota to play the Gophers. The Bulldogs are winless in their last six games and have only won one game in their last eight games 1-6-1.

10. Michigan Tech – (10-16-4, WCHA 6-14-4) – This past week, the Huskies beat (8-2) the Northern Michigan Wildcats in Houghton, Michigan on Tuesday night in a nonconference tilt, and then this past weekend, the Huskies were swept (2-4 L – 1-6 L) in their weekend series with Minnesota State Mavericks at the Verizon Wireless Center in Mankato. This weekend, the Huskies are off.

11. Bemidji State – (6-17-7, WCHA 5-13-6) – This past weekend, the Beavers took (4-2 W – 1-1 T) three points from the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at the Sanford Center. This weekend the Beavers are off. The Beavers got their first win since December 15, 2012 when they beat the Denver Pioneers 5-1 on December 12, 2012

12. Alaska Anchorage – (4-19-7, WCHA 2-18-6) – This past weekend, Seawolves were swept (0-3 L – 5-6 O.T. L) by the Omaha Mavericks at the Sullivan arena. This weekend, the Seawolves are off.

Taylor Seibel’s WCHA Power Rankings 

1. St. Cloud State – (18-11-1, 15-6-1 WCHA) – The Huskies were off this past weekend.  St. Cloud also received some help from Wisconsin on Sunday, to give the Huskies a bit of breathing room in the race for the MacNaughton Cup.  SCSU’s magic number is now 9 points to clinch a share of the Cup.  The Huskies will look to reduce that number this weekend as they travel to Colorado Springs to take on the CC Tigers.

2. Minnesota – (20-6-4, 12-6-4 WCHA) – The Gophers played very well on Friday in Madison at the Kohl Center, earning a 3-2 victory, but were edged out by the Badgers on Sunday in Chicago.  The loss hurt the Gophers chances at defending the Cup, but Minnesota fans should keep in mind that bigger prizes are still within their reach.  Minnesota squares off against in-state rival Minnesota Duluth at Mariucci Arena this weekend in WCHA play.

3. North Dakota – (16-8-6, 11-5-6 WCHA) – North Dakota was off this past weekend.  UND still has an outside shot at winning the conference, but it will likely take a perfect run over their next 3 weekends.  Given Coach Hakstol’s track record in the months of February and March, that is certainly a doable task.  It will all start next weekend, as North Dakota travels to the Mile High City to take on the University of Denver in a renewal of a bitter rivalry.

4. Nebraska Omaha – (18-12-2, 14-8-2 WCHA) – The Mavericks of Omaha used some late game heroics to sweep Alaska Anchorage this weekend, temporarily vaulting UNO up to second place in the conference.  The Mavs sit just a point behind St. Cloud in the race for the MacNaughton, but they have played 2 more games.  That will change after this upcoming weekend, as Omaha squares off against the USA Under-18 Team in an exhibition on Friday.

5. Minnesota State – (20-9-3, 14-9-1 WCHA) – What a difference a year makes!  Predicted by many to finish in the bottom quarter of the conference, the Mavs of Mankato have been tremendous this season.  Following a weekend sweep of Michigan Tech, the Mavs are sitting in third place in the conference, albeit having played two more games than both Minnesota and North Dakota, each of whom are just one point behind.  Next weekend, Mankato is off.

6. Wisconsin – (13-10-7, 10-7-7 WCHA) – The Badgers hosted arguably the best team in college hockey this weekend, and managed to skate away with a split.  Wisconsin has been playing very well of late, losing only twice in conference play since the beginning of December.  The streak has the Badgers in position to make a charge for home ice in the first round and a top-half finish in the WCHA.  However, Wisconsin will take a step away from WCHA play next weekend, as the Badgers host Penn State in non-conference action.

7. Denver – (15-9-5, 10-7-5 WCHA) – The Pioneers were off this weekend.  Denver currently sits just outside the top half of the conference, but they have 2 games in hand over Wisconsin, who sits just ahead of the Pios.  DU is capable of beating anyone in the country, or losing to anyone in the country.  That could come in very handy over the next two weekends, as Denver hosts North Dakota this weekend, and travels to Minnesota the following weekend.

8. Colorado College – (11-14-5, 8-10-4 WCHA) – Colorado College was off this weekend.  The Tigers have been on a roller coaster of ride this season in conference play, as they started the season on fire, cooled off tremendously, and now are playing solid, but only have 1 win and 3 ties in their last 4 games.  The road doesn’t get any easier, as WCHA leading St. Cloud State comes to town next weekend to take on CC in a critical series for both squads

9. Minnesota Duluth – (10-16-4, 8-12-4 WCHA) – The Bulldogs were only able to gain 3 points against in-state rival Bemidji State this weekend, effectively eliminating the Bulldogs from home ice contention.  Minnesota Duluth is talented, but very young.  Four of Duluth’s Top Six scorers are underclassmen, and their number one goalie is also a freshman.  This is not likely to be Duluth’s year, but they still have the opportunity to play spoiler next weekend at Minnesota.

10. Bemidji State – (6-17-7, 5-13-6 WCHA) – The Beavers surprised many this weekend, as they took three points against Minnesota Duluth.  Their victory on Friday was their first Friday victory of the season, and their first win since December 15^th.  Bemidji is off next weekend, and they have a brutal finish to conference play, as they travel to North Dakota in two weeks, and then host Minnesota the following week.

11. Michigan Tech – (10-16-4, 6-14-4 WCHA) – The Huskies traveled to Mankato this weekend, and they were swept by the Mavericks in convincing fashion.  It has been a disappointing year for Tech, as many, including this writer, believed they had what it took to be a home-ice team.  The Huskies have next weekend off to lick their wounds before traveling out to St. Cloud to take on the Huskies March 1^st and 2^nd.

12. Alaska Anchorage – (4-19-7, 2-18-6 WCHA) – The Seawolves nearly upset Nebraska Omaha on Saturday, but fell in OT.  The loss meant getting swept at home for only the third time this season.  UAA knew this season would likely be a difficult one, and it has been.  The Seawolves have next weekend off to prepare for in-state rival Alaska in the Governor’s Cup.

Related articles

• WCHA Power Rankings: Week 18 (insidehockey.com)

WEEK 13 WCHA POWER RANKINGS

Here is the week 13 WCHA Power Rankings. This season, I have been doing the WCHA Power Rankings with Taylor Seibel who is a contributor of College Hockey Weekly.

In my humble opinion, there are two tiers that are starting to emerge in the WCHA. You have the first tier; this is the top six teams that all have at least 12 wins in their over-all record. You also have your bottom six teams, this is the second tier. These teams all have eight or less wins. Also, all but Minnesota and North Dakota have played 14 league games.

1. Minnesota Gophers – (13-3-3, WCHA 6-3-3) – This past weekend, the Minnesota Gophers were off. This Tuesday, the Gophers will play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a single nonconference game at Marriucci Arena. This game has significant Pairwise Ranking implications for Minnesota and the rest of the WCHA, because the WCHA has a 10-15-1 record the CCHA. The Gophers also entertain the UAA Seawolves in a two game WCHA series.

2. University of North Dakota – (12-5-3, WCHA 7-2-3) – This past weekend, UND Swept their (5-2 W – 3-2 w) nonconference series against Holy Cross at Ralph Englestad Arena. This weekend, UND entertains Colorado College at the Ralph Englestad Arena in an important two game conference series.

3. Denver University – (12-6-3, WCHA 7-4-3) – This past weekend, the Denver Pioneers swept (5-1 W – 2-1 W) by ECAC foe Cornell in a nonconference series in Magness Arena. This weekend, the Pioneers entertain the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks in an important two game series at Magness Arena.

4. Minnesota State Mankato – (14-6-2, WCHA 8-6-0) – This past weekend, the Mavericks swept  (4-3 O.T. W – 4-0 W) Hockey East Foe Providence at the Verizon Wireless Center, in Mankato, Minnesota. This weekend, the Mavericks entertain the Wisconsin Badgers in a two WCHA series at the Western Wireless Center. The Badgers will be looking to avenge an earlier sweep by the Mavericks at the Kohl Center, in Madison, Wisconsin.

5. Nebraska Omaha – (13-8-1, WCHA 9-4-1) – This past weekend, the Mavericks swept (8-4 W – 3-1 W) the Colorado College Tigers at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska. This weekend, the Mavericks travel to Denver to play the Pioneers in an important two game WCHA series.

6. Saint Cloud State – (12-10-0, WCHA 9-5-0) – This past weekend, the Huskies were swept (2-6 L – 1-2 L) by Northern Michigan, in a two game nonconference series at the National Hockey Center. This weekend, the Huskies are off.

7. Michigan Tech – (6-10-3, WCHA 3-8-3) – This past weekend, the Huskies were off. This weekend, the Michigan Tech Huskies travel to Duluth, Minnesota play the Bulldogs in a two game WCHA series at the Amsoil Arena.

8. Wisconsin – (6-7-5, WCHA 4-5-5) – This past weekend, the Wisconsin Badgers swept (5-3 W – 1-0 W) a very bad UAA Seawolves team at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage Alaska. This weekend, the Badgers travel to Mankato to play the Minnesota State Mavericks in a pivotal two game WCHA series. While some want to declare the Badgers a team on the rise, they have beaten one team from the upper part of the standings (Denver) this season. True, Wisconsin has won four games in a row but they have played UAA and UAH two teams with a combined record of 4-27-5.

9. Minnesota Duluth – (7-10-3, WCHA 5-6-3) – This past weekend, the Bulldogs were off. This weekend, The Bulldogs entertain the Michigan Tech Huskies at Amsoil Arena in a two game WCHA conference series.

10. Colorado College – (8-12-2, WCHA 5-8-1) – This past weekend, the Colorado College Tigers were swept (4-8 L – 1-3 L) by the Nebraska Omaha Mavericks. This weekend, the Tigers travel to Grand Forks, ND to play UND in an important two game WCHA series.  The Tigers come to Grand Forks mired in a horrible slump; the Tigers have one win in the last 12 games (1-9-2). The Tigers are also winless in the last seven games.

11. Bemidji State – (5-11-4, WCHA 4-7-3) – This past weekend, the Beavers recorded a tie (0-6 L – 2-2 T) in their nonconference series against the Western Michigan Broncos. This weekend, the Beavers are off.

12. Alaska Anchorage – (3-11-4, WCHA 1-10-3) – This past weekend, Seawolves were swept (3-5 L – 0-1 L) by the Wisconsin Badgers at the Sullivan Arena. This weekend, the Seawolves travel to Minnesota to play the Gophers in a two game series at Marriucci Arena. The Seawolves are mired in horrible streak and have won one game in the last 14 games (1-10-3).

Taylor Seibel Power Rankings

1. North Dakota – (12-5-3, 7-2-3 WCHA) – North Dakota swept their non-conference series with Holy Cross, dominating Friday in a 5-2 victory before coming back for a 3-2 win on Saturday.  UND hosts Colorado College in WCHA play next weekend.

2. Minnesota – (13-3-3, 6-3-3 WCHA) – The Gophers did not play this weekend, but they have a huge non-conference game against Notre Dame on Tuesday.  Following the midweek matchup with the Irish, Minnesota hosts Alaska Anchorage in WCHA play.

3. Denver – (12-6-3, 7-4-3 WCHA) – The Pioneers may be over the mid-season swoon, as DU swept Cornell in non-conference play this weekend.  Denver hosts Nebraska Omaha in a key WCHA series next weekend.

4. Minnesota State – (14-6-2, 8-6-0 WCHA) – Another week, another sweep.  The Mavericks are on fire right now, having won 11 of their last 12 games.  Next weekend, the Wisconsin Badgers travel to Mankato.

5. Nebraska Omaha – (13-8-1, 9-4-1 WCHA) – Following a disappointing weekend in Connecticut, UNO responded with a sound sweep of the CC Tigers in conference action this weekend, vaulting these Mavs to the top of the WCHA standings.  Next weekend, UNO travels to Denver.

6. St. Cloud State – (12-10-0, 9-5-0 WCHA) – The Huskies are on a slide of late, as they were swept at home by Northern Michigan of the CCHA.  SCSU is 1-3-0 in their last 4 since Christmas.  They are off next weekend.

7. Wisconsin – (6-7-5, 4-5-5 WCHA) – Wisconsin swept WCHA foe Alaska Anchorage this weekend to extend their unbeaten streak (that unsurprisingly corresponds to when star forward Nic Kerdiles joined the team) to 8 games (5-0-3), including a 4 game winning streak.  Wisconsin travels to Mankato next weekend for a key WCHA series for the Badgers.

8. Michigan Tech – (6-10-3, 3-8-3 WCHA) – The Huskies were off this weekend.  Tech looks to continue their winning ways following their GLI championship next weekend as the Huskies travel to Minnesota Duluth in WCHA play.

9. Colorado College – (8-12-2, 5-8-1 WCHA) – The Tigers were swept again in WCHA play this weekend at Omaha.  CC has struggled mightily of late, winning just once in their last 12 games, going 1-9-2 in that stretch.  Next weekend, the Tigers travel to North Dakota in WCHA play.

10. Minnesota Duluth – (7-10-3, 5-6-3 WCHA) – The Bulldogs were off this past weekend, but hope to right the ship following a disappointing performance in the Florida College Classic.  Next weekend, the Bulldogs host Michigan Tech in WCHA action.

11. Bemidji State – (5-11-4, 4-7-3 WCHA) – The Beavers hosted CCHA power Western Michigan this weekend, but only managed a loss and a draw against the Broncos.  Next weekend Bemidji is off.

12. Alaska Anchorage – (3-11-4, 1-10-3 WCHA) – UAA hosted Wisconsin this weekend, but the Seawolves came away with no points, getting swept for their third consecutive series, this time by the Badgers.  Next weekend, UAA travels to Minnesota to take on the Gophers in WCHA play.

WCHA Power Rankings: 12/16/12

Here’s this week’s WCHA Power Rankings. This season, I will be doing the WCHA Power Rankings with Taylor Seibel who is a contributor of College Hockey Weekly.

In my opinion, the Denver Pioneers officially have hit rock bottom and are winless in eight games and are in a free fall. Again, I believe that you could swap any of the top four teams in the league as well.

This is the last power ranking until 2013. The WCHA Power Rankings will again resume on January 6, 2013 when teams will resume full league or nonconference action. Some of the teams in the WCHA will be off for three weeks.

1. University of North Dakota – (10-5-3, WCHA 7-2-3) – This past weekend, UND swept (6-1 W – 4-1 W) the Michigan Tech Huskies in Houghton, Michigan. UND is off till January 4-5 when the Green and White play nonconference foe Holy Cross at the Ralph Englestad Arena.

 2. Minnesota Gophers – (11-3-3, WCHA 6-3-3) – This past weekend, the Minnesota Gophers were off. The Minnesota Gophers return to action on December 29, 2012 when the Gophers host the Mariucci Classic. The Gophers will play Air Force Academy and Boston College in their annual tourney.

 3. Saint Cloud State – (11-7-0, WCHA 9-5-0) – This past weekend, the Huskies swept  (5-3 W – 3-1 w) the Colorado College Tigers at the National Hockey Center. The Huskies are off till December 27, 2012 when the Huskies will entertain nonconference ECAC foe Rensselaer in a two game series at the National Hockey Center.

 4. Nebraska Omaha – (11-6-1, WCHA 7-4-1) – This past weekend, the Mavericks split (3-6 L – 5-1 W) their weekend series with the Minnesota State Mavericks at the Century Link Center in Omaha, Nebraska. The Mavericks return to action on December 29, 2012 when the Mavericks travel to Hamden, Connecticut to play nonconference ECAC opponent the Quinnipiac Bobcats in an important two game series. The Bobcats are currently ranked sixth in the Pairwise Rankings so this matchup will have significant pairwise implications.

5. Minnesota State Mankato – (10-6-2, WCHA 8-6-0) – This past weekend, the Mavericks split (6-3 W – 1-5 L) their weekend series with University of Omaha Mavericks. The Mavericks will return to action on December 29, 2012 when the Mavericks play in the UConn Hockey Classic in Storrs, Connecticut.

6. Denver University – (9-6-3, WCHA 7-4-3) – This past weekend, the Denver Pioneers took (1-1 T – 1-5 L) a single point from the Bemidji State Beavers at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, MN. The Pioneers will return to action on the December 29, 2012 when the Pioneers play a single game against the Boston University Terriers in the Hall of Fame Game. The Pioneers are currently mired in a horrid streak; they have not won in eight games (0-5-3) and have scored a total of nine goals in the six games.

7. Colorado College – (8-10-2, WCHA 5-6-1) – This past weekend, the Colorado College were swept (3-5 L – 1-3 L) by the Saint Cloud State Huskies at the National Hockey Center in Saint Cloud, MN. The Tigers are (1-7-2) in their last 10 games. The Tigers are off until January 4, 2013 when the Tigers travel to Omaha to play an important two game series against the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks.

8. Minnesota Duluth – (7-8-3, WCHA 5-6-3) – This past weekend, the UMD Bulldogs swept (5-1W – 2-1 W) their series against the University of Alaska Anchorage, in Anchorage Alaska. The Bulldogs are (5-2-1) in their last eight games. The Bulldogs return to action on December 28, 2012 when they travel to Estero, Florida to play Maine in the Florida College Classic tourney. Other teams that are participating in the Florida College Classic are Ferris State and Cornel. Since 2000, Maine has won the Florida College Classic six times.

9.  Bemidji State – (5-8-3, WCHA 4-7-3) – This past weekend, the Bemidji State Beavers took three points (1-1 T – 5-1 W) in their weekend series with the Denver Pioneers at Sanford Center in Bemidji, MN. The Beavers return to action on December 30, 2012 when they play Massachusetts in the Ledyard Bank Classic in Hanover, NH.

10. Wisconsin – (4-7-5, WCHA 2-5-5) – This past weekend, the Badgers swept (5-0 W – 4-1 W) University of Alabama Huntsville in a two game nonconference series at the Kohl Center.  The Badgers return to action on January 4, 2013 when they travel to Anchorage, Alaska to play the UAA Seawolves.

11. Michigan Tech – (4-10-3, WCHA 3-8-3) – This past weekend, the Huskies were swept (1-6 L – 1-4 L) by the University of North Dakota at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton, Michigan. The Huskies return to action on December 29, 2012 when they play Michigan in the Great Lakes Invitational in Detroit Michigan. The Huskies are winless in seven games (0-4-3).

12. Alaska Anchorage – (3-9-4, WCHA 1-8-3) – This past weekend, the Seawolves were (1-5 L – 1-2 L) swept by the UMD Bulldogs at Sullivan Arena. The Seawolves return to action on January 4, 2013 when they entertain the Wisconsin Badgers at the Sullivan Arena. The Seawolves have won one game in the last 12 games (1-8-3).

Taylor Seibel’s WCHA Power Rankings

1. North Dakota – (10-5-3, 7-2-3 WCHA) – North Dakota swept Michigan Tech this weekend in convincing fashion, outscoring the Huskies 10-2 on the weekend.  With the sweep, North Dakota is now leading the WCHA in win%, and is just 1 point behind St. Cloud State with 2 games in hand.  Heading into Christmas, North Dakota is my favorite to take home the MacNaughton.

2. Minnesota – (11-3-3, 6-3-3 WCHA) – The Gophers did not play this weekend.  Minnesota has struggled at times this year, but has received strong goalie play from Freshman Adam Wilcox.  If Wilcox continues his success, Minnesota should make a charge to the top of the WCHA because one has to think that the Gophers will continue to improve offensively as the season progresses.

3. St. Cloud State – (11-7-0, 9-5-0 WCHA) – The Huskies swept Colorado College this weekend in WCHA action to vault to the top of the points race.  SCSU had to deal with some difficult injuries in the first half, and now that the squad is mostly healthy, the Huskies should have no problem staying at or near the top in the second half.

4. Nebraska Omaha – (11-6-1, 7-4-1 WCHA) – UNO split their series with Mankato this weekend, but still had a strong first half of the season.  With the top of the standings bunched up, UNO has a chance to make a run in the second half thanks to a schedule that sees the Mavericks play only 2 top-half teams (@ Denver, vs. North Dakota) in their last 16 games.

5. Minnesota State – (10-6-2, 8-6-0 WCHA) – Mankato split at Omaha this weekend, and has been very impressive thus far this season.  The Mavericks are in excellent position for home ice at the midway point.  Their second half schedule opens up quite a bit as well, as they only play one road game (@ Minnesota) and three home games (vs. Minnesota, vs. North Dakota) against top half competition.

6. Denver – (9-6-3, 7-4-3 WCHA) – Denver had another disappointing weekend, only taking 1 point against Bemidji.  The Pioneers are now winless in their last 8 games (0-4-4).  It won’t get any easier in the second half either, as Denver squares off against Omaha, SCSU, North Dakota, and Minnesota, in addition to another series with arch rival Colorado College.

7. Minnesota Duluth – (7-8-3, 5-6-3 WCHA) – The Bulldogs completed the sweep up in Anchorage this weekend, and are now on a nice streak going 5-2-1 after starting the season 0-4-2 in conference play.  Duluth only makes 3 trips in the second half of the season, and only has to leave the state of Minnesota once (@ CC).  All sets up well to give the Bulldogs a shot at home ice.

8. Colorado College – (8-10-2, 5-6-1 WCHA) – The Tigers were swept by SCSU this weekend.  CC has fallen significantly after sweeping Wisconsin and Bemidji State back in early November.  Since then, the Tigers are 1-7-2.  CC has a difficult second half schedule to boot including 9 road games, and 10 matches against top half teams.  Unfortunately for Tiger fans, it doesn’t appear as though CC has what it takes to get home ice this season.

9. Wisconsin – (4-7-5, 2-5-5 WCHA) – The Badgers may finally be back on the right track following a sweep of Alabama Huntsville.  Since the return of Nic Kerdiles to the lineup, the Badgers are 3-0-3.  Wisconsin faces a difficult test in the second half, playing 10 games against top half teams, but the outlook in Madison is a whole lot brighter than it was just three weeks ago.

10. Bemidji State – (5-8-3, 4-7-3 WCHA) – The Beavers took 3 points from a struggling Denver squad this weekend.  If Bemidji can get more consistent scoring, they are a team that can compete for home ice.  Unfortunately for Beaver fans, that scoring just has not been there this year.  With a second half schedule featuring 8 games against top half squads, it may be a long winter in Bemidji.

11. Michigan Tech – (4-10-3, 3-8-3 WCHA) – The Huskies were swept by North Dakota this weekend.  The first 17 games this season have been disappointing for the Tech faithful, many of whom (along with myself) thought that Tech would be a top half team.  The play just has not been there.  The Huskies play only 6 top half teams in the second half, all on the road, but perhaps with a strong GLI performance Tech will play better down the stretch.

12. Alaska Anchorage – (3-9-4, 1-8-3 WCHA) – The Seawolves were swept at home by Duluth this weekend.  While most thought UAA would be in this position at the beginning of the year, UAA had a relatively strong start to the season, scoring ties against North Dakota and Minnesota, and beating SCSU at home.  Since that win, UAA is 0-4-0, and has scored only 3 goals in that perio

WCHA Power Rankings for 11/25/2012

Here’s this week’s WCHA Power Rankings. This season, I will be doing the WCHA Power Rankings with Taylor Seibel who is a contributor of College Hockey Weekly for Inside Hockey.com.

I think there is a little bit of separation starting to emerge in the WCHA, which is very balanced league this season. Wisconsin Badgers are on the verge of being buried in the bottom of the WCHA standings.

I also think that you could swap any of the top four teams in the league as well. The Power Rankings are a snap shot of the WCHA teams on this date in the season. I am not convinced that UMN is a top two team in the WCHA – throw their record out – which they have padded playing some very bad non-conference teams and then split with MTU and MSU-M.

To quote UND head coach Dave Hakstol, “polls are meaningless this time of year.”

That being said, they’re still fun to look at.

I tend to agree!  The other night, I saw ECAC fans talking about the Pairwise Rankings and how there are X number of ECAC teams in the top 12 right now. That is also a meaningless stat because we are only 6-12 games into a 34-36 game season. The Pairwise Rankings are going to move a lot between now and selection Sunday.

1. Denver University – (9-3-0, WCHA 7-1-0) – This past weekend, the Denver Pioneers were swept (1-2 O.T. L – 4-6-L) by nonconference foes Yale and New Hampshire at Magness Arena. This weekend, The Pioneers entertain the hapless Wisconsin Badgers in a two game series. The Pioneers opponents have a combined record of 44-36-10 (.544) winning percentage.

2. University of North Dakota – (6-4-2, WCHA 3-1-2) – This past weekend, UND split (2-1 W – 2-5 L) their nonconference series with the #6 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish of the CCHA. This weekend, UND is back on the road and travels to Colorado Springs to play an important two game series with the Colorado College Tigers. UND’s opponents, have a combined record of 34-29-9 (.534) winning percentage.

3. Minnesota Gophers – (9-2-2, WCHA 4-2-2) – This past weekend, the Minnesota Gophers swept (5-1 W – 3-1 W) nonconference foe Vermont of Hockey East. This weekend, the Gophers entertain the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks. Fun fact; the Gophers have yet to play a team with a record above .500 so far this season. The Gophers opponents have an “unimpressive” combined record of 22-41-4 (.376) winning percentage.

4. Saint Cloud State – (7-5-0, WCHA 5-3-0) – This past weekend, the Huskies split (1-2 L – 5-1 W) their weekend series with the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at Amsoil Arena. This weekend the Huskies head north to Alaska to play the UAA Seawolves. The Huskies opponents have a combined record of 33-32-9 (.506) winning percentage.

5. Nebraska Omaha – (8-3-1, WCHA 4-1-1) – This past weekend, Mavericks (3-2 W – 8-0 W) swept nonconference foe Alabama Huntsville Chargers. This weekend, the Mavericks travel to Minneapolis to play the Gophers in an important WCHA matchup. The Mavericks have played one team with a winning record so far this season and their opponents have a combined record of 28-46-9 (.391) winning percentage.

6. Colorado College – (7-6-1, WCHA 4-2-0) – This past weekend, the Colorado College Tigers recorded a tie and a loss (4-4 T – 5-6 O.T. L) against New Hampshire and Yale at the World Arena. This weekend, the Tigers entertain the University of North Dakota in a two game series at World Arena. The Tigers opponents have a combined record of 40-37-15 (.516) winning percentage.

7. Michigan Tech – (4-6-0, WCHA 3-5-0) – This past weekend, the Huskies were off. This weekend, the Huskies entertain the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs at MacInnes Student Ice Arena. The Huskies opponents, have a combined record of 36-20-5 (.631) winning percentage.

8. Bemidji State – (3-5-2, WCHA 2-4-2) – This past weekend, the Bemidji State Beavers took three points (2-2 T – 5-4 W) from the UAA Seawolves. This weekend, the Beavers travel to Mankato to play the MSU Mavericks. The Beavers opponents have a combined record of 26-26-4 (.517) winning percentage.

9.  Minnesota Duluth – (3-7-1, WCHA 1-5-2) – This past weekend, the UMD Bulldogs split (2-1 W – 5-1 L) their weekend series against the Saint Cloud State Huskies at Amsoil Arena. This weekend, the Bulldogs travel to Houghton, Michigan to play the Huskies. The Bulldogs opponents have a combined record of 36-27-8 (.563) winning percentage.

10. Minnesota State Mankato – (3-5-2, WCHA 1-5-0) – This past weekend, the Mavericks swept (4-2 W – 4-2 W) the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl center in Madison, Wisconsin. This weekend the Mavericks entertain the Bemidji State Beavers. The Mavericks opponents have a combined record of 30-39-7 (.440) winning percentage.

11. Wisconsin – (1-7-2, WCHA 1-5-2) – This past weekend, the Badgers were swept (2-4 L – 2-4 L) by the Minnesota State Mavericks at the Kohl Center. This weekend, the Badgers travel to Denver to play the Pioneers. The Badgers opponents have a combined record of 29-26-10 (.523) winning percentage.

12.   Alaska Anchorage – (2-4-4, WCHA 0-3-3) – This past weekend, the Seawolves took one point (2-2 T – 5-4) from the BSU Beavers. This weekend, the Seawolves entertain the SCSU Huskies at Sullivan Arena. The Seawolves opponents have a 27-27-15 record (.500) winning percentage.

Taylor Seibel‘s WCHA Power Rankings  for 11/25/2012

1. Denver – (9-3-0, 7-1-0 WCHA) – The Pioneers lost two heartbreaking non-conference games this past weekend, falling 2-1 in OT against Yale before losing 3-0 and 4-2 leads to New Hampshire on Saturday in a 6-4 loss.  On the plus side, Denver is still 7-1-0 in the WCHA, and could have easily won both games.  They stay at the top spot in my WCHA Rankings.  Next weekend DU takes on Wisconsin in Denver.

2. North Dakota – (6-4-2, 3-1-2 WCHA) – North Dakota managed a split in South Bend against the Fighting Irish this weekend, taking Friday’s contest 2-1 before falling 5-2 on Saturday.  UND is still struggling with consistency, but Notre Dame is a great squad.  A split on the road against the Irish is nothing to sneeze at.  North Dakota travels to Colorado Springs next weekend to play the CC Tigers.

3. Minnesota – (9-2-2, 4-2-2 WCHA) – The Gophers traveled to Vermont this weekend and walked away with a sweep of the Catamounts in non-conference play.  Minnesota is slowly rounding into form, a scary sign for the WCHA.  Look for the Gophers to continue to improve as the season progresses.  Next weekend, Minnesota hosts Nebraska Omaha.

4. St. Cloud State – (7-5-0, 5-3-0 WCHA) – SCSU took on Duluth this weekend, and after a subpar performance on Friday in a loss, the Huskies responded with a dominating victory on Saturday.  SCSU drops a spot primarily due to Minnesota’s play, but expect the Huskies to stay in the top 4 of the conference throughout the rest of this season.  SCSU travels to Anchorage to take on UAA next weekend.

5. Nebraska Omaha – (8-3-1, 4-1-1 WCHA) – Dean Blais ripped into his team following a disappointing performance on Friday against Alabama Huntsville where the Mavs won a tight game.  It worked.  On Saturday, UNO dominated UAH in their 8-0 victory.  UNO is quietly on the verge of breaking the top 4 if any of those above them falter.  The Mavs travel to the Twin Cities to take on Minnesota next weekend.

6. Colorado College – (7-6-1, 4-2-0 WCHA) – The Tigers played two tight non-conference games this past weekend against New Hampshire (4-4 tie) and Yale (6-5 OT loss).  CC proved that they are capable of playing with anyone in the country this weekend, but only managing a draw is a disappointing result.  CC will have the opportunity to rebound next weekend as North Dakota comes to town.

7. Michigan Tech – (4-6-0, 3-5-0 WCHA) – Michigan Tech was off this past weekend, and stay at #7 in my ranking.  The Huskies have the talent and coaching to make a push in the rankings before Christmas, but will need to get consistent play out of their entire lineup.  Tech hosts Minnesota Duluth next weekend.

8. Bemidji State – (3-5-2, 2-4-2 WCHA) – The Beavers took 3 points from the visiting UAA Seawolves this weekend, and continue to show that they are going to be a tough matchup for almost everyone in the league.  The middle of the WCHA is going to be very competitive, and the fight for home ice should include these Beavers.  Next weekend, Bemidji travels to Minnesota State.

9. Minnesota State – (5-5-2, 3-5-0 WCHA) – The Mavericks went into Madison and swept the Badgers, winning both games by 4-2 scores.  Coach Hastings has the Mavs playing very well early in the season, and it appears that the Mavs will compete for home ice this season.  The Mavs host Bemidji State next weekend.

10. Minnesota Duluth – (3-7-2, 1-5-2 WCHA) – The Bulldogs’ record does not reflect their ability thus far in the WCHA season.  Duluth finally got their first win of the season on Friday against SCSU, but fell on Saturday for a series split.  UMD has the talent to finish in the top half of the conference, but will need to avoid falling any further behind in order to have a chance at making a second half run.  Duluth travels to Houghton to take on Michigan Tech next weekend.

11. Alaska Anchorage – (2-4-4, 0-3-3 WCHA) – UAA traveled to Bemidji and took 1 point in a 2-2 draw on Friday.  The Seawolves have taken 1 point in each of their three conference series so far this season.  They will get another chance at WCHA points next weekend as SCSU comes to town.

12. Wisconsin – (1-7-2, 1-5-2 WCHA) – The Badgers were without top forward Mark Zengerle and top recruit Nic Kerdiles this past weekend, and it showed.  The Badgers struggled offensively in getting swept against Minnesota State.  Many Badger fans are calling for Coach Eaves to be shown the door.  Wisconsin hopes to turn things around next weekend against Denver in the Mile High City.

Related articles

• WCHA Power Rankings: 11/25/2012 (insidehockey.com)
• WCHA Power Rankings: 11/18/2012 (insidehockey.com)
• WCHA Power Rankings: 11/11/2012 (insidehockey.com)
• WCHA Power Rankings (11/04/2012) (insidehockey.com)
• WCHA Power Rankings (10/28/12) (insidehockey.com)

WCHA Power Rankings (11/04/2012)

Western Collegiate Hockey Association logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here’s this week’s WCHA Power Rankings. This season, I will be doing the WCHA Power Rankings with Taylor Seibel who is a contributor of College Hockey Weekly.

It’s apparent the last few weeks that there is a lot of parity in the WCHA. I believe that there are five or six teams at the top of the league standings that we will refer to as the first tier.  You also have the second tier; these are the 6-12 teams.

1. Saint Cloud State – (5-3-0, WCHA 3-1-0) – This past weekend, the Huskies split their series with the Denver Pioneers (3-0 W – 1-6 L) at Magness Arena in Denver.  This weekend, the Huskies return home to entertain UND in an important WCHA series at the National Hockey Center.

 2. University of North Dakota – (3-2-1, WCHA 1-0-1) – This past weekend, UND split their important nonconference series (4-2 W – 2-4 L) with the Boston University at Ralph Englestad Arena.  This weekend, UND travels to Saint Cloud for a very important WCHA series with the Huskies

3. Denver University – (5-1-0, WCHA 3-1-0) – This weekend, the Denver Pioneers split their weekend series with the Saint Cloud State Huskies (0-3 L – 6-1 W) at Magness Arena. This weekend, the Pioneers travel to Mankato, Minnesota to play the Minnesota State Mavericks.

4. Minnesota Gophers – (5-2-0, WCHA 2-2-0) – This past weekend, the Minnesota Gophers split their home and home series with the Minnesota State Mankato (3-2 W – 3-5 L). This weekend, the Gophers travel to Anchorage to for a two game series with the UAA Seawolves in Anchorage, Alaska.  This is the second time that the Gophers have split a series with a team in the lower half of the standings.

5. Colorado College – (5-3-0, WCHA 2-0-0) – This past weekend, the Colorado College Tigers swept The Wisconsin Badgers (5-4 O.T. W – 2-0 W) in Madison, Wisconsin. This weekend, the Tigers entertain the Bemidji State Beavers in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

6. Nebraska Omaha – (4-3-1, WCHA 2-1-1) – This past weekend, the Red Mavericks swept (2-1 W – 5-3 W) the Michigan Tech Huskies in Houghton, Michigan.  This weekend, the Mavericks return home to entertain the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs in a Saturday 7:07 pm and Sunday 2:07 pm series.

7. Minnesota Duluth – (2-3-1, WCHA 0-1-1) – This past weekend, UMD Bulldogs were idle. This weekend, the Bulldogs travel to Nebraska Omaha to play the Red Mavericks in a Saturday 7:07 pm and Sunday 2:07 pm series.

8. Bemidji State – (2-1-1, WCHA 1-0-1) – This past weekend, the Bemidji State Beavers were off. This weekend, the Beavers travel to play the Colorado College Tigers in Colorado Springs.

9. Michigan Tech – (2-6-0, WCHA 1-5-0) – This past weekend, the Huskies were swept (1-2 L – 3-5 L) in the weekend series against the UNO Mavericks at MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton, Michigan.  This weekend, the Huskies are off. Currently, the Huskies are mired in a five game losing streak dating back to Saturday October 20, 2012.  All five loses were against conference foes.

10. Wisconsin – (1-4-1, WCHA 1-2-1) – This past weekend, the Badgers were swept (4-5 O.T. L – 0-3 L) by the Colorado College Tigers at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. This weekend, the Badgers have a well-deserved weekend off. The Badgers also got some very bad news that they’ve lost one of their top scoring forward Mark Zengerle (2g-4a—6pts) for 5-6 weeks with a broken finger. The Badgers are now without top forwards Nic Kerdiles and Mark Zengerle.

11. Minnesota State Mankato – (3-3-2, WCHA 1-3-0) – This past weekend, the Purple Mavericks split (2-3 L – 5-3W) their home and home series with the Minnesota Gophers. The Mavericks are having trouble staying out of the penalty box and are ranked 3rd in penalty minutes after 8 games and have the worst penalty kill in the WCHA killing 69.2 percent of their opponent’s power plays.

12.  Alaska Anchorage – (2-1-1, WCHA 0-1-1) – This past weekend, the Seawolves were off. This weekend the Seawolves entertain the Minnesota Gophers at Sullivan Arena.

Taylor Seibel  WCHA Power Rankings

1. Denver – (5-1-0, 3-1-0 WCHA) – The Pioneers had a rough night Friday, losing to St. Cloud 3-0.  The Pioneers bounced back on Saturday and crushed the Huskies.  Denver is playing very strong hockey early in the season, and they look to continue their hot streak next weekend in Mankato.

2. St. Cloud State – (5-3-0, 3-1-0 WCHA) – The Huskies struggled out of the gate this season, but they have come back with a force winning 5 of their last 6.  This weekend they went to Denver and walked away with a split.  Next weekend, SCSU will again be tested by UND in a WCHA series in St. Cloud.

3. North Dakota – (3-2-1, 1-0-1 WCHA) – North Dakota remained somewhat inconsistent this weekend, as they looked very strong against BU in a 4-2 victory on Friday, before getting gassed and struggling somewhat on Saturday in a 4-2 loss against the Terriers.  UND travels to St. Cloud to take on the Huskies next weekend in a key WCHA matchup.

4. Minnesota – (5-2-0, 2-2-0 WCHA) – The Gophers have had some early season struggles, as they barely defeated Canisius last Sunday; then, they squeaked out a 1-goal victory on Friday against Mankato before falling to the Mavs on Saturday.  The Gophers travel to Anchorage this weekend, and they look to get back on track and back up in the rankings.

5. Colorado College – (5-3-0, 2-0-0 WCHA) – The Tigers looked very impressive in their sweep of Wisconsin this past weekend.  CC won in OT on Friday, and they followed that up with a 3-0 victory on Saturday.  The Tigers host the Bemidji State Beavers in WCHA action next weekend.

6. Nebraska Omaha – (4-3-1, 2-1-1 WCHA) – The Mavericks went into a difficult place to play (Houghton), and came away with a sweep over Michigan Tech.  Omaha has been a very inconsistent team this season, but they look to keep their strong play going next weekend as they host Minnesota Duluth in a Saturday/Sunday series.

7. Bemidji State – (2-1-1, 1-0-1 WCHA) – Bemidji State didn’t play this past weekend, but benefit from a few of the teams in front of them falling to go up a spot in my power rankings.  The Beavers have the heart to compete for home ice, but they will be tested next weekend when they travel to Colorado to take on CC.

8. Wisconsin – (1-4-1, 1-2-1 WCHA) – The Badgers have continued to struggle early on this season, but could have easily taken 2 points this past weekend against CC.  It didn’t happen, so they drop 3 spots.  The Badgers have a weekend off to regroup.  They’ll need to because their next series is Nov. 16/17 at Minnesota.

9. Minnesota Duluth – (2-3-1, 0-1-1 WCHA) – The Bulldogs were off last weekend, and they stay at the #9 spot in my rankings.  There appears to be a significant amount of parity from about #5 down to #12 this season, so the Bulldogs will certainly have the chance at home ice this year.  Next weekend the Bulldogs play a Saturday/Sunday series against Omaha.

10. Minnesota State – (3-3-2, 1-3-0 WCHA) – The Mavericks bounced back from a disappointing sweep against St. Cloud to manage a split against Minnesota.  MSU needs to work on their penalty killing, but they appear to have the talent in place to make a push for the top half of the league.  Next weekend the Mavs face another tough opponent as Denver makes their way up to Mankato.

11. Michigan Tech – (2-6-0, 1-5-0 WCHA) – After starting the season 2-1-0, Michigan Tech has dropped 5 consecutive games, all of which were in WCHA play.  Tech certainly has the talent to compete for home ice, but they have to be able to get points at home, which they didn’t this past weekend.  Tech is off next weekend.

12. Alaska Anchorage – (2-2-2, 0-1-1 WCHA) – The Seawolves were off this past weekend.  Anchorage is a gritty team capable of picking points off of anyone in the league.  While I don’t see them getting home ice this season, I think they are much stronger than most expected them to be.  The Seawolves host Minnesota this weekend in WCHA play.

Related articles

• WCHA Power Rankings (10/28/12) (insidehockey.com)
• WCHA Power Rankings: 10/21/12 (insidehockey.com)
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WCHA Power Rankings (10/28/12)

Here’s this week’s WCHA Power Rankings. This season, I will be doing the WCHA Power Rankings with Taylor Seibel who is a contributor of College Hockey Weekly.

1.  Minnesota Gophers – (3-1-0, WCHA 1-1-0) – This past weekend, the Minnesota Gophers tied their exhibition game with the US National Development Under-18 team (2-2). As this week’s power rankings were being put up, Minnesota was playing Canisius College, who Minnesota on paper, should have no trouble beating. This weekend, the Minnesota Gophers have a home and home series with the Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks.

2. Denver University – (4-0-0, WCHA 2-0-0) – This weekend, the Denver Pioneers stayed hot as they swept the Michigan Tech Huskies (5-1 W – 5-2) at home. This weekend, the undefeated Denver Pioneers entertain the Saint Cloud State Huskies at Magness Arena. Junior goalie Sam Brittain’s numbers are eye popping to say the least (2-0-0, 1.00 GAA, 0.970 save percentage).

3. University of North Dakota – (2-1-1, WCHA 1-0-1) – This past weekend, the Green and While took three points from the UAA Seawolves (4-1 W – 3-3 T). This weekend, the University of North Dakota plays the Boston University Terriers in an important nonconference series at Ralph Englestad Arena. Freshman Rocco Grimaldi (2g-2a—4pts) and senior Danny Kristo (0g-4a—4pts) lead UND in points.

4. Saint Cloud State – (4-2-0, WCHA 2-0-0) – This past weekend, the Huskies swept the Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks (5-1 W – 5-1 W) at the National Hockey Center.  This weekend, the Huskies travel to Denver, Colorado to play the Denver University Pioneers in a weekend series at Magness Arena. It should be an exciting series because both teams hung 10 goals on their opponents this past weekend. Huskies forwards Nick Dowd (4g-6a—10pts) and Drew LeBlanc (3g-7a—10pts) lead their team in scoring.

5. Colorado College – (3-3-0, WCHA 0-0-0) – This past weekend, the Colorado College Tigers were swept (0-2 L – 2-3 L) by the Cornell Big Red of the ECAC in Ithaca, New York. This weekend, the Tigers travel to Madison Wisconsin to begin WCHA play against the Wisconsin Badger in the Kohl Center.

6. Michigan Tech – (2-4-0, WCHA 1-3-0) – This past weekend, the Huskies were swept in the weekend series against the Denver Pioneers (1-5 L – 2-5 L) at Magness Arena. This weekend, the Huskies entertain the UNO Mavericks in a two game set at MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton, Michigan.

7. Nebraska Omaha – (2-3-1, WCHA 0-1-1) – This past weekend, the Red Mavericks took one point against the Bemidji State Beavers (3-3 T – 2-3 L). Since the 2010-11 season; the Mavericks have played 12 games against the Beavers and have a horrid 1-7-4 record. That includes a 0-5-3 record at home against the Beavers. This weekend the Mavericks travel to Houghton, Michigan to play the Tech Huskies at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton, Michigan.

8. Wisconsin – (1-2-1, WCHA 1-0-1) – This past weekend, the Badgers traveled to Duluth, Minnesota where they took three points against the Bulldogs (2-0 W – 2-2 T). This weekend, the Badgers entertain the Colorado College Tigers at the Kohl Center. Badgers junior goalie Joel Rumpel (1-1-1, GAA 1.30, 0.954 save percentage) recorded a 2-0 shutout on Friday night against the Bulldogs.  Rumpel stopped all 29 shots he faced.

9. Minnesota Duluth – (2-3-1, WCHA 0-1-1) – This past weekend, UMD Bulldogs took one point in their weekend series against the Wisconsin Badgers (0-2 L – 2-2 T). This weekend, the Bull Dogs have a bye week.

10. Bemidji State – (2-1-1, WCHA 1-0-1) – This past weekend, the Bemidji State Beavers took three points against the Nebraska Omaha Mavericks (3-3 T – 3-2 W), in Omaha Nebraska. No Dan Bakala – no problem, the Beavers continued their obscene dominance of the 7-1-4 against the Mavericks since the 2010-11 season, that includes a 5-0-3 record in Omaha. While the Beavers have been dominant against the Mavericks, it hasn’t translated to the rest of their games as the Beavers record during that same time frame is 16-31-5. This weekend, the Beavers are off.

11. Alaska Anchorage – (2-1-1, WCHA 0-1-1) – This past weekend, the Seawolves took a point against the University of North Dakota (1-4 L – 3-3 T) at Ralph Englestad Arena.  This weekend, the Seawolves are off.

12. Minnesota State Mankato – (2-2-2, WCHA 0-2-0) – This past weekend, the Purple Mavericks were swept by the Saint Cloud State Huskies at the National Hockey Center (1-5 L – 1-5 L).   This weekend, Mavericks play a home and home series with the Minnesota Gophers. The Mavericks are having trouble staying out of the penalty box and are ranked 3^rd in penalty minutes after 6 games.

 Taylor Seibel  WCHA Power Rankings

1. Minnesota – (3-1-0, 1-1-0 WCHA) – The Gophers did not play in the WCHA this weekend, but drew with the USA U-18 Team.  I wouldn’t read too much into that result, but if the Gophers struggle next weekend, they may be in jeopardy of dropping in my rankings.  Minnesota takes on Minnesota State in a home/away series next weekend.

2. Denver – (4-0-0, 2-0-0 WCHA) – The Pioneers jump up my rankings thanks in part to their offensive outbursts.  This squad was expected to struggle to score goals.  With their goaltending, Denver is a scary team if they can continue their prowess with the puck.  DU will face another test next weekend as the Pios take on SCSU in Denver next weekend.

3. North Dakota – (2-1-1, 1-0-1 WCHA) – North Dakota was a dominating team on Friday, taking down UAA 4-1, but struggled at times on Saturday for the second weekend in a row in a 3-3 draw.  North Dakota has the talent to be the top team in the league, but they will need to play more consistently than they are right now.  UND takes on BU in non-conference action next weekend.

4. St. Cloud State – (4-2-0, 2-0-0 WCHA) – The Huskies dominated Minnesota State this weekend, winning both of their contests with the Mavericks by a 5-1 score.  If SCSU continues to play defense like they are capable of, they will be a difficult matchup with anyone in the conference.  Next weekend, SCSU travels to Denver in what could be the series of the week in the WCHA.

5. Wisconsin – (1-2-1, 1-0-1 WCHA) – Wisconsin went into Duluth and were able to take 3 points from the hometown Bulldogs this weekend.  The Badgers used timely scoring and great goaltending and defense to take a win on Friday (2-0) and a draw on Saturday (2-2).  Next Weekend the Badgers host the Colorado College Tigers.

6. Michigan Tech – (2-4-0, 1-3-0 WCHA) – The Huskies struggled to solve Denver this weekend, but that could be a common theme for everyone in the league this season.  Michigan Tech will look to get back on track next weekend as the Nebraska Omaha Mavericks make the trek to Houghton, MI in WCHA action.

7. Colorado College – (3-3-0, 0-0-0 WCHA) – The Tigers are the only team that has yet to play a conference game, and CC traveled out to Cornell to take on the Big Red this past weekend.  CC played with a top-notch team, but were unable to score victories.  CC finally gets back into the mix this weekend as the Tigers travel to Madison to take on the Badgers.

8. Bemidji State – (2-1-1, 1-0-1 WCHA) – The Beavers traveled to Omaha this past weekend, and proved to not only the Mavericks, but the rest of the WCHA as well that they are a team that can do some damage.  Bemidji scored a tie on Friday (3-3) before defeating Omaha on Saturday 3-2.  If the Beavers can keep this type of play up, they could challenge for home ice.  BSU is off next weekend.

9. Minnesota Duluth – (2-3-1, 0-1-1 WCHA) – The Bulldogs were only able to score 1 point this weekend against Wisconsin, but played well enough defensively and in the net to get more than that.  Duluth should challenge for home ice this season, but they will need to find more scoring, especially at home.  The Bulldogs are off next weekend.

10. Nebraska Omaha – (2-3-1, 0-1-1 WCHA) – Inconsistency continued for the Mavericks as they took only 1 point from Bemidji at home this past weekend.  Omaha has the talent to challenge for home ice, but they will need to be more consistent if they hope to host a game in Omaha in mid-March.  Omaha travels to Michigan Tech next weekend in WCHA play.

11. Alaska Anchorage – (2-2-2, 0-1-1 WCHA) – The Seawolves were a little unlucky to come out of Grand Forks with just 1 point, as they led 3-2 with less than 90 seconds on Saturday, but more importantly, UAA showed that they are capable of playing with anyone in the country.  The Seawolves have a weekend off next weekend before hosting Minnesota (Nov. 9/10).

12. Minnesota State – (2-2-2, 0-2-0 WCHA) – The Mavericks ran into the SCSU buzzsaw this past weekend, scoring only 2 goals in the series.  Minnesota State should recoup and move up these rankings in the coming weeks, but right now they are my cellar dweller.  The Mavs take on top-ranked Minnesota next weekend in a home