WCHA Web Media Poll: Week 12

Each week, I participate in a WCHA Web Media Poll that is put on by the Tech Hockey Guide with 11 other people that represent both the print media as well as the hockey blogosphere. This the first Web Media Poll of the new year.

 This week we have a new number one.  Yay! The Minnesota Golden Gophers move up one spot from number two. Idle North Dakota, moves down one spot from one to two. Denver moves up two spots from six to four. Nebraska Omaha falls two spots from four to six.

The Michigan Tech Huskies are the biggest mover this week. The Huskies move to eight place from 11th. There was no other real significant movement in this week's poll.

 Here are the results of the Tech Hockey Guide WCHA Web Media Poll for Week 12:

	Team	Pts	Previous	Record	High	Low
1)	Minnesota	140	2	13-3-3	1	3
2)	North Dakota (8)	133	1	10-5-3	1	3
3)	St. Cloud State	117	3	12-8-0	1	5
4)	Denver	106	6	10-6-3	3	6
5)	Minnesota State	96	5	12-6-2	3	10
6)	Omaha	79	4	11-8-1	5	9
7)	Colorado College	72	7	8-10-2	6	9
8)	Michigan Tech	64	11	6-10-3	5	10
9)	Minnesota Duluth	45	8	7-10-3	8	11
10)	Wisconsin	38	9	4-7-5	8	11
11)	Bemidji State	34	10	5-10-3	9	11
12)	Alaska Anchorage	12	12	3-9-4	12	12

Representing Name Publication Twitter

Alaska-Anchorage, Taylor Hall College Hockey News @thall907
Bemidji State, Troy Mills The Beaver Pond
Colorado College, Joe Paisley, Paisley Hockey @Paisleyhockey
Denver, Mike Chambers, Denver Post @MChambersDP
Michigan Tech, Tim Braun, Tech Hockey Guide @TBraunTHG
Minnesota, Dan Myers, Minnesota Hockey Magazine @1DanMyers
Minnesota Duluth, Bruce Ciskie, The Ciskie Blog @BruceCiskie
Minnesota State, Chris Dilks, Western College Hockey @ChrisDilks
Nebraska-Omaha, Matt Semisch, Radio Free Omaha @matthewsemisch
North Dakota, Eric Burton The Hockey Writers Combine and Goon’s World @goon48
St. Cloud State, Jeremy Larson, Husky Hockey Time @jclarson02
Wisconsin, Andy Johnson, Bucky’s 5th Quarter @andyjohnsonB5Q

Cross Posted at the Hockey Writers - Combine.  

 

Goon's All WCHA Team

This is my tongue and cheek who I would like to see on the All-WCHA team(s). Why not the spoils should go to the “victors” right?

Goon's All UND Homer Team

F - Matt Frattin
F - Corbin Knight
F - Jason Gregoire
D - Ben Blood
D - Chay Genoway
G - Aaron Dell

COY Dave Hakstol
POY Matt Frattin
ROY Brock Nelson

This who I would select for first, second and third teams if I had a vote.

First Team

F - Matt Frattin, UND
F - Jack Connolly, UMD
F - Jason Zucker, DU
D - Chay Genoway, UND
D - Jake Gardiner, UW
G - Aaron Dell, UND

Second Team

F - Jaden Schwartz, C.C.
F - Mike Connolly, UMD
F - Jason Gregoire, UND
D - Matt Donovan, DU
D - Justin Schultz, UW
G - Kent Patterson, UMN

Third Team
F - Drew Shore, DU
F - Justin Fontaine, UMD
F - Corban Knight, UND
D - Eric Olimb, UNO
D - Ben Blood, UND
G - Scott Gudmandson, UW

All Rookie Team

F - Jason Zucker, DU
F - Jaden Schwartz, C.C.
F - J.T. Brown, UMD
D - Justin Faulk, UMD
D - Nick Jensen, SCSU
G - Sam Brittain, DU

POY – Matt Frattin, UND
ROY – Jason Zucker, DU
COY – Dean Blais, UNO

How about the Fans have a hand in the selection process?

While I don’t get a vote nor should I get a vote in the process. Also don’t pseudo media and fan bloggers should; none-the-less, it’s a lot of fun to pontificate about who we think should be on the All WCHA teams… There is one thing I would like to see happen, I think that college hockey fans should be able to have a hand in picking the All WCHA teams. The game of hockey is played for the fans and not just for the media. The Fans are what drive the game of hockey, that’s not to say that the media isn’t good at what they do, I am not saying that at all, however, I like how the NHL All Star teams are picked by fan voting. Why not have college hockey all star team picked that way?

Rhythm or reason?

I think it’s a mute point that Matt Frattin is the best player in the WCHA in my opinion, Frattin has been a man among boys this season. Frattin is the complete player, he plays solid defense, skates very well, he is hard to knock off the puck and hits like a freight train. If I was the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager I would be drooling with the prospects of him being in their line up in the very near future. Brian Burke can have him after the Fighting Sioux end their season in April. Having watched Frattin play all season and he is the best player that I have seen on the ice… That’s not to say that Jason Zucker, Mike Connolly and Jack Connolly aren’t good hockey players as well…. There are a lot of good players in our league; some will never get a sniff on the All WCHA teams.

I also think that if a team finishes number one in the standings that they should have the most players on the All-WCHA team. A college hockey team that finished in fourth or fifth place in the standings shouldn’t have 2/3 of their top line on the first team. Just saying… I know there is a solid argument that Kent Patterson and how he should be on the first team, in my opinion Patterson is a good goalie on a mediocre team so he is worthy of being on the second team, "'to the victor belong the spoils." One defensive player that I feel is being overlooked is Ben Blood, while Blood might only have (2-g7a-9pts) Blood is a solid defenseman and is a +28 so he is truly an elite defensive player for the Fighting Sioux.

Injuries hurt your chances of landing on the first team?

I also think that Jaden Schwartz could have been on the first team if he hadn’t missed so many games with an ankle injury, in my opinion Schwartz is still “one of the best” forwards in the WCHA. I also think the injury kept him from being the rookie of the year as well. For the defensemen Chay Genoway finished 7th in scoring by defenseman but he also missed 8 games, that being said, I do think he is definitely worthy of being on one of the three teams.

Here is how the media voted

Goal Gophers

RWD's Favorite beat writer, Schlossman UND Hockey

Puckato

Omaha World Herald

Ciskie Blog

Baggot WSJ

Eric Stromgren, Bemidji Pioneer

Mick Hatten, St. Cloud Times

Mike Chambers, Denver Post