Some highlights from Saturday's UNO and BSU game

I found this video over on the BSU hockey beat writers blog. Play by play by Scott Williams and Eric Monsrud from Lakeland Public Television. I think it's only fitting that UNO who won a game against UND with no time left on the clock got scored on with no time left in the second period against the BSU Beavers. Here is some highlights from last Saturday's game between the BSU Beavers and UNO Mavericks.

Canadian WJC Selection camp roster released.

Four NCAA players made Canadian WJC selection camp Roster. So we have a Redhawk, a Bulldog, Fighting Irish and a Tiger. It will be interesting to see how many of them make the final roster.

Goalies
JP Anderson Toronto, Ont. Mississauga (OHL)
Calvin Pickard Winnipeg, Man. Seattle (WHL)
Olivier Roy Causapscal, Que. Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
Mark Visentin Waterdown, Ont. Niagara (OHL)

Defense
Tyson Barrie Victoria, B.C. Kelowna (WHL)
Jared Cowen * Allan, Sask. Spokane (WHL)
Simon Desprès Laval, Que. Saint John (QMJHL)
Ryan Ellis ** Freelton, Ont. Windsor (OHL)
Brandon Gormley Murray River, P.E.I. Moncton (QMJHL)
Erik Gudbranson Orleans, Ont. Kingston (OHL)
Brayden McNabb Davidson, Sask. Kootenay (WHL)
Ryan Murphy Aurora, Ont. Kitchener (OHL)
Ryan Murray White City, Sask. Everett (WHL)
Dylan Olsen Calgary, Alta. Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA)
Mark Pysyk Sherwood Park, Alta. Edmonton (WHL)
Calvin de Haan * Carp, Ont. Oshawa (OHL)

Forward
Carter Ashton Saskatoon, Sask. Regina (WHL)
Michaël Bournival Shawinigan-Sud, Que. Shawinigan (QMJHL)
Casey Cizikas Mississauga, Ont. Mississauga St. Michael's (OHL)
Brett Connolly Port Hardy, B.C. Prince George (WHL)
Sean Couturier Bathurst, N.B. Drummondville (QMJHL)
Cody Eakin Winnipeg, Man. Swift Current (WHL)
Marcus Foligno Sudbury, Ont. Sudbury (OHL)
Brendan Gallagher Delta, B.C. Vancouver (WHL)
Curtis Hamilton Kelowna, B.C. Saskatoon (WHL)
Joey Hishon Stratford, Ont. Owen Sound (OHL)
Quinton Howden Oak Bank, Man. Moose Jaw (WHL)
Ryan Howse Prince George, B.C. Chilliwack (WHL)
Ryan Johansen Port Moody, B.C. Portland (WHL)
Zack Kassian LaSalle, Ont. Windsor (OHL)
Louis Leblanc Point-Claire, Que. Montreal (QMJHL)
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Burnaby, B.C. Red Deer (WHL)
Brandon Pirri Toronto, Ont. Rockford (AHL)
Brad Ross Lethbridge, Alta. Portland (WHL)
Brayden Schenn Saskatoon, Sask. Brandon (WHL)
Jaden Schwartz Colorado College (NCAA)
Riley Sheahan St. Catharines, Ont. Notre Dame (NCAA)
Reilly Smith Mimico, Ont. Miami University (NCAA)
Linden Vey Wakaw, Sask. Medcine Hat (WHL) LA ’09 (4, 96)
Garrett Wilson Elmvale, Ont. Owen Sound (OHL)

Forbort and Nelson make 2011 U.S. National Junior Team Preliminary Roster

Here is the Preliminary roster for the 2011 WJC roster. Brock Nelson, Derek Forbort and future Fighting Sioux forward Rocco Grimaldi will be on the Preliminary Roster.

Goalies
G 1 Jack Cambpell^ Port Huron, Mich. Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
G 29 Andy Iles Ithaca, N.Y. Cornell Univ. (ECACH)

Defense
D 2 Adam Clendening Niagara Falls, N.Y. Boston Univ. (HEA)
D 4 Brian Dumoulin Biddeford, Maine Boston College (HEA)
D 25 Justin Faulk South St. Paul, Minn. Univ. of Minnesota Duluth (WCHA)

D 7 Derek Forbort Duluth, Minn. Univ. of North Dakota (WCHA)

D 6 Nick Leddy Eden Prairie, Minn. Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
D 12 Jon Merrill Brighton, Mich. Univ. of Michigan (CCHA)
D 28 Jamie Oleksiak Boston, Mass. Northeastern Univ. (HEA)
D 21 John Ramage^ Chesterfield, Mo. Univ. of Wisconsin (WCHA)
D 5 Philip Samuelsson Scottsdale, Ariz. Boston College (HEA)
D 18 Patrick Wey Pittsburgh, Pa. Boston College (HEA)

Forward
F 27 Nick Bjugstad Blaine, Minn. Univ. of Minnesota (WCHA)
F 17 Ryan Bourque^ Boxford, Mass. Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
F 13 Connor Brickley Everett, Mass. Univ. of Vermont (HEA)
F 10 Chris Brown Mound, Texas Univ. of Michigan (CCHA)
F 24 Mitch Callahan Whittier, Calif. Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
F 3 Charlie Coyle East Weymouth, Mass. Boston Univ. (HEA)
F 9 Jerry D'Amigo^ Binghamton, N.Y. Toronto Marlies (AHL)
F 26 Emerson Etem Long Beach, Calif. Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

F 14 Rocco Grimaldi Rossmoor, Calif. U.S. NTDP U-18 (USHL)

F 19 Chris Kreider^ Boxford, Mass. Boston College (HEA)
F 11 Jeremy Morin^ Auburn, N.Y. Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

F 8 Brock Nelson Minneapolis, Minn. Univ. of North Dakota (WCHA)

F 20 Matt Nieto Long Beach, Calif. Boston Univ. (HEA)
F 23 Kyle Palmieri^ Montvale, N.J. Syracuse Crunch (AHL)
F 22 Brandon Saad Gibsonia, Pa. Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
F 15 Drew Shore Denver, Colo. Univ. of Denver (WCHA)
F 16 Jason Zucker^ Las Vegas, Nev. Univ. of Denver (WCHA)

Sioux and the Landcows are on B2 this weekend.

The UND Fighting Sioux will be on the B2 Network this weekend. [Link to the Games]

Minnesota State vs. North Dakota
Hockey
12/10/2010 7:37:00 PM CST

Minnesota State vs. North Dakota
Hockey
12/11/2010 7:07:00 PM CST

That is good news for fans that can't make the trek to Mankato.

Poll Monday - Hum interesting!

USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll
[December 6, 2010]
1 Yale (34) 10-1-0 973 2
2 Minnesota-Duluth (13) 12-2-2 950 1
3 New Hampshire 9-2-4 882 5
4 Boston College ( 3) 11-5-0 819 8
5 North Dakota 11-5-2 814 7
6 Miami 10-5-3 683 6
7 Boston University 7-3-5 678 2
8 Maine 7-3-4 676 9
9 Denver 11-5-2 601 10
10 Nebraska-Omaha 9-4-1 585 4
11 Notre Dame 10-5-2 499 12
12 Michigan 9-5-4 454 11
13 Union 8-3-3 412 13
14 Alaska 8-5-3 348 14
15 Rensselaer 8-4-3 260 16
16 Wisconsin 8-7-3 243 15
17 Merrimack 7-4-4 210 18
18 Ferris State 8-6-3 113 20
19 Dartmouth 6-3-1 98 NR
20 Western Michigan 7-5-4 60 19
Others Receiving Votes: Clarkson 42, Minnesota 30, Robert Morris 23, Colorado College 17, Minnesota State 9, Northern Michigan 8, Michigan State 4, Bemidji State 3, Princeton 3, Providence 2, Niagara 1

__________________________________

USA TODAY/USA Hockey Men's poll
[Dec. 6, 2010]
1. Yale (24) 10-1-0
2. Minnesota Duluth (9) 12-2-0
3. New Hampshire 9-2-4 5
4. Boston College (1) 11-5-0
5. North Dakota 11-5-2
6. Maine 7-3-4
7. Boston University 7-3-5
8. Miami (Ohio) 10-5-3
9. Nebraska-Omaha 9-4-1
10. Denver 11-5-2
11. Notre Dame 10-5-2
12. Michigan 9-5-4
13. Union 8-3-3
14. Alaska 8-5-3
15. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 8-4-3
Others receiving votes: University of Wisconsin, 17; Merrimack College, 13; Dartmouth College, 3; University of Minnesota, 2; Robert Morris University, 2; Bemidji State University, 1.


Analysis - This was the conversation or debate on Twitter yesterday that caught my eye posted by Brad Schlossman on Twitter. I do think the Boise State argument fits this scenario well, lose one game and Yale will take a serious drop in the polls. I guess they can ride the pony for now, until it comes up lame.

@Schlossmangf @puckato @bruceciskie Yale is hockey's Boise St. Yes they can beat anyone, but they have the luxury of not playing good teams every week.
@puckato replied - Right now, I'm leaning: 1. UMD, 2. Yale, 3. UNH, 4. UND, 5. Denver, then some combo of BC, BU, Maine

Ok, one of my friends posted on my face book that my head was going to explode because Yale is the number one team in the country. While I am not a self professed Yale hater, I don’t think they are the number one team in the country. I think UND, DU or UMD could run the table on the schedule they have played to date so far, Brown, Dartmouth, Princeton, Quinnipiac, Colorado College, Air Force, Cornell, Colgate, Sacred Heart, RPI and Union. Are you kidding me? The Bulldogs lost to Air Force Academy as well. What do you think teams like B.C., BU, ND, UND, DU and UMD could do against a schedule like that? What do you think?

Tim Thomas; how do you like this?

Check out this save by Tim Thomas against the Toronto Maple Leafs. This save is nothing short of amazing. Last season Tim Thomas had what I would describe as a rough season and the Boston Bruins fans want to put Thomas on the scrap heap of history... This season Tim Thomas has bounced back into top form and has pile up some eye popping numbers so far this season 13-2-2 1.46 GAA and a save percentage of .956, not bad eh...

INCH Power Rankings

As always for a good laugh I included the INCH Power Rankings. OK! This is a little much, so now we have the team that has played one of the weakest SOS in the country in the top 20 at 21.1915 and now after they finally beat a team in the top 15 we should believe that they are one of the best team in college hockey? Right... What would their record be if they played the teams in the WCHA, CCHA or Hockey East?

1. Yale
2. Minnesota Duluth
3. Maine
4. North Dakota
5. New Hampshire
6. Boston College
7. Nebraska-Omaha
8. Boston University
9. Union
10. Miami
11. Michigan
12. Denver
13. Notre Dame
14. Alaska
15. Rensselaer
16. Wisconsin
17. Merrimack
18. Ferris State
19. Dartmouth
20. Robert Morris
Dropped out: Minnesota, Western Michigan
Bubble-licious: Niagara, Northern Michigan, Princeton

They said what? You have got to be kidding me? Nah!



Picture from College Fanz

 To piggy back on what Let’s Go Mavs had to say; I find this article remotely entertaining, laughable and I have to pass it on; it's a must read by Goal Gophers. I mean honestly; you can't be serious with that? I wonder if Chris Miller wrote that with a straight face. Thanks for giving me something to laugh about today. Look at the Gopher's roster what do the not so Golden Gophers have, something like 19 NHL draft picks on their roster and none of them can score on a consistent basis? The problem is that the Gophers might have too many top of the line players and don’t have enough roll players and grinders. At lower levels most of them knew how to score goals. That being said, not every players has to be a first round draft choice on your roster, you need to have some grit and role players.

Not sure how many of the Gophers' 50 shots I'd say were "Grade A" but on probably three or four of their best chances they didn't even get the puck on net. Nick Bjugstad broke his stick on a one-timer with a yawning net in the first period, and Taylor Matson and Jake Hansen were both flummoxed in the third when they were late arrivers in the zone, got great set ups and just missed the net badly.

Jay Barriball had two breakaways, said he was happy with the shots he got, but was just stopped.

Mike Hoeffel returned after sitting out Friday with the flu and might have been a step slow. Jacob Cepis was noticeable and Bjugstad had two especially dominant shifts. He's a big kid and when he gets some experience he should have dominant stretches.

But, that's what they say about a lot of Gophers. Problem now is putting the puck in the net. Maybe there aren't a lot of natural goal-scorers on the team ... maybe that's been a problem for quite a while.[Read th whole Story here]

Being a weekend duffer golfer I know a sandbagging when I see one, actually, that’s not a sandbagging that’s a ____ storm. In fact I think I smell Barbra Streisand or err, insert your own adjective, you know what I mean? Again, I am going to call shenanigans on that article. Can you shovel it any faster and harder? I mean really; the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers get the first pick of best of the blue chip hockey players that live in the state of Minnesota… The Gophers also get to select the best players they want from the Minneapolis Metro area, that play for the USDT under 17 and under 18 teams before the other teams in the WCHA even get to take a look at them. Look at their roster again, if you don’t believe me… It's stuffed full of kids that were once super stars for their high school and or junior teams.

So what’s the problem? Don’t get me wrong Donny Lucia is a good hockey coach and is going through a bit of a rough stretch. You don't win two national titles in Division I college hockey being a stiff or a classic buffoon. Success has been Donny’s biggest nemesis; he has a great college arena that is usually full of adoring, cheering, rabid fans. The University has a killer television package and he can get all of the best players. I doubt he even has to work all that hard to get great players to commit to his program. The other league coaches are the ones that have to coach and work harder and do more with less. They have all the perceived advantages that other teams don't have. Or do they?

The problem is; Donny Lucia has recruited too many pretty boy/entitlement players that take the “me first” attitude and don’t grasp the concept of being a third line player, getting their nose dirty, blocking shots and or biding their time till they get their chance to play on the third line. Half of these kids on the Gophers roster already have one foot out the door to the NHL and are just there because they are told that’s the place to be till they get to step out on the ice as an NHL player.

Not everyone can be on the first line, first power play unit, some one has to play on the third line and or go in the corners and do the dirty little things that make teams successful, like killing penalties and being a defensive forward.

Again, look at the little things that Mario Lamoureux does for the Sioux on the ice that very rarely gets noticed by the casual fair weather hockey fans. When I was talking to a SCSU fan in the Liffey bar last season during the Final Five all he could do was belittle a role player like Mario Lamoureux. That's the same player that kills penalties, takes face offs in key time of big games and does the gritty things that help teams win games. The SCSU fan that I was talking to got mad at me because I wouldn't admit that Mario was just a worthless goon that would be lucky to play on the SCSU Huskies, that Hakstol inadvertently sent over the player's bench wall to go fight their almighty second line player Aaron Marvin... Obviously, this guy I was talking too was very intoxicated;and I might add a mountain of a man and I could tell that it just wasn't getting through to his thick skull. I excused myself from the conversation and left this mouth breather behind before he threw me over the bar for failing to see his point of view. One could say that logical reasoning and alcoholic beverages just don’t mix. I am also not getting into a fight in a bar over a hockey game, yeah that would be fun trying to explain that one to my boss and or wife, I am sure they would have been less than impressed with me.

If you think I am full of it go back and watch the video from last night’s game. That third/fourth line player did all of the little things that helped the Sioux win. Mario along with a few of the other Sioux players also took the SCSU Huskies off their game and he caused some of them to lose their mind, they were taking runs at him and he kept playing hard to the whistle. I would also rather have one less disgruntled blue chip hockey player on my roster that’s only going to play 7 – 10 minutes a game and have a rugged third or fourth line player that knows his role and does the little things that help my team be successful.

I definitely appreciate and like those types of less heralded hockey players, because they are so valuable to their respective teams. That’s what the Gophers and to a certain extent the SCSU Huskies lack from their team. I can assure you that Dean Blais’ teams have these types of role players as well as George Gwozdecky and Tom Serratore.

Every year there are two or three Gopher players that move on because they were getting “screwed” by coach Lucia and his staff. I would say that the Gophers need more players like Jay Barriball that know what sacrifice is all about…

Add to that they have a major league bubbling buffoon coaching the defense in Jon Hill. I don’t see how any one can say that he is an up grade over their beloved and respected former assistant coach Mike Guentzel, I no idea why they keep Hill around, but I am thankful for it, because as long as he is around coaching the Gophers defense they are going to continue to fail.

In conclusion; this article isn’t really a shot at the beat writers from Goal Gophers because I think for the most part they do a good job covering their team and they give me much reading enjoyment. It’s more of a refutation of a mind set that is out there in college hockey. I mean I know the Star and Tribune can’t be overly critical of their team or they could lose access to the coaching staff and not be able to report on their team as closely as they would like.

Also, I would love to hear what Minnesota or fans from other teams that play more of finesse style game think… College hockey is changing to a game that is starting to mirror the NHL. I think the up and down the ice finesse style of hockey is a thing of the past. If you want to watch that style of hockey, Europe might be the place for you to go.

The game is faster, the players are stronger, the game is more violent and there is less room to roam out there. Even if the refs call the obstruction on the ice correctly. Gone are the days of skating up and down the ice taking shots on net untouched, every inch of the ice is contested. There is little room for self centered primadonnas that only think of themselves.

MN's "Pride on Ice" is officially the "Pathetic on Ice" (by LGM)

Oh how the mighty have fallen in Gopher land. Do you hear all of the thuds in Minnesota? Yes folks, that is the sound of fans falling off the Gopher bandwagon left and right. Let's face it, it's easy to be a Gopher fan....you can stop at the local Super America store and buy a knock off jersey and watch the games on TV and learn to spell and twist your wrist. Super tough! How man of them are REAL fans though? How many have even been to Mariucci? I would argue that the majority have not. Pathetic, just like their team.

I'm a die hard Maverick fan, as everyone knows. I'm also a very honest fan and I'll be the first to say that the Mavericks are bad this year. I would go as far to say that they pretty much suck. This weekend was no exception. The Mavs did not play great and they EASILY swept the Gophers. If I was a Gopher fan I would be burning all of my Gopher stuff today.

Not only was their play embarrassing last night, the way their players acted was even worse. Seriously, is there a bigger punk in the league than Cepis? Christ, that kid was either running his mouth non-stop, taking dives, or taking cheap shots. Sadly, this is the type of hockey that Don Lucia has been endorsing for the past few years. I'm not a violent person but by the end of the 1st period of the weekend I was ready to go down to the ice and smack that kid. I'm all for the agitator in hockey but when you throw in the diving and cheap shots to the head and knees, that's just being a punk.

Sonic the Hedgehog...oops, I mean Don Lucia....used the excuse that Maverick goalie Phil Cook is the only reason the Goofs lost. Ok, so Cook had 49 saves but I'll tell you right now that only 15 of them were quality ones. The Gophers lobbed shots right into his glove or stomach and had some of the weakest shots possible. Also, I would argue that the guy counting shots on goal was very generous with the Gophers. I'm not sure who does shots on goals in Mankato but I've always said he sucks at his job. He's always WAY off and having to change it mid-game. A perfect example of that is when the Mavs got a goal on Friday night and no credit for a shot? Hmm...not sure how that works.

Anyways, so Donny is full of excuses after the sweep and won't say the real deal...so I will. Don sucks as a coach, the team if full of a bunch of primadonnas, and they're a bunch of cheap ass goons. Plain and simple.

So, how's that for analysis? I know Goon always has all these stats and stuff on his blog but that's just not my deal. So, if you were looking for stats and not Gopher ripping...you're reading the wrong post:) Oh hell, who am I kidding? You're a bunch of Sioux fans, of course you want to Gopher ripping.

It was a glorious weekend in Mankato with a beautiful sweep. Hopefully the Mavs can take some of that momentum into this weekend but I'm not holding my breath. I'm more than a bit worried for the weekend and am expecting the Sioux to put up double digits on one of the nights. Hopefully I'm wrong and the Mavs can get some points but I won't hold my breath:(

College Hockey Scores 12/04/2010 - Sunday morning pontifications.



Photo courtesy of John Stennes, Grand Forks Herald

 AHA Hockey

RIT 2 at American Int'l 6
Bentley 1 at Robert Morris 5
Connecticut 8 at Niagara 5
Holy Cross 6 at Air Force 7
Mercyhurst 2 at Sacred Heart 3

CCHA

ECAC
Rensselaer 6 at Brown 2
Clarkson 5 at Quinnipiac 3
Bowling Green 1 at Lake Superior 1 OT
Ferris State 1 at Michigan State 0 OT
Michigan 2 at Ohio State 1
Notre Dame 2 at Miami 5
Western Michigan 4 at Northern Michigan 4 OT

Hockey East

UMass Lowell 2 at Massachusetts 5
Maine 5 at Providence 0
Northeastern 2 at Merrimack 1
Boston University 2 at Boston College 5
UMass Lowell 2 at Massachusetts 5

WCHA

Colorado College 5 at Michigan Tech 0
Denver 1 at Minnesota Duluth 2
Minnesota 1 at Minnesota State 2
St. Cloud State 2 at North Dakota 6
Nebraska-Omaha 1 at Bemidji State 3
Wisconsin 3 at Alaska Anchorage 1

NON-Conference

Alab-Huntsville 2 at Cornell 2 OT
Colgate 3 at Army 0

Links to the Sioux and Huskies Series

My favorite Pseudo USCHO reporter [USCHO]

Sioux flatten Huskies [Saint Cloud Times]

WCHA in depth: Face shields gain support [Saint Cloud Times]


Men's hockey: Black sweater sweep [Grand Forks Herald]


North Dakota 6, St. Cloud State 2 [Saint Cloud Times]

Analysis – Wow! What a character win for the UND Fighting Sioux hockey team. With the sweep last night the Fighting Sioux get their first home sweep for the 2010-2011 season, their first at home since last March 5th and 6th against the Michigan Tech Huskies. What’s more impressive is the fact the Sioux were playing minus two key first line players, Brett Hextall and Jason Gregoire, both are key top flight players that play on the power play and penalty kill. Maybe that’s why the power play looked a little disjointed this weekend.

Since being swept by the Maine Black Bears in Orono, Maine the UND Fighting Sioux Hockey team has gone a respectable 8-3-1. Albeit, playing the toughest strength of schedule in college hockey to date. The Sioux have played series/games against nationally ranked opponents; Alaska 14th, (1-0-0), Maine 9th, (0-2-0), UMD 1st, (1-1-0), DU 10th, (1-1-0), Wisconsin 15th, (2-0-0), UNO 4th,  (1-1-0), Notre Dame 12th, (1-0-1), compiling a 7-5-1 record. The Fighting Sioux have an awesome record on Friday night’s 7-1-1 (only loss was against Maine 7-3) and the Sioux wanted to get a sweep at home for the first time this season. Mission accomplished, with the win on Saturday night the Fighting Sioux evened their record to 4-4-1.

Stats - UND Fighting Sioux senior forward Matt Frattin is tied with Paul Zanette of Niagara for the national goal scoring lead with 15...  Frattin is also second behind Jason Zucker for the WCHA goal scoring title... The Denver Pioneers fans better enjoy their young player Jason Zucker because with the Wild struggling on offense and not having much of anything in the cupboard I could see Zucker getting signed by the Minnesota Wild after a couple of seasons. 

Aaron Dell is quickly becoming a very dependable starter between the pipes for the Fighting Sioux… Dell is leading the WCHA with a 1.82 goals against average. Some of that is a direct reflection of the Fighting Sioux being the top defensive team in the WCHA.   

          

Fighting Sioux are no goons

Contrary to public opinion, the Fighting Sioux not a bunch of blood thirsty knuckle dragging goons – currently the Fighting Sioux are the seventh penalized team in the WCHA only taking 12.8 minutes a game. The Sioux are also the top penalty killing team in the WCHA killing penalties at a rate of  90.7… On the other hand their power play is not so good ranked 7^th in the WCHA scoring on 16.7 % of the power play opportunities.  

Updated - WCHA Standings

1. Minnesota-Duluth 9-2-1 - 12-2-2 19 PTS
2. North Dakota 9-3-0 - 11-5-2 18 PTS
3. Denver 8-3-1 - 11-5-2 17 PTS
4. Nebraska-Omaha 6-3-1 - 9-4-1 13 PTS
5. Minnesota 12 5-6-1 11 39-39 16 8-7-1 54-52
6. Colorado College 5-5-0 - 8-7-1 10 PTS
Minnesota State 4-6-2 - 6-6-4 10 PTS
Wisconsin 4-6-2 - 8-7-3 10 PTS
9. Alaska-Anchorage 4-7-1 - 5-9-2 9 PTS
Bemidji State 4-7-1 - 5-8-1 9 PTS
11. St. Cloud State 3-6-1 - 5-9-2 7 PTS
12. Michigan Tech 1-8-1 - 3-8-2 3 PTS

Sioux 6 - Huskies 2

This goal should drive the SCSU fans nuts, the fourth line center went (1g-1a-2pts) on the evening… The Fighting Sioux put a six goals past the SCSU Huskies at the Ralph Englestad Arena tonight to sweep the SCSU Huskies... The Fighting Sioux were all business as they donned the Black jerseys, a rarity at home, according to Brad Schlossman this was only the second time they did this, the other time was 2002 in honor of the Fighting Sioux alum Ralph Englestad. The record wearing the black jersey is 22-1-2.

This game wasn’t very close at all; the Sioux had four goals before the 13:00 minute mark of the first period, and kind of cruised the rest of the way. The Sioux have won four straight games against the Huskies (8-1, 5-4, 3-1, 6-2).

The Sioux took the Huskies off of their game because they were worried about all the extra stuff that didn’t happen this weekend, score a mental victory for the Sioux. The Huskies looked disinterested and they were looking over their shoulders all weekend long.

Goon's Three Stars of the game

1.) Matt Frattin, UND (1g-2a-3pts)
2.) Mario Lamoureux UND (1g-1a-2pts)
3.) Danny Kristo (0g-2a-2pts)


[Box Score]
____________________________
1st Period (20:00)
____________________________
NDK 1 - 0 6x6 LL Evan Trupp (5) (Matt Frattin, Brad Malone) 5:57
NDK (+): 19,21,22,24,5,G32 STC (-): 12,14,18,13,10,G41
NDK 2 - 0 6x6 Derrick LaPoint (1) (Derek Rodwell, Michael Cichy) 6:24
NDK (+): 3,11,8,29,18,G32 STC (-): 28,6,21,10,7,G41
NDK 3 - 0 6x6 GW Brent Davidson (1) (Chay Genoway, Mario Lamoureux) 8:24
NDK (+): 15,5,2,27,9,G32 STC (-): 6,12,7,17,13,G41
STC-1 Oliver Lauridsen (2-Roughing) 9:19
NDK-1 Derek Rodwell (2-Slashing) 9:19
NDK 4 - 0 5x5 Matt Frattin (15) (Jake Marto, Aaron Dell) 10:50
NDK (+): 21,25,4,19,G32 STC (-): 6,12,19,7,G30
NDK 5 - 0 6x6 Corban Knight (9) (Danny Kristo) 16:21
NDK (+): 10,7,5,25,24,G32 STC (-): 11,6,9,7,27,G30
STC-2 Oliver Lauridsen (2-Cross-Checking) NDK 0x1 17:03
____________________________
2nd Period (20:00)
____________________________
STC-3 Garrett Roe (2-Roughing) 0:05
NDK-2 Corban Knight (2-Roughing) 0:05
NDK-3 Andrew MacWilliam (2-Interference) STC 0x1 1:04
NDK-4 Jake Marto (2-Hooking) STC 0x2 5:36
STC-4 Cam Reid (2-Slashing) NDK 0x2 9:54
NDK-5 Corban Knight (2-Holding) STC 0x3 11:00
STC-5 Taylor Johnson (2-Slashing) NDK 0x3 13:53
NDK-6 Jake Marto (2-Boarding) STC 0x4 17:37
____________________________
3rd Period (20:00)
____________________________

STC 1 - 5 6x6 Mitch MacMillan (2) (Brian Volpei, Nick Jensen) 3:58
STC (+): 28,21,14,18,10,G41 NDK (-): 7,25,3,18,10,G32
STC-6 Travis Novak (2-High-Sticking) NDK 0x4 4:43
STC-7 Taylor Johnson (2-Hooking) NDK 0x5 4:43
STC-8 Taylor Johnson (2-Interference) NDK 0x6 7:41
NDK 6 - 1 6x6 Mario Lamoureux (1) (Matt Frattin, Danny Kristo) 9:41
NDK (+): 9,21,7,24,19,G32
STC 2 - 6 6x6 Travis Novak (3) (Taylor Johnson, Oliver Lauridsen) 12:35
STC (+): 12,4,25,13,17,G41 NDK (-): 4,27,19,22,2,G32
NDK-7 Mario Lamoureux (2-Slashing) STC 0x5 16:07
____________________________
End of Game

UPSET ALERT!!!!! (Redwing77) UPDATED!!!!!!!

Ok, not really but....

2010 Robbie Earl Memorial Freestyle Frozen Water Diving Champion Garrett Roe is losing his edge. Roe, famous for the Fish Flop and the Triple Roll Belly Flop with a Cage Gainor failed to dupe any of the officials into awarding SCSU with a single powerplay last night. He didn't garner a choking performance... he didn't even attempt to dive. When is the last time Greg Louganis stepped up to the edge of the diving board and just turned around and walked down the ladder?

Is Roe losing his touch? Does this mean WCHA newcomer Jacob Cepis (Minnesota) will usurp Roe's crown? Can outside candidate Jason Zucker (DU) take the crown? Or will it be a yet unnamed player from else-WCHA?

I know what you may be thinking: "Aww, Roe's too good to let this get him down, he'll dive tonight. After UND only got called for 1 penalty last night, WCHA officiating will come through." Or perhaps you are thinking "Roe doesn't have Lasch and Nodl and other guys like that to use his diving talent for to make his loss of dignity and ethical existence worthwhile." Perhaps. Or perhaps you live in a Husky red dream world and claim that Roe has never dove or embellished in his collegiate career. Well, we'll leave the consumption of paint thinner to residents of the fine state of Wisconsin.

Diving is illegal in most forms of hockey but I still doubt the officials in the WCHA could recognize a dive or an embellishment if it happened to smack them in the junk. Yes, I know Zucker got called for diving early this season but I think it is a fluke.

I can understand why Roe or any WCHA player would wish to embellish. It's a player's way of helping the officials understand what an illegal play looks like. It's not the players' fault that embellishment is a problem in the WCHA. It's the officiating. If you don't call it, then it must be legal. Trust me. If a team goes out there and starts cross checking everyone in sight, they'll get called for a penalty and they'll either adapt and stop doing it or they'll spend the rest of the game in the box. If they don't get called, then the refs must allow it and they'll do it the whole game long.

The issue isn't a vendetta or a conspiracy. The issue is the WCHA administration and their hiring practices. The game has gotten too fast for the officials. They are consistently 1-2 steps behind the play. They simply aren't as fast as they need to be. We can go back and forth about what we could do but it is a waste of time under the current regime.

So... this award will continue to be given by this blog for however long as the officials can't understand how to call the whole rulebook.

UPDATE!

Much like the BCS Standings, beat writers have written in their early season vote on the Robbie Earl Memorial Trophy and, though the full standings aren't available yet, we broke the news here first folks:

If the award were to be handed out on Monday by the WCHA, Minnesota's Jacob Cepis would usurp Garrett Roe!

Neither Cepis nor Roe were available for comment. Stay tuned!

College Hockey Scores from 12/03/2010

AHA Hockey

Bentley 2 at Robert Morris 2 OT
Connecticut 3 at Niagara 4 OT
Holy Cross 1 at Air Force 1 OT
Mercyhurst 6 at Sacred Heart 2
RIT 4 at American Int'l 0

CCHA

Michigan 2 at Ohio State 3 OT
Notre Dame 5 at Miami 4
Western Michigan 1 at Northern Michigan 3
Bowling Green 1 at Lake Superior 1 OT
Michigan State 3 at Ferris State 2

ECAC

Rensselaer 2 at Yale 4
St. Lawrence 6 at Quinnipiac 4
Union 4 at Brown 3
Clarkson 5 at Princeton 3

Hockey East

Merrimack 2 at Northeastern 1
Maine 3 at Providence 3 OT
Boston College 9 at Boston University 5

WCHA

Minnesota 2 at Minnesota State 3
St. Cloud State 1 at North Dakota 3
Nebraska-Omaha 0 at Bemidji State 3
Denver 5 at Minnesota Duluth 4 OT
Wisconsin 1 at Alaska Anchorage 2
Colorado College 7 at Michigan Tech 3

NON Conference
Alab-Huntsville 1 at Cornell 3

Analysis

It would be an understatement if you said last night was a wild and crazy night in college hockey. There were seven games that went to over time. The UMD Bulldogs finally proved it was human as the Bulldogs lost a game in over time to DU Pioneers. The UNO Mavericks came back to earth as they lost to BSU Beaver 3-0. Miami University was beaten by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and finally, it looks like the goalies had a rough night as B.C. Eagles beat the BU Terriers 9-5.

Minnesota 2 at Minnesota State 3 – I don’t know what to make out of the Gophers this season, one weekend they are beating the Wolverines of Michigan the next week they are losing to the Mavericks. Apparently a snow storm in Mankato really had no bearing on attendance as 4000+ showed up to watch the Mavericks beat the Gophers. Maverick forward Adam Mueller scored the game winning goal at the 6;29 mark of the Second period as the Mavericks held on to beat the Gophers . [Puckato] and [Goal Gophers]

Nebraska-Omaha 0 at Bemidji State 3 – Do you see a pattern developing here? Dan Bakala shutout the UNO Mavericks 3-0, the Beavers also won two games in a row by shutout (3-0 X2). The BSU Beavers have won 4 games on the season and three of them have been by shutout. This was the first time all season that the Mavericks had been shutout. You can also bet that the BSU Beavers had better be ready for UNO Maverick’s best effort tonight because if we know Maverick coach Dean Blais today’s pre game skate will not be pretty and he will have his team ready for the rematch. [BSU beat writer blog] and [Mavericks Today]

Denver 5 at Minnesota Duluth 4 OT – If last night proved anything, it proved that the UMD Bulldogs who had been sub human in overtime going an impressive 5-0-2 in extra hockey session. The DU Pioneers finally proved that the Bulldogs don’t wear an “S” on their chest or capes and that they are capable of losing in overtime. [RINK and RUN] and [Let's Go DU] and [Runnin with the Dogs]

Wisconsin 1 at Alaska Anchorage 2 – I am sure that a certain UAA fan blogger soiled himself as the UAA Seawolves senior forward Tommy Grant scored at the 19:51 mark of the third period to finally beat the Wisconsin Badgers in Anchorage, Alaska. It was the first time in 12 games (11-0-1) that the UAA Seawolves had beaten the Wisconsin Badgers. The Seawolves with the win last night are now currently holding sixth in the WCHA. With twelve teams in the league this season if the season ended today the Seawolves would host the C.C. Tigers. I know it’s early and let’s not get ahead of ourselves. [Delusion of Grandeur complete with customary f’bomb], [Doyle Woody, ADN] and [Madison.com]

Colorado College 7 at Michigan Tech 3 – After starting out the season going 3-0-2 the MTU Huskies lost for the seventh game in a row. With the win the C.C. Tigers even their record to 7-7-1. Tiger’s freshman Jaden Scwartz continued his torrid pace as he add 4 assists on the night to bring his season stats total to (9g-13a-22pts). [Eye of the Tigers] and [Mining Gazette]

Sioux 3 Huskies 1

I was in transit back from West Virginia and in stead of watching Friday night’s game in the stands I was stuck on the snowy tarmac/the gate of MSP airport getting updates from my Blackberry. Actually not all was lost; I was able to listen to most of the first period on my laptop before I boarded my plane. When I got home I was able to watch the game from my DVR. All in all it was a long day.

Hakstol wins 100th game

UND Fighting Sioux head hockey coach Dave Hakstol got his 100 career win as the coach of the Fighting Sioux... Congratulations Dave Hakstol! The Sioux had to deal with adversity as two of their first line forwards were out with an injury. The toughest one to absorb is junior forward Jason Gregoire because he is one of the best two way forwards in the game. Brett Hextall is a big loss as well but he had been in a rut and hadn’t scored a point in 9 games. I am hoping when Hextall returns from his injury that he takes off with a vengeance.

Areas of concern

While I think this year’s version of the Fighting Sioux hockey is the best complete UND hockey team led by coach Hakstol (pre-new year) I have seen in some time, however, there are a few areas of concern, UND is getting production from only one line. More players need to step up their play and be heard on the score sheet.

Sophomore Danny Kristo who scored (15g-21a-36pts) last season has (1g-4a-5pts) this season so far and hasn’t scored a point in two straight games, Danny needs to pick it up and start scoring goals and making plays. Brett Hextall (14g-12a-26pts) last season and (2g-4a-6pts) and hasn’t scored a point in nine games before the injury. Michael Cichy highly regarded and has shown us a glimpse of what is yet to come needs to be consistent and step up his play.

Goon's Three Stars of the game

1.) Aaron Dell Goalie
2.) Brad Malone (2g-1a-3pts)
3.) Matt Frattin (1g-1a-2pts)

Links to the series

My favorite Pseudo reporter from USCHO. [USCHO]

RWD's favorite UND Beat Writer [UND Hockey]

College Hockey News game summary [College Hockey New]

Saint Cloud State Media blog [Saint Cloud Times]

Official Fighting Sioux Hockey team site [Fighting Sioux]

Game highlights from the Sioux and SCSU 12/03/2010 [Click to watch]

[Box Score]
_________________________________
1st Period (20:00)
_________________________________
STC-1 Nick Jensen (2-Interference) NDK 0x1 5:39
STC 1 - 0 6x6 Drew LeBlanc (6) (Brett Barta) 13:53
STC (+): 19,6,23,7,16,G30 NDK (-): 21,18,22,19,3,G32
STC-2 Travis Novak (2-Boarding) NDK 0x2 18:17
_________________________________

2nd Period (20:00)
_________________________________

NDK 1 - 1 6x6 Matt Frattin (14) (Brad Malone) 0:18
NDK (+): 21,22,19,5,24,G32 STC (-): 10,17,7,6,12,G30
STC-3 Chris Hepp (2-Hooking) NDK 0x3 9:04
STC-4 Chris Hepp (2-Tripping) NDK 0x4 11:12
_________________________________

3rd Period (20:00)
_________________________________

NDK 2 - 1 6x6 GW LL Brad Malone (3) (Evan Trupp, Matt Frattin) 6:23
NDK (+): 22,19,21,3,18,G32 STC (-): 25,19,14,26,23,G30
NDK-1 Derrick LaPoint (2-Tripping) STC 0x1 13:01
NDK 3 - 1 6x6 Brad Malone (4) (Chay Genoway, Ben Blood) 15:04
NDK (+): 22,5,24,10,3,G32 STC (-): 19,6,11,23,10,G30
STC-5 Jordy Christian (2-Cross-Checking) NDK 0x5 18:48
_________________________________
End of Game

Heads will roll if Wild don't improve...

Personally, I don't think the Wild have much to bargain with, who are they going to trade? They have no prospects in Houston and the past GM ran the team so far into the ground that they are still suffering from it.

Minneapolis Star and Tribune ---- Change is coming for the Wild. If it doesn't come in the form of victories, it'll come in the form of changing faces, and soon.

The team hasn't been in the top eight in the Western Conference since Nov. 11 and has lost five of six -- four by lopsided scores.

The Wild is back in that dangerous territory of being trapped in the bottom of the conference with a logjam in front. As last season proved, it's a torturous task to leapfrog up the standings.

That's why Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher says things must turn around now. If they don't, you can bet players will either be shipped out or, as much as it would pain Fletcher, coach Todd Richards could be fired.

Fletcher made clear Thursday, however, that players will be held accountable before Richards.

Trade talks are picking up, Fletcher said, but he's willing to give this group one final chance to prove itself.

I didn't think that the Minnesota Wild would be that good this year when I looked at their team roster in training camp because they really don't have a very talented line up and I think they are going to be hard pressed to make the playoffs and if they do qualify they are going to play a team like Detroit which they have no change of eliminating until they get more talented in the forwards lines.... I keep reading on line how Wild fans are already ready to have one of their own fired.

Sioux and Huskies

Fighting Sioux beat writer Brad Schlossman has the lines posted for tonight's game and there are some interesting changes, Gregoire and Hextall out this weekend. The word on the street is that Hexy is out till the end of December if you watch the replay of the game Hextall crashed awkwardly into the end board during the second period of Saturday's game and didn't return.

Here are some of the predictions from the pundits.

Brandon is sandbagging again [Sioux Yeah Yeah!] Hey Sioux fans, have some faith in your team...

Goal Gophers has Puckato with him this week and their predictions can be read here... [Goal Gophers]

The WCHA bloggers at USCHO give their spin on the Sioux and SCSU Huskies [USCHO.COM]

The Buffoon from the USCHO EZAC blog has his weekly poll, his top twenty is stuffed with EZAC teams of course... [USCHO ECAC Blog]

The story lines for this game is goaltending; Mike Lee has only finished on game against the Sioux and has been on the receiving end of a a big time pummeling last February. Moving on I do expect Aaron Marvin to be hit and hit often by the Sioux players. I am also wondering if we will here from the Huskies fans about the a fourth line player that was sent out to fight the almighty second line player?

UND’s lines

19 Evan Trupp–22 Brad Malone–21 Matt Frattin
25 Jake Marto–10 Corban Knight–7 Danny Kristo
8 Mike Cichy–29 Brock Nelson–11 Derek Rodwell
9 Mario Lamoureux–27 Carter Rowney–20 Joe Gleason

24 Ben Blood–5 Chay Genoway
2 Andrew MacWilliam–4 Derek Forbort
3 Derrick LaPoint–18 Dillon Simpson

32 Aaron Dell
31 Brad Eidsness

SCCC Huskies lines

10 Ben Hanowski–17 Aaron Marvin–12 Travis Novak
27 Tony Mosey–9 Garrett Roe–11 Jared Festler
23 Cam Reid–19 Drew LeBlanc–26 Nic Dowd
28 Mitch MacMillan–13 Jordy Christian–16 Nick Oslund

25 Oliver Lauridsen–14 Nick Jensen
4 Taylor Johnson–18 Chris Hepp
7 Kevin Gravel–6 Brett Barta

30 Mike Lee
41 Dan Dunn

Refs on ice buffoon's for Tonight's game

Jon Campion and Derek Shepherd

WCHA statement on the ND tying goal

The Boards Room blog wrote the WCHA a letter to get their clarification on why the game tying goal by Notre Dame counted last Saturday night. I wrote the WCHA as well and this is the line the WCHA is going with... You have to give them credit at least they are consistent.

The only view that the officials have for replay is the overhead view, and talking to the on-ice officials live they thought the North Dakota player caused the Notre Dame player to go into the goalie by the use of his stick, and from the overhead view there was nothing to overturn that. If we had other angles it could have been different.

Even after this statement and reviewing the goal numerous by Notre Dames Sam Calabrese there is no reason in my opinion that the goal should have counted. This was a blown call by the WCHA and the fact that they are still making the argument in their favor is mind blowing. This is the WCHA and they just make S#!t as they go.

So is Sturm a goner for the Bruins.

According to a report from NHL.COM the Bruins have traded Marco "the German" Sturm to the LA Kings. It would appear to be a cap saving room to make room for Bruins Star Marc Savard. Earlier this week the Boston Bruins traded former Michigan Wolverine defensemanMatt Hunwick to the Av's for former BU Terrier Defenseman Colby Cohen. Of course the Bruins haven't confirmed the trade yet.... Sturm last played in the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs and had been out recovering from a knee injury.

NHL.COM ------ Marco Sturm is about ready to start playing again. However, it won't be for the Boston Bruins.

Sturm, a 12-year NHL veteran who scored the overtime winner for the Bruins at Fenway Park at the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, has been traded to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, according to multiple media reports.

Details of what Boston received in return were not immediately available. This is the second trade the Bruins have made this week as they look to clear space under the salary cap -- veteran defenseman Matt Hunwick was dealt to the Avalanche on Monday in exchange for young blueliner Colby Cohen.

Sturm hasn't played in an NHL game this season after having right knee surgery. He was injured in Game 1 of the Bruins' Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Philadelphia Flyers.

The 32-year-old Sturm was a first-round pick (No. 21) by San Jose in the 1996 Entry Draft and played part of eight seasons with the Sharks before he was traded to Boston early in the 2005-06 season as part of the package for Joe Thornton.

Former UMD Bulldog Mason Raymond scores hat-trick against the Flames...

Former UMD Bulldog Mason Raymond's scored a hat trick last night against the Calgary Flames. Raymond's hat tricked ended up being one of the stories on the internet last night that caused a big buzz. I think it would be safe to say that Mason Raymond has had a tough go of it lately until last night when he just about doubled his season goal total. Raymond had only scored one goal in his last thirteen games before getting three last night.

Weekend Match-Ups (by Sioux 7)

Thanksgiving has now come and gone and we are officially in holiday mode. There was only one WCHA series last weekend which featured UAA visiting CC. This weekend, for the first time this season, we have six league series. It’s about time we have a full six WCHA series, since we’re almost half-way through the season. With 12 teams now, this weekend with all WCHA series might be a rare event, that we don’t see that often. Of course, in a year or so the league might be back down to 10 teams.


WCHA standings

TEAM……………...W-L-T...Pts
1. Minnesota-Duluth....8-1-1…17
2. Denver……………...7-2-1…15
3. North Dakota………7-3-0…14
4. Nebraska-Omaha…6-1-1…13
5. Minnesota…………..5-4-1…11
6. Wisconsin…………..3-5-2…8
7. St. Cloud State….....3-4-1…7
7. Alaska-Anchorage...3-6-1…7
9. Minnesota State…...2-6-2…6
9. Colorado College…..3-5-0…6
11. Bemidji State……….2-7-1…5
12. Michigan Tech……..1-6-1…3


WCHA

#15 Wisconsin @ Alaska Anchorage
Last weekend the Seawolves split with Colorado College in Colorado Springs and the Badgers beat Michigan State and tied Michigan [Edit by Goon]


It’s hard to believe that in the first week of December the Badgers are only one point ahead of the Seawolves in the standings. And that one point separates the top half of the league from the bottom half. UAA has split their last three WCHA series, of course they have all been against other teams in the bottom of the standings. But then again the Badgers are just barely a top half team. This weekend is the start of a six game home stand for the Seawolves (after UW they host DU and CC). Like all teams in the middle of the pack the points are very precious, especially closing in on Christmas break. I like what the Badgers did last weekend against the CCHA teams, but UAA is always tough at home, plus it’s a long road trip for visitors. SPLIT


Colorado College @ Michigan Tech
Last weekend the Tigers split with the Seawolves in Colorado Springs and the MTU Huskies enjoyed having the Thanksgiving weekend off.

Both teams are scoring about 3goals/game in league play, up to this point. The Tigers have already beaten the Seawolves once, 4-3, back in October at the Alaska Gold Rush Tournament. A sweep for either team would go a long way in the standings, CC could even its league record and MTU would most likely move out of the basement. I’m going to take the easy way out in this prediction. SPLIT


St. Cloud State @ #7 North Dakota
Last weekend the Sioux beat and tied Notre Dame and the Huskies enjoyed a long holiday weekend rest.

Will this be the weekend the Sioux get their revenge on SCSU for the Genoway incident last year? I was at last year’s game in St. Cloud when Lamoureux was going to fight with Marvin, but the refs jumped in and stopped it before it started. (The Sioux won that game, putting up a snowman, 8-goals). I’m guessing the Sioux will say they just want to win this weekend and get all four points to solidify their spot in the standings. The Huskies have been, well, up and down, to say the least. Since they were picked to finish in the top three in the preseason, it has been no doubt a little disappointing for them so far. UND has been playing consistently well the last month and show no signs of letting up. SIOUX Sweep


#4 Nebraska-Omaha @ Bemidji State
Last weekend the Beavers split with the Northern Michigan Wildcats in Bemidji and the UNO Mavericks enjoyed the weekend off by eating some turkey.

Here we have the two new WCHA members playing each other for the first time. These teams are off to vastly different starts in the league. UNO one of the best records in the league and the Beavers are two points out of the basement. A win by the Beavers would help them not only with points, but show their new counterpart (and the rest of the league), they aren’t going to roll over and play dead. UNO 3-points


#17 Minnesota @ Minnesota State
Last weekend the Mavericks swept Umass-Lowell in Lowell and the Gophers lost to Michigan State and beat Michigan in Minneapolis.

This series has turned into a good rivalry the past few years, especially after their playoff match up back in 2008. The Mavericks need to get some more points before Christmas break if they want to stay in the hunt for a top half finish. The Gophers also need to get some wins before semester break to keep them planted in the top half of the league. The Gophers have been far better on the road than at home, to this point in the season, and the Maroon & Gold faithful are hoping that trend holds up this weekend in Mankato. The Mavericks will look to build on last weekend’s success in Massachusetts and carry that moment into this weekend’s tilts with the Gophers. SPLIT


#10 Denver @ #1 Minnesota-Duluth
Last weekend the Pioneers beat the Lake Superior Lakers and the Air Force Falcons in Denver and the Bulldogs enjoyed a free Thanksgiving weekend.

This is the big series of the weekend, the top two teams in the league going at it in the last series to be played at the DECC. I’m sure the Bulldogs want to send their old building out in style, but the Pioneers have other plans, they want to walk out of Duluth leading the WCHA standings. The Bulldogs really like to play hockey, that’s why they have played OT in six league games this season. The Bulldogs have had an easy schedule this season, and they have a favorable schedule after Christmas too. Also the Bulldogs have only beaten BSU and UAA in WCHA regulation time, all the other league wins were in overtime. The Pioneers are currently riding a six game winning streak, all of which were home games. I got a feeling the Bulldogs luck might be on thin ice this weekend. Pioneers 3-points

A little historical review of the UND and SCSU hockey series...

This weekend is a rivalry game between two teams that don’t like each other, I think it might be safe to say that both teams hate each other, a lot. The elephant in the room that no one has mentioned very much or at all this week; will there be a repeat of the series that took place last February between the Sioux and the Huskies. This is also the first game that Chay Genoway will be on the same sheet of ice as Aaron Marvin the player that took him out with an illegal and dirty hit.

I don’t think UND is going to try and seek revenge, unless someone from the SCSU hockey team takes a run at one of UND’s players, or if the game gets out of hand either way, then the players on the ice start looking for a pound of flesh. All I can say is set your DVR, just in case… I also wonder if SCSU hockey coach Moztko will keep Marvin on the SCSU players bench if things get rough.

In case you forgot...

Ben Blood hits Aaron Marvin. [Click to view video]

This video proves that you can get a suspension for thinking about a fight. [click to view video]

Why not have a western college hockey super conference?

Brad Schlossman has an intriguing article about a conversation that took place during the Sioux Boosters luncheon last Friday, during the Notre Dame and UND hockey series. When asked about the impending Big Ten Hockey Conference farce, one of the suggestions offered by Notre Dame head hockey coach Jeff Jackson was the prospects of having a western college hockey super conference with the Big Ten Schools making up one of the divisions.

University of North Dakota Hockey ---- On Friday afternoon, Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson spoke at a booster luncheon in Grand Forks. One fan in attendance asked Jackson for his thoughts on the looming Big Ten Hockey Conference and Jackson talked at length on the subject.

His first comment was that everybody needs to slow down. This is still three or four years away from happening.

His second comment was that he thinks college hockey’s power brokers need to sit down and talk this over and figure out what’s best for the sport. He said the Big Ten absolutely has the right to form the league, but it might not be in the sport’s best interest — or even in the best interest of the Big Ten schools. Is a six-team league any good?

The most interesting idea he mentioned — one that I hadn’t heard before — is that the WCHA and CCHA could join forces, more-or-less combine the leagues, and run like the NHL does with divisions.

Jackson said that you could have a Big Ten Division, which would still allow those schools to get their wish of playing each other twice a season. It also would give them extra conference games, which would make their non-conference scheduling easier.

I also came up with my own suggestion for division alignment. Personally, I would keep Colorado College, Denver and UND in the same division.
North Division
Mankato
Duluth
Bemidji State
St. Cloud State
Northern Michigan
Michigan Tech

Western Division
Fairbanks
Anchorage
Colorado College
Denver
Omaha
North Dakota

Big Ten Division
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Ohio State
Michigan
Michigan State
Penn State

Great Lakes Division
Notre Dame
Miami
Lake Superior
Bowling Green
Western Michigan
Ferris State

Also listen to the Paul Kelly and Tim Hennesy discussion that took place during the ND and UND hockey game last Friday night. [click to listen to the interview]

Bruins trade a Wolverine for a Terrier.

I was a little surprised by this move today, but not totally shocked. The Boston Bruins trade a puck moving defenseman for a defensive prospect that really hasn't played much in the NHL. My first guess is; there will be a few more trades to make room for Marc Savard's return to the Bruins line up. I wonder if Blake Wheeler is next?

BOSTON, MA – Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that Boston has acquired defenseman Colby Cohen from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Matt Hunwick. Cohen will report to Boston’s minor league affiliate in Providence (American Hockey League).

The 21-year-old Cohen made his NHL debut earlier this season for the Avalanche on November 6 and has skated in three games for the Avs this year. He also registered one goal and 12 penalty minutes in 14 games for Colorado’s minor league affiliate in Lake Erie this season. 2010-11 marks Cohen’s first full professional season after playing three games for Lake Erie at the end of last year.

Cohen skated at Boston University for three seasons from 2007-10 and helped lead the Terriers to the NCAA National Championship in 2009. For his career at BU, the 6’2’’, 200-pound blueliner recorded 25-53=78 totals in 118 Games

John Scott vs Kevin Westgarth

s/t to the Hockey Wilderness I was over on the Hockey Wilderness checking out the score of the Wild game when I saw this hockey fight. Holy Cow! Talk about a beat down... I don't know why anyone would subject themselves to that type of a beating? The former Michigan Tech bad boy John Scott has found himself a niche in the NHL and he worked Westgarth like a clown.

Poll Time

USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll
[November 29, 2010]

1 Minnesota-Duluth 11-1-2
2 Boston University 7-1-5
2 Yale 8-1-0
4 Nebraska-Omaha 9-2-1
5 New Hampshire 7-2-4
6 Miami 9-4-3
7 North Dakota 9-5-2
8 Boston College 9-5-0
9 Maine 6-3-3
10 Denver 10-4-2
11 Michigan 8-4-4
12 Notre Dame 9-4-2
13 Union 7-2-3
14 Alaska 8-5-3
15 Wisconsin 7-6-3
16 Rensselaer 7-3-3
17 Minnesota 8-5-1
18 Merrimack 5-3-4 178 18
19 Western Michigan 7-4-3
20 Ferris State 7-5-3
Others Receiving Votes: Dartmouth 21, Brown 15, Robert Morris 8, Clarkson 2, Niagara 2, Colorado College 1, Michigan State 1
------------------

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll
[November 29, 2010]
1 University of Minnesota Duluth 11-1-2
2 Yale University 8-1-0
3 Boston University 7-1-5
4 University of Nebraska Omaha 9-2-1
5 University of New Hampshire 7-2-4
6 Miami University 9-4-3
7 University of North Dakota 9-5-2
8 Boston College 9-5-0
9 University of Maine 6-3-3
10 University of Denver 10-4-2
11 University of Michigan 8-4-4
12 University of Notre Dame 9-4-2
13 Union College 7-2-3
14 University of Alaska 8-5-3
15 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 7-3-3
Others receiving votes: University of Wisconsin 17, Merrimack College 13, University of Minnesota 13, Dartmouth College 1, Robert Morris University 1.

INCH Power Rankings

As always I include the INCH Power Ranking for a good laugh.

1. Minnesota Duluth
2. Yale
3. Nebraska-Omaha
4. Boston University
5. Maine
6. North Dakota - After a win and tie against Notre Dame at Engelstad Arena, the Sioux are still looking for their first home sweep of the season. With 10 of their next 15 at home, they’ll have plenty of opportunities. 9-5-2 (7-3-0 WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Notre Dame, 6-3; T vs. Notre Dame, 2-2 ot. THIS WEEK: vs. St. Cloud State, vs. St. Cloud State
7. New Hampshire
8. Union
9. Miami
10. Michigan
11. Denver
12. Notre Dame
13. Boston College
14. Alaska
15. Wisconsin
16. Rensselaer
17. Merrimack
18. Ferris State
19. Minnesota
20. Western Michigan

Dropped out: None
Bubble-licious: Brown, Dartmouth, Robert Morris

Game tying goal by Notre Dame

Here is example number two of buffoonery in motion, “a gong show in stripes.” Now you know why the fans in the WCHA are upset with the quality of the officials in the WCHA. The only constant is that officials are bad on a consistent level. Most of these clowns aren't fit to ref an old timers league.

A few weeks back the Fighting Sioux had a goal disallowed because a Sioux player’s skate was in the crease. In this instance, the whole Notre Dame player is in the crease and interfering with the goaltender, yet this goal is allowed to stand. This latest gaffe by Todd Anderson and Tom Sterns was costly to the Sioux because it cost the Sioux a sweep this weekend. It is my opinion that Todd Anderson is not fit to ref in the WCHA and he needs to be fired.

This last video you see the call on Malone which was weak, whatever, I really don’t have a problem with that call... Like I said the refs were bad in all three zones of the ice all weekend long, so at least they are consistently bad... However, the thing that I think is unprofessional is that while the captain Chay Genoway is getting the explanation from Todd Anderson, you can see Anderson dropping f’ bombs left and right… You can tell that Anderson is upset, then Anderson grabs at Genoway while he is ready to head back to the players bench to relay the message, you can tell by his expression that he he has smelled enough bravo sierra.

The Frattin goal that wasn't

In my opinion that was a good legit goal and should have counted on the score board, again a WCHA official makes another bad call. Even if the puck had hit Frattin’s foot like they claimed it should have counted because there was not a distinct kicking motion. If you watch the video you will see that puck went off of the Notre Dame Player’s skate.

College Hockey scores from 11/27/2010

Saturday, November 27

Alab-Huntsville 6 vs Connecticut 2
Minnesota State 3 at UMass Lowell 2
Clarkson 2 vs Lake Superior 1
Brown 4 at Boston University 4 OT
Bowling Green 2 at Rensselaer 3 OT
Harvard 2 at Dartmouth 5
Merrimack 1 at New Hampshire 2
Quinnipiac 2 at Massachusetts 5
American Int'l 3 at Mercyhurst 0
Canisius 2 at Bentley 3
Niagara 1 at Army 4
Sacred Heart 3 at RIT 3 OT
Alaska Anchorage 0 at Colorado College 2
Air Force 1 at Denver 3
Notre Dame 2 at North Dakota 2 OT
Northern Michigan 0 at Bemidji State 3
Cornell 4 vs Colgate 3
Miami 5 at Western Michigan 1
Alaska 5 at Ohio State 2
Michigan State 1 at Wisconsin 4

Sioux 2 - Irish 2

Hockey is a game of inches and it’s about cashing in on your opportunities at the right time. In the closing seconds of the overtime period Matt Frattin just missed ending the game when he clanged a shot off of the crossbar. I also thought the game tying goal should have been disallowed because it appeared that the Dell was interfered with on the scramble in front of the net.

After watching a game full of high light goals on Friday night, last night’s game proved to be more of a tight checking game. The Sioux for the most part controlled the play but the Fighting Irish were better after taken to the wood shed the night before.

In only the third series of the season at the Ralph Engelstad Arena the Sioux miss getting another sweep and end up with a tie giving the Sioux a 3-2-1 at home after six games, that record isn’t going to win any championships. Honestly I will take 9-5-2 record before December. The Fighting Sioux ended the month of November with a 5-2-1 record, not too shabby considering who they played.

The Fighting Sioux seem to have trouble closing out opponents coming off a 6-3 win against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Friday night, the Sioux played in a much closer, tight checking game on Saturday night. I wonder sometimes if UND wins with ease one night comes out the next night and isn’t prepared for a team that has obviously made adjustments defensively?

Turnovers prove costly

The Sioux continue to be plagued by untimely turnovers in all three zones of the ice. The Sioux are an aggressive team with the puck. The Fighting Sioux cycle the puck well and move it effectively through all three zones of the ice. The Sioux also are very good at activating the defense and jumping up in the rush when the opportunity allows it. That being said, the Sioux forwards and defense are also very sloppy at times with the puck and when the fail to get pucks deep this leads to a lot of odd man rushes and turnovers going to the other way.

I told a friend of mine last night that some of the reasons the goalies stats this season aren’t as good as they could be is because of bad turnovers that have proven to be costly. You can’t keep turning the game over and leaving the goalie exposed at key times in games.

I can think of a few of these bad turnovers that led to offensive opportunities right now off of the top of my head; the UMD game in overtime that led to a game winning goal on a break away, the DU game where Denver’s all WCHA defenseman Matt Donovan took a loose puck and skated past the entire UND team and scored without even being challenged and even the breakaway on Dell Friday night that fortunately ended with a awesome save. Last night, UND is attacking in the final seconds of the game and the puck get transitioned back up ice and the Fighting Sioux goalie Aaron Dell had to make a game saving save just to preserve the tie. You’re not going to win a national title if you can’t fix this problem.

If you play ranked teams on a weekly basis and you turn the puck over repeatedly the puck is going to get buried in the twine. Think about this, the Sioux have played sixteen games and thirteen of these games have been against teams ranked in the top twenty. They haven’t played the weak sisters of the poor. That is like playing in the NCAA tourney on a weekly basis, getting the nations best players nightly.

Links to the game

PCM - USCHO

South Bend Tribune

Grand Forks Herald

Sioux Beat Writer blog

Goon’s Three Stars of the Game

1.) Aaron Dell UND
2.) Matt Frattin UND
3.) Mike Johnson ND

[Official Box Score]
---------------
1st Period (20:00)
---------------
NDK-1 Brad Malone (2-Elbowing) NDM 0x1 1:32
NDM-1 Stephen Johns (2-Tripping) NDK 0x1 10:59
---------------
2nd Period (20:00)
---------------
NDM-2 Ben Ryan (2-Boarding) NDK 0x2 7:31
NDK 1 - 0 6x6 Derek Rodwell (4) (Derek Forbort, Mario Lamoureux) 10:42
NDK (+): 11,4,9,27,3,G32 NDM (-): 11,29,33,18,21,G32
NDM-3 Jeff Costello (2-Roughing) NDK 0x3 13:21
NDM 1 - 1 5x6 SH T. J. Tynan (8) (Riley Sheahan) 14:57
NDM (+): 18,4,24,29,G32 NDK (-): 10,8,17,5,25,G32
NDM-4 Anders Lee (2-Hooking) NDK 0x4 16:03
NDM-5 Stephen Johns (2-Roughing) NDK 1x5 20:00
---------------
3rd Period (20:00)
---------------
NDK 2 - 1 6x5 PP Matt Frattin (13) (Chay Genoway) 1:31
NDK: 21,5,22,7,19,G32 NDM: 29,33,18,4,G32
NDK-2 Chay Genoway (2-Interference) NDM 0x2 5:26
NDK-3 Brad Malone (2-High-Sticking) NDM 0x3 13:06
NDM 2 - 2 6x6 GT Sam Calabrese (1) (T. J. Tynan, Jeff Costello) 16:57
NDM (+): 8,18,11,21,24,G32 NDK (-): 5,2,21,22,19,G32
NDM-6 Joe Lavin (2-Holding) NDK 1x6 19:57
---------------
Overtime (5:00)
---------------
NDM-7 Sam Calabrese (2-Tripping) NDK 1x7 4:23
Timeout - North Dakota 4:23
---------------
End of Game

A few things

Here is the updated Strength of Schedule. The WCHA is definitely the conference that has played the toughest schedule.

1. UND - 57.8947
2. Michigan - 43.5655
3. Wisconsin - 41.0998
4. Notre Dame - 39.9010
5. UNO - 39.3268
6. Bemidji State - 37.3694
7. Boston College - 35.4437
8. Lake State - 35.2524
9. Michigan Tech - 33.4595
10. New Hampshire - 32.9689
11. Alaska - 32.8043
12. Boston U ¬- 32.2427
13. Miami - 30.2733
14. Brown - 29.5985
15. Maine - 29.4034
16. Merrimack - 28.7858
17. Dartmouth - 28.6901
18. Duluth - 28.6304
19. Michigan State - 28.6265
20. Colorado College - 28.3283

2010-2011 Inter-Conference Records

AHA 10-25-7 (.321)
CCHA 23-12-8 (.628)
ECAC 6-12-6 (.375)
HEA 10-9-5 (.521)
WCHA 18-14-8 (.550)


UND Fighting Sioux goalie Aaron Dell is getting notice nationally for his play as he is ranked 20th over all in goals against average.
20. Aaron Dell North Dakota, SO 669:38 26 2.33

College Hockey scores from 11/26/2010

Friday, November 26

Alaska 3 at Ohio State 3 OT
Boston College 3 at Merrimack 5
Alab-Huntsville 1 vs Bowling Green 5
Clarkson 1 vs Air Force 2
Connecticut 5 at Rensselaer 6
Dartmouth 8 at Harvard 2
Minnesota State 8 at UMass Lowell 3
American Int'l 5 at Mercyhurst 2
Niagara 4 at Army 1
Northeastern 2 at Vermont 2 OT
Sacred Heart 1 at RIT 6
Michigan 4 at Wisconsin 4 OT
Michigan State 5 at Minnesota 2
Miami 2 at Western Michigan 5
Lake Superior 3 at Denver 6
Alaska Anchorage 4 at Colorado College 3 OT
Notre Dame 3 at North Dakota 6
Northern Michigan 4 at Bemidji State 0

Analysis – The WCHA went 2-2-1 in non conference play against the CCHA last night.

Northern Michigan University 4 Bemidji State University 0 – NMU goalie Reid Ellingson stopped 37 shots in a shutout win against the home standing BSU Beavers. It was the first shutout of the season for the junior goalie. [BSU Beat Writer Blog]

North Dakota 6 Notre Dame 3 – Junior forward Jason Gregoire had two goals and an assist, to pace the Sioux to an impressive 6-3 non conference win. Also noteworthy; sophomore forward Corbin Knight had a strong night chipping in a goal and an assist. Fighting Sioux goalie Aaron Dell probably solidified his grasp on the starting position as he continued his solid play between the pipes. The sophomore goalie stopped 24 of 27 shots and also stoned Notre Dame forward Ben Ryan on a breakaway in the second period. With the win Aaron Dell improved his record to 8-4-0 on the season. [UND beat writer blog]- [South Bend Tribune]

Alaska Anchorage 4 Colorado College 3 OT – Alaska Anchorage forward Tommy Grant scored his fourth goal of the season at the 3:50 mark of overtime to pace the Seawolves to a conference win against the Colorado College Tigers in the Colorado Springs. With the win the Seawolves vaulted into a tie with the SCSU Tigers for 7th place in the WCHA.

Denver University 6 Lake Superior State University 3 – The Denver Pioneers won their 5th game in a row in front of a half empty building as the Denver University students are out on Christmas break until after the first of the year. Sophomore center Drew Shore had three goals and an assist to pace the Pioneers to the win against the CCHA foe. Check out this work from the Denver Post. If I was the coach of the Denver Pioneers I would call the Denver Post and ask that Terry Frei not cover the Pioneers again. Check it out.

With the University of Denver students out of school until after the New Year, Magness Arena on Friday was perhaps half-filled for the first night of the Denver Cup Classic and much more subdued than usual for Pioneer hockey.

Amid the relatively quiet atmosphere, center Drew Shore had three goals and an assist and much-touted freshman winger Beau Bennett had a goal and an assist as the Pioneers stretched their winning streak to five games with a lackluster 6-3 victory over Lake Superior State of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. [read the whole article here]

Michigan State 5 Minnesota 2 – The Minnesota not so Golden Gophers were unimpressive in their final College Hockey Show Case game against Michigan State University. With the win the Michigan State University Spartans broke an unimpressive 0-4-5 skid against the Gophers in the College Hockey Show Case. Kent Patterson started in net for the Gophers gave up three goals and then he was replaced by senior goalie Alex Kangas. The Gophers play the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday night. The game will be on BTN. [Goal Gophers] - [Gopher Puck Live]

Michigan 4 Wisconsin 4 OT – The Wisconsin Badgers come from behind to tie the Michigan Wolverines 4-4 in the Kohl Center. With the Tie the Badgers stop a 0-4-0 streak. With the tie last night the Wisconsin Badgers have not won a game in overtime since 2007, breaking it down further that means that the Wisconsin Badgers are now 0-8-18 in extra hockey since 2007. Sixty Minutes, No Alibis, No Regrets has covered this subject extensively. Badgers goalie Brett Bennett stopped 28 shots in net securing the tie for the Badgers. The Wisconsin Badgers have been 9-6-1 in the college hockey show case under Mike Eaves. The Badgers opted out of the college hockey show case to play more non conference games against Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State. [Wisconsin beat writer] - [Game Story]

Fighting Irish 3, Fighting Sioux 6

Wow. We put a shelacking on the Fighting Irish tonight. For a minute there, I thought I was watching Notre Dame playing Auburn or Oregon in football.... Ok, so it wasn't THAT much of a blowout. I also don't think Notre Dame was that embarrassing on the ice tonight.

The Key

The key to tonight's win wasn't what UND Color Analyst Jim Scanlon said. Yes, it was nice that UND got to the rebounds on those 2nd and 3rd chances on goal, but it wasn't the reason why we won. We won because our defense was just overwhelming for most of the game. True, it wasn't the type of dominance that UND fans saw vs. UW, but it was still stifling at times... especially in the first period. The key was we were always in the passing lane. I hate to say this but: We beat Notre Dame the same way that so many of our opponents had beaten us. We got in the passing lanes, we controlled the puck in the neutral zone, we didn't commit too many bad turnovers (just 1 or 2 that resulted in goals... Guentzel's goal being the most egregious), and we were pretty well disciplined. Dell had a decent night as well.

The Offense

Sometimes the best offense is a good defense. But for Cichy, Gregoire, Frattin, Knight, Genoway, and even Kristo, it was pretty good. Kristo was once again denied an entry on the goal scoresheet but he did garner points. Anyone else think that it is amusing to see Sioux fans complain about Kristo's selfishness with the puck yet Kristo only has 1 goal and what... 4 assists? Then again, I'm not all that concerned about his selfishness. I just wish he'd bury the puck more.

Anyways, Gregoire was amazing. Frattin scored a goal tonight... yeah it was waved off as a nod of the head to Jackson. Look folks, there was no direct kicking action. But hey, the rules have changed since former Gopher (turned NHL bust) Kris Chucko made a living kicking in pucks. So, whatever.

Speaking of turnovers, I was confused on the Guentzel goal. Guentzel intercepts a pass from a Sioux player coming off the boards, or so it appears. The pass is credited to LaPoint but LaPoint isn't the player on the boards. Did LaPoint pass the puck to this Sioux player (I assume it was either his defensive partner or the left wing at the time), the puck hit off of the Sioux player's skate or stick and bounce right to Guentzel or what?

I might've not been able to track the puck very well (webcast was blurry on my computer), but I don't think LaPoint's pass went right to Guentzel. Oh well. Hopefully I can find a replay somewhere. And, for the record, I don't like the delayed penalty goal and subsequent powerplay rule. I think it's dumb.

The Defense

LaPoint had an up and down game but otherwise, I think the D did well. Forbort's illness is frustrating but Simpson's not exactly giving anyone cause to be too concerned about it. I guess, I wonder why Bruneteau isn't playing so well in practice such that Gleason is beating him out for the slot. I guess it doesn't matter. Gleason played well tonight too.

ANYWAYS, Marto showed his worth today. He was great with the puck. Genoway was Kristo-esque (to give credence to the Kristo detractors) for half of the game. He got lucky with one shot but man... it seemed like he didn't care to pass the puck for most of the night... WAIT! I don't care. He saw a shooting lane and he took it. There's never anything wrong with that. And besides, if I criticize Genoway too much I might get a nasty comment how I should spend more time throwing LaPoint under the bus and less time trying to torpedo a great, superhuman, all around great guy like Genoway.

Concerns:

Well, if we play tomorrow like we did tonight, we should be OK. However, we've not exactly torn it up recently on Saturdays following Friday games where we've scored 5+ goals. This goes double for those instances where it happens against decent or good teams. Notre Dame seemed to be overwhelmed in the first period and then started to come back with a vengeance in the 2nd. Jeff Jackson is too good for his team to come out on Saturday looking similar.

Here are the givens for tomorrow's game:

1. UND will not win by 3 goals
2. Neither team will score more than 4 goals
3. It will be a much tighter game

Overall, I think the officials did alright. And the ARs knew how to call offsides. That's a step up from Omaha.

And whoever it was, a Sioux player (TH thought it was Blood) who told Notre Dame "You are only allowed 5" when Notre Dame got called for Too Many Men earned a gold star.

Redwing77's 3 stars:
First Star: Jason Gregoire
Second Star: Mike Cichy
Third Star: Chay Genoway

I should say that Ben Blood gets an honorable mention because he played great.

Will the CCHA be affected by the BTHC?

With this being the last College Hockey Show Case Andy Baggot has another article about the impending Big Ten Hockey Conference. I am really getting the feeling that no one is really looking at what this new league could do to college hockey.

Will the Western Collegiate Hockey Association hold up without Minnesota and UW?

Will the Central Collegiate Hockey Association endure without Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State?

"That's the question everyone's asking," Michigan coach Red Berenson said this week before leaving to face UW tonight and Minnesota Saturday night in the final College Hockey Showcase. "Is this good for college hockey?

"If it is, it's a no-brainer. If it's not, if it's going to hurt other programs, then we have to consider that."

UW coach Mike Eaves acknowledged both sides of the coin, but tends to believe an organized Big Ten presence will be a "good projector of college hockey."

The sport has survived a multitude of landscape changes — the advent of Hockey East and the exchange of programs between the WCHA and CCHA to name two — and will do so again.

Heck, if the WCHA can continue to prosper with its backwoods approach to management, it can seemingly withstand anything.

Besides, in terms of priorities, college hockey has a much bigger problem with personnel — only 18 scholarships, recruiting inequities in Canada and the unregulated exodus of underclassmen to the pros — than future realignment.

"Give us coaches a chance," said Michigan State coach Rick Comley, whose two-senior roster is one of those raided annually by NHL teams.

During a recent appearance in Madison, Delany was asked about the advent of Big Ten men's hockey. He implied a league was in the offing, but raised eyebrows by saying it's possible the six schools could maintain residence in the CCHA and WCHA while having their head-to-head series count toward a Big Ten champion.

"Quite frankly, if you're going to get your bang for your buck, make the conference, put it on TV and let's showcase it," Eaves said.

He's right. Bring the Big Ten schools together, let them play their 20-game schedule, let them incorporate their current rivalries into the non-conference mix.

Comley, whose club comes to the Kohl Center on Saturday night, has seen a lot in 38 seasons and 772 wins as a college coach. He has some reassuring words.

"Regardless of what happens," he said, "college hockey is going to be fine." [Read the rest of the story]

I don’t think the right people are taking a very thorough look before jumping head long into the Big Ten Hockey Conference Farce. I am being serious. I think it takes a lot more than fancy platitudes like the one by Rick Comley; “college hockey is going to be fine." How does he know? Has anyone looked at the attendance numbers of the CCHA lately? Their attendance numbers are pathetic. Most of their schools aren’t in the top 20 for attendance except Michigan 8th and Michigan State 12th. Can you imagine a league minus OSU, MSU, and UM?

Many of the schools in the CCHA are located in Michigan which is experiencing harsh economic conditions; the State of Michigan is broke. So if the CCHA takes the marquee schools like Michigan and Michigan State out of the CCHA, what’s the draw for NMU, LSSU, WMU, FSU? There aren’t a lot of fans watching their college hockey games now. Add the other programs of Miami, Alaska, Notre Dame they are barely averaging in the 3000’s.

Here are the average attendance numbers minus the Big Ten schools.

Alaska – 3,192
Miami – 3088
Northern Michigan – 3048
Notre Dame – 2742
Western Michigan – 2742
Lake State – 2245
Bowling Green – 2239
Ferris State – 1586