Game three Ice Breaker - MSU 3 - AFA 2 Final O.T.

Historical fact - Air Force is 0-5 all-time vs Michigan State. The two teams last played in 1973. 

Scoring 1st Period 

1.)    1.) AFA - Casey Kleisinger from Paul Weisgarber and Stephen Carew  00:27EV

Scoring 2nd Period 

1.) MSU –  Great Wolfe from Lee Reimer and Dean Chelios  08:33 EV
2.) AFA –  Scott Mathis from John Kruse and Tony Thomas 18:12EV 
Scoring 3rd Period  -
2.) MSU- Lee Reimer from Matt Crandell and Brett Perlini  05:21 PP
Scoring Over time -
3.) MSU - Lee Reimer  Unassisted goal 0:54

Michigan State Lines

10 Tanner Sorenson - 11 Brett Perlini 8 - Chris Forfar
9 Daulton Leveille - 21 Anthony Hayes (A) - 4 Trevor Nill (A)
16- Dean Chelios - 22 Lee Reimer - 86 Greg Wolfe
18 Kevin Walrod 24- Justin Hoomian - 25 Brent Darnell

Defense Pairings

44 Torey Kurg (C) - Brock Shelgren
17 Matt Crandell - 7 Tim Buttery
42 Jake Chelios - 23 Matt Grassi

Goalies

37 Will Yanakeff
29 Drew Palmisano


Spartan Roster

Spartan Stats

The Two Chelios boys (Jake Chelios and Dean Chelios) are sons of former Badger and NHL player Chris Chelios.

Air Force Academy Falcon Lines

20 Tony Thomas – 16 Jason Fabian – 27 John Kruse
9 Kyle De Laurell – 18 George Michalke – 22 Cole Gunner
10 Paul Weisgarber (C) – 19 Stehen Carew- 7 Casey Kleisinger
15 Scott Holm  – 17 Chad Demeres – 13 Ryan Timar

Defensive Pairings

23 Scott Mathis (C) – Tim Kirby (A)
6 Adam McKenzie – 11 Dan Wissenhofer
4 Alex Halloran – 24 Mike Walsh

Goalies

29 Jason Torf
37 Stephen Caple
39 Paul Moberg

Air Force Scratches: 2 Jacob Musselman, 3 Eric Artman, 12 Ben Persian, 21 Brad McBribe, 26 Mitch Torrel, 55 Mike McDonald.

Air Force Roster

Air Force Stats

Quotes from day one of the Ice Breaker Tourney

Image via WikipediaHere are some of the quotes from day one of the Ice Breaker tourney.

This is what first year head coach Tom Anastos had this to say about his Michigan State University Spartan after their loss to the Boston College Eagles.

“I thought our guys showed a good energy level to compete, you know we certainly made our share of mistakes and against a team of this caliber they usually end up in our net and they did. There were definitely a number of good things that we can take away from the game but you know we have a long way to go."

"I think we have to make sure for sixty minutes we make good decisions all over the ice. At times tonight we did make good decisions and at other times we made some bad choices and made it easier to play against us. So we have to be a hard team to play against for sixty minutes we weren’t all night tonight.”

Boston College Eagles Head Coach Jerry York had to say this after his team beat the Spartans 5-2.

“For our club we haven’t had an exhibition game, it was our first real opportunity to play a game we say a lot of positive signs. One of which was [Parker] Milner who looked very self assured in the net and I think that half the battle with goaltender he made some key saves, he just looked his poise is improved his confidence level is improved. That’s certainly a big plus for our team.

State battled, it was a hard, two - one and they tied it two – two. Chris Kreider he has just become such a force for us and we call it a run of day light and he comes down and cuts across and he is hard to stop he is 225 pounds, he’s strong. Having said that I think State is a good club and I think we have a good club it’s early so we will see how it plays out.”

This is what Fighting Sioux junior forward Corbin Knight had to say about the game against the Air Force Academy Falcons and their rough second period.

“It was just a combination of things; we were playing a little bit of pond hockey out there, we weren’t really playing Sioux hockey. So, guys were running around we just weren’t moving our feet and playing Sioux tough. We knew we needed to make a few adjustments and we were able to make those in the third and we had a strong third. So it was a good learning experience for us.”

This is what Fighting Sioux Head Coach Dave Hakstol had to say about last night’s third period against the Falcons.

"I thought Air Force was doing a really good job early in the period we didn’t get a whole going. You know everything, any possession we had was perimeter, the shift we had with [Mario] Lamoureux, [Carter] Rowney and one of their line mates turned the tide of that period at bit, they got a puck to the net, they jammed a couple of pucks to the crease they seemed to create a little momentum for us. We needed to find a way to generate some momentum after a pretty soft second period."

This is what coach Hakstol had to say on playing the Boston College Eagles in the Championship game of the Ice Breaker Tourney.

"For this early in the year, you know what are we are playing our second game of the year. It’s going to be a fun game; there is a lot of importance on the line, for us we first of all look within our dressing room and make sure that we are improving in a lot of the little areas. You know I said coming into this year we have to build depth and build experience. Hopefully we took a real small step towards that tonight and we have to do the same thing tomorrow."

EDIT: Ice Breaker Tourney Day one

This is the article that I submitted for Inside Hockey.


Grand Forks, ND --- Game one of the Ice Breaker tourney featured the Boston College Eagles of Hockey East and the Michigan State University Spartans of the Central Colligate Hockey Conference. While none of the players on the ice played in that game, this afternoon’s game was a rematch of the April 7, 2007 NCAA championship game which the Spartans beat the Eagles 3-1 to win the 2007 NCAA title.

I don’t think it would be inaccurate to say that this afternoon’s game started out slowly for both squads; the Eagles and the Spartans were only able to muster six shots on net combined during the first period. I think it would be safe to assume, that both teams were shaking off early season rust.  This was the first game of the season for the Eagles and the Spartans had only played in an exhibition game this past Monday against Western Ontario, which the Spartan won 6-1.

While the first period could be described as listless, the game came to life in the second period. Both team exchanged goals in the second period and both teams managed to get more scoring opportunities than they had in the first period. Patrick Brown put the Eagles on the board first at the 04:17 mark of the Second period. The Spartans evened the score at the 10:32 mark of the second period with a goal from Brett Perlini.

Mother Nature disrupted the game briefly as the lights at the REA flickered and then went out, the emergency power kicked in the game was delayed for about 15 minutes as the lights had to reboot. Word is that a large wind gust that registered 58 miles an hour knocked out the lights. Once the lights came back on in the arena, the Eagles defenseman Patch Alber scored at the 19:05 minute mark of the second period to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead going into the third period.

In the third period it was a very tight checking game, the Spartans stared to show some life and they evened the score at the 10:53 mark of the third period with a goal from Trevor Nill.  That was it for the Spartans as the game didn’t stay tied for very long; Eagle forward Chris Kreider scored a beautiful goal 50 seconds later.

The Eagles forward Chris Kreider had a strong game for the Eagles and was dominating at times during the game and showed us why he was drafted in the first round by the New York Rangers. Kreider blew by the Spartans defense and deposited the puck behind Spartans goalie to give the Eagles the lead. The Spartans continued to work hard and had some great scoring chances but the Spartans were unable to put anything else past Eagle goalie Milner Parker who had 17 saves in the game. The Eagles took over the game from there and got two more goals from Steven Whitney at the 16:27 of the third period and Barry Almeida closed out the scoring for the Eagles at the 18:59 mark.

Final Score B.C. 5 - MSU 2
Box Score

Game two
The Fighting Sioux and the Air Force Academy Falcons had not played in an official game since November 24, 1988, that statistic didn’t seem to matter as the Fighting Sioux knew that the Falcons were going to be a good team that played hard and wouldn’t give the Fighting Sioux anything. In the end the Falcons ended up being the team the Fighting Sioux thought they were as the Falcons took away the Fighting Sioux's passing lanes and limited the Fighting Sioux time and space.

If anyone questioned the Falcons meddle they shouldn’t as the Falcons gave the Sioux all they could handle and at time took the game to the Fighting Sioux.  Over the past three seasons the Falcons have beaten some quality opponents; in three seasons the Falcons have beaten four teams that were ranked in the top four in the nation at the time the Falcons played them, tonight the third ranked Sioux almost became the fifth team ranked in the top four to be beaten by the Falcons.

The Sioux came out early in the first period and took the game to the Falcons. The number three ranked Fighting Sioux looked like they had the Falcons where they wanted them and took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission with goals by Corban Knight and Carter Rowney. In the second period the fortunes changed for the Fighting Sioux as the Falcons took control of the game and outshot the Sioux 8-6. Sioux watched their lead evaporate as the Falcons got goals from Stephen Carew and George Michalke.

The Fighting Sioux’s biggest problem they had tonight was turnovers; the Fighting Sioux who are usually known for their tenacious defense had trouble with turnovers in the defensive zone all night long. A few of these turnovers ended up being great scoring opportunity for the Falcons. The Fighting Sioux at times also appeared to be standing flat footed and appeared to be watching the Falcons skate around and cycle the puck in their own end. The Falcons were able to capitalize on a few of the Fighting Sioux’s miscues and the Falcons raced to a 3-2 lead after two periods of hockey.

In the third period the Sioux fortunes changed as they regrouped as a team and started to wear down the Falcons with their depth. The Fighting Sioux finally broke through at the 13:48 mark of the third period with a goal from Brock Nelson. Nelson put the Sioux in the lead for good less then two minutes later when he scored his second goal of the game at the 15:15 mark to give the Fighting Sioux the lead 4-3.  The Sioux held on to win the game and will play the Boston College Eagles at 7:37 pm tomorrow night in the Championship game of the Ice Breaker Tourney.

Final Score UND 4 -  AFA 3
Box Score

Game two of Ice Breaker - Sioux4 - AFA 3 Final

Image via Wikipedia

Game Two - University of North Dakota versus Air Force Academy

Fighting Sioux Lines 

29 Brock Nelson  –  10 Corban Knight (A) – 7 Danny Kristo

14 Taylor Dickin – Mario Lamoureux (C) – 27 Carter Rowney

21 Brendan O’Donnell – 16 Mark MacMillan – 15 Michael Parks

28 Stephane Pattyn  – 11 Derek Rodwell

Defensive Pairings 

4 Derek Forbort  – Ben Blood (A)

2 Andrew MacWilliam (A) – Dillon Simpson

5 Nick Mattson – 20 Joe Gleason
22 Andrew Panzarella 

Goalies

32 Aaron Dell

31 Brad Eidsness

35 Tate Maris

Scratches for UND: 13 Connor Gaarder, 19 Roco Grimaldi, 17 Colten St. Clair, 8 Dan Senkbell

Air Force 

Falcon Lines

20 Tony Thomas – 16 Jason Fabian – 27 John Kruse

9 Kyle De Laurell – 18 George Michalke – 22 Cole Gunner

10 Paul Weisgarber (C)  – 19 Stehen Carew- 7 Casey Kleisinger

13 Ryan Timar – 17 Chad Demeres – 12 Ben Persian

Defensive Pairings

23 Scott Mathis (C) – Tim Kirby (A)

6 Adam McKenzie – 11 Dan Wissenhofer

4 Alex Halloran – 24 Mike Walsh

Goalies 

29 Jason Torf

37 Stephen Caple

39 Paul Moberg

Scratches for AFA: 2 Jacob Musselman, 3 Eric Artman, 15 Scott Holm, 21 Brad McBribe, 26 Mitch Torrel, 55 Mike McDonald

Refs for game two.
Ref: Derek Shepard, Marco Hunt, AR Andy Dokken,  Justin Hills

Scoring

Period 1

1.) UND - Corbin Knight from Brock Nelson
1.) AFA -  Casey Kleisinger from Mike Walsh and Paul Weisgarber
2.) UND - Carter Rowney from Mark MacMilian, Derek Forbort  

Period 2  

2.) AFA  - Stephen Carew from Kyle DeLaurell and Cole Gunner 3.) AFA - George Michalke from Cole Gunner, Kyle DeLaurell
Period 3

3.)  UND  - Brock Nelson from Corban Knight and Danny Kristo

4.)  UND -  Brock Nelson from Danny Kristo  and Joe Gleason

       

Game one of the Ice Breaker; B.C. 5 - MSU 2 Final.

Michigan State Lines

10 Tanner Sorenson - 11 Brett Perlini 8 - Chris Forfar
9 Daulton Leveille - 21 Anthony Hayes (A) - 4 Trevor Nill (A)
16- Dean Chelios - 22 Lee Reimer - 86 Greg Wolfe
18 Kevin Walrod 24- Justin Hoomian - 25 Brent Darnell

Defense Pairings

44 Torey Kurg (C) - Brock Shelgren
17 Matt Crandell - 7 Tim Buttery
42 Jake Chelios - 23 Matt Grassi

Goalies

29 Drew Palmisano
37 Will Yanakeff

The Two Chelios boys are sons of former Badger and NHL player Chris Chelios.

Boston College lines

9 Barry Almeida (A) - 12 Kevin Hayes - 22 Paul Carey (A)
19 Chris Kreider - 24 Bill Arnold - Destry Straight
13 Johnny Gaudreau - 11 Pat Mullane - 21 Steven Whitney
28 Tommy Atkinson - 23 Patrick Brown - 10 Danny Linell

Defense Pairings 

4 Tommy Cross (C) - Patch Alber
2 Brian Dumoulin - 8 Edwin Shea
7 Issac MacLeod - 6 Patrick Wey

Goalies

35 Parker Milner
30 Chris Venti
1 Brian Billett

Period one 

No Scoring.

Period two

BC	1 - 1	Patrick Brown	, Tommy Cross	04:17	EV
MSU	1 - 1	Perlini, Brett,	Chelios, Jake, Leveille, Daultan	10:32	SH
BC	1 - 2	Patch Alber,	Chris Kreider, Bill Arnold	19:05	EV

Period three 

MSU  - Trevor Nill    Unassisted                                        10:53 EV

 BC  - Chris Kreider,   Destry Straight                                11:43 EV

 BC  - Steven Whitney, Pat Mullane                                   16:27 EV

  BC  - Paul Carey, Unassisted                                             18:59 EV                                                  

Breaking the ice at the Ice Breaker, chat and links.

Today the 2011-2012 season kicks off with the Ice Breaker Tourney at the Ralph Englestad Arena. I will be hosting a chat during the first game of the Ice Breaker tourney between Boston College and Michigan State University, feel free to stop by if you would like. In the Evening game the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux take on the Air Force Academy Falcons at 7:37 pm.

Links for the tourney.

Notes from the Wednesday Press Conference. [Click to link]

Pre Gaming, Ice Breaker edition! [Tim Boger]

ICE BREAKER INVITATIONAL: Get to know the teams [Grand Forks Herald]

ICE BREAKER INVITATIONAL: Coachs' paths cross again [Grand Forks Herald]

UND President Robert Kelley, Grand Forks, letter: Engelstads made a 'priceless' gift [Grand Forks Herald]

In case anyone cares, the Don Lucia Radio show [click to listen]


Listen to Goon's World favorite Gopher homer Ryan Cardinal on KFAN radio with Paul Allen. This interview took place on October 5th, 2011 . Ryan talked with Paul Allen about the Gophers, the Ice Breaker, Notre Dame vs. UMD.

Spirit Lake nickname supporters again contact Big Sky

Image via WikipediaThis issue doesn't seem to be going away and time soon and it appears that it's going to linger on for some time to come. The only thing that is going to sway the NCAA and the Big Sky Conference is if Standing Rock Tribe gives UND permission to use the Fighting Sioux nickname. The NCAA and the Big Sky Conference do no care if the Spirit Lake Sioux approve of the name or not.

Chuck Haga, Grand Forks Herald --- Fighting Sioux nickname supporters at the Spirit Lake Sioux Reservation have again contacted the Big Sky Conference commissioner to underscore their commitment to seeing UND continue using the name.

In a letter dated Sept. 30, leaders of the Committee for Understanding and Respect reminded Commissioner Doug Fullerton that they speak for the tribe, citing a resolution adopted by the Tribal Council on Sept. 2.

The resolution, adopted unanimously, noted that the council and an earlier tribal referendum “affirmatively approved and supported UND’s use of the name and imagery of the Fighting Sioux.”

With the “overwhelming support of the people of this tribe,” the resolution continued, the tribe “entrusted UND with the responsibility of working with the tribe to increase the number of Native American graduates from Spirit Lake and create a Native American program on the UND campus which would bring respect and understanding amongst all students, faculty and staff at UND.”

Like I have said in the past, I think it's funny that the NCAA and the Big Sky Conference are unmoved by the efforts of the Group from Spirit Lake to keep the Fighting Sioux nickname, this is not a group from Ralph Englestad Arena, Grand Forks or Fargo, ND. This an actual group from the Spirit Lake Nation, and this group represents this wishes of the Spirit Lake Tribe. The NCAA claims the nickname is hostile and abusive but the Spirit Lake Tribe disagrees with the NCAA. Without the approval of the Standing Rock Sioux the point is mute and the NCAA and the Big Sky Conference will continue to be unmoved.

A nice touch, Andrew Ference's tribute to Mark Recchi

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

I thought this was a nice touch and an emotional moment for the Boston Bruins and their loyal fans. This past summer was a roller coaster ride as the Boston Bruins took three game sevens to bring home the Stanley Cup. Fast forward to last night, it was a great banner raising ceremony, however, the game was kind of a buzz kill. It's too bad that the Boston Bruins followed up the ceremony by losing the opening game of the 2011-12 season. I would be willing to bet that it's probably not the way that the Boston Bruins wanted to start the 2011-12 season, but I think most Bruins fans will let it slide for now.

James Murphy; ESPN.COM --- The ritual started late last season and continued throughout the playoffs. Recchi had been given the jacket after Game 7, when he registered an assist in what would be his last NHL game.


“It meant a lot to our team. It was a very proud thing for the guys after games, and we were very proud of it,” Recchi said. “When Andrew brought it in and we started it, it was a special thing, and to be able to get it last in Vancouver and then get it repeated tonight, in front of your home crowd, is something I’ll never forget.”

For Ference it was an easy move to make since Recchi was such an inspirational leader to him and his teammates over the last two-plus seasons. As Ference pointed out, Recchi defined what the jacket symbolized and deserved to be the last one to wear it.

It was a really nice touch to see Andrew Ference give Mark Recchi the "Jacket" one more time and it's only fitting that the last one to wear the "Jacket" was Recchi the grizzled veteran of 22 NHL seasons who retired right after his team had won the Stanley Cup. I don't think Hollywood could have drawn it up any better. 

Related articles

• Bruins raise Stanley Cup banner, honor Mark Recchi during season opener (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)
• Bruins vs. Flyers: Andrew Ference and Chris Kelly Will Share Second Alternate Captain Role (bleacherreport.com)
• Bruins raise banner for 2011 Stanley Cup title (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Bruins raise banner for 2011 Stanley Cup title (espn.go.com)

Video from Save The Fighting Sioux.com

If you have seen it, it's worth a look. This video is from the Committee for Understanding & Respect – Fighting Sioux Fund. Save the Fighting Sioux

Contrary to what many people say, or think, this issue is not over!

The special session of the North Dakota legislature has not spoken.

While some people think that North Dakota “Fighting Sioux” fans should just “move on,” there are a significant number of Fighting Sioux fans who have no intention of just “moving on.”

Ralph Engelstad did not “move on” when his alma mater and the city of Grand Forks was under water and on fire. Instead, he made the largest financial contribution to any university in the United States by an individual donor by financing 100% of the construction of what is now one of the finest sports facilities in the world.

So if you are a Fighting Sioux fan who is not ready or willing to “move on,” then we suggest you let it be known on this website, who you are and why you support the name, “Fighting Sioux” and the logo forever.

Notes from Wednesday's Fighting Sioux Hockey press conference

Image via Wikipedia
This was posted at Inside Hockey.

Today I attended my first Fighting hockey Sioux press conference of the season at the Ralph Englestad Arena; here is what I took away from today’s press conference.

The Fighting Sioux are focused on Air Force Academy and they’re not looking past the Falcons. Fighting Sioux captain Mario Lamoureux reminded us that his brother Jacques played at the Air Force Academy and that the Falcons are a very good hockey team and that they made the NCAA tourney three seasons in a row.

Junior forward Danny Kristo was in town most of the summer focusing on getting stronger. Kristo also said that he gained 5-10 pounds. Kristo spent a good deal of time working on his release and getting the puck off faster. In looking at Kristo it’s very apparent that he had a great summer in the weight room and appears that Kristo is in great shape going into the season.

Junior goalie Aaron Dell was asked, how much different is this year coming in kind of as the number one guy instead of last year when you had to try to beat out Brad [Eidsness]. Dell said, “I got treated the same way because if I don’t then he [Eidsness] can take my spot at any point. I just got to continue to a work as hard as I can and do the best I can.”

Dell on if he gained some weight? “A little bit I think I was 191 when I came in last year and I am about 199 now.”

Dave Hakstol on Zach Parise being name Captain of the New Jersey Devils today, “absolutely fitting, I think he exemplifies what a leader and a team captain is all about. So, he is a great players and I think you can argue that he [Zach] is the best American born players in the National Hockey League and certainly one of the top players in the world. It’s only a natural progression for him to be name caption in this stage of his career.”

Dave Hakstol was asked, are we going to see a different style of play, we lost half of the offense points from last season are we going to go more defensive like a 2-2-1 or are we still going to push the puck up the ice? Hakstol said, we are going to play the way that we play, bottom line, you know you have to obviously to tweak and change the little things with in the personality of every team, but we are going to build our team, we are going to build our mentality, we are going to grow as a team and were not going to change our mentality or philosophy as a program or as a hockey team.”

On the injury front freshman forward Roco Grimaldi is doubtful for this weekend’s games. Word has it that Grimaldi is suffering from a lower body injury.

Notre Dame picks Hockey East

Image via WikipediaThis was posted at Inside Hockey.

Well Notre Dame has “finally” made their decision on what conference they want to be a part of for the 2013-14 season. After weighing all of their options, the Fighting Irish have decided to become member of Hockey East. It had been reported that the Fighting Irish had wanted to be a member of the NCHC because it was in Notre Dame’s geographical foot print, but in the end, the NCHC leadership didn’t want to allow the Irish to have their own television deal with VERSUS/NBC Sports Network and made the announcement last week that they were fine going forward with eight schools.

Honestly it’s a little puzzling to why the NCHC didn’t want to allow the Fighting Irish to have their own television deal and I have been contemplating this move by the NCHC and it’s a bit of a head scratcher why the NCHC wouldn’t let the Fighting Irish have their own TV deal. While it’s not a deal breaker, it would’ve been nice to have the Fighting Irish in the NCHC to start the 2013-14 season.

I have been on record in the past as saying that the newly formed NCHC will be fine with or without the Fighting Irish and that the NCHC has a solid base of schools to work with. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the NCHC will truly be one of the power conferences in Division I college hockey, no matter what the naysayers say.

If you’re not sold on my reasoning yet, let’s break it further, five of the top 10 teams in all three preseason polls (CHN, USCHO, USA Today) are going to be members of the newly formed NCHC to start the 2013-14 season. If your still not convinced, the eight teams that make up the NCHC have a combined 17 NCAA titles among them (DU 7, UND 7, UMD 1, C.C. 2).

The newly formed B1G is only other league that has more NCAA titles than the NCHC (Michigan9, Wisconsin 6, andMinnesota 5). Whether you want to admit it the NCHC has the making of being a pretty good hockey league. So with Notre Dame going to Hockey East this is where we are currently at for college hockey conferences in the west, there could be another addition to the WCHA as the University of Alabama Huntsville is looking for a conference to call home.

NCHC
North Dakota
Denver
Colorado College
Nebraska-Omaha
Minnesota-Duluth
Miami
Western Michigan
St. CloudState

WCHA
Alaska Anchorage
Alaska (Fairbanks)
Bemidji State
MSU-Mankato
Michigan Tech
Northern Michigan
Lake Superior
Ferris State
Bowling Green

Weekend Match-Ups (by Sioux 7)

Image via WikipediaReady… Set… GO… And they’re off.

The good news, the regular season is starting, the bad news, there is only 2 seasons left of the WCHA as we know it. This is it. Everyone has a chance to start their run to capture the big, shiny, MacNaughton Cup.

I hope everyone had a good summer and is as anxious as I am for college hockey to get underway. I look forward to seeing how poorly my prognostication skills are again this season. Hopefully, you will enjoy reading my attempts to make some type of educated guess to who will win their games week in and week out.

Here is a little refresher…


WCHA ‘10-‘11 FINAL standings

TEAM……………..…....W-L-T...Pts
1. North Dakota…..……..21-6-1…43
2. Denver……..………...…17-8-3…37
3. Nebraska-Omaha.…..17-9-2…36
4. Minnesota-Duluth.....15-8-5…35
5. Minnesota……..….......13-10-5…31
6. Colorado College…...13-13-2…28
7. Wisconsin………....….12-13-3…27
8. Alaska-Anchorage…12-14-2…26
8. St. Cloud State….....11-13-4…26
10. Bemidji State…….….8-15-5…21
10. Minnesota State…….8-16-4…20
12. Michigan Tech………2-24-2…6


This season the WCHA starts out with 7 teams ranked in the USCHO poll:

#3 – North Dakota
#4 – Denver
#7 – Colorado College
#8 – Minnesota-Duluth
#14 – Nebraska-Omaha
#17 – Wisconsin
#19 – Minnesota


Non Conference Games

American International @ Michigan Tech
Last season the Huskies jumped out with a 6-game unbeaten streak, and then things fell apart. This year let’s hope they get off to another good start, but not have the falling apart thing happen again. HUSKIES WIN & TIE.


Bemidji St. @ #2 Miami (OH)
The Beavers start the season with a stiff test. Let’s hope the Beavers are up to the challenge. I’m sure the RedHawks won’t overlook BSU. With a rank of number two, you gotta be good, so I’m going with the home team. RedHawks Sweep.


Minnesota State @ #18 Rensselaer
This series could go down as an upset, the Mavericks have good goaltending and could easily take the series. However, this season is just starting, so they might be rusty, both teams. SPLIT.


#1 Notre Dame @ #8 Minnesota-Duluth
This should be the top series of the weekend, with two top ten teams playing a pair of games in South Bend. I’m wimping out in this one. SPLIT.


Sacred Heart @ #19 Minnesota
This is Sacred Heart playing the Gophers, not Holy Cross, so don’t get them confused now. However, if SH beats the Gophers, you will not get them confused. GOPHERS WIN & TIE


Northern Michigan @ #17 Wisconsin
The Badgers get a visit from an old WCHA foe, in the form of the Wildcats from Marquette. NMU plays some good hockey so don’t be surprised if they give the Badgers a run for their money. SPLIT


ICE BREAKER
Air Force @ #3 North Dakota
The Falcons have played top teams in season past, but have not beaten many of them. I’m going with the host team in this match-up, Sioux win.

#5 BC or MichSt. @ #3 North Dakota
I’m thinking the Eagles will beat the Spartans in their first game, and then move on to play the Sioux. I think everyone wants to see a game between two top five teams. Sioux win. And then in the other game of AFA v MSU, I’m going with the Falcons.


MAVERICK STAMPEDE
Mercyhurst @ #14 Nebraska-Omaha
Last year it seemed as if the Mavericks played to the level of their opponents. They would beat many of the top teams, but would lose to some of the lower teams. I’m sure UNO fans want another fast start this season. Mavericks win.

Colgate/RMU @ #14 Nebraska-Omaha
I’m not sure who to go with in the CU/RMU contest, I’m leaning the way of Colgate, can’t explain it, but I’m going with them to win over RMU. Then I’ll take them over UNO in their game. That leaves RMU v Mercyhurst, and I’m going with Mercyhurst in that contest.


KENDALL HOCKEY CLASSIC
St. Cloud St. @ Alaska
Last year I attended this tournament in Anchorage and had a good time. This year I will not be attending, since the Sioux are not there. I’m going to take the Huskies in this game over the soon to be WHCA Nanooks.

St. Could St @ Alaska-Anchorage
This is a non-conference game between these two in this game. The Seawolves finished strong last season and I think they will be a tough team this year too. Seawolves win.

Clarkson @ Alaska-Anchorage
I have to go with our WCHA friends in this match-up, especially when it is at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. Seawolves win.

Clarkson @ Alaska
I like the Nanooks sweaters, so hey, why not support them here. Nanooks win.


BYE WEEK
#7 Colorado College Tigers
#5 Denver Pioneers

Predictions for October 7-8 2011

Image via WikipediaThis season I will be doing weekly predictions along with Sioux7 and Alex. I must admit that I am not good at making predictions and I have been blamed for jinxing other fan’s teams in the past. My selections will be bolded.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Non-Conference
Notre Dame at Minnesota-Duluth 7:07 CT
Bemidji State at Miami 7:35 ET
Sacred Heart at Minnesota 4:07 CT
Northern Michigan at Wisconsin 7:07 CT
American Int'l at Michigan Tech 7:07 ET
Minnesota State at Rensselaer 7:00 ET

Ice Breaker
Air Force vs. North Dakota 7:00 CT
Michigan State vs. Boston College 4:07 CT

Maverick Stampede
Mercyhurst vs. Nebraska-Omaha 7:37 CT
Robert Morris vs. Colgate 7:07 CT

Kendall Hockey Classic
Alaska vs. St. Cloud State 5:07 AT
Clarkson at Alaska-Anchorage 7:07 AT

Exhibition
U.S. Under-18 Team at Denver 7:07 MT

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Non-Conference
Sacred Heart at Minnesota 7:07 CT
Bemidji State at Miami 7:05 ET
Northern Michigan at Wisconsin 7:07 CT
American Int'l at Michigan Tech 7:07 ET
Minnesota State at Rensselaer 1:00 ET
Notre Dame at Minnesota-Duluth 7:07 CT

Ice Breaker
Boston College vs. North Dakota 7:07 CT
MSU vs. Air Force 7:37 CT

Maverick Stampede
Colgate vs. Nebraska-Omaha 7:00 CT
Mercyhurst vs. RMU 7:37 CT

Kendall Hockey Classic
St. Cloud State at Alaska-Anchorage 7:07 AT
Alaska vs. Clarkson 4:07 AT

Exhibition
U.S. Under-18 Team at Colorado College 7:37 MT

Analysis - Sacred Heart at Minnesota – When I look at this series on paper, I wonder if the Gophers are trying to rack up wins against the weak sisters of the poor. That being said, the Golden Gophers should win both games but the Gophers can’t look past Sacred Heart. Sweep Minnesota.

Notre Dame at Minnesota-Duluth – this should prove to be an interesting match-up because it's a rematch of their Frozen Four game from last spring. The Irish will probably be looking for some revenge. The Bulldogs have played six games since 2002 and have gone 2-2-2. Prediction split.

Bemidji State at Miami – The BSU Beavers and the MU RedHawks have played twice in recent history with the Beavers winning the last game 3-2 at the Subway Classic in Grand Forks, ND during the 2009 season. This season's match-up at least on paper doesn’t look very good and the Beavers probably wont surprise the RedHawks again this time around. Miami Sweeps.

Northern Michigan at Wisconsin – The Wisconsin Badgers have had some success against the Wildcats as of late and own a 4-2-1 record the last seven games against the Wildcats but this isn’t your daddy’s Wisconsin Badgers hockey team. The Badgers enter the season with three goalies with no college hockey experience. what-so-ever.  That being said, I am going with a sweep for the Wisconsin because the Badgers while minus some good players from last season’s team still has a strong nucleus of  returning player that will turn some heads this season.  Also, Badgers coach Mikes Eaves seems to get the most out of his players.  Sweep Wisconsin.

American Int'l at Michigan Tech – Mel Pearson makes his head coaching debut against the AIC Yellow Jackets (8-24-1 2010-11) another team that had a tough season last year.  The Michigan Tech Huskies started last season on five game unbeaten streak before they went on a horrible streak where they didn’t win a game from October 29^th till February 18^th.  A WCHA cellar dweller is better than a AHA cellar dweller. I am going to with a Huskies sweep.

Air Force vs. North Dakota – The UND Fighting Sioux start the season against the AFA Falcons, the Fighting Sioux are a shell of their former self the Fighting Sioux lost 294 points from last year's 471 point offensive point total. The good news is that the Fighting Sioux still have quite a few offensive weapons in the arsenal led by Danny Kristo, Brock Nelson and Corbin Knight. Sioux win.

Boston College vs. North Dakota – The Sioux haven’t had a lot of luck against the Boston College Eagles as of late and they have lost the last four games they have played against the Eagles, however, one could say that the Sioux are due against the Eagles (6-1 Eagles April 2008, 6-4 Eagles April 2007, 6-5 Eagles 2006). Sioux break through with a win in the Ice Breaker. Sioux win.

Minnesota State at Rensselaer – This could be an interesting series both teams like to play a physical brand of hockey.  The Engineers lost in the first round of the NCAA playoffs to the UND Fighting Sioux and are going to want to start the season on a high note.  The Mavericks had what some would have classified as a rough season, as they went 14-18-6; missed the NCAA tourney and the Final Five. Also, the  Mavericks lost some notable players on defense, Kurt Davis, Ben Youds and Channing Boe and the Mavericks could take their lumps early on. I going with a split.   

Brendan Shanahan shows what is a legal hit

NHL disciplinarian and VP of player safety Brendan Shanahan shows the correct way to throw a body check. I like what this video does, it also refutes the argument of the NHL taking hitting out of the game of hockey. That being said, the million dollar question going into the season is, will the NHL have a record number of suspensions dished out this season. Also, the season could prove to be tough if you own a fantasy hockey team, you're going to have to be careful who you draft for your team.

Related articles

• NHL: Brendan Shanahan Already Making a Better Mark Than Predecessor Campbell (bleacherreport.com)
• Brendan Shanahan - It's About Time (chrisross91.wordpress.com)
• Brendan Shanahan Relates To NHL Players Because He's "Committed A Lot Of These Crimes" Himself [Nhl] (deadspin.com)
• The end of the Colin Campbell Wheel of Justice. (mvn.com)

NCAA Hockey 2013 regional sites announced

Here is the official release for the 2013 NCAA Hockey regional sites.

NCAA.com ---- he NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee has selected the four regional sites for the 2013 Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship.

The four sites and regionals, being held between March 29-31, include: East Regional in Providence, R.I.; Northeast Regional in Manchester, N.H.; Midwest Regional in Toledo, Ohio; and the West Regional in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Brown will serve as hosts for the East Regional and New Hampshire will host the Northeast Regional. Bowling Green will host the Midwest Regional and Michigan will host the West Regional.

“The committee has placed an emphasis in the regional rounds on neutral-site buildings with NHL-size ice surfaces,” said Sean Frazier, chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee and associate athletic director at Wisconsin. “All of these facilities meet those standards, and we feel the arenas and hosts will be able to provide a tremendous championship opportunity for the student-athletes.”

The 2013 Men’s Frozen Four will be held in Pittsburgh, Pa., at the Consol Energy Center, April 11 and 13. The 2012 championship will be held at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., April 5 and 7.

Former Sioux Dave Christian on SCSU opening day roster. :)

All in good fun... SCSU should be really good this season when former Fighting Sioux and 1980 Olympian Dave Christian laces up the skates for the Huskies. I am sure that Mick Hatten meant to say Jordy Christian who is from  Moorhead, MN. [Link to the article]

Matt Frattin talks about making the Leafs out of training camp...

Goon's World would like to congratulate Matt Frattin for making the Toronto Maple Leafs opening day roster out of training camp. Toronto head coach Ron Wilson said this past week that former Fighting Sioux forward Matt Frattin is NHL ready .

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BGSU Hockey To Join WCHA Beginning In 2013-14

Image via WikipediaHere is the official press release from Bowling Green State University. It's a good pick up for the WCHA because they now get a school that is Division I in all sports.

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio— The Bowling Green State University Department of Athletics has accepted an invitation to join the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) for the 2013-2014 season.

“I’d like to thank the presidents of the institutions in the WCHA for extending this invitation,” BGSU President Dr. Mary Ellen Mazey said. “Our University and our hockey program has many similarities to the current WCHA members and we are excited to join with these schools in two years.”

The offer came on behalf of the presidents representing the WCHA teams that will comprise the Western Collegiate Hockey Association membership following the 2012-13 season. Offers were also extended to fellow Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) institutions Alaska Fairbanks, Ferris State University, Lake Superior State University and Western Michigan University. Alaska Fairbanks, Ferris State and Lake Superior State announced their intentions to accept the invitation.

Along with its CCHA brethren, Bowling Green will join Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State, and Northern Michigan in the WCHA.

“The WCHA is a great fit for BGSU,” Director of Athletics Greg Christopher said. “WCHA teams are committed to the highest level of college hockey and competing for championships, just as we are at Bowling Green."

Bowling Green has played in the CCHA since its creation in 1971, and is the only founding institution to never leave the
conference.

The CCHA has yielded national collegiate champions, Hobey Baker award winners, and Stanley Cup champions in roughly 40 years of existence. CCHA players have combined for 174 All-American honors, including 88 First-Team selections. Bowling Green defenseman Ken Morrow was the CCHA's first First-Team All-American in 1978.

As a member of the CCHA, Bowling Green has produced seven conference regular season championships, five conference tournament championships, nine NCAA tournament appearances, two frozen four appearances, and one national championship (1984).

The Falcons have also yielded two Hobey Baker Award winners (George McPhee and Brian Holzinger) as members of the CCHA.

“We’re building our program to compete for championships,” Head Coach Chris Bergeron said. “I’m excited about the
direction our program is headed and the league we are moving towards because of the opportunities it provides for us to continue to develop BGSU hockey.”

The shift in the hockey landscape started in March when the Big Ten announced that it would form a new conference for the 2013-14 season. Along with Minnesota, Wisconsin, and newly formed Penn State, the new conference will include current CCHA members Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State.

The creation of a second conference in July marked even more change for the CCHA, as reigning tournament champion Miami announced it would depart for the newly formed National Collegiate Hockey Conference in 2013. The rest of the conference will be made up of former WCHA schools including North Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth, Denver, Colorado College, St. Cloud State, and Nebraska-Omaha.

“We are committed to two more years in the CCHA,” Christopher said. “As one of the founding institutions of the league, Bowling Green hockey and the CCHA have been synonymous with each other. We will continue to build this program over the next two years to reach our goals when we begin play in the WCHA.”

Like the CCHA, the WCHA has been synonymous with college hockey success for decades. Since its inception in 1951, teams representing the WCHA have earned a record 37 NCAA championships, finished as the national runner-up 27 times, and qualified for at least one berth in the NCAA Men's Frozen Four in 55 of 59 seasons overall.

My new gig

This season I will be writing for Inside Hockey as one of the WCHA writers. You can find my articles at this link [Inside Hockey]. I look forward to the challenge.

Related articles

• Waiting to Exhale, the WCHA is Back (mvn.com)
• WCHA to expand... (mvn.com)
• University of Alaska Fairbanks to the WCHA? (mvn.com)
• Hump Day Links... (mvn.com)
• LSSU, FSU and UAF join the WCHA for the 2013-2014 season. (mvn.com)

Tuesday Links...

sportsnet.ca photo

With the start of hockey there are all kinds of news stories.

It looks like former Fighting Sioux forward Matt Frattin and former Badger defenseman Jake Gardiner have made the Toronto Maple Leafs out of training camp. So congrats to Matt Frattin and Jake Gardiner.

Mike Brophy; Sportsnet.ca --- Frattin's story has been told and told again. He was sent home from the University of North Dakota and had his scholarship revoked because of some teenage pranks, but returned to the team, at his own expense, and became one of the best college players in the nation. He was a cut above the rest of the pack at rookie camp and didn't skip a beat when he joined the Toronto veterans. Frattin also had five points, including two goals, in the pre-season.

He said he really wasn't overly surprised that he made the varsity squad.

"Well, maybe a little bit," he said. "We have a bunch of guys out and Clarke MacArthur is suspended. I got put into his role s hopefully I'll play on that line for the first two games. Every game you get opportunities and you just have to build from there. You have to take advantage of them. Coming to practice today I had no clue what to expect. We did a workout and the next thing I know I'm on a line with Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Gabovski. I had a great practice today and I feel good."

There are still tickets available for this weekend's Ice Breaker tourney. [Fighting Sioux]

College Hockey INC has a preview to this weekend's Ice Breaker Tournament. [College Hockey Inc]

Speaking of College Hockey Inc they have revamped their web page. [College Hockey Inc]

The Minnesota Golden Gophers head hockey coach Don Lucia seems to think that the Minnesota Gophers are going to be able to wear down their opponents this season. [Roman Empire]

Chris Peters from the USA of Hockey breaks down the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the Hockey East move. [USA of Hockey]

The Irish would have helped legitimize the NCHC a little bit more. At the very least it would have made the move to leave the WCHA seem smart as opposed to selfish. It leaves the rest of us questioning whether or not the schools that left for the NCHC significantly improved their situations by leaving the WCHA.

The WCHA could have done much more to keep these schools from leaving, no question. A failure of leadership and foresight might have killed the WCHA as we know it. There are still many questions to be answered, and with the NCHC failing to gain one of the richest athletic departments in college sports, the answers may be harder to come by.

Again the WCHA bloggers/website preseason poll was conducted and the Fighting Sioux were picked to finish third in this season's poll. [Goon's World], [A tradition of Excellence]

Related articles

• Frattin talks about playing college hockey... (mvn.com)
• Burke on Frattin - "He's going to get a good look in camp." (mvn.com)
• Waiting to Exhale, the WCHA is Back (mvn.com)
• Frattin ready to break out? (mvn.com)
• Hockey is in the air... (mvn.com)