Chat LIVE during the game tonight!

Colorado College vs. MInnesota State Mankato 10/22 Live Blog

Make sure to join us tonight for our Live Blog starting at 7:30pm!

Andy’s College Hockey Extravaganza Week #3

Yes, I was wrong. Nebraska-Omaha is a good squad and I haven’t given them enough credit so far this season and gave the Gophers too much credit. Meanwhile, for the rest of the WCHA,

#19 Colorado College (2-1-1) at MSU-Mankato (0-1-3)

Game Times: 7:37 PM CDT Friday, 7:07 PM CDT Saturday TV: CHW (Check local listings)

Players to Watch: Jaden Schwartz (CC), MSU’s power play. Schwartz, a first round pick by the St. Louis Blues this past June, has already started to make his mark in college hockey recording four points in four games. As for the Mavericks, as much as you would like to score a goal a man or two up it doesn’t always happen. However, a 9% conversion on the power play is something that can be improved upon greatly if they want to see success this season.

Analysis: This is the Mavericks’ first real test of the season as they host a nationally ranked team while looking for their first win of the season. However, defense will be the name of the game. The Tigers trail only Wisconsin in scoring defense by two goals while the Mavs are tied for dead last with the Gophers and Tech. Also key for the Mavericks: consistency between the pipes. Austin Lee and Phil Cook have put up less than stellar numbers in their two appearances each. It’s my belief that this weekend will help shape whether there is a #1 goalie for the Mavericks or whether this season will be goalie by committee in Mankato.

Prediction: CC sweep.

#10 Nebraska-Omaha (4-0-0) at #3 Michigan (2-0-2)

Game Times: 7:37 PM EDT both Friday and Saturday Webcast: bigtennetwork.com

Players to watch: Joey Martin (UNO), Shawn Hunwick (U-M). Martin is the definition of “team player” as he leads the Mavericks with 7 assists so far. Hunwick is coming off a career high 48 saves in a tie against #9 New Hampshire last weekend and looks to build on the Wolverines’ success so far.

Analysis: If you honestly had Nebraska-Omaha leading the WCHA after two weeks, raise your hand. Yep, my hand’s down too. In what could be the matchup of the week, the Mavericks visit old CCHA rival Michigan in a battle of Top 10 teams. The Mavericks have surprised their way into the Top 10 with a sweep of Minnesota, in Minnesota. The Wolverines have made it through their schedule so far with consistency. Much like their Maverick counterparts in Mankato, the Omaha version will have a key weekend in store for them.

Prediction: Split

#14 Wisconsin (3-1-0) at #13 Denver (1-2-1)

Game Times: 7:37 PM MDT Friday, 7:07 PM MDT Saturday TV: FSN Rocky Mountain (Fri)

Players to watch: Mark Zengerle (WIS), Drew Shore (DEN). Zengerle has racked up 6 assists in his freshman season while Shore has scored 3 goals so far, leading the Pioneer attack.

Analysis: The Pioneers look to rebound from the offensive drought they suffered last weekend as they only put up one goal against BC. If they want to compete deep in the WCHA season, they need a more consistent and potent offense. As for Wisconsin, they’ve looked good so far, but this series is their first series test of the year after dropping to now #8 Boston University in the season opener.

Prediction: Wisconsin sweep.

#2 North Dakota (3-0-1) at #11 Maine (1-1-2)

Game Times: 7:30 PM EDT Friday, 7:00 PM EDT Saturday TV: CBS College Sports (Fri)

Players to Watch: Matt Frattin (UND), Spencer Abbott (Maine). Frattin has lit the lamp 5 times for the Sioux while Abbott has a more balanced attack with 7 points on the year.

Analysis: The Black Bears are coming off a rough series having gotten only one point at Michigan State, while UND has cruised through their early schedule. I don’t expect this weekend to be that different for the Sioux.

Prediction: UND sweep.

#15 St. Cloud State (1-2-1) at Minnesota (2-2-0)

Game Times: 7:07 PM CDT Friday, 2:07 PM CDT Sunday TV: FS North

Players to Watch: Nick Jensen (SCSU), Erik Haula (MIN). Continuing on with the “Fabulous Freshmen” theme, Jensen and Haula are towards the top of offensive leaders for their teams.

Analysis: The Gophers looked lost last weekend as they got swept by Nebraska-Omaha in a series that surprised some observers. Regardless, they find themselves in the WCHA cellar. St. Cloud is in the similar position of being a disappointment as they are also off to a sluggish start. Both teams need this series to keep themselves in the WCHA race. 

Prediction: Sweep

Alaska-Anchorage (1-2-1) at #6 Minnesota-Duluth (3-0-1)

Games Times: 7:07 PM CDT both Friday and Saturday TV: My 9 Duluth

Players to Watch: Tommy Grant (UAA), Jack and Mike Connolly (UMD). Grant leads the Seawolves with 5 points on the year while the Connollys have combined for 16 points on the season. Add Justin Fontaine into the mix and they have 24 points among them.

Analysis: It’s the Seawolves first trip to the Lower 48 of the year as both open the conference schedule in Duluth. However, the Seawolves don’t have the firepower to keep up with the Bulldogs.

Prediction: UMD sweep.

College Hockey Weekend Blogger

Andy Sorensen

Andy’s College Hockey Extravaganza Week #2

The WCHA conference schedule kicks off this week for the two newest members of the WCHA as Nebraska-Omaha visits the Gophers while conference favorite North Dakota travels to Bemidji State. The only other conference series this weekend is the Mavericks heading to Houghton to play the Huskies. In non-conference action, there are a couple high quality series as the #1 team in the country and defending national champion Boston College visits #6 Denver while #4 Miami visits #11 St. Cloud State.

#4 Miami (1-1-0) at #11 St. Cloud State (1-1-0)

Game Times: 7:07 CDT Friday and Saturday, TV: CHW (Check Local Listings)

  Players to Watch: Alden Hirschfield (MU), Ben Hanowski (SCSU). Hirschfield had a very impressive series last weekend against New Hampshire racking up six points (two goals, four assists). Hanowski returned to the scoring ways that he was known for during his high school days in Little Falls scoring two goals in the Maverick Stampede in Omaha last weekend.

                     Analysis: Both teams had mixed results last weekend as they picked up Friday night wins while dropping their second games. However, it was more damaging for the Huskies as they plummeted in the rankings from fourth to eleventh with their 7-3 loss to Clarkson.  It will definitely be a battle between the pipes as the talented and Hobey Baker finalist Cody Reichard hits the ice for the Redhawks while Mike Lee is expected to be in goal for the Huskies.

                     Prediction: Split. This is a very good series featuring two very good teams, and it will be one of the better series of the weekend.

Minnesota State (0-0-2) at Michigan Tech (2-0-1)

                   Game Times: 7:07 EDT both Friday and Saturday, Internet feed: Michigantechhhuskies.com

                    Players to Watch: Justin Jokinen (MSU), Bennett Royer (MTU). Both Jokinen and Royer lead their respected teams in scoring early on. While Tech has a one game advantage over MSU as they tied Northern Michigan Tuesday night, the Huskies goaltending has looked quite sharp.

         Analysis: After MSU’s two draws against St. Lawerence last weekend, the Mavericks are a hard team to read. They can play a good offense and defensive game as displayed by their 5-5 and 1-1 draws, but can they gain and keep control in a game? On the other hand, Tech has looked impressive in their three games. However, Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan are by no means WCHA competition. Will they step up against the Mavericks this weekend? Both teams have important questions to answer this weekend in the young season.

         Prediction: Split ties. Hey, it happened last weekend for MSU, so why not?

Nebraska-Omaha (2-0-0) at #13 Minnesota (2-0-0)

Game Times: 7:07 CDT both Friday and Saturday, TV: FS North

              Players to Watch: Matt Ambroz (UNO), Jay Barriball (MINN). Both Ambroz and Barriball burst out of the gates contributing offensively. Ambroz racked up three goals and five points in the Maverick Stampede last weekend as the Mavericks beat Clarkson and RPI. Barriball did one better than Ambroz as he lit the lamp four times against UMass last weekend.

   Analysis: Similar to Tech, UNO did have an impressive opening weekend but not against strong competition. They will have to rise to the challenge of not only making their WCHA debut but also doing so in one of the toughest venues in college hockey. The Gophers on the other hand have to keep the momentum going after the UMass sweep last weekend and not look ahead to their first major challenge in St. Cloud State next weekend.  Oh yeah, longtime Gopher hockey foe Dean Blais returns to Mariucci this weekend for the first time in eight seasons as he is behind the Maverick bench.               

              Prediction: Gopher sweep. The Gophers will overwhelm the Mavericks on all levels.

#2 North Dakota (1-0-1) at Bemidji State (0-0-0)

Game Times: 7:37 CDT Friday, 7:07 CDT Saturday, TV: Lakeshore Public TV

   Players to Watch: Derek Forbort (UND), Ian Lowe (BSU). Forbert, the first round pick by the LA Kings is off to a fast start piling up three assists in the Fighting Sioux’s Alaskan road trip last weekend. Lowe is the leading goal scorer from last year for the Beavers and looks to improve on his stats this season.

                      Analysis: This series is very important for Bemidji State. Not only is this the season opener, but this is the home and conference debut for the Beavers. You also happen to be playing one of the favorites for a national championship and who have arguably one of the deepest teams in all of college hockey. How they play the Sioux will speak volumes to how their season will go.

                        Prediction: Split series. I’ll give the Beavers a game in the new Beaver Dam despite the Sioux’s overwhelming strength.

Providence (1-0-0) at #7 UMD (1-0-1)

Game Times: 7:07 CDT Friday and Saturday, TV: My 9 Northland

             Players to Watch: Matt Germain (PC), Justin Fontaine (UMD). Germain scored the go-ahead goal last weekend for the Friars in their 3-1 win over Northeastern, while Fontaine put up five points last weekend, including a four point effort in a tie with Northern Michigan.

             Analysis: Even though the Friars had a quality win against the Huskies last week, they still have to make a monumental leap to compete with the Bulldogs’ offense.

             Prediction: UMD sweep.

Alabama-Huntsville (1-1-0) at #15 Wisconsin (1-1-0)

Game Times: 7:07 CDT Friday, 1:07 CDT Sunday TV: FS Wisconsin (Friday), bigtennetwork.com (Sunday)

                    Players to Watch: Justin Cseter (UAH), Craig Smith (UW). Both Cseter and Smith are off to quick starts. Cseter had three assists last weekend against Ferris State with Smith had a two goal effort in a 5-0 Badger win over Holy Cross.

         Analysis: This isn’t your grandfather’s college hockey series as it’s a Friday/Sunday series due to the Badger football team hosting #1 Ohio State Saturday night. Despite that, it will be an almost walk in the park for the Badgers this weekend.

                     Prediction: Badger sweep. The Chargers should enjoy their trip to Wisconsin for what it is: The opportunity to play against one of college hockey’s elite programs.

#1 Boston College (1-0-0) at #6 Denver (1-0-1)

Game Times: 7:37 MDT Friday, 7:07 MDT Saturday, TV: FSN Rocky Mountain (Friday)

   Players to Watch: John Muse (BC), Drew Shore (DU). Muse is a power between the pipes. He has had three straight shutouts dating back to the National Championship last season. Shore picked up three goals last weekend against Vermont.

               Analysis: BC is far and away the number one team in the country, and the majority of the team is back for a repeat. The theme of the weekend is measuring sticks and the Pioneers are no different. It would be a win for the Pioneers in my book if they split with BC.

             Prediction: Split series. BC is so dominant, but I like Denver’s youth and spunk.

Andy Sorensen

College Hockey Weekend Blogger

Andy's Weekly Hockey Spectacular Week #1

 

All the preseason hype is over, the exhibition games played, and this weekend it finally counts. Every WCHA team is in action except Bemidji State, but a vast majority of teams aren’t playing in traditional series. Nebraska-Omaha hosts a tournament with RIT, #6 St. Cloud State, and Clarkson. #2 North Dakota heads to the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage to face Air Force, Alaska, and Alaska-Anchorage. #9 UMD and Michigan Tech go to the Superior Showcase to play Northern Michigan and Lake Superior, while #13 Wisconsin goes to St. Louis to play in the IceBreaker with #14 Boston University, Norte Dame, and Holy Cross.

In the traditional series this weekend, Denver visits Vermont, Minnesota hosts Massachusetts, RPI goes to Colorado College, and the Mavs host St. Lawrence. For the brevity of space and numerous possible tournament matchups this week I’ll only analyze the series.

St. Lawrence vs. MSU-Mankato

Game Times: 7:37 PM CT Friday, 7:07 PM CT Saturday; TV: CHW, check local listings for channel. Coverage starts at 7 PM CT both nights.

            Players to Watch: G Phil Cook (MSU), F Kyle Flanagan (STL). Both sophomores made great strides last season as they either led or were close to the lead in many positional categories and will be crucial to their team’s successes.

Analysis: This series will be a tale of two programs. The Saints are coming off a 20-15-6 campaign with a fourth place finish in the ECAC Tournament. The Mavericks however are coming off a disappointing 16-20-3 mark while losing to St. Cloud State in the first round of the WCHA Tournament. Look for the strong MSU defensive corps lead by seniors Ben Youds, Kurt Davis, and Channing Boe to help control the tempo of this series for the Mavericks. However, the bigger story line may be the lack of offensive play by both teams. The Saints finished last year with 2.77 GPG, 10^th in the 12 team ECAC, while the Mavericks did not fare much better with a 2.82 GPG which ranked 7^th in the then 10 team WCHA.

 Prediction: Split series, these are two very evenly matched teams statistically.

Massachusetts vs. #15 Minnesota

Game Times: 7:07 PM CT both Friday and Saturday; TV: FS North

            Players to Watch: F Mike Hoeffel (MIN), F T.J. Syner (MASS). Hoeffel and Syner are the leading returning scorers for their respective programs.

Analysis: Once again, offense will be at a premium for both teams. While the Gophers do return a majority of their starters, their offense was towards the bottom of the WCHA while suffering their first losing season in over a decade. UMass on the other hand lost a lot of their offense from last year and will be required to pick up the pieces from an already struggling Minutemen team from last year.

Prediction: Gopher sweep. In my opinion, Alex Kangas will be the difference maker in this series as the Gophers try to remove the bad memories of last season.

#11 Denver vs. Vermont

Game Times: 7:05 PM ET both Friday and Saturday; Internet video: CatamounTV ($4.99 per game)

Players to Watch: F Jason Zucker (DEN), D Kyle Medvec (VER). Although the preseason stats don’t count, both Zucker and Medvec had memorable preseasons. Zucker scored a hat trick in his first ever collegiate hockey game in an 8-1 defeat of the US Under 18 team, while Medvec picked up two assists in a 3-2 loss to New Brunswick.

Analysis: As I said in my WCHA season preview, Denver may be one of the more intriguing teams in the conference. The Pioneers lost a lot of talent from last year’s squad but their recruiting class looks very promising with such names such as the aforementioned Zucker, 1^st round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in Beau Bennett, and Nick Shore. Vermont is a very interesting squad as well. In the preseason Hockey East coaches’ poll the Catamounts got 6^th place, a point behind Northeastern. They’re coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance but lost their three biggest offensive playmakers to graduation. While the Catamounts have the core returning to threaten another NCAA appearance, they have to step up in a challenging Hockey East conference to make an impact.

Prediction: Denver sweep. At this point the Catamounts have more questions than the Pioneers do, although a split isn’t out of the question. 

RPI vs. Colorado College

Game Times: 7:37 PM MT Friday, 7:07 PM MT Saturday; Internet video: B2 Networks

Players to Watch: Rylan and Jaden Schwartz (CC), Allen York (RPI). The Schwartz brothers are once again reunited after a year hiatus, but its younger brother Jaden, a first round selection by the St. Louis Blues and an incoming freshman who steals the spotlight from Rylan, a sophomore. Jaden is much more of a polished playmaker than his brother, but Rylan is known to make the big play as well. Jaden can also score buckets of goals; in midget hockey he broke team records previously held by NHL scoring machines in Vincent Lecavlier and Brad Richards. The Engineers send out junior Allen York between the pipes, and York has stepped up to the challenge. This Blue Jackets prospect shaved almost half a goal off his goals against average from his freshman year to his sophomore year while also boosting his save percentage by nine tenths of a percent. He could very well be a household name in his own right by the end of the season.

Analysis: RPI has many returning players for an Engineer squad that suffered a first round exit in the ECAC playoffs. Barring injuries, I see them making a deeper run into the conference tournament as along as York stays healthy. As for Colorado College, if they want to stay relevant in the McNaughton Cup conversation, they must rise to the challenge and avoid a collapse much like last season in Colorado Springs.

Prediction: Split. These teams match up quite well. Look for a fun series in the Rockies this weekend.