It’s a typical weekend for the WCHA, conference matchups across the board except for the #19 Gophers who have the weekend off, while Colorado College travels to crosstown rival Air Force Friday night then hosts #3 Yale Saturday at the World. The big series this weekend is a traditional
WCHA rivalry as the #13 Sioux travel to Madison to take on the #10 Badgers.
As for CHW’s coverage this weekend, be sure to double check your local listings. Our Minnesota viewers get both games of UNO/St. Cloud State. If you’re east of the Mississippi, that’s where it gets a tad tricky. Everyone gets UNO/St. Cloud Friday night, and then it’s regional coverage for Saturday’s action. Northern Wisconsin (Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan and Wausau) receives the encore of UND/UW-Madison, while the South (La Crosse, Madison, and Janesville) will see Game #2 of UNO/St. Cloud. If you want to check out the series, it’s on the Wisconsin Channel for both games while FS Wisconsin carries Friday night’s contest. With that, it’s onto the games:
#10 North Dakota (5-4-1, 4-2-0 WCHA) at #13 Wisconsin (6-2-2, 3-1-2 WCHA)
Game Times: 7:07 PM CST both Friday and Saturday; TV: WI Channel (Both games), CHW (N WI Sat), FS Wisconsin (Friday)
Players to Watch: Evan Trupp (UND), Mark Zengerle (UW). Both players are coming off huge weekends for their teams. Trupp recorded 3 points last weekend in the split against UMD, while Zengerle put up 6 points in a Badger three point weekend against Minnesota.
Analysis: This is by far the biggest and most intriguing series of the weekend. Both teams were oh so close to sweeps last weekend, but Saturday night overtimes did them in. The Sioux lost on a Justin Fontaine bullet 58 seconds in, while the Badgers tied 3-3 against Minnesota. I wouldn’t say this is a “make or break” series this early in the season, but a strong performance by either team will put them up with the leaders of the WCHA in UMD and UNO with a little over a month of the season over.
Prediction: Series split. These are two very strong and talented teams that will play each other well.
Minnesota State-Mankato (2-4-4, 2-4-2 WCHA) at #15 Denver (4-4-2, 3-2-1 WCHA)
Game Times: 7:37 PM MST Friday, 7:07 PM MST Saturday, no TV
Players to watch: Eriah Hayes and Chase Grant (MSU), Jason Zucker (DU). Hayes and Grant share the team lead with three goals apiece through 10 games. Zucker, a Wild prospect, is tied for the team lead with 7.
Analysis: On paper, this seems to been an even matchup. However, the Mavs need offense in a bad way. While Kurt Davis is racking up the assists, they need to find a “go to guy” on offense if they want to stay in the conversation to host a WCHA Playoff series. While UNO is a juggernaut, there are no excuses why, in the words of Channing Boe before the road trip, that the “boys become men.” The Mavs are tied for tenth in both goal scored and goals given up. Phil Cook can only do so much in net, and while he does have okay numbers in light of this, the rest of the team needs to step up in a bad way as the Mavs face their second straight ranked opponent in a row.
Denver on the other hand, needs to get rid of the shock they faced last weekend when they hosted Colorado College and lost 9-2 on Saturday night. Yes, they did pick up the split, but they need to stick with their bread and butter in goal with Brittain. I totally understand pulling Brittain out when Gwozdecky did, but Murray fared no better, giving up 4 goals on 7 shots.
Prediction: Denver sweep. MSU needs to prove that they can step up in the big situations, which is what they have in Denver. Regardless, the bye week next weekend for the Mavs is much needed.
#6 Nebraska-Omaha (7-1-0, 4-0-0 WCHA) at St. Cloud State (4-5-1, 2-2-0 WCHA)
Game Times: 7:07 PM CST both Friday and Saturday; TV: CHW
Players to Watch: Johnnie Searfoss (UNO), Aaron Marvin (SCSU). Searfoss racked up 3 goals last weekend, including a 2 goal effort Friday night against MSU. Marvin put together a three point weekend against Bemidji State last weekend.
Analysis: To comprehend UNO’s surprising rise to 2nd place in the WCHA, let’s look at their lineup: They have five 10 point scorers and thus rank second in the country in scoring offense to Yale. Their defense is also inside the Top 20. To say that anyone expected this out of the Mavs is right, I sure didn’t. As for St. Cloud, they’re trying to put out the fire before it gets too out of control. To say that the Huskie season to this point is a disappointment isn’t far off. To me, it seems that Garret Roe is trying to do too much with his 5.71 shot percentage. Yes, he does have seven assists, but Roe and Ben Hanowski were supposed to be the cornerstones of the Husky offense this season.
Prediction: UNO sweep.
Michigan Tech (3-2-2, 1-2-1 WCHA) at #2 Minnesota-Duluth (7-1-2, 4-1-1 WCHA)
Game Times: 7:07 PM CST Friday and Saturday; TV: My 9 Duluth
Players to Watch: Bennett Royer (MTU), J.T. Brown (UMD). Royer has 7 points on the season (4 G, 3 A), while Brown brings more depth to the Bulldog attack beyond the Connollys and Fontaine.
Analysis: UMD had a good weekend on the road grabbing up a split on the road at UND. They get a much easier weekend with an inconsistent Husky team at home. The Huskies have only played four WCHA games, against MSU and Wisconsin. They played MSU close and got blown out of the building by Wisconsin. I expect the latter outcome at the DECC this weekend.
Prediction: UMD sweep.
Alaska-Anchorage (1-5-2, 0-3-1 WCHA) at Bemidji State (1-4-1)
Game Times: 7:37 PM CST Friday, 7:07 PM CST Saturday, TV: Lakeshore Public TV; MN Channel
Players to Watch: Jordan Kwas (UAA), Shea Walters (BSU) Kwas, a freshman, has 7 assists for the Seawolves so far. As for Walters, he leads the Beavers with 17 PIM.
Analysis: Unless you’re a fan of the teams involved or interested in the WCHA cellar there’s not much to see here. Both teams are ranked last and second to last in offense and defense so it’ll be a see-saw series between the teams.
Prediction: Split.
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