The month of December is traditionally where one will reflect on the year that will end and the New Year on the horizon. Oftentimes it will be a team who makes a positive turnaround ahead of the conference tournament, or a player who gets his big break. This picture could not be truer in Duluth: The Bulldogs bid adieu to the DECC Arena after 45 seasons after this weekend’s series against the Pioneers and move across the building to the state of the art AMSOIL Arena in time for the December 30th game against North Dakota. Also, a couple of reminders for next week: I’ll have my first weekly look at probable WCHA first round playoff matchups, and next weekend I’ll be live blogging from the Verizon Wireless Center in Mankato for both games of North Dakota/Minnesota State Mankato.
#10 Denver (10-4-2, 7-2-1 WCHA) at #1 Minnesota-Duluth (11-1-2, 8-1-1 WCHA)
Game Times: 7:07 PM CST Friday and Saturday, TV: My 9 Northland
Players to Watch: David Makowski (DU), Travis Oleksuk (UMD). Makowski has come into his own as a freshman after a slow start while Oleksuk is another layer to the potent Bulldog offense.
Analysis: It’s my “series of the week” for more reasons than one: Not only do you have the emotion of the DECC’s final series, you also have two top ten teams on the ice but two very different teams as well: UMD’s depth on the offensive side of the puck against Denver who is more of a defensively minded team led by lights-out goalie Sam Brittain. Push will come to shove and it will be fun to see which school of play will come out on top.
Prediction: Split.
#17 Minnesota (8-5-1, 5-4-1 WCHA) at Minnesota State Mankato (4-6-4, 2-6-2 WCHA)
Game Times: 7:37 PM CST Friday, 7:07 PM CST Saturday, TV: FS North
Players to watch: Taylor Matson (MIN), Chase Grant (MSU). Matson had a goal in what was a spotty offensive performance by the Gophers in the College Hockey Showcase last weekend against Michigan State and Michigan. Grant was awarded WCHA Rookie of the Week honors with his four point performance last weekend at UMass Lowell.
Analysis: This is a hard series to read; the Gophers are coming off an inconsistent weekend after their rally against Michigan State on Friday came up short then beating a nationally ranked Michigan squad Sunday. The Mavericks picked up their first sweep of the season over an appallingly bad Riverhawk squad helps to remove some of the bad aftertaste from a 3-4-1 road trip. Coach Jutting does have every right to be confident in his squad after that series, but they aren’t in Lowell anymore. While they do return home for a rivalry series with the Gophers, this Gopher team can score at will in WCHA games, or so it seems. They’re tied with UMD for the most goals scored so far in the WCHA season while starting goalie Kent Peterson is unbeaten in WCHA play.
Prediction: Gopher sweep. The Mavs are tied for 11th in goals scored in conference play so far with Michigan Tech, and Phil Cook has yet to prove he can handle the pressures of the WCHA this season.
St. Cloud State (4-5-1, 2-2-0 WCHA) at #7 North Dakota (9-5-2, 7-3-0 WCHA)
Game Times: 7:37 PM CST Friday, 7:07 PM CST Saturday, FSSN both nights
Players to Watch: Ben Hanowski (SCSU), Chay Genoway (UND). Hanowski is tied for the Husky scoring lead with 5 goals while Genoway had a two point weekend against Notre Dame last weekend.
Analysis: The Sioux are coming off a three point weekend against a nationally ranked Norte Dame squad and looked strong while at it. The Huskies continue to have a disappointing season. They were idle last weekend after a split in Anchorage.
Prediction: UND sweep.
#15 Wisconsin (7-6-3, 3-5-2 WCHA) at Alaska-Anchorage (4-8-2, 3-6-1 WCHA)
Game Times: 7:07 AST Friday and Saturday, no TV
Players to Watch: Jordy Murray (UW), Luke Vidmar (UAA). Murray leads the Badgers in goals with 10. Vidmar leads the Seawolves in penalties with 10.
Analysis: The Badgers had a strong weekend taking a win and a tie from Michigan and Michigan State and look to continue the momentum on their trip to the Last Frontier. The Seawolves are coming off a split against Colorado College and look to climb the WCHA standings with a strong weekend.
Prediction: Wisconsin sweep.
#4 Nebraska-Omaha (9-2-1, 6-1-1 WCHA) at Bemidji State (3-8-1, 2-7-1 WCHA)
Game Times: 7:37 PM CST Friday, 7:07 PM CST Saturday, no TV
Players to Watch: John Faulkner (UNO), Emil Billberg (BSU). Faulker is one of the WCHA’s best goalies suffering only one conference loss. Billberg had a three point game Saturday night in a win over Northern Michigan.
Analysis: The Mavericks will have an easy go of things up at the Beaver Dam. If the WCHA gave out grades, the Beavers should get points for participation.
Prediction: UNO sweep.
Colorado College (6-7-1, 3-5-0 WCHA) at Michigan Tech (3-6-2, 1-6-1 WCHA)
Game Times: 7:07 PM EST Friday and Saturday, no TV
Players to Watch: Jaden Schwartz (CC), Ryan Furne (MTU). The younger Schwartz brother and St. Louis Blues prospect leads WCHA freshmen in scoring with nine goals while Fume has two power play goals on the season.
Analysis: On paper this leans CC’s way. However, the main question I have of the Tiger squad is Joe Howe. He has a less than impressive 3-5-0 mark in the conference with a .894 save percentage. This is a weakness the Huskies can exploit if they can find the offense to beat Howe.
Prediction: Split
Andy Sorensen
College Hockey Weekend Blogger
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