Author: Dave Berger

For the third year in a row, close to a dozen WCHA players gave up their remaining eligibility for pro contracts or off-field issues. Headlining this list of early departures are Denver’s Tyler Bozak, Wisconsin’s Jamie McBain, Colorado College’s Richard Bachman, Minnesota’s Ryan Stoa, and Minnesota-Duluth’s Alex Stalock.

Before I reveal my first three predictions for this year, let’s take a look at last season….

WCHA 2008-09 Final Standings

Team	Record	Points
North Dakota	17-7-4	38
Denver	16-8-4	36
Wisconsin	14-11-3	31
Colorado College	12-9-7	31
Minnesota	12-11-5	29
St. Cloud	13-13-2	28
Minnesota-Duluth	10-11-7	27
MSU-Mankato	11-13-4	26
Alaska-Anchorage	9-14-5	23
Michigan Tech	2-19-7	11

And here are three teams that I believe will certainly be on the road for the first round of the WCHA playoffs this season….

#10 Michigan Tech University Huskies
Last year’s record: 6-25-7 overall, 2-19-7 WCHA (10th)
Last year’s WCHA statistics: 1.68 goals scored/game (10th), 3.36 goals allowed/game (10th)
Key returning players: Junior F Jordan Baker (16-11-27), Sophomore F Brett Olson (10-13-23), Senior D Drew Dobson (5-14-19), Senior F Malcolm Gwilliam (2-5-7 in nine games)
Early departures: None
Key graduation losses: F Alex Gagne (5-8-13), D Geoff Kinrade (3-13-16), G Rob Nolan (3.05 GAA, .894 SV%)
The question marks: Can Michigan Tech climb out of the cellar? Can sophomore goaltender Josh Robinson (3.09 GAA, .889 SV%) handle the majority of the minutes in net after appearing in 20 games last season?
The bottom line: It’s going to be rough for the Huskies again this year.  There is no real reason for optimism and no real reason to expect more than four conference victories.

#9 University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves
Last year’s record: 14-17-5 overall, 9-14-5 WCHA (9th)
Last year’s statistics: 2.46 goals scored/game (9th), 3.32 goals allowed/game (9th)
Key returning players: Senior F Kevin Clark (13-18-31), Junior F Tommy Grant (15-10-25), Senior F Josh Lunden (14-6-20), Senior D Trevor Hunt (4-8-12), Junior G Bryce Christianson (2.60 GAA, .893 SV%)
Early departure: F Paul Crowder (14-19-33)
Key graduation loss: D Mat Robinson (3-12-15)
The question marks: Will the Seawolves build on the momentum from the end of last season (sweeps over Alaska and Duluth, and two one-goal losses at Denver in the first round of the WCHA playoffs)?  Will UAA continue to have road success this year (7-9-1 last season)?
The bottom line: This is a team that could go either way.  The Seawolves could be fighting for home ice or fighting to stay out of the cellar.  I might have them too low here, but I’m not sure where the goals are going to come from.

#8 Colorado College Tigers
Last year’s record: 16-12-10 overall, 12-9-7 WCHA (4th)
Last year’s statistics: 2.82 goals scored/game (7th), 2.93 goals allowed/game (6th)
Key returning players: Senior F Bill Sweatt (12-11-23), Junior F Stephen Schultz (10-4-14), Senior F Mike Testwuide (4-5-9), Sophomore D Gabe Guentzell (3-14-17)
Early departures: D Brian Connelly (3-24-27), G Richard Bachman (2.63 GAA, .914 SV%)
Key graduation losses: C Chad Rau (18-19-37), F Eric Walsky (12-24-36)
The question marks: There are so many areas of concern for this squad: goaltending (Tyler O‘Brien has appeared in only three games over two seasons), scoring (both even strength and on the power play), experience (15 underclassmen on the roster), and coaching (assistant coach Mike Guentzel departed Colorado Springs to become the head coach of the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL).
The bottom line:  After winning 28 games in 07-08, the Tigers won only 16 games last year and may not notch 10 victories this season.  CC has an outside shot at home ice, although head coach Scott Owens has his work cut out for him.

Check back soon for part two of my WCHA season preview, in which I predict which teams will finish in 4th-7th place and battle it out for home ice in the playoffs. Check back later for part three, detailing the top three teams in the conference. As always, I welcome your questions and comments.

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee has issued a statement which says, in part, that:

“Effective immediately, all NCAA men’s ice hockey tournament games which are tied at the conclusion of a five-minute sudden death overtime period will be decided by a shootout. This rule change will affect the remaining three games of the 2009 tournament.”

Attempts to reach Ty Halpin, NCAA Associate Director for Playing Rules Administration, were unsuccessful.

It is believed that this decision comes in the wake of last weekend’s programming debacle on ESPN2, when a men’s lacrosse match between Virginia and Maryland went into seven overtimes, causing many college hockey fans to miss the first period of the Northeast Regional semifinal between New Hampshire and North Dakota. There seems to be a clear desire from the ESPN family of networks to complete the remaining tournament games in the 2 hour and 30 minute time frame allotted.

Three of the previous twelve 2009 NCAA men’s ice hockey tournament games have gone into overtime, although the aforementioned UNH/UND game would not have been affected by this rule change. The Wildcats scored the game-winner 45 seconds into the first overtime period.

Elsewhere in the tournament, Minnesota-Duluth defeated Princeton on a power play goal more than 13 minutes into overtime, and Vermont toppled Air Force after more than 34 minutes of overtime to advance to the Frozen Four (Washington, DC). Both of those games would have gone to a shootout under this rule change.

The specifics of the shootout rules for the Frozen Four will be announced at a press conference scheduled for 4:01 p.m. EST on ESPNEWS.

Here’s a closer look at the four teams in the NCAA Northeast Regional at the Verizon Wireless Arena (Manchester, New Hampshire):

Game 1: (2) North Dakota vs. (3) New Hampshire (Saturday, March 28, 2:00 p.m. ET)

North Dakota Team Profile

National Rankings: #7/#7
PairWise Ranking: #8
KRACH Strength of Schedule: 17th of 58 teams
Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (5th season at UND, 130-70-19, .637)
This Season: 24-14-4 Overall, 17-7-4 WCHA (1st)
Team Offense: 3.36 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.67 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 17.5% (48 of 275)
Penalty Kill: 84.4% (184 of 218)
Last Season: 28-11-4 Overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 18-7-3 WCHA (2nd)
Key Players: Senior F Ryan Duncan (19-19-38), Junior F Chris VandeVelde (16-17-33), Freshman F Jason Gregoire (11-16-27), Freshman F Brett Hextall (12-13-25), Senior D Brad Miller (6-29-35), Junior D Chay Genoway (3-29-32), Freshman G Brad Eidsness (24-11-4, 2.47 GAA, .908 SV%, 1 SO)
NCAA Championships: 7 (most recent, 2000)
NCAA Appearance: 24th (most recent, 2008)

New Hampshire Team Profile

National Rankings: #12/#12
PairWise Ranking: #10
KRACH Strength of Schedule: 10th of 58 teams
Head Coach: Dick Umile (19th season at UNH, 443-219-71, .653)
This Season: 19-12-5 Overall, 15-8-4 Hockey East (3rd)
Team Offense: 3.03 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.92 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 11.5% (22 of 191)
Penalty Kill: 83.1% (152 of 183)
Last Season: 25-10-3 Overall (NCAA West Regional Semifinalist), 19-5-3 Hockey East (1st)
Key Players: Sophomore F James van Riemsdyk (17-22-39), Sophomore F Mike Sislo (18-10-28), Junior F Peter LeBlanc (12-15-27), Junior F Bobby Butler (8-19-27), Senior D Kevin Kapstad (2-22-24), Junior G Brian Foster (18-10-4, 2.63 GAA, .910 SV%, 3 SO)
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: 19th (most recent, 2008)

What to watch for: Can North Dakota get the early start (UND is 14-1-2 when leading after one period of play)? Will the Wildcats be able to exploit North Dakota’s suddenly soft penalty kill? Is it better to miss out on conference championship weekend (as New Hampshire did) or drop two games in the postseason tournament (a la North Dakota)? Is it possible for Dave Hakstol to lead UND to its fifth consecutive Frozen Four?

Who will win: No current New Hampshire player has won an NCAA playoff game, while North Dakota’s senior class has advanced to three consecutive Frozen Fours. This game will be tight, but on the smaller rink, the Sioux have the edge. UND 3-2.

Game 2: (1) Boston University vs. (4) Ohio State (Saturday, March 28, 6:30 p.m. ET)

Boston University Team Profile

National Rankings: #1/#1
PairWise Ranking: #1
KRACH Strength of Schedule: 12th of 58 teams
Head Coach: Jack Parker (36th season at BU, 811-413-101, .650)
This Season: 31-6-4 Overall, 18-5-4 Hockey East (1st)
Team Offense: 3.85 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 1.95 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 21.8% (52 of 238)
Penalty Kill: 87.3% (214 of 245)
Last Season: 19-17-4 Overall, 15-9-3 Hockey East (2nd)
Key Players: Sophomore F Colin Wilson (15-35-50), Sophomore F Nick Bonino (16-28-44), Senior F Chris Higgins (12-28-40), Senior F Brandon Yip (19-20-39), Senior D Matt Gilroy (8-24-32), Sophomore D Colby Cohen (7-21-28), Freshman G Kieran Millan (25-2-3, 1.84 GAA, .923 SV%, 3 SO)
NCAA Championships: 4 (most recent, 1995)
NCAA Appearance: 31st (most recent, 2007)

Ohio State Team Profile

National Rankings: #14/-
PairWise Ranking: #15
KRACH Strength of Schedule: 27th of 58 teams
Head Coach: John Markell (15th season at OSU, 265-248-50, .515)
This Season: 23-14-4 Overall, 13-11-4-3 CCHA (5th)
Team Offense: 3.41 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.71 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 13.9% (26 of 187)
Penalty Kill: 81.8% (175 of 214)
Last Season: 12-25-4 Overall, 7-18-3 CCHA (12th)
Key Players: Senior F Corey Elkins (18-22-40), Sophomore F John Albert (11-28-39), Sophomore F Peter Boyd (13-18-31), Sophomore F Hunter Bishop (13-16-29), Sophomore D Shane Sims (7-17-24), Sophomore G Dustin Carlson (21-11-3, 2.40 GAA, .920 SV%, 4 SO)
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: 6th (most recent, 2005)

What to watch for: Will BU start a run to the national championship and claim its sixth title of the season (after winning the IceBreaker, Denver Cup, Beanpot, Hockey East regular season, and Hockey East playoff championship)? Can Ohio State shut down the Terriers’ vaunted power play (21.8%)? Is it possible for the Wildcat and Sioux faithful in attendance get behind the Buckeyes and will them to the upset?

Who will win: Boston University has too much across the board for Ohio State, but we could have said the same about Michigan vs. Air Force or Denver vs. Miami (OH). Anything can happen, but I don’t see the Terriers dropping their opening game. BU 4-1.

Thank you for reading. I welcome your comments and suggestions. Check back after the regional semifinal games for more previews, predictions, analysis, and reaction from the NCAA tournament.

Here’s a quick peek at what I see happening in the West, Midwest, and East regionals…

West Regional:

#1 Denver over #4 Miami (OH)
#2 Minnesota-Duluth over #3 Princeton

#2 Minnesota-Duluth over #1 Denver

Midwest Regional:

#2 Northeastern over #3 Cornell
#4 Bemidji State over #1 Notre Dame

#2 Northeastern over #4 Bemidji State

East Regional:

#1 Michigan over #4 Air Force
#3 Vermont over #2 Yale

#1 Michigan over #3 Vermont

So three of my four Frozen Four teams are Michigan, Northeastern, and Minnesota-Duluth. Check back later tonight for a complete look at the Northeast Regional, which includes Boston University, North Dakota, New Hampshire, and Ohio State.

This is my yearly attempt to predict the ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. In the past, my results have been mixed, from a high of seven to a low of five.

As you may remember, my top ten is weighted toward players on teams still alive for the national tournament, although there are a couple of picks outside of the NCAA field.

Skaters (in alphabetical order):

Ryan Duncan, senior forward, North Dakota (18-19-37)

Jacques Lamoureux, junior forward, Air Force (31-20-51)

Bryan Leitch, senior forward, Quinnipiac (12-47-59)

Aaron Palushaj, sophomore forward, Michigan (12-36-48)

Ryan Stoa, junior forward, Minnesota (24-22-46)

Colin Wilson, sophomore forward, Boston University (14-35-49)

Goaltenders (in alphabetical order):

Zane Kalemba, junior, Princeton (22-8-0, 1.69 GAA, .936 SV%, 2 SO)

Jordan Pearce, senior, Notre Dame (28-5-3, 1.62 GAA, .934 SV%, 8 SO)

Ben Scrivens, junior, Cornell (20-8-4, 1.68 GAA, .936 SV%, 7 SO)

Brad Thiessen, junior, Northeastern (25-10-4, 2.07 GAA, .932 SV%, 3 SO)

Duncan is admittedly a homer pick (and Sioux defenseman Chay Genoway had the early Hobey buzz), but no one is hotter than Duncan (22 points over his last 18 games) and UND would not be a top 5 team without their senior captain.

None of the defensemen this year jumped out at me, although Wisconsin’s McBain could crack the top ten.

Feel free to argue, debate, and add your own opinions. Check back after the announcement on Thursday evening to see how I did.

This is a quick preview of the WCHA Final Five tournament in St. Paul. I’ll add more as the weekend progresses. And yes, I know the tournament is reseeded after the first round, but I think it’s more interesting to note where the teams finished in the conference, so I’m leaving them how they are.

In regards to the national picture, it looks like Wisconsin needs to win the Broadmoor Trophy and gain the autobid in order to advance to the NCAAs. Denver and North Dakota are virtual locks to be at-large selections.

The Thursday play-in game is very interesting. It’s not quite as easy as “loser goes home”, as there are some scenarios that would have either team making the tournament despite going 0-1 this weekend. Duluth certainly has more to gain by winning and more to lose by dropping Thursday’s opener.

Thursday night (7:07 p.m): #5 Minnesota vs. #7 Minnesota-Duluth

Both teams thrive on the early lead, so the first goal is tremendously important. The battle of goaltenders features Minnesota’s Alex Kangas (last season’s Final Five MVP) versus Duluth’s Alex Stalock (this season’s WCHA goaltending champion). The smaller ice seems to favor the Bulldogs, but UMD’s penalty killing will be put to the test. I have a feeling that this is a one goal game either way, but the Gophers will be inspired by hearing so many people correctly spell the name of their state. Minnesota 3-2.

Friday afternoon (2:07 p.m.): #2 Denver vs. #3 Wisconsin

If Tyler Ruegsegger and Tyler Bozak were in the lineup for Denver, I would expect the Pioneers to win handily (the Pios swept all four games in the season series with the Badgers). But Gwozdecky will have to shuffle the lines this weekend, and that favors Bucky. In the regular season, Wisconsin posted a record of 6-8-2 against the other four tournament participants, while Denver went 8-3-1. I like Denver in a tight game, but if George walks across the ice, all bets are off. Denver 4-3.

Friday night (7:07 p.m.): #1 North Dakota vs. #5 Minnesota /#7 Minnesota-Duluth

These would both be tough games if the opposing team was rested and ready. But North Dakota will watch and wait on Thursday evening and come out flying on Friday. The Fighting Sioux struggled in Duluth in mid-November, but UND is 15-2-3 in 2009. The Green and White boast greater scoring depth than the rest of the field (ten players averaging a half point per game or better) and will be playing for the championship on Saturday night. North Dakota 5-3 over Minnesota/North Dakota 4-2 over Duluth.

If these results hold, I would expect Minnesota to topple Wisconsin in Saturday’s third-place game in a contest that would mean much more to the Gophers than to the Badgers Minnesota 5-2. And in the championship game, look for North Dakota and Denver to go to overtime and UND’s depth to take over in the final frame. North Dakota 4-3 (OT).

Here are my thoughts about the five first round matchups:

#10 Michigan Tech at #1 North Dakota

Tech seems to give UND fits. The two teams split the regular season series 1-1-1, but there’s too much on the line and the Fighting Sioux have been lights out in 2009. North Dakota in two.

For a complete preview of this series, click here.

#9 Alaska-Anchorage at #2 Denver

Here’s my upset special of the week. The Seawolves split with the Pioneers in Denver this year, they’ve played well on the road, and they’re playing as well as anyone (aside from UND) in the conference. The Pioneers will watch the Final Five from home and get Bozak back in time for the NCAAs. Anchorage in three.

#8 Minnesota State University-Mankato at #3 Wisconsin

The Badgers were on a terrible slide until the regular season finale in Madison. The Mavericks’ Trevor Breuss will be unavailable for Friday’s opener due to another suspension, and UW will roll at home. Wisconsin in two.

#7 Minnesota-Duluth at #4 Colorado College

I wish both of these teams could make the Final Five, but it’s not meant to be. I like the Bulldogs in this one, and it’s not an upset. Duluth in three.

#6 St. Cloud State at #5 Minnesota

The Gophers handled the Huskies in the regular season, winning all four games. It all depends on which Maroon and Gold squad shows up (and more to the point, what kind of goaltending they get). This series might set records for the most goals scored in a first round series. St. Cloud State in three.

So my Final Five will look like this:

North Dakota
Wisconsin
St. Cloud State
Minnesota-Duluth
Alaska-Anchorage

Check back on Sunday night for a look at how close I was and for a complete preview of the WCHA Final Five.

December 28, 2008.

Perhaps this date will go down as the low point for the 2008-2009 Fighting Sioux. UND found itself in the third place game of the Great Lakes Invitational (Detroit, Michigan) after dropping a 2-1 decision to the Michigan State Spartans in the tournament opener.

The Michigan Tech Huskies dropped North Dakota by that same 2-1 score to send the Green and White back home with a record of 9-10-1 in the first half of the year. At the time, UND was sitting in ninth place in the WCHA standings.

Since the Great Lakes Invitational, North Dakota has gone 13-2-3 and claimed the MacNaughton Cup as regular season champions in the WCHA. This latest version of the second half surge also has the Fighting Sioux in excellent position for a berth in the NCAA tournament.

Michigan Tech picked up just its second conference victory of the season last Friday, winning a crazy 6-5 overtime game despite being outshot by visiting Minnesota, 49-27.

In addition to the non-conference game at the GLI, North Dakota and Michigan Tech met in Houghton for a pair of WCHA games in mid-January. The two teams tied on Friday night and the Fighting Sioux rolled on Saturday, 5-0.

North Dakota has had some trouble recently in home playoff series, with six of their last nine first-round matchups going to three games and five of the last twelve home playoff games going to overtime. Despite these close calls, UND has found a way to advance to the Final Five the past eleven times they have hosted the opening round of the WCHA playoffs.

The Huskies have made it to the Final Five just once in the past 12 seasons (2007), while the Fighting Sioux have participated in the Final Five eleven of the past twelve years (missing only in 2002).

Michigan Tech Team Profile

Head Coach: Jamie Russell (6th season at MTU, 61-135-32, .338)
This Season: 6-23-7 Overall, 2-19-7 WCHA (10th)
National Rankings: NR/NR
PairWise Ranking: NR
Team Offense: 1.61 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.14 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 11.7% (23 of 196)
Penalty Kill: 78.5% (150 of 191)
Last Season: 14-20-5 Overall, 9-15-4 WCHA (9th)
Key Players: Sophomore F Jordan Baker (15-10-25), Freshman F Brett Olson (10-13-23), Junior D Drew Dobson (4-13-17), Senior D Geoff Kinrade (3-12-15)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (5th season at UND, 128-68-19, .640)
This Season: 22-12-4 Overall, 17-7-4 WCHA (1st)
National Rankings: #6/#6
PairWise Ranking: 7th (tie)
Team Offense: 3.45 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.66 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 18.3% (45 of 246)
Penalty Kill: 85.1% (166 of 195)
Last Season: 28-11-4 Overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 18-7-3 WCHA (2nd)
Key Players: Senior F Ryan Duncan (15-18-33), Junior F Chris VandeVelde (14-15-29), Freshman F Jason Gregoire (11-14-25), Freshman F Brett Hextall (12-11-23), Senior D Brad Miller (6-24-30), Junior D Chay Genoway (3-28-31), Freshman G Brad Eidsness (22-9-4, 2.47 GAA, .909 SV, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: January 7, 2009 (Houghton, Michigan). UND freshman net minder Brad Eidsness picked up his first career shutout (14 saves) as North Dakota rolled 5-0 to gain three points out of the weekend series with the homestanding Huskies.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: March 16, 2008. North Dakota advanced to the WCHA Final Five by winning the third and decisive game of the first round series by a 2-1 score. Michigan Tech won Saturday night in overtime, 3-2, to force Sunday’s tiebreaker. In the first game of the series, UND controlled play from the outset and won 4-0.

Most Important Meeting: The Sioux and Huskies have never met in the NCAA tournament, so I will go with the most important meeting that never was: in 1965, the Sioux lost to Boston College, 4-3, one game short of the national championship game, where they would have faced the Michigan Tech Huskies, who won the second of their three titles by defeating the Eagles. UND settled for third place that season, downing Brown University, 9-5. North Dakota went 13-3-0 in the regular season in 1964-65, with two of those three losses coming at the hands of Michigan Tech.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 134-90-9 (.594), including a 75-33-4 (.713) record in Grand Forks. The teams first met in 1948.

Game News and Notes

North Dakota has not lost this season when leading after one period (13-0-2). Michigan Tech has been outscored 38-12 in the first period this season. UND freshman goaltender Brad Eidsness has now appeared in 35 consecutive games (including 34 starts), eclipsing the mark set by freshman Peter Waselovich during North Dakota’s 1973-74 campaign. North Dakota senior forward Ryan Duncan is currently 16th on the Fighting Sioux career scoring list, one point behind Tony Hrkac (1984-85, 1986-87). Duncan is now in second place on UND’s all-time games played list with 170, and is moving closer to Chris Porter’s school (and NCAA) record of 175 consecutive games played. Five of the Huskies six wins this season have been by one goal. North Dakota won five of the seven meetings between the teams last year, including two of three in a WCHA first round playoff series in Grand Forks.

The Prediction

UND is unbeaten in its last eleven games (9-0-2) at Ralph Engelstad Arena. I have a feeling that the Huskies will give North Dakota a tough game on Friday night. If the Sioux can win a close one on Friday, they will roll on Saturday. UND 2-1, 4-1.

Thank you for reading. I welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions. Check back after the games for reaction and commentary.

Overtime.

In the regular season, it’s a five-minute extension – bonus hockey, if you will – during which one team pours it on and the other team attempts to hang on.

North Dakota has been lights out in the extra frame. UND has not lost in seven overtime games this season (3-0-4), including a 2-0-4 record in league play. Wisconsin has also gone to overtime seven times, but holds an 0-3-4 mark (0-2-3 WCHA) in those games.

Over the past two weekends, both the Sioux and the Badgers have played three overtime contests. UND went 2-0-1, while UW went 0-2-1. It is because of these results that North Dakota is in prime position to claim the MacNaughton Cup as WCHA regular season champions while Wisconsin can finish no higher than 3rd.

Let’s look at it a different way. If all of those league games had ended after regulation and gone into the books as a tie, the two teams’ WCHA records would look almost identical:

North Dakota: 14-6-6 (34 points)
Wisconsin: 13-8-5 (31 points)

But because of the “fourth period”, the actual league records are:

North Dakota: 16-6-4 (36 points)
Wisconsin: 13-10-3 (29 points)

As the playoffs draw near and the games become tighter, the ability to win close games will be incredibly important. North Dakota is 9-5 in one-goal games this season; Wisconsin, 6-9.

Despite being close in the standings, the two teams appear to be headed in different directions. In the second half of the season (since January 1, 2009), the Fighting Sioux have lost just once (12-1-3), while the Badgers are under .500 (6-7-1). For more on UND’s penchant for second-half surges, click here.

Sioux forward Ryan Duncan has been red hot in the second half of the WCHA season. The senior has scored eight goals and added nine assists in 14 games. North Dakota went 10-1-3 in those seven league series to climb to the top of the WCHA standings.

One area where the Badgers might find success is on the power play. With the loss of Derrick LaPoint for the season (broken leg) and injuries to Evan Trupp and Jason Gregoire (both probable for this weekend), North Dakota’s penalty kill has been suspect lately. Over the past three games, UND has only killed 13 of 18 penalties (72.2%).

UW looks to be just as deep as North Dakota, with 14 players in double digit points for the season (UND has 16). Fighting Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol can comfortably roll all four lines in any situation, a benefit when dealing with the home-ice advantage in Madison.

Sioux freshman goaltender Brad Eidsness has never experienced an atmosphere quite like the Kohl Center, and his ability to play on the big stage will be tested this weekend. Remarkably, the Badgers are only 9-7-2 at the Kohl Center this season, but this weekend’s crowd will be in full throat and most of the players on the UW roster will remember this, my #1 highlight from the 2007-08 Fighting Sioux hockey season:

The Comeback at the Kohl Center will go down in the annals of Fighting Sioux hockey history as one of those “I remember where I was when….” games. North Dakota survived (yes, survived) the first two periods of hockey against the hometown Badgers in the Midwest Regional Final. UND was lucky to be down only 2-0 (thank you, Lamoureux, and your trusty sidekicks, the pipes). And then the captain did what captains do: they leave it all on the ice. Rylan Kaip netted just his eighth goal of the season at 3:33 of the third (and how perfect is that?), and 47 seconds later, Ryan Duncan took a brilliant pass from T.J. Oshie and tied the game at two. Andrew Kozek completed the UND comback at 1:47 of the overtime, and North Dakota was headed to Denver.

North Dakota can win the MacNaughton Cup (awarded to the WCHA regular season champion) with one win or two ties this weekend. UND would also claim the cup if Colorado College beats the Pioneers in Denver on Saturday night. DU and CC play only a single game this weekend.

Wisconsin Team Profile

Head Coach: Mike Eaves (7th season at UW, 139-109-34, .553)
This Season: 16-14-4 Overall, 13-10-3 WCHA (4th)
National Rankings: #19/NR
PairWise Ranking: 21st
Team Offense: 3.26 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.82 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 19.4% (40 of 206)
Penalty Kill: 87.8% (180 of 205)
Last Season: 16-17-7 Overall (NCAA Midwest Regional Finalist), 11-12-5 WCHA (6th)
Key Players: Junior F Michael Davies (10-12-22), Freshman F Derek Stepan (6-22-28), Senior F Tom Gorowsky (11-14-25), Junior D Jamie McBain (7-27-34), Sophomore D Brendan Smith (8-13-21), Senior G Shane Connelly (15-12-4, 2.68 GAA, .906 SV%, 3 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (5th season at UND, 127-67-19, .641)
This Season: 21-11-4 Overall, 16-6-4 WCHA (1st)
National Rankings: #6/#6
PairWise Ranking: 7th
Team Offense: 3.56 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.67 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 18.6% (44 of 236)
Penalty Kill: 84.7% (160 of 189)
Last Season: 28-11-4 Overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 18-7-3 WCHA (2nd)
Key Players: Senior F Ryan Duncan (15-17-32), Junior F Chris VandeVelde (13-15-28), Freshman F Jason Gregoire (11-14-25), Freshman F Brett Hextall (12-11-23), Senior D Brad Miller (6-23-29), Junior D Chay Genoway (3-27-30), Freshman G Brad Eidsness (21-8-4, 2.46 GAA, .908 SV, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: November 1, 2008 (Grand Forks, ND). Wisconsin finally earned their first win of the season, posting a 5-2 victory over North Dakota to salvage a split of the weekend series. The Badgers scored three goals in the first two minutes of the third period to erase a 2-0 Fighting Sioux lead. Freshman forward Jason Gregoire netted the game-winner for UND on Friday, sending the Halloween crowd home happy with a power play tally late in the third period that broke a 2-2 tie.

Last Meeting in Madison: March 30, 2008. North Dakota hangs on for the better part of two periods and scores three unanswered goals to defeat the homestanding Badgers and advance to their fourth consecutive Frozen Four.

Most Important Meeting: March 27, 1982. A 2-2 tie after two periods turns into a 5-2 Sioux victory, as Phil Sykes nets a hat trick and leads UND to its fourth National Championship.
All-time Series: Wisconsin leads the all-time series, 81-59-10 (.573), including a 43-24-3 (.636) mark in games played in Madison.

Game News and Notes

North Dakota has not lost this season when leading after one period (13-0-2). Wisconsin has only won one game this year when trailing after twenty minutes of play (1-4-1). UND freshman goaltender Brad Eidsness has now appeared in 33 consecutive games (including 32 starts), eclipsing the mark set by freshman Peter Waselovich during North Dakota’s 1973-74 campaign. UW junior forward Tom Bardis (a transfer from St. Lawrence) and UND senior defenseman Brad Miller are both from Alpharetta, Georgia. North Dakota senior forward Ryan Duncan is currently 16th on the Fighting Sioux career scoring list, two points behind Tony Hrkac (1984-85, 1986-87). Duncan is now in second place on UND’s all-time games played list with 168, and is moving closer to Chris Porter’s school (and NCAA) record of 175 consecutive games played.

Prediction

The Fighting Sioux are on a roll and the MacNaughton Cup is within reach. No amount of red and white will keep North Dakota from accomplishing the first of many goals on Friday. Look for a bit of a letdown on Saturday, as UND rests a couple of banged-up players and gears up for the first round of the playoffs. UND 4-2, UW 4-3.

At the beginning of the season, Colorado College was the only team in the WCHA without any question marks. The Tigers were unanimously picked to repeat as league champions.

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, there are several question marks surrounding this year’s Tiger team:

Did a sweep of the Gophers right the ship in Colorado Springs?

Can Colorado College make enough of a push to challenge North Dakota and Denver for the league title?

Will the Tigers make the NCAA tournament?

It’s been an up-and-down year for Scott Owen’s Tigers. Last weekend’s home sweep of Minnesota marked only the second time since October 18th that CC won two games in a row.

After this weekend, UND will travel to Madison for a pair of games with the Badgers while Colorado College will travel to Denver for a single game on Saturday. The Tigers sit four points behind the Sioux and Pioneers heading into this weekend’s action.

In the national playoff picture, Colorado College is 16th in the PairWise rankings and still has some ground to make up if they want to extend their season. A solid February (3-0-2) has them headed in the right direction, but they desperately need more wins.

North Dakota is on yet another second-half surge. After opening the season 5-8-1, the Fighting Sioux have gone 15-3-2 to climb back into the WCHA race and the national playoff picture. UND currently sits 11th in the PairWise rankings and could crack the top ten with another solid weekend.

Colorado College Team Profile

Head Coach: Scott Owens (10th season at CC, 239-130-33, .636)
This Season: 16-9-8 Overall, 12-8-5 WCHA (3rd)
National Rankings: #13/#13
PairWise Ranking: 16th
Team Offense: 2.82 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.64 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 15.9% (33 of 207)
Penalty Kill: 86.6% (168 of 194)
Last Season: 28-12-1 Overall (NCAA West Regional semifinalist), 21-6-1 WCHA (1st)
Key Players: Senior F Chad Rau (14-18-32), Senior F Eric Walski (11-21-32), Junior F Bill Sweatt (11-9-20), Junior D Brian Connelly (3-21-24), Junior D Nate Prosser (5-7-12), Sophomore G Richard Bachman (14-8-8, 2.55 GAA, .916 SV, 3 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (5th season at UND, 126-67-18, .640)
This Season: 20-11-3 Overall, 15-6-3 WCHA (1st)
National Rankings: #8/#7
PairWise Ranking: 11th
Team Offense: 3.53 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.62 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 19.2% (43 of 224)
Penalty Kill: 85.4% (152 of 178)
Last Season: 28-11-4 Overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 18-7-3 WCHA (2nd)
Key Players: Senior F Ryan Duncan (14-15-29), Junior F Chris VandeVelde (13-14-27), Senior F/D Brad Miller (6-22-28), Sophomore F Matt Frattin (12-8-20), Junior D Chay Genoway (3-26-29), Freshman G Brad Eidsness (20-8-3, 2.41 GAA, .911 SV, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: November 8, 2008 (Colorado Springs, CO). Eric Walsky scored four goals as the Tigers upended the Sioux 7-4 to salvage a split of the weekend series. UND won Friday’s opener, 3-1.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: November 3, 2007. Colorado College survived the first period, taking a 1-0 lead on a shorthanded goal despite being outshot 18-4. The Tigers went on to win 4-1 to gain a split of the weekend series. North Dakota won the first game, 6-2.

Most Important Meeting: March 27, 1997. UND defeated Colorado College, 6-2, in the Frozen Four Semifinals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Two nights later, North Dakota downed Boston University, 6-4, to claim its sixth NCAA Championship. North Dakota and Colorado College also met in the 2001 East Regional (Worcester, Mass.), with UND prevailing, 4-1.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 129-75-9 (.627), including an astonishing 78-19-5 (.789) record in games played in Grand Forks. The teams first met in 1948.

Game News and Notes

Colorado College has played in 11 of the last 14 NCAA national tournaments, but has not won a national championship since 1957. North Dakota has not lost this season when leading after one period of play (12-0-1). The Tigers are 8-1-0 in one goal games this year. UND freshman goaltender Brad Eidsness has appeared in 31 consecutive games (including 30 starts). The only freshman netminder to appear in a longer stretch of games was Peter Waselovich, who played in a school-record 32 straight games during UND’s 1973-74 season. North Dakota senior forward Ryan Duncan is currently 17th on the Fighting Sioux career scoring list, two points behind current UND assistant coach Cary Eades (1978-82). If Duncan plays both games this weekend, he will move into second place all-time on the career games played list at UND. Duncan has played in 166 games in his Fighting Sioux career; Chris Porter holds the school and NCAA record of 175 consecutive games played.

The Prediction

Both teams appear to be peaking as the calendar turns to March. It will be interesting to see how the afternoon start times affect both teams. North Dakota holds a record of 11-3-1 at Ralph Engelstad Arena this year, and the crowd will be a definite factor. UND is also deeper and clicking offensively right now. 3-3 tie, UND 4-2.

Thank you for reading. I welcome your comments and suggestions.