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At the beginning of last season, Miami was #1 in the national polls and expected to finish first in the inaugural season of the NCHC. The RedHawks returned Ryan McKay between the pipes (1.39 GAA, .946 SV%, 4 SO in 2012-13) and a pair of high-flying forwards in Riley Barber and Austin Czarnik.

Inconsistent goaltending and a string of injuries took their toll on Enrico Blasi’s squad. Furthermore, Miami went 4-10 in one-goal games last year and sputtered to a 15-20-3 record. It was the first time in ten seasons that the RedHawks failed to win at least twenty games.

Despite the disappointing regular season results, Miami traveled to St. Cloud for the first round of the NCHC playoffs and dispatched #4 St. Cloud State in a pair of tight games. At the inaugural Frozen Faceoff, the RedHawks blanked #11 North Dakota 3-0 before dropping a heartbreaker to Denver in the league championship game, ending their improbable run one game short of the NCAA tournament.

This season, netminder Jay Williams has taken over the starting spot, and he’s been spectacular. Aside from one rough outing against St. Lawrence, the junior from McLean, Virginia has given up just eight goals in seven games, making 140 of 148 saves (.946) and picking up seven victories.

Miami only graduated two players from last year’s squad: forwards Max Cook (23 points in 111 career games) and Bryon Paulazzo (33 points in 105 games). To the cynic, bringing back almost the entire roster from a 15 win season might not be all that exciting, but this year looks to be markedly different for the boys from Oxford, Ohio. After allowing over three goals per game a year ago, Miami has brought that number down to 2.00 goals allowed/game, the exact same scoring defense as North Dakota. And the RedHawks will definitely be able to score with anyone, notching three or more goals in seven of ten games this year (and potting two goals in each of the other three).

North Dakota’s scoring depth will be tested this weekend. Already without the services of senior forward Mark MacMillan (5-2-7 in five games this season), UND freshman phenom Nick Schmaltz (1-7-8 in nine games) sustained an upper body injury against Wisconsin and is not expected to play.

The Green and White will miss MacMillan’s scoring touch and Schmaltz’s playmaking ability over the next month or so, as North Dakota’s first half schedule concludes with tough league opponents St. Cloud State, Nebraska-Omaha, and Denver (along with non-conference foe Lake Superior) over the next four weeks.

Also, sophomore defenseman Paul LaDue (3-5-8 in eight games) will be out of the lineup this weekend. After leading the nation in scoring by defensemen last year, UND is second in the country on the young season. Through nine games, North Dakota blueliners have scored nine goals and added twenty assists for 29 points, or 3.22 points per game. Only Massachusetts-Lowell has scored at a higher rate (7-26-33 in nine games, 3.67/game).

Another key to North Dakota’s early success has been special teams play. With a roughly equal number of power play and shorthanded situations (48 and 47, respectively), UND has scored eleven power play goals while only allowing six. Furthermore, Dave Hakstol’s crew has scored six shorthanded goals in the first nine games of the season, best in the country.

This weekend’s games mark the conference home opener for North Dakota. The National Collegiate Hockey Conference has a stellar record against other leagues so far this season, a far cry from the struggles last year. Currently, six conference schools are ranked in the top 15 in the country (only Western Michigan and Colorado College are unranked). If these numbers hold, the NCHC could easily place four or even five teams in the NCAA tournament in March after sending just three (Denver, North Dakota, and St. Cloud State) a year ago.

NCHC overall record vs. other conferences: 25-14-2 (.634, best in the country)

NCHC record vs. Atlantic Hockey: 2-1-0
NCHC record vs. Big Ten: 7-2-0
NCHC record vs. ECAC: 6-3-1
NCHC record vs. Hockey East: 3-3-1
NCHC record vs. WCHA: 7-5-0

The six teams in the Big Ten (Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin) are a combined 19-23-3 (.456) in non-league play, the second-worst winning percentage in college hockey (Atlantic Hockey, 8-26-2, .250). Not including a 5-0-1 mark against Atlantic Hockey, the Big Ten sports an embarrassing 14-23-2 (.385) record against the other four major hockey conferences.

Miami Team Profile

Head Coach: Enrico Blasi (16th season at Miami, 333-219-56, .594)
National Ranking: #7/#7
This Season: 7-3-0 overall, 3-1-0-0 NCHC (2nd)
Last Season: 15-20-3 overall, 6-17-1-1 NCHC (8th)

Team Offense: 3.20 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.00 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 20.8% (10 of 48)
Penalty Kill: 78.7% (37 of 47)

Key players: Junior F Riley Barber (5-6-11), Senior F Austin Czarnik (0-10-10), Sophomore F Sean Kuraly (7-4-11), Senior F Blake Coleman (6-5-11), Sophomore D Matthew Caito (0-6-6), Freshman D Louie Belpedio (3-1-4), Junior G Jay Williams (7-1-0, 1.64 GAA, .921 SV%, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (11th season at UND, 267-134-41, .650)
National Ranking: #2/#2
This Season: 7-1-1 overall, 2-0-0-0 NCHC (t-3rd)
Last Season: 25-14-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four appearance), 15-9-0-0 NCHC (2nd)

Team Offense: 3.67 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.00 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 22.9% (11 of 48)
Penalty Kill: 87.2% (41 of 47)

Key Players: Senior F Michael Parks (3-8-11), Junior F Drake Caggiula (3-8-11), Sophomore F Luke Johnson (3-3-6), Junior F Bryn Chyzyk (2-2-4), Junior D Jordan Schmaltz (1-4-5), Sophomore D Troy Stecher (1-7-8), Junior G Zane McIntyre (7-1-1, 1.94 GAA, .927 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: March 21, 2014 (Minneapolis, MN). UND outshot the RedHawks 32-28 but could not solve sophomore netminder Ryan McKay as Miami advanced to the NCHC title game with a 3-0 victory. North Dakota went 0-5 with the man advantage and allowed a first period power play goal. Miami ‘s Blake Coleman, Austin Czarnik, and Riley Barber all figured in the scoring. Of the announced attendance of 9113, well over nine thousand were wearing green and white.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: February 15, 2014. One night after a 3-2 Valentine’s Day victory, North Dakota showed the visiting RedHawks no love in a 9-2 beatdown. UND chased not one but two goaltenders in the contest as the Green and White scored four goals in each of the first two periods before coasting to the series sweep. North Dakota’s Rocco Grimaldi collected four points, and netminder Zane Gothberg made 27 saves for the victory. Remarkably, UND also had two disallowed goals in the first period.

Most Important Meeting: Last season’s loss to Miami at the Frozen Faceoff could have ended North Dakota’s season, but UND rebounded with a 5-0 victory over Western Michigan. After Wisconsin did their part across the river in St. Paul, the Green and White used their second chance as fuel for a Frozen Four run. The four games these two teams will play this season are also important for NCHC home ice and NCAA tournament hopes.

All-time Series: North Dakota leads the all-time series 5-2-1 (.688), including a 2-0-1 (.833) mark in games played in Grand Forks. Five of the eight all-time meetings between the schools came during the 2013-14 season. The teams first played in 1999 (Badger Showdown, Milwaukee, WI).

Game News and Notes

North Dakota will travel to Miami in early March to play a conference series, the last games of the regular season for both teams. Five of the players on the ice this weekend are leading the NCHC in scoring. Miami’s Blake Coleman, Sean Kuraly and Riley Barber all have eleven points this season, the same total as UND’s Drake Caggiula and Michael Parks. Parks has eight points in five career games against the RedHawks. A victory on Friday would give UND its best ten-game start to a season since 2002-03.

The Prediction

Both of these games could go either way, but I’m giving Miami the edge on Friday night since North Dakota is shuffling lines and readjusting after injuries rocked the lineup. UND will rebound for a victory on Saturday, and a split this weekend would not be a disappointing result. Miami 3-2, UND 4-2.

Providence College rolls into Grand Forks this weekend to play in a highly-anticipated matchup between two of the top five teams in the country. North Dakota advanced to the Frozen Four a season ago, while the Friars fell to eventual national champion Union in the final of the NCAA East Regional (Bridgeport, CT).

Expectations are high for both programs, and non-conference success is an important step toward fulfilling those title hopes. Since Providence is an unfamiliar foe for fans of the Green and White, I connected with Mark Divver (hockey writer for the Providence Journal) to fill us in on what to expect this weekend (and beyond) from the Friars:

Dave Berger, SiouxSports.com: What should UND fans expect from Providence this weekend? Who are the players to watch?

Mark Divver, Providence Journal: North Dakota fans will see a seasoned (19 returnees), balanced, well-coached team that is backstopped by one of the top goalies in college hockey. Providence College is a team that should be in the Frozen Four conversation come March if they stay healthy.

Players to watch are Ross Mauermann, a tireless worker; Noel Acciari, a devastating hitter when healthy; Jon Gillies, one of the best goalies in the country; three NHL draft picks on defense in John Gilmour, Jake Walman and Anthony Florentino; freshman sniper Brian Pinho; senior winger Nick Saracino.

Gillies is a standout, but the heart and soul of the Friars are captains Mauermann and Acciari. Mauermann is one of the great feel-good stories in college hockey. He came to PC as a walk-on and hasn’t stopped working from day one. There is no harder hitter in college hockey in the east (I can’t speak for the west) than Acciari. He has a rib injury, so if he plays he might have to curtail his checks.

Freshmen Walman and Pinho are top recruits. They are the type of NHL prospects consistently brought in by perennial national contenders such as, well, North Dakota. The fact that they chose Providence College bodes well for the future of the program.

DB: Do you expect junior centers Mark Jankowski and Noel Acciari to play against North Dakota? What would their presence mean to the lineup?

MD: As you probably know, second-line center Jankowski (shoulder) did not make the trip. But the Friars are as deep up front as they’ve been in years, so they should be able to get by without him for the short term. Pinho is a winger, but is capable of playing in the middle, too.

Acciari is questionable because of his injury, but I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t play. He is a very tough kid – he played a good part of last season with not one but two sprained knees. How physical he can be with his injury remains to be seen. His teammates look up to him, so his presence is very important in a hostile environment.

Another injured player is top four defenseman Tom Parisi (shoulder), who won’t play. Gilmour and Drew McKenzie will be in the lineup for the first time this season, which will help balance the loss of Parisi.

DB: What will the Friars need to do to have success in this important non-conference series? How would you describe their style of play? What do they do well?

MD: Staying out of the penalty box is key for the Friars. They need to play hard between the whistles, but stay away from after-the-whistle scrums.

PC hopes to play with more pace this season after upgrading their team speed over last couple of seasons. They have some defensemen – particularly Gilmour and Walman — who can move the puck and join the attack.

DB: What are the players and coaches saying about this matchup? Is this a weekend that’s been circled on the calendar for a while? Or is it just another pair of games?

MD: I’ve been busy covering the Boston Bruins and Providence Bruins lately, so I haven’t been around the Friars much. Still, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that they are very excited. This isn’t just another road trip. Playing North Dakota at the Ralph is a rare treat. It’s as good as it gets in college hockey.

DB: How will the players and coaches handle the increased expectations this season? With a trip to the regional final last year, is a Frozen Four berth a possibility for this club?

MD: PC’s experienced coaching staff should keep the team focused. I don’t expect expectations to be an issue.

With the East Regional at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence and the Frozen Four just up the road in Boston, PC has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put the program back on the map without venturing far from home.

I predicted in my season preview that the Friars will reach the Frozen Four. They have the goaltending, a solid defense and a balanced attack. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see a rematch of this weekend’s series in Boston in April.

My thanks to Mark Divver (@MarkDivver on Twitter) for his time and his contributions to this preview. If you’re interested, you can find his game preview for the Providence Journal here.

Providence College Team Profile

Head Coach: Nate Leaman (12th season at PC, 192-173-52, .523)
National Ranking: #5
This Season: 1-1-0 overall, 0-0-0 Hockey East
Last Season: 22-11-6 overall (NCAA East Regional finalist), 11-7-2 Hockey East (3rd)

Team Offense: 3.00 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.00 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 0.0% (0 of 7)
Penalty Kill: 62.5% (5 of 8)

Key players: Freshman F Brian Pinho (2-0-2), Senior F Ross Mauermann (0-2-2), Junior F Noel Acciari (0-0-0), Junior F Nick Saracino (1-1-2), Sophomore D Anthony Florentino (0-2-2), Junior D Tom Parisi (1-1-2), Junior G Jon Gillies (1-1-0, 2.89 GAA, .885 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (11th season at UND, 263-134-40, .648)
National Ranking: #3
This Season: 3-1-0 overall, 2-0-0-0 NCHC (t-1st)
Last Season: 25-14-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four appearance), 15-9-0-0 NCHC (2nd)

Team Offense: 3.25 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.25 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 29.2% (7 of 24)
Penalty Kill: 81.8% (18 of 22)

Key Players: Senior F Michael Parks (0-4-4), Senior F Mark MacMillan (5-2-7), Junior F Drake Caggiula (0-3-3), Freshman F Nick Schmaltz (1-3-4), Junior D Jordan Schmaltz (1-0-1), Sophomore D Paul LaDue (2-4-6), Junior G Zane McIntyre (3-1-0, 2.21 GAA, .929 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: January 20, 1989 (Providence RI). North Dakota defeated the homestanding Friars 3-2 in an interconference matchup. In the early years of Hockey East, a scheduling agreement was put in place between the WCHA and Hockey East that had each conference counting these types of games in its league standings.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: November 29, 1987. In another WCHA-HEA tilt, the Fighting Sioux dispatched Providence College 6-4.

Most Important Meeting: Because of the added attention on the upcoming matchup and what the results of this series might mean for title hopes on both sides, I will call this weekend’s games the most important meetings between the two programs.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 8-5-0 (.615), including a 5-2-0 record in games played in Grand Forks. North Dakota has won the last five games between the two teams, outscoring the Friars 23-10.

Game News and Notes

Providence College plays its home games at Schneider Arena, which holds just over 3000 fans. UND senior forward Mark MacMillan notched his first career hat trick last Saturday night at Colorado College and scored five goals in the weekend sweep. The Friars tied the United States Under-18 team in exhibition action last Thursday. Three of North Dakota’s seven national titles were captured at the Providence Civic Center. Providence College head coach Nate Leaman has built his roster from 13 different states and four Canadian provinces, while UND’s players hail from seven states and four provinces.

The Prediction

It’s hard to imagine anything other than a split in this series. I’ve got North Dakota as the favorite in Friday’s opener as the Friars adjust to Ralph Engelstad Arena and the hometown crowd. Providence goaltender Jon Gillies will make his presence known in the rematch. UND 4-2, PC 3-1.

I thought I would throw my hat in the ring and give you my predicted order of finish for all twelve teams in the final season of the WCHA as we know it:

#12: Alaska-Anchorage
#11: MSU-Mankato
#10: Bemidji State
#9: Michigan Tech
#8: Nebraska-Omaha
#7: Colorado College
#6: Minnesota-Duluth
#5: St. Cloud State
#4: Wisconsin
#3: Denver
#2: North Dakota
#1: Minnesota

I’ve never been right on the money with these, but I’ve been close. We’ll check back at mid-season and see how things look. Feel free to add your comments or predictions below. As always, thanks for reading.

Much of the attention leading up to this weekend’s action has been focused on the North Dakota players who will not be suiting up this weekend. Forward Michael Parks has an injury that will sideline him for a few weeks, while more than a few UND players are serving suspensions due to off-ice issues: Danny Kristo, Corban Knight, Carter Rowney, Brendan O’Donnell, and Andrew MacWilliam will sit out Friday’s game, while Kristo will be joined in the stands by Conner Gaarder, Stephane Pattyn, and Andrew Panzarella on Saturday night.

But I would rather focus on the players and teams who will be on the ice this weekend. UND boasts one of the top defensive groups in the country, led by Derek Forbort, Joe Gleason, Dillon Simpson, and newcomer Jordan Schmaltz. Alaska-Anchorage has a young set of blueliners with only one senior on the back end.

Goaltending is a question mark for North Dakota, as neither junior transfer Clarke Saunders nor freshman Zane Gothberg has played a minute in net for the Green and White. UAA, on the other hand, is solid at the position, as juniors Rob Gunderson and Chris Kamal have both seen significant minutes over the past two seasons.

Up front, UND’s scoring threats may be limited on Friday evening. Mark MacMillan, Derek Rodwell, and Rocco Grimaldi will have to come through for North Dakota to be successful. On the Seawolf side of the ledger, Matt Bailey, Jordan Kwas, and Alex Gellert can all light the lamp.

Alaska-Anchorage Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Shyiak (8th season at UAA, 77-152-27, .354)

National Ranking: NR
This Season: 1-0-1 overall, 0-0-0 WCHA
Last Season: 9-25-2 overall, 5-22-1 WCHA (12th)

Last season’s team statistics:
Team Offense: 2.36 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.72 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 19.5% (25 of 128)
Penalty Kill: 81.1% (120 of 148)

Key Players (last season’s statistics): Junior F Matt Bailey (10-7-17), Junior F Jordan Kwas (4-10-14), Sophomore D Austin Coldwell (2-12-14), Sophomore F Derek Docken (1-10-11), Junior G Chris Kamal (4-13-0, 3.46 GAA, .877 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 213-106-30, .653)

National Ranking: #2
This Season: 0-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 WCHA
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Last season’s team statistics:
Team Offense: 3.21 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.57 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 22.0% (40 of 182)
Penalty Kill: 81.1% (137 of 169)

Key Players (last season’s statistics): Senior F Danny Kristo (19-26-45) Senior F Corban Knight (16-24-40), Senior F Carter Rowney (18-15-33), Sophomore D Nick Mattson (6-13-19), Junior D Dillon Simpson (2-16-18)

By The Numbers

Last meeting: December 3, 2011 (Anchorage, AK). Despite outshooting UND 20-17, the Seawolves were undone by Danny Kristo, Brock Nelson, and Corban Knight, who combined for three goals and five points in the second period and chased UAA netminder Chris Kamal from the pipes. In the opener, North Dakota scored three goals in the opening ten minutes of the hockey game and won 5-2.

Most Important Meeting: March 19, 2004 (St. Paul, MN). The Fighting Sioux and Seawolves met in the semifinal round of the WCHA Final Five, and UND cruised to the championship game with a 4-2 victory.
All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 44-17-4 (.708), including a slim 17-14-1 (.547) edge in games played in Anchorage.

Last Ten: UND has an 8-1-1 (.850) record in the last ten games between the teams, outscoring the Seawolves 40-16 over that span.

Game News and Notes

The Seawolves have not scored on the power play yet this season (0 for 7). The five North Dakota forwards out of the lineup on Friday night have 117 career goals. Hayden Trupp, the younger brother of former UND forward Evan Trupp, is a freshman for the Seawolves this season.

The Prediction

Goals will be hard to come by in Friday’s tilt, particularly on the North Dakota side. I see a struggle for the Green and White for the first forty minutes, with a late equalizer earning a point for UND. 3-3 tie.

Bonus Prediction

On Saturday night, North Dakota’s offense will get back on track and show glimpses of what this team can do. North Dakota 5, Alaska (Fairbanks) 2.

The last time North Dakota had as many as ten freshmen on the roster was 2005-2006, when the Sioux brought in 13 rookies. That group included Taylor Chorney, Ryan Duncan, Brian Lee, T.J. Oshie, and Jonathan Toews.

It remains to be seen whether this year’s crop of ten freshmen will find a similar level of success. UND’s first year players will need to play valuable minutes in key situations for the Fighting Sioux to compete.

With freshmen Rocco Grimaldi (lower body injury) and Colten St. Clair (NCAA clearinghouse issues) unavailable, the top forward line is expected to be Corban Knight centering Brock Nelson and Danny Kristo. Those three combined for 30 goals and 63 assists in 120 games last year. After those three forwards, however, the returning scoring is fairly thin. The only other returning forward to register more than ten points last season is senior captain Mario Lamoureux (3-14-17).

North Dakota’s strength this season will be in net and on defense. Junior goaltender Aaron Dell (30-7-2, 1.79 GAA, .924 SV%, 6 shutouts last season) returns as one of the top netminders in the country, and Brad Eidsness (24-10-4, 2.11 GAA, .914 SV%, 3 shutouts in 2009-10) has proven he can compete for the starting job. UND boasts four defensemen who played in at least 30 games last season (Ben Blood, Derek Forbort, Andrew MacWilliam, and Dillan Simpson), and freshman Danny Mattson should contribute right away.

After this weekend’s Icebreaker tournament, UND will play four more non-conference games at home (two games each against Maine and Harvard) and will appear as the home team in non-conference action against Clarkson in Winnipeg, Manitoba. North Dakota’s results outside the WCHA will play a large role in the final PairWise rankings and seeding for the NCAA tournament.

The Air Force Academy boasts two players with North Dakota connections. Senior captain Paul Weisgarber is from Fargo and freshman Chad Demers hails from Grafton. Ten Falcons players come from Minnesota. Up front, Air Force is led by Weisgarber (13-12-25 last season) and junior John Kruse (11-18-29). On the blue line, senior Tim Kirby (7-16-23) is more than capable and senior captain Scott Mathis (8-19-27) is one of the best in the country.

Head coach Frank Serratore’s Falcons have finished in the top three in Atlantic Hockey in each of the past four seasons. Air Force won its first NCAA tournament game in 2009 and took Vermont to double overtime before falling to the Catamounts one game shy of the Frozen Four.

The winner of tonight’s contest will face the Boston College/Michigan State wnner on Saturday, while the two losing teams will also play. North Dakota will play in the late game on Saturday regardless of Friday’s result.

The Prediction: Scoring will be hard to come by early, but the home crowd will help North Dakota earn a close victory. UND 3-2.

Bonus prediction: In the early game, UND fans will either cheer for Michigan State (green and white teams need to stick together) or against Boston College (all those NCAA losses), but it won’t matter. The Eagles will roll. BC 4-1.

A Ralph Engelstad Arena official, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that another beverage size and price adjustment was in the works for next season. The two tap beer sizes will change to 12 ounces and 8 ounces, with a price tag of 12 dollars and 8 dollars, respectively. “We’re not giving anyone a discount for drinking more beer,” he said. “It’ll be a buck an ounce, plain and simple.”

Do you remember….

Thomas Vanek over Zach Parise for WCHA Rookie of the Year

Robbie Bina’s 180 foot goal

Neal Broten’s sprawling goal in the ’79 title game and Blake Wheeler’s Neal Broten impression for the overtime winner at the Final Five

Chris Porter’s overtime winner at the 2007 West Regional

Joe Finley attempting to pull Blake Wheeler out of the handshake line

Evan Trupp’s dramatic mid-air overtime winner at Mariucci

Former coaches Dean Blais and Doug Woog playing bubble hockey to open a series in Grand Forks

The scrums and scraps and cheap shots (both ways), Judy’s and Blarney’s, Dave Hakstol’s favorite finger, and a host of other memories add up to this: two great programs, two great traditions, and two great games coming up this weekend.

I’d like to hear what you remember. What are your favorite memories and traditions from Sioux/Gopher week? Which games stand out to you? Which games would you like to forget? Feel free to add your comments here as we count down the days to Sioux/Gopher hockey.

Check back on Thursday for a complete preview of this weekend’s series.

In this installment of my WCHA season preview, I will predict how the teams in the middle of the pack will fare this year. The teams in this bunch are very tight, and all four of these programs could finish in the top half of the league.

Here’s a reminder of how the teams finished 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

In part one of my preview, I made the following predictions for the bottom of the league standings. For a complete season outlook for these three teams, click here.

#10: Michigan Tech University Huskies
#9: University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves
#8 Colorado College Tigers

And now, the middle four:

#7 University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs
Last year’s record: 22-13-8 overall, 10-11-7 WCHA (7th)
Last year’s statistics: 2.79 goals scored/game (8th), 2.57 goals allowed/game (2nd)
Key returning players: Junior F Justin Fontaine (15-33-48), Sophomore F Mike Connolly (13-29-42), Sophomore F Jack Connolly (10-19-29)
Early departures: D Evan Oberg (7-20-27), G Alex Stalock (21-13-8, 2.13 GAA, .924 SV%, 5 SO)
Key graduation losses: F MacGregor Sharp (26-24-50), D Josh Meyers (10-18-28)
The question marks: How will goaltender Brady Hjelle (two games of collegiate experience) handle the load for the Bulldogs after Stalock bolted for the pros?
The bottom line: Duluth will score in bunches this season, but their opponents will, too. The WCHA is not kind to freshman defensemen, but Dylan Olsen and Dan DeLisle will have to hold their own for UMD to secure home ice.

#6 Minnesota State University-Mankato Mavericks
Last year’s record: 15-17-6 overall, 11-13-4 WCHA (8th)
Last year’s statistics: 3.14 goals scored/game (4th), 3.21 goals allowed/game (8th)
Key returning players: Senior F Kael Mouillierat (17-13-30), Senior F Geoff Irwin (12-16-28), Junior Rylan Galiardi (8-20-28), Junior D Kurt Davis (6-25-31)
Early departure: F Trevor Breuss (12-5-17)
Key graduation losses: F Mick Berge (7-24-31), G Mike Zacharias (14-14-6, 2.99 GAA, .911 SV%)
The question marks: I could easily copy the question marks and bottom line from the Bulldogs (above), since the two programs will face similar tests this season. But I’ll come up with something else: How does head coach Troy Jutting get a four-year contract extension after only one winning season in his past six?
The bottom line: With a hot goaltender emerging from the mix (sophomore Austin Lee and freshmen Kevin Murdock and Phil Cook), the Mavs could contend for home ice.

#5 St. Cloud State University Huskies
Last year’s record: 18-17-3 overall, 13-13-2 WCHA (6th)
Last year’s statistics: 2.96 goals scored/game (6th), 2.89 goals allowed/game (5th)
Key returning players: Junior F Garrett Roe (17-31-48), Senior F Ryan Lasch (18-24-42), Junior F Aaron Marvin (10-17-27), Senior D Garrett Raboin (10-23-33)
Early departure: G Jase Weslosky (16-13-2, 2.70 GAA, .913 SV%, 2 SO)
Key graduation loss: F John Swanson (9-17-26)
The question marks: Will highly touted freshman goaltender Mike Lee win the job over Dan Dunn? Can the Huskies beat the Gophers this season after losing all six contests last year?
The bottom line: This is a team with talent all over the ice. The Huskies could very well be a top three team at season’s end.

#4 University of Wisconsin Badgers
Last year’s record: 20-16-4 overall, 14-11-3 WCHA (3rd)
Last year’s statistics: 3.29 goals scored/game (3rd), 2.79 goals allowed/game (4th)
Key returning players: Sophomore F Derek Stepan (9-24-33), Senior F Blake Geoffrion (15-13-28), Senior F John Mitchell (15-11-26)
Early departure: D Jamie McBain (7-30-37)
Key graduation losses: F Tom Gorowsky (12-18-30), G Shane Connelly (19-14-4, 2.51 GAA, .913 SV%, 3 SO)
The question marks: Will transfer Brett Bennett (from Boston University) work out between the pipes after sitting out last season?
The bottom line: The Badgers are talented and experienced. As with so many teams in the league, it comes down to goaltending. If Bennett works out or Scott Gudmandson is capable enough, Bucky could be hoisting the MacNaughton Cup in March.

Check back later this week for part three of my WCHA season preview, in which I predict how the top three teams will finish in the WCHA this year. As always, I welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions.

The last time these teams played, St. Cloud State sat in 7th place in the conference while UND found itself in 9th.

Seven weeks later, the Huskies are still sitting in seventh, while North Dakota has surged to 2nd place.

Since being swept at North Dakota, SCSU has picked up just three victories and two ties. The Fighting Sioux have lost just twice in December and January (10-2-2) and are right in the middle of the race for the McNaughton Cup.

North Dakota has been getting great goaltending and balanced scoring for the better part of two months, while St. Cloud has been up and down. Over the past three weekends, the Huskies swept Duluth at home, suffered two losses against Minnesota, and took three of four points from the Tigers in Colorado Springs.

Garrett Roe (12 goals and 24 assists for 36 points) and Lasch (11-19-30) continue to lead the way for St. Cloud State. The Huskies continue to thrive on the power play (18.1%) but have struggled in close contests (1-5-0 in one goal games this season).

This weekend, the teams will be earning points for the UND/SCSU Challenge Cup. North Dakota swept two games from St. Cloud in Grand Forks, so the Huskies will need to win both games this weekend to share the trophy for the second consecutive year.

St. Cloud State Team Profile

Head Coach: Bob Motzko (4th season at SCSU, 76-54-18, .574)
This Season: 13-11-2 Overall, 8-9-1 WCHA (7th)
National Rankings: NR/NR
PairWise Ranking: 19th
Team Offense: 3.69 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.92 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 18.1% (30 of 166)
Penalty Kill: 79.8% (103 of 129)
Last Season: 19-16-5 Overall (NCAA East Regional Semifinalist), 12-12-4 WCHA (4th)
Key Players: Sophomore F Garrett Roe (12-24-36), Senior F John Swanson (8-15-23), Junior F Ryan Lasch (11-19-30), Junior D Garrett Raboin (8-16-24), Junior G Jase Weslosky (11-7-1, 2.87 GAA, .912 SV, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (5th season at UND, 121-66-18, .634)
This Season: 15-10-3 Overall, 10-5-3 WCHA (2nd)
National Ranking: #12/#12
PairWise Ranking: 14th
Team Offense: 3.57 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.75 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 19.3% (37 of 192)
Penalty Kill: 84.4% (124 of 147)
Last Season: 28-11-4 Overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 18-7-3 WCHA (2nd)
Key Players: Senior F Ryan Duncan (11-11-22), Junior F Chris VandeVelde (9-12-21), Senior F/D Brad Miller (4-19-23), Sophomore F Matt Frattin (12-7-19), Junior D Chay Genoway (2-23-25), Freshman G Brad Eidsness (15-7-3, 2.50 GAA, .910 SV)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: December 13, 2008 (Grand Forks, ND). Brett Hextall scored the game-winner with five seconds remaining in the second period as North Dakota defeated St. Cloud 7-4. UND won the opener, 3-2.

Last Meeting in St. Cloud: January 5, 2008. Ryan Duncan led the Fighting Sioux with two goals and an assist as UND downed the Huskies 6-2 to gain a split of the weekend series.

Most Important Meeting: March 17, 2001 (St. Paul, MN). St. Cloud State defeated North Dakota 6-5 to claim the 2001 WCHA Final Five Championship. Derek Eastman scored the game-winner in overtime after UND scored three goals in the final ten minutes of regulation to force the extra session.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 49-26-10 (.635), and holds a record of 19-14-5 (.566) in games played in St. Cloud.

Game News and Notes

UND freshman goaltender Brad Eidsness has appeared in 25 consecutive games (including 24 starts). The last 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 moved into the top 20 on UND’s career scoring list with a three point weekend against Denver. Duncan has notched 155 points in his Sioux career. St. Cloud holds a sparkling 10-3-0 record in home games.

The Prediction

This series has split written all over it. North Dakota will continue its solid play on Friday night, but the Huskies will not lose all four games in this season series. UND 5-3, SCSU 4-2.

On a Personal Note

The St. Cloud State University Center Ice Club will be hosting a pre-game social this Saturday, January 31st from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the St. Cloud Holiday Inn and Suites (Legends Bar). The Holiday Inn is located at the intersection of Highway 15 and Division Street (Highway 23).

They will provide food, prizes, and tremendous hospitality to fans of both teams. I encourage you to attend the social, take a look at the Challenge Cup, and meet some great fans on both sides of this hockey rivalry.

This event is free and open to all fans 21 and older.

As always, thank you for reading. I welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions.