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MADISON, Wis. - Eight of the 10 men's Western Collegiate Hockey Association-member teams will be engaged in conference action this coming weekend of Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7 as the first three weeks of the 140-game 2009-10 league campaign have resulted in a tight race that finds the current first eight teams separated by just four points.

WCHA co-leader and No. 12-ranked Colorado College (4-1-1, 3-0-1 WCHA) plays host to Minnesota Duluth (5-2-1, 2-1-1 WCHA) at Colorado Springs World Arena (7,343), league co-leader and No. 2-ranked Denver (5-2-1, 3-0-1 WCHA) travels to Alaska Anchorage (3-5-0, 1-3-0 WCHA) and Sullivan Arena (6,251), No. 18 Wisconsin (3-2-1, 1-2-1 WCHA) entertains Minnesota (2-3-1, 2-3-1 WCHA) at the Kohl Center (15,237) in Madison, and No. 3-ranked North Dakota (4-1-1, 2-1-1 WCHA) heads to Houghton to take on Michigan Tech (2-4-0, 1-3-0 WCHA) at John MacInnes Student Ice Arena (4,128). Both No. 20 Minnesota Duluth (5-2-1, 2-1-1 WCHA) and Minnesota State, Mankato (3-4-1, 1-4-1 WCHA) are idle this week.

Heading into the fourth week of league competition, Colorado College and Denver - the only clubs still without a loss in WCHA play - share first place with seven points each while Minnesota Duluth, defending MacNaughton Cup champion North Dakota, St. Cloud State and Minnesota are tied for third with five points each. Wisconsin and Minnesota State share seventh with three points while Alaska Anchorage and Michigan Tech are tied for ninth with two points apiece.

In conference play over the Halloween weekend of Oct. 30-Nov. 1, Minnesota gained the most ground with a pair of home-ice wins over Alaska Anchorage, 5-1 and 4-1, while Denver earned three of four points from visiting Minnesota State with a 4-3 victory and 4-4 (ot) tie. The one other league series contested saw host Michigan Tech split with St. Cloud State, with Tech taking a 3-1 decision last Friday and SCSU coming back for a 3-1 verdict last Saturday.

Outside the WCHA, both Minnesota Duluth and Wisconsin recorded impressive sweeps, with the host Bulldogs knocking off Clarkson of ECAC Hockey twice, 4-1 and 4-1, and the Badgers powering past New Hampshire of Hockey East, 4-1 and 6-1. Those results boost the WCHA's collective non-conference mark this season to 16-9-1 for a .635 winning percentage.

Looking ahead to the weekend of Friday, Nov. 13 thru Sunday, Nov. 15, there are four WCHA series scheduled as Alaska Anchorage visits Wisconsin, Minnesota Duluth hosts Michigan Tech, Minnesota State entertains Colorado College, and St. Cloud State travels to North Dakota. In non-conference play, Minnesota will entertain Bemidji State of College Hockey America on Saturday and Sunday.

In this week's (Nov. 2, 2009) USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Div. 1 Men's College Hockey Poll, Denver is ranked No. 2 nationally, North Dakota is No. 3, Colorado College is No. 12, Wisconsin is No. 18 and Minnesota Duluth is No. 20. Also receiving votes from the WCHA were Minnesota, St. Cloud State and Minnesota State.

This 2009-10 campaign marks the 58th in the storied history of the WCHA, with the league owning a record 36 national championships. It will also mark the final season with a membership consisting of 10 teams, as both Bemidji State University and the University of Nebraska-Omaha come on board as the 11th and 12th members in 2010-11.

 

This Week in the WCHA

Games for Friday, November 6: Denver at Alaska Anchorage (WCHA), 7:07 pm AT; North Dakota at Michigan Tech (WCHA), 7:07 pm ET; Minnesota at Wisconsin (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; Minnesota Duluth at Colorado College (WCHA), 7:37 pm MT.

Games for Saturday, November 7: Denver at Alaska Anchorage (WCHA), 7:07 pm AT; Minnesota Duluth at Colorado College (WCHA), 7:07 pm MT; Minnesota at Wisconsin (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; *North Dakota at Michigan Tech (WCHA), 7:37 pm ET. *Hall of Fame Game.

 

Last Week in the WCHA

Results of Friday, October 30: Clarkson 1 at Minnesota Duluth 4 (nc); Alaska Anchorage 1 at Minnesota 5 (WCHA); St. Cloud State 1 at Michigan Tech 3 (WCHA); New Hampshire 1 at Wisconsin 4 (nc); Minnesota State 3 at Denver 4 (WCHA).

Results of Saturday, October 31: Clarkson 2 at Minnesota Duluth 4 (nc); Minnesota State 4 at Denver 4 ot (WCHA); St. Cloud State 3 at Michigan Tech 1 (WCHA); New Hampshire 1 at Wisconsin 6 (nc).

Results of Sunday, November 1: Alaska Anchorage 1 at Minnesota 4 (WCHA).

 

Weekend Highlights from Around the WCHA

Friday, October 30

MSU 3 @ DU 4 (WCHA): In Denver on Friday night, the Pioneers received seven points from the line of left wing Matt Glasser (1g, 1a), center Jesse Martin (2g, 1a) and right wing Luke Salazar (2a), with Glasser netting the eventual game-winner at 7:20 of the third period, in their 4-3 league win over Minnesota State before 5,803 at Magness Arena. For the Mavericks, linemates Andrew Sackrison (1g, 1a) and Eriah Hayes (1g, 1a) each had two points.

SCSU 1 @ MTU 3 (WCHA): In Houghton, host Michigan Tech received a shorthanded, game-winning goal from center Brett Olson at 5:48 of the third and 26 saves from goaltender Kevin Genoe in a 3-1 victory over St. Cloud State before 1,542 at John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. For SCSU, Garrett Roe had the lone goal, tying the score at 1-1 in the second.

UAA 1 @ UM 5 (WCHA): In Minneapolis last night, left winger Tony Lucia scored a pair of shorthanded goals, one of which was the eventual game-winner at 4:47 of the second period, and added one assist while Alex Kangas stopped 22 of 23 shots on goal in a 5-1 win over Alaska Anchorage before 9,710 at Mariucci Arena. For the Seawolves, winger Nick Haddad had the game-opening goal.

Clarkson 1 @ UMD 4 (nc): In Duluth on Friday, the host UMD Bulldogs outshot Clarkson, 50-17, and had a pair of goals from center Jack Connolly, one of which was the game-winner at 6:35 of period two, in a 4-1 victory before 3,703 at the DECC. Also for UMD, winger Justin Fontaine had two assists.

New Hampshire 1 @ UW 4 (nc): In Madison on Friday, the host Wisconsin Badgers outshot New Hampshire, 51-13, enroute to a 4-1 win over New Hampshire before 11,490 at Kohl Center. For the UW, center Derek Stepan scored two goals and left winger John Mitchell knocked home the winner at 12:47 of the second period while defenseman John Ramage had his first collegiate goal.

Saturday, October 31

MSU 4 @ DU 4 ot (WCHA): At Magness Arena in Denver on Saturday night, the host DU Pioneers overcame deficits of 2-0 and 4-3 as right winger Kyle Ostrow netted a game-tying goal at 14:57 of the third period to forge a 4-4 (ot) tie against Minnesota State before 5,311. The Mavericks, who hit on 3-of-6 power-play chances, had goals from defenseman Joe Schiller and center Tyler Pitlick in the opening 9:38 of the game, three assists from defenseman Ben Youds, and a 40-save effort from goaltender Kevin Murdock. Also for DU, defenseman Patrick Wiercioch had two assists and Adam Murray had 30 saves.

SCSU 3 @ MTU 1 (WCHA): At John MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton on Oct. 31, visiting St. Cloud State used a game-winning power-play goal from center Nick Oslund at 19:29 of the first period and a 30-18 advantage in shots on goal to skate past host MTU, 3-1, before 1,444. Also for SCSU, center Garrett Roe had two assists while for the host Huskies, winger Malcolm Gwilliam scored the line goal in the second period.

Clarkson 2 @ UMD 4 (nc): At the DECC in Duluth on Saturday night, host Minnesota Duluth completed the non-conference sweep of Clarkson with a 4-2 triumph before 3,581 as left winger Rob Bordson had a goal and three assists and center Mike Connolly scored the game-winner on a power-play at 16:08 of period two. The Bulldogs outshot CU, 44-22, and hit on 4-of-15 power-play chances.

New Hampshire 1 @ UW 6 (nc): At Kohl Center in Madison on Oct. 31, host Wisconsin powered past New Hampshire, 6-1, to earn a non-conference series sweep as four players had multiple-point games. Leading the way were winger Jordy Murray (2g, 1a), defenseman Brendan Smith (3a), center Sean Dolan (1g, 1a) and defenseman John Ramage (1g, 1a). Scoring the game-winner was winger Ben Grotting at 4:35 of the second. UW outshot the Wildcats, 44-22.

Sunday, November 1

UAA 1 @ UM 4 (WCHA): Forwards Mike Hoeffel, Tony Lucia and Jay Barriball each had a goal and an assist, with Hoeffel's tally at 19:43 of the first period standing up as the eventual game-winner, as host Minnesota completed a weekend WCHA sweep of Alaska Anchorage with a 4-1 win before 9,310 at Mariucci Arena. In goal, Alex Kangas stopped 31 of 32 shots on goal for the Golden Gophers while for the Seawolves, winger Mickey Spencer scored at 11:14 of the third to break up the shutout.

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