WCHA Standings Continue to Tighten After First Month of 2009-10 Season; Four League Series for Nov. 13-14 to Feature CC at MSU, SCSU at UND, UAA at UW, MTU at UMD
Ben Youds and the MSU Mavericks Host WCHA co-Leader CC |
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Nov. 9, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
MADISON, Wis. – If the first four weeks of the 2009-10 season serve up any kind of indication, followers of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association are in for a treat over the next four months as the 140-game conference slate continues to unwind.
Heading into a Nov. 13-14 weekend that will feature four league series, three teams are tied for first place in the WCHA, just four points currently separate the top seven teams, and just three victories separate all 10 clubs. This Friday and Saturday league co-leader Colorado College (5-2-1, 4-1-1 WCHA) skates against Minnesota State, Mankato at Verizon Wireless Center (4,832), league co-leader and defending MacNaughton Cup champion North Dakota (6-1-1, 4-1-1 WCHA) hosts St. Cloud State (3-3-2, 2-1-1 WCHA) at Ralph Engelstad Arena (11,634), Alaska Anchorage (4-6-0, 2-4-0 WCHA) goes up against Wisconsin (4-3-1, 2-3-1 WCHA) at the Kohl Center (15,237), and Minnesota Duluth (6-3-1, 3-2-1 WCHA) entertains Michigan Tech (2-6-0, 1-5-0 WCHA) at the DECC (5,303).
In non-conference play this Saturday and Sunday, Minnesota (3-4-1, 3-4-1 WCHA) will host unbeaten Bemidji State (7-0-1) of College Hockey America at Mariucci Arena (10,000). So far this season, WCHA-member teams are a collective 16-9-1 in non-conference competition for a .635 winning percentage.
League co-leader Denver (6-3-1, 4-1-1 WCHA) is idle this week.
Heading into the fifth week of league competition, Colorado College, pre-season head coaches’ favorite Denver and defending league champ North Dakota are tied for first place with nine points each, Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota are tied for fourth with seven points apiece, St. Cloud State and Wisconsin share the six spot with five points each, Alaska Anchorage is eighth with four points, Minnesota State is ninth with three, and Michigan Tech is 10th with two.
Looking ahead to the weekend of Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20-21, four league series will have Minnesota hosting Minnesota Duluth, St. Cloud State hosting Wisconsin, North Dakota heading to Denver, and Minnesota State traveling to Alaska Anchorage. In non-conference action, Colorado College will entertain Robert Morris of College Hockey America.
In this week’s (Nov. 9, 2009) USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Div. 1 Men’s College Hockey Poll, North Dakota has moved up to No. 2 nationally, Denver is at No. 4, Colorado College is up to No. 10, and Minnesota Duluth is at No. 18. Also receiving votes from the WCHA were Wisconsin, St. Cloud State and Minnesota.
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.
Goal Discrepencies in WCHA Play
Through the first month (Nov. 8) of the 140-game WCHA season (28 games per team), the breakdown of goal differentials in league games has been as follows: Five WCHA games have ended in ties … Seven games have been decided by one goal … Five games have been decided by two goals … and 14 games have been decided by three goals or more.
Weekend Highlights from Around the WCHA
Friday, November 6
DU 3 @ UAA 2(WCHA): At Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, visiting Denver managed just 19 shots on goal but prevailed 3-2 over the host Seawolves before 2,875 as winger Rhett Rakhshani scored two goals, including the game-winner at 3:51 of the third period, and winger Joe Colborne had two assists. UAA opened the scoring on a goal from winger Sean Wiles at 6:38 of the second before DU center Jesse Martin tied the game on a shorthander just :50 seconds later.
UMD 4 @ CC 3 (WCHA): At the World Arena in Colorado Springs, wingers Travis Oleksuk and Kyle Schmidt scored third period goals to lead visiting Minnesota Duluth to a 4-3 win over the CC Tigers before 6,962. After falling behind 2-0 in the first period, CC rattled off three straight goals to take a 3-2 lead after two, including a go-ahead tally from winger William Rapuzzi.
UND 4 @ MTU 2 (WCHA): At John MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton on Friday evening, visiting North Dakota received a goal and an assist each from center Chris VandeVelde and winger Danny Kristo while hitting on 3-of-7 power-play chances enroute to a 4-2 win over host Michigan Tech before 2,469. VandeVelde’s PPG at 18:11 of the second was the winner. For the Huskies, Kevin Genoe had 37 saves in nets while defenseman John Kivisto and center Eli Vlaisavljevich scored goals.
UM 2 @ UW 4 (WCHA): Before 12,508 at the Kohl Center in Madison on Friday, host Wisconsin received two goals from center Blake Geoffrion, including the eventual game-winner at 10:16 of period two, and two assists from winger and linemate Craig Smith in a 4-2 win over Minnesota. Geoffrion’s first goal of the game came just :24 into the first period. For UM, center Patrick White and winger Mike Hoeffel scored goals.
Saturday, November 7
UND 4 @ MTU 1 (WCHA): At John MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton on Nov. 7, visiting North Dakota received a pair of goals from left winger Evan Trupp, including the game-winner on a power-play at 12:54 of the second period, to prevail over Michigan Tech, 4-1, before 1,977. The Sioux also had a goal and an assist from right winger David Toews, two assists from center Brad Malone, and 22 stops from goaltender Brad Eidsness. For the Huskies, left winger Jordan Baker scored the game’s first goal on a power-play at 8:07 of period one.
DU 3 @ UAA 7 (WCHA): At Sullivan Arena in Anchorage on Saturday night, the host UAA Seawolves scored three times in both the second and third periods, to power past Denver, 7-3, before 3,038 and earn a split of their WCHA series. Ten different players had points for Alaska Anchorage, led by right winger Sean Wiles (2g), defenseman Lee Baldwin (1g, 2a), center Daniel Naslund (1g,1a), right winger Kevin Clark (1g,1a) and left winger Tommy Grant (2a). Notching the game-winner was center Curtis Leinweber at 12:15 of the second. For the Pioneers, center Tyler Ruegsegger and defenseman Patrick Wiercioch each had a goal and an assist.
UM 5 @ UW 2 (WCHA): At the Kohl Center in Madison, Alex Kangas stopped 45 of 47 shots on goal and wingers Zach Budish (2g,1a) and Tony Lucia (1g,2a) each had three points to lift visiting Minnesota to a 5-2 win over Wisconsin before 14,063. Scoring the winner for the Gophers was center Patrick White at 15:38 of the second. The Badgers, who outshot UM by a 47-28 margin, had third period goals from defensemen Jake Gardiner and Ryan McDonagh.
UMD 2 @ CC 6 (WCHA): At Colorado Springs World Arena on Saturday, host Colorado College hit on 4-of-7 power-play attempts and had three-point efforts from winger Bill Sweatt (2g,1), center Rylan Schwartz (1g,2a) and defenseman Gabe Guentzel (3a) in a 6-2 conference win over Minnesota Duluth before 7,051 that created a series split. Getting the winner for CC was winger William Rapuzzi at 8:19 of period two while goaltender Joe Howe had 34 saves. For UMD, wingers Mike Seidel and Kyle Schmidt scored goals.
This Week in the WCHA
Games for Friday, November 13: Alaska Anchorage at Wisconsin (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; Michigan Tech at Minnesota Duluth (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; Colorado College at Minnesota State (WCHA), 7:37 pm CT; St. Cloud State at North Dakota (WCHA), 7:37 pm CT.
Games for Saturday, November 14: Alaska Anchorage at Wisconsin (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; Colorado College at Minnesota State (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; Michigan Tech at Minnesota Duluth (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; St. Cloud State at North Dakota (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; Bemidji State at Minnesota (nc), 7:37 pm CT.
Games for Sunday, November 15: Bemidji State at Minnesota (nc), 6:07 pm CT.
Last Week in the WCHA
Results of Friday, November 6: Denver 3 at Alaska Anchorage 2 (WCHA); North Dakota 4 at Michigan Tech 2 (WCHA); Minnesota 2 at Wisconsin 4 (WCHA); Minnesota Duluth 4 at Colorado College 3 (WCHA).
Results of Saturday, November 7: Denver 3 at Alaska Anchorage 7 (WCHA); Minnesota Duluth 2 at Colorado College 6 (WCHA); Minnesota 5 at Wisconsin 2 (WCHA); North Dakota 4 at Michigan Tech 1 (WCHA) (MTU Hall of Fame Game).
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