Conference Play Resumes December 1-2

Four series are slated after 12-day break.

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Nov. 27, 2000

Men's Release: Nov. 27
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  • UND STRETCHES UNBEATEN STREAK TO NINE GAMES
  • SIOUX HEAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE THURSDAY
  • SCSU, CC, DU, UMD, MSU ALSO ENJOY SUCCESSES OVER HOLIDAY

MADISON, Wisc. -- After a 12-day break, conference play resumes in the WCHA on Dec. 1-2 with four series on the schedule. St. Cloud State travels to Michigan Tech, Minnesota-Duluth hosts Wisconsin, Minnesota heads to Denver, and Alaska Anchorage entertains North Dakota. In non-league play, Colorado College hosts College Hockey America-members Air Force Academy and Bemidji State.

Over the four-day Thanksgiving holiday (Nov. 23-26), eight league teams posted a combined 8-6-2 record to up the WCHA's overall mark against outside competition this season to 19-13-7 (.577). Big winners included North Dakota (sweep of visiting St. Lawrence), St. Cloud State (road wins vs Northeastern and UMass-Amherst), Colorado College (tie with Providence College and win vs Boston U.), and Denver (win over Boston U. and tie vs Providence College). Two other teams -- Minnesota- Duluth and MSU, Mankato -- each collected a victory in the Sheraton/Howard Bank Classic in Burlington, Vermont with the Bulldogs claiming a 7-3 win over host Vermont on Sunday to finish as runner-up.

Heading into the month of December, the WCHA race finds the current top five teams separated by just six points. Minnesota is first at 7-1-2 and 16 points, followed by UND in second at 7-2-1 (15 points), CC in third at 7-3-0 (14 points), and defending conference champion Wisconsin and MSU, Mankato tied for fourth with 10 points each. Two others -- Alaska Anchorage and St. Cloud State -- have .500 records or better in the league but have played just six WCHA games each.

North Dakota, having just extended its unbeaten streak to nine games (8-0-1) over Thanksgiving, owns the best overall record among WCHA teams at 10-2-4 (.750), followed by Minnesota at 9-3-2 (.714). Some of UND's players and coaches will head to Washington, D.C. later this week to visit the White House in celebration of their 2000 NCAA Championship before traveling on up to Anchorage.

THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING
The Russian Ice Hockey Federation will send a Regional Selection Team, made up of players who represent some of the top-level clubs in the country, to the United States on Dec. 8 for a four-game WCHA tour as well as games in Ann Arbor (Dec. 14) and at Alabama-Huntsville (Dec. 16). The Russian team's WCHA tour schedule will have them at Minnesota on Dec. 10, at Wisconsin on Dec. 12, at St. Cloud State on Dec. 18, and at MSU, Mankato on Dec. 19.

SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF NOV. 27-DEC. 2
Friday, Dec. 1: St. Cloud State @ Michigan Tech, 7:35 pm ET, Wisconsin @ Minnesota-Duluth, 7:05 pm CT, Minnesota @ Denver, 7:35 pm MT, North Dakota @ Alaska Anchorage, 7:35 pm AT, Air Force Academy @ Colorado College, 7:35 pm MT (nc).

Saturday, Dec. 2: St. Cloud State @ Michigan Tech, 7:05 pm ET, Wisconsin @ Minnesota-Duluth, 7:05 pm CT, Minnesota @ Denver, 7:05 pm MT, North Dakota @ Alaska Anchorage, 7:05 pm AT, Bemidji State @ Colorado College, 7:05 pm MT (nc).