Three Big Series On Slate For WCHA Dec. 15 and 16
Dec. 11, 2006
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
MADISON, Wisc. - There are three Western Collegiate Hockey Association series on the schedule for the upcoming weekend of Dec. 15-16, as Denver heads to Alaska Anchorage, North Dakota hosts Michigan Tech, and Minnesota Duluth travels to Minnesota State. Those three series will be the last conference matchups of the 2006 calendar year, and will constitute the halfway point in the 28-game WCHA schedules for those six clubs.
The Pioneers (10-6-2, 6-4-2 WCHA) and Seawolves (8-6-2, 6-6-0 WCHA) will faceoff at Sullivan Arena (6,251) in Anchorage on Friday at 7:37 pm AT and on Saturday at 7:07 pm CT. Denver leads the all-time series, 30-13-5, and are 6-0-2 over their last eight appearances at Sullivan Arena. The games between the Fighting Sioux (7-8-1, 5-6-1 WCHA) and the Huskies (6-8-2, 3-7-2) will faceoff at Ralph Engelstad Arena (11,406) in Grand Forks on Friday at 7:37 pm CT and on Saturday at 7:07 pm CT. North Dakota holds a 128-84-8 lead in the all-time series vs MTu that dates to the 1947-48 season and have won 12 straight against the Huskies. And the two encounters between the Bulldogs (4-10-3, 2-8-2 WCHA) and the Mavericks (3-11-3, 2-8-2 WCHA) are set for 7:37 pm CT on Friday and 7:07 pm CT on Saturday at Midwest Wireless Civic Center (4,832).
UMD leads the all-time series vs MSU, 11-10-3, but the Bulldogs have wins in nine of the last 14 meetings. Colorado College, Minnesota, St. Cloud State and Wisconsin are all idle now until December 29 and all four of those clubs will have two league games in hand on the rest of the field when WCHA play resumes over the weekend of January 5-7.
With at least three points at UAA, Denver could vault from fourth to sole possession of second place heading into the holiday break; a sweep by the Seawolves could move them from fifth into a share of second. North Dakota could climb as high as into a share of second place after their series against Michigan Tech, while Tech could climb at least two places. The Bulldogs and Mavericks, meanwhile, look to gain some momentum heading into the holiday break and better position themselves for a second-half run.
Heading into the weekend of Dec. 15-16, league-leading and No. 1-ranked Minnesota (21 points) holds a five-point lead over second place Colorado College (16 points), St. Cloud State is third (15 points), Denver is fourth (14 points), Alaska Anchorage is fifth (12 points), North Dakota and Wisconsin are tied for sixth with 11 points each, Michigan Tech is eighth with eight points, and Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota State are tied for ninth with six points each.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers (15-1-3, 9-0-3 WCHA) extended their nation's best unbeaten streak to 18 games (15-0-3) this past weekend with a 4-1, 5-2 conference road sweep at Michigan Tech. UM's 15-1-3 start to the season is its best 19-game season-opening record in school history. Also recording a WCHA sweep last Friday and Saturday was defending national champion Wisconsin (7-9-2, 5-6-1 WCHA), as the Badgers captured 4-3 and 4-2 victories over host North Dakota to move back into contention and claim the season series, three games to one. The two other series contested on Dec. 8-9 saw host Denver gain three of four points from Minnesota State with a 3-3 (ot) tie and 5-1 triumph while Colorado College split with visiting Alaska Anchorage, losing 5-4 (ot) last Friday and winning 4-3 (ot) last Saturday.
Outside the WCHA on Dec. 8-9, streaking St. Cloud State (10-3-3) ran its unbeaten streak to a school-record 11 games with a pair of 3-1 victories over visiting Colgate while Minnesota Duluth dropped both ends of a home-and-home set with Bemidji State, falling 5-2 last Friday in Bemidji and 6-5 (ot) last Saturday at the DECC. WCHA-member teams are now a combined 29-16-6 (.627) in non-conference play so far this season.
In this week's two national polls, released on December 11, Minnesota was No. 1 for the fifth straight week, St. Cloud State was up to No. 6, Colorado College was at No. 9, Denver was at No. 12 and North Dakota was at No. 17. Also receiving votes from the WCHA were Alaska Anchorage and Wisconsin.
|
|
 |
