Drew Claussen

Big Ten ColumnistDrew Claussen covers the Big Ten for USCHO.

Previewing the 2022 NCAA hockey tournament, Worcester Regional: Western Michigan, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Northeastern

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WORCESTER REGIONAL When: Friday, March 25 & Sunday, March 27 Where: DCU Center, Worcester, Mass. Matchups: Western Michigan vs. Northeastern, March 25, noon, ESPNU; Minnesota vs. Massachusetts, March 25, 6 p.m., ESPNU; championship, March 27, 4 p.m./6:30 p.m., ESPN2 1. WESTERN MICHIGAN How they got here: At-large bid Overall season record: 25-11-1 Top players: F … Read more

Previewing the 2022 NCAA hockey tournament, Allentown Regional: Michigan, Quinnipiac, St. Cloud State, American International

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ALLENTOWN REGIONAL When: Friday, March 25 & Sunday, March 27 Where: PPL Center, Allentown, Pa. Matchups: Michigan vs. American International, March 25, 3 p.m., ESPNU; Quinnipiac vs. St. Cloud State, March 25, 8 p.m., ESPNews; championship, March 27, 4 p.m./6:30 p.m., ESPN2 1. MICHIGAN How they got here: Won Big Ten tournament championship Overall season … Read more

Previewing the 2022 NCAA hockey tournament, Albany Regional: Minnesota State, North Dakota, Notre Dame, Harvard

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ALBANY REGIONAL When: Thursday, March 24 & Saturday, March 26 Where: MVP Arena, Albany, N.Y. Matchups: Minnesota State vs. Harvard, March 24, noon, ESPNU; North Dakota vs. Notre Dame, March 24, 6 p.m., ESPNU, championship, March 26, 4 p.m./6:30 p.m., ESPNU 1. MINNESOTA STATE How they got here: Won CCHA tournament championship Overall season record: … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Powerhouse Michigan team has ‘all the ingredients that we need to have success,’ says Pearson

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With back-to-back stellar recruiting classes and four of the top five picks in last year’s NHL Draft, there has been a lot of hype surrounding Michigan for a while now. That hype, however, hasn’t led to anything worthy of hanging on a banner, yet. Michigan finished fourth in the Big Ten last year and bowed … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Michigan facing stiff test from Notre Dame in conference semifinal; Penn State hoping magic continues against Minnesota

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Michigan has lost nine times this season and this weekend it’ll get another crack at the team responsible for 44 percent of those losses. The Wolverines will host Notre Dame on Saturday in the first Big Ten Tournament semifinal. The Irish won consecutive overtime games at Yost Ice Arena in November and wrapped up the … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Looking at why each Big Ten team will win the postseason tournament, and why each team won’t

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The Big Ten playoffs start this weekend, and here are reasons for and against each team winning the championship and getting the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Michigan Why the Wolverines will win the tournament: Michigan failed to take its name off the list of teams to never win a Big Ten regular season … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Winners of eight straight games, Michigan aiming for strong finish on road at Notre Dame

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The dust had barely settled on Michigan’s 3-0 victory over Ohio State last weekend when Mel Pearson started looking forward Michigan’s regular-season finale at Notre Dame. The Wolverines roll into this weekend on an eight-game winning streak and are in the catbird seat when you look at the Big Ten standings. Michigan has 51 conference … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Minnesota looking ‘to find a way to keep going this weekend’ on road at Penn State

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Since opening in 2013, Pegula Ice Arena has been regarded as one of the better home-ice environments in college hockey. Lately, though, Minnesota probably hasn’t been a massive fan of the building. The second-place Gophers, two points behind Michigan, look to keep their momentum rolling this weekend at Penn State and nab a road victory … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Nearing end of regular season, Ohio State aiming to finish strong, ‘stay in the moment’

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Sitting atop the Big Ten standings, Ohio State is officially no longer under the radar. A split with Michigan at home on Dec. 10-11 gave the Buckeyes a 10-6-0 start to the season, not bad for a team predicted to finish at the bottom of the conference, but as Ohio State prepares to welcome Minnesota … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Entering final month of regular season, conference standings ‘have a dog fight up top right now’

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With first-place Michigan sitting idle this weekend, the Big Ten schedule is setup for some movement heading into the final month of the regular season. Though games in hand for Minnesota and Notre Dame don’t make it a perfect storm, the docket for this weekend could see some shuffling in the standings with three teams … Read more

Monday 10: Quinnipiac wins Connecticut Ice, McKay earns career win No. 100, Air Force, Army play to split, Michigan sweeps Wisconsin

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Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature. 1. Denver comes back on Friday, sweeps on Saturday NCHC cellar dweller Miami found itself in a great position when Red Savage scored 23 second into the third period to give the RedHawks a 4-2 lead against … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Notre Dame’s top point producers racking up points, improving as ‘kids get better each year’

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If you’re looking for an example of growth from one season to another in college hockey, take a gander at Notre Dame’s stat chart. The Irish, who hope to avenge the only time they’ve been swept so far this season when Minnesota comes to town this weekend, have had a more consistent offense this season. … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: After transferring from Minnesota, Moe ‘able to make the most of my opportunities’ in Wisconsin net

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The goaltender position may be in a state of flux at his former school, but Jared Moe seems to have settled in at Wisconsin. The junior goalie, who transferred from Minnesota during the offseason, has started the last eight contests for the Badgers and has backstopped the team to a 4-2-2 record in those games. … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Losing LaFontaine now in the past, Minnesota readjusting goalie situation for rest of 2021-22 season

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It’s not exactly like an injury, but that’s how Bob Motzko wants to treat it. After opening up the second half of the season with exhibition wins over the U.S Under-18 Team and St. Thomas and a road sweep at Michigan State, Minnesota lost starting goaltender Jack LaFontaine on Sunday, not to an injury, but … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Michigan readying for defending NCAA champion UMass, Michigan State prepping for Minnesota

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The game it didn’t play to end the year garnered most of the attention for Michigan last week, but with the defending national champion coming to town this weekend, it’ll be important for the Wolverines to turn the page into the new year quickly. Michigan and the Minutemen will play a Saturday-Sunday series at Yost … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Upcoming Ohio State games with CCHA’s Bowling Green ‘just what college hockey’s all about’

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It may not get the coverage of similar matchups in Minnesota, Michigan or Massachusetts, but Ohio State coach Steve Rohlik is excited to renew the in-state rivalry between Ohio State and Bowling Green this weekend. In one of the few contests across the country this weekend, the Buckeyes and Falcons will play a home-and-home series … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Michigan State racking up wins as Spartans have ‘done some good work this first half’

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Michigan State had improved slightly each season since Danton Cole was hired as head coach in 2017. Until last year, that is. Like many other teams, the 2020-21 season was not kind to the Spartans. There just aren’t many ways to polish a 7-18-2 overall record into anything positive, but with one series remaining in … Read more

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Coming off weekend sweep over Niagara, Michigan looks ‘to get it to the net’ against Minnesota

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As preseason favorites Michigan and Minnesota meet for the first time this season, we were correct about at least one thing from the preseason. The two teams are in first and second place, Michigan leads Minnesota by a point, but both have also played two more contests than everyone except Wisconsin. “We know what kind … Read more