This Week in CCHA Hockey: Bowling Green on pace for another solid season as Falcons aiming to ‘maintain that standard and play to that standard’

Before the season started, outsiders weren’t quite sure what to make of Bowling Green. After all, the Falcons had lost 11 players to either graduation or the transfer portal. It would have understandably been hard to predict how losing so many key contributors would affect a program that has won 20-plus games for seven straight … Read more

Monday 10: Top teams falter, splits, sweeps aplenty over wild weekend of action in NCAA men’s college hockey

Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature. 1. No. 14 Notre Dame knocks off No. 1 Michigan twice in OT Top-ranked Michigan came close both nights, but the Wolverines weren’t able to keep their hot streak going this weekend. Notre Dame beat Michigan 3-2 … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Bemidji State mixing youth, experience to perfection early in 2021-22 season

A quick look up and down Bemidji State’s roster would reveal a lot of familiar names: Ethan Somoza. Owen Sillinger. Alex Ierullo. Tyler Kirkup. All have been contributing to the BSU program consistently since their freshmen seasons, and their presence in the lineup this year — a few back for an extra year of eligibility … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: After ‘rough’ 2020-21 season, Ferris State ‘a superior team from what we were a year ago’

Losing isn’t usually the norm for a Bob Daniels-coached team. The Ferris State head coach has been behind the bench for 29 seasons. He’s guided his Bulldogs teams to three conference titles, four NCAA tournament appearances and one Frozen Four in that time frame. The usual expectation for the Bulldogs is to be competitive at … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: With experienced lineup, Michigan Tech ‘can compete with most anybody in the country’

When members of the media were looking at the teams in the newly-reconstituted CCHA this fall as we started to do our preseason picks and previews, one team made it easiest on everybody. And maybe it wasn’t the team you think. Have your guesses in? It might shock you to know that it was Michigan … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Dealing with key player departures, Lake Superior State finding new players stepping up to fill roles

It might have been reasonable to assume at the start of the 2021-22 season that Lake Superior State might have some issues scoring goals this year. After all, the Lakers lost four of their top five scorers (Ashton Calder, Pete Veillette, Hampus Eriksson and Will Reidell) either to graduation or the NCAA transfer portal (in … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Blasi ‘extremely happy with the progress we’ve made’ at St. Thomas in first weeks on ice as D-I program

After some time away, there’s one thing Rico Blasi noticed about the familiar rinks of the CCHA. “The smell is still the same,” the first-year St. Thomas coach joked in a phone interview Tuesday, reflecting on his team’s recent road trips to Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State. Blasi, who played at Miami in the … Read more

This Week in CCHA Hockey: Minnesota State finding way through tough early-season schedule with nationally-ranked teams

During this season’s CCHA preseason conference call, Minnesota State coach Mike Hastings was asked about the fact that his team is set to play six consecutive games against top-ranked teams to start the new season. Hastings joked that he wanted to throw former assistant coach Darren Blue under the bus but couldn’t because he also … Read more

CCHA 2021-22 Season Preview: New-look conference looking to make impact with eye on NCAA tournament

For the casual fan watching on a Friday or Saturday, chances are high that the inaugural season of the new CCHA won’t look much different than the final season of the WCHA. Seven of the eight teams were together in the WCHA, so the matchups, coaches and arenas are largely the same. And the league’s … Read more

Frozen Four College Hockey Team Preview: Minnesota State proving Mavericks belong in upper echelon of college hockey’s elite programs

This is the third of four team previews for the teams that have reached the Frozen Four this week in Pittsburgh. MINNESOTA STATE Season record: 22-4-1 How they got to Pittsburgh: Beat Quinnipiac 4-3 in overtime in the West Regional semifinal, beat Minnesota 4-0 in West Regional final Top players: junior forward Julian Napravnik (10-17-27), … Read more

Picking the WCHA, Feb. 16

A couple of Tuesday afternoon games on tap here, so we’ve not much time to waste here. To the picks! Lake Superior State at Michigan Tech Jack: The Lakers just Swept Bowling Green. I’d say they keep that momentum going in what should e a a game. Lakers win 4-2 Daver: The Lakers come in with … Read more

This Week in WCHA Hockey: Minnesota State, including team’s ‘old guys,’ oozing confidence after sweeping Bowling Green

Minnesota State made a big statement last weekend against Bowling Green. In the first (and only) regular-season series between the consensus two top teams in the conference, the Mavericks swept the Falcons in fairly convincing fashion. They won 4-1 and 5-0, showing off their depth and their defensive prowess in the process.

This Week in WCHA Hockey: Alabama Huntsville establishing identity by ‘willing to change and do things a different way’

College hockey didn’t start back up again until November, and even then, Alabama Huntsville was on the road for its first six games.

So last Friday and Saturday’s games were a cathartic experience for the Chargers: a sweep of Ferris State in their first home games in almost 11 months.

Pickin’ the WCHA: Dec. 29-30

Robert Morris at Bowling Green Jack: We here in the Midwest are still getting used to single midweek games, but this matchup should be good. Bowling Green is looking for the season sweep of RMU. I think they get it. Falcons win 4-2 Daver: Boy Bowling Green has been off to a great start to … Read more

This Week in WCHA Hockey: Bowling Green ‘pretty lucky’ playing nine games as ‘our guys feel good’

It would be hard to call any team’s experiences this college hockey season “normal.” But if one were to look at Bowling Green’s schedule in a typical year, it would perhaps be the one more than any other in the country that wouldn’t look too out of place. The Falcons, unlike virtually every other team … Read more

Picking the WCHA: Dec. 11-16

We’re still well short of having a full slate of games this weekend, but at least we’re playing! My picks have been awful this season, but I’m using COVID as an excuse. Let’s see what this week brings. Daver this season: 10-2-2 Jack this season: 5-7-2 Ferris State at/vs Bowling Green Daver: The Falcons had … Read more