Paula C. Weston

While winter was bearing down on the East Coast, the hockey in the Midwest couldn’t have been hotter. 1. Notre Dame controls its own destiny. The Fighting Irish beat Michigan twice while everyone else around them split, most notably Miami and Western Michigan. It’s the first two-game sweep Notre Dame has managed in the new … Read more

After beating Bowling Green 3-1 tonight to salvage a weekend split with the Falcons, Michigan State finished what it set out to do before practice even began last Monday morning. The goal was to play a solid 120 minutes of hockey and that’s exactly what the Spartans did. Junior captain Greg Wolfe had two goals … Read more

I knew last time out was a fluke. I’m sure you did, too. Last week: 2-6-2 (.300) Season to date: 97-69-25 (.573) I should have flipped a coin. This week There are five CCHA series this week with Lake Superior State taking a bye week. Every series is Friday-Saturday — unless that winter storm throws … Read more

The play during the first weekend in February was an excellent preview for the race to the Mason Cup because in the CCHA, anything can happen. The three teams from my former home state of Ohio showed that each is in the hunt for something completely attainable. 1. Miami is in the hunt for that … Read more

09Anyone familiar with Michigan coach Red Berenson knows that he’s fond of saying after a win that there wasn’t much difference between the two teams playing. In the Wolverines’ 3-2 home win over Michigan State, there was a difference of one goal, 14 shots on net, and little else — except for the two mistakes … Read more

Last Friday night was … well, it was magical. For me. For my picks. Last week: 10-2-0 (.833) Season to date: 95-63-23 (.588) No chance of a picks week that good again. Ever. This week There are five CCHA series this weekend. Northern Michigan is idle. All series are Friday-Saturday and all times are local. … Read more

What a weekend. 1. If you don’t like the CCHA standings, stick around for a week because they’re sure to change. At the end of the first half of the season, I was worried that the CCHA may fall into its old trap of becoming a two-tier league with a handful of teams huddled together … Read more

The theme for Michigan State’s 5-3 win over Penn State tonight? Toughness. After exchanging five goals within a 10-minute span in the middle of the second period, the Spartans and Nittany Lions were tied 3-3 heading into the final 20 minutes of their first-ever meeting. But the Spartans took advantage of a major penalty late … Read more

My second-half swoon is temporarily on hold. Last week: 8-5-0 (.615) Season to date: 85-61-23 (.571) Any week above .500 is a very good week for me, indeed. This week Everybody plays this week. There are five conference series and one Big Ten Hockey preview in East Lansing. All series are Friday-Saturday. Times are local. … Read more

It was an interesting weekend in the CCHA, one that resulted in two teams sharing the top spot. 1. Sweeping is hard to do, but sometimes you don’t need a broom to move ahead. Alaska, however, had no problem sweeping Notre Dame and thereby helping Western Michigan slide into a tie for No. 1 in … Read more

With goals by Cory Kane and Travis Ouellette and C.J. Motte’s 27 saves, Ferris State edged Michigan State 2-1. It was a faced-paced, back-and-forth game in which the Bulldogs had plenty of power-play opportunities, but could manage to solve MSU’s Jake Hildebrand the two times, both even strength. Hildebrand had 33 saves in the contest. … Read more