Paula C. WestonThe 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
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
With Western Michigan’s sweep of Michigan last weekend, the Broncos became the new top team in the CCHA, sitting one point ahead of second-place Miami and three points in front of the former No. 1, Notre Dame. Given that two of the Broncos’ five remaining series are against Miami and Notre Dame, I thought it … 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
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
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
Sweeps are tough to come by in the CCHA. For only the second time this season, three teams swept opponents in league play last weekend and each of the victors — Alaska, Ferris State and Northern Michigan — reaped big benefits in the standings. The Nanooks capped a four-game road trip with a two-game sweep … 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
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
Now these are the kinds of picks that I make that everyone knows, loves, and mocks. Last week’s record includes the Tuesday night game between Notre Dame and Bowling Green Last week: 4-5-2 (.455) Season to date: 77-56-23 (.567) The Buckeyes and Bulldogs split … but neither won on the night I predicted. Of course. … Read more
Now these are the kinds of picks that I make that everyone knows, loves, and mocks. Last week’s record includes the Tuesday night game between Notre Dame and Bowling Green Last week: 4-5-2 (.455) Season to date: 77-56-23 (.567) The Buckeyes and Bulldogs split … but neither won on the night I predicted. Of course. … Read more
Could this last season of CCHA hockey come down to goaltending? Is there such parity in the league that the difference between games in a weekend, between staying home and traveling in the first round of the playoffs, between a regular season title and second place — perhaps one point behind first — will be … Read more
Another Tuesday, another game. No. 5 Notre Dame at Bowling Green. The Irish lost to Minnesota in Minneapolis last Tuesday (Jan. 8) and split with Michigan State in East Lansing Friday and Saturday. The Falcons had the weekend off, having last played last Tuesday, a 5-1 road win over Michigan. The Irish are 7-1-0 versus … Read more
Another Tuesday, another game. No. 5 Notre Dame at Bowling Green. The Irish lost to Minnesota in Minneapolis last Tuesday (Jan. 8) and split with Michigan State in East Lansing Friday and Saturday. The Falcons had the weekend off, having last played last Tuesday, a 5-1 road win over Michigan. The Irish are 7-1-0 versus … Read more
In an interesting weekend of conference competition in the CCHA, everyone played except for Bowling Green. Here’s what we learned. 1. It was tough to score, even for the top teams in the league. On Friday night, six of the 10 teams playing were held to one goal or fewer; in Saturday’s action, four teams … Read more