Denver’s Brittain on schedule, but taking nothing for granted in comeback
Also, we check in with former Minnesota-Duluth goaltender Glenn “Chico” Resch. Tyler Buckentine and Brian Halverson have This Week in the WCHA.
Men’s D-I: WCHA
TMQ: Volatile weekend at top of poll leaves another new No. 1
The top three teams in last week’s poll combined to go 1-5, leading to another change at the top. Jim Connelly and Todd D. Milewski discuss that and more in this week’s edition of Tuesday Morning Quarterback.
North Dakota to discontinue Fighting Sioux nickname, logo, effective Jan. 1
In a statement released Thursday by the University of North Dakota and the WCHA, the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo will no longer be used by UND as of Jan. 1, 2012. As of that date, the school is asking to refer to its athletic teams as simply the University of North Dakota and to … Read more
Nebraska-Omaha looking for a goaltender to emerge as full-time starter
Freshman Ryan Massa and Dayn Belfour are challenging senior John Faulkner, and coach Dean Blais is letting the competition play out. Tyler Buckentine and Brian Halverson have This Week in the WCHA.
Despite talent losses in offseason, WCHA producing plenty of nation’s top scorers
Eight of the nation’s top 11 point scorers play for WCHA schools. Tyler Buckentine and Brian Halverson have that and notes about a Denver coaching reunion, Minnesota’s Nick Bjugstad and more in This Week in the WCHA.
Special teams heading in opposite directions for Minnesota, St. Cloud State
The Gophers have the nation’s sixth-ranked power play at 26.7 percent and the Huskies penalty kill is 41st in the country at 78.8 percent going into this weekend’s home-and-home series, but recent games have countered those trends. Tyler Buckentine and Brian Halverson have This Week in the WCHA.
Reiter, defense spark Minnesota-Duluth’s quick turnaround
After starting the season 1-3, the Bulldogs have pieced things together. Tyler Buckentine and Brian Halverson have This Week in the WCHA.
Presenting a case that records really don’t matter when Minnesota, North Dakota meet
The lower-ranked team generally has the upper hand in the series lately. Tyler Buckentine and Brian Halverson have This Week in the WCHA.
Minnesota’s Hansen reaps the rewards after rounding out his game
The senior is already more than halfway to his point total from last season. Tyler Buckentine and Brian Halverson have This Week in the WCHA.
Early numbers promising for Michigan Tech, Alaska-Anchorage
Early season statistics and standings, while providing no particular long-term value, can be fun to peruse nonetheless if only for the “what if?” factor they present. Brian Halverson and Tyler Buckentine have This Week in the WCHA.
WCHA teams looking for different results in featured East-West tilts
This is the first week of league play, with three WCHA series set for this weekend. No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth hosting No. 14 Minnesota is certainly one to watch but all of college hockey nation has an eye on a few marquee East-West matchups. No. 3 Denver heads to Boston to play top-ranked Boston College on … Read more
Veteran goalies set to take WCHA’s center stage in 2011-12
It’s easy to pick out strengths and flaws, looking at the leftovers of all the WCHA rosters from last season going into 2011-12. Colorado College and Denver both have the personnel up front to light up the scoreboard on a nightly basis. North Dakota, meanwhile, lost a ton of offensive production in the offseason. So … Read more
Bowling Green accepts WCHA’s invitation to join in 2013
Bowling Green has accepted the WCHA’s offer of membership for the 2013-14 season, the school announced Tuesday. The school was one of five from the CCHA given an invitation in August to join the WCHA, which is set to lose eight of its current 12 teams when conferences realign in the 2013 offseason. Alaska, Ferris … Read more
WCHA announces preseason media poll, awards
Denver has earned the top spot in this year’s 94X WCHA preseason media poll. Denver received 15 first-place votes to top the poll, ahead of Colorado College, which received seven first-place votes. Third-place North Dakota and No. 4 choice Nebraska-Omaha each received first-place votes. First-place votes in the poll were worth 12 points, second place … Read more
Bowling Green to make decision on WCHA by Oct. 7
Bowling Green’s deadline for deciding on whether it will join the WCHA has been extended to Oct. 7. The original deadline was Sept. 22 after BGSU was one of five CCHA schools invited to join the WCHA on Aug. 25. “We continue to assess our options for hockey conference affiliation and expect to wrap up … Read more
Western Michigan, St. Cloud State invited to join NCHC
Western Michigan and St. Cloud State have received invitations to join the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, according to a press release issued Wednesday afternoon. “After a thorough and deliberate evaluation process, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference is delighted to extend invitations to St. Cloud State and Western Michigan to become members of what we believe … Read more
Ferris State the latest to accept WCHA invitation, BGSU still undecided
On the heels of Alaska and Lake Superior State accepting invitations to join the WCHA in 2013-2014, Ferris State has also accepted an invitation to join the league. “Hockey is a very important sport to Ferris State University and to our fans,” Ferris State president David Eisler said in a statement. “In joining the WCHA, … Read more
Five CCHA schools offered spots in WCHA; Alaska, Lake Superior State quick to accept
Five CCHA schools have been extended invitations to join the WCHA for the 2013-2014 season, and two have jumped at the opportunity. Alaska, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State and Western Michigan were offered spots Thursday on behalf of the presidents of the six WCHA teams that will comprise the league following the 2012-2013 … Read more
WCHA and CCHA schools meet Tuesday in Chicago
Members of the WCHA and CCHA met jointly Tuesday in Chicago to discuss several matters facing both leagues due to impending college hockey realignment. The agenda included sharing information about each league, engaging in productive discussions about the challenges that each institution and each conference face and seeking common ground to work together for the … Read more
Denver adds 23-year vet Lassonde as new assistant coach
David Lassonde has been named the new assistant coach at Denver, replacing Derek Lalonde who was named head coach and GM of the United States Hockey League’s Green Bay Gamblers earlier this month. Lassonde coached at New Hampshire for 17 years during two different stints and three years apiece at Wisconsin and Miami. “David Lassonde … Read more