Attention, college hockey coaches: if you want to make Brian Swanson, Colorado College’s senior captain and bona fide Hobey Baker candidate uncomfortable, just ask him to talk about himself. If modesty were the sole criterion for hockey’s Heisman, the senior from Eagle River, Alaska, would have to be the odds-on favorite. In an age where … Read more
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association may not have as many ranked teams as other leagues, but there’s probably a good reason for that. Other than No. 1 North Dakota, everyone is defeating everyone else. Examples? Here: Ninth-place Minnesota-Duluth earns a split with Denver, and comes darn close to getting four points on the weekend. The … Read more
Does the winner of this weekend’s battle between first-place North Dakota and second-place Colorado College have the MacNaughton Cup in hand? Well, no. But if either team should happen to sweep the series, they will hold the upper hand over the other. And that is especially true for the Sioux. Already with two games in … Read more
Am I the only one to whom it has seemed like a few months since the last Western Collegiate Hockey Association action? Well, on Friday, it will have been 27 days since the teams last took the ice in conference action. While there haven’t been any changes in the conference standings since then, teams have … Read more
A story printed in the Denver Post this week tabbed Colorado College senior forward Brian Swanson as the leading candidate for the Hobey Baker Award. So what else is new? But Hobey doesn’t get awarded until April. It’s December. The temperature is -1 outside and it’s time for the unveiling of the first (and probably … Read more
Reprinted by permission of the Duluth News-Tribune. DULUTH, Minn. — The Bulldogs aren’t winning, and there’s one person to blame. Mike Sertich. “That’s fine. It’s part of the deal, and I accept that,” the Minnesota-Duluth hockey coach says. It has to be tempting to spread the blame around a little, but Sertich has learned over … Read more
With only two conference matchups remaining in the 1998 calendar year, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association still features the two top teams in the latest U.S. College Hockey Online Division I Poll. The Fighting Sioux of North Dakota claimed all 30 first-place votes after sweeping Denver on the road last weekend. Despite only splitting at … Read more
As the Western Collegiate Hockey Association schedule enters December, teams start to look at their positioning in the conference — and what they can do about it before the end of the year. With only a couple weeks of play before teams break the conference schedule for the holidays, the WCHA standings are shaking out … Read more
The good name of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association is on the line this weekend as Minnesota and Wisconsin square off with Big Ten rivals Michigan and Michigan State in the College Hockey Showcase. Make a note of this, ladies and gentlemen: For once, Minnesota and Wisconsin and Michigan and Michigan State will not be … Read more
Have the first few weeks of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association schedule just been a little bit of a tease? Some big matchups, but always pointing to this weekend in November when No. 1 North Dakota faces No. 3 Colorado College in a struggle for control of the conference? If so, it sure was worth … Read more
College hockey is at its best when it comes down to rivalries. And the Western Collegiate Hockey Association features two such matchups this weekend as the top-ranked team in the country, North Dakota, travels to Minneapolis to face the Gophers and No. 3 Colorado College plays a home-and-home series with Denver. What makes these rivalries … Read more
WCHA Preview: Nov. 6-7, 1998 by Todd D. Milewski In these days, where the 30-second campaign commercial is the difference between being elected and being left behind, brevity is the key. In honor of the recently-completed election season, this week’s preview will give you just enough information to make your decision. Oh, and with no … Read more
The true opening of the WCHA schedule is finally upon us, as all nine teams see action on the same nights, with a full complement of four conference series. It’s awful early to even look at the standings, considering three of the league’s teams have yet to take the ice in conference play. Denver, North … Read more
In most collegiate sports, teams get a couple non-conference games to get themselves acquainted with each other and get ready for the conference season. Just another reason why college hockey does not fall within the realm of "most collegiate sports." Eight of the nine WCHA teams see action this weekend, and for four of them … Read more
North Dakota is favored to three-peat as WCHA regular-season champion this year, according to the 28th annual Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald WCHA Coaches’ Poll, released Tuesday. The Fighting Sioux, who finished last season 30-8-1 overall and 21-6-1 in the conference, received eight of the nine first-place votes in the poll. Coaches do not rank their … Read more
Bill Watson, for the last three seasons an assistant hockey coach at Western Michigan, is departing his position, the school announced. “At this time, I feel it’s best to explore other options around hockey and outside the sport. The time I’ve spent here at Western has been invaluable and I look forward to putting the … Read more
The Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald reported Friday that goaltender Aaron Schweitzer, who anchored North Dakota’s 1997 NCAA championship run, will not return for his junior season this year, opting instead to try out for the Canadian national team. “We’ve heard rumblings in the past regarding Aaron moving on,” North Dakota assistant Jeff Bowen told the … Read more
The first collegiate all-star team ever to participate in an overseas tournament finished with a modicum of success Sunday, as the WCHA All-Stars tied Germany’s Krefeld Penguins 3-3 at the Kolin Cup in Zug, Switzerland. The draw was reached on the strength of two goals by Minnesota forward Wyatt Smith — whose five tallies overall … Read more
Minnesota’s defense sustained a major loss this week, as the Minnesota Daily reported Wednesday that Gopher defenseman Ben Clymer is set to sign with the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins, forgoing his final three years of eligibility. Clymer, a WCHA All-Rookie pick two years ago when he scored seven goals and 20 points 29 games, … Read more
Curtis Doell, who led Minnesota-Duluth defensemen in scoring last season, has decided to forego his final two years of college eligibility, signing a three-year deal with the Florida Panthers of the NHL. The 21-year old Doell, a 6-1, 220-pounder from Saskatoon, Sask., skated in 39 games last year and racked up nine goals and 23 … Read more