Season previews for teams
When you think of the 2006-07 Bowling Green Falcons, two things come to mind immediately: 1. Jonathan Matsumoto was a superstar. With 11 goals and 22 assists, the Falcons junior led the team in scoring. He also had six power-play goals. 2. In every possible way, BGSU was a last-place team. Last year’s Falcons were … Read more
There are two hard-fast rules when it comes to Michigan hockey: 1. Don’t get too comfortable with your favorite player. Andrew Cogliano and Jack Johnson are gone, fleeing for the greener pastures of professional hockey rather than sticking around to graduate. 2. Never underestimate Red Berenson. Even as Notre Dame ran away with the CCHA … Read more
In 2006-07, there were two words to describe the Ohio State Buckeyes: 1. Average. The Buckeyes finished seventh in the CCHA with a record of 12-12-4, were a hair below .500 overall, had team stats that ranged anywhere from third to eighth in conference play, and scored as many goals as they allowed overall (120). … Read more
What two things immediately come to mind when you think of the Ferris State Bulldogs? 1. They play a rather, um, tough brand of hockey. Ferris State was the third most-penalized team in CCHA play last season with 18.71 minutes per game, and the 13th most-penalized team in the NCAA. 2. The Bulldogs don’t really … Read more
If the 2006-07 Lake Superior State Lakers could be defined by just two things, they would be these: 1. Jeff Jakaitis. The senior goaltender finished the season with the 19th-best goals-against average in the NCAA (2.31), but the second-best save percentage (.931). 2. Injuries. The Lakers were so beaten up by the end of the … Read more
There are two things about the Western Michigan Broncos that don’t immediately come to mind, but should: 1. The Broncos are smart. The team’s grade-point average for last year was 3.30. 2. The Broncos had a good season. Western Michigan had 10 wins in the second half of the season, including splits with Miami and … Read more
While every team in the league taught us something during the 2006-07 season, Michigan State showed us two universal truths: 1. Rick Comley is psychic. “I think in our locker room, we believe in what’s there. We believe that we have the opportunity to be a good team, we believe that if we go through … Read more
The 2007-2008 CCHA: The Kids Are All Right Our fourth-place team can beat your anyplace team. So there. Phthhhhht! Thanks to the sweet, improbable postseason juggernaut that was the 2006-07 Michigan State Spartans, CCHA fans can now in all good conscience make that claim, loudly and often … at least for another 185 or so … Read more
As much as teams hate them, it seems like they’re going to have to get used to them. Early departures. “We lost another dozen players during the offseason to the National Hockey League,” said Doug Spencer, the WCHA’s associate commissioner for public relations. “Over the last two years, over 30 underclassmen have left early.” This … Read more
Besides losing at home in the playoffs last year to league upstart Michigan Tech, the Colorado College Tigers have another motivating factor this season to do well — the NCAA West Regional comes back to the World Arena. “We’re very excited and anxious for the season to get started,” said coach Scott Owens. “Losing last … Read more
Compared to most teams, the Bulldogs are old, with about an even number of upper- and underclassmen. However, the main question for Scott Sandelin’s crew will be offense. “We might not have that one big line or that one dynamic player,” he said, emphasizing that the team will have to hope for production from everyone … Read more
While the University of North Dakota lost a couple of key players in forward Jonathan Toews and defenseman Brian Lee, the story for the Fighting Sioux is more about who didn’t leave. “We probably had about four other guys who had the opportunity to go and each had their own individual reasons for staying, I’m … Read more
Last year was a bitter pill for the University of Denver Pioneers to swallow. Even after a first-round WCHA playoff exit at the hands of the University of Wisconsin Badgers, the Pioneers were on the cusp of an NCAA berth until the last conference playoff game was played. Due to the numbers, the Pioneers missed … Read more
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are once again coming off a successful season, winning the MacNaughton Cup in the NCAA and coming within a game of the Frozen Four. They are also once again coming off a summer filled with early departures, losing two players to the NHL and one to Canadian major juniors. … Read more
While a lot of the teams in the WCHA are young this year, most have at least a modicum of senior leadership. With the Minnesota State Mavericks, however, it barely feels like it, as Troy Jutting’s squad returns just three seniors from last season, the fewest in the league. As a result, Jutting will have … Read more
Coach Bob Motzko — and arguably goaltender Bobby Goepfert — brought back the St. Cloud State Huskies to the level of the Husky teams of the early 2000s last year, making the NCAA tournament for the first time in four years. However, the team still has the stigma of being unable to win an NCAA … Read more
Coach Jamie Russell guided Michigan Technological University to its first winning season in nearly 15 years last season, making it to St. Paul, Minn., and the WCHA Red Baron Final Five for the first time in a little over a decade — all in all, a breakout season. As a result, the team will enter … Read more
The Seawolves are one of those teams that you can feel getting better, but haven’t yet found those final few pieces. And, until they do, the team will continue to be picked to reside in the league’s basement. However, coach Dave Shyiak’s squad does have some bright spots to look forward to this year, considering … Read more
Though coach Mike Eaves doesn’t necessarily like to think of his squad as a defensive one, the University of Wisconsin Badgers will seemingly always have that reputation. However, with a scoring defense that has been in the nation’s top ten for the past four years, it’s easy to see why the reputation exists. Looking at … Read more
Becker Coach Craig Barnett is used to starting from scratch. He guided Findlay University from NAIA to Division I status and accumulated a 91-110-12 record is five seasons behind the Oilers’ bench. Now, Barnett is starting over at Becker College in Worcester, Massachusetts. The Hawks will play an independent schedule this season before joining the … Read more