First of all, Happy Halloween. WCHA hockey is starting to shake itself out. We have an idea who the contenders are. We have an idea which teams are struggling, and we have an idea of which players will be key statistical leaders. Here is what we learned this weekend: 1. Michael Bitzer is one of … Read more
It’s amazing that it’s taken this long, but after this weekend each WCHA team will have played at least one in-conerence series when Alaska Anchorage travels to Bemidji States. This weekend also features a sneaky good matchup in the Upper Peninsula that many in the WCHA are paying close to. Let’s get picking… Northern Michigan … Read more
Our scheduled guests for the October 25 edition of USCHO Live! are Boston University coach David Quinn and Bemidji Pioneer sports editor Jack Hittinger. Listen live at 8 p.m. EDT or after the show on-demand: http://www.uscho.com/uscho-live/2016/10/25/bu-coach-quinn-bemidji-writer-hittinger-guest-on-oct-25-uscho-live/
We’re starting to get into the normal groove of the season now — every team has played at least one series. And after this weekend, all but one WCHA team will have played at least one league series. We’ve got some pretty good matchups this weekend, including three WCHA series. The other three league teams … Read more
It’s taken three weeks, but we’ll finally have all of the WCHA teams with a game under their belt when Lake Superior State battles Michigan State. The Lakers are the last team to open their season, and it comes in a weekend that features a couple sneaky good matchups between Northern Michigan-Bemidji State and St. … Read more
We’re back for another week of picks. After six games last weekend, including a nice sweep by Alabama-Huntsville, all 10 of the WCHA teams are in action this weekend and that includes a pair of league series. Let’s get started… Michigan Tech at Minnesota State Sean: Michigan Tech and Minnesota State shared the WCHA regular … Read more
After a long summer, we officially have results in the WCHA standings. The first weekend of the season only featured three WCHA teams and four official games. The rest of the league was still in exhibition mode, but it’s never too early to learn and here are my takeaways: 1. Alabama Huntsville is going to … Read more
Hi everyone! Happy almost-October! For most, that means carving pumpkins and watching even more football. But for many of us, that means another thing altogether: The college hockey season is about to begin. The women’s season started last week, and now it’s the men’s turn for their Oct. 1 openers. In the WCHA, we’ve got … Read more
Shane here … Greetings from Grand Rapids, Mich., the site of the WCHA Final Five, where there should be a few good games this weekend. Too bad Jack can’t be here to join me in this fine city. The top four teams in the conference are here, even if two of them needed to win … Read more
Shane here … The playoffs are here, and, as I’ve thought throughout the year, it’s a wide-open race for the Broadmoor Trophy. Based on the way teams have defended and tended goal this season, as well as the vast number of low-scoring, one-goal games (not to mention the ties, dear God, the ties!), it would … Read more
Our guests on the March 8 edition of USCHO Live are Michigan Tech coach Mel Pearson, whose Huskies won a share of the MacNaughton Cup for the first time in 40 years, and USCHO.com bracketologist Jayson Moy, with a look at where teams stand in the PairWise as we near the end of the season. USCHO.com’s Dan Rubin will sit in for Jim Connelly alongside Ed Trefzger. Join us live at http://www.uscho.com/uscho-live/2016/03/07/michigan-techs-pearson-uscho-com-bracketologist-moy-guest-on-march-8-uscho-live/
1. MacNaughton going home Michigan Tech clinched a share of the MacNaughton Cup as the WCHA’s regular-season champion on Saturday night after beating Northern Michigan 5-1 and after co-champion Minnesota State lost 1-0 to Bemidji State. While the Mavericks picked up their second-straight title, the Huskies are getting the cup for the first time in … Read more
Woah, it’s March! The final weekend of the regular season. That came by quick. You know what that means: It’s the WCHA, so literally* everything is still up for grabs (*OK, not exactly LITERALLY, but you get the idea). Strap in, because these ones should be fun. Bemidji State at Minnesota State Shane: The Mavericks … Read more
This is Shane … No more bye weeks. No more nonconference games. It feels like a NASCAR race after a late caution. A restart before the final two laps. Four games remain, two weekends. Everything yet to be decided. How will things look with one lap to go? Ferris State at Bowling Green Shane: The … Read more
Hey guys, Jack checking in. Home stretch here, and there are some great series this weekend. However, one weird thing I’ve noticed that I don’t like: Too many teams have off weekends in the last month of the season. This week, Minnesota State takes is idle and Ferris State plays a single nonconference game. Last … Read more
Hey all. Jack here. What a difference a week can make. After going 3-8-1 on my picks last weekend, I was able to turn it around completely this time around and go a perfect 9-0-0 on the weekend. I have no idea how this happened, but I swear I didn’t cheat. (But I won’t completely … Read more
Shane here … Jack and I visited Splitsville, and I ended up on the right side of the tracks, while Jack found out what the wrong side looked like. I not only got the North Star College Cup games right, but nailed two of the scores and was an empty-netter away from getting three, maybe … Read more
Michigan Tech’s road unbeaten streak hit eight this weekend, and in the process inched closer to Bowling Green in the WCHA standings. The Huskies earned the 4-4 tie in Friday night’s game in Bowling Green before scoring four more goals in Saturday’s 4-1 win. It’s the second-straight three-point weekend for Tech — both against the … Read more
Hey, it’s the last weekend of January! That means there’s (basically) a month left in the college hockey season. As per usual, absolutely nothing has been decided in the WCHA, and likely won’t until the season’s last weekend (again). There are only two conference series this weekend, but both are extremely meaningful to the standings. … Read more
Shane here … Believe it or not, I made it home from Houghton unscathed on Sunday despite the fact that the town got 27 or so inches of lake-effect snow last Saturday while I was there for the Minnesota State-Michigan Tech series. While I was worried about getting out of town, the Yoopers basically said, … Read more