College Hockey This weekend

[SkunkedAgain]

I went to the Minnesota/Alaska game on Saturday night. Minnesota was in the Alaska end throughout most of the first two periods but both goalies played well. The game got physical and ugly in the second period. With a 2-to-1 shots on goal advantage, Minnesota was due to break the scoreless deadlock. Wrong. Minnesota came out for third ready to scrap and fight some more, the Seawolves concentrated on hockey again. They outshot the Gophers and got the critical goal.

It was an entertaining game but the Gopher players forget that they were on the ice to play hockey, not to fight.

[solbes]

What little I saw of Saturday's game looked pretty good. I like to watch those tight games sometimes. Unfortunately the wife took control of the remote control and we watched the Australian Open instead.

Gopher Bulldog games this weekend up in Duluth. I'm pumped. Minnesota is going to play tough since they didn't get the 4 points they wanted last weekend. I expect really close games, as they always seem to be.

[cbrooks]

This weeks picks

BSU vs Mankato-split

UMD vs Minnesota-UMD sweep

Michigan Tech vs AA-split

SCSU vs UNO-Mavericks will win one game

Denver vs CC-Denver sweep

[solbes]

BSU vs Mankato - split

UMD vs Minnesota - UMD 3 pts

Michigan Tech vs AA - Brooms for Seawolves (22 winless streak for Tech)

SCSU vs UNO - split

Denver vs CC - split

Whooaa, my only sweep was from AA? I should go lay down for awhile.

Go Colorado College!!

[scsavre]

My picks - Now who is keeping tabs on these to see if any of us have any idea of what we are talking about.

BSU vs Mankato-split

UMD vs Minnesota-Split

Michigan Tech vs AA-AA sweep

SCSU vs UNO-3 pooints

Denver vs CC-Split

[scsavre]

I dont want to get this argument going too much already. But someone had said the WCHA was not the best conference or something.

Well, not only is the WCHA the best conference in hockey, it is actually the most prolific conference in all of Div 1 sports. Here are a few stats to chew on.

Since 1951

36 national titles

Runner ups 27 times

Frozen 4 appearances, 54 of 58 seasons.

staggering to say the least. Hopefully the league will be back on top this year.

[cbrooks]

And who has the most of those titles in the WCHA

I have a theory on college hockey. WCHA has for the most part been the dominant conference. I just think a few programs have caught up to us. Look at Miami(oh), Notre Dame and BC. I remember UND always beating BC a couple decades ago.

[scsavre]

If you were thinking the Sioux, you would actually be wrong. there is another team that has more titles while playing in the WCHA.

[cbrooks]

Stp Denver . UND needs a couple more titles soon. I can't handle having some other WCHA team with those bragging rights.

[Bear55]

And who has the most of those titles in the WCHA

Well since Michigan has claim to 10 NCAA titles and only two of them were in the CCHA I will go with them.

[solbes]

"]Now who is keeping tabs on these to see if any of us have any idea of what we are talking about.

Fortunately for you, it's Friday and I'm bored at work. I must be REALLY bored. Da ta da da, da da ta da ta, da ta da da...I give you THE OFFICIAL WCHA PICKS leader board...

You get a score of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 for each series predicted. Pick it correctly and you get a 0. Pick a sweep and the other team sweeps, you get 4. And so on and so forth. Summed score for all weeks predictions are divided by total number of games played. 4 week minimum to make the leaderboard and 6 min at end of year. I have the spreadsheed if you feel the need to check my math!

1) Shorelunch, 1.05 with 4 weeks of predictions

2) ScSavr, 1.11 with 4 weeks of predictions

3) Solbes, 1.21 with 8.2 weeks of predictions

4) cbrooks, 1.39 with 8 weeks of predictions

In the running, but too little data:

Fishing tech, 0.80 with 1 week of prediction

Bear, 2.00 with 2 weeks of predictions (were you serious in week of Dec 2?)

Fortunately for some of you, you didn't make picks on weeks of Dec 2 and Dec 9th. They were awful for those who did (Bear, cbrooks, and myself).

Wnner gets???

[solbes]

<--- This guy would love to join in NCAA title discussion, but he must keep his mouth shut. We have 0.

[scsavre]

Solbes that is awesome stuff. Thanks goodness for your boring job. I didnt eve go in today.

I like to see Brooks on bottom there.

Bear, Michigan is what I was referencing good catch. Of coarse it takes a gopher fan to figure that out.

I do belive it goes like this though

Michigan 9 eight while in the WCHA

Denver 7

Nodak 7 I wont put an asterisk even though they were caught with ineligible candian old guys.

Wisc 6

BU -5

MN - 5

No other program in Minnesota has a title, thats depressing. How can UMD not have a title, you had the goat/golden jet up there in the 80's.

the state of Michigan has 19, that unreal.

[Bear55]

Solbes I didn't even know you were keeping track or I might have put some effort into picking every week. Next year we should some kind of pick-em season among us college hockey fans.

[Bear55]

]

Bear, Michigan is what I was referencing good catch. Of coarse it takes a gopher fan to figure that out.

If you want to get all technical Michigan won a lot of titles back in the day as an Independent, there were a couple of other short term conferences back then too so they could have picked up a little there. I even think UND picked up a title as an independent. Pretty sure the Gophers have a couple of titles that don't count just before the NCAA officially recognized a champion so we got screwed on that one. Things were kind of a mess back then, somewhat luckily for us the WCHA kind of took over and got to claim all those titles way back when

The key to this whole thing is giving cbrooks a hard time no matter how you spin the titles/conferences/independents.

One other key is the Gophers need to get back to their winning ways, I was ok with us being tied for titles with WI and Denver and knocking on UND's door but it didn't take long for Denver and WI to jump out in front again.

[solbes]

Naw, I wasn't keeping track. Just got bored today, so thought it might be kind of fun to see where we stand. Not too late to get in though, 4 weeks of picks and you are on the final board!

I agree, next year we could make it a little more formal and get some more people too. Need to have some kind of stupid prize or trophy that gets passed around too.

Note all those teams are powerhouse hockey programs. I agree it's strange we haven't had a UMD or SCSU type team yet. Took 37 minutes of overtime for UMD to lose in 1984 title game. They had a 2 goal lead on Denver in '04 in the semis and lost the lead. No one was scoring on Boerkhel that year.

[cbrooks]

Well since Michigan has claim to 10 NCAA titles and only two of them were in the CCHA I will go with them.

STP Michigan .....

It would be nice if I won the picks but it would be even sweeter to win my bet with bear

[Bear55]

I must say I am getting nervous, I never thought they would last this long, the WCHA is a battle and just about everyone has a bad weekend at some point during the season.

I can see now agreeing to conference only sweeps was a bad move but I will fall on the grenade if I have to.

[Bear55]

I better get in my last minute picks.

Denver/CC - Split

Beaver Sweep

Gopher Sweep

Alaska Sweep

St. Cloud/Omaha Split

The gopher sweep is kind of a reach but I figure we have to win those games to have any hope at the NCAA's and picking all splits is no fun.

[scsavre]

Man do the gophs need a new coaching staff. They look so lost out there. Ill take a tie. I am really tired of this lousy reffing too. The penalties on the gophs early was a joke. ruined the flow of the game. and then of coarse the refs had to call weak ones on the dogs later.

Ill take the tie, I guess.

[scsavre]

We will have to figure out a way to have a pickem next year. Solbe can keep track, haha.

We should all do a tourny bracket, wcha then the frozen. Any of you guys going to either tourny?

[cbrooks]

I watch the Gopher UMD game. Gophers are a tough team. I thought they were gonna score in the last 30 seconds when Barribal had that nice move to go to the net. That was a good game. Too bad for UMD's first goal wasn't Patterson fault but thats how it goes. Hopefully Gophers can win tonight along with CC again. UND still a point ahead in the standings.

I have no plans right now of going to any tourneys. I like the tourney bracket idea.

[scsavre]

Brooks, could you believe how hard it is for the Gophs to clear the puck out of the d zone. It is embarrassing, especially on the penalty kill.

After watching the Dogs and Gophs 3 times now, I cant see the Dogs going all the way this year. But then again the Gophs to throw a wrench in good teams game plans.

[cbrooks]

The turnovers kill the Gophers. I think thats there weak point from what I watch of them. They did against UND as well. I like there defense. They block alot of shots and Patterson has to be one of the leagues top goaltender. I just think they match up to UMD pretty good. The Gophs show up to play to the good teams but lose to lesser teams. I think it has something to do how they keep there D man back. They hardly ever pinch on the 5 on 5. Really conservative team. I think a few small things they could improve on and they could be one of the top teams.

[scsavre]

Coaching would be that small thing. They are hard to figure out that is fore sure. They play conservative, but get 40 shots and miss another 30. It really doesnt make sense to me. If we had a coach to polish these kids off, they could be good.

I almost feel bad when the Gophs knock off the top teams, cause against the bad teams it doesnt look like they even try.

Stinking Sioux fans better appreciate all the points we are are going to take from the top teams the next few weekends.