2018-19 WCHA WEEKLY RELEASE WEEK FOURTEEN (GAMES OF JAN. 11-12, 2019) / wcha.com @wcha_mhockey /WCHAmenshockey @wcha_mhockey FloHockey.tv CONTACT: TODD BELL / O: 952-681-7668 / C: 972-825-6686 / [email protected] WESTERN COLLEGIATE OPENING FACEOFF • Five-for-10: The men's Western Collegiate Hockey Association boasts an NCAA-best five programs with at least 10 regular HOCKEY ASSOCIATION season wins - No. 8 Minnesota State (16), No. 10 Bowling Green (14), No. 18 Lake Superior State (13), Northern Michigan (11) • FOUNDED 1951 • and Michigan Tech (10). Bemidji State can join the group with a win in its home series against Alaska this weekend. 2950 Metro Drive, Suite 102 • Three in the Top-20: Three WCHA teams appear in the USCHO.com top-20 this week - Minnesota State (8), Bowling Green Bloomington, MN 55425 (10) and Lake Superior State (18). In addition to the trio of ranked teams, the WCHA's third-place squad, Northern Michigan, 952-681-7947 received votes in this week's poll. • The Mavericks (ninth) and Falcons (12th) also appear in the top-12 of the PairWise Rankings, while Lake Superior State (18th) and Northern Michigan (25th) are within striking distance of the top-16. MEMBER TEAMS • The Mavericks (7) and Falcons (12) are also ranked in the latest USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine top-15. University of Alabama in Huntsville • Striking Silver: Minnesota State head coach and two-time WCHA Coach of the Year Mike Hastings is back behind the bench University of Alaska Anchorage in Mankato after leading the U.S. junior team to a silver medal at the recently-completed IIHF World Junior Championships University of Alaska Fairbanks in British Columbia. The United States defeated the Czech Republic, 3-1, in the quarterfinals on Jan. 2 and Russia, 2-1, in the Bemidji State University semifinals on Jan. 4 before falling to Finland, 3-2, in the championship game on Jan. 6. Bowling Green State University • Lake Superior State's Kossoff Among the Nominees for the Hockey Humanitarian Award: Lake Superior State senior Ferris State University goaltender Nick Kossoff is among the nominees for the 2019 Hockey Humanitarian Award. Lake Superior State University • Kossoff is one of 17 NCAA men's and women's players in contention for the honor, which recognizes the male or Michigan Technological University female hockey student-athlete who makes significant contributions to his or her team and community through Minnesota State University leadership in volunteerism. Northern Michigan University BY THE NUMBERS • 160: Career wins for Bowling Green head coach Chris Bergeron, tying him with former Falcons bench boss Ron Mason for RADITION TARTS ERE T S H the second-most wins in school history. #WEAREWCHA • 12: Career shutouts by Northern Michigan senior goaltender Atte Tolvanen, which ties the NMU school record. The Vihti, Finland, native picked up his fourth shutout of the season with a 4-0 blanking of Alaska on Jan. 4 to equal the previous school mark. 2018-19 IMPORTANT DATES • 6: Consecutive games won by No. 18 Lake Superior State heading into the weekend. The Lakers began their run with a 4-1 win at Alaska on Dec. 7 and have outscored their opponents 27-12 during that stretch. DATE EVENT March 1-2 Final regular season games THE WEEK AHEAD March 8-10 WCHA Quarterfi nals • Bowling Green-Michigan Tech Highlights Week 14 Slate: No. 10 Bowling Green will travel to Houghton, Mich., to face off Host sites; seeds 1-4 against WCHA rival Michigan Tech in a battle of league's second- and fourth-place squads. The visiting Falcons hold down March 15-17 2019 WCHA Semifi nals the conference's No. 2 spot with 31 points, just two points ahead of the Huskies. MTU leads the all-time series, 17-12-4. Host sites; top 2 seeds • No. 8 and WCHA-leading Minnesota State will visit Big Rapids, Mich., for a two-game set with Ferris State and is March 23 WCHA Championship riding a five-game winning streak against the homestanding Bulldogs. Host site; top seed • Newly-ranked No. 18 Lake Superior State will host Alabama Huntsville with an eye on closing the standings gap with March 29-31 2019 NCAA Regionals Michigan Tech. Lake State is currently in fifth place with 25 points, four behind the Huskies. Four sites • The final two series of the weekend see Alaska visiting Bemidji State for the first time since 2015 and Northern April 11-13 2019 NCAA Frozen Four Michigan continuing its tour of the 49th state with two games at Alaska Anchorage. KeyBank Center • All of this weekend's action will be available for viewing on FloHockey.tv. Buffalo, N.Y. 2018-19 WCHA STANDINGS Conference Overall FLOHOCKEY.TV Rk (Natl Rank) Team Pts GP W L T 3/SW % GF GA GP W L T % GF GA 1 (8/7) Minnesota State 33 14 11 3 0 0 .786 51 24 22 16 5 1 .750 82 46 In partnership with FloSports, the 2 (10/12) Bowling Green 31 14 9 3 2 2 .714 39 25 21 14 4 3 .738 75 37 innovator in live digital sports and 3 (RV/UR) Northern Michigan 30 14 10 4 0 0 .714 38 22 21 11 10 0 .524 49 46 original content, FloHockey.tv - the 4 Michigan Tech 29 14 9 4 1 1 .678 45 33 22 10 10 2 .500 63 62 offi cial online streaming platform of the 5 (18/UR) Lake Superior State 25 14 8 5 1 0 .607 43 33 20 13 6 1 .675 67 50 6 Bemidji State 22 14 7 6 1 0 .535 34 32 22 9 10 3 .477 55 56 WCHA - will provide fans with live and 7 Alaska 14 14 4 9 1 1 .321 29 48 20 4 14 2 .250 37 72 archived broadcasts of WCHA hockey 8 Alabama Huntsville 12 14 4 10 0 0 .285 28 40 22 4 18 0 .181 32 69 via iOS, Roku or Apple TV 4. 9 Ferris State 10 14 3 10 1 0 .250 40 57 22 6 15 1 .295 62 84 10 Alaska Anchorage 4 14 1 12 1 0 .107 11 44 20 2 17 1 .125 22 73 Featuring each of the 10 WCHA member (3 points for win in regulation or 5-on-5 OT; 1 point for tie after regulation and 5-on-5 OT; 1 point for win in 3-on-3 OT or shootout; institutions, every league game – home rankings are USCHO.com followed by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine) and away – will be streamed live, along with all nonconference home games, THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA (ALL TIMES LOCAL) select nonconference road contests and the 2019 WCHA Tournament. FRIDAY, JAN. 11 SATURDAY, JAN. 12 8)Minnesota State at Ferris State, 7:07 ET^ Alaska at Bemidji State, 5:07 CT^ Alabama Huntsville at (18) Lake Superior State, 7:07 ET^ (8)Minnesota State at Ferris State, 7:07 ET^ (10) Bowling Green at Michigan Tech, 7:07 ET^ Alabama Huntsville at (18) Lake Superior State, 7:07 ET^ Alaska at Bemidji State, 7:07 CT^ (10) Bowling Green at Michigan Tech, 7:07 ET^ (RV) Northern Michigan at Alaska Anchorage, 7:07 p.m. AT^ (RV) Northern Michigan at Alaska Anchorage, 7:07 p.m. AT^ ^ denotes streaming live on FloHockey.tv; (EXH) or (NC) denotes exhibition or nonconference game (WCHA teams in bold); rankings this week indicate only USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll THE WEEK IN REVIEW (WEEK 13: JAN. 3-5, 2019) #WEAREWCHA WCHA conference play resumed last weekend with a full slate scored for the Bulldogs. of games that resulted in major changes at the top of the league • The Chargers again knotted the game at 10:38 of the period on a standings. goal by Bauer Neudecker, but the Bulldogs quickly turned the tables for a 3-2 lead with a tally by Coale Norris 16 seconds later. Bemidji State 3, at No. 8 Bowling Green 2 • UAH’s Adam Wilcox tied the contest at 3-3 with a successful at No. 8 Bowling Green 3, Bemidji State 2 redirect of a Kurt Gosselin shot from the point at 14:32 of the (Jan. 3-4 at the Slater Family Ice Arena, Bowling Green, Ohio) second, but FSU retook the lead in the fi nal minute when Lutz scored • The visiting Beavers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the fi rst period of at 19:01. the series opener on Thursday on the strength of goals by Aaron • The Chargers registered back-to-back goals in the third period by Miller and Justin Baudry, with the second goal coming during four- Brandon Salerno at 5:39 and Austin Beaulieu at 6:15 to own a 5-4 on-four action late in the period. lead. • Bowling Green’s Lukas Craggs cut the Beaver lead to 2-1 2:54 into • Ferris State knotted the contest at 5-5 on a Jake Transit goal at the second period, slicing between a pair of BSU defenders and 11:08 of the third, before Dominic Lutz registered the game-winning fi ring from his knees. goal 56 seconds into the overtime period to notch the 6-5 win. • Bemidji extended the lead to 3-1 on goal by Nick Cardelli at 5:18 of • On Saturday, the Charges rallied from a 3-1 third-period defi cit with the period. two goals in the fi nal two minutes of regulation and a game-winner • BG closed to 3-2 with 1:28 remaining in the game on a tally by Tim in overtime to post a 4-3 win over the Bulldogs.