2020-21 WCHA Men's League WEEKLY RELEASE 2020-21 SEASON REVIEW/ Wcha.Com
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TM TM 2020-21 WCHA Men's League WEEKLY RELEASE 2020-21 SEASON REVIEW/ wcha.com CONTACT: TODD BELL / O: 952-681-7668 / C: 972-825-6686 / [email protected] 2020-21 WCHA STANDINGS Conference Overall Rk (Natl Rank) Team Pts GP W L T OTW/OTL SW Pts.% GF GA GP W L T GF GA 1. (4/3) Minnesota State^ 39 14 13 1 0 1/1 0 .929 56 15 28 22 5 1 100 46 2, (14/13) Lake Superior State* 27 14 9 5 0 2/2 0 .643 39 34 28 19 7 3 86 63 (18/RV) Bowling Green* 27 14 8 5 1 0/2 0 .643 46 34 31 20 10 1 108 67 4. (10/10) Bemidji State* 24 14 8 5 1 3/2 0 .571 42 34 29 16 10 3 82 70 5. (RV/UR) Michigan Tech 20 14 7 7 0 1/0 0 .476 38 35 30 17 12 1 78 63 (RV/UR) Northern Michigan 20 14 6 7 1 2/2 1 .476 40 47 29 11 17 1 79 103 7. Alabama Huntsville 8 14 3 11 0 1/0 0 .190 18 49 22 3 18 1 31 80 8. Ferris State 3 14 0 13 1 0/1 1 .071 28 59 25 1 23 1 55 103 Standings presented by ^-MacNaughton Cup champion/cliched No. 1 seed for WCHA Postseason; *- Clinched home ice for the WCHA Quarterfi nals Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Fairbanks have opted out of the 2020-21 season (Three points for a regulation win; two points for a 3-on-3 or shootout win; one point for a 3-on-3 or shootout loss; zero points for a regulation loss) (Rankings are USCHO.com followed by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine; !-March 22 poll) FINAL HORN • Minnesota State Advances to the Frozen Four: Minnesota State capped • Milestones: In addition to Minnesota State's unprecedented fourth another stellar season with the program's first Frozen Four appearance. The consecutive WCHA regular-season title, the 2020-21 season saw several other Mavericks opened the NCAA West Regional in Loveland, Colo., with a thrilling team and coaching milestones achieved. 4-3 come-from-behind overtime win over ECAC qualifier Quinnipiac on • Long-time Ferris State head coach Bob Daniels joined some exclusive March 27. MSU then punched its ticket to Pittsburgh with a dominant 4-0 win company when he was behind the bench for his 1,100th game at FSU over Big Ten champion - and former WCHA rival - Minnesota in the regional on Feb. 13 at Michigan Tech. With that contest, Daniels joined former championship game the following night to clinch the final spot in the 2021 Boston University head coach Jack Parker and former Michigan Frozen Four. bench boss Red Berenson as the third coach in NCAA men's ice • Lake Superior State, Bemidji State join Mavericks in NCAA Tournament: hockey history to coach 1,100 Division I games at one school. Ferris WCHA postseason champion Lake Superior State and Bemidji State joined State's March 13 WCHA Quarterfinal game at Minnesota State was the Minnesota State in the NCAA tournament this season, marking the first 1,106 contest of Daniels' FSU tenure. time three league teams reached the national tournament since the 2013 • Bowling Green became the just the 26th team in NCAA men's ice realignment. hockey history to reach the 1,000-win mark when the Falcons • The Lakers and Beavers were both placed in the NCAA East Regional defeated Northern Michigan on Jan. 26. in Bridgeport, Conn., with BSU posting one of the biggest upsets of • With a 5-1 win over Bemidji State on Feb. 12, Northern Michigan the 2021 postseason, taking down regional No. 1 seed Wisconsin, 6-3, became the 11th school in WCHA history to win 400 games as a league on the tournament's first day. LSSU fell to eventual national champion member. Massachusetts, 5-1, that evening with the Minutemen going on to • Bemidji State's Tom Serratore coached his 400th game as a WCHA defeat the Beavers, 4-0, in the East Regional championship game the head coach on Feb. 25 when the Beavers met Minnesota State. following day. Serratore ended his WCHA tenure ranked 20th on the league games • The NCAA tournament appearances were the first both Bemidji State coached list at 410. and Lake Superior State as WCHA members and the fifth and 11th, • WCHA Honors 70 Years of Excellence: The Men’s League of the Western respectively, all-time for the two programs. Collegiate Hockey Association celebrated seven decades of history during the • Lakers Win WCHA Postseason Crown: Lake Superior State became the fourth 2020-21 season. The league announced an All-Decade Team and a Coach and team in the last seven completed tournaments to win the WCHA postseason Player of the Decade for the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and championship when the second-seeded Lakers downed sixth-seeded 2010s throughout the campaign (see page 4 for more information). All current Northern Michigan, 6-3, on March 20 to skate off with the Jeff Sauer Trophy. and former WCHA member institutions were asked to submit nominees for The win also secured LSSU's first NCAA tournament appearance since 1996. consideration and nearly 200 current and former players and coaches were • Minnesota State's Continued Dominance: Minnesota State clinched the nominated. The honorees were selected by a panel of current and former 2020-21 WCHA regular-season title with a 4-3 overtime win over then No. 19/ WCHA staff and media members who have covered the league. RV Bemidji State on Feb. 26. The MacNaughton Cup-securing victory gave the • Home to a record 37 national championships, 16 Hobey Baker Award Mavericks a fourth-consecutive regular season league crown, marking the winners, 408 All-Americans, more than 450 National Hockey League first time in WCHA history a team has won a quartet of titles in a row. MSU had players and over 100 Olympians, the WCHA has been one of the most been tied with Colorado College (1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96) for the most successful and decorated leagues in intercollegiate hockey. consecutive outright titles at three. • This year’s celebration is the second event of its kind in league history. • McKay Rewrites Goaltender Record Book: Hobey Baker and Mike Richter During the 2001-02 season, the WCHA recognized the Top 50 Players finalist Dryden McKay will leave the WCHA as one of the top goaltenders in in 50 Years with a season-long campaign that culminated at that the league's long and storied history, ranking at or near the top in several key season’s Final Five. statistical categories. • Who's Your Granddaddy?: As the oldest conference in college hockey, the • The Downers Grove, Ill., native ended his WCHA tenure with 24 career WCHA has been home to 21 of the current 61 Division I programs (34.4 shutouts in 97 games and will begin his senior season just two percent) and saw former league members populate four other conferences blankings shy of the NCAA record of 26 set by Michigan State's Ryan - including one third generation league. The sons of the WCHA include Miller (1999-2002). the original CCHA (1971-2013), the Big Ten (2013-present) and the NCHC • McKay also ranks as the WCHA's all-time leader in goals against (2013-present). The reborn CCHA, which will begin play next season, will join average (1.53) and save percentage (.932) His career winning that group as the league's lone grandson. percentage of .819 is No. 2 in league history and his 75 career wins stand as 10th-best in WCHA history. @wcha_mhockey @wcha_mhockey /WCHAMensHockey FloHockey.tv /WCHAHockey WCHA QUICK FACTS #WEAREWCHA WCHA Mission Website ..................................................................................................................... wcha.com Streaming Partner ............................................................................................fl ohockey.tv The WCHA exists to achieve the highest level of competitive excellence in an Headquarters ..........................................................................................2950 Metro Drive environment that supports the academic and personal growth of all student ........................................................................................................................................ Suite 102 athletes. ......................................................................................................Bloomington, Minn. 55425 Phone .................................................................................................................952-681-7947 Email ..................................................................................................................pr@wcha.com WCHA Purpose Twitter ......................................................................................................@WCHA_MHockey Instagram ................................................................................................. @wcha_mhockey The WCHA is dedicated to outreach, education and support of men’s and Facebook .............................................................................................. /WCHAmenshockey women’s intercollegiate ice hockey competition in furtherance of the student- LinkedIn ............................................................................................................../wchahockey athletes that participate and its Member institutions, all under conditions compatible with the objectives, functions, and responsibilities of institutions Founded ................................................................................................................................1951 of higher learning. The WCHA is organized for the purpose of continuing First Season .................................................................................................................1951-52 and improving competition in men’s and women’s ice hockey, both among its Members and with other interested institutions of higher learning. This Commissioner .................................................................................................Bill