2016-17 WCHA WEEKLY RELEASE WEEK NINETEEN (FEB. 6-12, 2017) / wcha.com @wcha_mhockey /WCHAHockey @wcha_mhockey WCHA.tv Matt Hodson ● o: 952-818-8872 ● c: 612-801-2808 ● [email protected] OPENING FACE-OFF WESTERN COLLEGIATE • Beavers Closing in on Cup: Following a sweep last weekend of second-place Michigan Tech, league-leading Bemidji State has a magic number of three HOCKEY ASSOCIATION points (either Beavers points earned or Huskies points lost) to clinch the program's first-ever MacNaughton Cup as men's Western Collegiate Hockey • FOUNDED 1951 • Association (WCHA) regular season champions. Suite C • Bemidji State clinches a co-championship, and thus No. 1 seed for the 2017 WCHA Tournament, with two points (either BSU points earned or Minnesota State Univ., Mankato at Edina MTU points lost). The Beavers hold the tiebreaker over the Huskies due to a 3-1-0 advantage in the season head-to-head series. Bemidji State junior goaltender , a Hobey Baker Award candidate, leads the NCAA with a 1.61 goals-against average, 7700 France Avenue South, Suite 360C • The Puck Stops Here: Michael Bitzer 18 wins and five shutouts (tied). The workhorse is also tops nationally with 31 games (and starts), and 1863:23 in the BSU net. Finally, Bitzer ranks sixth in Edina, MN 55435 the country with a .935 save percentage and 723 saves. 952-818-8869 • Wildcats on the Prowl: Northern Michigan has a seven-game unbeaten streak (5-0-2), tied for the second-longest active run in the country. The Wildcats, who earned a WCHA shootout win following one of the ties, have gained 18 league points since Jan. 7 to move within two points of Alabama Huntsville for the eighth and final playoff spot. MEMBER TEAMS • Behind the sensational play of sophomore goaltender Atte Tolvanen, NMU has allowed an NCAA-best 1.00 goals-per-game over the last University of Alabama in Huntsville month. Tolvanen leads the country since Jan. 7 with a 0.98 goals-against average and .966 save percentage (200-for-207). The Finn has posted University of Alaska Anchorage three-straight shutouts, while his scoreless streak stands at a school-record 215:42. University of Alaska Fairbanks • Playoff Chase Continues: Three of the eight teams that will advance to the 2017 WCHA Playoffs are determined, with Bemidji State, Michigan Tech and Bemidji State University Minnesota State clinching spots. The Beavers and Huskies have secured home ice for the quarterfinal round, while BSU has locked up a top-two seed, and Bowling Green State University thus the Sanford Center, through the semifinals (should the Beavers advance that far). Tight races still abound throughout the league. For example: Ferris State University • A mere two points separate eighth-place Alabama Huntsville from ninth-place Northern Michigan, just three points are the space between the Lake Superior State University four teams currently clumped in fifth through eighth place, while eight points can mean the difference between fifth place or 10th. • Minnesota State is still within striking distance of a top-two seed, trailing Michigan Tech by six. Bowling Green, currently in fourth, can catch the Michigan Technological University Mavericks for third or fall completely out of the playoff picture. Alaska is eight points out of a home ice slot with four games in hand on Bowling Minnesota State University Green, while Ferris State and Lake Superior State are nine back of the Falcons (also with four games in hand). Northern Michigan University • Fantastic Freshmen: The WCHA has seen a bevy of excellent performances by first-year skaters this season. • Offensively, Minnesota State's Marc Michaelis leads all NCAA freshmen with 33 points (12g-21a) and is sixth with an average of 1.10 points- per-game. Michaelis and Lake Superior State's Max Humitz lead WCHA rookies with 12 goals, tied for the fourth-most nationally. TRADITION STARTS HERE • Lake Superior State defenseman Collin Saccoman leads all NCAA skaters with 79 blocked shots and 2.82 blocks-per-game. • Michigan Tech goaltender Angus Redmond ranks second nationally with a 1.72 goals-against average and 13th with a .922 save percentage. Ferris State netminder Justin Kapelmaster's .941 save percentage is the NCAA's second-best, while he ranks 10th with a 1.99 GAA. IN MEMORIUM • Tradition Starts Here: Four (4) of the nation's top-15 winningest teams over the past three seasons play in the WCHA - tied with Hockey East for the In memoriam of the late Oliver “Butch” highest representation among that upper 25% of programs of any D-I conference since realignment (the NCHC has three teams, ECAC Hockey has two Mousseau, the men’s Western Collegiate and both Atlantic Hockey and the Big Ten has a single program apiece). Hockey Association (WCHA) will retire his • Minnesota State ranks fourth nationally over the last three-and-a-half seasons with 92 wins, Michigan Tech ranks 12th with 82, Bowling Green officials’ jersey number 12, while on-ice is 14th with 77 and Ferris State is 15th with 76. officials will wear a specially-designed “12” BY THE NUMBERS sticker on their helmets throughout the • 3: Consecutive shutouts for Northern Michigan, a program record. The Wildcats have not allowed a goal in 215:49 (:07 of empty-net time). 2016-17 season. • 12: NCAA-best goals scored since Dec. 1 by NMU senior forward Dominik Shine, who also leads the country with 1.00 goals-per-game since Jan. 1. • 70: Consecutive games that Bemidji State had trailed entering the third period and not won (0-61-9), prior to the Beavers erasing a 2-1 deficit Friday to Mousseau, a longtime league official, defeat Michigan Tech, 4-2. BSU had not overcome a deficit entering the final stanza to win since Feb. 10, 2012. tragically passed away March 25 after suffering critical head injuries stemming from THE WEEK AHEAD a fall to the ice during warm-ups prior to the • Bemidji State at Alabama Huntsville: The Beavers control their own destiny, as a win in regulation or 5-on-5 overtime gives BSU the MacNaughton Cup. The Chargers picked up a huge win last Saturday in Fairbanks to remain in eighth place. This is the lone regular season series between these teams, second WCHA Final Five semifinal game on whose rivalry dates to their 1990s D-II national championship matchups and extends through both College Hockey America and the WCHA. Friday, March 18 at the Van Andel Arena • Ferris State at Michigan Tech: One of the best annual events on the WCHA calendar, as the Huskies host the Bulldogs on Winter Carnival weekend in in Grand Rapids, Mich. Mousseau was 48. Houghton. Michigan Tech is looking to secure a top-two seed for the league playoffs, while Ferris State - currently tied for sixth - can still climb into home- ice contention. The teams last met in the semifinals of the 2016 WCHA Final Five, a 1-0 FSU victory. Butch was universally respected for his work • Alaska Anchorage at Lake Superior State: Key points are on the line in the Soo, as the Lakers are tied for sixth place with 29 points, while the Seawolves on the ice and beloved for his kind and sit five points shy of postseason position. This is the only regular season series between the schools. generous spirit to all, along with his love • Alaska at Northern Michigan: Another UP series with huge playoff implications. The Nanooks are within striking distance of home-ice, while the streaking for the great sport of hockey at all levels. Wildcats are just two points out of eighth place. The teams have yet to skate against each other this season. 2016-17 WCHA STANDINGS Conference Overall Rk (Natl Rank) Team Pts GP W L T 3/SW % GF GA GP W L T % GF GA 1 Bemidji State*^ 58 24 18 4 2 2 .792 63 34 32 18 11 3 .609 74 58 2 (20) Michigan Tech*^ 48 24 13 5 6 3 .667 67 47 34 16 11 7 .574 90 74 3 Minnesota State* 42 24 12 8 4 2 .583 74 58 30 16 10 4 .600 94 75 4 Bowling Green 38 26 12 13 1 1 .481 70 65 33 14 17 2 .455 89 91 5 Alaska 30 22 8 11 3 3 .432 54 70 28 9 16 3 .375 65 92 6 Ferris State 29 22 8 11 3 2 .432 61 61 29 9 16 4 .379 74 77 Lake Superior State 29 22 8 10 4 1 .455 62 66 28 11 13 4 .464 83 84 WCHA.TV In partnership with industry leader 8 Alabama Huntsville 27 24 8 13 3 0 .396 61 81 30 8 19 3 .317 67 106 Stretch Internet, WCHA.tv - the official 9 Northern Michigan 25 22 7 12 3 1 .386 50 57 30 9 17 4 .367 69 82 10 Alaska Anchorage 22 22 5 12 5 2 .341 40 63 28 6 17 5 .304 47 85 online streaming platform of the WCHA * - denotes clinched spot in 2017 WCHA Playoffs; ^ - denotes clinched home ice in the quarterfinal round of the 2017 WCHA Playoffs - will provide fans with live and archived (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; broadcasts of WCHA hockey. rankings listed by USCHO.com first, followed by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine) Featuring all 10 WCHA member institutions, THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA (ALL TIMES LOCAL) every league game – home and away – will be streamed live, along with all nonconference FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 1Ferris State at Michigan Tech, 7:07 p.m.