2020-21 WCHA Men's League WEEKLY RELEASE WEEK 19 (NCAA REGIONALS) / Wcha.Com
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TM TM 2020-21 WCHA Men's League WEEKLY RELEASE WEEK 19 (NCAA REGIONALS) / 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. (5/6) Minnesota State^ 39 14 13 1 0 1/1 0 .929 56 15 25 20 4 1 88 38 2, (13/13) Lake Superior State* 27 14 9 5 0 2/2 0 .643 39 34 28 19 6 3 85 58 (17/RV) Bowling Green* 27 14 8 5 1 0/2 0 .643 46 34 31 20 10 1 108 67 4. (14/15) Bemidji State* 24 14 8 5 1 3/2 0 .571 42 34 27 15 9 3 76 74 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 (3 points for a regulation win; 2 points for a 3-on-3 or shootout win; 1 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) THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA (ALL TIMES LOCAL) FRIDAY, MARCH 26 SATURDAY, MARCH 27 NCAA East Regional- Bridgeport, Conn. (First Round) NCAA East Regional- Bridgeport, Conn. (Championship) No. 4 (14/15) Bemidji State vs. No. 1 (4/4) Wisconsin, 1 p.m. ET Semifi nal winners, 4 p.m. ET No. 3 (13/13) Lake Superior State vs. No. 2 (6/5) Massachusetts, 6:30 p.m. ET NCAA West Regional- Loveland, Colo. (First Round) No. 3 (11/10) Quinnipiac vs. No. 2 (5/6) Minnesota State, 3 p.m. MT SUNDAY, MARCH 28 NCAA West Regional- Loveland, Colo. (Championship) Semifi nal winners, 6 p.m. MT No. X NCAA seed; (X/X) national rank; rankings are USCHO.com followed by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine OPENING FACEOFF BY THE NUMBERS • WCHA Lands Three in the NCAA Tournament: The WCHA landed three teams • 713: Saves by Bemidji State's Zach Driscoll this season. The total ranks in the 2021 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship – WCHA postseason second nationally and is the most by any netminder playing in the NCAA champion Lake Superior State, MacNaughton Cup champion Minnesota State Championship. and Bemidji State. The trio are part of a 16-team field announced Sunday • 159: WCHA Postseason-leading saves total by Northern Michigan freshman evening by the NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee. The Lakers, Rico DiMatteo. Mavericks and Beavers will be seeking the WCHA’s 38th NCAA title. • 92: Percent of penalties killed (173-of-188) by Bemidji State since the start of • WCHA regular-season champion Minnesota State is making its the 2019-20 season, the best percentage in the NCAA in that time period. seventh appearance in the tournament (2003, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, • 47: Goals scored by Lake Superior State since Feb. 1, the most in the nation. 2019) and will be the No. 2 seed in the West Regional in Loveland, Colo. The Lakers also top the NCAA with 127 points in that span. • Jeff Sauer Trophy winner Lake Superior State is making its 11th • 8: Points scored by Northern Michigan's AJ Vanderbeck in the WCHA NCAA Championship appearance in program history and its first as Postseason to lead all league scorers. a member of the WCHA this season. The Lakers are the No. 3 seed in • 3: Consecutive NCAA Championship appearances for Minnesota State with the East Regional in Bridgeport, Conn. this year's trip. • Bemidji State finished fourth in the WCHA regular-season and • 1.89: Goals-against average for Lake Superior State's Mareks Mitens in the advanced to the semifinals of the WCHA Postseason to earn its WCHA Postseason, the top GAA among all league netminders. fifth NCAA Championship trip and first a member of the WCHA. The • 1.52: Goals allowed per game by Minnesota State this season, the lowest Beavers will join the Lakers in Bridgeport as the East's No. 4 seed. average in the country. MSU is one of only six teams in the nation allowing • WCHA Announces All-Decade Team for the 2010s: The WCHA concluded its fewer than two goals per contest. recognition of 70 Years of Excellence last week with the announcement of its All-Decade honorees for the 2010s. THE WEEK AHEAD • Named to the All-Decade Team were forwards Jack Connolly of Minnesota Duluth (2008-12) and Marc Michaelis (2016-20) and Matt • No. 4 (14/15) Bemidji State vs. No. 1 (4/4) Wisconsin: Fourth-seeded Bemidji Leitner of Minnesota State (2011-15); defensemen Justin Schultz of State will meet former WCHA foe Wisconsin in the opening game of the East Wisconsin (2009-12) and Alec Rauhauser of Bowling Green (2016-20) Regional on Friday in what will be the second NCAA tournament meeting and goaltender Dryden McKay of Minnesota State (2018-present). between the Beavers and Badgers. Wisconsin leads the all-time series, 6-0-1, • UMD's Connolly was honored as the Player of the Decade. The WCHA's and defeated BSU, 4-0, in the 2006 Midwest Regional in Green Bay, Wis. most-recent Hobey Baker Award winner and the captain of Minnesota • No. 3 (13/13) Lake Superior State vs. No. 2 (6/5) Massachusetts: WCHA Duluth's first national championship team, Connolly registered 197 Postseason champion Lake Superior State will meet No. 2 seed Massachusetts points on 66 goals and 131 assists during his Bulldog career. in the second game of the East Regional on Friday to open LSSU's first NCAA • Minnesota State's Mike Hastings was named the WCHA Coach of tournament since the 1995-96 season. Friday's contest will be the first the Decade. Hastings, who is in his ninth season at Minnesota State meeting between Lakers and Minutemen. in 2020-21, has led the Mavericks to six MacNaughton Cup titles, • No. 3 (11/10) Quinnipiac vs. No. 2 (5/6) Minnesota State: WCHA regular-season including an unprecedented four in a row from 2017-18 through 2020- champion Minnesota State will open its seventh NCAA tournament as the No. 2 21. The six regular season titles tie him for third all-time in the WCHA seed in the West regional and will meet No. 3 seed Quinnipiac in Saturday's first with long-time Michigan Tech head coach John MacInnes, trailing only round. The meeting will be the first between the two schools. The contest will the seven crowns won by Denver’s Murray Armstrong and Minnesota be a match-up of two of the stingiest defenses in the NCAA. MSU (1.52) and QU and Colorado College’s Don Lucia. (1.96) rank No. 1 and No. 6 in goals allowed per game this season. @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 ........................................................................................................................................ 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