2018-19 NCHC WEEKLY RELEASE National Collegiate Hockey Conference 1631 Mesa Avenue, Suite C Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Phone: 719-203-6818 Week of February 25-March 3, 2019 Fax: 719-645-8206 Volume 6, Issue 21 www.NCHCHockey.com Michael Weisman • O: 719-694-9924 • C: 513-310-4869 • [email protected] • @TheNCHC 2018-19 NChC sTaNdings Conference Overall Pts. GP W L T 3/SW Win Pct. GF GA GP W L T Win Pct. GF GA 1. St. Cloud State 50 20 15 2 3 1/1 .825 73 40 30 23 4 3 .817 116 61 2. Minnesota Duluth 37 20 12 7 1 0/0 .625 59 33 30 19 9 2 .667 93 57 3. Western Michigan 35 20 11 8 1 0/1 .575 63 63 30 18 11 1 .617 104 93 4. Denver 34 20 10 8 2 1/1 .550 46 48 30 18 8 4 .667 87 66 5. North Dakota 28 20 9 10 1 0/0 .475 49 49 31 15 14 2 .516 81 75 6. Colorado College 21 20 6 11 3 0/0 .375 58 61 32 12 16 4 .438 100 91 7. Miami 18 20 5 13 2 1/0 .300 40 66 32 11 17 4 .406 73 90 8. Omaha 17 20 5 14 1 0/1 .275 47 75 30 9 19 2 .333 79 112 Teams are awarded three points for each conference win in regulation or 5-on-5 overtime, and one point for a 5-on-5 overtime tie. Conference games still tied after a five-minute 5-on-5 overtime advance to a five-minute 3-on-3 overtime (and sudden victory shootout if still tied) with the team that wins the second overtime/shootout receiving an extra point in the standings (3/SW in the standings), making all games worth three (3) points. The 3-on-3 overtime and shootouts only affect conference standings, while the game is officially a tie for NCAA purposes. BOLD = position clinched NCHC FaCts aNd Figures This Week’s Games • Top-ranked St. Cloud State secured its second straight Penrose Cup and Friday, March 1 third in six years of the NCHC last Saturday night, clinching the 2018-19 *No. 1/1 St. Cloud State at No. 10/10 Western Michigan, 7:05 p.m. ET regular-season championship. The Huskies are the only NCHC team with *No. 6/6 Denver at Omaha, 7:07 p.m. CT three Penrose Cups, while they become the second NCHC team to win back-to-back Cups (North Dakota in 2014-15 and 2015-16). In the NCHC *Miami at No. 3/3 Minnesota Duluth, 7:07 p.m. CT Preseason Media Poll, the Huskies were picked to finish second behind TV: FOX Sports North PLUS Minnesota Duluth, which sits in second place, though SCSU did receive six *No. 20 North Dakota at Colorado College, 8:08 p.m. MT first-place votes. The Huskies enter the penultimate weekend of the regular TV: CBS Sports Network season with a chance to set some NCHC regular-season team records. SCSU sits on 50 points with 12 more points possible (max of 62), while Saturday, March 2 the record for most conference points is 59 (North Dakota in 2015-16 and *No. 1/1 St. Cloud State at No. 10/10 Western Michigan, 7:05 p.m. ET Denver in 2016-17). That UND team also set the record for conference wins with 19, meaning the Huskies would have to win out to match that mark, *No. 6/6 Denver at Omaha, 7:07 p.m. CT while the 2016-17 Denver squad had the fewest losses in conference play *Miami at No. 3/3 Minnesota Duluth, 7:07 p.m. CT with only three. SCSU only has two losses in NCHC play so far this season. *No. 20 North Dakota at Colorado College, 6:07 p.m. MT • The top four teams in the NCHC standings get home ice for the quarterfinal round of the NCHC Tournament. So far, only St. Cloud State Tuesday, Feb. 26 has secured home ice for the opening round, locking up the top seed last *No. 6/6 Denver 1, at Colorado College 0 weekend. Minnesota Duluth, Western Michigan and Denver could lock up the final three home-ice positions this weekend. The Bulldogs can clinch home ice with a win or four points via two ties vs. Miami this weekend, or a North Dakota loss at Colorado College. The Broncos can land home ice by LasT Week’s Results earning five points vs. St. Cloud State or having UND drop five points at CC, Friday, Feb. 22 or a combination of both. Denver clinches home ice with a sweep at Omaha or a CC sweep of UND. If both series result in splits, DU would also secure *No. 1/1 St. Cloud State 4, at Omaha 1 home ice for the 2019 NCHC Quarterfinals. *at North Dakota 4, No. 3/3 Minnesota Duluth 1 • The NCHC announced its February Players of the Month on Thursday *Miami 3, at No. 7/7 Denver 1 and Colorado College freshman forward Ben Copeland corralled his second *No. 8/9 Western Michigan 5, at Colorado College 4 (OT) NCHC Rookie of the Month honor this season after more than doubling his season goal total during the last month. Entering February with four goals, Saturday, Feb. 23 he tallied five last weekend vs. Western Michigan (Feb. 22-23), including tying an NCHC record with four goals on Feb. 23, becoming only the third *at Colorado College 8, No. 8/9 Western Michigan 2 NCHC player to achieve the feat and only second in conference play (St. *No. 1/1 St. Cloud State 5, at Omaha 0 Cloud State’s Joey Benik on Nov. 14, 2015). Copeland is the second Division *No. 3/3 Minnesota Duluth 3, at North Dakota 2 I men’s player in the country to score four goals in a game this season *at No. 7/7 Denver 5, Miami 2 (Arizona State’s Johnny Walker on Oct. 27 vs. Omaha) and the first D-I freshman to score four goals in a game since New Hampshire’s Patrick * National Collegiate Hockey Conference Game Grasso on Oct. 29, 2016 vs. Merrimack. He earned NCAA Second Star of the Week for his efforts, the eighth NCHC player to earn an NCAA Star of the Week this season, but the first freshman to nab one. (page 8) This Weekend's Games on NCHC.tv • The top two offenses in the NCHC clash in a top-10 tussle in Kalamazoo as No. 10 Western Michigan hosts top-ranked SCSU. The Huskies rank For this weekend's games on NCHC.tv, see page 12. second nationally scoring 3.87 goals per game, while WMU is sixth in the NCAA, tallying 3.47 gpg. They are the only two teams averaging more than three goals per game in NCHC conference play, as well (3.65 gpg/3.15 gpg). @TheNCHC | #NCHCHockey /TheNCHC @TheNCHC TheNCHC NCHC.tv SID/School DIrectory National Collegiate Hockey Conference Dir. of Communications: ....Michael Weisman Communications Intern: ... Paige Shacklett Twitter/Instagram: ...............@TheNCHC Office: ...........................719-694-9924 Office: ...........................719-418-2795 Facebook: .............................. /TheNCHC Cell: .............................513-310-4869 Cell: .............................970-946-0748 Snapchat:................................. 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