2016-17 WCHA WEEKLY RELEASE WEEK TWO (OCTOBER 3-9, 2016) / wcha.com @wcha_mhockey /WCHAHockey @wcha_mhockey WCHA.tv Matt Hodson ● o: 952-818-8872 ● c: 612-801-2808 ● [email protected] WESTERN COLLEGIATE OPENING FACE-OFF • Let's Get it Started: After three men's Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) teams dropped the puck on the Association's HOCKEY ASSOCIATION 65th season last weekend, six more take the ice for their regular season debuts this weekend. • FOUNDED 1951 • • Preseason Polls: Four WCHA teams were ranked in the USCHO top-20 preseason poll, mirroring their projected league finish in the Suite C coaches' and media polls: No. 14 Bowling Green, No. 17 Michigan Tech, No. 19 Minnesota State and No. 20 Ferris State. The Falcons are Minnesota State Univ., Mankato at Edina also the 15th-ranked team in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine poll. 7700 France Avenue South, Suite 360C • Charging Ahead: Alabama Huntsville opened the campaign with their strongest start of the WCHA era, sweeping Ferris State on the Edina, MN 55435 road to earn the first six points of the league season. The wins marked UAH's first-ever sweep of a ranked opponent, was the program's 952-818-8869 first conference-opening sweep and gave the Chargers a 2-0 start for the first time since the 2001-02 season. • 4x20: With four separate 20-win teams for the first time since realignment, the WCHA in 2015-16 was one of just two Division I MEMBER TEAMS conferences to have at least that many (Hockey East led the country with five, 20-win teams). University of Alabama in Huntsville • Michigan Tech (23-9-5), Bowling Green (22-14-6), Minnesota State (21-13-7) and Ferris State (20-15-6) formed the WCHA's University of Alaska Anchorage 20-win quartet. University of Alaska Fairbanks • Tradition Starts Here: Four (4) of the nation's top-15 winningest teams over the past three seasons play in the WCHA - the highest Bemidji State University representation among that upper 25% of programs of any D-I conference since realignment (Hockey East and the NCHC each have three Bowling Green State University teams apiece, the Big Ten and ECAC Hockey both have two each and Atlantic Hockey has a single program). Ferris State University • Minnesota State is fourth nationally with 76 wins, Ferris State is tied for 10th with 67, Michigan Tech is 12th with 66 and Lake Superior State University Bowling Green is 15th with 63. Michigan Technological University Minnesota State University BY THE NUMBERS Northern Michigan University • 2: Wins for Alabama Huntsville after opening weekend, matching the entire season and WCHA total that UAH's current seniors had during their freshman campaign, the Chargers' first in the league (2013-14). • 10: Career shutouts for Bemidji State junior Michael Bitzer and Minnesota State senior Cole Huggins, tied for the most among active TRADITION STARTS HERE NCAA goaltenders entering the season. • 15: Consecutive season-openers without a loss for Alaska Anchorage, which is 12-0-3 to start a campaign since the 2001-02 season. • 38: Career wins for Huggins, second among active NCAA netminders (behind Colgate's Charlie Finn, who has 47). IN MEMORIUM In memoriam of the late Oliver “Butch” Mousseau, the men’s Western Collegiate THE WEEK AHEAD Hockey Association (WCHA) will retire his • Cup Co-Champs Meet: No. 17 Michigan Tech and No. 19 Minnesota State, defending WCHA regular season co-champions, open their officials’ jersey number 12, while on-ice respective league slates this weekend in Mankato. Tech won last year's season series, 1-0-1 (played in Houghton). officials will wear a specially-designed “12” • Preseason Favorites Open: No. 14/15 Bowling Green, the coaches' and media's preseason pick to win the WCHA, opens this weekend at sticker on their helmets throughout the Bemidji State. The teams met in a thrilling three-game WCHA quarterfinal series last spring, with BGSU advancing to the Final Five. 2016-17 season. • Raising the Banner: Prior to its Thursday night home game against Western Michigan, Ferris State will raise the banner commemorating its 2016 Broadmoor Trophy title as WCHA playoff champion. The Bulldogs will play at WMU Friday to complete the home-and-home. Mousseau, a longtime league official, • WCHA vs. Big Ten: Four games against Big Ten opponents await, including Northern Michigan hosting Wisconsin at the Resch Center in tragically passed away March 25 after Green Bay, Wis. Both Alaska Anchorage and Alaska will play No. 13/11 Minnesota this weekend in Anchorage. suffering critical head injuries stemming from • Interconference Nonconference: In addition to playing the Gophers, Alaska Anchorage and Alaska will meet Saturday in a rare a fall to the ice during warm-ups prior to the nonconference matchup between WCHA teams. second WCHA Final Five semifinal game on • Nonconference Road Test: Alabama Huntsville will look to continue its hot start with a two-game series at Hockey East foe Connecticut. Friday, March 18 at the Van Andel Arena 2016-17 WCHA STANDINGS in Grand Rapids, Mich. Mousseau was 48. Conference Overall Rk (Natl Rank) Team Pts GP W L T 3/SW % GF GA GP W L T % GF GA Butch was universally respected for his work 1 Alabama Huntsville 6 2 2 0 0 0 1.000 6 4 2 2 0 0 1.000 6 4 on the ice and beloved for his kind and 2 Alaska Anchorage 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 generous spirit to all, along with his love Alaska 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 for the great sport of hockey at all levels. Bemidji State 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 (14/15) Bowling Green 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 Lake Superior State 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 (17) Michigan Tech 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 2 0 2 0 .000 3 10 (19) Minnesota State 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 Northern Michigan 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 (20) Ferris State 0 2 0 2 0 0 .000 4 6 2 0 2 0 .000 4 6 (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; rankings listed by USCHO.com first, followed byUSA Today/USA Hockey Magazine) WCHA.TV In partnership with industry leader THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA (ALL TIMES LOCAL) Stretch Internet, WCHA.tv - the official THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8 online streaming platform of the WCHA Western Michigan at (20) Ferris State, 7:07 p.m. ET* Alabama Huntsville at Connecticut, 4:05 p.m. ET - will provide fans with live and archived 1(14/15) Bowling Green at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m. CT* broadcasts of WCHA hockey. 1 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7 (17) Michigan Tech at (19) Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m. CT* Alabama Huntsville at Connecticut, 7:05 p.m. ET 2Wisconsin vs. Northern Michigan, 7:07 p.m. CT* Featuring all 10 WCHA member institutions, (20) Ferris State at Western Michigan, 7:05 p.m. ET 3Alaska at Alaska Anchorage, 7:07 p.m. AT* every league game – home and away – will be 1(14/15) Bowling Green at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m. CT* streamed live, along with all nonconference 1 (17) Michigan Tech at (19) Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m. CT* SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9 home games and the 2017 WCHA tournament. 2Wisconsin vs. Northern Michigan, 7:07 p.m. CT* 4(13/11) Minnesota vs. Alaska, 4:07 p.m. AT* (13/11) Minnesota at Alaska Anchorage, 7:07 p.m. AT* 1 - WCHA game; * - WCHA.tv; 2 - game played at the Resch Center (Green Bay, Wis.); 3 - nonconference game; 4 - game played at the Sullivan Arena (Anchorage, Alaska) Rankings listed by USCHO.com poll first, followed by USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine poll THE WEEK IN REVIEW - GAMES OF SEPT. 30 - OCT. 2, 2016 #WCHA • Alabama Huntsville opened the season with a two-game sweep at reigning at No. 14 Bowling Green 3, Windsor 2 (Exhibition) Broadmoor Trophy champion Ferris State. (Oct. 1 at BGSU Ice Arena; Bowling Green, Ohio) • No. 17 Michigan Tech started with a nonconference series at No. 6 Junior Brett D'Andrea scored back-to-back second-period goals to turn a Minnesota Duluth. 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead, and Kevin Dufour added a power-play strike later in • Alaska Anchorage, Alaska, Bowling Green, Lake Superior State, Minnesota the period as No. 14 Bowling Green earned a 3-2 exhibition win over visiting State and Northern Michigan all played exhibition contests. Windsor. • Full recaps, box scores and select video highlights are available online at The game featured a combined 26 power-play opportunities. Senior wcha.com. goaltender Tomas Sholl played the entire game for the Falcons, making 21 saves. Alabama Huntsville 2, at No. 20 Ferris State 1 Alabama Huntsville 4, at No. 20 Ferris State 3 at Lake Superior State 3, Laurentian 3 (Laurentian wins shootout, 1-0) (Exh.) (Oct. 1 and 2 at Ewigleben Arena; Big Rapids, Mich.) (Oct. 2 at Taffy Abel Arena; Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.) For the first time ever, Alabama Huntsville posted a sweep of a ranked Lake Superior State got extra work in during an exhibition contest, tying opponent, opening a season 2-0 for the first time since 2001-02 with a pair of visiting Laurentian 3-3 in a contest that featured a 3-on-3 overtime and a wins at No.