2018-19 WCHA WEEKLY RELEASE WEEK EIGHT (GAMES OF NOV. 21-24, 2018) / wcha.com @wcha_mhockey /WCHAmenshockey @wcha_mhockey FloHockey.tv CONTACT: MATT HODSON / O: 952-681-7668 / C: 612-801-2808 / [email protected] WESTERN COLLEGIATE OPENING FACEOFF • Season-High Three in the Top-20: The men's Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) enters Thanksgiving week HOCKEY ASSOCIATION with three teams in the top-20 of the USCHO.com poll (along with two in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine ledger). • FOUNDED 1951 • • Minnesota State, which has a six-game winning streak and is 9-1-0 overall, is ranked third for the third- 2950 Metro Drive, Suite 102 consecutive week (and received three first-place nods by USCHO.com voters). Bloomington, MN 55425 • Bowling Green (8-3-2) is No. 12 in the USCHO.com poll and is ranked 11th by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine. 952-681-7947 • Lake Superior State (6-3-1) is ranked for the first time since Nov. 7, 2016, debuting at No. 20 in the USCHO.com poll. The Lakers have victories this month over now-No. 14 Michigan (Nov. 2) and Bowling Green (Nov. 16). • Believe In Blue: Lake Superior State has surged back into the national top-20 thanks to improved offensive output, MEMBER TEAMS some big wins and a road-warrior mentality. University of Alabama in Huntsville • The Lakers are third in the WCHA and 17th nationally by averaging 3.30 goals-per-game, more than a goal better University of Alaska Anchorage than their final 2017-18 mark (2.11 per contest). University of Alaska Fairbanks • After going 0-6-2 against ranked teams in 2017-18, LSSU is off to a 2-2-0 start this season, with the Bemidji State University aforementioned wins against top-15 opponents Michigan (then-No. 12) and Bowling Green (then-No. 10). Bowling Green State University • The Lakers are 5-1-0 (.833) away from home this season, the second-most road victories in the country and the Ferris State University second-best winning percentage among teams that have played at least three road games. Lake Superior State University • 200-foot Game: Minnesota State is one of five NCAA teams to rank in the top-10 for both scoring offense and defense. Michigan Technological University • The Mavericks are second nationally with a WCHA-best 4.50 goals-per-game, while they are tied for eighth by Minnesota State University allowing just 2.00 per contest. St. Cloud State (third and tied for third), Massachusetts (fourth and second), Northern Michigan University Providence (sixth and sixth) and Quinnipiac (10th and tied for eighth) are the others. • Bowling Green is just outside this group, as the Falcons have played the nation's stingiest defense to date by TRADITION STARTS HERE allowing just 1.69 goals-per-game, while scoring 3.62 per skate to rank 11th. • Copper Country Strong: This Friday's game at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena will have extra meaning, as #WEAREWCHA Michigan Tech will wear special Copper Country Strong jerseys. The Huskies are hosting an in-game silent auction for the jerseys, with all proceeds going to the Portage Health Foundation's Flood with Love initiative benefitting families impacted by the Father's Day flood in Houghton, Mich. 2018-19 IMPORTANT DATES DATE EVENT BY THE NUMBERS Dec. 7-8 1st weekend of five (5) • 8: Game-winning goals the last two seasons by Northern Michigan junior Darien Craighead. After topping the NCAA WCHA league series with six deciding markers in 2017-18, he is tied for the WCHA lead with two in 2018-19 (including last Saturday, as he Dec. 17-27 Holiday Break snapped a 1-1 tie with 1:15 remaining in the Wildcats' 2-1 victory over Alaska Anchorage). Late-Dec./ In-season tournaments Early-Jan. Desert Hockey Classic THE WEEK AHEAD Great Lakes Invitational • Three WCHA Series: All six WCHA league games this weekend, including a pair of intrastate rivalry sets, will be TD Bank Catamount Cup streamed live and on-demand via FloHockey.tv. March 1-2 Final reg. season games • The annual Cappo Cup series gets started in the UP, with Lake Superior State putting its newly-acquired No. 20 March 8-10 WCHA Quarterfinals ranking on the line against visiting Northern Michigan. Elsewhere, Bemidji State hosts No. 3 Minnesota State for Host sites; seeds 1-4 in-state WCHA bragging rights, while Michigan Tech welcomes Alaska. 2019 WCHA Semifinals March 15-17 • Exhibition and Nonconference Road Tests: Bowling Green will get in a pre-Thanksgiving skate with Wednesday's Host sites; top 2 seeds exhibition contest in Plymouth, Mich. against the U.S. Under-18 Team. Alaska Anchorage continues its road trip with a March 23 WCHA Championship weekend set in Grand Forks against No. 17 North Dakota. Host site; top seed March 29-31 2019 NCAA Regionals 2018-19 WCHA STANDINGS Four sites Conference Overall April 11-13 2019 NCAA Frozen Four Rk (Natl Rank) Team Pts GP W L T 3/SW % GF GA GP W L T % GF GA KeyBank Center 1 Michigan Tech 12 4 4 0 0 0 1.000 15 9 10 5 5 0 .500 28 30 Buffalo, N.Y. (3) Minnesota State 12 4 4 0 0 0 1.000 19 4 10 9 1 0 .900 45 20 Northern Michigan 12 6 4 2 0 0 .667 12 6 12 5 7 0 .417 22 28 4 (12/11) Bowling Green 11 6 3 2 1 1 .583 11 10 13 8 3 2 .692 47 22 FLOHOCKEY.TV 5 (20) Lake Superior State 10 6 3 2 1 0 .583 19 16 10 6 3 1 .650 33 27 6 Bemidji State 9 4 3 1 0 0 .750 7 5 10 5 4 1 .550 22 20 In partnership with FloSports, the 7 Alaska 8 6 2 3 1 1 .417 11 17 12 2 8 2 .250 19 41 innovator in live digital sports and 8 Ferris State 6 6 2 4 0 0 .333 17 23 12 4 8 0 .333 33 43 original content, FloHockey.tv - the 9 Alabama Huntsville 3 6 1 5 0 0 .167 10 15 12 1 11 0 .083 13 38 official online streaming platform of the 10 Alaska Anchorage 1 8 0 7 1 0 .062 4 20 10 1 8 1 .150 10 33 WCHA - will provide fans with live and (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; archived broadcasts of WCHA hockey rankings listed by USCHO.com first, followed by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine) via iOS, Roku or Apple TV 4. THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA (ALL TIMES LOCAL) Featuring each of the 10 WCHA member WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21 SATURDAY, NOV. 24 institutions, every league game – home (EXH) (12/11) Bowling Green at USA Under-18 Team, 7:00 p.m. ET Northern Michigan at (20) Lake Superior State, 7:07 p.m. ET^ and away – will be streamed live, along Alaska at Michigan Tech, 7:07 p.m. ET^ with all nonconference home games, (3) Minnesota State at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m. CT^ select nonconference road contests and FRIDAY, NOV. 23 (NC) Alaska Anchorage at (17) North Dakota, 7:07 p.m. CT the 2019 WCHA Tournament. Northern Michigan at (20) Lake Superior State, 7:07 p.m. ET^ Alaska at Michigan Tech, 7:07 p.m. ET^ (3) Minnesota State at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m. CT^ (NC) Alaska Anchorage at (17) North Dakota, 7:37 p.m. CT ^ denotes streaming live on FloHockey.tv; (NC) denotes nonconference game (WCHA teams in bold); Rankings listed by USCHO.com poll first, followed by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll (if different) THE WEEK IN REVIEW (WEEK 7: GAMES OF NOV. 16-17) #WEAREWCHA Third-ranked Minnesota State and Northern Michigan moved into a at Northern Michigan 3, Alaska Anchorage 0 tie with Michigan Tech atop the WCHA standings following sweeps, at Northern Michigan 2, Alaska Anchorage 1 Alabama Huntsville split with Alaska for its first win of the season (Nov. 16 and 17 at Berry Events Center; Marquette, Mich.) and Lake Superior State earned a road split at No. 10 Bowling Green. • The Wildcats picked up their first sweep of the season, allowing just one goal in two victories over the visiting Seawolves. Alabama Huntsville 3, at Alaska 1 • Northern Michigan senior goaltender Atte Tolvanen moved into a at Alaska 2, Alabama Huntsville 1 tie for the NCAA lead with his third shutout of the season (and 11th (Nov. 16 and 17 at Carlson Center; Fairbanks, Alaska) career clean sheet, the second-most in school history) in Friday • The Chargers and host Nanooks played to a split, with the visitors night's 3-0 victory. Tolvanen stopped all 18 shots he faced, while winning Friday for their first victory of the season. the Wildcats received goals from Tony Bretzman in the first period, • After suffering five one-goal losses during its winless 10-game and Vincent de May (first collegiate strike for the freshman) and start to the season, UAH finally broke through with its first victory, Troy Loggins in the second stanza. 3-1 in Friday's series opener. The Chargers were outshot by a 45-20 • Darien Craighead, who has eight game-winning goals the last margin, but received 44 stops from WCHA Goaltender of the Week two seasons, struck in the clutch again, snapping a 1-1 tie with 1:15 Mark Sinclair, who earned his first collegiate win.