WESTERN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION Bruce M. McLeod Commissioner Sara R. Martin Associate Commissioner Carol LaBelle-Ehrhardt Assistant Commissioner of Operations ™ Greg Shepherd Supervisor of Officials March 8, 2010/For Immediate Release Administrative Office Western Collegiate Hockey Association 2010 WCHA PLAYOFFS GET UNDERWAY FRIDAY; FIRST ROUND, BEST- MSC 8302 University of Denver OF-ThREE SERIES TO FEATURE #10 MTu AT #1 DU, #9 UAA AT #2 UW, 2211 S. Josephine Street Denver, CO 80208-8302 #8 MSU AT #3 SCSU, #7 UM AT #4 UND, #6 CC AT #5 UMD p: 303 871-4491. f: 303 871-4770 DENVER IS WCHA REGULAR SEASON & MAcNAUGHTON CUP CHAMPION; BuLLDOGS ARE DEFENDING email: [email protected] FINAL FIVE CHAMPS; NO. 1 PIONEERS LEAD PARADE OF SIX WCHA TEAMS AMONG TOP 15 IN Doug Spencer LATEST NATIONAL POLLS … WISCONSIN NO. 3, NORTH DAKOTA NO. 5, ST. CLOUD STATE NO. Associate Commissioner for Public Relations 7, MINNESOTA DuLUTH NO. 14, COLORADO COLLEGE NO. 15; Du’S RAKHSHANI CLAIMS WCHA Public Relations Office SCORING TITLE, PIONEERS’ CHEVERIE IS LEAGUE GOALTENDING CHAMPION; TICKET PACKAGES Western Collegiate Hockey Association 559 D’Onofrio Drive, Ste. 103 STILL AVAILABLE FOR 2010 RED BARON™ WCHA FINAL FIVE MARch 18-20 AT XcEL ENERGY Madison, WI 53719-2096 CENTER … SINGLE GAME TICKETS ON SALE MARch 8 p: 608 829-0100. f: 608 829-0200 email: [email protected] MADISON, Wis. – The 140-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular season schedule is now com- plete for 2009-10 and now it’s time to get the playoffs underway. Beginning this Friday (March 12) and running HOME OF A RECORD 36 MEn’s through Sunday (March 14), if necessary, are five first round, best-of-three WCHA playoff matchups. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WCHA regular season and MacNaughton Cup champion Denver (25-7-4), the No. 1-ranked team in the national, is also the No. 1 seed for the post-season tournament and will play host to No. 10 seed Michigan TEAMS SINCE 1951 Tech (5-28-1) at Magness Arena (6,026). Face-offs are 7:37 pm MT on Friday, 7:07 pm MT on Saturday and 7:07 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, pm MT on Sunday (if necessary). During the course of the regular season, the Pioneers won both matchups 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, against the Huskies, 5-2 and 5-3 on Feb. 19-20 in the Mile High City. 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, No. 2 seed Wisconsin (22-9-4) will entertain No. 9 seed Alaska Anchorage (11-21-2) at the Kohl Center (15,237) 1982, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1997, with face-offs set for 7:07 pm CT each evening. The No. 3-ranked Badgers were 2-0-0 vs the Seawolves during 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 the regular season, claiming 5-1 and 6-2 verdicts in Madison back on Nov. 13-14. con’t MEN’S MEMBER TEAMS University of Alaska Anchorage Colorado College 2009-10 wESTERN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION STANDINGS University of Denver Michigan Tech University Conference Only Overall University of Minnesota Pts GP Record Win% GF- GA GP Record Win% GF- GA University of Minnesota Duluth 1 Denver$* 42 28 19- 5- 4 .750 92- 65 36 25- 7- 4 .750 120- 84 Minnesota State University 2 Wisconsin* 37 28 17- 8- 3 .661 109- 76 35 22- 9- 4 .686 138- 92 University of North Dakota 3 St. Cloud State* 34 28 15- 9- 4 .607 92- 84 36 20-11- 5 .625 116-100 St. Cloud State University 4 North Dakota* 33 28 15-10- 3 .589 89- 61 36 20-11- 5 .625 115- 77 University of Wisconsin Minnesota Duluth* 33 28 16-11- 1 .589 90- 77 36 20-15- 1 .569 116-100 6 Colorado College 27 28 12-13- 3 .482 88- 85 36 18-15- 3 .542 116-103 2010 RED BARON™ 7 Minnesota 26 28 12-14- 2 .464 80- 76 36 17-17- 2 .500 101- 98 8 Minnesota State 20 28 9-17- 2 .357 75- 92 36 15-18- 3 .458 101-102 WCHA FINAL FIVE Alaska Anchorage 20 28 9-17- 2 .357 66-106 34 11-21- 2 .353 84-130 March 18, 19, 20 10 Michigan Tech 8 28 4-24- 0 .143 59-118 34 5-28- 1 .162 71-142 Xcel Energy Center • St. Paul, MN $ WCHA regular season champion; * home WCHA playoff berth visit us on the web at: wchA.COM ThIS WEEK IN THE WCHA • WCHA PLAYOFFS • FIRST ROUND, BEST-OF-ThREE Games for Friday, March 12: (10) Michigan Tech at (1) Denver (nc), 7:37 pm MT; (9) Alaska Anchorage at (2) Wisconsin (nc), 7:07 pm CT; (8) Minnesota State at (3) St. Cloud State (nc), 7:07 pm; (7) Minnesota at (4) North Dakota (nc), 7:37 pm CT; (6) Colorado College at (5) Minnesota Duluth (nc), 7:07 pm CT. Games for Saturday, March 13: (10) Michigan Tech at (1) Denver, 7:07 pm MT; (9) Alaska Anchorage at (2) Wisconsin (nc), 7:07 pm CT; (8) Minnesota State at (3) St. Cloud State (nc), 7:07 pm CT; (7) Minnesota at (4) North Dakota (nc), 7:07 pm CT; (6) Colorado College at (5) Minnesota Duluth (nc), 7:07 pm CT. Games for Sunday, March 14 (if necessary): (10) Michigan Tech at (1) Denver (nc), 7:07 pm MT; (9) Alaska Anchorage at (2) Wisconsin (nc), 7:07 pm CT; (8) Minnesota State at (3) St. Cloud State (nc), 7:07 pm CT; (7) Min- nesota at (4) North Dakota (nc), 7:07 pm CT; (6) Colorado College at (5) Minnesota Duluth (nc), 7:07 pm CT. WCHA MEN’S RELEASE/WEEKLY #23/3-8-2010 No. 3 seed St. Cloud State (20-11-5) will take on No. 8 seed Minnesota Dakota is No. 5, St. Cloud State is No. 7, Minnesota Duluth is No. 14 and State (15-18-3) for the second straight weekend, hosting the Mavericks Colorado College is No. 15. at the National Hockey Center (5,371) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (if The 2009-10 campaign marks the 58th in the storied history of the necessary) at 7:07 pm CT each evening. The No. 7-ranked Huskies are 0-1-1 WCHA, with the league owning a record 36 national championships. vs the Mavericks this season, after dropping a 4-2 decision in Mankato It also is the final season league membership consists of 10 teams, as last Friday (March 5) and then earning a 2-2 (ot) tie last Saturday (March Bemidji State University and the University of Nebraska Omaha come 6) in St. Cloud. on board as new members for the 2010-11 campaign. Longtime rivals North Dakota and Minnesota will hook-up in first round WCHA playoff action at Ralph Engelstad Arena (11,634) in Grand Forks, with Friday's opener set for 7:37 pm CT, Saturday’s contest at 7:07 pm CT, SINGLE GAME TICKETS FOR 2010 RED BARON™ WCHA and a potential third game on Sunday at 7:07 pm CT. The No. 5-ranked FINAL FIVE GO ON SALE MONDAY, MARch 8; LIMITED Fighting Sioux (20-11-5), sporting a current nation’s best seven-game winning streak, and the Golden Gophers (17-17-2) split their four-game NuMBER OF PACKAGES STILL AVAILABLE regular season series 1-1-2. On the opening weekend of the 2009-10 SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Xcel Energy Center and conference schedule, Oct. 16-17, host North Dakota won 4-0 and tied the Western Collegiate Hockey Association 3-3 (ot) to take three points from UM. Then on Jan. 15-16 in Minneapolis, have announced that single game tickets for the two clubs tied 3-3 (ot) in game one before the Gophers captured a the 2010 Red Baron™ WCHA Final Five, to be 5-1 triumph in game two. Both teams scored 11 goals and yielded 11 in held Thursday–Saturday, March 18–20, will the series. go on sale at 10 a.m. on Monday, March 8. And up in Duluth this weekend, No. 5 seed and defending WCHA The Red Baron™ WCHA Final Five tour- Final Five champion Minnesota Duluth (20-15-1) will entertain No. 6 naments play host to some of the world’s seed Colorado College (18-15-3). Face-offs at the Duluth Entertainment most elite athletes. Ten WCHA alums were & Convention Center (5,303) are 7:07 pm CT each evening. The No. 14- selected to the 2010 U.S. Men’s Olympic ranked Bulldogs posted a 3-1-0 season series advantage over the No. Hockey Team, two were named to Canada’s 15-ranked Tigers. On Nov. 6-7 in Colorado Springs, UMD won the opener Olympic team and one represented Finland. Seven current WCHA players 4-3 with CC taking game two 6-2. In the rematch in Duluth on Jan. 8-9, earned Gold Medals as part of the U.S. Men’s Junior Team at the 2010 IIHF UMD swept the Tigers 5-2 and 4-1. World Junior Championships in Saskatchewan. Following the first round of WCHA playoffs, the five winning teams will Tickets can be purchased at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office, Ticketmaster be re-seeded No. 1 through No. 5 according to their regular season finish ticket centers, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmas- and advance to the 2010 Red Baron™ WCHA Final Five, set for Thursday, ter.com.