2017-18 WCHA SEASON IN REVEIW AUG. 14, 2018 / wcha.com @wcha_mhockey /WCHAmenshockey @wcha_mhockey FloHockey.tv Matt Hodson ● o: 952-681-7668 ● c: 612-801-2808 ● [email protected] WESTERN COLLEGIATE OPENING FacEOFF HOCKEY ASSOCIATION • No. 66 in the Books: The Men's League of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) proudly celebrated its 66th • FOUNDED 1951 • season of competition in 2017-18, another campaign of terrific on- and off-ice accomplishments by its student-athletes, 2950 Metro Drive, Suite 102 coaches and member programs. Bloomington, MN 55425 • The WCHA enjoyed frenzied environments and epic moments during its second-consecutive on-campus postseason 952-681-7947 tournament, sent two teams to NCAA regionals, joined Hockey East as one of two conferences to produce a quartet of 20-win teams, landed three teams in the final national polls, featured a Hobey Baker Memorial Award top-10 finalist MEMBER TEAMS and three All-Americans, applauded a pair of top-10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award®, celebrated Minnesota University of Alabama in Huntsville State's third MacNaughton Cup title in four years and Michigan Tech's second-straight league playoff crown, and University of Alaska Anchorage cheered on the 24 players -- from all 10 member institutions -- who signed professional contracts. University of Alaska Fairbanks • Tourney-Bound: For the first time since the 2014-15 season, two WCHA teams advanced to the NCAA tournament: League Bemidji State University regular season champion Minnesota State (the Mavericks earned the No. 2 seed in the West Region) and WCHA tournament Bowling Green State University champion Michigan Tech (with the league's automatic bid, the Huskies were the fourth seed at the East Regional). Ferris State University • The WCHA's representatives nearly derailed the 2018 national championship game on the tournament's first day. Lake Superior State University Michigan Tech scored late to force overtime, before dropping a 4-3 decision to runner-up Notre Dame. Minnesota Michigan Technological University State fell, 3-2 in OT, to eventual national champion Minnesota Duluth. Minnesota State University • 4x20: The WCHA matched Hockey East with an NCAA-best four, 20-win teams. Minnesota State led the country in victories at Northern Michigan University 29-10-1, while Northern Michigan (25-15-3) tied for fourth, Bowling Green (23-12-6) tied for ninth and Michigan Tech (22-17-5) tied for 14th. TRADITION STARTS HERE • The WCHA has now had a quartet of 20-win teams for three-straight seasons. #WEAREWCHA • Polling Place: Three WCHA teams were featured in the final USCHO.com poll of the 2017-18 season: No. 9 Minnesota State, No. 16 Michigan Tech and No. 20 Northern Michigan. The Mavericks (eighth) and Huskies (15th) were each up one spot in the final USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine rankings. Bowling Green received votes in the final USCHO.com poll. 2018-19 IMPORTANT DATES • MacNaughton Returns to Mankato: For the third time in four seasons, the MacNaughton Cup will reside in Mankato after Minnesota State emerged as 2017-18 WCHA regular season champions. Date Event • The Mavericks finished 22-5-1-0 in WCHA play, marking the conference's most league victories since Wisconsin went Oct. 6-7 Opening Weekend 23-5-0 en route to the 1999-2000 MacNaughton Cup. Oct. 26-27 First WCHA league series • Tech's Championship Road: First-year head coach Joe Shawhan guided Michigan Tech on an improbable run from WCHA tournament fifth seed to repeat champions with road series wins at Bemidji State and Minnesota State, capped by a victory at Dec. 7-8 First weekend of five (5) Northern Michigan to earn the inaugural Jeff Sauer WCHA Championship Trophy, presented by Anderson's Pure Maple Syrup. WCHA league series • The Huskies swept the Beavers in a quarterfinal-round series, rebounded from a Game 1 loss to outlast the Mavericks Dec. 17-27 Holiday Break in a semifinal-round series and posted a 2-0, WCHA Championship victory over the Wildcats in Marquette. Late-Dec./ In-season tournaments • Bitzer Sets WCHA Shutout Mark: With a career-high 45 saves in a scoreless tie at eventual national champion Minnesota Early-Jan. Desert Hockey Classic Duluth on Oct. 14, Bemidji State senior goaltender Michael Bitzer set the all-time WCHA record with his 17th career shutout. Great Lakes Invitational • Bitzer wrapped up his illustrious collegiate career with 21 shutouts -- the second-most in NCAA Division I men's hockey history (behind only the 26 posted at Michigan State by eventual NHL All-Star and U.S. Olympian Ryan Miller). TD Bank Catamount Cup • National Accolades: WCHA Overall and Offensive Player of the Year C.J. Suess, Minnesota State's senior forward, was a top-10 March 1-2 Final weekend of the finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award and a first-team CCM/AHCA Hockey All-American. regular season • Suess headlined a trio of WCHA All-Americans, along with two sophomore defensemen who earned second-team March 8-10 2019 WCHA Quarterfinals honors: Northern Michigan's Philip Beaulieu and Bowling Green's Alec Rauhauser (WCHA Defenseman of the Year). Host sites; seeds 1-4 • Beaulieu was also named to the All-USCHO Second Team, while Suess garnered third-team accolades. Northern March 15-17 2019 WCHA Semifinals Michigan junior forward Troy Loggins, Minnesota State junior defenseman Daniel Brickley, Rauhauser and Minnesota State senior goaltender Connor LaCouvee all earned honorable mention. Host sites; top 2 seeds • Rauhauser was an All-CHN selection, joined by Minnesota State freshman forward Jake Jaremko (All-Rookie Team). March 23 2019 WCHA Championship • Bemidji State goaltender Michael Bitzer and Bowling Green forward Mitch McLain were among the top-10 finalists Host site; top seed for the 2017-18 Senior CLASS Award®, while Ferris State forward Andrew Dorantes was among the top-20 candidates. March 29-31 2019 NCAA Regionals • The Next Level: Following the 2017-18 college season, 24 players -- representing all 10 WCHA programs -- signed professional Four sites contracts to continue their careers. April 11-13 2019 NCAA Frozen Four • Five (5) players signed National Hockey League (NHL) entry-level contracts: Bemidji State's Zach Whitecloud (Vegas), Michigan Tech's Dane Birks (Pittsburgh) and Mitch Reinke (St. Louis), and Minnesota State's Daniel Brickley (Los KeyBank Center Angeles) and C.J. Suess (Winnipeg). Buffalo, N.Y. • Whitecloud, Reinke and Brickley were all undrafted free agents -- and all three made their NHL debuts. FINAL 2017-18 WCHA STANDINGS Conference Overall Rk (Natl Rank) Team Pts GP W L T 3/SW % GF GA GP W L T % GF GA 1 (9/8) Minnesota State 67 28 22 5 1 0 .804 116 58 40 29 10 1 .738 153 84 2 (20) Northern Michigan 61 28 19 7 2 2 .714 85 64 43 25 15 3 .616 130 108 3 Bowling Green 58 28 17 6 5 2 .696 87 63 41 23 12 6 .634 122 100 4 Bemidji State 49 28 13 9 6 4 .571 77 63 38 16 14 8 .526 103 95 5 (16/15) Michigan Tech 43 28 12 11 5 2 .518 82 75 44 22 17 5 .557 134 117 6 Ferris State 34 28 11 16 1 0 .411 68 86 38 14 23 1 .382 87 122 7 Alabama Huntsville 33 28 10 16 2 1 .393 69 86 37 12 23 2 .351 84 121 8 Alaska 30 28 9 17 2 1 .357 74 85 36 11 22 3 .347 97 118 9 Lake Superior State 27 28 8 17 3 0 .339 59 90 36 10 22 4 .333 76 121 10 Alaska Anchorage 18 28 4 21 3 3 .196 55 102 34 4 26 4 .176 65 124 (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 by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine) 2017-18 WCHA SEASON IN REVIEW - NEws AND NOTES #WEAREWCHA FROM THE LEAGUE OFFICE 2018 WCHA POSTSEASON TOURNAMENT • Successful 2017-18 Season: With the continued financial success of the on- • Bringing Playoff Hockey Home: "Hockey is the best sport there is, playoff hockey campus WCHA Postseason Tournament, increased revenue from WCHA.tv and is the best of the best, and winning a championship in your home arena – or sponsorships (including value-in-kind), reduced expenditures and appropriate coming together as a team to win on the road – is one of the greatest feelings a budgeting, the WCHA Men's League generated a surplus for the second- player or coach can have." Those words, spoken by esteemed Ferris State Head consecutive fiscal year. Coach Bob Daniels, have proven true in the last two seasons, with the WCHA's on- • Jeff Sauer WCHA Championship Trophy: The league was honored in 2018 to campus league postseason tournament bringing the singular intensity and passion introduce the Jeff Sauer WCHA Championship Trophy, to be awarded each season of playoff college hockey directly to its member institution fans. to the WCHA Postseason Tournament Champion. The late Coach Sauer embodied • 2018 WCHA Playoffs -- Quarterfinals: The best-of-three quarterfinals saw No. 2 all that is wonderful about hockey and everything we strive to represent at the seed Northern Michigan outlast No. 7 Alabama Huntsville in three games, along WCHA; the league is thrilled to have a new trophy as a tangible reminder of his with a trio of sweeps (No. 5 Michigan Tech upset host and No. 4 seed Bemidji enduring impact on our league and sport.