2017-18 WCHA WEEKLY RELEASE WEEK TWO (GAMES OF OCT. 6-7, 2017) / wcha.com @wcha_mhockey /WCHAHockey @wcha_mhockey WCHA.tv Matt Hodson ● o: 952-681-7668 ● c: 612-801-2808 ● [email protected] WESTERN COLLEGIATE OPENING FacEOFF HOCKEY ASSOCIATION • Now the Fun Really Starts: Following some exhibition-game appetizers and the season-opening U.S. Hall of Fame Game for • FOUNDED 1951 • Michigan Tech, the first nearly-full weekend of regular season competition is coming up for the Men's League of the Western 2950 Metro Drive, Suite 102 Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). Eight of the league's member schools will be in action for nonconference games. Bloomington, MN 55425 • Among the Best: Three (3) of the nation's top-15 winningest teams since 2013-14 play in the WCHA -- matching Hockey East 952-681-7947 for the second-highest representation among that upper 25 percent of any conference since realignment (the NCHC has four teams, Atlantic Hockey and ECAC Hockey have two apiece, and the Big Ten has a single program). MEMBER TEAMS • Minnesota State is tied for fifth nationally over the last four seasons with 98 wins, Michigan Tech is tied for ninth with University of Alabama in Huntsville 89 and Bowling Green is tied for 13th with 84. University of Alaska Anchorage • The WCHA also has four teams in the top-20 since realignment, matching the NCHC for the second-most among the University of Alaska Fairbanks upper-third of the country's 60 programs (Hockey East, counting Notre Dame, leads the way with five). Ferris State Bemidji State University ranks 18th with 80 victories since 2013-14. Bowling Green State University • Mavericks Open as Favorites: Minnesota State -- which is also tied for fourth nationally with 122 victories over the past five Ferris State University seasons -- is the heavy preseason league favorite in 2017-18, grabbing all nine possible first-place votes in the Mankato Free Lake Superior State University Press WCHA Coaches' poll and 12 of 14 in the UAHHockey.com WCHA Media poll (full results are available on Page 2). Michigan Technological University • The Mavericks are also 18th in the USCHO.com preseason poll and 15th in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine Minnesota State University preseason rankings. Michigan Tech is receiving votes in both polls, while Bemidji State, Bowling Green and Ferris State Northern Michigan University all collected votes in the USCHO.com ledger. • Taking the Reins in Fairbanks, Houghton and Marquette: After the same 10 WCHA head coaches guided their programs over TRADITION STARTS HERE the last four seasons, three enter 2017-18 with a new bench boss: Alaska (Lance West), Michigan Tech (Joe Shawhan) and #WEAREWCHA Northern Michigan (Grant Potulny). BY THE NUMBERS 2017-18 IMPORtaNT DatES • 100: Returning goals for Minnesota State, tied with Notre Dame for the seventh-most nationally. The Mavericks lost just 19 goals from their 22-win team a year ago, including double-digit lamp-lighters Zeb Knutson (15), Brad McClure (14), Marc Date Event Oct. 6-7 First full regular season Michaelis (14) and C.J. Suess (12). weekend • 999: Games in program history for Alabama Huntsville, which joined the NCAA ranks as a Division II team in 1986. The Chargers Icebreaker Tournament will play their 1,000th all-time contest in Friday's season opener at Notre Dame. Oct. 13-14 First WCHA league series Nov. 10-11 First weekend of five (5) THE WEEK AHEAD WCHA series • Ice Breaker Tournament: The WCHA returns to the Ice Breaker Tournament for just the second time in the last five years (Lake Dec. 17-Dec. 27 Holiday Break Superior State in 2015), as Michigan Tech will play in the 21st annual event. The Huskies open at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Late-Dec./ In-season tournaments Minn. against No. 16 Union on Friday, and will face either No. 3 Minnesota or host Minnesota Duluth (No. 6/11) on Saturday. Early-Jan. Great Lakes Inviational • Nonconference Tests: Including the Ice Breaker field, nine of the WCHA's 11 nonconference games come against ranked Ice Vegas Invitational opponents. Alabama Huntsville opens its season at No. 8 Notre Dame, Alaska Anchorage hosts No. 7 North Dakota and Alaska Three Rivers Classic welcomes No. 17 Air Force, while No. 18/15 Minnesota State plays a single contest against visiting No. 9/6 St. Cloud State. Feb. 23-24 Final weekend of the • Lake Superior State vs. Northern Michigan: With just one official WCHA league series scheduled between the UP rivals in regular season 2017-18, the Lakers and Wildcats will meet for a home-and-home, nonconference set as part of the annual Cappo Cup. March 2-4 2018 WCHA Quarterfinals Bowling Green will face some of the nation's top young talent, hosting the U.S. National Team Host sites; seeds 1-4 • Bowling Green Exhibition: March 9-11 2018 WCHA Semifinals Development Program (USNTDP) this Saturday night. The Falcons skate at Western Michigan next Tuesday (Oct. 10). Host sites; top 2 seeds 2018 WCHA Semifinals 2017-18 WCHA StaNDINGS March 17 Conference (Final Regular Season) Overall Host site; top seed Rk (Natl Rank) Team Pts GP W L T 3/SW % GF GA GP W L T % GF GA March 23-25 2018 NCAA Regionals 1 Alabama Huntsville 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 Four sites Alaska 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 April 5-7 2018 NCAA Frozen Four Alaska Anchorage 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 Xcel Energy Center Bemidji State 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 Saint Paul, Minn. Bowling Green 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 Ferris State 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 Michigan Tech 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 1 0 1 0 .000 2 3 WCHA.TV In partnership with industry leader (18/15) Minnesota State 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 Stretch Internet, WCHA.tv - the official Northern Michigan 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 0 0 0 0 .--- 0 0 (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; online streaming platform of the WCHA rankings listed by USCHO.com first, followed by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine) - will provide fans with live and archived broadcasts of WCHA hockey, now available HIS EEK IN THE LL IMES OCAL) via OTT aps on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV T W WCHA (A T L and Android TV. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 SatURDAY, OCTOBER 7 1Michigan Tech vs. (16) Union, 4:07 p.m. CT 1Michigan Tech vs. (3) Minn./(6/12) Minn. Duluth, 4:07/7:37 p.m. CT Featuring all 10 WCHA member institutions, Ferris State at Western Michigan, 7:05 p.m. ET Alabama Huntsville at (8) Notre Dame, 7:05 p.m. ET every league game – home and away – will be 2Northern Michigan at Lake Superior State, 7:07 p.m. ET* Western Michigan at Ferris State, 7:07 p.m. ET* streamed live, along with all nonconference Alabama Huntsville at (8) Notre Dame, 7:35 p.m. ET 2Lake Superior State at Northern Michigan, 7:07 p.m. ET* home games and the 2018 WCHA tournament. (Exh.) USNTDP at Bowling Green, 7:37 p.m. ET (9/6) St. Cloud State at (18/15) Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m. CT* (7) North Dakota at Alaska Anchorage, 7:07 p.m. AT* (7) North Dakota at Alaska Anchorage, 7:07 p.m. AT* (17) Air Force at Alaska, 7:07 p.m. AT* (17) Air Force at Alaska, 7:07 p.m. AT* 1 - Ice Breaker Tournament (AMSOIL Arena; Duluth, Minn.); 2 - Nonconference series between WCHA teams; * - WCHA.tv Rankings listed by USCHO.com poll first, followed byUSA Today / USA Hockey Magazine poll 2017-18 WCHA PRESEASON POLLS #WEAREWCHA MINNESOta StatE TABBED AS PRESEASON WCHA FAVORITE 2017-18 MANKatO FREE PRESS WCHA COachES' POLL Rank Team (1st Place Votes) Points The program that owns the fourth-most wins nationally over the last five years is the 1. Minnesota State (9) 90 heavy 2017-18 favorite in the men’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), 2. Bemidji State (1) 81 as Minnesota State sits atop both the Mankato Free Press WCHA Coaches’ and 3. Michigan Tech 70 UAHHockey.com WCHA Media preseason polls. 4. Bowling Green 67 5. Ferris State 59 Predictions on the final standings by coaches and media mirrored each other, led by a 6. Lake Superior State 51 Mavericks team that has 122 victories since Mike Hastings took the reins prior to the 7. Northern Michigan 40 2012-13 season. Minnesota State, which also owns two MacNaughton Cups (2014-15 8. Alaska 35 and 2015-16 as co-champs) and a pair of Broadmoor Trophies (2014 and 2015) in that 9. Alabama Huntsville 29 span, received all nine possible first-place votes from coaches and 12 of 14 from the 10. Alaska Anchorage 18 media. Predicted order of finish. Based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale. Coaches could not vote for their own teams. Defending MacNaughton Cup champion Bemidji State received the other coaches’ first-place vote and is in second place in both poll.