Time for a break!
Hockey fans are the same as regular people. We don’t get enough hockey, so we don’t need a Christmas break from, say, the stress and pressure of college hockey races. But teams could certainly use a pause, and all the major Division I conferences are taking a Christmas break, just to recharge their systems and take a collective deep breath to prepare for what will surely be a wild and crazy second half.
It also gives us the perfect opportunity to take stock of how the late, great country songwriter Guy Clark said: “I wonder what we’ve come to, and how we’ve gotten this far.”
The best guess is that the final standings will look little like what the various conference standings now show at the midpoint. But looking at the six Division I men’s college hockey teams in Minnesota, we can see three of the best college hockey conferences in the country. We all think our conference is the best, and they all have their moments, but which conference has been the biggest surprise so far? What’s the difference? Which players? It’s your decision.
St. Thomas leads the CCHA standings
My nomination is the CCHA, the league that kept the best name in the game as the WCHA but wasn’t satisfied and turned it into another revamped name for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. This conference has been controlled since its current incarnation by Minnesota State Mankato. There was no reason the Mavericks couldn’t do the same thing again, even though living legend coach Mike Hastings took the money and ran to take over the Wisconsin program in the Big Ten. Unfortunately for the Mavs, some of their best players followed suit and went with him.
So after 10 or 12 games, who leads the CCHA? As top candidates we have the usual suspects – Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, Bemidji State, MSU-Mankato, Lake Superior State, Northern Michigan, and Bowling Green. Oh, and don’t forget the new guys on the block, St. Thomas.
You better not forget the Tommy, because they are in first place, leading into the Christmas break with a 7-5 record and 21 points. Second is Michigan Tech 6-4 with 19 points, then Michigan State University 5-4-1 with 17 points is in third place, while Bemidji State 5-5 with 16 points is a surprise in fourth place. Bemidji State is feeling the pressure from a three-way tie for fifth place with 15 points with Lake Superior State 5-6-1, Bowling Green 5-5 and Northern Michigan 5-5. Ferris State is in eighth place at 3-7 with 8 points.
NCHC is full of surprises, and the Bulldogs struggle
Just last weekend, no one pulled off a bigger upset than the NCHC, as Denver and North Dakota stopped short of being ranked No. 1 in the country, and both looked poised to take on the surprising challenge of St. Cloud State.
But Colorado College made a historic trip to Grand Forks, stunning the North Dakota Fighting Hawks 3-2 in overtime. The Tigers finished the weekend with an improbable sweep of the Fighting Falcons, who had just been voted No. 1 in the country a week earlier.
But the shocking event of the weekend was in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where Western Michigan turned away a 3-3 tie eight minutes into the third period in Game 1 and beat the University of Denver 7-3. The next night, Western Michigan nearly pulled off a sweep but lost 6-5 in overtime.
St. Cloud State took advantage, winning 4-1 at Omaha to solidify its grip on first place. Omaha won the second game on penalties to prevent a sweep of St. Cloud State.
One of the biggest surprises on the less positive scale is that Minnesota Duluth has struggled to score goals despite being projected as an NCHC contender. In recent weeks, the Bulldogs have been playing better and better, but still without the rewards their determination seems to have earned. On the final weekend before the break, the Bulldogs made it to Oxford, Ohio, where they faced the Miami Redhawks in a series that determined who would escape from last place.
The Bulldogs secured a much-needed shootout win in the first game before winning 3-1 the next day after adjusting the lines. Blake Biondi spent some time at center and scored in the second half.
The NCHC standings show St. John’s progress. Cloud State is 7-0-1 with 22 points, which is definitely an upset. North Dakota comes in second place at 5-3 with 18 points, followed by Western Michigan (4-4) with 14 points, Denver 5-3 with 13 points, Colorado College (4-4) with 10 points, and Omaha (3-4). -) 1) With 9 points, tied with UMD (2-5-1) with 9, and with Miami 0-7-1 with one point.
The Big Ten has had amazing results. WCHA Women’s Hockey Adventures
The Big Ten also had a few upsets last weekend, as Minnesota went to Columbus and picked up a 5-4 win over last-place Ohio State, but it was a battle. The Gophers rallied to tie the game at 1-1 in game two, but the Buckeyes stole the extra point in a shootout. The result drops the Gophers to 0-3 in games decided by shootouts this season.
But the Gophers still have a lot of work to do to get to the top, as Michigan State swept Notre Dame 5-2 and 2-1 in East Lansing to take first place with a 7-1-2 record and 25 points. That’s ahead of Wisconsin (8-2) with 24 points, after the Badgers swept Penn State 6-3, 4-1 in Madison. Followed by Minnesota (5-4-3) with 17 points, then Notre Dame (4-4-2) with 15 points, Michigan (3-5-1) with 11 points, and Penn State (2-5-3) with 11 points. . Points and Ohio State (0-8-1) for one point.
The women, who should not be left out, had their own adventures in the WCHA last weekend, as Minnesota downed Wisconsin 5-3 in Minneapolis before the Badgers responded with a 5-1 win in game two. Top-ranked Ohio State extended its lead by defeating MSU-Mankato 6-1, 4-1 in Columbus. And St. Cloud State is serious about its intentions by splitting the series with Minnesota Duluth at the Herb Brooks National Hockey League Center.
So, the Buckeyes are in first place at 13-1 with 37 points, followed by Minnesota (10-3-1) with 33 points, Wisconsin (10-4) with 31 points, and St. Cloud State (8-5-1). ) with 25 points, UMD (8-6) with 24 points, MSU-Mankato (3-11) with 9 points, Bemidji State (2-12) with 6 points, and St. Thomas (1-13) with 3 points. .
Therefore, the correct answer to the question of which conference witnessed the biggest and biggest upsets during the first half of this season is – all of them! Ho ho ho! But all he’s doing is making sure that after a welcome Christmas pass, the surprises continue in the second half.
Looking for the best college hockey programs to follow this Christmas season? Look no further than Minnesota Hockey Magazine’s College Christmas Rankings. With a focus on the top teams and players in the NCAA, our rankings are a must-read for any hockey fan looking to stay informed on the latest in college hockey. From the top-ranked teams to the standout players to watch, our rankings cover it all. So grab some hot cocoa, cozy up by the fire, and dive into Minnesota Hockey Magazine’s College Christmas Rankings to get all the hockey news you need this holiday season.