Game Recaps
Game 2 Boxscore // Game 2 Recap
Game 3 Boxscore (pending...) // Game 3 Recap (pending....)
Series Thoughts
The Spartans left it all on the ice this weekend, after a grueling trip and a stunning game 1 victory. It might not have been the ending they wanted, but it was a great step in the right direction for the program. This marks the last time MSU will play in the CCHA, as the next game will be part of the newly formed Big Ten conference.
MSU played very well this weekend, and earned that 3-0 victory in game 1. Miami came back and played much better on the second night, even despite MSU scoring early on in the game, and they showed why they are the CCHA champions. Still, the Spartans responded with a great effort on Sunday, a bad bounce led to the first goal, and Miami built a 2-0 lead, but the Spartans still did roll over. They continued to battle, even as Yanakeff came out to play in the 2nd period. The Spartans got a few power play opportunities and eventually got one in to pull within one. It would stay that way until about halfway through the third period when Miami finally got their breathing room back. After that the Spartans still tried to chip away, but Miami added an empty net goal to finish the scoring off.
Miami will continue to the CCHA semi-finals against Michigan next Saturday. Notre Dame will play Ohio State (funny for how much the Big Ten got knocked, but 4 of the 6 teams are still playing in their respective conference tournaments).
We'll have more thoughts as the off season continues, including a recap of the season, a look ahead to the Big Ten - though right now some time off to reflect seems appropriate. The underdog might not have won this weekend, but they showed the program is heading in the right direction.
Showing posts with label Weekend Recap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weekend Recap. Show all posts
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
Program Win: Spartans Shock Alaska
It was not suppose to work this way. Michigan State had a terrible year. They only won three games on the road all year. They never won two games in a single weekend all year. They just made this trip two weeks ago, so they had to be tired. Players were getting sick with the flu on the way out there, and other players were nursing injuries.
They didn't stand a chance.
So, Yanakeff stole game one. Michigan State was "badly" out-shot. Did you see game 2? Alaska dominated. So game 3 was all over - Michigan State had no legs left, and they got their one shot in on Friday. Alaska even started the game with two power plays and eventually got a 1-0 lead. Blowout city here we come, population: Michigan State.
And then..... It happened.
Now, I can't sit here and pretend that Michigan State went on the road and defeated the #1 team in the country in a playoff series, or won a league championship, but this series meant something. For everything that has happened this year, the fact that these Spartans found a way to pull it and hold it together long enough for a weekend - to win at a place that isn't easy to win even before you factor in the travel. Then you throw in the fact that Michigan State fell behind 1-0 and then nearly blew a 4-1 lead. There were plenty of times for this team to fold, but they didn't. They stood tall, stayed strong, and found a way. As good teams tend to do - find a way to win.
Game one was Michigan State's first CCHA post season victory since game 1 of the 2008 CCHA quarterfinals against Northern Michigan. This series was Michigan State's first series victory since a two game sweep over Nebraska Omaha in 2007. That was so long ago, UNO was actually part of the CCHA.
Simply put, for this team and this coaching staff to find the motivation and determination to win this series really speaks volumes of the program. It was a program win. This team might not advance to Joe Louis Arena. After all, Michigan State has a seven game winless streak against Miami. Miami earned five of six points this year in the season series against MSU, and they swept Michigan State last year in the CCHA play-offs. Plus, the Spartans didn't get back into East Lansing until Monday night, which limits the amount of prep time the staff can do on the ice with the players.
After a rough season - even by the kindest of terms - the Spartans finally got rewarded for their efforts. It shows that the foundation is there for the future. Yes, it's still up to the staff to recruit, the players to improve in the off-season, and everyone to put it together once October rolls around. We can't pretend that it'll mean next year everything will be ok, but if the Spartans move back to where they are used to be - near or at the top of the standings, a Frozen Four threat, and a national title contender - it will be this team that we can point to that laid the foundation, that played with its heart, and showed everyone this program won't roll over - even if there are many opportunities and no one would have blamed them for getting their season over with. And maybe, just maybe, deep in the wilderness of Fairbanks, Alaska - the program was reborn under this coaching staff.
The effort against Miami, a team that everyone is going to pick to win, will certainly continue to show everyone just what the program is capable of doing. The odds are certainly stacked up against Michigan State once again.Just like they were this weekend. And then a funny thing happened. The underdog forgot that it was an underdog. And the underdog is still fighting. I imagine they'll be fighting right till the end, and I think they wouldn't have it any other way right now.
And considering the last time the team won a CCHA Playoff series was 2007 - the last time MSU won the national title - no pressure guys. No really. Just take it one game at a time.
They didn't stand a chance.
So, Yanakeff stole game one. Michigan State was "badly" out-shot. Did you see game 2? Alaska dominated. So game 3 was all over - Michigan State had no legs left, and they got their one shot in on Friday. Alaska even started the game with two power plays and eventually got a 1-0 lead. Blowout city here we come, population: Michigan State.
And then..... It happened.
Now, I can't sit here and pretend that Michigan State went on the road and defeated the #1 team in the country in a playoff series, or won a league championship, but this series meant something. For everything that has happened this year, the fact that these Spartans found a way to pull it and hold it together long enough for a weekend - to win at a place that isn't easy to win even before you factor in the travel. Then you throw in the fact that Michigan State fell behind 1-0 and then nearly blew a 4-1 lead. There were plenty of times for this team to fold, but they didn't. They stood tall, stayed strong, and found a way. As good teams tend to do - find a way to win.
Game one was Michigan State's first CCHA post season victory since game 1 of the 2008 CCHA quarterfinals against Northern Michigan. This series was Michigan State's first series victory since a two game sweep over Nebraska Omaha in 2007. That was so long ago, UNO was actually part of the CCHA.
Simply put, for this team and this coaching staff to find the motivation and determination to win this series really speaks volumes of the program. It was a program win. This team might not advance to Joe Louis Arena. After all, Michigan State has a seven game winless streak against Miami. Miami earned five of six points this year in the season series against MSU, and they swept Michigan State last year in the CCHA play-offs. Plus, the Spartans didn't get back into East Lansing until Monday night, which limits the amount of prep time the staff can do on the ice with the players.
After a rough season - even by the kindest of terms - the Spartans finally got rewarded for their efforts. It shows that the foundation is there for the future. Yes, it's still up to the staff to recruit, the players to improve in the off-season, and everyone to put it together once October rolls around. We can't pretend that it'll mean next year everything will be ok, but if the Spartans move back to where they are used to be - near or at the top of the standings, a Frozen Four threat, and a national title contender - it will be this team that we can point to that laid the foundation, that played with its heart, and showed everyone this program won't roll over - even if there are many opportunities and no one would have blamed them for getting their season over with. And maybe, just maybe, deep in the wilderness of Fairbanks, Alaska - the program was reborn under this coaching staff.
The effort against Miami, a team that everyone is going to pick to win, will certainly continue to show everyone just what the program is capable of doing. The odds are certainly stacked up against Michigan State once again.Just like they were this weekend. And then a funny thing happened. The underdog forgot that it was an underdog. And the underdog is still fighting. I imagine they'll be fighting right till the end, and I think they wouldn't have it any other way right now.
And considering the last time the team won a CCHA Playoff series was 2007 - the last time MSU won the national title - no pressure guys. No really. Just take it one game at a time.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Weekend Recap: Spartans End Regular Season Splitting with #8 Western Michigan
 | ||
| Photo Courtesy of Michigan State University - MSU's Five Seniors Kiss the Logo at Center Ice |
Recaps
Friday: MSU Recap // MSU Video Highlights // WMU Recap // LSJ Recap
Saturday: MSU Recap // MSU Video Highlights // WMU Recap // LSJ Recap
Series Thoughts:
A picture is worth a thousand words. They've had their ups and downs, but the Spartan class of 2013 has represented Michigan State University with nothing but class, and they've worked hard. It's only fitting that an all-senior line tallied the only goal in Michigan State's 1-0 upset victory over #8 Western Michigan. Last place may have been clinched. A trip to Alaska may have been known. But this game meant so much more for the senior class, and their play reflected that meaning on the ice. The Spartans battled hard at both ends of the ice for the victory.
It wasn't without a little drama as Western Michigan got a power play with two minutes to go in the game, only to take a penalty of their own with just inside a minute to go. This was after Western thought they had tied the game - but the goal was waived off with a Bronco practically sitting in Hildebrand's lap.
It was Jake Hildebrand's first collegiate shutout.
On Friday, the Spartans lost 5-2, but it was a closer game than that. Western broke open a 1-1 tie over the final six minutes of the second period scoring three goals. Two of the goals bad breaks happened as a d-man fell down for MSU, and a 5 on 3 marker went in off of a Spartan. Still, Western did look the part of a CCHA contender on Friday, and they played well.
On Saturday though, Michigan State responded.
When the dust settled from the weekend, Michigan State did finish in last place in the CCHA, and they now face the task of heading out to Alaska for a best of three series.
The Ghost Of The Recent Playoff Past
Michigan State will be battling recent history, if you believe that sort of thing. The Spartans haven't made it to Joe Louis Arena for the CCHA tournament since 2007. MSU's last CCHA series victory came in that 2007 playoff season over a team that isn't even in the conference anymore - Nebraska-Omaha.
The last time Michigan State won a post season game in either the CCHA or NCAA tournament happened on March 28, 2008 in the NCAA First Round game against Colorado College. MSU last won a CCHA playoff game that same year on March 14, 2008 - game 1 vs. Northern Michigan in the CCHA quarterfinals. Northern went on to win the next two games to win the series.
Since that win over Colorado College:
Notre Dame 3 Michigan State 1 (March 29, 2008 - NCAA Regional Final)
Northern Michigan 5 Michigan State 3 (March 6, 2009 - CCHA First Round at NMU)
Northern Michigan 8 Michigan State 2 (March 7, 2009 - CCHA First Round at NMU)
Michigan 5 Michigan State 1 (March 12, 2010 - CCHA Quarterfinal Round at MSU)
Michigan 5 Michigan State 3 (March 13, 2010 - CCHA Quarterfinal Round at MSU)
Alaska 3 Michigan State 2 (OT) (March 4, 2011 - CCHA First Round at Alaska)
Alaska 4 Michigan State 3 (2 OT) (March 5, 2011 - CCHA First Round at Alaska)
Miami 6 Michigan State 0 (March 9, 2012 - CCHA Quarterfinal at Miami)
Miami 4 Michigan State 1 (March 10, 2012 - CCHA Quarterfinal at Miami)
Union 3 Michigan State 1 (March 23, 2012 - NCAA First Round)
You are reading that correctly, MSU has lost ten straight post season games. The Spartans have been outscored 46-17 in that span.
The best way to make history is by shaping it yourself, and this team now has a chance to exercise these demons and get a win, and while they haven't won two games on a single weekend all year, the Spartans don't need to win two in a row since it's a best of three series. It's a long trip, but they did split in Alaska just a weekend ago - so they know they can win. In fact, they had the second game tied 2-2 late before Alaska won it.
Want some good news? Bowling Green made it to Joe Louis Arena last year as the #11 seed. In fact, they held a 2-0 lead over Michigan in the CCHA semis before the Wolverines rallied for an overtime victory. So, it can be done. It's a new season, so let's take it one shift at a time.
Other CCHA Series
Miami won the final CCHA title. Notre Dame moved into second with their weekend sweep over Bowling Green, and Western's split against MSU. Ohio State earned home ice once Michigan forced a shoot-out against Ferris. Ohio State will face Ferris State in the CCHA quarterfinals in the 4-5 match-up. This upcoming weekend, Michigan will host Northern Michigan, and LSSU will host Bowling Green. Michigan is #7 - they last were the #7 seed in the 2010 playoffs when Michigan won the CCHA tournament. Michigan has to win it this year to keep their NCAA streak alive, and they are now unbeaten in four games and 5-2-1 in their last eight.
Michigan hasn't beaten Northern this year losing 4-3 and winning a shoot-out (so it's a tie). But that was up in Marquette and back in November. If I had to pick, I'd be surprised to see Michigan lose that series - though it wouldn't shock me if it went the full three games.
BGSU-LSSU should be a good series. The Falcons did sweep the Lakers this year, but those games were in Bowling Green, and this series is up at the Soo. Again, it wouldn't shock me to see it go three games - and anyone could win. I'll go on a slight limb and take the road team.
More coming tomorrow/this week.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Weekend Recap: Nanooks Salvage Split
Friday's Recap
Saturday: MSU Recap // Alaska Recap
Weekend Thoughts:
Well, it's looking like MSU will be back in Alaska in a couple weeks. The Spartans did earn their first winning streak of the season, and they held a 1-0 lead after the opening period, but they couldn't translate it into the first weekend sweep of the year. The Nanooks tallied the game winning goal with just 1:03 remaining in regulation. Former Spartan Adam Henderson added an empty net goal, and then the fireworks began as Jake Chelios an Nolan Kaiser squared off, but neither received a game DQ. So currently, Jake Chelios can still play on Friday against Western Michigan.
CCHA Standings:
Play-off Picture
Current Match-ups:
First Round:
#11 MSU at #6 Alaska
#10 NMU at #7 BGSU
#9 Michigan at #8 LSSU
Quarterfinal Round:
#5 Ohio State at #4 Ferris State
TBD: #1 Miami, #2 WMU, #3 Notre Dame
It's simple for Miami - one point clinches a share of the CCHA title, two wins it outright. Western will basically need to win out and hope Ohio State sweeps Miami to win it outright. Notre Dame still has a shot as well, but they need a ton of help. Ferris State controls its own destiny for home ice in the quarterfinal round. They currently have the tiebreaker over Ohio State (conference wins). Alaska sits in the 6 spot, but they could fall to 7th if BGSU wins at Notre Dame. BGSU, LSSU, Michigan, and Northern Michigan still can earn home ice in the first round of the playoffs - and each can finish as high as 7th (BGSU can still get 6th). Michigan State can finish as high as 9th, but they need help from Ferris State and LSSU. Basically, it's looking like MSU is likely to head out to Alaska again for the first round, but other situations do exist, and everyone is playing for something - as all 11 CCHA teams are in action.
Games This Week
Friday
Western Michigan at Michigan State (Comcast)
Ohio State at Miami
BGSU at Notre Dame
LSSU at Northern Michigan
Ferris State at Michigan (CBS)
Alaska-Anchorage at Alaska
Saturday
Western Michigan at Michigan State (Comcast)
Ohio State at Miami
BGSU at Notre Dame
LSSU at Northern Michigan
Ferris State at Michigan (Fox Sports)
Alaska-Anchorage at Alaska
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Miami (21-8-5, LW: 1). On the verge of a championship.
2. Western Michigan (18-8-8, LW: 3). A battle with Michigan State awaits the Broncos in the final CCHA series.
3. Notre Dame (19-12-3, LW: 2). Pretty even, a pair of shoot-out wins for both teams this past weekend in K-Zoo.
4. Ferris State (15-13-4, LW: 5). A bye and they move up, Ohio State missed out on a huge opportunity.
5. Michigan (12-18-2, LW: 9). A statement weekend by Michigan - is the rest of the CCHA on notice?
6. Ohio State (13-14-7, LW: 5). The Buckeyes missed a great chance this weekend to move into the Top 4 - now they need help as they face arch-rival Miami.
7. BGSU (13-16-5, LW: 6). The Falcons can move up to 6th, but they need to pull off a road sweep in South Bend.
8. LSSU (15-18-1, LW: 7). The Lakers competed hard, but they couldn't get any points against Miami.
9. Alaska (14-14-4, LW: 8). Fireworks in Fairbanks this weekend - will they repeat in two weeks?
10. Northern Michigan (14-16-4, LW: 10). The Wildcats remain a dangerous team, but they need to put together two games in one weekend.
11. Michigan State (10-21-3, LW: 11). The Spartans reached double digit wins by hanging on in Fairbanks - now they try to avoid a second trip out there, but help is needed.
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (21-6-5, LW: 1). With two weekends left, the Gophers are only two points back from a WCHA title.
2. Wisconsin (13-10-7, LW: 2). A Big Ten battle tonight and tomorrow against Penn State.
3. Michigan (12-18-2, LW: 5). Statement made - can they do it again this week against Ferris?
4. Ohio State (13-14-7, LW: 3). The Buckeyes need to recover before the playoffs.
5. Penn State (12-13-0, LW: 4). Penn State can make one final Big Ten statement this week against Wisconsin.
6. Michigan State (10-21-3, LW: 6). The Spartans have split their last three series - another big test with Western in town.
Saturday: MSU Recap // Alaska Recap
Weekend Thoughts:
Well, it's looking like MSU will be back in Alaska in a couple weeks. The Spartans did earn their first winning streak of the season, and they held a 1-0 lead after the opening period, but they couldn't translate it into the first weekend sweep of the year. The Nanooks tallied the game winning goal with just 1:03 remaining in regulation. Former Spartan Adam Henderson added an empty net goal, and then the fireworks began as Jake Chelios an Nolan Kaiser squared off, but neither received a game DQ. So currently, Jake Chelios can still play on Friday against Western Michigan.
CCHA Standings:
| GP | W | L | T | SOW | Points | Total Points Possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 26 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 56 | 62 |
| Western Michigan | 26 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 51 | 57 |
| Notre Dame | 26 | 15 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 50 | 56 |
| Ferris St. | 26 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 42 | 48 |
| Ohio State | 26 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 42 | 48 |
| Alaska | 28 | 12 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 40 | 40 |
| Bowling Green | 26 | 10 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 40 |
| LSSU | 26 | 10 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 32 | 38 |
| Michigan | 26 | 9 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 31 | 37 |
| Northern Michigan | 26 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 29 | 35 |
| Michigan State | 26 | 8 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 31 |
Play-off Picture
Current Match-ups:
First Round:
#11 MSU at #6 Alaska
#10 NMU at #7 BGSU
#9 Michigan at #8 LSSU
Quarterfinal Round:
#5 Ohio State at #4 Ferris State
TBD: #1 Miami, #2 WMU, #3 Notre Dame
It's simple for Miami - one point clinches a share of the CCHA title, two wins it outright. Western will basically need to win out and hope Ohio State sweeps Miami to win it outright. Notre Dame still has a shot as well, but they need a ton of help. Ferris State controls its own destiny for home ice in the quarterfinal round. They currently have the tiebreaker over Ohio State (conference wins). Alaska sits in the 6 spot, but they could fall to 7th if BGSU wins at Notre Dame. BGSU, LSSU, Michigan, and Northern Michigan still can earn home ice in the first round of the playoffs - and each can finish as high as 7th (BGSU can still get 6th). Michigan State can finish as high as 9th, but they need help from Ferris State and LSSU. Basically, it's looking like MSU is likely to head out to Alaska again for the first round, but other situations do exist, and everyone is playing for something - as all 11 CCHA teams are in action.
Games This Week
Friday
Western Michigan at Michigan State (Comcast)
Ohio State at Miami
BGSU at Notre Dame
LSSU at Northern Michigan
Ferris State at Michigan (CBS)
Alaska-Anchorage at Alaska
Saturday
Western Michigan at Michigan State (Comcast)
Ohio State at Miami
BGSU at Notre Dame
LSSU at Northern Michigan
Ferris State at Michigan (Fox Sports)
Alaska-Anchorage at Alaska
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Miami (21-8-5, LW: 1). On the verge of a championship.
2. Western Michigan (18-8-8, LW: 3). A battle with Michigan State awaits the Broncos in the final CCHA series.
3. Notre Dame (19-12-3, LW: 2). Pretty even, a pair of shoot-out wins for both teams this past weekend in K-Zoo.
4. Ferris State (15-13-4, LW: 5). A bye and they move up, Ohio State missed out on a huge opportunity.
5. Michigan (12-18-2, LW: 9). A statement weekend by Michigan - is the rest of the CCHA on notice?
6. Ohio State (13-14-7, LW: 5). The Buckeyes missed a great chance this weekend to move into the Top 4 - now they need help as they face arch-rival Miami.
7. BGSU (13-16-5, LW: 6). The Falcons can move up to 6th, but they need to pull off a road sweep in South Bend.
8. LSSU (15-18-1, LW: 7). The Lakers competed hard, but they couldn't get any points against Miami.
9. Alaska (14-14-4, LW: 8). Fireworks in Fairbanks this weekend - will they repeat in two weeks?
10. Northern Michigan (14-16-4, LW: 10). The Wildcats remain a dangerous team, but they need to put together two games in one weekend.
11. Michigan State (10-21-3, LW: 11). The Spartans reached double digit wins by hanging on in Fairbanks - now they try to avoid a second trip out there, but help is needed.
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (21-6-5, LW: 1). With two weekends left, the Gophers are only two points back from a WCHA title.
2. Wisconsin (13-10-7, LW: 2). A Big Ten battle tonight and tomorrow against Penn State.
3. Michigan (12-18-2, LW: 5). Statement made - can they do it again this week against Ferris?
4. Ohio State (13-14-7, LW: 3). The Buckeyes need to recover before the playoffs.
5. Penn State (12-13-0, LW: 4). Penn State can make one final Big Ten statement this week against Wisconsin.
6. Michigan State (10-21-3, LW: 6). The Spartans have split their last three series - another big test with Western in town.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Weekend Recap: Spartans Split With Wildcats
Game Recaps
Friday: MSUSpartans.com Recap // NMU Recap // Video Highlights (MSU) // LSJ.com Recap
Saturday: MSU Recap // NMU Recap // Video Highlights (MSU) // LSJ.com Recap
Series Thoughts
Another weekend split for the Spartans. On Friday, the Spartans fell behind and battled back twice to within one goal. The Wildcats added an empty net goal that capped a wild finish that saw four goals in the final 5:08. Michigan State played probably their best hockey over the final ten minutes, but it wasn't enough. On Saturday, the Spartans played one of their more complete games in awhile, and they eventually rallied scoring the final three goals of the game to pull out the 4-2 victory.
It would have been a little unfortunate for the Spartans to not pull out the win on Saturday, since they were playing much better hockey, and they really controlled the play. Michigan State out-shot Northern 43-20, and this included a 19-3 edge in the first period, but the Wildcats held a 1-0 lead. Lee Reimer tied it up in the second on a shorthanded goal. Northern took a 2-1 lead in the 3rd period, but MSU finally took over as Ferrantino, Forfar, and Sorenson all tallied goals for MSU.
Michigan State again has a chance to win two straight games, but they'll need to do it on the road in Alaska. MSU makes its final trek to Alaska for a CCHA regular season series. I say final regular season series, because it is very possible that MSU could be back in Alaska two weeks later for the CCHA playoffs.
CCHA Standings
The Spartans cannot finish higher than 7th place at this point, and sitting nine points back of 8th place, home ice advantage is pretty much an afterthought at this point. It's still about building into the post season and playing good hockey heading into the playoffs. If the Spartans don't want to head to Alaska again, then they could help their own cause this weekend by taking some points and giving LSSU or Bowling Green a chance to catch Alaska for 6th place. Plus, it could help MSU by moving themselves up the standings.
Miami, Western Michigan, and Notre Dame have clinched a first round bye. Miami and Western Michigan have guaranteed themselves home ice advantage in the CCHA quarterfinals. Alaska will be eliminated from a first round bye if they drop 2 points this weekend (or if Ferris & Ohio State earn 2 points this weekend - or some combination). Basically, it's looking like Ferris State and Ohio State are in prime position to earn first round byes.
Current CCHA Playoff Match-ups:
First Round
#11 Michigan State at #6 Alaska (No Head to Head Games Played Yet)
#10 Michigan at #7 LSSU (Season Series Split 1-1)
#9 Northern Michigan at #8 Bowling Green (No Head to Head Games Played Yet)
Second Round
#5 Ohio State at #4 Ferris State (Season Series Split 1-1)
Lowest Seed Remaining at #1 Miami
2nd Lowest Seed Remaining at #2 Western Michigan
Highest Seed Remaining at #3 Notre Dame
Games This Week
Friday
Northern Michigan at Bowling Green
Miami at LSSU
Michigan at Ohio State
Notre Dame at Western Michigan
Michigan State at Alaska
-Off: Ferris State -
Saturday
Northern Michigan at Bowling Green
Miami at LSSU
Michigan at Ohio State
Notre Dame at Western Michigan
Michigan State at Alaska
-Off: Ferris State -
Looks like some positioning could be decided this week as NMU-BGSU face each other with home ice on the line in the quarterfinal. Ohio State has a chance to pass Ferris State for home ice with a single point against Michigan, Alaska wraps up its CCHA schedule this week, and ND-WMU face-off in a potential championship deciding series. Then there is current CCHA leader Miami looking to solidify a CCHA championship with a road series at LSSU.
Interesting thing right now is the shoot-out is currently deciding the CCHA championship. I can't think of a worse way to win a title - on a skills competition. This is why I hope the Big Ten doesn't bring over the shoot-out. Miami and Western are tied in league wins, losses, and ties. Miami has won all four shoot-outs they have been in. Western is only two for four. If you didn't have a shoot-out (and assume the games ended with the same results, we'd have two teams tied for first right now. Sorry Western.
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Miami (19-8-5, LW: 1). A Sunday afternoon loss outdoors against ND was an opportunity lost, as Miami could have built a five point CCHA lead with 12 points remaining.
2. Notre Dame (19-12-1, LW: 3). The Irish pass Western since they defeated #3 Miami this weekend. They can prove it on the ice this weekend in Kalamazoo.
3. Western Michigan (18-8-6, LW: 2). Anyone notice the Broncos are now winless in 3 (0-2-1) and have only won once in their last five games (1-3-1)?
4. Ohio State (13-12-7, LW: 4). The Buckeyes went unbeaten against Western, and now a big series for them against Michigan this weekend at home.
5. Ferris State (15-13-4, LW: 6). The Bulldogs split at home against Bowling Green, and now they have a weekend off to see what they need to do to secure a bye and potentially home ice advantage.
6. Bowling Green (12-15-5, LW: 7). The Falcons continue to play decent hockey splitting a tough road series in Big Rapids. Will anyone want to see them in the playoffs?
7. LSSU (15-16-1, LW: 8). The Lakers swept Alaska this weekend. Now they have a tough match-up with Miami coming into town.
8. Alaska (13-13-4, LW: 5). The Nanooks were on fire at the start of 2013 winning their first six games. They are 1-5 since.
9. Michigan (10-18-2, LW: 9). Let's see if the bye week helped.
10. Northern Michigan (13-15-4, LW: 10). The Wildcats earned their first CCHA road victory this season on Friday.
11. Michigan State (9-20-3, LW: 11). The Spartans seem to be playing better hockey, but it still needs to be more consistent.
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (20-5-4, LW: 1). The Sunday result is still pending, but the Gophers continue to be the class of the conference.
2. Wisconsin (12-10-7, LW: 2). A tough home loss on Friday to Minnesota, and they get another crack on Sunday in Chicago.
3. Ohio State (13-12-7, LW: 3). Back above .500.
4. Penn State (12-13-0, LW: 4). The final series in their initial D-I season is this upcoming weekend in Madison.
5. Michigan (10-18-2, LW: 5). It'll be interesting to see if Michigan can come out of the off weekend playing well.
6. Michigan State (9-20-3, LW: 6). The Spartans have a pair of tough series to finish with - at Alaska, vs. Western.
Friday: MSUSpartans.com Recap // NMU Recap // Video Highlights (MSU) // LSJ.com Recap
Saturday: MSU Recap // NMU Recap // Video Highlights (MSU) // LSJ.com Recap
Series Thoughts
Another weekend split for the Spartans. On Friday, the Spartans fell behind and battled back twice to within one goal. The Wildcats added an empty net goal that capped a wild finish that saw four goals in the final 5:08. Michigan State played probably their best hockey over the final ten minutes, but it wasn't enough. On Saturday, the Spartans played one of their more complete games in awhile, and they eventually rallied scoring the final three goals of the game to pull out the 4-2 victory.
It would have been a little unfortunate for the Spartans to not pull out the win on Saturday, since they were playing much better hockey, and they really controlled the play. Michigan State out-shot Northern 43-20, and this included a 19-3 edge in the first period, but the Wildcats held a 1-0 lead. Lee Reimer tied it up in the second on a shorthanded goal. Northern took a 2-1 lead in the 3rd period, but MSU finally took over as Ferrantino, Forfar, and Sorenson all tallied goals for MSU.
Michigan State again has a chance to win two straight games, but they'll need to do it on the road in Alaska. MSU makes its final trek to Alaska for a CCHA regular season series. I say final regular season series, because it is very possible that MSU could be back in Alaska two weeks later for the CCHA playoffs.
Chris Forfar puts MSU ahead for good on Saturday 3-2
CCHA Standings
| GP | W | L | T | SOW | Points | Total Points Possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 24 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 50 | 62 |
| Western Michigan | 24 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 48 | 60 |
| Notre Dame | 24 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 47 | 59 |
| Ferris St. | 26 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 42 | 48 |
| Ohio State | 24 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 42 | 54 |
| Alaska | 26 | 11 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 37 | 43 |
| LSSU | 24 | 10 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 32 | 44 |
| Bowling Green | 24 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 31 | 43 |
| Northern Michigan | 24 | 7 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 26 | 38 |
| Michigan | 24 | 7 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 37 |
| Michigan State | 24 | 7 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 34 |
The Spartans cannot finish higher than 7th place at this point, and sitting nine points back of 8th place, home ice advantage is pretty much an afterthought at this point. It's still about building into the post season and playing good hockey heading into the playoffs. If the Spartans don't want to head to Alaska again, then they could help their own cause this weekend by taking some points and giving LSSU or Bowling Green a chance to catch Alaska for 6th place. Plus, it could help MSU by moving themselves up the standings.
Miami, Western Michigan, and Notre Dame have clinched a first round bye. Miami and Western Michigan have guaranteed themselves home ice advantage in the CCHA quarterfinals. Alaska will be eliminated from a first round bye if they drop 2 points this weekend (or if Ferris & Ohio State earn 2 points this weekend - or some combination). Basically, it's looking like Ferris State and Ohio State are in prime position to earn first round byes.
Current CCHA Playoff Match-ups:
First Round
#11 Michigan State at #6 Alaska (No Head to Head Games Played Yet)
#10 Michigan at #7 LSSU (Season Series Split 1-1)
#9 Northern Michigan at #8 Bowling Green (No Head to Head Games Played Yet)
Second Round
#5 Ohio State at #4 Ferris State (Season Series Split 1-1)
Lowest Seed Remaining at #1 Miami
2nd Lowest Seed Remaining at #2 Western Michigan
Highest Seed Remaining at #3 Notre Dame
Games This Week
Friday
Northern Michigan at Bowling Green
Miami at LSSU
Michigan at Ohio State
Notre Dame at Western Michigan
Michigan State at Alaska
-Off: Ferris State -
Saturday
Northern Michigan at Bowling Green
Miami at LSSU
Michigan at Ohio State
Notre Dame at Western Michigan
Michigan State at Alaska
-Off: Ferris State -
Looks like some positioning could be decided this week as NMU-BGSU face each other with home ice on the line in the quarterfinal. Ohio State has a chance to pass Ferris State for home ice with a single point against Michigan, Alaska wraps up its CCHA schedule this week, and ND-WMU face-off in a potential championship deciding series. Then there is current CCHA leader Miami looking to solidify a CCHA championship with a road series at LSSU.
Interesting thing right now is the shoot-out is currently deciding the CCHA championship. I can't think of a worse way to win a title - on a skills competition. This is why I hope the Big Ten doesn't bring over the shoot-out. Miami and Western are tied in league wins, losses, and ties. Miami has won all four shoot-outs they have been in. Western is only two for four. If you didn't have a shoot-out (and assume the games ended with the same results, we'd have two teams tied for first right now. Sorry Western.
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Miami (19-8-5, LW: 1). A Sunday afternoon loss outdoors against ND was an opportunity lost, as Miami could have built a five point CCHA lead with 12 points remaining.
2. Notre Dame (19-12-1, LW: 3). The Irish pass Western since they defeated #3 Miami this weekend. They can prove it on the ice this weekend in Kalamazoo.
3. Western Michigan (18-8-6, LW: 2). Anyone notice the Broncos are now winless in 3 (0-2-1) and have only won once in their last five games (1-3-1)?
4. Ohio State (13-12-7, LW: 4). The Buckeyes went unbeaten against Western, and now a big series for them against Michigan this weekend at home.
5. Ferris State (15-13-4, LW: 6). The Bulldogs split at home against Bowling Green, and now they have a weekend off to see what they need to do to secure a bye and potentially home ice advantage.
6. Bowling Green (12-15-5, LW: 7). The Falcons continue to play decent hockey splitting a tough road series in Big Rapids. Will anyone want to see them in the playoffs?
7. LSSU (15-16-1, LW: 8). The Lakers swept Alaska this weekend. Now they have a tough match-up with Miami coming into town.
8. Alaska (13-13-4, LW: 5). The Nanooks were on fire at the start of 2013 winning their first six games. They are 1-5 since.
9. Michigan (10-18-2, LW: 9). Let's see if the bye week helped.
10. Northern Michigan (13-15-4, LW: 10). The Wildcats earned their first CCHA road victory this season on Friday.
11. Michigan State (9-20-3, LW: 11). The Spartans seem to be playing better hockey, but it still needs to be more consistent.
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (20-5-4, LW: 1). The Sunday result is still pending, but the Gophers continue to be the class of the conference.
2. Wisconsin (12-10-7, LW: 2). A tough home loss on Friday to Minnesota, and they get another crack on Sunday in Chicago.
3. Ohio State (13-12-7, LW: 3). Back above .500.
4. Penn State (12-13-0, LW: 4). The final series in their initial D-I season is this upcoming weekend in Madison.
5. Michigan (10-18-2, LW: 5). It'll be interesting to see if Michigan can come out of the off weekend playing well.
6. Michigan State (9-20-3, LW: 6). The Spartans have a pair of tough series to finish with - at Alaska, vs. Western.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Weekend Recap: Spartans Split With Bowling Green
Game Recaps
Friday Night
MSUSpartans.com Recap // BGSUFalcons.com Recap
Saturday Night
MSUSpartans.com Recap // BGSUFalcons.com Recap // USCHO Recap
Weekend Thoughts
Was it perfect? No. But it was a step in the right direction. This team needs to build some positive momentum, and they certainly did that this past weekend playing a solid 120 minutes. Granted, they only earned a split, and you won't be happy with a loss, but it's a building block. The key now will be how does Michigan State continue to build on this weekend. They haven't won two straight games all year, but they could do that by defeating Northern Michigan on Friday. Often times that starts with your leaders, and captain Greg Wolfe certainly did that this weekend scoring three times.
In addition, Michigan State got a pair of solid goaltending efforts - which isn't a shock this season with Jake Hildebrand. Though lately it seemed like Hildebrand was losing a little bit of an edge. This allowed the staff to give Will Yanakeff another chance on Friday, and even though he didn't get the win, he certainly played well enough for the victory stopping 24 of 26 shots. That's a great sign for Michigan State, since Yanakeff has struggled this year, but he seems to be playing better lately. Hildebrand came out on Saturday and stopped 27 of 28 shots. So goaltending continues to be a positive for MSU.
If Wolfe (and his line) can continue to create chances, Michigan State might finally have another source of offense to really lean on. And with a strong effort in goal, the Spartans aren't going to be an easy out in the CCHA tournament. The goal for MSU has to be to try to secure home ice. As you'll see in the CCHA standings below, the Spartans can catch Michigan this weekend by simply sweeping Northern Michigan. MSU would hold the tiebreaker over Michigan based on conference wins (8 to 7), which means Michigan State would be in 9th place. This would put MSU just 1 spot away from home ice, though they could be as many as seven points behind depending on what else happens.
But the bigger picture would have MSU putting together back to back solid weekends. If MSU cannot secure home ice, avoiding a second trip to Alaska would be a must. Not that MSU couldn't win it, but that would be a tough trip to make just a couple weeks after already making it. MSU had to do that a couple years ago, and the Spartans were swept in the first round after dropping a pair of overtime games. Alaska is in prime position to finish in 6th place - since they are nine points up on BGSU at the moment (Falcons have 2 games on hand). They sit one point behind Ohio State for fifth, but Ohio State has two games on hand.
Plus, for selfish reasons, it'd be nice to not have to stay up till 1:30 am cheering the Spartans on - even though I would do it. At this point though, it's about the building blocks. I think we'll see this weekend against Northern if MSU can build upon the foundation laid last weekend.
CCHA Standings
The best Michigan and Michigan State can do right now is a tie for 6th place. Bowling Green, LSSU, Northern Michigan, and Michigan were all mathematically eliminated from the CCHA title this past weekend. Alaska and Ferris State are the next closest to be eliminated. Basically, it's a three horse race - Miami, WMU, and Notre Dame. Then it's a three horse race for the final home ice spot (4th place) and the final first round bye spot (5th place).
Games This Week
Tuesday
Northern Michigan at Michigan Tech
Friday
Bowling Green at Ferris State
Alaska at LSSU
Northern Michigan at Michigan State (Big Ten Network, 6:35 pm)
Notre Dame at Miami (CBS Sports Network)
Western Michigan at Ohio State
Saturday
Bowling Green at Ferris State (Fox Sports Detroit - Hockey Day in Michigan, 5:05 pm)
Alaska at LSSU
Northern Michigan at Michigan State (Fox Sports Detroit - Hockey Day in Michigan, 7:35 pm)
Western Michigan at Ohio State
Sunday
Miami vs. Notre Dame (Fox Sports Detroit, Solider Field - Chicago, IL, 1:00 pm)
Current Play-off Match-ups:
First Round Byes: #1 Miami, #2 Western Michigan, #3 Notre Dame, #4 Ferris State, #5 Ohio State
First Round Match-ups:
#11 Michigan State at #6 Alaska
#10 Northern Michigan at #7 Bowling Green
#9 Michigan at #8 LSSU
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Miami (18-7-5, LW: 1). Miami split in Kalamazoo, which is enough to keep them in the top spot both in these rankings and the CCHA standings.
2. Western Michigan (18-7-5, LW: 2). Western held onto first place for a day.
3. Notre Dame (18-11-1, LW: 5). The Irish can move into first place by winning 5 of 6 points against Miami and getting some help from Ohio State.
4. Ohio State (12-12-6, LW: 3). The Buckeyes have a huge series this weekend to stay in the top five of the CCHA.
5. Alaska (13-11-4, LW: 4). The Nanooks make their last visit to the lower 48 this weekend.
6. Ferris State (14-12-4, LW: 7). The Bulldogs are in a fight for home ice, but with fewer league games remaining, they'll need to win most of their remaining points.
7. Bowling Green (11-14-5, LW: 6). The Falcons are in line to get home ice in the first round, but they have four road games remaining against Ferris State and Notre Dame.
8. LSSU (13-16-1, LW: 9). The Lakers move up despite being off.
9. Michigan (10-18-2, LW: 8). Any positive vibes by sweeping MSU are gone now after allowing 13 goals to Notre Dame.
10. Northern Michigan (12-13-4, LW: 10). The Wildcats need to show some consistency on the road this year only winning 3 of 14, can they do it in East Lansing?
11. Michigan State (8-19-3, LW: 11). A win on Friday gives MSU something they haven't had all season - a winning streak. A win on Saturday gives MSU something else they haven't had all year (besides a three game winning streak) - a weekend sweep.
Big Ten Standings
1. Minnesota (19-5-4, LW: 1). The Gophers split with St. Cloud, so now they need help to win the WCHA title.
2. Wisconsin (12-9-7, LW: 3). Wisconsin keeps moving up the league standings, as they now sit in a tie for fifth place.
3. Ohio State (12-12-6, LW: 2). The Buckeyes need to find points to secure a first round bye, and potentially home ice in the quarterfinal round.
4. Penn State (12-13-0, LW: 5). I know it was only UAH, but Penn State has now won four of their last five D-I games.
5. Michigan (10-18-2, LW: 4). Can the bye week solve any problems?
6. Michigan State (8-19-3, LW: 6). Can MSU climb out of the basement in the CCHA this weekend?
Friday Night
MSUSpartans.com Recap // BGSUFalcons.com Recap
Saturday Night
MSUSpartans.com Recap // BGSUFalcons.com Recap // USCHO Recap
Weekend Thoughts
Was it perfect? No. But it was a step in the right direction. This team needs to build some positive momentum, and they certainly did that this past weekend playing a solid 120 minutes. Granted, they only earned a split, and you won't be happy with a loss, but it's a building block. The key now will be how does Michigan State continue to build on this weekend. They haven't won two straight games all year, but they could do that by defeating Northern Michigan on Friday. Often times that starts with your leaders, and captain Greg Wolfe certainly did that this weekend scoring three times.
In addition, Michigan State got a pair of solid goaltending efforts - which isn't a shock this season with Jake Hildebrand. Though lately it seemed like Hildebrand was losing a little bit of an edge. This allowed the staff to give Will Yanakeff another chance on Friday, and even though he didn't get the win, he certainly played well enough for the victory stopping 24 of 26 shots. That's a great sign for Michigan State, since Yanakeff has struggled this year, but he seems to be playing better lately. Hildebrand came out on Saturday and stopped 27 of 28 shots. So goaltending continues to be a positive for MSU.
If Wolfe (and his line) can continue to create chances, Michigan State might finally have another source of offense to really lean on. And with a strong effort in goal, the Spartans aren't going to be an easy out in the CCHA tournament. The goal for MSU has to be to try to secure home ice. As you'll see in the CCHA standings below, the Spartans can catch Michigan this weekend by simply sweeping Northern Michigan. MSU would hold the tiebreaker over Michigan based on conference wins (8 to 7), which means Michigan State would be in 9th place. This would put MSU just 1 spot away from home ice, though they could be as many as seven points behind depending on what else happens.
But the bigger picture would have MSU putting together back to back solid weekends. If MSU cannot secure home ice, avoiding a second trip to Alaska would be a must. Not that MSU couldn't win it, but that would be a tough trip to make just a couple weeks after already making it. MSU had to do that a couple years ago, and the Spartans were swept in the first round after dropping a pair of overtime games. Alaska is in prime position to finish in 6th place - since they are nine points up on BGSU at the moment (Falcons have 2 games on hand). They sit one point behind Ohio State for fifth, but Ohio State has two games on hand.
Plus, for selfish reasons, it'd be nice to not have to stay up till 1:30 am cheering the Spartans on - even though I would do it. At this point though, it's about the building blocks. I think we'll see this weekend against Northern if MSU can build upon the foundation laid last weekend.
CCHA Standings
| GP | W | L | T | SOW | Points | Total Points Possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 47 | 65 |
| Western Michigan | 22 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 46 | 64 |
| Notre Dame | 22 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 44 | 62 |
| Ferris St. | 24 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 39 | 51 |
| Ohio State | 22 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 38 | 56 |
| Alaska | 24 | 11 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 37 | 49 |
| Bowling Green | 22 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 46 |
| LSSU | 22 | 8 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 44 |
| Michigan | 24 | 7 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 37 |
| Northern Michigan | 22 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 41 |
| Michigan State | 22 | 6 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 37 |
The best Michigan and Michigan State can do right now is a tie for 6th place. Bowling Green, LSSU, Northern Michigan, and Michigan were all mathematically eliminated from the CCHA title this past weekend. Alaska and Ferris State are the next closest to be eliminated. Basically, it's a three horse race - Miami, WMU, and Notre Dame. Then it's a three horse race for the final home ice spot (4th place) and the final first round bye spot (5th place).
Games This Week
Tuesday
Northern Michigan at Michigan Tech
Friday
Bowling Green at Ferris State
Alaska at LSSU
Northern Michigan at Michigan State (Big Ten Network, 6:35 pm)
Notre Dame at Miami (CBS Sports Network)
Western Michigan at Ohio State
Saturday
Bowling Green at Ferris State (Fox Sports Detroit - Hockey Day in Michigan, 5:05 pm)
Alaska at LSSU
Northern Michigan at Michigan State (Fox Sports Detroit - Hockey Day in Michigan, 7:35 pm)
Western Michigan at Ohio State
Sunday
Miami vs. Notre Dame (Fox Sports Detroit, Solider Field - Chicago, IL, 1:00 pm)
Current Play-off Match-ups:
First Round Byes: #1 Miami, #2 Western Michigan, #3 Notre Dame, #4 Ferris State, #5 Ohio State
First Round Match-ups:
#11 Michigan State at #6 Alaska
#10 Northern Michigan at #7 Bowling Green
#9 Michigan at #8 LSSU
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Miami (18-7-5, LW: 1). Miami split in Kalamazoo, which is enough to keep them in the top spot both in these rankings and the CCHA standings.
2. Western Michigan (18-7-5, LW: 2). Western held onto first place for a day.
3. Notre Dame (18-11-1, LW: 5). The Irish can move into first place by winning 5 of 6 points against Miami and getting some help from Ohio State.
4. Ohio State (12-12-6, LW: 3). The Buckeyes have a huge series this weekend to stay in the top five of the CCHA.
5. Alaska (13-11-4, LW: 4). The Nanooks make their last visit to the lower 48 this weekend.
6. Ferris State (14-12-4, LW: 7). The Bulldogs are in a fight for home ice, but with fewer league games remaining, they'll need to win most of their remaining points.
7. Bowling Green (11-14-5, LW: 6). The Falcons are in line to get home ice in the first round, but they have four road games remaining against Ferris State and Notre Dame.
8. LSSU (13-16-1, LW: 9). The Lakers move up despite being off.
9. Michigan (10-18-2, LW: 8). Any positive vibes by sweeping MSU are gone now after allowing 13 goals to Notre Dame.
10. Northern Michigan (12-13-4, LW: 10). The Wildcats need to show some consistency on the road this year only winning 3 of 14, can they do it in East Lansing?
11. Michigan State (8-19-3, LW: 11). A win on Friday gives MSU something they haven't had all season - a winning streak. A win on Saturday gives MSU something else they haven't had all year (besides a three game winning streak) - a weekend sweep.
Big Ten Standings
1. Minnesota (19-5-4, LW: 1). The Gophers split with St. Cloud, so now they need help to win the WCHA title.
2. Wisconsin (12-9-7, LW: 3). Wisconsin keeps moving up the league standings, as they now sit in a tie for fifth place.
3. Ohio State (12-12-6, LW: 2). The Buckeyes need to find points to secure a first round bye, and potentially home ice in the quarterfinal round.
4. Penn State (12-13-0, LW: 5). I know it was only UAH, but Penn State has now won four of their last five D-I games.
5. Michigan (10-18-2, LW: 4). Can the bye week solve any problems?
6. Michigan State (8-19-3, LW: 6). Can MSU climb out of the basement in the CCHA this weekend?
Monday, February 4, 2013
Weekend Recap: Michigan Sweeps Michigan State
Game Recaps & Highlights
Friday Night: MSUSpartans.com Recap // MSU All-Access Highlights // Michigan Recap
Saturday Night: MSUSpartans.com Recap // MSU All-Access Highlights // Michigan Recap
Thoughts
First off, sorry for the delay. Let's just blame the Super Bowl. That and I'm not sure what else to say that hasn't already been said. It's been a long season, and this weekend really showed that this team still has a long ways to go. Are they capable of a run? Maybe, but they need to find something in the closing month.
The Spartans had moments this weekend, but unfortunately they didn't have enough of the good moments. The other thing that might be worth paying attention to is how MSU responds after they score. Penn State took advantage (especially Friday) of quick responses. Michigan did the same this weekend - especially on Saturday. This is something that plagued the team under Coach Comley. If MSU gets past the first two minutes after they score, then fans seem to relax a little bit more.
There is still a lot to play for. It's really up to the team at this point to figure out what they want to do to close the season out. There are a lot of parallels people are making to Ron Mason's second season behind the bench. The 1980-81 Spartans finished the WCHA with a worse record than the 79-80 Spartans (Mason's first year). The following season began a stretch of nine straight NCAA appearances and the rest is history.
And maybe that's what this group needs to begin fighting for - the future. And then they can look back as the team that laid the groundwork for the program to reach history once again.
CCHA Standings
Games This Week
Friday
Michigan State at Bowling Green
Michigan at Notre Dame
Ferris State at Northern Michigan
Ohio State at Alaska
Miami at Western Michigan
Saturday
Bowling Green at Michigan State
Michigan at Notre Dame
Ferris State at Northern Michigan
Ohio State at Alaska
Miami at Western Michigan
Well, I guess it needs to be said - Michigan State has been eliminated (officially) from the CCHA title. Also, they can't finish any better than third. More importantly, they sit 9 points behind Bowling Green for 8th place, the final home ice spot in the first round. Basically, if MSU wants to have any shot at 8th place - a sweep is a must this weekend. Also, it's time to start looking at potential match-ups. Michigan State is currently in line to face Alaska in the first round. This would be two weeks after already making the trip out there. It's safe to say that MSU would prefer to avoid making that trip twice.
Right now the playoffs would be:
#11 Michigan State at #6 Alaska
#10 Northern Michigan at #7 LSSU
#9 Michigan at #8 Bowling Green (giving BGSU the edge due to fewer games played at this point)
#5 Ohio State at #4 Ferris State would be the only quarterfinal match-up we'd know - as both teams would get a bye. So for MSU to make a run in the CCHA tournament, they'd have to go to Alaska win two out of three, then they'd face #1 Miami and have to win two out of three. Then, if you assume all the other top seeds win, MSU would have to face #2 Western and #3 Notre Dame to win the CCHA tournament. I'd say at this point it'll be about taking it one game at a time.
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Miami (17-6-5, LW: 3). Miami sits in first place with a month to go - a huge series in K-Zoo is next.
2. Western Michigan (17-6-5, LW: 2). Western dropped 1 point in Big Rapids, and that's the difference in the CCHA standings right now.
3. Ohio State (11-11-6, LW: 6). The Buckeyes have finally hit the .500 plateau, and now they find themselves in position for a first round bye. Can they survive the long trek west?
4. Alaska (12-10-4, LW: 1). The winning streak had to end, but now they get a chance to regroup at home.
5. Notre Dame (16-11-1, LW: 4). 2-7-1 in their last 10 games has the Irish with more questions than answers at this point. With Michigan in town playing better hockey, it figures to be a tough weekend to get back on track.
6. Bowling Green (10-13-5, LW: 8). Anyone notice the Falcons are 8-3-2 in their last 13 games? How about the fact they just beat LSSU by a combined score 11-4?
7. Ferris State (13-11-4, LW: 5). It might be a little harsh dropping the Bulldogs this far for a loss and tie against one of the best teams in the league, but consider this more a function of how well everyone else is playing.
8. Michigan (10-16-2, LW: 10). Will a sweep over MSU set things right in Ann Arbor? A big road series in South Bend is a good measuring stick.
9. LSSU (13-16-1, LW: 7). The Lakers seem to be struggling right now winning one one of their last seven games. They do have a weekend off to regroup before back to back home series.
10. Northern Michigan (11-12-4, LW: 9). Let's see if the weekend off helps Northern, they do play five of their next seven on the road.
11. Michigan State (7-18-3, LW: 11). Will MSU hit a double digit win total this year? Since the GLI - MSU has lost three in a row three times. They have yet to lose four straight.
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (18-4-4, LW: 1). Minnesota didn't win this past weekend! They didn't play either. A big series at current WCHA leader St. Cloud State awaits.
2. Ohio State (11-11-6, LW: 3). They got to .500, but the next step forward is to get above .500 and put themselves in position for a bye. Then maybe home ice.
3. Wisconsin (11-9-6, LW: 2). A rough weekend in North Dakota can be forgotten with a strong finish - 7 of Wisconsin's last 10 are at home.
4. Michigan (10-16-2, LW: 4). Time will tell if the Wolverines have found themselves.
5. Penn State (10-13-0, LW: 6). They swept Ohio (club) this past weekend. Upcoming is UAH.
6. Michigan State (7-18-3, LW: 5). I just can't keep a team that is now 11 games below .500 ahead of someone that isn't.
Friday Night: MSUSpartans.com Recap // MSU All-Access Highlights // Michigan Recap
Saturday Night: MSUSpartans.com Recap // MSU All-Access Highlights // Michigan Recap
Thoughts
First off, sorry for the delay. Let's just blame the Super Bowl. That and I'm not sure what else to say that hasn't already been said. It's been a long season, and this weekend really showed that this team still has a long ways to go. Are they capable of a run? Maybe, but they need to find something in the closing month.
The Spartans had moments this weekend, but unfortunately they didn't have enough of the good moments. The other thing that might be worth paying attention to is how MSU responds after they score. Penn State took advantage (especially Friday) of quick responses. Michigan did the same this weekend - especially on Saturday. This is something that plagued the team under Coach Comley. If MSU gets past the first two minutes after they score, then fans seem to relax a little bit more.
There is still a lot to play for. It's really up to the team at this point to figure out what they want to do to close the season out. There are a lot of parallels people are making to Ron Mason's second season behind the bench. The 1980-81 Spartans finished the WCHA with a worse record than the 79-80 Spartans (Mason's first year). The following season began a stretch of nine straight NCAA appearances and the rest is history.
And maybe that's what this group needs to begin fighting for - the future. And then they can look back as the team that laid the groundwork for the program to reach history once again.
CCHA Standings
| GP | W | L | T | SOW | Points | Total Points Possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 20 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 44 | 68 |
| Western Michigan | 20 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 43 | 67 |
| Notre Dame | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 38 | 62 |
| Ferris St. | 22 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 36 | 54 |
| Ohio State | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 35 | 59 |
| Alaska | 22 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 52 |
| LSSU | 22 | 8 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 44 |
| Bowling Green | 20 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 49 |
| Michigan | 22 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 43 |
| Northern Michigan | 20 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 20 | 44 |
| Michigan State | 20 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 40 |
Games This Week
Friday
Michigan State at Bowling Green
Michigan at Notre Dame
Ferris State at Northern Michigan
Ohio State at Alaska
Miami at Western Michigan
Saturday
Bowling Green at Michigan State
Michigan at Notre Dame
Ferris State at Northern Michigan
Ohio State at Alaska
Miami at Western Michigan
Well, I guess it needs to be said - Michigan State has been eliminated (officially) from the CCHA title. Also, they can't finish any better than third. More importantly, they sit 9 points behind Bowling Green for 8th place, the final home ice spot in the first round. Basically, if MSU wants to have any shot at 8th place - a sweep is a must this weekend. Also, it's time to start looking at potential match-ups. Michigan State is currently in line to face Alaska in the first round. This would be two weeks after already making the trip out there. It's safe to say that MSU would prefer to avoid making that trip twice.
Right now the playoffs would be:
#11 Michigan State at #6 Alaska
#10 Northern Michigan at #7 LSSU
#9 Michigan at #8 Bowling Green (giving BGSU the edge due to fewer games played at this point)
#5 Ohio State at #4 Ferris State would be the only quarterfinal match-up we'd know - as both teams would get a bye. So for MSU to make a run in the CCHA tournament, they'd have to go to Alaska win two out of three, then they'd face #1 Miami and have to win two out of three. Then, if you assume all the other top seeds win, MSU would have to face #2 Western and #3 Notre Dame to win the CCHA tournament. I'd say at this point it'll be about taking it one game at a time.
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Miami (17-6-5, LW: 3). Miami sits in first place with a month to go - a huge series in K-Zoo is next.
2. Western Michigan (17-6-5, LW: 2). Western dropped 1 point in Big Rapids, and that's the difference in the CCHA standings right now.
3. Ohio State (11-11-6, LW: 6). The Buckeyes have finally hit the .500 plateau, and now they find themselves in position for a first round bye. Can they survive the long trek west?
4. Alaska (12-10-4, LW: 1). The winning streak had to end, but now they get a chance to regroup at home.
5. Notre Dame (16-11-1, LW: 4). 2-7-1 in their last 10 games has the Irish with more questions than answers at this point. With Michigan in town playing better hockey, it figures to be a tough weekend to get back on track.
6. Bowling Green (10-13-5, LW: 8). Anyone notice the Falcons are 8-3-2 in their last 13 games? How about the fact they just beat LSSU by a combined score 11-4?
7. Ferris State (13-11-4, LW: 5). It might be a little harsh dropping the Bulldogs this far for a loss and tie against one of the best teams in the league, but consider this more a function of how well everyone else is playing.
8. Michigan (10-16-2, LW: 10). Will a sweep over MSU set things right in Ann Arbor? A big road series in South Bend is a good measuring stick.
9. LSSU (13-16-1, LW: 7). The Lakers seem to be struggling right now winning one one of their last seven games. They do have a weekend off to regroup before back to back home series.
10. Northern Michigan (11-12-4, LW: 9). Let's see if the weekend off helps Northern, they do play five of their next seven on the road.
11. Michigan State (7-18-3, LW: 11). Will MSU hit a double digit win total this year? Since the GLI - MSU has lost three in a row three times. They have yet to lose four straight.
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (18-4-4, LW: 1). Minnesota didn't win this past weekend! They didn't play either. A big series at current WCHA leader St. Cloud State awaits.
2. Ohio State (11-11-6, LW: 3). They got to .500, but the next step forward is to get above .500 and put themselves in position for a bye. Then maybe home ice.
3. Wisconsin (11-9-6, LW: 2). A rough weekend in North Dakota can be forgotten with a strong finish - 7 of Wisconsin's last 10 are at home.
4. Michigan (10-16-2, LW: 4). Time will tell if the Wolverines have found themselves.
5. Penn State (10-13-0, LW: 6). They swept Ohio (club) this past weekend. Upcoming is UAH.
6. Michigan State (7-18-3, LW: 5). I just can't keep a team that is now 11 games below .500 ahead of someone that isn't.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Weekend Recap: Spartans split with Penn State
Game Recaps & Highlights
Friday - USCHO.com Recap // Friday - MSUSpartans.com Recap // Friday - Video Highlights
Friday - Penn State Recap
Saturday - MSUSpartans.com Recap // Saturday - Video Highlights // Saturday - Penn State Recap
Thoughts
Well, yeah. Friday night wasn't pretty, but the Spartans did enough to pull away and earn a 5-3 victory. The Spartans had some help with a major penalty late in the period, but the power play finally came through as Sorenson put the puck home - his second goal of the night. This night also saw senior Kevin Walrod post a 3 point effort, including a goal. It wasn't pretty, but it's a win.
Then Saturday happened. Michigan State built a 2-0 lead early on in the game, but Penn State battled back - and shot the puck - a lot - at Hildebrand. Hildebrand had a career high 47 saves, but it wasn't enough as Penn State rallied for a 3-2 win. Some people might call it the low point in the season, but I guess we'll have to see. You can't really sugarcoat this, MSU shouldn't lose to Penn State - even with the season the Spartans have been having this year. Heck, the Spartans won Friday without two of their three leading scorers. With that said, Penn State wasn't going to make it easy. They did beat Ohio State earlier in the year, and they rallied a couple of times this weekend to make MSU work for it. The Spartans had a 2-0 lead disappear on Friday as well as a 3-2 lead.
The good news for MSU is, the Spartans did not lose any ground on the three teams immediately in front of them in the CCHA Standings. Northern Michigan, Bowling Green, and Michigan were all swept.
CCHA Standings
It's good news, because if MSU can get going, win their games on hand Northern Michigan and Michigan - the Spartans will pass both in the standings. The Spartans completely control their destiny for home ice advantage in the first round of the CCHA play-offs, and it will be determined in the next three weeks. MSU plays Michigan, Bowling Green, and Northern Michigan in 3 straight weekends. At this point anything higher than 8th, MSU is REALLY going to have get rolling and get some help.
Western Michigan & Miami have now passed Notre Dame. Ferris State and Alaska are still hanging around, but they have played more games than any of the top three. Also, Ohio State is still hanging around.
Games This Week
Friday
LSSU at Bowling Green
Western Michigan at Ferris State
Alaska at Miami
Notre Dame at Ohio State
Michigan State at Michigan (BTN)
Saturday
LSSU at Bowling Green
Western Michigan at Ferris State
Alaska at Miami
Notre Dame at Ohio State
Michigan State vs. Michigan (Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI) (Fox Sports Detroit)
PairWise Rankings
The PairWise rankings become more relevant as the season moves along. Once the calendar hits about mid-February, it pays to really pay attention to where certain teams are. These rankings are suppose to mimic the NCAA selection committee's rankings and process. Here is how the CCHA stacks up:
In The Tournament:
T-3rd - Miami
8th - Western Michigan (conference leader)
T-11th - Alaska (bubble team)
T-14th - Notre Dame (bubble team)
Ranked, But Outside The Tournament:
T-18th - Northern Michigan (bubble team)
T-21st - Ferris State
T-24th - Ohio State
And a quick look at the RPI:
RPI Rankings
4. Miami
8. Western Michigan
13. Notre Dame
18. Alaska
22. Ferris State
23. Northern Michigan
24. Ohio State
35. LSSU
39. Bowling Green
48. Michigan
50. Michigan State
LSSU is just on the outside of being a team under consideration - their RPI is .4944 (.5000 makes you a TUC). Also interesting is this is Penn State's RPI is now higher than Michigan State's. Penn State is 49th.
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Alaska (12-8-4, LW: 1). The Nanooks winning streak has hit six games, and now a major series in Miami could decide if they are a contender or pretender in the CCHA race.
2. Western Michigan (16-6-4, LW: 2). A sweep over Michigan puts Western back in first place. Now they face a rivalry series in Ferris State.
3. Miami (15-6-5, LW: 3). Miami is still hanging around, and they have Alaska this weekend followed by Western Michigan and Notre Dame.
4. Notre Dame (16-10-0, LW: 4). The Irish finally found a way to win, but not before they fell out of first.
5. Ferris State (13-10-3, LW: 5). The Bulldogs winning streak was snapped in South Bend, and now they can make their mark on the CCHA race with Western coming to town.
6. Ohio State (10-11-5, LW: 9). Once you start to count the Buckeyes out, they sweep a series.
7. LSSU (13-14-1, LW: 7). The Lakers have a chance to regroup against Bowling Green - and solidify a home ice spot for the first round of the CCHA playoffs.
8. Bowling Green (8-13-5, LW: 8). The Falcons were playing well until this weekend - have they peaked?
9. Northern Michigan (11-12-4, LW: 6). Second half surge hit a major speed bump in Alaska. They get a weekend off to refocus.
10. Michigan (8-16-2, LW: 10). Michigan & Michigan State have had some battles in the past - just never for last place. Wolverines have lost 6 of 7.
11. Michigan State (7-16-3, LW: 11). The Spartans control their own destiny for home ice advantage in the first round of the CCHA playoffs. It's up to them to take care of business.
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (18-4-4, LW: 1). The Gophers finally lost. But they are still class of the Big Ten.
2. Wisconsin (11-8-5, LW: 2). Anyone remember their 1-7-4 start?
3. Ohio State (10-11-5, LW: 4). One weekend away from being the 3rd Big Ten team above .500.
4. Michigan (8-16-2, LW: 3). I'm not sure any of the last three teams deserves to be ranked ahead of the other ones - but for now Michigan gets the nod.
5. Michigan State (7-16-3, LW: 5). MSU still hasn't won two straight games all season - no better time to start then now.
6. Penn State (10-13-0, LW: 6). Penn State gets another "marquee" win - even if it wasn't over a vintage MSU squad. Wisconsin awaits at the end of their schedule.
Friday - USCHO.com Recap // Friday - MSUSpartans.com Recap // Friday - Video Highlights
Friday - Penn State Recap
Saturday - MSUSpartans.com Recap // Saturday - Video Highlights // Saturday - Penn State Recap
Thoughts
Well, yeah. Friday night wasn't pretty, but the Spartans did enough to pull away and earn a 5-3 victory. The Spartans had some help with a major penalty late in the period, but the power play finally came through as Sorenson put the puck home - his second goal of the night. This night also saw senior Kevin Walrod post a 3 point effort, including a goal. It wasn't pretty, but it's a win.
Then Saturday happened. Michigan State built a 2-0 lead early on in the game, but Penn State battled back - and shot the puck - a lot - at Hildebrand. Hildebrand had a career high 47 saves, but it wasn't enough as Penn State rallied for a 3-2 win. Some people might call it the low point in the season, but I guess we'll have to see. You can't really sugarcoat this, MSU shouldn't lose to Penn State - even with the season the Spartans have been having this year. Heck, the Spartans won Friday without two of their three leading scorers. With that said, Penn State wasn't going to make it easy. They did beat Ohio State earlier in the year, and they rallied a couple of times this weekend to make MSU work for it. The Spartans had a 2-0 lead disappear on Friday as well as a 3-2 lead.
The good news for MSU is, the Spartans did not lose any ground on the three teams immediately in front of them in the CCHA Standings. Northern Michigan, Bowling Green, and Michigan were all swept.
CCHA Standings
| GP | W | L | T | SOW | Points | Total Points Possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Michigan | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 39 | 69 |
| Miami | 18 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 38 | 68 |
| Notre Dame | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 66 |
| Ferris St. | 20 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 58 |
| Alaska | 20 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 58 |
| Ohio State | 18 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 31 | 61 |
| LSSU | 20 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 50 |
| Northern Michigan | 20 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 20 | 44 |
| Bowling Green | 18 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 49 |
| Michigan | 20 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 43 |
| Michigan State | 18 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 46 |
It's good news, because if MSU can get going, win their games on hand Northern Michigan and Michigan - the Spartans will pass both in the standings. The Spartans completely control their destiny for home ice advantage in the first round of the CCHA play-offs, and it will be determined in the next three weeks. MSU plays Michigan, Bowling Green, and Northern Michigan in 3 straight weekends. At this point anything higher than 8th, MSU is REALLY going to have get rolling and get some help.
Western Michigan & Miami have now passed Notre Dame. Ferris State and Alaska are still hanging around, but they have played more games than any of the top three. Also, Ohio State is still hanging around.
Games This Week
Friday
LSSU at Bowling Green
Western Michigan at Ferris State
Alaska at Miami
Notre Dame at Ohio State
Michigan State at Michigan (BTN)
Saturday
LSSU at Bowling Green
Western Michigan at Ferris State
Alaska at Miami
Notre Dame at Ohio State
Michigan State vs. Michigan (Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI) (Fox Sports Detroit)
PairWise Rankings
The PairWise rankings become more relevant as the season moves along. Once the calendar hits about mid-February, it pays to really pay attention to where certain teams are. These rankings are suppose to mimic the NCAA selection committee's rankings and process. Here is how the CCHA stacks up:
In The Tournament:
T-3rd - Miami
8th - Western Michigan (conference leader)
T-11th - Alaska (bubble team)
T-14th - Notre Dame (bubble team)
Ranked, But Outside The Tournament:
T-18th - Northern Michigan (bubble team)
T-21st - Ferris State
T-24th - Ohio State
And a quick look at the RPI:
RPI Rankings
4. Miami
8. Western Michigan
13. Notre Dame
18. Alaska
22. Ferris State
23. Northern Michigan
24. Ohio State
35. LSSU
39. Bowling Green
48. Michigan
50. Michigan State
LSSU is just on the outside of being a team under consideration - their RPI is .4944 (.5000 makes you a TUC). Also interesting is this is Penn State's RPI is now higher than Michigan State's. Penn State is 49th.
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Alaska (12-8-4, LW: 1). The Nanooks winning streak has hit six games, and now a major series in Miami could decide if they are a contender or pretender in the CCHA race.
2. Western Michigan (16-6-4, LW: 2). A sweep over Michigan puts Western back in first place. Now they face a rivalry series in Ferris State.
3. Miami (15-6-5, LW: 3). Miami is still hanging around, and they have Alaska this weekend followed by Western Michigan and Notre Dame.
4. Notre Dame (16-10-0, LW: 4). The Irish finally found a way to win, but not before they fell out of first.
5. Ferris State (13-10-3, LW: 5). The Bulldogs winning streak was snapped in South Bend, and now they can make their mark on the CCHA race with Western coming to town.
6. Ohio State (10-11-5, LW: 9). Once you start to count the Buckeyes out, they sweep a series.
7. LSSU (13-14-1, LW: 7). The Lakers have a chance to regroup against Bowling Green - and solidify a home ice spot for the first round of the CCHA playoffs.
8. Bowling Green (8-13-5, LW: 8). The Falcons were playing well until this weekend - have they peaked?
9. Northern Michigan (11-12-4, LW: 6). Second half surge hit a major speed bump in Alaska. They get a weekend off to refocus.
10. Michigan (8-16-2, LW: 10). Michigan & Michigan State have had some battles in the past - just never for last place. Wolverines have lost 6 of 7.
11. Michigan State (7-16-3, LW: 11). The Spartans control their own destiny for home ice advantage in the first round of the CCHA playoffs. It's up to them to take care of business.
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (18-4-4, LW: 1). The Gophers finally lost. But they are still class of the Big Ten.
2. Wisconsin (11-8-5, LW: 2). Anyone remember their 1-7-4 start?
3. Ohio State (10-11-5, LW: 4). One weekend away from being the 3rd Big Ten team above .500.
4. Michigan (8-16-2, LW: 3). I'm not sure any of the last three teams deserves to be ranked ahead of the other ones - but for now Michigan gets the nod.
5. Michigan State (7-16-3, LW: 5). MSU still hasn't won two straight games all season - no better time to start then now.
6. Penn State (10-13-0, LW: 6). Penn State gets another "marquee" win - even if it wasn't over a vintage MSU squad. Wisconsin awaits at the end of their schedule.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Weekend Recap: Bulldogs sweep Spartans
Game Recaps
Friday Night
MSUSpartans.com Recap // Ferris State Recap // USCHO Recap
Saturday Night
MSUSpartans.com Recap // Ferris State Recap // USCHO Recap
Game Thoughts
Friday night was not pretty, but despite being outplayed for the vast majority of the game, the Spartans still had a chance to win the game thanks to Freshman goaltender Jake Hildebrand. Hildebrand put forth one of the best efforts in goal for MSU since Jeff Lerg's national title performance back in 2007. The problem was MSU simply didn't have enough offense losing 2-1. Matt Berry had a chance as time expired, but his shot went right into C.J. Motte, the Ferris State goalie.
On Saturday, the Spartans battled hard and only trailed the Bulldogs 3-2 going into the third period, but the Bulldogs broke it open with two goals over the final 10 minutes to complete the two game sweep. Bottom line, the Spartans were outplayed this weekend by Ferris State, and it really didn't look like the same team that gave Notre Dame all they could handle the week before.
The Spartans are looking for something positive, and maybe they can start something this week. They play an exhibition game Tuesday against the US Development team, and they host future Big Ten rival Penn State this weekend in a non-conference series. Penn State is coming off a win against Vermont.
Big Week Ahead
This is the week that I've been looking forward to all season. I am a big supporter of the Big Ten finally making the move and forming its own hockey conference. Penn State finally making the leap made that decision possible, and starting with the 2013 - 2014 season, the Big Ten will exist. Despite this move, a lot of people are looking at this as a negative disruption. Is it sour grapes that the WCHA and CCHA are losing their Big Ten rivals? These schools do usually mean big attendance for the other teams in the conference (for example, Ferris State sold out on Saturday - against a last place Big Ten school).
Western Michigan students were chanting "Big Ten sucks" during the GLI, as they held a slim 1-0 lead over Michigan State. But, I really feel these feelings are very shortsighted on their part. The Big Ten schools will still be scheduling plenty of non-conference series, which will still give these teams a chance to fill their rinks along with seeing the Big Ten schools. And at no time did anyone say this was going to be great hockey - just it could be great for hockey. It brings a brand name to the college hockey scene - something the other "major" sports all have (football, basketball, and baseball). It doesn't mean all these schools are going to make a jump all of a sudden to D-1, because Title IX, and of course funding still are a major problem. Penn State only has their program because of a major donation to jump start the entire thing.
I also believe this could be good for the Big Ten. Most Big Ten fans will show up for "brand name" games. Michigan State usually sees larger crowds when Michigan (duh), Ohio State, and Notre Dame roll into town. Minnesota and Wisconsin usually drew well over the Thanksgiving holiday. The casual fan gets excited to see these schools more than a Ferris State, LSSU, or Alaska. It doesn't mean these aren't good programs, but they just don't draw the casual fan in.
Each Big Ten team will need to improve though.
Michigan (8-14-2) and Michigan State (6-15-3) are 10th and 11th in the CCHA at the moment (ok, Michigan is tied for 9th). Ohio State isn't doing much better sitting at 8-11-5 overall sitting in 7th place in the CCHA.
Penn State is 9-12-0 in its first season, but they have had some bad losses against non-varsity teams along the way.
This brings us to the only two Big Ten programs above .500 - Minnesota (17-3-4) and Wisconsin (9-8-5). And for Wisconsin it took an 11 game unbeaten streak to get to that point. Miami finally ended that streak last night with a 2-1 victory.
And even if the programs are having bad years, historically they've been very good, which means it stands to reason that they will eventually bounce back. So now some of these other schools that have never contended could find themselves in a new conference that might be slightly more realistic to win a little bit more.
Time will tell how things will work out, and while it might not be perfect at first, I do think it will be good for the most part for college hockey, and those people who have been crying foul ever since the announcement will realize that eventually.
Penn State Week
On this note, I wanted to try something different this week since it's our first ever match-up with Penn State. I don't mean to ignore the Tuesday night exhibition match-up, but I've touched base with the popular Penn State Hockey Blog - Thank You Terry for assistance this week. Some questions were asked, and some great responses were received - and we'll post those Q&A's during this week in two parts (yes, it's that good). The blog is just as good - so you should check it out and learn a little bit about Penn State hockey.
CCHA Standings
Well, Notre Dame is human. Alaska continued their strong play by sweeping Notre Dame in South Bend. Now all of a sudden a run-away season has turned back into a big race. ND, WMU, and Miami still are the teams to beat, but Ferris, Alaska, LSSU, and Ohio State aren't far behind. Bowling Green finally lost on Saturday. That ended a six game unbeaten streak. Another full slate of games with only Michigan State stepping out of conference.
Games This Week
Tuesday
US U-18 Team at Michigan State (exhibition)
Friday & Saturday
Bowling Green at Miami
Ferris State at Notre Dame
LSSU at Ohio State
Northern Michigan at Alaska
Michigan at Western Michigan
Penn State at Michigan State
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Alaska (10-8-4, LW: 4). Notre Dame's run at #1 ends this week as the Nanooks won four straight at Michigan and at Notre Dame.
2. Western Michigan (14-6-4, LW: 2). The Broncos split with Bowling Green - and now they've caught ND.
3. Miami (13-6-5, LW: 3). Miami split at red-hot Wisconsin.
4. Notre Dame (15-9-0, LW: 1). The Irish have now lost four straight.
5. Ferris State (12-9-3, LW: 6). The Bulldogs can find themselves in first place this week with some help and a great weekend at Notre Dame.
6. Northern Michigan (11-10-4, LW: 5). The Wildcats have a tough trip out west as their second half surge continues.
7. LSSU (13-12-1, LW: 8). The Lakes salvaged a weekend split against Michigan.
8. Bowling Green (8-11-5, LW: 10). The Falcons went 2-1 this week with a win at Western and against Notre Dame. Who wants to play the Falcons now?
9. Ohio State (8-11-5, LW: 7). The Buckeyes can regroup at home against LSSU.
10. Michigan (8-14-2, LW: 11). The Wolverines finally got back on track with a win, but a loss on Saturday probably doesn't make them feel better about the season.
11. Michigan State (6-15-3, LW: 9). A chance to regroup this week with an exhibition game and Penn State.
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (17-3-4, LW: 1). Unbeaten streak hits 10 (8-0-2).
2. Wisconsin (9-8-5, LW: 2). Unbeaten streak ended at 11.
3. Michigan (8-14-2, LW: 6). Just not sure how to rank the rest of the Big Ten at this point.
4. Ohio State (8-11-5, LW: 3). Not much difference between the rest of these teams at this point.
5. Michigan State (6-15-3, LW: 4). The Spartans have two must win games this weekend.
6. Penn State (9-12-0, LW: 5). A nice win over Vermont doesn't really mask the 3-2 loss to Neumann during the week.
Friday Night
MSUSpartans.com Recap // Ferris State Recap // USCHO Recap
Saturday Night
MSUSpartans.com Recap // Ferris State Recap // USCHO Recap
Game Thoughts
Friday night was not pretty, but despite being outplayed for the vast majority of the game, the Spartans still had a chance to win the game thanks to Freshman goaltender Jake Hildebrand. Hildebrand put forth one of the best efforts in goal for MSU since Jeff Lerg's national title performance back in 2007. The problem was MSU simply didn't have enough offense losing 2-1. Matt Berry had a chance as time expired, but his shot went right into C.J. Motte, the Ferris State goalie.
On Saturday, the Spartans battled hard and only trailed the Bulldogs 3-2 going into the third period, but the Bulldogs broke it open with two goals over the final 10 minutes to complete the two game sweep. Bottom line, the Spartans were outplayed this weekend by Ferris State, and it really didn't look like the same team that gave Notre Dame all they could handle the week before.
The Spartans are looking for something positive, and maybe they can start something this week. They play an exhibition game Tuesday against the US Development team, and they host future Big Ten rival Penn State this weekend in a non-conference series. Penn State is coming off a win against Vermont.
Big Week Ahead
This is the week that I've been looking forward to all season. I am a big supporter of the Big Ten finally making the move and forming its own hockey conference. Penn State finally making the leap made that decision possible, and starting with the 2013 - 2014 season, the Big Ten will exist. Despite this move, a lot of people are looking at this as a negative disruption. Is it sour grapes that the WCHA and CCHA are losing their Big Ten rivals? These schools do usually mean big attendance for the other teams in the conference (for example, Ferris State sold out on Saturday - against a last place Big Ten school).
Western Michigan students were chanting "Big Ten sucks" during the GLI, as they held a slim 1-0 lead over Michigan State. But, I really feel these feelings are very shortsighted on their part. The Big Ten schools will still be scheduling plenty of non-conference series, which will still give these teams a chance to fill their rinks along with seeing the Big Ten schools. And at no time did anyone say this was going to be great hockey - just it could be great for hockey. It brings a brand name to the college hockey scene - something the other "major" sports all have (football, basketball, and baseball). It doesn't mean all these schools are going to make a jump all of a sudden to D-1, because Title IX, and of course funding still are a major problem. Penn State only has their program because of a major donation to jump start the entire thing.
I also believe this could be good for the Big Ten. Most Big Ten fans will show up for "brand name" games. Michigan State usually sees larger crowds when Michigan (duh), Ohio State, and Notre Dame roll into town. Minnesota and Wisconsin usually drew well over the Thanksgiving holiday. The casual fan gets excited to see these schools more than a Ferris State, LSSU, or Alaska. It doesn't mean these aren't good programs, but they just don't draw the casual fan in.
Each Big Ten team will need to improve though.
Michigan (8-14-2) and Michigan State (6-15-3) are 10th and 11th in the CCHA at the moment (ok, Michigan is tied for 9th). Ohio State isn't doing much better sitting at 8-11-5 overall sitting in 7th place in the CCHA.
Penn State is 9-12-0 in its first season, but they have had some bad losses against non-varsity teams along the way.
This brings us to the only two Big Ten programs above .500 - Minnesota (17-3-4) and Wisconsin (9-8-5). And for Wisconsin it took an 11 game unbeaten streak to get to that point. Miami finally ended that streak last night with a 2-1 victory.
And even if the programs are having bad years, historically they've been very good, which means it stands to reason that they will eventually bounce back. So now some of these other schools that have never contended could find themselves in a new conference that might be slightly more realistic to win a little bit more.
Time will tell how things will work out, and while it might not be perfect at first, I do think it will be good for the most part for college hockey, and those people who have been crying foul ever since the announcement will realize that eventually.
Penn State Week
On this note, I wanted to try something different this week since it's our first ever match-up with Penn State. I don't mean to ignore the Tuesday night exhibition match-up, but I've touched base with the popular Penn State Hockey Blog - Thank You Terry for assistance this week. Some questions were asked, and some great responses were received - and we'll post those Q&A's during this week in two parts (yes, it's that good). The blog is just as good - so you should check it out and learn a little bit about Penn State hockey.
CCHA Standings
| GP | W | L | T | SOW | Points | Total Points Possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | 16 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 69 |
| Western Michigan | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 33 | 69 |
| Miami | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 32 | 68 |
| Ferris St. | 18 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 61 |
| Alaska | 18 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 58 |
| LSSU | 18 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 56 |
| Ohio State | 16 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 61 |
| Northern Michigan | 18 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 20 | 50 |
| Bowling Green | 16 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 55 |
| Michigan | 18 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 49 |
| Michigan State | 18 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 46 |
Well, Notre Dame is human. Alaska continued their strong play by sweeping Notre Dame in South Bend. Now all of a sudden a run-away season has turned back into a big race. ND, WMU, and Miami still are the teams to beat, but Ferris, Alaska, LSSU, and Ohio State aren't far behind. Bowling Green finally lost on Saturday. That ended a six game unbeaten streak. Another full slate of games with only Michigan State stepping out of conference.
Games This Week
Tuesday
US U-18 Team at Michigan State (exhibition)
Friday & Saturday
Bowling Green at Miami
Ferris State at Notre Dame
LSSU at Ohio State
Northern Michigan at Alaska
Michigan at Western Michigan
Penn State at Michigan State
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Alaska (10-8-4, LW: 4). Notre Dame's run at #1 ends this week as the Nanooks won four straight at Michigan and at Notre Dame.
2. Western Michigan (14-6-4, LW: 2). The Broncos split with Bowling Green - and now they've caught ND.
3. Miami (13-6-5, LW: 3). Miami split at red-hot Wisconsin.
4. Notre Dame (15-9-0, LW: 1). The Irish have now lost four straight.
5. Ferris State (12-9-3, LW: 6). The Bulldogs can find themselves in first place this week with some help and a great weekend at Notre Dame.
6. Northern Michigan (11-10-4, LW: 5). The Wildcats have a tough trip out west as their second half surge continues.
7. LSSU (13-12-1, LW: 8). The Lakes salvaged a weekend split against Michigan.
8. Bowling Green (8-11-5, LW: 10). The Falcons went 2-1 this week with a win at Western and against Notre Dame. Who wants to play the Falcons now?
9. Ohio State (8-11-5, LW: 7). The Buckeyes can regroup at home against LSSU.
10. Michigan (8-14-2, LW: 11). The Wolverines finally got back on track with a win, but a loss on Saturday probably doesn't make them feel better about the season.
11. Michigan State (6-15-3, LW: 9). A chance to regroup this week with an exhibition game and Penn State.
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (17-3-4, LW: 1). Unbeaten streak hits 10 (8-0-2).
2. Wisconsin (9-8-5, LW: 2). Unbeaten streak ended at 11.
3. Michigan (8-14-2, LW: 6). Just not sure how to rank the rest of the Big Ten at this point.
4. Ohio State (8-11-5, LW: 3). Not much difference between the rest of these teams at this point.
5. Michigan State (6-15-3, LW: 4). The Spartans have two must win games this weekend.
6. Penn State (9-12-0, LW: 5). A nice win over Vermont doesn't really mask the 3-2 loss to Neumann during the week.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Weekend Recap: Wake Up The Echoes?
Coming into the weekend, the Spartans didn't have much to cheer about. At times, they played better over the month of December, but they still finished the month with a 1-4-1 record. However, in the victory over Ferris State and the tie against Western Michigan in the GLI, the Spartans did show signs of promise - but the issues on offense continued. And they rolled right into the new year when the Spartans were outplayed and shutout by Ferris State in Big Rapids.
Enter the second-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. This was a weekend that few people thought the Spartans could get many (if any) points. On Friday night those fears were confirmed when Notre Dame won 1-0. It marked the fifth time this season Michigan State was shutout. Even worse, it marked the third time Michigan State had lost 1-0 wasting a superb effort in goal by Jake Hildebrand.
Despite all that though, the Spartans still played well. They had chances, none more closer than Forfar's crossbar shot in the third period. Frustrations had to be building in the locker room. They still were working hard, and they were really doing a good job by doing the little things better (i.e. winning face-offs, playing hard in the corners, etc...). But nothing on the scoreboard.
Then this happened:
MSUSpartans.com Video Highlights
Obviously it's way too soon to say this is the type of win that turned a season around, but a weekend like this has to give Michigan State some confidence as they head into another home and home series with Ferris State.
CCHA Standings
Notre Dame is still really in the driver's seat. They hold a huge advantage on Miami with the 3 games on hand. Western Michigan is really the next closest team. Ohio State and Miami seem to hold the inside track to a top four spot and home ice in the quarterfinal round. The next group appears to be Ferris State, LSSU, and Alaska right now battling it out for the fifth spot - and the final spot for a first round bye. Bowling Green has the games on hand to really move up the standings, and they are unbeaten in three straight games and 4-1-2 in their last seven games. They just won in Ann Arbor 5-1.
Speaking of Michigan, the Spartans and Wolverines and tied for 8th - which is the final home ice spot for the first round of the playoffs. However, if Bowling Green wins all their games on hand, they could be as high as seventh place. The Falcons have a tough stretch coming up with a weeknight game against Notre Dame followed by a home and home with Western and a road series at Miami.
Michigan was just swept at home by Alaska - which has never happened before. One wonders if that second half run is really going to happen. Northern Michigan is known for having strong second halves as well, and they are unbeaten in four games (3-0-1).
A full weekend of CCHA action is on tap this weekend, though Miami does go out of conference:
Games This Week:
Tuesday:
Notre Dame at Bowling Green
Friday:
Western Michigan at Bowling Green
Michigan at LSSU
Ferris State at Michigan State (Fox Sports Detroit)
Alaska at Notre Dame
Ohio State at Northern Michigan
Miami at Wisconsin (Big Ten Network)
Saturday:
Michigan State at Ferris State
Michigan at LSSU
Alaska at Notre Dame (CBS Sports Network)
Ohio State at Northern Michigan
Bowling Green at Western Michigan
Miami at Wisconsin (Fox Sports Wisconsin Plus)
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Notre Dame (15-6-0, LW: 1). Even after a 1-2 week where the Irish only scored three goals, the Irish still hold the spot for the best team in the CCHA.
2. Western Michigan (13-5-4, LW: 3). The Broncos are in position to potentially challenge Notre Dame for the league title.
3. Miami (12-5-5, LW: 2). A rough weekend up in Marquette brings up some question marks if Miami can contend in the CCHA.
4. Alaska (8-8-4, LW: 8). The Nanooks just did something they've never done before - sweep Michigan.
5. Northern Michigan (9-10-4, LW: 6). The Wildcats are unbeaten in four.
6. Ferris State (10-9-3, LW: 5). The Bulldogs are hanging around the top four - can they go on another run?
7. Ohio State (8-9-5, LW: 9). Ohio State managed a split in Big Rapids, can they cool off the Wildcats?
8. LSSU (12-11-1, LW: 4). It might be a little harsh dropping them this far, but I think that just goes to show you how even some of these teams are.
9. Michigan State (6-13-3, LW: 10). A good weekend against South Bend and still a lot of home games coming up.
10. Bowling Green (6-10-5, LW: 11). Are the Falcons finally making a move? A tough week coming up with Notre Dame and Western Michigan.
11. Michigan (7-13-2, LW: 9). Has Michigan hit rock bottom yet?
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (16-3-3, LW: 1). Just keep winning, just keep winning, just keep winning. Gophers are unbeaten in eight (7-0-1)
2. Wisconsin (8-7-5, LW: 2). Just keep winning, just keep winning, just keep winning - Badgers are now unbeaten in ten games (7-0-3) which includes six straight wins.
3. Ohio State (8-9-5, LW: 4). The Buckeyes continue an up and down season.
4. Michigan State (6-13-3, LW: 6). Can Michigan State do something they haven't done yet this year - win three straight?
5. Penn State (8-11-0, LW: 5). A weekend split with the USA Development U-18 team - a pair of home games this week for Penn State before their first Big 10 weekend series against Michigan State (note: they have played Ohio State - but that wasn't a series).
6. Michigan (7-13-2, LW: 3). Just keep wishing, just keep wishing - the nation's longest NCAA tournament streak looks to be on life support and dependent upon a CCHA tournament championship.
Enter the second-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish. This was a weekend that few people thought the Spartans could get many (if any) points. On Friday night those fears were confirmed when Notre Dame won 1-0. It marked the fifth time this season Michigan State was shutout. Even worse, it marked the third time Michigan State had lost 1-0 wasting a superb effort in goal by Jake Hildebrand.
Despite all that though, the Spartans still played well. They had chances, none more closer than Forfar's crossbar shot in the third period. Frustrations had to be building in the locker room. They still were working hard, and they were really doing a good job by doing the little things better (i.e. winning face-offs, playing hard in the corners, etc...). But nothing on the scoreboard.
Then this happened:
MSUSpartans.com Video Highlights
Obviously it's way too soon to say this is the type of win that turned a season around, but a weekend like this has to give Michigan State some confidence as they head into another home and home series with Ferris State.
CCHA Standings
| GP | W | L | T | SOW | Points | Total Points Possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | 13 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 78 |
| Miami | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 32 | 68 |
| Western Michigan | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 72 |
| Ferris St. | 16 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 61 |
| Ohio St. | 14 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 67 |
| LSSU | 16 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 59 |
| Alaska | 16 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 22 | 58 |
| Michigan State | 16 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 52 |
| Michigan | 16 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 52 |
| Northern Michigan | 16 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 50 |
| Bowling Green | 13 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 58 |
Notre Dame is still really in the driver's seat. They hold a huge advantage on Miami with the 3 games on hand. Western Michigan is really the next closest team. Ohio State and Miami seem to hold the inside track to a top four spot and home ice in the quarterfinal round. The next group appears to be Ferris State, LSSU, and Alaska right now battling it out for the fifth spot - and the final spot for a first round bye. Bowling Green has the games on hand to really move up the standings, and they are unbeaten in three straight games and 4-1-2 in their last seven games. They just won in Ann Arbor 5-1.
Speaking of Michigan, the Spartans and Wolverines and tied for 8th - which is the final home ice spot for the first round of the playoffs. However, if Bowling Green wins all their games on hand, they could be as high as seventh place. The Falcons have a tough stretch coming up with a weeknight game against Notre Dame followed by a home and home with Western and a road series at Miami.
Michigan was just swept at home by Alaska - which has never happened before. One wonders if that second half run is really going to happen. Northern Michigan is known for having strong second halves as well, and they are unbeaten in four games (3-0-1).
A full weekend of CCHA action is on tap this weekend, though Miami does go out of conference:
Games This Week:
Tuesday:
Notre Dame at Bowling Green
Friday:
Western Michigan at Bowling Green
Michigan at LSSU
Ferris State at Michigan State (Fox Sports Detroit)
Alaska at Notre Dame
Ohio State at Northern Michigan
Miami at Wisconsin (Big Ten Network)
Saturday:
Michigan State at Ferris State
Michigan at LSSU
Alaska at Notre Dame (CBS Sports Network)
Ohio State at Northern Michigan
Bowling Green at Western Michigan
Miami at Wisconsin (Fox Sports Wisconsin Plus)
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Notre Dame (15-6-0, LW: 1). Even after a 1-2 week where the Irish only scored three goals, the Irish still hold the spot for the best team in the CCHA.
2. Western Michigan (13-5-4, LW: 3). The Broncos are in position to potentially challenge Notre Dame for the league title.
3. Miami (12-5-5, LW: 2). A rough weekend up in Marquette brings up some question marks if Miami can contend in the CCHA.
4. Alaska (8-8-4, LW: 8). The Nanooks just did something they've never done before - sweep Michigan.
5. Northern Michigan (9-10-4, LW: 6). The Wildcats are unbeaten in four.
6. Ferris State (10-9-3, LW: 5). The Bulldogs are hanging around the top four - can they go on another run?
7. Ohio State (8-9-5, LW: 9). Ohio State managed a split in Big Rapids, can they cool off the Wildcats?
8. LSSU (12-11-1, LW: 4). It might be a little harsh dropping them this far, but I think that just goes to show you how even some of these teams are.
9. Michigan State (6-13-3, LW: 10). A good weekend against South Bend and still a lot of home games coming up.
10. Bowling Green (6-10-5, LW: 11). Are the Falcons finally making a move? A tough week coming up with Notre Dame and Western Michigan.
11. Michigan (7-13-2, LW: 9). Has Michigan hit rock bottom yet?
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (16-3-3, LW: 1). Just keep winning, just keep winning, just keep winning. Gophers are unbeaten in eight (7-0-1)
2. Wisconsin (8-7-5, LW: 2). Just keep winning, just keep winning, just keep winning - Badgers are now unbeaten in ten games (7-0-3) which includes six straight wins.
3. Ohio State (8-9-5, LW: 4). The Buckeyes continue an up and down season.
4. Michigan State (6-13-3, LW: 6). Can Michigan State do something they haven't done yet this year - win three straight?
5. Penn State (8-11-0, LW: 5). A weekend split with the USA Development U-18 team - a pair of home games this week for Penn State before their first Big 10 weekend series against Michigan State (note: they have played Ohio State - but that wasn't a series).
6. Michigan (7-13-2, LW: 3). Just keep wishing, just keep wishing - the nation's longest NCAA tournament streak looks to be on life support and dependent upon a CCHA tournament championship.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Weekend Recap: Bulldogs Blank Spartans 3-0
Recap
USCHO Recap // The State News Recap // Lansing State Journal Recap
MSUSpartans.com Recap//All-Access Highlights
Ferris State Recap // Ferris State Video Highlights
Thoughts
The offensive woes continue. Michigan State could only manage 23 shots on goal in the 3-0 loss. In the second period, the Bulldogs out-shot MSU 16-7 and out-scored the Spartans 2-0. That is all they needed as MSU couldn't get much going in the offensive end. Only two penalties were called the entire game. And the chances they did get seemed to miss the net. Coach Anastos made a point to talk after the game getting their quality chances on goal (it's also in the highlight video).
Things won't get much easier for MSU either, as Notre Dame comes into East Lansing next weekend for a pair. The last time the two teams met, Notre Dame swept Michigan State 3-2 and 5-1 just a month ago in South Bend. Michigan State hung tough in the 3-2 effort, but they couldn't tie the game up. The Irish controlled Saturday night, much like the score would indicate. This series marks the beginning of a very key stretch as MSU plays five of their next six at home.
CCHA Standings
The game last night was the only league game during the two week break. League action will pick up again this week though.
Games This Week
Sunday
Bowling Green at Canisius
Tuesday
Bowling Green at Michigan (Big Ten Network)
Notre Dame at Minnesota (Fox Sports North Plus)
Friday
Ohio State at Ferris State
Notre Dame at Michigan State (Comcast)
Miami at Northern Michigan
LSSU at Western Michigan
Alaska at Michigan
Saturday
Ohio State at Ferris State
Notre Dame at Michigan State (Comcast)
Miami at Northern Michigan
Alaska at Michigan (Fox Sports Detroit Plus)
LSSU at Western Michigan
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Notre Dame (14-4-0, LW: 1). Notre Dame hasn't played in a couple weeks - will that hurt them this week at Minnesota and Michigan State?
2. Miami (12-4-4, LW: 3). Miami may have finished second in the Three Rivers Classic, but they got some great goaltending which will make them very tough to beat over the second half of the year.
3. Western Michigan (12-5-3, LW: 2). They went 0-1-1 in the GLI losing to a sub-.500 Michigan Tech team and only getting a draw against Michigan State. With that said, they are still one of the best in the CCHA.
4. LSSU (12-10-0, LW: 4). A non-conference sweep against Union looks good. They travel to K-Zoo next.
5. Ferris State (9-8-3, LW: 6). They split down in Florida before coming back up and shutting out Ferris State. They have 3 of 4 at home to really get on a roll before back to back series with Notre Dame and Western.
6. Northern Michigan (8-10-3, LW: 11). Second half charge coming? A road sweep at the (currently) second place team in the WCHA might be an indication.
7. Michigan (7-10-2, LW: 5). Michigan gets back to a full roster on the weekend (Treais is suspended on Tuesday) - can they begin a second half surge?
8. Alaska (6-8-4, LW: 8). The Nanooks look to get back on track in Ann Arbor - they haven't played a game since December 8th.
9. Ohio State (7-8-5, LW: 7). A loss to Miami and Penn State in the Three Rivers Classic wasn't their hope to end the 2012 calendar. They have to go on the road for back to back series in Big Rapids and Marquette.
10. Michigan State (5-12-3, LW: 9). The effort was there in the GLI against Western. In Michigan State's 12 losses, they've only scored 11 goals, been shutout four times, and only scored one goal five times.
11. Bowling Green (4-10-5, LW: 10). A win against Niagara last weekend, and a tie last night against Canisius have the Falcons thinking things will be better. Problem is they have Michigan, Notre Dame, Western Michigan, and Miami to start off their 2013 CCHA schedule.
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (13-3-3, LW: 1). The 8-1 victory over #1 Boston College shows Minnesota is the class of the Big Ten and your 2013-2014 odds on favorite to win the conference championship.
2. Wisconsin (6-7-5, LW: 5). This just shows you how far the drop off is after Minnesota. Though, Wisconsin has won four straight and is unbeaten in eight (5-0-3). Their last loss came at home to Minnesota State (4-2), the team they face on the road this weekend.
3. Michigan (7-10-2, LW: 2). Still can't figure Michigan out, maybe once they have a full roster things will click.
4. Ohio State (7-8-5, LW: 3). Despite the loss to Penn State, I have them here.
5. Penn State (8-11-0, LW: 6). They are undefeated against Big 10 teams.
6. Michigan State (5-12-3, LW: 4). Worst record among the Big 10 teams gets them here - though we'll see in a few weeks how they stack up against Penn State.
Other News:
The NHL Lockout is over!!!!!!!!!!
So somehow this seems appropriate:
USCHO Recap // The State News Recap // Lansing State Journal Recap
MSUSpartans.com Recap//All-Access Highlights
Ferris State Recap // Ferris State Video Highlights
Thoughts
The offensive woes continue. Michigan State could only manage 23 shots on goal in the 3-0 loss. In the second period, the Bulldogs out-shot MSU 16-7 and out-scored the Spartans 2-0. That is all they needed as MSU couldn't get much going in the offensive end. Only two penalties were called the entire game. And the chances they did get seemed to miss the net. Coach Anastos made a point to talk after the game getting their quality chances on goal (it's also in the highlight video).
Things won't get much easier for MSU either, as Notre Dame comes into East Lansing next weekend for a pair. The last time the two teams met, Notre Dame swept Michigan State 3-2 and 5-1 just a month ago in South Bend. Michigan State hung tough in the 3-2 effort, but they couldn't tie the game up. The Irish controlled Saturday night, much like the score would indicate. This series marks the beginning of a very key stretch as MSU plays five of their next six at home.
CCHA Standings
| GP | W | L | T | SOW | Points | Total Points Possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 81 |
| Miami | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 72 |
| Western Michigan | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 74 |
| Ohio State | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 22 | 70 |
| Ferris St. | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 64 |
| LSSU | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 63 |
| Michigan | 13 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 61 |
| Alaska | 14 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 58 |
| Michigan State | 14 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 55 |
| Bowling Green | 12 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 58 |
| Northern Michigan | 14 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 52 |
The game last night was the only league game during the two week break. League action will pick up again this week though.
Games This Week
Sunday
Bowling Green at Canisius
Tuesday
Bowling Green at Michigan (Big Ten Network)
Notre Dame at Minnesota (Fox Sports North Plus)
Friday
Ohio State at Ferris State
Notre Dame at Michigan State (Comcast)
Miami at Northern Michigan
LSSU at Western Michigan
Alaska at Michigan
Saturday
Ohio State at Ferris State
Notre Dame at Michigan State (Comcast)
Miami at Northern Michigan
Alaska at Michigan (Fox Sports Detroit Plus)
LSSU at Western Michigan
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Notre Dame (14-4-0, LW: 1). Notre Dame hasn't played in a couple weeks - will that hurt them this week at Minnesota and Michigan State?
2. Miami (12-4-4, LW: 3). Miami may have finished second in the Three Rivers Classic, but they got some great goaltending which will make them very tough to beat over the second half of the year.
3. Western Michigan (12-5-3, LW: 2). They went 0-1-1 in the GLI losing to a sub-.500 Michigan Tech team and only getting a draw against Michigan State. With that said, they are still one of the best in the CCHA.
4. LSSU (12-10-0, LW: 4). A non-conference sweep against Union looks good. They travel to K-Zoo next.
5. Ferris State (9-8-3, LW: 6). They split down in Florida before coming back up and shutting out Ferris State. They have 3 of 4 at home to really get on a roll before back to back series with Notre Dame and Western.
6. Northern Michigan (8-10-3, LW: 11). Second half charge coming? A road sweep at the (currently) second place team in the WCHA might be an indication.
7. Michigan (7-10-2, LW: 5). Michigan gets back to a full roster on the weekend (Treais is suspended on Tuesday) - can they begin a second half surge?
8. Alaska (6-8-4, LW: 8). The Nanooks look to get back on track in Ann Arbor - they haven't played a game since December 8th.
9. Ohio State (7-8-5, LW: 7). A loss to Miami and Penn State in the Three Rivers Classic wasn't their hope to end the 2012 calendar. They have to go on the road for back to back series in Big Rapids and Marquette.
10. Michigan State (5-12-3, LW: 9). The effort was there in the GLI against Western. In Michigan State's 12 losses, they've only scored 11 goals, been shutout four times, and only scored one goal five times.
11. Bowling Green (4-10-5, LW: 10). A win against Niagara last weekend, and a tie last night against Canisius have the Falcons thinking things will be better. Problem is they have Michigan, Notre Dame, Western Michigan, and Miami to start off their 2013 CCHA schedule.
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (13-3-3, LW: 1). The 8-1 victory over #1 Boston College shows Minnesota is the class of the Big Ten and your 2013-2014 odds on favorite to win the conference championship.
2. Wisconsin (6-7-5, LW: 5). This just shows you how far the drop off is after Minnesota. Though, Wisconsin has won four straight and is unbeaten in eight (5-0-3). Their last loss came at home to Minnesota State (4-2), the team they face on the road this weekend.
3. Michigan (7-10-2, LW: 2). Still can't figure Michigan out, maybe once they have a full roster things will click.
4. Ohio State (7-8-5, LW: 3). Despite the loss to Penn State, I have them here.
5. Penn State (8-11-0, LW: 6). They are undefeated against Big 10 teams.
6. Michigan State (5-12-3, LW: 4). Worst record among the Big 10 teams gets them here - though we'll see in a few weeks how they stack up against Penn State.
Other News:
The NHL Lockout is over!!!!!!!!!!
So somehow this seems appropriate:
The Dance Of Joy
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Weekend Recap: Spartans Beat #19 Ferris State 3-1
Operation superstitious changes was a success.
Michigan State put an end to a six game winless streak by defeating the 19th ranked Ferris State Bulldogs 3-1 before over 6,400 at Munn Ice Arena.
Game Recaps:
Michigan State Recap
USCHO Recap
Thoughts:
It's certainly nice to see the team end the their first half schedule on a high note. The team performed well tonight for 60 minutes getting quite a few offensive chances despite only getting 22 shots on goal for the game. It's games like this one that show everyone the promise of the program in the near future as the players continue to improve - especially with such a young team.
At the other end of the rink, the defense played very well. The team only gave up 24 shots on goal, held Ferris State to 0 for 3 on the power play (only took four penalties too). Jake Hildebrand was solid in goal once again making 21 saves - and he had no chance on Ferris State's only goal last night in the 2nd period. The defense did a good job limiting the quality chances in front of him too, and this time the team provided enough offensive support.
Chris Forfar scored the game winner on a redirection in front of the net - by going to net he was wide open and was able to slip it past Motte. It's great to see him get scoring, and maybe that will help get him jump started a little bit.
The first period last night was one of the better first periods that Michigan State has played this season (Michigan probably still being the gold standard), but from start to finish this might have been Michigan State's best effort.
And that is very encouraging heading into the break, the GLI, and the second half of the season. This team could be a big mover in the second half - right up the CCHA standings - if they can build upon this effort.
Around the CCHA:
The CCHA continues to show it's tough to get clean sweeps.
Miami at Ohio State. The Buckeyes continue to be a mystery, as Miami was able to earn five of six points this weekend in Columbus. Miami won a shoot-out the first night (1-1 tie), and then they came back and won 3-1 on Saturday.
Western Michigan at Michigan. The two teams split the weekend series at Yost. Western won the first night 4-1, and Michigan finally got in the win column again with a 2-0 win on Saturday.
Northern Michigan at LSSU. LSSU did earn the full six points this weekend by beating Northern 3-1 and 3-0.
Notre Dame at Bowling Green. The Irish continued their winning streak by beating Bowling Green 4-1.
CCHA Standings
The first half of the CCHA regular season is in the books, and it's looking like the CCHA title is Notre Dame's to lose. Even though they are tied with Miami right now, the Irish have three games on hand - which means they could be nine points up on them, and with the one game on hand the Irish could be as many as seven up on Western Michigan. Not a bad spot for the Irish to be in right now.
CCHA Pairwise:
Here is how the CCHA teams stack up in the Pairwise at this point in the year:
4. Notre Dame
9. Miami
10. Western Michigan
20. Ohio State
27. Ferris State
It's still early, so there is a lot of time for teams to move up and down these rankings, but considering how good the CCHA was suppose to be this year, it would be somewhat of a disappointment to only see three teams make the NCAA tournament.
RPI:
4. Notre Dame (.5872)
9. Miami (.5621)
10. Western Michigan (.5595)
21. Ohio State (.5225)
27. Ferris State (.5003)
29. LSSU (.4953)
33. Alaska (.4898)
36. Michigan (.4882)
37. Northern Michigan (.4820)
41. Michigan State (.4724)
48. Bowling Green (.4630)
To be a team under consideration (TUC) for the Pairwise, you need to be .5000 or better in the RPI. Right now Ferris State is just on the right side of the TUC cliff.
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Notre Dame (14-4, LW: 1). ND's winning streak hits six games, and they've won eight of their last nine games.
2. Western Michigan (11-4-1, LW: 2). Despite the split in Ann Arbor, Western Michigan is in position to make sure ND doesn't run away with the CCHA title.
3. Miami (11-3-4, LW: 3). Miami shows Ohio State what it takes to play in the top four.
4. LSSU (10-10-0, LW: 7). The Lakers have won three straight now and have a couple weeks off before they take on Union at home.
5. Michigan (6-9-2, LW: 5). The record might not be up to standards, but the win against Western may be the thing Michigan needed to get back on track.
6. Ferris State (7-7-3, LW: 4). They were in position to potentially steal some points out of Munn, but they came up short.
7. Ohio State (7-6-5, LW: 6). The Buckeyes only managed a single point at home in a big series - not the way they wanted to end the first half.
8. Alaska (6-8-4, LW: 8). The Nanooks have a tough start to their 2013 schedule - six of eight on the road with those six on the road being Michigan, Notre Dame, and Miami.
9. Michigan State (5-10-2, LW: 10). Finally, some offense, or at least enough offense. Now can it carry over to the GLI and to 2013?
10. Bowling Green (3-10-4, LW: 9). The Falcons still have on where to go but up.
11. Northern Michigan (5-10-3, LW: 11). Now is about the time Northern figures things out, but have they dug themselves in too deep of a hole?
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (11-3-3, LW: 1). An off weekend for the Gophers - they host Air Force and Boston College after Christmas.
2. Michigan (6-9-2, LW: 2). Next up: GLI - they are going for a 3rd straight GLI title. The last team to win three straight GLI titles was Michigan State from 1997 - 2000 (4 in a row).
3. Ohio State (7-6-5, LW: 3). Ohio State will look to get back on track in the Three River Classic - which actually means they play Miami next. A date with Penn State could be coming up in the tournament as well.
4. Michigan State (5-10-2, LW: 4). The Spartans go for their first GLI title since 2009.
5. Wisconsin (4-7-5, LW: 5). Alabama-Huntsville certainly helps you get back on track.
6. Penn State (7-8-0, LW: 6). Penn State's last Division 1 win was on November 10th against Air Force. They've lost five straight against D-1 teams since then.
Michigan State put an end to a six game winless streak by defeating the 19th ranked Ferris State Bulldogs 3-1 before over 6,400 at Munn Ice Arena.
Game Recaps:
Michigan State Recap
USCHO Recap
Thoughts:
It's certainly nice to see the team end the their first half schedule on a high note. The team performed well tonight for 60 minutes getting quite a few offensive chances despite only getting 22 shots on goal for the game. It's games like this one that show everyone the promise of the program in the near future as the players continue to improve - especially with such a young team.
At the other end of the rink, the defense played very well. The team only gave up 24 shots on goal, held Ferris State to 0 for 3 on the power play (only took four penalties too). Jake Hildebrand was solid in goal once again making 21 saves - and he had no chance on Ferris State's only goal last night in the 2nd period. The defense did a good job limiting the quality chances in front of him too, and this time the team provided enough offensive support.
Chris Forfar scored the game winner on a redirection in front of the net - by going to net he was wide open and was able to slip it past Motte. It's great to see him get scoring, and maybe that will help get him jump started a little bit.
The first period last night was one of the better first periods that Michigan State has played this season (Michigan probably still being the gold standard), but from start to finish this might have been Michigan State's best effort.
And that is very encouraging heading into the break, the GLI, and the second half of the season. This team could be a big mover in the second half - right up the CCHA standings - if they can build upon this effort.
Around the CCHA:
The CCHA continues to show it's tough to get clean sweeps.
Miami at Ohio State. The Buckeyes continue to be a mystery, as Miami was able to earn five of six points this weekend in Columbus. Miami won a shoot-out the first night (1-1 tie), and then they came back and won 3-1 on Saturday.
Western Michigan at Michigan. The two teams split the weekend series at Yost. Western won the first night 4-1, and Michigan finally got in the win column again with a 2-0 win on Saturday.
Northern Michigan at LSSU. LSSU did earn the full six points this weekend by beating Northern 3-1 and 3-0.
Notre Dame at Bowling Green. The Irish continued their winning streak by beating Bowling Green 4-1.
CCHA Standings
| GP | W | L | T | SOW | Points | Total Points Possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 81 |
| Miami | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 72 |
| Western Michigan | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 74 |
| Ohio State | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 22 | 70 |
| LSSU | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 63 |
| Ferris St. | 13 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 64 |
| Michigan | 13 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 61 |
| Alaska | 14 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 58 |
| Michigan State | 13 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 58 |
| Bowling Green | 12 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 58 |
| Northern Michigan | 14 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 52 |
The first half of the CCHA regular season is in the books, and it's looking like the CCHA title is Notre Dame's to lose. Even though they are tied with Miami right now, the Irish have three games on hand - which means they could be nine points up on them, and with the one game on hand the Irish could be as many as seven up on Western Michigan. Not a bad spot for the Irish to be in right now.
CCHA Pairwise:
Here is how the CCHA teams stack up in the Pairwise at this point in the year:
4. Notre Dame
9. Miami
10. Western Michigan
20. Ohio State
27. Ferris State
It's still early, so there is a lot of time for teams to move up and down these rankings, but considering how good the CCHA was suppose to be this year, it would be somewhat of a disappointment to only see three teams make the NCAA tournament.
RPI:
4. Notre Dame (.5872)
9. Miami (.5621)
10. Western Michigan (.5595)
21. Ohio State (.5225)
27. Ferris State (.5003)
29. LSSU (.4953)
33. Alaska (.4898)
36. Michigan (.4882)
37. Northern Michigan (.4820)
41. Michigan State (.4724)
48. Bowling Green (.4630)
To be a team under consideration (TUC) for the Pairwise, you need to be .5000 or better in the RPI. Right now Ferris State is just on the right side of the TUC cliff.
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Notre Dame (14-4, LW: 1). ND's winning streak hits six games, and they've won eight of their last nine games.
2. Western Michigan (11-4-1, LW: 2). Despite the split in Ann Arbor, Western Michigan is in position to make sure ND doesn't run away with the CCHA title.
3. Miami (11-3-4, LW: 3). Miami shows Ohio State what it takes to play in the top four.
4. LSSU (10-10-0, LW: 7). The Lakers have won three straight now and have a couple weeks off before they take on Union at home.
5. Michigan (6-9-2, LW: 5). The record might not be up to standards, but the win against Western may be the thing Michigan needed to get back on track.
6. Ferris State (7-7-3, LW: 4). They were in position to potentially steal some points out of Munn, but they came up short.
7. Ohio State (7-6-5, LW: 6). The Buckeyes only managed a single point at home in a big series - not the way they wanted to end the first half.
8. Alaska (6-8-4, LW: 8). The Nanooks have a tough start to their 2013 schedule - six of eight on the road with those six on the road being Michigan, Notre Dame, and Miami.
9. Michigan State (5-10-2, LW: 10). Finally, some offense, or at least enough offense. Now can it carry over to the GLI and to 2013?
10. Bowling Green (3-10-4, LW: 9). The Falcons still have on where to go but up.
11. Northern Michigan (5-10-3, LW: 11). Now is about the time Northern figures things out, but have they dug themselves in too deep of a hole?
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (11-3-3, LW: 1). An off weekend for the Gophers - they host Air Force and Boston College after Christmas.
2. Michigan (6-9-2, LW: 2). Next up: GLI - they are going for a 3rd straight GLI title. The last team to win three straight GLI titles was Michigan State from 1997 - 2000 (4 in a row).
3. Ohio State (7-6-5, LW: 3). Ohio State will look to get back on track in the Three River Classic - which actually means they play Miami next. A date with Penn State could be coming up in the tournament as well.
4. Michigan State (5-10-2, LW: 4). The Spartans go for their first GLI title since 2009.
5. Wisconsin (4-7-5, LW: 5). Alabama-Huntsville certainly helps you get back on track.
6. Penn State (7-8-0, LW: 6). Penn State's last Division 1 win was on November 10th against Air Force. They've lost five straight against D-1 teams since then.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Weekend Recap: Notre Dame Sweeps MSU 3-2, 5-1
The Michigan State Spartans entered the weekend hoping to find an offensive spark and take some points away from #4/#5 Notre Dame all while ending a four game winless streak. Unfortunately for Michigan State, the puck didn't bounce their way as Notre Dame completed a two game sweep to send MSU home without any points on the weekend.
Friday Night Recap
Saturday Night Recap
Thoughts:
It was going to be a tough weekend considering the Spartans were on the road against one of the best and most experienced teams in the country. Things didn't get off to a good start as Notre Dame really dominated the opening period on Friday, but Jake Hildebrand played outstanding to keep MSU in the game. The key moment happened when Notre Dame's Anders Lee got hit with a five minute major and a game misconduct. Notre Dame killed the penalty off with some help of a penalty by Jake Chelios followed by another penalty on Matt Grassi. This gave the Irish a 4 on 3 advantage that they buried the puck to regain the lead and control of the game. Brent Darnell tallied both markers for Michigan State.
The second night started off much better for the Spartans - as they out-shot ND in the opening period, but Lee tallied a goal with just eight seconds to go in the period. Normally those goals are killer to give up, but the Spartans came out with more fire in the second period and really did a good job controlling the pace of play and getting opportunities. The problem was ND was finishing their chances, and Michigan State couldn't solve Summerhays. ND eventually built up a 5-0 lead before Berry ended the shutout with about 2:30 to go. It was a tough game to watch since MSU really deserved better in this one - and they certainly played better than a 5-1 loss. In the end though, Notre Dame took advantage of the mistakes MSU made, and a team like ND will do that.
Michigan State returns home for a single game on the 15th against Ferris State.
CCHA Standings
| GP | W | L | T | SOW | Points | Total Points Possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 81 |
| Miami | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 25 | 73 |
| Western Michigan | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 77 |
| Ohio State | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 75 |
| Ferris State | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 67 |
| Alaska | 14 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 58 |
| LSSU | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 63 |
| Michigan | 11 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 64 |
| Michigan State | 12 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 58 |
| Bowling Green | 11 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 61 |
| Northern Michigan | 12 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 58 |
It's looking like the top four teams are starting to distance themselves from the pack. Notre Dame, Miami, Western Michigan, and Ohio State all hold the inside track for a top four spot. Ferris State, LSSU, and Michigan look to be in the next pack fighting for fifth place, and then you have Alaska, MSU, Bowling Green, and Northern Michigan at the bottom.
It's still early enough though where teams can finish anywhere, but right now Alaska, MSU, Bowling Green, and Northern have to really get things going to move up the standings. I still wonder if Ohio State can really hang on to a top four spot, but time will tell.
Games This Week:
Friday Night:
Northern Michigan at LSSU
Miami at Ohio State (Big Ten Network)
Western Michigan at Michigan (CBS Sports Network)
Saturday Night:
Notre Dame at Bowling Green
Northern Michigan at LSSU
Ferris State at Michigan State (Comcast)
Miami at Ohio State
Western Michigan at Michigan
There are quite a few interesting series this weekend - Western at Michigan, Miami at Ohio State headlines the weekend. Both of those can be seen on TV Friday as well. Also, this is the last weekend before the winter break. The next games after this are various holiday tournaments beginning on December 28th. Michigan State is in the GLI beginning December 29th.
CCHA Power Rankings
1. Notre Dame (13-3-0, LW: 1). Another sweep extends their winning streak to seven in a row.
2. Western Michigan (10-3-1, LW: 3). The Broncos swept rival Ferris State heading into a potential tough weekend at Michigan.
3. Miami (10-3-3, LW: 2). Miami was beaten at home by LSSU - losses like that could prevent them from winning a CCHA title.
4. Ferris State (7-6-3, LW: 4). Despite the sweep, they stay in the fourth position - that sort of tells you about everyone else right now.
5. Michigan (5-8-2, LW: 6). Michigan needs to turn things around quickly - a big series against Western awaits.
6. Ohio State (7-5-4, LW: 5). A loss and tie to Robert Morris will not do you any favors in the PairWise rankings come March.
7. LSSU (8-10-0, LW: 8). A split in Miami is huge. LSSU continues to be the model of splits.
8. Alaska (6-8-4, LW: 7). A loss and SO win against Bowling Green at home does not look good for Alaska.
9. Bowling Green (3-9-4, LW: 11). The Falcons earned four of six points in Fairbanks. There haven't been many teams that can say that so far.
10. Michigan State (4-10-2, LW: 9). The break can't come soon enough as MSU hasn't scored more than 2 goals in a single game since their win over Michigan on November 10th.
11. Northern Michigan (5-8-3, LW: 10). The idle Wildcats can get back on track with a series against rival LSSU.
Big Ten Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (11-3-3, LW: 1). The Gophers continue to roll, a win and tie this week.
2. Michigan (5-8-2, LW: 3). Michigan has moved up more as a result of other teams not doing well.
3. Ohio State (7-5-4, LW: 2). I think we'll learn a lot about Ohio State this week as they take on Miami.
4. Michigan State (4-10-2, LW: 4). Spartans need to find scoring answers.
5. Wisconsin (2-7-5, LW: 5). The Badgers didn't lose this weekend, but they didn't win either.
6. Penn State (6-7-0, LW: 6). Penn State let one slip away Friday before Holy Cross controlled the action on Saturday.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Weekend Recap - Looking Up At A Lot
Michigan State finally returned home for the first time in what felt like a year - only to drop a couple of tight games against Ohio State. It's not exactly the weekend anyone in the green and white wanted - but it happened.
This weekend across the CCHA sweeps seemed to be the rule, as the top teams in the league really are starting to make a statement (Notre Dame, Miami, and Western). Time will tell whether or not Ohio State can be included in that conversation, but the Buckeyes are hanging around for now.
York Matches Mason
Boston College defeated Boston University last night by a 5-2 score. This win gave Jerry York his 924th career coaching victory - which ties him with Ron Mason for most all-time wins. York could have passed Mason last night had BC defeated BU on Friday. Boston College plays at Providence on Friday.
Around The League
LSSU at Notre Dame. The Irish continued their winning ways beating LSSU 3-2, 6-1.
Miami at Alaska. The Nanooks probably were hoping for a better result, but Miami dominated play all weekend long in a 5-2 and 4-0 win.
Northern Michigan at Western Michigan. The road woes continue for Northern as Western swept the Wildcats in Kalamazoo (4-2, 1-0).
Michigan at Ferris State. In the only non-sweep of the weekend, Ferris State beat Michigan like a drum on Friday - 5-0. The Wolverines held a 3-1 lead on Saturday, but they couldn't hold on in a 3-3 tie. Michigan earned the extra point in a shoot-out to earn two of the series six points.
CCHA Standings
Games This Week:
Tuesday, December 4th:
Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan
Friday, December 7th:
LSSU at Miami
Michigan State at Notre Dame (NBCSN)
Bowling Green at Alaska
Ferris State at Western Michigan
Robert Morris at Ohio State
Saturday, December 8th:
LSSU at Miami
Michigan State at Notre Dame (Comcast)
Bowling Green at Alaska
Ferris State at Western Michigan
Ohio State at Robert Morris
Michigan, Northern Michigan, and Ohio State take the weekend off from CCHA action (Michigan and Northern have the weekend off all together). Ferris State and Western looks like a potential great series in K-Zoo. Michigan State will have their hands full in South Bend.
CCHA Power Rankings:
The power rankings seem to be getting a wee bit more stable at this time of the year. I suppose that shouldn't be a surprise considering the league is starting to separate a little bit .
1. Notre Dame (11-3-0, LW: 1). Another weekend sweep for the Irish. They've won five in a row in the CCHA. Oddly enough, four of their next six games will be against Michigan State.
2. Miami (9-2-3, LW: 2). Miami did a great job out west - now they'll need to put the Alaska hangover to rest with a home series coming up followed by a big series in Columbus.
3. Western Michigan (8-3-1, LW: 3). I'm not sure anyone has noticed that Western is 8-3-1. They'll need to get through this weekend before a big series in Ann Arbor.
4. Ferris State (7-4-3, LW: 4). A win & tie against a struggling Michigan team is enough to keep them here. They'll have a chance to prove themselves worthy of a potential CCHA title discussion this week.
5. Ohio State (7-4-3, LW: 5). An impressive showing in East Lansing this weekend. Now the Buckeyes go outside of the CCHA as a Miami series looms.
6. Michigan (5-8-2, LW: 10). I'm not sure Michigan deserves to move up this much, but from here on down right now - it's tough to figure any of these teams out.
7. Alaska (6-7-3, LW: 6). It wasn't so much they got swept, but that Miami dominated them at home.
8. LSSU (7-9-0, LW: 7). A tough road series at Notre Dame. It doesn't get any easier as Miami is up next.
9. Michigan State (4-8-2, LW: 9). The Spartans are looking for answers - scoring answers - as they have only tallied three goals in their last four games.
10. Northern Michigan (5-8-3, LW: 8). Northern can't really figure out the road thing (1-6-1), but they still are tough at home (4-2-2).
11. Bowling Green (2-9-3, LW: 11). Let's see how the Falcons respond with a week off as they make the long trek West.
Big 10 Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (10-3-2, LW: 1). They may have lost at home to UNO, but they are still the best in the Big 10.
2. Ohio State (7-4-3, LW: 2). The Buckeyes don't look to be going away right now.
3. Michigan (5-8-2, LW: 5). Again, I'm not sure they deserve to move up, but it's more like they weren't as bad as everyone else.
4. Michigan State (4-8-2, LW: 3). Christmas wish list: Goals.
5. Wisconsin (2-7-3, LW: 6). A win & tie at Denver is better than anything Penn State has done at this point.
6. Penn State (6-5-0, LW: 4). A split against Arizona State doesn't look good since they are a club team, but club teams can still play good hockey. They face Holy Cross away from home this weekend.
This weekend across the CCHA sweeps seemed to be the rule, as the top teams in the league really are starting to make a statement (Notre Dame, Miami, and Western). Time will tell whether or not Ohio State can be included in that conversation, but the Buckeyes are hanging around for now.
York Matches Mason
Boston College defeated Boston University last night by a 5-2 score. This win gave Jerry York his 924th career coaching victory - which ties him with Ron Mason for most all-time wins. York could have passed Mason last night had BC defeated BU on Friday. Boston College plays at Providence on Friday.
Around The League
LSSU at Notre Dame. The Irish continued their winning ways beating LSSU 3-2, 6-1.
Miami at Alaska. The Nanooks probably were hoping for a better result, but Miami dominated play all weekend long in a 5-2 and 4-0 win.
Northern Michigan at Western Michigan. The road woes continue for Northern as Western swept the Wildcats in Kalamazoo (4-2, 1-0).
Michigan at Ferris State. In the only non-sweep of the weekend, Ferris State beat Michigan like a drum on Friday - 5-0. The Wolverines held a 3-1 lead on Saturday, but they couldn't hold on in a 3-3 tie. Michigan earned the extra point in a shoot-out to earn two of the series six points.
CCHA Standings
| GP | W | L | T | SOW | Points | Total Points Possible | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 76 |
| Notre Dame | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 81 |
| Ohio State | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 75 |
| Ferris State | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 73 |
| Western Michigan | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 77 |
| Alaska | 12 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 62 |
| Michigan | 11 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 64 |
| LSSU | 10 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 66 |
| Michigan State | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 64 |
| Northern Michigan | 12 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 58 |
| Bowling Green | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 63 |
Games This Week:
Tuesday, December 4th:
Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan
Friday, December 7th:
LSSU at Miami
Michigan State at Notre Dame (NBCSN)
Bowling Green at Alaska
Ferris State at Western Michigan
Robert Morris at Ohio State
Saturday, December 8th:
LSSU at Miami
Michigan State at Notre Dame (Comcast)
Bowling Green at Alaska
Ferris State at Western Michigan
Ohio State at Robert Morris
Michigan, Northern Michigan, and Ohio State take the weekend off from CCHA action (Michigan and Northern have the weekend off all together). Ferris State and Western looks like a potential great series in K-Zoo. Michigan State will have their hands full in South Bend.
CCHA Power Rankings:
The power rankings seem to be getting a wee bit more stable at this time of the year. I suppose that shouldn't be a surprise considering the league is starting to separate a little bit .
1. Notre Dame (11-3-0, LW: 1). Another weekend sweep for the Irish. They've won five in a row in the CCHA. Oddly enough, four of their next six games will be against Michigan State.
2. Miami (9-2-3, LW: 2). Miami did a great job out west - now they'll need to put the Alaska hangover to rest with a home series coming up followed by a big series in Columbus.
3. Western Michigan (8-3-1, LW: 3). I'm not sure anyone has noticed that Western is 8-3-1. They'll need to get through this weekend before a big series in Ann Arbor.
4. Ferris State (7-4-3, LW: 4). A win & tie against a struggling Michigan team is enough to keep them here. They'll have a chance to prove themselves worthy of a potential CCHA title discussion this week.
5. Ohio State (7-4-3, LW: 5). An impressive showing in East Lansing this weekend. Now the Buckeyes go outside of the CCHA as a Miami series looms.
6. Michigan (5-8-2, LW: 10). I'm not sure Michigan deserves to move up this much, but from here on down right now - it's tough to figure any of these teams out.
7. Alaska (6-7-3, LW: 6). It wasn't so much they got swept, but that Miami dominated them at home.
8. LSSU (7-9-0, LW: 7). A tough road series at Notre Dame. It doesn't get any easier as Miami is up next.
9. Michigan State (4-8-2, LW: 9). The Spartans are looking for answers - scoring answers - as they have only tallied three goals in their last four games.
10. Northern Michigan (5-8-3, LW: 8). Northern can't really figure out the road thing (1-6-1), but they still are tough at home (4-2-2).
11. Bowling Green (2-9-3, LW: 11). Let's see how the Falcons respond with a week off as they make the long trek West.
Big 10 Power Rankings
1. Minnesota (10-3-2, LW: 1). They may have lost at home to UNO, but they are still the best in the Big 10.
2. Ohio State (7-4-3, LW: 2). The Buckeyes don't look to be going away right now.
3. Michigan (5-8-2, LW: 5). Again, I'm not sure they deserve to move up, but it's more like they weren't as bad as everyone else.
4. Michigan State (4-8-2, LW: 3). Christmas wish list: Goals.
5. Wisconsin (2-7-3, LW: 6). A win & tie at Denver is better than anything Penn State has done at this point.
6. Penn State (6-5-0, LW: 4). A split against Arizona State doesn't look good since they are a club team, but club teams can still play good hockey. They face Holy Cross away from home this weekend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)