2008 Woodie Awards
Minnesota State moves up in WCHA while North Dakota throws it down
Travis Weldon
Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: Sports
I don't think there was ever a time I had so much fun watching college hockey when the Huskies didn't play. Things are getting interesting for the men in the WCHA.
Minnesota State leaps into sixth place in the league after a sweep of Denver and one point off Duluth and Wisconsin for home ice.
The Mavericks won 5-1 and 3-2 at home over one of the best in the nation. Suddenly, the Mavericks have one four straight before they play Alaska, who has only three wins in the WCHA this season.
Who gave the Mavericks a boost? SCSU.
One event can turn the season around. It can be a speech from a player or a fight during a game. In this instance, it was a three-goal comeback against SCSU at Mankato.
Since then, the Mavericks came back at the National Hockey Center, dominated the first game against Denver and outplayed Denver in the second.
Out of nowhere, the Mavericks are now 10th in the Pairwise rankings, a selection process that mimics the NCAA selection committee. As of now, Minnesota State would make it into the NCAA playoffs.
Reread that last sentence. If the Mavericks are able to make it to the tournament, it would be their first appearance since 2003.
Denver, which looked comfortable in second place a few weeks ago, now have dropped to third place and five points behind North Dakota. Denver has only won one in the past five games.
North Dakota went from being a mediocre team to a punishing team in every sense of the word. UND preformed the normal "snake in the grass" routine and have come on strong in the second half of the season.
North Dakota is unbeaten in the past nine games, all against conference opponents.
How have they been doing it? Old-time hockey.
Many fans my age love old-time hockey. North Dakota has beaten the opponents in the past few series. North Dakota player Rylan Kaip put the 'fighting' in "Fighting Sioux" after a tussle with Minnesota State Maverick player Trevor Bruess.
Minnesota State leaps into sixth place in the league after a sweep of Denver and one point off Duluth and Wisconsin for home ice.
The Mavericks won 5-1 and 3-2 at home over one of the best in the nation. Suddenly, the Mavericks have one four straight before they play Alaska, who has only three wins in the WCHA this season.
Who gave the Mavericks a boost? SCSU.
One event can turn the season around. It can be a speech from a player or a fight during a game. In this instance, it was a three-goal comeback against SCSU at Mankato.
Since then, the Mavericks came back at the National Hockey Center, dominated the first game against Denver and outplayed Denver in the second.
Out of nowhere, the Mavericks are now 10th in the Pairwise rankings, a selection process that mimics the NCAA selection committee. As of now, Minnesota State would make it into the NCAA playoffs.
Reread that last sentence. If the Mavericks are able to make it to the tournament, it would be their first appearance since 2003.
Denver, which looked comfortable in second place a few weeks ago, now have dropped to third place and five points behind North Dakota. Denver has only won one in the past five games.
North Dakota went from being a mediocre team to a punishing team in every sense of the word. UND preformed the normal "snake in the grass" routine and have come on strong in the second half of the season.
North Dakota is unbeaten in the past nine games, all against conference opponents.
How have they been doing it? Old-time hockey.
Many fans my age love old-time hockey. North Dakota has beaten the opponents in the past few series. North Dakota player Rylan Kaip put the 'fighting' in "Fighting Sioux" after a tussle with Minnesota State Maverick player Trevor Bruess.