Dec. 1, 2005
By Elliot Olshansky
CSTV.com
Heading into the 2005-06 season, fans and analysts alike asked if the WCHA would dominate the college hockey landscape once again. Now, two months into the season, the WCHA has hardly looked invincible. Defending national champ Denver dropped two games at Maine and another at Boston University. Colorado College - which hadn't lost a regular season non-conference game in two years - has fallen twice, to Ohio State and to UMass. North Dakota lost to floundering Michigan State in the Lefty McFadden Invitational. Minnesota was stunned early in the season by Alaska-Fairbanks, as the Nanooks came to Mariucci Arena and took three points. Even Wisconsin, which enters this weekend's series at Mariucci as the No. 1 team in the nation, hit a speed bump early, losing to St. Lawrence.
To quote Dave Matthews, it all comes down to nothing.
Go back and look at the 2004-05 season, and you'll see plenty of instances of WCHA teams falling to Eastern and Central opposition. Boston College coach Jerry York got his 700th career win at North Dakota's expense, and also defeated Denver in an early season meeting. BU opened Agganis Arena with a win over then-No. 1 Minnesota. Wisconsin was beaten by Michigan State in the College Hockey Showcase, then upset by Ferris State in the Badger Shootout. And let's not forget the swan dive that Minnesota Duluth executed last year, going from No. 1 to unranked, largely thanks to a one-point weekend against Vermont at the DECC, followed by a split with Brown. At the end of the season, though, the Pioneers, Sioux, Tigers and Gophers moved on to the Frozen Four, and the Pioneers walked away with their second straight title, the fourth straight for the WCHA.
So, in the end, it is a case of "Been there, done that, got the t-shirt." The only time that this debate will truly be settled is in March. Then, to end this debate, two things need to happen: an Eastern team or two needs to make the Frozen Four, and an Eastern team needs to win the National Championship. Until that happens, prepare to hear more of the same when it comes to the West.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK AND WHAT IT MEANS
"I think we got a wakeup call this weekend, and we need to take advantage of it. ... Obviously, we have to do some soul-searching, regroup and learn something from this weekend." - Michigan coach Red Berenson, after the Wolverines were swept in the College Hockey Showcase for the third straight year, once again being stripped of their No. 1 distinction in the USCHO.com/CSTV rankings.
What does it mean? It means that the Wolverines will be just fine. After all, last season, the Wolverines rebounded from an embarrassing Showcase performance to win the CCHA title, and had it not been for a complete and total meltdown against Colorado College in the final game of the Midwest Regional, there wouldn't have been an all-WCHA Frozen Four to begin with.
Besides, this is a very young Michigan team, which has exceeded expectations so far by grabbing the No. 1 ranking in the first place, and it's almost guaranteed that this team will be better in March than in November on those grounds alone. Don't fret too much about Pairwise Rankings, either: the Wolverines have a very nice win over Boston College, and will have a chance to score another big win next month, when they face Colorado College in the Great Lakes Invitational. Take care of business in the CCHA (and that starts with Miami this weekend), and everything should be fine in Ann Arbor.
THE LINEUP: TOP SIX RIVALRIES NOT BEING PLAYED THIS WEEK
Sure, there are some great rivalry games being played this week: Boston University-Boston College, Denver-Colorado College, Minnesota-Wisconsin...heck, we even get the Mayor's Cup between Providence and Brown, and Harvard-Yale for the second time in three weeks (and the last one went to overtime!). But there are so many rivalries in college hockey that it's impossible to fit them all into one weekend. So, here are the best ones that have been left out this weekend:
Harvard vs. Cornell - Fresh fish! Get your fresh - and sometimes not-so-fresh - fish! It's not like any of Harvard's Ivy League opponents are particularly enamored of the Crimson, but the Lynah Faithful take it to a completely different level (as they do most things). Cornell got the overtime win last month in Cambridge, and will look to get it done in regulation at Lynah in February on CSTV.
Northern Michigan vs. Michigan Tech - The battle of the Upper Peninsula. This is a great all-sports rivalry in Division II, but hockey rules in Marquette and Houghton, so when these two play for the Ramada Cup, the intensity hits its peak. It's so intense, in fact, that Wildcats coach Walt Kyle tried to buy tickets for friends and family to the games in October, he was out of luck. He wouldn't be frustrated in the games themselves, though: NMU swept the Huskies.
St. Lawrence vs. Clarkson - Saints forward T.J. Trevelyan put it best when I spoke to him last month: "During those games, pretty much, Potsdam and Canton shut down. Everyone goes to the games. It's really fun to play in. It's the best time ever." This rivalry is so big that the standard two meetings in the ECACHL aren't enough; the teams will play a non-conference game against one another on January 7 at the Corel Centre in Ottawa.
Michigan vs. Michigan State - Before one of last year's meetings, Red Berenson commented that people would fill an arena to see Michigan and Michigan State play tiddlywinks. Talk about your all-sports rivalries! Of course, given the passion on both sides, a more violent competition (i.e. hockey) makes a better fit, wouldn't you say?
New Hampshire vs. Maine - It's not like UNH is at a loss for rivals (BC, Vermont and Dartmouth come to mind), but Durham's location only miles from the Maine border makes them a natural foe for the Black Bears, whose visits to the Whittemore Center are their shortest road trips of the year - at about three hours and 15 minutes.
Alaska Anchorage vs. Alaska Fairbanks - Talk about a hot date for New Year's Eve! The Governor's Cup will be awarded on December 31, as the Last Frontier's two college hockey representatives - who split the first half of their series in October - battle at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks.
That's enough about what you won't see this weekend. There's lots of great hockey out there. Enjoy it!
