Predictions are like tailfeathers. So, let's review some stuff real quickly, then make a quick hockey prediction for the conference this year and get out. Come back tomorrow (Friday) morning and check out a short preview of the North Dakota - Minnesota series starting Friday night.
In case you've been rock-living-under this week, take a few minutes to review my Gopher previews of the offense, defense, and goaltenders for the 2009-10 team.
Here are the 2009-10 WCHA Pre-Season Awards:
Player of the Year: Jordan Schroeder, Minnesota
Goalie of the Year: Brad Eidsness, North Dakota
Rookie of the Year: Dylan Olsen, Minnesota-Duluth
Defenseman of the Year: Chay Genoway, North Dakota
Next up, the Preseason All-WCHA First Team:
F-Jordan Schroeder, Minnesota
F-Justin Fontaine, Minnesota-Duluth
F-Chris VandeVelde, North Dakota
D-Chay Genoway, North Dakota
D-Patrick Wiercioch, Denver
G-Brad Eidsness, North Dakota
Crap, lots of Sioux here. How about the second team?
F-Derek Stepan, Wisconsin
F-Ryan Lasch, St. Cloud
F-Anthony Maiani, Denver
D-Ryan McDonagh, Wisconsin
D-Garrett Raboin, St. Cloud
G-Marc Cheverie, Denver
Uh, Gophers? How about the All-Rookie Team?
F-Danny Kristo, North Dakota
F-Ben Hanowski, St. Cloud
F-Rylan Schwartz, Colorado College
D- Dylan Olsen, Minnesota-Duluth
D-Nick Leddy, Minnesota
G-Mike Lee, St. Cloud
Thanks, Leddy, for showing up.
Here was the media pre-season poll (there's the coaches poll too, but frankly coaches don't watch other teams, so proveth by college football coaches who vote Oklahoma over BYU and Penn State over Iowa):
(1) Denver (23 first place votes)
(2) North Dakota(1)
(3) Wisconsin
(4) Minnesota (1)
(5) St. Cloud
(6) Minnesota-Duluth
(7) Colorado College
(8) Minnesota State
(9) Alaska-Anchorage
(10) Michigan Tech.
Some teams started play last week. Denver split at home to Vermont, North Dakota swept Merrimack, St. Cloud was swept by Miami (Ohio - Do I need to even write that with hockey?), UMD defeated Lake Superior and lost to Northern Michigan, CC split with Northeastern, MN State swept Bowling Green, Alaska-Anchorage beat Mercyhurst and lost to Michigan, and Michigan Tech defeated Northern Michigan and lost to Lake Superior.
Silly results of last weekend: Ohio State was swept at home by Quinnipiac, and Michigan lost to Alaska 2-0.
Well, here's my WCHA prediction:
(1) Minnesota
(2) North Dakota
(3) Denver
(4) St. Cloud State
(5) UMD
(6) CC
(7) Wisconsin
(8) Michigan Tech
(9) Minnesota State
(10) Alaska - Anchorage
Prepare for stickball on ice, it starts tomorrow.