Preseason Favorites Minnesota State and St. Thomas Clash: All Things CCHA
Augustana rolled into Bemidji last week while still riding the emotional wave from two dominating wins over Arizona State, the program's first home win and sweep over a ranked opponent. The Vikings appeared to be the team to beat and were poised to take an early lead in the conference. Instead, the Beavers shocked the Vikings in the opener winning 1-0 on a late overtime goal by Oliver Peer.
The following evening, the Beavers stayed aggressive, scoring an early goal to take a 1-0 lead. The Vikings tied it 1-1 before the end of the first period, but Bemidji quickly regained the lead as Max Namestnikov scored just 2:47 into the second period. The Beavers added another goal just under a minute later to take a commanding 3-1 lead. The Vikings tallied a goal in the third, but that wasn’t enough, as Bemidji held on for the 3-2 win.
Consequently, the league will head into November with only one team in the top 20 of the national rankings, with Minnesota State at No. 18, and Michigan Tech, St. Thomas and Bemidji State receiving votes. Another way to look at it is that there's no clear of obvious favorite to win the league title as conference play kicks into high gear.
The Mavericks and Tommies Face Off
Minnesota State (3-1-2) and St. Thomas (2-4-1) will collide in a two-game serie this weekend. Earlier this year, both teams were picked to finish top two in the CCHA preseason coaches poll. The Mavericks have dominated this series 14-4-1 all-time.
After playing a tough early non-conference schedule that included North Dakota and St. Cloud State, Tommies are looking to right the ship in their conference opener. They're coming off a two-game series in which they lost and tied with then-No.15 Providence while opening the new on-campus arena.
The Tommies seem to have no problems scoring, but are allowing 4.4 goals a game. This will be an early conference test against one of the best goaltenders in the country.
MSU is humming after a weekend sweep of RPI, winning 4-2 and 2-1, respectively. Led by star goalie Alex Tracy, the Mavericks are one of the best defensive teams in the CCHA. It'll be a contrast of styles on display in this home-and-home matchup.
Bemidji State at Bowling Green
Both of these teams come into this series 2-0-0 in the conference, with Bowling Green having a one-point advantage in the standings. The all-time record for these two teams is 21-21-4 with neither side having an advantage.
The Falcons picked up their first two victories of the season last weekend against Lake Superior State. In game one, the Falcons won 4-1 and followed that up with a 3-2 victory the next night.
Bemidji State is coming off a series sweep where they stunned red-hot Augsutana 1-0 and 3-2. Remember, the Beavers were picked to finish sixth in the Preseason Coaches Poll behind both Augustana and Bowling Green.
SEE ALSO: This week's college hockey rankings
CCHA Players of the Week
Forward: Stiven Sardarian, Sr., Michigan Tech. He recorded four assists last week in a home sweep of Ferris State to open the conference slate. Sardarian was +2 with three shots on goal and tallied a block defensively.
Defenseman: Evan Murr, Jr., Minnesota State. Murr had two points on an assist and a goal, helping to lead the Mavericks to a home sweep of RPI. He also tallied five shots on goal and blocked one shot.
Goaltender: Owen Bartoszkiewicz, Jr., Michigan Tech. He led the Huskies to a sweep of Ferris State with a 1.50 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage. Bartoszkiewicz turned away 57-of-60 shots in the series and stopped 42-of-43 shots while at even strength.
Rookie: Max Hildebrand, Fr., Bemidji State. Hildebrand won his first CCHA start 3-2 against Augustana, where he posted a .926 save percentage and stopped 25-of-27 shots.
Beyond the Blue Line
Stiven Sardarian led the nation with four assists in Michigan Tech’s sweep of Ferris State. … Speaking of the Bulldogs, they host Lindonwood for a pair of weekend games. .... Northern Michigan looks to end its losing streak when the Wildcats travel to Augustana in search of their first victory of the season. … The CCHA suspended St. Thomas senior Caige Sterzer for one game after he received a penalty for checking from behind against Providence on Friday night.
Zach Richardson is a graduate of Augustana University, where he double-majored in journalism and media studies. He's a five-year member of the football team and an active contributor to the university’s student newspapers. He's covered a wide range of sports, including hockey, basketball, softball, and baseball. "I know how to break down the game, ask the right questions, and tell compelling stories on and off the field. ... I’ve spent just as much time in locker rooms as I have in newsrooms, and I understand both the athlete and the fan."
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