Wild College Hockey Weekend Highlighted by Top-5 Matchup in the Elements
This weekend won’t feel typical, especially with Penn State hosting Michigan State under the lights in Beaver Stadium Saturday night. This is only going to add extra juice to what was already going to be an exciting series in college hockey.
But it's not the only one.
St. Thomas enters this weekend the winners of 10 straight and in sole possession of first place in the CCHA. The Tommies seemed to have shored up their defensive woes, and their offense makes them a dark horse surging to No. 11 in the NPI rankings.
The only issue is that over those 10 games, they've only defeated one team with a winning record. This weekend poses a real opportunity to show the nation how for real St. Thomas may be. On the other hand, if Michigan Tech can halt the red-hot Tommies, it might surge in the rankings as well.
In the NCHC, both Minnesota Duluth and Denver have been struggling of late. Both squads see this series as a chance to turn around what has been a less-than-desirable few weekends. The good news is that these teams have faced tough competition, and the NPI Rankings have recognized that, so they have only slipped a little heading into February.
No. 2 Michigan State at No. 5 Penn State
The marquee matchup of the weekend features the 53rd and 54th meetings between these two programs. Early this season, these teams met in East Lansing, with the Nittany Lions getting the upper hand, winning 2-1 in overtime, before shutting out the Spartans in game two, 5-0. All-time, the series is tied at 22-22-8, but Penn State has a winning record on home ice at Pegula Ice Arena (12-8-4). However, the Spartans are 4-0-1 over the last five games played in Happy Valley.
The Nittany Lions cruise into this series after sweeping then-No. 5 Wisconsin on the road. They outscored the Badgers 10-3 on the weekend, including a double hat trick in game one, which saw Dane Dowiak and Gavin McKenna record six of Penn State's seven goals. Penn State has won seven straight games, the longest winning streak in program history.
The Spartans have also been successful, winning four straight including a sweep of Minnesota last weekend. They're used to big games, though, going 7-3 against ranked opponents this season, and all of those opponents were in the top 10. The Spartans have also been dominant on the road, posting a 10-1 record with the lone loss coming at Ohio State on Jan. 10.
Both of these teams have been playing well since the new year, and this series is far from a must-win, but both will be looking to make a statement, especially on Saturday night. The forecast is for a high of 17 during the day, with a low of -4.
One final factor, and we offer this with respect, the Spartans are still dealing with the passing of Dan Sturges, Director of Hockey Operations. who suddenly died on Jan.19. Even head coach Adam Nightingale has been emotional when talking about the defenseman on the 2007 national championship team.
No. 19 Michigan Tech at No. 15 St. Thomas
Everyone in the CCHA has played 18 conference games, and these two squads hold first and second in the standings. St. Thomas has ridden a 10-game win streak to first place with 42 points. The Huskies trail by just five points, holding second place with 37 points.
Last weekend, the Huskies missed a golden opportunity to cut into the Tommies' lead when they split with 1-23-0 Northern Michigan. Now they travel to St. Paul, hoping to stun arguably the hottest team in college hockey.
St. Thomas comes into the series after blowing out Lake Superior State 7-4 in game one and 5-0 in game two. The Tommies have been scoring at one of the highest rates in the nation this season, but the wins didn’t start to come until the goaltending improved. The Tommies have seen three different goalies start at least five games this season, and over the last 10 games, they have combined for a 2.00 goals against average and a .915 save percentage.
For both of these teams, this is an opportunity for first place in the conference. The Tommies could grab a stranglehold over the CCHA if they can continue the win streak, while the Huskies are looking to grab a foothold at the top with a perfect weekend.
No. 7 Minnesota Duluth at No. 11 Denver
UMD travels to Denver after falling to Western Michigan last weekend; both games ended 4-3. In game one, the Bulldogs scored two goals in the final 83 seconds, but it wasn’t enough.
The following evening, the Broncos' power play proved to be too much, scoring the overtime goal to defeat UMD.
The Pioneers are looking to carry the momentum from their last time out when they shut out St. Cloud State 6-0 on Saturday, after dropping game one 4-2. Things have been difficult for Denver in January, going 2-5-1 in that time and 1-4-1 against ranked opponents.
Denver 14-11-2 (10-6-0) currently holds second place in the NCHC standings with 30 points, while UMD 17-9-0 (8-8-0) has 25 points and trails in fourth place. This is the only time these two teams will meet this season.
The NCHC as a whole has been extremely competitive this season, with North Dakota as the clear team to beat. This series is incredibly important to both of these squads, not just for the conference but for NPI rankings as well.
Other showdown and rivalry series/games of note this weekend:
No. 13 Boston College at Boston University (Beanpot preview)
No. 8 Wisconsin at Minnesota
Women's hockey
No. 5 Quinnipiac at No. 11 Clarkson
No. 1 Wisconsin at No. 3 Minnesota
No. 9 Minnesota Duluth at No. 2 Ohio State
SEE ALSO: National College Hockey Players of the Week
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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