As the weather begins to get cold, revenge in college hockey continues to heat up en vogue.
Several schools and individuals earned some revenge over the weekend. Chris Bergeron, whose Bowling Green team's season ended in OT to Minnesota Duluth, defeated the Bulldogs with his new Miami team. The RedHawks entered Friday 2-5-2 and being handily swept by North Dakota, who earned a win and tie over a Denver team who ended the Fighting Hawks' 2018-19 season in the same building. Out East, Cornell defeated Clarkson in a battle of top-10 teams and rematch of the 2019 ECAC championship game.
Still, as fun as it can be to discuss teams and individuals earning revenge for what happened last season, the weather changing is a good time to remember how it's becoming more important to get revenge for what's happening this season. Records are being set. Identities are being formed. As the weather begins to get cold, 2019-20 has been heating up as a whole.
As always, here's what is going on throughout the college hockey landscape. This week's stock report recaps who is doing well, who is on their way down, and what trends should be followed.
Up: Michigan State
Picked to finish seventh of seven teams, the Spartans are getting off on the right foot with bragging rights to boot. Michigan State began Big Ten conference play 3-1 after sweeping in-state rival Michigan for the first time since October 2009. Danton Cole's team has shown flashes but is getting help from its depth that MSU missed.
Perhaps no game shows it better than Saturday's 3-0 win, in which Michigan State's John Lethemon earned his second shutout in as many weekends while the Spartans scored three goals from players not named Patrick Khodorenko or Mitch Lewandowski.
Down: The other Big Ten "M's"
Besides Michigan's follies against the Spartan, Minnesota was swept by Penn State at home. Both schools expected some early struggles. However, it's the way those struggles are happening that are worrying.
For Michigan, the Wolverines are dropping fast from the young team that beat Western Michigan. Mel Pearson's team has 1 Big Ten point in six games. Sure, injuries aren't helping, but it's concerning nonetheless. Four of those games came against the other teams picked to finish near the bottom while looking worse with each passing week.
(Heck, even Canisius is getting in on the Wolverines' style with throwback sweaters that look like the GLI love child of Michigan and Michigan Tech.)
For Minnesota, the Gophers turned a scoreless first period Friday into an 8-2 loss. Saturday's game featured 2-0 and 3-1 leads going away and losing 6-3. (One silver lining: Cullen Munson getting his first collegiate goal...as a junior.) Through six weeks, Minnesota has blown multiple tie games and third-period leads. Young team or not, that's not the identity any group wants yet one the Gophers, unfortunately, can claim.
Monday, November 18, 2019
Friday, November 15, 2019
College Hockey Mailbag: Contenders & Pretenders, Gopher Football, & More (Vol. II)
After a hiatus, it's time to bring back the college hockey mailbag.
Let's dig in for this week.
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Nothing like starting a college hockey mailbag with some football talk, right?
Minnesota's win over Penn State in a battle of 8-0 teams hit a sweet spot as someone following decades of Gopher football. (And I say this as someone surrounded by Nittany Lions fans Saturday. Credit to them for being great sports.) Seeing a maroon and gold crowd rush TCF Bank Stadium was night and day from previous times opposing fans did at the Metrodome. The only similar games in recent history that brought up the same feeling were the last two Axe wins and seeing Minnesota celebrating winning the Little Brown Jug in person in 2014.
None of those games, however, hold the same value for Minnesota from a stakes perspective as Saturday's win. The vast majority of fans rushing the field were not alive during Gopher football's glory days. Throw in the fact that the story has not been completely written and it's tough to come up with a comparable win for Gopher hockey.
Winning the 2002 national championship after 23 years seems too big for the occasion. The 0.6 victory over North Dakota shares more with the Axe and Little Brown Jug games. While Minnesota hockey has its share of big wins, sustained success makes it difficult to reach the highs of Minnesota football. If there is a recent college hockey comparison, it's likely Michigan Tech or Bowling Green returning to the NCAA Tournament in recent years after decades of disappointment.
The closest Gopher hockey victory to Saturday's football win I can come up with would be March 3, 2012 against Wisconsin. Trailing 1-0 in the third period, Minnesota scored a shorthanded goal by Erik Haula and a game-winning-goal by Nate Schmidt that earned one of the loudest roars at Mariucci. Given the Gophers were on a three-season NCAA Tournament drought and won the MacNaughton Cup that night, it's one that sticks out in memory.
Let's dig in for this week.
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with the massive Gopher football win Saturday (biggest in my lifetime), what is the equivalent Gopher hockey win? or is there not an equivalent given gopher hockey sustained excellence.— Chad Stevermer (@stretch3281) November 13, 2019
Nothing like starting a college hockey mailbag with some football talk, right?
Minnesota's win over Penn State in a battle of 8-0 teams hit a sweet spot as someone following decades of Gopher football. (And I say this as someone surrounded by Nittany Lions fans Saturday. Credit to them for being great sports.) Seeing a maroon and gold crowd rush TCF Bank Stadium was night and day from previous times opposing fans did at the Metrodome. The only similar games in recent history that brought up the same feeling were the last two Axe wins and seeing Minnesota celebrating winning the Little Brown Jug in person in 2014.
None of those games, however, hold the same value for Minnesota from a stakes perspective as Saturday's win. The vast majority of fans rushing the field were not alive during Gopher football's glory days. Throw in the fact that the story has not been completely written and it's tough to come up with a comparable win for Gopher hockey.
Winning the 2002 national championship after 23 years seems too big for the occasion. The 0.6 victory over North Dakota shares more with the Axe and Little Brown Jug games. While Minnesota hockey has its share of big wins, sustained success makes it difficult to reach the highs of Minnesota football. If there is a recent college hockey comparison, it's likely Michigan Tech or Bowling Green returning to the NCAA Tournament in recent years after decades of disappointment.
The closest Gopher hockey victory to Saturday's football win I can come up with would be March 3, 2012 against Wisconsin. Trailing 1-0 in the third period, Minnesota scored a shorthanded goal by Erik Haula and a game-winning-goal by Nate Schmidt that earned one of the loudest roars at Mariucci. Given the Gophers were on a three-season NCAA Tournament drought and won the MacNaughton Cup that night, it's one that sticks out in memory.
Monday, November 11, 2019
College Hockey Stock Report: November 11, 2019
Sometimes the best-laid plans do not work out.
Before the season began, the entire WCHA women's league scheduled itself to be idle this weekend. The idea was that since many teams would be missing players for the Four Nations Cup,
Turns out, no team was missing players for the Four Nations Cup. The annual tournament ended up canceled by host Sweden after its national team declared its intentions to boycott as part of an ongoing dispute over equal pay and conditions. Instead, only a few players are in Pittsburgh playing in a USA-Canada rivalry series with most of them being on teams playing.
Another team with changing plans was Denver, whose 44-0-0 dream came to an end in Duluth. Kobe Roth and Noah Cates erased a 3-1 third period deficit Friday in a battle of NCHC contenders before the Bulldogs became the other one in Denver's 8-1-1 record.
Each weekend sees ups and downs as players and teams adjust to new situations. That's the fun and joy of the sport and one that bodes well for a handful of new trends on a weekend where not everything went to plan.
As always, here's what is going on throughout the college hockey landscape. This week's stock report recaps who is doing well, who is on their way down, and what trends should be followed.
Before the season began, the entire WCHA women's league scheduled itself to be idle this weekend. The idea was that since many teams would be missing players for the Four Nations Cup,
Turns out, no team was missing players for the Four Nations Cup. The annual tournament ended up canceled by host Sweden after its national team declared its intentions to boycott as part of an ongoing dispute over equal pay and conditions. Instead, only a few players are in Pittsburgh playing in a USA-Canada rivalry series with most of them being on teams playing.
Another team with changing plans was Denver, whose 44-0-0 dream came to an end in Duluth. Kobe Roth and Noah Cates erased a 3-1 third period deficit Friday in a battle of NCHC contenders before the Bulldogs became the other one in Denver's 8-1-1 record.
Each weekend sees ups and downs as players and teams adjust to new situations. That's the fun and joy of the sport and one that bodes well for a handful of new trends on a weekend where not everything went to plan.
As always, here's what is going on throughout the college hockey landscape. This week's stock report recaps who is doing well, who is on their way down, and what trends should be followed.
Friday, November 8, 2019
What to know about Michigan (Ann Arbor)
There are plenty of places to get a series preview. Not too many places, however, preview where the series will be held.
I've been fortunate enough to travel to all seven Big Ten rinks. Why not lend my expertise on the subject to discuss what are the must-sees, places to eat, visit, and how the rink sets up for anyone traveling? I'm happy to perform a public service. For each subsequent Minnesota road trip, I am going to try and discuss the opposing locale as your friendly neighborhood hockey travel writer.
And if you want to know about Minnesota's opponent? Well, I did write a profile about the Wolverines back in August. So, read that too and pay some attention to Strauss Mann. He's continuing his second-half run. Also, read the latest stock report.
Monday, November 4, 2019
College Hockey Stock Report: November 4, 2019
Welcome to November where the Ivy League men's teams finally play.
Seriously, it will be good to not need to bring up that fact each week. Everyone is underway. Everyone! The Dartmouth men's hockey Twitter is now back up to 80-20 hockey versus dog content just in time as teams are already tossing teddy bears.
And there will be plenty to discuss as conference play begins in full. With a last-minute goal, Ohio State opened its Big Ten slate by sweeping Michigan to advance to 6-1-1 on the season. Notre Dame sophomore defender Nick Leivermann continued to score at Mariucci and nowhere else. The Boston College men's and women's teams each beat Providence. Army upset AIC. Long Island University got its first program win ever by defeating St. Michael's 5-2 on Friday.
As always, here's what is going on throughout the college hockey landscape. This week's stock report recaps who is doing well, who is on their way down, and what trends should be followed.
Seriously, it will be good to not need to bring up that fact each week. Everyone is underway. Everyone! The Dartmouth men's hockey Twitter is now back up to 80-20 hockey versus dog content just in time as teams are already tossing teddy bears.
And there will be plenty to discuss as conference play begins in full. With a last-minute goal, Ohio State opened its Big Ten slate by sweeping Michigan to advance to 6-1-1 on the season. Notre Dame sophomore defender Nick Leivermann continued to score at Mariucci and nowhere else. The Boston College men's and women's teams each beat Providence. Army upset AIC. Long Island University got its first program win ever by defeating St. Michael's 5-2 on Friday.
As always, here's what is going on throughout the college hockey landscape. This week's stock report recaps who is doing well, who is on their way down, and what trends should be followed.
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