Bracketology Wednesday 2007 Week 4

New teams and new placements are set for this weeks bracketology so lets get right to it.

First lets breakdown the conference bids.

WCHA: 5
CCHA: 4
Hockey East: 4
ECACHL: 1
CHA: 1
Atlantic Hockey: 1

Now here are the conference (or projected) leaders up to this point. These teams will have the automatic bid into the tournament. New Leaders are in bold

Atlantic Hockey: RIT
CCHA: Notre Dame
CHA: Niagara
ECACHL: Clarkson
Hockey East: New Hampshire
WCHA: Minnesota

Those are the conference leaders, now its time to give out the at-large bids. New teams are in bold

CCHA: Miami, Michigan, Michigan State
Hockey East: Boston College, Maine, Vermont
WCHA: Colorado College, Denver, North Dakota, St. Cloud State

Out from last week are Boston University and Bemidji State

Last two in: Colorado College, Vermont

So now that you know the teams that are in lets put them in the hockeynuts rankings.

#1 New Hampshire (19-4-1) +
#2 Minnesota (21-5-3) -
#3 St. Cloud State (17-5-4) =
#4 Notre Dame (21-5-2) =
#5 Denver (19-9-2) =
#6 Clarkson (16-6-4) =
#7 Michigan State (16-8-1) +
#8 Maine (16-7-2) -
#9 Michigan (19-9-0) +
#10 North Dakota (15-11-2) +
#11 Miami (18-9-3) +
#12 Boston College (14-9-1) +
#13 Colorado College (14-10-2) -
#14 Vermont (14-8-4) -
#15 Niagara (17-8-3) +
#16 RIT (16-8-2) =

So the teams are ranked, therefore it is time to place them in their regions.

Northeast (Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH, UNH host):

#1 New Hampshire vs. #16 RIT
#8 Maine vs. #9 Michigan

Midwest (Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI, Western Michigan University host):

#2 Minnesota vs. #15 Niagara
#7 Michigan State vs. #10 North Dakota

East (Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY, ECACHL host):

#3 St. Cloud State vs. #14 Vermont
#6 Clarkson vs. #11 Miami

West (Pepsi Center, Denver, CO, University of Denver host):

#4 Notre Dame vs. #13 Colorado College
#5 Denver vs. #12 Boston College

Teams on the bubble this week:

Boston University
Quinnipiac
St. Lawrence

The Frozen Four bracket will look as follows:

Northeast Regional Champ vs. West Regional Champ
Midwest Regional Champ vs. East Regional Champ

That's all for this week. Tommorrow the weekly preview, Friday hockeynuts will name its players of the month for January, and this weekend there will be an exclusive preview on the upcoming Beanpot tournament. Keep it here on hockeynuts for all your college hockey needs.

Hobey Watch Jan 30

Finally, there is some movement in the top of the Hobey Baker Watch, so lets get right to the top spot.

Nathan Davis who held the top spot has dropped for the first time since November. Who has the top spot in hockeynuts' Hobey Watch? Let's take a look.

Scott Parse F Nebraska-Omaha (SR): Where did this guy come from? Parse who found his game after an early season slump is now in the top spot. In his last ten games, Parse has moved up in the NCAA scoring race scoring eight goals while tallying six assists during that span. This weekend the Mavericks have a huge series against Michigan State.

Season Stats: 19 g, 25 a, 44 p

Nathan Davis F Miami (JR): One point in the weekend series against Notre Dame made Davis' stock go down a little bit. Davis has struggled in his last ten games scoring two goals and assisting on only five. Still plenty of time for Davis to gain some ground, including this weekend when the Redhawks travel to Alaska to face the Nanooks.

Season Stats: 16 g, 26 a, 42 p

T.J. Hensick F Michigan (SR): True he is tied for the top spot in the nation in scoring, but lately Henisick and the Wolverines have been playing the bottom teams in the CCHA for the last few weeks. This past weekend Hensick had two goals and three assists for five points. This weekend Michigan faces another cellar dweller in the CCHA as they have a home and home series with Western Michigan.

Season Stats: 12 g, 34 a, 46 p

The rest of the top five:

Joe Fallon G Vermont (JR): This weekend Fallon tied Merrimack. He could have been in the Hobey Hat Trick had that did not happen. Fallon leads the nation for the fewest goals against average and has the most shutouts than any goalie in the country.

Season Stats: 13-7-3, 1.59 gaa, .931 save pct, 5 shutouts

Kevin Porter F Michigan (JR): With a big game against Ferris State on Friday night (a five point night), Porter finds himself right back in the hockeynuts Hobey Watch. In the Wolverines last ten games, Porter has five goals and nine assists. With linemate T.J. Hensick, Porter has been getting many opportunities to do some damage.

Season Stats: 18 g, 26 a, 44 p

This weeks darkhorse:

Andrew Gordon F St. Cloud State (JR): One of the hottest teams in the nation are the St. Cloud State Huskies and Gordon is one of the main reasons why the team has been playing well. Gordon once had a stretch of seven goals in six games. The current co-leading scorer in the WCHA (along with teammate Andreas Nodl), Gordon could be a prospect to leave early after the season. This weekend Gordon and the Huskies have an off week before the stretch run.

Season Stats: 17 g, 19 a, 36 p

A reminder that Bracketology Wednesday will be featured for the fourth week. Also of note the players of the month will be announced on Friday, and the weekly preview will happen on Thursday. Keep it here on hockeynuts for all your college hockey needs.

Weekly Wrap-Up North Dakota on the way up after sweep of Minnesota

The North Dakota Fighting Sioux are on their way up as they will rise in the rankings after a sweep of Minnesota in Mariucci Arena.

On Friday night it seemed like Minnesota was going to cruise to another victory as they were up 2-0 with 5:40 to go in the first. North Dakota however answered the call as Robbie Bina scored a shorthanded goal to cut the lead in half at 2-1 after the first period.

In the second period, North Dakota dominated. Three more goals were scored by the Sioux as Erik Fabian, Jonatahan Toews, and Ryan Duncan all scored to make it 4-2. Ryan Duncan would add another goal in the third as North Dakota won 5-3 to take the game on Friday night.

Saturday night was the same story, another Sioux victory. After the first period, one would think that this would be a shootout as Minnesota and North Dakota were tied at the end of one at 3-3. But once again it was another meltdown by Minnesota. Ryan Duncan would add a goal in the second to make it 4-3. :24 later Erik Fabian would make it 5-3 North Dakota. From there it was all Fighting Sioux as T.J. Oshie would add two more in the third and North Dakota took the 7-3 victory, and the series sweep over the Golden Gophers.

In other college hockey action from this weekend:

Boston College and Boston University split as both teams won on the road. BC took the series 2-1. Beanpot final possibility? Find out this weekend in the hockeynuts Beanpot preview.

Maine bounced back after a 6-1 beatdown on Friday night on their home ice, as the Black Bears won a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory the next night.

Notre Dame took three out of a possible four points against Miami in CCHA play.

And Denver and St. Cloud State split in an important WCHA series.

This weeks slate of games include:

New Hampshire and Maine for two (one at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH)

Michigan State will travel to Omaha as they face Scott Parse and the Mavericks.

St. Lawrence will face Cornell and Colgate on the road.

And not to forget the two Beanpot games on Monday Feb 5th as BU will face Northeastern and BC will face Harvard in the first round.

We are getting closer to the end of the season. And hockeynuts is here for the stretch run on the road to St. Louis. Keep it here.

Weekly Preview BU goes for sweep against rivals

On Wednseday night at Conte Fourm the Boston University Terriers got a road victory over their rivals the Boston College Eagles. Peter MacArthur scored a pair of goals while goaltender John Curry was spectacular stopping 32 of 33 BC shots on goal.

Tonight the Terriers will go for the sweep in this two game series against the struggling BC Eagles who have lost their last three games.

Something to watch out for tonight is BC's desperation. The Eagles have only scored five goals in their last three, and the offense does not seem to be improving. BC has had oppurtunity after oppurtunity to make some noise and they have not done so. Their power play is one of the worst in the country and the penalty killing has been out on the ice longer than expected because of penalties. In other words what I am trying to say is BC can't catch a break.

On the other end of the ice, the Boston University Terriers have started 2007 with a bang going 7-0-1 in their eight games played in the new year. With the return of Brandon Yip, the Terriers have found their offensive strive that they had needed in the start of the year when Yip went down with an injury. And let's not forget the play of goaltender John Curry. The BU netminder has been playing great hockey only allowing eight goals in the new year that include the stat of three shutouts.

It will be a team of desperation in BC versus the hottest team in the country in BU. This should be an interesting game to watch.

Other games this weekend include:

St. Cloud State traveling to Denver for a key standings game in the WCHA.

Miami will travel to South Bend to face Notre Dame as the two top CCHA teams face off against each other.

North Dakota and Minnesota for two at Marrucci Arena.

And an improved Northeastern team will travel to Maine for two in Alfond Arena.

All of this and much more coming up in the weekly wrap-up in the beginning of the week. Keep it here on hockeynuts.

Bracketology Wednesday 2007 Week 3

There is some moving around in the rankings, so lets get right to this weeks bracket.

First off let me point out that there are no new teams but like I said there are some seeding changes.

Before we get to the teams lets breakdown the conference bids.

Hockey East: 5
CCHA: 4
WCHA: 4
ECACHL: 1
Atlantic Hockey: 1
CHA: 1

Now here are the conference leaders (or for some the projected conference winner at the end of the year)

Atlantic Hockey: RIT
CCHA: Notre Dame
CHA: Bemidji State
ECACHL: Clarkson
Hockey East: New Hampshire
WCHA: Minnesota

So your team is not a conference leader, but did they get an at-large bid? Here are the 10 at-large teams

CCHA: Miami, Michigan, Michigan State
Hockey East: Boston College, Boston University, Maine, Vermont
WCHA: Colorado College, Denver, St. Cloud State

Now its finally time to rank the teams. Like I said there are some changes but there are no new teams. Some rankings have remained the same, but 10 of the teams are either moving up and down in the "hockeynuts rankings." Anyway let's take a look.

#1 Minnesota (21-3-3) =
#2 New Hampshire (18-4-1) =
#3 St. Cloud State (16-4-4) +
#4 Notre Dame (20-5-1) -
#5 Denver (18-8-2) =
#6 Clarkson (15-6-3) =
#7 Maine (15-6-2) +
#8 Michigan State (16-8-1) +
#9 Vermont (14-8-2) +
#10 Michigan (17-9-0) +
#11 Colorado College (14-9-1) -
#12 Miami (18-8-2) -
#13 Boston College (12-8-1) -
#14 Boston University (12-4-6) -
#15 Bemidji State (12-9-3) =
#16 RIT (14-8-2) =

The rankings are all set, now lets place them in their regional sites.

Midwest: #1 Minnesota vs #16 RIT
#8 Michigan State vs #9 Vermont

Northeast: #2 New Hampshire vs #15 Bemidji State
#7 Maine vs #10 Michigan

East: #3 St. Cloud State vs #14 Boston University
#6 Clarkson vs #11 Colorado College

West: #4 Notre Dame vs #13 Boston College
#5 Denver vs #12 Miami

The Frozen Four Bracket will look like this:

Midwest vs West
Northeast vs East

On the bubble this week:

North Dakota
Quinnipiac
St. Lawrence

Thats all for this weeks bracketology, be sure to take a look at next weeks bracket, and do not forget about the weekly preview for this weeks games exclusively here on hockeynuts.

Hobey Watch Jan 23

Once again the top spot remains the same in the Hobey Watch, but there is some moving around within the top five so lets get right to it.

Another week down and another week for Nathan Davis being the top spot in the hockeynuts Hobey Watch.

Nathan Davis F Miami (JR): Davis had three assists this past weekend against Ohio State and is tied for second in the country in scoring. This weekend Davis and the Redhawks got three points against the Buckeyes. Big weekend for Miami as they travel to South Bend to face the top team in the CCHA the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Season Stats: 16 g, 25 a, 41 p

Joe Fallon G Vermont (JR): What a difference a week makes. Fallon went from out of the Hobey Race last week to being back in the Hat Trick this week. Why? His stellar performance this past weekend against Boston College helped his cause. Not to forget, Fallon also leads the country in goals against average and shutouts.

Season Stats: 13-7-2, 1.62 gaa, .930 save pct, 5 shutouts

T.J. Hensick F Michigan (SR): A hat trick against Alaska on Friday night put Hensick in double digits for goals. Hensick is tied for second in the country in scoring with Nathan Davis. Michigan has been playing well lately winning four out of their last five, and the Wolverines are now only five points in back of first place Notre Dame in the CCHA. This weekend the Wolverines have Ferris State. Heniscks numbers should go up against a weak defense.

Season Stats: 10 g, 31 a, 41 p

The Rest of the Top five:

Trevor Smith F New Hampshire (SO): Smith had a two point night against UMASS-Amherst on Friday. The next game UNH was shutout for their second loss in the conference both to the Minutemen. This weekend Smith and the Wildcats have a warmup game against Providence before the Wildcats host Maine next weekend.

Season Stats: 15 g, 17 a, 32 p

Scott Parse F Nebraska-Omaha (SR): Although he did not have a point against Ferris State, Parse has improved since the begginning of the year. With six goals in his last six, Parse has proved that he is the biggest threat on the Mavericks. This weekend UNO will host Northern Michigan.

Season Stats: 17 g, 21 a, 38 p

This weeks darkhorse:

Andreas Nodl F St. Cloud State (FR): Nodl has made an immediate impact for the Huskies. A five point weekend against Minnesota-Duluth has put Nodl in this spot. Huge two games for Nodl and the Huskies as the Huskies will face Denver for two in the Rocky Mountains.

Season Sstats: 12 g, 21 a, 33 p

Tommorrow week three of Bracketology Wednesday will be featured here exclusively on hockeynuts.

Weekly Wrap-Up Vermont gets an advantage

The Vermont Catamounts came into the series against Boston College without a win against the Eagles since 1994. They got two this weekend as Vermont swept BC and have taken over third place in Hockey East.

The first game held on Friday had a lot of controversy. So much in fact that the penalty minutes combined for both teams was 67. Not just that, in the third period the refs disallowed a goal because of a BC player (Matt Lombardi) supposedly hit it with a high stick. The replay showed that Lombardi did not hit it with a high stick thus prevented BC to tie the game at three. Vermont goals were scored by Cory Carlson (twice) and Torrey Mitchell.

The second of the two game series saw Vermont go up 3-0. Although BC made it a game, Vermont goaltender Joe Fallon again stoned the Eagles shot after shot. Brayden Irwin scored two goals and Torrey Mitchell added another one as he and Irwin had a three point night. Viktor Stalberg would score on an empty netter and the Catamounts completed the sweep as they took the 4-2 victory.

The other big game this weekend happened in the WCHA where Minnesota and Denver took the ice. For the first time all season, Minnesota was held scoreless in a game as Denver got the 1-0 victory on Friday night. Denver goaltender Glenn Fisher stopped all 31 Minnesota shots on goal.

Saturday night was a different story. Super Freshman Kyle Okposo opened up the scoring with a four on four goal as he got the puck past Glenn Fisher for the 1-0 first period lead. The second period saw a total of seven goals. Minnesota scored four (three by defensemen Mike Vannelli) and Denver scored three in a wild second period. Minnesota led 5-3 going into the third period, however, Geoff Paukovich of Denver scored to make it an interesting game as Minnesota's lead was cut to one at 5-4. Denver had a lot of chances in the third period, but goaltender Jeff Frazee stopped 14 of 15 Denver shots on goal in the third. Overall Frazee had 41 saves and Minnesota's offense helped Frazee out this time as the Gophers took the game 5-4 salvaging a split with Denver.

In other college hockey action from this past weekend:

New Hampshire split with UMASS-Amherst as the Minutemen have two victories over UNH this year (both games the only losses in conference for UNH).

North Dakota is getting back into the swing of things as they swept Bemidji State.

And Michigan State swept Lake Superior in CCHA action.

This weeks top games include:

Boston College and Boston University for two games a home and home series. The game on Wednesday is a make-up game from the fog incident in December at Conte Fourm.

Denver will host St. Cloud State for two in a huge WCHA showdown.

Miami travels to Notre Dame as two of the top CCHA teams battle it out in South Bend.

Minnesota hosts North Dakota for two at Marrucci Arena.

And Cornell will host Colgate on Saturday night in ECACHL play.

Big slate of games this weekend, and do not forget about the Hobey Watch, Bracketology Wednesday, and the weekly preview all coming up this week on hockeynuts.

Weekly Preview Pairwise Weekend

This weekend is a huge weekend for four teams that are bunched in in the Pairwise Rankings and they are Boston College, Vermont, Minnesota, and Denver.

First lets preview the Boston College vs Vermont two game series at Gutterson Field House.

Boston College climbed a little closer to the first place team in Hockey East the New Hampshire Wildcats and they now trail by six points in the standings. Vermont on the other hand has fallen a little bit as they are now nine points behind UNH.

Last weekend against Merrimack Brian Boyle had a six point weekend (1 g, 5 a) including a five point night on Friday. Benn Ferriero scored a hat trick as well on Friday in a 6-1 victory. Is the offense for Boston College coming back after a 10 goal weekend?

The Vermont Catamounts on the other hand are struggling to score goals. Their defense is doing well and the play of goaltender Joe Fallon has been great, however the Catamounts need to score goals in order to have an impact series against the Eagles. With seven goals in the last four games, the offense is not getting it done.

The question for BC is can they get more out of their offense? Will Brian Boyle have a second half surge for the Eagles? And for Vermont the question is who will step up and score goals? Fallon can not do it alone in this key series.

The other big game features the Denver Pioneers and the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Both teams are in the top of the pairwise rankings. Denver is tied for second with Colorado College with 20 points, and they are currently seven points behind first place Minnesota.

Last week in the two games the Golden Gophers scored two goals in a split with Wisconsin (1-2, 1-0) in a defensive struggle. The Gophers have only scored three goals in their last three games but they went 2-1. Kellen Briggs got his first loss of the season, but Jeff Frazee, who Briggs is spliting time with, helped out with his first shutout of the season. Minnesota's offense will need to find a way to get goals as they face a solid Denver defense.

On the other end of the ice, Denver has posted an 8-1-1 record in their last 10. The Pioneers are coming off a sweep against Niagara and are Minnesota's biggest threat in the standings right now. The goaltending has been solid with Glenn Fisher getting the most starts, but Peter Mannino, who was a hero in Denver's National Championship team, has also been seeing playing time. Brock Trotter has made a big impact this year as a Freshman leading the team in scoring. Ryan Dingle, the teams leading goal scorer and the fourth leading goal scorer in the country should play a major role in this series.

Overall I see this series as a potential turning point in the season for both teams. Minnesota wants to prove that they have the best home ice advantage in the country, while Denver wants to prove that they can win on the road and get more momentum going into the stretch run. Should be an interesting series to watch.

The other big games include:

New Hampshire and UMASS-Amherst will have a home and home series.

Lake Superior travels to Michigan State in another tough contest for the Lakers who were swept by Notre Dame last weekend.

Up and coming Bemidji State will have a home and home series against North Dakota.

And Michigan heads to Alaska for two in Fairbainks.

A lot of big games for this weekend, and hockeynuts is here for your exclusive coverage of all the action in the college hockey world.

Bracketology Wednesday 2007 Week 2

There is a lot of moving around in this weeks edition of bracketology so lets get right to the projected bracket.

First here are the number of bids each conference would have if the season ended today.

Hockey East: 5
CCHA: 4
WCHA: 4
ECACHL: 1
Atlantic Hockey: 1
CHA: 1

Now here are the conference winners if the season ended today (tournament winners if neccesary like the ECACHL). New leaders are in bold.

Atlantic Hockey: RIT
CCHA: Notre Dame
CHA: Bemidji State
ECACHL: Clarkson
Hockey East: New Hampshire
WCHA: Minnesota

And now here are the 10 at large teams, new teams are in bold.

CCHA: Miami, Michigan. Michigan State
Hockey East: Boston College, Boston University, Maine, Vermont
WCHA: Colorado College, Denver, St. Cloud State

Out from last week are Lake Superior, Niagara, and Sacred Heart

Now lets rank the teams as hockeynuts sees it. The movement of seeds is based on this + is higher than last week, - is lower than last week, and = means the team stayed at that spot.

#1 Minnesota (20-2-3) =
#2 New Hampshire (17-3-1) =
#3 Notre Dame (19-4-1) +
#4 St. Cloud State (14-4-4) -
#5 Denver (17-7-2) +
#6 Clarkson (13-5-3) +
#7 Boston College (12-6-1) +
#8 Maine (14-5-2) -
#9 Michigan State (14-8-1) +
#10 Colorado College (14-9-1) +
#11 Miami (17-8-1) -
#12 Michigan (15-9-0) -
#13 Boston University (10-4-6) +
#14 Vermont (12-8-2) +
#15 Bemidji State (12-7-3) -
#16 RIT (13-7-2) +

Now that you know the teams lets place them in their regions:

Midwest: #1 Minnesota vs #16 RIT
#8 Maine vs #9 Michigan State

Norteast: #2 New Hampshire vs #15 Bemidji State
#7 Boston College vs #10 Colorado College

East: #3 Notre Dame vs #14 Vermont
#6 Clarkson vs #11 Miami

West: #4 St. Cloud State vs #13 Boston University
#5 Denver vs #12 Michigan

Teams on the bubble this week are:

Lake Superior
Quinnipiac
Cornell

Thats all for this weeks edition of bracketology. Tommorrow hockeynuts will bring you the weekly preview for all the big games in college hockey.

Hobey Watch Jan 16

Here is this weeks Hockeynuts Hobey Watch for January 16, 2007.

There are some changes in the top three but the top spot again remains the same. With some shuffling around in the top five lets get right to it.

Nathan Davis F Miami (JR): Davis was quiet this weekend with only one goal in the split against Western Michigan. Davis still has the stats even though he has been quiet the last five games (2 g, 1 a, 3 p) but he is still an impact player and is vital to Miami's late season run.

Season Stats: 16 g, 22 a, 38 p

T.J. Hensick F Michigan (SR): A four point weekend helped Hensick this weekend as he is now tied for second in the country and first in the CCHA in scoring. Two assists against Bowling Green and two assists the next game against Western Michigan helped Hensick spring up back into the Hobey Hat Trick.

Season Stats: 7 g, 31 a, 38 p

David Brown G Notre Dame (SR): With a sweep of Lake Superior on the road this past weekend, Brown and the Irish are now alone at the top of the CCHA standings. With a 51 save weekend, Brown held the Lakers to four goals. Right now one can argue that Brown has been the best goalie in the country in the Nations surprise team this year.

Season Stats: 18-3-1, 1.76 gaa, .927 save pct, 3 shutouts.

The rest of the top five:

Trevor Smith F New Hampshire (SO): A quiet game against Dartmouth, Smith falls down a few spots in the Hobey watch. Smith is still leading Hockey East in scoring and right now one can argue that Smith should be the Hockey East Player of the Year. This weekend the Wildcats have a home and home against UMASS-Amherst.

Season Stats: 14 g, 16 a, 30 p

Kevin Regan G New Hampshire (JR): In a 43 save performance against Dartmouth, Regan helped his cause by going from darkhorse to the top five in the Hobey Watch.

Season Stats: 15-3-1, 2.14 gaa, .929 save pct, 1 shutout

This weeks darkhorse:

Cory Schneider G Boston College (JR): Schneider has allowed three goals in his last three games. People can argue that John Curry of BU and Joe Fallon of Vermont should be up there, but they both have been darkhorses and Schneider has not so he gets the darkhorse spot this week. This weekend Schneider and the Eagles travel to Vermont to face the Catamounts.

Season Stats: 12-6-1, 2.15 gaa, .924 save pct, 3 shutouts.

Tommorrow week two edition of Bracketology 2007 exclusively on hockeynuts.

Weekly Wrap-Up BU Sweeps Maine in Orono

With Great goaltending by John Curry, and the return of Brandon Yip, the Boston University Terriers went into Maine and surprisingly swept the Maine Black Bears at Alfond Arena.

On Friday night BU shocked everyone when the offense was a factor in the game. In the first period Maine scored on the power play when Brent Shepheard got one passed John Curry to give Maine a 1-0 lead. 15 seconds later, BU came right back when Peter MacArthur scored to tie it at 1-1. In the second period MacArthur was at it again scoring two goals (giving him a hat trick for the night) including a shorthander to give BU a 4-1 lead. Maine would make it 4-2 when Josh Soares scored Maine's second power play goal of the game. Jason Lawrence for BU would add another power play goal giving BU a 5-2 lead going into the third. In the third period Bryan Ewing made it 6-2 1:27 into the third. So BU with a 6-2 lead could cruise into Saturday nights game right? Wrong! Keith Johnson added a power play goal Maine's third of the night to make it 6-3. Josh Soares would score a pair to make it 6-5. Maine had many oppurtunities in the last 3:46 to tie the game but it was too little too late as John Curry stopped 40 of 45 Maine Shots on goal in the 6-5 victory.

Saturday night the power play was not a factor for Maine. The Black Bears went 0-7 on the powerplay. Matt Gilroy, Dan McGoff, and Chris Higgins all had a goal for the Terriers. John Curry was spectacular again stopping all 30 Maine shots in a 3-0 shutout. Curry stopped 70 of 75 Maine shots this past weekend and proved again that he is arguably the best goalie in Hockey East.

In other college hockey action this weekend:

In the CCHA series of the week two surprise teams went at it as Notre Dame swept Lake Superior in a series in the Great Lakes. The first night went into overtime where Irish forward Erik Condra scored the game winner with 1:36 left in overtime. Irish netminder David Brown has 30 saves the second night as Notre Dame got the 4-1 victory over Lake Superior.

Wisconsin and Minnesota split in a rivalry series in the WCHA. Wisconsin won 2-1 the first night behind Ross Carlson's two power play goals. The second night saw just one goal by Minnesota forward Jim O'Brien as Minnesota got the split in Madison.

New Hampshire goaltender Kevin Regan had 43 saves in a 4-2 win against in state rival Dartmouth at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester.

And Clarkson tied Colgate and Cornell in ECACHL play.

This weeks top upcoming games include:

Boston College travels to Vermont to face the Catamounts in a key Hockey East series. The teams are seperated by three points.

Denver and Minnesota will face off for a two game WCHA series at Marucci Arena.

Michigan State and Lake Superior (also important for CCHA standings) will face each other in East Lansing for two.

Michigan travels to Alaska for a pair of games.

And up and coming Bemidji State will have a home and home series against North Dakota.

Big games this weekend and keep it here on hockeynuts for all your college hockey needs.

Weekly Preview Two Surprise Teams Battle in the Great Lakes

This weeks top game happens to have two of the biggest surprises in college hockey this season as head coach Jeff Jackson and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish travel to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan where they will face the Lake Superior Lakers.

Coming off a recent split against Robert Morris, Notre Dame finds itself fourth in this weeks pairwise rankings. On the other side, Lake Superior finds itself 15th and in the hunt for the NCAA tournament in March.

The Irish are coming in as one of the most balanced teams in the country. Their offense does deserve credit with four players over 20 points, but their goaltending and their defense have been the backbone of the team. In fact the Irish have only allowed 499 shots on goal in 22 games an average of 22.7 shots on goal per game that the opposition have taken against the Irish. Do not be surprised however if Notre Dame allows more shots on goal this weekend against the Lakers.

On the other side of the ice, the Lake Superior Lakers have done it all on defense. The Lakers are giving up an average of 2.1 goals per game. Reiging CCHA player of the month Jeff Jakaitis had a great December allowing just seven goals in five games. For Lake Superior to win they need to get the offense going. Only one player has 10 goals and that is Freshman forward Nathan Perkovich. The offense has to get going against another solid defense in Notre Dame.

Overall I expect one of the games to be defensive, maybe both. For the Lakers the question is, who will break out this series and become a go to guy? And for Notre Dame their question is can David Brown get tested this weekend?

Another big game this weekend is in Orono where the Maine Black Bears host Boston University for two huge games at Alfond Arena.

These two games are important for a spot in the top three of Hockey East. BU's offense has struggled all year (2.3 goals per game) while Maine's strength is its potent offensive attack (4.2 goals per game). Maine is 7-2-1 in their last 10 while BU is 6-2-2. BU netminder John Curry will have his hands full this weekend. Will Ben Bishop on the other end have a breezy weekend?

In other action this weekend:

Minnesota travels to Wisconsin for two at the Kohl Center. Will Minnesota continue to roll through the WCHA? Or will the Badgers protect home ice? Always intresting when these two teams play each other and look for a lot of emotion in this rivalry.

Another rivalry game features two in state opponents as New Hampshire faces Dartmouth at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester.

And two of the top teams in the ECACHL will go at it as Clarkson faces Cornell.

Big weekend in college hockey and Hockeynuts is your place for all your college hockey needs. Be sure to check out the weekly wrap up on Monday with all the results from this weeks big games.

Bracketology Wednesday Week 1 2007

Well the long wait is over. Bracketology Wednesday is back for 2007. Before we get to the teams that are in lets breakdown the confrence bids.

CCHA: 5
WCHA: 4
Hockey East: 3
CHA: 2
ECACHL: 1
Atlantic Hockey: 1

The confrence bids are in, but who are the automatics? Here are the projected first place teams in their confrences.

Atlantic Hockey: Sacred Heart
CCHA: Notre Dame
CHA: Bemidji State
ECACHL: Clarkson
Hockey East: New Hampshire
WCHA: Minnesota

Now for the 10 at-large teams.

Atlantic Hockey: None
CCHA (4): Lake Superior, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State
CHA (1): Niagara
ECACHL: None
Hockey East (2): Boston College, Maine
WCHA (3): Colorado College, Denver, St. Cloud State

You know the teams now lets rank them.

#1 Minnesota (19-1-3)
#2 New Hampshire (16-3-1)
#3 St. Cloud State (14-3-3)
#4 Maine (14-3-2)
#5 Notre Dame (17-4-1)
#6 Denver (15-7-2)
#7 Clarkson (13-5-1)
#8 Boston College (10-6-1)
#9 Miami (16-7-1)
#10 Colorado College (13-8-1)
#11 Michigan (14-8-0)
#12 Bemidji State (12-5-3)
#13 Michigan State (12-8-1)
#14 Lake Superior (13-6-3)
#15 Niagara (13-6-3)
#16 Sacred Heart (13-4-4)

Now its time to place the teams in their regions.

Here are the 2007 regional sites

East: Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY, March 23-24 (ECACHL host)
Northeast: Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH, March 24-25 (New Hampshire host)
Midwest: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI, March 23-24 (Western Michigan host)
West: Pepsi Center, Denver, CO, March 24-25 (Denver host)

So now that you know the regional sites, lets place them.

Midwest: #1 Minnesota vs #16 Sacred Heart
#8 Boston College vs #9 Miami

Northeast: #2 New Hampshire vs #15 Niagara
#7 Clarkson vs #10 Colorado College

West: #3 St. Cloud State vs #14 Lake Superior
#6 Denver vs #11 Michigan

East: #4 Maine vs #13 Michigan State
#5 Notre Dame vs #12 Bemidji State

Teams on the bubble:

Boston University
Cornell
Vermont

So the Frozen Four bracket would look like this

Midwest Regional Champion vs East Regional Champion
Northeast Regional Champion vs West Regional Champion

Thats all for the week one edition of Bracketology 2007. Tommorrow the weekly preview will give you all the information you need about the college hockey action happening this weekend.

Hobey Watch Jan 9

Here is the Hobey Watch for January 9th, 2007. There will be some moving around so lets get right to it.

Once again Miami forward Nathan Davis is at the top but the rest of the top five is all moved around.

Nathan Davis F Miami (JR): Before being held scoreless against Michigan State on Saturday, Davis added two points on Friday night against the Spartans. This weekend Davis and the Redhawks travel to Kalamazoo to face the Western Michigan Broncos. Expect Davis to chalk up more points.

Season Stats: 15 g, 22 a, 37 p

Alex Goligoski D Minnesota (JR): Last weeks darkhorse had a clutch weekend against Minnesota State moving him up to the number two spot in the Hobey Watch. This weekend the Gophers travel to Wisconsin to renew their rivalry with the Badgers. Can the leading scorer among defensemen come up big again against the Badgers?

Season Stats: 8 g, 20 a, 28 p

Trevor Smith F New Hampshire (SO): With leading goal scorer Mike Radja out, Smith stepped up this weekend at Vermont. A three goal weekend puts Smith back in the Hobey Hat Trick. This weekend the Wildcats face in state rival Dartmouth at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester.

Season Stats: 14 g, 16 a, 30 p

The Rest of the top five:

Kevin Porter F Michigan (JR): So what if the Wolverines had a week off. Notthing changes anedd Porter remains in the top five. This weekend the Wolverines host Northern Michigan for two, and have Bowling Green tonight. Three games this week could boster Porter back in the Hobey Hat Trick next week.

Season Stats: 14 g, 19 a, 33 p

Jeff Jakaitis G Lake Superior (SR): The CCHA player of the month in December, Jakaitis had a 34 save night in a tie against Nebraska-Omaha this weekend in his lone start. Jakaitis has improved every year he has played at Lake Superior and is a key to the Lakers run to the NCAA tournament.

Season Stats: 8-5-3, 1.78 gaa, .949 save pct, 3 shutouts

This weeks darkhorse:

Kevin Regan G New Hampshire (JR): Regan has been clutch so far this year for the Wildcats. In his last three games, Regan has stopped 74 of 76 opponents shots on goal. There were questions early in the year if this team could be consistant and so far the Wildcats have proved that they are the team to beat in the East. Regan has improved and is making his team better and for that he is this weeks darkhorse.

Season Stats: 14-3-1, 2.14 gaa, .927 save pct, 2 shutouts.

Thats all for this week. Tommorrow is the long awaited debut of Bracketology Wednesday. Will your team make it in its first predicted bracket? Find out tommorrow.

Weekly Wrap-Up New Hampshire dominates

The New Hampshire Wildcats have proven time and time again that they are the best team in Hockey East. With a dominating 7-1 win on Friday and a 2-1 victory on Saturday against Vermont, UNH has increeased its lead to 10 points in the Hockey East standings.

The first night UNH dominated in all aspects. With three goals in the first 11 minutes, the Wildcats quickly sent Vermont goaltender Joe Fallon to the bench as four of the first seven New Hampshire shots went in. Vermont forward Colin Vock quickly scored on the power play to make it a 3-1 game after one. That was the only shinning point in the game for Vermont. With a pair of goals from Brett Hemmingway and Trevor Smith in the second, the Wildcats put the game out of reach. Kevin Regan only saw eight shots on goal, while Freshman backup Brian Foster saw both Vermont shots on goal in the third as the Wildcats won 7-1.

Saturday night was more of a defensive game. Trevor Smith scored the first goal 48 seconds into the second period, but Vermont came back with a goal from their own less than one minute from Smith's goal as they responded to tie the game at one. Vermont had 16 shots on goal in the second, stopping 15 of them to keep the game tied at one going into the third. But New Hampshire would walk away with a victory again as Chris Murray scored the game winning goal on the power play with 3:44 left in the game. Kevin Regan was superb in net making 34 saves as New Hampshire took the game 2-1 and the weekend sweep of Vermont.

In other college hockey action this weekend:

Boston College had a 2-0 lead, but lost that in the third as Northeastern came from behind with a 3-2 overtime victory.

Two CCHA powers Michigan State and Miami split in Oxford, Ohio.

North Dakota and Colorado College split in Colorado Springs.

St. Cloud State continues its hot streak as they have now won 12 in a row as they swept Alaska-Anchorage.

And Denver and Wisconsin split in WCHA play.

This weeks top games include:

Lake Superior and Notre Dame as two of this years surprise teams will play two at Lake Superior.

Boston University and Maine will face each for two key games at Alfond Arena.

Cornell will face Clarkson in ECACHL play.

Minnesota and Wisconsin will renew its rivalry at Madison.

And New Hampshire will face in state rival Dartmouth at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester.

Lots of action going on in the world of college hockey as we inch closer to Bracketology Wednesday. Where will your team be? Find out Wednesday and the Hobey Watch and the Weekly Preview will also be featured.

Weekly Preview Getting Back in the Swing of Things

Two of the top teams in Hockey East will collide this weekend as New Hampshire travels to Vermont for two at Gutterson Field House.

In the Florida College Classic UNH went 1-1 losing to Cornell and defeating Western Michigan in the consolation game. Vermont hosted the Shearton/TD Banknorth Classic Vermont went 1-1 on their home ice losing to St. Cloud State in the finals before defeating Union. A lot of bragging rights in this matchup so lets break it down.

For UNH once again their offense is among the best in the country averaging more than four goals per game. On the other end of the ice Vermont's strength is its goaltending and its defense. In 18 games the Catamounts have only allowed a total of 29 goals. Goaltender Joe Fallon has proved all year that he is one of the elite goaltenders in the country. The question for Vermont tonight is can they stop the formable attack of Trevor Smith and Mike Radja? Will Jacob Micfliker and Matt Fornataro be a key factor? How about Brett Hemingway? Will he step up his play in the second half? Can Kevin Regan stay consistant? This will be a great series to watch.

Another weekend series worth looking at is the Michigan State vs Miami series. These two games will be played at the Goggin Ice Arena. Michigan State is coming off a championship in teh Great Lakes Invitational while Miami went 1-1 in the Ohio Hockey Classic defeating Bowling Green before losing to Ohio State in the championship game. Are these two teams headed in different directions?

Some interesting questions to ask this weekend is can Michigan State stop Nathan Davis? After all last month Davis only scored one point but the Redhawks are 2-1-1 in the last four games in which Davis did not score a point. For Michigan State one might wonder if the duo of Bryan Lerg and Tim Kennedy can breakout in the second half. Also do not forget about the play of goaltneder Jeff Lerg, and the Spartan defense has been playing well lately. Can Michigan State pull of another big second half run? Will Miami be consistant on a nightly basis? This is a key series in the CCHA as both teams will try to catch Notre Dame in the standings.

In other college hockey action this weekend:

Wisconsin travels to Denver for two in the Rocky Mountains.
North Dakota will face Colorado College in another two game key series in the WCHA.
And to round up the top five St. Cloud State faces Alaska-Anchorage.

These games and much more to be featured in the weekly wrap-up on Monday. And not to forget that Bracketology Wednesday will return on Wednesday as the first projected brackets will come out. Where will your team be? Find out as hockeynuts will start its "Road to St. Louis" on Monday with the weekly wrap-up.

Players of the Month December

Here are the players of the month for the month of December.

Atlantic Hockey: Jason Smith G Sacred Heart (SR): Smith has been part of Sacred Heart's run in the first half of the season. After a shaky start in three of his first five starts in net, Smith has recovered nicely to help Sacred Heart. Smith is vitale for a Pioneer second half run.

Monthly Stats: 2-0-2, 1.04 gaa, .967 save pct
Year to date Stats: 9-3-3, 2.87 gaa, .907 save pct

CCHA: Jeff Jakatis G Lake Superior (SR): I think now that there is a clear number one net minder in Lake Superior and that is Jakatis. For the first half of the year, Jakatis has split time with Freshman Pat Inglis. Jakatis got five out of the six starts in December and will be an important factor in the Lakers second half run.

Monthly Stats: 3-1-1, 1.20 gaa, .968 save pct, 1 shutout
Year to date Stats: 8-5-2, 1.63 gaa, .953 save pct, 3 shutouts

CHA: Ted Cook F Niagara (SO): With a bundle of goals so far in the season, Cook added to his lead for goals scored in the NCAA. It will be either the Purple Eagles or the Bemidji State Beavers who will be dancing in March.

Monthly Stats: 4 g, 1 a, 5 p
Year to date Stats: 18 g, 13 a , 31 p

ECACHL: Nick Dodge F Clarkson (JR): Dodge had a spectacular month for the Golden Knights. The month ended with the Knights winning the Badger showdown and the future looks bright for Clarkson.

Monthly Stats: 5 g, 6 a, 11 p
Year to date Stats: 10 g, 13 a, 23 p

Hockey East: Mike Radja F New Hampshire (JR): Radja is on pace to at least double his career high in goals which is eight where he scored that in his Freshman and Sophomore seasons. UNH is a team to watch and with a great first half, they are the favorites to win Hockey East.

Monthly Stats: 4 g, 3 a, 7 p
Year to date Stats: 14 g, 8 a, 22 p

WCHA: Alex Goligoski D Minnesota (JR): The leading scorer for the Gophers is also the leading scorer among defensemen in the country. An All-American canidate, Goligoski is known for his scoring ability as well as his play on defense. Right now I can't find a better two way defensemen in the country.

Monthly Stats: 2 g, 8 a, 10 p
Year to date Stats: 7 g, 19 a, 26 p

NCAA: Jakatis, LSSU (pictured above)

Tommorrow hockeynuts will bring you the weekly preview for all the big games going on in the world of college hockey.

Hobey Watch Jan 3, 2007

We have not had a Hobey Watch for awhile so lets get to this weeks edition.

I forget how many times in a row but the top spot again remains the same while there is some switching around in the top five so here is this weeks edition of the Hobey Watch.

Nathan Davis F Miami (JR): Although Davis only had one point in the month of December, he is still number two in the country in scoring. The Redhawks start of the new year with Michigan State coming to the new Goggin Ice Arena in Oxford.

Season Stats: 14 g, 21 a, 35 p

Kevin Porter F Michigan (SR): In the month of December, Porter had two goals and three assists for five points moving him up to the top five in the country in scoring. Although he is only the second leading scorer on the team, Porter is the team leader in goals scored. Watch out for Porter in the second half of the year.

Season Stats: 14 g, 19 a, 33 p

Joe Fallon G Vermont (JR): With an outstanding month of December, Joe Fallon moves his way up to the Hobey Watch and into the Hobey Hat Trick. In the month of December Fallon went 3-2 only allowing seven goals against and posted back to back shutouts against St. Lawrence and Rensselaer. This weekend Fallon and the Catamounts welcome the first place team in Hockey East the New Hampshire Wildcats.

Season Stats: 10-5-1, 1.50 gaa, .934 save pct, 4 shutouts

The rest of the top five:

T.J. Hensick F Michigan (SR): A month with no goals will drop Hensick a little bit, however he did manage six assists including four in early December in a game against Western Michigan. If Hensick can manage to score some goals than this team will be dangerous come March.

Season Stats: 7 g, 27 a, 34 p

David Brown G Notre Dame (SR): Brown was in the top five for a few weeks, until now. He is still one of the best goaltenders in the country and Notre Dame is a great surprise, but in December it was the offense of Notre Dame that raised eyebrows this month. Brown still had a good month winning every game but he needs to be challenged a little bit more becuase Notre Dame's defense in the month of December only allowed 138 shots on goal in six games which averages to 23 shots on goal per game.

Season Stats: 15-3-1, 1.73 gaa, .928 save pct, 2 shutouts

This weeks darkhorse:

Alex Goligoski D Minnesota (JR): Finally the number one team in the country gets someone in the Hobey Watch and the WCHA is represented for the first time in quite awhile. The leading scorer among defensemen in the country, Goligoski had a great month with two goals and nine assists for 11 points. Could another WCHA player win the Hobey this year? Goligoski right now is the favorite to do it in the conference.

Season Stats: 7 g, 19 a, 26 p

Thats all for this weeks edition of the Hobey Watch. Tommorrow the players of the month will be announced and on Friday the weekly preview will feature all the top games for this weekend. Keep it here on hockeynuts for all your college hockey needs.

Holiday Tournament(s) Wrap-Up

This years holiday tournaments in college hockey brought lots of excitement to many college hockey fans.

Lets start off with the Great Lakes Invitational in Detroit where Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan Tech, and Harvard were featured. In the first set of games held on Friday 12/29, Michigan State defeated Harvard in the first game 5-2 led by the two goal effort from Bryan Lerg. Goaltender Jeff Lerg was spectacular in net stopping 45 of 47 Harvard shots on goal. In the second game Michigan defeated Michigan Tech 4-1 with Matt Hunwick scoring two goals. The Wolverines were led by a solid effort from goaltender Billy Sauer who stopped 27 shots from the Huskies.

In the consolation game Harvard defeated Michigan Tech 3-2. Harvard goaltender Kyle Richter stopped 41 Michigan Tech shots. Mike Taylor had a pair of goals in the Harvard victory.

The championship game featured rivals Michigan and Michigan State. The Spartans played a great defensive game only allowing 22 shots on goal against a great offensive team in Michigan. All of the goals were scored on special teams with Michigan State scoring three power play goals and added another shorthanded in a Spartan 4-1 victory. Bryan Lerg had a goal and two assists giving him a five point weekend and earned him MVP honors for the tournament. The win gave the Spartans their 11th Great Lake Invitational Championship and their second GLI championship in the last three years.

Another tournament worth watching was the Florida College Classic held in Estero. Three top 15 teams were featured (Maine, New Hampshire, and Cornell) and an improved Western Michigan team. In the first game Cornell and New Hampshire squared off. The Big Red defeated the Wildcats 5-2 behind Raymond Sawada's pair of goals for Cornell. Sawada also added an assist. The game was back and forth for two-thirds of the game. After two it looked like a game where either team could win as Cornell had a 3-2 advantage. But with two goals in the third by Cornell, the Big Red earned their shot at the title game the next night.

Cornell would face the winner of the Maine vs Western Michigan game. This game was a defensive struggle as a combined total of 12 goals were put in the net by the two teams. Maine had a 3-2 lead going into the second period. Western Michigan would tie the game at three in the second period and it would remain a tie going into the third. It looked like it was going to be a great third period to watch as it was a back and fourth game. But again it was that for 2/3rds of the game. Maine exploded in the third period as the Black Bears scored five goals. Bret Tyler had two goals in the period giving him three for the night (scored in the 1st as well). Wes Clark, Mike Hamilton, and Teddy Purcell all added goals in the third giving Maine the 8-4 victory over Western Michigan.

New Hampshire got a win the next night in the consolation game against Western Michigan. Five different Wildcat players scored as New Hampshire defeated the Broncos 5-2. Kevin Regan made 32 saves in the Wildcat victory.

The championship game featured Maine and Cornell. The potent Black Bear offense was back as Teddy Purcell had two goals and an assist in the 6-3 victory. Troy Davenport was pulled in the second period after giving up the fourth goal at the 9:34 mark. Although Cornell only trailed 4-3 in the second, Maine again had the stronger third period giving them the victory and the Florida Hockey Classic Championship.

The other holiday champions include:

Minnesota in the Dodge Holiday Classic
Clarkson in the Badger Showdown
Denver in the Denver Cup
Colgate in the UCONN Hockey Classic
Ohio State in the Ohio Hockey Classic
North Dakota in the Ledyard Bank Tournament
St. Cloud State in the Shreaton/TD Banknorth Tournament

This weeks top games include:

Michigan State @ Miami for two in Oxford, Ohio
New Hampshrie @ Vermont for two in Burlington
North Dakota @ Colorado College for two in Colorado Springs
Wisconsin @ Denver for two in Denver
Alaska Anchorage @ St. Cloud State for two in St. Cloud, Minn

Thats it for the holiday tournaments. A weekly rundown of this week includes the Hobey Watch tommorrow, the players of the month for December on Thursday, and the weekly preview on Friday. And a week from tommorrow Bracketology returns as the first predicted brackets of 2007 will be featured. We are passed the midway point of the season and time is flying by. Keep reading features on hockeynuts as we are here for all your college hockey needs.