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Apparently I wasn't the only one suprised at the score last night. Both the Tigers website and USCO put it as a major upset. The Tigers now have 60 minutes to keep their season alive or else it will plummet into a huge disappointment for a team once ranked #1. Below you will find the CC Athletics recap and below USCHO for your Saturday reading pleasure. I'm off to play on the red rocks of Moab!
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If you haven't already noticed, the Tigers are doing the Saturday-Sunday thing this weekend up at the Ralph in North Dakota. Home ice in the WCHA playoffs is the main thing the Tigers will be fighting for this weekend and of course throwing a kink in the race for the MacNaughton Cup-heck they can even win it if they can muster the right kind of luck.
On a blog note: due to some unfortunate schedule conflicts in the coming days, I won't be able to post anything after the games this weekend and potentially not until after the DU season finale. Lame, I know, I'm going to be out-of-the-loop in what could be an incredibly exciting last 3 games of the season. There is a chance I could sneak a post or two in during the week but it's going to be a busy next 10 days for me. SO, don't get too bummed out with no new posts, I've got a good reason :) I'll be sure to post any pictures I receive over the next two weekends as soon as I can.
Here's some links to keep up on the action in my absence: GO TIGERS!!!!
College Hockey News (Richard Bachman is the featured pic at the time of this post)
USCHO Scoreboard
CC Athletics
Tigers still in race for WCHA season title
FRANK SCHWAB-THE GAZETTE
With only three games left to play, Colorado College could repeat as Western Collegiate Hockey Association champions - they would need to get at least two wins and a tie and also get some help - or finish as low as seventh place.
The WCHA has been tough to figure out all season, although the incredibly close race will get sorted out over the final two weekends of the regular season.
T-1. North Dakota, 15-6-3, 33 points
Remaining games: 2 vs. Colorado College, 2 at Wisconsin
Outlook: The schedule isn't easy but North Dakota has been hot and has a game in hand on Denver, which is tied for first.
T-1 Denver, 15-7-3, 33 points
Remaining games: 2 vs. St. Cloud State, 1 vs. Colorado College
Outlook: The Pioneers could put the pressure on North Dakota by sweeping St. Cloud State, but still needs some help from rival Colorado College.
3. Colorado College, 12-8-5, 29 points
Remaining games: 2 at North Dakota, 1 at Denver
Outlook: A tough remaining schedule means CC could move up with some wins. But with one fewer game than every team that could pass them, the Tigers need some points in their final three games or risk losing home-ice advantage.
4. Wisconsin, 13-9-2, 28 points
Remaining games: 2 at Minnesota State-Mankato, 2 vs. North Dakota
Outlook: Finishing in the top three is big in the WCHA, to guarantee avoiding the extra game in the Final Five. Wisconsin has that in its sights with an easier schedule than the Tigers and a game in hand.
5. Minnesota-Duluth, 10-8-6, 26 points
Remaining games: 2 at Minnesota, 2 vs. Alaska-Anchorage
Outlook: The series at Minnesota this weekend will go a long way in determining if Minnesota-Duluth can fight off St. Cloud State and the Gophers for home-ice advantage.
6. St. Cloud State, 12-11-1, 25 points
Remaining games: 2 at Denver, 2 vs. Minnesota State-Mankato (1 home, 1 road)
Outlook: St. Cloud State needs some points at Denver this weekend to keep hopes of home ice in the first round alive.
7. Minnesota, 10-10-4, 24 points
Remaining games: 2 vs. Minnesota-Duluth, 2 at Michigan Tech
Outlook: Minnesota is the only team with remaining games against lowly Michigan Tech. Combine that with two winnable home games against Minnesota-Duluth, and the Gophers could make a charge into the WCHA's upper division.
8. Minnesota State-Mankato, 9-13-2, 20 points
Remaining games: 2 vs. Wisconsin, 2 vs. St. Cloud State (1 home, 1 road)
Outlook: Mankato would need a lot of help to finish in the top five, even with three home games left.
9. Alaska-Anchorage, 7-14-5, 19 points
Remaining games: 2 at Minnesota-Duluth
Outlook: Anchorage could move up a bit, but is going on the road in the first round.
10. Michigan Tech, 1-18-7, 9 points
Remaining games: 2 vs. Minnesota
Outlook: Michigan Tech could be a spoiler to Minnesota, but it will face the WCHA's top seed on the road in the first round.
I had a rare Sunday mid-day game today so my schedule is all wacked-but here are the pics from the weekend sweep of the Gophers. The pics from Friday with the Tigers in white are courtesy of my dad and Saturday night with the massive amounts of gold on the ice are from Missy J. The Tigers are still "bubblelicious" and could provide some crazy drama to end the WCHA season if they can manage a sweet up at North Dakota.
Note: the Tigers play Saturday and Sunday night up at the Ralph.
Pics from Saturday night vs Minnesota
Pics from Friday night vs Minnesota
The Tigers got their first series sweep in what seems like forever as they beat Minnesota 5-3 Saturday night.
Unofficial box and summary
The Tigers pulled out a gritty, exciting win Friday night and beat Minnestoa 4-3. Richard Bachman had 4 HUUUGE dramatic saves in the last 1:30 to seal the win. Mike Testwuide's backhander won in for the Tigers. CC blew leads of 2-0 and 3-1 yet showed some grit in one of the more exciting games of the season. The Tigers now have 29 points in the tight WCHA race. I'll update the standings above on Sunday. The announcers were two of the stupidest I have ever heard on TV. I'm fine with getting the feed from hometown announcers but c'com! These guys are terrible! BUT, game was awesome, pics will be up tomorrow!
McCulloch a Four-Time Honoree
Athletic Media Reations
Five Colorado College players, including four repeat honorees, have been named recipients of the WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award for the 2008-09 season.
They are senior defenseman Jake Gannon, senior left wing Scott McCulloch, junior forward Brian McMillin, junior left wing Bill Sweatt and sophomore defenseman Ryan Lowery. Of the five, Lowery is the only first-time recipient.
Freshmen are not eligible for the award.
McCulloch, however, has been recognized an unprecedented four times after winning a medical hardship case that allowed him to play a fifth season at CC. This year marks Gannon’s third time as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, as well as the second time each for McMillin and Sweatt.
To qualify, male and female student-athletes from WCHA member institutions must have a grade-point average of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale), either cumulatively or for the previous two semesters or three quarters.
As if you can't put any more emphasis on the two games this weekend, how about home ice for the WCHA playoffs AND a potential NCAA invite hanging in the balance?
Tigers want to be home for WCHA playoffs
FRANK SCHWAB
THE GAZETTE
In a week, Colorado College should have a better idea if it can make plans for a home series in the first round of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs.
The Tigers host a pair of games this weekend against Minnesota, which is sixth in the WCHA. The Gophers are a point behind CC, but the Tigers have played one more league game. The top five teams in the WCHA host first-round playoff series.
The Tigers are 10-8-5 in the WCHA, tied for fourth with St. Cloud State. CC had a chance to make a move in the standings but settled for a tie against Denver in its only game of the weekend.
"That makes this series even more important," coach Scott Owens said.
The Tigers were the second team among others receiving votes in Monday's USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. Air Force didn't receive any votes after splitting a pair of games at Bentley.
CC and Air Force are tied for 20th in the U.S. College Hockey Online PairWise rankings, which mimic the NCAA Tournament selection committee's rankings. Usually a team needs to be in the top 12 or 13 to receive an at-large bid to the NCAAs.
The Tigers' immediate concern isn't the NCAA Tournament, but their seeding in the WCHA playoffs. The Tigers are two points ahead of seventh-place Minnesota-Duluth and three points behind third-place Wisconsin. North Dakota and Denver are tied for first with 29 points, four ahead of CC.
"I think we're just right in the middle," Owens said. "We're right there, and it's going to be a battle."
The Tigers obviously had some disappointment from the tie last night, but got a point and got some hardware so they'll just take the point and the positives from the game and move on. Missy J sent me some amazing pics from the game (above) so enjoy those! Below are the links to the Gazette and Denver Post recaps of the game as well as the recap from the USCHO.
Gazette Recap
Denver Post Recap
DU Skates to Tie With CC
CC Holds Onto Gold Pan
by Theresa Spisak/WCHA Correspondent
Even though Denver has one more chance to tie up the season series between the two squads, they couldn't win the Gold Pan due to a rule that states the current holder of the trophy retains it if the teams tie the season series. The game was Owens' 400th behind the bench for the Tigers.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 13) — Sometimes, you get what you pay for, and the 7,696 standing-room only crowd in World Arena got just that Friday night.
Though the Colorado College Tigers and University of Denver Pioneers tied, 3-3, the game held a late tying goal for Pioneers’ fans and a Gold Pan victory for the Tigers’ faithful.
Ask each team, however, and both were glad to get a big conference point.
“[It was a] tough point to get; a tough game to play, having to come from behind in a building that historically has not been very kind for us,” said Pioneers’ coach George Gwozdecky. “In many ways, I was proud of our effort.”
“It’s a big point; they’re very hard to get,” said his Tigers’ counterpart Scott Owens. “It’s very, very hard, especially considering the schedule we have left. It’s always a big point.”
Both teams had early chances to get on the board, but neither DU’s Kyle Ostrow nor CC’s Mike Testwuide could take advantage of their open net chances.
Despite being outshot 13-7 in the period, the Tigers scored first with a power-play goal 8:53 into the first period. Brian Connelly took a shot from the point that was tipped in front past DU goaltender Marc Cheverie (25 saves) by Stephen Schultz.
The Pioneers tied it up about 4:30 into the second period when Dustin Jackson skated into the Tigers’ zone, muscled his way through traffic to the front of the net and put the puck far side past CC netminder Richard Bachman (41 saves).
CC regained the lead at the 9:19 mark of the frame when Cody Lampl put an Eric Walsky rebound in the net. Just 1:36 later, the Tigers went up 3-1 on another tipped Connelly power play shot, this time with Bill Sweatt getting the goal.
The Pioneers rounded out the scoring in the frame with 4:43 to go in the period on a power-play goal of their own. Rhett Rakhshani passed the puck from behind the net to Joe Colborne in the slot, who put it under Bachman’s right shoulder.
Brian McMillin almost put the Tigers up 4-2 with about 2:40 left when he backhanded the puck out of the air towards the DU net, but it went off the crossbar behind Cheverie.
It appeared as if CC would hold their lead through the third, but Colborne tallied his second of the night to tie it up with 56.3 seconds remaining when he roofed one over Bachman’s left shoulder from the doorstep.
“I was kind of sliding back door thinking that I was going to scrum, maybe the puck would go behind the net or something and all of a sudden it was just out there on my stick,” said Colborne. “I was the lucky recipient.”
The teams battled throughout overtime, both getting several chances, but the contest ended in a tie.
“It’s a pretty weird sort of feeling,” said Colborne. “We obviously wanted two points, we had a chance for the Gold Pan, but when you look at it now, it was a huge, huge point for us in the standings, a huge character win for us that will hopefully carry us into Wisconsin.”
“We made the plays when we had to to get back in the game in time and tie it up so I was pleased with our effort and proud of our team to come back through some pretty good challenges tonight,” said Gwozdecky.
“If it wasn’t for Bachman, it would have been a loss,” said Owens. “It’s a strange deal. You get a tie, you get the Gold Pan, but it feels like a loss and they feel like a win and that’s the way it goes.”
The Tigers next play a non-conference matinee on Sunday against the United States Under-18 Team while the Pioneers are off until next weekend where they face the University of Wisconsin.
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| From Colorado College Tigers vs DU Pioneers |
Plenty of reading about the game tonight and the battle for the Gold Pan. The Denver Post has a pretty good article so that's my post de jour today. I'm stoked because the game is on TV on FSN tonight at World Arena and I've never watched a game on regional TV at our home arena. The other great thing is that those of us displaced from being able to go, get to watch. I've got my own hockey game right before but I'll be headed to the nearest TV after. GOO TIGERS!!!
And here's something interesting, my banner on the blog for the Tigers back-to-back Gold Pan wins made it onto the DU(d) blog back in October and I just realized it now. Funny, you would think all of those smart, educated folks that brag about going to that school would be able to come up with their own content! (as much as I hate DU, their fellow blogger and I get along just fine, go figure)
USCHO WCHA Weekly
DU, CC Playing High Stakes Game
The coveted Gold Pan is up for grabs as is a chance for Pioneers to grab league lead.
By Mike Chambers
The Denver Post
CC goalie Richard Bachman has stopped 84-of-88 shots in two previous games against Denver this season. (Nathan W. Armes, Special to The Denver Post )
In a one-and-done, playoff-feel format, the Denver Pioneers and Colorado College Tigers will tonight butt heads and the rest of their bodies in a single-game weekend at the Colorado Springs World Arena. The rivals will again go against the college hockey grain March 7 at Magness Arena to conclude the regular season.
Putting aside the excitement and momentum swings of the traditional consecutive-night, home-and-home series was not caused by a venue conflict. Rather, when the schedule was originally released, both programs had this weekend off, and they collaborated to avoid having a bye during the final six-game stretch.
So wardrobe and location changes won't be needed after tonight's 270th meeting between the Front Range and Western Collegiate Hockey Association rivals. But much will be at stake, beginning with the coveted Gold Pan.
If DU loses or ties tonight, CC retains the traveling trophy for the 10th time in 16 years. The Tigers tied (2-2) and beat (3-2) the Pioneers in a home-and-home set Oct. 31-Nov. 2 — a series defined by the sensational goaltending of CC sophomore Richard Bachman.
DU must find ways to beat Bachman tonight and March 7 to bring the trophy back to Denver. Bachman, from Highlands Ranch, stopped a combined 84-of-88 shots in his previous two games against the Pioneers, and was the primary reason DU went 1-of-19 on the power play.
"He's a great goaltender, no doubt about that, but you don't go into a series, or a game, focusing on the opponent or one player," said DU junior center Tyler Ruegsegger, who grew up playing with Bachman in the Littleton Hockey Association. "We just have to put pucks on net, crash the net, and shoot to score."
The DU-CC rivalry has an order of importance. It begins with the Gold Pan, continues with the WCHA standings, and finishes with the NCAA Tournament.
For the latter two, the Pioneers are in better shape.
DU is contending for its 13th MacNaughton Cup, and third this decade, and can pull ahead of idle Wisconsin for first place by itself in the league standings with a win or tie tonight. The Badgers host the Pioneers for a two-game series next weekend that concludes DU's five-game road stretch, including the final three on Olympic-size ice sheets.
"The standings are huge right now; we're tied with Wisconsin, and every point is necessary — and it doesn't matter what ice surface we play on," DU goalie Marc Cheverie said. "We just know we have to win."
CC, the defending MacNaughton Cup champion, is fourth in the WCHA, four points behind DU and UW.
In the national picture, the Pioneers are tied with Cornell for sixth in the all-important Pairwise Rankings and in good position to make the 16-team NCAA Tournament without winning the WCHA playoff tournament. The Tigers are 19th in the Pairwise — about six spots on the negative side of the at-large-berth bubble.
"We've been good some nights, bad other nights. Very inconsistent," CC coach Scott Owens said. "Who knows what's going to happen with us, but we know they're a good team and, with a win or tie (tonight), we retain Gold Pan, which is a big deal. There is a lot at stake for us."
NO. 8 DENVER (17-9-3, 13-7-2 WCHA) AT COLORADO COLLEGE (14-9-7, 10-8-4)
When: Tonight, 7:35 p.m.
Where: Colorado Springs World Arena
TV/Radio: FSN/KLZ 560 AM
Notes: DU was already short-handed with injuries to center Tyler Bozak (knee) and defenseman Chris Nutini (upper-body injury), but will now be forced to play without puck-moving defenseman Patrick Mullen, a senior who was issued a one-game suspension Thursday for his slashing major and game misconduct at the end of Saturday's game at Minnesota-Duluth. . . . The Tigers will be without the services of center Andreas Vlassopoulos (lower-body injury), defenseman Kris Fredheim (lower body) and backup goalie Drew O'Connell (shoulder). . . . CC is on a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1) against DU.
Despite what many of us view as a disappointing season so far, the Tigers can still land some hardware and stomp on the face of a rival. Remember the Gold Pan? Turns out the Tigers still have the upper hand and can win it once again with a win or tie Friday night. DU can rag on us all they want, but if we get that thing 3 years in a row, their head-to-head frat boy arguments won't hold much water!
Oh, and where can I get some of the Tigers' sweet yellow socks in the shot below?!!
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Three points was enough for the Tigers to make it back into one poll this week and nearly missing another. The Tigers played on the road with poor travel conditions and came out virtually unscathed. This weekend's tilt with the big dumb DU(d) is important both because it's a rivalry and CC is only 4 points out of first in the conference.
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll
Feb. 9, 2009
| No. | Team (First-place votes) | Points | Last Poll |
| 1. | Boston University (34) | 510 | 1 |
| 2. | Northeastern | 451 | 3 |
| 3. | Notre Dame | 450 | 2 |
| 4. | Michigan | 402 | 4 |
| 5. | Vermont | 380 | 7 |
| 6. | Miami | 310 | 6 |
| 7. | Cornell | 294 | 5 |
| 8. | Denver | 268 | 8 |
| 9. | Princeton | 263 | 10 |
| 10. | Yale | 191 | 14 |
| 11. | North Dakota | 130 | 13 |
| 12. | New Hampshire | 122 | 11 |
| 13. | Wisconsin | 92 | NR |
| 14. | Minnesota | 72 | 9 |
| 15. | Boston College | 67 | 12 |
Also receiving votes: Ohio State 51, Colorado College 13, Minnesota Duluth 13, Air Force 1.
USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Poll
Feb. 9, 2009
| No. | Team (First-place votes) | Points | Last Poll |
| 1. | Boston University (49) | 999 | 1 |
| 2. | Notre Dame (1) | 912 | 2 |
| 3. | Northeastern | 897 | 3 |
| 4. | Michigan | 847 | 4 |
| 5. | Vermont | 791 | 7 |
| 6. | Cornell | 688 | 5 |
| 7. | Miami | 668 | 7 |
| 8. | Denver | 650 | 6 |
| 9. | Princeton | 622 | 10 |
| 10. | Yale | 507 | 14 |
| 11. | North Dakota | 405 | 13 |
| 12. | New Hampshire | 402 | 11 |
| 13. | Wisconsin | 389 | 16 |
| 14. | Minnesota | 360 | 9 |
| 15. | Boston College | 346 | 12 |
| 16. | Ohio State | 335 | 15 |
| 17. | Minnesota Duluth | 235 | 17 |
| 18. | Colorado College | 211 | 18 |
| 19. | Dartmouth | 89 | 19 |
| 20. | Air Force | 47 | NR |
Also receiving votes: St. Cloud State 34, Minnesota State 19, St. Lawrence 17, Alaska 8, Niagara 8, RIT 5, UMass Lowell 4, Massachusetts 2, Union 2, Clarkson 1.
It's rough watching our Tigers plod through this season after one of the best year's in school history last season. The Tigers have seemed out-of-sync all season which was all to obvious in the first week against Alabama-Huntsville. There was a good article Wednesday about the Tigers' struggles and how losing Jack Hillen has really hurt the team. He had 31 assists and created countless scoring chances with his blue-line blasts. I think we are seeing now just how big a presence he had in setting up offensive chances, regardless of stats. Let's hope Owens can get the team back in a groove this weekend as the Tigers get some rest and regroup for the final months of the season.
Why is the magic gone?
FRANK SCHWAB-THE GAZETTE
This season was supposed to be a continuation for Colorado College.
The Tigers returned 76 percent of its goal scoring and goaltender Richard Bachman, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Player of the Year, from a team that won the regular-season title. They were picked to repeat in the WCHA.
CC is unranked and barely above .500 in the WCHA at 9-8-3, 13-9-6 overall. Nobody saw this drop coming.
"I think that's been the most frustrating is it's not that much different from last year's team," CC coach Scott Owens said.
So what has happened? Most answers are vague, referring to intangibles like chemistry and consistency.
"It's just we're not all on the same page, we're not clicking," senior defenseman and captain Jake Gannon said. "We've got to start working together better."
There are some tangible reasons CC has had a disappointing season.
Defenseman Jack Hillen's graduation was probably underestimated. He had a heavy slap shot from the blue line, which helped on the power play and to generate offensive chances. He had six goals and 31 assists last year. His production hasn't been replaced.
"He could log a lot of minutes and gave us a strong presence on the blue line," Owens said.
Also, Bachman hasn't had an All-American season. He can't be blamed for everything - he gave up four first-period goals in Saturday's embarrassing 6-1 loss to St. Cloud State, but two were deflected off CC players. However, he isn't dominating like last year.
Last year he saved 93.1 percent of shots he saw and had a 1.85 goals-against average.
This year he has a 91.4 save percentage and a 2.60 goals-against average.
"I feel healthy, I've just got to work on a few things," Bachman said. "I definitely feel confident and that I can get on a run here."
Injuries have hurt the Tigers. Defensemen Jake Gannon and Kris Fredheim and forwards Matt Overman, Nick Dineen, Scott McCulloch, Andreas Vlassopoulos and Tim Hall, and backup goaltender Drew O'Connell have missed time because of injuries.
CC had a strange schedule in which it played 22 games before its first weekend off, the most in college hockey. There's no way to tell if that contributed to the rash of injuries, but last year's balanced schedule was more beneficial.
"I think that helped us stay fresh," Owens said.
And chemistry issues have plagued CC. After CC's offense started slowly, players might have started pressing. Forwards Bill Sweatt and Eric Walsky appear to be trying to do too much at times. CC is scoring just 2.68 goals per game, which is ninth in the WCHA.
Whatever the Tigers' problems are, they don't have long to fix them with eight league games left after a weekend off.
"I think it's a matter of everybody getting on the same page and buying into what we're doing," Gannon said. "Once we do that, I think it's going to come along for us."
• • •
This season vs. last season
Last season (‘07-'08) is listed first in each category, then this season (‘08-'09)
Goals per game
3.32
2.68
Goals against per game
2.15
2.68
Assists per game
5.32
4.10
Power play percentage
19.2
14.8
Penalties per game
5.8
7.5
Record, winning percentage
28-12-1 .695
13-9-6 .571
While it wasn't a good weekend for the Tigers it was a great weekend for me. My hockey team here in Durango rolled 8-1 and I notched my first hat-trick in my 4th game, can't complain about that!
As for the Tigers, they get a much needed (read: they are playing like crap) weekend off coming up to regroup and find an identity.
Going into the season there was a lot of concern regarding the defensive corps in front of Bachman and it looks to be entirely justified as the Tigers have been shelled 6-1 in back-to-back weekends.
I guess we won't have to worry about them peaking too early this season huh?
As for the polls, well, we don't have to worry about the polls this week because the Tigers have fallen into the realm of "others receiving votes". It's a big fall from #1 earlier this season but maybe it's a wake-up call....hopefully it's a wake-up call.
I'll post the full polls below. Missy J again got some freakin sweet shots from the slaughter....er...game Saturday night. There are some sweet close-ups of some of the guys too so check em out! (and a lot of Scott McCulloch too, hmmmm)
Jan. 26, 2008
| No. | Team (First-place votes) | Points | Last Poll |
| 1. | Notre Dame (21) | 497 | 1 |
| 2. | Boston University (13) | 489 | 2 |
| 3. | Northeastern | 421 | 5 |
| 4. | Cornell | 406 | 3 |
| 5. | Minnesota | 360 | 6 |
| 6. | Vermont | 330 | 7 |
| 7. | Michigan | 322 | 8 |
| 8. | Denver | 284 | 4 |
| 9. | Princeton | 241 | 9 |
| 10. | Miami | 210 | 10 |
| 11. | Boston College | 149 | 14 |
| 12. | North Dakota | 127 | 15 |
| 13. | Ohio State | 90 | 11 |
| 14. | New Hampshire | 62 | 12 |
| 15. | Minnesota Duluth | 38 | NR |
Also receiving votes: Colorado College 26, Wisconsin 20, Yale 4, Air Force 3, RIT 1.
USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Poll
Jan. 26, 2008
| No. | Team (First-place votes) | Points | Last Poll |
| 1. | Notre Dame (37) | 987 | 1 |
| 2. | Boston University (13) | 963 | 2 |
| 3. | Northeastern | 867 | 5 |
| 4. | Cornell | 831 | 3 |
| 5. | Minnesota | 791 | 6 |
| 6. | Vermont | 716 | 7 |
| 7. | Denver | 696 | 4 |
| 8. | Michigan | 692 | 8 |
| 9. | Princeton | 582 | 9 |
| 10. | Miami | 553 | 10 |
| 11. | Boston College | 450 | 14 |
| 12. | North Dakota | 432 | 15 |
| 13. | New Hampshire | 353 | 11 |
| 14. | Ohio State | 347 | 12 |
| 15. | Wisconsin | 279 | 16 |
| 16. | Minnesota Duluth | 271 | 17 |
| 17. | Colorado College | 244 | 13 |
| 18. | Yale | 158 | NR |
| 19. | Air Force | 97 | 20 |
| 20. | Dartmouth | 67 | 18 |
Also receiving votes: St. Cloud State 42, Nebraska-Omaha 24, RIT 23, Alaska 17, Minnesota State 5, Massachusetts 4, Quinnipiac 4, St. Lawrence 4, Niagara 1.
I've instantly become a fan of Frank Schwab's coverage of the Tigers ever since the "other writer" left earlier this season. He has interesting topics, gets to the point, and actually has a point. Things that I always felt were lacking before. So, I'll be using his articles more often on here to get some discussion going(with proper credit of course!).
This particular article deals with Billy Sweatt and whether or not he'll move up to the NHL/AHL next season after being drafted by the rising Blackhawks last year. Personally, I think he should stay in college another year, not just for our sake but just to get bigger, stronger and more mature in life. It's funny how much you grow as a person that last 2 years of college and I think it would benefit him tremendously in the professional world. But that's just my 2 cents :)
CC's Sweatt must choose whether to stay or leave early for the pros
FRANK SCHWAB-THE GAZETTE
Bill Sweatt doesn't know what he's going to do when Colorado College's season is over and says he doesn't like to think about it.
The junior wing will have a tough choice. He was a second-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2007 and could leave early to start his professional career. He's just not sure that's what he wants to do.
"I've thought about it," Sweatt said. "But having any idea, no.
"I'm going to weigh the benefits of staying here and the benefits of going. It's going to be a real tough decision and, when it comes time to make that decision, I'm going to have to sit down and think about it for a couple days. But I don't like to think about it during the season because I don't want it to distract from my play or the team."
Sweatt points out that he is only 20. Another year would help him as a person, as a player and it would also allow him to get his degree on time.
"Just another year to mature," he said. "And if things didn't work out in professional hockey, I'd always have something to fall back on."
The Tigers are prepared for either possibility. Coach Scott Owens said he wouldn't be shocked if Sweatt left.
"On the other hand, he's the kind of kid that might come back one more year and figure out where he fits in their system," Owens said, referring to the Blackhawks.
Sweatt was a Western Collegiate Hockey Association scholar athlete and member of the all-WCHA academic team last year. Owens said Sweatt is a good student and pointed out it runs in the family. Bill's brother, Lee, won the WCHA Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year award in 2007.
Sweatt also is making strides on the ice. He has nine goals, one short of tying his high for a season with several games remaining. He also has played well with opponents focusing on him. He and Chad Rau are the constants on CC's top line so they get most of the defensive attention.
Sweatt looks at that as a positive.
"We're going against their best defensive shutdown guys, but it's a challenge," Sweatt said. "We accept that challenge and we're excited about it."
Owens said Sweatt is having a very good year, considering everything he does for the team. He gets a lot of ice time on the top line in normal situations and also is part of all of the special teams.
"He's playing hard, he's physical, he's playing a lot of minutes and he's matured as a person and a player," Owens said. "He competes."
Fredheim out
CC defenseman Kris Fredheim will miss up to six weeks because of a knee injury, team trainer Jason Bushie said. Fredheim, who has two goals and three assists, sprained his medial collateral ligament in practice Monday.
I just realized I forgot to post the new polls this week, must have had something to do with that stupid event that took place Tuesday night. Anyway, the Tigers remained at numero uno again across the board, thanks to Bachman's NHL level performances. (polls will follow post) The biggest annoyance I have right now is that USCHO and INCH don't have current photos of the Tigers' players and it drives me freaking insane! The INCH Player of the week pic (oh yea, did I mention Bachman got that?!) is him in the early parts of last season with the gold pads (sent him the wrong color) and the basic black helmet. GET A CURRENT PHOTO!! I think that takes away a huge chunk of credibility to a site if they aren't willing to take the time to get a current pic.
An interesting traffic note: I compared my traffic from this site to the old one and the supportcctigers.blogspot.com site is still generating a ginormous amount of traffic and it's old! Nothing is current and no one seems to be clicking through, it's odd. So anyway, this site IS what was formerly supportcctigers.blogspot.com. I just wanted a new domain so I jumped over. So please bookmark this address and let your friends know.
I'm still working on the ugly blug links, it's a glitch somewhere hidden in my code that I can't seem to find. If anyone knows how to fix it please let me know. (it's all configured in the color and font settings to be yellow and grey so it's a hidden problem).
The Tigers' opponent this week is the once mighty North Dakota Fighting Sioux. The Sioux are currently 2-4 (2-2WCHA) and are coming off a 5-2 loss to Wisconsin. Judging from the lack of posts on Goon's Sioux site, it's been a bad year already. I can't remember the last time the Sioux weren't in the top 10, let alone unranked! Doesn't mean it won't be a tough series, but the Tigers need to sweep North Dakota for points and because, at least in terms of current records, the Sioux are apparently a "should win" series. The biggest key is to get some points and avoid injuries...oh yea and score!
Speaking of scoring, am I the only one who is getting annoyed with the Tigers' perimeter power play attack? They pass on the outside too much and don't generate good chances. Opposing teams crash the net and make fans hold their breath as Bachman plays superman while getting pummeled with shots. The Tigers have the talent to score more but aren't, and I have a feeling a shift in stragety may help. That's my 2 cents.
Polls:
INCH Power Rankings
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll
The 14th annual USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association. The poll includes input from coaches and journalists representing each of the six NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the American Hockey Coaches Association and USA Hockey Magazine, the official publication of USA Hockey.
Nov. 3, 2008
| No. | Team (First-place votes) | Points | Last Poll |
| 1. | Colorado College (28) | 501 | 1 |
| 2. | Boston College (5) | 469 | 2 |
| 3. | Boston University (1) | 442 | 3 |
| 4. | Minnesota | 394 | 5 |
| 5. | New Hampshire | 361 | 7 |
| 6. | Denver | 354 | 4 |
| 7. | Michigan | 304 | 8 |
| 8. | Miami | 242 | 6 |
| 9. | Princeton | 205 | 10 |
| 10. | Northeastern | 193 | 9 |
| 11. | Michigan State | 162 | 12 |
| 12. | Notre Dame | 141 | 13 |
| 13. | Minnesota State | 73 | 11 |
| 14. | Air Force | 72 | NR |
| 15. | Clarkson | 50 | 14 |
Also receiving votes: Massachusetts 27, Vermont 23, Cornell 15, Minnesota Duluth 13, North Dakota 9, St. Lawrence 8, Union 8, Harvard 5, Alaska Anchorage 3, Yale 3, UMass Lowell 1, Nebraska-Omaha 1, St. Cloud State 1.
USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Poll
Nov. 3, 2008
| No. | Team (First-place votes) | Points | Last Poll |
| 1. | Colorado College (41) | 986 | 1 |
| 2. | Boston College (5) | 932 | 2 |
| 3. | Boston University (1) | 908 | 3 |
| 4. | Minnesota | 829 | 5 |
| 5. | New Hampshire | 772 | 6 |
| 6. | Denver | 755 | 4 |
| 7. | Michigan | 676 | 8 |
| 8. | Miami | 599 | 7 |
| 9. | Princeton | 548 | 10 |
| 10. | Northeastern | 529 | 9 |
| 11. | Michigan State | 468 | 11 |
| 12. | Notre Dame | 457 | 13 |
| 13. | Minnesota State | 316 | 12 |
| 14. | Air Force | 291 | 17 |
| 15. | Clarkson | 249 | 15 |
| 16. | Vermont | 216 | 14 |
| 17. | Cornell | 187 | 16 |
| 18. | Harvard | 156 | 20 |
| 19. | Massachusetts | 146 | NR |
| 20. | Minnesota Duluth | 104 | NR |
Also receiving votes: North Dakota 89, St. Lawrence 59, Alaska Anchorage 53, Nebraska-Omaha 30, St. Cloud State 28, Colgate 25, Union 20, Dartmouth 16, UMass Lowell 15, Northern Michigan 11, Yale 11, Wisconsin 7, Ferris State 6, Alaska 4, Bemidji State 1, RIT 1.
