New Rankings

Even though we are now fully into the post-season, the rankings are still out there and the Tigers are on the move again. CC is now numero uno in the INCH power rankings, up to second in both the national polls (below) and has dropped to #4 in the latest power rankings, probably due to the results of the teams that jumped over them. No worries though, the actual selection will be different and the letters WCHA will have a big effect on the Tigers final landing spot.
Another interesting development is Air Force winning the AHA tournament and clinching their spot in the NCAA Tournament. This means that both Colorado Springs teams, and all three Colorado teams will make the NCAA Tournament-a pretty awesome feat. It is also possible that the Falcons could open up at the World Arena, although having two teams playing in their home city might not sit well with the powers that be. Although, if you put all three teams in different regionals, there is the possibility of them all making the Frozen Four...in Denver. How crazy would that be?!

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll
March 17, 2008

No.	Team (First-place votes)	Points	Last Poll
1.	Michigan (28)	500	1
2.	Colorado College (4)	466	3
3.	Miami (2)	420	5
4.	New Hampshire	418	4
5.	North Dakota	404	2
6.	Denver	331	8
7.	Boston College	285	9
8.	St. Cloud State	262	10
9.	Michigan State	244	6
10.	Clarkson	196	7
11.	Notre Dame	173	12
12.	Minnesota	107	15
13.	Boston University	93	13
14.	Minnesota State	90	11
15.	Princeton	33	NR

Also receiving votes: Harvard 23, Wisconsin 20, Ferris State 4, Air Force 4, Niagara 4, Northern Michigan 2, Vermont 1.

USCHO.com/CSTV Poll

March 17, 2008

No.	Team (First-place votes)	Points	Last Poll
1.	Michigan (41)	989	1
2.	Colorado College (5)	922	3
3.	Miami (1)	869	4
4.	North Dakota (3)	866	2
5.	New Hampshire	837	5
6.	Denver	740	8
7.	St. Cloud State	653	9
8.	Boston College	649	T10
9.	Michigan State	600	6
10.	Clarkson	529	7
11.	Notre Dame	483	12
12.	Minnesota	408	15
13.	Boston University	376	14
14.	Minnesota State	363	T10
15.	Princeton	287	16
16.	Harvard	261	17
17.	Wisconsin	176	13
18.	Vermont	170	19
19.	Niagara	94	NR
20.	Cornell	53	NR

Also receiving votes: Minnesota Duluth 42, Air Force 35, Northern Michigan 34, Ferris State 30, Michigan Tech 12, Colgate 10, Masachusetts 6, Bemidji State 3, Quinnipiac 2, Army 1.

Could Colorado teams dominate the Tourney?!

Mike Chambers of the DenverPost wrote an awesome article about the 3 thriving Colorado teams this season and the possibilities that lay ahead. Can you imagine having the 3 major hockey programs in Colorado all playing at the World Arena and/or Pepsi Center this post season?!!
Here is the full story:

Nation's best feel Front Range power

DU, Tigers and Falcons could forge a Colorado connection in the NCAA postseason fields

By Mike Chambers The Denver Post

Article Last Updated: 12/24/2007 11:52:26 PM MST

The NCAA Tournament West Regional will return to Colorado Springs in March, and two weeks later Denver (Pepsi Center) will host the Frozen Four for the first time since 1976.

So naturally, this season began as a big one for Front Range college hockey.

At the midway point, however, it has grown bigger — given that all three of Colorado's Division I teams appear to be NCAA Tournament contenders.

Air Force, the University of Denver and Colorado College are a combined 34-13-3 and each sits atop its league standings. Never before have the Falcons, Pioneers and Tigers made the NCAA Tournament field in the same year. But this could be that year.

Air Force (9-4-3), the defending Atlantic Hockey Association tournament champion, leads the AHA with 17 points, and DU (14-4) and CC (11-5) are tied for first in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association with 22 points — nine ahead of third-place Minnesota-Duluth.

The Falcons, because of a weaker schedule, likely would have to win the AHA tournament — same as last season — to get into the 16-team national field.

The Pioneers and Tigers have thrived while playing two of the country's three most difficult schedules, and both likely will be among the top five in the all-important Pairwise Rankings when that poll — which mimics the formula of the NCAA selection committee — makes its annual debut in a few weeks.

Each Front Range team returns from the Christmas break with holiday tournaments this weekend. Air Force goes to Minneapolis, CC to Tampa, Fla., and DU hosts the Denver Cup.

Heading into the season's second half, The Post offers its all-Front Range first team for the first half:

F Brock Trotter, DU, So. — Leads the Pioneers in goals (10), assists (11) points (21) and game-winning goals (three). He has 66 points in 63 career games and will only get better.

F Eric Ehn, AFA, Sr. — Has amassed a modest team-leading 21 points (six goals) despite playing without injured linemate Mike Phillipich for all but four games.

F Chad Rau, CC, Jr. — Has team-highs in goals (10), points (19), game-winning goals (four) and short-handed goals (two). He had a hat trick in a win over DU on Nov. 23.

D Chris Butler, DU, Jr. — He surprisingly hasn't scored a goal this season after producing a combined 17 in his first two seasons, but has otherwise been the best two-way defenseman in the WCHA.

D Nate Prosser, CC, So. — Has two power-play goals and leads the team with a plus-10. He's been the best among the Tigers' four underclassmen on the back line.

G Peter Mannino, DU, Sr. — CC freshman Richard Bachman has slightly better numbers, but Mannino (14-4, 1.80 GAA, 93.2 saves percentage) has a huge edge in experience and size.

Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357 or mchambers@denverpost.com

On the eve of the 'Four

Tomorrow at 2pm Mountain Time the Frozen Four will officially kick of with Maine and Michigan State then followed at 6pm by the WCHA rep. North Dakota and much hyped Boston College. As ESPN does a brief overview of the games, I would love to open it up and see what everyone thinks will happen tomorrow and then Saturday night. Personally, I will pick Maine to take out Michigan State in a close game early. The reason for this is not because I want it to happen (I don't like the east teams that have a media following) but simply because of experience. Maine is consistly in the top 10 each season and has won a National Title recently. However, State does have an experienced coach that will keep it close and I would love to see them pull it out but I think they will be slightly overmatched in this one.
Later tomorrow night I am going to pick the WCHA North Dakota Fighting ----- (they lost their appeal so who knows what they will be next year). This boils down to a hatred of all things BC on all the websites and highlights and wanting the WCHA to win it all again. Also, ND took down a rolling Minnesota team and has really come together late in the year, a team that I personally thought wouldn't even make the WCHA tournament not too long ago. BC plays a weaker schedule and I think will be worn down in a close game, but I'll take ND somewhere in the range of 5-3. I will also pick them to win it all over Maine Saturday night; they will be on a roll and Maine will be tired after beating a pesky up-and-coming Michigan State team. These are my unscientific picks, let's hear yours!

The wait until the NCAA Frozen Four is Almost Over

I know some of us are dying to watch the games this Thursday night and get some more college hockey in before summer starts. I hate how they have this large gap in the tournament but it is understandable because of the basketball madness going on. In the meantime, check out this nice article about college hockey recruiting. I follow the football side of things and thought that was nuts, but they don't sign players to contracts at 14 like the big time Canada teams do, it's crazy stuff. Let's hope the recruiting this past year helps bring CC back into the NCAA Frozen Four next year so we will be waiting the see US play and not a WCHA rival!

Game Previews

It's a little bit of a lull in the college hockey world here for a week. The Frozen Four won't get started until April 5th and with the Avalanche pretty close to dead in the NHL playoff race, hockey is officially on hold for a few days. I will just be happy to see the games on TV since college hockey gets so little exposure. I never have a chane to watch TV during the week but has anyone see any publicity on any other channels for the Frozen Four. Personally, I would make sure to have some sort of commercial on the Big 5 networks nightly to try to pull new people into hockey. It doesn't help that the basketball tourney is taking up most people's time (I personally don't follow it so I have no idea how much people get zoned in). I would love to see the day when the Frozen Four is on ABC during primetime so that everyone can see it, that would be great for the sport.
In antipication of the game, ESPN has put together some pretty good pieces regarding the matchups. BC and ND is up first

Frozen Four Set

The 2007 Frozen Four is all set to begin Thursday night in St. Louis. The WCHA is left with one surviving team out of 3. North Dakota took out regular and postseason WCHA Champ Minnesota in OT on Sunday night to return to the Frozen Four once again. They are joined by Michigan State (who took out Notre Dame), Boston College and Maine. North Dakota is the clear powerhouse here with 7 national titles (all the rest each have 2) and coming out of a conference that was won the last 5 National Championships and 6 out of the last 7. BC and Maine won in 2001 and 1999 respectively. Michigan State is the underdog of the 4, last winning a title in 1986 but having been to the Frozen Four last in 2001. It will be a great final 3 games beginning Thursday afternoon at 2pm MST on ESPN2 followed by BC and ND at 6pm MST. Personally I am pulling for ND because of the WCHA conference and I hate the east coast teams, if you can believe that I could hate a team from the east haha. I'm excited that the games will be on ESPN2 and aren't going to be in the middle of the day like when CC and DU played a few years back. The final will be Saturday night at 5pm MST on ESPN and hopefully help give college hockey more exposure!