WCHA news

A couple of announcements from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association:

Wisconsin appeal denied
After reviewing the NCAA rulebook and the WCHA handbook, a group of faculty athletic representatives denied Wisconsin's appeal to have its 3-2 loss to Denver last Friday changed because of a disallowed goal that the league said should have counted.

Led by WCHA faculty chair Bill Hudson of St. Cloud State, rules state that the league cannot change the outcome of a game, citing the 2006-08 NCAA Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations book's Rule 6/Playing Rules, HR-81, Section 39: Protests are not recognized or allowed. Also, Rule 5/Officials and Officiating Systems, Section 3a: The referee(s) decision is final; there is no appeal. Further, the WCHA Handbook's Code of Regulatiosn states that NCAA rules will govern play in all ... games. Conferences and individual institutions are prohibited from modifying any playing rules except by permission of the NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee.

In a press release, the league, which acknowledged referee Randy Schmidt's error, said the decision is final and the matter is considered closed.

WCHA, Bemidji State enter into scheduling agreement
The WCHA announced a scheduling agreement with Bemidji State, a College Hockey America members, which will begin in the 2010-11 season in conjunction with the opening of the Bemidji Region Events Center.

With the CHA down to four teams starting next year, the WCHA is guaranteeing home games for the Beavers within its own nonconfernce schedule. Bemidji State played 10 games against WCHA teams this year, including two against Minnesota State last month in Bemidji. Although the WCHA's announcement did not cite a specific number of games, there have been reports of a guaranteed 12 games.

Minnesota State and Minnesota Duluth are the only teams to have played a series against Bemidji State every season since 1999-2000.