Bowling Green at Minnesota State
The Mavericks are expected to have six seniors in the lineup tonight for their home opener. That group includes captain Geoff Irwin, who, for the first time in his hockey life, is playing with a team in the same community for a fourth year in a row.
Irwin will play on the top line with Kael Mouillierat and center Andy Sackrison. Other lines should look like this: Rylan Galiardi with Justin Jokinen and Tyler Thompson, Tyler Pitlick with Jason Wiley and Mike Louwerse, Zach Harrison with Eriah Hayes and Jerad Stewart. Defensive partners are slated to be: Channing Boe and Joe Schiller, Kurt Davis and Tyler Elbrecht, Ben Youds and Nick Canzanello. However, Canzanello sat out Thursday's practice, so that could change.
As for the Mavericks' opponent, the Falcons apparently are a little short-handed, with junior forward David Solway not on the trip because of injury and two others out for tonight's game because of fighting majors in Bowling Green's final game of the season last year.
PucKato will have the lines updated during pregame. Be sure to come back to the blog during the game and follow along with a live blog.
St. Cloud State at Miami
The Huskies will go see last season's national runner-up in Ohio. The St. Cloud Times' Kevin Allenspach says Miami is a good model for St. Cloud State to follow (perhaps MSU could look at this, too). Meanwhile, The Times has a nice collection of team preview stories you can check out.
Merrimack at North Dakota
The Grand Forks Herald introduces readers to the Merrimack Warriors as well as Sioux freshman goalie Aaron Dell.
Northeastern at Colorado College
Like Minnesota State, Colorado College is looking to replace a top-notch goalie this year. Freshman Joe Howe will start tonight's game at the World Arena, while The Gazette takes a look at another Tigers rookie, Hudson Stremmel.
Vermont at Denver
The No. 1-ranked Pioneers have a good test right off the bat as they host the 14th-ranked Catamounts. Denver is celebrating 60 years of hockey (MSU, by the way, is celebrating its 40th anniversary -- more on that to come).
Lake Superior/Northern Michigan at Minnesota Duluth/Michigan Tech
The Bulldogs and Huskies are starting the season with the Superior Showcase with games tonight and Sunday. For Duluth, a key to the season is finding a replacement for All-American goalie Alex Stalock. Meanwhile Michigan Tech defenseman Eli Vlaisavljevich just might be a Rhodes Scholar.
Mercyhurst/Michigan at Alaska-Anchorage
The Seawolves will kick off the season with their annual tournament, but their seniors are looking ahead toward a bigger tournament they have never been to: the WCHA Final Five.
Meanwhile, here is a WCHA season preview from Inside College Hockey and a weekend preview from This is the WCHA blog. The Rochester Post-Bulletin recently took a gander at the WCHA. (I'd love to see those guys come to Kato to take in a game.)
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