Friday Morning Skate

I'll be trekking north to Duluth — where, egad, it's supposed to snow Saturday — for the big series between the Mavericks and the defending national champs.

For Minnesota State, the lineup is going to look similar to the way it did in the third period Saturday night when Max Gaede moved up to the rookie line with Jean-Paul LaFontaine and Matt Leitner. The lines of Mueller-Zuck-Dorr and Burkemper-Lehrke-Hayes will remain the same, with Justin Jokinen, who will be playing near his hometown of Carlton, going with Mike Louwerse and Johnny McInnis.

While MSU is healthier, every able body will go to Duluth, as Corey Leivermann and Charlie Thauwald are the extra skaters. Injury-wise, Tyler Elbrecht, Brett Stern and Danny Heath are still out.

Interestingly, the grouping of Michael Dorr and Adam Mueller together, has been a long time coming for some. Let's see if they and the other upper classmen keep producing as they have the last two weekends. You can also read the series preview here.

As for the Bulldogs, goaltender Kenny Reiter. Not only does he have three shutouts this season and a school-record shutout streak, but he tried to score a goal last week against Alaska Anchorage. Also, UMD has a couple of legacy players, including freshman Derik Johnson, son of former Bulldog Jim Johnson. Read the Duluth News-Tribune's preview here and follow Kevin Pates' blog here.

Going around the rest of the WCHA:

Minnesota at St. Cloud State: The top-ranked Gophers are enjoying a stellar start to the season, and goalie Kent Patterson is a big reason why. Adding some fuel to the rivalry, Minnesota also has a St. Cloud native on its roster in Nate Schmidt. For the Huskies, sophomore Cory Thorson is a happy guy after a solid weekend against MSU, and goalie Mike Lee had successful hip surgery this week, but chances are slim that he'll return this season. Meanwhile, ESPN1500's Jess Myers has a nice story about the friendship between the two coaches in the series.

Nebraska Omaha at Denver: The red Mavericks are back in the national rankings (No. 19) and playing well, and one reason is the great play of Terry Broadhurst, who is becoming one of the WCHA's top players. For the Pioneers, they have long believed that their rivalry with Omaha was a natural one and should be a good one in the NCHC in two years.

Wisconsin at Colorado College: The Badgers are coming off a series split against No. 1 Minnesota and just might have found a No. 1 goalie along the way in freshman Joel Rumpel. After losing several players early to the NHL, Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves is looking for more recruits who will stick around Madison longer. The Tigers, meanwhile, have some high-scoring forwards up front, but senior winger Tim Hall deserves kudos for his strong defensive play. The Gazette also has a cool story about CC coach Scott Owens and his help and support for goalie Joe Howe. Owens, a former CC goalie, has been there before.

Michigan Tech at Alaska Anchorage: Michigan Tech is coming off a bye week and will head north to Alaska where the Seawolves are hoping to do something about their lack of scoring — and winning. In their six-game losing streak, they have been outscored 23-4.

North Dakota at Bemidji State (Saturday-Sunday): The Sioux surprisingly sit behind the Mavericks in the WCHA standings, and that won't change tonight, as UND and Bemidji play Saturday and Sunday. For North Dakota, freshman defenseman-turned-forward Dan Senkbeil has made an impression, even if his teammates don't know his name. The Beavers, meanwhile, have Jake Areshenko, an alternate captain and the grandson of former BSU and UND basketball coach Dave Gunther.

Be sure to check back later for my live blog and any other news that may come up after my drive. You can also follow me on Twitter where I'm seeking that elusive 700th follower.