The Mavericks wrap up a true road trip to Alaska this weekend with a WCHA series at Alaska Anchorage. Minnesota State is having a good experience so far, coach Mike Hastings said, especially after that first 20-hour travel day to Fairbanks.
I wouldn't expect too many lineup changes from last week. There was some in-game line shuffling on Saturday night, with Chase Grant moving up to a top-six spot for a bit. On defense, Blake Thompson replaced Casey Nelson on Saturday, and Sean Flanagan also is available. Senior Josh Nelson was no worse for the wear after missing 15 games. It sure seemed like he played a lot of minutes against Fairbanks. Read more about the match ups in The Free Press' gameday preview.
The Seawolves, meanwhile, were expected to get back home late Thursday night after being stuck in the Twin Cities most of the week. Their first practice on their home rink is scheduled for this morning.
Going around the WCHA ...
Alaska at Bowling Green: The Nanooks ended MSU's seven-game winning streak last weekend; now they hope to snap Bowling Green's three-game streak. The series features two of the WCHA's top three point scorers, Alaska's Cody Kunyk and Bowling Green's Dan DeSalvo. The Falcons are hoping this is the weekend Ryan Carpenter finally returns from a string of injuries.
Michigan Tech at Ferris State: The Huskies appear to be better than their record (7-11-6, 5-5-4), especially considering their tough schedule. Their win over Lake Superior State on Saturday broke a seven-game winless streak, one that included four ties. It gets no easier this weekend against the third-ranked Bulldogs, who had their 16-game unbeaten streak ended on Saturday. At 10-0-2, Ferris has yet to lose in WCHA play.
Bemidji State at Lake Superior: Staying on the subject of streaks, the Beavers hope to end their eight-game winless streak in Sault Ste. Marie. The Lakers were the last team Bemidji beat; it was an overtime win on Nov. 23. Lake Superior is ranked 19th but hasn't won two games in a row since Nov. 29-30. Since starting the season 4-0-1, the Lakers are 7-8-0.
Alabama Huntsville at Notre Dame: The Chargers face a tough nonconference test this weekend as they look for their second win of the season. Perhaps they can make a name for themselves on national TV tonight (NBC Sports Network). The Irish are hoping Huntsville can cure what ails them. This is Huntsville's second trip to Notre Dame this season, having played in the Shillelagh Tournament earlier. Notre Dame beat them 5-2 in the tournament opener.
For more on Minnesota State's and other WCHA teams' travels, check out the USCHO's WCHA column by myself and Matt Wellens. Matt and I also give our picks for the weekend.
In case you missed it, I had a chance to talk to Eriah Hayes on Wednesday afternoon and kicked off this week's College Hockey Notebook with his thoughts on his NHL debut. Hayes played his first home game for the Sharks on Thursday and had at least one highlight hit during his 7:50 of work. He had four hits in the game.
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