This tournament seems to be the best thing to come out of the breakup of the WCHA and the creation of two new conferences. It found a way to keep the Minnesota teams together.
(More on the MSU-UMD matchup here.)
It's also an event that has a chance to replace the WCHA Final Five as a signature college-hockey event at the Xcel Energy Center each year.
The tournament doesn't just pit in-state rivals against each other but brother against brother, too.
Around the WCHA ...
Ferris State at Michigan Tech: It will be interesting to see how the Bulldogs bounce back from getting swept at MSU last weekend. One thing they have going for them is C.J. Motte was not given a DQ on Saturday, so he'll be available to play in goal tonight against the Huskies.
Lake Superior at Bowling Green: Bowling Green will try to keep pace with the Mavericks and Bulldogs as they host the Lakers. For the Falcons, freshman Matt Pohlkamp of Brainerd is proving to be a consistent presence in the lineup.
Northern Michigan at Alaska Anchorage: Lots of info on the Wildcats here as they prepare to play at Anchorage, where the Seawolves' seniors have been challenged by their first-year coach. Also in Anchorage, the program's first coach, Brush Christiansen, has written a column calling for more support of the Seawolves.
Bemidji State at Alaska: The Nanooks play eight of their final 10 games at home, starting tonight, and they feel like every one of them is a playoff game as they try to escape the WCHA's playoff line of demarcation. This will be the first trip to Fairbanks for the Beavers.
Matt Wellens and I make our picks for this weekend's games. Our USCHO column on the league can be found here.
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