Friday morning skate (save-the-date edition)

In the early days of the new WCHA, when folks were trying to figure out just what kind of league it might be, the dates of Jan. 17-18 were probably circled on a few calendars — at least figuratively.

Well, it's arrived.

Minnesota State vs. Ferris State. The best of the leftover schools following the college hockey's Great Schism. Preseason picks 1 and 2 by the league's coaches and media.

Now, it's the nation's No. 2-ranked team, a team that has yet to lose a conference game and may be running away with the league title, on the road at the third-place team in the WCHA, one that received most of the preseason accolades, including preseason rookie of the year Zach Stepan (Stepan's put on a few miles since we last saw him in Mankato playing for the U.S. World Junior Team.

Seems like a pretty good matchup to me.

For the Bulldogs, they're looking to create a lot of distance between themselves and the Mavericks and maybe even send a message to the rest of the league.

Going around the WCHA ...

Alaska at Northern Michigan: One thing I like about the new WCHA is that there's not just race for home ice; there's also a race to make the playoffs period. The bottom two teams stay home for the postseason, and this series could have implications on that right now. For the hometown Wildcats, redshirt freshman Mathias Dahlstrom is proving that the wait for him was worth it.

Alaska Anchorage at Alabama Huntsville: Good story by Doyle Woody on a true student-athlete in the Seawolves, Andrew Pettitt, who is already working on a second degree and once took 23 credits during a semester. The Chargers, meanwhile, are seeking their second win of the season and first at home.

Lake Superior at Notre Dame: The Lakers step out of league play to take on the Irish. Notre Dame's in Hockey East now but have played five games against WCHA teams already. Lake Superior has won just two of its last eight games and finally fell out of the national rankings this week.

Bemidji State vs./at North Dakota: Big home-and-home nonconference series, especially tonight's game at the Sanford Center where the Beavers beat the then-Fighting Sioux the last time they met. What a perfect time to link to Brad Schlossman's Friday Morning Reading blog at the Grand Forks Herald.

My and Matt Wellens' weekend picks can be found here. Our WCHA notebook for USCHO can be found here. It kicks off with the long-awaited return of Bowling Green senior Ryan Carpenter (the Falcons are idle this weekend).

I enjoyed this midseason-observations column by College Hockey News' Adam Woden.

The Minnesota State women play outdoors today in the Hockey City Classic at TCF Bank Stadium. For the Mavericks' Lauren Barnes, she won't be the first person in her family to play in this event.