Friday, January 29, 2016

Friday Morning Skate

Coverage on Minnesota State at the North Star College Cup will be available on Saturday morning, but the weekend begins today with some other WCHA teams in action.

A lot of eyes will be on a big series between Bowling Green and Michigan Tech. In the we're-still-getting-used-to-this-even-in-year-three world of the new WCHA, the Falcons and the Huskies have developed a nice rivalry, not unlike Bowling Green and Minnesota State, Minnesota State and Ferris State, Ferris State and Bemidji State, etc. Even MSU's rivalry with Michigan Tech, both being in the old WCHA together, has grown since realignment.

This is a tough, two-week stretch for Bowling Green, which hosts Tech this weekend and then travels to Mankato for a set against MSU next weekend.

In another league matchup, Alabama Huntsville goes to Alaska Anchorage where Seawolves have a walk-on, who is making a real impact.

There's a lot of nonconference play this weekend with Alaska going to Wisconsin and Northern Michigan hosting Minnesota Duluth, along with the North Star Cup involving MSU and Bemidji State on Saturday and Sunday in St. Paul. Here's some early coverage of that tournament:

• From the St. Cloud Times' Mick Hatten: The Mavericks are wary (and I can vouch for this) of St. Cloud State's explosive power play, even if if they do have have one of the country's better penalty kills.

• From the Bemidji Pioneer's Jack Hittinger: The Beavers go into the North Star Cup as both the defending champion and as the big underdog.

Read more WCHA coverage from Hittinger and me in our USCHO column and see us match wits with our weekend picks.

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