WCHA 21-22 Season

[Timothy A]

There's just too much cool stuff to talk about with the league this year, so I thought it would be fun to have a centralized location to chat about the league.

Big news so far.,,,The Tommyettes have a league win already; Kato beat a highly ranked UMD team, UM got swept by the Muzzinatorettes, UM UW and St. Cloud are tied for last in the league LOL.

[Timothy A]

Not only is MN in last place with UW and St. Cloud, but they are the only winless team in the wcha. Just thought I had to point that out LOL.

[pgb-ohio]

There's just too much cool stuff to talk about with the league this year, so I thought it would be fun to have a centralized location to chat about the league.

Hope this thread is a great success!

I do, however, have to gently ask if you remember the WCHA threads from the past. For a while, they were quite active. Then slowly but surely, the league thread was superceded by the team threads. With only 17 of us (winking emoticon here) we were often spread too thin trying to maintain a WCHA thread in addition to the team threads.

One personal example: Previously I utilized the WCHA thread for my 3 Stars Posts. But traffic on the league thread kept falling further & further behind the team threads. So ultimately I moved those posts to the OSU thread.

Not that this was a big deal to anyone other than me; it wasn't. Those with an interest could easily find the 3 Stars in either location. My point here is that in the not-so-distant past -- when I was paying close attention -- the WCHA thread first declined, then went into hibernation.

Hope the new iteration has a happier fate!

[Steamboat]

Not only is MN in last place with UW and St. Cloud, but they are the only winless team in the wcha. Just thought I had to point that out LOL.

Timing is everything, Timothy. If they lose every game they play this year, but win every game they play from January through March, I will be happy, and you won't be. Wisconsin is on the pedestal right now. Anything less than that final victory will be a failure of potential. Don't gloat (much) right now.

[Hockeybuckeye]

As the season is just beginning it looks like OSU & Wisconsin are the early favorites but other teams could well get things going but we'll see.
Right now I'm more interested in how the WCHA stacks up to the other conferences. Are we this season a strong, average or what conference?
How many teams do we have that can beat the strongest of the other conferences? That's what I'd like to know.

[Timothy A]

Timing is everything, Timothy. If they lose every game they play this year, but win every game they play from January through March, I will be happy, and you won't be. Wisconsin is on the pedestal right now. Anything less than that final victory will be a failure of potential. Don't gloat (much) right now.

Believe me, we both know the agony of defeat all too well. Obviously MN will make the tourney, that is all that matters. It's not every season that UM starts out 0-2 (like have they ever?), so I'm just having a little fun at the expense of my friends to the west.

I'm embarrassed that Kato scored more goals on Merrimack than UW did. Didn't see that one coming. Does that mean Kato is #1 in the country?! We need to get the posters' poll back up and running. That was fun.

[Timothy A]

As the season is just beginning it looks like OSU & Wisconsin are the early favorites but other teams could well get things going but we'll see. Right now I'm more interested in how the WCHA stacks up to the other conferences. Are we this season a strong, average or what conference? How many teams do we have that can beat the strongest of the other conferences? That's what I'd like to know.

Right. Can the wwcha get 4 teams into the ncaa's? Obviously Lindenwood and Merrimack are not the best gauges, but Kato > UW based on their common opponent (score wise).

[Hockeybuckeye]

Right. Can the wwcha get 4 teams into the ncaa's?

Even if we had the obviously four strongest teams in the country I'd bet the NCAA would find a way to make it not be a WCHA fest.

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

The landcows are going to be interesting to see how they do in the league...They got smoked 7-0 by UMD but came back and beat them 4-2 the next night. With the Rodents program in decline it might be a chance for teams like the landcows to put a win or two in the column against them.

[ARM]

Obviously MN will make the tourney, that is all that matters.

Your opinion may change once you see MN play.

[Steamboat]

The landcows are going to be interesting to see how they do in the league...They got smoked 7-0 by UMD but came back and beat them 4-2 the next night. With the Rodents program in decline it might be a chance for teams like the landcows to put a win or two in the column against them.

This Mankato team has been together for years. I can't remember exactly, but one year the team was almost entirely freshmen. My brother commented to me, when we saw them play the Gophers at Ridder, that Mankato was going to be force in the future. That future is now. There could be a number of spoilers this season. Woe to any team that underestimates the next opponent.

[Timothy A]

This Mankato team has been together for years. I can't remember exactly, but one year the team was almost entirely freshmen. My brother commented to me, when we saw them play the Gophers at Ridder, that Mankato was going to be force in the future. That future is now. There could be a number of spoilers this season. Woe to any team that underestimates the next opponent.

I count 7 Sr, 7 Jr, 6 So, 4 Fr, definitely an experienced group. At any rate, getting crushed then winning against a "superior" opponent is impressive. Shots were 41 14 game 1 and 26 21 the next. Watts a turnaround. I'd rank them if I was doing a top 10. They play Lindenwood next, they are staring 5-1 in the face, then they hit UM with a home/home series and then UW at home.

Watts we see from the UMD/UM series will tell us a lot.

[Hockeybuckeye]

Watts we see from the UMD/UM series will tell us a lot.

Son, you're going to have to get past using Watts in everything. Obsessions aren't healthy! (Wink, Smiley Face)

[Lindsay]

Nice to see this thread. Wcha has lots going on as always.

On the Minn OSU series I watched one period of game 1. thought Minnesota carried the play, but it was OSU that capitalized on their opportunities. Ie) puck sitting in the OSU crease, Braendli momentarily didn’t know where it was, Minn couldn’t bury it. Buglioni got one chance for OSU, buries it. Still feeding off the energy after that goal, DeGeorge then scores a few minutes later. This all seems characteristic of OSU at this point, good for them.

was surprised at how empty Ridder looked, and appreciated steamboats comments on the night on the other thread, as well as the in between period interview and commentary from the announcers. Nice production.

Can’t say enough about Wcha getting their product out there online for $50 for a whole season. Although... I did try watching some of the tommyettes (Tammies?) at OSU. Basically unwatchable, because of the netting and the glass. I thought it was just spoiled Wcha fans complaining about it, but it’s actually unwatchable.

Other storylines I’m interested in:

Watts Watch
A League of Their Own (men’s side shuttered, how if at all will it impact Wcha)
How Quick Can the Tommies Get to 5th. Is it a given or is that an insult to the bottom half of Wcha to even discuss it.
UMD’s Push for NCAA Tourney Expansion. There’s not going to be 4 teams from Wcha in current format, I don’t think.
UMD is hosting NCAA’s yes? Can they make the tourney without Bell?
At what point does Minnesota make a statement with a marquee win, silence the haters? Muzerall said that maybe one reason they do well at Ridder, is maybe Mr Ridder is cheering for her/OSU. Shots fired!!!! I love it.
Claire DeGeorge on a winning, ranked team
Team Transfer: OSU, in general
Is Joel Johnson really coaching 2 teams at once? How will that go?
TimothyA’s return to LaBahn - non stop eating and drinking to avoid the mask. How will THAT go? ...but seriously, enjoying the back to the rink stories.
Getting to know St Thomas, school and program
Wisconsin vs Ohio State vs a team we are inadvertently overlooking... who will win regular season and conference tourney?
Can Wisconsin 3 peat?
Bemidji/Mankato/St Cloud - I don’t know any of the storylines. Can one of these teams differentiate themselves from their trio?

[ARM]

How Quick Can the Tommies Get to 5th. Is it a given or is that an insult to the bottom half of Wcha to even discuss it.

MSU has been slowly getting better under Harrington, but he didn't inherit a lot. Other than a decent goalie now and then, SCSU has been kicking around the bottom for a long time. BSU has been shaky in net since Mowat graduated; if they find a steady goalie, they can at least scare people. St. Thomas will need to catch/pass the Mavericks and hope that the Beavers continue to flounder before they can claim fifth. Eventually, it should happen, thanks to location and quality of degree.

UMD’s Push for NCAA Tourney Expansion. There’s not going to be 4 teams from Wcha in current format, I don’t think.

I'm not sure that there has been a year where we've really needed the 4th best team from the WCHA in the tournament. There have been some third-place WCHA teams left home who likely belonged, but that's about it.

UMD is hosting NCAA’s yes? Can they make the tourney without Bell?

I expect that they will. Making the FF will be harder, especially if they get sent to Madison for a quarter.

At what point does Minnesota make a statement with a marquee win...

Or any win at all -- not saying that would be a statement. They're now 3-9-1 over their last 13 games. I suppose they could wake up at some point and contend for an NCAA tourney spot at least, but it isn't trending that way.