First WCHA Games - Huskies vs Sioux

Huskies will play the Sioux this weekend at The Ralph

This weekend the Huskies will begin their WCHA play at the University of North Dakota. The UND vs SCSU rivalry has been pretty heated over the last few years. With the conference reshuffling in the next couple years, it is only likely that the rivalry will increase. The Huskies and the Sioux have a traveling trophy (The Challenge Cup) which is awarded to the team that collects the most points in the four regular-season games between the schools. Additionally, the Huskies and the Sioux have an annual event to provide an opportunity for fans of the University of North Dakota and St. Cloud State University to gather and celebrate the great sport of hockey as the connection between the two fan bases is among the best in college hockey. You can read more about the Challenge Cup and the annual social event at the link below:

• UND/SCSU fan social set for Saturday, October 29th

The SCSU - UND Challenge Cup

Some things to consider about this weekend:

• UND was swept last weekend by Wisconsin
• SCSU put in 10 goals last weekend and earned 3 of 4 points
• Mike Lee is on fire, 44 saves in his last game
• The Huskies record isn't great at 2-3-1, but 1 of those losses was in OT and 2 of them came from Northern Michigan, who just last weekend beat the (former) #1 team Michigan
• The Fighting Sioux record is also 2-3-1

All this is NOT to say that this weekend will be an easy weekend for the Huskies or to say that the Fighting Sioux are doing "bad". It is too early to tell if the Huskies or Fighting Sioux are "bad". I am saying that this should be a very good weekend with two teams that have had early highs and lows. This will be a good test for each team and both will be playing hard in Grand Forks come Friday and Saturday night. I fully believe that the Fighting Sioux are currently (and will be at the end of the season) one of the best teams in collegiate hockey. This is a great weekend for the Huskies to try and start claiming some WCHA points and start climbing up the national poll ratings.

Links:

• SCSU Men's Hockey to Battle UND
• SCSU's LeBlanc closing in on a milestone
• Goon's Weekly Predictions 10-28-10-29 UND fans predict a UND sweep
• Listen to the Bob Motzko Show from the Center Ice Club 

About the Games:

• Oct. 28, 2011: St. Cloud State at #12/13 North Dakota, 7:37 p.m. 
• Oct. 29, 2011: St. Cloud State at #12/13 North Dakota, 7:07 p.m.
• Listen at http://www.1450knsi.com or http://www.kvsc.org
• Watch on Fox College Sports Central, Charter Cable Channel 416, and DirecTV Channel 617 

Video:

Drew LeBlanc on this weekend against North Dakota:

Husky alum Ryan Malone's pretty game winning goal:



Go Huskies!!!

3-Point Weekend, Videos

Lee was in top form Saturday night at the National Hockey Center

The Huskies finished their first weekend at home Saturday night with a 3-3 tie to take 3 out of 4 points from the weekend. The tie is largely in thanks to a phenomenal 44 save effort by Mike Lee. The 3 Husky goal scorers were Sophomore forward Cam Reid (with an assist from Drew LeBlanc),  senior forward Jared Festler (with assists from Cam Reid and freshman defender Andrew Prochno), and lastly from sophomore forward Nic Dowd (with assists from junior forward David Eddy and junior forward Ben Hanowski). The Huskies will take on the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux next weekend in Grand Forks, ND for the Huskies first WCHA games of the season. Definitely and interesting way to start out WCHA play. On the bright side UND was swept by Wisconsin this last weekend proving the Sioux may not be as strong as predicted. Of course, on the other side, it means the Fighting Sioux will be hungry to prove themselves. More on that later....

Links:

• Lee, Huskies 'steal' a tie
• Huskies Skate to 3-3 Tie Against UNH

Video:

Extras:

• Husky Player Profile - David Eddy
• He's back on the ice: Leitza returns as coach for Huskies

Special Teams Win Home Opener

Huskies Win First Home Game of the '11-'12 Season!

The Husky home opener did not disappoint. The SCSU Huskies beat the UNH Wildcats 7-5 in an exciting, high-scoring game. The Huskies were 4-for-5 on the power play and had 37 shots on net. At two separate points in the contest the Huskies had 3-point leads. This was my first opportunity to see them play (on channel 13-Comcast in the Minneapolis area) and they looked pretty darn good. The team played with a lot of energy and a lot of players had great nights. Drew LeBlanc and Ben Hanowski each had four-point nights with 1g/3a apiece.  Nick Jensen and Travis Novak also impressed with 1g/2a apiece and Cam Reid had 1g/1a. Other young players Cory Thorson (energy), Andrew Prochno (positioning, assist), and Jarrod Rabey (monster slap shot goal from the blueline) all were very impressive. Goaltender Mike Lee made 28 saves and looked good despite the 5 goals allowed. A couple of the UNH goals were made off bad bounces/deflections. Lee also had some nice times were he came out a bit and played the puck. Overall, a great way to start at home!

Links:

• St. Cloud scores four on power play, beats New Hampshire
• Home opener ends with a 7-5 victory
• SCSU Charts 7-5 Win Over New Hampshire
• UNH Hockey Loses At St Cloud

Video:

Extras:

• He's transitioning to a backup role
• TV's Rich is going back to college
• SCSU alum Matt Cullen continues to impress with the Minnesota Wild. Scoring yet again in the shootout:

Tonight:
SCSU will return to the ice on Saturday, Oct. 22 with a 7:07 p.m. game against UNH at the NHC.

You can listen to the game on KNSI AM 1450 (www.1450knsi.com) or KVSC FM 88.1 (www.kvsc.org).

You can watch the game live on Charter Cable channel 87 in the St. Cloud area and it will be televised live on Comcast Channel 13 in St. Paul and Channel 23 in the Minneapolis market.

You can also follow along on the live blog at the SCSU Hockey homepage.

GO HUSKIES!!!

Home Opener This Weekend

This weekend the Huskies will play their first home series of the hockey season against the University of New Hampshire. The Huskies have not faced the UNH Wildcats since 2003 when the Huskies were beat 5-2 in the NCAA DI Northeast Regional in Worcester, Mass. The Wildcats are off to a 0-3 start this season. They are definitely a frustrated team right now, and that should not make things any easier for the Huskies this weekend.

"We had a lot of Grade A, quality scoring chances in that last game that we didn't put away. We've made some bad turnovers that have ended up in the back of our net. We've had poor puck management and we're not scoring. I think we're all a little frustrated that we're not scoring any goals. The remedy for that is that we're getting on a plane to travel."  ~ UNH Coach Dick Umile

Coach Bob Motzko warns not take the Wildcats 0-3 slow start for granted.

"They're a perennial, one of the best teams in the country. It's a proud program. I think all of us learned a long time ago that you can't judge a lot by the early going. They outshot Boston College pretty good (40-25 in a 5-1 loss) the other night. I don't know what their ailments are, but nobody's feeling sorry for New Hampshire. There aren't many teams that have as many wins as that program in the last couple dozen years. They're a superb program. I'm looking forward to them coming in to St. Cloud and returning to see them out there in a year." ~ Coach Bob Motzko 

Links:

• SCSU lines for Friday's men's hockey game, notes and quotes for the UNH series 
• SCSU to Open Home Season on Oct. 21-22
• SCSU Men's Hockey Release
• Frustration Mounts for New Hampshire

Fun Stuff:

• College Hockey, Inc. Contest SCSU Lee's helmet versus MSU's Cook's - Go vote for Lee
• INCH - Recruiting Trail: Top 20 Defensemen SCSU Freshmen Andrew Prochno and Tim Daly made the list

Don't Hit the Panic Button Yet

The Huskies were swept this weekend by the Northern Michigan Wildcats. On Saturday night the Huskies lost the the nonconference contest 3-2.  The Wildcats came out strong and took a 2-0 lead over the Huskies in the first. The Huskies two goals came from freshman Joey Holka and senior forward Jared Festler with assists coming from sophomore Cory Thorson with freshman Jarrod Rabey and junior David Eddy with senior Drew LeBlanc respectively.  Some bright spots in this slow start include:

• Freshmen Jarrod Rabey now has 1g/2a in 2011-12 and owns a two-game scoring streak.
• Senior forward Jared Festler has already posted his third goal of the season.
• Senior Drew LeBlanc has 1g/4a for five points already.
• Freshman Ryan Faragher had 23 saves in his first college hockey game.

Links:

• Huskies swept by Wildcats
• Festler Continues Point Streak as Huskies Fall 3-2
• Northern Michigan sweeps St. Cloud State with group offensive effort

Coach Bob Motzko has pointed out a couple of negative and positive sides of the Huskies play thus far this season:

"This is our fourth game now and there’s a common pattern there. We’re letting guys get in behind us. We’re not being responsible right now when we don’t have the puck."

"Our freshmen made some strides here the last two weeks. I’ve been throwing them in there and they’ve been fine. They’re chipping away getting some goals for us."

In this week's Bob Motzko's Radio Show, Coach Motzko was quick to point out that Husky fans should not be hitting the "panic button" yet. While I totally agree with this assessment of the season so far, I am also a little nervous. Motzko had this same attitude last season...all the way up until Christmas break. To his credit, he was absolutely correct that the Huskies were a better team than their record and were able to bounce back (second best team only to UND in the second half). Unfortunately, the wins came too late in the season for the Huskies. I trust Coach Motzko will be doing more this season to make sure the guys get more wins earlier in the season this year.

Center Ice Club:

• The CIC Players of the Week are Senior forward Jared Festler and first-year defenseman Jarrod Rabey.
• You can hear the Bob Motzko Radio Show at the CIC Homepage.

Bonus Stuff:

• Kingsford’s Gravel making impact as sophomore with St. Cloud State hockey team

 

Huskies lose at NMU

Huskies lose to the Wildcats

The Huskies were unable to come away with a win against Northern Michigan Friday night. The Huskies lost 5-2 in the battle. According to Coach Bob Motzko, the team looked pretty good, but the Wildcats were able to convert on the three mistakes the Huskies made.

"You’re not going to hear me say this many times after a 5-2 loss, but we were pretty good tonight. We were victimized a few times by our own mistakes. We made three mistakes and they scored on all three of them." ~Coach Motzko

Freshman defender Jarrod Rabey scored the first goal of the game and his first as a Husky. Assists on the play came from sophomore Cam Reid and senior Drew LeBlanc. The only other Husky to score was senior Jared Festler with assists from Drew LeBlanc and junior Ben Hanowski. Festler and LeBlanc are both on three-game point streaks.

Links

• Northern Michigan 5, St. Cloud State 2
• Men's hockey: SCSU falls to Wildcats, 5-2
• Huskies Fall 5-2 at Northern Michigan
• Hockey Wins Home-Opener Over St. Cloud

Today's Bonus:

• Listen to the Bob Motzko Coach's Show

The National Hockey Center Zamboni---New Paint Job

St. Cloud at Northern Michigan

Hey Folks! Not a whole lot of time this week, but some great stuff on the game this weekend against Northern Michigan. Should be a pretty exciting match up. Here is what USCHO.com had to say about it:

Tyler: "The Huskies have too many question marks to predict a sweep and the Wildcats were very close to leaving Madison with a sweep last weekend. This one will be a challenge for SCSU, but I think the Huskies earn a split on the U.P."   

Brian: "SCSU coach Bob Motzko returns to the scene of his first win at the helm of the Huskies, a 3-2 OT win over NMU on Oct. 15, 2005, to split Motzko's debut series. After a season-opening 4-1 win over Alaska in the Kendall Hockey Classic at Anchorage, the Huskies coughed up a 2-0 third-period lead and lost 4-3 in overtime to Alaska-Anchorage. Similarly, the Wildcats left Madison with split after a pair of 3-2 contests after blowing 2-0 leads in each game. The Huskies lead the all-time series 21-15-1 but are just 6-12 at Marquette. It all boils down to a hard-earned split for each."

Video:

If you don't remember the Huskies scored one of the most important goals in Husky History against Northern Michigan, when the Huskies finally were able to win a game in the NCAA tournament



Interview with Coach Bob Motzko:




Links:

• Pre-series comments from Northern Michigan and St. Cloud State
• Probable lineups for Friday's game between SCSU and Northern Michigan in men's hockey
• Facts and figures on Northern Michigan's men's hockey team
• Huskies Travel to Northern Michigan

Other Goodies:

• Middle infield matters on ice
• A lot rides on Festler's shots

Oh...and Husky alum Matt Cullen continues to WOW with the Minnesota Wild. He has scored 3 goals in 4 games. Also, has scored 2 shootout goals in 2 attempts. For those with poor math skills, that is 5 goals in 4 games. WOW! Makes us all proud to say he is a Husky!

A Couple of Great NHL Goals by Husky Alums

St. Cloud State alum Matt Cullen scored the first goal of the NHL season for the Minnesota Wild. Cullen's goal was also the fastest goal scored in the home opening game in Wild history. Check out this beauty!



Oh yeah...Cullen also scored the first and only goal of the Wild's second game as well:





Check out this assist from Andrew Gordon while playing with the Ducks in Sweden:



The NHL season has only just begun, but former Huskies are doing us proud!

Bad 3rd Period Leads to 4-3 OT Loss at UAA

The Huskies lost their second game of the season against the University of Alaska-Anchorage at the Kendall Classic on Saturday night. The Huskies had a two goal lead going into the 3rd period. While this is very disappointing, this is the kind of thing that happens early in the season. For UAA, Mickey Spencer  (now leading the nation in goals) was the difference maker. Spencer scored 3 of the 4 UAA goals. The University of Alaska-Anchorage ends up as the official Kendall Classic Tournament winner with their win against Clarkson and OT win over the Huskies. Despite not being crowned tournament winners, SCSU fans still have plenty to be proud of. The All Tournament team consisted of:

Matt Bailey, Alaska Annchorage
Colton Beck, Alaska Fairbanks
Jared Festler, St. Cloud State
Mike Lee, St. Cloud State
Travis Novak, St. Cloud State 
Mark Pustin Alaska Anchorage

The Huskies have a lot to work on and this past weekend should be an important lesson for them.

"I liked us a lot early in the game, and this is a good lesson. We were in (Anchorage’s) building. It was their tournament and they turned up the intensity. We have to give them full credit for scratching back into it and putting the game away." ~Coach Motzko

One of the first things the Huskies will need to work on is shooting the puck. For the second straight night, the Huskies were outshot.  St. Cloud State was outshot by the Seawolves 32-24 in the game. With the Huskies significant scoring threats, they need to start putting more goals on net. Here is your scoring for Saturday nights game:

1st Period:

SCSU – Travis Novak (Jared Festler, Nick Jensen) 5:12 (pp)

2nd Period:

None

3rd Period:

SCSU – Cam Reid (Drew LeBlanc, Taylor Johnson) 3:29 (pp)
UAA – Kwas (Brett Cameron, Mickey Spencer) 5:04
UAA – Spencer (Nalsund, Bailey), 12:28 (pp)
UAA – Spencer 3 (Cameron, Quinn Sproule)
SCSU – Festler 1 (Johnson), 19:17

Overtime:

UAA – Spencer 4 (Kwas, Cameron), 3:06

Read About It:

• Huskies fall to Alaska-Anchorage in OT, 4-3
• Huskies Fall in OT Session at UAA
• Spencer's hat trick claims Kendall crown
• Seawolves 4 - St. Cloud 3

Go Huskies!!!

Huskies Win 1st Game of the Season; SCSU 4-UAF 1

Huskies Beat the Nanooks 4-1 in Season Opener

The Huskies started this season off right with a win over the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks. The Huskies beat the Nanooks 4-1 in the season opener. Despite being pleased with the win, Huskies coach Bob Motzko said, "We made a load of a mistakes". One of those mistakes is failing to shoot the puck. The Huskies were outshot by the Nanooks 24-15. I don't think the Huskies registered a shot on goal until half way through the third period. In that same time period the Nanooks had put 7 or 8 on Mike Lee. The Huskies will have to shoot the puck more and NOT let up if they are going to have this same type of success against WCHA teams.  Some of the good news includes Mike Lee's strong performance in net. It doesn't seem like the off-season surgery has slowed him down any. I've hear that good things happen when goal-scoreers score. That most certainly happened during this game with Dowd, Novak, Hanowski, and LeBlanc all netting a goal. The scoring looked like this:

1st Period:

SCSU — Nic Dowd 1 (Jared Festler, Jarrod Rabey) 9:30

UAF — Cody Kunyk 1 (Aaron Gens) 13:38 (pp)

2nd Period:

SCSU — Travis Novak 1 (unassisted) 9:59 

SCSU — Ben Hanowski 1 (unassisted) 12:14

3rd Period:

SCSU — Drew LeBlanc 1 (Festler) 17:18 (en)

The Huskies will return to action tonight against WCHA opponent University of Alaska-Anchorage in the Kendall Classic finale. The game starts at 10:07 PM (CST) and can be seen at the UAA Seawolves website at www.goseawolves.com

Links:

• HUSKIES OPEN 2011-12 WITH 4-1 WIN OVER UAF
• Goalie lifts Huskies over Nanooks
• Return sweet for Huskies' Novak
• St. Cloud State asking young defensement to play big roles

Go Huskies!!!

Let the Hockey Begin: Kendall Classic

Huskies will begin the 2011-2012 season this weekend at the Kendall Classic in Anchorage, Alaska. On Friday, Oct. 7th the St. Cloud State Huskies will face the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks at 8:07 PM (CT). The Huskies will then play host the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves at 10:07 PM (CT) on Saturday, Oct. 8th. 

Follow the Game:

• Stats (UAA site)
• Video (UAA site)
• Audio (UAA site)
• Audio (SCSU radio)
• Stats (USCHO.com)
• Stats (CHN.com)

Things to Read:

• Taking a look at Alaska-Fairbanks for Friday's opener for the SCSU men's hockey team
• 2011 Kendall Hockey Classic preview
• UAA opens with Kendall Hockey Classic
• Kendall Classic Preview: Clarkson and St. Cloud

Prediction:

My prediction is that St. Cloud will come away from this tournament with wins on both Friday and Saturday night. It is always hard to predict early games because we have not really seen how good teams are yet. To add to the prognostication problems, these are non-conference, exhibition games so the teams will likely not be rolling their "normal" lines and be playing different goalies. Irregardless, the Huskies should be able to come away from this trip with their first wins of the season.

For Fun:

• PDF Slideshow of the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference
• SCSU Alum Matt Cullen will serve as an Alternate Captain for the Minnesota Wild

Go Huskies!!!

Get Caught Up on some Husky Hockey

Mike Lee's New Goalie Helmet

Get caught up on Husky Hockey before the season begins. Here are some of the best recent articles out there.  Be sure to check them out:

• SCSU men's hockey preview: Young 'D' holds the key for Huskies
• SCSU hockey: Huskies look to be in better condition
• 2011-2012 SCSU men's hockey schedule
• St. Cloud State hockey roster
• A few notes from WCHA teleconference; 1st look at SCSU lines, injury updates
• SCSU hockey: Huskies' Lee is ready to lead
• LeBlanc Named as a Candidate for Lowe's Senior Class Award
• Gordon lands gig with Ducks
• Tampa Bay Lightning's Ryan Malone will not be suspended for head shot
• End of trip means start of something great (NHL blog of SCSU's Andrew Gordon)

Go Huskies!!!

'11-'12 WCHA Blogger Poll Official Results

Well folks...here are the official results of the 2011-2012 WCHA Blogger Poll:
(P.S. You can find my ballot here)

Team

1. Denver (10) 196
2. Colorado College (4) 179
3. North Dakota (2) 175
4. Nebraska-Omaha 141
5. Minnesota-Duluth (1) 140
6. Minnesota 124.5
7. Wisconsin 100
8. St. Cloud State  92 
9. Alaska-Anchorage 68.5
10. Bemidji State 52
11. Michigan Tech 30
12. Minnesota State-Mankato 28 

All-Conference Team (15 Voters): 
F - Jaden Schwartz, Colorado College
F - Jason Zucker, Denver
F - Jack Connolly, Minnesota-Duluth
D - Justin Schultz, Wisconsin
D - Ben Blood, North Dakota
G - Aaron Dell, North Dakota

Player of the Year: 
Jason Zucker, Denver (9)
Jaden Schwartz, Colorado College (8)

Rookie of the Year: 
Rocco Grimaldi, North Dakota (14)
Jayson Megna, Nebraska-Omaha (1)
Joey LaLeggia, Denver (1)
Josh Archibald, Nebraska-Omaha (1)

Defenseman of the Year (16 Voters): 
Justin Schultz, Wisconsin (11)
Ben Blood, North Dakota (4)
Nick Jensen, St. Cloud State (1)  

Breakout Player of the Year (16 Voters): 
Beau Bennett, Denver (2)
JT Brown, Minnesota-Duluth (2)
Zach Budish, Minnesota (2)
10 Other Players Received 1 Vote

So Husky Hockey fans we are back to being under ranked in the preseason. Hopefully this will work as motivation and the Huskies will have a phenomenal year.

What do you think of the results???

Go Huskies!

Video of SCSUs Move to the NCHC

Check out a couple of good videos by UTVS regarding the Huskies move to the NCHC:

'11-'12 WCHA Blogger Poll

My votes for the 2011-2012 WCHA Blogger Poll:

Team Standings

1. Denver University
2. University of North Dakota
3. Colorado College
4. St. Cloud State University
5. University of Minnesota-Duluth
6. University of Nebraska-Omaha
7. University of Minnesota
8. University of Wisconsin
9. University of Alaska-Anchorage
10. Minnesota State University
11. Bemidji State
12. Michigan Tech University

All Conference:

F- Jack Connolly (UMD)  

F- Jaden Schwartz (CC)

F- Jason Zucker (DU)  

D- Ben Blood (UND)  

D- Nick Jensen (SCSU) 

G- Mike Lee (SCSU) 

Player Awards:

Player of the Year - Jason Zucker (DU)   

Rookie of the Year - Rocco Grimaldi (CC)  

Defenseman of the Year - Nick Jensen (SCSU)   

Breakout Player of the Year - Ben Hanowski (SCSU) 

St. Cloud State Thoughts:

Let's get this out of the way first...last year was a disappointment. The Huskies were picked by most to be one of the top (if not the top) team in the WCHA. Instead the Huskies were only able to finish the year at number nine. Why then do I still keep the Huskies at number 4??? The only reason the Huskies finished below expectations was because an UNBELIEVABLY BAD start. Keep this in mind...looking only at the second half of the season, the Huskies were the second best team in the WCHA (only UND had a better 2nd half record). Coming into the WCHA playoffs nearly everyone believed the Huskies would beat eventual Frozen Four winner UMD. The truth is, the last 2-3 months of the 2010-2011 college hockey season, St. Cloud State was one of the best teams in the nation. The Huskies have a lot of great players returning like Mike Lee, Drew LeBlanc, Ben Hanowski, and wonderful newcomers like Nick Oliver, Andrew Prochno, and Garrett Milan. This year will be better. I expect the Huskies to go back to the usual---being underrated in the preseason and finishing the year a good 2-4 spots ahead of most peoples preseason predictions. 

I will post the final 2011-2012 WCHA Blogger Poll results when they come in.

Go Huskies!

St. Cloud State Joins The National

The National 'Just Got Tougher' with the addition of SCSU

St. Cloud State made an historic announcement today formally excepting an invitation to join the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (aka "The National"...formerly the "Super Conference). Some good quotes from today's announcement:

“We are delighted to join the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. We believe that the conference’s strength of play and commitment to college hockey and student athletes is strong and deep and we look forward to an exciting future with The National.” ~President Earl Potter

 "We’re going into one competitive hockey league with some great hockey programs." ~Coach Bob Motzko

"I spent 32 years in the WCHA as a player, assistant coach, head coach and athletic director. When you look at it, there’s a certain tenderness and sadness that what transpired happened. But it is what it is. It happened. You can’t change what happened. As an institution, the trick is to look forward and to see what’s in the best interest of the institution and the community." ~Special Adviser Gino Gasparini 

"...on behalf of the entire association, we want to take this time to wish the Huskies and their men’s hockey program all the best in the future. St. Cloud State has been a valued and productive member of the WCHA."  ~WCHA commissioner Bruce M. McLeod  

"Speaking from our program's perspective, the addition of St. Cloud State and Western Michigan allows us to continue a healthy and competitive rivalry with St. Cloud State, and we look forward to building the same type of rivalry with Western Michigan. The addition of St. Cloud State, with its proximity to the Twin Cities area where we have so many alums, also allows our great fans to continue to experience and enhance a rivalry that is only a short distance away." ~ UND Coach Dave Hakstol

Today is indeed a great and historic day for Husky Hockey. By joining the NCHC the Huskies will be playing in arguably the best hockey conference with the best hockey programs in the country. We can expect the Huskies to prosper for many years to come.

Links:

• ST. CLOUD STATE MEN'S HOCKEY TO JOIN THE NATIONAL
• SCSU to join NCHC
• Husky Hockey backers: NCHC move is a boon
• WCHA 'Disappointed' in St. Cloud's Departure
• SCSU, WMU accept invitations to join NCHC

utvs_live on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

St. Cloud State Hockey Welcomed into the 'Premier College Hockey Conference'

The National College Hockey Conference has extended invitations to Western Michigan and St. Cloud State today. Brian Faison, director of athletics at North Dakota and spokesperson for The National's Athletic Directors Committee had this to say about the invitation:

"After a thorough and deliberate evaluation process, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference is delighted to extend invitations to St. Cloud State and Western Michigan to become members of what we believe will be the premier college hockey conference in the United States."

Furthermore, Faison said:

"Both universities fit perfectly with the established goals of our conference membership. Their programs are highly competitive and produce quality student-athletes. Each institution has made significant commitments to the continued success of their hockey programs and they are both located in tradition-rich hockey states. St. Cloud State and Western Michigan, with their passionate fans, will add a great deal to The National and we look forward to welcoming them."

The comments Faison made about St. Cloud State being "highly competitive", producing "quality student athletes", commitment to the "success of their hockey programs" and "passionate fans" are all things I mentioned in my last blog post on why Husky fans should not give up hope on SCSU joining the NCHC.

"It is possible that SCSU could join with the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). St. Cloud State's program is the best remaining team in the CCHA and WCHA (arguably even better than some of the teams that have already joined the NCHC) and the NCHC will be looking to get to that magic 8 team conference."

As excited as I am that the NCHC has realized the strength and dedication of the St. Cloud State hockey program, the reality of the NCHC is that its founding WCHA members (UND, DU, CC, UNO, UMD) should not have left the WCHA in the first place. The WCHA could have, and arguably should have, just added Miami and Western Michigan. There were, and are, problems with the WCHA but the formation of the NCHC was not the appropriate reaction.

St. Cloud State plans on announcing its decision about the invitation to join the NCHC at a media conference scheduled for 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22 in St. Cloud. It is expected that St. Cloud will formally announce its decision to join the NCHC at the conference given that Brian Faison, President Earl Potter, Coach Bob Motzko, and Gino Gasparini will all be in attendance at tomorrow's press conference.

The acceptance of the St. Cloud State hockey program into the NCHC is a great thing for St. Cloud hockey. We will remain a member of the "premier college hockey conference in the United States" as we transition from the WCHA to the NCHC. St. Cloud will benefit by playing with what is likely to become the strongest conference, possible greater TV exposure, and better recruits who want to play in the NCHC. The passionate Husky fan base will be energized to see their team play and compete with the best teams in the nation. The NCHC is a good thing for Husky hockey.

However, the NCHC is not a great thing for the history and tradition of the WCHA. It is disappointing to see such a great thing lose its prominence in collegiate hockey.

Links:

• SCSU asked to join new hockey conference
• New league invites two new members
• NCHC EXTENDS INVITATION TO SCSU
• NCHC extends membership invitations to SCSU, WMU

Go Huskies!!!

Time is Not to Retreat or Back Down, but to Thrive and to Prosper

Among the Elite
St. Cloud State has a GREAT hockey program and IS a GREAT hockey school. You know what has changed about that statement from last April till today....nothing. Granted, the world of collegiate hockey is changing, and changing in a big way. However, that does not mean that St. Cloud State's hockey program is not still among the elite. I know some of our current rivals might disagree that St. Cloud is among the elite. They may believe that the only thing we had going for us was the fact we were apart of the best, most elite conference. Gopher fans are likely to say SCSU players are Gopher rejects playing for St. Cloud only because they wanted to play in MN but could not get into the UofM. (Side note: two of this years top 10 MN Mr. Hockey finalists chose to play for St. Cloud, one chose the UofM). UND fans will say that SCSU took away their logo and nickname. Although, some (within the former administration, not the hockey program) at SCSU had a moral objection to the Fighting Sioux nickname, the NCAA took away your nickname, not us. Regardless of these opinions and regardless of the conference St. Cloud State plays in, we are an elite hockey program and will remain so.

Rich Tradition and History
I once heard that the best predictor of future outcomes is past performance; and St. Cloud has a rich past.

Players
St. Cloud, has and does produce top notch hockey players. Whether you look at a player like Bret Hedican (17 year NHL vet, Stanley Cup winner, US Olympic teams, etc...), or current players like Matt Cullen, Ryan Malone, Matt Hendricks, or new players like Andreas Nodl and Oliver Lauridsen, St. Cloud produces not only great players, but great people. (If you have not already, please check out Bret Hedican's charitable organization Always Dream Foundation and Matt Cullen's charitable organization Cully's Kids). The ability to produce hard-working, talented players is the hallmark of elite college hockey programs.

Coaching
St. Cloud State started its journey into Div. I with coaching legend Herb Brooks. Coach Brooks presence at St. Cloud State brought the hockey program instant credibility. Coach Brooks also was instrumental in getting the National Hockey Center. Following Brooks, was Coach Craig Dahl who lead the Huskies for nearly two decades and helped the Huskies get their first WCHA Final Five Championship. After Coach Dahl retired, former SCSU player Bob Motzko took over as head coach. In six years, Coach Motzko has already guided the Huskies to four WCHA Final Five appearances (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010), and three NCAA Division I tournament appearances in 2007, 2008 and 2010. St. Cloud State coaches are also highly sought after by many hockey programs as seen this year with former assistant coach Eric Rudd being selected as CC's assistant coach (possibly as a precursor to him taking over as head coach when Scott Owns retires) and former goalie coach Mike Ayers being named goalie coach for the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich. Great coaches help create great players.

Facilites
The National Hockey Center is an awesome place for a hockey game. It's atmosphere is among the nations best. St. Cloud State fills it's arena (annually the buildings average attendance has over 100% capacity--again among the nations highest fill capacity). It's concrete walls...not so great. However, at one time the building itself was also among the best. Once touted for being the first arena to have two Olympic sheets of ice under one roof, it was a thing of beauty. Twenty+ years later, it is time for a facelift. The National Hockey Center should have over $30 million worth of improvements over the next two years. Once it does, the NHC will not only have the atmosphere and fan base of one of the best collegiate hockey arenas in the country, but also the look. 

On to the Future
The future is still very much in the air for the Huskies. Right now, all signs point to the Huskies continuing to play in the WCHA. It is possible that SCSU could join with the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). St. Cloud State's program is the best remaining team in the CCHA and WCHA (arguably even better than some of the teams that have already joined the NCHC) and the NCHC will be looking to get to that magic 8 team conference. Past confrontations with former SCSU administrators and hockey powerhouse UND seem to be the popular answer as to why SCSU isn't already in the NCHC. Not sure how true that is, and I am fairly sure UND will want the strongest conference possible (which one would think includes SCSU).  The benefit for SCSU to join the NCHC would be playing with what is likely to become the strongest conference, possible greater TV exposure, and better recruits who want to play in the NCHC. All those things point to more money. However, if SCSU remains in the WCHA (no matter how it is configured), is likely to be the best team and a top contender every year. Which would bring more wins, more conference championships, and more NCAA appearances/championships. This could inevitably also lead to better recruiting. Again, all those things point to more money. Not that money is what I want college hockey to be all about, but given why this whole shift started (greed) we cannot ignore the significance of bringing in lots of money has. 


The point of this post and (all of these pictures and links) is to remind Husky fans everywhere that no matter what happens Husky Hockey will continue. In my humble opinion, not only will it continue, but it will grow stronger. I am not saying that this major shift in collegiate hockey isn't a big deal....because it is. I am not saying SCSU should just sit by and watch what happens...they are not. I am saying that I trust St. Cloud State will be able to thrive and prosper in whatever conference it ends up in and will remain a great team to cheer for and see some great hockey players and games.

GO HUSKIES!

St. Cloud State will say 'No' to "Super League"

Just in...

According to the St. Cloud Times, St. Cloud State University will say 'No' to any offer to joining the new proposed "Super League". SCSU President Earl H. Potter III said today that, "We expected to be in conversations about being in a new league. But as we looked at it ... we intended to say ‘no.’ " Potter also stated, "We intend to stay in the WCHA and a take a leadership role to continue the legacy of the WCHA." Gino Gasparini, SCSU's special athletics adviser, will attend a meeting next week of representatives of the remaining WCHA schools to continue discussions about the conference’s future.
You can read more of the article here: SCSU won't join hockey super league 

Quick Couple Thoughts:

• Good for St. Cloud State trying to save the legacy that is the WCHA.
• SCSU will likely be the undoubted leader of the WCHA and will be poised to help the nations best, most winning conference continue.
• Two years from now, it is very likely the the WCHA will lose its supremacy in college hockey and St. Cloud and the rest of the member schools will have a difficult time (but not impossible) job of keeping it highly competitive.
• With these new, upcoming confrence changes will new rivlaries start to develop over the next 2 years? I could see some new/ stronger rivalries with Mankato and Bemidji developing.
• St. Cloud should have greater opportunities for conference titles and NCAA appearances in the new WCHA.
• I sure hope St. Cloud, Potter, and Gasparini know what they are doing. I think this is a risky move to automatically say "No" to the "Super Conference" (before even being asked into it) but sometimes a risky move is a right one. I could see this being one of the first decisions in this mess to be made in the best interest of hockey instead of just what is best of a single team.

More to come later...

Go Huskies!!!

Super Conference? What has become of the WCHA?

WCHA: Just got abandoned...

The Story

A lot has happened in college hockey in the last couple days and, unfortunately, it has not been in the best interest of hockey. The WCHA as we know it (the best conference in the nation) may soon cease to exist. It has been known for awhile that the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin were leaving the WCHA for the more lucrative Big 10 Conference. Many, if not most, still believed that the WCHA, with its remaining members, would still be one of the best (if not still the best) conference in the nation as long as we stuck together. Apparently, that was not enough for some WCHA member schools. Rumored to be led by WCHA schools University of Denver and University of North Dakota, the formation of a new "Super Conference" has begun. This new "Super Conference" would consist of member schools North Dakota, Denver, Colorado College, Nebraska-Omaha, Minnesota-Duluth, and Miami (Ohio). Additionally, Notre Dame and an eighth team (possibly St. Cloud State or Western Michigan) could be added this summer. This leaves the so-called “leftover schools" (which I find condescending) St. Cloud State, Minnesota State, Bemidji State, Alaska-Anchorage and Michigan Tech in a difficult situation. No matter how this turns out, it is a dark day in college hockey and for the power-house WCHA.

The Links

Tons of interesting articles and blogs have been written about this new "Super League" and what it means. See some of them below:

• UND will leave WCHA for new league
• Rumors swirl about WCHA
• The Secondary Conference is Official
• WCHA breakup will leave UAA jilted
• ‘Super League’ could mean curtains for the WCHA
• Tsunami Watch: Rise of the Superconference?
• Hockey 'super league' only a rumor, but what about CC? 
• College hockey's shifting will create opportunities
• WCHA breakup imminent?

What it means for St. Cloud State

• St. Cloud could be left with the other five WCHA teams, that leaves them one short of an autobid into NCAA tournament. It is likely that the WCHA would need to find at least one more member. That member could be Notre Dame.
• The CCHA and the WCHA could band together forming a conference that looks like this:

Alaska

Alaska-Anchorage

Bemidji State

Bowling Green

Ferris State

Lake Superior State

Michigan Tech

Minnesota State

Northern Michigan

St. Cloud State

• In the above conference, St. Cloud would be likely the best team.  This means more chances at conference titles and NCAA appearances. (Possibly the one positive thing).
• There is going to be a real economical impact. St. Cloud is in the process of a $30+ million arena renovation. With its major fan support, SCSU has been able to charge between $25-40 per game for conference games last year. Those days would likely be gone...even the best hockey fan is not likely to pay $40 to see Ferris State in these economic times. *Side Note: St. Cloud State Hockey is the only sport to make money for St. Cloud State University. What impact will this have on the University as a whole?
• Part of St. Cloud's recruiting success is based on being in a top league. If St. Cloud does not remain in the top league it may have a hard time recruiting top players (despite the arena renovations, passionate fans, great coaching, etc...)
• If Notre Dame joins the "Super Conference", St. Cloud could join as the 8th member. According to USCHO.com, St. Cloud has higher attendance than "Super Conference" members Minnesota-Duluth, Denver, and Miami. (St. Cloud also has higher attendance than Notre Dame or Western Michigan). Out of ALL "Super League" Teams St. Cloud has the highest capacity percent.
• With St. Cloud's recent hire of Gino Gasparini (of UND fame) as special adviser to our hockey program, you can bet St. Cloud will at least get strong consideration for the new "Super League".

The Conclusion

A lot of fingers could be pointed at "who is to blame" for the collapase of the WCHA (the conference that has the most impressive list of national scale accomplishments of any other sport). You could blame Penn State for starting a hockey program, the Big 10 Conference for taking great hockey programs from their existing conferences, Denver University and University of North Dakota for perusing this new league, the WCHA for poor leadership, or probably a handful of other people. However, at the end of the day, the root of this problem is greed. Greed is what has caused this to happen, and as of yet, I do not think there is a solution. Whatever happens I hope St. Cloud continues, "protecting the interests of St. Cloud State while considering the well-being of college hockey as a whole" and that "St. Cloud State will be a leader in whatever conference it finds itself in after realignment runs its course" (as stated in Rumors swirl about WCHA).

Stay tuned for future developments...

Go Huskies!!!