WCHA Weekend Preview

The University of North Dakota Men’s Hockey team will be playing shorthanded all weekend as they head into their regular season opener for the Brice Alaska Gold Rush in Fairbanks, Alaska. Friday night they will take on the Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves without Captains Andrew MacWilliam, Danny Kristo, Corbyn Knight, and Carter Rowney, who are all serving suspensions. Kristo will also sit out Saturdays game against the Alaska Nancooks along with sophomores Connor Gaarder, Andrew Panzerella, and Stephane Pattyn. Also Sophmore Michael Parks will be out for a few weeks due to injury. Expect big things this year from 2 – time WCHA Preseason rookie of the year Rocco Grimaldi, who scored 2 goals in UND’s exhibition match against the US U-18 team. There will be a big presence in the net this year from Junior transfer Clarke Saunders. Thief River Falls native and former USHL Co-Goaltender of the Year Zane Gothberg is also vowing for the #1 goaltender spot. Gothberg spent his last two seasons with the Fargo Force.

Heading over to the Minnesota side, the Gophers are living up to their USCHO #1 Preseason ranking after sweeping Michigan State. Florida Panther 1^st Round draft pick and this week’s WCHA Offensive Player of the week Nick Bjugstad tallied 3 goals and 2 assists in the sweep. The nationally top ranked Gophers will face their 1^st WCHA opponent this weekend as they look to battle with the Huskies of Michigan Tech on the road. The main question for the Gophers this year is who will be there top goaltender? Patterson saw time in net in almost every single game last year and has since graduated. Between the pipes this year will be a combination of freshman Adam Wilcox and former Benilde-St. Margarets stand out Michael Shibrowski. Shibrowski, a junior, has had some time in net before he transferred from Colorado College after his freshman year.

For the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, rookie Austin Farley is off to a strong start. Farley WCHA rookie of the week honors after netting 2 goals and 4 assists in a series split against Ohio State. However, a series split against un-ranked Ohio State makes a person question a typically strong defensive and top ranked Bulldog team. Lakeville native Aaron Crandall, now in his junior year, should be looked upon as the main goalie for the Bulldogs. UMD will play a 9^th ranked Notre Dame this weekend on the road.

Other play from around the WCHA: The 9^th ranked Denver Pioneers will host Air Force on Friday and Umass on Saturday. For the CC Tigers it’s just the opposite.  St. Cloud State hosts Alabama Huntsville, Bemidji State will host Lake Superior College, Minnesota State – Mankato hosts Rensellear, and Nebraska-Omaha hosts Northern Michigan.

Written by Mark Askelson of R and J Broadcasting Inc.