The WCHA looks to be one of college hockey’s best conferences once again, and that’s no surprise. Though there are plenty of surprises inside the conference, including the continued rise of the Badgers who start the season ranked number one in preseason polls. They’re followed by the Gophers, who have won four of the last five national championships.

But there is plenty of room for competition inside the division below the two behemoths. Here’s a full preview of the 2016-17 WCHA season.

University of Wisconsin Badgers:

Wayzata’s Sophia Shaver (#12) scored twice and added an assist helping lift Wisconsin to a season-opening sweep of St. Cloud State Sept. 23-24. (MHM photo / Jaylynn Nash)

The Badgers enter the season ranked number one in the nation in the preseason USCHO poll. It’s easy to see why. They were dominant last year, emerging as the WCHA regular season champions and WCHA Tournament Champions, and they haven’t lost many key players.

The Badgers return six of their seven top-scoring players, including their top four which featured Annie Pankowski, a Patty Kazmaier Top-10 Finalist who finished seventh overall in points nationwide.

Even more crucial to their ranking is the return of record-setting goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens, who was a Top-3 Patty Kazmaier Finalist, WCHA Player of the Year and set NCAA single-season records for goals-against average (0.76), save percentage (.960), and shutouts (21). That shutout record included a run where the Badgers didn’t allow a goal in 10 hours, 24 minutes and 18 seconds, a stretch that ran from Oct. 3 to Nov. 14.

With Courtney Burke the only key player to depart the program, the Badgers could be even better this season. Desbiens was named the WCHA’s preseason Player of the Year and the Badgers are home to two of the three players who tied for WCHA preseason Rookie of the Year, Presley Norby and Abby Roque.

University of Minnesota Gophers: 

Junior F Kelly Pannek of Plymouth is among those expected to fill the offensive void left by Hannah Brandt’s departure. (MHM Photo / Jaylynn Nash)

The Gophers are a perennial favorite, and they start the season ranked second nationally in the USCHO coaches poll. Despite winning their second straight national title last year — their fourth in five seasons — the Gophers were pretty evenly matched with the Badgers and Boston College Eagles last season. And they may have lost more in graduating players than either team. (Though BC took some serious losses as well.)

Starting goaltender of the last three seasons, Amanda Leveille, graduated and moved on to the NWHL. Annual Patty Kazmaier finalist Hannah Brandt is gone, as is Olympian Amanda Kessel.

It’s a big burden to put on the shoulders of the team’s current leaders, including Olympic defenseman Lee Stecklein, center Kelly Pannek, leading scorer (fifth in the nation by PPG) Dani Cameranesi, and sophomore Sarah Potomak, who was voted USCHO National Rookie of the Year last season.

Additionally, the Gophers have some promising freshman, including Lindsay Agnew who was good in the gophers’ exhibition game against the Minnesota Whitecaps and tied with Norby and Roque for WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year.

A lot may fall on the shoulders of goaltender Sidney Peters, a junior, who has been with the team under Amanda Leveille for three years. If she’s up to the task of filling Leveille’s skates the Gophers could easily make another run, but it will be tough. Last season, they split their matches with the Badgers, going 2-2-0 during the regular season. The Badgers beat the Gophers in the WCHA Championship, then the Gophers beat the Badgers (in overtime, no less) at the Frozen Four to advance to the national championship. They remain a powerhouse, but not without competitors.

University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks:

With no first-place votes, North Dakota takes a distant third to Minnesota and Wisconsin in the WCHA preseason coaches poll. However, they rank sixth in the nation, which shows just how strong Minnesota and Wisconsin are this year.

Senior forward Amy Menke will be one of their key players to watch this season, as will senior Halli Krzyzaniak, whose all-around play doesn’t come through on the score sheet but is strong enough to earn her a spot on the Canadian national team and a 16^th overall selection in the 2016 NWHL Draft.

Goaltending could be weaker than last year with the graduation of All-American Shelby Amsley-Benzie, owner of almost every goaltending record in school history. UND’s success was in no small part due to her .930 save percentage in 31 games last season. That follows on the heels of a 28-game run in her junior year with a .952 save percentage.

Senior Lexie Shaw will take over in net and while coach Brian Idalski isn’t concerned about her ability to take the reins, she hasn’t seen much game action behind the heavy workload shouldered by Amsley-Benzie. Shaw played just 13 total games over the last two seasons.

North Dakota was the only team in the conference that beat the Badgers and Gophers last season. With a large number of returning players, no one is taking them lightly.

University Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs:

Scoring shouldn’t be an issue for UMD but questions remain regarding blue line depth and goaltending as the 2016-17 season gets underway. (File photo by Dave Harwig / Special to MHM)

The Bulldogs finished sixth in the WCHA last season, but that masks what a tough schedule they had. They proved that by upsetting number three-ranked Bemidji in the WCHA Tournament’s quarterfinals.

They’ll enter this season ranked fourth in the WCHA and though they’re outside the top 10 nationally, they did receive votes. This season’s schedule isn’t going to be any easier, though. The team starts with a non-conference series against Boston College, who lost only one game last year. That was the national championship against the Gophers.

The Bulldogs only graduated three players from last season. They’ll benefit from the return of Ashleigh Brykaliuk, who ranked 10^th in the nation in points per game at 1.27. Unfortunately, key contributors Michela Cava and goaltender Kayla Black were two of the graduating players.

Duluth should be able to score, but their defense and goaltending have questions yet to be answered. Highly talented defensemen Sidney Morin and Jessica Healey are back, but the defenders after those two are going to have to step up and support their forwards.

The team is also expecting a lot out of sophomore goaltender Maddie Rooney, a Duluth-native who is going to be in her first season as the number one goaltender. Last season she went 5-12 with a 3.18 goals-against average and an .899 save percentage. She and Black both started 19 games last season, though Black’s 2.47 goals-against average and .919 save percentage looked much better.

Bemidji State Beavers:

Bemidji State’s Brittni Mowat has been a stalwart tin the BSU net and the senior goaltender gives the Beavers a chance night in and night out. (MHM Photo / Jaylynn Nash)

Bemidji State will be looking to grow once again this year. Last season, they set a school record with 22 wins but suffered a disappointing upset at the hands of Duluth in the WCHA Tournament. Nonetheless, continued growth could be on the docket.

They’ve been selected to finish fifth in the conference this year by the USCHO poll, but they’ve got some challenges ahead of them. They graduated nine players, including five of their top seven in total points and four of their top six goal scorers.

Senior goaltender Brittni Mowat was a First Team All-American in 2014-15, and will again be a key to Bemidji becoming more than the sum of their parts. Led by Mowat and defenseman Madison Hutchison their back-end is where their strength lies, and that’s a big reason they received the most votes in the national poll among teams sitting outside the top 10.

But scoring is going to be an issue. The top-end talent is gone and they’re going to need their seven freshmen, including forwards Kiki Radke and Haley Mack, to get into the swing of things fast if they’re going to be competitive.

St. Cloud State Huskies:

St. Cloud Sate looks to ride last season’s momentum to even greater heights in 2016-17. (St. Cloud Stat University Athletics photo)

St. Cloud is coming off the program’s best season since 2009-10, which, in the preseason coaches poll, was only enough to keep them floating above Ohio State and Minnesota State at the bottom of the WCHA. In his second season coaching the program, Eric Rud will look to keep pushing up the standings.

The future is getting brighter with the team’s top returning scorer being sophomore forward and 2015-16 All-WCHA Rookie Team honoree Julia Tylke. She put up nine goals and 24 points last year, the most by an SCSU rookie since the 2006-07 season when Holly Roberts and Caitlin Hogan hit 35 and 29, respectively.

However, they’ve lost 40 percent of their goals from last season to graduation, which could hit the team hard. That includes their only point per game player in Molly Illikainen.

They also lost starting goaltender Katie Fitzgerald, now with the New York Riveters of the NWHL, to graduation. The battle for number one will be between former Union goaltender Madeleine Dahl, sophomore Taylor Crosby (who stopped 49 of 52 Badger shots in an opening weekend loss), and freshman Janine Adler, who won a bronze medal in 2014 as the goaltender of the Swiss national team at the Sochi Olympics.

Their biggest asset may be that they are returning six of seven defensemen, making for a seamless transition in front of a fluid goaltending situation. That instant defensive chemistry will be an asset to whoever grabs the starting job in St. Cloud, even if it winds up being more of an even split between Dahl and Crosby.

Ohio State Buckeyes: 

It’s a time of significant transition for the Buckeyes. They’ve had yet another coach move on. Incoming head coach Nadine Muzerall — Ohio’s third head coach in three years — was previously an assistant with the Gophers and was a significant part of the recruitment process there. That experience could bode well for the future. As could the addition of former Bulldog forward Jessica Koizumi to the coaching staff. To take the position, Koizumi retired from the NWHL, where she gained valuable experience and some insight that could be valuable to incoming recruits.

However, that’s all down the road. This year could be tough sledding. It probably would have been anyhow, but the team lost leading scorer Claudia Kepler, who will red shirt with the Badgers this year, then join them for the 2016-17 season. Kepler is one of five underclassmen who left the program.

Yet, there’s hope for the future in Ohio and not just because of a coaching staff that could get things moving in the right direction. Goaltender Kassidy Sauve is back. She was the WCHA’s top rookie goaltender two seasons ago but missed last season due to injury. Defenseman Jincy Dunne had to redshirt last year due to injury, but is a highly regarded rookie and even received a vote for preseason Rookie of the Year. Additionally, sophomore Jacyn Reeves has transferred from Union and could help bring a little more offense to the table in the absence of Kepler.

They’re a program on the rise, but it could be a tough year for the Buckeyes.

Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks:

Sophomore F Emily Antony of Plymouth will be looked upon to build on her offensive output from her rookie campaign in Mankato. (MHM Photo / Jaylynn Nash)

The Mavericks had a bad 2015-16 season. They didn’t win a single game against a conference opponent and predictably start the season ranked at the bottom of the WCHA.

Second-year coach John Harrington will have a challenge on his hands to get improvement from the team with leading scorer Katie Johnson departing the program. Scoring was the team’s biggest issue last year already.

But senior goaltender Brianna Quade is back. She was pivotal in the success they did have last year, posting an .899 save percentage in 35 games.

All told, they’re returning 18 players including promising sophomore Emily Antony, who will have to shoulder more offensive responsibility this season after scoring six goals and 16 points last year.

The Mavericks also need freshman Sofia Poinar to help solve their scoring woes. The Chanhassen-native was a strong scorer in high school and the team will hope she adapts to the college game quickly.

The post WCHA Women’s Preview appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Kuehl scores twice as Buckeyes rally to tie Gopher women

MINNEAPOLIS- Friday night had all the markings of a trap game for the University of Minnesota women. It wasn’t, but the end result left the Gophers wanting more than two points in front of 2,340 fans at Ridder Arena.

A week away from traveling to North Dakota and ending the regular season with series against Minnesota-Duluth and Bemidji State, the two-game home series against fifth-place (out of eight teams) Ohio State featured an opponent that had won 6 of the last 8 games and 9-3-1 on the road.

By the end of the game Minnesota head coach Brad Frost’s voice was shot yelling at his players and the officials.

The Buckeyes’ persistence despite missing several early attempts paid off down the stretch in the series opener. Down 3-1 senior forward Taylor Kuehl, a Minnetrista, Minn. native,  scored twice for the Buckeyes Friday night.

Her second goal, tying the game at 3 with 3:16 remaining in regulation, proved to be the difference in a 3-3 tie where Ohio State was out-shot 32-28 yet had a 9-7 advantage in the third period.

“They were a lot more aggressive than teams we have played recently,” said junior forward Hannah Brandt about OSU after snapping a 12-game point streak Friday. “Their forecheck was a lot faster I guess. We just have to be more prepared for it tomorrow.”

Minnesota (23-1-4, 16-1-4-2 WCHA) took the extra league point in the shootout when Brandt, Milicia McMillen and Dani Cameranesi all scored. Junior goaltender Amanda Leveille, who made 25 saves in regulation and forced Claudia Kepler to shoot wide on a first period shorthanded breakaway, stopped Julianna Iafallo with a diving toe save for her second consecutive shootout win.

“When you win the shootout you feel like you’ve kind of won the game. You certainly feel better than when you lose the shootout,” said Frost. “At the same time we gave up a two goal lead there so there’s some hollowness to it as well.”

Both teams wasted no time off Friday with two goals and a major penalty in the opening 3:21.

Meghan Lorence got Minnesota on the board 90 seconds into the game when her rebound shot got past Ohio State goaltender Stacy Danczak. 76 seconds later Danielle Gagne tossed a change-up on OSU’s first shot that hit the crossbar and sat down on the wrong side of the red line for the Gophers.

Gagne’s night lasted less than another minute. The 5’6” senior was sent off for checking from behind, giving the Gophers a chance to re-take the lead.  Minnesota only had one shot on the five minute major, which turned into a 5×3 when Kara Gust was called for checking, but made the most of it. Redshirt sophomore defenseman Lee Stecklein scored her second of the season on a shot from the top of the slot.

Minnesota freshman Cara Piazza took a pass in stride from linemate Brook Garzone 4:33 into the second period and was rewarded with her ninth goal of the season.

“I just hear Cara on my left and she was wide open. So I just passed it over to her,” said Garzone. “It was a great shot. I was screaming so loud for her.”

The lead wasn’t to be, though. Kuehl made it a 3-2 game eight minutes later when her shot on the power play found its way through traffic.

Ohio State had multiple chances before the goal as the Gophers were unable to clear the puck out of the zone.

“We had three chances to clear it and we became part of the power play by making some good passes to their point,” said Frost.

The Gophers killed a 22 second two-man disadvantage early in the third period, turning what could have been a change in momentum with a one-goal lead into one for the home team. Sara Schmitt came close with a shot off the crossbar, but was reviewed and upheld.

Garzone brought the physical play, sticking up for Leveille late with self-described “crazy eyes” and getting in Julia McKinnon’s face when McKinnon shot the puck after a whistle. Kuehl scored during the 4×4. Despite the efforts of Cameranesi in overtime to bury a winner, first-place Minnesota dropped a point in the WCHA standings.

“Definitely not what we were hoping for especially being up. You never want to let a team back into a game like that,” said Brandt. “It was great to get the extra point, but we’re definitely not satisfied with that game and know we have to come out harder tomorrow.”

Still, Frost sees the game against Ohio State as a reminder for his team to play a more consistent, sixty-minute game before tomorrow’s rematch.

“That’s the hope. Certainly Ohio State is a very, very good team. They’re fighting to get in the top-four of our league and they’re flirting with the top-10 of the Pairwise,” Frost said. “It’s just going to continue to ramp up.

“We’re playing some great teams down the stretch and this is a great way to prepare for it.”

The post Minnesotan leads OSU comeback appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Menke, a sophomore from Shakopee, Minn., led North Dakota with four points during a weekend sweep of Bemidji State. She tallied three goals and one assist, including her team-leading third game-winning goal of the season in Saturday’s 4-1 victory. After the Beavers opened the second period of Saturday’s game with a 1-0 lead, Menke scored twice in the period, including a shorthanded goal, to put UND on top for good. She then followed that performance with a goal and an assist during Sunday’s 5-1 triumph. Menke finished the weekend with a +4 rating and currently leads UND with nine goals this season.

Also nominated: Hannah Brandt, Jr., F, Minnesota; Zoe Hickel, Sr., F, Minnesota Duluth; Karley Sylvester, Sr., F, Wisconsin

WCHA Defensive Player of the Week
Brigette Lacquette – Senior, Defenseman
University of Minnesota Duluth

Lacquette had a five-point weekend, including a hat trick of power-play goals last Friday night, to help No. 6 Minnesota Duluth sweep a WCHA road series at Minnesota State. The senior from Mallard, Manitoba scored in each period Friday night to tie a UMD record for most power-play goals in a game, while also adding an assist for a four-point night. She also excelled on the defensive side of the ice during a pair of UMD shutouts, anchoring a penalty-kill unit that kept the Mavericks scoreless in six power-play attempts. Currently training with Team Canada until this Friday, Lacquette ranks eighth nationally with five power-play goals and eighth among scoring defenseman with 19 points (6g, 13a).

Also nominated: Shelby Amsley-Benzie, Jr., G, North Dakota; Ann-Renée Desbiens, So., G, Wisconsin; Shyler Sletta, Sr., G, Minnesota

WCHA Rookie of the Week
Annie Pankowski – Freshman, Forward
University of Wisconsin

Pankowski recorded her second career hat trick to give No. 4 Wisconsin a 4-0 victory over No. 7 Clarkson on Sunday. The freshman from Laguna Hills, Calif. broke a scoreless tie against the defending national champions with two second-period goals, before notching a third-period tally that iced the 350th career victory for Badgers’ head coach Mark Johnson. Pankowski finished the weekend with a +3 rating and now has 12 goals, 16 assists and 28 points on the season. She is tied for second nationally among freshmen with an average of 1.12 points per game.

Also nominated: Nina Rodgers, F, Minnesota

The post WCHA honors Shakopee’s Menke, UMD’s Lacquette appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

U.S. College Hockey Online released its Division I women’s poll today with little change affecting the WCHA this week. Boston College (23-0-1) maintained its stranglehold on the No. 1 spot in capturing all 15 first-place-votes.

Minnesota (23-1-3) and Minnesota Duluth (17-6-3) held firm at No. 2 and No. 6, respectively, while Wisconsin (19-4-3) moved up from fourth to take over the third spot from Quinnipiac which fell to fifth.

North Dakota’s sweep of Bemidji State earned UND consideration and cost the Beavers some voter confidence although BSU did still receive one vote.

USCHO.com Division I Women’s Poll

January 26, 2015

1. Boston College (15)
2. Minnesota
3. Wisconsin
4. Harvard
5. Quinnipiac
6. Minnesota-Duluth
7. Boston University
8. Clarkson
9. Lawrence
10. Cornell

Others receiving votes: Mercyhurst 4, North Dakota 3, Bemidji State 1.

The post USCHO DI women’s poll released appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Beavers get a fresh start under new coach Jim Scanlan

Everything is new.

That’s how new Bemidji State University women’s hockey coach Jim Scanlan summarized his team in his opening remarks to the media last week in his WCHA preseason teleconference debut.

Everything is indeed new at BSU with Scanlan barely three months removed from replacing the retired Steve Sertich behind the Bemidji State bench after previously serving as girls’ hockey coach at East Grand Forks High School. Bemidji State players, both returning and new, must now adjust to their new coach’s message and style of play. There is also the Beavers’ shiny new 2-0 record, a program first, after last weekend’s season-opening road sweep of Robert Morris, a ranked team much of last season.

“It’s kind of a unique situation getting on board so late,” said Scanlan who was hired June 17, long after BSU players had departed Minnesota’s north woods for the summer. “I really didn’t get a chance to meet most of the team until they came up here for the start of the year, other than phone calls and emails and things like that.”

Scanlan credits assistant coaches Amber Fryklund and Shane Veenker with being instrumental in easing his transition. Although BSU players and staff have had limited time together so far, the Beavers have impressed Scanlan early on with their work ethic.

“The girls come to work every day and I’ve got to give a shout out to Steve Sertich for that,” Scanlan said. “I think that’s a direct result of him and what he brought to this program and he certainly recruited every one of these players.

“For all the players, they have a new set of eyes on them so it’s really kind of a fresh start for them in terms of maybe what their role could be.”

Junior F Stephanie Anderson is a player singled out by BSU coach Jim Scanlan as someone who has stepped up her game early on this season. (Photo / Bemidji State University Athletics)

Scanlan pointed out that his upperclassmen have really stepped forward early on, especially up front as 79 percent of Bemidji State’s scoring is back. He specifically mentioned redshirt junior Stephanie Anderson (North St. Paul, Minn.), who scored twice against Robert Morris last weekend, and junior Kaitlyn Tougas (Thunder Bay, Ont.) who led BSU in points (22), assists (14) and goals (8) as a sophomore and chipped in a goal and an assist of her own against the Colonials.

Questions need to be answered on the blue line where three of Scanlan’s seven defensemen are freshmen. But he’s been impressed with sophomore Carley Esse (Cloquet, Minn.) whom he labeled an intelligent player who plays to her strengths and says the Beavers will be counting on junior Ivana Bilic (Coquitlam, B.C.) to play a lead role on defense.

“She’s got tremendous skills and she could certainly be an [All-WCHA] type of player for us,” Scanlan said of Bilic, whose two assists and +4 plus/minus rating against RMU have already earned her WCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Bemidji State appears set in goal with the return of last season’s All-WCHA Rookie Team goaltender, sophomore Brittni Mowat (Glenboro, Manitoba). Mowatt set BSU program marks for the most wins (10), games played (33), minutes (1888:34), goals against average (2.45) and save percentage (.918) by a freshman.

Scanlan said last week he also intends to give redshirt freshman G Erin Deters (Sartell, Minn.) some playing time this season, a pledge he has already made good on just two games into the season. Deters made 29 saves in her collegiate debut in Saturday’s 3-1 over Robert Morris.

“Ideally, if you have two goalies you can count on that certainly helps,” Scanlan said. “But at some point and time obviously you need a No. 1 and when that time comes, we’ll certainly settle on that.”

Scanlan says it has been fun to witness, in such a short amount of time, the way his freshmen have acclimated themselves and blended with the upperclassmen under their positive leadership.

“They’re coming together as a team and for us to be successful that’s going to be first and foremost because, obviously, the league is the best in the country — some outstanding teams, some outstanding coaches — so we know that every single night it’s going to be a battle but we’re looking forward to it and we’re excited to get started.”

BSU opens its 2014-15 home schedule this weekend with a rare split series against University of Vermont and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

Bemidji State Beavers

2013-14 Final Ranking: N/A (USCHO) / N/A (USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine)

2013-14 overall record: 11-21-4

2013-14 WCHA record: 8-17-3-2

2013-14 Conference Finish:  Sixth

2013-14 Postseason Finish: Lost WCHA first-round series to North Dakota 2-0

2014-15 predicted finish: Seventh (2014-15 WCHA Head Coaches’ Preseason Poll)

Tough Skates to Fill: F Tess Dusik, D Allie, Duellman, D Danielle Williams

Impact Returnees: F Kaitlyn Tougas, F Kristine Grenier, F Rachael Kelly, D Ivana Bilic, D Madison Hutchinson, G Brittni Mowat

Key Additions: Head coach Jim Scanlan, F Ciscely Nelson, D Alexis Joyce, G Erin Deters

Why the Beavers will exceed expectations: The players buy into what Scanlan is selling and BSU’s veteran forwards build on their production from last season while Mowatt has another solid season between the pipes.

Why the Beavers will fall short of expectations: With a 35-game schedule which includes 22 contests against teams that were ranked in the USCHO.com national poll last season, the Beavers’ inexperienced defensive corps will be put to the test on a regular basis.

The post DI Women’s Preview: Bemidji State appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Mavericks looking to climb the WCHA ladder.

The Minnesota State University, Mankato women’s hockey team didn’t have quite the season they were hoping for in 2013-2014, but there is reason to be optimistic about the future. Although the Mavericks lost eight girls in the offseason, they bring in 13 newcomers this winter.

“We have a very young hockey team this year,” Head Coach Eric Means said. “We have 13 freshmen, so we have some new faces.”

With all the new faces, it may be a tough go of it for the first part of the season while these freshmen settle in and get used to the speed of the college game. The Mavs have been toward the bottom of the WCHA for some time now, but with a large freshmen class coming in, it could be a possible recipe for future success.

“We are getting a good interjection of youth to go along with some good veterans,” Means said. “When you look at our scoring chart last year it was senior dominated, we’re going to have to score by committee through everyone else.”

Junior Erin Kirchiver will be given every opportunity to fill the void left behind by the departure of Danielle Butters according to coach Eric Means. (Photo / MSU Athletics)

While the Mavs will need to find some new goal scorers up front, there is one that is perhaps ready to fill that void. Senior forward Kathleen Rogan posted 21 points last season on 11 goals and 10 assists, and is climbing the all-time scoring charts at MSU.

The biggest void to fill for MSU, though, is between the pipes. Goaltender Danielle Butters graduated last spring after having a career season in net, posting a stingy .924 save percentage over 30 games played. Butters was the no. 1 goalie for the Mavericks the past two seasons, and often saw over 30 shots per game. Junior Erin Kirchiver is expected to take over that role after seeing little time the past two seasons.

Kirchiver went 4-2-1 last season with a .943 save percentage and an impressive 1.93 goals against average, showing she is a very capable replacement for Butters.

“This should be her job to lose,” said Means. “I’ve always been a coach that believes in playing the no. 1 as long as she’s playing like no. 1 in this league.”

MSU kicks off their season on Oct. 10th at home versus the University of North Dakota. Puck drop is slated for a 7:07 p.m. start at All Seasons Arena in Mankato.

Minnesota State Mavericks

2013-14 Final Ranking: N/A (USCHO) / N/A (USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine)

2013-14 overall record: 13-23-1

2013-14 WCHA record: 7-20-1

2013-14 Conference Finish: 7th

2013-14 Postseason Finish: Lost WCHA first-round series to Wisconsin 2-1

2014-15 predicted finish: 6th (2014-2015 Head Coaches’ preseason poll)

Tough Skates to Fill: F Nicole Germaine, F Kari Lundberg, D/F Lauren Barnes, G Danielle Butters

Impact Returnees: F Kathleen Rogan, D Shelby Monteyunas, G Erin Kirchiver

Key Additions: F Nicole Schammel, D Victoria Lovdal, D Emma Wittchow

Why the Mavericks will exceed expectations: The youth of the Mavericks may cause some teams to underestimate their talent. The Mavs look to be strong in goal and on the blueline, which could cause some frustration for the high scoring teams around the WCHA

Why the Mavericks will fall short of expectations: A lack of scoring could be an issue for MSU, as well as having 13 freshmen inserted into the lineup could take some time for this young team to get up to speed.

The post DI Women’s Preview: Minnesota State appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Bulldogs hope major roster shakeup has desired effect on team chemistry.

The Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs entered the 2013-14 season with plenty of reason for optimism but never lived up to that promise as a number of players fell short of expectations. UMD coach Shannon Miller felt she needed to make some roster moves in order to make her team a legitimate contender this season.

And pretty major ones at that.

Seven rostered Bulldogs were cut in the offseason and Miller brought in nine new faces while bringing two back from a season ago.

“We had to make some changes because those people didn’t belong in our Division I program and it was hurting our chemistry and hurting our performance,” Miller said. “We made the changes we had to make, brought in kids that are really good. Good athletes that want to be at a winning D1 program and want to help us win.”

Returning defenseman Brigette Lacquette spent the majority of last year embedded with Team Canada in preparation for the Olympic Games but returns this weekend in time for UMD’s series with WCHA rival Wisconsin. Fellow senior Brienna Gillanders returned to the ice this past weekend against Connecticut after sitting out most of the previous season with an ACL injury.

A source of apprehension for the Bulldogs is goaltending. UMD starter Kayla Black has been known to stand on her head when needed, but with her injury history there will be plenty of concern if she goes down. Backup net-minder Karissa Grapp has started only a handful of games, and while she’s played fairly well in them, she has yet to prove herself as a legitimate starter.

The Bulldogs will rely on a mix of veterans and newcomers for success this season. Minnesota-Duluth returns four of its top five leading scorers including senior wingers Zoe Hickel and Jenna McParland. Hickel will lead the team as co-captain with fellow senior, and Duluth native, Emma Stauber.

Stauber said that she saw good team chemistry in the early practices before the start of the season and that one key to her team’s success this season will be the leadership of the upperclassmen.

“We have big sisters and little sisters,” Stauber said. “So we’re paired up with one of the new girls and are just someone else they can rely on or come to with questions.”

2013-14 Final Ranking: N/A (USCHO) / N/A (USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine)

2013-14 overall record: 15-15-6

2013-14 WCHA record: 11-11-6-4

2013-14 Conference Finish:  Fourth

2013-14 Postseason Finish: Lost to Minnesota 4-1 in WCHA Final Face-off

2014-15 predicted finish: Third (2014-15 WCHA Head Coaches’ Preseason Poll)

Tough Skates to Fill: Jamie Kenyon F

Impact Returnees:  Zoe Hickel F, Jenna McParland F, Emma Stauber D, Brigette Lacquette D

Key Additions: Jessica Healey D, Michelle Lowenheilm F, Maria Lindh F

Why the Bulldogs will exceed expectations:  With seven graduating seniors, the current Bulldogs are on the clock if they want to win a National Championship and they know it. With both Brigette Lacquette and Brienna Gillanders returning for their final seasons, the Bulldogs are hungry and ready to make a long post season run.

Why the Bulldogs will fall short of expectations: With the addition of so many fresh faces, the Bulldogs could run in to trouble when it comes to offensive production and dealing with adversity without a whole lot of experience. Every year the Bulldogs coaches seem to be high on the team they have to work with, but the closest UMD has come to competing for a National Championship was 2011, a loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The post DI Women’s Preview: Minnesota-Duluth appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Goals are the goal for the Huskies in 2014-15

It’s been a rough go of it for the SCSU women’s hockey team the past four years, accumulating a 13-94-7 record, with a stamp of 1-33-1 on the 2010-11 season, a program worst.

Changes have been made in hopes of cultivating a new reputation for the red and black, with the biggest transition being made behind the bench. Eric Rud rejoins the SCSU family, taking a new role as head women’s hockey coach after his time as assistant with the men’s team from 2005-2010.

“We want to give our young women a chance to start fresh,” Rud said. “There hasn’t been a ton of success around here and really wanted to let them showcase themselves early.”

The Huskies kicked off their season with an exhibition match against the Toronto Aeors, which resulted in a 3-0 victory. While the game was against a junior team, SCSU’s offense looked to have a much bigger spark than last year, including breaking out of the defensive zone with ease and more dynamic, small area passing in the offensive zone.

“We want to give our young women a chance to start fresh,” Rud said. “There hasn’t been a ton of success around here and really wanted to let them showcase themselves early.”

“The big question mark for us is to who’s going to step up and become an offensive threat.”

Coming into the 2014-15 campaign the Huskies will need to find new scorers. With last years graduating class notching 56 percent of the points, and Molli Mott and Julia Gilbert accounting for just under 40 percent of SCSU’s goals and assists last season, somebody will have to step up.

Abby Ness, a stand out high school player had a solid freshman year at SCSU, but has slowed since, regardless that she put up over 100 shots on net last season. Arguably the best scoring threat for the Huskies is an offensive minded defenseman in Audrey Hamner, who put up over 150 shots in the 2014 campaign, but netted only two goals.

The strength of the Huskies comes on the blue paint, with the goalies and defensemen. Julie Friend returns in goal for the Huskies holding a 2.75 GAA and a .926 save percentage, impressive considering she saw over 37 shots a game. Though the defense lost Michelle Burke, they picked up Providence transfer defenseman Lexi Slattery and freshman recruit Brittney Anderson, who both had solid outings against Toronto.

The puck drops on the Husky season Friday, Oct. 3, where they match up against Boston University at Minneapolis’s Ridder Arena and Penn State the following afternoon.

St. Cloud State Huskies

2013-14 Final Ranking: N/A (USCHO) / N/A (USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine)

2013-14 overall record: 4-27-5

2013-14 WCHA record: 3-21-4-2

2013-14 Conference Finish: Eighth

2013-14 Postseason Finish: Lost WCHA first-round series to Minnesota 2-0

2014-15 predicted finish: Eighth (2014-15 WCHA Head Coaches’ Preseason Poll)

Tough Skates to Fill: F Molli Mott, F Julia Gilbert, D Michelle Burke

Impact Returnees: D Audrey Hamner, F Abby Ness, G Julie Friend

Key Additions: D Lexi Slattery, D Brittney Anderson, F Molly Illikainen, F Mackenzie Johnson.

Why the Huskies will exceed expectations: It all comes down whether they can find some offensive production. This has been the issue over the past few years, but with new additions and a new mindset behind the bench, we could see some transitions in the Huskies’ offense. It seems elementary, but they have to score to win, averaging only 1.3 goals/game last season, there’s definitely room for improvement.

Why the Huskies will fall short of expectations:

Expectations are such that there is truly nowhere to go but up for this program but things are pointing in that direction.

The post DI Women’s Preview: St. Cloud State appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Beaver alum Jim Scanlan hired to lead BSU’s women’s program.

Bemidji State University Director of Athletics Tracy Dill today announced the school has hired East Grand Forks High School athletic director and head girls hockey coach Jim Scanlan to fill its vacant women’s head coaching position. Scanlan was selected from an impressive list of fellow finalists in former Minnesota State men’s hockey coach Troy Jutting, current Bemidji State women’s assistant Amber Fryklund and Minnesota State women’s assistant coach Brett Bruininks to become the school’s fifth women’s head hockey coach.

“We are really excited to have Jim on board as the new women’s hockey coach here at BSU,” commented Dill. “He brings a wealth of experience, not only at the collegiate level, but also a tremendous amount of success at the high school level. More importantly, he has a deep love for Bemidji State University and I really believe he will do a great job on the recruiting scene and will continue to move our women’s hockey program forward.”

“I am extremely humbled to be given this opportunity,” said Scanlan. “I don’t think there is any other place I would have tried to get back into coaching at this level.

“Bemidji State has meant so much to my family and me. Now to be able to come back and work here as the head women’s hockey coach is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” He added, “It’s really, really special.”

A two-time All-American goaltender for the Beavers from 1978-82 who helped lead BSU to a pair of national titles as a player, Scanlan replaces Steve Sertich who retired on March 17 following an eight-year run guiding the Beavers. Scanlan brings a wealth of hockey coaching experience—both men’s and women’s—with him back to Bemidji.

Scanlan, on the bench as his East Grand Forks team took on Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato in the class 1A quarterfinal game at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Wednesday, February 19, 2014. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

He recently capped off his sixth season at the helm of the East Grand Forks High School girls team by leading the Green Wave to the Minnesota state tournament for the first time in program history and a runner-up finish to The Blake School. Scanlan, who was named the 2014 Minnesota Class A Coach of the Year, compiled a 110-51-6 (.677) record leading the EGF girls’ program.

As coach of the EGF boys from 1996-2005, he went 148-109-15 (.572) and led them to four trips to St. Paul (1989, 1999, 2001 and 2002). Prior to that, Scanlan served as an assistant coach at North Dakota (1989-96) and Michigan Tech (1985-89).

Scanlan graduated from Bemidji State in 1985 with a degree in physical education and health. He later earned a master’s degree in physical education with an emphasis in athletic administration from Western Michigan University in 1988.

As a collegiate goaltender, Scanlan played for legendary R.H. “Bob” Peters at Bemidji State from 1978-1982. A four-year letterwinner, the captain was in net 85 times, logging a career record of 62-19-0, while backstopping the Beavers to a NCHA regular season title in 1982 and four consecutive trips to the NAIA national tournament, including national titles in 1979 and 1980. The NCHA Player of the Year in 1982, Scanlan was selected as an NAIA All-American to conclude the 1980-81 and 1981-82 seasons. Scanlan also left his mark on the BSU goaltending records. He remains amongst the top ten in six major goaltending categories. He is fifth on BSU’s save percentage list (.907), eighth in goals against average (2.821), is third on BSU’s goaltending victories list (62), ranks sixth on the Beavers’ career saves list (2,211) and his 4,807 minutes in net stand eighth in Beaver hockey history. In addition, only one goaltender in the 58 years of Bemidji State hockey has accumulated more shutouts during his career than Scanlan’s nine. Was enshrined into the Bemidji State Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the 1978-79 and 1979-80 men’s hockey teams, Scanlan was named as one of the Bemidji State men’s hockey program’s 50 Legends for 50 Years in 2005-06.

Scanlan’s wife Cyndy is also a Bemidji State graduate and the couple have three grown children: Briana, a former BSU soccer player and 2012 graduate, Jaclyn, a senior soccer player at North Dakota State University and Joey, who is an incoming freshman at BSU.

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