The WCHA race is starting to take shape as conference play begins in earnest. Michigan Tech’s undefeated start has established the Huskies as the class of the league, but Minnesota State and Bowling Green have shown they’re more than up for a title fight.

Those three teams sit within two points of each other at the top of the conference standings. Northern Michigan might also have a say in the race to the top before all is said and done, but the Wildcats will have to prove themselves against tougher opponents.

For the league as a whole, it has been about as good a start as first-year commissioner Bill Robertson could have hoped for the re-building league. The WCHA has three teams in the top-10 and four teams in the top-15 in winning percentage, which is tied with Hockey East for most among the six conferences, and WCHA players lead the country in nine different statistical categories.

Most importantly for Robertson, whose stated goal in the preseason was to get more teams into the national tournament, is that four teams rank in the top-16 of the PairWise rankings in the (very) early going — No. 1 Michigan Tech, No. 3 Minnesota State, No. 11 Bowling Green, and No. 13 Northern Michigan. I want to stress the “it’s early” part, but it’s a promising sign nonetheless for the WCHA as it tries to build itself back up.

(After the jump: Previewing this weekend’s match-ups)

Match-Up of the Week: No. 5 Michigan Tech (8-0-0, 6-0-0 WCHA) at Bemidji State (3-5-0, 2-2-0)

The No. 5 Huskies and Beavers meet in Bemidji for a showdown of two the WCHA’s most potent offenses as Michigan Tech looks to continue its historic run to start the season.

History tells us we should see a close series this weekend as five of the last six meetings between the Huskies and Beavers have gone to overtime.

At 8-0-0, Tech is off to its best start in 42 years and is the lone remaining undefeated team in the country. It’s done a bit of everything well this season, ranking No. 2 in the conference in both scoring offense (3.50) and defense (1.12) – the Huskies’ average score differential of 2.38 leads the nation – and junior goaltender Jamie Phillips has emerged as an elite puck-stopper.

Michigan Tech heads on the road this weekend, where it has played well this season. The Huskies are 4-0-0 away from home, including sweeps at Lake Superior State and Ferris State. However, MTU has dropped four of six games all-time in Bemidji.

The Beavers have been good at the Sanford Center in three games this year. BSU is averaging four goals per game against 1.67 goals allowed in its barn and swept its only conference series there this season, beating Alaska 6-1 and 4-3 in overtime.

Last season’s leading scorer for Bemidji, junior forward Cory Ward, is starting to catch fire. After tallying just one point in the team’s first five games, the Las Vegas native has three points (2+1) in the last two. If he continues to get himself going, it’d be an extra boost to a Bemidji offense that’s clicking. The Beavers rank third in the WCHA at 3.38 goals per game.

To compete with Michigan Tech, they’ll have to shore up their blue line, however. BSU ranks second-to-last in the league in giving up nearly four goals per game.

Player to Watch: Malcolm Gould, Michigan Tech junior forward

The North Vancouver, British Colombia, native has been on fire for the Huskies since the season started.

With three goals and seven points in just seven games this year, Gould is almost halfway to matching his career point total. He tallied three points (1+2) in Michigan Tech’s sweep of Alaska Anchorage last weekend and is riding a four-game point streak in which he has two goals and five points. Overall, he’s registered at least one point in six of seven games played this season.

Around the League

Ohio State (2-5-1) vs. No. 19 Bowling Green (7-2-1, 5-1-0)

No. 19 Bowling Green seeks to continue the WCHA’s success in non-conference play in a home and home series with Ohio State.

WCHA teams have dominated Big Ten competition this season, winning nine of 13 games.

Bowling Green has looked like a legitimate NCAA Tournament threat, reflected by the program receiving its first national ranking in seven years. Since falling, 3-2, at Miami (OH) on Oct. 12, the Falcons are 6-1-1 and are outscoring opponents, 27-17. Underclassmen scoring has been a big part of BGSU’s emergence, but it is getting solid play between the pipes from junior Tommy Burke as well. Burke is the reigning WCHA Defensive Player of the Week after turning away 62-of-66 shots in Bowling Green’s road sweep of Alaska last weekend.

Sophomore forwards Matt Pohlkamp and Kevin Dufour lead the offense. The duo has at least a point each in seven of the Falcons’ 10 games and the team is 5-1-1 in those contests.

Alaska Anchorage (4-4-2, 1-3-0) at Ferris State (4-5-0, 1-3-0)

Ferris State welcomes Alaska Anchorage to Big Rapids for a Thursday-Friday series between a pair of teams hoping to shake off their recent struggles.

The Bulldogs’ problems have been well documented. The offense has dried up for the defending WCHA regular season champions, tallying just once last weekend against Northern Michigan and 11 times in nine games – a 1.22 per game average that ranks last in the conference.

Ferris State’s saving grace has been senior goaltender C.J. Motte and a stingy defense that gives up just 1.78 goals per game. They could prove to be the different against an Anchorage team that is facing hardships of its own.

After starting 3-0-1, the Seawolves – who are in the midst of 10-straight days on the road – have lost three-straight and won just once in their last six games. During that stretch, UAA has scored just 10 times and under half of those goals came from its forwards. Rookie goaltender Olivier Mantha has been impressive, however, with a .939 save percentage.

Ewigleben Arena isn’t the best place for a struggling team to try and turn things around. Ferris State is notoriously tough at home, winning 17 of their last 21 home games stretching back to last season.

Lake Superior State (1-9-0, 1-5-0) at Alabama Huntsville (1-7-2, 0-4-0)

Both Lake Superior State and Alabama Huntsville come into their series fresh off their first wins of the season and meet under a renewed sense of intrigue.

In the wake of Alaska’s postseason ban, the Lakers and Chargers’ WCHA playoff hopes have been re-energized. With the No. 9 team now in line for a playoff berth (assuming the Nanooks finish in the top eight), LSSU and UAH seem destined for a race for the league’s final postseason spot, beginning with a head-to-head meeting this weekend.

The Chargers are at home for just the second time this season and are coming off their best weekend in a while. In beating and tying Air Force last time out, Huntsville went unbeaten on a weekend for the first time in two years. UAH’s seven goals against the Falcons was also its highest total since a Dec. 7-8, 2012, series against D-III Finlandia.

The Lakers are well-rested after a bye week and should get a pair of key contributors back this weekend in senior forward Chris Chris Ciotti and sophomore Matt Johnson – two of the team’s top returning scorers – who have missed significant time so far this season. After starting the season with nine-straight losses, the Lakers broke through two weeks ago with a 3-2 OT win over Anchorage.

Bye Weeks: No. 9 Minnesota State, No. 18 Northern Michigan, Alaska

Thursday, November 13th, 2014 - 12:00 pm | Blogs, Notes, Thoughts, Ramblings, Regular Season, WCHA