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Week 20: ‘Duel in the D’ preview, Ferris and Tech clash, Wildcats rolling

We have now reached that point in the season where there are roughly a handful (or two) of games left on the season for everyone in college hockey. For the seven teams in Michigan, they either have as little as four remaining or as many as eight left to play.

So here’s what we got for Week 20. Among the notable weekend tilts is the annual ‘Duel in the D’ meeting between Michigan (9-13-2, 2-7-1 Big Ten) and Michigan State (5-17-2, 1-8-1 Big Ten). There will be a separate preview specifically for that item – which you can see here – and they will be excluded from this particular weekly segment.

Off we go!

**All team information provided by either USCHO or CollegeHockeyNews
**All team broadcast information can be viewed at the end of the article


FERRIS STATE BULLDOGS (9-16-4, 8-11-3 WCHA) at MICHIGAN TECH (16-11-7, 13-5-6 WCHA)

Ferris enjoyed their final bye of the season last weekend following a split at home against Bowling Green a couple weeks ago. Michigan Tech meanwhile is coming off a very tough week where they were swept on the road against WCHA leader Bemidji State, blowing a chance to take over the conference lead.

It sets the stage for an intriguing in-state showdown between a rested Ferris bunch and an angry and pack of Huskies.

It’s hard to imagine that this is the only meeting between Ferris and Tech this year, and happening this late in the season no less. Odd quirk of this year’s schedule I guess! Anyway, something just has to give this weekend for either side. The Bulldogs have just two wins in regulation or overtime over their last 11 games. However, Tech has not fared much better, only one more such win than their WCHA rivals during that same stretch.

Another thing to point out during that same run, that could bode well for the Huskies, is the scoring output. Tech has scored six more goals than Ferris over each of their respective 11-game stints. But Tech found the back of the net just twice last weekend in two games vs. Bemidji. Ferris scored seven times against Bowling Green, but that was two weeks ago. Here is the schedule this weekend for Ferris/Tech.

  • Fri, February 10 – 7:07 p.m. ET
  • Sat, February 11 – 5:07 p.m. ET

LAKE SUPERIOR STATE LAKERS (11-13-4, 8-10-4 WCHA)

Like Ferris, Lake Superior enjoyed their final week off of the regular season, as they make a late push into the WCHA Tournament. And I’m sure they would like to get back out on the ice after a rather sluggish performance on the road two weeks ago against Minnesota State.

But they are back at home this weekend where they have won eight of their 12 games played this season. This weekend, the Seawolves of Alaska-Anchorage (6-17-5, 5-12-5 WCHA) make the long trip down to Sault St. Marie. It wasn’t too long ago we saw the Seawolves, just three weeks ago they were down the road from Sault Ste. Marie in Marquette playing Northern Michigan, and proceeded to get spanked 10-1 over those two games. They however earned themselves a split last weekend at home against the aforementioned Mavericks of Minnesota State. Now the Seawolves are in a dogfight (pun intended) to not end up in the basement of the WCHA.

This is the lone meeting between the two in the regular season. They have split the previous ten meetings, five apiece. Both teams are allowing three goals or more per game this season. But LSSU is averaging close to three goals themselves, where Anchorage has just a 1.68 GPA average.

  • Fri, February 10 – 7:37 p.m. ET
  • Sat, February 11 – 7:07 p.m. ET

NORTHERN MICHIGAN WILDCATS (9-17-4, 7-12-3 WCHA)

Look who’s going streaking to close out the season, and doing it in style no less! Two more very strong games for the Wildcats last weekend, a pair of shutouts vs. Bowling Green bumps their winning streak up to four games and it’s a mighty impressive streak.

That’s now a 15-1 advantage in the goal department for Northern Michigan over their recent run, having pitched three straight shutouts. The wins over BGSU, average on the year but superior to NMU for much of the season, climbed the ‘Cats out of the cellar for the time being. It’s highly unlikely that NMU will be participating in postseason play come next month, but moral victories galore are possible, and it can continue this weekend against Alaska.

Alaska was on the docket back in mid-January when they were at Ferris State. They left town with five out of a possible six points in that series, ultimately helping them climb in the conference standings. They have gone 2-2 since then, scoring three goals in their two wins and just one goal in their two losses. Alaska is in 5th place; Northern in 9th, just five point separate the two teams.

It’s the only time these two meet this season. They split their four meetings head-to-head last year. On paper, the ‘Cats can score a little better than the Nanooks, but Alaska has been a little bit better on special teams with the man advantage.

  • Fri, February 10 – 7:07 p.m. ET
  • Sat, February 11 – 7:07 p.m. ET

WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS (15-7-4, 8-7-1 NCHC)

The Broncos played a re-energized Arizona State team at home last weekend, winning the first game and playing to a 2-2 stalemate in the second game. It was another hurdle as they look to make one last hoorah into the NCHC Tournament and hopefully the NCAAs.

This weekend should prove to be a tough challenge for Western, as they hit the road and head west for Omaha to play the Mavericks (14-11-5, 7-9-2 NCHC). Omaha has hit a mini rough patch as of late, they went 0-1-1 last weekend against the No. 1 team in the country in Minnesota-Duluth. That’s not an 0-3-1 stretch in their last four, all on the road. Probably not a good time to start losing if you’re the Mavericks, but perhaps a good thing for the Broncos?

That remains to be seen. Western is playing about .500 on the road (4-5-1) this year, not great but not terrible. However, Omaha is just 5-7-2 at home this year. It’s the only tilt between the two this season. They split the four meetings last year, with Omaha winning the two at home a season ago.

  • Fri, February 10 – 8:07 p.m. ET
  • Sat, February 11 – 8:07 p.m. ET

2016-17 DSN MICHIGAN COLLEGE HOCKEY POWER RANKINGS

[Last week’s ranking]

  1. Western Michigan [1]
  2. Michigan Tech [2]
  3. Ferris State [3]
  4. Lake Superior State [4]
  5. Northern Michigan [6]
  6. Michigan [5]
  7. Michigan State [7]

TEAM BROADCAST INFORMATION

RADIO INTERNET
FERRIS STATE 97.3 FM WDEE WCHA.tv
LAKE SUPERIOR STATE 99.5 FM WYSS WCHA.tv
MICHIGAN 1050 AM WTKA MGoBlueTV
MICHIGAN STATE 1240 AM WJIM Spartan Sports Network
MICHIGAN TECH 93.5 FM WKMJ WCHA.tv
NORTHERN MICHIGAN 1003. FM WUPT WCHA.tv
WESTERN MICHIGAN 96.5 FM WKZO NCHC.tv

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Alex Muller
Alex Mullerhttps://lxandrthegr8.wordpress.com/
MSU Graduate. Just a city boy born and raised in south Detroit. Baseball is life, a pitcher at heart. Freelance writer for MIPrepZone (News-Herald, Press & Guide).

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