As the first season of the new-look CCHA hits its halfway point, I can’t help but notice that things in the league are, so far, going about as expected.
Sure, maybe there have been a few surprises – I don’t think anyone had Northern Michigan sweeping Minnesota Duluth on their bingo card – but for the most part, things are largely where I expected them to be when the season started. (That is to say, six of the eight teams are currently in the place I predicted they would be when the season ends.)
Minnesota State is still the class of the conference, but after that, the middle of the conference is still anyone’s game. And there’s a lot of season left, so maybe, just maybe, the second half will deliver a few more surprises. (It’s very likely, actually.)
So, I thought it might be a good idea to take a snapshot of the league and see where each team is at and what they need to do in the second half. Think of it as a Christmas gift to them, from a person who is not 100 percent qualified to give advice.
1. Minnesota State
Predicted finish: First
Record: 16-4-0 (12-2-0)
The story so far: It’s safe to say the Mavericks are the class of the CCHA. They’ve defeated every team in the conference at least once, have swept their closest competitors in the standings (Bemidji State and Michigan Tech) and their only conference losses were by one goal on the road (against Lake Superior State and Ferris State). They’ve been mostly dominant, and they’re the top-ranked team for a reason.
What they need: Just keep winning. Right now, the Mavs are 11 points up on Bemidji State thanks to their sweep over the weekend. They’re 12 up on Michigan Tech. Although both the Beavers and Huskies both have games-in-hand and one more head-to-head matchup each with the Mavericks, if MSU keeps winning, the odds of their team catching up will be very slim as the season winds down.
2. Bemidji State
Predicted finish: Second
Record: 10-8-0 (8-4-0)
The story so far: The Beavers had a chance to move ahead of Minnesota State in the CCHA standings last weekend, but couldn’t find their scoring touch and were swept, losing 5-1 and 3-1 in Bemidji. With an 8-4 conference record they’ve been decent but not great – they’ve been able to beat the teams they should beat below them in the standings and have split series with Tech and Bowling Green, which is about to be expected for a team battling for second place at the moment.
What they need: Wins at home. The Beavers haven’t played much at home, but they haven’t taken advantage of the few home games they’ve had. Currently they’re just 2-6-0 on home ice (conversely, they are very good on the road at 8-2-0). With nine more games at the Sanford Center after the break, the Beavers need to make sure they are taking better care of business at home if they want a chance to catch Minnesota State.
3. Michigan Tech
Predicted finish: Third
Record: 10-7-0 (7-5-0)
The story so far: Similar to Bemidji State, the Huskies have been good but not overwhelming. After starting the season with a road sweep of Wisconsin, Tech hasn’t been able to put together any sustained momentum – they haven’t won more than two in a row, but the good news is, they haven’t lost more than two in a row either. Being one point behind BSU going into the holiday break is about as expected.
What they need: Some win streaks. Any time the Huskies won two in a row this season, they lost the next game. They swept St. Thomas at home last weekend – including a 4-3 overtime win on Saturday to survive a Tommie comeback – so taking two more wins at the Great Lakes Invitational after Christmas would be a good start.
4. Lake Superior State
Predicted finish: Fourth
Record: 11-10-1 (7-7-0)
The story so far: The epitome of “streaky:” The Lakers had a run of seven games unbeaten in October and early November followed immediately by five losses in a row. Then they turned around and beat Minnesota State. They’ve been 3-1 in December, highlighted by a sweep of Northern Michigan last week, which is why they’re just three points behind Tech for third and four behind Bemidji for second.
What they need: To stop streaking. That sounds easier than it is – it’s very easy for a team to be swept twice in a row and find themselves in the midst of a four-game losing streak. The Lakers have 12 games left after the break, and an equal number of them are home and away. And they also won’t have to play Minnesota State again.
5. Bowling Green
Predicted finish: Sixth
Record: 8-5-3 (6-5-1)
The story so far: BGSU’s first half of the season technically isn’t over – they have a home and home with instate rivals Ohio State this week – but I think it’s safe to say the Falcons have surprised a lot of people (me included). I think many were so shocked by how many players left the program that we forgot just how good a job Ty Eigner (and before him Chris Bergeron) did building a program with so many solid depth players that could step in immediately.
What they need: A better record in conference play. As you can see, the Falcons are, so far, undefeated against nonconference opponents. That’s good for the CCHA’s Pairwise, but they have struggled in CCHA play. A few more wins against the bottom half of the table – and maybe a win against Mankato or Bemidji – would do BG a world of good if they want to get home ice for the playoffs.
6. Northern Michigan
Predicted finish: Fifth
Record: 10-8-1 (6-7-1)
The story so far: The Wildcats were the talk of the town last week, after they swept then top-ranked Minnesota Duluth at home. It was a statement series for a program that has been on the verge of being “back” for the past couple seasons. Those good feelings in Marquette didn’t last long. They were swept by Lake Superior State in Sault Ste. Marie the next weekend, failing to cash in on any momentum beating UMD might have given them. So although NMU has wins against some big-name nonconference opponents (UMD and BU) they’ve failed to gain much ground in the conference, which is why they find themselves in fifth.
What they need: Consistency. Nobody expects a team to win every game but losing those two games at Lake State the way they did (7-2 and 4-1) surely aren’t what head coach Grant Potulny wanted to see. Before that series, the Wildcats had gone 8-1-1. A return to that kind of form would be ideal, but the schedule in January is daunting – Colgate, Minnesota State, Michigan Tech and Lake Superior. Even going .500 in those games would go a long way to moving back into the top half of the standings.
7. Ferris State
Predicted finish: Seventh
Record: 6-14-0 (4-8-0)
The story so far: With six wins this season, the Bulldogs have already sextupled their win total from 2020-21, and they need just one more to match their 2019-20 record. They’ve already got a marquee win against Minnesota State, as well as victories over Lake Superior and Bowling Green. Whatever the reason, they’re a much better team at the halfway mark of the season then they were in all of the previous season.
What they need: Another win or two. No coach wants a “moral victory” and I’m sure Bob Daniels would prefer his team be competing for league titles right now, but considering the Bulldogs are in the midst of a program rebuild, just surpassing their win totals from the past few years is a nice accomplishment. Considering who they’ve already defeated and what their schedule looks like (six more home games, four against teams they’ve already beaten) a 10-win season isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
8. St. Thomas
Predicted finish: Eighth
Record: 1-19-0 (1-13-0)
The story so far: Everyone knew it would be a challenge for the Tommies in their first year in Division 1, so their record and results haven’t been a surprise. Their lone win this season – a 5-2 victory against Ferris State – wasn’t a fluke, and although they’ve been blown out a few times by the usual suspects they’ve been relatively close more often than not.
What they need: Patience. The Tommies weren’t expected to do much this season, but they have had a bunch of encouraging results in the games they have lost. Take, for example, last week against Michigan Tech. The Tommies, down 3-1 going into the third, scored twice in the final five minutes to force overtime. The Huskies scored the game-winner shortly into the overtime period, but those sorts of games prove that the Tommies do have what it takes at this level. They just need to work harder to get said results.
