We all knew it would happen, someday, but most of us probably thought that “someday” wasn’t going to be quite so soon.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, Ron Mason announced that he’ll step down<\/a> from his position as Spartan head coach at the end of this season to become Michigan State’s athletic director.<\/p>\n “It was kind of a surprise to everybody, including me,” says the winningest coach in college hockey.<\/p>\n “I’ve only superficially looked at being the athletic director before. This time, there was something triggered inside me that said, ‘I’m going to look into it further.’ The more I looked into it, the more excited I became, and then I had to make a decision.”<\/p>\n That decision, says Mason, wasn’t something made “overnight.” After 23 years behind the Spartan bench, that “something” that Mason felt this time around had to be especially motivating.<\/p>\n “Once I’m there,” says Mason, “I think I may be able to do some things for hockey on the national level that maybe other athletic directors haven’t had the opportunity to do before.”<\/p>\n Mason is in a unique position, able to name his successor, the coach who will nurture and foster a program that will forever bear Mason’s trademark.<\/p>\n As for who will get the nod, says Mason, “I’ve got a short list.”<\/p>\n With five weeks of regular-season play remaining, there’s still much to be decided in the CCHA standings. Last weekend, Nebraska-Omaha and Miami dealt themselves back into the mix, while Alaska-Fairbanks and Ohio State felt their fortunes reverse — at least for the time being.<\/p>\n The mid-league shuffling will continue all the way through the end of the season. If I were a betting woman — and I’m not — I’d lay money that Michigan State will take the regular season title, and that Lake State will anchor the pack. Everything else is up for grabs.<\/p>\n Five little points separate third-place UNO and the two teams currently tied for sixth, Miami and Notre Dame. Soon, the fate of several CCHA teams will come down to the numbers game: who beat whom, how many times, and by how much.<\/p>\n Aside from the alignment of the stars and several pinches of salt thrown over shoulders, here are a few things that may affect the final season standings.<\/p>\n Alaska-Fairbanks<\/b> has played 22 games, and has just six league games remaining. The Nanooks, however, have a reasonable schedule; after playing two in Notre Dame this weekend, UAF hosts OSU Feb. 15-16, takes the following weekend off, then hosts UNO for its final two regular-season CCHA matches. Not easy opponents, but a good travel schedule for UAF to finish the season.<\/p>\n Bear in mind that UAF has lost its last six consecutive games in South Bend.<\/p>\n Bowling Green<\/b> will probably be traveling the second weekend in March. Although the Falcons outscored Michigan 6-5 last weekend in a two-game split in Ann Arbor — with goals coming from six different players — Bowling Green has not been blessed this season with anything resembling the scoring touch.<\/p>\n The sophomore line of D’Arcy McConvey, Greg Day and Scott Hewson scored four straight goals over the course of two games for BGSU (Dec. 29 and Jan. 4, against Harvard and Princeton, respectively), but since then, no line has scored back-to-back goals for BG. Little is clicking up front for the Falcons.<\/p>\n Ferris State<\/b> is tenacious and optimistic, two traits that — along with solid goaltending and two of the league’s top scorers — may lead to a home-ice advantage in the first round.<\/p>\n The Bulldogs, however, have a difficult schedule, beginning with this weekend’s series in Marquette. Bowling Green pays a visit to Big Rapids next weekend, followed by FSU’s trip to OSU (they swept the Buckeyes at home in December), then a home-and-home with Western, capping the season with a home-and-home with Michigan State. The good news here is that Ferris State still has a whole lot of hockey left to play, and the Bulldogs have games in hand on several middle-packers.<\/p>\n Lake Superior State<\/b> is definitely traveling the second week in March, most likely to East Lansing. The Lakers are winless on the road in conference play this season, and have been shut out eight times this year.<\/p>\n Note to the Lakers: don’t play on Thursdays. Lake State lost to Michigan State Thursday, Oct. 11, 2001, by the score of 5-0 — an score identical to the Lakers’ most recent game, their 5-0 loss to Michigan on Thursday, Jan. 31.<\/p>\n Miami<\/b> seems to be a team in flux, and the RedHawks may just want<\/i> to travel when the playoffs begin. Why? Miami is 4-7-2 in Goggin Arena this season.<\/p>\n Miami travels to Omaha this weekend, takes the following weekend off, travels to Northern Feb. 15-16, hosts Michigan State Feb. 22-23, then ends the season with a funky Monday-Saturday home-and-home series with OSU, Feb. 25 (Columbus) and Mar. 2 (Oxford).<\/p>\n Two games below .500 actually keeps Miami in the home-ice hunt.<\/p>\n Michigan<\/b> is not going anywhere for the first round, in spite of the Wolverines’ less-than- spectacular season. The rookie class is talented. Yes, they’re without Cammalleri (for now), but the team seems to rally around that kind of adversity and take it in relative stride.<\/p>\n Surprisingly, the Wolverines are only .500 at home this season (5-5-2), and that could be a problem for Michigan as the season plays out. After this Saturday’s game against the Lakers at JLA, the Wolverines host the Mavericks for two, play a single game against MSU at JLA Feb. 16 (early prediction: a tie), host OSU Feb. 22-23, and end the season with a home-and-home stand with the Broncos. Given their competition and their schedule, the Wolverines could end this season with as many as 10 losses.<\/p>\n Michigan State<\/b> has lost just five games this season, four in league play. Does anyone honestly think that the Spartans will be caught before the end of the year? MSU plays OSU on the road after sweeping the Buckeyes twice at home, host Notre Dame for two, play the Wolverines once, travel to Miami for two, and end the season with that home-and-home series against the Broncos.<\/p>\n Best special teams in the league, extraordinary goaltender, great forwards, good team defense — and their beloved coach just announced his retirement at the end of this season. If you don’t think this team is on a mission, you’re deluding yourself.<\/p>\n With a great run in January, Nebraska-Omaha<\/b> has made some significant progress in the standings game. Granted, four of UNO’s wins were against “lower-tier” teams (Notre Dame, LSSU), points is points, and the Mavericks tied the Wildcats in Marquette.<\/p>\n If you take a look at the company UNO is keeping in the standings, the Mavericks may be in hot water if they slide at all. Northern took three points from Omaha, and has two games in hand on the Mavs. Michigan took three points from Omaha, and has three points on the Mavs. UAF swept UNO earlier, although there are two games remaining in that cluster-series.<\/p>\n The good news is that if the Mavericks manage to catch the Spartans, UNO has a tiebreaker, having beaten MSU twice this season.<\/p>\n Northern Michigan<\/b> is in great shape in the home stretch and playing good hockey. Like BGSU, FSU, OSU, and WMU, Northern has played 18 league games, but has few games in hand on remaining opponents.<\/p>\n The Wildcats went 4-1-1 against conference opponents in January, most recently having swept the Nanooks in Fairbanks — an impressive feat. NMU is 6-1-1 in its last eight games, and its remaining schedule is favorable: after hosting FSU this weekend, Northern goes to Western for two, hosts Miami, takes a weekend off, then hosts Lake State.<\/p>\n If the line of Bryce Cockburn, Mike Stutzel and Chad Theuer continues to click, I’ve no doubt that Northern will advance to Detroit.<\/p>\n Notre Dame’s<\/b> effort this season is tremendous. Although the Irish were 2-5-1 in January, this is a scrappy team that doesn’t quit.<\/p>\n Notre Dame faces tough opponents down the stretch, and unless you believe in miracles, the Irish will be traveling the second weekend in March. After hosting UAF twice this weekend, the Irish travel to Munn for two against MSU, take a weekend off, travel to the Yoop to meet the Lakers, then host Bowling Green.<\/p>\n Ohio State<\/b> has a brutal season-ending schedule. After playing the last two of four consecutive games against MSU this weekend, OSU travels to UAF, then hosts Ferris State, then travels to Yost for two, then ends the season with a home-and-home with Miami.<\/p>\n It doesn’t matter where FSU and Miami are in the standings relative to OSU; these teams hate the Buckeyes, and the competition is fierce. Given that OSU scored just two goals on MSU last weekend and is averaging just over two goals per game, the Buckeyes are in danger of playing themselves to the road again, as they did last season.<\/p>\n The good news for Western Michigan<\/b> is that Mike Bishai won’t be missing any games because of his infected esophagus, which is being treated with medication. Bishai is a sparkplug for that club, and without him the Broncos are a lesser team.<\/p>\n Team defense is the big problem for the Broncos, who give up 3.44 per We’re at the point where every game matters. With 18 points, the six-place Miami RedHawks are just five points behind third-place Nebraska-Omaha.<\/p>\n Miami (11-13-2, 8-10-2 CCHA) at No. 13 Nebraska-Omaha (16-9-3, 10-7-3 The RedHawks are just two games below .500 in league play, the Mavericks just three games over. This is how tight the CCHA is this season.<\/p>\n “We’re just trying to keep our heads above water,” says UNO coach Mike Kemp. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say [that lately] it’s the best we’ve played all year, but I think we’re playing steady, consistent. We’ve got the ingredients.”<\/p>\nPick A Card, Any Card<\/h4>\n
\nconference contest. After their two games in Bowling Green this weekend,
\nthe Broncos face Northern (scoring 3.00 per game), Omaha (2.65), Ferris State (2.94), and Michigan (3.24).<\/p>\nGames of the Week<\/h4>\n
\nCCHA)
\nFriday and Saturday, 7:05 p.m., Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, Neb.<\/b><\/p>\n