{"id":30028,"date":"2008-10-16T13:59:36","date_gmt":"2008-10-16T18:59:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2008\/10\/16\/this-week-in-the-wcha-oct-16-2008\/"},"modified":"2010-08-17T19:57:17","modified_gmt":"2010-08-18T00:57:17","slug":"this-week-in-the-wcha-oct-16-2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwwproxy.uscho.com\/2008\/10\/16\/this-week-in-the-wcha-oct-16-2008\/","title":{"rendered":"This Week in the WCHA: Oct. 16, 2008"},"content":{"rendered":"
As much as we’d like to try and predict how the WCHA is going to turn out, we’re never accurate given how competitive the league is and about a million other factors. I’d like to think I have as good a shot as any with my names-out-of-a-hat method, but the season throws us all curveballs that screw up our hopes of perfection.<\/p>\n
Even though it’s early, we have a perfect example so far in the North Dakota Fighting Sioux: Yeah, their goaltending situation is questionable, but they have enough firepower and history to still find their way to the top of the league and back into the NCAAs, right?<\/p>\n
Sioux fans hope so, but if this past weekend’s Ice Breaker Invitational (contested for valuable PairWise Ranking points) is any indication, it may be a longer year for them than anyone could have expected. Losing two straight to start the season for the first time since 1994-95 doesn’t help. Still, Sioux fans (and fans of all WCHA teams) need only remember that last year’s NCAA champion, Boston College, was below .500 at Thanksgiving last year.<\/p>\n
Red Baron Pizza WCHA Players of the Week<\/h4>\n
Red Baron WCHA Offensive Player of the Week:<\/b> John Swanson, SCSU. \nWhy:<\/b> Scored four goals and one assist to help the Huskies to a two-game sweep of Mercyhurst. \nAlso Nominated:<\/b> Chad Rau, CC; Patrick Mullen, DU; MacGregor Sharp, UMD; Mick Berge, MSU, M.<\/p>\n
Red Baron WCHA Defensive Player of the Week:<\/b> Alex Stalock, UMD. \nWhy:<\/b> Helped the Bulldogs go 1-0-1 against Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State, including a 29-save shutout against NMU. \nAlso Nominated:<\/b> Brian Connelly, CC; Patrick Wiercioch, DU; Drew Dobson, MTU; Kurt Davis, MSU, M; Garrett Raboin, SCSU.<\/p>\n
Red Baron WCHA Rookie of the Week:<\/b> Luke Salazar, DU. \nWhy:<\/b> Scored two goals and had one assist to help the Pioneers to beat Notre Dame in the annual U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game. \nAlso Nominated:<\/b> Gabe Guentzel, CC; Alex MacLeod, MTU; Mike Connolly, UMD; Mike Louwerse, MSU, M; Jared Festler, SCSU.<\/p>\n