From the WCHA …

MADISON, Wis. – The final weekend of the men’s 2009-10 regular season – Friday-Sunday, March 5-7 – will feature a full slate of five Western Collegiate Hockey Association head-to-head matchups, including several traditional rivalries, as the final regular season standings and first round WCHA playoff pairings will be set.
    WCHA regular season champion and No. 1-ranked Denver (24-6-4, 18-4-4 WCHA) will engage arch-rival and No. 15-ranked Colorado College (17-14-3, 11-12-3 WCHA) in a home-and-home set (Friday @ Magness Arena, 7:37 pm MT; Saturday @ Colorado Springs World Arena, 7:07 pm MT). The Pioneers, owning a nation’s best 10-game winning streak, are 1-0-1 vs the Tigers this season after a 2-1 win at CC on Dec. 4 and a 4-4 (ot) tie in the Mile High City on Dec. 5.
    Second place and No. 3-ranked Wisconsin (21-8-4, 16-7-3 WCHA) will head to Minneapolis for a continuation of the Border Battle with Minnesota (16-16-2, 11-13-2 WCHA). On Friday the two teams will face-off at 7:07 pm CT at Target Center with the rematch set for Sunday at 1:07 pm CT at Mariucci Arena. The two teams split their series in Madison back on Nov. 6-7, with the UW winning 4-2 and the Golden Gophers prevailing 5-2.
    Third place and No. 4-ranked St. Cloud State (20-10-4, 15-8-3 WCHA) will play a home-and-home WCHA set with Minnesota State (14-18-2, 8-17-1 WCHA), with Friday’s game at 7:37 pm CT at Verizon Wireless Center in Mankato and Saturday’s tilt at 7:07 pm CT at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. These will be the first and only two meetings of the regular season between the Huskies and the Mavericks.
    Fourth place and No. 12-ranked Minnesota Duluth (19-14-1, 15-10-1 WCHA) will head to Alaska Anchorage (10-20-2, 8-16-2 WCHA) and Sullivan Arena, with both games set for 7:07 pm AT. The Bulldogs and Seawolves will also be meeting for the first and only times this regular season.
    And No. 7-ranked and fifth place North Dakota (18-11-5, 13-10-3 WCHA) will play host to Michigan Tech (5-26-1, 4-22-0) on Friday at 7:37 pm CT and Saturday at 7:07 pm CT at Ralph Engelstad Arena. The Fighting Sioux, winners of five straight league encounters, are 2-0-0 vs the Huskies this season after 4-2 and 4-1 victories in Houghton back on Nov. 6-7.
    This week’s WCHA standings, with team having played 26 of their 28 conference games, show first place Denver (18-4-4 WCHA) securing the regular season title and MacNaughton Cup with 40 points. Wisconsin (16-7-3 WCHA) is second with 35 points, St. Cloud State (15-8-3 WCHA) is third with 33 points, Minnesota Duluth (15-10-1 WCHA) is fourth with 31 points and North Dakota (13-10-3 WCHA) is fifth with 29 points. Colorado College (11-12-3 WCHA) is sixth with 25 points, Minnesota (11-13-2 WCHA) is seventh with 24 points, Alaska Anchorage (8-16-2 WCHA) is eighth with 18 points, Minnesota State (8-17-1 WCHA) is ninth with 17 points, and Michigan Tech (4-22-0 WCHA) is 10th with eight.
    A season ago (2008-09), North Dakota won the regular season title with 38 points while Denver was second with 36. It took at least 29 points to earn a first round home WCHA playoff berth with the Sioux, Pioneers, Wisconsin, Colorado College and Minnesota hosting opening round matchups.
    Following this weekend’s final regular season games, the WCHA first round playoff pairings will be set, with those five, best-of-three series set for Friday thru Sunday, March 12-14.
    In WCHA action over the Feb. 26-27 weekend, Denver won twice at Minnesota State (3-1, 4-3 ot), Wisconsin swept at Michigan Tech (5-2, 5-2), North Dakota won twice at Colorado College (3-2 ot, 3-2), and Minnesota Duluth split at home with Minnesota (2-3, 3-0).
    In non-conference play, Alaska Anchorage fell twice to CCHA-member Alaska, 4-7 in Anchorage on Feb. 26 and 2-3 in Fairbanks on Feb. 27.
    In the March 1 edition of the USCHO.com Division 1 Men’s College Hockey Poll, Denver is No. 1, Wisconsin is No. 3, St. Cloud State is No. 4, North Dakota is No. 7, Minnesota Duluth is No. 12 and Colorado College is No. 15..
    And in this week’s (March 1) USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Division 1 Men’s College Hockey Poll, Denver is No. 1, Wisconsin is No. 3, St. Cloud State is No. 4, North Dakota is No. 7, Minnesota Duluth is No. 12 and Colorado College is No. 15.
    The 2009-10 campaign marks the 58th in the storied history of the WCHA, with the league owning a record 36 national championships. It also is the final season league membership consists of 10 teams, as Bemidji State University and the University of Nebraska Omaha come on board as new members for the 2010-11 campaign.

This Week in the WCHA

Games for Friday, March 5: * Wisconsin at Minnesota (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; St. Cloud State at Minnesota State (WCHA), 7:37 pm CT; Michigan Tech at North Dakota (WCHA), 7:37 pm CT; Colorado College at Denver (WCHA), 7:37 pm MT; Minnesota Duluth at Alaska Anchorage (WCHA), 7:07 pm AT. * Target Center (Minneapolis, MN).Games for Saturday, March 6: Minnesota State at St. Cloud State (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; Michigan Tech at North Dakota (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT; Denver at Colorado College (WCHA), 7:07 pm MT; Minnesota Duluth at Alaska Anchorage (WCHA), 7:07 pm AT.

Games for Sunday, March 7: Wisconsin at Minnesota (WCHA), 1:07 pm CT. End of regular season.

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