WCHA COACHES POLL
1. North Dakota
2. St. Cloud State
3. Minnesota Duluth
4. Denver
5. Minnesota
6. Colorado College
7. Wisconsin
8. Nebraska-Omaha
9. Bemidji State
10. Minnesota State
11. Alaska Anchorage
12. Michigan Tech
Alaska Anchorage – 11-23-2 (9-17-2)
For a team that finished second to last in the league on the defensive end, the Seawolves did not improve much, losing their best talent, Lee Baldwin, to the NHL over the summer. Another problem for the team is leadership. The Seawolves have only seven upperclassmen on the roster. This could prove to be a problem over the lengthy, six-month schedule that lies ahead. Looking to step up on the defensive end are a pair of seniors, Kane Lafranchise and Luka Vidmar. If they can protect an inexperience goalie, then the Seawolves may be able to pull off a few upsets.
Minnesota State – 16-20-3 (9-17-2)
Defenseman Ben Youds led the Mavericks in scoring last season, which says a lot about this teams offensive strength. Defenseman Kurt Davis returns to pair with Youds. The duo forms a great skating pair, which is good news for a team spare on big time talent. The Mavericks lack depth on the defensive end and their success depends strongly on the health of Youds and Davis. A blossoming talent is Tyler Elbrecht, who played well during his freshman year last season. If he can continue to develop, then the Mavericks may have the depth needed to skate with some of the WCHA’s elite squads.
Minnesota – 18-19-2 (12-14-2)
After several disappointing seasons, the Gophers need to rebound and place in the conference’s top five if they want to be considered part of the WCHA’s elite. The bad news is they don’t have the defense to compete with teams like North Dakota. Lacking in physicality, the Gophers will have to rely on their finesse style, which may prove to be dated. Much of the team’s success depends on goalie Alex Kangas, who won’t have much support from a thin defense. If the Gophers turn heads this season, it will because of a strong season from Kangas as well as Jacob Cepis on the offensive end.
Michigan Tech – 5-30-1 (4-24-0)
The Huskies spent most of last season on the defensive end, which limited their offensive capabilities. If they struggled to gain possession again this season, then they will plummet to the bottom of the WCHA as early as the end of October. Sophomore defenseman Steve Seigo showed promise last year, but will need time to rest if they Huskies are going to be successful. A team can’t win when they are constantly on the defensive side of the puck.
Wisconsin – 28-11-4 (17-8-3)
The loss of Blake Geoffrion, Michael Davies, and Ryan McDonaugh will make it tough for Wisconsin to repeat off last season’s success. Defensively, the Badgers will be plagued by inconsistent play as they look to find players to fill the void left from last season’s departure. Head coach Mike Eaves perpetually produces a quality team and will again despite the concerns being drawn on the defensive end. The Badgers will benefit from the gained experience of Jake Gardiner and John Ramage. New recruits Jason Clark and Chase Drake should add depth and contribute.
North Dakota – 25-13-5 (15-10-3)
As the No. 2-ranked team in the preseason, the Sioux are undoubtedly No. 1 in the preseason WCHA rankings. They return the core group of their best players, including Jason Gregoire, Chay Genoway, Andrew MacWilliam and Derrick LaPoint. In addition, North Dakota adds prize recruits, Derek Forbort and Dillon Simpson who are all expected to contribute. Forbort and Simpson could start on defense. Genoway, who had his season cut short last season, returns to captain this elite squad that obviously has the capability to win it all this season.
St. Cloud State – 24-14-5 (15-9-4)
The Huskies are a veteran team that poses all sorts of problems to WCHA competition. They return Garrett Roe in net, who won’t have many problems playing with a very talented, yet thin Huskies defense. Fans must remember that this is a team that won a game in the NCAA tournament last season and are capable of playing with anyone. They return key players such as Mike Lee, Dan Dunn, Chris Hepp and Drew LeBlanc. After losing their leading scorer last season, the Huskies will need every returning player to step up and have a big season.
Bemidji State – 23-10-4 (14-3-1 CHA)
With two trips to the NCAA tournament in the last two years, the Beavers join the WCHA with confidence in their ability to compete. Most important, the Beavers bring back Matt Read, who could make the differnece in several games this season. They have a lot of experience on their side and add depth with prize recruits, Radislav Illo and Drew Fisher. Whether or not they will finish in the Final Five is to be seen, but for now, Bemidji State will provide good competition for the rest of the WCHA.
Colorado College – 19-17-3 (12-13-3)
The Tigers had to part ways with five key contributors- Nate Prosser, Mike Testuide, Addison DeBoer, Brian McMillin, Bill Sweatt, which isn’t good for a team lacking talent. Their season depends heavily on the play of Joe Howe in net. After a compelling freshman campaign, Howe will look to rebound from late season struggles. However, the team does not have the offensive firepower to score enough to be apart of the leagues upper echelon. Newcomers Jaden Schwartz and Dakota Eveland will be relied on to put the pick in net. If they fail to step up, then the Tigers could be in for a long season.
Minnesota Duluth – 22-17-1 (16-11-1)
After finishing with a 22-17-1 record last year, the Bulldogs could rise to the top of the WCHA as they return several key starters and add depth with new recruits. Most importantly, the Bulldogs only big losses from last season are Brady Hjelle and Rob Bordson, which make them arguably the conference’s most experienced team. The loss of Hjelle in net, after playing just one season for the Bulldogs, hurts, but if the team can replace him they have offensive weapons that can score at will score. Top returning players include Jack and Mike Connelly, Brady Lamb, Mike Montgomery, Dylan Olsen and Justin Fontaine.
Nebraska Omaha – 20-16-6 (13-12-3 CCHA)
The Mavericks finished above .500 percent in 2009-2010, posting an overall record of 20-16-6 in the weaker CCHA. However, the competition gets a lot steeper for the Mavericks. The good news for the newcomers is that they have a veteran coach in Dean Blais, who is fully capable of pulling this team out of the bottom of the conference if they struggle in their inaugural season. The Mavericks return Matt Ambroz, Terry Broadhurst, John Kemp, and John Faulkner, which should be good enough to keep them away from finishing dead last.
