By Ryan Stieg
We are now entering the second season, the CCHA playoffs, and it should be as fun as it normally is.
I’m especially looking forward to it because I’m going into the postseason with a little momentum as I almost pulled off my third perfect week of the season. I picked two of the three series correctly and the only reason I didn’t go perfect was because Northern Michigan won in a shootout Saturday. It wasn’t the first time this year that the Wildcats ruined a perfect week for me, but the good thing is that they didn’t make the playoffs and they can’t do that to me again. Sorry NMU fans.
Like I said, this should be an entertaining first round and what makes this league fun is that anybody can beat anybody, which is not like most of the other conferences. The downside of that is it makes the games difficult for me to predict, but I enjoy challenges and I’m embracing this year’s slate. So, here we go. Here’s my picks for the first round of the Mason Cup Playoffs.
No. 8 seed Lake Superior State at No. 1 Minnesota State
Just like last year, the Lakers are near the bottom of the standings, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be a cakewalk for the MacNaughton Cup champions. LSSU put up a good fight against St. Thomas last year and gutted out two wins in three games to move on to the second round. At the same time, the Mavericks have been the team to beat in the league all season and they boast both the league’s top scorer in Rhett Pitlick and the best goalie in Alex Tracy. Mankato wins in two
No. 7 seed Bemidji State at No. 2 Augustana
It’s been quite a drop for the Beavers after winning the MacNaughton last year and coming within a game from making the NCAA Tournament. However, they’ve been playing fairly well recently, so they’re going to be tough to take out. Then there’s Augie, who has performed much better than many expected in its second year. The Vikings have a good goalie in Josh Kotai and a solid offense, so they’re definitely a strong team. However, they got swept two weeks ago and were off last weekend, which means they’ll be rusty this week. As a result, I’m think this will go to the limit and the Beavers move on. Bemidji in 3.
No. 6 Ferris State at No. 3 St. Thomas
Last year, the Tommies limped into the playoffs and the Lakers took advantage of it by moving on in three games. This year, UST is healthy and is peaking at the right time, so the Tommies are going to be a tough opponent for everyone. On the other bench, the Bulldogs have been at, or near, the bottom of the conference for a while now. However, this year’s team is having a solid second half and Ferris’ offense is great in transition. Not only that, but they gave the Tommies a good fight back in January. However, I think the Tommies’ skill and health pushes them on to the next round. UST in two.
No. 5 Michigan Tech at No. 4 Bowling Green
This will probably be the most competitive series and for good reason as the final home spot was up in the air between the two teams until BG prevailed in its regular season finale against LSSU. The Falcons have had a pretty good year and surpassed expectations. They also have Brody Waters, who is tied for the CCHA lead in goals with 16. Tech, on the other hand, is a little off right now. The Huskies aren’t playing badly, but ever since the Winter Carnival, they’ve been a little inconsistent. However, that doesn’t mean that Tech is going to be taken lightly. The Huskies usually get back on track during the playoffs and they’re more than capable of making a long run in the playoffs. This is a tossup series for me and I think it’s going to go to Sunday, but I think the Falcons do just enough to move on. BG in three.