By Ryan Stieg
With every set of predictions I announce, I strive to achieve the perfect week, and I came agonizingly close last week.
I was correct with almost all my picks except for the one in Sioux Falls. I thought St. Thomas would win in regulation against Augustana and although the Tommies tied it up late, they’d eventually lose in a shootout. Going 4 for 5 isn’t bad though as it allowed me to participate in National Fast Food Day. I’d forgotten how good Culver’s can be.
So now, we enter the weekend before Thanksgiving. Will I be having a pre-holiday feast? Not likely as the prize for a successful week is either cashews, cranberries or an espresso. I guess I could go to Caribou Coffee and have them make something crazy for me. It’s not much, but it’s something to enjoy on Sunday if I get my picks right.
Anyway, enough about food. Here’s my predictions for CCHA Week 8 and I’ll start with a big series in Mankato.
Michigan Tech at No. 14 Minnesota State
The spotlight will be shining on southern Minnesota as two teams that are making the most noise nationally will be duking it out. The Huskies are coming off a home split with Bemidji and have been playing consistently well throughout the first two months. Meanwhile, the Mavericks have also had a strong first half and just swept Lake State up in Sault Ste. Marie. Defenseman Evan Murr and goalie Alex Tracy took home two of the CCHA Player of the Week awards, so Mankato is getting some key contributions right now from its two best players. This is a tough one that could go either way, so I’m picking a split here. Tech wins Friday 3-2, but the Mavs win Saturday 4-3.
Bowling Green at St. Thomas
Here are two teams that are at different points in the standings. The Falcons are tied for the CCHA lead with 17 points and have been solid since that season opening sweep at Niagara. BG just swept Ferris at home, while forward Noah Morneau and freshman Dominik Rymon earned the other two CCHA Player of the Week awards. Then there’s the Tommies, who defeated St. Cloud State and earned a point from Augie last week. UST has played only three CCHA games so far, which is why it sits so low in the standings. However, from this point on, it’s all league games for the Tommies. UST needs points to close the gap and I think it gets some, but not all six. The Tommies win Friday 4-2, but the Falcons win Saturday 3-1.
Northern Michigan at Bemidji State
Let’s be real. The Wildcats don’t just need points right now, they need a win. NMU is 0-12 and is coming off a bye, so they’ll be fresh and ready to go against the Beavers. However, if there was one team the Wildcats probably don’t want to face, it’s Bemidji. The Beavers are arguably the hottest team in the CCHA, and until an overtime loss to Tech Saturday, they hadn’t lost since Oct. 18. Northern swept Bemidji on the road last year for its only sweep that season. Can they shock the Beavers again? I don’t think it will happen. Bemidji sweeps the series, winning 3-2 Friday and 4-1 Saturday.
Lake Superior State at Ferris State
The last series of the weekend involves two teams that are struggling to build some consistency this season. The Lakers just were swept at home by Mankato and have now lost four straight. Then there’s the Bulldogs, who were just swept aside by BG and gave up nine goals on Friday. Both teams need wins to try to build up some league points as the winter holiday break approaches, and I think each one gets a victory. The Bulldogs win Friday 4-2, but the Lakers win Saturday 5-2.