Western Collegiate Hockey Association
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First Round WCHA Playoffs Set for March 14-16; Colorado College Reigns as 2007-08 WCHA Champion
March 10, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
MADISON, Wisc. - With the 140-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular season schedule for 2007-08 now complete, and with Colorado College having been crowned as MacNaughton Cup champion, it's time for the post-season to begin. This coming weekend the league will contest the first round of WCHA Playoffs, with the five best-of-three series set for Friday, March 14, Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March 16 (if necessary).
No. 1 tournament seed Colorado College (26-9-1) will host No. 10 seed Alaska Anchorage (7-19-8) at Colorado Springs World Arena (7,343). No. 2 seed North Dakota (23-8-4), sporting the nation's longest unbeaten streak at 16 games (14-0-2), will entertain No. 9 seed Michigan Tech (13-18-5) at Ralph Engelstad Arena (11,406) in Grand Forks. No. 3 seed Denver (22-13-1) will host No. 8 seed Minnesota Duluth (13-15-6) at Magness Arena (6,026) in Denver. No. 4 seed Minnesota State (18-14-4) takes on No. 7 seed Minnesota (15-14-9) at Alltel Center (4,832) in Mankato. And No. 5 seed St. Cloud State (17-14-5) will face-off against No. 6 seed Wisconsin (15-14-7) at the National Hockey Center (5,763) in St. Cloud.
During the regular season, Colorado College won all four matchups against Alaska Anchorage, winning 1-0 and 4-1 at Sullivan Arena on Nov. 30-Dec. 1 and 6-1 and 5-2 at the World Arena on Jan. 11-12. North Dakota sent 3-1-0 in their four-game regular season series against Michigan Tech, falling 3-1 and winning 6-0 at John MacInnes Student Ice Arena on Oct. 26-27 and winning 4-1 and 4-1 at Ralph Engelstad Arena on Jan. 11-12. Denver was 1-1-0 against Minnesota Duluth this winter, with a 5-1 victory and 3-0 loss on Oct. 26-27 at Magness Arena. Minnesota State dropped both of its regular season encounters to Minnesota, losing 4-3 at Alltel Center on Nov. 9 and 5-3 at Mariucci Arena on Nov. 10. St. Cloud State, meanwhile, was 1-3-0 against Wisconsin during the regular season, getting swept at the Kohl Center by 3-2 and 4-3 scores on Nov. 30-Dec. 1, and falling 2-1 and winning 3-2 at the National Hockey Center on Feb. 29-March 1.
Following this week's first round of playoffs, the five winning teams will be re-seeded No. 1 through No. 5 depending on their regular season finish and advance to the 2008 Red BaronTM WCHA Final Five, set for March 20-22 at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn. The winner of the Broadmoor Trophy at the Final Five will receive the WCHA's automatic berth into the NCAA Men's Div. 1 Tournament.
In action on the final weekend of the regular season - March 7-8 - Colorado College was the only one of eight teams in action to score a sweep. The Tigers defeated Denver twice in a home-and-home set, winning 5-2 at DU last Friday and 3-1 in the Springs last Saturday. Those results earned the Tigers both the MacNaughton Cup as WCHA champions and the Gold Pan Trophy, given to the winner of the annual CC-DU series. Host North Dakota and St. Cloud State played to a pair of overtime ties, 1-1 last Friday and 2-2 last Saturday. Minnesota split at home with visiting Minnesota Duluth, winning 4-1 on March 7 and losing 3-2 on March 8. And host Minnesota State split with Michigan Tech, with the Mavericks taking a 5-2 triumph last Friday night and the Huskies coming back for a 3-2 victory last Saturday evening.
In this week's (March 10) USCHO.com/CSTV Poll Div. 1 National Poll, the WCHA has eight of 10 teams ranked among the nation's top 20. North Dakota is No. 2, Colorado College is up to No. 3, Denver is No. 8, St.Cloud State is up to No. 9, Minnesota State is tied at No. 10, Wisconsin is No. 13, Minnesota is No. 15, and Minnesota Duluth is No. 18. Also receiving votes this week was Michigan Tech.
In the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll for March 10, North Dakota is No. 2, Colorado College is No. 3, Denver is No. 8, St. Cloud State is No. 10, Minnesota State is No. 11, Wisconsin is No. 14, and Minnesota is No. 15. Also receiving votes was Minnesota Duluth.
This Week in the WCHA • WCHA Playoffs • First Round • Best-of-3
Games for Friday, March 14: #10 Alaska Anchorage @ #1 Colorado College, 7:37 pm MT; #9 Michigan Tech @ #2 North Dakota, 7:37 pm CT; #8 Minnesota Duluth @ #3 Denver, 7:37 pm MT; #7 Minnesota @ #4 Minnesota State, 7:37 pm CT; #6 Wisconsin @ #5 St. Cloud State, 7:07 pm CT.
Games for Saturday, March 15: #10 Alaska Anchorage @ #1 Colorado College, 7:07 pm MT; #9 Michigan Tech @ #2 North Dakota, 7:07 pm CT; #8 Minnesota Duluth @ #3 Denver, 7:07 pm MT; #7 Minnesota @ #4 Minnesota State, 7:07 pm CT; #6 Wisconsin @ #5 St. Cloud State, 7:07 pm CT.
Games for Sunday, March 16 (if necessary): #10 Alaska Anchorage @ #1 Colorado College, 7:07 pm MT; #9 Michigan Tech @ #2 North Dakota, 7:07 pm CT; #8 Minnesota Duluth @ #3 Denver, 7:07 pm MT; #7 Minnesota @ #4 Minnesota State, 7:07 pm CT; #6 Wisconsin @ #5 St. Cloud State, 7:07 pm CT.
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