Well, looky here. It’s October … and it’s hockey season.
There is one Division I game involving a CCHA team this weekend; there are eight exhibition games between CCHA teams and visiting Canadian college hockey teams, and Notre Dame plays the Under-18 team in exhibition.
I don’t pick exhibition games, although I do believe that the CCHA will fare well this weekend. Let’s look at the single game that counts for something.
Bowling Green at Niagara
The Falcons travel to Western New York for the first game of the season for each team Saturday, Oct. 6. The Purple Eagles finished second in Atlantic Hockey in 2011-12, and their season ended with a 2-1 overtime loss to RIT in the AHA semifinals. Bowling Green may have finished last in the CCHA last season, but the Falcons upset Ferris State in CCHA quarterfinal action — that same Ferris State that lost the national championship game to Boston College in April — and I’m counting on the momentum of that BGSU team to continue into this season. BGSU 3-2
Season preview
It’s coming next week. I believe it has the Monday slot in USCHO’s big season-preview roll out. I’m still finishing it up this weekend and as I’m doing so, I’m finding the task bittersweet. I don’t know yet how that will translate into the printed (or pixelated) word. And I’m very much looking forward to spending this last CCHA season with all of you.
Well, with most of you.
