Shane here …
Finally, Jack, we have a weekend in which all the WCHA teams are playing each other. It’s weekends like this that, I think, help the conference, as you have teams and fans all paying attention to what’s happening. It sure has been an interesting start to the season, and picking ain’t easy. My pick of a rare out-of-Alaska win for Anchorage and guessing the right side of a Lake Superior State split at Michigan State moved me a game ahead of you in the overall. Woo-hoo! Let’s see how this week goes.
JACK: I’m still not sure what to make of most of these teams, Shane. It feels like every single one of our our picks so far could have gone either way. That’s how unpredictable it’s been to this point — there’s no one dominant team in the league and I feel like the bottom half of the league is almost as competitive as the top half (at least, so far). This weekend it’s Halloween so I’m sure there will be even more weird results.
Alabama Huntsville at Lake Superior State
SHANE: The Lakers have split the last two weekends and should be feeling good about themselves at home this weekend. The Chargers, meanwhile, are going on the road for the first time this season after getting one point at home against Anchorage. Sometimes those early road trips can be good for teams. Lakers 2-1, Chargers 1-0
JACK: The Lakers have definitely impressed me so far this season. They definitely look like a better team than the one that started last season with eight losses. The Chargers have just played four games and I’m not sure what to make of them. I think a split is likely. Lakers 3-1, Chargers 2-1
Ferris State at Michigan Tech
SHANE: Wait, didn’t these two teams just play each other? They did. Two weeks ago in Big Rapids where they split. I thought the Huskies might get off to a little bit better start, but it’s been a tough schedule to start with three of four WCHA games on the road. I think they get it done at home in a couple of close games. A tie wouldn’t shock me. Huskies 3-2, 4-3
JACK: Shane and I usually agree on things but pick differently for competitions sake. This time, I see no good reason to pick against a Huskies sweep. The Bulldogs are decent and I also think the games will be close, but Jamie Phillips gets it done in the net. Huskies 2-1, 4-2
Bemidji State at Northern Michigan
SHANE: The Beavers will be motivated after dropping a pair of close games to Minnesota State last weekend. But hidden inside the Wildcats’ 2-2-2 record is how dominant they were in their home games, scoring 10 goals in two games and outshooting Tech 46-21 in a 4-1 win on Saturday. Wildcats 4-2, 4-1
JACK: Here’s where I’ll disagree (and label me a homer if you must). Both NMU and BSU have sold power play units (the Beavers are No. 6 in the country on the man advantage and have 7 PP goals). The Wildcats are also solid (6-of-23). I think this series will come down to which team stays out of the box with a split likely. Wildcats 4-1, Beavers 5-2
Alaska at Minnesota State
SHANE: The Mavericks got back on track last weekend with their two wins in Bemidji and now are back home to face another team that has given them fits recently. The Nanooks were the only WCHA team to have a winning record against MSU last season, going 2-1-1. I think Colton Parayko was a big, big reason for that, and he’s not there anymore. Mavericks 3-1, 4-2
JACK: MSU looked solid in Bemidji and won because of strong special teams play — they netted two shorthanded goals and two on the power play. The Nanooks haven’t left Alaska yet so I’m not sure how they’ll far this weekend. I’ll call for an MSU sweep because of that unknown. Mavericks 4-1, 4-2
Bowling Green at Alaska Anchorage
SHANE: This is a Saturday-Sunday series, giving each of these teams a little more travel time (at least on the front end of the weekend). The Falcons are coming off an idle weekend, too, so they should be well-rested. It might be a tad early to say that the Seawolves are the surprise team of the league, but they’re off to a good start. That just might continue. Falcons 3-2, Seawolves 3-2
JACK: Was last season’s disappointing season an aberration for Anchorage? After all, they made it to the Final Five in 2013-14. Their 4-1-1 start is promising, but they haven’t exactly been facing a murderer’s row. Their results this weekend against a very good Bowling Green team should tell us a lot. Seawolves 4-3, Falcons 3-2
Last week: Shane 6-2-2, Jack 3-5-2. Overall: Shane 21-14-7, Jack 20-15-7
