Three things I think I learned about the WCHA this weekend …
1. Blue(ger) period
Minnesota State senior forward Teddy Blueger put on quite a performance in the first period of the Mavericks’ 6-2 victory over Alaska Anchorage. Blueger had a hand in all five goals MSU scored in the first 20 (actually 15) minutes of the game, scoring once and assisting on the others. Good work by Matt Hodson of the WCHA to research the feat. According to league tweets, Blueger tied a WCHA record with four assists in a single period, becoming the ninth player in league history to do it and the first since Wisconsin’s Joe Pavelski on Jan. 14, 2006. Blueger’s five points in a period since Colorado College’s Scott Schneider had a record six on Feb. 21, 1987. Blueger, MSU’s top center had seven points going into the game and now leads the team with 12.
2. Top of the heap
As we near the halfway point of the season, there’s starting to be some separation in the league standings. And at the top, it’s really no surprise, as the favorites are right there. Minnesota State swept visiting Alaska Anchorage, and Michigan Tech swept at Alaska to sit atop the standings with 16 points each (although MSU has two games in hand). Bowling Green, which swept Northern Michigan (and also has two games in hand on Tech), is just two points back and will host Minnesota State next weekend in a marquee matchup. Ferris State isn’t far behind, four points in back of the Mavericks and Huskies and two behind the Falcons after getting a tough road split at Lake Superior State.
3. Righting the ship
Bemidji State was quite the closer at Alabama Huntsville, scoring three third-period goals in each game of the Wednesday-Friday series and winning 4-1 each night. Each game was tied 1-1 in the third period. Graeme McCormack had a goal in each game, and junior goalie Reid Mimmack improved to 3-0-1 since getting his first chance to play on Nov. 14 when he helped the Beavers snap a seven-game winless streak. Bemidji State is 3-1-1 since then, climbing out of the league basement and into sixth place, one point behind fifth-place Northern
