1. Fit to split, again
Three of the four conference series this weekend were splits. League leaders Minnesota State and Bowling Green split once again (the teams have never swept one another in WCHA play) with the Mavericks winning 6-1 Friday and the Falcons winning 4-1 Saturday. MSU is one point ahead of BG in the standings, with 21 points to the Falcons’ 20. Both have played 10 games. Also splitting on the weekend were Alabama Huntsville and Lake Superior State and Northern Michigan and Alaska. NMU moved up to third place in the standings, leapfrogging rivals Michigan Tech, who managed just two points.
2. Bring the Payne
NMU’s Robbie Payne went off once again Friday night against Alaska. The Wildcays’ senior forward, already among the top goalscorers in the nation, had his second career hat trick in the Wildcats’ 5-3 win. Payne currently leads the WCHA with 12 goals in 12 games and is second nationally behind Denver’s Henrik Borgstrom.
3. Seawolves’ success vs. Tech continues
Although Alaska Anchorage and Michigan Tech tied both of their games this weekend, the Seawolves earned the extra point in both to take four points. UAA is 2-1-5 against Tech in their last five meetings — not an overwhelming number but a pretty good clip considering the Huskies’ recent successes.
