{"id":30797,"date":"2009-11-19T17:48:15","date_gmt":"2009-11-19T23:48:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2009\/11\/19\/this-week-in-the-wcha-nov-19-2009\/"},"modified":"2010-08-17T19:57:32","modified_gmt":"2010-08-18T00:57:32","slug":"this-week-in-the-wcha-nov-19-2009","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2009\/11\/19\/this-week-in-the-wcha-nov-19-2009\/","title":{"rendered":"This Week in the WCHA: Nov. 19, 2009"},"content":{"rendered":"
I think I’m going to start using this area as the number of points which separate first and 10 in the league given this year is going to undoubtedly be as close as last year.<\/p>\n
Right now that number is 10. League leader Colorado College has 13 points while last place Minnesota State has only three.<\/p>\n
Red Baron WCHA Offensive Player of the Week:<\/b> Justin Fontaine, UMD.
\nWhy:<\/b> Scored five points in the Bulldogs split with Michigan Tech, including four goals in Saturday’s 8-1 victory.
\nAlso Nominated:<\/b> David Toews, UND; Ryan Lasch, SCSU; Ben Street, UW.<\/p>\n
Red Baron WCHA Defensive Player of the Week:<\/b> Dan Dunn, SCSU.
\nWhy:<\/b> Made a career-high 47 saves to help his Huskies beat North Dakota Saturday and earn the weekend split.
\nAlso Nominated:<\/b> Nate Prosser, CC; Brady Lamb, UMD; Brad Eidsness, UND; Cody Golubef, UW.<\/p>\n
Red Baron WCHA Rookie of the Week:<\/b> Joe Howe, CC.
\nWhy:<\/b> Stopped 59 of 62 shots and earned his first collegiate shut-out to help his Tigers sweep Minnesota State.
\nAlso Nominated:<\/b> Craig Smith, UW. <\/p>\nThe Case of Pioneers v. Fighting Sioux<\/h4>\n
This weekend’s series between No. 2 North Dakota and No. 3 Denver should be one of the marquee match-ups for the weekend and, indeed, probably still will be. However, I can’t help but think that the injuries plaguing both teams might dull a bit of the luster this series has. On the flip side, however, said injuries might make this series that much more interesting.<\/p>\n
The Fighting Sioux are without senior captain Chay Genoway, out indefinitely thanks to a hit from behind by SCSU’s Aaron Marvin.<\/p>\n
At the Sioux’s weekly press conference, coach Dave Hakstol refused to talk about Genoway, particularly in regard to his status.<\/p>\n
“[There’s] no change from what I said after the game [Saturday] night,” he said. “I don’t mean to be difficult, but that’s the simple fact; that’s where we’re at.”<\/p>\n
The Pioneers, on the other hand, have two big variables in sophomore defenseman Patrick Wiercioch and junior goaltender Marc Cheverie. Wiercioch sprained his medial collateral ligament in his right knee against Anchorage and his return is uncertain. From the sounds of things, Wiercioch could possibly play, but it appears the Pioneers don’t want to rush his return, according to the Denver Post<\/i>‘s Mike Chambers. <\/p>\n
Cheverie, on the other hand, could be the team’s wild card. As you probably know by now, Cheverie has been out for what will be three weeks this weekend with an injured leg, thanks to being sliced by a skate a few weeks ago against Minnesota State. Most prognoses had him coming back in four weeks; Cheverie himself wanted to be back in three, for this series. <\/p>\n
From Chambers’ blog: <\/p>\n
“Chevy … told me he feels 100 percent and is good to go. … DU coach George Gwozdecky said team doctors remain in control and will continue to monitor the wound after each practice. “Once they clear him to play, it will be in our hands,” Gwoz said. Translation: If the doctors clear him to play, he will play.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Denver will have freshman defenseman Matt Donovan back, though. Donovan didn’t practice last week thanks to a broken finger, but, according to Chambers, is ready to go for this weekend.<\/p>\n
Regardless of the injury X-factors, the series should be at the very least interesting, given the history between these two teams, particularly over the last few years.<\/p>\n
“Two things make this an interesting series,” Gwozdecky told the Post. “First, we’re playing against a longtime rival. Secondly, they’re two points ahead of us [in the WCHA] and they have a terrific team.”<\/p>\n
The series might also have future repercussions down the road in the season, but the teams aren’t trying to focus on that aspect.<\/p>\n
“It’s about one weekend,” said Hakstol. “We don’t want to be too ominous about what this weekend is about. It’s going to be two good teams going at it very hard, I can tell you that. It’ll be great college hockey. Where it will all shake out as far as important weekends as we get to mid-, late-March, I guess we’ll have to see.”<\/p>\n