Men's Ice Hockey

Week 3 CCHA Preview: October 15th-16th

Six CCHA teams are in action this weekend, including one conference series in Sault Ste. Marie between St. Thomas and Lake Superior State. Number-one nationally ranked Minnesota State is at the Ice Breaker Tournament in Duluth, Minn., #16 Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan will each host #17 Notre Dame and the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) one time this weekend and #20 Bemidji State will play a home-and-home series with #7 North Dakota. Bowling Green and Ferris State are two CCHA teams not in action this weekend. 


Notable Links:

St. Thomas at Lake Superior State
 
Video Stream: FloSports
Radio: LSSU – 99.5 FM | UST – 1500 AM
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday
 
Lake Superior State returns home to open CCHA conference play after spending the first two weekends on the road, most recently in Ann Arbor at Michigan. The Lakers won the WCHA playoffs to earn the Jeff Sauer Trophy and eventually ended the season in the NCAA playoffs to champion UMass, snapping a six-game winning streak.  The Lakers are led by Brandon Puricelli who is tied for second with five points (3G, 2A) in four games.
 
The Tommies' have scored an impressive five power-play goals, tying them for third most nationally. They rank 12th in power-play conversion at .294. Goaltender Peter Thome has been busy over his first four games. The graduate student has played three and a half games and has stopped 115 shots out of 134 faced (.858 save clip, 5.44 GAA).
 

#1 Minnesota State vs. #10 Providence
 
Video Stream: NCHC.tv
TV: My9 Sports Network
Radio: MSU - 1420 AM
Live Stats: Here
 
The number-one nationally ranked Minnesota State Mavericks are one of four participants in The Ice Breaker Tournament, hosted this year by the University of Minnesota Duluth. Celebrating its 25th year in 2021-22, the Ice Breaker brings together four of the nation's top teams, typically from different conferences. The Mavericks swept then #1 Massachusetts in week number one before earning a weekend split vs. #2 St. Cloud State last weekend. Minnesota State will play Providence College Friday before facing either Michigan or Minnesota Duluth on Saturday.
 
 
 
#17 Notre Dame & USNTDP at #16 Michigan Tech
 
Video Stream: FloSports
Radio: MTU – 93.5 FM
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday
 
16th-ranked Michigan Tech will host #17 Notre Dame on Friday before welcoming the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) for an exhibition contest on Saturday. Last weekend, the Hukies swept #13 Wisconsin on the road in a pair of games in Madison.
 
MTU’s Alec Broetzman (Forward) and Blake Pietila (Goaltender) earned CCHA Player of the Week honors headed into the weekend. Broetzman recorded five points (2G, 3A) and Pietila keads the CCHA with a 1.50 goals-against average and a .952 save percentage.
The national team was founded in 1996 "to prepare student-athletes under the age of 18 for participation on the U.S. National Teams and success in their future hockey careers" as stated in their mission. Having relocated from Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2015, the team now competes as a member of the USHL with USA Hockey Arena serving as their home ice.

 

USNTDP and #17 Notre Dame at Northern Michigan
 
Video Stream: FloSports
Radio: NMU – 100.3 FM
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday
 
Like Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan will also play hosts to the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) and #17 Notre Dame respectively this weekend. The Wildcats posted a weekend sweep over St. Thomas in Marquette last weekend.

This will be the 10th meeting between the Wildcats and USA, with NMU boasting a 7-1-1 record all-time against the USHL program. NMU and USA last met in 2019 when the Wildcats traveled to Plymouth, Mich. for an exhibition matchup before the start of their season. The 'Cats defeated the national team, 4-3, including a goal from current Wildcat, Andre Ghantous, his first in an NMU sweater.

NMU and Notre Dame The two teams most recently met in 2019 when NMU traveled to Compton Family Ice Arena for a midweek contest with the Irish, ultimately dropping the contest in overtime, 2-1. It's been nearly a decade since the teams have met in Marquette, dating back to the final season in the original CCHA in October 2012. Saturday's contest will mark just their second meeting as non-conference foes.
 

#7 North Dakota vs. #20 Bemidji State

Video Stream: FloSports | NCHC.tv (Saturday)
TV: Midco Sports Network (Saturday)
Radio: BSU - 92.1 FM
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday

#20 Bemidji State will face the #7 North Dakota Fighting Hawks for the second and third time this season after the two met in Grand Forks, ND in an exhibition contest two weekends ago. It’s the second consecutive top-10, non-conference opponent for Bemidji State after facing #5 Minnesota Duluth last weekend. 12 of the last 19 meetings have been decided by one goal or less. BSU is 3-5-5 in those games