What Does Friday's Announcement Mean for College Hockey?

College Hockey was on full display during the 2017 National Hockey League Entry Draft in Chicago, but not only for the players selected (a total of 60 -- 18 from Big Ten schools).

On Friday, just a few hours prior to the first round of the draft, the NHL, NHLPA and a number of college hockey representatives gathered for an announcement "special to college hockey."

Tourney Talk: Thoughts Heading Into Big Ten Tournament

By Miles McQuinn

What a wild finish to the Big Ten Conference regular season. All six teams are set to make their journey to Joe Louis Arena with the hopes of not only a conference title, but the chance to play for an NCAA title as well. Unfortunately, it looks like the Big Ten will only have one, maybe two representatives in the big dance this year. Regardless, here's my thoughts on each team as an exciting weekend in the motor city quickly approaches.

"Big Pond" Deserves Big Donation

Big Ten hockey needs expansion, Illini are my call from the bullpen

By Miles McQuinn

You can never have too much of a good thing.

In its second campaign, the Big Ten conference hasn't had the greatest year. According to the lates USCHO.com poll, Michigan is the only Big Ten team in the Top 20, sitting at No. 14. Penn State is next in line to hop into the rankings, and Minnesota isn't far behind, as both have received a decent amount of votes.

After a disappointing inaugural tournament attendance-wise at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., the conference is hoping for a little more success in Detroit for this year's tournament.

While the Big Ten is hoping for redemption, most likely in the form of Michigan come NCAA Tournament time, I'm hoping that a generous individual (or individuals) are hoping to play the same role that Terry Pegula once played.

2014-15 Schedule Released

Here it is folks. What do you think? The schedule concludes with the 2015 Big Ten Tournament, March 19-25, at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

 2014‐15 BIG TEN HOCKEY SCHEDULE
DAY  DATE  MATCHUP

Thursday or Friday  Nov. 20 or 21  Michigan State at Ohio State*

Friday or Saturday  Nov. 21 or 22  Michigan State at Ohio State*

Friday  Nov. 21  Penn State at Michigan

Saturday  Nov. 22  Penn State at Michigan

Friday  Dec. 5  Ohio State at Michigan
Friday  Dec. 5  Minnesota at Michigan State
Friday  Dec. 5  Penn State at Wisconsin

Saturday  Dec. 6  Minnesota at Michigan State
Saturday  Dec. 6  Penn State at Wisconsin

Wrapping Up The Inaugural Season...Finally

I have to admit, the word 'inaugural' has found itself blacklisted from my vocabulary. The redundancy and overuse of 'the-word-that-shall-not-be-said' this season has taken its toll.

So hang it from the rafters, applaud its retirement, starting next year there will be no more firsts in the Big Ten hockey conference.

That being said, we can now look back on what was accomplished in 'Year One' of Big Ten hockey.

More opinions will of course be decided this weekend. The Big Ten Conference Championship Tournament invades the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., providing one final measuring stick before we find out where our Big Ten teams land on the national stage.

Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014: What The First Half of Big Ten Hockey Season Taught Us

College hockey season has officially reached the halfway point. Two weeks – or more for some teams – of holiday break and fans are ready to have hockey back.

The B1G Scoreboard (11/22/13-11/24/13)

Men's Scores From 11/22/13:

• Western Michigan 2, Michigan State 0 -- Hockey Blanked, 2-0, by Western Michigan 

• Niagara 0, Michigan 6 -- Nagelvoort Picks Up First Career Shutout as U-M Blanks Niagara

• Minnesota-Duluth 1, Minnesota 6 -- Gophers Win Fourth Straight, Top UMD 6-1

Women's Scores From 11/22/13:

• Penn State 1, Lindenwood 2

• Ohio State 1, Minnesota State 4

• Wisconsin 0, North Dakota 0 OT (Wisconsin wins shootout 1-0)

Men's Scores From 11/23/13:

• Michigan State 1, Western Michigan 4 -- Hockey Falls at Western Michigan, 4-1

Women's Scores From 11/23/13:

• Penn State 4, Lindenwood 1

• Ohio State 1, Minnesota State 2

• Wisconsin 3, North Dakota 1 

• Minnesota 5, Yale 1

Men's Scores From 11/24/13: 

• Minnesota-Duluth 6, Minnesota 2 -- Gophers Suffer 6-2 Setback Against UMD

Women's Scores From 11/24/13:

• Minnesota 4, Yale 1

1° Below Freezing: Quick Hits In B1G Hockey

Streak Stops: It was an impressive run but it was bound to end sometime. The University of Minnesota women's hockey team was handed its first loss since 2012 on Sunday. After a 6-1 route of North Dakota on Saturday, the Gophers fell 3-2 at home thanks to three first-period goals from North Dakota. The loss ended an NCAA-record win streak of 62 consecutive games. Minnesota's last loss was also to North Dakota on Feb. 17, 2012. Gopher head coach Brad Frost tweeted the following the game Sunday:

"Thank you to all of the coaches, media, fans, alums and supporters of women's hockey for the humbling congrats on the streak. It was an incredible run. To go 639 days without a loss and 62 games was truly remarkable and special. I am so proud of our current players, staff and the three teams of former players who were all part of this streak. We will never forget being involved with it. 

"The game has grown and we are very proud of that. We will learn from tonight and continue with out ultimate goals for the season. Thanks again everyone -- Brad."

During the streak, the Gophers out-scored their opponents 311-60 and out-shot them 2,343-1,421.

Still On Top: One loss didn't hinder the Gopher women's team in the slightest, maintaining the No. 1 spot in the USCHO women's and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine women's college polls. The ladies' counterpart, the Minnesota men's team, is also still holding the No. 1 ranking in both polls for the fifth straight week. Also holding their own in the rankings was Michigan in at No. 5 in both polls and Wisconsin at No. 12 in both, too. Ohio State earned 63 votes in USCHO.com's polls and 3 votes with USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine but didn't break into either.

Ohio State Solid: I came across more than a few people, blogs and articles touting the Buckeyes to be stellar this year, some even predicting them to win the Big Ten. Like I'm sure plenty of you (outside of OSU fans) are doing right now, I shook my head and laughed -- thinking it couldn't be true. Well, I have to admit Ohio State has impressed me so far in this early season and the emergence of some dominate forwards has me now slightly seeing the possibility -- though not 100% clearly. Tanner Fritz and Ryan Dzingel are proving to be the real deal and have helped the Buckeyes to five-straight wins and a 6-1 homestand. They get a real test Nov. 29 with their first peek at Big Ten competition though against a familiar foe in Michigan. Looking forward to that B1G spotlight of the week.

Penn State: PSU made an effort in the weekend's second game against UMass- Lowell, bringing the game within 1 of the ranked River Hawks after a 4-0 rousing the night before. I hate to be the bearer of bad news for Nittany Lion loyals but the schedule is only going to get tougher. Penn State faces Boston College, Wisconsin and Minnesota in coming weeks, will be interesting to see how they fare then with some steady competition.

Where We're Ranking Up: Probably not surprising, the Big Ten isn't overwhelmingly dominating across teh nation. Still Big Ten teams are making a presence known on plenty of fronts.

• Minnesota's Sam Warning in No. 5 in the nation in scoring with 17 points (5 G, 12 A) in 10 games played. Warning is also 4th in the country for assists.

• Ohio State's Ryan Dzingel's 14 points in 12 games put him at No. 19 in the nation for scoring. The Buckeyes' Tanner Fritz is No. 16 in assists with 9.

• Michigan's Zach Nagelvort is the Big Ten's best statistical goalie, coming in at No. 6. The freshman has a .94 save percentage and a 1.7089 goals against average through 7 games played.

• The Gopher offense ranks second in the nation behind Hockey East foe Boston College. Minnesota is averaging 4.20 goals per game. Their defense is fourth with 1.9 goals against average so far this season. Ohio State's offense is ranked 10th (3.58 g/gp) and Michigan's defense is tied for seventh ( 2.00 ga/gp).

• The Wolverines have the nation's fourth best powerplay so far this season going 11-for-40 and converting on 27.5%..

• Penn State's penalty kill unit is the best from the Big Ten coming in at No. 18. They are 45-for-53 (84.9%) on the man down so far this season. But the Nittany Lions also rank third across Division I teams for penalty minutes, averaging 19.33 minutes per game in the sin bin.

1° Below Freezing: Quick Hits In B1G Hockey

Another week in the books for our Big Ten teams and one that saw many teams have success. Ohio State, Minnesota and Michigan players earn Big Ten Three Stars and for a change we don't totally disagree. Outside of that, in case you missed any of the weekend's action, here are our quick hits from around the league.

Go, Go, Gophers: For the second straight week Minnesota sits atop both major college hockey polls (USCHO.com and USA Today/ USA Hockey Magazine) after posting a 5-0-1 record so far this season. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the depth the Gophers have this year is unreal. Once again, 10 different players put up first-period points in Sunday's 6-1 rout of Boston College. Don Lucia said it after Minnesota's first game of the season:

"I think we're deeper than we've ever been. Last year I thought we were a little thin on some lines...We won't have one or two guys getting all the points, it will be more spread out. I think you'll see that all year."

While the scoring is spread out, junior Sam Warning is leading the team and the NCAA with a six-game point streak. Warning has 12 total points (5g, 7a) this season to tie him for first in scoring across the league.

Another streak worth mentioning is the six-game win streak Warning and the boys in maroon and gold are on. It's the Gophers best start since the 2008-09 season where the first loss didn't come until Nov. 22. But Minnesota will have its work cut out with a weekend off before a tough November schedule with familiar foes awaits (Notre Dame, Mankato, UMD and Wisconsin).

Ohio State Brings Out The Brooms: That's a sweep, the Buckeyes (3-3-0) earned their first wins of the season against a winless Robert Morris this past weekend. Ohio State continued the streak with a win Tuesday over Bowling Green. A cherry on top was junior forward Nick Oddo being named Big Ten's First Star of the Week for his three-point weekend (the only Big Ten player to do so this weekend). Oddo's line with Travis Statchuk and Matt Johnson combined for three goals and eight points. Things finally look like they might start to be clicking for the young Buckeye squad.

Michigan Holds Steady: A split against solid contenders with their first loss coming at the hands of UMass-Lowell, the Wolverines (4-1-1) stay in the No. 4 spot for both polls. Nothing to shutter at U-M faithful, the squad still looks great. In net Zach Nagelvoort (Big Ten's Third Star of the Week) looks comfortable, stopping an impressive 34 shots in Saturday's loss. Tyler Motte is leading the offense without hesitation. The defensive corps for the Wolverines are equally as impressive, ranking sixth in the nation with a 1.83 goals against average. Michigan has also held opponents to two goals or less in five of the six games this season. A weekend against Michigan Tech should be an easy test for Michigan.

Penn State Keeping Pace: The Nittany Lions are still looking good despite a recent 5-2 loss to Vermont. PSU is able to keep up with most of its opponents so far this season. Head Coach Guy Gadowsky told GoPSUSports.com that "I've learned this team has a lot more to learn." And with each game offers another learning experience for the DI newbies. I am liking the looks of Tommy Olyczk and Taylor Holmstrom as well as Nate Jensen and some of the younger defensemen. Time will tell for Penn State.

Spartans Sputter: First-win-monkey is off Michigan State's back. A rally from behind to topple ranked Boston University 3-1 looked promising but for the most part things are still a little sloppy looking for MSU. A Friday-Sunday series with American International might boost moral if they can pull it together.

Wisconsin Ready to Step Up?: A weekend off, the Badgers should be ready to roar back with a weekend against Lake Superior at the Kohl Center. They have so many of the pieces in place for a great season but are slumping similar to last year. Anxious to see how November treats them.

B1G Weekend Matchups

The  Big Ten Network got lucky this weekend, able to host one of, in my opinion, the best matchups of the weekend with BC and Minnesota. This weekend also features the final points of the Hockey East vs. Big Ten Challenge. Hockey East currently leads 9-4 but Big Ten teams get home advantage this weekend. Game on.

No. 5 Boston College at No. 1 Minnesota – This tops the list for college matchups for the weekend. Two successful series sweeps for Minnesota moved the Gophers up in both college polls this week. BC is doing alright for themselves including a 9-2 romping of highly touted (and Minnesota rival) Wisconsin last Friday. Mariucci is one of the best places to hold home ice but guarantee that the Eagles recall last year’s 8-1 route by the Gophs and will want to avenge the loss. The Big Ten will broadcast Friday’s game and Fox Sports North takes on Sunday’s matinee feature at 1 p.m. CT.

No. 18/NR UMass-Lowell at No. 4 Michigan (and Michigan State) – After one lone week at No. 1 before being stunned and upset by Sacred Heart in the opening weekend, UMass-Lowell keeps the tumble with a home-and-home sweep by Quinnipiac last weekend. This is a team desperate for a win but it won’t be easy with games in the Mitten State. I am especially excited to see the Saturday contest against Michigan.

No. 13/14 Boston University at No. 4 Michigan -- BU faces Michigan State on Saturday, but again, that’s not the game I am interested in watching. The Wolverines have two big tests this weekend with above UMass-Lowell and BU who handed a beating to Wisconsin (tough Boston visit for the Badgers yikes) 7-3 last Saturday. Can’t wait to see if the Terriers or Wolverines have the bigger bite in this game.

Also this weekend:  RIT and Vermont at Penn State & Robert Morris vs. Ohio State home-and-home series. Wisconsin gets the weekend to recoup.

A letter to the Big Ten from (some) college hockey fans

Dear Big Ten,

We understand we can't stop what's about to happen to college hockey, just as long as you understand you forever changed the college hockey landscape, and change isn't always the easiest.

As long time fans devoted to our Michigans, Minnesotas and Wisconsins, we feel there are some things you should be aware of, being you guys are now in most likely unfamiliar territory on a rink instead of a basketball court or football field.

1. We aren't your biggest fans right now -- You can try sell us on how this is better for the sport of hockey on the collegiate level as a whole but the majority of us know that is a crock of soft ice shit. It's about money. We recognize that but in the process you removed us from beloved rivals and conferences that we have known and loved for years.

2. You have a lot to live up to -- As we mentioned in the first note,  the CCHA and WCHA are what we have known. Fox Sports North, Fox College Sports Channel and CBSC all adequately gave us plenty of hockey coverage. Admittedly you guys have been trying in the lead up, but you should know, we are going to expect a lot in the wake of taking over. Truthfully we can never get enough college hockey coverage, so pour it on we will eat it up. 

3. We're pretty hardcore fans. Every college sport has "their thing" be it tailgating in football or big heads in basketball, hockey has their chirping. It's true, us fans tend to hammer on opposing teams, complete with chants directed at the goaltender and more often than not, cursing is a large part of it. For those unfamiliar with this, it can be a bit of a shock, but rest assured it's just in good -- maybe not so clean -- fun.

4. Make sure you know the rules. The majority of us have been following hockey like our religion. We tend to know the rules like the back of our hand and will be sure to call you out on them if you don't.

5. We will eventually come around. Let's face it, we have no choice. And as you will quickly find, hockey fans are among the most passionate fans around. 

Sincerely yours, 

Badger/Spartan/Nittany Lions/Buckeye/Gopher/Wolverine ice fans 

Conference championships: B1G tourny & B1G trophy

By Jessi Pierce

Whew, where did the season go? Lots to be excited about with conference tournaments underway and even more to be excited about with the impending Frozen Four in Pittsburgh fast approaching.

Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan are still in action in semifinals this week in their respective conferences. Michigan State was bounced by Miami and Penn State played this year with no conference affiliation.

The Gophs got a share of the McNaughton Cup as WCHA regular season co-champs and I have to hand it to Wisco for coming back huge toward the end of the season. The Badgers went from the bottom of the barrel to contender for NCAA. Likewise Ohio State and Michigan have pulled off decent seasons too, but both enter the CCHA tournament underdogs against opponents Notre Dame and Miami.

Of course for fans this year's conference tournys will be extra bittersweet. The CCHA folds up shop and the WCHA Frozen Five will never look the same.

And of course it begs us to look forward to next year. In an effort to further hype up next year's "B1G" change in the college hockey landscape, ticket information for the Big Ten Conference championships was released today (decently priced, but c'mon really?).

Earlier this month the Big Ten also released what our favorite six teams will be playing for next year. As everything surrounding Big Ten hockey has been, there are mixed reactions on the futuristic looking trophy. Dubbed simply the Big Ten trophy until a name is decided on, it has fans chattering.

Ultimately conference tournaments mean the Big Ten is up next. We've had two years to become comfortable with it, so the B1G question is: are you?

Follow Jessi Pierce on Twitter at @jessi_pierce and this blog at @B1GIH

1° Below Freezing: Quick Hits In B1G Hockey

By Jessi Pierce

Happy New Year folks. For most of our Big Ten teams, 2013 means not just a new year, but hope for a turnaround on the season at its halfway point. Here's what's happening with our favorite teams and players.

° U-S-A! U-S-A! — In case you weren't awake at 4 a.m. this morning to check in on the World Junior Championship tournament rivalry match-up between Team USA and Canada in Ufa, Germany, well, you missed quite a lot. University of Wisconsin stud and the U.S. National Junior Team's Captain, Jake McCabe notched two past USA's hockey foes in a 5-1 romping to advance the red, white and blue to the gold medal game on Saturday. Team USA's roster boasts not only McCabe, but includes Jacob Trouba (University of Michigan) and Mike Reilly (University of Minnesota) representing Big Ten teams. Here is what United States of Hockey's Chris Peters had to say about each of their play in the big win Thursday morning.

"Jake McCabe — Team USA’s captain was named the player of the game and he deserves it. A force at both ends of the ice, his two goals in the first period set the tone for the game and allowed the U.S. to take control. Both goals were aided by net-front presence and screens, but McCabe’s shot was on the money on both occasions. Those were two high-pressure goals and the captain delivered. McCabe as also terrific in his own end, shutting down opposing forwards and aiding the transition with good up-ice passing."

"Jacob Trouba — Trouba brought some physicality, but he also showed off the skill that has made him the tournament’s top-scoring defender. He very well could end up as the directorate award winner for the tournament’s best defenseman with the way he’s played. Trouba has been the most consistent guy from start to finish for the Americans and has affected the game at both ends of the ice. His development over the last two years has been something else."

"Mike Reilly — Reilly deserves a lot of credit for his role on Team USA’s first goal. He helped spark the transition to get players down ice and then earned an assist by getting the puck near the net and following the play. He’s an offensively gifted player and he has been able to show that a lot more the last three games."

I couldn't agree more with Peters' assessment on not only those three players, but all of Team USA's performance throughout the tournament and this morning; especially goaltender John Gibson who shut down the Canadians in all three periods of play. Take a peek at some of the highlights and see for yourself.

° Gophers back on top — After completely handling former USCHO No. 1 and defending national champions, Boston College in the Mariucci Classic last Sunday with an 8-1 score, the Minnesota Gophers find themselves in the No. 1 spot before heading into arguably a much tougher second half of the season. Upcoming contests with Notre Dame, North Dakota, Denver and St. Cloud State among other teams will be a test for the maroon and gold, but after witnessing the depth of each line this past weekend, I see Minnesota holding tight to that top spot for a few weeks yet. Interesting note, Minnesota is the only Big Ten team to be ranked in this week's USCHO poll. More on that below. 

° Michigan's Treais suspended one game — In another holiday tournament, Michigan and Michigan State battled it out in the CCHA's Great Lakes Invitational third place game, possibly a bit too physical. Wolverines captain and senior forward A.J. Treais was handed a one game suspension following Michigan's win over the Spartans for what the CCHA said was Treais' contact to MSU's Matt DeBlouw's head. Here is what the CCHA said in an official release:

"Senior forward A.J. Treais of the University of Michigan has been suspended for one (1) game. The action was taken by the league after a review of an incident that occurred near the 17:28 mark of the third period in a game against Michigan State and resulted in the player receiving major and game misconduct penalties for Contact to the Head."

The suspension will cause Treais to miss Michigan's next regular season game against Bowling Green on Jan. 8 but will be eligible to play against the NTDP in exhibition Friday. One game isn't all that bad — and to be honest neither was the hit, definitely not intentional head to head contact — but the Wolverines need all they can to pick themselves up heading into the second half of their schedule.

° Big Ten struggles continue — Not only do the Gophers garner the No. 1 spot in the nation, but Minnesota is the only Big Ten team above .500 this regular season with a 13-3-3 record overall. Ohio State holds a 7-8-5 record, Penn State is at 8-9, Michigan is holding a 7-10-2 record, Michigan State going 5-11-3 and Wisconsin rounding out the pack with a grim 4-7-5 record.

Time still remains in the season to turn some things around for all the teams, but it doesn't exactly speak well for the Big Ten hockey conference. For more on the break down, check out Roman Augustoviz column in the Star Tribune.

The B1G Scoreboard (12/7/12-12/912)

Men's Scores From 12/7/12:

• Michigan State 2, Notre Dame 3 — Darnell scores twice in 3-2 loss to No.4/5 Irish
• Minnesota 4, Colorado College 2 — Gophers kick off weekend with 4-2 win over No.19 Tigers
• Michigan Tech 1, Wisconsin 1 — Wisconsin forces 1-1 overtime tie against Michigan Tech
• Penn State 4, Holy Cross 5 OT — Men's hockey falls to Holy Cross, 5-4, in OT
• Robert Morris 3, Ohio State 2 — Buckeyes drop 3-2 game to Robert Morris

Women's Scores From 12/7/12:

• Minnesota 5, Bemidji State 1
• Penn State 1, St. Lawrence3

Men's Scores From 12/8/12:

• Michigan State 1, Notre Dame 5 — Spartans fall, 5-1, at Notre Dame
• Minnesota 4, Colorado College 4 OT — Gophers take three WCHA points from Tigers, tie 4-4 in overtime
• Michigan Tech 3, Wisconsin 3 OT — Going the distance: Wisconsin and Michigan Tech tie 3-3 in overtime
• Penn State 1, Holy Cross 4 — Jensen scores in 4-1 loss to Holy Cross
• Ohio State 2, Robert Morris 2 OT — Buckeyes rally for 2-2 tie at Robert Morris

Women's Scores From 12/8/12:

• Minnesota 5, Bemidji State 0
• North Dakota 2, Wisconsin 3
• RIT 1, Ohio State 3
• Penn State 2, St. Lawrence 4

Women's Scores From 12/9/12:

• North Dakota 1, Wisconsin 3
• RIT 2, Ohio State 6

The B1G Scoreboard (11/30/12-12/2/12)

Men's Scores From 11/30/12:

• Omaha 3, Minnesota 2 — Mavericks outlast Gophers in series opener 

• Ohio State 1, Michigan State 0 — Buckeyes top Spartans, 1-0, behind Hjelle and Dzingel

• Michigan 0. Ferris State 5 — Michigan ends November with loss at Ferris State

• Penn State 8, Arizona State 3 — Men's hockey downs Arizona State, 8-3

• Wisconsin 1, Denver 1 OT — Wisconsin takes WCHA-leading Denver to 1-1 tie

Women's Scores From 11/30/12:

• Penn State 0, Mercyhurst 5

• Ohio State 0, Minnesota State 0 OT Ohio State wins shootout 3-1

Men's Scores From 12/1/12:

• Omaha 2, Minnesota 3 – Gophers top Omaha 3-2 in series finale

• Ohio State 3, Michigan State 1 — Buckeyes top Spartans, 3-1, for series sweep

• Michigan 3, Ferris State 3 OT Michigan wins shootout 3-2 in 4 rds —Michigan ties Ferris State before prevailing in shootout

• Penn State 1, Arizona State 3 —Men's hockey falls to Arizona State, 3-1, Saturday night

• Wisconsin 3, Denver 1 — Wisconsin upsets No.5 Denver, 3-1

Women's Scores From 12/1/12:

• Penn State 1, Mercyhurst 7

• Ohio State 4, Minnesota State 3

• Wisconsin 1, Minnesota 4

Women's Scores From 12/2/12:

• Wisconsin @ Minnesota

1° Below Freezing: Quick Hits In B1G Hockey

By Jessi Pierce

Each week, we at B1G Ice Hockey will bring you our weekly check-in with Big Ten teams, starting with teams on the hot streak and ending with teams that seem to be ice cold. Enjoy.

° Gophers stay hot — After pulling out three of four points at Mariucci against neighbor Wisconsin and a clean sweep at Vermont, Minnesota seems to keep the wins coming, remaining unbeaten in its past six contests. The only Big Ten team to be ranked in the top 20 in either national college hockey poll this week, — ranked third in both the USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine — the Gophers 9-2-2 record stands apart from the B1G pack, too.

A scoring prowess up front, a solid blue line defense and even better goaltending, Minnesota fans are feeling like they once again hold the state's, and nation's, "Pride on Ice." But the Gophers will be tested this weekend when Nebraska-Omaha comes to town with the same six-game winning streak. Even more similarities, the Maverick's leading scorer Ryan Walters is tied for fifth in the WCHA in scoring with Minnesota's Erik Haula at 16 points a piece. Omaha also boasts a big sweep over the University of Minnesota-Duluth and is without a loss the entire month of November.

Minnesota will have to take control early and shouldn't expect a cake walk this weekend.

Puck drops Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.

° Buckeyes holding their own —I have been fairly impressed with Ohio State's play so far this season.   A young squad, they are holding their own, tied for second in the CCHA with Notre Dame and Ferris State. Holding a 5-4-3 record, the Buckeyes boasted early season wins over Minnesota-Duluth, Bowling Green and a sweep at home against Northern Michigan.  Sophomore Tanner Fritz is leading the offensive charge for the team with 11 points through 12 games. Between the pipes senior Brady Hjelle is leading the CCHA with a mere three goals allowed this season and a .62 goals against average. Hjelle was also named the CCHA Goaltender of the Week for the second time this season following the Buckeyes split with Lake Superior last weekend.

Ohio State hits the road to East Lansing, Mich., this weekend for a Big Ten match-up and current CCHA rival series with Michigan State. The Spartans have had their own struggles establishing consistency this season (more on that below) but tend to have the upperhand over Ohio State as all-time history shows with the Buckeyes recording 26-84-8 against the Spartans. In the last 30 match-ups however, the series is even at 14-14-2.

It's anyones game this weekend.

Puck drops Friday at 8:05 p.m. ET and 6:05 p.m. ET on Saturday.

° Penn State on the upswing — To be honest, it seems Penn State still hasn't gotten the credit they deserve. It's a big leap from ACHA to NCAA but this is a squad that is holding its own against some of the big boys. Point proven by keeping with No. 7 Union on the road last weekend, the nation's leading offense. Remember, Union was in the Frozen Four last year and is a remarkably good program. Sure Penn State lost, first 2-0 on Friday and managed to get on the board Saturday with a 4-1 loss. But they played with Union each period right to the end.

Another big rebound night came when Air Force put up 5 against them Nov. 9  (in a game where even Air Force head coach Frank Serratore said that Penn State deserved to win) and the Nittany Lions turned that score around for a 5-1 win on Saturday.

The thing that I enjoy about this team is they know they are the underdogs and they welcome the challenge. Scheduled games in the second half of the season against future Big Ten foes Michigan State and Wisconsin will be another true test but for the most part, despite the 6-5-0 record, I think PSU is one of the stronger teams right now in the conference.

Up next for the Nittany Lions is a visit from ACHA's Arizona State.

Puck drops at 7:30 p.m. ET both Friday and Saturday.

° Michigan struggles — Typically a dominant force in the CCHA and expected to be a top powerhouse in the Big Ten next year, Michigan can't seem to find their footing yet this season. With a roster stocked with the NHL draft picks, the Wolverines should be doing better than their 5-7-1 record shows.

A.J. Treais, Mac Bennett, Alex Guptill and Jacob Trouba are all putting up the points (46 between the four of them) but lazy third periods and finishing the game seems to have Michigan working against itself. Some of the top CCHA opponents are behind them for now (split with Miami, split with Michigan State and a recent sweep by Notre Dame) but if Michigan doesn't get the wheels clicking soon, it's going to be a tough road ahead.

Coming off a schedule that had a win at Yost against Bowling Green on Nov. 21 followed by a loss to No. 13 Cornell at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 24, the Wolverines head to Big Rapids, Mich., for a series this weekend with Ferris State.

Kyle Bonis is the go-to guy for Ferris State. If the Wolverines can shut him down and limit the amount of shots he puts on net, they should be able to pull out the sweep and start their climb back up the CCHA.

Puck drops Friday and Saturday at 7:05 p.m. ET.

° Spartans still middle of the pack — Michigan State has yet to face some of its toughest opponents and even some worthy ones defeated the Spartans already this year. A record of 4-6-2 on the season so far, the Spartans have typically been known as a middle of the pack team, and remain to be. A big CCHA (and ego) win over Michigan is the team's only notable win so far and a rally for a 2-2 tie with Miami was another big point. But ultimately it's a team that has yet to impress me.

The offense is inconsistant and, like its foe Michigan, has yet to get everything working together. According to Neil Koepke with MSUSpartans.com "In 12 games this season, MSU has scored two or fewer goals in seven contests."

Heading into Ohio State will be another big test for the Spartans and should be a great series matchup, with Friday's game televised on the Big Ten Network.

° Wisconsin woes continue — The only more inconsistent team and one that has scored less than Michigan State is Wisconsin. While of course my inner Gopher smiles slyly at putting the Badgers at the bottom, even loyal fans are questioning whether this is rock bottom for Wisconsin, who is just 1-7-2 this season.

As Andy Johnson, Badger writer for Bucky's 5th Quarter tweeted: "UW's record now stands at 1-7-2. They've scored more than two goals only once. I'd say this is rock bottom but we go to Denver next week."

It seems like there will be no time for the Badgers to come up from air after dropping their last weekend  games at Minnesota. Ineligible Nic Kerdiles will be able to return to the lineup for this coming weekend against the Pioneers, but is that the only spark that Wisconsin so desperately needs? We will see.

Puck drops at 9 p.m. CT Friday and 8 p.m. CT Saturday.

B1G Rankings

1. Minnesota

2. Ohio State

3. Penn State

4. Michigan 

5. Michigan State

6. Wisconsin

The B1G Scoreboard (11/15/12-11/17/12)

Men's Scores From 11/15/12:

• Notre Dame 3, Michigan 1 — Late goals doom Michigan in loss to No. 7 Notre Dame

Men's Scores From 11/16/12:

• Northern Michigan 0, Ohio State 2 - Buckeyes shut out No. 19 Northern Michigan, 2-0

• Michigan State 2, Miami 2OT Miami wins shootout 2-0 - Spartans rally for tie with Miami, 2-2

• Notre Dame 4, Michigan 1 - Wolverines stymied by strong Irish third

• Wisconsin 2, Minnesota 2 OT - Border battle opens with 2-2 overtime tie

Women's Scores From 11/16/12:

• Wisconsin 4, Ohio State 2

• Minnesota State 0, Minnesota 3

• Penn State 1, Lindenwood 5

Men's Scores From 11/17/12:

• Michigan State 0, Miami 2 - MSU falls at Miami, 2-0

• Northern Michigan 2, Ohio State 4 - Buckeyes complete sweep of No.19 Northern Michigan with 4-2 victory

• Wisconsin 1, Minnesota 3 - Gophers close out border battle with 3-1 win

Women's Scores From 11/17/12:

• Penn State 3, Lindenwood 2

• Wisconsin 1, Ohio State 3

• Minnesota State 1, Minnesota 9

The B1G Scoreboard (11/9/12-11/11/12)

Men's Scores From 11/9/12: 

• Michigan State 1, Michigan 5 — U-M wins first game of home-and-home with Spartans

• Alaska 1, Ohio State 1 OT Ohio State wins shooutout, 2-1 (6 rounds) — Buckeye skate to 1-1 tie with Nanooks, prevail in shootout

• Minnesota 4, Alaska-Anchorage 0 — Willcox, power play carry Gophers to 4-0 win over Seawolves

• Air Force 5, Penn State 1 — Men's hockey drops 5-1 contest to Air Force

American Collegiate Hockey Association DI/Non-NCAA

• Non-ACHA team 0, Indiana University 4
• Arizona 4, Illinois 5

Men's Scores From 11/10/12:

• Michigan 2, Michigan State 7 — Record crowd watches 7-2 rout of Michigan

• Alaska 3, Ohio State 1 — Buckeyes fall to Alaska 3-1

• Minnesota 2, Alaska-Anchorage 2 OT — Gophers skate to 2-2 overtime time in Anchorage

• Air Force 1, Penn State 5 — Five players score in 5-1 win over Air Force

ACHA DI/Non-NCAA

• Illinois 2, Robert Morris 8

Women's Scores From 11/10/12:

• Robert Morris 7, Penn State 1

Women's Scores From 11/11/12:

• Robert Morris at Penn State 2 ET

The B1G Scoreboard (11/02/12 - 11/04/12)

Men's Scores From 11/02/12:

• Bowling Green 1, Michigan State 0 — Spartans fall, 1-0, to Bowling Green

• Michigan 4,  Northern Michigan 4 OT, Michigan wins shootout 1-0 — Treais provides heroics in comeback at Northern Michigan

• Minnesota State 2,  Minnesota 3 — Power-play goals push Gophers to 3-2 win over Mavericks

• Colorado College 5, Wisconsin 4 OT — Colorado College spoils Bob Johnson night, downs Wisconsin in overtime 

Women's Score From 11/02/12:

• Ohio State 3, St. Cloud State 2

• Minnesota 4, Minnesota-Duluth 1

• Minnesota State 0, Wisconsin 2

• Sacred Heart 0, Penn State 6

Men's Scores From 11/03/12:

• Michigan State 6, Bowling Green 1 — Big nights from DeBlouw, Berry help Spartans to split

• Michigan 3, Northern Michigan 4 — U-M unable to rally for second straight night at NMU

• Minnesota 3,  Minnesota State 5 — Haula's three point night not enough as Gophers fall to Mavs

• Colorado College 3, Wisconsin 0 — Tigers blank Badgers, sweep series with 3-0 win

• Buffalo State 2,  Penn State 4 — Glen scores twice in victory over Buffalo State

Women's Scores From 11/03/12:

• Ohio State 4, St. Cloud State 2

• Minnesota 4, Minnesota-Duluth 0

• Minnesota State 0, Wisconsin 5

• Sacred Heart 2, Penn State 8

Who Should Get The Next B1G Hockey Invite?

By Jessi Pierce

Ah, the smell of college hockey is in the air. As the last season before Big Ten Hockey broaches itself on the NCAA landscape gets underway, rumors of course swirl around who could be next to join Big Ten Hockey status.

Truth is, it's difficult to make the leap to that next level. With Title IX to be considered and the most important aspect being the funds needed to make a Div.I caliber team, not everyone can make the seemingly easy transition that Penn State did — though we here at Big Ten Hockey wish they all could.

Still, let's look at some of the reasons each Big Ten school could, given the right funding and support, open the gates for hockey.

University of Illinois
Located in Urbana-Champaigne, Ill.
• DI sports: Men's —baseball, basketball, cross country, fencing, football, golf, gymnastics, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field and wrestling.
Women's — basketball, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field and volleyball.

A program that I became familiar with during my time at Iowa State, Illinois is an obvious choice. The state itself is a hotbed for hockey. To begin, you have the 2010 Stanley Cup Championship Chicago Blackhawks, the American Hockey League's Chicago Wolves, a great feeder team for the NHL's Vancouver Canucks and kids in Illinois rival neighboring Minnesota with the passion they have for the game beginning at the Peewee levels. The only thing missing it seems is college hockey.

The Fighting Illini have seen success on the ice in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) DI club level, winning the national championship in 2008 (with not a loss all season to blemish their record) and in 2005 — defeating then ACHA Penn State. They were also crowned runners-up in 2009 and 2002 — losing to Penn State in '02.

Anyone visiting the Illinois Ice Arena, or the "Big Pond," knows the atmosphere is intense, similar to what can be seen at NCAA DI hockey stage. Fans hover over the opposing players bench and the rink itself is built to be Olympic size, making it an even tougher challenge for visiting teams.

It would be a great move for this program. Recruits would be plenty in the state and I imagine would most definitely draw interested parties from outside its borders.

More on the current team and club program is offered here in the school's student newspaper.


Imagining the move to DI: 2018



Indiana University
Located in Bloomington, Ind.
• DI sports: Men's —basketball, football, soccer, swimming and diving, golf, tennis, wrestling, track and field and cross country.
Women's — basketball, soccer, cross country, rowing, field hockey, tennis, water polo, golf, track and field, volleyball and softball.

While Indiana may not possess some of the obvious benefits that Illinois did, they still have something to bring to the Big Ten Hockey table.

Typically known as a basketball state, the Hoosiers made the move from Div. II ACHA club level to DI in 2008. Another opponent for the Cyclones, I was able to see some strengths in the fairly new team. Though not a lot of depth, Indiana was able to hold their own at the ACHA DI level in one of the arguably tougher conferences, the Central States Collegiate Hockey League.

From the sounds of it, Indiana continues to see their club program grow in interest. Crowds will be a tough sell, with the Hoosier basketball team dominating the fanbase which could also potentially make recruitment hard as hockey is not the main choice in winter sports for youth.

They probably aren't even considering the option in Bloomington just yet, but should they talk about it I can see Indiana being one of the last teams to join the Big Ten. Still would be great to have them.


Imagining the move to DI: 2024



University of Iowa
Located in Iowa City, Iowa
• DI sports: Men's —baseball, basketball, football, golf, tennis, swimming and diving, gymnastics, track and field, cross country and wrestling.
Women's —basketball, golf, field hockey, rowing, tennis, softball, cross country, track and field, gymnastics, swimming and diving, soccer and volleyball.

Another newcomer on the ACHA DI scene, putting all rivalries aside, the Hawkeyes also have some potential. There were meek beginnings for the club team at first, barely able to field more than two lines and desperate for players. I'm told both the team, and program, have grown since then.

As much of a surprise as it may be to some, Iowa actually has its fair share of hockey pockets, too. Home to numerous junior hockey teams including Iowa City's neighboring Cedar Rapids where the United States Hockey League's Roughriders reign, Iowa has more than just farmland.

Football is king on the Iowa City campus as is wrestling, but with such a short season, how great would it be to add hockey into the winter mix. I know first hand (as a Gopher and Cyclone) how passionate those Hawkeye fans can be and I can see hockey bringing out the crowd even louder.


Imagining the move to DI: 2022


University of Nebraska
Located in Lincoln, Neb.
• DI sports: Men's —baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, gymnastics, tennis, track and field and wrestling.
Women's — basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, gymnastics, rifle, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field and volleyball.

A newcomer to the Big Ten league and a powerhouse in football, volleyball and at times baseball and basketball, the idea of introducing hockey into the mix is exciting on a variety of levels.

We talked about Cornhusker hockey a year ago and Corn Nation entertained the idea recently, planting the seed in people's minds once again.

Nebraska, like the others could pull this off. Omaha has seen great success in the Div. I rankings with the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks holding their own not only in the competition, but in the market as well.

Just getting things on ice rolling with an ACHA Div.III hockey team, time will tell how successful a DI program could be in Lincoln. The USHL has given a home to the Stars which has seen varied success of its own, but it still begs the question of how great a market could be in Nebraska.

Imagining the move to DI: 2020

Northwestern University
Located in Evanston, Ill.
• DI sports: Men's — baseball, basketball, football, golf, tennis, soccer, swimming and diving and wrestling.
Women's —basketball, golf, swimming and diving, fencing, lacrosse, cross country, field hockey, softball, soccer, tennis and volleyball.

Another Chicago based school, I echo many of the same sentiments for Northwestern as I did with Illinois only with slightly less aggressiveness.

Northwestern is currently playing ACHA Div. III club hockey and with the ability to draw on local hockey players still interested in playing hockey has been able to maintain a roster of some depth.

Big Ten anchor Rick Pizzo tweeted to B1G Ice Hockey Thursday that a Northwestern journalism student had recently contacted him in regards to the school making the hockey move up. Here is what Pizzo had to say in his tweets to us:

A B1G shout-out to Pizzo for keeping the topic going, and Wildcats it looks like you have someone backing you guys for the move up.


Imagining the move to DI: 2020

Purdue University
Located in West Lafayette, Ind.
• DI sports: Men's —baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, swimming and diving, wrestling and track and field.
Women's —basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field and volleyball.

Purdue, similar to its state counterpart Indiana, has made little effort to jump on the ice.

Purdue is another one quietly making ripples in the ACHA. There's a passion on the ice, but not quite a enough. For that reason, I foresee them being the last to join Big Ten Hockey, if ever. Again, not that it wouldn't be great to have them join!

Imagining the move to DI: 2027