The B1G Scoreboard (10/19/12-10/21/12)

Men's s Scores from 10/19/12:

• Minnesota 3, Michigan Tech 5 — Minnesota falls to Michigan Tech in WCHA opener

• Penn State 0, Buffalo State 3 — Men's hockey falls to Buffalo State 3-0

• Niagara 2, Michigan State 3 — Three goal rally propels MSU to win over Niagara

• Ohio State 1, Quinnipiac 1 OT — Ohio State rallys for 1-1 tie at No. 20 Quinnipiac

• Bentley 3, Michigan 6 — Two-goal games from Treais, Guptill help U-M throttle Bentley

Women's Scores From 10/19/12:

• Ohio State 2, Minnesota 7

• Bemidji State 1, Wisconsin 0

• Penn State 1, Sacred Heart 2

Men's Scores From 10/20/12:

• Minnesota 3, Michigan Tech 2 — Lucia earns 600th career win in 3-2 victory over Huskies

• Niagara 3, Michigan State 3 OT — Spartans rally in third again, forge 3-3 tie

• Penn State 3, RIT 2 — Musico shines as Lions upset RIT, 3-2

• Ohio State 1, Quinnipiac 3 — Buckeyes fall at No. 20 Quinnipiac, 3-1

Women's Scores From 10/20/12:

• Ohio State 0, Minnesota 8

• Penn State 5, Sacred Heart 1

Women's Scores From 10/21/12:

• Bemidji State 3, Wisconsin 3 OT, Wisconsin wins shootout 2-0

The B1G Scoreboard (10/11/12-10/13/12)

Men's Scores From 10/11/12:

• RIT 5, Michigan 4 OT - Michigan drops season opener to RIT in overtime

Men's Scores From 10/12/12:

• RIT 2, Michigan 7 - Four-goal third allows Wolverines to tame RIT Tigers

• Ohio State 2, Minnesota-Duluth 6 - Buckeyes drop season opener to No.12/13 Bulldogs 6-2

• Michigan State 1, Minnesota 5 - Gophers cruise to 5-1 win in season opener

• Northern Michigan 2, Wisconsin 1 - Wisconsin allows pair of late-period goals in season opener loss

• American International 3, Penn State 2 OT - Lions fall to AIC, 3-2, in OT in first NCAA game

Women's Scores From 10/12/12:

• North Dakota 3, Ohio State 5

• Minnesota 5, St. Lawrence 0

Men's Scores From 10/13/12:

• Ohio State 3, Minnesota-Duluth 2 - Buckeyes top No.12/13 Minnesota Duluth, 3-2

• Michigan State 1, Minnesota 7 - Gophers complete season-opening sweep with 7-1 win

• Northern Michigan 4, Wisconsin 2 - Wisconsin loses late to Northern Michigan

• American International 3, Penn State 4 OT - Glen lifts men's hockey to 4-3 OT victory against AIC

Women's Scores From 10/13/12:

• Syracuse 4, Penn State 0

• North Dakota 2, Ohio State 0

• Wisconsin 0, Minnesota-Duluth 2

• Minnesota 6, St. Lawrence 0

Women's Scores From 10/14/12:

• Syracuse @ Penn State 2 ET

• Wisconsin @ Minnesota-Duluth 3:05 CT

How Will The NHL Lockout Affect The College Game?

By Jessi Pierce

The inevitable became a reality at 12:01 a.m. Sept. 16.

Hockey fans will be without a professional season — or at least a delayed start — for the second time in eight years with the NHLPA and NHL owners not agreeing to terms for a CBA.

Before I go off on a tangent about the frustrations of losing another season of the professional sport that has to work so hard to gain the attention of fans in the first place, I will start by stating the obvious:

It sucks.

It sucks for the sport of hockey, and mostly it sucks for its fans.

Locking the doors to professional teams and a season of course always begs the question: Will it help enhance the college hockey season as fan focus shifts to the collegiate level in attempts to quench their thirst for the game that was taken away for the year?

I have always been a devout college hockey fan, especially in the years when the state of hockey had no pro team and where the Gophers have always reigned as "Minnesota's Pride On Ice." We already saw NBC Sports Network release a beefed up college hockey schedule for this year as the lockout loomed. The programming will include 24 match-ups — including Wisconsin and Michigan State games — beginning in October in an effort to alleviate TV scheduling lost from an undetermined amount of a missing NHL season.

Yes, that's pretty great for college hockey, and hockey in general, to add more exposure in a season starting in professional turmoil. And on a broad scale, I do think that in areas where an NHL team is based, college games might have a few more seats filled.

Add in the fact that the allure of the NHL to players who might be more likely to jump ship in favor of a signing bonus is now tainted, sure, the NHL lockout has some bright spots in college hockey.

BUT...in the grand scheme of the whole mess, while I would love to see everyone hop on the bandwagon of college hockey for this season, the truth is, the lockout is terrible for the sport overall.

It's a blatant disrespect for fans. Fans whose money is being fought over. Fans who love the game and shell out ticket, merchandise and concession money year after year wanting nothing more than to see and experience the game they love.

How long will the NHL and player's union hold out? In my opinion, probably not the entire 2012-13 season, and it will be a welcome relief when the college teams take to the ice on time in October.

So what do you guys think? In your minds, how will this lockout affect NCAA hockey and the sport beyond this year? Comment, Tweet (@B1GIceHockey) or email us at B1gIceHockey@gmail.com.

Let's hear it!

A Look Back At The WCHA And CCHA

By Jessi Pierce

Ah that picture brings a bittersweet feeling to my heart. One of my favorite rivalry traditions enters its last season for the Gophers and Fighting Sioux North Dakota as conference rivals, although I am sure the bad blood will be maintained between the two teams beyond this season and for years to come.

As the WCHA and CCHA prepare their final descent with current conference teams before the Big Ten Hockey Conference imposes itself on the Big Ten teams, I wanted to first take a look back at each conference and all they have accomplished.

Western Collegiate Hockey Conference   

Founded: 1951

Former names: Midwest Collegiate Hockey League (MCHL), Western Intercollegiate Hockey League (WIHL)

Conference teams beginning 2013-14:  Alaska Anchorage, Alaska Fairbanks, Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Mankato and Northern Michigan

Losing: Minnesota, Wisconsin to Big Ten & St. Cloud State, Colorado College, Denver, North Dakota, University of Minnesota-Duluth and Nebraska-Omaha to NCHC

It’s one of the most storied conferences in college hockey to date and a conference with a long list of success. Founded under then a conference named the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League in 1951, Minnesota, Michigan and Michigan State had previously played together in that same MCHL along with original members Michigan Tech, North Dakota, Colorado College and Denver. The MCHL was later re-named Western Intercollegiate Hockey League in 1953 before owning the now infamous WCHA title it holds today.

Proud home to Minnesota, Wisconsin, St. Cloud State, Colorado College, Denver, North Dakota, Bemidji State, Alaska Anchorage, Mankato State, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha and Michigan Tech, the WCHA boasts some of college hockey’s most dominant teams with the hardware to prove it.

In 61 years, the WCHA has assembled one of the most impressive national championship records in any collegiate conference of any sport, amassing 37 men’s national championships and another 27 runner-up honors. Atop that, there has been at least one berth in the national championship round (Frozen Four) in 56 of 60 seasons overall and is proud home to 14 Hobey Baker winners and more than 400 NHL players past and present.

Central Collegiate Hockey Association

Founded: 1971

Former names: None

Conference teams beginning in 2013-14: None, conference folds.

Losing: Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State to Big Ten, Lake Superior State, Bowling Green Alaska Fairbanks to WCHA, Miami-Ohio to NCHC & Notre Dame to Hockey East

It's sad to see a conference that seemed to be getting some solid footing under it in the last 31 years disband due to teams fleeing to other conferences, but such is the way realignment goes.

Home to big guns Michigan and Michigan State and promising seasons from Ohio State, Miami-Ohio and Notre Dame, the CCHA has also seen its fair share of success on the ice, accounting for 23 of 80 NCAA Frozen Four participants from 1992-2011. Although the championship trophies are not quite as bountiful as seen in the WCHA or Hockey East, the CCHA has seen the likes of Bowling Green (1984), Michigan State (1986, 2007), Lake Superior State (1988, 1992, 1994), Northern Michigan (1991) and Michigan (1996, 1998) etch their names on an NCAA Championship. Further more, big names like Ryan Miller, Ryan Kesler, Marty Turco, Duncan Keith and Brian Roloston — just to name a few — have developed under teams in the CCHA.

Coming up...A look at the schedule for these two programs last season together and what it will mean.

My B1G Thought

By Jessi Pierce

***Editor's note: I am admitting my homer status as a Minnesota fan upfront to kick things off in this post, based entirely on my personal opinions.

Little more than a year ago, I echoed the sentiments of that weary Minnesota fan in the above video.

I'll be honest, I despised the idea of a Big Ten hockey conference from the first moment I had heard about it. A loyal WCHAer, I was fuming over the thought of losing the passion in the rivalries that the Gophers had established in the course of 61 years in the WCHA and the idea of losing some phenomenal conference competition. Just all around unhappy, not unlike many of the fans out there that I have spoken to and heard from.

Now for the cooling down process.

Once I set my own personal gripes with the conference aside, I began to think on a broader level of what exactly this meant for college hockey as a whole. On that basis, I see the impact of a Big Ten hockey conference having amazing potential to truly help the sport that fans love.

As I mentioned in one of my first posts on this blog, with a Big Ten hockey conference comes the synonymous Big Ten name and like it or not, it's more widely known than the Western Collegiate Hockey Association or Central Collegiate Hockey Association to people outside of the hockey realm. What a great way to expand and invite Big Ten — especially Penn State — fans to the game of hockey.

With the Big Ten name also comes the big bucks. With the financial backing of the Big Ten and Big Ten Network, it's golden for every single one of these programs. The Big Ten Network will guarantee fantastic media coverage throughout the entire season. Admit it, that's exciting stuff.

The biggest argument that goes against the Big Ten would be in the loss of rivalries, a legit concern that as you read even I had, especially when you consider the tickets sales for those games are great for both the bigger schools and the smaller ones alike when that competition comes around each season. It was announced a few months ago by Gopher Head Coach Don Lucia that a deal has been worked out that will include all Minnesota teams (St. Cloud, Duluth, Mankato and Bemidji) guaranteed match-ups with the Gophers throughout the season as well as the famed North Dakota rivalry. I imagine similar schedules will be worked out for the other schools that have set their own rivalry traditions because with only six teams playing two series' a season, there is plenty of room for outside competition.

That of course begs the argument that, "it won't be the same when we play those teams," but won't it? It will still be about the bragging rights and will still effect the record on the season as a whole, so why treat those games as though it's not as important now that it's non-conference. As a Cyclone, I know first hand how much Iowa State still loves to beat Iowa despite being in two different conferences and it is still considered one of the biggest games of the season. I see no reason why non-conference games that hold the same intense rivalry for the hockey teams will be treated any differently.

Another interesting point to note is that the Gophers are one of the founding members of the now dominant WCHA. What better team to be one of the stronger building blocks of the Big Ten hockey conference? Add in storied programs Wisconsin, Michigan and Michigan State and a solid base is laid for what is going to be a very promising program. And of course none of this is to discredit Penn State or Ohio State, both schools are equally as well known for athletics on a national level and with the addition of another sport, especially against some of the best competition in college hockey in the aforementioned schools, it's a win for them, too.

But love it or hate it, with the 2013-14 season comes the Big Ten and really the fans can help make it or break it. Why not try to shine some of the positives and see what in fact it could bring. It's not the first conference realignment and it's sure to not be the last and I am excited to see what might happen.