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How about Michigan Tech? After going 4-30-4 last season and recording just six points in the WCHA all season, it is 6-3-1 overall and 4-3-1 in the WCHA this season.
Apparently Mel Pearson was the right man for the job. He was hired before this season after spending a number of years as an assistant at Michigan.
Pearson has done a pretty impressive job so far, considering his roster has just one player drafted by an NHL team. Take a look at rosters of North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin and they are lined with the future of the NHL.
The Huskies' key wins this season were a shocking sweep of Wisconsin on Oct. 14-15 thanks to a pair of overtime wins, as well as a three-point weekend from Denver on Oct. 28-29.
Michigan Tech isn't blowing teams out of the water with its 3.1 goals per game average but it's defense has been stellar, allowing just 2.6 goals per game.
The key to that stellar defense has been senior goalie Josh Robinson, who has a save percentage of .925.
And the thing is, the Huskies don't really get into the meatgrinder of their WCHA schedule for another three weeks. They travel to Alaska Anchorage this week and to St. Lawrence the week after.
Following that long road trip, though, they get Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota on back-to-back weekends.
Programs like Michigan Tech are what make the WCHA so great. It may not ever win a McNaughton Trophy or the Broadmoor but year-after-year they compete and keep the top teams stay on their toes.
Weekend Wars
You won't be hard-pressed to find a good series this weekend. Minnesota and St. Cloud State, Denver and Nebraska Omaha, Colorado College and Wisconsin and North Dakota and Bemidji State. I'll take Wisconsin at CC, though, as the series to pay attention too. CC has always been my second favorite WCHA team. How can you not respect a DIII school competing at a DI level? Wisconsin has been very up and down this season and it is a hard to team pin point. The Badgers have played in ten conference games so far, compared to the Tigers' playing in just five. Look for CC to get rolling and sweep the Badgers.
USCHO.com Poll
Nov. 14, 2011
1. Minnesota
2. Merrimack
3. Boston College
4. Notre Dame
5. Colorado College
6. Ferris State
7. Michigan
8. Minnesota Duluth
9. Yale
10. Western Michigan
11. Denver
12. Lake Superior State
13. Union
14. Ohio State
15. Michigan Tech
16. Boston University
17. Colgate
18. Cornell
19. Nebraska Omaha
20. Northern Michigan
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll
Nov. 14, 2011
1. Minnesota
2. Merrimack
3. Boston College
4. Notre Dame
5. Colorado College
6. Ferris State
7. Michigan
8. Minnesota Duluth
9. Yale
10. Western Michigan
11. Denver
12. Union
13. Lake Superior State
14. Ohio State
14. Michigan Tech
Weekly Picks
Minnesota over St. Cloud State, Friday
Denver over Nebraska Omaha, Friday
Colorado College over Wisconsin, Friday
Minnesota Duluth over Minnesota State, Saturday
Minnesota over St. Cloud State, Saturday
Michigan Tech over Alaska Anchorage, Saturday
My prediction record last week: 3-3
My career prediction record: 77-66
Friday, November 18
Minnesota @ St. Cloud State, 7:37 pm CT
Minnesota State @ Minnesota Duluth, 7:37 pm CT
Nebraska Omaha @ Denver, 7:37 pm MT
Wisconsin @ Colorado College, 7:37 pm MT
Michigan Tech @ Alaska Anchorage, 7:07 pm AT
Saturday, November 19
Minnesota State @ Minnesota Duluth, 7:07 pm CT
North Dakota @ Bemidji State, 7:07 pm CT
St. Cloud State @ Minnesota, 7:07 pm CT
Nebraska Omaha @ Denver, 7:07 pm MT
Wisconsin @ Colorado College, 7:07 pm MT
Michigan Tech @ Alaska Anchorage, 7:07 pm AT
Sunday, November 20
North Dakota @ Bemidji State, 5:07 pm CT
Derek Martin was born in Crookston, graduated from Crookston High School in 2003 and attended Gustavus Adolphus College before joining the Times. He now lives in Crookston with his wife and children.
