New Year's Classics
In a busy night of tournament play for college hockey, form held for the most part. In other non-conference action, there were some stunners. Start in Denver in the one of two marquee match-ups of the night between the premier conferences in college hockey, where No. 3 Boston University cruised past No. 5 Denver 4-1. Despite being out-shot, BU never looked like they were in trouble. In the other marquee match-up between the WCHA and Hockey East, No. 4 Minnesota edged No. 6 Northeastern in overtime 3-2 with a power-play goal after Northeastern goalie Brad Thiessen got called for delay-of-game when his clear went over the glass. The biggest shocker of the night came in Ohio, where Army stunned No. 2 Miami 3-2, making Miami winless in the Ohio Classic. In the title game of that tournament, red-hot Ohio State topped Clarkson in a classic goaltender's duel 2-0. In Madison, No. 14 Wisconsin looked to have things well in hand against Northern Michigan, up 5-2 in the third, but the Wildcats rallied to stun the Badgers 6-5 in overtime. In a rematch of the 2008 ECAC title game, No. 8 Princeton crushed Harvard 5-1. No. 1 Notre Dame avoided any upsets in the Shillelagh Tournament, beating Minnesota Duluth 3-1.
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Endless Possibilities
Anything is possible in a new year. Doubters need only look at the first college hockey action of 2009 to recognize the postulation’s resonance. The upsets began in Ohio, moved to Michigan, and ended in Wisconsin (and only Pioneer heroics prevented it from spreading all the way to Colorado). Second ranked Miami, playing a de facto home game in the capital city of Columbus, fell 4-2 to unranked Clarkson — the Golden Knights first victory in almost two months. Clarkson will face Ohio State (victors over Army) tomorrow in the championship of the Ohio Hockey Classic. In East Lansing, the Michigan State Spartans — only a season removed from a national championship — finally showed some life, netting two late tallies to upend No. 18 Alaska, 2-1. Riding high after winning the Badger Hockey Showdown last weekend, No. 14 Wisconsin was blindsided, 3-2, by Northern Michigan in Madison. Cursed with miserable luck en route to a 3-12-3 first half campaign, the Wildcats — led by sophomore forward Mark Olver who assisted on the first goal and scored the final two himself — upset the Badgers, who had been 11-1-1 (including seven consecutive victories) in their last 13 games. In neighboring Minnesota, form finally held as the fourth ranked Gophers skated past Brown, 6-2, and No. 6 Northeastern downed the Western Michigan Broncos, 3-1, setting up a marquee showdown Saturday evening between two top 10 teams. Similar buzz is emanating from the Rockies after the fifth ranked Pioneers finally prevailed over Holy Cross, 3-2, in an electric five round shootout to advance to the Denver Cup final against No. 3 Boston University, who easily bested RPI, 6-2.
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Feature Stories
- World Juniors: Win Or Go HomeThe preliminaries are over, and now every game matters for the U.S. team at the World Juniors. Hurdle one in the elimination process: Slovakia. Dave Starman reports from Ottawa, Ont.
- World Juniors: Trials And TribulationsThe United States rolls forward at the World Juniors, but not without some difficulties, Dave Starman says.
- World Juniors: Shaking Off The RustAfter a tough stretch with Michigan, Matt Rust got off to a good start at the World Juniors Friday. Dave Starman — covering the U.S. team with NHL Network in Ottawa — reports on that and more, including Team USA's top line and notable dates in history.
Tuesday Morning Quarterback: First-Half WrapupWith the holiday tournament season upon us, Jim Connelly and Scott Brown pause with gradebooks in hand to evaluate the first half of the season.- Brotherly LoveToday, Harvard teammates and brothers Alex and Michael Biega work together for the Crimson, but growing up on their backyard rink — well, let's just say they got plenty of chances to hone their competitive edge. Mike Scandura reports.
- Denver's Go-To ScorerDenver's Tyler Bozak has continued to be one the top threats on the Pioneers' offensively talented squad, Candace Horgan reports.
- Rivalries RenewedRivalries. Where would we be without them? Dave Starman, who likes what he sees on the schedule this weekend, takes us on a trip down memory lane with some of the game's best.
- The Eagles' MuseSophomore goaltender John Muse led the Boston College Eagles to a national title his freshman year while playing every game. This year, he has sights set on a repeat, Candace Horgan reports.
Denotes USCHO Extra Premium ContentUSCHO.com/CBS College Sports Polls: Current No. 1s — 1/5
Question of the Week
| What is the most eyebrow-raising individual stat of the season's first half? |
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