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CCHA CONTENDERS
Notre Dame
After a dismal 9-12-7 in-
conference record last season,
the Fighting Irish could easily
be the biggest dark-horse con-
tender this winter. Since Notre
Dame coach Jeff Jackson took
the reins five years ago, the team
has won the CCHA regular sea-
son and tournamenttitles twice,
made three trips to the NCAA
Tournament and advanced to
Notre Dame's first Frozen Four
appearance in 2008. With a
wealth of young players - 12
freshmen compared to five
seniors - Jackson wants to put
last seasonbehind him.
Nobody on the team cracked
the top 20 scorers in the CCHA
last season, but through just two
games so far, sophomore Nick
Larson and freshman Anders
Lee have both netted three
goals.
As the primary goalie last
year, Johnson posted a 2.50
goals against average, but with
Summerhays pacing him this
season, count on Notre Dame to
have some great defensive play.
Miami (Ohio)
After the RedHawks lost 3-2
to Boston University in the 2009
Frozen Four final, they held a
top-five ranking all of last sea-
son.
Miami coasted to a 21-2-5
CCHA record, took third in the
conference tournament and beat
Michigan to reach the Frozen
Four. Even after a 7-1 drubbing
at the hands of Boston College
in the semifinals of the tourna-
ment this spring, the RedHawks
enter as perhapsthe frontrunner
to capture the CCHA title. This
season, No. 4 Miami returns
the goalies that led them nearly
untouched through last sea-
son, juniors Cody Reichard and
Conner Knapp. Reichard - the
CCHA Player ofthe Year - post-
ed an unbeaten 15-0-2 record.
With two of the conference's
top eight scorers back on the
ice for the RedHawks this year,
don't expect them to go any-
where in the CCHA standings.
They will be a force atop the
conference and on the national
scene.
Alaska Fairbanks
After several inauspicious
years of CCHA play, No.14 Alas-
ka is perhaps the most up-and-
coming program. Despite the
disadvantage of having to travel
over six hours to play nearly
every opponent, the Nanooks
are becoming a formidable
power, posting a fifth-place fin-
ish in the conference last season.
With only five seniors return-
ing, the Nanooks are still a very
young team, but they retained
most of their young talent -
the skilled players who led
them to success in the regular
season last year. Junior goal-
tender Scott Greenham is back
between the pipes again, after
posting an admirable 2.34 goals
against average in 28 starts last
season.
A year ago, then-freshman
Andy Toranto lit up the opposi-
tion, finishing fifth in the points
race and receiving the CCHA
Rookie of the Year award. With
Toranto returning for a second
year, expect him to produce
even more.
Ferris State
Even after losing leading
scorer Blair Riley, Ferris State,
which finished third in the
CCHA last year, is returning
most of its 2009 roster and
has added a few key compo-
nents. Coach Bob Daniels, in
his 18th year at the helm in Big
Rapids, is working to lead his
team back to the NCAA tour-
nament for the second time in
program history.
With goaltenders Pat Nagle
and Taylor Nelson back again,
expect Daniels to keep the two
goalies, who combined for a
21-13-6 record last year, mov-
ing in and out of the Bulldogs'
net.
In the opening series
against Alabama-Huntsville
last weekend, Nagle picked up
his first victory in 4-1 fashion.
But Nelson was roughed up for
four goals the next night.
Don't be surprised to see
Ferris State knock off a few
quality opponents this season
and make a run at the confer-
ence title.
Northern Michigan
The Wildcats have some huge
holes to fill this season. After
finishing with a 13-9-6 CCHA
record, good for fourth place in
the conference, this season is
make-or-break. Forward Mark
Oliver was the points leader in the
conference (35), and goalie Brian
Steward racked up 12 wins and
three shutouts. But both of those
players, along with CCHA Player
of the Year finalist Erik Gustafs-
son, graduated in the spring,
leavingtheunderachievingWild-
cats with many questions left to
answer
But don't expect them to lie
down and let older, more experi-
enced teams skate all over them.
Last year Northern Michigan
came into Yost and thrashed
Michigan 3-1 in their first meet-
ing. The Wildcat offensive attack
includes Swedish forward Gregor
Hanson - seventh in points last
year (29) - and freshman for-
ward Erik Higby, who tallied a
hat trick the first time he hit the
ice this season. defenses will be
able to contend with this season.
STAFF PICKS
The Daily hockey
writers take their best
shot to predict what will
happen in the world
of college hockey
during Michigan's
2010-11 campaign.
Stephen
Nesbitt
marns sanra
Burns Pagni
CCHA First Place Michigan Michigan Michigan Miari(Ohio)
CCHA Second Place Miami(Ohio) Alaska Miami(Ohio) Michigan
CCHAThird Place Alaska Miami(Ohio) Alaska Alaska
MasoncupWinner Miami(Ohio) Alaska Miami(Ohio mi(hio)
Mason Cup Runner-Up Alaska Michigan Michigan Michigan
rHACoachoftheYe Dallas Ferguson Alaska Red Berenson Jeff Jackson, Notre Dame Jackson
GIcampion MichiganM ichigan State Michigan Mchigan
Michigan MVP Louie Caporusso David Wohlberg Caporusso Carl Hagelin.
Michigan Top Scorer Caporusso Caporusss Caporusso Caporusso
Top Michigan Freshman Jon Merrill Merrill Merrill Merrill,
Frozen Fouri1 Bos~t College Michigan North Dakota Michigan .
Frozen Four 2 Michigan Boston College Boston Cclege Miamni(Ohio .
Frozen Four 3 DenverNe Hampshire Michigan Boston College ....
Frozen Four4 North Dakota Wisconsin Denver Minn - Duluth
National Champion Boston College Michigan North Dakota Miamni(Ohio .