It is hard to overstate the importance of the upcoming weekend in terms of division standing and tournament qualification. With 10 teams - 5 in each division - still in the hunt for a top 3 finish in their respective division, this weekend's results will go a long way in determining who is in and who is out for the 2020 Carla Berg Cup playoffs.

CURRENT DIVISION STANDINGS | LATEST KRACH RANKINGS

NORTHWEST DIVISION

University of Minnesota-Duluth @ University of Minnesota (FRI/SAT): The Bulldogs and Gophers meet for a huge Northwest Division matchup this weekend. One of the games is scheduled to be played outside at Coon Rapids Ice Arena, site of the 2015 WCCHA Tournament. The other game will be played at 3M Arena at Mariucci, back on the Twin Cities campus.

The Gophers, fresh off a tightly contested sweep at the hands of Florida-Gulf Coast, are looking to get things back moving in the right direction. Prior to their Florida trip, Minnesota was playing some good hockey. They swept the University of North Dakota and split with Gustavus before Winter Break. The Bulldogs will have their hands full trying to stop this potent attack—there are about seven full-time Gophers who are averaging over a point per game. Leading the way is Max Boll, who has put up 50 points so far in this season. The Gophers need points this weekend to keep pace in the condensed NW Division standings and to keep a hold on their #12 Central Region ranking—the last spot for the Regional Tournament.

The Bulldogs, #15 in the Central, enter the second semester on a three-game winning streak, with a sweep of Bethel and a single game win over Saint John’s. Duluth is currently in the KRACH rankings at #7, a precarious spot as every team makes a postseason push. A sweep, or at least a split, would go a long way to solidify the Bulldogs in the Northwest. With only this series and an upcoming series against St. Thomas, the Bulldogs are running out of runway to punch their ticket to Blaine. Expect to see a great effort this weekend from UMD, led by veteran Bulldogs Carson Lewis, Willy Basill, and Johnny Meland.

North Dakota State University at St. John’s University (FRI/SAT): The Bison trek "down" I-94 and stop in Sartell, MN, home of Bernick’s Pepsi Arena and the Johnnies Club Hockey team for a big two game series.

St. John’s has been idle since a 15-2 thumping of Bethel on December 6th and are no doubt eager to get back on the ice. SJU is currently on the outside looking in on the KRACH rankings. Listed at #9, they need to put up positive results in a hurry to be able to make the trip down to Blaine to play for the Carla Berg Cup. The Johnnies have been in almost every game they’ve played this year, a good trend as they welcome an ultra-competitive Bison squad to town. They also still have an outside shot of directly qualifying with a top 3 finish, but need to get results in their final 4 division games.

The NDSU Bison are looking to get back on track following their most recent action, a sweep at the hands of West Region powerhouse University of Mary just prior to winter break. In their last WCCHA action, the Bison toppled SCSU twice in high scoring affairs. NDSU boasts a great KRACH ranking (#3) and are well positioned in the Northwest Division, where they slot in right now in a tie for second. In order to confirm a top 3 finish and push for a division championship, they’ll have to take care of business against SJU.

St. Cloud State University at/vs Bethel University (FRI/ SAT): SCSU and Bethel will square off in a home-and-home series this weekend that could be a springboard to the winning team getting momentum towards a wild card berth for the WCCHA Tournament.

The Huskies were reeling at the end of the first semester. In their last four games, they tied just one and dropped three games. With a full break to rest and recover, the Huskies could prove to be a surprising team in the unofficial second half of the season. They have six WCCHA games remaining, plenty of time to make a late push. It’ll be paramount for SCSU to shore up the defense and goaltending—they play an upstart Bethel squad, then two potent Southeast teams in Gustavus and UWEC.

Bethel may prove to be the surprise of the second half of the season. The new semester has brought in at least one impact returner—Tyler Larwood, 2019 WCCHA All Star, returns to the lineup. The Royals battled Gustavus to a high flying 10-7 game on January 10th and are looking to notch their first WCCHA win of the season.

North Dakota State Unviersity @ University of Minnesota (SUN): Both playing their third game of the weekend, the Gophers and Bison will meet on Sunday at 3M Arena at Mariucci for a long-delayed division matchup. The game will be the first of a rescheduled, split-week series. Depending on how each team fares in their weekend series, this could be a matchup of two unbeatens vying for a division title - or it could be between two teams desperate for points to stay in the top 3 fight. Either way, fans and neutrals alike should be ready for an epic encounter to close out the weekend.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

University of Wisconsin at Winona State University (FRI/SAT): Winona State and Wisconsin tangle in a Southeast Division showdown this weekend in La Crescent, MN. The Badgers are looking to keep their hold as one of the top teams in the Southeast, whereas Winona State is trying to make moves to join them.

The Warriors are coming off some hard-fought games in first semester. In the three games before break, WSU stayed close with St. Thomas and UWEC, a good sign as this young team figures things out. Results must start coming for them—WSU is slotted in at #12 in the KRACH rankings and well outside the top three in the Southeast to get a bid. Tyler Berndt will have to continue to lead the way up front for his squad. He has posted 37 points so far this year, almost 20 points clear of the next highest scorer. WSU will need depth contributions this weekend to get points from a solid Badger team.

This will be Wisconsin’s first action since a two-game sweep of Gustavus by identical 4-0 scores. UW is all over in terms of their rankings and standings: they are at #10 in the Central Division, #5 in the KRACH, and #2 in the Southeast Division. With positive results this weekend, the Badgers will at least stay at each of those rankings, which is a positive sign for their postseason aspirations. Expect Head Coach Joe Garvey to have his team ready to go this weekend against the Warriors.

Gustavus Adolphus at/vs Minnesota State-Mankato (SAT/SUN): Gustavus and Mankato meet in what will be a very interesting series this weekend in games on Saturday and Sunday. The Mavericks host on Saturday night, while the Gusties will return the favor on Sunday afternoon.

Gustavus, coming in at #17 in the Central, is in good but not great shape in the Southeast Division. They are currently tied for third with a hot UW-Eau Claire team. The Gusties are in decent shape by way of the KRACH rankings, slotting in at #4 there. GAC has stumbled a bit lately, going 1-4 in their last five games, with the win coming over a Bethel team jumpstarted by recent additions. A little adversity doesn’t have to be a bad thing—the Gusties have the talent to pull their way out of it. Their top trio of forwards, Matthew Triemert, Mitch Munson, and Cullen Osen will be called upon to lead the way against a traditionally tough Mankato squad.

Mankato, fresh off game action last weekend, needs to hit the accelerator in the WCCHA in order to qualify for the WCCHA Tournament. A comprehensive 7-0 win over Iowa State last weekend in the second game of the series should give this squad confidence to go against a tough GAC team. Mankato is listed at #5 in the Southeast and #10 in the KRACH—you can bet they’d like to improve on both of those marks.

NON-CONFERENCE
The University of North Dakota has an exciting weekend coming up. They will be playing Jamestown outside on Allen Field in Jamestown, ND, as part of Hockey Day North Dakota. That game is on Saturday, 1/18. They’ll finish the series indoors in Grand Forks on Sunday, 1/19.

St. Thomas, UW-Eau Claire, and UW-La Crosse are all idle this weekend.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

** Denotes Outdoor Game at University of Jamestown for Hockey Day North Dakota