14 teams started the 2019-2020 season with the goal of making it to Blaine and giving themselves a chance at winning the WCCHA. After an epic battle through the regular season, eight teams emerged from the pack to claim a spot at the 2020 WCCHA Tournament.

In the Northwest, Minnesota earned the Division title, followed once again by 2nd place North Dakota State and 3rd Place Minnesota-Duluth, who made their move this season after missing out the past two years.

In the Southeast, St. Thomas almost ran the table for a second-straight Division title, followed by a resurgent Wisconsin in 2nd and newcomers Gustavus Adolphus in 3rd.

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A tense wildcard race saw UW-Eau Claire streak not only to a top 8 finish, but a upper half seed. Then, in what came down to the final games of the regular season, North Dakota held on to the final spot to see off strong challenges from St. John's and Winona State.

Now, the eight qualified teams are set to collide in Blaine, Minnesota this weekend at the National Sports Center Super Rink, all hoping to capture the Carla Berg Cup. Winning the WCCHA Tournament earns the automatic bid to the 2020 Central Regional Tournament, which takes place in Allendale, Michigan on February 28th through March 1st. Let’s look at every team in the tournament field this year:

#1 University of St. Thomas Tommies (TEAM PAGE)

Overall record: 22-5 // WCCHA Record: 18-2 // Southeast Division Record: 11-1 (Champions)

How they got here: The Tommies started their season with Southeast Division foe University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, earning the sweep. They followed that up with a split against Wisconsin, and a big 12-4 win over Minnesota. The Tommies went 2-1 at the WCCHA Showcase in October, losing to Marian but emerging victorious over Davenport and Dakota College-Bottineau. From there, the Tommies got on a roll. They lost one game to the Gophers, but then steamrolled their way to series wins over every conference opponent they faced.

Who to watch for: Can “everyone” be the answer here? The Tommies boast possibly the most impressive depth in the conference. Grant Horsager (16-13=29), Jerame Schuetzle (12-14=26) and Connor Greenwood (6-20=26) have all played above a point per game pace this year. They’re backed up by seven more players who all scored at least 20 points on the year. And if you get past those forwards, St. Thomas has a tough blueline led by Jack Andringa and Carter Hillsgrove capable of snapping the puck out of the zone quickly and efficiently. And if you get past them, you’ll have to deal with two quality netminders with winning records and save percentages north of .900 this season: veteran Jack Hardwick and rookie Samuel Haupfear.

Why they could win: Experience, balance, quality. With 10 players above 20 points and two goalies above .900 save percentage in net, the recipe is the same for St. Thomas as it was all year and even last season—wear teams down, shift after shift, and get a new hero every night.

#2 North Dakota State University Bison (TEAM PAGE)

Overall record: 15-11-1-1 // WCCHA Record: 11-2 // Northwest Division Record: 8-1 (2nd Place)

How they got here: The Bison snag the #2 seed for the second year in a row and are looking to have a different ending this season. NDSU is one of the more battle-tested teams in the tournament field, with their overall record taking a bit of a hit because of it. They started the season against #1 in the West Region University of Mary, getting swept but earning valuable experience. The Bison really gained traction at the WCCHA Showcase going 1-1-1. They came back to conference play with sweeps over Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud, UW-La Crosse, before taking a single game loss to Minnesota. The Bison recovered with a sweep over North Dakota, solidifying their #2 KRACH ranking.

Who to watch for: The top line for the Bison drive the bus. Prolific scorers Derek Rasmussen (31-46=77), Ben Wahlin (18-51=69) and Carter Vandeneinde (30-31=61) terrorized opposing defensemen and goaltenders all season and are intent on continuing that trend this weekend. As was the case last year, Jordan Elliott will most likely be called on to hold down the fort in net. He’s more than capable—he went 11-9-1 this season with a .920 save percentage.

Why they could win: Rasmussen, Wahlin, and Vandeneinde continue lighting the lamp and other teams simply can’t keep up. This Bison team plays as many other Bison teams in the past have played—hard working, gritty, tough to play against. That is always a winning recipe in playoff hockey.

#3 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers (TEAM PAGE)

Overall Record: 21-6-1 // WCCHA Record: 16-4-1 // Northwest Division Record: 9-1-1 (Champions)

How they got here: By winning the Northwest Division, the Gophers secured their second straight division title and another #3 seed in the tournament. The Gophers started their season hot, sweeping SCSU before taking a big loss against UST. Minnesota swept SCSU again, then swept Bethel and La Crosse before splitting against Gustavus. A sweep over North Dakota, a split against Wisconsin, and an outdoor win over NDSU locked Minnesota into the #3 spot.

Who to watch for: Max Boll has been dishing out assists all year. He has 14 goals and 41 assists this year. Jared Fladebo (21-28=49) and Tyler Linnerooth (19-24=43) have been putting those passes from Boll home. The Gophers have some great depth too—WCCHA All Stars Dylan Ross, Colin Monk, and Michael Pettijohn hold down the second and third lines for Minnesota and a d-core led by Evan Dahlseide. The Gophers also have a WCCHA All Star in net—Andrew Kash, who turned in another stellar season with a 14-5-1 record, 2.67 GAA, and .921 save percentage.

Why they could win: Purpose, and possible desperation. The Gophers are perched precariously in the Central Region rankings and want a good showing to make one last push and solidify their spot. To assure themselves that their season will continue at Regions for a second straight year, Minnesota must rely on their veteran experience and strong goaltending.

#4 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugolds (TEAM PAGE)

Overall Record: 18-7 // WCCHA Record: 12-5 // Southeast Division Record: 8-4 (4th Place)

How they got here: By virtue of being maybe the hottest team in ACHA Hockey. The Blugolds started their season 1-7, but then showed up to the WCCHA Showcase. At the showcase the Blugolds won three straight. All they did after that was win 14 more to come into Blaine riding a 17-game winning streak.

Who to watch for: The Blugolds, true to their historical build, are deep and talented. They have six players above the 20-point mark. Forwards Travis Kernen (17-12=29) and Tyler Husnick (7-22=29) lead the way up front, with Jared Konen (12-14=26) right behind them. Defenseman Casey Esselman (8-12=20) leads the Blugold blueline, and if UWEC goes to overtime, there is about an 80% chance Esselman will score the winner.

Why they could win: The hot streak holds. The Blugolds are chasing school history in trying to make the Regional tournament for the first time ever. They will need the Carla Berg Cup to make it there—the two-time champions will be looking to make it three and head to Michigan.

#5 University of Wisconsin Badgers (TEAM PAGE)

Overall Record: 21-5-1-1 // WCCHA Record: 10-5-1 // Southeast Division Record: 8-3-1 (2nd Place)

How they got here: A big win over St. Thomas got things moving in the right direction for the Badgers following an 8-0 start to the season in non-conference competition. A sweep over La Crosse and Mankato kept the momentum going before a split against Minnesota-Duluth slowed things down a little. The Blugolds swept the Badgers, who rebounded by sweeping Gustavus and Winona before splitting against Minnesota.

Who to watch for: Hunter Schwehr (21-17=38) and Jacob Cohn (13-17=30) up front make things happen for Wisconsin. Cohn, in his third tournament, owns 114 career points in college hockey. His experience will be valuable for a Badgers team that underperformed last year but looks a different package this season.

Why they could win: Giving teams a different look. Wisconsin has been somewhat top-heavy in previous years, but this 19-20 version has a little more depth than years past. That goes all the way to the goaltenders—Wisconsin has two (Sean Goss and Tyler Schreiter) who both won at least 10 games this year with sub-3.00 GAA’s. The depth at all positions affords the Badgers to roll with who is hot and try to win the Carla Berg Cup.

#6 Gustavus Adolphus College Gusties (TEAM PAGE)

Overall Record: 14-6-1 // WCCHA Record: 13-5-1 // Southeast Division Record: 8-4 (3rd Place)

How they got here: In their first year in the WCCHA, the Gusties made a statement by sweeping UW-Eau Claire right out of the gate. They followed that up with two more sweeps before splitting against Minnesota. They got a reality check against Wisconsin, taking two losses at home. Gustavus responded with a win over Bethel and a sweep over Mankato to secure their spot in their first WCCHA season.

Who to watch for: Gustavus is another team with a dangerous first line. Mitch Munson (17-19=36), Matt Triemert (16-18=34), and Wilson Anderele (12-14=26) filled nets all year long. Jack Mapstone holds down the blueline, while Stephen Frank and Kyle Mugica have tended the nets admirably for the Gusties all season.

Why they could win: Close games and quality wins can serve this team well in the tournament. The Gusties have played close games against UST and have beaten the Gophers before. This team, new to the WCCHA Tournament, can use that as confidence they can play with anyone.

#7 University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (TEAM PAGE)

Overall Record: 9-8-1 // WCCHA Record: 7-8-1 // Northwest Division Record: 6-5-1 (3rd Place)

How they got here: By holding steady in the Northwest Division, the Bulldogs punched their ticket to Blaine. An early season tie against St. John’s and a sweep over North Dakota set things in motion for the Bulldogs to be a tough out in the Northwest. The Bulldogs followed that up with a split of SCSU and of Wisconsin, showing a little bit of their up-and-down nature. They hung tough with the Gophers late in the year, but their positive results were enough to get them across the line as the #7 seed.

Who to watch for: The Bulldogs are anchored by Nick Becker between the pipes. He’s appeared in just about half of the games and posted a GAA just north of 3.00 and a save percentage at .912. At times, Becker has stolen games. Duluth will need him to be at his best to give their opportunistic forwards a chance. Carson Lewis (7-17=24), Willy Basill (14-6=20) and WCCHA All Star Johnny Meland (9-9=18) will be looking to make their mark on the scoresheet in their WCCHA Tournament debuts.

Why they could win: The Bulldogs play a tough and aggravating game—numerous games of theirs this year featured double digit penalties called. If they can draw more than they take, they can give themselves a break on defense and provide extra chances on the power play. Duluth has hung tough with Minnesota, St. Thomas, and their first-round opponent NDSU. They know the quality of opponent they face and will be rested and prepared. If they can lock things down and score a few extra power plays, they could upset teams and find themselves playing on Sunday for hardware.

#8 University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks (TEAM PAGE)

Overall Record: 9-9-2 // WCCHA Record: 6-8-2 // Northwest Division Record: 5-6-1 (5th Place)

How they got here: North Dakota essentially locked in the last wild card spot to the tournament with a late season win and tie over Gustavus Adolphus. That, combined with season sweeps of St. John’s and SCSU, was enough to get the Hawks over the line.

Who to watch for: The Fighting Hawks most resemble Duluth in the sense that they start with strong goaltending and go from there. North Dakota has two capable netminders—WCCHA All Star Bryan Bresina and Joshua Kenney—who mostly split time this year. Both goalies have the ability to shut things down and frustrate opposing forwards. That should give players like Grant Mcdonald (8-14=22), Kyle Jamison (10-10=20), and Reed Olson (6-14=20) time to go to work.

Why they could win: Momentum. The Hawks are an #8 seed for the second year in a row, but have been playing their best hockey of the season lately. If they can replicate that trend three times in a row—quality goaltending, stingy defense, and timely scoring—they can spring the upsets to make it to Sunday.