February 27, 2008
CCHA: Down the Stretch
by Andy Reid/CHN Reporter
With just one week remaining in the regular season, the race for CCHA tournament placement is more unpredictable than ever.
More than any other conference, there are three distinct tiers already established — with the top four teams that get a first-round bye, the next four teams with home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs (beginning March 7), and the bottom four are left with plenty of work to do.
But within these groups, the competition remains fierce.
The Top
Nowhere is that competition more evident than in the race for the regular-season conference champion.
Michigan and Miami, which have 42 and 39 points, respectively, each have a legitimate shot at capturing the CCHA's top spot. With four points up for grabs for each team, The RedHawks could recapture the conference lead if they sweep Ohio State and the Wolverines can't take at least two points out of this weekend's series with Ferris State.
Michigan, on paper, should make easy work out of the Bulldogs, but don't count Ferris State out yet. Just two weeks ago, Miami was swept by the Bulldogs, giving the Wolverines control of their own destiny.
Even if the RedHawks' chances at the conference crown seem slim, anything can happen in the last few weeks of the season.
"You've got to earn your games," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "A lot of good things have to happen, whether it's your goalkeeping, your special teams, your discipline, your power play, your leadership. Things like that have to be in place at this time in the season."
The Middle
The middle of the conference is packed even tighter than the top.
Bowling Green, Ferris State, Northern Michigan and Nebraka-Omaha are all deadlocked at 26 points, which sets up a all-out battle for the fifth seed in the CCHA Tournament, the highest seed without a bye week.
The Mavericks, who don't have any conference games remaining, are a statistical lock for eighth place, which give them a home game against the No. 9 seed in the first round of the tournament.
With a series with Lake Superior State this weekend, Northern Michigan has the easiest path to the coveted fifth spot. The Bulldogs and Falcons both have brutal series coming up — Michigan and Michigan State, respectively.
But if any team can turn heads through this weekend and in the tournament, it's Ferris State. The Bulldogs have a scrappy defense and good goaltending, which will keep them in games long enough to get a lucky bounce here or there.
The Bottom
Lower tier teams, like Lake Superior State, could also make a big impact in the tournament. The Lakers lost 12 or their first 16 conference games, mostly due to inexperience in the net, but have lost just three games since, including wins over Ferris State and Ohio State.
"We've come a long way," Lake Superior State coach Jim Roque said. "Our young guys have gotten a lot better. Our goaltending has been solid. I think it's a combination of the D playing better and our goalies having more confidence. We just lack a little bit of finish up front."
No matter how this weekend shapes up, this year's CCHA Tournament should be an exciting one.
