Poor Showing for the WCHA

[Hockeyguy_27]

The only WCHA team that will be represented in the Frozen Four will be either North Dakota or Wisconsin I still think the WCHA is the premiere league in college hockey but the losses are disappointing.

[MNHockey75]

The WCHA got some tough matchups.

Boston College vs. Minnesota - I though BC coming in was the 2nd best team in the tourney.
Denver vs. Wisconsin - No matter what, one WCHA goes down. Tough game for DU, playing at the Kohl Center.
Colorado Coll. vs. Michigan St. - Even though they were at home, they had to play the defending champ. Tough draw for a team that was a #1 seed almost all year.
SCSU vs. Clarkson - Long trip for SCSU, not for Clarkson. SCSU just doesn't win the big game (the college version of WBL).
UND vs. Princeton - Nothing tough about this matchup, despite the fact that they were outshot badly.

I know...excuses, excuses. Let's hope the winner of the UND/Wisconsin game can bring home the hardware. UND!

[Gopher Blog]

The only WCHA team that will be represented in the Frozen Four will be either North Dakota or Wisconsin I still think the WCHA is the premiere league in college hockey but the losses are disappointing.

I have been saying it most of the season but the WCHA is (and has been) overrated by a lot of fans this year. The pro departures in the last few years have sapped too many of the high end players and the WCHA was hit harder than other leagues. The overall talent level in the league was down this year.

I am not the least bit surprised the league will only have one participant in the Frozen Four. Nor will it surprise me if the WCHA representative at the Frozen Four loses in the semi-final.

[SEMinnHockeyNut]

It can always be tough in the one and done format.

Who had Notre Dame making the Frozen Four? They barely made the tourney.

Hardly anybody outside of East Lansing picked the Spartans last year.

Although I agree the WCHA was 'down' this year and has lost tons of talent, on most nights/weekends, it remains the top league in college hockey period!

[MNHockey75]

I think the thing that made the WCHA so great this year was the goaltending.

Bachman .931
Lamoureux .936
Kangas .930
Mannino .917
Teslak .918
Connelly .913
Zacharias .924
Weslosky .931
Stalock .914
Olthuis .886

With the exception of UAA's goalie (Olthuis), look at those numbers! I know you could say it's because lack of talent but I somewhat disagree. 2 great senior goalies and 2 great freshman goalies. I think there is plenty of talent coming in all over the league the next 2-3 years that will help the scoring drought.

Look at some of these names:

Oshie
Duncan
Rau
Wheeler
Turris
Roe
Nodl
Lasch
Chorney
Genoway
Hillen
Bozak
VandeVelde
Rakhshani
Geoffrion
Berge
Rouleau
Davies

The list goes on....Great league, great season, dissapointing finish for many. Hopefully the Sioux can represent. No more CCHA crap.