Latest:

MiHockey

Your Hockey – Our Hockey – MiHockey

College Ferris State Bulldogs For Fans Lake Superior State Lakers Michigan State Spartans Northern Michigan Wildcats Slideshow University of Michigan Wolverines Western Michigan Broncos 

MiHockey’s CCHA playoff preview

MiHockey Staff

Before the puck drops this weekend, get ready for the CCHA playoffs with Michigan Hockey’s preview. Here’s a look at the first-round match-ups, how our pre-season predictions stacked up to the final results, and more.

The first round

Justin Florek

No. 11 Bowling Green at No. 6 Northern Michigan
The Wildcats will face a familiar foe in their playoff opener in what is literally a repeat match-up from last year – same seeding and all. That means an opportunity for revenge for the Wildcats; the Falcons pulled off the upset in the three-game series last year, when Bryce Williamson scored at 0:34 of the second overtime of the decisive contest. In the two games they played this season (both at Bowling Green), the Wildcats prevailed 4-2 and 2-0, on Feb. 10-11.

Kyle Pobur

No. 10 Alaska at No. 7 Lake Superior
The Lakers will welcome Alaska to Lake Superior this weekend in a battle of the No. 7 vs. No. 10 seeds. LSSU will be looking to rebound from back-to-back losses to Northern Michigan in the final weekend of the regular season. In the two games they played Alaska this season, they won 4-2, and lost 3-2. Those games, however, were played in The Last Frontier.

No. 9 Ohio State at No. 8 Notre Dame
While there aren’t any Michigan teams playing in this first-round match-up, the odds are good that the winner will be traveling to the Mitten for the quarterfinals. Ohio State is still in the midst of plummeting down the standings – they have only one regulation win in 2012 after at one point being the top-ranked team in the country. Meanwhile, Notre Dame had a disappointing regular season, but has the firepower to make some noise in the playoffs. This could be a fascinating first-round clash.

Two weeks to prepare

Trevor Nill

No. 5 Michigan State at No. 4 Miami

The only quarterfinal match-up already decided is the one that will take place in Oxford, Ohio. Tom Anastos and the Michigan State Spartans will travel down to Miami to take on Rico Blasi and the Miami RedHawks. In two games in East Lansing, the RedHawks prevailed, 2-1 in OT the first night, and 4-0 the next night. To make matters worse for MSU, Miami is one of the hottest teams in the country, having won their last six games.

The teams left waiting

Chad Billins

No. 1 Ferris State

Perhaps the most surprising team in the NCAA this season, the No. 1 seed in the CCHA gets to kick back for the first weekend, knowing that no matter who they get for the second round, the Bulldogs statistically have the best path to Joe Louis Arena. Led by senior forward Jordie Johnston (15 goals and 12 assists) and senior defenseman Chad Billins (seven goals and 22 assists), FSU is poised to make some noise both in the CCHA playoffs, and beyond. The goaltending tandem of senior Taylor Nelson and C.J. Motte give them insurance between the pipes.

Shawn Hunwick

No. 2 Michigan

While Ferris State has been the talk of the CCHA this season, one can’t ever look past the Wolverines when it comes to the playoffs. Last year’s NCAA title runner-ups have all the tools to make another long playoff run this spring. Led by redshirt-senior goaltender Shawn Hunwick of Sterling Heights, the Wolverines will give headaches to whichever team is assigned to Yost Ice Arena in the second round.

Derek Roehl

No. 3 Western Michigan

New Broncos bench boss Andy Murray has kept Western Michigan right where Jeff Blashill left them. With sophomore forward Chase Balisy leading the way up front, and freshman goaltender Frank Slubowski shutting down the opposition, WMU will once again be a force in the CCHA playoff picture. A return trip to the CCHA championship game is certainly obtainable for this WMU squad.

How we fared with doing the impossible

At the beginning of the CCHA season, editor Michael Caples made an attempt at predicting the final outcome of the collegiate season. Here’s what he said, and here’s how it actually ended up.

Preseason prediction

  1. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
  2. Miami RedHawks
  3. Michigan Wolverines
  4. Western Michigan Broncos
  5. Michigan State Spartans
  6. Ohio State Buckeyes
  7. Northern Michigan Wildcats
  8. Ferris State Bulldogs
  9. Alaska Nanooks
  10. Lake Superior State Lakers
  11. Bowling Green Falcons

Final seedings

  1. Ferris State Bulldogs
  2. Michigan Wolverines
  3. Western Michigan Broncos
  4. Miami RedHawks
  5. Michigan State Spartans
  6. Northern Michigan Wildcats
  7. Lake Superior State Lakers
  8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
  9. Ohio State Buckeyes
  10. Alaska Nanooks
  11. Bowling Green Falcons