THE FAVORITE

While wins have been plentiful in Denver’s march to its third MacNaughton Cup of the past decade, blowouts have been a rarity. Even in winning 11 of the last 12 regular season games, the Pioneers’ opponents were within two goals in seven of those wins. Some might see that as a sign that these league champions are not as strong as some from past years, where five-goal margins were expected. We see it as a sign of strength. Since the Pioneers have rarely been able to go into “cruise control” mode late in games, we see a team that has developed real grit and the ability to win with a 60-minute effort. We’d be anything but surprised to see the Pioneers in the WCHA Final Five title game for the third consecutive year.

THE GATE CRASHER

In January, while North Dakota was in the midst of an ugly stretch where the Fighting Sioux went 1-5-1 and looked like a lock for a road playoff series, we tried to make the case that sans Chay Genoway and Brett Hextall (both injured at the time) NoDak was a different, more lunch-bucket team. Sioux coach Dave Hakstol would have none of it. But while Genoway’s on-ice stick salute last Saturday was all we’ve seen of him in a Sioux sweater, Hextall’s return and the unexpected re-addition of Matt Frattin have given North Dakota a bit of a retro look. To be clear, they’re playing like they did way back in November, winning seven in a row and scoring nearly five goals a night in that stretch as they head to the playoffs. This looks like a team bent on making one or two trips to the Xcel Energy Center in March.

INCH’s ALL-WCHA TEAM

F - Rhett Rakshani, Denver
The lighting quick release makes Rakh the player WCHA goalies least like to see alone with the puck.

F - Jack Connelly, Minnesota Duluth
A breakout year for the Duluthian determined to return his hometown team to the Frozen Four.

F - Ryan Lasch, St. Cloud State
Five more points, and Lasch will finish as the Huskies all-time leading scorer. That’s not all he’ll be remembered for.

D - Brendan Smith, Wisconsin
The forward disguised as a blueliner on the Badgers’ ridiculously talented back line put up a WCHA-best 33 assists.

D - Patrick Wiercioch, Denver
When there’s a face-off late in a game and the Pios need a goal, all the forwards have one plan: get the puck to #28 on the point.

G - Marc Cheverie, Denver
Some point to his .937 saves percentage. We turn our gaze one column to the right, where we see an .810 winning percentage.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Credit Dave Hasktol and Bob Motzko for their successful in-season juggling acts brought on by injures and other factors, but give this nod to Denver’s George Gwozdecky for knowing when to plead and prod, and knowing, with the most on-ice talent in the league, when to get out of the way and let them do what they do. In pushing all of the right buttons, he made his colleagues look good too, becoming one of the rare WCHA coaches’ pre-season picks to actually win the league title.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

As Denver goaltender Marc Cheverie drives headlong in his quest to become just the third netminder to win the Hobey, we wonder if anyone in his hometown would even notice. Not that folks in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, aren’t proud of their native sons, but with a neighborhood kid named Sidney Crosby bringing a Stanley Cup and an Olympic gold medal back to town in the last 12 months, would the Hobey would even get a page 9C mention in the Dartmouth Cole Harbour Weekly News? With six shutouts en route to a league title and his sights set on more, we may have a chance to learn what kind of local impact the Hobey will make in the Maritimes.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Speaking of gold medals, it’s been a nice winter for North Dakota forward Danny Kristo. The fiery redhead from suburban Minneapolis the missed out on a state high school title last winter with his Eden Prairie pals, opting instead for a year in the USHL. He hasn’t missed much in 2009-10, rattling off 30 points to become the WCHA’s top-scoring rookie and grabbing the top prize for Team USA at the World Junior Championships in early January. It’s scary to think what he might do for an encore.

BREAKTHROUGH PLAYER

The preseason bio on Minnesota Duluth forward Rob Bordson said the Duluth native intended to “turn up the volume” in 2009-10. If that’s the case, he was clearly set on “mute” a year ago, playing in just six games and going without a point as a sophomore. Then his volume knob got turned up to 11, or more accurately, 28, as in the number of assists he led the Bulldogs with this year. Playing left wing on one of the ‘Dogs top two lines much of the season, Bordson is an unexpectedly important element in Minnesota Duluth’s effort to repeat as Final Five champs, and return to the NCAAs.

No. 10 Michigan Tech at No. 1 Denver
MTU: 5-28-1 (4-24-0 WCHA)
DU: 25-7-4 (19-5-4 WCHA)
Season Series: Denver, 2-0-0
Husky Fact: Tech scored exactly half as many goals as their opponents, both in conference and overall play. In WCHA games, the Huskies had 59 goals and gave up 118. Overall it was 71 for, 142 against.
Pioneer Fact: The last time Denver hosted the Huskies in the WCHA playoffs was in 2005, when the Pioneers swept Tech en route to winning the Broadmoor Trophy and the NCAA title.
How Michigan Tech Wins: Score goals, and lots of them. The Huskies goaltending has not been a strong suit at any point this season, which puts them in the unenviable position of having to try to outscore an opponent that has Marc Cheverie between the pipes.
How Denver Wins: Same formula they’ve used all season: get a lead (even a small one), and hold it. Some think it’s a sign of vulnerability that the Pioneers have rarely blown out opponents. We think that learning to hold leads in close games may pay off big-time in March.

No. 9 Alaska Anchorage at No. 2 Wisconsin
UAA: 11-21-2 (9-17-2 WCHA)
UW: 22-9-4 (17-8-3 WCHA)
Season Series: Wisconsin, 2-0-0
Seawolf Fact: Alaska Anchorage’s last win in Madison was in a WCHA playoff game, a 2-1 victory on March 12, 2005. The Seawolves only trip to the WCHA Final Five came in 2004 when they upset the Badgers on the road.
Badger Fact: The 17-8-3 conference record by Wisconsin gave the Badgers sole possession of second place in the WCHA, which was their best finish since Mike Eaves took over the program in 2002. They tied for second in 2006, before winning the NCAA title.
How Alaska Anchorage Wins: Use your skilled lines, and shoot the puck. The Badgers are amazing at scoring goals and playing defense, but their goaltending is pedestrian. Put pucks on the net, and your odds go up dramatically.
How Wisconsin Wins: It all starts with the most talented blue line crew in college hockey. Let the defensemen control the play, and score goals like the Badgers have done all season.

No. 8 Minnesota State at No. 3 St. Cloud State
MSU: 15-18-3 (9-17-2 WCHA)
SCSU: 20-11-5 (15-9-4 WCHA)
Season Series: Minnesota State, 1-0-1
Maverick Fact: History tells us the two-hour bus ride to St. Cloud should be no burden for the Mavs, who are 7-1-1 in their last nine trips to the National Hockey Center.
Husky Fact: This will be the first playoff encounter between the Huskies and Mavericks. Since joining the WCHA in 1991, St. Cloud State has previously faced every conference team except Minnesota State in the league playoffs.
How Minnesota State Wins: Play the game with your head first, and your legs second. The Mavericks rival just about anyone in the WCHA in terms of experience, but mental mistakes have doomed them this season. Play a thinking man’s game.
How St. Cloud State Wins: Get the puck to the hot hands. Drew LeBlanc ended the regular season with 11 points in his last 10 games, while Ryan Lasch needs just five point to become the program’s all-time leading scorer. It starts with them.

No. 7 Minnesota at No. 4 North Dakota
UM: 17-17-2 (12-14-2 WCHA)
UND: 20-11-5 (15-10-3 WCHA)
Season Series: Tied, 1-1-2
Golden Gopher Fact: The last time Minnesota had a WCHA playoff game in Grand Forks was 1987, which was the last year all of the league playoff games were held at campus sites. The Gophers were also memorably upset by Holy Cross there in the 2006 NCAA playoffs.
Fighting Sioux Fact: North Dakota enters the playoffs on a seven-game winning streak, during which the Sioux are averaging 4.5 goals per game.
How Minnesota Wins: Play with heart. There’s never been a question about the Gophers talent, especially at forward, but they’ve played too many games lacking the fire that separates winners from also-rans. Facing a rival in the post-season, they’ll need passion.
How North Dakota Wins: Stay hot and hungry. After an ugly, injury-riddled stretch in January and early February, the Sioux have gotten healthier and forgotten how to lose. This is no time to remember.

No. 6 Colorado College at No. 5 Minnesota Duluth
CC: 18-15-3 (12-13-3 WCHA)
UMD: 20-15-1 (16-11-1 WCHA)
Season Series: Minnesota Duluth, 3-1-0
Tiger Fact: Colorado College has previously faced Minnesota Duluth 10 times in the playoffs, with five of the games going to overtime. This is the first time in the past 17 seasons that the Tigers have had to leave Colorado for the first round of the playoffs.
Bulldog Fact: Each of the last three WCHA playoff series hosted by the Bulldogs (in 1998, 2003 and 2004) has gone to a third game, with UMD winning each time.
How Colorado College Wins: Find new faces. The Tigers enter the playoffs ice cold and somewhat banged up, with goalie Joe Howe and others fighting the injury bug. Sounds like the perfect time for lesser-known Tigers with something to prove to step up.
How Minnesota Duluth Wins: Shrink the game. These will be the last playoff games on the DECC’s Lilliputian ice sheet. If the Bulldogs can make things uncomfortable for a team used to Olympic-size ice, they can advance to defend their WCHA Final Five title.

Yale validated its excellent 2008-09 season with another first-place finish in ECAC Hockey and held off big challenges from the likes of Cornell and Union. St. Lawrence and Colgate outperformed expectations and Princeton and Clarkson fell way back in the standings after being two of the league’s stronger programs over the last five years. Quinnipiac’s magical start, a renewed energy at Brown and a dynamic campaign from some of RPI’s talented players also held the interest of fans around the league. Harvard showed some promise at times but again struggled outside of the league and Dartmouth finished its season with some classic games.

THE FAVORITE

As is the case in championship boxing, in order to take the title, you’ve got to defeat the current holder. That’s why we’ll go with Yale as the favorite to repeat as tournament champions. They won the regular season and tournament titles in 2009 and backed that up with another first-place finish this year. A recent injury to leading scorer Sean Backman might raise some red flags, but there’s enough offensive depth with the likes of Mark Arcobello, Denny Kearney, Broc Little and Brian O’Neill to expect Yale to retain both trophies. Yale was 3-0-1 in its four regular season games against Cornell and Union.

THE GATE CRASHER

St. Lawrence is a team that chased a top-four spot in the standings throughout the season before eventually finishing in fifth place, after being picked to finish 10th in the league in the preseason coaches’ poll. They rallied late in Sunday’s deciding game of the opening-round series against Clarkson and now head on the road to face fourth-place Colgate, a team they defeated in both regular-season meetings this year. While a win in this series would only be considered a mild upset, the bigger picture is that very few people truly thought the Saints would make an appearance in Albany.

INCH’s ALL-ECAC HOCKEY TEAM

F - Sean Backman, Yale
One of the league’s most dangerous goal-scorers is a repeat selection on this team. His 21 goals and 35 points were among the league’s best and he scored nine power-play goals, and four game-winners as the Bulldogs backed up last year’s excellent year with a very strong 2009-10 campaign.

F - Mario Valery-Trabucco, Union
Union has a number of forwards that can hurt an opponent and their depth is what makes them so difficult to control, but Valery-Trabucco stands out most nights for the Dutchmen. He doesn’t need much time or space to make plays, and those plays often make a difference in the game.

F - Chase Polacek, Rensselaer
A breakthrough junior season for Polacek saw him post 26 goals and 26 assists for 52 points. He was one of the early recruits that were brought in to provide some punch up front for the Engineers and really blossomed this season after totaling 60 points over his first two years combined.

D - Justin Krueger, Cornell
It’s hard to measure just how good Krueger is on a nightly basis for the Big Red and that’s probably why he was left off the All-ECAC Hockey and All-Ivy teams that were announced last week. No such oversight here. Krueger is one of the best in the league in all three zones, and had a terrific year in helping his freshman defense partner Braden Birch most of the season

D - Derek Keller, St. Lawrence
Defense was the question mark that saddled the Saints with low expectations in the preseason, but Keller was a senior that stepped into a bigger role and delivered St. Lawrence to a very good season so far. He logged tons of minutes and chipped in with nine goals from the blue line.

G - Ben Scrivens, Cornell
Scrivens displayed greater consistency in his senior year, had four shutouts and played some of his best hockey in the team’s biggest games. He currently owns a 1.99 goals-against average and .931 save percentage.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Strictly based on the standings, the 2008-09 season was a bit of a hiccup for Union’s hockey program. One year after finishing tied for fourth, the Dutchmen finished to eighth. Despite slipping in the standings, watching the Dutchmen showed that Union was trending in the right direction. This year the results showed up and Union and head coach Nate Leaman finished in third place in one of the best seasons in Union’s Division I hockey history. Among the noteable milestones were a 10-game unbeaten streak, the longest in program history, and a 7-0-3 start to conference play, the best Union start since joining ECAC Hockey. One more milestone is well within reach. Two wins this weekend will send the Dutchmen to the league’s championship weekend for the first time.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

There are so many talented forwards scattered about the league and all of them make a tremendous impact on their team’s success, but there’s not a lot of separation. When comparing the league’s best goaltenders, it’s a different story. Cornell’s Ben Scrivens was the best in the league this year. In addition to the stats we mentioned above, Scrivens also carried a greater amount of confidence and limited some of the lapses in decision making and puck handling that were evident in his first three years.

CO-FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR

It was a great year for ECAC Hockey rookies and it’s tough to choose just one. No offense to the likes of Louis Leblanc (Harvard), George Hughes (St. Lawrence), and Keith Kinkaid (Union). We’ll choose RPI’s forward tandem of Brandon Pirri and Jerry D’Amigo as co-honorees. They came into their college seasons as NHL draft picks and garnered lots of attention. Each lived up to the hype. Pirri was second on the team in scoring with 43 points in 39 games and had a team-high 32 assists. D’Amigo missed four games while away at World Junior (and was one of USA’s best players) and had 34 points in 35 games.

BREAKTHROUGH PLAYER

St. Lawrence senior Travis Vermeulen had his best college season and was a big part of the Saints’ success this year. He led the Saints in goals (17), assists (23) and points (40) - all of which were career-best totals, and he’s one of the best defensive forwards in the league. Vermeulen had 42 points total in his first three years.

No. 11 Brown at No. 1 Yale
Brown: 10-18-4 (6-12-4 ECAC Hockey)
Yale: 19-7-3 (15-5-2 ECAC Hockey)
Season Series: Yale, 2-0-0
Bears Fact: Brown scored five goals each game against Yale, but lost both games in the regular season - the only two times all year that Brown lost when scoring more than four.
Bulldogs Fact: Yale scored 14 goals in its two wins over Brown during the regular season, scored by 12 different players. The only person with more than one was Broc Little (three).
How Brown Wins: Sophomore goalie Mike Clemente has shown that he can get hot in the playoffs and he’ll need to be at his best against Yale after an up-and-down season.
How Yale Wins: Maintain the balanced scoring, especially in lieu of being without Sean Backman, and stay hot on the power play. Yale scored seven PPGs against Brown this year.

No. 9 Harvard at No. 2 Cornell
Harvard: 9-19-3 (7-12-3 ECAC Hockey)
Cornell: 17-8-4 (14-5-3 ECAC Hockey)
Season Series: Cornell, 2-0-0
Series Historical Fact: The Big Red has the best winning percentage (.674, 87-41-4) in ECAC Hockey tournament history and the most titles (11). Harvard is second in winning percentage (.654, 85-44-4) and championships, with eight.
How Harvard Wins: The Crimson have tasted a bit of success against Cornell this year, as they created chances on the rush and took a 3-1 lead at Lynah halfway through their early-season meeting. Since then, Cornell has outscored them 8-0. Get to the net with speed and crash for rebounds.
How Cornell Wins: Cornell’s strength is in its team defense and they’ll have to play physically against Harvard. The Big Red will move their feet in the offensive zone and try to draw penalties and create scoring chances.

No. 7 Quinnipiac at No. 3 Union
Quinnipiac: 19-16-2 (11-11-0 ECAC Hockey)
Union: 18-10-6 (12-6-4 ECAC Hockey)
Season Series: Union, 2-0-0
Bobcats Fact: Quinnipiac has five players with 20 or more points, led by Brandon Wong (18-21-39) and Eric Lampe (12-23-35).
Dutchmen Fact: Jason Walters is just two points from becoming Union’s all-time Division I points leader.
How Quinnipiac Wins: Keep trending positively. The Bobcats have been one of the streakiest teams in the nation this year and come into this series having won four of their last five games.
How Union Wins: The Dutchmen are at their best when they’re competing in all areas of the ice and a high-pressure game with lots of puck battles favors Union.

No. 5 St. Lawrence at No. 4 Colgate
St. Lawrence: 17-14-7 (9-8-5 ECAC Hockey)
Colgate: 15-13-6 (12-8-2 ECAC Hockey)
Season Series: St. Lawrence, 2-0-0
Saints Fact: The Saints held Colgate’s power play without a goal in 12 opportunities during SLU’s two regular season wins.
Raiders Fact: Colgate has made it to Albany four times in the last six years, tied for most in that span with Harvard and Cornell.
How St. Lawrence Wins: High-end players make a difference at this time of the year. If St. Lawrence seniors Mike McKenzie and Travis Vermeulen can outduel Colgate’s David McIntyre and Austin Smith, it’s a boost for the Saints.
How Colgate Wins: The Raiders got improved goaltending and special teams down the stretch and went 4-1-1 in their last six games to get fourth place. Those will be keys again this weekend.

The playoffs started early in this league, and teams looking to catch their breath after the stretch run will find themselves gasping for air in the Hockey East quarterfinals.

New Hampshire staved off Boston College in their mini-playoff last weekend with the regular-season crown on the line, and that involved the least of the dramatics. There were a half-dozen teams that were on the cusp of either claiming a home-ice spot or missing the playoffs entirely, and the standings were so jumbled heading into the season’s final day that there were 33 tiebreaking scenarios listed on a Hockey East press release.

Once again, the tournament looks wide open. UNH and BC have been the most consistent teams throughout the season, but preseason favorites Boston University and UMass Lowell have the talent to make another March run. And don’t count out the surging Northeastern Huskies and - sit down for this one - Merrimack Warriors. Finally, don’t count out Maine at Alfond, where the Black Bears can recreate some momentum and take it to the Garden.

With the balance in Hockey East, the next three weekends figure to be a blast.

THE FAVORITE

The Wildcats might take this as a slap in the face, but Boston College has to be the favorite in the Hockey East playoffs. The Eagles are 8-2-1 against Hockey East teams since Jan. 29, and they’ve been peppering opposing nets at a relentless rate. BC has outscored teams, 43-21, in that span, and all four lines are playing with a heightened sense of confidence.

And don’t forget, Boston College gained some valuable experience at the Garden last month when it won the Beanpot, and the Eagles have traditionally handled the Wildcats late in the season. BC has knocked UNH out of the Hockey East playoffs in four of the last five years, including twice in the title game.

THE GATE CRASHER

This spot was supposed to go to Northeastern, which was playing great down the stretch but couldn’t get into the playoffs after a hellish final two weekends with UNH and BU. It also could have gone to Vermont, but the Catamounts only took one point in Durham a few weeks ago. And it could have gone to Merrimack, but it’s tough to imagine the Terriers laying down in their first-round playoff series. If you’re looking for one lower seed to pull an upset, set your sights to UMass Lowell, which has the postseason experience that Maine lacks.

INCH’s ALL-HOCKEY EAST TEAM

F - Bobby Butler, UNH
Dick Umile did it again. Butler had nine goals and three assists as a freshman (12th on the team in scoring), but he emerged as a Hobey Baker candidate as a senior.

F - Gustav Nyquist, Maine
The sophomore had an outstanding season, far and away leading Hockey East in points (18-38-56), and Maine fans will love him for leading the program’s turnaround in 2009-10.

F - Brian Gibbons, Boston College
Gibbons has centered the best line in Hockey East with Joe Whitney and Cam Atkinson, and the trio’s emergence in the second half was a major reason for the Eagles’ charge. Gibbons led BC with 27 assists and 42 points.

D - Kevin Shattenkirk, Boston University
The junior blue-liner gets the nod on this list for the second consecutive year.

D - Jeremy Dehner, UMass Lowell
The River Hawks have a handful of really talented defensemen, but Dehner’s leadership, on-ice composure and puck-moving skills get him on the INCH First Team.

G - Carter Hutton, UMass Lowell
Hutton was too good for coach Blaise MacDonald to warrant a split, and Hutton has been the man down the stretch. Among goalies who played at least 900 minutes, he led Hockey East in goals-against average (2.06) and save percentage (.928).

COACH OF THE YEAR

It’s pretty amazing, but heading into the final weekend of the regular season, Merrimack was still in the running for a home-ice playoff spot. Mark Dennehy has changed the culture in North Andover, and he has brought in a roster full of players who have been winners at previous levels. Even though they hadn’t yet won together at Merrimack, junior forward Chris Barton pointed to a few Warriors who had won junior championships in Canada (himself, sophomore forward Jesse Todd, sophomore defenseman Karl Stollery and freshman defenseman Kyle Bigos).

Merrimack had five consecutive last-place finishes since its most recent playoff berth in 2004. During that stretch, the Warriors were 38-115-19 and 18-100-14 in Hockey East. Yet, Dennehy led MC to 15-17-2 (12-13-2 Hockey East) and a sixth seed this season. Don’t think this is enough for them, either. Barton told INCH in November, “[the Warriors] want to win a championship.”

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Few saw a season like this coming, especially Bobby Butler. He had been as steady as they’ve come for his first three seasons in Durham, but Butler really added a scoring punch in his senior year. He has a league-best 25 goals to go along with 22 assists, and the Wildcats’ success has helped push Butler into the Hobey race.

“No, not at all. I definitely didn’t expect it,” Butler said of the individual recognition. “It’s just a bonus, but I’m glad the team is doing well. We’ve been in first place for a bit. I’m just having a fun time. I prepared for this year wanting to play my best as a senior, a leader, to show by example. I’m just having a good time, having fun with my linemates. I think it’s just more having fun and coming to the rink knowing that every time we’re on the ice, we have a chance for any of us to put the puck in the net.”

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Merrimack forward Stephane Da Costa sent a public-service announcement to the league with a five-goal performance against Army in the second game of his career. Da Costa is a smart player who knows what he’s doing on the ice and has tremendous vision. His teammates instantly respected his work ethic, and they appreciated his ability to make them better players, as well. Da Costa has had a fabulous freshman season with 15 goals and 29 assists to easily lead the Warriors with 44 points.

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER

Boston College sophomore forward Cam Atkinson was an important piece for this young team. The Eagles have nine sophomores and 10 freshmen on their 26-man roster, and the younger guys were forced to make strides this season if they were going to experience this kind of success. Atkinson is second in Hockey East with 21 goals, and he was second on the Eagles with 41 points. The short, speedy, feisty winger has a little bit of Nathan Gerbe in him. For Atkinson to seriously draw those comparisons, though, he’ll have to perform in the postseason like Gerbe.

No. 8 Vermont at No. 1 New Hampshire
Vermont: 15-12-7 (9-11-7 Hockey East)
New Hampshire: 16-11-7 (15-6-6 Hockey East)
Season Series: UNH, 2-0-1
Catamounts Fact: Vermont has made the playoffs in all five of its seasons in Hockey East, but only advanced past the quarterfinal round once in four previous series.
Wildcats Fact: UNH’s Hockey East regular-season title was the eighth in team history, tied for second most with Boston University and trailing only Boston College (10).
How Vermont Wins: Get big production out of the top line. Seniors Colin Vock and Brayden Irwin have combined for 18 points in 20 career games against UNH and freshman linemate Sebastian Stalberg had a goal and two assists in two games against UNH this year.
How New Hampshire Wins: Bobby Butler leads the way for the Wildcats with his 25 goals and 47 points this year. He’s also been a Catamount killer, with seven goals and 13 points in 12 career games against UVM.

No. 7 Massachusetts at No. 2 Boston College
Massachusetts: 18-16-0 (13-14-0 Hockey East)
Boston College: 21-10-3 (16-8-3 Hockey East)
Season Series: BC, 3-0-0
Minutemen Fact: The Minutemen have qualified for the Hockey East playoffs eight straight years, the longest streak in program history.
Eagles Fact: BC is 42-10-3 all-time against UMass and has won eight of the 25 Hockey East tournaments all-time.
How UMass Wins: Special teams can make the difference in a short series, and UMass is just 6-for-49 on the power play in its last 10 games, but showed some life in last weekend’s sweep of Maine, with a PPG in each game and nine goals on the weekend.
How BC Wins: Keep doing it with defense. They held UMass to one goal in all three regular-season wins.

No. 6 Merrimack at No. 3 Boston University
Merrimack: 15-17-2 (12-13-2 Hockey East)
Boston University: 16-15-3 (13-12-2 Hockey East)
Season Series: BU, 2-1-0
Warriors Fact: Merrimack is back in the Hockey East playoffs for the first time in six seasons, and is just 3-25-0 all-time in the conference tournament, but two of those wins came against BU in 1998 when they made their only trip to the semifinals.
Terriers Fact: BU has advanced to the semifinals of this tournament for eight consecutive years, a league record.
How Merrimack Wins: It’ll be the first playoff experience at the college level for all of Merrimack’s players, so freshman nerves shouldn’t be an issue. Stephane Da Costa scored in all three regular-season games against the Terriers.
How BU Wins: The Terriers will have to tighten things up defensively, as they allowed 14 goals to Merrimack over three regular-season games. Penalty killing is a good place to start, as Merrimack is third nationally on the power play.

No. 5 UMass Lowell at No. 4 Maine
UMass Lowell: 18-14-4 (12-11-4 Hockey East)
Maine: 16-15-3 (13-12-2 Hockey East)
Season Series: Maine, 2-1-0
River Hawks Fact: UMass Lowell is 2-1-0 in its last three games at Maine’s Alfond Arena over the last two seasons, including a 4-2 win Feb. 20.
Black Bears Fact: Maine is 12-0-0 all-time in the playoffs against UMass Lowell.
How UMass Lowell Wins: Get off to a good start. The River Hawks are 12-5-0 when scoring first and 10-2-1 when leading after the first period.
How Maine Wins: Maine’s power play is the best in the nation with 56 PPGs and a 29.5 percent success rate. They’ll need to make their chances count this weekend, as UMass Lowell is one of the nation’s least-penalized teams.

THE FAVORITE

No questions here as the CCHA heads into the conference quarterfinals this weekend: The Miami RedHawks are the team to beat. Right from the get-go, the RedHawks surged to the top of the CCHA and never relinquished a lead that seemed to grow perpetually, especially in the second half of the season. Miami’s team defense was incredible all year long, with very few slipups, and led the nation giving up just 1.75 goals per game, including just 1.39 per game in conference play. It will take a Herculean effort for any of the CCHA teams to knock the RedHawks off in the conference tournament, and it’s likely they’ll find their way to Detroit both a week from now and a month from now, although, admittedly, the postseason can be cruel to favorites.

THE GATE CRASHER

Over the past few seasons, every CCHA team has known that come the turn of the calendar year, it’s time to start looking in your rearview mirror for a speeding mass in Old Gold and Olive Green. Finally, after making several late surges that came up short, Northern Michigan cracked the top four and could be headed to the NCAA Tournament with a series win over Alaska this weekend and a stellar performance once the CCHA title race finds its way to Detroit. With a potent offense that seems to be hitting its stride and one of the league’s better goaltenders in Brian Stewart, the Wildcats are definitely a force to be reckoned with over the next few weeks.

INCH’s ALL-CCHA TEAM

F — Mark Olver, Northern Michigan
Olver was a major catalyst in Northern Michigan’s second half run into the top-four, and the junior is carrying a nine-game point streak that has produced a 7-9-16 line, giving him a league-leading 46 points on the year.

F — Corey Tropp, Michigan State
The story of Tropp’s revival after a season-ending suspension last year has been told many times, but the junior’s diligence in the offseason and on the ice helped bring Michigan State back from last year’s disappointing finish. His 20 goals and 22 assists place him second in the scoring race.

F — Tommy Wingels, Miami
You look a little bit further down the point scoring list to find Wingels’ name, but the Miami junior certainly deserves mention amongst the CCHA’s best this season. His 16-20-36 line is amongst the conference’s top-10 point scorers, and his defensive and leadership contributions are amongst the league’s best with a plus-14 rating and 30 blocked shots on the season.

D — Erik Gustafsson, Northern Michigan
Gustafsson is calm, cool and collected and knows how to make plays at both ends of the ice. The junior from Sweden makes his second-consecutive appearance on INCH’s All-CCHA team after finishing with 28 points on the year, and a plus-8 rating. Gustafsson was also INCH’s Freshman of the year 2 years ago.

D — Ed Del Grosso, Nebraska-Omaha
Del Grosso has always been one of the top offensive defensemen in the league in his four years in Omaha, and he continued that trend with a 30-point output in 40 games. The senior was his team’s leading point scorer and also led the club in plus-minus, and the pressure he puts on the net with his 110 shots helps create opportunities for his forwards.

G — Cody Reichard, Miami
Every great team gets great goaltending and Reichard provided that for Miami with a 1.48 goals-against average, a .938 save percentage and five shutouts. He was 17-2-3 on the year.

COACH OF THE YEAR

While a few perennial powers faltered due to injury or inconsistency, the 2009-10 season was a great showcase for the coaching acumen of veterans like Walt Kyle and Bob Daniels who guided their team to at least the NCAA Tournament conversation. But it’s Miami’s Enrico Blasi who was able to best piece together the puzzle that a college hockey season can be. His team could have been in emotional tatters after a crushing loss in the national championship game last year and even more so after losing team manager Brendan Burke in a tragic accident last month. But Blasi brought his “brotherhood” together stronger than ever, coaxing maximum effort out of his players and clinching the CCHA title with several weeks to play.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

He’s always been known as one of the more dynamic skaters and scorers in the CCHA, but 2009-10 proved to be a breakout year for Northern Michigan forward Mark Olver. The Colorado Avalanche prospect spent some time in the weight room bulking up to prepare himself to be a more physical player in his junior season and to get ready for the next level, and it certainly paid dividends throughout this season. Olver led the league with 46 points on 19 goals and 27 assists, giving him a career mark of 56-63-119 in 114 games, and helped the Wildcats’ rapid ascension into the top four and earning a first-round playoff bye.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Having arguably the most stellar team defense and goaltending in the country throughout last year, the Alaska Nanooks had one major problem that ultimately prevented them from making the NCAA tournament — they didn’t score goals. Despite ranking second in the nation in team defense, the Nanooks finished an abysmal 54th in scoring offense. This time around, Scott Greenham and the defense still held down the fort, but freshman Andy Taranto finally gave Alaska the offensive spark that it needed. Taranto’s 17-24-41 line, a line that includes seven power-play goals and a short-handed marker, gave him 12 more points than any other rookie heading into this weekend’s quarterfinal series against Northern Michigan. And in true Nanook spirit, Taranto’s not too shabby defensively either, notching 17 blocked shots and a plus-13 rating through his first 36 games.

BREAKTHROUGH PLAYER

Ferris State coach Bob Daniels always had a feeling about senior Blair Riley. The forward from Kamloops had good hockey sense and nice hands, but it seemed like Riley just couldn’t put it together. Daniels never gave up on Riley and his faith and patience paid off as Riley put together a memorable season that helped propel Ferris State into the league’s top four and made the Bulldogs contenders for an NCAA Tournament bid. All year long, Riley sat amongst the conference scoring leaders, and even sat atop the national scoring charts for a few weeks, and the senior heads into the quarterfinal series against Nebraska-Omaha with a 17-17-34 line. Riley’s success not only elevated the Bulldogs’ team, but also makes him a desirable prospect for NHL teams looking for undrafted free agents.

No. 8 Ohio State at No. 1 Miami
Ohio State: 14-16-6 (10-12-6, 4 SOW CCHA)
Miami: 24-5-7 (21-2-5, 2 SOW CCHA)
Season Series: Miami won 3-0-1, Ohio State won shootout
Buckeyes Fact: Ohio State’s Zac Dalpe (20), Sergio Somma (14) and Hunter Bishop (12) have accounted for 45 percent of the team’s 102 goals this year.
RedHawks Fact: The RedHawks’ first-place finish is its third in program history, and each of the first two CCHA tournaments they played in as the top seed ended with a championship game loss.
How Ohio State Wins: Ohio State needs to rely on strong goaltending and find ways to try to take Miami out of games early. Strong starts and consistent team defense should allow the Buckeyes to compete with the high-flying RedHawks.
How Miami Wins: More than any other team in the country, Miami just needs to keep doing what they’ve been doing all year long. If the RedHawks keep their focus on playing solid defense and keep putting home the chances they get there is little doubt that Miami will be skating in Detroit next week.

No. 7 Michigan at No. 2 Michigan State
Michigan: 21-17-1(14-13-1, 0 SOW CCHA)
Michigan State: 19-11-6 (14-8-6, 2 SOW CCHA)
Season Series: Michigan State won 3-1
Wolverines Fact: The Wolverines have made the CCHA semifinals every season since 1990, and they haven;t been on the road other than games at Joe Louis Arena since being swept by Western Michigan in 1988.
Spartans Fact: It has been a long time since these two fierce rivals met in the quarterfinal round, but the Spartans swept Michigan in 1986 and 1987 — the only two times they’ve met at this stage of the playoffs.
How Michigan Wins: Michigan needs to continue its strong performance from last weekend, riding the play of top forwards like Louie Caporusso and David Wohlberg to create scoring chances and working together in its own zone to make up for the possibility of a weekend without Bryan Hogan or Chris Summers.
How Michigan State Wins: Michigan State can focus on playing the game that made it successful throughout this year, and by being a recipient of strong goaltending from Drew Palmisano. If Palmisano gives his team a chance to win, that should be all the Spartans need.

No. 6 Nebraska-Omaha at No. 3 Ferris State
Nebraska-Omaha: 20-14-6 (13-12-3, 2 SOW CCHA)
Ferris State: 19-11-6 (13-9-6, 4 SOW CCHA)
Season Series: Ferris State won 2-0-0
Mavericks Fact: Nine Nebraska-Omaha skaters have registered 20 or more points this season, more than any other team in the league this year.
Bulldogs Fact: A pair of wins against Nebraska-Omaha would give the Bulldogs the second highest home win total in program history with 15.
How Nebraska-Omaha Wins: The Mavericks need to stick to their balanced approach in order to win on the road at Ferris State. If Ed Del Grosso can continue to distribute the puck effectively and they take an undoubtedly rabid crowd out of the mix, Nebraska-Omaha will have a chance to leave the CCHA in style — from Joe Louis Arena.
How Ferris State Wins: Ferris State needs to stay within itself and play the physical, playmaking hockey that helped them be so successful all year long. The Bulldogs should feed off the home crowd and need to avoid taking bad penalties.

No. 5 Alaska and No. 4 Northern Michigan
Alaska: 18-9-9 (11-9-8, 4 SOW CCHA)
Northern Michigan: 17-11-8 (13-9-6, 3 SOW CCHA)
Season Series: Northern Michigan won 1-0-3, Alaska won 2 shootouts, Northern Michigan won 1
Nanooks Fact: Andy Taranto’s 41 points have him tied for the Nanooks’ freshman record, which was set during the 1986-87 season.
Wildcats Fact: The recently released list of finalists for CCHA awards speaks to the effect Erik Gustafsson has on his team. The junior is amongst the final three candidates for RBC Player of the Year, Offensive Defenseman of the Year — an honor he took home last year — and Defensive Defenseman of the year.
How Alaska Wins: Scott Greenham needs to have a string of solid performances in the always-intimidating Berry Events Center and the Nanooks need Andy Taranto, Dion Knelsen and the forwards to find the back of the net.
How Northern Michigan Wins: Northern Michigan will continue to ride Mark Olver, Greger Hansen and a dynamic group of forwards to victory while Erik Gustafsson, T.J. Miller and goaltender Brian Stewart hold down the Wildcats’ own zone.

A changing of the guard may be in order in Atlantic Hockey. Rochester Institute of Technology posted a record 45-point season and carries a six-game win streak and a lot of confidence into the playoffs. However, three-time playoff champion Air Force is still in the hunt as a potent three seed.

RIT wrapped up its third regular-season title in four seasons. Sacred Heart, with rookie coach C.J. Marottolo, made one of the best improvements in league history, moving up 14 points and six places to finish as the runner-up. Air Force got off to an 0-4-0 start and rode its roller-coaster ways into a .500 record. Mercyhurst, too, languished at the outset with a 2-9-1 start but managed to make some headway in league play to finish fourth.

Canisius saw only a one-game improvement to grab the five seed. Army secured the six seed again with the same 10-12-6 record. Seventh-seeded Holy Cross knocked off American International, 4-2, in a playoff opener. Bentley couldn’t overcome its considerable graduation losses, falling to eighth and then losing to No. 9 Connecticut, 2-1, in a playoff opener.

Most coaches in Atlantic Hockey sing the praises of the junior circuit, about how the talent gap is closing between top and bottom, and how competitive the league has become, but the numbers don’t quite bear that out as the seventh season comes to a close.

The best form of comparisons are the head-to-head matchups with the other five leagues, and in that case Atlantic Hockey took a major step back this season. The league managed only eight non-conference wins out of 61 contests (8-48-5), a drop-off of five victories over the previous season. Only half of the 10 teams managed at least one non-league win, with Bentley, Canisius and Sacred Heart managing two apiece. Heck, the league’s standard bearer - regular-season champion RIT - went 0-for-6, defending champ Air Force went 0-for-6 and perennial challenger Mercyhurst went 0-for-8.

The league is satisfied with Rochester serving as its tourney host and will remain there through 2011. A national television home for the tournament finals has not been hammered out, but there have been whispers of a future deal - CBS College Sports may look for a replacement now that College Hockey America is folding, and Versus is looking to add sports properties.

The long-awaited addition of College Hockey America refugees Niagara and Robert Morris raises membership to a dozen teams next season, and should give the league a nice jump-start.

THE FAVORITE

RIT has proven itself as a regular-season title contender, with three titles and one runner-up finish in four seasons. The Tigers made it a bit more convincing this year, winning the league by 10 points, or by a full five games if you like the baseball analogy. However, RIT has been ousted in the semifinal round the past two seasons.

The offense is not as potent as last season but the nation’s fourth-ranked defense picked up the slack to support Jared DeMichiel in goal. Dan Ringwald is a proven all-star defenseman, and he broke in freshman Chris Tanev very impressively. The Tigers spread the scoring wealth, with Cameron Burt (13 goals), Andrew Favot (11), Ringwald (10) and Tyler Brenner (10) leading the way.

The Tigers have lost just three games - all by one goal - in the last two months. What’s particularly promising is how RIT played down the stretch, going 7-1-0 in February against four clubs in the upper division: Sacred Heart (1-1-0), Air Force, Army and Canisius (2-0-0 each).

This might just be the year that RIT breaks through, and it doesn’t hurt to have a “home” crowd at Blue Cross Arena for the finals.

THE GATE CRASHER

It seems almost silly to call the three-time defending champions from Air Force a gate crasher but these Falcons are not the same team that won the 2009 title, that knocked off Michigan in the opening round of the NCAAs and battled well into a second overtime before losing to Vermont. It is still a good team, with a former Hobey Baker finalist, the top playoff goalie in league history and a senior corps that has won three playoff titles as a number five, three and one seed.

Any team that has 20-goal scorer Jacques Lamoureux has to be taken seriously. Matt Fairchild has probably played more games (153) than anyone else in league history and is three points shy of 100 for his career. The team, no doubt, took a hit when Jeff Hajner had to leave the lineup for medical issues in mid-February.

Andrew Volkening has lost just one league playoff contest since backstopping Air Force to victory in the 2007 finals. With 67 wins and a 2.21 career goals against, he is the most effective goalie this league has produced.

INCH’s ALL-ATLANTIC HOCKEY TEAM

F - Jacques Lamoureux, Air Force
The junior can see clearly with 20-20 vision - that’s 20 goals and 20 assists. There are 21 players in the nation who have reached 20 goals, and only a dozen have just as many assists. A dozen of Lamoureux’s goals have come on the power play. True, his numbers are down from his eye-popping 33 goals of a year ago but he remains a top scoring threat.

F - Nick Johnson, Sacred Heart
Johnson is tied for second in national goal scoring (25) with Bobby Butler of New Hampshire and Broc Little of Yale, trailing only Chase Polacek of RPI (26). Johnson leads all those snipers with 23 assists, and he ranks fourth in points per game (1.41). Johnson has been clutch with seven game-winners.

F - Cory Conacher, Canisius
The junior has made big strides in his third season. With 20 goals and 29 assists, he ranks second in the nation in points per game (1.53). He leads his team in both categories. Seven of his goals have come on the power play and five went for game-winners. A year ago, Conacher posted 12 goals and 23 assists.

D - Dan Ringwald, RIT
The senior ranks second in the league in defenseman scoring with 28 points, goals with 10, and assists with 18. Six of his goals have come on the power play, more than doubling his overall goal scoring last season. He is a plus-17 at even strength. Ringwald does a great job of staying out of the penalty box, with only six infractions.

D - Carl Hudson, Canisius
The senior leads the league in defensemen scoring with 32 points, goals with 13, and assists with 19. His point total ranks 12th in the league. Hudson remains a force on the power play with 10 goals, and 30 of his 43 career goals have come on the power play. Hudson improved his plus-minus from a minus-11 as a junior to a plus-one as a senior. One knock on his game, though, is his propensity for penalties, averaging one per contest.

G - Jared DeMichiel, Rochester Institute of Technology
Maybe playing time and improved performance go hand-in-hand. With the graduation of Louis Menard, DeMichiel saw the bulk of action for the Tigers, playing 90 percent of the minutes. He dropped his goals against from 2.70 to 2.11, and his save percentage went up from .905 to .920 - both numbers lead Atlantic Hockey. Nationally, his goals against ranks eighth and his saves percentage is 13th. His current goals against would rank fourth all-time in league history. Only Panthers draft pick Marc Cheverie of Denver has more wins (22 to 21) than DeMichiel.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Former Sacred Heart coach Shaun Hannah decided to resign his job in early September, and the school went into an instant scramble to find his replacement. The school actually hired former Yale assistant C.J. Marottolo AFTER the Pioneers held their first exhibition game. Marottolo took over a team that lost it starting goalie, half of its defense corps and its two leading scorers from last season. In one of the most incredible turnarounds in league history, Marottolo led Sacred Heart to an impressive 18-12-4 overall record and second-place finish in the regular season at 16-9-3 - that’s an improvement of 14 points over 2008-09.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR and BREAKTHROUGH PLAYER

Sacred Heart needed to replace 31 goals from six skaters who graduated, and Nick Johnson practically filled that void by himself. Johnson opened the season with a pair of two-goal efforts. He has scored at least one goal in 20 games, and only played seven contests where he didn’t produce a point. His 25 goals ranks fifth-best in league history, trailing only Jacques Lamoureux (33), Dave Borelli of Mercyhurst (28), Matt Smith of RIT (27) and Tyler McGregor of Holy Cross (26). One Atlantic Hockey coach said, “Hands down, Nick Johnson is the best player in the league.”

Johnson made the shift from center to right wing, and his numbers exploded once he was paired with great playmaker Dave Jarman. Johnson does a great job getting in front of the net to produce goals. Johnson produced only three goals in a junior season shortened to 24 games (he missed the last six weeks of the regular season before returning for the playoffs).

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Eric DeLong of Sacred Heart leads a good cast of Atlantic Hockey rookies. DeLong leads the freshmen with 30 points. His 13 goals ranks second among the rookies. DeLong has contributed points in 20 games and goals in 11 contests. He worked his way onto Sacred Heart’s top power play unit, and he takes key faceoffs for the Pioneers.

No. 9 Connecticut at No. 1 Rochester Institute of Technology
Connecticut: 7-25-3 (6-19-3 AHA)
RIT: 22-11-1 (22-5-1 AHA)
Season Series: RIT, 3-1-0
Husky Fact: UConn lost its only AHA quarterfinal series, 2-1, to Sacred Heart in 2008.
Tiger Fact: RIT has advanced to the semifinal round in each of the last two years.
How UConn Wins: The Huskies do a tremendous job of counter-attacking and need to pop in a few goals.
How RIT Wins: The Tigers just need to continue doing what they’re doing.

No. 7 Holy Cross at No. 2 Sacred Heart
Holy Cross: 12-17-6 (10-13-5 AHA)
Sacred Heart: 18-12-4 (16-9-3 AHA)
Season Series: Sacred Heart, 3-1-0
Crusader Fact: Holy Cross pushed RIT to three games in the 2009 quarterfinals.
Pioneer Fact: Sacred Heart improved 14 points in the league standings.
How Holy Cross Wins: The Crusaders need to stay out of the penalty box and convert on the power play.
How Sacred Heart Wins: The Pioneers are getting good production from their top two lines.

No. 6 Army at No. 3 Air Force
Army: 11-16-7 (10-12-6 AHA)
Air Force: 14-14-6 (14-8-6 AHA)
Season Series: Army, 1-0-1
Black Knight Fact: Army has lost its last three playoff games, all to Mercyhurst.
Falcon Fact: Air Force is 11-1-0 in Atlantic Hockey playoff games.
How Army Wins: Jay Clark needs to hold the fort while his forwards crash the Falcon net.
How Air Force Wins: Andrew Volkening is the best playoff goalie in league history and needs to find a way to duplicate his efforts.

No. 5 Canisius at No. 4 Mercyhurst
Canisius: 15-14-5 (13-11-4 AHA)
Mercyhurst: 15-18-3 (15-10-3 AHA)
Season Series: Canisius, 3-1-0
Griffin Fact: Canisius lost its last two quarterfinal series, including sweep at Mercyhurst in 2008.
Laker Fact: Mercyhurst has played in the last two AHA finals.
How Canisius Wins: Cory Conacher leads a potent Griffin offense which has popped in 15 goals against the Lakers this season.
How Mercyhurst Wins: Ryan Zapolski won three playoff games last year and needs another solid effort to help an injured Laker squad along.