The Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) standings are starting to take place as conference play continues.
Minnesota State currently sits at the top of the standings with five wins and 18 points, while Northern Michigan sits at the bottom as the only team without a conference win.
Although Bowling Green and Northern Michigan did not play, and Lake Superior State had a pair of non-conference games, every other team battled a CCHA foe this past week.
Michigan Tech at Minnesota State
Minnesota State (10-4-2, 5-1-2 CCHA) swept Michigan Tech (6-4-0, 4-2-0 CCHA) over the weekend, extending their unbeaten streak to seven games and solidifying their spot atop the conference. The Mavericks won 5-2 on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday, maintaining their ranking as the 17th-best team in the country.
Eight different players scored against the Huskies, with senior forward Kaden Bohlsen, graduate student forward Josh Groll, sophomore forward Luigi Benincasa, senior forward Rhett Pitlick, graduate student defenseman Jordan Power, graduate student forward Zach Krajnik, junior defenseman Ralfs Bergmanis and junior forward Adam Eisele all finding the back of the net.
Minnesota State junior goaltender Alex Tracy was dominant, earning a .946% save percentage, allowing just three goals while snagging 53 saves. Tracy leads the CCHA and ranks second in the nation with a .947% save percentage this season. He was named CCHA Goaltender of the Week for the third time this season.
Michigan Tech struggled to capitalize on opportunities, going just 1-12 on power plays, including not scoring on 11 straight man advantages.
Augustana at Ferris State
Augustana (6-6-0, 3-3-0) and Ferris State (4-10-2, 3-7-0) split their two-game series over the weekend. The Vikings won 5-2 on Friday, while the Bulldogs picked up a 4-1 victory on Saturday.
Augustana was extremely efficient on power plays, scoring in three of their five opportunities. Meanwhile, Ferris State dominated face-offs, winning 66 and losing just 48.
St. Thomas at Bemidji State
St. Thomas (3-6-4, 2-3-3 CCHA) failed to pick up a win over the weekend, tying Bemidji State (6-6-1, 4-3-1 CCHA) 2-2 on Friday before the Beavers won 2-1 on Saturday.
Bemidji State peppered the net in the pair of games, leading St. Thomas in shots 51-44.
The teams played very clean games, with just eight penalties between the teams over the weekend.
Lake Superior State at Alaska Anchorage
Lake Superior State (5-6-1, 3-1-0 CCHA) was the only CCHA team to face a non-conference opponent over the weekend, tying Alaska Anchorage 4-4 on Saturday and besting the Seawolves 4-2 on Sunday.
Senior forward Timo Bakos dominated, scoring three goals against Alaska Anchorage — one on Saturday and two on Sunday. Bakos leads the Lakers and is tied for second in the CCHA with six goals.
Lake Superior State struggled in faceoffs, winning 66 and losing 77. However, they scored three power-play goals over the weekend and lead the CCHA with a .240 power-play percentage on the season.
