Conference title is on the line this weekend in Grand Forks
With the quarterfinal round now complete, the WCHA’s top teams will meet in Grand Forks, N.D. this weekend for the 2015 WCHA Final Face-Off. Saturday’s semifinal games will see top-seeded Minnesota play fifth-seed Bemidji State, and second-seed Wisconsin take on host and third-seed North Dakota. All four are here for a reason and will aim to build on their successes this season and capture the championship on Sunday.
Here’s a closer look at each of the four teams and why they might win it.
Wisconsin Badgers (26-6-4/19-6-3-1 WCHA)
How they got here: Wisconsin swept St. Cloud State in the quarterfinals last weekend, winning 5-1 on Friday and 4-1 on Saturday. It was a very balanced effort for the Badgers, with 16 different players factoring in on the nine goals scored in the series. Kim Drake led the team with the only multi-point effort of the weekend, posting three assists on Friday.
Wisconsin’s Blayre Turnbull is a consistent scoring threat for the Badgers. (WCHA photo)
Key Players: Forward Blayre Turnbull brings a solid all-around game while providing the Badgers with consistent, top-line offense. Sarah Nurse is a strong secondary-scoring option, and a productive weekend from her could be a big difference-maker.
Strengths/Weaknesses: The Badgers are very efficient up front and even more so on the defensive end, with a league-low 1.11 goals-against per game. They also lead the WCHA on the penalty kill with a 96.3 percent success rate. However, Wisconsin’s 0-3-1 record against the Gophers has to be a concern pending a possible championship-game match-up.
Why they’ll win it: Wisconsin is perhaps the best team in the conference when it comes to maintaining possession and dictating play. The Badgers make it very hard for any team, including Minnesota, to get things going against them. Even though they’re still searching for a win against the Gophers, they haven’t had trouble outplaying them, and they’ll be banking on that eventually winning out.
