2008 Woodie Awards
Bleacher Banter
The Mavericks begin their regular season Friday and Banter talks about their chances, along with the rest of the WCHA.
by Tyler Buckentine and Josh Berhow
Issue date: 10/9/08
Section: Bleacher Banter
Josh Berhow: The Mavies puck team kicks off their 2008-09 regular season Friday at the Alltel Center and for the first time in a while, they're not a sleeper team. They're now proven, experienced and should have young guys step up to have bigger roles.
Tyler Buckentine: No doubt MSU has one of the best teams it has had in a very long time. You got almost every player back from a year ago minus Jon Kalinski, who MSU will be fine without.
There's no more Matt Tyree (gasp) at forward. Don't worry, MSU faithful. Tyree could hardly skate which is probably why he never touched the ice.
Although he did kick some @$$ in a 2007 fight at North Dakota.
The Mavericks will miss Joel Hanson's scoring ability and R.J. Linder on the blue line.
Though the Mavericks are a proven contender for the WCHA's MacNaughton Cup, MSU is projected to finish as low as 7th in the league by different polls.
Berhow: I don't think the Mavs mind being that low. It might be a little frustrating, but they are a good team. I'm sure they know that. Experience is something that's hard to come by, and most of these guys have played together for quite some time now.
But having Zacharias play as well as he has doesn't hurt, either.
Buckentine: Speaking of goaltenders, who are the best netminders in the league this year?
By the way, you should be able to figure out that I'm not 'a great WCHA mind' judging by the lame question I just asked.
Richard Bachman won the WCHA Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards in 2007, so he probably has the rest of the league's goalies looking up at him already.
Berhow: Most would say he's at the top, but there are plenty in the league.
St. Cloud State's Jase Weslosky played well in his first full season, Minnesota's Alex Kangas put his name in the mix when he was in Mankato a few months ago for that playoff series. Duluth's Alex Stalock, and Wisconsin's Shane Connelly are good but inconsistant. Denver's Marc Cheverie takes over for Peter Mannino, and should be decent, too.
But Zacharias is right in the mix with all those guys. Maybe besides Bachman, he's just as good or better than all of those guys.
But things can change quick. Any one of those guys can have a rough year or an outstanding one. They will all be the key to each team's success.
I think every team in the WCHA - except for UMD, Alaska-Anchorage and Michigan Tech - could contend for the top. You could see MSU at No. 1 or at No. 7, the same goes for Denver, North Dakota, the Gophers, all of them.
There are seven really good teams.
Buckentine: Is SCSU really one of those teams? Don't get me wrong, nothing has changed since last season. The Huskies are still my team and they have been since I was in kindergarten.
(That was brutal sitting at the Tav on the Ave, watching SCSU lose yet another NCAA playoff game last March.)
Banter Note: Like we give a sh*t, Tyler, you rube.
Buckentine: Weslosky is OK, but like Bobby Goepfert before him, he was shaky at times.
Andreas Nodl packed up his talent and headed for the pros.
Now the Huskies will rely mostly on its little people - Ryan Lasch (5-7, 175 lbs.) and Garrett Roe (5-8, 162 lbs.) - for its scoring output.
Remember when MSU's Geoff Irwin lit up Ryan Lasch last season at the Alltel Center? For all the Banter faithful that missed it, you can find it on YouTube. For all the Banter faithful without Internet, see the photo below.
Berhow: It's almost cute how little he is. I wonder if Irwin felt bad after this? It's not every day you lay out a kid as big as your 9-year-old brother. But I'm sure he got over it...
But your little Huskies will be okay I think. They need to find a little more scoring and consistent goaltending, though. They have a very good coach in Bob Motzko.
But for your sake, I hope they struggle, because the more they do, the more your life will.
So who do you like at the end?
Buckentine: I like MSU because of who they have back, but then I remember how good the rest of the WCHA is. I'll take Denver, just stabbing in the dark.
I guess I'll give some love to other MSU teams since they're all playing at home this weekend.
Can the MSU soccer or volleyball teams lose? The soccer team can't possibly lose to Southwaste State.
Go to Land of Memories Park and see the Caty Delwiche Memorial Run Saturday morning.
If you like hockey, but at a slower pace, walk over to All Seasons and catch the MSU women's team play Maine.
Most importantly, I'm making my debut covering MSU football Saturday.
Berhow: You take the football, I'll take my hockey, and a men's sweep and women's split.
That's it for Bleacher Banter, and remember to check out that YouTube video. It really will make you have a better day. Not kidding.
See you next time on Bleacher Banter, the anti-column for WCHA-loving college kids, by WCHA-loving college kids.
Derek Wehrwein is the Reporter editor in chief
Josh Berhow is the Reporter sports editor
Tyler Buckentine: No doubt MSU has one of the best teams it has had in a very long time. You got almost every player back from a year ago minus Jon Kalinski, who MSU will be fine without.
There's no more Matt Tyree (gasp) at forward. Don't worry, MSU faithful. Tyree could hardly skate which is probably why he never touched the ice.
Although he did kick some @$$ in a 2007 fight at North Dakota.
The Mavericks will miss Joel Hanson's scoring ability and R.J. Linder on the blue line.
Though the Mavericks are a proven contender for the WCHA's MacNaughton Cup, MSU is projected to finish as low as 7th in the league by different polls.
Berhow: I don't think the Mavs mind being that low. It might be a little frustrating, but they are a good team. I'm sure they know that. Experience is something that's hard to come by, and most of these guys have played together for quite some time now.
But having Zacharias play as well as he has doesn't hurt, either.
Buckentine: Speaking of goaltenders, who are the best netminders in the league this year?
By the way, you should be able to figure out that I'm not 'a great WCHA mind' judging by the lame question I just asked.
Richard Bachman won the WCHA Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards in 2007, so he probably has the rest of the league's goalies looking up at him already.
Berhow: Most would say he's at the top, but there are plenty in the league.
St. Cloud State's Jase Weslosky played well in his first full season, Minnesota's Alex Kangas put his name in the mix when he was in Mankato a few months ago for that playoff series. Duluth's Alex Stalock, and Wisconsin's Shane Connelly are good but inconsistant. Denver's Marc Cheverie takes over for Peter Mannino, and should be decent, too.
But Zacharias is right in the mix with all those guys. Maybe besides Bachman, he's just as good or better than all of those guys.
But things can change quick. Any one of those guys can have a rough year or an outstanding one. They will all be the key to each team's success.
I think every team in the WCHA - except for UMD, Alaska-Anchorage and Michigan Tech - could contend for the top. You could see MSU at No. 1 or at No. 7, the same goes for Denver, North Dakota, the Gophers, all of them.
There are seven really good teams.
Buckentine: Is SCSU really one of those teams? Don't get me wrong, nothing has changed since last season. The Huskies are still my team and they have been since I was in kindergarten.
(That was brutal sitting at the Tav on the Ave, watching SCSU lose yet another NCAA playoff game last March.)
Banter Note: Like we give a sh*t, Tyler, you rube.
Buckentine: Weslosky is OK, but like Bobby Goepfert before him, he was shaky at times.
Andreas Nodl packed up his talent and headed for the pros.
Now the Huskies will rely mostly on its little people - Ryan Lasch (5-7, 175 lbs.) and Garrett Roe (5-8, 162 lbs.) - for its scoring output.
Remember when MSU's Geoff Irwin lit up Ryan Lasch last season at the Alltel Center? For all the Banter faithful that missed it, you can find it on YouTube. For all the Banter faithful without Internet, see the photo below.
Berhow: It's almost cute how little he is. I wonder if Irwin felt bad after this? It's not every day you lay out a kid as big as your 9-year-old brother. But I'm sure he got over it...
But your little Huskies will be okay I think. They need to find a little more scoring and consistent goaltending, though. They have a very good coach in Bob Motzko.
But for your sake, I hope they struggle, because the more they do, the more your life will.
So who do you like at the end?
Buckentine: I like MSU because of who they have back, but then I remember how good the rest of the WCHA is. I'll take Denver, just stabbing in the dark.
I guess I'll give some love to other MSU teams since they're all playing at home this weekend.
Can the MSU soccer or volleyball teams lose? The soccer team can't possibly lose to Southwaste State.
Go to Land of Memories Park and see the Caty Delwiche Memorial Run Saturday morning.
If you like hockey, but at a slower pace, walk over to All Seasons and catch the MSU women's team play Maine.
Most importantly, I'm making my debut covering MSU football Saturday.
Berhow: You take the football, I'll take my hockey, and a men's sweep and women's split.
That's it for Bleacher Banter, and remember to check out that YouTube video. It really will make you have a better day. Not kidding.
See you next time on Bleacher Banter, the anti-column for WCHA-loving college kids, by WCHA-loving college kids.
Derek Wehrwein is the Reporter editor in chief
Josh Berhow is the Reporter sports editor
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