Woody on Hockey : This Is Why The WCHA Is Wicked Hard

Woody on Hockey

Alaska is hockey heaven -- the Alaska Aces are perennial ECHL contenders, the UAA Seawolves play in the nation's premier college league and NHL star Scott Gomez headlines a contingent of pros. Join the conversation about the Aces and Alaska hockey with Doyle Woody, who has covered the game here at all levels for 29 years.

Contact: dwoody@adn.com

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Aces v. Idaho

The Alaska Aces played the Idaho Steelheads in Anchorage on Friday, January 20, 2012.

Aces 3 Stockton 1

Matt Shasby scores a goal and Jim Dahl earns an assist in a 3-1 Alaska Aces win over Stockton January 13, 2012 at Sullivan Arena.

This Is Why The WCHA Is Wicked Hard

Posted by adn_aces

Anchorage Daily News

Posted: February 1, 2010 - 10:17 am

Chalk up wins, losses or ties any weekend in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and the familiar refrain comes: "It doesn't get any easier after this.''

No kidding.

In the USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls released today, the WCHA has six teams in the top 10 -- the polls are identical in the top 10 -- and that doesn't include No. 7 Bemidji State, which joins the league next season.

After No. 1 Miami (Ohio) of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, WCHA Denver is No. 2, Wisconsin is No. 3, St. Cloud State is No. 4, Minnesota-Duluth is No. 6, North Dakota is No. 9 and Colorado College is No. 10.

Fourteen of UAA's 26 games have come against those top-10 teams from the WCHA. The Seawolves are 4-9-1 in those games, and they have more to come. UAA travels to St. Cloud State this week and in early March closes the WCHA regular season with a home series against visiting Minnesota-Duluth.