2008 WCHA men's ice hockey tournament

The 2008 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was played between March 14 and March 22, 2008 at five conference arenas and the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. By winning the tournament, Denver was awarded the Broadmoor Trophy and received the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's automatic bid to the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament.

Format

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The first round of the postseason tournament featured a best-of-three games format. All ten conference teams participated in the tournament. Teams were seeded No. 1 through No. 10 according to their final conference standing, with a tiebreaker system used to seed teams with an identical number of points accumulated.[1] The top five seeded teams each earned home ice and hosted one of the lower seeded teams.

The winners of the first round series advanced to the Xcel Energy Center for the WCHA Final Five, the collective name for the quarterfinal, semifinal, and championship rounds. The Final Five uses a single-elimination format. Teams were re-seeded No. 1 through No. 5 according to the final regular season conference standings, with the top three teams automatically advancing to the semifinals.

Conference standings

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Colorado College versus the University of Minnesota

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; PTS = Points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against

Conference Overall
GP W L T PTS GF GA GP W L T GF GA
#8 Colorado College 28 21 6 1 43 95 52 41 28 12 1 136 88
#4 North Dakota 28 18 7 3 39 85 53 43 28 11 4 129 80
#9 Denver* 28 16 11 1 33 75 67 41 26 14 1 116 94
#15 Minnesota State 28 12 12 4 28 71 75 39 19 16 4 106 97
#14 St. Cloud State 28 12 12 4 28 79 74 40 19 16 5 118 94
#13 Wisconsin 28 11 12 5 27 68 68 40 16 17 7 114 102
#12 Minnesota 28 9 12 7 25 64 70 45 19 17 9 109 109
Minnesota–Duluth 28 9 14 5 23 55 76 36 13 17 6 74 91
Michigan Tech 28 9 15 4 22 55 77 39 14 20 5 78 99
Alaska–Anchorage 28 3 19 6 12 54 89 36 7 21 8 81 112
Championship: Denver
indicates conference regular season champion
* indicates conference tournament champion
Final rankings: USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Top 15 Poll

Tiebreakers

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  • Minnesota State and St. Cloud State each finished the regular season with 28 points. Minnesota State won the tiebreaker, having the better head-to-head record of the two teams.[2][3]

Bracket

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Teams are reseeded after the first round

First round
March 14–16, 2008
Quarterfinal
March 20, 2008
Semifinals
March 21, 2008
Championship
March 22, 2008
1Colorado College43*
10Alaska-Anchorage12
1Colorado College1
2North Dakota4225St. Cloud State27Minnesota2*
9Michigan Tech03*17Minnesota3
3Denver613Denver2
8Minnesota-Duluth307Minnesota1
4Minnesota State1**12
7Minnesota02*3**2North Dakota1
3Denver3
5St. Cloud State34*
6Wisconsin03

Note: * denotes overtime period(s)

First round

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(1) Colorado College vs. (10) Alaska-Anchorage

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March 14 Colorado College 4 – 1 Alaska-Anchorage World Arena Recap  
(Sweatt, Hillen) Mike Testwuide - 00:37 First period No Scoring

(Hillen) Tyler Johnson - GW - 18:06
Second period 02:15 - PP - Brad McCabe (Lunden, Lafranchise)
(Johnson) Scott Thauwald - 02:47
(unassisted) Scott McCulloch - EN - 19:39
Third period No scoring
( 27 saves / 28 shots ) Richard Bachman Goalie stats Jon Olthuis ( 16 saves / 19 shots )
March 15 Colorado College 3 – 2 OT Alaska-Anchorage World Arena Recap  
No Scoring First period 06:05 - Kane Lafranchise (Parkinson, Lunden)
(Testwuide, Kilpatrick) Bill Sweatt - 04:22 Second period
16:37 - Josh Lunden (Crowder)
(Rau, Prosser) Mike Testwuide - 05:54 Third period No scoring
(Sweatt, Hillen) Mike Testwuide - 02:58 First overtime period No scoring
( 18 saves / 20 shots ) Richard Bachman Goalie stats Jon Olthuis ( 27 saves / 30 shots )
Colorado College won series 2–0


(2) North Dakota vs. (9) Michigan Tech

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March 14 North Dakota 4 – 0 Michigan Tech Ralph Engelstad Arena Recap  
(Oshie, Genoway) Ryan Duncan - GW - 05:25 First period No scoring
(Duncan, VandeVelde) T. J. Oshie - 08:21
(Marto, Genoway) Darcy Zajac - 09:10
Second period No scoring
(Miller, Martens) Andrew Kozek - 06:58 Third period No scoring
( 14 saves / 14 shots ) Jean-Philippe Lamoureux Goalie stats Michael-Lee Teslak ( 27 saves / 31 shots )
March 15 North Dakota 2 – 3 OT Michigan Tech Ralph Engelstad Arena Recap  
(Frattin, Martens) Brad Miller - 04:19 First period No scoring
(Miller) Matt Frattin - 16:58 Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 01:19 - PP - Jimmy Kerr (Kinrade, Kattelus)
19:54 - SH - Tyler Shelast (Kerr, Baker)
No scoring First overtime period 01:59 - GW PP - Tyler Shelast (Kinrade, Rouleau)
( 23 saves / 26 shots ) Jean-Philippe Lamoureux Goalie stats Michael-Lee Teslak ( 24 saves / 26 shots )
March 16 North Dakota 2 – 1 Michigan Tech Ralph Engelstad Arena Recap  

(Duncan, Genoway) T. J. Oshie - 14:09
First period 11:27 - Tyler Shelast (Gagne)
(Bina, Chorney)T. J. Oshie - 00:19 Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period No scoring
( 10 saves / 11 shots ) Jean-Philippe Lamoureux Goalie stats Michael-Lee Teslak ( 22 saves / 24 shots )
North Dakota won series 2–1


(3) Denver vs. (8) Minnesota–Duluth

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March 14 Denver 6 – 3 Minnesota–Duluth Magness Arena Recap  
(Vossberg, Thomas) Dustin Jackson - 02:15
(May, Testwuide) Dustin Jackson - 04:58
First period No scoring

(Jackson) Matt Glasser - 09:29
(Ostrow) Tyler Bozak - GW PP - 13:39
Second period 08:23 - PP - Andrew Carroll (Curry, Akins)


14:24 - Mike Curry (Bordson, Greer)
(Testwuide) Tyler Bozak - 00:23

(unassisted) Cody Brookwell - 07:50
Third period
05:55 - PP - Josh Meyers (Bordson, McKnight)
( 24 saves / 27 shots ) Peter Mannino Goalie stats Alex Stalock ( 22 saves / 28 shots )
March 15 Denver 1 – 0 Minnesota–Duluth Magness Arena Recap  
No Scoring First period No scoring
(unassisted) Anthony Maiani - GW - 07:44 Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period No scoring
( 25 saves / 25 shots ) Peter Mannino Goalie stats Alex Stalock ( 14 saves / 15 shots )
Denver won series 2–0


(4) Minnesota State vs. (7) Minnesota

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March 14 Minnesota State 1 – 0 2OT Minnesota Verizon Center Recap  
No Scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period No scoring
(Kalinski) Trevor Bruess - 17:36 Second overtime period No scoring
( 34 saves / 34 shots ) Mike Zacharias Goalie stats Alex Kangas ( 44 saves / 45 shots )
March 15 Minnesota State 1 – 2 OT Minnesota Verizon Center Recap  
No Scoring First period 06:07 - Justin Bostrom (Pohl, Wehrs)
No scoring Second period No scoring
(Irwin, Hanson) Andrew Sackrison - 11:09 Third period No scoring
No scoring First overtime period 07:33 - Mike Carman (Peltier)
( 35 saves / 37 shots ) Mike Zacharias Goalie stats Alex Kangas ( 27 saves / 28 shots )
March 16 Minnesota State 2 – 3 2OT Minnesota Verizon Center Recap  
(Davis, Irwin) Mick Berge - 08:38 First period 18:12 - Jay Barriball (Wheeler, Gordon)
No scoring Second period 13:51 - Patrick White (Howe, Lucia)
(Bruess, Youds) Kael Mouillierat - 03:20 Third period No scoring
No scoring Second overtime period 16:59 - Tony Lucia (Kaufmann, Flynn)
( 47 saves / 50 shots ) Mike Zacharias Goalie stats Alex Kangas ( 44 saves / 46 shots )
Minnesota won series 2–1


(5) St. Cloud State vs. (6) Wisconsin

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March 14 St. Cloud State 3 – 0 Wisconsin National Hockey Center Recap  
(Nödl, Roe) John Swanson - GW PP - 19:29 First period No scoring
(Borgen) Ryan Lasch - 17:42 Second period No scoring
(Dey, Roe) Andreas Nödl - 10:03 Third period No scoring
( 24 saves / 24 shots ) Jase Weslosky Goalie stats Shane Connelly ( 28 saves / 31 shots )
March 15 St. Cloud State 4 – 3 OT Wisconsin National Hockey Center Recap  
(Lasch, Swanson) Aaron Brocklehurst - 00:26

(Brocklehurst, Marvin) Matt Stephenson - GW - 17:17
First period 05:24 - Blake Geoffrion (Turris, Davies)


(Roe, Nödl) John Swanson - PP - 14:58
Second period 00:51 - Davis Drewiske (Klubertanz, Geoffrion)
06:02 - Aaron Bendickson (McBain, Turris)
No scoring Third period No scoring
(Raboin) Ryan Lasch - GW - 03:57 First overtime period No scoring
( 46 saves / 47 shots ) Jake Weslosky Goalie stats Shane Connelly ( 7 saves / 9 shots ) / Scott Gudmandson ( 10 saves / 12 shots )
St. Cloud State won series 2–0


Quarterfinal

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(5) St. Cloud State vs. (7) Minnesota

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March 20 St. Cloud State 2 – 3 Minnesota Xcel Energy Center Recap  

(Lasch, Brocklehurst) Garrett Raboin - PP - 07:33
First period 00:25 - Tony Lucia (Kaufmann, Peltier)
No scoring Second period 04:35 - PP - Evan Kaufmann (Wheeler, Fairchild)
(Peltier, Fischer) Mike Howe - GW - 19:47 Third period
15:34 - Tony Mosey (Lasch, Raboin)
( 26 saves / 29 shots ) Jase Weslosky Goalie stats Alex Kangas ( 25 saves / 27 shots )


Semifinals

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(1) Colorado College vs. (7) Minnesota

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March 21 Colorado College 1 – 2 OT Minnesota Xcel Energy Center Recap  
No Scoring First period No scoring
(Hillen, Prosser) Andreas Vlassopoulos - 00:39 Second period
01:38 - Mike Hoeffel (Barriball)
No scoring Third period No scoring
No scoring First overtime period 04:47 - Mike Hoeffel (Carman, Wehrs)
( 33 saves / 35 shots ) Richard Bachman Goalie stats Alex Kangas ( 37 saves / 38 shots )


(2) North Dakota vs. (3) Denver

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March 21 North Dakota 1 – 3 Denver Xcel Energy Center Recap  
No Scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 05:58 - PP - Rhett Rakhshani (Mullen, Bozak)
(Zajac, Marto) Taylor Chorney - 06:16 Third period
18:40 - GW - Anthony Maiani (unassisted)
19:54 - EN - Matt Glasser (Ruegsegger)
( 29 saves / 35 shots ) Bobby Goepfert Goalie stats Philippe Lamoureux ( 25 saves / 27 shots )


Third Place

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(1) Colorado College vs. (2) North Dakota

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March 22 Colorado College 2 – 4 North Dakota Xcel Energy Center Recap  
(Testwuide) Chad Rau - 07:56 First period
19:20 - PP - T. J. Oshie (Chorney, VandeVelde)


(Connelly, Lowery) Jimmy Kilpatrick - PP - 16:36
Second period 05:01 - PP - Chris VandeVelde (Chorney, Oshie)
10:27 - GW PP - Chay Genoway (Marto, Malone)
No scoring Third period 10:02 - Darcy Zajac (Radke, Marto)
( 31 saves / 35 shots ) Richard Bachman Goalie stats Jean-Philippe Lamoureux ( 33 saves / 25 shots )


Championship

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(3) Denver vs. (7) Minnesota

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March 22 Denver 2 – 1 Minnesota Xcel Energy Center Recap  
No Scoring First period No scoring

(Rakhshani) Tyler Bozak - 09:10
(Maiani, Martin) Tom May - GW - 19:34
Second period 05:39 - Ryan Flynn (Bickel, Fairchild)
No scoring Third period No scoring
( 34 saves / 35 shots ) Peter Mannino Goalie stats Alex Kangas ( 32 saves / 34 shots )


Tournament awards

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Members of the Denver Pioneers celebrating their tournament victory

[4]

Alex Kangas, (Minnesota)

See also

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References

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General

"2008 WCHA Tournament". Inside College Hockey. Archived from the original on March 16, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2008.

Specific
  1. ^ "First Round WCHA Playoffs Set for March 14-16; Colorado College Reigns as 2007-08 WCHA Champion". WCHA. March 10, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2008. [dead link]
  2. ^ "Minnesota Earns Back-to-Back WCHA Championships as Golden Gophers Down MTU". WCHA. March 7, 2007. Archived from the original on June 18, 2007. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
  3. ^ "Minnesota State Mavericks: 2007-2008 Men's Hockey Schedule/Results". USCHO. Archived from the original on December 21, 2007. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
  4. ^ "2009-10 WCHA Yearbook 129-144" (PDF). WCHA. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
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