A freak play changes the destiny of two teams, there was a hockey surge in Klondike country, and two of the country’s most quotable coaches square off in Bemidji — all this week in the WCHA RinkRap.

Generating offense in hockey today requires chaos. Just ask the coaches. To a man they preach traffic and pucks to the net, looking for a bounce from a player courageous enough to withstand the bruising in front of the enemy’s crease. Four seconds of extreme chaos late Saturday night tilted the balance of power not only in the WCHA, but also in the national rankings.

Here’s what happened: Bowling Green is clinging to a 2-1 lead at home late in the third, looking for a split with No. 3 Minnesota State. Maverick sophomore Julian Napravnik drives to the BGSU net, makes minor contact with Eric Dop as he arcs out of the zone in pursuit of the puck. Dop is separated from his stick, the paddle lying five tantalizing feet away from him, behind the goal line, as the puck moves into neutral ice. 

The enormity of the consequence justifies a post-mortem analysis. Falcon defenseman Tim Theochardis followed the puck out of the zone, unaware that Dop had lost his paddle. Dop, seeing that Minnesota State regained possession, chose to stay in his crease, despite the fact that the puck traveled over 100 feet away to the far blue line. Even with the benefit of hindsight, it’s hard to fault either Dop or Theochardis for not retrieving the stick, though doing so might have changed their season.

The Mavericks regrouped, and accelerated back towards the BGSU end. MSU defenseman Andy Carroll gained zone entry, curled away from Theochardis, which bought time for teammate Josh French to plant himself in front of Dop. Carroll then fired a weak shot, probably the speed of a medium-paced pass. There was just enough juice for the puck to deflect off French and between Dop’s legs, scoring the tying goal with just over two minutes remaining. It found a space that would normally be protected by Dop’s stick, which was lying dormant on the far side of the cage.

You could actually hear a collective sigh of frustration from 3,000 orange and brown fans in Slater Family Arena. They knew what lay in store. 

Buoyed by a two-goal comeback, Minnesota State dominated the rest of regulation and overtime, including a two-minute stretch of high-octane penalty killing during overtime. Maverick freshman Nathan Smith banged home the sudden death dagger, and Minnesota State escaped with a road sweep of then-No. 15 Bowling Green, despite having their top scorer Marc Michaelis in street clothes due to a lower-body injury. Minnesota State leapfrogged Cornell to second place in the crucial PairWise rankings, while BGSU plummeted to 26th. 

All this from a chaotic series of events that took place in the blue paint surrounding Eric Dop.

“I don’t know how he lost his stick,” BGSU coach Ty Eigner said. “Sure enough, it goes right through his legs. It stings.”

If the Falcons — winless in their last six home games — are to return to the NCAA tournament, they will now most likely have to win the WCHA tournament. They currently sit in fifth place in the WCHA standings, trailing fourth-place Northern Michigan by five points, with the Cats having two games in hand. No one on the BGSU roster has ever had to play an opening-round playoff series on the road, making the rest of their schedule resemble the pressure of postseason play.

“We’re in a push for home ice, which is unfamiliar territory,” Eigner said. “It’s like the playoffs for us.”

A Dominant Weekend for the 49th State

Starting this past summer, news from the WCHA’s two Alaska programs has been dark: a statewide financial crisis threatened their Division I existence; they were blindsided by the WCHA abandonment of seven member clubs; and, in recent years, both teams have been residing near the bottom of the WCHA standings. For one weekend at least, the fortunes of the two Alaska programs appeared bright and sunny. The Nanooks (Fairbanks) and the Seawolves (Anchorage) combined for 11 out of a possible 12 points in WCHA play, as Alaska enjoyed a road sweep of Ferris State and the Seawolves took five out of six points from Alabama-Huntsville. 

If the season ended today, both teams would be in the WCHA playoffs, and Alaska would be hosting a series in Fairbanks. The Nanooks’ offense is being carried by junior Steven Jandric, who peppered Ferris with four points (1G, 3A) during their two games in Big Rapids. The Prince George, British Columbia, native has blanketed scoresheets with 16 points (6G, 10A) over the Nanooks last 13 games.

'Dog Fights & Turf Wars'

Another WCHA high-profile series took place this past weekend in Bemidji, as the second-place Beavers hosted then-national No. 19 Michigan Tech. Bemidji took five out of six points in the two games, including a ferocious defensive battle in Saturday night’s tie. 

“There’s no easy ice,” said Bemidji coach Tom Serratore, a man never at a loss for words. “Dog fights and turf wars. Get used to it, that’s what it’s going to be like the rest of the year.”

Unranked Bemidji will be playing for a share of first place against No. 3 Minnesota State next weekend. 

“They are the best team in the country,” Serratore said. “What a challenge for us.”

Serratore’s opposite number from this past weekend, Tech coach Joe Shawhan, holds the equivalent of a fireside chat every post-game with veteran radio man Dirk Hembroff. Shawhan unloaded after Friday’s uninspired 4-1 loss. 

“We’re youthful, we’re immature, and we read press clippings,” Shawhan said. We’re riding a GLI [Great Lakes Invitational] high and figuring, ‘We got this.’ Well, we don’t got it.”

Twenty-four hours later, Shawhan’s Huskies salvaged a 1-1 tie. He was much happier with his club’s effort, but was still frustrated by their inability to bury biscuits. 

“We have trouble putting the puck into an open net, let alone a net with a goalie in it,” he said.

With but one victory since the GLI, MTU hopes to rebound versus Ferris at home this weekend.

Tim Rappleye is the author of Jack Parker's Wiseguys: The National Champion BU Terriers, the Blizzard of '78, and the Road to the Miracle on Ice. He can be reached on Twitter @TeeRaps.