Atlantic Hockey first-place challengers Canisius and Bentley meet this weekend for six pivotal points in their pursuit of American International as the conference leader.

The CCHA regular season has reached the far turn, the stretch run approaches, and all eyes are on the standings as we head into this weekend’s play.

Eight teams, four competitive series. This is what pushes the pulse for fans of the CCHA. There’s a case that can be made for all eight teams to pick up points in the standings, as the race for home ice turns into a sprint. Let’s get started.

The unofficial start to the second half of the CCHA season resumes this weekend with seven teams engaged in four series: the undisputed No. 1 Mavericks look to avoid another upset by Ferris; Grant Potulny’s Wildcats host Colgate in non-conference play, and Bowling Green tries to claw back home-ice in the CCHA postseason picture.

It’s only fitting that the NCAA hockey calendar year ends with four power teams from Minnesota banging heads.

It doesn’t have the hockey panache of neighboring Michigan, but the battle of Ohio is a very big deal to its combatants. Friday night’s clash between Ohio State and Bowling Green has the makings of a non-conference barn-burner.

This weekend, the top two teams in CCHA clash in a battle of Minnesota's titans and Northern Michigan tries to stay hot.

College hockey is streaming paradise for fans, literally dozens of games to choose from on winter weekends. But one series, and one game in particular, stopped most fans from clicking away: Northern Michigan versus No. 1 Minnesota Duluth up in Marquette. Not only were the Wildcats leading on the scoreboard, but they didn’t retreat one step from the renowned checkers from the western shores of Lake Superior. Despite the extra-wide ice surface, body blows were being thrown and received on every square foot of ice.

This weekend in the CCHA: two Top-10 Pairwise powers clash in Mankato, college hockey royalty pays a visit to Northern Michigan, and a French superstar continues his stellar campaign.

Zach O’Brien of the Newfoundland Growlers is the Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week for Nov. 22-28.

College hockey reigns supreme in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Their three Division I programs share seven NCAA titles and too many conference banners to count. Hockey is the talk of the town even during football season, so it is only fitting that the Yoopers have turned Thanksgiving weekend into a hockey holiday: six tasty games covering all three venues.

It took until the seventh week of the season, but finally it has arrived: all eight CCHA teams in action against one another: four weekend series, all in-league affairs worth a total of six points in the standings. They all contain reasons to watch, but for entirely different reasons.

This weekend the CCHA features a veritable feast of games two weeks prior to Thanksgiving: Three in-league rivalries packed with history, and an inter-conference in-state special with loads of Pairwise implications. Let’s start unpacking.

This week the CCHA on FloHockey features a clash between Lake State and Michigan Tech, which should snuff out who is for real and who is not. Also, Minnesota State takes on Ferris State and BU travels to Northern Michigan.

This week the CCHA on FloHockey features a contest between Minnesota State and Northern Michigan. The rematch will surely live in the shadow of the shellacking Northern handed the Mavericks last spring. Also, Bowling Green takes on Bemidji and St. Lawrence meets Lake Superior State.