Age, experience triumph in WCHA prognosticating

Austin Cumblad covers the Gophers men's hockey team and Gophers women's soccer team for the Minnesota Daily.

He's a good kid, so I almost feel sorry for him. On Sunday, the women's soccer team lost to Georgetown 1-0 in the last minute of a NCAA Sweet 16 game. Had to be sad for Austin.

This weekend, Austin also got the chance to match wits with me in predicting the five WCHA series this weekend. He got crushed there.

Experience (the old guy) won soundly. I went 9-1, missing only on the UMD at Wisconsin series. I predicted a split there. The Bulldogs swept. But it was close UMD won both nights in overtime, 6-5 and 3-2.

Austin went 6-4. The only series he got right was Denver vs. Bemidji St. He picked a DU sweep like I did.

But I'll give Austin a chance for revenge this weekend before moving on to my next victim, uh adversary.

Here's the lineup for this weekend ... tough week with only one WCHA series, 12 nonconference games:

* Michigan at Wisconsin (Fri.), Michigan State at Wisconsin (Sat.) ... Badgers opponents flip flop with Gophers

* Alaska Anchorage at Colorado College ... CC was off last weekend

* Lake Superior State at Denver (Fri.) and Air Force at Denver (Sat.) ... Is DU starting to roll

* Notre Dame at North Dakota ... NoDak got split at UNO last weekend

* Minnesota State Mankato at UMass-Lowell ... No nothing about this UMass

BUDISH SURGERY ON MONDAY