Blues' prospects to start WCHA playoffs this weekend

Prospect forward Andrew Sackrison (Minnesota State), and defense prospect Cade Fairchild (Minnesota), will take part in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs this coming weekend.

No. 3 seed St. Cloud State (20-11-5) will take on No. 8 seed Minnesota State (15-18-3) for the second straight weekend, hosting the Mavericks at the National Hockey Center (5,371) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (if necessary) at 7:07 pm CT each evening. The No. 7-ranked Huskies are 0-1-1 vs the Mavericks this season, after dropping a 4-2 decision in Mankato last Friday (March 5) and then earning a 2-2 (ot) tie last Saturday (March 6) in St. Cloud.

Longtime rivals North Dakota and Minnesota will hook-up in first round WCHA playoff action at Ralph Engelstad Arena (11,634) in Grand Forks, with Friday's opener set for 7:37 pm CT, Saturday’s contest at 7:07 pm CT, and a potential third game on Sunday at 7:07 pm CT. The No. 5-ranked Fighting Sioux (20-11-5), sporting a current nation’s best seven-game winning streak, and the Golden Gophers (17-17-2) split their four-game regular season series 1-1-2. On the opening weekend of the 2009-10 conference schedule, Oct. 16-17, host North Dakota won 4-0 and tied 3-3 (ot) to take three points from UM. Then on Jan. 15-16 in Minneapolis, the two clubs tied 3-3 (ot) in game one before the Gophers captured a 5-1 triumph in game two. Both teams scored 11 goals and yielded 11 in the series.

Minnesota forward Jay Barriball, acquired by the Blues in the Bill Guerin trade with San Jose two seasons ago, remains sidelined for the Gophers due to a knee injury suffered in practice last November.

LINK to story at WCHA website.