MIDWEST
   Michigan 10, Ohio St. 2
   Minnesota 5, St. Cloud St. 3
   Wisconsin 7, Michigan Tech 5
 
        I found this WCHA roundup on Associated Press tonight.
 
By The Associated Press
   It was a first for the Minnesota Gophers, but one they'd
like to forget.
   Despite a 5-3 victory over St. Cloud State Sunday for a
split of their weekend series, the Gophers finished fourth
in the final WCHA regular season standings. Never before has
Minnesota finished lower than second.
   Colorado College maintained its strong lead to the end,
despite losing 7-3 to Denver Saturday after tying the Pioneers
5-5 in overtime the previous night.
   The Tigers finished at 22-9-1 in the league, seven points
ahead of Denver (18-12-2) and Wisconsin (17-11-4), who tied
for second.
   Wisconsin topped Michigan Tech 7-5 in Sunday's other game
for a sweep. The Badgers won 7-1 on Saturday night.
   Minnesota finished a close fourth, one point behind Denver
and Wisconsin.
Minnesota's downfall came Friday night, with a 3-0 loss to St.
Cloud in the first game of their weekend series. It was the
Gophers' third shutout of the season, something that hadn't
happened since the 1955-56 season.
   St. Cloud and North Dakota tied for fifth. North Dakota
swept its series with Alaska-Anchorage, winning 6-4 Saturday
night and 4-3 Friday night.
   In the other weekend series, Minnesota-Duluth won two from
Northern Michigan, 8-1 Saturday night and 6-3 Friday night.
   The first round of the playoffs begins Friday, with Alaska
Anchorage at Colorado College, Northern Michigan at Wisconsin,
Michigan Tech at Denver, Minnesota-Duluth at Minnesota and
North Dakota at St. Cloud in best-of-three series. The Final
Five begins March 16 at the St. Paul Civic Center.
   In games Saturday and Sunday:
   -- Minnesota scored three third-period goals to beat St.
Cloud Sunday. Justin McHugh scored twice for Minnesota and
Mike Crowley put in what proved to be the game-winner. Brett
Lievers scored twice for St. Cloud. In Saturday night's game,
St. Cloud freshman goalie Brian Leitza stopped 27 shots for
the shutout.
   -- Brian Rafalski's goal 34 seconds into the game sparked a
three-goal first period for Wisconsin in Sunday's victory over
Michigan Tech. In Saturday's game, Max Williams, Chris Tok and
Scott Sanderson scored late in the second period to lead Wisconsin.
   -- Antti Laaksonen's two goals and two assists led Denver to
victory over conference winner Colorado College.
   -- Darcy Mitani had two goals and an assist as North Dakota
beat Alaska Anchorage.
   -- Minnesota-Duluth junior Chet Culic scored his first
collegiate hat trick to power the Bulldogs over Northern Michigan.
 
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|                   Lynn Burke    Newport News, Va.                     |
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