College Hockey:
A quick update from a bright day at Soldier Field (with video)

By Todd D. Milewski • Executive Editor • Feb. 17, 2013

CHICAGO — Greetings from Soldier Field, where today we’ll see games that are pretty important to the CCHA and WCHA standings.

I0000gSugOR CVDQ A quick update from a bright day at Soldier Field (with video)

More coverage

• Notre Dame 2, Miami 1: Notre Dame beats elements, history in downing Miami at Soldier Field

• Wisconsin 3, Minnesota 2: Wisconsin tops Minnesota outdoors in ‘emotional energizer’ at Soldier Field

• Photo gallery: Hockey City Classic

• Blog: A quick update from a bright day at Soldier Field (with video)

Let’s hope that playing outside in what is right now a pretty blinding sunshine doesn’t negatively impact No. 3 Miami against No. 12 Notre Dame or No. 2 Minnesota against No. 18 Wisconsin. Both games are part of the Hockey City Classic, and by the time the day is done the race for first place in both leagues could have a very different look.

Miami leads Western Michigan by two points and Notre Dame by six in the CCHA, where wins are worth three points. After today, everyone has four games remaining so the RedHawks could build themselves a fairly solid lead. The Irish could keep themselves in the mix with a win.

In the late game, a Minnesota win would pull the Golden Gophers within one point of WCHA front-runner St. Cloud State with three weeks to play.

Wisconsin is battling for one of six home-ice spots for the first round of the WCHA playoffs and needs a point to pull ahead of Denver, with which it is tied for sixth. The Badgers, however, have just four league games remaining after Sunday; Denver has six.

Here are a couple of videos from around Soldier Field before Sunday’s game. First is a look around the parking lot where tailgating was in full swing two hours before the first game:

And here’s how it looks from field level:

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Goalie Fan
Sioux Fans: Lets all be respectful regardless of tonight’s outcome. Every player is worthy of the award like he said and should by no means be “bood” because our player didnt win! Lets cheer accordingly no matter who wins k. I know I will
- Wasmania
  A tad condescending dont you think?
Anonymous
Elliott you referred to Frattin and ‘second straight NCAA title’.
Do you mean “WCHA Final Five title”? Thanks
maineiac
Exactly when did Matt Frattin score in double overtime to give the Fighting Sioux their second straight NCAA Title? Curious fans want to know!
- Elliot Olshansky
  You rush, sometimes you make mistakes. My apologies. Fixed above.
  - maineiac
    No problem. Just some good natured ribbing. You actually do a fabulous job and I have enjoyed reading your work for years. I only wish there was more of it all year long!
minkeythewonderchimp
you’re a dartmouth fan? holy crap how haven’t i met you?
represent.
- Elliot Olshansky
  Class of ’04. I covered the games at Princeton and Yale for the Valley News (regular season vs. Yale, not the Ivy Shootout). My friend from the class of ’01 (you might have seen him with a very large green Dartmouth flag) is always trying to get me to leave the press box more.
Nyqi
Almost all of the Sioux fans I saw on friday gave Andy a standing ovation. I was proud to be a Sioux fan on friday. Thursday was a bit different with the guy in the corner flying the bird that was uncool he should be very prou of himself.
Kroger
As a Sioux fan, everyone knows that we would have killed for a little redemption by having Frattin getting the Hobey; but by no means would we take away from Miele’s year. Playing in a very good CCHA (as seen by having half the participants in the Frozen Four), and putting up 60 points is darn respectable. Also, Miele seems to be a very humble and gracious person without a troubled past; it is hard to disrespect someone like that. However if Atkinson had won, it may have been a different story.
Margarita Burger
The Hobey Baker Award for “Character”? When you train hockey players to be “fighters” – to beat the hell out of your opponent on the ice and then are shocked and judge a player not worthy of an award off the ice because he continues to demonstrate the “manliness” and fighting spirit of hockey, you deserve to be called a hypocrite! Whether you have had a few beers and get into the “fighting spirit” – throwing a few chairs and tables around – or whether you are called up one morning when your parents need help because they are being threatened by a gang of violent, abusive, and criminal teenagers with records, who are roaming the neighborhood looking for their next victim – and you show your “fighting spirit” to protect them, getting yourself arrested along with the gang – it seems to eliminate you from the “squeeky clean” personna the Hobey people and other award appointers and bloggers seem to be looking for. If you are rewarding for “squeeky clean, then you have the wrong sport! Hockey and fighting are one in the same. Hockey has evolved that way. It’s time to re-evaluate the award and your analytic thinking..