UND Women vs. MSU & Random Links

The UND women kick off their season tonight at REA against Minnesota State, and expectations have never been higher for the program. They are a consensus top 5 team nationally and are expected to contend for the conference title in what looks to be a very competitive WCHA. Here are a few links of interest heading into the season opening weekend:

• The Hockey Writers: 2012-13 NCAA Women's Season Preview
• USCHO: WCHA Women's Season Preview
• North Dakota Athletics Dept: Season Preview
• UND Game Notes
• MSU Game Notes
• GF Herald: Jensen to Start on UND's Top Line
• WCHA: Weekend Preview

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Over the course of the weekend the WCHA Instant Impact series will wrap up with the Denver and North Dakota entries, and I'm planning on doing a post covering how & why I voted in the WCHA Blogger & Website Preseason Poll. In the meantime, here are a few random links for your Friday afternoon/evening:

• Rocco Grimaldi will be one forward to watch this season.
• The Minnesota Daily put together a WCHA season preview.
• The UND men will wear North Dakota on their chests, but you won't find it listed under the hometown column on this season's roster.
• Former Sioux Hunter Bishop signed with the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays.
• Expect Matt Watkins to be a jack of all trades for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this season.
• Brock Nelson and the rest of the Bridgeport rookies are ready to make an impact.
• "Matthew Greene" and the rest of the Los Angeles Kings now have their names engraved onto the Stanley Cup.
• UND recruit Chris Wilkie has the pedigree to make a name for himself on the ice. Wilkie is off to a strong, albeit early, start for the USNTDP Under-17 team, having produced three points (2G, 1A) in two USHL games.