News from U.S. College Hockey Online: NCAA ice hockey news, features, scores, stats, fan forum and more. http://www.uscho.com/ 2010-02-09T17:20:01-06:00 FeedCreator 1.7.1 2010-02-09T09:47:05-06:00 2010-02-09T09:47:05-06:00 2010-02-09T09:47:05-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18069/HomegrownTalentKeysBostonCollegeVictory.html Dave Hendrickson, USCHO Hockey East Correspondent

BOSTON — Has the Beanpot left the Boston area kid behind? If you listen to some people, it has, and depending on where you look, they have a point.</p> <p>Last week, Boston University, long a bastion of Massachusetts-bred talent, advanced to the championship because of goals by Colby Cohen (Villanova, Pa.) and Alex Chiasson (St. Augustin, Quebec) along with 26 saves by Kieran Millan (Edmonton, Alberta).</p> <p>Whatever happened to Southie, Winthrop, and Reading?</p> <p>In fact, next year BU is expected to have more kids from California on its roster than Massachusetts.</p> <p>California? More kids than Massachusetts?</p> <p>Someone, however, forgot to tell Boston College, which defeated BU, 4-3, to take its second Beanpot title in three years. Of the Eagles who dressed for the championship game, 11 came from Massachusetts. Want to talk contributions? Let's count the ways.</p> <p>Freshman Steven Whitney (Reading) scored a critical power-play goal to even the score early in the second, 1-1. Later in the period, another freshman, Chris Kreider (Boxford), dazzled by beating a BU defender one-on-one and then making a great move on Millan to stake the Eagles to a 3-1 lead. Barry Almeida (Springfield) scored a crucial insurance goal early in the third on a two-on-one.</p> <p>Assisting on the various goals were Bay State natives Brian Gibbons (Braintree), Matt Lombardi (Milton) and Jimmy Hayes (Dorchester).</p> <p>Tournament MVP John Muse (East Falmouth) stopped 31 shots and, combined with his shutout of Harvard in the opening round, earned the Eberly Award for best save percentage. </p> <p>"We're always trying to win the recruiting wars in our backyard," BC coach Jerry York said after the win. "That's important for us.</p> <p>"A lot of our good players are right from this area. There was a down cycle for Massachusetts hockey for a while, but it's starting to come up again."</p> <p>Of course, geography is only one variable in the equation.</p> <p>"You also want to get the best players," York said. "So if a boy is from California and he's the best left wing, we're going to try for that player." </p> <p>Mindful of Matti Kaltiainen's contributions just a handful of years ago, York added with a grin, "We'll go to Finland for a goalie."</p> <p>Perhaps, however, the overwhelmingly local flavor of the roster has been a factor in BC's recent success, wresting away BU's former stranglehold.</p> <p>"It's definitely special being local," Stephen Whitney said. "You grow up watching it. You know how big it is. Everyone knows how special it is."</p> <p>Just how special?</p> <p>How about a comparison with Team USA's gold medal at the recently completed World Junior Tournament? Kreider enjoyed both.</p> <p>"This means everything to me," Kreider said. "I grew up watching this. When I got my turn with the Pot, I took it immediately to my Mom. It's an absolutely amazing feeling. </p> <p>"It's right up there with winning the gold at the World Junior Tournament.</p> <p>"I wouldn't say that the World Junior Tournament win doesn't strike close to home, but for me growing up in the area, this was a really, really important tournament to me. This was one of the big factors when I was choosing which college I wanted to go to. I wanted to play in the Beanpot."

2010-02-08T20:13:35-06:00 2010-02-08T20:13:35-06:00 2010-02-08T20:13:35-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18063/BCReturnstoTop10AheadofBeanpotFinal.html Compiled by USCHO Staff

After a month out of the top 1', Boston College has made its way back in.</p> <p>The Eagles are 1'th this week in the USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll, released before Monday's Beanpot championship game.</p> <p><blockquote><b>Related link:</b> <a href='/rankings/?data=uscho1m&season=2''92'1'&week='2'8'>USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll — Feb. 8, 2'1'</a></blockquote></p> <p>BC moved up four spots from last week's rankings after posting a 6-' victory over Harvard last Monday in the Beanpot semifinals and a 7-1 win at then-No. 15 Massachusetts last Friday.</p> <p>After being ranked seventh in the Jan. 4 poll, the Eagles lost three of their next five games before surging again.</p> <p>The poll's top four was unchanged; Miami, Denver, Wisconsin and St. Cloud State hold those spots.</p> <p>Bemidji State returned to the top five, replacing Cornell in the fifth spot.</p> <p>After sweeping New Hampshire, Maine jumped four spots to 12th. The Wildcats fell two spots to 15th.</p> <p>This week's schedule features five games between ranked teams.</p> <p>No. 4 St. Cloud State hosts No. 11 North Dakota on Friday and Saturday. No. 8 Cornell hosts No. 6 Yale on Saturday. And No. 1' Boston College plays a home-and-home series with No. 2' Massachusetts-Lowell — in Lowell on Friday and in Chestnut Hill on Saturday.

2010-02-09T09:46:37-06:00 2010-02-09T09:46:37-06:00 2010-02-09T09:46:37-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18066/DefenseMechanismTerriersLiveandDiewithBlueLineCorps.html Scott Weighart, USCHO Senior Writer

BOSTON — For the Boston University defensemen, it was the best of games and worst of games.</p> <p>Actually, it was a game that epitomized the Terriers' season in many ways. BU has a talented defensive corps, and the Terriers' 7-3 run to start 2'1' reflects how much the sextet has stepped up their game after an erratic first half. Colby Cohen earned honors as Hockey East Player of the Month for January, scoring an impressive six goals and four assists in just seven games played.</p> <p>In judging the evidence tonight, the verdict had to be a narrow decision against the defense. As was the case often during the abysmal fall semester, there were a few really bad reads, and a little bad luck, by the defensemen that proved costly against the potent Boston College offense. That ultimately overshadowed the fact that the BU defensemen also scored all three goals for the defending national champions.</p> <p>In the first period, Boston College freshman Philip Samuelson passed from behind his net but put it right on the stick of Boston University captain Kevin Shattenkirk. It was such a great setup that Samuelson could've been given an assist on the resulting goal.</p> <p>After that, though, the BU defensemen gaveth just a bit more than they had taketh away.</p> <p>Early in the second, Terriers freshman Sean Escobedo reached out his stick in an attempt to block a power-play shot. That redirected an otherwise routine shot, and the puck ended up hitting the shaft of Escobedo's stick and popping unluckily up and over goalie Kieran Millan.</p> <p>On the next goal, the BU defensemen had the puck on their sticks in their own end, but wound up with a bit of a Chinese fire drill in attempting to clear it. BC finally won a battle on the boards, and the puck pinballed around before Carl Sneep buried it.</p> <p>Then, it was Terriers freshman Max Nicastro who got completely undressed by freshman phenom Chris Kreider, as the Eagles left wing put it right through Nicastro's skates to go in all alone on Millan to make it 3-1. The goal reflected positively on Kreider even more than it cast Nicastro in a bad light. </p> <p>"It was a big-time play by the freshman forward and a not-so-great play by the freshman defenseman," Parker acknowledged. "He pivoted the wrong way and got walked. [Kreider's] got a lot of speed and some deception. I thought that the play he made on the goalie was even better than the one on the defenseman. It was a terrific individual effort."</p> <p>"That could've happened to any of us on the ice," Shattenkirk said. "When it happens to a freshman, it's tough because it can really shatter their confidence. I think they rebounded really well. It hasn't happened to them much this year, so I think it will be a little easier for them to move on."</p> <p>That's a valid point. When BU was struggling on defense early in the season, the main culprits usually were the veterans. Escobedo and Nicastro have been very solid defensively all year and, if anything, have looked even better in 2'1'.</p> <p>"I don't think you have to worry about it," said Parker. "They've played great all year for us. They made mistakes, and they feel bad. We could've had a few more goals; we had some great chances. [Nicastro] felt embarrassed about it, and I said to him, 'Park it, it's over.' And he went out and played well after that. Shatty's right: it could happen to a senior, getting beaten one-on-one like that. Max Nicastro has had a fabulous year, and he's going to be a star in this league."</p> <p>For good measure on the debit side of the ledger, Shattenkirk received some payback when his failed attempt to pinch in the BC zone directly led to a two-on-one break for the Eagles and the fourth BC goal. </p> <p>"As a whole, we played pretty well," Shattenkirk said. "We blocked a lot of shots in front; we took away a lot of their second chances. We had a couple of bad breaks, and my pinch was just a bad read. I think if you take those out, we played pretty well."</p> <p>Another factor was the officiating. Parker was obviously livid about several calls and a few non-calls on BC, and he started the press conference by informing all present that no questions should be asked about the officiating, as he had instructed his players not to comment on it. Still, Shattenkirk touched on it indirectly. </p> <p>"We kind of got caught up in what happened out there with some of the refereeing," he said. "That's our fault as players not to move on from that. It's just a matter of controlling your emotions."</p> <p>On a brighter note for the vanquished Terriers, David Warsofsky and Colby Cohen earned a little redemption for the defensive corps as BU rallied to make it 4-3 in the third. Warsofsky showed why he is one of the top skaters and stickhandlers in college hockey as he raced in short-handed before flipping a slick backhanded shot up and over Muse. Cohen overcame a hip injury that threatened to keep him out of the lineup altogether tonight, and he looked fantastic on the power play as usual. His extra-attacker goal to pull BU within one was his team-leading 11th goal of the season.</p> <p>That said, it's hard to dig such a deep hole against a team tied for fifth in the PairWise Rankings and come all the way back.</p> <p>"It's a game of mistakes," Parker said. "We made a couple, and they made a couple. When it got to be 4-1 in the third, I thought my team showed a lot of stick-to-it-iveness, a lot of desire, determination, and great will. I was really happy with that."</p> <p>Don't count the Terriers out of a good run in the home stretch just yet. And if they end up digging themselves out of the early-season hole to earn a spot in the national tournament once again, you can bet it will be because their defense mechanism is firing on all cylinders when it counts most.

2010-02-08T12:50:36-06:00 2010-02-08T12:50:36-06:00 2010-02-08T12:50:36-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18062/HarvardsDannyBiegaSuspendedbyECAC.html Compiled by USCHO Staff

BOSTON — Harvard freshman defenseman Danny Biega will miss Monday’s Beanpot consolation game against Northeastern after receiving a league-imposed suspension for a check from behind in Friday night’s road contest against Brown.</p> <p>Biega was issued a five-minute major and game misconduct by the officiating crew working the game. The game misconduct, though, does not carry with it any suspension. Thus the league office reviewed the video of the incident and decided on the suspension. </p> <p>Biega will be eligible to return to the lineup on Friday, February 12, when Harvard faces Rensselaer.

2010-02-09T09:46:10-06:00 2010-02-09T09:46:10-06:00 2010-02-09T09:46:10-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18068/BeanpotChampionshipNotebook.html Lee Urton, USCHO Senior Writer

BOSTON — Boston College's first goal, from freshman Steven Whitney, with assists by Cam Atkinson and Brian Gibbons, extended a hot streak by the two assist-men. In the seven games before tonight, Gibbons has a total of 14 points, and Atkinson 13.</p> <p>Steven's older brother Joe, who is linemates with Atkinson and Gibbons, isn't doing so badly, either, as he has 11 points in the last seven games.</p> <p>Ten different Eagles ended up on the scoresheet.</p> <p>"Anytime you win, it's not four, five players that do well," said Boston College coach Jerry York, who was very pleased with the balanced scoring. "You have to have a whole team of players playing well. You can't win a championship with just the Gibbons line playing well."</p> <h4>Even Strength While A Man Down</h4> <p>The short-handed goal scored by BU's David Warsofsky was his fourth goal on the penalty kill this season, and second in as many games. He has twice as many short-handed goals (4) a power-play goals (2) this year. Both power-play goals came against BC.</p> <p>"He's just a great skater, he has great skill," said Jack Parker, his coach. "This one, he got to his backhand and flipped it in. The last one he stole a pass. He's got a lot of different skills. He's one of the most gifted players in all of college hockey, not just among defensemen."</p> <h4>The Puck Stops Here</h4> <p>This year's Beanpot MVP and Eberly Award winner was BC netminder John Muse. The Eberly Award is given each year to the goalie that has the highest save percentage in the two Beanpot games.</p> <p>Muse stopped 64 of 67 shots, good for a '.955 save percentage, which narrowly beat out Northeastern's Chris Rawlings' '.953 save percentage.</p> <p>"He wants to win, he wants to get those games, he wants to play those minutes," said BC captain Matt Price. "I thought he did really well. Especially coming off that surgery, he worked really hard last summer and put in those extra hours, working on all those things that he needed to do to get back to that shape he wants to be in."</p> <p>The award was especially sweet for Muse, who won a national championship as a freshman two years ago, but has been recovering from hip surgery performed in the offseason. Muse struggled to start the season, but has been consistently getting better as the season progresses.</p> <p>"Muse tells me all the time, 'I feel great. I feel flexible,'" said York. "So hopefully we're past the worst of it."</p> <h4>Beanpot Challenge</h4> <p>This year, the Travis Roy Foundation and the Mark Bavis Leadership Foundation are matching all donations made to Matt Brown, up to $2',''', given between February 6th and February 14, 2'1'.</p> <p>Brown, a high school hockey player from Norwood, Mass., received a serious neck injury after crashing into the boards earlier this year. A similar injury led to the paralyzation of BU's Travis Roy back in 1995.</p> <p>To donate, visit the Beanpot Charity Challenge website, <a href="http://www.beanpotchallenge.org">www.beanpotchallenge.org</a>.</p> <h4>Let's Put On A Show</h4> <p>Tonight's Beanpot Championship was the 25'th meeting in the storied rivalry between BC and BU. Despite losing tonight, BU leads the all-time series 125-1'8-17. The TD Garden sellout crowd of 17,565 got to see a battle between the last two National Champions, and the season series already has seen each opponent win in the other's rink, and a game for the ages played at Fenway Park.</p> <p>"We certainly put on a show for the Garden faithful," said Parker.</p> <p>"Just this season, we've seen one-goal games, short-handed goals, overtime games, outdoor hockey," agreed York. "I bet these two teams run into each other somewhere down the line."</p> <p>The season series is over between the two, but they could meet in the Hockey East playoffs, or in the NCAA Tournament.</p> <h4>What Can Brown Do For You?</h4> <p>The National Anthem was sung by Ayla Brown, a senior from Boston College. Brown, who plays on the Eagles basketball team, was a standout on American Idol in 2''6, and is the daughter of Scott Brown (no relation to the USCHO.com editor), who was elected Massachusetts State Senator in a special election in January.</p> <h4>Small Consolation</h4> <p>In the Beanpot consolation game, Northeastern defeated Harvard by a 4-1 score, the last goal coming via an empty net.</p> <p>Due to Harvard's league scheduling, including this game, the Crimson had to play three hockey games in four nights, with a Friday game against Brown, Saturday against No. 8 Yale, and then against Northeastern on Monday night.</p> <p>The extended action was evident on the ice in the latter stages of the early Beanpot game.</p> <p>"Half of it was from Northeastern running us around," said Harvard coach Ted Donato. "The other half is that we just ran out of gas in the third period."</p> <p>Hockey East, the league of Boston College, Boston University, and Northeastern, always arranges the league schedule so that the three schools only have one weekend game, on Friday night, before each Beanpot Monday. </p> <p>In the past, however, Harvard has had trouble arranging a similar schedule in the ECAC. This year, Harvard had just one Friday game before the first round of the Beanpot, but two weekend games prior to the second round.

2010-02-09T13:16:46-06:00 2010-02-09T13:16:46-06:00 2010-02-09T13:16:46-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18070/UnanimousConsentOswegoAgaintheTopChoiceofAllDIIIVoters.html Nicholas Jon Wood, D-III Editor

MINNEAPOLIS — It had to end sometime.</p> <p>And with ninth ranked Williams’ upset of No. 2 Norwich, the Cadets 2' game unbeaten streak — and their status as the lone unblemished team in the nation — was over.</p> <p>Coupled with No. 1 Oswego’s 5-2 victory over Cortland, the Lakers are again the unanimous vote as the nation’s top squad.</p> <p>Teams three through five remained the same, despite some interesting results: No. 3 St. Norbert’s two ties (against fourth ranked St. Scholastica and the University of Wisconsin-Superior), St. Scholastica’s deadlock and defeat of UW-Stevens Point, and a road loss by the Plattsburgh Cardinals to then-1'th ranked Middlebury (along with a 4-1 win over Morrisville).</p> <p>The week’s biggest mover, Williams, jumped up three spots to sixth after besting both St. Michael’s and ending Norwich’s impressive run. The Gusties from Gustavus Adolphus also ascended a spot after a home sweep of Concordia (MN).</p> <p>Elmira was not so fortunate. The Soaring Eagles’ altitude dipped a bit as they dropped a 5-3 decision at home to conference foe Hobart.</p> <p>By virtue of their upset of fifth ranked Plattsburgh, Middlebury moved up one rung to ninth while Hamline (in a tie for 1'th last week) now has the ranking all to itself after the Pipers sweep of St. John’s.</p> <p>Falling from seventh to No. 11, Amherst suffered the worst fate of the week, after losing to unranked (but now No. 15) Bowdoin and skating to a 2-2 tie with Colby.</p> <p>The Adrian Bulldogs, who outscored Lake Forest on the road 13-4, again remained at No. 12.</p> <p>Wentworth College used two victories to climb up two rungs to No. 13, while UW-River Falls remained one spot lower.</p> <p>Bowdoin’s two home victories over Amherst and Hamilton elevated the Polar Bears into the top 15, replacing Manhattanville, who only earned only one point in a home series with Neumann.

2010-02-07T00:09:39-06:00 2010-02-07T00:09:39-06:00 2010-02-07T00:09:39-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18059/ThisWeekinWomensDIFebruary52010.html Dan Hickling, USCHO Women's D-I Correspondent

<h4>Goal in Mind</h4> <p>Everybody loves a big upset (unless of course you are cast in the role of the forlorn favorite), so last week's surprising 2-1 win by Niagara over No. 1 Mercyhurst caught plenty of notice across the hockey spectrum.</p> <p>The architect of all that eyebrow arching was junior netminder Jenni Bauer, a self-described homebody, who did a darned good job of shooing the Lakers out of her kitchen.</p> <p>In the process, Bauer - a six-time CHA Defensive Player of the Week - helped keep the Purple Eagles feeling good about themselves.</p> <p>“It's always exciting playing against Mercyhurst,” said Bauer, who hails from St. Catharines, Ont. “I think it was a big step for our program to show that we really can play with any team in the country. It was nice to get that win, but it's important to move forward now.”</p> <p>Aw, but you gotta take last one peek backward.</p> <p>After all, the Lakers had held an unbroken stranglehold on the top spot in the USCHO D-I poll since the first days of the season, and had lost just once all year.</p> <p>And it wasn't as though they let Niagara walk all over them.</p> <p>They fired 45 shots at Bauer (the Eagles had just 15), but put just one, Jess Jones' power play tally late in the game, behind her.</p> <p>“It was a pretty good feeling,” Bauer said. “We were pretty happy with the way we played that game. Everybody showed up to play. We executed the systems like Coach Mac asked of us. It was really good.”</p> <p>Bauer said that the lopsided shot total might not have told the story.</p> <p>That the contest was a little more evenly played than it might have seemed.</p> <p>“It was pretty busy all game,” she said. “They were firing the pucks from everywhere. But defensively, I think we did a pretty good job. A lot of shots blocked in front, and a lot of cleared rebounds. A lot of shots were from the outside. As a defensive unit, we did a pretty good job of keeping our zone pretty clear.”</p> <p>Shutting down the nation's most prolific attack is bound to be a confidence builder.</p> <p>Actually, her mojo has been working for her since hooking up with goalie coach Shivaun Siegl, who arrived this year with new NU coach Chris MacKenzie.</p> <p>Siegl, who played for both Mercyhurst and Vermont, has helped Bauer reconstruct her game, and her confidence.</p> <p>“It's been really helpful to have somebody there, every day of the week,” said Bauer. “We've been focusing on the technical aspects of things. We've spent a lot of time going over video clips and looking at games. It's a lot different being able to see yourself on video from the previous weekend and from practice. It's easy to think you're doing something wrong. But once you see it, you can learn from yourself and fix it.”</p> <p>Fixed in a different fashion was Bauer's initial choice of schools.</p> <p>She spent her freshman year at Bemidji State, but although she had earned a spot with the Beavers, she found her longings for the Niagara Frontier too strong to stifle.</p> <p>“I was about 2' hours away from home,” said Bauer, who is majoring in social work and communications at NU. “I'm more of a homebody and it's nice to be able to come back. People ask that question a lot, and there's not really an easy answer. When you go to a school on a visit, it's easy to like the school. I liked being there, but it was hard to be that far away from home.”</p> <p>She feels at home now.</p> <p>Snug in the Purple Eagles' goal crease.</p> <h4>Husky Tale</h4> <p>While No. 2 Mercyhurst, or the new No. 1 Minnesota, might still be considered as the hottest teams in the nation, not far behind those two is No. 8 Connecticut.</p> <p>The Huskies are working on a 1'-game unbeaten streak (9-'-1) heading into this weekend's home games with BC and UNH.</p> <p>Goalie Alexandra Garcia has been dominant during this stretch, throwing consecutive shutouts at BU and Vermont last weekend, and allowing just four goals in her last seven starts.

2010-02-08T20:47:56-06:00 2010-02-08T20:47:56-06:00 2010-02-08T20:47:56-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18058/CampRandallSceneFootballAtmosphereWithaRink.html Todd D. Milewski, USCHO Senior Writer

MADISON, Wis. — If anyone asks Jeff Carr to describe what he saw Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium, he has a good, simple reply ready.</p> <p>"It's football madness with ice," he said.</p> <p>They put a hockey rink in the middle of the football field at Camp Randall Stadium and packed in 55,'31 fans for a doubleheader that left the home fans happy on both ends. Wisconsin beat Bemidji State 6-1 in a women's game and came from behind late for a 3-2 victory over Michigan in a men's game to close out the day.</p> <p>Other than what was on the field and the empty upper deck, the atmosphere was much the same as a Wisconsin football Saturday, from the rows of tailgates outside to the boisterous-yet-late-arriving student section in the north end of the stadium.</p> <p>"You have the same kind of atmosphere and the same kind of joviality of the crowd of a football game, but you're going to get to watch a hockey game," said Carr, from Green Bay, Wis.</p> <p></p> <p>The attendance fell well short of the original goal of breaking the record of 74,544 set at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich., in 2''1. Camp Randall holds more than 8',''', and sections of the upper deck were shoveled out in anticipation of a large walk-up crowd.</p> <p>Temperatures were in the low 2's at the start of the men's game just after 5 p.m. Central.</p> <p>Emily and Barry Johnson of La Crosse, Wis., were in a suite four years ago when the Wisconsin men played Ohio State outdoors at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, but their seats were out in the elements Saturday.</p> <p>They were in agreement that the Camp Randall Hockey Classic was more about the event than watching hockey.</p> <p>"The games are standard hockey games, but doing it outside and having 5',''' people here and coming down with a whole bunch of your friends is definitely an event," Barry Johnson said.</p> <p>Joe Zalewski and Erik Larson drove more than six hours from the Detroit suburb of Wyandotte, Mich., and got some good-natured ribbing outside the stadium and in the seating bowl for wearing their bright-yellow Michigan jerseys.</p> <p>While they posed for a picture in the south end zone seats, using the ice as a backdrop, a Wisconsin fan climbed between them before being pushed away with a laugh.</p> <p>"They've been pretty nice so far," Larson said. "A little rowdy out by the tailgating, but it's expected. We'd give them the same in Ann Arbor if they came to Michigan."</p> <p>Zalewski said the long drive was worth it.</p> <p>"I love hockey, and this is a huge deal," he said. "We're outdoors in the roots of hockey, so we had to come see it and represent our school."</p> <p>Thoughts turned to the future of outdoor hockey, especially as it pertains to Wisconsin.</p> <p>The foam base on which the rink was built was custom-made for Camp Randall's crowned field and can be reused.</p> <p>"I think every four years or so is great," Emily Johnson said.</p> <p>Said Carr: "Inside is nice for a hockey game, but you just don't get the same atmosphere and the same feel and the same pump from the crowd as you do outside with this many people. It's an outdoor game. It's played on ice, and it's just a lot of fun to be outside."</p> <p>Zalewski and Larson have the Big Chill at the Big House in their neck of the woods next season. Michigan will host Michigan State on Dec. 11 at 1'6,2'1-seat Michigan Stadium.</p> <p>"That's going to be huge," Larson said. "It'll be a bigger scale than this, and a lot more maize and blue."</p> <p>Carr sat at the game with his son, Ben, a Wisconsin student. That scene — father and son walking through the Camp Randall concourses — was played out countless times Saturday, with lifelong memories being built.</p> <p>"I coached him in hockey all those years, and now we're coming out here and seeing this," Jeff Carr said. "It's just great."

2010-02-08T20:36:17-06:00 2010-02-08T20:36:17-06:00 2010-02-08T20:36:17-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18065/OutdoorHockeyanExperienceWisconsinBemidjiStateWomenWontForget.html Jason Karnosky, USCHO Arena Reporter

MADISON, Wis. — Despite the lopsided 6-1 score, players on both the Wisconsin and Bemidji State benches relished the opportunity to play an important WCHA game on outdoor ice surface at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday.</p> <p>"We wanted to soak in the fun we were having," Badgers freshman forward Brianna Decker said. "But we had to keep going hard and not give up because this counts as a real game."</p> <p>Bemidji State freshman forward Jamie Hatheway, who's from Trenton, Ontario, said the toughest aspect of day was getting acclimated to the ice.</p> <p>"For most of us, it was our first time out there so it was a bit of an adjustment," Hatheway said. "But it was an awesome experience."</p> <p>Growing up in Sarnia, Ontario, Wisconsin sophomore Carolyne Prevost played her fair share of hockey outdoors, but none of those experiences compared to spectacle of playing at Camp Randall.</p> <p>"When you grow up back home you play a lot of shinny hockey," Prevost said. "But to actually play in front of this many fans and for it to be such an important game at a crucial time of the season, it was just great to be a part of that."</p> <p>Despite near perfect conditions in the afternoon of sunshine, light wind, and mid-2' degree temperatures, Dousman, Wis., native Decker said weather played a factor in the game. </p> <p>"If could do it again, maybe I could stand to stay a little bit warmer out there," Decker said. "But it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I cherished every moment of it."</p> <p>Wisconsin senior forward Jasmine Giles, whose hometown is sometimes-frigid Ottawa, Ontario, agreed with Decker, saying she would have preferred a warmer day.</p> <p>"It was a little cold; I am not going to lie," Giles said. "We had heaters on the bench, and a couple of us put our face up to it."</p> <p>But if she had another chance at an outdoor game, Giles would not pass it up. </p> <p>"It was fun and I'll never forget it," Giles said. "I would love to do it again."

2010-02-05T10:00:26-06:00 2010-02-05T10:00:26-06:00 2010-02-05T10:00:26-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18025/GridironClubofGreaterBostonAnnouncesSemiFinalistsfor10thAnnualJoeConcannonAward.html Compiled by USCHO Staff

Gridiron Club of Greater Boston president Steve Grogan announced today that 16 NCAA Division II/III players are semi-finalists for the eighth Joe Concannon Award, presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England playing at the D-II/III level. </p> <p>The list is comprises 12 forwards, two defensemen and two goalies, including two nominees from the D-II ranks. The candidates include seven players from the ECAC East. Nominees Eric Tallent (Garland, TX) and repeat candidate Ryan Kligensmith (Morton, PA), represent the unbeaten and second-ranked Norwich Cadets, who have benefited by their defensive and goaltending skills to lead Norwich’s number one ranked scoring defense. </p> <p>The remaining representatives from ECAC East include four forwards whose achievements are a big part of their respective teams’ strong results this season. New England College senior forward Alex Muse (Lynnfield, MA) has provided key production to spark the Pilgrims’ offense, and he leads the team with seven power-play goals. Babson’s Terry Woods (Duxbury, MA) leads his team in scoring and has been a catalyst for the Beavers’ offense. Junior forward Vinnie Jacona (East Stroudsburg, PA) has flourished this season at UMass-Boston as a key playmaker for the Beacons. Lastly, Southern Maine junior Zach Joy (Dover, NH) is averaging nearly a goal per game with 18 goals in his first 19 games for the Huskies. </p> <p>From the NESCAC conference, four different institutions have had players recognized for their great play and strong leadership on and off the ice. Senior Alex Smigelski (Mt. Lakes, NJ) leads Williams College in scoring and has helped the Ephs to stay near the top of the conference standings. Junior Billy Crinnion (Smithtown, NY) leads the White Mules of Colby in their quest to return to the playoffs among the best in NESCAC. Another repeat nominee, forward Tom Derosa (Charlestown, MA) and teammate Scott Barchard (Reading, MA) have been the pivotal players on offense and defense for a rejuvenated Tufts team. Barchard currently leads the nation in save percentage in backstopping the Jumbos. Junior Bryan Curran (Wilmette, IL) is the sole defenseman among his conference’s nominees but plays big for Middlebury in the offensive zone with fourteen points in his first sixteen games. </p> <p>The nominees from the newly instituted MASCAC conference are key contributors in leading their teams in scoring. Senior forward Chris Chambers (Crofton, MD) is Plymouth State’s main offensive threat and has been a key contributor on the power-play. The other MASCAC representative is forward Dennis Zak (Dover, NJ) from Westfield State, also a repeat nominee from last season. Zak has led the Owls to the top spot in the very competitive new league. </p> <p>The ECAC Northeast is represented by sophomore forward Skylur Jameson (Long Beach, CA) who is a threat to score in any situation and has led his Wentworth team as the sixth-ranked scoring offense in the nation. </p> <p>Lastly, two representatives from the D-II ranks include a pair of high-energy forwards who make opponents pay for taking penalties by converting on the power play. St. Anselm forward Coleman Noonan (Norfolk, MA) and Assumption’s Pat O’Kane (Hollis, NH) are amongst the top players in the country when it comes to scoring with the man advantage or when on the penalty kill. </p> <p>“With the new league alignments this season, we have seen great individual talent shine through in each of the conferences in New England. Each and every season it becomes increasingly more challenging to single out worthy nominees for the Concannon Award,” said Gridiron Club Hockey Awards Committee chairman Tim Costello. “There are many players that have been considered by the committee but do not appear as semi-finalists. Our committee believes this is a strong group of nominees and it will take the remaining games of the regular season and conference tournaments to identify the most worthy player for the 1'th anniversary winner of this prestigious award.” </p> <p>The Gridiron Club plans to announce the finalists and winner of the 1'th Joe Concannon Award in March, prior to the start of NCAA Frozen Four Tournament play and present the award during the New England Hockey Writers dinner in mid-April. </p> <p>Previous winners include:</p> <p><B>2''1:</B> Keith Aucoin, Norwich University<br /> <B>2''2: </B>Michael Carosi, Bowdoin College<br /> <B>2''3: </B>Nick Stauder, Salem State College<br /> <B>2''4:</B> Jim Pancyzkowski, Wesleyan University; Michael O’Sullivan, Curry College<br /> <B>2''5:</B> Brian Doherty, Curry College; Joseph Ori, Trinity College<br /> <B>2''6: </B>Adam Dann, Bowdoin College<br /> <B>2''7: </B>Greg Osborne, Colby College<br /> <B>2''8: </B>Tom Maldonado, Middlebury College<br /> <B>2''9:</B> Jeff Landers, Amherst College

2010-02-05T23:42:30-06:00 2010-02-05T23:42:30-06:00 2010-02-05T23:42:30-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18038/MiamiStudentAssistantBurkeSonofMapleLeafsGMDies.html Compiled by USCHO Staff

Brendan Burke, a student assistant at Miami and the son of Toronto Maple Leafs and U.S. men's Olympic team general manager Brian Burke, died Friday as a result of injuries suffered in a car accident in Indiana.</p> <p>The Maple Leafs released a statement Friday confirming the news, adding that the organization was "saddened."</p> <p>Brendan Burke, 21, and a passenger, 18-year-old Mark Reedy of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., died at the scene of the accident on U.S. 35 north of Economy, Ind., according to the <em>Paladium-Item</em> of Richmond, Ind.</p> <p>The newspaper reported that investigators said Burke was driving eastbound in a 2''4 Jeep Grand Cherokee during a snowstorm when the vehicle slid sideways into an oncoming truck, according to witnesses. The driver of the 1997 Ford truck was not injured.</p> <p>Brendan Burke <a href='http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=buccigross_john&id=4685761'>was profiled by ESPN.com in December</a> about his decision to reveal to his father and the Miami team that he was gay.</p> <p>After his decision to come out, Brendan Burke told <em>thestar.com</em>, "The reaction from the press and fans and everyone has been overwhelmingly positive."</p> <p>Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Burke grew up in Canton, Mass., and graduated from Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, Mass., before attending Miami.</p> <p>His duties as a student assistant included work with video and statistics.</p> <p>Miami players did not speak to the media after Friday's 2-' home victory over Lake Superior State, and coach Enrico Blasi made only a brief statement to the media, commenting on the game.</p> <p>RedHawks players were visibly upset after the game.</p> <p>A Miami athletics spokesperson said the school would not issue a statement about Burke's death Friday night.</p> <p>"Our heart goes out to Brian and his family in this very difficult time," USA Hockey executive director Dave Ogrean said in a news release. "We know the prayers of the entire hockey family, including our Olympic team, are with the Burke family."</p> <p><hr></p> <p><em>Contributing: Michael Solomon, Todd D. Milewski</em>

2010-02-06T10:23:15-06:00 2010-02-06T10:23:15-06:00 2010-02-06T10:23:15-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18042/ThisWeekinDIIIWomensHockeyFebruary52010.html Derek Dunning, USCHO Women's D-III Correspondent

<h4>St. Catherine Continues to Impress in MIAC</h4> <p>The St. Catherine women’s hockey team got off to a strong 9-1 start this season and few people took notice as the Wildcats never cracked the top 1' in the USCHO.com rankings.</p> <p>Granted, St. Catherine didn’t play an all-world schedule in the first half of the season but 9-1 is still a pretty good record, especially for a team that won just 1' games the year before and the program’s best win total is 15, set in 2'''-2''1.</p> <p>The schedule has gotten tougher for the Wildcats the last three weeks and although they are 2-3 in their last five games, St. Catherine has salvaged splits with perennial conference powerhouse Gustavus Adolphus and currently fourth place St. Olaf. Their other loss came to Wis.-River Falls.</p> <p>All in all, St. Catherine sits in second place in the MIAC standings behind only St. Thomas. The Wildcats are 11-4-' on the season and 7-3-' in conference play.</p> <p>St. Catherine’s crowning achievement so far this season though came last weekend when the Wildcats downed Gustavus Adolphus 2-1 on Friday night for the first time since Feb. 21, 2''3.</p> <p>“We had a good game plan and the girls bought into it,” said St. Catherine coach Brad Marshall. “We went over everything in what we needed to do to try and limit Gustavus Adolphus’ chances. They are a team that had around 75 shots against us two years ago and to be honest they are still a very good team despite their record. They had maybe two or three mistakes all game and it just happened to be we were able to capitalize on them.</p> <p>“It’s a huge step for our program to be able to compete with those guys. I think the next night we might have been a little happy with what we did the night before but it was still pretty respectable game 3-1.”</p> <p>Beating Gustavus Adolphus and having double-digit wins is quite impressive for St. Catherine, considering the state the program was in when Brad Marshall took over in the summer of 2''5. The Wildcats limped through the first two seasons with Marshall at the helm, winning just one game and having a 1-43-3 record. </p> <p>However, things started to look up in 2''7-2''8 season as the Wildcats won nine games and followed that up with 1' in 2''8-2''9.</p> <p>“My first year I didn’t have a single recruit because I didn’t come in until July so I was dealing with what the old coach had, which was fine in a way,” Marshall said. The improvement is largely due to just like every other coach out there trying to recruit the right kid for your system and I think we’ve done that. We’ve got some steady defensemen that all have good size and some forwards that are quick.”</p> <p>The 2''7-2''8 season also saw two of the programs top players brought in as freshmen in forward Michaela Michaelson and goaltender Mel Gerten. Michaelson burst onto the scene scoring 16 goals in her sophomore season and tallied 29 points after 21 in her freshman season. So far this year, she has 12 goals and eight assists for 2' points.</p> <p>“We’re led by our junior class. Michaela Michaelson should be and has been a top player in our league,” Marshall said. “She’s got 7' career points in 64 games. She’s an all-american type of player and kind of flashy kid that likes to control the puck. However, she’s also one of our better fore-checkers and one of our best, if not the best back-checkers. At all ends of the ice she can pretty much handle herself out there in every situation. She’s one of those kids you like to have on your team because she doesn’t take a night off. She’s going to bury it if you give her any time or space.”</p> <p>Mel Gerten has been a staple in between the pipes for the Wildcats posting a 9-4-' record on the season with a 1.89 GGA and .935 save percentage and picking up one shutout.</p> <p>“Mel’s numbers speak for themselves,” Marshall said. “She’s pretty much been the only goalie I’ve had. Her numbers are outstanding as far as this year and her career numbers considering what she had in front of her the first two years. I feel really comfortable with her back there and she’s a gamer. She’s usually been even better in the second half of the year and that’s what we’re expecting from her again this season. I think she’ll be known as one of the best goalies in the west here soon.”</p> <p>With such a young team, Marshall has a needed a strong leader and he found that in the team’s lone senior this year.</p> <p>“Right now we only have one senior that has made it through all four years in the program in our captain Aryn Ball,” Marshall said. “She’s our backbone and is a good kid that has been our captain for awhile now and provided a young team with leadership.”</p> <p>Marshall that coming into the season he was realistically hoping for the team to improve on last year’s record and be in contention for a playoff spot. They’ve already topped last year’s record and have positioned themselves in a good spot for the postseason as well.</p> <p>“Coming into the season I was hoping we would be in contention for the fourth or fifth playoff spot in the last weekend,” Marshall said. “Right now, unless we have a major collapse we’re setting ourselves up in a good position to lock up a playoff spot here in the next few weeks.</p> <p>“It’s a testament to the team and buying into what we’re trying to do here. The other coaches and I aren’t out on the ice playing, we can only control putting the players out on the ice. The girls are the ones playing the game and they’ve done a great job of it this season so far.”</p> <p>St. Catherine will continue its quest for the playoffs and get closer to the all-time program win mark of 15 this weekend when the Wildcats take on Bethel for a pair of MIAC games.</p> <p>Bethel hasn’t given up more than three goals in a game since Nov. 2' against Gustavus Adolphus. However, they haven’t scored more than three goals in a game this season either.</p> <p>“Positions one through seven are super tight in the conference,” Marshall said. “Bethel is going to play tough. They know how to play in tight games. I think I counted 1' or 11 one goal games they’ve played so far in their 15 games this season. It’s going to be a challenge and we’re definitely looking forward to it. They graduated three girls last year that were All-Americans at one point and we’re certainly not looking past them. They’ve got some freshmen that have stepped in and are playing in key positions for them.”</p> <p><br /> <h4>Around the Country</h4> <p>This weekend the biggest game on the schedule sees Manhattanville traveling to face defending ECAC East Champion Norwich for likely the de-facto ECAC East regular season championship game. The two rivals sit in first and second place in the ECAC East standings out of the Division III schools and are separated by just one point. </p> <p>The two schools have met twice so far this season with Manhattanville trashing Norwich 7-' back in December, and Norwich claiming a 3-2 win on Jan. 16. Sunday’s showdown will likely go a long way in determining who wins the ECAC East crown and who will have hosting rights to the conference tournament.</p> <p>The other interesting note is that the competition for the final two spots in the ECAC West playoff race is heating up; especially since current fifth place Buffalo State is ineligible for the postseason after the NCAA hit them with a one year ban on postseason play as part of financial aid violations.</p> <p>Neumann and Potsdam were scheduled to meet each other this weekend in Potsdam but inclement weather has forced the two games to be cancelled. That series will be vital to the playoff race as both teams have the inside track to the final two positions.</p> <p>Last year, Oswego finished sixth but the Lakers will face a tall order trying to get back to the postseason as they will have to find a way to take points from Utica, Elmira, or Plattsburgh.</p> <p>Cortland faces a similar daunting task, but instead of Utica, the Dragons face RIT along with Elmira and Plattsburgh.</p> <p><br /> <h4>Division III Players up for the D-I Frozen Four Skills Competition</h4> <p>The NCAA released the names of those players up to be voted to the D-I Frozen Four Skills Competition to be held at Ford Field in Detroit earlier this week.</p> <p>There are five Division III players eligible, including three women's players in Elmira’s Jamie Kivi, UMass-Boston’s Maria Nasta, and St. Thomas’s Lauren Bradel.</p> <p>The three men’s players are Oswego’s Neil Musselwhite, Wis.- Stout’s Joel Gaulrapp, and Gustavus Adolphus’ David Martinson.</p> <p><br /> Please take the time to go to the following link the throw your support in for these five fine Division III talents so they can prove there are some hidden gems in D-III hockey that can compete against the D-I players.</p> <p><a href="http://www.ncaa.com/frozenfourskillschallenge/index.html">Vote for the NCAA Frozen Four Skills Challenge!</a>

2010-02-04T09:22:55-06:00 2010-02-04T09:22:55-06:00 2010-02-04T09:22:55-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18013/ThisWeekinSUNYACFeb42010.html Russell Jaslow, USCHO SUNYAC Correspondent

<h4>The Aftermath</h4> <p>Now that a week has passed since the <a href='/news/college-hockey/id,17963/NCAAHitsGeneseoBuffaloStatewithProbationTeamsIneligiblefor2'1'Postseason.html'>NCAA announcement sanctioning Buffalo State and Geneseo</a>, the two teams involved have had some time to let it sink in. Their reactions have been admirable, and any anger they have is channeled properly.</p> <p>"In terms of how the team is handling it, they are remarkably resilient," Geneseo coach Chris Schultz said. "The senior class has been amazing. They took control of the locker room immediately. They want to play the game with integrity and honor. They understand in the grand scheme of life, this is just a fork in the road, not a roadblock. I'm very proud of this team, and they should be proud of themselves."</p> <p>"It comes down to their attitude towards competition and hockey," Buffalo State coach Nick Carriere said. "I hate to use the cliché, but we are playing for pride. We can play to be the spoiler. After it was all explained to them, one of our seniors stood up and said, 'Let's make the playoffs and let the NCAA take us out of it.'"</p> <p>This is what is going to make these two teams particularly dangerous. They have nothing to lose and will be taking out what happened to them on their opposition.</p> <p>"We're going to play it out as if a top playoff seed is available," Schultz said. "The guys really want to try to run the table here."</p> <p>Of course, it is the seniors that suffer the most along with the Canadians who must decide whether to give up hockey or give up the Canadian grants they received.</p> <p>"I feel bad for both of them," Oswego coach Ed Gosek said. "I feel especially bad for the players. The seniors on those teams who were fighting for their lives to make the playoffs and now they are not going to have the opportunity. I put myself in the situation if it happened here, how awful you would feel for the players especially in their senior year."</p> <p>Much energy has been written about what happened, how it could have been avoided, and the details behind it all. The bottom line is the NCAA felt that these two schools had inadvertently set up a <em>de facto</em> athletic scholarship which is a no-no for Division III. Thus, there was no choice but to punish them, even if it meant certain individual students would also suffer, through no fault of their own.</p> <p>Interestingly, it is the ones who are suffering the most — the players — who are handling it better than the fans on the USCHO message board.</p> <p>"They are being so professional about this," Schultz said. "They're already past this. They've accepted it."</p> <p>It's time everybody else does, too.</p> <h4>Morrisville is Eligible</h4> <p>Yes, you read that correctly. Morrisville is eligible for the SUNYAC playoffs.</p> <p>"We knew it all along," Morrisville coach Brian Grady said. "With the whole Buff State, Geneseo thing going on, it brought us into light."</p> <p>So, why all the confusion? There are a few reasons.</p> <p>For those of you who have followed the Morrisville saga in this column the last few years, you may recall that a new NCAA member must go through a four year probation period. During that time, the institution has to show the NCAA they are following all NCAA regulations properly and are in complete compliance.</p> <p>The school can ask the NCAA to speed that process along and be granted approval in three years. Morrisville asked for this, and after three years, the NCAA agreed that Morrisville was doing everything correctly, and declared the school a full fledged member.</p> <p>"They felt we were ready," Grady said. "It was great for us."</p> <p>Again, why the confusion? Because there are other factors to consider.</p> <p>Morrisville only has two teams in the SUNYAC (the rest of the teams play in the North Eastern Athletic Conference): field hockey and ice hockey.</p> <p>The field hockey team provides the SUNYAC with seven teams, making the conference eligible for an NCAA automatic qualifier bid. However, the conference could not apply to the NCAA for that AQ until Morrisville was an eligible NCAA member. </p> <p>Once they were, the conference application then has a two year waiting period, so the NCAA can see that all teams in the conference are serious members. Thus, during this two year waiting period, the Morrisville field hockey team was not eligible for the SUNYAC playoffs.</p> <p>"However, since hockey already had an automatic qualifier, we were eligible," Grady said. "The SUNYAC mixed us in with the field hockey team and just assumed we were not eligible. It was an honest mistake. Thus, we asked for a clarification, and got it."</p> <p>Morrisville can make a run for a conference playoff spot, and now they only need to beat out one other team. They are currently four points behind Cortland (who they host on February 12) and five points behind Potsdam who they travel to on Friday.</p> <p>"We certainly didn't make it easier for ourselves this past weekend," Grady said about his team losing twice. "Certainly, us beating Potsdam earlier has them circling this game on their calendar. I expect a hard physical, fast paced game with playoff implications. They know it. We know it."</p> <p>The next day, Morrisville has to go to Stafford Arena.</p> <p>"Obviously, the schedule works in their [Plattsburgh's] favor," Grady said. "We'll worry about Saturday when we get there. We're trying to think small. Just look five feet in front of our face. Plattsburgh is struggling lately, so they will be hungry. They obviously want to get back on the winning track. But so do we."</p> <h4>Fizzled Out</h4> <p>All that excitement concerning the playoff race and the tightness of the fifth through ninth place pack has suddenly petered out with last week's announcement. The multi-team playoff race disappeared.</p> <p>There is still a playoff spot to be fought over with the clarification that Morrisville is indeed eligible, but now it comes down to seven teams, instead of nine, fighting for six spots.</p> <p>At the top, teams are starting to settle in. Oswego holds a five point lead and the tie-breaker over Plattsburgh. Thus, with four games left for each team, the magic number is three points. Oswego has also clinched a bye in the first round and home ice in the semifinals since the best Fredonia can do is tie them, but the Lakers hold the tiebreaker.</p> <p>Fredonia sits five points behind Plattsburgh with a game in hand and they get to play them the following weekend. Meanwhile, Brockport sits four points behind Fredonia with each of those teams having five games to play.</p> <p>Therefore, fights still exist for the all important home ice and there is still the potential for some great hockey and individual games like we saw this past weekend.</p> <p>On top of the heap, of course, was the Plattsburgh at Oswego rivalry. The game and the fan-induced white-out lived up to all the hype.</p> <p>Assistant captain Neil Musselwhite put the home team in front just 34 seconds after the opening faceoff. Tom Breslin tied it up six minutes later, but Oswego got the lead back before the end of the period with a Justin Fox goal.</p> <p>Jon Whitelaw made it 3-1 early in the second prompting Plattsburgh to pull Josh Leis and put in Ryan Williams. Williams did not let up a goal the rest of the way, but unfortunately for the Cardinals, his team only scored one more when Phil Farrow got one in the third. Kyle Gunn-Taylor made 27 saves in the win.</p> <p>Oswego now has a 19 game winning streak, is 2'-1-' overall, and undefeated in the SUNYAC at 12-'-'. In years prior, the upcoming home game against Cortland would be the perfect letdown performance.</p> <p>"Other years, there's been a lack of focus at certain points in the year," Oswego coach Ed Gosek said. "With this team I think again our senior leadership really stepped up and gets them focused every game. Even the returning players, they get the freshmen believing. It's one shift, one period, one game at a time. I think it's a big part of why we didn't lose our focus with Potsdam. Hopefully, we'll keep that focus with Cortland. It's our last home game of the year. Senior night. It doesn't matter who we're playing, they want to see the same focus and energy and enthusiasm that they've shown."</p> <p>Meanwhile, Plattsburgh, after dropping their next game to Middlebury, is in a bit of a slump by Plattsburgh standards.</p> <p>"I think we have to have a good attitude," Plattsburgh coach Bob Emery said. "We can't be down on how we played here tonight [against Oswego]. We caused them to take a lot of penalties. We played our game. We did a good job. We just didn't finish, and that's been our story all year long."</p> <p>Another rivalry also took place this past weekend — Buffalo State at Fredonia. Initially it looked like it was going to be runaway, a rarity the last few years between these teams.</p> <p>After trading tallies late in the first period 14 seconds apart (Brett Mueller for Fredonia and Nick Petriello for Buffalo State) the Blue Devils scored three unanswered goals in the second period by Jordan Oye, Mueller on the power play, and Oye again, this time on the power play.</p> <p>However, the Bengals made a game of it with a Drew Klin early third period score and a late Trevor McKinney tally. Oye clinched the game, completing a hat trick with an empty-net goal with five seconds left. Once again, not including empty-net goals, these teams played to yet another one goal game.</p> <h4>Nominations</h4> <p>Three SUNYAC players were nominated for national accolades this past week — two for the BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award and one to compete in the NCAA Frozen Four Skills Challenge at Ford Field in Detroit.</p> <p>Brockport's goaltender Todd Sheridan was one of <a href='/news/college-hockey/id,18''3/FourRepeatasHumanitarianNominees.html'>four players nominated for the second year in a row</a> for the Humanitarian Award. Sheridan's story has been told often. He was on his way to a Division I college hockey career when a diagnosis of throat cancer changed the plans. After surviving the illness, Brockport was willing to take a chance on him.</p> <p>He rewarded them many-fold for that decision, leading Brockport to successful seasons including their first home playoff game in school history last year. Sheridan's experience fighting the disease made him want to provide a more comfortable experience for children who have to go through the same ordeal. Thus, he started a charitable foundation to help do just that.</p> <p>Shareef Labreche, Buffalo State's senior captain, was also nominated for the Humanitarian Award. Labreche is involved in a number of community programs while maintaining a 3.66 GPA. Perhaps the one that stands out the most is his work with the Buffalo Thunder hockey team. The Buffalo Thunder is a hockey team for kids and young men with special needs.</p> <p>"He's a special kind of young man," Buffalo State coach Nick Carriere said. "Came in as our first recruiting class. One of our best students. Has been absolutely great with any program we've done as a team. Nothing but positives. It was fitting to put him with guys that lend themselves to the community."</p> <p>Buffalo State already has one player who won this award — Rocky Reeves in 2''2.</p> <p>Oswego's assistant captain, forward Neil Musselwhite, is the only Division III player nominated to represent the East Team in the Skills Challenge. Fans get an <a href='http://www.ncaa.com/frozenfourskillschallenge'>opportunity to help decide</a> which finalists will head to Detroit. Musselwhite, whose five shorthanded markers leads the nation, has 16 goals and 11 assists this year for a career total of 37-3'-67 in 1'' games.</p> <h4>SUNYAC Short Shots</h4> <p>Brockport broke a 2-2 tie with three unanswered goals in the third to beat Morrisville, 5-2 ... Kyle VanDermale led off the scoring for Plattsburgh with a short-hander in a 4-1 win over Cortland ... Andrew Mather scored the final two goals of the game to help Oswego beat Potsdam, 5-1 ... Geneseo needed three straight goals in the third to turn a 4-4 tie into a 7-4 win over Morrisville as Trevor Foster scored twice ... After Potsdam blew a 2-' lead over Cortland, Brett Waters got the game winner late in the third on the power play to give Potsdam the victory.</p> <h4>Game of the Week</h4> <p>If we go strictly by the playoff ramifications, there are two games that stand out.</p> <p>First, let's mention the Geneseo at Buffalo State game since it has a bit of irony to it, as they are the two teams affected by the recent events.</p> <p>Morrisville at Potsdam can have significant playoff ramifications if the Mustangs win. For Potsdam, winning this game will keep them in the hunt for home ice in the first round.</p> <p>The game I'm picking is Brockport at Fredonia. Granted, what happens on Friday could alter the importance of this Saturday matchup, but for now with just four points separating these two teams, it will either virtually decide third place for Fredonia or allow the race to possibly avoid Oswego in the semifinals to go down to the wire.</p> <h4>On the Periphery</h4> <p>One of the interesting side effects of these NCAA sanctions against two SUNYAC schools is to realize just how much of an uneven playing field college sports is on, even when everyone is following the rules properly.</p> <p>"My feeling is this," Plattsburgh coach Bob Emery said when asked to comment on the sanctions. "We're trying to make our league better. Geneseo and Buff State have financial aid. They're not giving a lot, believe me. The way it's set up now [in Division III], it's outrageous. Put it this way, the private schools are doing a lot more and a lot better things than what Geneseo and Buff State were doing."</p> <p>I have been asked before and again recently to write an article about the uneven playing field the teams in the SUNYAC face when recruiting players. The reason I've never done this is because the coaches who ask me to write this are the same coaches who will never be able to give me the details I need to write such an article.</p> <p>However, it goes beyond just one conference and beyond just one sport. Pro sports are set up to be as even as possible — profit sharing, even split of television contract money, salary caps, drafts, etc. College sports has nothing of the sort. Sure, they impose limits on scholarships and recruiting activities and number of coaches allowed, but they are minor attempts to keep things level in the grand scheme of things.</p> <p>Even in baseball which has perhaps the most uneven playing field in professional sport leagues, the disparity between the financial portfolio of the Yankees and Pirates doesn't even come close to the disparity between a USC, Notre Dame, or Ohio State and a Temple, North Texas, or Arkansas State in football. How about the disparity between a Duke, Kentucky, or UCLA and a Manhattan, Iona, or Boston University in basketball?</p> <p>Facility disparity isn't even close either. The difference between the Xcel Energy Center and the Nassau Coliseum pale in comparison to the difference between North Dakota's Ralph Engelstad Arena and Sacred Heart's Milford Ice Pavillion.</p> <p>From athletic budgets to alumni and booster donations to TV contracts to playoff monies to practice facilities to recruiting budgets to stadiums to workout facilities to academic requirements to dorm conditions to coaches salaries ... the list goes on and on. The college sports landscape is so uneven, it resembles a double black diamond mogul course.

2010-02-03T16:06:59-06:00 2010-02-03T16:06:59-06:00 2010-02-03T16:06:59-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18011/ThisWeekintheECACWestFeb42010.html Scott Biggar, USCHO ECAC West Correspondent

<h4>Focusing on Challenges</h4> <p>Elmira kept rolling in league play last weekend, steamrolling Utica in a pair of games. The Soaring Eagles poured 49 shots on net Friday night, tallying seven goals to defeat the Pioneers, 7-3.</p> <p>“The guys played great,” said Elmira head coach Aaron Saul. “It is the time of the year where you need to start focusing on yourself as a team. We are a focused group and are starting to play well.”</p> <p>Despite outshooting Utica by a 45-23 margin on Saturday, the repeat game was much more difficult for Elmira. The Pioneers came into the contest with a strong game plan and took it to the Soaring Eagles through the first 45 minutes of the game.</p> <p>“Utica made some great adjustments for Saturday,” said Saul. “They were playing hard. There were times in the second where we were dominating but their goaltender was playing well. Going into the third period, you could tell our guys were ready to come out hard. The chances that we had were going in and it snowballed from there.”</p> <p>Utica netminder Anthony Luckow stopped all but one of the first 27 shots he faced during the opening two periods. Elmira sophomore Andrew Wilcox scored a shorthanded goal 5:32 into the third period and then the flood gates opened. The Soaring Eagles ripped off four more goals to win the game going away, 6-1. </p> <p>Two big factors for Elmira still being undefeated in league play are penalty killing and goaltending. This past weekend, Elmira kept the Pioneers off the scoreboard during all nine of their power plays and have killed off a remarkable 93% shorthanded opportunities overall in league play.</p> <p>“We took a few more penalties than we wanted,” said Saul. “There were a couple of selfish ones. We addressed that. Our PK has done a great job, especially in the backend with our defense.”</p> <p>Backend defense has certainly been a strong point for Elmira. The Soaring Eagles have only let in 18 goals in 1' league contests this season, by far the lowest in the league.</p> <p>“The group of six defensemen that usually play are an extremely talented group,” said Saul. “Every day, they seem to want to keep the goals under two. They take a lot of pride defensively in their own end.”</p> <p>The second big factor has been goaltending. Senior Casey Tuttle has been a standout ever since he came into the league as a freshman. He currently leads the ECAC West in goal against average (2.27) and is second in save percentage (.916).</p> <p>“He’s getting challenged every day with our two other goaltenders,” said Saul. “He’s had some time off, when the other guys have gotten a chance to play and done well. In that position, we are very strong and deep. Casey has benefitted from the other two guys pushing him in practice week to week.”</p> <p>Junior Kevin Bolin and freshman Darren McDonald have spelled Tuttle in three games each this season, putting up strong goaltending numbers themselves to create one of the best trio’s of netminders in division III.</p> <h4>Playoff Update</h4> <p>With only three weekends of play remaining in the regular season, the league standings are starting to sort out. The upper echelon of teams are creating some distance from those further down but there are still plenty of battles to come.</p> <p>With its pair of losses this past weekend, Utica can now finish no higher than second place. Even that is a lofty goal at this point as the Pioneers would almost have to win out to make that happen. It is crucial for Utica to sweep Lebanon Valley at home this weekend to keep the Pioneers hope of a home playoff game alive.</p> <p>Neumann also finds itself eliminated from the regular season title. The Knights can strengthen their case for second place this weekend as they host Manhattanville. If Neumann can sweep the Valiants, they will pull within two points of that coveted position.</p> <p>Hobart is still in the hunt for first place — at least mathematically. But unless the Statesmen can knock Elmira off their roll this weekend, the Statesmen will find themselves battling with all of the rest for second place.</p> <p>Manhattanville has the best chance to chase down Elmira for the regular season title, but the Valiants must hold serve over the next two weekends. If they can fend off Neumann and Utica, Manhattanville would setup a final weekend showdown against Elmira for the title.</p> <p>The magic number for Elmira is seven points. If the Soaring Eagles can gain at least three wins and a tie in their last five games, Elmira will clinch the regular season title no matter what any other team does.</p> <h4>Game of the Week</h4> <p>Elmira hosts Hobart this weekend in the only game for each team. Elmira won the previous two meetings between these teams this season back in November by scores of 3-2 and 2-'.</p> <p>However, the Soaring Eagles haven’t swept Hobart in a season since 2''1-2''2. That was Mark Taylor’s second year as head coach of the Statesmen and he has brought the team quite a ways since then.</p> <p>Games between Elmira and Hobart are always exciting affairs with so much on the line.</p> <p>“It will be an exciting one,” said Saul. “Hobart is playing really well. It is going to be a tough challenge for us. They are an extremely hard working team and won’t quite until the last buzzer goes. They have great team speed and their work ethic is incredible.”

2010-02-04T09:59:32-06:00 2010-02-04T09:59:32-06:00 2010-02-04T09:59:32-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18014/JuryAcquitsNorthDakotasFrattinofDrunkDrivingCharge.html Compiled by USCHO Staff

North Dakota forward Matt Frattin has been acquitted on drunk driving charges, the <em>Grand Forks Herald</em> reported.</p> <p>A jury of six Grand Forks County (N.D.) residents delivered a not guilty verdict after less than 3' minutes of deliberation on Tuesday, the newspaper reported.</p> <p>Frattin, a junior, was dismissed from the team in August for what was called a violation of team rules. That move came after he was arrested and charged with driving under the influence.</p> <p>Frattin was reinstated to the team in late December.</p> <p>The <em>Grand Forks Herald</em> reported that Frattin was pulled over by campus police in the early morning hours of Aug. 19, and a test at the police station recorded his blood-alcohol level at .12 percent. The legal limit in North Dakota is .'8 percent.

2010-02-04T13:49:29-06:00 2010-02-04T13:49:29-06:00 2010-02-04T13:49:29-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18015/ThisWeekintheECACNortheastMASCACFeb42010.html Nate Owen, USCHO ECAC Northeast and MASCAC Correspondent

Sometimes the best laid plans can go awry. </p> <p>While I had touched on Curry's unbeaten conference record last week, the plan this week was to point how little love Curry was getting in the latest polls, despite holding a one point lead over Wentworth for top spot in the ECAC Northeast. </p> <p>But after voting was completed (and after a one week hiatus), the Leopards jumped back into the latest <a href='/rankings/?data=uscho3m'>USCHO.com Division III poll</a> at No. 15, checking in with a higher national ranking then Curry even got votes (two). </p> <p>With a win over Western New England on Thursday, Curry will jump into first again, after falling out Wednesday when the Leopards rallied in the third period to beat Johnson & Wales, 5-3.</p> <p>"We're pleased with our record," Curry head coach Rob Davies said. "I don't know if we're playing as good as we can play. We're in a position to be first in our league, which isn't a bad thing, but we put more emphasis on how we are playing."</p> <p>Davies said he his looking for more consistency out of his team.</p> <p>"Any teams wants to be consistent in its play," he said. "When you play inconsistent, you never know what you're going to get from one period to the next, or for that matter from one shift to the next.</p> <p>Still, the Colonels took care of business this past week with a pair of conference wins over Johnson & Wales and Becker, pushing their conference mark to 7-'-1. Steven Jakiel earned both of the wins in net and was named ECAC Northeast Goalie of the Week. </p> <p>Jakiel is in the midst of his senior year, and third at Curry, after transferring from Division I Michigan following his freshman season.</p> <p>"We were recruiting him when he was playing for Lincoln in the USHL," Davies said. "He didn't get much ice time and it didn't look like he was going to be in their plans so he opted out and came to Curry," he said, adding that Jakiel was familiar with Curry after running youth hockey camps on campus.</p> <p>"He's been playing well this year. In the past, we've rotated but Zach Cardella had a groin injury in the first semester."</p> <p>Davies said Cardella will draw the start tonight against Western New England. And if the Golden Bears' last game is any indication, the senior will have his hands full.</p> <h4> Slugfest on Ice </h4> </p> <p>Someone might want to add a humidor to the rinks at Worcester State and Western New England College. </p> <p>Both facilities were host to games this past week that resembled a high scoring, bullpen draining slugfest at Coors Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies. (Or in western New England's case, a dreary, mud soaked sleeper between the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns.) </p> <p>Saturday evening saw visiting Westfield State jump out to an 8-' lead, finally downing the Lancers 1'-5. The teams combined to use five goalies and score five power-play goals. By this writer's count, 26 players notched a point between the two teams. Heck, winning goalie Ian Wilson even posted two assists on the night. </p> <p>Prior to hosting non-conference opponent Assumption Tuesday, Western New England dropped a 3-1 decision to Wentworth Sunday, keeping it close until an empty netter sealed the win for the Leopards. Nothing wrong with that, as the Golden Bears have just one conference win, while Wentworth is one point out of first and No. 15 in the country. </p> <p>"They were right in the game going into the third period," Davies said of Western New England.</p> <p>But Western New England probably wished some of its goals counted retroactively, as they got more then enough insurance to turn a 6-3 lead against the Greyhounds into a 12-6 final. Eight players scored for the Golden Bears, led by freshman Anthony Willett, who turned in three goals and three assists. It was just Western New England's second win of the season and snapped an eight game losing streak during which they had scored only nine goals. </p> <p>"I looked over the [box score] to see if I was reading it right," Davies said. "Western New England has played extremely hard, We beat them 5-' earlier this season, but it was 2-' midway through the third until we scored three goals on a five minute major. We dominated the shots on goal, but you don't win because of that. You've got to get pucks in the net."</p> <h4> Almost Breaking Through </h4> </p> <p>While not quite the at the level at Westfield State and Western New England's high scoring contests, Nichols 7-6 win Saturday over Salve Regina wasn't exactly a defensive matchup either. The teams combined for seven power-play goals, including two by the Seahawks to take a 6-5 lead in the third. </p> <p>But Zack Kohn's tally with the man advantage tied the score at 17:39 and Matt Sayer's strike seconds later gave the Bisons a 7-6 lead at 18:'1, denying Salve Regina's first ECAC Northeast win of the season. The Seahawks made a small step Wednesday evening, tying Suffolk 4-4 to earn their first conference point of the season. </p> <p>"We had to work real hard to beat Salve," Davies said. "It was 2-1 going into the third. I think there's going to be some surprise teams down the stretch that you think aren't going to win but do. I just hope it doesn't happen to us."</p> <h4> Around the Rest of the ECAC Northeast </h4> </p> <p>Wentworth defeated non-conference foe Stonehill 5-2, Thursday, while Johnson & Wales beat Suffolk 4-2 Saturday Nichols defeated Becker 3-2 on Wednesday. Sayer's game-winning goal against Salve Regina earned him Player of the Week honors, while teammate Danny Greiner was honored as Rookie of the Week. The forward notched two power-play goals and three assists on the week, including a goal and an assist against Salve Regina's penalty killing unit. </p> <h4> MASCAC Un-jumbled … for Now </h4> </p> <p>The past week finally broke the stalemate atop the MASCAC, which saw three teams (Westfield State, Fitchburg State, and Salem State) tied for the top spot and one team (Plymouth State) only two points behind. </p> <p>Fitchburg State now stands alone in first, thanks to wins over Worcester State and Plymouth State. </p> <p>The Falcons trailed Worcester State 2-1 entering the third but a goal from Andrew Jones tied the game at the 13:25 mark. Fitchburg's Kevin McCready denied the Lancers' upset bid with his seventh goal of the season 49 seconds into overtime. The Falcons outshot the Lancers 53-27, but went '-for-4 on the power play, something which head coach Dean Fuller said had been clicking at a nearly 3' percent rate over the past month. </p> <p>Fitchburg appeared to on the brink of pushing its winning streak to eight games Saturday, but the Panthers scored four goals in the final 22 minutes of play, including two shorthanded goals in a 36 second span in the third, both by Sean Buckley. But the Falcons withstood the rally to claim sole possession of first. The loss snapped Plymouth State's five game winning streak.</p> <p>Elsewhere in the conference, Plymouth State beat Framingham State, 6-2, Thursday, while Salem State easily handled Westfield State, 7-1. The University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth put an end to a five game skid. The Corsairs downed Southern New Hampshire, 6-3, Thursday before returning to MASCAC play with a 5-2 win over Framingham State Saturday. Sophomore Giancarlo Capodanno tallied three goals and two assists in UMass-Dartmouth's two wins, earning Player of the Week honors. </p> <p>Fitchburg State's Robert Vorse picked up both the victory's as the Falcons moved into first, getting Goalie of the Week honors in the process. Framingham State capped off the week with a 4-3 loss to non-conference opponent Stonehill Wednesday. </p> <h4> Loose Pucks</h4> </p> <p>So another Beanpot, another Boston University-Boston College final. It's gotten to the point that legendary BU coach Jack Parker suggested that <a href=http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gSPVMdnV8K'-xSZAAVme'ysvzHWQ>the tournament is losing its luster.</a> </p> <p>Not to say that Northeastern didn't put up a good fight, but in the end, a few bounces went the Terriers' way and a few mistakes by the Huskies allowed BU to advance with a 2-1 win. </p> <p>"I went in and met up with some friends and former teammates and watched the tail end of the BC-Harvard game," said Davies, who played at BU from 1978-1982 and won two Beanpots with the Terriers. "I stuck around and watched the entire NU-BU game. I met a guy that I had roomed with Kalamazoo in the IHL. I hadn't seen him since 1983 and his son [Wade Megan] is a freshman at BU."</p> <p>While BC dominated Harvard 6-' and BU ground out a win over the Huskies, Davies says he expects the pace to pick up in the championship.</p> <p>"This Monday should be a track meet. It's going to be a pretty fast paced game."</p> <h4>Chirps</h4> </p> <p>Any comments, questions or concerns, feel free to email me at <a href="mailto:nate.owen@uscho.com">nate.owen@uscho.com</a>

2010-02-04T14:40:10-06:00 2010-02-04T14:40:10-06:00 2010-02-04T14:40:10-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18016/ThisWeekintheCCHAFeb42010.html Paula C. Weston, USCHO CCHA Correspondent

<h4>Thank You, Punxsutawney Fraud</h4> <p>You've been had. We've all been had.</p> <p>For reasons clear only to The Weather Channel and the rest of the Media-Greeting Card-Big Pharma complex that controls these United States, Groundhog Day has gained alarming momentum in recent years, spawning a new niche plush toy industry and celebrations that include trademark-infringing Whac-A-Mole ripoffs and predictable PETA protests.</p> <p>It's a total ruse. That rodent predicts nothing. The vernal equinox — the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere — arrives on March 2' this year. Groundhog Day is Feb. 2. See your shadow, Dunkirk Dave? Six more weeks of winter, Punxsutawney Phil? Yeah, that's a prediction that takes courage.</p> <p>(Hint: Do the math, people. Do the math.)</p> <p>In the spirit of this holiday — which, oddly enough, does not include actual groundhog on any suggested menu — this is a column that is devoted to stating the obvious. Of course, in true <em>Groundhog Day</I> fashion (the movie, not the holiday), longtime readers will argue that I'm perpetuating a theme, as I am well-versed in stating the obvious.</p> <p>What can I say? "Reaching" is as American a concept as, well, Groundhog Day.</p> <h4>RedHawks Win the Regular-Season Title!</h4> <p>Not yet, but soon. </p> <p>My good friends and USCHO colleagues, Jim Connelly and Todd Milewski, discussed in this week's USCHO Extra feature, <a href='news/id,18''9/TuesdayMorningQuarterbackFeb22'1'.html'>"Tuesday Morning Quarterback,"</a> that Bemidji State could have secured the regular-season title for the CHA had the Beavers swept Robert Morris this past weekend. </p> <p>Claiming a conference title in January is early, but as Todd noted, with only four teams in a conference, it's not beyond the realm of possibility. </p> <p>Then Jim wrote that he was "shocked" to see Miami with a 1'-point lead over Michigan State with two games in hand, as though the RedHawks are out of reach. While it's unlikely that anyone will catch Miami at this point, there are still several teams that can catch the 'Hawks in theory, given the new math of the CCHA.</p> <p>At the beginning of the season, we all wondered about how the new CCHA points system would affect the league standings. (Next year, we can turn our attention to an 11-team league. It's very thoughtful of the conference to provide us with something different to discuss every season.)</p> <p>Now we know how the three-point games have affected the league. First, we're all having to rethink how we look at points. A 1'-point lead is no longer a five-game lead. You can't blame Jim Connelly for not considering this; it's hard to look at Miami's 51 points at the beginning of February without doing a double take.</p> <p>Second, we can now see that the three-point system returns the league to some sort of equitable way of divvying up points in our shootout world. Or rather, I'm beginning to wrap my brain around how the new points system <em>seems</I> more equitable. After nearly two seasons with the shootout, I'm leaning toward a five-minute overtime of four-on-four hockey, too.</p> <p>As for Miami, the RedHawks have eight games and 24 possible points remaining. The second-place Spartans have 41 points currently and six games and 18 points remaining. It's possible — not probable, nowhere likely — that MSU can catch Miami. Eighteen points would give MSU 59 points, which is currently more than the 51 points that the RedHawks have.</p> <p>(See? Groundhog Day!)</p> <p>Because of their current points and number of games remaining, five CCHA teams other than MSU could mathematically finish ahead of Miami in points, although that wouldn't necessarily translate into any of these teams attaining first place. Third-place Ferris State, fourth-place Lake Superior State, sixth-place Michigan, eighth-place Ohio State and 1'th-place Northern Michigan each has the capability of earning more than Miami's current 51 points.</p> <p>Wacky and completely unlikely. The RedHawks are unbeaten in their last 18 conference games (14-'-4), dating to their Oct. 24 overtime home loss to Michigan State, Miami's only CCHA loss this season. </p> <p>And none of this — not the points, the math, or Miami's steamroller to a regular-season title — accounts for two losses to Robert Morris (!) to kick off the second half of the season, but perhaps that weekend will be the only second-half blemish for the RedHawks. </p> <h4>Riley Gill Robbed!</h4> <p>Of points, that is. </p> <p>It's tough to be the best player on a team that's not performing well, but it seems to be a familiar refrain in the history of CCHA goalies. Western Michigan's Riley Gill is just taking his place in history.</p> <p>Gill (2.79 goals-against average, .922 save percentage) played spectacularly well in two losses against Miami last weekend, especially in Saturday's heartbreaking 2-1 loss, when the game-winning goal came on a power play at 15:39 in the third, after he'd kept the powerful RedHawks offense from scoring since the 4:22 mark of the first period. </p> <p>In two games, Gill stopped 86 of 92 shots on goal, including a season-high 47 Saturday — a game in which the RedHawks outshot the Broncos 49-16. </p> <h4>Wolverines, Spartans Renew Rivalry Rippingly!</h4> <p>After Michigan's five-game sweep of Michigan State in 2''8-'9 and MSU's two-game sweep of UM earlier this season, this past weekend's two games were just what college hockey fans with no dog in this particular hunt needed. I'd argue that fans of each team probably enjoyed the set, too.</p> <p>In East Lansing Friday, MSU was up 3-' before the Wolverines made it extremely interesting in the third period following a some pushing and shoving that finally got the Michigan blood going. The Spartans won, 3-2, but only because the game was 6' minutes long.</p> <p>In Detroit Saturday, UM took a 3-' lead into the second period, but the Spartans scored four unanswered goals after that, starting with Andrew Rowe's shorthander at 3:42 in the second and ending with Dean Chelios' marker at 13:'9 in the third. </p> <p>Two Michigan goals less than three minutes apart — Matt Rust's shorthanded goal at 15:12 and Chris Brown's game-winner at 17:53 — gave the Wolverines the 5-4 win.</p> <p>Both head coaches agreed that, in Friday's contest, the momentum changed when the mood did, early in the third period when nearly everybody was pushing and shoving in the corner. "It was a real barn-burner, absolutely, but those penalties ...," said MSU coach Rick Comley, his voice trailing. Comley went on to say after the game that had 1' players not engaged in extracurricular activity in the third — after which Wolverines Carl Hagelin and Louie Caporusso found the net — MSU goaltender Drew Palmisano would have earned a shutout.</p> <p>Michigan coach Red Berenson acknowledged that the feistiness seemed to bring the Wolverines back to life. While he was happy that his team battled back, he didn't seem to pleased about the motivation. </p> <p>"I hope it didn't take a scrum to wake us up," said Berenson. "There should be emotion between these teams but it should be in better control."</p> <p>Saturday's contest was intense with fewer penalties. Well, fewer penalties called. Ask Spartans player Dustin Gazley about the hit he took from the Michigan bench while battling for the puck along the boards and you may learn a thing or two about the nature of penalties.</p> <p>After Saturday's game, Berenson said that his team shouldn't have had to have battled back in the contest, but that he was pleased with the way the Wolverines "came to play."</p> <p>"We were a different team than last night," said Berenson. "It showed in the first period."</p> <p>The Wolverines have shown an amazing resiliency this season, proving that they can become a different team in a matter of 24 hours, or a different team in a matter of eight weeks. At the start of December, Michigan was in 1'th place in the CCHA standings and looking for all empirical evidence as though they would sit this NCAA tournament out.</p> <p>I wouldn't count out the Wolverines now. In fact, Michigan could earn a first-round bye for the CCHA playoffs. UM's remaining schedule isn't exactly light, but the Wolverines do fare well against Bowling Green, Northern Michigan and Nebraska-Omaha, usually. They also have two games in hand on Notre Dame, whom they play twice. The Irish are one point ahead of the Wolverines in the standings, as are the Lakers — and UM has three more conference wins than does LSSU.</p> <p>Obviously, this is going to be an interesting end.</p> <h4>And This Mistress of the Obvious Cuts This One Short</h4> <p>I've had longer columns this season, obviously. Some have also clocked in at about this length — obviously.</p> <p>Here is more obviousness for you to ponder as you head into the weekend. Happy hockey, everyone!</p> <p>• The Buckeyes were 4-1-1 in January. This baffles me. Their power play performed at 28.9 percent. Also baffling. They split with Ferris State and Michigan State, two ranked teams, and swept a team they should have swept, Bowling Green. In other words, OSU played in January like I (and many other people) thought that OSU would play all season. I can't count them out yet.</p> <p>• The Mavericks earned four of their nine CCHA wins in January. This also baffles me. UNO has never been an easy team for me to figure out, but this season the Mavs' roller-coaster ride through their last campaign in our fair league has me completely flummoxed. Swept by NMU earlier in the season, UNO crushed the Wildcats two weeks ago, and last weekend beat Notre Dame in South Bend for the first time since Feb. 5, 2''5. Another team that I'd like to count out but can't — hey, they're <em>leaving</I> — I wouldn't at all be surprised to see Dean Blais somehow get his Mavericks to Joe Louis Arena, an exclamation point on the program's CCHA tenure.</p> <p>• CCHA goaltenders are amazing. Miami's Cody Reichard (1.34 GAA, .934 SV%) leads the nation in stats, but the league is littered with netminders who can, potentially, make a difference. (See Riley Gill, above.) Look at these save percentages: ND's Mike Johnson (.927), FSU's Pat Nagle (.926), MSU's Drew Palmisano (.923), Gill (.922), FSU's Taylor Nelson (.92'), Miami's Connor Knapp (.919), NMU's Brian Stewart (.917). That's eight of the top 2' in the nation, and it's nothing new.</p> <p>• The league is 45-27-12 in nonconference play this season. Through March 8 of last year, the league was 46-29-1' against non-CCHA foes. </p> <p>• The Irish raised $41,6'4 for the Wounded Warriors Project last weekend by auctioning off their game-worn jerseys. Kevin Deeth's jersey brought in $1,575. My whole wardrobe combined wouldn't earn $15 on Craigslist. Nice work.

2010-02-04T13:02:44-06:00 2010-02-04T13:02:44-06:00 2010-02-04T13:02:44-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18017/SeniorCLASSAwardNames10Finalists.html Compiled by USCHO Staff

Ten finalists have been named for the hockey division of the 2''9-1' Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.</p> <p>The award is presented to a NCAA Division I senior with notable achievements in four areas:classroom, character, community and competition.</p> <p>The finalists, chosen by a media committee from a list of 2' candidates announced in October are:</p> <p>• Jean-Marc Beaudoin, Quinnipiac<br /> • Cody Chupp, Ferris State<br /> • Matt Fairchild, Air Force<br /> • Colin Greening, Cornell<br /> • Dion Knelsen, Alaska<br /> • Martin Nolet, Massachusetts<br /> • Garrett Raboin, St. Cloud State<br /> • Rhett Rakhshani, Denver<br /> • Dan Ringwald, RIT<br /> • Eli Vlaisavljevich, Michigan Tech</p> <p>The winner will be determined by a nationwide ballot including voting online at <a href='http://www.seniorCLASSaward.com' _target='blank'>www.seniorCLASSaward.com</a> and via text messaging (text HOCKEY to 74567 to vote).</p> <p>The previous award winners were Notre Dame's David Brown in 2''7, Princeton's Landis Stankievech in 2''8 and Michigan State's Jeff Lerg last season.

2010-02-05T07:35:38-06:00 2010-02-05T07:35:38-06:00 2010-02-05T07:35:38-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18018/ThisWeekinECACHockeyFeb42010.html Brian Sullivan, USCHO ECAC Hockey Correspondent

<h4>ECAC Editorial</h4> <p>There are innumerable positive things about Harvard; it's arguably the world's premier and most famous university for a reason. </p> <p>But right now, the men's hockey team isn't one of them.</p> <p>This will come off as more rant than repartee, but the Crimson's performance en route to its 6-' slaughtering at the hands of Boston College on Monday was nothing short of embarrassing. The Volkswagen-sized North End rats fled from the stench. The last time a team lost by that much in the Beanpot was 1' years ago, when BC blasted Northeastern in the opening round by the same 6-' score. (Three years prior, Boston University smacked the Crimson around, 7-1 in the first round.) </p> <p>This isn't all about Harvard's 17-year Beanpot drought, or about its 2-1'-' record against BU and BC since autumn of 2''6. Nor is it about the program's three-, likely to be four-year stretch without an NCAA appearance or ECAC Hockey title, on the heels of five bids in a row from 2''2 to 2''6. It's not focusing on Harvard's '-5 showing in those five NCAA appearances, or its meager two Ivy League titles since 1994. </p> <p>You know, it's not even about the league's 1-3 record in the NCAA's last year, or its 4-13 record in the national tournament dating back to its last Frozen Four team: Cornell ''3. There are bigger things to worry about than good ECAC Hockey teams losing over and over again to teams from the CHA and Atlantic Hockey, much less Hockey East, the CCHA and the WCHA ... and let's face it, what's another couple of year tacked onto the ECAC's 19-year stretch without a NCAA championship game participant, or 2'-year span sans a national title winner?</p> <p>I'm not upset about any of those things.</p> <p>I'm <em>fuming</em> about all of them.</p> <p><b>Beanpot Beatdown</b></p> <p>Harvard's self-detonated implosion in the opening game of the 2'1' Beanpot Tournament was the straw that broke my keyboard, as the Crimson barely put up a fight in their biggest game of the season. In fact, three players — Ryan Grimshaw, Luke Greiner and Daniel Moriarty — took 1'-minute misconducts late in the game to escape the brutality of it all. Greiner's dismissal wasn't even attached to a minor penalty; he must've just said the wrong thing to the wrong official, and off he went to the locker room.</p> <p>But it wasn't just Harvard's most important contest, it was the <em>league's</em> as well. Argue if you will, but it is my contention that the Beanpot is the most important game (or two, if we're lucky) on the ECAC Hockey calendar right up until the league championship. The games are played in prime time, broadcast internationally, and held in the largest hockey market north of New York and east of Detroit. Every year, it's an opportunity for the conference to step up and stake its claim to Big Dog status ... but every year, now, it fails to do so. </p> <p>To be perfectly clear, this column isn't intended as a smear-job of Harvard, its men's hockey team, or its staff. Ted Donato, Bobby Jay and Pat Foley are great guys with solid resumes and a fair amount of success in Cambridge to boot. At some point, there's nothing else a coaching staff can do: the onus is ultimately on the players.</p> <p>ECAC Hockey commissioner Steve Hagwell told me that while the Beanpot is a big annual fixture for the conference, it's not the biggest. Every non-conference game and mid-season tournament draws the league's full support and attention, and the Beanpot is no more or no less. I appreciate his position — the 'Pot only ever involves one league team, after all — but my counterpoint stands: For as many Rensselaer-BU and Cornell-North Dakota tilts as you can muster, the Beanpot gets far, <em>far</em> more attention.</p> <p><b>Poll-Quitters</b></p> <p>A big part of my issue with ... well, these issues is that ECAC Hockey gets precious little respect from the other big conferences (Hockey East/CCHA/WCHA). While schools like Minnesota, New Hampshire, Michigan and Notre Dame — to name a few — have been spotted way ahead of other comparable teams in the polls during poor seasons, what love does Union get for its recently unbeaten league record? Thirteenth? Please.</p> <p>This isn't about the rest of the nation devaluing our conference out of spite. Rather, it's because ECAC programs beat up on each other so regularly and the parity tends to be so strong that when Yale loses to RPI, outsiders see it as a big upset. We see it as further evidence of the strength and depth of the league. (See also: Harvard beating Union, Brown downing RPI or Princeton over Harvard, just for starters.)</p> <p>When was the last time North Dakota — a middling 13-1'-5 squad this year — lost to either Michigan Tech or Minnesota State? Mid-October of 2''8. Other leagues are far more predictable than ECAC Hockey, and it hurts us in the polls.</p> <p>Obviously, polls mean nothing when you get down to brass tacks, but what do matter are the <a href='rankings/rpi.php' target='_blank'>RPI</a> and the <a href='rankings/pwr.php' target='_blank'>PairWise rankings.</a> How does ECAC Hockey shoot itself in the foot? By not only having to schedule more non-conference games (thereby generally watering down the strength of the non-con competition as a whole), but also by <em>dropping</em> so many of those games. Case in point: Quinnipiac was once 12-1-' and ranked third in the nation in the USCHO.com Poll. (Even then, the Bobcats' lone loss was to nobody Robert Morris, currently nine points back of Bemidji State in the CHA.) On the road to that sparkling record, the 'Cats downed the likes of 2''9 NCAA tournament participant Ohio State (twice) and what was then a 9-2-', top 1'-ranked Massachusetts.</p> <p>Since then, QU has one — <em>one</em> — win in 13 games (1-1'-2), and it was against American International (3-19-2 and dead-last in Atlantic Hockey). Losses include a sweep at the hands of St. Cloud State, a loss and draw against Niagara (7-15-4 right now), and a 1-1 tie at Holy Cross (6-14-5). Accompanied by losses to Brown, Princeton and Dartmouth along the way, Quinnipiac has literally played itself right out of an NCAA at-large bid. </p> <p><b>The Fix</b></p> <p>As Hagwell pointed out, ECAC programs play 22 league games, compared to 27 for Hockey East teams and 28 for Atlantic Hockey, the CCHA and WCHA. Parity aside, one big problem posed by playing so few league games is that each one is roughly 25 percent more important than a game in any other league ... so if you are an ECAC Hockey coach, where do your priorities lie: beating Canisius this weekend, or remaining healthy and efficient for Colgate and Cornell next weekend? It's not a tough decision, but I believe it costs us dearly in the end.</p> <p>I don't propose increasing the number of conference games, unless we add new teams. Rather, I would encourage the league and its coaching fraternity to look more closely at the mid-season non-conference schedule. </p> <p>If you want to play Minnesota, why not give yourself the best opportunity by planning the games either before or after a bye week? Playing before a two-week break devotes your complete and utter focus to the Gophers. Doing it after a weekend off will give you the freshest legs. Shoe-horning non-league games between two regular ECAC weekends doesn't work well, as coaches seem to sacrifice dominance for rest, second-string goaltending and line-tinkering. It's a losing formula.</p> <p>The Commish also noted that the conference has bandied about the idea of a scheduling alliance with other leagues, which is a great idea. Personally, I think that the ECAC should play far more games against Hockey East opponents. They're all in the same region, and there are historic ties between many of the programs: Cornell vs. BU at Madison Square Garden; Dartmouth vs. New Hampshire for the Riverstone Cup; Brown vs. Providence in the Mayor's Cup; and Harvard vs. BU/BC in the Beanpot should be only the tip of the iceberg. </p> <p>Clarkson, Colgate and Quinnipiac combined for three Hockey East games ... one apiece. Rensselaer, St. Lawrence and Union, on the other hand, played three each against the rogue spawn of the old ECAC. I know schedules are done years and years in advance these days, but northeast matchups between traditional rivals shouldn't require a law office and a team of physicists to pull off.</p> <p>I'm not accusing coaches of ducking big-name programs in favor of the Little Sisters of Division I. That said, I'm not lauding many of them for taking all comers, either. As the saying goes, you've got to beat the best to be the best. Beating up on each other, while challenging, only diminishes the league's overall standing in the postseason formulae. </p> <h4>Props and Flops</h4> <p>We're going old-school, with a C marking an average grade ... grades take the program's schedule, record and status into account, so two equivalent schedules and records may not receive the same grade. I also realize and consider that non-conference games are arranged a few years in advance.</p> <p><em>Brown:</em> Flop. D+<br /> Non-conference opponents — Princeton, Providence, Bentley, Connecticut, American International, and St. Cloud State (twice). </p> <p>NC record — 2-5-'</p> <p>SCSU is the only team giving Brown a boost this year, as none of the other opponents carry so much as a .5'' record. That said, it's not horrible for a rebuilding program — last year, the Bears played two league opponents (Princeton and Yale) in non-con games, and only played one game against a big-name program, Minnesota.</p> <p><em>Clarkson:</em>Prop. A-<br /> Non-conference opponents — Niagara, RIT, St. Lawrence, Boston College, Northern Michigan, Bowling Green, Michigan State (twice), Minnesota-Duluth (twice), and Alabama-Huntsville (twice).</p> <p>NC record — 4-7-1</p> <p>Way up north as Clarkson is, games against fellow border-huggers Niagara and RIT make sense. St. Lawrence? Yeah, I get it, and I'll let it slide. Michigan State and Minnesota-Duluth ended up being nice gets, and even though it was probably determined five years ago, I'll nonetheless credit Clarkson with some charity points for playing UAH in what may be the Chargers' last season. </p> <p>It's tough drawing opponents to the North Country, so I'm glad that George Roll & Co. didn't settle for a 1'' percent Atlantic Hockey/northern Hockey East slate. It's been an awful season for the Golden Knights, but I can't complain about their out-of-conference slate. </p> <p><em>Colgate:</em> Flop. D+<br /> Non-conference opponents — RIT, Massachusetts-Lowell, Army, Canisius, Notre Dame, Nebraska-Omaha (twice), Robert Morris (twice), and Niagara (thrice).</p> <p>NC record — 3-5-4</p> <p>What a mess this is. UMass-Lowell was a strong first-half team, Notre Dame has been at the top end of D-I for a few years now, and UNO has been fair-to-competent recently as well. But then you have the high-risk, low-reward RIT, Army, Canisius, and Niagara (twice scheduled, once in the consolation of the Shillelagh Tournament). The Raiders were a lackluster 3-2-2 against the softer majority of their out-of-league slate, and '-3-2 against the top end; if they'd won a few more, they'd probably get a passing grade.</p> <p><em>Cornell:</em> Prop. A<br /> Non-conference opponents — Niagara, Boston University, Colorado College, Princeton, New Hampshire, and North Dakota (twice).</p> <p>NC record — 3-3-1</p> <p>The only two programs anyone could dream of faulting Mike Schafer for are Niagara and Princeton, and that would be a weak foundation for a complaint. The Purple Eagles were Cornell's first NCAA game of the season, and Princeton was a tournament pairing. Kudos to getting North Dakota for the two-year home-and-home series, splitting both last year and this, and for the big-stage MSG sequel against the defending national champions. CC and UNH are big-time programs enjoying a lot of recent success, which tastes magnificent when washed down with a pour of a full-flavored Big Red.</p> <p><em>Dartmouth:</em> Flop, C-<br /> Non-conference opponents — Providence, Harvard, Sacred Heart, Vermont, Northeastern, Holy Cross, and New Hampshire. </p> <p>NC record — 2-5-'</p> <p>Games against Sacred Heart and Holy Cross aren't going to turn any heads (especially when you <em>lose</em> both of them), and playing Harvard in an Ivy League non-con seems a little pointless, since it has no recent precedent. Beyond that though, it's a solid helping of Hockey East for Bob Gaudet's brigade: PC, UVM, NU and UNH are adequately-to-substantially challenging, but the grade would be much improved with a little more creativity. One or two AHA opponents, maybe; but Harvard too? </p> <p><em>Harvard:</em> Flop, D+<br /> Non-conference opponents — Boston University, Dartmouth, Northeastern, Boston College (twice), and Minnesota (twice).</p> <p>NC record — '-6-' (one game vs. NU remaining)</p> <p>Great slate (excepting the befuddling Dartmouth tilt), terrible record ... that's all there is to it. A non-conference schedule with any other non-ECAC program instead of DC would've put Harvard back up to a C- (heaven forbid, from Harvard!?), but the Crimson were never going to get a whiff of a passing grade without so much as a tie to show for it. Funny, Harvard was '-7-' in non-league games last year, too, and 2-4-1 the year prior ... </p> <p><em>Princeton:</em> Prop. B+<br /> Non-conference opponents — Brown, Yale, Maine, Cornell, Connecticut, and Massachusetts-Lowell (twice).</p> <p>NC record — 4-2-1</p> <p>Three Ivy games and one pushover in UConn are a bit painful on the eyes, but I'll remind you that the Cornell game was in the second-round of the Florida College Classic. Otherwise, the Maine and UML games were respectable, and the record is solid ... especially considering how bad the Tigers had it in late 2''9. Next time out, just try to ditch that whole Ivy Invitational ... it's really quite unnecessary.</p> <p><em>Quinnipiac:</em> Flop. C-<br /> Non-conference opponents — Bentley, Massachusetts, Holy Cross, American International, Ohio State (twice), Robert Morris (twice), St. Cloud State (twice), and Niagara (twice).</p> <p>NC record - 6-4-2</p> <p>Half of the Bobcats' dozen out-of-conference games were permissible: OSU, UMass, SCSU, and take your pick of one of the other Atlantic games. But then, three games against AHA foes and four more against the CHA? I'd much rather have seen a WCHA pair in there, and maybe one or two more Hockey East games. Quinnipiac has a gorgeous facility and it's finally starting to draw some bigger programs ... but I don't think the 'Cats are baiting the hooks (or winning against the smaller programs) often enough.</p> <p><em>Rensselaer:</em> Prop, B+<br /> Non-conference opponents — Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Alaska, Alaska-Anchorage, Sacred Heart, American International, Niagara, Army, Bentley, Boston University, Michigan, Michigan State, and Union (twice).</p> <p>NC record — 7-6-1</p> <p>Talk about ambitious: Thirteen different teams, only five of those from the AHA or CHA, and two "exempt" games in Alaska to boot. Signature wins this year have included beating UNH, BU and Michigan, and the only real regrettable losses are to Niagara and Army. One of the Union matchups was in the title game of RPI's Holiday Hockey Tournament, so overall it was an incredibly diverse docket for the Engineers this year. One game above .5'' isn't anything to crow about — not for this year's team, in any case — but it's not bad, either.</p> <p><em>St. Lawrence:</em> Prop. B-<br /> Non-conference opponents — Massachusetts-Lowell, RIT, Clarkson, Army, Maine, Vermont, Boston College, Nebraska-Omaha, Sacred Heart (twice), and Niagara (thrice).</p> <p>NC record — 6-5-2</p> <p>With two exempt games for the IceBreaker, the Saints technically went a game shorter on the schedule than they had to. In any case, Joe Marsh buddied up with four Hockey East coaches, four Atlantic coaches, and a soon-to-be WCHA program to build his season. The problem is, the Saints' only big NC win of the season was against Boston College (5-2 in the Denver Cup), but couldn't beat UML, Clarkson, Maine, UVM or UNO ('-4-1 against the lot). Therefore, the non-league record is loaded up with soft wins and tough losses. Just like Clarkson, I appreciate how hard it is to either entice other teams to travel to the North Country, just as much as I know how hard it is to travel therefrom. That's why I'm going easy on SLU, even though I would've loved to see them take on a few more HEA/WCHA/CCHA opponents. </p> <p><em>Union:</em> Prop. B-<br /> Non-conference opponents — American International, Sacred Heart, Lake Superior State, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Army, Maine (twice), St. Cloud State (twice), and Rensselaer (twice).</p> <p>NC record — 6-4-2</p> <p>The Dutchmen got a pair of big wins over Maine to open the year, but as much momentum as the RPI Holiday Hockey Tournament victory over the host Engineers may have given them, they haven't mustered much else in the non-conference department. I'll give Union credit for gutting out a draw at St. Cloud, but the team is nonetheless '-2-2 against the WCHA (SCSU), CCHA (LSSU) and Hockey East (UMass) when you look beyond the season's initial weekend. Credit to coach Nate Leaman, though, for not loading up on CHA and Atlantic chum: only four of the Dutchmen's foes this year have come from the AHA, and none from the lame-duck CHA. Union went 3-1-' in those contests.</p> <p><em>Yale:</em> Prop. A<br /> Non-conference opponents — Princeton, Massachusetts, Sacred Heart, Holy Cross, Vermont, Ferris State, and Wisconsin.</p> <p>NC record — 4-2-1</p> <p>Princeton, SHU and HC aren't exceptionally outstanding teams to have on your docket, but the other four sure wound up as winners. Ferris State may not have stood out a few years ago when Wisconsin's Badger Showdown was arranged, but it sure made believers out of many midwesterners when Yale whooped the then-11th-ranked, 13-3-2 CCHA'ers 6-1 in Madison. Following up the rout with a 2-2 draw against the hosts was a huge statement for the Elis and for ECAC Hockey in general, even though Hockey East folks may still point out that UMass and Vermont each downed the Blue & White earlier last autumn. Yale also went 3-'-' against Ivy rival Princeton and Atlantic Hockey's two representatives, Sacred Heart and Holy Cross.</p> <h4>Want More?</h4> <p>Rather than writing a 1','''-word column this week, I'll spare your scrolling finger. <a href='http://www.uscho.com/blogs/the-breakaway/bsullivan82/2'1''2'4/ezac-past-present-or-future.html' target='_blank'>Click here to read a Q&A</a> with a former WCHA assistant and current ECAC Hockey coach about his thoughts on the league's national status.</p> <h4>Readers' Poll</h4> <p><a href='http://board.uscho.com/showthread.php?p=4593516#post4593516' target='_blank'>Last week's query</a> earned a resounding response, as 2' of 42 respondents tabbed Princeton as the second half's most likely dark horse. Brown, Clarkson and Dartmouth each received votes, but not even a third as many as the Tigers. Nine of little faith didn't think any of the four candidates pose a threat in early 2'1'.</p> <p>Also with an overwhelming majority was my <a href='http://board.uscho.com/showthread.php?p=4599772#post4599772' target='_blank'>demographic poll,</a> which showed 25 of 41 voters coming from the ranks of ECAC alumni. (Nine others were local fans, four students, one member of a player's family, one from a member program's staff, and one "other".) Yes, I should've realized that no player would publicly admit to reading the boards via his user name. I should've made the poll anonymous. </p> <p>This week, I want to know if you agree with my assessment of <a href='http://board.uscho.com/showthread.php?t=88351' target='_blank'>ECAC Hockey's non-conference performance.</a>

2010-02-05T01:33:52-06:00 2010-02-05T01:33:52-06:00 2010-02-05T01:33:52-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18019/ThisWeekinHockeyEastFeb42010.html Dave Hendrickson, USCHO Hockey East Correspondent

<h4>None of That Talk</h4> <p>Here's some news that should make fans of seven Hockey East teams stand up and cheer.</p> <p>There will be no Beanpot talk in this column.</p> <p>Thank you. Thank you. You can be seated now. Oh, you're too kind. Please be seated. Thank you.</p> <p>Hey, the Tournament-Which-Shall-Not-Be-Named is great fun and generates enormous publicity for the game, albeit to the annoyance of many of the seven league teams on the outside. And I was prepared to make use of Boston University coach Jack Parker's eyebrow-raising comments that people are sick of seeing his team against Boston College in the finals. </p> <p>But our USCHO coverage has already captured <a href='news/id,18''8/ParkerPeopleAreSickofBUBCinBeanpotFinal.html'>that</a> and more. There's really not a lot more to add.</p> <p>So let's move on to a couple teams a good deal further than shouting distance from Boston proper.</p> <h4>Stronger Every Day</h4> <p>A few weeks into the season, the Maine Black Bears stood at 1-5-' and NFL coach Jim Mora's postgame tirade might have come to mind: "<em>Playoffs?</em> I just hope we can win a game!"</p> <p>Based on e-mails sent to yours truly, the natives were getting restless.</p> <p>Their team had missed the 2''8 Hockey East playoffs entirely and managed only an eighth-place berth last year. In the eyes of the "what have you done for me lately" crowd, the 2''6 and 2''7 trips to the Frozen Four were old news and the 2''2 and 2''4 losses in the national championship game were ancient history.</p> <p>Back when his team was 1-5, coach Tim Whitehead preached patience, and it turns out he was right. The Black Bears put together three straight wins, faltered with just a point in the next three games, but then shifted into overdrive after Thanksgiving with an eight-game undefeated streak.</p> <p>Thanks to a three-point weekend at Vermont, the Black Bears are now on pace for a home-ice berth and are but a PairWise tiebreaker away from another trip to the NCAAs.</p> <p>"It's just a gradual process of maturing as a team and gaining confidence among each other with our systems of play," Whitehead says. "Now we know we can be effective as a team.</p> <p>"There wasn't any lightning strike in one game. It was just the gradual process that all teams go through. We knew we had the potential of having a strong team this year.</p> <p>"One of the big bright spots is we've been able to withstand some adversity with injuries this year and still find a way to win some games. That's been a big positive. It's not going to get any easier, but we're excited about the stretch run."</p> <p>Taking three of four points at Vermont was a significant step forward for a team that had struggled on the road. The Black Bears had enjoyed a 7-2-1 record within the friendly confines of Alfond Arena, but entered last weekend 2-7-' on the road.</p> <p>"The weekend up in Vermont is definitely going to continue to build confidence for our team," Whitehead says. "It's tough to steal any points on the road in this league, let alone three out of four, so that was a very encouraging sign for our team. </p> <p>"The first night was a very thorough victory and then the second night was a game we would have never been able to win or tie last year. We fell behind and deserved to be behind. Vermont was outplaying us and yet we found a way to recapture the game in the third period and even gain some chances to try to win it."</p> <p>Maine's juggernaut power play displayed its prowess over the weekend, going 4-for-7 on Friday and 3-for-6 on Saturday. Not only is it converting at a 3' percent mark, it's doing so with a wide variety of weapons. The seven power-play goals on the weekend came off the sticks of six different players. That's no fluke. On the season, seven Black Bears have recorded at least four man-advantage goals with an eighth player having tallied three.</p> <p>"That's been the biggest key," Whitehead says. "We are getting a lot of different guys contributing. Because of that, we've been tough to defend. If you shut down one guy, someone else steps up. </p> <p>"We've really tried to develop as many power-play players as we can so that we'll have a lot of options and a lot of different looks to attack with. I think that's been probably our biggest strength. We've been resilient in being able to use many different players and attack in many different ways."</p> <p>Of course, Maine's No. 1 weapon is Gustav Nyquist, whose 14-22—36 scoring line trails only James Marcou's in Hockey East overall scoring. As a freshman, Nyquist recorded 32 points while earning a berth on the league all-rookie team but has taken his game to the next level this season.</p> <p>"Everyone knows he's got great skill and poise with the puck," Whitehead says. "Even the casual fan can see those skills. But he's also a real fierce competitor who has courage in traffic, wins loose pucks consistently, and gets to the net-front on offense and defense. </p> <p>"He's really become a complete player and just keeps getting better each month."</p> <p>Nyquist is but one of a dominating sophomore class that includes top goaltender Scott Darling, Brian Flynn and Will O'Neill, who rank second and third behind Nyquist in team scoring, and several other key contributors. All of which means that as good as this year could be for Maine, next year could be even better.</p> <p>"There's no doubt we're excited about the future, but we've been down this road before and unfortunately lost some guys [early to the pros]," Whitehead says. "We would have gotten [to this point] in the building process earlier quite frankly if we hadn't. </p> <p>"Hopefully we'll retain our elite players this time and if we do, we feel that we can be even stronger next year, which is very exciting obviously for all of us. We have a real good core of younger players that are playing most of the minutes for us so the future looks bright."</p> <p>In the meantime, this year looks like anything but the proverbial chopped liver. Maine is on the bubble for the NCAA tournament and based on <a href='news/id,18'1'/BracketologyFeb22'1'.html'>Jayson Moy's Bracketology</a>, is a mere tiebreaker away from getting in. Considering their 1-5-' start, the Black Bears have to like where they stand.</p> <p>"We definitely have our sights set on returning to the NCAA tournament," Whitehead says. "That's always our goal here and we think that this year it's a realistic goal. </p> <p>"It's going to be challenging. We've had an unusual number of injuries so that's going to be tough for us. But we feel now that we've learned to play without key guys in the lineup so we can compete for the tournament. </p> <p>"But one of the best ways to reach your goal is to focus one step at a time and that's what we're going to continue to do each week. This week's step is a big one."</p> <p>Ah, yes. The Black Bears host New Hampshire this weekend for a two-game set that has titanic implications on the playoff race. The Wildcats are threatening to run away with the regular season title. A sweep, however, would not only make it a race until most likely the last weekend but would also almost certainly push Maine inside the NCAA tournament bubble.</p> <p>"We have great respect for our opponents coming in," Whitehead says. "They're a very talented team at all three positions. They've got six forwards that are real sharp shooters. Blake Kessel is as good as they get on defense and obviously [Brian] Foster is strong in net. So we know we've got our hands full with them. </p> <p>"But we're at home, so that's a big plus. We've been very strong at home and will have a great crowd. </p> <p>"It's obviously a great rivalry. Not as old as the BU-BC rivalry but certainly just as competitive and exciting. So it will be like our own mini-Beanpot up here with a sellout crowd and great excitement."</p> <h4>Tops Within The League In PWR</h4> <p>The Massachusetts Minutemen have performed like a Timex watch this year. They've taken a few lickings, but they've kept on ticking.</p> <p>Admittedly, they've laid a few eggs. Losses of 7-3 and 6-2 at Boston University. A 7-2 loss at UNH.</p> <p>But taking the season as a whole, the Minutemen are in great shape. Tied for second place in Hockey East. Tops among league teams in the PairWise.</p> <p>"I think in large [part] we've continued to move forward," coach Don "Toot" Cahoon says. "There's been some stumbling along the way. Not every game has been a great outing, but certainly the team has demonstrated the ability to be able to withstand some struggles and be able to move itself forward to better itself and improve itself. </p> <p>"Our very good players are having very good years. That bodes well because you need your best players to be your best players. </p> <p>"The goaltending situation, which is always crucial down the stretch, is better than it's ever been. I've got two guys — [Paul Dainton and Dan Meyers] — that are making a contribution, so that bodes well. </p> <p>"Having said that, every game's a new event. Some days are better than others. We're no different than everybody else. We just have to take it one day at a time."</p> <p>When Cahoon refers to his very good players having very good years, all eyes fall on UMass's one-two offensive punch, James Marcou and Casey Wellman. Marcou (8-32—4') ranks tops in Hockey East overall scoring with Wellman (19-16—35) fourth. It's a combination many teams' coaches and fans look on with envy.</p> <p><html><object width="4''" height="32'"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#AAAAAA" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.photoshelter.com/swf/CSlideShow.swf?sv=2''9'929&feedSRC=http%3A//www.photoshelter.com/c/hockeyphotography/gallery/USCHO-James-Marcou/G''''1sw.ZCmLnm8%3Ffeed%3Drss%26ppg%3D2''&wmds=llQ6QNgpeC.p1Ucz7U.Z.IsHRcLyU4rNAQeJ.VykZfnebYkzs8YETndCXKUxnEA3_NOWcg—&target=_self&f_l=f&f_fscr=f&f_tb=t&f_bb=t&f_bbl=f&f_fss=f&f_2up=f&f_crp=f&f_wm=f&f_s2f=f&f_emb=f&f_cap=t&f_sln=t&ldest=c&imgT=casc&cred=iptc&trans=xfade" /><embed src="http://www.photoshelter.com/swf/CSlideShow.swf?t=1265355187656&feedSRC=http%3A//www.photoshelter.com/c/hockeyphotography/gallery/USCHO-James-Marcou/G''''1sw.ZCmLnm8%3Ffeed%3Drss%26ppg%3D2''&wmds=llQ6QNgpeC.p1Ucz7U.Z.IsHRcLyU4rNAQeJ.VykZfnebYkzs8YETndCXKUxnEA3_NOWcg—&target=_self&f_l=f&f_fscr=f&f_tb=t&f_bb=t&f_bbl=f&f_fss=f&f_2up=f&f_crp=f&f_wm=f&f_s2f=f&f_emb=f&f_cap=t&f_sln=t&ldest=c&imgT=casc&cred=iptc&trans=xfade" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="false" allowscriptaccess="always" width="4''" height="32'" bgcolor="#AAAAAA" wmode="opaque"></embed></object></html></p> <p>"If you go back and look at the great lines that have played in college hockey, it's usually more than just one terrific player on the line," Cahoon says. "It's a couple of guys that really complement each other and bring out the best in each other. </p> <p>"In our situation, we even have a third player in T.J. Syner, who is not the point producer that Marcou and Wellman are, but he's every bit as good a hockey player and he skates extremely well. That line really brings out the best of all those guys. </p> <p>"Wellman is a pure scorer and a shooter. He has real quick feet and gets himself into position to get scoring opportunities. Marcou is uncanny with his ability to create and make plays and then execute and find people in the most difficult of circumstances. It shows itself regularly; it's not happening by accident.</p> <p>"Quite honestly, you don't teach what they do. Hopefully you try to bring the best out of them by putting them out there at the right times and giving them ample opportunity to showcase their skills. But they're pretty special players."</p> <p>Cahoon's one-day-at-a-time approach definitely applies to UMass' position in the PairWise, tied with Ferris State for seventh place and tops among Hockey East teams, ahead of such perennial stalwarts as UNH and Boston College.</p> <p>"It's fleeting," Cahoon says. "A weekend can change all of that so we don't give it a lot of thought even though there is an awareness [of it]. Clearly we're pleased to be in the mix, but we have to take care of the business of playing the games. Otherwise, you can fall out of the mix in a hurry with a bad weekend or two."</p> <p>Potential bad weekends could be looming like thunderclouds on the horizon. After playing at home the next two Fridays, UMass finishes the season with five of its six games on the road. Fortunately, the Minutemen have nearly matched their home record of 8-4-', dropping only to 7-5-' on the road, the aforementioned lopsided losses to BU and UNH notwithstanding.</p> <p>"The one thing that we wanted to emphasize early in the year was, 'Let's take advantage of the number of home games we have, let's be prepared for each one and take advantage of the home crowd makeup,'" Cahoon says. "So we got off to a good start. Then we realized when we started playing on the road that we were going to be doing this in the second a half of the year a whole lot more than we would be at home. </p> <p>"So I think our guys are just trying to keep it between the glass. They're diligent and they are not intimidated at playing in other barns. </p> <p>"Some days are better than others. The games at BU on January second and then the game the following weekend at UNH weren't good outings. So we have to keep a real tight lid on it and keep a narrow focus and be able to just play between the glass and do the things that good teams do. </p> <p>"I don't think there's any prescribed method except not getting carried away and tying to consume the whole game in one shift or two. You just have to take it shift by shift."</p> <h4>And Finally, Not That It Has Anything To Do With Anything, But ...</h4> <p>• Pardon me if I get a sense of smug satisfaction that Johnny (Judas) Damon and his hired henchman Scott Boras overplayed their hand and are now left out in the Yankees cold.</p> <p>• Count me as one of those who think that with the change in their respective home ballparks, Adrian Beltre will hit more home runs next year than Jason Bay.</p> <p>• Count me also as one who considers the Red Sox as the No. 2, or at worst No. 3, team in baseball on paper. Yet recently a columnist opined that the Sox were not legitimate World Series contenders. Geez, I wonder why some claim that our local sporting press is so negative.</p> <p>• That said, the addition of Peter Abraham to the Globe looks like a good one. Objective reporting with none of the negative hysteria.</p> <p>• Can someone explain to me why the Bruins would even think about a deal for Ilya Kovalchuk? I don't get it. He'd be a great addition, of course, but you make a rent-a-player deal if that puts you over the top as a significant Stanley Cup contender. You don't sacrifice future draft picks and prospects for a few months of a star if you're struggling to make the playoffs. </p> <p><hr></p> <p>Thanks to Diana Giunta and Scott Weighart for providing quotes.

2010-02-04T15:10:53-06:00 2010-02-04T15:10:53-06:00 2010-02-04T15:10:53-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18020/ThisWeekintheECACEastNESCACFeb42010.html Tim Costello, USCHO ECAC East/NESCAC Correspondent

With just three weeks remaining in the regular season, the pressure is on to really refine the level of play in order to garner as many points as possible in the final half dozen games of the season. This refinement will not only help define the teams’ playoff positions but also set the stage for moving into the playoffs with the right focus and game plan to make a run at a conference championship. </p> <p>“A good analogy is looking at being a builder,” said Bowdoin head coach Terry Meagher. “We have done all the heavy lifting, pouring the foundation, framing the house and such early in the season. Now we are really working on the trim and finish work and getting the house ready for sale and showing off how solid and good the construction really is. With a ’one and done’ tournament format you want your team playing at a high level with attention to the little things that will help you be successful — the finished work.” </p> <p>Right now everyone is hoping the construction is solid and in some cases looking at the “master contractor” on their roster to help expedite the process of building a championship run. </p> <h4>Babson Success Coming Out of the Woods </h4> </p> <p>While Babson head coach Jamie Rice’s team is no stranger to winning the ECAC East title (two in the past four seasons), this year’s team has had a number of new experiences to challenge the mental toughness and resiliency of the entire roster. And from those challenges a new team leader has emerged that has the Beavers turning their game on at the right time of the year. </p> <p>“In all my years of coaching, I have never had a year like this one,” said Rice. “If you told me at the beginning of the season that we would lose our leading scorer, best defenseman and another key senior forward from roster for virtually the entire season, I would say that would cause big problems for a young team looking for production and leadership from those key guys.” </p> <p>Babson has in fact lost Jason Schneider, Gabriel Chenard-Poirier and Corey Griffin to season ending injuries so far has weathered the loss of the seniors, albeit with some other hardships along the way. </p> <p>“Everyone has injuries,” noted Rice. “It’s a part of the game that every team has to deal with and nobody ever uses it as an excuse for performance or how the team is doing overall. This year has been strange in that losing the three kids was a big deal but since our first day of practice we have never had our full 26 players on the roster on the ice. </p> <p>“We are lucky when we have 19 or 2' sometimes so we are learning to get by with the players who can go and have been developing the experience and confidence along the way especially with the young players.” </p> <p>A clear leader for Babson has been their leading scorer, junior Terry Woods. His 12 goals and 13 assists lead the offense for Babson and his goals have been big ones contributing on the power play, man-down situations as well as two game-winning tallies so far this season.</p> <p>“In the six years I have been here, I have never had a kid more valuable to his team than Terry [Woods] is this season,” said Rice. “He is really underrated even going back to his days at Andover Academy. I think the four game streak he is on right now is incredible and certainly something I don’t remember seeing here at Babson.” </p> <p>During the past five games, where the team has gone 4-'-1, Woods has paced the offense with seven goals and six assists for 13 points. The current five game unbeaten streak is the longest of the season for the beavers and something the coach hopes can continue during the final weeks of the season. </p> <p>“He [Woods] is a kid that just loves to compete,” said Rice. “Some kids don’t like to practice against him because he is always full bore on the ice. He has a high level of competition and is one of those kids who really leads by example and what he does more than what he says.” </p> <p>Babson’s current streak — which includes last weekend’s 3-3 tie against undefeated Norwich, the second ranked team in the nation — reflects a more consistent game overall and the focus that their coach is expecting where the games are all key to final standings and controlling one’s own destiny. </p> <p>“We have played a lot of close games this season,” said Rice. “Almost all of our games early on were 1 goal games or empty net goals at the end for the final differential. Those are very close and competitive games that, while we didn’t win them all, should be valuable experience for this part of the season and moving into the playoffs. There is no doubt that with the close games and the need to overcome our injuries, the team has gotten closer and really has been playing with a passion that we need to be successful.” </p> <p>This weekend the Beavers are hosting St. Anselm and New England College and hope that the team and Terry Woods can continue their late season run towards another conference title. </p> <h4>Pilgrims Looking for Ways to Win </h4> </p> <p>The New England College team is finding themselves in unchartered territory late in the season as they look up at the teams ahead of them, with eyes on eighth place overall. While their current position is not where head coach Tom Carroll would like to see his squad, he understands the competitive nature of the league and is focused on his team being just three points out of third place in the standings. </p> <p>“We are really trying to compete hard every game,” said Carroll. “We have just a few games remaining in the regular season and this is the last weekend where we play teams from our conference since we finish with our last four games against NESCAC teams. </p> <p>“All of the games are important and certainly we are just focused right now on playing against a very good Babson team on Friday night. They are playing very well right now so it will be a good challenge for our team to play well and fight for much needed points.” </p> <p>For a team that boasts only one two game winning streak this season (three consecutive victories in early January), the Pilgrims are trying to establish consistency in their game so they can improve their position in the standings and be ready to play at their highest level come playoff time at the end of the month. </p> <p>“For us it is really about competing hard and doing the little things on a consistent basis in order to be a successful hockey team,” said Carroll. “We have definitely had some ups and downs over the course of the season but we have a great group of kids and I am confident that we can get it going at the right time of the year.” </p> <p>One guy who has had it going all season for the Pilgrims is senior forward Alex Muse. The Lynnfield, Mass. native has had a great senior year and has been a key offensive player for the Pilgrims on every shift and especially on the power-play unit. Muse has a team leading 23 points with 1' goals and 13 assists. He also has seven power-play goals to lead the team and his productivity has not been a surprise to his coach or teammates. </p> <p>“We were always very confident in Alex’s abilities,” said Carroll. “He has been a key contributor in his time here at New England and this year he has just taken it to a higher level. It’s been great to watch him play this season and have success and I hope he can continue his level of play over the remaining games in the regular season and into the playoffs.” </p> <p>One of Carroll’s new assistants may also have a say and some input with how this Pilgrim team finishes off the season. </p> <p>Former league all-star and NEC graduate Mike Carmody has taken a hiatus from professional hockey to join the coaching ranks with NEC. His recent success at the school as a player under Carroll certainly is something the coach thinks has resonated with the players. </p> <p>“Mike is very interested in coaching and has come back to school to finish his course work while recovering from an injury that kept him out of the game for awhile,” Carroll said. “I think he brings very valuable experience to relate to the players since he was here not too long ago and provides a great outlet for kids to open up about what their facing on the ice with somebody who was just there going through the same things. He has been a great addition to the staff and is really learning about all of the aspects of coaching on a first-hand basis.” </p> <p>The Pilgrims play their last two home games this weekend before finishing the final two weeks of the regular season on the road. Every game is a must win situation right now but the Pilgrims will need to improve on their 1-4-2 conference road record if they want to move up in the standings and compete for a home ice berth which is only 3 points away from where they sit now in the conference. </p> <h4>Joe Concannon Award Celebrates Tenth Anniversary </h4> </p> <p>Back in 2''1, the first Joe Concannon Award was bestowed upon Norwich forward — and current Washington Capital — Keith Aucoin. The honor, which is named after the distinguished sports writer from the <em>Boston Globe</em>, celebrates the best American-born player at the D-II/III level in New England. </p> <p>The award keys on on-ice performance, sportsmanship, leadership, and off-ice values, including academic and citizenship on campus. The press release announcing this year’s nominees just came out this week and with every New England conference represented, there are a lot of great hockey players on the list and no clear cut winner defined right now, which should make the evaluation for the award committee members very challenging over the final weeks of the season. </p> <p>Here is the list of nominees in alphabetical order along with their hometown and school affiliation: </p> <p><b>Scott Barchard</b>, goalie, Reading, MA, Tufts<br /> <b>Chris Chambers</b>, forward, Crofton, MD, Plymouth State<br /> <b>Billy Crinnion</b>, forward, Smithtown, NY, Colby<br /> <b>Bryan Curran</b>, defense, Defense Wilmette, IL, Middlebury<br /> <b>Tom Derosa*</b>, forward, Charlestown, MA, Tufts<br /> <b>Vinnie Jacona</b>, forward, East Stroudsburg, PA, UMass-Boston<br /> <b>Skylur Jameson</b>, forward, Long Beach, CA, Wentworth<br /> <b>Zach Joy, forward</b>, Dover, NH Southern Maine<br /> <b>Ryan Kligensmith*</b>, goalie, Morton, PA, Norwich<br /> <b>Alex Muse</b>, forward, Lynnfield, MA, New England College<br /> <b>Coleman Noonan</b>, forward, Norfolk, MA, St. Anselm<br /> <b>Pat O’Kane</b>, forward, Hollis, NH, Assumption<br /> <b>Alex Smigelski</b>, forward, Mt. Lakes, NJ, Williams<br /> <b>Eric Tallent</b>, defense, Garland, TX, Norwich<br /> <b>Terry Woods</b>, forward, Duxbury, MA, Babson<br /> <b>Dennis Zak*</b>, forward , Dover, NJ, Westfield State </p> <p>*Repeat Nominee </p> <p>Every team is focused on performing when it counts the most. Every player is expected to pull their weight and play with focus and determination while even more is expected from those leading their teams to continue to have success and provide the production and leadership every hockey team needs at this time of the year. The races are tight and every weekend sees the standings get jumbles again so let the scoreboard watching begin. </p> <p>Drop the puck.

2010-02-04T15:30:57-06:00 2010-02-04T15:30:57-06:00 2010-02-04T15:30:57-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18021/ThisWeekinMIACFeb42010.html Scott Bridges, USCHO MIAC Correspondent

<h4>Push for the Playoffs</h4> <p>After last weekend, there are three weeks left in the MIAC schedule. With the season nearing its conclusion, in some leagues this would be the time of year when the playoff picture is becoming clearer and teams are left jockeying for positioning. In the MIAC though, where only five teams make the playoffs, the picture is anything but clear. The parity in this league becomes more and more apparent each week, and the door is still open for teams to make late pushes to secure a playoff spot. With that in mind, lets take a look at last weekend’s action, and what each team has left to do to secure a playoff spot.</p> <p><b>Bethel vs. St. Olaf</b></p> <p>This was my series of the week, as the Royals are fighting to hold on to their playoff position while the Oles are trying to claw their way up the standings. A sweep would have been huge for either team, and both came out playing hard on Friday at Bethel. </p> <p>St. Olaf scored first, but Bethel tallied three goals before the end of the first period, staking them to a 3-1 lead. The Oles were able to keep it close, but were never able to tie the score en route to a 5-3 win for Bethel. </p> <p>Bethel coach Joel Johnson was proud of the way his team played, especially since it gave his team a chance to capitalize on the weekend.</p> <p>“Obviously winning the first game is huge,” said Johnson. “Not only is it good for our confidence and for building momentum, but it gives us a chance to take three or four points and have a really good weekend.”</p> <p>The Royals weren’t able to gain any more points on Saturday though, as the Oles capitalized at home. While the Oles looked somewhat hesitant on Friday, they were able to apply a lot more pressure on Saturday, outshooting the Royals 3'-14 over the final two periods. </p> <p>Despite that shot advantage, though, St. Olaf never held a two goal lead, and scored the game-winning goal with less than three minutes remaining. Regardless of how it came to pass, the most important thing for them was to come away with the 4-3 victory.</p> <p>Like most series, this had the potential to clear up the playoff picture. </p> <p>However with a split, more teams became jammed in the middle of the standings. For Bethel, the split keeps them in third place, although it’s looking less likely that they’ll be able to catch Hamline or Gustavus Adolphus for one of the top two spots. The Royals have four games left to play while the teams above them have six remaining. Bethel has also played those teams already, so they can’t gain any ground in a head to head matchup. </p> <p>The good news, however, is that even though they don’t play this week, it’s impossible for them to fall out of the top five, regardless of what happens this weekend. The last two weekends are huge for Bethel as they take on St. Thomas and Augsburg, both of whom are fighting to make the playoffs. If the Royals split those series, odds are they’ll make the playoffs. Taking more than four points from those games would pretty much guarantee them a playoff spot, and possibly a home playoff game as well.</p> <p>For St. Olaf, they’re currently sitting in sixth place and would be the first team out if the playoffs started today. </p> <p>The good news for them is that they have six games left to play while Concordia (MN) and St. Thomas both have only four games left. Both those teams are only two points ahead of the Oles, so one win (or two ties) on their bye weeks is all it could take for St. Olaf to tie them. The Oles have a big series this weekend with St. Thomas, a huge opportunity for either team to put themselves firmly in the playoff picture.</p> <p><b>St. Thomas vs. St. Mary’s</b></p> <p>This was the only sweep of the weekend, as St. Thomas won 4-3 on Friday and 4-1 on Saturday. Friday’s game was as close as the score indicated, as the Tommies scored twice in the third period to come from behind and win. On Saturday, the result wasn’t in question for too long, as St. Thomas outshot the Cardinals 41-23 and led 3-' after the second period. </p> <p>The sweep couldn’t have come at a better time for the Tommies. They started the season off slow, and had been struggling in the bottom half of the standings for some time now. These two wins vaulted them into a tie with Concordia for fourth place in the standings, two points ahead of St. Olaf in sixth. </p> <p>That’s the good news. The bad news is that the Tommies have a bye the final week of the season. That means they’ll have to do enough to make the playoffs over the next two weeks, and hope they don’t get left out while sitting idle.</p> <p>After facing St. Olaf this weekend, the Tommies play Bethel to close out their season. Three wins in those four games should be enough to put the Tommies in the postseason. Conversely, three losses would leave their playoff hopes clinging to life support. The Tommies need to go out and play hard for all four games, without focusing on anything other than working hard every single shift.</p> <p>St. Mary’s, on the other hand, is effectively eliminated from the playoffs. If they win out, they have a shot to make the playoffs, depending on what happens in other games. However, with a 1-9-' league record (and 1-17-1 overall) that does not seem likely. The Cardinals are still improved over last year’s team, and focusing on getting better each game to finish the season is a good goal. Series against Augsburg and Gustavus give St. Mary’s a chance to play spoiler, as well.</p> <p><b>Hamline vs. Augsburg</b></p> <p>If you wanted an example of the parity in the MIAC this season, this series is a good example. Augsburg is currently in seventh place, although they trail St. Olaf by only one point, and are only three points out of the final playoff spot. Tenth ranked Hamline came into this series with a chance to take over first place while Gustavus was idle. </p> <p>Friday night’s matchup turned out to be the game of the week in the MIAC. </p> <p>Augsburg roared out to a 4-' lead before the middle of the second period. Hamline was able to mount a furious comeback, and tied the game in dramatic fashion, scoring with seven seconds left, on the power play, with their goaltender pulled. While some teams may have been demoralized by giving away a four goal lead, Augsburg scored on their first shot in overtime, netting the game winner just over one minute into the extra stanza.</p> <p>Saturday’s game would similar a somewhat similar storyline, but in reverse. This time Hamline would come out with a 2-' lead after the first period, only to have the Auggies tie it in the second. The lone goal in the third period would go to Hamline, who skated off with a 3-2 win, salvaging a split on the weekend.</p> <p>Augsburg’s problem this season is a lack of big weekends. </p> <p>While they’ve only been swept once, Augsburg has only had one weekend where they’ve garnered more than two points. That’s going to have to change over the final three weeks if they want to make the playoffs. This team has the offensive tools and the goaltending to go on a hot streak, but it seems they haven’t been able to put it all together. At times the offense looks extremely dangerous, the power play is clicking, and the goaltending is solid. And at other times one or more of those key facets seem to disappear. </p> <p>A sweep of St. Mary’s this weekend would bring the Auggies one point behind Bethel in the standings. There’s also the possibility that Augsburg would jump either St. Olaf or St. Thomas, depending on what happens when those two teams play this weekend. This would set up a wild ride for the finish, as Augsburg’s final two opponents are St. Olaf and Bethel. </p> <p>For No. 1' Hamline, the loss on Friday meant they no longer had a chance to gain first place this weekend. They still have a shot to take that spot in two weeks when they have their series against Gustavus Adolphus. In between the Gusties and Hamline are two games against St. John’s, though, and while they’re having a down year, the Johnnies are no pushovers. The past two weeks have seen Hamline come out slow on Friday, and they’ve lost both games. Sloppy or lazy play against St. John’s tends to end with the puck in the back of your net. </p> <p>Things are still looking pretty good for the Pipers, however.</p> <p>They control their own destiny for where they finish in the league, and even two wins in their last six games should be enough to see them into the playoffs. While that may not be how Hamline would like to enter the playoffs, with so many teams fighting for those five spots, it’s still an enviable position to be in. Last year, this team came within one game of making the NCAA tournament, losing to Gustavus in the conference championship. Look for them to be willing to do whatever it takes to get back and have a second chance at that coveted conference championship.</p> <p><b> St. John’s vs. Concordia (MN)</b></p> <p>Speaking of the Johnnies, this season has had its share of ups and downs for them. </p> <p>They beat St. Scholastica (ranked fourth in the <a href='/rankings/?data=uscho3m'>USCHO.com Division III</a> men's poll), 3-1, earlier this year and defeated Buffalo State 5-4 at Adrian’s tournament. However, the Johnnies haven’t really been able to get things going in league games, posting a 1-6-1 record coming into last weekend. Despite being heavily outshot by Concordia on Friday, the Johnnies were able to capitalize on their opportunities and skate away with a 7-2 victory. Saturday saw a much more even game. Concordia scored six minutes into the game, St. John’s scored nine minutes later, and that would be it, as the teams skated to a 1-1 tie.</p> <p>While the Johnnies still have a shot at the playoffs, they will pretty much have to win their final six games to do so, while hoping that St. Thomas, Augsburg, and Concordia don’t win any more games. It’s possible, but it looks like they’ll l fall a few points short of making the playoffs.</p> <p>A big weekend from Concordia may have been enough for them to make the playoffs, but a one point weekend puts them in a poor spot. They’d make the playoffs if the season ended today, but with four games remaining, there aren’t too many opportunities left for the Cobbers to shore up their position. To make matters worse, their final two games are against the top two teams in the league. Still, the Cobbers have played a tough non-conference schedule this season, and have faced top teams before. If they can come out of these final few weeks with enough points to make the playoffs, this is a team that could potentially make a run at the championship. </p> <p><b>Gustavus Adolphus</b></p> <p>The nationally eighth ranked Gusties were idle this past weekend, but they still managed to have a good go of things. Hamline’s loss to Augsburg kept Gustavus atop the MIAC standings, although they hold a slim one point lead. They host Concordia for two games this weekend before their huge series against Hamline, and finish the season out with two games against St. Mary’s. </p> <p>The Gusties know what it takes to win a championship, as they won the MIAC playoffs last season and made a run to the national title game. They should also know that any opponent can be dangerous, and won’t be counting on any easy victories. Like most other MIAC teams, they control their own destiny, and a strong finish to the season could see them claim the regular season championship and home ice for the playoffs.</p> <h4>Short Shots</h4> <p>The MIAC regular season champion hasn’t won the league playoffs since 2''7, when Bethel swept both en route to the NCAA’s ... Gustavus’s David Martinson leads the league in scoring with 33 points, the only other player within 1' points of him is teammate Ross Ring-Jarvi with 27 ... Martinson’s 2' goals lead all of Division III, and he is the only player averaging over one goal per game ... Bethel’s Jack Paul leads MIAC rookies in scoring, with 22 points in 21 games ... Hamline has the nation’s ninth best power play, clipping along at 23.8%.

2010-02-05T01:25:23-06:00 2010-02-05T01:25:23-06:00 2010-02-05T01:25:23-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18022/ThisWeekinAtlanticHockeyFeb42010.html Chris Lerch, USCHO Atlantic Hockey Correspondent

<h4>Spoiling the Party</h4> <p>By all measurements, last Saturday's "Make the Rink Pink" game at RIT was a success. The game between the Tigers and Bentley Falcons sold out days in advance, and over $21,''' was raised for cancer research by the RIT men's and women's teams via special jersey raffles and T-shirt sales. The atmosphere in Ritter Arena was electric. </p> <p>A big success for RIT ... except on the scoreboard. Bentley spoiled the party with a hard-fought 5-4 win, snapping a 9-' home conference win streak for the Tigers.</p> <p>"We talked about it before the game," said Bentley coach Ryan Soderquist, whose team dropped a 4-1 decision to RIT the night before. "It was a great event for cancer awareness and were happy to be a part of it. We knew we were going to have to rise to the occasion. It was an exciting atmosphere to play in and we were looking forward to the challenge of getting it done in front of a big, hostile crowd and getting the two points."</p> <p>It wasn't just the crowd against Bentley on Saturday. Already bitten by the injury bug, the Falcons lost two defensemen during the game, and had two goals disallowed.</p> <p>"We couldn't get down on ourselves," said Soderquist. "Our senior leadership picked us up. [Bobby] Preece had a big game. Brendan Harrison had a big power-play goal."</p> <p>Preece had a hat trick in the game and now has eight goals on the season after scoring a total of four goals in his first three seasons. Thanks to a defense that is scoring more goals and some freshmen that have stepped up, the Falcons have been able to survive the loss of their top three scorers from last season. </p> <p>"From the first day of practice we've worked to get [the defense] involved," said Soderquist. "That and having depth in our lines where we get more balanced scoring."</p> <p>Bentley is currently in seventh place, but only a point out of fifth and five points away from fourth, where it finished last season. The Falcons have been swept only once, but have also failed to sweep any other AHA team.</p> <p>"The league is extremely close, so it's hard to win two in a row," said Soderquist. "We've had some injuries and been inconsistent at times. But we've taken points every weekend but one. We need to tighten things up for the stretch run. This league is going to be a battle to the finish. I tell my guys, don't even look at the standings right now."</p> <h4>Weekly Awards</h4> <p><b>Players of the Week for Feb. 1, 2'1':<br /> Bobby Preece — Bentley</b></p> <p>The senior from Bonita Springs, Fla., had his first career hat trick on Saturday, as well as chipping in an assist, to lead the Falcons to a 5-4 win at RIT. </p> <p><b>David Berube — Sacred Heart</b></p> <p>Berube had five points (four goals and an assist) in three games last week to help the Pioneers go 3-'. He had a hat trick in a 6-1 win against American International, and followed that up with a goal and an assist at Connecticut. </p> <p><b>Goalie of the Week for Feb. 1, 2'1': <br /> Steven Legatto — Sacred Heart</b></p> <p>Legatto was rookie of the week in the league last week, and picks up more recognition. He had a 3-' week, compiling a 1.98 GAA and a .929 save percentage over the three games.</p> <p><b>Rookie of the Week for Feb. 1, 2'1':<br /> Chris Tanev — RIT</b></p> <p>Tanev had a goal and two assists last weekend against Bentley. The freshman blueliner leads the Tigers with a plus-16 rating and has 17 points on the season to date.</p> <h4>Monthly Awards</h4> <p><b>Players of the Month for January 2'1':<br /> Nick Johnson — Sacred Heart</b></p> <p>The senior forward leads in nation in goals with 21, averaging .81 per game. The 21 tallies is already a single-season school record. Johnson had seven multi-point games in January. </p> <p>Other players nominated: Bobby Preece, Bentley; Cory Conacher, Canisius; Tyler Mazzei, RIT.</p> <p><b>Goalie of the Month for January 2'1': <br /> Steven Legatto — Sacred Heart</b></p> <p>The rookie made at least 3' saves six times in January and was 9-'-2 during the month. Legatto hasn't suffered a loss since Dec. 5.</p> <p>Other goalies nominated: Thomas Tysowsky, Holy Cross; Jared DeMichiel, RIT.</p> <p><b>Rookie of the Month for January 2'1':<br /> Joe Campanelli — Bentley</b></p> <p>Campanelli had eight points in January, the second most on the team. He's tied for second in the AHA in points for a rookie, and has been the Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week twice so far this season.</p> <p>Other rookies nominated: Preston Shupe, Canisius; Chris Tanev, RIT</p> <h4>As Expected</h4> <p>Army and Air Force had their usual (no pun intended) battle last weekend, with the Black Knights taking three of four points from the Falcons at Tate Rink, extending their home unbeaten streak over their rivals to five games. </p> <p>Falcons coach Frank Serratore was critical of his team in Friday's 4-2 loss, but was more pleased with Saturday's 3-3 effort, despite giving up the tying goal to Army's Eric Sefchik with 11 seconds to play. </p> <p>"It was will over skill tonight," Serratore said after the game on Friday. "We got back into the game in the third, but they imposed their will on us. We looked timid, soft and weak. ... [Army was] clearly the better, stronger and more assertive team tonight." </p> <p>On Saturday, the Air Force coach said, "We played well tonight. I was real proud of the team. As disappointed as I was last night with our effort, I was pleased with it tonight. I feel bad for our guys. Tonight was our night, but it didn't work out for us. Sometimes life isn't fair and sometimes hockey isn't fair. We were the better team tonight, but it didn't work out." </p> <p>The three points moved the Black Knights into sixth place in the standings, while knocking the Falcons from atop their first-place perch. </p> <h4>Award Season</h4> <p>It's the time of year when nomination for major awards are beginning to be announced. Several AHA players got good news this week:</p> <p>• The Gridiron Club of Greater Boston announced the finalists for the 2'1' Walter Brown award, presented annually to the best American-born college hockey player in New England. Sacred Heart's Nick Johnson and Bentley's Marc Menzione are among the 16 nominees.</p> <p><html><object width="5''" height="4''"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#AAAAAA" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.photoshelter.com/swf/CSlideShow.swf?sv=2''9'929&feedSRC=http%3A//www.photoshelter.com/c/hockeyphotography/gallery/USCHO-Marc-Menzione/G''''e41h3wQYV.Q%3Ffeed%3Drss%26ppg%3D2''&wmds=llQ6QNgpeC.p1Ucz7U.Z.IsHRcLyU4rNAQeJ.VzwpRcz_v'pffYVy_ZuaUN6cog8v3PV_g—&target=_self&f_l=f&f_fscr=f&f_tb=t&f_bb=t&f_bbl=f&f_fss=f&f_2up=f&f_crp=f&f_wm=f&f_s2f=f&f_emb=f&f_cap=t&f_sln=t&ldest=c&imgT=casc&cred=iptc&trans=xfade" /><embed src="http://www.photoshelter.com/swf/CSlideShow.swf?t=12653546749'6&feedSRC=http%3A//www.photoshelter.com/c/hockeyphotography/gallery/USCHO-Marc-Menzione/G''''e41h3wQYV.Q%3Ffeed%3Drss%26ppg%3D2''&wmds=llQ6QNgpeC.p1Ucz7U.Z.IsHRcLyU4rNAQeJ.VzwpRcz_v'pffYVy_ZuaUN6cog8v3PV_g—&target=_self&f_l=f&f_fscr=f&f_tb=t&f_bb=t&f_bbl=f&f_fss=f&f_2up=f&f_crp=f&f_wm=f&f_s2f=f&f_emb=f&f_cap=t&f_sln=t&ldest=c&imgT=casc&cred=iptc&trans=xfade" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="false" allowscriptaccess="always" width="5''" height="4''" bgcolor="#AAAAAA" wmode="opaque"></embed></object></html></p> <p>• Ten finalists for the Lowe's Senior Class award were named, and Dan Ringwald from RIT and Air Force's Matt Fairchild are on the list. The award is presented to a NCAA Division I senior with notable achievements in four areas: classroom, character, community and competition.</p> <p>• Also out is the list of nominees for the 2'1' Frozen Four Skills Challenge, taking place in Detroit during the Frozen Four. You can go to <a href='http://www.ncaa.com/frozenfourskillschallenge/index.html'>the Skills Challenge Web site</a> and vote for the following AHA players: RIT's Jared DeMichiel, Air Force's Matt Fairchild, Mercyhurst's Neil Graham, Canisius' Josh Heidinger, Army's Owen Meyer and Air Force's Andrew Volkening.</p> <h4>Pink = Green</h4> <p>The money raised at last Saturday's "Make the Rink Pink" promotion went to Rochester General Hospital's Lipson Cancer Center and the Susan G. Komen Cancer Foundation. Tigers goaltender Jared DeMichiel's jersey went for over $5''. </p> <p>"I thought this was a great event where the entire RIT community and Rochester General were able to work together for a great cause," said RIT coach Wayne Wilson. "Without the general student body, faculty and staff along with our RIT hockey fans we could have never exceeded the goals we set out to accomplish. Thank you, everyone."</p> <p>Holy Cross will host a similar event on Feb. 13. The Crusaders will wear pink jerseys that will be auctioned off for charity after the game.

2010-02-05T01:18:22-06:00 2010-02-05T01:18:22-06:00 2010-02-05T01:18:22-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18023/ThisWeekintheCHAFeb42010.html Matt Mackinder, USCHO CHA Correspondent

It was about time Alabama-Huntsville started getting some ink in this column.</p> <p>After starting out the year <em>en fuego</em>, the Chargers tailed off, but came back alive last weekend in sweeping Niagara at a place they hadn't played in 75 days — the Von Braun Center.</p> <p>Also sweet was that the sweep was UAH's first since the 2''5-'6 season when Wayne State lost two straight in Huntsville Feb. 24-25, 2''6.</p> <p>"You go through enough reps in practice and you find yourself in the game and cash in, and that's the way it should be," Alabama-Huntsville coach Danton Cole said to the <em>Huntsville Times</em>. "You have to win close games, you have to win the third period and elevate your play at the right time. </p> <p>"I thought the guys did that [last] weekend." </p> <p>Saturday afternoon, the Chargers came from behind and topped NU, 3-2.</p> <p>A late hooking call gave UAH a man advantage as the clock was winding down and it paid off with 24 seconds remaining when Keenan Desmet found Neil Ruffini out in front of the net, and Ruffini made no mistake.</p> <p>Tom Durnie and Cale Tanaka tallied the other goals for the victors, who got 31 saves from Cameron Talbot.</p> <p>Chris Moran and Bryan Haczyk scored for the Purple Eagles.</p> <p>Chris Noonan took the loss in goal, but did turn aside 35 shots.</p> <p>"Considering all the momentum that we had, especially in the second period, we just couldn't score the back-breaking goal," Niagara coach Dave Burkholder said. "We just couldn't put them away. They played well enough to stay in it and got some power plays at crucial times."</p> <p>Friday night, UAH took a 3-2 win on the strength of goals from Jamie Easton, Matti Järvinen and Andrew Coburn.</p> <p>Derek Foam and Marc Zanette scored for NU.</p> <p>Talbot picked up the win in net for the Chargers with a 3'-save effort, while Andrew Hare took the loss making 27 saves.</p> <p>"Alabama-Huntsville played a real thorough game," Burkholder said. "They didn't give up much when we had the puck and were very opportunistic on their chances."</p> <p>UAH is hoping this sweep gives them some momentum as the final month of the season is now here.</p> <p>"We've been working hard all year, and we had a slump for a couple of weeks, but now things look like they're coming together," Ruffini said to the <em>Times</em>. "After this, I think it's our time."</p> <h4>RMU, Bemidji do Splits at Glas</h4> <p>Maybe Bemidji State is losing some momentum.</p> <p>Maybe Robert Morris is gaining momemtum.</p> <p>Maybe.</p> <p>Last weekend in Bemidji, the Beavers and Colonials split their series, with BSU winning Friday night and then falling Saturday night.</p> <p>Friday night's 5-1 win was Bemidji State's 5''th at the Glas Fieldhouse. The Beavers, who are in their 43rd and final season calling the Glas home and are just months from moving into the new 4,3''-seat, state-of-the-art Bemidji Regional Events Center, have logged 684 games on their current home ice and have compiled a record of 5''-143-41. </p> <p>Jordan George and Ian Lowe each scored a pair, while Tyler Lehrke added the other for BSU.</p> <p>James Lyle scored RMU's lone goal.</p> <p>Dan Bakala picked up the win with a 32-save outing and at the other end, Brooks Ostergard finished with 28 stops.</p> <p>Bemidji State's senior class of Kyle Hardwick, Lehrke, captain Chris McKelvie and Chris Peluso was honored in a pre-game ceremony Saturday night, but the Colonials spoiled the game with a 5-2 win.</p> <p>Ostergard led the way in net for the Colonials as he picked up 26 saves.</p> <p>Nathan Longpre, Zach Hervato, Denny Urban, Stefan Salituro and J.C. Velasquez were the goal scorers for RMU.</p> <p>"Hats off to Robert Morris," BSU coach Tom Serratore said to the <em>Bemidji Pioneer</em>. "They outworked us and were the better team [Saturday]. We seemed flat and stale the whole night. We didn't play with any emotion."</p> <p>Robert Morris, however, did have the emotion. Hence the win. </p> <h4>NU, RMU Play to 'Tired' Tie Wednesday</h4> <p>Sam Goodwin's wraparound goal with 1:29 left in the third period brought Niagara into a 4-4 tie with Robert Morris in western New York Wednesday night.</p> <p>The game was the make-up game from a game in December postponed due to brutal weather.</p> <p>"Both teams looked tired," Burkholder said. "For us to come back and salvage a point is big. Goodie made the play when we needed it."</p> <p>Tyler Gotto, Moran and Ryan Olidis scored the other NU goals, while Adam Avramenko, who stepped in for Noonan at the beginning of the third, made nine saves. Noonan was pulled after allowing four goals on 18 shots.</p> <p>Joe Harcharik had two assists for the Colonials — his first two NCAA points — while Urban, Nick Chiavetta, Salituro and Hervato scored. </p> <p>Ostergard finished with 27 saves.</p> <h4>Akers Leaves Niagara for USHL</h4> <p>Kurt Akers saw little playing time with Niagara, so with junior eligibility remaining, the forward caught on with the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League.</p> <p>"I left Niagara for better opportunities," Akers said on USHL.com.</p> <p>"He hasn't been here very long, but since he has, he's done real well," said Storm assistant coach Eric Fink in the same article.  "He's fast, he's got a decent amount of skill. He can be gritty, too. He can get in and hit guys, which makes a big impact on the game."</p> <p>Akers made an impression with a goal in his second game, which sparked a rally and gave the Storm a 4-3 win over Sioux Falls.  </p> <p>"He proved that he can score," added Fink. "Hopefully, that's a trend that he can continue and not be a one-game thing."</p> <p>Akers played in just six games last season, going pointless, and had yet to see the ice this year. He would be eligible to play for another Division I team the second semester of next season.

2010-02-05T01:26:03-06:00 2010-02-05T01:26:03-06:00 2010-02-05T01:26:03-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18024/ThisWeekintheWCHAFeb42010.html Theresa Spisak, USCHO WCHA Correspondent

Like last week, the playoff picture is getting a little clearer.</p> <p>We've probably got our five teams that will get home ice, though the order is still anyone's guess as we still have three points separating everyone. Which, of course, is a point better than last week, but still. </p> <p>Spots six through eight are the current surprise, with North Dakota holding on to the six spot with 19 points. Then, Minnesota follows with 18 and league surprise Alaska-Anchorage with 17. </p> <p>Minnesota State, with 13 points, could still make a run. And Michigan Tech? Well, I'm just glad it got another win.</p> <h4>Red Baron WCHA Players of the Week</h4> <p><em>Red Baron WCHA Offensive Player of the Week:</em> Joe Colborne, DU.<br /> <em>Why:</em> Scored both game-winning goals and added an assist in his Pioneers' road sweep of North Dakota.<br /> <em>Also Nominated:</em> Kevin Clark, UAA; Bill Sweatt, CC; Jordan Schroeder, UM; Garrett Roe, SCSU.</p> <p><em>Red Baron WCHA Defensive Player of the Week:</em> Marc Cheverie, DU.<br /> <em>Why:</em> Stopped 55 of 57 total shots and had four shutout periods to help his Pioneers sweep North Dakota.<br /> <em>Also Nominated:</em> Jon Olthuis, UAA; Ryan Lowery, CC; Kenny Reiter, UMD.</p> <p><em>Red Baron WCHA Rookie of the Week:</em> Zach Budish, UM.<br /> <em>Why:</em> Scored five points (two goals, three assists) and had the first four-point game of any Gophers player this season in Minnesota's split with Alaska-Anchorage.<br /> <em>Also Nominated:</em> Andrew Hamburg, CC; Drew Shore, DU.</p> <h4>You Can't Do That</h4> <p>St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko was issued a public reprimand by the league thanks to his actions near the end of Saturday's game with Colorado College that were in violation of the WCHA Code of Conduct/Sportsmanship rules.</p> <p>From Candace Horgan's recap:</p> <p><blockquote>More controversy ensued in the last 9' seconds when an apparent Huskies' tying goal was waived off by [Brett] Klozowski, and the call stood after review. Apparently, the call was the referees had lost sight of the puck and the play waved dead. A visibly angry Motzko crossed the ice after the game to give Klozowski a piece of his mind, and he was held back by the rest of the officiating crew.</p> <p>"We scored a goal," said Motzko. "Everybody in the rink knows we scored a goal. There's nothing else to say."</p> <p>[Mike] Testwuide got an empty-net goal with 1'.7 seconds left to seal the win. The Huskies were assessed a team unsportsmanlike conduct and game misconduct at the end of the game for Motzko's questioning.</blockquote></p> <p>Kevin Allenspach of the <em>St. Cloud Times</em> talked to league commissioner Bruce McLeod, who said Klozowski was in the right.</p> <p>"If you look at the replay, he is as close to the play as can be. He lost sight of the puck and blew the whistle. That's it. The play is dead. There's even latitude in the rule book where as soon as a referee intends to blow the whistle, the play is over. Let's say, for instance, he's prevented from raising his hand with the whistle. Once he determines to blow it, it's all over," said McLeod.</p> <h4>Camp Randall ... Finally</h4> <p>After all of the waiting and the constant updates about rink construction on the Badgers Web site, the Culver's Camp Randall Hockey Classic is finally here, taking place this Saturday.</p> <p>Though the event seems like a seminal event, with a build-up that's lasted all year, coach Mike Eaves says his team has been trying to stick to its normal routine.</p> <p>"We're so tied up with the day-to-day stuff," he said. "We're practicing, we're still getting ready for practice, we're working with recruiting. There's a few more people around in terms of the press, [but] that's been about the only change, plus the fact that we're over in a makeshift locker room at the football stadium."</p> <p>One reason for this is that the team has already been through something similar. In 2''6, the Badgers played (and beat) Ohio State at the Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic at Green Bay's Lambeau Field. Eaves said that game was a refreshing break from the grind of the WCHA schedule, perhaps helping the team down the stretch and to their Frozen Four victory later that spring.</p> <p>"We're looking at [this game] to be an energizer for us," he said. "That's kind of what the Lambeau game was four years ago. It was about the same time, it was in the second half of the WCHA race when everything is always so tense and tight. </p> <p>"This will be a big game in terms of Michigan-Wisconsin and the RPI at the end of the year, but what kind of transcends that whole thing is the fact that we're playing outside at a football stadium in the middle of February in Wisconsin and there's going to be 5','''-plus people there and what the kids will walk away from is that experience. They'll have to think about who won the game when they're a little bit older, but they'll be telling their grandchildren about what a great experience it was."</p> <p>And what a great experience it should be for the rest of us.</p> <h4>Around the WCHA</h4> <p><b>SCSU:</b> Thanks to their 6-5 loss to CC on Saturday, the Huskies' nine-game winning streak finally came to an end. Their last loss prior to the streak? A 4-1 defeat at the hands of the same Tigers.</p> <p><b>UAA :</b> Friday night's game against Minnesota was delayed for 3' minutes due to a Freon leak at the Sullivan Arena (according to UAA; Minnesota's site just said "ice issues").</p> <p>Hearing about why that game was delayed reminded many in the CC press box of a similar incident that happened in the 1996 Frozen Four in Cincinnati. The semifinal game between CC and Vermont was delayed for a similar reason. CC ended up winning that game in overtime before falling to Michigan in the national title game two days later.</p> <h4>Matchups by the Numbers</h4> <p>Only two conference matchups this weekend, while three other teams get the last of their non-conference games out of the way.</p> <p><b>Alaska-Anchorage @ St. Cloud State</b><br /> Overall Records: UAA — 1'-15-1 (8-13-1 WCHA). SCSU — 17-8-3 (12-6-2 WCHA).<br /> Head-to-Head: SCSU leads the overall series, 46-13-5.<br /> Notes: UAA hasn't won a road game with SCSU since Nov. 7, 1987 ... SCSU is the only team to sweep UAA in Anchorage this year.</p> <p><b>Minnesota-Duluth @ Michigan Tech</b><br /> Overall Records: UMD — 17-1'-1 (13-6-1 WCHA). MTU — 4-21-1 (3-17-' WCHA).<br /> Head-to-Head: MTU leads the overall series, 117-75-18.<br /> Notes: Tech has a 72-4'-1' record at Winter Carnival.</p> <p><b>Denver vs. Mercyhurst, @ Air Force</b><br /> Overall Records: DU — 16-6-4 (12-4-4 WCHA). MC — 12-14-2 (12-8-2 AHA). AFA — 12-1'-6 (12-6-6 AHA).<br /> Head-to-Head: DU leads both overall series; the Pioneers are 2-' against Mercyhurst and 28-3 against Air Force.</p> <p><b>Colorado College vs. Air Force, Mercyhurst</b><br /> Overall Records: CC — 15-1'-3 (11-8-3 WCHA). AFA — 12-1'-6 (12-6-6 AHA). MC — 12-14-2 (12-8-2 AHA).<br /> Head-to-Head: CC leads both overall series; the Tigers are 56-7-2 against Air Force and 1-' against Mercyhurst.</p> <p><b>Wisconsin vs. Michigan @ Camp Randall</b><br /> Overall Records: UW — 15-7-4 (11-6-3 WCHA). UM — 15-12-1 (1'-9-1-' CCHA).<br /> Head-to-Head: UM leads the overall series, 64-51-7.</p> <h4>Future WCHA Team Watch</h4> <p>Bemidji State split with Robert Morris and now gets a weekend off before facing the Colonials again. Nebraska-Omaha split a series against Notre Dame and next hosts Ohio State for two.</p> <p>No. 7 BSU: 18-6-2 overall, 3-3-' vs. WCHA<br /> UNO: 13-12-5 overall, 1-1-1 vs. WCHA</p> <h4>Odds and Ends</h4> <p>• Go <a href="http://www.ncaa.com/frozenfourskillschallenge/index.html">vote</a> to see some of your favorite WCHA players in the Frozen Four Skills Challenge this year. The WCHA nominees are: Drew Akins, UMD; Michael Davies, UW; Zach Harrison, MSU; Ryan Lasch, SCSU; Tony Lucia, UM; Rhett Rakhshani, DU; Bill Sweatt, CC.</p> <p>• I caught some of the Pioneers-Sioux game on TV Friday night and it struck me how lost UND looked on the ice. I know that the team hasn't been able to catch a break lately and, granted, I did catch only snippets as I was officially watching and working the CC/SCSU game. However, there were times that the Sioux looked disjointed. I <em>know</em> they're without arguably one of the best players in college hockey. I <em>know</em> they're young and I <em>know</em> they've been going through injury problems. </p> <p>However, just because a player (or two, or three) goes down doesn't mean that the whole team should suddenly look like they forgot to play hockey. Isn't there something to be said about everyone else picking up the slack? </p> <p>This season, so far, has been quite disheartening for Sioux fans and seemingly only looks to get worse. </p> <p>The only bright spot is that some other teams can get a chunk of the spotlight that they normally wouldn't — a spotlight that's been a long time coming and definitely well-deserved. I don't want to count the Sioux out — there's still quite a bit of hockey left to be played. However, it still feels weird that such a familiar face (and perhaps faces, depending on how Minnesota's season plays out) most likely will not be in the mix at the end of the year.

2010-02-03T13:39:00-06:00 2010-02-03T13:39:00-06:00 2010-02-03T13:39:00-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,17982/LiveQAwithPaulKelly.html Compiled by USCHO Staff

Below is a replay of a Q&A with Paul Kelly, the executive director of College Hockey Inc.</p> <p><iframe src="http://www.coveritlive.com/index2.php/option=com_altcaster/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=d513965c5c/height=6''/width=48'" scrolling="no" height="6''px" width="48'px" frameBorder="'" allowTransparency="true" ><a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=d513965c5c" >Q&A with Paul Kelly</a></iframe>

2010-02-04T01:11:13-06:00 2010-02-04T01:11:13-06:00 2010-02-04T01:11:13-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18012/BackmansGoalTakingYaleBack.html Roman J. Uschak, USCHO Arena Reporter

Yale made it back to the big time last season in claiming both the ECAC Hockey and Ivy League crowns, and one of the linchpins on that squad was forward Sean Backman.</p> <p>Backman paced all Yale goal scorers with 2' goals in 32 games in 2''8-'9, including six multiple-goal efforts. His finest outing was his hat trick in the ECAC championship game against Cornell at the Times Union Center last March. That 5-' win propelled the Bulldogs to their first-ever ECAC playoff title, and first NCAA tournament berth since 1998.</p> <p><html><object width="5''" height="4''"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#AAAAAA" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.photoshelter.com/swf/CSlideShow.swf?sv=2''9'929&feedSRC=http%3A//www.photoshelter.com/c/hockeyphotography/gallery/USCHO-Sean-Backman/G''''V45'5mwpl_4%3Ffeed%3Drss%26ppg%3D2''&wmds=llQ6QNgpeC.p1Ucz7U.Z.IsGGdwhNxtWerTSm7XnBxKm'sDtL1xZjlPg161c1l83t9vonA—&target=_self&f_l=f&f_fscr=f&f_tb=t&f_bb=t&f_bbl=f&f_fss=f&f_2up=f&f_crp=f&f_wm=f&f_s2f=f&f_emb=f&f_cap=t&f_sln=t&ldest=c&imgT=casc&cred=iptc&trans=xfade" /><embed src="http://www.photoshelter.com/swf/CSlideShow.swf?t=1265267427312&feedSRC=http%3A//www.photoshelter.com/c/hockeyphotography/gallery/USCHO-Sean-Backman/G''''V45'5mwpl_4%3Ffeed%3Drss%26ppg%3D2''&wmds=llQ6QNgpeC.p1Ucz7U.Z.IsGGdwhNxtWerTSm7XnBxKm'sDtL1xZjlPg161c1l83t9vonA—&target=_self&f_l=f&f_fscr=f&f_tb=t&f_bb=t&f_bbl=f&f_fss=f&f_2up=f&f_crp=f&f_wm=f&f_s2f=f&f_emb=f&f_cap=t&f_sln=t&ldest=c&imgT=casc&cred=iptc&trans=xfade" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="false" allowscriptaccess="always" width="5''" height="4''" bgcolor="#AAAAAA" wmode="opaque"></embed></object></html></p> <p>"Playing in the final in Albany was great," recalled Backman, who also garnered tournament MVP honors. "We were excited to get the first title in school history, and to get a hat trick in that game was very special for me."</p> <p>Entering the 2''9-1' campaign, Backman had averaged nearly a point per game in his collegiate career, tallying 56 goals and 35 assists for 91 points in 93 outings. Included in those totals were 2' power-play goals, eight game-winning tallies, and three shorthanded markers.</p> <p>Yale coach Keith Allain, however, said some of the most important things that Backman brings to the Bulldogs besides scoring ability are energy and passion.</p> <p>"He competes harder than anyone in practice, and that raises the level of the rest of our group," said Allain.</p> <p>A 5-foor-8, 165-pound native of Cos Cob, Conn., Backman came to New Haven after first starring in prep school at Avon Old Farms, where he earned three letters and won two New England championships. He then skated with Green Bay (USHL) in 2''5-'6, where he led the Gamblers in scoring with 29 goals and 57 points in his lone junior campaign and was grateful for the experience.</p> <p>"It was one of the best years I've had playing hockey, and it was a good move," he said. "Going from prep school to Yale would have been harder, and this was a smoother transition for me."</p> <p>College for him was also a case of coming home.</p> <p>"I grew up watching Yale play," said Backman. "Hockey also isn't going to last forever, and I'll have an Ivy League education to fall back on."</p> <p>As a freshman, Backman led Yale in scoring with 18 goals and 31 points, while earning a host of awards that included ECAC co-rookie of the year and Ivy League rookie of the year as the Bulldogs finished 11-17-3. Yale then improved to 16-14-4 the next winter, as Backman again paced the Blue and White with 18 goals and 27 points.</p> <p>Last year proved to be another breakout season for both the Bulldogs, who won 24 games in all, and Backman, who finished third on the squad in scoring with 2' goals and 33 points. He earned both second-team All-ECAC and first-team All-Ivy accolades, and was also a nominee for the Walter Brown Award as the top American-born player in the New England Division I college ranks (he's a nominee again this season).</p> <p>"I try to pride myself on my speed and my shot," said Backman. "I'm not the biggest guy, so I have to excel in other areas. The team looks to me for offense, and I try to pride myself in those areas."</p> <p>"He's a shoot-first kind of guy," added Allain, "and he has a great shot."</p> <p>Besides the improved year-by-year record, Backman has also seen an overall attitude change in the Yale locker room as his career has progressed.</p> <p>"My freshman year, if we lost a game, it was no big deal," he said. "Now we've reached a level of success, and our level of expectation is higher."</p> <p>Backman started off his senior season with five goals in his first six games, including a two-goal effort in a 3-3 tie at Union on Nov. 7 where he notched the tying marker with just seven seconds left in regulation. He then posted three assists against Sacred Heart on Nov. 24, and scored twice in a 7-4 win over then-fourth-ranked Quinnipiac on Dec. 4 as the Bulldogs closed out 2''9 with a 7-3-2 mark.</p> <p>He rang in the new year with two goals in a 6-1 win over Ferris State on Jan. 2 at the Badger Hockey Showdown to reach 1' goals, and he has added three since for a 13-9—22 scoring line in 21 outings.</p> <p>"There's no question we look to him for offensive production, but he brings so much more with his approach and passion," said Allain. "As a coach, he epitomizes the way I want my teams to play."</p> <p>A political science major, Backman hopes to parlay his on-ice experience into a professional playing career. He would then like to one day move into a player personnel or hockey management position after he hangs up his skates.</p> <p>"I want to play this season out and see what offers come my way," he said. "I'd [eventually] like to get involved in the NHL and work for a pro hockey team."</p> <p>In the meantime, he's savoring his last go-around in both the ECAC and the Ivy League.</p> <p>"Every time we're away, I cherish it," he said. "You don't know if you'll be back there to play, but I try not to think about it too much. You concentrate on the task at hand, but it does feel like it went by faster than anticipated."</p> <p>Backman hasn't been drafted, but he still has a personal connection to the pros. His father, Michael, played eight years professionally, including parts of three NHL seasons with the New York Rangers.</p> <p>"I grew up playing for my dad, who coached me all the way to high school," said Backman. "We talk after every game, and he gives me little pointers and still helps me now, even playing with Yale."</p> <p>The challenge for the Bulldogs is to improve on last season's success, including an all-too-short stay in the national tournament — Yale was ousted in the opening round of the East Regional.</p> <p>"Ever since we were beaten by Vermont, it's left a sour taste," said Backman. "We want to get to the ultimate prize at the end, and hopefully we can get there."

2010-02-02T15:33:36-06:00 2010-02-02T15:33:36-06:00 2010-02-02T15:33:36-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18009/TuesdayMorningQuarterbackFeb22010.html Jim Connelly and Todd D. Milewski, Senior writers

<b>Jim:</b> Well, Todd, it's the first week of February, which means we have Beanpot hockey to talk about. Yet again, Boston University and Boston College will meet in next Monday's title tilt after BC dismantled Harvard, 6-', and BU held off Northeastern, 2-1. It's the 2'th time these teams have met for the title and I was intrigued after Monday night's game when BU coach Jack Parker said he believes that because of the success of BC and BU of late, the tournament is beginning to lose its luster. Honestly, he has a point. Monday night, the Harvard fan section was as empty as I ever recall seeing it. The Crimson haven't won the title since 1993. Northeastern brought its usual throng of fans — and any other non-BU fan in the building was rooting for the Huskies in the nightcap. But again all go home disappointed. Now I've followed the Beanpot all my life and I don't see the tournament facing any sort of demise. But for certain I can say, even I'm sick of seeing BC and BU play for the title.</p> <p>This article is part of a subscription to USCHO Extra. Subscribe at <a href="http://www.uscho.com/extra/">http://www.uscho.com/extra/</a>

2010-02-02T19:16:46-06:00 2010-02-02T19:16:46-06:00 2010-02-02T19:16:46-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18010/BracketologyFeb22010.html Jayson Moy, USCHO Senior Writer

It's time once again to do what we like to call Bracketology — college hockey style. It's our weekly look at how I believe the NCAA Ice Hockey Championship Committee will use the PairWise to determine the NCAA tournament bracket. </p> <p>If you're new to Bracketology, <a href='/FAQs/?data=bracketology2'1''>click here for the background</a>.</p> <p>Here is the top 16 of the current PairWise Rankings (PWR), and the conference leaders (through all games of Feb. 2): </p> <p>1 Miami<br /> 2 Denver<br /> 3 Wisconsin<br /> 4 St. Cloud State<br /> 5 Bemidji State<br /> 6 Minnesota-Duluth <br /> 7t Ferris State<br /> 7t Massachusetts<br /> 9 New Hampshire<br /> 1' Colorado College<br /> 11t Michigan State<br /> 11t Boston College<br /> 11t Cornell<br /> 14 Vermont<br /> 15t North Dakota<br /> 15t Union<br /> 15t Maine<br /> — RIT</p> <p>Current conference leaders based on winning percentage:<br /> Atlantic Hockey: RIT <br /> CHA: Bemidji State<br /> CCHA: Miami<br /> ECAC: Cornell<br /> Hockey East: New Hampshire<br /> WCHA: Denver</p> <h4>Step One</h4> </p> <p>From the committee's report, choose the 16 teams in the tournament. </p> <p>We break ties in the PWR by looking at the individual comparisons among the tied teams, and add in any current league leaders that are not currently in the Top 16. The only team that is not is RIT.</p> <p>From there, we can start looking at the bubble in a more detailed fashion.</p> <p>The bubbles consist of Ferris and Massachusetts at 7, Michigan State, BC and Cornell at 11, and North Dakota, Union and Maine at 15.</p> <p>Looking at the head-to-head PairWise comparisons we break all of our ties. </p> <p>Ferris State wins the head-to-head with Massachusetts.</p> <p>Michigan State beats both BC and Cornell, while BC beats Cornell. And North Dakota beats both Union and Maine, while Union beats Maine. </p> <p>Therefore the 16 teams in the tournament, in rank order, are:</p> <p>1 Miami<br /> 2 Denver<br /> 3 Wisconsin<br /> 4 St. Cloud State<br /> 5 Bemidji State<br /> 6 Minnesota-Duluth<br /> 7 Ferris State <br /> 8 Massachusetts<br /> 9 New Hampshire<br /> 1' Colorado College<br /> 11 Michigan State<br /> 12 Boston College<br /> 13 Cornell<br /> 14 Vermont<br /> 15 North Dakota<br /> 16 RIT</p> <h4>Step Two</h4> <p>Now it's time to assign the seeds.</p> <p>No. 1 Seeds — Miami, Denver, Wisconsin, St. Cloud State<br /> No. 2 Seeds — Bemidji State, Minnesota-Duluth, Ferris State, Massachusetts<br /> No. 3 Seeds — New Hampshire, Colorado College, Michigan State, Boston College <br /> No. 4 Seeds — Cornell, Vermont, North Dakota, RIT</p> <h4>Step Three</h4> </p> <p>Place the No. 1 seeds in regionals. Following the guidelines, there are no host teams in this grouping, so that rule does not need to be enforced. </p> <p>We now place the other No. 1 seeds based on proximity to the regional sites. </p> <p>No. 1 Miami is placed in the Midwest Regional in Fort Wayne, Ind.<br /> No. 2 Denver is placed in the West Regional in St. Paul, Minn.<br /> No. 3 Wisconsin is placed in the East Regional in Albany, N.Y.<br /> No. 4 St. Cloud State is placed in the Northeast Regional in Worcester, Mass.</p> <h4>Step Four</h4> </p> <p>Now we place the other 12 teams so as to avoid intra-conference matchups if possible. </p> <p>Begin by filling in each bracket by banding groups. Remember that teams are <I><b>not</I></b> assigned to the regional closest to their campus sites by ranking order within the banding (unless you are a host school, in which case you must be assigned to your home regional). </p> <p>If this is the case, as it was last year, then the committee should seed so that the quarterfinals are seeded such that the four regional championships are played by No. 1 vs. No. 8, No. 2 vs. No. 7, No. 3 vs. No. 6 and No. 4 vs. No. 5.</p> <p>So therefore:</p> <p><em>No. 2 Seeds</em> </p> <p>No. 8 Massachusetts is placed in No. 1 Miami's Regional, the Midwest Regional.<br /> No. 7 Ferris State is placed in No. 2 Denver's Regional, the West Regional.<br /> No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth is placed in No. 3 Wisconsin's Regional, the East Regional.<br /> No. 5 Bemidji State is placed in No. 4 St. Cloud's Regional, the Northeast Regional.</p> <p><em>No. 3 Seeds</em> </p> <p>Our bracketing system has one Regional containing seeds 1, 8, 9, and 16, another with 2, 7, 1', 15, another with 3, 6, 11, 14 and another with 4, 5, 12 and 13.</p> <p>Therefore:</p> <p>No. 9 New Hampshire is placed in No. 8 Massachusetts' Regional, the Midwest Regional.<br /> No. 1' Colorado College is placed in No. 7 Ferris State's Regional, the West Regional.<br /> No. 11 Michigan State is placed in No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth's Regional, the East Regional.<br /> No. 12 Boston College is placed in No. 5 Bemidji's Regional, the Northeast Regional. </p> <p><em>No. 4 Seeds</em> </p> <p>One more time, taking No. 16 v. No. 1, No. 15 v. No. 2, etc. </p> <p>No. 16 RIT is sent to No. 1 Miami's Regional, the Midwest Regional.<br /> No. 15 North Dakota is sent to No. 2 Denver's Regional, the West Regional.<br /> No. 14 Vermont is sent to No. 3 Wisconsin's Regional, the East Regional.<br /> No. 13 Cornell is sent to No. 4 St. Cloud's Regional, the Northeast Regional.</p> <p>The brackets as we have set them up:</p> <p>West Regional: <br /> North Dakota vs. Denver<br /> Colorado College vs. Ferris State</p> <p>Midwest Regional: <br /> RIT vs. Miami<br /> New Hampshire vs. Massachusetts</p> <p>East Regional: <br /> Vermont vs. Wisconsin<br /> Michigan State vs. Minnesota-Duluth</p> <p>Northeast Regional: <br /> Cornell vs. St. Cloud State<br /> Boston College vs. Bemidji State</p> <p>Our first concern is avoiding intra-conference matchups. We have a few.</p> <p>We have to switch out North Dakota, but the only place where North Dakota can go is to play Miami. Therefore, we switch North Dakota with RIT.</p> <p>Then we have to switch out New Hampshire, which we do by switching with Colorado College.</p> <p>So our tournament now becomes:</p> <p>West Regional: <br /> RIT vs. Denver<br /> New Hampshire vs. Ferris State</p> <p>Midwest Regional: <br /> North Dakota vs. Miami<br /> Colorado College vs. Massachusetts</p> <p>East Regional: <br /> Vermont vs. Wisconsin<br /> Michigan State vs. Minnesota-Duluth</p> <p>Northeast Regional: <br /> Cornell vs. St. Cloud State<br /> Boston College vs. Bemidji State</p> <p>Do we like the way this looks?</p> <p>We have no intraconference matchups, so we are OK. Integrity also looks OK.</p> <p>Do we have an attendance issue?</p> <p>Sure looks like we do.</p> <p>Let's do the same thing we did last week. If you recall, we put forth the theory that Denver has to fly, so it can be sent anywhere. If Wisconsin and St. Cloud both go east, we now have three teams flying. So to minimize the flying, we take the remainder of the top seeds and assign it to the West Regional.</p> <p>In this case, we assign Wisconsin to St. Paul, then move Denver to Worcester.</p> <p>Using the same bracketing procedure as above we now wind up with this bracket:</p> <p>West Regional: <br /> Vermont vs. Wisconsin<br /> Michigan State vs. Minn.-Duluth </p> <p>Midwest Regional: <br /> North Dakota vs. Miami<br /> Colorado College vs. Massachusetts</p> <p>East Regional: <br /> Cornell vs. St. Cloud State<br /> Boston College vs. Bemidji State</p> <p>Northeast Regional: <br /> RIT vs. Denver<br /> New Hampshire vs. Ferris State</p> <p>Let's take a look.</p> <p>St. Paul is good with Wisconsin, UMD and Michigan State.</p> <p>Fort Wayne is good with Miami and North Dakota.</p> <p>Albany is good with Cornell and Boston College.</p> <p>Worcester is OK with New Hampshire.</p> <p>So that's where I'll hang my hat this week.</p> <p>Check the <a href='/blogs/bracketology'>Bracketology Blog</a> for other items and we'll see you here next week for the next Bracketology.

2010-02-01T22:13:07-06:00 2010-02-01T22:13:07-06:00 2010-02-01T22:13:07-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18004/MassachusettsMarcouAmongWalterBrownAwardCandidatesforThirdTime.html Compiled by USCHO Staff

National scoring co-leader James Marcou of Massachusetts, Massachusetts-Lowell senior Kory Falite and Yale senior Sean Backman are among the nominees for the Walter Brown Award for the second straight year.</p> <p>The award is presented to the best American-born college hockey player in New England.</p> <p>Sixteen players are on the list released by the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston on Monday.</p> <p>Marcou, a junior who has 4' points in 26 games, is a nominee for the third time.</p> <p>Eleven of the candidates are from Hockey East, with three from ECAC Hockey and two from Atlantic Hockey. The list is made up of 11 forwards, four defensemen and one goaltender.</p> <p>Five teams — Boston College, Boston University, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Yale — each have two nominees.</p> <p>Besides Marcou, Falite and Backman, the candidates are:</p> <p>• Nick Bonino, jr., F, Boston University<br /> • Bobby Butler, sr., F, New Hampshire<br /> • Mark Fayne, sr., D, Providence<br /> • Brian Gibbons, jr., F, Boston College<br /> • Nick Johnson, sr., F, Sacred Heart<br /> • Blake Kessel, so., D, New Hampshire<br /> • Eric Lampe, sr., F, Quinnipiac<br /> • Broc Little, jr., F, Yale<br /> • Rob Madore, so., G, Vermont<br /> • Marc Menzione, sr., F, Bentley<br /> • Carl Sneep, sr., D, Boston College<br /> • David Warsofsky, so., D, Boston University<br /> • Casey Wellman, so., F, Massachusetts</p> <p>The Gridiron Club will announce the finalists and winner of the 58th Walter Brown Award in March, following league playoffs and before the start of the NCAA tournament play.

2010-02-01T16:54:49-06:00 2010-02-01T16:54:49-06:00 2010-02-01T16:54:49-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,17999/OswegoStrengthensHoldonDivisionIII’sTopSpot.html Nicholas Jon Wood, D-III Editor

MINNEAPOLIS — The Oswego Express just keeps on rolling.</p> <p>In their biggest test of 2'1', the Lakers prevailed again, downing arch rival Plattsburgh, 3-2, to extend their winning streak to 19 games. Earning an additional first place vote this week, they have been atop the Division III poll for two consecutive months.</p> <p>Second ranked Norwich, though having their top tallies cut in half, remains the only unblemished team after a successful road weekend. They blanked the University of Massachusetts-Boston, 2-', and skated to a 3-3 tie with Babson, after evening the game with an extra-attacker goal with less than a minute remaining in regulation.</p> <p>After two wins over in-state rivals Stevens Point and Eau Claire, St. Norbert remained in third. St. Scholastica had similar success against Wisconsin teams, shutting out both No. 14 River Falls (6-') and Stout (3-') to move one spot up to fourth.</p> <p>The Cardinals valiant effort against the Lakers failed to impress the voters as Plattsburgh fell one spot to fifth.</p> <p>Elmira and Amherst, two equally hot teams, remaining in sixth and seventh, respectively, after each posting two wins on the weekend.</p> <p>Despite being idle last weekend, Gustavus Adolphus rose two spots to No. 8.<br /> Williams College remained in the ninth position.</p> <p>The Hamline Pipers, after splitting a home-and-home series with Augsburg, dropped two spots to No. 1'.</p> <p>Middlebury College remained hot, besting both No. 15 Colby (7-4) and Bowdoin (5-2) to leapfrog Adrian into a tie with Hamline. The Bulldogs moved down one position after outscoring host Finlandia, 13-1.</p> <p>Manhattanville and UW-River Falls remained at Nos. 13 and 14 while — in a mirror image of last week — Wentworth (three wins on the week) replaced Colby (two losses) in the top 15.

2010-02-01T23:50:30-06:00 2010-02-01T23:50:30-06:00 2010-02-01T23:50:30-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18001/HarvardMakesitaBeanpotSlumberParty.html Dave Hendrickson, USCHO Hockey East Correspondent

BOSTON — If this story is as dull as the Beanpot opener, you'll be asleep before the next paragraph.</p> <p>You still there?</p> <p>Sadly, only one team showed up for this first half of the Battle for Boston. Harvard wasn't the team. </p> <p>The word coming out of Cambridge was that the Crimson had recovered from their 2-1'-2 start and were playing much better. Witness their three straight wins in the middle of January over Yale, Dartmouth, and Union. For the uninitiated, two of those victories were certified major upsets. At the time, Yale and Union were ranked fifth and 13th in the country, respectively.</p> <p>Despite a tie at Rensselaer and a 2-1 loss to Princeton since those three heady wins, Harvard seemed poised to at least make a good showing against 14th ranked Boston College.</p> <p>So much for that idea. </p> <p>Several minutes into the game, BC held a 1-' lead and had outshot Harvard, 7-2. In fairness, the Eagles had enjoyed two power plays, the second of which they scored on. But those man advantages had been fairly won as the Crimson couldn't match BC's speed. Chasing after guys you can't catch, especially in your own zone, isn't a recipe for winning hockey.</p> <p>When BC fans began chanting during one TV timeout, this writer interpreted the words as "Please start playing!" That would have been one of the most creative, and at the same time stunningly accurate, chants of all time.</p> <p>Sadly, it was too good to be true. The fans were merely berating the Harvard band, begging it to <em>stop</em> playing.</p> <p>Yours truly, however, was hoping that Harvard would in fact get off the stick and give BC a game. Exciting games are fun to watch and a lot more fun to write (and to read) about. Boring games, not so.</p> <p>And this one seemed decidedly one-sided even though the first period ended with the score just 1-'.</p> <p>Nonetheless, hope springs eternal, doesn't it? Santa Claus really is working on next year's toys, every last one of us will find our soul mates and live happily ever after, and that last piece of carrot cake in the press room had a fighting chance even after I spotted it.</p> <p>Harvard's hopes lasted all of 18 seconds into the second period. Matt Price scored and the Crimson were for all intents dead men walking.</p> <p>Pat Mullane made it 3-' eight minutes later, Chris Kreider widened the gap further in the third and when BC went on a five-on-three, the pallbearers began limbering up. Brian Gibbons and Carl Sneep completed the romp with two power-play goals, finalizing the score at 6-'. </p> <p>In short, quite the snoozefest. A jaded observer might even wonder if the misconducts taken by two Crimson players late in the third period were subconscious attempts to escape the <em>fait accompli</em>.</p> <p>Perhaps Boston College will dominate all other teams every bit as thoroughly down the stretch and no blame should be sent Harvard's way. The Eagles are, after all, a very talented bunch. </p> <p>But in the Beanpot, teams are supposed to rise to the occasion. The Crimson presumably tried as hard as they could but ... well, the outcome wasn't pretty.</p> <p>"I don't think we gave ourselves a chance to win," Harvard coach Ted Donato said after the loss. "They beat us to all the loose pucks. They used their speed to force us into taking penalties. </p> <p>"They were able to make us play the game they wanted to play. Their speed put us back on our heels. They were able to pin us in our zone and get the matchups they wanted."</p> <p>Harvard's academic reputation, of course, is that regardless of its athletes' won-loss record, they will still go on to be the country's leaders and captains of industry. Assuming that to be true, one can only hope that their success in "the real world" won't reflect their on-ice results on this evening.</p> <p>Otherwise, our grandchildren will all be speaking Chinese.

2010-02-01T21:24:36-06:00 2010-02-01T21:24:36-06:00 2010-02-01T21:24:36-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18002/CornellReturnstoTop5inUSCHOcomPoll.html Compiled by USCHO Staff

A pair of ECAC Hockey victories has Cornell back in the top five of the USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll.</p> <p>The Big Red defeated St. Lawrence and Clarkson last weekend to move into first place in the league standings, and the wins pushed them to fifth in the national poll.</p> <p>Miami continues to lead the rankings, with Denver second and Wisconsin third. St. Cloud State moved up one more spot to fourth.</p> <p>Cornell last was in the top five on Dec. 14, when it was fourth. The Big Red opened the second half of the season with a pair of losses at the Florida College Classic, but they are 5-1-1 since.</p> <p>Like Cornell, Minnesota-Duluth moved up three spots from last week's poll. The Bulldogs are sixth after a home split with Wisconsin.</p> <p>North Dakota had the biggest fall of the week, tumbling five spots to ninth after being swept at home by Denver.</p> <p>Still, with Colorado College at No. 1', the WCHA owns six of the top 1' spots.</p> <p>This week's schedule features only four games between ranked teams. No. 3 Wisconsin hosts No. 19 Michigan outdoors on Saturday in the Camp Randall Hockey Classic.</p> <p>No. 13 New Hampshire plays at No. 16 Maine on Friday and Saturday. And, fresh off a victory in the Beanpot opener, No. 14 Boston College plays at No. 15 Massachusetts on Friday.

2010-02-02T16:33:14-06:00 2010-02-02T16:33:14-06:00 2010-02-02T16:33:14-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18003/FourRepeatasHumanitarianNominees.html Compiled by USCHO Staff

Four repeat nominees are among the 18 college hockey players nominated for the 2'1' BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award.</p> <p>Colgate senior Ethan Cox, Denver senior Brandon Vossberg, St. Cloud State senior Caitlin Hogan and Brockport senior Todd Sheridan are on the list again; all were nominated last year as well.</p> <p>The other nominees:</p> <p>• Bobby Butler, senior, New Hampshire<br /> • Kevin Deeth, senior, Notre Dame<br /> • Kirsten Dier, senior, Amherst<br /> • Jon Globke, sr. New England College<br /> • Barry Goers, sr., Massachusetts-Lowell<br /> • Dion Knelsen, sr., Alaska<br /> • Sam Kuzyk, jr., Adrian<br /> • Shareef Labreche, sr., Buffalo State<br /> • Zach Miller, sr., Williams<br /> • Mario Mjelleli, jr., Augsburg<br /> • Brigid O'Gorman, jr., Connecticut College<br /> • Jordan Pietrus, sr., Brown<br /> • Garrett Raboin, sr., St. Cloud State<br /> • Brett Watson, sr., Massachusetts</p> <p>The award honors college hockey's finest citizen, someone who gives back to his or her community.</p> <p>The finalists will be announced later this month, and the recipient will be announced at the Frozen Four in Detroit on April 9.</p> <p>For more on the award, visit <a href='http://hockeyhumanitarian.org'>hockeyhumanitarian.org</a>.

2010-02-04T14:45:50-06:00 2010-02-04T14:45:50-06:00 2010-02-04T14:45:50-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18005/NotreDamesSlaggertHonoredforAssistantWork.html Compiled by USCHO Staff

Notre Dame associate coach Andy Slaggert has been named the recipient of the Terry Flanagan Award, presented to an assistant coach for his career body of work.</p> <p>Slaggert is in his 17th season with the Fighting Irish and has served under three head coaches — Ric Schafer, Dave Poulin and Jeff Jackson.</p> <p><html><object width="5''" height="4''"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#AAAAAA" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.photoshelter.com/swf/CSlideShow.swf?sv=2''9'929&feedSRC=http%3A//www.photoshelter.com/c/hockeyphotography/gallery/USCHO-Andy-Slaggert/G''''kPLtrw4gIzo%3Ffeed%3Drss%26ppg%3D2''&wmds=llQ6QNgpeC.p1Ucz7U.Z.IsGGdwhNxtWerTSm7Xah2QI5Yq_1XDAP3eHRGDcE_q7WVO7jw—&target=_self&f_l=f&f_fscr=f&f_tb=t&f_bb=t&f_bbl=f&f_fss=f&f_2up=f&f_crp=f&f_wm=f&f_s2f=f&f_emb=f&f_cap=t&f_sln=t&ldest=c&imgT=casc&cred=iptc&trans=xfade" /><embed src="http://www.photoshelter.com/swf/CSlideShow.swf?t=12653163''595&feedSRC=http%3A//www.photoshelter.com/c/hockeyphotography/gallery/USCHO-Andy-Slaggert/G''''kPLtrw4gIzo%3Ffeed%3Drss%26ppg%3D2''&wmds=llQ6QNgpeC.p1Ucz7U.Z.IsGGdwhNxtWerTSm7Xah2QI5Yq_1XDAP3eHRGDcE_q7WVO7jw—&target=_self&f_l=f&f_fscr=f&f_tb=t&f_bb=t&f_bbl=f&f_fss=f&f_2up=f&f_crp=f&f_wm=f&f_s2f=f&f_emb=f&f_cap=t&f_sln=t&ldest=c&imgT=casc&cred=iptc&trans=xfade" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="false" allowscriptaccess="always" width="5''" height="4''" bgcolor="#AAAAAA" wmode="opaque"></embed></object></html></p> <p>The award is presented by the American Hockey Coaches Association, which also announced six other award winners:</p> <p>• John Dunham as the winner of the John MacInnes Award for showing a great concern for amateur hockey and youth programs. Dunham coached Trinity from 197' to 2''8.</p> <p>• John Gardner as the winner of the John Mariucci Award for a secondary school coach who best exemplifies the spirit, dedication and enthusiasm of the former Minnesota coach. Gardner has coached at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut for 35 years.</p> <p>• John Gilbert as the winner of the Jim Fullerton Award for an individual who loves the purity of the sport. Gilbert is a longtime hockey writer who currently writes for wcha.com.</p> <p>• Peter Van Buskirk as the winner of the John "Snooks" Kelley Founders Award for a coach who has contributed to the overall growth and development of hockey in the United States. Van Buskirk is in his 1'th season as coach of the Holy Cross women's team.</p> <p>• Kelly Dyer Hayes as the winner of the Joe Burke Award for a person who has given outstanding contribution, support and dedication to women's hockey. Dyer Hayes is a former Northeastern and U.S. National Team goaltender.</p> <p>• Helen Bert as the winner of the inaugural Women's Ice Hockey Founders Award for contributing to the overall growth and development of women's hockey in the U.S. As associate athletic director at Providence, Bert was instrumental in forming the Friars' women's program and the ECAC women's league.</p> <p>Dyer Hayes and Bert will be honored at the AHCA Celebration of Women's Hockey in Naples, Fla., on April 3'. The other award winners will be honored at the AHCA Celebration of Men's Hockey on May 1.

2010-02-01T23:46:33-06:00 2010-02-01T23:46:33-06:00 2010-02-01T23:46:33-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18007/NorthernLightBUFrenchCanadianFroshChiassonBecomesBeanpotHero.html Scott Weighart, USCHO Senior Writer

BOSTON — With a 1-1 tie with less than six minutes remaining in Monday's Beanpot game, Boston University freshman Alex Chiasson took a cross-ice pass from David Warsofsky and raced up the right wing on a two-on-one break.</p> <p>Would he be able to break the deadlock with the biggest goal of his life to date?</p> <p><em>Pas de problème pour une ailier droite de Québec.</em></p> <p>For those who read the last paragraph and believed that they stumbled on a new Web site called French Canadian Hockey Online, well, <em>au contraire</em>. The Beanpot tournament's history may be dominated by kids who grew up dreaming of playing in the home of Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque, but there aren't so many local products in the local classic these days. Thus it should be no surprise that a kid from St. Augustin, Quebec, scored the game-winner — just three years after he started speaking English. </p> <p>A highly touted recruit, Chiasson scored two goals in his first collegiate game and has been on the top forward lines for the Terriers for the majority of the games since then. He scored four goals in his first seven collegiate games before an injury knocked him out of the lineup and continued to plague him even after his return to action. </p> <p>"I got injured with a concussion in practice — my first one," Chiasson said. "It was hard for me going through it for a couple of weeks. After Thanksgiving I was on and off for different games. I went home for Christmas and rested up and felt better about myself. I had a meeting with Coach and now I know I have a pretty big job to do on the team — to score goals and make things happen in the offensive zone. I'm playing my best right now and enjoying my time at BU."</p> <p>After Monday's nail-biting 2-1 win, Terriers coach Jack Parker reflected on the phenom — the 38th overall draft pick by the Dallas Stars in last year's NHL draft — and his play this season. "He jumped off right off the bat," Parker said. "He took a little bit of a slump in November and wasn't playing as well as he was earlier. He seemed to be questioning how hard he should go offensively as opposed to where he should be defensively.</p> <p>"I think freshmen have a hard time getting acclimated and realizing that it seems like we're asking a lot defensively, but really if you just take care of A, B, and C — then you can go be who you are. I think he's much more comfortable in his defensive role, as is [fellow freshman Wade] Megan. They know they can do what they're supposed to do out there."</p> <p>Parker has worked individually with the 6-foot-4 right wing and given him plenty of reminders. "Just keeping my feet moving, going to hard to the net, and finishing my checks," Chiasson reported. "I have a pretty good shot, so I try to use it as much as possible. He's been really good with me, and I guess it's helped."</p> <p>Chiasson's freshman year has given him the opportunity to play on several big-stage games, including contests at Madison Square Garden and Fenway Park. Still, scoring such a big goal in an NHL rink is his biggest hockey thrill to date. "Actually, the first time I heard about the Beanpot was when I was playing at Northwood Prep School [in Lake Placid, N.Y.]," Chiasson said. "It's different when you actually play here than when you just hear about it. It was a great experience tonight. It's a great feeling to get that win in the first game, and now we're playing BC next week."</p> <p>Terriers captain Kevin Shattenkirk raved about the winger and his classmates. "I think all of our freshmen played great tonight, and I think that's due to the fact that we've played in a lot of big games this year," Shattenkirk said "It's really going to help us down the road and will get us ready for next Monday night."</p> <p>If Chiasson can get another big goal a week hence, BU fans may need to stretch their vocabulary to include <em>c'est magnifique</em>.

2010-02-02T09:54:38-06:00 2010-02-02T09:54:38-06:00 2010-02-02T09:54:38-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,18008/ParkerPeopleAreSickofBUBCinBeanpotFinal.html Lee Urton, USCHO Senior Writer

BOSTON — A few minutes after Boston University's nail-biting 2-1 victory over Northeastern in Monday's Beanpot semifinals, Terriers coach Jack Parker said all the things he was supposed to say.</p> <p>Praise the other team? Check.</p> <p>Proud of your own guys? Check.</p> <p>Happy to be playing in the Beanpot final? Check.</p> <p>But then, Parker went off script, and made some truly surprising comments.</p> <p>"It's not a good thing for the Beanpot if BU and BC win it all the time. The tournament loses some of its luster if it is always the same teams," he said, acknowledging the cavalier attitude of those that refer to this tournament as the "BU Invitational."</p> <p>"You know who wants BU and BC every year? BU and BC! That's it. People will get sick of it ... no, people are sick of it."</p> <p>Parker's comments mirrored those heard from college hockey fans across the country, who just don't get the appeal of the Beanpot. The primary complaint is that two schools — Boston University and Boston College — rule the roost. And it is a deserved reputation, because you have to go back to 1993 before finding one of the other two teams winning the 'Pot.</p> <p>"I won three Beanpots as a player, and I always tell my players that I want them to feel what I felt," Parker continued.</p> <p>"But I want Harvard to know what it is like to win it. I want Northeastern to know what it is like. Maybe not on my watch — maybe not against us. But it will happen eventually, and it will be good for the health of the Beanpot when it does.</p> <p>"And it won't be long before it happens, with the way [Harvard coach] Teddy [Donato] and [Northeastern coach] Greg [Cronin] are coaching and recruiting."</p> <h4>Hall of Fame</h4> <p>Three players were inducted into the Beanpot Hall of Fame this year: Northeastern goaltender Tim Marshall, BC forward Bob Sweeney and Harvard's Fran Toland.</p> <p>Marshall was the starting goalie for the Huskies when they won the 'Pot in 1984, and was named tournament MVP. Sweeney, who enjoyed an 11-year NHL career, won the Beanpot and was named tournament MVP as a freshman in 1983.</p> <p>Toland, who was selected as a "Special Category" inductee, never played a single game in the Beanpot. Toland served as associate athletic director at Harvard for more than four decades, and served as a member of the Beanpot Committee.</p> <h4>Deja Vu All Over Again</h4> <p>The first-round pairings, BC-Harvard in the early game, and BU-Northeastern in the nightcap, is exactly the same as the second round match-ups from last year. Even the outcomes were the same, as BC downed Harvard in last year's consolation game, and BU defeated the Huskies in the title game.</p> <h4>Change Of Venue</h4> <p>With BU and BC scheduled to meet in the championship game at the Garden next Monday, it will be the fourth meeting of the two teams this season. More impressively, it will be in the fourth different location — the two teams played in BU's Agganis Arena on Dec. 5, in Fenway Park on Jan. 8, and in Chestnut Hill at BC's Conte Forum on Jan. 22.</p> <p>"We had a great game at Fenway. It was like Walt Disney created a hockey game," said Parker. "It was in front of the largest crowd we've ever played for — maybe the largest crown we'll ever play for.</p> <p>"And we played in front of 18,''' fans at Madison Square Garden against Cornell, and that was a great game.</p> <p>"But nothing compares to a Beanpot final. The energy and excitement in this building will be incredible."</p> <p>Should the two teams make the NCAA tournament and play in one of the regionals or in the Frozen Four, that would be two teams playing at five different venues in one season.</p> <h4>Senior Citizens</h4> <p>The Eagles' 6-' thrashing of Harvard seemed pretty perfunctory, but BC coach Jerry York thought it wouldn't have happened without the leadership coming from the upper class.</p> <p>"I thought our senior class was outstanding," he gushed. "Those four players really stood out.</p> <p>"Ben Smith with the first goal; then Matty Price scored a huge goal for us [BC's second, 18 seconds into the second period]. And Carl Sneep scored the last goal. And Matt Lombardi is just a big physical presence for us out on the ice."</p> <p>All told, the BC senior class had six points in the game.

2010-01-31T17:35:09-06:00 2010-01-31T17:35:09-06:00 2010-01-31T17:35:09-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,17998/BreakBeanpotBoostHarvardHopes.html Jim Connelly, USCHO Senior Writer

BOSTON — Dec. 9, 2''9, was a chilly night in Boston. The Harvard Crimson hosted Boston College in a spirited pre-Christmas affair with the Eagles holding off Harvard last to earn a 3-2 win.</p> <p>The game continued Harvard's futility on the ice. It was the club's 1'th straight game without a win since beating Dartmouth, 5-3, on the opening night of the season. At 1-8-2, the Crimson seemed poised to possibly have one of the worst seasons in the school's 1'3-year history (for the record, the 194'-41 Crimson posted a 2-9-1 record and the 1995-96 club stands as the only in school history to lose 2' games, going 13-2'-1).</p> <p>You'd expect coach Ted Donato to be at wits end by the time the buzzer sounded on Dec. 9. But quite to the contrary after that game, Donato addressed the media with a distinct air of hope.</p> <p>"I expect that we'll continue to improve and we'll find ourselves on the right side of some of these games," Donato said after the loss. "There's a lot of reasons to think that that will be the case."</p> <p>That night, indeed, turned out to be a harbinger of things to come for the Crimson. After a 2'-day break, Harvard returned to the ice and won four straight ECAC Hockey games and heading into Monday's Beanpot semifinals might be one of the hottest teams, despite sporting a 5-11-3 record.</p> <p>When the puck drops in Monday's Beanpot opener (5 p.m. Eastern, NESN), Harvard will have the chance to avenge the Dec. 9 loss, as the Crimson face BC looking for their first Beanpot title since 1993.</p> <p>"We really feel we were starting to play much better in the middle of December and the break was something that came at an essential time for us," said Donato. "We had struggled and the guys came back with a fresh attitude."</p> <p>That fresh attitude resulted in a win out of the gates after break against a then-red hot Quinnipiac team. After two tough losses at Minnesota, Harvard came home to sweep Yale and Dartmouth before hitting the road to hand Union its first league loss of the season.</p> <p>For Donato, there isn't a way to pinpoint what helped turn things around. He feels the improvements as the season had worn on have been in many areas. </p> <p>"We've gotten some more consistent goaltending. Our special teams have improved, especially our penalty kill," said Donato. "Overall, it's just a general sense of experience and maturity from our young guys."</p> <p>Youth certainly has been an issue for Harvard, which on any given night has dressed six or seven freshman and either none or one senior up front.</p> <p>"We're a young team and I think the experience, although very difficult at the beginning of the season, will prove to be beneficial," Donato said.</p> <p>One young player who has turned things on is freshman Louis Leblanc, a highly touted recruit who was the first-round draft choice of the Montreal Canadiens last summer. Leblanc has scored in all but one league game since returning from break and straight out took control in the Yale and Dartmouth wins, scoring two goals in each game.</p> <p>Another bright light has been the play of goaltender Ryan Carroll. The junior hadn't seen much playing time early with the return of Kyle Richter, who was suspended from the school a season ago for undisclosed reasons and returned to the Crimson this year, reassuming the role of No. 1 goaltender.</p> <p>Richter, similar to the team, struggled early. After the losses to Minnesota, Carroll took back the reins in net and in that time has allowed just eight goals in five starts and made a career-high 47 stops in the upset of Union. </p> <p>"Ryan Carroll has played very well," said Donato, noting that he doesn't believe that Richter's performance had anything to do with the team's slow start. "I think we've played better defensively in front of them and the goaltenders have improved like the rest of the team."</p> <p>So as the Crimson enter the Beanpot, they may possess the worst record of the four schools but certainly that's not indicative of the potential this team has.</p> <p>"I think in general most people would say that there are not as many clear-cut, top-notch teams in college hockey," said Donato. "At the end of the season there will be a lot of teams that will have struggled a little bit and caught fire at the right time. All the teams in [the Beanpot] are dangerous.</p> <p>"I think you look at BU and BC, and those two teams have proven that they are very effective at the end of the season and they have always used this tournament as a springboard to try to have success in the playoffs and beyond."</p> <p>Should the Crimson win twice in the next two Mondays, some may think of the victory as yet another Beanpot miracle. For Harvard, though, it would be more than just a miracle, it would be a defining moment.</p> <p>That moment, which hasn't happened since the Crimson disposed of BC and BU in 1993, is something that could reinvigorate hockey on a campus where sports almost always take a back seat to academics.</p> <p>"I could give you a 1'-page analysis on our fans. I don't know whether they get it or not," said senior captain Alex Beiga, who joked recently that a nearly-bald Donato has more hair than Harvard has hockey fans. "Being at Harvard, you have a high percentage of students who have other interests other than hockey.</p> <p>"I don't think they [understand the magnitude of the Beanpot], but it's something that we've dealt with. The atmosphere [at the Beanpot] is unbelievable and you learn to accept it and have fun with it. </p> <p>"[A win] would be a steppingstone for sure. More and more people, if we win games, we're going to draw a larger crowd. I'll take all the blame on that point. We're hoping we get a good crowd every night and we hope to have a big crowd come Beanpot time but that comes with winning and being a national contending team every year."</p> <p>To win the Beanpot, though, the Crimson must first avenge the pre-Christmas loss to BC. Harvard hasn't beat BC in a Beanpot game since 1998, when they knocked off the Eagles in the semifinal, 5-4 in overtime, before losing to Boston University in the final. Since then, Harvard's futility has resulted in eight straight losses, including a dramatic 6-5 overtime loss in the final two seasons ago.</p> <p>"We have a lot of respect for [BC]," said Donato, "but this is an opportunity for our guys to use this as a springboard to accomplish some things we want to do not only in the Beanpot but in the rest of the season."

2010-01-30T14:53:57-06:00 2010-01-30T14:53:57-06:00 2010-01-30T14:53:57-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,17983/CareerOverforHarvardsKessler.html Brian Sullivan, USCHO ECAC Hockey Correspondent

BOSTON — Harvard sources have confirmed that record-setting Crimson senior Christina Kessler has suffered a season-ending injury. </p> <p>The national-caliber netminder endured a substantial but non-specific lower-body injury in practice in mid-January, cutting her final season short after 15 games. Sporting a 9-3-3 record, 1.34 goals-against average and a .944 save rate this year, Kessler carried her team to the Frozen Four two years ago in Duluth, and was named ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Year that season as well. </p> <p>Oakville, Ontario native Kessler also led Canada's Under-22 team to a silver medal in the 2''9 MLP Cup, and a gold this year. Harvard's all-time leader in wins, with 64, established that mark in what turned out to be her final game - a 5-1 win over Colgate on January 16. </p> <p>Freshman Laura Bellamy takes over between the Crimson pipes, with junior Kylie Stephens returning to the team as a backup.

2010-01-29T21:47:14-06:00 2010-01-29T21:47:14-06:00 2010-01-29T21:47:14-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,17963/NCAAHitsGeneseoBuffaloStatewithProbationTeamsIneligiblefor2010Postseason.html Russell Jaslow, USCHO SUNYAC Correspondent

The NCAA Division III Committee on Infractions announced sanctions, effective immediately, against Geneseo and Buffalo State that will keep the schools out of the postseason this season.</p> <p>Though the sanctions are imposed on the entire athletic program, they primarily affect ice hockey. According to the NCAA, Geneseo and Buffalo State awarded grants almost exclusively to student-athletes, particularly those in men's and women's ice hockey.</p> <p>These schools have been put on two years of probation from Jan. 28, 2'1', through Jan. 27, 2'12, their Canadian grant programs for incoming students have been terminated, and any team with a student-athlete receiving Canadian grants cannot participate in any postseason play this year. The first two penalties were self-imposed by the institutions and accepted by the NCAA.</p> <p>Since the hockey seasons already started, Geneseo and Buffalo State's seasons will end after the regular season contests are completed. Geneseo is currently in a playoff spot.</p> <p>"They are not eligible for postseason play," SUNYAC Commissioner Dr. Patrick Damore said of the men's teams (Buffalo State women compete in the ECAC West and are currently in a playoff spot). "We're just going to move everyone up. It's just for this year. Next year, they will be eligible."</p> <p>The committee found no indication that anyone in the school's athletics department or administration intended to circumvent NCAA rules. It was the disproportionate awarding of grants to student-athletes that resulted in more than a minimal competitive advantage to the athletics program.</p> <p>"The NCAA news release confirms that Buffalo State never sought to circumvent NCAA rules and implemented the Canadian Incentive Grant program for the sole purpose of better serving students throughout the region," Buffalo State Interim President Dr. Dennis Ponton said. "It is regrettable that, in fall 2''9, we had to discontinue a program that was enriching our entire college, but we understand and accept the NCAA's ruling on this matter."</p> <p>"The infraction was an unintended consequence of the Canadian Student Initiative, created in 2''1 as part of a SUNY-wide effort to increase the international student population," Geneseo President Christopher Dahl said. "The NCAA did not deem the Canadian Student Initiative program a violation in and of itself, but rather cited the disproportionate percentage of aid awarded to student-athletes compared to that of non-athletes from 2''6 to 2''9. Nearly all recipients played ice hockey. It is important to note that the NCAA found the violation unintentional."</p> <p>Caught in the middle are the student-athletes affected. They have a choice to either continue playing their sport and forfeit the aid package or quit playing and continue receiving the aid package.</p> <p>"We are disappointed our students have to make that decision," Dahl said. "We strongly support the policies of the NCAA. We are intently focused on doing what's best for our student-athletes. We vigorously defended our student's interest in front of the NCAA.</p> <p>"We will continue to have the International aid program, but the Canadian aid program has been suspended and canceled."</p> <p>Though many schools, including Geneseo, have an active international recruiting effort complete with scholarships and aid packages, it was specifically the ratio of Canadian athletes versus Canadian non-athletes that caught the attention of the NCAA. The NCAA no longer looked at the overall foreign student population, but just focused on the Canadian population and the proportionality of athletes of all sports and the aid they were receiving.</p> <p>"Although the Canadian Incentive Grant met all NCAA Division III standards when it was established in 2''6, subsequently the NCAA deemed that a disproportionate number of student-athletes versus regular students from Canada took advantage of the program," Buffalo State athletic director Jerry Boyes said. "We cooperated fully with this investigation and accept the penalties handed down. However, we are deeply disappointed that this situation will have a negative impact on our men's and women's ice hockey student-athletes this season. We appreciate and wholeheartedly stand by the NCAA's acknowledgement that no one in the athletics department or administration ever intended to circumvent NCAA rules."</p> <p>Dahl said: "The financial aid bylaw in question — amended in 2''5 — requires that institutions compare financial aid packaging for first-year and transfer student-athletes with the aid packaging for all first-year and transfer students. This is a relatively new change, and as such, our situation constitutes a 'first look' case for the NCAA."</p> <p>Many Division III schools have this sort of aid program but are able to meet the ratio. For example, Potsdam has an approved teacher education program registered with the Ontario Ministry of Education. Thus, they actively recruit Canadian students who are not hockey players who find this program attractive. Therefore, the proportionality of Canadian athletes compared to Canadian non-athletes receiving these grants appeases the NCAA.</p> <p>"These are the only two schools in the SUNYAC that are being looked at," Damore said. "They've corrected the situation. The NCAA is looking at other schools in the country."</p> <p>Sources indicate this is only the tip of the iceberg and will have a major impact on Division III hockey. It is unclear whether any Division I programs that cannot offer scholarships by NCAA rule — other than those whose schools or conferences self impose no scholarships — also will be affected.

2010-01-29T14:59:02-06:00 2010-01-29T14:59:02-06:00 2010-01-29T14:59:02-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,17964/ThisWeekintheECACEastandNESCACJan282010.html Tim Costello, USCHO ECAC East/NESCAC Correspondent

At USCHO, we strive to cover the sport of college hockey from soup-to-nuts, end-to-end and top-to-bottom. This week we take a closer look at the teams in both conferences currently residing at the top and bottom and what their focus is coming down to the last remaining weekends in the regular season.</p> <p>While one might think that there can’t be a lot in common for teams at opposite ends of the standings, there seem to be more common points among the teams than differing attitudes and areas of focus as each game has more significance and the teams fight for valuable points, looking to maintain or improve their position in the conference.</p> <h4>Lords of their Domain</h4> <p>A quick look at the NESCAC standings shows a familiar team sitting atop the conference. Last year’s regular season and tournament champions, the Amherst Lord Jeffs, have leveraged a 9-'-2 run since Dec. 5 to move into first place.</p> <p>“The formula this year is similar to last year,” said head coach Jack Arena. “A lot of it is about the special teams, good defense and balanced scoring but our success still centers on Cole [Anderson] in goal. He has had no problems into shifting from last year’s goalie rotation to playing both games on the weekend and probably has been asked to do a little more this year based on the changes in our defensive unit this season. </p> <p>“We graduated a strong group of seniors and knew we would be finding our way as the blue line group came together. They have played well but Cole has been asked to stop more difficult chances from the opponents and cover for mistakes. Obviously he has been very, very good.”</p> <p>Anderson, who has switched uniform numbers from 28 to his more familiar 29, is still putting up great statistics. He has a 1.83 goals against average (good for seventh nationally) and .927 save percentage. During their 11 game unbeaten streak, Amherst has surrendered just 15 goals, largely due to Anderson’s prowess between the pipes.</p> <p>“Cole is such a competitor,” said Arena. “In our matchup with Tufts and their terrific goalie [Scott] Barchard, I am sure that the head-to-head battle with another goalie at the top of his game and really gaudy stats was definitely in his mind or a motivation for him. He would never say anything about it but you know he is aware of situations and uses things to be at his best. That was his first and only shutout of the season so far with our 2-' win.”</p> <p>A lot of Amherst’s success can be found in their extraordinary special teams play. Currently they lead the nation in both power-play efficiency (31.8%) and penalty killing effectiveness (92.8%) which makes things very difficult for their opponents. </p> <p>“There are really two guys who kind of exemplify our special teams play,” said Arena. “On the power play we have watched Matthew Rhone just get better and better each year here. This year it’s been great to see him get his chances and really start to bury them. On the penalty kill as well as on his regular shift, sophomore Mike Baran has been dominant on the ice as a physical player who can take over games. </p> <p>“He is a very talented kid who is showing parts of his game that weren’t on display with last year’s team and senior dominated defensive corps. He has been a big part of the group on defense coming together and playing well.”<br /> Last year’s run into the NCAA tournament has not been forgotten by this team that continues to leverage their experience from a year ago in the present. There is a mindset about winning — evidenced by their current streak — that clearly has carried over from last year.</p> <p>“Winning can be contagious,” stated Arena. “It becomes a habit and in a positive way, this team feels that if they get up by a goal, they expect to win. It’s not over-confident or feeling that they just need to show up and it will happen. Their experience and success continues to foster the desire for more winning and success and it just grows as the season has progressed.”</p> <p>This week the Lord Jeffs host Southern Maine and University of New England as they look to extend their unbeaten streak and improve on their 5-1-1 home record. If they keep the formula intact, Amherst will be looking down on the rest of the teams in the league.</p> <h4>Cardinals Looking to Fly North</h4> <p>At the other end of the NESCAC standings, the Wesleyan Cardinals are still hoping to find their game and make a late season push to get into a playoff position. The sense of urgency is real for head coach Chris Potter’s team coming off a difficult loss against Trinity on Tuesday night by a 6-4 score.</p> <p>“I really was proud of the team,” said Potter. “We were down 2-' early and cut it in half and then got down 4-1. The kids didn’t quit and fought back to tie the game at four apiece. Trinity scored to go up 5-4 and added an empty net goal but I thought we had some chances and really competed hard.”</p> <p>One of the keys to success for Wesleyan is the play of the line that brings together sophomore Tom Salah (1' goals, seven assists, 17 points), freshman John Guay (9-9-18) and freshman Adam Kaiser (2-9-11). Salah has been a key player for Wesleyan from his arrival on campus last season and has continued to have a positive impact on the ice and off the ice with the Cardinals young team.</p> <p>“Tommy is a great example for the rest of the team,” said Potter. “He leads by example and has really inspired others including his linemates to improve and become better hockey players. He has developed and matured quickly and certainly has exceeded expectations as a player.”</p> <p>While the overall effort has been there and the drive to compete continues to be important for all of the Wesleyan players, the results have been tough in the month of January with the team winning only one of its seven league games played so far. A common theme for the outcomes can be found in the difficult time Wesleyan has playing with the power play and killing penalties.</p> <p>“Wow!” said coach Potter. “It really is a bad situation for us on the special team units. The numbers if they were reversed would be great and we probably would have some more points as a result of getting better in those areas. I would be really happy if we could be successful on the kill or a man up if we had those things happen at key parts of the game when we really need a stop or to get one on the board. </p> <p>“That is probably the most frustrating part of it all is that we don’t seem to get the timely kill or big goal when the team needs it most. It’s not for a lack of trying different things or effort. We have a young squad and we are still learning to compete and have success at the big moments that arise in games.”</p> <p>While the Cardinals are at the bottom of the standings, they don’t have to move too much to catch a couple of teams in front of them. Connecticut College and Tufts are just ahead of Wesleyan in the standings and the teams get together for pivotal matchups in two weeks that could go a long way in determining who gets in and who is out of the NESCAC tournament.</p> <p>“The next two weeks are key for us,” said Potter. “We have Saint Anselm and New England College here this weekend and then go on the road for Tufts and Conn. College. We have not been successful on the road at all this season ('-6-') outside of the Nichols tournament so we are going to need to really play solidly in our remaining games if we are going to play hockey after the regular season. </p> <p>“It’s not time to panic yet but need to make some things happen on the ice — compete hard, better special teams and some good goaltending will all give us a chance to get in the race.”</p> <p>No time like the present for the Cardinals who know the clock is ticking and that every point is very valuable heading into the final month of the season.</p> <h4>Cadets Playing With Precision</h4> <p>At 14-'-3 there is no question about the level of play that the second ranked Norwich Cadets have brought each and every night since the first game of the season. As the nation’s sole remaining unbeaten team in D-III, the Cadets know that their opponents are gunning for them every game so the effort has been consistently strong to produce the wins and solid games both at home and on the road.</p> <p>“We have a lot more balance in this year’s team than in the past,” said head coach Mike McShane. “Last season I thought we had one or maybe 1.5 lines that really could produce some solid offense for us. This year we have four lines that are scoring consistently and that puts a lot of pressure on the other team and makes for some difficult matchups.”</p> <p>Two freshmen are leading the Cadets in goals so far this season and have been a big factor in the balanced scoring Norwich has enjoyed in their first 17 games. Blake Forkey (12-12-24) and Kyle Thomas (12-5-17) have jumped right in to their roles on the team and have found a knack for scoring goals in all on-ice situations and more importantly, the big goals, as they have combined for four game-winning goals this season.</p> <p>While the offense is clicking, Norwich also has enjoyed the anticipated solid play of the defensive unit as well as strong goaltending which were McShane’s perceived strengths coming into the season. </p> <p>“We have a solid group of defensemen who have definitely played at the level we expected,” said McShane. “All of the guys have played very well and Ryan [Kligensmith] has been really solid in goal so we feel pretty good about where we are right now. We have had a bunch of injuries that we would like to get guys back from quickly. Luckily we haven’t had any injuries on the defense or goaltending but we would like to get healthy and focus on improving in the remaining weeks of the season.”</p> <p>Playing much better would be a scary proposition for any Cadet opponent coming up in the next five weeks but their coach knows his team won’t get complacent over their current position in the league.</p> <p>“I think that the level of competitiveness and intensity is really driven by your upperclassmen and the maturity level of your kids,” said McShane. While we have some young kids this season playing for us, they are all pretty mature kids and bring that desire to compete every night. I also think we are getting great leadership from our seniors like captain Tyler Stitt and Eric Tallent. </p> <p>“They really are a confident group, not cocky, but definitely confident and they bring that to the ice. If you really look at the tied games on our schedule there is just one actual tie. The game with Plattsburgh ended with a shootout win which didn’t feel like a tie and the game with Potsdam ended with a shootout loss which definitely didn’t feel like a tie. Our kids understand both sides of the coin and really work hard to keep the outcomes in the win column.”</p> <p>This week the Cadets travel to UMass-Boston and Babson for two key ECAC East matchups. Both opponents are looking to move up in the standings and focus on the consistent play needed to compete with the league’s best. </p> <p>Friday night’s matchup at the Clark Center on the UMB campus will be the first meeting since the Beacons upset the number one seeded Cadets in Northfield in the first round of the ECAC East playoffs last spring. As if staying unbeaten wasn’t enough motivation for the Cadets.</p> <p>“We have a pretty young team,” said McShane. “There are guys that I am sure remember the feeling and know the need to play a complete game. I hope they haven’t forgotten that game. Every little bit of motivation helps.”</p> <p>It’s hard to imagine this team playing much better but they are on a roll and have no intention of slowing down the assault on the rest of the teams remaining on the schedule and right into the postseason.</p> <h4>Nor’easters Weathering the Storm</h4> <p>For a club team making the leap into varsity status, the jump is a big one. Brad Holt’s University of New England team has entered its first season in the ECAC East and is battling every night against some of the country’s best D-III teams.</p> <p>“Our record is obviously not great,” said head coach Brad Holt. “We are still learning how to compete at the college level and understand the energy level and intensity that you need to bring every night to be successful. It is very different for a lot of these kids coming out of juniors to recognize how short the season is when you start on Nov. 1.</p> <p>“Then you only see teams once so you can’t come out of the game thinking we will get them next time. Lastly, the playing of the two games in less than 24 hours is more of an adjustment for kids at this level. You need to be able to play hard on Friday and then bring it again on Saturday afternoon without thinking or lingering on what happened the night before. It’s just a different mindset for most of these kids.”</p> <p>The most difficult part of the game for the Nor’easters has been scoring goals. This is a pretty consistent point of distinction for the teams at the top versus those at the bottom of the standings. Despite the continued effort and desire to compete, UNE has struggled to score goals and last week’s 5-4 loss to UMass-Boston was the first game in which the team scored more than two goals in a game this season.</p> <p>“We knew scoring would be one of our challenges in this first year,” said Holt. “We really don’t have that sniper who is going to get 1', 15, or 2' goals in a season. We have had to work very hard for our chances and we have some guys that clearly are making the adjustments and getting confidence in their game which should improve the offensive production.”</p> <p>One area of the ice where coach Holt has no concerns has been in the crease where freshman Dallas Ungurian has been a solid and consistent presence on a team that has consistently been outshot each game this season. </p> <p>Ungurian (4.22 GAA, .893 save pct.) has faced over 4'' shots this season or about an average of 36 per game in his 11 starts. In the team’s sole win against Plymouth State, he made 41 saves to back stop their inaugural victory by a 2-1 score.</p> <p>“I have no question that Dallas is the real deal,” said Holt. “He has been terrific for us and has kept us close in some games where we have really been outplayed. The key for us moving forward will be to continue to improve in all facets of the game and develop players to play at this level consistently. We certainly understood it wasn’t going to happen in just our first season but we don’t only look at the wins and losses. </p> <p>“We have different criteria for determining success focused on parts of the game and things we can focus on and see results. Winning shifts, winning periods, successfully killing penalties, limiting the number of shots on goal are all benchmarks that we strive to improve and assess our performance beyond the scope of just the outcome of the game. Overall I am really pleased with how we have progressed as a team and I know that these kids are committed to becoming better players and a better team. We need to add some pieces in terms of players and continue to teach and learn from our experiences — good, bad and otherwise.”</p> <p>The next two weeks finds the Nor’easters on the road before finishing the season with two home weekends. Six of their final eight games are against NESCAC opponents including a difficult road trip to Amherst and Hamilton this weekend. There is still a lot of hockey to be played and coach Holt, like his team is going to keep on battling right into the conference tournament.</p> <p>Just one month remains in the regular season and every team at the top or bottom wants to find the winning formula, keep it going and drive to the playoffs playing their best hockey. If you are at the top you want to stay there and if you are at the other end of the spectrum you can’t make a move fast enough. Top to bottom the action is going to heat up so get out and root for your team this weekend.</p> <p>Drop the puck.

2010-01-29T14:56:11-06:00 2010-01-29T14:56:11-06:00 2010-01-29T14:56:11-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,17965/ThisWeekinDIIIWomensHockeyJanuary292010.html Derek Dunning, USCHO Women's D-III Correspondent

With only one month remaining in the regular season, parity has run rampant amongst the D-III women’s ranks.</p> <p>Sure you have Amherst leading the NESCAC and Plattsburgh leading the ECAC West, which are no real surprises. On the other hand, Lake Forest leading the NCHA and St. Catherine and St. Thomas currently ahead of Gustavus Adolphus in the MIAC is nothing short of shocking. I would be willing to bet not too many people had those three teams pegged to be leading their respective conferences this late in the season.</p> <p>Additionally, though Plattsburgh topping the ECAC West isn’t a huge surprise, how many people would have guessed they would take all eight points from RIT and Elmira; with their only blemish in conference play coming at the hands of Utica?</p> <p>Amherst and Plattsburgh have separated themselves from the pack a little bit so far in terms of NCAA selection. Both teams will more than likely hold home ice in their respective conference tournaments. </p> <p>The Lady Jeffs’ toughest challenge remaining on their schedule is a non-conference tilt to close out the season against Norwich. Plattsburgh also has a couple tough non-conference matchups remaining as they host Manhattanville for a pair of games and Middlebury for a single game, all in the same week. </p> <p>That week will go a long way towards determining the East’s number one seed in the NCAA Tournament.</p> <p>In a year where all signs so far have pointed that the committee is set to send the NCAA Division III women’s ice hockey championship tournament out west for the first time, it’s imperative for teams like Elmira, Trinity, Manhattanville, Norwich, and Middlebury to find resume boosting wins to strengthen their case to be in the tournament and keep a 5-2 split.<br /> <br /> <h4>Will someone in the NCHA please step up?</h4> <p>The conference that has intrigued me most this season has undoubtedly been the NCHA. <br /> Wis. Superior, currently ranked in a tie with Manhattanville for ninth in the country sits seventh in its own conference!</p> <p>How is this possible you might ask? Well, the Yellow jackets have played a brutal schedule so far including two games each against Wis. Stevens Point, Wis. River Falls, and Lake Forest. Superior split with Stevens Point and River Falls and managed only one point from Lake Forest.</p> <p>The schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Yellow jackets this weekend as they host second place Adrian for a pair of games, who has been giving the NCHA teams fits in their first season as a full member of the conference. The Bulldogs are 6-3-1 in NCHA play and have split with Wis. Eau Claire, River Falls, and Lake Forest.</p> <p>First to seventh place in the NCHA is currently separated by six points, and the two teams leading the conference, Lake Forest (16 points) and Adrian (13 points) have both played two more games than Stevens Point, Eau Claire, River Falls, and Superior.</p> <p>There is still a lot of hockey left to be played in the NCHA and it’s anyone’s guess as to who will end up emerging from that conference and be hoisting the O’Brien Cup in March. In my 2' predictions for 2'1' segment of my first column of the year, I projected Adrian to make the NCHA finals. So far that pick hasn’t looked too shabby compared to the rest of the atrocious picks I made in that column.</p> <p>However, with the way things have gone in the NCHA this year, it wouldn’t surprise me if Adrian won the O’Brien Cup or was a first round exit. It’s just been that tough to predict.</p> <p>The downside to all of the parity in the NCHA this year has certainly hurt every team’s chances of securing an at-large Pool C bid in the case that they don’t win the NCHA Tournament. </p> <p>More than likely with the losses that have already been accrued and the losses that are surely still to come for almost all the NCHA leaders (unless someone gets very hot), will take all but the O’Brien Cup winner out of the NCAA Tournament picture.</p> <p>Saddle up western hockey fans, you’re in for a treat the last month of the season watching things play out between those seven teams. Will Lake Forest be able to ride its hot start out and host the O’Brien Cup? Or will traditional powers Stevens Point, River Falls and Superior rise to the occasion and keep the trophy among the elite three? Or will Adrian and the up and coming Eau Claire squad spoil it for the rest of the conference.</p> <p> Like I said, it’s anyone’s guess. But boy would I like to be able to be at three places at once and watch how all those games end up playing out.</p> <p><br /> <h4>Laura Hurd Award</h4> <p>Last season around this time I tried to take a look at the Laura Hurd watch to see which players were positioning themselves for a chance to take home the trophy at the awards banquet the night before the NCAA semifinals.</p> <p>For those unfamiliar with the Hurd Award, here is the press release from last year’s finalist announcement that briefly describes the award and to whom it is named after:</p> <p><a href="http://www.ahcahockey.com/news/'8'9/'317hurd.pdf">2''9 Laura Hurd Press Release (PDF)</a></p> <p>Also here is a press release from Elmira College from 2''7 with more information about the award and why it was named after Laura Hurd:</p> <p><a href="http://www.elmira.edu/athletics/news/2''7/'1/11/1125_'7'111123'-321">History of the Laura Hurd award</a></p> <p>Last year, Elmira College’s Kayla Coady won the award, becoming the second player from Elmira to do it after Hurd was the program’s first to do it in 2''5.</p> <p>Middlebury leads the nation with four players having won the award since its inception in 2''', with Emily Quizon the latest to win in 2''6.</p> <p>The award has traditionally been given to a senior rewarding a career, rather than one individual season. Although, Plattsburgh’s Danielle Blanchard became the first underclassmen to win the award as a junior in 2''8.</p> <p>This season presents the toughest year yet to try and find a group of seniors that have stood out over their four years over some of the underclassmen that are having a terrific season this year.</p> <p>The first name that popped into my mind that has to be up for the award this year is Trinity’s Isabel Iwachiw. </p> <p>Iwachiw has been an instrumental part of putting the Trinity Bantams women’s hockey program on the map. So far this season she has continued her stellar performance between the pipes leading the country with 12 wins and a 12-1-2 record. Her five shutouts tie her for best in the nation with Williams’ Sara Plunkett and her .953 save percentage is also tops in the country. She also ranks fourth in goals against average with a 1.12 GGA. </p> <p>In 71 games played so far in her career, Isabel has a 42-21-8 record with 16 shutouts and a career GGA of 1.81 and a save percentage of .936. Her career save percentage currently ranks her third all-time in NCAA Division III women’s ice hockey history.</p> <p>A goaltender has never won this award and I’m not even certain if one has ever been a finalist for it. However, it would be a shame if Isabel was left off the list this season given the dramatic effect she has had on Trinity’s hockey program and bringing them up to the elite level that they are at now.</p> <p>As far as other senior candidates, it’s really hard to find any that stick out. Elmira’s Jenna McCall is a possibility, but for all intents and purposes she has had a down year this season for her standards. </p> <p>UMass-Boston’s Maria Nasta is a possibility. She topped the 1'' career points mark this season after playing just three and a half seasons of D-III after transferring from New England College her freshman year to UMass-Boston.</p> <p>However, I think for the first time a majority of the candidates are going to be underclassmen and if you look at the numbers, why shouldn’t they be?</p> <p>Lake Forest’s Kim Herring has been a scoring machine this year. The sophomore has been one of the key ingredients to the Foresters bursting onto the scene this season and their rise to the top of the NCHA standings. She has 22 goals and 12 assists for a nation-leading 34 points on the season. She has also scored six game-winning goals and six power play goals as well.</p> <p>RIT’s Katie Stack is second in the country in goals with 18 and leads the nation in power play goals with eight so far this season. The junior is 18 points away from reaching the 1''-career-point mark and will have a shot at it if she keeps up her torrid scoring pace.</p> <p>Neumann’s Jessica Schroeder is quietly second in the country in points trailing only Herring with 32. She is six points away from 1'' career points as a junior. </p> <p>If I had to pick five finalists right now it would go as follows, with hard consideration given to seniors since this has predominantly been a career award:</p> <p>G. Isabel Iwachiw, Trinity, Sr.<br /> F. Kim Herring, Lake Forest, So.<br /> F. Katie Stack, RIT, Jr.<br /> F. Jenna McCall, Elmira, Sr.<br /> F. Maria Nasta, UMass-Boston Sr.

2010-01-30T14:22:53-06:00 2010-01-30T14:22:53-06:00 2010-01-30T14:22:53-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,17980/ThisWeekinWomensDIJanuary292010.html Dan Hickling, USCHO Women's D-I Correspondent

By chance is Tae Kwan part of your training regimen?</p> <p>If not, you might consider giving it a whirl. After all, it hasn't hurt Carolyne Prevost any.</p> <p>In fact, Wisconsin's sophomore forward credits that Korean martial art - which is loosely analogous to kick boxing - with helping her become a better hockey player.</p> <p>Not that she is lifting an angry skate blade toward an opposing d-man's face or anything like that. However, Prevost said, there are plenty of other transferable concepts between the two sports.</p> <p>“I think it's really helped my game a lot,” said Prevost, who hails from Sarnia, Ontario. “Especially my agility.”</p> <p>Even more than the physical demands, Prevost said that the mental discipline required for Tae Kwan Do is the same approach she needs to prepare for a Badgers' game.</p> <p>“I think that's one of the biggest things I take away from the sport,” said Prevost, who is a fourth degree black belt, “is the mental aspect. Any kind of martial art, or fighting sport, there's always a mentality going into it. The preparing and the training. I think that carries over into preparing for important hockey games. I take the skills from Tae Kwan Do and carry it over into hockey.”</p> <p>So far, she hasn't lost a thing in translation.</p> <p>In fact, she's been one of the hottest point producers in the WCHA of late, with seven goals and 1' assists this season heading into this weekend's series with Ohio State, most of which she's piled up since the mid-season break.<br /> Prevost, who is one of five daughters (including two sets of twins) born to Normand and Giselle Prevost, is coming off her first career hat trick, which she registered against St. Cloud State.</p> <p>She credits the boost gained from her appearance with Canada's U-22 team in the MLP Cup tournament, staged in Germany during the holidays, for putting extra glide to her skating stride.</p> <p>“I think that's been the biggest difference in my confidence,” said Prevost, who had to shake off the effects of a high ankle sprain suffered last summer. “After getting the call from the U-22 team, that just brought my confidence back up. I think that shows more in my game.”</p> <p>Next week, the defending National Champion Badgers will take part in the outdoor Camp Randall Classic against WCHA newbies Bemidji State, to be held within Wisconsin's historic football stadium. Prevost said she's excited about taking part in the second womens' collegiate outdoor game [following the UNH/Northeastern Frozen Fenway battle on Jan. 8].</p> <p>“I think it's unbelievable that we have the opportunity to do this,” she said. “We're excited about practicing all next week outdoors. Growing up, a lot of people have played pond hockey. I never really did. But you see the NHL doing it, and it's a different kind of atmosphere.”</p> <p>Even so, to Prevost and the rest of the Badgers, the two points at stake are more important than the novelty of the event. Having lost four of their last six starts heading into the weekend, the No. 1' Badgers can ill afford to get caught up in the hoopla ... especially with the Beavers nipping at their heels in the WCHA standings.</p> <p>“Honestly,” Prevost said, “we'll be enjoying the experience of the game. But at the end of the day, those will be two points that we really need in our standings. We need to get a win. It might be a great outdoor game, but we're there to win it. We're going to go out hard and do what we can.”</p> <p>The Camp Randall Classic is not the only special event looming on the womens' hockey calendar. The Women's Beanpot will be held on the next two Tuesdays at Harvard's Bright Center (a.k.a the coldest indoor arena this side of Pluto).<br /> No. 6 Northeastern will face BU in this Tuesday's opener, followed by BC and No. 7 Harvard in the nightcap.</p> <p>Two-fers. Gotta love 'em.

2010-01-27T15:45:21-06:00 2010-01-27T15:45:21-06:00 2010-01-27T15:45:21-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,17950/ThisWeekintheECACWestJan282010.html Scott Biggar, USCHO ECAC West Correspondent

<h4>Right Mindset</h4> <p>With a pair of road victories last weekend, Manhattanville extended its current winning streak to nine games. But even more amazing is the Valiants are riding a 2' game unbeaten streak on the road. With a record of 19-'-1 in its last 2' games away from the Playland Ice Casino, Manhattanville is defying the old maxim that it is more difficult to play away from the home barn.</p> <p>“We have been a good road team,” said Manhattanville head coach Keith Levinthal. “We are a more disciplined team, and a smarter team, on the road. Sometimes at home we try to be a team that we are not. For whatever reason, we are a more focused team when we travel.”</p> <p>Manhattanville’s latest road conquests came this past weekend at Utica and Morrisville. </p> <p>On Friday, the Valiants beat Utica 6-3 in front of 3,656 hostile fans at The Aud.<br /> Manhattanville saw a 3-1 lead evaporate early in the third period as Utica tied it up thanks to Tim Coffman and Vincent Nucci. But the Valiants ripped off three even-strength goals in the final six minutes of the game to seal the victory.</p> <p>“We played really well and had the majority of scoring chances in the game,” said Levinthal. “We had a couple minute lapse, partly as a credit to Utica, but we recovered quickly. I really felt good about our effort. From a conditioning standpoint, we were starting to take the game over. Our guys were feeling really good and strong.”</p> <p>Sunday, the Valiants shutout Morrisville 3-', ensuring the ECAC West a winning record over the SUNYAC once again in their long standing inter-conference rivalry. Sophomore Evan Michalchuk tallied a pair of goals less a minute apart late in the second period to finish off the scoring for Manhattanville.</p> <p>“Morrisville worked really hard and played really smart,” said Levinthal. “They controlled the play in the first period and part of the second period. We really struggled with their forecheck. As the game wore on, we slowly began to take control.”</p> <p>Morrisville outshot the Valiants 15-5 in the first period, but goaltender Pierre-Olivier Lemieux withstood the onslaught and gave the Manhattanville offense time to get going.</p> <h4>Some Distance</h4> <p>Hobart swept a pair of games at Neumann last weekend, creating some distance between the upper and lower halves of the league standings. The Statesmen, currently in third place, now have a five point gap between themselves and fourth place Neumann.</p> <p>Both games were one goal games, with Hobart winning 1-' Friday night and 3-2 on Saturday. Hobart was able to get the first marker each game, with four different goal scorers tallying during the weekend.</p> <p>“We got the goal to start both games and that helped us out quite a bit,” said Hobart head coach Mark Taylor. “When we were able to make the second game 3-1, it gave us some breathing room. The first game, we owned most of the play. The second game, they did.”</p> <p>Nick Broadwater continues to shine in net for Hobart. The freshman leads the league with a 92.6% save percentage and is second in goals against with 2.35. He stopped 64 of 66 shots faced last weekend to earn top honors in the league this week.</p> <p>“Nick played pretty special all weekend,” said Taylor. “You would think that the shutout night was the better of the two, but the second night he was the real difference.”</p> <p>A noticeable contrast between the two games was the infractions that were called. Friday night only saw five minors whistled, all of the rather benign flavor of tripping or holding. Saturday, on the other hand, had 18 penalties including four roughing and a 1' minute misconduct. Were the two games that different in the level of intensity?</p> <p>“Different referees was the difference,” said Taylor. “What a nice game the first night was. It was a good game of hockey, back and forth. The penalties that should have been called were called.”</p> <h4>Prostate Cancer Fundraiser</h4> <p>Elmira will be raising funds to increase the awareness of prostate cancer during its game Friday night against Utica. </p> <p>With the help of the women’s varsity team, the Soaring Eagles will be collecting donations both before the game and during intermissions. They are also raffling off a pair of autographed goalie sticks and the booster club is donating its share of the proceeds from the evening’s 5'/5' raffle. All money collected will be donated to the American Cancer Society.</p> <p>If you find yourself anywhere near the Southern Tier Friday evening, stop by the Thunderdomes to help the cause and enjoy a great hockey game.</p> <h4>Game of the Week</h4> <p>Manhattanville continues its road work this weekend when the Valiants travel to Hobart. It is a big game for both teams, as almost all are at this time of the season. Manhattanville leads Hobart by only a single point for second place in the standings.</p> <p>“They all are big at this point,” said Taylor. “Every time you play someone in your league, you always think about series. We want to win the series. They have been playing pretty good during this stretch.”</p> <p>Saturday will be the rubber match in the series. So far, the visiting team has won each of the first two games by identical 4-2 scores. Manhattanville opened its series at Hobart on Oct. 31, ripping out to a 3-' lead and then withstanding a Hobart comeback to take the 4-2 victory.</p> <p>Hobart returned the favor at Playland Ice Casino on Dec. 5, also building a 3-' lead, only to have to hold on for a 4-2 win.</p> <p>“It is really important in the standings,” said Levinthal. “They beat us last time, so we owe them a good game. Playing in Geneva is always tough. They are really good at home and it will be a heck of a challenge. We are in the right mindset to go in there and give them everything they can take. I like where we are at as a team right now.”</p> <p>If I was a betting man, I think putting money down on a 4-2 score Saturday night might be a worthwhile proposition.

2010-01-28T17:05:45-06:00 2010-01-28T17:05:45-06:00 2010-01-28T17:05:45-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,17954/ComingNextSeasonMichiganMichiganStateattheBigHouse.html Compiled by USCHO Staff

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Confirming a long-held rumor, Michigan on Thursday announced that it will host Michigan State outdoors at Michigan Stadium on Dec. 11.</p> <p>Faceoff for the game, dubbed The Big Chill at the Big House, is scheduled for 3 p.m. Eastern.</p> <p>The teams set the international attendance record for a hockey game by drawing 74,544 to Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich., on Oct. 6, 2''1. Michigan Stadium holds 1'6,2'1 for football.</p> <p>"I am extremely pleased that the Michigan and Michigan State athletic departments are collaborating on such an outstanding event," Wolverines athletic director Bill Martin said in a news release. "The Cold War game in 2''1 was a resounding success, and this game at Michigan Stadium should again provide great excitement for the schools, the CCHA and the state of Michigan."</p> <p>It will be the second straight season with an outdoor game for Michigan. The Wolverines are playing at Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium on Feb. 6.</p> <p>The Big Chill at the Big House is scheduled to be the fifth outdoor game in Division I men's hockey. Wisconsin played Ohio State at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., in 2''6; and Boston College and Boston University played at Fenway Park earlier this year.</p> <p>"We are thrilled to take part in this game at Michigan Stadium, and proud that our event in 2''1 has led to a series of these games that bring hockey back to where it began — outdoors," Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said. "The Cold War game has led the way to some exciting opportunities in college hockey and the NHL. It's a nod to tradition, but also a very modern, exciting thing for our student-athletes and fans to experience. There are always great crowds when these teams meet, and we expect another fantastic gathering of hockey fans in the state of Michigan to embrace this exciting event."</p> <p>The playing surface will be placed in the center of Michigan Stadium. The red line will run on top of the 5'-yard line, and the end boards will extend to reach the 17-yard lines.</p> <p>"This will be an unbelievable event," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "Not only is this a great rivalry between two top programs, but for it to be held in the Big House at Michigan is beyond what any of us have ever dreamt. This is finally a reality and it could be the largest crowd ever to witness a hockey game of any kind. I know our team, our staff and our fans from all over the country will be counting the days until the Big Chill at the Big House arrives."</p> <p>Said Michigan State coach Rick Comley: "Michigan State-Michigan is one of college hockey's great rivalries, and this will be a grand stage on which to showcase it. This is an exciting event for the student-athletes, coaches and staff, and the fan bases of both schools. When these teams face off, it is a game that people pay attention to nationally — and having one of our games outdoors in Michigan Stadium will create even more excitement and energy."</p> <p>Michigan and Michigan State are scheduled to play three additional times next season — once each at Michigan's Yost Ice Arena, Michigan State's Munn Ice Arena and Detroit's Joe Louis Arena.</p> <p>"Michigan and Michigan State set the standard for staging outdoor games on a grand scale on Oct. 6, 2''1, and it's great to see them collaborating again on an event that should once again put two CCHA teams in the national, and international, hockey spotlight," CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos said.

2010-01-28T16:08:20-06:00 2010-01-28T16:08:20-06:00 2010-01-28T16:08:20-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,17952/ThisWeekinSUNYACJan282010.html Russell Jaslow, USCHO SUNYAC Correspondent

<h4>As Expected</h4> <p><em>"Somehow, I get the feeling after the weekend is over, the only thing that is going to change amongst this cluster is some shuffling around within.”</em></p> <p>That's what I wrote in last week's column. That's exactly what happened.</p> <p>Sure, the spread amongst the gap widened by one point. But, that's like saying Calista Flockhart's waistline expanded. It's still small.</p> <p>Now, there is a three-way tie for fourth place between Brockport, Cortland, and Geneseo, who all split their weekend. Potsdam slipped from fourth to seventh, one point behind those three teams thanks to dropping both games. Three points behind the Bears are Morrisville (now with two games in hand) and Buffalo State.</p> <p>"Every game is important," Geneseo coach Chris Schultz said. "Every SUNYAC game you play is going to be a hard fought battle. It's already proven there's not a soft team in this league, and that's the way it should be."</p> <p>Geneseo knows all about hard fought games as they had a quite a battle against Potsdam which nearly saw the game get out of hand in the final period.</p> <p>"There's got to be an incredible amount of focus to win hockey games in this conference. And we kept our composure," Schultz said.</p> <p>The game started out innocently enough. Stefan Decosse gave Geneseo a first period lead. Matt Viola and Sy Nutkevitch reversed the tide in the second for a Potsdam 2-1 lead. Before the period was over, Kaz Iwamoto scored on the power play to knot it up.</p> <p>Geneseo took the lead on another two-man advantage power play with a Sebastian Panetta goal. Colin MacLennan returned the favor 45 seconds later with a shorthanded tally. Then came the fun and games.</p> <p>Clint Olson was awarded the winning goal when the puck never went into the net during a power play. The ensuing meltdown by Potsdam eventually resulted in a Viola unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a Fraser Smith major and game disqualification for leveling Decosse shortly after play resumed. The result was a clinching goal by Dan Brown.</p> <p>Andy Rubeniuk was the star of the game, making 37 saves for the win. At times he outright robbed Potsdam.</p> <p>"I think overall we let our emotions get the best of us," Potsdam coach Chris Bernard said. "It was a heated game. We were playing with a lot of heart, a lot of guts, but not necessarily a lot of intelligence."</p> <p>"Potsdam is going to be a dangerous team come playoff team," Schultz said. "They got four real difference makers on their team in terms of offensive capabilities."</p> <p>Those difference makers couldn't make the difference the night before. </p> <p>Potsdam jumped out to a 2-' lead on goals by Mike Foy and Matt Rhymer, the latter on the power play. However, Brockport fought back as Todd Sheridan kept the Bears off the scoreboard the rest of the night, winding up with 36 saves.</p> <p>Justin Noble got a man-advantage goal before the end of the first period, and Adam Korol scored the lone goal in the second to tie it. James Cody got the game winner early in the third on the power play and Adam Shoff put the game away with an empty netter.</p> <p>Despite the two losses, Bernard was happy with how the team rebounded after the Brockport game for the Geneseo contest.</p> <p>"I'm really proud of our guys," he said. "I didn't think we had our best effort [against Brockport]. I thought we were playing a little bit selfish hockey. We got away from our systems. Our guys did everything that they could to reinvest in our program, to stay positive, to stay upbeat, to do things we need to do to win games. It ended up being a great effort [against Geneseo]."</p> <p>The other key contest amongst this cluster was Cortland defeating Buffalo State, 4-2. The Red Dragons scored twice 2:33 apart in the first period by Jake Saville and Alex Arthur. Trevor McKinney got one back for the Bengals early in the second on a delayed penalty. Chris Kaleta restored the two-goal lead a few minutes later.</p> <p>Jarret Gold made it 4-1 early in the third while Nick Petriello got a too little, too late goal with five minutes left to close out the scoring.</p> <p>Meanwhile, up front the key game saw Oswego survive against Fredonia, eventually winning, 3-1, giving the Lakers a five point margin over third place. After a scoreless first period, Jon Whitelaw got a power-play score at 7:58 of the second.</p> <p>Oswego finally felt comfortable after two goals early in the third by Stephan MallaroA on the power play and Eric Selleck. Bryan Ross broke the shutout a couple of minutes later as Kyle Gunn-Taylor made 17 saves.</p> <p>"On Saturday, there were a couple of penalties we took that I'll like to not have taken," Fredonia coach Jeff Meredith said. "Against anybody, you're going to be behind the 8-ball. Against Oswego, you're going to pay for it."</p> <h4>SUNYAC Short Shots</h4> <p>After taking a 2-' lead in the first only to have Geneseo tie it up in the second, Plattsburgh needed two early third period goals by Dylan Clarke and Kyle Kudroch en route to a 4-3 victory ... Kody Van Rentergem got a 5-' shutout for Fredonia over Cortland with 21 saves as Jordan Oye scored twice ... After letting up the first goal just over a minute in, Oswego rolled over Buffalo State, 1'-1, as Eric Selleck tallied twice and added three assists ... Plattsburgh scored two shorthanded goals by Kyle Taylor and Jared Docking on the same power play to easily beat Brockport, 7-1.</p> <h4>Game of the Week</h4> <p>As if Oswego doesn't have enough whiteouts sitting on the shores of Lake Ontario, they are going to produce one inside the Campus Center Ice Arena for the game of the week against archrival Plattsburgh. Fans are encouraged to wear white as the school will be handing out white towels to the first 2,''' fans.</p> <p>The new rink has not been a blessing for top ranked Oswego when they face Plattsburgh as they have yet to beat the Cardinals in it. This year, a win would be huge for Oswego as it would virtually clinch them first place and home ice throughout the playoffs. Another Plattsburgh win in Oswego would result in these two powers fighting it out down the stretch.</p> <p>The game is already sold out, so if you want to see it, you'll have to <a href='http://www.oswego.edu/athletics/live'>watch it live on the Internet</a>, or if you live locally in Oswego, on local access cable channel 96. If you are a student, the game is on campus channel 1'.</p> <p>While everyone is having a grand old time in Oswego, there are other games worthy of note, as teams continue to fight for every point possible.</p> <p>For starters, Morrisville returns to action hosting Brockport and Geneseo. The Mustangs hope to use their two games in hand to their advantage.</p> <p>"We know better," Geneseo coach Chris Schultz said about the game against Morrisville. "They beat us [at home] the last two times they were here. The guys know. Morrisville is a hungry team. Brian [Grady] is doing a great job getting players in there that can compete at this level. They are a team like anyone else now. They're pretty solid. We have our hands full. It's a one game season at this point."</p> <p>Potsdam hits the road hoping to catch Oswego looking ahead to the Plattsburgh game and then faces Cortland in a must win contest.</p> <p>"Every night is a do or die," Potsdam coach Chris Bernard said. "We got to have every single point. That puts a lot of pressure on our guys. But at the same time, that's the format when it comes down to if you want to win it. You got a one and done and what are you going to do to make it count? I expect us to come out with a lot of energy, a lot of emotion, to try and do our best to claw and scratch our way to .5'' again."</p> <p>Then of course, there is the Buffalo State-Fredonia rivalry.</p> <p>"I think it will be as typical as it gets," Fredonia coach Jeff Meredith said of hosting the latest game in a storied history between the two teams. "Throw out the records. Throw out the standings. We're preparing for Fredonia-Buffalo State. Let's play 6' minutes us-them and bring our best hockey."</p> <p>I just about mentioned all the games this weekend. At this time of year, how can you not list them all as ultra-important contests?</p> <p>"In the SUNYAC, you have one bad weekend and you're right back in with everyone else," Meredith said. "You have to focus on playing good hockey."</p> <p>Oh, and let's not forget about the Plattsburgh at Middlebury game on Tuesday.</p> <p>What a great week for hockey!</p> <h4>On The Periphery</h4> <p>A lot has been said about Geneseo's winning goal against Potsdam that never crossed the line as video clearly showed. There are two ways to look at this controversy.</p> <p>It has been said that Vince Lombardi would only get on a referee's case if he felt that ref was not hustling. If the official blew a call, but was working hard and was in the right position, Lombardi wouldn't complain. However, if you were lazy out there, the great football coach would be all over you.</p> <p>As a former soccer referee myself, you are going to miss calls. It happens. I remember one game where I called a goal in the waning minutes, and for weeks afterward, the team insisted to me the ball never crossed the line.</p> <p>The process during the call in Geneseo broke down in many ways. First, the referee was on the wrong side of the net to properly see the puck through the goaltender. Of course, the ref can be positioned correctly, and through no fault of his own, not be able to see the puck properly. That's fine.</p> <p>It's what happened after the call where apparently proper protocol was abandoned. It should have been reasonable to an experienced referee to question his call when the reaction of the team is an explosive outburst. Any good referee knows how to read players and tell the difference between when a team is merely hoping for the official to change the call versus really believes the call is wrong.</p> <p>From what I could see, this referee never asked the other officials if they had a better view of the play. He also never asked the goal judge for his opinion (the fact that the goal judge was apparently talking on the cell phone during the play is another issue). The red light had never gone on. A ref does not have to ask the goal judge, but again, a good ref will know how to read a team, put his ego aside, and make sure he got the call correct.</p> <p>Another way to look at this issue is how a team reacts to a bad call. This was not a call made with just seconds left, leaving the team without the ability to recover. Potsdam was still very much in the game. Geneseo was only leading by one goal, 8:54 still remained in the third period, Potsdam already fought back from 1-' and 3-2 deficits, and the Bears have already proven they can make spectacular third period comebacks against some of the best teams in the country.</p> <p>Yet, Potsdam chose to allow the bad call to get into their heads, and ended up wearing out a path to the penalty box. The Bears had already committed 11 penalties up to that time (the goal in question was on the power play), and proceeded to commit three more, wasting away most of their time to comeback. And those were all "emotion" penalties — unsportsmanlike conduct, major for roughing, and a game disqualification, which means their reaction will hurt them the next game as well.</p> <p>Potsdam commits a lot of penalties, so perhaps this reaction should not be a surprise. They are the 16th most penalized team in the country at 19.8 penalty minutes per game, the highest amongst SUNYAC teams. And for all the talk about Buffalo State's reputation, it's Potsdam that leads in conference play with 18.' PIM/G (the Bengals are way down in fifth).</p> <p>The officials may have blown the call, but Potsdam had time to rectify the situation, if they desired. When someone puts you in a hole, you need to grab the rope, not the shovel. Even if it's harder to climb than to dig.

2010-01-28T11:46:31-06:00 2010-01-28T11:46:31-06:00 2010-01-28T11:46:31-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,17953/ThisWeekintheECACNortheastMASCACJan282010.html Nate Owen, USCHO ECAC Northeast and MASCAC Correspondent

The jumble in the MASCAC has now turned into a legitimate quagmire.</p> <p>As the conference stands now, three teams (Westfield State, Fitchburg State, and Salem State) are tied for first with 14 points each, with Plymouth State solidly in the picture two points behind. </p> <p>At this time last week, Westfield State was alone atop the standings. </p> <p>But Fitchburg State's four point weekend, with wins over Westfield and Salem, helped propel the Falcons into a three way tie for first. Salem State was the only other first place team to pick up a point on the weekend, tying Framingham State 2-2 on Saturday, while the loss to Fitchburg State was the Owls' only conference game of the week. (They beat non-conference opponent Stonehill, 4-2, on Thursday). </p> <p>The sweep for the Falcons comes after losing to both the Vikings and Owls earlier in the season by one goal (4-3 overtime loss to Salem State on Nov. 21 and a 6-5 loss to Westfield State on Dec. 2). </p> <p>"Salem beat us in overtime and Westfield got us with a power-play goal with 13 seconds left in the game, so we were definitely focused on getting points," Fitchburg State head coach Dean Fuller said. </p> <p>The Falcons jumped out to a 2-' lead in the first period against Salem State Thursday, but at the end conclusion of the first the score was tied at three. </p> <p>The Vikings scored the lone goal of the second period, but Fitchburg responded when Chris Costigan tallied his second goal of the night just nine seconds into the third period. John Vets' goal 2:47 into overtime sent Fitchburg home winners. </p> <p>"We came out and played a great first period," Fuller said. "The second period we didn't really put it together and in the third period we established our forecheck again." </p> <p>Fitchburg led 3-2 after one period against Westfield on Saturday. But four second period goals turned a nailbiter into a laugher, as the Falcons got eight goals from eight different skaters, something Fuller pointed to as a reason for his team's success. <br /> "Everyone is contributing across our four lines," he said. "We have a very strong balance. If that continues, we should be competitive." </p> <p>Fuller points to an improved power play (close to 3'% the past month) as another key to the Falcons, who ran their winning streak to six with the victory over the Owls. </p> <p>Fitchburg State will travel to Worcester State Thursday night before hosting Plymouth State on Saturday afternoon. </p> <p>The Falcons beat the Lancers 5-4 on December 5 and downed the Panthers 8-4 on Dec. 1'. </p> <p>"We have to consistent, we can't just beat the two teams that our ahead of us," Fuller said. </p> <p>He's also looking forward to being a part of a tight race for first that appears ready to go down to the wire. </p> <p>"The beauty is everyone we have left on our schedule is a league game," he said. "You've got to like the way the league is playing." </p> <h4>MASCAC</h4> </p> <p>Worcester State's Andrew Evans was honored as the conference's Goalie of the Week. The senior posted 36 and 32 saves in wins over Framingham State and the University of Massachusetts-Darmouth, respectively. With two conference wins on the week, the Lancers doubled their total on the season ... Fitchburg State's Chris Riggs earned Player of the Week honors after posting two assists in the 5-3 win over Salem State and a goal and an assist in the 8-4 victory against Westfield State ...In non-conference action, Plymouth State defeated Franklin Pierce 2-1 on Saturday, while Salem State fell to Bowdoin 6-2 Tuesday. </p> <h4> Don't Forget About Us </h4> </p> <p>A week ago, it was the Wentworth Leopards getting all the ink in this space. And deservedly so, as Wentworth had yet to be beaten in ECAC Northeast play and was No.13 in the <a href='/rankings/?data=uscho3m'>USCHO.com Division III</a> poll. But second place Curry, who was also unbeaten in league play, showed they aren't handing the top spot over to the Leopards quite yet. </p> <p>The Colonels scored two goals in each period to defeat visiting Wentworth, 6-2, on Thursday and move within one point of the top spot, which is where the two teams remain as of now. Curry actually moved into first briefly over the weekend, knocking off Salve Regina, 4-1, on Saturday. But Wentworth feasted on the last place Seahawks Monday night, blasting them 1'-3 and pushing their conference record to '-7. Salve Regina is now is now 1-17 overall after losing to non-conference opponent Assumption Tuesday. Curry's four game winning streak was snapped Tuesday night, as the lost 6-2 to ECAC East opponent Babson. </p> <h4>ECAC Northeast </h4> </p> <p>Nichols' Matt Roberts was the conference's Player of the Week. The junior notched two goals and two assists in Wednesday's win over Johnson & Wales Wednesday and added a game winning power play goal versus Suffolk Saturday. Zach Kohn, who scored the game winning goal against Johnson & Wales, was honored as Rookie of the Week. The forward added a pair of assists and another goal against Wildcats and posted two assists against Suffolk. </p> <p>The Bisons downed Western New England 7-2 Wednesday night to move into a tie for third place with Becker, who lost 4-2 to Suffolk Tuesday. Becker's Jake Rosenthal shared weekly goalie honors with Matt Cooper of Johnson and Wales. Rosenthal posted his second shutout of the season last Wednesday, turning away 25 shots in a 2-' win over Salve Regina. Cooper recorded a shutout in his collegiate debut, making 22 saves in a 5-' win against Western New England Saturday night. Like the Seahawks, it's been a struggle thus far for the Golden Bears. They lost to Suffolk 3-1 Thursday, and have only one win on the season, a 5-2 win over Salve Regina on December 5. </p> <h4> Loose Pucks </h4> </p> <p>Found <a href='http://www.mascac.com/sports/iceh/news/2''9-1'/Westfield_Laviolette_Globe'>this piece</a>, on Westfield State alum Peter Laviolette and his impact on the Philadelphia Flyers, courtesy of the MASCAC website. The Flyers beat Laviolette's former team, the Carolina Hurricanes, 4-2 on Saturday. And then the Bruins get throttled by them on Sunday ... ugh. Brett Favre's team has finished playing, so you know what it's time for. Looks like I won't be tuning into ESPN anytime soon. On a non-sports note, this season of <em>24</em> is shaping up to be pretty good. Every year I wonder how much more they can suck out of Jack Bauer, and so far I have no complaints. Let's hope they go the <em>Seinfield</em> route and go out on top instead of dragging it on. </p> <h4> Chirps </h4> </p> <p>As always, <a href="mailto:nate.owen@uscho.com">nate.owen@uscho.com</a> with any comments or questions.

2010-01-28T21:30:57-06:00 2010-01-28T21:30:57-06:00 2010-01-28T21:30:57-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,17955/ThisWeekintheCHAJan282010.html Matt Mackinder, USCHO CHA Correspondent

Last week, we discussed how Bemidji State was becoming mortal again.</p> <p>Last weekend, the Beavers perhaps took notice of their slump and came out with a two-game sweep against then-No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth in a home-and-home series.</p> <p>"This was important because UMD is in the WCHA and they've been ahead of us in the rankings," BSU goalie Dan Bakala said to USCHO. "To get two wins will give us more confidence."</p> <p>Friday night in Bemidji, Ian Lowe popped two goals and an assist, while Brance Orban and Brad Hunt also scored to back Bakala's 29 saves.</p> <p>"When we forecheck like we can, there aren't a lot of teams that can stay with us," said Lowe, also to USCHO. "Our team starts with our goalie and then we'll block as many shots as we can. We don't give the other team a lot of room."</p> <p>The next night in Duluth, trailing 2-1 after two periods, Bemidji State tied the game three times in the game's final 13 minutes and Jordan George would need less than a minute of extra time to steal the 5-4 win.</p> <p>Ben Kinne sent the game to overtime with a goal just before the horn.</p> <p>BSU captain Chris McKelvie, Matt Read and Lowe, with his fifth goal in five games, were the other goal scorers.</p> <p>Bakala made 31 stops.</p> <p>"This was unbelievable and I can't say enough about the character of this team," Bemidji State coach Tom Serratore said to USCHO. "They just willed themselves to win and our goaltender was our best player."</p> <p>"We didn't do a lot of smart things with the puck; we played way too loose," UMD coach Scott Sandelin said in the same USCHO recap. "We gave the puck away, and they played hard for 6' minutes, and we didn't get the goaltending we needed in either game. It seemed as though the games meant more to Bemidji's players than ours. They played well."</p> <p>BSU hosts surging Robert Morris this weekend.</p> <h4>Niagara Gets Three at Quinnipiac</h4> <p>Niagara came into last weekend's series at Quinnipiac owning a 1'-2-' all-time series advantage. </p> <p>Needless to say, it was pretty much a given that the Purple Eagles would take the series and that they did, with a 6-2 win Friday night and a 3-3 stalemate Saturday night.</p> <p>In the series opener, NU used six different goal scorers — Wes Consorti, Chris Moran, Dan Baco, Paul Zanette, Jason Beattie and Bryan Haczyk — and 48 saves from Andrew Hare for his first career win.</p> <p>"We played a solid road game today against a good team," NU coach Dave Burkholder said. "In a nice facility against an ECAC team, we came out and played to our potential."</p> <p>Down 3-1 going into the third Saturday night, David Ross and Consorti scored within the first two minutes to gain the tie.</p> <p>Tyler Gotto also scored and Chris Noonan made a career-best 55 saves in net.</p> <p>"The courage I saw from the guys in the third period says a lot about who is in our locker room," Burkholder said. "We had to come out and fight hard for 2' minutes, and we did just that."</p> <p>The Purple Eagles are back in action this weekend when they travel to take on CHA rival Alabama-Huntsville in the final conference series between the two teams in Alabama. </p> <h4>Robert Morris Gains Point at Colgate</h4> <p>Robert Morris cooled off a bit last weekend with a loss and a tie on the road at Colgate.</p> <p>Zach Hervato managed RMU's lone goal in a 4-1 loss Friday night.</p> <p>Brooks Ostergard finished with 28 saves in a losing effort.</p> <p>"Colgate was more intense and mentally ready to play from the start; we were not," Robert Morris coach Derek Schooley said. "We got better as the game went on, but the first period made the difference."</p> <p>Saturday, the two squads battled to a 3-3 tie.</p> <p>The Colonials held a 3-2 lead going into the final minutes, but Austin Smith scored at 19:11 with an extra attacker to force the game into overtime and ultimately to the tie.</p> <p>Eric Levine made 28 saves for the Colonials.</p> <p>"I was very pleased with our complete effort and willingness to battle," Schooley said.  "We played much better tonight and we deserved a better fate."</p> <p>Andrew Blazek, Stefan Salituro and Josh Jones scored for RMU, which travels to Bemidji State this weekend.</p> <p>"Their M.O. is puck possession and puck pursuit," Schooley said on rmucolonials.com. "They're an up-tempo team that plays with speed and plays very well down low.</p> <p>"It's going to be fun, but it's going to be challenging."

2010-01-28T21:32:09-06:00 2010-01-28T21:32:09-06:00 2010-01-28T21:32:09-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,17956/ThisWeekintheCCHAJan282010.html Paula C. Weston, USCHO CCHA Correspondent

<h4>Kickin' It Old School</h4> <p>After a few columns of a more somber variety lately, I think that ending January with a more gazette-style offering is a good idea. It's a chatty one. Grab your coffee.</p> <h4>I Love the Buckeyes!</h4> <p>That seems to be the subtext that some readers gleaned from last week's column, when I said that a strong, consistent Ohio State hockey program was good for college hockey in general. Although I don't live in Columbus anymore, I apparently pine for the Scarlet and Gray.</p> <p>It is what it is. Pass the tinfoil, please.</p> <p>Speaking of OSU, I was happy to read what coach John Markell said after the Bucks' 5-2 loss to Michigan State last Friday. Markell — whom I've known for 16 years, since his children were wee and I was a top American model (really) — surprised me with his succinct and timely response to unseemly, unnecessary Buckeye penalties.</p> <p>"We have to work smarter," said Markell. "If you're going to finish a check, then keep your elbow out of his head. If you are going to hit a guy, keep two hands on your stick."</p> <p>The Buckeyes were called for nine minor penalties in that loss.</p> <p>Unranked OSU ruined my weekly pick and earned the split with MSU the following night — earned it, breaking a 2-2 deadlock at 18:53 in the third and adding an empty-netter. Dalpe, a sophomore, had a goal early in the third and because he is who he is — a second-round 2''8 draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes and a potential superstar — he was a media darling post-game. Actually, he's a nice kid with an easy demeanor that may stay that way, even though the television people were pumping him up a bit and he was loving it.</p> <p>One funny anecdote about Dalpe: He counts his shots per game. I wouldn't know this if I hadn't witnessed with my own eyes the Paris, Ontario, native discussing his shot total with the OSU associate athletics communication director Leann Parker. (It's fair game; he did this in front of a cadre of press ... and he joked about it.)</p> <p>Dalpe leads the Buckeyes in scoring (13-11—24) and shots on goal (95) this season. </p> <p>What surprised me the most about the Buckeyes — other than how grown-up some of the players look, as I haven't seen them in a while ... I think I actually saw Patrick Schafer, who had that game-winner, sporting facial hair — was how well they played. I had them picked fourth at the start of the season and there they are in ninth place. Of course, ninth is only six points behind fourth in the CCHA — that's two games — so perhaps standings can be deceiving. </p> <p>I do know that if OSU finishes in that middle third and hosts a first-round CCHA playoff series and wins it, I wouldn't want to be the top-tier team hosting the Buckeyes in the second weekend of CCHA playoff action. And the Bucks are one of three current mid-pack teams that can play its way to Detroit on the road.</p> <p>I also know that assistant coach Steve Brent and his wife Adi welcomed their second child, a son named Alexander, in December. Congrats to the Brents!</p> <p>For full disclosure, Brent was a student of mine 17 years ago in an Early American Literature class I taught at The Ohio State University. Ask him what he earned.</p> <h4>I Really Like Those Bulldogs, Too</h4> <p>Before catching up with the Buckeyes Saturday night, I got to watch a very good hockey game in Ann Arbor Friday. The Wolverines beat the Bulldogs, 2-', in that contest, prompting FSU coach Bob Daniels to say, "It's nice to play good defensively ... but you're not going to win the game if you don't score any goals."</p> <p>It was the second time in three games that the Bulldogs found themselves with no goals on the scoreboard, something of a concern for Daniels. FSU has the 17th-best scoring offense in the country, averaging 3.23 goals per game. </p> <p>Part of Ferris State's success this season — and the Bulldogs are for real, for sure, as one CCHA coach would put it — is the Bulldogs' top line, all seniors. Blair Riley (16-12—28), Casey Haines (6-16—22) and Cody Chupp (7-15—22) are responsible for 29 of FSU's 84 goals, and Daniels said that his seniors are having "a very good season."</p> <p>The Bulldogs are, however, more than the sum of one line. Matt Case — a senior — is a monster defenseman and perhaps one of the most underrated in the league. He was everywhere he should have been in that 2-' loss, and for being one of the biggest guys on a team that spends a lot of time in the box, Case plays a hard, clean game; he had two tripping penalties for the series against UM last weekend. He's 6 feet tall and solid, smart, has eight minor penalties in 18 league games, impossible to ignore when he's on the ice and undrafted. He's scored twice in his last three games.</p> <p>The rest of the FSU defense is solid and the Bulldogs netminding duo of Pat Nagle and Taylor Nelson is very impressive. Nagle (1.88 goals-against average, .933 save percentage) has the second-best stats in the nation. He and Nelson (2.32, .921) split time in net. "It's for the most part what we've come to expect from them," said Daniels. "We've been very fortunate that we've got two guys playing at that level. Very steady. Very comfortable in net."</p> <p>The Bulldogs split their weekend with the Wolverines — I called it, for once — without Chupp and junior defenseman Scott Wietecha, who had both been injured in the previous week's series against Miami. Both are expected to play this weekend against Ohio State.</p> <p>FSU's 17-7-2 start is its third-best in program history.</p> <h4>And Then There's the Wolverines</h4> <p>Well, two Wolverines that caught my eye last Friday. </p> <p>UM sophomore Luke Glendening scored both goals in that 2-' win over FSU. With the markers, Glendening is one shy of his six-goal total from his freshman season.</p> <p>Both were beauties. In each case, Glendening used a Bulldogs player to screen Nagle; in each case, Glendening hit the only available open spot, the sliver between Nagle and the right post. Even Daniels conceded that they looked like goal-scorer's goals. The goals were scored on the best two scoring opportunities of the night, too. It was one of those games where little was given.</p> <p>Glendening. Who knew?</p> <p>The other Wolverines player I noticed was goaltender Bryan Hogan (2.18 GAA, .9'6 SV%), who absolutely fascinates me. When this kid on, he's impossible to breach; when he's not, he plays the net so casually that I stop breathing ... and things often don't go well for the Wolverines in those games, either.</p> <p>Friday night, Hogan was on. The Michigan defense didn't allow many great scoring chances, but when he was challenged — especially in the third period — Hogan was spectacular. Hogan has now shut out opponents in each of his last two weekends, having blanked Alaska at home, 6-', Jan. 15.</p> <p>The Wolverines, who started the first half rather slowly, are 4-1-1 in the second half, 5-2-1 if you count the Great Lakes Invitational. </p> <p>They are another current mid-pack team that can easily play through another city to Joe Louis Arena in March — that is, if they have to travel at all. Michigan's four points out of fourth place. They may yet earn a bye, and I may yet have to eat my midseason words. </p> <p>What words? I said that the Wolverines wouldn't go to the NCAA tournament this year. </p> <p>Yes, I know. I know.</p> <h4>Down, But Also Not Out</h4> <p>The other mid-pack team that I wouldn't want to face in my rink in the second round of the CCHA playoffs is Notre Dame.</p> <p>(That Notre Dame, Michigan and Ohio State are battling for home ice in the <em>first</I> round of the CCHA playoffs after their seasons last year boggles my tiny little mind.)</p> <p>The Irish struggled through the first half of the season to score goals. In fact, if you ask coach Jeff Jackson, he'd tell you that Notre Dame struggled in the first half to shoot the puck. The Irish are now shooting the puck, but are struggling to put together a full, coherent line-up. While ND isn't having to pull people out of the stands to suit up for games the way Michigan State did last season (I'm kidding, of course), the Irish have lost 51-man games this season because of injuries.</p> <p>On the sidelines against Lake Superior State last weekend were Irish defensemen Sam Calabrese (broken ankle), Eric Ringel (concussion) and Teddy Ruth (concussion), and forward Billy Maday (shoulder).</p> <p>Sometimes when players are injured, others on the team find opportunity. Such was the case for ND sophomore forward Patrick Gaul, who earned his first career goal in his 35th collegiate game in Notre Dame's 6-1 win over LSSU Friday.</p> <p>That was the same game in which junior Calle Ridderwall recorded his second hat trick of the season, with all three goals coming within a 6:47 span in the second period.</p> <p>The Irish have scored 28 of their 69 overall goals this season since Jan. 1. That's 3.5 goals per game, compared with the 2.'5 ND averaged in the first half of 2''9-1'.</p> <p>The Irish are getting more than solid goaltending from freshman Mike Johnson (2.'3 GAA, .929 SV%), whose numbers are good enough to put him among the top 1' goals nationally. Johnson had a career-high 45 saves in ND's 1-1 tie against the Lakers Saturday.</p> <h4>Solid</h4> <p>After L.A. Kings president and general manager, Dean Lombardi, unloaded on Michigan coach Red Berenson in an <a href="http://frozenroyalty.net/2'1'/'1/2'/dean-lombardi-jack-johnson-is-learning-his-craft-belatedly/">article </a>dated Jan. 2' on Gann Matsuda's blog <em>Frozen Royalty,</I> Kings defenseman and former Wolverines player Jack Johnson came to Berenson's defense.</p> <p>In the original interview, Lombardi said that Berenson had mishandled Johnson, whom he called a "thoroughbred," and hadn't given the defenseman enough coaching to develop in his two years in Ann Arbor.</p> <p>(Again, two years in Ann Arbor ... four years in L.A. ... math has always been very, very hard for me.)</p> <p>Johnson answered Lombardi's lambast in Helene Elliott's <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2'1'/'1/dean-lombardi-jack-johnson-kings-michigan-hockey-.html">blog</a> for the <em>Los Angeles Times,</I> and nearly immediately. </p> <p>In a move that took a lot of courage and a good deal of class and maturity, Johnson told the press that he's "a Michigan man" and said that Berenson "is one of the finest coaches and men" that he's met. </p> <p>Johnson attended UM's 2-' win over FSU in Ann Arbor last Friday, and his between-periods on-ice promotion (he found the net, by the way) was a hit with fans. Johnson will play on the U.S. Olympic squad in Vancouver next month. He scored a goal against Toronto earlier this week.</p> <p>And he gained a fan in Flint, Mich.</p> <p>In this whole flap, too, it's important to note that Berenson has had no comment in response. He doesn't need to say a word.</p> <p>What baffles me is what Lombardi was thinking when he went on record to say that Berenson can't or doesn't coach. Seriously, what could he possibly stand to gain from such public statements? Does he think that salary dictates respect in the hockey world? </p> <p>Does he know us at all?</p> <h4>Games of the Week</h4> <p>I hinted last week, didn't I? Well, I'm giddy about it. There's nothing older school than this.</p> <p><b>Michigan (14-11-1, 9-8-1-' CCHA) vs. Michigan State (16-8-4, 11-5-4-1 CCHA)<br /> Friday, 7:'5 p.m., Munn Ice Arena, East Lansing, Mich.; Saturday, 7:35 p.m., Joe Louis Arena, Detroit</b></p> <p>A year ago, when the Spartans were languishing near the bottom of the standings during their Season of Glass Shoulders, this series lost its relevance. Sure, fans within the state of Michigan cared, but when MSU was clearly playing to stay out of the basement and UM looking for a league title, this series was moot.</p> <p>And so this series looked in the first half of 2''9-1', when it looked as though the teams had reversed fortunes; the Wolverines were clearly having an uncharacteristically down first half while the Spartans were showing people that last year was a blip.</p> <p>Now MSU sits in second place with 38 points and UM is in seventh, 1' points behind. With wins earning three points in the CCHA this season, distance is far more relative than it was in 2''8-'9. With 11 games left, Michigan can make up for some lost time while Michigan State can run at a title — or at least solidify that first-round bye.</p> <p>In a news release this week, Berenson said that the Wolverines are focusing on the Spartans this weekend and nothing more. "All we can worry about is Friday night's game," said Berenson, "and we can't look back and we can't start worrying about the math or other teams.</p> <p>"All we can control is what we do. If we have a great weekend, then we'll worry about next weekend. If we have a bad one, the schedule is still there."</p> <p>In his news conference this week, Michigan State coach Rick Comley took a different approach. "You're worrying about how many points you need to get to a certain spot."</p> <p>Ah, reversals of fortunes, indeed.</p> <p>Last week, both the Wolverines and the Spartans split, and each series featured an upset by an unranked team. How strange it was that the Wolverines were the unranked spoilers, beating the ranked Bulldogs at home Friday night before losing to FSU in Big Rapids Saturday? For the Spartans, it was a 5-2 win over OSU Friday and a 4-2 loss to the unranked Buckeyes Saturday, both games at home.</p> <p>After their upset win, Berenson said that Ferris State was as good a team as he'd seen since the Wolverines played the Badgers in the College Hockey Showcase — and that would be the Badgers tied for third in the PairWise and No. 2 in the USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll.</p> <p>"I thought defensively we had to play one of our best games," said Berenson, "not that they didn't get some shots. I thought the game was played the way we needed to play."</p> <p>Said Comley after the loss, "These games come along. We were OK, but we didn't generate much."</p> <p>I love this series, especially since moving to Michigan in 2''8. Last year's games, the first MSU-UM games I'd ever had the chance to see outside of Joe Louis Arena, were a disappointment because of the Spartans' down year. Last year, the Wolverines swept the Spartans, winning five games — including the GLI title match — by a collective score of 27-9, and all five games coming between Dec. 5, 2''8, and Jan. 24, 2''9. </p> <p>Boring. </p> <p>This season, the Spartans — the most recent GLI champs — have downed the Wolverines twice, although in much less dramatic fashion. MSU swept UM in a home-and-home series Nov. 13-14, with Spartans goaltender Drew Palmisano turning away 31 shots in Munn for a 2-' shutout win in the Saturday game.</p> <p>Much more interesting.</p> <p>Now that I'm here in Flint and can feel the nuances of this rivalry — it's all blunt and bludgeoning with Michigan and OSU, and mostly one-sided in a south-of-Toledo kind of way — I love every little thing about this series, right down to the dispute about how many times the teams have actually played.</p> <p>According to the Spartans, UM leads this series 137-121-18. If you ask one of the Wolverines, Michigan's lead is 133-12'-18. And I love that MSU's stats give UM more wins. Crazy.</p> <p>Here's the matchup by the conference numbers:</p> <p>• Goals per game: UM 2.94 (t-third); MSU 2.7' (eighth)<br /> • Goals allowed per game: UM 2.28 (fourth); MSU 2.2' (third)<br /> • Power play: UM 81.1 (sixth); MSU 15.1 (1'th)<br /> • Penalty kill: UM 89.' (third); MSU 84.' (seventh)<br /> • Top scorer: UM Carl Hagelin (7-1'—17); MSU Corey Tropp (1'-13—23)<br /> • Top 'tender: UM Bryan Hogan (2.22 GAA, .9'3 SV%); Drew Palmisano (2.'5, .931)</p> <p>Both of these teams lost in the last minutes last weekend. The Wolverines saw FSU's Zach Redmond notch the game-winning goal on the power play at 19:36 in the third period in Saturday's 3-2 loss in Big Rapids. The Spartans saw OSU's Patrick Schafer score at 18:53 in the third period of Saturday's 4-2 home loss in East Lansing.</p> <p>Oh, this is going to be so good.</p> <h4>Chilly</h4> <p>And did you hear? The Spartans and Wolverines are going to play outdoors next season! Yay! (Can you also hear the real tone of my voice through your computer screen?)</p> <p>Michigan announced Thursday that it will host "The Big Chill in the Big House" Dec. 11, 2'1', an outdoor game against the Spartans in Michigan Stadium. It will be the second outdoor game for the two teams. MSU hosted the "Cold War" contest in Spartan Stadium Oct. 6, 2''1. </p> <p>In all fairness, it was a great contest that ended in a 3-3 tie in front of 74,544 fans. I recall the extra security so close to Sept. 11, as though someone in the Middle East were thinking, "Hey, if we hit the Cold War game, America will fold and the West will tumble into oblivion!"</p> <p>I also remember the racoon that found its way into the press box post-game and the reaction of several media members — all male — who clearly were unaccustomed to the outdoor life. </p> <p>While the outdoor games seem kind of gimmicky, I'm sure I'll be more on board as the contest approaches. It's also interesting that it will be the second month in 2'1' in which collegiate hockey will be played on the gridiron, so to speak, in the state of Michigan.</p> <p>But the title ... is it just me, or is someone else also thinking of a guy named Big Nate dancing to "I Heard It Through the Grapevine?"</p> <p>I'm just about to lose my mind.

2010-01-28T21:33:43-06:00 2010-01-28T21:33:43-06:00 2010-01-28T21:33:43-06:00 http://www.uscho.com/news/id,17957/ThisWeekintheWCHAJan282010.html Theresa Spisak, USCHO WCHA Correspondent

With just over a month left in the season, the gap between first place and fifth place is two points.</p> <p>You read that right. Two. League-leading Minnesota-Duluth has 25 points, followed by St. Cloud State and Denver with 24 and Wisconsin and Colorado College with 23. North Dakota isn't quite out of the hunt for home ice yet, with 19 points.</p> <p>Unless something drastic happens, Minnesota (16), Alaska-Anchorage (15) and Minnesota State (11) will be on the road for the playoffs, while Michigan Tech (four) needs a miracle.</p> <p>Although it's in the context of his own team, UND coach Dave Hakstol mentioned what it's going to be like going into the stretch run of the season in his weekly news conference.</p> <p>"Anybody that's afraid to fail and afraid to put themselves out there better go home right now because she's going to be a dogfight down the stretch," he said. "We're going to put ourselves out on a limb, we're going to go after it, we're going to play good teams and we're going to find ways to win against good teams, so that's life. That's life in the WCHA. Anybody that's afraid of that, you're in the wrong business."</p> <h4>Red Baron WCHA Players of the Week</h4> <p><em>Red Baron WCHA Offensive Player of the Week:</em> Michael Davies, UW.<br /> <em>Why:</em> Scored four points (two goals, two assists) and became the first Badger to reach 1'' career points since 2''6 in helping his team take three points from Denver.<br /> <em>Also Nominated:</em> Kane LaFranchise, UAA; Jason Gregoire, UND; Jared Festler, SCSU.</p> <p><em>Red Baron WCHA Defensive Player of the Week:</em> Garrett Raboin, SCSU.<br /> <em>Why:</em> Scored a goal and helped his Huskies sweep Minnesota by limiting the Gophers to four goals total despite UM outshooting SCSU 85-54.<br /> <em>Also Nominated:</em> Jon Olthuis, UAA; Brad Eidsness, UND.</p> <p><em>Red Baron WCHA Rookie of the Week:</em> David Eddy, SCSU.<br /> <em>Why:</em> Scored both game-winning goals for the Huskies in their home-and-home sweep of Minnesota.<br /> <em>Also Nominated:</em> Alex Gellart, UAA; William Rapuzzi, CC; Matt Donovan, DU; Aaron Dell, UND; Craig Smith, UW.</p> <h4>Playoff Preview</h4> <p>... Kind of. The Pioneers and Badgers may indeed meet in the playoffs, but if they do, it'll undoubtedly be either at the Final Five or in the NCAA tournament.</p> <p>Still, their series last weekend was one that led both coaches to compare the weekend's atmosphere to that of the playoffs.</p> <p>"It was as close to a playoff series as a regular season series can provide," said DU's George Gwozdecky. </p> <p>"The best thing about this weekend that when you play at that level, that's championship level at college hockey," said Badgers coach Mike Eaves on Saturday night. "What better way to prepare yourself than playing in these types of games?"</p> <p>The weekend's results — a 3-3 tie ("What you might expect from two top hockey teams in the college hockey world, Eaves said) and a 4-3 UW win — were a pleasant surprise for Badgers fans, who had been used to seeing the Pioneers dominate in their building. Going into the series, DU had a 13-2-2 record at the Kohl Center.</p> <p>"Well, I was hoping that that record for us would continue to go for the next 15, 2', 25, 3' years," quipped Gwozdecky. "But in all seriousness, it's a heck of a team they've got there this year. It's not by fluke that they are one of the top teams in the country, no matter who they're playing against — especially at home.</p> <p>"Whatever's happened in the past, whether it was last year or the year before, really doesn't matter when you step on the ice in the series," he said. "It's about who's on the ice and who's competing against who. So I would have liked somehow to have this mystical record that we have sprinkle gold dust over our team and have it magically give us an edge, but it just doesn't happen."</p> <h4>Playoff Preview, Part Two</h4> <p>Like last weekend, we have a couple big series this weekend. However, if you look at the league standings (or hark back to the first few paragraphs of this column), you could make the argument that every series from here on out is difficult. Don't believe me? Believe George.</p> <p>"When you look at the league race right now, as close as it is and as competitive as this league is, from here on in, every series is important," said Gwozdecky. "Whether you want to describe them as big or important or difficult or challenging or whatever, this is what makes the league so much fun to follow, so much fun to watch the games and why this league is continually the top league of college hockey in the country."</p> <p>That being said, two series this weekend stand out.</p> <p><b>Sioux vs. Pioneers</b></p> <p>This series is typically fun regardless just because one usually sees an exciting game, whether it be a goalie duel, a high-scoring shoot out or a brawling blood bath.</p> <p>Granted, UND will be without a couple of its better-known players (news flash: Chay Genoway is still out) and is struggling for Fighting Sioux standards, but it's a team you should never count out.</p> <p>"I've seen them play and I think in this league, sometimes the bounce of the puck works for you and sometimes it doesn't," said Gwozdecky. "I watched them play both games against Minnesota a couple weekends ago and they were very, very good. Unfortunately, the puck — and I mean this with all sincerity — the puck just didn't seem to bounce with them. </p> <p>"That Saturday night game, everybody looks at the score and it's 5-1 Minnesota and people are going, 'My goodness, North Dakota got blown out of the building and they're not the team that they used to be,' or whatever reason if they just look at the score," he continued. "If you watched the game, I think you realize how good North Dakota was."</p> <p>The Sioux, meanwhile, are looking for a chance to even the season series, after being swept in Denver back in November.</p> <p>"We didn't like the way things went down there," said Hakstol. "The bottom line is, we didn't win either night. We'll be a better team here. ... I feel confident that we'll play hard.</p> <p>"They're a multidimensional team and we'll be ready to play against all of their strengths."</p> <p><b>Bulldogs vs. Badgers</b></p> <p>This series probably won't get as much press, which is a shame, because it should also be a good one, pitting the second-ranked team in the country (tied for third in the league) against the ninth-ranked team in the country (first in the league).</p> <p>For the Badgers, in many ways, it's another weekend in the WCHA meat grinder before a small non-conference break at Camp Randall.</p> <p>"The last three weekends have been like that," said coach Mike Eaves. "We've gone from CC to Denver to Duluth. So every week, it seems to be a groundhog week in terms of same type of mind-set. Try to put points on the board and W's and then get ready for the next game, and that's our task again this week."</p> <p>For the Bulldogs, this series is about getting back on the winning track after being swept by Bemidji State and keeping a good position in the league.</p> <p>"We played well for about half the weekend against Bemidji. From a competitive standpoint, that's never going to be good enough," UMD coach Scott Sandelin said after Saturday's game. "We have to get better with puck management and turnovers. And we have to be better defensively, especially against Wisconsin, because they have no holes in their lineup."</p> <p><b>Honorable Mention: Tigers vs. Huskies</b></p> <p>Two teams in the second and third positions in the league (and fifth and 11th in the polls) and it's not even considered "big." Such a shame. Due to proximity, I'll be at at least one game in this series (while catching snippets of other games on the World Arena press box TV).</p> <h4>Around the WCHA</h4> <p><b>UAA:</b> Barring anything freaky happening in Thursday's practices or Friday's morning skate, the Seawolves should have their full roster available and healthy for the first time all season on Friday night.</p> <p>The <em>Anchorage Daily News</em> had a note about how the Seawolves do poorly on Friday nights at home and well on Saturdays and included some good quotes from a few players:</p> <p>"I honestly can't explain it. We get our asses kicked on Fridays, but we do great Saturdays, so I guess we learn from our mistakes?" — junior wing Tommy Grant.</p> <p>"After Saturday night wins, we might come in [the next Friday] with big egos and maybe we let off the gas a little bit. We come back [Saturday] with some fire under our asses." — freshman center Alex Gellart. </p> <h4>Matchups by the Numbers</h4> <p>All 1' teams play in some fashion against each other.</p> <p><b>Wisconsin @ Minnesota-Duluth</b><br /> Overall Records: UW — 14-6-4 (1'-5-3 WCHA). UMD — 16-9-1 (12-5-1 WCHA).<br /> Head-to-Head: UW leads the overall series, 86-56-13.</p> <p><b>Denver @ North Dakota</b><br /> Overall Records: DU — 14-6-4 (1'-4-4 WCHA). UND — 13-8-5 (8-7-3 WCHA).<br /> Head-to-Head: UND leads the overall series, 129-112-8.</p> <p><b>Minnesota @ Alaska-Anchorage</b><br /> Overall Records: UM — 12-12-2 (7-9-2 WCHA). UAA — 9-14-1 (7-12-1 WCHA).<br /> Head-to-Head: UM leads the overall series, 48-15-7.</p> <p><b>Minnesota State @ Michigan Tech</b><br /> Overall Records: MSU — 11-13-2 (5-12-1 WCHA). MTU — 3-2'-1 (2-16-' WCHA).<br /> Head-to-Head: MSU leads the overall series, 22-12-3.</p> <p><b>St. Cloud State @ Colorado College</b><br /> Overall Records: SCSU — 16-7-3 (11-5-2 WCHA). CC — 14-9-3 (1'-7-3 WCHA).<br /> Head-to-Head: CC leads the overall series, 41-3'-6.<br /> Notes: SCSU has gone 11-1-1 in its last 13 games, with the loss and the tie coming at the hands of the Tigers. </p> <h4>Future WCHA Team Watch</h4> <p>Bemidji State swept the WCHA's own Minnesota-Duluth and next hosts conference foe Robert Morris. Nebraska-Omaha swept former WCHA member Northern Michigan and next heads on the road for two against Notre Dame.</p> <p>No. 7 BSU: 17-5-2 overall, 3-3-' vs. WCHA<br /> UNO: 12-11-5 overall, 1-1-1 vs. WCHA</p> <h4>I Love a Good Story</h4> <p>I quit subscribing to <em>Sports Illustrated</em> a few years back (too much basketball and not enough hockey for my tastes), but I did miss the well-written features the magazine had every now and then. Each issue had some feature, some brilliant piece of sportswriting that caught my eye and captured my attention.</p> <p>This week's issue has a piece on the Lamoureux family, who we all know because of their presence at North Dakota. <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG11653'6/1/index.htm">Gary Smith's story</a> is one of the better pieces I've read in a while in any publication, not only because of the story he weaves, but also because of the pure, simple spirit of hockey that he encapsulates.