This Week In The MAAC: Dec. 28, 2000

BENTLEY

Midseason Records
Overall: 1-11-1
MAAC: 0-9-1

Preseason USCHO pick: 11th place
Current position: 11th place

Overall

When the season started, Bentley coach Jim McAdam was honest. He said he didn’t have the talent that the rest of the league had. He did say, though, that his kids have heart, but was that something that can help his club attain its goals: to win ten games and make the playoffs. Halfway through, I’d have to say no. Bentley has struggled on both sides of the puck, ranking last in scoring offense and defense. That has translated to a 1-11-1 record at the break. But if you ask Jim McAdam, all is not lost. His club got what he deemed a very important win in the final contest before break, handing Holy Cross a 4-1 defeat for Bentley’s first win in nearly 10 months. The only negative to the game was that it didn’t count toward the MAAC standings as it was scheduled as a nonleague contest. The translation is that Bentley is seven points out of a playoff spot, which, as 2001 rolls around, doesn’t look promising. Overall Midterm Grade: D+

Offense

The Bentley offense is thin… very thin. After losing to graduation a top line that included now assistant coach Ryan Soderquist and Brian Gangemi, the Falcons offense is depleted. There are bright lights still. There performance of two young rookies, Mike Mulligan and Joe Lovell, has given McAdam a reason to smile, maybe not for this season, but at least for his future. Players like junior John DiGennaro, who netted two goals in the Falcons on win over Holy Cross, will have to rise to the occasion in the second half if the Falcons want to see the postseason. Offense Midterm Grade: D+

Defense

It’s very hard in college hockey to give up an average of 5.69 goals per game and win. And this may be the best reflection of Bentley’s tough record. The last line of defense has not given the Falcons much as senior Ray DeVincent has struggled at times in the season. But, just like the rest of the team, DeVincent looked strong in the Falcons only win, proving that he has the ability to shine at times. If Bentley can get some consistent performance from goaltending and the defense can limit the number of shots by opponents, Bentley could be knocking on the playoff door come late February. Defense Midterm Grade: D

CANISIUS

Midseason Records
Overall: 4-6-2
MAAC: 3-5-2

Preseason USCHO pick: 4th place
Current position: T-8th place

Overall

It’s been a tough winter in Buffalo, N.Y., this year. The area was the first area of the U.S. hit by a major snowfall when the greater Buffalo area received nearly two feet before Thanksgiving. Similarly, it’s been a tough campaign for the perennially strong Canisius Ice Griffs. On the ice, the team has struggled to defensively. Off the ice, head coach Brian Cavanaugh has been faced with a defense of his own. Early in December, Cavanaugh was faced with the allegation of striking a player during practice. After being suspended by the University pending an investigation, Cavanaugh was reinstated just days later, and now hopes to put the incident in the past. Which is something he and his club will need to do it the Griffs want to return to the strong force they’ve been for their first two MAAC seasons. The fortunate story for the Griffs is the mid-league logjam. Standing just three points from a home ice position, look for the Griffs to make a late season surge. The necessary ingredients? One solid scoring line and one solid goaltender. Overall Midterm Grade: C-

Offense

The Canisius offense has done what most would expect: provide balance and score timely goals. Four times this season, Canisius has scored late in regulation or in overtime to earn either a win or a tie. Without those goals, the Canisius record could be uglier. In terms of balance, the offense that is comprised of mostly upperclassmen, has seen scoring depth, but now needs to see scoring volume. It’s great to have plenty of players scoring goals, now the Griffs will need plenty of players scoring plenty of goals. Is home ice a stretch for this club? No way. Offense Midterm Grade: B-

Defense

Canisius could have easily billed itself as one of the top defensive teams in the MAAC entering this season. With goaltender Sean Weaver a sophomore, everyone hoped that his outstanding freshman campaign would repeat itself. To this point in the year, though, it’s fallen a bit shy. Though possessing a respectable 3.19 goals against average and .866 save percentage, Weaver is well short of last season’s 2.37 gaa and .927 save percentage. It’s hard to say that pressure rests on the shoulder of a goaltender, but Canisius proved last season that it is a force when Weaver is playing well. Memories, though, will serve many well, that Weaver’s best stretch last season came late in the campaign, something the Griffs hope he can repeat. Defense Midterm Grade: D+

FAIRFIELD

Midseason Records
Overall: 5-8-1
MAAC: 4-4-1

Preseason USCHO pick: 10th place
Current position: T-5th place

Overall

Easily the biggest surprise of 2000, the Fairfield Stags, under new head coach Jim Hunt, are sending a message to the league: Watch out! What used to be an automatic two points has become a battle, and thanks to some good fortune and lots of heart, translates into a .500 record for the Stags at break. The biggest highlight of the season for Fairfield came in the form of revenge. One week after getting trounced by Quinnipiac, 10-0, the Stags threw a goose egg of their own at the Braves, posting a 1-0 upset win. The victory ended Quinnipiac’s record 29-game MAAC unbeaten streak, and gave the Stags a boast of confidence that has been absent for three years. Since that time, Fairfield has posted a 3-2-1 record including upsets of Iona and UConn. As the second half rolls along, Fairfield has put itself in position to make a run for home ice. A team that missed the playoffs in a landslide last year, the Stags need to win a solid percent of the games against struggling teams like Holy Cross and Bentley, and then continue to pull off a couple of upsets to host its first MAAC playoff game. Overall Midterm Grade: A-

Offense

The Stags offense has come to life a bit. In its last 18 games last year, Fairfield scored four or more goals only three times. In 15 games this year, Fairfield has reached the four-goal plateau five times, with four of those games seeing the Stags net five goals. Last year’s standout rookie, Rae Metz, has returned with an extra year of maturity and sits among the league’s leading scorers with 16 points (eight goals, eight assists). Casey Laflamme, who in his rookie season finished second on the team in scoring with 27 points, has struggled thus far, notching only one goal and four assists in 14 games. His stick will be important to catch fire in the second half if the Stags want to make a legitimate bid for home ice. Offense Midterm Grade: A-

Defense

The good news for Fairfield is they’ve posted two shutouts this year. The bad news is that on six occasions, the Stags defense has been lit up for six or more goals. There is one thing to note about the six-plus-goal outbursts — missing between the pipes in most of those games was goaltender Craig Schnappinger. A rookie from Springfield, Va., Schnappinger has moved himself among the league leaders in goals against average (3.09 overall/2.30 MAAC) and winning percentage (.750 in MAAC games). Knowing that hot goaltending can be the key to success, don’t be surprised to see Fairfield ride this tender to home ice.Defense Midterm Grade: B+

HOLY CROSS

Midseason Records
Overall: 3-10-1
MAAC: 3-6-1

Preseason USCHO pick: 8th place
Current position: 10th place

Overall

I guess you have to give credit where credit is due. Holy Cross coach Paul Pearl has never rested on the laurels of his club’s MAAC Championship in the first year of the league. Instead, he has taken advantage of that victory and continuously beefed up the Crusaders’ schedule. Unfortunately, that toughening, combined with Holy Cross’ policy of not giving scholarships for hockey players, has not produced a pretty result. At Christmas break, the Crusaders sit at 3-10-1, joining Bentley and AIC as the only MAAC teams with 10 or more losses. Moreover the Crusaders have only one win in their last seven games entering the break, including two nonleague routs by UMass-Lowell and Vermont. But the silver lining isn’t far away. With a logjam all the way from fourth through tenth place in the league, Holy Cross, with seven points, stands only two games (four points) from a home-ice spot. Truly unbelievable, but music to Paul Pearl’s ears. See, for the last two seasons, the Crusaders have been a much stronger second-half team — a tradition Pearl will hope to continue. Overall Midterm Grade: C-

Offense

It seems that if we look at team offense throughout the MAAC, each team’s success runs parallel to offensive production. This is especially true for Holy Cross. Despite possessing one of the better scorers in the league in Brandon Doria, the Cross offense averages only 2.36 goals per game, and has only reached the four-goal plateau twice. The play of rookie Jeff Dams has been a bright light through the break. Dams averages 0.79 points per game, having racked up six goals and five assists. The Crusaders will probably look to experience to help spark some offense in the second half, and that may actually start on the blueline. Senior Tim Cantwell may be one of those defensemen asked to make offensive contributions. Offense Midterm Grade: C

Defense

It’s becoming a rallying cry throughout the league: “I need goaltending.” Certainly, Paul Pearl knew that last year was not his year in that department, as the graduation of Scott Simpson left the Crusaders depleted between the pipes. The good news, two new goaltenders have shown bright spots throughout this season. Derek Cuhna, a junior transfer, and Rick Massey, a rookie, have both displayed the ability to play. Now Pearl needs a consistent effort from them. Include in that a 60-minute effort from the Crusader blueliners and you may have the recipe for a postseason bid. Defense Midterm Grade: C-

IONA

Midseason Records
Overall: 9-6-2
MAAC: 8-3-2

Preseason USCHO pick: T-5th place
Current position: 1st place

Overall

One of the hardest things to call Iona at this point in the season is a shocker. But in essence, that is what they are. Head coach Frank Bretti has talked about his highly-skilled offense from as early as Christmas last season. And pretty much everyone believed him. What has been hard to believe is if his defense would ever match that potency. And thus far, it has come mighty close. Few would have imagined that the Gaels could stand atop the MAAC standings at break, but thanks to back-to-back routs of UConn, that’s where the Gaels are. Now of course the caveat is the fact that Iona has played four more games than Quinnipiac and five more than Mercyhurst, both teams that stand three points behind the Gaels in second place. A good test for the Gaels will be their nonconference schedule after the break. Iona will test its ability to stand the cold as they play two games in Fairbanks, Alaska. Then it’s back east for a nonleague game against Providence. If Iona has the mettle it takes to be a championship team, these may be a good barometer. Overall Midterm Grade: A

Offense

There not a lot to say about the Iona offense except that they will score goals. The Gaels posses five of the top eight scorers in the league, led by Ryan Manitowich and John Gilbert, each with 20 points at the break. In total, Iona has eight players with ten or more points, and that has translated to a 4.12 goals per game output (4.92 in MAAC play). Maintaining these strong paces will allow Iona the chance to land at the top of the MAAC, and could give the Gaels a chance at their second straight championship game. Offense Midterm Grade: A+

Defense

Defense is the area Iona will want to tighten up in the second half. Between the pipes, Bretti has to feel comfortable with two goaltenders that can get him to the postseason in Ben Brady and Mike Fraser. Fraser was the back that the Gaels rode into last year’s MAAC Championship game and late in the season, you may see Bretti choose to go to either Fraser or Brady instead of rotating. The Iona defense, though, will want to work on lowering top-notch scoring chances, and give the offense the chance to blow the doors off the building more often. Defense Midterm Grade: B+

MERCYHURST

Midseason Records
Overall: 7-3-2
MAAC: 7-0-1

Preseason USCHO pick: 2nd place
Current position: T-2nd place

Overall

This is a team to beat. The Lakers, who last season impressed followers with a second-place finish in their first MAAC season, are gunning for one higher this season and a MAAC championship. Halfway through, they’re looking pretty good. With a 7-0-1 record in the league, the Lakers are only three points out of first place with five games in hand. The second half, though, will feature tough battles, including all three games against preseason favorite Quinnipiac. One year ago, Mercyhurst was in position to capture the league title, but two late-season losses to Quinnipiac ended that hope. Overall Midterm Grade: A

Offense

The Mercyhurst offense has been steady through the first half of the year. Averaging 3.58 goals per game, the Lakers offense ranks third in the league behind Quinnipiac and front-running Iona. The key has been balance. Although you won’t find any Lakers in the league’s top 20 in scoring, you will see plenty of different goal-scorers, which Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin has preached all season. His belief is that you can never be too deep. Offense Midterm Grade: A-

Defense

Simply put, there is no better defense than the Lakers. Allowing just 1.67 goals per game overall and a stingier 0.88 goals per game in MAAC play, the Mercyhurst defense ranks second in NCAA Division I, behind only No. 1 Michigan State. The Lakers allowed two goals to both Clarkson and then-nationally ranked Union, but earned only a tie from the two nonleague games. Defense Midterm Grade: A+

QUINNIPIAC

Midseason Records
Overall: 10-4-2
MAAC: 7-1-1

Preseason USCHO pick: 1st place
Current position: T-2nd Place

Overall

Minnesota has seen it. Boston University has seen it. Wisconsin has seen it. North Dakota has seen it. There come a time when teams prove themselves head-and-shoulders above the competition. Bringing the expectation of success. That, though, can be both good and bad. Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold has always tried to be humble about success. He believes that his team comes to play most every night, something he and others have come to expect. But what about those other nights? Thankfully, they’re not often, but I’d guarantee that Pecknold and his club would like to have switched one off-night from December 9, 2000, to most any other this season. In its only televised regular-season game, Quinnipiac was embarrassed by Minnesota, 11-2, a results which would be frustrating for some, but humbling for Pecknold. After the game he taught about the lessons his team can learn and the experience they can gain, experience which will be key in the second half of the year. So with that lesson in hand, expect the best from the Braves, including, quite possibly, a third straight regular-season MAAC Championship. Overall Midterm Grade: A-

Offense

Similar to Iona and Mercyhurst, Quinnipiac’s offense has, under high expectations, risen to the occasion. Their only league loss was a night that Pecknold said straight out his team didn’t come to play — a 1-0 loss to Fairfield, the first time Quinnipiac had been shut out in MAAC play since Feb. 20, 1999. But when your offense has put up 10 goals in a game already this year, and scored more than four goals on more occasions than opponents would like to remember, there’s still not too much to complain about. Quinnipiac’s offense is second in the MAAC, averaging 4.06 goals per game. Add a stingy defense, and that’s not a bad recipe at all. Offense Midterm Grade: A-

Defense

Peckhold is happy with the fact that J.C. Wells is in net for Quinnipiac. So why would you want to go and recruit a freshman goaltender? Maybe it’s a chance to give him a little exposure to the college game to replace Wells after he graduates this year. Or maybe not. Rookie Justin Eddy has given Pecknold the option of having two number one goaltenders. Like the successful Maine and BU teams of the 90’s, Quinnipiac and Pecknold feel very secure that their goaltending tandem is among the best in the league. In league play, the Quinnipiac defense has proven it is just as strong as its last line. The Braves have allowed an average of 23.0 shots per game, one of the tops in the league. Defense Midterm Grade: A

SACRED HEART

Midseason Records
Overall: 6-5-3
MAAC: 3-4-3

Preseason USCHO pick: T-5th place
Current position: T-5th place

Overall

Sacred Heart is this only team that has thus far made this writer look like a swami. After picking the Pioneers to finish tied for fifth, that’s exactly where they sit heading into the second half of the season. And thus far it has been a season of high- and lowlights for coach Shaun Hannah and his club. The biggest highlight, a 5-3 upset win of Cornell, was the MAAC’s first win against a “Big Four” opponent. The lowlights: three losses that followed the Cornell upset, added to a tough loss on the road to Holy Cross in December. What this balances to? A middle-of-the-pack positioning for the Pioneers, something that Hannah, last year’s MAAC coach of the year, probably wanted to avoid. Hannah’s objective early in the year was to be at the top of the MAAC, and though the top is within reach, it will take wins in the second half. The good news: the Pioneers only have one game left against each of Quinnipiac and Iona, and both of those are at home. And speaking of home, the Pioneers will see a lot of the Milford Ice Pavilion in the second half, with only six of the remaining 16 games on the road. Overall Midterm Grade: B

Offense

If you look at both offense and defense, Sacred Heart ranks in the top four in each. Unfortunately, that hasn’t translated well into wins, as the Pioneers are still on the outside looking in at home ice. Leading the offensive charge has been three experienced forward in Lloyd Marks, Marty Paquet, and Chris Mokos: all three have tallied 14 points. To get to the top half of the playoff picture, the Pioneers will need a little bit more production from their lower lines to five them the balance that teams like Quinnipiac, Mercyhurst and Iona all posses. Offense Midterm Grade: B

Defense

The Sacred Heart defensive corps is one of the more experience in the league. Though not laced with a bunch of seniors, the Pioneers also don’t dress any freshman except between the pipes. And goaltending is the least of Sacred Heart’s worries. Alexi Jutras-Binet, who has owned the goaltending position for the last two seasons, is getting some relief from rookie Eddy Ferhi, giving the Pioneers the one-two punch in net that almost equals Quinnipiac and Iona. Continued success at the D position for the Pioneers may earn them their first home-ice bid ever. Defense Midterm Grade: B

UCONN

Midseason Records
Overall: 5-8-2
MAAC: 5-5-1

Preseason USCHO pick: 7th place
Current position: 4th place

Overall

The defending MAAC champs have surprised a few already in the early season. After starting the year with three tough nonleague games against Hockey East opponents Merrimack and UMass-Lowell, Huskies coach Bruce Marshall found out he may have a diamond in the Connecticut rough: goaltender Artie Imbriano. But is he enough? Yes, solid goaltending is important, but UConn’s entire defensive corps will need to improve in order to gain home ice. Special teams could also use some work, as UConn ranks last in combined special teams (power-play goals added to penalty kills). Remember, though, UConn finished last season in the same spot it sits in today — fourth. Now they’re the defending MAAC champions. Overall Midterm Grade: B+

Offense

A quick glance at the UConn offense finds only four players in double digits for points. Ironically, those four players provide a nice balance of class representation: senior Mike Goldkind (17 points), junior Matt Herhal (16 points), sophomore Ron D’Angelo (11 points), and rookie Eric Nelson (10 points). Besides class balance, Bruce Marshall must be happy to have some scoring balance. 19 players have register points this season, in a year that UConn fans may have worried about offensive production, especially in relation to defensive ability. Can the Huskies survive? If they keep putting the puck in the net, the answer is probably yes. Watch out for this dark horse. Offense Midterm Grade: B+

Defense

After losing MAAC tournament MVP Marc Senerchia to graduation, goaltending was the biggest hole for the Huskies. Marshall tried to fill the void with John Chain, Senerchia backup for the last two seasons. But after tough outings at Lowell and Merrimack, Marshall decided to try Imbriano — a move that has paid off. The rookie has had moments of brilliance, including a tough defeat in his first collegiate start against Merrimack. What will the Huskies need to maintain home ice in the playoffs? A more solid effort from the blueline crew in reducing shots against. The UConn defense currently allows an average of 30.8 shots per game, and reducing that number will be a good start to second-half dominance. Defense Midterm Grade: B-