The playoff races are going down to the wire, spring training kicks off today, and of course it’s Beanpot Monday. Here’s a look back at the past weekend on this busy Monday.
The MASCAC standings straightened out a bit, while Johnson and Wales and Curry remain tied atop the ECAC Northeast entering the final week of play.
Check back later in the week for a more detailed breakdown of possible outcomes in the Northeast, which wraps up play on Saturday.
Saturday, Feb. 12
Curry 8, Salve Regina 1: The Colonels needed to take care of business against the last place Seahawks, and they did, ripping off six second period goals to bury Salve Regina. Christopher Atkinson had a hat trick for Curry, which scored all eight goals before Salve Regina could get on the board.
Suffolk 3, Nichols 1: A surprising loss for Nichols, which drops to 5-7 in conference and is almost as close to sixth place Suffolk as fourth place Becker. Certainly not a likely scenario just a few short weeks ago. Freshman Dylan Woodring made 30 saves for Nichols in place of starter Jacob Rinn.
Johnson and Wales 10, Western New England 3: Like Curry, JWU can ill-afford to let two points get past them as the season draws to a close. WNEC trailed 4-2 near the end of the opening period, but the Wildcats were in complete control from there. Jeremiah Ketts had a had trick and three assists for JWU, while linemate Jason Pietrasiak had two goals and four assists.
Sunday, Feb. 13
Wentworth 4, Becker 2: A nice four-point swing for Wentworth, which moved to 8-3-1 in the conference and established some breathing room between them and the Hawks for third place. The Leopards led 3-1 after a scoring frenzy in the first, and then made it 4-2 on an empty-netter after Becker cut it to one late in the third period.
MASCAC
Saturday, Feb. 12
Salem State 3, Fitchburg State 0: Salem State used two second period goals to extend the Falcons’ skid to three and move within one point of Massachusetts-Dartmouth for first in the MASCAC. However, the Vikings lost starting goalie James LaCour to an injury midway through the second period, according to Salem’s athletic website. LaCour was involved in a collision with Fitchburg’s Chris Riggs, and was replaced by freshman Ryan Sutliffe, who turned away all 12 shots he faced.
Framingham State 1, Worcester State 0: Kenneth Koscan’s first goal of the year early in the second period proved to be all the Rams needed to knock off Worcester in a game with implications for the lower portion of the standings. With the win, Framingham moved ahead of Westfield State for the final playoff spot, and is now only two points behind the Lancers for fifth. Had Worcester won, they could have been in position to threaten fourth place Fitchburg, which has been struggling lately.
UMass-Dartmouth 4, Plymouth State 1: In jJust a few short days, the Panthers now find themselves in third, albeit out of the top spot by only two points. The Corsairs are temporarily the new top dog in the MASCAC, using two Mike Owens’ goals and 35 saves from Collin Tracy to topple Plymouth State.
MASCAC Weekly Honors
Player of the Week, Jason Stahl, UMass-Dartmouth. Netted goal and four assists for five points in 2-0 week for Corsairs, including marker in 4-1 victory over Plymouth State to go with four helpers in 7-2 triumph at Westfield State.
Goalie of the Week, Collin Tracy, UMass-Darmouth. Posted pair of wins to go with 1.50 GAA and .957 saves percentage in 2-0 week for Corsairs. Stopped 35 of 36 shots in 4-1 victory over Plymouth State to go with 31 saves in 7-2 triumph at Westfield State.
Check out the full release here, courtesy of the MASCAC.
ECAC Northeast and MASCAC wrap: Feb. 14
MCHA, MIAC and NCHA wrap: Feb. 14
The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference faces the prospect of a four-way tie for first place as the regular season concludes this weekend.
St. Thomas’ two-game sweep over Bethel pulled the Tommies into a first-place tie with Hamline (13-5-5, 8-2-4) on 20 points. However, St. Thomas (14-9-2, 9-5-2) is idle this weekend, which means the Pipers only need a point from its series at Concordia (Minn.) to reclaim top spot.
If Concordia (10-9-4, 6-4-4) takes both games from Hamline though, the Cobbers will join the Tommies and Pipers at the MIAC summit. A Cobbers sweep, coupled with a Gustavus Adolphus (13-8-2, 7-5-2) sweep over Saint Mary’s (5-16-2, 4-8-2), would then produce a four-way deadlock.
The MIAC concludes regular season play this weekend. Playoffs start Friday, Feb. 25, with the No. 4 seed hosting the No. 5 seed, with the winner playing the No. 1 seed on Saturday, Feb. 26.
The MIAC playoff winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The conference employs a series of tiebreakers to determine playoff seeding, starting with results from head-to-head competition between the log-jammed teams.
“Obviously we have the bye this week, so we just sit back and see how it plays out,” St. Thomas coach Jeff Boeser said. “You do the math and it could be a four-way tie.
“I think it is due to the (competitiveness) of our league and the parity. … It’s a dog fight, that’s for sure. There’s no easy four points in a weekend anymore.”
On Friday, senior Andrew Kappers’ hat trick powered the Tommies to a 8-3 victory over the host Bethel (4-15-4, 3-7-4), which clinched a playoff spot for St. Thomas. Kappers finished the weekend with seven points on five goals and two assists.
Kappers, who was playing in his 100th career game, scored during a two-man advantage 15 seconds into the second period. The centerman added goals No. 9 and 10 in the third period. Riley Horgan, Rob Johnson scored twice, while Riley Horgan had a goal and three assists for the Tommies.
“It’s been really a pleasure to coach Andrew,” Boeser said about his senior center and captain who has been accepted into St. Thomas’ law school. “I’ve seen him grow both as a man and a hockey player as our captain.”
Kappers scored twice and added career assists No. 62 and 63 in Saturday’s 7-2 win. Tom O’Donnell, Bryce Walker, Travis Baker, Matt Lipinski and Evan Mackintosh also scored for St. Thomas. Chris Fiala and Jack Paul replied for Bethel (4-15-4, 3-7-4).
Freshman goalie Geoff Sadjadi (9-5) stopped 47 of 52 shots to earn victories in both games.
NCHA playoffs set
Wisconsin-Stevens Point earned home ice advantage in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs by grabbing a crucial point with a 1-1 tie at Wisconsin-River Falls in its regular-season finale Saturday. The Pointers’ Nic Polaski scored at 5:26 of the third period after Andy Inderieden added to the Falcons’ account at 1:53 in the same frame.
No. 4 seed UW-Stevens Point (12-12-1, 8-9-1) hosts No. 5 Wisconsin-Eau Claire 14-10-1, 8-9-1) Friday and Saturday. Though the Pointers and Blugolds both had 17 points, UW-Stevens Point held a 2-1 series edge against UW-Eau Claire, which is the first tiebreaker used to determine playoff seeding.
The same head-to-head formula was used in awarding the No. 2 seed to Wisconsin-Superior, which finished in a second-place tie on 20 points with Wisconsin-Stout. The Yellowjackets were 2-1 against the Blue Devils during the regular season.
In a preview of the first round, UW-Superior beat St. Scholastica, 4-1, on Thursday. Tom Budziakowski, Josh Kesler, Jeff Forsythe and Joey Massingham scored for the visiting Yellowjackets, who closed out the regular season with a 3-0 loss to UW-Eau Claire.
UW-Superior (13-11-1, 10-8) hosts No. 7 seed St. Scholastica (9-15-1, 4-14) Friday and Saturday.
No. 3 playoff seed UW-Stout (15-10, 10-8) hosts No. 6 UW-River Falls (11-12-2, 7-10-1) in the other NCHA quarterfinal matchup. Chade Boeckman scored the game-winner at the 9:59 mark of the third in the Blue Devils’ 5-4 win over visiting UW-Stevens Point on Friday. Defenseman Dan Cecka netted two goals, while Braden Gay posted a goal and two assists for UW-Stout. Gay scored a hat trick and added an assist in the Blue Devils’ 5-1 victory over No. 2 St. Norbert on Saturday. Robert Carr and Logan Maly also scored for UW-Stout, who where outshot 45-33 by the Green Knights. Kyle Stroh scored on a penalty shot for No. 2 St. Norbert (20-4-1, 14-3-1), which has a first-round playoff bye as the No. 1 seed.
If teams split the playoff series, a mini-contest will immediately follow Saturday’s contest. The overall NCHA playoff winner receives an automatic NCAA tournament bid.
MCHA deadlocked at top
No. 5 Adrian and No. 10 Milwaukee School of Engineering swept their respective series, which sets up this weekend’s penultimate meeting between the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association behemoths. The Raiders host the Bulldogs Friday and Saturday at MSOE’s Kern Center.
At stake is first place overall, as well as top spot in the Southern Division, which will give the victor a first-round bye in the Harris Cup playoffs. Marian (17-6, 14-4) sewed up the other bye by clinching first place in the MCHA’s Northern Division with its weekend sweep over Lawrence, 5-0 and 6-3.
MSOE and Adrian have skated locked-in-step since their first encounter in Adrian, which resulted in a 6-1 Bulldogs victory and a 2-2 tie Jan. 14-15.
The Bulldogs (19-3-1, 16-1-1), who took two games at Concordia (Wis.) by a combined score of 16-3 Friday and Saturday, are unbeaten in their last 12 games (11-0-1). Adrian’s Mike Dahlinger posted a six-point weekend with three goals and three assists against the Falcons.
The Raiders (19-3-1, 16-1-1) are unbeaten in their last nine games, which includes a sweep over Lake Forest, 3-0 and 5-3, in a home-and-home series. MSOE’s Jordan Keizer scored two goals and while goalie Connor Toomey stopped 26 shots to earn a shutout in Friday’s victory. Todd Krupa, who also had a goal in Friday’s contest, scored twice and added an assist in the Raiders’ home triumph Saturday. Mike Pao, Nick Gorup and Keizer supplied the remaining MSOE goals while Tyler Gross, Thomas Bark and Kevin Spotts scored for the Foresters (4-18-1, 4-13-1).
Weekend of Feb. 11-12
Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all. Whether or not you celebrate, take today as an excuse to eat chocolate. Unless you hate chocolate. In which case … I don’t know.
Anyway, I don’t think many of us correctly predicted what would happen this past weekend. I know I didn’t. Oops.
Minnesota State and Colorado College split
– I unfortunately missed this series due to the “death plague” (or nasty cold; either way) that’s been going around, so I have to rely on the internets for this one.
– CC was without Rylan Schwartz on Friday due to a sprained ankle the forward suffered earlier in the week.
– The Mavericks played Austin Lee instead of goaltender Phil Cook, who had been getting the lion’s share of starts, on a hunch from coach Troy Jutting, according to the Mankato Free Press‘s Shane Frederick.
– MSU also had two power play goals in Friday’s game … the first time they’ve had multiple PP tallies since Dec. 10.
– On Saturday, it was the story of the back-ups once again, as Lee got another start as did CC back-up, freshman Josh Thorimbert, who ended up getting the win.
– Another interesting stat from Frederick – “For the second time in four games, MSU’s forwards failed to register a point.” Not good since your forwards are typically your offense.
– Fun quote of the weekend comes courtesy of the Colorado Springs Gazette‘s Joe Paisley:
Senior wing Stephen Schultz came close once again to recording an empty-netter against Minnesota State-Mankato, sending the puck in milliseconds after time expired on Saturday. He came close in the 1-0 road win back in October.
“Mankato will be the death of me,” he joked after Saturday’s win.
Bemidji State took three from Michigan Tech
– Carnival magic worked slightly for the Huskies … they were successfully able to avoid breaking the league record losing streak (which was 18 games).
– However, if you’re counting along at home, their winless streak still stands at 26.
– As has been the story for the Huskies all season, they suffered an injury on Friday to co-captain Brett Olson.
“It’s been the story of the year,” coach Jamie Russell told USCHO’s Daver Karnosky. “This is the healthiest we’ve been since October … [Olson] goes out in the first period and we’re down to 11 forwards.”
– On Saturday, the Huskies almost got another point, but BSU’s Jordan George had other ideas, scoring a breakaway goal with 1:33 left in the contest.
St. Cloud State took three from Minnesota-Duluth
– Like this result. Who of us saw this?
– If you did, props to you. Seriously.
– On Friday, seven different SCSU players (Ben Hanowski had two) found the net to crush the Bulldogs, 8-2.
– Several players had multiple point games, too – Hanowski, Garrett Roe, Nick Jensen and Oliver Lauridsen all had three points while Jared Festler had two.
– Funny result in a game where the home Bulldogs scored on their first shot on goal.
– For you stats people, it was both the most goals allowed by UMD and the most scored by SCSU this season.
– “It was a game that just felt out of our control,” UMD’s Mike Montgomery told USCHO’s Kevin Pates afterward.
– Saturday, UMD came back from a 3-0 deficit to earn a 3-3 tie.
– As a result, the Bulldogs still haven’t lost back-to-back games this season.
Denver and Minnesota split
– The weekend’s results were arguably better for the Gophers, who narrowly lost Friday and then crushed the Pioneers on Saturday.
– From the sounds of things, Friday’s game was a goaltender’s battle, with both netminders playing well.
– On Saturday, however, the Gophers snapped the Pioneers’ seven-game winning streak over them.
– Quite fitting, as it was Hockey Day in Minnesota.
“The story was all about Minnesota tonight,” DU coach George Gwozdecky told USCHO’s Brian Halverson. “I’m just glad Hockey Day in Minnesota is only once a year.”
– The scoring was well spread out for the Gophers, as Cade Fairchild had four points, Patrick White got his first since Halloween, Nick Bjugstad ended a 10-game scoring drought and Taylor Matson ended a 14-game one.
– The quotes from this game were awesome, so I’ll finish with those.
“We read the offensive manual and shared it today.” – UM coach Don Lucia.
“For a team that needs a game as badly as they did, you couldn’t have scripted it any better.” – Gwozdecky.
North Dakota swept Alaska-Anchorage
– On Friday, the Sioux showed that the off week was a good one in terms of recuperation, as six different players scored to beat UAA 6-1.
– As for the fact that they were down a few players? Pshaw, said coach Dave Hakstol.
“We’ve had guys out of the lineup all year,” he told USCHO’s Patrick C. Miller. “We’re not shorthanded. We had 20 guys in the lineup, and those 20 guys had to go out and do a job.”
– For a Seawolf team that has been performing admirably lately, the game was understandably a disappointment.
“With us, it has to be a mindset of competing better,” said coach Dave Shyiak. “I didn’t think we won any of the puck battles or stick battles. They were a lot better in that area. They deserved to win; they were the better team tonight.”
– On Saturday, the Sioux netted a goal in each period to complete the sweep.
“It was a complete weekend,” said Hakstol. “That’s what you have to do at this time of year.”
“… I think we’re a much better team than what we played and showed this weekend.” – Shyiak
Nebraska-Omaha swept Wisconsin
– This. This was another result that surprised me.
– Something that might have helped the home Mavericks on Friday was the record attendance crowd of 15,137 – the most to ever attend a hockey game in the state.
– Although coach Dean Blais was smart in preparing his players for the atmosphere.
“The players were ready for this type of crowd every day,” he told USCHO’s Matthew Semisch. “We kind of told them what they’re trying to do and how many tickets were sold, and when it finally hit between 14,000 and 15,000, the players were fired up, but when we have that crowd, you’ve got to yell more and can’t get caught up in emotion, but we played the game we wanted to.”
– Saturday’s game was closer (4-3 as opposed to 4-1) and helped UNO in terms of the league race (probably have home ice; still not out of the race for first).
– Badger coach Mike Eaves was much more pleased with how his team performed on Saturday, coming back in the game, despite the loss.
“Maybe because we were put into a desperate situation, we had to get it done,” he told USCHO. “And our guys made some good plays in the end there. As a result, we scored some goals, and we had some opportunities, even when we pulled our goalie.”
– The win, I should add, was Dean Blais’ 300th career victory.
WCHA teams in the PairWise Rankings
North Dakota – 3rd
Denver – t-4th
Minnesota-Duluth – 6th
Nebraska-Omaha -t-7th
Wisconsin - 15th
Colorado College – 18th
Minnesota – t-19th
Minnesota State – 23rd
St. Cloud State – t-26th
Alaska-Anchorage – t-28th
Weekend recap: Feb. 11-12
The weekend now in back of us led to some very interesting shuffling in the Hockey East standings. So let’s get started figuring out what happened when the dust settled.
We can start with a very interesting fact about Friday night. A rare occurrence as all 10 teams were in action and in each of the five games, the visiting team won. That’s not something you’re going to see every day.
One of Friday’s games was an absolute shocker as Vermont, which at one point a week earlier had scored just five goals in six games exploded for seven goals on the road against Maine in a 7-2 win. It was the first back-to-back wins for the Catamounts this season and, in each of the two wins, Vermont put up a seven spot. For Maine, on the other hand, things became more frustrating as goaltending woes continued. The Black Bears used all three of their goaltenders that dressed that night.
That game, combined with Providence’s loss to Boston College and an overtime loss for Massachusetts to Boston University, catapulted Vermont into a tie for seventh place with the Minutemen, three points clear of Providence for the final playoff spot. A Providence-UMass 3-3 tie on Saturday combined with Vermont’s 4-2 loss at Maine in the second game of that series places UMass in 7th, Vermont in 8th one point behind and Providence on the outside looking in at 9th with just three weekends remaining.
Merrimack may have made the ultimate believers out of Hockey East fans by sweeping New Hampshire, winning 4-2 at Durham on Friday before taking an overtime win, 3-2, at home on Saturday. The sweep really made the top of the Hockey East standings interesting. UNH wasted a golden opportunity to put a stranglehold on the top spot, entering the weekend two points ahead of BC, which played just one game. Had the Wildcats swept, they’d have grabbed a four-point lead for first. Instead, they are tied with BC, each team has six games left and, in the final weekend, BC and UNH will square off in a home-and-home series.
That series could spell opportunity for Merrimack. The Warriors are now three points behind BC and UNH and are easily the hottest team in hockey having won 12 of 13, 14 of 16 and 17 of its last 20. If the Warriors continue to win the games they should (i.e. two against UMass and two against Providence) and at least gain a road split in Orono, Merrimack could find its way to the top spot when the dust settles.
With Maine taking just two of four points from Vermont, they have now made home ice seem almost impossible. Maine is five points behind fourth-place BU with six games remaining.
Thus, you can begin mapping out at least where the quarterfinal games will be played. Though nothing is clinched, it seems that BC, UNH, BU and, for the first time in history, Merrimack will be hosting home ice series. All four of those will battle it out for the league title as well.
Maine and Northeastern are in the heated battle for the fifth and sixth spots. It’s quite possible one of those two teams will travel to Lawler Arena to face Merrimack in a building that might now be the toughest ice sheet to play on in Hockey East.
UMass, Vermont and Providence, then, will be in the race for the final two playoff spots as Massachusetts-Lowell’s overtime loss to Northeastern on Friday probably spells the end of the River Hawks playoff hopes.
While the league standings may have juggled, or at least saw some gaps close and expand this weekend, so too did the PairWise rankings as they relate to Hockey East teams.
Boston College, with a win in the Beanpot over BU and Friday’s win at Providence, have moved to No. 2 in the PairWise. Wondering how close BC is to the top spot? It’s actually not very close right now. BC losses all three of the comparisons to Yale. Though a win tonight could give the Eagles a higher RPI than Yale, it still won’t impact the common opponents or teams-under-consideration criteria.
Merrimack, almost fittingly, was the biggest jumper in the PairWise and currently is tied for fourth with Denver (Merrimack loses the tie breaker right now with a lower RPI). Thus, if the tournament began today, Merrimack would be a number two seed, quite impressive for a team that was on the bubble a few weeks ago.
New Hampshire, of course, fell to ninth in the PairWise and right now represents Hockey East’s third and final NCAA tournament hope. BU has dropped to 17th and will have to make up ground in the final five weeks before the NCAA field is announced.
Weekend work-up: Feb. 14, 2011
Happy Valentine’s Day, CCHA fans! The Universe delivered a Valentine to me with some increasingly rare prescience for this past weekend’s picks.
Last week: 8-2-2 (.750)
Season to date: 95-62-23 (.592)
The Fighting Irish and Wolverines showed themselves a little love, too, with sweeps of visiting opponents, while the two points the RedHawks lost at home to the Broncos may have cost Miami the regular season championship.
Three of the four points Miami took from Western Michigan certainly cost the Broncos their unbeaten streak.
It should be noted that if the season were to end today, the three teams hosting first-round playoff series would be Alaska, Lake Superior State, and Northern Michigan. All three are tied for sixth place, each with 35 points.
Bowling Green-Notre Dame. The Irish swept the visiting Falcons and in doing so recaptured the top spot in the CCHA. With 50 points, ND is in sole possession of first place – for now – and one point ahead of both No. 2 teams, Michigan and Miami. Mike Johnson had 21 saves in Friday’s 2-1 win for the Irish; Steve Summerhays stopped 13 in Saturday’s 5-1 win as ND outshot the Falcons 35-14. Bryan Rust and Anders Lee each had a goal and an assist Friday, and Lee had two helpers Saturday, a game in which Billy Mayday netted two. In losing efforts, Andrew Hammond (36-of-38) and Nick Eno (30-of-35) split time in the BG net. Mike Fink had the power-play goal for the Falcons Friday, his third marker of the season. Cameron Sinclair notched his second of the year Saturday. The Falcons host Northern Michigan this weekend while the Irish travel to Big Rapids for two against Ferris State.
Ohio State-Michigan. The Wolverines kept pace with the Irish with a pair of one-goal wins, 3-2 and 2-1, over the visiting Buckeyes. Chris Brown led Michigan in goals with two on the weekend; he didn’t have a chance for a third after taking a misconduct for checking from behind in the third period of the second game. That’s a contest that the Wolverines should have won by a much greater margin. OSU netminder Cal Heeter was stunning in that contest, especially in that third period – one of the most electric periods of hockey I’ve seen this season. Heeter combined for 53-of-58 (.914 SV%) on the weekend. In the UM net, Shawn Hunwick faced fewer grade-A chances but also earned his keep in the final period of Saturday’s game and stopped 55-of-58 (.948) in the two games. With 31 points, the Buckeyes are in ninth place. UM hosts WMU this weekend and ends the season in Marquette for two games against the Wildcats. The Buckeyes are at home the rest of the way, with the Lakers this weekend and the Bulldogs Feb. 24-25.
Western Michigan-Miami. I called a split on this one and was gratified with Friday’s tie and extra point captured by the Broncos. Why? Because I took a good deal of abuse from RedHawks fans for calling Western to win Friday. Hey, I respected that unbeaten streak, which came to a close after 14 games. Perhaps the RedHawks didn’t respect it enough, as they led 3-1 going into the third in Friday’s 3-3 tie. Ian Slater and Luke Witkowski scored two goals one minute and 33 seconds apart in the middle of the third in that game to knot it up. Five different RedHawks scored in both games, and Curtis McKenzie had a goal in each game. For the first time in a while, Cody Reichard split time in the Miami net with Connor Knapp; Reichard had the tie Friday, Knapp the win Saturday. Jerry Kuhn stopped 59-of-65 (.907 SV%) in the two games as the RedHawks outshot the Broncos 65-44. With 41 points, the Broncos are in fourth place, but uncomfortably so, as Ferris State trails them by just three points – and WMU has a tough schedule remaining, with series against Michigan and Notre Dame and just one of those four remaining games at home. Miami is off this coming weekend before traveling to Sault Ste. Marie Feb. 24-25 to finish the season against the Lakers.
Alaska-Lake Superior. Six different Lakers scored on the weekend as Alaska and LSSU tied, 2-2, Friday and Lake won, 4-2, Saturday. One of those Lakers was Dillin Stonehouse, a senior defenseman who had the empty-net goal Saturday, his first of the season and the sixth in 130 games for the Lakers. The assist on that goal went to Matt Cowie, and I’d love to know if Cowie had a clean shot himself and dished it off unselfishly to Stonehouse. Four Nanooks scored in the two games. Scott Greenham stopped 48-of-54 in the Alaska net; Kevin Kapalka had 54 saves on 58 shots for LSSU. The teams are tied – along with Northern Michigan – for sixth place in the CCHA, each with 35 points, but both the Lakers and Wildcats have two games in hand on the Nanooks, who finish their league season at home against the Spartans this weekend before a home-and-home with Anchorage Feb. 25-26. The Lakers are at Ohio State this weekend and host Miami to end the regular season.
Northern Michigan-Michigan State. The Wildcats swept the Spartans, 4-2 and 6-5, and Tyler Gron accounted for four of those 10 goals, including a hat trick in Saturday’s contest. Gron’s two second-period goals in the 6-5 win sparked the NMU turnaround in that game, as the Spartans were leading 4-1 when Gron scored on the power play at 10:10 in the second. His next goal, at 19:15, was a momentum shifter; he came out and scored his third at 1:39 in the third. The box of the Saturday game reveals a very different contest from Friday. In the 4-2 win – one of the most boring games I’ve witnessed this season – NMU goaltender Jared Coreau made 50 saves on 52 shots in a game that the Spartans dominated in every other aspect. Saturday, Coreau was pulled after the first three MSU goals, at 13:23 in the first. Reid Ellingson stopped 16-of-18 shots for the rest of the game. Will Yanakeff played for the Spartans Friday, Drew Palmisano Saturday – and the overall netminding (or lack of consistency thereof) tells the story for each of these teams this season. NMU is on the road against BG this weekend before hosting Michigan to tend the season. MSU travels to Alaska before hosting Bowling Green.
Alabama-Huntsville-Ferris State. The Bulldogs swept the Chargers by a collective score of 10-3, netting five in each game. Travis Ouellette had two in Friday’s contest; Mike Embach had two Saturday. Pat Nagle had 41 saves for FSU. Clarke Saunders stopped 40 for the Chargers Friday, and John Griggs made 26 saves Saturday. Joey Koudys and Mac Roy had the UAH goals Friday, Tom Durnie the single goal Saturday. These were the last Division I games of the season for the Chargers, who face the U.S. Under-18 team at home Feb. 25-26. The Bulldogs return to CCHA action for two remaining series: Notre Dame at home this weekend, OSU on the road the following.
I leave you this Valentine’s Day with lines from a poem by Saginaw, Mich., native Theodore Roethke, “I Knew a Woman.” You can find the whole poem by clicking on its title.
Let seed be grass, and grass turn into hay;
I’m martyr to a motion not my own;
What’s freedom for? To know eternity.
Hobey Top 10 Won’t Dump Chase
In life, as in hockey, the value of timing can never be underestimated.
For example: this week’s Hobey Watch Podcast with Ed Trefzger and Jim Connelly features a guest appearance by RPI head coach Seth Appert, the same week that the Engineers’ Saturday afternoon tilt against Cornell is picked up by the NHL Network. All told, it seemed like a good time for me to take a closer look at RPI senior Chase Polacek.
I’ve had Polacek on my list for Hobey contenders all season long, starting in October when I made my pre-season list. Of course, since he was a Hobey finalist last season, Polacek seemed like a natural, even though repeat Hobey finalists have been insanely rare in the time I’ve been following the race (I want to say there haven’t been any, but I’m not absolutely certain). In any event, this is what I wrote about Polacek in September:
Polacek was the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year last season, and luckily for the Engineers, the nation’s sixth leading scorer turned down any opportunity to turn pro. Unfortunately for the Engineers, that made him the exception rather than the rule among RPI’s top stars. It’ll be interesting to see how the absence of early signees Jerry D’Amigo and Brandon Pirri affect Polacek. When a team loses major weapons, the ones who are left will command more attention, so RPI will need to make up for the lost productivity relatively quickly. Still, when you scored 50 points a year ago and you stay in school, you get consideration for the Hobey coming into the season.
When I revisited the pre-season list last month, this is what I had to say:
Polacek was the nation’s No. 6 scorer last season, and made the laudable decision to return for his senior year. It was uncertain how the early departures of Jerry D’Amigo and Brandon Pirri would affect Polacek. As it turns out, Polacek’s points-per-game average (1.39) is higher than it was at the end of last season (1.33), although his goal-scoring has dropped. He’s 15th in the nation in PPG right now, and I think that if RPI continues to play well and make a run at returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995, Polacek’s stock will rise. He remains a player well worth keeping an eye on.
Polacek has seen his stock rise since I wrote that, as Polacek is sixth in the nation in points per game as of this writing. So, having kept an eye on Polacek in this afternoon’s 3-2 overtime loss to Cornell, here’s what I think.
Obviously, the first thing that comes out is that Polacek scored his 18th goal of the season this afternoon, and even though RPI was on the power play when he scored it was hard not to be impressed by the way he cut his way through traffic, skated in on net and put the puck past Andy Iles (the RPI fans broke out in a chant of “Hobey Baker” shortly thereafter).
Of course, so much is made of offensive numbers, but the goal Polacek scored – which leaves him 15th in the country in goals per game (.60) – was just one part of his game that impressed me. I liked the work he did on the power play in general, and also liked what I saw of his contributions to the RPI penalty kill (No. 12 in the country at 85.3 percent). I also saw Polacek take two key faceoffs in the waning minutes of regulation, one in the offensive zone during an RPI power play, and one in the defensive zone at the start of a Cornell power play with 3:30 left. He won them both. So, what we have here is a player who’s one of the top scorers in the nation, the national leader in game-winning goals (eight), plays on the power play and penalty kill, takes key faceoffs at crucial times (and wins them!) and wears a letter as assistant captain. That sounds like a Hobey Baker candidate to me.
Then, there’s the fact that Polacek stayed in school when he had the opportunity to leave, helping to keep the Engineers on the rise, as they have been since Seth Appert came to town. That’s one more factor that clearly counts for something, as the last three Hobey winners – Kevin Porter, Matt Gilroy and Blake Geoffrion – were all seniors with professional opportunities.
At this point, I think RPI would have to go seriously south for there to be a chance of Polacek not making it to the Finalist stage of Hobey voting, and while a pair of overtime losses this weekend leave RPI on the wrong side of a tie for 15th in the Pairwise (before most of the Saturday schedule, mind you) a Rensselaer tournament berth - especially if accompanied by ECAC hardware – makes Polacek a serious contender for the Hat Trick and beyond.
One final note on the Engineer front: Bryce Merriam played in goal for the Engineers in place of the injured Allen York, who has also garnered Hobey consideration. York is third in the nation in goals-against average and sixth in save percentage, and if RPI strengthens its NCAA bid over the remaining time between now and the Hobey voting, he’s a potential finalist. My gut feeling, though, is that if RPI only gets one finalist in, then it’s Polacek.
Merrimack’s Da Costa out Saturday night vs. UNH; listed as day-to-day
Merrimack’s leading scorer Stephane Da Costa will not play Saturday when the Warriors host New Hampshire in the second game of a home-and-home series. Da Costa locked knees with UNH’s Phil DeSimone late in Friday’s 4-2 win over the Wildcats and had to bee helped from the ice. He did not return to the game.
According to Merrimack, Da Costa is “listed day-to-day with a lower body injury.”
Da Costa has been a key part of a Merrimack’s best season in program history. The Warriors sit in a third-place tie with Boston University in the Hockey East standings and climbed to sixth in the PairWise ranking after Friday’s win. They have won 11 of their last 12 games.
Da Costa, a undrafted sophomore, leads Merrimack in scoring in scoring with 36 points.
What a difference a game makes
Friday afternoon, we were discussing among the USCHO staff what one game that evening would have the greatest impact on the PairWise Rankings. We zeroed in on Merrimack at New Hampshire.
Why? That contest got the Warriors to 10 games against Teams Under Consideration (TUC) — and that’s the number needed for that criterion to be considered.
Merrimack’s 6-2-2 record against TUC matches favorably against most teams. That was enough to move the Warriors to No. 6 in the PairWise Rankings as of Saturday morning.
But because the TUC does not include head-to-head games against other TUC, that criterion has yet to come into play against Boston College and UNH. Merrimack will need its game against UNH on Saturday and two at Maine in two weeks to have enough TUC games for that to figure into head-to-head comparisons with those two Hockey East foes.
Merrimack currently wins PairWise comparisons with North Dakota and Denver. With a strong regular-season finish and success in the Hockey East playoffs, Merrimack could even end up a No. 1 regional seed.
A “Little” thought or two about Yale
In case you’re looking for something to talk about while waiting for tonight’s college hockey games to get started, I figured it was about time for me to chime in on Broc Little as pertains to the Hobey Baker race.
That Yale offense that had been sputtering for a few games – and was held to a single goal a week ago in a 1-0 win over Harvard – found its groove against my alma mater last Saturday night, in a game I covered for the Valley News. That included Little, who scored his 14th goal of the season in a 4-2 win over Dartmouth. Heading into play tonight, Little is 18th in the country in points per game (1.26) and 13th in goals per game (.61).
As someone who’s included Little in the Hobey discussion all season long, I was paying special attention to Little during the game, and was certainly impressed by the goal he scored, a beautiful shot from the slot to the top right corner of the net. Some of his attempts to beat defensemen seemed to fall in the category of “too clever for his own good,” but overall, I could certainly see how he was one of the top scorers in the country for a good chunk of this season. With speed, creativity, and a strong shot, Little definitely has a package of skills that leads to a great season, and even with his recent slump that saw him go six games without a goal, his scoring pace is ahead of the junior year that put him on the radar.
Here’s where it gets interesting, though. As I’ve mentioned before, Yale has several bigtime scorers on the roster, although all of them suffered during Yale’s offensively-challenged January. At one point, as you may recall, Yale boasted four of the nation’s top seven scorers. Now, it’s five of the nation’s top 30 in points per game: Little at 18th, Brian O’Neill and Andrew Miller tied at 22nd, Chris Cahill at 29th and Denny Kearney at 30th.
Now, that’s a bit higher up the chart than the balanced scoring on last year’s Miami team – Andy Miele, Jarod Palmer, Carter Camper and Tommy Wingels ranked from 62nd to 78th, all averaging about a point per game – but it does come back to this question: with such a balanced offense, what are the chance’s Yale’s primary Hobey candidate (like last year’s Miami team) is a goalie?
Like North Dakota’s Jean-Philippe Lamoureux a couple of years ago, Ryan Rondeau has turned a perceived weakness into a strength for the Bulldogs. He’s fourth in the country in goals-against average (1.92) and seventh in save percentage (.929). That kind of improvement from his 2009-10 numbers (4.06, .880) is pretty much unheard of. There’s an excellent chance that Yale goes into the NCAA tournament as the top overall seed (not unlike the Miami team of a year ago), and if that happens, improved goaltending is definitely going to be a factor. Does that make Rondeau a darkhorse for a spot in the Hobey top 10? It’s possible, although I still like Little’s chances as a Hobey finalist as well.
As to whether either Little or Rondeau has a shot at the Hobey Hat Trick (or even the award itself), I think that’s a story that will be told in the days and weeks to come. At the moment, Little’s scoring isn’t quite there, and as much as he’s improved, Rondeau certainly doesn’t have “Ryan Miller numbers.”
There’s a long time between now and the Hobey voting, though.
Picks 2/11
Last week: 5-5-1
On the season: 85-52-21 (.604)
This week, the third last in the regular season, features more intra-pod matchups with half the series using a home-and-home format.
Friday, February 11 and Saturday, February 12
Niagara at Air Force – Air Force won the earlier meeting, 7-4 at Niagara. The former CHA members have met 42 times before with Niagara holding a 27-12-3 edge, but Niagara has only one win in its last 12 games at the Academy. I’m expecting two high-scoring, back-and-forth games. Niagara 5, Air Force 4; Air Force 5, Niagara 4.
Bentley vs. American International – The teams tied back on Jan 11. AIC hosts on Friday with the action moving to Bentley on Saturday. I’m looking to Bentley to come up big. Bentley 3, AIC 1; Bentley 5, AIC 3.
Army at Holy Cross – Holy Cross can virtually lock up a bye with a sweep, while Army can put itself in solid contention if it can muster four points. I think both teams will have to settle for two. Army 3, Holy Cross 1; Holy Cross 4, Army 2.
Mercyhurst vs. Robert Morris – The Lakers are the only team to beat RMU at the Island Sports Center but I don’t think they’ll do it again. But I do think Mercyhurst wins the next night at home. RMU 4, Mercyhurst 3; Mercyhurst 3, RMU 2.
Friday, February 11 and Sunday, February 13
Canisius vs. RIT – RIT has won the last six meetings between the teams but I think a split is in order with the home team(s) winning. RIT 4, Canisius 2; Canisius 3, RIT 2.
Connecticut vs. Sacred Heart – I think Sacred Heart wins on Friday at home but UConn prevails on Sunday in an outdoor game played at Rentschler Field.
Guest Analyst
This week’s guest is Gary Bowles, who played for Mercyhurst from 1987-1991, the Lakers first seasons as a varsity program. Here are his picks, short and sweet:
“Friday night I like Air Force over Niagara, AIC over Bentley, Army over Holy Cross, RIT over Canisius, Sacred Heart over Connecticut and my alma mater Mercyhurst over Robert Morris.
“Saturday night I like Air Force over Niagara, Bentley over AIC, Holy Cross over army and once again Mercyhurst over Robert Morris.
“Sunday I like RIT over Canisius and Connecticut over Sacred Heart.”
Check back Monday and see how Gary and I did.
ECAC Northeast and MASCAC Weekend Preview: Feb. 10
It’s not even the weekend yet and already the standings have flipped in both conferences thanks to some pre-weekend games Thursday.
In the ECAC Northeast, Curry topped Nichols 6-1 to move into a tie with Johnson and Wales for first. The lose marks the third in a row for the Bisons, who slip into fifth.
Over in the MASCAC, UMass-Darmouth rolled over Westfield State to move into a tie with Plymouth State, who jumped over Salem State with a 4-3 win over the Vikings Thursday. Meanwhile, Fitchburg State was shocked by Framingham State, who scored four third period goals, including the game winner at 19:31.
With those games in the books, and just two weekends left in the ECAC Northeast and three in the MASCAC, here’s a look at the upcoming schedule.
Saturday, Feb. 11
Curry at Salve Regina: The Seahawks have hung in against some of the conference’s top competition as of late, including the last time these teams meet on Jan. 22. But with the schedule winding down and the chance to bank points slipping away, this is a game Curry can’t afford to give away. I don’t think they will. Curry 6, Salve Regina 3
Nichols at Suffolk: After winning four games in a row, Nichols has now dropped their last three contests to fall to 5-6 in conference play. The Bisons are a tough team to get a read on, but they definitely have the talent to make a run in the playoffs if they can put things together and get the right matchups. A win against Suffolk would help start that process. Nichols 5, Suffolk 2
Western New England at Johnson & Wales: The Wildcats perch in first lasted barely 24 hours, as Curry’ quickly grabbed two points to move back into a deadlock. JWU easily handled the Golden Bears last time around, an 8-2 win on Jan. 22. Penalties were a problem for JWU against Becker this week, but when the Wildcats are at full strength they’ll simply have too much firepower for WNEC to handle. Johnson & Wales 7, Western New England 4
Fitchburg State at Salem State: The Falcons are coming off a loss to last place Framingham State and need to rebound quickly if they hope to move up the ladder. It’s not going to easy against the Vikings, who are currently a point out of first. Salem State should narrowly take this one. Salem State 4, Fitchburg State 3 (OT)
Worcester State at Framingham State: This is a game that has surprising implications in the standings. A Rams win would move them just two points behind Worcester State for fifth place, while the Lancers could solidify a playoff berth and essentially bury Framingham with a four point lead in the standings. I think the win against Fitchburg should give the Rams a lot of confidence heading into the game and help inch them up the standings. Framingham State 5, Worcester State 4
Plymouth State at UMass-Dartmouth: A battle for first place, with each team currently owning 19 points in conference play. Given the way things have gone in the MASCAC, it wouldn’t be shocking to see a tie here and a win by Salem State to create a three-way tie for first. A crazy thought, for sure. A more realistic snapshot shows a tight, defensive minded game featuring two of the conference’s top goaltenders in PSU’s Jack Astedt and UMD’S Colin Tracy. Give Plymouth State the narrow edge in both the game and conference standings. Plymouth State 2, UMD 1
Sunday, Feb. 12
Wentworth at Becker: The lone Sunday action of the weekend give third place Wenworth a chance to put some distance between fourth place Becker, who are two points behind the Leopards. Essentially a four point swing, Wentworth should come out on top in this one. Wentworth 4, Becker 2
MCHA, MIAC and NCHA picks for Feb. 11-12
After a 5-0 week, I’m feeling sassy. However, in reality, the superlative channeling performance was probably due more to a case of even a blind squirrel finding a nut once in awhile. The overall pick’s record is 30-19-4 with only a weekend or two – depending on the league – left to predict.
The clairvoyance chore does not get any easier as numerous teams in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association, Northern Collegiate Hockey Association and Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference are jockeying for top seeds, playoff spots and home-ice advantage.
Friday
Feb. 11
Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Wisconsin-Stout: The Pointers (12-11, 8-8) and the Blue Devils (13-10, 8-8) are in a dead heat for third place, which guarantees home ice in the NCHA’s first playoff round. UW-Stout holds the season edge, beating UW-Stevens Point twice, 4-1 and 5-4, in the Pointers’ barn Nov. 19-20. The Blue Devils, who feature leading scorer Branden Gay (12 goals, 13 assists, 25 points), are a pedestrian 5-5 in the new year, having lost to Wisconsin-Rivers Falls, 4-2, Feb. 4. By contrast, the Pointers have been playing inspired hockey by winning seven of their eight during the same span, which included Coach Wil Nichol’s announcing his departure at season’s end Jan. 4. The reinvigorated Pointers knocked off second-place Wisconsin-Superior, 4-3, Feb. 5 with Nick Kenney notching the game-winner with 1:22 left. The Pointers continue their roll. UW-Stevens Point, 5-2
Friday-Saturday
Feb. 11-12
Lawrence vs. Marian: This pivotal home-and-home series pits two evenly matched teams with the Sabres (15-6, 12-4) holding first place – and with it a crucial first-round playoff bye — in the MCHA’s Northern Division. The Vikings (11-9-1, 9-7) are only four points behind in second place, which means a sweep will lock the teams into a tie going into the final weekend Feb. 18-19. A sweep is unlikely, though. Marian has won 10 of its last 11. The 2-1 loss to Finlandia last weekend was an aberration as the Sabres bounced back to beat the Lions, 5-2, the following day. Sophomore Dakota Dubetz (12 goals, 22 assists, 35 points) and senior Brendan Hull (14-19-33) lead an offensive that is both potent (No. 5 nationally 4.33 goals-per game) and three-lines deep. By comparison, Lawrence has been inconsistent this season, stringing together both win and loss streaks with equal frequency. The Vikings come in having swept Northland, 5-0 and 4-2, last weekend, which snapped a four-game losing streak. Marian’s might should see the team tighten its vise-like grip on first in the Northern Division. Marian 6-2, 4-2
Gustavus Adolphus vs. Hamline: With a win, a loss and two ties in the past two weeks, the No. 13 Pipers (12-4-5, 7-1-4) have hardly looked invincible as the MIAC’s first-place holders. Enter the Gusties (12-7-2, 6-4-2) who are determined to prove they are better than their fourth-place standing suggests. However, Gustavus is a nondescript 3-4-1 in the new year. Both teams could make a statement while also addressing their deficiencies in this home-and-home series. Hamline has to continue its dominance at home where the team is 6-2 overall and 5-1 at Warner Coliseum (The Pipers opened the season at Drake Arena where they beat St. Norbert, 4-3, on Nov. 5 and lost 5-1 to Wisconsin-Stevens Point Nov. 6). If Gustavus wants to secure home-ice in the first playoff round, the team has to come away with at least a split before traveling to Concordia (Minn.) to close the regular season Feb. 18-19. With much at stake for both teams, this series should see a split where home ice is a determining factor. Hamline 4-1, Gustavus 3-2
Games Feb. 11-12
Last week Theresa: 7-2-1
Season Theresa: 110-63-18
Last week Tyler: 8-1-1
Season Tyler: 113-43-14
This weekend is a busy one in the conference, as all 12 teams face off against each other. That also means that this weekend is important for position jockeying, as both the top of the league and the middle of the league (that is, the fight for the MacNaughton and the fight for home ice) are very muddled.
Minnesota State (12-12-6, 6-12-4 WCHA) at No. 19 Colorado College (16-13-1, 10-10-0 WCHA)
Theresa: This could prove to be an interesting weekend and one where I can realistically see any number of results. As Tyler points out below, the Mavericks have had a bit of trouble on the road against winning teams. That, and they’ve had a bit of inconsistency when it comes to scoring (although to be fair, hot opposing goalies don’t help). The Tigers, on the other hand, have a tendency to play well against teams below them in the standings. If their power play can come together after a week of practice, they should do just fine this weekend. CC sweep.
Tyler: MSU has hung around with some of the best teams in the WCHA this season but they were all at home. The Mavericks haven’t won a road game against a team with a winning record all season. MSU will without a doubt put up a fight but CC should come out on top both nights. CC sweep.
Bemidji State (10-14-2, 6-12-2 WCHA) at Michigan Tech (3-22-3, 1-18-1 WCHA)
Theresa: Tech rule. BSU sweep.
I make that pick because of the new said Tech rule. However, if there’s a weekend left the rest of the year for the Huskies to break their streak, it’s probably this one. This weekend is Winter Carnival up in Houghton and Tech typically wins at least one game during Carny … a fact that doesn’t hurt the Huskies since they’re playing another WCHA bottom-feeder in Bemidji. I’m not changing my pick, but that all being said, I will gladly eat crow should MTU come out of this weekend with some points.
Tyler: Tech has to be on edge for Friday’s game, knowing what’s at stake. A loss means the Huskies break the league record for most losses in a row. Tech won’t lose that game because, thankfully, this weekend’s opponent is fairly weak as well. Split.
St. Cloud State (11-14-3, 7-11-2 WCHA) at No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth (18-5-4, 13-4-3 WCHA)
Theresa: From the looks of things, it appears as if the nice little streak the Huskies were on to turn around their season is now over … and I only really say that because of the way they lost last Saturday in Omaha. If SCSU comes out of this weekend with some points, it’s because they know that they’re still technically in the race for home ice. However, their opponent is a tough Minnesota-Duluth squad made scarier with the reunion of the Connolly-Connolly-Fontaine line which, I would think, should stay together this weekend. It’s a tough call, but I’ve got to say that I see a UMD sweep.
Tyler: The Huskies can’t match the firepower UMD’s top line brings, assuming Scott Sandelin keeps Justin Fontaine and the Connolly’s together after they scored five goals last Saturday. UMD sweeps.
No. 4 Denver (17-6-5, 13-4-3 WCHA) at Minnesota (11-11-4, 8-9-3 WCHA)
Theresa: Like the series above, this is good one to watch in terms of WCHA standings. DU is tied with UMD atop the league with 29 points while the Gophers are currently one point out of home ice. Given the way both teams have performed this year, it makes sense to say that this is the Pioneers’ series to lose. However, with the exception of last weekend, the Gophers have gotten at least one win out of every top-10 opponent they’ve faced (Michigan, Duluth back in December, North Dakota). So, despite the fact that DU is 9-1-1 in its last 11 against the Gophers, I think I’ll gamble on the home team and call a split – UM Friday, DU Saturday.
Tyler: The Gophers’ leading scorer, Jay Barriball, could sit out this weekend due to injury. That leaves an already punchless Minnesota lineup without its best offensive player against DU goalie Sam Brittain. Minnesota has one of the worst penalty kills nationwide, giving the Pioneers a good opportunity to improve that 18.8 percent power play. DU sweep.
Alaska-Anchorage (10-13-3, 9-11-2 WCHA) at No. 5 North Dakota (19-8-2, 14-6-0 WCHA)
Theresa: See above regarding league implications. UAA in fight for home ice, UND in fight for MacNaughton, etc., etc. With that out of the way, what does this weekend bring? The Seawolves are riding high coming into this weekend, on a three-game winning streak. They’re facing a team they tied earlier this season and a rested team coming in off the bye in the Sioux. However, it’s worth noting that the Sioux will be without Chay Genoway (which they’ve dealt with before) and most likely Danny Kristo. Due to those two things, I’m going to keep my faith in the Seawolves and call a split – UAA Friday, UND Saturday.
Tyler: The Seawolves have won the last three games going into Grand Forks but UAA also had a nice little streak going into Denver a few weeks ago and got swept. I don’t think the Seawolves have what it takes to beat a top-5 team on the road. Meanwhile, UND had a week off to assess the troublesome past six games. Sioux sweep.
No. 7 Wisconsin (19-8-3, 11-7-2 WCHA) at No. 16 Nebraska-Omaha (16-10-2, 12-6-2 WCHA)
Theresa: The Badgers have been quietly putting together a good season, particularly since December – after a Dec. 3 loss against UAA, the team has gone 12-1. With the exception of a 6-5 win over Canisius, the team also hasn’t allowed more than two goals per game during that stretch. This weekend, they face UNO, a team that has been fairly inconsistent in the second half of the season. The Mavericks have their nights when they can score (see: Jan. 21’s 8-4 win over UND), but also have nights where they struggle if they run into a hot goalie (see: Jan. 29’s 2-1 loss to UAH). Given the way both UW’s Scott Gudmandson and UNO’s John Faulkner can play, this weekend may just prove to be a goaltender’s battle. The question is, then, who comes out on top? This weekend, I’ve got to go with consistency – UW sweep.
Tyler: It’s been 84 days since the last time Scott Gudmandson allowed more than two goals in a game. If he keeps that pace against a UNO offense that’s been extremely inconsistent, the Badgers have a chance to sweep this weekend. UW will need the Gardiner/Schultz defensive pair to continue producing. The duo has been on the ice for 20 of UW’s last 26 goals. UW sweep.
Caporusso really knows how to score
So, I don’t make a habit of simply re-releasing PR pieces by individual teams, but this video from Michigan deserves a bigger audience. Senior Louie Caporusso is hilarious, and according to my esteemed colleague Jeff Arnold, this was done in one take.
Caporusso looks so slick and silly at the same time. I don’t know how he kept in character, so to speak.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUfmRaPEYOc
Paula's picks: Feb. 11, 2011
We’re getting down to it and the league is becoming less predictable – for me at least, apparently.
Last week: 2-7-1 (.250)
Season to date: 87-60-21 (.580)
With three weekends left in the regular season, every series this week is bound to be hotly contested. Every team plays this weekend; Ferris State welcomes Alabama-Huntsville for a nonconference series. All games are Friday-Saturday. Start times are noted.
I’m covering Northern Michigan at Michigan State on Friday and helping out at Yost on Saturday, where Bob Miller will be covering Ohio State at Michigan. As always, feel free to abuse me via Twitter: @paulacweston.
BGSU at ND. In their last four games, the Falcons are 1-2-1 – and that constitutes a hot streak for BG this season, especially considering the extra point captured against the steadiest team in the nation, Western Michigan, in Kalamazoo last weekend. The Fighting Irish were too busy playing outside at Merrifield Park in Mishawaka, Ind., to play games that counted last weekend. (j/k, as the kids say) In fact, ND had last weekend off but the Irish held their annual outdoor practice Feb. 4, interacting with their adoring local public and spreading the good news about ND hockey. Prior to playing outside, the Irish split a weekend in Oxford, tying the RedHawks twice with each team capturing an extra shootout point. Notre Dame is 6-2-2 against Bowling Green in the last 10 meetings, but these teams split a pair earlier this season (Nov. 5-6) in BG, a weekend in which the Irish allowed three goals per game. ND trails first-place Miami by one point, with series in hand over the RedHawks. Friday 7:35 p.m. Saturday 7:05 p.m. ND 3-2, 3-2.
NMU at MSU. Last weekend, the Wildcats dropped two in a row and watched as the Lakers hoisted the Cappo Cup for the second straight season. In fact, NMU has lost four consecutive games and the Wildcats have not manifested their usual second-half bounce, having gone 2-6-0 in CCHA play since the start of the calendar year – and averaging a goal per game in those six losses. The Spartans are 2-2-0 in their last four games, having split with Ohio State on the road last weekend. MSU is 18-8-2 all-time against NMU in Munn Arena, but the overall games are pretty evenly split between the Wildcats and Spartans – 14-12-1 in favor of NMU – since Walt Kyle became NMU’s head coach. The teams split a pair of games in Marquette last season. Northern has an 8-5-0 edge over Michigan State in the last three seasons, including four CCHA playoff victories, the most recent coming at the end of the 2008-09 season. Friday 7:05 p.m. Saturday 5:05 p.m. MSU 4-2, NMU 4-3.
OSU at UM. Here’s an underappreciated hockey rivalry, to be sure. The loathing the students on these teams feel for each other’s schools because of the gridiron rivalry certainly spills over into every encounter on the ice. In Yost, it’s especially fun and the fans are occasionally – that is to say, rarely – creative in non-profane ways when the Buckeyes are in town. But I digress. The Buckeyes split a pair at home against Michigan State last weekend, while the Wolverines were schooled by the RedHawks just down the road in Oxford. That latter tidbit is very bad news for Ohio State. Very. Bad. News. There is no one the Wolverines would rather take out their frustrations on than the Buckeyes following a weekend that saw UM knocked to third in the standings by the team that was then in third place itself. UM is now two points behind Miami in league standings and – like the Irish – the Wolverines have two games in hand over the RedHawks. The Buckeyes are in that funky middle mix with a bunch of other CCHA teams. The teams are 3-3-0 in their last six games, all of which were played in Columbus. The last time they met in Yost (Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 2008), Michigan swept. 7:35 p.m. both nights. UM 3-2, 4-2.
UAF at LSSU. Sixth-place Alaska is two points ahead of Lake Superior, and the Lakers are tied with the Buckeyes for seventh place. LSSU has two games in hand over UAF, making this series even more interesting. What else makes this series interesting? The respective second-halves each team is having. The Nanooks are 3-6-1 in league play since the beginning of January; the Lakers are 3-2-3, grinding it out for every point they can. Last weekend, Alaska dropped two at home to Ferris State, while Lake Superior swept NMU at home and successfully defended the Cappo Cup. Last season, the Nanooks were 3-1-0 against the Lakers, splitting the series in Sault Ste. Marie. This is another hot goalie match-up: UAF’s Scott Greenham (2.02 GAA, .925 SV%), one of the steadiest goaltenders in the country, faces LSSU’s Kevin Kapalka (2.22, .922), this week’s CCHA Goaltender of the Week – but a goalie still seeking consistency. 7:05 p.m. both nights. LSSU 4-3, UAF 3-2.
WMU at Miami. It’s certain that Western Michigan’s head coach Jeff Blashill will get a warm welcome from the crowd in Steve Cady Arena – before the assembled turn all of their thoughts and energies on crushing the Broncos. At the start of the season, even with the turnover in coaching in Kalamazoo, few could have predicted how much this series would matter. The first-place RedHawks are exactly six points ahead of the fourth-place Broncos, and WMU has two games in hand on Miami. WMU also faces Notre Dame and Michigan to end the season, so the pressure on the Broncos’ 13-game unbeaten streak (8-0-5) is enormous. Last weekend, the RedHawks realized their full potential with a two-game sweep of Michigan – including a 3-0 shutout – in the comfort of Steve Cady Arena. The Broncos tied and defeated visiting Bowling Green and now head to a place where they’ve never won; WMU is 0-4-0 in Steve Cady Arena. Miami went 3-0-1 against Western last season and is 7-0-1 against the Broncos in the last three seasons. I don’t know which streak to pick against: WMU’s current unbeaten streak or Miami’s clear domination of the Broncos. I’ll split the difference – and I can’t believe I’m picking against either of these teams. 7:35 p.m. both nights. WMU 4-2, Miami 5-2.
UAH at FSU. Last weekend, the Bulldogs traveled to Fairbanks and captured six points from the Nanooks – no easy thing to do, and it was the first time that FSU swept UAF since the 2002-03 season. And it was the first victory for the Bulldogs in Fairbanks in 10 games. Senior goaltender Pat Nagle needs just one win to move into second place on FSU’s all-time career wins list with 42 victories (which is 15 more wins than current WMU head coach Jeff Blashill had in that position, if you’re keeping track at home). Nagle had 60 saves last weekend against the Nanooks, as FSU won 2-1 and 3-2. The Chargers snapped a five-game losing streak with a gritty, improbable win against Nebraska-Omaha last Saturday to split the road series with the Mavericks. Sebastian Geoffrion had the game-winner in OT and with his 58 saves, Clarke Saunders was USCHO’s first star this week. That win was one of four this season for UAH (4-24-2), the team without a home. Matt Baxter (9-11-2) and Keenan Desmet (8-10-18) lead the Chargers in scoring. FSU is 5-2-0 against UAH all-time, and leads 4-0-0 at home against the Chargers. 7:05 p.m. both nights. FSU 3-2, 4-2.
New coach O’Neil leading Bowdoin’s resurgence
During the first four years of the NCAA sponsoring Division III women’s hockey, the Bowdoin Polar Bears made it to every NCAA tournament, including two Frozen Fours.
However, since 2005, Bowdoin hasn’t made the NCAA tournament again.
The Polar Bears hit rock bottom in 2007-08, struggling to a 5-12-6 record, which was the second worst in the program’s 27-year history. Over the next two seasons, Bowdoin went .500 and continued to trail the NESCAC heavyweights of Middlebury, Amherst and Trinity.
This season, with a new coach at the helm, Bowdoin has been starting to turn heads as the Polar Bears try to reestablish themselves among the nation’s elite.
After spending a year as the head coach at Williams, Marissa O’Neil returned to Brunswick to take over the vacant coaching position at the helm of her alma mater.
O’Neil was a key member of the Bowdoin “glory years” squads, accumulating 133 points in her career as a Polar Bear from 2001 to 2005.
Under O’Neil’s guidance this season, Bowdoin has already matched last year’s win total of 12 — it sports a 12-6-2 record — and is coming off a weekend split with Amherst. After falling 3-2 the first night, the Polar Bears rebounded the next day to upset the fifth-ranked Lord Jeffs 2-1 for their first signature win of the season.
Bowdoin will have two more chances to pick up wins over ranked teams with a game at Trinity on Saturday and then closing the season with a home date against Middlebury. The Polar Bears also have a chance to lock up third place in the NESCAC with wins over Trinity and Wesleyan.
Some of the biggest reasons for Bowdoin’s resurgence this season have been the emergence of a pair of sophomore standouts in forward Kayte Holtz and goaltender Tara Connolly.
Holtz ranks second in the nation with 23 goals on the season, including six game-winning goals that tie her for the national lead. Two weeks ago, Holtz had a remarkable weekend, netting seven goals and an assist to lead Bowdoin to a sweep over Sacred Heart. She trails only Elmira freshman Tori Charron, who has 24 goals on the year.
Although Bowdoin has split the goaltending starts between three different goalies, Connolly stepped up last weekend against Amherst, making 30 saves in the 2-1 win. She is 5-1-2 on the season with a 1.76 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage.
Laura Hurd Award watch
We are a little over a month away from crowning the winner of the Laura Hurd Award, which is given to the Division III women’s player of the year by the American Hockey Coaches Association at the Frozen Four banquet.
Like I have said countless times before, the award is usually more of a career achievement award rather than just a single-season accomplishment award. Most of the time it is reserved for seniors, although Danielle Blanchard won it as a junior in 2008.
For the first time in the 11-year history of the award, a goaltender won it last season after Trinity’s Isabel Iwachiw became one of the driving forces behind putting the Bantams on the map in the D-III women’s hockey world.
Middlebury has had the most winners with four, while Elmira and Gustavus Adolphus each have had two.
This year’s group is taking shape and if I were picking, these are the six finalists that would be up for the award.
Sophie Leclerc, Norwich
• Leading the country in points with 20 goals and 18 assists for 38 points.
• Accumulated 67 goals and 81 assists for 148 career points.
•All-time points leader at Norwich.
Katie Stack, Rochester Institute of Technology
• Has 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points this year.
• Scored 76 goals and has 53 assists for 129 career points.
• Four goals away from becoming the all-time goals leader at RIT
Sarah Dagg, RIT
• Tallied 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points this season, which ranks third in the nation.
• Has 59 goals and 87 assists for 146 career points.
• All-time assists leader at RIT
Steph Moon, Plattsburgh
• Has eight goals and 20 assists for 28 points this season.
• Tallied 24 goals and 62 assists for 86 career points.
Kristin Faber, Wisconsin-Eau Claire
• Tallied 17 goals and eight assists for 25 points on the year.
• Has 61 goals and 44 assists for 105 career points.
• All-time goals leader at Eau Claire.
Lexi Bloom, Middlebury
• Has compiled a 13-2-1 record this season with a nation-leading .958 save percentage, as well as a 0.84 goals-against average, which also tops the nation. National leader with eight shutouts, too.
• 39-11-6 career record with a 1.47 goals-against average and .929 save percentage.
ECAC East/NESCAC Game Predictions – 2/11 – 2/15/2011
It might as well be the playoffs now as every game remaining is of critical importance for teams making a push to either get in the playoff picture or improve their lot come seeding time in two weekends. Lots of intriguing match-ups this week with a battle for the top spot in the ECAC East on Friday night topping the list. Games are getting harder and so are the predictions as last week saw how tight it is getting with five ties among the twenty-one games played. Time to pick up my game too.
Last Week: 9-6-5
Record Overall: 102-87-21 (.538)
Winners in bold.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Amherst @ NEC – The Lord Jeffs need points to keep pace with the congested standings in NESCAC looking for a home-ice slot. The last six games for the past six seasons have dictated a lot for Amherst and this week they play like they know what is at stake – Amherst 4, NEC 2.
Hamilton @ St. Anselm – Ed Seney’s team always wants to show the league that even though they are D-II they deserve to be among the top teams in the overall standings. For Hamilton, this season has put them back on the NESCAC radar screen and they have more to play for right now – Hamilton 4, St. Anselm 3.
Babson @ Williams – The Beavers have been really tough to get a handle on this season. They have won on the last three Friday nights but haven’t been able to match the feat on Saturday since early January. Haven’t been right picking the Saturday game so will go the other way this week – Williams 3, Babson 2.
UMB @ Middlebury – Look out! That object coming up in your rear view mirror is the Panthers who risen from ninth to a tie for second just one point out of the top spot in the NESCAC conference. UMB usually gives the Panthers fits but not this time around – Middlebury 5, UMB 3.
Norwich @ Castleton – This is going to be a great one. The up-and -comers looking to prove they belong at the top and the current title holder reluctant to give in to the upstarts from across the state. The “Fist Pump Green Out” will add to the atmosphere but won’t influence the final score – Norwich 3, Castleton 2 in OT.
St. Michael’s @ Skidmore – The Thoroughbreds really need to get some points if they want to host a game on the big sheet in a couple of weeks and this game is the most winnable of the weekend – Skidmore 5, St. Mike’s 4.
Southern Maine @ Conn College – The mid-week loss against Wesleyan didn’t help Jim Ward’s squad in their battle to make the playoffs so look for some home-ice magic against the Huskies – Conn college 4, USM 3.
UNE @ Tufts – Nobody sneaks up on anybody in this league and while both teams have really struggled getting wins, the Nor’easters right now are just playing better hockey – UNE 4, Tufts 3.
Trinity @ Bowdoin – One or both of the coaches in this game have said “play .500 on the road and .700 at home and you will be in the hunt.” Trinity is exactly at .500 on the road but Bowdoin is almost .900 at home so the formula seems to favor the home team – Bowdoin 3, Trinity 2.
Wesleyan @ Colby – The Connecticut schools really need to get some separation from each other but Friday night is a tough one for two of the three Colby 4, Wesleyan 2.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Amherst @ St. Anselm – Yes there will be scoreboard watching across the league but a four point weekend is big at this time of the year and Amherst frankly needs it more than the Hawks – Amherst 3, St. A’s 1.
Hamilton @ NEC – If the goaltending can hold up down the stretch for Norm Bazin’s squad they are going to really challenge for the top spot – Hamilton 4, NEC 3.
Babson @ Middlebury – There are some teams that just seem to always peak at this time of the year and both of these teams have historically fit into that category. this year the Panthers have displayed it more in the second half – Middlebury 5, Babson 3.
UMB @ Williams – Both teams can skate and both can score so what’s the difference maker here? Can you say Purdy? Hard to knock off the Ephs when he is on his game – Williams 3, UMB 1.
Norwich @ Skidmore – Coach McShane is already nervous about this one coming off the big game on Friday night but expect the Cadets to go about their business regardless of Friday’s outcome – Norwich 5, Skidmore 2.
St. Michael’s @ Castleton – See above. Seriously, coach Todd has the same trap game concerns for Saturday and has already been addressing them this week with his team – Castleton 6, St. Mike’s 2.
Southern Maine @ Tufts – The Jumbos have really had a rough season and are long shots for the playoffs but Southern Maine is in and need to get consistent over the final weekend of the season – USM 4, Tufts 3.
UNE @ Conn College – Points are becoming scarce and Trinity and Wesleyan have a game in hand so the Camels can’t let this slip throught their fingers – Conn College 5, UNE 3.
Trinity @ Colby – Colby has been very good lately but not so great at home. Wes Vesprini is good at stealing a game here and there and needs to get two points here for the Bantams to set up the match-up with Wesleyan on Tuesday – Trinity 2, Colby 1.
Wesleyan @ Bowdoin – Coach Meagher says secondary scoring is going to be key in the remaining games but the big three are still putting up numbers and that’s enough here – Bowdoin 4, Wesleyan 2.
Tuesday February 15, 2011
St. Michael’s @ Stonehill – An NE-10 conference game where the Purple Knights have flourished in getting ready for their D-II conference championship – St. Mike’s 4, Stonehill 1.
Wesleyan @ Trinity – The outdoor game at Rentschler Field in Hartford completes a women’s/men’s double header between the schools on Tuesday night. Neither team will have practiced or prepared outdoors so getting acclimated to the rink may be interesting and have an impact on the outcome – Trinity 3, Wesleyan 2.
It’s the regular season but it’s playoff intensity for the next two weekends where it really becomes one-and-done. The battle for points is on and so is the mess that will be the standings and tie-breaker procedures.
Game on – drop the puck!
Hockey East picks – Feb. 11-14
Dave picked up a game on me last week but that’s kind of like saying he climbed the first mile of Mt. Everest.
Dave last week: 8-1-1
Jim last week: 7-2-1
Dave’s record-to-date: 77-29-22 (.688)
Jim’s record-to-date: 89-23-20 (.750)
Here are this week’s picks
Friday, February 11
Vermont at Maine
Jim’s pick: I have a feeling that Vermont might get some points from this weekend, but I still have to pick with my head and not my gut.
Maine 4, UVM 2
Dave’s pick: After last weekend, the Black Bears will be playing with an extra sense of urgency.
Maine 5, UVM 2
Boston College at Providence
Jim’s pick: Eagles continue to roll on the road.
BC 5, PC 2
Dave’s pick: It’s pretty hard to pick against BC these days.
BC 4, PC 1
Boston University at Massachusetts
Jim’s pick: UMass is always trouble for BU, but I think the Terriers pull this one out.
BU 3, UMass 2
Dave’s pick: The Terriers looked awfully good even in defeat against BC last Monday while UMass is coming off an 11-2 shellacking by Merrimack.
BU 4, UMass 1
Northeastern at Massachusetts-Lowell
Jim’s pick: No Beanpot letdown for these Huskies.
NU 3, UML 1
Dave’s pick: I’m not going to make up any ground on Jim by agreeing with him, but unfortunately I do.
NU 3 UML 2
Merrimack at New Hampshire
Jim’s pick: This is the marquee series of the weekend. My thought is home ice will prevail each game.
UNH 4, MC 3
Dave’s pick: The Wildcats need a late third-period goal to tie it and another in overtime for another dramatic win.
UNH 5, MC 4 (OT)
Saturday, February 12
Vermont at Maine
Jim’s pick: Black Bears complete the much-needed sweep.
Maine 2, UVM 1
Dave’s pick: Not even three points on the weekend will be good enough if Maine is going to earn home ice for the playoffs. Maine 4, UVM 2
Providence at UMass
Jim’s pick: Very key game in the battle for the final playoff spots.
UMass 4, PC 2
Dave’s pick: Both teams are coming off lopsided losses last weekend, UMass 11-2 against Merrimack and PC 7-1 against Vermont. The Friars need the points more, but I think the Minutemen are the better team. And it doesn’t hurt that they’re at home.
UMass 3, PC 1
New Hampshire at Merrimack
Jim’s pick: Warriors rebound in front of a packed house at Lawler.
MC 5, UNH 3
Dave’s pick: Here’s a desperation pick being made only to make up ground on Jim. I really think that the Warriors will salvage a split back in their own barn and would usually go with that choice. But I’ve got to start disagreeing with Jim and here’s where I’ll adopt that stance.
UNH 4 MC 3 (OT) *
Monday, February 14
Boston University vs. Harvard (Beanpot consolation)
Jim’s pick: The Terriers might not win the Beanpot, but they won’t finish fourth, that’s for sure.
BU 4, HU 1
Dave’s pick: It’s not a question of which team wins, only the margin.
BU 52, HU 0
Northeastern vs. Boston College (Beanpot final)
Jim’s pick: Here is my upset of the week. Northeastern ends 23 years of Beanpot futility.
NU 3, BC 2 (OT)
Dave’s pick: The Huskies will give the Eagles a run for their money, but in the end this BC senior class will be able to say it won three Beanpots. Not since the early sixties have any Eagles been able to make that claim.
BC 4, NU 3 (OT)
ECAC Hockey picks: Week 19
Geez, 19 blogs devoted to picks already? Crazy.
Onto the madness!
Prediction precision
Season record: 116-51-19 (.675)
This week
All times Eastern
Friday, February 11
Yale at St. Lawrence – 7:00
Good heavens, Yale is mortal… on the road at least. Away from home, the Bulldogs are 5-4-0 overall, 4-3-0 in conference. Unfortunately, the Saints are 1-4-1 in their last six. If someone’s going to knock the Elis off in the near future, it’s probably not SLU. 4-2 Yale.
Princeton at Harvard – 7:00
Only one team playing under The Brown Rule’s heavy shadow these days, and it’s the furiously incomplete Crimson. Princeton was swept at home last weekend; every game is a must-win game for the Tigers if they hope to stay in the hunt for a first-round bye. 3-1 Tigers.
Brown at Clarkson – 7:00
It wasn’t so long ago that this would’ve been a hot ticket, so to speak: Both Brown and Clarkson have had strong stretches this season, but neither has exactly set the world on fire in recent times. ‘Tech has lost eight of 10 (2-8-0); Brown, seven of 10 (3-7-0). So how do you pick the winner of the Frustration Bowl? Home team… even when the home team isn’t really making the most of it so far. Knights, 3-2.
Cornell at Union – 7:00
If the aforementioned Clarkson-Brown game is a meeting of once-hot teams, this tilt positively sizzles. Cornell is making up for lost time… er, games, with only one loss in its last 10 games (7-1-2), and is firmly in the hunt for a first-round bye. Union, too, has dropped just one in 10, but puts the Big Red in its place with a 9-1-0 record in that stretch. If you’re in the Capital District Friday night, this is the place to be. Prediction? UC, 3-2 in front of a hopefully crazy crowd.
Colgate at Rensselaer – 7:00
Colgate finally escaped The Brown Rule in downing Clarkson last weekend, but the Raiders will have their hands full in Troy. RPI has been a big cherry beast at the Field House, and I anticipate that they will continue to be so against ‘Gate. 4-2 Engineers.
Quinnipiac at Dartmouth – 7:00
Here’s an odd matchup. The Bobcats have been strangely strong on the road, but decidedly sub-par at home (much like Princeton, in fact, and the similarities go beyond mere tendencies). The Big Green have had better results on the road as well, but haven’t played as many league home games as away, so we’ll see what happens. The ‘Cats might not be happy with their one-point weekend last time out, but taking anything from RPI and Union these days is noteworthy. So what do I think? I think the Big Green are more seasoned and more consistent, so the hosts are the safe bet. 4-3 Dartmouth.
Saturday, February 12
Cornell at Rensselaer – 3:30
If Cornell-Union was Friday’s big game, this is Saturday’s. RPI is on a seven-game unbeaten streak entering the weekend (6-0-1), and – with Yale and cross-town Union – is one of the toughest road games in the league. Will the Big Red fall twice in a weekend? I can only say that RPI is one of the top three teams to beat in the league; Cornell is not quite there yet. 4-3 ‘Tute.
Princeton at Dartmouth – 4:00
I’m making this pick by instinct rather than by the numbers: I feel that Princeton is rambunctious enough to build momentum in a hurry, and if my Friday guess is on the mark, the Tigers might be feeling pretty good about themselves come Saturday afternoon. They play very well outside the Garden State, for some reason, and this feels like a trip-up kind of game for Dartmouth. 4-2 Tigers in this one.
Yale at Clarkson – 7:00
No two ways about it: Yale is undoubtedly better than Clarkson. No reason to ramble on about anything else when that’s really what this comes down to. 5-2 Bulldogs.
Colgate at Union – 7:00
Hmm. I find myself compelled to say “ditto”, having just written what I did about Yale at Clarkson. Oh well: Ditto. Union, 5-2.
Brown at St. Lawrence – 7:00
Here’s a chance for either one of these teams to pick itself up and get things back on the right track. The sides look quite evenly matched, with very similar records and goal differentials, so I’ll give the edge to the team that plays in a giant oak tree: SLU FTW, 3-2.
Monday, February 14
Harvard vs. Boston University – 4:30 Beanpot consolation at TD Garden; Boston, Mass.
Brown Rule. One of these teams played pretty well in its opening-round loss; the other didn’t. Even if it weren’t for The Brown Rule, I’d still probably pick the former. BU, 3-1.
Tuesday, February 15
Clarkson at St. Lawrence – 7:30
No love lost here, the day after Valentine’s. I think the outcomes of the weekend’s games will affect this one a lot, but obviously I can’t be sure how the chips will fall. So lacking prescient abilities (outstanding prediction record notwithstanding… sorry, had to say it), I’ll say that SLU owes Clarkson a couple: ‘Tech won both earlier meetings this year after a slobberknocker of a first-round playoff series went the Saints’ way last spring. If it weren’t a rivalry game, I’d say that the Knights have shown that they can handle SLU, and are likely to do so once more. But then, this is a rivalry. Saints should be through the roof for this one: 4-2 SLU.
Johnson and Wales building toward playoffs
After sneaking into the conference championship game as the sixth seed last year, Johnson and Wales isn’t surprising anyone this season.
With a wild 6-4 win at Becker Wednesday night, the Wildcats moved to 9-2 in conference play to jump ahead of Curry for the top spot in the ECAC Northeast, and could be in position to host a playoff game for the first time in coach Erik Noack’s time in Providence.
“Really, at this level, it’s all confidence,” Noack said following the win at Becker. “After beating Suffolk [in the quarterfinals] last year, we said ‘Hey, two more games to reach NCAA’s, why not?”
While five second period goals by Curry in last year’s conference championship game derailed any hopes of making the NCAA tournament, the Wildcats entered this season with a renewed sense of confidence.
“If this team thinks they can win, they probably can,” Noack said. “That was probably the only thing we had going for us last year was believing in ourselves.”
A little talent doesn’t hurt either. While Craig Houle, last year’s leading scorer, graduated and is currently an assistant on the staff, the Wildcats brought in defensive help and have seen more balance through the lineup.
“It’s night and day,” forward Jeremiah Ketts said of Johnson and Wales’ increased depth this season. “Up and down, the roster is deeper. Our fourth line can skate with most teams’ first lines.”
On the back end, sophomore Matt Cooper has a 2.24 goals-against-average and .923 save percentage in conference play, and has been aided by an improved defensive corps.
“We’re a little better defensively,” Noack said. “Matt Cooper has been doing great in net and we brought in some ‘D’ to help us out. In my mind, that’s the big thing.”
Ketts centers the Wildcats’ top line with sophomore Jason Pietrasiak on the wing. The pair are 1-2 in the conference in goals as of Thursday, while Ketts’ 19 goals overall place him in a tie for the top spot in the nation. However, the junior has been a key force outside the rink.
“Ketts has really stepped up and driven this team both in the locker room and on the ice to places I wasn’t sure we were going to be right now,” Noack said.
“Team unity in college is big,” Ketts said. “There’s 30 guys on the roster, and not all of them see the ice every nice, so it’s tough. There’s fights in practice, but as long as you come together at the end of the day, that’s all that matters,” he said, adding that the Wildcats often have team dinners or go to a movie together.
While off ice events can help with team chemistry, the ultimate measurement comes once the puck drops.
“We have a banner saying ‘If winning isn’t everything, why do we keep score?,’ Ketts said. “That’s something we try to abide by. The bottom line at the end of the day is to win.”
While the Wildcats are in a good spot, Noack is well aware that standings can mean little come the playoffs.
“If you’re a six seed playing the three seed, there’s probably only three points separating you,” he said. “We had a good matchup against Suffolk last season. It’s all about who you play against certain teams. Obviously, our goal is to get a bye and not even have to play in the quarterfinals.”
News and Notes
-Nichols’ Will Munson moved to fourth on the school’s all-time scoring list after posting his 123rd carer point Saturday. Munson’s 82 assists rank him second all time behind Zeke Costello, who concluded his career last season with 95 career assists. After winning four in a row, the Bisons dropped their second decision game Monday, losing to Becker, 3-2, in a makeup game from last week.
-Worcester State’s Nick Asterito became the 41st player in school history to hit the six-point mark in their careers. Asterito did it with a a goal and and assist in the Lancers’ 5-2 win over Assumption Wednesday night.
– Ketts leads the nation with 10 power-play goals, while JWU defenseman Domenic Recchia is seventh nationally in scoring among blueliners (2-20). Ketts is also tied for second in short-handed tallies with several players, including Fitchburg State’s Justin Quinn.
-After having a pair of games cancelled due to last week’s weather, Salve Regina rallied for their first win in just over two months Thursday at Stonehill. Joe Colaianni’s short-handed goal at 15:47 of the third period capped off a three goal outburst and helped the Seahawks end a 13-game pointless streak. Western New England ended a streak of its own against Salve, posting a 5-1 win Wednesday night to snap a five-game losing streak.
-Any predictions who will capture the top spot in the MASCAC? The top four teams are separated by three points. There might be a little more clarity at the end of the weekend, with first place Salem State taking on both Fitchburg and Plymouth State, and Massachusetts-Dartmouth hosting Plymouth State as well.
ECAC Northeast Weekly Honors
Player of the Week: Jeremiah Ketts, Johnson and Wales. Ketts scored a pair of power-play goals in the Wildcats 3-2 road win over Wentworth last Thursday. He followed that up with a pair of goals, including a short-handed tally, in JWU’s’ 5-4 win over Salve Regina on Saturday.
Goalie of the Week: Matt Cooper, Johnson and Wales. The sophomore recorded 32 saves in the Wildcats 3-2 win against Wentworth and had 19 stops in the 5-4 win against Salve
Rookie of the Week: John Kelly, Western New England. Kelly compiled five points on three goals and two assists for the Golden Bears. He had a goal and an assist against Curry, and two goals and an assist against Becker.
Loose Pucks
Happy belated Truck Day New Englanders. With spring training and college hockey playoffs right around the corner, it’s a sure sign of slowing inching towards spring.
