The “New” regular season champion

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February 10, 2011

Yes, Oswego won the regular season last year, and they won it again this year. However, the team that won it this year is a bit different than the team that took the points title the previous season.

They are still one of the most talented squads in the SUNYAC, capable at any moment of going on a scoring outburst. The difference is who they relied on.

Last year, it was mostly about Eric Selleck, Neil Musselwhite, Chris Laganiere, and Luke Moodie.

This year, contributions have been spread out amongst the entire team. Within conference play through 13 games, Moodie has nine goals and Ian Boots has seven. Then, there are five players with either five or six goals and another with four. It could be said these eight players were the key go-to guys.

Contrast that with last season, when the scoring was mostly amongst four players (Selleck and Laganiere had 14, Musselwhite had 11, and Moodie had 10). Jon Whitelaw had eight and Justin Fox had five goals, but the scoring was certainly more top heavy than this year.

As two of their stars left, their workload got distributed throughout the team. Despite the more even scoring production, their goal production went down from about 5.4 to about 4.8.

Thus, the defense and goaltending had to improve, and it did, from a 2.03 goals against average in conference play to 1.77.

Goaltending also changed this year, going from Kyle Gunn-Taylor to Paul Beckwith. Beckwith, in his third year, has finally, and deservedly, nailed down the number one spot. Yet, he is the Rodney Dangerfield of netminders. He gets no respect. This, despite having a career 1.94 GAA and .925 save percentage.

Is it because he plays for a team that is so good, the goaltender can simply be a plug and play position? Is it because when he lost the starting role last year due to illness, Gunn-Taylor stepped in without a hitch, making it appear Beckwith was not a key piece? Or is it because Beckwith gets the job done without any flair or Hasek-like propeller limbs?

So many times you see a goalie slightly out of position or playing the shot slightly wrong, forcing him to make a spectacular-looking save which ironically can make him appear to be this great goalie, when in fact he had to “look” good because he messed up in the first place. And thus, a goalie like Beckwith slides by without any accolades or shouts of amazement from the crowd.

Eyes should have been opened when Beckwith missed games with an injury. The team’s only two losses were when Beckwith did not suit up. Andrew Hare, a midyear Division I transfer from Niagara, has not taken the job from Beckwith, nor has understudy, Dan Jones.

Distributed scoring, tighter defense, and new goaltending, but the same results — a SUNYAC regular season title for Oswego.

Game of the Week
It’s very simple. Potsdam absolutely, positively must beat Fredonia if they have any chance to make the playoffs. Lose, and the Bears can start thinking about next year. Win, and Potsdam is still in the race.

On the flipside, Fredonia has to make sure they not only keep Potsdam from getting any ideas about overtaking them, but with Cortland just one point behind, the Blue Devils cannot afford to give up any point in any circumstance.

The Potsdam at Fredonia game on Friday is perhaps the match-up with the highest combined stress level of any game taking place this weekend.

Fredonia has to make sure they do not look ahead to the game against Plattsburgh and the big event taking place on Saturday.

Potsdam has to stay out of the penalty box and continue its recent strong five-on-five play.

The Bears can pull this off, but Fredonia’s style is well suited to stop Potsdam. Jeff Meredith will have his team ready for the challenge of trying to ensure a playoff spot, and manage a way to beat Potsdam. But, the Blue Devils will have to work at it.

Other Picks
Jumping on the Morrisville bandwagon was a mistake, as I went 5-2-1 last week, leaving my overall mark at 83-25-9 (.748).

It may not be the Game of the Week, but it certainly is the Event of the Year. The original “Pink the Rink” which spawned all the pink the rink events around the world will be taking place at Fredonia for the fifth time.

It just so happens to be against Plattsburgh. Every time I have witnessed a Pink the Rink event, Fredonia comes out flying with amazing emotion.

As Plattsburgh coach Bob Emery said, “Hockey is an emotional sport.” If the Cardinals cannot match Fredonia’s emotion, they will lose some crucial points.

I think that’s what is going to happen, so I’ll pick Fredonia in the upset.

Plattsburgh’s other game is at Buffalo State, and I’ll take the Cardinals to start their weekend out on the winning side.

However, they will have to get to Kevin Carr early, as Emery explains, “Buffalo State is built around their goalie. He’s a great freshman goalie. With that being said, we got to get to him. If not, we really have to make sure we keep it out.”

By the time Buffalo State plays Potsdam, the Bengals will still be needing the win, and Potsdam will be emotionally spent. Thus, Buffalo State will take the contest.

Do I dare pick against Cortland? Probably not, but I’m still going with Morrisville, who wants to achieve something many thought could not be accomplished this quickly — a home playoff game.

“This is unfamiliar territory for us,” Morrisville coach Brian Grady said. “The opportunity that we tell the team is we can host [a playoff game] here. That’s a huge, huge advantageous for us. That’s certainly something we talk about.”

Grady knows it won’t be easy against a resurgent Red Dragons squad.

“Cortland is obviously trying to get into the playoff picture. Every point is huge. We’re going onto the road to an energized house. We got to be ready to go. We need a huge effort game Friday night.”

Then, Morrisville travels up to Oswego. Sorry Mustangs, that game may be primed for an upset, but Oswego always seems to know how to pull a conference win out of the hat.

The Rochester match-up takes place at Geneseo as Brockport comes to town. Yes, the Golden Eagles will be up for this game more than normal, but Geneseo is just too good and Brockport is struggling too much for any sort of upset. Take the Ice Knights in this one.

Candace’s Picks: Feb. 11

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February 10, 2011

I had a smoking week last week, going 16-3-2 (.809), including correctly picking the Beanpot winners, to improve my record on the year to 134-47-17 (.719). It’s hard to believe there are only three weeks left in the season. Let’s dive into this week’s picks.

Friday-Saturday, February 11-12

Mercyhurst at Syracuse: The Orange have emerged as a solid team this year, with some strong out-of-conference results, including a tie with Northeastern and wins over New Hampshire and Clarkson. However, there is still a gulf between teams like Syracuse and the elite of women’s hockey. Merychurst 5-1, 4-1

Maine at Boston College: After winning a thriller against archrival Boston University in the Beanpot, the Eagles are ripe for a letdown, but I don’t think the Black Bears are strong enough to take advantage. Boston College 3-1, 4-1

Northeastern/Boston University: An ironic scheduling twist has these teams playing each other three times in five days, due to the results of the Beanpot. Let’s call the scheduled home-and-home series first though. Watching the game against BC, you could really see how BU missed star forward Marie-Philip Poulin, out with an injury suffered against New Hampshire. According to Terriers coach Brian Durocher, Poulin’s status is unclear, and a lot will depend on her pain tolerance and the call of the doctors. Even with Poulin out though, I think the Terriers have too much firepower for Northeastern. Boston University 3-1, 3-2

Minnesota-Duluth at Ohio State: Every time I think the Buckeyes are ready to prove themselves in the WCHA, they fall. That probably means they’ll score an upset this weekend, but I’m calling a Bulldogs sweep. Minnesota-Duluth 4-1, 4-2

Bemidji State at Minnesota: Since losing to the Beavers on December 3, the Gophers have been on a tear, going 11-2, with the only losses to Wisconsin. It’s almost like that game against Bemidji woke them up. I think Minnesota continues to roll, though they will be tested. Minnesota 3-2, 4-2

Friday-Sunday, February 11, 13

North Dakota at Wisconsin: The Sioux got me again last weekend, sweeping Ohio State when I thought they were back to splitting all their series. I honestly believe the Sioux is one team nobody wants to face in the postseason. Having said that, I think the Badgers are the best team in women’s hockey right now. Wisconsin 3-1, 4-1

Friday, February 11

Brown at Cornell: Cornell has been building confidence over the season, and look awfully strong right now. I’m not sure how they will do when they face the big squads from out West in the postseason, but for now, call them the Beast of the East. Cornell 4-1

Harvard at Clarkson: Clarkson got some redemption on its disappointing season last weekend by tying Cornell. Harvard was upset by Princeton last week, but righted ship against Quinnipiac and won in the first round of the Beanpot. I think the Crimson win a thriller. Harvard 3-2

Saturday-Sunday, February 12-13

Connecticut/Providence: A big series between two teams battling for home ice in the Hockey East playoffs and trying to stay ahead of Northeastern. This is coin-flip, but Providence has been the better team on the year, and I think they want to establish themselves as Hockey East’s third team. Providence 4-2, 3-2

Saturday, February 12

Yale at Cornell: The Big Red were finally tested in the ECAC last weekend, tying Clarkson and getting a one-goal win over St. Lawrence. However, the Yale women are not the Yale men in terms of program strength. Cornell 5-1

Harvard at St. Lawrence: This shapes up to be a doozy of a game between two traditional ECAC powers. St. Lawrence has been very inconsistent, but as they showed in losing a one-goal game to Cornell, they have talent. Harvard however, is playing very well right now. Harvard 3-2

Tuesday, February 15

Clarkson at St. Lawrence: Clarkson has already scored two wins over its north-country rival this season, and has played some decent hockey of late, including tying Cornell last weekend. Part of the difficulty in calling this is which version of each team will show up? I’m calling Clarkson. Clarkson 3-2

BEANPOT

Northeastern at Boston University: These teams will be very familiar with each other after a home-and-home over the weekend. This could end up being an upset, but I like the Terriers. Boston University 3-2

Harvard at Boston College: These two squads face each other for the fourth time in seven years in the Beanpot title game. Harvard’s senior class has been to four straight Beanpot championships, winning as freshmen and juniors while losing to the Eagles as sophomores. These two squads faced off in December, a dominating win for the Eagles, when the Crimson were still getting their legs under them. I expect this to be a closer game, but I think the experience of Kelli Stack and Molly Schaus carries the Eagles to a home-ice win. Boston College 3-2

McCabe building Finlandia

By Larry O'Connor

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February 10, 2011

British author Oscar Wilde once noted that we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. When looking above, Finlandia first-year coach John McCabe only sees a brighter future for his Lions in the constellations.

At 2-18, skeptics would suggest the former Alabama-Huntsville assistant is looking through the lens of one mighty powerful telescope.

On Feb. 4, Finlandia broke a 13-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over Marian. The team’s only other win came against fellow Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association-basement dweller Concordia (Wis.)

This weekend, the Lions travel to Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association-rival Northland (6-13-2, 5-9-2 MCHA) for a two-game series.

Finlandia (2-14) trails the LumberJacks by eight points for the final playoff slot in the MCHA’s Northern Division. By McCabe’s count, the Lions need four-straight wins to squeak into the Harris Cup postseason fray. His team closes out the campaign with a two-game set at Lawrence Feb. 18-19.

“If we win four on the road … there’s no better time than to get hot than now,” said McCabe, 37, who served six years as Alabama-Huntsville assistant coach before being named Finlandia coach in May.

Of course, Northland would also have to drop four-straight in the process for Finlandia to pull off the improbable playoff mission. The LumberJacks host Marian for two games in their regular-season finale, but even an optimist can find the fainted twinkle in the most distant galaxy.

Regardless of the team’s near-term fortunes, McCabe is building a foundation, not pitching a tent.

At D-I Alabama-Huntsville, which made two NCAA tournament appearance in his tenure, McCabe garnered a reputation for spotting gems amid the rabble.

As the Chargers’ chief recruiter, he took in 100 to 150 amateur games a year, including those in remote posts of British Columbia and Alberta. The Sudbury, Ont., native also scoured Europe, including Finland, which particularly serves him well in his first-ever head coaching position.

Finlandia, as the name suggests, was founded as Suomi College in 1896 by Michigan Upper Peninsula’s Finnish immigrants. Finlandia is based in the Keweenaw Peninsula community of Hancock, which is separated from Houghton and its Western Collegiate Hockey Association resident Michigan Tech by the Portage Lake Canal.

Finlandia started its men’s hockey program in 1999 and captured the MCHA’s Harris Cup in 2007.

Freshman goalie Atte Haataja is the Lions’ lone Finnish representative, though McCabe says he’s looking to recruit Finns as well as Swedes. Teemu Selanne is one of the Nordic country’s greatest hockey exports.

“I wish he had some eligibility left,” said McCabe jokingly, but added there’s an ongoing effort to bring in NHL Hall of Famer and Finnish native Jari Kurri for a future event on the Hancock, Mich., campus.

Otherwise, McCabe continues to traverse more familiar terrain in North America’s numerous junior circuits. He expects to bring in five or six players from western Canada junior hockey leagues.

McCabe admits D-III is a harder sell, but the pitch remains the same.

“Recruiting is recruiting, regardless of where you are,” said McCabe, who played on two D-II National Champion teams while at UA-Huntsville from 1995-98. “You just have to be honest with the kid and tell them that they are going to be part of something bigger than themselves, and they have a chance of being part of something very special when we get the right group of kids in here.”

“It is a little different approach, obviously. A kid’s number one goal is to get a Division I scholarship. I support and respect that. But if they are looking for an option to play Division III, I tell them that Finlandia is one that is building to win a national title here.”

US National U17 Coach Danton Cole believes McCabe’s work ethic will reverse Finlandia’s hockey trajectory. Cole worked with McCabe when he was Alabama-Huntsville’s head coach.

“He will beat the bushes and continuously work to make sure he gets the right student-athletes that can compete and succeed on and off the ice for Finlandia,” said Cole in an email. “Two, he understands that it takes some time to make the changes that he wants to make and that there are no short cuts.”

During the season, McCabe has sought Cole’s counsel as the Lions floundered. The US U-17 Coach took in Finlandia’s game Jan. 29 at Adrian, which the Lions lost 9-2.

“He just told me to stick with it and obviously was encouraged with what he saw,” McCabe said. “(Cole said), ‘Just keep your head up and keep working hard and good things will happen.”

Despite the hardship, the team has shown improvement. Leading-scorer Collin Saint-Onge’s grit and skill has served as the player prototype for Finlandia to build on, McCabe said. Saint-Onge, who played with the North American Hockey League Marquette Rangers last season, has three goals and 12 assists in 20 games.

“A good Division III player is a player who is able to play at the Division I level; it just so happens he is in Division III,” he said. “Division III is very good hockey. I might have underestimated that when I took the job, but it’s been an eye-opener. Hats off to the great job Division III coaches do across the country.”

Players of the Week
MCHA: Brad Houston, Adrian. The senior center scored the game-winning goal in No. 5 Adrian’s 5-3 victory over Lake Forest Feb. 5, which completed a two-game sweep and kept the Bulldogs (17-3-1, 14-1-1) neck-and-neck with No. 10 Milwaukee School of Engineering (17-3-1, 14-1-1) for first place overall in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association standings. The Chatham, Ont., native had two assists to along with his game-deciding tally. Houston added and assist and was a plus-2 in the team’s 6-1 win in the series opener Feb. 4. The 6-foot-1 and 2-15-pound forward’s 30 points on 12 goals and 18 assists is tied for second in team scoring.

MIAC: Tony Civello, St. John’s. The junior netminder backstopped the Johnnies to a 3-1 win and a 3-3 tie against No. 13 Hamline Feb. 4-5, which locked St. John’s into a four-way tie for the final playoff position in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Shoreview, Minn., product made 77 saves and allowed a meager 1.92 goals in the two-game set. The victory and draw raised Civello’s overall record to 4-8-2 to go with 2.95 GAA and .909 save percentage.

NCHA: Kyle Heck, Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The freshman forward bagged the game-winner in the Pointer’s 3-1 victory over St. Scholastica Feb. 4 and scored a goal and assisted in the deciding tally in the team’s 4-3 win over Wisconsin-Superior Feb. 5. The two victories pulled UW-Stevens Point (12-11, 8-8) into a third-place tie with Wisconsin-Stout (13-10, 8-8) going into the final weekend. The third-place finisher will have home-ice advantage in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association playoff first round.

Rolling and not

By Scott Biggar

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February 10, 2011

Utica travels to Neumann this weekend to take on the Knights in a pair of games, but the teams have been headed in opposite directions lately. Utica is riding a four-game winning streak, including sweeps of Hobart and Manhattanville. Meanwhile, Neumann has gone 1-2-1 in its last four games against the same competition.

One potential cause of such diverse fortunes is injuries. While no coach will use injuries as an excuse, it can have a dramatic affect on the game.

Unlike last season, Utica has remained healthy this season and is reaping the benefits down the stretch. Five different Pioneers scored last weekend in the sweep against Manhattanville, and four have tallied 10 or more goals this season. The depth in scoring has helped move Utica into a tie with Elmira for the league lead.

“We’re staying healthy, which has been a big difference for us this year,” said Utica coach Gary Heenan. “All year, we’ve had different guys scoring. No one is running away with it like we’ve had in years past.”

Neumann, on the other hand, has been bit by the injury bug repeatedly this season. Only four players have dressed for all 22 games, and the subsequent adjustments in the lineup from night to night have made it hard to find any kind of consistency in the results.

“We have been struggling to get into any kind of a flow,” said Neumann coach Dominick Dawes. “We have been hit pretty badly by injuries. My trainer told me we are at 70 games missed. It isn’t an excuse, but it has made it hard to get any chemistry going with groups or lines. Hopefully, we can build off of what we did last Saturday and get a little momentum.”

Last Saturday, Neumann scored a pair of third period goals to tie Hobart and steal a point in the standings.

An important factor in Utica’s sweep of Manhattanville was short-handed goals. The Pioneers scored one in each of the second periods last weekend and now have tallied six on the season without giving up a single shortie against.

“Two big short-handed goals on two different nights made the difference for us,” said Heenan. “It is individuals making plays. It’s not a systems thing or anything that we have put in. There have been some beautiful goals.”

The Pioneers have always been known as a tough defensive team, building offense from within their own zone. This year, Utica has taken that philosophy to another level. The Pioneers are limiting opponents to only 1.95 goals against this season, an all-time low for the program.

“I think it is personnel,” said Heenan. “We’re running the same things we always have in our d-zone. We have some freshmen ‘D’ who have really stepped up their game. Our freshmen goalies have a one-two punch, and we are getting a bounce here and there as well. It certainly helps out to have a little luck on your side.”

Now Neumann and Utica face off this weekend in a pair of games that are very important to both teams. With only two weeks to go in the regular season, it is crunch time.

“Huge, obviously, considering where we are all at in the standings,” said Dawes. “[Utica] has a young group that is rolling. We are focusing on when we have played well and try to take care of our own business. We need a good weekend.”

In a shootout back in November, Neumann scored the game-winning goal with 2:08 left in the third period to steal a 5-4 victory at Utica. That has stuck in the memory of the Pioneers ever since.

“It is a huge series down the stretch,” said Heenan. “They scored with two minutes to go up here to win the hockey game, and that is certainly on our minds.”

Playoff review
The playoffs for the ECAC West will follow the same format as the last few years. All games are single elimination.

The first round will be played on Wednesday, February 23, when the fourth place team will host the fifth-place finisher. The top three teams at the end of the regular season get byes through this round.

The semifinal round will be held on Saturday, February 26. The winner of the first round game will travel to the regular season champion, while the second-seeded team will host the number three team.

Finally, the two semifinal winners will meet on Saturday, March 5, at the site of the highest remaining seed to decide the championship.

If needed, tiebreakers will be used to seed teams who end the regular season with the same number of points. The tiebreakers are:

1. Head-to-head
2. Number of conference wins
3. Record versus common opponents
4. Overall record

ECAC West Weekly Awards
Co-Players of the Week: William Lacasse (Jr.) — Neumann. Lacasse scored two goals and notched an assist in a 4-4 tie at Hobart on Saturday afternoon. The junior scored his two goals in the third period of the game. His first was scored 1:51 into the third to bring the Knights within one, 4-3. Lacasse then netted the tying goal with 2:52 left in regulation.

Rick Shrank (Sr.) — Elmira. Schrank scored two power-play goals to lead Elmira past Cortland. Schrank’s two goals came in the third period. His first goal broke up a 4-4 tie at the 11:42 mark, and his second came with just 17 seconds to play, sealing a 6-4 win for the Soaring Eagles.

Goaltender of the Week: Nick Broadwater (So.) — Hobart. Broadwater recorded his second shutout of the season on Friday with a 4-0 win over Neumann. He stopped all 40 shots he faced. On Saturday, Broadwater recorded 38 saves in 65 minutes in goal for Hobart to finish with a 4-4 tie.

Rookie of the Week: Trevor Hertz — Utica. Hertz totaled one goal and one assist as Utica defeated Manhattanville twice this past weekend. He assisted on a short-handed goal to tie the game as the Pioneers went on to win 2-1 Friday night. He added a short-handed goal in the Pioneers’ 3-1 win over the Valiants on Saturday.

Scoring touch

By Dan Hickling

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February 10, 2011

It is now the standard by which all women’s hockey scorers will be measured.

Until someone comes along to break it. Who knows when (or if) that will ever happen.

Until then, Mercyhurst’s Meghan Agosta will be the name at the top of the NCAA career scoring leaderboard. Her four points last Friday against Wayne State — which included her 13th career hat trick — gave her 286 as a Laker, one more than the amount amassed by Harvard’s Julie Chu.

“It’s a great honor to break such a storied record,” said Agosta, who now owns the NCAA records for most points, short-handed goals and game-winning goals in a career. “None of this would have been possible without my teammates. I play hard every game to help my team succeed and bring an NCAA championship to Mercyhurst.”

The next night, Agosta added three more points to the pile with a trio of assists, helping the Lakers complete a weekend sweep with a 3-1 win against Wayne.

Agosta is a lead pipe cinch to erase another prestigious NCAA mark. She needs just two tallies to break the career goal mark of 150, which is held by former Harvard standout Nicole Corriero.

While on the same topic, the terrific career of Boston College forward Kelli Stack just got even more terrificker (that’s a word, right?)

Stack notched two points on Tuesday against Boston University in the Beanpot opener and thus became the Eagles’ career scoring leader. She did it with style, too, factoring in both BC goals in the No. 7 Eagles’ 2-1 upending of the No. 3 Terriers.

Stack’s feed to Mary Restuccia with three seconds left in the first period opened the scoring, then took Restuccia’s pass near the top of the crease, early in the third period, and fired home what proved to be the game winner.

That point was the 199th of her Eagle career, and pushed her past Erin Magee, who finished up at BC back in 1999. True to her modest nature, Stack deflected talk of her accomplishment, and instead gave props to her linemate.

“Mary’s one of the best playmakers I have ever played with; I knew that if I stayed out high in the slot I would get the puck,” Stack said. “Sure enough it was right on my tape, all I had to do was fire it.”

One of the first commands to a young hockey player is simply, “skate your lane”. Now, to that, for some Detroit-area youngsters it will be “stay inside the lines”. If you want to.

It’s tangent to one of the more novel, and worthwhile, promotional ideas seen in women’s hockey in some time, a coloring book drive, to be conducted by Wayne State.

The outreach, set to benefit youngsters at the DMC Children’s Hospital in Detroit, will take place this Friday prior to Friday’s CHA clash with Robert Morris.

Fans arriving at the City Sports Center with a new coloring book in hand will gain free admission to that night’s game.
There are bound to be a lot of happy, creative kids in Motown following the tilt.

Military maneuvers

By Tim Costello

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February 10, 2011

The battle is upon us. It’s Spartans vs. Cadets, and no, this not a reenactment of the legend of the 300, nor The Charge of the Light Brigade. With just four games remaining in the regular season, this is to get a leg up on the other team for first place in the ECAC East and capture the number one seed entering playoff time.

“This is really exciting for us, and this is exactly where we want to be as a team playing for the top spot,” stated Castleton coach Alex Todd. “We know that these guys are very good, and come in with a deserved reputation, having been the ECAC East and national champions last year. They have earned their respect, but we are excited about the challenge and have focused on getting here as a team and for the program. You win championships in phases. We have played in two tournaments this year and won them both, and now have a chance to win the regular season. It doesn’t guarantee anything but home ice, but it is another stepping stone.”

Castleton comes into the game at 17-2-1, having captured a win and a tie last week against UNE and Southern Maine on the road. Todd feels that the team learned a lot from the tie against USM, and sees the reaction to the game as a positive coming into the big game on Friday.

“We definitely left a point on the table last week, and the kids knew it right away,” noted Todd. “We didn’t have to say anything in the locker room. They understood we had a 4-2 lead entering the third period and got away from some things that have made us successful. They weren’t sad or depressed. They were mad and already focused about the game the next day, where we started out fast and finished strong — played a full 60 minutes.”

The Spartans are led by their big three forwards, Stuart Stefan, Josh Harris and Justin Alonzo, who have combined for 48 goals and 108 points so far this season. They really have been successful in all circumstances on the ice, and are not afraid of any match-up with the opponent’s best line.

“I did try and keep them away from the other team’s top line at points in the season,” stated Todd. “The three of them came to me and asked very directly for me to stop doing that. They are very comfortable playing against anyone out there and want the challenge of playing against the top line every night. They aren’t just about offense, so they relish doing their job and playing their game to show they are among the best.

“I don’t think I will be matching Friday night, just because Norwich has so many weapons and you can’t focus on just one line when every line can hurt you if you don’t get work hard every shift. We have seen a lot of development and goals in the second half from players like Cody Ayers, Nick Lasorko and Colin Murray. They all have the majority of their goals (seven each) in the second half, so our top line doesn’t have to do it all. We are getting solid contributions across the board. and we will need that on Friday night.”

On the other side of the match-up, Norwich comes in off a solid weekend against two of the top teams in the NESCAC conference. On Friday, Norwich rallied from a 3-1 deficit to tie Middlebury 4-4, then followed that up with a solid performance against Williams in a dominating 3-0 win.

“I think we have had a really tough schedule the last few weeks,” noted Norwich coach Mike McShane. “We came back from 4-1 down to tie Babson in a great hockey game and then had two solid results this past weekend with match-ups that have caused us trouble in the past. The game with Middlebury is always so emotional, and traditionally we have had trouble coming back to play Williams on the next day. We got off to a very fast start in the first period, and it could have been a bigger differential if it weren’t for Williams’ goalie (Ryan Purdy). We are starting to play pretty well and Friday night, like all of the games, will be a big one with first place on the line.”

One area where the Cadets are likely to showcase something different for Castleton from their game in December will be the guy between the pipes. Parker Carroll (6-0-2 overall) came in at the break for Norwich and has assumed a large quantity of the playing time since his arrival. He has posted three shutouts in eight starts, and has been a key contributor in the strong play by Norwich in their last 10 games, where they have gone 7-1-2 overall.

“We were looking for a goalie, primarily as a backup,” noted coach McShane. “Parker was available, and has really stepped right in and played well for us since the break. We like both of our goalies. Alex is extremely quick and moves very well laterally in a more traditional butterfly style while Parker is more of a stand-up, staying square out on his angles, challenging shooters kind of goaltender. We have three shutouts in our last five games, so we would like to keep up the intensity in the defensive end and avoid falling behind early like the games with Babson and Middlebury.”

Offensively, the Cadets have seen some of last year’s super freshmen get off to slow starts, but are now hitting their stride in terms of seeing production coming from their hard work. Sophomore Kyle Thomas posted a hat trick in the 4-4 tie with Middlebury and now has 11 goals on the season. Both Thomas and last season’s hero of the national championship game, Pier-Olivier Cotnoir, are on the cusp of hitting the 20-point plateau and joining four other Cadets who have surpassed that level already this season.

“Kyle had such an outstanding year last year as a freshman,” stated McShane. “It is only natural that expectations would be high this year based his output last season. He has really worked hard, and now is getting some of those chances to find the back of the net. If he can keep it going, it just gives us another weapon offensively that the other team is going to have to try and defend. We are showing some good depth and ability to score on all of our lines, and that has definitely helped us in the second half.”

Friday night, Spartan Arena will be the battlefield, and to add just a bit more atmosphere to the event, the traditional “Green Out” against Norwich is being augmented by an element of the recent HBO 24/7 series featuring the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. The first ever “Fist Pumping Green Out” will be on display at the rink, which has become one of the loudest places to play in the league over the past couple of seasons. The fans know what is at stake in this one too, so let the music blare, the fists pump, and the intensity on the ice match the excitement in the stands.

To quote the venerable Jim Prior, voice of the Beanpot and other major high school and college hockey events, “The teams are ready. Let’s play hockey.”

In a sea of green — drop the puck!

USCHO.com Hobey Watch 2011 Podcast, Episode 4: Seth Appert

By USCHO Podcasts

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February 10, 2011

USCHO.com’s Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Rensselaer Engineers head coach Seth Appert for a look at six Hobey Baker candidates from ECAC Hockey: forwards Chase Polacek of Rensselaer and Broc Little of Yale, joined by a quartet of goaltenders: RPI’s Allen York, Union’s Keith Kinkaid, Yale’s Ryan Rondeau and Dartmouth’s James Mello.

Kristo leaves hospital, staying with parents

USCHO Staff Report

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February 10, 2011

According to a press release issued today by Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minn., North Dakota forward Danny Kristo was discharged from the hospital today.

Kristo was transferred to the Regions Hospital Burn Center on Jan. 31 after suffering from frostbite on the toes of his right foot. He maintains full use of his extremities.

Kristo is expected to remain at his parents’ home in Eden Prairie, Minn., for continued treatment before returning to Grand Forks. The timing of Kristo’s return to campus will be made at a later date as it is dependent upon how he responds to ongoing treatment.