Home Blog Page 1037

Wisconsin-Stout players reinstated?

USCHO Staff Report
-

Wisconsin-Stout administration has told four players who were suspended by the school in October that they are eligible for reinstatement, subject to the approval of coach Terry Watkins.

The players were suspended in the aftermath of a September murder case in which two players connected to the Stout program face charges.

Watkins did not immediately reply to an e-mail message from USCHO seeking comment and confirmation on the players’ identities.

The school, however, did release a statement through the office of communications and external relations.

“Four UW-Stout students have been told they are eligible for reinstatement to the UW-Stout hockey team as of Dec. 15.  However, this action is subject to the decision of Coach Terry Watkins in setting the hockey roster for the remainder of the 2010-11 season.

“The action was taken by UW-Stout following the advice of the UW System’s General Counsel’s office and the state Department of Justice.

“UW-Stout will have no further comment on the action because of the possibility of civil litigation involving the events of Sept. 17-18, 2010.”

Meanwhile, Jared C. Britton and Jedidiah R. McGlasson on Monday pleaded not guilty to felony charges stemming from the death of fellow Stout student Bradley Smith.

Britton was a Wisconsin-Stout player, and McGlasson was an incoming freshman scheduled to join the team this season. They were both dismissed from the team in October, at which time the school said they would not be eligible for reinstatement.

Continue

ECAC East/NESCAC – Christmas Wish List – December 15, 2010

By
-

T’was ten days before Christmas, and all through the rink, no games were they playing so the Zamboni did sleep.

The skates were hung in the locker with care in the hopes that the new calendar soon would be here.

And coaches with game films, more analysis you see, are hoping Santa leaves the gift that they want most, under the tree.

So, what to their wondering eyes should appear but a topical writer with gifts of good cheer.

For it is a most wonderful season filled with merriment and mirth, but for some icemen the first half of the season also lacked worth.

So let me look into my giant hockey bag filled assorted things and find just what your team is looking for in time before the next anthem sings.

So for each of the conferences, I below do propose, some things to make better, some right under their nose. I play no favorites, it’s not Santa’s way, so heed my suggestions and better you will play!

ECAC East Wish List – teams in alphabetical order

Babson – At 4-4-0 overall and 3-2-0 in conference, the Beavers are looking for more consistency in output from some key players on the roster.  Returning redshirt forward Jason Schneider has just three points in the team’s first eight games while forward Terry Woods has been snakebit, posting only three assists in the opening games of the season.  The power play has been great at 32 percent, but Zeke Testa and Andrew Peabody should improve on their combined .895 save percentage and 3.62 goals against average in the first half.

So far this season, winning back-to-back games has been a challenge, and the second period seems to cause Babson some trouble, as they are a -7 goal differential and -35 in shots in the middle stanza this season.  The Beavers open the second half with former ECAC East rival Salem State, so look for Jamie Rice’s squad to get hot when it counts after the New Year.

Castleton – At 6-2-0 overall and 3-2-0 in league play, the Spartans come into the break riding a big high from the first half in winning their Thanksgiving tournament and upsetting Norwich in overtime in Northfield last weekend.  Special teams, which have been a problem in past seasons, are on a roll, so Coach Alex Todd hopes that Santa doesn’t take away from the man-advantage group and the success of Josh Harris (4-11-15) and Stuart Stefan (5-7-12).  The Spartans have also been stingy on defense, surrendering just 19 goals so far, and goaltender Seth McNary (2.55 GAA) has been solid.  Castleton is 3-0-0 on the road this season and they will need to be solid away from home, as the next six games are away, including the St.Michael’s Tournament to open the second half. A second piece of hardware would definitely be a nice thing to find in January to keep building this team’s confidence.

Mass.-Boston – Off to a great start at 6-2-0 overall and 3-2-0 in the conference, the Beacons have been getting balanced scoring and have Eric Tufman again leading the way offensively.  While the power play has been effective at 20 percent, coach Belisle would surely appreciate a little help from the jolly old elf himself in tinkering with the PK unit to improve on the 75 percent kill rate so far.  They say your best penalty killer should be your goalie, so look for Thomas Speer and Kevin Bendel to up the save percentage in the second half.

The Beacons won the PAL Cup over Thanksgiving and now set their sights on winning their own Codfish Bowl right after Christmas.  It’s a challenging field with Assumption, Fitchburg State and Wentworth in the mix.  The Beacons will look to really jump out fast in the New Year with four home games to open the second half and build on the first half momentum.

New England College –A 2-4-0 record overall and 1-3-0 in the league is not where coach Tom Carroll wants his Pilgrims sitting at this point in the season.  The Pilgrims need goals – having scored just 22 in the opening six games – from other players besides Niko Uola (6-1-7).  Special teams have been OK and a better PK wouldn’t hurt matters, including helping senior goalie Aaron Harvey cut down his current 3.59 GAA.

The Pilgrims are 0-2-0 on the road this season, so a little Christmas magic to get them going away from Henniker would certainly help with five straight games on the road to start the New Year,  including the Cardinal Classic in Plattsburgh with the host school along with Neumann, and Curry. No easy games in that group but it could be the jump start NEC needs to get it going.

UNE – The Christmas list is fairly obvious when you are 1-6-0 over all and winless in the conference.  A win or two would surely make the season bright and to do that the Nor’easters are going to need to score more than the 11 total goals they have in their first seven games.  Three players have two goals apiece to lead UNE but they are going to need to improve all facets of their game to have success in the conference.  Last year’s standout goaltender Mike Roper would definitely like to improve on his .866 save percentage and 5.70 GAA.  To do that, his teammates are going to need to tighten up the team defense and get better on special teams, a big list for Santa but hey, that is a big sleigh he’s got there to move all the presents around.

UNE opens the second half at the PSC Invitational at their new rink along with Becker and Salve Regina from the ECAC Northeast.  Opening the games with solid first periods would help UNE carry some momentum into the rest of the game so look for faster starts from Coach Holt’s team.

Norwich – The defending national champions are unbeaten in league play with only a 2-2 tie with Amherst blemishing their conference schedule.  At 5-2-1 overall, the Cadets have shown that Alex Dubois is capable of filling the big skates left by the graduated Ryan Klingensmith – a 1.49 GAA and .934 save percentage are stellar by anyone’s standard.  No Santa may be looking to get some super sophs firing on all cylinders, and its not Scott Schroeder and Pier Olivier-Cotnoir he’s looking for, since they lead the team in scoring.  Kyle Thomas and Blake Forkey have combined for just eight points this season, so any production near where they left off last year is only going to make Norwich a more dangerous and balanced team.

The penalty kill could be a bit better for coach McShane’s troops and they will need it, with Nichols, Adrian and Manhattanville coming to Northfield for the Northfield Bank Tournament over New Year’s.

St. Anselm – Coach Seney’s team is 3-3-0 overall and just 2-3-0 in the league where they finished a surprise second a year ago with much the same cast.  Last year’s Player of the Year Coleman Noonan is averaging a point a game but is off the pace that saw him score in all situations last season.  Among the leaders in the nation in short-handed goals last year, the Hawks have none this season to date.

Robert Kang (.924 SP, 2.35 GAA) has played well in goal and can hopefully help the Hawks to find some good home cooking after the holidays.  St. A’s is 0-2-0 so far on home ice this season, so look for a turnaround there in the second half.

St. Michael’s –A very up and down first half saw the Purple Knights win their first three games, outscoring opponents by a 16-3 margin.  The next three games were losses where they could only score three goals total.  They closed the first half with a win to break the three-game losing streak and enter the break at 4-3-0 overall and 2-3-0 in the conference.  St. Mike’s really is looking for the defensive tightening tool from Santa to cut down on the goals against and support goalie Mike Diagun (.886 SP, 4.07 GAA) in getting back to the way they started the season.

The Purple Knights host their own tournament to start the second half as the first of four straight at home – a win streak would be a nice stocking stuffer for coach Davidson and the team.

Skidmore – After eight games, the Thoroughbreds would normally be happy with a four-goal-per-game average offensively – if only they weren’t surrendering nearly five against through the first half.  A wild OT win at home against Bowdoin showcased the offensive talent in building a 6-2 lead only to see Bowdoin come back with four unanswered goals in the third period to force overtime where Skidmore won the game 7-6.  Coach Sinclair likes the uptempo game but has always emphasized solid team defense – something that needs to get better in the second half.

Goalies Bessey and Ross are much better than their sub-.900 save percentage numbers, so look for players like Nick Dupuis and Alex Myolenko to help get the Thoroughbreds off and running away from home ice where they play their next four games.

Southern Maine – The Huskies have traditionally been a team that starts slow and gets very hot at exactly the right time of the season. Could coach Beaney be wishing for the same with this year’s team, or is it an unprecedented sweep of his brother’s Middlebury team on January 4th in Vermont – I say it’s a Christmas list ask for everything you want.

Well on the top of the list for the Huskies should be a power play – at just 9 percent, the man advantage squad isn’t helping the offense much and more importantly the penalty kill at 76 percent is digging a deeper hole in front of freshman Braely Torris (.924 SP, 2.54 GAA) who has assumed the number one role in goal.  Defenseman Paul Conter leads the team in scoring but will need Dan Rautenberg and Zach Joy to get hot and get a struggling offense jump started.

NESCAC Wish List – teams in alphabetical order

Amherst – The Lord Jeffs have had great success with exceptional goaltending, special teams and timely scoring. At 4-2-1 overall and 3-0-1 in the conference the formula seems to be working again for coach Jack Arena.  Cole Anderson is up to his usual tricks in goal for Amherst and the penalty kill is ridiculous at 94 percent, but the power play is a pedestrian 18 percent by Amherst standards and the team has just 25 goals in the first seven games.  Santa, can you bring some red lights to hang above the opposition net where Amherst starts at home for the next five games, including the McCabe Tournament that has been moved from its usual November date to open the second half among NESCAC’s Connecticut troika and Amherst.

The Lord Jeffs finish the regular season with four straight on the road, so getting points early and often in January and February will help keep them near the top of the NESCAC standings.

Bowdoin – The Polar Bears are rocking upfront, led by senior Kyle Shearer-Hardy, who has a realistic shot at hitting the 100 point plateau for his career.  Off to a 6-1-0 overall record and 4-1-0 in the conference, Bowdoin comes off a rare two-game sweep of rival Colby before the break.  Coach Meagher always says to give his team a save percentage of .900 or better and they will be in the hunt.  Santa, if you are listening the address is Brunswick, Maine where the coach would like to see collective .889 save percentage and 3.53 goals-against average improve a lot in January.

The power play has been killer at 38 percent and the team has taken a liking to “The Sid,” where home ice has been very favorable to the Polar Bears, who open with Wentworth, Norwich and St. Michael’s in the second half.

Colby – A little puck luck for coach Tortorella’s squad would be  a welcome present under the tree.  The White Mules are 2-5-1 overall and 1-3-1 in league play.  Four of the team’s losses are by just one goal, so either increasing the scoring behind the likes of Billy Crinnion and Michael Smigelski or getting Cody McKinney (.874 SP, 3.73 GAA) to improve on his numbers won’t take much to put Colby on the plus side of the scoreboard.

Unlike rival Bowdoin, Colby has not fared well on home ice so far this season, going 0-3-0 in the first half.  They open up in January with a familiar foe in Salem State and will need to get things going in front of the home crowd.

Conn College – The Camels have improved dramatically on last year’s terrible start, going 3-3-0 overall and 3-2-0 in league play.  Some help with the special teams would be a welcome gift as would some offensive balance to support the great start to the season from Sean Curran, who already has a third of the teams goals and over 20 percent of the total points.  Andrew Margolin (.895 SP, 3.60GAA) has stepped in for Greg Parker in goal and has been good, but needs to be better in league play starting with the McCabe Tournament at Amherst as part of five straight road games for the Camels.

Conn College has tasted the playoffs over the past three seasons and this team is hungry to get back there. Keep them hungry Santa – easy on the sugar cookies.

Hamilton – The Continentals are looking for consistency to break the win-one, lose-one pattern they have opened the season with in route to a 4-3-0 overall record and 2-2-0 conference record.  Goalie Scott Heffernan (.927 SP, 2.50 GAA) has been solid and would benefit from a little more offensive production.  Freshman Michael DiMare leads the team with four goals while twelve other players have contributed one apiece in the first half.

The Pathfinder Tournament hosted by number one ranked Oswego along with Hobart and Wisconsin-Stevens Point will get Hamilton’s attention quickly to open the second half and success in that tournament will need better special teams play from both the power play (15 percent) and penalty kill (81 percent) units.

Middlebury – Talk about a Christmas wish list – please bring some goals.  The Panthers have struggled at 2-4-0 overall and 1-3-0 in the league by scoring only 15 goals in the first six games – seven of which came in the final game before the break, a 7-1 win at UNE.  Talented goal scorer Martin Drolet has only played in four games but has just one point and will need to lead the offense in finding the back of the net.  The defense has been good and so has the goaltending of John Yanchek and Nick Bon Durant – just a few more goals will change things around for the Panthers.

Kenyon Arena has always been a big advantage for the Panthers – the large ice sheet benefiting their style of play.  So far this year, Middlebury is 0-2-0 at home, having been outscored by an 8-3 margin.  The schedule has 11 home games remaining, including the last five regular season games.  A rocking Kenyon Arena will mean good things for the Panthers.

Trinity – Like Middlebury, Trinity is uncharacteristically looking up at the league leaders, going just 2-4-0 overall and1-3-0 in the league.  With just 12 goals in their first six games, the Bantams have three players accounting for two-thirds of the offense – not something that will serve them well in the second half.  Proven scorer Paul Jaskot has played only one game so far so a return to health and point production should help the offense.

Santa, if you have any special-teams magic left in the sack, please send it down to Hartford.  The Bantams are a dismal 7 percent on the power play and not much better on the penalty kill at 76 percent.  These areas are not always easy to fix, but coach Cataruzolo will be looking to see improvement when the team heads off to Amherst to face the familiar NESCAC opponents in the McCabe Tournament.

Tufts – A 3-0 shutout at Middlebury got the Jumbos off to a great start and they finished the first half at 4-3-1 overall and 3-2-0 in the conference.  As expected, Tom Derosa (5-9-14) is leading the offense and Evan Koleini has had to fill-in for goaltender Scott Barchard, who when healthy is among the very best in the league.  The Jumbos will need to cut down on the goals against and come out stronger in the second period of play, where they have been outscored and outshot all season.

While they open the second half on the road, the games are right in the backyard against ECAC East opponents Mass.-Boston and Babson.  Tufts has the talent to contend in the league this year and staying healthy gives them the best shot to surprise some of the traditional NESCAC powerhouses.

Wesleyan – There seems to be a common theme among the teams looking up in the standings.  Wesleyan, like several other squads, desperately needs some offense.  Santa can you help out a team that averages just two goals per game?  Freshmen Nik Tasipoulous, Keith Beuhler and Tommy Hartnett lead the Cardinals in scoring with 50 percent of the team’s total.  Look for forwards like Tom Salah to improve on his first half total of one assist and contribute to some increased offensive production.

Special teams could be better and Wesleyan will quickly find out if this team is road ready in the second half.  Coach Potter likes to play an opportunistic brand of hockey based on solid play in the defensive end.  Look for the goalie combination of Stowall and Hadge to better their combined save percentage of .897 and help make things easier for the offense.

Williams –For most teams that have played the Ephs, they are hoping Santa brings lumps of coal.  Afterall, a 7-0-1 start overall and 4-0-0 in the conference finds them playing solid hockey in all three zones, outscoring opponents by a whopping 38-8 margin.  So what could Santa bring to coach Kangas’ team you ask?  How about continued good health for Ryan Purdy (.957 save percentage, 0.99 GAA) and an improved power play.  At just 13 percent, the power play may be the only area that has not been jaw-dropping good for the Ephs this season to date.

The seniors have been rock solid for this team and their experience shows on the ice this season.  Williams has had moderate success in the conference playoffs, but has never hosted the final four weekend.  Santa, can you make sure there are enough hotel rooms for three other NESCAC teams in Williamstown in March?  There is a long way to go, but this team has drive, talent and  the consistency to go a long way – can’t wait for the second half.

Well, as this cherubic columnist gets ready to don his nightcap (figuratively), I want to wish all of the D-II/III fans a most Happy and Healthy Holiday Season.  There is a lot of exciting hockey yet to be played and whether Santa showers gifts around the league or not, the competition will be heating up all the way to March.

I really can’t wait until they…. Drop the Puck!

Midseason check-in

By
-

Nebraska-Omaha is near the top of the WCHA standings and St. Cloud State is fighting to stay out of the cellar. Those are the biggest surprises, and meanwhile, North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth are right where everyone thought they would be.

College hockey is at the midpoint of its season and the WCHA has four teams in the nation’s top eight teams and two in the top four.

The consensus WCHA favorite, UND, (13-5-2) is the top WCHA team in the USCHO.com D-I Poll and sits in first place in the league standings with 22 points after a pair of sweeps against SCSU and Minnesota State.

Who would’ve thought Matt Frattin, the nation’s leading goal scorer, would have 17 goals at the break when the Sioux’s goals leader when the 2009-10 season ended was Jason Gregoire with 20.

Frattin, who scored 11 goals a year ago, has 25 points, which matches his personal best for points in a season he set as a sophomore.

Frattin has the ability to create his own chances to make quality shots. He beat MSU goaltender Phil Cook glove side far post on Friday and danced his way around two Mavericks defenders on his way to a goal Sunday.

Frattin is on a five-game goal-scoring streak.

Aaron Dell has been a surprise in the crease after UND’s original No. 1 goalie, Brad Eidsness, was benched after just five games because of his nightmare of a start to the season (4.12 GAA, .805 SV%).

The sophomore Dell is 12-4-1 with a 2.22 goals against average and .904 save percentage.

The scary thing is UND’s record now and the schedule that lies ahead for the Sioux. UND faces only two teams in the current top 10-ranked teams on the schedule until the Final Five rolls around.

The Sioux are at No. 4 UMD in a single game Dec. 30 and host No. 8 UNO Jan. 21-22.

The Sioux end the season with four teams (Alaska-Anchorage, SCSU, Bemidji State and Michigan Tech) in the league’s bottom five. That schedule and the fact that UND is 60-22-14 once WCHA play starts again after the New Year under Dave Hakstol are why the Sioux will win the WCHA this season.

UMD is the only WCHA team to earn a No. 1 ranking, which it held for two weeks before it split with Denver, Dec. 3-4.

The Bulldogs are near the top of the rankings and the WCHA standings because of the guys who were expected to produce; guys like Jack Connolly (8-17–25), Justin Fontaine (9-14–23) and Mike Connolly (11-12–23).

UMD has the best offense in the WCHA (3.72 goals per game) and the fifth-best nationally.

Unranked to start the season, UNO started the season 9-1-1, shooting up the polls to No. 4 by the seventh week of the season. Mavericks coach Dean Blais said before the season his team “could be in for a tough start” with 11 freshmen on the roster.

Another thing that worried Blais was the 14 players UNO lost from the 2009-10 season. The key is the returnees are another year older.

Sophomore Terry Broadhurst is off to a good start, tying the team-lead in points with 18, otherwise its four upperclassmen in the top five in UNO’s scoring.

The Mavericks also thrive on their balance. Notice how no player on the roster has more than 18 points, yet UNO is sixth in the nation in scoring (3.69 GPG).

SCSU also returned plenty of key players but have had opposite results.

The Huskies entered the season ranked fourth and were projected to finish in the top three of the WCHA. Why not? SCSU returned 12 of its 14 top scorers from last year and that’s why, after the slow start, I said not to write the Huskies off too soon.

SCSU has started slow in each of the five seasons under Bob Motzko but have made the Final Five four times and the national tournament three times.

But it hasn’t panned out the way the Huskies hoped or as most people predicted. It exposes the size of the void left by Ryan Lasch and Garrett Raboin, in points and their leadership.

Drew Le Blanc leads the Huskies with 18 points while Garrett Roe (who scored 49 points last season) and Nick Jensen are the only other players to crack double digits in points.

At this point, with only seven points, St. Cloud State has dug a hole it can’t climb out of. Then again, that’s why they play the games, and there’s still a lot more to be played.

Midterms

By
-

As we wind down towards the Christmas break, it’s a good time to look at where each team in Atlantic Hockey stands. What’s been going well (and what hasn’t), as well as who’s making the biggest impact.

Air Force (6-7-2; 4-3-2 AHA)
Plus – The Falcons have a couple of nice wins this season, including a victory over Clarkson in the Denver Cup, the first time Air Force has won a game in that tournament in 14 tries. They also had another of their patented last-second wins against Holy Cross, 7-6 on Dec. 4.

Minus – The Falcons are struggling on the penalty kill, allowing 13 goals in 46 attempts (71.7%).

Team MVP – Defenseman Scott Mathis has five goals this season and 12 total points.

Top Rookie – Jason Fabian has six goals, fourth best in the league.

American International (4-9; 4-8 AHA)
Plus – The Yellow Jackets had only five wins last season; they already have four this season. They’ve beaten Air Force, RIT and Mercyhurst so they’ve shown they can beat the top teams in the league. The AIC power play is second in the AHA (24.4%).

Minus – Those big wins have been followed by big losses. Air Force came back to whip AIC 12-0 the night after the Yellow Jackets had beaten the Falcons. And coming off a convincing 6-2 win over RIT, AIC was hammered 8-1 by Union.

Team MVP – Sophmore Adam Peskach leads the team with 14 points.

Top Rookie – Jon Puskar has some big goals so far, and has fit right in on the first line.

Army (5-9-1; 4-6-1 AHA)
Plus – The Black Knights have managed to take points in all but one weekend so far, including a nice rebound against Niagara, beating the Purple Eagles 4-1 after losing by the same score the night before.

Minus – Army has allowed 23 goals in the third period, almost as many as they have in the first and second periods combined (24).

Team MVP – Senior forward Cody Omilusik has eight goals so far.

Top Rookie – Defenseman Dax Lauwers leads a small rookie class with a goal and an assist.

Bentley (5-8-2; 4-5-1 AHA)
Plus – The Falcons put a nice streak together in late November, going 3-1-1. Goaltender Joe Calvi is back to the form we saw early in his career.

Minus – The Falcons are struggling on offense, scoring 2.33 goals per game, partly due to a power play that’s last in the league (8.7%).

Team MVP – Calvi, who is third in the league in GAA (2.58) and tied for second in save percentage (.922).

Top Rookie – Brett Gensler is tied for the team lead in goals with six.

Canisius (6-6-4; 5-5-4 AHA)
Plus – Canisius has been able to take points every weekend in league play, and has already beaten the teams it trails in the standings (Robert Morris and Niagara). The Griffs will get another shot at both of them.

Minus – Canisius was expected to score a lot of goals, but the offense so far has been average. But the Canisius defense is second in the league, thanks in part to a superb penalty kill (86.1%).

Team MVP – Senior Cory Conacher, the reining player of the year in the AHA, leads the team with 17 points.

Top Rookie – Kyle Gibbons is tied for second on the team with six goals so far.

Connecticut (5-7-3; 5-4-1 AHA)
Plus  - The Huskies have had trouble scoring goals in the past, but the offense is on fire right now, scoring 17 goals in UConn’s last two games. Connecticut is averaging 3.53 goals a game, third best in the league.

Minus – It’s a good thing that the offense has been clicking, because the Huskies have allowed four goals or more five times in their last six games.

Team MVP – Andrew Olsen has provided senior leadership on a young team, and has scored seven goals, tied for tops on the roster.

Top Rookie – Cole Schneider is tied for the team lead in goals (7)  and leads the Huskies in points (16). He’s the top scoring rookie in the AHA right now.

Holy Cross (6-7-2; 5-3-2 AHA)
Plus – The Crusaders are the top team in the AHA’s east scheduling pod, partially thanks to some late-game heroics. Holy Cross is 3-0-2 in overtime.

Minus – Coach Paul Pearl is still waiting for one of his goalies to step up and win the starting spot.  Sophomore Thomas Tysowski and rookie Derek Kump have been hot and cold this season.

Team MVP – Senior Everett Sheen leads the team with 15 points.

Top Rookie – Shayne Stockton is seeing time on the power play and four goals so far, including a game winner.

Mercyhurst (5-9-1; 5-7 AHA)
Plus – The Lakers have shown stretches of inspired play, including wins over Air Force and Robert Morris.

Minus – Mercyhurst is in a funk right now, losing five of its last six since some off-ice problems emerged. The normally potent offense has scored two goals or less in those five losses.

Team MVP – Goaltender Ryan Zapolski is second in the league in save percentage (.922).

Top Rookie – Daniel O’Donoghue current leads the team in scoring with 10 points.

Niagara (10-6-2; 7-4-0 AHA)
Plus – The Purple Eagles had just three wins at this time last year; they’ve got 10 already this season. Seniors Paul Zanette and Bryan Haczyk are having career seasons, with 46 points between them.

Minus – Freshman goalie Carsen Chubak was off to a strong start before suffering a season-ending knee injury on Nov. 23.

Team MVP – Zanette, who leads the nation in goals per game (.89)

Top Rookie – Scott Arnold is second on the team with 12 goals.

Rochester Institute of Technology (8-7-2; 7-3-1 AHA)
Plus – The Tigers have the best league winning percentage in the league (.682) and trail first place Robert Morris by a point with two games in hand.

Minus – RIT is the most penalized team in Division I, averaging 19.9 minutes a game.

Team MVP – Junior Tyler Brenner leads the team with 11 goals.

Top Rookie – Adam Mitchell has seven goals to date.

Robert Morris (10-4-2; 7-4-2 AHA)
Plus – The Colonials are off to their best start in school history and boast two of the top four scorers in the league: seniors Nathan Longpre (23 goals) and Denny Urban (21 points)

Minus – Robert Morris hasn’t faired well in overtime, going 0-3-2 so far.

Team MVP – Urban leads all AHA blueliners in scoring by a wide margin.

Top Rookie – Colin South is the only rookie getting any significant playing time on a veteran roster.

Sacred Heart (2-12-4; 2-7-4 AHA)
Plus – It’s hard to find positives so far for the Pioneers, who are having trouble scoring goals, and allowing them in bunches. But there’ still a lot of hockey to play, and Sacred Heart is only a point out of a home ice playoff spot.

Minus – The worst offense, worst defense and worst power play in the league spells 2-12-4.

Team MVP – Sophomore Eric Delong leads the team with 12 points

Top Rookie – Tye Lewis leads the freshman class with three goals.

USCHO.com AHA Player of the Week:

Shane Madalora, RIT – The sophomore led the Tigers to a sweep at Mercyhurst last weekend, including making 43 saves in a 4-2 win on Saturday, the most saves made by an RIT goalie in a game since 2006.

Honorables

Andrew Olson, Connecticut – The senior forward had a pair of goals and a pair of assists in a 9-3 win over Sacred Heart.

Ryan Rashid, Niagara – The rookie’s seventh goal of the season was a big one –  an overtime game winner against Colgate.

Getting My Vote

My USCHO.com Men’s D-I Poll ballot this week:
1. Yale
2. North Dakota
3. New Hampshire
4. Duluth
5. BC
6. UNO
7. Maine
8. Michigan
9. Miami
10. Union
11. Denver
12. RPI
13. BU
14. Wisconsin
15. Notre Dame
16. Alaska
17. Minnesota
18. Merrimack
19. Robert Morris
20. Colorado College

Check back for picks on Friday.

Flynn, Patterson, DeFazio named USCHO’s Three Stars for Dec. 15

USCHO Staff Report
-

THIRD STAR

Brandon DeFazio, Clarkson: He played only one game last week, but a hat trick plus an assist against Sacred Heart last Sunday caught some attention. Catching even more: It was his second straight hat trick, adding to one on Dec. 4 at Quinnipiac. :: Brandon DeFazio’s player page

 (Tim Brule)

SECOND STAR

Kent Patterson, Minnesota: Making 78 saves on 82 shots was good enough for the Gophers to earn a win and a tie against Minnesota-Duluth and its powerful offense. He made 37 saves in a win last Friday, then stopped 41 shots in a 2-2 tie two days later. :: Kent Patterson’s player page

 Minnesota's Kent Patterson (Minnesota Athletics)

FIRST STAR

Brian Flynn, Maine: The junior forward’s goal against New Hampshire didn’t yield a win, but his hat trick two days later against Massachusetts helped the Black Bears bounce back. The four goals over the weekend gave him nine for the season. :: Brian Flynn’s player page

 Maine's Brian Flynn (Maine Athletics)

ALSO NOMINATED

Aaron Dell, North Dakota; Allen York, Rensselaer; Alex Chiasson, Boston University; Andrew Ammon, Princeton; Andrew Olson, Connecticut; Andy Taranto, Alaska; Brad Malone, North Dakota; Brian Flynn, Maine; Brandon DeFazio, Clarkson; Brian O’Neill, Yale; Broc Little, Yale; Carl Hagelin, Michigan; Charlie Coyle, Boston University; Chase Polacek, Rensselaer; Chay Genoway, North Dakota; Chris Cahill, Yale; Chris Haltigin, Rochester Institute of Technology; Daniel Carr, Union; Derek Army, Providence; Ian O’Connor, Providence; Jack Connolly, Minnesota-Duluth; Jacob Cepis, Minnesota; James McIntosh, Bowling Green; Jared Coreau, Northern Michigan; Jason Zucker, Denver; Jeff Silengo, New Hampshire; Jeremy Welsh, Union; Joe Howe, Colorado College; John Jamieson, Merrimack; Jon Merrill, Michigan; Kent Patterson, Minnesota; Mark Nasca, Colgate; Matt Frattin, North Dakota; Matt Marshall, Vermont; Matthew Lindbladd, Dartmouth; Mike Kramer, Princeton; Mike Seidel, Minnesota-Duluth; Nate Hennig, Ferris State; Nick Dineen, Colorado College; Nik Yarumchuk, Alaska; Paul Thompson, New Hampshire; Paul Zanette, Niagara; Podge Turnbull, Wisconsin; Rylan Schwartz, Colorado College; Scott Gudmandson, Wisconsin; Shane Madolora, Rochester Institute of Technology; Shawn Hunwick, Michigan; T.J. Tynan, Notre Dame; Trent Frey, Mercyhurst; Tyler Gron, Northern Michigan; Tyler Johnson, Colorado College.

After each weekend’s games, make your nomination at www.uscho.com/threestars

Pair of collegians named to Canada’s World Junior squad

USCHO Staff Report
-

Hockey Canada announced its roster today for the upcoming IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship and a pair of WCHA stars were named to the team.

Minnesota-Duluth defenseman Dylan Olsen and Colorado College forward Jaden Schwartz impressed at this week’s selection camp and will play for the Canadians when the tournament opens Dec. 26 in Buffalo.

Olsen, a Calgary native, has a goal and 12 assists for 13 points in 17 games for the Bulldogs, while Schwartz, from Emerald Park, Sask., leads the Tigers in scoring with an 11-15-26 line through 17 games.

Notre Dame forward Riley Sheahan was one of the last cuts this morning and Miami forward Reilly Smith was released from camp on Monday.

NU’s Cronin: Team needs to “scratch their way back”

By
-

The first half of the season hasn’t gone the way that the Northeastern Huskies expected. The team reached the break with a 3-9-4 record and has earned just nine points in Hockey East.

With an experience goaltender and some depth on defense, head coach Greg Cronin expected more of his club.

Thus far, Northeastern has been a pretty solid defensive team and, aside from a stinker last week against Boston University where he was pulled midway through the game, goaltender Chris Rawlings has provided the team the opportunity to win most games.

So that leaves the one Achilles heel of this Northeastern team. The offense.

Northeastern’s offense ranks 51st nationally, though ironically is only the 8th of 10 in Hockey East (Massachusetts-Lowell and Vermont are worse). The Huskies have scored just 35 goals in 16 games. Putting that into perspective, Miami’s Carter Camper, the nation’s leading scorer, has factored into 35 goals for the RedHawks himself.

For the Huskies, though, the goals aren’t coming. Wade MacLeod and Tyler McNeely are doing what most expected them to do and that’s lead the team in scoring, but they’ve done so with just six goals apiece. Those two are the only two players on the team with double digits in points.

So when Greg Cronin was asked what he wants his team thinking about throughout the break, his answer was simple.

“Scoring goals,” Cronin said. “We don’t score enough. Defensively we’ve been really good. We’ve had nine losses and seven of the nine have been nail-biting down to the end and we haven’t won. That gets old talking about that.”

Cronin hopes that in the second half he can get more players finding the net, particularly the underclassmen. Freshmen like Brodie Reid and rookie blueliners Anthony Bietto and Luke Eibler have started to show progress. That needs to continue.

“We’ve got a lot of freshmen and if we can get guys like that to score that will provide some support,” said Cronin.

The sixth-year head coach, though, isn’t giving up. He’s been in a position before, namely a season ago, where his team had to turn things on to get back into the playoff race.

“It’s eerily similar to what happened last year,” said Cronin, whose team last year entered the break 6-8-1 but rallied to finish at .500 overall and missed the Hockey East playoffs by a point in one of the most competitive league races in history. “We did it last year and came back. We faltered at the end but we have to start climbing.

“I liked the way we were playing in the Providence game (a 5-0 win). Vermont’s a tough place to play and we won. Merrimack is a tough place to play and we win. I told the guys want them to think about getting their claws out and prepare to scratch their way up back into the upper echelon of the standings.”

If there’s any silver lining for Northeastern it’s the fact that the remainder of the league is struggling to pull away from the middle-to-bottom clubs. Northeastern enters the break in seventh place but is just five points behind Maine for the final home ice spot.

Thus, if this Huskies team can sharpen their collective claws over the break, expect them to begin climbing up the Hockey East standings.

Computer rankings: no endorsement deal

By
-

We’ve gotten a few emails from readers who have asked us, “Why doesn’t USCHO endorse KRACH?”

USCHO doesn’t endorse KRACH or, for that matter, any ranking algorithm. (We don’t even endorse the PairWise Rankings, even though we were the first to publish them 15 seasons ago as a model that mimics the process the NCAA uses to compare teams for playoff at-large bids and seeding. The PairWise is not the process, but it replicates the process.)

Readers also ask, “But isn’t KRACH completely objective?”

Yes, the calculation of KRACH is objective. But for that matter, the calculation of the PairWise Rankings and the Ratings Percentage Index are also objective, as are the data from which each is calculated. Each, including KRACH, is also arbitrary to some extent because the algorithm chooses which criteria it is going to measure. It has been recognized, for example, that KRACH does an inadequate job of measuring the effect of home ice advantage, so there is another algorithm that introduces that as a factor. There are also other objective computer ranking systems, such as CHODR or HEAL, which have their own advocates and which take other factors into consideration in their algorithms.

Granted, the KRACH algorithm would be an improvement over the current RPI. The NCAA over the past few years has pulled and twisted and tugged on the RPI formula to provide better results. It has altered the ratio of a team’s winning percentage, its opponents’ winning percentage, and the winning percentage of its opponents’ opponents a few times. (Currently, that ratio is .25, .21, and .54 for D-I men, meaning that 54% of the RPI is the result of the schedule that your opponents have against other teams — something completely out of your hands.)

In addition, the NCAA has tinkered with the RPI by adding — and then in later seasons removing — bonuses for wins on the road or neutral ice. The RPI also was altered in recent years to remove the effects of beating weaker teams: first, during playoffs, and now, for the entire season.

So the RPI is flawed. If a computer ranking is to continue to be part of the NCAA selection process and part of the seeding of teams, then the KRACH algorithm would be an improvement. Most certainly.

However, what KRACH absolutely cannot be is a replacement for the PairWise method of selecting and seeding teams, and we would never endorse that.

Why?

Because KRACH treats all games as equal. And as that storied hockey writer George Orwell once wrote, “All games are equal, but some games are more equal than others.”

Any system that treats all games as equal simply ignores the fact that not all games are of equal impact. To treat all games as equally important is to introduce inequity into the process.

I think any fan or any coach will tell you that some games are more important than others. I’ll give you just one example from this season. Rochester Institute of Technology has a win over Cornell this season. At the time, it seemed like a pretty big upset and one with post-season ramifications. But it pales in importance now for RIT in comparison to a 6-2 thumping the Tigers took at American International a couple weeks ago. Those two points in conference could be the difference between a first-round playoff bye or a first-round playoff game. You can repeat that scenario with dozens of teams this season.

(Don’t get me started on Atlantic Hockey’s playoff formula this year. My colleague Chris Lerch has been covering that well in his column. But it’s possible that a team could finish in a three-way tie for first place and have to play a first-round playoff game while the team that finishes in eighth place — EIGHTH! — would have a first-round bye.)

Acknowledging that some games are more important than others is exactly where the PairWise approach finds its strength. The NCAA rightly understands that certain games mean much more than others when comparing two teams. You as a fan, coach or player already know that.

The most important of the criteria in the PairWise is the one weighted most heavily: head-to-head competition.

Let’s look at a hypothetical. If, after conference playoffs are completed, North Dakota and Maine are otherwise equal in criteria, doesn’t it make sense that its two wins at Orono over the Fighting Sioux would give the Black Bears the upper hand? You can see the impact of those games in the PairWise Rankings comparison grid: the Maine comparison against North Dakota sticks out like a sore thumb.

The record against common opponents is another comparison used, as is a team’s record against the top 25 teams in the RPI. Doesn’t it make sense that how two teams do against teams they both play or how they fared against the top teams in the country would be a consideration in ranking or choosing one over another? Shouldn’t one team’s success against teams they both play or against the best competition they each face mean more than games against cellar dwellers? I think so. The NCAA has made it so.

The NCAA has a system that may not pick what a computer algorithm would select as the eleven best at-large teams, but it has a system that selects what it believes are the teams most deserving of a playoff bid. Comparing each pair of teams in games that mean more than other games does exactly that.

Would USCHO endorse replacing the RPI with a better computer ranking algorithm? I think we would. Enthusiastically. But I don’t think we’d ever support replacing the current method with a system that fails to look at the key games between teams being considered for an at-large bid.

Some games are indeed more equal than others.

In Lamoureux twins, North Dakota has program-building talent

By Jason Karnosky
-

There is a new player on the women’s college hockey scene, North Dakota, but its leading faces are familiar ones.

Led by sophomore twins and Grand Forks, N.D., natives Jocelyne Lamoureux and Monique Lamoureux-Kolls, who transferred back home from Minnesota, the Fighting Sioux have stormed into the national tournament picture.

“We thought by transferring back home that it was an opportunity to kind of put the Fighting Sioux on the map,” Monique Lamoureux-Kolls said. “We saw it as a challenge and an opportunity for us to really put a stamp on the program.”

Monique Lamoureux-Kolls celebrates with North Dakota teammates. (Ryan Coleman/Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com)
Monique Lamoureux-Kolls and North Dakota have had plenty to celebrate this season (photo: Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com).

And put a stamp they have. At the December break, North Dakota (9-7-2, 8-6-2 WCHA) is ranked ninth in the country and currently sits in third place in the WCHA with 26 points. It is unfamiliar ground for a program that has never won more than 13 games or finished higher than sixth since joining the league in 2004-05.

“Coming back here was a special opportunity for us,” Jocelyne Lamoureux said. “Knowing where coach [Brian] Idalski wanted to take this program, we felt like we could play a big part in the turnaround.”

That turnaround started after the ultimate low point for the program during the 2006-07 season. That year, the Fighting Sioux hit rock bottom, making a coaching change mid-season and finishing with zero WCHA wins.

North Dakota’s instability made the Lamoureux twins’ original recruiting choice an easy one, despite the urge to play for their hometown school.

“When we were making our initial decision, we were looking at Minnesota and Wisconsin,” Jocelyne said. “North Dakota wasn’t in the mix because of the transition the program was going through and [the unstable] coaching situation. It wasn’t where we wanted to be with our goal being to try to make the Olympic team after our freshman year.”

As freshmen at Minnesota, the twins led the Golden Gophers to a first-place finish in the WCHA in 2008-09. Jocelyne and Monique finished one-two on the team in scoring with 75 and 65 points, respectively.

Meanwhile, back at Grand Forks, Idalski began sowing the seeds of a philosophical shift during his second season coaching North Dakota.

“We really tried to change the way we approached everything,” said Idalski, who guided the Fighting Sioux to a 13-win campaign in 2008-2009. “We brought in a bunch of character kids who had a very solid work ethic, but we still needed to get a couple of elite players to buy into what we were trying to do and to buy into North Dakota as a program.”

Idalski’s changes were enough for the Lamoureuxs to take notice. As they were busy earning spots on Team USA during the summer of 2009, the twins made the decision to take their games back home.

“We hadn’t really thought about [transferring] until we got home for the summer,” Monique said. “It wasn’t like we were unhappy at Minnesota, but we thought that we needed a change.”

That change was for the twins to head back to school where their family has had an incredible dynasty. Father Jean-Pierre played for the Fighting Sioux from 1979 to 1982. Monique and Jocelyne’s oldest brother Philippe played at North Dakota from 2004 to 2008. Finally, brother Mario, who is a year older than the twins, is a junior forward on the Fighting Sioux men’s hockey team.

Therefore, Monique and Jocelyne took some good natured ribbing when they originally chose rival Minnesota instead of UND.

“When we were at Minnesota, our brothers were happy for us, but they would poke fun at us a little bit,” Jocelyne said. “[However,] I think it was a surprise when one of us had the opportunity to come back here, that we both decided to make that choice to play for the Fighting Sioux.”

North Dakota's Jocelyne Lamoureux (Scott Pierson/Scott Pierson, d3photography.com)
Jocelyne Lamoureux leads North Dakota in goals and points (photo: Scott Pierson, d3photography.com).

The choice has been a productive one so far for the twins, who each rank in the top 25 in the country in points. Jocelyne leads the Fighting Sioux with 16 goals and 24 points, while Monique leads the team with 13 assists and is second in points with 21.

Idalski has been pushing the pair to play at a level that will make his whole team improve.

“From day one when they got here, they’ve led by example with their work ethic and their tenacity, but they’re also not afraid to be coached or to be given ways to get better,” Idalski said. “During games they draw the attention of other teams, freeing up some of our other kids to face better matchups and be in situations where they can thrive.”

And thrive North Dakota has, despite a schedule that featured the country’s toughest start with an opening six-game stretch that featured Boston University, Minnesota-Duluth and Minnesota. The Fighting Sioux beat current No. 3 Boston University, swept No. 7 Minnesota and now have two wins over No. 5 Minnesota-Duluth.

“We knew if we could come out of those six games at least at .500, we would set up ourselves pretty good for the rest of the season,” Monique said. “Playing that at 4-2 really surpassed many people’s expectations and I think people are starting to see that our team is really on the upswing.”

That upswing allowed the North Dakota women’s hockey program to start getting noticed in a place known for its tradition and success in college hockey, but only on the men’s side.

“The men’s program has had a winning tradition forever, but it’s good to see that the women’s team has turned the tide,” Mario Lamoureux said. “They want a winning attitude as well. They don’t want all the glory here to be only about the men.”

Trying to establish that level of success with the women’s program is a challenge Monique Lamoureux relishes.

“[Growing up here in Grand Forks], you can see that tradition and the pride that everybody takes with the men’s team,” Monique said. “We want to help build that with the women’s team. We want to add to that North Dakota hockey tradition and play well for what it stands for.”

Jocelyne Lamoureux is just proud wearing the Fighting Sioux uniform, the one with the familiar last name on the back.

“When you grow up in Grand Forks, you see that the community here is all about the hockey program here at North Dakota,” Jocelyne said. “The Fighting Sioux name and the school’s hockey tradition is something special. It means a lot to put that jersey on every night.”

Ice-holes

By
-

Players of the Week*

*These are my selections; ECAC Hockey’s can be found here.

Player of the Week: Brandon DeFazio, Clarkson

DeFazio led by example against SHU, scoring the hat trick – including a much-needed power-play goal and the game-winner – and adding an assist with a plus-3 rating in Clarkson’s rout. One of the Golden Knights’ assistant captains, the Oakville, Ontario native leads the team in goals (nine), assists (eight) and points (17) through 17 games.

Honorable mention: Jeremy Welsh, Union (3-2-5 vs. AIC and Army); Kelly Zajac, Union (1-4-5, +3); Chris Cahill, Yale (2-0-2, +1 vs. Vermont); Wayne Simpson, Union (0-5-5, +3); Derrick Pallis, Princeton (2-2-4, +5 vs. UML); Brodie Zuk, Princeton (0-4-4, +3); Chase Polacek, Rensselaer (1-2-3 vs. BU); Francois Brisebois, Colgate (2-1-3 vs. Niagara); Scott Freeman, Clarkson (1-2-3, +4); Nick Tremblay, Clarkson (1-2-3, +1); Kurtiss Bartliff, Colgate (0-3-3, +2); Adam Estoclet, Dartmouth (2-0-2 vs. Vermont); Nick Walsh, Dartmouth (2-0-2)

Rookie of the Week: Daniel Carr, Union

Carr appears in the RotW slot once more thanks to three goals and two assists on the weekend. Friday’s opener against AIC found the product of Sherwood Park, Alberta with two assists, including one on the advantage. Against Army on Saturday, Carr potted a PPG in each period for his seventh, eighth and ninth goals of his young Union career. He is currently second on the team in goals and points (19), but he leads all ECAC freshmen in overall goals and points.

Honorable mention: Mat Bodie, Union (1-5-6, +3); Andrew Ammon, Princeton (hat trick, +2 vs. UML Friday); Matt Farris, Princeton (2-1-3, +1 vs. UML Saturday)

Goalie of the Week: Ryan Rondeau, Yale

Rondeau claims the crown for the second week in a row by virtue of his second shutout in a row, this one a 32-save gem against Vermont in New Haven. His save percentage is up to .935 for the year – good for fourth in the nation – and the senior’s 1.70 goals-against average is third in the country (behind two other ECAC backstops, Princeton’s Sean Bonar and Dartmouth’s James Mello).

Honorable mention: Allen York, Rensselaer (28 saves on 29 shots vs. BU)

Trouble in paradise?

Some of you may have heard the news – or seen the photos – documenting Boardwalk Hall’s Sunday surface situation. The Albany Devils and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had their neutral-site matinee scrapped by The Powers That Be due to “poor ice conditions”: Specifically, the ice was way too thin and ergo fragile. Potholes, cracks and a sheet that looked more like an Arctic ice-floe than a uniform surface led the game officials to nix the match, to the disappointment of at least a couple thousand fans.

Lest ye suffer from short term memory loss (and I wonder how that could’ve happened, by the way), Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City will play host to the ECAC Men’s Hockey Championship for at least the next three years. It’s an 81-year-old National Historic Landmark with a classic barrel-vault ceiling, it seats 10,500 for hockey and boasts the world’s largest musical instrument (a 33,000-pipe organ). The Hall has hosted numerous world-class and world-renowned events, but more topically, it currently hosts the Atlantic 10 basketball tournament and was home to the ECHL’s Boardwalk Bullies before they pulled up stakes and moved to central California.

At 81 years of age, is there cause for concern? I don’t think so. The edifice was overhauled fewer than 10 years ago by way of an award-winning $90 million renovation (yes, there are apparently awards for renovations). So what’s the explanation for last weekend’s snap, crackle and pop inside the boards?

Figure skating, of course. At least, that’s according to Boardwalk Hall general manager Greg Tesone, as quoted by the Albany Times-Union’s Pete Dougherty.

“We had a figure skating event here last night. We had to paint the ice white to paint over the top of the hockey lines so the lines weren’t visible.

“Our crew worked all night to cut the paint back out. You shave off ice until you to get back to the hockey ice. We shaved too much; the ice got too thin. Those were the areas that you saw broke off during warm-ups.

“At this point it’s going to take a while to get back to the thickness we need to play safely, and we just weren’t able to get there fast enough.”

I think it’s safe to say that four months should be enough time to enhance the sheet a bit; see y’all in the A.C.

My Top 20

Yale holds serve, North Dakota and New Hampshire out-impress Minn.-Duluth, BU continues its free-fall and Colorado College is back in the rankings.

1. Yale
2. North Dakota
3. New Hampshire
4. Minnesota-Duluth
5. Nebraska-Omaha
6. Boston College
7. Union
8. Notre Dame
9. Denver
10. Maine
11. Miami
12. Wisconsin
13. Michigan
14. Rensselaer
15. Boston University
16. Alaska
17. Ferris State
18. Clarkson
19. Merrimack
20. Colorado College

Commentary: Starman opens the mailbag

By
-

I decided to answer some fan mail from the recent column I wrote about the outdoor game in Ann Arbor.

This article kind of reminds me of someone who follows an indie band, right up until the point where they decide to play an arena show. Then they get all indignant and angry and wonder how could they have ever followed them, the sellouts!

One might ask, instead, “How many times per year is college hockey TRULY the focus of the sporting world?” If you answered “During the Beanpot” or “During the national tournament”, I would argue that the actual number is legitimately zero instead, because even at our best events, people don’t really care about college hockey except in a few specific places. People know little to nothing about the sport, and they’re ok with that. How many times will it be the focus of ESPN, the BTN, national newspapers, and other media sources this year? Yes, player development is important. But getting exposure of the game to those players and educating them on the positives of the college game is just as important. Events like this give exposure where it might not have been available prior.

And as much as we in the college hockey community appreciate teams like ND, DU, BU, Maine, UMD, Miami(OH), LSSU, the Alaskas, and UNO, the average sports fan has no idea their history and often scoffs at their mention. But they sure know Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Minnesota, and Michigan State. Again, to gain exposure, there are some teams that need to be successful and showcased at times on an enormous stage. It draws the focus of the rest of sports for a moment, and in turn benefits the whole in those moments.

Some fair points here. I’d disagree on the indie band thing, having followed some good indie bands to monster arenas. I was an Islanders fan as a kid when they were a disaster and still liked them when they won four Stanley Cups in a row. Now, not so much, but that’s another story completely.

We all know college hockey is never the national focus, but I would argue that the Frozen Four gets college hockey into the highlight packages on ESPN mainly because the games are on ESPN, and ESPN is promoting its programming. Sad fact, but true.

Remove BTN from the equation; they do nine games a year featuring five teams as opposed to the biggest national package out there by my employers, CBS College Sports. It does 24 games, a conference championship tourney and a CCHA playoff game. CBS College Sports covers all five conferences in the regular season, the only network that can say that. NESN, FS North, FS Rocky Mountain — those are regional sports networks that really devote a lot of time and money to college hockey. They care about it.

Your third paragraph has merit. People like the teams that move the meter, and research and ratings in college football show that while people say they like the underdog they don’t watch them on TV. The big programs need to be good to attract the casual fan.

The problem with this game was it showcased Michigan and Michigan State, not college hockey, in my opinion.

I agree. Contrariety for the sake of . . . well . . . contrariety. And pointless contrariety at that. Is the author miffed that the game isn’t being played in South Beach, thus expanding the sport? Or is he angry at the WSJ’s suggestion that the Big Ten, not Hockey East, is the center of the college hockey world, even in the absence of a Big Ten hockey conference?

Like so much of what passes for sports journalism these days, here is an example of a cynical writer performing intellectual gymnastics to find fault.

Let’s start here. I’m as much of a CCHA guy if not more so than a Hockey East guy. I’ve spent the better part of the last four seasons knee deep in the CCHA and love the conference. I met my wife through the CCHA. To say the teams that represent Big Ten schools are the center of the college hockey universe when Hockey East has the past three national titles and has been in the title game 11 of the past 12 years is just not true. Michigan is very relevant — 20 national tourney appearances in a row. Know who has the next longest streak? New Hampshire from Hockey East. Look at the last 15 years and you can make a case that Maine and Boston College might be the two most consistent programs in terms of the national tourney.

That is not a knock against any conference, just simply facts. The WCHA also has been very good and a major presence the past few years at the national level. The all-WCHA Frozen Four, highlighted by Denver winning a second straight national title (beating North Dakota, another team that lived in the Frozen Four most of the last decade) was a remarkable accomplishment.

We don’t need a game in South Beach, my friend, but one at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto might be a great idea for recruiting. You don’t need to win over the Michigan kids, but getting the Ontario kids south of the border would be a great accomplishment.

I also believe you missed the point. Honestly, I can’t say that these games are trying to boost the popularity of college hockey. I think it’s just suppose to be a fun experience for the players, as well as the fans. Of course you’re not going to grow interest in college hockey with one game. It’s the same reason why the winter classic has become a tradition every year now. It’s special to see a sporting spectacle in which large amounts of fans are drawn to a game. The “Cold War” was something completely new for college hockey and started a trend among other schools. You asked what will be gained from this experience? Probably nothing, and I don’t think that there really was something to ever be gained. It’s a one in a lifetime event for those kids that get to partake in the largest hockey game in North America. I suppose if they played at Yost it would have done a lot more for the game though (sarcasm)…the truth is, not a whole lot of people enjoy/understand/like hockey. And as you pointed out in your article, the South has been a tough market to break into. But I’m sure that ESPN will have a 10 second clip on the game, which is probably more hockey than they ever show throughout an entire show. In conclusion, I would like to suggest to just stop analyzing this game, and just take it for what it is. Not an attempt to boost college hockey’s popularity, but a game in which two bitter rivals will play in front of one of the largest crowds to ever assemble for a hockey game. Perhaps you should think about the game from the player’s perspective.

This is a unique take and I liked the response. We’re agreed that this was special for the players and those involved. That was never in contention or dispute. The Cold War was unique also and in my living room is a huge framed photo of it because my wife was part of the broadcast crew. It is something she was fortunate and proud to be a part of, especially as a Michigan State alum.

The Winter Classic by the NHL is a little different animal because it showcases the league more than two teams. Yes Sidney Crosby is with the Penguins and Alexander Ovechkin is with the Capitals, but they transcend their teams as stars of the National Hockey League. That game markets hockey and the NHL.

I liked your post, thanks for writing.

I think maybe you missed the point of the WSJ article. I believe they were not referring to the strength of college hockey as you have, but to acquiring new fans to the sport. Look at the NHL. It’s not nearly as popular as basketball or football, but everyone knows that on New Year’s Day there will be an outdoor game played, and many people who never watch hockey will be glued to the TV to watch.

Additionally, how many people around the country care at all about UNH playing Maine? It’s boring to them because they’re not big name schools in the sports they know about. Now tell those same people Michigan is playing Ohio State in hockey. They would think that’s the hugest game of the season when in reality it’s a nothing match up. Getting larger schools involved in college hockey is critical to expanding the fan base outside of it’s current boundaries and those schools come with a built in audience. I don’t agree with every point made in the WSJ article, but I think that while they may have missed the bulls eye, you’re interpretation of their article has completely missed the target.

Love your point in your first paragraph. Destination television is a huge part of marketing your sport. Just look at “Monday Night Football” as a case in point. The Winter Classic is a brilliant idea because it is always Jan. 1 and not on against any major football bowl game that a national audience will look at as must-watch TV. Then again, Urban Meyer’s last game at Florida and what could be Joe Paterno’s last game at Penn State is a decent watch that day also. The game means nothing but there is a story line.

The UNH-Maine reference is interesting because if you think New England cared about the Big Chill I’d have to say you were mistaken, much like the Midwest probably didn’t tune in very much to BU-BC at Fenway. This proves my point that these games don’t showcase college hockey; they showcase two teams. I can’t say Orono, Maine, was abuzz with Big Chill fever. Boston the week before seemed to not know the game was even being played.

Having done a few Michigan-Ohio State games at Michigan for CBS College Sports, the buzz in the place is more about Michigan than playing OSU. Swap OSU with Miami or MSU and you have a great point. Michigan at OSU gets a few thousand in the building but having done those games also it falls short of what I’d say is a big game atmosphere. I’d like to say otherwise but that is the reality.

I do agree the that there are some schools with built-in audiences. Then again, I asked a ton of Wisconsin and Michigan alums in the New York area I know about their interest in the Camp Randall Classic last year before it was played and they said they didn’t even know there was a game and probably wouldn’t watch it.

You have some fair arguments here and I thank you for sharing them.

Maybe the fact that UofM has just as many national championships than BC and BU combined, and the state of Michigan has 9 more national champions (in addition to UofM’s 9, MSU, MTU, LSSU have 3 each, NMU has 1) than the next closest state, and the fact that the 2010 USA Olympic roster had more Michiganders on it than any other state, and the fact that the winningest US based NHL franchise and the best team of the last two decades is in Detroit, maybe those are reasons the NCAA is showcasing hockey in Michigan, and college hockey in Michigan. The two schools playing comprise 12 national championships, two more than any other state has. So while there may be wild arenas locally, this is going to be a big deal nationally.

Outside of campaigning for the title of Mr. State of Michigan No. 1 Hockey Fan, I’m not sure you really addressed the issue. However, you cannot deny what a great hockey state Michigan is. There was an opening recently in the Red Wings’ PR department. If it hasn’t been filled you should apply. One point I would counter is that I’m not sure the NCAA was doing any showcasing here. The vibe I have had on all of these outdoor games is the teams in the game were doing the showcasing; that it was not an “NCAA” event like the Winter Classic is an NHL event. Could be wrong here but don’t think so.

First, most of the people in the stands won’t be able to see much of the action from so far away (let alone the puck), and I’ll bet the vast majority will be yucking it up texting, face timing, and eating. If they serve beer, well, even fewer will be actually watching.

Rolled at this one. Between media colleagues, friends and family at the game I got plenty of texts during the game as I was driving to Kalamazoo to see the game between Western Michigan and Lake Superior State. This might be the most accurate response sent. Hey, I’m all for a party atmosphere in the lot pregame and having fun inside. There was never a question it would be fun. When the CCHA puts on an event it usually is top notch and Michigan State and Michigan are the same in their presentations.

Outdoor hockey is a spectacle and people may tune just to see how the players deal with the “elements.” Well, if you want to see elements come to Duluth where it is the last bastion of youth hockey in the US (possibly Canada too) where all kids prior to PeeWee’s still skate entirely outside and where each area of town is defined and known by the neighborhood hockey association and rinks.

I’ll watch a Pee Wee game on an outdoor rink any time. My 9-year-old son played an outdoor inline game Monday night here on Long Island and despite the cold, the kids and the parents had a blast. I played outdoor roller hockey as a kid for a while, and ice hockey also and I loved it. I think we are talking about two very different situations here, but I’m with you.

Dave is just a bitter columnist that is mad that his Hockey East is not in the spot light. Who would seriously turn a great event like this into a negative?

I’m not bitter and I’m not a Hockey East guy. I love the conference but represent a national network that is partners with the NCAA and we broadcast all five conferences. We get very CCHA heavy starting in January. Our CCHA schedule is two games lighter than our Hockey East this year. The past two years were almost exclusively CCHA so your point is somewhat disingenuous. I feel as at home in the CCHA as anywhere.

The highlights of this game made SportsCenter – as part of actual highlights and not just Top 10 lists. THAT shows how big a deal this was, because no other regular season game – not even the Beanpot – gets any air time. Every bit of positive publicity helps college hockey.

Rodeo and people doing flips and dunking a basketball off a trampoline also made the Top Ten on SportsCenter. Were they a big deal also? The Beanpot actually does get a SportsCenter mention, it is always Monday nights and Monday nights are usually slow nights in sports so even if it is to fill air time the Beanpot will make SportsCenter usually. NESN happens to do a great job televising the Beanpot. My opinion is there is no tourney as unique as the Beanpot. Four D-I teams all within a few miles of each other at the TD Bank Garden is quite an event.

Maybe next time we can have a game on the Moon! Please, let’s stop with the gimmicks. Football stadiums are for football. Stop the insanity.

I needed at least one on my side.

Just wondering if Starman watched last night.

Nope. Got off the plane at Metro, drove to Kalamazoo, took a nap and went to the Western-Lake State game. Haven’t seen a minute of it. Though I heard if the game went four periods instead of three MSU would have had an advantage going with the wind in the fourth.

I stopped going to NHL games twenty years ago when I realized the proximity to the ice in the college game made up for the skill differential. Tha extra passion was just a bonus. These gimmick games are all passion, since nobody there is going to be able to see anything. But you can get college students passionate about anything, so I’m unimpressed. Give me 3,000 seat sellouts anyday and you can keep the rest.

The NHL has some great players as does the AHL; it is pretty elite level stuff. On the other hand the passion of college hockey, their fans, the buildings, the bands, the intimacy even in the bigger buildings is unmatched. To sit that close to the action for a decent price is, well, priceless. There are not many bad seats at college games.

That’s all the space for this week. Thanks for reading and responding. Even if our opinions are not the same, the more debate on what college hockey needs, the better.

15 little pieces of the CCHA

By
-

What struck me this week in the CCHA was the minutiae, the things that don’t draw a lot of attention but that matter in small ways. Perhaps it’s a Big Chill hangover – so much of it seemed ridiculous and overblown to me – but I found hockey beauty in the little things last weekend.
Of course, there’s no getting away from The Big Chill in the Big House.
Here they are, in no particular order.

  • Friday’s 4-2 Ferris State win over Alaska snapped a 15-game winless streak against the Nanooks that dated to Jan. 2, 2003.
  • Andy Taranto scored the first and last goal of the weekend for the Nanooks. Taranto was out three games with an injury, and in his first game back, UAF’s 4-2 loss to FSU Friday, Taranto had the first goal. He then netted the game-winner in overtime Saturday. Those were his only two goals of the weekend.
  • Friday’s 5-2 Lake Superior State win over Western Michigan snapped an 18-game Bronco road winless streak, dating back to Jan. 8, 2010.
  • Notre Dame had 96 shots in a two-game split with Northern Michigan, including a season-high 53 shots in Saturday’s 3-2 loss.
  • Northern Michigan needed five games this season to register a win, but after opening the 2009-10 campaign 0-4-1, NMU has gone 8-4-2 since Oct. 29.
  • Bowling Green broke its four overtime-game streak on Saturday with a 4-2 loss to OSU. In their four previous games, the Falcons went 0-2-2-0 in OT CCHA contests.
  • For the fourth Friday in a row, the Buckeyes played an overtime game to open a series, beating the Falcons 4-3. OSU went 3-0-1-1 for those four OT contests.
  • Western Michigan senior goaltender Jerry Kuhn earned his first CCHA when the Broncos beat the Lakers, 4-1. Kuhn had gone 0-14-5 against league opponents until that match; his win Saturday gives him a 5-20-7 record at Western.
  • Two Miami players have more points than anyone else in the nation, seniors Carter Camper (13-22-25) and Andy Miele (8-23-31).
  • Camper and Ohio State senior Sergio Somma (10-8–18) lead all CCHA players in power-play goals (five each).
  • With a split against Northern Michigan and 29 points to their name, the Fighting Irish finish the first half of the season in first place in the CCHA. Last year at this time, ND was in fourth place with 18 points. “We wanted to make sure we ended the first half on a good note,” senior Calle Ridderwall told the South Bend Tribune this week.
  • UM defenseman Jon Merrill scored the first goal of the Big Chill and therefore the game-winner. He also scored on his first two shots of the game, at 12:04 and 14:54 of the first period. It was Merrill’s first multi-goal career game.
  • According to the Detroit Free Press, 22 members of UM captain Carl Hagelin’s family came over for the Big Chill game from Sweden. Hagelin’s brother, Bobbie, told the Free Press, “This is so big, people in Sweden are talking about it, the world record, and my brother is captain of the team and part of the record.”
  • Also according to the Detroit Free Press, Guinness certified the Big Chill’s record-breaking crowd at 85,451, not 113,411.
  • According to AnnArbor.com, only five people were arrested at the Big Chill, two for assault and battery.

Tuesday Morning Quarterback: Recapping the Big Chill

By Jim Connelly and Todd D. Milewski
-

Jim: Well, Todd, another weekend and another outdoor game. Though I have to admit, though we said these outdoor games are wearing out their welcome, the Big Chill at the Big House seems like it was really something special. The crowd of 113,411 not only set a record for college hockey — or any hockey game for that matter — it also set a record for the largest crowd to ever witness an NCAA sporting event. Everyone involved had to be happy with every number (except maybe the 5-0 final, though Michigan fans aren’t complaining). So with all now said and done, was this event a success in your eyes?

Todd: I think you’d have to say it was a success in what it was. I’ll still say it’s a gimmick, and so in that respect, absolutely, it was a tremendous success. But for all the people who attended or watched on TV, I still have my doubts as to how many new college hockey fans we have this week. Maybe that shouldn’t be the end goal, but let’s not expect this game to move mountains.

Jim: I have to agree. I think an event like this one got the game of college hockey national exposure it would not have gotten otherwise, and for that I think it’s a positive. I know that Connecticut will be a playing an outdoor game later this season and with an event like that, I don’t see the point. It won’t garner anything like a game at the Big House or Fenway Park, from last season, did. And it’s an overall expense to the school. If these events came around once every four to five years, I think that’s fun and a positive. If they come around once every four to five months, they’re now a bit over the top.

Todd: And I can’t help but notice that Michigan has now played three outdoor games in 10 seasons. Michigan State has played in two. Wisconsin has played in two in the last six seasons. I hope I’ve seen the last mention of a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience.

Jim: Yes, agreed. Those words should never be uttered again in such a setting. Aside from the Big Chill, some other pretty meaningful college hockey games to talk about. Most notably was probably a game in my neck of the woods between Maine and New Hampshire. UNH pulled victory from the jaws of defeat, literally, scoring two third-period goals including one with the extra attacker to tie the game, and then won it in overtime. I have to admit, this is a team that get the “W” no matter what it takes. The Wildcats’ next game is against an ECAC team in St. Lawrence but, I must selfishly admit, I wish it could be against Yale so we could tell which team stands out as more legit.

Todd: That was a surprising result, given that Maine isn’t prone to losing too many third-period leads — that was their first of the season. But those are the kinds of games that teams can look back on as building blocks, and I think New Hampshire again showed that it’s not just a middle-of-the-pack team. A rally of that caliber on the road is something noteworthy.

I’d take that game against Yale, too. That brings me to a related topic. I can understand questioning the legitimacy of the human polls when it comes to which team is No. 1. But when a team like Yale is ranked first in the polls, the RPI, the PairWise Rankings and KRACH (for entertainment purposes only; it carries no actual value), don’t you think it’s time to give that team some credit? I’ve seen a lot of talk about Yale’s supposedly inferior schedule, but the numbers add up, especially when a team is 11-1.

Jim: I think now that USCHO.com has released all of its rankings, a stake has been aptly placed in the ground to defend the Bulldogs. Though any 11-1 team will rank high in any poll, the computerized rankings are what will be used come season’s end, so it’s a strong testament to be the top team in both PWR and RPI.

I’m a big fan of this team right now. Just because the Yale program doesn’t have a history of success doesn’t mean that it doesn’t deserve recognition when it actually achieves success.

Todd: While we’re talking about the polls, it’s noteworthy that North Dakota has climbed back up to No. 3 in the USCHO.com poll. In recent seasons, the Sioux have been pretty average at the holiday break — 9-6-3 last year, 9-8-1 in 2008, 8-6-1 in 2007, etc. — but this season has gone a little differently. They’re 13-5-2 overall, 11-3 in the WCHA and have played a pretty tough schedule (toughest in the nation by the RPI). Matt Frattin has been a big part of what North Dakota has done this season, and I think you have to consider him a Hobey Baker Award candidate.

I guess I’m a little surprised to be saying all that, considering both the Sioux’s first-half history and how average it looked in being swept at Maine early in the season.

Jim: I agree that the Sioux have fared well in the first half. Their weekend against Maine proved to be an aberration, something that is likely music to the ear of Dave Hakstol. North Dakota’s story is one that I think many thought that Minnesota-Duluth would be telling at this point. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they’ve hit a rut heading into break. Despite being outscored by just a single goal, Duluth is just 1-2-1 in its last four. Has the time come where being on the right side of the one-goal game has dissipated?

Todd: How fortunate for us that the Sioux and the Bulldogs return from the holiday break with a game against each other on Dec. 30, the opener of Amsoil Arena in Duluth. Maybe we’ll know more then. Things are winding down before the holiday break, but what stands out to you about this week’s schedule?

Jim: Well, this is a thin weekend of games, but the Canisius-Rochester Institute of Technology matchup resurrects a great upstate New York rivalry. With Canisius putting together a better-than-average campaign, this could be a great game to watch. How about you?

Todd: Back in the top 20, Colorado College hosts Nebraska-Omaha in the only conference series in either the WCHA or the CCHA this weekend. We’ll see if CC’s recent run holds, or if UNO can build on last week’s sweep of Michigan Tech.

Happy holidays to all from everyone at USCHO! We’ll be back with Tuesday Morning Quarterback in the new year, but we’ll have plenty of content in the meantime, including coverage from the holiday tournaments and the World Junior Championship.

Guinness says Big Chill attendance closer to 85,000

USCHO Staff Report
-

According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, the more realistic attendance number for last Saturday’s game between Michigan and Michigan State is about 25,000 less than the announced total of 113,411.

The Guinness Book of World Records has listed the announced crowd as 85,451 for the game, still a world attendance record for a hockey game.

“We will continue to work with Guinness to identify the exact number of people that went through the scanners and those who had their tickets torn,” Matt Trevor, assistant media relations director for U-M hockey, told the paper. “We knew we would end up with two different numbers because of different standards used.”

Trevor said Guinness doesn’t count those who were working the game, including media, staff and concession workers. Michigan included those people in its attendance figure.

Top team in men’s poll still Yale

USCHO Staff Report
-

Yale is still the top team in the nation and has again earned the No. 1 ranking in this week’s USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll.

The other 19 spots have changed somewhat since last week.

New Hampshire takes over the second spot from Minnesota-Duluth, now sitting at No. 4.

North Dakota jumps to No. 3 from No. 5, while Boston College falls to No. 5 from the fourth spot a week ago.

Miami remains No. 6, Denver moves to No. 7 from No. 9, Nebraska-Omaha climbs back to No. 8 from No. 10, Maine falls to No. 9 from No. 8 and Boston University fills out the top 10.

Michigan is up one spot to No. 11, replacing No. 12 Notre Dame, tied with Union for the No. 12 spot, Rensselaer is up a notch to No. 14 and Wisconsin is down one rank to No. 15.

The rest of the top 20 has Alaska at No. 16, Merrimack still at No. 17, Ferris State still at No. 18 and Minnesota (No. 19) and Colorado College (No. 20), two unranked teams a week ago, rounding out this week’s poll.

Cornell stays at top of women’s poll

USCHO Staff Report
-

Again by the slimmest of margins, Cornell takes the No. 1 ranking in this week’s USCHO.com Division I Women’s Poll.

Cornell received eight first place votes and 143 total points.

No. 2 Wisconsin had seven first place nods and 140 points.

Boston University climbs to No. 3 from No. 5, jumping over Mercyhurst, now at No. 4, and Minnesota-Duluth, down to five from four.

Boston College (No. 6) and Minnesota (No. 7) hold steady at last week’s positions, while North Dakota (No. 8) and Providence (No. 9) switch places from last week.

Northeastern, unranked last week, joins the top 10 this week as the No. 10-ranked team.

SUNYAC Roundup: Dec. 13

By
-

Oswego Finally Losses
It was only a matter of time before Oswego finally lost a game. Going undefeated these days in college hockey is a near impossibility. The Lakers dropped a game against always tough Hobart, at the always tough “Cooler” in Geneva, N.Y., 5-2. Hobart outshot Oswego, 42-27, taking 1-0 and 3-1 leads before putting the game away in the third.

“They played very well,” Oswego coach Ed Gosek said. “We weren’t good. We weren’t good on Friday. We weren’t good on Saturday. It was just the little things.  Saturday, we were outworked, out-executed, outcoached, out-everything. Give them credit. Hobart is a good team. Hobart deserved to win. It wasn’t a fluke.”

The day before, Oswego escaped at home with a 2-1 victory over Utica.

“We felt we served it up to Utica, and they didn’t take it,” Gosek said. “We were hoping from a coaching standpoint after we didn’t play well on Friday, we thought they would work harder on Saturday. They didn’t do that.”

Jon Whitelaw scored early in the game, then Justin Fox got the game-winner late in the second on a power play. The key to the game was Dan Jones’ 13 saves in the final period, including stopping a breakaway.

Jones was also in net the next day as starter Paul Beckwith is out 3-6 weeks with an upper body injury.

“Not his fault,” Gosek said of Jones. “We did not play well in front of him. It’s a shame for him because he’s paid his dues.”

As for Beckwith, he’s due to return to practice when the holiday break is over, but whether he is cleared to play in the PathFinder Bank/Oswego Hockey Classic won’t be made till that week. A tournament which includes Hobart…

Fredonia Sweeps
The Blue Devils had a nice trip to Rhode Island, taking two games from Johnson and Wales. In the first, they fell behind 1-0 after one, but scored twice in the first two minutes of the second on goals by Mitch Kulikoski and Ben Waldman. After the Wildcats tied it, Fredonia scored two more times before the period ended with Kulikoski’s second and a Alex Morton tally.

Johnson and Wales opened the scoring in the third, but Brett Mueller, Andrew Christ, and Waldman put the game away, 7-3. Kody Van Rentergem made 24 saves.

The next day was a bit tighter, though it started out nicely for Fredonia, scoring the first three goals of the game — Waldman yet again, Jordan Oye, and Chris de Bruyn. Two Johnson and Wales goals early in the third made it exciting, but Jeff Holloway held the fort down, winding up with 18 saves for the 3-2 win.

Early in the week, Plattsburgh defeated Skidmore, 4-1, as Josh Leis made 17 saves. Dan Sliasis and Kyle Kudroch gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead before Skidmore got one back. Kyle Taylor and Matty MacLeod put the game away in the third period.

SUNYAC Players of the Week (selected by the conference)
Player of the Week: Ben Waldman, Fredonia (F, So., Pittsford, N.Y.) scored his first three goals of the season as Fredonia posted two wins at Johnson and Wales over the weekend. He scored twice and added an assist in a 7-3 win Dec. 10, and led off the scoring Dec. 11 in an eventual 3-2 victory.

Rookie of the Week: Mike Zannella, Buffalo State (F, Ithaca, N.Y.) tallied his first two-goal game of his young career, netting both Bengal goals in a 3-2 loss to Utica. Zannella evened the scoring 1-1 early in the second period and then struck again midway through the third for the 3-2 final.

Goaltender of the Week: Dan Jones, Oswego (So., Richmond Hill, Ontario) registered a win in his first collegiate start against Utica on Friday after posting 27 saves. He also made two pivotal saves on a breakaway chance with five minutes remaining to preserve the one-goal lead. Jones suffered the loss on Saturday in a 5-2 decision at Hobart despite making 37 saves. Two of the five goals he allowed were in five-on-three situations.

Former glory fading, but Holy Cross sees opportunity

By Daver Karnosky
-

It has been five seasons since they last made a trip to the NCAA tournament, five seasons since they last won the Atlantic Hockey title and five seasons since they had a winning campaign.

To say coach Paul Pearl and the Holy Cross Crusaders have struggled the last five years would be an understatement. However, this season may be the beginning of a resurgence for the Crusaders.

The Crusaders, who are 6-7-2 overall, sit in fourth place in the Atlantic Hockey standings with a 5-3-2 record and 12 points. One of their five wins came against Robert Morris, which leads Atlantic Hockey with 16 points.

After four consecutive losing seasons in which the Crusaders won no more than 13 games, the fact that the Crusaders have six wins already is a sign of a program getting back on its feet.

Holy Cross forward Rob Linsmayer. (Jim Pierce)
Sophomore Rob Linsmayer one of a handful of Holy Cross players in double-figures in scoring (photo: Jim Pierce).

“We’re playing well [right now],” Pearl said. “We are scoring a little more frequently. … Games we would have lost last season, 2-1, we are now winning, 3-2.”

Crusaders fans are used to winning. Pearl twice led the Crusaders to the NCAA tournament, first in 2004 and again in 2006. The 2006 run is especially memorable for college hockey fans in general thanks to the Crusaders’ 4-3 overtime win over Minnesota in their regional opener.

“Our talent level was commensurate with what we were trying to do,” Pearl said of his 2006 squad.

After that great run, Holy Cross struggled to bring in similar talent, partly due to the per-semester cost of attending classes. In the last couple of seasons, however, Holy Cross has gone from offering only financial aid to offering scholarships, and in this market, that’s a tremendous selling point for athletes.

That suits Pearl and his staff just fine.

“[Offering scholarships] has led to a complete shift in what we’re doing,” Pearl said. “These kids are extremely talented.”

Captain Everett Sheen, a senior, is the team’s leading scorer and the only upperclassman in the top five in team scoring. Two sophomore forwards, Rob Linsmayer and Kyle Fletcher, and two freshman forwards, Adam Schmidt and Shayne Stockton, are all in double digits in scoring, giving the Crusaders a healthy spread of scoring.

Sheen, who scored 20 points last season, the lowest total of his collegiate career, already has 15 points this season. He has gone a long way toward filling the void left by two-time Atlantic Hockey MVP Jordan Cyr.

“Everett scored a lot as a freshman but he didn’t score as often the last two seasons,” Pearl said. “He became a more complete player over those seasons. … He’s a kid we trust.”

Fletcher, who picked up only four assists in 10 games as a freshman, is one of several Crusaders players who have improved their game this season. He has already tripled his point total from a year ago, put up an eight-game point streak, and has become a regular in Pearl’s lineup.

The second half of the season offers the Crusaders a chance to take another step.

After returning from the holiday break at the UConn Hockey Classic, where they will play Connecticut on Dec. 29 and either Bowling Green or Princeton on Dec. 30, the Crusaders travel to face No. 1 Yale.

After that, they play 16 straight league games, including contests against both Niagara and Rochester Institute of Technology, which are ahead of them in the standings. That’s plenty of opportunities to move up in the standings.

“Yale is a great opportunity for us,” Pearl said. “We’re not where we need to be [yet].”

Holy Cross' Everett Sheen. (Jim Pierce)
Everett Sheen is the veteran among Holy Cross' top offensive threats (photo: Jim Pierce).

Pearl admits there’s still room for improvement as the season progresses. One area he’d like to see improve is the power play, since he feels that will be an important factor in his team’s success.

“In our league, everybody beats everybody,” Pearl said. “You have to win the special teams battle.”

The other factor the Crusaders need to improve is goaltending. Sophomore Thomas Tysowsky has started nine games, but has struggled to keep pucks out of the net, posting a 3.32 goals-against average. Freshman Derek Kump has started five games, but has only one win.

“We haven’t been able to establish one goaltender, and that hurts our penalty kill,” Pearl said. “The goaltender is your best penalty killer.”

There is plenty of room for the Crusaders to grow, but they hope they’re pointed in the right direction.

Oswego State Hockumentary

By
-

I was perusing youtube today looking for a WTOP video and I came across this gem of a video series that is currently being produced about the Oswego State Lakers women’s hockey team.

Senior goaltender and I believe communications major, Emi Williams, is the executive editor of the series that is going behind the scenes of the 2010-2011 Oswego State hockey team. The Lakers are now in their fifth season as a program and many have deemed this as a make or break year for the program in trying to make the next step.

So far the Lakers have shown progress with a win against Adrian, tie against Elmira, and sweep of rival Potsdam. Oswego State has won five straight, including a sweep of Sacred Heart this past weekend.

They closed out the first semester with a 6-4-2 record overall and 2-3-3 record in ECAC West play. Oswego currently sits in sixth place, which is the final qualifying spot for the ECAC West playoffs.

The club is well on its way to a program-best season. The program record for most wins in a season is only eight, acheived twice so far. With 13 regular season games still remaining, the Lakers have a great shot at reaching double digits for the first time and acheiving their goal of a “breakout season.”

Here is a link to the trailer for the hockumentary and then there are subsequent links to the next three or four short video clips. I’m hoping in the end it’s put together into a full-length film. It’d be great to watch for any women’s college hockey fan, especially if this is Oswego’s finest season to date.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqdefZX5M-4&feature=channel

Keep up the great work Emi!

ECAC Northeast and MASCAC Weekend Recap: Dec. 13

By
-

There’s been some lean years recently at Worcester State, but not any more. In what can considered one of the shockers of the opening portion of the season, the Lancers knocked off Salem State 5-4 Saturday to move into a first place tie with Massachusetts-Dartmouth.

Worcester State hasn’t had a winning season since 1997-98, but jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first seven minutes and survived a Salem State rally to move to 5-2-3 on the season, 4-1-1 in conference play. Brendan Galley’s score at the 14:18 mark in the third period proved to be the game-winner.  Salem State fell into a tie for second with Plymouth State. The five wins match last season’s total for the Lancers. The win snapped a 44-game winless drought for Worcester State against the Vikings, dating back to 1971.

Here’s a look at the rest of the weekend’s action across the MASCAC and ECAC Northeast. The plan is to have a recap of the first semester up sometime later in the week.

Friday, Dec. 10

Fredonia 7, Johnson and Wales 3: The first game of a weekend series went to Fredonia, who exploded for four second period goals after a scoreless opening period.

Hamilton 6, Western New England 3: The Golden Bears were unable to overcome a four goal first period by Hamilton.

Saturday, Dec. 11

Plymouth State 4, Westfield State 1: While Worcester State heads into the break on a hot streak, Westfield State is on a down spin. The Owls are 2-8-1 and 1-5 in MASCAC play a year after going 10-5 in conference play. Meanwhile, Plymouth State moves into a second place time with Salem State.

Becker 6, Framingham State 3: Four first period goals helped the Hawks even their record at 4-4-2, while sending the Rams to 0-9.

Amherst 8, Salve Regina 0: Amherst posted a whopping 67-17 advantage in shots on goal, taming a Seahawks offense that had put up some points despite having just one win on the year.

Fredonia 3, Johnson and Wales 2: The closing game of the weekend was a bit closer, but the Wildcats couldn’t pull out despite rallying with two third period goals.

Sunday, Dec. 12

Williams 3, Nichols 1: No. 4 Williams moved to 7-0-1 on the year, as they held the Bisons to an o-for-4 mark on the the power play.

Southern New Hampshire 2, Salve Regina 2 (OT): In a reversal of their game against Amherst, Salve Regina owned a decisive 52-22 advantage in shots, but was only able to get the one point.

Fitchburg 4, Mass.-Dartmouth 1: The Corsairs missed a chance to claim sole possession of first place heading into the break and instead will have to settle for a tie with Worcester State. Meanwhile, the Falcons move to 3-3 in MASCAC play and 5-3 overall.

Weekly Honors

ECAC Northeast
Player of the Week: Zach Kohn, Nichols.  The sophomore posted three goals and an assist in two games on the week, adding two goals in a week at Franklin Pierce and the Bisons’ lone score in a loss to No. 4 Williams.

Goalie of the Week: Ryan Casey, Nichols. Casey posted 30 saves in a 7-2 win over Franklin Pierce

Rookie of the Week: Korby Anderson, Becker. The forward’s fifth goal of the season proved to be the game winner in a 6-3 win over Framingham State.

Honor Roll: Jeremiah Ketts, Johnson and Wales: Had three goals in the Wildcats’ series with Fredonia on the weekend. He ranks sixth nationally with 1.67 points-per-game.

MASCAC
Player of the Week: John Cahalane, Worcester State. Notched four goals and an assist in a 2-0 week for the Lancers, including all four scores in a 4-1 win at Westfield State. He also set up the game winner in Worcester State’s upset of Salem State on Friday.

Goalie of the Week: Jack Astedt, Plymouth State. The sophomore had a 0.50 GAA and .980 save percentage in a 2-0 week for the Panthers.

Honor Roll
Chris Riggs, Fitchburg State. Netted a goal and an assist in the Falcons’ 4-1 win over Mass.-Dartmouth.

Robert Vorse, Fitchburg State. Stopped 23-of-24 shots in a 4-1 win over Mass.-Dartmouth.

Eric Ward, Framingham State. Notched four points (2-2) in two games for the Rams.

Mike Owens, Mass.-Dartmouth: Collected a hat trick in a 7-2 over Framingham State.

Kyle Greco, Plymouth State: Scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Fitchburg State and added a goal in a win over Westfield State.

Kyle Phelan, Salem State: Totaled three points (2-1) in the Vikings’ 5-4 loss to Worcester State.

Bryan Kalczynski: Had 78 saves in a 2-0 week for the Lancers.

1...1,0361,0371,038...1,532Page 1,037 of 1,532

Latest Stories from around USCHO

With Denver ‘home for me and my family,’ Carle inks multi-year contract extension to remain behind Pioneers’ bench

USCHO Staff -

Bowling Green assistant coach Paskaris leaves bench, named assistant athletics director for development with Falcons

USCHO Staff -

Women’s Division I College Hockey: The PodKaz Offseason interview – A visit with 2-time defending NCAA championship coach Joe Cranston of UW-River Falls

Nicole Haase -

After 42 years coaching Amherst men’s hockey team, Arena retires as ‘heart and soul’ of Mammoths program

USCHO Staff -

Western New England men’s hockey coach Young announces resignation after four seasons with Golden Bears

USCHO Staff -

SUNYAC tabs Fredonia’s Sudbrink as conference men’s hockey scholar-athlete of the year for ’24-25 season

USCHO Staff -

‘A proud day’ as former Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey captain Brodt tabbed new head coach for St. Scholastica

USCHO Staff -

Denver sophomore blueliner, recent Wild signee Buium tabbed USCHO Player of the Year for ’24-25 season

USCHO Staff -

Western Michigan’s Ferschweiler leads Broncos to national championship, named unanimous USCHO Coach of the Year for 2024-25 campaign

USCHO Staff -

After 48-point freshman season with Boston University, Hutson adds to accolades with 2024-25 USCHO Rookie of the Year honor

USCHO Staff -

Wisconsin’s Simms, McNaughton, Minnesota’s Primerano take home final women’s hockey HCA monthly honors for ’24-25 season

USCHO Staff -

Final HCA men’s hockey monthly honors for ’24-25 season go to Western Michigan’s Washe, BU’s Hutson, Denver’s Davis, Bentley’s Hasley, Minnesota State’s Tracy

USCHO Staff -
©1996-2025 USCHO.com – U.S. College Hockey Online