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Should He Stay or Should He Go?

April 12, 2008

Everybody’s got an opinion about which players here in Denver will forego the remainder of their college careers and turn pro. I’ve been doing an informal survey of my fellow journalists and some coaches, as well as throwing in my own opinion. Here’s what I came up with:

Gone:

TJ Oshie (North Dakota)

Andrew Kozek (North Dakota)

Taylor Chorney (North Dakota)

Ryan Duncan (North Dakota)

Nate Gerbe (BC)

Mark Mitera (Michigan)

Maybe:

Bill Sauer (Michigan)

Chris Summers (Michigan)

Ryan Thang (Notre Dame)

Benn Ferriero (BC)

Matt Watkins (North Dakota)

Chris VandeVelde (North Dakota)

Joe Finley (North Dakota)

Pure speculation. I’ll revisit this list come next September and see how close I and some of the other pundits were.

Thoughts from Friday – Skills Competition

By Chris Lerch

April 12, 2008

The skills competition still needs some work, but it’s getting there. I wish there were more emphasis on the players themselves and less on trying to make sure the audience was having “fun”. People I talked to were there for the competition and not the promotions and comments from the various people with mics. My unsolicited advice: interviews with the players and correctly announcing what was going on – good. Trying to get cheers going for East vs. West, left hand people vs. right hand people, kids spinning around on hockey sticks until they get dizzy, etc. – bad.

My hat’s off to St. Norbert’s Kyle Jones, who I had the pleasure of watching pitch back-to-back shutouts in the Division III Frozen Four in Lake Placid a couple of weeks ago. Jones, the Division III Player of the Year, had 25 career shutouts and posted a 1.08 GAA and a .950 save percentage this season.

Jones (#35 in the picture) was the only D-III player in the skills competition, and he proved he could play with the best, not allowing a single goal in any of the skills challenges.

I ran into his coach, Tim Coghlin, on Thursday night after the semifinals and he said to me, “Maybe three of the four teams tonight could have used Kyle Jones.”

Thoughts from Friday – Hobey and Humanitarian

By Chris Lerch

April 12, 2008

No surprise that Keven Porter won the Hobey – he’s been the top choice for most of the season. But it would have been hard to fault the pick of the other two finalists. I can make a case for either Gerbe or Jones, as can most college hockey fans.

The choice of Will Bruce as the recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian must also have been a tough choice for the committee. The finalists all had wonderful credentials and the kids associated with this award continue to amaze me year in and year out in how they manage to balance a college workload, playing a demanding sport, and still have the time to selflessly devote themselves to helping others.

Thoughts from Friday – Lucky Number?

By Chris Lerch

April 12, 2008

Friday was its usual mishmash of practices, events and awards. Some random observations:

A nice turnout as usual at the team practices. Both teams looked loose. The question on most people’s minds was why every player on the Fighting Irish wears a “7” on the back of their practice jersey. Junior Luke Lucyk wore Number Seven his freshman and sophomore years, then left the team to return to junior hockey. Back at Notre Dame this season, he’s wearing Number 20. The meaning behind the “7” is a tightly kept secret, known only to the team, so we’re left to venture some guesses:

They’re big fans of the movie

The Notre Dame online store only had #7s left in stock

Jeff Jackson is a big believer in Steven Covey’s Book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Microsoft is sponsoring the team to promote Windows Version 7, coming in 2009, er, 2010, er…

The team is lobbying for Jimmy Clausen to be the starting quarterback next season

Feel free to come up with your own. One thing I did notice is that Notre Dame’s Motto: “Our Life, Our Sweetness, and Our Hope” has seven words. Hmmm.

A Freshman Shall Lead Them

By Candace Horgan

April 12, 2008

Coming into this season, Boston College had a big question mark facing them. The Eagles had lost two consecutive national championship games, and junior goaltender Cory Schneider decided to forgo his senior season and sign with the Vancouver Canucks. If Jerry York’s Eagles hoped to contend for the championship again, they would have to rely on an unproven goaltender, freshman John Muse.

“It’s been awesome,” said Muse. “I can’t say that I thought that I’d play every minute when I started; it was a pleasant surprise. Luckily, we have a great conditioning coach and trainer who helps keep the legs fresh.”

Muse stepped up beyond expectations in his first year. He played every game for the Eagles in his first season, and did something Schneider was not able to: backstop the Eagles to a national title. Muse was named the all-tournament goalie, and became the first freshman goalie to backstop a team to the national title since Peter Mannino led the Denver Pioneers to their second straight championship in 2005.

“John’s been unbelievable,” said Eagles’ forward Nathan Gerbe. “He has a championship under his belt his freshman year, and that’s a huge thing to say about him. Some goaltenders couldn’t do that, like Cory Schneider and Scott Clemmensen, and those are two great goalies. John’s an elite goaltender, and he’s one of the most poised kids I’ve ever met. He’s just calm and even when the puck’s in our end; he never panics.”

Muse made 20 saves against Notre Dame Saturday, several of them difficult stops from in close. The Irish had eight power plays, but were unable to convert on any of them. When they did get down low and put pressure on Muse, he made the big stops. Just as the Sioux found out Thursday, Muse thrives on the pressure.

John Muse makes a save against Notre Dame. (photo: Candace Horgan.)

“He was awesome tonight,” said Notre Dame captain Mark Van Guilder. “He’s been awesome for a while. It’s pretty special for a freshman to do something like that. I thought his team played awesome in front of him too and he made some big saves, and that was the difference.”

Defenseman and Eagles’ captain Mike Brennan has found Muse to be an asset to all the Eagles defensemen, something that was important Saturday when Carl Sneep was injured early in the first period.

“I think as a defenseman, when you have a goalie back there who’s so confident and nothing fazes him, a goal goes in, nothing fazes him, and I think when you know that as a defenseman, you have confidence in him, you have confidence in your own zone and you know that he’s going to be there when you have a breakdown, and that’s exactly what he’s done all year for us,” said Brennan. “He’s never wavered, and he’s a big reason why we’ve won this national championship.”

Early in the third period of Saturday’s game, Notre Dame appeared to score to narrow the gap to one. The goal went to a lengthy video review, and was ultimately disallowed. It was ruled that the puck was kicked in. During the lengthy review, Muse remained focused.

“I didn’t think it was a goal when I saw it,” said Muse. “It looked like he moved his skates to direct the puck in the net, and luckily they saw the same thing and disallowed it. I just took it as they scored and we were up by one, and it was real nice that they disallowed it. I wouldn’t have gone all crazy if they hadn’t disallowed it.”

For York, this win sets up an interesting symmetry. In 1984, York coached the Bowling Green Falcons to a national title with a freshman goalie, Gary Kruzich. Asked about any challenges involved in coaching a freshman goalie to a national title, York laughed.

BC goalie John Muse goes airborne in the title game against Notre Dame (photo: Jim Rosvold.)

“I just try to stay out his way as much as I can,” said York. “Both were excellent players and Gary went on to have a real fine career at Bowling Green. I think John Muse can do the exact same thing at Boston College. John is a real special guy. His poise, he never gets rattled. He played 15-20 games last year at the New England prep school level, and he played 44 games for us this year. When you choose Boston College, you’re going to be under a lot of scrutiny. There’s a lot of pressure on the team to perform and win, and our expectations are very high. To put him in that situation, he’s handled it very well.”

Having won the national title as a freshman, some might think that Muse has nowhere to go in his collegiate career from here. With many players leaving college early to pursue a pro career, including Muse’s predecessor, Schneider, it might surprise people to know that Muse isn’t thinking that way.

“I’ve got three more national championships to go from here,” he said with a smile.

For York and the rest of the Eagles, that is certainly good news.

West Triumphs In Skills Challenge

By Todd D. Milewski

April 12, 2008

They went through five competitions, and then the fun started.

The West won the Frozen Four Skills Challenge 13-6 Friday night at the Pepsi Center, beating the East in the third annual lighthearted event on the eve of the NCAA championship game for seniors who have completed their eligibility.

It finished up with penalty shots, and Eric Ehn stole the show.

With the overall result settled, the Air Force forward pulled off a memorable move, kneeling and reaching down to slide the puck back between his legs, then spinning around and knocking the puck in the net.

“I don’t know where that came from,” Ehn said. “That’s early-morning stuff, when you’re just out there with the guys, in the summertime, trying to get better, thinking up stuff. It kind of comes out. You half fall down, half make a play out of it and you’re like, ‘Hey, maybe if I did that on purpose, it’d be great.'”

Laughs abound at the Skills Challenge Friday (photo: Melissa Wade).

“I have never seen anything remotely close to that before,” said St. Norbert goaltender Kyle Jones, who watched it with his West teammates. “That was unbelievable. I hope he makes ‘SportsCenter’ top 10 tonight.”

“He kept it pretty quiet, too,” Denver goaltender Peter Mannino said. “It was pretty funny because he didn’t know what he was going to do, and then, sure enough, he goes and pulls off something like that.”

It was the highlight of a fun night for the 31 players involved. However, there were other impressive efforts.

On his way to the net, Colorado College’s Jimmy Kilpatrick lifted the puck in the air, dribbled it on his stick three times and got enough on a swat to send it past Justin Mrazek of Union.

Wayne State’s Mike Forgie threw his glove up in the air as a distraction, but Mrazek stopped him.

Mannino had a pair of highlights in one last appearance in front of the home fans. He stopped all three shots he faced in the shootout, the third on a poke check by Rensselaer’s Jake Morissette.

Morissette’s coach, Seth Appert, a former Denver assistant and the East’s co-coach, threw up his arms to complain about the poke check, but Mannino mockingly signed his stick and gave it to Appert as he skated past the bench.

During the post-competition mingling on the ice, Mannino enlisted the help of Michigan State’s Daniel Vukovic to dump a water container on Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky, the West co-coach.

“I needed a big guy to help me out with that water tub,” Mannino said. “But, you know, this is the chance to do it. I’m no longer with Gwoz, so he can’t get too mad at me. I told him right after, ‘I’ll pay for your dry cleaning.’ He can’t get too mad at me.”

The night helped change the last impressions of Mannino’s senior season.

“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “Losing in the first round of the [NCAA] tournament left a little sour taste at the end of the season, but to come back in Denver, as big of an occasion and a venue as this, this was pretty cool.”

Each side got a point in the opening event, the puck control relay. The East’s Sabrina Harbec of St. Lawrence, Morissette and Jennifer Hitchcock of New Hampshire won the first heat. Miami’s Nino Musitelli, Lake Forest’s Courtney DeHoey and Kilpatrick took the second heat.

The West took a 4-2 lead by claiming three of the four points in the fastest skater competition. Ohio State’s Tessa Bonhomme (4.97 seconds) and Denver’s Andrew Thomas (4.61) won points for the West by having the fastest times in the preliminaries.

Bonhomme won another point by beating the East’s fastest female skater, New Hampshire’s Martine Garland.

Providence’s Jon Rheault got the East a point by beating Thomas in the men’s head-to-head skate, clocking a 4.45 from the goal line to the opposite blue line in a re-skate ordered by referee Greg Shepherd because of a false start.

Hitchcock got the East another point with the hardest women’s shot (76.6 mph).

“It was a blast,” she said of the experience. “This whole weekend, the Frozen Four in general, we’ve been set up awesome. We get to see great hockey. It’s really cool to come and meet everyone from the other teams.”

Vukovic fired a shot at 95.8 mph for a West point. The East took another point, making it 5-4, in the hardest shot competition by having the better average speed.

A pair of perfect goalies earned a point for each team in the rapid shot contest. St. Lawrence’s Meghan Guckian stopped all eight shots for the East; Jones stopped all eight shots, with some help from the goalposts, for the West.

Jones also stopped all three shots he faced in the shootout, making it a perfect night for the Division III player of the year.

“It’s fun when you’re on your downtime,” said Jones, who helped the Green Knights to their first national title this season. “But when I’m in the net, I know it’s all business in there. I know I wanted to help pull it off for our team and we pulled it off.”

The West added another point, making it 7-5, by having the most saves overall from four goaltenders, 28-26.

Shannon Moulson of Niagara made it golden for the West in the accuracy shot competition, hitting four of five targets in seven shots.

On the men’s side, Thomas and Army’s Luke Flicek both went 4-for-8; Thomas won a four-shot playoff, 3-1.

The West made it a clean sweep in accuracy by outscoring the East 12-10 overall, giving it a 10-5 lead.

The East was credited with a dubious victory in the inaugural event in Milwaukee in 2006; the West actually should have won, but an extra tiebreaking penalty shot was awarded to the East, and the West got revenge in St. Louis last season.

Gerbe Stars Again, Eagles Hold Two-Goal Lead

By Jim Connelly

April 12, 2008

Boston College is 20 minutes from a national championship, as it holds a 3-1 lead over Notre Dame through two periods of play at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

All-American Nathan Gerbe, who scored a hat trick in BC’s 6-1 win over North Dakota in the national semifinals, netted the first two goals of the second period to break a scoreless tie. His seven goals in the NCAA tournament have already tied the all-time mark held by three other players.

The Eagles are in search of their third national title while Notre Dame seeks its first in its inaugural trip to the Frozen Four.

BC controlled much of the opening period territorially, but the Fighting Irish had the best offensive chances. Christian Hansen had a grade-A bid at 14:30 that BC goaltender John Muse was able to stop short-side.

On the play, though, Notre Dame drew a penalty to BC’s Matt Greene. The Irish put solid pressure on the Eagles on the ensuing power play but were unable to beat Muse.

As the penalty expired, a slapshot from the left point hit BC defenseman Carl Sneep in the ankle. He had to be helped from the ice and his status is unknown.

The Eagles offense, which looked tentative in the first, exploded to start the second. They broke the deadlock when Gerbe one-timed a pass from Brian Gibbons over the left shoulder of Notre Dame goaltender Jordan Pearce at 2:23 to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.

At 5:37, this time on the power play, Gerbe netted his fifth goal of the Frozen Four and 35th of the season when he sped off the halfboards and poked home the puck before Pearce could cover the left post for a 2-0 lead.

Gerbe then helped extend the lead to 3-0 when he dished a pass to Joe Whitney, who blasted a shot from the point inside the right post at 8:11 .

Notre Dame didn’t quit, though. Skating four-on-four, Kevin Deeth worked a perfect give-and-go with Kyle Lawson. Deeth finished the play with a wrist shot over Muse’s blocker to cut the lead to two at 8:11.

Keys To Victory

By Dave Starman

April 12, 2008

Game day, almost game time. 60 minutes from a national title.

The key to today is routine, focus, and demeanor. In coaching there is the philosophy every game as big as the last one and the next one. Today is the last one but needs to be approached by the staffs and players in the way they have approached every other. Thinking of what the postgame looks like when you win could be the first step towards losing. Positive visualization is great, but what you visualize as a player is what you have to do on a shift-by-shift basis. Coaches won’t get sucked into this, these are two veteran staffs who have head coaches and assistants who have won this tourney before.

There are things that factor into today’s game that I feel are important to track, having seen each time numerous times this season. Here is what could factor in based on the data these teams have provided on ice this season.

Start with Boston College. BC’s key is getting on runs in a game and never getting off them, or getting knocked off them. Look at the North Dakota game. BC got momentum, sensed they were close to a kill and never took their foot off the throttle. That’s Boston College. They were down 4-1 to UNH in the Hockey East semifinals and got a break, scored to cut the lead to 4-2, and then were off and running.

BC is also a good momentum swing team as evidenced by their game in the regional semifinal against Minnesota. There were parts of the game during which Minnesota probably wished they had brought their own puck because they didn’t touch the one provided by the NCAA. However that second period saw Minnesota get its game going and saw BC lose some momentum. However, they withstood the run by Minnesota and eventually took the game over and won it.

BC brings several things to the table. They are very good faceoff recovery team. They do lose some draws at key times but are very good at getting to those areas where pucks are and either getting them back or neutralizing the loss of the draw.

The Eagles have the nastiest defense in the country and that’s something you don’t think of when you think BC. Head coach Jerry York always has teams that backcheck and gap well so that they are a defensive presence. This group of defensemen is big, mean, tough, nasty, and smart physically. You can see in games BC has played that they protect the front of the net well by using that size and agility.

Mike Brennan is a throwback. He is an on-ice leader who finishes every hit and is very good in front. Nick Petrecki is a monster at 6-foot-3 and is still growing. Carl Sneep has size and agility and angles very well until he get you close and eliminate you. Tim Filangieri is as physical, smart, and competitive as any defenseman in the nation. In Anthony Aiello and Tim Kunes you get two disciplined defenseman who can also think offense.

Teams have actually become intimidated by BC’s defense as games wear on. They spend a ton of time trying to get to the net, pay a physical price to do it, can’t, and stop trying. Then they’ll try to create off the cycle or play off the walls and get outmuscled. It’s a tough corps to deal with and will be a factor for Notre Dame to deal with. This might be the best defense they have played against all season and there were several good ones in the CCHA. BC is very different than Michigan or UNH because they don’t sell out as much defensively to support their offense. It’s a good team in terms of balancing their defensive-zone coverage and transition to offense.

John Muse has been solid in going wire to wire in net. His rebound control is very good and his positioning eliminates a lot of goals that goalies who play deeper are susceptible to. He is in command and does not get rattled easily. He is very much Cory Schneider in terms of demeanor and has had a Schneider like season.

Up front they have survived the loss of Brock Bradford and still keep going. They are deep and have been able to keep three bona fide scorers like Nathan Gerbe, Benn Ferriero, and Danny Bertram on separate lines to keep matching up a defense pair against a scoring line very tough. They can come at you four strong and their fourth line was their best in period one early against North Dakota. Matt Lombardi can play for me any day and that line is in your face and can do things with the puck.

BC won’t be nervous and has no issues with back to back losses in this game. They have a staff that won’t get nervous if they get down a goal because as they showed against Miami, they can score in bunches and that goes back to what was mentioned earlier in that they can survive down swings and get momentum back on their side.

Notre Dame is now further into unchartered waters but took a huge step against Michigan in their semi final game. Winning in OT is a big deal, but winning they way they did, after blowing a big lead and then a late lead. Notre Dame has issues with lead protection and BC has no problem playing from way behind.

For BC, Notre Dame will remind them a bit of Miami and Minnesota in terms of commitment to defense, but in looking back at Hockey East they are very much like Vermont. Notre Dame can have trouble at times handling offensive speed but they best two defensemen in the game in terms of playing rush are Teddy Ruth and Brock Sheehan and I guess they see Nathan Gerbe when Notre Dame can get a matchup. ND also has a solid mobile and big defense but they do give up more grade a chances than BC does on average.

For Notre Dame, they also have an ability to snuff out momentum and against Michigan they were on the verge of losing their 3-2 lead right after the 3-2 goal because Michigan was on fire. However, ND buckled down and settled the game down and were able to slow the pace. Huge key again for them.

So, to the X’s and O’s and intangibles.

Boston College wins if:

1) They set the tempo and keep the game up tempo. ND proved they can skate with elite offensive teams but BC has that capability to control a game wire to wire when they skate.
2) Be physical in their own zone. BC has owned their own zone most of the year.
3) Penalty kill. ND’s power play is average and BC should win the special teams game in this area.
4) They get good lead. Playing from behind isn’t Notre Dame’s forte.

Notre Dame wins if:

1) They win big shifts. Shifts after killing a penalty, shifts after goals for/against. Shifts late in periods. This is an area ND has been strong in.
2) To counter the special teams, ND needs to make sure BC puts up bagels on the power play because BC will score even strength. Allowing a power play goal makes the hole bigger.
3) Forecheck. ND is a good forecheck team but an even better NZ team with their 3rd man high and wing lock system. If they can keep BC wide and not allow the rush to develop speed they can be very effective in keeping the goals off the board.
4) Smart puck play. Like Michigan, BC will kill you in transition and ND is a good puck team so they need to make sure pucks get in and they can use their size to create chances.

Bottom line is both teams are loose and no one expected either to be here. ND is more the team playing with house money but BC has no problem playing as a favorite. If ND keeps Nathan Gerbe in check they’ll have a great chance to win. However, Gerbe is as focused as I have seen him in three years. He has a big game. BC wins.

CC Goalie Bachman Named HCA National Rookie Of The Year

USCHO Staff Report

April 11, 2008

Colorado College goaltender Richard Bachman is the winner of the second annual HCA National Division I Rookie of the Year Award, the Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) announced Friday.

Three weeks ago, Bachman became just the second player in the 56-year history of the WCHA to earn the league’s Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year accolades in the same season. (Eighteen-year NHL veteran Curtis Joseph of the Calgary Flames also captured both awards as a netminder with the Wisconsin Badgers in the 1988-89 season.)

Richard Bachman of Colorado College is the HCA National Rookie of the Year (photo: Melissa Wade).

Bachman, a 20-year old from Highlands Ranch, Colo., backstopped Colorado College to its sixth WCHA regular-season title in the last 15 years and its 11th NCAA playoff berth in the last 14, shattering school records with a 1.85 goals-against average and .931 save percentage. He earned First-Team All-WCHA honors and a spot on the league’s All-Rookie Team.

The 5-foot-10, 172-pound Bachman finished with an overall record of 25-9-1 between the pipes in 2007-08 and posted four shutouts while allowing two or fewer goals in 25 of his 35 starts. He was honored as HCA Rookie of the Month twice, in October and February, as well as WCHA Rookie of the Week three times and Defensive Player of the Week twice during the course of the season.

The fourth-round NHL draft pick of the Dallas Stars in 2006, who spent the 2006-07 campaign in the USHL with Chicago and Cedar Rapids, finished with a 19-5-1 (.750) record in league play, with a 1.75 GAA and .937 sv%. He also collected three assists, including two on game-winning goals.

Nationally, Bachman sported college hockey’s third-best GAA (1.85) and sv% (.931) while recording the nation’s fourth-best winning percentage (.729). Overall, the Tigers boasted the sixth-best defensive numbers from among 59 teams, allowing an average of 2.15 goals-per game.

The HCA Rookie of the Year is selected in a vote by the assistant coaching staffs of all 59 NCAA Division I hockey teams. Players on the ballot receive five points for a first-place vote, three points for a second-place vote and one point for a third-place vote. Each conference’s top rookie serves as its league’s nominee.

Bachman is the second straight recipient of national Rookie of the Year honors to hail from the WCHA. Andreas Nodl of St. Cloud State was the inaugural winner last season.

The Pairwise Is Right

By Chris Lerch

April 11, 2008

Any time you pick an NCAA field, there’ll be complaining from teams and fans who disagree with the selections or the seedings. This year was no exception, as Wisconsin and Notre Dame, a couple of teams that struggled down the stretch, got invites based on the objective system used by the NCAA Ice Hockey Committee. Unlike most other sports, the selection criteria in D-I hockey are written in stone, and never has the committee gone against the numbers.

And again this season, it looks like their decisions have been vindicated. Wisconsin made it to the regional finals, and Notre Dame, the last at-large team in the tournament and 13th seed overall, has made it to the championship game.

“We’ve been though a lot the second half of the season,” said Notre Dame defenseman Kyle Lawson. “It think it was good to get some redemption.”

Let’s hope this process, especially its transparency, continues.

Army’s Podsiad Selected Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award Winner

USCHO Staff Report

April 11, 2008

Army senior defenseman Chase Podsiad is the winner of the second annual Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award. The announcement was made Friday in Denver at the Frozen Four.

The award was established by the The Hockey Commissioners’ Association (HCA) in honor of former Army player Derek Hines, who was a “consummate team player and team builder.” Hines played at Army from 1999-2003 and was a four-year letter winner as well as a co-captain his senior season. He was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan in September 2006.

PODSIAD

Podsiad, like Hines, was a co-captain of the Black Knights. “Chase wore a letter on his sweater for two seasons and would do whatever it took to help the team win,” said Army head coach Brian Riley. “Chase is a lot like Derek. They both led by example, do all the little things right and cared much more about the team than they do personal recognition.”

“It is a tremendous honor to receive an award with Derek Hines’ name on it,” Podsiad says. “I would love to be half the leader and man that Derek was. I want to thank the Hines family for this great honor, and Coach Riley for all his faith in me and support throughout my tenure. The award is just as much my Mom (Marsha) and Dad’s (Ron) as it is mine. I am so lucky to have them and their support.”

In the off-season, all of the cadets do training in their specific field, so Chase, despite all the rigors of a cadet during the academic calendar, has led his team to do different projects during the season. This past season Podsiad led his team in a friendly competition on the ice.

This was no ordinary competition and it was not on any ordinary day.

Podsiad and his teammates played two hockey games on Saturday, January 19, at West Point. The first was a regularly scheduled Atlantic Hockey contest versus Canisius, while the second one was against a team of sled hockey players. After some training, Chase and his teammates took on the Long Island RoughRiders in a 20-minute contest.

Podsiad also participates in the Big Brother-Big Sister program, Special Olympics, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Company Tutor, in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and an Officer Christian Fellowship. In addition to participating in these programs, Chase was asked on a recent trip to Erie, Pa., to speak in front of a group of students at Erie Cathedral Preparatory High School.

“Chase is the type of person who always has time to reach out to fans and the local community. Whether it be speaking at a high school during one of our road trips or signing autographs and talking to kids after games, he always makes the time for people. He is a young man who has left a positive impression on everyone who has had the chance to meet him,” said Riley.

Despite all the activities that Podsiad performs during the academic year, he is able to maintain a 3.04 grade point average at the Academy. In his previous three seasons as a Black Knight, Chase has been named to the Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team. On the ice Podsiad finishes his career with 14 goals, 40 assists for 54 points.

“This award means a great deal to all of us who knew Derek. To have one of our players be presented with the award this year is both gratifying and humbling,” Riley said. “Derek was a great person on and off the ice and a pleasure to coach. He was a tremendous teammate and left his mark on everyone he came in contact with. This year’s recipient is cut out of the same cloth as Derek. Chase always puts the team first. He has been a great leader for our program the past two years and played a large role in taking our program to new heights.”

“I believe that the legacy of Derek Hines is still strong in our locker room,” said Podsaid. “Unfortunately, I never met him, but I heard a lot about him from the older guys. When I was a freshman, the older guys would tell me stories of Derek — including how he would always look out for the younger guys. A few of those older guys looked out for me, and I try to carry on that torch. So I believe Derek helped me get this award. ”

Each of the six NCAA Division I hockey conferences submitted a nominee for the ward that goes to the student-athlete who personifies Hines’ spirit and relentless commitment. The winner was chosen by sports information directors from the six conferences.

Michigan’s Other Number One: Porter Wins Hobey Baker

By Theresa Spisak

April 11, 2008

While Kevin Porter’s Michigan Wolverines came up short in terms of the team’s ultimate goal of a national championship, Porter did not walk away from Denver empty-handed, becoming the 29th winner of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.

Though the Hobey is a very individual award, Porter, as he has all season, continued to deflect the praise.

“It feels good,” he stated. “This is a great award, a great individual award, but I couldn’t have done this without my teammates.”

Kevin Porter won the 2008 Hobey Baker Memorial Award (photo: Jim Rosvold).

Either way, the Hobey is one more piece of hardware that Porter has added to his cabinet. He also was named the CCHA Player of the year, CCHA first-team all-conference and a first-team All-American. Porter led his league in scoring, finished second in the nation in that category and was nominated as the CCHA’s top defensive player, as well.

For fellow Hobey Hat Trick nominee Nathan Gerbe, Porter’s victory should come as no surprise.

“I’ve known Kevin since growing up and it’s well-deserved,” he said. “He’s such a great player and also a dynamic player. Off the ice, he’s one of the greatest kids I’ve ever played with. He’s been so caring and I’ve played with him for a few seasons at USA there [the U.S. National Development Team Program], so I can’t say enough nice things about him.”

As a result, the humble forward from Northville, Mich., became the first Wolverine since Brendan Morrison in 1997 to win college hockey’s greatest individual honor.

“You compare Brendan Morrison’s humility a little bit to Kevin Porter’s humility,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “They’re unassuming, they play hard, they play well, they show signs of greatness, they don’t wear it and they don’t talk about it.”

“It’s amazing to be put into a category as Brendan Morrison, who had such a great year, four great years at Michigan; he’s had a great career in the NHL as well,” said Porter. “To be in the same category as him is amazing.”

What is also amazing in this era of college hockey is that Porter came back for his senior season — something that is seemingly becoming rarer and rarer, given the culture of early signers. In Porter’s case, it paid off.

“I think what he’s done is really, he came back for his senior year number one, and I think that’s a great tribute to Kevin and what he’s accomplished because that’s why you come back your senior year,” said Berenson. “You come back to graduate, you come back to finish what you started, you come back to improve on what you’ve already done or your teams have done.

“Ironically, Kevin came back with supposedly an empty cupboard of a team considering all the players we lost and graduated. He came back on a mission, and I’ve never seen a player take the whole team and in his own grasp and put the team on his back and make it happen on a regular basis — not just once in a while, but every day in practice, every game, every weekend and he’s been a tremendous leader. He’s grown up tremendously.

“There’s no way this team would have been successful without his leadership.”

Next, his leadership will be appreciated by the Phoenix Coyotes and his new boss, Wayne Gretzky, who sent in a congratulatory letter addressed to Porter.

“For one of the greatest hockey players to ever play to say that about me is — words can’t describe it. It’s pretty special,” said Porter.

Semifinal Notebook

By Candace Horgan

April 11, 2008

Three is Nice

When Boston College beat North Dakota to advance to their third consecutive national championship game, it set up an interesting symmetry with the second game.

The last team to advance to three consecutive national championships was Lake Superior, when Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson was at the helm.

Shootouts

This is the second consecutive year that Michigan has ended their season at the Pepsi Center in an uncharacteristic offensive shootout. Last year, the Wolverines fell 8-5 to North Dakota.

Michigan goalie Billy Sauer, a Colorado Avalanche draft pick, has now given up 10 goals in four periods of hockey in the Pepsi Center, a .714 save percentage.

Overtime

Michigan tied the game at the 14:49 mark of the third period, and looked to have a lot of momentum going into the overtime. However, Notre Dame dominated the extra session, outshooting the Wolverines 8-4.

“We didn’t look good in the overtime, don’t ask me why,” said Wolverines’ coach Red Berenson. “We were on our heels. We didn’t get the puck deep, we were passive defensively, and we gave a few odd-man rushes. We just had a sloppy overtime.”

Michigan played in the last overtime game in the Frozen Four, against Minnesota, also on April 10, in 2003. Michigan lost that game 3-2.

“We just said we have one overtime to play for a national championship game,” said Notre Dame captain Mark Van Guilder. “We realized that we had to put the second and third period behind us and just move on. The game was back and forth all along, so we knew that if we got some momentum right away and got some cycle shifts we’d be just fine.”

Jordan Pearce in the tunnel before the beginning of overtime. Photo by: Candace Horgan

Hobey numbers

Kevin Porter, the favorite to win the Hobey Baker award tomorrow, assisted on Michigan’s first goal, and finished his season with 33 goals and 30 assists.

Boston College’s Nathan Gerbe, another Hobey candidate, had four points against North Dakota in the first game, and has the same number of goals as Porter and one more assist.

Numbers

Jeff Jackson is now 6-1 in the Frozen Four as a coach. Jackson has never lost a semifinal game at the Frozen Four.

“I’m just fortunate that we’ve had the opportunity,” said Jackson. “You try to get your team prepared to peak at the right time. I can’t say that happened this year, but we turned the corner and we’re back on the rise again, and there’s no easy way to bottle peaking. The biggest thing is getting your team to believe in something.”

Red Berenson is now 4-8 in Frozen Four games and 2-8 in Frozen Four semifinal games.

This will be the first all-private school matchup in the championship since 1985, when RPI played Providence in Detroit. It will be the 10th all-private school matchup overall.

This will also be the first all-Catholic school matchup in the NCAA hockey final, and Notre Dame’s first appearance in the national championship game.

‘Sieve! Sieve! Sieve!’

By David H. Hendrickson

April 11, 2008

The best teams with the best athletes converge each year at the Frozen Four. Among those top athletes, goaltenders rank as the most important. Teams live and die with their guy between the pipes.

In these Frozen Four semifinals, however, it was mostly die. With the notable exception of Boston College freshman Johnny Muse, the starting goaltenders looked like anything but the cream of the crop.

North Dakota’s Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, the most celebrated of them all, came in as a Hobey Baker Award finalist, the nation’s top statistical goalie, and was fresh off earning Most Outstanding Player honors at the Midwest Regional.

Michigan’s Bryan Hogan — pressed into duty after a three-goal Notre Dame opening period — is consoled by teammates (photo: Candace Horgan).

But while Muse almost threw a shutout at the other end, Lamoureux gave up a succession of soft goals, finishing his career with his worst night of the year. He allowed six goals for only first time this season and fourth in 111 career games.

In the Michigan-Notre Dame nightcap, Wolverine Billy Sauer looked for redemption in the same building he’d given up seven goals in last season’s Western Regional. Widely criticized that year as Michigan’s weakest link, he’d stormed back to post career numbers that ranked second best in the CCHA: a 1.89 GAA and .927 save percentage. Like Lamoureux, he’d also been hot, stopping 43 of 44 shots in the East Regional, earning a berth on the All-Tournament Team.

On this night of Goaltending Hell, however, none of that mattered. Sauer surrendered three first-period goals, two of them soft, allowing Notre Dame to seize a 3-0 lead. At the intermission, Michigan coach Red Berenson gave Sauer the hook.

“Had I not watched the North Dakota game, I may not have pulled him,” Berenson said. “He’s been our bread-and-butter goalie all year. But I just didn’t like the way the game was going and Billy looked like he was fighting the puck. There were two goals that he probably would have stopped on another night.

“We’d just watched the number-one goalie in the country give up six goals. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done [in the past]. We had to change the momentum. It was a tough decision for Billy, but you’re trying to win the game.”

Freshman Bryan Hogan, who had played only five games all year and not a minute in the last month, took over and gave the Wolverines a chance to win as they fought back.

At the other end, Notre Dame’s Jordan Pearce played well until the Sieve Bug hit him at the worst possible time. A mere 5:21 away from the national championship game, he gave up a hideous softie, one that could have left Notre Dame fans in agony well into the offseason.

“There’s so much pressure on these kids,” Berenson said. “Sometimes you’d rather keep playing after the previous weekend, [but] you’ve got two weeks to think about it.

“It’s the pressure position on the team. These are young kids. If you keep shooting pucks at the net, there are going to be bad goals.”

Ironically, Pearce’s goal didn’t ruin Notre Dame’s chances. It galvanized the Fighting Irish, who scored 5:44 into overtime.

“It was a rallying point for our team because Jordan Pearce has been the difference-maker for us the past two months,” Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said. “That was the first thing out of our team’s mouth. There wasn’t dejection like it was the end of the world that he gave up a bad goal. It was, ‘Let’s rally for Pearcie!’

“There wasn’t a sense of panic. When Pearce gave up that goal, they responded to it. If Jordan gives up one bad goal a month, that’s not too bad.”

With Lamoureux and Sauer headed home, Muse and Pearce now remain to uphold the tattered Frozen Four dignity of their position. How well they succeed will likely determine this year’s national champion.

Friday Notebook: Notre Dame

By Paula C. Weston

April 11, 2008

Not Your Local Hero

Swedish native, freshman Calle Ridderwall, had two goals in Notre Dame’s 5-4 win over Michigan in the semifinal, the opening goal for the Irish and the game-winner in overtime. In 37 previous games, Ridderall had netted just two and was playing on the fourth line in Thursday’s game.

After the win, predictably someone from the press asked Ridderwall to describe his goal.

“We got the puck out to the point and Dan VeNard put it on net and I was fortunate enough to get to the rebound.”

Ridderwall’s short and modest answer elicited chuckles from the press, and ND captain Mark Van Guilder said, “Ahsk him in Svedish.”

More chuckling, and Ridderwall was pressed to expand.

“It was a rebound, and I got it in the slot and took a quick shot and got lucky, so.”

Laughing but frustrated, someone asked Van Guilder how the goal looked to him. “Looked like he picked a corner and he knew exactly where he was going,” said the senior.

Laughter outright.

Today, someone asked head coach Jeff Jackson about Ridderwall’s surprise success in the semifinal, and Jackson was frank in his answer — about Ridderwall’s seeming lack of success throughout the entire season.

“Let’s put it this way: This is where coaching can have a negative impact on a kid, and I’ll take responsibility for it,” said Jackson.

“We thought Calle was going to be able to come and be a really dynamic player for us, and what happened was that we brought him in and gave him too much too soon,” Jackson said. “I had him on a top line. I had him on a power play. And it was maybe a little bit more than he could handle to start off his freshman year.

“Then I took it away from him and confidence became a factor. Then he struggled to get in and out of the lineup.

“He was an important recruit for us, tremendous kid. Had the good grades, speaks English better than I do … he’s always got a smile on his face and works hard, he competes hard. We hurt him, set him back, by giving him too much early on and then taking it away.

“Then over the last three months, he’s really started to show signs of coming on. I’m excited about his future right now because he’s not a fourth-line player. He plays with a lot of energy and I think he can bring a lot more to the table.”

Next year at Notre Dame, Ridderwall will be joined with a former teammate from the Chicago Chill (Midget AA), Billy Maday. “We’re bringing in his cohort … and between the two of them they had 300 points.”

Notre Dame celebrates its overtime win on Thursday night (photo: Melissa Wade.)

It’s a Very Small World

ND sophomore defenseman Kyle Lawson and Boston College junior Nate Gerbe are good friends, having grown up 40 miles apart in Michigan — Lawson in New Hudson, Gerbe in Oxford — and played together on the Honeybaked AAA hockey club in Detroit.

“He’s a great kid and he’s probably got the biggest heart of anyone I’ve played with,” said Lawson. “Very talented and very determined.”

Lawson said that the key to containing Gerbe’s speed is to “take away his time and space,” and he confessed that he’s “not sure I’ll be a good match-up” for the Hobey Baker finalist.

Lawson said that Gerbe’s always had a step up on him.

“I was a big boy when I was younger,” said Lawson, who is 5’11” and just a shade over 200 pounds now. “I actually weighed more when I was in eighth grade than I do now, and I went over to his house one time and his dad actually woke us up at 8:00 a.m. and we went to a track. He made us run a mile. Nate was on his fourth lap and I was on my first.”

Lawson joked that Gerbe had “a tough childhood” and further elaborated on the mile-run story to illustrate his point.

“The night before, Nate happened not to score that game. We pull out into this dirt road about two miles away from his house and all of a sudden Nate jumps out of the car and starts pushing the car home … and his dad and I sat in the car and listened to the Red Wings game.”

Lawson’s not the only one on the Notre Dame squad acquainted with Gerbe.

“During the [NHL] lockout year, I was down helping Ron Rolston with the Under-18 team and Nate was on that team,” said Jackson, “so I got a firsthand look at him. He’s a tremendous player.

“We saw him for a year and I’ve kind of followed him over the years. His brother played for my former OHL team, Guelph, so I know the Gerbes and the family history there a bit.”

Thank You, Nanooks, Lakers, and Bulldogs

If it weren’t for another CCHA team that few think of during the Frozen Four, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish wouldn’t be here this year.

Yes, this trip to Denver is all about the Alaska Nanooks. Follow along.

“What I found my first year is now when our team runs into the Lake States that are older, physically more mature, and experienced more than our kids are coming right out of high school, it’s about developing them physically and getting them mentally tougher. That’s where our strength and condition and our strength coach have been a huge factor.”

At the end of Jackson’s first season (2005-06), the Irish hosted the Nanooks in a first-round CCHA playoff series, won the first game, and lost the following two.

“We found that out the first year in the playoffs against Alaska-Fairbanks when we got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs,” said Jackson. “It was a matter of getting stronger physically because in that series, I believe we averaged two-and-a-half years younger than them as a team, and I think we averaged about 18 pounds less on average per player. And that’s the difference in college hockey now.”

This disparity, according to Jackson, is a good thing, giving teams without the cachet of Michigan or Notre Dame the ability to compete with their better-known brethren — and Jackson should know, having coached at Lake Superior State from 1986 to 1996, serving as head coach for the last six years. While there, Jackson took the Lakers to the Frozen Four three consecutive years, and won the national championship in 1992 and 1994.

“That’s why the Lake States back in the ’80s and ’90s could compete with the Michigans and the Boston Colleges. That’s why Ferris State can compete with Notre Dame, because they have more physically mature players because they’re a little older. And that’s a good thing because it allows programs like Lake State to be successful and be in these events at some point.”

Taking Care of Business

In knocking off two straight CCHA opponents in the NCAA tournament to get to the title game against Boston College, the Irish have erased some bad regular-season memories.

Notre Dame struggled in the second half of the season, beginning with a heart-breaking loss to Michigan State — the team the Irish vanquished in the West Regional — Jan. 11. With less than two minutes to go and the scored tied 1-1 in that contest, Justin Abdelkader scored the game-winner for the Spartans before Nick Sucharski added an empty-netter in the 3-1 loss.

That began a four-game winless streak against MSU and Michigan, which included a 3-2 loss to the Wolverines at Yost Arena during with Notre Dame had led 2-0 after one, and a 5-1 loss the next night to UM at the Palace of Auburn Hills north of Detroit.

“I think it was a little bit of the unfinished business factor we had with them,” Kevin Deeth, who scored the fourth goal in ND’s win over UM Thursday night, said of the Wolverines. “Anytime you lose once or twice to a team you’re always urgent to get back and play them. We had them at the back of our minds.

“Same thing with Michigan State at Colorado Springs. We were urgent to play those teams in our conference that we’ve lost to before.”

Sleepless in South Bend

Notre Dame’s players are quick to give credit to head coach Jeff Jackson for the team’s remarkable turnaround in just three years.

“I’ve never played for a coach who’s more dedicated to the game,” said junior Christian Hanson. “You can tell that he truly loves hockey and that he truly cares about us. We’ll play a weekend series, Friday-Saturday, and then right after the Saturday game he’s already preparing for next weekend’s opponents.”

“You should ask Coach Pooley how much he sleeps,” said Lawson. “He keeps Starbucks open.”

Jackson said that “the whole coaching staff” was looking at tape “after having a bite to eat” last night.

“I’m fortunate to have a tremendous staff,” said Jackson. “I knew that when we brought in Paul Pooley and keeping Andy Slaggert around. It’s not a one-man show. It’s the dedication and commitment … allowing our team to have success is throughout our entire staff.”

He Also Likes Long Walks on the Beach

After admitting that he used tactics from motivational speaker Tony Robbins to help change the focus of the Irish team, Jackson said, “I’m not into self-help stuff.

“I went to a Tony Robbins seminar after my mother passed away,” said Jackson. “My former assistant coach who’s now the coach of the Under-18 Team, John Hynes, bought the tickets, made me go and I actually enjoyed it because Norman Schwartzkopf was one of the speakers, Colin Powell was one of the speakers, and I’m a huge military history buff.”

“I enjoy reading,” said Jackson, who says he has big stack of books waiting for him this summer. “I’m a huge fan of Bobby Knight’s, and I’m very much not like him, but I’ve always respected him because he made his kids graduate, he made them toe the line.

“I worked for a great man in Frank Anzalone. Same thing. He made his kids go to school, he made them work. Frank and Bobby had some same similar flaws maybe behind the scenes but I admire those people.”

Ecstasy In 120

By Todd D. Milewski

April 11, 2008

Can you blame them for not wanting to leave?

The scoreboard overhead shows Irish 5, Wolverines 4. There they are, the fans in Section 120 of the Pepsi Center — the Notre Dame cheering section — the last ones in the seating bowl until the ushers come to shoo them out into the hallway.

“They’re going to have to throw us out of here tonight!” Notre Dame alum Mike Williams of Denver shouts.

Probably. But the thing is, they’ll be back. On Saturday. For the last game of the college hockey season.

Notre Dame had its share of supporters Thursday night against Michigan (photo: Jim Rosvold).

“I’ve been waiting for what seems like forever,” says Michael Wood, an Irish hockey season-ticket holder who waited for the team he has followed for 32 years to get there before attending his first Frozen Four.

“We’re playing in the last game of the year, for the national championship.”

Wood is practically panting as he utters that last sentence. A few seconds earlier, he was jumping up and down at the top of 120 along with hundreds of other Notre Dame fans, some from near, some from far.

Calle Ridderwall, a freshman from Sweden, scored in overtime for Notre Dame’s biggest victory ever.

Judy Lawson, whose son Kyle plays for the Irish, points to the Pepsi Center rafters where the flags of the United States and Canada hang.

“They should put a Swedish flag up there,” she says.

It’s an emotional time for Notre Dame and its fans, both enjoying their first trip to the Frozen Four, something that needs to be captured.

Notre Dame’s up 3-2 in the second intermission. Paul Sochinski of Denver looks a little nervous as his standing in the upper-level concourse with wife Lisa.

The Irish ran out to a 3-0 lead after one period, only to have Michigan respond with two goals in 15 seconds during the second.

“I thought it was awesome,” Sochinski says of the game’s start, “but I said to my wife, it’s early. I’ve known Red Berenson for too many years, and they’re going to come back.”

Sochinski played for St. Lawrence from 1982 to 1984, but he’s wearing a blue Notre Dame jersey, No. 19.

He has always been a big Notre Dame fan for football. He wanted to go to school there but couldn’t get in. His Irish football jersey also gets a lot of wear, and he gets a new Notre Dame hat each year.

Sochinski also went to the West Regional in Colorado Springs, through which the Irish earned their spot in the Frozen Four.

“They come in and no one expects them to do anything,” he says, “and that’s the most dangerous team.”

Down on the first level, former Irish defenseman Dan Byers is waiting for the third period to start.

He’s wearing his old Notre Dame jersey, which is a feat because he played from 1974 to 1978. The letters are a little faded and the 3 on the sleeve is starting to chip away.

“It’s been in the closet for 30 years,” Byers says.

He says the Irish getting to the Frozen Four has been big for the program. Earlier Thursday, there was a pep rally in Denver with 25 to 30 hockey alums in attendance.

“It’s just a wonderful experience for the whole Notre Dame family,” Byers said. “It brought back a lot of former players. It’s a good thing to rally around.”

Brian D’Arcy doesn’t stay sitting at the top of 120 for long in the third period. When Michigan’s Chad Kolarik scores 2:16 in to complete Michigan’s comeback, D’Arcy starts to pace.

A senior forward for the Irish who wasn’t dressed Thursday, D’Arcy eventually grabs a green balloon and holds it like a football. A sign of the tension, he squeezes it just enough that distends but not enough to break it.

The tension continues until it’s broken with 8:30 left by a Kevin Deeth goal for Notre Dame, sending 120 into a frenzy.

D’Arcy gets a lot of height on a jump accompanied by a fist pump.

The excitement doesn’t last long in 120. Michigan’s Carl Hagelin scores from the side of the net with 5:21 remaining to tie the game at 4-4.

Almost as one, hands go to heads as they lean back into their seats in 120.

They get a scare late in regulation when Deeth gets called for obstruction-hooking, but 120 rises when he comes out of the box and gets the puck with less than a minute left. They stay standing until the horn signals the end of regulation.

In the hallway outside 120, Tad True isn’t doing so well.

“I feel terrible,” says True, who tried out for the Irish hockey team when he attended school but didn’t make it. “We should be winning 4-0. If it was anybody but Michigan — or maybe Boston College — it would be OK.”

What’s worse?

“I invited a guy, I bought the guy tickets and he’s wearing a Michigan hat,” True says. “I can’t believe it.”

There is salvation, however.

It’s perfectly clear to everyone that Michigan beat Notre Dame 38-0 in September and Boston College beat the Irish 27-14 in October.

“This is incredible,” says True, who lives in Casper, Wyo., and is making his first trip to the Frozen Four. “First of all, you have to understand this almost makes up for the lost football season. That’s the biggest thing.”

A few feet over, Cindy Wood isn’t feeling good, either.

“I’m terrified,” she says. “Terrified.”

From South Bend, she’s a Notre Dame lifer. Well, almost.

She was the Michigan State student manager when she attended school there. But there were times that she could cheer for the Irish. That dispensation, as Wood calls it, came from former Spartans coach Amo Bessone himself.

Now, it’s all Irish in her family. She’s Michael Wood’s sister, and their sister, Mary, is a frequent poster on the USCHO.com message board.

Her handle? Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.

He probably would do well in the South Bend precincts.

Section 120 rises less than two minutes into overtime when Notre Dame’s Justin White has a good chance, then settles back into the seats when the puck gets cleared.

It doesn’t take that much longer. Ridderwall bangs home a rebound 5:44 in, and 120 explodes.

Pompons go flying up in the air. Then the hats.

Judy Lawson gives it up for coach Jeff Jackson. “I don’t know what he does,” she says. “He’s got some magic.”

The Irish players skate over in front of 120 and give a stick salute, then go to the other end of the ice and salute the band before leaving the ice.

Michael Wood is just settling down and then he starts to talk about the championship game against BC.

“That’s what I’ve been saying all along: Beat Michigan State to get to the Frozen Four because they’ve owned us for so long; beat Michigan in the tournament because it’s Michigan-Notre Dame,” he says. “And then BC-Notre Dame, what else can you say?”

Mike Williams has plenty to say. He’s clutching a Notre Dame banner in his left hand that must be some sort of good-luck charm.

“I went to school there,” he says. “I graduated in ’72, when hockey was just starting. 1968 is when I went to school there. Forty years. This has been 40 years coming.”

How about some perspective?

“It’s a Notre Dame moment,” Williams says. “I’ve been to the national championship in football, and this is as big as those. Bigger.”

Will Bruce Named Hockey Humanitarian Award Winner

By Chris Lerch

April 11, 2008

Williams College senior forward Will Bruce is the recipient of the 2008 Hockey Humanitarian Award. He is the 13th to receive the award, which was created by the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation to recognize “college hockey’s finest citizen.”

Bruce received the award in a ceremony Friday at Pepsi Center, site of the NCAA men’s ice hockey Frozen Four, following the Hobey Baker Award presentation.

Will Bruce of Williams College addresses the crowd at the Pepsi Center in Denver after being named the 2008 Hockey Humanitarian Award recipient (photo: Jim Rosvold.)

Even before is college career, Bruce was involved in his community, volunteering for organizations like Habitat for Humanity. In all, he has contributed almost 1,200 hours to community service.

It was as a student at Williams that Bruce began to take on leadership roles in serving the community.

As a sophomore, he designed a “Read for Fun” program to encourage reading among local youth hockey players. If a youth player read a book and wrote up a book report, that player could then serve as a stick boy/girl at a future Williams hockey game.

Two years ago, Bruce and a teammate took over the organizing duties for “Best Buddies,” a program that matches the mentally and physically handicapped with Williams students for social interaction and activities.

As a junior, Bruce developed a financial education curriculum that he taught to low-income adults, and organized a volunteer service group that provided free-of-charge financial education and tax assistance for low-income adults and families.

Bruce is a participant in the Friends of Foster Families program, which works to mentor foster children living in the western Massachusetts community surrounding Williams College. He also coordinates volunteer efforts at a local homeless shelter to help kids with homework and preparation to obtain their GED.

Back home in Nashville, Tenn., Bruce has tutored low-income adults studying for the GED and volunteered at a local domestic violence shelter.

This is not the first time that Bruce has been recognized for his achievements in helping others. In January, he was awarded the John Wooden Citizenship Cup, given to “the most outstanding role model in college athletics who has made the greatest difference in the lives of others.” Named for legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, the award recognizes one amateur and one professional athlete each year. Previous winners include Peyton Manning and John Smoltz.

“This honor is well-deserved because Will has heightened the awareness of community service on our team,” said Williams coach Bill Kangas. “Coaches always talk to their teams about the memories they will make during their careers, but Will has created even more lasting memories by getting his teammates and scores of other (Williams) athletes into positions where they can make a lasting impact on the lives of others in need.”

“It’s a great honor to receive this award, but to me it recognizes more than an individual,” said Bruce. “This award recognizes the importance of teamwork. I’ve never had a teammate turn down a request to participate in a community service project.”

Bruce says that it was an honor just to be nominated.

“When I look at the past winners, and the nominees this year, it’s hard to pick a winner,” he said. “Caralyn Quan, who’s on the women’s team at Williams has done amazing things. And I’ve been able to meet Ashley King from Wayne State. She’s very deserving as well. I’m more a recipient than a winner.”

The senior forward, who recorded 31 points at Williams, majors in history and economics, with a overall 3.81 GPA. In October, he’ll begin a two-year fellowship at the University of Oxford in England where he will study philosophy of comparative social policy.

There’s pro hockey in the U.K., and several Division III players have played in leagues there.

“I’m bringing my equipment,” said Bruce. “You never know.”

2008 Division I Men’s Hockey All-Americans Named

USCHO Staff Report

April 11, 2008

Players from 14 different Division I programs are represented as American Hockey Coaches Association RBK All-Americans for the 2007-08 season. The top 24 college hockey players were announced Friday at the Frozen Four in Denver.

New Hampshire led all schools with four honorees, followed by Colorado College with three.

Just one player is a repeat All-American, junior defenseman Matt Gilroy of Boston University, a first-team choice this season and a second-team member in 2007.

In all, 18 players from the United States and six from Canada were named, hailing from ten states and three provinces. Half of the selections are seniors, along with 10 juniors, one sophomore and one freshman.

All-Americans are chosen by members of the American Hockey Coaches Association.

First Team All-Americans

East
G Kevin Regan, Sr., New Hampshire (South Boston, MA)
D Matt Gilroy, Jr., Boston University (North Bellemore, NY)
D Mike Moore, Sr., Princeton (Calgary, AB)
F Mike Radja, Sr., New Hampshire (Yorkville, IL)
F Lee Jubinville, Jr., Princeton (Edmonton, AB)
F Nathan Gerbe, Jr., Boston College (Oxford, MI)

West
G Richard Bachman, Fr., Colorado College (Highlands Ranch, CO)
D Tyler Eckford, Jr., Alaska (Langley, BC)
D Jack Hillen, Sr., Colorado College (Minnetonka, MN)
F Ryan Jones, Sr., Miami (Chatham, ON)
F T.J. Oshie, Jr., North Dakota (Warroad, MN)
F Kevin Porter, Sr., Michigan (Northville, MI)

Second Team All-Americans

East
G Josh Kassel, Jr., Army (Greensburg, PA)
D Grant Clitsome, Sr., Clarkson (Gloucester, ON)
D Brad Flaishans, Sr., New Hampshire (Glendale, AZ)
F Bryan Ewing, Sr., Boston University (Plymouth, MA)
F Peter MacArthur, Sr., Boston University (Clifton Park, NY)
F Matt Fornataro, Sr., New Hampshire (Calgary, AB)

West
G Jeff Lerg, Jr., Michigan State (Livonia, MI)
D Chris Butler, Jr., Denver (St. Louis, MO)
D Alec Martinez, Jr., Miami (Rochester, MI)
F Chad Rau, Jr., Colorado College (Eden Prairie, MN)
F Chad Kolarik, Sr., Michigan (Abington, PA)
F Ryan Lasch, So., St. Cloud State (Lake Forest, CA)

Tick Tock, Tick Tock

By Elliot Olshansky

April 11, 2008

So much for Jean-Philippe Lamoureux getting to shake Kevin Porter’s hand after the national championship game, huh?

Oh well…

In any case, the Hobey Baker Memorial Award will be presented tonight, in all likelihood to Kevin Porter, and while I won’t be watching the ceremony here in New York – I don’t get ESPNU…thank you very much, Cablevision – I do have a final thought or two to share on the race for college hockey’s top individual honor.

Unsurprisingly, there’s still a fair amount of displeasure in certain quarters about Nathan Gerbe making the Hobey Hat Trick, and as scintillating a performance as he had yesterday against North Dakota, it can’t change the way people feel about him as a Hobey candidate.

But here’s the problem.

The reality is that the Hobey is effectively college hockey’s Player of the Year award. This may strike you as obvious, but it’s important to keep in mind. Unlike college football, which has the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp in addition to the Heisman, and college basketball, which has multiple player of the year awards – most notably the Naismith Award (which doesn’t include character among its criteria) and the Wooden Award (which does) – college hockey has one award for its top player.

Make no mistake, the Hobey goes to the top player in college hockey. Kevin Porter is getting the award tonight because he’s a <i>better player</i> than Ryan Jones. In my estimation – and granted, I don’t know the players all that well personally – Jones suits the overall award criteria as well as anyone in recent memory, and a shade better than Porter. Eric Ehn probably fit the overall award criteria better than Ryan Duncan, for that matter, but in the end, this is the Player of the Year award, for all intents and purposes, and the best player, or the player who had the best season, wins (in theory). On that score, Nathan Gerbe clearly deserves to be among the three finalists for the award.

But that brings us back to T.J. Hensick, and the Hat Trick snub that hasn’t gone away.

While only those who were on the Hobey conference call know for sure, the prevailing wisdom is that Hensick’s 10-minute misconduct late in the 2007 West regional semifinal against North Dakota cost him a spot in the Hat Trick, if not the award itself. Now, I would suggest that that penalty cost him more because of what it did for his team’s chances at winning, where Gerbe’s infractions meant he had to sit out against New Hampshire, and we can see how much that mattered to BC in the long run. Still, that’s not a satisfying distinction for a lot of people, and that’s certainly understandable.

So, what do we do?

The way I see it, there are two options here. One would be to establish a separate Player of the Year award, with no character criteria, in addition to the Hobey. I don’t really like that idea. For one thing, I doubt anyone would care about the new award, and I also don’t think that we need two Player of the Year awards for our 58 teams.

The other solution is actually something that came up last year, in an impromptu radio discussion with ESPNU’s Bob Norton (and for the record, I was the only one of us who mentioned an eastern prep school…in that I happen to get along particularly well with Taft School alums in college hockey for some unknown reason).

The night before the 2007 Frozen Four, Bob and I were both guests on “Hockey on Campus,” on Boston-based 1510 The Zone, and with Bob’s encouragement, we were brought on air together to discuss the Hobey. Bob was upset about the whole Hensick debacle, and talked about character assassination on the conference call. Bob made the excellent point that a lot of the voters don’t know many of the candidates personally, and so negative discussions of character in that forum can be a dicey proposition.

The solution that Bob arrived at – or at least, the suggestion he made – was that character considerations should be able to help a Hobey candidate’s cause, but not hurt it.

Maybe that’s what happened here, and maybe it’s what should have happened last year, and T.J. Hensick should have been in the Hobey Hat Trick (although I don’t know who you’d take out in that case). However, what’s done is done, and all we can do now is go forward.

And tonight, Kevin Porter will go forward to accept the Hobey.

Up The History Ladder

USCHO Staff Report

April 11, 2008

When Jeff Jackson joined the Fighting Irish staff three years ago, he had hopes of someday getting the hockey tradition at Notre Dame mentioned in the same breath as the football program.

“I just love the storied tradition. I’ve always been a huge Knute Rockne fan and obviously some of the great football coaches,” he said after defeating Michigan State to move on to the Frozen Four. “My belief is that Notre Dame can have that same kind of storied tradition in hockey. It’ll always be a football school, but so is Michigan, so is Minnesota and so is Wisconsin … but they’re also hockey schools and that’s what I want to see Notre Dame become.”

Now, with the school’s first win in the Frozen Four, he’s taken the program higher and faster than anyone — much less himself — had thought.

Captain Mark Van Guilder is among the Irish players who have bought into Jeff Jackson’s systems (photo: Melissa Wade).

“I thought it was going to take us five years,” he said, “but I didn’t realize the type of kids that were in the program when I took the job and all that credit goes to [assistant coaches] Andy Slaggert and Paul Pooley for bringing those players in. I think it was just trying to change the culture.”

Jackson attributed the beginning of the change to three things — work ethic, discipline and team chemistry.

“Those three things were the main focus during the first year and we started showing signs of progress in the second half of that first year,” he said. “We went .500 in the second half [and then-Hobey Baker candidate David] Brown started to show what he was made out of.”

The momentum the Irish built in Jackson’s first year carried on to last season, when the team went from a below-.500 season to a mere seven losses.

“We started up last season in the same mode we finished the previous year in and we caught a couple people off-guard,” he continued.

Couple Jackson’s changes with pieces already in place — the players and other staffers — and you’ve got a recipe for a successful program.

“One of the unsung heroes of our program is the strength and conditioning coach [Tony Rolinski], and it just so happened that he and I were right on the same page,” said Jackson. “We hit it off great, so 6 a.m. workouts got us right in the right direction and getting guys on board.

“I think the culture changed because [the players] wanted it to change; they wanted to be successful. These kids like [Mark] Van Guilder, I mean, this senior group and last year’s seniors, those kids wanted to have some success so the were willing to buy into anything we were selling.”

Van Guilder, this year’s captain, was one of the players who bought in willingly and is more than happy for the reward on his investment.

“My freshman year, I was hoping to just maybe make the tournament … once,” he said, “maybe play an NCAA tournament game. When Coach Jackson showed up my sophomore year, the whole attitude changed, the whole culture changed and it’s been quite a turnaround.

“It’s awesome for us seniors. We’re going to look back at our career when it’s all done,” he said, quickly amending that they’re not done yet. “We’ve come a long ways and we’re really proud of that.”

Van Guilder and his Irish teammates have solidified themselves not only in the Notre Dame history books, but the NCAA ice hockey history books as well, as the only No. 4 seed ever to make the Frozen Four, much less the championship game.

Saturday night, they have a chance to become the first to win it, putting Notre Dame hockey in the same breath as Notre Dame football and basketball.