This Week in Hockey East: Jan. 4, 2007

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January 4, 2007

Dave Hendrickson is currently in Europe. He said that it has something to do with watching his son, Ryan, play hockey for Wesleyan … but that may just mean that he plans to eat several seven-course meals in Paris to honor No. 7 for the Wesleyan Cardinals.

Unhappy New Year

Last weekend resulted in almost every Hockey East team saying “good riddance” to 2006. The league’s teams competed in eight holiday tournaments, and Maine did win the Florida Hockey Classic in impressive style, knocking off Western Michigan and Cornell.

Otherwise, though, the outcomes left several squads with the equivalent of a nasty New Year’s Day hangover. Five of the eight teams lost their first-round game and were resigned to battling for third place in a four-team field. In the end, Hockey East came away with one win and two second-place finishes (Mass.-Lowell and Vermont, the latter at home). Boston University, New Hampshire, and Northeastern finished third in their tournaments, while UMass and Providence finished last. The Minutemen lost decisively to Alabama-Huntsville in a bit of a shocker.

For good measure — or bad measure, actually — Merrimack didn’t play in a tournament but went down to Robert Morris and came home with just one of four possible points.

Perhaps Boston College was wise to stay home for the holidays.

“We didn’t do very well,” Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna said. “You try to use that opportunity to kind of launch the second half, and these things are kind of waiting in the bushes to get you when you check the computer rankings in late February and early March because these things all play into how the whole league fares down the line. So yeah, it’s kind of disappointing.”

Bertagna also sees more parity in college hockey these days, which gives another perspective on the dismal tournament showing.

“I’ve watched these things for so long that I try not to overreact to them. This weekend there were scores that you just look at and scratch your head, but you know what? I’m looking at the way the game is played these days, and I don’t see a lot of great players and great teams; I see a lot of good players and good teams. On a given night, it’s hard to see who the best player is on the ice. I think that women’s hockey still has that.

“It’s funny, I think what that adds up to on a given night is you don’t know what’s going to happen. At the same time, I don’t want to belittle what Maine did, going down there and winning a title.”

Terrier coach Jack Parker feels that other programs feel a little extra motivation when playing Hockey East teams. “I frankly think some other leagues get more pumped up to play the Hockey East schools than we get pumped up to play them,” Parker said. I think that none of us [except Vermont] were playing in our own tournaments [unlike Denver and Minnesota, for example]. That makes a big difference when you’re on the road, etcetera. But also all the leagues are pretty good.”

So if playing on the road is a factor, what about having another holiday tournament or two in the northeast? “I think we all would [like that], but there are certain climates that can really support that kind of event,” Bertagna said. “There’s an economic reality that buildings in Denver and Minnesota and Wisconsin [that people will come to those games]. Here on a given night you don’t know what you have [in terms of attendance].”

That said, Bertagna brightened when I told him what Parker announced on CN8 between periods last weekend: BU expects to play Cornell in Madison Square Garden next Thanksgiving break.

“That would be great,” Bertagna said. “The ECAC used to have a holiday festival, both a basketball and hockey tournament at the Garden. My sophomore year was Harvard, Clarkson, Yale, and Bowdoin in those days when you didn’t mind having a Division III team in the mix. There were no computer rankings. And it was a big thrill to go to New York and dovetailing hockey with shopping and all the things in New York.”

Senses Working Overtime

Probably everyone who works at USCHO.com does something or other that goes under the radar of our readers. One of my minor duties for the past few years has been writing our Question of the Week. As you might have seen, I recently asked readers whether they would like to see college hockey adopt a four-on-four overtime period, a shootout, or both, or neither.

The results were interesting. About two-thirds of over 8,000 readers who replied said they were in favor of changing something — whether the four-on-four OT or the shootout, or both. About 30% said that nothing should be changed.

I thought it would be interesting to run the question by those that I interviewed for this week’s column.

“My personal feeling is that I’d like to see the four-on-four,” Bertagna said. “I’m not a big fan of shootouts: It puts the fate of the game in too few peoples’ hands. I think it’s very anti-climactic to play 65 minutes and then have the shootout.

“I’m also not a big fan of changing how points are awarded. I’d like to see the four-on-four, maybe even a longer overtime — a seven-minute overtime. But then the losing team loses and the winning team gets two points. I’ve never been in favor of these weird standings where you’ve got a shootout loss. But I’m all in favor of a four-on-four overtime or a longer overtime. I bet you’d cuts ties down by half.”

Jack Parker’s viewpoint was almost identical on a four-on-four OT. “I think we should go to four-on-four. I don’t think we should go to a shootout. Why I think it would be a good idea to go to four-on-four and maybe even make it a little bit longer — an eight-minute overtime — would be to maybe eliminate more ties and create some more offense.”

Parker had a slightly different take on the shootout, though he also acknowledged the problem with the standings.

“I don’t mind the shootout for an extra point — everybody gets a tie and then somebody an extra point. But a shootout for a win or loss is completely different. It died out because the NCAA wouldn’t allow it. We tried it out for two years and then they said no. If you want to try a certain rule, you can go for a couple of years. The other reason it died out was because we had different records. It didn’t make sense: Our Hockey East record didn’t look the same as our NCAA record. ‘Is this a win or tie?'”

UNH coach Dick Umile made it unanimous on the four-on-four overtime period. “I’m not a shootout fan,” Umile said. “We had it in our league for a couple of years, and I know the NHL has done it. If I had to choose, I would rather have it done in a team way, so four-on-four would be the way that I’d want to go. Then you’re relying on your team, not just three guys or five guys — however you choose to do it. Let the team determine it.”

Playing the devil’s advocate on the shootout issue, I told Bertagna that the shootout has been a big hit in the NHL. “When they play 70 or 80 games in the NHL, you have to remember that it’s also showbiz,” Bertagna said. “I remember [former Maine coach] Shawn Walsh saying ‘We’re in the entertainment business.’ And I said, ‘No, Shawn, we’re in the education business and we hope to be entertaining — there’s a difference.’ So I’m not sure we have the exact same dynamic that the pros have.”

So it looks like there is little support for a shootout. But what about making four-on-four in overtime a reality in college hockey?

“I know that the Rules Committee put the one thing in the rulebook this year under ‘Future Considerations.’ It doesn’t say how, but they do say that they want to focus on the elimination of ties. So they must’ve had something behind that; they must’ve had some discussions that led to that being on the rulebook. So now we’ll have to see if they say ‘Well, we’ve teased you on that… Now how are we going to do it?’

Bullish in Durham

Notwithstanding Maine’s outstanding record and bragging rights in the current USCHO.com/CSTV poll, the story of the season within Hockey East is certainly UNH. Everyone expected a tight pack of teams at the top going into January, but the Wildcats have put a surprising degree of distance between themselves and the competition. They currently are 10-1-1 for 21 points in league action.

Granted, every other team in the top five has two or even three games in hand versus UNH, but it will take quite a hot streak by another club combined with a Wildcat slump for anyone to threaten the top spot in the standings.

As you would expect, though, Wildcat coach Dick Umile is not exactly encouraging any notions of coronating his team at this point in the season. “Obviously we’ve played a few more games than the other teams,” Umile said. “We’ve put ourselves in a good position following the first half, but that can quickly change in the second half. Going into this weekend against Vermont, it’s a huge opportunity for us; it’s a huge opportunity for them.

“We had a great first half, and we talked about when we came back [from break]. It’s over. This is another season. Obviously it would be great if we could hold our own and duplicate the first half, but there’s a lot of Hockey East games now, and we know that the quality of Hockey East is tremendous.”

After some mediocre showings back in late October, the team turned the corner after a 4-4 tie against BU. “They’ve had a great first half, a great run,” Parker said. “They were struggling in goal earlier. The game we played up there, 4-4, I don’t think [Kevin] Regan played all that well. And then all of a sudden he got hot as a pistol; he’s been playing great lately. They’ve always had good offense but they’re playing better defensively too. They’re a team to be reckoned with.”

“Kevin got in a groove, but the team has scored too,” Umile said. “It’s a pretty good combination when you’ve got great goaltending and you get some balanced scoring throughout your team. We have several players who have been consistent in scoring, and Kevin got it going right after the BU weekend.”

In particular, Umile cited forwards Trevor Smith, Michael Radja, and Matt Fornataro as players who have exceeded expectations so far, along with Regan. Smith, a sophomore, is leading the team with 11 goals and 15 assists for 26 points in just 18 games. Last season Smith scored just 20 points in 39 games. Junior Matt Fornataro has chipped in nine goals and 15 assists; he is well on his way to scoring more points this season than he did in his first two years combined.

Meanwhile, junior Radja has 14 goals already–coming close to the 16 goals he scored in first two seasons combined.

Unfortunately, though, it will be a while before Wildcat fans see Radja again. “He got hurt over the holidays in the last period in our last game, and he’s going to be out for a while,” Umile said. Radja has a knee injury, possibly to his MCL, and he’s sidelined indefinitely. “It’s a big loss for us.”

Speaking of big losses, UNH suffered their first in quite a while down in Florida. Cornell has been perennially cursed in that Florida holiday tournament, so they certainly were overdue to at least get to the championship.

“We didn’t play great in the third period down in Florida,” Umile said. “We won the first period; they won the second period. Basically the game was up for grabs, and we came out and didn’t get enough quality shots. They made the most of their opportunities and beat us. Cornell is a good team. We bounced back the second night against Western Michigan and played well. Now it’s all about this weekend and Vermont.”

The two-game UNH-Vermont series is obviously the marquee matchup in the league this weekend. Getting the better of it would give UNH an almost insurmountable lead in the standings, but it won’t be easy to do at Gutterson Fieldhouse.

“Alfond has been our toughest [place to play],” Umile said. “We’ve won our last two at Alfond, but over the years it’s been our hardest place to play. Gutterson is another place that’s very tough to play. It’s a great atmosphere. It’s like playing at the Whit; it’s what college hockey is all about when you go into those buildings with fans who are very passionate about their programs, the excitement and the enthusiasm. Those are the kind of games we like to play in.”

Besides the tough road trip to Vermont, UNH still hosts Maine twice and has home-and-home series to come with BU and BC. So it’s doubtful that they’ll go the rest of the way without losing at least three games … but that may not matter with the kind of lead they’ve got.

Saints and Sinners

BU’s loss to St. Lawrence in the opener of the Ledyard Bank Tournament in Hanover, New Hampshire, was their most disappointing defeat of the season in my book. Watching on TV, I found myself thinking that there was no way that they were going to lose the game based on how they were playing through the first 45 minutes or so. In the end, Parker had good reason to be upset about the officiating, but he was quick to acknowledge that the game should have been decided long before two calls went against them.

“We can talk about the bad calls — one of the calls was ridiculous at the end of the game when they tied it up,” Parker said. “He called [Tom Morrow] for hooking, and my guy’s got one hand on the stick, and the guy grabs a hold of the stick and jumps up in the air, and they call him for hooking. And then there’s the call [in overtime] where [Matt Gilroy]’s batting at the puck at the net, and they call him for intentionally knocking the net off, and he was playing the puck. And you know that the consequence is going to be a penalty shot if he makes that call.

“That being said, as bad as those calls were, we shouldn’t have been in that position. We should’ve had the game won before the third period started. We had all kinds of chances. One of the problems with my team is that we play much better when we’re behind or tied. The minute we get ahead by one, it’s as if we’re winning 5-1. It’s unbelievable. And it’s been going on all year long. We let them hang around after we get ahead. So we can complain about the refereeing making a debacle out of it because they certainly did, but it should’ve never gotten that far.”

I’ve watched the better part of BU’s game this year, and Parker certainly has his finger on it. So far this has been a team that plays their best when losing. While that’s an admirable quality, Terrier fans would be delighted to see a team that gets a one-goal lead and reacts like a starving shark that’s just picked up the slightest taste of blood.

The Best News of the Weekend

The most remarkable news in a downer weekend for much of the league had to be the return of Terrier senior defenseman Kevin Schaeffer. Just 27 days after suffering serious facial injuries due to a vicious off-ice attack in an early-morning incident off campus, Schaeffer amazingly returned to the lineup and played well beyond expectations.

“The way he looked after the injury and before his operation, I thought he may be out for the rest of the year,” Parker said. “For him to have the operation and then come back as quickly as he has … The plastic surgeon said he’d be fine: As long as he’s wearing a face mask there’s no problem. The amazing part about it is not even that he played but how well he played too. As the game progressed, he played better and better. I dressed [defenseman] Dan McGoff [as a fourth-line forward] because I thought maybe we’d have to sit him for a while because he’d get exhausted. He’s not in great shape, but he played very well.”

Fittingly, Schaeffer rounded out the scoring in BU’s 3-0 victory over Dartmouth in the consolation game with a long empty-netter. With Schaeffer back in the lineup, BU fans also can look forward to the return of last year’s Hockey East Rookie of the Year to the lineup … but not quite yet. Sophomore wing Brandon Yip is practicing with the team but not expected to play this weekend … but he could return in time for the Terriers trip to Maine the following weekend.

Must-Miss TV

When interviewing Dick Umile on the phone earlier this week, I told him that the team’s success had taken me by surprise — particularly because they are 0-2-1 in the games I’ve watched this season. Umile was all over me about that.

“Don’t watch the games this weekend,” he quipped. “I’ll buy you dinner: Don’t watch it this weekend. You saw it on TV? It’s on NESN this weekend: Don’t watch it.”

I told him not to worry because I expected to be at Agganis covering the BU game on Saturday.

“That’s a good thing,” Umile said. “We’ve got a shot.”

Trivia Contest

In the most recent column, I passed along a question for Dave to use. It was called “Friends Turned Foes.” It was as follows: There have been countless situations in which former Hockey East teammates faced off against each other in National Hockey League action. But who were the first pair of former teammates to score in the same game this season while playing for opposing teams?

The answer was former Terrier teammates Ryan Whitney and Freddy Meyer. Back on November 20, the two blueliners scored for their respective teams — the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers — in a game that the Penguins won 5-3. Meyer’s reward? A trade to the New York Islanders.

The first to answer this one correctly was Chris Donnelly. His cheer:

“MERRIMACK HOCKEY: CRUISING INTO THE HOLIDAYS WITH A ONE GAME WIN STREAK!”

Here’s this week’s question. Name THREE current or former Hockey East players OR coaches who either have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Canada OR who have a RELATIVE who was has been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. I know of three individuals who fit the bill, but I won’t swear that there aren’t more than that … especially since Dave and I both have an abysmal track record when it comes to getting our own trivia questions correct.

I may ask for documentation if you try to claim that Kaj Linna was the secret love child of Phil Esposito and Kim Novak… or that Jean-Yves Roy is a second cousin twice removed of Patrick Roy.

E-mail me with your answer. The winner will be notified by Monday night; if you haven’t heard by then you either had the wrong answer or someone else beat you to it.

As always, you can also submit suggested trivia questions to the same e-mail address and if your question is used, you’ll get a cheer as long as you were first to submit it. Please include something like “SUGGESTION” in the subject line.

And Finally, Not That It Has Anything To Do With Anything, But…

• As mentioned earlier in the column, Dave Hendrickson is theoretically in Europe watching his son play hockey for Wesleyan. I mentioned this to Dick Umile, who asked where they were playing. I told him I didn’t know, and Umile opined that he hoped the team had the sense to schedule games in, say, southern Italy. My reaction: “Knowing Dave, he’s probably stuck in Scotland enjoying some lovely weather.”

• When BU lost to St. Lawrence on a successful penalty shot in overtime by freshman phenom Mike McKenzie, a CN8 reporter interviewer talked to him. A great moment in the interview came when McKenzie was asked why he chose to go to St. Lawrence. “Actually, they were the only team that offered me a scholarship,” McKenzie said. Given that he now has a team-leading 7-10-17 in 19 games played, a few programs are probably wondering how he slipped under the radar — especially given that he was division MVP in the OPJHL with 39-38-77 in just 40 games played last year.

For Michigan, GLI Disappointments Continue

By Amber Colvin

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January 4, 2007

Red Berenson, the image of the great tradition that embodies Michigan athletics, fiddled with his 1998 National Championship ring as he answered questions after the Great Lakes Invitational championship game Saturday night.

But it seemed like a new kind of tradition was surfacing from the legendary coach’s carefully planned answers — a losing one.

The 4-1 loss to No. 14 Michigan State at Joe Louis Arena made it a decade since the Wolverines men’s hockey team last won the Invitational. They were last crowned GLI Champions in 1996, the final year of their record nine consecutive GLI Championships.

“We had a pretty good team here,” Berenson said. “We thought we had some momentum — but we just didn’t do it.”

Prior to this year’s tournament, the 42nd edition of it, Michigan had the most GLI Championships of any team. But with the Spartans (7-5-1 CCHA, 11-7-1 overall) taking home the trophy, the archrivals are now tied with 11 titles a piece.

Michigan State made it clear it was bound for the trophy from the minute the puck hit the ice. The Spartans bolted from the gates with a handful of big, physical hits and maintained control in Michigan’s zone with ease.

Wolverine netminder Billy Sauer, who helped defeat Michigan Tech 4-1 by stopping 27 shots the night before, withstood the flurry the Spartans fired his way during the first half of the opening stanza.

But the sophomore goaltender could only stand so long. With No. 10 Michigan (8-5, 13-8) playing a man down, the Spartans struck with a well-placed wrister from Tim Crowder.

The Wolverines tied it up with a power-play goal of their own the next period. Sophomore Travis Turnbull looked to hit Brandon Naurato waiting in the slot, but instead the puck bounced off the inside of a Michigan State defender’s knee and right past goalie Jeff Lerg.

But that would be the only time the puck found its way behind the tiny Spartan. The Wolverines tried to feed off the momentum from their lucky bounce, but the referee’s whistle killed their energy fast.

The procession to the penalty box started with the lone Michigan goal scorer, Turnbull, who was called for hooking. Next was a double-minor for junior Chad Kolarik, followed by penalties to freshman Chris Summers and senior Jason Dest.

Again, Sauer did what he could to protect his goal, but the Spartan power play crashed his net relentlessly until Crowder delivered an almost exact replica of his first goal.

“We started to play well,” Berenson said. “We carried the play in their zone, and then we took the penalty. It was four on four, all of a sudden it was four-on-three, five-on-three, and the game turned the other way.”

Michigan State sucked out any remaining life from the Wolverines, making it 3-1 on a shorthanded goal from GLI Most Valuable Player Bryan Lerg. Michigan senior Matt Hunwick bobbled the puck at the blue line, waiting to set something up for the lifeless Wolverine power play. Lerg saw the vulnerability, pounced on it and then streaked down the ice to jam it past Sauer.

“Our power play is struggling to score, you give up a shorthanded goal, the timing of it, the big game — that’s a game breaker,” Berenson said.

Michigan’s power play was without two players from its top line, standout sophomores Andrew Cogliano and Jack Johnson. Both were in Sweden representing Canada and the United States, respectively, at the IIHF World Junior Championship tournament.

But Berenson said missing two of the team’s stars was no excuse for the disappointing performance, especially for a squad with seven seniors getting one last chance at a GLI Championship.

The night before, Hunwick had said how much a triumph over an archrival in the championship game would mean to him.

“Every game against Michigan State’s huge,” the captain said. ” But this one’s not just a regular season game; this one has something on the line. We have to play in this arena a few more times this season – it’d be nice to have our banner hanging in the rafters.”

But that desire didn’t translate onto the ice Saturday night.

Instead, the two banners hovering in the Joe, one from the GLI and one from the 2006 CCHA Tournament, are green and white.

This Week in the CCHA: Jan. 4, 2007

By Paula C. Weston

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January 4, 2007

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2007, the Official Year of the CCHA!

Yes, I just made that up. But it’s catchy, isn’t it? And every year has to have a slogan. It’s a rule.

Sure, there were other candidates for this year’s slogan. There was “2007: Better Than 2006!” Has a nice ring to it, but not quite to our specific point.

“2007, The Year of Notre Dame!” might have worked, were it not for the Sugar Bowl.

“2007 — The Year Everyone Gets Corporate Sponsorship!” had potential, but think about the repercussions. While I’ve found it increasingly difficult to keep from personally selling out — tempting though the “Mr. Bubble This Week in the CCHA by Paula C. Weston” was — giving sponsorship to everyone for everything would not only be a bit of overkill (or redundancy, depending on your perspective), but who needs the new mental lexicon that would accompany such a move? Think of what would happen if ordinary citizens sported corporate logos on a regular basis.

Well, you know what I mean.

So after much market research and several adult beverages on the lanai at Hacienda Weston in Beverly Hills, Fla., during the holiday break, I came up with the perfect slogan for the dawning year.

2007: Official Year of the CCHA!

It’s a hard sell, to be sure. The league does have going for it the college hockey story of the year, Notre Dame. Three of the nation’s top 10 teams play in the CCHA, including No. 2 Notre Dame. (Say it with me: “Number two Notre Dame.” Sounds nice.) And the league is 37-29-9 in nonconference play, which includes a perfect 16-0-0 record against the AHA.

The league has players in all the top national stats categories. Michigan’s T.J. Hensick (third) and Kevin Porter (sixth), Miami’s Nathan Davis (fourth), and Alaska’s Kyle Greentree (seventh) are among the top 10 players in the country for points per game. Greentree is tied for second in goals per game and power-play goals per game, and Hensick is first in assists per game.

Davis and Northern Michigan’s Mike Santorelli are among the players tied for first in number of shorthanded goals scored per game. Michigan State’s Bryan Lerg, Miami’s Ryan Jones, and Notre Dame’s Ryan Thang are among the players tied for first in game-winning goals.

We have Lake Superior’s Jeff Jakaitis at No. 2 in the nation for save percentages, and Notre Dame’s David Brown is third in winning percentage.

Michigan, Nebraska-Omaha, and Notre Dame are Nos. 4, 5, and 6 respectively in scoring offense, while the Irish are No. 2 defensively.

None of the CCHA’s teams graces the top 10 among average minutes per game, although Ferris State knocks on the door at No. 11 with 22.2. (The Bulldogs are in good company. That’s what Minnesota averages.) Even Ohio State, which has in the past been the league’s — and the nation’s — top offender, is down to No. 45 on the penalty minutes list, averaging just 15.9 per game.

The CCHA has so much to offer college hockey, the nation, the planet. But we need a little faith here, people, to sustain us in 2007. The league hasn’t placed an also-ran in the Frozen Four since 2003, and in the past 10 years, the only non-Michigan and non-Michigan State representative in the Frozen Four has been Ohio State.

And while it was nice covering superb teams from other leagues in Milwaukee, Columbus, and Boston, this girl reporter will be singing the blues in St. Louis if the CCHA doesn’t represent.

Congratulations, Notre Dame

With a two-game sweep of Northern Michigan last weekend, the Fighting Irish have moved into sole possession of first place in the CCHA.

This is the latest the Irish have ever been first place in league standings, the last latest time having come in early December of 2003.

Note that the top two teams in league standings hail from a state other than Michigan, which is home to half the league’s teams.

And the Winners Are…

…Michigan State and Ohio State. Congratulations to the league’s two midseason tournament champions.

The Spartans earned their 11th title in the 42nd annual Great Lakes Invitational tournament in Joe Louis Arena in Detroit by beating Harvard 5-2 and Michigan 4-1. Spartan Bryan Lerg was the tournament MVP.

The Buckeyes earned their first title in the third annual Ohio Hockey Classic in Nationwide Arena in Columbus by beating Minnesota-Duluth 4-1 and Miami 5-3. Buckeye Sean Collins was the tournament MVP.

Of course, in each of these tournaments, the CCHA had a fair chance of capturing the title, given that five of the eight teams participating were from the CCHA. But odds alone have not been enough to guarantee league success in recent years.

In this new millennium, the GLI has been dominated by the one team that isn’t a regular part of the tournament: North Dakota (2001), Boston University (2002), Boston College (2003), and Colorado College (2005). The sole defender of the CCHA in the past six years has been MSU, which also captured the GLI title in 2004.

The first annual Ohio Hockey Classic in 2004 went to those overachieving Colorado College Tigers. CC and OSU actually tied, 2-2, in the title game, but the championship was decided by a shootout. Last year’s OHC crown went to Miami, which also tied OSU (1-1) and won the tourney by means of a shootout.

(So the Buckeyes, two-year bridesmaids of the tournament they co-founded with the RedHawks, will finally get to see what kind of honeymoon a midseason tournament title can bring.)

The Lake Superior State Lakers made a good run of the Badger Showdown, beating Providence 2-1 before losing to Clarkson 3-2 in the title game. (Perhaps the Badgers themselves should rethink their commitment to their own midseason tournament…but I digress.)

It was great to see Ferris State attempt to recreate midseason magic at the Dodge Holiday Classic (see “Badger Showdown” in the annals of history for details), but there was no way that FSU was getting by Minnesota in the title match. A valiant effort, to be sure.

And next year, Anchorage, the Nanooks are bringing home the Governor’s Cup.

Observations from the OHC

For the third annual Ohio Hockey Classic, all three of Ohio’s D-I schools participated, and for the first time in the tourney’s short history, the title was not determined by a shootout.

I have mixed feelings about this tournament. It’s too young to be what it should be, a great celebration of hockey in the state of Ohio. It has the potential for that, as hockey in Ohio is growing faster than most people realize.

Of course, I love covering a tournament in an NHL rink just a few short miles from my apartment. Nationwide Arena is beautiful, and the hometown fans (read “Buckeye fans”) must love it because OSU has never lost there (6-0-2 all-time). But another part of me misses the Great Lakes Invitational, which I covered before the OHC came to town.

It was such a disappointment to see so few fans in Nationwide Arena. There were less than 4,000 fans there each day, and it seemed to me that there were actually fewer fans this year than last, regardless of what official numbers say. The crowds seemed less enthusiastic, yet for the third year in a row the title game provided first-rate college hockey.

The atmosphere did, however, provide one of the best quips I’ve heard in a while. “You know it’s quiet when you can hear the penalty box door shut,” said my colleague, Jeff Svoboda, during the UMD-OSU game. The press box at Nationwide is a few stories above ice level.

The growing rivalry between Miami and Ohio State is fun to watch and can only foster more interest in college hockey throughout Ohio. With Miami and OSU meeting in the OHC title match for the second consecutive year, the RedHawks and Buckeyes will have met five times during the regular season for the second straight year, also, and while I see that as a good thing — the games between these teams are always entertaining — I wonder if the local sports fans have the necessary attention span to care.

Given that Miami and OSU play each other four times per year, guaranteed, the field itself isn’t much of a draw for local fans. Bowling Green? Even if all three Ohio teams were top 10, it would still be a tough card to sell. These Midwesterners want something more exotic, like any team from east of Pittsburgh. Mid-Pennsylvania and east — now that’s exotic.

I also have to wonder why more wasn’t done to get Blue Jackets fans in the seats the second day. Columbus was on the road the night before, but given how few bodies were in seats, perhaps the franchise could have done more to get people in the building the second day. How many towns have brothers that play for the local professional team and D-I college squad, as do Dan and Tom Fritsche?

It would be nice, too, simply to see Blue Jackets involvement in the event. At Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, the winner of the Great Lakes Invitational gets to raise a banner to the rafters that hangs there for a whole year. What a thrill that would be — and what a great opportunity to build the hockey community in Columbus — if the same were done for the OHC in Nationwide.

And the local media interest was next to nothing. The Blue Jackets are a distant second behind OSU football for media attention in this city, so you can guess where college hockey might be.

Of course, there was plenty of attention paid to the Columbus Dispatch. The Dispatch does more than cover the Blue Jackets; the Dispatch is part owner of the CBJs, because in the 21st Century we no longer care about conflict of interest.

The single most annoying part of the weekend was the in-house promotion showed on the big center-ice screen, ostensibly for the Blue Jackets Book Jackets, a program originated by former CBJ and Wolverine Blake Sloan to get kids interested in reading. The program’s great, but the promo was a thinly veiled attempt to promote the Columbus Dispatch.

Two Blue Jackets are talking about reading with a small child. The child asks the players what they read. One player responds, “The newspaper. It’s like reading a new book every day.”

And then the other player says, “And you can read the newspaper for the Blue Jackets Book Jackets.”

Grooming little newspaper subscribers under the guise of promoting a genuinely worthy cause. Slick. Would that they put such effort into growing the local, integrated hockey community.

Here are some impressions on each team’s performance from the Ohio Hockey Classic.

Bowling Green

The Falcons appeared to have played better than their record, but they have very little game from the circles to the net in their opponents’ end. Other than Jonathan Matsumoto — who is as pure a goal-scorer as there is in college hockey — they didn’t really have any finishers, and when Minnesota-Duluth turned up its play in the consolation game, BG couldn’t match the Bulldogs.

One very bright spot for BGSU was the play of Jimmy Sprat, who gave BG every opportunity to compete.

“Jimmy, slowly here over the last four or five games, has been finding a little groove,” said BGSU head coach Scott Paluch after Bowling Green’s loss to Miami. “I thought tonight here he was really sharp, strong and tight on some power-play chances. I thought he held his ground well, pretty composed, confident.”

While the Falcons ended the first half with a nine-goal output in Fairbanks, they really are doing almost everything but scoring. There are other little things — passes seem off, and the team doesn’t seem to play together as a team — but I never got the impression that the players are down or that they’ve given up. In fact, there appeared to be good chemistry among the players, on the bench and after the games. Being around them and watching them play, you just get the feeling that they’re this close to being much more competitive.

Miami

What to say about Miami? A solid team with depth at every position, especially now that Charlie Effinger is back from his bout with mononucleosis.

In fact, Effinger looked superb, like he’d never taken time off. With a tandem in net through the end of the season, the RedHawks will have a chance to win every single game.

But they’re more than the sum of goaltenders Effinger and Jeff Zatkoff. Miami is simply very solid at every position, with talented newcomers — Jarod Palmer comes to mind — to shore up a team that has staying power. They are emotional, which sometimes gets them into penalty trouble but also makes for inspired play, always provides excitement on the ice.

And they’re very obviously well coached.

Ohio State

The Buckeyes looked like the talented team they were last year with one exception: they can score goals.

Last year, OSU had everything but scoring going for it. The Bucks would put a gazillion shots on net and not light the lamp, resulting in an interesting but frustrating season.

They competed well against Miami in December, but the Buckeyes looked better than good at the OHC. Having Tom Fritsche back elevates their level play in immeasurable ways; not only is he one of the best players in college hockey, but he’s so happy to be back in the game after his extended illness that his enthusiasm is like a tonic for a team that was never really down on itself to begin with.

The key to OSU at the OHC, though, was the smart play of Joseph Palmer, whose maturation can only be welcome news for a team that can roll four lines, score regularly, and play defense.

And the Buckeyes are very well coached, as evidenced by the coaching staff’s diligence to put the team back on track this season.

Minnesota-Duluth

Do you really want to know what I think of a team from the WCHA? Well, based on these two games alone, I am left wondering two things: What’s happened between 2004, when the Bulldogs went to the Frozen Four, and now? Was it all Junior Lessard?

The Bulldogs looked absolutely lackluster in their game against Ohio State, from the listless way that the starters took the blue line before the national anthem to the way they fought for puck possession. They seemed at least a step or two behind the Buckeyes.

Duluth started backup goaltender Josh Johnson, but it wouldn’t have mattered who they started against Miami. They were outmatched.

Head coach Scott Sandelin, as usual, was down to earth and quotable, a reporter’s dream.

It is absolutely in college hockey’s best interest to see this tournament grow into something bigger and better. Miami is becoming increasingly recognizable for all of its athletics, and Ohio State is a name brand.

Making Sean Collins Look Good, One Game at a Time

OSU senior defenseman and captain Sean Collins doesn’t actually need anyone to make him look good, but having junior forward Tom Fritsche back in the lineup doesn’t hurt at all.

Collins registered two gorgeous goals in the Ohio Hockey Classic last weekend, one each against Minnesota-Duluth and Miami, and Fritsche was the set-up man each time. For both goals, Fritsche’s patience was key to the play. On Friday, he waited for both a UMD defender and Duluth goaltender Josh Johnson to commit before feeding Collins across the crease. Saturday, he broke in and waited for Collins to catch up to center the pass that led to the goal.

“I don’t know what happened,” said Collins the second night. “I think I passed out for a second. I don’t remember. That’s exactly what it was; he put it right on my stick. I figured I was right there [and] I might as well put it in.”

For once, I’m not arguing with the league’s pick for Defenseman of the Week. Sure, Collins scored two pretty goals, but he was a monster defensively and a clear leader on the ice, and earned his OHC MVP award for play on both sides of the puck.

Games to Watch

The two series to watch this week are the Alaska-Ohio State series and the Ferris State-Northern Michigan set.

Alaska and OSU are tied in the standings, but each team seems to be poised to have dissimilar second halves. The Nanooks are bringing a three-game losing streak to Columbus, and they are 1-5-2 on the road this season, having been outscored 30-19 in those games.

The Buckeyes are 2-1-1 in their last four games, with three of those games played against No. 6 Miami, against whom they compiled a 1-1-1 record. If their play in that span is any indication, they may be on the verge of making a Michigan-State-esque second-half turnaround.

The Nanooks and Buckeyes are tied for sixth place, each with 13 points, each only three points away from third-place Michigan.

The Bulldogs and Wildcats are both underachieving this season, and each team has a chance to gain ground this weekend. Like the Nanooks and Wildcats, these two teams may be on opposite courses. Even though FSU is three points behind NMU in league standings and both are inches away from the cellar, the Bulldogs have much more momentum than do the Wildcats.

FSU ended the first half of the season with a loss and tie to ranked LSSU and a first-round tie with its shootout win gave FSU a shot at No. 1 Minnesota in the Dodge Classic, while the Wildcats dropped two league games last weekend to Notre Dame, capping a December that saw six league losses.

In all likelihood, neither series will change the face of league standings much, but each may be an interesting character study.

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to Alaska freshman Dion Knelsen, who turns 18 the day this column is published. I’m eager to see the Nanook wunderkind — who puts the “scholar” in scholar-athlete — play this weekend in Columbus.

Apologies to the League

Before the holiday break, I took the CCHA to task for naming Nebraska-Omaha’s Scott Parse as “Defensive Player of the Week.” No such award exists. As the league’s Director of Communications (and FSN Detroit analyst) Fred Pletsch emailed to remind me, the weekly award is for Defenseman of the Week.

My apologies. My mislabeling of the award was more than a momentary brain lapse on my part. It was false advertising of the highest degree.

How Can We Pass Up This Note?

According to this week’s CCHA press release, Commissioner Tom Anastos has moved from No. 81 to No. 68 on The Hockey News’ eighth annual list of hockey’s top 100 people of power and influence.

Maybe he can use his influence to promote “2007, the Official Year of the CCHA!”

This Week in D-III Women’s Hockey:
Jan. 4, 2007

By Matt Rennell

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January 4, 2007

Is there a better way to ring in 2007? In the NESCAC, No. 2 Middlebury ventures to Maine to take on Colby and No. 10 ranked Bowdoin in pivotal conference matchups for the Panthers. In nonconference action, No. 8 Utica, who recently won the St. Michael’s Tournament with consecutive 5-1 wins over Colby and Neumann, plays host to New England College before traveling to Williams to take on the Ephs. Out west, No. 9 Wisconsin-River Falls welcomes St. Thomas for a midweek tilt which could play a big role into the NCAA selection process. But the most important matchup this weekend takes place in northern New York when No. 6 ranked Manhattanville pays a visit to No. 1 Plattsburgh for a two-game set.

New Year, Different Result?

If you were to guess the all-time record between Plattsburgh and Manhattanville, what would you pick? Well, if you guessed an even split, then you couldn’t be further from the truth. The Cardinals hold a 4-0-3 record all-time over the Valiants with a 1-0-1 record at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. This weekend Manhattanville makes the trip north in search of its first win ever over Plattsburgh.

When two teams who annually make the trip to NCAAs meet, each team would usually have a good chance to win, so it is somewhat surprising to see that Manhattanville is winless in seven attempts against Plattsburgh. If the Valiants are going to beat Plattsburgh, the time may be now. Plattsburgh has not played a game in nearly a month and could take time to shake off the rust leftover from 2006. Granted, the Valiants last game was on the same date, but if the Valiants want to win, they are going to need to jump out to the early lead and capitalize on the mistakes that Plattsburgh may make in the early going. The Cardinals have not lost at home in 32 games and it will take a Valiant effort from Manhattanville to snap that streak.

Paper Tiger?

Through the first semester, only one team in all of Division III came out perfect. No, it was not Plattsburgh, or Middlebury, or even Gustavus Adolphus. If you are not already aware of what team that is, it may surprise you. The team is the RIT Tigers who stand at 10-0-0 entering the second semester. The Tigers were incredible in the first half outscoring opponents 55-5 and allowing just a half a goal per game. They have posted shutouts in six of their ten contests and have won by four or more goals in all but one game, a 3-1 win at Southern Maine. In their 6-1 victory over Castleton State they even managed to have just as many goals as the Spartans had shots on goal.

They are led by sophomore Danielle Nagymarosi (15-11-26), junior Isabelle Richard (8-16-24), and sophomore Maegan Geypens (7-13-20) who rank second, fourth, and seventh in the nation in points respectively. In goal, senior Nicki Werner and freshman Karen Quigley have split time. Each netminder possesses nearly flawless statistics, so flawless that if your name is Melissa Belmonte (UMass-Boston), Brittany George (Southern Maine), Nicole Ruddy (Cortland), Heather Crowley (Cortland), or Katelyn Greene (Castleton State), you should have kept the puck because you are in a very select group of players who have scored on the Tigers this season.

The Tigers ranked second in the nation in scoring, average 5.50 goals per game. Only Utica has averaged more. They rank first in the nation in goals against average, allowing a miniscule 0.50 goals per game. Their power play ranks 13th in the nation at 18.8 percent. The penalty kill is tops in the country at 95.6 percent, they have killed off 65 of the 68 penalties they have taken. Certainly all of this is good enough for a spot in the USCHO poll.

Right?

Well, not according to the voters, at least not many of them. The Tigers only received seven points in this week’s poll. The tenth-ranked team, Bowdoin, had 24 points. So how is it that a team, who has been so perfect, so dominant, so incredible in the first half is shut out of a poll that claims to rank the best teams? It’s simple really. The combined record of RIT’s opponents so far this season is 19-66-1. Of all of their opponents, the one who currently has the best record is Buffalo State who is 3-3-0. In the voters’ eyes, the Tigers have been beating teams they should beat, and they have been doing it soundly.

It will take the second half of the season to really see just how good the Tigers are. They wont waste any time however as they open the second half facing Division II opponents St. Anselm who, ironically is also 10-0-0. They will follow that up with three straight games against ranked teams in Elmira, Middlebury, and Utica.

As of now, the Tigers are a team with great statistics. Whether they themselves are a great team remains to be seen. Clearly they are good, and in my opinion should be ranked for the sole fact that they have yet to lose a game this far into the season. All of that however will work out on its’ own. The Tigers will finally get a chance to prove themselves on the ice in the upcoming weeks.

This Week in the CHA: Jan. 4, 2007

By Matt Mackinder

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January 4, 2007

Robert Morris junior winger David Boguslawski has scored four goals in his past four games, but less than two years ago, it looked like it could have been zero goals in zero games.

During the summer of 2005, Boguslawski was initially diagnosed with cancer and with that came the obvious scares that included no more hockey.

Turns out a scare was the worst of it.

Robert Morris junior winger David Boguslawski has returned to shine after a health scare in the summer of 2005 (photo: Robert Morris University).

“At first, they told me it was cancer and that my hockey career was over and that I couldn’t go back to school,” said the 23-year-old native of Cottage Grove, Minn. “But my gall bladder was infected and that got into my liver and caused abscesses. I was in and out of surgery July and August and was on IV antibiotics through a PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) line in my arm that I administered myself four times a day at 6 a.m., noon, 6 p.m. and midnight.

“I also dropped down to 155 pounds, but through everything, I worked my way back.”

“He was a shadow of his former self,” added Colonials’ head coach Derek Schooley.

Boguslawski had three goals and 15 points during his freshman season, but last year had just eight points playing one game a weekend the first half.

“I couldn’t lift weights, so I basically skated by myself now and then and rode the bike (the first half),” said Boguslawski. “When I did play more the second half, I was just in a rut.”

This year, Boguslawski has already scored six goals skating on a line with senior Doug Conley (a former junior teammate with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm) and sophomore Jason Towsley, and has Schooley raving. He had been a natural center, but this year Boguslawski has moved to the wing and his production has increased.

“The past month, he’s really picked his game up,” said Schooley. “He’s got the hot stick right now and is really evolving into an all-around player. He plays the power play and penalty kill and does all the little things.”

But a year ago, things were a bit more foggy. Boguslawski said the thought of having hockey taken from him was what hurt the most.

“I always dreamed growing up in Minnesota that I’d get to play college hockey,” said the 5-foot-9, now-180-pound Boguslawski. “And to know that dream may have been taken away from me really puts things back into perspective. I know hockey may not always be there, but while it is, you have to take advantage.”

His illness also helped Boguslawski in other areas of his life.

“Spiritually, I became a lot closer with my family when I was sick and even after, knowing all that we had to go through and the cards we were dealt,” said Boguslawski. “But I never lost focus and it’s one of those things where I’ll have these life stories to share with people. Over the Christmas break this year, I went home and skated with my old high school team and re-evaluated my life. I just realized that what I’m doing, playing Division I hockey, is what I’ve always strived to do.”

This season has been a coming-out party for Boguslawski, originally recruited to play at now-defunct Findlay, as his half-dozen goals are tied for the team lead with senior Aaron Clarke.

“I had a great offseason, stayed healthy and just worked hard and stayed focused,” Boguslawski noted. “Last year was hard sitting out and only playing here and there, but I never lost focus.”

Still hasn’t lost focus this season, either, it appears.

NU-Canisius Rivalry Getting More Intense

Every year, Niagara and crosstown Canisius play each other and every year, it seems Canisius “puts on the foil” and mimics the movie Slap Shot.

Last Saturday, Niagara had to deal with Canisius players constantly crashing into NU goalie Juliano Pagliero. At one point, Spencer Churchill leveled Niagara senior captain Sean Bentivoglio with a crosscheck to the head.

Scott Langdon and Churchill later got involved, but Langdon only got a roughing minor and Churchill a roughing minor, fighting major and game disqualification.

Niagara head coach Dave Burkholder was steaming after the game, played in front of a packed Dwyer Arena. He said he wishes Niagara didn’t have to play Canisius any more.

“They’re not in our league,” Burkholder told Greater Niagara newspapers.

The nonconference rivalry (Canisius is in Atlantic Hockey) has been heated in recent years, but last weekend’s contest may have been the final straw, at least, if Burkholder had his way it would be.

In the same article, Burkholder said that playing Canisius does nothing to help the Purple Eagles’ strength of schedule and RPI rating as NU is competing for an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament should they not win the CHA tournament. Burkholder said he’d rather play a top-20 school instead.

Niagara did gain a measure of respect, however, when the school entered the USCHO.com/CSTV Poll at No. 19 this week.

UAH Still Chugging Away

Traveling to Minneapolis last weekend for the Dodge Holiday Classic, Alabama-Huntsville head coach Doug Ross did an interview with the Brainerd Dispatch and made some comments well worth the read, if they’re not already known.

On being a southern school: “It’s difficult to maintain a hockey program down here in the South when you’re not part of the hockey network. There are no other teams around so we have to do a lot of traveling. I was hoping some of the big schools would come down and grow hockey through exposure. None of the big schools have been receptive to that, but we’re always willing to go up and help out there.”

On Huntsville’s location as it relates to recruiting: “We don’t have many Division I-caliber hockey players (in our area). There might be a few here and there, like maybe one in Georgia. We don’t have a recruiting base compared to what Minnesota or New England has. I can’t get in my car, drive and watch hockey. We have to go quite a ways to watch a hockey game. It’s expensive to recruit for us. We don’t have that type of budget the big schools have. It’s difficult.”

On how UAH ended up going to Minnesota: “Don (Lucia) called me and said he needed a team for the tournament. I agreed to come up there and play. I know they have a good hockey team with a lot of depth.”

Bemidji Splits with then-No. 8 CC

Going into Colorado College last weekend, Bemidji State had no inkling of getting swept by a perennial Top 20 team.

Instead, the Beavers took a surprise 3-2 win on Friday night before falling 5-3 Saturday.

Shane Holman scored twice in the 3-2 win for the Beavers last Friday and goalie Matt Climie was phenomenal in turning aside 40 shots. Bemidji put just 14 shots on CC goalie Chris Kawano, but scored on three.

Kawano admitted to the Colorado Springs Gazette that it was difficult to establish a game plan in a game with only 14 shots.

“It was pretty tough, but I can’t complain,” Kawano said. “If the defense plays that well then I need to come up big for them. It is tough at times to get in a rhythm, but our ‘D’ played well.”

In Saturday’s loss, Rob Sirianni tallied twice for the Beavers, but that wasn’t enough as Orlando Alamano’s 35 saves didn’t hold up either.

The losses dropped CC from the No. 8 national ranking to No. 12, but allowed BSU to enter the Top 20 at No. 18.

The Friday win, making it 5-1-0 against WCHA teams this season, was also Bemidji’s first against a top-10 team in its Division I era.

WSU Recruit Hmura Anxious For College

Wayne State has but one recruit signed for next fall in Springfield Jr. Blues’ forward Christian Hmura.

Hmura actually committed to the Warriors last season while playing major midget hockey for Team Illinois in Chicago. He made the jump to the North American Hockey League this season, but also played Junior B with the Peoria (Ill.) Mustangs of the Central States Hockey League in 2004-05.

“Sometimes I overlook this season knowing I have four years of college hockey ahead,” said the 19-year-old Hmura. “But then there comes a point where I come back to reality and take care of business here.”

Hmura, a 6-foot, 175-pounder from New Lenox, Ill., wants to pursue a law degree at Wayne State; the university has its law school on the main campus. Being in a big city is also something that lured Hmura to pick WSU.

“I’ve always loved Chicago and being downtown,” Hmura said. “Wayne State’s campus is right near downtown and I felt the school was perfectly fitted for me.”

Though nothing has been released by Wayne State, Hmura has signed his National Letter of Intent and will be good to go come September.

“Wayne State was one of the first schools to really get into Christian and he’ll be a big positive for them,” Springfield coach-GM Nick Pollos added. “He’s a legit D-I kid.”

Niagara May Not Get Zanette; Haczyk Coming

Forward Paul Zanette may or may not end up at Niagara this fall, something which should be decided by this time next week.

Zanette’s major junior rights were held by the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League until last week, when they were dealt to the Sarnia Sting. The OHL’s trade deadline and roster freeze is next Wednesday and as of today, Zanette hasn’t reported to Sarnia.

Currently, Zanette is playing for the Aurora Tigers of the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League and has averaged better than a point per game with 10 goals and 29 points in 19 games.

One recruit who will be showing up on Monteagle Ridge this coming fall is Green Bay Gamblers’ forward Bryan Haczyk, who committed in late December.

Haczyk, 19, came to the Gamblers and the United States Hockey League last season after the Christmas break via the Jersey Hitmen of the Eastern Junior Hockey League. In 28 games last year, the Nutley, N.J., native tallied nine points on four goals and five assists. Haczyk has already matched his goal output from last year and has personal USHL bests in assists (10) and points (14).

Haczyk joins goaltender Adam Avramenko as the second player from the Gamblers’ 2006-07 roster to commit to Niagara.

Mellon Arena Game Has Pittsburgh Buzzing

Friday night, RMU will play No. 2 Notre Dame at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh as part of the Pittsburgh College Hockey Showcase.

RMU’s club team plays Washington & Jefferson in the first game of the showcase.

The game has created a stir in the Pittsburgh area, and in a positive way, as the reported move of the NHL’s Penguins to Kansas City certainly doesn’t garner things in a plus fashion.

“There is so much buzz around town,” Schooley said. “I’ve done three radio shows so far and the media response has been incredible. There hasn’t been this much excitement for our program since our opening weekend back in 2004.”

“We just want to go out there with no regrets,” said Boguslawski.

The two teams will rematch Sunday in South Bend.

This Week in the ECACHL: Jan. 4, 2007

By Brian Sullivan

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January 4, 2007

Cliché New Year’s Resolution throwaway line: this year, I’ll pay better attention to the calendar.

I made a rookie mistake, not realizing that my previous column was to be the last before the break. Hence, I lost the opportunity to make up valuable ground in my season’s predictions, which, to be fair, no one but me really cares about anyhow.

But on to the comforting dependability of the Hosts-Visitors standings! Last we checked, Visitors enjoyed a comfortable 23-14-5 lead a little less than a third of the way through the ECACHL schedule.

But wait, what’s going on here!?

In the league contests played between December 8 and 16, the last such games played before this upcoming weekend, Visitors were winless! I’m serious; look it up: 0-5-1.

Princeton took four points from Union and Rensselaer, while travel partner Quinnipiac took three from the same duo. Brown beat Yale in the bus-buddy tilt, while Harvard bested Dartmouth at Bright in the same situational matchup.

Overall standings: 23-19-6; Hosts making a charge early in the season’s second period!

Tourney time

Nine of the league’s dozen members participated in winter-break tournaments played on December 29 and 30, with mixed results.

Colgate hopes to have culled some much-needed momentum from its championship run at the UConn Hockey Classic, defeating Northeastern on Friday and host Connecticut on Saturday. (By the way, the title game concluded the Raiders’ series of four consecutive games against Huskies: two at St. Cloud State, followed by this pair. It’s a real shame that Colgate doesn’t meet Michigan Tech this season.)

It was the ‘Gate’s fourth tournament of the season, and its first championship. The sweep improves on an 0-2 performance at the Ice Breaker to start the year, a title-tilt loss at the Governor’s Cup, and another championship-game loss at the Rensselaer/B of A Holiday Tournament held over the Thanksgiving weekend.

The Clarkson Golden Knights have another plaque for their trophy case as well, knocking off host Wisconsin and Lake Superior State in the Badger Showdown.

Captain Nick Dodge notched a hat trick to upend the defending national champs 6-2 on their home ice, and the offense was sufficient in a 3-2 win over the Lakers the following night. After four straight losses in mid-November, the Knights now have seven consecutive victories, and a first-place finish in the only in-season tournament they’ve participated in this year.

Cornell and St. Lawrence each earned spots in their respective tourneys’ title games, but came up short against non-con powerhouses.

The Big Red orchestrated what can be called a “statement win” in the opener of the Florida College Classic, pulling away from then-No. 2 New Hampshire with a late second-period goal and two more in the third.

The 5-2 victory was highlighted, in retrospect, by the game-winner scored by junior Raymond Sawada in the middle frame. Sawada’s seventh goal of the season came at 19:25 of the period, and only 23 seconds after UNH had tied the game at two. Sawada finished the game with two goals and an assist. The result ended UNH’s nine-game win streak and 12-game unbeaten streak.

The next night was the same song in reverse, however, as a high-flying Maine Black Bears team beat the Red in pretty much the same fashion that Cornell had won the previous night.

After feasting on Western Michigan on opening night, 8-4, Maine rolled into the title game and held three one-goal leads over the Big Red early into the second period. Maine’s Teddy Purcell struck home the game-winning goal at 9:34 of the second, little more than a minute after the Ivy’s Doug Krantz had tied the game at three. The Bears added two more in the third in the 6-3 final.

St. Lawrence carried the banner for the ECACHL in Dartmouth’s holiday tournament. After the Green were bounced on the first night by North Dakota, SLU earned its shot at the Sioux with an exhilarating 4-3 overtime win over Boston University.

The Saints twice came back from one-goal deficits against the Terriers, and freshman forward — and leading scorer — Mike McKenzie buried a penalty shot for the win after BU’s Matt Gilroy was whistled for deliberately knocking his team’s net off its moorings. The son of Canadian TSN analyst Bob McKenzie has seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points in 19 games for the Saints, leading the team in all three categories.

In the final, the Sioux converted a third-period five-on-three and added an empty-netter to down SLU.

Dartmouth can’t help but feel disappointed by the results, losing the consolation game as well, 3-0 to the Terriers. True, both opponents are ranked in the top 20, but a 1-7 aggregate score is not particularly heartening.

Brown’s freshman phenomenon Dan Rosen still had the hot hand at the Wells Fargo Denver Cup, playing Massachusetts-Lowell to a 1-1 draw (losing the shootout) with a ridiculous 47 stops along the way. His play wasn’t quite as outstanding in the consolation round, stopping “only” 22 in a 3-2 overtime win over Mercyhurst, but a win’s a win. (‘Hurst’s Jordan Wakefield must have stolen Rosen’s mojo for that game, as he made 54 saves in the losing effort.)

Union and Rensselaer each got tipped in the first round of the Sheraton/TD Banknorth tournament in Burlington, Vt. St. Cloud State continued its domination of the ECACHL with a 4-2 win over the Dutch in the first game, while the host Catamounts of UVM stymied the Engineers 3-0 in the second matchup. The familiar foes butted heads in the third-place game, with Union taking home the W in a 5-1 decision.

Finally, Harvard rebounded from a 5-2 loss to Michigan State in the first round of the Great Lakes Invitational with a 3-2 win over Michigan Tech. The Crimson chased Huskies starter Michael-Lee Teslak with three goals on ten shots through 24 minutes, and then held on for the win despite two Tech goals in the third.

Movers and shakers

Cornell is shaping up to be the real deal yet again. Win over New Hampshire, third-period loss — quite possibly due to fatigue — against Maine in Florida. Seven double-digit scorers through 14 games. Troy Davenport isn’t Ken Dryden, David LeNeveu or David McKee just yet, but this strikes me as a team that can bash your brains in on offense now as well as defensively.

Clarkson! Yeow. Seven straight wins will brighten anyone’s holiday. The Knights have won games with six goals (Wisconsin), with two (Brown) and everything in between. What they haven’t done in that stretch is win an offensive shootout … they haven’t had to. Only nine goals allowed in those seven games, and no more than two in any one contest.

Nick Dodge (1.21), David Cayer (1.11) and Steve Zalewski (1.00) are all averaging a point a game or better, and Shea Guthrie (0.94) is close. David Leggio has a stranglehold on the starting job in net, with a .924 save percentage that would be the envy of anyone this side of Dan Rosen.

Dartmouth, however, has some work to do. The Green are going in the wrong direction, and from a very superficial and specious analysis, they’re only accelerating. Following a win over Brown on November 18, Dartmouth eschewed Ws with two ties, then three losses. Three tough games — on the road at Union and RPI, then home versus UNH — loom. Time for the Granite Staters to test their mettle.

Don’t look now, but Princeton has six wins out of seven, and has taken points in seven of eight. Guy Gadowsky’s offense is well-balanced, despite being short on primetime players. Seven players have ten or more points, and the Tigers feature 17 different goal-scorers on the year. Frosh keeper Zane Kalemba is performing admirably with a save percentage tickling .900 and a goals-against of 2.50.

Rosen Watch: the Brown Bear has a 6-2-1 record with a 1.44 goals-against average and a .957 save percentage. He still leads the nation in both GAA and SvP. The next Yann Danis? Sounds like a good wager, personally, so long as his offense doesn’t give him a nervous breakdown.

Colgate appears poised to make a run, and the single game against Niagara this weekend could aid in that regard. The non-conference game hopes to give the Raiders a boost and help them shake off the winter-break rust before diving back into the league schedule. As mentioned in the sidebar, the ‘Gate has six wins in its last seven, not including two losses at St. Cloud State in early December. Mark Dekanich’s GAA is around the respectable 2.50 mark again, and his save percentage is comfortably above 90% (.917, to be exact). Tyler Burton’s 15 assists and Marc Fulton’s 13 goals look nice side by side too, don’t they?

Yale, which started the season with such strength and promise, now finds itself winless since November 18 against Harvard. Scoring 15 goals in seven games will slump ya, to be sure, and allowing 25 won’t help either. But the Bulldog wagon isn’t falling to pieces, either: two of those games were ties, and two others went to extra time.

Union has won three of four, with two league home games ahead. This has the potential to be a big, big weekend for the Dutch, who scored 18 goals in those four games.

Mailbag!

Remind me how awful I am for not writing more things about your school’s inspirational team manager’s sister’s neighbor’s crippled puppy. [email protected].

This Week in D-I Women’s Hockey: Jan. 4, 2007

By Terese Karmel

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January 4, 2007

At least two Olympic hockey players have and continue to spread the beauty and excitement of the sport to the four corners of the world.

Two summers ago, Harvard junior Caitlin Cahow spent a few weeks in Kazakhstan with Athletes in Action, a Christian organization of past and present collegiate athletes, who tried to improve the lives of some female hockey players as well as poor rural peasants.

This Sunday, three-time Olympian Angela Ruggiero will leave for a two-week mission in China under the auspices of the New York Islanders’ Project Hope, which she directs for the NHL team.

“It’s exciting,” said Ruggiero who graduated from Harvard in 2004 after taking two years off to train. “This past week I had to miss a USA camp — something I’ve never missed — but we had a tournament and that’s a big part of my responsibilities,” Ruggiero said. She was directing the Project Hope Invitational, a four-day tournament from Dec. 26 to 29, which involved the Qigihar Snow Leopards, a pee wee Chinese team, and pee wee teams from Westchester, Long Island and Bridgeport, Connecticut. The tournament also drew more than 20 Chinese government and education officials to learn what the sport and the Islanders had to offer their country. The cities of Qigihar and Harbin are the main locales of the Project Hope efforts.

On the upcoming trip, Ruggiero and her assistant will visit eight primary schools in three major Chinese cities to see the state of rinks, to determine what’s needed in the way of equipment, to get to know the educational system and to help athletes with their English so that some day they may come to the U.S. during the summer for classes and hockey instructions. The two will also give clinics to the Chinese kids.

Ruggiero has been to China twice before, but only as a player with USA hockey — in 1997 for the Harbin Friendship Cup and in 2001 for exhibition games leading up to the 2002 Olympics. She has never lost a game in China but this visit has more than a score at stake.

Project Hope is the special project of Islanders President Charles B. Wang, a Chinese-American, who feels as strongly about his native country as his sport. In 2004, the Islanders opened an office in Harbin, China and during the 2004-05 season, Islanders Executive Vice President Mike Milbury visited the club’s China operations to take stock of what was needed to advance the cause of youth hockey. The next step was to enroll Chinese children (from kindergarten on up) in Islander-affiliated youth hockey programs. A requirement is that the students study English and must pass regularly-administered tests and assessments on their fluency. This way they will be prepared for study and play in the U.S. at the high school level.

Wang has a keen interest in developing hockey in China, and Ruggiero is a large piece in that puzzle. She has been working for the Islanders since September, having sent in her resume when she heard about the position. She is undecided about whether to remain in training for the 2010 Olympics but knows the job keeps her connected with the sport she loves.

It doesn’t take much for Cahow to get cranked up about her trip to Kazakhstan even though it was two and a half years ago.

“It was fantastic,” Cahow said. “It took us 150 hours to get there using every mode of transportation possible to get across the country.” She said she got an important lesson in the politics and economics of this large land (with 1.05 million square miles, the ninth largest in the world) that shares borders with Russia and China. Once part of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan declared independence in 1991 following the fall of the Communist empire.

“It’s truly a place where East meets West. Half the population is Mongolian — very poor and living in the country — while the other half are Russians who have more money and live in the cities. It’s an amazing cultural clash,” Cahow said.

Cahow’s group helped to renovate a rural church and taught and played hockey as well. Kazakhstan already had an established women’s ice hockey system and played in the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, but that distinction did not make it any easier for those still playing the sport who Cahow met on her trip.

“We befriended the players and bought them equipment,” she said. “One woman had to sneak out of her house to play hockey at night because her parents objected when she did anything that did not earn money.”

Cahow won’t be smiling at Sacha Baron Cohen’s movie, “Borat,” which pokes fun at Kazakhstan. Cahow, who has seen the real deal, doesn’t think there’s anything to laugh at.

The whole experience taught Cahow to appreciate what she has. “We tried to improve their lives,” she said. “Anyone can smile.”

This Week in the WCHA: Jan. 4, 2007

By Eric Schmoldt

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January 4, 2007

Off The Top Of My Head

• Nothing like five league series in one weekend to open the second half of the WCHA season.

• The question is, will it turn out to be a race for second? It would be surprising to see a team catch Minnesota, but don’t forget that people were asking the same question last year when Wisconsin jumped out to a similar-sized lead.

A Sad Note

Sadly, we must begin this week’s column by paying our respects to former WCHA commissioner Otto Breitenbach, who passed away this week in Madison, Wis.

While I never met him and was too young to remember much of the league under his tenure, he meant a great deal to the WCHA and to everyone that he came in contact with.

The list of his accomplishments is long, including a new postseason format and the expansion of the league to its current 10-team format. His tenure saw three national champions come from the league and five of its players earn the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.

“There are really no adequate words to describe what Otto meant to all of us in the WCHA family as well as throughout athletic circles across the country,” WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said in a release this week. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his entire family in this most difficult time.

“Otto touched so many lives in so many positive ways over the years and so many of us owe so very much to him. Our lasting memories of his qualities as a father, grandfather, coach, leader and mentor are a fitting tribute to a truly great man. Three words always come to mind when I think of Otto – quality, class, gentleman. He has left a noteworthy legacy through everyone that ever had a chance to know him and we will all miss him dearly.”

Your Guide to the Second Half

What is in store for the second half of the WCHA schedule? Most likely it will be as unpredictable as the first, but here’s a look at where the teams stand, where their schedule takes them, who to keep an eye on, and my predictions for what could happen down the stretch.

Minnesota

Current Record: 17-1-3 overall, 9-0-3 WCHA, 21 points, 1st place

Key Players: Where to start? Most eyes have been on freshmen Kyle Okposo and Jay Barriball, who rank first and tied for second, respectively, in goals for the Gophers. But the goaltending has improved remarkably. Kellen Briggs carries a 1.97 goals against average and .925 save percentage in 11 games, while sophomore Jeff Frazee sits at 1.98 and .900 in 10 contests.

Key Spots in the Schedule: After the first half, it is obvious that no game will be easy in the WCHA schedule, but the stretch that stands out in the Gopher schedule begins in February, where they have five straight road games (Alaska-Anchorage, Colorado College and St. Cloud State) before hosting St. Cloud in their only home game of the month.

Thoughts: Is it possible for a team to catch Minnesota? Of course: there is plenty of schedule left. But at this point, it doesn’t seem very likely. The Gophers have stretched their unbeaten streak to 20 games, and presumably that will end somewhere down the stretch, but it would seem foolish to predict any sort of collapse at this point.

Predicted Finish: 1st

Denver

Current Record: 14-6-2, 8-4-2, 18 points, 2nd place

Key Players: It all starts at the back for the Pioneers with Glenn Fisher and Peter Mannino in goal. Each is allowing just over two goals per game and each has a save percentage around .930. Also, if history holds true and freshmen Rhett Rakhshani and Tyler Ruegsegger make second-half strides, they should be fun to watch.

Key Spots in the Schedule: If it comes down to the final weeks, and it usually does, it could be a tough path for the Pioneers over the final three series. They will go to Michigan Tech, where Houghton will be celebrating its Winter Carnival, before hosting North Dakota and closing with a home-and-home with in-state rival Colorado College.

Thoughts: Back three points with two games in hand, it will be tough for Denver to make up the necessary ground to catch Minnesota. Even head coach George Gwozdecky is willing to admit that. Similarly, they have some work to do to maintain second place as they also have two games in hand over CC and St. Cloud, which are nipping at their heels.

Predicted Finish: 3rd

Colorado College

Current Record: 12-7-1, 8-4-0, 16 points, 3rd place

Key Players: The Tigers have gotten great leadership from juniors Jimmy Kilpatrick (7-14-21) and Scott McCulloch (14-4-8) while senior Matt Zaba has remained solid between the pipes.

Key Spots in the Schedule: CC’s biggest test of the season will come in the middle of February when it tries to avenge an early-season sweep by the Gophers one week after traveling to St. Cloud for its only series of the season with St. Cloud. And, as mentioned before, the Tigers will close the season with another rivalry weekend, home-and-home against Denver.

Thoughts: As much as the successes of Anchorage and Michigan Tech have surprised me, this team may be the biggest surprise. Head coach Scott Owens admitted that it could be a slow first half as the Tigers regrouped, so to be sitting third at this point in the season after winning nine of their last 12 games is remarkable.

Predicted Finish: 4th

St. Cloud State

Current Record: 12-3-3, 6-3-3, 15 points, 4th place

Key Players: Excuse me for being a broken record, but once again it’s the goaltending that sticks out. After a rocky start, Bobby Goepfert has returned to the form which garnered him first-team All-WCHA honors last year. The even scoring up front is what could carry this team, especially if freshmen Andreas Nodl and Ryan Lasch can continue their pace.

Key Spots in the Schedule: The schedule does no favors down the home stretch for the Huskies. Over the final six weeks, they go to Denver and Wisconsin, host North Dakota and Colorado College, and play a home-and-home with Minnesota.

Thoughts: With that said, there is only one other team — perhaps in the country — looking as strong as St. Cloud right now. This is about where I expected the Huskies to be at this point, but their current clip has me thinking that the cream will rise.

Predicted Finish: 2nd

Alaska-Anchorage

Current Record: 10-8-2, 6-8-0, 12 points, Tied-5th place

Key Players: Strike up that record again, as the Seawolves will count on goaltender Nathan Lawson to stay consistent down the stretch, but the senior leadership of Justin Bourne and Chad Anderson cannot be overlooked as they try to carry this team to a home series in the WCHA playoffs.

Key Spots in the Schedule: It starts this weekend with back-to-back road series at St. Cloud and then at North Dakota, which seems like it is back on track. They will need to snag some road points to gain some confidence before hosting Michigan Tech and Minnesota. It could be a tough month.

Thoughts: Not enough can be said with what Dave Shyiak has done with this team so far this year, but of their six wins, only one has come against a team in the top five of the WCHA standings.

Predicted finish: 8th

Michigan Tech

Current Record: 8-10-2, 5-7-2, 12 points, Tied-5th place

Key Players: With nobody tallying more than six goals or 13 points in the first half, you know this is a team either scores by committee or relies on its goaltending. It’s been a little bit of both so far. After utilizing a goalie rotation for much of the way, Jamie Russell said he’s going with Rob Nolan in net for now. We’ll see how he holds up.

Key Spots in the Schedule: It is imperative that the Huskies bring points back to Houghton when facing Duluth, Anchorage and Minnesota State on the road in the second half. If garnering home ice comes down to the final three weeks — hosting Denver and Wisconsin before heading to Minnesota — they could be in trouble.

Thoughts: The Huskies’ schedule seems pretty favorable in the second half, but whether they host a first-round WCHA matchup will come down to two things: what happens with the goaltending situation and whether the Huskies can improve on the power play. They are currently last in the nation in that department.

Predicted Finish: 7th

North Dakota

Current Record: 9-10-1, 5-8-1, 11 points, Tied-7th place

Key Players: Goalie Philippe Lamoureux may have had the weekend he needed to get back on track last week, but most likely it will come down to whether Jonathan Toews can stay healthy and bust out for a big second half of the season. It’s all about the sophomores in Grand Forks.

Key Spots in the Schedule: It’s important for the Sioux to take points at CC this weekend and at home against Anchorage next week to jump back to the middle of the pack. Home series against Minnesota State and Minnesota-Duluth should help North Dakota climb back into the race for home ice.

Thoughts: After a quick start, the Sioux have won just three of their last 10 games, but got the jump that they needed with a tourney championship last week. If they can carry that, there is no reason that this team won’t come back from its tough stretch.

Predicted Finish: 6th

Wisconsin

Current Record: 8-10-2, 5-6-1, 11 points, Tied-7th place

Key Players: Plain and simple: Jack Skille. When the sophomore returns from the World Juniors, he will need to lead the Badgers down the stretch and hope that senior Jake Dowell continues to pitch in. By this time, Mike Eaves already knows what he’s going to get from goalie Brian Elliott night in and night out.

Key Spots in the Schedule: The Badgers’ last four games come on the road, where they will face Michigan Tech and Duluth, probably knowing that they will be playing for home ice at that point. If they can somehow get points against Denver and Minnesota the next two weeks, they should find their way back to the top half of the standings.

Thoughts: The key for Wisconsin is that the Badgers have played two fewer games than Anchorage, Tech and North Dakota, which gives them a distinct advantage in fighting for the fifth and final playoff spot. It will come down to the wire.

Predicted Finish: 5th

Minnesota State

Current Record: 6-12-3, 4-8-2, 10 points, 9th place

Key Players: It is no secret that Travis Morin is one of the elite players in the league, but he cannot do it all himself. The Mavericks need some of their freshmen currently in the six-to-nine point range to make strides in the second half and hope that goalie Mike Zacharias can remain steady.

Key Spots in the Schedule: Eight of the Mavericks’ last 14 WCHA games come away from Mankato. If they are going to try and climb the standings ladder, it’s going to take some hard work, but that’s what this team is known for, so it could surprise.

Thoughts: The Mavericks are 3-3-3 in their last nine games and that warm spell is not a fluke. This team is improving, but with such a daunting schedule, it will be hard to take that warmth and turn it into a red-hot flame. While the prognosis for this year may not be good, this young Minnesota State team can do a lot for itself heading into next season.

Predicted Finish: 9th

Minnesota-Duluth

Current Record: 5-13-3, 2-10-2, six points, 10th place

Key Players: While his record and statistics won’t jump off the page at you, freshman goalie Alex Stalock is getting his fair share of experience, as is this team’s bevy of talented sophomores, though it would be nice to see one of them take a big step up to become a prominent scorer.

Key Spots in the Schedule: Three straight WCHA road series — at St. Cloud, Denver and North Dakota — with a stint against Northern Michigan in between should prove to be a tough month between mid-January and February.

Thoughts: Again, this is another young team playing for experience for next year. The underdog/spoiler role should suit this team well down the stretch, so don’t be surprised if they snag some unexpected points or give some teams a scare.

Predicted Finish: 10th

The Perfect Storm

Much of the news through the holiday break centered around the weather in the city of Denver, as a pair of snowstorms socked the city, making for dicey travel on roadways and forcing the cancellation of dozens of flights at Denver International Airport.

While those waves of snow wreaked havoc on plenty of travelers, the timing probably couldn’t have been better for the Denver Pioneers.

They arrived back from a road trip to Anchorage on Sunday, December 17, and quickly got out of town, heading home either that night or the next day, before the first snowstorm dumped two feet of snow on Wednesday and into Thursday morning.

Then, all of the players made it back into Denver before a similar storm came through the next Friday, again snarling travel through the region.

“We were really lucky,” Denver head coach George Gwozdecky said. “As I look back, it could have really messed up a lot of our players’ Christmases. The timing couldn’t have been better.

As for Gwozdecky himself, he stayed in Denver, spending his break spending time with family and shoveling.

“It was fun; you get a little bit stir-crazy sitting inside and just stepping out to shovel, but there was no other thing to do,” he said. “But we enjoyed the family time and the white Christmas, which was the first one in quite a while.”

Everyone Need Not Apply

The Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves are off to their best start since the 1999-2000 season (in which they started 10-8-0). They won their first Governor’s Cup since the ’00-’01 season after going 3-0-1 this year against in-state rival Alaska.

So why is head coach Dave Shyiak’s job in jeopardy?

The school posted a job opening for the head-coaching position over break, sparking a bit of confusion.

Shyiak is a Canadian citizen and has worked in the United States under a variety of work permits since 1995, including his current one. But he has decided it is time to apply for permanent residency in the United States.

Unfortunately for him, that means that Anchorage must conduct a national search.

According to a story by the Associated Press, UAA must receive a “permanent labor certification” from the Department of Labor.

A key element in getting that certification, and the reason UAA is advertising for a new hockey head coach, is that the Labor Department must certify that there are no qualified U.S. workers who want the job.

That puts Shyiak and the program in somewhat of a precarious situation, but the second-year head coach said it will not affect the team down the stretch as they attempt to put it in the back of their minds, knowing it could take more than a year before we find out exactly what will happen.

“We’re not even thinking about it,” Shyiak said. “We’re focusing on St. Cloud and keeping that in hindsight right now.”

File this one under something to keep an eye on.

WCHA Players in the NHL Update

First and foremost, here is to wishing Phil Kessel a full and speedy recovery. The former Gopher had cancer surgery on Dec. 11.

As far as hockey action is concerned, the biggest surprise lately has been former Badger Joe Pavelski, who has eight goals and 13 points in 18 games. The San Jose Sharks have won all seven games in which he has scored.

Former Minnesota State Maverick David Backes made his debut with the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 19th and has two points in seven games so far.

Former Denver Pioneer Paul Stastny is fourth among rookies with 29 points in 39 games, while former teammate Matthew Carle has 21 points and is sixth in rookie scoring.

Travis Zajac has 19 points in 37 games. Ryan Potulny has six points in 15 games this year. Drew Stafford has five in the same number of games.

This Week in Atlantic Hockey: Jan. 4, 2007

By Chris Lerch

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January 4, 2007

Midterms

Several teams have already returned to action from the holiday break, but in the real world, it’s grades that are on student’s minds this time of year. With that in mind, let’s give out some high and low marks to the 10 Atlantic Hockey teams at the (nearly) midway point of the schedule.

AIC: 2-14 overall; 2-11 in AHA

Grade: D

Midseason Valedictorian Player (MVP): Tom Fenton (So., G) – When Fenton went down with an injury early in the season, the Yellow Jackets struggled, going 0-7 and giving up 31 goals over that stretch. Since coming back, he’s had both of AIC’s wins.

Honor Roll: Jereme Tendler (Jr., F), Mike McMillan (Fr., F), Matt Woodard (So., D)

Looking Back: AIC started the season 0-12 and outscored 56-15. But in their last four games, the Yellow Jackets are 2-2 and have found the back of the net 13 times.

Outlook: It’s going to be tough to get out of the basement in the standings, especially since AIC has finished playing Canisius and Mercyhurst, the teams closest to them in points. A reasonable goal is to carry the momentum of their last four games into the New Year and build towards the playoffs.

Air Force: 9-8-3 overall; 6-3-3 in AHA

Grade: B

Midseason Valedictorian Player (MVP): Eric Ehn (Jr.,F) – Ehn continues to lead the nation in overall points (36) and points per game (1.80).

Honor Roll: Andrew Ramsey (Sr., F), Mike Phillipich (So., F), Brian Gineo (Sr., D)

Looking Back: The Falcons have played well in their league games at home, and have battled some powerhouses (Denver, Notre Dame) to close losses. They are within striking distance of first place, trailing Sacred Heart by seven points with three games in hand.

Outlook: The league’s newcomers are making quite an impression with Air Force and RIT both in the top half of the standings. The challenge for the Falcons will be a schedule that sees them playing 10 games on the road to just six more at home.

Army: 7-7-3 overall; 7-4-3 in AHA

Grade: B+

Midseason Valedictorian Player (MVP): Josh Kassel (So., G) – Kassel has been outstanding as of late, recording a 2.57 GAA and a .910 save percentage.

Honor Roll: Luke Flicek (Jr., F), Tim Manthey (So., D), Bryce Hollweg (Jr., F)

Looking Back: The Black Knights got off to the best league start in school history at 6-0-1, but cooled off, going 1-4-2 in their last seven conference games.

Outlook: A close, hard-fought split with second-place RIT can be a springboard into the second half of the season. A Jan. 19-20 series against Air Force looms large.

Bentley: 7-9-1 overall; 6-6 in AHA

Grade: B

Midseason Valedictorian Player (MVP): Jeff Gumaer (So., F) – Gumaer’s 10 goals to date lead the team. The sophomore is already in fifth place on Bentley’s all-time goal scoring list with 26.

Honor Roll: Ray Jean (Sr., G), Tom Dickhudt (So., F), Jaye Judd (Jr., D)

Looking Back: Bentley has been a .500 team so far, splitting each of its first four league series before sweeping Canisius and then getting swept by Sacred Heart.

Outlook: The Falcons need to revive an offense that has managed just six goals in its last four games.

Canisius: 4-13-1 overall; 4-8-1 in AHA

Grade: D+

Midseason Valedictorian Player (MVP): Josh Heidinger (Fr., F) – The local product has had a stellar rookie campaign to date with eight goals and 15 assists.

Honor Roll: Carl Hudson (Fr., D), Andrew Loewen (Fr., G), Mike Cohen (Sr., F)

Looking Back The Griffs have put two wins together just once this season, and are 1-4-1 in their last five games and 0-8-1 on the road this season.

Outlook: Things won’t get any easier for Canisius, with nine league road games remaining to just six at home. But the talented freshman class will continue to improve with experience.

Connecticut: 6-13 overall; 6-7 in AHA

Grade: C+

Midseason Valedictorian Player (MVP): Chris Myhro (So., F) – Myhro leads the team in goals (12) and is tied for the lead in points (19).

Honor Roll: Matt Scherer (Sr., F), Sean Erickson (So., D), Cole Koidahl (Sr., F)

Looking Back: The Huskies got off to a slow start, dropping their first five games, but have rebounded lately, putting in a strong showing in their tournament with a win over Holy Cross and a close loss to Colgate.

Outlook: UConn will be favored in its first three games in January, but then the road gets harder with trips to RIT, Army and Sacred Heart.

Holy Cross: 7-10-2; 6-7-2 in AHA

Grade: B

Midseason Valedictorian Player (MVP): James Sixsmith (Sr., F) – Sixsmith has 21 assists to date, second-best in Division I. His 28 points are tenth overall.

Honor Roll: Dale Reinhardt (Jr., F), Jon Landry (Sr., D), Ian Dams (Fr., G)

Looking Back: Last season is a tough act to follow, and the Crusaders are currently in the middle of the pack, in the midst of a seven-game winless streak.

Outlook: Holy Cross has a rematch of last season’s AHA championship game this weekend as it travels to Bentley. Holy Cross hasn’t had a home game since November 21, and won’t have another until January 12. The Crusaders’ postseason experience will come in handy down the stretch.

Mercyhurst: 4-12-4 overall; 4-8-2 in AHA

Grade: C-

Midseason Valedictorian Player (MVP): Ben Cottreau (Jr., F) – Cottreau leads the team with 11 goals and 12 assists.

Honor Roll: Scott Champagne (Sr., F), Kyle Gourgon (Sr., F), Jordan Wakefield (Sr., G)

Looking Back: This has been a disappointing season so far for the Lakers, who were picked to finish first in the preseason poll but are currently in eighth, 10 points out of first place.

Outlook: The team’s offense has been producing, but defense and goaltending have been suspect. But based on the Lakers’ last three games (1-1 tie against Maine, 3-0 loss to Denver, 3-2 loss to Brown), this looks to be improving as senior goaltender Jordan Wakefield settles in. Still, Mercyhurst is giving up way too many shots and will need to get better in this department if it wants to make a move up the standings in the second half of the season.

RIT: 9-6-2 overall; 9-3-1 in AHA

Grade: A

Midseason Valedictorian Player (MVP): Jocelyn Guimond (Jr., G) – Both of RIT’s goalies have played very well, with the slight nod going to Guimond (2.46 GAA, .929 save %)

Honor Roll: Louis Menard (Fr., G), Simon Lambert (Jr., F), Matt Smith (Jr., F)

Looking Back: As much as Mercyhurst has disappointed, the Tigers have impressed. Picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll, RIT sits in second place, three points behind Sacred Heart with twogames in hand. RIT sports the top offense, defense and special teams in the league.

Outlook: A two-game series with Sacred Heart looms, but RIT has a couple of tough games before that: at Quinnipiac, and at home against Niagara and Canisius.

Sacred Heart: 11-4-4 overall, 9-2-4 in AHA

Grade: A

Midseason Valedictorian Player (MVP): Pierre-Luc O’Brien – The senior is a legitimate Hobey Baker candidate with 30 points to date.

Honor Roll: Bear Trapp (So., F), Jason Smith (Sr., G), Alexandre Parent (Jr., F)

Looking Back: The Pioneers have been the class of the league so far, the only team in the league with a .500 record out of conference.

Outlook: Big series with RIT and Holy Cross and Army await, but four of those six big games will be on home ice, where Sacred Heart is undefeated so far. The key to a trip to the NCAAs will be avoiding the late-season disappointment that befell the team last year.

Weekly Awards

Player of the Week for December 11, 2006:
Brent Patry, RIT – The junior defenseman had five points in a Tiger sweep of Mercyhurst back on December 8/9. Patry recorded two assists in a 5-2 win on Friday and added a goal and two helpers in a 6-4 victory on Saturday.

Goaltender of the Week for December 11, 2006:
Andrew Loewen, Canisius – The rookie from Winnipeg, Manitoba, made 58 saves on 62 shots in a split with AIC.

Rookie of the Week for December 11, 2006:
Jeff Hajner, Air Force – Hajner assisted on the game winning goal in a 4-2 win at Connecticut and goal and an assist in a 7-5 loss the following night.

Player of the Week for January 2, 2007:
Bryce Hollweg, Army – Hollweg had a four point weekend in a split with RIT, including the game-winning goal on Friday. They were his fifth and six multi-point games of season.

Goaltender of the Week for January 2, 2007:
Jason Smith, Sacred Heart – Smith stopped 48 of 50 shots as Sacred Heart swept Bentley on Dec. 21-22. Smith has allowed just one goal in each of his last three starts.

Rookie of the Week for January 2, 2007:
Beau Erickson, Connecticut – The Merril, Iowa native made 28 saves for his first career win in a 2-1 win over Holy Cross in the first round of the Toyota UConn Holiday Classic. He made another 33 stops in a losing effort against Colgate in the championship game.

What Goes Around…

Niagara coach Dave Burkholder’s comments after his team’s 6-2 win over Canisius last Saturday have caused quite a stir in Western New York. In an interview with the Niagara Gazette, Burkholder called for an end to the rivalry between the two Buffalo-area schools.

“I do the scheduling and unfortunately my old boss (former Niagara Athletics Director Mike Hermann) makes me play this game,” Burkholder told the Gazette. “But hopefully I can sit down with my new boss (Ed McLaughlin) and iron this out. Because I don’t want to play this game.”

Burkholder was frustrated by a game that saw things get ugly in the third period (when the Griffins’ Spencer Churchill was assessed a fighting major and game misconduct for going after Niagara’s Sean Bentivoglio) but focused more on Canisius’ poor record than the fact that the Griffs are among the nation’s leaders in penalty minutes.

“It’s the first time where we’ve been in the hunt for an at-large bid, but unfortunately even though we won this game, because of strength of schedule we’re going to go down,” he said. “It’s a big relief to have this whole day over.”

I hate to criticize a fellow RIT alum, so I’m hoping that Burkholder was speaking out of frustration. It would be a shame for this rivalry between the only two Division I programs in the hockey-crazed Buffalo area to end. Saturday’s crowd was 1,541, the largest December crowd ever at Dwyer. And this was with the Sabres in town.

While Niagara is the class of the CHA this season and just entered the USCHO.com/CSTV poll at No. 19, it’s not yet and quite possibly never will be the kind of premier program that can just reload every year. Canisius has a great freshman class and should improve over the next few seasons. Who’s to say that in two or three years it won’t be the Purple Eagles pulling down Canisius’ strength of schedule?

And with the status of the CHA up in the air, Niagara might need all the games it can get in a couple of years. Burkholder shouldn’t burn bridges, especially those so close to home.

Around the League

Air Force: The Falcons’ nine wins before the holiday break tied a school record, shared by squads from 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2004-05. Air Force’s series at Mercyhurst this weekend is the first meeting ever between the two schools.

American International: The Yellow Jackets hope that 2007 starts the way that 2006 did, when AIC opened the calendar year 3-1. AIC has played just four home games to date, but is on home ice for 10 of its final 16 contests.

Bentley: The Falcons’ 5-2 and 7-2 losses at Nebraska-Omaha were the first time they had been swept in a weekend series this season, and were the first-ever games between Bentley and a CCHA school. The second game was a Commissioner’s Cup contest, making the AHA 4-4-1 in Cup games.

Connecticut: The Huskies staged a big comeback in a 7-5 win against Air Force on Dec. 8. The Falcons led 5-2 after two periods, but five unanswered goals in the third period, three on the power play, propelled UConn to the win. … The opening game of the UConn Hockey Classic was doubly important for the Huskies and their opponent, Holy Cross. It also counted as an Atlantic Hockey league contest. UConn won the game and the two league points, 2-1.

Holy Cross: After this weekend’s series at Bentley, the Crusaders will have played nine consecutive games away from home. They’re 0-5-2 so far. Holy Cross returns home on January 12 and 13 against Air Force.

Mercyhurst: The Lakers’ game against RIT back on Dec. 8 marked the 15th anniversary of the opening of the Mercyhurst Campus Ice Center. The opponent in that first game? RIT, when both schools were members of the Division III ECAC West. The Tigers won both times, 5-4 in overtime back in 1991 and 5-2 in the anniversary meeting. … Laker goalie Jordan Wakefield made a school-record 54 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to Brown last weekend in the consolation of the Denver Cup tournament.

Sacred Heart: Senior Pierre-Luc O’Brien picked up his 142nd career point on Dec. 22, tying him for the most in school history. O’Brien needs two assists to break that career record, and three more goals to become the all-time leader in that category.

Canada Tops U.S. In Marathon Shootout At World Juniors

USCHO Staff Report

-

January 3, 2007

Click for a pictorial by Melissa Wade

The United States lost to two-time defending champion Canada, 2-1, in a seven-round shootout in the semifinals of the 31st annual International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship.

Team USA played on 18 hours rest after it defeated Finland in quarterfinal action Tuesday evening, while top-seeded Canada hadn’t played since New Year’s Eve.

North Dakota’s Jonathan Toews was the shootout hero for Canada (photo: Melissa Wade).

“We gave a gutsy effort,” said U.S. head coach Ron Rolston. “I couldn’t have asked our guys to do more. Their goaltender made some key saves and our goaltending was just excellent as well. Our players can hold their heads high. They did everything we asked of them.”

Team USA will play for the bronze medal Friday at 4 p.m. against host Sweden.

The teams fired 20 shots on goal in the opening period — 11 by the United States — but both goaltenders were solid. U.S. netminder Jeff Frazee made a big save on a Steve Downie power-play attempt from the side of the goal midway through the period and also stopped Darren Helm on a shorthanded break late in the period.

Team USA got the only goal of the second period. It came at 5:04 on the power play when Taylor Chorney’s pass from the bottom of the left circle across the crease intended for Nate Gerbe hit Marc Staal’s skate and deflected past Canadian netminder Carey Price.

Frazee was again outstanding in goal. While Canada had only six shots, he made two huge stops in the period, including one in which he slid across to rob Bryan Little on a rebound of Downie’s original attempt. Frazee also stoned Downie on a break down the right side with just more than four and a half minutes to go in the period.

Canada tied the game on its fourth straight power-play opportunity at 12:19 of the third period when Luc Bourdon’s shot from the point sailed over the shoulder of Frazee. It was the only goal of the period.

In the 10-minute overtime, which was played with the teams skating four-on-four, Team USA dominated. The U.S. had a 12-2 shots advantage, including several great chances on a power play midway through. Perhaps Team USA’s best chance came just after the power play expired when Erik Johnson made a nifty backdoor pass to Patrick Kane from the left point, but Kane’s deflection from the side of the net went over the cage.

That set the stage for what turned into a dramatic seven-round shootout. After Canada’s Downie and the United States’ Kane were both stopped to start the shootout, Little gave Canada a 2-1 lead. Peter Mueller tied the shootout, but Jonathan Toews put Canada ahead 3-2, forcing the U.S. to score. It did just that, thanks to Jack Johnson’s blast to the stick side.

Little failed in the fourth round, meaning a goal by the U.S. would send it to the gold-medal game. Kane made a slick move in front, but Price made a save that carried him partially back into his own net with the puck squeezed between his pads. Toews scored in the fifth round to give Canada the advantage, but Mueller went high under the crossbar to even the shootout again.

Andrew Cogliano of Team Canada started the sixth round with a shot that beat Frazee low to the glove side, but again the U.S. answered as Jack Johnson put one up high on the stick side of Price to force a seventh round.

Toews scored again, before Mueller’s attempt to send the shootout to an eighth round was turned aside.

Frazee finished with 26 saves, while Price had 34 stops.

Friday’s bronze-medal game can be heard live on usahockey.com with Jim Rich and Jeff Sauer. In addition, NHL Center Ice will provide live television coverage of the game in the United States.

NOTES: Jeff Frazee was named the U.S. Player of the Game… During the first intermission of the Sweden-Russia semifinal, the IIHF conducted a press conference to clarify the situation relating to Patrick Kane’s second shootout attempt. The question centered around why the referee did not use video replay to review the play as it appeared Canada netminder Price may have carried the puck back over the goal line with him into the net. The IIHF said that the play was reviewed following the game and there was no evidence that showed the puck crossing the goal line… The 2007 IIHF World Junior Championship features athletes under the age of 20 on international teams including the United States, Belarus, Canada, Germany, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland… The U.S. National Junior Team is coming off a fourth-place finish at the 2006 World Junior Championship in Vancouver, British Columbia.

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