On The Flip Side

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October 27, 2005

Every other week in USCHO Extra, longtime staffer Mike Volonnino brings you “On The Flip Side,” his take on the issues, both serious and silly, confronting college hockey.

In the middle of Tyler Hirsch going down for the year, the renewal of Michigan-Michigan State rivalry, and the WCHA not occupying every position in the USCHO.com/CSTV Top 20, you may not have noticed that the CHA will drop to five teams next year.

Air Force will join Atlantic Hockey, creating the first major roadblock to college hockey’s expansion over the past few years. Without a sixth team, the CHA would lose its automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Commissioner R.H. “Bob” Peters (which is not as bad as I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby) had been aggressively recruiting Kennesaw State to join the D-I ranks. It seemed like the right time for Kennesaw to make the move. After all, with the White Sox removing the curse of the Black Sox, nobody will have to talk about former MLB commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis’ lifetime ban of Shoeless Joe anymore. This opened the door for someone/something else named Kennesaw to enter the spotlight.

PETERS

Alas, the CHA couldn’t come up with the right incentive package to lure the Fighting Owls — hey, at least it’s a real mascot, unlike the Crimson or the Big Green. So, Peters has to go back to the drawing board in order to safeguard his conference’s spot in the NCAA tournament. More importantly, he has to guarantee the annual “screwing” of some team out West that will inevitably whine that Niagara is in the Dance, and it is not.

This is essentially a recruitment question. In college, when you cannot sell your program on its history, tradition, and launching pad to the pros, then you lure blue-chippers the old-fashioned way: bribe them. Peters has the right idea — fork up some cash to defray start-up costs — but we would like to suggest that if he is going to preserve his automatic bid, then he has to get a little more creative. So here are some recruitment ideas, some general, others specific:

• Call up Mama Serratore. This whole situation could be avoided if Air Force reconsiders. This requires a higher power in the Serratore family to guarantee that the Falcons, coached by Frank Serratore, don’t leave Tom Serratore’s Bemidji State without an automatic bid. A few dirty looks at Thanksgiving and some well-placed whacks with the pocketbook ought to do the trick.

• Move Alabama-Huntsville to Orlando. The CHA already has the only Southern hockey team, a huge selling point. It’s like Spring Break in the middle of Winter. But who wants to go to Alabama? Since moving an entire college might be difficult, arrange for UAH’s home games to be played in the Magic Kingdom. Nobody can resist the power of Disney. Besides, the last team to get dubbed a “Mickey Mouse Organization” has won three Stanley Cups over the past decade.

• Free Sirius Satellite Radio. Howard Stern is coming in January. Do you really want to miss it?

• A part for the lucky school’s athletic director in the next James Bond movie. By selecting a blond Bond in Daniel Craig, the series clearly holds nothing sacred anymore. As a bonus, maybe the movie can update the awful hockey sequence from “For Your Eyes Only.”

• Enforce the no-hazing policy. Last year the CHA lured Robert Morris to replace Findlay, and the Colonials were rewarded with the Elephant Walk, Power Hours, and an 8-21-4 record. Okay, we’re kidding about everything except the eight wins. So guarantee the new guys at least 10 victories, or better yet …

• Guarantee an automatic bid. With only six teams, the law of averages states that the new team should win it every so often. Expedite the process. Tell the other team’s Ogilves to “take one for the league.” This approach could even entice a once-mighty program like Lake Superior State to jump ship.

• Clone Joe Paterno. Penn State has been on the cusp of turning Division I for years. Peters should right now direct all of his school’s science departments to focus entirely on human cloning, ethics be damned. The Nittany Lions would not only join the CHA, but would browbeat other programs to come with them in exchange for a lifetime supply of St. Joes.

• Wait for a natural disaster to strike, then pounce. San Antonio has shown no shame in stealing the New Orleans Saints away in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Why should the CHA?

It really is in the best interests of college hockey to have six competitive conferences. Even if the CHA presently does not match the “Big Four,” it has made great strides over the years and scored some memorable upsets. Peters has a moral obligation to do whatever it takes to ensure the prosperity of his league.

Although, if he fails, think of how much fun we could have in a CHA dispersal draft. But that is a topic for another column.

USCHO Women’s Game of the Week:
Minnesota State at Ohio State

By Daniel Myers

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October 27, 2005

In each of the last two seasons, Ohio State has defeated Minnesota State in the first round of the WCHA Playoff Championship. OSU has dominated MSU over the years with a 22-2-2 overall record against them, but five of those six Maverick points have come in the last two seasons. With newfound offensive spark from its freshman class in addition to its typically stifling defense, Minnesota State looks to make a move in the standings this weekend. No. 9 Ohio State, after a disappointing series against No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth last week, looks to rebound to its historical dominance of the Mavericks.

Game Time: Sat. 4 p.m. ET (Broadcast Links)

No. 9 Ohio State 4-2-0 (2-2-0 WCHA)

Top Scorers: Kelly Cahill, Fr., D (3-3-6), Jana Harrigan,
Sr., W/C (2-4-6), Amber Bowman, Jr., D (2-4-6)
Top Goaltender: Erika Vanderveer, Jr., G (4-2-0, 2.25, .919)
Scoring Offense: 2.83 (9th)
Scoring Defense: 2.67 (16th)
Penalty Minutes: 12.0 (18th)
Power Play: 12.0% (15th)
Penalty Kill: 87.5% (15th)

Ohio State is coming off a matchup with perennial WCHA powerhouse Minnesota-Duluth last weekend in Duluth. The results were not great for coach Jackie Barto as OSU lost 5-1 on Friday and 7-0 on Saturday. The young Ohio State team, with only three seniors on the roster, was overpowered by a bigger more physical Bulldogs team. OSU might have one of the nation’s best seniors though in WCHA All-Star and co-captain Jana Harrigan – Ohio State’s Most Valuable Offensive Player the last two seasons and all-time leading scorer (47-72-119). Fellow captain and WCHA All-Star Amber Bowman is the Buckeyes’ top defender as a junior. She ranked third on the team last season with 17 assists and chipped in four power-play goals; three of those proving to be game winners.

In net for the Buckeyes is junior Erika Vanderveer. Ohio State’s leading net minder in 2004-05, Vanderveer started 20 of a possible 37 games while splitting time with senior Melissa Glaser. With Glaser gone, Vanderveer is entrenched as the No. 1 goalie for the Buckeyes and thus far has responded. The Bradford, Ont. native has played in all six games compiling a 4-2-0 record this season, including one shutout over Northeastern on Oct. 14. Vanderveer has stopped nearly 92 percent of shots she has faced this season while giving up a stingy 2.25 goals per game.

“She has all the tools and the skills. Technically she is very solid,” Barto said. “She wants to be a difference maker out there and so far she is off to a good start.”

Minnesota State 3-2-0 (2-1-0 WCHA)

Top Scorers: Maggie Fisher, Fr., F (5-0-5), Amanda Stohr,
So., F (2-1-3), Kristina Bunker, So., F (1-2-3)
Top Goaltender: Britni Kehler, So., G (3-1-0, 1.50, .951)
Scoring Offense: 2.20 (14th)
Scoring Defense: 2.20 (13th)
Penalty Minutes: 16.6 (6th)
Power Play: 3.1% (24th)
Penalty Kill: 93.8% (3rd)

The Mavericks should be slightly more rested than normal this weekend after playing only one game of their scheduled two game set against another conference giant, No. 3 Wisconsin. Minnesota State came out on the short end of a 4-1 decision last Friday, but stayed within a goal of the Badgers until the 13 minute mark of the third period. Freshman forward Maggie Fisher is off to a red hot start, averaging a goal per contest so far this season. Fellow South St. Paul native (there are five on the roster) Amanda Stohr is tied for second on the team with three points. Stohr – a sophomore – led the team in goal scoring last season with 10. The Mavericks potent freshman trio of Fisher, Ashley Young and Felicia Nelson has only seen the ice together once this season. Young has a banged up shoulder and is questionable for this weekend. Nelson’s injury is a bit more tenuous. After playing in one game against Mercyhurst three weeks ago, Nelson injured her knee in the Mavericks’ home opener against North Dakota on Oct. 14. And although head coach Jeff Vizenor hopes to get the three on the ice together as soon as possible, it is unknown as to when that may actually take place.

Leading the Mavericks in net is sophomore Brit Kehler. The Mitchell, Manitoba product took not being named back to last summer’s Canadian Under-22 team personally and came to Mankato ready to wrestle starts away from junior Laura Brennan. Brennan has also been a bit banged up, as Kehler started back-to-back games against North Dakota two weeks ago, as well as MSU’s game against Wisconsin last Friday. Kehler’s 3-1-0 record is impressive, but not quite as gaudy as her 1.50 goals against or her .951 save percentage. In MSU’s season opener against then-No.5 Mercyhurst, Kehler was the backstop in Minnesota State’s 2-0 shutout win. Brennan has used the time to heal and was actually scheduled to start game two of the Wisconsin series, which was postponed until November because of a broken water main near All Seasons Arena in Mankato. Expect to see Brennan and Kehler both start a game this weekend, regardless of what happens on Friday.

Ready to Roll: ECAC West Season Preview

By Scott Biggar

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October 27, 2005

Unlike most other leagues within Division III hockey, change has been a constant in the ECAC West over the past decade. Whether it is teams joining or leaving the league, turnover of coaches, or changes in the scheduling of league games, very few aspects of the league have been stable from season to season.

Entering the 2005-2006 season, all three of the changes mentioned above occurred, or almost occurred.

RIT first made the ECAC playoffs way back in the spring of 1976, when they lost to Worcester State 11-0. Over nearly the next 30 years, the Tigers grew to national prominence in both Division II and III, and together with Elmira and Hobart held the league together when everyone else was willing to let it die in the late 90’s.

But now RIT has moved on to the ranks of Division I, and the rest of the teams can step out from under their shadow to lead the league into the future.
“Losing RIT will hurt the overall dimensions of the league,” said Neumann head coach Dennis Williams. “They are a great program. It is up to some of the other schools to step up, answer the bell, and be that next great team like RIT was. I think there are a number of teams in our league that are in a position to do that.”

“[The ECAC West] is still a strong league,” said Utica head coach Gary Heenan. “RIT certainly played a role in getting the league where it is. We always loved going to RIT in terms of what it brought to college hockey at our level. They always did a good job of putting an event around the game. The league will miss their building and the class of their organization.”
“We still have some great rivalries out there both within our conference and outside of it,” said Elmira head coach Tim Ceglarski. “Our games with Manhattanville have always been some pretty good contests and that rivalry will continue to develop over the years. It is too bad that the rivalry with RIT couldn’t continue. It was one of the best in college hockey.”

The league almost lost one of its young up-and-coming coaches when Utica’s Gary Heenan resigned from the school in mid-July to join the staff at Union. But, just a couple of days later, Heenan was back at the helm for the Pioneers, and the coaching ranks around the league stabilized.

The last big change this season is playing each team three times in league play. Teams will alternate playing the extra game home or away every other year, and the two game set will usually be scheduled for the same weekend. Increasing the number of league games to fifteen certainly makes the league schedule more meaningful and should heat up the already intense rivalries around the league.

“It is conducive to building great rivalries,” said Ceglarski. “There are a lot of great rivalries in our conference right now, but by playing each other three times that will continue to enhance things. Being at a point where we had four teams and six league games several years ago, to now with six teams and fifteen league games is a big difference.”

“That is going to make it more interesting in the league, but also more difficult as it goes on,” said Lebanon Valley head coach Al MacCormack. “You are seeing the same team over and over, in such a short schedule, and it is a tough schedule when you are going through it.”

Be sure to print out the rosters for this season early, and keep them handy while you are sitting in the stands watching the games. Only Lebanon Valley and Manhattanville have fewer than ten new players on their roster entering the season, and Neumann has a whopping nineteen new faces.
Most of the teams are retooling to make a run at the title and it should be a wild season. Here is my opinion of where the teams will finish in the regular season, and why.

Stay tuned for the regular season ECAC West column to cover all the action beginning on November 4th.

Click on any team’s name at the top of the sections below for its individual season preview.

Team Previews:
Manhattanville College Valiants
Coach: Keith Levinthal, seventh season overall and at Manhattanville (92-50-11)
2004-05 overall record: 21-4-1
2004-05 ECAC West record: 8-3-1
2004-05 ECAC West finish: Second
2005-06 Coach’s Poll: First
2005-06 Scott’s predicted finish: First

Last season, the Manhattanville Valiants were finally able to achieve a goal coach Keith Levinthal set on the first day of the team’s existence six seasons ago. The Valiants dominated RIT in the semifinal game, and worked past a pesky Utica team in the finals, to win their first ECAC West playoff title.
This season, Manhattanville has to take the next step in the program’s development and learn how to play as defending champions.

“You always want to be the best in your neighborhood and that is not an easy goal to attain with so many good teams in the league,” said Levinthal. “Our goal is to win a league championship, and then we will get beyond that if we can do that. I think the only thing winning last year does is take that monkey off our back a little bit.”

With the fewest number of incoming freshmen of any team in the league, the Valiants certainly look like the team to beat entering the season. Historically, Levinthal has carried a large roster to ensure that the Valiants have sufficient depth to fill in for the inevitable injuries and other problems that affect every team as the season progresses. But not this year.

“We don’t have many guys coming in,” said Levinthal. “We are a pretty veteran team, and we felt like we wanted to keep a smaller roster with so many older guys. We have a few kids coming in that we think can help. Our focus is on the current guys who will get some increased roles over last year.”

With twelve seniors and seven juniors on the team, veteran is definitely a word that can be used to describe the Manhattanville roster.

But there are a few new faces in the Valiants locker room.

Troy Maleyko joins the team after playing the last two seasons on defense for Division 1 Quinnipiac. “Troy is a tremendous skater and will contribute offensively,” said Levinthal. “He competes hard.”

Also joining the elder blue-liners for Manhattanville is freshman Chris Galiotti. “Galiotti will give us some added depth at defense,” said Levinthal. “We have been really impressed with how he carries himself.”
Maleyko and Galiotti will need to battle for ice time with the five senior defensemen returning for the Valiants.

“We return a lot of key guys [on defense],” said Levinthal. “I think Galloway Carol, Steve Hoffert, and Paul Prefontaine are three senior defensemen who are as good as any in the country. They are solid and proven defensively and will be a big part of our team.”

On offense three newcomers join the ranks, and will be looked at mainly to shore up the penalty killing unit. Derek Lynden, Mike Luzzi, and Shane Fanini all will be called on to fill some big shoes.

“The biggest thing we lost [from last season] was our penalty killing,” said Levinthal. “We graduated Wade Richardson, Brad Olson and Jason Kenyon who were great PK guys. And we think Luzzi and Lynden will help fill in that area a bit.”

With the success of last season, and so many returning veterans, the odds certainly favor the Valiants to repeat again this season.

“We have a very veteran team, and those things are tricky,” said Levinthal. “They can either work really well in your favor, or they can be a disaster if you are not careful. I would think our season goes one way or the other. We have really good leadership and the guys are committed.”

Utica College Pioneers
Coach: Gary Heenan, fifth season overall and at Utica (52-40-11)
2004-05 overall record: 16-5-6
2004-05 ECAC West record: 9-1-2
2004-05 ECAC West finish: First
2005-06 Coach’s Poll: Third
2005-06 Scott’s predicted finish: Second

For Utica, this season is all about transition. After graduating its first class as a team last spring, the Pioneers now must make the transition from a startup team to a team that contends year after year.
Utica set the stage for that transition last season, winning their first ever regular season title and also graduating thirteen seniors. That loss of veteran leadership has sent coach Gary Heenan back to the basics to craft a new team.

“With so many freshmen, we have to teach a lot more,” said Heenan. “We can’t assume that the majority of the team knows our system, our drills, etc. From a coaching standpoint, we have had to slow down and be more descriptive in our teachings to make sure that all of the little details are being taken care of.”
Joining the Pioneers this season will be a slew of new freshmen. On offense, the Pioneers will need to replace three of their four top scorers.

“Our big hole is going to be our top three scorers,” said Heenan. “That is a tremendous challenge for our hockey club. We are obviously going to have freshmen in those roles now. How quickly those skill players can adjust to the level change will have a great say in how successful we are.”
Heenan is looking to newcomers Colin Kingston and Bryce Dale to step into those roles rapidly.

“[Kingston] has got great vision and playmaking hands,” said Heenan. “He is a guy who will be noticed each time we play. Dale is a guy with awesome speed and a good set of hands. Speed is more his asset.”

In a hint of setting up forward lines already, Heenan said that Dale will be playing alongside sophomore Jared Allison and junior Phil Boots.

Historically, the Utica Pioneers relied on stay at home defensemen, forcing the forwards to carry the puck up ice and score goals. But with this year’s recruiting class of blue-liners, Heenan went in a little different direction.
“We were always a defensive D corps, where we always had to have forwards playing the point on our power play,” said Heenan. “This year, we wanted a couple offensive defensemen.”

Filling that role are freshmen Josh Merson and Tiger Marcotte. Merson is a big kid, at 6’1″, who loves the weight room. Heenan describes him as “good hands with a heavy shot and size.”

Marcotte, on the other hand, is on the smaller side at 5’6″, but is very fast with good ice vision.

“They are two different kind of dynamic players, but both defensemen who will hopefully add offense,” said Heenan.

One area coach Heenan doesn’t have to worry about is goaltending. All-ECAC West goaltender Adam Dekker returns to the nets, and he will now be helped by Utica’s new assistant coach Jason Lefevre. While Lefevre will help out in all aspects of the team, as a former starter in net for Colgate he will help Dekker elevate his game even further.

“[Lefevre’s] going to be involved in everything,” said Heenan. “But having played as an elite level goaltender, he will hopefully be able to add to Dekker’s game as well.”

Hobart College Statesmen
Coach: Mark Taylor, sixth season overall and at Hobart (59-54-15)
2004-05 overall record: 14-6-4
2004-05 ECAC West record: 5-5-2
2004-05 ECAC West finish: Fifth
2005-06 Coach’s Poll: Second
2005-06 Scott’s predicted finish: Third

Two seasons ago, Hobart enjoyed the fruits of its recent renaissance to vault to the ECAC West title, and national prominence. Last season, with basically the same team, the injury bug hit early and the Statesmen were never able to regain their balance, stumbling to a disappointing finish and missing the playoffs.

This year, with a little luck to avoid the injury bug, Hobart should be back in the playoff mix.

“We are pretty much where we have been the last two seasons, and should be in the hunt for some exciting hockey,” said Hobart head coach Mark Taylor.
But the five seniors who graduated last spring were Taylor’s first recruiting class, and were a big reason for the level of success that the Statesmen have enjoyed the last two seasons. Players like Craig Levey, Steve Mitacek, Tyler Dufour and Adam Lavelle all played important roles over the last four seasons.

“We lost some guys that were instrumental in helping me get it going here,” said Taylor. “Hopefully there are some guys here who can elevate to replace those guys. You say it every year when you lose guys ‘Who is going to replace them?’ But every year guys do.”

Unfortunately, Lavelle’s injury in the third game last season is what started the slide for Hobart.

“We never got the senior year out of Lavelle that we were hoping for,” said Taylor.

With coach Taylor’s teams, being strong defensively is the key, and this year is no different. Ryan Adler, Bryan Harris, Andy Brennan and Mike Steiner all join the Hobart blue liners.

“I like the group of freshmen coming in,” said Taylor. “We definitely added a group of defensemen who are definitely going to help us this year. Over the years, that is one thing that we have had is a good group of defensemen.”
But it isn’t all about defense for Hobart. Joining the forwards this season are Ben Wahler, Jason Merritt, Matt Smalling, and Andrew Bishing.

“Wahler and Merritt should have an immediate impact as forwards,” said Taylor.
In net, it seems like it is feast or famine for the Statesmen. Keith Longo joins the three returning goaltenders to form a solid core. However, expect Dimitri Papaevagelou to be the starter after a stellar freshman campaign last year.

“If anything, we are overly competitive at that position,” said Taylor. “Unfortunately, recruiting goaltenders isn’t always a perfect science. Sometimes you end up with too many good ones.”

Elmira College Soaring Eagles
Coach: Tim Ceglarski, fifth season overall and at Elmira (58-41-7)
2004-05 overall record: 11-12-3
2004-05 ECAC West record: 6-5-1
2004-05 ECAC West finish: Fourth
2005-06 Coach’s Poll: Fourth
2005-06 Scott’s predicted finish: Fourth

The last two seasons are not going to be remembered fondly by the Elmira Soaring Eagles fans or players. Both years, Elmira finished with eleven wins and twelve losses, barely making the playoffs last year but missing two seasons ago.

“Being under .500 and border line making the league playoffs isn’t a place we want to be in every year,” said head coach Tim Ceglarski. “It is definitely a concern. Nothing against our team last year, but there were times when we just went through the motions and expected our big goal scorers to score goals at opportune times. We didn’t work as hard as we could have worked.”
So, Ceglarski and assistant coach Aaron Saul decided to bring in a big recruiting class to shake things up and turn the ship around. Ten freshmen and a junior transfer make this year’s roster completely different from the past two seasons.

“Complacency doesn’t breed many good things,” said Ceglarski. “We needed to bring guys in here that are going to make us a better hockey team quickly. This recruiting class is big, and I am sure the next one is going to be big as well.”

A big hole to fill is in the offensive zone. Elmira graduated its four top scorers from last season, who accounted for 49.5% of its goals. While you can’t expect the seven new forwards to have that kind of production right away, the Soaring Eagles will need them to chip in quickly.

“Our forwards aren’t going to score a million goals, but we are going to work a heck of a lot harder than our teams in the past just by the makeup of our team,” said Ceglarski. “We don’t have the natural go to goal scorer this year, so every single one of our guys is going to have to work harder.”
Justin Joy, a junior transfer from Plattsburgh, will be tapped to lead by his example of hard work.

“[Justin] is a spark plug out on the ice and works hard on both ends of it,” said Ceglarski. “He creates a lot of opportunities.”
Others that coach Ceglarski highlighted were Dave McKenna, Derrick Ryan, and Albert Mitchell.

“McKenna is not big in stature, but is very gifted with the puck and the ability to setup players,” said Ceglarski. “Ryan is a big bull when it comes to playing physical in his own zone, and can contribute some offense. Mitchell is small in stature (5’6″ 139lbs) but he won’t back down from anybody. He has great wheels, a good set of hands, and makes plays when he is out on the ice.”
Defense is another area where Elmira recruited more players than they lost from last season. The Soaring Eagles only lost Chris Mann to graduation from the defensive corps, but brought in three freshmen to fill the void.

“One of the areas we definitely needed to improve on was our defense, and I think we did that with the three guys that we brought in,” said Ceglarski. “Nicolas Dumoulin is a strong two way defenseman, shoots the puck a ton, very physical, and plays well in his own zone. Tyler Cann has a lot of poise on the ice and moves the puck very well. He will probably end up quarterbacking the power play and is very skilled. Kyle Branson is a kid with a lot of composure with the puck.”

Two mediocre seasons, some would say sub-par by Elmira standards, seems to have lit a fire under the Soaring Eagles to rapidly improve.

Lebanon Valley College Flying Dutchmen
Coach: Al MacCormack, 30th season overall (288-308-17), eighth at Lebanon Valley (119-60-7)
2004-05 overall record: 5-19-1
2004-05 ECAC West record: 1-11-0
2004-05 ECAC West finish: Seventh
2005-06 Coach’s Poll: Sixth
2005-06 Scott’s predicted finish: Fifth

Last season, Lebanon Valley couldn’t seem to catch a break. Entering the season, the Flying Dutchmen knew that the transition into the ECAC West would be a struggle. Learning how to compete in a league with multiple nationally ranked teams would take time, but both the Lebanon Valley players and coaches thought that they would enjoy at least some level of success.

However, their task was made even more difficult when leading scorer Cameron Vandeveer went down with an injury just ten games into the season.

“It was a very, very, very tough year last year,” said Lebanon Valley coach Al MacCormack. “We had a rash of injuries. We were in a lot of games, but then again we were not in a lot of games. I think experience helps a whole lot. Going into last year, we were underdogs in every game. We didn’t have one senior on the team last year, and then our leading scorer (Vandeveer) went out with an injury early in the year. So we were left without any leadership, and we struggled last year. But the experience of last year is only going to help us.”

This year, an influx of new talent and a year’s experience should lead to a much improved Lebanon Valley team and more success.

“We have everyone back from last year’s team that contributed,” said MacCormack. “We have to start from our goaltending out.”

Key to that success will be senior goaltender Sonny Holding and sophomore Craig Vardy. Between them they accounted for 96% of the minutes in net last season, and will be called on for an equal amount of time this season.
An important ingredient for the Flying Dutchmen this season will be the incoming class of seven freshmen and one transfer. Rob Malloy and EJ Smith will be called on immediately to shore up a thin defensive corps.

“Rob Malloy and EJ Smith look very good in preseason play,” said MacCormack. “We only had five defensemen last year, so hopefully Malloy and Smith will add some depth. We have to have depth, because we didn’t have any last year.”

Up front, Lebanon Valley will look to Matt Rowe and Josh Andrews to jump right into the offensive mix of things.

“We have a couple of boys whom we think are going to be able to contribute right away,” said MacCormack. “Matt Rowe and Josh Andrews should help us up front right away.”

Jarred Frey, a sophomore transfer from Fredonia, will also add to the offense although an injury will limit his action in the short term.

New this off season was Lebanon Valley tapping into the Canadian junior leagues for recruits. This strategy has proven successful for the other teams in the league, and the Flying Dutchmen have now joined in. Two freshmen from north of the border, Matt Rowe and Josh Andrews, join fellow upperclassmen Canucks Justin Todd and Jeff Smith.

“We are trying to tap into some of the Ontario leagues for recruiting,” said MacCormack. “I’m hoping that they can help build us up.”

The improvements both on and off the ice this summer should help Lebanon Valley take the next step in transitioning into the league.

Neumann College Knights
Coach: Dennis Williams, second season overall and at Neumann (4-17-2)
2004-05 overall record: 4-17-2
2004-05 ECAC West record: 2-9-1
2004-05 ECAC West finish: Sixth
2005-06 Coach’s Poll: Fifth
2005-06 Scott’s predicted finish: Sixth

Last season was marked by constant turmoil for the Neumann Knights. First year coach Dennis Williams was hired late and was unable to do any recruiting. Then, in early November, a third of his players, including all of his upperclassmen leadership, were suspended from the team for NCAA violations.

Suddenly, Williams was left with a shell of a team to struggle through the remainder of the season with. But in a way, it appears that those events were a blessing in disguise.

Over the summer, Williams took advantage and recruited almost an entirely new team. A quick review of Neumann’s roster shows twenty freshmen, and all of them are expected to play regular shifts this season.

“We are going to be young with twenty freshmen in the lineup,” said Williams. “We are going to win some games with youth and energy, and we are going to lose some games with the youth part of it. It will be a learning experience for all of us this year, but it should be a fun year.”

To garner these recruits, Williams extended his reach back to his roots in the Canadian junior leagues. The majority of the entering freshmen hail from north of the border, and as mature older players are expected to inject a level of leadership immediately.

“My goal this year was to go out and find the best mix of recruits,” said Williams. “I’m from Stratford, Ontario, so I went to that league and took out what I thought were the top elite players that didn’t go Division 1. We have a great group of guys coming down.”

The new group of forwards will be looked at to pull Neumann out of the league basement in goals per game.

“We have some guys coming in that I have the expectation will put the puck in the net,” said Williams. “But it is going to take some time for us.”

“Mike DiMarchi is going to be a pretty dynamic player up front for us,” continued Williams. “Mike Hedon is a scrappy, in your face type, player who goes in the corner for you. He had 38 goals last year. His goals aren’t pretty, but he gets the job done. Josh Gaynor, Jesse Cole, Erik Stoyanovich, and Kyle Casey are all Stratford kids coming from a program that is rich in winning. They have done very well year in and year out. They are four of the top five goal scorers up there, and all were leaders on their teams.”
Neumann added size on defense and will rely on their mobility to keep the Knights in games early in the season.

“Brock Van Slyke, Doug Slipakoff, and Colin Herman are three pretty big D that I am looking to come and be big mobile defensemen,” said Williams.
Coach Williams also got a gift early in the off season when former Oswego goaltender Brett Leonhardt decided to transfer to Neumann. He will need to vie for starts with the Knights returning sophomore goaltender Mike Collichio who had an outstanding season last year and was a big reason behind the games that they won.

“I got a call, and [Leonhardt] went through all of the self release paperwork,” said Williams. “He said he wanted to come down here, and it is hard to turn down a goalie that has gone 10-1-2 in two years. He has won some big games for them, and he is excited to come down here and be pushing with Mike Collichio to be the number one goalie. I think he realizes that he is coming into a situation where we have a pretty good number one goalie already. But he is excited about that opportunity.”

The youthful Neumann Knights will certainly take their lumps as the season goes along. But by concentrating on the fundamentals, and gaining experience, it won’t be long before they start to climb up the ladder in the ECAC West.
“We are looking two years down the road, when this group of freshmen are juniors, that is the year that we will need to do something in the league,” said Williams. “I just need to get these guys going and learning.”

SUNYAC gets new look

By Russell Jaslow

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October 27, 2005

You can’t tell the coaches without a scorecard.

Three teams sport new men at the helm, and the teams affected range from the champion to the non-playoff entities. After guiding Geneseo to their second SUNYAC title in school history, Brian Hills decided to join his friend, Wayne Wilson, at RIT as an assistant coach helping to guide that team in its Division I transition. Former Ice Knights star, Jason Lammers, was tabbed to take over the squad.

Meanwhile, the two teams that did not make the playoffs decided to change direction. One planned it a bit better than the other. Buffalo State’s Jim Fowler decided early in the off-season to take other opportunities within the institution. The Bengals looked down the Thruway and hired Fredonia’s assistant coach, Nick Carriere.

Brockport, however, made their change about as late as you want to. Brian Dickinson also took another opportunity within his school, and left with very little time to pick a coach, the Golden Eagles decided to promote assistant coach James Eccles as the interim head coach.

What does it all mean? The easy way out is for me to tell you in March. However, I don’t think my editors will allow me to do that. So, instead, I’m given the annual opportunity to make a fool of myself.

Coaching changes for teams that have struggled usually work out for the best, at least in the short term. Thus, I see one of those teams making the playoffs while the other continues to be left out. In the long term, those coaches will still have to struggle with the same hurdles their predecessors had to deal with — recruiting, motivating, strategy, and how much support they get from their school.

The last time a championship team changed coaches was when Oswego won the title in 2003 and George Roll went up to Clarkson handing the reins over to Ed Gosek. The Lakers didn’t repeat, but they were competitive despite some stumbles. The same will occur for Geneseo.

Speaking of Oswego, they will finish in first place again. This time, they will win the conference playoffs as well. But, Plattsburgh, Geneseo, Fredonia, and Potsdam will make their lives miserable along the way.

Oswego State Lakers

Coach: Ed Gosek, third season overall and at Oswego (37-15-6)
2004-5 overall record: 18-6-3
2004-5 SUNYAC record: 11-3-0
2004-5 SUNYAC finish: First
2005-6 predicted finish: First

Normally, losing a top flight goalie, especially after just his sophomore season, can be devastating for a team. Not so for Oswego. That’s because, despite standout Brett Leonhardt transferring to Neumann, Oswego had an even better goalie in Ryan Scott, the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year.

Scott kept getting stronger and stronger throughout his freshman campaign, and despite stumbling in the semifinals of the league playoffs to arch rival Plattsburgh, he helped lead Oswego to a first place finish. The Lakers only lost six games overall last year, but just four in the regular season.

If Scott continues to display that top form, then the rest of the league will continue to see Oswego at the top of the standings.

Granted, the Lakers lost a lot, including six of their top nine scorers from last year. However, coach Ed Gosek has a reputation for bringing in top talent, and with 16 incoming players, that reputation will be tested.

Helping to fill that offensive gap will most likely be forwards Brendan McLaughlin, Peter Magagna, Derrell Levy, and Garren Reisweber. Despite the losses, there will be a solid core of returning forwards. They are captain Jocelyn Dubord, Trevor Gilligan, Ryan Woodward, C.J. Thompson, and Johnny Duco. And let’s not forget about Tony DiNunzio, who was simply a pleasure to watch last year, and just as easily could have beaten out his teammate for SUNYAC Rookie of the Year honors.

On the blueline, four players return-Bryan Gent, Ryan Koresky, T.J. Manasterski, and Tyler Rivers. The newcomers to keep an eye on are Tyler Laws, Rich Zalewski, and Mike Novak.

As always the Lakers face a formidable schedule as they play 11 games against teams ranked in the top 15 last season.

A lot of times, sports is about the intangibles. Oswego has a huge intangible this year. It’s their last season in the venerable Romney Field House. There is something special about this old warhorse, and though they will be looking forward to moving into the brand new, and gorgeous, rink being built, what better way to say goodbye to Romney than a SUNYAC championship.

Plattsburgh State Cardinals

Coach: Bob Emery, 17th season overall and at Plattsburgh (368-114-35)
2004-5 overall record: 18-13-0
2004-5 SUNYAC record: 7-7-0
2004-5 SUNYAC finish: Fourth
2005-6 predicted finish: Second

When things aren’t going well for Plattsburgh, which is not often, they always seems to find a way to salvage a season. Last year they finished at .500 in the league and yet nearly won it all.

“We played better in the playoffs then we did in the season,” coach Bob Emery explains. “The key in hockey now is so much emphasis on the goalie. The year before, we had the hot goalie, and we won the championship. Last year, no question, Geneseo had the hottest goalie in the league, and they won the championship.”

Plattsburgh will once again rely on Craig Neilson, now a senior, for their goaltending needs. Ready to help him out will be freshman Chris Molinaro, who could make his mark early if Neilson falters.

Though there are a lot of new players, and standout Paul Kelly graduated, a lot of solid players are also returning. For the forwards, they include Ryan Busby, David Friel, Ben Kemp, Justin Rafferty, Jordan Smith, Shane Remenda, Bryant Wilson, and T.J. Cooper. Look for Mike Thomson, Deryk Whitehead, Kevin Galey, and Matt Raymond amongst the newcomers to make a contribution.

The Cardinals lost a bit more on defense as only four key blueliners return-Bryan North, Anthony Leccese, Jamie Wright, and Rick Janco. Shane McGarry and Nick Rolls will be relied onto fill the gaps as well as Ryan Burke.

Emery stays away from predicting which of the newcomers will make an impact. Or, for that matter which of the returnees he expects to lead the way.

“It’s just a matter of working hard and rolling four lines and six defensemen,” he says.

One item Emery will commit to is the team’s goal. Which for Plattsburgh is always the same each year.

“Our goal is to win the SUNYAC regular season and get home ice throughout the playoffs,” he says. “It’s hard to win the championship on the road.”

It’s also hard to win without a hot goaltender. If Neilson is back in top form and the Cardinals don’t struggle during the regular season, the road to the SUNYAC championship will go through Stafford Arena.

Geneseo State Ice Knights

Coach: Jason Lammers, first season as head coach
2004-5 overall record: 18-7-4
2004-5 SUNYAC record: 10-3-1
2004-5 SUNYAC finish: Second
2005-6 predicted finish: Third

It would be logical for a new coach taking over a championship team to be a bit nervous. The pressure to repeat cannot be escaped, adding stress to an already stressful transition to a new job. However, that doesn’t worry Jason Lammers. In fact, he appears to relish the situation.

“Our goal is to win the championship,” Lammers says matter of factly. “That’s what we’re here for. That’s our goal.”

The first order of business will be to replace goaltender Brett Walker, who at times single handedly carried the team. Again, Lammers is not worried.

“I have high hopes for the goalies this year,” he said. “[Freshman Jeff] Pasemko and [Derek] Jokic will be fighting for a starting spot.”

Sophomore Jokic saw playing time last year, appearing in nine games with a 3.07 GAA and a .891 save pct.

Though Geneseo will be hard pressed to replace the likes of Jay Kuczmanski and Chris Tarr, they return the rest of their top ten scorers, all of whom scored at least 20 points last year-Mitch Stephens, Mike McDonald, Brett Bestwick, Trent Cassan, Michel Bond, Dan Schofield, Mathieu Cyr, and their top scoring defenseman, Matt English. Couple that with the other returning defenseman Nick Onody, Steve Sankey, Eric Lawler, and Steve Jordan and it really might come down to whether Geneseo fills the goaltending role appropriately.

With all that firepower returning, it is no wonder Lammers is looking for an exciting season. “We look to have a high tempo, offensive team that’s looking to go right away,” he says.

The newcomers should help plug the remaining holes. Casey Balog will be a force for Geneseo at forward while Tyson Terry, a transfer from Wisc.-Superior, has a good understanding of the game. Brandon French may be small, but the forward packs a lot of skills. Chris Kestell and Sean Hayden will help out on the blueline.

“There’s a high standard set here,” Lammers says. “As an alum and defending champions, there is pressure.”

Okay, Lammers acknowledges there is some pressure. However, solve the hole left by Walker and Kuczmanski, and Lammers will indeed brush off the pressure like lint off a jacket.

Fredonia State Blue Devils

Coach: Jeff Meredith, 18th season overall and at Fredonia (249-180-39)
2004-5 overall record: 16-6-4
2004-5 SUNYAC record: 9-3-2
2004-5 SUNYAC finish: Third
2005-6 predicted finish: Fourth

The Blue Devils always seem to be the most unpredictable team in the league. Pick them near the top and they finish near the bottom. Pick them near the bottom, like I did last year, and they finish near the top. Almost at the very top. So this year, I’ll just pick them in the middle.

“Last year we were two points out of first place,” Coach Jeff Meredith lamented. “And we finished third.”

“We have high expectations of ourselves,” he continued. “Last year whet our appetites. We were disappointed how it ended, but that motivated us to work harder in the off-season.”

With some of their top heavy hitters returning, including forward Matt Zeman and goaltender Rick Cazares, Meredith took a different approach to his recruiting.

“We worked at pinpointing our incoming class,” Meredith says. “It’s one of the smallest recruiting groups in Fredonia’s history, but we felt we didn’t need any others.”

That class includes just three forwards (Shawn Walker, Richard Boyce, and Bryan Goudy) and three defenders (Kurt Hogard, Jeff Sylvester, and Colin Sarfeh).

Along with Zeman, one of the nation’s top scorers last year, Kraig Kuzma, Jim Gilbride, and Neil Sheehan return to add firepower. Captain Tom Briggs, hampered by injuries last year, returns in top form, along with Kyle Bozoian. Oh, and be careful hoping you get a power play against Fredonia-they scored nine shorthanded goals last year.

The team will, however, miss their fifth leading scorer from last season, forward Chad Berman whose career after just one season came to an end due to a medical condition.

On defense, Fredonia lost more than up front. Chris Wells graduated and Brian Kolesar and Nick Malina left the team. Don Jaeger, Evan DiValentino, and Steve Albert return, but after that, Fredonia will be using freshmen and players who didn’t log many minutes last year to fill the gaps.

Rick Cazares will have to continue to play solid in net as he did last year after transferring from Michigan Tech. Even if he falters, Fredonia can call upon able backups in Rob Stanley and Simon Maignan.

“Ultimately, we want to win our league,” Meredith says. “However, you can’t get to that all in one shot. You have to break the season in pieces.”

How consistent those pieces are, an issue Fredonia has had in the past, will determine how predictable or unpredictable their season is.

Potsdam State Bears

Coach: Glenn Thomaris, 18th season overall (306-163-21) and fourth season at Potsdam (35-41-7)
2004-5 overall record: 10-14-3
2004-5 SUNYAC record: 6-6-2
2004-5 SUNYAC finish: Fifth
2005-6 predicted finish: Fifth

I know I sound like a broken record, but Potsdam’s season will depend on whether they take care of their goaltending situation or not. Rob Barnhardt is back, to try and make good on the expectations the team had, but he fell short on, when they brought him in last year.

Vince Cuccaro is back for his third season to help out Barnhardt if necessary, and newcomer Justin Summerfield joins the Bears after two years at Broome Community College.

The last two seasons saw coach Glenn Thomaris have a massive recruiting effort. The effect is seeing 19 players return for this season. On the top of that list is forward Ryan McCarthy, last year’s SUNYAC Player of the Year, and defenseman Mike Taylor.

T.J. Sakaluk, who made a case for SUNYAC Rookie of the Year last season, is back along with fellow forwards Pat Lemay, Adam Gebara, Greg Lee, Kevin Tessier, Chris Brussa-Toi, Corey McAllister, and Ryan Mattison.

Returning blueliners include Ben King, Ryan Trimble, Dennis Colterman, Nic Bibic, Warren Sly, and Vince Tarantino.

With a large returning class, there are only four new players on the Potsdam roster. The aforementioned Summerfield, forwards Dan Quartucio from SUNY-Morrisville and John Rorison, and defenseman Lance Smith, perhaps their most prized newcomer, a transfer from Division I Robert Morris University.

Potsdam has good size and speed, and the one comment most coaches say about them, is they do not allow much room on the ice for their opposition.

The Bears struggled at the beginning of the last season with so many new players, but they got stronger and stronger as the year went on including some big wins and ties against nationally ranked opponents. They also had a knack for some exciting comebacks.

Consistency is a key in sports, and Potsdam will have a consistency advantage over other teams when it comes to personnel. However, whether they have consistency in net will ultimately determine whether the Bears get to experience any home playoff games.

Brockport State Golden Eagles

Coach: James Eccles, first season as head coach
2004-5 overall record: 8-16-1
2004-5 SUNYAC record: 2-11-1
2004-5 SUNYAC finish: Seventh
2005-6 predicted finish: Sixth

Last year, 17 new players wore the Golden Eagles’ uniform. Fifteen of them return this year with another 10 newbies joining the squad. Now, add in new head coach James Eccles, and it’s a complete mystery what Brockport will do this year. However, Eccles knows what his strategy will be.

“Brian Dickinson started a good philosophy bringing in a whole bunch of new players,” Eccles says. “With fifteen returnees, I’m not going away from that philosophy. Hard and tough up front. Trap defense in the back.”

That philosophy may all come down to goaltending. Despite the brief success of first year player Greg Van’t Hof last year, he is ineligible this season, and last year’s regular starter, Andy Reynolds, graduated. Thus, it comes down to freshmen netminders, two of whom will be fighting for the starting position. Both are capable of that role while having two distinctly different styles.

Devin Ramasawamy is good down low with quick feet. Matt Mateja, at 6-4, likes the stand up style.

“We got two goaltenders that are starters,” Eccles says.

Other newcomers Brockport will be relying on are forward Aaron Boyer, a big goal scorer, and defensemen Craig Carlyle and Mike Gershon.

Eventually, with all this influx of new players, Brockport is going to have to rely on veterans. They no longer have forwards Mark Digby and Brian Bauman and defensemen Brian Sargent, Ryan Shannon, and Ryan Marvin. Thus, they will have to turn to Chris Koras, the team’s third leading scorer last year, Ian MacLean, Ricky Gates, Gordon Pritchard, and Chris Brown.

“It’s a very young, aggressive team with a lot of energy,” Eccles says. “I’m going to use that to our advantage.”

That advantage and the effect a change in coaches tends to have should lead Brockport’s return to the playoffs after a long absence. That’s what Eccles would like to see, though he is setting his goals in a stepped pattern.

“Split with Manhattanville this weekend is our first goal,” he says. “Top five in SUNYAC by Christmas is our second goal. SUNYAC playoffs are our ultimate goal.”

Cortland State Red Dragons

Coach: Tom Cranfield, fifth season overall and at Cortland (29-45-9)
2004-5 overall record: 11-14-2
2004-5 SUNYAC record: 5-8-1
2004-5 SUNYAC finish: Sixth
2005-6 predicted finish: Seventh

With ten players graduated and the need to replace 13, the Red Dragons brought in 16 new recruits. The one characteristic that stands out amongst this incoming class is size.

“We’re really happy with the kids we brought in,” coach Tom Cranfield says. “We’re going to be a young, bigger, tougher team than last year.”

Bigger may be an understatement. How about defenseman Mike Egan listed at 6-5, 220 lbs. He, along with fellow blueliner Patrick Baumann, are products of the New York Applecore program. Cortland will be looking for these two to make an immediate impact. Another new big, tough defender is Drew Reynolds at 6-2, 195 lbs.

Want size up front also? You got it. Adam Lehman is 6-0 and 220 and is considered tough as nails but capable of putting the puck in the net. Lehman as well as Nick Catanzaro and Zach Dehm, a transfer from Division I Sacred Heart University, are the forwards that should make their presence quickly known. Another large forward, who also is from the Applecore program, is Chris Corso who stands at 6-2, 205 lbs.

However, despite all that size and new muscle, the biggest player of all will be returning goaltender, senior Mike Meacham. Without Meacham, all that size in front of him might not mean a thing.

“He’s our go to guy,” Cranfield says. “He’s phenomenal. It will be battle for who backs up Meacham.”

That battle will include junior transfer Cody Williams from SUNY-Morrisville.

Cortland did lose a lot, including last year’s top three (and top six out of seven) scorers, and even with a large class coming in, they will have to rely on the returning veterans such as captain Matt Schillace, Barry McLaughlin, and Mike Caruso. A tall order if they want to get back into the playoffs.

“Our goal since I came into the league is to make the playoffs, and then to host the first round,” Cranfield says. “We believe we have the guys to do it.”

However, he added, “We’re still hesitant to say what we got until we get a feeling on the new guys.”

Time will tell. And size may matter.

Buffalo State Bengals

Coach: Nick Carriere, first season as head coach
2004-5 overall record: 5-17-3
2004-5 SUNYAC record: 1-10-3
2004-5 SUNYAC finish: Seventh
2005-6 predicted finish: Eighth

While Brockport’s James Eccles may be keeping things status quo, Nick Carriere makes no secret that a new era dawns at Buffalo State.

“New culture, new blood,” Carriere states. “We’re doing everything brand new. We’re starting from a new beginning from everything to strength and conditioning to the practices we hold.”

Carriere saw that new attitude from his captains. “Already seen a lot of leadership out of them this year,” he says. “Since day one, they have been in my office this year. That showed me a lot. Showed me this year was important to them.”

It may be a new era for the Bengals, but they will be relying on a lot of veteran talent. The team’s top five scorers from last year return-Sean Burke, Mike DeMarco, Greg Pybylski, Sean Castagna, and Sean O’Connell. the team’s third leading scorer last year, returns as the captain this year.

Starting goaltender Sean Sheehan returns, and he will be helped in front of him by Jeff Mok, Brian Nicklas, Castagna, and O’Connell. Freshman Aaron Allor should prove to be an adequate backup to Sheehan.

There will be help from newcomers, and it’s a defenseman they may rely on the most. Cody Cole is strong and aggressive and will be one of the go-to guys as he possesses excellent offensive skills as well. Forwards Jason Hill, Paul Gagnon, and Jonathan Pietrangelo will be expected to contribute out of the starter’s blocks.

Carriere believes the devil is in the details. “All the little things are important,” he says. “We believe if we do all the little things right, everything else will fall into place.”

If they do all those little things right, they will reach Carriere’s ultimate goal.

“One of our longtime goals is to make the SUNYAC playoffs,” Carriere says. “We have the underdog status. We believe we can compete with anyone in this league by working hard.”

Nick Carriere plans on working to usher in a new era for Bengals’ hockey.

This Week in the ECACHL: Oct. 27, 2005

By Timothy Muir McDonald

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October 27, 2005

The set of games likely drawing the most attention from hockey fans around the ECACHL this weekend is the matchup in Ithaca between the Spartans of Michigan State and the Big Red of Cornell.

This year’s matchup at Lynah Rink is a rematch of last season, when the Big Red traveled to East Lansing for a pair of games in Munn Ice Arena. Cornell tied Michigan State 1-1 the first night, and then lost 2-0 in the followup. That win and tie were part of a four-game winless streak, Cornell’s longest of the season.

“We’re fortunate to have Michigan State coming in here this season,” said Cornell coach Mike Schafer during the ECACHL Media Day in September.

“Michigan State will be a real test for us because we’ll have like five practices under our belts and that’ll be practically their seventh and eighth games,” he continued. “It’s obviously a disadvantage [to start the season late]. But that’s what we’ve always dealt with [in the Ivy League], so it’s nothing new.

“You go into [the season opener] knowing you’re going to be far from perfect. You’re a long way from where you want to be at the end of the season.”

The All-Ivy Opener

Harvard, which has typically begun its season every year with another edition of college hockey’s oldest rivalry, against Brown, will instead begin its season against Dartmouth. With the departure of Vermont to Hockey East and the arrival of Quinnipiac as the new member of the ECACHL, the travel partner system by which Harvard and Brown had been paired has been changed.

DONATO

Now the Bears are travel partners with the Yale Bulldogs, as are the Crimson and the Big Green. And even though it may lack some of the historical significance of a Harvard-Brown contest, the opener against Dartmouth has animated fans, and coaches, on both campuses.

“We’re excited for our first game of the season,” said Harvard coach Ted Donato. “The combination of having the Harvard-Dartmouth football game in the afternoon, plus the hockey teams playing at night, and it being our first game of the year, coupled with Dartmouth having a very good hockey team and being a rival, it all just adds up to a heck of a night.”

Over the last three to four seasons, the Crimson and the Big Green have become stronger rivals as both teams have improved to among the best in the ECACHL. This year, however, both are attempting to remain among the league’s elite while at the same time coping with the replacement of key players.

“We lost two valuable defensemen who ate up a lion’s share of ice time,” said Donato.

“They lost some key guys,” agreed Dartmouth coach Bob Gaudet. “They lost a real good goalie in [Dov] Grumet-Morris and some good defensemen in [Noah] Welch and [Ryan] Lannon.

“We’ve lost some key players as well — Dan Yacey, our goaltender, and Lee Stempniak up front,” he said. “I’m sure they have some guys, as we do, who are going to have to step up into those positions.

“We’ve got good depth and a good leader in Mike Ouellette, our captain, who’s an unheralded player,” Gaudet continued. “We might not have that guy up front that has the dynamic scoring of Stempniak, but we feel like we’re going to be good on defense; five of six guys are back on defense and we’re going to need that experience to make up for some inexperience in goal.”

“We have a lot of confidence in the guys we have returning, but [our goaltenders] are inexperienced,” Donato said. “And as a coach you never know how they’re going to do until you throw them into the fire.”

Sitting Idly ‘Bye’

With the six non-Ivy League members of the ECACHL well into their schedules and with most of the Ivy League teams beginning their seasons this weekend, only two teams will still be waiting for 2005-06 to begin.

Brown and Yale each have an exhibition game scheduled this weekend against Concordia University, a Canadian school in Montreal; the two schools won’t begin playing games that will count towards their records until next weekend, when they host Colgate and Cornell.

“We play [our exhibitions] like a full dress rehearsal,” said Yale coach Tim Taylor. “We get prepared the same, we roll our lines just like we’re going to roll them during the season, but we do get an opportunity to take a look at a few extra kids.”

“[Exhibition games] are a little bit of a juggling act,” agreed Brown coach Roger Grillo. “But this does allow for some extra time to practice before our first game.”

Another Half Weekend

Last weekend, with only one game against Army at Starr Rink, served as a respite for the Colgate Raiders after they returned from a long and difficult road trip against Lake Superior the week before. But this weekend again finds coach Don Vaughan’s team playing only once, when the Raiders host Bentley on Saturday night.

“It’s a bit of a double-edged sword [having only one game],” Vaughan said. “With league play, you’re playing on back-to-back nights and that can be grueling on a team.

“It gives us an extra day to prepare, an extra day to practice,” he added. “From our standpoint with a lot of young guys, I guess it’s a benefit in terms of practice time and preparation.”

Having only one game, and a non-league game at that, can also be a distraction if the team looks more to the start of the league schedule — back-to-back contests next weekend at Brown and at Yale — than at its upcoming opponent.

“We’ve never played [Bentley] before, but I know they’re well-coached,” he said.

“Regardless of who you’re playing, you have to practice and be prepared; there’s no easy games any more in this sport.”

The Power-Play Output At Clarkson

Last year, the Golden Knights “struggled” on the power play — that’s the diplomatic way in which Clarkson coach George Roll described his team’s performance. They ranked near the bottom of the ECACHL, converting at an anemic 13%.

This season has been markedly different.

“We were very good on the power play [last weekend],” Roll said. “We’ve been very good on the power play all year. Shea Guthrie has been added to that unit and has done a good job of finding the open man.”

Through four games this season, the Golden Knights have found success on the power play. Clarkson has converted on seven of 29 chances, a 24.1% success rate that’s seventh-best in the nation.

“All the guys are on the same page, they’re playing well, executing, moving without the puck,” Roll said. “They’re unselfish, and they’re shooting the puck more on the power play and have more confidence.”

With the power play much improved, Roll set his sights on the penalty-kill during a pair of exhibitions last weekend against Western Ontario and the U.S. Under-18 Team. Before last weekend’s games, he talked about the need to improve on his team’s penalty killing ability.

“We’re going to be trying out some different forechecks,” he said. “And we’re going to try using some of our PP guys on the PK. Obviously with the games not counting we can play around a bit.”

The results — Clarkson killed off 13 of 15 power plays — were much to Roll’s liking.

“Our penalty kill was very good; we were much better in that area,” he agreed.

As for this weekend’s pair of home games against Wayne State, Roll anticipates a tough and tight set of contests that could help the Golden Knights begin the bulk of their league schedule on a positive note.

“[Wayne State] is big and physical, and we have to be prepared for two tough games,” Roll said. “We want to take care of home ice, and we want to have some momentum going into the start of the ECAC season.”

The Penalty-Killing Conundrum At Union

Following a homestand against Sacred Heart and Connecticut, the Union Dutchmen had an unusual quirk for the third week of October — no games were scheduled for last weekend, allowing for an early-season bye. The time off allowed Union coach Nate Leaman and his staff an extended set of practices; and to work on improving some of the problem areas from the team’s first four games.

“We are a young team,” said Leaman. “So it was really good to have time to work on things at practice.

“We are able to keep teaching our guys about the intensity they need, how to play within the system and how to be the best hockey players they can.”

One of the biggest problem areas identified by Leaman and his staff is the number of penalties that his players take and their struggles on the penalty kill.

“Our penalty-killing needs to get a lot better; we’re not doing very well there,” Leaman said. “Against UConn, we only gave them nine shots five-on-five.”

But the Dutchmen also gave the Huskies seven power-play chances, and Connecticut converted on three, including the game-tying goal in the third period.

“We gave them seven power plays,” Leaman said. “We can’t be going to the box that often; if we do, that gives anybody a chance to put three or four goals on us.”

ECACHL Honor Roll

Player of the Week

A week after Union’s Olivier Bouchard earned the nod as the ECACHL’s Player of the Week on the strength of his first career hat trick, Colgate’s Kyle Wilson followed suit in his team’s 6-1 win at West Point. Wilson, a senior center for the Raiders, recorded three straight goals, including a shorthander and another on the power play, and also added an assist.

“He had a great weekend for us,” said Colgate coach Don Vaughan. “He’s been our best player to date this season.”

Through four games this season, Wilson has six goals and three assists. He leads the ECACHL in goal-scoring, is tied for first with three power-play goals, and is tied for the NCAA lead in points per game at 2.25.

“Kyle came back from the summer very focused and very committed,” Vaughan said. “I think he was frustrated last year with his injury, and he wants to end on a high note here as a senior.

“He’s been a great player to this point,” he added. “Obviously he’s extremely skilled offensively, and his work ethic and focus just seem to be putting him over the edge.”

Goaltenders of the Week

After backstopping his team to a weekend sweep which included a 3-2 upset win over No. 12 Boston University on its home ice, Rensselaer freshman netminder Mathias Lange was named the league’s Goaltender of the Week.

Lange stopped 29 of 31 shots during the 3-2 win over BU at Agganis Arena last Friday, then recorded his first career shutout against Army on Sunday in a 4-0 Engineer victory.

Lange has improved steadily during the young season; he drew the start in the team’s season opener against Massachusetts-Lowell but struggled against the River Hawks, allowing five goals on 42 shots. After that loss, however, Lange has lowered his goals against average and his save percentage in wins over Michigan Tech, BU, and Army.

Through four games, he is 3-1-0 with a 2.51 goals against average and a .913 save percentage.

Back In The Saddle, Part II – Division III Preview

By Chris Lerch

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October 27, 2005

The beginning of the college hockey season is a time for coaches, players and fans to assess what was lost and what was gained in the off-season. In Part I of my Division III Season Preview, I looked at plusses and minuses for the top eight schools in the USCHO Division III Preseason Poll . Part II covers numbers nine though fifteen, plus a few other teams to watch in 2005-2006.

9. Oswego
Poll: 99 points
Last Season: 18-6-3; SUNYAC regular season champions; lost to Plattsburgh in the SUNYAC Quarterfinals
First Game: Friday, Oct. 21 at Utica

Oswego fans are going to need their scorecards for the first part of this season. Seventeen new players are on the Laker’s roster.

“Seventeen is a big number,” agreed Oswego coach Ed Gosek. “We skated with 11 freshman on Friday and 10 on Saturday.”

The Lakers split their season opening series with Utica, with each team winning on the other’s home ice.

“Overall I’m pleased,” said Gosek of his new-look squad. “On Friday, we did a lot of things we can be pleased with. Saturday was a different story. The intensity level wasn’t where I’d like it to be. That’s something the younger players have to get used to. There are no days off in college hockey.”

The young team will reply on the experience of senior captain Jocelyn Dubord who brings 104 career points into his final campaign. Also back is sophomore goaltender Ryan Scott, who was the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year last season.

While Gosek thinks his team will need some time to gel, the rest of the league thinks the Lakers will repeat as regular season champions, voting Oswego No. 1 in the SUNYAC preseason poll.

“We appreciate it, but we lost 13 guys,” Gosek said. “It’s an honor and good for the school and good for recruiting. But I don’t think we’re a championship team at this point. I think we can be, but we have a long way to go.”

10. Bowdoin
Poll: 83 points (1 first place vote)
Last Season: 17-6-3; Lost to Middebury in the NESCAC championship game
First Game: Friday, Nov. 18 at UMass-Boston

The consensus among the coaches that I’ve talked to so far this season is that the Polar Bears, who were within a goal of making the NCAA tournament, are going have another run at it this season. One went so far as to pick Bowdoin as the No. 1 team on his ballot for the USCHO Division III Preseason Poll.

“Bowdoin’s going to be right there at the end of the season,” said Middlebury coach Bill Beaney. “They look like they’re going to be very strong.”

The Polar Bears return four of their five top scorers, including senior Adam Dann, who led the team in points (28) and was second in goals (14) last season. All-NESCAC defenseman Nate Riddell is gone, but the rest of the blueline corps returns virtually intact, including Colin Hughes, who scored 20 points as a freshman last season.

Bowdoin will once again look to senior goalie George Papachristopoulos to lead the way. Papachristopoulos played all but 54 minutes in net for the Polar Bears last season, accumulating a 2.56 GAA and a .902 save percentage.

11. Babson
Poll: 76 points
Last Season: 20-5-3; Lost to New England in the ECAC East championship game
First Game: Friday, Nov. 18 vs. Colby

The Beavers have undergone a resurgence under second-year coach Jamie Rice, posting 20 victories last season for the first time since 1992 and leading the nation in power play efficiency. Rice likes what he sees again this season, but expects a dogfight in the ECAC East.

“We have a wide open league this year,” he said. “At least six teams can lay claim to the title.”

Babson sports the senior trio of trio of defenseman Tom Sullivan, forward Johnny Kim and goaltender Craig Weiner. Sullivan (30 points last season) was All-ECAC East and All-American. Kim had 42 points to lead the team in 2004-2005 and was All-ECAC East. Weiner was named the ECAC East Goaltender of the Year after going 13-4-1 with a .902 save percentage and a 2.32 GAA.

“It was nice that some guys were individually recognized, and rightly so,” said Rice. “But the strength of our team is that we have a lot of guys that can chip in.

“We don’t have a big roster, but we have a lot of depth. You can’t focus on one or two players or one line. We have a lot of guys that can beat you.”

12. Geneseo
Poll: 72 points
Last Season: 18-7-4; SUNYAC champions; lost to Trinity in the NCAA Quarterfinals
First Game: Saturday, Oct. 15 at Potsdam

Geneseo alumnus and former Division I assistant Jason Lammers returns to his alma mater for his first head coaching job, inheriting a team that won the SUNYAC title last season.

Lammers came on board in mid-August, after departing coach Brian Hills had already finished recruiting for the season.

“I like this team,” said Lammers. “Brian Hills did an awesome job recruiting.”

The departure of Brett Walker left a huge hole in net. Lammers hopes to fill it with a trio of young goaltenders. So far sophomore Derek Jokic and freshman Jeff Pasemko have seen action though Geneseo’s first three games.

The good news is that most of Geneseo’s big guns up front and on the blueline are back, including captains Matt English and Michel Bond.

“English and Bond are great players and great leaders,” said Lammers. “We have high expectations for them and for our program. We expect to finish among the top teams, and there are a lot of very good teams in our league.”

13. Wisconsin-River Falls
Poll: 44 points
Last Season: 17-9-2; Lost to Wisconsin-Superior in the NCHA Semifinals
First Game: Friday, Oct. 28 vs. Wisconsin-Eau Claire

The poll voters may have underrated the Falcons. On paper, they’re looking good with seven of their top ten scorers back, as well as a fair number of defenseman and both starting goaltenders.

“We’re all geared up and ready to start,” said coach Steve Freeman, now in his tenth season behind the UWRF bench.

“We feel confident that we’ll be a decent team, especially by the second half of the season.”

Freeman is especially pleased with his goaltending.

“I’m very comfortable with what we have in net,” he said. (Dan) Meneghin and (Andy) Scanlon are two of the top goaltenders in the league. Plus we’ve got a freshman, AJ Bucchino, that’s going to contribute too.”

A strong netminding corps will help offset some losses on defense.

“Our defensive corps took a significant hit from departures, but we’re excited about our returnees and new players,” said Freeman.

Up front, expect sophomore TJ Dahl and senior Aaron Degerness to lead the way. Dahl had 30 points in his rookie season, and Degerness chipped in 25.

14. New England College
Poll: 40 points
Last Season: 18-12-0; ECAC East champions; Lost to Middlebury in the NCAA Semifinals
First Game: Friday, Nov. 18 at Skidmore

The Pilgrims were last year’s Cinderella team, making it all the way to the NCAA semifinals after starting the season 2-6 and finishing fourth in the ECAC East. NEC won’t be sneaking up on people this season, as the Pilgrims return essentially intact.

Twenty-seven players are expected to return including last season’s super rookie Mike Carmody, who tallied 45 points in his freshman campaign.

“New England was one of the best teams we saw all season,” said Babson head coach Jamie Rice. “And Carmody was one of the top players in the league.”

Also back is goaltender Scott Gray, who took over the starting job in January last season and went 15-5 with a 2.77 GAA and a .919 save percentage.

“There are several teams capable of winning the (ECAC East),” said Rice. “And New England is right up there.”

15. Plattsburgh
Poll: 35 points
Last Season: 18-13-0; Lost to Geneseo in the SUNYAC championship series
First Game: Friday, Oct. 21 at Elmira

Last season was a lackluster one for the Cardinals, at least by their standards.

“We measure our success by winning championships,” said coach Bob Emery.

Plattsburgh didn’t win a title last season, hovering around the .500 mark for a large part of the season before putting things together, salvaging its season with an upset of archrival Oswego in the SUNYAC semifinals. As a result, the Cards came close to making the NCAA tournament, losing a hotly contested championship series to Geneseo.

Which Cardinal team will take the ice this season? The perennial powerhouse, or the team that was mediocre though most of last season?

“I have no idea,” said Emery. “I can’t tell you about my team yet. We have 12 freshmen and have only played one game. Our goal is to get better and hopefully get home ice in the playoffs and then see what happens.”

Instead of naming traditional captains, Plattsburgh is going with a “leadership group” of seven players.

“I thought we lacked leadership last season,” Emery said. “We expect this group to set an example and provide that leadership on and off the ice.”

With almost half the team consisting of new faces (thirteen players who were on last year’s roster are gone), Plattsburgh will rely heavily on veterans like senior Dave Friel (20 points last season) and junior Ryan Busby (30). Craig Neilson (2.75 GAA, .887 save percentage) returns for his final season in net.

Others to Watch:

A few other squads that I expect to make an appearance in the poll this season are:

Utica – The Pios lost a ton to graduation but look like they’ve reloaded up front. If Adam Dekker can repeat his goaltending performance of last season, Utica should be in the hunt again.

Curry – The Colonels lost 70% of their scoring, but have a nice mix of returnees, rookies and transfers. Nice enough to make them the favorites again in the ECAC Northeast.

Wisconsin-Stevens Point – While I don’t expect them to finish first in the NCHA, look for the Pointers to improve on last year’s .500 season. The entire defensive corps is back, and UWSP looks like it will be better up front. If the Pointers can get better goaltending than they did last season, watch out.

Bethel – The Royals narrowly missed knocking out St. Thomas in the MIAC playoffs last season, and return almost intact from a 17-9 season.

St. Anselm – The Hawks are Division II, and therefore ineligible for the poll. A pity because they have the talent to be ranked this season, and could finish at or near the top of a very competitive ECAC East.

Next Week – The return of the regular D-III weekly column, 2005-2006 edition.

This Week in the CHA: Oct. 27, 2005

By Matt Mackinder

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October 27, 2005

Perhaps it’s taken longer than he expected, but Kurt Wright is finally a senior and on schedule to graduate in May.

Wright’s travels have been well documented. He started with New Hampshire in 2001, but redshirted and left after that year to transfer to Findlay. The Oilers then folded amidst budget concerns, and Wright latched on with Robert Morris last season. He’s a co-captain with the Colonials again this season (with sophomore Rob Cowan) and being a leader comes naturally for the 24-year-old from Barnstable, Mass.

“Rob and Kurt were excellent in leading the team this past season,” said RMU head coach Derek Schooley. “The fact that they were near-unanimous picks to lead the team again this season is a testament to that. They both bring an excellent work ethic, a passion for Robert Morris hockey and a maturity that our young team respects.”

WRIGHT

Wright wants to take every advantage presented to him this year. Last weekend, he set school records with four points and three power-play goals in Saturday’s win over Bentley. All five of his goals this year have come on the power play. He was named the CHA’s Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

Coincidentally, before the season began, Wright said that he wanted to increase his offensive output. He currently leads the nation in power-play goals.

“Last year, I scored six goals in the first half of the season before an injury slowed me down,” Wright said, noting he finished with seven goals. “I want to increase my offensive numbers in order to help the team win games. Personally, my strength is my shooting and scoring ability. I’m a skill player that works hard and I believe my offensive ability and being able to be a triggerman on the power play are my strengths.

“As a team, I think our speed and quickness and how hard we work on the ice every night [are] our strength.”

A year ago in the first year of the Robert Morris era, the Colonials went 8-21-4 overall. This year, though it’s early, RMU is 2-2-0. The Colonials didn’t earn their second win last year until a week later (Oct. 30), but then went winless in their next seven.

Wright wants the wins to become more commonplace, obviously, and has that optimistic tone in giving his outlook.

“I think we have a team that can go into the CHA tournament and advance to the NCAAs,” said Wright. “The media and those on the outside may not think it, but we as a team believe that we can do exactly that.”

Time will tell. But for Wright, his time will come in May when his college eligibility expires — and it’ll have been a long time coming.

Niagara Continues Rivalry With Broncos

With a 3-2 win Saturday at home against Western Michigan, Niagara improved to 3-7-0 all-time versus the Broncos. Sean Bentivoglio’s goal 10 seconds into the game was three seconds shy of the CHA record set by teammate Justin Cross on Jan. 31, 2003.

Freshman Les Reaney scored the game-winner midway through the third period.

“To start the third period, our top line had got us going and we were running through our four lines,” said NU head coach Dave Burkholder. “That set the tone for the third period. Finally, our power play had some good puck movement. That was a huge goal that Les tipped in. When we played a single game like we did, that’s a big test and we responded. That’s two games in a row that we played really well in the third.”

Senior goalie Jeff Van Nynatten also moved into second place on the NU wins list with 38. Greg Gardner is tops with 64.

Falcons Continue To Struggle Scoring Goals

Air Force is fast coming to the conclusion that scoring goals wins hockey games. Last weekend, the Falcons scored, but not enough, in losses to Denver and Colorado College.

“Until they find a different way to decide games, we need to start scoring goals,” Air Force head coach Frank Serratore said. “The only thing DU did better than us was score.”

On the weekend, the Falcons were 2-for-16 on the power play and were outshot, 63-39. Air Force ended an 0-for-36 drought on the power play with two goals Saturday against CC.

“We have proven that we can skate with anyone, but we have to become a better third-period team,” added Serratore. “I really like our effort and attitude, but we have to better in the third period and we have to score.”

WSU Freshman Brings Championship Experience

Jon Grabarek was a member of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders last season and won a United States Hockey League title. It’s experience like that that the Warriors are hoping Grabarek can duplicate at the college level.

A 21-year-old freshman, Grabarek is from Sterling Heights, Mich., in the metropolitan Detroit area. Grabarek said he knew early on what his hockey options were, and never thought WSU would be among them.

“Growing up, I pretty much knew and figured my options were either the Ontario Hockey League or going to college,” said Grabarek. “I always figured I’d go to college because I figured it would work out better that way.

“Wayne State actually contacted me last year, but I wanted to see what other offers I’d get, and there were a couple, but Wayne State is close to home and that was part of the reason coming here. I just want to prove to everyone here I can play at this level.”

Grabarek had three goals and four points in the team’s two exhibition shutout wins over Oakland University’s club team and the University of Guelph.

Feels Like The First Time

By Dave Starman

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October 27, 2005

George Gwozdecky gets it. So do his players.

The coach of the two-time defending Division I champions has once again ingrained the idea in his players that they are not looking to defend their title. Rather, they are out to win this year’s Frozen Four.

Last season, all the players, to a man, told anyone who would listen that they had put their 2003-04 accomplishment, which culminated with a thrilling 1-0 win over Maine, out of their minds and set their sights on the 2004-05 season. That mantra came from the coach, who had been in that position before, both as a player, and later as the assistant coach for Michigan State’s last national title, in 1986.

DU coach George Gwozdecky and Matt Laatsch after April’s repeat NCAA title (photo: Pedro Cancel).

Denver started out slowly last season, getting thumped by Boston College and barely beating Northeastern early on. Then it slowly came together. While conference rivals Wisconsin, Colorado College, and Minnesota all came out of the gate well, Denver suffered slightly from a championship hangover.

The rest, as they say, is history. This season, the players have put last season away, and despite suffering a humbling sweep at the hands of Maine in Orono two weeks ago, and surviving a scare from Air Force last Friday, are now prepared to start their WCHA season on CSTV with a two-game set at North Dakota.

“There is no question that our team is unhappy with the way we played so far,” said Gwozdecky as we chatted in the bowels of the Ralph Engelstad arena. “However, Saturday against Notre Dame, we saw some sense of life, some sense of urgency.”

Two weeks ago was Black Friday for the WCHA. Denver lost at Maine, Alaska-Fairbanks beat Minnesota, Minnesota State lost at Bemidji State, Northern Michigan beat St. Cloud, and Ohio State topped Colorado College. Only North Dakota won, over Northeastern.

So much for WCHA dominance, right?

“This is the toughest conference to play in, and every time a media person asks me if we have a big league series this weekend, I laugh,” said Gwozdecky. “Every building in our league is tough to win in, and winning at home against most of these teams is hard. Playing in this league is a big series every weekend.”

Because of that, Denver has the right idea. Thoughts of a three-peat would distract the Pioneers from the next weekend. Thoughts of winning in April will get you clobbered in October.

Gwozdecky and his players will let you know that they have won back-to-back championships. They will also let you know — quickly — that while they have experience to draw on, and the taste of champagne on their lips from two glorious seasons, they are looking no further than what should be a wild and frenzied crowd at the Ralph, where NoDak awaits.

This is the same team that lost to Denver in the WCHA Final Five, and then again in the NCAA championship game.

Denver is solid, and has replaced departed players well. Out went the most successful senior class in school history, and in came a talented group of freshmen led by Patrick Mullen, Julian Marcuzzi, Chris Butler, and Brock Trotter.

The Pioneers are a great forechecking team, and their transition will catch most teams flatfooted. They quick-up the puck instead of moving it needlessly between defensemen while allowing other teams to set up a forecheck. They can go to the net well, and have great leadership in Gabe Gauthier and all-world defenseman Matt Carle.

“The line between success and failure is so fine in this conference. An injury, bad chemistry, a bad bounce are major factors in how a team will fare in this conference,” said Gwozdecky.

Denver is well aware that it could equal Michigan’s team of the early ’50s by winning a third consecutive title. History in the making is hard to ignore. Their WCHA rivals will look at Denver as the team to beat. The Pioneers have been ranked No. 1 in the USCHO.com/CSTV poll at least once every year for the past five seasons.

However, Denver enters this season with the poise and experience of a champion, yet the enthusiasm and chutzpa of a team that feels it is the underdog. Only in the WCHA could that be the case. Reality says that there are four teams in the WCHA that can end the Denver run.

The Pioneers will be tested this weekend, and every weekend after that. Playing one at a time is crucial. They have the ingredients, from the head coach, through the assistants, down to the goaltending.

Ingredients can make a great cake, but the chef still has to make it so. Gwozdecky has the oven on, and the mixture has just started baking. How much it will rise depends on how much heat the Pioneers can absorb over a gruelling season.

Don’t expect them to fall flat.

This Week in the CCHA: Oct. 27, 2005

By Paula C. Weston

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October 27, 2005

But Ann Arbor Is Miles from Punxsutawney

Does Harold Ramis get royalties every time the Wolverines and Spartans meet?

For the third consecutive game going back to February of last season, the famed archrivals have met on the ice and departed tied, with those pesky Spartans coming from behind in each contest to force OT.

Feb. 4, 2004: Michigan’s up 2-0 through two on first-period goals by Charlie Henderson and Jeff Tambellini, but Drew Miller spoils the Wolverines’ collective fun by scoring at 17:34 and 19:58 in the third. The game ends 2-2.

Feb. 5, 2004: Eric Nystrom scores at 5:18 in the second to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead, but Jim McKenzie knots it up at 16:42 in the third to send it into overtime. The game ends 1-1.

Oct. 22, 2005: Andrew Cogliano breaks a 2-2 tie and puts the Wolverines up by a goal at 7:14 in the second, but with less than a minute to go in middle stanza, Tim Crowder scores for MSU, tying the game. The game ends 3-3.

At least this time around the teams managed to create a little suspense, eh?

“It was a hard-fought game,” said Michigan head coach Red Berenson. “We knew it would be.”

Well, Coach, at the risk of sounding disrespectful — duh.

The young Wolverines were outshot by the slightly-more-experienced Spartans by a nearly two-to-one margin, 38-23, giving Michigan freshman goaltender, Billy Sauer, a real workout.

How did Sauer respond to 38 shots in front of 6,784 rabid Yost Arena fans? By not tossing his cookies from the get-go.

“I thought I was going to be sick the first few minutes of the period. You just look up there and see 6,900 people screaming, but it was a good experience.”

Hmmm. Makes you wonder how well the kid travels.

Games of the Week

Last week, several people — okay, several Wolverine fans — wrote to chastise me for not featuring the MSU-Michigan single game in the column, as I opted instead for the Miami-UNO series.

KALENIECKI

And last week, CCHA fans, which one was less predictable? That’s what I thought.

No. 1 Michigan (4-0-1, 0-0-1 CCHA) at No. 20 Alaska-Fairbanks (2-1-1, 0-0-0 CCHA)
Fri. and Sat. 7:05 AT, Carlson Center, Fairbanks, Alaska

While it’s true that nearly every team attempts the proverbial rise to the occasion when the Wolverines come to town, the Nanooks probably have more reason than most.

As UAF sophomore winger Kyle Greentree told the Fairbanks News-Miner this week, “If facing the No. 1 team in the nation doesn’t get you fired up for Friday and Saturday, then you shouldn’t be playing this sport.”

It helps, too, if you’re facing the team that has absolutely owned you since you joined the CCHA.

The Nanooks have just four wins total in 33 games against Michigan in this all-time series, the last being a 5-3 victory in Fairbanks, Feb. 7, 2004. Last season, the Wolverines beat the Nanooks three times, twice during the regular season in Ann Arbor, and finally at the CCHA Super Six in Detroit in March.

Only three current Nanooks have registered goals against the Wolverines: senior Kelly Czuy and sophomore Ryan McLeod with two apiece, and junior Curtis Fraser with one.

In contrast, and even though nearly half the Wolverine team is brand-spanking-new this season, seven current Michigan players have scored on the Nanooks: senior Brandon Kaleniecki leads the way with three goals; junior T.J. Hensick has two; and Andrew Ebbett, Chad Kolarik, Matt Hunwick, David Rohlfs, Kevin Porter, and Jason Dest each have one marker against UAF.

Nanook netminder Wylie Rogers has an .888 save percentage in three games against Michigan. Michigan’s Billy Sauer may be an unknown quantity against UAF in net, but with a .922 save percentage in four games, there’s a chance he may be up to the task.

The Wolverines — of course — tied Michigan State last weekend, with Ebbett, Kaleniecki, and Cogliano scoring and Sauer stopping 35 shots.

At the other end of the earth, the Nanooks were busy splitting with Alaska-Anchorage in Anchorage, winning 2-1 Friday and losing by the same score Saturday. Aaron Lee and Nathan Fornataro scored in the win, Fraser in the loss. The Nanooks registered just 18 shots on goal in the first game but responded with 36 the following night.

“We were the faster, quicker and better team for two periods,” UAF head coach Tavis MacMillan told the News-Miner after Saturday’s loss. “We had opportunities on power plays that we earned by being the better team, and we didn’t convert.”

Special teams are an issue for the Nanooks in the early going of this season. UAF converts power plays at 17.9 percent rate to Michigan’s 28.6 percent; UAF kills penalties at a rate of 77.8 percent, compared to 90.9 percent. While the season is young, given the adrenaline, the rules enforcement, the mileage, the series history and all other factors, the weekend may come down to special teams.

Picks: The Nanooks certainly have a chance to take points from the Wolverines this weekend. They must feel confident after their 3-1-0 start, especially with the success in Minnesota, and they have just the right number of rookies — 10 — who have never lost to the mighty Wolverines, bringing an enthusiasm to the series that can provide a certain kind of advantage. But Michigan, in spite of its large freshman class, is the more experienced team, and sometimes that first big road trip is just what a redesigned squad needs to cement the chemistry. Michigan 4-2, 4-2

It’s Too Early for the Blues

For some, it’s too early in the season for the Maize-and-Blues, but with a coach like Red Berenson, sometimes you can’t help but have the team in the league.

Of course, it also helps to have four points, and the only team in the CCHA to have earned four league points is Miami. The RedHawks went to Omaha last weekend and swept the good-looking Mavericks, a team that had beaten ranked New Hampshire a week before to capture its second annual Maverick Stampede title.

“Our team really showed a lot this weekend,” said Miami head coach Enrico Blasi after the successful trip west. “To travel 13 hours in a bus and then sweep a team like UNO in their own building takes a lot of determination, grit, and character.”

Did you catch that? Thirteen hours in a bus. That is not entirely uncommon in this league — I hear fans from the Boston area gagging on food right about now — but not every team hoofs it when faced when such distances. In fact, even though it’s a shorter ride than that from East Lansing to Marquette, the Spartans routinely fly north when they face the Wildcats, and I doubt very much that MSU is busing it to Ithaca this weekend.

But I digress.

The weekend marked the first-ever road sweep of UNO for Miami, bringing the RedHawks’ record to 4-4-0 in Omaha.

Senior Andy Greene — whose mother, you may recall, baked Christmas cookies last season from my mother’s recipe — led the way for Miami, with two goals and two assists in the 6-3 win.

(Of course, as nice as Mrs. Greene is, she doesn’t write me poetry, as does the father of another Miami player who shall remain nameless, not for fear of embarrassing the dad but out of respect for the son. I like poetry.)

Of course, I could have predicted that Miami would sweep just by reading my own column; I picked a split, and I’m always wrong about Miami. Yes, Coach Blasi, I’m picking you to lose for the rest of the season.

And Coach Kemp is praying that I never call him again, I’m sure.

Four Goals, Two Losses, but a Step Up

So, Notre Dame is 0-2-0. It’s not such a bad way to start a season, given that the Irish traveled to Colorado to take on Colorado College and Denver to kick off the new campaign.

And there were other pluses for the Irish in their trip west. Sophomore center Victor Oreskovich told the South Bend Tribune that the Notre Dame squad could sense the difference from last season.

“I think we were right in the game [Saturday], whereas last year, I felt a lot of time we were just getting dominated.”

Definitely a step in the right direction.

Make a Note of It

By virtue of their two ties, Ferris State and Lake Superior State are ahead of Michigan and Michigan State — with only one tie to their credit — in the CCHA standings.

In fact, LSSU is undefeated — 1-0-3 overall.

Things That Don’t Show Up in Game Stories

BGSU sophomore Jonathan Matsumoto is a monster — and I mean that in a good way. He’s a one-man wrecking crew, able to change momentum with his physical game. He can circle the offensive zone, reminiscent of former Wolverine Jeff Tambellini, read and assess the entire scene, then create an offensive opportunity where none existed before. He’s fast, skilled, smart and this year’s early frontrunner for the Mike Comrie Most-Likely-to-Leave-Early Memorial Award.

I only saw Bowling Green’s 2-2 tie with OSU last Friday night, but he was a pleasure to watch, from start to finish.

Matsumoto’s counterpart on the Buckeye squad is sophomore Tom Fritsche, who’s listed at 5-11, 185 — and he may be, for all I know — but seems like a smaller, speedier player (perhaps it’s the distance from the press box to the ice?) who outworks nearly everyone else, nearly every shift.

In the 2-2 tie, Fritsche appeared to be channeling the spirit of last year’s OSU captain, JB Bittner, sacrificing his body repeatedly to block shots. The kid — they’re all kids to me — is a force of nature.

And after watching Jon Horrell’s performance in the tie game, I’d say the Falcons have their starting goaltender. One night after the Falcons lost 7-2 to the Buckeyes in BG, Horrell was patient and poised on the road. While the Bucks didn’t make the most of their offensive opportunities, Horrell looked good.

The BGSU defense, collectively, played well, giving Horrell the opportunity to see nearly whatever OSU threw at him.

I Hate When Nate Guenin Is Right

Don’t you?

Last week, I wrote that OSU’s season-opening win over Colorado College was the Buckeyes’ first significant nonconference win since 2000.

Last weekend, the OSU captain reminded me that the Buckeyes had gone on the road during his sophomore season and beaten Colgate and Cornell. That Nov. 22, 2003, 4-3 victory against Cornell in Lynah certainly counts as a significant nonconference win.

Guenin even had an assist in the contest. The only other current Buckeye to pick up a point in that game was Rod Pelley.

Okay, Nate, you won one before this season. I’m sorry. I think the bigger apology for my oversight, however, goes to Cornell for my inadvertent implication that they are or were not significant.

Blueliner of the Week

No nominees. Well, that’s not true, strictly speaking. A loyal NMU fan wrote to nominate Nathan Oystrick “for the rest of the season,” and while I appreciate the sentiment, that just doesn’t work.

I saw nothing in last Friday’s 2-2 tie between the Falcons and the Buckeyes to warrant a prize.

Once again, I’d like to honor the stay-at-home defenders whose outstanding performances in specific games go unnoticed or ignored because such performances don’t necessarily translate into easily identifiable statistics.

Email me to nominate a great defenseman you see this weekend, and give me at least something of his performance in a specific game to merit attention.

Trivial

Sports or war? You decide.

“Each warrior wants to leave the mark of his will, his signature, on important acts he touches.”

“We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. They do not exist.”

“I will not permit thirty men to travel four hundred miles to agitate a bag of wind.”

“I really thought we’d win that.”

“I consider myself a patriot. We’re the United States. We should be the best.”

“Losing is the great American sin.”

“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”

Email me your answers — don’t cheat! — and the first person to correctly identify the nature of each quote wins dinner at my esteemed colleague Dave Hendrickson’s house.

You may have to cook, and everyone may need permission from his real boss, Brenda Hendrickson.

The Benevolent Circle

By Nicholas Jon Wood

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October 27, 2005

Dynasty.

In the world of athletics, this word evokes images of extended brilliance, conjures up memories of rarely seen chemistry and talent, and serves as an inimitable personal reminder of a time of heightened importance gone by.

The teams that realized this ultimate destiny are canonized in sports lore. The Green Bay Packers of the 1960s, UCLA basketball in the ’70s, the Edmonton Oilers of the ’80s, the Chicago Bulls of the ’90s, and the New York Yankees of the last decade all fit this championship mold. Replete with engaging personalities and larger-than-life icons, these teams brought us legendary figures Bart Starr, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (née Lew Alcindor), Wayne Gretzky, and his Airness, Michael Jordan.

Perhaps, though, it is the Yankees — and their never-been-fiercer rivalry with the Boston Red Sox — that best captures the historically-absurd dominance of today’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

At this hegemony, some observers scoff, claiming it an unfortunate trend and bad for college hockey. I disagree.

Reigning Hobey Baker winner Marty Sertich is among the WCHA’s elite (photo: Casey Gibson).

Like those who assail the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry as bad for baseball, who believe that their absurd payrolls and constant contention — spoken or silent — that they alone are the rightful heirs to the World Series trophy, the naysayers gloss over the fact that baseball’s didactic attracts fans, stirs up unparalleled passion for the sport, pays tribute to its storied history, and — of course — generates immense streams of revenue that ultimately benefit the game.

Ladies and gentlemen: welcome to the WCHA.

For the first time in the 58-year history of the NCAA championship, one conference placed four teams — Colorado College, Minnesota, North Dakota, and now two-time defending champion Denver — in last year’s Frozen Four. Even before this startling achievement, it was evident that the West was, well, best.

Since the national tournament expanded to 16 teams in 2003, the WCHA has placed five teams in the field every year. Even when the bids were limited to just 12 entrants, the WCHA still demonstrated remarkable depth, snagging four slots in 2002 and an unprecedented five — 42 percent of the bids — in 2001.

The WCHA posted a redoubtable 53-17-4 record last season against the other five conferences. Yet by no means are they feasting on the lower tiers — namely nascent College Hockey America or the Atlantic Hockey Association — for against their closest peer, always-tough Hockey East, they compiled a .727 winning percentage. The WCHA put up a 15-5-2 record against the perennial East Coast powers, including Maine, New Hampshire, and the Hub’s finest, BU and BC.

There are also the individual accomplishments. The last four Hobey Baker winners have come from the WCHA, with Colorado College taking home two (Peter Sejna in ’03, Marty Sertich last April), and Minnesota (Jordan Leopold ’02) and Minnesota-Duluth (Junior Lessard ’04) one apiece.

Without the ridiculous unwritten rule that necessitates a winner’s team making the Frozen Four — hopefully obscured by Sejna’s recent victory — the WCHA should have won the award as well in 2000. How Steve Reinprecht, captain of the number-one team in the country and national scoring champion, lost out to mediocre Boston College defenseman Mike Mottau is beyond me.

Putting the emphasis on one game, this one a 4-1 Eagles triumph over Wisconsin in the regional finals, is at worst ignorant of the rigors and unpredictability (read reality) of college hockey, at best short-sighted.

Perhaps it is those same rigors, though, that make the accomplishments of the WCHA in this new century that much more impressive. In addition to sending a disproportionate number of teams each year to the national tournament, the WCHA has done well once it’s gotten there, vying for the championship each of the last six seasons.

Of those six title tilts, they won five (their only loss a 3-2 OT thriller, UND falling to BC in Albany), including the last four. These four consecutive championships are not even the record; also held by the WCHA, that accolade resulted from five titles in a row, bookended by Wisconsin triumphs in ’73 and ’77. That era also saw Minnesota, Michigan Tech, and the Gophers again capture sequential NCAA crowns.

Having already begun their trek toward equaling Michigan’s trifecta of NCAA championships (the Wolverines accomplished the feat from 1951-53), the Denver Pioneers faced a stern and humbling test to their regal headwear, getting swept in Orono by the Black Bears, 5-1 and 4-2. They rebounded nicely back in Colorado, winning at Air Force, 4-2, before downing Notre Dame in Denver, 6-3.

Their rocky road, though, is emblematic of the surprising struggles of the conference thus far this season. To date, league teams have posted a subpar 15-20-2 record against outside challengers, highlighted — if you are not a fan of Minnesota — by those lovable Nanooks from frosty Alaska-Fairbanks taking three of four points in Mariucci Arena.

Although Minnesota fell farther than most, they weren’t alone in their misery. Those who lacked immunity to the upset virus included Minnesota-Duluth and Wisconsin. Upstart Bemidji State went into Duluth and swept away the Bulldogs, 3-2 and 5-1 at the DECC.

At Vermont, the hardly-ferocious canines fared little better, losing consecutive 5-1 decisions, lowering this Frozen Four team of just two seasons ago to 0-4. Those pesky Catamounts must not think the WCHA all that mighty considering that before shooing away the Bulldogs with the broom, they easily dispatched both the Huskies and the host Seawolves in the Land of the Midnight Sun.

Other games of note saw the Badgers split at home with underrated St. Lawrence; after getting shut out by Michigan State, the Sioux swept Northeastern in Grand Forks before finishing an impressive weekend by taking three points at New Hampshire; and highly-skilled Ohio State — currently fourth in the country — split with the third-ranked Tigers.

Despite its outward dominance, within the league there is a constant struggle, and no chance to take nights off, physically or mentally. Home ice is rarely an insurmountable hurdle, and the playoff seeding, invariably in flux, almost always enters the season’s final weekend with no seeds yet firmly planted.

This level of competitiveness stems directly from the extraordinary talent level blossoming within the league. This formidable trend is perfectly encapsulated by the sweepstakes for Phil Kessel, the first Wisconsin native ever to play for the Golden Gophers.

Viewed as a lock to be the first player chosen in next year’s National Hockey League draft, Kessel is an offensive dynamo who prefers the up-and-down, no-holds barred game characteristic of Gopher hockey. Equally important in his selection of schools, though, was the early commitment of longtime teammate and fierce rival Jack Skille, to Wisconsin.

No slouch in his own right, Skille went off the board quickly in this year’s NHL draft, taken by the Chicago Blackhawks seventh overall.

Both world-class players hail from Verona, a suburb of Madison. Quickly becoming a hockey hotbed, Madison is typical of the ever-expanding Midwest talent base. Indeed, nationwide nearly every state has become fertile recruiting land. While not yet on par with the legendary soil in Western Canada, this pullulating is a direct result of the incredible interest in hockey, furthered by the dominance of the WCHA.

For this intraconference parity and inter-league dominance — inexorably linked to the down-in-the-trenches recruiting battles — is reshaping the collegiate landscape. Spurred by record attendance levels (including the postseason, 1,508,427 passed through the turnstiles last year) and state-of-the-art buildings, the college game is becoming more and more popular in faraway and disparate locales. Hence the recent decision to give Frozen Fours to Washington, D.C., Detroit, St. Paul and Tampa from 2009-12.

Thank you, WCHA. Put simply, the conference has promulgated a benevolent circle of hockey: the better the teams, the larger the fan base, the more talented the recruits, and the greater the game.

This Week in Hockey East: Oct. 27, 2005

By David H. Hendrickson

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October 27, 2005

First Impressions

One new team and three new coaches. Look at their results and you’ve got four really good first impressions.

Vermont, Hockey East’s new member, is now the only undefeated team in the league and has shot to 11th in the USCHO.com/CSTV poll.

Last weekend, Providence, led by new coach Tim Army, stunned Massachusetts-Lowell, a preseason favorite, by not only sweeping the River Hawks, but also shutting them out both times. The two league wins put the Friars atop the Hockey East standings.

Then there was Northeastern, already decimated by injuries, grabbing a point from eighth-ranked Boston College in coach Greg Cronin’s inaugural home game.

And don’t forget that new Merrimack coach Mike Dennehy won his first game at the Warrior helm two weeks ago, knocking off a favored Bowling Green squad on the road.

As first impressions go, that’s four-for-four.

Vermont: The Undefeated Catamounts

The Catamounts won’t begin their league schedule until next weekend, but you’ve got to be impressed with what they’ve done so far. Two weeks ago, they traveled to Alaska and returned as the Nye Frontier Classic champions. Last weekend, they swept Minnesota-Duluth.

The resulting 4-0 record has caught the attention of fans and pollsters alike.

MITCHELL

“It feels good,” UVM coach Kevin Sneddon says. “I’m pleased for our players right now. They put a lot of work into preparing for the season with our strength coach. A lot of them stayed here this summer to commit to getting better in the offseason. It’s nice for their confidence to start out strong.”

Which is not to say that fat heads and inflated egos are about to run amuck in Burlington.

“No one in our locker room is looking at the polls and thinking that we’re a perfect team right now,” Sneddon says. “We certainly know that we have a long way to go. We haven’t started league play yet. So there’s no time to rest on those early rankings.”

Still, Vermont has impressed and a lot of that has been thanks to the go-to guys delivering. Goaltender Joe Fallon (1.25 GAA, .935 Sv%) has picked up where he left off last season when he earned ECACHL Rookie of the Year honors. And Brady Leisenring (3-5–8) and Torrey Mitchell (1-8–9) have lived up to the high expectations set for them to be top offensive weapons.

“They definitely have responded in big roles,” Sneddon says. “Obviously, that’s not new to them. Torrey Mitchell played a big role as a freshman for us last year and Brady Leisenring, two years ago before his injury, led the ECACHL in scoring. They certainly are capable of doing it and have responded to the challenge right off the bat.

“It’s going to get more difficult for those guys as time goes on because they are receiving accolades and teams are going to focus on them a little more. But they’re certainly ready for that challenge as well.

“Joe Fallon has been very good for us and we’ve played very well in front of him, whether it’s blocking shots or killing penalties well. But he’s made some big saves in each of those first four games to either keep us in games or to turn the momentum around.”

Boding well for both this and future years has been the quick emergence of freshmen Peter Lenes (4-1–5) and Dean Strong (2-2–4), who rank third and fourth in team scoring.

“We never like to put offensive pressure on first-year players,” Sneddon says. “You never know how long it takes them to gain their confidence and adjust to the college game.

“But really all three freshman forwards have adjusted incredibly well. Peter Lenes had a breakout weekend with four goals. That was certainly a nice thing to happen for us. Dean Strong has been outstanding at both ends of the rink. And Corey Carlson may not have put up the same numbers as the other two, but has been extremely solid for us. We’re getting great contributions from those three right off the bat.”

Despite the strong start, Sneddon won’t be letting the Catamounts rest on their laurels. There’s plenty to like so far, but there are areas to improve on as well.

“From a passion and energy standpoint, we want to maintain that,” he says. “We’ve really skated well for a full 60 minutes in each of our five games, if you count the exhibition game. We’ve just had a very high level of energy and we want to maintain that.

“But in each of the four games, we certainly made some mistakes that are evidence of early hockey and we’ve got to improve on those aspects each weekend, knowing that as we get into Hockey East play things are going to get more and more difficult. There are always things to work on.”

Providence: The First Place Friars

On the surface, it looks like Providence has had an awful weekend and a great one. After getting swept in the North Country — losing 5-2 to Clarkson and 5-3 to St. Lawrence — PC rebounded with a 3-0 and 4-0 sweep of Lowell. The awful weekend was a result of the Friars adjusting to Army’s up-tempo style with some predictable defensive lapses and then the great weekend was where they put it all together.

Right?

“Quite frankly, I thought we played real well the weekend before,” Army says. “I look beyond just what the end result is. That sometimes doesn’t tell you where your team is at. This is a process for us. We’re trying to change our identity and our culture as a hockey team.

“I thought we played very well [that previous weekend] with some of the changes that we’re making. We went into Clarkson and outshot them, 43-25. Unfortunately, we didn’t capitalize on some chances when we had an opportunity to control the game. And they did.

“Then the next night at St. Lawrence they outshot us 50-36, but they had 15 power plays and we had three and we still had 36 shots on goal. I thought we generated a lot of good opportunities and speed in both of those games. The areas that were of concern were our penalty killing and our lack of discipline.

“Aside from that, I thought our power play was solid, I thought we pursued real well and we generated a lot of chances. So although I’m disappointed that we lost both games, I thought there were many more positives than not.”

All of which left penalty-killing and discipline as the top two objectives for the Lowell series. In particular, the Friars could not repeat their 20 penalties for 78 minutes at St. Lawrence nor the four power-play goals allowed at Clarkson.

“Our penalty-killing has improved tremendously,” Army says. “We exposed ourselves in a couple situations at Clarkson and they took advantage of it. We were much better at St. Lawrence. They had three power play goals, but two of them were scored on five-on-threes and they were lengthy five-on-threes. So our penalty-killing improved at St. Lawrence.

“This weekend our penalty-killing was better than what it had been and certainly our discipline was quite a bit better. We had some guys who were a little undisciplined in the North Country and they didn’t play this past weekend. We put guys in there who gave us a more disciplined look.”

While the North Country trip was no where near as bad as it appeared, the sweep of Lowell was also not an indication of a finished product.

“For me, it’s always, ‘Never too high; never too low,'” Army says. “Whether you win or lose, you look at the meat of the game. What happened during the course of the game? What are the things you’re doing well? What are the things you need to get better at?

“We certainly feel better about the outcome last weekend than we did the weekend before. But we were in a couple very tight games [into the third period]. We were fortunate enough to get the lead in both games, but they had opportunities as well.

“Certainly there were moments in both games where we broke down. Whether Tyler Sims made the stop or they missed the chance, we escaped and we were able to live on and work toward getting that first goal.

“So even though we won both games, there are certainly things that we need to continue to become more efficient at. But overall, with the things that we’re trying to do as a group, we continue to make progress.”

And that progress won’t necessarily be measured by short-term wins and losses, in the same way that Army felt no pressure to record this past week’s wins to establish credibility.

“It’s always important to win, but for me, I’m not going to panic no matter what the situation is,” Army says. “From my standpoint, there’s no such thing as a magic wand. It’s not that simple. It doesn’t happen sometimes the way you draw it up. Every situation is a little different; every team is a little different.

“But for me, it’s about whether we’re going in the direction that I want to bring the program. That’s most important to me. I have to look beyond the wins and losses and what public opinion might be. I have to focus on what we’re trying to do as a group and whether we’re getting better.

“Sometimes, you may not be rewarded for that initially, but if you stay with it and you’re consistent and you keep working toward that end, ultimately you will be rewarded for that. That’s what you have to stay focused on.”

Northeastern: Toe To Toe With The Titans

Although Northeastern opened the season with a 6-0 loss at North Dakota, the Huskies came back one night later to give the Sioux a run for their money before losing, 2-1. They followed that effort with a 1-1 tie back at home against Boston college.

Those performances came despite having several top players sidelined. All-Hockey East selection Mike Morris could be gone for the season with concussion problems that were exacerbated by an offseason car accident. Ray Ortiz, Joe Santilli and Yale Lewis are additional top-three-lines forwards who have yet to see action.

None of which leaves coach Greg Cronin completely satisfied with the tie.

“I thought that the last two games — the [second] North Dakota and the BC game — were great tests for our team and great evaluations for us as coaches to see who can play and who can’t play,” Cronin says. “I said to them after the game, ‘Hey, you worked hard. Whoop-de-do. You’re supposed to work hard. But we didn’t get the win.’

“That’s what has happened here in the past, people have glad-handed each other because they tied a hockey game. Well, [goaltender Adam] Geragosian weathered the storm when the power plays were 8-2 or 7-2 [against us] and clearly kept us in it when we had a steady stream to the penalty box. When you do that, you should win the game. I thought we had some great chances at the end and we should have won it.”

The team’s seventh man at Matthews Arena, however, is an entirely different story.

“The rink was magical,” Cronin says. “Honest to God, in the last 10 minutes of the third period and in overtime, I didn’t do much coaching. I just absorbed the crowd. It was so electric.”

It brought back memories of Cronin’s days behind NHL benches.

“I mean, Islanders-Rangers games are just incredibly savage games,” he says. “It’s incredibly loud in both buildings. Both buildings are old, the oldest buildings in the NHL, so they still have that intimacy with the fans. But they don’t compare to Northeastern, where that balcony looks like a guy can reach down and grab your nose.

“To have that crowd like that, I had flashbacks to Islander-Rangers games. The difference was there weren’t a dozen fights going on in the crowd. That’s what goes on in those games.

“You talk about stirring your soul? That crowd stirred my soul. I couldn’t believe it. We had 5400 people. They turned away 200 fans on a raw, ugly, rainy night when the Bruins were playing. What a reflection of the potential that we have here!”

Which is not to say the tie with BC had benefits solely in exciting and building the fan base.

“It’s an element in evaluating players,” Cronin says. “Who stumbles in that atmosphere and who thrives? Clearly, Ryan Ginard, Joe Vitale and Jacques Perreault were really good. These young freshmen were really physical and that’s what you need.”

Cronin’s penchant for physical play prompted forward Carter Lee to say after the game, “[There were] a lot of little fights, which is not something you see in a lot of college hockey games. That’s the game [Cronin] loves. He loves it. I think the kids that don’t play like that are going to start to real quick. He likes that kind of game. He likes the grit, the hustle and the hard work. I think everybody on this team is prepared to do that.”

With 33 penalties for 101 minutes in the last two games, the Huskies are certainly showing grit and feistiness.

“Every team takes on the personality of its coaching staff,” Cronin says. “One of the things that’s not a reflection of talent is the team’s ability to compete. It’s not being dirty either. It’s a competing response.

“Play away from the puck is so critical at all levels. It’s been a real void here, the attention to detail away from the puck. It puts people in competitive positions to regain possession and has been absent in the first couple weeks here.

“We’re trying to get guys to be more respectful of where they are in relationship to the battles on the ice. That is more of what [Lee] was talking about rather than this savage warrior stuff.

“Hey, the game is physical. If you don’t want to play physical, then play ping pong or tennis. It’s a physical game.

“Some kids come to a game with intentions to hit and some kids come to the game with the intention to make plays. There’s nothing wrong with that. The key thing as a coaching staff is to get the players to buy into a system where there’s accountability away from the puck because that’s how you get it back.

“That’s what we’re trying to do. That creates tight gaps and physical games and that’s what the fans saw on Saturday.

“In North Dakota they were bitching that we were dirty. Hey, I teach maybe a little bit of a different style, but we’re not dirty. We took stupid penalties, but those weren’t a reflection of a team being dirty. They were a reflection of selfish play. Slashing penalties? Give me a break. Hit from behind? That’s just stupid. It’s not productive and it’s not a reflection of the structure we’re trying to create on the ice.”

Goaltender Adam Geragosian has been exceptional, compiling a 1.44 goals-against average and a .956 save percentage.

“[His continued excellence is] the most important component of our team this year,” Cronin says. “We’re going to get better because Yale Lewis, Santilli and Ortiz will come back. Morris is out and he’s probably out for the year. We probably won’t see him. There’s a slight window of opportunity in the spring, but we won’t see him until after Christmas if he does come back at all.

“Those four guys are top nine forwards on this team so their absences really puts a lot of stress on our goaltending and our defense. Geragosian was terrific both games and he’s going to have to be able to sustain that quality of play the rest of the year.

“It’s pressure and it’s a challenge for the goalie, but that’s what it’s all about. You should relish those opportunities. I’m hopeful that he can continue to play in that zone that he’s played in because then you can steal games and you can stay in games. In the last five minutes of a tied game or a one-goal game, anything can happen.”

Even when Lewis, Santilli and Ortiz return, the Huskies will still need to win games 2-1 and 3-2, not 5-4.

“Stats don’t lie so I did an inventory of what the [forwards’] statistics have represented over the last three or four years of their careers,” Cronin says. “We just don’t have a lot of dynamic scorers. Mike Morris scored 19 goals in this league on a line with an All-American centerman who was a heck of a player in Jason Guerriero. Those two guys are gone and that’s a huge hole.

“Carter Lee scored a little bit in prep school, but nobody else has been a real dynamic scoring threat in their careers. Some guys have done it in juniors and you’d like to think that would translate to the next level, but it hasn’t at Northeastern for these kids.

“So you just have to develop a defensive philosophy where you keep the score down. And our special teams have to step up. Our power play probably should have scored at least one goal the other night and we only had two cracks at it. That’s something we’ve got to build on because that’s a place where you can score goals.”

Merrimack: .500 Going Into League Play

Settling for a split with Connecticut last weekend was a disappointment, but Merrimack fans can still feel happy about the split out West to open the season. Lots of teams lose at Michigan and the win at Bowling Green got the year off on the right foot.

“We’re a work in progress,” coach Mark Dennehy says. “At this stage of the game, we’re trying to see what we have, not only in terms of personnel, but also mental makeup and everything else. There are times where we’re excited about what’s going on, about a player or two, and then there are times when you feel like there was a step backward.

“All in all, I’m pretty encouraged. I’ve said before that this group has worked as hard in the preseason as any group that I’ve been around. So I’m happy for them that they’ve had a little bit of success. Our expectations of ourselves and our team are a lot higher than everyone else’s.”

Even when prompted with references to goaltender Jim Healey, Dennehy sidesteps questions about standouts in the early going.

“Jimmy has played well and we got a good effort out of Pat Watson the other night,” Dennehy says. “But we’re really just trying to focus on the team.

“Bryan Schmidt is someone who not only our own locker room recognizes as a good player, but the rest of the country recognizes it as well. He jumps right off the page at you. But if he were enough for this team to have success, then they would have had success before.

“The best part of our sport is that it is a blue-collar, working man’s sport still. If we’re going to have success, it’s going to be as a team. We’ve done some positive things this year as a team; we’ve been resilient. But we’ve also had some troubles with adversity as a team. I’ve seen both sides of it. It’s a matter of getting a little more consistent.”

The games ratchet up in importance on Friday when the Warriors play their first league game, hosting Providence.

“A league game is like part of your own family,” Dennehy says. “You know them better than you know anyone else. With the exception of Vermont, which is new to the league, and even though there are new coaches, there are enough familiar faces and these guys have played against each other enough, that these are big games. You only get so many of them.

“Even though you look at your overall record, it’s the league games that mean the most and [provide] the best opportunity. Our goal in the long term is to secure a playoff spot and every time you play a league game you have the opportunity to earn some points. So we’re looking forward to facing Providence. We’re going to have our hands full.”

A Weekend To Forget

Other than the “first impression” schools noted above and Maine, last weekend was a tough one for Hockey East.

The teams of which the most was expected delivered little.

Massachusetts-Lowell not only got swept by Providence, but was shut out in both games. This came on the heels of a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Boston University. Combined, the losses put the River Hawks at 0-3 in league play and have more than a few fans ready to jump into the canal.

Boston University followed up its impressive win over Lowell with a loss to Rensselaer. Boston College could muster only a 1-1 tie against the injury-plagued, rebuilding Northeastern Huskies. New Hampshire had to rally to salvage a single point in a weekend series at home with North Dakota.

And Hockey East teams lost not one but two games to teams from the emerging conferences, Massachusetts to Holy Cross and Merrimack getting only a split with UConn.

If not for Maine and Vermont, both of which just keep rolling, and the resurgent Providence Friars, it would have been a lost weekend for Hockey East.

Trivia Contest

Okay, okay. Here’s the first trivia contest of the season. We’ll start slow and then pick up the pace as the year moves along.

Name one goaltender who entered last weekend and another who exited the weekend with two shutouts. The two netminders either played for or against a Hockey East team.

With Scott Weighart filling in next week, email him with your answers. The winner will be notified by Tuesday; if you haven’t heard by then you either had the wrong answer or someone else beat you to it.

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

It’s a lose-lose situation to talk about issues like race, but yours truly is a confirmed loser so here we go.

• Have we reached the point of absurd political correctness when Air Force football coach Fisher DeBerry is called to task — with some circles suggesting that he resign — for saying that his primarily white team faces speed disadvantages against its opponents? DeBerry subsequently had to apologize for saying, “Afro-American kids can run very well. That doesn’t mean that Caucasian kids and other descents can’t run, but it’s very obvious to me that they run extremely well.”

Now there certainly is a Forrest Gump quality to the phrasing of “Afro-American kids can run very well,” but what is the news here?

At the summer Olympics, what is the percentage of whites on Team USA in the sprinting events? In the NFL, what is the percentage of whites at the speed positions of cornerback and wide receiver? Have DeBerry’s critics ever seen an NBA game?

If collegiate football team A is comprised of almost exclusively white players and collegiate football team B is comprised of almost exclusively African-American players, which team, all other factors being equal, do you think is going to have the better speed?

Even Hollywood, that bastion of political correctness where African-American actors legitimately complain that they are routinely excluded from roles as villains, has given us “White Men Can’t Jump.”

Has our guilt over racism of the past and present — and the devastating toll it has taken on individuals and our society as a whole — forced us to thrust our heads ostrich-like into the sand and ignore the obvious realities in sports?

• Then we have the other end of the spectrum. A sickening end.

I’m no Pollyanna with my head in the sand when it comes to evil. White supremacist groups and their message of hatred is not news to me.

But I found the story of Lamb and Lynx Gaede to be particularly disturbing. The messengers of hatred, in this case, aren’t stereotypical Neanderthal skinheads. They’re photogenic 13-year old twin girls with blonde hair and braces, who sing songs like “Sacrifice,” a tribute to Nazi Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s deputy Fuhrer. The lyrics, according to the ABCNews.com story, praise Hess as a “man of peace who wouldn’t give up.”

Pardon me while I throw up.

On the violence scale of one (wimp) to 10 (sociopath), I’m probably about 1.1, but this is enough to make you want to beat the snot out of the two Nazi-loving parents who foisted these vile ideas on their children. One can only hope that when these girls mature into adults they will look back in horror at what was flushed into their brains.

And realize that places like Auschwitz, Buchenwald, Bergen-Belsen and Dachau were places of immeasurable sacrifice, not on the part of monsters like Hess, but by their victims.

Thanks to Jack Weiland and Scott Weighart.

This Week in the WCHA: Oct. 27, 2005

By Todd D. Milewski

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October 27, 2005

First things first:

• Welcome to the ranks of college hockey goal-scorers, Phil Kessel. And how’s a penalty shot for a way to score your first collegiate goal?

• After some starts and stops over the last few years, instant replay is scheduled to be active at all five arenas that are hosting WCHA series this weekend. League officials say the wait time during a review is short, so the only effects on the game should be positive. We hope so, because this is an important move forward for college hockey.

• Would this weekend’s Denver-North Dakota series be as anticipated as it is without the Geoff Paukovich-Robbie Bina incident and the national championship matchup last season? Seems it would just be a series between two really good teams, and we hope it stays that way.

Don’t Shootout the Messenger

A waitress at a Twin Cities-area restaurant asked a patron how her school’s team did the night before. When told St. Cloud State managed a 2-2 tie with Wisconsin in a game that was somewhat uninteresting, she became animated.

I just can’t understand how they can play without having a winner.

Upon hearing the suggestion that there should be shootouts, another waitress at a nearby table chimed in, saying you can’t disrupt the integrity of the game that way.

Play until there’s a winner, the first reiterated. At this point, there was a mention of four overtimes and Boston University-St. Lawrence. End of discussion.

A few hours later, a valet for a St. Cloud hotel talked with scorn about ending without a winner. Something about how you can’t be satisfied with a tie. Another good point.

Two thoughts on this: First, only in Minnesota. Second, this discussion will happen a lot more now that the NHL has turned to shootouts to decide games.

The popular thinking is that the fans want to see a winner. Don’t count on it happening any time soon in college.

At least that’s the way it sounds when you hear from Denver coach George Gwozdecky, who also serves as the president of the American Hockey Coaches Association. Gwozdecky wasn’t speaking for the organization, but he offered a negative view of the shootout system because of the limited number of games played in college.

“Nobody can make a strong enough argument for it to convince me that it’s worth it,” Gwozdecky said. “I think it’s great in the NHL because of all the games they play. [Eighty-two] games, and if you lose a shootout in the 13th game or the 43rd game, you’re going to make it up somewhere, or in the 65th game or in the 72nd game. We play 28 games in our conference.

“And the shootout changes the game so dramatically,” he continued. “For the first 65 minutes, you have teams playing against teams. You have strategies being used to score goals and defend. It is a team game. And then when you get to the shootout, all of a sudden all that stuff gets thrown out the window and now it just becomes who’s got the most talented player? Who’s got the best goalscorer?”

There are other issues to deal with. Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves pointed out it would have to be determined how to weight shootout victories and losses in the Ratings Percentage Index.

“People go home knowing you’ve got a winner and a loser, and I think from a fan’s standpoint, that’ll be a good thing,” Eaves said. “But until they can figure that [the numbers game] out, I don’t think in our system we can get that done.”

It is a subject that has come up at the national coaches convention, so it’s on the page somewhere, just in really small type.

The shootout has always been perceived as fan-friendly, but a poll by The Hockey News showed only 40 percent were in favor of it. So a tie it is.

“I agree that you hate ties and the shootouts are really exciting, but I don’t think that’s a strong enough argument,” Gwozdecky said.

Trivial Matters

Which was the only WCHA team not to be shut out last season? Answer below.

Starting Over

Denver would have liked to pick up where it left off last season …

“But it’s impossible,” Gwozdecky said.

GAUTHIER

The Pioneers got back to .500 last weekend after dropping their first two games of the season at Maine, and now they open their WCHA campaign with a series at North Dakota that is intriguing because those two teams squared off for the national title in April.

And it’s a series between teams that don’t quite look the same as they did in Columbus. For Denver, that means there’s a lot of searching going on.

“We turned over almost half our team, so we’re a completely different group of guys who are trying to understand not only how to play as a team but what kind of identity we’re going to play by and who’s going to be our strengths and what combinations work together,” Gwozdecky said. “So it’s been a work in progress. We weren’t very pleased at all by our performance in our first series out in Maine. I think this past weekend you started to see glimpses of the kind of team we could be.”

One of those glimpses was of Brock Trotter, an 18-year-old freshman forward who shares the team lead with three goals through four games.

He has seen time on the Pioneers’ power play right away and has done a good job adjusting to the speed of the game, Gwozdecky said. Trotter has played left wing on a line that includes Gabe Gauthier and J.D. Corbin, giving him plenty of skill to work next to.

“I think he’ll have a lot more of those opportunities as the season goes along because he’s got terrific skill, he loves the game, he’s a real strong competitor,” he said. “When you put those types of characteristics into a player and you surround him with the talent we have, I think good things happen.”

More Goals than Tending

When you have three straight 5-1 losses, the evidence starts to mount. For Minnesota-Duluth’s goaltenders, that evidence is damning.

Senior Isaac Reichmuth, junior Josh Johnson and sophomore transfer Nate Ziegelmann have all seen time early this season but none has been able to fashion a save percentage over .900, the standard cutoff line for some measure of success.

Reichmuth is at .862, while Ziegelmann is at .781 and Johnson is at .727. The Bulldogs are allowing an average of just over 25 shots on goal per game through four games.

UMD coach Scott Sandelin specifically pointed to goaltending in listing the biggest keys for his team this season, and now the issue is at the forefront. With the Bulldogs’ youth, the offense will take some time to develop, but goaltending is an experienced position that needs to come through with some clutch performances.

Change in Direction

A coaching change inevitably brings a new feel to the program. Just ask St. Cloud State captain Casey Borer.

Speaking before last weekend’s WCHA-opening series against Wisconsin, the Huskies defenseman said it’s a 180-degree difference under new coach Bob Motzko as opposed to Craig Dahl, who retired at the end of August.

“The attitude is different, the morale of the team. Everything is just a lot different,” Borer said. “The whole perspective on things, the whole philosophy — everything, really — it’s a lot better. It seems more effective for the guys. It’s a better atmosphere and guys are more excited to come to practice.

“They’re excited just to get better. It seems almost like, individually, he wants to evolve you as well as the team. So he brings out the best of both worlds in the players. He’s getting more out of the players than before.”

Luck on His Side

You’ve got to love the end of Phil Kessel’s explanation of his first goal for Minnesota, which came on a penalty shot against Minnesota State last Friday:

“I got lucky,” the freshman told reporters after the game.

We’re inclined to think there may have been some skill involved, too.

In Other Words

• League players of the week were Colorado College’s Marty Sertich on offense, North Dakota goaltender Jordan Parise on defense and Denver’s Trotter as the top rookie.

• The WCHA will be collecting donations for a hurricane relief fund at Saturday’s games league-wide, including women’s games. League teams also will donate jerseys for fundraising.

• Dahl was honored for his 18 years as St. Cloud State’s head coach in the first intermission of last Saturday’s game at the National Hockey Center. A photo slide show was displayed on the scoreboard and Dahl received a framed picture and a leather jacket.

• Minnesota has lost two valuable parts of its lineup in the last week. The first was forward Tyler Hirsch, who has elected to apply for a medical hardship waiver for this season for personal reasons. Plus, defenseman Nate Hagemo is out indefinitely with a left shoulder injury, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

• The last time Minnesota State opened with four losses in four games was the 2000-01 season, when it rebounded to finish 19-18-1.

• Michigan Tech’s Chris Conner moved into first place on the Huskies’ all-time list with his 12th career shorthanded goal last Friday.

• Colorado College defenseman Brian Salcido picked up six assists last weekend, four of them against Air Force.

• Wisconsin goaltender Brian Elliott has allowed just six goals in his last five WCHA games.

• Minnesota’s victory over Minnesota State last Friday was No. 1,500 in program history.

• Trivia answer: Minnesota State.

Final Word

Can we assume Paukovich won’t get the honor of being in the starting lineup for Denver at North Dakota this weekend?

Bemidji Recruit Oozes Leadership

Colonials Have Foursome Of Pennsylvanians

Ross The Dean Of CHA Coaches

Purple Eagles Get No Love From Vermont

Warriors Slipping Against Purps

Rush To Judgment

And By The Way…

Bucking Broncos

No Sure Things

Complete Roster

No. 9 Ohio State 4-2-0 (2-2-0 WCHA)

Minnesota State 3-2-0 (2-1-0 WCHA)

The All-Ivy Opener

Sitting Idly ‘Bye’

Another Half Weekend

The Power-Play Output At Clarkson

The Penalty-Killing Conundrum At Union

ECACHL Honor Roll

Niagara Continues Rivalry With Broncos

Falcons Continue To Struggle Scoring Goals

WSU Freshman Brings Championship Experience

But Ann Arbor Is Miles from Punxsutawney

Games of the Week

It’s Too Early for the Blues

Four Goals, Two Losses, but a Step Up

Make a Note of It

Things That Don’t Show Up in Game Stories

I Hate When Nate Guenin Is Right

Blueliner of the Week

Trivial

First Impressions

Vermont: The Undefeated Catamounts

Providence: The First Place Friars

Northeastern: Toe To Toe With The Titans

Merrimack: .500 Going Into League Play

A Weekend To Forget

Trivia Contest

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

Don’t Shootout the Messenger

Trivial Matters

Starting Over

More Goals than Tending

Change in Direction

Luck on His Side

In Other Words

Final Word

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