Home Blog Page 1417

2002-03 Northern Michigan Season Preview

By
-

Rick Comley is gone, but Walt Kyle has returned.

And make no mistake about it: Northern Michigan is still the hardest-working team in college hockey.

One-Step Success

How do you replace the man who built your hockey program from scratch, the only coach in the team’s 29-year history?

Well, you don’t. You can’t. But you can bring in someone who thinks an awful lot like he did.

“A lot of people have asked me how we’re going to play, and I can tell you that over the years both as a player and a coach I learned from Rick, and I don’t plan on changing very much of what Rick did,” said Kyle. “A lot of the things that I believe in are things that he taught me. I feel really fortunate to be able to take over the program that he’s left.”

What does that mean? A fast game, with punishing checks and a work ethic that never quits.

Northern Michigan returns some of the best players in the league in forwards Bryce Cockburn and Chris Gobert, and defenseman Jimmy Jackson, who seemed to return to form midseason. There’s no reason to think that — with Craig Kowalski in net — anything will change significantly in Marquette.

“Up front, we have some forwards that we think historically have provided some offense at Northern, and we think they’ll continue to do so in their senior year,” said Kyle. “Chris Gobert, a local boy out of Marquette, is a real dynamic guy who has the ability to score. He’ll be moved to center this year on a regular basis. Right now, we think he’ll play between Mike Stutzel and Bryce Cockburn, two other seniors who again have had some success offensively.”

"It’s great to be back in college hockey for me. It’s particularly rewarding to be back in Northern … We’ve always considered Marquette home, and Northern home."

— New NMU coach Walt Kyle, just the second head man in Wildcat history

The Cockburn-Gobert combo has the potential to be the best one-two punch in the league — perhaps in the country. Along with Stutzel, any CCHA coach will tell you that this will be one tough line to defend.

Kyle is also looking at the unfortunately injury-prone Terry Harrison to contribute offensively.

Attainable Goal

“I don’t know a lot about our team,” Kyle said during CCHA media day. “I don’t know a lot about our players. What I can tell you is that I think the team is going to be led by Craig Kowalski, our goaltender. We think he’s one of the top goaltenders in the country. He’s a guy who’s certainly done a great job with the program for the last couple of years.”

Kowalski can be one of the top ‘tenders in the country — but he’s streaky. When he’s on, he’s unbelievable; when he’s not, he’s, well, unbelievable.

That’s why the biggest question mark for the Wildcats this season is defense. “We have seven freshmen, potentially five freshmen defensemen in the lineup any given night,” said Kyle. “We feel we have a real strong senior class, led at defense by Jim Jackson, a real competitor, a guy that plays hard every night, and a guy that we’re looking to lead a group of young defensemen and hopefully help them improve as the year goes on.”

While Northern has traditionally played solid team defense, if the blue line breaks down in front of Kowalski and the junior goaltender faces an exponentially larger number of shots, there is rattle potential there for Kowalski.

Into The Light

“It’s great to be back in college hockey for me. It’s particularly rewarding to be back in Northern,” said Kyle. “We’ve always considered Marquette home, and Northern home.”

Kyle himself is NMU’s secret weapon this season. This is a man with proven coaching ability at every level, a man who has coached NHL stars Mark Messier, Eric Lindros, Brian Leetch, Paul Kariya, and Teemu Selanne — and someone who loves NMU hockey, someone who loves being “home,” the ideal candidate to pick up where Rick Comley left off.

Daily Affirmation

Wildcat players, repeat daily: “The best offense is a good defense.”

Terriers Tabbed In 2002-03 HEA Poll

By
-

Boston University, which finished last year tied for second in Hockey East with a league record of 15-6-3, has been selected as the preseason No. 1 team by the Hockey East coaches. The Terriers garnered six of the eight possible first place votes. Each coach does not vote for his own team.

The Terriers feature a whopping 13 NHL draftees, including defenseman Ryan Whitney. But Boston University will have to find some way of making up for the loss of the top two scorers on the team as well as the top two defensemen, Chris Dyment and Pat Aufiero.

Last year’s regular season champion, New Hampshire, was selected second with two first-place votes and 53 points overall. After a brilliant season that saw the Wildcats heading to the Frozen Four in St. Paul, the season ended on somewhat of a sour note, with a 7-2 loss to conference foe and heated rival Maine in the NCAA semifinals. Despite the loss of Hobey Baker finalist Darren Haydar, the Wildcats return three 40-point scorers in Colin Hemingway, Sean Collins and Lanny Gare.

Boston College finished in third without any first-place votes, proving that most voters rated the Eagles consistently high on the ballot but never in the top spot. After an uncharacteristic 18-18-2 overall record and sixth place Hockey East finish to the 2001-02 season, Boston College will look to return to the upper half of the league standings, relying on contributions from juniors Ben Eaves, Tony Voce and J.D. Forrest.

Last year’s NCAA runner-up Maine, which lost a heartbreaking overtime game to Minnesota in the final game last year, received one first-place vote and finished fourth in the poll standings. Second year coach Tim Whitehead, rewarded for his run to the NCAA title game with a contract extension, will have to find a way to replace 51-point scorer Niko Dimitrakos, as well as top defenders Peter Metcalf (50 points) and Michael Schutte (31).

Providence was last season’s biggest disappointment; the Friars were selected first in the pre-season coaches’ poll but then ended the season in seventh place. They look to rebound, as they return the top three scorers from last season, in triumvirate Jon DiSalvatore, Peter Fregoe and Devin Rask. Providence was picked to finish fifth.

Northeastern, tabbed to finish sixth this season, may have suffered the biggest single loss of any Hockey East team in the off-season in defenseman Jim Fahey, who led the team in scoring with 46 points and was a two-year Huskies captain.

Preseason No. 7 pick, the Mass.-Lowell River Hawks, lose two of their top two scorers, as well as the entirety of the goaltending corps from last year. Eighth place Massachusetts is looking to become a contender in Hockey East, but most agree Don Cahoon’s squad is a season or two from that goal. Merrimack finished ninth in the always-tight voting, losing standout forward Anthony Aquino (44 points).

2002-03 Ohio State Season Preview

By
-

Columbus, Ohio, may be in for a treat this fall. There just may be a team — or two — playing good hockey in Cow-lumbus.

Heresy, you say? Blasphemy, you cry? No, really, it could happen. Honest.

In the CCHA’s only NHL-Division I college hockey city, both the Blue Jackets and the Buckeyes could be competitive, engaging hockey teams this year. And it has nothing to do with an alignment of planets.

It does, however, have something to do with that elusive little item called chemistry.

You’ve Got To Have Faith

In a very smart move, the Columbus Blue Jackets held their preseason training camp on Prince Edward Island, home of Jackets’ GM Doug McLean. What this did, according to veterans on the squad, was create a tight team atmosphere, something missing in the first two seasons of the franchise’s existence.

The result? The ‘Jackets are 5-2-0 so far in preseason.

Just a few miles down the road, there is a similar spirit of camaraderie in the OSU Ice Arena. (Of course, it will be a while before the sheet is installed at the Schott.) With a junior class that includes two first-round draft picks and a more-than-capable goaltender, John Markell is optimistic — cautiously — about his team’s chances this season.

“We’re looking to rebound from a seventh-place finish last year,” said Markell. “We did, however, end on a good note. I thought through the playoffs we developed and matured within our team.

“That carried itself over to our summer and spring workouts. The focus right now is improving ourselves within the CCHA and playing in the upper echelon. I think our kids are very, very hungry to prove that.”

Anyone who saw the Buckeyes play in postseason last year had to wonder why OSU didn’t play that way all season long. That, of course, is the big question.

“Offensively, we’re looking to add quite a few more goals,” said Markell. There’s no reason in the universe that the Buckeyes cannot put the puck in the net, with the likes of R.J. Umberger and the rest of that junior class.

“I thought in a lot of situations last year, we hurt ourselves; we played good team defense, had good goaltending, but were unable to put the puck in the net. We’re looking to juniors R.J. Umberger, Scotty May, Paul Caponigri, Dave Steckel, and Daymen Bencharski to lead us in the department. As juniors, they should have a much better grasp of what it takes to score in the CCHA.”

Get Defensive, If It Helps

betz

betz

OSU returns the corps of its team, including the defense — minus graduated captain Jason Crain and sophomore Thomas Walsh (knee). Fifth-year senior Scott Titus has been selected this year’s captain, and he has leadership ability in spades; Titus finished his first undergraduate degree last spring, and is now working on his second.

The leadership may be the one thing that OSU needs even more than more goals this season.

“Defensively, we’re looking at.Scott Titus, along with seniors Eric Skaug and Peter Broccoli, to provide us with leadership,” said Markell. “We’re also looking to junior Doug Andress to return to his offensive abilities.”

Add talented rookie Nate Guenin to the defensive mix, and if the blue line solidifies — and if the offense finds the net, and if Mike Betz is again solid between the pipes — Ohio State may finally be the contender they should have been years ago.

Of Course, Everything Is A Theory

It’s a Big 10 school, with a Big 10 budget, a Big 10 facility. There’s a growing fanbase in a hockey-knowledgeable town. And the Buckeyes lost just three players to graduation last year.

So OSU should finish near the top of the CCHA, right? Right?

There’s been much grousing among Buckeye fans in Columbus regarding the coaching staff. Here’s a clue: the coaches aren’t the ones who need to bring their hearts to the ice, game in and game out. They already do.

The success of this Buckeye team depends on the OSU players and that chemistry that eluded the team for so long. By the looks of things, these Buckeyes may indeed be ready to “play for the crest on their sweaters,” as Markell is fond of saying.

Oh, and speaking of sweaters, OSU finally has a gray one, as in “Scarlet and Gray.”

Perhaps someone is listening on Woody Hayes Drive after all.

Daily Affirmation

Every Buckeye, meditate on this one single word:

Believe

2002-03 Michigan State Season Preview

By
-

Here’s a riddle for you. What happens when the winningest coach in college hockey history steps aside, and you lose the best goaltender the CCHA has ever seen?

Why, continued success, of course — if the new head coach has a track record like Rick Comley’s.

Denial: Not Just A River In Egypt

If you’re not a Michigan State fan, you’re probably giddy right about now. Ron Mason, gone. Ryan Miller, gone. Finally, you think, the Spartans will return to an earthbound plane.

Honey, get over it. This team is loaded for bear, from head coach on down.

“Our key strengths will be identified later,” said Comley, “although when you look at a team and you have people like Brad Fast and John-Michael Liles and Duncan Keith, then you’re off and running in the talent pool.”

He added, “But you need a lot of players to play well if you’re going to do well.”

Fortunately for Comley, the remaining Spartans, and Spartan fans everywhere, MSU is the kind of program where “a lot of players” can do well.

Contrary to popular belief, Michigan State was not a team last year that relied solely on the extraordinary talents of Miller in net to keep the Spartans in a given game. MSU averaged more than three goals per game and had the league’s No. 1 power play. While no one would call the Spartan offense “explosive” on a regular basis, this is a team that was — and still is — capable of scoring goals.

liles

liles

And with Comley on board, Michigan State has the potential for real offensive fireworks this season.

The Student Is The Master

Ron Mason was a phenomenal coach who left a legacy of success that includes NHL players and top-rate coaches on every level. There’s no question that he will be missed — behind the bench in East Lansing, and in every area of college hockey.

In fact, we could cry about it if he weren’t in a place to do college hockey a lot more good now than he was before. But let us not digress.

For ye of little faith, take a look at what Rick Comley has accomplished in his 29 years at Northern Michigan. This Mason-trained coach built a program from scratch in a remote — very remote — area of the state, fighting a nightmarish recruiting battle against other Michigan (and some WCHA) schools year in and year out. And he was successful, by every measure of the word.

His style of play is different from Mason’s, a more up-tempo game that, frankly, may be welcome at MSU.

"I don’t think that Ron [Mason] ever went into a game saying, ‘Once we score two we shut it down,’ but I do believe we’re going to have to score more to win hockey games."

— Rick Comley, comparing his offensive approach to his predecessor’s

“We will play a different style of hockey,” said Comley. “I don’t think that Ron ever went into a game saying, ‘Once we score two we shut it down,’ but I do believe we’re going to have to score more to win hockey games. We have strengths, we have weaknesses like everybody does.”

Comley is capable of taking an already solid offense and turning it into something spectacular. This may not happen overnight, but last year’s Spartans adjusted to a slightly more offensive style of hockey fairly easily, so there’s no doubt that MSU will score some goals.

Stinkin’ Thinkin’

Yes, you say, but what about the goalie situation?

“The late departure of Ryan Miller is obviously a big loss, but you pat him on the back and wish him well,” said Comley. “What he accomplished in three years is amazing, and I would have loved to have coached him for a year but that’s not going to happen.”

Do you honestly think that a program as successful as Michigan State, with a goaltender like Miller, would be unprepared for his early departure?

The Spartans have the very capable sophomore Matt Migliaccio as well as 17-year-old rookie Justin Tobe. Goalie situation? Comley is nonplussed.

“We have two young men who I think will be fine, and we’ll have to play well in front of them.”

You Don’t Need A Crystal Ball

With household names like Brian Maloney, Brad Fast, Ash Goldie, and John-Michael Liles, the Spartans will be just fine, thank you very much.

And expect that Munn Arena sellout streak to continue.

But please, Spartan faithful, if Comley delivers on his promise of a more exciting, offensive game, can you get out of your seats and cheer a bit more loudly at home? Please?

Daily Affirmation

“Listen to Coach Comley.” Repeat.

Bemidji’s Simmons Retires

By Geof F. Morris
-

Bemidji State senior defenseman Clay Simmons announced today that he is retiring from the Beaver hockey program immediately. Simmons stated that he had personal reasons for deciding to leave the program.

“I have some issues I have to deal with back home,” Simmons said. “Coach has left the door open for me to come back, and I wish my teammates the best of luck. I’m going to miss Bemidji State; it’s been a big part of my life. I love the coaches, the players and everything Beaver hockey stands for. Everything I’ve accomplished here has helped me improve and develop as a person.”

Bemidji coach Tom Serratore said that he understood Simmons’ reasons for leaving, but would leave the door open for him to return.

“Clay has some issues back home in British Columbia he has to deal with,” Serratore said. “He has been an outstanding player and leader in our program. People have to respect Clay’s privacy on why he’s leaving. The option for him to come back in the future will always be there. He’ll always be a part of this program.”

The departure of Simmons is the second blow to the Bemidji blueline in this offseason. Jamie Mattie was ruled ineligible by the NCAA because he had signed a contract to play major junior hockey. Bemidji appealed the ruling, but the appeal was denied.

“Any time you lose a veteran, it’s going to be a hit to your program,” said Serratore. “We’re certainly going to miss Clay. I understand his reasons for leaving, though, and we wish him the best.

“We don’t know who will step up yet, but we’ve got plenty of talent back there. We’ve got Bryce Methven, Anders Olsson, and John Haider from last year, and Peter Jonsson redshirted for us last year and should be really good for us. Sometimes, these things happen for a reason, and I think our guys will make it happen.”

2002-03 CCHA Season Preview

By
-

12 Steps to CCHA Success

October. Time to don your costume, grab your props, resurrect the alter-ego you save for special occasions — like every Friday and Saturday night from October through March.

Forget witches, ghosts, goblins. Specters, vampires, and demons have nothing on fans of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, brave souls who flaunt their true identities — and occasionally their painted bellies — behind the visiting goaltender, those who taunt Duke Shegos with, “Mom loved Matt better!”

Hardy folks who know that the meaning of life can be summed up in three little words: “You just suck.”

Dust off your hard hats, Puckheads. Take out that scarlet and gray wig, you strange little man who jumps up and down in time with a graphic at the Schott. Paint your faces, Mavericks.

And you kids at Michigan: get out the soap, because we all know you’ll need it the moment you open your mouths.

If only the teams in the CCHA could take cues from their faithful fans and be completely in tune with their own bad selves. So much happened during the summer of 2002 — coaching changes, early departures, seven surgeries in Omaha — that many CCHA teams are poised to suffer identity crises during the 2002-03 season.

In preseason each coach is optimistic, each team all potential. And while no one was surprised at the league’s media day that Michigan was picked first in both the coaches and media polls and Lake Superior picked last, Notre Dame head coach Dave Poulin did point out that polls are, essentially, meaningless, as the final standings will be determined on the ice rather than off.

“One thing about the polls, you can talk to any of the coaches up here other than the one who was voted No. 1, and we all think we can do better than we were voted,” said Poulin. “The greatest thing about it is that you get to play.”

Two coaches were brave enough to note that the early departures of Michigan’s Mike Cammalleri and Michigan State’s Ryan Miller mean nothing but good news for every CCHA team except for Michigan and MSU.

“Obviously, it’s going to be a great year in the CCHA,” said Bob Daniels, head coach at Ferris State. “A couple of players in the league signed early, and I think the fans will benefit from that because the league is going to be wide open this year.”

Ohio State head coach John Markell added, “I think there are six or seven teams who can win it here, and with the loss of some key players in the CCHA, [some teams] may come back to the pack.”

Parity was again the buzz at this year’s media day, and for the first time in nearly a decade, perhaps the word has real meaning.

“Last year’s first-place battle and last year’s last-place battle literally went down to the last weekend,” said Michigan head coach Red Berenson. “Between the first-place team and the last-place team, the last-place team won in the first game of the playoffs. That’s how close the teams are matched in this league. Week to week is anyone’s guess.

“It’s a good league. We have great coaches. We have great players. It’s sad to see some of our players in the league leave early, but that’s kind of a double-edged sword. That’s the kind of respect our league gets and college hockey gets from a professional level.”

Berenson said he had a difficult time deciding who should get his vote for first place in the preseason poll, but ultimately “decided finally to put the pressure on Rick Comley.”

Last March, MSU said goodbye to coach Ron Mason -- but hello to AD Ron Mason (photo: Christopher Brian Dudek).

Last March, MSU said goodbye to coach Ron Mason — but hello to AD Ron Mason (photo: Christopher Brian Dudek).

Comley, of course, takes over as head coach at Michigan State, stepping into shoes seemingly impossible to fill as Ron Mason becomes MSU’s athletic director. But who better to replace a legend than a legend?

And who better to replace Comley at Northern Michigan than Walt Kyle, who played for Comley, coached with Comley, then compiled 10 years of experience coaching in the NHL?

And what better fit at Bowling Green than Scott Paluch, former Falcon player and assistant coach, and a man who most recently helped lead Boston College to four consecutive trips to the Frozen Four?

Three “new” head coaches, Miller and Cammalleri gone, Komisarek gone, injured players left and right and programs in states of flux, yes, this season could be one of changing team personalities in a league that hasn’t had a serious shake-up in quite some time.

As each team negotiates its own personal journey on the road to the Joe, this girl reporter proposes a 12-step program for the league we know and love.

Here’s a quick look at each CCHA team, in order of the necessary steps to be taken. (Click on any team’s name to see its individual season preview.) If you want to know the team’s predicted finish, check out the box on the right, but remember — there is no shortcut to personal growth.

1. The first step is admitting that you are powerless — over your own lack of defense — and admitting that your zone has become unmanageable.

Bowling Green
Head coach: Scott Paluch, 11th overall, first at BGSU
2001-02 record: 9-25-6, 7-18-3 CCHA
2001-02 CCHA finish: 11
Predicted ceiling/basement: 8/12
Karmic quickie: Paluch’s pedigree is outstanding, and his mere presence may prompt the turnaround that Bowling Green desperately needs. “We definitely need to make a statement here,” said Paluch. :We look at the preseason polls, and obviously that’s motivation for our team to get back and establish ourselves and make a statement that we’re a player in this fine conference.”

2. The second step is to come to believe that a Power greater than you can restore you to your winning ways.

Lake Superior State
Head coach: Frank Anzalone, 21st overall, 10th at LSSU, second this time around
2001-02 record: 8-27-2, 4-22-2 CCHA
2001-02 CCHA finish: 12
Predicted ceiling/basement: 8/12
Karmic quickie: According to Anzalone, Lake Superior State’s past is its future. “We’re in familiar 1983 through 1985 territory, being picked for last,” said Anzalone. “That’s okay. We deserve to be there at the moment. What we’re trying to do right now is slowly rebuild our program with skilled student-athletes who want to be part of the process and who aren’t concerned with adversity. They’re more concerned with what you have to say than with the way you say it. That’s part of what we were about years ago.”

3. The third step is to make the decision to turn your will and your lives over to the care of Rick Comley, as we understand him.

Michigan State
Head coach: Rick Comley, 30th overall, first at MSU
2001-02 record: 27-9-5, 18-6-4 CCHA
2001-02 CCHA finish: 2
Predicted ceiling/basement: 1/4
Karmic quickie: Comley has proven he has what it takes to build and sustain a program with limited means. What will he do in East Lansing? “Our key strengths will be identified later, although when you look at a team and you have people like Brad Fast and John-Michael Liles and Duncan Keith, then you’re off and running in the talent pool.”

4. The fourth step is to make a searching and fearless inventory of your season-long dedication.

markell

markell

Ohio State
Head coach: John Markell, 10th overall, eighth as head at OSU
2001-02 record: 20-16-4, 12-12-4 CCHA
2001-02 CCHA finish: 7
Predicted ceiling/basement: 1/7
Karmic quickie: For the past two years, the Buckeyes have had mediocre seasons followed by heart-stopping postseason play. Has OSU’s heralded junior class matured? “The focus right now is improving ourselves within the CCHA and playing in the upper echelon,” said Markell. “I think our kids are very, very hungry to prove that.”

5. The fifth step is to admit to Enrico Blasi, yourselves, and anyone else who will listen the exact nature of your wrongs in your opponents’ end.

Miami
Head coach: Enrico Blasi, seventh overall, fourth at Miami
2001-02 record: 12-22-2, 9-17-2 CCHA
2001-02 CCHA finish: 10
Predicted ceiling/basement: 9/12
Karmic quickie: Blasi, the first Miami alum to return to coach the RedHawks, will contend with 11 freshmen this season. The key, said Blasi, will be consistency. “Our team is in a transition mode right now, really an unknown. We’re excited about our freshmen, but as you know freshmen are freshmen, and you never know what’s going to happen.”

6. The sixth step is to be ready to have Guy Gadowsky rip off your head if you go to the box.

Alaska-Fairbanks
Head coach: Guy Gadowsky, 10th overall, fourth at UAF
2001-02 record: 22-12-3, 15-10-3 CCHA
2001-02 CCHA finish: 4
Predicted ceiling/basement: 3/7
Karmic quickie: The Nanooks return most of a talented, dedicated team, having lost just three seniors. UAF also returns a solid goaltending duo, something unusual for this one-goalie league. Said Gadowsky, “This is the first time ever that UAF has not been picked by the media to finish dead-last.” That says it all.

7. The seventh step is to humbly ask Walt Kyle to remove your shortcomings — few though they are.

Northern Michigan
Head coach: Walt Kyle, 21st year overall, first as head at NMU
2001-02 record: 26-12-2, 16-10-2 CCHA
2001-02 CCHA finish: 3
Predicted ceiling/basement: 1/5
Karmic quickie: Kyle inherits an excellent Wildcat team, with a competent goaltender and a strong senior class. As the second head coach in NMU history, he doesn’t plan to vary his predecessor’s formula for success. “A lot of people have asked me how we’re going to play, and I can tell you that over the years both as a player and a coach I learned from Rick [Comley], and I don’t plan on changing very much of what Rick did. A lot of the things that I believe in are things that he taught me.”

8. The eighth step is to list all the people you’ve harmed — starting with your fans — and make amends. Okay, so it’s not your fault you play in a crummy rink. .

Notre Dame
Head coach: Dave Poulin, eighth overall and eighth at Notre Dame
2001-02 record: 16-17-5, 12-12-4 CCHA
2001-02 CCHA finish: 8
Predicted ceiling/basement: 5/8
Karmic quickie: For years, the Irish have been talking about taking “the next step.” Last year, a hard-working, disciplined Notre Dame team seemed to have done just that, finally. “I think the key for Notre Dame hockey is starting as we finished,” said Poulin. “We had a real strong last six or eight weeks of the [2001-02] season and got back to Joe Louis, and then played very well against Northern in a very good hockey game. We have to take the next step as a program. A large part of that will fall on [sophomore goaltender] Morgan Cey.”

9. The ninth step is to make direct amends to everyone you’ve harmed, except when taking the penalty is the right thing to do.

Western Michigan
Head coach: Jim Culhane, ninth overall, fourth as head at WMU
2001-02 record: 19-15-4, 13-12-3 CCHA
2001-02 CCHA finish: 6
Predicted ceiling/basement: 6/9
Karmic quickie: The Broncos made Lawson Arena a difficult place for opponents to play last season — until OSU swept WMU in two games in the first round of the CCHA playoffs. The Broncos defeated six nationally ranked teams at home during the 2001-02 campaign, but this year they’ll be playing without the likes of Mike Bishai and Jeff Reynaert. “We’ll continue to play an up-tempo game with an emphasis on forechecking,” said Culhane.

10. The tenth step is to continue to take inventory of your defense and admit when you’re wrong — and do something about it, fercryinoutloud.

Nebraska-Omaha
Head coach: Mike Kemp, 27th overall, sixth at UNO
2001-02 record: 21-16-4, 13-11-4 CCHA
2001-02 CCHA finish: 5
Predicted ceiling/basement: 2/7
Karmic quickie: Mike Kemp’s Mavericks have left such a definitive stamp on the CCHA that it’s easy to forget that this is just UNO’s fourth season as a full member of the league. Look for the Mavs to rely on outstanding goaltender Dan Ellis as UNO welcomes 10 newcomers. Said Kemp, “It will be the youngest team we fielded at UNO since our inaugural season of 1997-98.”

11. The 11th step is to seek through consultation and fervent discipline the sound advice of Red Berenson, accept his will, and have the power to carry it out.

BERENSON (photo: Ed Trefzger)

BERENSON (photo: Ed Trefzger)

Michigan
Head coach: Red Berenson, 25th overall, 19th at Michigan
2001-02 record: 28-11-5, 19-5-4
2001-02 CCHA finish: 1
Predicted ceiling/basement: 1/3
Karmic quickie: “All in all,” said Berenson, “we like our returning team.” Like? What’s not to love? Even with the early departures of Cammalleri and Mike Komisarek and the graduation of Josh Blackburn, the Wolverines return a loaded team, led by outstanding seniors and paced by an exciting sophomore class.

12. The 12th and final step is this: having had a spiritual awakening as the result of finishing in the bottom third of the 2001-02 CCHA standings in spite of having two of the league’s top scorers, try to carry this message — “We play hockey!” — to as many people who will listen.

Ferris State
Head coach: Bob Daniels, 14th year overall, 11th as head coach at FSU
2001-02 record: 15-20-1, 12-15-1 CCHA
2001-02 CCHA finish: 9
Predicted ceiling/basement: 7/12
Karmic quickie: Led by the nicest guy in college hockey, it would be interesting to see the Bulldogs make some waves in the CCHA this year — interesting, and improbable. “I think we, over the last four or five years, have made a move to be more of an offensive type of team, more of a skating type of team, and we’re getting close to where we hope to be,” said Daniels.

2002-03 Bowling Green Season Preview

By
-

What do you do when your team perennially underperforms while your fanbase grows increasingly restless?

Hire a dynamic alumnus of your program who, as an assistant coach with another successful program, made four straight trips to the Frozen Four which culminated in a national championship.

Good work, Bowling Green. Very good indeed.

A former All-American and All-CCHA selection, Scott Paluch should be a familiar face in the CCHA, having played (1984-88) and coached (1990-94) at Bowling Green.

Having just signed on, Paluch is still learning the ins and outs of his current players, but he is vocal about what the Falcon program needs immediately.

“We definitely need to make a statement here,” Paluch said. “We look at the preseason polls, and obviously that’s motivation for our team to get back and establish ourselves and make a statement that we’re a player in this fine conference.”

Picked 11th in both the coaches and media preseason polls, Paluch and his Falcons will have their collective work cut out for them if they are to reverse popular opinion about Bowling Green hockey.

To that end, Paluch is intent on “developing a culture of how hard” the Falcons need to work, an everyday ethic. “That, I think, is the important thing right now that we’re going through.”

Good Enough, Smart Enough, But Doggone It…

There’s no question that one of the team’s strengths is its goaltending. Senior Tyler Masters has long been the best thing on a mediocre squad, and Paluch would like to see the netminder get some support.

masters

masters

“Every team to be successful in college hockey has got to be solid in goal, and we’re fortunate to have very good goalies, very capable goalies,” said Paluch. “Tyler Masters has played a lot of games over his first three years and heading into his senior year we’re looking to take a bit of the burden off of him with the number of shots he sees on a nightly basis, but we’re also looking for a tremendous year from him, not only on the ice but in terms of leadership as well.

“Jordan Sigalet got some good playing time a year ago and he’s going to add to that.”

Masters saw more shots per game (30.94) than any goaltender in the CCHA last season, and he was fourth in the conference (959) in saves made — in just 31 games.

Obviously, something’s got to give.

Give Until It Hurts, Then Give Some More

Defense. The Falcons need it, from front to back, top to bottom. It’s not just a matter of having been outshot by opponents 1482-1160 last season. It’s not merely having allowed more goals per game in overall play than any other team in the league.

It’s a smart forecheck. It’s fewer penalties, especially when your penalty kill is not especially effective.

It’s playing with your head in the game, and playing with good, old-fashioned hustle.

Paluch said that in addition to a good work ethic, he and his coaching staff want to “establish an up-tempo, get-after-it type of game. We want to create more offense from that.”

Led by Kevin Bieska, the Falcon blue line welcomes three newcomers, so progress in BG’s own end may come slowly at first.

And Give For A Worthy Cause

Remember the explosive Falcon offense of days gone by? No? Well, it’s been a while.

“Up front, our captain, D’Arcy McConvey, is our leading point returner. He’s going to shoulder the bulk of the load from a production standpoint,” said Paluch. “He made a big jump a year ago, getting close to 30 points, and now we’re looking for him in his last two years to make the statement we think he can make.

“[With] our other assistant captain, Tyler Knight, we look at our needs and what we need to improve on for this coming year. We need to limit the chances against us and create a lot more [offensive] chances.”

Daily Affirmation

Falcons, repeat after me: “We think we can. We think we can.”

Maybe a good dose of positive thinking is what Bowling Green needs, and there is no one better to provide it than Paluch.

“I’m really excited to be back in the CCHA,” said Paluch. “This conference, night in and night out, is without a doubt one of the tops in college hockey.”

This from a man who just left Boston College. You know, that Boston College, the one in Hockey East.

2002-03 Alaska-Fairbanks Season Preview

By
-

There is nothing like a little recognition to make you feel good. So for that, my sincere thanks to Guy Gadowsky.

“This is the first time ever that UAF has not been picked by the media to finish dead-last,” said Gadowsky at CCHA media day. “So with the exception of Paula Weston and Eric Olsen, I want to thank you very much for that.”

No, Eric — who writes for the Omaha World-Herald — did not vote the Nanooks last this season. In fact, we did not vote the Nanooks dead-last last season. It seems that Mr. Olsen and I knew something that only the UAF faithful knew last year.

And one good turn deserves another, Coach Gadowsky. Here’s to your Nanooks breaking the Coach-of-the-Year Curse.

How To Counter A Curse In One Easy Step

Scott Borek was named the 1999-00 CCHA Coach of the Year. He was fired one year later.

Enrico Blasi was named the 2000-01 CCHA Coach of the Year. The RedHawks finished 9-17-2 in conference play one year later.

Guy Gadowsky was the 2001-02 CCHA Coach of the Year. Someone send this guy a talisman.

Actually, Gadowsky and his Nanooks have only one thing with which to be concerned this year, and that is that UAF will surprise no one in 2002-03. Returning all but three players, the Nanooks are poised to repeat last season’s performance.

“We’re pretty happy with our team,” said Gadowsky. “All three goaltenders are returning. Two of them split last year starting, and both Lance Mayes and Preston McKay showed that they can win hockey games.

“They worked hard during the summer, and we certainly think that they’re going to do the same during this season. To improve on what we accomplished last season, we are going to rely heavily on them. It’s nice having a tandem. That’s a huge strength for our program.”

It is unusual to have a two-goalie team in the CCHA; in fact, there will probably be only two other tandems in the league, one residing in East Lansing and the other in Sault Ste. Marie.

UAF has always had a history of strong goaltending, even when the Nanooks were anchoring the league standings. The difference for the Nanooks last season was a hard-working sophomore class and stellar leadership from three tough seniors.

The sophomores are now juniors, but the seniors are gone. That, said Gadowsky, is a real blow.

Blessings In Disguise

Two of the three departed were defensemen who logged more ice time than any other UAF blueliners. Gadowsky knows that this could be an issue. “For us to get better, our senior defenseman Scott Farrell is going to have to have a great year, as is our junior defenseman, Felipe Larranaga. I think both have the potential to do as well as the seniors who departed, but we need a big season out of them.”

mayes

mayes

Then there’s the question of who is capable of replacing Bobby Andrews, the Nanooks’ workhorse who earned CCHA Defensive Forward of the Year honors for 2001-02.

“Bobby Andrews was our senior captain last year and the only forward that we lost; however, he meant so much to us offensively, defensively, on penalty kill, on power plays, as our best faceoff guy, probably our hardest worker — he just meant the world to us, and I think it’s up to a number of players to step up and take his spot,” said Gadowsky.

“Quite honestly, I think a lot of our forwards are a little sick of hearing about him and of wondering who it’s going to be. A lot of them have the desire to step up and make sure that people don’t recognize that he is the big difference in this team. Cam Keith is one of those. I think we have a number of forwards who are looking to step up and take his spot, both offensively and defensively.”

Cleansing The Spirit Of Aaron Voros

Gadowsky rightly said that two other forwards, junior Ryan Campbell and sophomore Aaron Voros, have what it takes to fill Andrews’ skates.

Voros is a tremendous player — with a tremendous temper. He led the league in penalty minutes last season as a freshman; confirming what fans around the league already thought, he ran OSU goaltender Mike Betz in the opening minutes of CCHA quarterfinal play.

For the love of Pete — or Guy, in this case — please, Mr. Voros, stay out of the box.

Taking Faith To Its Limits

“I can tell you that Fairbanks as a community is very excited [about this season],” said Gadowsky. “In Fairbanks, the CCHA is pretty much God.”

Daily Affirmation

Every UAF player should meditate on this concept: “Aaron Voros is a peaceable person.”

That ought to do it.

2002-03 Miami Season Preview

By
-

In Oxford, Ohio, the first RedHawk (nee Redskin) alumnus to return as head coach is preaching a sermon he’s justifiably perfected during his brief tenure.

“I think for us consistency has got to be number one,” said Enrico Blasi. “In this league, you can’t go three to four games without winning. It just puts you back in the pack and you’re looking up and there’s no way out.

“I figure if we can be consistent all year long, we’ll be right there in the hunt for home playoffs.”

Consistency may be tough to find for Miami this season, as the RedHawks welcome 11 new faces to campus, including three transfers. “We’re excited about our freshmen,” said Blasi, “but as you know freshmen are freshmen, and you never know what’s going to happen.”

A Leap Of Faith

With a record of 9-17-2 in CCHA play last season, maybe it’s not such a bad thing that Miami graduated so many seniors. That was a squad that finished -134 in league plus/minus, that was outscored 121-89 in overall play.

Perhaps a leap into the territory of the unknown with a young team will bring new enthusiasm to RedHawk hockey. Perhaps spreading leadership duties equally among four veterans will do the trick as well.

Seniors Nick Jardine, Matt Medvecz, and Chris Knupp, and junior Derek Edwardson will each shoulder the responsibilities of being captain.

“The strong bond that exists between these four has led me to not declare just one as the captain, but given all four equal leadership responsibilities,” said Blasi. “This is exactly the type of group effort that we are looking for from our team this season.”

Jardine is a natural leader, having come to the RedHawks as a pure walk-on three seasons ago and proving himself along the way.

Blasi is also looking to junior Greg Hogeboom to provide a spark offensively. “I think [he] took a real good step last season as a sophomore,” said Blasi. “He had a great first half, and then had mono in the month of February and it really set him back, but he was drafted this summer and I think he’s excited to get going again. We’re going to look to those two guys to lead the way offensively.

Blasi added, “I think on the back end we’ve added some speed in a young man by the name of Ben Tharp. He’s a transfer from Minnesota, so hopefully he can add an element that we haven’t had for a while in Miami.”

Keeping The Faith

burleigh

burleigh

One constant for the RedHawks has been the play of goaltender David Burleigh. “We’re really excited about his senior season here,” said Blasi. “He has something to prove. He feels like he let the team down a little bit last year at times and we know that’s nonsense, it’s a team game, but he’s taken it upon himself to lead the way.”

The idea that Burleigh disappointed his team last season is nonsense, as Blasi said. With a solid .900 save percentage in league play, Burleigh saw his share of shots on average (24.93) and was fifth in conference play in saves (673).

Miami was 10th overall (ninth CCHA) in goals allowed per game last season, and 11th in overall and conference goals scored per game. Clearly, any problems the RedHawks found after their 6-3-1 start last season cannot be attributed to David Burleigh.

The Speed Of The Known Universe

Blasi is correct in welcoming the speed of Tharp to his squad. In fact, it’s not just speed that Miami needs but clear-headedness on the ice, something that can result in players moving when and where they need to be moving, rather than merely taking up space in position.

Other things to ponder: Blasi has added Jeff Blashill, former Ferris State goaltender and FSU assistant, to his coaching staff, a positive move.

Blasi is also a Buffalo Bills fan, so he knows a thing or two about faith.

Daily Affirmation

Miami fans, repeat this daily: “We will continue to make Goggin Arena a rockin’ barn.”

Miami players, repeat this hourly: “Feet must move. Feet must move.”

2002-03 Lake Superior State Season Preview

By
-

As the 2002-03 season begins, there are two things you should know about Laker hockey: Frank Anzalone is in charge, and Matt Violin is for real.

When Anzalone returned to Lake State, several players found the atmosphere suddenly inhospitable — which was just fine with Anzalone, who did some housecleaning of his own.

“I think right now we’re past phase one, in the sense that last year was a great year for us to find out which players wanted to be Lakers and which players would rather move on or were just not capable,” said Anzalone. “The players who are there now understand what we’re trying to do, and hopefully we’ll be able to relay to our younger players the message of how hard you have to play and how strong you have to be in every game we play.”

With 15 freshmen on the roster, Anzalone acknowledged that this year will be challenging. “I think the key for us is to just get better. We know where we’re at. It’s a rebuild. We can’t deny that.”

Calling Shirley MacLaine

Anzalone’s plans for the season sound an awful lot like past-life regression therapy.

“We’re in familiar 1983 through 1985 territory, being picked for last. That’s okay. We deserve to be there at the moment. What we’re trying to do right now is slowly rebuild our program with skilled student-athletes who want to be part of the process and who aren’t concerned with adversity. They’re more concerned with what you have to say than with the way you say it. That’s part of what we were about years ago.”

To long-time Laker fans, Anzalone’s rhetoric is anything from comfortably familiar to downright dogmatic, and there are many who are prepared to worship the ice on which once-and-current coach skates. But the ’80s were, like, a while ago. As in, when some of his players were born.

Like wow.

Channeling, Zoning, And Anything Else That Works

"I think right now we’re past phase one, in the sense that last year was a great year for us to find out which players wanted to be Lakers and which players would rather move on or were just not capable."

— Frank Anzalone, on his team’s rebuilding process

If there is one constant in the Lake State hockey universe besides Anzalone’s belief that everything old is new again, it’s the play of sophomore goaltender Matt Violin. All kidding aside, folks, this young man is the real deal, and the Lakers could and should ask Violin to shoulder the burden until the rest of the team catches up.

“We’re very happy that Matt will be back along with Terry Denike,” said Anzalone.

Last season, it was apparent that Anzalone didn’t want the rookie Violin to carry most of the load. That is, quite simply, silly. This is a netminder who will win games for you if you let him.

Will The Center Hold?

Given the youth of this team, this question can be taken literally as well as metaphysically. Jeremy Bachusz and Aaron Davis are the top two returning scorers for Lake State, but as Anzalone himself said, “They have not put this league on its heels yet.”

He added, “Hopefully they will play very, very well.”

Emily Dickinson said that hope is the thing with feathers. For the Lakers’ sake, Bachusz and Davis had better learn how to fly.

Daily Affirmation

Every day, from now until the end of the season, every Laker player should meditate on the following: “Lake Superior State plays hockey in the CCHA.” For those few brave enough to face reality, add the tagline, “In 2002.”

It seems like such a simple thing, but as geographically far-flung as is Sault Ste. Marie, as seemingly isolated as the school itself is, and as hockey is LSSU’s only Division I sport, perhaps reminding themselves not only of where they are but who they play — night in, and night out — might be a good thing for this very young team.

Anzalone, for his part, is optimistic. “We have a great relationship with our alumni who are rooting for us very hard to bring our program to some form of prominence. Our new president, Betty Youngblood, is very much supportive of trying to get our program back to be the flagship of our university.

“Our goal is very simple: we have to just get better. I don’t want to use being young as an excuse, but we’re going to have to be in a teaching mode this year. We have a lot of players who are going to be in their first year of collegiate hockey. They’re all very capable, they all have the physical attributes that we had years ago. Now we just have to get everybody in tune, and start to take some baby steps.”

2002-03 Notre Dame Season Preview

By
-

At a school where Touchdown Jesus shines His blessings upon the football faithful, it’s time Notre Dame hockey fans were rewarded for their loyalty as well.

And after years of saying that the Irish hockey program is on the verge of arriving, the Notre Dame coaching staff may just be telling the truth this season.

Do You Believe In Miracles?

If you are a person of conventional faith, you believe that miracles occur every day. The birth of a child. The gentle rain falling onto drought-stricken lands. The shooting star that blazes a path through the twilight.

The return of the Fighting Irish to Joe Louis Arena at the end of the 2001-02 season, via the Omaha Civic Center.

“I think the key for Notre Dame hockey is starting as we finished,” said Dave Poulin. “We had a real strong last six or eight weeks of the [2001-02] season and got back to Joe Louis, and then played very well against Northern in a very good hockey game. We have to take the next step as a program.”

The next step for this program would be to consistently return to Joe Louis Arena year in and year out — something that a school with the budget, size, and reputation of Notre Dame shouldn’t have to think twice about doing. (Lest Irish fans think I’m picking on their program, the same goes for OSU.)

Poulin believes — and perhaps rightly so — that his team can take the next step only by relying heavily on sophomore goaltender Morgan Cey.

“We’re a goaltender-dominated league; I believe we had eight of the 10 national leaders in goalie minutes played last year,” said Poulin. “You have to have a good one. I feel that Morgan will be even better his sophomore year, stronger, and he also has the luxury of having his entire defensive corps return in front of him.”

The return of a solid defense is something that Notre Dame needs, after losing a tough blueline corps two years ago.

Edicts And Rhetoric

globke

globke

Admit it. If you’re not a fan of the Fighting Irish, you don’t believe that Notre Dame has what it takes to be competitive. You’ve heard the rhetoric before. “Breakout season.” “This is our year.” Blah. Blah. Blah.

Listen here, all you skeptics. This girl reporter — a true skeptic in the past — was made a believer last season when she watched the Irish play with poise, heart, confidence, and ability. This is a disciplined, well-coached squad, one that is capable of scoring goals.

If the Irish can maintain their level of offense this year while improving on an eighth-place defense, Notre Dame will play competitively against every team in this league.

But the question is defense.

“Evan Nielsen may be as good an all-around defenseman as there is in the league,” said Poulin truthfully. “He brings us that explosive part of defense; you have to get the defense involved in the offense these days.”

Poulin would like to focus most of his talk on his offense, as Connor Dunlop is the top returning scorer in the league and the Irish field several good forwards, including Rob Globke, but it’s not offense that troubles the Irish.

Daily Affirmation

This is something I believe in, personally, truly, deeply, passionately.

Notre Dame deserves a better place to play than some crummy, curtained-off half-arena.

Every Notre Dame fan, every Irish player, should repeat this simple mantra, daily:

“New building, please.”

The cosmic forces that be appreciate courtesy.

2002-03 Harvard Season Preview

By Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy
-

After last year’s end-of-the-season run, many wonder what other tricks are in the Crimson’s back pocket?

A mediocre regular season was followed by one heart-stopping show after another as Harvard battled and fought its way back to the NCAA tournament — a place where they enjoyed so much success during the late ’80s and early ’90s. A double-overtime victory over archrival Cornell in the ECAC championship game and then an almost-upset of Maine in the first round of the NCAAs made it look like the Crimson had never left that comfortable spot beside the best of the best.

“You can’t place a value on the experience gained from your squad playing in big, meaningful games, games where the stakes are different and there are tremendous consequences,” said third-year head coach Mark Mazzoleni. “We have made progressive steps, and as a result, the stakes — and all of our expectations — are higher.”

The Champions

The Champions

The return of Dom Moore to the lineup is a huge positive for the program, especially after rumors of his departure for the pros dominated off-season chatter. Despite posting quality numbers — 13 goals, 16 assists — the highly-touted senior had a disappointing junior campaign. After spending the summer training with his older brother Steve, who plays in the Colorado system, Moore is looking to establish himself among the best forwards in the league, and an All-American and Hobey Baker candidate.

Another key to the Crimson’s offense will be Brett Nowak. After consecutive injury-plagued years, the senior forward exploded for a 31-point season that included a +8 rating. Also returning following a strong 2001-02 season are juniors Tyler Kolarik and Tim Pettit, who proved that they are legitimate stars after earning All-Tournament honors in Lake Placid. Add talented players such as Rob Fried and Tom Cavanaugh — the now-sophomore who netted the game-winner against Clarkson in the ECAC semifinals and added another tally in the NCAA tournament versus Maine — to the mix and you have one of the strongest offensive corps in the league.

“The freshmen this year will have a luxury not given to the classes in front of them,” explains Mazzoleni. “They will not have the pressure of having to step in right away and produce. The three previous classes all had a tremendous amount of responsibility — a challenge to be a major contributor right away. Overall, I feel good about our forwards, and I think that we are multidimensional top to bottom — we will have a great mix of size, speed, agility, skill and toughness.”

The biggest loss for Harvard will be the graduation of captain Peter Capouch, the emotional leader for the team during their run to the NCAAs. A host of talent still remains along the blue line, however, as the Crimson welcomes back size and strength in Ryan Lannon, Noah Welch and Kenny Smith. Lannon and Welch, particularly, logged extensive minutes during their freshman seasons. Another strong presence will be junior Dave McCulloch, the oldest member of the defensive corps. Despite such depth, watch for two freshmen — Peter Hafner and Tom Walsh — to vie for ice time.

Nowak

Nowak

If there was a potential weakness for the Crimson, it would be in net. The tandem of Will Crothers and Dov Grumet-Morris, although successful down the stretch, was not always consistent with Mazzoleni being forced to use both at times throughout the season.

“We have learned a lot about ourselves in the last few years,” said Mazzoleni. “We have gained maturity, in knowing exactly what type of effort it is going to take to achieve our goals. Having experienced the things we did last season — both the tough times and the satisfaction of winning the [ECAC] tournament — gives us some confidence and a bit of a mental edge.”

That edge will be critical, especially now that the Crimson has turned in its underdog role for that of contender.

“If we take care of business, good things will happen,” said Mazzoleni. “If we accomplish our goals of winning the regular season and the tournament, the other things — like making the NCAA tournament — take care of themselves.”

2002-03 Princeton Season Preview

By Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy
-

Last year the Tigers needed a strong end-of-the-season surge to earn a berth in the ECAC playoffs. Once there, the toll of the late-season run — including victories in four of the last five regular-season games — came back to haunt the Orange and Black, who were easily downed easily by Rensselaer in the first round.

“I liked the way we finished last season — the regular season,” clarified head coach Len Quesnelle, who enters his third season at the helm. “We ran out of gas in the playoffs. We really had to overachieve at our best to pull it off at RPI, but we fell short.”

This time around, the Tigers are hoping that a little more depth and an injection of youth will be the difference that will make this the year when playoff positioning, rather than playoff life, will be the subject of discussion come March.

Parros

Parros

Leading the way up front will be big, burly senior George Parros, who will be looked upon to shoulder the offensive burden now that three of the Tigers’ top scorers have been lost to graduation. The 6-5, 220-pound Parros finished with nine goals and 13 assists last season; he and sophomore Neil Stevenson-Moore are the only returning players who finished the 2001-02 with double digits in points.

“George Parros physically is a leader,” explained Quesnelle about his captain. “He’s probably the best conditioned athlete we had, but Parros is on a level where he will have a chance to play some hockey afterwards. He’s trying to have the biggest impact that he can have this year.”

Although Princeton was far from an offensive juggernaut last season — the Tigers scored three goals or more in just six of their first 24 games — the coaching staff is keeping its fingers crossed that its youth on the front lines will keep the ship afloat. Heading into the season, the Tigers’ offense is made up of 11 freshmen and sophomores and only eight junior and seniors.

“We have 10 freshmen coming in and it will be a competitive group,” said Quesnelle. “I like the attitudes that we have in our senior class and that goes a long way towards our leadership. We have 18 freshmen and sophomores. Getting that group of 18 to establish themselves athletically is one thing, but to establish themselves within the team is for the seniors and juniors to help them.”

Defensively, the Tigers will be young and anchored by junior Matt Maglione, who posted nine points in 27 games last year. The blueliners will also have to hope that senior netminder Nate Nomeland can fill the shoes left by Dave Stathos. Nomeland played in a total of six games last year to finish with a .877 save percentage and a 3.28 goals against average. Although the job appears to be Nomeland’s to lose, the fourth-year goaltender will be challenged by sophomore Trevor Clay.

“One of Nate’s biggest hurdles is that he’s had to play behind Dave Stathos for three years,” said Quesnelle. “I think Nate is looking forward to the opportunity, but he’ll be pushed by Clay and the freshman [Eric] LeRoux. On defense, we have seven defensemen and I like all seven. I can throw any combination into the lineup any night and I’m comfortable that they can give us the skill dimension and the physical dimension, which we’ve lacked.”

When you talk to the coaching staff, there is a lot of cautious optimism which is not surprising when you have such a young, untested crew. However, as was the case the last two years, a lot of chips will need to fall into place for Princeton to make a legitimate run.

“If I project ourselves at the end of the season I see a lot of guys contributing,” prophesied Quesnelle. “Coming into this year we’ll be a little bit more competitive internally at all positions. I don’t think we have the clear go-to guy, at least not yet. I think that we’re going to have a number of guys contributing.”

2002-03 Yale Season Preview

By Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy
-

The Bulldogs were heavy underdogs when they gave Cornell — the ECAC regular-season champions — everything they could handle in the first round of the ECAC playoffs last year. Dan Lombard stopped 45 shots in that series, while Chris Higgins netted his team-leading 14th goal of the season.

Higgins

Higgins

The good news is that Higgins is back and ready to continue where he left off as one of the most promising forwards in the league. The bad news is that Lombard has graduated, leaving a big hole in the Yale net.

These issues are of prime concern in the Yale camp. How will Higgins — the freshman who came into his own well before expectations to become the team’s leading scorer and capture ECAC and Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors — react to being a marked man this year?

“It’s always great to have such a talented offensive player in your arsenal,” said Taylor. “He distinguished himself as an 18-year old freshman who has the ability to score at this level. He will be a year older and wiser, but his challenges will be greater because he will be a known quantity and will receive specific attention from all of our opponents. Hopefully we will have enough talented kids to take the focus off Chris.”

Key offensive contributors that Taylor will need alongside Higgins will be juniors Ryan Steeves and Vin Hellemeyer, who combined for 36 points last season. Another important figure in this equation will be Nick Deschenes, who experienced a junior slump last season, scoring only five goals compared to 18 the year before.

“He had an injury-plagued year and he just didn’t find the success around the net in terms of offensive production,” said Taylor of Deschenes. “He thrived when he played with [Jeff Hamilton] and [Ben Stafford], and he never really got back on track without those two guys. That is a huge part of the puzzle and if we can solve the mystery of Nick Deschenes and get him back to where he was, we’ll be much better off.”

Defensively, the Bulldogs will welcome back an older, stronger Jeff Dwyer (six goals, nine assists last year) and four other blueliners. With only five returning, however, Taylor will need to rely on newcomers such as Matthew Craig and Deerfield Academy’s Matt Hedrick to help protect the goaltender, who has yet to be determined.

That brings us to the next big question: who will fill Lombard’s shoes? Freshman Peter Cohen and sophomore Peter Dobrowolski have played in eight career games between them and will compete for the starting job with a freshman out of Richmond Hill, Ont., Josh Gartner.

“We’re inexperienced but I do like the character and potential of the goaltenders we have,” said Taylor. “It will be a dogfight for the number-one spot. Maybe we will end up doing what we did a few years ago and alternate between two. This is a big question mark, there is no doubt, but we have to do something about filling in for Danny.”

If those two questions can be answered and a few new faces fill in the gaps, the Bulldogs may continue where they left off in Ithaca — a thorn in the side of top teams in the league.

2002-03 Brown Season Preview

By Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy
-

Roger Grillo is entering his sixth year as head coach of Brown. With a contract extension in hand and the go-ahead to build a program for years to come, Grillo is ready to embrace the new role that his team has been earning over the past two years.

“The expectations are higher. I think that’s good and we welcome that,” said Grillo, whose team advanced to the ECAC playoffs for the second straight year in 2001-02. “It’s been the opposite the last couple of years. I told the guys that you won’t be able to sneak up on people, that you’ll have to work harder and that doesn’t make things easier. I welcome the challenge, as do all of us.”

After being reliable for the league cellar during the latter half of the 1990s, the Bears began making noise two years ago. Following a 3-6-1 start to the league season last year, Brown pulled together a string of six victories down the stretch to earn a first-round playoff matchup against road partner Harvard. Although the Bears could not manage a trip to Lake Placid, it did take the eventual champions a hard-fought, double-overtime Game 2 to knock off the Bears.

With the memories of that overtime game fresh in the Bears’ minds, this season is looking brighter. The team returns its top ten scorers and suffers only five losses in player personnel. All of its forwards return for another season, including top point-getter Brent Robinson, who finished his sophomore campaign with 22 points. Also returning up front are seniors Tye Korbl and Keith Kirley, who combined for 18 points last year.

“We have a nice balance up front,” explains Grillo. “We have every forward that played last year back, and we expect our power play to be stronger. To be able to come at teams with three solid lines and maybe a fourth makes a big difference. It’s not a situation where we have a guy that will jump out at you offensively, but we can come at you with numbers.”

Danis

Danis

The most exciting prospect this year is the return of Yann Danis, who emerged as one of the top goaltenders in the league by posting a 1.86 goals against average and a .938 save percentage, earning Second Team All-America honors. The junior goaltender, who edged Brian Eklund for the starting role last year, capped his breakout season with a career-high 66 saves in the second quarterfinal game against Harvard.

“Yann emerged as a top goalie in the country, [which] we felt was going to come,” said Grillo. “It was nice and a good building block for the future. Goaltending for anybody is critical. Offensive production around college hockey is down and for us we’ll build from the back out. We have Yann and a solid group of defensemen. It’s definitely our strength.”

The six returning defensemen include senior Paul Esdale and junior Scott Ford, who have been regulars along the blue line since their freshman years. Although goaltending has been a major factor, steady improvement in the goals against category has helped the Bears out a great deal over the past few years. Specifically, the defense allowed a total of 80 goals last year, which represents a 25 percent decrease from the previous season.

“I think it was a surprise based on what we did the year before, but for us we felt we were getting closer and closer,” said Grillo of his team’s preseason ranking. “Our leadership was strong last season and it’s even stronger this year. Fifteen out of 23 guys stayed in Providence over the summer.

“With the new rink and the excitement, you’ll see a different attitude this year.”

2002-03 Dartmouth Season Preview

By Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy
-

Many have waited with bated breath for the Big Green’s big breakthrough.

Over the past four years, talk has been of the program’s turnaround and head coach Bob Gaudet’s recruiting prowess. But after finishing last season just over the .500 mark in league play and then losing to Rensselaer in the play-in game in Lake Placid, questions started to surface.

Byrne

Byrne

As the final buzzer sounded on the Big Green’s 2001-02 season, some wondered about the immediate future of this team. A loaded senior class which included Mike Maturo and Jamie Herrington accounted for 51 of the team’s 81 goals and a total of 134 points. After the Big Green lost seven forwards, one has to wonder who will find the back of the net this season.

“People may be picking us low because we graduated a good group of people, but we’ll be able to defend, and if we can find a way to get after it, we’ll be good,” professed Gaudet, who will begin his fifth year behind the bench for the Big Green. “There are guys that might not have gotten the ice time, but they are ready to step up.

“They will become confident players. There are guys that are waiting in the wings.”

Gaudet is talking about senior Kent Gillings, who has continually showed signs of potential with two straight 29-point seasons, and seniors Mike Murray and Chris Hontvet. Murray netted five goals and 13 assists last year on the Gillings line, while Hontvet collected four assists as a role player. Six newcomers will be expected to step into impact roles as they attempt to fill the deep holes left by graduation.

Less stress is sparked looking at the returning defensive corps. Arguably one of the best blueliners in the league, Trevor Byrne will be back for his senior campaign to anchor the Big Green defense. He will be joined on the ice by mainstay partner Pete Summerfelt. The two averaged nearly 30 minutes of ice time per game last season and were the top two defensive scorers on the team. While Byrne stole the spotlight by grabbing second-team All-ECAC accolades, Summerfelt clearly got the job done as well, posting 22 points, including seven goals.

To further help matters, Dartmouth returns its second- and third-line defensemen and also welcomes three new faces for depth.

Boucher

Boucher

Who these defensemen will be protecting is another question. The future of once-heralded, always-unpredictable Nick Boucher is unclear. With 78 career games under his belt and a total of 2,037 saves, the senior has the most experience of any returning netminder. However, it is hard to overlook the struggles that hit Boucher last year and led to the emergence of junior Darren Gastrock.

“Boucher is closing in on a team record for wins. Gastrock and [sophomore Dan Yacey] are great goalies too, and we’ve got really good defensemen,” said Gaudet. “Trevor Byrne is a legitimate All-American, Hobey Baker candidate and to have him back is awesome for us. St. Louis made a pitch, but he decided to come back and he’s a real leader. Summerfelt is as good an all-around player as I’ve ever had.”

For the first time in quite a while, the Big Green is fighting against predictions. No longer is Dartmouth expected to finish atop the league, so the coaching staff is hoping that the change in positioning will be the motivating factor that has been missing over the past few years.

“These guys have had success. They want the next step and they won’t settle for anything less,” said Gaudet. “There are no excuses; we expect this squad to make a run for it. We may be quite a bit quicker than we were last year and I know we can do better than (ninth).”

2002-03 Union Season Preview

By Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy
-

The Union Skating Dutchmen were in great shape as February started. They were sitting pretty for home ice for the ECAC playoffs and on — sort of — a roll. Five weekends later, the Dutchmen had broken hearts, one point shy of making the playoffs at all.

Part of the irony is that in the closeness that is the ECAC, the Dutchmen were still just four points from home ice. Hockey can be cruel.

“If you dwell on the negatives it can be very frustrating,” said head coach Kevin Sneddon. “But we’ll take the positives. We clearly closed the talent gap with a lot of the teams in our league and you saw an improvement last year.

“To close that gap (to home ice) is not going to be easy, but the guys realize how close they were to having some real nice success. It was disappointing and when we were done we probably didn’t want to play hockey for awhile and we didn’t want to coach for awhile, but when you take a step back sometimes, to gain a look at the big picture, we’ve taken a step for the program over the last couple of years.”

The Dutchmen do return five of their top six scorers and have 20 sophomores and freshmen this year. With 10 sophomores who got a lot of playing time last season, the Dutchmen think they can parlay that experience into success.

“It’s big that our sophomores are not just sophomores, but sophomores that have experience and contributed a lot last year,” said Sneddon. “Any time that you have a group that excels as freshmen, there’s no room for complacency. I’m going to demand a lot from them. I want them to take ownership of wherever we go this year.”

Kris Goodjohn

Kris Goodjohn

The Dutchmen are going to try to put more scoring on the board, led up front by the return of Kris Goodjohn, Nathan Gillies, Jordan Webb, Joel Beal and Marc Neron. Add in freshmen Jonathan Poirier, Brian Kominar, A.J. Palkovich and Scott Seney and the scoring could go up.

“I think we’ve got some guys in our senior class and sophomore class that will be counted on to contribute offensively,” said Sneddon. “On paper we have some freshmen that did some great things on their previous teams, but I’ve never been a big fan of putting numerical pressure on freshmen. If it happens, it does. My biggest concern is to make them the best two-way hockey players possible.”

The Dutchmen return eight defensemen and only lose one. Sneddon is counting on his veterans.

“Guys like Brent Booth, who is a rock back there, and guys like (Jason) Kean and (Randy) Dagenais who are so emotional and inspire the players around them. We’ll count on them in particular,” he said. “(Chris) DiStefano and (Matt) Vagvolgyi who gained valuable experience and I think they’ll have big years as well.”

Perhaps the most glaring loss for the Dutchmen is in goal. Four-year starter Brandon Snee has graduated; that leaves two freshmen, Tim Roth and Kris Mayotte, and a senior who sat out last season with an injury in Marc Wise.

“A lot of times when you have a successful goalie for many years people tend to dwell on it and ask, ‘What are you going to do without him?’,” said Sneddon. “But we’re real confident with the three guys we have right now. We have a lot of enthusiasm with our two freshmen and Marc Wise is rehabbing his shoulder. He’s hungry to get back in there. It’s the first year we feel we really have heavy competition at the goaltending position.”

Taking the next step for a young program is always tough, but the Dutchmen have the tools. If they do, they will finish higher than the coaches and the media have prognosticated.

“It’s important for a young team to show up every day and commit to getting better,” said Sneddon. “We really do feel that we can make some noise this year in the ECAC.”

2002-03 St. Lawrence Season Preview

By Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy
-

The Saints went into last season as the two-time defending ECAC champions, but with heavy graduation losses few expected the Saints to repeat. Indeed, St. Lawrence went through a tough year and finished in a tie for ninth.

Key differences from the previous year: a scoring dropoff of just about a goal per game, a decline in power-play production — and 12 one-goal losses.

Marsh

Marsh

“I’ve said often that every game is going to be a battle in our league, and last year certainly proved it from our standpoint,” said head coach Joe Marsh. “We’ve played in a lot of one-goal games before … and won more than we have lost, but last year was something else. With 20 games decided by one goal and two ties, a bounce here or there could have made a big difference.

“We finished ninth, but we were only three points out of a tie for third. That just shows how competitive the entire league was.

“We had a tough time scoring goals last year, but the guys fought through the frustration and worked hard.”

Not for nothing, but experience and youth are on the Saints’ side this season. In goal, the they return Kevin Ackley and Mike McKenna, who both saw considerable time last year.

“I don’t think you can ask for anything more from two rookie goaltenders than what we got from Kevin Ackley and Mike McKenna last year,” said Marsh. “They split things up right down the middle and ended up with nearly identical numbers. We will probably start the season this year with a rotation, but could ride the hot hand if someone hits a streak. Kevin and Mike work well together and support each other, and with their talent, I think we can consider our goaltending pretty solid.”

On defense, the Saints lose only one defenseman in Ray DiLauro and return solid starters such as Ryan Glenn, Allie Skelley, Jimmy Ball, Jim Hakewill, Jeremy Cormier, Tony Maci and Matt MacDonald. Add in Mike Madill and John Wires and the Saints should continue their strong defensive corps tradition.

“We rotated eight guys on defense quite a bit last year and seven of the eight are back, so we do have some experience defensively,” said Marsh. “Ryan Glenn is an assistant captain as a junior and a real leader back there, so we are looking for a strong season from him. Allie Skelley is another assistant captain and is in his third year after redshirting as a freshman. Tony Maci and Jeremy Cormier both have two seasons under their belts.

“Jimmy Ball, Jim Hakewill and Matt Macdonald all progressed well last season as freshmen and we expect them to keep improving. We’ve got a couple of good freshman candidates on defense, too, so again, competition for spots should be pretty intense.”

Up front the Saints return Rich Peverley and Blair Clarance, their two leading scorers. Stace Page emerged last year to provide some scoring and it will be up to some youngsters to pitch in and contribute offensively.

“Rich Peverley had a great year as a sophomore and is just going to keep on getting better; he has excellent speed and hands and is working hard on the defensive aspect of his game,” said Marsh. “Blair Clarance is coming off a solid year as well and will be our captain, so we are looking for a lot from him in terms of both production and leadership. Jimmy Lorentz is another senior we are looking for a big year from up front.

“We have some younger guys who adapted well to the pace of the Division I game a year ago. Stace Page is going to be a good one for us and made big contributions on the power play as a freshman. Josh Anderson has plenty of speed and good potential and Colin FitzRandolph came on strong at the end of the year. Ziga Petac came on strong in what was really his first full season of college competition, and we have three guys with pretty good wheels who redshirted last year and a couple of freshmen with good credentials who are going to compete for regular spots. I am looking forward to some pretty good competition for regular roles among a lot of guys.”

Things are looking up for the Saints, and if the experience gained last year proves valuable, then Appleton Arena could be looking at high times.

2002-03 Vermont Season Preview

By Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy
-

Judging from preseason media releases, the Catamounts are focusing on the future. There is no rehash of the past two seasons, nor an analysis of why the former ECAC regular-season champions won only three games last year. Instead, there is talk of a strong nonconference schedule, a solid returning crew and a promising group of freshmen ready to take this program to new levels.

The folks in Burlington have been stunned by the recent struggles of their beloved hockey team, hoping that Mike Gilligan’s 19th year at the helm will prove to be one of unparalleled rebound.

“We haven’t talked too much about last year,” said Gilligan. “Things like that can happen. We haven’t made a real point about that. We have so many new faces that there is no reason to remind the freshmen about that year. Having them around is like injecting new blood into our program.”

In case you can’t tell, the freshman class is a subject that gets Gilligan excited, and it’s hard not be enthusiastic about a group of youngsters who arrive on campus with a unique energy. First-year players such as Baron Becker, Jeff Corey and Jamie Sifers will be looked upon to add some depth to the Catamount lineup. Even freshman goaltenders Travis Russell and Matt Hanson are expected to challenge senior Shawn Conschafter in net.

One thing is for sure, the coaching staff is looking for this year to be different … no matter how that gets done.

“It’s tough coming off that type of year,” explains Gilligan. “It was the longest year of my life, and it’s about time we put it together. We are on verge of becoming a very good team.”

Conschafter

Conschafter

Conschafter, who finished his junior campaign with a 3.89 goals against average and a .892 save percentage, is the man to beat in net as the top guy most of last season. He will be anchored by a defensive crew that includes seven returning players. Newcomers Sifers and Cushing Academy standout Phil Youngclaus will play pivotal roles from the start.

On the offensive side of the ice, Vermont returns eight of its top 10 scorers. The leading point getter from last season — Jeff Miles — collected five goals and 18 assists, so Gilligan is looking for offensive production to come from others, perhaps even from his freshman class.

“Those kids will play,” said Gilligan. “Jeff Corey is a Philadelphia boy who played in the U.S. junior league and who will be a strong player for us. Barren Becker played out in Cleveland in the North American league and is another guy who has great potential.”

The road back to the top will be an arduous one for the Catamounts, no doubt. Whether this crew will right the ship in one year’s time remains to be seen, but the Catamounts aren’t shying away from the challenge as they will begin at home on October 5 against Northeastern.

“It’s the earliest we have ever started,” said Gilligan. “We made a deal with Northeastern to start this early. It will be homecoming for us and it’s a short time to prepare, but we are a much different team — we’re hoping that we are. We have a lot of energy. We have upgraded in all of our positions and we have more depth than we have had in years.”

2002-03 Rensselaer Season Preview

By Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy
-

It was a tale of two seasons for the Rensselaer Engineers in 2001-2002. Towards the end of January, the Engineers were in last place in the ECAC, sparking questions about the state of the program. But at the end of the season, the Engineers had reached 20 wins, finished third in the ECAC tournament, and were overjoyed.

But now the Engineers have lost two All-Americans in Matt Murley and Marc Cavosie, who was also the ECAC Player of the Year. But Dan Fridgen and his squad can’t be too concerned as to how to replace 47 goals and 96 points of the Engineers’ 120 goals and 316 points last season.

“I think we really have to rely on each other,” Fridgen said. “We have a good nucleus of players coming back. Some of those guys need to continue performing like they did in the past and some others need to step up, bring more to the table and challenge themselves to be better players.

Marsters

Marsters

“[We’ve] got an influx of good freshmen that will bring a little bit of everything to the table. It’s going to be real important as a team to gel and come together to make those freshmen feel comfortable so that they’re able to contribute early. It’s going to be a total team effort.”

That begins with experience in the net, as Nathan Marsters and Kevin Kurk are back for their junior seasons.

“I think we’re real solid in the nets, and that’s probably a given,” said Fridgen. “Anytime you build a team you start from the goal on out; at certain times at the cycle you have more experience in certain positions. Right now we’ve got a lot of experience in net and … that’s a big plus for this team. Not to say that we’re relying on them alone, but success is based on how well the guys play in the pipes for you.”

The Engineers will have four returnees on defense in Danny Eberly, Scott Basiuk, Matt McNeely and Blake Pickett. Joining them on the backline will be Brad Farynuk, Keith McWilliams, Scott Romfo and Alexander Valentin.

“We’re 50% back there — we have four incoming defensemen and four with experience, so there’s a real good mix,” said Fridgen.

Eberly

Eberly

As for the offense, Fridgen again points to a combined effort. Leading the team up front will be Carson Butterwick (13-13-26), Nolan Graham (7-14-21) and Conrad Barnes (4-13-17). After that Ryan Shields, Ben Barr, Eric Cavosie, Nick Economakos, C.J. Hanafin, Vic Pereira and Mikael Hammarstrom will return. Competing for spots will be Greg Kemp, Kevin Croxton, Chris Hussey, Kirk McDonald and Mark Yurkewecz.

“I think that when you have good players come in, it’s one thing to see them in juniors; then bringing them into the program, there’s going to be some time to take to evaluate their weaknesses from a team perspective,” said Fridgen. “We don’t have players out there thinking that they should be doing one thing when they should be doing something else.

“Players come and go — that’s part of the process — and with this team I’m looking forward to the season. I’m sure they’ll find their niche.

“That’s what you strive to do, to work on the skills and systems through practice that will help you guide the team.”

The Engineers will not have the Murleys or Cavosies to go to this season, so how they play as a team will guide where they wind up.

1...1,4161,4171,418...1,532Page 1,417 of 1,532

Latest Stories from around USCHO

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

USCHO Staff -

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

Nicole Haase -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

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

USCHO Staff -

Norwich grad Dawes named new men’s hockey coach for Cadets, leaves Stevenson after nine seasons behind Mustangs bench

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