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This Week in the ECAC Northeast: Nov. 22, 2001

By Ed Seero
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As we approach the heart of the first half, it’s time for the Thanksgiving weekend tournaments. These are always fun because often times they match teams up that don’t get to play each other on a regular basis. This will be the case this year as well.

A good number of Northeast teams will be participating in the tournaments. Plymouth and SNHU will play in the annual PAL Cup. Framingham and Stonehill will participate in the Coca-Cola Classic at Stonehill, and the Babson Invitational will test the UMass-Dartmouth Corsairs.

Still other Northeast teams have plain old regular-season games while others will be using the long weekend for extra time off or for practice time. Either way, all the ECACNE teams better be ready because the meat of the schedule is approaching. The season is now in full swing.

New Beginnings

Two teams kicked off new seasons last week, in more ways than one. Plymouth State and Southern New Hampshire University, formerly New Hampshire College, both got underway in the last week. But it is a new beginning for both teams. One has a new coach. The other has a new name and with it, a new team.

Plymouth alum Chris Hudon made his coaching debut this past week behind the bench of his alma mater. Heading into this weekend’s action the Panthers are a respectable 1-2-0 overall and in the conference.

The Panthers got their first win of the season and first of Hudon’s career on Tuesday night with a solid 2-1 victory over the visiting Stonehill Chieftains.

After a rough start in which Plymouth dropped games to Salve Regina and UMass-Dartmouth, Hudon was a little frustrated

“We were taking stupid penalties here and there. But we’re working on that,” he said, “and we didn’t give Larry a whole lot of help back there.”

“Larry” is goaltender Larry Forgue, who had an outstanding night between the pipes on Tuesday, stopping 49 of 50 Chieftain shots.

Hudon saw the win as beneficial for the overall attitude of the players and particularly for the direction of the team.

“It was a good win. We needed a little success to have the players buy into what I’ve been telling them.”

Hudon hopes that the team can use the quality win over a solid Stonehill club as a building block and carry the momentum over into the meat of the schedule, which is approaching quickly.

“It won’t get any easier for the Panthers,” is how Hudon characterized the upcoming schedule for PSC.

They will participate in the PAL Cup in Hooksett, New Hampshire on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday they will play St. Scholastica, who visits New England from the NCHA, where they are struggling at 1-6-0.

According to Hudon, you can’t look at their record and take them likely because he admittedly does not know much about the team or even the league.

“We’re going in blind, but so are they,” he said about the PAL Cup opener. “Hopefully, we can kick them while they’re down.”

Should they win on Saturday, Sunday’s game will be at 4 p.m. at the Tri-Town rinks in Hooksett. If they lose, they will play in the consolation game at 1 p.m. After the tournament, Plymouth’s next game action will come at New England College on Tuesday and against LVC the following Friday.

Hudon’s assessment of that schedule is right. The Panthers will have to play some outstanding hockey to beat those two teams.

A new era has begun at Southern New Hampshire University. Donning new uniforms, a new school name, and competing with a team whose roster is almost completely new, at least in the offensive ranks, the Penmen came out and answered an important preseason question. Namely, how will this team score?

Last year’s graduating class took almost all of the offense with them but, with the 7-1 win over Framingham State, it looks like scoring may not be a problem.

“We’ve got some good young freshman forwards who I’m really pleased with,” said coach Rene Leclerc. Mike Flynn and Chris Russo were two forwards who Leclerc mentioned as being particularly pleased with.

Leclerc liked the offensive output of the first game but maintains his preseason stance that this team will live and die by the defense. He was very happy with the goaltending of sophomore Brian Holland in the first game and thinks that his defense is solid. He would have liked to have seen a more solid effort though, saying that the team gave up too many shots.

“It was a good beginning but I didn’t think we played well enough defensively. We’ve got to play better defense than we did.”

The Penmen will host the PAL Cup at the Tri-Town Arenas in Hooksett, N.H., this weekend. The tournament will include SNHU, St. Anselm, Plymouth State, and St. Scholastica of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association, who will visit all the way from Minnesota.

Around The Rinks

Interesting things have been happening around the league. We’ll look at them briefly.

Wentworth continues its record-breaking, beginning the season with a 5-0 record. Amazingly, it is the first time since in their varsity existence that they have started out undefeated after four games and, with their fifth win, they broke the record again. The Leopards look to move to a first ever 6-0 record against a tough New England College team this weekend.

Are the sleeping giants awake? That must be the question some coaches are asking themselves after two traditionally strong teams, UMass-Dartmouth and Fitchburg State, posted huge, statement making wins over the weekend.

UMD pounded Plymouth in the Panthers’ first game of the season to the tune of 7-1 and followed that up with a very impressive 2-1 victory over a solid Worcester State team. Are the Corsairs coming out of their slumber (1-2-1 in first four games)? Only time will tell. UMD will participate in the Babson Invitational this weekend and then head to Fitchburg to take on their rivals Wednesday night in what should be a fun game to watch.

Fitchburg smoked WNEC 8-0 on Saturday, marking the first time they have scored over four goals and only the second time they have scored over two goals in a game. The question begs to be asked, have they solved their offensive woes and are they now ready to put together a nice string of wins? Again, as in the case of UMD, only time will tell.

The Falcons won’t play until Monday when they travel to Suffolk to take on the Rams and then they will host their fellow traditional league power UMD on Wednesday. Again, this should be a great one to take in.

Two teams have taken some hits on their bids for a perfect season, Johnson and Wales and Curry. In a non-shocking development, both teams took their lumps on the road and both came in the seemingly ECAC Northeast non-friendly confines of the state of New York.

JWU traveled to Cortland and Utica respectively and lost both games. What was missing in New York was JWU’s ability to score in bunches. Previously, they had racked up four and five goal periods like it was normal. In New York they could only muster up two goals in each game. They must have been ebbing on their road trip. Loyal ECACNE column readers know what I’m talking about there.

Curry had a bit more success on the road than their Northeast counterparts. They came home from the trip with an outstanding 4-1 overall record. Consensus opinion is that anything .500 or above on a road trip is a successful road trip. In that way, Curry was successful.

Their 5-3 victory over Brockport State did not come easy and in that sense it was a tremendous victory, especially for a young squad. Curry was down 3-0 until 8:44 of the third when they scored their first of five unanswered goals to steal the victory from their hosts. Curry also had 47 shots in the game.

On Sunday Curry visited one of the worst buildings in college hockey when they traveled to Geneva, New York to take on the Statesmen of Hobart. Although, I’ve heard that the arena in Geneva is not so bad now due to some new renovations, but I digress.

Hobart is an underrated squad and they play in the West, a very tough conference. There can be no shame in losing to those guys. The only thing of the Colonels that is tarnished is their previously perfect record. Oh well, so Curry won’t be undefeated.

With that road trip, and with the wins posted before the trip, Curry looks like they are definitely for real. We will see if they can continue their winning way next Wednesday against SNHU.

Assumption’s bubble may be bursting a little, or maybe they are just ebbing a little too. After a strong 4-1-1 start, the Hounds have been on a bit of a slide the last two games. They ran into the machine that is Wentworth last Saturday, losing 5-0 in non dramatic fashion. They followed that up with a no show 8-1 drubbing at the hands of fellow Division II opponent St. Michaels. They are going to have to start showing up against good teams if they want to compete in March.

With LVC’s 5-3 victory over Geneseo State they are undefeated since their first two games. Nobody should be surprised by that.

Framingham has been taking their lumps this season, to the point where a mere 3-1 loss to ECAC East opponent Babson has to be an encouraging development. Hopefully, those guys can turn that ship around and start posting some wins sometime in the near future.

Nichols was off last week. They will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Stonehill for a 7 p.m. tilt.

Suffolk is another team that has taken their lumps. They are winless through four games. Like Framingham, hopefully the near future will show some improvement and they can begin to steal some wins here and there. If they win their next four, they can go into the break at .500 with a 4-4 record.

One reader wrote an email to me last weekend pointing out a score that I predicted wrong even though I predicted the outcome right. I explained to the reader that there were two scores last week that literally made me say “Wow” out loud to myself when I read them. One of those was Fitchburg’s 8-0 win over WNEC.

The reason for the exclamation? WNEC is not that bad, even at 1-4. They should win at least a couple of games before the break. They hope to turn things around with three games in the coming week beginning with Framingham on Tuesday.

The other score that made me say wow was Salve’s 7-3 pasting of Plymouth. Salve has scored thirteen goals in two games and Chris Burns is proving himself to be one of the best goaltenders in the Northeast Conference. The Seahawks will only get better too. They have a long break before getting underway again. Salve will play next Saturday at home against SNHU.

1-3-3 is a weird record. That is Worcester State’s predicament after back to back 2-1 losses. The Lancers haven’t lost a game by more than one goal yet so they are much better than their record indicates. They need to start making some of their breaks to get that puck bouncing in their favor so they can get the wins flowing. Sunday’s tilt with Salem State will be a very tough battle for WSC. They will have to score early and often to keep up with the Vikings.

And Finally…

  • Boston College football player Willie Green was mounting a Heisman campaign all by himself, which would have been a pretty cool story because it was kind of a throwback to the way it used to be.  The way it should be. No banners in Times Square, no web pages, none of that garbage. One of the few legitimate nationally-coveted blue-chip skill guys that the Eagles have, Willie was a major get. He uses speed, explosiveness, patience, vision, and a healthy combination of excellent football smarts and instincts to be one of the top running backs in the nation, as a junior. It’s just all Willie Green on the football field. I love that. Good God, would Green look good in a Patriots uniform in a couple of years.
  • All of that makes it all the more remarkable that BC head coach Tom O’Brien had the testicular fortitude to bench him when he did, in a prime-time matchup against the number-one team in the country and top contender for the Big East title, Miami. Not many coaches would have had the guts to make the same decision. And Green probably was the difference between a BC win and a BC loss. O’Brien proved that he is a man of uncompromising integrity, something which is all too rare these days.
  • I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.  I did.  And I have a five-year high school reunion later.  I’ll tell some stories, should they be printable.

    • This Week In The WCHA: Nov. 22, 2001

    By
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    [Editor’s note: look for USCHO.com’s complete College Hockey Showcase preview Thursday afternoon.]

    At this time of the year, we all start to think a little bit about what means the most to us — our families, our jobs, our security.

    College hockey coaches are no different. They’re certainly thankful for what they have away from the rink. What, however, are they thankful for with their teams?

    Here’s what some of the WCHA coaches had to say this week:

    Craig Dahl, St. Cloud State: “I’d probably have to say goaltending. The emergence of our two goaltenders, filling the skates of Scott Meyer. That’s probably been our biggest key.”

    John Hill, Alaska-Anchorage: “I am probably most thankful for our guys’ attitude and work ethic. And I sincerely mean that. A coaching change brings on a number of changes for players, and I think that our guys have responded on a daily basis with a real good attitude and a real strong work ethic. And I’m grateful for that as a coach because I don’t have to wonder every day what we’re going to get out of our guys.”

    Dean Blais, North Dakota: “We’re certainly thankful here in Grand Forks, N.D., for Engelstad Arena and the fine weather. We always get bad-mouthed for our lousy weather here in Grand Forks, and it’s been 50, 60 out here heading into December. Once you get weather like that, you have to be thankful.”

    Don Lucia, Minnesota: “I am most thankful for the quality of the kids we have in our program right now. They’re fun to coach and be around each and every day. I’m also thankful that Jordan Leopold came back for his senior year.”

    George Gwozdecky, Denver: “Probably their selfless attitude. That is paying off just by not only the work they’ve done but the willingness they have to sacrifice for one another. Whether it was the six months prior to the season or the season so far, I think it’s one of the reasons we have such great balance. I don’t think anyone is overly concerned about individual stats, and I think that’s a very healthy attitude.”

    Jeff Sauer, Wisconsin: “I think probably the most thankful thing is the way our defense and goaltending has developed early in the season. That was a question mark we had over the summer, that was a question mark for the coaching staff. All off a sudden, it’s blossomed into a pretty solidified unit, and we’re pleased about that.”

    Help Wanted

    Minnesota State-Mankato isn’t looking for goaltenders anymore. At this point, the Mavericks will take anyone who’s just good at getting in the way.

    Jon Volp became the latest injury casualty last weekend, suffering a hamstring injury and joining top goalie Eric Pateman on the shelf.

    Third-stringer Jason Jensen was the only healthy goaltender, and got the job done in a 2-2 tie with North Dakota last Saturday.

    Pateman, scheduled to have season-ending shoulder surgery soon, was dressed as Jensen’s backup. Mankato coach Troy Jutting considered having freshman forward Rick Kisskeys suit up as a goalie.

    So if you’re reading this on the Mankato campus, have some NCAA eligibility left in you and have played goaltender in your life, Jutting would probably be interested in hearing from you.

    Bring your pads, too.

    On Wednesday, the Mavericks announced that Erik Gilbertson, a member of the school’s club team, was added to the roster.

    Staying the Course

    Why mess with something that’s working? In other words, why should Dahl mess with a goaltender rotation that has yielded impressive results?

    Trick question. There is no good reason.

    Dahl said he plans to rotate Dean Weasler and Jake Moreland “as long as I can.

    “It’s good for us and I think it’s good for them,” Dahl said. “Both of them have had knee problems in the past, so the less they have to play it’s probably better.”

    Weasler is 6-0 for the Huskies; Moreland is 5-1.

    Faces in the Crowd

    The Michigan Tech team is scheduled to attend the Thanksgiving Day NFL game between the Packers and the Lions in Pontiac, Mich., while on its way to Detroit for this weekend’s non-conference series against Wayne State.

    Note to the Huskies: Don’t take any hints from watching the Lions.

    Staying in There

    Hill and his Alaska-Anchorage team had a talk this week about his team’s morale, in which the coach reinforced to his players that they are playing well.

    While that may not be translating into victories for the Seawolves (they’re 2-6-2), it’s an important reminder for a team in a building stage.

    “The only thing I could say to the guys is it’s not how you start the year, it’s how you finish,” Hill said. “If we continue to work, we’re going to have some successes as the year winds down, and that’s when you want to have it, at the end of the year.”

    The Seawolves found themselves tied at two with St. Cloud State in the third period of both games at Sullivan Arena last weekend. The Huskies pulled away for 5-2 and 4-2 victories.

    “They found a way to win, and I think that’s something that a team that has had success, they feel on their bench,” Hill said. “For our guys, I think it’s maybe the opposite. Even though we’ve had some come-from-behind wins this year, we’ve lost some games in the third period as well.”

    Home for the Holiday

    The idea of returning home from Alaska and immediately preparing for a WCHA series, maybe even a series against No. 1 Minnesota, doesn’t really appeal that much to Dahl.

    Good thing, then, that his Huskies will take a weekend off before next weekend’s big home-and-home series with the Gophers.

    “The trip to Alaska is always a tough trip. The fact that we don’t have to play afterwards is really good,” Dahl said. “Coming off back to back games with North Dakota and Colorado, and then the tough trip to Anchorage, [the week off] couldn’t come at a better time, really.”

    Keeping Eyes Open

    You just never know what faces are going to turn up down the road. That’s as good a reason as any for a team to pay close attention to its opponent when playing a non-conference game.

    "One of the reasons we were able to gain five teams into the NCAA tournament last year was the strength of our non-conference play. We’re 25-6-1 at this point [in non-conference record]."

    — Denver coach George Gwozdecky, whose Pioneers look to continue that success in New Hampshire.

    For Denver this weekend, a Sunday evening game at New Hampshire in the Wildcats’ tournament is a perfect example. For all they know, the Pioneers could get matched up with UNH in the first round of the NCAA tournament if both teams make the field.

    Plus, winning non-conference games never hurts in that old Pairwise Rankings down the road.

    “We all know that our non-conference games are critical not only for us to gain strength for postseason play but it’s very critical for our league,” Gwozdecky said. “One of the reasons we were able to gain five teams into the NCAA tournament last year was the strength of our non-conference play. We’re 25-6-1 at this point of the early part of the season against non-conference competition, which says an awful lot about the strength of our league.”

    Let ‘Er Rip

    Matt Shasby is one of those players that really thinks about which shots he’s going to take, maybe even to the point that he thinks too much about it.

    Last weekend, the junior defenseman ended a 27-game streak in which he hadn’t scored a goal, finding the back of the net in both games against St. Cloud State.

    “Matt’s a little reluctant to shoot the puck, and I’m hoping this will reinforce to him that when you have an opportunity to take a shot, let it go,” Hill said. “Don’t be overselective, don’t always look to pass.”

    You’re Out

    Michigan Tech forward Paul Cabana and Wisconsin forward Kent Davyduke were each given game disqualification penalties for fighting last Saturday night in Madison.

    Both players will miss their team’s Friday game this weekend — Tech’s at Wayne State and Wisconsin’s at Michigan State.

    For the Badgers, it’s the second player to earn a DQ in two weekends. Erik Jensen was ejected for his fight with Minnesota-Duluth’s Steve Rodberg two weeks ago.

    Back to What Works

    This weekend, Minnesota-Duluth returns to what has worked this season: playing non-conference games.

    The Bulldogs are 4-0 outside the WCHA this year, with wins over Nebraska-Omaha, Michigan and a pair over Rensselaer.

    This weekend’s schedule has UMD traveling to Marquette, Mich., for a series against Northern Michigan.

    Add to the Totals

    The Clay “Woodrow” Wilson update has been all about consistency recently. Wilson, the Michigan Tech freshman defenseman, had an assist on Tech’s lone goal last weekend at Wisconsin.

    That brings his point total to four — two goals and two assists, tying him for sixth on the Huskies.

    “Woody” was also nominated for the WCHA’s rookie of the week award, which was won by Colorado College goaltender Curtis McElhinney.

    College Hockey Showcase Preview

    By Todd D. Milewski and Paula C. Weston
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    Every CCHA and WCHA fan knows that Thanksgiving means it’s time for the annual College Hockey Showcase.

    This is the ninth year of the event that features Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and it all started a decade ago when Minnesota owed a couple of games to Michigan.

    It was a contractual thing, said Michigan State head coach Ron Mason.

    “I wondered if the time if we could renew some sort of relationship with Minnesota,” Mason said. “Between [then-Minnesota coach] Doug Woog, myself, Red [Berenson], and Jeff [Sauer], we worked it out.”

    Mason said that the foursome was careful not to make it a Big 10 tournament “because Ohio State would feel left out,” but he and Berenson were determined to renew a relationship with the WCHA, where both Michigan and Michigan State resided for a number of years.

    You’d think that with four Big Ten schools competing in a premier event, there would be at least a little television coverage, but, said Mason, “Hockey is not a great television sport if you don’t know [the game].”

    A Preview for Minnesota?

    Minnesota, as the No. 1 team in the nation, is on course to be one of the top two seeds in the West Regional in this year’s NCAA tournament, although that’s a long way away.

    That would put them in Yost Ice Arena in March with its season on the line.

    Things aren’t nearly as dramatic this weekend when the Gophers will enter the Ann Arbor, Mich., arena for a game Friday against Michigan before heading down the road for a game against Michigan State.

    Downplay it all you want, but Gophers coach Don Lucia is going to look back on this weekend if his team is faced with a win-at-Yost-or-die situation later this season. Familiarity is something that could help the Gophers at that point.

    “The bottom line is if you are in the West Regional, more than likely you’re going to have to play Michigan or Michigan State,” Lucia said. “If Michigan gets in they’ll be there. Michigan State will be a top seed in the West and be there. The one thing you know is if you’re staying West, if you want to get to the Frozen Four, it goes through Michigan or Michigan State.”

    Still, the Gophers can’t afford to make this weekend the end-all, be-all determinant of their season for two reasons. One, it doesn’t count for WCHA points, and, two, with St. Cloud State and Denver on the schedule for the two weekends in the future, there are more tough games ahead.

    HAUSER

    HAUSER

    “It’s a long season, and we’re looking at it more as another weekend of games,” Lucia said. “We don’t want to get too jacked up this weekend and then, lo and behold, we have St. Cloud and Denver the next two weekends. We’re looking at it more as we have a three-week stretch as difficult as any team in the country is going to face this year, especially with five out of the six on the road.

    “We’re ranked first just because we haven’t lost yet, but we have [numbers] two, three and four coming down the chute.”

    Watch the Gophers’ goaltending this weekend. Adam Hauser played in both games last weekend, but only because Justin Johnson got yanked in Saturday’s game. Johnson allowed three goals on seven shots against Minnesota-Duluth, which took a 3-2 lead over the Gophers.

    Minnesota rallied, however, behind Hauser to remain the nation’s top team with a 5-3 win. Hauser, Johnson and freshman Travis Weber have each been pulled from one game this season.

    Wisconsin Out to Break the System

    On most night, Wisconsin coach Jeff Sauer is the senior bench leader in the arena. The one exception comes Friday night, when Sauer’s Badgers play Ron Mason’s Michigan State team.

    Between the two legendary coaches, there are 2,572 total games, 1,550 victories and 67 years in head coaching.

    The fact is, though, in one regular-season game, those numbers don’t mean much. The Badgers are just trying to figure out how to keep up with the system Mason has the Spartans running to perfection.

    “He’s been very successful with a basic system the last few years,” Sauer said. “The rink’s designed for it, his team is designed for it. We’re sitting here trying to figure out ways to break the system. Those are the things that are fun from a strategy standpoint.”

    To say the Badgers have been less than stellar in the College Hockey Showcase would be an understatement. Their record — 2-13-1 — is downright bad. They’ve won just one game against each opponent this weekend, plus a tie against Michigan.

    UW, however, has a one-game winning streak at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing, having claimed its only CHS victory over the Spartans there in 1999.

    And while the Badgers don’t have Spartan supergoalie Ryan Miller, Scott Kabotoff has played very well in the last two weeks, earning the WCHA’s defensive player of the week honors in both.

    That’s part of the reason Wisconsin is optimistic going into the weekend.

    “I’m looking forward to it,” Sauer said. “We seem to play at the level of our competition, which this weekend is very good. We’ve got small ice surfaces, which has been conducive to us this year. We’re going in with a good attitude and we’re pretty healthy.”

    Spartans Turn Up Offense

    Everyone thinks of State as a defensive team, and why not? Ryan Miller — who regularly defies the laws of physics — sets a new collegiate shutout record with every blanking he delivers. He did just that again last weekend, twice, when he shut out the Miami RedHawks 3-0 and 2-0.

    The 2001 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner currently leads the CCHA in overall goals against average (1.49), and boasts a .937 save percentage.

    But Miller is often accused of being the beneficiary of a particularly stingy defense.

    That may have been the case a couple of seasons ago, said Mason, “but it’s pure bunk” now. Miller has made 237 saves in 11 games this season, and while that’s certainly not the most of any CCHA netminder, gone are the days when the Spartans limited opponents to 14 shots per game.

    Thinking of the Spartans as a defense-only team is a serious mistake, and not just because it undermines Miller’s accomplishments. Even though not a single Spartan sits atop — or near — the scoring leaders for the CCHA, Michigan State is the most offensive-minded team in the league, averaging 3.73 goals per game.

    "When you’re going to play outside the league, it’s nice to play top opponents."

    — MSU coach Ron Mason

    How do they do it? How do the Spartans do nearly everything in the post-York, post-Horcoff, post-Weaver era? By committee, and co-chairing that committee are defenseman Brad Fast (4-7-11) — whose career-high five-game point streak was snapped in MSU’s second shutout of the RedHawks last weekend — and rookie forward Jim Slater (3-8-11).

    Through 10 contests, the Spartans’ leading goalscorers are Adam Hall (6-4-10), and Brian Maloney (4-4-8), Joe Goodenow (4-3-7), and John-Michael Liles (4-3-7).

    The Michigan State power play is clicking along at 23.6 percent (second in the CCHA), and the Spartans lead the league in all other categories — goals per game, goals against per game (1.55), penalty killing (.919) , and fewest penalty minutes per game (10.73).

    In short, it’s as complete a package as you’re going to get in this league — and a few others.

    Mason said that this year’s Showcase means more than wins and losses for the teams involved; for the Spartans and Wolverines, at least, it’s a chance to play well against the best conference in the nation.

    “When you’re going to play outside the league, it’s nice to play top opponents,” said Mason. “And let’s face it; we’ve got something to prove.”

    That’s “we” as in “we, the CCHA.”

    Young Wolverines Look Ahead

    At 5-4-2, the Wolverines haven’t made much noise this season, yet.

    With a roster that boasts 11 freshmen, Michigan is the youngest team in the league, but what youth there is.

    This Thanksgiving, the Wolverines can be thankful for players like Dwight Helminen (3-2-5), Eric Nystrom (5-2-7), Jason Ryznar (5-3-8) — all future household names in the CCHA. Michigan’s rookie class accounts for 43 percent of Michigan’s scoring (15-22-37).

    Ryznar, who leads that talented class in scoring, is riding a three-game goal-scoring streak into the Showcase, the longest goal-scoring streak for any Wolverine this season. Ryznar has also scored first for the Wolverines four times this season, more than any other player on the roster.

    With the notable exception of Michael Woodford (7-14), the Wolverine rookies are a disciplined bunch. Milan Gajic (0-0), David Moss (0-0), Helminen (1-2), Nystrom (1-2), and Ryznar (2-4) have each played at least eight games and have combined for eight total minutes in the box.

    CAMMALLERI

    CAMMALLERI

    Michigan’s numbers are indicative of a team a shade above .500, but one with plenty of promise. The Wolverines are tied for ninth in the CCHA in goals per game (3.00), fifth in goals allowed (2.55), ninth on the power play (.115), fourth in penalty killing (.879), and seventh in penalty minutes per game (18.00) — but it’s November. There isn’t a coach in the league that expects Michigan to be just a hair above even in February.

    Along with a talented bunch of newcomers, the Wolverines have arguably the best forward in the league in Mike Cammalleri (7-7-14), the kind of player who can simply make things happen, as well as a slew of players familiar to every CCHA fan. It’s true that Josh Blackburn (2.53 GAA, .897 SV%) is struggling, but when his team settles down in front of him, Blackburn will prove to be more than .500 too.

    After being swept at home by Northern Michigan (Oct. 26-27), the Wolverines have gone 3-0-1, sweeping Alaska-Fairbanks on the road (Nov. 2-3) and taking three of four points from Nebraska-Omaha in the Bullpen last weekend.

    Michigan is 61-44-7 against Minnesota in Ann Arbor, 30-13-5 against Wisconsin in Yost.

    Vanek Has What It Takes

    By David Gonzales
    -

    Thomas Vanek’s verbal commitment to the University of Minnesota surprised many people in the United States Hockey League (USHL). Tony Gasparini, Vanek’s head coach with the Sioux Falls Stampede, was not among them.

    Vanek

    Vanek

    “He’s got his head on his shoulders. I think he feels his needs may be best suited [by college],” said Gasparini. “He needs to improve on becoming a complete hockey player, and I think he’s excited for the college experience.”

    Even the casual hockey fan can easily spot Vanek’s offensive talents. You don’t even have to see him on the ice to see those. His 17 goals and 17 assists in 15 USHL games so far this season speak for themselves. Coaches and scouts, however, know there is more to hockey than good offensive statistics.

    The first two things any hockey scout will look for is size and speed. Vanek has both of these in spades. His 6-foot-2-inch and 205-pound frame — at just 17-years old — make him appear like a man amongst boys in the USHL at times.

    The good speed is present, but, more importantly, deceptive. On a recent evening, he stepped around no fewer than three different defensemen, all of whom appeared to have angled him off until he was behind them.

    In addition to those factors, Vanek is an outstanding puck handler. Watching him work in the offensive zone, you can’t help but compare him to a young Keith Tkachuk. He has a great combination of power and soft touch passing, with a shot that occasionally hits either the back boards or the net before a goaltender has a chance to react. With that combination, it’s easy to see why the NHL scouts have such an interest in him.

    Rounding out Vanek’s offensive prowess are great vision and hand-eye coordination. If there is a lane for either the puck or his body, you can be sure it will be hit. Throw in the ability to win almost every one-on-one battle against the boards, and you have the quintessential power forward.

    With all that offensive skill, you might wonder why Vanek would choose to go to college at all. The answer lies on the other side of the red line.

    While there is no doubt his offensive game is ready for professional hockey, Vanek is still in the process of fully developing his defensive game.

    Thomas Vanek is tearing up the USHL, and looks to make a big impact with the Minnesota Gophers next season. (photos by Dave Eggen/Inertia Pro Event Imaging)

    Thomas Vanek is tearing up the USHL, and looks to make a big impact with the Minnesota Gophers next season. (photos by Dave Eggen/Inertia Pro Event Imaging)

    Somewhat jokingly, Gasparini said, “In his mind, the best defense is offense, and I tend to agree with him sometimes, however, he needs to become a complete hockey player.”

    There are times when Vanek seems a bit lethargic in the defensive zone, but they are largely limited to 5-on-5 situations. When killing penalties, his ability to muscle another player off the puck re-emerge on the defensive side of the ice.

    Vanek will have an immediate impact when he joins the Golden Gophers next season. The extent of his impact, however, will probably be determined by how much he progresses in the goals set for him by Gasparini this season.

    “At times he shows flashes of being an unbelievable talent, but it’s all on the offensive end. We want to work on developing a complete game for Thomas,” said Gasparini.

    If he succeeds, the Gophers may not get to keep Vanek’s contributions for all four years of eligibility, but they will be a force as long as they do keep him. After that, they will have to be content with one more graduate of their program on the way to the National Hockey League.

    Not at all a bad consolation.

    On the side

    1. Thomas Vanek’s Stampede teammate D Mike Vannelli (Mendota Heights, Minn.) will join him at Minnesota next season.

    2. Sioux Falls Stampede head coach Tony Gasparini’s father is USHL commissioner — and former North Dakota coach — Gino Gasparini. His younger brother, Joe, is a player for the USHL’s Cedar Rapids Rough Riders.

    3. The Sioux Falls Stampede currently lead the USHL with eight Division I college commitments this season.

    4. Thomas Vanek won two of the first four USHL Offensive Player of the Week awards this season.

    5. Vanek (Graz, Austria) would join Grant Potulny (Grand Forks, N.D.) as the only player on the Minnesota squad not from the state of Minnesota, and would be the only player from outside the United States.

    This Week in the CCHA: Nov. 15, 2001

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    Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before

    Say, have you heard the one about the league where any team could beat any team on any night? You know the one. A Spartan, a Wildcat, a Nanook, and a Bulldog walk into a rink…

    For years, CCHA fans have listened to the rhetoric about parity, that buzzword thrown around by coaches to explain why a “lower-tier” team can occasionally come up and bite an “upper-tier” team right in the points.

    At the end of the 1998-99 season, Michigan State head coach Ron Mason put into words what concerned CCHA coaches most about the postseason NCAA selection process — and what most CCHA coaches feared that other conferences didn’t understand — when he talked about parity and strength of conference schedule after the CCHA championship at Joe Louis Arena.

    “Our third-, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-place teams in the league — their RPIs are never very good, because we’re beating up on each other,” said Mason.

    While three consecutive years of decidedly mediocre NCAA postseason play by CCHA teams has quieted the parity party platform, the league’s improved nonconference record for the 2000-01 season and the early-season going have resurrected this charming chestnut yet again.

    “The reason why there’s real parity this year is because Michigan State and Michigan aren’t as dominant early on,” says Mason this season. “When the top programs are rebuilding, it levels the playing field a bit.”

    So, Michigan and Michigan State are apparently having somewhat of a down year, but does that mean that the CCHA is a league of — dare we say it — real parity?

    The league’s current top team, Northern Michigan (6-1-1, 6-1-1 CCHA), has played a schedule that has been arguably in its favor. Three points at home against Bowling Green, a mid-level team in recent years, two road wins against the allegedly rebuilding Wolverines, a split with unproven Notre Dame, and back-to-back spankings of the team that will probably remain in the cellar, Lake Superior State.

    Second-place Michigan State (6-2-1, 5-2-1 CCHA) tied with fellow rebuilders, Michigan, lost twice to the decidedly top-tier Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks, and beat Lake State, Ferris State, Bowling Green, and UMass-Amherst.

    Third in the early going is Miami (6-3-1, 4-1-1 CCHA), whose conference wins include two over Ferris State, one over Western (will the Broncos play hard the entire season, or fold at the end like last year?), and one over Bowling Green. The league loss was to BG and the tie to Western. In nonconference play, the RedHawks split with Merrimack and Clarkson.

    UNO and OSU split. UNO swept MSU. WMU split with UAF as well as UNO, and Alaska Fairbanks (6-4-0, 2-4-0 CCHA) is in 11th place in the league standings.

    Hmmm. My Merriam-Webster’s defines parity as “the quality or state of being equal or equivalent.”

    Can’t “being equal” mean “being similarly bad” as well as “being similarly good,” or “similarly mediocre?”

    The CCHA is 17-9-3 against nonconference opponents, a statistic that might be considered a good measure of relative strength among Division I programs — if those nonconference opponents included top teams from other conferences. So Wayne State is probably the top program in College Hockey America, and the Warriors have been beaten four times by CCHA teams.

    But the list of below-.500 opponents abounds: Colgate, Air Force, Alaska-Anchorage, St. Lawrence, even beleagured Providence. With few exceptions, it’s safe to say that so far this season, teams in the CCHA have played a not-completely-challenging nonconference schedule.

    Sure, the CCHA seems capable of dominating the middle and lower teams from other leagues (with the exception of the WCHA, where, apparently, the last-place team can visit the raucous barn of one of the CCHA’s best squads and not only defeat the rebuilding Wolverines, but the gracious host as well), but does that give the league any right to discuss parity as though such a commodity were a good thing?

    Northern Michigan head coach Rick Comley, who treads lightly on this subject because of his “old-guy-new-guy” status in the league, says, “I see the CCHA kind of going through the same period the WCHA went through years ago.

    “When we first went into the WCHA, it was Minnesota [and] Wisconsin, and did anybody think anybody could ever catch them? And then the teams that were last — Denver, Colorado — have become two of the better teams. Sure, Minnesota’s good this year, but you just don’t know year to year. That old dominance of the same two teams was taken away.

    “I haven’t seen it here yet. Since we were in it [the CCHA] and since we’ve come back, the same one-two has been the same one-two.”

    Comley says that while “Miami snuck in there, Ohio State snuck in there,” and his own Wildcats have been strong a couple of times, and although Michigan and Michigan State have dominated the league to the exclusion of nearly all others for as far back as the eye can see, he sees that “the depth of the league is going lower and lower in the teams,” and adds, “[when] that happens the better it is for everybody.”

    It’s a tough argument to counter. Perhaps, just perhaps, there’s the possibility of real competitive parity within the league this season, but whether that translates into success beyond the Realm is anyone’s guess.

    The Not-Yet-Ready-for-Household-Name-Status Players

    A simple glance at scoring statistics through mid-November tells a little story about the notion of parity within the CCHA.

    Ferris State’s Rob Collins (7-12-19) leads the league in overall points, followed by Nebraska-Omaha’s Andrew Wong (5-11-16), Miami’s Jason Deskins (3-13-16), UNO’s Jeff Hoggan (8-7-15), UNO’s Aaron Smith (4-10-14), Miami’s Greg Hogeboom (8-6-14), Northern Michigan’s Chad Theuer (5-7-12), Alaska Fairbanks’s Daniel Carriere (3-9-12), and Notre Dame’s Connor Dunlop (2-10-12).

    FSU's Rob Collins (right, with Chris Kunitz) leads the CCHA in overall points.

    FSU’s Rob Collins (right, with Chris Kunitz) leads the CCHA in overall points.

    That’s the league’s top nine scorers. Get the picture?

    Not a Wolverine among them. Nor a Spartan. Nor, for that matter, a first-round draft pick Buckeye.

    There are, however, three Mavericks crowding the top, and a couple of RedHawks.

    The first Spartan to make an appearance is Jim Slater, who’s tied with a bunch of other CCHA players who have 11 points each, including the first Wolverine to show himself, Mike Cammalleri.

    A quick glance through the scoring stats will also tell you something unsettling about the CCHA: no one is scoring goals. Of the top nine scorers, only Hoggan and Hogeboom have more goals than assists (eight each), and they’re tied in goal production with FSU’s Chris Kunitz (8-3-11). No one has hit double digits in goal production in the CCHA.

    In the WCHA, a league that has seen a comparable number of overall and league games, three players — Minnesota’s Jeff Taffe, and St. Cloud’s Matt Hendricks and Mike Doyle — have 10 goals each.

    It is worth mentioning, however, that one CCHA player, Spartan Adam Hall, has earned a hat trick.

    Parity in the CCHA? Perhaps. Maybe. Catch me in ten weeks.

    Boys Will Be Boys

    In a league known for its, um, physical play, some players are more, um, adept than others.

    Leading the CCHA in penalties so far this season is Notre Dame’s Rob Globke, whose 12 calls have earned him 43 minutes.

    Other top offenders include FSU’s Chad McIver (10-31), OSU’s Dave Steckel (9-29), UAF’s Aaron Voros (8-27), Notre Dame’s Neil Komadoski (12-27), and OSU’s Mike McCormick (9-26).

    Then there’s my personal favorite, Michigan’s Mike Komisarek, who simply prefers to earn his minutes the old-fashioned way, two at a time (14-28).

    Games of the Week

    Another No. six comes to town. Will the Buckeyes be prepared?

    No. 6 Northern Michigan (6-1-1, 6-1-1 CCHA) at Ohio State (5-2-1, 3-2-1 CCHA)
    Friday 7:35 p.m., Saturday 7:05 p.m., Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio

    It’s Wildcat Craig Kowalski (1.72 GAA, .932 SV%) versus Buckeye Mike Betz (2.24 GAA, .915 SV%), two recent CCHA Defensive Players of the Week, and goaltenders who squared off and matched well early last season.

    It’s also Northern Michigan’s first trip to Columbus since one infamous day in November, 1998, a 3-1 OSU victory in the old Ice Rink, or maybe it was 4-2. My recall of that game is rather fuzzy.

    And the Wildcats are the only CCHA team that hasn’t yet played in the Schottenstein Center.

    “I’ve been looking forward to seeing it,” says head coach Rick Comley. “There are only a few buildings like this. My hope would be that a building like this could serve more purpose than just Ohio State. I certainly can see our [the CCHA] championship being considered very seriously here, and the NCAA championship.

    “I think it’s great. I go way back, and I remember the Jerry Welsh days…and to see it now from where it was, I think that’s just great. Now, obviously, the challenge is to put people in the building on a regular basis. You don’t just put it up and they come, no matter what the old saying is. It takes time. Hopefully, it’s going to work.”

    Comley’s counterpart, OSU head coach John Markell, is simply happy to be playing the Wildcats at home. The 2001-02 season marks the first time Ohio State’s 39-year history during which the Buckeyes do not have to make the long bus trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to play either Northern Michigan or Lake Superior State.

    “I think if you want to compete in the upper echelon of this league — or anywhere — you have to beat teams like this,” says Markell, “and finally we get them here at home after three long years.

    “I don’t know how they’re going to react coming into this building the first night. I doubt that will be in awe or anything like that. They’ve never played here in our new rink, and I hope it’s not a situation where they enjoy themselves.”

    You can laugh. Markell did.

    Comley says that Northern Michigan owes its early success to a number of factors, but cautions that the season is young. “I think we’ve played pretty well. We haven’t had any one particular player blow the roof off. We’ve had some good goaltending, and I think he’ll be good pretty much every night.

    “I think the schedule’s been favorable, as far as who we’ve played and where we’ve played. Eight games is not enough to really measure yourself against everybody in the league. It’s great to be six-one- and-one, but I wouldn’t make too much of it.”

    The Wildcats arrive in Columbus after beating up on the Lakers, winning 5-0 in Sault Ste. Marie Nov. 9, and 9-1 at home the following night. Comley says that he and his coaching staff have reminded their players that Columbus is not Sault Ste. Marie.

    “Other than Michigan, it’s [Ohio State] the second team that was picked ahead of us that we’ve played,” says Comley. “I tell the guys, you have to see how you’re going to do against those people who are predicted to be better than you are.

    “They have very good talent. Two number-one draft picks who are outstanding feature kids. The team is very well put together, very well coached — good speed, good talent — so I think it’s going to be a real good match up.”

    Ohio State’s two top-round draft picks, R.J. Umberger (4-5-9) and Dave Steckel (1-4-5) may be outstanding players, but Markell wasn’t thrilled with either of them last week, as each took a couple of unnecessary penalties in OSU’s 3-2 win over Wayne State Nov. 10.

    Umberger’s second penalty of the night — and just his third of the season — was particularly entertaining. In the third period at the end of a shift, Umberger headed toward the OSU bench, spun and roughed a Wayne State player in open ice, in full sight of the ref.

    “Right now it’s a couple of guys getting frustrated, and they can’t do that,” says Markell. “That’s putting yourself above the team.

    “Now, do I reprimand them and hurt the whole team, or do I try to teach them? I prefer to teach. If it continues to happen, I’ll have to do something about it, but I hope they can grow from it. It hasn’t cost us yet, but with a 33 percent power play [against us], it will cost us.”

    Northern Michigan’s power play is indeed operating at 33.3 percent, the best in the league. The Wildcats are also leading the league in goals per game (4.12) and goals allowed per game (1.75). Chad Theuer (5-7-12) leads the team in scoring, followed by Chris Gobert (3-8-11) and Bryce Cockburn (3-7-10).

    “I think that team [NMU] can score a lot of goals,” says Markell, “and…obviously we’d better stay out of the box. We’re well aware of what their strengths and weaknesses — I don’t think they have many weaknesses, so we have to prepare accordingly here and hopefully do our best.”

    The best the Buckeyes can bring includes Scott May (4-4-7), who centers a tough second line with Daymen Bencharski (2-4-6) and Miguel Lafleche (2-4-6), a line so good that I’ll have to name it soon.

    Wildcat fans should also be on the lookout for Mike McCormick (2-5-7), who attributes his fast start in his senior year to a final opportunity to — and this is a direct quote — “kick the ‘Cat.”

    Ohio State would like to break its tradition, dating back to last season, of playing big Friday night and letting down Saturday. Markell says he’s not sure why his players don’t play 120 minutes of hockey every weekend.

    “Maybe I have to take them away and sequester them in a hotel somewhere,” Markell says. “The game is the same day as a football game. Unfortunately, that’s the way it is for Ohio State. We’re very happy for the football team, but it might take a little bit away from our focus on what we have to get done. We’ve addressed that, and hopefully the guys will understand that.”

    Northern Michigan leads this series 21-19-3, but the Buckeyes are 12- 5-1 in Columbus against NMU.

    OSU has improved from game to game, weekend to weekend, moving up in the league in goals per game (3.50, fifth), goals allowed (2.50, sixth), power play percentage (.194, fourth), penalty kill (.875, third), and — believe it or not — penalty minutes per game (21.12, ninth, up from 11th).

    “I think we’re capable of playing with anybody. I think we can compete against them. They command the respect and get the respect from our players,” says Markell. “I think we’re at their level; it’s just a matter of whether we bring it.”

    Comley says that although the Wildcats are perceived to work hard every shift, he sees things a bit differently. “It’s funny. Everybody says that, and my concern is that we don’t work hard enough.”

    Markell just wants two good games. “I’m confident that we’ll come in with a good effort, but in this league you can work hard and not win.”

    Ah. Parity.

    Picks: The ‘Cats and Bucks split in Marquette during the first weekend of regular-season play last year, with OSU winning the first night, NMU the second. Old habits die hard. OSU 3-2, NMU 3-2

    Grudge of the Week

    This one’s personal.

    When the Schottenstein Center opened, I was grateful for more than just no longer having to leave the rink to go to the bathroom, and the feeling of my blood circulating through my fingers in a heated press box.

    The Schott has spoiled me in more ways than one. There’s the distance between the ice surface and the press box, for example.

    I wonder where that puck ended up.

    This Week in Division III: Nov. 15, 2001

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    It’s Early, But…

    You see it a lot at this point in the season — people looking at early scores and trying to discern how good their favorite team is going to be this year.

    How many goals did they win by? Lose by? Did they win by more than the team they’re expected to battle for first place?

    Over the summer, dates are circled on calendars for what are expected to be the big games. Based on early results, some erasers may be necessary already.

    Which teams are exceeding expectations so far? Which are down from last season?

    The picture may get clearer this Monday, when the first USCHO.com Division III poll for the 2001-2002 regular season comes out. Who are we likely to see? Here’s what my ballot would look like:

    1. Plattsburgh (first in the preseason poll): The Cardinals are, as expected, undefeated. They opened with probably their toughest challenge in the early season — a road game at conference rival Oswego. Plattsburgh passed that test with flying colors, a 6-4 win. If the Cardinals can win their home opener against Elmira on Saturday, there’s no doubt they’ll be ranked number-one..

    2. St. Norbert (seventh, preseason): The Green Knights are off to a torrid start, 5-0 and winning their conference games to date by an average margin of three goals. St. Norbert will be favored in road games this weekend against St. Olaf and Gustavus Adolphus, so it could be 7-0 by the time the poll comes out.

    3. RIT (second, preseason): This is another team that has been thumping its opposition — the 5-0 Tigers have outscored their opponents 43-9. RIT has had one close game: at Manhattanville, where the Tigers needed a power-play goal with 1:28 left to tie, and the winner with just four seconds to play. Expect them to be ranked no lower than third.

    4. Middlebury (fourth, preseason): The Panthers have yet to play a game, kicking off their season this weekend at Skidmore and MCLA. Sweep and they’ll be in the top five.

    5. Wisconsin-River Falls (third, preseason): The Falcons are 4-0-2 to date, and have games this weekend at Hamline and Bethel. If they sweep, they’ll also be somewhere in the top five.

    6. St. Thomas (eighth, preseason): The Tommies have done what it takes to be undefeated so far, 4-0, including three one-goal wins. They have a real test this Sunday when they host Wisconsin-Superior. Win and St. Thomas could also be in the top five. Lose and they’ll probably be ninth or 10th.

    7. Norwich (sixth, preseason): The Cadets open their season this weekend at Connecticut College and Tufts. They’ll be favored to be 2-0, good enough to retain a spot in the poll.

    8. Elmira (10th, preseason): The Soaring Eagles are 3-1 and have a big game at Plattsburgh this weekend. Upend the Cardinals, and Elmira will be in the top five. Lose and the Eagles could drop out of the poll at 3-2.

    9. Amherst (ninth, preseason): The Lord Jeffs will be favored against Babson and Mass.-Boston this weekend, and a 2-0 start will keep them in the poll. Lose either game, and they might drop off.

    10. I’m reserving this spot for a NESCAC or ECAC East team that starts 2-0, or a another team off to a fast start. It could be Bowdoin, Colby, or Salem State. St. Mary’s will be 4-0 if it can defeat St. Scholastica and Wisconsin-Superior this weekend. Concordia could be 4-1-1 with a pair of wins. Manhattanville will be 5-1 if it can beat Potsdam; its only loss so far the above-mentioned close defeat at the hands of RIT.

    Slow Start

    One team that probably won’t appear in the poll is Wisconsin-Superior. The Yellowjackets, ranked fifth in the preseason poll, are off to a relatively slow 2-2-1 start, with games this weekend at St. Mary’s and St. Thomas. But Superior always does well against MIAC teams, and the Jackets play eight of their next ten games against MIAC opposition.

    Another team that can’t be in the poll no matter what is Minnesota-Crookston. The Division II Eagles are ineligible for the poll, but wouldn’t be there anyway, off to a 1-4 start in conference after never having lost a league contest in their first two seasons in the MCHA. Crookston plays three games in three days this weekend, a pair at Augsburg and a home game against Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

    …But That’s Just My Opinion

    There won’t be a column from me next week — so I’ll get off a rant this week on some of the upcoming tournaments. In the good old days, four-team tournaments consisted of two semifinals, a consolation and a championship. Lately, some invitationals have gone to a predetermined setup, where each team knows who it will play in both games.

    Yuck.

    The main (only?) positive of this method is to ensure that teams play others not normally on the schedule; for example, two western teams alternating games with two eastern teams, like the Elmira East West Face-Off, which has Williams, St. John’s and St. Norbert. The two eastern teams will alternate playing the two western teams.

    The negatives of this format are plentiful.

    Under the predetermined format, some convoluted methods are often required to determine who wins. It works out well if just one team goes 2-0, but you could wind up with four 1-1 teams. Time to get out the slide rule.

    A tournament needs a champion. Under the predetermined format, some convoluted methods are often required to determine who wins. It works out well if just one team goes 2-0, but you could wind up with four 1-1 teams. Time to get out the slide rule.

    Also, the team that eventually wins the tournament could have played in the early game on the second day, and will be on the bus by the time things are decided. Just mail ’em their trophies, I guess.

    And finally, tournaments need a championship game. Period. The fans want it. The players want it.

    I have no problem with teams playing predetermined, nonconference matchups at a neutral or hosted site. Just don’t call it a tournament. Some host schools, like Elmira this season, are now using the term “faceoff” for this format.

    One tournament that qualifies as a “real” one is the Primelink Great Northern Shootout, this season hosted by Potsdam and featuring the Bears plus Plattsburgh, Middlebury and Norwich. That should be some good karma for the Bears. All of the first three Primelinks have been won by the host team…and that team has gone on to win the national championship.

    Keep an eye on that tournament, as well as the other five on tap for Thanksgiving weekend, and have a happy and safe holiday!

    This Week in Hockey East: Nov. 15, 2001

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    BU’s Cardiac Kids

    Boston University is now one of only four undefeated teams in the country at 6-0-1 after flourishing in three straight overtime games. The Terriers tied New Hampshire, 1-1, before pulling two wins out of the fire on the road. First, they rallied from a 2-0 third-period deficit at Maine to win, 3-2. Then they evened a road game with Yale in the second period and got the game-winner again in OT, 4-3.

    “We’re not jumpy playing in close games,” says BU coach Jack Parker. “We’ve got confidence that we can win them on the road late. We’ve played three straight ties and we’ve been in one-goal games with RPI and Northeastern, so we’ve been in a lot of close ones so far this year.

    “We’re playing good hockey when we have to, but I don’t think we’ve had a real thorough 60-minute game for a while here. So we’re winning without playing our best hockey, but we’re certainly playing our best hockey when we’ve had to.”

    That hasn’t been restricted just to scoring the big goal or playing solidly in overtimes.

    “We had to kill a five-on-three penalty for [1:28] late in a 3-3 game at Yale,” says Parker. “That was a big turning point in the game.”

    Unlike the last few years when a few Terriers were the clear-cut offensive go-to guys, this year’s squad has no one even close to the league leaders. Frantisek Skladany and Gregg Johnson lead the team with eight points in seven games, a figure that leaves both sophomores out of the Hockey East Top 20.

    These modest numbers have been more than compensated for by a defense that already has eight goals, including two game-winners, and 16 assists.

    “I really thought that it would be scoring by committee,” says Parker. “I didn’t know that we’d get that much out of our defense, but I thought there’d be a whole bunch of guys who would be in the 10-15 goal range.

    “The biggest surprise has been the lack of scoring by Brian Collins [1-0–1], a guy who we think should be our number one or two in terms of number of goals is concerned. He’s struggled a little bit. He’s only got one goal so far this year. Jack Baker only has one goal so far this year and he got it the other night — the winner in overtime — so that might get him going.

    “So I guess the surprise is that the guys who we thought would be contributing more offensively have been struggling. They’ve played well, but the puck isn’t going in the net for them. And yet Gregg Johnson [shares] the team lead in points and he leads the team in assists. We’ve been getting a lot of contributions from the defense. Skladany leads the team in goals.

    “We needed to have our sophomores make big jumps for us. [Kenny] Magowan, Johnson and Skladany have been our best line. Marky Mullen has been one of our best forwards and Sean Fields has played great in the nets. Those are five of our six sophomores that have all made pretty big jumps for us.”

    In all probability, the most important one has been Fields. Inconsistent goaltending killed the Terriers last year. Fields was considered a blue-chipper who’d of necessity been picked a year early after the departure of Rick DiPietro. He and Jason Tapp had their positive moments, but their negative ones, too.

    This year, Fields has matured into one of the best goaltenders in the league. His 2.29 GAA and .914 save percentage (1.46 and .948, respectively in Hockey East games) back up that perception.

    “I haven’t seen all the league’s goaltenders so I really don’t know [where he ranks], but I know that he’s played extremely well for us,” says Parker. “There’s no question in my mind that he’s made a huge jump from his freshman to his sophomore year.

    “I think he started to make that jump in the second semester last year. He got a lot more confident. The playoff games he played against Providence gave him a lot of confidence.

    “He came into the season knowing that he’d be the number one goaltender. He’s played accordingly and has given us a big boost.

    “We’re very, very happy with our goaltending. Tapp played his first game [Tuesday] night and played well so we’re in pretty good shape there. Fields has given us a lot of very big saves, but more importantly, he’s been very consistent.”

    Divided Loyalties

    When is the last time a BU Terrier helped a BC Eagle?

    Never?

    A you-know-what freezes over moment?

    Inside sources have it that former Terrier All-American defenseman Chris Kelleher has been trying to help brother Tim, the junior goaltender at the Heights. (How’d you like to be that family at Beanpot time?)

    Tim Kelleher had a terrific freshman season, but has struggled since. Most recently, he allowed five goals at Wisconsin and then four goals on 16 shots at home against Merrimack.

    His freshman season showed that he has the talent, but something has gone awry. Proving that blood runs thicker than even Terrier loyalty, brother Chris has been trying to get Tim back on track even though it’s highly unlikely he’ll be mentioning that at the BU alumni golf tournament.

    Of course, the possibility exists that Chris is simply performing an act of sibling treachery on his younger brother and is really sandbagging the goaltender. Now wouldn’t that warm the cockles of Jack Parker’s heart…

    Texas Hat Trick

    In Saturday’s Providence – Northeastern game, Jon DiSalvatore matched his entire Hockey East goalscoring output from last year with a Texas hat trick. (Since those from the Lone Star State claim that everything is oversized there, a four-goal evening constitutes a Texas hat trick.) DiSalvatore, propitiously named an assistant captain two days earlier, had scored nine times last year, but only four came in league games. This year he already has eight, seven in Hockey East contests.

    “We needed somebody to step up,” says PC coach Paul Pooley. “We’ve had trouble scoring goals and he certainly led the way for us. He’s been our best player all year so it was certainly nice to see him break out and have a career night.”

    Road Warriors

    Last weekend saw the statistical anomaly of all five Hockey East games going to the visitors. (Yours truly took a beating on his picks, correctly divining that UNH – Lowell and Providence – Northeastern would both end in splits, but going 0-for-4 based on picking the home team to win.)

    Is this a fluke or a sign that home ice isn’t as big a factor as in past years?

    “It’s probably half fluke and half that home ice isn’t [as dominant] in this day and age in Hockey East,” says NU coach Bruce Crowder. “We’ve been involved in six games and throw out the empty net goals and they’ve all been decided by one goal. It’s just a matter of things could go any way.”

    Over the Top and Dishing It Out

    Matthews Arena can be a tremendous place to watch a game. Not only are the sight lines exceptional, but the Dog House fans can really make the barn rock. (You’ve got to love any group that chants, “Get off the phone!” when spotting a quasi-fan using a cell phone during a game.)

    However, one Northeastern fan reportedly went way over the line recently, obtaining the phone number of a couple Providence players and calling them at 1:30 in the morning.

    “The guy was boasting that he’d given Jason Tapp about 50 phone calls, too,” says PC coach Paul Pooley. “Nolan [Schaefer] received phone calls Friday night and even Saturday night after the game. It’s nice to have loyal fans, but there’s a time and a place for it; 1:30 phone calls aren’t appropriate.”

    Of course, Northeastern coach Bruce Crowder agrees with Pooley wholeheartedly.

    “You don’t do that,” he says. “This is the first that I’ve been aware of it. There’s no need for that whatsoever.”

    Whoever this reckless “fan” might be, he’s no credit to his school and needs to knock it off.

    That said, this is a rivalry that bears watching. Fueled by the phone calls and the raucous Matthews Arena cheers, Schaefer gave it back to the Dog House residents late in the third period. As is their wont, they had chanted, “Schaefer, can you feel it? Yes! Yes! Yes!” complete with hip thrusts when Mike Ryan scored at 13:53 to tie the game.

    When Jon DiSalvatore retaliated with the eventual game-winner just seven seconds later, Schaefer reportedly swung his stick over his head and celebrated while looking right up into the teeth of the Dog House fans. He also skated down the ice and used his stick as a rifle to “shoot” those same fans.

    “Those guys in the Dog House really get at you,” said DiSalvatore after the game. “To look up at them [after scoring] and know you shut them up is a great feeling.”

    Some Northeastern fans considered Schaefer’s celebrating “rubbing it in” and promised revenge.

    Here is one email this writer received on the subject, reprinted with permission.

    Mr. Hendrickson,

    What is your take on showing up an opponent when you still have to play them? I was at the NU at PC game on Friday night, which the Huskies won 3-2. The team, although excited when they won, were not what I would call “rubbing it in.” However, the Saturday night game at NU was a different story. After the Friars made a great comeback to get 3 goals in the 3rd period, they began to rub it in. Nolan Schaefer was skating around with his arms raised for several minutes and the team reacted as if it had won the NCAA championships. The handshake looked a bit chippy from my seat as the celebration continued. The PC players were taunting the crowd at Matthew’s as they left the ice.

    I’ve been around Hockey East for several years now, and admittedly, I’m an NU fan. I can only imagine how difficult it is to come into Matthew’s arena with the hostile crowd yelling things a sailor wouldn’t say. However, these are the fans, not the team they have to play. I think showing up a team, on the road no less, is poor sportsmanship and risky. This was an early season game in which the Friars “leaped” ahead of NU for home ice advantage. This game in February of March warrants a celebration.

    I think the Feb 1st game at Matthew’s arena is one to watch. The Huskies don’t have the same big hitters like Brian Cummings around to hold a grudge, but any team lead by Jim Fahey is a tough team. The taunting of the Dog House will also lead to quite the scene when the Friars come back. Devin Rask was subdued in the celebration as was PC coach Paul Pooley, but they should have stepped in and calmed their teammates.

    I’d be interested to see what you or any of the readers think about this. I was surprised to say the least at this display. I’ve seen a lot of HE games between some bitter rivals, and never have I seen something with such little significance result in such a spectacle.

    Thanks for your time.

    Justin Seaman

    What is my take on all of this?

    Hey, if you dish it out, you’ve got to take it.

    If it’s okay for fans to chant, “Schaefer, can you feel it? Yes! Yes! Yes!” complete with hip thrusts, then the player on the end of that abuse can hardly be faulted for “shooting down” the fans who heaped scorn on him.

    “I didn’t see it, but teams that win should be excited,” said Crowder when asked if he thought the Friars had gloated too much. “They came back in pretty good fashion and scored four third-period goals. If you don’t get excited about that, why should you play?”

    So in this writer’s opinion, Schaefer can’t be faulted nor can Northeastern fans expect to get nothing back no matter how hard they dish it out.

    Which is not to say, however, that Schaefer’s actions were wise. As Justin Seaman notes, the Dog House will be a veritable hornet’s nest on Feb. 1 (one hopes minus the bush-league 1:30 am phone calls). At that point, Schaefer may say, “Bring it on!” or he may wish he’d internalized his glee last Saturday a bit more.

    Perseverance Personified

    BRAUN

    BRAUN

    If during the offseason someone had asked which goaltender would have posted a 2.64 GAA and .912 save percentage at this point while playing in the majority of his team’s games, you’d have taken a long time to guess to Northeastern’s Jason Braun. The signing of top recruit Keni Gibson seemed to be the writing on Braun’s wall. Instead, Gibson has battled back ailments while Braun has taken the top job from Mike Gilhooly.

    “You’ve got to credit Jay,” says Bruce Crowder. “I called him on the phone in May or June sometime and told him, ‘You know, Jay, your back is to the wall here. With Mike and Gibson, you’re probably going to be on the outside looking in.’

    “He came back in great shape and took the challenge. Kudos to him. I don’t think that anything excites a coach more than when kids prove you wrong in a positive way.

    “Jay has had some great games for us. He’d probably like to have that third period back [against Providence] on Saturday night, but he’s played extremely well and given us a lift that we needed.”

    One That Almost Got Away

    UMass-Amherst led UConn, 4-1, after two periods, having outshot the Huskies, 24-12. A good time to give your rookie goaltender, Tim Warner, some experience, right?

    However, what had looked like a game on the way to a rout became a nailbiter. Although the Minutemen won, 6-5, there were certainly some anxious moments.

    “I don’t ever believe that the game is in the bag,” says UMass coach Don “Toot” Cahoon when asked about the goaltender switch. “I’ve been involved in too many games to know better. At the same time, it’s just part of the whole process that you’re trying to find minutes for everyone in your program so that they have the opportunity to grow and develop.

    “The decision was made to give Mike Johnson some playing time because we didn’t feel that he’d played badly at Michigan State, but yet walked away with a sour feeling. We thought it would be important to give him some minutes so he could feel a little more positive. That’s what went into the decision to play Mike.

    “Then getting Timmy into there was just a part of it. ‘Geez, we’re at a point where we’re playing fairly well, let’s continue to play well and Timmy go in there and do your job.’

    “You’ve got to be prepared to be able to handle this type of situation where you’re coming off the bench. It just didn’t work out that way. Neither the team played all that well in front of him nor did he have himself prepared to play up to his abilities.”

    Cahoon didn’t simply lay the near-disaster at the feet of his team’s extreme youth.

    “I don’t think you can quantify it young and veteran,” he says. “It’s just a matter of the team’s mental makeup. That’s something we’ve got to work on.”

    Bookend Rivalries

    In two weekends, UMass will have taken on a natural interstate rival in UConn and an intrastate one in Lowell. Cahoon sees different factors in the two rivalries.

    CAHOON

    CAHOON

    “UConn is a natural rivalry for UMass,” he says. “These two athletic programs have competed on all fronts for many, many years. It’s the one school in the MAAC conference that’s absolutely that we play on a regular basis. There are a lot of people in Western Mass and Connecticut who are very interested to see how these two schools fare against each other. So that’s a natural rivalry that will be continued all through my time here for sure and I think well into the future.

    “The intrastate rivalry with Lowell is a great deal different and perhaps even more intense because we’re both in the same league. All the league rivalries develop on their own front no different than the Lowell-UMass rivalry. It’s naturally a big game for them and it’s a big game for us as well for many, many reasons beyond that we’re both from the state system.

    “We both compete for the same kids on a frequent basis, but more the fact that we’re competing for position within the league.”

    While the Minutemen were heavy favorites against UConn, Lowell poses some tough problems for UMass.

    “They play with a lot of energy,” says Cahoon. “They’re a physically tough team. They come at you. They finish their checks and they certainly forecheck as well as any team in our league. We’ll have to contain their forecheck to some degree, handle the physical side of the game and obviously be able to counterattack with some sort of offensive front.

    “They’re a much more experienced team than we are. They’re a team that has pretty much established an identity. We’re still in search of an identity. So it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out.”

    Trivia Contest

    Last week’s question sparked an unprecedented amount of activity. It asked: in a regular season contest between two teams, what is the maximum number of players (skaters and goalies) for the two teams that can officially be credited with dressing in the one game? Give your rationale.

    A hint was given: It isn’t 42 (18 skaters and three goaltenders for each team). It’s a number much higher than that. Think creatively and don’t worry about practical concerns such as how many players might actually be on a team’s roster or fit on the team bus.

    Three answers follow, the first of which is the one that was expected to be deemed correct.

  • A team can dress 19 skaters and three goaltenders for the warm-ups, but only 18 skaters and three goaltenders for the game itself. However, the 19 and three during the warm-ups do not need to be the same 18 and three that actually suit up for the game. That results in 43 possible players per team for a total of 86.

    The question, however, specified players being officially credited with dressing (that is, credited with a game played). The answer is 86 only if somehow the players during the warm-up can get on the scoresheet.

    How can that happen? Anyone assessed a penalty during the warm-up is listed as having officially played even if he is not one of the 18 and three to dress for the game. As a result, if the 22 for each side during the warm-ups take penalties and then do not actually dress for the game, then each team can reach the 43 limit and 86 is the answer.

    There is precedent for this. On Feb. 27, 1999, Clarkson played Harvard and Nate Strong was the 19th skater dressed for the Golden Knights during warm-ups. Strong was assessed a 10-minute misconduct in the warm-up (as was Harvard’s Kyle Clark), but was not one of Clarkson’s 18 skaters during the game. As a result, Clarkson got 19 skaters plus goaltenders on the scoresheet.

  • Timothy J. Danehy, better known as “Danzer” at Frozen Four gatherings, adds the following postscript, which leads to an answer of infinity. “The penalty for having more than 19 skaters and three goalies participate in the warm-up is a bench minor (rule 2-3-b) as is the penalty for starting the actual game with too many players (2-3-a). In theory, you could fill the ice with players for the warm-up (or the game) and all of them could get penalties.”
  • Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna then entered the fray, wearing his hat as the Chairman of the NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee and contending that 21 per team is an unshakable limit. “Any player who receives a penalty in warm-ups automatically becomes part of the official roster. That is, you can’t get a penalty and then not be one of the players listed on the official sheet (18 + 2/3).” He also adds that “any player getting a DQ in warm-ups is treated as if he played and was DQed; that means your dress list when the puck is dropped is reduced by the number of guys DQed. So, if two players are given DQs in warm-ups, you can only dress 16 + the goalies (unless one of the DQs went to a goalie).”

    When apprised of the Clarkson precedent, Bertagna indicated that the referee in question did not apply the rule book correctly and that the NCAA would be sending a note to all conferences on the matter.

    Wow! One little trivia question sure did cause a bit of a fuss….

    Believe it or not, we had a winner who got answer number one. Paul Gentile thus earned a little extra latitude with his cheer, which is:

    “Cheers to The Whitt – UML’s home away from home!”

    This week’s question makes reference to Providence’s Jon DiSalvatore and his Texas hat trick. Who was the last Hockey East player to also score at least four goals in one game? Give both his name and the date of the game.

    Mail your responses to Dave Hendrickson.

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

    HMOs sure can be cruel. I found out the hard way this past week.

    I know I’ve put on a couple of pounds, but did they really need to send me a notice that I’m due for a mammogram?

    • This Week in the ECAC Northeast: Nov. 15, 2001

    By Ed Seero
    -

    In the preseason, just about every I talked to mentioned their top contenders for the league as including Wentworth, Johnson and Wales and Lebanon Valley. In fact, I don’t remember any of them not mentioning those teams. The ECAC Northeast preseason coaches poll reflected this as well, as LVC garnered the top spot followed closely by Wentworth, UMass-Dartmouth and Johnson and Wales.

    Now that we are a few weeks into the season, we can take a look at who is making noise, and who is dead silent. 

    While UMD has been less then spectacular, the rest of the prognosticators’ choices are right where they should be. Wentworth and JWU are undefeated and LVC is undefeated in the league. I guess the coaches knew what they were talking about.

    As for the rest of the league, everything is pretty much up in the air.

    Another point a number of coaches made in the preseason was that there are the top three or four teams, and then you can throw everyone else in a hat.  We are seeing that come into fruition in these first few weeks.  Some of the younger teams are working out an identity for themselves.  Some have been more successful than others thus far.  One success is Curry, which began on a winning note at its own tournament.  Assumption is more or less happy with where it is, but is also young.  And then we have a team like Fitchburg, which seems to be experiencing some growing pains, perhaps trying too hard to find its niche.

    Let’s take a team-by-team look at what is going on in the ECAC Northeast.

    Johnson and Wales

    The Wildcats of Johnson and Wales are off to a spectacular start. They are not only winning their games, they are destroying the competition. Head coach Lou Izzi is understandably pleased with his squad thus far.

    “We’re really happy, particularly with the freshman class. They’re playing major roles and they’ve come through.”

    Part of that freshman class is the goaltending tandem of Nick Lacroix (2-0-0, 2.50, .915%) and Bobby Doran (2-0-0, 3.00, .880%). The two were named Northeast Co-Rookies of The Week by the ECAC in their first week of action.

    “Goaltending has been fantastic,” said Izzi of his freshman duo. “For the first time in our five year history we have depth at the goaltending position. They are a good 1-2 punch. I look at both of them as number-one goalies.”

    Goaltending is not the only thing clicking on all cylinders for JWU. The offense has been tremendous, averaging 7.5 goals a game in their first four contests.

    “We’re rolling four lines that can score every game,” said Izzi. He also mentioned that, with four injuries in Tuesday night’s shellacking of Framingham State, the fifth line stepped right in and the team didn’t miss a beat.

    “That is a tribute to our depth,” added Izzi.

    Izzi points to the team’s ability to score in bunches as a major reason why they are winning so handily.

    “We have the ability to explode and we’ve done that in the first four games.” Those explosions include multiple four- and five-goal periods in the first four games.

    When you throw up four or five unanswered goals in a period, and when your power play is clicking at an astounding 40%, there is not much hope for the trailing team. At 4-0-0, the Wildcats look like a ferocious bunch. If you don’t come to play against these guys they are going to embarrass you.

    JWU takes itsshow on the road this week as they will visit upstate New York for tilts at Cortland on Saturday and Utica on Sunday.

    Salve Regina

    Head coach Chris MacPherson was happy to get a 6-0 win at Suffolk after starting out the season 0-2-1 with some tough losses

    “Last night was good for us. We finally broke the ice.”

    MacPherson made mention of the solid play he received out of Adam Asselin and Billy Baker. Both players had a 1-2–3 line on the night. And junior Matt Hillberg, who leads the team in scoring (4-1–5), continued to be a positive presence as he contributed a goal in the winning effort.

    Junior goalkeeper Chris Burns, who has been exceptional in the early going, got what McPherson identified as the first shutout in school history in the effort.

    “He has definitely stepped up as the number-one guy,” said the coach. “He’s seeing the puck very well right now.”

    The Paine Webber Faceoff Classic games that the Seahawks lost in the opening were games that just barely got away.

    “We have to take those in stride,” said MacPherson. “Players were getting used to systems. We walked out of that building with our heads up.”

    Salve Regina is in decent shape with an overall record of 1-2-1, but the 1-0 league record is what counts for MacPherson.

    “We’re happy with where we are at right now. We’re 1-0 in the league and the league is what really matters.”

    Salve hosts Plymouth State on Friday night in what should be an exciting league matchup.

    “[Plymouth] is a real tough team. They remind me a little bit of us.”

    Assumption College

    Assumption is 3-1-1, a record that has already tripled the first half of last year’s win total. They began the season by winning the tournament they hosted and they are 1-1-1 since then, with the only loss coming to an excellent Johnson and Wales squad that has torn up the competition. Not a bad start.

    The schedule is heating up for the Hounds, though. Assumption is approaching what should be the toughest part of the schedule, three consecutive tilts with some excellent hockey teams: at Wentworth, home against St. Mike’s, and at St. Anselm. Assumption is happy to be 3-1-1, but not content.

    Senior co-captain Brendan Norton said, “I think we’re showing a lot of improvement for such a young team. We’re finding ways to win games.”

    He was wary of the upcoming games, though, saying, “It’s a tough stretch, toughest of the season definitely. I think this could show us a lot about the character of our team.”

    Junior co-captain Bob Reddish is carrying the load offensively for the Ice Dogs. His 3-6–9 line in the first four games is eye popping.

    But the Assumption offense is suffering big time from a lack of production on the power play. Only one conversion in 17 attempts has to have Assumption wishing it could begin declining penalties. On the positive side of the special teams is the penalty kill, which is a very steady 85%.

    As mentioned, Assumption will be traveling to Wentworth Saturday in its next game action.

    Curry College

    Curry opened the season with a bang, winning its own tournament and doing so easily. With a 7-4 win over Suffolk and a 7-3 win over Western New England College, the Colonels look like they are living up to their preseason hype thus far.

    Most of that hype was due to the impressive freshman class that the coaches brought in. And indeed, the freshmen are contributing heavily. Eight of the twelve point-getters on the team are in the freshman class.

    Leading the way for the freshmen and the team is Brian Doherty, whose five-goal effort in the first two games earned him USCHO D-III Offensive Player of the Week and ECAC Northeast Player of The Week honors. Doherty is 5-1–6 in his first two career games.

    Not to be overlooked in the forward ranks are the contributions of senior Jason Boyle (2-4–6) and fellow freshmen Joseph Chiasson (2-2–4) and Mike Melanson (0-4–4). Their contributions on the score sheet are a big part of the wins as well.

    The goaltending duties have been split by sophomore Phil Belmont (1-0-0, 4.00, .879) and senior Ryan Wood (1-0-0, 3.00, .900) and with two wins who could complain?

    Curry goes on the road traveling to Brockport Saturday and Hobart Sunday. This is a bold scheduling move by the coaches, but we will see how it works out.

    Lebanon Valley

    The Flying Dutchmen were winless in two games heading into last week’s action but did anyone really think that the 0-2 record was an accurate reflection of the team? Well, after wins of 9-1, 6-1 and 9-0 I don’t think so.

    Junior Scott Schilling has been a key player in his return to the team. He has two multiple goal games and has at least a point in every game except for one so far. His 6-4–10 line in the five games is leading the team. Senior Jamie Taylor is right behind with a 5-3–8 line. Brian Yingling (0-7–7) has had at least on assist in each game but he has yet to light the lamp. Yingling is a kid who scored 24 goals last year so they will surely begin to flow soon.

    On defense, Ben Kwon (3-4–7) is contributing to the offense heavily.

    The goaltending duties have been split by a pair of seniors, Lincoln Matlock (2-1-0, 1.50 GAA, .915 SV%) and Kevin Block (1-1-0, 2.52, .898). They are alternating starts in the early going.

    LVC will be at Geneseo State on Friday night at 7pm.

    Wentworth

    The wins have not come easy for the Leopards but they have come and that is all that is important. Wentworth is 3-0.

    Wednesday night saw Wentworth travel to Worcester for a difficult tilt against the Lancers of Worcester State. Special teams were the story as Dave Zelasko (5-0–5, hat trick against Stonehill) scored a power-play goal in the first and, surprise, surprise, Tim Yakimowsky (4-0–4) scored the shorthanded game-winner with just under five minutes remaining. He had five winners last season.

    Freshman Brad Carpenter is making an offensive impact for Wentworth as well, with a 1-3–4 line in the first three games.

    Before the season, Bill Bowes talked about goaltending as a major strength for Wentworth this season. He also said that they would most likely use a rotation throughout the year. With two quality goaltenders, sophomore Raj Bhangoo (1-0-0, 3.00 GAA, .900) and junior Jamie Vanek (1-0-0, 1.00, .958), the rotation makes sense and it has been beneficial thus far.

    Keith Hughes, who played under Bowes when he was at Assumption, will travel to Matthews Arena to take on the Leopards on Saturday. Wentworth will then host Suffolk on Tuesday.

    Worcester State

    Worcester State is another team with a bit of a misleading record at 1-2-2. The two losses came to Assumption and Wentworth, who are not slouches, and both were one-goal games that came down to the wire. Who knows, with a couple of bounces of the puck the Lancers could be undefeated.

    But, as Bill Parcells once said, “You are what you are.” The Lancers need to start pulling out those close ones to be successful.

    Senior Chris Susi (3-2–5), UMass-Dartmouth junior transfer Matt Cruikshank (1-4–5) and sophomore Dan Marshall (3-1–4) are leading the Lancers in scoring.

    Freshman Jon Coderre has been a pleasant surprise for Worcester State. Goaltending was a question mark going into the season and Coderre has done his best to put those questions to rest. He has played in every game thus far and has posted some pretty outstanding numbers. Coderre is 1-2-3 with an exceptional .923 save percentage. His 2.52 GAA is also above par.

    Worcester State is off this weekend but will travel to UMass-Dartmouth next Tuesday in what should be an excellent game.

    Fitchburg State

    The good news for the Falcons is that they are getting contributions from the young guys. Freshman Robert Zapf leads the team in scoring with three goals in the first four games. Sophomore Shane Coleman (1-2–3) and Freshman Sebastien Corbeil (1-1–2) have chipped in as well. They will undoubtedly improve as the season wears on.

    The bad news? Fitchburg State is 1-2-1 overall and 0-2 in the conference. Plus, the special teams are not exactly lighting it up.

    This is a team that was only picked fifth in the preseason coaches poll, but most coaches mentioned them as probable contenders for the league title. Thus far, they have not lived up to that billing, but let’s not throw the towel in this early in the season.

    Fitchburg is young and has played some very good teams in Worcester State, Salve, Stonehill and Johnson and Wales. That said, for the Falcons to be there in the end, they will have to grow as a team and start beating some of those good teams more often.

    Senior stalwart Jeff Brodeur (1-3–4) is second on the team in scoring and he should heat up as the season moves along, especially as he settles in with his two new linemates this season. Big things should be expected of him and, should he heat up and do what he’s done in the past, the offense will begin to click for sure.

    Fitchburg State will host WNEC on Saturday at 7pm.

    Framingham State

    New head coach Bob Lavin came into this job during the summer and did not have a chance to bring in a recruiting class. Framingham lost a ton of players off of last year’s team as well. Those are not excuses. They are just facts. And Lavin’s thought in the preseason that this will be a year to build on seems to be a good one.

    Framingham (0-3) has taken its lumps in the early going, being outscored 24-7 in losing its first three official games, and also losing a tough exhibition to Westfield State, 6-4. The Rams have also used four goaltenders, never a good sign.

    The schedule only gets tougher, too. A stretch of at Southern New Hampshire, at Babson, home against Tufts, and at Stonehill in their next four games looks to be treacherous. But hey, the old saying “That’s why they play the games” applies here. You never know what could happen.

    UMass-Dartmouth

    At 1-1-1 going into Thursday night’s game with Assumption, the Corsairs are not in bad shape. Other than a 6-1 on the road pounding by LVC, UMass-Dartmouth has played well thus far.

    They need to get more scoring out of their offense though. Only one player has multiple points, sophomore Chris Dussault (1-1–2). On the positive side, that means that the Corsairs are getting balanced scoring. Their five goals have been scored by five different guys.

    UMass-Dartmouth is another team that was picked to be contenders by the preseason prognosticators. 1-1-1 is not great but it also is not horrible and it does not really tell us much about where this team is and where it will be. LVC is their only loss and the tie came against an underrated Salve team. That said, UMD is a notoriously tough, hard working team that will not be counted out. Look for them to put together a string of wins soon.

    The Corsairs will host Plymouth State on Saturday and Worcester State next Tuesday.

    Nichols

    At 2-2-0, Nichols looks like they are in pretty good shape right now. The Bison have already doubled their first half win total from last year and are only two wins away from last season’s total wins. A playoff run looks like it could be a realistic goal right now.

    Last Sunday’s 10-4 drubbing of Nichols was highlighted by a four goal third period which put the proverbial nail in the coffin, showing that Nichols has a little bit of firepower and the ability to put teams away when they are down. They will need that if they want to be successful this season.

    Eight different forwards have scored goals for Nichols. Sophomores Mike Loftus (3-4–7) and Dan Torti (4-2–6), as expected, are the top point scorers for the Bison.

    On defense Dave Abramo has chipped in with four assists and Paul Brady (2-1–3) has scored a power play and a game winning overtime goal against Framingham State in the early going.

    Junior goaltender Adam Gray has played the bulk of the time in the nets for Nichols. He is 2-2-0 with a 4.74 GAA and a save percentage of .857.

    Nichols is off until Tuesday, November 27 when they travel to Stonehill in hopes of getting above the .500 mark.

    Stonehill

    Stonehill has had, without argument, the toughest opening schedule in the Northeast. Wentworth, JWU and Fitchburg were their first three games and they are 1-2-0 with their losses coming to Wentworth and JWU.

    Scott Harlow was not happy about the early schedule but he was not intimidated by it either, saying that you have to play everyone at some point so you might as well play them early.

    Wednesday night’s 2-1 win over Fitchburg was a good one. Brendan Ready opened the scoring in the third period, just 1:50 in. Six minutes later an FSC penalty put Stonehill on the power play and the Chieftains capitalized, scoring on a Mike Ryan shot. Will O’Connell was credited with the assist. Fitchburg pulled their goalie with 0:54 on the clock but freshman Jared Waimon shut the door, icing the Falcons for Stonehill’s first win of the season.

    Speaking of Waimon, he was runner up in the USCHO DIII Defensive Player of The Week voting. Waimon’s first career game was the Fitchburg win. He is 1-0 with a .963 save percentage and a 1.00 GAA. Waimon was Stonehill’s third goalie used in as many games. Freshman Billy Whitfield and junior Phil Graves were the other tenders who have seen game action thus far.

    Sophomore Rob Pascale and senior Jeff Rowe are off to good starts. Pascale is 2-3–5 in the first three games and Rowe, who led the team in scoring last year with 42 points, has a 2-2–4 line so far.

    The early season scheduling does not get any kinder for the Chieftains. Stonehill will go on the worst single-night road trip in the league when they travel to the Waterville Valley Ice Arena next Tuesday for a 7pm tilt against Plymouth State.

    Suffolk

    Generally, I like to be positive when taking a look at a team.  I would rather leave the negative stuff for the coaches to work out.  But Suffolk is suffering big time right now and it is hard to find a positive in there.

    The 0-3 Rams have been outscored 23-8 in their three games. And all statistical analysis points to Suffolk needing to play better team defense. Two goalies have combined for a save percentage of .780 which is, to be kind, atrocious. Their penalty kill has allowed six goals against already and they are floundering at only 73.9%. To put those numbers in perspective, most teams are hovering around 85% on the kill right now.

    Even if you score a ton of points, you will lose more than your fair share of games with those kind of defensive numbers.  This has to be turned around for Suffolk to contend for a playoff spot.  If not, it could be a long season.

    Wentworth will host Suffolk on Tuesday at 7:15pm.

    Western New England College

    WNEC has faired pretty well in the early going. Sure they would like to be better than 1-3-0 but their losses have been close and their win over Nichols is encouraging.

    Their penalty kill is excellent thus far, clicking at 95.2%. But on the other side of the special teams, they aren’t so hot at 12% on the power play.

    The Golden Bears are being led offensively by junior LW Ron Ferrante (2-2–4) and Michael Szmeiter (1-2–3). WNEC is another team that has benefited from balanced scoring as seven different Bears have put the puck in the net.

    Mike Newall has played all the minutes in the twine for WNEC. His numbers (.907, 3.51) point to him playing well thus far.

    WNEC will look to steal a win at Fitchburg on Saturday. The game is at 7pm.

    Opening Weekend for Two Teams

    Plymouth State will embark on a new era when Plymouth alumnus Chris Hudon mans the bench Friday night at Salve Regina in the Panthers’ first game of the season.

    Southern New Hampshire University, formerly New Hampshire College, will also begin a new era. The Penman will don new uniforms and a new school name, not to mention an almost completely revamped offense, in their opening night game against Framingham State on Saturday.

    Good luck to both teams.

    And finally…

    Things That Keep Me Up At Night

    All lame attempts at comedy will be put on the shelf this week because I want to talk about something that literally did keep me up the other night.

  • On Sunday night I watched a video produced by the people from “The Place,” an excellent sports bar here in Boston. This video was on Sports Final, a weekly sports wrap-up show on the local CBS affiliate.

    In the words of host Bob Lobel: “Wow. How good is that?” And let me tell you, after watching that video, that is the very definition of a rhetorical question. I highly recommend anyone who is a Boston sports fan, and any single male over the age of 21, to visit “The Place” some night. They play the video once a night and it is every emotional adjective you can think of all rolled into one. Some thoughts came to me after watching it — and here they are…

  • My uncle took me skating for the first time when I was a kid. He took off my socks before he put my skates on. I asked him why?

    “Bobby Orr skated without socks.”

    Case closed. I would never wear socks under my skates again. That was in the mid-eighties and that gives you an idea of the profound impact Bobby Orr has had on New England hockey. I didn’t even question it. Bobby Orr did it? I’ll do it.

  • I wish I was around to see this. Mike Milbury, Peter McNabb, Terry O’Reilly and virtually the entire Bruins team went into the stands after a game at the Madison Square Garden and just beat people up. The video is fun to watch. McNabb pins this guy in a suit onto a section of seating. He’s holding the guy by his collar and then Milbury arrives on the scene. He proceeds to methodically take off the man’s shoe and beat him with it. And the best part of the whole thing is there is a cop in the stands right next to the whole thing, and he just watches it happen. Oh, how I wish I could have been around in those days.
  • This is what Phil Esposito said after winning one of his Stanley Cups: “I’ll drink to that. I’m so happy, Don, I’ll tell ya right now. I’m so happy tonight. I’m going to go right out of my mind.”

    And then, 30-plus years later, a direct quote from a rosy-cheeked Phil Esposito after the video was played.

    “I did wake up on my lawn. The sprinkler system woke me up. I didn’t know where I was, but I had the Stanley Cup.”

  • I wonder if Johnny Most is still berating non-Celtics up there in heaven: “This is a typical disgusting display.”

    • This Week in the MAAC: Nov. 15, 2001

    By
    -

    Back To Familiar Territory

    It hasn’t taken long for Mercyhurst to return to ground familiar to its feet. It’s not yet Thanksgiving and the Lakers, still undefeated in MAAC play, have climbed to the top of the MAAC thanks to a sweep last weekend of Army, coupled with Iona’s first league loss of the year, to Holy Cross.

    Now, the critical thing is staying at the top. Currently tied with the Gaels, Mercyhurst will play only one game this weekend, a nonleague contest against RPI. The Lakers have not exactly found riches in nonleague play: a perfect 0-3 to date.

    “There’s only going to be two or three or four points to separate the top teams, so at this point to be tied for first is nice,” said Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin. “But they don’t give out the MAAC championship on November 15.

    “Points are points. It doesn’t matter who you get them against. Obviously we just try to win as many games as we can. We have a great deal of respect for the teams that comprise our conference.”

    Iona, on the other hand, has one league contest this weekend as the Gaels complete the season series with Quinnipiac. Iona won the first two games against the Braves in the first month of the season.

    The cast of characters, for the most part, are the usual for Mercyhurst. Louis Goulet and Adam Tackaberry are the top two scorers on the club, each amassing 10 points in league play. And senior netminder Peter Aubry has been solid, winning four of the five MAAC games for Mercyhurst while collecting the lone tie as well.

    Weekly Honors

    ITECH MAAC Hockey League Player of the Week: Branden Doria, Holy Cross Jr., F, Bayonne, NJ

    Doria netted a hat trick and assisted on another Crusader goal in Friday’s 5-2 victory over first-place Iona. With the victory Holy Cross remained undefeated 2-0-2 in league play. Doria’s second goal of the night was the game-winner. Doria also dished out an assist in Saturday’s rematch with Iona in New Rochelle, bringing his weekend point total to five. With 12 points on the season, he is now tied for the team lead with Greg Kealey.

    ITECH MAAC Hockey League Goalie of the Week: Eddy Ferhi, Sacred Heart Jr., Goalie, Charenton, France

    Ferhi recorded 37 saves while allowing only one goal in a 4-2 win over Fairfield, and also held his ground on a rarely-seen penalty shot late in the second period with the teams tied at one. Against Maine on Sunday, Ferhi stopped 47 of 51 shots, including five in overtime, to lead the Pioneers to a 4-4 tie. His save percentage for the week was .944.

    ITECH MAAC Hockey League Rookie of the Week: Frank Novello, American International Fr., Goalie, Sault Ste. Marie, ONT

    Novello made 89 saves in lifting the Yellow Jackets to two road wins over Fairfield; he turned away 49 saves on Friday night to record his first career shutout and followed with a 40-save effort on Saturday. Novello is now 3-3-1 on the year with a .941 save percentage.

    Pioneer Rollercoaster

    Though early in the season, the Sacred Heart team picked fourth in the coaches’ preseason poll has seen a bit of a rollercoaster ride.

    After opening the season with an 8-1 drubbing at the hands of Providence, the Pioneers’ start to the MAAC schedule was less than they might have hoped. The Heart dropped two of its first three league games, including a frustrating loss to Mercyhurst fueled by bad penalties late in the game.

    But if the early season has been a rollercoaster, this weekend past is certainly the top of the hill. After a Tuesday win at home against Fairfield, the Pioneers traveled to Maine last Sunday to face a Black Bears squad that has looked impressive early in the season.

    With spanking written all over this matchup, the Pioneers walked into tradition-steeped Alfond Arena and stole a 4-4 tie with the two-time national champs.

    Sophomore goaltender Eddy Ferhi keyed the victory, stopping 47 shots on the afternoon including 19 in the second period and five in overtime. The Pioneers actually led the game after two periods, 3-2, but surrendered two goals in the first five-and-a-half minute of the third to trail, 4-3.

    That was until Lloyd Tennant, who has delivered all of his points in the form of goals this season, scored the tying goal with 4:40 remaining.

    Now the challenge for Sacred Heart will be keeping the ball rolling. The Pioneers play three league games in five days, with a home-and-home series with Army this weekend and a Tuesday matchup against AIC. With a 2-2 record in the MAAC, Sacred Heart has two-to-three league games in hand over the top of the league.

    If there is any time to make up ground, this is it.

    Yellow Jackets Have Fairfield’s Number

    WRIGHT

    WRIGHT

    AIC coach Gary Wright may petition the MAAC league to schedule Fairfield University for the entire season. With early-season struggles to amass wins, the Yellow Jackets have found the Fairfield opposition kind, taking all three early season matchups between the two clubs.

    Included in that was a two-game road sweep of the Stags last weekend that catapulted AIC from the basement to a tie for sixth with Sacred Heart and Bentley.

    The fact that AIC has taken three games from Fairfield isn’t that unusual. What is strange is the way each game was won.

    In all three contests, Fairfield grossly outshot AIC. But the Yellow Jackets’ last line of defense, Frank Novello, shut down the Stags each game.

    The series opener was back on October 19 in the semifinals of the Q-Cup tournament in Hamden, Conn. That night Fairfield registered 59 shots to AIC’s 26, but lost, 3-2, thanks to Novello’s 57-save performance.

    Last Friday night, AIC mustered but 13 shots and stuck only one past Fairfield netminder Craig Schnappinger, but still hung on for a 1-0 victory. Novello stopped 49 that night.

    Saturday, the shot total was 42-19 in favor of Fairfield, but a 4-2 decision went to AIC yet again.

    The brought the series shot total to 150-58 in favor of Fairfield. Total goals, though, favored AIC, 8-4 — not to mention the 3-0 advantage in wins.

    “He’s the real deal,” said Mercyhurst’s Rick Gotkin of Novello. “He’s the goalie to watch out for. He’ll steal a few games here and there.”

    Obviously, Fairfield should have talked to Gotkin before the season.

    Looking Ahead

    Most of the writing staff of USCHO, as we do each year, will take next Thursday off to celebrate Thanksgiving (and to all Canadian readers — yes, we realize it’s not October).

    The regular MAAC column, along with all of the other league coverage, will return the Thursday following, November 29. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

    This Week in the ECAC: Nov. 15, 2001

    By Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy
    -

    Early-Season Tests

    The ECAC seems to change week in and week out; this week, Cornell is the up-and-comer, making it to No. 11 in the USCHO.com poll. The Big Red are 4-0 on the season after an ECAC season-opening sweep of Union and Rensselaer.

    Two major factors have gone the way of the Big Red thus far — special teams and the goaltending of Matt Underhill.

    “He did his job and that’s where he shows his maturity,” said head coach Mike Schafer on Underhill. “Special teams are doing the job for us too. It’s always a good reason for success for a hockey team; that’s to be strong on special teams.”

    But a test awaits the Big Red as they hit the road for the first time this season and travel to Harvard in one of the fiercest rivalries in college hockey.

    “We’re an older hockey team and these guys are looking forward to going on the road,” said Schafer. “There’s a certain pressure playing here at Lynah, certain expectations, and a lot of times on the road, those expectations are lifting. Our guys are looking forward to going down to Harvard and Brown, and then to Boston University.

    “Harvard’s next and our guys are looking forward to it. Our guys will definitely have a little extra step in practice this week.”

    If one looks at Colgate, one can certainly see a progression for the Raiders. A decision over Iona got them in the win column two weeks ago, and last week a pair of 2-1 games saw the Raiders do some good things.

    Against Rensselaer last Friday, the Raiders lost, but came on strong in the third period and just missed tying the game several times. The next afternoon in the Silver Puck game against Union, the Raiders took the win, but also had their hearts skip a beat as the Dutchmen missed an empty net with just seconds left in regulation.

    “There’s a very fine line in this league between winning and losing, and we all know that,” said head coach Don Vaughan. “You have to guard against putting undue pressure on a young team, but they have to know that. A small error can be the difference; learn from it and move on.”

    The fact that Harvard earned only one point from a series last weekend at Dartmouth and Vermont quickly became the side story after the coaching staff announced the sudden departure of Jesse Lane. The freshman blueliner, who was reportedly benched on Saturday night for taking too many penalties during the Vermont contest, was part of the highly-touted defensive corps brought in by the coaching staff this season.

    Lane officially announced his decision to leave Harvard to suit up with the Hull Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League earlier this week.

    “This was a decision that was made by Jesse and his family. We certainly wish him the best,” was the official word released by Harvard Athletics and coach Mark Mazzoleni.

    CAPOUCH

    CAPOUCH

    The loss of a player is always disruptive to a program no matter how much forewarning one might have had. The loss of Lane hurts Harvard on a deeper level because it levels a blow at an already-depleted defense. Senior captain Peter Capouch dressed on Saturday night, but his prognosis remains day-to-day.

    The bigger question here is, how much did all this affect Harvard last weekend? The Crimson was let down by special-teams play Friday night — a 5-1 loss to Vermont in which the Catamounts tallied four power-play goals — and then barely managed a tie against Dartmouth the next evening. It’s a heavy toll for a team that entered the season nationally ranked.

    “I’m proud of the way we played against Dartmouth,” said Mazzoleni. “It was very important that we came back the way we did.”

    When speaking about the Vermont game, Mazzoleni was candid.

    “We didn’t come out and play with the focus and discipline we needed on the road,” Mazzoleni said. “We lacked a competitive instinct and took some unnecessary, undisciplined penalties.”

    This weekend won’t be any easier for the Crimson. Although they have the luxury of facing off with fresh legs against Cornell — the tougher opponent of the two road partners — on Friday night, the team will have to do without much fan support. The majority of Harvard fans will be en route to New Haven that afternoon for the annual Harvard-Yale football battle on Saturday. And did we mention that the Harvard football team is currently undefeated and will be looking to close out a perfect season that day?

    Come Friday night, the Crimson hockey players will be facing two formidable foes: a tough Cornell squad on the ice and a sea of red in the stands.

    On the flip side, Brown has relished a role opposite that of the Crimson — an underdog. The Bears have pieced together an impressive early 2001-02 campaign by collecting four quick points in the league race. Following an upset over the Crimson the week prior, Brown took down Vermont on Saturday night in an good showing that featured a two-goal performance by Adam Saunders.

    “We went through a tough season with some young guys last year,” said Brown coach Roger Grillo, “but some of the young guys who played a lot a year ago are a little older and a little wiser.”

    Saunders is certainly one who falls into that category, but so do the likes of junior defenseman Paul Esdale and senior goaltender Brian Eklund — two players who have been critical to the Bears’ early success. Esdale has posted three assists already, while Eklund maintains a respectable 2.68 goals against average.

    But as much as Grillo talks about the experience gained from the last few seasons, the Bears still show moments of weakness. In the loss to Dartmouth, the Bears were called for 12 minutes of penalties and allowed the Big Green to take control of the game in the second period by scoring three goals to make it a 4-2 contest heading into the final 20 minutes of play.

    “I give our guys credit for hanging in there toward the end and making it a one-goal game,” Grillo said following the 6-3 loss on Friday night. “But overall, I think we’re much better than we showed tonight. I’m disappointed with the way things turned out.”

    That weakness, along with a lack of proven depth, may be what keeps Brown away from the top echelon of teams heading into the mid-season swing. Regardless, the fact that the Bears are challenging for a single-digit spot in the standings is a far cry from what they were faced with last season.

    More Tests

    It’s been a little up and down for the Big Green of Dartmouth to start the season. The Big Green opened the season with a loss to Harvard and showed that it wasn’t quite ready to begin the season. This past weekend, the Big Green seemed to get untracked with a 6-3 win over Brown and then a 3-3 tie against Harvard to take three points in the ECAC and get the ship righted.

    The Big Green controlled play throughout Friday’s game and pulled away at the end of the third period against the Bears, then had a battle to come back and tie the game against the Crimson in Saturday’s contest.

    “From a fan’s standpoint, it was an entertaining, exciting game,” said head coach Bob Gaudet. “We would have liked to get four points this weekend, but we’ll take the three. That was a losable game. When we went down, we could have let it get away. But we fought back. I was happy with the performance overall.”

    It will be an interesting weekend for the Big Green. After last weekend, many believe that the Big Green team that was favored in the ECAC is back and just getting ready to roll.

    Meanwhile, Vermont got into the win column last weekend as well with an upset victory over Harvard on Friday evening, 5-1. The Cats had an outstanding game, outworked Harvard and made their special-teams play count in the win.

    But the next evening against Brown, the Cats lost any momentum that they may have gotten against the Crimson as they dropped a 5-1 decision to the Bears.

    “They outworked us, they outplayed us,” head coach Mike Gilligan said after the Brown game. “We didn’t win any battles on the boards and we didn’t stick our noses in where it had to be done.”

    Gilligan hopes his youngsters learn a little something from this weekend, too.

    “They’ve got to figure out that wins aren’t just given to you, you’ve got to take them,” he said. “They can’t be satisfied with a two-point weekend, especially at home.”

    The Cats head to the road this weekend and look to find the chemistry and the play that vaulted them to an impressive win over Harvard.

    One team that is going to have to unearth some added energy this weekend is Princeton. The Tigers, already hit by injuries to key contributors, will host Vermont and Dartmouth this weekend for their first ECAC homestand of the season and first trip back to Hobey Baker in more than three weeks. Although Princeton typically uses the time away from New Jersey to bond and grow as a team, the miles and accompanying fatigue have no doubt been a factor.

    STATHOS

    STATHOS

    In a tough series against Clarkson and St. Lawrence, the signs were already starting to peek through. After the Tigers forced the arguably tougher Clarkson team to a one-goal decision on Friday, the team struggled the next night in a disappointing 5-1 loss to St. Lawrence. More telling, perhaps, was the fact that Princeton goaltender Dave Stathos was forced to make more than 30 saves again, stopping 38 shots in the 5-1 loss to the Saints.

    “We played real hard and I was very proud of our team,” said Princeton coach Len Quesnelle. “Friday night took its toll. We were forced to play with a short bench and we just ran out of gas.”

    Princeton will struggle this year, especially if top guys like Brad Parsons, Scott Prime and Matt Maglione are consistently stuck on the sidelines with injuries.

    Contrary to its road partner, Yale has been cruising through the first part of its season. After a convincing preseason and an almost-upset against nationally-ranked Boston University, the Bulldogs took out St. Lawrence and then almost upended Clarkson last weekend to maintain its stake as the potential surprise team of the year. The Bulldogs hope that this continues into this weekend as they host Dartmouth and Vermont.

    “The Dartmouth-Vermont weekend is always a great weekend here,” said head coach Tim Taylor. “Dartmouth has been one of the top teams in the ECAC and returns almost everyone, and we have the most respect for their work ethic; no one works harder. We were fortunate to beat them twice in two hard-fought games last year. They went on to get home ice in the ECAC’s and played well in Lake Placid. They are one of the watermark teams in this league. We hold Dartmouth up as a standard.

    “Vermont is another team that has been through a lot as a program over the last few years, they have a great coaching staff and great quality kids on that program. They have performed below expectations at this point, [but] they have a young defense and they have given up a lot of goals. We know that won’t continue.”

    Although Yale will contend that its depth across all lines has been the main factor in its early success, one guy who has stood out thus far has been freshman Chris Higgins. The impressive first-year forward has netted a point in each of the first three games, including his first collegiate goal against St. Lawrence. Higgins has been a great complement to his upperclass linemates, Luke Earl and Nick Deschenes.

    “[Higgins is] a fortunate freshman in the fact that he has come into a Division I program and been assigned a responsibility to play with two of the leading scorers from last year’s team,” said head coach Tim Taylor. “He’s playing with a 17-goal scorer on his left, and a 13-goal scorer on his right — not many freshmen get that luxury. He has still played with the maturity and consistency beyond his years. We knew he had talent, but we didn’t know how soon it would emerge. It has emerged, and at an early stage.

    “So far this year, we have had one line that has been strong offensively [Higgins, Earl and Deschenes], and they have won the majority of their shifts this year in terms of on ice positioning, territorial advantage, shots on goal. They’ve just had a terrific start. It’s nice to have that line after the loss of Ben Stafford and Jeff Hamilton’s line. They’ve filled that well and been a question answered for us and made a huge difference in our start.

    “We had terrific size improvement on defense and are able to roll six defense over the boards. They’ve played soundly and defensively in all three games we’ve played. They’ve been a real pleasant surprise and been an answer to another question.

    A Programming Note

    We will be back in two weeks time, as we need some time to recuperate and heal. We hope that everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! See you in two weeks.

    If It’s So Easy, You Try It

    Vic Brzozowski has been banished. He fell one prediction short of taking the Iron Columnists to another week for overtime. We are gracious, though, as we congratulate Vic for a well-played two weeks. Unfortunately for him, he was just another victim.

    Our challenger this week has been transplanted to Hanover, N.H. So, Ben Flickinger, bring your skills into USCHO Stadium and try to take down the Iron Columnists. Whose picks will reign supreme?

    The Picks

    Friday, Nov. 16

    Cornell at Harvard
    Ben’s Pick — A good matchup, but Harvard continues to struggle. Cornell 4, Harvard 2
    Becky and Jayson — Cornell 5, Harvard 2

    Colgate at Brown
    Ben’s Pick — Brown brought back to reality and the .500 mark. Colgate 5, Brown 2
    Becky and Jayson — Brown 3, Colgate 2

    Clarkson at Colorado College
    Ben’s Pick — CC takes out its early-season frustrations on Clarkson. Colorado College 4, Clarkson 1
    Becky and Jayson — Colorado College 4, Clarkson 2

    Saturday, Nov. 17

    Colgate at Harvard
    Ben’s Pick — Crimson won’t be swept at home. Harvard 3, Colgate 2
    Becky and Jayson — Harvard 4, Colgate 3

    Cornell at Brown
    Ben’s Pick — Da Bears are back under .500. Cornell 4, Brown 2
    Becky and Jayson — Cornell 5, Brown 1

    Dartmouth at Yale
    Ben’s Pick — Boucher continues to struggle, but the Big Green manage a win. Dartmouth 5, Yale 4
    Becky and Jayson — Yale 3, Dartmouth 1

    Vermont at Princeton
    Ben’s Pick — Which Vermont team will show? Well, Princeton stays winless. Vermont 3, Princeton 2
    Becky and Jayson — Vermont 4, Princeton 2

    Clarkson at Colorado College
    Ben’s Pick — Clarkson manages a split in the Rockies. Clarkson 4, Colorado College 2
    Becky and Jayson — Colorado College 5, Clarkson 2

    Mercyhurst at Rensselaer
    Ben’s Pick — The MAAC has to prove it can win consistently before I’ll pick them. Rensselaer 4, Mercyhurst 1
    Becky and Jayson — Rensselaer 5, Mercyhurst 2

    Sunday, Nov. 18

    Vermont at Yale
    Ben’s Pick — Yale pulls out a weekend sweep at home. Yale 4, Vermont 1
    Becky and Jayson — Yale 6, Vermont 3

    Dartmouth at Princeton
    Ben’s Pick — Boucher wakes up, and finally holds the opposition under three goals. Dartmouth 3, Princeton 1
    Becky and Jayson — Dartmouth 5, Princeton 1

    Tuesday, Nov. 20

    Yale at Princeton
    Ben’s Pick — Princeton gets on the board against its travel partner. Princeton 2, Yale 0
    Becky and Jayson — Yale 4, Princeton 1

    Boston University at Harvard
    Ben’s Pick — Possible Beanpot preview doesn’t go the ECAC’s way. Boston University 5, Harvard 3
    Becky and Jayson — Boston University 3, Harvard 2

    Providence at Union
    Ben’s Pick — Tough one to call, but the flip of a coin reveals… Union 3, Providence 2
    Becky and Jayson — Providence 4, Union 2

    Holy Cross at Dartmouth
    Ben’s Pick — Hopefully homerism doesn’t cost me. Dartmouth enters the holiday season on a five-game unbeaten streak. Dartmouth 6, Holy Cross 2
    Becky and Jayson — Dartmouth 6, Holy Cross 2

    Vermont at UMass-Amherst
    Ben’s Pick — Not really sure here either, so here’s another pick for the conference. Vermont 4, UMass-Amherst 3
    Becky and Jayson — UMass-Amherst 6, Vermont 4

    Wednesday, Nov. 21

    Brown at Maine
    Ben’s Pick — Brown makes it a fight but can’t get the W. Maine 4, Brown three
    Becky and Jayson — Maine 7, Brown 3

    And remember that if you are interested in putting your money where your mouth is, drop us an email to be eligible to be chosen when Ben bites the dust once again.

    David Sherzer contributed to this column this week.

    This Week in the ECAC West: Nov. 15, 2001

    By
    -

    This past week was a quiet one around the ECAC West. There were only four games, with only one league matchup and two teams idle. But things look to heat back up this weekend as most teams head in to a busy stretch of their schedule in late November and early December.

    Not Pushovers Anymore?

    Two years ago, Hobart was the doormat of the league, even though its out-of-league record was close to .500. Elmira and RIT were vying for the regular-season title in the 1999-2000 season to earn the right to host the playoffs, and the tiebreaker that year was total goal differential in league play. As the season wound down towards the playoffs, everyone was watching which team would score more goals against Hobart to win the tiebreaker. This led to some pretty ridiculous scores run up against a significantly weaker Statesmen team.

    That tiebreaking condition was removed last season, but a little too late for the Statesmen, as it appears that Hobart isn’t the doormat that it was back then anymore. The Statesmen have shown a noticeable resiliency this season, and are a respectable 3-3 so far.

    Hobart played Elmira tough last week, although the Soaring Eagles eventually won the game 8-5. Elmira led the game three separate times in the first two periods, but each time Hobart came back to tie the score. The Statesmen enjoyed a brief lead early in the third period before Elmira finally took control of the game for good.

    The Hobart teams of old would have folded early on in this game. But coach Mark Taylor has instilled a different mindset in this year’s team, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Hobart pull out a victory in a game against a nationally-ranked opponent before this season is complete.

    Still Adjusting

    Elmira is off to a much better start this year as compared to last, with a 3-1 record. However, watching the team play, it’s obvious that they haven’t found the groove yet.

    It’s not that they are struggling with the new system of coach Tim Ceglarski, because the system really isn’t all that different. But they are struggling in adjusting from being the physical, push-the-other-team-around-the-ice, dig-in-the-corners team of old, to a fast-skating, carry-the-puck, up-and-down-the-ice squad.

    “We are a fast team,” said Ceglarski. “And we have to learn how to use that to our advantage. The players haven’t really figured that out so far this year.”

    The other area where Elmira needs to come around is on the penalty kill. The Soaring Eagles are an abysmal 73.9% killing penalties. Hobart scored four power-play goals on only seven opportunities against Elmira in their game last weekend.

    The Soaring Eagles are making progress, that much is obvious; but they need to continue to learn how to play to their strengths as the season rolls along.

    The Pucks are Flying

    Unfortunately for Neumann, all the pucks are flying at its goaltenders. Six games in to the season, Neumann’s netminders have faced 322 shots on goal, an average of more than 53 per game. Sophomore Matt Saur has seen the most time in net, and has a respectable .873 save percentage, but seeing 50-plus shots a game will quickly wear out any goaltender.

    Neumann lost a tough game last Sunday to UMass-Dartmouth in overtime 3-2. Saur was the star of the game, even with the loss, turning away 54 of 57 shots, and was named the ECAC West Goaltender of the Week for his efforts.

    The Knights then got shellacked 9-0 by Lebanon Valley on Tuesday, being outshot 40-11 Saur and and senior George Pasquarello shared duties in net.

    Coach Nick Russo needs to work on reducing opponents’ shots on goal before his netminders start seeing pucks flying at them in their dreams.

    Game of the Week

    Over the last few seasons, a strong rivalry has developed between Elmira and Plattsburgh, fueled by a consistent home-and-home series each season, and the Soaring Eagles head up to the North Country this weekend to face the No. 1 Cardinals.

    Games between these two teams are always hard-fought and physical, but this year Elmira will be looking to use team speed to lead it to victory.

    This Week in the SUNYAC: Nov. 15, 2001

    By
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    You Call This a Break?

    A break in the SUNYAC schedule means anything but a break for Plattsburgh, as the Cardinals face two or three of the current top ten teams in the country.

    Elmira, ranked tenth in the preseason USCHO.com Division III poll, makes the trip from the southern tier to the north country Saturday.

    “We’ve played three teams we should have beaten [Cortland, Buffalo State, and Fredonia], and we’ve beaten them. I think the real test for us comes against Elmira,” said coach Bob Emery.

    The Elmira game will also have implications in the first regular season USCHO.com poll on Monday. Plattsburgh narrowly beat RIT for first place in the preseason poll, and a loss, or perhaps even a narrow victory for the Cardinals could change who’s at the top.

    Elmira comes into the game with one loss from a split with Wis.-Stevens Point, and wins over Neumann and Hobart.

    The Soaring Eagles match up well with Plattsburgh; both teams have depth in scoring, and both have talent on the blue line. Elmira also has a knack for scoring late in the game, and could sneak one past Plattsburgh if it can keep it close.

    Besides, said Emery, “nobody has trouble getting ready to play here.”

    Thanksgiving weekend, Potsdam hosts this year’s edition of the best in-season tournament in D-III, the Primelink Great Northern Shootout. Plattsburgh takes on Norwich in the first round, and either Middlebury or Potsdam in the second round.

    The Cardinals should be favored in the Shootout.

    Before the season, Emery called the tournament his team’s “toughest road trip of the season.”

    Last year, Middlebury blanked Plattsburgh, 3-0, in the first round of the tournament. The Cardinals downed Norwich 6-1 in the consolation, after the Cadets were upended by Potsdam, 2-1, in the opener.

    Middlebury returns a veteran squad, but has lost All-American Scott Goldman to graduation. Norwich comes into the tournament needing to replace the scoring and leadership two-time USCHO D-III Player of the Year Keith Aucoin.

    Both teams see their first action against weak competition this weekend, while Plattsburgh will have had five games and an exhibition, and Potsdam seven plus the exhibition, under their belts.

    That game experience has helped the Cardinals gel on the blue line, an area that before the season Emery said was an area Plattsburgh would need to develop.

    In Plattsburgh’s season opener at Oswego, the Cardinals allowed several odd-man rushes by the Lakers when defensemen pinched in. After that game, Emery said, “There’s only one defenseman I want trying to score, [senior Peter] Ollari. The rest of them have to stay back and keep the other team from scoring.”

    Emery is pleased with the development his blueliners have shown so far, but there’s still room for improvement.

    “One defenseman, [freshman] Doug Carr, has really stepped it up. Ollari’s Ollari — he’s played well,” said Emery, who along with Ollari, has experienced defensemen in senior Jeff Marshall and sophomore Chad Kemp.

    “I think if we can get the combination of some guys getting confidence with some guys getting experience, I think we’ll be fine there,” added Emery.

    Despite an offense that can rack up the goals — averaging better than five goals per game last season — don’t look for the Cardinals to have the top scorer in the country.

    “We’ve had a lot of success over the years at Plattsburgh with balanced scoring. We don’t have guys getting six or seven points in a game. Our schedule’s tough, so we don’t blow out a lot of teams,” said Emery. “I’d like to have our top scorer be the top scorer in the country, but I think that’s not important, and it’s not going to happen with our tough schedule.”

    With three opponents all at the top of their conferences, these nonconference games have postseason implications, despite how early they fall in the schedule.

    “The games are big. I think we still have to win our league to get into the NCAA tournament,” said Emery. “But these games are important for the rankings, home ice advantage, etc.

    “But more than that you play for pride every night. Just like every other team, we’re out to win every game.”

    North country residents are in for some great hockey the next two weekends.

    Other Non-Conference Action

    Potsdam, in addition to the Primelink Great Northern Shootout, has a real test Friday, Nov. 16 against visiting Manhattanville. The Valiants lost a last-second heartbreaker on home ice to RIT, 5-4, and will be a formidable opponent to the rebuilding Bears.

    Oswego has a pair of tough road games coming up. Saturday, Nov. 24, the Lakers travel to Manhattanville. The following Tuesday, the Lakers visit Elmira, in a nonconference rivalry almost as heated as the one with RIT.

    Cortland takes on three nonconference opponents from three different leagues over the next week-and-a-half. Saturday, one of the top teams from the ECAC Northeast, Johnson and Wales, visits Alumni Arena. Tuesday, Nov. 20, the Red Dragons visit college hockey’s newest team, Utica, from the ECAC West. The following Tuesday, Hamilton, of the NESCAC, visits. The three games will give a good indication where a surprising Cortland squad stacks up.

    Brockport has a chance to right the ship a bit in a home game against Curry from the ECAC Northeast. The Colonels are in the same boat as the Golden Eagles, winning only four games last season, but improving.

    Geneseo, hit hard by injuries, also will look to get back on track. Friday and Saturday, the Knights host last year’s ECAC Northeast champs, Lebanon Valley, and new ECAC West team Neumann. After a tough loss to RIT, and a disheartening one to Cortland, look for Geneseo to rebound.

    The Knights also will visit Hobart on Wednesday, Nov. 28. Geneseo will try to avenge a loss to the Statesmen in the Chase Rochester Cup’s first round. In that game, the Knights outshot Hobart 41-29, and scored three straight goals to tie Hobart 4-4 in the third, but lost 7-4 on two late scores and an empty-netter.

    Buffalo State hosts Hobart on Tuesday, Nov. 20. The high-flying Bengals will have their hands full with a young Statesmen squad that has a similar ability to score goals.

    Fredonia has the Thanksgiving holiday off. The Blue Devils take the ice next on Nov. 30 at Cortland, when SUNYAC conference play resumes.

    A Point of Emphasis …

    Each season, the NCAA rules committee calls attention to certain areas of the game — “Points of Emphasis” — that they believe need to be improved. This includes not only new rules, but also a stronger emphasis on existing rules.

    This season, diving — trying to draw a penalty — is again on the list.

    Last season, as a point of emphasis, the NCAA said that diving “shows up officials and must not be tolerated.”

    In this year’s rule book, the NCAA rules committee states that “Attempts to curb the spread of diving in 2000-01 fell short of success.”

    As a result, the penalty for diving has been changed from a misconduct to a minor penalty.

    So far this season, a handful of diving minors have been assessed in SUNYAC games. Some diving penalties have been handed out at the same time as a minor on the opposing team.

    I’ve been asked how it can make sense to whistle a penalty on one player and then penalize the other for diving.

    Let’s say, for example, a player hooks another player from behind, resulting in a penalty. If the hooked player then does the “Greg Louganis” to try to sell the infraction, he will get the minor for diving, since he took action to try to draw it.

    (Diving can also be taken to extremes. One of the top players in Division III a couple of seasons back was famous for drawing penalties, but took it to the point of poor sportsmanship — exactly the kind of conduct this rule is meant to dissuade. In an NCAA Quarterfinal, after the whistle, I saw this player pass about a foot away from an opposing player, and as he passed, he flipped backwards onto the ice as if shot by a sniper from the top row of the bleachers, in an unsuccessful attempt to draw a penalty.)

    Selling a penalty has been part of the game forever, and it will continue to be. However, this new rule, if enforced, should lower the number of players in the running for the Academy Award.

    … And One That Should Be

    Last weekend, two SUNYAC goaltenders were given majors for fighting and game disqualifications: Cortland’s John Larnerd, and Geneseo’s Brett Walker.

    Why two fights by goalies? Could it be because referees are not doing a proper job in penalizing players who check or slash goaltenders?

    Goalies have a “privileged area” which is bounded by an imaginary line between the two special spots (the centers of the two face-off circles) and from the special spots back to the end boards. Within that area, a player may not “charge or foul a goaltender.” Outside that area, the netminder is fair game, like any skater.

    Less than a minute before his fighting penalty, Walker was run into by a player on what should have been an obvious call, but no call was made. Frustrated when he was slammed back into the net on the next series, Walker took things into his own hands, and attempted to beat the snot out of an opposing player.

    I’m not condoning his actions or those of any other goalie who responds this way. But if officials allow goalies to be checked, or deliberately slashed — especially after the whistle — tempers are going to flare.

    The ECAC, who supplies officials for SUNYAC games, needs to do a better job protecting goalies.

    They could start by enforcing the rules.

    “You could look it up …”

    You can read all about this for yourself by downloading your own copy of the NCAA rulebook.

    SUNYAC Trivia

    Last week’s question:

    Two SUNYAC teams have faced each other for the Division III championship only once. What were the teams and the year?

    Oswego and Plattsburgh, 1987. Plattsburgh had to vacate the championship because of an NCAA violation (which a few Cardinal fans “thanked” me by e-mail for reminding them about.)

    This week’s questions:

    Since we’ll be away next week for the Thanksgiving holiday, here are two questions which follow up on last week’s topic:

    Which goaltender from that championship game is now a head coach in the CHA?

    And, what current ESPN broadcaster covered that game on the radio?

    Game of the Week

    Elmira at Plattsburgh

    Plattsburgh’s only real test this season so far was the opener at Oswego, which could have gone the other way were it not for the acrobatics of goalie Nik Sundberg on some Laker rushes. Elmira has similar scoring depth to the Cardinals, and maybe a touch more experience on the blue line.

    This game will come down to goaltending and special teams. I’m going to pick this one 5-3, Plattsburgh, with a late empty-net goal.

    This Week In The WCHA: Nov. 15, 2001

    By
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    In This Corner…

    There’s no truth to the rumor that noted boxing promoter Don King called Wisconsin coach Jeff Sauer and Minnesota-Duluth coach Scott Sandelin to organize Jensen-Rodberg II.

    For some, the first time around was quite enough, thank you.

    Wisconsin’s Erik Jensen and Duluth’s Steve Rodberg went toe-to-toe last Friday in an honest-to-God hockey fight. Not just pushing and shoving, real punches with real, gloveless fists, hitting helmetless heads.

    Anywhere but in college hockey, this wouldn’t be a story. There would probably be 15 of them to go around in one weekend of play. But part of what makes college hockey unique is its ban on fighting.

    That’s what got some people talking this week.

    In the blue corner, Sandelin: “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with what happened.”

    In the red corner, Sauer: “It’s not something we want to condone.”

    Other WCHA coaches had their say, too.

    “I don’t like fighting, period,” Michigan Tech coach Mike Sertich said. “I don’t think it corrects anything. There’s another level of hockey for that, not in college.

    “It’s not in the spirit of college games at all. I’ve been chairman of the rules committee. For me to endorse that would be asinine.”

    Minnesota State-Mankato coach Troy Jutting noted that there’s a time and a place for fighting in hockey. It’s called the professional ranks.

    “In college hockey, we’re trying to teach kids right and wrong, and that comes as part of the game, part of the responsibility,” Jutting said. “I don’t think we should have fighting in the college game. I know at times it’s going to happen, but I think we need to do everything we can as coaches and as referees to keep it out of the game as much as we can.”

    But those who don’t see fighting as purely evil have their points too. One of the long-held arguments for the usefulness of fighting is that it gets aggression out in one quick package. It eliminates the 60-minute chippiness that has a place in some college games.

    “I know we don’t want that in our game, but those things happen,” Sandelin said. “Once in a while, I don’t think it’s bad.”

    The key point there is that, even if the occasional donnybrook has its merits, the college game has something of an image to protect. Players aren’t brought in by schools only for their knuckles.

    The college game isn’t going to become “Slap Shot” anytime soon, but any leaning in that direction will be scoffed at by some.

    Still, even those who don’t condone it see how fighting can add some life to a hockey game and a hockey team.

    “If you ask the question, ‘Can it change the momentum in a game?’ I’d say absolutely,” Sauer said. “If you ask the question, ‘Can it build up your team and give your team a spark?’ I can also answer that by saying absolutely. But it’s not something we want to condone.”

    Then Frustration Sets In

    Michigan Tech coach Sertich has watched his team play the top three teams in the nation in the last three weeks, watched the Huskies hold their own but earn only one point from six games.

    Frustrating? Yeah, you bet.

    SERTICH

    SERTICH

    “It’s a little bit frustrating because you’re not getting rewarded very much,” Sertich said. “You really have to be cautious about being negative.”

    It’s easy to get frustrated when, for example, your most talented scorer goes seven games without a goal. Paul Cabana is in the midst of such a streak, and the Huskies have suffered.

    “He’s one of those kids that’s getting three, four good chances a game. They’re just not dropping for him,” Sertich said. “We need him to score, obviously, but we need others to score.

    “I guess I have other concerns rather than who’s scoring. We have to keep the puck out of the net. We gave up five power-play goals again on Friday [a 9-2 loss to Denver]. That’s very frustrating.”

    If there’s anything that hasn’t been frustrating to Sertich, it’s the character he said his team has shown through one of the toughest stretches any team in the nation will face this season.

    The Huskies dressed nine freshmen on Saturday, and Sertich knows he’ll have to be patient with players still getting used to the college game.

    But after that seven-goal loss last Friday, his players could have folded in Saturday’s rematch with the Pioneers. They didn’t, and Sertich chalks that up to a good mental outlook from his team.

    “We got smacked around pretty good on Friday night (but) we responded extremely well,” Sertich said. “If it wasn’t for a couple bounces [Saturday night, a 3-1 loss], that could have been a different hockey game. They got a couple cheapies and we hit four, five pipes.

    “It isn’t falling right now, but we’re getting chances and that’s the main thing.”

    A New Face

    The mainstay of Minnesota State-Mankato goaltending in the Mavericks’ brief history in the WCHA has been Eric Pateman. Jon Volp is starting to challenge that notion.

    Now that Pateman has been shelved for the rest of the season because of surgery on a dislocated right shoulder, Volp will have to backstop the Mavericks’ run for a finish in the top half of the league.

    Volp has done an admirable job of filling in. His won-lost record (3-4), goals against average (3.49) and save percentage (.891) may not inspire thoughts of being the league’s first-team goaltender, but he’s done what Mankato coaches have asked of him.

    “It’s been a bit of a surprise. We thought Jon was a good goaltender, but we didn’t think we’d have to stick him into the fire like we’ve had to,” Mavs coach Jutting said. “He’s responded very well.

    “He’s worked extremely hard since the day he got here, and it’s starting to pay off for him right now.”

    Pateman’s status with the injured shoulder is unknown, Jutting said — “If I knew that, I’d be a doctor and making a hell of a lot more money than I am now” — but it’s safe to say he won’t be counted on to return soon.

    That’s why it’s fortunate for them that the Mavericks have a capable backup in Volp, who has started six of the last seven games.

    He stopped a career-high 48 shots in a 4-2 loss at Minnesota last Saturday. The last time a Mankato goaltender stopped 48? Pateman, in his freshman season of 1998-99.

    Volp will have to emulate Pateman’s ability to carry the show in the next few weeks for the Mavericks. A tough upcoming schedule begins with four straight games against North Dakota, spread over three weekends. They also play Denver and St. Cloud State before Christmas.

    “You’re talking about the top three teams in the country, playing them four out of five league series, then throw in North Dakota,” Jutting said. “It’s a very tough stretch we’re in right now, and Jon has played well so far. Hopefully he can continue that, and I believe he will.”

    Pateman, meanwhile, will petition the NCAA for a medical redshirt since he played only three games this season. He is a senior this season.

    You Gotta See This!

    You’d think the programmers over at Fox Sports Net could find the time in between the 14th daily showing of “You Gotta See This!” and the ninth airing of “Bluetorch TV” for some college hockey programming.

    In Wisconsin last Saturday, instead of seeing the Gophers-Mavericks game (albeit a day and a few hours late) that was promised by the cable company, viewers were treated to the world’s greatest fastballs to the face on “You Gotta See This!”

    Pardon me for flipping the channel.

    Heck, I’d settle for seeing the game in the middle of the week. How about Tuesday? Nope. “Bluetorch TV,” followed by a double dose of “You Gotta See This!” and “Totally NASCAR.”

    As if by chance, a commercial flashed on the screen for Friday’s Michigan Tech-Wisconsin game on Fox Sports Net while this was being written. Sadly, it’s the only mention of college hockey to be expected until the weekend.

    A Full House

    St. Cloud State saw one streak end last Saturday night with a 4-3 loss to Colorado College, the Huskies’ first defeat in 10 games this season.

    Another streak, however, continued. It’s something that’s probably equally as important to the program as the wins.

    The Huskies and the Tigers drew 6,410 to the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, the sixth sellout in six regular-season games this year at the arena.

    It was the 15th straight sellout for a regular-season game at the National Hockey Center. The correlation is clear between victories and attendance: The Huskies have been one of the nation’s best teams in that period.

    Preseason Polls? What Preseason Polls?

    Here’s one good reason not to believe the preseason coaches polls, the ones that pick the favorites for conference regular-season finishes. It comes courtesy of Scott Owens, whose Colorado College Tigers were picked by the coaches to win the WCHA, but have slumped early.

    “Those preseason expectations, look around at Providence, Harvard and ourselves,” Owens said, “and look where they all are right now.”

    CC is 3-5 overall and eighth in the WCHA at 1-5. Providence, the preseason favorite in Hockey East, is 4-5 overall and tied for third in the league. Harvard is 1-2-1 overall and tied for fourth in the ECAC.

    No one said it was going to be easy.

    A Statement Please

    The WCHA schedule-maker was kind enough to allow Minnesota State-Mankato and North Dakota not two, but four opportunities to show the rest of the league that one of these teams will be in the WCHA race for the long run.

    North Dakota? Yes, at the end of a bye week and nine games into its season, North Dakota hasn’t really stepped before the WCHA and shown that it has chosen a path for its season.

    Or maybe that’s the way this season will go for the defending MacNaughton Cup champions. They play four straight games against Mankato — a week off in the middle of the two series — and probably need to win all four games to climb back into the race for first in the WCHA.

    That’s not to say the Sioux couldn’t make up ground later in the season — don’t rule out anything happening in North Dakota — but they can’t afford to fall much more behind the league leaders.

    “I’m not really concerned about that,” Sioux coach Dean Blais said. “I just want to play better.”

    The Mavericks are in the same situation. They’re 5-5 overall but just 2-4 in the WCHA. Their tough upcoming schedule provides the perfect opportunity to show the league they’re in the race for the top five for good.

    “Hopefully we can clean up a few of the mistakes and keep progressing because I do think we’ve gotten better since we opened up in Bemidji,” Jutting said. “I think the team has progressed each and every week and we’re going to have to keep doing that if we’re going to have a chance to do anything at all in the league.”

    The One Thing That Is Working

    It’s an unfortunate thing for a hockey coach when the best thing working for your team is the penalty kill.

    Not that the kill isn’t an essential part of the game or anything. But, when you think about it, you get in that position because you’re being penalized.

    At Colorado College, you can just call it making the best of a bad situation. The Tigers have killed 40 of 42 shorthanded chances this season, including all 12 against the heralded St. Cloud State power play last weekend.

    They’ve scored four shorthanded goals, double the amount they’ve allowed while in the man disadvantage. One of those was Mark Cullen’s game-winner last Saturday.

    If only CC could build around the penalty-kill units.

    “It’s just one of those supplementary things that helps your team,” Owens said. “Obviously, it helped us win a game [last] weekend against the No. 1 team in the country because we were able to keep them 0-for-12.

    “When you’re struggling scoring, you need to be looking for some things, in a sense, to rally around. I think our penalty killing has been [that].”

    A strong penalty kill is fine and dandy, but the Tigers are going to need some goals — soon — to get out of the WCHA doldrums. They don’t get the chance this weekend — a series against Clarkson is on the schedule instead — but the WCHA calendar is a bit more friendly from here on.

    “It’s just a matter of us continuing to work. Five out of six of our WCHA games have been on the road, and against teams that are rated 3, 3 and 1,” Owens said. “That’s not an easy thing to do. We play somebody not rated in the top three and we win 3-0, 7-1. We’re close. We’re getting there. Saturday was a huge step in the right direction. The only question that remains is, did we put ourselves in too big of a hole?”

    Owens hit the nail on the head. That is the $64,000 question for the Tigers, holders of tremendous preseason expectations and one of the most potent offenses in the WCHA — if it ever gets started.

    First place may be out of the Tigers’ reach, but that doesn’t mean CC has to pack it in for the season.

    “I think, realistically, unless we go on just an absolute tear, first place is going to be tough,” Owens said. “Second place might be tough. When you’ve got five losses already and some tough games coming up, it’s certainly tough. Our league is so strong and if we can have success in the nonconference games, there’s no reason to think that we can’t be a top-five team in the league and also be in the NCAA tournament.”

    Healthier Bulldogs

    Nate Anderson returned to action last weekend for Minnesota-Duluth, and fellow center Luke Stauffacher may be next to come back.

    Anderson missed six games with an injured knee. Stauffacher has missed the last two weeks with a broken wrist. Sandelin said it’s possible Stauffacher could play this weekend at Minnesota with a playing cast.

    Taking Over

    Scott Kabotoff appears to be settling into the role as Wisconsin’s top goaltender.

    At the same time, he hasn’t allowed Bernd Bruckler another chance to get back in the mix.

    Kabotoff, a junior who backed up Graham Melanson in his first two seasons, earned league defensive player of the week honors this week after allowing two goals in two games against Duluth last weekend.

    Kabotoff was viewed by some as the favorite in the race for the top spot because of his experience in at least having seen the WCHA teams play, if only from the bench. But Bruckler was expected to give him a run.

    Thus far, though, Bruckler has played in only two games, and Kabotoff has played well enough to earn his starts.

    “He’s playing with probably more mental toughness than anything,” Sauer said. “He’s a good goaltender; our biggest concern was how he was going to react to the pressure of the situation, and he’s done very well. He’ll be in the goal again Friday night [at home against Michigan Tech], and hopefully he continues to play the way he is.”

    Buried Statistics

    Minnesota’s Johnny Pohl got the WCHA’s offensive player of the week award for his four-point series against Mankato last weekend, but another stat further shows his value to the Gophers.

    Pohl was 36-13 on faceoffs against the Mavericks. It’s not a stat that’s quoted by many or even kept officially by some, but it shows Pohl’s proficiency all over the ice.

    From the Archives

    You know Denver is doing well when it can boast of topping its 1960-61 team.

    That squad went 30-1-1 and won the national championship. Still, it didn’t have the start that this year’s Pioneers team has.

    Denver is 8-0 to open this season. The 1960-61 team only won its first five before losing at Michigan Tech.

    In case you were wondering, the only tie of that season was against the Moose Jaw Pla-Mors. Now that’s a nickname.

    Much At Stake

    Wisconsin’s Sauer views this weekend’s Badgers-Michigan Tech series as more than just your normal Badgers-Michigan Tech series.

    “This is the only time we play them this year, so it’s really like an eight-point series,” Sauer said. “If you can beat them twice and put them behind you in the standings, they’re behind you all the way unless they beat you in number of points at the end of the year.”

    Almost Honors

    More big news this week in the Clay “Woodrow” Wilson update. A week after scoring his first two collegiate goals in a tie with Minnesota, the Michigan Tech freshman defenseman was nominated for the WCHA’s defensive player of the week award.

    Wilson added an assist last Friday to his two goals for the season, giving him three points in eight games.

    He Said It

    “We know that we’re not going to win the WCHA with 10 freshmen in the lineup. That’s ridiculous. But if we can get better and improve and then be dangerous in the second half, watch out. Things could happen.”

    — North Dakota coach Dean Blais.

    This Week in the CHA: Nov. 15, 2001

    By Geof F. Morris
    -

    The Season So Far

    Some say that College Hockey America doesn’t get the respect that it deserves. CHA fans usually note with glee that their conference has an outstanding record against the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, against which the CHA is 42-17-4 overall. With the advance of Niagara to the 2000 NCAA tournament and the sporadic rankings of CHA teams in the various national polls, it’s evident that the CHA is starting to slowly garner the respect of the country.

    Of course, the CHA’s impending automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament — provided that the CHA maintains its six-team membership — has done much to increase that respect. Hopefully in writing regularly about the CHA, USCHO.com and I can do our part to bring CHA further to the forefront of NCAA Division I hockey.

    The story of the early season promises to be the usual tumble: a season-long struggle between Niagara and Alabama-Huntsville. The Purple Eagles and Chargers sit tied atop the CHA standings with six points apiece after last weekend’s tilt in Huntsville.

    Niagara would seem to be the team to beat, as the Purple Eagles have played solidly all season and have a +12 scoring differential under first-year coach Dave Burkholder. Niagara has three 10-point scorers so far, with forwards John Heffernan and Nick Kormanyos joined by defenseman Chris Sebastian.

    With only three seniors, the young Eagles promise to soar now and in the future; Kormanyos leads a pack of sophomores that includes outstanding netminder Rob Bonk, who looks to shake off a five-goal game this week against Merrimack.

    Alabama-Huntsville’s record may be a bit deceiving, as its -4 scoring differential is masked by a 6-4 record. This has to cause some concern for UAH head man Doug Ross, who has watched his team go only 3-3 in conference play. Offense has come from all parts of the team, but the star so far is young Jared Ross, son of the head coach and already a two-time CHA Rookie of the Week.

    Injuries have ravaged the Chargers, with wingers Mike Funk and Gerald Overton out for the next few weeks. Injured ‘keeper Mark Byrne has come back solidly [3.00 GAA, .917 SV%] to help out sophomore netminder Adam MacLean [3.87, .873] as the season has progressed.

    Wayne State, Bemidji State, and Findlay form the second tier of CHA early on this season. Wayne State’s four points came against a very young Air Force team, and their -17 goal differential does not bode well for the Warriors, who won the 2001 CHA Frozen Five. Junior goalie David Guerrera has had a tough start [4.47 GAA, .874 SV%], but his offense is showing some promise on the other end. Junior left winger Dusty Kingston has seven goals so far, second only to Niagara’s Kormanyos.

    Bemidji is perhaps the best story in this season, having already won as many games this season as all of last season: four. While the Beavers are just 4-5-1 on the year, they split with MSU-Mankato and took two tough losses against mighty Minnesota. Bemidji split last weekend’s series with Findlay, and hosts Alabama-Huntsville this weekend; it remains to be seen how much the Beavers have learned from their early-season games against top opponents.

    The Beavers are young, with only two seniors, but they are talented. Sophomore Dannie Morgan is the story in the net, holding his opponents to just 2.52 goals per game with a .901 save percentage. The offense is on fire, with Marty Goulet leading the CHA with 17 points, backed up by 13-point scorers Andrew Murray and Jeff McGill.

    Findlay had an auspicious start to its season, ripping off two wins against current MAAC co-leader Mercyhurst. The Oilers then hit a rough five-game skid, dropping two apiece to Niagara and MSU-Mankato before their rumble with Bemidji in Ohio. Findlay only played 27 games in 2000-01 after the MAAC schools dropped the Oilers in a controversial move last season, and a full schedule should help the Oilers keep up their momentum this season.

    Findlay’s given up 16 more goals than its has scored so far, although throwing out the MSU-Mankato series puts the Oilers down by only four. The goalie situation is really up in the air now, as sophomore Kevin Fines [4.03 GAA, .893 SV%] and junior Jamie VandeSpyker [4.67, .881] haven’t sorted out the No. 1 job between them. The Findlay offense is balanced but not yet as productive as coach Craig Barnett would like, with senior defenseman Brant Somerville leading a pack of five Oilers with five points apiece.

    The bottom of the CHA is manned by the Air Force Academy. The young Falcons have missed 2000-01 CHA Player of the Year Marc Kielkucki between the pipes, as sophomore Mike Polidor has had a rough go of things so far [4.87 GAA, .839 SV%]. Freshman Zachary Sikich [2.50 GAA, .922 SV%] has shown some promise, but the Falcons need consistent play in net to return to form.

    What hasn’t been missing for the Falcons is the offense. Forwards Spanky Leonard, Andy Berg, and Derek Olson all average over a point a game, and Shane Saum is tied for third in the CHA with six goals. The offense has kept Air Force in most of its games, as the Falcons are only down nine goals so far.

    This Weekend’s Slate

    The lone conference matchup this weekend is between Bemidji and UAH. UAH hasn’t been good on the road at all this season [1-3-0, -13 goal differential], while the Beavers have been stout at home [3-1-0, +10]. This would seem like a home sweep for the Beavers, and I’ll go ahead and pick the Beavers to win both games, vaulting Bemidji into a three-way tie atop the conference with UAH and NU.

    The nonconference games involve Merrimack visiting Niagara and Bowling Green traveling to Wayne State. It’s obvious that Merrimack misses coach Chris Serino, who is currently battling throat cancer. While Niagara joins all of college hockey in wishing Coach Serino all the best, expect the Eagles to dominate at home and even the CHA’s season record against Hockey East at 2-2.

    Buddy Powers will bring his Falcons into Detroit, where the Warriors are winless so far this season. However, the CCHA invaders are winless on the road in 2001-02, so something has to give. This one is good for a split, which would garner the CHA its first victory against the CCHA this year.

    Good luck to all the CHA teams this weekend.

    Pateman’s Senior Season Cut Short

    USCHO Staff Report
    -
    Pateman

    Pateman

    MSU-Mankato goalie Eric Pateman, out of the lineup since injuring his shoulder on Oct. 20, will miss the remainder of his senior season. He will apply for a medical redshirt with the hopes of retaining one more year of eligibility next season.

    Pateman, a three-year starter for the Mavericks, injured his shoulder in the Mavericks’ 4-3 win at Minnesota-Duluth. This week, it was determined he will require surgery.

    The McAuley, Manitoba, native has seen action in three games this year, compiling a 1-1 record and 5.43 goals against average.

    In his four seasons with the Mavericks, Pateman has amassed a won-loss record of 49-32-8, a 3.05 goals against average and a save percentage of .904. He owns school records for career shutouts (seven) and assists by a goaltender (seven), and entered the season ranking third on MSU’s all-time lists for wins, saves and games played.

    His .904 career save percentage and 3.05 goals against average both rank first all-time at MSU.

    Lane Leaves Harvard for Quebec League

    USCHO Staff Report
    -
    Lane

    Lane

    Harvard freshman defenseman Jesse Lane has left the team and the University to play with the Hull Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

    “This was a decision that was made by Jesse and his family,” said Harvard coach Mark Coach Mazzoleni. “We certainly wish him the best.”

    One of three freshmen defensemen on the 2001-02 Harvard roster, Lane played in the first three games of the season, but did not dress for Harvard’s most recent game against Dartmouth. He recorded his only collegiate point in a 5-2 victory over Dartmouth at the Bright Hockey Center on Nov. 4.

    Before Harvard, Lane, a native of Needham, Mass., played for the United States National Development Team, where he had seven goals and 20 assists in 62 games. He was the team’s top-scoring defenseman at the Five Nations Cup, where the U.S. won a silver medal.

    Hobey Semifinalists Will be Pared to 3 Under New Format

    USCHO Staff Report
    -

    The Hobey Baker Memorial Award Foundation has announced a change in the format of naming the winner of the Hobey Baker Award.

    Beginning this year season, the top 10 finalists will be pared to three semifinalists, all of whom will attend the award announcement, which traditionally takes place on the off day between the national semifinals and finals of Frozen Four weekend.

    Division I college hockey coaches and a vote by hockey fans (vote-for-hobey.com) will determine the top 10 finalists. Those candidates will be announced March 14 from the WCHA Final Five tournament. Then, the Hobey Baker Selection Committee and fan vote will determine the “Hobey hat trick,” as the three semifinalists are announced March 26.

    The 2002 Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced from this group of three during the live TV broadcast of the award announcement from the NCAA Frozen Four on Friday, April 5 in St. Paul, Minn.

    Dean of the Nets

    By Tom Nelson
    -

    The career statistics chart on senior goaltender Dean Weasler would make any hockey fan scratch their head in wonder.

    As a rookie netminder for St. Cloud State in 1998-99, Weasler was the Huskies’ main man with over 1700 minutes played between the pipes, a 2.97 goals against average, a .909 save percentage and a 13-11-4 record. Not too shabby for a freshman in the always-rugged WCHA.

    "I think seeing action in those three games really helped me get ready for the start of this season."

    — Dean Weasler

    “As a freshman, I didn’t really expect to play,” Weasler said. “I thought I would sit and wait, so my it was really a bonus to get that much ice time my first year here. With the chance to play as a freshman, I learned to be more calm and confident … and play under control, which is something our [goalie coach] Bill Frantti really taught to me.”

    Certainly, one would have expected Weasler to be a prime player for the Huskies over the next two seasons, but a look at those career stats show a much different story. Due to injuries and the emergence of record-setting Scott Meyer as the Huskies’ top goalie in 1999-00, Weasler moved into a reserve role throughout his sophomore and junior years. In fact, Weasler looked to take a redshirt season in 2000-01 and continue in order to rehab from his sophomore-year injuries.

    “In the first half of the season, I thought I would end up red-shirting during 2000-01,” Weasler said. “I was helping the coaches on the bench … giving them my perspective on the games. I was also able to learn a lot by watching those games.”

    As SCSU enjoyed its best season in team history, Weasler completed the rehab process from his sophomore season injuries. Still, he wasn’t planning on giving up his redshirt status until a concussion sidelined Meyer during a key showdown against Colorado College on Feb. 2. Always one to put the team first, Weasler did not hesitate when coach Craig Dahl asked him to fill in for Meyer during the remainder of the game, which also meant that Weasler would be sacrificing his junior year of eligibility.

    Dean Weasler and the Huskies started the new season on a major roll, culminating in a No. 1 ranking.

    Dean Weasler and the Huskies started the new season on a major roll, culminating in a No. 1 ranking.

    “I talked with Coach earlier in the year, and I told him that I would be ready if they needed me,” Weasler said. “I just happened to be on the bench that night. Coach Dahl kept asking me up until the time I went into play, if I wanted to go in. More than anything, I just wanted to see our team be successful.”

    Weasler went on to save the game for SCSU against the Tigers, and then went out and posted two wins at Alaska-Anchorage the following weekend. For which, he gained WCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors. Weasler’s heroics and sacrifice were just part of the late-season spark that helped SCSU win the WCHA Final Five and gain a second consecutive NCAA bid.

    For Weasler, the UAA series marked the end of his ice time, as Meyer returned from his injuries and played the rest of the stretch through March.

    “I think seeing action in those three games really helped me get ready for the start of this season,” Weasler said.

    This winter, Weasler and junior Jake Moreland have shared starting duties on a Friday/Saturday basis. Through nine games, Weasler holds a 1.80 goals against average and .944 save rate. He is a perfect 5-0.

    The starting system seems to be working well for the No. 1-ranked Huskies, as Weasler noted.

    “There is a healthy competition between the goalies [which also includes newcomer Jason Montgomery],” Weasler said. “The nice thing about not playing two consecutive nights is that it gives some of my body parts a rest.”

    A marketing major at SCSU, Weasler hails from Rosemount, Minn. and played prep hockey at Rosemount High School. He went on to play junior hockey at North Iowa before ending his junior career with Rochester of the USHL. He was attracted to the SCSU program by the potential he saw in Dahl’s rising program.

    The proximity to home was another key selling point. Weasler has been with the program through the best four years in team history. He has been part of a Final Five title team and two NCAA playoff squads.

    “We have gotten much better on defense,” said Weasler, of the program’s rise. “The defensive system has been changed and that has really helped us. We also have brought in some very talented players that have helped elevate the level of the program.”

    Weasler plans to graduate next year and has expressed an interest in coaching.

    “If given the chance, I would take a shot at the pros, but I have certainly met my goals by playing college hockey. I have gotten a lot out of hockey and it’s allowed me to meet some great people.”

    This Week in the MAAC: Nov. 8, 2001

    By
    -

    Youth Between The Pipes

    It hasn’t taken long for the youth movement in the MAAC to once again make its statement. From the inception of the league four years ago, young players have been major contributors, as each year, thanks to added recruiting dollars and higher credibility, the league continues to attract better players.

    Even in year four, when all four classes playing in the league were recruited as Division I players, the youth movement continues. This time, though, it is most obvious in the last line of defense — goaltending.

    A quick look at the overall statistics in the MAAC reveals this to be true. Of the top five goaltenders in goals against and save percentage, four in each category are freshmen and sophomores. The only upperclassmen breaking through are Mercyhurst’s Peter Aubry in goals against and Holy Cross’ Derek Cunha in save percentage.

    So who are these top tenders and how much impact can they have? Let’s attempt to break it down.

    Scott Galenza, Iona

    Frank Bretti’s Iona team has always been known for offense. Since the league’s first year, when Ryan Carter made a name for himself by giving definition to the league’s record book, the Gaels have been a dangerous offensive weapon.

    Last season, though, behind a commitment to team defense and solid goaltending from then-sophomore Mike Fraser and senior Ben Brady, Iona finished in the top five in scoring defense. Brady’s departure, though, left a question mark whether Fraser, a goaltender who has had both hot and cold times, could keep the defense going.

    Enter Scott Galenza. A 21-year-old rookie from Camrose, Alta., Galenza was the talk of Bretti’s preseason before he stepped onto the ice. Now, six games in, Galenza has begun to make his mark.

    It began in the season opener, when the rookie stopped 27 shots to knock off perennial powerhouse Quinnipiac, 3-1. Welcome to the MAAC.

    After a tie against Connecticut, Galenza returned to winning form, this time stopping 37 shots to once again beat Quinnipiac.

    Galenza has since gotten both starts, making 26 saves in a 4-2 win versus Army last Friday, then dropping his first game the next night in a 4-1 loss at Colgate.

    Galenza enters this weekend fourth in save percentage with .918 and third in goals against at 2.56. More important, his Iona team is in uncharted waters — at the top of the team defense category, averaging 2.67 goals against per game.

    Artie Imbriano, Connecticut

    Last season, Bruce Marshall faced a serious problem. Sitting in the throne as reigning MAAC champion, Marshall was missing a key element to that title team of 2000 — goaltender Mike Senerchia. Returning as the only experienced goaltender was John Chain, a true backup goaltender to Senerchia, career ice time to that point was minimal.

    The first weekend of the season, Chain got routed in a 6-1 loss to UMass-Lowell. The following weekend, staying in Hockey East country, Chain looked less-than-impressive, giving up six goals in the first 41 minutes against Merrimack in the first game of a two-game series.

    After the sixth goal that night, Marshall decided to try his luck. He pulled Chain in favor of Artie Imbriano, a rookie from nearby Stoneham, Mass. In the final 18-plus minutes of work, Imbriano saw 11 shots, many of high quality. And without time to be nervous about his first college game, the rookie stopped all 11.

    What that earned him was a start again the next night in front of his hometown fans. Imbriano saw 39 shots that night. He stopped 36 of them. Yet still, his team came up a goal short, falling 4-2 after Merrimack scored an empty-net goal late.

    At that point, Marshall knew one thing — his goaltending woes, at least, had gotten better.

    Imbriano finished his rookie season with the only goalie on the UConn roster with a plus-.500 record (7-6-3).

    This season, Imbriano has only made two starts, though he also played once in relief. Having allowed only four goals in nearly 140 minutes of play, Imbriano leads the MAAC with a 1.72 goals against average. His .935 save percentage is also tops in the league.

    All of this translates to one thing — UConn may not yet be ready for a return to victory lane, but the Huskies certainly have a goaltender who can compete enough to get them there.

    Jamie Holden, Quinnipiac

    What happened to Marshall at UConn last year could have happened to Quinnipiac’s Rand Pecknold this year. With the departure of the winningest goaltender in school history in J.C. Wells, the Braves might have been in a desperate situation were it not for the arrival of rookie Justin Eddy last year.

    Nonetheless, Pecknold still knew there was a need to replace Wells this season. And so, Pecknold looked west — way west — to British Columbia to find Jamie Holden. Less than one month into the season, Holden has made an impact.

    “He’s a great competitor and has great work ethic,” said Pecknold of the goaltender he considered one of the most competitive in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League last year. “He had about 10 or 11 schools on him last year. We were fortunate to be able to sign him.”

    Holden has made three starts for the Braves, and was called to relieve Eddy last Friday night against Fairfield. Though he collected a no-decision that night, he’s a perfect 3-0-0, standing second only to Imbriano in save percentage (.927) and goals against average (1.90).

    The rookie’s performance couldn’t come at a better time, as Eddy has struggled out of the gate this season. His numbers are borderline opposite to Holden’s, with an .878 save percentage and a 3.15 goals against average.

    Notable, though, is that if Eddy gets back on track, the combination of the two could be one of the best goaltending tandems in the country.

    Frank Novello, American International

    Yet another coach who faced the challenge of replacing a top goaltender this season was AIC’s Gary Wright. The departure of top netminder Chance Thede a year ago left Wright empty between the posts.

    Wright found two goaltenders of opposite proportion to fill the openings. Six-foot-two Chad Davis from Allen Park, Mich., was one. Standing five inches shorter was Canadian prospect Frank Novello, from just north of Michigan’s U.P. in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

    It didn’t take much time at all for Novello to make his statement. Playing in his first collegiate game against Fairfield at the Q-Cup tournament in Hamden, Conn., Novello made 57 saves. His performance won the game for AIC, as they held on for a 3-2 victory.

    Since then, Novello’s won-loss fortune hasn’t been good, but his save totals still impressive. Sporting a defense that he could probably sue for lack of support, Novello posted another 57 save performance, this time losing 5-2 to Connecticut. Add that with 48 saves in an OT loss to Bentley, and 21 saves in just over half a game of relief last weekend at Army, and you’ll find Novello’s name near the top of the save percentage list. He has totaled 213 saves in less than five full games of work, placing him third behind Imbriano and Holden with a .926 save percentage.

    Weekly Awards

    ITECH MAAC Hockey League Player of the Week: Kurt Kamienski, UConn Jr., Forward, Pittsfield, Mass.

    Kamienski netted a hat trick and added two assists in UConn’s 5-2 win over AIC on Friday. He had a part in every Husky point scored, assisting on the game-winner and scoring a power-play goal. He now leads the team in goals with three and with six points total on the season. The hat trick marks the second of his career at Connecticut.

    ITECH MAAC Hockey League Goalie of the Week: Sean Weaver, Canisius Sr., Scarborough, Ont.

    Weaver had a strong weekend in goal for the Griffs, playing in all 125 minutes for them. The senior was 1-0-1 on the weekend and had 42 saves and a 2.40 GAA. Against Bentley on Friday night he stopped 19 of 21 shots, in a game that Canisius won 9-2. Weaver turned away 23 shots to preserve a 3-3 tie against Holy Cross on Saturday night.

    ITECH MAAC Hockey League Rookie of the Week: Lyon Porter, Fairfield Fr., Forward, Shaker Heights, Ohio

    The rookie forward notched his first career goal against Quinnipiac on Friday night. The third-period goal was the game-winner in Fairfield’s 5-3 victory against the Braves. Porter has a goal and an assist on the season for the Stags.

    Tip Of The Fedora Up North

    It may seem like just yesterday that Brian Cavanaugh began his college coaching career. But now, 22 seasons after beginning the journey at Canisius, Cavanaugh has reached a milestone few have accomplished. By virtue of Canisius’ 9-2 win over Bentley last Friday night, Cavanaugh reached the 300-win plateau.

    “It’s an honor I share with all of my assistant coaches, who have all been volunteers and part time,” said Cavanaugh.

    Interestingly, all of those wins have come at Canisius. That places Cavanaugh in an elite group of active coaches. Only three others — Boston University’s Jack Parker, Michigan’s Red Berenson, and St. Lawrence’s Joe Marsh — have reached 300 wins and remained at one school for their entire career.

    “I think I’m more proud of the fact I’m closing in on 600 games at one school,” said Cavanaugh. “Being mentioned with Parker, Berenson and Marsh, puts me in pretty good company. I’m honored to be listed among those three legends.”

    Cavanaugh wasn’t the only Golden Griffin to reach a career milestone last weekend. Senior forward David Deeves, in notching a five-assist weekend, was able to reach the 100-point plateau for his career. In 105 games played, Deeves has scored 43 goals and added 57 assists for an even 100. This season, Deeves has become the playmaker — all 10 of his points are assists.

    “David’s a special student-athlete,” said Cavanaugh of the senior who is in school not on an athletic scholarship, but on academic and need-based money. “He’s probably a player who slipped through the [recruiting] ranks. He put up good numbers in junior hockey and we were really fortunate to be able to recruit him at Canisius. He provides an awful lot for our young students to look up to.”

    Swapping Zebras

    Hockey East and the WCHA aren’t the only leagues moving officials around these days. The MAAC has also decided to get into the act, sending one of its referees to the ECAC last weekend.

    Peter Torgerson led a crew that officiated the Iona-Colgate game in upstate New York last week. According to Bob Russell, supervisor of officials for the league, ECAC and Hockey East referee Scott Hansen will complete the swap on December 8, when he and ECAC assistant referees Kevin Redding and Keith Savoie officiate the Army-Air Force game at West Point.

    Hansen, who has also been selected as a referee for the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, works both in the ECAC and Hockey East, and was most recently seen at Boston University last Sunday night when he worked the Fox TV game between the Terriers and the University of New Hampshire.

    Crusaders, Gaels Square Off Twice

    Excitement will be high this weekend for both Holy Cross and Iona as they match up in a home-and-home series that could be the most defining of the season at this early juncture.

    The Crusaders have come out of the gate flying with a 1-0-2 record in league play and a 2-1-2 record overall. Last weekend they laid their first claim to legitimacy traveling to Mercyhurst and Canisius and recording ties in both games.

    This weekend, though, may be the biggest test for the Crusaders. With Iona making its own early statement for top team in the league, Holy Cross may have its hands full with the league’s best defense and third-best offense.

    The Crusaders, though, aren’t too shabby in their own right. The Holy Cross offense, led by the MAAC’s top scorer Greg Kealey (6-5-11), actually sits ahead of Iona averaging 4.40 goals per game.

    Holy Cross’ goaltending woes of a year ago also may be seeming to subside. Senior Derek Cunha sports a 2-0-1 record, including a relief win earlier in the year at Air Force, where he made 36 saves in a 7-6 victory. And sophomore Ricky Massey, though still winless, played well in a 3-3 tie against Canisius last Saturday.

    “I feel like we have two number-one goaltenders,” said Pearl, who will start Cunha in the opening game of the series on Friday night and will decide afterwards who gets Saturday’s start.

    Even though it’s obvious that Pearl and his club are looking forward to the weekend series, he still won’t get too high or too low about these two games.

    “It’s really no different than playing anyone else in the league,” said Pearl. “It’s important to us to get better every night.

    “Last weekend we made big steps but didn’t play 60 minutes either game. Against Iona, they’re probably the most high-octane offense in the league so we’re going to have to play great defense against them.”

    As far as the game Pearl would like to play, he said he’d prefer a “normal game.” Normal in comparison to the shootouts that his team has been involved in, such as a 5-5 tie with Mercyhurst and a 7-6 win at Air Force.

    All in all, Pearl is hoping for competitive hockey.

    “I’m not even thinking about how many points we went to get out of the weekend,” said Pearl. “I just want to have them go out and play well. You’re not going to win the league in November.”

    This Week in the ECAC: Nov. 8, 2001

    By Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy
    -

    Oh boy, ECAC fans, get your cheering faces on. All 12 teams are taking each other on in this, the first full regular-season weekend in the ECAC. The road to the Cleary and Whitelaw Trophies really starts now.

    Buckle your seatbelts, we guarantee you it will be intense!

    An All-New England Affair

    The first-place Brown Bears will travel north this weekend to take on Dartmouth and Vermont.

    Wait a minute … did we say “first-place” Brown? A year ago, that statement would have caused a few laughs and a lot of sarcastic comments. For better or for worse, the Bears technically share rights to the best team record in the ECAC heading into the first full week of play, thanks to an opening win over Harvard on Saturday night.

    The Bears came back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat the nationally-ranked Crimson, 4-2, at Bright Hockey Center. It was a first for Brown on many levels. The win was the first time since 1999 that Brown had beaten Harvard, and the first time since 1998 that the Bears had opened the season with a victory. And perhaps more importantly, after finishing dead last the past two years, the victory gave the Bears a needed confidence boost.

    “The message to the guys was that they had paid their dues during the summer, and a lot of them had paid their dues last season,” said head coach Roger Grillo. “They worked hard as a young team last year to take their lumps and get better, and continue to climb the ladder. So it was a nice reward for the amount of time put in by the players and coaches.”

    Brown had its key elements working that night. Goaltender Brian Eklund saved 27 of 29 shots en route to ECAC Goaltender of the Week honors, and the team’s first line of Pascal Denis, Tye Korbl and Keith Kirley figured in on two of the four goals. Depth isn’t Brown’s strength, but wins may come easier this year if those pieces to the puzzle come through with big seasons.

    “I thought that our defense played a good game as well,” said Grillo. “Anytime you can limit a team like Harvard to 29 shots on net is a good sign. We did a nice job eliminating quality shots and second shots around the net. Our [top line] had great opportunities, but the other groups did as well. It was a great effort top to bottom.”

    Unfortunately for them, the Bears will once again be without the services of senior captain Josh Barker, who suffered a high ankle sprain during the exhibition contest against Moncton. With or without Barker, the big question is whether Brown can repeat its success on the road against the likes of Vermont and Dartmouth.

    “We’re not there yet,” said Grillo. “We have to stick to what we have been doing well, come out with energy and play hard. We need to stick to our game plan and have faith in what we are doing and what we have been doing. We had a lot of bad turnovers especially early on [in the Harvard game]. We didn’t take care of the puck in our end of the rink and that was our biggest weakness on the weekend.”

    For Harvard, the loss stung for the players and coaching staff as expectations for a strong start were high, despite the lack of a difficult preseason schedule. Some solace, as well as the retention of its national ranking, came the following night when the Crimson rebounded with a 5-2 win over the only other nationally-ranked team in the league — Dartmouth. The Crimson — powered by a two-goal output from Brett Nowak and a 3-for-8 performance by the power play — managed to place more pressure on the Big Green defense and goaltender Nick Boucher than they had the previous night against Brown. The result was a total of 38 shots on net, many within the all-too critical red zone during the power play.

    Most impressive for the Crimson was the play of the freshmen defenders — Noah Welch, Jesse Lane and Ryan Lannon. Everyone knew that Harvard would be susceptible and young on the defensive end of things, but with Graham Morrell out for the season and Peter Capouch questionable at best — the Crimson D just got a lot younger. The team dressed three freshmen and three sophomore defensemen last weekend. It also found itself a regular goaltender in Will Crothers, who made his starting debut in the Crimson net. Although not perfect, Crothers finished with 47 saves in two games.

    “Our defense played extremely well, and [Crothers] made big saves both nights, which is a very positive indication and a confidence builder,” said Harvard coach Mark Mazzoleni. “I thought Crothers played very well. He stopped what he needed to stop. He played a very solid game for us.”

    Brown and Harvard will travel to Vermont and Dartmouth and take on two teams that are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Despite the disappointing loss to Harvard, the Big Green is still one of the most experienced and most dangerous teams in the league. With a healthy Nick Boucher in net, Trevor Byrne along the blue line and Mike Maturo up front, this team has all the potential in the world. They just need to bring it all together and make the system hum, something that they weren’t able to do until the latter half of last season.

    The loss to Harvard was a blow to Dartmouth, especially after a positive preseason that included contests against McGill and Moncton. After going up early on the Crimson, the Big Green was outscored 2-0 in the second period and was never able to recover.

    “The two goals in the second period killed us,” said Dartmouth coach Bob Gaudet. “We didn’t recover, and we’ve got to be able to. It seems to be an even game and then all of a sudden, they’re up by two. It was tough.”

    The key for Dartmouth this weekend will be special teams play — the Big Green went 1-for-8 on the power play against Harvard — and the ability to stay out of the penalty box. The two-goal explosion in that crucial second period was caused by a pair of penalties assessed to Trevor Byrne (crosschecking) and Lee Stempniak (hitting after the whistle) at the 10:07 mark, giving the home team a 5-on-3 advantage.

    “It was a special teams game,” Gaudet said. “It was a game that was there for the taking in the second period, but we got a couple of tough ones that hurt us. There were guys that I didn’t get on the ice for long stretches of time because we were either on the power play or killing penalties.”

    The Catamounts, coming off an emotional high last year that included a brief visit in the Top 15 poll, are battling growing pains this year and have already experienced the sting of defeat. The team had a heck of a time against Boston University. After spotting the Terriers a five-goal lead after 34 minutes of play, the Catamounts scratched out a semi-respectable 6-4 loss.

    Although Boston University is one of the top teams in the nation right now, Vermont was without some of its best talent as the injury bug has already found its way to Burlington. The first victims were junior Ryan Miller, sophomore Oriel McHugh and freshman Scott Mifsud. The absence of those players was a main reason why Vermont went 1-for-8 on the power play that night. Six days later, the Catamounts once again fell behind early, this time a 5-0 deficit after a period and a half. In a case of déjà vu, Vermont struggled back for a more even result, another 6-4 loss.

    “We made some big mistakes in the neutral zone in the first and second periods,” said Vermont coach Mike Gilligan following the Moncton contest. “We only played 20 minutes of intense hockey. We just dug too big a hole for ourselves. After the third period, we can feel a little bit better about life.”

    After a full week of recovery, Miller, McHugh and Mifsud are back in good health and will be on the ice to take on Harvard on Friday night.

    The Longest Trip

    If there was ever an enigmatic team heading into this weekend, it would probably be Yale. After the pundits predicted a sour season for the Jeff Hamilton-less Bulldogs, the team has shown an offensive prowess thus far. Granted the competition hasn’t been national caliber quality, but the team still put 16 goals on the board in two games first against St. Francis Xavier and then versus the Under-18 National team. Although freshman Chris Higgins, who ironically was offered a spot on the Under-18 National Team but turned it down to finish his high school career at Avon Old Farms, led the way with two goals in each game, the offensive production was evenly spread. Is this what the new look of Yale will bring?

    “We have four lines that can spend time in the offensive zone and not so much time in the defensive zone,” Taylor said. “This is a very balanced team with good team speed. If everybody continues to improve, we will be able to skate with anybody.

    “I am pleased with where we are right now. We do have another step to take, but I think we are ready for that, and we have enough confidence in ourselves.”

    Another team that may have a royal North Country struggle on its hands is Princeton. The Tigers suffered two crushing defeats last weekend against Niagara to open up their season. After falling by a score of 4-2 on the first night, Princeton was stamped out, 7-1, the following evening.

    “The positive is that I saw a lot of guys working hard,” said head coach Len Quesnelle. “We weren’t always as smart as we needed to be to win games at this level. We made a lot of mental mistakes, but the effort overall was good. We need to play smarter and limit the mental mistakes.”

    Adding to the dismal outlook, the Tigers will be without Brad Parsons, Scott Prime and Matt Maglione. These players are the key to any Tigers’ success and are listed as week-to-week with injuries. Parsons, who will be looked upon to fill the offensive void left by the graduation of Chris Corrinet and Kirk Lamb, hurt his knee during Friday night’s game, Prime’s back is acting up as it was last year and Maglione sat out both contests due to an injured foot.

    It all doesn’t add up well for the Tigers as they head north for the longest trip in the ECAC.

    “I don’t think that the travel bothers our program,” said Quesnelle. “What makes it interesting and a challenge is that you are going up against two teams rich in hockey tradition. They have had success over a number of years, not just recently. It’s tough for our guys to walk into two buildings with such tradition.”

    The two host teams this weekend, Clarkson and St. Lawrence, played a memorable North Country battle last weekend to open the ECAC season. A 7-6 overtime win for Clarkson had a lot of people talking.

    “You know what, I think it was great for North Country hockey,” said Golden Knight head coach Mark Morris. “It must have been painful for Joe and his staff. The fact of the matter is that we bounced back after we had a big lead and lost it and then when we got scored on, we came right back and that’s encouraging in that we helped to generate a lot of excitement in the building. We were really good when we were good and when we were vulnerable, oh boy.

    “The momentum swing if we had lost that game could have been devastating after having such a huge lead and dominating the whole first period. It could have been a real big swing.”

    “If we had folded up shop after the first period, I would have gone, just…,” said Saint head coach Joe Marsh. “I’m as excited as I can be following a one-goal loss.

    “I’m very, very encouraged. I just saw some real good things tonight. Our last two games have been overtime losses and as a young team we don’t have the time to beat ourselves up over it. We have to get right back in it and fight back. We’ll just keep getting better.”

    The Saints are certainly a young team and are taking their lumps.

    “It’s a whole different ballgame and we have our own new look for sure,” said Marsh. “The personality is such as that we’re developing that personality on the team and that goes a long way to making sure that we fully understand how hard we’re going to have to work and we can control our own destiny.

    “We may be 1-4, but we were here last year, we were four games under .500 at Christmastime, so I feel very good that we’ll have a good team, but we have to do more than just say it.”

    The task at hand is the pair of Princeton and Yale, in the North Country and both teams know that it’s a tough weekend to start the season.

    “Princeton traditionally has been a team that has given us all we can handle regardless of where they are in the standings,” said Morris. “They had a tough outing against Niagara and it will be interesting to see how they bounce back. With a young coaching staff and lots of new players they will have plenty to play for.

    “Early reports on Yale are that they are a team that is very underestimated in the polls. They have some outstanding talent and they are well coached. I think they have experience at key positions that will give them the ability to knock anybody off on any given night. They will be a real formidable matchup for us at this stage of the season.”

    Centralizing It All

    Central New York will be the battleground for Cornell, Colgate, Union and Rensselaer. It should be an interesting test for all four teams, as three are coming off of successful weekends, while one team was off.

    The Cornell Big Red dumped Alabama-Huntsville twice last weekend and are on the verge of busting into the USCHO.com Top 15.

    The Big Red have a game plan against the speedier Dutchmen and the Engineers, and it was worked on against the Chargers last weekend.

    “I don’t think we played as physical a game as possible at the beginning,” head coach Mike Schafer told the Cornell Daily Sun. “We were a little bit tentative, at the start, to get on top and finish our checks. As the game wore on we started getting more hits and we started playing stronger with and without the puck. We didn’t bring the puck physically to the net. We didn’t shoot at the net.

    “As we started playing a little more physical, I think they started getting frustrated. That’s what we have to do to teams. We gotta have them mad at us and lose their composure.”

    The Raiders of Colgate got in the win column last weekend with a victory over Iona at home — something badly needed after a horrible weekend at Minnesota the previous week.

    A long plane ride and a good week of practice got the Raiders going and even though the season has started tough, head coach Don Vaughan knew that the win would be there.

    “We talked a lot about work ethic. You’ve got to make sacrifices,” he said. “Tough to me is standing around in front of the net, taking a hit to keep the play alive, getting into the corners, making a play in your own end when you know you’re gassed and your muscles are aching and you’ve got a cramp in your stomach. When you see guys doing that, it’s contagious. We knew if we did that, then the rest of it would come.”

    Union saw two wild and hairy games last weekend against Bemidji State. A slugfest in game one resulted in an 8-6 Dutchmen win, but a goal in the final seconds forced a tie, 2-2, on Saturday’s closing game.

    “Anytime we can be disappointed in the way we played and win the game, that’s a good sign for our program,” said head coach Kevin Sneddon after Friday’s game. “Things just didn’t go our way from the get-go tonight. Our guys came together at the end and were able to get a win. When you play poorly and come away with a win it’s a positive thing.”

    Another positive was that of the 10 goals scored by the Dutchmen this weekend, seven were the first collegiate goals for seven different Dutchmen.

    “They’re doing a great job,” said Sneddon. “Our younger guys did a great job and our veterans know they have to step it up a little bit.”

    The Dutchmen have a lot of youth in the lineup and thus far it’s taken them to a 3-1-1 start as league play is about to enter into their lives.

    Rensselaer suffered two one-goal losses in Duluth, Minn. two weekends ago, the first night was an overtime 4-3 loss, and the next 6-5. The first night Minnesota-Duluth scored two goals within a span of 10 seconds and then the second night, the Bulldogs scored two goals in 12 seconds, leading to disaster for the Engineers.

    “I didn’t like how they scored two quick ones on us and then we left a guy wide open,” said head coach Dan Fridgen. “We tend to get puck watching instead of picking up men and that’s something we’ve got to work on.”

    The Engineers have been off for a week and through a 1-3-0 start, the Engineers know they have a lot of work to do as league play starts.

    “We may not play games, but it’s not a week off,” said Fridgen. “We’ve got league play coming up and we learned a lot about ourselves and what it takes to be a consistent team. We have a little ways to go in that regard, but we’re gearing up for that Colgate-Cornell weekend and we’ve had some time to prepare for it.”

    If It’s So Easy, You Try It

    Vic Brzozowski was able to muster a tie with the Iron Columnists this week. Therefore, we will go to overtime until a winner is decided! It is almost as remarkable as the time that Riyou Ju Kyo tied Chen Kenichi in the Pork Belly Battle.

    If memory serves us right, Vic was soundly defeated in the very first Iron Columnist challenge last season. He has saved some face by tying the Iron Columnists. But remember, a loss and you are done.

    So, Vic Brzozowski, bring your skills into USCHO Stadium and try to take down the Iron Columnists — something you still have not done. Whose picks will reign supreme?

    The Picks

    Friday, Nov. 9

    Union at Cornell
    Vic’s Pick — The Union jinx over the Big Red continues. Union 3, Cornell 2
    Becky and Jayson — Cornell 2, Union 1

    Rensselaer at Colgate
    Vic’s Pick — Colgate’s youth again shows. Rensselaer 6, Colgate 2
    Becky and Jayson — Rensselaer 5, Colgate 3

    Princeton at Clarkson
    Vic’s Pick — Hopefully, the Knights get their PK and PP straightened out. Clarkson 5, Princeton 2
    Becky and Jayson — Clarkson 5, Princeton 1

    Yale at St. Lawrence
    Vic’s Pick — SLU and its youth succumb to the Eli. Yale 4, St. Lawrence 2
    Becky and Jayson — Yale 4, St. Lawrence 2

    Harvard at Vermont
    Vic’s Pick — Another early season upset. Vermont 4, Harvard 3
    Becky and Jayson — Harvard 6, Vermont 4

    Brown at Dartmouth
    Vic’s Pick — Harvard loses to Brown and beats Dartmouth, so therefore… Brown 4, Dartmouth 2
    Becky and Jayson — Dartmouth 3, Brown 1

    Saturday, Nov. 10

    Union at Colgate
    Vic’s Pick — Union’s winning ways continue. Union 3, Colgate 2
    Becky and Jayson — Union 3, Colgate 1

    Rensselaer at Cornell
    Vic’s Pick — The Big Red over the Little Red. Cornell 6, RPI 5
    Becky and Jayson — Cornell 3, Rensselaer 2

    Princeton at St. Lawrence
    Vic’s Pick — A loooooooong season it will be for the Tigers. St. Lawrence 4, Princeton 2
    Becky and Jayson — St. Lawrence 6, Princeton 2

    Yale at Clarkson
    Vic’s Pick — Another huge victory for my Knights. Clarkson 4, Yale 2
    Becky and Jayson — Clarkson 6, Yale 3

    Harvard at Dartmouth
    Vic’s Pick — The Green turn the tables on the Crimson. Dartmouth 5, Harvard 2
    Becky and Jayson — Dartmouth 3, Harvard 1

    Brown at Vermont
    Vic’s Pick — Gutterson is unfriendly to the Bruno’s. Vermont 5, Brown 4
    Becky and Jayson — Vermont 6, Brown 4

    And remember that if you are interested in putting your money where your mouth is, drop us an email to be eligible to be chosen when Vic bites the dust once again.

    Alex Clark, Ron Vaccaro, David Sherzer and Jennie Sullivan contributed to this column this week.

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