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Face Off: Week 2

USCHO Staff Report
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Welcome to U.S. College Hockey Online’s roundtable discussion. Each week, various members of our staff take on a hockey topic. Sometimes serious, sometimes silly — but either way, watch the feathers fly: no punches will be pulled, and no quarter given, when these people face off.

What Are Your Favorite Arena Concessions?

Scott Brown, Features Editor: I’ve gotta vote for the mini-donuts sold at the home of the Golden Gophers, Mariucci Arena. As a native Michigander, I had never seen these things until I came to the Even-More Frozen North, but let me tell you, they’re something. Tiny little donuts, churned out by the bucketful while you watch, and absolutely dripping with greasy goodness. And all topped off with sugar, sugar, sugar!

Paula Weston, CCHA Correspondent: The hot dogs at Yost are vile — even the U-M media told me not to eat them. Of course, I had to try. The aftermath was rivaled only by a White Castle binge. Truly disgusting.

I attend most OSU home games, played in the “luxurious” Ohio State Ice Rink. To get to the press box, you have walk through the home team’s bench area — no lie. The press box is tiny and unheated, so between periods I often go to the lobby to get warmed up. Unless I’ve sent someone I know well ahead of time for coffee or hot chocolate, I don’t get any; after waiting in line myself at the sole concession stand, I’d never make it back before the players take the bench, so I’d never make it back in time to get to the box!

Part of this OSU oddity is that there are no concessions (or open restrooms) in the Ice Rink. You have to walk outside, across what resembles a small alley, to St. John Arena to get to the concessions. I’ve scooted over a couple of OSU players — who don’t seem to mind, the little dears — but there’s no way the usher would let me (or anyone) through once the whole team is back on the bench.

Somewhere, I think the ghost of Woody Hayes is laughing his $@(#! off.

Lee Urton, Media Relations: I’m nearly fed up with concessions and the exorbitant prices charged for them. Every time my memory fails and I get some ice cream, afterward I think about how I could have bought a gallon of Ben & Jerry’s for the same price as a couple of pathetic scoops of bland ice cream.

My suggestion: sneak your favorite food into the arena, and enjoy it fully while you watch the game. I’ve found it even better if you make sure to savor your delicious treat while the poor schmuck next to you is trying to stomach a pre-processed bratwurst made from animal by-products.

Scott Killian, Sales and Marketing: Hot dogs may be America’s concession pastime, but nachos are the real top dog. You only need to look as far as Beavis and Butthead to understand why — it’s in the cheese (that’s right, Badger fans).

Dave Hendrickson, Hockey East Correspondent: The chocolate-chip cookies at UNH’s Whittemore Center top my list. My first time there my son ordered one, and it looked so good that I snitched a piece. At the end of the first period, we bought two more. After the second, we went looking for more. We grabbed the very last one in the building at the last concession stand we tried. Which is the secret to my svelte physique.

Although I’m also tempted to list the M&M brownies at UMass-Lowell, I’ll switch directions and instead extol the virtues of a Fleet Center hot dog. Priced about the same as your latest car payment, this is one of the true wonders of culinary science. They combine horrific health effects with not even a smidgen of taste.

Mike Machnik, Special Projects: I’ve got to admit that I’ve become pretty disappointed with most rink food lately. Almost wherever you go, it’s all the same. What happened to those huge brownies at Maine’s Alfond Arena back before the expansion? We used to pick up a bag for the long ride home. Even Colgate no longer had their baked goodies when we visited Nov. 1.

I hate to sound like the grumpy old man, but when I was a boy, rink food was GREAT. At least, it seemed that way to me. If there’s one thing that has remained unchanged over the years, it’s the fries at UMass-Lowell’s Tully Forum. Now, these are terrific. Best arena food in Hockey East.

I’ve got to put in a vote for my favorite pre- and postgame food. When you get down to it, there’s nothing better than stopping in at Harrison’s in North Andover, Mass., before a Merrimack home game. Best roast beef on earth — sliced as you watch. And because the staff has a lingo all their own, you can order pregame with three words: “Beef, med, dew.” That means a regular roast beef sandwich, medium french fries, and a Mountain Dew. Tell ’em I sent you.

For postgame, try T Anthony’s Pizzeria on Commonwealth Ave., a short walk up Babcock Street from BU’s Walter Brown Arena. The BU players can usually be found there after a home game. I haven’t found anything on the menu that isn’t good, and every meal comes complete with a free side order of biting, sarcastic humor. These guys would cut down David Letterman in a heartbeat. DON’T tell them I sent you — who knows what they might slip into my burger Friday night…

Tim Brule, USCHO Coordinator: Who has time to eat?

This Week in the ECAC: November 22, 1996

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The Battle of the Titans in the ECAC took place this weekend, and Cornell came away with the victory over Vermont. The Cats then took it to Colgate the next evening, as the Red Raiders wound up on the losing end both nights this past weekend.

In the ECAC’s race-within-a-race, the Ivy battle continues, as Brown and Princeton got the upper hand with a win and a tie for three points each.

It’s still early in the ECAC, but the Big Red of Cornell has taken charge early on.

Standings:

School Record Pts

1 Cornell 4-0-0 8 2 Princeton 2-1-1 5 3 RPI 2-0-0 4 Clarkson 2-1-0 4 Colgate 2-2-0 4 Vermont 2-2-0 4 7 Yale 1-2-1 3 Harvard 1-3-1 3 Brown 1-3-1 3 10 Union 1-1-0 2 St. Lawrence 1-2-0 2 Dartmouth 1-3-0 2 (not including Tuesday’s Harvard-Brown game)

Clarkson (4-3-0, 2-1-0 ECAC) & St. Lawrence (1-6-0, 1-2-0 ECAC) at RPI (4-3-0, 2-0-0 ECAC) Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m., Houston Fieldhouse, Troy, NY

St. Lawrence (1-6-0, 1-2-0 ECAC) & Clarkson (4-3-0, 2-1-0 ECAC) at Union (3-3-0, 1-1-0 ECAC) Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m., Achilles Rink, Schenectady, NY

Clarkson comes off of a week in which they defeated the neighboring Saints of St. Lawrence. Clarkson came out hot in the first with five goals, including three in the first 2:29 of the game. Chris Clark scored just ten seconds in, and Yan Turgeon and J.F. Houle added goals as well. Todd White gathered the hat trick in upping his total to seven goals on the season.

Dan Murphy stopped 31 shots in his fourth win of the year, though he was not really needed as the Golden Knights had it well in hand after one period of play.

"We didn’t start off the way we wanted," Saints head coach Joe Marsh said of the first period. Eric Heffler was chased from the SLU net early on, and Jon Bracco went the rest of the way.

Despite the loss, Marsh was optimistic. "We played considerably better in this game," he said. "I thought we were playing okay, and [then] we took a real bad penalty in the second period. We saw some bright spots, and a lack of discipline was what cost us.

"To generate some positive things against a good team is always what you are looking for," Marsh added.

Unfortunately, Marsh will now be without five of his starters: Clint Owen is still suspended, Joel Prpic is out one game with a disqualification, and forwards Matt Oikawa and Derek Ladouceur are gone for this weekend too. Bob Prier, who tallied two goals against Clarkson, is questionable as well.

RPI had a scoreless week. They were shut out by Mass-Lowell 3-0, and by Union 2-0. Matt Garver continues to be out of the lineup with a separated shoulder, and he is sorely missed.

Asked if Garver makes a difference on offense, head coach Dan Fridgen stated, "I’d say that’s a fair assessment." Fridgen also said this of his offense: "Someone’s got to step forward. One guy isn’t going to win the hockey game. He certainly makes a difference in our lineup, but the other guys have to pick it up, contribute, take charge. It’s a team contribution."

Joel Laing and Scott Prekaski continue their impressive freshman seasons in the nets. Though both lost this past week, they were nevertheless strong between the pipes.

Union comes off a great defensive game against RPI. Head coach Stan Moore has brought something special to this team, starting Trevor Koenig in each of the team’s six games so far. Koenig has made quite an impact. He currently has a GAA of 1.68 and a save percentage of .942, among the best in the nation in each category. There is no doubt that Koenig is among the premier goaltenders in the ECAC at this point.

Defense is a point of great pride for Moore. "The kids showed a lot of courage in their own end," he said. Union is holding opponents to 1.67 goals per game.

The forwards of Union showed a lot of talent in Saturday’s win over RPI, but still need to find the back of the net. Two different forwards scored on Saturday night, in Craig Reckin and Russ Monteith.

PICKS:

Clarkson at RPI: RPI has to find depth to get on the board against Clarkson. Clarkson has had an up-and-down year so far, but might have gotten on track against St. Lawrence. Their offense has proven itself, and RPI’s has not. Clarkson 5, RPI 3

St. Lawrence at Union: St. Lawrence is hurting. Prpic will be gone for this game, and he is arguably their best defensive forward. Oikawa and Ladouceur are out, and if Prier does not play, the Saints are in danger of going 1-7. Union can count on Koenig and the defense. Some scoring, perhaps? The defense lifts the Skating Dutchmen. Union 3, St. Lawrence 1

St. Lawrence at RPI: For this one, Prpic will be back, and maybe Prier, which will be a big boost. But the goaltending is still suspect. RPI should get their scoring back and start to click with another week of practice under their belts. RPI 6, St. Lawrence 3

Clarkson at Union: Can Clarkson play against defensive trapping teams? It had trouble with Yale and Princeton; clog up the forwards and they can’t score. Union’s defense is that good, and with Koenig, this could be an upset. Maybe I’m jumping on the Dutchmen’s bandwagon. Union 3, Clarkson 2

Colgate (5-2-0, 2-2-0 ECAC) & No. 10 Cornell (4-0-0, 4-0-0 ECAC) at Princeton (3-1-1, 2-1-1 ECAC) Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m., Baker Rink, Princeton, NJ

No. 10 Cornell (4-0-0, 4-0-0 ECAC) & Colgate (5-2-0, 2-2-0 ECAC) at Yale (1-2-1, 1-2-1 ECAC) Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m., Ingalls Rink, New Haven, CT

Colgate comes off a weekend sweep at home — but they were on the losing end. The Red Raiders were surprised by Dartmouth 3-2, and beaten by Vermont 5-4.

Understandable, head coach Don Vaughn was not happy about his team’s play this weekend. "I was a little disappointed at how we came out of the locker room. I thought we weren’t ready to go."

While Mike Harder (8-9–17) and Dave DeBusschere (9-8–17) have been there so far, Vaughn is looking for more, "We have to be more consistent with our game. [We take] bad penalties at times, and it continues to hurt us."

As for this weekend, Vaughn insists Colgate is focused. "We’re only looking at Princeton and not Yale right now; we have to take it one game at a time," he said.

Cornell has proved that last year was not a fluke with a 4-0-0 start, including a huge victory over Vermont, 6-4, Friday night. They followed that up with a 6-3 victory over Dartmouth the next evening.

New heroes are made every night in Ithaca, and this weekend the Big Red continued their balanced scoring. Vinnie Auger had two goals, as did Tony Bergin and Jamie Papp. Matt Cooney had three on the weekend as the Big Red remain undefeated and atop the ECAC standings.

Jean-Marc Pelletier made 19 saves against Dartmouth in the win, and Jason Elliot won the big one against Vermont with 28 stops.

Mike Schafer continues to have this Big Red team riding high, and it doesn’t look like they will come down for a while.

The Tigers of Princeton are off to a surprising 3-1-1 start, mainly because of the outstanding play of their defense. The Tigers have been playing with five defensemen for most games, and the unit has been surprisingly solid.

On the offensive front, two Tigers got their first scores of the season this weekend. Jeff Halpern and Scott Bertoli tallied two goals each in the 6-2 win against Harvard. Nick Rankin won his second straight ECAC game, with 30 saves against the Crimson, and Erasmo Saltarelli saved 21 in the tie with Brown.

A young Bulldog team at Yale is starting to earn some respect around the league. They tied Harvard 2-2 and played Brown to the end before losing 5-4. Alex Westlund was in goal for the Eli in the 2-2 tie, and replaced his partner Dan Choquette after one period against Brown.

Ray Giroux got two goals on the young season. This was to be expected, as he was the leading returning scorer from last year. The only problem with that statistic? He’s a defenseman.

Strong games by Keith McCullough, Jeff Glew, Dan Peraza, Jeff Hamilton and John Chyz have the Bulldogs very optimistic for a season just underway.

PICKS:

Colgate at Princeton: Don Vaughn wants to work on consistency and stay out of the penalty box. That should be accomplished. Don Cahoon has Princeton on a high right now — can the Tiger defense hold off the attack of the Red Raiders with only five blueliners? Probably not. Colgate 6, Princeton 2

Cornell at Yale: Yale is getting respect, and they will earn some more by playing the Big Red hard. But the balanced scoring and inspired play of Cornell is just too much for the Bulldogs. Cornell 7, Yale 3

Cornell at Princeton: After a frustrating game defensively against Colgate, the Tigers return against Cornell. It’s just too much for the Tigers to contain this kind of offensive threat. Cornell remains unbeaten in the ECAC. Cornell 5, Princeton 3

Colgate at Yale: Yale again plays the tough game, but the offensive firepower of Colgate is just too much. Colgate 6, Yale 3

No. 4 Vermont (6-2-0, 2-2-0 ECAC) at Dartmouth (2-3-0, 1-3-0 ECAC) Friday, 7:30 p.m., Thompson Arena, Hanover, NH

The big showdown at Lynah Rink on Friday went against the Cats; they allowed two goals in the third to lose, 6-4. They rebounded the next night with a 5-4 win over Colgate, but it was a tough weekend nonetheless.

After getting shut out in two games against RPI and Union, the French Connection came back. Martin St. Louis had one goal and three assists, J.C. Ruid two goals and two assists, and Eric Perrin three assists. They are back and showing that the scoring touch is not lost.

Tim Thomas was strong as usual, making 26 saves against Cornell and 39 saves against Colgate. In the win against Colgate, Thomas was so impressive, he earned this praise from Colgate head coach Don Vaughn: "We had our chances in the third, but Thomas stopped us, as is normal."

The Big Green posted their first ECAC victory of the season with a 3-2 upset over Colgate. Charlie Retter was the hero offensively as he put two into the net.

The story, though, was freshman Jason Wong in the nets. He made 20 saves in the win over Colgate, and came on in relief of Scott Baker at Cornell. Though he was tagged with the loss, he was strong with 12 saves.

Darren Wercinski and Ryan Chaytors also had two goals each as Dartmouth came away from the tough weekend with two ECAC points.

PICK: Vermont is 32-10-1 overall versus the Big Green and have won all but two of the last 14 games. Who gets the start in goal for Dartmouth? All fingers point at Jason Wong. Thomas again for the Cats. Offense is the key, and the power play, where there will a few goals. Vermont 8, Dartmouth 4

Brown (1-3-1) at No. 1 Michigan (9-1-1) Friday & Saturday, 7:00 p.m., Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, MI

Brown had a good weekend, gaining three points with a win over Yale and a tie against Princeton. The Brown offense came alive just a little with eight goals, three by Adrian Smith.

Jeff Holwaty was strong in net with 37 saves against Princeton, and head coach Bob Gaudet credited him with the draw.

Michigan maintains their number-one ranking in the Around the RInks/USCHO Poll this week with a 5-1 victory over Michigan State and a 3-3 tie at Bowling Green over the weekend.

John Madden continues to be the man for the Wolverines. He tallied his eighth goal of the season against Bowling Green. The scoring punch of Big Blue is embodied in Brendan Morrison (4-14–18), Warren Luhning (6-10–16) and Matt Herr (8-6–14).

Marty Turco has gotten all 11 decisions on the season, and should see action in one, if not both games this weekend. Greg Malicke may get some time as well.

PICKS: Offense, offense, offense. It’s too much for Brown. Their trip to Yost ends in a Michigan sweep. UM 6-2, 5-1

UMass-Amherst (2-6-0) at No. 4 Vermont (6-2-0) Sunday 1:00 p.m., Gutterson Fieldhouse, Burlington, VT

Mass-Amherst is coming off a split last weekend with Merrimack, in which they got back on the winning side of things. Rob Bonneau leads the Minutemen with six goals on the season, including two in the 6-5 win over Merrimack on Saturday.

Brian Regan is going to have to be strong in the nets for head coach Joe Mallen. 31 saves against Merrimack on Friday, and Regan should see the start on Sunday.

PICK: The Cats are too strong for the Minutemen. Vermont 6, Mass-Amherst 2

Yale (1-2-1, 1-2-1 ECAC) at Princeton (3-1-1, 2-1-1 ECAC) Tuesday, 7:00 p.m., Baker Rink, Princeton, NJ

Both teams are previewed above.

PICK: Both teams will come off a tough weekend facing Cornell and Colgate, and you have to wonder just how tired they’ll be. Both teams are young, and are eager for a win. Go with the home-ice advantage. Princeton 4, Yale 3

Harvard (1-3-1) at No. 2 Boston University (7-1-0) Tuesday, 7:00 p.m., Walter Brown Arena, Boston, MA

After opening the season with a victory over Brown, the Crimson have now gone winless in their last four (0-3-1, up to Tuesday’s Brown game).

One of the bright spots for the Crimson has been the play of freshman goalie J.R. Prestifilippo. 30 and 22 saves against Yale and Princeton, respectively, give the Crimson hope.

The Terriers blew out Northeastern 5-2 and 8-1 this past weekend and have continued to earn their number-two ranking; they are shading ever closer to the top spot held by Michigan. Chris Drury now has eight goals on the season, and Tom Noble shone in goal with 33 saves against the Huskies.

PICK: BU is too strong for the struggling Crimson in this preview of the first round of the Beanpot. BU 7, Harvard 2

Thanksgiving weekend looms, and there are a bevy of games outside of the ECAC for the league’s teams. Next week in the ECAC:

Friday, Nov. 29 Saturday, Nov. 30 Boston University at St. Lawrence Princeton at Harvard Boston College at Clarkson Yale at Brown Merrimack at Dartmouth Boston College at St. Lawrence Rensselaer at Northeastern Boston Univ at Clarkson Miami (OH) at Colgate Ottawa at Union Miami (OH) at Cornell Rensselaer at Merrimack

Friday, Nov. 29 & Saturday, Nov. 30: Governor’s Cup (at Gutterson Fieldhouse, Burlington, VT) Maine/Mass-Lowell & Vermont/New Hampshire

Sunday, Dec. 1 Tuesday, Dec. 3 Northeastern at Harvard Colgate at Cornell Vermont at Providence

Jayson Moy is the ECAC Correspondent for US College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Jayson Moy . All Rights Reserved.

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This Week in Hockey East: November 22, 1996

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Sweeps by BU and UNH put them atop Hockey East with 6-0-0 records. They threaten to run away from the pack and make it a two-horse race. Of the remaining teams, only Boston College is above .500 in league play. All other teams have at least three league losses.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Maine. At 0-3-1 they run the risk of soon becoming irrelevant, something they haven’t been since 1985-86.

Last week’s record in picks: 6-4 Season record in picks: 33-16

Boston College (4-3-1, 2-1-1 HE) vs. No. 6 New Hampshire (7-2-0, 6-0-0 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Whittemore Center, Durham, NH Saturday, 7 p.m., Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill, MA NESN

Boston College hopes to accomplish two things this weekend: turn Hockey East into a three-team race and get coach Jerry York his 500th career win. A split or better would accomplish the former, but they’ll need a sweep for York’s number 500. Last week they took three of four points from Providence, a team that has given the Eagles troubles in recent years.

"It was significant that we were able to get two goals in the last two minutes to get a tie on Friday night," said York. "But what I really liked was what we did in the third period on Saturday with a 4-3 lead. We really put a lid on the game, allowing only six shots in the period despite Providence having three power plays. We were just in a great defensive, checking mode.

"Greg Taylor was really big for us on both nights," said York. "He stopped a breakaway in the closing seconds on Friday to preserve the tie. And he was very good on Saturday.

"I’m also really happy with the play of our centers," he continued. "I like to have strength up the middle. Marty Reasoner, Jamie O’Leary, and Jeff Farkas are developing into a real focus of strength there."

"UNH should be a good matchup for us," said York. "They just swept Maine and they have six straight league wins. It will be a very good test."

Blake Bellefeuille should return to the lineup. He injured a knee on Friday and did not play on Saturday. An MRI, however, showed no damage but instead a bad bruise. He expected to return to the practice ice this Tuesday.

New Hampshire has jumped out to their best start ever, sweeping Northeastern, UMass-Amherst, and Maine. Their explosive offense scores goals in bunches, as they did last Friday night.

"We fell behind by two," said coach Dick Umile, "but we stayed confident and came back." UNH scored five unanswered goals in the second period to turn a 2-0 deficit into a commanding 5-2 lead. "Then on Saturday we jumped out in front in the first period. But the second period was a center zone kind of game and they tied us up. Then they went ahead of us early in the third. But again we stayed confident and came back." A Derek Bekar power-play goal with 2:36 left won it for the Wildcats 6-5.

Sean Matile finally joins Brian LaRochelle in goal. Matile, who has been ineligible until this weekend, arrives with an almost absurd amount of hype. Coach Dick Umile has attempted to keep expectations under control, but many UNH fans see Matile’s size and like to think "Ken Dryden." Comparisons to probably the greatest goaltender in collegiate history, if not history in general, may be premature.

"Sean gives us good depth at the goaltender position," said Umile. "Brian LaRochelle has played well for us. I’m going to play both of them for the next 10 or 15 games. Then we’ll evaluate if one is playing significantly better than the other."

After three consecutive sweeps, can the Wildcats do it again?

"I’m not even thinking about a sweep," said Umile. "Sweeps are really difficult in this league. If we win on Friday, then we can start thinking sweep. But Boston College will be the best team we’ve faced. They were picked right behind us in the preseason poll. They’ll be a tough opponent."

UNH’s Tom Nolan, one of Hockey East’s leading scorers, injured a knee on Friday night and is out for three weeks. Injuries have sadly been the story of Nolan’s career, often sidelining him when he’s playing his best hockey.

"I wish Jerry York the best," said Umile with a laugh, "but I hope he doesn’t get his 500th until after this weekend."

PICK: UNH 5-4 on Friday. BC 4-3 on Saturday.

Merrimack (3-5-0, 2-4-0 HE) vs. No. 2 Boston University (7-1-0, 6-0-0 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Walter Brown Arena, Boston, MA Saturday, 7 p.m., Volpe Complex, North Andover, MA

Merrimack split with UMass-Amherst last week, winning 6-2 before dropping the back end of the home-and-home 6-5.

"I’m pleased that we’re starting to get our offense on track," said coach Ron Anderson. "We can’t rely on defense and goaltending all the time. Unfortunately, as our offense started to find the range, we played some shabby defense at times. On Saturday, we didn’t get away with it."

Rejean Stringer earned Hockey East’s Player of the Week honors for his two goals and five assists. He now ranks third in league scoring. Fellow sophomore Kris Porter was the recipient of much of Stringer’s playmaking largesse, notching his first career hat trick in the Friday night win.

"These are guys we expected to score when we recruited them," said Anderson. "You figure that they might go through an adjustment period as freshmen, but now that they are sophomores it isn’t surprising that they’re starting to realize their potential. Of course, we welcome their increased contributions."

Goaltenders Eric Thibeault and Martin Legault have split netminding duties so far this year and are likely to do so again this weekend. Thibeault’s best collegiate moments have been against BU. He set a league record with 54 saves in 1994-95 to key a 3-2 upset and then nearly duplicated the feat last year with 50 saves in another upset, this time 7-4.

"We can’t get caught in skill and individual situations," said Anderson. "They have too much firepower. We’ll have to get good team play in all three zones, as opposed to trying to beat them one-on-one."

The Warriors are banged up. They played last weekend without John Jakopin, Sandy Cohen, Chris Halecki, Joe Savioli, and Ryan Guzior. As of early this week, the status of these players was unknown.

Boston University dominated Northeastern last weekend to the tune of 5-2 and 8-1. Since their loss to Vermont, they have averaged over six goals a game while holding their opponents to three or fewer goals all but once.

Chris Drury threatens to make a farce of the league scoring race with nine goals and five assists in six league contests. Drury earned Hockey East’s Player of the Week the first two weeks in November but was edged out by Stringer’s performance. In his "off" week, Drury scored three goals and added an assist.

Tom Noble also leads the league, posting a 2.00 goals against average and a .927 save percentage in three league games. He continues to rotate with Michel Larocque.

This looks like a mismatch on paper, just like in past years. However, in past years the paper has lied. Merrimack has upset BU each of the last two years. Look for deja vu all over again.

PICK: BU 6-3 on Friday. Merrimack 3-2 on Saturday.

Providence (3-5-1, 2-3-1 HE) vs. Northeastern (2-5-1, 1-4-1 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Matthews Arena, Boston, MA Saturday, 7 p.m., Schneider Arena, Providence, RI

Providence picked up only one point in a home-and-home series with Boston College last week.

"We played well on Friday night," said coach Paul Pooley. "We had two goals disallowed that were clearly in, and then gave up two goals in the last two minutes. So we had to settle for a tie in a game we should have won.

"Our specialty teams hurt us on Saturday night," he continued. "We went 0-for-7 on the power play, and gave up a short-handed and a power-play goal."

Going into the season, the blue line represented the major question mark for the Friars. They had graduated five of their top six defensemen. Those questions remain.

"We’re giving up too many easy goals," said Pooley. "We’ll play solid hockey for a stretch and then make the wrong play at the wrong time. Some guys are on the ice for a lot of goals. We need to figure out who really should be playing on the PK [Penalty Kill] and power play. It’s time to evaluate some players and maybe get some new ones into the lineup.

"On the plus side," he continued, "Dan Dennis played really well. He’d had a tough time against BU the week before, but he’s back.

"Hey, I’m still positive. We’ve been playing teams picked ahead of us in the preseason, and some of our guys are pressing, but we’ll get better."

Pooley looked ahead to the Northeastern matchup. "These are two very similar teams. There isn’t a lot of goal production on either side. Both try to play solid defense and win that way."

Bruce Crowder’s Huskies came off a three point weekend in Maine before dropping two to BU, 5-2 and 8-1.

"It was a shot of reality, I guess," said Crowder. "At times we played well and could skate with them, but at times we couldn’t. And BU is a team that will make you pay for your mistakes."

"I told my team after the Maine series, ‘Don’t get too high. There are no trophies awarded in November.’ This week I told them, ‘Don’t get too low. There are no trophies awarded in November.’

"We just finished a really tough stretch," Crowder continued. "Our last six games have been against UNH, Maine, and BU. We learned a lot in those six games.

"This week should be an interesting series," he said. "Both teams are trying to find themselves after just finishing a tough stretch in their schedules. Providence is obviously a very well-coached team. We’ll have to see what kind of a team we’re going to have here."

Northeastern could pick up a split, but Providence College’s edge in experience should fashion two defensive wins.

PICK: Providence sweeps 4-3 and 3-2.

Army (5-6-0, 2-6-0 vs. Division I) at UMass-Amherst (2-6-0, 2-6-0 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Mullins Center, Amherst, MA

UMass-Amherst split their home-and-home with Merrimack.

"The first night Merrimack came out with a vengeance," said UMass coach Joe Mallen. "Last year we swept them, so they came out strong. They capitalized on our mistakes and Eric Thibeault played very well in goal for them.

"The next night it was a completely different story. We fell behind but we battled back for the win."

"People need to look at more than just our record," said Mallen. "We’ve played series with two of the top teams in the country in BU and UNH. In our other games, we’ve split. We’re moving in the right direction. With those two tough teams past the board, we hope to improve our record."

Goaltender Rich Moriarty, who had sparkled in a 1-0 loss to UNH the previous week, lasted only a period before Brian Regan replaced him and got the win. "Those things happen," said Mallen. "He did struggle, but that was after a great performance last week."

Mallen looked ahead to the weekend.

"I take Army as seriously as I take Vermont. There’s nothing automatic about a win against Army. They are much improved and always work hard. They beat Minnesota-Duluth earlier this year and almost beat UMass-Lowell after trailing them 3-0. We’ll have to play well."

Army began last weekend dominating St. Michael’s 8-0 before putting the scare into Lowell. As Coach Mallen noted, UMass-Lowell appeared on the way to a comfortable win over Army, leading 3-0 after two. But Army almost pulled the game out before losing 4-3. Army struggled on the penalty kill, giving up three of Lowell’s four goals in only four River Hawk power-play opportunities.

Army’s top players include goaltender Daryl Chamberlain, blueliners Leif Hansen and Mike Opdenaker, and forwards Andy Lundbohm, Bill Morrison, Frank Fede, and Joe Sharrock.

Army won’t catch the Minutemen napping.

PICK: UMass-Amherst 5-2.

UMass-Lowell (5-3-0, 3-3-0 HE) at Maine (4-4-1, 0-3-1 HE) Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., Alfond Arena, Orono, ME

New Hampshire swept Maine 6-3 and 6-5.

"I thought the key on Friday night," said coach Greg Cronin, "was when Reg Cardinal had Brian LaRochelle down-and-out and couldn’t put it away to make it a 3-0 lead. And even though they scored the five goals, I thought the scoring chances were fairly even. UNH really scored some poor goals. Give them credit, they worked hard, but those goals shouldn’t have gone in."

Goalie Alfie Michaud struggled. All Maine’s goaltending eggs are in Michaud’s basket and right now that’s looking like trouble.

"It’s unusual to watch a Maine goalie flopping around like a fish in the crease," said Cronin. "It’s not our style of goaltending…. I just want him to go out and play standup goaltending. Because if we’re going to do anything this year, we’re going to have to ride his shoulders to some degree."

"Saturday was a good college hockey game," he said. "They went up 4-2 in the first period, but we came back and went ahead in the third. We killed a five-on-three, but in the end they won on a power-play goal with a little over two minutes left in the game. Personally, I thought the penalty was a bad call. It looked fairly innocent to me."

If Maine can’t stop the bleeding now against UMass-Lowell, they are heading for disaster. Maine plays Lowell their next three games, two this weekend in Orono, and one to open the Governor’s Cup. After that, it’s either Vermont or UNH followed by two against Boston College.

"Unfortunately, we’re only skating 12 scholarships right now," said Cronin. "The NCAA cut us back to 16 and then we had the four guys leave so late we couldn’t fill their spots."

Injuries have depleted that scant figure even more. Jason Mansoff (infected elbow) and Scott Parmentier (bad back) lead the list of Black Bears on the shelf. Their return date is not yet known.

"My expectations are certainly lower than they were three weeks ago. It feels like we’re down to our last player.

"Tim Whitehead has obviously done a great job at Lowell," Cronin continued. "They were picked last but they are showing a lot of character. And they’ve got great depth at goaltender."

Lowell and Marty Fillion shut out Rensselaer 3-0 in a mid-week matchup before traveling to Army. Against the Cadets, they built a 3-0 lead after two and then hung on for a 4-3 win. Scott Fankhouser saw his first action in the nets since Fillion’s return.

"It’s always a great challenge to face Maine up there," said coach Tim Whitehead. "They have a great atmosphere for a college game. After their last couple of weekends, they’ll be playing really hungry. We’ll have to match their intensity and work as hard as they do."

Look for the Fillion-Michaud matchup to trigger a UMass-Lowell sweep.

PICK: UMass-Lowell 4-3 and 3-2.

UMass-Amherst (2-6-0, 2-6-0 HE) at No. 4 Vermont (6-2-0, 2-2-0 ECAC) Sunday, 1 p.m., Gutterson Field House, Burlington, VT

What’s up with Vermont?

Four wins against tough nonconference opponents to open the season earned the Catamounts their first ever number one ranking. They appeared a clear choice as the top team in the east. The Elves worked their magic, Tim Thomas brick-walled the Catamount crease, and players like Matt Sanders diversified the offense. Coach Mike Gilligan even fought off complacency, muttering after games about how much better his team needed to play.

A bewildering two weeks, however, began when Rensselaer shocked the Gutterson faithful, pulling out a 4-2 win. Then, after struggling to a 1-0 win over Union, the Catamounts got dumped by Cornell 6-4 before barely pulling out a 5-4 win over Colgate. Perhaps even stranger, the Elves — Martin St. Louis and Eric Perrin — were held pointless in the Rensselaer and Union games, the first weekend shutout of their collegiate careers. And when Vermont came back from a 4-1 deficit against Colgate, Eric Hallman, not the Elves, scored four times to avoid the weekend double-dip. In 103 previous games with the Catamounts, Hallman had scored six goals.

Has Vermont fallen down a rabbit hole into a very different world?

"Despite the losses," said UMass-Amherst coach Joe Mallen, "Vermont is absolutely a top contender for the national championship. And I know from my playing days at Boston College how tough it is to play at Gutterson."

The good news for UMass-Amherst is that they are a much better team than their record. They’ve simply played a lot of early games against top teams. The bad news is that this is another one of those games.

PICK: Vermont 4-2.

Boston College (4-3-1, 2-1-1 HE) vs. Northeastern (2-5-1, 1-4-1 HE) Tuesday, 7 p.m., Matthews Arena, Boston, MA

(Both teams are previewed in earlier home-and-home contests.)

Look for Jerry York to grab his 500th career win in this game.

PICK: BC 4-2.

Harvard (1-3-1, 1-3-1 ECAC) at No. 2 Boston University (7-1-0, 6-0-0 HE) Tuesday, 7 p.m., Walter Brown Arena, Boston, MA WABU-68

A young Harvard squad has gotten out of the gate slowly. After opening the season with a win, the Crimson have failed to score more than two goals in each of the last four games.

The Crimson scoring comes primarily from junior Henry Higdon (27 points last year) and sophomores Craig MacDonald (17) and Craig Adams (17). MacDonald, a fourth round NHL pick, took some time getting adjusted to the collegiate game, but last year scored 13 of his points in the last 20 games. Adams contributes more than points; his physical play has prompted comparisons to Rick Tocchet.

Harvard returned most of last year’s blueliners. Senior captain Ashlin Halfnight, World Junior Tournament veteran Jeremiah McCarthy, and fourth-round NHL pick Ben Storey lead this group.

Freshman J.R. Prestifilippo has won the starting netminding job. away from Peter Zakowich. Prestifilippo arrived at Harvard one of the most highly-acclaimed local goaltending recruits. Despite a weak game against Princeton, he should eventually become one of the ECAC’s top goalies.

(BU is profiled above in their home-and-home series with Merrimack.)

PICK: BU 6-2.

Dave Hendrickson is the Hockey East Correspondent for U.S. College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Dave Hendrickson . All Rights Reserved.

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BC’s Taylor out with Broken Hand

USCHO Staff Report
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Boston College starting goaltender Greg Taylor broke his glove hand while performing off-ice plyometric drills and will likely miss the next two to three weeks.

“The break should heal in five weeks,” said BC coach Jerry York. “Hopefully in two to three weeks he can get some movement so he can play with a cast on.”

The two-to-three week estimate appears to be a best-case scenario.

“It’s a break right in the middle of his glove hand, so it’s hard to squeeze,” York said.

Most Hockey East observers consider Taylor among the top league goaltenders. He is backed up by Mike Correia, a sophomore who spent last year in the USHL. Prior to the injury, Correia recorded a 1-1-0 record as Taylor’s backup with a 4.00 goals against average and an .854 save percentage.

The injury occurred Tuesday, Nov. 19, while Taylor performed “box jumping,” a conditioning and agility drill. Taylor hit his catching hand on the box, causing a fracture of the third metacarpal bone.

Taylor’s earliest return projects to a Dec. 6-7 weekend series with Maine. Prior to that series, Boston College plays five games in nine nights from Nov. 22 through 30.

This Week in the WCHA: November 22, 1996

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And then, as musical stalwarts Genesis might say, there were three. Three teams — North Dakota, Minnesota and Colorado College — stand atop the WCHA standings; this week two of them are in action away from their home rinks, trying to preserve a piece of the lead.

But with the way this year’s season has gone so far, fans will have to stay tuned to see who stays hot and who goes cold. An off-weekend could cost a team dearly by the time the season comes to an end.

Four points separate the top five teams and six points separate the top six clubs, so almost every game this weekend has implications for the top. Here’s a look at ’em.

Minnesota-Duluth (6-3-1, 5-2-1 WCHA) at Wisconsin (5-5-0, 5-5-0 WCHA) Friday-Saturday, 7:05 CT, Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI

This is an important series, since these teams are within a point of each other for fourth place in the standings. A sweep by either team could propel them into a strong position for the rest of the season.

The Bulldogs took out the brooms last weekend, and are unbeaten in their last three games. UMD spread the scoring around, led by Rick Mrozik (2-7–9), who finished with two goals and three assists in Saturday’s win. Forward Ken Dzikowski (3-9–12) is third in the league in scoring. Brant Nicklin (5-2-1, 2.60 GAA, .912 SV%) has played very well as the defensive backbone of the team. The Bulldogs lead the league in power-play scoring (25.6 percent) and penalty-killing (92.1 percent).

The Badgers need to rebound with a strong showing this weekend if they want to stay in the race. More players must step up their game, like T. R. Moreau did with three goals against Colorado College. Brad Engelhart (6-4–10) leads the Badgers in scoring. UW needs its best weekend of the season on special teams, thanks to UMD’s success in that category.

ELMO Picks: UMD wins twice, 5-2, 4-2.

Denver (4-5-1, 2-5-1 WCHA) at Michigan Tech (5-6-0, 2-6-0 WCHA) Friday, 7:35 ET, Saturday, 7:05 ET, John MacInnes Student Ice Arena, Houghton, MI

This series is a must for both squads, who look to rise from the WCHA second-division. The Pioneers, in particular, would like to justify preseason expectations which have thus far not been met.

Denver must have been disappointed not to win all four points last weekend against UAA — missed opportunities could mean a big difference at the end of the season. The good news about the weekend was that the Pioneers finally won a conference game. DU has gotten at least one point from 20 of their 22 guys with ice time. But wouldn’t it be nice for someone to step up and take charge of the attack? Anders Bjork (3-8–11) is the points leader. Goalie Stephen Wagner (2-1-0, 2.65 GAA, .916 SV%) keeps playing well, and will need another good weekend.

The Huskies were shut out in both games last weekend at UM, so it’s no secret what they’ve been working on in practice this week. It was the first time the Huskies have been shut out back-to-back since the 1953-54 season (by North Dakota). Andre Savage (3-3–6) is the only Husky listed among the page-long WCHA scoring leaders. Goalie Luciano Caravaggio (2-2-0, 2.60 GAA, .933 SV%) has been a workhorse and his save percentage leads the league.

ELMO Picks: A split. MTU 4-2, DU 3-2.

North Dakota (7-3-0, 7-3-0 WCHA) at Alaska-Anchorage (3-4-1, 1-4-1 WCHA) Friday-Saturday, 7:05 AT, Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, AL

North Dakota makes the trip north to face a Seawolves team coming home after winning one point last weekend. The Fighting Sioux get back on the ice after a split last weekend.

UND has never won at Sullivan Arena (0-8-0). But the Fighting Sioux need to pick up some points in order to stay in the top spot. Dave Hoogsteen (7-7–14) is the leading scorer in the league and gets help from Jason Blake (5-7–12), who is tied for third, and Ian Kallay (4-7–11), tied for sixth. UND averages a league-leading 4.30 goals per game. Goalie Toby Kvalevog (6-3-0, 3.20 GAA, .872 SV%) leads the league in wins.

UAA is making steady improvement, but there’s still room for plenty more. The Seawolves have scored the fewest goals in the league with nine, but their goals-against average (3.17) isn’t bad. The Seawolves are the most-improved team in the conference in one area: penalties. After leading the league in penalties last year, the Seawolves are the least-whistled team this year at 8.5 minutes per game.

ELMO Picks: UND wins two, 5-1, 3-1.

Minnesota (7-3-0, 7-3-0 WCHA) at Northern Michigan (2-9-1, 2-8-0 WCHA) Friday-Saturday, 7:05 ET, Lakeview Arena, Marquette, MI

Minnesota travels to Northern Michigan holding a slight (5-4-1) edge in the last 10 games between these two teams.

Last weekend the Gophers held MTU scoreless with backup goalie Erik Day, a freshman, getting the two shutouts. Now, the question is who will be in the nets this weekend? If Steve DeBus (5-3-0, 3.14 GAA, .895 SV%) is healthy, look for him to play. Casey Hankinson (7-6–13) has been a player on a mission lately, and is second in the league in scoring. Erik Rasmussen (6-4–10) and Mike Crowley (2-8–10) also average a point per game for the Gophers.

Northern Michigan has been led by its freshmen class all year. That bodes well for the future, but makes it tough against talented teams like UM. Bud Smith (3-4–7) and Curtis Sheptak (1-6–7) are the two scoring leaders. Those two are the only Wildcats with points in each series this year. Of the team’s 25 goals, 15 have been scored by freshmen.

ELMO Picks: A UM sweep, 4-2, 5-1.

Next Week in the WCHA Friday, Nov. 29 Alaska-Anchorage at Colorado College Denver at Northern Michigan St, Cloud State at Michigan Tech North Dakota at Minnesota-Duluth Minnesota vs. Michigan at Detroit (College Hockey Showcase) Wisconsin vs. Michigan State at Detroit (College Hockey Showcase) Saturday, Nov. 30 Alaska-Anchorage at Colorado College Denver at Northern Michigan St, Cloud State at Michigan Tech North Dakota at Minnesota-Duluth Minnesota vs. Michigan State at Detroit (College Hockey Showcase) Wisconsin vs. Michigan at Detroit (College Hockey Showcase)

Jim Thies is the WCHA Correspondent for U.S. College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Jim Thies . All Rights Reserved.

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This Week in the CCHA: November 22, 1996

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CCHA PREVIEW: November 22-23, 1996 CCHA Preview: November 22-23, 1996 by Paula C. Weston

Last week’s CCHA action did nothing to prove my theory of the impending demise of the unofficial "two tiers" in the CCHA. Three teams at the top of the conference — Michigan, Miami, and Michigan State — each have six wins in conference play. Michigan, with 13 points, has the edge over Miami and Michigan State by one point. With its win over Ferris State on Tuesday, Western Michigan pulled ahead of the remaining pack by a point, tallying up a total of seven with just three conference wins. Close behind is Lake Superior State, also with three wins, but with six points. Each of the remaining CCHA teams has just two wins — including, surprisingly, Bowling Green. Notre Dame and Bowling Green are tied with five points each, while Ohio State, Ferris State, and Alaska-Fairbanks each have four.

In spite of the domination by just three teams at the top of the standings, the potential exists for a leveling-out in the middle of the conference. Lake Superior State’s offense showed signs of waking up in two games (one conference, one non-conference) against Ohio State last weekend, and it’s unlikely that Bowling Green will remain asleep for long.

Still, with Western Michigan, Ohio State, and Alaska-Fairbanks idle this weekend, the CCHA status quo will probably hold for at least another week.

Last week’s record in picks: 7-4

No. 8 Michigan State (7-4-0, 6-2-0 CCHA) at No. 7 Miami (8-2-0, 6-0-0 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., Goggin Arena, Oxford, OH

The battle for second place in the CCHA begins with this game. After playing No. 7 Miami in Oxford, No. 8 Michigan State will travel up to Bowling Green on Saturday.

Both Miami and Michigan State picked up two points last weekend. In its only game last week, Miami beat Bowling Green 4-0 on Friday, while Michigan State split a pair of games, losing at Michigan 5-1 Friday, and winning at Ferris State 7-3 Saturday.

Michigan State head coach Ron Mason says that this is a "tough road trip. We’re playing two teams who are hard to beat at home." Of the Miami game, Mason says, "This may be the biggest challenge we’ve had all year long. They’re definitely a legitimate team."

Miami head coach Mark Mazzoleni thinks it’s too early to put too much emphasis on any one game. "I think the games [this weekend] don’t have any more significance than any other games this early in a 30-game season. I know a lot of coaches feel the same way."

This is an interesting pairing: Michigan State’s high-powered offense against a positively stingy Miami defense. In eight CCHA games, Michigan State has scored 38 goals while allowing 25. In six CCHA games, Miami has scored 23 goals–two fewer than Michigan State has allowed–but has kept opponents to just seven goals.

Michigan State’s strong and steady offense may prove too much for Miami’s league-leading goaltending.

PICK: Michigan State 4-1

No. 8 Michigan State (7-4-0, 6-2-0 CCHA) at Bowling Green (6-5-1, 2-5-1 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., BGSU Arena, Bowling Green, OH

When the Spartans head to a Bowling Green to play the slumping Falcons, Mason says his team will be facing a Falcons team that’s "rebounding–they’re going to win some games this season."

Falcons head coach Buddy Powers certainly hopes so, but he says he’s taking nothing for granted, especially home-ice advantage. "Notre Dame came in here and stole one a couple of weeks ago. It should help that three out of our next four games are at home. We have to get some points on the board."

After last weekend’s loss to Miami and tie with Michigan, Powers isn’t kidding. It’s the Michigan tie that keeps Bowling Green just one point above the bottom of the standings.

The Falcons will have to try to gain some ground without senior left winger Brett Punchard. Before breaking his ankle in a game against Michigan two weeks ago, as part of an outstanding line with seniors center Curtis Fry and right winger Mike Johnson, Punchard had five points (two goals, three assists) in six games. "His loss takes our top left-winger out of the line up for a couple of months," said Powers. "It also affects our power play. We have to do some shuffling."

This should be a close one. Michigan State could take advantage of a Falcon team that has yet to spread its wings.

PICK: Michigan State, 5-4

Notre Dame (3-5-1, 2-3-1 CCHA) at Bowling Green (6-5-1, 2-5-1 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., BGSU Arena, Bowling Green, OH

The Irish were surprised at home last week by Ferris State, 5-1, then lost a non-conference overtime game to visiting Mankato State on Sunday, 4-3. This week they travel through Ohio, stopping Friday night in Bowling Green, and Saturday in Miami. It may be a long bus ride home to South Bend for Notre Dame.

The Irish were outshot more than two to one in their loss against Ferris State. Junior goaltender Matt Eisler, who had been outstanding for Notre Dame in the net, faced only 16 shots, and stopped 11 of them. This statistic is very telling for Notre Dame. Even though the Irish are squarely in the middle in both power play and penalty kill rankings in the CCHA, neither the offense nor the defense has been able to click.

Even with a hobbled offense, Bowling Green will start its climb from mediocrity with this game against the Irish.

PICK: Bowling Green, 7-2

Notre Dame (3-5-1, 2-3-1 CCHA) at No. 7 Miami (8-2-0, 6-0-0 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., Goggin Arena, Oxford, OH

Unfortunately for the Irish, their swing through Ohio takes them from a hungry Bowling Green team to a feasting Miami team. With Miami’s CCHA-leading goaltending duo of Trevor Prior and Adam Lord (with .964 and .935 save percentages, respectively), the Irish will have difficulty scoring on this newly confident, nationally ranked Miami team.

PICK: Miami, 3-1

Ferris State (5-8-1, 2-6-0 CCHA) at Lake Superior State (6-5-1, 3-2-0 CCHA) Friday & Saturday, Taffy Abel Arena, Sault Ste. Marie, MI

The Ferris State Bulldogs have played three games in the last ten days. The Bulldogs beat Notre Dame on the road last Friday, 5-1, but lost a pair of home games, 7-3 to Michigan State last Sunday, and 3-2 to Western Michigan Tuesday.

Ferris State assistant coach Drew Famulak said that they were pleased with goaltending and the power play on Friday night, but were overpowered by Michigan State on Sunday.

The Lake Superior State offense should prove to be too much for the Bulldogs this weekend. In their home sweep of Ohio State last weekend, the Lakers had 16 goals. Junior center Bryan Fuss was selected as the Bauer/CCHA Offensive Player of the Week for the five points (three goals, two assists) he contributed. Also, look for Jason Sessa’s scoring streak to continue.

Laker coach Scott Borek couldn’t be reached for comments about this series.

PICKS: Lakers 5-2, 7-1

Brown (1-4-1, 1-4-1 ECAC) at No. 1 Michigan (9-1-1, 6-1-1 CCHA) Friday & Saturday, 7 p.m., Yost Arena, Ann Arbor, MI

Both Brown and Michigan had three-point weekends last week. While the struggling Bears were relatively happy with that, you can bet that Michigan–who gave up a point in a tie with Bowling Green, at home–is less than satisfied.

With a win over Yale and a tie against Princeton, Brown earned some points in ECAC play. Jeff Holwaty looked solid in net for Brown against Princeton, saving 37 shots on goal.

Brown’s momentum may carry it along in ECAC play, but visiting the No. 1 ranked Michigan Wolverines will give it pause for at least this weekend. Michigan’s offense is stunning. Senior left winger John Madden leads the CCHA in points with 16 (five goals, 11 assists), and was named the Bauer/CCHA Defensive Player of the Week for the weekend of November 15-17. Madden had a short-handed goal and an assist in the tie with Bowling Green, and was an important part of the Wolverine penalty killing unit, which allowed just two goals on 15 chances for the weekend.

There are three other Wolverines among the top 11 scorers in the CCHA–Warren Luhning, Matt Herr, and Hobey Candidate Brendan Morrison. With Marty Turco in the net for Michigan, this could be a lop-sided weekend for Brown.

PICKS: Michigan 8-1 Friday, 6-3 Saturday

Paula C. Weston is the CCHA Correspondent for U.S. College Hockey Online

Copyright 1996 Paula C. Weston . All Rights Reserved.

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The Surprise of the CCHA

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“We have very, very strong leadership.”

According to Miami of Ohio head coach Mark Mazzoleni, that’s one reason why his team is undefeated in CCHA play and flirting atop the standings with the likes of Michigan State and the national champion Michigan Wolverines.

Miami has only three senior players to lead its squad, but Mazzoleni says those seniors play consistently well.

“Barry [Schutte] and Tom [White] are players who come to play every night.”

Schutte, a 6’1″ left winger, has only two goals and two assists — and only one penalty for two minutes. White, another big left winger at 6’2″, has no goals and three assists, and ten penalty minutes. But Mazzoleni says there’s something that can’t be found in the statistics that makes these two team leaders.

“Barry and Tom really talk to the guys. They know how to keep the team focused. And the guys listen.”

The Miami team was disappointed with last season. Hosting the national championship tournament, Miami had hoped for a better showing in the CCHA playoffs. This season, most pre-season polls picked Miami to linger in the middle of the CCHA pack. Mazzoleni says that this season felt different right away, that the coaches and players alike are better prepared than they were last year at this time, and that hockey in Miami is just more fun this season.

“We weren’t happy with our year last year. Both coaches and players re-evaluated the situation. The coaches talk after games and after practices about how different this team is. They’re [the team] a really enjoyable group to be around. They work hard. We don’t have to prod them to get things done.”

The team’s work ethic factors into Miami’s success so far this season.

“We’ve been able to play four consistent lines each night. We’re playing more disciplined; we’ve cut down on penalty minutes. We’re not taking a lot of stupid penalties.”

When you add the hottest goaltending duo in the CCHA to this equation, you have a team that’s tough to beat. Junior goalies Trevor Prior and Adam Lord are one and two, respectively, in the CCHA in save percentage — Prior sits on top with an amazing mark of .964. Mazzoleni is particularly impressed with Prior, who is playing only his second full year of CCHA hockey.

“Trevor’s first year in action was last year,” says Mazzoleni. “People forget that he had to sit out his first year for residency purposes.”

Before playing for Miami, Prior played for the Waterloo Siskins, a Canadian major junior team.

Adam Lord is a gift from the now-defunct (but respectfully remembered) University of Illinois-Chicago Flames. Because of the demise of the whole program, Lord and the rest of his former UIC teammates were eligible to play right away for new teams. That league experience has helped him maintain a .935 save percentage in CCHA play. The goaltenders have split Miami’s six CCHA games, each playing three.

Such performances have kept Miami’s CCHA opponents to just seven goals in six games — stingy, and necessary, considering Miami’s relatively low offensive numbers. Sophomore center Randy Robitaille has six goals and four assists, but no one else on the team has scored more than three goals. Overall, Miami has just 23 goals in CCHA play. Conference-leading Michigan has 40 goals, while Michigan State — just behind Miami in the CCHA standings — has 38.

Another reason for Miami’s success (or maybe a symptom of its success?) is the team’s plus/minus numbers. Remarkably, there isn’t a single Miami player who’s in the minus. Sophomore defenseman Ryan Brindley has a plus/minus of +14 overall and +10 in league play. That leads all CCHA players in the overall standings, and ties with Michigan’s John Madden for league play. It’s all part of the new Miami discipline. And maybe a better early schedule.

Mazzoleni says that part of the problem Miami had last year was a tough early schedule, playing Michigan, Michigan State and Lake Superior State, as well as tough non-league opponents like Boston University and Vermont. While Miami often played well against those teams, they didn’t win much early last season. Playing well only goes so far when the team has few points to show for it.

“During that tough part of our schedule, the players lost confidence. Winning early in this season has definitely been a confidence-booster,” Mazzoleni said.

Even though the team is ranked in the top ten in most college hockey polls, Mazzoleni says he doesn’t pay much attention to polls, especially this early in the season.

“I’ve never been one to put credibility in the ranking. They do help us show we’re doing something right. The players see it as a reward.”

Coach Mazzoleni and his Miami team know it’s too early in the season to make predictions.

“I can’t look too far ahead,” says Mazzoleni. “I don’t look much beyond this weekend.”

NCAA Responds to Maine; No New Information Offered

By Deron Treadwell
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After a two-week extension, the NCAA Committee on Infractions has issued a response to the University of Maine regarding Maine’s appeal of NCAA sanctions.

“The document is a reiteration of, and slight elaboration on, the Committee on Infractions positions, as explained in their July decision,” said University of Maine spokesperson John Diamond, who has read the report.

The report offers no new information, and is in no way a resolution to any of the issues.

Maine now has 14 days to respond, after which time a hearing will be scheduled on the issue, most likely in early December.

The report, dated Nov. 13, was sent to a Bangor attorney who has been hired by the NCAA for this purpose. According to Maine officials, this is normal NCAA procedure.

In July, the NCAA issued several penalties against the University of Maine, including a ban from this year’s NCAA Tournament, and also a removal of 13 football scholarships. Maine took exception to these two penalties and filled an appeal with the NCAA.

From Video Star To Top Rookie

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Hockey East can recognize a star when it sees one.

Greg Koehler starred in Ken Dryden’s Home Game documentary eight years ago. Earlier this month Hockey East named Koehler the season’s first Rookie of the Week.

The road from video fame to collegiate success, however, proved a rocky one for the UMass-Lowell freshman. At 13, when Ken Dryden and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) came calling, he was captain and a leading scorer for the Marlies. One year later the Marlies cut him. After another two difficult years, he left home at 16 to get his hockey career back on track.

At the time, Dryden’s words from Home Game sounded eerily prophetic:

“These are the best 13 year-old players in the world. Yet in five years most will be out of hockey. Burnout, they’ll explain, theirs or their parents’; an injury; a coach who didn’t like them; a body that didn’t grow.”

Home Game

When CBC chose Greg Koehler (pronounced Kee-ler) for “The Fields of Scarborough,” the second episode of Home Game, he fit the part perfectly. He came from a large family of five brothers and a sister, a topic central to that story. But the 13-year-old provided CBC more than that. His photogenic good looks — blonde hair and a winsome, shy smile — would translate well onto the TV screen. Perhaps even more importantly, he was no bit player on an obscure team. Koehler was captain and traditionally the top scorer on the Marlies, the most famous youth team in Toronto.

Koehler also provided an unexpected angle.

He was struggling.

“When I was younger,” said Koehler, “I was usually bigger than everyone else. But by the time I was 13, everyone had caught up and a lot of guys had passed me.”

Even though he did stand a head shorter than his teammates and goals came harder than in previous years, Koehler still captained the Marlies to the finals of Quebec’s fabled Le Colisee tournament in front of over 14,000 fans and the CBC cameras.

“It’s every kid’s dream to win that tournament,” said Koehler. “But even though we lost in the finals, it was still a great experience.”

After the cameras left, Greg Koehler remained the same quiet kid he’d always been. He still did his homework, played baseball, and dreamed about someday playing in the NHL.

“I’d been really excited that Ken Dryden was doing the video,” said Koehler, “but I was a pretty shy kid. Once the cameras came in front of me, I acted shy pretty much throughout the whole video.

“When I watched it,” he said, “I was a little embarrassed seeing myself on TV. Even now I get a little red-cheeked. But it was a good time.”

“We had a lot of fun doing Home Game,” said Cathy Koehler, Greg’s mother. “It was a great opportunity and I think it was good for him. He was a quiet kid so I didn’t think it would go to his head.”

Greg’s appearance in Home Game did have a dark side, however. Its emphasis on Koehler’s lack of size and reduced scoring prowess pigeonholed him with some people.

Cut by the Marlies

The next year a new Marlies coach cut him before even the final tryout.

“I was totally shocked,” said Koehler. “When I went to see my name on the list for the next tryout, it wasn’t there. I was in tears.”

“I always thought he’d be a Marlie for life,” his mother said. “How do you cut your captain, your leading scorer, and your best plus-minus player?”

Only Greg’s father, Ed, saw it coming to any degree. “I was surprised, but I wasn’t surprised. There was a kid who had played with Greg, but had always been in Greg’s shadow. The kid’s father was coming back to help coach the team and [it all turned into] politics.”

No longer a Marlie, Greg joined the Wexford Raiders. As luck would have it, Dave Prentice, whose son now plays at Union College, was not only a Raider coach but also an accomplished motivational speaker. The pairing worked wonders for the discouraged teenager.

Greg still wasn’t growing, however. He had the hands and a great head for hockey, but continued to get knocked for his lack of size.

Eventually, the family decided that Toronto was no longer in Greg’s best hockey interests.

Niagara Falls and The “O”

“I really didn’t want him to go,” said Cathy Koehler. “But Home Game seemed to focus a lot on how small Greg was, so my husband just felt that if he got away from it all, it would be better for him.”

“I just told him that sometimes this was what hockey was all about,” said Ed Koehler. “And I asked him if that was what he wanted to do. I figured it was just a matter of time before he started to grow again. And he had the kind of intensity that once his size took over, he’d be back to where he should be.”

Greg left and played a year with the Niagara Falls Devils, leading the team in scoring.

“It ended up working out well,” he said. “It was probably the key turning point for me. I’d had a slow start in midget, so when I played well at Niagara Falls and got time on the power play, it really boosted my confidence.”

He also began to grow again, a cause for celebration among the Koehlers.

His improved play and size, however, created a new, thorny issue.

Greg’s Niagara Falls coach called the Koehlers and said that an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) team had suffered some injuries and wanted Greg to play for them. Playing for an OHL team renders a player ineligible for NCAA hockey.

“Like every other 15- or 16-year old,” said Greg, “my dream was to play in the OHL.”

But the Koehlers stuck to their guns.

“We were making the choices,” said Ed Koehler. “No way he was going to play in the “O”. Every Canadian kid’s dream is to play in the “O” because all of the glamour. But now Greg looks back and can see that some of the guys he played hockey with and who went to the “O” haven’t [made the big time]. These guys have no education to fall back on and they’re not going to do very much with their lives.”

Greg now agrees. “Playing junior B and college looked like second-best [at the time], but now I’m really happy with the decision.”

After the year of new-found size and increased confidence, Greg returned home to play for the North York Rangers and then eventually for Brampton, where UMass-Lowell spotted him.

Success at Lowell

Greg immediately hit his stride at Lowell, picking up points in five of his first seven games. He earned Hockey East’s first 1996-97 Rookie of the Week award for his two goals, including the game-winner, and two assists in a weekend series against Boston College.

“I was kind of surprised at the award,” he said, “but I’m not even thinking about that. I’m just here for the team and hope I can help the team every day.”

Size no longer concerns Greg, although, like most athletes, he still wants to get stronger. He now stands at 6-2, 195 pounds.

He still clings to the same hopes he held when he was 13 and speaking into Ken Dryden’s videocamera.

“Playing in the NHL is every kid’s dream,” he says now with a smile. “That’s still definitely one of my main goals.”

Greg Koehler has proven his doubters wrong before. He just might do it again.

This Week in the ECAC: November 15, 1996

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The first full weekend of ECAC action was an unpredictable one. Action abounded across the conference, with upsets including RPI’s stunning 4-2 victory over then-No. 1 Vermont, and Yale 5-2 over Clarkson.

Three teams managed a sweep of their opponents; they currently sit atop the ECAC standings.

Pos School ECAC Record Pts

1 Colgate 2-0-0 4 Cornell 2-0-0 4 Rensselaer 2-0-0 4 4 Clarkson 1-1-0 2 Princeton 1-1-0 2 St. Lawrence 1-1-0 2 Union 1-1-0 2 Vermont 1-1-0 2 Yale 1-1-0 2 Harvard 1-2-0 2 11 Dartmouth 0-2-0 0 Brown 0-3-0 0

This weekend the action continues — there are no non-ECAC opponents on the docket for any of the 12 teams.

Dartmouth (1-2-0, 0-2-0 ECAC) & No. 3 Vermont (5-1-0, 1-1-0 ECAC) at No. 10 Colgate (5-1-0, 2-0-0 ECAC) Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 7:00 p.m., Starr Rink, Hamilton, NY

No. 3 Vermont (5-1-0, 1-1-0 ECAC) & Dartmouth (1-2-0, 0-2-0 ECAC) at Cornell (2-0-0, 2-0-0 ECAC) Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 7:00 p.m., Lynah Rink, Ithaca, NY

Dartmouth lost their opening games on the ECAC schedule to Union and RPI, 7-3 and 5-4. One of the keys to the losses was the Big Green’s inability to stay out of the penalty box. Union was 3-of-9 on the power play, and RPI 2-of-8. At the same time, Dartmouth had a hard time scoring on their own man advantages. A 3-of-13 weekend included no goals on three separate 5-on-3 power plays against Union.

Curtis Wilgosh, Jon Sturgis, and Bill Kelleher netted their first goals of the year for the Big Green. Scott Baker made a total of 59 saves on the weekend, but gave up 12 goals for an .831 save percentage.

Vermont’s reign as number one lasted exactly one game. Upset by the Engineers of RPI, and then pushed to the limit by the Union Dutchmen, the Catamounts were reeling after the weekend.

"We’ve got a lot of work to do to get as good as we were last year," said UVM head coach Mike Gilligan. "Things that we haven’t done well all season consistently caught us."

The French Connection with American Protection line went scoreless on the weekend. Tim Thomas was off his game on Friday, but rebounded with 43 saves against Union in earning his ninth career shutout.

Cornell and Colgate swept Harvard and Brown in their ECAC openers with impressive victories. Cornell is the only perfect team left in Division I, with a record of 2-0-0. Jason Elliot is once again the premier man in the nets as he made 59 saves over two games and won both with some spectacular saves.

Expect a healthy Ryan Smart this weekend. He returned last weekend, but was not at full strength. He should be almost 100% this time. Freshman Ryan Moynihan has been impressiv, with four points against the Ivy League rivals. Darren Tymschyshyn has also caught the eye this season, as the UIC transfer has made an impact.

Colgate is running on all cylinders so far. At 6-1, they have faced some stiff competition and their premier players are still at it. Mike Harder added five points (two goals, three assists) to make his ECAC-leading total of 16. Dave DeBusschere is not far behind at 14 points, adding two goals and one assist on the weekend.

Dan Brenzavich continues to keep Colgate in the close games, as evidenced in Cambridge (24 saves) and Providence.

PICKS:

Dartmouth at Colgate: Colgate’s offensive power is highly respected. The Big Green have had trouble staying out of the penalty box, but if they can, they have a great chance. Even if they don’t, Harder and DeBusschere are too much for Dartmouth. Colgate 8, Dartmouth 3

Vermont at Cornell: An early-season ECAC Game of the Year candidate. Cornell has started where they left off last year, and this past weekend will leave doubts in the Catamounts’ minds. Cornell is not as gifted in the forward position as they were last year (see Chartrand, Brad). Can the French Connection be held scoreless for a third straight game? The last two games in this series ended in 2-2 ties, and Cornell has not lost to UVM since February of 1994. Tough, tough one here. Let’s call it a draw — in fact, let’s call it the same score as both games last year. Cornell 2, Vermont 2

Dartmouth at Cornell: Dartmouth looks to avoid a season-opening four-game losing streak, which they had last year. Again, the special teams will play a huge role, as Cornell burned Brown for three power-play goals on four chances in one period alone. Cornell is too much as Dartmouth gets blown away again. Cornell 7, Dartmouth 3

Vermont at Colgate: Another potential showstopper. This is going to be a real blitzkrieg if talent on paper translates to the ice. With great scoring power on both ends, the difference will be the goaltenders: Tim Thomas vs. Dan Brenzavich. Colgate falls for the first time in the ECAC on the strength of All-Everything Thomas. Vermont 5, Colgate 3

Harvard (1-2-0, 1-2-0 ECAC) & Brown(0-3-0, 0-3-0 ECAC) at Yale (1-1-0, 1-1-0 ECAC) Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 7:00 p.m., Ingalls Rink, New Haven, CT

Brown (0-3-0, 0-3-0 ECAC) & Harvard (1-2-0, 1-2-0 ECAC) at Princeton (2-1-0,1-1-0 ECAC) Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 7:00 p.m., Baker Rink, Princeton, NJ

It’s an Ivy weekend for these teams, with key games all around.

Harvard was without Henry Higdon and Ethan Philpott last weekend, but both are due back before Friday. Rob Millar continues to pick up the scoring slack — he registered two goals last weekend.

Harvard is trying a new defensive philosophy this season. It has worked to an extent, as the Crimson held Colgate and Cornell to five combined goals. The key has been the net play of freshman J.R. Prestifilippo, whose 34 saves against the Red Raiders and 27 against the Big Red helped keep the Crimson in the game.

The Bears of Brown were starting to click this weekend. Faults still remain on D, especially in the penalty kill. They gave up three power-play g oals on four attempts to Colgate in the second period last weekend. Jeff Holowaty tried to keep them in the games, as he stood on his head with 30+ saves each night.

Jade Kersey headed the offense last weekend with a goal and two assists, and freshman Dustin Sventy got his first goal, as well as an assist.

The Bulldogs lost at St. Lawrence 7-3, and then pulled the upset of Saturday night as they defeated Clarkson 5-2. ECAC All-Rookie Team member Alex Westlund came in to relieve Dan Choquette in Friday’s game and made 16 saves for half the game. He then turned back 31 shots in the win against Clarkson.

A young Yale team saw their forwards start scoring as junior Geoff Kufta put two goals and an assist on the board at Cheel Arena. Sophomore John Chyz also had two goals and an assist on the weekend, and Jeff Hamilton and Keith McCullough had three assists each.

Don Cahoon’s Princeton Tigers lost their ECAC opener to Clarkson 5-2, and then defeated St. Lawrence 4-3. The goaltending is a two-headed affair, as Erasmo Saltarelli played Friday and Nick Rankin Saturday.

On offense, the Tigers saw scoring from Mike Bois (1g), Jean Verdon (1g-1a), and Joey Pelle (2g). On defense, Around the Rinks host Adam Wodon likes what he has seen from Steve Shirreffs, as well as some of the freshmen on the blueline, especially Dominique Auger.

PICKS:

Brown at Princeton: This game could be pivotal, as two teams predicted to be in the middle of the pack fight it out. Both teams are showing promise and are continuing to try to find the right mix. It will come down to who makes the fewer mistakes on defense. Princeton 4, Brown 3

Harvard at Yale: Will the offense come around for the Crimson? The defense has. Was Yale’s win over Clarkson a fluke, or can they sustain that defensive pressure? This game will tell a lot about both teams. Whoever gets the offense going first will win. Harvard 5, Yale 3

Harvard at Princeton: Again, it will come down to defense in this game. Harvard has more offensive talent on paper, but once again they have to prove it. They will here. Harvard 4, Princeton 3

Brown at Yale: The surprise here might be an offensive explosion. It’s just a hunch, but there will be some scoring in this game. Brown gets untracked offensively in this one. Brown 7 Yale 6

We now turn our attention to games in which travel partners face each other. These games are usually the most heated because of the proximity of the two teams. The fans are usually the most intense ones, and have grown to hate each other. We have three such games this weekend.

Clarkson (3-3-0, 1-1-0 ECAC) at St. Lawrence (1-5-0, 1-1-0 ECAC) Saturday 7:00 p.m., Appleton Arena, Canton, NY

Potsdam and Canton are 10 miles apart on the map. Clarkson is a technological school — St. Lawrence a liberal-arts school. Clarkson has a relatively new arena — St. Lawrence plays in a rustic barn. One more thing: the two schools place a lot on this rivalry.

"It’s one of the best rivalries," said Clarkson head coach Mark Morris. "The proximity of Potsdam and Canton creates a lot of pride."

The communities also play a large part. "Beating St. Lawrence is one of the keys to a successful season in the eyes of the community [Potsdam]," Morris said.

Rivalries such as these produce a raised level of play, "regardless of the team records or which team is superior," said Morris. "They step it up without question; it’s a real intense game."

It should be intense as both teams split their opening ECAC series this past weekend. Clarkson defeated Princeton 5-2, then dropped one to Yale 5-2. As for St. Lawrence, they posted their first win of the season with a 7-3 decision over Yale, and then lost the back end to Princeton 4-3.

Clarkson’s victory over Princeton was the Todd White show, as he tallied two goals and an assist. But the loss to Yale confounded many. Yale held White to one assist, and chased freshman golatender Christian Marois halfway through the game in his first start. Expect to see Dan Murphy in the nets again as he made 30 saves on Friday, and 17 saves on Saturday in the relief effort.

St. Lawrence got their first victory of the season over Yale, a relief for many Saint fans. Paul DiFrancesco put four points on the board (two goals, two assists), giving him 100 in his career. Joel Prpic and Derek McLaughlin scored their first goals of the year. Princeton solved the Saints on Saturday. Eric Heffler, the walk-on, started both games, and made 23 and 26 saves in the two games. Expect him to continue playing.

PICK: Both teams are a mystery right now. Clarkson started off strong, got swept by Denver, and then lost to Yale. St. Lawrence is still searching for answers. Now, both teams need a big win to get them headed in the right direction. Clarkson seems to have more of it together, so that’s the pick. Clarkson 6, St. Lawrence 3

RPI (4-1-0, 2-0-0 ECAC) vs. Union (2-3-0, 1-1-0 ECAC) Saturday 7:00 p.m., Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY (non-conference)

RPI pulled off the shocker of the young college hockey season last week with a 4-2 victory over Vermont at Gutterson Fieldhouse. They did it with teamwork, and by stopping Perrin and St. Louis. "This was a team effort," said head coach Dan Fridgen. "The key was holding their top line down. They are pretty deadly. Our game plan was to take away their space in the neutral zone."

RPI also got by a pesky Dartmouth team 5-4, about which Fridgen added, "It turned out to be a great weekend instead of a good one."

The Engineers had a great weekend from sophomore Danny Riva (2-1–3), including the game-winner at UVM, and junior Eric Healey (1-3–4). Sophomore Matt Garver also had a nice offensive weekend with one goal and two assists, but will be lost for a while due to a separated right shoulder sustained against Dartmouth.

Union also defeated the Big Green with a four-goal third period, 7-3. The Dutchmen then took it to Vermont the next evening, losing by a score of 1-0.

The story so far for the Dutchmen has been goaltender Trevor Koenig. Koenig had 43 saves against Dartmouth and 27 against Vermont. On the season, Koenig has been simply spectacular, allowing only ten goals in his five games. He has a GAA of 2.01, and a save percentage of .932.

John Sicinski continues to tally goals; he put in two more this weekend for six on the year. Mark Szucs also got his first two of the year, as did Jay Prentice.

The matchup this Saturday is labeled the "Capital Skate Classic." Both teams and the Capital District community have wanted this game for a long time, but neither team wanted to give up a home date. A non-conference game was the solution, and the Classic is now upon us.

Both coaches praised the other team. "You’ll see two teams right now that have good confidence," said Union head coach Stan Moore. Fridgen added, "They’re a good, hardworking team, and Stan has brought some life into that program."

PICK: Despite the kind words from the coaches, these two teams despise each other, as do their fans. That’s how it’ll be on the ice: a matchup of two good goaltenders, sound defense, and offensive chances. Should be a good one, and RPI has more offensive power. RPI 4, Union 3

Brown (0-3-0, 0-3-0 ECAC) at Harvard (1-2-0, 1-2-0 ECAC) Tuesday 7:30 p.m., Bright Hockey Center, Cambridge, MA

A rematch of the first ECAC game this season, which Harvard won, 5-3. With a couple more games under their belts, they should play more smoothly.

Both teams are previewed above.

PICK: This game will resemble the first one. Who has gotten it together the fastest at this point? It’s still tough to say, but the Crimson forwards should be the difference. It’s a Harvard sweep on the season. Harvard 4, Brown 2

ECAC action continues next weekend, with key games including the renewal of the tech-schools rivalry in Troy. On next week’s ECAC schedule:

Friday, November 22:

Clarkson @ Rensselaer St. Lawrence @ Union Colgate @ Princeton Cornell @ Yale Vermont @ Dartmouth Brown @ Michigan

Saturday, November 23:

Clarkson @ Union St. Lawrence @ Rensselaer Cornell @ Princeton Colgate @ Yale Brown @ Michigan

Sunday, November 24:

UMass-Amherst @ Vermont

Tuesday, November 26:

Yale @ Princeton Harvard @ Boston U.

Jayson Moy is the ECAC Correspondent for US College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Jayson Moy . All Rights Reserved.

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This Week in the WCHA: November 15, 1996

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And the race is on.

The WCHA looks like a dogfight with four teams within two points of the lead, as the standings tightened after Minnesota swept previously-undefeated North Dakota last weekend. There are plenty of interesting matchups this weekend, which means that things could look very different by Monday.

Here’s a look at this weekend’s games.

Wisconsin (5-3-0, 5-3-0 WCHA) at Colorado College (5-3-0, 5-3-0 WCHA) Saturday, 2:05 MT, Sunday, 1:05 MT, Cadet Ice Arena, Air Force Academy, CO

Both of these teams are high, coming off weekend sweeps. They are tied for second in the standings, making this one the featured series in the WCHA this weekend.

The Badgers have been a pleasant surprise to their fans with early-season success. Not many expected the Badgers to do as well as they have to date. Wisconsin looked good last weekend without one of their top players, Erik Raygor, who has scheduled knee surgery. That news didn’t stop the Badgers; in fact, it probably helped motivate them. Can they continue that momentum this weekend? Brad Engelhart scored the hat trick last Friday — he needs another strong performance to help the Badgers stay on a roll.

Colorado College also enjoyed a big weekend, sweeping rival DU. Darren Clark (5-3–8) led CC with his best-ever weekend, finishing with three goals and two assists. Brian Swanson (3-6–9) is the Tigers’ leading scorer. Judd Lambert (3-3-0, 3.15 GAA, .878 SV%) and Jason Cugnet (2-0-0, 2.21 GAA, .912 SV%) each got a win between the pipes. Playing at home, where they are 2-1-0, will help the Tigers this weekend.

ELMO Picks: CC sweeps, 4-2 and 5-1.

Alaska-Anchorage (3-3-0, 1-3-0 WCHA) at Denver (3-5-0, 1-5-0 WCHA) Friday-Saturday, 7:05 MT, Denver University Arena, Denver, CO

Denver lost twice last weekend while Alaska-Anchorage did not play. The bottom two teams in the WCHA standings meet this weekend to see who can rise from the cellar.

This will be the first time that new UAA coach Dean Talafous takes his team on a long road trip. How will travel affect the players? Perhaps it will pull them together and make them play well. Or maybe they’ll have too many distractions and won’t get organized. Whichever the case, they will have to be at the top of their game to beat the Pioneers this weekend. Stacy Prevost (3-5–8) is the offensive leader while Doug Tesky (2-1-0, 2.01 GAA, .928 SV%) is the top netminder.

Coach George Gwozdecky’s Pioneers started the 1996-97 season where they left off last year, which is a big surprise for all. Coaches, media and fans were certain the Pioneers would be one of the top teams in the WCHA this year. But nothing has gone right for Denver: scorers aren’t scoring, the defense has allowed too many opportunities and the goalies have not been able to keep the team in games. Something must improve, and soon, or the Pioneers will be staring up from the huge hole they’ve dug.

ELMO Picks: Denver improves and wins twice, 4-2, 3-1.

Northern Michigan (2-7-1, 2-6-0 WCHA) at Minnesota-Duluth (4-3-1, 3-2-1 WCHA) Friday-Saturday, 7:05 CT, Duluth Entertainment & Convention Center, Duluth, MN

Northern Michigan lost twice last weekend. Minnesota-Duluth split. So these teams look to rebound in this series in Duluth. Three points separate the teams in the standings, so a big weekend by the Wildcats would improve their placing.

NMU has lost five straight WCHA games and wants to stop the bleeding. In 10 games this year, the Wildcats have scored just 21 goals. Bud Smith (4-5–9), Roger Trudeau (4-0–4) and Curtis Sheptak (1-7–8) have performed well. Dieter Kochan (2-7-1, 3.97 GAA, .894 SV%) has played all but one minute in goal, and has kept his team in almost every game.

UMD earned just one point at St. Cloud State last weekend, and looks forward to returning home to play in front of a friendly crowd. The Bulldogs scored just three goals and must do better in the offensive zone. And with players like Mike Peluso (6-3–9), Mike Dzikowski (2-6–8) and Brad Federenko (4-4–8), they should do better.

ELMO Picks: UMD sweeps, 5-1, 6-3.

St. Cloud State (5-2-1, 3-2-1 WCHA) at North Dakota (6-2-0, 6-2-0 WCHA) Friday-Saturday, 7:35 CT, Engelstad Arena, Grand Forks, ND

St. Cloud State played inspired hockey last weekend while North Dakota was brought back to earth by Minnesota. This combination will set up a big weekend in Grand Forks.

SCSU turned up its game and got great results. Coach Craig Dahl would like nothing better than to keep his team on top of its game and playing well. Matt Cullen (4-9–13) is having an all-star season so far. Sacha Molin (6-4–10) leads the team in goals. In all, 12 players have scored goals for St. Cloud, and 15 have at least one point. Goalies Brian Leitza (3-1-0, 2.76 GAA, .919 SV%) and Tim Lideen (2-1-1, 2.78 GAA, .907 SV%) have been mainstays.

UND ran into a desperate hockey club last weekend and got beat. But that only means the Fighting Sioux will have to regroup this week in practice and get ready to play hard this weekend. Dave Hoogsteen (6-7–13) is the UND points leader, and he plays better all the time. Jason Blake (5-4–9) is second in scoring. Toby Kvalevog, despite getting peppered by the Gophers last weekend, is still the main stopper in goal.

ELMO Picks: UND gets back with a sweep, 5-3, 5-4.

Michigan Tech (5-4-0, 2-4-0 WCHA) at Minnesota (5-3-0, 5-3-0 WCHA) Saturday-Sunday, 1:05 CT, Mariucci Arena, Minneapolis, MN

This Saturday-Sunday afternoon series will be a fun one for fans.

Both teams are playing well. Michigan Tech had last weekend off, and should be well-rested and ready to put together a big effort. The Huskies have played very well defensively thus far, and that part of their game must be at its best this weekend. Goalie Luciano Caravaggio (4-1-0, 2.33 GAA, .933 SV%) will have to have a hot hand and offensively the Huskies will need every scoring opportunity.

Minnesota swept league-leading North Dakota last weekend. Now, to prove that they’re a good hockey team, they have to forget that success and focus on upcoming games. Casey Hankinson (6-6–12), the league’s offensive Player of the Week, will need another good weekend. Goalie Steve DeBus (5-3-0, 3.14 GAA, .895 SV%) had a decent weekend against UND, despite giving up some soft goals on Saturday.

ELMO Picks: A split. UM 4-2, MTU 4-3.

CORRECTION: Colorado College’s 28-game undefeated streak was in games at Air Force Academy Arena, and not against St. Cloud State University as was reported in last week’s WCHA Previews.

Next Week in the WCHA Friday, Nov. 22 North Dakota at Alaska-Anchorage Denver at Michigan Tech Minnesota at Northern Michigan Minnesota-Duluth at Wisconsin Saturday, Nov. 23 North Dakota at Alaska-Anchorage Denver at Michigan Tech Minnesota at Northern Michigan Minnesota-Duluth at Wisconsin

Jim Thies is the WCHA Correspondent for U.S. College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Jim Thies . All Rights Reserved.

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This Week in Hockey East: November 15, 1996

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Northeastern provided the headlines last week.

The Huskies stunned 10th-ranked Maine, taking three of four points in Orono. Given little chance after being abused by New Hampshire 7-3 and 9-4 the previous week, Northeastern rode goalie Marc Robitaille’s 42- and 38-save performances to a 2-2 tie and 4-3 win.

Ironically, Northeastern boasts a 2-0-1 record when going against a team in the top ten, but they’ve dropped all three contests they’ve played against lesser-ranked foes. That could bode well for the Huskies since they face second-ranked Boston University this week. Then again, it could also be a meaningless statistic culled by a Get-A-Lifer with too much time on his hands.

Last week’s record in picks: 6-3 (Rensselaer vs. UMass-Lowell pending) Season record in picks: 27-12

Northeastern (2-3-1, 1-2-1 HE) vs. No. 2 Boston University (5-1-0, 4-0-0 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Matthews Arena, Boston, MA NESN Saturday, 7 p.m., Walter Brown Arena, Boston, MA

Last weekend’s home-and-home series with Providence began predictably for Boston University but ended anything but. The Friday night game, a typical close-to-the-vest affair with the Friars, stood 2-1 BU going into the third. Tom Noble had made numerous big stops early. The Terriers then scored two third period goals to seal the win.

Saturday night’s contest in Providence, however, defined the term "unexpected."

"I thought it was going to be another 2-1 or 3-1 game like last night," said Chris Drury after BU’s 8-6 win. Instead the game featured Drury’s career-high five points, a clear 75-foot shot that eluded All-Hockey East goalie Dan Dennis, and a record-setting 56 third period penalty minutes for the Terriers.

Game disqualifications to Shane Johnson and Brendan Walsh resulted from a fracas during the post-game handshake and will prove the toughest to swallow. Johnson and Walsh must sit out Friday’s game.

"Brendan Walsh has been playing very well," said coach Jack Parker, "and Shane Johnson is one of our best defensemen. But the one place where we do have some depth is on defense, so we should be okay there.

"I am very concerned about our power play," he said. BU netted only two man-advantage goals in 14 weekend opportunities. "We haven’t been very sharp on it since the first game of the season."

On the plus side, Tom Poti impressed despite a rough second period on Friday night.

"Poti is a tremendous player," said opposing coach Paul Pooley. "Plus Bates and Drury. They’ve got three game-breakers that you’ve got to control." Rarely is a rookie defenseman with only six games under his belt called a game-breaker, but in Poti’s case the term is apt.

Northeastern’s Marc Robitaille has earned the term game-breaker himself, breaking Black Bear hearts with his performance in the nets last weekend. Hockey East named him Rookie of the Week for his feats.

"Any time you get any points in Orono you’re happy," said coach Bruce Crowder. "To take three out of four was exceptional, especially considering the way we played against New Hampshire the weekend before. We definitely got some good goaltending from Marc Robitaille.

"I said at the beginning of the season," said Crowder, "that we had the toughest start of anybody with two games each against UNH, Maine, and BU. We’re a young team and we’re getting better. But against BU we’re going to have to eliminate even more of our mistakes."

Will Northeastern’s success against top ten teams continue against BU? Don’t count on it.

PICK: BU 4-2 on Friday and 5-1 on Saturday.

Maine (4-2-1, 0-1-1 HE) at No. 9 New Hampshire (5-2-0, 4-0-0 HE) Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., Whittemore Center, Durham, NH

"Brian LaRochelle should be delighted to hear we’re coming," said Maine coach Greg Cronin. "In four of our seven games the opposing goaltender has been named the Star of the Game. We’re great for a goaltender’s save percentage. It’s almost comical.

"Someone asked me what we should do to improve our goal scoring," Cronin continued, warming up to the subject. "I said we should put a bucket of pucks in the slot and see if we can shoot them into the open net. Right now I’m not sure that I’d like our chances. I guess you could say we’re a little snakebit."

Northeastern goaltender Marc Robitaille stole a point in the opening game, giving up only two power-play goals while facing 44 shots. He outdueled fellow rookie Alfie Michaud again in the second game, turning a 41-23 shot disadvantage into a 4-3 win.

"This weekend we actually played two of our best games of the year," said Cronin. "That sounds stupid, but we doubled them in shots, attempts, and Grade A opportunities. I’m not taking anything away from Northeastern. They played hard and their goaltender was exceptional. But we also beat ourselves. We took 85 shots in two games and only scored five goals. If we keep up those kind of percentages, it’s going to be a long year."

Cronin looked ahead to this weekend, concerned about UNH’s offense.

"Northeastern had 25 Grade A opportunities in two games. With UNH’s firepower, they’re likely to get that many in one night. We’ve got to try to limit those opportunities and play a tight defensive game. And we’ll need better goaltending from Alfie Michaud."

New Hampshire also ran into hot goaltending and one-goal games, but emerged from the weekend with two W’s. Rich Moriarty almost pulled one out for the Minutemen on Friday night. The Wildcats outshot UMass-Amherst 41-19 but could only get a Mark Mowers power-play goal past Moriarty.

"Overall we played well," said coach Dick Umile. "We created plenty of scoring opportunities, did the little things, and shut them out. Moriarty was terrific. He almost made the difference."

On Saturday, UNH built a 4-1 lead in the second, only to watch the Minutemen come back and force an overtime. The Wildcats averted disaster, however, pulling out a 5-4 win.

Now they face a Black Bear squad still smarting from a loss and a tie at home to Northeastern.

"Greg Cronin has done a terrific job," said Umile. "Maine has certainly lost some people, but they’re always in games. They have similar lines. They play hard and tough. It should be a good series."

Before Maine’s struggles with Northeastern, this series had split written all over it. Now, who knows? Flip the mental coin and it turns up…

PICK: Maine 4-3 on Friday. New Hampshire 3-2 on Saturday.

Providence (3-4-0, 2-2-0 HE) vs. Boston College (3-3-0, 1-1-0 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill, MA Saturday, 7 p.m., Schneider Arena, Providence, RI

Providence College dropped their fourth straight, getting swept by BU 4-1 and 8-6.

"I’m not concerned at all," said coach Paul Pooley. "I don’t even think about it. We’ve shown we can play. We just need to learn how to win."

The second of the two losses to BU proved especially frustrating. It marked only the second time in Pooley’s two-plus years that the Friars would lose a game they scored six or more goals in.

"I thought we played a great game," said Paul Pooley. "If it wasn’t for goaltending, it wouldn’t have been an 8-6 game."

Pooley yanked Dennis after a bad goal put the Friars down 3-1 after one. But when replacement Mark Kane gave up a soft one himself — an unobstructed shot from the point — Pooley sent Dennis back in. BU’s Jon Coleman promptly beat Dennis from close to the red line.

"Danny bailed us out a lot last year," said Pooley. "Hey, he had one off night. Big deal."

The positive news is that the young defensemen who seem to hold PC’s fortunes in their hands are developing well.

"Ialongo and MacNevin are playing solid for the most part," said Pooley. "They’re learning to play against guys like Bates and Drury."

Meanwhile, Boston College hosted a Notre Dame squad that had been raising eyebrows around the CCHA. But BC dominated them thoroughly, outshooting them 32-17 on the way to a 6-1 win.

"I thought we were solid in all three zones," said coach Jerry York. "We finished our chances in the offensive zone, checked extremely well in our own end, allowing few chances against Greg Taylor, and played really strong in the neutral zone."

On the downside, BC’s power play continued to struggle, going 0-for-7. Except for a one game power-play explosion against UMass-Lowell, the Eagles have tallied only a single man-advantage goal all season. However, the first power-play unit consists entirely of teenagers: 19-year old Marty Reasoner and BC’s four 18-year old freshmen. The unit has talent and should produce consistently by midseason.

"Providence always gives opponents trouble with their tight checking," noted York. "Over the last couple years they’ve had great goaltending with Bob Bell and Dan Dennis. This has become a heated rivalry. We’d like to make atonement for them knocking us out of the playoffs last year."

Goaltending and special teams should decide the winner in this tightly matched series. Dan Dennis should get back on track in time to gain a split for the Friars.

PICK: Boston College 3-2 on Friday. Providence wins at home, 4-2.

UMass-Amherst (1-5-0, 1-5-0 HE) vs. Merrimack (2-4-0, 1-3-0 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Volpe Complex, North Andover, MA Saturday, 7 p.m., Mullins Center, Amherst, MA

"We played one of the best teams in our league very close," said UMass coach Joe Mallen. "We lost a 1-0 game on Friday and then we worked really hard in the second game to come back from a three goal deficit only to lose in overtime. You can’t get much closer than that. But they were still losses. Even so, I saw a lot of improvement in our team."

Rich Moriarty stood on his head in the Friday night game, stopping 40 out of 41 shots. Only a Mark Mowers rebound goal on the power play eluded him.

After four games against BU and UNH, the league’s top two teams, the Minutemen look to pick up some points against Merrimack, another team that has started slowly.

"They have great team speed," said Mallen. "And whenever you play them, especially at Merrimack, it’s a battle. They’re coming off a big win over UMass-Lowell. It could really be a tossup who’ll come out on top. That’s how competitive it is in this league."

Merrimack split its series with Lowell, losing 6-3 before winning 6-2 at home.

"We actually played better on Friday when we lost than on Saturday," said coach Ron Anderson. "We just got some bounces on Saturday and did a better job of putting the puck in the net. Our goaltending was also very good."

Eric Thibeault, who has been in Martin Legault’s shadow for much of his Merrimack career, got the win. He now leads the league in both goaltender categories, boasting a league-leading 2.36 goals against average and a .931 save percentage.

Much-heralded rookie Jayson Philbin has begun to make an impact with his "smashmouth" style. Invisible early in the season, Philbin scored two goals against Lowell. In John Jakopin’s absence on Saturday, he skated wing on the top line with Casey Kesselring and Rob Beck.

"It’s only been six games," said Anderson, "but Jayson is starting to become productive numberwise and the player we projected him to be when we recruited him."

The Warriors now face UMass-Amherst.

"They beat us three times last year," said Anderson. "So they’re setting their sights on us this weekend. It should be a hard, aggressive series between two teams battling it out for respectability."

John Jakopin and Joe Savioli are day-to-day, while Sandy Cohen, Chris Halecki, and Ryan Guzior are not expected to play this weekend.

PICK: Merrimack 4-3 and 3-2.

UMass-Lowell (3-3-0, 3-3-0 HE) at Army (4-5-0, 2-5-0 vs. Division I) Saturday, 7 p.m., Tate Rink, West Point, NY

UMass-Lowell split a home-and-home series with Merrimack last week, taking a 6-3 win at home before dropping the back end 6-2. Preseason All-Hockey East goaltender Martin Fillion returned from a team suspension to play both nights.

"He’s been just dying to play," said coach Tim Whitehead after Fillion’s strong play in the Friday night win. "And he did a great job. I’m really happy for him."

"It took about a period and a half to get the nervousness out of my system," said Fillion. "But things went smoothly after that. I felt I was back to where I was last year. It’s going to be fun now."

Neil Donovan tallied two goals and three assists in the win. He also made a terrific defensive play on a Merrimack two-on-one to probably save a goal with the score 3-2.

"From the first day Neil has been doing all the little things that don’t show up on the score sheet," said Whitehead. "So it was nice to see him get the reward for his hard work. I’m very proud of all the upperclassmen. They deserve an A plus.

"We’re younger this year," continued Whitehead, "so there’s also the opportunity for players to increase their role and get more ice time. Guys like Doug Nolan are taking advantage of that."

Lowell dropped the second game of the series despite outshooting the Warriors 37-30.

Army opened the season with a surprising 6-4 win over Minnesota-Duluth. They then lost four straight to Division I teams before splitting last weekend with fellow D-I Independent Mankato State.

Goaltender Daryl Chamberlain figures prominently in Army’s success. Last year he posted a 2.30 goals against average with a .907 save percentage. He hasn’t matched those statistics so far this year, but Army has also faced stiffer competition than usual.

Army’s blue line features experience with seniors Leif Hansen and team captain Mike Opdenaker along with juniors Darren Clapprood and Anthony Felice.

Leading returning scorer Andy Lundbohm came back from a wrist injury last weekend and promptly picked up four points in the two Mankato State games. Lundbohm, a sophomore, plays on a line with seniors Bill Morrison and Frank Fede. Joe Sharrock, Greg Buckmeier, and Chuck Sawicky provide most of the remaining Cadet offense.

UMass-Lowell has posted a 3-0 record in Friday night games and an 0-3 one on Saturdays. This is a Saturday game. Meaningless statistic or omen?

They have also split all three weekends they’ve played. Since this is the only game they play this weekend, what does that mean? A tie?

Forget the nonsense. This one goes Lowell’s way.

PICK: UMass-Lowell 6-2.

Dave Hendrickson is the Hockey East Correspondent for U.S. College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Dave Hendrickson . All Rights Reserved.

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This Week in the CCHA: November 15, 1996

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by Paula C. Weston

Although it’s too early to say for certain, CCHA fans may be witnessing the end of the unofficial "two tiers" in the CCHA. For several seasons, the first tier consisted primarily of Michigan, Michigan State, Bowling Green, and (more recently) Lake Superior State and Western Michigan. The rest of the CCHA teams have languished in the second tier, each fighting the other for the privilege of being beaten by first-tier teams in the playoffs.

At the start of this week’s action, Miami is undefeated in CCHA play, and alone at the top of the standings, yet only ranked eighth in this week’s Around the Rinks/USCHO poll. While Michigan and Michigan State are tied for second in the CCHA, Notre Dame is close behind, followed by Lake Superior State, Ohio State, and Bowling Green. Yes, that’s Ohio State ahead of Bowling Green in the standings — for now.

The three teams at the bottom, each with one CCHA win, are Western Michigan, Ferris State and Alaska-Fairbanks. While the latter two teams in this hockey heap may stay there for some time, look for some interesting movement in the middle of the standings. Each team — including the once-lowly Buckeyes — can contend with the rest of this field.

Michigan State (6-3-0, 5-1-0 CCHA) at Michigan (8-1-0, 5-1-0 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., Yost Arena, Ann Arbor, MI

On paper, there’s no better matchup in all of college hockey this weekend than Friday’s Michigan State-Michigan game. The teams are tied for second place in the CCHA; each team is 5-1-0 in conference play, and the rivals boast nearly identical numbers in the goals-for and goals-against categories (30-17 and 32-18, respectively). The teams also feature similar power play statistics. So why isn’t this the best matchup in all of college hockey this weekend? Because Michigan travels to Bowling Green for a Steel Cage Grudge Rematch on Saturday.

But we get ahead of ourselves. Friday’s game at Yost should be a fine game. Michigan should come out on top, in spite of being short several players because of injury and disqualifications. Michigan players Bill Muckalt (right wing, junior), Jason Botterill (left wing, senior) and Bubba Berenzweig (defense, sophomore) were each given disqualifications for fighting toward the end of last Saturday’s game against Bowling Green in Yost. In addition, sophomore left winger Greg Crozier will be out indefinitely with a broken arm.

So who does that leave suited for Michigan? Brendan Morrison, Warren Luhning, Matt Herr, Mike Legg, John Madden, Marty Turco…you get the picture.

Obviously, home ice means more to Michigan than to any other team in the CCHA. With the National Championship banner swinging from the rafters and the fans of Section D wreaking havoc — or, do the fans swing while the banner…oh, never mind. The Wolverines will clearly have the adrenaline edge.

PICK: Michigan 5-4

Bowling Green (6-4-0, 2-4-0 CCHA) at Miami (7-2-0, 5-0-0 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., Goggin Arena, Oxford, OH

Miami is going to be very aggressive in its first game since receiving its national ranking. Sophomore center Randy Robitaille is hot for Miami, with 9 goals and 7 assists in 9 games this season. The goaltending duo of Trevor Prior and former UIC Flame Adam Lord have made it tough for opponents to score on this team-formerly-known-as-the-Redskins. Prior’s save percentage going into this weekend is .944, while Lord’s is .935. Miami has outscored its CCHA opponents 19-7.

Last week’s loss against Michigan hurt more than just Bowling Green’s pride. Three Falcons will be out for this game because of disqualifications: Todd Kelman (defense, senior), Dan Price (right wing, sophomore), and Kelly Perrault (defense, senior). In addition, two key Falcons suffered injuries that will keep them from playing; freshman winger Antti Ilvonen separated a shoulder, while senior left winger Brett Punchard broke an ankle.

The loss of Punchard is huge for Bowling Green. He was part of a nearly-indefensible line with senior center Curtis Fry and senior right winger Mike Johnson. With disqualifications and injuries, Bowling Green will be playing with untested lines and perhaps shaky confidence. This game should belong to Miami.

PICK: Miami 5-2

Michigan (8-1-0, 5-1-0 CCHA) at Bowling Green (6-4-0, 2-4-0 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., BGSU Arena, Bowling Green, OH

If you live within twelve hours’ driving distance of Bowling Green, this is a game you have to see live. These two teams were pretty darned mad at each other last weekend in Yost. Michigan won 4-1, and the crowd was chanting "four straight losses" — and there’s nothing to indicate that they won’t be as mad again. In addition to the normal hostilities, disqualified players from both teams — all the guys who got tossed when these teams met last week — will be back on the ice. Add into this mix the fact that Bowling Green just lost its top-ten ranking, and may very well have lost the night before to a newly ranked Miami team, and you’re in for the ride of the weekend.

Although each team will be down a man or two because of injuries, expect to see Bowling Green set back more than Michigan. Punchard’s contribution to the Falcon offense cannot be underestimated, and Bowling Green lacks the veteran depth that Michigan has.

Still, the BGSU Arena is almost as hostile a place for opponents to play as is Yost. The Falcons will play aggressively, but Michigan’s experience will prevail.

PICK: Michigan 5-3

Ohio State (2-7-0, 2-3-0 CCHA) at Lake Superior State (4-5-1, 2-2-0 CCHA) Friday & Saturday, 7 p.m., Taffy Abel Arena, Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Here are two teams battling for position in the middle of the pack. Each team has four points in CCHA play, but overall records show that the Lakers are a team more used to winning than are the Buckeyes.

As a matter of fact, Buckeye Coach John Markell said after last week’s victory over Ferris State that his team will have to become accustomed to winning if they are to claim more games. With nearly half of the Buckeye roster consisting of rookies, including two goaltenders, Ohio State has much adjusting to do before finding its feet. The veterans on this squad have never experienced a winning season at Ohio State. In contrast, the youngsters are not used to losing, having come from teams that were, to some degree, successful. It will take some time for this talented team to find a balance.

Lake Superior, on the other hand, is a team used to winning. However, they’re still adjusting to coaching changes and the loss of several key players. The Lakers have plenty of offensive talent, but no one seems to be stepping up. Three Lakers — junior center Bryan Fuss, sophomore right winger Jason Sessa, and junior left winger Joe Blaznek — lead the team with three goals apiece in CCHA play.

For the Buckeyes, assistant captain Chad Power, a senior wing, is the offensive player to watch. On a line with freshmen center Hugo Boisvert and right winger Eric Meloche, Power has come alive this season after seeing little play last year because of "attitude" problems. Still, despite being the leading scorer for the Buckeyes, Power has only 3 goals and 2 assists in CCHA play.

The Buckeyes will start Connerty in goal Friday night, and Aho in goal for Saturday’s non-conference game. Coach Markell also suggested that seldom-used players (senior center Jarrett Whidden, maybe?) will see time in Saturday’s game.

PICKS: Lake Superior 4-1 Friday; 3-3 tie Saturday

Michigan State (6-3-0, 5-1-0 CCHA) at Ferris State (4-6-1, 1-4-0 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., Ewigleben Arena, Big Rapids, MI

In spite of junior defenseman Andy Roach and senior left winger Gordy Hunt’s excellent play for Ferris this season, this game will be all Michigan State. Ferris State just doesn’t have the firepower at this point in the season to beat an outstanding Spartan defense. The Spartans are outscoring CCHA opponents 30-17, while the Bulldogs haven’t scored more than a dozen goals total in CCHA play this year.

Don’t expect the Spartans to lose again to an opponent they should clearly beat. After last Friday’s home loss to Alaska Fairbanks, Coach Ron Mason gave his team a little talk which junior center Sean Berens described as a "tongue-lashing." The Spartans handled the Nanooks easily Saturday, even with Nanook senior center Cody Bowtell’s successful penalty shot in the third.

PICK: Michigan State 5-0

Alaska Fairbanks (1-8-0, 1-6-0 CCHA) at Western Michigan (3-3-1, 1-3-1 CCHA) Friday & Saturday, 7 p.m., Lawson Arena, Kalamazoo, MI

Even though the overall records of these two teams indicate a distinct difference, Alaska Fairbanks proved last week that it has the ability to win tough road games, when the Nanooks beat the Spartans in East Lansing.

Still, the Broncos are better than their record indicates; surely, the loss of a single player — goaltender Marc Magliarditi — won’t cripple them for a whole season. After all, the Broncos were better than just one player last season, right? Right?

Western Michigan clearly has the defensive edge in this series. While only scoring 17 goals so far in CCHA play, the Broncos have kept opponents to just 20, which is to say the Broncos have been losing very close games. UAF has been outscored 31-19 this season; neither team looks particularly promising on offense.

Western’s senior right winger Justin Cardwell leads the team with eight points in league play (six goals, two assists). Behind him are a couple of players with seven points each, but no other Bronco has scored more than two goals. Nanook senior center Cody Bowtell has clearly come to play this season, with five goals and five assists in seven CCHA games. His situation is little better than Cardwell’s; several Nanook players have scored three goals.

These two teams should split a couple of low-scoring games.

PICKS: Friday, Western 3-2; Saturday, Alaska-Fairbanks 3-2

Ferris State (4-6-1, 1-4-0 CCHA) at Notre Dame (3-3-1, 2-2-1 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., Joyce ACC, South Bend, IN

This may be the upset game of the week. Maybe. Notre Dame has relied heavily this season on junior goaltender Matt Eisler, who has practically stood on his head in the net for the Fighting Irish. Eisler’s .914 conference save percentage is the sole reason that Notre Dame occupies the No. 4 spot in CCHA standings.

There’s little going on offensively for the Irish. Team point-leader Aniket Dhadphale has a total of six points in CCHA play. Senior defenseman Brian McCarthy scored the lone goal for Notre Dame as the Irish lost 6-1 at Boston College last week. Still, the Irish had just one game last weekend, and the Bulldogs have yet to play consistently. If Eisler plays well and the luck of the Irish prevails, Notre Dame should win.

PICK: Notre Dame 3-2

Mankato State (3-4-1, independent) at Notre Dame (3-3-1, 2-2-1 CCHA) Sunday, 2 p.m., Joyce ACC, South Bend, IN

If Notre Dame had trouble with Boston College last week, what will Mankato State bring to South Bend? A largely untested Mankato team has beaten Ferris State twice, but it’s also lost to Ferris, as well as to Michigan Tech and Army (think about it).

The Irish don’t have to travel for this one, and they’ll be relatively well-rested after a day off. Don’t bet against them.

PICK: Notre Dame 3-1

Western Michigan (3-3-1, 1-3-1 CCHA) at Ferris State (4-6-1, 1-4-0 CCHA) Tuesday, 7 p.m., Ewigleben Ice Arena, Big Rapids, MI

Both teams play a full weekend of hockey just two days before this game, and they’re duking it out for the rights to the CCHA basement. However, at this point in the season, Western has more of a chance of climbing out than does Ferris. With relatively little offense — remember, only 12 goals scored in CCHA play this season — Ferris will have trouble with the Broncos. This could be a no-point, three-game-long weekend for the Bulldogs.

PICK: Western Michigan 4-1

Paula Weston is the CCHA Correspondent for U.S. College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Paula C. Weston. All Rights Reserved.

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Face Off: Week 1

USCHO Staff Report
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Welcome to U.S. College Hockey Online’s roundtable discussion. Each week, various members of our staff take on a hockey topic. Sometimes serious, sometimes silly — but either way, watch the feathers fly: no punches will be pulled, and no quarter given, when these people face off.

Of the Four Major Conferences, Which is the Strongest This Season?

Tim Brule, USCHO Coordinator: Two conferences are up — the CCHA and the ECAC — and the other two down. The ECAC has struggled for national respect for the last few years, but last year each ECAC team went down fighting in the NCAA tournament. This year Vermont has jumped out to a sizzling start with wins over New Hampshire, Boston University, Miami and Lake Superior. This is the only team in the nation with three legitimate Hobey Baker candidates in Eric Perrin, Martin St. Louis and Tim Thomas. Clarkson returns a strong team lead by Todd White, and Colgate is a real sleeper. In the early season their power play has been on fire.

The CCHA is headed by Michigan and Michigan State. Michigan returns the whole enchilada: nine seniors led by Brendan Morrison and the Short-Handed Scoring Machine, John Madden. The big question with Michigan is the possibility of a letdown after last year’s unbelievable playoff run. As for the Spartans, this is not the year, but they will scare the &*?#$ out of several CCHA teams on the way to another NCAA tournament berth. The Spartans are young; their big guns are mostly underclassmen — Sean Berens, Mike Watt, Mike York. At this point in the season I am not sure where to put Bowling Green or Miami.

Top to bottom, the CCHA seems to have it all this year. With Illinois-Chicago gone the little guys are thinning out. Notre Dame is much improved, as Bowling Green learned the hard way. Last year the regular-season championship went down to the last weekend, and we’re in for more of the same this year. I would not be surprised to see two CCHA teams in Milwaukee.

The real question is, who wants to face the Cats first?

Mike Machnik, Special Projects: An age-old question rears its ugly head once again. I’ve seen too much college hockey over the years to think that anyone can easily come up with an answer to end this controversy once and for all. There are a myriad of criteria that can be used to justify ranking any of the conferences at the top, or at the bottom for that matter. Nonconference record, poll rankings, NCAA titles, NCAA appearances and so on, have all been used in the past by folks looking to advance the cause of their own conference. Usually it is more telling to examine the “facts” that they choose to ignore rather than the ones they trumpet as incontrovertible evidence.

As they say in the NFL, “On any given day….” A simple look at the results to date shows that this axiom is not limited to football. Rensselaer beat Northeastern, which beat Michigan State, which beat Michigan.

Just remember: there are lies, damn lies, and statistics, and statistics are the worst of the bunch. You can use them to make any case you want. With that in mind, my admittedly wishy-washy answer would be: none of them…and all of them.

Scott Brown, Assistant Editor: First off, let’s ask ourselves what this question really means. Rating a team is pretty simple, if inexact; you look at records, schedule strength, and so on. For an entire conference, though, it’s a little bit harder. The NCAA finds this out every year when it tries to pick tournament teams in basketball by ranking conferences.

But I’m willing to give it a shot anyway. The proper question is this: if every team in my conference played every team in your conference, who’d win more games? Now there’s a question we can answer — and the CCHA comes out on top.

The rap on the CCHA for years has gone something like this: sure, they’ve got a strong upper echelon — Michigan, Michigan State, Bowling Green, Lake State and maybe Western Michigan — but the rest of the league is pretty soft. Ohio State? Notre Dame? Football schools that wouldn’t know a slapshot from a drop pass. For Pete’s sake, it got so bad at Illinois-Chicago that the program disintegrated. A conference like that can’t be very good, can it?

Well, folks, look again. The Buckeyes and the Irish aren’t jokes any more, and Miami is in the top ten nationally — and perfect in the conference. Anybody, top to bottom, can beat anybody these days in the CCHA. Just look at Alaska-Fairbanks, which took out national power Michigan State in East Lansing last weekend, not two weeks after the Spartans dumped NCAA champion Michigan. This is the sign of a competitive conference — a strong league from top to bottom. The CCHA gets my vote.

Jayson Moy, ECAC Correspondent: There are two ways to answer this question, and they give different results.

Method one is top to bottom. Where is the strength for all the teams in the conference? That would be the WCHA. Colorado College is a perennial power these days, and you can’t forget about Minnesota. I thought Denver was not as strong, but they swept ECAC power Clarkson. Then there are surprises in Duluth, St. Cloud and North Dakota. That gives six strong teams in the conference. Let’s add Wisconsin, and don’t forget about Michigan Tech.

Method Two is a look at the best teams at the top. This one is a closer call. While the WCHA features several good teams, the strongest ones in the nation seem to come from the CCHA and the ECAC.

In the CCHA, you have the defending champions in Michigan, picked by many to repeat this season. Michigan State has shown fortitude early, and there is also Bowling Green. And Miami has been a huge surprise this season. Here we have four of the top teams in the nation.

In the ECAC, Vermont is now number three in the nation. Clarkson and Colgate are also among the nation’s best, with explosive offense and great golatending. Cornell, too, might be among the elite.

So if you take method one, you get the WCHA. Method two gives the CCHA or the ECAC.

On The Road

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Feel like traveling with your team as they move towards a berth at Lake Placid? Don’t know what to do while you travel? Don’t know what to look at in the arenas you visit? Don’t know what to do to kill time before the game starts? Don’t know where to eat? I’ll answer those questions for you in the next few pages.

I’ve been traveling with the RPI hockey team for five years now, and I’ve experienced every road trip in the Northeast. I’ve gotten to a point where I know where to eat, what not to eat, what to visit, where to stay, and what to avoid when you’re on the road. Come with me as I fill you in on things to do while traveling the ECAC road circuit.

The RPI-Union Trip

Let’s start somewhere I’m very familiar with — the Capital District of New York State. For those of you coming here in 1998 for the NCAA East Regional, keep this in mind.

Where to eat: Of course, there’s the usual selection of national outfits, but for food and drink, you definitely need a car at RPI (it’s a little better at Union). Check out the Troy Pub & Brewery: decent food, and one of the better microbreweries I have patronized. There’s also Famous Lunch in Troy — miniature hot dogs with chili and onions. My mouth is watering as I write this. [Editor’s note: Diligent readers may have noticed that bets between Mr. Moy and Hockey East writer Dave Hendrickson tend to be measured in Famous Lunch’s fare.] Then there are Sutter’s and the Eldorado, where wings and beer are the finest.

At Union is Geppeto’s, which is within walking distance. For those of you in the mood for a heart attack, try Morette’s on Erie Boulevard, about a mile from Achilles Rink — steak sandwiches like you’ve never had. There is also a great hot dog place across the street from Morette’s.

What to avoid: The chain restaurants. You can get that stuff anywhere. What you want is local color, or you wouldn’t be reading this. Right?

The Arenas: At the Fieldhouse, there really is no bad seat, unless you get stuck behind a pole in the corners. Wide open and airy, and if you look up towards the ceiling, you can see me by the WRPI sign. Go ahead, wave to me. If you want to beat the crowds to the game, come at least a half-hour early, and leave directly afterward.

At Achilles Rink, stake out what’s important first — the restrooms. There’s precisely one facility for men and women in the entire building. Also find the emergency exits; you’ll understand why once you’re there. There isn’t much else in the arena to explore.

The Vermont-Dartmouth Trip

One of the most beautiful car rides you can take — unless you’re in the middle of a snowstorm. Enjoyable and relaxing.

Where to Eat: At Vermont, downtown Burlington is nice, and you can get good food and drink. In particular, try the Vermont Brewery downtown. I haven’t run across a place yet that I didn’t enjoy.

At Dartmouth, there’s a little strip of stores and restaurants that one can enjoy. I like a place on the main drag called Molly’s Balloons.

What to do: Take the Ben & Jerry’s factory tour in Waterbury, a must as you travel I-89 to either school. I never miss it; it’s a great way to kill time, and you get free ice cream. There’s also the Catamount Brewery tour in White River Junction near Dartmouth. If you’ve ever been on Busch or Miller’s tour, you are in for an enlightenment.

The Arenas: At Gutterson, get there just as the doors open and watch the General Admission seating. Don’t blink — it’s a sight to behold. Also, watch how the crowd interacts with the band. The atmosphere here is amazing.

At Thompson Arena, a unique experience awaits. You can watch the game from almost every seat in the house. Just move every 30 seconds or so, and you will have covered the entire place. It’s unfortunate that this great arena does not enjoy larger crowds.

What to avoid: Wearing opposing colors in the G.A. section at the Cathouse. Also, falling asleep at Thompson Arena.

The Colgate-Cornell Trip

The Finger Lakes of New York: I never saw the ground during my first three years as an announcer. Why? Six-to-ten-foot-high snowdrifts. This can be a real hard trip in inclement weather, because it’s a lot of one-lane highways.

Where to eat: Cornell is great. Collegetown has a variety of establishments, and downtown Ithaca has a great selection of food. You can’t go wrong here.

At Colgate, make sure you eat before you go. There is the Colgate Inn, Burger King, and a Chinese takeout. You choose.

Things to do: If you want to take a chance, head to Turning Stone Casino. Check out the lakes and the countryside as well. By the time you get on the road and travel from one to the other, there isn’t much time left for sightseeing.

The Arenas: The Lynah Faithful are back, and they are as entertaining as anything. The place gets loud and boisterous. A good time is always had at Lynah Rink. Try not to sit too high in the arena, as you will have a hard time seeing the scoreboard.

At Colgate, dress warmly. Starr Rink is not exactly the warmest place in the world. It is an interesting place to watch a game, as the seats are really close to the ice, except at one end of the arena. The sound system is not that good, so listen carefully to the announcements.

What to avoid: Staying at the Colgate Inn.

The Harvard-Brown Trip

It’s the greatest trip, culturally speaking, in the ECAC. It has Boston included, so what more could you want?

Where to eat: At Harvard, there’s plenty. Choose from anything, but get to Faneuil Hall if you can.

At Brown, you’re talking Providence, which boasts a nice selection of restaurants. The strip downtown near the Civic Center, and by Meehan, features a variety of stores. I personally like the barbecue joint on this strip.

What to do: Self-explanatory. It’s Boston and Providence.

The Arenas: Bright is a great place to watch a game. You’re on top of the action, and the band is original and creative. Check out some of the history on the walls of Bright as well.

Meehan is very open and airy. Not a bad seat in this house, unless you are sitting on the metal bleachers at the end of each side of the rink. It is also one of the warmest arenas I have ever been in.

What to avoid: At Harvard, the drivers. At Brown, the Greek restaurant on that little strip.

The Clarkson-St. Lawrence Trip

The shortest, in terms of distance, between two arenas in the ECAC. Unless it’s November or late February, prepare to be cold.

Where to eat: Oh, boy, it’s tough up here. Besides the chain restaurants, the only selections are on the main drags in town. I’ve eaten a few times at the pizza joints in the two towns, Sergi’s. There’s also Uncle Max’s in Canton. There is also a decent bagel on Main Street in Potsdam.

What to do: Ottawa is real close by, so go check it out. Venturing into Canada is always a fun thing to do, just to see if you can buy things cheaper than in the States.

The Arenas: Cheel is new and looks it. Great sight lines, and a great scoreboard. The pep band at Clarkson is fun, and the other noises in the arena are fun as well. The train whistle and the bell are two that annoy visitors without fail. Check out the history on the walls of Cheel Arena.

Appleton Arena is a rustic-looking barn. Recently renovated, it can get real loud, especially with that bothersome air horn. Always be alert at Appleton, as a puck can wind up in your teeth really easily.

What to avoid: Getting stuck in the snow. It can happen, and has to me. Also make hotel arrangements early, or else you’ll be stuck way out of town, and if it’s snowing, the drive can be a real bear.

The Princeton-Yale Trip

The other metropolitan trip on the ECAC docket. There is a lot for both places to offer.

Where to eat: At Princeton, a plethora of restaurants reside in the shopping district, which is right off the campus. You really can’t go wrong. And of course, on the way down from Troy, I always stop at that classic hot-spot of fine dining — White Castle.

At Yale, it’s hard to say. I’ve never actually eaten in New Haven, except at Ingalls Rink. This is because we always have White Castle hamburgers left over from the Princeton half of the trip.

What to do: At Princeton, you can kill a day by walking that strip of stores by the campus. There are a lot of interesting things to do there, and some interesting things that stores sell. Check it out. On the ride to or from Yale, you can always stop in New York City. Of course, it’s only a short time to experience it, but you can hit some things on the way back and to.

The Arenas: I love Hobey Baker Rink. I don’t know why, but I like the atrium walkways, the coldness, and the open-air feel of the arena. Unfortunately, it’s a tough place to watch a game; especially in the balcony, which looks like it’ll fall down at any moment.

Ingalls Rink makes me seasick with its sloping walkways. There is no bad seat in the house, but it is one cramped arena to watch a game at.

What to avoid: Making a left turn in New Jersey and venturing too far into New Haven at night.

That’ll do it for our tour — but wait, there’s more. What about eating in the arena, and some best/worst lists? Here you go:

 Best Hot Dog:                        Hembold's Hot Dog, RPI Fieldhouse
 Best Coffee:                         Appleton Arena
 Best Pretzels:                       Starr Rink
 Best Popcorn:                        Starr Rink
 Cheapest Eats:                       Starr RInk
 Best Hot Chocolate:                  The Sweet Shop, RPI Fieldhouse
 Best Sightlines:                     Thompson Arena
 Coldest Rink:                        Starr Rink
 Warmest Rink:                        Meehan Auditorium
 Most Strategically Placed Restrooms: Bright Hockey Center
 Worst-Placed Restrooms:              Achilles Rink
 Best Fans:                           Lynah Rink
 Best Show:                           Gutterson Fieldhouse
 Hardest Arena to Find:               Thompson Arena
 Best Ice:                            Hobey Baker Rink
 Worst Ice:                           RPI Fieldhouse
 Easiest to walk up and buy a ticket: Thompson Arena
 Hardest to walk up and buy a ticket: Cheel Arena
                                      Gutterson Fieldhouse
                                      Lynah Rink
 Worst Hot Dog:                       Achilles Rink
 Worst Coffee:                        Ingalls Rink
 Worst Pretzel:                       Achilles Rink
 Worst Popcorn:                       Achilles Rink
 Most Expensive Eats:                 Ingalls Rink
 Hardest Parking:                     Appleton Arena
 Easiest Parking:                     Thompson Arena
 Best Pep Band:                       Cheel Arena
 Most Knowledgable Fans:              Cheel Arena
                                      Appleton Arena
 Best Pre-Game Extravaganza:          RPI Fieldhouse
                                      Cheel Arena
 Best Place To Watch A Game:          RPI's Catwalk (if you can get there)
                                      Thompson Arena, center ice
 Worst Place To Watch A Game:         RPI Fieldhouse, behind a post
 Place You'll Miss Part of the Game:  Achilles Rink
 Most Hostile Crowd:                  Lynah Rink
 Most Apathetic Crowd:                Thompson Arena
 Needs To Be Torn Down and Rebuilt:   Achilles Rink
 Place You'll Leave Humming
   the Opposition Fight Song:         Gutterson Fieldhouse

And finally, my ranking (in descending order) of the arenas in the ECAC:

12. Achilles Rink — Small and cramped, but enthusiastic crowds.
11. Starr Rink — Cold, small, bad speakers, but you can go bowling.
10. Ingalls Rink — Those walkways just do not do it for me.
9. Meehan Auditorium — Not intimate at all.
8. RPI Fieldhouse — Too big at times, but it’s loud a lot.
7. Appleton Arena — A nice feeling, but uncomfortably noisy.
6. Bright Hockey Center — Smooth and fun to watch a game here.
5. Thompson Arena — Great venue, but needs bigger crowds.
4. Hobey Baker Rink — I like the architecture.
3. Cheel Arena — Atmosphere here is great, and the band is phenomenal.
2. Lynah Rink — Annoying, hostile, loud. A great place to be.
1. Gutterson Fieldhouse — Total fun watching a game.

Dan Harrison Leaves OSU

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According to Ohio State coach John Markell, sophomore defenseman Dan Harrison has left the OSU hockey program due to personal reasons.

Harrison, who received Honorable Mention for last season’s CCHA All-Rookie Team, has left school and returned to his home in Newmarket, Ont.

Harrison was third in scoring for the Buckeyes last year, with 19 points (five goals, 14 assists). This season Harrison played in five of OSU’s seven games and had two assists.

“When he left, he was the best all-around defenseman on the team,” said Markell. “He had the potential to go very far in this league.”

The Buckeyes are hurting defensively this season. Because of the lack of defensive depth, former left winger junior Dan Cousineau has made the move from offense to defense. Markell is pleased with Cousineau’s defensive play, and Cousineau himself has said he’s happy to be getting the ice time after sitting out much of last season.

Markell said he expects walk-on freshman defenseman Ryan Degrendel to step up. “He has what it takes to play Division I hockey,” said Markell.

Degrendel will make the trip with the Buckeyes as they travel to Lake Superior State.

Gopher Hockey Under Scrutiny

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Allegations of wrongdoing centered around Minnesota head coach Doug Woog intensified over the weekend.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Sunday that Woog concealed an illegal payment to a former player from officials in Minnesota’s athletic department, and that then-assistant coach Bill Butters knew about the payment, and hinted at that knowledge to his superiors, but did not tell them directly. Butters resigned his position in early 1995.

The payment, in the amount of $500, was made to Chris McAlpine allegedly to allow him to finish school after his NCAA eligibility had expired and his scholarship ended. Both Woog and the athletic department have acknowledged the existence of the payment; men’s athletic director Mark Dienhart has ordered an internal investigation of the matter, which is ongoing.

Already, Woog has served a two-game suspension and his program has forfeited one scholarship for the 1997-98 season as a result.

However, the Star Tribune suggests that athletic-department officials had ample warning that a serious infraction had occurred, and failed to adequately investigate the matter at the time.

The violation will be examined by the NCAA after Minnesota completes its review, and further sanctions against Woog and/or the hockey program could be levied.

Asked about the investigation Monday by KSTP-TV (St. Paul), Dienhart hoped that the NCAA would recognize the steps Minnesota has taken.

“We have control of our situation,” Dienhart said. Asked whether the violation could put Woog’s job in jeopardy, Dienhart said, “I’m hopeful that it will not,” but added that his job requires him to look carefully at such infractions.

Although this is Woog’s first significant NCAA violation, he has not been free of controversy. Last season, he was suspended by the WCHA for abusing an official during the conference tournament; also, the Star Tribune has reported several minor incidents, including Woog’s attendance at captain’s practices, and the drinking of beer by players on team trips. Many Gopher players are under the legal drinking age in Minnesota, although Woog says none of those under age were allowed to drink.

This Week in the ECAC: November 8, 1996

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The 1980 Olympic Ice Arena seems a long ways away at this point in time, but this weekend, the first massive action takes place on the ECAC stage.

Cornell begins defense of their ECAC Championship on the road in Providence and Cambridge, and Vermont looks for a second straight regular season title with home games against RPI and Union.

Let’s get the party started.

RENSSELAER (2-1-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) & UNION (1-2-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) at No. 1 VERMONT (4-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) Friday, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, 7:00 p.m., Gutterson Fieldhouse, Burlington, VT

UNION (1-2-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) & RENSSELAER (2-1-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) at DARTMOUTH (1-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) Friday, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, 7:00 p.m., Thompson Arena, Hanover, NH

RPI trounced Army on Saturday 6-2 and in turn their players proved that they can be a cohesive unit and play sound defense as well. The first line of Eric Healey-Alain St. Hilaire-Matt Garver has proven to be a force, and Mark Murphy has turned his disappointing freshman season around with three goals in his first three games. Joel Laing played the first two periods against Army and was strong allowing only one goal. Scott Prekaski played the third period and was also strong in his time. One of these two will face the number one team in the country on Friday. RPI’s defense has been steady led by a much improved Chris Aldous.

Union went 1-1 on the past weekend with a shutout by Trevor Koenig against Providence and Koenig also made 41 saves in a 3-2 loss to Merrimack. Koenig has proved his worth and he looks to be the number one guy for Stan Moore. There has to be more from other members of the Dutchmen, especially on the scoring front. John Sicinski has been sizzling playing on the first line with Brent Ozarowski and Ryan Donovan. He has four of the Dutchmen’s seven goals on the season. If Union is to continue to grow, there must be points put up by others. The defense of Union has been strong so far, allowing only six goals. Led by Andrew Will and Scott Boyd, they will try to shut down Vermont and Dartmouth.

Vermont has proved their worth so far this season with victories over BU, UNH, LSSU, and early season surprise Miami. The line of Eric Perrin-Martin St. Louis-J.C. Ruid are back and as strong as ever. The surprise line for the Cats have been their second line of Stephane Piche-Matt Saunders-B.J. Kilbourne. Saunders has pitched in early in his freshman campaign. He has four goals, two of them coming on Saturday in the Cats victory over Lake State. The six above comprise the six leading scorers for UVM.

Don’t forget goalie Tim Thomas either. He is one of the best in the country, and should see both games again this weekend.

Dartmouth played a strong game against Ottawa two weeks ago, and then last Friday they shut out Army 3-0. A three goal second period and 26 saves by Scott Baker led to the win. There should be balanced scoring for the Big Green this year as Alex Dumas, David Whitworth, and Charlie Retter scored on Friday. Watch out for guys like Darren Wercinski, Jon Sturgis, and Bill Kelleher. If the Big Green can get sustained defense from Dumas, Owen Hughes and others, they have Baker as well as Ben Heller in net. The balanced scoring should keep Dartmouth in it for many games.

PICKS: RPI at Vermont: RPI is a young team that is playing with a lot of confidence. Vermont is the number team in the nation playing with a lot of confidence. This one is going to be a barn burner as both teams like speed, but the more experienced forwards of UVM give them an edge. Vermont 6 RPI 4

Union at Dartmouth: Dartmouth has balanced scoring. Union also has unbalanced scoring so far this season. Both teams have a good defense. Trevor Koenig is on a roll in net, as is Scott Baker. A defensive struggle, but the balanced scoring of Dartmouth does it. Dartmouth 3 Union 2

RPI at Dartmouth: Dartmouth will look to pick up the pace after a tight game against Union. RPI will continue the run and gun after a night in the Cathouse. There is more offensive power in RPI than in Dartmouth. RPI 5 Dartmouth 2

Union at Vermont: Can Union’s defense hold up the Catamounts? As good as they are, Union’s defense will have it rough. A match-up of two stellar goalies in the ECAC, but the offense of UVM is too tough. Vermont 5 Union 1

CORNELL (0-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC)/COLGATE (3-1-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) at BROWN (0-1-0, 0-1-0 ECAC) Friday, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, 7:00 p.m., Meehan Auditorium, Providence, RI

COLGATE (3-1-0, 0-0-0 ECAC)/CORNELL (0-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) at HARVARD (1-0-0, 1-0-0 ECAC) Friday, 7:30, Saturday, 7:00 p.m., Bright Hockey Center, Cambridge, MA

Cornell opens defense of their ECAC crown on the road in Providence. Cornell has not played an official game yet, but exhibition shutouts against Team Poland and Waterloo show that this team has great defensive power. Yet to allow a goal this season, Jason Elliot and Jean-Marc Pelletier prove to be a great tandem in goal, though you would expect to see Elliot get the lion’s share of the time. Balanced scoring throughout for the Big Red. Vinnie Auger is now healthy, he has two goals already, and ECAC Rookie of the Year Kyle Knopp is back. Levi Clegg, Greg Dailey, Tony Bergin are also among the scorers so far. This edition of the Big Red is ready to go.

Colgate has played four Hockey East teams so far, and has come away with three victories over Merrimack, Providence, and UNH. They put on an offensive show this weekend with seven and six goals respectively against Merrimack and Providence. The two guys on fire offensively are Mike Harder and Dave Debusschere, who each have five goals and six assists. Rob Mara has four goals on the season, and Scott Steeves has three goals. On defense Jack McIntosh has seven assists on the young season already. Dan Brenzavich has been the goalie, he comes in with a .869 save percentage, and a 3.60 GAA. This Red Raider team already has 11 power play goals this season.

Brown played a tight game against the Crimson of Harvard on Saturday in the ECAC league opener, but wound up on the losing end of a 5-3 score. Robert Merrill opened up the ECAC scoring for the Bears, but they found themselves on the wrong end of a 3-1 score at the end of one period. Brian Audette got the start for the Bears but gave up five goals on 11 shots, and was yanked in favor of Jeff Holowaty who shutout the Crimson the rest of the way. Mike Flynn’s two assists and goals by Brent Hoiness and Ryan Longfield were the offense for Brown. They must find scoring or else it will be a long season in Providence.

Harvard opened up with a 5-3 win over Brown, and freshman Brent Chodorow continued to impress with a goal. Rob Millar added two goals as well, and he looks for a huge season. Harvard seems to be getting the balanced attack going, and they are going to need it, as there is not one huge scoring threat as in previous years. J.R. Prestifilippo made 21 saves in his ECAC debut in net. The defense continues to be led by Ashlin Halfnight and Jeremiah McCarthy. They had one and three assists respectively on Saturday night.

PICKS: Cornell at Brown: Jason Elliot is a huge goalie, Brian Audette started out shaky, and Jeff Holowaty came to the rescue to stop the bleeding. Cornell has a healthy and dangerous Vinnie Auger, plus balanced scoring. Brown needs to find the scoring. Cornell 5 Brown 2

Colgate at Harvard: Colgate has been deadly on the power play. Therefore, Harvard must stay out of the penalty box. One game under the belt for J.R. Prestifilippo, can he match Dan Brenzavich in net? The offense of Colgate and Mike Harder take over. Colgate 6 Harvard 4

Colgate at Brown: A game which seems like an offensive mismatch. It will be up to the Brown defense and goalie (most likely Holowaty) to stop the firepower. It’s a tough task. Colgate 7 Brown 2

Cornell at Harvard: An early rematch of last years ECAC Championship Game. There will be a lot of offensive chances in this game. I’ve got a feeling on this one – revenge. Harvard 4 Cornell 3

PRINCETON (1-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC)/YALE (0-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) at CLARKSON (2-2-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) Friday, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., Cheel Arena, Potsdam, NY

YALE (0-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC)/PRINCETON (1-0-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) at ST. LAWRENCE (0-4-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) Friday, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., 7:00 p.m., Appleton Arena, Canton, NY

Princeton had a tough time in their last three games, two against Air Force and one against Team Poland, but they won both games. Their tough time was getting the puck in the net. With 5-2 and 3-1 victories over Air Force, all three Princeton goalies saw action. Erasmo Saltarelli allowed two goals on 18 shots, Nick Rankin made 13 saves and allowed no goals, and Craig Bradley allowed one goal on 13 shots. Who gets the time in the net this weekend? That is the question that Don Cahoon must answer. There seems to be offense coming from a lot of areas. Matt Brush, Jean Verdon, Steve Shirreffs, Mike Bois, Tony Ranaldi and Casson Masters all scored on the weekend.

Yale got a huge offensive burst and defeated Team Poland 8-1 this past Saturday at Ingalls Rink. Two goals by junior Geoff Kufta and freshman Jeff Brow helped propel the win. Yale was wondering who was going to score this season. If Saturday was any indication, then scoring might be the least of their problems. Dan Peraza, Yvan Champagne, and Matt Cumming also added goals. In goal there will be a potential battle brewing between Alex Westlund and Dan Choquette for the starting job. If one, or both, of these goalies can improve on their GAA’s of over four, then Yale has a bright future. They start in a tough place though.

Clarkson was swept at home this past weekend by Denver 3-0 and 4-2 even though they outshot the Pioneers both nights. Dan Murphy stopped almost everything that was thrown his way, but the Golden Knights found it hard to find the net. Todd White was held to only one assist this weekend. Jean-Francois Houle tacked on one goal and one assist Saturday. Clarkson must continue to shoot the puck, and capitalize on their chances. Clarkson will face two talented goalies this weekend, but a lot of shots should help them put some wins on the board.

St. Lawrence is now 0-4-0 after high expectations to start the season. Part of the problem could lie in goal. Jon Bracco and Eric Heffler were not on their game getting swept by St. Cloud, and Bracco had a bad night against Lake State on Friday, giving up four goals on 22 shots. Eric Heffler came in for Bracco and made 11 saves, and the following night against Miami he made 40 saves in a 4-2 losing effort. Clint Owen will be gone until January, and Heffler and Bracco must step up their play if St. Lawrence does not want to start the season 0-6 and get off to a bad start in ECAC play.

PICKS: Princeton at Clarkson: The Golden Knights are looking to destroy someone after losing a pair at home to Denver. Princeton is the sacrificial lamb. Wait a moment though, the Tigers will make it tough, but Clarkson will overwhelm them. Clarkson 7 Princeton 2

Yale at St. Lawrence: St. Lawrence is looking to get off skid row. Yale put on an offensive outburst against Team Poland. The key here is in goal. Will Heffler be the starter or does Bracco get another chance for the Saints? And who will get the nod for the Eli? Will it be Westlund or Choquette? The Saints have problems to solve, and Yale is the beginning of the answer. St. Lawrence 5 Yale 3

Yale at Clarkson: Oh boy, another tasty morsel for the Golden Knights. Clarkson 8 Yale 3

Princeton at St. Lawrence: Balance on scoring for the Tigers will keep the Saints confounded. The boys in Canton are looking for things to go their way. After a win over Yale, they lose again. Princeton 4 St. Lawrence 2

RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE (2-1-0) at UMASS-LOWELL (2-2-0) Wednesday, 7:00 p.m., Tully Forum, Billerica, MA

In the past four years, RPI has won two, and Lowell has won two. It just so happens that Lowell has won the last two. Will they make it three in a row?

Last year a quick start for Lowell at the Fieldhouse took the opening night crowd out of it as Lowell took the 5-3 victory. Two years ago at Tully, RPI held a one goal lead late in the third, and two goals by the Riverhawks gave them the win.

Lowell has been a little inconsistent this year. After defeating BC on the road 6-4, they came back home and lost to BC 8-4. Scott Fankhouser was pulled from the nets after one period on Saturday. Martin Fillion should get a least one start against Merrimack this weekend, and should see the time against RPI on Wednesday.

RPI was previewed above against Vermont and Dartmouth.

PICK: There should be two battles at Tully: the game and Dave Hendrickson taking me on. Dave should have the advantage as his son can chop block me. He will win that battle, but RPI will win the war. RPI 5 Lowell 3

There’s a lot more ECAC next weekend, as all games revolve around ECAC teams. There’s also a non-conference game involving two ECAC teams. On the docket for next weekend:

Friday, November 15:

Dartmouth @ Colgate Vermont @ Cornell Brown @ Princeton Harvard @ Yale

Saturday, November 16:

Vermont @ Colgate Dartmouth @ Cornell Harvard @ Princeton Brown @ Yale Clarkson @ St. Lawrence RPI vs Union (at Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY, "The Capital Skate Classic", non-conference)

Tuesday, November 19:

Brown at Harvard

Jayson Moy is the ECAC Correspondent for US College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Jayson Moy . All Rights Reserved.

Return to News and Articles Return to US College Hockey Online

This Week in the CCHA: November 8, 1996

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Bowling Green got a wake-up call after snoozing against both Michigan State and Notre Dame, and Ohio State limped home wounded from two tough games against Western Michigan. Michigan State presented its case to rivals Bowling Green and Michigan at home, while Ferris State struggled against Mankato. Michigan handled Notre Dame 6-3 Friday, in about the only game this writer predicted well.

What’s going on with the top squads’ special teams? Some look sloppy early on, and this is the time that folks start looking at those statistics more closely. Others will look at their goalies and realize it is going to be a long season.

Here is what this week looks like:

Western Michigan (3-1-1, 1-1-1 CCHA) at Lake Superior (2-5-0, 0-2-0 CCHA) Friday-Saturday, 7:00 p.m., Taffy Abel Arena, Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Western Michigan’s power play has impressed, converting on 30 percent of its opportunities this season. Sophomore goalie Matt Barnes has been effective as well, and senior Justin Cardwell woke up, and now leads the Broncos with five goals.

Lake Superior’s speed and skill will test the Broncos this weekend, though, as LSSU is hungry for a league win. Penalties are killing the Lakers, who have piled up 214 minutes in eight games. Goalie John Graham (4.03 GAA) has had a rough start. For the Lakers to be successful, they need to stay out of the box and get some help in net.

Pick: A split. LSSU 4-3 Friday, WMU 5-3 Saturday. Alaska-Fairbanks (0-7-0, 0-5-0 CCHA) at Michigan State (5-2-0, 4-0-0 CCHA) Friday-Saturday, 7:00 p.m., Munn Arena, East Lansing, MI

Poor Alaska. This is not where they want to go right now. Their special teams have been respectable, but goaltending has been a bit soft. Sophomore Ian Perkins’ 4.70 GAA reflects not only his own inconsistency, but the defense in front of him. Scoring has not come easy either, with junior Sean Fraser the only Nanook with three goals.

Michigan State, on the other hand, is smoking, and what better way to take over first place than to sweep Alaska. The Spartans have scored 20 goals in three CCHA games, have a power play near 30 percent efficiency, and are killing off 93 percent of the penalties they incur. Junior Mike Watt leads a deep team with seven goals. This is a perfect weekend to work out kinks and enjoy winning.

Pick: MSU sweeps, 6-2 Friday, 5-2 Saturday

Ohio State (1-6-0, 1-2-0 CCHA) at Michigan (6-1-0, 3-1-0 CCHA) Friday, 7:00 p.m., Yost Arena, Ann Arbor, MI

Ohio State needs a victory against a contender to prove to its young bucks that they can compete. They almost got WMU last week, and they will almost get Michigan this week. Goaltending is the key, and the Buckeyes are learning from their mistakes as they go. The team has been outscored two-to-one in the league so far. That is no mistake, but just inexperienced goaltending.

Michigan will continue to roll on the scoring of senior John Madden (5-9–14). Special teams will dictate this game.

Pick: Michigan 5, OSU 4

Bowling Green (6-2-0, 2-2-0 CCHA) at Michigan (6-1-0, 3-1-0 CCHA) Saturday, 7:00 p.m., Yost Arena, Ann Arbor, MI

Bowling Green’s power play was shut out last weekend, dropping to 17 percent after a strong start; the penalty-killers are a weak 74 percent. This all on top of senior netminder Bob Petrie’s weak showing so far, with a disappointing 4.28 GAA.

Michigan will savor this win. The scoring punch of players like junior Bill Muckalt, who leads the team with seven goals, will be too much unless BG gets their power play going against Michigan, which has only killed at 70 percent.

Pick: Michigan 5, BGSU 4

Ferris State (3-5-1, 0-3-0 CCHA) at Bowling Green (6-2-0, 2-2-0 CCHA) Friday, 7:00 p.m., Bowling Green Arena, Bowling Green, OH

Junior Jeff Blashill and the Ferris defensive corps are not holding up their end of the bargain so far. The offense has not been much help either, only scoring five goals in three CCHA games. With a penalty-kill that is only 70 percent efficient, this team needs more depth.

Bowling Green’s power play will feast on FSU this weekend. As long as the goaltending does not repeat last week’s embarrassing nap, the Falcons should have no problem manhandling Ferris.

Pick: BGSU 6, FSU 2

Ferris State (3-5-1, 0-3-0 CCHA) at Ohio State (1-6-0, 1-2-0 CCHA) Saturday, 7:00 p.m., OSU Ice Arena, Columbus, OH

Ferris State will be looking for an opportunity in Columbus to play a weak defense like theirs, and that will be the difference. If they can allow three or fewer goals, they will win.

the same holds for Ohio State, which is not getting help from freshman netminders. Nor should they expect them to steal some right now, not when seniors Steve Brent and Chad Powers have only six points between them in seven games. The leadership is missing right now, and this game will come down to physical play, which OSU has, and goaltending, which is a toss-up.

Pick: OSU 5, FSU 3

Notre Dame (3-2-1, 2-2-1 CCHA) at Boston College (2-3-0, 1-1-0 HEA) Friday, 7:00 p.m., Conte Forum, Boston, MA

Notre Dame takes a confident group to Boston after a great win against Bowling Green. But freshman Ben Simon has yet to score a goal, and senior Terry Lorenz is not yet contributing his share at this point. The power play is an average 19 percent, but Eisler is making the games exciting so far.

Boston College needs a win like this to prove it is making a return to form in the top tier of Hockey East teams. In losses to Bowling Green they looked sloppy, but this will be different. Sophomore Marty Reasoner can eat up Notre Dame’s defense.

Pick: BC 5, ND 3

Copyright 1996 Kirk Koennecke . All Rights Reserved.

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This Week in Hockey East: November 8, 1996

By
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Providence College provided the big surprise last week, dropping games to both Colgate and Union. The two teams, picked to finish fifth and eleventh in the ECAC respectively, have proven tougher than expected competition for Hockey East teams.

This week could easily see sweeps in all four of the home-and-home series, although the rule of thumb this year appears to be the oldest cliche in the book. On any given night…

Last week’s record in picks: 8-4 Season’s record in picks: 21-9

Providence (3-2-0, 2-0-0 HE) vs. No. 3 Boston University (3-1-0, 2-0-0 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Walter Brown Arena, Boston, MA Saturday, 7 p.m., Schneider Arena, Providence, RI

BU swept UMass-Amherst last week, 7-2 and 6-3 to grab their share of the lead in league standings.

"Both scores did not indicate how competitive the games were," said coach Jack Parker. "In Friday night’s game we jumped out fast with Chris Drury’s hat trick in the first period, but the rest of the game was not indicative of a 7-2 score. The score on Saturday was really deceptive because we only led 4-3 with two minutes left before getting two goals to put it away.

"I was very happy with the second win," he added. "It was a solid game on the road on an ice surface larger than we’re used to."

Before Providence lost two non-conference games on the road last weekend, this home-and-home series promised to be a clash between two top ten teams. The Friars fell out of the national rankings, but still remain a formidable opponent.

"They’re still 2-0 in the league," said Parker. "Those losses will probably make them even hungrier than normal. I expect a low-scoring game. They’ll play it close to the vest as they always do. And of course they’ve got a great goaltender in Dan Dennis."

Providence coach Paul Pooley rested Dennis against Union only to watch Trevor Koenig toss a 2-0 shutout at his Friars. The Skating Dutchmen outshot Providence 35-29.

"Union just outworked us," said coach Paul Pooley. "It was a hard fought game, but they deserved to win.

"Our specialty teams let us down against Colgate," said Pooley. Specialty teams had been the difference for Providence in their sweep of Merrimack the previous week. "We played really well five-on-five, but we made some poor decisions on the penalty kill. We gave up three power-play goals and a short-handed goal. You can’t lose the special teams battle on the road."

The Friars, who outshot Colgate 35-20, did so with some players sitting out due to a coach’s decision. They return this weekend. Dennis will definitely be in the nets on Friday and will likely play both weekend games.

"We’ll be working extra on the penalty kill this week. We also have to work on shooting the puck. Too many times we’re trying to make the pretty play and we don’t even get a shot."

This promises to be a hard-nosed, defensive series. With a more experienced defensive corps and more firepower up front, BU will sweep.

PICK: BU 4-2 on Friday and 3-2 on Saturday.

New Hampshire (3-2-0, 2-0-0 HE) at UMass-Amherst (1-3-0, 1-3-0 HE)

Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., Mullins Center, Amherst, MA

New Hampshire finally shifted into high gear last weekend after spinning its wheels for the first few games. Tied with Northeastern at 2-2 in the third, the Wildcats exploded for five goals to run away with a 7-3 win. The following night at the Whittemore Center, they completed the sweep 9-4.

Seven different scorers connected for UNH on Friday, a welcome change from last year when only the top two lines produced. Saturday’s scoring proved more concentrated. Three players accounted for seven of the nine Wildcat goals. Eric Nickulas notched a hat trick, while Jason Krog and Tom Nolan added two each.

Nolan had appeared injured after a failed breakaway in the Friday game, a cause of concern given his past injury-prone seasons. Coach Dick Umile wasn’t concerned, though.

"He wasn’t hurt," explained Umile. "He was only hurt that he wasn’t scoring on his breakaways."

Defenseman and captain Tim Murray returned on Friday, sporting a knee brace. He played well and suffered no ill effects from the injury. Blue line mate, Eric Fitzgerald, will probably play after missing last weekend with numbness in his arm caused by an injury to his surgically-repaired left shoulder.

"We’re very pleased with our fourth line," said Umile. Three freshmen comprise the line. "[John] Sadowski and [Jason] Shipulski are as quick as anybody and [Mike] Souza’s a big, strong kid who can hold the puck. Souza has been a goalscorer all his life, but he also plays a solid, all-around game."

UMass-Amherst experienced the other end of a sweep last week at the hands of BU.

"We made a big improvement on Saturday night," said coach Joe Mallen. "It was still a 4-3 game with two minutes left. I think we showed some good progress. For once we stifled their power play and got two of our own. We had also outshot them going into the third.

"No one likes to lose two," he said. "But we’ve taken some good steps towards what we’re trying to build here.

"We’ll be facing another tough team, though. UNH has an explosive offense. They weren’t picked second in the league for nothing. They have those three great forwards, [Eric Boguniecki, Mark Mowers, and Eric Nickulas]. It should prove very challenging."

PICK: New Hampshire 6-4 and 5-4.

Northeastern (1-3-0, 0-2-0 HE) at No. 10 Maine (4-1-0, 0-0-0 HE) Friday & Saturday, 7 p.m., Alfond Arena, Orono, ME

"We’ve got a tough stretch here," said coach Bruce Crowder. "In three weeks we play series against UNH, Maine, and BU." The Huskies suffered two lopsided losses to New Hampshire, 7-3 and 9-4, to open the six-game gauntlet. They did, however, have the Wildcats knotted at 2-2 early in the third period before UNH blew the game open.

"A month from now," said Crowder, "we’ll eliminate a few of these mistakes and maybe the score is 5-3 instead. Two months from now, maybe it’s 3-3. And three months from now, we’re winning these games. That’s our outlook for this year."

Freshman Marc Robitaille has played well in the Husky nets, but Crowder pulled him midway through the Saturday game to get a look at Kevin Noke, a returning goaltender who hadn’t seen any significant time in past years. Robitaille is still expected to see the bulk of the netminding duties.

Maine swept Division II champs University of Alabama-Huntsville last weekend, 7-2 and 5-1.

"We went into last week a decided favorite," said coach Greg Cronin. "We were more interested in looking at personnel and special teams than anything else. We won the two games and met those goals. We scored on six of our 10 power-play opportunities and only gave up one goal in 11 short-handed situations. I was pleased with that.

"I was especially pleased," he continued, "with the play of Dan Shermerhorn, who has been our best forward all year, and Steve Kariya, who played very well. Jason Mansoff really stepped it up on defense as well."

Scott Parmentier sat out last weekend with a bad back, but is expected to return against Northeastern. Jason Vitorino, out with a leg injury, is doubtful.

This looks like a long weekend for the Huskies.

PICK: Maine 5-2 and 7-4.

Merrimack (1-3-0, 0-2-0 HE) vs. UMass-Lowell (2-2-0, 2-2-0 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Tully Forum, Lowell, MA NESN Saturday, 7 p.m., Volpe Complex, North Andover, MA

This series between old-time Merrimack Valley rivals, matches up the only two Hockey East teams that split last week.

After opening with a 7-3 loss to Colgate, Merrimack salvaged the start of their season with a 3-2 win over Union.

"Our special teams did not play well against Colgate," said coach Ron Anderson. His Warriors gave up four power-play goals in six chances, while getting none in five chances of their own. "We have to get better at the penalty kill. But I did think we had more intensity at Union. We up-tempoed the game at the start and were more aggressive. We got some turnovers and goals, and it got us a win on the road."

"I thought our goaltending was very good," he added. Legault tended nets during the loss to Colgate. Thibeault stopped 42 out of 44 shots for the win over Union. It marked the fifth time Thibeault has recorded more than 40 saves, according to Merrimack stats wizard Mike Machnik. Thibeault holds a 4-1 record in those games.

"I don’t have any problem with the defense," said Anderson. "But we need to find more offense. We still don’t have any goals from our second and third returning scorers."

The call for more offense could prove hard to deliver since freshman sniper Sandy Cohen separated his shoulder and will be out at least three to four weeks. Illness struck down John Jakopin for the Union game. He is expected to return. Freshman Joe Savioli also sat out the Union game due to a shoulder injury. His return date is unknown.

UMass-Lowell fashioned an impressive comeback against Boston College on Friday to win 6-4 before succumbing to the Eagles 8-4 the following night. In both cases BC led by two goals entering the third period.

"When it was played five-on-five," said coach Tim Whitehead about the Saturday night loss, "it was a pretty good game. But it was tough for us to get into the flow with all of the penalties."

The River Hawks gave up four BC power-play goals in ten chances.

"We took some penalties we shouldn’t have taken," he said. "That’s the first time we’ve done that this year, so I’m not concerned. It was a learning experience for our team. We’re a young team and now they know they’ve got to be disciplined. Some nights it’ll seem that you’re not getting the calls. That’s when you just have to stay disciplined."

Preseason All-Hockey East goalie Martin Fillion returns from his suspension. In his absence Scott Fankhouser started all four games, but was yanked for Craig Lindsay in both games against Boston College.

PICK: Merrimack 4-3 and 3-2.

Notre Dame (3-2-1, 2-2-1 CCHA) vs. Boston College (2-3-0, 1-1-0 HE) Friday, 8 p.m., Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill, MA

It’s a Notre Dame weekend at Chestnut Hill. The Golden Domers will attract gridiron scalpers, major media representatives, and packed stands at their Saturday football game. The Fighting Irish hockey team will generate considerably less interest the night before.

Even so, coach Dave Poulin’s rebuilding efforts are showing fruits. After a difficult first year in which they went 9-23-4, Notre Dame now sports a winning record and is fresh off a stunning 7-5 upset of then third-ranked Bowling Green. Even their two losses have been noteworthy: a 2-1 loss to a Miami squad that already has seven wins, and a 6-3 loss to superpower Michigan. The days of losing games a touchdown and a field goal to zip have passed.

Sophomore Aniket Dhadphale leads the Fighting Irish scoring with three goals and four assists. Freshman Joe Dusbabek and junior Lyle Andrusiak have picked up six points to date. Returning top scorers Tim Harberts and Brian Urick have totaled five and four points respectively.

Goaltender Matt Eisler has dropped more than a goal off his goals against average from last year, posting a 3.33 GAA and a .914 save percentage.

Last week Boston College split against UMass-Lowell, BC’s first opponent not found in the top ten. The loss disappointed fans who had considered the River Hawks easy pickings compared to Bowling Green and Michigan State. After losing a two-goal, third period lead at home, the Eagles translated that same advantage into a win at Tully Forum.

"I thought Friday we played a superb forty minutes," said coach Jerry York, "but then we walked through the last twenty. [On Saturday] we played well for the full sixty.

"It was nice to get some power play goals," he said. The Eagle power play had entered the weekend oh-for-the-season, but scored four in the win. "Our top power-play unit now has a 19-year old sophomore and four 18-year old freshmen . We feel that group has a tremendous upside." That group includes sophomore Marty Reasoner, who looked like a man amongst boys in the second Lowell game, and freshmen Mike Mottau, Jeff Farkas, Blake Bellefeuille, and Kevin Caulfield.

Mike Correia and Greg Taylor split netminding duties last weekend. York wants to avoid wearing Taylor out, while also giving Correia some experience so he’ll be ready to replace Taylor next year.

"I’m looking for a split of 24 and 10 games for Greg and Mike this year," said York. "That way Greg will be fresher when the games get more important.

"We have the makings of a very fine hockey team," he said. "But it will take until January or February for us to put it all together. That’s not a bad time to be peaking."

PICK: Boston College 4-3.

Rensselaer (2-1-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) vs. UMass-Lowell (2-2-0, 2-2-0 HE) Wednesday (11/13), 7 p.m., Tully Forum, Lowell, MA

Rensselaer visits Lowell (previewed above) for a rare mid-week clash. The Engineers are a mystery team, having played BU tough in a 5-3 loss while beating Northeastern 4-3 and Army 6-2.

Freshmen goalies Joel Laing and Scott Prekaski have played well. Who gets the nod in this game will likely depend on this weekend’s games. Eric Healey, Mark Murphy, and Alain St. Hilaire have caught ECAC Correspondent Jayson Moy’s eye as particularly productive Engineers.

In this battle of very young teams, the nod goes to the kids playing on their own ice.

PICK: UMass-Lowell 5-4.

Dave Hendrickson is the Hockey East Correspondent for U.S. College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Dave Hendrickson . All Rights Reserved.

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