Robert Morris has added former Massachusetts-Lowell forward Michael Louria to the team’s roster.
Louria will not play until the 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
With UMass Lowell the last two seasons, Louria skated in 51 games and registered 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points.
During his freshman season, Louria led UMass Lowell with four game-winning goals.
Louria played against Robert Morris this past season in the Three Rivers Classic championship game, recording an assist.
Robert DeGregorio has signed a three-year contract extension to remain as commissioner of Atlantic Hockey through the 2018-19 season.
“We are pleased to secure Commissioner DeGregorio’s leadership of the Atlantic Hockey Conference for the next three years” said Atlantic Hockey executive committee chair Lou Spiotti, Jr., in a statement. “His contributions to our growth and development and to that of college hockey have been immeasurable. We look forward to more productive years under his guidance.”
DeGregorio has been at the head of Atlantic Hockey since its inception prior to the 2003-04 season.
The league has experienced unprecedented success over the last six years, starting with RIT reaching the conference’s first Frozen Four in 2010. Then in 2013, two Atlantic Hockey members (Canisius and Niagara) reached the NCAA tournament.
DeGregorio has helped Atlantic Hockey teams participate in special events at Fenway Park and Barclays Center in recent years, continuing his efforts to garner exposure for the league.
In addition, the Atlantic Hockey tournament is trending towards becoming the premier college hockey event in Western New York, something that DeGregorio envisioned when he moved it to the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y. in 2007. The last two Atlantic Hockey tournaments have seen record attendance levels, and with the partnership with Atlantic Hockey Sports Properties, the number of corporate partners has grown exponentially.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — JT Compher, Kyle Connor and Tyler Motte had so much success together in the United States this past college season for Michigan they thought they’d give their CCM Line a try in Russia.
Compher, Connor and Motte all gladly accepted invitations to play for USA Hockey at the World Championship in Russia and for the past few weeks have been enjoying one final ride together as teammates while representing their country.
“It’s nice to have someone here that you spend the entire year with and are familiar with, especially coming to this kind of tournament,” Compher said after a recent USA practice in St. Petersburg. “It’s been nice to be able to hang out with them.”
Motte said: “It’s been great to have these guys here. We’ve been through a lot together this year, playing on the same line and getting this opportunity together. It’s a great experience for all of us. I’m glad I got to share it with those couple guys.”
The trio shared the puck throughout this past season at Michigan, and it’s how they became the country’s most proficient line. Connor led the country with 71 points. Compher was second with 63 points and Motte was fourth with 56 points.
Each member of the line understood his role, and they clicked together.
“I think we just had good chemistry,” Compher said. “We all worked hard. When we had opportunities, we were able to bury opportunities. But overall, just a fun year playing together with those two guys.”
Compher, Connor and Motte continued to play together on a line early in the World Championship but were separated shortly into it. Connor also recently suffered an injury and missed three games in tournament pool play. He also missed the Americans’ 2-1 shootout victory over the Czech Republic on Thursday.
The U.S. plays Canada in the semifinals on Saturday. The third-place and gold-medal games are Sunday.
Compher had one goal and one assist in the first eight games. Motte had two assists, and Connor had two assists in four games.
While it’s a nice story that the three college teammates are getting an opportunity to play together one final time, USA Hockey assistant director of hockey operations Jim Johannson said the decision to invite the trio went well beyond that.
“I think there’s good reason for all of them to be here,” Johannson said. “I think unfortunately Kyle got dinged up a little bit, so we’ve got to be careful with him. I thought they were so dominant this year and they can play big-ice hockey. They can all skate. They’ve all got good energy. It just made sense to bring all three guys.”
After the tournament, the three players will be going their separate ways. Motte signed with the Chicago Blackhawks after the college season, Compher with the Colorado Avalanche and Connor with the Winnipeg Jets. Coincidentally, all three of their teams plays in the NHL’s Central Division, and they could be seeing a lot of each other in future years.
But before that, the three players are taking the time to enjoy themselves on and off the ice in Russia.
“Just the people they are away from the rink, I just think that’s what makes a trip like this even easier,” Motte said. “They’re great guys. They like to have fun. They like to enjoy the experience here overseas. Obviously on the ice, they’re awesome. They’re making plays. They work hard. They’re smart and knowledgeable with the game. They make it easy to play with. But away from the ice, I think what makes especially a trip like this even easier is to have those guys and be able to do things with them.”
Air Force coach Frank Serratore has agreed to a new five-year contract through the 2020-21 season.
Serratore just completed his 19th season at Air Force and has compiled a 329-310-71 overall record. He is the winningest coach in the history of Air Force hockey, having led Air Force to five Atlantic Hockey championships and five NCAA tournament appearances in the last 10 years.
This past season, he was named the Atlantic Hockey coach of the year as he led the Falcons to a 20-12-5 overall record.
“Frank has done an incredible job building the Air Force hockey program,” Air Force director of athletics Jim Knowlton said in a statement. “I’m excited about the future of our program with Frank and his staff’s leadership. They have set a high standard of excellence here at the Academy.”
“I am grateful to the Academy for allowing me to continue leading their hockey program,” Serratore added. “I am very proud of all we have accomplished during my tenure. I am blessed to have been part of a great past and I am looking forward to an even greater future.”
John Rolli, one of the winningest coaches in NCAA history, announced his retirement as the Massachusetts-Dartmouth head coach on Wednesday.
Rolli’s retirement is effective July 1, 2016.
“On behalf of our staff, I would like to thank John for his tremendous efforts and the contributions to UMass Dartmouth Athletics throughout his storied career,” UMass Dartmouth director of athletics Amanda Van Voorhis said in a statement. “John worked to create a highly competitive, first-class Division III ice hockey program over the last three decades. There are thirty-two years of alumni that benefited from his commitment to providing a quality experience on and off the ice. A winning tradition and teaching young men life lessons through sport were just the start. His teams excelled in the classroom year after year and were actively engaged in the community. He poured his heart and soul into the task at hand while advocating tirelessly for the program. John was a great supporter of his coaching peers and our teams, demonstrating a sincere interest in all.”
“I have had the privilege to work with eight supportive athletics directors, tremendous athletics staff, and fabulous players during my tenure at Southeastern Massachusetts University and UMass Dartmouth,” Rolli added. “It was always a pleasure to work with the student-athletes at UMass Dartmouth and my students as an educator for 34 years in the New Bedford school system. I’ve been fortune to work with several great coaches in my career, most notably my mentor, Bruce MacPherson. None of my coaching success could have been possible without the support of my wife, Nancy, and my daughter, Elizabeth, my two best friends in the world.”
In 32 seasons behind the Corsairs’ bench, Rolli went 577-224-43, boasting the seventh highest winning percentage (.709) among all NCAA hockey coaches. His 577 victories are the fourth most in NCAA Division III history and 14th on the all-time collegiate coaching list.
Rolli’s tenure as head coach at UMass Dartmouth produced 31 postseason appearances, 27 winning seasons, nine ECAC titles, the 2013 MASCAC championship and four NCAA Division III tournament berths. The Corsairs won at least 20 games in a single season 14 times, including a school-record 25 on three separate occasions (1996, 2006, 2007).
He was named one of 12 finalists for the Edward Jeremiah Award/NCAA Division III Coach of the Year Award five times, including earning runner-up honors in 2006. Rolli was selected as the New England Hockey Writers’ Coach of the Year six times, ECAC Coach of the Year four times and the MASCAC Coach of the Year in 2011.
The 1973 graduate of Salem State retired from the New Bedford school system in 2008 after teaching for 34 years.
Trine has named Tom Hofman and Alex Todd as head coaches for its NCAA Division III hockey teams that will launch in the fall of 2017.
Todd, selected head coach for the men’s team, comes to Trine from Nebraska-Omaha, where he served as an assistant coach. He also previously served as head coach at Castleton and as an assistant coach at Utica. He was named Coach of the Year at Castleton in 2007 and was ECAC East Coach of the Year in 2011.
“I am incredibly honored to be the first men’s hockey coach at Trine University,” Todd said in a news release. “Since the moment I arrived in Angola (Ind.), I have been impressed with not only the campus and infrastructure, but the amazing people that truly make up Trine University. The work that Dr. Brooks and the staff, especially (assistant VP for athletics) Matt Land, have put into creating the environment at Trine — an environment that is primed and ready for hockey — clearly shows their dedication to the success of the hockey program at Trine University.
“I believe that my variety of experiences in hockey as a player and a coach will be an excellent fit for Trine. I am eager to begin recruiting and introducing Trine and all it has to offer to hockey players all over North America. I am confident that through the collaborative efforts of the administration, the athletic department and myself, it is only a matter of time until Trine University is synonymous with hockey.”
“Alex brings coaching experience at all different levels of college hockey as well as experience as a professional player,” added Land. “The knowledge and skill that he has will be invaluable as the Thunder look forward to hitting the ice next year, and as we look ahead to building a competitive collegiate hockey program.”
Hofman will serve as the coach of the women’s team and most recently served as the inaugural head coach of the women’s ACHA Division I team at Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Previously, he had served as an assistant men’s coach at Davenport and an assistant women’s coach at Grand Valley State, where his duties included serving as lead recruiter.
“I am honored and excited to be a part of the Trine Athletics family, to embrace the mission and rich 132-year history of the university, as well as the greater Angola community,” said Hofman in a statement. “I am thankful to Dr. Brooks, Mr. Land and the entire search committee for the incredible opportunity to develop and lead the Trine University women’s hockey program. Their excitement, commitment, vision for academics and facilities were evident during this entire process. I am confident that my past experience in building a program at a private university will bode well in developing a competitive first-year team here. I will forever be indebted to those at my former university for all that they have done for me, including the leadership and mentoring provided over the past four years in Grand Rapids. They allowed me to realize my dream of coaching college hockey. I would also like to thank all of the players and staff, past and present, who believed in the program’s vision for the future. I am confident the program will continue moving in a positive direction with much success.
“I am blessed to have my family’s support in this transition, particularly my daughter Ashley, a former player herself and now doctor. Their belief in my career goals has been, and will be, critical to my success in past, present and future roles.”
“Tom comes to us with experience in getting a quality women’s hockey program off the ground, and we look forward to him doing the same and more here at Trine,” said Land. “He has shown skill as both a coach and a recruiter, and we believe those skills will enable him to propel Trine to prominence in the college women’s hockey realm.”
“As we look forward to launching these new programs, we are thrilled with the caliber of coaches we have to get them off the ground,” said Trine president Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D in a news release. “Building quality programs starts with strong leadership, and we believe we have found capable leaders in both our new hockey coaches.”
Construction will begin this summer on the $7.2 million, 1,000-seat Thunder Ice Arena, which will house both programs. The arena, which now will be located on U.S. 20, will include an NCAA-compliant ice rink, men’s and women’s lockers, concessions, a pro shop with wearables, sticks and skates for sale, a VIP lounge, banquet hall and two press boxes.
The Edmonton Oilers have signed St. Cloud State sophomore forward Patrick Russell to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Russell appeared in 41 games this season with the Huskies, posting a career-high 41 points (20 goals, 21 assists) and a plus-24 rating.
He was named to the 2015 All-NCHC Academic Team and to the 2015 All-NCHC Rookie Team.
Over his two years at SCSU, Russell compiled 66 points (30 goals, 36 assists) and 26 penalty minutes in 81 games.
CANTON, N.Y. — Mark Morris is back — back in college hockey and back in the North Country.
St. Lawrence athletic director Bob Durocher on Tuesday named the 58-year-old the 14th coach in men’s hockey history and the third to bear the Charles W. Appleton II head coach title.
“This is something I had hoped would happen,” said Morris, who hasn’t been in the college hockey world since being dismissed from Clarkson in 2002. “I never envisioned it would happen so quickly, but to follow in the footsteps of my mentor and one of his protégés and to build on that is a great opportunity. To come home and sleep in my own bed and be around people I’ve known my whole life is pretty neat.”
After his practice incident with a player at Clarkson early in the 2002-03 season, Morris was fired and has held a number of coaching positions through the AHL, NHL and OHL.
The Clarkson incident was part, if not all, of what made his appointment so controversial among some fans of St. Lawrence and the greater college hockey world, and Morris was keenly aware of this.
“No question. No question,” Morris said when asked whether the incident still cast a dark cloud over his return to NCAA hockey. “There’s two ways to look at it. You can either feel sorry for yourself and mope or you can move on and turn the page and quit looking in the rear-view mirror and that is what I chose to do. I’ve never lost my passion for college hockey and I never wanted to leave. My next best option was to try and work my way back.”
Morris returned to St. Lawrence — he was a Saints assistant from 1985 to 1988 and was on the bench with Joe Marsh and Don Vaughan during the run to the 1988 national championship game — after Greg Carvel left to take the head coaching job at Massachusetts.
“I never envisioned Greg moving on,” Morris said after his introductory news conference at St. Lawrence on Tuesday. “In fact, a couple weeks prior to that move, one of the management staff told me that he heard my name mentioned for UMass, and I said, ‘Listen, the only place I’d consider going back to in college hockey is St. Lawrence University.'”
Luckily for Morris, who had been working as the head coach of the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, that’s exactly who called.
Morris’ style isn’t totally dissimilar to Carvel’s, which will help the transition period for players. But the culture and recent success will be equally important in helping Morris return to the bench at Appleton Arena.
“It’s comforting for me to know that there’s some really good pieces in place. Obviously, these kids are excited, and I think that we can build on the things that they did well,” said Morris, referring to Saints workhorses like Gavin Bayreuther, Eric Sweetman, Nolan Gluchowski, Kyle Hayton and others who will anchor what likely will be one of the better defenses in ECAC Hockey.
There will be plenty of time to watch, coach and play hockey at Appleton, but Morris said in the coming days he’s just going to enjoy being a part of the North Country hockey scene again.
“It’s home,” he said. “When you’ve been living out of a suitcase and been on the road for 14 years and you get a chance to go home to a place that you’re fond of and people care about you … it’s a home run.”
