Historic wins
Through the two programs’ first eight meetings, No. 6 Mercyhurst had outscored Penn State 44-5, including a 23-1 composite last season. In the first series of this CHA season between the two squads, the Nittany Lions exacted some sweet revenge by earning a sweep on home ice by scores of 2-1 and 5-3.
On Friday, goaltender Celine Whitlinger was a wall in the PSU net while recording 36 saves, including 14 in the opening frame. Penn State took advantage of a couple of special-teams situations to grab a two-goal lead in the middle frame. While skating four-on-four, Laura Bowman set up Amy Peterson on a two-on-one rush. Peterson then fed Bella Sutton on a power play, and the freshman defenseman skated across the slot and fired a low shot that found its way out of the glove of Amanda Makela and inside of the post. The Lakers dominated the final stanza, holding a 15-2 shot advantage, but Emily Janiga’s goal with 2:36 remaining was all they could get by Whitlinger, and Penn State had its first points ever against the perennial boss of the CHA.
Mercyhurst came out with determination on Saturday, and grabbed a quick advantage on goals by Jenna Dingeldein and Janiga with less than four minutes elapsed. Bowman struck back immediately for the Nittany Lions, and Caitlin Reilly tied it up with a redirection in the second period. Hannah Bramm scored on a third-period power play to give the hosts their first lead of the day, but Janiga netted her third goal of the weekend to tie the game at 3-3 with less than 10 minutes left. However, with under two minutes to go, Bowman fired a shot that somehow crept under Makela and into the goal. Bowman completed her hat trick into an empty net just ahead of the final buzzer, with all three of her tallies being unassisted.
Another upset
No. 9 Bemidji State also took a tumble on Saturday. The Beavers fell on the road to St. Cloud State, 3-0. Goalie Katie Fitzgerald posted a clean ledger by turning away all 34 shots. Amanda Arbogast opened the scoring halfway through the game, and Audrey Hanmer got loose short-handed to provide some insurance 20 minutes later. Lauren Hespenheide added the exclamation point into an empty net.
BSU took the series opener on Friday, 4-1. The Huskies took the first lead on a goal by Kelsey Saelens, but Hanna Moher forged a tie in the final minute of the opening period. She later added two helpers, as Kristin Huber, Ivana Bilic, and Madison Hutchinson struck for the Beavers. Brittni Mowat made 28 saves.
How the rest of the top 10 fared
Only two other ranked teams took to the ice, and a pair of Hockey East powers emerged unscathed.
No. 4 Boston University had its hands full with Providence, but held on for a 3-1 victory. Defenseman Shannon Stoneburgh netted her first goal of the year 2:37 into action, but Brooke Boquist knotted the score for the Friars a period later. Another Terriers’ veteran blue liner scored a timely goal when Shannon Doyle struck with just over a minute left before the second intermission to put BU back on top. Marie-Philip Poulin’s empty-net goal with four seconds remaining sent the Terriers into the break with a seven-game unbeaten streak.
No. 1 Boston College jumped on Dartmouth early and skated to a 6-1 win. Alex Carpenter had a goal and three assists, Haley Skarupa had three points, and Dana Trivigno hit the net twice. Katie Burt made 29 saves for the victors, who finished the semester as the country’s only undefeated team.
Other action
The Big Green also closed on a winning note by upending Vermont, 6-2. The Catamounts looked to be in great shape when they took a two-goal lead into the first intermission on power-play goals by Brittany Zuback and Amanda Pelkey, with 3:05 carrying over from a major penalty on Dartmouth. Instead, the Big Green rallied for three goals in each of the next two periods. Lindsey Allen scored the first, the last, and one in between for her hat trick. Laura Stacey, Karlee Odland, and Catherine Berghuis also tallied.
North Dakota swept RIT, 3-1 and 6-1. Amy Menke’s power-play goal with 2:40 remaining proved to be the winner on Friday. Josefine Jakobsen and Andrea Dalen each had a goal and an assist. Four first-period goals decided Saturday’s contest much earlier. Jakobsen scored twice, while Dalen had a goal and two assists.
Union hosted Maine in a series where only four goals total were scored. The Dutchwomen scored three of them to earn a series win. In the opener, Shenae Lundberg won a goaltending battle over Meghann Treacy by making 28 saves. Union’s Jessica Kaminsy broke the ice past the halfway mark of the final period, and Nicole Russel scored at 17:22 for the final marker in the Dutchwomen’s 2-0 triumph. Hailey Browne salvaged a 1-1 tie for Maine on Saturday when her second-period goal matched one by Kathryn Davis.
Just 11 games went in the record books this past weekend, but even as the schedule was light, the action was quite the opposite.
As far as ranked teams go, No. 10 Wisconsin-Superior swept Marian, but by no means was it an easy task.
Superior started out with a 7-2 win Friday night and then escaped with an 8-7 win Saturday afternoon.
Friday’s win featured 59 shots on Marian goalie Ali Glazer, while Saturday’s victory saw the Yellowjackets score three goals in the first 3:19 to take an 8-6 lead and then hold off a late push from the Sabres.
Fifth-ranked Gustavus Adolphus defeated No. 7 Wisconsin-Stevens Point 3-1 on Saturday as the Gusties scored three in the third, including the game-winner from Emily Reibert at 17:44.
No. 8 Adrian played to a 2-2 tie with Massachusetts-Boston. Kaylyn Schroka scored both for the Bulldogs and Alyssa Sullivan and Angela Dandreo tallied for UMB. Both goaltenders (Adrian’s Jade Walsh, UMB’s Moe Bradley) finished with 31 saves.
Obviously, expect the rankings to see somewhat of a shakeup this week.
In other action, Franklin Pierce went on the road and swept Canton, Potsdam took both at home from New England College, St. Scholastica and Augsburg both topped Wisconsin-Eau Claire, with Augsburg goalie Rebecca Sonnek picking up the 22-save shutout in a 2-0 win, and Bethel edged Concordia (Minn.) 4-3 in overtime Saturday as Megan Niblock played the role of overtime hero 45 seconds into extra time.
No matter what happened this weekend, the WCHA’s top three teams would have been set going into intermission anyway. Michigan Tech and Minnesota State — both of whom played nonconference contests this weekend — are tied at the top of the league table with 20 points, while idle Bowling Green sits in third with 17 points.
Not a huge surprise that these three teams are on top, considering they’re the top three scoring offenses in the league and have had a big leg up on the rest of the league.
League play re-starts in January, and special attention will be paid to which of these three teams pulls away (Bowling Green plays at Tech Jan. 16-17 — what should be a huge series to determine who wins the McNaughton Cup).
2. Beavers trending upwards, Wildcats downwards
Bemidji State took three of four points from Northern Michigan at home last weekend, winning 4-2 Friday and tying 1-1 Saturday. It’s part of a five-game unbeaten streak for the Beavers, who go into the break on a high after losing seven straight games in the month of November. They go into the break in seventh place in the league standings (nine points) but are just thee points behind NMU and Ferris State, who are tied for fourth with 12 points.
The Wildcats, meanwhile, have only won two times in their last eight games and have given up more goals in the past two weeks (15) than they did the entire rest of the season before that. (They have given up 29 total goals this season). On top of that, Mathais Dahlstrom missed his first two games of the season last weekend in Bemidji with an injury. Luckily for NMU, he has the break to heal up but they’ll want to make sure he’s back to his normal self soon.
3. WCHA already better out of conference
At the break, WCHA teams are 25-22-5 in nonconference play this year. That’s already just one game behind last year’s win total of 26. (The league went 26-46-12 overall in nonconference last season.)
A few notable wins this season — both Minnesota State and Michigan Tech have split with Minnesota Duluth, and Bemidji State beat North Dakota — have contributed to that cause, but so have a few lower-profile series (like Alabama Huntsville taking three points from Air Force).
Later in December, league teams will play in some big nonconference tournaments like the Great Lakes Invitational which should surely boost the numbers.
All of these wins aren’t just good for the league’s reputation — which they are — but also the league’s Pairwise. If WCHA commissioner Bill Robertson wants to achieve his goal of having three teams in this year’s tournament, they league is off to a great start against its peers.
Jason Zaleski tallied a hat trick in Buffalo State’s win over Johnson and Wales last Saturday (photo: Dan Hickling).
It’s time for a well-earned and well-deserved break for our two men’s D-III columnists, Dan Hickling and Brian Lester, but first, let’s run down this past weekend.
WEST
MIAC – In a showdown against nationally-ranked St. Scholastica, St. Thomas took an early lead and never looked back en route to a 4-2 non-conference victory on Saturday. Four different players scored in the win, with Willie Faust and Alex Altlenbernd each tallying their sixth goals of the season. Jordan Lovick and Connor McBride also scored. Their goals gave the Tommies an early 2-0 lead. Drew Fielding earned the win as he tallied 25 saves. The Tommies held a 29-27 edge in shots, going 2-of-5 on the power play. St. Thomas, which is 3-0-2 at home this year, improved to 5-3-3 overall…Concordia ended a three-game winless streak as it knocked off Northland 4-2 on Saturday. The Cobbers won for the first time since beating Middlebury on Nov. 28 and will head into the holiday break with a 6-4-3 record. The Cobbers pulled away in the third period, scoring twice to seal the deal. Jordie Bancroft broke the 2-2 tie and Jeremy Johnson added a goal as well in the third. It was Johnson’s second goal of the night. Andrew Deters also scored for the Cobbers, who owned a commanding 36-15 advantage in shots. Deters and Bancroft each tallied an assist as well. Jordyn Kaufer started in goal and racked up 13 saves. Kaufer improved to 2-2-2 on the season. NCHA – Marian opened up its weekend with a 5-2 win over Superior behind two goals from Rjay Berra. Berra also tallied an assist in the win. Brodie Jamieson scored a goal and dished out two assists as the Sabres snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 6-6 on the season. Jacob Ryd and Derek Thorogood also scored for the Sabres, who held a 34-29 edge in shots. Mike Baldwin won his third game of the season has he made 27 saves. Marian didn’t have as much luck on Saturday as it lost 2-1 in a hard-fought game against nationally-ranked Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Jamieson scored the lone goal for Marian. It was his fourth of the year. Mike Gudmandson made 26 saves. The Sabres are off until Jan. 9 when they travel to Wisconsin-Eau Claire…Finlandia picked up its second win of the year as it topped Aurora 4-2 on Friday. The win snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Lions. Lucas Lahnals, Thomas Malkmus, Kyle Pavlack and James Devlin all scored goals for the Lions, who fashioned a 30-23 advantage in shots. Jordan Marr made 21 saves as the Lions improved to 2-10 on the season. The Lions battled Aurora again on Sunday and skated to a 2-2 tie. Devlin and Lane King both scored goals for Finlandia. Walker Enstad made 27 saves. It was the first tie of the year for the Lions. WIAC – Eau Claire continued its dominance of the Milwaukee School of Engineering on Friday night, knocking off the Raiders 4-0. The Blugolds have won all six meetings in the series, outscoring the Raiders 42-4. The win on Friday marked the third time Eau Claire has blanked MSOE. The Blugolds scored twice on the power play, getting goals from Preston Hodge and Ethan Nauman. Nauman finished the night with two goals. Patrick Moore scored as well for the Blugolds, who held a 43-34 edge in shots and ended the Raiders’ six-game win streak. It was the fifth consecutive game in which Eau Claire did not give up a power play goal. The Raiders were 0-for-9 in power play situations. Tyler Green earned the win in goal, racking up 34 saves. The Blugolds ran their win streak to three games on Saturday with an 11-2 win over Lawrence. Eau Claire scored five power play goals in the win, with Nauman and Brandon Wahlin each scoring two of them. Ross Andersen scored on the power play as well for Eau Claire, which improved to 7-3-2 overall. Jay Deo racked up 24 saves for the win….Wisconsin-River Falls is off to its best start in program history after a 3-1 win over Hamline on Friday night. The Falcons are 11-0 and their 11-game win streak ties the record for longest win streak. It’s the first time since the 1995-96 campaign that River Falls has won 11 in a row. Tanner Milliron came through with 30 saves, although his shutout streak, which lasted more than 167 minutes, was broken in the second period. River Falls was outshot 31-22 but it didn’t matter as three players scored in the win. Mike Fazio, Michael Williams and Russ Jordan all scored for the Falcons. The goal by Jordan was the first of his career. River Falls is 20-3-1 all-time against Hamline and this marks the second time this season that the Falcons have beaten the Pipers. River Falls improved to 6-0 at home and won’t play again until Jan. 2nd when it takes on Aurora in the first meeting between the two programs.
EAST
Not much weekend action in the East and what few games were played were all out of conference.
Nonetheless, there were some notable performances that sent their respective teams into the Christmas break on a high note … In Fredonia, Hunter Long scored his third goal of the season with 5:07 gone in the third period to lead FSU to a 2-1 squeaker over Johnson and Wales Friday. Goalie Jeff Flagler stopped 36 of 37 to give the Blue Devils their second win of the season. … The next afternoon, J & W stopped off in Buffalo and were bested again, this time by Buff State by a 5-3 count. Jason Zaleski scored three goals for the Bengals, and Ryan Salkeld added two more. … Hamilton rallied from a goal down three different times and eked out a 3-3 overtime tie with visiting Cortland, Friday. Pat Curtis netted the deadlocker with just 40 seconds remaining in regulation. … Also, Friday, Curry handed host Potsdam a 4-2 loss after the Bears had mounted a third period rally with goals by Billy Pascalli and Jake Rivera. Adam DiBrina’s empty netter with 26 seconds remaining sealed the deal for the Colonels. … On Saturday, Curry’s Jordan Reed scored twice (Nos. 8 and 9) in a 5-4 win over Canton. … Plymouth State went winless in its two starts, playing to a 4-4 overtime tie at New England College, then losing to Castleton State 4-3 in overtime. Josh Woody scored at 14:05 of the third, allowing the Panthers to salvage the tie with NEC. The next day, Castleton freshman Ryan Smith picked an opportune time to net his first varsity goal, at 1:32 of the extra session, which finished off the Panthers. … Lastly, Framingham State gave up four unanswered special teams goals to D-II Franklin Pierce to fall 5-3.
Many people like to call the fall portion of the college hockey season the “first half”, but really, it’s more like the first period. The majority of the non-conference games are in the books (holiday tournaments the obvious exception), but most ECAC teams have only played eight of their 22 league games (Cornell and Colgate have only played six conference contests). So let’s look at the three things that caught our eye over the waning seconds of our metaphorical opening frame.
Strong locally, weak nationally
ECAC Hockey has compiled a cumulative 37-34-4 non-conference record, not including non-con games between league teams (e.g. the Clarkson-St. Lawrence home-and-home over the Halloween weekend). That’s all well and good, especially considering the league’s 17-13-2 record against “big brother” (or little brother, depending on how you value history) Hockey East. ECAC Hockey is also 12-5 against Atlantic Hockey foes, but that’s where the good news ends. ECAC teams seem to fare just fine in their own back yards, but further afield, the conference is just 7-16-2 against Big 10, WCHA, and NCHC opponents. Is this a travel issue, or a quality-of-competition issue? Tough to say, but it’s certainly a half-full/half-empty proposition.
Minnesota State beats Princeton; flu beats Minnesota State
An outbreak of influenza did what no team has been able to do to Minnesota State all year: Keep the Mavericks off the board. The No. 3 team in the polls routed Princeton 5-0 on Friday night, but Mavs athletic director Kevin Buisman declared the team unfit for play the following evening following a sudden outbreak of flu-like symptoms among a number of players. The game was declared a “no contest” – as opposed to a forfeit – and will be effectively erased from each team’s results as though it had never been scheduled in the first place. Friday’s shutout was MSU’s third in five games, while the loss was Princeton’s fourth in a row and ninth in 10 games (1-9).
Odds ‘n ends
• Clarkson has scored 10 second-period goals in league play thus far, leading all teams in single-period scoring… yet the Golden Knights are also the only team to be blanked in a period for the entire fall: Clarkson has not scored a third-period league goal yet.
• Five teams have surrendered 14 goals or fewer in ECAC competition. Brown has allowed 15 in first-period play alone.
• Harvard’s Jimmy Vesey, Kyle Criscuolo and Alex Kerfoot get a lot of ink lately, but the league’s top scorers are actually Dutchmen: Senior forwards Daniel Ciampini and Max Novak lead the league in points per game with 1.50 and 1.38, respectively. Freshman teammate Spencer Foo also leads the league’s rookies in scoring to date, averaging a solid point per game.
• There is Steve Perry, then there’s everyone else. Clarkson’s sophomore goalie is way out ahead of the pack in GAA (0.99) and save percentage (.958). The nearest competitor is Harvard senior Steve Michalek (1.59, .950).
Saturday’s game between Minnesota State and Princeton has been canceled because of a flu outbreak among the Mavericks players.
Minnesota State made the announcement Saturday afternoon, saying its team did not have enough healthy players to put in the lineup.
“After consulting with several stakeholders, including the NCAA, Verizon Wireless Center and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and discussing our options, it was decided to cancel the game,” Minnesota State athletic director Kevin Buisman said in a statement. “There were several complicating factors in the decision which involved facility scheduling, individual and team travel and the fact that there is no guarantee that we would have enough bodies to play tomorrow. We know that our fan base and those that follow us would have wanted to see the third-rated Mavericks play tonight and hope everyone can understand this difficult situation and the issues we faced in coming to this decision.”
The Mavericks beat the Tigers 5-0 on Friday.
Minnesota State said that Saturday’s canceled game is considered a no-contest and will not count toward either team’s record.
The school will announce plans for ticket refunds at a later date.
With just 11 games on the Division III women’s schedule this weekend to take us into the holiday break, that doesn’t mean none of the games are meaningful ones.
Ranked teams will take the ice this weekend and will face formidable opponents.
Let’s see what our predictions are for the weekend of Dec. 12-14, shall we?
Marian @ No. 10 Wisconsin-Superior – Dec. 12-13 Candace: Home ice and a better team equals a sweep. Wis.-Superior 4-2, 4-1 Matt: Superior isn’t ranked No. 10 in the country for no reason and I see a sweep here on home ice. Look for a big offensive weekend from Karen Larson and for Superior’s two goaltenders (Megan Leikkari and Kim Kobar) to each grab a win.
No. 7 Wisconsin-Stevens Point @ No. 5 Gustavus Adolphus – Dec. 13 Candace: Gustavus has struggled of late, but they are at home for this one, and I think home wins the night. Gustavus Adolphus 3-2 Matt: Wow – what gives here? This matchup could very well happen once the national tournament rolls around in a few short months. I could take the lazy way out and pick a tie, but instead, I am picking the Pointers, possibly in overtime, by a 4-3 score. Give the game-winner to Ali Biagnini.
No. 8 Adrian @ Massachusetts-Boston – Dec. 13 Candace: Like Matt, I believe that Adrian is just too strong in this one. Adrian 4-1 Matt: Adrian remains undefeated this year and it will stay that way after this contest. Jade Walsh gets the win in goal and Kristen Lewicki scores twice. Just a hunch.
Andrew Deters hopes he’s doing this at some point over the weekend for Concordia (Minn.) (photo: Bruce Post).
The holiday break is closing in, but first, there are a few more hockey games to play.
BRIAN LESTER
One of the biggest matchups of the weekend is a nonconference battle between St. Thomas and No. 14 St. Scholastica.
The Tommies are hosting the Saints with a chance to make a statement. They come into the game at 4-3-3 overall and hope to head into the break on a high note.
St. Thomas has scored 40 goals and Alex Altenbernd and Willie Faust have led the way with five goals apiece. Drew Fielding owns a 1.52 goals-against average.
The Saints are back on track after a two-game losing streak and come in at 7-3. They have been solid offensively as well, scoring 34 goals, and Derek Sutliffe leads the way with six. Luke Simpson and Dylan Nowakowski have tallied five goals apiece.
Opportunities could be limited in a game like this, and the team that can capitalize first and limit mistakes on defense will come out on top. St. Thomas has the edge at home, where it has yet to lose. St. Thomas, 3-2.
Below are a few other matchups on the weekend schedule:
Hamline (4-3-3) vs. No. 4 Wisconsin-River Falls (10-0): The Pipers are no doubt a much improved team, and this game provides an opportunity for revenge. Back in early November, Hamline lost 5-2 at home to the Falcons.
The Pipers have not lost in their last five games, tying three opponents, and they will look to keep that momentum going on the road. Kevin Novakovich leads the Pipers with six goals, while John Sellie-Hanson has come up big in goal. Generating early offense is going to be key against the Falcons on the road.
River Falls is one of the hottest teams in the nation and has blanked its last two opponents, including a 4-0 win over No. 11 St. John’s on Tuesday.
Tanner Milliron owns a 1.69 goals-against average. If he is on top of his game, the Falcons will be tough to beat. Not to mention the offense is balanced, producing 42 goals, including six by Kyle Gattelaro. Hamline will play hard, but River Falls is going to be too tough to stop at home. River Falls, 4-2.
Milwaukee School of Engineering (6-4) vs. No. 13 Wisconsin-Eau Claire (5-3-2): The Raiders roll into Eau Claire having won their last six, and this game is no doubt an opportunity to make a statement against a nationally ranked opponent.
MSOE is 0-4 against ranked teams this season, but certainly has the talent to win this game. Omar Mullen has paved the way with nine goals and nine assists. The Raiders have scored 39 goals on the year and have struck for five or more in three of their last four games. The key is finding a way to win away from home – MSOE is 1-4 on the road.
The Blugolds have won two of their last three and have lost only once at home. Ethan Nauman has led the offense with seven goals and four assists, while Eau Claire has taken advantage of its depth at goalie to play well defensively.
Eau Claire has given up 22 goals. Tyler Green and Jay Deo have each played in five games between the pipes. This should be a hard-fought game, but I think the Blugolds find a way to get the job done. Eau Claire, 4-3.
Northland (1-10-1) vs. Concordia (Minn.) (5-4-3): The Cobbers are seeking their first win since the end of November and hope to earn it this weekend when they host the Lumberjacks.
Concordia will look to get its offense going after scoring no more than two goals in its last three outings. Jordie Bancroft and Andrew Deters have been instrumental to the success of the offense. Bancroft has scored eight goals and Deters has come through with five. The Cobbers have scored 34 overall and Alex Reichle has been solid in goal.
Northland has lost three consecutive games and hasn’t won a game since beating Lake Forest 4-3 on Nov. 8. The Lumberjacks have been led by Darius Cole, who has tallied five goals and five assists. Michael Berens has come through with five goals and four assists.
The Lumberjacks will need to step up on defense to have a shot at beating the Cobbers. Northland has allowed 59 goals, with Tyler Ampe and Jesse Dillio splitting time between the pipes. Dillio has played in eight games and Ampe has played in six. Concordia is the better team and should have no problem winning this game, Concordia, 6-3.
DAN HICKLING
Friday
Cortland (5-6-1) @ Hamilton (3-3-1) – Hamilton 5, Cortland 4
Both are fair to middlin’ teams that have scored wins over ranked opponents (Cortland over Geneseo and Hamilton over Williams). This one could come down to special teams – Cortland’s PP vs. Hamilton’s PK. Oh, and here’s a fun fact for you – Cortland freshman forward Darren McCormick (2-16-18) leads the nation in assists.
Plymouth State (5-2-1) @ New England College (3-5-1) – Plymouth 5, NEC 2
One thing is certain. Plymouth goalie Gordon Ceasar will not have to make 66 saves. Saturday
Johnson and Wales (5-3-1) @ Buffalo State (2-6-2) – Buff State 4, J&W 3
The Bengals (shut out in three straight) broke their scoring schneid last week and the sticks should be hot for another cold day in December.
Curry (4-5-1) @ Canton (1-8-1) – Canton 4, Curry 3
Canton endures the rough life of an independent, but this time should be rewarded for its patience.
Friday, December 12 and Saturday, December 13 Niagara vs. Rochester Institute of Technology Dan: Chris will tell you about the problems RIT’s has winning in general against Niagara, having never beaten them at either team’s home rink. While I don’t see Wayne Wilson as the kind of guy who would really care about history the same way we do, I also see the trend continuing through this weekend. Niagara is starting to heat up, and that has me thinking they’re starting to get the wheels moving. Niagara sweeps. Chris:Niagara has owned RIT since the Tigers moved to Division I: 12-1-7 including 9-0-4 at Dwyer Arena, where Saturday’s game will be held. Friday’s contest will be at the new Polisseni Center, and maybe the change of venue will do the Tigers some good – they were 0-3-3 against Niagara at Ritter Arena (the lone RIT win in the series came at Blue Cross Arena in the 2012 semifinals). So I’m going with RIT on Friday and Niagara on Saturday.
Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14 Robert Morris at Mercyhurst Dan: Virtually everyone should have this series circled on their calendar given the two teams proximity and talent levels. Simply put – this could be the weekend of the year in Atlantic Hockey. That said, I’m going to boil this weekend down to goaltending- Dalton Izyk and Terry Shafer have been solid enough to get RMU into the national rankings, and Mercyhurst’s normally sound netminders haven’t been posting the same type of statistics we’ve grown accustomed to. At present? I’m taking RMU. In the playoffs? We’ll see. RMU sweeps. Chris:This is another series with a short trip for the visiting team as the Western Pennsylvania rivals clash. These teams were picked No. 1 (Mercyhurst)and No. 2 (RMU) in the preseason standings, and while the 17th-ranked Colonials are off to a great start (8-1-3, good for first place), the Lakers are five points behind in fifth place but have three games in hand. It’s a chance for Robert Morris to put some distance between a close competitor, of for ‘Hurst to pull the Colonials back to the pack. This will be a fantastic series, and I’m going with my gut and a Mercyhurst sweep.
Bentley at American International Dan: I seem to love harping on goaltending and defense, so indulge me another weekend of focus. Jayson Argue is turning heads with a .947 save percentage and a 1.51 goals against average in his first four games. If he qualified for the national stats by playing in 33% of his team minutes with those stats, he’d be ranked fourth in Division I in save percentage. That said, he gets his first taste of an AIC team that seems to always play the Falcons tough, going 3-3 over the past two seasons against their Northeast-10 Conference rivals. They’ll play twice this year thanks to Atlantic Hockey scheduling, which makes these games even more “high stakes.” That said, edge right now to Bentley. Bentley sweeps. Chris: AIC always seems to give the Falcons fits but even though I think the talent/depth gap continues to narrow between the two squads, I”m looking for Bentley to put together a four-point road weekend. Goaltending was Bentley’s biggest question coming into this season, and they may have found the answer in Jason Argue. Bentley sweeps.
Sunday, December 14 Sacred Heart at Dartmouth Dan: Sick of me talking defense yet? Let’s break this down a little bit – James Kruger is playing nearly every minute for Dartmouth this season and rocks a 1.87 GAA and .932 save percentage. Naysayers will point to Sacred Heart’s struggles last week stopping Robert Morris, but I truly believe those are outliers. Whoever plays for the Pioneers will prove me right since anyone watching those games saw a team that wasn’t overmatched at all. That said, Kruger is in another stratosphere right now, including the 12th best save percentage in the land. Dartmouth wins in a very low-scoring game. Chris: This is a great opportunity for Sacred Heart to steal a game. The Pioneers gave Robert Morris all they could handle last weekend, and have rarely been out of any game so far. However, I like Dartmouth as a dark horse in the ECAC this season, and they’ve already knocked off Union, Boston University and tied Harvard. I’m going with Dartmouth in a close one.
Well, Arlan has closed to within three games after the first half of the year. Neither of us did particularly outstanding last week, as I went 13-8-2 (.608) to move to 157-52-25 (.724), while Arlan went 14-7-2 (.652) to move to 154-55-25 (.711).
We’re in agreement this week, so he’ll have to wait to the second half to try to catch me.
Friday-Saturday, Dec. 12-13
Mercyhurst at Penn State Candace: Penn State has been one of the surprises of the first half, but I don’t see the Nittany Lions beating Mercyhurst. Mercyhurst 3-2, 4-1 Arlan: Penn State has managed to avoid a sweep thus far, and they may do so again, but I don’t know if that would mean a win, nor on which day; the odds favor the guests. Mercyhurst 3-1, 2-0
Bemidji State at St. Cloud Candace: One of these will be close, but I like the Beavers to sweep. Bemidji State 4-1, 2-1 Arlan: The big ice surface in St. Cloud could throw the Beavers off, particularly in game one, but the Huskies look too worn out to take advantage. Bemidji State 1-0, 3-1
North Dakota at RIT Candace: Neither team has lit the world on fire of late, but I have to think North Dakota is stronger overall. North Dakota 3-1, 4-1 Arlan: If Ali Binnington’s health is iffy, I wouldn’t expect her to play in a non-CHA series with four weeks off looming. North Dakota 3-0, 2-1
Maine at Union Candace: Probably depends on which Black Bears team shows up, but I’ll go with Maine to sweep. Maine 2-1, 3-1 Arlan: These teams have played two-game series in each of the last six seasons, and the Black Bears haven’t swept any of them. Union took both games in Maine two years ago. Payback? Nah, probably a split. Maine 1-0, 2-1
Sunday, Dec. 14
Dartmouth at Vermont Candace: Home ice, or the team that has been a little better of late? Dartmouth 3-2 Arlan: Despite the records, I sense that the Big Green are just a little bit better at the moment. Dartmouth 4-3
There are three Big Ten teams in action this weekend, but one plays exhibition. First, some accountability for Drew Claussen and me.
Last week
Drew: 3-2-0 (.600)
Paula: 2-2-1 (.500)
Season
Drew: 43-29-4 (.592)
Paula: 28-43-5 (.401)
Meh. For me, anyway.
This week
Michigan plays Boston College on the road Saturday and Michigan State hosts Clarkson Sunday. Wisconsin also plays the Under-18 team Friday. We only pick the games that count.
Michigan at Boston College
Drew: Picking Michigan games this year hasn’t exactly been a walk in the park because you’re basically taking a chance on which team will show up: the one that has scored eight goals three times this year or the one that turned in poor defensive efforts in losses to Ferris State, New Hampshire and Michigan Tech. The Wolverines have trended upward over the last couple weeks. The defense has played a little better, but the main thing is that the offense has compensated for any defensive-shortfalls. Jerry York’s squad is currently sixth in Hockey East and is 1-2-1 in its last four contests. I give Boston College the slight advantage in this one because of home ice, but could see it going either way. Whichever side holds the other to three or fewer goals will come away victorious.
Paula: These teams met to mark the beginning of the 2013-2014 season, a 3-1 Michigan win in Yost Ice Arena Oct. 10, 2013. The Wolverines have won four straight games in this series, and Red Berenson is 29-22-1 all-time against Jerry York, going back to when York skippered Bowling Green (1979-1994). Michigan’s last win at Boston College was Dec. 27, 1950. This Saturday contest begins at 7:00 p.m. and is not televised.
Drew’s pick: Boston College 4-2. Paula’s pick: I’m not calling against the Wolverines until they lose, no matter the odds. Michigan 3-2.
Clarkson at Michigan State
Drew: This game is obviously the less-thrilling of the two Big Ten games this weekend. It features two teams that have gotten off to the less-than-stellar starts. Michigan State currently owns a 5-9-1 record and Clarkson is 6-7-4. After correctly predicting a tie in last Saturday’s game between Minnesota and Michigan State, I’m tempted to do it again. (The patting myself on the back for picking a tie quickly ceased when Michigan made my Ohio State upset pick look foolish). The Spartans’ offense is averaging 2.12 goals per game and Clarkson’s defense is averaging two goals allowed per game, so there’s a good chance that the difference in the game will be whether or not Jake Hildebrand can hold Clarkson to one goal. I don’t have much confidence in Michigan State after its split with Princeton a couple weeks ago, but I think home ice should help the Spartans take down this ECAC opponent.
Paula: I respectfully disagree that this match is the “less-thrilling” of the league’s two D-I offerings this weekend. A Clarkson-Michigan State game doesn’t have the visibility of Michigan’s game against Boston College, but there’s no reason to expect that this contest will be dull. Michigan State is playing good hockey, as evidenced by the Spartans’ performance against Minnesota Saturday night, one of the best games I’ve seen from start to finish this year. Any unranked team that can bounce back from a 5-0 loss and dictate the terms of the follow night’s 3-3 tie against a top-tier opponent is a team that can produce plenty of excitement. Clarkson won its single game against St. Lawrence — another tough team — last weekend, coming from behind to do so and outshooting the Saints 31-22.
The Golden Knights and Spartans have met for one series previous to this game, a home sweep by Michigan State Oct. 9-10, 2009. This Sunday game begins at 5:00 p.m. and will be televised by Fox Sports Detroit.
Drew’s pick: Michigan State 2-1. Paula’s pick: Michigan State 3-2.
Happy birthday, Coach!
A belated happy birthday to Michigan coach Red Berenson, who turned 75 years old Dec. 8.
Goodbye, TC
After 32 years in the business, Tim Connor has resigned his position as an associate director of media relations at Notre Dame. Closer to home, Tim or TC — as he’s often called by friends — was the Irish hockey team’s sports information director for 15 years.
It’s hard to say goodbye to such a great guy and to someone who has set the standard for what to expect from media relations people. Aside from being liked by everyone who knows him and a complete media pro, TC is an excellent writer whose talents have often been overlooked because they’ve been confined to so many press releases.
In the tiny world that is college hockey, Tim Connor will be missed.
The first half of the season is coming to an end, Jack, and I’d say we’ve done fairly well with our picks, especially considering there have been a few surprises in what’s become a pretty darn-good conference. No more wasting time, though, I have shopping to do:
Lake Superior State at Ferris State
Shane: Lake Superior State less than a period an a half from pulling off a stunning upset at North Dakota a week ago but couldn’t close the deal. The Lakers appeared to play UND tough the next night, too, despite another loss, so that could give them some confidence going to Big Rapids against a good team that still has a lot of questions to answer Considering Ferris State’s brutal upcoming schedule (just two home games in their next 12 after this), these games are vital to the Bulldogs to stay in home-ice contention for the second half of the season. They’ll sweep at home. Bulldogs 3-1, 2-1
Jack: The Lakers have definitely shown improvement since struggling to start the season. And that first game in Grand Forks had me bugging out for a good hour until UND rallied for the big win. The Bulldogs, too, haven’t been themselves as of late. I think we may see a pair of close games but I’m just not confident in the Lakers holding on against quality teams. I say sweep too. Bulldogs 4-1, 2-1
Northern Michigan at Bemidji State
Shane: The luck has flipped a bit for these two teams, with Northern Michigan and the once-red-hot Mathias Dahlström suddenly giving up goals (10 at home last weekend to Bowling Green!) and Bemidji State going unbeaten in its last three games after dropping seven close ones in a row. This should be an entertaining series for you to cover this weekend, Jack, and I think you’ll see a series split. Beavers 3-2, Wildcats 4-2
Jack: I agree that this should be a good series. Dahlström suddenly looks only human as opposed to a puck-stopping robot (he’s all the way up to 1.71 GAA now!) but I have a feeling he should get back on track soon. The Beavers, meanwhile, have been scoring a lot of goals lately — seven in each of the past two weekends — but they’ll be without leading scorer Brendan Harms for at least four weeks. That will be a big blow for them, simply because Harms is such a great playmaker for them. (The Fitzgerald triplets, on the other hand, are just now starting to heat up — watch out.) I agree that this seems like a split, though. Wildcats 3-2, Beavers 5-3
Alabama Huntsville at Alaska
Shane: I was really impressed with what I saw out of Alaska last weekend. The Nanooks would be a home-ice contender if not for the fact that they’re banned for the postseason. After dropping five in a row, Alaska has split its last three series. Alabama Huntsville clearly has improved from last season, and I think it will score some goals this weekend, but I can’t call an upset. Nanooks 4-2, 5-2
Jack: These Alaska trips are never easy on any team, but the Huntsville-to-Fairbanks voyage is the longest in the league. You’re right that these should be entertaining games — they could be high-scoring, since thew Nanooks can give up some goals — but I’ll still call a UAF sweep. Nanooks 5-4, 5-3
Minnesota Duluth at Michigan Tech
Shane: I’ll definitely have this series pulled up on WCHA.tv this weekend while covering the MSU games in Mankato. Should be a great nonconference matchup between the No. 4 Huskies and the No. 9 Bulldogs, as Jack wrote about in this week’s WCHA column. The two teams have lost just three of their last 23 games (that includes all of Tech’s games), so the natural inclination is to call a series split. Huskies 4-2, Bulldogs 4-2
Jack: I’ve said this a lot this year, but Houghton is once again the place to be this weekend. Especially if you like hockey. (If you don’t like hockey, I’m sure Lake Superior is also lovely this time of year.) When I talked to Huskies coach Mel Pearson he said he didn’t see a lot of differences between these teams, and I tend to agree. I’ll also call a split. Bulldogs 3-1, Huskies 5-3
Princeton at Minnesota State
Shane: The No. 3 Mavericks close out the first half of their schedule with a nonconference series against the rebuilding Tigers. If Minnesota State was due to have a hiccup, I think that happened last Friday at home against Alaska when it lost in overtime. That got MSU’s attention, and I think it continues its high-flying scoring act this weekend. Mavericks 5-1, 5-2
Jack: Minnesota State’s scoring offense is No. 3 in the country (behind, somewhat surprisingly, Robert Morris and Michigan). Princeton’s offense is the worst in the country and they’ve given up more than 3.5 goals a game. And to make matters worse for the Tigers, George Parros retired from the NHL last week, depriving them of their most famous NHL alumnus. I can’t see the Tigers tripping up the Mavs this week. Mavericks 6-1, 5-1
The ECAC announced Thursday the formation of a new Division III women’s league – the ECAC North Atlantic Hockey League – that will begin play for the 2015-16 season.
The league will be comprised of eight institutions that either currently compete independently or are starting a women’s program next year.
Becker, Canton, Daniel Webster, Endicott, Johnson and Wales, Morrisville, Salem State and Stevenson will be the founding members of the league.
“It is with great excitement and anticipation that the ECAC announces the formation of the North Atlantic Hockey League,” said ECAC president and CEO Dr. Kevin McGinniss in a statement. “The sport of women’s ice hockey is rapidly growing in the United States and we are extremely proud to be a part of it. These eight institutions are further blazing the path for future programs to start women’s ice hockey and to bolster the student-athlete experience.”
The eight schools will play each other twice during the regular season and an ECAC North Atlantic champion will be crowned following a postseason conference tournament.
Well, Matthew gained right back the game I’d picked up on him the previous week. Last week, I went 5-3 (.625) to move to 57-25-4 (.686) on the year, while Matthew went 6-2 (.750) to move to 52-30-4 (.627) on the year.
It’s the last big weekend of the first half, so let’s see how we do.
Friday-Saturday, Dec. 12-13
No. 1 North Dakota at No. 11 Denver Candace: This looks like a split, though Dave Haktsol has his team playing awfully well. Denver 3-2, North Dakota 4-2 Matthew: UND has been a ridiculous 19-1-2 in the month of December the past five years, but I think they’ll tick up one in the loss column this weekend. Split. Denver 3-2, North Dakota 3-1
St. Cloud State at No. 12 Omaha Candace: Omaha killed me last weekend with their results against Miami. Nevertheless, (yoo-hoo RedArmyUNO, over here), I’ll pick a split. St. Cloud 2-1, Omaha 3-1 Matthew: UNO’s been excellent in the first half of this season, and I think they’ll do the business this weekend at home against a St. Cloud State team that has underwhelmed thus far. Omaha 4-2, 3-1
Colorado College at Western Michigan Candace: CC needs some success on the road at some point, but there’s no percentage in picking it yet. Western Michigan 3-2, 2-1 Matthew: These two teams are at the bottom of the NCHC standings, but I think CC’s record is more indicative of its play than Western’s is, so I like the Broncos here. Western Michigan 2-1, 2-0
No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth at No. 4 Michigan Tech Candace: I’m tempted to be an NCHC homer and pick a sweep, but I’m just not able to. Michigan Tech 3-2, Minnesota-Duluth 4-2 Matthew: Tech has been probably my favorite national storyline over the first half of the season, but even though they’re coming off of a week where the Huskies were able to rest and recover, I think UMD will come away from Houghton with a split. Michigan Tech 3-1, Minnesota-Duluth 3-1
Minnesota’s Leon Bristedt is on Sweden’s preliminary roster for the World Junior Championship (photo: Jim Rosvold).
Three teams besides the United States have college hockey players on their preliminary rosters for the World Junior Championship.
Ohio State defensemen Yanik Moser and Western Michigan forward Frederik Tiffels are on Germany’s roster, where they’re joined by Minnesota State recruits Parker Tuomie and Marc Michaelis, both forwards playing in the USHL.
Defensemen Erik Autio of Penn State and Mika Ilvonen of St. Cloud State are on Finland’s roster, and Minnesota forward Leon Bristedt is listed on Sweden’s group.
The World Junior Championship runs Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Montreal and Toronto.
There are a handful of ECAC teams in action this week before college hockey stops for the holiday break. Here is a rundown of who is playing this weekend, highlighted by Boston University and Jack Eichel coming to Houston Field House Saturday night.
All start times listed are EDT.
Friday, Dec. 12
St. Lawrence at No. 10 Vermont, 7:05 p.m.
While the offense has dropped a bit for the Saints, freshman Kyle Hayton and St. Lawrence’s defense have continued to be strong. The Catamounts are solid through the lineup, and have only given up 25 goals in 15 games this season. If the St. Lawrence can turn up its offense, they could have a chance, but I think the Catamounts win in a low-scoring game. Vermont wins
Princeton at No. 3 Minnesota State, 8:07 p.m.
The Mavericks have the third-highest scoring offense in the country, averaging 3.88 goals per-game. The Tigers played Harvard close last Friday, thanks to 51 saves from sophomore Colton Phinney. The Princeton goalie should be busy again this weekend against Minnesota State. Minnesota State wins
Saturday, Dec. 13
No. 2 Boston University at Rensselaer, 7 p.m.
Terrier freshman Jack Eichel might be the headline in this game, but for the battered Engineers, the main goal will be to head into the break without any additional injuries and then heal up for the second half. Forward Lou Nanne has missed the last six games, while starting goalie Jason Kasdorf hasn’t played in four games. They’re joined by forward and second-leading scorer Drew Melanson, who is out with mononucleosis, per the Troy Record. All three players statuses for the weekend haven’t been determined, according to a university release. Boston University wins
No. 10 Vermont at St. Lawrence, 7 p.m.
Look for the Saints to get the split at home. St. Lawrence wins
Princeton at Minnesota State, 8:07 p.m.
I can’t see the Tigers finishing off the sweep against a strong Mavericks team. Minnesota State wins
Sunday, Dec. 14
Sacred Heart at Dartmouth, 4 p.m.
Regardless of what happens Sunday, the Big Green have been much better during this season’s first half than they were a year ago. With that being said, Dartmouth should little problem with the Pioneers, especially at home. Dartmouth wins
Clarkson at Michigan State, 5 p.m.
The magic number for Clarkson is two, as the Golden Knights are 6-1-4 when scoring at least two goals. Don’t expect a lot of offense, as Clarkson is averaging 1.79 goals per-game, while Michigan State is at 2.12 goals per-game. Slight edge to the Knights, as goalie Steve Perry and the Knights’ defense has been solid the last five games. Clarkson wins
St. Cloud State is 6-7-1 entering its final series of the first half against Omaha (photo: Bradley K. Olson).
One year after claiming the inaugural Penrose Cup, awarded to the NCHC’s regular season champion, St. Cloud State has struggled to establish consistency. The team sits just under .500 at 6-7-1.
While the Huskies have played a difficult schedule, coach Bob Motzko isn’t leaning on that as a crutch to explain his squad’s record.
“We’ve earned our wins. The unfortunate part for us is we’ve earned a couple of our losses, too,” he said. “There are things we’ve done in those games we’ve been in where we’re on the wrong side of play and we need to work on that and be better, and that’s what we are trying to do. We’ve earned and deserve everything we’ve got right now. There have been some real bright spots in the first half; there’s also been a handful of mistakes, and they are all correctable.”
It doesn’t get any easier for the Huskies, who close their first half on the road this weekend against a high-powered Omaha team.
The Huskies’ offensive production is significantly off what it was last season; they average 2.5 goals per game. They also don’t have a single player in the top 50 in scoring nationally.
The sixth-ranked power-play unit has been a bright spot, clicking at a 24.14 percent success rate, but five-on-five goals have been more difficult to come by.
“I think it’s just one five-on-five goal per game,” said Motzko. “I think that’s something we can overcome. Sometimes it’s important when you are playing well and doing the right things, you need to score a goal to put the game in a better light for your team. One night a week it comes our way.”
One bright spot offensively has been the play of junior Joey Benik, who is tied for the team lead in scoring with Jonny Brodzinski with 13 points.
“Joe is just at a whole new level right now, in two things,” said Motzko. “One, you couldn’t have asked for things to go more wrong for him early in his career when he broke his leg in the first practice of the year and he missed nearly half the year, and then we got to see him in spurts, and he showed that a year ago.
“He showed many times that he was on the verge of breaking out, but nagging injuries continued to hamper him. He had a terrific offseason, one of the better ones I’ve seen, which really paid off. He’s as strong as he’s ever been, he’s in the best shape he’s ever been in, his confidence is at a new level, and he’s playing outstanding for us. All the tools were there; he’s shown that at every level, but it’s peaking and it’s great to see, him being rewarded for a lot of hard work.”
The Huskies have also been getting good production from freshman Patrick Russell, who is fourth on the team in scoring. Motzko is expecting bigger things from Russell in the second half.
“I really think in the last month, he’s starting to get to the level we need him to be at,” said Motzko. “It was a little adjustment period, like all guys, but he’s making the step right now and we really expect big things out of him in the second half because he’s comfortable now and has adjusted to the pace and is picking the pace up.”
While the 6-7-1 record isn’t going to win the Huskies another Penrose Cup or a place in the NCAA tournament, Motzko is happy overall with how his team has progressed.
“I like a lot of the things we are doing; nothing is getting away from us,” said Motzko. “We’re just having a hard time stringing things together, and we are just going to continue to concentrate on our own game and what we have to do to get better at it.”
Cody Bradley leads Colorado College with five goals (photo: Candace Horgan).
Colorado College looks to improve on road
As the Colorado College Tigers prepare for their final series of the first half, a two-game set on the road at Western Michigan, CC coach Mike Haviland is hoping his players can learn from last Friday’s heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss at No. 8 Minnesota-Duluth.
“I thought we played a real good hockey game, probably our best of the year against a very good team in their building,” Haviland said. “We’re a team that needs to find a way to finish the job. When it got down to the last five minutes there, they were really coming and pressing. We have to play with confidence and finish the job, and they found a way to tie it late and get one in overtime.”
The Bulldogs built on that late win by shellacking the Tigers the next night 7-2.
“My thing is, we gave up goals at the start of the second and the start of the third, and you can’t give up goals in the first minute and half of those periods,” Haviland said of Saturday. “They’re big momentum swings for the team. I like our character. We battled back to make it 4-2, and then the back breaker was the fifth.
“They’re a really good hockey team, and they’re where they’re at for a reason. As much as I liked our Friday night and a little bit of Saturday, we have to learn what it takes to win hockey games on the road and not get off of the game plan for any of the 60 minutes.”
CC is one of five teams nationally that is winless on the road in the first half, although aside from Maine, none of the other four has played close to CC’s number of road games, eight. Maine has played six, and the other three have played between two and four.
At home, things are brighter, as CC has gone 3-2. For now, Haviland said his team needs to simplify things on the road.
“I think it’s difficult to win on the road; I don’t care what level you’re at,” he said. “You’re going into a place where they’re sleeping in their beds, they’re comfortable, they feel good to be at home; every team does. We sometimes have lapses of a couple minutes where we turn pucks over and try to do a little too much instead of playing a simple game on the road, and when you turn things over and try to beat guys, you give other teams chances, and teams have been putting them behind us.
“The message is that you have to play consistent for 60 minutes, a simple road hockey game and not give up the odd-man breaks or the second and third chances in our end.”
CC has had its issues on defense. Though the Tigers are playing two young goaltenders in Chase Perry and Tyler Marble, CC has struggled as a team on defense, ranking 58th out of 59 teams nationally with an average of 4.46 goals allowed. Only Massachusetts has a worse average.
“That’s a whole team concept; it’s a commitment that everybody needs to make,” said Haviland. “I think we’ve changed a couple of things in the last couple of weeks, and except for Saturday night, the three prior games hadn’t really given up that many goals. We really need to bear down and make that commitment. It’s everybody; you can’t cheat in the defensive end. Right now, there are some things we need to clean up.”
One thing that might help CC’s road results is an improvement on special teams. The Tigers are 44th nationally on the power play with a 12.28 percent success rate, and 54th on the penalty kill at 76.4 percent.
However, Haviland said he believes there has been improvement on those numbers in recent weeks.
“I look at it the last four games we are 15 out of 16 on the kill, and our power play has jumped up and had goals in the last four games,” he said. “I think those numbers, a lot of it had to do with the beginning of the year, and sometimes they are tough to move. We feel that we are getting better in those areas, especially in the last four games, so we have to continue to move forward.
“I think that our attention to detail in those areas, especially on the PK side, has really gone up, and I think on the power play side we talk about simplifying things and putting pucks at the net and not trying to make the second and third pass and being on the same page. It’s starting to work.”
CC has a lot of its second half at home, including a five-week stretch starting on Jan. 30 save for one road game against Denver. So if the numbers continue to move forward, CC should be well-positioned for its extended stay in the friendly confines of World Arena.
Players of the week
Offensive player of the week — Cody Murphy, Miami: Murphy, who had only one goal entering the weekend, scored four in Miami’s split with Omaha. On Friday, he notched a natural hat trick in an 8-2 win, breaking the game open for his team from a 1-1 first-period tie to make it 4-1 in the second while finishing the game plus-3. On Saturday, he scored a power-play goal in the third to pull Miami to within one in a 5-2 loss. He finished plus-2 on the weekend.
Defensive player of the week — Jordan Schmaltz, North Dakota: Schmaltz led the way defensively and offensively in UND’s sweep of Lake Superior State, notching five points on the weekend, four on power-play chances. In Friday’s come-from-behind win, he assisted on North Dakota’s second goal, which helped spark a rally from 4-1 down, and also assisted on the sixth and seventh goals in a 7-4 win. On Saturday, he scored a power-play goal and an assist in a 3-1 win, and helped UND kill all nine Lake Superior power-play chances on the weekend.
Rookie of the week — Tucker Poolman, North Dakota: Poolman was versatile last weekend, playing forward one night and defense the next. He notched three points in UND’s sweep of Lake Superior State. On Friday, he moved to forward after two North Dakota forwards went out of the game due to injury and quickly scored two power-play goals to help spark his team’s rally to a 7-4 win. On Saturday, he played defense and notched an assist while blocking two shots and helping his team kill all nine Lake Superior power-play attempts on the weekend.
Goaltender of the week — Zane McIntyre, North Dakota: McIntyre claimed goaltender of the week honors for the second consecutive week for his performance in North Dakota’s sweep of Lake Superior State, where he posted a 1.21 GAA and .933 save percentage. He entered the game in relief Friday for Cam Johnson with North Dakota trailing 3-0 and made 12 saves as UND rallied for a 7-4 win. On Saturday, he made 16 saves on 17 shots in a 3-1 win. He also helped kill all nine Lake Superior power plays he faced.
What coach wouldn’t be thankful for having Jack Eichel on his team? (photo: Melissa Wade)
I’ve once again intercepted mail from Hockey East arenas to the North Pole and am sharing it with you.
On UMass-Lowell stationery:
Norm Bazin here.
I’ve got to tell you, Santa, I’ve got no complaints. An undefeated record within Hockey East and first place, all while playing only three seniors and up to 11 freshmen. Loud and enthusiastic fans filling the Tsongas. (Hope you caught the crowd singing the National Anthem all on its own on opening night when the PA system failed.)
It doesn’t get much better than that.
Other than, of course, a third straight Hockey East title, a return to the Frozen Four and two big wins there to send the city of Lowell into utter euphoria.
That’s all.
On Boston University stationery:
Santa, David Quinn here.
Last year was a big bag of coal, but what a present you left for me when we signed Jack Eichel! Jaws are dropping all over the league.
And that wasn’t the only present. You left me four freshmen defensemen who play every game as well as a goaltender and several other forwards.
We now have the talent to compete with anyone, which is why, I guess, we’re No. 2 in the country.
So other than saying, “Thanks!” I guess I’d just like to ask that those elite recruits keep coming under our Christmas tree instead of the one further up Commonwealth Avenue, if you know what I mean.
On Vermont stationery:
Santa, this is Kevin Sneddon.
You’ve been a very good Santa this year! Or is that backward? I guess I’m the one who’s supposed to be good.
Whatever the case, we’re 11-3-1, a point out of first place and ranked in the top 10.
As one notable Yuletime philosopher once said, “Not too shabby!”
A year ago wasn’t bad. We were only .500 within Hockey East, good for eighth place, but we played strong out of conference and made the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, we drew Union in the first round and that team ran the table.
A similar thing happened in the Hockey East tournament. As the eighth seed, we drew Lowell and even though we pushed them to a third game and outshot them 13-4 in the third period, we couldn’t get the equalizer past Connor Hellebuyck. Just like Union would do in the NCAAs, Lowell ran the table to another Hockey East title.
So another NCAA tournament berth would be great, but I’d love to sew up home ice and a first-round bye so we’re not just the first step to another team running the table.
We’d like to do that running ourselves.
On Providence stationery:
Santa, Nate Leaman.
I didn’t pay attention to the preseason polls back when they said we’d be bad, so I didn’t pay attention this year when they said we’d finish first.
But plenty of other people do.
So to most of them, we’ve been a disappointment.
Hey, I want us to finish first just like the fans, but we need to just trust the process and work to get better. Let first place take care of itself.
On the other hand, however, a little more scoring would help. We’re only ahead of Northeastern and Connecticut in overall offense, so a little help there would be welcome.
Puck luck. Scoring touch. Clanged posts turned into sniper-style goals.
Whatever.
And along with that, a power play that clicks at better than 11 percent would also help.
Steven Fogarty has one of Notre Dame’s five power-play goals this season (photo: Jim Rosvold).
On Notre Dame stationery:
This is Jeff Jackson here.
I didn’t believe in writing letters to you last year and I don’t believe in it this time, either. What kind of crazy Hockey East tradition is this?
On the other hand, last season we finished tied for seventh in the league and still made the NCAA tournament, so there must be something odd, but effective, in the Hockey East water.
So I’m going to rub the head of my Joe Bertagna bobblehead doll and ask you to please bring us a power play. We’re at just 6.8 percent now. We’re not going to make the NCAA tournament with a man advantage that weak. So if you really do exist, how about doubling that rate?
On Boston College stationery:
Well hello, Santa, this is Jerry York.
Most years, I haven’t had to ask for much of anything. We’ve been on our way to another national title, or at least strong contention for one.
This season, we’re middle of the pack. Just a .500 record in the league and a single game above that overall.
We’ve got a middle-of-the-pack offense and middle-of-the-pack defense. A pretty good penalty kill, but an awful power play. Just 9.1 percent.
Since when are the Eagles middle of the pack?
We really need our senior class to step up its production. I know these guys have been role players all their careers here, but if you could give one or two of them a sniper’s touch, that’d be great.
We also need Thatcher Demko to stay healthy. That’s a big one for us.
That’s it, Santa. Help yourself to some milk and cookies, and go Eagles!
On Merrimack stationery:
Mark Dennehy here.
Santa, we’re 10-5-2 and nobody is talking about us. I know we haven’t beaten the iron in our nonconference schedule, but we’re a tough team to beat, especially at home (7-1-1, if you haven’t been paying attention).
We play strong defense and have a very good penalty kill. We’ve got a terrific freshman named Brett Seney.
But maybe it’s a good idea that we’re still flying underneath the radar. Let people think we’re still last year’s 3-15-2 club. They won’t know what hit ’em.
Hey, I guess I’m supposed to ask for something, so how about a few more Brett Seneys under our recruiting tree for a real breakthrough year next season?
For this year? I see we’re tied in the standings right now with Boston College. I could live with that being true at the end of the year.
On Northeastern stationery:
Jim Madigan here.
I tell you, Santa, for a while there, I was going to clobber you over the head with a bag of coal. We didn’t win our first game until Nov. 15.
That was a tough stretch, let me tell you.
We’ve won four out of our last six, so maybe we’re past all the bad times.
But we’re still next to last in Hockey East in overall offense (1.87 goals a game) and only one notch better in team defense (3.27 allowed). And our penalty kill is the worst, only 72.5 percent.
So there’s lots you can put underneath our tree.
A Beanpot sure would be nice, too. Last year, we were dead even with BC with six minutes to go. Just don’t raise our hopes again only to crush them. If you do, then here come two words for you.
Bah humbug!
On Connecticut stationery:
Santa, Mike Cavanaugh. How are you doing?
This is a first time for me, although I saw you bring presents year after year to my mentor at BC, Jerry York.
How about doing the same for the Huskies? We’re new to the league, but this feels like the good old days. Familiar ground.
We’ve knocked off BC and Vermont and tied second-ranked BU. So we’re no doormats.
We’re playing pretty good defense, but could really use some more scoring. We’re last in the league in offense.
So how about a Johnny Gaudreau? Or maybe the UConn equivalent of Marty Reasoner, who came to BC when it was down and led the parade along with Brian Gionta.
A Brian Gionta would look very nice under the recruiting tree, Santa. How about it?
On Maine stationery:
Santa, this is Red Gendron.
I still think this silly letter-writing thing is just a cockamamie idea of that USCHO nitwit Hendrickson.
But here goes.
Everybody reminds us that we only won one game on the road last year, and we’ve still got the doughnut this year. I said before the season that we’d better be better on the road.
And we’re not.
So please — pretty please with sugar on it — can we please get not only one road win but a whole string of them so that albatross isn’t hanging over our heads every time we step outside of Orono? (For the record, that was three pleases in one sentence, including a pretty please.)
It’s that simple. Road wins. End of story.
On New Hampshire stationery:
Hey, Santa, Dick Umile here.
Where do I start?
I thought we might have a tough time, losing our goaltender right before the season started and having youth at a number of positions.
But next to last place? 1-5-1 in Hockey East? 4-9-1 overall? Winless in our last five games?
We’re not that bad. Those last five games have all been one-goal losses except for a tie and one empty-netter.
I’ll make it simple for you. We need wins. A whole bunch of them. And we need them right away because these kids are playing hard and we’re awfully close.
But awfully close doesn’t cut it here in Durham.
Wins cut it.
So please bring us a whole lot of them, Big Guy. Whaddya say?
On Massachusetts stationery:
Santa, this is John Micheletto.
Bah humbug. Bah humbug. Bah humbug.
Two years ago, my first year here, we finished next to last. Last season, same thing.
So I got wishing that we wouldn’t finish next to last again.
Where are we now?
In last place.
Very funny.
Bah humbug, Santa. We’ll make the playoffs no matter what, but I’ve still only got those two words for you: Bah humbug.
And finally, not that it has anything to do with anything, but …
There will be a first-half wrapup next week, but this will be the final conventional column before the holidays. I hope you have a great holiday season.
When you do your holiday shopping, please consider my novels. I’ve got a new one called “Offside” coming out next Monday in ebook formats and a week after that in trade paperback.
If you liked “Cracking the Ice” — and I don’t know of anyone who didn’t — you’ll like this one. It takes place in 1967, the year before “Cracking the Ice,” and it even has a small role for that work’s hero, Jessie Stackhouse. The primary sport this time is football; there’s only a tiny amount of hockey. But I think you’ll like it.
My other novels include “Cracking the Ice,” which takes place during the height of the Civil Rights struggle. Jessie Stackhouse is a black, 15-year-old hockey phenom who is recruited to break the color line at an all-white prep school. The headmaster who recruited him tries to help, but the coach doesn’t want him there and neither do most of the players.
“Bubba Goes for Broke,” written under my pen name David Bawdy, is an R-rated comedy and crime caper featuring the world’s dumbest crook and the Hooters waitress he tries to con. If you’re easily offended, this book is funny, but it’s not for you.
“Body Check,” my first hockey romance, has been very popular. In it, a female sportswriter falls for an old college flame who’s traded to the local pro hockey team she covers. A journalist covering the man she loves? This breaks all the rules.
(This was published before the Jenny Dell – Will Middlebrooks romance became public and caused her to lose her job.)
This novel, published under the name D.H. Hendrickson, is definitely R-rated for the spicy you-know-what scenes. (Hey, they’re a requirement for a contemporary romance.)
You can always follow my fiction writing on my website where you can sign up for my newsletter so you can hear (never more than once a month) about my latest releases.
Happy holidays, thanks for reading and see you next year.
