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After back-to-back 20-win seasons, Holy Cross aims for more than just consistency

October 6, 2013

Shayne Stockton posted 28 points for Holy Cross last season (photo: Melissa Wade).

It’s an amazing type of consistency that permeates through the walls of Holy Cross’ Hart Center. Back-to-back 20-win seasons, three straight years over .500 and overall control of Atlantic Hockey’s eastern division hang from the purple walls in Worcester, Mass.

The only things the Crusaders have been missing lately are a league championship and a trip to the NCAA tournament. But they’re hoping that their consistency and ability to adapt to new conditions every season will finally help them over that hump this year.

“It’s not to dismiss the good players who graduated from this program, but we always look at how we can keep moving forward,” coach Paul Pearl said. “We try not to lament the losses of who’s left the program, and we try to focus on the guys that are currently here. We like to think that each year is our time and that the guys who are here, it’s their time to shine.”

Shayne Stockton returns after posting a 28-point season last season, and Adam Schmidt leads a pack of scorers trying to seamlessly transition from Brandon Nunn, Rob Linsmayer and Kyle Fletcher. Castan Sommer had six goals in his first year last season, and Jake Youso scored nine goals in just 25 games.

No Crusaders player scored more than 16 goals, meaning they should be able to do better than just tread water against their eastern divisional mates.

“Our goal is to find our identity every year,” Pearl said. “Some years you have a better offense, and some years you have a better defense. Our guys have bought into whatever they are; they’re going to work hard and they’re going to find themselves. Everyone knows that teams change every year, and once you find out who you are, you have to work to be the best you possibly can be.”

For a team that is able to remain consistent year in and year out, the perfect example is in net, where Matt Ginn returns for a junior year after appearing in all but two games last season. Last year, he won 19 games with a 2.63 GAA and was six saves short of 1,000 on the season.

“Matt Ginn is one of the best goalies in the league,” Pearl said. “We want to improve our goals against average, but that’s more of a team thing.”

The Crusaders have the added benefit of playing an aggressive nonleague schedule, one of their biggest in years. They’ll play a “mini-Beanpot” against Hockey East teams, taking on Boston University, Boston College and Northeastern.

They’ll play the defending national runner-up when they play a home-and-home series against Quinnipiac. And they’ll play a weekend set where they’ll play conference foe Bentley at Fenway Park before playing the defending national champion the next night at Yale.

“We set out to play the best possible schedule,” Pearl said. “It grabs people’s attention if it’s as front-loaded. It’s a huge opportunity for us to that we’re in a great position. Hockey East is going to be looking for newer opponents with their new scheduling format. Boston University is now in the Patriot League, so we can start to develop a relationship through that. Northeastern is always a good team to play against being in Hockey East. And it’s always great to play Boston College — our alumni base in Boston after Thanksgiving will really enjoy that game given the historical rivalry between our schools.”

About the Crusaders

2012-13 overall record: 20-14-3

2012-13 conference record: 15-9-3

2013-14 predicted finish (coaches poll): Eighth

Key losses: F Brandon Nunn, F Rob Linsmayer, F Kyle Fletcher, F Erik Vos

Players to watch: F Shayne Stockton, F Adam Schmidt, F Castan Sommer, F Jake Youso, G Matt Ginn

Impact rookie: Of the freshmen forwards coming in, mighty mite Cameron Lawson (at 5-foot-9) is the most highly touted. He scored 21 goals and 21 assists last year for the Prince George Spruce Kings.

Why the Crusaders will finish higher than the coaches poll: Consistency is king. Defying more neutralized expectations this year, the Crusaders freshmen keep the machine rolling, and Holy Cross continues its reign as a top team in the league and the face of the eastern division.

Why the Crusaders will finish lower than the coaches poll: With Karl Beckman injured to start the year, the defense struggles in front of Ginn. The offense suffers after losing its top pieces from a year ago, and without an identity, they start losing games they used to win.

Grogan could star in goal as Cavanaugh enters and Connecticut prepares to exit

By Dan Rubin

October 6, 2013

Matt Grogan led Connecticut with a 1.93 GAA (photo: Omar Phillips).

First year head coach Mike Cavanaugh knew he’d have an interesting job to start at Connecticut.

The Huskies are in their final year in Atlantic Hockey before heading for Hockey East. He’d also have to come in a year after the Huskies overcame every obstacle imaginable to finish the year with their second-best winning percentage in their Division I program history.

But if UConn wants to make a splash on the way out the door, it has the chance to do it.

The Huskies return one of the AHA’s breakout stars from a year ago in Matt Grogan. Grogan replaced stalwart Garrett Bartus last season thanks in part to 14 wins and a 1.93 GAA.

He stopped 94 percent of all shots on net, and he allowed seven fewer goals than Bartus despite playing 300 more minutes. Not bad for a goalie who played in 10 career games across three seasons before that.

Grogan has a year of eligibility remaining, meaning he’s back for an encore as the Huskies look to win one for the road.

“He finished strong last year, and having that experience and leadership in goal will be a big strength for us,” Cavanaugh said.

Grogan headlines a team that returns the majority of its offense. Gone are Sean Ambrosie’s 105 career points in 150 career games, but every other offensive weapon is back.

Brant Harris and Jordan Sims both had 31 points last year, one fewer than Ambrosie’s team high. And Trevor Gerling and Shawn Pauly are both coming off 20-point seasons. Cody Sharib, Billy Latta and Tyler Bouchard round out the returnees of a front line that helped score 102 goals last season.

Perhaps most exciting for UConn, though, will be how it helps the AHA with this season. A Hockey East-ready school, it’ll get to battle under the AHA flag, which means it could score big nonconference wins for the league in games against teams like Minnesota State, Boston University and Union.

And the Huskies will do it with a first-time head coach who cut his teeth under the legendary Jerry York at Boston College.

“Our focus is to get better every day,” Cavanaugh said. “Our long-range goals are to win an AHA championship and make the NCAA tournament. When we look through the microscope, our goal is to beat Minnesota State, then focus on Union, who I’m very familiar with from my time at BC. After that, we focus on Brian Riley’s Army team, which is always well prepared.

“The biggest challenge for any program trying to win a championship is making them believe they can do it. [Interim coach] Dave Berard did a great job making these guys believe they can win. Because of the work Dave did at the end of last year, there are lots of guys who believe they can do it. Now it’s just go out, work hard every day and believe we can accomplish that goal.”

About the Huskies

2012-13 overall record: 19-4-4

2012-13 conference record: 14-10-3

2013-14 predicted finish (coaches poll): Sixth

Key losses: F Sean Ambrosie, D Alex Gerke, D Tom Janosz

Players to watch: F Brant Harris, F Jordan Sims, F Trevor Gerling, D Jacob Poe, G Matt Grogan

Impact rookie: Defenseman Ryan Segalla was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins this year in the fourth round. His scouting report comes with an over-the-top compete level.

Why the Huskies will finish higher than the coaches poll: Cavanaugh is a proven winner from BC, and his assistants are rising stars in their own ranks. With a solid defensive unit and goalie, they could be this year’s Niagara.

Why the Huskies will finish lower than the coaches poll: If UConn struggles to pick up Cavanaugh’s system and Grogan can’t get lightning to strike twice, the AHA will be more than happy to rudely usher them out the door.

After dream run late last season, Canisius sees a raised bar

By Chris Lerch

October 6, 2013

Tony Capobianco stopped 90 shots in two games against Air Force in last season’s Atlantic Hockey playoffs (photo: Omar Phillips).

Canisius coach Dave Smith has been getting this question a lot: “What do you do for an encore?”

His Golden Griffins went on a dream run last March, winning eight games in a row to claim the first hockey championship in school history. Only a third-period rally by Quinnipiac prevented Canisius from advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament.

“It’s been a fun challenge; there’s a much different mentality,” Smith said. “Now that we’ve raised the bar, let’s keep the bar up there. We haven’t had an official practice [yet] but the guys have come back in great shape, they’re hungry and ready to get after it now.”

It helps to have a strong returning nucleus. The two most important players down the stretch for Canisius last season are back: goaltender Tony Capobianco and forward Kyle Gibbons.

Capobianco was a wall for the Griffs in March, making 34 saves or more in each of Canisius’ final nine games. His best performance was at Air Force in a playoff quarterfinal series where he combined for 90 saves in two games.

“[Capobianco] is going to be key to our success again,” Smith said. “He’s not going to sneak up on anybody this year; teams know they need to get a lot of pucks on net.

“If your goaltender isn’t at or near the top of the standings you won’t be there as a team. We’re going to challenge him and we hope he responds well.”

Gibbons recorded only two points in his first nine games but was on fire in the second half of the season, including 18 points in his final nine contests. Gibbons had four points (two goals and two assists) in the AHA championship game.

“Kyle had a wonderful season after a very tough start,” Smith said. “From Jan. 1 on, he was in the top if not at the top of scoring in college hockey. He’s an elite talent, can absolutely fire the puck, has a wonderful IQ and his compete level is very high. When we got to the tournament, he definitely opened some eyes.”

In all, Canisius returns eight of its top 10 scorers, five of its starting defenseman and, of course, Capobianco between the pipes. Getting a taste of NCAA play for the first time should provide plenty of motivation to get back there.

“It’s a wonderful accomplishment to get there,” Smith said. “We’re going to learn from our experience. The level of play in Atlantic Hockey prepares you for the tourney and now people are seeing that. We need to take care of home base first, try and get as high as we can in the standings and get to Rochester. I wouldn’t call it unfinished business but we’ll definitely be motivated if we can get there.”

About the Golden Griffins

2012-13 overall record: 19-19-5

2012-13 AHA record: 12-13-2 (Tie, seventh)

2013-14 predicted finish (coaches poll): Fourth

Key losses: F Preston Shupe, D Torrey Lindsay, D Ben Parker

Players to watch: F Kyle Gibbons, G Tony Capobianco, D Ben Danford

Impact rookie: Shane Conacher looks to follow in his brother Cory’s footsteps. Shane was the OJHL playoff MVP last season with St. Michael’s, racking up 92 points in 74 games.

Why the Golden Griffins will finish higher than the coaches poll: Canisius’ confidence has never been higher, coming off the most successful season in team history. The Griffs return a large part of a squad that won the conference title.

Why the Golden Griffins will finish lower than the coaches poll: Canisius was the hottest team in college hockey down the stretch last season. Time will tell if this was the result of a team reaching its potential or merely a great run.

Veterans return to try to get Bentley to heights they expected a year ago

By Dan Rubin

October 6, 2013

Brett Gensler is back for his senior year at Bentley after back-to-back 40-point seasons (photo: Melissa Wade).

Coach Ryan Soderquist and his band of Bentley Falcons entered the 2012-13 season with heightened expectations and the thought that they were in for what might’ve been the best season since a record 19 wins in 2008-09.

They had arguably the league’s best player in Brett Gensler, one of the best goalies in Atlantic Hockey in Branden Komm, the 2012 league rookie of the year in Alex Grieve and multiple all-AHA honorees. Despite a defense gutted by graduation, they had the potential to make a move toward the AHA elite.

Yet when the season ended, an inexperienced defense led way to a season unraveled and a 10th-place finish. A prediction to finish in the top four of the league gave way to one win after Jan. 25, a road series at Canisius in the first round and a weekend sweep that ended the season and careers of their three seniors.

“I think we had a lot of growing pains defensively,” Soderquist said. “We graduated our top defensemen, and some freshmen got some valuable time. We got caught on Christmas break where we were the top scoring team in the country and then kind of had a defensive lapse.”

That does nothing to damper the optimism on campus, however. The team returns virtually its entire roster from a year ago and will add a couple of impact freshmen who should compete for valuable playing time. They’ll have Gensler back for his senior year after back-to-back 40-point seasons, Komm again in net and Grieve up front.

Andrew Gladiuk spent his offseason in development camp with the Vancouver Canucks after winning the Falcons’ second straight AHA rookie of the year award.

“Obviously, we return nine of 10 top goal scorers from last year,” Soderquist said. “Gensler and Gladiuk will chip in for us. We have a lot of depth in our scoring, and when I go through the third and fourth lines I think we have some guys that can produce more. We just need to be more responsible defensively. If the whole team helps out on the back, we’ll be successful because our offense is going to be there.”

Defensively, the team looks to junior Steve Weinstein to lead the way. The Los Angeles native has 43 career points and developed into a two-way threat as the team’s top blueliner. Joining him will be senior Zach Marginsky, sophomore Matt Blomquist, sophomore Kyle O’Brien and a host of players looking to make an impact in front of their netminder.

Komm, the top goalie, spent his offseason in the Ottawa Senators’ development camp and is on pace to become the winningest goalie in Bentley history.

“We have the tools to be a great team,” Soderquist said. “We return guys who really worked hard in the offseason and gained valuable experience. All we need to do is continue to work and invest the time to do the right things on both ends of the ice. Teams that win in the playoffs always get strong defense and good goaltending, so that’s an area we need to make sure we continue to improve upon and get strong at.”

About the Falcons

2012-13 overall record: 12-20-3

2012-13 AHA record: 10-14-3

2013-14 predicted finish (coaches poll): Ninth

Key losses: F Dan Koudys, F Joe Campanelli, F Brett Hartung

Players to watch: F Brett Gensler, F Alex Grieve, F Andrew Gladiuk, D Steve Weinstein, G Branden Komm

Impact rookie: Max French scored 89 points, including 46 goals, over the last two seasons in the BCHL while amassing 162 penalty minutes in 87 games. His speed is going to be a factor for teams to contain on odd-man rushes.

Why the Falcons will finish higher than the coaches’ poll: This team is too talented and has essentially the same roster picked by many to contend for a league title a year ago. The defense will jell, eliminating their biggest hole and returning their swagger.

Why the Falcons will finish lower than the coaches’ poll: The defense won’t jell, the scoring will run into the power outage that killed the second half last season, and last year’s poor finish will bleed bad karma into their 2013-14 season.

Army sees goaltender Tadazak as key to team’s improvement

By Dan Rubin

October 6, 2013

It goes without saying that things are different at Army. There’s a constant struggle against the rigors of a greater calling, the constant battle against requests for their time pulling them in multiple directions.

It starts when the new cadets arrive in July, continues through basic training and ultimately doesn’t stop as the older students arrive back on campus after a summer of military and academic instruction.

“Everyone is fighting for these guys’ time,” coach Brian Riley said. “From the time they’re back on campus, there’s meetings and academics and military exercises and training. From a hockey standpoint, it’s a fight against that stretch of their time, but it’s something that we make work. One thing about West Pointers is how they are all such great leaders. They understand the concept of a team, and they know how to rely and work with each other.

“West Point is the best leadership institute because of what it stresses, and the older guys know they have to help show the younger guys what it means it be a West Pointer. They teach those younger guys, and then the younger guys turn into the older guys showing a new group how to work hard at being leaders both on and off the ice.”

It’s that type of leadership and brotherhood bond that Riley hopes will finally propel his team back to the top of the Atlantic Hockey standings. The regular season AHA champion in 2007-08, Army has steadily fallen back into the ranks of the AHA’s third tier, winning 11 games in each of the three seasons after. Last year, the Black Knights opened up 7-8-2, 7-3-2 in conference play, then didn’t win a game the rest of the season, placing them 11th on the season. But that stands to change entering 2013-14.

The team loses its top forward in the graduating Andy Starczewski, but all of the other forwards are back. The defense loses a couple of key parts in Cheyne Rocha and John Clark, but the Black Knights return some players with the capability of rising to the occasion in Christian Pomarico, Mac Lalor, Jonathan Gehrt and Maurice Alvarez.

Rob Tadazak, after splitting games last year with Ryan Leets, will have the net to himself to start and build on his two shutouts and .907 save percentage.

“Our success on ice starts with Rob Tadazak,” Riley said. “He’s our guy. This is his third year, so he’s ready to take it. We know that telling him he’s our guy and having that confidence in him will help build his confidence in his abilities. We believe that he has the potential to be a top goalie in Atlantic Hockey, and we know the key to winning will be our goalie.”

About the Black Knights

2012-13 overall record: 7-22-5

2012-13 conference record: 7-15-5

2013-14 predicted finish (coaches poll): 10th

Key losses: F Andy Starczewski, D Cheyne Rocha, D John Clark, G Ryan Leets

Players to watch: G Rob Tadazak, F Joe Kozlak, F Thane Heller, F Zak Zaremba, D Maurice Alvarez, D Christian Pomarico

Impact rookie: Connor Costello is only 19, but the Londonderry, N.H., native had a great season last year for the Jersey Hitmen in the EJHL. He had 22 points as a defenseman, including seven goals. His 6-foot-1 frame can bring the physicality so elemental to the Army game, collecting 77 penalty minutes in 34 games.

Why the Black Knights will finish higher than the coaches poll: The continued maturation of a young roster will form a solid core, the defense will get stronger, and Tadazak will be the latest in a long line of great AHA goalies coming into his own.

Why the Black Knights will finish lower than the coaches poll: The offense doesn’t improve, and the defense runs into issues that hang Tadazak out to dry.

American International looks to keep moving up the standings

By Dan Rubin

October 6, 2013

Jon Puskar (center) and American International look to build on a ninth-place finish (photo: Omar Phillips).

Two years ago, American International did something it had never done before in the Atlantic Hockey era when it didn’t finish in last place.

While that statement is, in some parts, cause for derision and laughter, the 10th-place finish was the cause for unprecedented optimism and hope in West Springfield, Mass., especially when the team took Robert Morris to overtime in a deciding third game in the AHA’s postseason.

“We had indicators [that we could be successful] when we lost in overtime,” Yellow Jackets coach Gary Wright said. “We felt we’d grown; we had a good senior class coming back [in 2012-13], and we got better with our recruiting. It was a very encouraging time.”

That encouragement gave way to jubilation last year.

After a decade of futility, AIC rose from the ranks of the AHA’s basement to force teams to take notice in what’s been arguably the program’s best season to date. They won seven of their last 11 games of the season, losing only once, to go from a 4-12-3 team to a 12-15-6 team. Along with a couple of strokes of luck and fate, the Jackets finished ninth, the third-best team in the eastern pod, earning the spot on the season’s last day with an overtime win over Bentley.

“Ninth place might be a modest finish to others,” Wright said, “but it has significance to ours. It energized our program and it pushed us a little bit higher. We pushed past some teams along the way, and everything really came together.”

An up-and-down squad for the first part of the year, the Yellow Jackets opened 3-5-2 with marquee victories over Penn State and Quinnipiac, the latter of which went on to be ranked No. 1 for roughly two months and finished as the national runner up.

Then AIC lost seven out of eight, including back-to-back-to-back 7-2 losses, with the second and third coming at the UConn Hockey Classic.

“We had a couple of highlights early, like that win against Quinnipiac, but we were really up-and-down until after that UConn tournament,” Wright said. “We had a big downward dip after we lost [to Connecticut and Brown], but we came back in January and started playing some great hockey.”

The season was buoyed by one of the best senior classes in the league. Ben Meisner got most of the glory in net in setting the career Atlantic Hockey saves record, but he had substantial help in front of him.

“Adam Pleskach was always a choice on the postseason honors,” Wright said, “and Chris Markiewicz and Jeff Ceccacci did a great job anchoring the defense and power play. Plus four years ago, we received a full-time assistant coach, so our recruiting had progressed and improved substantially. We had a good complement of underclassmen.”

So now AIC faces the next step, which is the sustainability of last year’s success and the skepticism that their finish is going to be more than a one-shot season.

The preseason coaches’ poll has the Yellow Jackets in 11th place under the argument that they were decimated by graduation and don’t have a history to sustain the argument they’ll be able to keep that going.

“Obviously, we lose a good senior class,” Wright said. “But we have a good recruiting class, and it’s the beginning of the season. Everyone’s really full of hope.”

About the Yellow Jackets

2012-13 overall record: 12-17-6

2012-13 AHA record: 9-12-6

2013-14 predicted finish (coaches poll): 11th

Key losses: G Ben Meisner, F Adam Pleskach, F Richard Leitner, F Steve Mele, D Jeff Ceccacci, D Chris Markiewicz

Players to watch: F Jon Puskar, F Blake Peake, F Chris Porter

Impact rookie: Hunter Leisner’s last name might be one letter off from Ben Meisner, but the NAHL goaltender could step right into the role vacated by his predecessor. Leisner won 30 games for the Texas Tornado last year, saving over 90 percent of his shots faced with a GAA under 3.00.

Why the Yellow Jackets will finish higher than the coaches poll: The goaltender’s role transitions seamlessly to Leisner, and the offense transitions to Puskar, Peake and Co. The defensive unit continues as a hidden gem within the AHA.

Why the Yellow Jackets will finish lower than the coaches poll: They can’t replace Meisner, Pleskach and the program’s best senior class. The inexperienced freshmen look it, and they tumble.

Goaltending, defense give Air Force reason to think big

By Chris Lerch

October 6, 2013

Jason Torf is set for his fourth year as Air Force’s starting goaltender (photo: Omar Phillips).

After the final weekend of the 2012-13 Atlantic Hockey regular season was in the books, Air Force coach Frank Serratore had every reason to be optimistic. His team had lost just once in its final eight games, including a convincing sweep of first-place Niagara to close out the schedule.

“We were a very, very good team at the end of last year,” he said. “I thought we were going do it again.”

By “do it again,” Serratore meant win another AHA championship, what would have been the Falcons’ sixth in seven seasons.

But Canisius had other ideas, sweeping Air Force in a pair of 4-3 quarterfinal contests on its way to the Atlantic Hockey title.

“All the championships we won, the bounces always went our way,” Serratore said. “Last year, Canisius came in and they were a team of destiny. The bounces went their way; I’m not complaining. Canisius beat a good team. We played Niagara played in that final series and we beat them pretty handily. At that point I thought we were a team of destiny.

“No regrets, we were the team we wanted to be at the end of the year and it just didn’t go our way.”

The Falcons will need to find some offense if they’re going to a be a team of destiny this season. Air Force returns (soon-to-be) four-year starter Jason Torf in net and most of its defense. The question area is up front, where the Falcons must replace their top two scorers, Kyle De Laurell (36 points last season) and Stephen Carew (29 points), as well as John Kruse (22 points).

“The glaring issue is the loss of senior forwards and their 40-some goals,” Serratore said. “We’re going to have to make it up, and make it up collectively.”

That can put some pressure on junior Cole Gunner (29 points last season), senior Tony Thomas (28 points) and junior Chad Demers (24 points).

“A lot of guys are capable of chipping in a few more than they did last year, and we’re going to have to do it by committee,” Serratore said. “If we can get off to a better start with our goals-for to goals-against ratio and not give up as many points as we did early, then maybe we can make it up that way.”

Defense will be a strong point, with Torf in net and a blue line corps that came into its own in the second half of last season. Adam McKenzie, last season’s defensive player of the year in Atlantic Hockey, is back for his senior campaign. He and junior Dan Weissenhofer are expected to lead on special teams.

“When you can start out saying you’ve got the defenseman of the year coming back, that’s a nice place to start,” Serratore said. “Back him with Dan Weissenhofer — I think he’s going have a breakout year. We’ve got two juniors, Mike McDonald, who I think is ready to have a breakthrough year, and Alex Halloran, who injured his knee a few years ago but is finally over his injury and appears to be ready to step forward.”

Torf brings senior leadership and experience, with 89 games in net under his belt and a career .916 save percentage.

“I think [Torf] is a bit underrated,” Serratore said. “He brings consistency. You always know what you’re going to get with Jason. Other goalies maybe get more work and are seen as having a higher talent level but Jason is underrated. Having Jason back for his senior year means he’ll be able to provide us that consistency he’s given us for the last three years.”

One of the Falcons’ biggest losses in the offseason was behind the bench. Mike Corbett, Serratore’s right-hand man for a decade at Air Force, has moved on to assume head coaching duties at Alabama-Huntsville. It’s another challenge for Serratore and company to face in a league that has narrowed the gap between the top and bottom.

“The league keeps getting better,” Serratore said. “We’ve got great coaches. They work hard; they’re smart operators.

“The bottom [of the league] has elevated itself, it keeps moving up. On any given night, years ago the bottom teams couldn’t beat the top teams. Now, watch out, it’s going to happen and happen regularly.”

About the Falcons

2012-13 overall record: 17-13-7

2012-13 AHA record: 15-7-5 (Second)

2013-14 projected finish (coaches poll): Tie, second

Key losses: F Kyle De Laurell, F Stephen Carew, F John Kruse

Players to watch: G Jason Torf, D Adam McKenzie, F Cole Gunner

Impact rookie: Forward A.J. Reid had 94 points in 81 games over two seasons with the Austin Bruins (NAHL).

Why the Falcons will finish higher than the coaches poll: Until a shocking upset in the quarterfinals last season at the hands of Canisius, Air Force was poised to win yet another title, peaking at the right time. The Falcons’ defense and goaltending should again be solid. If their offense comes along, they’ll be in the hunt again.

Why the Falcons will finish lower than the coaches poll: If Air Force can’t replace the offense lost by the departure of their top two scorers, it will find itself out of the running for home ice.

Gallery: Maine at Boston College

By Melissa Wade

October 6, 2013

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Army scrimmage is on, but Air Force exhibition postponed because of shutdown

USCHO Staff Report

October 4, 2013

Army’s season-opening scrimmage is set to go on as scheduled Saturday but games are in question for both the Black Knights and Air Force as the goverment shutdown rolls on.

Army coach Brian Riley said in an email Friday that his team’s scrimmage and Skate with the Black Knights event at Tate Rink will happen as planned. The scrimmage starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT, with a movie and skating to follow.

But Riley could not say whether the Oct. 11 game at Penn State — the opener at the Nittany Lions’ new Pegula Ice Arena that’s scheduled for a national broadcast on the Big Ten Network — will happen if the shutdown continues. He said he hopes to know by early next week.

Fellow service academy Air Force, meanwhile, is listing its Monday home exhibition game against New Brunswick as postponed, The Gazette reported Friday.

The Falcons are scheduled to take part in the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage, Alaska, next weekend, but their participation in that tournament against Alaska and Alaska-Anchorage is in doubt unless the shutdown is resolved.

An Alaska-Anchorage spokesperson said the tournament host school is monitoring the situation and has contingencies in mind, but the spokesperson would not reveal them.

Air Force’s football team is playing at Navy on Saturday only because a private organization donated money to pay for the team’s travel and expenses, according to an Air Force statement.

That statement also said: “As of now, this will be the last game of the season played for the Air Force Academy, as the service is currently operating without a budget.”

ECAC Hockey Picks: Oct. 5 – 10

October 4, 2013

Welcome back for another season of weekly picks. It hasn’t even been six months since Yale won the national title, but the ECAC is ready to go with Clarkson and Colgate each starting the regular season this weekend. Quinnipiac, RPI and St. Lawrence are all in preseason action as well.

Saturday, Oct. 5

Ferris State at Colgate, 7 p.m.

Colgate started off last season with a bang, as the Raiders piled on ten goals in a decisive win over Niagara. Don’t look for another season-opening romp, as Ferris State goalie CJ Motte was excellent last season despite a mediocre year as a team for the Bulldogs. One thing to watch is who will start in goal for Colgate. Holdovers Spencer Finney and Eric Mihalik split time last season, but are joined by freshman Charlie Finn. Ferris State wins

Clarkson at Niagara, 7:05 p.m.

The Golden Knights ended last season in an offensive slump, and won’t find it easy against what looks to be a strong Niagara team, even minus goalie Carsen Chubak, who went pro after leading the Purple Eagles to the NCAA tournament. Clarkson head coach Casey Jones said there would plenty of competition for spots in the lineup, so it will be interesting to see who’s out there for the opening weekend. Niagara wins

Sunday, Oct. 6

Clarkson at Niagara, 2:05 p.m.

I could see a Clarkson win Saturday carrying over into the series finale. But the Purple Eagles should finish the sweep. Niagara wins

Ferris State at Colgate, 4 p.m.

The teams conclude the Bulldogs’ first visit to Starr Rink since the 2003-04 with an afternoon game. I think the Raiders get a win against the 2012 national runner up. Colgate wins

Thursday, Oct. 10

Colgate at RIT, 7 p.m.

RIT’s team defense was near the bottom of the national leader board last year, while the Tigers’ penalty kill was in the middle of the pack. That’s bad news against a Colgate team that can score in bunches and has a potent power-play unit. The Raiders should get the win in rare Thursday night game. This is also the Raiders’ only matchup against an Atlantic Hockey team this season. Colgate wins

Women’s D-I picks: Oct. 4

By Candace Horgan

October 4, 2013

Well, the beer race is on! The last two seasons, Arlan and I have had a friendly wager on our weekly picks race, with the winner getting a six pack of brew at the end. In our first two years, I’ve managed to just eke out a win over Arlan; last year, I had to come from behind in the second half to pull it out.

We’ll keep track weekly on who is ahead. With that said, let’s dive into our picks!

Friday-Saturday, Oct. 4-5
Minnesota State at Wisconsin
Candace: Wisconsin doesn’t quite have a go-to scorer the way it has in years past, but luckily, Alex Rigsby is in net, so it shouldn’t make too much of a difference until the Badgers run into North Dakota and Minnesota. Wisconsin 3-1, 2-1
Arlan: The Mavericks are 1-56-3 against the Badgers, including 1-30-1 in Madison. Wisconsin 2-0, 3-1

St. Lawrence home-and-home versus Clarkson
Candace: St. Lawrence is usually good for a split against its North Country rival. Clarkson looked awesome last week, but it was against RIT, who is expected to have a down year, while St. Lawrence split with UNH. Decisions, decisions. Clarkson 3-1, St. Lawrence 2-1
Arlan: If the NCAA tournament started this weekend, the Golden Knights would be my pick to emerge as the champion. Clarkson 5-1, 2-0

Minnesota at Colgate
Candace: Even without Amanda Kessel, Noora Räty, and Megan Bozek, I am going to have a hard time picking against the Gophers this season. Minnesota 4-1, 5-1
Arlan: Do the Raiders have enough scoring to exploit the Gophers’ weaknesses? Minnesota 3-2, 4-1

Rensselaer at Robert Morris
Candace: RMU could be a puzzle this year, but then again, so could RPI. RMU lost starting goaltender Karen DiCocco to graduation; can Alexa Gruschow and company take advantage? Robert Morris 3-2, 2-1
Arlan: RMU is 34-24-7 under Paul Colontino, and that record would be a lot better but for a seven-week stretch in January and February where the Colonials went 2-11-1. Robert Morris 3-2, Rensselaer 4-3

Quinnipiac at St. Cloud State
Candace: Kelly Babstock is back as a senior, and she and Nicole Kosta should have enough to stop the Huskies. Quinnipiac 3-2, 3-1
Arlan: The Bobcats face a WCHA opponent for the first time in five years. St. Cloud State 2-1, Quinnipiac 3-2

Friday, Oct. 4

Syracuse at Northeastern
Candace: Kendall Coyne will be a huge loss for Northeastern while she competes in the Olympics, but I am going with home ice. Northeastern 1-0
Arlan: Neither team returns a lot of offense, so the first team to score will likely win. Syracuse 1-0

RIT at New Hampshire
Candace: Most of the experienced players from RIT’s D-III title team are gone. It may prove a rough couple of months for the Tigers. New Hampshire 2-1
Arlan: October may be a tough month as the Tigers work on filling holes; RIT’s first game versus a Hockey East opponent since going D-I. New Hampshire 3-1

Saturday, Oct. 5

Syracuse at New Hampshire
Candace: New Hampshire is still an up-and-down team, but I think they should come out on top. New Hampshire 2-1
Arlan: UNH was a goal better at Syracuse a year ago. New Hampshire 2-0

RIT at Northeastern
Candace: Again, I go with home ice. Northeastern 3-1
Arlan: The Huskies should retain enough speed to claim this one. Northeastern 4-2

Ohio State at Mercyhurst
Candace: Mercyhurst lost its senior netminder to graduation, but I am going with home ice. Mercyhurst 4-2
Arlan: First meeting of the two teams since 2004; the Buckeyes fell by 2-1 scores in the only two previous games. Mercyhurst 3-2

Commentary: Here’s who I’m watching as the college hockey season begins

By Dave Starman

October 4, 2013

St. Cloud State’s Joey Benik made a name for himself in helping the Huskies to the Frozen Four last season (photo: Rachel Lewis).

There’s always a lot to get excited about when the season opens, and here are five players — some obvious, some not — that I’ll be watching.

Boo Nieves, Michigan

Let me share this story. I saw Boo while I was still scouting amateurs for Toronto two years ago. He was playing in the USHL at the end of the season and I knew he was a Michigan commit. I saw two games and said to myself and a colleague, “I don’t see what Michigan sees.”

Now, I had seen Nieves play as a kid back out east and knew he was a big-deal player. So I’m thinking maybe he’s a late bloomer. Then the Rangers grab him in the second round and I say, OK, the Rangers tend to do well with American kids in the draft so maybe I saw two lousy games. Maybe he had the flu. Who knows?

I’m in Ann Arbor last season to do a Michigan game and I tell Boo this story. He laughs and says, “I agree, I wasn’t real good in that USHL stint I had. I didn’t start to feel more like myself until I got here.” It certainly made me feel better about my scouting abilities.

It seemed like it was about the first weekend of December when Nieves started to do things that made him look like a pro. I saw most of Michigan’s games either live or on film in the early part of the season, and despite how bad they looked at times he was emerging. His quick cutbacks, change-of-pace plays on the rush, ability to find seams and the way he made any line he was on better really caught my eye.

In the second half of the season, there were times he looked like a senior. His ability to slow the game down, make “little things” plays and also make big plays stood out. He impacted shifts, he helped Michigan decide games, and he showed he could play big minutes and in key spots. He looked like a first-round pick.

Sophomore seasons can be tricky for breakout freshmen, but Nieves is surrounded by some good offensive players. His former coach in prep school, Michigan alum Matt Herr, told me Nieves can be the type of player that can be an elite player at the NCAA level. I’d keep an eye on Nieves. Big Ten defenses certainly will.

Matt Grzelcyk, Boston University

I think he could be a big-time player this season. He was great last year and under new coach David Quinn, a former BU defenseman who is all energy and very demanding, a player with Grzelcyk’s skills could be scary. His playmaking skills are a combination of tremendous vision, excellent passing skills, quick release and an ability to get shots to the net.

He has the skating skills to put teams on their heels. He has an accurate shot and likes to use it. He has that Jon Merrill ability to not get caught in a bad spot with the puck and has the hand and foot skills to get out of trouble when under pressure.

Grzelcyk has above-average hockey sense and can keep a forecheck honest because he either can throw a great first pass or look off an option and keep it himself. Players that can create space for themselves are rare, and he has that ability. He should have a big season.

Joey Benik, St. Cloud State

So I’ll share another story.

Last year I was sitting in the ESPNU studios as an analyst (along with Michigan State coach Tom Anastos) during the NCAA regionals when Benik went off for four goals in two games, helping St. Cloud State to the Frozen Four. The common question around the studio was, “Who is this kid?”

So I pop out the computer, look him up in Rinknet and see that he was as offensively prolific in Minnesota high school play as anyone I had ever looked up. His numbers in Penticton of the BCHL also were pretty special. The Minnesota guys must know him, so I made a couple of calls and was amazed at what I was hearing from some Minnesota-based amateur scouts from around the NHL.

The general theme was that Benik had played in a high school program (St. Francis) that was good but he was clearly the superior player in the program. His goal-scoring numbers were off the charts, Gretzky like, but that was a bit of a byproduct of the league. Then he went to the BCHL and outscored teammate Mario Lucia his last year there. He put up 152 points in two years.

One line stuck out that night. It was one scout who said, “When the top-end guys clear out after this year, he could finish in the top two or three in scoring on the team. When he is a senior, he could lead the NCAA in scoring. He could become a really special NCAA player.”

Pretty high praise but not surprising to Huskies coach Bob Motzko. During a chat at NCHC media day, Motzko said that what we saw in the regionals wasn’t shocking considering his talent level and track record. Benik suffered an injury 20 minutes into his first practice at St. Cloud State and it took him a while to get back in the lineup and playing again. Once he got comfortable and adjusted, a half a season later then every other freshman, he started to put it together.

Benik is coming into this season hoping to ride the momentum of last season and off a great summer workout plan. The more Minnesotans I talk to, the more I get the feeling this is a player to keep in your line of vision.

Josh Atkinson, Alaska

I got a chance to see Alaska play about eight games last season and this kid stood out every game. At the NCAA level he is an impact player who will be a well-tracked free agent as he gets older if he keeps developing. His coach, Dallas Ferguson, was a pretty dynamic offensive defenseman at Alaska so Atkinson is in great hands the next three years.

Atkinson is a playmaker who is composed with the puck. Teams with speed that closed on him quickly and stayed in his face gave him some trouble but he also showed great ability to feel pressure and move the puck. He has his oops moments but also made some really composed plays, especially on the road. The three road buildings I saw him in were Notre Dame, Michigan and Ferris State, and he was a factor in those games — including sweeps in Ann Arbor and South Bend on back-to-back weekends. He had a goal, an assist, a plus-1 rating and a 5-1 record in those six games, which are great results for a freshman defenseman in those atmospheres.

Atkinson could use another step to make his puck movement skills that much more effective, and his defensive game could be inconsistent but he was only a rookie. Now, one year better and one summer off-ice program later, he could be poised for a big season.

Tommy Fallen, Yale

When you are the national champs, you should have a player on the watch list. Yale has some elite offensive guys and solid all-around players. I think Fallen is underrated.

He reminds me of Kevin Peel, a former Yale defenseman. Both have a big shot, both can skate, both are tenacious, and both have hockey sense. Fallen showed he knew when to use the big shot and when to move the puck. His skating ability allowed him to make plays in all three zones, and he kept his game pretty low risk.

Composure was a big part of his game last year, and when you have good foot speed and confidence you can make the better-than-average play in tough areas. I think Dillon Simpson is the elite defenseman in the West, and there are aspects of Simpson’s game that you can find in Fallen.

Fallen had nine shots on goal, was plus-3 and had an assist in Yale’s NCAA tournament games. A lot of what he did was not in the box score. He has that ability to make you watch him play. Do yourself a favor and go watch.

There are many players that would be on a college hockey watch list but these are just five that came to mind as opening weekend came calling.

Atlantic Hockey Picks Oct. 5-10

By Chris Lerch

October 3, 2013

And we’re underway with the first picks of the season!

This year Chris Lerch has joined up with Dan Rubin to provide USCHO’s Atlantic Hockey coverage. They’ll both be picking games each week.

Last Week:
Dan: 0-0
Chris 0-0

On the season:
Dan 0-0
Chris 0-0

This week’s picks:
Saturday, October 5th and Sunday, October 6th
Clarkson at Niagara
Dan: Last year, this would’ve been a case for good team meets bad team. If we’re looking at preseason prognostications, there shouldn’t be much difference. With respect to Aerosmith, I can’t see a reason why the Niagara train can’t keep a-rollin’ all weekend long up in Potsdam. Niagara 3, Clarkson 1; Niagara 3, Clarkson 2
Chris: Niagara took three of four points against Clarkson last season, but things could be different this time around as the Purple Eagles will be breaking in a pair of rookie goaltenders. I’m thinking split. Niagara 3, Clarkson 2; Clarkson 4, Niagara 2.

Thursday, October 10
Colgate at RIT
Dan: I legitimately had no idea how I was going to pick this game, so I boiled it down to the fact that I think Colgate’s defense is better than RIT’s offense to start the year. The Tigers really struggled with non-conference games last year. Colgate 5, RIT 3
Chris: Colgate as gotten the better of the Tigers in eight of nine meetings between the two schools including a 6-3 victory last season. I don’t think that changes despite this being the first time the Raiders have played at Frank Ritter Arena. Colgate 3, RIT 1.

Top men’s Division I goalie to receive newly-created Mike Richter Award

USCHO Staff Report

October 3, 2013

Let’s Play Hockey and the Herb Brooks Foundation announced Thursday the creation of the Mike Richter Award, an annual honor that will be given to the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA men’s Division I hockey.

The inaugural award will be presented during the 2014 Frozen Four.

Candidates for the award will be determined by a vote of all 59 NCAA Division I men’s head coaches. The finalists and winner will then be selected by a selection committee of coaches, scouts and members of the media.

Criteria for the Mike Richter Award:

• Candidates must display outstanding skills on the ice
• Candidates should be in good academic standing at an NCAA college or university
• Consideration should be given to academic achievement and sportsmanship
• Candidates must comply with all NCAA rules, be full-time students at an NCAA college or university and complete 50 percent or more of the season
• Consideration should be given to the candidate’s activities in the community

Richter played two years at Wisconsin form 1985-87 and won a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005 and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2008.

“I am incredibly honored to have this award named after me considering all of the many talented goalies that have played college hockey over the years,” Richter said in a statement. “My time as a student-athlete at Madison was deeply rewarding, both personally and professionally, and I am thrilled to be able to share in this tradition with the current generation of athletes by having my name associated with an award that will specifically honor the goaltending position.”

“It’s an honor to be associated with the Mike Richter Award,” Herb Brooks Foundation board member Dan Brooks added. “Like my dad, Mike’s leadership and work ethic were unparalleled. Both were American heroes. I was fortunate to be at the last game my dad ever coached.

“Fittingly, Mike was in the net.”

College connections aplenty in 2013 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame class

USCHO Staff Report

October 3, 2013

The 2013 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony is set for Monday, Dec. 2, in Detroit. The class of 2013 includes Cindy Curley (Providence), Bill Guerin (Boston College), Peter Karmanos, Jr., Ron Mason (St. Lawrence, Lake Superior State, Bowling Green, Michigan State) and Doug Weight (Lake Superior State).

Robert Morris extends women’s coach Colontino through 2016-17

USCHO Staff Report

October 3, 2013

Robert Morris announced Thursday that it has extended the contract of head women’s coach Paul Colontino through the 2016-17 season.

Colontino was originally named the third head coach in program history in June of 2011 and was signed through 2014-15.

“Coach Colontino has already established himself as a top-notch head coach for the women’s hockey program,” RMU director of athletics Craig Coleman, M.D., said in a news release. “His teams are exciting to watch, academically successful and well disciplined. We’re thrilled to extend his contract for an additional two years.”

In two seasons under Colontino, the Colonials have compiled an overall record of 35-24-7, which includes a mark of 15-13-4 in the CHA.

“I’m very appreciative and excited with the opportunity that both Craig and President Gregory G. Dell’Omo, Ph.D, have given me to continue to coach here at Robert Morris University for the next four years,” Colontino added. “We look forward to improving each year and continuing to take steps forward as a program.”

College hockey’s new generation is here, and conference identities are being formed

By Matt Mackinder

October 3, 2013

Coach Jeff Jackson and Notre Dame are off to Hockey East, where it might seem like an entire year of nonconference games (photo: Rachel Lewis).

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to credit College Hockey News as the source of Jeff Jackson and Jerry York comments from Hockey East media day.

The future is finally here.

After all the confirmation and subsequent confusion regarding NCAA Division I realignment that started three years ago, the upcoming season will take some getting used to if the casual observer hasn’t been keeping track.

Yes, the old “you can’t tell the players without a scorecard” adage applies here.

Gone is the CCHA.

Gone is the old WCHA.

Conference changes

BIG TEN (NEW)

From CCHA: Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State
From WCHA: Minnesota, Wisconsin
From independent: Penn State

NCHC (NEW)

From CCHA: Miami, Western Michigan
From WCHA: Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, St. Cloud State

WCHA

From CCHA: Alaska, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Northern Michigan.
From independent: Alabama-Huntsville
Gone: Colorado College, Denver, Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, St. Cloud State, Wisconsin

HOCKEY EAST

From CCHA: Notre Dame

Notes: Atlantic Hockey and ECAC Hockey are unchanged. CCHA folded. See the full conference change timeline.

Enter the Big Ten.

Enter the NCHC.

Last season’s two independents — Alabama-Huntsville and Penn State — have joined the WCHA and Big Ten, respectively.

And put Notre Dame in Hockey East. It’s enough to confuse anyone.

The perennially tough teams may or may not have an easy go this season. That’s still up for debate and won’t be answered until several conference games have been played.

Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said at the Hockey East media day last month that moving to the conference will be “an adjustment.”

“Hopefully, we can help the league develop an even greater identity and footprint than it already has,” Jackson told College Hockey News. For college hockey purposes, I don’t think anyone has a better identity than Hockey East. It’s an exciting time for us and our program, having moved into a new arena two years ago and now moving into Hockey East. It’s a great time for our program.

“In some ways, it’s going to be like playing an entire nonconference schedule until we get accustomed to the league. We’re playing all new venues. We’re playing different opponents that we haven’t seen in recent years. We’re playing with new officials [and] it will take some time to see how they call games. You get accustomed to officials. You know how they’re going to call games. That’s new for us.”

Boston College coach Jerry York called the Irish joining Hockey East “a home run for our league.”

“[Hockey East] commissioner Joe Bertagna should be given a lot of credit that he could go out and bring in a team like that,” York told College Hockey News. “To bring in a legitimate national contender and a big-name school like Notre Dame makes us that much stronger as a league. It also makes it that much harder to win this league.”

As a coach who has switched leagues, Robert Morris bench boss Derek Schooley knows firsthand what the transition can be. His Colonials started in College Hockey America and then joined Atlantic Hockey following the CHA’s demise in 2010.

“I think any time you can add teams and exposure for college hockey it is a great thing, which we have done, but it comes at a price,” Schooley said. “It will be interesting to see how it plays out in three years as there are a lot of new costs involved in these changes starting with increased travel, not to mention the loss of some longtime rivals not playing each other in league play. We won’t see the real effect of the changes for a few years.

“The biggest things were getting adjusted to new teams and new styles of play. When you are in a league for a while, you knew how teams played and the players on each team. There is a lot more advanced scouting and getting comfortable with how the league plays on ice when you change leagues. You can play many of these teams in nonconference games, but it is different when there are league points on the line.”

At the Big Ten media day last month, Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves said it’s an exciting time for fans of college hockey.

The Big Ten was formed with three teams that formerly played in the CCHA, two that came from the WCHA and Penn State, which played as an independent in its inaugural season a year ago and was the addition that allowed the league to form. The Big Ten requires six of its schools to play a sport before the conference will sponsor it.

“I think we have a really fun product,” Eaves said. “It’s a good product to watch and the fact that the exposure level will be at such a high and constant level, people will know where it is and where to find it. I think having that on the table will help people find the game and we’ll get more fans because of that.”

Eaves also touched on how recruiting players for the Big Ten and not the WCHA has factored into shaping his roster this year.

“I think that that would be hard to quantify because I haven’t asked that question directly to the kids that have committed to us knowing that we’re going to the Big Ten,” Eaves said. “My thought process is the fact that that would be something that exists in their head. That’s a part of why they may choose to come to, in this case, Wisconsin, but to quantify, is it 50 percent? I don’t know. The attractiveness of the Big Ten Network, playing in the Big Ten, it’s a recognizable product that young people are aware of and I’m sure it has a factor.”

The Big Ten Network has 27 games on its schedule for this season, with seven more featuring Big Ten teams on ESPNU or ESPNews.

“I’m very optimistic that the Big Ten Network is going to really help college hockey grow,” Michigan coach Red Berenson said. “The game will do justice if it gets the exposure. I think we’ll have more games, obviously, better competition. I know the Big Ten Network is doing a great job thus far and it should get better.

“I’m really excited about the potential of the Big Ten Network. There are certainly players that are up to speed now with what’s happening in the Big Ten Conference or what will happen or should happen. Then there are other players that have no idea, but we’ve seen a lot of players that say they can’t wait to play in the Big Ten Conference, so they’ve done their homework, and good for them. I think it’s going to be a plus for all those schools in the conference.”

Over in the NCHC, Colorado College coach Scott Owens is primed to have his Tigers team make an impact in the new conference.

“I’m excited for the realignment,” Owens said. “It’s new and it’s different and I believe the NCHC will be a top-notch conference. There won’t be any nights off in our conference and it will be a grind. I think our fans and players will enjoy the competitiveness of the conference.”

The WCHA has an all-new look and in the recent preseason coaches’ poll, Minnesota State was picked to finish in the top spot. That would have been a pipe dream in past years, what with Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Denver in the hunt each season.

WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said the overhaul of the conference should not change the competitiveness of the league.

“It’s a new era for the WCHA and certainly a new landscape for collegiate hockey,” McLeod said. “It has been a long haul to get here, but once we’re here, boy, I’ll tell ya, you feel like a young kid with a new toy. It has been a lot of work — much more than I thought. A lot of work, but a lot of fun.”

The first puck drops this weekend. And so does a new generation of college hockey across the nation.

As college hockey changes, so do we

By Todd D. Milewski

October 2, 2013

The big story as the 2013-14 Division I men’s college hockey season gets under way is the large-scale landscape change that is finally going into effect after three years of planning.

Thirty-five of the 59 teams are either playing in a new conference this season or are part of a league that has changed membership.

Here at U.S. College Hockey Online, we had to do some changing of our own, and I’d like to introduce (or, in some cases, reintroduce) you to our corps of writers who’ll cover the conferences.

Starting with the new leagues, we have Paula C. Weston and Drew Claussen covering the Big Ten and Candace Horgan and Matthew Semisch working in the NCHC.

Shane Frederick and Matt Wellens will keep tabs on the new-look WCHA for us, while Dan Rubin joins Chris Lerch in covering Atlantic Hockey.

Dave Hendrickson and Jim Connelly are back to write about Hockey East, and Brian Sullivan and Nate Owen return to the ECAC Hockey beat.

I hope you’ll agree that this is a great group of people to drive our 18th season of Division I men’s college hockey coverage.

Some other items to keep an eye out for:

• A refresh of our site to make it more accessible on mobile platforms.

• A new live scoreboard.

• An update to our iOS app and the rollout of an Android app.

So here’s to a fun 2013-14 season. We started our season preview coverage this week with a look at 10 players to watch at each position — goaltenders, defensemen and forwards — and our conference and team season previews will start rolling out on Sunday. If you missed it live on Tuesday night, check out our special two-hour edition of USCHO Live!, previewing the season conference by conference with our writers.

If you ever have any comments or suggestions on our coverage or on the site in general, feel free to send them my way via email at [email protected].

As always, thanks for reading and for continuing the conversation on the game that we all love.

Penn State Season Preview

By Arlan Marttila

October 2, 2013

Penn State's Shannon Yoxheimer tries to poke the puck away from Kourtney Kunichika of RIT. (Omar Phillips) — Penn State’s Shannon Yoxheimer tries to poke the puck away from Kourtney Kunichika of RIT. (Omar Phillips)

Penn State begins its second varsity season and its first in its new home, Pegula Ice Arena.

“This season for us is all about opportunity,” said coach Josh Brandwene. “What an opportunity for these student-athletes to be a part of this facility and to train and play and to have their Penn State athletic career take place right here. One of the most special moments I’ve had as a coach was watching them move into the facility a couple weeks ago.”

As with any new program, year one had some growing pains.

“Everything that we did last year, all the challenges that we faced, all the adversity that we dealt with has made this group incredibly resilient and incredibly gritty,” Brandwene said.

There were struggles, with 26 losses along the way. The low points were not as low as they could have been, thanks in large part to the efforts of goaltender Nicole Paniccia, a transfer from Connecticut.

“She works so hard at her craft in terms of her goaltending,” Brandwene said. “She’s never satisfied. She has a tremendous work ethic. She’s always looking to make whatever little improvement she can, and certainly, her results last year speak for themselves, not only in terms of what she did statistically for us, but the leadership and experience that she provided as a veteran at the Division-I level on a young team.”

Her .928 save percentage helped keep the margin down in the losses and contributed to seven victories, including two over full-time Division I opponents.

Wins don’t happen unless someone puts the puck in the net, and none of the Nittany Lions was better in that regard than sophomore Shannon Yoxheimer. She had 14 goals and 31 points as a rookie.

“This group is just so coachable,” Brandwene said. “They work hard, they listen, and they make it fun for us as a coaching staff to come to the rink every day.”

Now the team will try to flip the result on some of the tight contests in played last season. PSU did not win over its final 15 contests, but the margin of defeat was less than four goals in all but one of those defeats.

“The fact that we were there in those games, with so many close contests last year, to me was a very pay-it-forward type thing,” Brandwene said. “We’re looking to get better defensively, we’re looking to get better offensively. We want to improve every day and build upon the opportunity we had last year to be competitive and then take it to the next level.”

Lindenwood Season Preview

By Arlan Marttila

October 2, 2013

Players on the 2012-2013 All-USCHO D-I Women's teams (Nicole Hensley) (Tim Brule) — Nicole Hensley of Lindendwood. (Photo c/o Lindendwood Athletics.)

Lindenwood was much improved in its second season of varsity competition, and those gains became very evident down the stretch. The Lions put together a seven-game unbeaten streak in February, posting a 5-0-2 record over that stretch.

CHA Rookie of the Year Nicole Hensley at times held her team in games almost single-handedly. In the final start of her season, she made an NCAA-record 90 saves to extend Robert Morris to three overtimes in the CHA quarterfinals. In Hensley, coach Vince O’Mara has a cornerstone around which he can build for the next three seasons.

The Lions matured in front of her and were better able to compete physically with opponents, resulting in better team defense. Lindenwood surrendered double-digit goals just once in its second season, after doing so six times in its inaugural slate.

Lindenwood did not make similar gains on the offensive end in its second year. The Lions’ scoring decreased slightly, attributable to playing a more difficult schedule. New players Lyndsay Kirkham, Jocelyn Slattery, and Chelsea Witwicke reached double digits in points, so while the team did not add any scoring phenoms, it at least had more contributors.

The challenge in year three will be devising new sources of offense. Unless goals can be manufactured from the team’s systems or a couple 20-point producers are included in the latest freshman class, the Lions are going to have to win a lot of 2-1 games in order to make a move up the CHA ladder.