College Hockey News

Davenport announces '08-09 squads

2008-09-07T01:53:00.001-07:00

The 2008-2009 Davenport teams have been announced after the conclusion of tryouts Friday morning.

"I would like to thank all of the student-athletes who attended our hockey tryouts," stated head coach Paul Lowden. "We are very excited about the upcoming 2008-2009 season and look forward to success in both our ACHA-DII and ACHA-DIII programs."

ACHA - DII Roster:
Jeremy Barber, Kevin Brojek, Jeremy Bultema, Bobby Collar, Brandon Davis, Tom Dowell, Kevin Doyle, Ben Dykstra, Rick Gadwa, Brett Hagen, Kenny Jacobs, Chris Joswiak, Mitch Kane, Scott Knight, Jeff Kraemer, Jared Mailloux, Kevin Moodie, Brit Ouellette, Dan Reaume, Jonah Rogowski, Garrett Russell, Chad Rutzel, Jon Stolarz, Adam Thomas, Eric Troup, Eddie Wheeler

ACHA - DIII Roster:
Luke Bonnewell, Mike Bowolda, Mike Dakesian, Dino Daminato, Ben Duthler, Adam Farr, Andrew Hofart, Taylor Keyworth, Joe Kraemer, Jason Kraemer, Jon Kusava, Alex Mikla, Chad Ouellette, Matt Sekosan, Jordan Stegger, Sam Swardenski, Adam Tomacari, Peter Vogl, Justin Welker

Late draft pick McCauley signs with Whalers

2008-09-05T10:52:00.003-07:00

The Flint Junior Generals of the Central States Hockey League have announced that 17-year-old forward Myles McCauley will play for the Plymouth Whalers in the Ontario Hockey League this coming season.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound McCauley came in at midseason during the 2007-08 season and played 21g ames, scoring 7 goals.

"The CSHL was a good experience for Myles," said Flint GM Kelly Cronk. "He learned what junior hockey was all about coming from the Honeybaked midget AAA program. The Flint Junior Generals are proud of Myles and wish him luck in his future with the Whaler program."

McCauley, a Sterling Heights native, was drafted by Plymouth in the 14th round (279th overall) of the 2007 OHL Priority Selection from the Belle Tire Spartans.

Erstad Opts for D-3

2008-09-05T10:52:00.002-07:00

Wisconsin recruit Travis Erstad, a draft pick of the St. Louis Blues, has opted out of playing another year with the Lincoln Stars, and will instead play for Division III UW-Steven's Point.

Erstad is a native of Steven's Point and UWSP's head coach, Wil Nichol, coached Erstad in high school.

Critics of Wisconsin and their recruiting practices will immediately point to this as an example of Wisconsin over-recruiting and screwing over the players they've already committed to. I'm not sure I see it though.

In February of 2007 when Erstad committed, it was reported that his commitment was for either 2008 or 2009. So it's not like Wisconsin sprung the decision to have him play another year of junior hockey on him at the last minute or anything. If playing junior hockey this year was out of the question for him, he probably shouldn't have made the commitment. Yes, there was the possibility of him joining the Badgers this season, but looking at his scoring line--59 games played 9 goals 10 assists, a team worst -10--it's not like his play clearly showed that he was ready for college hockey this year.

Not that I blame Erstad for his decision. He'll be going to a nice situation in his hometown as opposed to the endless hours of travel and being away from home in Lincoln. I'm just not sure that Wisconsin should be villified for pulling the rug out from under a kid when they were just following what they had initially agreed to.

Former Whaler Drew earns ECHL contract

2008-09-05T10:52:00.001-07:00

The Dayton Bombers of the ECHL have signed former Plymouth Whalers goaltender Paul Drew for the 2008-09 season.

As per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Drew enters his first professional season after playing four years at the University of Prince Edward Island. The Merlin, Ontario, native backstopped 95 games for PEI, collecting a career 3.66 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage. He was twice named team MVP and was selected to the 2007 Atlantic Universities All-Star Team.

"It feels great to get to this point in my career after four years at the collegiate level and I'm anxious to get to Dayton and get the season started," Drew said. "I'm looking forward to having a shot at being the team's No. 1 goalie. This is the highest point of my career and I want to help take the team as far as I can."

Prior to his collegiate career, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound goalie spent four years with the Whalers where he went 73-35-16 with a 2.63 GAA and a .911 SV%.

"Paul comes highly recommended from his coaches at PEI and Plymouth," said Dayton head coach Bill McDonald. "He has a lot of positive qualities as a goaltender and is an outstanding individual when it comes to attitude, character and leadership."

Redhawks back at Number 1

2008-01-29T20:03:00.000-08:00

The Miami RedHawks reclaimed the No. 1 ranking in Monday's USCHO.com/CSTV Division I men's poll, taking 49 of 50 first-place votes to replace Michigan atop the voting this week. The Wolverines finished in second place after losing and tying against Michigan State, which rose to No. 5 this week. Between those two teams were North Dakota, and Denver to complete the top five. Wisconsin climbed five places to 11th with a win and a tie versus archrival Minnesota, and Minnesota-Duluth made a still bigger move, up seven spots to No. 12 after a sweep of Massachusetts-Lowell. Finally, Providence used a sweep of No. 13 Northeastern to enter the rankings in 14th, and St. Cloud State hung on at No. 20, dropping seven places after a sweep by Minnesota State.

BC Upends Maine

2008-01-29T20:01:00.000-08:00

The University of Maine men's ice hockey team dropped a 4-2 decision to Boston College on Saturday night at Alfond Arena in Orono. The Eagles broke a 2-2 tie late in the second period and then added an empty-net goal. Simon Danis-Pepin (Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec) and Andrew Sweetland (Bonavista, Newfoundland) each netted goals for the Black Bears, who fall to 8-11-3 on the season and 4-8-3 in Hockey East play. Boston College improves to 12-5-7 overall and 8-3-6 in conference play.

The Eagles got on the board 10:49 into the first period when Dan Bertram found Joe Whitney who skated in and beat Maine goalie Ben Bishop (Des Peres, Mo.) for his seventh goal of the season.

Maine tied the game not long after. Tanner House (Cochrane, Alberta) was able to find Mike Banwell (Scarborough, Ontario) who fed a pass to Danis-Pepin just inside the blueline. Danis-Pepin rifled a shot past BC goalie John Muse for his third goal of the season and second of the weekend. The teams went into the first intermission tied at 1-1.

Ben Smith broke the tie for the Eagles with a power play goal just 37 seconds into the second period. Bertram and Tim Kunes each assisted on the goal, which was the 14th of the season for Smith which was scored from the just in front of Bishop.

Again, the Black Bears would tie the game up at 2-2. House and Danis-Pepin teamed up to find Sweetland who beat his defender and Muse with a shot from the right face-off circle. It was his fifth goal of the season and third on the power play.

The Eagles took the lead for good just over 10 minutes later. Brian Gibbons fed Nathan Gerbe who had a breakaway and beat Bishop for his 19th goal of the season which turned out to be the game-winner. Matt Greene added an empty-net goal for BC.

Bishop had another strong game in goal for the Black Bears and he stopped 27 shots, including several breakaways. He falls to 8-11-3 on the season. Muse made 18 saves for the Eagles.

Each team scored a power play goal as Maine was 1-for-5, while Boston College was 1-for-4.

Maine returns to action on Friday, Feb. 1 when it travels to UMass Lowell for a 7:00 p.m. game with the River Hawks.

UNH Sweeps Season Series with BU

2008-01-29T19:57:00.000-08:00

The Boston University men's ice hockey team erased a two-goal deficit for the second time in as many nights, but once again came up short, as seventh-ranked New Hampshire completed a weekend sweep of the Terriers in a 5-3 contest at Agganis Arena on Saturday evening. Three freshmen scored for the Terriers, who fall to 7-13-4 overall and 6-8-3 in Hockey East play.

Senior Mike Radja tallied two goals and an assist and classmate Matt Fornataro recorded two assists - including his 100th career point - for the Wildcats, who improve to 15-7-1 overall and stay in first place in the league standings with a 11-4-1 mark.

The Terriers got goals from freshmen Nick Bonino, Colin Wilson and Joe Pereira, while fellow freshman Kevin Shattenkirk earned a pair of assists.

UNH scored the lone goal of the first period before the teams combined for five tallies in the middle stanza. After BU made it a 1-1 contest early in the second, the visitors took a 3-1 lead with consecutive tallies. The Terriers responded with a pair of their own to enter the second intermission in a 3-3 deadlock.

The Wildcats got the eventual game winner from freshman James vanRiemsdyk at 4:49 of the third before tacking on an insurance goal with 5:29 left in regulation.

UNH held a slim 30-29 advantage in shots, as senior Kevin Regan earned the win between the pipes with a 26-save performance. Sophomore Brett Bennett made 25 saves for the Terriers.

Radja opened the scoring just 1:52 into the contest on a power play when he sent home a shot just to the left of the cage on assists from Fornataro and freshman Danny Dries.

Shortly after, BU was awarded a five-minute power play following a game disqualification call on UNH's Peter LeBlanc. The Terriers were unable to captilize, however, and settled for a 1-0 deficit after the first.

Bonino knotted the game at 4:27 of the second when a shot from Shattenkirk ricocheted off the boards and left him wide open at the right post for an easy tap-in. Junior Chris Higgins also assisted on the tally.

The Wildcats used goals from Radja and Dries at 6:35 and 12:09 of the period, respectively, to build a multi-goal cushion. In transition, Radja and Fornataro executed a give-and-go, resulting in Radja sending in a blast from the slot. Dries picked up UNH's second power-play tally of the evening on assists from Radja and junior Kevin Kapstead.

BU got back into the game soon after, as Wilson and Pereira scored just 40 seconds apart to ignite the Agganis crowd.

Wilson sent home his own rebound from the left side on a power play at 15:42 on assists from Shattenkirk and freshman Colby Cohen. Pereira converted a breakaway following a solid lead pass from junior Jason Lawrence, who collected the puck after sophomore Brian Strait won a battle along the boards. Attacking from the left side, Pereira snuck the puck past Regan at the near post just before sliding into the cage himself.

UNH made sure BU would never take the lead though, as the visitors controlled the third period and used a vanRiemsdyk's goal amidst traffic in front of the cage to take the lead for good at 4:49.

Junior Jerry Pollastrone, who assisted on the game winner, tacked on the Wildcats' fifth goal of the night.

BU was 1-for-6 on the power play, while UNH converted on two of its five chances with the man advantage.

With the win, UNH completes its first ever regular-season sweep of the Terriers in Hockey East play.

Friday Hockey News

2007-12-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

With two weeks of games remaining before the winter break and holiday tournaments, our correspondents can't wait to unwrap the hockey bounty placed before them. Brown and Yale wrap up the ECAC Hockey schedule for the calendar year on Saturday, but the WCHA is still in full swing with No. 4 Denver at No. 14 St. Cloud and No. 15 Minnesota at No. 7 North Dakota, among others. Top-ranked Miami is back in action hosting Alaska, and Bemidji State hopes to avoid an upset at the hands of Alabama-Huntsville in CHA play. Canisius has big-game hunting in mind with Air Force in its sights, and Hockey East combatants No. 8 New Hampshire and No. 11 Massachusetts tangle in Amherst. Can No. 12 Northeastern dispatch of a second consecutive ECAC opponent? Union might have something to say about that. There are midseason musings for AHA, CHA and WCHA teams, Matt Mackinder examines the end of a streak for the Purple Eagles, and Dave Hendrickson and Paula C. Weston provide a little holiday cheer.

BU Suspends 4 Players

2007-12-07T19:54:00.000-08:00

Boston University’s woes this season don’t show any sign of turning around soon.

Already saddled with a disappointing 4-9-2 record, the Terriers will be without four players indefinitely due to a suspension. Three seniors and one junior comprise the group: Captain Brian McGuirk, leading scorer Bryan Ewing, former Hockey East Rookie of the Year Brandon Yip, and defenseman Dan McGoff.

No details were provided on the reasons for the suspension beyond a statement issued by Terrier coach Jack Parker. “I’m disappointed that these four chose to break one of our team rules,” said Parker. “This is strictly a team matter.”

The team also announced that “in light of the suspensions,” senior Pete MacArthur “has been named captain of the Terriers” with senior Ryan Weston and junior Matt Gilroy serving as alternates. It is not clear whether McGuirk could be reinstated if and when the suspension is lifted. The timeframe for the suspension is also unclear for now.

BU will be able to suit up exactly 18 skaters for tomorrow night’s against at UMass-Lowell. In addition to the four suspensions, freshman defenseman Colby Cohen will miss the game due to injury. Jason Lawrence was already out with a badly separated shoulder. As a result, the Terriers likely will dress four players who have combined to play just 12 games of the team’s first 15 games this season: Ryan Monaghan, Steve Smolinsky, Victor Saponari, and Craig Sanders.

2007-12-05T16:27:00.000-08:00

USA Hockey announced last night that 22 players have been named to the 2008 United States National Junior Team, which includes three Hockey East players. Sophomore blueliner Brian Strait (Waltham, Mass.) and freshman forward Colin Wilson (Greenwich, Conn.) of Boston University, and freshman forward James vanRiemsdyk (Middletown, N.J.) of the University of New Hampshire will represent Team USA. The team will compete at the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship in Pardubice and Liberec, Czech Republic, December 26, 2007 to January 5, 2008.

Strait, a former captain of the U.S. National Under-18 Team, is the oldest player on the roster, as he will turn 20 on Jan. 4, the day of the World Championship’s semifinal round. Strait has recorded seven assists in 15 games for the Terriers this season.

Wilson has amassed 11 points (4g,7a) in his freshman season at BU. He ranks tied for third in scoring among the league’s rookie class. Wilson is the second youngest player on the squad. Wilson and vanRiemsdyk were linemates last season on the U.S. Under-18 Team and he ranked second on the team in scoring last year. He helped the team to a gold medal at the 2006 World U-18 Championships.

vanRiemsdyk, who currently ranks second in the nation in rookie scoring (1.25 ppg), was a two-year member of the United States National Program.

Last year, he led the US Under-18 team in scoring and also helped the squad to a gold medal at the U-18 Championships in 2005-06. vanRiemsdyk was selected as the second overall pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2007 NHL Draft.

In addition to the players, former Terrier John Hynes, head coach of the U.S. National Under-18 Team, will serve as head coach of the 2008 U.S. National Junior Team. Hynes played at BU from 1994-1997 and was a member of the Terriers’ National Championship Team in 1995. Former University of New Hampshire captain Patrick Foley (Charlestown, Mass.) has been named an assistant coach for the team. Foley was a member of the UNH hockey team for five seasons (1999-2004) and helped lead the team to two Frozen Fours in 2002 and 2003. He was the captain of the Wildcats in 2002-2003 and 2003-2004.

Hockey East referee Peter Feola (Rochester, N.Y.) has been named as one of the two United States officials to the event. Feola will serve in a linesman capacity for the championships.

The team will play two pre-tournament games, including one at Western Michigan on Dec. 18. The complete schedule is below.

The Hockey East Association is a 10-team, Division-I college hockey conference, with offices based in Wakefield, Mass. Founded in 1983, the league has won four NCAA championships in the past 13 years. The conference also sponsors an eight-team women’s league which began play in 2002-03.

Weekly National Poll

2007-12-05T16:20:00.001-08:00

1 - Miami
2 - Colorado College
3 - Michigan
4 - Denver
5 - Michigan State
6 - Notre Dame
7 - North Dakota
8 - New Hampshire
9 - Clarkson
10 - Wisconsin
11 - Massachusetts
12 - Northeastern
13 - Harvard
14 - St. Cloud State
15 - Minnesota
16 - Minnesota-Duluth
17 - Boston College
18 - Bowling Green
19 - Rensselaer
20 - Michigan Tech

Notre Dame Sweeps Nebraska-Omaha

2007-12-02T14:42:00.000-08:00

A night after they needed a frantic comeback to record a 5-4 win, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish dominated the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks in nearly every aspect of the game, sweeping the Mavericks with a 5-0 victory.

Jordan Pearce made 16 saves to notch his 12th win of the season and his second shutout. Five different players scored for the Irish in a balanced offensive attack that included two shorthanded goals.

Unlike the previous night, where the Mavericks outplayed and outscored the Irish in the first period, Notre Dame controlled the play from the outset.

“I liked the fact that we responded [to last night’s slow start] to come out and play a 60-minute hockey game,” said Irish coach Jeff Jackson. “They elevated their game a bit in the second period, but we were able to match it. It’s never going to be a perfect game, but I really liked our effort tonight.”

The Irish’s hard work paid dividends less than four minutes into the game when senior captain Mark Van Guilder gave his team a 1-0 lead with a short handed goal. Van Guilder started the play when he stole the puck from a Mavericks’ defender in the neutral zone and skated in on a two-on-one break with Kevin Deeth. Van Guilder gave the puck to Deeth just inside the blue line, and Deeth forced Mavericks’ netminder Eric Aarnio to commit to him before sliding the puck back to Van Guilder, who tucked it into the open side of the net.

Despite the difference in play, the Mavericks were able to keep the deficit to only one goal until late in the second period, when a fortunate bounce gave the Irish a momentum-changing second goal.

Christian Hanson, or more accurately Hanson’s right skate, gave his team a 2-0 lead at 17:25 of the second period. Hanson started the play by winning an offensive zone faceoff back to Brock Sheahan, who slid the puck across the blue line to Teddy Ruth, who fired a one timer. Ruth’s shot appeared to be going wide, but it deflected off the skate and into the net for a 2-0 Irish lead.

“The [goal] that really hurt was the second one,” said Mavericks’ coach Mike Kemp. “It’s a 1-0 game down to the last two minutes of the period. They won the faceoff and the shot caroms off [Hanson] and into an empty net.”

Hanson, who scored his second goal in as many nights, said “I won the faceoff and I was just going to the net for a rebound, the puck just happened to hit off my right skate and it went in.”

Stellar work in net by Pearce was a key to the victory, especially in the second period, when Pearce made 11 of his 16 saves. He made several good stops, including a pad save on Nick Von Bokern about when Pearce moved post-to-post to rob Von Bokern of a quality scoring chance.

The night also marked a drastic turnaround for Pearce, as he was able to record a shutout only a night after one of his worst games of the season. Jackson said that he stuck with Pearce, as opposed to freshman netminder Brad Phillips, as a vote of confidence in his top goalie.

“When you have a number one goaltender, they’re allowed to have an off night,” he said. “I think it’s important that you come back with them to show confidence, and Jordan responded tonight.”

Notre Dame blew the game open with three goals in the third. Teddy Ruth started the scoring with his first collegiate goal only 49 seconds into the period, and Ryan Thang scored his team-leading 10th goal of the season shorthanded on a pinpoint wrist shot five minutes later. Freshman defenseman Ian Cole’s second goal of the season capped the scoring late in the third, as the Irish took advantage of a five-on-three power play to score their third special teams goal of the game.

With the outcome no longer in doubt, the game became physical, and the teams combined for 36 penalty minutes in the third period. Several after-the-whistle scrums culminated in a brawl with just under three minutes to play in the game, with all eight players on the ice throwing punches at one another.

The fight between Kevin Deeth and Dan Charleston, who started the scrum, was the most notable, with Charleston ripping off Deeth’s helmet from behind. Charleston was given a two minute minor and a 10 minute misconduct, while Deeth was not penalized on the play. Teddy Ruth and Bryan Marshall also received minor penalties for roughing after they squared off with one another.

The Mavericks’ next game is a home contest against Lake Superior State at 7:05 P.M. on Friday, the same day the Irish travel to Princeton for a non-conference game.

Fighting Sioux Earn Split With Pioneers

2007-12-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

Led by their big guns Ryan Duncan and T.J. Oshie and the strong goaltending of Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, the No. 8 North Dakota Fighting Sioux salvaged a split with the No. 3 Denver Pioneers, taking advantage of their special teams to earn a hard-fought 3-1 win.

“It’s nothing new for us,” said Lamoureux of the play of Oshie and Duncan. “We don’t have success unless those guys produce. Fortunately for us tonight we were able to execute a little better offensively. There’s a very fine line between winning and losing in this league. I thought it was a great team effort through the lineup.”

The first period was much chippier than Friday night’s game. Seven penalties were called over the course of the period, most for marginal things like tripping. The Sioux seemed to have a little more jump, and used it to draw the calls. With Brandon Vossberg in the box for holding, the Sioux’s top line got them on the board. Oshie fought off a check in the corner and passed to Chris VandeVelde in the slot, and VandeVelde one-timed a shot low glove side past Peter Mannino.

“Playing a great goalie like Peter Mannino, you can’t let him get too comfortable,” said Duncan. “I think last night we gave him a little confidence, and we definitely wanted to get an early goal on him and hopefully we could build from there.”

The Sioux continued to test Mannino often. Robbie Bina and Joe Finley fired shots from the point that Mannino seemed to have difficulty picking up. On one of Bina’s shots, Mannino gave up a rebound that seemed to sit in front for an eternity, and led to an interference penalty on Cody Brookwell, as he tried to keep Bina from pouncing on the rebound.

“Denver, as we saw last night, they’re just so good when they get the lead,” said Sioux coach Dave Hakstol. “It was kind of a classic goaltenders battle this weekend. I thought both guys played well.”

The Sioux’s best chance to build on the lead came on the ensuing power play when Matt Watkins slid a pass through the slot from the right side boards to Rylan Kaip on the far post, but Mannino came up with a huge save.

“I thought both goaltenders were very good,” said Pioneers’ coach George Gwozdecky, echoing Hakstol’s thoughts. “I thought both goaltenders were sharp.”

Offensively, the Pioneers couldn’t seem to get untracked. They generated some pressure in the Sioux zone, but kept looking for the perfect setup, and ended up only getting two shots on goal.

The Sioux quickly built on their lead in the second on another power play goal. Anthony Maiani was called for slashing late in the first period, and the penalty carried over into the second. Derrick LaPointe carried the puck into the Pioneers’ zone, and three Pioneers converged on him, but the puck popped free to Oshie along the left boards, and Oshie quickly fed a cross-ice pass to Duncan, who ripped a shot top shelf glove side past Mannino at 1:05.

“We’ve been having a little trouble with our power play,” said Duncan. “We’ve been working it around well and getting chances; we’ve just been having trouble burying the chances, but tonight it just happened that we got the bounces and the puck went in.”

Sometime around the 8:00 minute mark of the period, the Pioneers finally started to generate some offense. Jesse Martin hit the outside of the left post on a redirect, and Lamoureux robbed Tyler Bozak with a quick glove.

“He was coming across the middle, but I didn’t have any traffic in front and I was able to get a good read on it,” said Lamoureux.

Right after that chance, Brian Gifford received a pass in the right circle, looked at a wide-open net, lined up a shot and fired the puck five feet over the crossbar.

Bozak finally got the Pioneers on the board at 10:04 on a great setup by Brock Trotter, who had the puck behind the net, held it just long enough to freeze the Sioux defense, then fed a pass to Bozak in the slot.

When Oshie took a penalty seconds later, the Pioneers looked to have a golden chance to tie the game, but it was the Sioux who got the goal when a clear got behind the Pioneers’ defense and VandeVelde and Duncan raced down two-on-none. VandeVelde carried it deep down the left side and passed over to Duncan, who fired it home.

“Joe (Finley) made a great play; he kind of chipped it up the boards,” said Duncan. “He had great vision and saw Vandy in the clear and we were able to get a step and get a two-on-0. It doesn’t happen very often, especially against a great team like that.”

“I thought the biggest goal of the game was the shorthanded goal,” said Hakstol. “There was a momentum swing there where Denver scored a few minutes before and the crowd was getting into it, and that goal was a critical one.”

Rattled by the quick Sioux goal, the Pioneers started to press offensive plays and passes that didn’t exist, and turned the puck over numerous times, leading to good Sioux scoring opportunities.

“We just got reckless and impatient,” said Gwozdecky. “It’s very rare that you see a two-on-0 breakaway. You’ve got to work pretty hard to create that kind of thing. To give up a shorthanded goal when you’ve just got back into the game, that’s a huge emotional swing. The disappointment, and all the emotions that go into it. You had a great chance to perhaps tie it, and now it’s a two-goal swing. I think that takes the wind out of your sails and gives them such a boost.”

In the third period, the Pioneers finally started to settle down and get some good chances. Martin had a good chance early from down low in the slot, but couldn’t jam a rebound home. Bozak continued to be strong offensively, and just missed lifting a backhand over Lamoureux’s shoulder.

“I think they were definitely going to be way more aggressive,” said Lamoureux. “We wanted to make sure we didn’t get outnumbered at the net. The PK guys did a great job of allowing me to see the puck and I didn’t really see too many second or third shots, so credit to the guys in front of me.”

With the Pioneers on a power play, their leading scorers, Trotter and Tyler Ruegsegger, both had chances from near the left post. With the puck sitting just outside the crease, Trotter couldn’t get it free from between a Sioux defenseman’s skates and poked it behind the net. He picked it up and passed it to Ruegsegger coming down towards the net, but Ruegsegger’s shot was stopped by Lamoureux.

“I was pleased by the way we played in the third period,” said Gwozdecky. “I thought we played hard. We tried a lot of different things, but Lamoureux was there to answer the bell.”

“I think we played a little too conservative and gave up some chances,” said Duncan of the third period. “Phil stood on his head and played a great third period and really kept us in the game, so that’s something we can learn from.”

Weekend Recap

2007-12-02T07:18:00.001-08:00

Boston College has had a rough time of it this year, and coming into this weekend hadn't won a game since October. Boston University hadn't done much better, getting a big victory against Cornell at Madison Square Garden, but struggling otherwise. The Eagles held on tonight to get a much-needed sweep and possibly put themselves back into gear, led by feisty Nathan Gerbe, who had four points in the 4-3 win. Notre Dame continued to play like they want to get back to the top, sweeping Nebraska-Omaha with a convincing 5-0 win, while their CCHA counterpart Michigan got a little revenge, beating Ohio State 4-2. Out west, Wisconsin finished off a sweep of St. Cloud, rallying for two goals in the third en route to a 4-3 win, while Minnesota got a much needed split with Michigan Tech, winning 3-1. Based on tonight's game, the WCHA better watch out for the Fighting Sioux; the big guns of T.J. Oshie and Ryan Duncan brought it against the No. 3 Denver Pioneers. Duncan had three points, helping the Sioux to a 3-1 win. Could the Sioux be repeating their mid-season surge of last year? Meanwhile, back in New York, St. Lawrence knocked off No. 9 Clarkson 4-2, and Hockey East continues to confuse, as Mass.-Lowell upended No. 6 New Hampshire 3-2.

BC Sweeps BU

2007-12-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

The Boston University men's ice hockey team dropped the second game of a home-and-home series against cross-town rival No. 19 Boston College by a score of 4-3 on Saturday evening at Agganis Arena. The Terriers scored on half of their six power-play chances, but a natural hat trick from sophomore Ben Smith proved to be the difference maker for the Eagles.

BU (4-9-2, 3-5-1 HE) got goals from freshman Kevin Shattenkirk and juniors Brandon Yip and Matt Gilroy, but could not pull even despite outshooting BC, 44-25. Freshman John Muse recorded 41 saves for the Eagles, who improved to 5-4-5 overall with a 4-3-4 conference mark.

The teams combined for four goals in the first period, with each squad striking twice. Junior Nathan Gerbe opened the scoring at 2:06 with his third shorthanded goal of the weekend before later assisting on all three of Smith's goals.

Shattenkirk knotted the game less than eight minutes later with a dart from the left point just nine seconds into the Terriers' second power-play chance of the evening.

Yip gave the home team a 2-1 lead with 2:07 left before the first intermission when he collected a rebound off the back boards following a shot by freshman Colin Wilson and knocked it home outside the left post.

The lead would be short-lived, however, as Smith answered 44 seconds later with help from Gerbe on a 2-on-1 to start his streak of three consecutive goals.

Smith scored the lone goal of the second period when he knocked in a high rebound at 12:32 on assists from Gerbe and senior Mike Brennan.

BC took its first multi-goal lead of the contest at the 6:52 mark of the third when Smith sent in a rebound in the slot following a shot by Gerbe that was initially saved by BU netminder Brett Bennett, who made 21 saves in the game.

The Terriers attempted to get back in the game, using their power play once again to draw within one. Gilroy one-timed a shot past Muse from the top of the slot on assists from Wilson and freshman Colby Cohen.

BU, which held a 35-12 shot advantage in the final two periods, could not muster a late equalizer, as Muse and the BC defense held on to complete the weekend sweep.

UNH RALLIES PAST MASS-LOWELL, 3-2

2007-12-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

Senior captain Matt Fornataro (Calgary, Alberta) recorded a goal and two assists to propel the sixth-ranked University of New Hampshire men’s hockey team to Friday night’s 3-2 Hockey East victory against University of Massachusetts-Lowell at the Whittemore Center.

UNH won its third consecutive game to improve to 8-2-1 overall and 5-2-1 in Hockey East. UML, which skated to a 2-2 tie against the Wildcats at the Whittemore Center earlier this month (Nov. 9), is now 4-4-4, 2-4-4.

With the score tied, 2-2, midway through the third period, Mike Radja (Yorkville, Ill.) put the Wildcats back in front. Phil DeSimone (East Amherst, N.Y.; two assists) chased own the loose puck in the left corner and threw the puck in front, where Radja collected the pass and deposited a shot in the upper-left corner of the net. DeSimone’s pass deflected off Fornataro to Radja to give the senior captain his second assist of the night.

The River Hawks pulled Hamilton in favor of an extra skater with 1:05 to play, then called time out with 44 seconds remaining. A centering pass from behind the net cleared the offensive zone to the other end of the ice, however, and UML was unable to reestablish possession in the offensive zone the rest of the way.

UNH goaltender Kevin Regan (South Boston, Mass.) finished with 22 saves. Hamilton stopped 38 shots in net for UML.

UNH struck first in the opening period but the visitors took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Jerry Pollastrone (Revere, Mass.) netted his fourth goal of the season at 7:18 when he collected Fornataro’s pass down the slot, shifted and fired a shot into the net. Brad Flashains (Glendale, Ariz.), with the outlet pass through the neutral zone, was also credited with an assist.

The River Hawks netted goals 2:23 apart to take a 2-1 lead. With the faceoff to Regan’s left, UNH drew the puck back towards the net. Jonathan Maniff swept in and lifted a wrist shot into the upper-right corner to tie the score, 1-1, at 11:11. UMass-Lowell struck on its first power play of the night to go ahead 2-1 at 13:34 when Mark Roebothan, positioned at the top of the crease, collected Scott Campbell’s pass from behind the net to score. Ryan Blair was also credited with an assist.

New Hampshire pulled even, 2-2, by scoring the only goal of the middle stanza at 6:46 when Craig Switzer (Peachland, British Columbia), skating in the left circle, sent a pass across the slot to an unmarked Fornataro at the right post for the goal. Radja initiated the scoring sequence with a pass to Switzer.

UNH’s Peter LeBlanc (Hamilton, Ontario) generated a strong scoring opportunity on the Wildcats’ power play midway through the second period when he maneuvered from the left circle towards the near post but was denied by Hamilton. The ‘Cats then created a flurry in which DeSimone was denied from the slot and Radja was turned aside off the rebound at the right post.

Earlier in the second stanza, Hamilton stopped James vanRiemsdyk (Middletown, N.J.) at the top of the crease and also turned aside his shot off the rebound, then Thomas Fortney (Webster Grove, Mo.) pushed the puck just wide of the post at the left doorstep.

Early in the final frame – with the score still tied -- Fornataro was denied on a breakaway bid on a left leg pad save by Hamilton. UNH maintained pressure, but once again Hamilton denied Paul Thompson (Derry, N.H.) on his shot from the slot, then Fortney’s shot off the rebound sailed wide right of the cage.

New Hampshire and UMass-Lowell conclude the home-and-home series Dec. 1 (7 p.m.) at Tsongas Arena. The Wildcats’ next home game is Dec. 16 (4 p.m.) against the University of Maine.

Bullying Buckeyes

2007-12-01T21:03:00.001-08:00

Perhaps inspired by their football counterparts, the Ohio State Buckeyes defiantly stormed into Ann Arbor and bested second ranked Michigan 3-2, abruptly ending the Wolverines 12 game winning streak. The tenacious and hard-fought victory — due largely to senior forward Tommy Goebel's two unassisted goals — improved previously slumping OSU to 4-10-1 on the season and, with Miami idle, virtually guaranteed the RedHawks unanimity as the nation’s best team when the weekly USCHO.com poll is released on Monday. In the Rocky Mountains, where the evening’s expected drama unfolded, No. 3 Denver’s senior netminder Peter Mannino shutout eighth ranked North Dakota, 1-0. The blanking, the normally high-flying Sioux’s second in three weeks, has the Pioneers nipping on the heels of in-state rival CC in the WCHA. Elsewhere in the conference, No. 13 Wisconsin used one of its now-trademark comebacks to best tenth ranked St. Cloud 3-2 in Madison and visiting No. 20 Michigan Tech toppled No. 14 Minnesota in overtime by an identical score, buoyed by three unanswered goals from three different players — each their first of the season. Finally out east in Boston, the nightmare season continued for Jack Parker and his BU Terriers (now just 4-8-2) as a Nathan Gerbe hat trick contributed mightily to the 6-2 walloping by No. 19 BC.

Rock and Roll - Denver and North Dakota Bragging Rights and More

2007-11-29T21:30:00.000-08:00

Some part of the national spotlight rests again on Boston University, as the Terriers play a home-and-home with arch-rival #19 Boston College. But while it's the biggest grudge match of the weekend, it's not the most potent game on the schedule by a long shot. Wrestling for that honor are WCHA contests pitting #10 St. Cloud at #13 Wisconsin and #8 North Dakota at #3 Denver. First place in Atlantic Hockey is up for grabs, and Army and Sacred Heart aim to take the spot and run in an Empire State home-and-home. While top-ranked Miami enjoys a much-appreciated bye week, #2 Michigan hopes to leapfrog the CCHA leaders by way of a deuce with Ohio State. Bemidji State and Niagara meet for the only CHA games on the docket, and ECAC Hockey points — and ever-important momentum — are up for grabs as well. Take it all in; it's a beautiful thing.

No. 6 UNH and UMass Lowell Gear up For a Home and Home Series

2007-11-28T20:00:00.001-08:00

The sixth-ranked Wildcats (7-2-1, 4-2-1 HE) return to Hockey East play with a home-and-home series against UMass-Lowell (4-3-4, 2-3-4 HE) on Friday night at Whittemore Center and Saturday night at Tsongas Arena. Puck drops both nights at 7 p.m. Friday night the game will be broadcast on the UNH Sports Radio Network (UNHSN) and live video at www.unhwildcats.tv. On Saturday, the game will be on (UNHSN). UNH, which has won back-to-back games, looks to capture a pair of pivotal Hockey East win.

SCOUTING THE RIVER HAWKS: The River Hawks enter the weekend 4-3-4 overall, 2-3-4 in Hockey East... UML went 2-0 on the week and have points in five of their last six games (2-1-3, 7 points)…Junior Mark Roebothan recorded his first career hat trick in UML’s 6-2 win Saturday; it was the first hat trick by a River Hawk since Danny O’Brien scored three in a 4-3 overtime victory at Providence…The River Hawks scored a season-high four second period goals Saturday against Merrimack and have totaled a Hockey East high 18 goals in the second period this season… The strength of the River Hawks comes from the reigning Defensive Player of the Week Carter Hutton, who earned his second collegiate shutout on Tuesday night with a 3-0 win at Merrimack. He recorded 22 saves in the victory, which included 13 stops in the final period.

SERIES HISTORY VS. UMASS-LOWELL: The Wildcats lead the all-time series with the River Hawks at 47-27-14 in 98 all-time meetings between the two schools dating back to Dec. 6, 1983...The ‘Cats won all three games last season and the teams tied in their only meeting this year 2-2 back on Nov. 9...The Wildcats have won four of the last five , six of the last eight and they have outscored UML, 32 to 17 during that time...Coach Umile owns a 40-17-9 all-time record against the River Hawks in his 18-year coaching career...The Wildcats own a 6-2-4 all-time mark vs. UMass-Lowell in 12 meetings since 1998...Senior forward Mike Radja is the active career leading scorer against UML with eight points.

Huskies Stay In 1st - Win Over BC

2007-11-27T20:03:00.000-08:00

The Northeastern Huskies continue to impress league followers and remain atop the league standings with a 4-3 overtime win at No. 13 Boston College on Friday night.

Hockey East Player of the Week Joe Vitale (St. Louis, Mo.) had a four-point night (1g,3a) leading the Huskies to their sixth league win of the season. It took the Huskies until January 26 to pick up their six league win last season. Senior forward Jimmy Russo (Weymouth, Mass.) scored the overtime game-winner with four seconds remaining in the extra frame.

Team of the Week - Michigan Wolverines

2007-11-27T19:59:00.001-08:00

Michigan came into the season with a lot of questions.

Clearly, the Wolverines, with such a tremendous recruiting pipeline, are never going to be at much of a disadvantage. But still, with a lot of top-notch talent leaving in recent years, no top-flight center returning, a previously inconsistent goaltender, and the prospects of Miami, Notre Dame and Michigan State all passing them by, the Wolverines had reason to be concerned.

Even following a great start, there were questions as to just how strong Michigan's schedule was this season.

Now, though there's still a long way to go, Michigan has proven quite a bit, coming off a weekend sweep of Minnesota and Wisconsin in the College Hockey Showcase, improving to 13-1 and No. 2 in KRACH. That makes Michigan the College Hockey News Team of the Week.

The win over Minnesota, 5-1, broke a particularly aggravating dry spell, dating back to 2002 and including a loss earlier this season in the Icebreaker, and in the 2003 Frozen Four semifinal. The current seniors — of which there are only Kevin Porter and Chad Kolarik — had never beaten the Gophers.

"It's been a frustrating last three years in particular," said Michigan coach Red Berenson. "It was time. I thought we played pretty well against Wisconsin. They got two late quick goals. They have a good team and the power play is dangerous. . ... It was a letdown, too many penalties. The game went all over the map."

Against the Gophers, it was different. Juiced by the home crowd and the recent history, Michigan avenged its only loss of the season, the Icebreaker final when it heavily outshot Minnesota but lost 4-3.

"I thought we played better (against) Minnesota," Berenson said. "We scored a shorthanded goal (by Kolarik) that was huge, then Porter and Kolarik were huge over the weekend. They made the difference."

Said Porter, "When we played them early in the year, it was a tough loss. Everyone had it in the back of their heads. We came out and knew it was a huge game. ... (The earlier loss) gave us confidence. Even though we lost, we knew we could play with them and teams in that league. The last few years, we might have been intimidated going into their state and home ice."

Porter, of course, has been huge all season. He's the Hobey Baker Award frontrunner at the moment, leading the nation with 14 goals in 14 games, including three this past weekend. He's made the transition from wing to center, prompted when Andrew Cogliano didn't return this season. Combine that with the departure of T.J. Hensick, who was Porter's linemate when Porter scored 24 goals last season, and that's where the questions were on the top line.

"Kevin Porter has been a great leader, particularly offensively," Berenson said. "So he takes a lot of offensive pressure off our team."

That means the pressure is on him.

"Maybe a little bit every game, I feel like our line has to be the one that scores," Porter said. "If we end up losing, it could be our fault. It puts a little pressure on us. The freshmen have been great so far. Early they put up numbers, then slowed a bit."

With freshmen like Aaron Palushaj (5-10—15) and Max Pacioretty (3-9-12) up front, the Wolverines are doing just fine. In fact, it's reminiscent of the 1998 team, which had just lost a huge and extremely talented senior class, yet went all the way to a national championship.

"It does have some similarities," Berenson said. "Bill Muckalt carried the offense, and we had (Marty) Turco in goal."

Hockey Humanitarian

2007-11-26T20:13:00.000-08:00

Nominations for the Hockey Humanitarian Award, which honors "college hockey's finest citizen" on an annual basis, are open, and USCHO.com is helping to spread awareness of the award's meaning and significance. Nominations are encouraged from coaches, media and all those with significant knowledge of deserving candidates, with the nomination process running through Dec. 14.

Women : Number One Spot

2007-11-26T20:08:00.000-08:00

No one can hold that elusive No. 1 spot for very long this season, and it's New Hampshire wearing that bulls-eye once more. Niagara hits the Granite State to take on the Wildcats this weekend; will the nation's once-and-again top team fend off the Purple Eagles, or will they trip, as they did against Princeton? Speaking of the Tigers, can they follow in #10 Clarkson's footsteps and knock #7 Mercyhurst off its pedestal? It's a dogfight atop the ECAC, as the Golden Knights tackle #5 Harvard and #8 Dartmouth this weekend. Third-ranked St. Lawrence is in the mix too, and all four teams hit the mat against each other in the shadows of Turkey Day. Out West, #2 Wisconsin, #4 Minnesota-Duluth, #6 Minnesota and also-receiving-votes Minnesota State are all in action this weekend as well.

Seen And Heard in Hockey East

2007-11-26T20:05:00.000-08:00

Gerbe Suspension: Boston College junior forward Nathan Gerbe was issued a one-game, league-mandated suspension last Saturday. He was forced to sit out the Eagles' 5-2 loss at New Hampshire. According to a statement issued by Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna, the suspension stemmed from actions from Friday night's 3-3 tie with Merrimack at Conte Forum.

"While a suspension might not have been forthcoming on [Friday] night's actions alone, this is not the first time this season that I have been made aware of inappropriate behavior from Nathan," Bertagna said in the statement. "Given the fact that he had already been put on notice, I felt that supplemental discipline was in order in this instance."

Bertagna would not comment further on the suspension, saying he would stick to last Saturday's statement.

According to reports, Gerbe was accused of butt-ending Merrimack players during last Friday's game.

Bertagna told Inside College Hockey last year he has several ways in which he levies punishments. Depending on the severity of the incident, Bertagna can make a phone call, write a private letter of reprimand, a public letter of reprimand or suspend the guilty party.

Player of the Week - Bryan Ewing - Boston University

2007-11-26T20:01:00.000-08:00

His Statistics: 2 GP, 1-6—7

His Impact: Heading into last weekend's series at Vermont, Ewing led all Terrier scorers with eight points on the season. None of his teammates had more than six. Ewing busted out with seven points in two games, and nearly doubled his point total for the season. The Terriers only managed a split, but scored 13 goals and may have jump-started their offense as they head into a stretch of four tough games against Harvard, Cornell, and a home-and-home against Boston College.

His Runners-Up: Tyler Burton (Colgate), Billy Sauer (Michigan), Chris Margott (Robert Morris), Dan Ramirez (American International), Chad Rau (Colorado College).

CHA Season Preview

2007-11-26T19:42:00.000-08:00

THE SKINNY

In 2006-07, Alabama-Huntsville rose from the ashes of their fifth-place regular-season conference record to win three straight playoff games — including two in overtime — for the program's first College Hockey America playoff title, which happened to coincide with Doug Ross's final season as the team's head coach.

The new man behind the Chargers' bench is ex-NHLer Danton Cole, whose last head coaching gig was with the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins — the former Michigan State standout was fired midway through the 2004-05 season. He takes control of the UAH team missing a dozen players from last year’s roster, including the top six scorers.

The early lineup definitely had the look of starting over with only two seniors, five juniors, seven sophomores, and 12 freshmen. Among the newcomers are two goaltenders, one of whom is highly regarded (Cameron Talbot is rated seventh among incoming netminders in INCH's Recruiting Rankings) and one of whom is well connected (Wyatt Russell is the son of actors Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn.) They've got nearly as much experience as returnee Blake MacNicol, who played all of eight games as a freshman. Sophomore Kevin Morrison is the leading returning goal-scorer. He had nine last season, an indication that offense may be at a premium for the Chargers.

Bemidji State had what, for its lofty standards, was a down year. Still, the Beavers finished just one point out of first place.

“We’ve been over .500 for five straight years and that’s not dodging anybody, so we’re proud of that," said head coach Tom Serratore. "But we did let down a bit in the second half and maybe overachieved a bit in the first half. We’ve created high expectations, but our guys are in the best shape we’ve ever been in so hopefully that will translate on the ice.”

Bemidji State must replace the offense of Luke Erickson and Rob Sirianni, both of whom eclipsed the century mark in career points. The Beavers will look to Travis Winters, Tyler Scofield, and Joey Moggach among others to fill the hole.

Niagara appears to be the early favorite to win its third consecutive regular-season crown, having lost just two primary contributors — albeit large ones in CHA Player of the Year Sean Bentivoglio, now with the New York Islanders organization, and defenseman Pat Oliveto — from a year ago.

CCHA Season Preview

2007-11-26T19:37:00.000-08:00

If the teams in the CCHA have proven one thing over the past few years it's that you can never quite know what to expect out of the league. From Michigan State's surprising national title, showing that the CCHA can indeed compete with Hockey East and the WCHA, to Lake Superior State's challenge to the Spartans in the league tournament's third place game last March, it's not unusual to see things go awry in the CCHA.

Over the past several years, coaches have talked about parity throughout the conference, and it has been shown with surprise runs by Alaska, Nebraska-Omaha in the regular season and playoffs, and on any given night with strange upsets like Michigan State's home loss to Bowling Green at the end of last regular season.

This season, however, as teams prepare to drop the puck, it appears that Miami and Michigan State are poised to run away from the pack with teams with a lot of experience, clutch goal scorers and strong net minders.

Last season's regular season and playoff champ Notre Dame returns several key cogs in the form of Erik Condra, Kevin Deeth and Ryan Thang, as well as members of its defensive corps, but the loss of David Brown in the goal crease is one that will be tough for coach Jeff Jackson and the Fighting Irish to overcome.

In addition, traditional powerhouse Michigan suffered heavy losses to its squad this past summer, with several defections to the NHL and many key seniors leaving as well. With an arsenal carefully restocked by coach Red Berenson and his assistants Billy Powers and Mel Pearson, perhaps the only thing keeping the Wolverines out of the race is time to mature as a team and a consistent goaltender.

Although these four teams appear to be the top threats for the league title, it has yet to be seen what a team like Ohio State which appears healthy and more mature, or Lake Superior State with a new goaltender and a strong returning class might be able to do as the race unfolds.

And, most certainly, never count out scrappy Northern Michigan and Ferris State teams which have both made runs to Joe Louis Arena in the past decade.

Despite these challenges from all programs in the conference, look for the talent and experience of verterans and the coaching savvy of Enrico Blasi and Rick Comley to help Miami and Michigan State steady the ship and create an exciting title race before once again giving the league greater notoriety with strong performances in the NCAA tournament.

BREAKTHROUGH TEAM

After failing to meet public and team expectations over the past two seasons, look for Ohio State as a potential spoiler team in the CCHA race to the top this season. The Buckeyes finished just 12-12-4 in the league last season, but looked strong later on, finishing the campaign with wins in four of their last six regular-season contests before being swept by Northern Michigan in the first round of the CCHA playoffs.

One major reason for the Buckeyes' struggles was the loss of Tom Fritsche for the majority of the season after he was hospitalized while suffering from ulcerative colitis. After returning, however, Fritsche looked strong, scoring 13 points in just 19 games. He is joined in the forward corps by Tom Goebel who notched 26 points last season.

At the other end of the ice, Ohio State is lead by senior blue liner Jason Desantis, who is also known for his offensive upside, and goaltender Joseph Palmer who allowed 2.96 goals per game — just tenth best in the CCHA — last season but has shown signs of improvement with an admirable performance at the United States Junior National Team evaluation camp this summer.

PRIMED FOR A FALL

Simply take a look at the players who graduated from Michigan or left the Wolverines early this past summer, and there is no doubt the Maize and Blue may be hard-pressed to stay in the race for the CCHA title with racehorses like Miami and Michigan State leading the way.

Jack Johnson left the team after its first-round loss in the NCAA tournament to join the Los Angeles Kings and has become an everyday player in their lineup and a cult hero among fans. North of the border, former Michigan speedster Andrew Cogliano was just named to the Edmonton Oilers' opening night lineup. On top of that pair of first round picks, T.J. Hensick and Matt Hunwick just narrowly missed making the Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins, respectively.

Hensick and Cogliano were the anchors of Michigan's first two lines, and Hunwick and Johnson often ate up as much as half of the game as the team's top defensive pair. And while first-round picks Chris Summers and Mark Mitera remain on the blue line and Max Pacioretty — one of the Montreal Canadiens' top picks — joins last year's league-leading scorer Kevin Porter in the lineup up front, it's hard to argue that, after losing this much talent, Michigan will not fall out of the top tier of CCHA teams ... at least temporarily.

PRESSURE TO PERFORM

While Bowling Green can't fall any lower than 12th place in the CCHA standings, the pressure is certainly on head coach Scott Paluch, now in his sixth season at the helm. Paluch is the first former Falcon player to serve as the head coach and must do his best not to disappoint the administration and fans he once delighted as a member of CCHA title-winning teams in the 1980s.

This year's Falcons team brings back 23 players from last season, including goaltender Jimmy Spratt and leading scorer Derek Whitmore. Paluch labeled Spratt as the most improved player during the course of last season, and he will likely continue to evolve as he matures in his role as a starting net minder.

Having seen the potential of the Falcons during a close first-round playoff series against Nebraska-Omaha and an upset of Michigan State at Munn in the regular season finale, Bowling Green supporters have to be getting anxious to see more consistency out of Paluch's squad.

Atlantic Hockey Season Preview

2007-11-26T19:35:00.000-08:00

Atlantic Hockey saw a major transformation last season, with league newcomers Rochester Institute of Technology and Air Force ascending to the top and perennial contenders Holy Cross and Mercyhurst taking a hit. In fact, only one team – Sacred Heart – managed to finish in the top four in consecutive seasons.

It doesn’t appear as though RIT nor Air Force will relent much this season, each sporting veteran lineups with very few holes to fill. RIT was ineligible for the conference title and NCAA tourney berth since the program was only in its second year of NCAA Division I status, so the Tigers did all that they could do by winning the regular-season title.

Air Force captured its first playoff title by beating Sacred Heart in the semifinals and Army in the finals, then turned in a memorable upset bid against Minnesota in the NCAA Tournament. The Falcons are still flying high with Hobey Baker finalist Eric Ehn back for another season, and an answer in goal as freshman Andrew Volkening won the job late last season.

Dont Go Changin'

2007-11-26T19:34:00.000-08:00

Change for the sake of change occurs in just about every walk of life: It happens in our places of work, it happens with the sports teams we follow, and it happens to the furniture in the living room.

Here at Inside College Hockey World Headquarters, we're not fundamentally opposed to change — heck, we just tore out the simulated oak paneling in the offices and replaced it with a tasteful flat latex. But when it comes to the weekly Power Rankings, there best be a compelling reason to shuffle the deck.

Which is why there are so few modifications in this week's ratings. Half of the 20 teams we ranked stayed put, while another five moved just one spot in either direction. There were some movers and shakers, however, including Northeastern, up a half-dozen slots after downing Boston College over the weekend.

UNH Defeats PC in Overtime

2007-11-25T21:20:00.000-08:00

It appears that New Hampshire has found a third line that it can depend upon.

In reality, the Wildcats’ trio of center Thomas Fortney and freshman wingers Paul Thompson and James vanRiemsdyk deserved top billing tonight, courtesy of their performance at Schneider Arena.

Thompson netted the game-winning goal 2:57 into overtime, putting the finishing touches on his first career hat trick, and combined with Fortney and vanRiemsdyk for 12 points as the No. 6 Wildcats came from behind on two different occasions to edge the host Providence College Friars, 5-4.

Providence’s loss in the recruiting battle for Thompson’s services turned out to be New Hampshire’s gain on Saturday, as the Derry, N.H., native chose his state university over Dartmouth and the Friars when he made his college decision last year. Thompson’s winner was almost a carbon copy of his goal that tied the game with 8:12 remaining in regulation, as he drove down the slot to the net and skated onto vanRiemsdyk’s backhanded pass before snapping a shot inside the left post past Providence goalie Tyler Sims.

“We needed something coming out of the weekend,” Thompson said. “We needed a big win here. It was a good game for us, obviously a good game for me.”

New Hampshire (6-2-1, 4-2-1 Hockey East) rebounded from its 4-1 loss to league-leading Northeastern on home ice Friday night to salvage a two-point weekend. The Wildcats’ potent offense was back in fine form 24 hours after being stonewalled by Huskies’ goalie Brad Thiessen and his 37-save effort at the Whittemore Center, and New Hampshire improved to 6-0-0 overall when it scores two or more goals in a game.

“You’ve just got to have a short memory,” vanRiemsdyk said. “It’s a new night tonight. You’ve just got to keep throwing pucks to the net. (Thiessen) played unreal last night.”

One quick glance at New Hampshire’s media guide provided the answers to the success of its third unit on Saturday, a group which played together for the first time after head coach Dick Umile decided to break up line combinations that he termed ‘stale’ after the game. Thompson was the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) scoring champion and Most Valuable Player last season and vanRiemsdyk, a product of the U.S. National Development Program and a member of its Under-18 team last year, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 National Hockey League Entry Draft behind current Chicago Blackhawks rookie Patrick Kane.

“They absolutely played great,” Umile said. “I know one thing, we’re not touching that line. Obviously, the team responded.”

BC's Motherwell Leaves Nest Early for AHL

2007-11-25T21:17:00.000-08:00

Brett Motherwell, the highest-scoring defenseman in Hockey East last season as a sophomore and one of the integral pieces of this season’s Boston College hockey club, opted to leave the team and sign a contract with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL Thursday afternoon.

Motherwell, an undrafted free agent, and Brian O’Hanley were in the midst of serving indefinite suspensions invoked following the first game of the season against Michigan at the Ice Breaker Invitational. The suspensions were reportedly due to both players breaking team curfew. Motherwell opted to leave the suspension and college life behind, and instead inked a 10-day amateur tryout contract with the AHL club.

O’Hanley is still reportedly taking classes at the Chestnut Hill campus of Boston College, but longtime Eagles head coach Jerry York indicated that O’Hanley’s suspension wasn’t coming to an end any time soon.

“Brett just signed with Syracuse, so he elected to leave school,” said York . “There’s no question [it’s a difficult loss] . Along with [Brock] Bradford being out with the broken left arm, that’s two potential All-American candidates that we’re missing.

“We’ve had to go through the typical storms of the college season with suspensions — where we lost two players — and then injuries,” added York . “We’re a little thin in our numbers right now, but we’re hoping Brock comes back in late January. I think we’ll be in good shape.”

Motherwell was a highly-touted, offensive-minded defenseman who factored heavily into BC’s fortunes this season, and put up seven goals and 44 assists in 82 career games at Boston College. The signing of Motherwell was announced by the Crunch Thursday afternoon, and York confirmed it during an interview.

“We’re comfortable giving him a shot here. We did our due diligence,” Columbus Blue Jackets assistant general manager Chris MacFarland told the Syracuse Post Standard Thursday afternoon. “It’s a fresh start for him. Hopefully, he embraces it. Our amateur scouts feel there’s something there. Hopefully, he will show that.”

Motherwell wouldn’t discuss the BC suspension with reporters in Syracuse, but instead expressed excitement at turning pro.

“I just felt it was the best time for me to leave and start a professional career,” said Motherwell. “I’m ready to start something new here.”

O’Hanley was unavailable for comment at the time of this report.

Maine Hockey Player Charged With Assault

2007-11-25T21:15:00.001-08:00

The University of Maine men’s hockey team will be missing a center until the university can review facts surrounding charges against him of assault and unlawful sexual touching.

Early Sunday morning, freshman Tanner House allegedly grabbed a woman’s breast at 103 Ultra Lounge, according to Orono Police Capt. Josh Ewing.

Around 1:15 a.m., the woman was talking to one of the club’s bouncers near the entrance to the club. She told police that during the conversation, House, whom she did not know, approached and grabbed her left breast.

The woman tried, unsuccessfully, to keep House in the building until she could call the police. When he left, club staff followed him toward the Orchard Trails apartment complex while the club’s manager Robbie Snow reported the incident to Officer Derek Dinsmore, who was across the street in his police car.

The officer called Sgt. Scott Lajoie, who met up with the staff members following House. Lajoie brought House back to the club where he was issued a summons and charged. The police report did not say if House was intoxicated.

House is scheduled to appear at Third District Court in Bangor at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1.

UMaine Athletic Director Blake James was unavailable for comment, but according to UMaine Director of University Relations Joe Carr, House was suspended indefinitely as of Monday.

When a UMaine athlete gets into trouble he or she is required by the athletic code of conduct to notify the university within 24 hours.

The university will conduct two investigations. As the Athletic Director, James will decide if House has violated the athletic code of conduct and how he will be punished. House will also be investigated by UMaine Student Affairs to decide if he has violated the student code of conduct.

Carr would not comment on how severely House could be punished. “The problem with describing a range is that we risk suggesting what the punishment might be.”

Miami Stays First in National Polls

2007-11-25T21:12:00.000-08:00

MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 19) — One week after narrowly holding onto the top spot in the USCHO.com/CSTV Division I men’s poll, Miami was the runaway choice of voters impressed by the RedHawks’ road sweep of then-No. 3 Michigan State Thursday and Friday.

Miami received 48 of 50 first-place votes to retain the No. 1 ranking for the fourth straight week, followed again by fellow CCHA member Michigan, which earned the remaining two first-place nods after a sweep of Lake Superior State.

Edging up to third was Denver, which beat Minnesota State twice, and then Colorado College, which moved up three places to No. 4 with a sweep of Wisconsin. Michigan State slipped to fifth, and North Dakota dropped one spot to No. 6 during an off week, giving the WCHA and CCHA a sweep of the top six spots in the poll.

Clarkson was up one notch to seventh after beating Yale and Brown, with New Hampshire next after losing to Northeastern and bouncing back to top Providence.

Notre Dame eased up to No. 9 with two wins over Western Michigan, and Massachusetts continued its ascent through the rankings, entering the top 10 with a three-point weekend against Boston College. Also tied for 10th was St. Cloud State, which leapfrogged three teams despite having the week off.

In 12th this week was Wisconsin, while Minnesota, which split with Alaska-Anchorage and dropped one place. BC was down three spots to No. 14 this week, followed by Minnesota-Duluth, up two positions after a three-point series against Michigan Tech.

Also idle this week, Rensselaer was No. 16, followed by Niagara, which ran its nation-best home unbeaten streak to 22 games with two victories over Sacred Heart.

Harvard edged up to 18th by beating Cornell but losing to Colgate, and Michigan Tech hung in at No. 19. Northeastern entered the poll at No. 20 with wins over UNH and Massachusetts-Lowell.

Dropping out since last week was Maine.

Cornell vs Boston University at Madison Square Garden

2007-11-25T21:03:00.000-08:00

A sold-out Madison Square Garden was the big stage on Saturday as Cornell and BU took to spotlight. BU raced out to a big lead and never looked back to down Cornell, 6-3. But in several other big marquee matchups, the winning team had to rally to take the game. Notre Dame spotted RPI a 3-0 in the final of the RPI Holiday Tournament, then rebounded for a 4-3 win and the tournament title. Meanwhile, Notre Dame's CCHA foe Michigan placed a strong claim on the No. 1 ranking in the country, pounding Minnesota 5-1 to win the College Hockey Showcase. In New York, No. 7 Clarkson rallied to get a split with St. Cloud, winning 3-2, while back out in Denver, the No. 3 Pioneers snapped a six game losing streak to rival Colorado College, riding the offensive output of Tyler Ruegsegger and rallying from 1-0 down late in the second to a tough 3-2 win. In the other College Hockey Showcase matchup, defending national champion Michigan State saw a 4-2 third period lead evaporate, as Wisconsin rallied to a 4-4 tie.