In collecting its fourth-straight Harris Cup, Adrian made a statement about the next step in its journey as an NCAA tournament-bound team.
The fifth-ranked Bulldogs skated to a 5-0 victory over Marian on Sunday in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association title game at Arrington Ice Arena.
Seniors Shawn Skelly and Zach Graham led the Bulldogs with two goals each. Jordan Watts supplied the game’s other goal while Brad Fogal stopped 30 shots to secure the shutout.
The milestone victory also marked Adrian’s 100th win in only four years as a Division III program.
In capturing the league crown, Adrian earned its second trip to the NCAA tournament where the team crashed out 4-3 to St. Norbert in the first round last year.
This time is different, said Fogal, who earned his first shutout of the season. The senior netminder also shared in a 3-0 shutout with teammate Jeremy Cross in the team’s highly publicized outdoor game against Concordia (Wis.) at University of Michigan Stadium Dec. 4.
“This year, we know what to expect,” Fogal said. “Last year, we went into it sort of blind and didn’t know what to expect in terms of what it takes to prepare for it. This year, we’re taking the right steps and peaking at the right time.”
Adrian (23-3-1) maintained a 2-0 lead going into the third period, killing a hooking penalty to Mike Dahlinger before going on a three-goal rampage. Marian (19-8) was 0 for 4 on the power play as MCHA leading scorer Dakota Dubetz (15 goals, 34 assists, 49) and fellow triggerman Brendan Hull (22-21-43) were held pointless.
Hull (3 goals and 2 assists) and Dubetz (a goal and 3 assists) combined for nine points in the Sabres’ 9-2 thrashing of No. 3-seed and No. 9-ranked Milwaukee School of Engineering in the semifinal Saturday. The spigot was shut tight a day later.
Adrian outshot Marian, 40-30.
“We just couldn’t sustain any pressure and get pucks to the net,” Marian Coach Jasen Wise said. “I thought defensively that was one of the best games I’ve seen from Adrian in a long time.
“They took away our time and space in their D-zone and really didn’t give our forwards any scoring chances.”
Defensemen Quinn Waller and Jeremy Klaver got the assignment to keep the Sabres’ scoring duo in check. Klaver finished with two assists and was plus-2 while Waller was plus-one.
“We just played smart defensively, clearing pucks out,” Adrian Coach Ron Fogarty said.
The offense took its cue from the rearguards.
Skelly earned MCHA Tournament MVP with his 8 points on 2 goals and 6 assists during the weekend.
The senior right wing had five assists in Adrian’s 9-2 win over No. 4-seed Lawrence in Saturday’s semifinal. Left wing Eric Miller cashed in for 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points against the Vikings (14-13-1).
Skelly scored Adrian’s first two goals on Sunday while assisting on Graham’s second marker with 6:37 left to make it 5-0.
Skelly, who is one shy of 100 career goals, credited his line mates Graham and Miller for the superlative performance.
“We want to be recognized as big-time players and big-time players step up in big time games,” said Miller, who is one point away from amassing 200 career points. “A lot of us haven’t gotten respect outside of the MCHA. “This (fourth-straight title) may have done it or may not have done it. We don’t care about that. It’s about helping our team win.”
St. Norbert repeat NCHA champs
St. Norbert captured its ninth Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Peters Cup by scrapping out a 2-1 win over No. 2 -seed Wisconsin-Superior on Saturday at the Cornerstone Community Center.
As NCHA champs, the No. 1-ranked Green Knights return to the NCAA D-III tournament where they finished as runners up after losing 2-1 to Norwich in double-overtime in last year’s championship game.
Johan Ryd’s goal at 15:41 of the second period stood as the game-winner as No. 1-ranked St. Norbert held a 2-0 lead entering the final frame.
Nick Tabisz opened the Green Knights’ account with his seventh goal at 7:18 of the first period. Brandon Hoogenboom and Ryd assisted on the power-play tally.
With the goalie pulled for an extra attacker, UW-Superior’s Derek Stauber scored with 45 seconds left. The Yellowjackets couldn’t convert in the final 25 seconds with freshman goalie Drew Strandberg off for a sixth skater.
B.J. O’Brien stopped stopped 30 of 31 shots, including 11 in the third period, to earn the victory. UW-Superior (16-12-1) outshot the hosts, 31-22.
“(Superior) was good,” St. Norbert coach Tim Coghlin told the Green Bay Press Gazette afterwards. “I thought they played one heck of a game — they really did. I just feel like we have more to give. It feels like we have more gas in the tank and we’re going to have to bounce back next week and we need more bodies to be at their peak.”
Hamline captures MIAC crown
Jordan VanGilder, Brett Burgau and Brian Arrigoni scored during a three-goal barrage in the first period, which propelled No. 11-ranked Hamline to a 5-2 victory over visiting Concordia (Minn.) in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title game Saturday.
With the win, the Pipers (16-6-5) earned an automatic invite to the NCAA tournament, which starts Wednesday.
Arrigoni finished with a hat trick, adding two goals in the third period – the last one an empty-netter with 34 seconds left.
Caleb Sunderman and Aaron Wheeler scored for the Cobbers (11-11-4), who pulled to within two, 4-2, with 9:51 left.
Piper netminder Beau Christian (14-4-3) made 19 saves to earn the win. Concordia goalie Kelly Andrew was replaced at 8:54 of the first period by Chris Neamonitis, who was tagged with the loss.
VanGilder’s scored 52 seconds into contest while Burgau bagged a goal four minutes later. Arrigoni struck for the first of three goals at the 9:03 mark of the period.
MCHA, MIAC and NCHA championship round-up March 6
Gallery: Boston College women win their first Hockey East title
The Boston College Eagles defeated the Northeastern Huskies 3-1 in the Hockey East championship game at Walter Brown Arena in Boston. Northeastern was playing in its first final while the victory was BC’s first. BC will host Minnesota on Saturday, March 12, in the NCAA quarterfinals. Hockey East will also be represented by Boston University who will host Mercyhurst.
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ECAC Northeast and MASCAC Championship Wrap: March 6
Two championships. Two overtimes.
This is the last year before the MASCAC receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, but that hasn’t led to any letdowns in its first two championship games.
For the second year in a row, Fitchburg State and Salem State went to overtime. And for a second year in a row, the lower seed prevailed.
After being upset last year, the fourth seeded Falcons returned the favor to the No. 2 Vikings, knocking them off 6-5 after blowing an early lead, and then rallying to tie it.
“It was a great game,” Fitchburg State coach Dean Fuller told the Fitchburg Sentinel and Enterprise. “We jumped out to an early lead and we couldn’t hold it, but we knew that was a great team we were playing. They went up 5-3 in the third period and we battled back. … It’s a great experience for the kids, the whole program and the university.”
Thomas McAleer had two assists for the Falcons, including one on Travis Bertolloti’s game-tying goal midway through the third period. It was McAleer’s strike that gave Fitchburg a 4-3 double overtime win Thursday night against top seeded Massachusetts-Dartmouth.
Check out the full story here.
Saturday’s other championship game appeared poised to headed to double overtime, but Payden Benning’s second goal of the game helped the Colonels walk off the ice as back to back ECAC Northeast Champions.
When talking to Curry head coach Rob Davies after the game about there Colonels early penalty troubles, Davies paused for a second and said “Boy that seems like a day ago.”
Gotta agree on that one- between that marathon of a game and much of the prior week spent at various high school gyms for the the state basketball playoffs- my brain turned to absolute mush trying decipher almost four full periods worth of notes and turn them into something readable.
But back to those penalties. Curry took seven of them in the first period, although some of those were offest by three Wentworth infractions, a including a facemask major against Patrick Rice.
But the Colonels settled down, and after two penalties early in the third, remained out of the box the rest of the night.
“We tried making it a key point that we were going to come out and play physical,” Benning said. “Guys were overstepping their boundaries a little bit. I thnk we just took astep back and played a little smarter.”
Neither team was whistled during the overtime period, although I have to wonder if some of that was due to the refs calling a looser game given the circumstances.
Following the presentation of the the championship trophy, the conference announced the All-Conference teams, which consisted of forward Jeremiah Ketts (Johnson & Wales), defenseman Shaun Jameson (Wentworth), goaltender Chris Azzano (Wentworth), defender Joshua Pineiro (Curry), defender Mike Kavanagh (Curry) and Benning.
Plattsburgh wins 20th SUNYAC Championship
The Plattsburgh Cardinals are the 2010-11 SUNYAC champions, beating Fredonia, 4-1. Plattsburgh never allowed the Blue Devils a glimmer of hope for another playoff upset.
Plattsburgh outshot Fredonia in the first, 13-4, and the second, 12-6. Only in the third period, when Plattsburgh was preserving the lead and Fredonia was getting desperate, did the Blue Devils outshoot Plattsburgh, 11-10. Josh Leis made 20 saves for the win while Mark Friesen stopped 31 shots.
The game was put away in the latter part of the second period when Plattsburgh scored twice within 1:06 to open a 4-0 lead.
Ryan Farnan banged in a rebound at 14:14 after Kyle Taylor’s initial shot was saved. The final goal for the home team was perfectly executed. Cody Adams, from the right point, passed it to Barry Roytman on the left point. Roytman fired a slap shot which Dylan Clarke, while having a defender draped on his back, deflected from the slot just enough to elude Friesen.
Fredonia pulled their goalie with 2:09 left in the game to try and salvage something. They succeeded at breaking the shutout with 1:22 left. They brought the puck into the zone quickly down the left side before losing control of it. However, the loose puck wound up in the slot, where Ben Waldman quickly wristed a shot over Leis’ glove for the final score of the game.
Plattsburgh got things started with a power-play score at 15:15 of the first on an Eric Satim slap shot from the right side. Adams make it 2-0 with 18.7 seconds left in the period. From the top of the left circle, he one-timed a pass from Patrick Jobb.
Fredonia came out strong in the second period, but Plattsburgh’s two quick goals squashed any comeback hopes.
Leis was rightfully named the Tournament’s Most Valuable Player. He said after the game on Primelink’s live videocast, “The team played great tonight and that’s what we needed to do to win. My team kept a lot of shots from the outside. Made it really easy for me.”
Three of Leis’ teammates joined him on the All Tournament team — Ryan Craig(F), Eric Satim(F), and Cody Adams(D). Two Fredonia players made it — Ben Waldman(F) and Steve Rizer(D).
Plattsburgh (20-7-1) gets the automatic qualifier into the NCAA tournament. If they play in the play-in round, they will most likely get to host a game. They await to see when and who they face.
Oswego is a lock for an at-large bid as well as a home playoff game next Saturday.
Fredonia’s season ends at 14-13-1.
BC’s York turns to Belichick for help capturing elusive regular-season title
DURHAM, N.H. – When you take a look at this year’s senior class for Boston College, you can sum up their success in one word: championships.
The three seniors – John Muse, Joe Whitney and Brian Gibbons – have combined for three Beanpot titles, two Hockey East tournament titles and, most impressively two NCAA national championships.
But until Saturday, the one title that has eluded the Eagles seniors was the Hockey East regular season crown. Three times in the last five years BC finished runner-up by a single point. And for the bulk of the first two periods on Saturday it looked as if that might happen once again.
The Eagles, though, impressively rallied from two goals down, took an early third-period lead and then responded after New Hampshire tied the game with 10 minutes to play with a Pat Mullane game winner to give the Eagles their first regular-season title since 2005.
“It’s quite an honor to win this trophy,” said BC captain Joe Whitney of the regular-season crown. “There’s a reason we haven’t won it in the last couple of years. It’s a hard trophy to win.”
While BC head coach Jerry York has had some wonderful success in his career, to prepare his team for this weekend’s series with UNH, one in which the Eagles needed a minimum of three points against the Wildcats to capture the title, he called upon a man who York says “knows plenty about winning.”
That man was New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
The three-time Super Bowl winning coach last addressed the Eagles seven years ago. Since that time, York maintained the friendship and this past Tuesday asked the coach to come speak to his players.
“It really was a factor in how we prepared for this championship event,” said York of Belichick’s speech. “He hit on some issues that were so important in all of athletics.”
Belichick joked that he didn’t know much about hockey but knew a little about winning. He then went on to deliver a number of analogies that the Eagles used throughout the weekend sweep of the Wildcats.
One of those analogies was comparing the responsibility for carrying the team on the ice to borrowing your parents’ car.
“Back when Bill and I were growing up, there was one car in the family,” said York. “You had responsibility. You had that key and you better bring that car back. Momma’s expecting it the next morning.
“Belichick said, ‘When you go over the boards Friday night and Saturday night, each of you hold the key to Boston College’s success in hockey.’ It was a theme we used during the week. That you’re responsible for your shift, for your contributions.”
On Saturday, there were a number of players who took responsibility for the Eagles success. None, though, did so more than senior netminder Muse.
Muse looked like a goat early when he dropped a bad-angle shot from UNH’s Dalton Speelman that opened the scoring and brought the Whittemore center to life.
Muse, though, bounced back from that goal and played incredible throughout the remainder of the game, frustrating the Wildcat offense. He gave up two additional goals, but that’s when the remainder of the team bailed him out.
Now with the regular-season title in hand, BC can look forward to a series with Massachusetts, a team that salvaged their season on Saturday, rallying from two goals down in the third period to earn a 4-4 tie with Maine to earn the final playoff spot by one point over Providence.
York, ever one to prepare for an opponent, for now is happy to enjoy that regular-season title before thinking about the playoffs.
“I think I might enjoy this one for tonight,” said York. “I’ll wake up tomorrow and start thinking about UMass.”
Kelly Babstock’s scoring presence brought Quinnipiac great success
Forward Kelly Babstock watched her teammate Amanda Colin take a shot. Goaltender Kate Gallagher made a save, but the puck bounced off and Babstock seized the opportunity. She took her own shot and sent the puck past Gallagher before the goaltender had a chance to get into position.
Her second of two goals against Union College on February 12 was her seventh point of the weekend, a new high for Babstock. It was also her 55th point of the season. Despite being only a freshman, Babstock led the team in scoring by over 30 points and is fifth in the country. That is a lot of production for anyone, let alone a freshman new to the dynamics of college hockey.
Babstock started playing hockey in Mississauga, Ont., when she was six. “My older brother played hockey; my dad had taught him how to play, and I kinda wanted to be like my older bro,” said Babstock.
She played on boys’ teams because until eighth grade because that’s all there were, but had no problem fitting in. Even in high school, she played on the boys’ lacrosse team for a year because the school did not have one for girls. Not only did she play on the boys’ team, she was its leading scorer.
“I didn’t think anything of it, because I always play with the guys in hockey and lacrosse,” said Babstock. “It was fun to beat up the boys.”
Having played with the boys for so long may have contributed to Babstock’s intensity and aggressive play on the ice. She has the most penalties on the team with 17, but when you can create scoring opportunities for yourself and your teammates as much as Babstock does, people tend to overlook the penalties.
Babstock has been a part of 56 percent of her team’s goals with 30 goals and 29 assists. She has a plus/minus rating of plus 30; that means Quinnipiac has scored 30 more goals than its opponents have while Babstock has been on the ice.
“There’s no denying her importance to our success,” said Quinnipiac coach Rick Seeley. “Any time Kelly has an off game, it’s a struggle for us.”
One example was in the last weekend of the regular season. Babstock did not record a point in either game for only the second time in the season. The Bobcats lost to Yale 1-0 and tied Brown 3-3, which also marked the second weekend in which they did not win at least one game, though the other losing weekend was not Babstock’s other scoreless weekend.
In many games this season, Babstock has been involved in every goal the Bobcats have scored. The biggest one in the stat book was against Rensselaer on February 11. Quinnipiac beat the Engineers 5-1; Babstock scored two goals and had three assists. The game was close to being the freshman’s fourth hat trick of the season. She scored three goals in a game twice in one weekend in November in a win over Harvard and a loss to Dartmouth and again in January for an overtime win against Clarkson.
“Our team battled back from being down 2-1 going in the third; we tied it up and I scored the third goal in overtime for the hat trick,” said Babstock. “It was the best game of the season, not just because of the hat trick for me but I was really pumped for the team’s win.”
Babstock says she doesn’t pay attention to her personal accolades as they pile up; it’s all about the team winning as a whole for her. However, not even she can deny that there have been many of them: ECAC Hockey/MLX Skates Player of the Week twice, Rookie of the Week five times, and Quinnipiac Female Athlete of the Month in November and December before being named ECAC Rookie and Player of the Year. She was also one of three freshmen nominated for the Patty Kazmaier Award.
“She’s the freshman everyone wants to be and play with,” said captain Jordan Elkins. “Not only does she put the puck in the net, but she gets the puck to our other forwards so that they score more too.”
The rest of the team responded well to Babstock joining them. Not only did she give them assists, setting up goals, but she also took some pressure off. In the past, games had been a struggle and the margin of victory was rarely much more than one point. This season was a different story.
“Just having someone who you know you can count on to be involved in a goal or two a game, it takes some pressure off,” said Seeley. “When you’re not expected to be the scorer, you can just chip in, it’s a lot easier for you. I think that’s why the second tier has stepped up a lot this year.”
Last year, only three players scored more than 20 points for the Bobcats, and they were all seniors. This year, five players are in the twenties. Forward Kate Wheeler, for example, recorded four goals and 10 assists last year compared to 12 goals and 17 assists this year. Last year’s Bobcats scored 79 goals; this year’s scored 105, 75 without Babstock’s 30.
According to Elkins, the team had previously been more defensively focused. They never had a scorer like Babstock to jump start things. Now that they did, things changed, for the better.
“We’ve always been working as a team on our defense,” said Elkins. “We had an awesome goalie, so we knew we had that area of our team tightened up. So it was a relief to know we had someone on the other side of the ice to provide a spark.”
Going into the playoffs, Quinnipiac needed Babstock to continue her level of play to have a chance at the ECAC title. She did, and the Bobcats upset fourth-seed Princeton in only two games. Babstock had an assist in each game and a goal in the second.
“I’m pretty excited about it,” said Babstock before the series. “I’m just ready to see what playoff play is all about. I’m new to it all, so I’m still learning what the whole league is all about.”
The team may have fallen to Cornell in the semifinals, but if this is Babstock still learning what it is all about, who knows what she can do, how many points she can score, once she understands how the league and playoffs work.
Defense and Special Teams – BC’s Winning Formula
Earlier this week I talked about team defense being the statistic of champions. Well, if tonight’s game between Boston College and New Hampshire was any indication, you can crown the Eagles now.
They held UNH, the seventh best offense in the country, to only 12 shots (while piling up 42 of their own). As for grade A chances, the shot charts confirmed what the eye test perceived. Namely, that BC goaltender John Muse wasn’t tested much at all. The shot charts showed almost all white space in the grade A area in BC’s defensive zone.
“They did a good job defensively and just beat us all night,” UNH coach Dick Umile said.
It didn’t happen by accident. BC’s team defense is tied with UNH’s as best in the league, giving up an average of 2.12 goals per game and appears to be ratcheting up the intensity as the postseason nears.
“It started this week in practice,” Brian Gibbons said. “It was something the coaches really harped on, something we worked on. We realized they have a real good offense and we have to be ready for their transition game. The guys bought into the game plan and it worked out.”
Not only did the BC penalty killers shut down the league’s second-best power play (22.3 percent in Hockey East games), they scored a pivotal shorthanded goal to extend their lead to 2-0 in the second period. Then they scored another one — a highlight reel special by freshman Bill Arnold — to seal the game late in the third.
With those two man-down goals, the Eagles have more than lapped their nearest competition in Hockey East. They now have an eye-popping 10 shorthanded goals. No other team had more than four entering the weekend. Gibbons and Cam Atkinson, who combined for the first one both pointed to assistant coach Mike Cavanaugh who runs the PK unit.
“He definitely preaches defense first, but we try to put the pressure on and force teams to make mistakes,” Gibbons said. “When the PK is flying at you, it’s tough on the power play because you don’t have time and space.
“We try to take that away as much as possible and a lot of times you can get two-on-ones off that. We’ve done a good job of capitalizing on that.”
Having BC’s personnel certainly doesn’t hurt either.
“We have some pretty fast, skilled guys that are playing on the PK,” Atkinson said.
And to finish off the Defense and Special Teams equation, BC’s power play struck in the first period, yet another no-surprise because as good as UNH’s man advantage is, BC’s is even better (23.8 percent).
Defense and special teams wins playoff games and with the Hockey East regular season title on the line, playoff hockey started one weekend early.
“We’ve got a lot of good players who are playing well at this time of the year,” BC coach Jerry York said. “It’s good to see from our perspective.”
Bits and pieces on a Friday night
Tonight was senior night for Boston College and once again it was a small class. Small but big. All major performers: goaltender John Muse and forwards Brian Gibbons and Joe Whitney.
Two national championships, two Hockey East titles, and three Beanpots for that class. And counting.
Those will be three huge holes to fill, but if everyone else comes back next year the Eagles could be a preseason number one again. Of course, that’s a big if.
Let’s stick with this year for now.
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New Hampshire coach Dick Umile broke up his big line after last Friday’s 2-2 tie with Northeastern. Phil DeSimone and Mike Sislo remained together but were paired with sophomore Dalton Speelman on left wing. Hobey Baker Award candidate Paul Thompson moved to a line with Austin Block and John Henrion.
The result worked well for one game, a 6-3 win in the rematch with the Huskies, but not so much in tonight’s game, prompting Umile to reunite his dynamic seniors on the top line and his sophomores on the other.
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In action around the league, Vermont’s tie with Massachusetts-Lowell guarantees the Catamounts a playoff berth. The wins by Maine and Merrimack lock the Black Bears into the number five seed. Northeastern was guaranteed to be the sixth seed even before this weekend.
All other positions are up for grabs.
Postseason picks 3/4
Last Week: 6-4-2
On the Season: 102-66-25 (.593)
I already previewed the four first round playoff games in this week’s Atlantic Hockey column, so let’s go right to the picks:
Saturday, February 26
Canisius at Niagara – These schools are sports rivals and never has so much been on the line as they meet in the postseason for the first time as Division I programs. Both teams have high powered offenses so I think it will come down to goaltending. Niagara 4, Canisius 3.
American International at Army – The Black Knights swept the Yellow Jackets two weeks ago and I think history will repeat. Amy 4, AIC 2.
Sacred Heart at Bentley – I think this will be a close game, possibly needing extra time. But I like the home team to prevail. Bentley 5, Sacred Heart 4.
Mercyhurst at Robert Morris – The Lakers are the only team to have beaten the Colonials at the Island Sports Complex this season, and I’m picking it to happen again in the lone upset of the weekend. This one could go extra long as well. Mercyhurst 3, RMU 2.
MCHA, MIAC and NCHA championship picks for March 5-6
After more than 600 games across the three respective conferences, it comes down to this: the championship finals.
In addition to a conference trophy, winners of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Northern Collegiate Hockey Association titles advance to the NCAA Tournament’s first round, which starts March 9.
So, without further ado, here are my picks for the MIAC and NCHA title games on Saturday as well as the MCHA semifinals and finals on Saturday and Sunday.
MIAC championship final
7 p.m. Saturday
March 5
Concordia (Minn.) at Hamline: The No. 1 seed and No. 11-ranked Pipers have veteran savvy and a stellar goaltender in senior Beau Christian (13-4-3, 2.41 goals-against, .922 -save percentage), which has help them to grind out wins when necessary. This time should be no different, especially at the State Fair Coliseum where the Pipes are 7-3-1. The Cobbers (12-10-4) have been a revelation this season. Picked to finish sixth in the preseason coaches’ poll, No. 3-seed Concordia has played well above its station, upsetting No. 2-seed St. Thomas last weekend. Their commendable season ends here. Hamline 3, Concordia 1
NCHA championship final
7 p.m. Saturday
March 5
Wisconsin-Superior at St. Norbert: The No. 1 seed and No. 1-ranked Green Knights (21-4-1) have been single-minded in their quest to avenge last season’s 2-1 double OT loss to Norwich in the NCAA D-III Championship Final. Without a prolific scorer – junior Johan Ryd’s modest 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points leads the team – St. Norbert has relied on lock-down defense with NCHA Player of the Year B.J. O’Brien (18-2-1, 1.65 GAA, .927 save-pct.) in net and clutch goals by Ryd who has 6 game-winners. The team’s impeccable 12-0 record at the Cornerstone Community Center makes No. 2-seed and No. 15-ranked UW-Wisconsin’s mission to dethrone the reigning Peters Cup holders all the more difficult. St. Norbert 4, UW-Superior 2
MCHA Finals
Saturday
March 5
Semifinals
2 p.m.
Lawrence at Adrian: The No. 1 seed and No. 5-ranked Bulldogs (21-3-1) had their first taste of NCAA Tournament hockey last season, losing to St. Norbert, 4-3, in the first round. This time Ron Fogarty’s senior-laden squad is determined to chomp down at the NCAA’s dinner table. The team has overcome a few hiccups in the early going and has gone unbeaten in its last 14 outings (13-0-1). The scoring quintet of Shawn Skelly (16-20-36), Eric Miller (15-19-34), Brad Houston (13-20-33) and Mike Dahlinger (12-21-33) is just too much for No. 4 seed Lawrence (14-12-1) to handle. Adrian 6, Lawrence 2
6 p.m.
MSOE vs. Marian: After losing a pair at home to arch-rival Adrian to close the regular season, the No. 3 seed and No. 9-ranked Raiders (21-5-1) didn’t wilt. They got down to business, easily dispatching Lake Forest, 6-1 and 6-3, in the quarterfinals while displaying the pedigree that has kept them at or near the MCHA summit the entire season. The No. 2 seed Sabres (18-7) endured a four-game losing hitch in November, but bounced back like a trapeze artist on a bungee cord by going 13-2 in their last 15 games. Both teams feature preeminent goal scorers with MSOE’s Jordan Keizer (23-14-37) and Todd Krupa (18-13-31) and Marian’s Dakota Dubetz (14-31-45) and Brendan Hull (19-19-38). With unflappable Connor Toomey (18-5-1, 1.77 GAA, .930 save-pct.), though, the Raiders have the edge in goal. MSOE 4, Marian 2
Final
Sunday
March 6
2 p.m.
MSOE vs. Adrian: After sweeping the Raiders in their home, the Bulldogs presumably have the momentum in this hard-fought regular season series where Adrian held 3-0-1 advantage. Adrian senior goalie Brad Fogal (21-3-1, 2.19 GAA, .921 save-pct.) was the difference in the pivotal Feb. 18-19 series at MSOE, sweeping away 62 of 64 shots over two games. He will have to perform similar heroics to keep Keizer and Krupa as well as Bradley Tierney (8-19-27) and Michael Soik (10-14-24) in check. Likewise, Connor Toomey will need to continue his sparkling play to counteract Adrian’s foursome of Skelly, Miller, Houston and Dahlinger. On special teams, it’s loggerheads. The explosive Bulldog power play is a ranked No. 3 in the nation at 41 of 137 for 29 percent while the Raiders’ flame retardant penalty kill leads the nation at 90 percent (123 of 136). That only leaves home advantage, which Adrian has in cozy Arrington Ice Arena. Adrian 3, MSOE 2
Championship central
ECAC Northeast
No underdog stories this time around.
A year after sixth-seeded Johnson and Wales roared their way into the championship game, the top two seeds are all that remains in the final contest before the NCAA Tournament.
Top-seeded Curry knocked off Becker, 5-1, while second place Wentworth ousted No. 3 JWU 4-3 in overtime in a rematch of last year’s semifinal game.
“Curry had a little bit better speed, but I think Wentworth plays a very disciplined and controlled game,” Western New England coach Greg Heffernan said. “Curry is so deep and probably has the best defenseman in the league in Ryan Warsofsky, but Wentworth has some great players as well, led by the Jameson brothers [Skylur and Shaun].”
While each team can roll out a cache of veteran skaters, they’ve both made it to the championship with relatively inexperienced goaltending.
Wentworth freshman Chris Azzano took over for an injured Mike Jarboe in December and has ensured the Leopards haven’t missed a beat, going 10-3 in conference play.
The Colonels have leaned on a duo of freshman Travis Owens and sophomore Robert Dawson, although it was Dawson drew the start Wednesday against Wentworth.
“I like both team’s experience and depth,” Heffernan said. “With younger goaltending, is pressure going to be a factor? I don’t know.”
With each team so equally matched at even strength, Heffernan pointed to special teams as one of the major factors in the game.
Wentworth’s penalty kill and power play units each ranked first in the ECAC Northeast, while Curry’s checked in at fifth and third, respectively. The Colonels’ six short-handed goals in conference play placed them second to Nichols.
“These are two really well coached teams that have some ideas of what to do on the power play,” Heffernan said. “Not only that, but they can execute what they want to happen.”
Quick Hits (all statistics refer to conference play only)
ECAC Northeast Championship: No. 2 Wentworth (10-3-1) at No. 1 Curry (10-2-2); 4:35 at Max Ulin Arena, Milton Mass.
Head to Head: 1-1
Head Coaches: Curry — Rob Davies ( 12th year); Wentworth R.J. Tolan ( 5th year).
Leading Scorers: Curry — Christopher Atkinson (7-10), Payden Benning (10-7); Wentworth — Skylur Jameson (13-7), Mike Paglino (7-13).
Goaltending: Curry — Robert Dawson (.904, 2.18); Wentworth — Chris Azzano (.913, 2.40)
Power Play: Curry — 20-78, .256, third; Wentworth — 19-62, .306, first.
Penalty Kill: Curry — 55-69, .797, fifth; Wentworth — 58-67, .866, first.
Notable: Davies was named the conference’s coach of the year…Jameson is tied for third in the conference in power play goals with six. Curry led the league in goals per game (4.79), while Wentworth boasted the top defensive unit (2.36 goals per game).
MASCAC
It took some extra time, but in the end, it’s a repeat in the MASCAC championship. Salem State and Fitchburg State each held off their respective opponents in overtime to meet in the championship game for the second time in as many years. Salem won last year’s championship, 2-1, in Fitchburg.
The second-seeded Vikings downed upstart Westfield State, 3-2, on a Mike Genovese goal at 3:26 in overtime. The sixth-seeded Owls had tied the game in the final minute on a short-handed goal by Vince Perreault.
For the second year in a row, Salem enters the conference game as the second seed. After missing much of last season with an injury, senior goalie James Lacour has been a stalwart in net for the Vikings this season, ranking third and fourth in goals-against-average and save percentage, respectively. Salem ranked second in the MASCAC in scoring defense and killed a league-best 90 percent of a penalties.
The Vikings also boast the league’s top offense, led by Giancarlo Capodanno (11-18) and Casey Terreri (6-13).
It took double overtime for fourth-seeded Fitchburg State to knock off top seed Massachusetts-Dartmouth, 4-3, on Thomas McAleer’s goal at 8:50 in the second overtime.
“That just a phenomenal game,” Falcons coach Dean Fuller said. “Everybody left everything on the ice. It was the longest overtime game I’ve ever been involved in.”
The Falcons closed the season with wins in two of their last three games before beating Worcester State, 3-0, in the opening round of the playoffs. Prior to that, they had lost four in a row in the middle of February.
“We just had a period of some games where we weren’t really scoring; things weren’t really going our way,” Fuller said. “The kids have really kept on working hard and we finished up the season fairly strong.”
While senior Robert Vorse and junior Bobby Leiser split time in net during the regular season, it’s been Vorse leading the Falcons through the first two playoff games, and that will continue tomorrow, Fuller said.
With the Vikings able to consistently roll out a horde of talented lines, Fuller said the Falcons are looking to stay at even strength as often as they can.
“We’ve got to take away their power play,” he said. “They’ve got talent spread through the lineup; it’s hard to concentrate on one line.”
Outside of that, Fuller is content to leave things as they are.
“We’ve been playing pretty well,” he said. “We’re just going to have the kids go out and let them play.”
Quick Hits (all statistics refer to conference play only)
MASCAC Championship Game: No.4 Fitchburg State (9-8-1) at No. 2 Salem State (11-5-2); Rockett Arena, Salem Mass.
Head to Head: Salem, 2-1
Head Coaches: Salem — Bill O’Neill (30th year); Fitchburg — Dean Fuller (27th year).
Leading Scorers: Salem — Giancarlo Capodanno (11-18); Fitchburg — Chris Riggs (9-11).
Goaltending: Salem — James Lacour (.917, 2.19); Fitchburg — Bobby Leiser (.931, 2.42).
Power Play: Salem — 19-100, .19, third. Fitchburg — 20-112, .179, fourth.
Penalty Kill: Salem — 99-110,.90, first. Fitchburg — 84-96, .875, second.
Notable: Don’t walk away while either team is short-handed. Both combined for 10 short-handed goals on the year, and ranked one-two in the conference in that category, with Fitchburg’s Justin Quinn accounting for two of the Falcons’ six. Fitchburg isn’t on the penalty kill very often; they ranked last in the league in penalty minutes per game, while the Vikings were third. Vorse made 36 saves in last year’s championship game, but was undone by a Genovese goal early in overtime.
Loose Pucks
I will be in Milton Saturday, so check for live coverage of the game, as well as updates from Salem. For those who can’t make it, the plan is to post links to live stats and a webcast on the blog tomorrow.
Finally, this is the last traditional column of the year, minus the NCAA previews coming up next week. Special thanks go out to Jim Seavey in the MASCAC and Michael Letzeisen in the ECAC Northeast for providing timely answers to any questions I’ve had through the season.
Also, thanks to each SID I’ve been in touch with through the conferences. As any writer who covers college sports can tell you, the SIDS are often the unsung heroes; whether it’s digging up an obscure stat or getting a coach to call you back, they certainly make a writer’s job much easier.
Enjoy the playoffs!
Hockey East picks: Mar. 4-5
The race between Jim and me is getting close to a mathematical close-out, but I’m still holding out hope that he’ll choke like the New York Yankees.
Dave last week: 5-2-3
Jim last week: 5-2-3
Dave’s record-to-date: 95-35-28
Jim’s record-to-date: 105-31-26
Here are this week’s picks:
Friday, March 4
Boston University at Northeastern
Dave’s pick: In past years, this would be the type of series that BU would sweep to roar into the playoffs. Not this time, though. The Huskies have taken four-of-eight points the last two weekends against BC and UNH. They get this home-and-home series off on the right foot.
NU 3 BU 2 (OT)
Jim’s pick: I’m with Dave here that NU is playing well enough to win at home in this series.
NU 4, BU 2
Maine at Massachusetts
Dave’s pick: The Minutemen haven’t won since Jan. 22 but in their last six games have recorded three ties and three one-goal losses. Add one more.
Maine 4 UMass 3
Jim’s pick: Despite the fact that Amherst has been a nightmare for Maine at times, I think the Black Bears are one of the hottest teams in the league right now.
Maine 3, UMass 1
Providence at Merrimack
Dave’s pick: The Warriors need a win to lock up home ice. They get it.
MC 4 PC 1
Jim’s pick: Agreed. Merrimack dominates at home.
MC 6, PC 2
Massachusetts-Lowell at Vermont
Dave’s pick: The River Hawks may well split this weekend, but since I think Jim will pick that way I’m going with a Catamounts sweep.
UVM 2 UML 1
Jim’s pick: Here is where Dave is very wrong. Too much on the line for the Catamounts, so I think they’ll sweep.
UVM 4, UML 1
New Hampshire at Boston College
Dave’s pick: What a finale for Hockey East! I’m going with the Eagles at home to take temporary residence atop the standings.
BC 4 UNH 3 (OT)
Jim’s pick: The trophy may be in the building on Friday, but it won’t be presented until Saturday.
BC 5, UNH 3
Saturday, March 5
Merrimack at Providence
Dave’s pick: The Warriors finish off the Friars’ playoff hopes and move back into third place, which could prove significant given their recent trouncing at Maine’s hands.
MC 4 PC 2
Jim’s pick: I’ll throw Dave a bone here and pick the upset for the Friars. Combined with a Maine sweep of UMass, PC miraculously makes the playoffs.
PC 3, MC 2
Maine at Massachusetts
Dave’s pick: The Minutemen lose but hold onto a playoff berth; Maine wins but remains locked out of home ice.
Maine 4 UMass 2
Jim’s pick: Maine win spells doom for the Minutemen.
Maine 3, UMass 2
Boston College at New Hampshire
Dave’s pick: The Wildcats come back home for a win and their fourth regular season title in the last five years. Pleasant UNH fans rejoice; cranky ones complain that it wasn’t in the playoffs.
UNH 4 BC 3 (OT)
Jim’s pick: This year, it’s BC’s turn to claim the top spot and their first Hockey East title in five years.
BC 4, UNH 3
Northeastern at Boston University
Dave’s pick: The safe pick here is to go with BU winning at home, but I can’t go with the safe picks now. Besides, the Terriers’ mindset bothers me.
NU 2 BU 1
Jim’s pick: I’m fine with the safe pick.
BU 3, NU 2
Massachusetts-Lowell at Vermont
Dave’s pick: The River Hawks push this one to overtime to extend their season just a few minutes longer but all for naught.
UVM 2 UML 1 (OT)
Jim’s pick: Vermont finishes off the sweep and earns the seventh seed in the playoffs.
UVM 4, UML 2
Games March 4-5
Last week Theresa: 9-2-1
Season Theresa: 129-74-24
Last week Tyler: 9-2-1
Season Theresa: 131-53-20
Oh hey look, everybody – it’s the last weekend of the regular season which means everybody plays everybody else. This year is also especially fun because we’re essentially deciding spots 2-11. All we know is that UND and MTU will play each other two weekends in a row. Now, onward!
No. 19 Minnesota (15-12-5, 12-10-4 WCHA) at Bemidji State (12-16-4, 8-14-4 WCHA)
Theresa: We all know that each team has a lot to play for this weekend, so I’m going to mention it now and not again so I don’t feel like a broken record again this week. With the exception of last week’s sweep at the hands of a rolling Sioux squad, the Beavers had been picking it up a little again (3-0-2 going into last weekend, along with a few close overtime games prior). The Gophers, on the other hand, may, after all season long, finally have found their stride (4-0-1 in their last five). BSU is a team that has surprised me all season long (hard to predict, in other words) and will probably do so again this week. Why do I mention this? Well, because I think Minnesota wants to for sure, 100% guarantee home ice, I’m calling a UM sweep (which, of course, means BSU will. But I’m sticking with the Gophers).
(and my math is kind of fuzzy (journalism major, duh), but I’m pretty positive the Gophers can still lose out on home ice due to one of the tiebreakers … since said tiebreakers are a tad confusing now that most teams don’t play four game series anymore. regardless, I think all they need is one point to clinch.)
Tyler: The Gophers can lock themselves into the fifth spot depending on what happens Friday. The key for Minnesota is to keep from getting complacent and simply take care of business in the first periods. The Beavers were playing a good stretch of hockey before they went to North Dakota last week so don’t expect BSU to roll over. Minnesota sweep.
Alaska-Anchorage (12-17-3, 10-14-2 WCHA) at Minnesota State (14-14-6, 8-14-4 WCHA)
Theresa: With the way the Seawolves have been playing this season, I would typically automatically call at least a split – if not more – for them here. However, they’re on the road this weekend and their road record isn’t so hot (3-10-0). Luckily for them, they’re playing the Mavericks, who sit just below them in the standings. MSU hasn’t had the best of luck this season and really, this should be a well-matched series. Therefore, I’m still going with the split – MSU Friday, UAA Saturday.
Tyler: The way the pesky Seawolves have taken points from some of the WCHA’s top teams, it’s hard to believe they are fighting for eighth place. MSU has played the WCHA’s top teams tough too, especially at home, but the Mavericks seem to struggle in games they’re expected to win. Split.
No. 12 Nebraska-Omaha (20-12-2, 16-8-2 WCHA) at No. 11 Minnesota-Duluth (19-8-6, 14-7-5 WCHA)
Theresa: In which two of the three teams battling for second play. No matter what happens this weekend, we’ve got two of the 2nd-thru-4th place teams right here, in their first meeting all season. The Bulldogs have been struggling lately, going 1-3-2 in their last six games … all games that they should have arguably won. The Mavericks, on the other hand, had for the most part regained the groove they had earlier in the season. UNO could surprise us here with a sweep, but I think I’ll go with the logical (to me) choice of a split – UNO Friday, UMD Saturday.
Tyler: Probably the best matchup on the docket with two of the best offenses in the league against average goaltending. Expect a lot of goals from both teams, expect Jack Connolly to win the scoring championship and expect UNO to pepper the Bulldogs’ net. The Mavericks always seem to send a lot of pucks on goal every game. UMD will come away on top this weekend if the Reiter/Crandall platoon stands tall. Split.
St. Cloud State (14-15-5, 10-12-4 WCHA) at No. 5 Denver (20-9-5, 16-7-3 WCHA)
Theresa: Another time two teams meet for the first time all season! SCSU has been fairly inconsistent all season (and highly frustrating for Husky fans), but has played arguably some of their best hockey in the last few weeks. The Pioneers, on the other hand, may quite possibly be falling apart – splits in their last four weekends. Plus, it’s never good when your coach still says there are things to really work on this late in the season. Is it possible Denver peaked too early (again)? All shall be revealed soon enough, of course. As for this weekend, I think a split is probably the most likely result, given both teams right now. SCSU Friday, DU Saturday.
Tyler: Denver is up and down just like it was at the end of the regular season last year and SCSU has caught the Pioneers at the right time. The Huskies are playing their best hockey since the holidays, scoring like they should be and have proven they’re able to skate with any team in any arena. SCSU desperately needed a leader when one of its assistant captains was dismissed/left the team and Drew LeBlanc has been that guy. The junior has 18 points in the 14 games since the New Year. Split.
No. 1 North Dakota (24-8-3, 19-6-1 WCHA) at Michigan Tech (4-26-4, 2-22-2 WCHA)
Theresa: Tech rule. UND sweep.
The Sioux are rolling once again and even though Tech plays teams tough, UND is finding ways to win right now. Coach Dave Hakstol has said his team isn’t taking the weekend off and he’s not resting anybody … which makes things tricky for MTU. Then again, it is the final weekend (senior night and all that) and Tech can surprise. Still, odds are pretty low of any other result. Wait until next week when the series will most likely go three.
Tyler: In a WCHA first round preview, the Fighting Sioux should have no problem getting a sweep as long as they jump on Tech early and don’t let the Huskies hang around. UND sweep.
No. 17 Colorado College (18-15-3, 12-12-2 WCHA) at No. 18 Wisconsin (19-13-4, 11-12-3 WCHA)
Theresa: In which we have the fun series that will most likely decide the final home ice spot (I believe SCSU still has a shot as well … but I think they need a whole lotta help). CC had a huge weekend last week, taking three points from Duluth and has proven they can skate with anybody. The Badgers, on the other hand, have been sliding badly – the team earned only one point the entire month of February. That being said, I don’t think this losing streak for UW will continue – particularly at home – much longer. As much as it will make my playoff-covering life miserable next week (boo hoo, I know), I think CC will get the points necessary to claim the final home ice spot. That’s right, I’m thinking splitsville – CC Friday, UW Saturday.
Tyler: This one’s for all the marbles (of home ice advantage). CC wins Friday and the teams will meet next week in Colorado Springs for the first round of the playoffs. If Wisconsin gets three points, it has the tiebreaker and the teams will meet in Madison. Check the column for keys to the series. CC, only needing two points, will win and lock up the No. 6 spot. Split.
ECAC East/NESCAC Championship Weekend – Game Predictions – March 4, 2011
Here it is – the BIG weekend in conference play. Conference championships and NCAA automatic bids are on the line starting this afternoon so here are my predictions for who hoists the hardware come the end of the weekend.
Winners in bold.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Southern Maine at Norwich – The first game in today’s double header finds the hosts playing against a familiar rival riding hot goalie. Braely Torris was a big reason that the Huskies upset UMass-Boston on the road last weekend and he will need to do it again if Jeff Beaney’s squad has hopes of playing on Saturday night. Norwich is locked on the style of play it takes to be successful at this time of the year and despite their record, there are no assumptions other than winning the conference that gets them into the NCAA tournament and a chance to defend their title. Home ice, the crowd and depth are all on the side of the Cadets and before you start chanting “Ryan Donovan” in reference to Torris, note that the depth of scoring on this year’s edition of Norwich hockey is something that has a lot of coaches, including Beaney, worried about. Huskies have heart, Norwich has more talent and that’s enough here – Norwich 5, USM 2.
Babson vs. Castleton – For sure the crowd will be wearing green but as Coach Jamie Rice from Babson notes, “only about 58 of them are going to be rooting for the Beavers.” In six of seven years behind the Babson bench coach Rice has seen his team reach the final four which is an accomplishment he is quite proud of. “It says a lot about the program and the commitment of the players here and this weekend won’t be any different in that we will play with everything we have against a very good team that put it to us earlier in the year by a 6-1 score. Stefan and Harris and Alonzo are a special group and have really had great seasons which has carried down to other players that are now making contributions to their wins. This is going to be a challenge as Alex has done a great job at Castleton and they have had a great season.” Platitudes for the other team won’t get you much at this time of the year but Babson has a knack of being in the hunt and this one is a lot closer than many expect – Castleton 3, Babson 2.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Wesleyan @ Williams – A first time team in the final four against the first time host of the final four adds a bit of spice to this one. Both teams played an overtime thriller in January where Williams eked out a 3-2 win. Wesleyan is fresh off their upset of top-seeded Hamilton on the road so why not make it consecutive weeks beating No 1 and No 2. One word – Purdy. The LaJolla, California native has been a big reason for the success of the Ephs this year and while they have played in the final fours on a regular basis, they haven’t played in the championship game in a long time and that’s enough motivation for the men wearing purple. This one will be tight, close and yes, even go into overtime – Williams 3, Wesleyan 2 (OT)
Colby vs. Bowdoin – This is starting to resemble the Rocky movies as we approach Bowdoin-Colby III. The stakes are clearly higher here and with the teams so close, this may just come down to the law of averages and whether one team can beat an opponent three times in the same season. Offensively, the advantages go to Bowdoin overall and especially on the power play with Shearer-Hardy, Fanning, Weiniger and Matheson. Crinnion has been very hot for the Mules along with Michael Doherty so the real difference makers may be in the goal creases. Cody McKinney has had a solid second half of the season during Colby’s run and held last year’s conference champs from Middlebury to just one goal last weekend on the road. Messina and Nerland have been good for Bowdoin but the experience in goal favors the boys from Waterville. This is a very tough one to pick knowing the intense rivalry every time they play each other but this Mule Train may just keep on rolling to Sunday afternoon – Colby 4, Bowdoin 3 (OT)
ECAC East Championship Game
Castleton at Norwich – No 1 vs. No 2 – It’s fitting that these teams would play one more time having split the two prior games. Castleton won a non-conference game at Norwich in overtime by a 3-2 score back in December and while both teams boast some serious offensive firepower, this one is going to come down to goaltending, discipline and experience. This will be Castleton’s first appearance in the championship game and while the Spartans have long desired to be in this position, there is something about having been there before that favors the Cadets on their home ice. In the conference game just a few weeks ago, Norwich raced off to a 3-0 first period lead and never looked back in winning 5-2 on the road. I expect that the Spartans will be ready for an early onslaught and this one will come down to the last 20 minutes after the end of regulation – Norwich 3, Castleton 2 (OT).
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Colbyvs. Williams – The regular season game saw a 6-3 score where Billy Crinnion and Michael Doherty combined for five points in the game and the ultimate margin determined by an empty net goal. It would be hard to imagine these teams putting up nine goals on the scoreboard in a championship game so don’t expect fireworks as much as a tight, physical game where the difference in the game is likely to come from a player that may be a surprise. This final four at Williams brought teams together that have never won the conference tournament in its current format and while Amherst, as a new host won it two years ago, visiting teams have had more success including Middlebury’s run last season at Bowdoin. Two great teams and solid coaches will be looking for a school first and a chance to play next weekend in the NCAAs. Bus ride to Waterville is much more enjoyable with the trophy riding shotgun – Colby 3, Williams 2 (OT).
That’s it for the predictions but not the coverage of teams advancing on to the national stage after Sunday’s seeding of the NCAA tournament. To all the players, coaches, SIDs and fans, thanks for a great season and to those still playing, enjoy the ride since these trips don’t come around very often.
Pig pile with the trophy – drop the puck!
Paula's picks: CCHA first round, Mar. 4, 2011
It’s playoff hockey time, and this weekend the CCHA begins its first round of best-of-three series with the bottom six teams in the league competing to advance to next week’s quarterfinal round. Frankly, I think the top eight teams should be in with the bottom three sitting it out, but I’m old-fashioned that way. Remember, I’m perfectly capable of living with a tie in regular season, too.
Last week, Friday and Saturday only, I was 8-3 (.727) in my picks. I had already rolled Thursday’s FSU-OSU game into the previous week’s picks for purposes of blogging.
Season to date: 108-68-26 (.599). I’m certain that this will not improve after this weekend.
All series are best-of-three, Friday through Sunday. Times are noted. The only nationally televised contest is Friday’s OSU-LSSU series, which can be seen on CBS College Sports.
BGSU at NMU. Each of these teams finished the regular season with two losses. The Falcons were swept in East Lansing by scores of 2-1 and 2-0, which is just about par; BG has averaged 1.13 goals per game since the beginning of the calendar year, and the last time the Falcons netted more than two goals in a contest was Dec. 30 in a 3-2 win over Holy Cross. Clearly, the team isn’t giving the support it should to sophomore Andrew Hammond (2.59 GAA, .913 SV%), who is playing well. The Wildcats were swept at home by Michigan last weekend, 3-2 and 5-0. Two goals on a weekend – even against the regular-season champ – is no way to approach the playoffs. NMU has two capable goaltenders who are not yet consistent players, but the Wildcats can bring the offense. These teams played just two weeks ago in BG, a 2-2 tie after which the Falcons took the shootout point, and a 3-2 NMU win. They also split in Marquette Nov. 12-13; BGSU won, 2-1, Friday and NMU won, 5-1, the following night. All games are 7:35 p.m., even if the series goes until Sunday. It shouldn’t. NMU 3-2, 3-2.
MSU at UAF. Hey, Spartans! Congratulations on your first sweep of the season! It wins you…a trip to Alaska! Okay, so that’s not how it really went. MSU was going to finish in 10th place no matter what after the Spartans’ sweep of BG last weekend, but I’m sure the trip to Fairbanks – where MSU had played just two weeks before – felt like a strange reward. The teams split that series Feb. 18-19, with the Nanooks winning 4-2 and the Spartans 6-2. Last weekend, Alaska split with Anchorage and then successfully defended the Governor’s Cup with a shootout – fitting, as the game the Nanooks lost 4-1 to the Seawolves was an atypical game for the outstanding Scott Greenham (2.16 GAA, .919SV%), who gave up four goals on 15 shots. (Incidentally, Greenham has played every minute of Alaska’s season.) The Spartans and Nanooks also met in East Lansing early in the year, with UAF taking the extra point after a 1-1 tie and MSU winning 4-1. I think it’s a good thing that Michigan State has its spring break next week, because I think this series is going to three games. 7:05 p.m. starts Friday and Saturday; 6:05 p.m. Sunday. UAF 3-2, MSU 4-2, MSU 2-1.
OSU at LSSU. This series pits two more teams that failed to take care of any business on home ice last weekend. Ohio State took one point from Ferris State Feb. 24-25 with a 2-2 tie and shootout loss and a 3-1 loss outright. Lake Superior, though, was pummeled by visiting Miami, 8-1 and 4-1. OSU’s Saturday loss was the first in five games for them in which they allowed more than two goals. LSSU’s Friday loss was their first at home in five games. These teams met recently, too, but in Columbus (Feb. 18-19). After a 1-1 tie, the Lakers took the extra shootout point, and the Buckeyes won the following night, 5-2. The Lakers are averaging 2.29 goals per game, with Rick Schofield (14-16-30) and Domenic Mondardo (12-14-26) doing most of the busy work. The Buckeyes average 2.66 goals per game with four guys in double digits for goals – and then a significant drop off. Goaltending for each team is good, with freshman Kevin Kapalka (2.33 GAA, .922 SV%) emerging for LSSU, and Cal Heeter (2.28 GAA, .923 SV%) playing all but 26 minutes in net for the Buckeyes this season. I think this one goes to three games as well. 7:35 p.m. Friday, 7:05 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. OSU 4-2, LSSU 5-2, OSU 3-1.
Playoff picks: Round 1
I already did some off-the-cuff analysis of the series in yesterday’s column, so here’s a little more. Don’t take me too seriously, though: Like the first games of the year, the first games after the holiday break, and the last games of the regular season, the playoffs have so little to do with precedent and statistics that making predictions is all but a total crapshoot.
This Weekend
No. 12 Colgate at No. 5 Rensselaer
Colgate broadcast link
RPI broadcast link
Video link
All three possible games will start at 7:00. This is that funny series where the victor knows exactly who it will play in the second round: If RPI wins, the Engineers are at Cornell next week; it’s Union for Colgate, should the Raiders score the upset. If Colgate guts out a road sweep, it will draw the Raiders even with RPI all-time at 55-55-3 (now 55-53-3 for the ‘Tute). The Engineers are 5-9-0 against the ‘Gate under head coach Seth Appert, 3-7-0 in their last 10 against Colgate, and four of the last six meetings between the teams have gone to overtime… including January’s 2-1 RPI victory in which Chase Polacek scored the game-winner on an OT penalty shot. The Raiders have not lost a 60-minute league game to RPI since 2002.
Prediction: RPI in three games.
No. 11 St. Lawrence at No. 6 Princeton
St. Lawrence broadcast link
Princeton broadcast link
Video link
Two years in a row, the Saints get foul playoff draws: Last year, they earned a home series, but drew North Country neighbor Clarkson; this year, they have no one but themselves to blame as they make the longest road trip in the league, from upstate to Garden State. Friday’s game is a 7:00 start, but Saturday and Sunday’s will (and would, respectively) start at 4:00. SLU has never lost a playoff game to Princeton (5-0-1) and has won three straight playoff series, but the Tigers swept St. Lawrence in the regular season by 5-1 and 5-3 margins. Princeton hosts a playoff series for the fifth straight season, and this year marked the first time since the current travel-partner scheduling system was enacted for the 1983-84 season that the Tigers have swept the Saints.
Prediction: Princeton in two games.
No. 10 Harvard at No. 7 Clarkson
Harvard broadcast link
Clarkson broadcast link
Video link
Friday and Saturday’s games will start at 7:00; Sunday’s, if necessary, will be a 4:00 puck-drop. Harvard is two wins away from 1,300 for the program’s history, and has won three of four all-time first-round series. Clarkson is hosting a series for the first time since the 2007-08 season, and own an 8-2-2 advantage over Harvard in their last 12 meetings. Each team scored a 3-1 win on its home ice this year, with the Crimson edging the Knights in Boston last Friday.
Prediction: Clarkson in three games.
No. 9 Brown at No. 8 Quinnipiac
Brown broadcast link
Quinnipiac broadcast link
Video link
All three potential games will be 7:00 starts. The Bobcats are 10-2 in ECAC first-round games, and 8-2 at the TDBank Sports Center. Brown is 2-1-2 against the Q in their last five meetings, with two ties in this year’s contests, but the Bobcats are 8-4-2 all-time against Bruno. Both teams enter the weekend feeling pretty good about themselves, as Quinnipiac notched commendable ties on the road at Union and RPI last weekend, while Brown recorded the home sweep of Cornell and Colgate.
Prediction: Brown in three games… with lots and lots of overtimes.
Gustavus Adolphus peaking at the right time
When it comes to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), the Gustavus Adolphus Gusties have held a firm grasp at the top of the standings and in postseason play for quite some time.
The Gusties wrapped up their seventh straight regular season title with a 14-2-2 record and have compiled a remarkable 113-7-6 record over their seven-year reign at the top of the conference standings.
“We did what we wanted to do by winning our conference so we could have home ice for the tournament, which was one of our goals going into the season,” Gustavus Adolphus coach Mike Carroll said. “We also went 5-1 against the Wisconsin schools, which is pretty good.”
Tonight, they’ll begin their quest for an eighth straight MIAC Tournament title when they take on Concordia-Moorhead in the MIAC semifinals.
“Concordia has been a roll lately and has been playing some really good hockey lately,” Carroll said. “We’re going to have to be at the top our game and do the things we know we can do well. Hopefully all the hard work we’ve put forth this season will pay off tonight and then Saturday.”
Gustavus Adolphus took three points from the Cobbers earlier this season in their regular season home-and-home series with a 4-2 win and then a 3-3 tie.
“We didn’t do a very good job against their power play in that series and special teams are usually something we hang our hat on,” Carroll said. “Our penalty kill has been historically pretty good, but we just didn’t have a good weekend with that.”
The Gusties have the second-ranked penalty kill in the country, killing off penalties at 93.9 percent, but they gave up two goals against Concordia in the 3-3 tie.
Concordia has plenty of weapons that will challenge the Gusties’ defense that ranks second, giving up less than a goal per game.
Junior forward Katelyn Dold has 24 goals and 15 assists for 39 points, while Emily Sell has 10 goals and 26 assists for 36 points. Sophomore Jenna Westerham and freshman Abby Taffe round out the Cobbers’ four-pronged attack with 19 goals and 14 assists for 33 points, as well as 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points respectively.
“They’ve got some top-end kids with points, and we’ve got to make sure we keep them under control as best as we possibly can and the best way to do that is to keep the puck out of our end,” Carroll said.
While Gustavus Adolphus doesn’t have a single player over 30 points, Carroll said the Gusties’ depth this season has been their strength.
“We have a lot of kids we rely on, but we don’t have the superstar player that gets all the ink on offense,” Carroll said. “We have a lot of kids that play for each other and with each other. We need some of our kids to step up and score for us, but we’ve got a pretty consistently deep team with not a whole lot of difference between our first line and our fourth line.”
Sophomore Lindsey Hjelm has 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points to lead the Gusties’ offense. Allie Schwab leads the team with 12 goals to go along with eight assists for 20 points, while freshman Amanda Cartony is close behind with 11 goals and six assists for 17 points.
“We’re fortunate that when we’re on, we can keep coming at teams with our depth, and this is the time of the year where we need to be doing that every game,” Carroll said.
In goal, Gustavus Adolphus’ Danielle Justice has once again been rock steady between the pipes for the Gusties in her junior season. She has posted a 15-3-3 record with a 1.00 goals against average and a .943 save percentage.
“We’ve got a pretty good goaltender and not a lot of people talk about her because we’re a team that normally doesn’t give up a lot of shots,” Carroll said. “Danielle doesn’t get a lot of individual accolades, but she’s been there for us when we’ve needed her. She stood on her head against Trinity and has been pretty unflappable all season. She’s an undersized goalie, so she’s got to be on her angles, but she has been as consistent as could be for us.”
Although the result was still the same with a MIAC regular season title, this season has been a bit different for the Gusties.
As hard as it is to believe, for the first time since 2003, Gustavus Adolphus won its first game of the season with a 5-0 shutout of Concordia (Wis.)
Instead, the Gusties dropped a couple of games in the middle of the season rather going on their trademark long winning streak.
“We got off to an up and down start,” Carroll said. “We had seven new players in the mix and were trying to get used to college hockey. The leaders of our team were trying to find where they were going to fit into their role because each year is different. We faced some tough competition toward the end of the pre-Christmas break with games against our biggest conference rival St. Thomas and River Falls, who has had a great year.”
However, the Gusties regrouped over the winter break and came back in the second half of the season to post a 12-1-3 record.
“After the holidays we came back and played quite well out of the chute by beating Superior and playing really well against Trinity in a game that could have gone either way, but neither team scored,” Carroll said. “That game gave the kids some confidence knowing we could play right with an Eastern team that had been rated all year.”
The highlight of the second half of the season came on Feb. 1 when Carroll said the Gusties played their best game of the season by shutting out Wis.-Superior 5-0 on the road.
Although Carroll said he was pleased with what the Gusties have accomplished in the MIAC over the last few seasons, their team goals go beyond the conference.
“It’s a nice accomplishment and it’s something when the season is over we can be proud of, but right now it doesn’t mean a whole heck of a lot other than we get to play the games at home. Right now, that stuff is on the back burner and we have other goals we want to achieve.”
Bracketology 3/3/11
The NCAA has released its final set of rankings before Selection Sunday, so it’s time for an updated Bracketology.
As was the case for the past few year, we know the criteria used by the NCAA Division III Men’s Committee to select and seed the teams, but not the weighting used in their evaluation. This means that unlike Division I, the process cannot be replicated. USCHO produces a PairWise Comparison (PWC) for Division III, but assumes an equal weighting for the criteria, which we know from past experience has not been the case.
Click on the links for the East, West and national PWCs.
To recap: eleven teams will get their tickets punched: seven Pool A teams, one Pool B Team, and three Pool C teams. Pool A consists of the seven teams that will win playoff championships in leagues with an automatic qualifier: ECAC East, ECAC Northeast, NCHA, NESCAC, MCHA, MIAC, and SUNYAC. One Pool B slot is reserved for an independent team or team from a conference that does not have an AQ: ECAC West and MASCAC. Pool C bids will be handed out to the highest remaining teams according to the NCAA rankings.
The rub here is that there are East and West rankings, but not a combined one. So when the rubber hits the road, the committee will be combining the separate rankings on Selection Sunday.
For this bracketology, we’re going with the assumption that the NCAA will stay consistent in its process from the regional rankings to the actual selection.
Here’s my guess as to where the teams still in the running stand:
A Lock : Oswego, St. Norbert, Elmira. The Lakers were upset in the SUNYAC semifinals but are still at the top of the Eastern Regional Rankings, so they’ve sewn up a Pool C bid. Elmira, which plays Neumann in the ECAC West championship on Saturday, is a lock for Pool B, and St. Norbert will get the NCHA Automatic Qualifier Pool A (AQ) bid if they beat UW-Superior in the league’s championship game. Otherwise, the Green Knights get a Pool C bid.
Bet On It: Plattsburgh, Norwich. These teams fare well in most head-to-head matchups with other contenders. Plattsburgh needs to defeat Fredonia in the SUNYAC finals to ensure a bid, but can also get one if it loses, provided St. Norbert and Norwich win. There’s always a chance that the committee would not take three SUNYAC teams in the event of a Plattsburgh loss, but they would have to change the criteria weighting.The West could push for Adrian to get a Pool C bid over Plattsburgh if both lose in their respective conference finals, but I think Plattsburgh would still have the advantage due to a stronger strength of schedule, opponent’s SOS, etc.
Good Chance: Neumann, Castleton. If all the favorites win, I’m seeing these teams get the remaining Pool C bids and an 8-3 East-West split.
On the Bubble: I can’t see the West getting an at-large team in unless St. Norbert loses.
Must Win Their AQ: Babson, S. Maine, Curry, Wentworth, MSOE, Lawrence, Marian, Concordia (MN), UW-Superior, Wesleyan, Williams, Colby, Bowdoin, Fredonia.
Playing Out the String: These teams are from conferences that don’t have an AQ, so even if they win their league championship, it wont raise them high enough in the criteria to get an at-large bid:, Salem State, Mass-Dartmouth, Fitchburg State, Westfield State
Thank You Seniors: These teams have concluded their seasons: Suffolk, Salve Regina, Manhattanville, Finlandia, Concordia (WI), St. Olaf, St. John’s, St. Mary’s Bethel, UW-Stout, Uw-Eau Claire, St. Scholastica, Conn College, Tufts, Buffalo State, Morrisville, Cortland, Potsdam, Brockport, Hobart, Amherst, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, New England, U of New England, Skidmore, Mass-Boston, Gustavus Adolphus, St. Thomas, Augsburg, Northland, Lake Forest, Nichols, W. New England, Worcester State, Plymouth State, Becker, Johnson & Wales, Framingham State, Utica, Hobart
OK, so lets take a shot at a possible bracket, assuming the higher seeded team wins its respective league:
ECAC East: Norwich
ECAC Northeast: Curry
MCHA: Adrian
MIAC: Hamline
NCHA: St. Norbert
NESCAC: Williams
SUNYAC: Plattsburgh
Based on the NCAA rankings, I’m picking Elmira to get Pool B, Oswego, Castleton and Neumann to get the Pool C spots. That would mean an 8-3 split.
E1: Oswego
E2: Elmira
E3: Plattsburgh
E4: Norwich
E5: Castleton
E6: Neumann
E7: Williams
E8: Curry
W1: St. Norbert
W2: Adrian
W3: Hamline
First Round:
Hamline at St. Norbert (should be Hamline at Adrian, it’s an 11 hour bus ride. Unless the NCAA flies Hamline, they’re going the 278 miles to Green Bay vs. the 628 miles to Adrian).
Curry at Castleton
Williams at Neumann
Quarterfinals:
Hamline will go to Adrian if it wins; Adrian goes to SNC if the Green Knights win.
Neumann/Williams at Oswego
Curry/Castleton at Elmira
Norwich at Plattsburgh
And finally, in the event St. Norbert does not win the NCHA, it will be a 7-4 split.
E1: Oswego
E2: Elmira
E3: Plattsburgh
E4: Norwich
E5: Castleton
E6: Williams
E7: Curry
W1: St. Norbert
W2: Adrian
W3: Hamline
W4: NCHA winner
First Round:
Curry at Elmira
Williams at Plattsburgh
Castleton at Norwich
And…the West will be TBD based on which team wins the NCHA, travel distances, etc. Someone’s going to have a long drive or a flight.
Check back next week!
