Personnel losses have St. Lawrence looking for scoring

-

October 4, 2010

Last year

St. Lawrence was looking pretty good as the calendars flipped over to February, sitting at 14-9-5 with four home games and three on the road to close out the regular season.

Whoops. SLU fell face first with a first-round bye in sight, going 1-4-2 down the stretch and effectively — albeit coincidentally — choking away the biggest home-ice asset the Saints have: a long, long drive for any visiting opponent.

Instead of drawing Harvard or Princeton or Brown or Quinnipiac, or anyone else from lower New England, the Saints got the luckiest of all lucky bad teams: Clarkson, which could practically walk from Potsdam to Canton for the games.

Two overtime games and a nailbiter later, SLU escaped to take on Colgate in Hamilton. Two more one-goal games put the Saints on a serious roll, having all of a sudden won five of six (all one-goal games, incidentally).

Union put a stop to SLU’s shenanigans with a 3-1 Dutch victory in Albany, and in a meaningless formality, upstart Brown squashed the Saints 3-0 in the consolation contest.

The Canton club somehow finished fifth in the regular season despite scoring only 62 goals … by virtue of allowing 61. The Saints nonetheless finished with 13 double-digit scorers in their 41-game season, led by seniors Travis Vermeulen and Mike McKenzie. Senior Kain Tisi played nearly twice as many minutes as runner-up (and classmate) Alex Petizian between SLU’s pipes, each maintaining a save rate over 90 percent.

The assets

Coach Joe Marsh is probably SLU’s biggest asset. He has been around the block a few times (and then some). He knows this league, he knows the other coaches, and he knows what motivates players.

He usually carries a large roster, so depth is rarely an issue, and he always finds a way to get the most out of his boys: The Saints are characterized year-in and year-out as quietly successful, hard-working and offensively gifted at all positions. You know you’re playing St. Lawrence when the defensemen are doing all the scoring against you.

The weak links

The Saints lost their first-, second-, fourth-, seventh-, eighth- and ninth-highest scorers from last year. Oh, and both starting goalies. Need I say more? Fortunately, last year’s team had enough depth of scoring that 43 percent of its goals were accounted for by current players.

Prediction

Losing that much, all at once, doesn’t exactly breed confidence in my mind. I’d never bet against Marsh, because his teams always seem to be there in the end … but I have to admit, I’m not betting on him right now, either. On paper, this looks like a team that will have to really scrap to stay out of the bottom four.

Rensselaer tries to shake off early departures of key players

By Brian Sullivan

-

October 4, 2010

Last year

Winning in clumps is a good thing, as long as the clumps aren’t too far apart.

Rensselaer did that well last year, with two three-game winning streaks, three two-game runs and a balanced season: 9-9-1 in the first half, 9-8-3 in the second. It was not a glamorous year, but it was exciting, with the Engineers in the hunt for a first-round bye until the final weekend.

The ‘Tute boasted the league’s second-ranked defense in front of a fresh young face in the league’s storied ranks of elite goaltenders, as Allen York held his own with a .910 save percentage and a 2.54 goals-against average.

Freshmen sensations Brandon Pirri and Jerry D’Amigo stole the show many nights, combining for 21 goals and 77 points in what proved to be disappointingly short collegiate careers. Third-year striker Chase Polacek didn’t mind sharing the spotlight, though, as his bulb burned brightest: 26 goals and 26 assists landed him among the Hobey Baker finalists.

The assets

If you ask coach Seth Appert about his team’s greatest strengths entering the new year, he won’t give you names … he’ll give you a whole class.

“The one thing I’ve always been looking forward to with this team was our senior class,” he said. “I really like the senior class; they’re guys that came here to try to help change the culture of our program and to take our program from where it was, and try to contend and compete for ECAC championships. They’re guys that have been totally committed and have bought in to what we’ve expected of them, how we want to run our program, and they’re really driven, dedicated kids. They’re guys that represent our program both on and off the ice in a first-class manner.

“There are some good players in that class. There’s obviously Chase Polacek, the reigning player of the year in our league, first-team All-American and a Hobey Baker finalist. Guys like Bryan Brutlag, Jeff Foss, John Kennedy, Tyler Helfrich, Joel Malchuk. There are two other guys, Kevin Beauregard and Scotty Halpern, who have been in and out of the lineup, but again are two real, real committed young men who’ve done everything we wanted from them in terms of what they give to the program.”

The large cadre of fourth-year players should give RPI every opportunity to play fast, hard and heavy, as the experience and leadership can keep the club flying straight while allowing it to take potentially rewarding risks.

The weak links

Losing two truly high-end freshmen like Pirri and Dâ€™Amigo is a kick in the shins (or higher) by anyone’s standard. Polacek is left as the Engineers’ only proven scorer, and Appert knows that there is work to be done if RPI is to make another run at a top-four finish.

“I think we’re going to have to score by committee — I think that’s going to be important for us,â€ Appert said. â€œWe have enough scoring, we have Chase coming back and we have a lot of junior and senior forwards. We add a lot more talent on our blue line even though … it’s a little younger, we get a little bit more mobile. I think that … last year we relied on four or five guys to do the bulk of our scoring. This year, outside of Polacek, we need to be a team that scores a little bit more by committee.

“How do we react as a team?” Appert asked rhetorically regarding the frosh flights. “Not at all. Not at all, we’re not going to change a thing. It only re-emphasizes the things that are most important to us and what we need to be great at. We need to be a difficult team to play against, we need to possess the puck and take pride in having the puck, we want to be an aggressive, physical team. We want to use our speed not only on the attack, but also on the backcheck … to play great team defense. Those are the things that are important to us; they’re not going to be any different because those two are gone. We’re proud of Jerry and Brandon, we certainly wish them all the best … and it certainly shows that elite-level players can come to RPI and develop well, and have the opportunity to play in the National Hockey League. But [their departures] aren’t going to change the way we play.”

Prediction

Scoring by committee isn’t easy. It demands team-wide focus, diligence and perseverance, and if just one player would rather someone else play Mr. Clutch — well that’s a few opportunities that he cost the entire team. We’ll see who steps up to support Polacek, and how often. Until then, this is a middle-of-the-pack team.

Clarkson looking for wholesale improvement after down year

By Brian Sullivan

-

October 4, 2010

Last year

Clarkson started the season 3-2-0, despite a pair of tough road losses at Michigan State to open. Then the Potsdam crew hit a bit of a pothole, dropping 18 of 23 and falling to 5-20-3 by early February. Clarkson failed to hit the three-goal mark in 20 of 37 outings, going a predictable 1-18-1 in those games while managing an 8-6-3 record when potting three or more.

The 2008-09 season was ruined, in a broad sense, by poor chemistry; last year, coach George Roll had no such explanation for the Knights’ dismal play.

The assets

Clarkson graduated a mere three seniors last year, only one of whom — Matt Beca — did much of anything on the score sheet (20 goals, 38 points). The other two (plus freshman forward Markus Piispanen, who left the program) accounted for a lot of playing time, but that’s replaceable.

Goaltender Paul Karpowich had a down year statistically, as is to be expected behind a team that is constantly pressing for offense, but his performance in his freshman campaign demonstrated that he can handle the workload in this league.

“I think we need to be better in all areas. I think our goaltending will be better — I feel much better about it now, given what happened at the end of last year,” Roll said. “I think our team defense … with our returning guys should be very solid. I think there will be a lot of improvement in all areas, which is what I’m hoping for, because obviously we weren’t very good in a lot of areas last year.”

One of Roll’s biggest causes for optimism was in his team’s heroic spirit despite its seemingly endless string of depressing results.

“They never gave up, and it would’ve been easy to do that,” he said.

The weak links

Beca scored eight more goals than the team’s second-leading lamp-lighter (DeFazio) last season, and a dozen more than anyone else. That’s a lot of production, especially when you know that the opposition was hammering him every single night. It’s also a huge loss of ability, the response to which Roll has no obvious answer.

“We struggled to score — we were the lowest-scoring team in the league last year — and we feel that we have players that can change that, but they’re going to obviously have to prove that,” he said.

The Knights featured only three players who averaged at least half-a-point per game in league contests. That number will have to increase dramatically for Clarkson to enjoy a successful season.

Prediction

The amount of talent in the program right now is considerable, but it has never been consistent. As Roll said, the team will have to improve in all areas of the game in order to make noise this fall … but really, when you’re at the bottom, there’s nowhere to go but up. This feels like a bit of a retribution run in the making, but only a bit: It’s a team that will battle to play at home in the first round.

Princeton hopes pieces fit together better this time

By Brian Sullivan

-

October 4, 2010

Last year

Just when coach Guy Gadowsky’s Princeton machine appeared poised to declare its dynasty, the gears began to grind.

Defending Dryden Award-winner Zane Kalemba was never himself in net, the relentless offense finished a mere sixth in the league in scoring, the defense finished ninth in goals-against, and injuries were the culprit. From the preseason onward, Gadowsky’s roster was consistently in a state of chaotic flux.

A third straight 20-win season — it would have been the third in Gadowsky’s six years behind the Tigers bench — was not to be, as a 3-2-0 start evaporated into an 0-6-1 fog. Small but significant 3-0-1, 4-1-0 and and 2-1-0 runs boosted Princeton into the final home-ice slot for the playoffs, but unassuming Harvard rolled into the Garden State and rocked the Tigers in straight sets: 4-2, 3-0.

The assets

One thing the southernmost team in the conference has going for it is a fresh start. Last year was a wreck in all sorts of ways — most of them literal — and the returning striped ones will all appreciate a clean sheet and a spotless record when they open with Dartmouth on Oct. 29.

“We have three returning senior defensemen in Taylor Fedun, Cam Ritchie and Matt Godlewsky, all of whom we expect big years from,” Gadowsky said of his roster. “We’ll have a lot of good competition in net, with three goaltenders, all three that we feel could be starters in this league.

“For offense, I think a lot of that is going to be a question of how our seniors do. Mike Kramer, Matt Arhontas, Kevin Lohry and Sam Sabky have shown flashes in the past; they could be top offensive players in this league, and it’s just a matter of seeing if they can put together consistency. They should share the bulk of our offense.”

Gadowsky also likes what he sees out of a couple of non-seniors who glimmered despite the general gloominess last spring.

“From last year, the way the year ended, we have high expectations for [junior forward] Marc Hagel, as well as sophomore defenseman Michael Sdao.”

The weak links

Let’s face it, the team lost its top two scorers and an elite-level goalie … and they didn’t even fare so well with those players last year. Princeton needs a number of players to step in at critical junctures to keep the team on track, both on the ice and off. It’s easy for a team to fall apart due to small but system-wide failures; it’s much harder for a team to succeed by breeding opportunistic units that will come through when needed most.

The Tigers never really had a chance to prove themselves last year, and they’re a bit of an underrated unknown at this point. A few things are certain, though: They don’t have anyone who has proven much of anything yet.

Prediction

As just noted, Princeton is a hard team to gauge because it was never a complete unit last year. That said, the program will need some impressive performances by a number of different players in order to make up for what was lost last season — players lost to graduation, sure, but also confidence lost to injury and inconsistency. Yet another unknown team; may as well pencil them into the Great Home-Ice Hunt.

With NCAA hurdle gone, St. Cloud State returns strong cast

By Tyler Buckentine

-

October 3, 2010

When St. Cloud State beat Northern Michigan in the first round of the West Regional in March, the Huskies accomplished a feat that had eluded them since their birth as a Division I program in 1989. SCSU won its first national tournament game in eight tries.

But Huskies coach Bob Motzko makes a simple point: The current team is a different group of players than the ones that fell short so many times in first-round regional games. In fact, only six members of the team have experienced a national tournament loss.

“A lot of our kids were never around for first-round losses in the past,” said Motzko, who’s starting his sixth season as St. Cloud State’s coach. “It was the first time playing [a national tournament game] this side of the Mississippi. We’ll take the momentum and the excitement we generated and take the next step.”

Expectations are high for the Huskies after their run in the postseason and a strong returning cast from the 2009-10 season. The WCHA coaches picked SCSU to finish second in the conference standings and the regional media project the Huskies to take third.

Up front

Gone is SCSU’s all-time leader scorer and assists leader, Ryan Lasch, who finished his career last year with 183 points on 79 goals and 104 assists. Only Mark Hartigan scored more goals for the Huskies (86).

The good news is that SCSU has just the guy to maintain goal quota. Senior Garrett Roe is No. 5 on the program’s career scoring list with 142 points, putting him on pace to break Lasch’s record. Roe notched 20 goals with 29 assists as a junior.

“One constant from an offensive standpoint is Garrett Roe, and he’s been that way since Day 1,” Motzko said. “He plays so darn hard, he’s got the talent and he’s been so consistent. We all know what he’s capable of doing, and if he can take it to another level it’s all in the cards for good.”

Motzko has a history of finding forwards who can bury the puck. In addition to Lasch and Roe, Andreas Nodl scored 90 points in two seasons (2006-08) and there are a few rising scorers on the Huskies roster this season.

“When you talk about offense, you have to find players that are ready to take on bigger roles and more responsibility from an offensive standpoint,” Motzko said. “We have one real proven player in Garrett Roe and a handful of other players that have started to emerge.”

David Eddy scored 12 goals and finished the season with 23 points but is ineligible to play this fall. Ben Hanowski finished with 19 points as a freshman.

In the crease

Just as the Huskies took a goaltending-by-committee approach last season, Motzko hasn’t named a No. 1 goalie to start this season, either. Freshman Mike Lee started 26 of SCSU’s 47 games last season, posting a 2.80 goals-against average with a .915 save percentage.

Dan Dunn returns for his senior season after he started the other 21 games with a 2.58 GAA and a .915 save percentage.

“Both guys emerged as outstanding goaltenders last season and both are capable of being better,” Motzko said. “We have great competition at all positions, especially goaltending. We have two guys that have to compete for minutes and lead us in wins. We’re in good hands with our goaltending.”

‘Tougher’ WCHA crowd has league looking forward in 2010-11

By Tyler Buckentine and Theresa Spisak

-

October 3, 2010

In years past, this space has been used to recap the previous year a bit.

In other words, mention how Denver won the MacNaughton Cup, how North Dakota captured the Broadmoor Trophy, how the league got back to the Frozen Four thanks to Wisconsin, etc.

Justin Fontaine and Minnesota-Duluth have a lot of expectations to meet this season (photo: Minnesota-Duluth Athletics).

That would be past years.

This year, there’s too much new to talk about; primarily, the addition of the Nebraska-Omaha and Bemidji State to the league fold. Two new teams that get to see what it’s like to experience the meat grinder that is the regular season in the WCHA. Two teams that partially helped inspire the league’s new look and slogan, “Just Got Tougher,” because, after all, it’s true.

That “Just Got Tougher” line also can apply in a few other areas:

â€¢ North Dakota, thanks in part to the return of redshirt senior Chay Genoway, is gaining all the early hype as the consensus No. 1 team in the conference.

â€¢ Denver and Wisconsin, two perennial powerhouses, have the added difficulty of losing large chunks of their rosters, particularly their offenses.

â€¢ A brand new Final Five format in which the top two seeds get a bye, ensuring extra incentive for teams to play all out, all the time.

Obviously, in a new season in a new-look league with a new-look logo, it goes without saying that we’re going to be in for a year of exciting hockey.

Click on each team’s name for more detailed analysis.

Alaska-Anchorage

Head coach: Dave Shyiak
2009-10 record: 11-23-2, 9-17-2 (20 points, ninth of 10 teams)
Key returners: F Tommy Grant, D Kane Lafranchise, F Sean Wiles
Key losses: G Bryce Christianson, G Jon Olthius, F Kevin Clark
2010-11 predicted finish: Theresa 11th, Tyler 11th, media 11th, coaches 11th
Bottom line: This looks to be another season at the bottom of the league for the Seawolves unless they get either some amazing rookie goaltending or some special teams help.

Bemidji State

Head coach: Tom Serratore
2009-10 record: 23-10-4, 14-3-1 (29 points, first of four CHA teams)
Key returners: G Dan Bakala, F Matt Read, D Brad Hunt
Key losses: F Chris McKelvie, D Chris Peluso
2010-11 predicted finish: Theresa 7th, Tyler 8th, media 8th, coaches 9th
Bottom line: Bemidji State built a new arena just in time to compete in a new league, hoping to achieve the same goal of qualifying for the national tournament. The Beavers are coming off two straight NCAA tournament berths.

Colorado College

Head coach: Scott Owens
2009-10 record: 19-17-3, 12-13-3 (27 points, sixth of 10 teams)
Key returners: D Gabe Guentzel, G Joe Howe, F Rylan Schwartz
Key losses: D Kris Fredheim, D Nate Prosser, F Bill Sweatt, F Mike Testwuide
2010-11 predicted finish: Theresa 10th, Tyler 5th, media 7th, coaches 6th
Bottom line: If the Tigers can continue to get strong goaltending from Howe as well as have a successful scoring-by-committee approach like Minnesota-Duluth did a few years back, they have the potential to do really well. They also have the potential to do really badly if it doesn’t pan out.

Denver

Head coach: George Gwozdecky
2009-10 record: 27-10-4, 19-5-4 (42 points, first of 10 teams)
Key returners: D Matt Donovan, F Jesse Martin, F Kyle Ostrow
Key losses: G Marc Cheverie, F Joe Colborne, F Rhett Rakhshani, D Patrick Wiercioch
2010-11 predicted finish: Theresa 5th, Tyler 6th, media 4th, coaches 4th
Bottom line: Gwozdecky thinks the Pioneers will be a more complete, four-line team this season and that goaltending will work itself out like it did a few years back. If he’s right, this year shouldn’t be too much of a struggle for a team that never seems to fall out of the league’s top half.

Michigan Tech

Head coach: Jamie Russell
2009-10 record: 5-30-1, 4-24-0 (eight points, 10th of 10 teams)
Key returners: G Kevin Genoe, F Brett Olson, D Steven Seigo
Key losses: D Drew Dobson, F Malcolm Gwilliam, F/D John Kivisto
2010-11 predicted finish: Theresa 12th, Tyler 12th, media 12th, coaches 12th
Bottom line: Though Russell has said he has revamped a few systems for the Huskies, the league is such that it will take a lot more than a new style of play for the team to crawl out of the cellar.

Minnesota

Head coach: Don Lucia
2009-10 record: 18-19-2, 12-14-2 (26 points, seventh of 10 teams)
Key returners: C Jacob Cepis, D Cade Fairchild, G Alex Kangas
Key losses:D Nick Leddy, F Tony Lucia, F Jordan Schroeder
2010-11 predicted finish: Theresa 4th, Tyler 7th, media 6th, coaches 5th
Bottom line: Minnesota lost two of its most talented players to professional hockey this offseason, but Don Lucia’s latest batch of recruits might have the skills to match Nick Leddy and Jordan Schroeder.

Minnesota State

Head coach: Troy Jutting
2009-10 record: 16-20-3, 9-17-2 (20 points, eighth of 10 teams)
Key returners: G Phil Cook, F Rylan Galiardi, G Austin Lee, D Ben Youds
Key losses: F Geoff Irwin, F Kael Mouillierat, F Jerad Stewart
2010-11 predicted finish: Theresa 8th, Tyler 10th, media 10th, coaches 10th
Bottom line: Eight departed forwards and no go-to goal scorer will contribute to Minnesota State’s lack of scoring punch and anchor the Mavericks to the bottom of the WCHA standings.

Minnesota-Duluth

Head coach: Scott Sandelin
2009-10 record: 22-17-1, 16-11-1 (33 points, fifth of 10 teams)
Key returners: F Jack Connolly, F Mike Connolly, F Justin Fontaine
Key losses: C Rob Bordson, G Brady Hjelle
2010-11 predicted finish: Theresa 3rd, Tyler 3rd, media 2nd, coaches 3rd
Bottom line: Minnesota-Duluth had one of the WCHA’s most lethal scoring trios in Fontaine, Mike Connolly and Jack Connolly last season. All three are back to lead the Bulldogs’ attack.

Nebraska-Omaha

Head coach: Dean Blais
2009-10 record: 20-16-6, 13-12-3-2 (44 points, sixth of 12 CCHA teams)
Key returners: G John Faulkner, F Joey Martin, F Rich Purslow
Key losses: D Eddie Del Grosso, F John Kemp, F Nick Fanto
2010-11 predicted finish: Theresa 9th, Tyler 9th, media 9th, coaches 8th
Bottom Line: Blais returns to the league in which he won multiple Broadmoor Trophies and MacNaughton Cups. His Nebraska-Omaha team was average in the CCHA last season and will have to adapt to a much “tougher” WCHA.

North Dakota

Head coach: Dave Hakstol
2009-10 record: 25-13-5, 15-10-3 (33 points, fourth of 10 teams)
Key returners: G Brad Eidsness, F Matt Frattin, D Chay Genoway, F Jason Gregoire
Key losses: F Chris VandeVelde, F Darcy Zajac
2010-11 predicted finish: Theresa 1st, Tyler 1st, media 1st, coaches 1st
Bottom line: Looking at all that the Fighting Sioux returned, it’s no wonder why almost everyone is picking them first in the league. All they can hope for is that they live up to the hype — not only in the league, but on the national stage come April.

St. Cloud State

Head coach: Bob Motzko
2009-10 record: 24-14-5, 15-9-4 (34 points, third of 10 teams)
Key returners: G Dan Dunn, G Mike Lee, F Tony Mosey, F Garrett Roe
Key losses: F Ryan Lasch, D Garrett Raboin
2010-11 predicted finish: Theresa 2nd, Tyler 2nd, media 3rd, coaches 2nd
Bottom line: Ryan Lasch graduated as St. Cloud State’s all-time leading scorer. Garrett Roe isn’t far behind Lasch on the school’s career points list and the Huskies are expecting big numbers from the senior this season.

Wisconsin

Head coach: Mike Eaves
2009-10 record: 28-11-4, 17-8-3 (37 points, second of 10 teams)
Key returners: G Scott Gudmandson, D Justin Schultz, F Craig Smith
Key losses: F Michael Davies, F Blake Geoffrion, D Brendan Smith, F Derek Stepan
2010-11 predicted finish: Theresa 6th, Tyler 4th, media 5th, coaches 7th
Bottom line: Out of all the teams, the Badgers may have been hit the hardest with losses on both their front and back lines. However, keeping their goaltending intact may end up being a redeeming factor in what has potential to be a long season in Madison.

Alaska-Anchorage hopes small improvements will add up

By Theresa Spisak

-

October 3, 2010

Last season, things were starting to look up for Alaska-Anchorage.

The Seawolves had seven seniors, the most in six years, and it appeared as if they might have the necessary tools to get over the hump to finally get out of the league basement and join up with the middle of the pack.

They got close, technically finishing in a tie for eighth with Minnesota State with 20 points, but ending up ninth due to losing the tiebreaker.

This season, with the addition of two new teams to the conference, it appears as if this year will be the same old, same old for the Seawolves. However, there’s potential for movement if you look at a few of the team’s losses from last season.

The team had four one-goal losses. Switch those to ties and the team has 26 points — enough to be tied with Minnesota for seventh. Switch those to wins and you get 28 points, enough to take sixth place away from Colorado College.

It’ll take some work, though, and coach Dave Shyiak knows it. He also knows the main area in which his team has to improve.

“A big part of [it] is special teams. We need to get that extra goal when we need it and get that extra save when we need it,” he said. “We certainly understand and are aware we need to improve in those areas and we’ve got to get to the three-goal mark and in order to do that, you’ve got be strong on your power play.”

He also stressed the need for consistency in all aspects of the game.

Up front

Like a few other teams in the league this year, the Seawolves are going to have scoring by committee. It’s not because they lost the large chunks of scoring like other teams (though losing Kevin Clark and Josh Lunden will hurt), but it’s because the team just doesn’t score much.

Getting their power play working will help, but so will increased contribution from players such as Tommy Grant, Sean Wiles and Daniel Naslund.

On the blue line

The Seawolves are typically a fairly strong defensive team, though the score sheets may not always let you think that.

“I think in the past three or four years, we’ve always been in the top three as far as not giving up a lot of shots — we only give up 26, 27, 28 shots,” Shyiak said. “So we want to maintain how we play, a tougher team to play against.”

Still, the loss of Nils Backstrom and Trevor Hunt will still be felt, as well as the loss of Kane Lafranchise for the first half of the season due to academic ineligibility.

In the crease

With both Bryce Christianson and Jon Olthius gone this year, Shyiak is going to have to look to one of two freshman to step up in nets — either Rob Gunderson or Chris Kamal, as junior Dusan Sidor will most likely continue to play a backup role.

“It’s a tough position coming in as a freshman, especially in the WCHA, but as of right now, they’re both great team guys, work ethic is great and they look good right now in practice,” Shyiak said.

Roles uncertain, but Colorado College excited about potential

By Theresa Spisak

-

October 3, 2010

Colorado College was in an underdog role last season, and it stuck. The Tigers finished in the bottom half of the league for the first time in six years.

It didn’t appear as if they would end up that way, however, getting off to a good start thanks to some surprising play from freshman goaltender Joe Howe. One could argue, though, that the good start was mostly against lesser competition and by the time they reached the meat of the schedule, the Tigers fell apart.

One would be mostly right.

Given that the Tigers lost a lot of offense before last year and lost another good chunk this year, it could be assumed that the Tigers are in for another down year. However, if you noticed their rankings, the team is thought to finish anywhere from fifth through 10th. It just depends on if the team lives up to its young potential.

“We’ve got 16 freshmen and sophomores, and there’s a lot of uncertainty as to who’s going to fill what role and who’s going to do what, but we’re excited about our team,” coach Scott Owens said.

Up front

The losses of leading scorers Bill Sweatt and Mike Testwuide are ones that won’t be felt just on the score sheet, but in the locker room as well.

Still, the good thing about losing all that offense as mentioned above is that it leaves one with a young team bursting with potential, which is evident here. As long as there are “elder statesmen” around, such as seniors Tyler Johnson and Stephen Schultz, the team should find a balance.

“I think we’re going to have a lot of depth up front,” Owens said. “We’ve got a whole collection of youngsters and talented people that we think are going to be able to contribute, and I think we’re going to have scoring by committee to a certain extent.”

The return of third-leading scorer Rylan Schwartz doesn’t hurt either, nor does the addition of his brother, first-round NHL draft pick Jaden.

On the blue line

The graduation of Nate Prosser and Kris Fredheim will hurt the Tigers’ back line in terms of minutes and solid play (and offense, in Prosser’s case), but the team has a few more guys waiting in the wings to fill their places.

Look for Gabe Guentzel and Ryan Lowery to take the lion’s (Tiger’s?) share of minutes this season with supporting help from players such as Mike Boivin, Doug Leaverton and Joe Marciano. Owens also hopes that freshman Eamonn McDermott will also be able to step in right away.

In the crease

Sophomore goaltenders don’t always thrive in the WCHA, but Owens has no worries about how Joe Howe will do in his second year of play.

“It’s nice to have that backstop back for us because of the fact that we’re going to be relatively young in a lot of positions,” Owens said, “but he certainly plays like an older player as far as what we’ve seen in how he handles himself.”

Bemidji State seeks same results in new league, arena

By Tyler Buckentine

-

October 3, 2010

A new arena and the migration to one of the nation’s most prestigious college hockey conferences is enough to create a buzz surrounding Bemidji State.

Not to mention that the Beavers are coming off back-to-back national tournament appearances, including a run to the Frozen Four in 2009, and that’s enough to get Tom Serratore excited for the upcoming season, in which Bemidji State will call the Bemidji Regional Events Center home.

“This a very exciting time for us,” said Serratore, who is starting his 10th season as the Beavers’ head coach. “Moving to the WCHA was something we wanted for quite some time and it became a reality two years ago. The arena is an unbelievable facility.”

The Beavers tied a school record for wins in a season with 23 last season but fell 5-1 to Michigan in the first round of the NCAA regionals. They breezed through CHA competition and won the conference by 14 points, but Serratore is aware that the WCHA poses a much more difficult challenge.

“It’s going to be very challenging for us and we all know that,” Serratore said. “We’ve played a lot of WCHA teams in the past but never over the course of 28 games. It will be an uphill battle.”

The Beavers have gone 8-19 against current WCHA opponents the past three seasons.

Up front

Matt Read returns for his senior season at forward after leading the team in assists (22) and points (41). He finished with 19 goals and was the program’s first Division I All-American. Ian Lowe, the 2009-10 team leader in goals with 21, is also a senior.

“We’re a team led by upperclassmen. We have a veteran group coming back with experienced forwards,” Serratore said. “Matt Read is a high-end player with a tremendous amount of depth to his game. He makes a lot of plays and he’s our go-to guy.”

On the blue line

Serratore highlights three defensemen that he expects to lead from the blue line. Brad Hunt is a defenseman that has the ability to spark the offense, too. He scored 33 points last season with 26 assists, the only point totals higher than 10 by a Bemidji State defenseman.

“Brad Hunt is an offensive defenseman with a heavy shot,” Serratore said. “Between him and Read, we rely on those guys very much.”

The Beavers also have a pair of “shut-down” defensemen in Ryan Adams and Jake Areshenko, who don’t provide much offense but are very valuable.

“They’re just kind of defensive defensemen who are very hard to play against,” Serratore said. They’re competitive and they take a lot of pride in their defending.”

In the crease

The Beavers had a combined zero minutes of experience in goal at the beginning of the 2009-10 season after Matt Dalton left early for the pros.

Dan Bakala saw most of the minutes in goal for the Beavers last season as a sophomore, posting a 2.33 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. Mathieu Dugas was just as impressive through nine games with a 1.93 GAA and .918 save percentage.

“It’ll be interesting; it’s always a battle for No. 1 goalie,” Serratore said. “[Bakala] had a tremendous year. Danny stood tall and won us a lot of games and was a big reason we advanced to the national tournament.”

Potent offense sparks Minnesota-Duluth’s high expectations

By Tyler Buckentine

-

October 3, 2010

The pieces are in place for Minnesota-Duluth to meet expectations and finish near the top of the WCHA standings in 2010-11.

The Bulldogs return three 40-plus-point scorers — Jack Connolly, Mike Connolly and Justin Fontaine — that anchored a UMD power play that ranked third in Division I at the end of last season.

The media picked the Bulldogs to finish second in the WCHA, while the coaches projected them to take third.

“I like our chances to continue performing at a high level on the power play with the personnel we’re bringing back,” Minnesota-Duluth coach Scott Sandelin said in a press release. “We probably have more players, both forwards and defensemen, who are capable of seeing power-play time than we ever have.”

On Dec. 30, the Bulldogs will move into the new, $70 million Amsoil Arena to replace the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, which the Bulldogs called home for 44 years.

Up front

Fontaine and the Connollys will undoubtedly be counted on to score a bulk of UMD’s goals this year after the type of seasons they had in 2009-10.

Jack Connolly was the Bulldogs’ overall points leader with 49 and led the team in assists (31) to go with his 18 goals. WCHA coaches voted him the conference’s preseason player of the year.

Fontaine led the Bulldogs in goals with 21, finishing with 46 points. Mike Connolly finished the season with 14 goals and 40 points.

“Travis Oleksuk is another guy we’ll need production from to try and take some pressure off our big three,” Sandelin said. “Our opponents are going to focus on them, but we have some other capable players.”

The Bulldogs will miss 40-point scorer Rob Bordson, who left Duluth after his junior season.

On the blue line

Sandelin expects Justin Faulk to have an impact on the Bulldogs’ blue line this season after scoring 33 points for the U.S. National Under-18 Team last season. He also helped Team USA win the IIHF U18 World Championship gold medal.

“Justin Faulk comes in as a very talented, highly touted player who has obviously played at a high level with the National Team Development Program the past two winters,” Sandelin said. “He brings an element of offense to his game, but can also play tough if need be.”

Brady Lamb was UMD’s top scoring defenseman from last season with 24 points.

In the crease

Kenny Reiter split time in net with Brady Hjelle last season, with Reiter starting the majority of the games. Reiter had better numbers with a 2.37 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage.

Hjelle returned to the USHL in the offseason.

Minnesota State looks to go farther after late-season setbacks

By Tyler Buckentine

-

October 3, 2010

The seniors on the Minnesota State roster have fallen one score short of their goal twice in the past three years. It’s the Mavericks’ goal to reach the WCHA Final Five each year, and the past two seasons, MSU was a goal away from a trip to St. Paul.

The Mavericks couldn’t get a goal in a three-overtime loss to Minnesota in Game 3 of WCHA first-round series in 2008. They blew a late lead in a Game 3 at St. Cloud last season and lost in overtime to end the season.

“Some of the seniors have been very close two out of their three years here,” Jutting said. “So there’s obviously that motivation, but there’s motivation no matter what happened the year before.”

The Mavericks are projected to finish 10th in both the WCHA coaches and media polls but the goal remains the same: get to St. Paul.

Up front

The Mavericks lost their entire top line and their top three centers from a year ago. Senior captain Rylan Galiardi tied for the team lead in forwards scoring last season with 25 points. Jutting expects Galiardi to be a big part of the MSU offense along with junior forwards Michael Dorr and Mike Louwerse.

“The guys who left contributed a lot but we didn’t have any prolific goal scorers,” Jutting said. “Mike Louwerse went from a 13-goal season to a seven-goal season so he needs to get back on track. Mike Dorr finally got to play again last year after being out for almost two full years. Those two kids have got to score for us.”

Dorr became eligible to play for the Mavericks in December after he transferred from Minnesota before the 2009-10 season. He led MSU with .727 points per game. Louwerse scored 13 goals with 13 assists as a freshman but posted just 13 points last season.

Three Minnesota State recruits were in Fargo’s (USHL) top four in scoring last season, including Matt Leitner (25-41–66), Corey Leivermann (20-35–55) and Chase Grant (28-22–50). Leitner is ineligible to play this season.

On the blue line

Senior Ben Youds returns as Minnesota State’s top scorer with 26 points despite scoring just three goals last season. He enters this season as the Mavericks’ only member of the preseason all-WCHA second team.

“[Youds and senior Kurt Davis] are two of the better offensive defensemen in our league,” Jutting said. “That’s something we’ve never had in my 25 years of being associated with this program. Most teams are fortunate to have one [defenseman that can score].”

Davis scored 23 points last season after tying for the team lead in points (31) in 2008-09.

“We’re probably the only team in the country that has two defensemen that have led their team in scoring,” Jutting said. “I like our experience back there and our ability to score from the blue line.”

In the crease

The Mavericks have two capable goaltenders in Phil Cook and Austin Lee. Cook started most of the games down the stretch and played his best against St. Cloud State in the last weekend of the season and in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

“With the way Phil played the last half of last season and Austin, we have two kids who’ve played at this level so I like where we are at,” Jutting said.

Cook posted decent stats after he got his first start near the midway point of the season. He had a .859 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage through 18 games.

Lee started more than half of the Mavericks’ games with a 2.85 GAA and a .907 save percentage in 20 games.

Nebraska-Omaha expects to feel the heat in inaugural WCHA season

By Tyler Buckentine

-

October 3, 2010

The resume Dean Blais has put together would make one think it would be an easy transition when he takes his Nebraska-Omaha team from the CCHA to the WCHA.

The former North Dakota coach won five MacNaughton Cups and a pair of Broadmoor Trophies in his 10 years at North Dakota, but Blais — now in his second season as head coach at UNO — knows the situation is different this time around.

“It’s like jumping from the frying pan into the fire,” said Blais, who has been involved in professional and amateur hockey outside the WCHA since 2004. “There’s no ease at all [in making the transition]. The only thing I know about the WCHA is where all the hotels are. With 11 freshman in the lineup, we could be in for a real tough start.”

Blais led the Mavericks to a 20-16-6 record in 2009-10, falling two wins short of the CCHA semifinals.

“We accomplished some good things last season,” said Blais, who missed four games last season to coach Team USA to a gold medal at the IIHF U20 World Junior Championships. “Twenty wins is not an average season, it’s a good season. The players accomplished a lot.”

Geographically, the WCHA is the right fit for UNO, but the preseason WCHA coaches and media polls don’t have the Mavericks in such a favorable location — projected to finish eighth and ninth, respectfully, in 2010-11. UNO has gone 2-3-2 against current WCHA opponents over the past two seasons.

Up front

Three of UNO’s top four scorers are forwards returning from last season. Joe Kemp (8-20–28) will be a junior. Rich Purslow (14-13–27) and Joey Martin (16-10–26) are seniors. The Mavericks lost top goal scorer Jeric Agosta (15 goals) to graduation, but Purslow and junior Alex Hudson each tied for second on the team with 14 goals.

Matt White joins the forward corps after racking up 82 points for the Omaha Lancers of the USHL. His 35 goals were tied for most in the USHL with Tyler Barnes (Wisconsin) and Anders Lee (Notre Dame).

“We’re young but we have talent,” Blais said. “We have players coming in from junior leagues that either led their team or their league in scoring.”

On the blue line

Eddie Del Grosso — UNO’s leading scorer from a year ago with 30 points — left a gaping hole at defense when he graduated in the spring. Blais said Del Grosso and fellow defenseman Mark Bernier logged around 30 minutes per game last season.

“[Defense] is our biggest question mark going into the season,” Blais said. “We have four freshman that are going to see playing time.”

Andrej Sustr, Michael Young and Tony Turgeon are those freshman expected to play. Eric Olimb is UNO’s leading returning defenseman in scoring with 20 points in 2009-10.

In the crease

Goaltender John Faulkner returns from a freshman season in which he split time with senior goalie Jeremie Dupont. Faulker saw more than half of the minutes in net, going 13-10-4 with a .905 save percentage and a 2.60 goals-against average.

Fredrik Bergmann redshirted last season and Mike Taffe joins the team.

“Faulkner had a decent season last year,” Blais said. “Both [Faulkner and Taffe] are looking good. Bergmann didn’t get many games in. John’s going to have to be good from the start to allow Taffe to get used to the game.”

Offseason departures leave Wisconsin starting fresh

By Theresa Spisak

-

October 3, 2010

After being shut out of the NCAA tournament in 2008-09, last year Wisconsin team was determined to get back on to the national scene. The Badgers accomplished that in fine form by not only making the tournament, but by going all the way to Detroit and the Frozen Four as the league’s sole representative.

This year, the Badgers may be in for a rougher ride. Even though they kept their goaltending intact, both their offense and defense were hit hard by graduation and early departures. As a result, Wisconsin is in for a fairly steep learning curve at the beginning of the season.

However, it’s not anything new for coach Mike Eaves, who saw the same thing four short years ago.

“It’s easier this time around,” he said. “We lost 10 kids in ’06, we lost 11 kids this year and they’re a big chunk of your team. I think the reality set back in ’06 that this kind of thing is going to happen and when you’re successful and you have good players, it’s kind of the way that our world is right now.

“So, you can do one of two things: You can get frustrated and whine and cry about it or you can say, you know, it’s just like the seasons of life,” Eaves continued. “Right now, we’re back in spring and we’ll move through summer and autumn and winter with these kids and by these kids’ junior, senior year, hopefully we’ll be back in a position where we can be where we were at the end of last year.”

A Frozen Four at least every four years? That’s certainly a way to look at a brighter future.

Up front

The Badgers were hit the hardest offensively in the offseason, losing their top four scorers (who combined for 208 total points) and seven of their top eight overall. As a result, they’ll be looking to a lot of new, young faces to step up.

“You’re hoping guys that have a history of scoring coming in will be able to step in and help us out, guys like Mark Zengerle and Tyler Barnes up front, and we’re hoping they can do that,” Eaves said.

On the blue line

Defensively, the Badgers lost three key players in Cody Goloubef, Ryan McDonagh and Brendan Smith. However, an upside is that they still have some upperclassmen in players like Jake Gardiner and Craig Johnson and some much-improved sophomores to help lead the way for the new guys.

In the crease

If there’s one place the Badgers are glad they didn’t lose anybody, it’s in arguably the biggest position of all — goaltender. The team returns both senior netminders in Brett Bennett and Scott Gudmandson.

“We’re hoping they play well right away and they can make up for some of our usual mistakes so we can hang around in games and maybe they can steal a game now and then,” Eaves said. “Having those two senior goaltenders could be very key for us.”

No panic button for Denver despite offseason departures

By Theresa Spisak

-

October 3, 2010

Denver was the unanimous preseason pick to win the league last season. The Pioneers succeeded in this feat by being consistently good throughout the early part of the year before going on an 11-1 tear (9-1 in conference) to finish out the season.

However, it may have been too much, as the team ran out of gas come playoff time, losing both of its games in the Final Five and failing to make it past the first round of the NCAA tournament.

In the offseason, the team lost quite a bit to graduation and early departures, though not as much as its Wisconsin counterparts. However, in similar fashion to Badgers coach Mike Eaves, Denver coach George Gwozdecky isn’t hitting the panic button quite yet. However, he is cautious, knowing the early tough road ahead for his team.

“There’s no question we have a very challenging first 10 games or so, but I think we’re going to find out a lot about our team throughout that first group of games,” he said.

Up front

The Pioneers lost four of their top five scorers, one of whom was a defenseman, and some of those points won’t be easy to recover. Their top three alone — Rhett Rakhshani, Joe Colborne and Tyler Ruegsegger — combined for 132 points.

Gwozdecky, however, prefers to think of the silver lining to the loss of his players.

“I don’t think we have any real high-profile players in the older classes perhaps like we’ve had over the last few years coming into this year so I think it’s a little bit different,” he said. “But I think in some ways we could be better just because we won’t have to be looking to a Rhett Rakhshani to score all our goals or a Joe Colborne to score our goals.

“I think we’ll be a little bit deeper and probably expect more out of all four lines to create offense instead of just one or two.”

On the blue line

The Pioneers lost a large defensive and offensive force in Patrick Wiercioch as well as a steady defenseman in Cody Brookwell.

However, the team has players such as sophomore Matt Donovan, junior John Lee and seniors Chris Nutini and John Ryder to help lead the way.

In the crease

At first glance, goaltending looks to be Denver’s biggest weakness this year. Gone is workhorse Marc Cheverie. In his place are sophomore Adam Murray, who played eight games last season (3-4-1, 3.79 goals-against average, .874 save percentage) and two freshmen to fight for playing time.

Doom and gloom time? Not necessarily, Gwozdecky said.

“Three years ago, we were in the very same situation,” he said. “Marc Cheverie had been the backup to Peter Mannino, played five games and had not shown very well as a freshman and, obviously as a starter his sophomore year, all the questions people had about Marc Cheverie and DU’s goaltending and whatever were answered very quickly.

“I’d certainly like to believe that our goaltending is in good hands.”

Genoway’s return, complete roster make North Dakota a favorite

By Theresa Spisak

-

October 3, 2010

Just by looking at their results from last season, one might think that North Dakota did its same old song and dance — start slow-ish, surge late and end up in the mix at the end of the season.

Results, though, don’t tell the whole story.

The Fighting Sioux started off well, but then lost arguably their best player in senior Chay Genoway to a concussion in first game of an early November series against St. Cloud State. After that, the team went into a bit of a tailspin, going 6-10-4 through early February.

However, against the same SCSU that sent the Sioux reeling, the Sioux stormed back in the second game of the second series of the season, winning 8-1 and starting a seven-game winning streak that would take them through the end of the regular season.

The momentum carried them through a Final Five victory, but it died out in the first round of the NCAAs.

This year, Genoway is back — thanks to a medical hardship waiver — as is almost the rest of the team, poising the Sioux for what should be a great year on top of the league and perhaps a bit more.

“We have a focused group of players that would like to achieve something as a team, and when you look that far down the road, I think you have to have an end point and an end goal in mind and I know our group does,” coach Dave Hakstol said.

“I’m not going to say exactly what that is or what those goals are, but the goal for this season in respects as I look at it as a coach are to really build off of what we had started last year.”

Up front

The Sioux lost their leading scorer in Chris VandeVelde as well as a team leader in Darcy Zajac. But beyond that, they return the core of their offense with players such as Jason Gregoire, Brett Hextall, Danny Kristo, Brad Malone and Evan Trupp.

Another interesting player to watch out for is Matt Frattin. Kicked off the team after his sophomore year due to repeated violations of team rules, he rejoined the Sioux roster in the beginning of 2010 and performed fairly well, putting up 19 points in 24 games.

On the blue line

The main story for the Sioux’s defensive corps is the return of Genoway to the team. Even with 10 months off from hockey, he’s still thought of as one of the most complete players around.

“Chay’s doing well,” Hakstol said. “Right now he looks good. Other than playing games and getting that game timing back, I think he’s done everything that is humanly possible to get himself ready for the season.”

Beyond Genoway, the Sioux still have solid defensemen in players such as Derrick LaPoint and Jake Marto.

In the crease

Returning in nets for the Sioux is workhorse junior Brad Eidsness, who has continued to grow into a competent netminder. Behind him is sophomore Aaron Dell, who can perform admirably in spot duty every now and then to give Eidsness a rest.

Can Michigan Tech’s changes bring better results in new season?

By Theresa Spisak

-

October 3, 2010

The story of Michigan Tech’s 2009-10 season was the much of the same as it has been the past few years: Enter the season with low external expectations. Live up to them, finishing dead last (and with fewer points than the year before). Get a few wins here and there, keep a few games close here and there.

It has been the recent history of Tech hockey, but it still doesn’t keep coach Jamie Russell from trying to change it, and in a few different ways.

First of all, he has a larger roster than usual for practicality purposes.

“We do have a lot of players on our roster because of the last two seasons, because we’ve had so many injuries, especially last year when we had so many games when we couldn’t even dress a complete roster,” he said.

Secondly, the Huskies, sans their incoming freshmen, went to Europe this summer to play a few games. This was good not only for the fairly obvious reasons such as team bonding and team building, but also for tweaking things for the upcoming season.

“[The trip] helped with the implementation of some new systems,” Russell said. “We altered our D zone a little bit, we changed how we forecheck, we changed what we do in the neutral zone, so it gave us a laboratory, so to speak, to try out some new ideas [and] some new concepts.”

A change can do you good, so goes the song, and Tech can hope that some change will do it good, too.

Up front

Last season, the Huskies had eight players with double-digit scoring. They lost three of those players to graduation, though it should be noted that one was a defenseman and one was a utility player that switched positions.

Still, the upside is that the team returns over half of its offense, including leading scorer Brett Olson, a junior. If the team can stay healthy and adapt to Russell’s new systems, the offense should pick up a bit.

Russell’s faith in his team doesn’t hurt, either.

“We feel we can score more goals this year with the talent that we’ve brought in and our returning scoring,” he said.

On the blue line

The Huskies’ D corps lost quite a bit in seniors Drew Dobson, Mike VanWagner and Eli Vlaisavljevich. However, the back line as a whole is quite young and defense is a position where players typically get stronger with age.

The team will look to players such as senior Deron Cousens, junior Ricky Doriott and sophomore Steven Seigo to help pick up the slack.

In the crease

If the Huskies have one strength this year, it’s that they have both goaltenders returning in junior Josh Robinson and sophomore Kevin Genoe. Both should get plenty of playing time this season.

“Both have a lot of experience coming into this season,” Russell said. “We feel that both goaltenders can play. We’ll split them early and hopefully we’ll get strong play from both of them and continue; if there is a separation between the two, then we will make the switch to one.”

Minnesota again turns to top prospects to replace high-end talent

By Tyler Buckentine

-

October 3, 2010

It happens all over college sports. Players leave before their senior seasons to try an make it as a professional. Perhaps no college hockey coach knows this better than Don Lucia.

Since Phil Kessel left Minnesota in 2006 after his freshman season, six other Gophers taken in the NHL entry draft have also signed pro contracts before their sophomore seasons.

The last two players to bolt for the pros were freshman defenseman Nick Leddy and sophomore center Jordan Schroeder, both first-round picks in the 2009 draft. Losing high-end talent that early makes it difficult to establish continuity within the program.

“You’re happy for the kids who get the opportunity to move on,” Lucia said. “It’s part of the reason they want to be part of our program, to get ready for the next level. The trick is to find a happy medium where they are productive players here before they decide to move on. It’s something we have to deal with.”

Up front, on the blue line

Lucia brought in a new bunch of highly rated prospects to play for the Gophers this season, starting with Nick Bjugstad at forward. Bjugstad was drafted out of Blaine High School 19th overall by the Florida Panthers. He finished his junior season with 35 goals and 34 assists to win the Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award and accelerated his academics to be eligible for college hockey this fall.

“Those three [Bjugstad, Erik Haula and Nate Condon] are going to have an impact right away,” Lucia said. “They can skate and they can make plays. We could have three freshman as our top three centers when it’s all said and done.”

Incoming freshman forwards Haula and Max Gardiner and defensemen Mark Alt and Justin Holl were taken in the NHL draft.

But the Gophers also have experience. Jay Barriball returns for his senior season after sitting out last year with a knee injury and will be a first-line winger with senior Mike Hoeffel.

“Having Jay back is like getting a new recruit,” Lucia said. “He can be one of our top scorers and play in every situation offensively. I don’t think his knee bothers him anymore when he skates.”

In the crease

Minnesota is also well-seasoned between the pipes with fourth-year starter Alex Kangas, who has a career goals-against average of 2.46 and a save percentage of .914.

“Alex, quietly, had a really good year,” Lucia said. “Kent [Patterson] is going to push him [for the starting spot]. We told our goalies that they have to win some games for us this year and they’re both capable of doing that.”

2010-11 Hobey Baker Watch: Preview, Part I

-

October 2, 2010

Wow, is it the eve of college hockey season already?

Apparently, yes, thanks to the crazy early series between Michigan and Mercyhurst. Not sure what’s up with that, but if I want to preview the Hobey Baker race, apparently, I’d best get to it.

Generally, what I’ve done in the past is try to “cast” the upcoming season’s finalists based on who the finalists were in the previous season, but that doesn’t work too well for me. In two seasons, I think I correctly named one Hobey finalist. Granted, it was 2009 Hobey winner Matt Gilroy, but still, there’s a better way.

So, instead of playing casting agent, I’ve gone over last season’s all-conference teams, combined that information with my own observations, and come out with a list of 25 names to start from for this season. It won’t be perfect, but it’ll be better than what I’ve been doing. We’ll start with forwards for now, then add the goalies and defensemen in Part Two.

Jacques Lamoureux, Sr, Air Force – Lamoureux was a Hobey Finalist in 2009, but found himself on the outside looking in last year after his numbers dropped off, not to mention increased competition in Atlantic Hockey with the emergence of Canisius forward Cory Conacher (more on him below). I think that Lamoureux is well worth watching, as he could certainly adjust to the attention he attracted last year. He’ll still be a focus of opposing teams’ game planning, but he may well make the necessary improvements to reassert himself. If that happens, he certainly has the intangibles to complement his on-ice performance and make him a very strong candidate for the top 10 or even the Hobey Hat Trick.

Cory Conacher, Sr, Canisius – Conacher was second in the nation in points per game last season, with 20 goals and 33 assists in 35 games. That performance was good enough for Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year, but that didn’t get him a Hobey finalist spot, probably because there was room for debate about whether Conacher, Lamoureux, or RIT’s Dan Ringwald was the conference’s best candidate for the award. A lack of team success probably didn’t help, either, so Canisius will need to make a strong run at the Atlantic Hockey title for Conacher to get consideration for a finalist spot.

Andy Miele, Sr, Miami – Miele was a second-team All-CCHA Pick last season, and is picked as a preseason first-team selection this year. Miami’s depth tends to be a strength, and it’s hard to say which RedHawks forward will be the leader in terms of conference and national honors.

Carter Camper, Sr, Miami – Camper is a preseason second-team All-CCHA selection, but had as many points as Miele last season. Camper is worth keeping an eye on. So, for that matter, is Pat Cannone. Miami’s a deep team, and I think it’ll be a bigger surprise if the RedHawks DON’T produce a Hobey finalist or two this season. Whether it’s Camper, Miele, Cannone, or one of the goalies (see below) remains to be seen.

Chase Polacek, Sr, Rensselaer – Polacek was the ECAC Hockey Player of the Year last season, and luckily for the Engineers, the nation’s sixth leading scorer turned down any opportunity to turn pro. Unfortunately for the Engineers, that made him the exception rather than the rule among RPI’s top stars. It’ll be interesting to see how the absence of early signees Jerry D’Amigo and Brandon Pirri affect Polacek. When a team loses major weapons, the ones who are left will command more attention, so RPI will need to make up for the lost productivity relatively quickly. Still, when you scored 50 points a year ago and you stay in school, you get consideration for the Hobey coming into the season.

Broc Little, Sr, Yale – Like Miami, Yale’s high-flying offense figures to produce multiple high scorers, and as a 27-goal scorer a year ago, Little is likely to be one of them. Teammate Brian O’Neill is also worth a look – he tied for seventh in the nation in points per game last season – but with 16 goals and 29 assists, he’s seen primarily as the setup man, and as we all know, Hobey Likes Goals. Keep your eye on Little first, but don’t be surprised to see a number of Yale forwards earn consideration.

Cam Atkinson, Jr, Boston College – Atkinson was a second team Hockey East All-Star last season, and flew just below the Hobey radar, possibly due in part to his sophomore status. However, Atkinson’s performance during the NCAA Tournament put the nation on notice. With big things expected from BC, the time is right for Atkinson to step up to the next level. He finished last season as the nation’s leading goal-scorer after six goals in the tournament, which has to put him as an early favorite for the Hobey.

Brian Gibbons, Sr, Boston College – Gibbons was named to the Hockey East First Team over Atkinson last season, and is worth keeping an eye on, but with 16 goals and 34 assists last year, he’s the kind of player who’s valued more by the coaches and media in his conference than by your average Hobey voting panel. The other thing to consider here – and this is an issue facing Atkinson as well – is that while many BC forwards have earned Hobey finalist honors during Jerry York’s tenure at the Heights, defenseman Mike Mottau remains the only Eagle to win the award under York. Much as Cornell’s system is known for producing great numbers for goalies, York’s Eagles are known for turning out small forwards who rack up the points. The question is this: Will it take unheard-of production for Atkinson or Gibbons to succeed where Nathan Gerbe, Brian Gionta, Chris Collins, and many others have failed? Or will it just take the right breaks in the Hobey race itself?

Gustav Nyquist, Jr, Maine – The nation’s leading scorer a year ago is back for another run in Orono, after leading the Black Bears to within a goal of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2007 Frozen Four. Nyquist picked up the majority of his 61 points on assists, but there’s a difference between being the nation’s top scorer and one of the top 10 or 15. If Nyquist continues to develop, he should definitely emerge as a Hobey contender.

Stephane Da Costa, So, Merrimack – The bad news for Da Costa is that he’d need to lead the Warriors into the NCAA tournament to have a shot at the Hobey, and given that Merrimack is picked seventh in Hockey East, that’s not looking terribly likely. That said, the good news is that last year’s National Rookie of the Year was the nation’s No. 7 scorer as a freshman, playing in the conference that’s produced the last three NCAA champions. That bodes well for continued individual success, and the Frenchman could easily contend for Hobey finalist recognition should his career continue on its current trajectory.

Matt Read, Sr, Bemidji State – Read was the subject of Hobey talk early on in the season a year ago, when he scored 21 points in 13 games in october and Novemeber. However, Read’s star faded on the national scene as the season went along, although he was an easy pick as the CHA’s final Player of the Year. Now, he’s a senior, and he’ll captain the Beavers on their maiden voyage in the conference that Just Got Tougher. If he produces in the WCHA as well as he did against CHA opposition, he’ll have a great case for Hobey finalist consideration.

Jack Connolly, Jr, Minnesota-Duluth – One of two returning All-WCHA picks for the Bulldogs, Connolly is the top returning scorer in the conference. The Bulldogs were picked second in the WCHA by the media and third by the coaches, which indicates that Connolly should have plenty of opportunity to impress this season.

Justin Fontaine, Sr, Minnesota-Duluth – Fontaine didn’t tally quite as many points as his running buddy Connolly – he had three fewer points in one less game – but he scored more goals, and he’s a senior. Those are both points in his favor. Of course, time will tell which Bulldog, if any, will emerge as a strong candidate for the Hobey.

Garrett Roe, Sr, St. Cloud State – I’ve had an eye on Roe since I saw him play against Alaska-Anchorage his freshman year at the National Hockey Center, and he’s been one of the top 25 scorers in the nation all three years at St. Cloud. Now, he’s a senior, and while he won’t have the luxury of playing with Ryan Lasch anymore, this could be his moment in the Hobey spotlight, as the top returning player on a team picked to finish second in the WCHA by the conference’s coaches and third by the media.

So, those are the forwards. Coming tomorrow: the goalies and defensemen.

North Dakota’s Kristo gets 1-game suspension for rules violation

USCHO Staff Report

-

October 1, 2010

North Dakota forward Danny Kristo has been suspended for one game for violating team rules, the school announced Friday.

Kristo will miss Sunday’s exhibition game against Manitoba.

The school did not specify the nature of the violation.

1...1,0611,0621,063...1,531 Page 1,062 of 1,531

Last year

The assets

The weak links

Prediction

Last year

The assets

The weak links

Prediction

Last year

The assets

The weak links

Prediction

Last year

The assets

The weak links

Prediction

Up front

In the crease

Up front

On the blue line

In the crease

Up front

On the blue line

In the crease

Up front

On the blue line

In the crease

Up front

On the blue line

In the crease

Up front

On the blue line

In the crease

Up front

On the blue line

In the crease

Up front

On the blue line

In the crease

Up front

On the blue line

In the crease

Up front

On the blue line

In the crease

Up front

On the blue line

In the crease

Up front, on the blue line

In the crease

Latest Stories from around USCHO