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2009-10 Canisius Season Preview

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Former Canisius hockey coach Brian Cavanaugh once said that the Jesuit way is to gradually but continually improve. Current Golden Griffins coach Dave Smith has his team along that path. For a few years, his better players have been his younger ones, and as those classes have matured, the wins have started to come — from just nine in 2006-07 to 15 last season, the most since 2001.

Last year, Smith said his squad was the most talented he had assembled, and he feels the same way this year. Expectations around the league are that this is a team that can challenge for a title.

“It’s a different feel,” Smith said. “It’s exciting. The pieces to the puzzle are here and now its up to us to meet our own expectations.”

Smith says his team was close last year, but let itself down with a fifth-place finish.

“We stubbed our toes against Bentley,” he said. “They beat us six times last year. We need to continue to get better individually and as a program. The expectations change every year. They create excitement as we improve and can see what we are capable of, but at the same time we haven’t been in this situation before. Maybe individually in juniors or whatever, but not as this group.”

This group returns 87 percent of its offense, all but one defenseman, and all three goalies.

Sophomore Dave Kostuch was Rookie-of-the-Year in Atlantic Hockey last season, racking up 21 goals. Also back are Jason Weeks (39 points last season), Cory Conacher (35 points) and Josh Heidinger (33 points).

Senior Carl Hudson (eight power-play goals) returns to lead the defensive corps, and Andrew Loewen is back for his final season after posting a .919 save percentage and a 2.81 GAA last year.

The Griffs will open with nine of their first 12 games at home, including hosting a season-opening series
against Ferris State.

“This is a hard-working group and soon we’ll see if that hard work pays off,” Smith said. “We’re looking forward to it.”

2009-10 Bentley Season Preview

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Success for the Bentley Falcons has come in cycles. In 2006, Bentley reached the Atlantic Hockey championship game, but then fell out of contention the next two years. Last season saw a resurgence that resulted in the team recording its best record in school history and reaching the league semifinals.

But the Falcons might be in rebuilding mode again after the losses of Dain Prewitt (42 points last season), Jeff Gumaer (37 points) and Anthony Canzoneri (35 points).

“I hate to use that term [rebuilding], but in some ways I guess we are,” Bentley coach Ryan Soderquist said. “You don’t replace guys like the ones we lost. But unlike the last time when the cupboard was kind of bare, I think we have a good group of players that are ready to step up.

“I don’t think it’s going to take two or three years to get ready to challenge for a championship. The first part of this season will not be about wins and losses, but getting ready and getting better. We’ll go from there.”

The young Falcons will be challenged early with a schedule that takes them to Northeastern and Quinnipiac before opening the conference season against Mercyhurst and Air Force.

"The first part of this season will not be about wins and losses, but getting ready and getting better. We’ll go from there."

— Bentley coach Ryan Soderquist

“We’ll be tested right off the bat,” Soderquist said. “We’ll certainly take positives away from a win, but we can take positives away from a loss too. We’re looking to play hard and let the wins and losses take care of themselves.”

Soderquist says he intends to get his defense more involved in the playmaking this season.

“Last year I think we had two goals scored all year by defensemen,” he said. “It was, ‘Get the puck out of the zone and onto the sticks of the guys who score a lot.’ But this year I think you’ll see our defensemen more involved in the offense.”

Senior Bobby Preece will be called on to lead a group of blueliners that included three freshmen last season.

Up front, Erik Perterson, Marc Menzione and Dustin Cloutier had 43 goals between them last year, and they’ll be expected to do at least as well this season.

“They were basically our second line last year and they’re being pushed up,” Soderquist said. “Plus I think we have some great young freshmen and three or four guys that are going to be sleepers, who maybe didn’t have the opportunity to show their stuff.”

In net, Soderquist plans to again platoon Kyle Rank and Joe Calvi.

“I like having two goalies,” he said. “Who wouldn’t want a guy like (Air Force’s Andrew) Volkening who can go every night? But I think in most cases it’s good to be able to give a guy a night off so he’s not burned out by the end of the season.”

2009-10 Atlantic Hockey Season Preview

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Have you caught your breath yet? Ready for more? It’s certainly going to be difficult to top the 2008-09 college hockey season, which included the most intense, exciting postseason in history. Atlantic Hockey contributed to the madness, with Air Force claiming its third consecutive league title and then knocking off Michigan in the first round of the NCAA tournament before falling in double overtime to Vermont in bizarre fashion.

Can the Falcons make it 4-for-4? The coaches think so, picking the Falcons to repeat as regular season champions.

“Air Force is the benchmark that we’d all like to follow,” RIT coach Wayne Wilson said. “They’ve changed the mind-set of our league and the rest of college hockey with their performance in the NCAA tournament.

“We’ve been both good and lucky,” Air Force coach Frank Serratore said. “To win three times, you have to be.

“We’re very proud not only to be the champions of Atlantic Hockey but as members of Atlantic Hockey. The depth of the league has gotten better each year from top to bottom.”

Last season was supposed to be the Year of the Goalie in Atlantic Hockey, with so many talented netminders in the league. And while there were plenty of standout performances in net, several teams put up impressive offensive numbers last season. RIT, Mercyhurst and Air Force sported the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 offenses in Division I, averaging upwards of four goals a game. With plenty of firepower returning, plus some stellar defenses and familiar names in net, expect the usual battle to the wire in Atlantic Hockey, with the winner a force to reckoned with come tournament time.

Click on any team name at the top of a section below to view its individual season preview. Teams are listed in order of predicted finish by USCHO.com

Air Force

2008-09 overall record: 28-11-2
2008-09 AHA record: 20-6-4
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey finish: First (tie)
2009-10 predicted finish (coaches’ poll): First
Outlook: Lamoureux, Volkening and Fairchild are three reasons why the Falcons are favored to win their fourth straight title.

Mercyhurst

2008-09 overall record: 22-15-3
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey record: 17-8-3
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey finish: Third
2009-10 predicted finish (coaches’ poll): Second
Outlook: The Lakers have it all: solid goaltending and defense combined with one of the best offenses in the nation.

RIT

2008-09 overall record: 23-13-2
2008-09 AHA record: 20-6-2
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey finish: First (tie)
2009-10 predicted finish (coaches’ poll): Third
Outlook: The last two seasons, the Tigers have some up short in the playoffs in front of partisan crowds at the Blue Cross Arena. Will they send their fans home happy this year? They have to get there first, and RIT has the tools to return.

Canisius

2008-09 overall record: 15-16-6
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey record: 12-12-4
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey finish: Fifth
2009-10 predicted finish (coaches’ poll): Fifth
Outlook: Canisius has been building for this season for the past three years. Home ice is is not just a possibility; it’s an expectation.

Holy Cross

2008-09 overall record: 13-20-5
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey record: 10-15-3
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey finish: Seventh
2009-10 predicted finish (coaches’ poll): Fourth
Outlook: The Crusaders underachieved last season, but return almost intact.

Army

2008-09 overall record: 11-19-6
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey record: 10-12-6
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey finish: Sixth
2009-10 predicted finish (coaches’ poll): Sixth
Outlook: The Black Knights need to win on the road and get stellar play from Jay Clarke and Owen Meyer if they want to return to the top half of the standings.

Bentley

2008-09 overall record: 19-17-2
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey record: 15-11-2
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey finish: Fourth
2009-10 predicted finish (coaches’ poll): Seventh
Outlook: The Falcons must overcome the loss of their top line, but return their goaltending and most of their defense.

Sacred Heart

2008-09 overall record: 9-16-3
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey record: 11-23-3
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey finish: Eighth
2009-10 predicted finish (coaches poll): Eighth
Outlook: The Pioneers will have a new coach in a few days and will need to jell quickly.

Connecticut

2008-09 overall record: 9-26-2
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey record: 8-18-2
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey finish: Ninth
2009-10 predicted finish (coaches’ poll): Ninth
Outlook: This young team took its lumps last season but should improve assuming the Huskies can find a capable replacement for the departed Beau Erickson.

American International

2008-09 overall record: 5-28-2
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey record: 5-22-1
2008-09 Atlantic Hockey finish: 10th
2009-10 predicted finish (coaches’ poll): 10th
Outlook: The Yellow Jackets will be better than last year, but probably not enough to escape the basement.

2009-10 Sacred Heart Season Preview

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This season was already looking like a challenging one for the Sacred Heart Pioneers. After posting consecutive 21-win seasons in 2005-06 and 2006-07, Sacred Heart’s win totals dropped to 16 the following year and then just 11 last season. After claiming the top seed in the 2007 playoffs, the Pioneers are picked to finish eighth in the the 2009-10 preseason poll.

The sudden departure of longtime coach Shaun Hannah (13 seasons, 180-181-34) in September presents perhaps the biggest challenge of all.

“Guys were in shock,” assistant coach Dan Muse said. “It was unexpected, but credit the players. They have been focused on preparation and things they can control. They have complete faith in our administration that they’ll select a candidate that will continue to make this a great hockey program.”

Interviews for a new coach are under way, and until then Muse and co-assistant Lou Santani are holding down the fort. Their main concerns are revamping an offense that has lost all-star players each of the past three seasons, including Bear Trapp (156 career points) last year. During that timespan, the Pioneer offense went from first to sixth in the league.

“It’s an opportunity for some guys to step into the spotlight,” Muse said. “Guys like [Erik] Boisvert and [Dave] Jarman and Matt Gingera are great players and we have some others ready to have breakout seasons. It’s not going to come from just one person. We’ll have lots of guys contributing in many ways.”

The Pioneers snagged one of the top recruits in the league in Eric Delong, who had 93 points last season for Portage (Manitoba) and was named the Canadian Junior Tier II Player of the Year. In a preseason scrimmage game against St. Thomas (Quebec), Delong had two of the Pioneers’ three goals.

“He’s the full package,” Muse said. “A great student who has excellent hands and a great shot. We have eight players coming in that are going to contribute right away.”

Junior Olivier St. Onge takes over the starting duties in net from the departed Stefan Drew, which is according to plan, Muse said.

“He’s been groomed to be the starter the same way Stefan was,” he said. “He’s completed the development portion of his career and he’s ready. Olivier was plugged into certain games and certain situations for a reason. He knows the shooters in this league and is absolutely capable of getting us to where we want to be.”

The Pioneers want to be more consistent than last season, which saw them play well at times, but not enough to finish in the top half of the standings, a place they’re accustomed to being.

“Things didn’t go the way we wanted to,” Muse said. “We had some bright points, some big wins over RIT, a tie at Colorado College. But we need to play like that on a consistent basis.”

2009-10 Mercyhurst Season Preview

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Last season was a roller coaster ride for the Mercyhurst Lakers. Things started off with high expectations thanks to the return of a healthy Matt Lundin in net. Lundin had was one of the top goalies in the league in 2007-08 despite playing through a serious shoulder injury most of the season.

“He literally played with one arm tied behind his back the year before,” Lakers coach Rick Gotkin said. “And he came back 100 percent healthy. But the team was struggling.”

Mercyhurst opened a tough schedule with just one win in its first nine games and Gotkin turned to backup Ryan Zapolski.

“Goaltending is the most important position in hockey,” Gotkin said. “If you’re starting a team and you have a choice between a good coach and a good goalie, take the goalie.”

With Zapolski playing the majority of the Lakers’ remaining games in net, Mercyhurst won its next six games and went all the way to the Atlantic Hockey championship game.

“Like [Matt] Lundin was the center of our universe the year before, now Ryan is the center of our universe,” Gotkin said.

Orbiting around Zapolski are Steve Cameron and Scott Pitt, who were first and second in scoring for the Lakers last season with 50 and 45 points, respectively. Still, the departed Matt Pierce (24 goals last season) as well as steady defensemen Kirk Medernach will be missed.

“They’ll be tough to replace but we’ll be all right,” Gotkin said. “One of the things that has made us successful is our depth. We lost some guys that put up a lot of points, but that happens every year. If each of our ‘depth guys’ can chip in a goal or two, we’ll be fine. We need all 25 guys to play to their potential.”

Mercyhurst again opens the season with a very difficult schedule, playing nine of its first 10 games on the road, including a return trip to Alaska.

“Yeah, I said last year I was crazy and here we go again,” Gotkin said. “Our games in Alaska start at 11 o’clock our time. I go to bed at 9. And we’ll get out of the rink at what, 3 o’clock in the morning? I’ve already made a couple trips to the bathroom by then. I’m old (laughs).

“But going to Alaska gets us two more games on the schedule and we want to play difficult teams in difficult environments. One thing for sure, we’ll be a better team after January.”

2009-10 RIT Season Preview

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Two seasons ago, RIT was outclassed by Air Force 5-0 in the Atlantic Hockey semifinals, in the school’s first Division I postseason experience. Wayne Wilson’s team used that game as motivation all last season as the team went on to win 23 games, the best ever as a D-I program.

But the Tigers season ended the same way: a loss in the AHA semifinals, this time to Mercyhurst 5-4 in overtime.

“Against Air Force (in 2008) we were disappointed with the way we played,” Wilson said. “I think last year we played much better, got behind and fought back. Playing well makes it easier to accept in a loss. Sometimes I’d rather take those than a win where you don’t deserve it. But not in the playoffs (laughs).”

RIT will try to get over the hump this year, but needs to replace two of its of its top five scorers as well as some key leadership.

“We’re a more talented team than last year, but time will tell about character and chemistry,” Wilson said. “Not to slight our captains for this year, but our leadership last year will be hard to replace.”

Sophomore Tyler Brenner (35 points last season) leads an offense that was third best in the nation last year. But RIT’s strength is going to be its defense, which returns five starters and adds a couple of strong recruits. Senior captain Dan Ringwald has been an all-star every year he’s been in the league and is a legitimate MVP candidate.

“We’ve got eight strong defensemen and somebody’s going to be disappointed every game,” Wilson said. “It’s a problem, but it’s a good problem to have.”

Senior Jared DeMichiel split time with the departed Louis Menard last year, but emerged late in the season as the go-to guy before being hampered with a broken wrist.

“Jared kind of took over last year and he’s earned the starting position,” Wilson said. “But we like all three goalies.”

Special teams have long been a RIT hallmark, and after a slow start last season, the Tigers again were among the nation’s best.

“We spend a lot of time on [special teams],” Wilson said. “It’s a big part of the game and can swing momentum with a big penalty kill or a power-play goal. It’s hard to score five-on-five in this league. You need a strong second [power play] unit and we work hard on that.”

So for Wilson’s Tigers, it’s about building on the past but taking that next step.

“Our goal is to make the NCAA tournament,” Wilson said. “We’ve been close and done some good things as a new program. But that’s our ultimate goal and we haven’t achieved it yet. And there’s nine other teams preventing you from doing that.”

2009-10 Connecticut Season Preview

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Connecticut is celebrating its 50th season of hockey, and Bruce Marshall’s current squad would like to make some history of its own. It’s a tall order for a young team that skated 20 underclassmen last season.

“It’s time for the junior class to step up,” said Marshall, whose team has just two seniors on the roster. “This was the group that missed getting to Rochester when they were freshmen and I think they have the attitude that they want to grab it sooner than later, knowing that their chances are running out.”

The Huskies won just nine games last season, but three of them were in their final six contests, when they went 3-2-1 including an overtime loss and a hard-fought playoff defeat at Sacred Heart.

“I thought we were more consistent at the end of the year,” Marshall said. “We didn’t win every game but we felt it in our play. I think we did a better job of burying our chances and that’s what we have to do this season to be successful.”

The early departure of goaltender Beau Erickson, who had 86 starts over three seasons, leaves the job open for the taking by junior Brad McInnis and newcomers Matt Grogan and Jeff Larson.

“They’ll all get a chance,” Marshall said. “Brad’s been overshadowed a bit and is looking for the opportunity, and we like our recruits.”

Chris Ochoa will not return for his senior year after scoring a team-leading 16 goals last season. Hoping to pick up the slack are junior Andrew Olsen (12 goals) and Marcello Ranallo, who was one of the top rookies in the league last season (22 points).

The blueline corps will miss the leadership and power-play quarterbacking of Sean Erickson, but return four starters. Stopping the enemy’s power play will be key if the Huskies want to improve this season — they were dead last in the league in PK last year, stopping just 77.6 percent of their opponent’s opportunities.

Marshall, who has been with the UConn program for more than half of its 50 years as a player and coach, hopes that the year-long commemoration will provide a reminder to his team that perseverance pays off.

“We’ve done it all here, and worked our way up,” he said. “We started as a club program playing on a pond, then played in Division III in a state-of-the-art outdoor rink (laughs). And now we’re Division I with a beautiful facility and trying to make our own legacy. We didn’t just start this Division I program from scratch. It’s been a lot of hard work and a testament to the players through the years.”

The first national ballot of the season

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The USCHO.com/CBS College Sports Division I preseason men’s poll is out today, and I’ll be the first one to tell you that it doesn’t mean a whole heck of a lot.

Really, what do we have to go on? Last season and a lot of conjecture, neither of which tends to amount to anything definitive a few weeks into the season.

Let’s look back at last year’s preseason poll. We had Boston College ranked first and Colorado College third. Neither made the NCAA tournament.

If that happens again, only one of Denver, Boston University and Michigan will make the field of 16. Sounds pretty far-fetched, right? Maybe it is, but just remember that being near the top of the poll at this point isn’t as much of an indicator of success as it is a forecast of potential. And you’ve always got to be careful when throwing the word “potential” out there.

That being said, I tried to put together as educated a guess as I could when I filled out my first ballot of the season. Here’s how it looked:

1. Denver

2. Boston University

3. Michigan

4. Notre Dame

5. Miami

6. North Dakota

7. Yale

8. UMass-Lowell

9. New Hampshire

10. Minnesota

11. Vermont

12. Wisconsin

13. Cornell

14. Princeton

15. Boston College

16. Ohio State

17. St. Cloud State

18. Harvard

19. Northeastern

20. Air Force

If you’re counting, that’s six teams from Hockey East, five from the WCHA, four each from the CCHA and the ECAC and one from Atlantic Hockey. That’s the same breakdown as the top 20 in the RPI at selection time last season. That’s not a coincidence.

The actual poll shows six teams from Hockey East, six from the WCHA (I didn’t think Minnesota-Duluth would get as much attention after losing so much from last season), four from the CCHA, three from the ECAC and one from Atlantic Hockey.

New Season Brings Renovated Arena for Northeastern

By Katy Fitzpatrick
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On April 16, 1910, Boston Arena, renamed Matthews in 1982, opened its doors for the first time for an ice show. Nearly 100 years later, this legendary arena has earned a reputation of being one of the most historic sporting venues in Boston. For the past three months under the direction of project manager Frank Mahoney, a multi-million dollar renovation project has taken Matthews from historically shabby to historically chic and Matthews is ready to open its doors to its faithful Huskies fans for the 2009-10 season.

“This renovation has given the building new life,” Northeastern athletic director Peter Roby said. “It was a sleeping giant that we needed to wake up.”

Matthews has been home to nearly all major Boston sports teams at some point in time. In 1924, the Boston Bruins played their first home game at the arena, with the Celtics following suit 22 years later. It is the world’s oldest multi-purpose athletic building. John F. Kennedy, Babe Ruth and Franklin Delano and Teddy Roosevelt are just a few names on the long list of legends that have passed through the doors.

“This building is a sacred building,” Northeastern men’s coach Greg Cronin said. “It’s a hockey cathedral. When I’m in this building, it’s a very unique experience. It stirs the souls on the bench and in the crowd.”

While rich in history, there was no doubt Matthews needed some updating. As a result, the renovation project was launched to tie together rich history with up-to-date amenities for players, coaches and fans and make Matthews one of the best venues to catch an event.

“To bring the old with the new is a tremendous honor,” Huskies women’s co-coach Linda Lundrigan said. “We want the athletes to have all the tools necessary to be successful on and off the ice. It makes a statement to the public.”

Among some of the changes visible to the fans are new cushioned seats in the premium seats and a press box in the lower bowl equipped with high-definition LCD televisions for instant replays. If the LCD monitors aren’t big enough for the press, there’s always the new video scoreboard hanging over center ice.

In between periods, fans will be able to check out the renovated lobby, stocked with new concession stands and bathrooms to meet the fans’ needs. For the athletes, the locker rooms have been renovated into suites with changing, shower, bathroom and lounge areas. Adjacent to the locker rooms is the brand new strength and conditioning center, full of new athletic equipment to keep the athletes in shape. Matthews’ new roof will help to keep all of these changes intact.

The Huskies opened the renovated Matthews doors to the public on Oct. 3, when the women’s team hosted Union and the men’s team played an exhibition game against St. Thomas.

The games not only marked the beginning of the 2009-10 college hockey season for NU, but also the beginning of a milestone year for Matthews Arena.

We’ve gathered some before and after photos from Northeastern’s photographer Jim Pierce and Northeastern Equipment Manager Matt Nareski that can be seen here. For more images and video tours during the renovation, visit matthewnareski.shutterfly.com.

Coaches, Media Agree in CCHA: Michigan the Favorite

USCHO Staff Report
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The CCHA’s coaches and media both picked Michigan to win the league championship this season, but both polls had Notre Dame and Miami nipping at the Wolverines’ heels.

Michigan got five of the 12 first-place votes in the coaches poll. Second-place Notre Dame had four, third-place Miami had two and fifth-place Northern Michigan got one.

In the media poll, the Wolverines took 24 of the 66 top spots. Notre Dame and Miami each had 20, with fourth-place Ohio State and eighth-place Michigan State each garnering one.

It was the first time in four years that the league’s coaches and media agreed on the preseason favorite, and in Michigan they have picked a team with a returning first-team All-American in forward Louie Caporusso and the defending CCHA rookie of the year, forward David Wohlberg.

Caporusso was a unanimous pick for the coaches’ preseason first team along with Miami forward Carter Camper. Northern Michigan forward Mark Olver, defenseman Erik Gustafsson and goaltender Brian Stewart and Notre Dame defenseman Ian Cole also were first-team picks.

The second team consisted of forwards Calle Ridderwall and Billy Maday of Notre Dame and John Albert of Ohio State; defensemen Eddie DelGrosso of Nebraska-Omaha and Kyle Lawson of Notre Dame; and Michigan goaltender Bryan Hogan.

Here is the coaches’ poll:

Team (first-place votes)  Points
1. Michigan (5)              114
2. Notre Dame (4)            111
3. Miami (2)                 104
4. Ohio State                 90
5. Northern Michigan (1)      85
6. Nebraska-Omaha             63
7. Alaska                     61
8. Ferris State               50
9. Michigan State             46
10. Lake Superior State       29
11. Western Michigan          28
12. Bowling Green             11

And here is the media poll:

Team (first-place votes)  Points
1. Michigan (24)             731
2. Notre Dame (20)           712
3. Miami (20)                707
4. Ohio State (1)            547
5. Northern Michigan         502
6. Alaska                    386
7. Nebraska-Omaha            377
8. Michigan State (1)        332
9. Ferris State              314
10. Western Michigan         256
11. Lake Superior State      189
12. Bowling Green             95

Defending Champ Boston University Favored to Win Hockey East

USCHO Staff Report
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Defending league and national champion Boston University is the favorite in this year’s race for the Hockey East championship, a vote of league coaches shows.

The Terriers, coming off a school-record 36-win season that ended with an overtime win over Miami in the national championship game, earned six of the 10 first-place votes.

UMass-Lowell and Boston College each got two first-place votes, but the RiverHawks outpointed the Eagles to finish second in the balloting.

New Hampshire and Vermont tied for fourth, while Northeastern, which finished one point out of the title last season, is picked for sixth.

Also Wednesday, the league announced at its annual media day that UMass-Lowell radio play-by-play announcer Bob Ellis was the 18th recipient of the Joe Concannon Hockey East Media Award.

Ellis is beginning his 26th season calling Lowell games.

The full poll:

Team (first-place votes)  Points
1. Boston University (6)      84
2. Massachusetts-Lowell (2)   79
3. Boston College (2)         76
4. New Hampshire              59
   Vermont                    59
6. Northeastern               57
7. Massachusetts              47
8. Maine                      32
9. Providence                 24
10. Merrimack                 23

Nearly Unanimously, Denver the Pick in WCHA

USCHO Staff Report
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Denver is the runaway favorite to win the WCHA this season according to both the league’s coaches and media.

The Pioneers took eight of the 10 first-place votes in the Grand Forks Herald coaches poll, while 23 of the 25 voters in the madison.com media poll put Denver first.

North Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota and St. Cloud State rounded out the projected top half of the standings in both polls.

Minnesota forward Jordan Schroeder was the choice for player of the year by the media, and he shared that honor with St. Cloud State forward Ryan Lasch in the coaches’ voting.

St. Cloud State goaltender Mike Lee was the consensus pick for rookie of the year.

The all-league first team, picked by the media, included Schroeder, Lasch and a tie between Minnesota-Duluth’s Justin Fontaine and Denver’s Rhett Rakhshani at forward; Denver’s Patrick Wiercioch and North Dakota’s Chay Genoway on defense; and Denver goaltender Marc Cheverie.

Here is the coaches’ poll:

Team (first-place votes)  Points
1. Denver (8)                 80
2. North Dakota (2)           70
3. Wisconsin                  61
4. Minnesota                  58
5. St. Cloud State            55
6. Minnesota-Duluth           37
7. Minnesota State            34
8. Colorado College           26
9. Alaska-Anchorage           20
10. Michigan Tech              9

And here is the media poll:

Team (first-place votes)  Points
1. Denver (23)               248
2. North Dakota (1)          205
3. Wisconsin                 190
4. Minnesota (1)             186
5. St. Cloud State           152
6. Minnesota-Duluth          118
7. Colorado College          101
8. Minnesota State            88
9. Alaska-Anchorage           57
10. Michigan Tech             30

Welcome back … and about that WCHA media poll

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Nice to see you again. Good summer? Ours was fine, thanks.

The offseason is just about over — in case you missed it, college hockey won’t look quite the same after this season because of what took place over the last few months — and soon enough, USCHO will be getting back to full speed.

Things have already started moving, with the preseason conference polls rolling out here and there. For the second year in a row, I compiled the results for a WCHA media poll (this year, for madison.com), and the benefit of that is that I get the raw data to detail for you here. I could spend way too much time doing that, so here we go.

(The actual poll, along with the coaches’ poll, can be found here.)

It was absolutely no surprise that Denver was the overwhelming favorite. The Pioneers return 2.93 goals per game from last season (that statistic, however, includes stats from Dustin Jackson, who will miss the season with a broken right leg), are stacked on defense with Patrick Wiercioch leading the way and have a dependable goalie in Marc Cheverie.

There wasn’t that much of a gap between the teams picked for second, third and fourth, which tells me that North Dakota, Wisconsin and Minnesota should be right in the mix. I think everyone’s getting the idea that if you think North Dakota lost too much to be a contender, you’re probably wrong. The Sioux lost five regular forwards and three regular defensemen, but they’re a pretty solid pick for one of the top spots — 24 of the 25 voters had them in the top four.

People think St. Cloud State will be good enough to make the top five, and that might be shorting the Huskies considering the top-end offense they have in the fold.

Eight of the 25 voters picked Minnesota-Duluth to finish in the top five. Six others picked the Bulldogs to end up eighth or ninth. It seems there are a lot of questions with UMD, and after it lost nearly half of its regular lineup, they seem valid.

More people picked Colorado College for eighth than seventh, but four voters picked the Tigers to finish in the top five, compared to just one for Minnesota State. Alaska-Anchorage and Michigan Tech were unanimous bottom-half picks.

Here’s how my ballot looked:

1. Denver

2. North Dakota

3. Minnesota

4. Wisconsin

5. St. Cloud State

6. Colorado College

7. Minnesota State

8. Minnesota-Duluth

9. Alaska-Anchorage

10. Michigan Tech

It’s funny how all of this seems to make sense now, only to look so pathetic when comparing it to the final standings in March.

Minnesota forward Jordan Schroeder got 14 of the 23 votes for player of the year (not all voters wanted to cast ballots for the individual awards). Denver players had their votes split — Wiercioch got four, forward Rhett Rakhshani got three and goaltender Marc Cheverie got one — while North Dakota defenseman Chay Genoway also got one vote.

Wiercioch got my vote. Nothing against Schroeder, but I thought Wiercioch was a better player last season, too. Of course, I saw the Denver defenseman play against Wisconsin a bunch of times last year, so maybe I saw his best games.

Seven players got votes for the rookie of the year — a pretty typical response considering you never really know what to expect from freshmen. St. Cloud State goaltender Mike Lee was the leader with seven. Minnesota-Duluth defenseman Dylan Olsen had four votes, while Wisconsin forward Craig Smith, Minnesota defenseman Nick Leddy and North Dakota forward Danny Kristo had three each. Denver forward Drew Shore and Minnesota forward Zach Budish got one vote each.

I had a tough time with this one, but I went with Kristo. I understand why Lee got many of the votes, but I just wasn’t ready to commit to a goalie that may not play every night this season. With a lot of big-time players gone from last year’s team in North Dakota, Kristo should get his chance.

The voting for all-league team shook out like this:

Forwards — Schroeder 22, Ryan Lasch (SCSU) 19, Rakhshani 6, Justin Fontaine (UMD) 6, Joe Colborne (DU) 3, Chris VandeVelde (UND) 3, Anthony Maiani (DU) 3, Tyler Ruegsegger (DU) 2, Kael Mouillierat (MSU) 2, Garrett Roe (SCSU) 2, Derek Stepan (UW) 2, Mike Connolly (UMD) 1, Jack Connolly (UMD) 1.

Defensemen — Wiercioch 20, Genoway 16, Ryan McDonagh (UW) 6, Cade Fairchild (Minnesota) 3, Garrett Raboin (SCSU) 2, Aaron Ness (Minnesota) 1.

Goaltenders — Cheverie 17, Brad Eidsness (UND) 5, Lee 2.

My ballot had Lasch, Schroeder, Rakhshani, Wiercioch, Genoway and Eidsness. I went on my best judgments from last season and hoped that things carried over to this year.

Another year, another poll. Now it’s time to work on the national top 20. Anyone have any suggestions on that one?

Feedback? Contact me here.

ECAC Hockey Tournament Moves to Atlantic City in 2011

USCHO Staff Report
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The ECAC Hockey Tournament is moving from Albany, N.Y., to Atlantic City, N.J., starting in 2011.

The league has agreed to a three-year contract with the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority and SMG Management Group to hold the playoff championship at Boardwalk Hall, a 10,300-seat venue.

The 2010 tournament will be the last held at Times Union Center in Albany.

“We are very excited to partner with Atlantic City and Boardwalk Hall for our men’s championship beginning in March 2011,” ECAC Hockey commissioner Steve Hagwell said in a news release. “From the moment we began the process of evaluating our options for the championship, the representatives of Boardwalk Hall and Atlantic City clearly demonstrated that they wanted to host our championship. They were aggressive, in a very positive manner, enthusiastic and excited about the possibility of serving as the host site.”

Hagwell continued: “On behalf of the league and its institutions, administrators, coaches, and student-athletes we would like to thank Bob Belber and his staff at the Times Union Center, the Albany County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the County and City of Albany, as well as the local businesses in the Capital Region for the tremendous support of ECAC Hockey over the last years. The years in Albany produced many memorable events and outcomes. These past tournaments have merited a special place in the history of the league.”

Last season’s tournament at Times Union Center played to a two-day total of 8,374 fans.

Boardwalk Hall will be just the fifth venue to host the ECAC tournament, following Boston Arena (1962-67), Boston Garden (1968-92), Olympic Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y. (1993-2002), and Times Union Arena (2003-09).

The Atlantic City venue is listed on the United States Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark and reopened in 2001 following a $90 million renovation.

The arena was home ice for the Atlantic City Seagulls from 1930 to 1952 and the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies of the ECHL from 2001 to 2005.

CCHA Alters Points Structure, Offers 3 Points for Regulation or OT Win

USCHO Staff Report
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The CCHA is changing its standings point structure to allot the same number of points for each conference game.

That means regulation and overtime victories will be worth three points. If a game goes to a shootout after the NCAA-mandated five-minute overtime, the winning team will get two points in the standings and the losing team one point.

“We feel that this is a fairer system,” CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos said in a news release. “Now, all teams will have access to the same number of points throughout the regular season and every game is worth three points whether it is decided in regulation time, overtime or a shootout. We also feel this will give teams an added incentive to win a game in regulation time or overtime because they will gain the maximum number of points for doing so.”

Last season, the first in which the CCHA used the shootout format following tie games, a game would produce a total of two points if it was decided in regulation or overtime and three points if it went to a shootout.

Shootout results count only in the league’s standings, not toward the RPI or PairWise Rankings that determine the field for the NCAA tournament.

If this year’s point structure was in place last season, the standings would have looked slightly different.

Michigan and Miami tied for second place last season; the Wolverines would have held a seven-point advantage over the RedHawks under the new format.

Ferris State would have leapfrogged Nebraska-Omaha for eighth place, and Bowling Green would have moved past Michigan State for 11th.

Yale a Consensus Favorite in ECAC Hockey

USCHO Staff Report
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The coaches and media agree: Yale is the team to beat in ECAC Hockey this season.

The Bulldogs, who won the league’s regular season and playoff titles last season, picked up seven of 12 first-place votes from the coaches and 15 of 25 top spots in balloting by the ECAC Hockey Writers and Broadcasters Association.

Yale returns its top 10 scorers from last season, in which it lost only four times after Jan. 1.

Cornell and Princeton also received first-place votes in both polls and finished second and third, respectively, in both. Harvard got a first-place vote in the media poll and was a consensus pick for fourth.

Forward Sean Backman, who scored a hat trick in Yale’s playoff championship victory over Cornell, is on the media’s preseason all-league team — a group made up of players from six different teams.

Colgate forward David McIntyre, Cornell forward Riley Nash, Dartmouth defenseman Evan Stephens, Harvard defenseman Alex Biega and Princeton goaltender Zane Kalemba also made the all-league team.

Here is the coaches’ poll:

Team (first-place votes)  Points
1. Yale (7)                  117
2. Cornell (3)               113
3. Princeton (2)             103
4. Harvard                    87
5. Dartmouth                  64
6. Union                      55
7. Colgate                    54
8. Quinnipiac                 47
   Rensselaer                 47
10. St. Lawrence              46
11. Clarkson                  44
12. Brown                     11

And here is the media poll:

Team (first-place votes)  Points
1. Yale (15)                 275
2. Cornell (7)               272
3. Princeton (3)             253
4. Harvard (1)               224
5. Dartmouth                 183
6. Union                     143
7. St. Lawrence              134
8. Clarkson                  125
9. Colgate                   106
10. Rensselaer               102
11. Quinnipiac                90
12. Brown                     35

Bemidji State Picked to Repeat in CHA

USCHO Staff Report
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The first-place votes were split between Bemidji State and Niagara in the final CHA preseason coaches poll, but the Beavers earned more points to take the top spot.

Bemidji State and Niagara each earned two first-place votes, but the Beavers had eight overall points while the Purple Eagles had seven.

Robert Morris came in third, with Alabama-Huntsville taking fourth.

Beavers junior forward Matt Read was a unanimous choice to be the league’s player of the year.

Bemidji State and Robert Morris each had two players on the preseason all-CHA team. That team included Read, Niagara senior forward Chris Moran, Robert Morris junior forward Nathan Longpre, Bemidji State sophomore defenseman Brad Hunt, Robert Morris junior defenseman Denny Urban and Alabama-Huntsville junior goaltender Cameron Talbot.

The Beavers will be looking for their third straight CHA regular season title. They won the regular season and playoff titles last season before making a run to the Frozen Four.

The CHA is disbanding following the season. Robert Morris and Niagara are moving to Atlantic Hockey, while Bemidji State has been accepted into the WCHA.

Here is the full poll:

Team (first-place votes)  Points
1. Bemidji State (2)           8
2. Niagara (2)                 7
3. Robert Morris               6
4. Alabama-Huntsville          3

NCAA President Brand Dies of Pancreatic Cancer

USCHO Staff Report
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NCAA President Myles Brand died Wednesday at his Indianapolis home following a nine-month battle with pancreatic cancer, the national body announced. He was 67.

After serving as president at Indiana and Oregon, Brand took his position atop the NCAA in January 2003.

Last December, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and later said the long-term prognosis for his condition was “not good.”

He worked at his office until this month, the NCAA said in a release.

“Myles Brand was a dear friend and a great academic leader. He was a tireless advocate for the student-athlete,” said Michael Adams, chair of the NCAA executive committee and president at Georgia. “Indeed, he worked to ensure that the student was first in the student-athlete model. He will be greatly missed.”

One of Brand’s enduring legacies will be the Division I Academic Progress Rate which he pushed for. It measures individual teams’ academic success.

Brand, a 1964 Rensselaer graduate, is survived by his wife, Peggy, and one son, Joshua.

USCHO Announces 2009-10 Women’s Game of the Week Schedule

USCHO Staff Report
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Beginning September 25, USCHO will present the sixth season of the Women’s Game of the Week, the only weekly national Internet broadcast for women’s hockey. Fans will be able to access the live and archived video and audio feeds available through the USCHO women’s page.

The 2009-10 broadcast schedule will feature premier Division I and III regular-season matchups from the NCAA ranks and postseason coverage culminating in the 2009 Frozen Four at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. The new season will also include exclusive coverage of the 2009 4 Nations Cup from Vierumaki, Finland as well as coverage of select contests from the Qwest pre-Olympic Tour, all in partnership with USA Hockey.

The Game of the Week is once again proud to offer a star-studded lineup of guest color analysts drawn from the ranks of the sport’s alumni. Former college greats who have appeared on the program include Patty Kazmaier Award winners A.J. Mleczko (Harvard ’99), Angela Ruggiero (Harvard ’04), and Ali Brewer (Brown ’00), as well as former Olympians Colleen Coyne (New Hampshire ’93), Natalie Darwitz (Minnesota ’07), Molly Engstrom (Wisconsin ’05), Sara DeCosta-Hayes (Providence ’00), Tricia Dunn-Luoma (New Hampshire ’96), Jamie Hagerman (Harvard ’03) and Carla MacLeod (Wisconsin ’05).

Game of the Week founder Brian Schulz will return for his sixth season of play-by-play. Schulz called men’s and women’s hockey games for Harvard University from 1999-2001, and also broadcast the 2001, 2004 and 2008 World Women’s Hockey Championships.

2009-10 USCHO Women’s Game of the Week Broadcast Schedule

(all times Eastern)

Friday, September 25 Team USA vs. WCHA All-Stars 8:00PM
Friday, October 16 Minnesota-Duluth at Minnesota 8:00PM

4 Nations Cup (Vierumaki, Finland)

Tuesday, November 3 Finland vs. United States 11:30AM
Wednesday, November 4 Sweden vs. United States 11:30AM
Friday, November 6 Canada vs. United States 11:30AM
Saturday, November 7 Third Place Game 5:00AM
Saturday, November 7 Championship Game 1:00PM

Sunday, November 15 Boston University at Providence 2:00PM
Saturday, November 21 St. Lawrence at Ohio State 2:00PM
Sunday, November 22 Team USA vs. Hockey East All-Stars 1:00PM
Friday, November 27 Wisconsin at Providence 7:00PM
Saturday, November 28 Clarkson at Minnesota 4:00PM
Friday, December 4 St. Thomas at Gustavus Adolphus 8:00PM
Friday, December 11 RIT at Amherst 7:00PM
Saturday, December 12 New Hampshire at Dartmouth 7:00PM

Sunday, January 3 Elmira at Middlebury 10:00AM
Sunday, January 3 Plattsburgh vs. Amherst 1:00PM
Monday, January 4 Panther-Cardinal Classic Consolation
Monday, January 4 Panther-Cardinal Classic Championship
Saturday, January 23 Mercyhurst at Syracuse 2:00PM
Wednesday, January 27 Boston College at Dartmouth 7:00PM
Friday, January 29 Harvard at Dartmouth 3:30PM
Saturday, February 13 Connecticut at Providence 1:00PM
Saturday, February 20 Wisconsin at Minnesota 5:00PM

March 12-14 NCAA Quarterfinals
Friday, March 19 2010 NCAA Semifinals (@Minnesota)
Saturday, March 20 Patty Kazmaier Award Ceremony
Sunday, March 21 2010 NCAA Championship (@Minnesota)

*Schedule subject to change

Coaches Tab Air Force as Atlantic Hockey Favorite

By
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Three-time defending champion Air Force has been picked to again repeat as champions in the Atlantic Hockey coaches poll, announced Tuesday at the league’s media day, held at Blue Cross Arena, site of the 2010 league championships.

Mercyhurst, which lost to Air Force in the AHA finals last season, is picked to finish second. RIT, which tied the Falcons for the regular season title, is ranked third.

The full poll:

1.  Air Force (8)           80
2.  Mercyhurst (2)          70
3.  RIT                     67
4.  Holy Cross              54
5.  Canisius                53
6.  Army                    40
7.  Bentley                 31
8.  Sacred Heart            27
9.  Connecticut             18
10. American International  10

“We’re very proud not only to the the champions of Atlantic Hockey but as members of Atlantic Hockey,” Air Force coach Frank Serratore said. “The depth of the league has gotten better each year from top to bottom. I see it in my own team in the non-conference schedule we play. A few years ago when we played teams like Denver and Michigan, it used to be like we were playing in slow motion. Not so anymore.”

“Air Force is the benchmark that we’d all like to follow,” RIT coach Wayne Wilson said. “They’ve changed the mind-set of our league and the rest of college hockey with their performance in the NCAA tournament.

“We’re happy with the level of consistency year to year with our program in a very competitive league.

“RIT and Air Force were both taken to three games in our quarterfinals last season, and that shows that you have to bring it every night. We’re picked third and our goal is to finish in the top four and get home ice (in the quarterfinals). That will be a challenge since every team has that goal and every team is good enough to finish in the top four.”

Atlantic Hockey will expand to 12 teams next season, adding Niagara and Robert Morris.

“We’re looking forward to a great season coming up and the addition of Niagara and Robert Morris next year,” Serratore said. “I think you’ll see those programs fitting in closer to the top of our league than the bottom, making things even more competitive.”

Also Tuesday, the league announced that Blue Cross Arena in Rochester will host the league championship in 2011, extending what is now a year-to-year contract.

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