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This Week in Hockey East: November 29, 1996

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Hockey East Preview: Nov. 29 – Dec 3, 1996 by Dave Hendrickson

New Hampshire now owns first place. Their sweep of Boston College, combined with BU’s tie against Merrimack, puts the Wildcats a point in front of the Terriers and seven points ahead of third place Providence in league standings. With the season at only the quarter pole, it has turned into a two-horse race for first, and a seven-horse race for third. Since this week features the Governors’ Cup and a busy slate of non-conference games, UNH is guaranteed another week at the top.

Last week’s two seemingly brain-dead picks — more charitably referred to as "gutsy" — almost became reality.

UMass-Lowell sweep in Orono? The improbable almost happened. The River Hawks won the back end of the series in overtime and had held a 4-1 lead after one period in the opener before losing 5-4, also in OT.

As expected, BU belted Merrimack at home in the opener of their series. But the slash-and-burn nature of their win made this column’s prediction of a Warrior 3-2 surprise back at Volpe a potential cause for ridicule. But Merrimack bounced back for a 3-3 tie and almost grabbed both points when Kris Porter broke in on a breakaway with 16 seconds left. Michel Larocque (of Gibraltar) foiled Porter, however, and the Warriors settled for the tie.

Last week’s record in picks: 7-3 (Tuesday games pending) Season record in picks: 40-19

Governors’ Cup Maine (5-5-1, 1-4-1 HE) vs. UMass-Lowell (6-4-0, 4-4-0 HE) Friday, 5 p.m. No. 4 New Hampshire (9-2-0, 8-0-0 HE) vs. No. 7 Vermont (7-3-0, 2-3-0 HE) Friday, 8 p.m. Consolation Game: Saturday, 4 p.m. Championship Game: Saturday, 7 p.m. All Games at Gutterson Fieldhouse, Burlington, VT

Vermont is playing like a team that can do differential equations but can’t add, can write Pulitzer-prize winning novels but can’t spell, and can cook pate de fois gras but can’t boil water.

After beating a murderer’s row of New Hampshire, Boston University, Miami, and Lake Superior to start the season, the wheels have fallen off the Vermont bandwagon. In the six games that followed their number one ranking, they posted a clear-cut victory margin only in Sunday’s 4-1 contest against UMass-Amherst. In the other five, they barely escaped Colgate and Union with one-goal wins, and lost to Cornell (no shame there), Rensselaer (who would later be shutout three straight games), and perennial doormat Dartmouth. Did someone slip something into the bubbly the Catamounts were toasting themselves with?

The cliche "if you can stop St. Louis and Perrin, you can stop Vermont" has been spoken countless times. In the past, however, no one has been able to stop the French Connection. This year, however, teams have contained the two with surprising regularity. Going into Sunday’s game, the pair’s names were missing from the lists of ECAC scoring leaders.

New Hampshire comes off a weekend sweep of Boston College, 8-3 and 4-2, extending their winning streak to eight games. The Wildcats have now swept four straight Hockey East opponents.

And they’re getting stronger. The much-heralded Sean Matile made his debut in goal on Saturday and impressed. "That gives us some depth," said coach Dick Umile. "Now we have two good ones in Sean and Brian Larochelle." Larochelle, who played poorly in some games early in the season, has settled down. Although rarely spectacular, he now gives the Wildcats solid netminding.

"They might have the best collection of forwards in the conference," said BC coach Jerry York after the sweep. "Everybody’s got one or two top ones, but they’ve got a group of four or five. And they didn’t even play [Tom] Nolan so they’ll be even stronger when he comes back."

Maine coach Greg Cronin upped the ante in the praise of the UNH forwards. "They might have the best group of forwards one to nine in the country," he said.

Nolan’s chances of playing in the Governors’ Cup are considered slim. Greg Dumont, injured in the Friday game, will have his hip pointer evaluated and could play.

Eric Nickulas, one of the best of UNH’s many snipers, netted his 50th collegiate goal, a significant achievement so early in his junior year. "He’s a prolific goal scorer," said Umile. "He can skate and he has a pro shot."

Freshman Mike Souza netted two goals on the weekend, his fourth and fifth goals in eleven games. Not bad for a team’s fourth-liner.

New Hampshire has already recorded more road wins this season than all of last year. "We’re older," said Umile. "We’re still a pretty young team, but last year we were a very young team. We’ve also been able to get established in our routine now that the Whittemore Center is finished."

UNH opens the Governors’ Cup against the struggling Vermont Catamounts.

"I guarantee you that they’ll un-struggle against us," said Umile. "They may have lost to Dartmouth but Dartmouth always gives them a hard time."

Maine played the biggest game of their year on Friday night. Holding an 0-3-1 league record going in, they could not afford another weekend disaster against visiting UMass-Lowell. The opening period could not have gone worse. After giving up a power-play goal, the Black Bears then picked up a five-minute major, during which Lowell scored two more times. After a Maine goal, Lowell added what could have been the coup de grace, scoring with just five seconds left in the period to make it 4-1. But placed in the biggest gut-check moment of the season, the Black Bears responded with a thrilling 5-4 win in overtime.

"I told them after the first period," said coach Greg Cronin, "that they were playing well and that if they took care of defense and didn’t force the offense we’d be fine. And we shut them down.

"The next night I was more disappointed in a Maine hockey team than I’ve ever been in my seven years here. We were playing against a team ahead of us and had an opportunity to get back into the upper echelon of the league standings. But they just took it to us. They outhustled us, they beat us to loose pucks, they just flat outworked us.

"The teams are pretty evenly talented," continued Cronin. "It just came down to gritty play and they got their fingers dirtier than ours."

On the plus side, goaltender Alfie Michaud rebounded with some strong performances. "Michaud was terrific," said Cronin. "Fillion was too for Lowell. But Alfie didn’t have any chance on the goals [on Saturday]. It was just a complete breakdown on D by an upperclassman."

The Black Bears, who started the season short-handed, now read like a list of the walking wounded. Dan Shermerhorn sustained a deep thigh bruise and has been battling an MCL problem all year. Bobby Stewart has a wrist problem and a deep thigh bruise. Shawn Mansoff separated a shoulder and Jeffy Libby has a nasty hip pointer. Cronin doesn’t expect any of the four to play this weekend.

"I was impressed with Lowell’s tenacity," said Cronin. "They work hard and Tim Whitehead has them focussed on the specific objectives he wants them to achieve."

"It was just a great week for college hockey," said UMass-Lowell coach Tim Whitehead. "Two overtime games and great crowds.

"The best part of the weekend for us was the way we bounced back from the tough loss on Friday," said Whitehead. "I don’t think our kids expected to be up 4-1. They let down a bit, and Maine had a great comeback. After that loss we had to decide if we were going to come back and win the next night or fold. It was a tough challenge for our kids, but they hustled their way to a big win.

"This may sound strange," continued Whitehead, "but I think our game the previous weekend against Army helped prepare us for the Maine fans. Army had a great crowd and they were very loud. They had a good third period against us and by the end of the game the noise level was pretty high. That helped us, I think.

"We’ll probably have another close game in the Governor’s Cup," he said. "Another tough game between two young, hustling teams. Then, no matter what happens, we’ll play a great team the next night. Vermont and UNH are very similar teams. They have very explosive offenses with great goaltending."

PICKS:

UMass-Lowell vs. Maine: Give UMass-Lowell the advantage between the pipes and in team health. Maine looks to be missing too many important players. Lowell 5-3.

New Hampshire vs. Vermont: This has "title game" written all over it. If the two teams were playing at the same level, the Gutterson faithful would make the difference. But UNH is at the top of their game now and Vermont isn’t even close. Still, this looks like a barn-burner, 5-4 New Hampshire.

Consolation Game: Vermont stomps the limping Black Bears 5-1.

Championship: It’s midnight for Lowell and the stagecoach just turned into a pumpkin. New Hampshire 7-2 over UMass-Lowell.

(If any first round picks prove incorrect, the consolation/championship picks remain the team out of the Vermont-UNH bracket.)

Boston College (4-5-1, 2-3-1 HE) & No. 2 Boston University (8-1-1, 7-0-1 HE) at Clarkson (5-4-0, 3-2-0 ECAC) Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m., Cheel Arena, Potsdam, NY

No. 2 Boston University (8-1-1, 7-0-1 HE) & Boston College (4-5-1, 2-3-1 HE) at St. Lawrence (2-7-0, 2-3-0 ECAC) Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m., Appleton Arena, Canton, NY

Merrimack’s Eric Thibeault stole a point from Boston University last weekend. BU bombarded the Warriors with 50 or more shots in both games. But after the Terriers dismantled the Warriors 9-1 in the series opener, Thibeault stoned them in a 3-3 tie, recording 49 saves.

Coach Jack Parker experimented with his power-play unit which has struggled this season. Parker opted for three defensemen — Tom Poti, Jon Coleman, and Chris Kelleher — on the outside of the umbrella formation with Chris Drury and Shawn Bates down low. The experiment worked flawlessly in the opener, when BU scored four times in eight chances. But in the rematch, they went 0 for 9. Their most egregious failing came in overtime, when they could not capitalize on a 47 second five-on-three.

Hobey Baker candidate Chris Drury blamed himself for not picking up the scorer on Merrimack’s tying goal, but his offensive heroics are threatening to use up all available superlatives before the season is even a third over. Drury piled up another three goals and two assists on the weekend.

Boston College dropped both games of their series with UNH, 8-3 and 4-2. They outshot the Wildcats in both games and controlled play for long stretches. Goalie Greg Taylor broke his glove hand during an off-ice workout last Tuesday and is expected out for at least two to three weeks.

"Despite both losses we have to be encouraged by how we played," said BC coach Jerry York. "[On Saturday] we played 40 minutes of excellent hockey. But that’s not going to give us much success at this level. We have to play a full 60 minutes. We have to cash in on more of our goal scoring opportunities. Shoot more like snipers and bury our chances. "We’re just going through a tough time scoring goals," said York. "We may look into some line changes. We’re getting a lot of chances to score goals. We just have to turn the red light on. It’s one thing to talk about chances, but you’ve got to bury it in the net. You go through stretches where it hits something and goes in, but now were going through the opposite. We’re not getting much ‘puck luck.’

"I was happy with the play of [goaltender] Mike Correia," continued York. Correia substituted for the injured Taylor. "That was a big question going in, but I thought he played very well."

So York remains stuck at career win number 498.

Clarkson could be the place where York gets his 500th career victory. If so, it would be a fitting irony. York began his coaching career there, first as an assistant and then moving up to the head role 24 years ago when Len Ceglarski moved to Boston College.

Dan Murphy backbones the Golden Knights in goal. He ranks as one of the ECAC’s best. Murphy leads the league statistically, posting a 2.01 goals against average in league competition (2.60 overall) and a .949 save percentage (.915 overall). Last week he shut out Rensselaer while facing 36 shots and then gave up only two in a 2-1 loss at Union.

Todd White scored 72 points to dominate Golden Knight scoring last year and earn second-team All-ECAC honors. He’s back at it again with eight goals and nine assists in just nine games, putting him at the top of ECAC scoring leaders. Fellow senior co-captain J.F. Houle has tallied six goals and eight assists and ranks third in league scoring.

Defenseman Mikko Ollila finished second in ECAC Rookie of the Year voting. He and fellow blueliners Nicholas Windsor, Matt Pagnutti, and Scott Ricci, form a solid group.

ECAC Correspondent Jayson Moy notes that Clarkson has had trouble with defensive trapping teams. BC and BU don’t fit that mold, however. Both teams instead preach aggressive forechecking.

League coaches selected Clarkson to finish second in their preseason poll. They haven’t yet lived up to that billing, but remain a dangerous team.

St. Lawrence, picked for fourth in the preseason, has been a major disappointment at 2-7-0. After finishing third last year they graduated Player of the Year runner-up Burke Murphy, as well as Jeff Kungle, a second team all-league defenseman and winner of the Defensive Defenseman award.

However, they did return three award-winners: ECAC Coach of the Year Joe Marsh, second-place Defensive Forward of the Year Joel Prpic, and defenseman John Poapst, a member of the ECAC All-Rookie team. In fact, they returned all of their top ten scorers from last year except Murphy and Kungle. Not to mention both goaltenders, Clint Owen and Jon Bracco.

So why 2-7-0?

To begin with, Marsh suspended goaltender Clint Owen, the stronger member of the rotation, for the first half of the season for breaking unspecified team rules. Then they dropped all four non-conference games to start the season. First they lost twice on the road to a strong St. Cloud team. Then Lake Superior State and Miami, two CCHA heavyweights, beat them at home. They have since posted a 2-3-0 record against ECAC teams.

SLU’s last game, however, must rankle Coach Marsh and all the Saint faithful. Playing against a Rensselaer team so impotent that it had been shut out three straight games by teams barely over .500, St. Lawrence allowed six goals and 59 shots, including 27 in the third period. Were all those shots racked up during power plays? No, Rensselaer had three power plays the entire game. Appalling.

Jayson Moy credits the high shot total to the Engineer’s success on faceoffs and their resulting strategy to fire all opportunities on net. Maybe so, but 59 shots?

PICKS:

Boston College at Clarkson: It would be the Hollywood version of York’s 500th: he gets it in Potsdam, New York where it all began for him. But Greg Taylor’s broken hand is forcing a script rewrite. Clarkson 5-3 over BC.

Boston University at Saint Lawrence: If Rensselaer can get 59 shots against the Saints, how many will the Terriers get? 559? BU rolls, 9-0.

Boston College at Saint Lawrence: What looks like a gimme for York’s 500th becomes the game that the Saints wake up. SLU stuns BC, 4-3.

Boston University at Clarkson: BU could be ripe for an upset here, but Chris Drury will do something spectacular in the final three minutes to win it for the Terriers, 4-3.

Western Michigan (5-4-1, 3-4-1 CCHA) & No. 7 Vermont (7-3-0, 2-3-0 ECAC) at Providence (5-5-1, 4-3-1 HE) Friday & Saturday (W. Michigan), 7 p.m., Schneider Arena, Providence, RI Tuesday (Vermont), 7 p.m., Schneider Arena, Providence, RI NESN

Providence swept Northeastern 4-3 and 8-0. The Friars had dropped to 0-5-1 in their last six games, so the sweep came at a most opportune time.

"We played well enough to win on Friday," said coach Paul Pooley, "and obviously very well on Saturday. Our offense down low in the zone was particularly effective.

"I was especially pleased with the play of the Lake, Coe, and Sheppard line. Because of them we had two lines that were really playing well this weekend. The other lines only played okay. We’re still missing everyone some of the time, and that needs to change."

Dan Dennis stopped 69 of the 72 Northeastern shots on the weekend, lowering his league statistics to a a 2.95 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. Hockey East named him Player of the Week for his performance.

"Dan has really picked up his play in traffic," said Pooley. "Earlier this season he was fighting the puck when there was traffic. Now he’s seeing the puck really well and is controlling his rebounds better."

The Friars host Western Michigan for two games before a mid-week contest against Vermont. "It’s nice to have these very, very competitive games and then get back to Hockey East for two games. We had a lot of fun last year going out to Western Michigan [where we split] and are really looking forward to these games."

Western Michigan, picked to finish fifth by CCHA coaches, has feasted on weaker opponents while going 0-3 against Lake Superior and Michigan State.

Prior to the season, first-team All-CCHA goalie Marc Magliarditi left the team for pro opportunities, leaving a gaping hole in the Broncos lineup. The team had already graduated four of its top five scorers.

Justin Caldwell ranks third in CCHA scoring with 10 goals and five assists in league play. Mike Melas also lists in the top ten with 3-8–11 league numbers. Joe Corvo, a league All-Rookie pick on defense last year, is third in team scoring totals.

Providence then plays the enigmatic Vermont Catamounts, profiled above.

"We’ll have certain people on the ice against St. Louis and Perrin," said Pooley. "The primary responsibility of those players, both forwards and defensemen, will be to contain those two."

PICKS: Providence sweeps the visiting Broncos 4-3 and 3-2 but can’t handle Vermont, dropping that one 4-2.

Merrimack (3-6-1, 2-5-1 HE) at Dartmouth (3-3-0, 2-3-0 ECAC) Friday, 7 p.m., Thompson Arena, Hanover, New Hampshire Rensselaer (5-4-0, 3-1-0 ECAC) at Merrimack (3-6-1, 2-5-1 HE) Saturday, 7 p.m., Volpe Complex, North Andover, MA

Merrimack took it on the chin against BU on Friday night, losing 9-1, but came back with a 3-3 tie at home on Saturday.

"It was a bittersweet weekend," said Merrimack coach Ron Anderson. "The good sign is that we responded with a strong effort on Saturday night. But Friday we just got steamrollered."

Goalie Eric Thibeault was immense in the tie, stopping 49 of 52 shots. "We’re really pleased with the way he’s developed," said Anderson. "He didn’t come in as a significant player. But by his junior year he had developed consistency and the ability to play at this level. It’s a credit to his work ethic and determination. Now he gives us two strong goaltenders."

Anderson moved John Jakopin back to defense, pairing him with Drew Hale for a Twin Towers 96. Jakopin had played on the blue line until midway through last year when he was shifted up front to fill a power forward role on the top line. He responded to become the Warriors third-leading scorer in just the half season. This year, however, he has battled a baffling illness that he is only now emerging from. His bulk down low, along with Hale’s, helped contain the Terriers in the second game.

"We’re not sure if we’re going to leave him there," said Anderson. "He seems to feel more comfortable at defense, but the coaching staff thinks he’s a bigger impact player at forward. We’re also quite young [on the blue line] so we’ll have to consider that as well."

Anderson looked ahead to the games with Dartmouth and Rensselaer. "We have a lot of respect for Dartmouth. They just beat Vermont, so you have to respect that. And RPI has always given us troubles. We’ve had problems matching up with them in the past. Both teams have better records than ours, so we’ll just have to build on what we did on Saturday."

Dartmouth may have a better record, but they sure aren’t used to it. In the past ten years the Big Green haven’t come within spitting distance of a .500 record. Last year they finished 7-21-3.

But look who’s posted a 3-3 record to date. And look who knocked off Vermont, not by a fluke one-goal margin, but by a 4-1 score. They’ve also knocked off Colgate, a squad that gave Hockey East teams fits early this year. This is not your father’s Big Green team.

David Whitworth and Ryan Chaytors lead Dartmouth scoring with six points. Bill Kelleher and defenseman Owen Hughes haven’t caught fire yet, but have historically been big contributors, posting 84 and 58 career point totals, respectively.

But the goaltending of freshman Jason Wong has opened the most eyes. Splitting duties with Scott Baker, Wong has posted a 2.25 goals against average and a .913 save percentage.

Rensselaer has displayed a schizoid personality this year. After opening the season with a respectable 5-3 loss against BU, the Engineers ripped off four straight W’s, including the shocker of the season, a 4-2 win over Vermont at Gutterson. Flying high, they then crash-landed. Three straight shutout losses to teams in the middle of the standings.

But just when it became tempting to dismiss the earlier wins, the Engineers looted and pillaged St. Lawrence 6-3, attempting 59 shots, including 27 in the final period.

Their offense is led by Eric Healey (40 points last year) and Alain St. Hilaire (19), but three straight shutouts against unranked foes speaks volumes. Probably. Rensselaer remains a tough team to get a handle on.

Pat Brownlee, Chris Aldous, and Bryan Tapper figure prominently on the blue line. Freshmen netminders Scott Prekaski and Joel Laing have played well to date, but remain wild cards.

b>PICKS:Merrimack 5-3 over Dartmouth and 4-1 over Rensselaer.

Rensselaer (5-4-0, 3-1-0 ECAC) at Northeastern (2-7-1, 1-6-1 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Matthews Arena, Boston, MA Northeastern (2-7-1, 1-6-1 HE) at Harvard (2-3-1, 2-3-1 ECAC) Sunday, 7 p.m., Bright Hockey Center, Cambridge, MA NESN

"We played one of our better games on Friday night," said Northeastern coach Bruce Crowder, "We just didn’t have any lady luck. Then we played one of our worst games on Saturday. As coaches we just have to make sure we get the right team to show up. Because when we do, we can be competitive with anyone."

The Huskies had been playing a trap against opponents earlier in the season, but did not against Providence. "We didn’t play it much on Friday night, said Crowder. "And on Saturday night we fell behind by so much that it didn’t make sense. We’ll just continue to use whatever we think will work best against the team we’re playing."

Northeastern’s play this year has gone from the peaks of upsetting top ten Michigan State and taking three points out of an Orono weekend to the valleys of several lopsided losses. The 8-0 score was not the first shellacking the Huskies have absorbed this year, nor will it be their last.

Crowder preaches not getting too high after wins and not getting too low after losses. If his young team has taken that to heart, they stand a good chance of winning two games this weekend.

Harvard’s strength this year lies in their defensive zone play. In goal freshman J.R. Prestifilippo relies on quickness and athleticism to get the job done. A strong group of blueliners includes senior captain Ashlin Halfnight, veteran Jeremiah McCarthy, and Ben Storey. Their strength from between the pipes to the blue line has resulted in more than three goals against only once this year.

The Crimson, however, are struggling mightily in the offensive zone. Rob Millar lists in the top ten in league scoring, and Henry Higdon should build on the 27 points he scored last year. But since the opening game of the season Harvard has failed to score more than two goals in any game. Not a recipe for success.

(Rensselaer is profiled above.)

PICKS: Northeastern beats Rensselaer 3-1 and then drops a 2-1 contest with Harvard.

Air Force (4-5-1, 0-2-0 vs. D-I) at UMass-Amherst (3-7-0, 2-6-0 HE) Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., Mullins Center, Amherst, MA

UMass-Amherst got a "feel good" game in against Army, pounding them 8-0. Gerry Cahill got the natural hat trick in the first period and then Warren Norris added a conventional one later on. The Minutemen picked up three power-play goals in six chances.

They then dropped a 4-1 game against Vermont. Coach Joe Mallen knows from his Boston College playing days how tough the Catamounts are to play at Gutterson Fieldhouse. So dropping this contest was no cause for embarrassment.

In fact, the Minutemen have played quite consistently this year. They’ve dominated the weak teams, split with those teams comparable to them, and lost to the likes of Boston University, New Hampshire, and Vermont. With the exception of the top ten teams that they’ve faced, the Minutemen are 3-2-0.

Air Force played one of their toughest schedules last year and went 4-24-5. They have already matched that win total this year, beating Division 3 schools and sweeping fellow Division I independent Niagara. They lost both of their games against traditional D-I competition, getting the broom from Princeton, 5-2 and 3-1.

Leading the Falcon scoring this year is senior co-captain Todd Lafortune with nine goals and fellow senior Peter Sandness with six. Freshman right winger Nels Grafstrom has made an immediate contribution with a goal and six assists going into last weekend, placing him among the team leaders.

Senior goaltender Pat Kielb is on a pace that will set a school record for most games played in the nets. Last year he recorded a 4.70 goals against average and a .851 save percentage in 31 games.

PICKS: UMass-Amherst 6-1 and 7-2.

Dave Hendrickson is the Hockey East Correspondent for U.S. College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Dave Hendrickson . All Rights Reserved.

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This Week in the WCHA: November 29, 1996

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WCHA PREVIEW: Nov. 29-30, 1996

WCHA Preview: Nov. 29-30, 1996 by Jim Thies

Even though there were some surprises last weekend in WCHA play, one thing remained constant: the standings are still close.

Only four points separate the top five teams, which doesn’t even remotely resemble what’s happened in the WCHA the past few years — when one or two teams have run away from the pack.

Every game, even every shift, is important for teams to win. A slip at this time of the season could mean disaster at season’s end. That makes for some great hockey at every rink in the league.

Besides league games, Minnesota and Wisconsin represent the WCHA in the College Hockey Showcase in Detroit against two strong CCHA teams, Michigan and Michigan State. Bragging rights will be on the line this weekend at the Joe Louis Arena.

Here’s a look at this week’s games.

Alaska-Anchorage (4-5-1, 2-5-1 WCHA) at Colorado College (7-3-0, 7-3-0 WCHA) Friday, 7:35 MT, Saturday, 2:05 MT, Cadet Ice Arena, Air Force Academy, CO

Colorado College had last weekend off and should be rested for Alaska-Anchorage. UAA topped North Dakota last weekend and will try to keep it up this time.

UAA hits the road for just the second time this year. A big win against North Dakota helps their confidence this weekend, but now they’re going to CC, where teams have traditionally had a tough time winning. They must stay with their patient, defensive style of play to have success. UAA will have their hands full with the Tigers, who have won five straight.

CC didn’t play last weekend, yet still finds itself just two points out of first place. A big weekend against UAA could send the Tigers into first and into the driver’s seat for now; the Tigers have never lost at home to UAA. Stewart Bodtker (2-10–12) has caught fire and leads the Tigers in scoring. Look for Darren Clark (5-6–11) and Brian Swanson (4-7–11) to play well. The Tigers realize that UAA will play a defensive game and not take foolish penalties. If the Tigers get impatient, they won’t have the success they should this weekend.

ELMO Picks: A CC sweep. 3-1, 4-1.

Denver (6-5-1, 5-5-1 WCHA) at Northern Michigan (3-10-1, 3-9-0 WCHA) Friday-Saturday, 7:05 ET, Lakeview Arena, Marquette, MI

Both Denver and Northern Michigan had solid games last weekend and hope to stay hot for this series.

Denver took two games at Michigan Tech to get back in the hunt. They trail the leaders by five points, but in this season that’s not too much to overcome. The Pioneers are 3-0-1 in their last four. Winger Antti Laaksonen (6-3–9) scored his second career hat trick last Saturday. Paul Comrie (3-5–8) has also played well lately. Goalie Jim Mullin (1-4-1, 3.70 GAA, .843 SV%) earned the shutout with a well-played effort.

Northern Michigan split with Minnesota last weekend, which should give the Wildcats some confidence going into the series with the Pioneers. The Wildcats must forget their recent history against DU (eight straight losses) and get the type of game they had in the win against UM. Bud Smith (5-8–13) leads in points and goals and is tied for the team lead in assists. Curtis Sheptak (2-8–10) set up both goals in Saturday’s win and will need another strong series against the Pioneers.

ELMO Picks: DU stays hot, 4-1, 5-2.

St. Cloud State (6-3-1, 4-3-1 WCHA) at Michigan Tech (5-8-0, 2-8-0 WCHA) Friday, 7:35 ET, Saturday, 7:05 ET, John MacInnes Student Ice Arena, Houghton, MI

St. Cloud State wants to keep improving while Michigan Tech desperately wants to get out of the basement of the WCHA in this series.

St. Cloud State should be well-rested after having last weekend off. SCSU is off to its best start since joining the Division I ranks. Matt Cullen 3-5–8) missed the Huskies last series, but should be ready to go this weekend. Dave Paradise (4-6–10) and Mark Parrish (3-7–10) will have to continue to play well for the Huskies to succeed. Sacha Molin (6-3–9) is the team’s top goalscorer.

Michigan Tech has lost five straight games and needs a good weekend to break out of the slump. It isn’t defense that has hurt the Huskies — they have allowed three or fewer goals in 10 of their last 13 games. The penalty-killing units have also played well, with .886 efficiency. Andre Savage (4-3–7) is the top offensive player, but he needs help from all his teammates if MTU wants to win.

ELMO Picks: SCSU wins twice. 4-2, 3-1.

North Dakota (8-4-0, 8-4-0 WCHA) at Minnesota-Duluth (7-4-1, 6-3-1 WCHA) Friday-Saturday, DECC, Duluth, MN

This should be a great series between two teams who are playing well. Just three points separate the two teams, which will add flavor to this rivalry.

North Dakota is led by the league’s top scorer, Dave Hoogsteen (7-9–16). Jason Blake (6-8–14) isn’t far behind in the scoring race and Ian Kallay (5-8–13) gives the Fighting Sioux a solid one-two-three punch. Goalie Toby Kvalevog (7-3-0, 3.03 GAA, .871 SV%) has given UND the big games when needed. The Sioux are second in the league — to UMD — on the power play with a .238 conversion rate. But UND needs to improve its penalty-killing, where it ranks last (.690). That’s an area where the Bulldogs could hurt the Fighting Sioux this weekend.

Duluth will be home for eight of its next 10 games, and it would like to start that stand with a sweep. Mike Peluso (8-4–12) has points in nine straight games and has been a leader all season. Defenseman Rick Mrozik (3-8–11) is tied for second in scoring in all games and has three goals and four assists in his last three games. Goalie Brant Nicklin (6-3-1, 2.48 GAA, .916 SV%) has been outstanding, and tied a team record for shutouts in a season (2) when he blanked UW 4-0 last weekend. He has allowed opponents just one goal in four other games.

ELMO Picks: Two even teams split. UMD 4-3, UND 5-3.

Minnesota (8-4-0, 8-4-0 WCHA) vs. Michigan (11-1-1, 6-1-1 CCHA) Friday, 4:30 ET, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI

Minnesota loves to play against tough competition and that’s what they’ll get with this weekend’s games with Michigan and Michigan State. Of course no one will want to talk much about last year’s loss to Michigan in the NCAA tourney, but don’t kid yourself. The Gophers want to erase that memory. A big question is who will be in goal this weekend. Steve DeBus (5-3-0, 3.14 GAA, .895 SV%) and Erik Day (3-1-0, 1.00 GAA, .956 SV%) both have injured shoulders. Casey Hankinson (7-7–14) is tied for second in the league in scoring, while Erik Rasmussen (8-5–13) is tied for the league lead in goals.

When the Wolverines play, there will be more than just a couple of games at stake; there’s CCHA (and Big Ten) pride on the line. "It’s a unique tournament in that you have four of 10 schools that are traditional hockey powers who have had strong teams for a long time," says Michigan head coach Red Berenson.

"When we play each other, there’s something more at stake than what [shows] up in the standings." The Wolverines have four of the top 11 scorers in the CCHA — John Madden, Warren Luhning, Matt Herr and Brendan Morrison — and solid goaltending in Marty Turco.

ELMO Picks: Michigan wins a thriller, 4-3.

Wisconsin (6-6-0, 6-6-0 WCHA) vs. Michigan State (9-4-0, 8-2-0 CCHA) Friday, 8 ET, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI

Wisconsin wants to get over that .500 mark, but it will be tough against Michigan State and Michigan in Detroit. The Badgers would like to redo the calendar and play all their remaining games on Friday, since they are 5-0-0 on that day, and just 1-5-0 on Saturday. Brad Englehart (7-5–12) leads the Badgers’ scoring attack, and has six goals in his last six games. Rick Enrico (3-5–8) is another known quality player. Goalie Mike Valley (1-0-0, 3.11 GAA, .902 SV%) won his first collegiate start last Friday, but look for Kirk Daubenspeck (5-6-0, 3.41 GAA, .886 SV%) to return to action.

Michigan State is no offensive slouch, either. The Spartans have three of the top 11 scorers in the CCHA in Sean Berens, Mike York and Mike Watt. Even though MSU has outscored opponents 47-31, coach Ron Mason said last week that the Spartans are still working to come together. Michigan State completed a sweep through Ohio last week, beating both Bowling Green and Miami.

ELMO Picks: Badgers play well and win, 5-3.

Wisconsin (6-6-0, 6-6-0 WCHA) vs. Michigan (11-1-1, 6-1-1 CCHA) Saturday, 4:30 ET, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI

See Wisconsin and Michigan previews above.

ELMO Picks: Michigan wins again, 4-1.

Minnesota (8-4-0, 8-4-0 WCHA) vs. Michigan State (9-4-0, 8-2-0 CCHA) Saturday, 7:30 ET, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI

See Minnesota and Michigan State previews above.

ELMO Picks: Minnesota rebounds and wins, 5-3.

A special thank-you to Paula Weston, USCHO’s CCHA Correspondent, for previews on Michigan and Michigan State.

Next Week in the WCHA: Friday-Saturday, Dec. 6-7 Wisconsin at Alaska-Anchorage Colorado College at North Dakota Michigan Tech at Minnesota-Duluth Northern Michigan at St. Cloud State

Jim Thies is the WCHA Correspondent for US College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 JIm Thies. All Rights Reserved. Return to Feature Articles Return to US College Hockey Online

WCHA Officials Suspended

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The WCHA announced Wednesday that the officiating crew of Buzzy Christensen, Jon Campion and Mark Nebel was suspended for one weekend, following a series they refereed in Marquette, Mich.

The crew officiated both games of the Nov. 22-23 weekend between the Northern Michigan Wildcats and the Minnesota Golden Gophers, which the two teams split; Minnesota won Friday, 5-2, and the Wildcats won Saturday, 2-1.

The most discussed play came at the end of Saturday’s game, when Northern Michigan’s Roman Kompis checked Gopher Mike Crowley from behind and into the boards. The new rule this year says that any such play is punishable by a five-minute major and a game misconduct, with an option for a game disqualification.

The three officials failed to make the call, claiming they didn’t see the hit. Video replays clearly showed it was a violation.

The officials then whistled play dead with Crowley laying injured on the ice, and proceeded to move the faceoff out of the offensive zone to center ice.

WCHA officials reviewed the video tape of the game, and suspended the three referees for one weekend.

LaCouture Leaves Boston University

By Mike Machnik
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WABU-TV68 reported during its broadcast of Tuesday’s Harvard at Boston University game that Terrier rookie forward Dan LaCouture has left school due to “personal and family reasons.” Nothing additional is known at this time.

The BU Daily Free Press reported earlier Tuesday that LaCouture suffered an elbow injury in the Merrimack series and was “doubtful” for the BU-Harvard game. There was no mention made by the Free Press of LaCouture leaving school.

LaCouture leads all BU freshmen with six goals and seven points in 10 games and has played left wing on the top line with Shawn Bates and Matt Wright. Fellow freshman Greg Quebec took LaCouture’s place on the Bates-Wright line in the Harvard game.

Face Off: Week 2

USCHO Staff Report
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Welcome to U.S. College Hockey Online’s roundtable discussion. Each week, various members of our staff take on a hockey topic. Sometimes serious, sometimes silly — but either way, watch the feathers fly: no punches will be pulled, and no quarter given, when these people face off.

What Are Your Favorite Arena Concessions?

Scott Brown, Features Editor: I’ve gotta vote for the mini-donuts sold at the home of the Golden Gophers, Mariucci Arena. As a native Michigander, I had never seen these things until I came to the Even-More Frozen North, but let me tell you, they’re something. Tiny little donuts, churned out by the bucketful while you watch, and absolutely dripping with greasy goodness. And all topped off with sugar, sugar, sugar!

Paula Weston, CCHA Correspondent: The hot dogs at Yost are vile — even the U-M media told me not to eat them. Of course, I had to try. The aftermath was rivaled only by a White Castle binge. Truly disgusting.

I attend most OSU home games, played in the “luxurious” Ohio State Ice Rink. To get to the press box, you have walk through the home team’s bench area — no lie. The press box is tiny and unheated, so between periods I often go to the lobby to get warmed up. Unless I’ve sent someone I know well ahead of time for coffee or hot chocolate, I don’t get any; after waiting in line myself at the sole concession stand, I’d never make it back before the players take the bench, so I’d never make it back in time to get to the box!

Part of this OSU oddity is that there are no concessions (or open restrooms) in the Ice Rink. You have to walk outside, across what resembles a small alley, to St. John Arena to get to the concessions. I’ve scooted over a couple of OSU players — who don’t seem to mind, the little dears — but there’s no way the usher would let me (or anyone) through once the whole team is back on the bench.

Somewhere, I think the ghost of Woody Hayes is laughing his $@(#! off.

Lee Urton, Media Relations: I’m nearly fed up with concessions and the exorbitant prices charged for them. Every time my memory fails and I get some ice cream, afterward I think about how I could have bought a gallon of Ben & Jerry’s for the same price as a couple of pathetic scoops of bland ice cream.

My suggestion: sneak your favorite food into the arena, and enjoy it fully while you watch the game. I’ve found it even better if you make sure to savor your delicious treat while the poor schmuck next to you is trying to stomach a pre-processed bratwurst made from animal by-products.

Scott Killian, Sales and Marketing: Hot dogs may be America’s concession pastime, but nachos are the real top dog. You only need to look as far as Beavis and Butthead to understand why — it’s in the cheese (that’s right, Badger fans).

Dave Hendrickson, Hockey East Correspondent: The chocolate-chip cookies at UNH’s Whittemore Center top my list. My first time there my son ordered one, and it looked so good that I snitched a piece. At the end of the first period, we bought two more. After the second, we went looking for more. We grabbed the very last one in the building at the last concession stand we tried. Which is the secret to my svelte physique.

Although I’m also tempted to list the M&M brownies at UMass-Lowell, I’ll switch directions and instead extol the virtues of a Fleet Center hot dog. Priced about the same as your latest car payment, this is one of the true wonders of culinary science. They combine horrific health effects with not even a smidgen of taste.

Mike Machnik, Special Projects: I’ve got to admit that I’ve become pretty disappointed with most rink food lately. Almost wherever you go, it’s all the same. What happened to those huge brownies at Maine’s Alfond Arena back before the expansion? We used to pick up a bag for the long ride home. Even Colgate no longer had their baked goodies when we visited Nov. 1.

I hate to sound like the grumpy old man, but when I was a boy, rink food was GREAT. At least, it seemed that way to me. If there’s one thing that has remained unchanged over the years, it’s the fries at UMass-Lowell’s Tully Forum. Now, these are terrific. Best arena food in Hockey East.

I’ve got to put in a vote for my favorite pre- and postgame food. When you get down to it, there’s nothing better than stopping in at Harrison’s in North Andover, Mass., before a Merrimack home game. Best roast beef on earth — sliced as you watch. And because the staff has a lingo all their own, you can order pregame with three words: “Beef, med, dew.” That means a regular roast beef sandwich, medium french fries, and a Mountain Dew. Tell ’em I sent you.

For postgame, try T Anthony’s Pizzeria on Commonwealth Ave., a short walk up Babcock Street from BU’s Walter Brown Arena. The BU players can usually be found there after a home game. I haven’t found anything on the menu that isn’t good, and every meal comes complete with a free side order of biting, sarcastic humor. These guys would cut down David Letterman in a heartbeat. DON’T tell them I sent you — who knows what they might slip into my burger Friday night…

Tim Brule, USCHO Coordinator: Who has time to eat?

This Week in the ECAC: November 22, 1996

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The Battle of the Titans in the ECAC took place this weekend, and Cornell came away with the victory over Vermont. The Cats then took it to Colgate the next evening, as the Red Raiders wound up on the losing end both nights this past weekend.

In the ECAC’s race-within-a-race, the Ivy battle continues, as Brown and Princeton got the upper hand with a win and a tie for three points each.

It’s still early in the ECAC, but the Big Red of Cornell has taken charge early on.

Standings:

School Record Pts

1 Cornell 4-0-0 8 2 Princeton 2-1-1 5 3 RPI 2-0-0 4 Clarkson 2-1-0 4 Colgate 2-2-0 4 Vermont 2-2-0 4 7 Yale 1-2-1 3 Harvard 1-3-1 3 Brown 1-3-1 3 10 Union 1-1-0 2 St. Lawrence 1-2-0 2 Dartmouth 1-3-0 2 (not including Tuesday’s Harvard-Brown game)

Clarkson (4-3-0, 2-1-0 ECAC) & St. Lawrence (1-6-0, 1-2-0 ECAC) at RPI (4-3-0, 2-0-0 ECAC) Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m., Houston Fieldhouse, Troy, NY

St. Lawrence (1-6-0, 1-2-0 ECAC) & Clarkson (4-3-0, 2-1-0 ECAC) at Union (3-3-0, 1-1-0 ECAC) Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m., Achilles Rink, Schenectady, NY

Clarkson comes off of a week in which they defeated the neighboring Saints of St. Lawrence. Clarkson came out hot in the first with five goals, including three in the first 2:29 of the game. Chris Clark scored just ten seconds in, and Yan Turgeon and J.F. Houle added goals as well. Todd White gathered the hat trick in upping his total to seven goals on the season.

Dan Murphy stopped 31 shots in his fourth win of the year, though he was not really needed as the Golden Knights had it well in hand after one period of play.

"We didn’t start off the way we wanted," Saints head coach Joe Marsh said of the first period. Eric Heffler was chased from the SLU net early on, and Jon Bracco went the rest of the way.

Despite the loss, Marsh was optimistic. "We played considerably better in this game," he said. "I thought we were playing okay, and [then] we took a real bad penalty in the second period. We saw some bright spots, and a lack of discipline was what cost us.

"To generate some positive things against a good team is always what you are looking for," Marsh added.

Unfortunately, Marsh will now be without five of his starters: Clint Owen is still suspended, Joel Prpic is out one game with a disqualification, and forwards Matt Oikawa and Derek Ladouceur are gone for this weekend too. Bob Prier, who tallied two goals against Clarkson, is questionable as well.

RPI had a scoreless week. They were shut out by Mass-Lowell 3-0, and by Union 2-0. Matt Garver continues to be out of the lineup with a separated shoulder, and he is sorely missed.

Asked if Garver makes a difference on offense, head coach Dan Fridgen stated, "I’d say that’s a fair assessment." Fridgen also said this of his offense: "Someone’s got to step forward. One guy isn’t going to win the hockey game. He certainly makes a difference in our lineup, but the other guys have to pick it up, contribute, take charge. It’s a team contribution."

Joel Laing and Scott Prekaski continue their impressive freshman seasons in the nets. Though both lost this past week, they were nevertheless strong between the pipes.

Union comes off a great defensive game against RPI. Head coach Stan Moore has brought something special to this team, starting Trevor Koenig in each of the team’s six games so far. Koenig has made quite an impact. He currently has a GAA of 1.68 and a save percentage of .942, among the best in the nation in each category. There is no doubt that Koenig is among the premier goaltenders in the ECAC at this point.

Defense is a point of great pride for Moore. "The kids showed a lot of courage in their own end," he said. Union is holding opponents to 1.67 goals per game.

The forwards of Union showed a lot of talent in Saturday’s win over RPI, but still need to find the back of the net. Two different forwards scored on Saturday night, in Craig Reckin and Russ Monteith.

PICKS:

Clarkson at RPI: RPI has to find depth to get on the board against Clarkson. Clarkson has had an up-and-down year so far, but might have gotten on track against St. Lawrence. Their offense has proven itself, and RPI’s has not. Clarkson 5, RPI 3

St. Lawrence at Union: St. Lawrence is hurting. Prpic will be gone for this game, and he is arguably their best defensive forward. Oikawa and Ladouceur are out, and if Prier does not play, the Saints are in danger of going 1-7. Union can count on Koenig and the defense. Some scoring, perhaps? The defense lifts the Skating Dutchmen. Union 3, St. Lawrence 1

St. Lawrence at RPI: For this one, Prpic will be back, and maybe Prier, which will be a big boost. But the goaltending is still suspect. RPI should get their scoring back and start to click with another week of practice under their belts. RPI 6, St. Lawrence 3

Clarkson at Union: Can Clarkson play against defensive trapping teams? It had trouble with Yale and Princeton; clog up the forwards and they can’t score. Union’s defense is that good, and with Koenig, this could be an upset. Maybe I’m jumping on the Dutchmen’s bandwagon. Union 3, Clarkson 2

Colgate (5-2-0, 2-2-0 ECAC) & No. 10 Cornell (4-0-0, 4-0-0 ECAC) at Princeton (3-1-1, 2-1-1 ECAC) Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m., Baker Rink, Princeton, NJ

No. 10 Cornell (4-0-0, 4-0-0 ECAC) & Colgate (5-2-0, 2-2-0 ECAC) at Yale (1-2-1, 1-2-1 ECAC) Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m., Ingalls Rink, New Haven, CT

Colgate comes off a weekend sweep at home — but they were on the losing end. The Red Raiders were surprised by Dartmouth 3-2, and beaten by Vermont 5-4.

Understandable, head coach Don Vaughn was not happy about his team’s play this weekend. "I was a little disappointed at how we came out of the locker room. I thought we weren’t ready to go."

While Mike Harder (8-9–17) and Dave DeBusschere (9-8–17) have been there so far, Vaughn is looking for more, "We have to be more consistent with our game. [We take] bad penalties at times, and it continues to hurt us."

As for this weekend, Vaughn insists Colgate is focused. "We’re only looking at Princeton and not Yale right now; we have to take it one game at a time," he said.

Cornell has proved that last year was not a fluke with a 4-0-0 start, including a huge victory over Vermont, 6-4, Friday night. They followed that up with a 6-3 victory over Dartmouth the next evening.

New heroes are made every night in Ithaca, and this weekend the Big Red continued their balanced scoring. Vinnie Auger had two goals, as did Tony Bergin and Jamie Papp. Matt Cooney had three on the weekend as the Big Red remain undefeated and atop the ECAC standings.

Jean-Marc Pelletier made 19 saves against Dartmouth in the win, and Jason Elliot won the big one against Vermont with 28 stops.

Mike Schafer continues to have this Big Red team riding high, and it doesn’t look like they will come down for a while.

The Tigers of Princeton are off to a surprising 3-1-1 start, mainly because of the outstanding play of their defense. The Tigers have been playing with five defensemen for most games, and the unit has been surprisingly solid.

On the offensive front, two Tigers got their first scores of the season this weekend. Jeff Halpern and Scott Bertoli tallied two goals each in the 6-2 win against Harvard. Nick Rankin won his second straight ECAC game, with 30 saves against the Crimson, and Erasmo Saltarelli saved 21 in the tie with Brown.

A young Bulldog team at Yale is starting to earn some respect around the league. They tied Harvard 2-2 and played Brown to the end before losing 5-4. Alex Westlund was in goal for the Eli in the 2-2 tie, and replaced his partner Dan Choquette after one period against Brown.

Ray Giroux got two goals on the young season. This was to be expected, as he was the leading returning scorer from last year. The only problem with that statistic? He’s a defenseman.

Strong games by Keith McCullough, Jeff Glew, Dan Peraza, Jeff Hamilton and John Chyz have the Bulldogs very optimistic for a season just underway.

PICKS:

Colgate at Princeton: Don Vaughn wants to work on consistency and stay out of the penalty box. That should be accomplished. Don Cahoon has Princeton on a high right now — can the Tiger defense hold off the attack of the Red Raiders with only five blueliners? Probably not. Colgate 6, Princeton 2

Cornell at Yale: Yale is getting respect, and they will earn some more by playing the Big Red hard. But the balanced scoring and inspired play of Cornell is just too much for the Bulldogs. Cornell 7, Yale 3

Cornell at Princeton: After a frustrating game defensively against Colgate, the Tigers return against Cornell. It’s just too much for the Tigers to contain this kind of offensive threat. Cornell remains unbeaten in the ECAC. Cornell 5, Princeton 3

Colgate at Yale: Yale again plays the tough game, but the offensive firepower of Colgate is just too much. Colgate 6, Yale 3

No. 4 Vermont (6-2-0, 2-2-0 ECAC) at Dartmouth (2-3-0, 1-3-0 ECAC) Friday, 7:30 p.m., Thompson Arena, Hanover, NH

The big showdown at Lynah Rink on Friday went against the Cats; they allowed two goals in the third to lose, 6-4. They rebounded the next night with a 5-4 win over Colgate, but it was a tough weekend nonetheless.

After getting shut out in two games against RPI and Union, the French Connection came back. Martin St. Louis had one goal and three assists, J.C. Ruid two goals and two assists, and Eric Perrin three assists. They are back and showing that the scoring touch is not lost.

Tim Thomas was strong as usual, making 26 saves against Cornell and 39 saves against Colgate. In the win against Colgate, Thomas was so impressive, he earned this praise from Colgate head coach Don Vaughn: "We had our chances in the third, but Thomas stopped us, as is normal."

The Big Green posted their first ECAC victory of the season with a 3-2 upset over Colgate. Charlie Retter was the hero offensively as he put two into the net.

The story, though, was freshman Jason Wong in the nets. He made 20 saves in the win over Colgate, and came on in relief of Scott Baker at Cornell. Though he was tagged with the loss, he was strong with 12 saves.

Darren Wercinski and Ryan Chaytors also had two goals each as Dartmouth came away from the tough weekend with two ECAC points.

PICK: Vermont is 32-10-1 overall versus the Big Green and have won all but two of the last 14 games. Who gets the start in goal for Dartmouth? All fingers point at Jason Wong. Thomas again for the Cats. Offense is the key, and the power play, where there will a few goals. Vermont 8, Dartmouth 4

Brown (1-3-1) at No. 1 Michigan (9-1-1) Friday & Saturday, 7:00 p.m., Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, MI

Brown had a good weekend, gaining three points with a win over Yale and a tie against Princeton. The Brown offense came alive just a little with eight goals, three by Adrian Smith.

Jeff Holwaty was strong in net with 37 saves against Princeton, and head coach Bob Gaudet credited him with the draw.

Michigan maintains their number-one ranking in the Around the RInks/USCHO Poll this week with a 5-1 victory over Michigan State and a 3-3 tie at Bowling Green over the weekend.

John Madden continues to be the man for the Wolverines. He tallied his eighth goal of the season against Bowling Green. The scoring punch of Big Blue is embodied in Brendan Morrison (4-14–18), Warren Luhning (6-10–16) and Matt Herr (8-6–14).

Marty Turco has gotten all 11 decisions on the season, and should see action in one, if not both games this weekend. Greg Malicke may get some time as well.

PICKS: Offense, offense, offense. It’s too much for Brown. Their trip to Yost ends in a Michigan sweep. UM 6-2, 5-1

UMass-Amherst (2-6-0) at No. 4 Vermont (6-2-0) Sunday 1:00 p.m., Gutterson Fieldhouse, Burlington, VT

Mass-Amherst is coming off a split last weekend with Merrimack, in which they got back on the winning side of things. Rob Bonneau leads the Minutemen with six goals on the season, including two in the 6-5 win over Merrimack on Saturday.

Brian Regan is going to have to be strong in the nets for head coach Joe Mallen. 31 saves against Merrimack on Friday, and Regan should see the start on Sunday.

PICK: The Cats are too strong for the Minutemen. Vermont 6, Mass-Amherst 2

Yale (1-2-1, 1-2-1 ECAC) at Princeton (3-1-1, 2-1-1 ECAC) Tuesday, 7:00 p.m., Baker Rink, Princeton, NJ

Both teams are previewed above.

PICK: Both teams will come off a tough weekend facing Cornell and Colgate, and you have to wonder just how tired they’ll be. Both teams are young, and are eager for a win. Go with the home-ice advantage. Princeton 4, Yale 3

Harvard (1-3-1) at No. 2 Boston University (7-1-0) Tuesday, 7:00 p.m., Walter Brown Arena, Boston, MA

After opening the season with a victory over Brown, the Crimson have now gone winless in their last four (0-3-1, up to Tuesday’s Brown game).

One of the bright spots for the Crimson has been the play of freshman goalie J.R. Prestifilippo. 30 and 22 saves against Yale and Princeton, respectively, give the Crimson hope.

The Terriers blew out Northeastern 5-2 and 8-1 this past weekend and have continued to earn their number-two ranking; they are shading ever closer to the top spot held by Michigan. Chris Drury now has eight goals on the season, and Tom Noble shone in goal with 33 saves against the Huskies.

PICK: BU is too strong for the struggling Crimson in this preview of the first round of the Beanpot. BU 7, Harvard 2

Thanksgiving weekend looms, and there are a bevy of games outside of the ECAC for the league’s teams. Next week in the ECAC:

Friday, Nov. 29 Saturday, Nov. 30 Boston University at St. Lawrence Princeton at Harvard Boston College at Clarkson Yale at Brown Merrimack at Dartmouth Boston College at St. Lawrence Rensselaer at Northeastern Boston Univ at Clarkson Miami (OH) at Colgate Ottawa at Union Miami (OH) at Cornell Rensselaer at Merrimack

Friday, Nov. 29 & Saturday, Nov. 30: Governor’s Cup (at Gutterson Fieldhouse, Burlington, VT) Maine/Mass-Lowell & Vermont/New Hampshire

Sunday, Dec. 1 Tuesday, Dec. 3 Northeastern at Harvard Colgate at Cornell Vermont at Providence

Jayson Moy is the ECAC Correspondent for US College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Jayson Moy . All Rights Reserved.

Return to News and Articles Return to US College Hockey Online

This Week in Hockey East: November 22, 1996

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Sweeps by BU and UNH put them atop Hockey East with 6-0-0 records. They threaten to run away from the pack and make it a two-horse race. Of the remaining teams, only Boston College is above .500 in league play. All other teams have at least three league losses.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Maine. At 0-3-1 they run the risk of soon becoming irrelevant, something they haven’t been since 1985-86.

Last week’s record in picks: 6-4 Season record in picks: 33-16

Boston College (4-3-1, 2-1-1 HE) vs. No. 6 New Hampshire (7-2-0, 6-0-0 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Whittemore Center, Durham, NH Saturday, 7 p.m., Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill, MA NESN

Boston College hopes to accomplish two things this weekend: turn Hockey East into a three-team race and get coach Jerry York his 500th career win. A split or better would accomplish the former, but they’ll need a sweep for York’s number 500. Last week they took three of four points from Providence, a team that has given the Eagles troubles in recent years.

"It was significant that we were able to get two goals in the last two minutes to get a tie on Friday night," said York. "But what I really liked was what we did in the third period on Saturday with a 4-3 lead. We really put a lid on the game, allowing only six shots in the period despite Providence having three power plays. We were just in a great defensive, checking mode.

"Greg Taylor was really big for us on both nights," said York. "He stopped a breakaway in the closing seconds on Friday to preserve the tie. And he was very good on Saturday.

"I’m also really happy with the play of our centers," he continued. "I like to have strength up the middle. Marty Reasoner, Jamie O’Leary, and Jeff Farkas are developing into a real focus of strength there."

"UNH should be a good matchup for us," said York. "They just swept Maine and they have six straight league wins. It will be a very good test."

Blake Bellefeuille should return to the lineup. He injured a knee on Friday and did not play on Saturday. An MRI, however, showed no damage but instead a bad bruise. He expected to return to the practice ice this Tuesday.

New Hampshire has jumped out to their best start ever, sweeping Northeastern, UMass-Amherst, and Maine. Their explosive offense scores goals in bunches, as they did last Friday night.

"We fell behind by two," said coach Dick Umile, "but we stayed confident and came back." UNH scored five unanswered goals in the second period to turn a 2-0 deficit into a commanding 5-2 lead. "Then on Saturday we jumped out in front in the first period. But the second period was a center zone kind of game and they tied us up. Then they went ahead of us early in the third. But again we stayed confident and came back." A Derek Bekar power-play goal with 2:36 left won it for the Wildcats 6-5.

Sean Matile finally joins Brian LaRochelle in goal. Matile, who has been ineligible until this weekend, arrives with an almost absurd amount of hype. Coach Dick Umile has attempted to keep expectations under control, but many UNH fans see Matile’s size and like to think "Ken Dryden." Comparisons to probably the greatest goaltender in collegiate history, if not history in general, may be premature.

"Sean gives us good depth at the goaltender position," said Umile. "Brian LaRochelle has played well for us. I’m going to play both of them for the next 10 or 15 games. Then we’ll evaluate if one is playing significantly better than the other."

After three consecutive sweeps, can the Wildcats do it again?

"I’m not even thinking about a sweep," said Umile. "Sweeps are really difficult in this league. If we win on Friday, then we can start thinking sweep. But Boston College will be the best team we’ve faced. They were picked right behind us in the preseason poll. They’ll be a tough opponent."

UNH’s Tom Nolan, one of Hockey East’s leading scorers, injured a knee on Friday night and is out for three weeks. Injuries have sadly been the story of Nolan’s career, often sidelining him when he’s playing his best hockey.

"I wish Jerry York the best," said Umile with a laugh, "but I hope he doesn’t get his 500th until after this weekend."

PICK: UNH 5-4 on Friday. BC 4-3 on Saturday.

Merrimack (3-5-0, 2-4-0 HE) vs. No. 2 Boston University (7-1-0, 6-0-0 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Walter Brown Arena, Boston, MA Saturday, 7 p.m., Volpe Complex, North Andover, MA

Merrimack split with UMass-Amherst last week, winning 6-2 before dropping the back end of the home-and-home 6-5.

"I’m pleased that we’re starting to get our offense on track," said coach Ron Anderson. "We can’t rely on defense and goaltending all the time. Unfortunately, as our offense started to find the range, we played some shabby defense at times. On Saturday, we didn’t get away with it."

Rejean Stringer earned Hockey East’s Player of the Week honors for his two goals and five assists. He now ranks third in league scoring. Fellow sophomore Kris Porter was the recipient of much of Stringer’s playmaking largesse, notching his first career hat trick in the Friday night win.

"These are guys we expected to score when we recruited them," said Anderson. "You figure that they might go through an adjustment period as freshmen, but now that they are sophomores it isn’t surprising that they’re starting to realize their potential. Of course, we welcome their increased contributions."

Goaltenders Eric Thibeault and Martin Legault have split netminding duties so far this year and are likely to do so again this weekend. Thibeault’s best collegiate moments have been against BU. He set a league record with 54 saves in 1994-95 to key a 3-2 upset and then nearly duplicated the feat last year with 50 saves in another upset, this time 7-4.

"We can’t get caught in skill and individual situations," said Anderson. "They have too much firepower. We’ll have to get good team play in all three zones, as opposed to trying to beat them one-on-one."

The Warriors are banged up. They played last weekend without John Jakopin, Sandy Cohen, Chris Halecki, Joe Savioli, and Ryan Guzior. As of early this week, the status of these players was unknown.

Boston University dominated Northeastern last weekend to the tune of 5-2 and 8-1. Since their loss to Vermont, they have averaged over six goals a game while holding their opponents to three or fewer goals all but once.

Chris Drury threatens to make a farce of the league scoring race with nine goals and five assists in six league contests. Drury earned Hockey East’s Player of the Week the first two weeks in November but was edged out by Stringer’s performance. In his "off" week, Drury scored three goals and added an assist.

Tom Noble also leads the league, posting a 2.00 goals against average and a .927 save percentage in three league games. He continues to rotate with Michel Larocque.

This looks like a mismatch on paper, just like in past years. However, in past years the paper has lied. Merrimack has upset BU each of the last two years. Look for deja vu all over again.

PICK: BU 6-3 on Friday. Merrimack 3-2 on Saturday.

Providence (3-5-1, 2-3-1 HE) vs. Northeastern (2-5-1, 1-4-1 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Matthews Arena, Boston, MA Saturday, 7 p.m., Schneider Arena, Providence, RI

Providence picked up only one point in a home-and-home series with Boston College last week.

"We played well on Friday night," said coach Paul Pooley. "We had two goals disallowed that were clearly in, and then gave up two goals in the last two minutes. So we had to settle for a tie in a game we should have won.

"Our specialty teams hurt us on Saturday night," he continued. "We went 0-for-7 on the power play, and gave up a short-handed and a power-play goal."

Going into the season, the blue line represented the major question mark for the Friars. They had graduated five of their top six defensemen. Those questions remain.

"We’re giving up too many easy goals," said Pooley. "We’ll play solid hockey for a stretch and then make the wrong play at the wrong time. Some guys are on the ice for a lot of goals. We need to figure out who really should be playing on the PK [Penalty Kill] and power play. It’s time to evaluate some players and maybe get some new ones into the lineup.

"On the plus side," he continued, "Dan Dennis played really well. He’d had a tough time against BU the week before, but he’s back.

"Hey, I’m still positive. We’ve been playing teams picked ahead of us in the preseason, and some of our guys are pressing, but we’ll get better."

Pooley looked ahead to the Northeastern matchup. "These are two very similar teams. There isn’t a lot of goal production on either side. Both try to play solid defense and win that way."

Bruce Crowder’s Huskies came off a three point weekend in Maine before dropping two to BU, 5-2 and 8-1.

"It was a shot of reality, I guess," said Crowder. "At times we played well and could skate with them, but at times we couldn’t. And BU is a team that will make you pay for your mistakes."

"I told my team after the Maine series, ‘Don’t get too high. There are no trophies awarded in November.’ This week I told them, ‘Don’t get too low. There are no trophies awarded in November.’

"We just finished a really tough stretch," Crowder continued. "Our last six games have been against UNH, Maine, and BU. We learned a lot in those six games.

"This week should be an interesting series," he said. "Both teams are trying to find themselves after just finishing a tough stretch in their schedules. Providence is obviously a very well-coached team. We’ll have to see what kind of a team we’re going to have here."

Northeastern could pick up a split, but Providence College’s edge in experience should fashion two defensive wins.

PICK: Providence sweeps 4-3 and 3-2.

Army (5-6-0, 2-6-0 vs. Division I) at UMass-Amherst (2-6-0, 2-6-0 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Mullins Center, Amherst, MA

UMass-Amherst split their home-and-home with Merrimack.

"The first night Merrimack came out with a vengeance," said UMass coach Joe Mallen. "Last year we swept them, so they came out strong. They capitalized on our mistakes and Eric Thibeault played very well in goal for them.

"The next night it was a completely different story. We fell behind but we battled back for the win."

"People need to look at more than just our record," said Mallen. "We’ve played series with two of the top teams in the country in BU and UNH. In our other games, we’ve split. We’re moving in the right direction. With those two tough teams past the board, we hope to improve our record."

Goaltender Rich Moriarty, who had sparkled in a 1-0 loss to UNH the previous week, lasted only a period before Brian Regan replaced him and got the win. "Those things happen," said Mallen. "He did struggle, but that was after a great performance last week."

Mallen looked ahead to the weekend.

"I take Army as seriously as I take Vermont. There’s nothing automatic about a win against Army. They are much improved and always work hard. They beat Minnesota-Duluth earlier this year and almost beat UMass-Lowell after trailing them 3-0. We’ll have to play well."

Army began last weekend dominating St. Michael’s 8-0 before putting the scare into Lowell. As Coach Mallen noted, UMass-Lowell appeared on the way to a comfortable win over Army, leading 3-0 after two. But Army almost pulled the game out before losing 4-3. Army struggled on the penalty kill, giving up three of Lowell’s four goals in only four River Hawk power-play opportunities.

Army’s top players include goaltender Daryl Chamberlain, blueliners Leif Hansen and Mike Opdenaker, and forwards Andy Lundbohm, Bill Morrison, Frank Fede, and Joe Sharrock.

Army won’t catch the Minutemen napping.

PICK: UMass-Amherst 5-2.

UMass-Lowell (5-3-0, 3-3-0 HE) at Maine (4-4-1, 0-3-1 HE) Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., Alfond Arena, Orono, ME

New Hampshire swept Maine 6-3 and 6-5.

"I thought the key on Friday night," said coach Greg Cronin, "was when Reg Cardinal had Brian LaRochelle down-and-out and couldn’t put it away to make it a 3-0 lead. And even though they scored the five goals, I thought the scoring chances were fairly even. UNH really scored some poor goals. Give them credit, they worked hard, but those goals shouldn’t have gone in."

Goalie Alfie Michaud struggled. All Maine’s goaltending eggs are in Michaud’s basket and right now that’s looking like trouble.

"It’s unusual to watch a Maine goalie flopping around like a fish in the crease," said Cronin. "It’s not our style of goaltending…. I just want him to go out and play standup goaltending. Because if we’re going to do anything this year, we’re going to have to ride his shoulders to some degree."

"Saturday was a good college hockey game," he said. "They went up 4-2 in the first period, but we came back and went ahead in the third. We killed a five-on-three, but in the end they won on a power-play goal with a little over two minutes left in the game. Personally, I thought the penalty was a bad call. It looked fairly innocent to me."

If Maine can’t stop the bleeding now against UMass-Lowell, they are heading for disaster. Maine plays Lowell their next three games, two this weekend in Orono, and one to open the Governor’s Cup. After that, it’s either Vermont or UNH followed by two against Boston College.

"Unfortunately, we’re only skating 12 scholarships right now," said Cronin. "The NCAA cut us back to 16 and then we had the four guys leave so late we couldn’t fill their spots."

Injuries have depleted that scant figure even more. Jason Mansoff (infected elbow) and Scott Parmentier (bad back) lead the list of Black Bears on the shelf. Their return date is not yet known.

"My expectations are certainly lower than they were three weeks ago. It feels like we’re down to our last player.

"Tim Whitehead has obviously done a great job at Lowell," Cronin continued. "They were picked last but they are showing a lot of character. And they’ve got great depth at goaltender."

Lowell and Marty Fillion shut out Rensselaer 3-0 in a mid-week matchup before traveling to Army. Against the Cadets, they built a 3-0 lead after two and then hung on for a 4-3 win. Scott Fankhouser saw his first action in the nets since Fillion’s return.

"It’s always a great challenge to face Maine up there," said coach Tim Whitehead. "They have a great atmosphere for a college game. After their last couple of weekends, they’ll be playing really hungry. We’ll have to match their intensity and work as hard as they do."

Look for the Fillion-Michaud matchup to trigger a UMass-Lowell sweep.

PICK: UMass-Lowell 4-3 and 3-2.

UMass-Amherst (2-6-0, 2-6-0 HE) at No. 4 Vermont (6-2-0, 2-2-0 ECAC) Sunday, 1 p.m., Gutterson Field House, Burlington, VT

What’s up with Vermont?

Four wins against tough nonconference opponents to open the season earned the Catamounts their first ever number one ranking. They appeared a clear choice as the top team in the east. The Elves worked their magic, Tim Thomas brick-walled the Catamount crease, and players like Matt Sanders diversified the offense. Coach Mike Gilligan even fought off complacency, muttering after games about how much better his team needed to play.

A bewildering two weeks, however, began when Rensselaer shocked the Gutterson faithful, pulling out a 4-2 win. Then, after struggling to a 1-0 win over Union, the Catamounts got dumped by Cornell 6-4 before barely pulling out a 5-4 win over Colgate. Perhaps even stranger, the Elves — Martin St. Louis and Eric Perrin — were held pointless in the Rensselaer and Union games, the first weekend shutout of their collegiate careers. And when Vermont came back from a 4-1 deficit against Colgate, Eric Hallman, not the Elves, scored four times to avoid the weekend double-dip. In 103 previous games with the Catamounts, Hallman had scored six goals.

Has Vermont fallen down a rabbit hole into a very different world?

"Despite the losses," said UMass-Amherst coach Joe Mallen, "Vermont is absolutely a top contender for the national championship. And I know from my playing days at Boston College how tough it is to play at Gutterson."

The good news for UMass-Amherst is that they are a much better team than their record. They’ve simply played a lot of early games against top teams. The bad news is that this is another one of those games.

PICK: Vermont 4-2.

Boston College (4-3-1, 2-1-1 HE) vs. Northeastern (2-5-1, 1-4-1 HE) Tuesday, 7 p.m., Matthews Arena, Boston, MA

(Both teams are previewed in earlier home-and-home contests.)

Look for Jerry York to grab his 500th career win in this game.

PICK: BC 4-2.

Harvard (1-3-1, 1-3-1 ECAC) at No. 2 Boston University (7-1-0, 6-0-0 HE) Tuesday, 7 p.m., Walter Brown Arena, Boston, MA WABU-68

A young Harvard squad has gotten out of the gate slowly. After opening the season with a win, the Crimson have failed to score more than two goals in each of the last four games.

The Crimson scoring comes primarily from junior Henry Higdon (27 points last year) and sophomores Craig MacDonald (17) and Craig Adams (17). MacDonald, a fourth round NHL pick, took some time getting adjusted to the collegiate game, but last year scored 13 of his points in the last 20 games. Adams contributes more than points; his physical play has prompted comparisons to Rick Tocchet.

Harvard returned most of last year’s blueliners. Senior captain Ashlin Halfnight, World Junior Tournament veteran Jeremiah McCarthy, and fourth-round NHL pick Ben Storey lead this group.

Freshman J.R. Prestifilippo has won the starting netminding job. away from Peter Zakowich. Prestifilippo arrived at Harvard one of the most highly-acclaimed local goaltending recruits. Despite a weak game against Princeton, he should eventually become one of the ECAC’s top goalies.

(BU is profiled above in their home-and-home series with Merrimack.)

PICK: BU 6-2.

Dave Hendrickson is the Hockey East Correspondent for U.S. College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Dave Hendrickson . All Rights Reserved.

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BC’s Taylor out with Broken Hand

USCHO Staff Report
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Boston College starting goaltender Greg Taylor broke his glove hand while performing off-ice plyometric drills and will likely miss the next two to three weeks.

“The break should heal in five weeks,” said BC coach Jerry York. “Hopefully in two to three weeks he can get some movement so he can play with a cast on.”

The two-to-three week estimate appears to be a best-case scenario.

“It’s a break right in the middle of his glove hand, so it’s hard to squeeze,” York said.

Most Hockey East observers consider Taylor among the top league goaltenders. He is backed up by Mike Correia, a sophomore who spent last year in the USHL. Prior to the injury, Correia recorded a 1-1-0 record as Taylor’s backup with a 4.00 goals against average and an .854 save percentage.

The injury occurred Tuesday, Nov. 19, while Taylor performed “box jumping,” a conditioning and agility drill. Taylor hit his catching hand on the box, causing a fracture of the third metacarpal bone.

Taylor’s earliest return projects to a Dec. 6-7 weekend series with Maine. Prior to that series, Boston College plays five games in nine nights from Nov. 22 through 30.

This Week in the WCHA: November 22, 1996

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And then, as musical stalwarts Genesis might say, there were three. Three teams — North Dakota, Minnesota and Colorado College — stand atop the WCHA standings; this week two of them are in action away from their home rinks, trying to preserve a piece of the lead.

But with the way this year’s season has gone so far, fans will have to stay tuned to see who stays hot and who goes cold. An off-weekend could cost a team dearly by the time the season comes to an end.

Four points separate the top five teams and six points separate the top six clubs, so almost every game this weekend has implications for the top. Here’s a look at ’em.

Minnesota-Duluth (6-3-1, 5-2-1 WCHA) at Wisconsin (5-5-0, 5-5-0 WCHA) Friday-Saturday, 7:05 CT, Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI

This is an important series, since these teams are within a point of each other for fourth place in the standings. A sweep by either team could propel them into a strong position for the rest of the season.

The Bulldogs took out the brooms last weekend, and are unbeaten in their last three games. UMD spread the scoring around, led by Rick Mrozik (2-7–9), who finished with two goals and three assists in Saturday’s win. Forward Ken Dzikowski (3-9–12) is third in the league in scoring. Brant Nicklin (5-2-1, 2.60 GAA, .912 SV%) has played very well as the defensive backbone of the team. The Bulldogs lead the league in power-play scoring (25.6 percent) and penalty-killing (92.1 percent).

The Badgers need to rebound with a strong showing this weekend if they want to stay in the race. More players must step up their game, like T. R. Moreau did with three goals against Colorado College. Brad Engelhart (6-4–10) leads the Badgers in scoring. UW needs its best weekend of the season on special teams, thanks to UMD’s success in that category.

ELMO Picks: UMD wins twice, 5-2, 4-2.

Denver (4-5-1, 2-5-1 WCHA) at Michigan Tech (5-6-0, 2-6-0 WCHA) Friday, 7:35 ET, Saturday, 7:05 ET, John MacInnes Student Ice Arena, Houghton, MI

This series is a must for both squads, who look to rise from the WCHA second-division. The Pioneers, in particular, would like to justify preseason expectations which have thus far not been met.

Denver must have been disappointed not to win all four points last weekend against UAA — missed opportunities could mean a big difference at the end of the season. The good news about the weekend was that the Pioneers finally won a conference game. DU has gotten at least one point from 20 of their 22 guys with ice time. But wouldn’t it be nice for someone to step up and take charge of the attack? Anders Bjork (3-8–11) is the points leader. Goalie Stephen Wagner (2-1-0, 2.65 GAA, .916 SV%) keeps playing well, and will need another good weekend.

The Huskies were shut out in both games last weekend at UM, so it’s no secret what they’ve been working on in practice this week. It was the first time the Huskies have been shut out back-to-back since the 1953-54 season (by North Dakota). Andre Savage (3-3–6) is the only Husky listed among the page-long WCHA scoring leaders. Goalie Luciano Caravaggio (2-2-0, 2.60 GAA, .933 SV%) has been a workhorse and his save percentage leads the league.

ELMO Picks: A split. MTU 4-2, DU 3-2.

North Dakota (7-3-0, 7-3-0 WCHA) at Alaska-Anchorage (3-4-1, 1-4-1 WCHA) Friday-Saturday, 7:05 AT, Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, AL

North Dakota makes the trip north to face a Seawolves team coming home after winning one point last weekend. The Fighting Sioux get back on the ice after a split last weekend.

UND has never won at Sullivan Arena (0-8-0). But the Fighting Sioux need to pick up some points in order to stay in the top spot. Dave Hoogsteen (7-7–14) is the leading scorer in the league and gets help from Jason Blake (5-7–12), who is tied for third, and Ian Kallay (4-7–11), tied for sixth. UND averages a league-leading 4.30 goals per game. Goalie Toby Kvalevog (6-3-0, 3.20 GAA, .872 SV%) leads the league in wins.

UAA is making steady improvement, but there’s still room for plenty more. The Seawolves have scored the fewest goals in the league with nine, but their goals-against average (3.17) isn’t bad. The Seawolves are the most-improved team in the conference in one area: penalties. After leading the league in penalties last year, the Seawolves are the least-whistled team this year at 8.5 minutes per game.

ELMO Picks: UND wins two, 5-1, 3-1.

Minnesota (7-3-0, 7-3-0 WCHA) at Northern Michigan (2-9-1, 2-8-0 WCHA) Friday-Saturday, 7:05 ET, Lakeview Arena, Marquette, MI

Minnesota travels to Northern Michigan holding a slight (5-4-1) edge in the last 10 games between these two teams.

Last weekend the Gophers held MTU scoreless with backup goalie Erik Day, a freshman, getting the two shutouts. Now, the question is who will be in the nets this weekend? If Steve DeBus (5-3-0, 3.14 GAA, .895 SV%) is healthy, look for him to play. Casey Hankinson (7-6–13) has been a player on a mission lately, and is second in the league in scoring. Erik Rasmussen (6-4–10) and Mike Crowley (2-8–10) also average a point per game for the Gophers.

Northern Michigan has been led by its freshmen class all year. That bodes well for the future, but makes it tough against talented teams like UM. Bud Smith (3-4–7) and Curtis Sheptak (1-6–7) are the two scoring leaders. Those two are the only Wildcats with points in each series this year. Of the team’s 25 goals, 15 have been scored by freshmen.

ELMO Picks: A UM sweep, 4-2, 5-1.

Next Week in the WCHA Friday, Nov. 29 Alaska-Anchorage at Colorado College Denver at Northern Michigan St, Cloud State at Michigan Tech North Dakota at Minnesota-Duluth Minnesota vs. Michigan at Detroit (College Hockey Showcase) Wisconsin vs. Michigan State at Detroit (College Hockey Showcase) Saturday, Nov. 30 Alaska-Anchorage at Colorado College Denver at Northern Michigan St, Cloud State at Michigan Tech North Dakota at Minnesota-Duluth Minnesota vs. Michigan State at Detroit (College Hockey Showcase) Wisconsin vs. Michigan at Detroit (College Hockey Showcase)

Jim Thies is the WCHA Correspondent for U.S. College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Jim Thies . All Rights Reserved.

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This Week in the CCHA: November 22, 1996

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CCHA PREVIEW: November 22-23, 1996 CCHA Preview: November 22-23, 1996 by Paula C. Weston

Last week’s CCHA action did nothing to prove my theory of the impending demise of the unofficial "two tiers" in the CCHA. Three teams at the top of the conference — Michigan, Miami, and Michigan State — each have six wins in conference play. Michigan, with 13 points, has the edge over Miami and Michigan State by one point. With its win over Ferris State on Tuesday, Western Michigan pulled ahead of the remaining pack by a point, tallying up a total of seven with just three conference wins. Close behind is Lake Superior State, also with three wins, but with six points. Each of the remaining CCHA teams has just two wins — including, surprisingly, Bowling Green. Notre Dame and Bowling Green are tied with five points each, while Ohio State, Ferris State, and Alaska-Fairbanks each have four.

In spite of the domination by just three teams at the top of the standings, the potential exists for a leveling-out in the middle of the conference. Lake Superior State’s offense showed signs of waking up in two games (one conference, one non-conference) against Ohio State last weekend, and it’s unlikely that Bowling Green will remain asleep for long.

Still, with Western Michigan, Ohio State, and Alaska-Fairbanks idle this weekend, the CCHA status quo will probably hold for at least another week.

Last week’s record in picks: 7-4

No. 8 Michigan State (7-4-0, 6-2-0 CCHA) at No. 7 Miami (8-2-0, 6-0-0 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., Goggin Arena, Oxford, OH

The battle for second place in the CCHA begins with this game. After playing No. 7 Miami in Oxford, No. 8 Michigan State will travel up to Bowling Green on Saturday.

Both Miami and Michigan State picked up two points last weekend. In its only game last week, Miami beat Bowling Green 4-0 on Friday, while Michigan State split a pair of games, losing at Michigan 5-1 Friday, and winning at Ferris State 7-3 Saturday.

Michigan State head coach Ron Mason says that this is a "tough road trip. We’re playing two teams who are hard to beat at home." Of the Miami game, Mason says, "This may be the biggest challenge we’ve had all year long. They’re definitely a legitimate team."

Miami head coach Mark Mazzoleni thinks it’s too early to put too much emphasis on any one game. "I think the games [this weekend] don’t have any more significance than any other games this early in a 30-game season. I know a lot of coaches feel the same way."

This is an interesting pairing: Michigan State’s high-powered offense against a positively stingy Miami defense. In eight CCHA games, Michigan State has scored 38 goals while allowing 25. In six CCHA games, Miami has scored 23 goals–two fewer than Michigan State has allowed–but has kept opponents to just seven goals.

Michigan State’s strong and steady offense may prove too much for Miami’s league-leading goaltending.

PICK: Michigan State 4-1

No. 8 Michigan State (7-4-0, 6-2-0 CCHA) at Bowling Green (6-5-1, 2-5-1 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., BGSU Arena, Bowling Green, OH

When the Spartans head to a Bowling Green to play the slumping Falcons, Mason says his team will be facing a Falcons team that’s "rebounding–they’re going to win some games this season."

Falcons head coach Buddy Powers certainly hopes so, but he says he’s taking nothing for granted, especially home-ice advantage. "Notre Dame came in here and stole one a couple of weeks ago. It should help that three out of our next four games are at home. We have to get some points on the board."

After last weekend’s loss to Miami and tie with Michigan, Powers isn’t kidding. It’s the Michigan tie that keeps Bowling Green just one point above the bottom of the standings.

The Falcons will have to try to gain some ground without senior left winger Brett Punchard. Before breaking his ankle in a game against Michigan two weeks ago, as part of an outstanding line with seniors center Curtis Fry and right winger Mike Johnson, Punchard had five points (two goals, three assists) in six games. "His loss takes our top left-winger out of the line up for a couple of months," said Powers. "It also affects our power play. We have to do some shuffling."

This should be a close one. Michigan State could take advantage of a Falcon team that has yet to spread its wings.

PICK: Michigan State, 5-4

Notre Dame (3-5-1, 2-3-1 CCHA) at Bowling Green (6-5-1, 2-5-1 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., BGSU Arena, Bowling Green, OH

The Irish were surprised at home last week by Ferris State, 5-1, then lost a non-conference overtime game to visiting Mankato State on Sunday, 4-3. This week they travel through Ohio, stopping Friday night in Bowling Green, and Saturday in Miami. It may be a long bus ride home to South Bend for Notre Dame.

The Irish were outshot more than two to one in their loss against Ferris State. Junior goaltender Matt Eisler, who had been outstanding for Notre Dame in the net, faced only 16 shots, and stopped 11 of them. This statistic is very telling for Notre Dame. Even though the Irish are squarely in the middle in both power play and penalty kill rankings in the CCHA, neither the offense nor the defense has been able to click.

Even with a hobbled offense, Bowling Green will start its climb from mediocrity with this game against the Irish.

PICK: Bowling Green, 7-2

Notre Dame (3-5-1, 2-3-1 CCHA) at No. 7 Miami (8-2-0, 6-0-0 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., Goggin Arena, Oxford, OH

Unfortunately for the Irish, their swing through Ohio takes them from a hungry Bowling Green team to a feasting Miami team. With Miami’s CCHA-leading goaltending duo of Trevor Prior and Adam Lord (with .964 and .935 save percentages, respectively), the Irish will have difficulty scoring on this newly confident, nationally ranked Miami team.

PICK: Miami, 3-1

Ferris State (5-8-1, 2-6-0 CCHA) at Lake Superior State (6-5-1, 3-2-0 CCHA) Friday & Saturday, Taffy Abel Arena, Sault Ste. Marie, MI

The Ferris State Bulldogs have played three games in the last ten days. The Bulldogs beat Notre Dame on the road last Friday, 5-1, but lost a pair of home games, 7-3 to Michigan State last Sunday, and 3-2 to Western Michigan Tuesday.

Ferris State assistant coach Drew Famulak said that they were pleased with goaltending and the power play on Friday night, but were overpowered by Michigan State on Sunday.

The Lake Superior State offense should prove to be too much for the Bulldogs this weekend. In their home sweep of Ohio State last weekend, the Lakers had 16 goals. Junior center Bryan Fuss was selected as the Bauer/CCHA Offensive Player of the Week for the five points (three goals, two assists) he contributed. Also, look for Jason Sessa’s scoring streak to continue.

Laker coach Scott Borek couldn’t be reached for comments about this series.

PICKS: Lakers 5-2, 7-1

Brown (1-4-1, 1-4-1 ECAC) at No. 1 Michigan (9-1-1, 6-1-1 CCHA) Friday & Saturday, 7 p.m., Yost Arena, Ann Arbor, MI

Both Brown and Michigan had three-point weekends last week. While the struggling Bears were relatively happy with that, you can bet that Michigan–who gave up a point in a tie with Bowling Green, at home–is less than satisfied.

With a win over Yale and a tie against Princeton, Brown earned some points in ECAC play. Jeff Holwaty looked solid in net for Brown against Princeton, saving 37 shots on goal.

Brown’s momentum may carry it along in ECAC play, but visiting the No. 1 ranked Michigan Wolverines will give it pause for at least this weekend. Michigan’s offense is stunning. Senior left winger John Madden leads the CCHA in points with 16 (five goals, 11 assists), and was named the Bauer/CCHA Defensive Player of the Week for the weekend of November 15-17. Madden had a short-handed goal and an assist in the tie with Bowling Green, and was an important part of the Wolverine penalty killing unit, which allowed just two goals on 15 chances for the weekend.

There are three other Wolverines among the top 11 scorers in the CCHA–Warren Luhning, Matt Herr, and Hobey Candidate Brendan Morrison. With Marty Turco in the net for Michigan, this could be a lop-sided weekend for Brown.

PICKS: Michigan 8-1 Friday, 6-3 Saturday

Paula C. Weston is the CCHA Correspondent for U.S. College Hockey Online

Copyright 1996 Paula C. Weston . All Rights Reserved.

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The Surprise of the CCHA

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“We have very, very strong leadership.”

According to Miami of Ohio head coach Mark Mazzoleni, that’s one reason why his team is undefeated in CCHA play and flirting atop the standings with the likes of Michigan State and the national champion Michigan Wolverines.

Miami has only three senior players to lead its squad, but Mazzoleni says those seniors play consistently well.

“Barry [Schutte] and Tom [White] are players who come to play every night.”

Schutte, a 6’1″ left winger, has only two goals and two assists — and only one penalty for two minutes. White, another big left winger at 6’2″, has no goals and three assists, and ten penalty minutes. But Mazzoleni says there’s something that can’t be found in the statistics that makes these two team leaders.

“Barry and Tom really talk to the guys. They know how to keep the team focused. And the guys listen.”

The Miami team was disappointed with last season. Hosting the national championship tournament, Miami had hoped for a better showing in the CCHA playoffs. This season, most pre-season polls picked Miami to linger in the middle of the CCHA pack. Mazzoleni says that this season felt different right away, that the coaches and players alike are better prepared than they were last year at this time, and that hockey in Miami is just more fun this season.

“We weren’t happy with our year last year. Both coaches and players re-evaluated the situation. The coaches talk after games and after practices about how different this team is. They’re [the team] a really enjoyable group to be around. They work hard. We don’t have to prod them to get things done.”

The team’s work ethic factors into Miami’s success so far this season.

“We’ve been able to play four consistent lines each night. We’re playing more disciplined; we’ve cut down on penalty minutes. We’re not taking a lot of stupid penalties.”

When you add the hottest goaltending duo in the CCHA to this equation, you have a team that’s tough to beat. Junior goalies Trevor Prior and Adam Lord are one and two, respectively, in the CCHA in save percentage — Prior sits on top with an amazing mark of .964. Mazzoleni is particularly impressed with Prior, who is playing only his second full year of CCHA hockey.

“Trevor’s first year in action was last year,” says Mazzoleni. “People forget that he had to sit out his first year for residency purposes.”

Before playing for Miami, Prior played for the Waterloo Siskins, a Canadian major junior team.

Adam Lord is a gift from the now-defunct (but respectfully remembered) University of Illinois-Chicago Flames. Because of the demise of the whole program, Lord and the rest of his former UIC teammates were eligible to play right away for new teams. That league experience has helped him maintain a .935 save percentage in CCHA play. The goaltenders have split Miami’s six CCHA games, each playing three.

Such performances have kept Miami’s CCHA opponents to just seven goals in six games — stingy, and necessary, considering Miami’s relatively low offensive numbers. Sophomore center Randy Robitaille has six goals and four assists, but no one else on the team has scored more than three goals. Overall, Miami has just 23 goals in CCHA play. Conference-leading Michigan has 40 goals, while Michigan State — just behind Miami in the CCHA standings — has 38.

Another reason for Miami’s success (or maybe a symptom of its success?) is the team’s plus/minus numbers. Remarkably, there isn’t a single Miami player who’s in the minus. Sophomore defenseman Ryan Brindley has a plus/minus of +14 overall and +10 in league play. That leads all CCHA players in the overall standings, and ties with Michigan’s John Madden for league play. It’s all part of the new Miami discipline. And maybe a better early schedule.

Mazzoleni says that part of the problem Miami had last year was a tough early schedule, playing Michigan, Michigan State and Lake Superior State, as well as tough non-league opponents like Boston University and Vermont. While Miami often played well against those teams, they didn’t win much early last season. Playing well only goes so far when the team has few points to show for it.

“During that tough part of our schedule, the players lost confidence. Winning early in this season has definitely been a confidence-booster,” Mazzoleni said.

Even though the team is ranked in the top ten in most college hockey polls, Mazzoleni says he doesn’t pay much attention to polls, especially this early in the season.

“I’ve never been one to put credibility in the ranking. They do help us show we’re doing something right. The players see it as a reward.”

Coach Mazzoleni and his Miami team know it’s too early in the season to make predictions.

“I can’t look too far ahead,” says Mazzoleni. “I don’t look much beyond this weekend.”

NCAA Responds to Maine; No New Information Offered

By Deron Treadwell
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After a two-week extension, the NCAA Committee on Infractions has issued a response to the University of Maine regarding Maine’s appeal of NCAA sanctions.

“The document is a reiteration of, and slight elaboration on, the Committee on Infractions positions, as explained in their July decision,” said University of Maine spokesperson John Diamond, who has read the report.

The report offers no new information, and is in no way a resolution to any of the issues.

Maine now has 14 days to respond, after which time a hearing will be scheduled on the issue, most likely in early December.

The report, dated Nov. 13, was sent to a Bangor attorney who has been hired by the NCAA for this purpose. According to Maine officials, this is normal NCAA procedure.

In July, the NCAA issued several penalties against the University of Maine, including a ban from this year’s NCAA Tournament, and also a removal of 13 football scholarships. Maine took exception to these two penalties and filled an appeal with the NCAA.

From Video Star To Top Rookie

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Hockey East can recognize a star when it sees one.

Greg Koehler starred in Ken Dryden’s Home Game documentary eight years ago. Earlier this month Hockey East named Koehler the season’s first Rookie of the Week.

The road from video fame to collegiate success, however, proved a rocky one for the UMass-Lowell freshman. At 13, when Ken Dryden and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) came calling, he was captain and a leading scorer for the Marlies. One year later the Marlies cut him. After another two difficult years, he left home at 16 to get his hockey career back on track.

At the time, Dryden’s words from Home Game sounded eerily prophetic:

“These are the best 13 year-old players in the world. Yet in five years most will be out of hockey. Burnout, they’ll explain, theirs or their parents’; an injury; a coach who didn’t like them; a body that didn’t grow.”

Home Game

When CBC chose Greg Koehler (pronounced Kee-ler) for “The Fields of Scarborough,” the second episode of Home Game, he fit the part perfectly. He came from a large family of five brothers and a sister, a topic central to that story. But the 13-year-old provided CBC more than that. His photogenic good looks — blonde hair and a winsome, shy smile — would translate well onto the TV screen. Perhaps even more importantly, he was no bit player on an obscure team. Koehler was captain and traditionally the top scorer on the Marlies, the most famous youth team in Toronto.

Koehler also provided an unexpected angle.

He was struggling.

“When I was younger,” said Koehler, “I was usually bigger than everyone else. But by the time I was 13, everyone had caught up and a lot of guys had passed me.”

Even though he did stand a head shorter than his teammates and goals came harder than in previous years, Koehler still captained the Marlies to the finals of Quebec’s fabled Le Colisee tournament in front of over 14,000 fans and the CBC cameras.

“It’s every kid’s dream to win that tournament,” said Koehler. “But even though we lost in the finals, it was still a great experience.”

After the cameras left, Greg Koehler remained the same quiet kid he’d always been. He still did his homework, played baseball, and dreamed about someday playing in the NHL.

“I’d been really excited that Ken Dryden was doing the video,” said Koehler, “but I was a pretty shy kid. Once the cameras came in front of me, I acted shy pretty much throughout the whole video.

“When I watched it,” he said, “I was a little embarrassed seeing myself on TV. Even now I get a little red-cheeked. But it was a good time.”

“We had a lot of fun doing Home Game,” said Cathy Koehler, Greg’s mother. “It was a great opportunity and I think it was good for him. He was a quiet kid so I didn’t think it would go to his head.”

Greg’s appearance in Home Game did have a dark side, however. Its emphasis on Koehler’s lack of size and reduced scoring prowess pigeonholed him with some people.

Cut by the Marlies

The next year a new Marlies coach cut him before even the final tryout.

“I was totally shocked,” said Koehler. “When I went to see my name on the list for the next tryout, it wasn’t there. I was in tears.”

“I always thought he’d be a Marlie for life,” his mother said. “How do you cut your captain, your leading scorer, and your best plus-minus player?”

Only Greg’s father, Ed, saw it coming to any degree. “I was surprised, but I wasn’t surprised. There was a kid who had played with Greg, but had always been in Greg’s shadow. The kid’s father was coming back to help coach the team and [it all turned into] politics.”

No longer a Marlie, Greg joined the Wexford Raiders. As luck would have it, Dave Prentice, whose son now plays at Union College, was not only a Raider coach but also an accomplished motivational speaker. The pairing worked wonders for the discouraged teenager.

Greg still wasn’t growing, however. He had the hands and a great head for hockey, but continued to get knocked for his lack of size.

Eventually, the family decided that Toronto was no longer in Greg’s best hockey interests.

Niagara Falls and The “O”

“I really didn’t want him to go,” said Cathy Koehler. “But Home Game seemed to focus a lot on how small Greg was, so my husband just felt that if he got away from it all, it would be better for him.”

“I just told him that sometimes this was what hockey was all about,” said Ed Koehler. “And I asked him if that was what he wanted to do. I figured it was just a matter of time before he started to grow again. And he had the kind of intensity that once his size took over, he’d be back to where he should be.”

Greg left and played a year with the Niagara Falls Devils, leading the team in scoring.

“It ended up working out well,” he said. “It was probably the key turning point for me. I’d had a slow start in midget, so when I played well at Niagara Falls and got time on the power play, it really boosted my confidence.”

He also began to grow again, a cause for celebration among the Koehlers.

His improved play and size, however, created a new, thorny issue.

Greg’s Niagara Falls coach called the Koehlers and said that an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) team had suffered some injuries and wanted Greg to play for them. Playing for an OHL team renders a player ineligible for NCAA hockey.

“Like every other 15- or 16-year old,” said Greg, “my dream was to play in the OHL.”

But the Koehlers stuck to their guns.

“We were making the choices,” said Ed Koehler. “No way he was going to play in the “O”. Every Canadian kid’s dream is to play in the “O” because all of the glamour. But now Greg looks back and can see that some of the guys he played hockey with and who went to the “O” haven’t [made the big time]. These guys have no education to fall back on and they’re not going to do very much with their lives.”

Greg now agrees. “Playing junior B and college looked like second-best [at the time], but now I’m really happy with the decision.”

After the year of new-found size and increased confidence, Greg returned home to play for the North York Rangers and then eventually for Brampton, where UMass-Lowell spotted him.

Success at Lowell

Greg immediately hit his stride at Lowell, picking up points in five of his first seven games. He earned Hockey East’s first 1996-97 Rookie of the Week award for his two goals, including the game-winner, and two assists in a weekend series against Boston College.

“I was kind of surprised at the award,” he said, “but I’m not even thinking about that. I’m just here for the team and hope I can help the team every day.”

Size no longer concerns Greg, although, like most athletes, he still wants to get stronger. He now stands at 6-2, 195 pounds.

He still clings to the same hopes he held when he was 13 and speaking into Ken Dryden’s videocamera.

“Playing in the NHL is every kid’s dream,” he says now with a smile. “That’s still definitely one of my main goals.”

Greg Koehler has proven his doubters wrong before. He just might do it again.

This Week in the ECAC: November 15, 1996

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The first full weekend of ECAC action was an unpredictable one. Action abounded across the conference, with upsets including RPI’s stunning 4-2 victory over then-No. 1 Vermont, and Yale 5-2 over Clarkson.

Three teams managed a sweep of their opponents; they currently sit atop the ECAC standings.

Pos School ECAC Record Pts

1 Colgate 2-0-0 4 Cornell 2-0-0 4 Rensselaer 2-0-0 4 4 Clarkson 1-1-0 2 Princeton 1-1-0 2 St. Lawrence 1-1-0 2 Union 1-1-0 2 Vermont 1-1-0 2 Yale 1-1-0 2 Harvard 1-2-0 2 11 Dartmouth 0-2-0 0 Brown 0-3-0 0

This weekend the action continues — there are no non-ECAC opponents on the docket for any of the 12 teams.

Dartmouth (1-2-0, 0-2-0 ECAC) & No. 3 Vermont (5-1-0, 1-1-0 ECAC) at No. 10 Colgate (5-1-0, 2-0-0 ECAC) Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 7:00 p.m., Starr Rink, Hamilton, NY

No. 3 Vermont (5-1-0, 1-1-0 ECAC) & Dartmouth (1-2-0, 0-2-0 ECAC) at Cornell (2-0-0, 2-0-0 ECAC) Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 7:00 p.m., Lynah Rink, Ithaca, NY

Dartmouth lost their opening games on the ECAC schedule to Union and RPI, 7-3 and 5-4. One of the keys to the losses was the Big Green’s inability to stay out of the penalty box. Union was 3-of-9 on the power play, and RPI 2-of-8. At the same time, Dartmouth had a hard time scoring on their own man advantages. A 3-of-13 weekend included no goals on three separate 5-on-3 power plays against Union.

Curtis Wilgosh, Jon Sturgis, and Bill Kelleher netted their first goals of the year for the Big Green. Scott Baker made a total of 59 saves on the weekend, but gave up 12 goals for an .831 save percentage.

Vermont’s reign as number one lasted exactly one game. Upset by the Engineers of RPI, and then pushed to the limit by the Union Dutchmen, the Catamounts were reeling after the weekend.

"We’ve got a lot of work to do to get as good as we were last year," said UVM head coach Mike Gilligan. "Things that we haven’t done well all season consistently caught us."

The French Connection with American Protection line went scoreless on the weekend. Tim Thomas was off his game on Friday, but rebounded with 43 saves against Union in earning his ninth career shutout.

Cornell and Colgate swept Harvard and Brown in their ECAC openers with impressive victories. Cornell is the only perfect team left in Division I, with a record of 2-0-0. Jason Elliot is once again the premier man in the nets as he made 59 saves over two games and won both with some spectacular saves.

Expect a healthy Ryan Smart this weekend. He returned last weekend, but was not at full strength. He should be almost 100% this time. Freshman Ryan Moynihan has been impressiv, with four points against the Ivy League rivals. Darren Tymschyshyn has also caught the eye this season, as the UIC transfer has made an impact.

Colgate is running on all cylinders so far. At 6-1, they have faced some stiff competition and their premier players are still at it. Mike Harder added five points (two goals, three assists) to make his ECAC-leading total of 16. Dave DeBusschere is not far behind at 14 points, adding two goals and one assist on the weekend.

Dan Brenzavich continues to keep Colgate in the close games, as evidenced in Cambridge (24 saves) and Providence.

PICKS:

Dartmouth at Colgate: Colgate’s offensive power is highly respected. The Big Green have had trouble staying out of the penalty box, but if they can, they have a great chance. Even if they don’t, Harder and DeBusschere are too much for Dartmouth. Colgate 8, Dartmouth 3

Vermont at Cornell: An early-season ECAC Game of the Year candidate. Cornell has started where they left off last year, and this past weekend will leave doubts in the Catamounts’ minds. Cornell is not as gifted in the forward position as they were last year (see Chartrand, Brad). Can the French Connection be held scoreless for a third straight game? The last two games in this series ended in 2-2 ties, and Cornell has not lost to UVM since February of 1994. Tough, tough one here. Let’s call it a draw — in fact, let’s call it the same score as both games last year. Cornell 2, Vermont 2

Dartmouth at Cornell: Dartmouth looks to avoid a season-opening four-game losing streak, which they had last year. Again, the special teams will play a huge role, as Cornell burned Brown for three power-play goals on four chances in one period alone. Cornell is too much as Dartmouth gets blown away again. Cornell 7, Dartmouth 3

Vermont at Colgate: Another potential showstopper. This is going to be a real blitzkrieg if talent on paper translates to the ice. With great scoring power on both ends, the difference will be the goaltenders: Tim Thomas vs. Dan Brenzavich. Colgate falls for the first time in the ECAC on the strength of All-Everything Thomas. Vermont 5, Colgate 3

Harvard (1-2-0, 1-2-0 ECAC) & Brown(0-3-0, 0-3-0 ECAC) at Yale (1-1-0, 1-1-0 ECAC) Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 7:00 p.m., Ingalls Rink, New Haven, CT

Brown (0-3-0, 0-3-0 ECAC) & Harvard (1-2-0, 1-2-0 ECAC) at Princeton (2-1-0,1-1-0 ECAC) Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday 7:00 p.m., Baker Rink, Princeton, NJ

It’s an Ivy weekend for these teams, with key games all around.

Harvard was without Henry Higdon and Ethan Philpott last weekend, but both are due back before Friday. Rob Millar continues to pick up the scoring slack — he registered two goals last weekend.

Harvard is trying a new defensive philosophy this season. It has worked to an extent, as the Crimson held Colgate and Cornell to five combined goals. The key has been the net play of freshman J.R. Prestifilippo, whose 34 saves against the Red Raiders and 27 against the Big Red helped keep the Crimson in the game.

The Bears of Brown were starting to click this weekend. Faults still remain on D, especially in the penalty kill. They gave up three power-play g oals on four attempts to Colgate in the second period last weekend. Jeff Holowaty tried to keep them in the games, as he stood on his head with 30+ saves each night.

Jade Kersey headed the offense last weekend with a goal and two assists, and freshman Dustin Sventy got his first goal, as well as an assist.

The Bulldogs lost at St. Lawrence 7-3, and then pulled the upset of Saturday night as they defeated Clarkson 5-2. ECAC All-Rookie Team member Alex Westlund came in to relieve Dan Choquette in Friday’s game and made 16 saves for half the game. He then turned back 31 shots in the win against Clarkson.

A young Yale team saw their forwards start scoring as junior Geoff Kufta put two goals and an assist on the board at Cheel Arena. Sophomore John Chyz also had two goals and an assist on the weekend, and Jeff Hamilton and Keith McCullough had three assists each.

Don Cahoon’s Princeton Tigers lost their ECAC opener to Clarkson 5-2, and then defeated St. Lawrence 4-3. The goaltending is a two-headed affair, as Erasmo Saltarelli played Friday and Nick Rankin Saturday.

On offense, the Tigers saw scoring from Mike Bois (1g), Jean Verdon (1g-1a), and Joey Pelle (2g). On defense, Around the Rinks host Adam Wodon likes what he has seen from Steve Shirreffs, as well as some of the freshmen on the blueline, especially Dominique Auger.

PICKS:

Brown at Princeton: This game could be pivotal, as two teams predicted to be in the middle of the pack fight it out. Both teams are showing promise and are continuing to try to find the right mix. It will come down to who makes the fewer mistakes on defense. Princeton 4, Brown 3

Harvard at Yale: Will the offense come around for the Crimson? The defense has. Was Yale’s win over Clarkson a fluke, or can they sustain that defensive pressure? This game will tell a lot about both teams. Whoever gets the offense going first will win. Harvard 5, Yale 3

Harvard at Princeton: Again, it will come down to defense in this game. Harvard has more offensive talent on paper, but once again they have to prove it. They will here. Harvard 4, Princeton 3

Brown at Yale: The surprise here might be an offensive explosion. It’s just a hunch, but there will be some scoring in this game. Brown gets untracked offensively in this one. Brown 7 Yale 6

We now turn our attention to games in which travel partners face each other. These games are usually the most heated because of the proximity of the two teams. The fans are usually the most intense ones, and have grown to hate each other. We have three such games this weekend.

Clarkson (3-3-0, 1-1-0 ECAC) at St. Lawrence (1-5-0, 1-1-0 ECAC) Saturday 7:00 p.m., Appleton Arena, Canton, NY

Potsdam and Canton are 10 miles apart on the map. Clarkson is a technological school — St. Lawrence a liberal-arts school. Clarkson has a relatively new arena — St. Lawrence plays in a rustic barn. One more thing: the two schools place a lot on this rivalry.

"It’s one of the best rivalries," said Clarkson head coach Mark Morris. "The proximity of Potsdam and Canton creates a lot of pride."

The communities also play a large part. "Beating St. Lawrence is one of the keys to a successful season in the eyes of the community [Potsdam]," Morris said.

Rivalries such as these produce a raised level of play, "regardless of the team records or which team is superior," said Morris. "They step it up without question; it’s a real intense game."

It should be intense as both teams split their opening ECAC series this past weekend. Clarkson defeated Princeton 5-2, then dropped one to Yale 5-2. As for St. Lawrence, they posted their first win of the season with a 7-3 decision over Yale, and then lost the back end to Princeton 4-3.

Clarkson’s victory over Princeton was the Todd White show, as he tallied two goals and an assist. But the loss to Yale confounded many. Yale held White to one assist, and chased freshman golatender Christian Marois halfway through the game in his first start. Expect to see Dan Murphy in the nets again as he made 30 saves on Friday, and 17 saves on Saturday in the relief effort.

St. Lawrence got their first victory of the season over Yale, a relief for many Saint fans. Paul DiFrancesco put four points on the board (two goals, two assists), giving him 100 in his career. Joel Prpic and Derek McLaughlin scored their first goals of the year. Princeton solved the Saints on Saturday. Eric Heffler, the walk-on, started both games, and made 23 and 26 saves in the two games. Expect him to continue playing.

PICK: Both teams are a mystery right now. Clarkson started off strong, got swept by Denver, and then lost to Yale. St. Lawrence is still searching for answers. Now, both teams need a big win to get them headed in the right direction. Clarkson seems to have more of it together, so that’s the pick. Clarkson 6, St. Lawrence 3

RPI (4-1-0, 2-0-0 ECAC) vs. Union (2-3-0, 1-1-0 ECAC) Saturday 7:00 p.m., Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY (non-conference)

RPI pulled off the shocker of the young college hockey season last week with a 4-2 victory over Vermont at Gutterson Fieldhouse. They did it with teamwork, and by stopping Perrin and St. Louis. "This was a team effort," said head coach Dan Fridgen. "The key was holding their top line down. They are pretty deadly. Our game plan was to take away their space in the neutral zone."

RPI also got by a pesky Dartmouth team 5-4, about which Fridgen added, "It turned out to be a great weekend instead of a good one."

The Engineers had a great weekend from sophomore Danny Riva (2-1–3), including the game-winner at UVM, and junior Eric Healey (1-3–4). Sophomore Matt Garver also had a nice offensive weekend with one goal and two assists, but will be lost for a while due to a separated right shoulder sustained against Dartmouth.

Union also defeated the Big Green with a four-goal third period, 7-3. The Dutchmen then took it to Vermont the next evening, losing by a score of 1-0.

The story so far for the Dutchmen has been goaltender Trevor Koenig. Koenig had 43 saves against Dartmouth and 27 against Vermont. On the season, Koenig has been simply spectacular, allowing only ten goals in his five games. He has a GAA of 2.01, and a save percentage of .932.

John Sicinski continues to tally goals; he put in two more this weekend for six on the year. Mark Szucs also got his first two of the year, as did Jay Prentice.

The matchup this Saturday is labeled the "Capital Skate Classic." Both teams and the Capital District community have wanted this game for a long time, but neither team wanted to give up a home date. A non-conference game was the solution, and the Classic is now upon us.

Both coaches praised the other team. "You’ll see two teams right now that have good confidence," said Union head coach Stan Moore. Fridgen added, "They’re a good, hardworking team, and Stan has brought some life into that program."

PICK: Despite the kind words from the coaches, these two teams despise each other, as do their fans. That’s how it’ll be on the ice: a matchup of two good goaltenders, sound defense, and offensive chances. Should be a good one, and RPI has more offensive power. RPI 4, Union 3

Brown (0-3-0, 0-3-0 ECAC) at Harvard (1-2-0, 1-2-0 ECAC) Tuesday 7:30 p.m., Bright Hockey Center, Cambridge, MA

A rematch of the first ECAC game this season, which Harvard won, 5-3. With a couple more games under their belts, they should play more smoothly.

Both teams are previewed above.

PICK: This game will resemble the first one. Who has gotten it together the fastest at this point? It’s still tough to say, but the Crimson forwards should be the difference. It’s a Harvard sweep on the season. Harvard 4, Brown 2

ECAC action continues next weekend, with key games including the renewal of the tech-schools rivalry in Troy. On next week’s ECAC schedule:

Friday, November 22:

Clarkson @ Rensselaer St. Lawrence @ Union Colgate @ Princeton Cornell @ Yale Vermont @ Dartmouth Brown @ Michigan

Saturday, November 23:

Clarkson @ Union St. Lawrence @ Rensselaer Cornell @ Princeton Colgate @ Yale Brown @ Michigan

Sunday, November 24:

UMass-Amherst @ Vermont

Tuesday, November 26:

Yale @ Princeton Harvard @ Boston U.

Jayson Moy is the ECAC Correspondent for US College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Jayson Moy . All Rights Reserved.

Return to News and Articles Return to US College Hockey Online

This Week in the WCHA: November 15, 1996

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And the race is on.

The WCHA looks like a dogfight with four teams within two points of the lead, as the standings tightened after Minnesota swept previously-undefeated North Dakota last weekend. There are plenty of interesting matchups this weekend, which means that things could look very different by Monday.

Here’s a look at this weekend’s games.

Wisconsin (5-3-0, 5-3-0 WCHA) at Colorado College (5-3-0, 5-3-0 WCHA) Saturday, 2:05 MT, Sunday, 1:05 MT, Cadet Ice Arena, Air Force Academy, CO

Both of these teams are high, coming off weekend sweeps. They are tied for second in the standings, making this one the featured series in the WCHA this weekend.

The Badgers have been a pleasant surprise to their fans with early-season success. Not many expected the Badgers to do as well as they have to date. Wisconsin looked good last weekend without one of their top players, Erik Raygor, who has scheduled knee surgery. That news didn’t stop the Badgers; in fact, it probably helped motivate them. Can they continue that momentum this weekend? Brad Engelhart scored the hat trick last Friday — he needs another strong performance to help the Badgers stay on a roll.

Colorado College also enjoyed a big weekend, sweeping rival DU. Darren Clark (5-3–8) led CC with his best-ever weekend, finishing with three goals and two assists. Brian Swanson (3-6–9) is the Tigers’ leading scorer. Judd Lambert (3-3-0, 3.15 GAA, .878 SV%) and Jason Cugnet (2-0-0, 2.21 GAA, .912 SV%) each got a win between the pipes. Playing at home, where they are 2-1-0, will help the Tigers this weekend.

ELMO Picks: CC sweeps, 4-2 and 5-1.

Alaska-Anchorage (3-3-0, 1-3-0 WCHA) at Denver (3-5-0, 1-5-0 WCHA) Friday-Saturday, 7:05 MT, Denver University Arena, Denver, CO

Denver lost twice last weekend while Alaska-Anchorage did not play. The bottom two teams in the WCHA standings meet this weekend to see who can rise from the cellar.

This will be the first time that new UAA coach Dean Talafous takes his team on a long road trip. How will travel affect the players? Perhaps it will pull them together and make them play well. Or maybe they’ll have too many distractions and won’t get organized. Whichever the case, they will have to be at the top of their game to beat the Pioneers this weekend. Stacy Prevost (3-5–8) is the offensive leader while Doug Tesky (2-1-0, 2.01 GAA, .928 SV%) is the top netminder.

Coach George Gwozdecky’s Pioneers started the 1996-97 season where they left off last year, which is a big surprise for all. Coaches, media and fans were certain the Pioneers would be one of the top teams in the WCHA this year. But nothing has gone right for Denver: scorers aren’t scoring, the defense has allowed too many opportunities and the goalies have not been able to keep the team in games. Something must improve, and soon, or the Pioneers will be staring up from the huge hole they’ve dug.

ELMO Picks: Denver improves and wins twice, 4-2, 3-1.

Northern Michigan (2-7-1, 2-6-0 WCHA) at Minnesota-Duluth (4-3-1, 3-2-1 WCHA) Friday-Saturday, 7:05 CT, Duluth Entertainment & Convention Center, Duluth, MN

Northern Michigan lost twice last weekend. Minnesota-Duluth split. So these teams look to rebound in this series in Duluth. Three points separate the teams in the standings, so a big weekend by the Wildcats would improve their placing.

NMU has lost five straight WCHA games and wants to stop the bleeding. In 10 games this year, the Wildcats have scored just 21 goals. Bud Smith (4-5–9), Roger Trudeau (4-0–4) and Curtis Sheptak (1-7–8) have performed well. Dieter Kochan (2-7-1, 3.97 GAA, .894 SV%) has played all but one minute in goal, and has kept his team in almost every game.

UMD earned just one point at St. Cloud State last weekend, and looks forward to returning home to play in front of a friendly crowd. The Bulldogs scored just three goals and must do better in the offensive zone. And with players like Mike Peluso (6-3–9), Mike Dzikowski (2-6–8) and Brad Federenko (4-4–8), they should do better.

ELMO Picks: UMD sweeps, 5-1, 6-3.

St. Cloud State (5-2-1, 3-2-1 WCHA) at North Dakota (6-2-0, 6-2-0 WCHA) Friday-Saturday, 7:35 CT, Engelstad Arena, Grand Forks, ND

St. Cloud State played inspired hockey last weekend while North Dakota was brought back to earth by Minnesota. This combination will set up a big weekend in Grand Forks.

SCSU turned up its game and got great results. Coach Craig Dahl would like nothing better than to keep his team on top of its game and playing well. Matt Cullen (4-9–13) is having an all-star season so far. Sacha Molin (6-4–10) leads the team in goals. In all, 12 players have scored goals for St. Cloud, and 15 have at least one point. Goalies Brian Leitza (3-1-0, 2.76 GAA, .919 SV%) and Tim Lideen (2-1-1, 2.78 GAA, .907 SV%) have been mainstays.

UND ran into a desperate hockey club last weekend and got beat. But that only means the Fighting Sioux will have to regroup this week in practice and get ready to play hard this weekend. Dave Hoogsteen (6-7–13) is the UND points leader, and he plays better all the time. Jason Blake (5-4–9) is second in scoring. Toby Kvalevog, despite getting peppered by the Gophers last weekend, is still the main stopper in goal.

ELMO Picks: UND gets back with a sweep, 5-3, 5-4.

Michigan Tech (5-4-0, 2-4-0 WCHA) at Minnesota (5-3-0, 5-3-0 WCHA) Saturday-Sunday, 1:05 CT, Mariucci Arena, Minneapolis, MN

This Saturday-Sunday afternoon series will be a fun one for fans.

Both teams are playing well. Michigan Tech had last weekend off, and should be well-rested and ready to put together a big effort. The Huskies have played very well defensively thus far, and that part of their game must be at its best this weekend. Goalie Luciano Caravaggio (4-1-0, 2.33 GAA, .933 SV%) will have to have a hot hand and offensively the Huskies will need every scoring opportunity.

Minnesota swept league-leading North Dakota last weekend. Now, to prove that they’re a good hockey team, they have to forget that success and focus on upcoming games. Casey Hankinson (6-6–12), the league’s offensive Player of the Week, will need another good weekend. Goalie Steve DeBus (5-3-0, 3.14 GAA, .895 SV%) had a decent weekend against UND, despite giving up some soft goals on Saturday.

ELMO Picks: A split. UM 4-2, MTU 4-3.

CORRECTION: Colorado College’s 28-game undefeated streak was in games at Air Force Academy Arena, and not against St. Cloud State University as was reported in last week’s WCHA Previews.

Next Week in the WCHA Friday, Nov. 22 North Dakota at Alaska-Anchorage Denver at Michigan Tech Minnesota at Northern Michigan Minnesota-Duluth at Wisconsin Saturday, Nov. 23 North Dakota at Alaska-Anchorage Denver at Michigan Tech Minnesota at Northern Michigan Minnesota-Duluth at Wisconsin

Jim Thies is the WCHA Correspondent for U.S. College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Jim Thies . All Rights Reserved.

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This Week in Hockey East: November 15, 1996

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Northeastern provided the headlines last week.

The Huskies stunned 10th-ranked Maine, taking three of four points in Orono. Given little chance after being abused by New Hampshire 7-3 and 9-4 the previous week, Northeastern rode goalie Marc Robitaille’s 42- and 38-save performances to a 2-2 tie and 4-3 win.

Ironically, Northeastern boasts a 2-0-1 record when going against a team in the top ten, but they’ve dropped all three contests they’ve played against lesser-ranked foes. That could bode well for the Huskies since they face second-ranked Boston University this week. Then again, it could also be a meaningless statistic culled by a Get-A-Lifer with too much time on his hands.

Last week’s record in picks: 6-3 (Rensselaer vs. UMass-Lowell pending) Season record in picks: 27-12

Northeastern (2-3-1, 1-2-1 HE) vs. No. 2 Boston University (5-1-0, 4-0-0 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Matthews Arena, Boston, MA NESN Saturday, 7 p.m., Walter Brown Arena, Boston, MA

Last weekend’s home-and-home series with Providence began predictably for Boston University but ended anything but. The Friday night game, a typical close-to-the-vest affair with the Friars, stood 2-1 BU going into the third. Tom Noble had made numerous big stops early. The Terriers then scored two third period goals to seal the win.

Saturday night’s contest in Providence, however, defined the term "unexpected."

"I thought it was going to be another 2-1 or 3-1 game like last night," said Chris Drury after BU’s 8-6 win. Instead the game featured Drury’s career-high five points, a clear 75-foot shot that eluded All-Hockey East goalie Dan Dennis, and a record-setting 56 third period penalty minutes for the Terriers.

Game disqualifications to Shane Johnson and Brendan Walsh resulted from a fracas during the post-game handshake and will prove the toughest to swallow. Johnson and Walsh must sit out Friday’s game.

"Brendan Walsh has been playing very well," said coach Jack Parker, "and Shane Johnson is one of our best defensemen. But the one place where we do have some depth is on defense, so we should be okay there.

"I am very concerned about our power play," he said. BU netted only two man-advantage goals in 14 weekend opportunities. "We haven’t been very sharp on it since the first game of the season."

On the plus side, Tom Poti impressed despite a rough second period on Friday night.

"Poti is a tremendous player," said opposing coach Paul Pooley. "Plus Bates and Drury. They’ve got three game-breakers that you’ve got to control." Rarely is a rookie defenseman with only six games under his belt called a game-breaker, but in Poti’s case the term is apt.

Northeastern’s Marc Robitaille has earned the term game-breaker himself, breaking Black Bear hearts with his performance in the nets last weekend. Hockey East named him Rookie of the Week for his feats.

"Any time you get any points in Orono you’re happy," said coach Bruce Crowder. "To take three out of four was exceptional, especially considering the way we played against New Hampshire the weekend before. We definitely got some good goaltending from Marc Robitaille.

"I said at the beginning of the season," said Crowder, "that we had the toughest start of anybody with two games each against UNH, Maine, and BU. We’re a young team and we’re getting better. But against BU we’re going to have to eliminate even more of our mistakes."

Will Northeastern’s success against top ten teams continue against BU? Don’t count on it.

PICK: BU 4-2 on Friday and 5-1 on Saturday.

Maine (4-2-1, 0-1-1 HE) at No. 9 New Hampshire (5-2-0, 4-0-0 HE) Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., Whittemore Center, Durham, NH

"Brian LaRochelle should be delighted to hear we’re coming," said Maine coach Greg Cronin. "In four of our seven games the opposing goaltender has been named the Star of the Game. We’re great for a goaltender’s save percentage. It’s almost comical.

"Someone asked me what we should do to improve our goal scoring," Cronin continued, warming up to the subject. "I said we should put a bucket of pucks in the slot and see if we can shoot them into the open net. Right now I’m not sure that I’d like our chances. I guess you could say we’re a little snakebit."

Northeastern goaltender Marc Robitaille stole a point in the opening game, giving up only two power-play goals while facing 44 shots. He outdueled fellow rookie Alfie Michaud again in the second game, turning a 41-23 shot disadvantage into a 4-3 win.

"This weekend we actually played two of our best games of the year," said Cronin. "That sounds stupid, but we doubled them in shots, attempts, and Grade A opportunities. I’m not taking anything away from Northeastern. They played hard and their goaltender was exceptional. But we also beat ourselves. We took 85 shots in two games and only scored five goals. If we keep up those kind of percentages, it’s going to be a long year."

Cronin looked ahead to this weekend, concerned about UNH’s offense.

"Northeastern had 25 Grade A opportunities in two games. With UNH’s firepower, they’re likely to get that many in one night. We’ve got to try to limit those opportunities and play a tight defensive game. And we’ll need better goaltending from Alfie Michaud."

New Hampshire also ran into hot goaltending and one-goal games, but emerged from the weekend with two W’s. Rich Moriarty almost pulled one out for the Minutemen on Friday night. The Wildcats outshot UMass-Amherst 41-19 but could only get a Mark Mowers power-play goal past Moriarty.

"Overall we played well," said coach Dick Umile. "We created plenty of scoring opportunities, did the little things, and shut them out. Moriarty was terrific. He almost made the difference."

On Saturday, UNH built a 4-1 lead in the second, only to watch the Minutemen come back and force an overtime. The Wildcats averted disaster, however, pulling out a 5-4 win.

Now they face a Black Bear squad still smarting from a loss and a tie at home to Northeastern.

"Greg Cronin has done a terrific job," said Umile. "Maine has certainly lost some people, but they’re always in games. They have similar lines. They play hard and tough. It should be a good series."

Before Maine’s struggles with Northeastern, this series had split written all over it. Now, who knows? Flip the mental coin and it turns up…

PICK: Maine 4-3 on Friday. New Hampshire 3-2 on Saturday.

Providence (3-4-0, 2-2-0 HE) vs. Boston College (3-3-0, 1-1-0 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill, MA Saturday, 7 p.m., Schneider Arena, Providence, RI

Providence College dropped their fourth straight, getting swept by BU 4-1 and 8-6.

"I’m not concerned at all," said coach Paul Pooley. "I don’t even think about it. We’ve shown we can play. We just need to learn how to win."

The second of the two losses to BU proved especially frustrating. It marked only the second time in Pooley’s two-plus years that the Friars would lose a game they scored six or more goals in.

"I thought we played a great game," said Paul Pooley. "If it wasn’t for goaltending, it wouldn’t have been an 8-6 game."

Pooley yanked Dennis after a bad goal put the Friars down 3-1 after one. But when replacement Mark Kane gave up a soft one himself — an unobstructed shot from the point — Pooley sent Dennis back in. BU’s Jon Coleman promptly beat Dennis from close to the red line.

"Danny bailed us out a lot last year," said Pooley. "Hey, he had one off night. Big deal."

The positive news is that the young defensemen who seem to hold PC’s fortunes in their hands are developing well.

"Ialongo and MacNevin are playing solid for the most part," said Pooley. "They’re learning to play against guys like Bates and Drury."

Meanwhile, Boston College hosted a Notre Dame squad that had been raising eyebrows around the CCHA. But BC dominated them thoroughly, outshooting them 32-17 on the way to a 6-1 win.

"I thought we were solid in all three zones," said coach Jerry York. "We finished our chances in the offensive zone, checked extremely well in our own end, allowing few chances against Greg Taylor, and played really strong in the neutral zone."

On the downside, BC’s power play continued to struggle, going 0-for-7. Except for a one game power-play explosion against UMass-Lowell, the Eagles have tallied only a single man-advantage goal all season. However, the first power-play unit consists entirely of teenagers: 19-year old Marty Reasoner and BC’s four 18-year old freshmen. The unit has talent and should produce consistently by midseason.

"Providence always gives opponents trouble with their tight checking," noted York. "Over the last couple years they’ve had great goaltending with Bob Bell and Dan Dennis. This has become a heated rivalry. We’d like to make atonement for them knocking us out of the playoffs last year."

Goaltending and special teams should decide the winner in this tightly matched series. Dan Dennis should get back on track in time to gain a split for the Friars.

PICK: Boston College 3-2 on Friday. Providence wins at home, 4-2.

UMass-Amherst (1-5-0, 1-5-0 HE) vs. Merrimack (2-4-0, 1-3-0 HE) Friday, 7 p.m., Volpe Complex, North Andover, MA Saturday, 7 p.m., Mullins Center, Amherst, MA

"We played one of the best teams in our league very close," said UMass coach Joe Mallen. "We lost a 1-0 game on Friday and then we worked really hard in the second game to come back from a three goal deficit only to lose in overtime. You can’t get much closer than that. But they were still losses. Even so, I saw a lot of improvement in our team."

Rich Moriarty stood on his head in the Friday night game, stopping 40 out of 41 shots. Only a Mark Mowers rebound goal on the power play eluded him.

After four games against BU and UNH, the league’s top two teams, the Minutemen look to pick up some points against Merrimack, another team that has started slowly.

"They have great team speed," said Mallen. "And whenever you play them, especially at Merrimack, it’s a battle. They’re coming off a big win over UMass-Lowell. It could really be a tossup who’ll come out on top. That’s how competitive it is in this league."

Merrimack split its series with Lowell, losing 6-3 before winning 6-2 at home.

"We actually played better on Friday when we lost than on Saturday," said coach Ron Anderson. "We just got some bounces on Saturday and did a better job of putting the puck in the net. Our goaltending was also very good."

Eric Thibeault, who has been in Martin Legault’s shadow for much of his Merrimack career, got the win. He now leads the league in both goaltender categories, boasting a league-leading 2.36 goals against average and a .931 save percentage.

Much-heralded rookie Jayson Philbin has begun to make an impact with his "smashmouth" style. Invisible early in the season, Philbin scored two goals against Lowell. In John Jakopin’s absence on Saturday, he skated wing on the top line with Casey Kesselring and Rob Beck.

"It’s only been six games," said Anderson, "but Jayson is starting to become productive numberwise and the player we projected him to be when we recruited him."

The Warriors now face UMass-Amherst.

"They beat us three times last year," said Anderson. "So they’re setting their sights on us this weekend. It should be a hard, aggressive series between two teams battling it out for respectability."

John Jakopin and Joe Savioli are day-to-day, while Sandy Cohen, Chris Halecki, and Ryan Guzior are not expected to play this weekend.

PICK: Merrimack 4-3 and 3-2.

UMass-Lowell (3-3-0, 3-3-0 HE) at Army (4-5-0, 2-5-0 vs. Division I) Saturday, 7 p.m., Tate Rink, West Point, NY

UMass-Lowell split a home-and-home series with Merrimack last week, taking a 6-3 win at home before dropping the back end 6-2. Preseason All-Hockey East goaltender Martin Fillion returned from a team suspension to play both nights.

"He’s been just dying to play," said coach Tim Whitehead after Fillion’s strong play in the Friday night win. "And he did a great job. I’m really happy for him."

"It took about a period and a half to get the nervousness out of my system," said Fillion. "But things went smoothly after that. I felt I was back to where I was last year. It’s going to be fun now."

Neil Donovan tallied two goals and three assists in the win. He also made a terrific defensive play on a Merrimack two-on-one to probably save a goal with the score 3-2.

"From the first day Neil has been doing all the little things that don’t show up on the score sheet," said Whitehead. "So it was nice to see him get the reward for his hard work. I’m very proud of all the upperclassmen. They deserve an A plus.

"We’re younger this year," continued Whitehead, "so there’s also the opportunity for players to increase their role and get more ice time. Guys like Doug Nolan are taking advantage of that."

Lowell dropped the second game of the series despite outshooting the Warriors 37-30.

Army opened the season with a surprising 6-4 win over Minnesota-Duluth. They then lost four straight to Division I teams before splitting last weekend with fellow D-I Independent Mankato State.

Goaltender Daryl Chamberlain figures prominently in Army’s success. Last year he posted a 2.30 goals against average with a .907 save percentage. He hasn’t matched those statistics so far this year, but Army has also faced stiffer competition than usual.

Army’s blue line features experience with seniors Leif Hansen and team captain Mike Opdenaker along with juniors Darren Clapprood and Anthony Felice.

Leading returning scorer Andy Lundbohm came back from a wrist injury last weekend and promptly picked up four points in the two Mankato State games. Lundbohm, a sophomore, plays on a line with seniors Bill Morrison and Frank Fede. Joe Sharrock, Greg Buckmeier, and Chuck Sawicky provide most of the remaining Cadet offense.

UMass-Lowell has posted a 3-0 record in Friday night games and an 0-3 one on Saturdays. This is a Saturday game. Meaningless statistic or omen?

They have also split all three weekends they’ve played. Since this is the only game they play this weekend, what does that mean? A tie?

Forget the nonsense. This one goes Lowell’s way.

PICK: UMass-Lowell 6-2.

Dave Hendrickson is the Hockey East Correspondent for U.S. College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Dave Hendrickson . All Rights Reserved.

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This Week in the CCHA: November 15, 1996

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by Paula C. Weston

Although it’s too early to say for certain, CCHA fans may be witnessing the end of the unofficial "two tiers" in the CCHA. For several seasons, the first tier consisted primarily of Michigan, Michigan State, Bowling Green, and (more recently) Lake Superior State and Western Michigan. The rest of the CCHA teams have languished in the second tier, each fighting the other for the privilege of being beaten by first-tier teams in the playoffs.

At the start of this week’s action, Miami is undefeated in CCHA play, and alone at the top of the standings, yet only ranked eighth in this week’s Around the Rinks/USCHO poll. While Michigan and Michigan State are tied for second in the CCHA, Notre Dame is close behind, followed by Lake Superior State, Ohio State, and Bowling Green. Yes, that’s Ohio State ahead of Bowling Green in the standings — for now.

The three teams at the bottom, each with one CCHA win, are Western Michigan, Ferris State and Alaska-Fairbanks. While the latter two teams in this hockey heap may stay there for some time, look for some interesting movement in the middle of the standings. Each team — including the once-lowly Buckeyes — can contend with the rest of this field.

Michigan State (6-3-0, 5-1-0 CCHA) at Michigan (8-1-0, 5-1-0 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., Yost Arena, Ann Arbor, MI

On paper, there’s no better matchup in all of college hockey this weekend than Friday’s Michigan State-Michigan game. The teams are tied for second place in the CCHA; each team is 5-1-0 in conference play, and the rivals boast nearly identical numbers in the goals-for and goals-against categories (30-17 and 32-18, respectively). The teams also feature similar power play statistics. So why isn’t this the best matchup in all of college hockey this weekend? Because Michigan travels to Bowling Green for a Steel Cage Grudge Rematch on Saturday.

But we get ahead of ourselves. Friday’s game at Yost should be a fine game. Michigan should come out on top, in spite of being short several players because of injury and disqualifications. Michigan players Bill Muckalt (right wing, junior), Jason Botterill (left wing, senior) and Bubba Berenzweig (defense, sophomore) were each given disqualifications for fighting toward the end of last Saturday’s game against Bowling Green in Yost. In addition, sophomore left winger Greg Crozier will be out indefinitely with a broken arm.

So who does that leave suited for Michigan? Brendan Morrison, Warren Luhning, Matt Herr, Mike Legg, John Madden, Marty Turco…you get the picture.

Obviously, home ice means more to Michigan than to any other team in the CCHA. With the National Championship banner swinging from the rafters and the fans of Section D wreaking havoc — or, do the fans swing while the banner…oh, never mind. The Wolverines will clearly have the adrenaline edge.

PICK: Michigan 5-4

Bowling Green (6-4-0, 2-4-0 CCHA) at Miami (7-2-0, 5-0-0 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., Goggin Arena, Oxford, OH

Miami is going to be very aggressive in its first game since receiving its national ranking. Sophomore center Randy Robitaille is hot for Miami, with 9 goals and 7 assists in 9 games this season. The goaltending duo of Trevor Prior and former UIC Flame Adam Lord have made it tough for opponents to score on this team-formerly-known-as-the-Redskins. Prior’s save percentage going into this weekend is .944, while Lord’s is .935. Miami has outscored its CCHA opponents 19-7.

Last week’s loss against Michigan hurt more than just Bowling Green’s pride. Three Falcons will be out for this game because of disqualifications: Todd Kelman (defense, senior), Dan Price (right wing, sophomore), and Kelly Perrault (defense, senior). In addition, two key Falcons suffered injuries that will keep them from playing; freshman winger Antti Ilvonen separated a shoulder, while senior left winger Brett Punchard broke an ankle.

The loss of Punchard is huge for Bowling Green. He was part of a nearly-indefensible line with senior center Curtis Fry and senior right winger Mike Johnson. With disqualifications and injuries, Bowling Green will be playing with untested lines and perhaps shaky confidence. This game should belong to Miami.

PICK: Miami 5-2

Michigan (8-1-0, 5-1-0 CCHA) at Bowling Green (6-4-0, 2-4-0 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., BGSU Arena, Bowling Green, OH

If you live within twelve hours’ driving distance of Bowling Green, this is a game you have to see live. These two teams were pretty darned mad at each other last weekend in Yost. Michigan won 4-1, and the crowd was chanting "four straight losses" — and there’s nothing to indicate that they won’t be as mad again. In addition to the normal hostilities, disqualified players from both teams — all the guys who got tossed when these teams met last week — will be back on the ice. Add into this mix the fact that Bowling Green just lost its top-ten ranking, and may very well have lost the night before to a newly ranked Miami team, and you’re in for the ride of the weekend.

Although each team will be down a man or two because of injuries, expect to see Bowling Green set back more than Michigan. Punchard’s contribution to the Falcon offense cannot be underestimated, and Bowling Green lacks the veteran depth that Michigan has.

Still, the BGSU Arena is almost as hostile a place for opponents to play as is Yost. The Falcons will play aggressively, but Michigan’s experience will prevail.

PICK: Michigan 5-3

Ohio State (2-7-0, 2-3-0 CCHA) at Lake Superior State (4-5-1, 2-2-0 CCHA) Friday & Saturday, 7 p.m., Taffy Abel Arena, Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Here are two teams battling for position in the middle of the pack. Each team has four points in CCHA play, but overall records show that the Lakers are a team more used to winning than are the Buckeyes.

As a matter of fact, Buckeye Coach John Markell said after last week’s victory over Ferris State that his team will have to become accustomed to winning if they are to claim more games. With nearly half of the Buckeye roster consisting of rookies, including two goaltenders, Ohio State has much adjusting to do before finding its feet. The veterans on this squad have never experienced a winning season at Ohio State. In contrast, the youngsters are not used to losing, having come from teams that were, to some degree, successful. It will take some time for this talented team to find a balance.

Lake Superior, on the other hand, is a team used to winning. However, they’re still adjusting to coaching changes and the loss of several key players. The Lakers have plenty of offensive talent, but no one seems to be stepping up. Three Lakers — junior center Bryan Fuss, sophomore right winger Jason Sessa, and junior left winger Joe Blaznek — lead the team with three goals apiece in CCHA play.

For the Buckeyes, assistant captain Chad Power, a senior wing, is the offensive player to watch. On a line with freshmen center Hugo Boisvert and right winger Eric Meloche, Power has come alive this season after seeing little play last year because of "attitude" problems. Still, despite being the leading scorer for the Buckeyes, Power has only 3 goals and 2 assists in CCHA play.

The Buckeyes will start Connerty in goal Friday night, and Aho in goal for Saturday’s non-conference game. Coach Markell also suggested that seldom-used players (senior center Jarrett Whidden, maybe?) will see time in Saturday’s game.

PICKS: Lake Superior 4-1 Friday; 3-3 tie Saturday

Michigan State (6-3-0, 5-1-0 CCHA) at Ferris State (4-6-1, 1-4-0 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., Ewigleben Arena, Big Rapids, MI

In spite of junior defenseman Andy Roach and senior left winger Gordy Hunt’s excellent play for Ferris this season, this game will be all Michigan State. Ferris State just doesn’t have the firepower at this point in the season to beat an outstanding Spartan defense. The Spartans are outscoring CCHA opponents 30-17, while the Bulldogs haven’t scored more than a dozen goals total in CCHA play this year.

Don’t expect the Spartans to lose again to an opponent they should clearly beat. After last Friday’s home loss to Alaska Fairbanks, Coach Ron Mason gave his team a little talk which junior center Sean Berens described as a "tongue-lashing." The Spartans handled the Nanooks easily Saturday, even with Nanook senior center Cody Bowtell’s successful penalty shot in the third.

PICK: Michigan State 5-0

Alaska Fairbanks (1-8-0, 1-6-0 CCHA) at Western Michigan (3-3-1, 1-3-1 CCHA) Friday & Saturday, 7 p.m., Lawson Arena, Kalamazoo, MI

Even though the overall records of these two teams indicate a distinct difference, Alaska Fairbanks proved last week that it has the ability to win tough road games, when the Nanooks beat the Spartans in East Lansing.

Still, the Broncos are better than their record indicates; surely, the loss of a single player — goaltender Marc Magliarditi — won’t cripple them for a whole season. After all, the Broncos were better than just one player last season, right? Right?

Western Michigan clearly has the defensive edge in this series. While only scoring 17 goals so far in CCHA play, the Broncos have kept opponents to just 20, which is to say the Broncos have been losing very close games. UAF has been outscored 31-19 this season; neither team looks particularly promising on offense.

Western’s senior right winger Justin Cardwell leads the team with eight points in league play (six goals, two assists). Behind him are a couple of players with seven points each, but no other Bronco has scored more than two goals. Nanook senior center Cody Bowtell has clearly come to play this season, with five goals and five assists in seven CCHA games. His situation is little better than Cardwell’s; several Nanook players have scored three goals.

These two teams should split a couple of low-scoring games.

PICKS: Friday, Western 3-2; Saturday, Alaska-Fairbanks 3-2

Ferris State (4-6-1, 1-4-0 CCHA) at Notre Dame (3-3-1, 2-2-1 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., Joyce ACC, South Bend, IN

This may be the upset game of the week. Maybe. Notre Dame has relied heavily this season on junior goaltender Matt Eisler, who has practically stood on his head in the net for the Fighting Irish. Eisler’s .914 conference save percentage is the sole reason that Notre Dame occupies the No. 4 spot in CCHA standings.

There’s little going on offensively for the Irish. Team point-leader Aniket Dhadphale has a total of six points in CCHA play. Senior defenseman Brian McCarthy scored the lone goal for Notre Dame as the Irish lost 6-1 at Boston College last week. Still, the Irish had just one game last weekend, and the Bulldogs have yet to play consistently. If Eisler plays well and the luck of the Irish prevails, Notre Dame should win.

PICK: Notre Dame 3-2

Mankato State (3-4-1, independent) at Notre Dame (3-3-1, 2-2-1 CCHA) Sunday, 2 p.m., Joyce ACC, South Bend, IN

If Notre Dame had trouble with Boston College last week, what will Mankato State bring to South Bend? A largely untested Mankato team has beaten Ferris State twice, but it’s also lost to Ferris, as well as to Michigan Tech and Army (think about it).

The Irish don’t have to travel for this one, and they’ll be relatively well-rested after a day off. Don’t bet against them.

PICK: Notre Dame 3-1

Western Michigan (3-3-1, 1-3-1 CCHA) at Ferris State (4-6-1, 1-4-0 CCHA) Tuesday, 7 p.m., Ewigleben Ice Arena, Big Rapids, MI

Both teams play a full weekend of hockey just two days before this game, and they’re duking it out for the rights to the CCHA basement. However, at this point in the season, Western has more of a chance of climbing out than does Ferris. With relatively little offense — remember, only 12 goals scored in CCHA play this season — Ferris will have trouble with the Broncos. This could be a no-point, three-game-long weekend for the Bulldogs.

PICK: Western Michigan 4-1

Paula Weston is the CCHA Correspondent for U.S. College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1996 Paula C. Weston. All Rights Reserved.

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Face Off: Week 1

USCHO Staff Report
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Welcome to U.S. College Hockey Online’s roundtable discussion. Each week, various members of our staff take on a hockey topic. Sometimes serious, sometimes silly — but either way, watch the feathers fly: no punches will be pulled, and no quarter given, when these people face off.

Of the Four Major Conferences, Which is the Strongest This Season?

Tim Brule, USCHO Coordinator: Two conferences are up — the CCHA and the ECAC — and the other two down. The ECAC has struggled for national respect for the last few years, but last year each ECAC team went down fighting in the NCAA tournament. This year Vermont has jumped out to a sizzling start with wins over New Hampshire, Boston University, Miami and Lake Superior. This is the only team in the nation with three legitimate Hobey Baker candidates in Eric Perrin, Martin St. Louis and Tim Thomas. Clarkson returns a strong team lead by Todd White, and Colgate is a real sleeper. In the early season their power play has been on fire.

The CCHA is headed by Michigan and Michigan State. Michigan returns the whole enchilada: nine seniors led by Brendan Morrison and the Short-Handed Scoring Machine, John Madden. The big question with Michigan is the possibility of a letdown after last year’s unbelievable playoff run. As for the Spartans, this is not the year, but they will scare the &*?#$ out of several CCHA teams on the way to another NCAA tournament berth. The Spartans are young; their big guns are mostly underclassmen — Sean Berens, Mike Watt, Mike York. At this point in the season I am not sure where to put Bowling Green or Miami.

Top to bottom, the CCHA seems to have it all this year. With Illinois-Chicago gone the little guys are thinning out. Notre Dame is much improved, as Bowling Green learned the hard way. Last year the regular-season championship went down to the last weekend, and we’re in for more of the same this year. I would not be surprised to see two CCHA teams in Milwaukee.

The real question is, who wants to face the Cats first?

Mike Machnik, Special Projects: An age-old question rears its ugly head once again. I’ve seen too much college hockey over the years to think that anyone can easily come up with an answer to end this controversy once and for all. There are a myriad of criteria that can be used to justify ranking any of the conferences at the top, or at the bottom for that matter. Nonconference record, poll rankings, NCAA titles, NCAA appearances and so on, have all been used in the past by folks looking to advance the cause of their own conference. Usually it is more telling to examine the “facts” that they choose to ignore rather than the ones they trumpet as incontrovertible evidence.

As they say in the NFL, “On any given day….” A simple look at the results to date shows that this axiom is not limited to football. Rensselaer beat Northeastern, which beat Michigan State, which beat Michigan.

Just remember: there are lies, damn lies, and statistics, and statistics are the worst of the bunch. You can use them to make any case you want. With that in mind, my admittedly wishy-washy answer would be: none of them…and all of them.

Scott Brown, Assistant Editor: First off, let’s ask ourselves what this question really means. Rating a team is pretty simple, if inexact; you look at records, schedule strength, and so on. For an entire conference, though, it’s a little bit harder. The NCAA finds this out every year when it tries to pick tournament teams in basketball by ranking conferences.

But I’m willing to give it a shot anyway. The proper question is this: if every team in my conference played every team in your conference, who’d win more games? Now there’s a question we can answer — and the CCHA comes out on top.

The rap on the CCHA for years has gone something like this: sure, they’ve got a strong upper echelon — Michigan, Michigan State, Bowling Green, Lake State and maybe Western Michigan — but the rest of the league is pretty soft. Ohio State? Notre Dame? Football schools that wouldn’t know a slapshot from a drop pass. For Pete’s sake, it got so bad at Illinois-Chicago that the program disintegrated. A conference like that can’t be very good, can it?

Well, folks, look again. The Buckeyes and the Irish aren’t jokes any more, and Miami is in the top ten nationally — and perfect in the conference. Anybody, top to bottom, can beat anybody these days in the CCHA. Just look at Alaska-Fairbanks, which took out national power Michigan State in East Lansing last weekend, not two weeks after the Spartans dumped NCAA champion Michigan. This is the sign of a competitive conference — a strong league from top to bottom. The CCHA gets my vote.

Jayson Moy, ECAC Correspondent: There are two ways to answer this question, and they give different results.

Method one is top to bottom. Where is the strength for all the teams in the conference? That would be the WCHA. Colorado College is a perennial power these days, and you can’t forget about Minnesota. I thought Denver was not as strong, but they swept ECAC power Clarkson. Then there are surprises in Duluth, St. Cloud and North Dakota. That gives six strong teams in the conference. Let’s add Wisconsin, and don’t forget about Michigan Tech.

Method Two is a look at the best teams at the top. This one is a closer call. While the WCHA features several good teams, the strongest ones in the nation seem to come from the CCHA and the ECAC.

In the CCHA, you have the defending champions in Michigan, picked by many to repeat this season. Michigan State has shown fortitude early, and there is also Bowling Green. And Miami has been a huge surprise this season. Here we have four of the top teams in the nation.

In the ECAC, Vermont is now number three in the nation. Clarkson and Colgate are also among the nation’s best, with explosive offense and great golatending. Cornell, too, might be among the elite.

So if you take method one, you get the WCHA. Method two gives the CCHA or the ECAC.

On The Road

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Feel like traveling with your team as they move towards a berth at Lake Placid? Don’t know what to do while you travel? Don’t know what to look at in the arenas you visit? Don’t know what to do to kill time before the game starts? Don’t know where to eat? I’ll answer those questions for you in the next few pages.

I’ve been traveling with the RPI hockey team for five years now, and I’ve experienced every road trip in the Northeast. I’ve gotten to a point where I know where to eat, what not to eat, what to visit, where to stay, and what to avoid when you’re on the road. Come with me as I fill you in on things to do while traveling the ECAC road circuit.

The RPI-Union Trip

Let’s start somewhere I’m very familiar with — the Capital District of New York State. For those of you coming here in 1998 for the NCAA East Regional, keep this in mind.

Where to eat: Of course, there’s the usual selection of national outfits, but for food and drink, you definitely need a car at RPI (it’s a little better at Union). Check out the Troy Pub & Brewery: decent food, and one of the better microbreweries I have patronized. There’s also Famous Lunch in Troy — miniature hot dogs with chili and onions. My mouth is watering as I write this. [Editor’s note: Diligent readers may have noticed that bets between Mr. Moy and Hockey East writer Dave Hendrickson tend to be measured in Famous Lunch’s fare.] Then there are Sutter’s and the Eldorado, where wings and beer are the finest.

At Union is Geppeto’s, which is within walking distance. For those of you in the mood for a heart attack, try Morette’s on Erie Boulevard, about a mile from Achilles Rink — steak sandwiches like you’ve never had. There is also a great hot dog place across the street from Morette’s.

What to avoid: The chain restaurants. You can get that stuff anywhere. What you want is local color, or you wouldn’t be reading this. Right?

The Arenas: At the Fieldhouse, there really is no bad seat, unless you get stuck behind a pole in the corners. Wide open and airy, and if you look up towards the ceiling, you can see me by the WRPI sign. Go ahead, wave to me. If you want to beat the crowds to the game, come at least a half-hour early, and leave directly afterward.

At Achilles Rink, stake out what’s important first — the restrooms. There’s precisely one facility for men and women in the entire building. Also find the emergency exits; you’ll understand why once you’re there. There isn’t much else in the arena to explore.

The Vermont-Dartmouth Trip

One of the most beautiful car rides you can take — unless you’re in the middle of a snowstorm. Enjoyable and relaxing.

Where to Eat: At Vermont, downtown Burlington is nice, and you can get good food and drink. In particular, try the Vermont Brewery downtown. I haven’t run across a place yet that I didn’t enjoy.

At Dartmouth, there’s a little strip of stores and restaurants that one can enjoy. I like a place on the main drag called Molly’s Balloons.

What to do: Take the Ben & Jerry’s factory tour in Waterbury, a must as you travel I-89 to either school. I never miss it; it’s a great way to kill time, and you get free ice cream. There’s also the Catamount Brewery tour in White River Junction near Dartmouth. If you’ve ever been on Busch or Miller’s tour, you are in for an enlightenment.

The Arenas: At Gutterson, get there just as the doors open and watch the General Admission seating. Don’t blink — it’s a sight to behold. Also, watch how the crowd interacts with the band. The atmosphere here is amazing.

At Thompson Arena, a unique experience awaits. You can watch the game from almost every seat in the house. Just move every 30 seconds or so, and you will have covered the entire place. It’s unfortunate that this great arena does not enjoy larger crowds.

What to avoid: Wearing opposing colors in the G.A. section at the Cathouse. Also, falling asleep at Thompson Arena.

The Colgate-Cornell Trip

The Finger Lakes of New York: I never saw the ground during my first three years as an announcer. Why? Six-to-ten-foot-high snowdrifts. This can be a real hard trip in inclement weather, because it’s a lot of one-lane highways.

Where to eat: Cornell is great. Collegetown has a variety of establishments, and downtown Ithaca has a great selection of food. You can’t go wrong here.

At Colgate, make sure you eat before you go. There is the Colgate Inn, Burger King, and a Chinese takeout. You choose.

Things to do: If you want to take a chance, head to Turning Stone Casino. Check out the lakes and the countryside as well. By the time you get on the road and travel from one to the other, there isn’t much time left for sightseeing.

The Arenas: The Lynah Faithful are back, and they are as entertaining as anything. The place gets loud and boisterous. A good time is always had at Lynah Rink. Try not to sit too high in the arena, as you will have a hard time seeing the scoreboard.

At Colgate, dress warmly. Starr Rink is not exactly the warmest place in the world. It is an interesting place to watch a game, as the seats are really close to the ice, except at one end of the arena. The sound system is not that good, so listen carefully to the announcements.

What to avoid: Staying at the Colgate Inn.

The Harvard-Brown Trip

It’s the greatest trip, culturally speaking, in the ECAC. It has Boston included, so what more could you want?

Where to eat: At Harvard, there’s plenty. Choose from anything, but get to Faneuil Hall if you can.

At Brown, you’re talking Providence, which boasts a nice selection of restaurants. The strip downtown near the Civic Center, and by Meehan, features a variety of stores. I personally like the barbecue joint on this strip.

What to do: Self-explanatory. It’s Boston and Providence.

The Arenas: Bright is a great place to watch a game. You’re on top of the action, and the band is original and creative. Check out some of the history on the walls of Bright as well.

Meehan is very open and airy. Not a bad seat in this house, unless you are sitting on the metal bleachers at the end of each side of the rink. It is also one of the warmest arenas I have ever been in.

What to avoid: At Harvard, the drivers. At Brown, the Greek restaurant on that little strip.

The Clarkson-St. Lawrence Trip

The shortest, in terms of distance, between two arenas in the ECAC. Unless it’s November or late February, prepare to be cold.

Where to eat: Oh, boy, it’s tough up here. Besides the chain restaurants, the only selections are on the main drags in town. I’ve eaten a few times at the pizza joints in the two towns, Sergi’s. There’s also Uncle Max’s in Canton. There is also a decent bagel on Main Street in Potsdam.

What to do: Ottawa is real close by, so go check it out. Venturing into Canada is always a fun thing to do, just to see if you can buy things cheaper than in the States.

The Arenas: Cheel is new and looks it. Great sight lines, and a great scoreboard. The pep band at Clarkson is fun, and the other noises in the arena are fun as well. The train whistle and the bell are two that annoy visitors without fail. Check out the history on the walls of Cheel Arena.

Appleton Arena is a rustic-looking barn. Recently renovated, it can get real loud, especially with that bothersome air horn. Always be alert at Appleton, as a puck can wind up in your teeth really easily.

What to avoid: Getting stuck in the snow. It can happen, and has to me. Also make hotel arrangements early, or else you’ll be stuck way out of town, and if it’s snowing, the drive can be a real bear.

The Princeton-Yale Trip

The other metropolitan trip on the ECAC docket. There is a lot for both places to offer.

Where to eat: At Princeton, a plethora of restaurants reside in the shopping district, which is right off the campus. You really can’t go wrong. And of course, on the way down from Troy, I always stop at that classic hot-spot of fine dining — White Castle.

At Yale, it’s hard to say. I’ve never actually eaten in New Haven, except at Ingalls Rink. This is because we always have White Castle hamburgers left over from the Princeton half of the trip.

What to do: At Princeton, you can kill a day by walking that strip of stores by the campus. There are a lot of interesting things to do there, and some interesting things that stores sell. Check it out. On the ride to or from Yale, you can always stop in New York City. Of course, it’s only a short time to experience it, but you can hit some things on the way back and to.

The Arenas: I love Hobey Baker Rink. I don’t know why, but I like the atrium walkways, the coldness, and the open-air feel of the arena. Unfortunately, it’s a tough place to watch a game; especially in the balcony, which looks like it’ll fall down at any moment.

Ingalls Rink makes me seasick with its sloping walkways. There is no bad seat in the house, but it is one cramped arena to watch a game at.

What to avoid: Making a left turn in New Jersey and venturing too far into New Haven at night.

That’ll do it for our tour — but wait, there’s more. What about eating in the arena, and some best/worst lists? Here you go:

 Best Hot Dog:                        Hembold's Hot Dog, RPI Fieldhouse
 Best Coffee:                         Appleton Arena
 Best Pretzels:                       Starr Rink
 Best Popcorn:                        Starr Rink
 Cheapest Eats:                       Starr RInk
 Best Hot Chocolate:                  The Sweet Shop, RPI Fieldhouse
 Best Sightlines:                     Thompson Arena
 Coldest Rink:                        Starr Rink
 Warmest Rink:                        Meehan Auditorium
 Most Strategically Placed Restrooms: Bright Hockey Center
 Worst-Placed Restrooms:              Achilles Rink
 Best Fans:                           Lynah Rink
 Best Show:                           Gutterson Fieldhouse
 Hardest Arena to Find:               Thompson Arena
 Best Ice:                            Hobey Baker Rink
 Worst Ice:                           RPI Fieldhouse
 Easiest to walk up and buy a ticket: Thompson Arena
 Hardest to walk up and buy a ticket: Cheel Arena
                                      Gutterson Fieldhouse
                                      Lynah Rink
 Worst Hot Dog:                       Achilles Rink
 Worst Coffee:                        Ingalls Rink
 Worst Pretzel:                       Achilles Rink
 Worst Popcorn:                       Achilles Rink
 Most Expensive Eats:                 Ingalls Rink
 Hardest Parking:                     Appleton Arena
 Easiest Parking:                     Thompson Arena
 Best Pep Band:                       Cheel Arena
 Most Knowledgable Fans:              Cheel Arena
                                      Appleton Arena
 Best Pre-Game Extravaganza:          RPI Fieldhouse
                                      Cheel Arena
 Best Place To Watch A Game:          RPI's Catwalk (if you can get there)
                                      Thompson Arena, center ice
 Worst Place To Watch A Game:         RPI Fieldhouse, behind a post
 Place You'll Miss Part of the Game:  Achilles Rink
 Most Hostile Crowd:                  Lynah Rink
 Most Apathetic Crowd:                Thompson Arena
 Needs To Be Torn Down and Rebuilt:   Achilles Rink
 Place You'll Leave Humming
   the Opposition Fight Song:         Gutterson Fieldhouse

And finally, my ranking (in descending order) of the arenas in the ECAC:

12. Achilles Rink — Small and cramped, but enthusiastic crowds.
11. Starr Rink — Cold, small, bad speakers, but you can go bowling.
10. Ingalls Rink — Those walkways just do not do it for me.
9. Meehan Auditorium — Not intimate at all.
8. RPI Fieldhouse — Too big at times, but it’s loud a lot.
7. Appleton Arena — A nice feeling, but uncomfortably noisy.
6. Bright Hockey Center — Smooth and fun to watch a game here.
5. Thompson Arena — Great venue, but needs bigger crowds.
4. Hobey Baker Rink — I like the architecture.
3. Cheel Arena — Atmosphere here is great, and the band is phenomenal.
2. Lynah Rink — Annoying, hostile, loud. A great place to be.
1. Gutterson Fieldhouse — Total fun watching a game.

Dan Harrison Leaves OSU

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According to Ohio State coach John Markell, sophomore defenseman Dan Harrison has left the OSU hockey program due to personal reasons.

Harrison, who received Honorable Mention for last season’s CCHA All-Rookie Team, has left school and returned to his home in Newmarket, Ont.

Harrison was third in scoring for the Buckeyes last year, with 19 points (five goals, 14 assists). This season Harrison played in five of OSU’s seven games and had two assists.

“When he left, he was the best all-around defenseman on the team,” said Markell. “He had the potential to go very far in this league.”

The Buckeyes are hurting defensively this season. Because of the lack of defensive depth, former left winger junior Dan Cousineau has made the move from offense to defense. Markell is pleased with Cousineau’s defensive play, and Cousineau himself has said he’s happy to be getting the ice time after sitting out much of last season.

Markell said he expects walk-on freshman defenseman Ryan Degrendel to step up. “He has what it takes to play Division I hockey,” said Markell.

Degrendel will make the trip with the Buckeyes as they travel to Lake Superior State.

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