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This Week in the ECAC: October 18, 1996

October 18, 1996

The ECAC teams finally get into action this weekend with four games, including a renewal of the Hockey East-ECAC rivalry with two games on Saturday October 19.

Boston University (0-0-0) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (0-0-0) Saturday, 7 p.m., Houston Field House, Troy, NY

The Detroit Red Wing scrimmage game renews its rivalry this season after taking one season off (both teams uniforms look like the Red Wings). Both Boston University and RPI have a lot of questions to be answered offensively and defensively.

BU: BU took a huge stride in confirming the fact that they "reload" rather than rebuild last weekend with a 4-3 exhibition win over Minnesota. They played a tight physical game and their forwards had a great game with Matt Wright getting two goals and Chris Drury getting one. The defense is still solid, and will try to contain RPI’s fast forwards.

RPI: RPI had a down season last year, and look to rebound. They lost a lot of scoring up front with four of their top 5 scorers gone to graduation, but the real question is in goal for RPI as two freshmen will compete for the starting job. Scott Prekaski and Joel Laing will duke it out. It’s possible that they two netminders might split duty in Saturday’s game.

Keys to the game:

1) Special Teams. BU killed Minnesota on special teams last week, but also allowed a shorthanded goal. RPI is totally untested on the power play as only three players from last year’s power play unit return. The team that stays out of the box will benefit the greatest.

2) Depth. It will be between the third and fourth lines for both teams. Whomever controls on the later lines will be the winning team.

3) Goaltending. Tom Noble is solid for BU, RPI is untested.

It should be a game in which BU will experiment with forward lines and get tuned up. RPI is looking to see how their new freshmen will fit in, and as soon as depth gets into the game it should be an easy win for BU.

Pick: BU 7 RPI 2

Vermont (0-0-0) at New Hampshire (0-0-0) Saturday, 7 p.m., Whittemore Center, Durham, NH

The two New England rivals face each other again in another renewal of this classic confrontation. Vermont is looking to get to the Final Four again while a lot of questions surround UNH.

UVM: Everyone knows about Martin St. Louis and Eric Perrin. They will once again be the keys for UVM. Sound backup lines will continue and the scoring should enhance the Catamounts chances. Sound goaltending from Tim Thomas should again bolster UVM this season.

UNH: Dick Umile wonders where his club will be this season. As Dave Hendrickson pointed out, UNH lacked goaltending, scoring, and depth last season. The Wildcat faithful hope that has been solved. This will be the starting point for this season, and this is where the lines will be worked out.

Keys to the Game:

1) Goaltending – Tim Thomas is solid, and nothing less is expected. For UNH who will be in goal? Larochelle should get the start but is he the answer for this game?

2) Speed – The first line of St. Louis-Perrin-Ruid is fast. In the spacious confines of Towse Rink at the Whittemore Center they will have a field day. It is up to UNH to stop it. Can UNH’s speed go up against UVM’s?

3) Defense in front of the goaltender – This is critical for UNH. They must protect the net because all 4 lines for UVM seem to find the slots and spaces in the box in front of the crease. You won’t beat Thomas with long shots, you can beat him in front though.

UVM is clearly one of the top teams in the nation. UNH wants to be there. Not yet though Wildcats.

Pick: UVM 6 UNH 2

Clarkson (0-0-0) at Ohio State (0-1-0) Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., OSU Ice Rink, Columbus, OH

A powerful team against one which people predict will be powerful in the future. Looks like a rout on paper, but then that’s why they play them.

CU: Clarkson always seems to get it done. When they lose their top scorers, someone else steps up. Last year it was Todd White, and he is back this year to wreak havoc again. The defense is extremely solid once again, and goaltender Dan Murphy will be also strong once again.

OSU: A 7-2 loss to Bowling Green last week answered some questions, but there are still many to be answered for John Markell. The goaltending situation still needs to be addressed, as well as the scoring. Though four of the top five return, they seemed non- existent last week.

Keys to the games:

1) Goaltending – When all is said and done, OSU has an untested freshmen in the net, Clarkson has a veteran that is solid and amazing.

2) Special Teams – The Golden Knights can be deadly on the power play, as well as on the penalty kill. Jean-Francois Houle is a great two-way player. OSU is still finding their special team combinations.

3) Defense – Clarkson’s defense is strong. They return many players and have a great offensive talent on the blue line in Mikko Ollila. OSU has not yet proven their blue line crew can take care of business.

Clarkson is so much stronger on paper than the Buckeyes. But the games have to be played. It will not be pretty.

Pick: Clarkson with the sweep. 8-1 and 4-2.

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This Week in the CCHA: October 18, 1996

By Paula C. Weston

October 18, 1996

Last week the CCHA teams got off to a strong start for the most part, playing a number of tune-up games. The week did not begin on a positive note, as Alaska-Fairbanks defenseman Erik Drygas injured his neck in practice, and remains in serious, but stable condition in the hospital. A team meeting was called, and Drygas’ jersey hung from the goal posts as Fairbanks faced interstate rival Anchorage over the weekend, losing two hard-fought contests.

Ohio State lost to Bowling Green in a game that has been called "rough" by some. Hey, that is what the CCHA is about, tough grind-it-out hockey! Miami can score, and Michigan looks the same! Notre Dame started off on a positive note, and so did Western Michigan. Ferris State split, and LSSU got its first win mid-week. The real tests begin this week for most, with some intra-conference games that will be great barometers for the national picture.

Here’s a look at this week’s match-ups:

Miami (1-1-0) at Alaska-Fairbanks (0-2-0) Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., Carlson Center, Fairbanks, AK

Look for Miami to test both of its goaltenders this week to figure out who can carry the load. With the first test coming on the long road trip, Miami will no doubt need to overcome sloppy play early on, until their legs return. Randy Robitaille and Dan Boyle proved Miami can score against Windsor, but the defense was missing early, and the goaltending by Adam Lord was mediocre.

Alaska will need to play strong defensive hockey to stop the trapping Miami forecheck. Cody Bowtell and the offense will need to produce more then three goals to beat Miami. Look for Miami to dominate by Sunday.

PICK: Miami 2 out of 3, but Alaska wins Thursday. Boston College (0-0-0) at Bowling Green (2-0-0) Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., BGSU Ice Arena, Bowling Green, OH

Boston College will have to rely on their goaltending to keep then in a game against a stingy Falcon defense, and a scary offense. Bowling Green brings a 47 percent power play, and a 94 percent penalty kill with them. Mike Johnson looks to add to his five goal opening weekend. Look for Bowling Green to physically dominate.

Do not count out Boston College and Marty Reasoner, but depth will be the difference. BC coach Jerry York finally has his team playing for him, but it is too early for them to beat Bowling Green.

PICK: FRIDAY, BG 4, BC 2; SATURDAY, BC 4, BG 3; Split.

Clarkson at Ohio State Friday and Saturday, 7 p.n., OSU Ice Rink, Columbus, OH

Ohio State will look to work out the kinks on offense with a young group of talented forwards who need time to gel. Brandon LaFrance and Tyler McMillan will lead a weak power play that only converted one of eight chances last weekend.

Clarkson will provide a strong test of the Buckeye’s speed and goaltending, from the likes of senior Todd White, a 29 goal scorer last season, and captain Jean-Francois Houle, who netted 14. This will be a great challenge, which is just what OSU needs after playing sloppy early against Bowling Green. Goaltender Dan Murphy is very solid in the pipes, and could steal one alone for Clarkson.

PICK: OSU 4, CLARKSON 3 FRIDAY; CLARKSON 5, OSU 3 SATURDAY; SPLIT

Western Ontario (0-0-0) at Ferris State (1-1-0) Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., Ewigleben Arena, Big Rapids, MI

This is a great weekend for Ferris State to work on its defensive posture against a solid Western Ontario forecheck, as well as a chance to score some goals, and build confidence in players like sophomore’s Kenzie Homer and Joel Irwin, who each scored two last week.

Ferris should have enough depth to outshoot, and outscore Western Ontario’s mediocre roster.

PICK: FSU SWEEP

Maine (0-0-0) at Lake Superior State (1-1-0) Sunday, 2 p.m., James Norris Ice Arena, Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Maine will have LSSU matched for speed, depth, and goaltending, but not spirit as LSSU is 15-3-1 in their last 19 at home. Look for the Lakers to win a tight game with strong goaltending in John Grahame backing them up. Ted Laviolette and Matt Alvey are a strong tandem on offense, but the power play struggles, as does the penalty kill early.

Maine will have to rebound energy-wise from a long trip to the Soo, and the physical pounding they will get from Michigan, but young toughs like Trevor Roenick can handle it. Special teams will win this game. If Maine’s power play gets going, watch out.

PICK: LSSU 4, MAINE 2

Maine (0-0-0) at Michigan (2-0-0) Friday, 7:30 p.m., Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI

This weekend will show us a lot about three of the top teams in the nation, and could mark the beginning of a downhill slide for Maine, for playing Michigan, and LSSU at home is tough. Look for Michigan’s depth to overpower a suspect Maine defensive core. Jason Botterill and Bill Muckalt will challenge Maine’s defensive capabilities, especially on their power play which is 41 percent so far. Depth will win out in this one, Maine lacks what Michigan reaps.

PICK: MICHIGAN 4, MAINE 2

Western Michigan (0-0-0) at Notre Dame (1-0-0) Friday, 7 p.m., Joyce Athletics and Convocation Center, South Bend, IN

Notre Dame will need youngsters to step up in order to handle a physically formidable Western Michigan team. Joe Dusbabek and Ben Nelson did just that last week, putting crucial points on the board.

This will either be the coming out party of Western’s goaltender Matt Barnes, or that of Dusbabek and Ben Simon for Notre Dame. Western’s penalty kill is putting out the fires, going 100 percent on the kill last week. If the offense can score more than three, it is their game.

PICK: WESTERN 3, NDAME 2

Western Michigan (0-0-0) at Michigan State (1-0-0) Saturday, 7 p.m., Munn Arena, East Lansing, MI

Michigan State will use all its firepower on offense to break away from the Western Michigan defense by the end of this one. Steve Ferranti’s three goals lead the way, and an 80 percent penalty kill isn’t too shabby either, it will get better.

With fresh legs, it will be a tough night for Western to win over Chad Alban who is unstoppable at home. PICK: MSU 5, WMU 3

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Charges Against McLeod Could Be Dropped

By Lee Urton

October 18, 1996

Bruce McLeod’s three counts of felony theft will be dropped given good behavior, the AP reported Thursday.

McLeod, former Minnesota-Duluth athletic director and WCHA chairman, was charged with three counts of felony theft in relation to $18,000 in misappropriated funds on six checks. Five of the six checks were ruled inadmissible due to a statute of limitations.

Charges for the remaining check, in the amount of $6,000 and written from the checking account of the golf and tennis programs, will be dropped provided McLeod enters a program for first-time offenders, as ruled by a St. Louis County District judge on Wednesday, October 16.

McLeod resigned from his post as athletic director as an independent audit was being conducted on the financial records of Minnesota-Duluth in late August.

This Week in the WCHA: October 18, 1996

By Todd D. Milewski

October 18, 1996

The WCHA season gets off to a roaring start this weekend with four series, one that features two of the top teams in the league meeting in an early-season battle.

Colorado College, the coaches’ pick to win its fourth straight league championship, invades the University of Minnesota, which was picked to finish second by the coaches. The series could set the stage for the rest of the 1996-97 season as each team would like to start fast and make the other play catch up.

In other weekend series, which all have the makings as close, hard-fought contests, have Minnesota-Duluth at Alaska-Anchorage, Denver going to North Dakota and St. Cloud State at Wisconsin. In non-conference action Michigan Tech hosts Mankato State in a series while Northern Michigan hosts Lake Superior State on Friday.

Colorado College (0-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 WCHA) at Minnesota (0-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 WCHA), Friday, 7:05 p.m. CT, Saturday, 8:05 p.m. CT

This conference opener will be watched closely by most people in the WCHA and for good reason; Colorado College and Minnesota are two of the top teams in the league and will battle to the end of the season to claim the No. 1 spot.

Colorado College Coach Don Lucia wants his team to play consistent hockey all season long and not peak for any series, especially one so early in the season. "This series isn’t really that important," he said on Wednesday. "This is the first of a 32-game WCHA schedule. We have to be patient with our young team. We want to be consistent and if we get a split on the road, especially at Minnesota which is a very tough place to play, that will be just fine."

Minnesota Coach Doug Woog has a different outlook because of how CC was able to get ahead early last year in the standings. "Really the last three years we’ve been playing catch up. We want to stop that this year. We had a great winning streak last year and still trailed them. It’s important to not get behind."

But Woog doesn’t think there is a team that will run away from the pack this year. "I don’t think losing a series will hurt a team as much this year because there isn’t a team as dominant as CC was last year. However, still this is a significant series and teams need points against contending teams."

The Gophers must be better defensively against CC than they were in the 4-3 loss to Boston University last weekend. "We learned that we must be more responsible at team defense. That will be a big factor in the game."

"I think both teams are similar in that they are young," Lucia said. "We are very young up front and last weekend we found out that it will be harder for us to score goals this year. We lost some great scorers from last year’s team. Now the question is who will step up and do that this year. Defensively we return a lot of talent and Judd Lambert is great in goal."

Lucia has a great deal of respect for the Gophers. "Mike Crowley is a big-time player and we can’t give them a lot of power plays because he will quarterback that for them and do a great job. Erik Rasmussen is excellent and Ryan Kraft has played very well against us the past two years."

Woog knows that the talented defensive players that CC has will make it tough for the Gophers to score. "It’s pretty simple; CC has great defense. Eric Rud and Scott Swanson are two of the best pair of defensemen in the WCHA."

Lucia admits the CC – UM series has grown into a great event. "If there is one team we would like to beat it’s Minnesota, and I think it works the same way with them. This has grown into a very healthy rivalry in the past few years."

ELMO Picks: CC 4, UM 3 on Friday; UM 4, CC 2 on Saturday.

Minnesota-Duluth (1-1-0 overall, 0-0-0 WCHA) at Alaska-Anchorage (2-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 WCHA), Friday-Saturday, 7:05 p.m. AT

Both the Bulldogs and the Seawolves had good showings last weekend when UMD split with Army and UAA topped rival Alaska-Fairbanks twice.

UMD outshot Army 90-35 last weekend and any time any team can average 45 shots a game, something is going well offensively. The Bulldogs will try to keep that up this weekend. Freshman goalie Brant Nicklin get the shutout in the 3-0 win Saturday, but faced just 12 shots. Winger Sergei Petrov leads UMD with a goal and three assists. Center Mike Peluso had two goals and an assist on Friday and defenseman Curtis Doell had a goal and two assists. In all 11 players picked up points.

UAA Coach Dean Talafous picked up his first two wins quickly last weekend when his team topped Alaska-Anchorage. And, typical of Talafous teams, they allowed just four goals in the two games. That’s something Talafous would like to see continue against UMD, but that may be a bit more difficult after the Bulldogs scored seven goals. Stacy Prevost had the hot hand with a goal and four assists. Eric Tuott had two goals. The Seawolves were 3-10 on the power-play and held UAF to 0-8. Both stats are Talafous trademarks.

ELMO picks: UAA 3, UMD 1 on Friday, UMD 4, UAA 2 on Saturday.

Denver (0-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 WCHA) at North Dakota (0-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 WCHA), Friday-Saturday, 7:35 p.m. CT

This should be another good opening-weekend series between two teams who have high expectations of the season.

Look for Denver to open up the guns this weekend and let their offensive talent flow. The Pioneers are one team in the league that have enough depth up front to get into a skating game with any opponent. That could happen this weekend with the Fighting Sioux.

UND Coach Dean Blais knows Denver has a talented group and he will be looking to shut down the opponent. The Fighting Sioux will have to rely on some tight defensive play to be successful. Even though it is early in the season this series will tell Blais a lot about his squad.

ELMO picks: DU 6, UND 3 on Friday, DU 4, UND 3 on Saturday.

St. Cloud State (0-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 WCHA) at Wisconsin (0-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 WCHA), Friday-Saturday, 7:05 p.m., CT

St. Cloud and Wisconsin will look to get off on the right skate this year as they meet in an early-season series in Madison.

This is the Badgers’ first game of the year under veteran Coach Jeff Sauer. The Badgers have been successful in opening the season at home with a 21-11-1 record. The Badgers haven’t lost a home opener since 1988 (Minnesota winning, 3-2). Erik Raygor has played eight games against the Huskies and has two goals and three assists. Goalie Kirk Daubenspeck has a 1-5-2 record with a 4.89 goals against average against the Huskies.

St. Cloud’s reliable Mark Parrish and Matt Cullen led the way in the Huskies 4-2 exhibition loss to Alberta last weekend. Both had a goal and assist. The Huskies will need a solid effort at both ends of the rink this weekend. But that’s what coach Craig Dahl is counting on.

ELMO picks: SCSU 4, UW 1 on Friday, UW 3, SCSU 1 on Saturday.

Mankato State (1-1-0 overall) at Michigan Tech (2-1-0 overall, 1-1-0 WCHA), Friday, 7:35 p.m. ET, Saturday, 7:05 p.m. ET (nc)

The Huskies got a split last weekend against Northern Michigan and will look for even more success this weekend against Mankato State. Coach Tim Watters got that all-important first win and this weekend the Huskies should concentrate on improving all phases of their game against a new Div. I opponent. There is always the possibility of overlooking an opponent, but Watters will have his team ready to play.

Mankato State is a new Div. I program and they picked up their first win at that level last weekend (5-4 in overtime over Ferris State). Veteran Coach Don Brose, who has worked for years at getting the Mavericks to Div. I, couldn’t be happier with his team. Going to MTU and winning will be a huge challenge for MSU. Right now Brose and his team are getting used to the Div. I play and taking small steps one at a time.

ELMO picks: MTU 5, MSU 1 on Friday, MTU 6, MSU 2 on Saturday.

Lake Superior State (0-1-0 overall) at Northern Michigan (1-1-0 overall, 1-1-0 WCHA), Friday, 7:05 p.m. ET (nc)

Whenever NMU and LSSU meet there’s plenty of action and that’s especially true with the Cappo Cup on the line. Wednesday the Lakers opened the series with a 5-0 win on their home ice.

Coach Rick Comley and the Wildcats split a series with Michigan Tech last weekend and that had to help the confidence of this young team. Trevor Janicki, Curtis Sheptak and J. P. Vigier each had a goal and assist. With each passing game the Wildcats will get better. The goal is to be good enough near the end of the season to put a push on for a WCHA Final Five spot. A strong showing Friday will help erase the memory of Wednesday’s loss and the team’s confidence.

In Wednesday’s win five Lakers scored goals with Matt Alvey getting a goal and an assists. Joe Blaznek had the only power-play goal. John Graham made 15 saves to record his fifth career shut out.

ELMO picks: LSSU 4, NMU 2.

Next Week in the WCHA Wednesday, Oct. 23 Canadian National Team at Alaska-Anchorage Friday-Saturday, Oct. 25-26 Colorado College at Northern Michigan Wisconsin at Denver North Dakota at Michigan Tech Minnesota at Minnesota-Duluth St. Lawrence at St. Cloud State (nc)

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Lowell Goalie Suspended

By Deron Treadwell

October 16, 1996

UMass-Lowell athletic director Dana Skinner has confirmed reports that goalie Martin Fillion was suspended for violating team rules.

Tuesday’s Boston Globe reports that Fillion’s suspension spans four games. He will miss Lowell’s Hockey East-opening series against UMass-Amherst Oct. 25-26, and the two game stint with Boston College on Nov. 1-2.

Reportedly, Fillion will be eligible to play again on Nov. 8 against Merrimack.

Fillion, a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, was the work-horse for Lowell last season posting a 24-9-3 record with a 3.79 goals against average. Fillion was a preseason All-Hockey East selection this season.

New Ohio State Arena No ‘False Image’

By Kirk Koennecke

October 15, 1996

When you walk into the meager hockey office in the current Ohio State University Athletic Department you at once realize, because of location, the significance of this program in relation to others. The office itself is located on the inside of the basketball arena, within the rotunda, with a minuscule ice rink adjoining it.

Anyone who has played there, or held a meeting in that office, would describe it as a crowded environment. Three coaches have to share a space which is no larger than the average dorm room on campus, and house not only their work-related materials, but team equipment as well. It does not meet modern CCHA standards, let alone Division III standards.

There has been a change in that dungeon-like office, though. Now on the wall directly opposite the doorway, behind Coach John Markell’s desk, is a huge framed picture of the new Schottenstein Center, an arena which does not exist yet, but will bring OSU, and this program, out of the dungeon, and place it on a pedestal before long. It is an artist’s rendition, and art it is!

This $84 million arena will house both the men’s and women’s basketball programs, as well as the ice hockey team. It is, as Coach Markell referred to it, “a state of the art facility.”

One important construction aspect to note is that the arena will have two practice courts adjacent to the main arena to be utilized for practice by the basketball teams. This will allow for the hockey program to use the facility for regular practices, as well as games. The Big Ten and the CCHA will make efforts to cooperate in scheduling so that date conflicts will not occur. These are important steps to ensure hockey gets its due in the new venue.

What Coach Jerry Welsh did not have for 17 seasons, and what Markell is just beginning to realize, is the benefit of image. Any recruit can come and visit the wonderful campus, and surroundings of Columbus, Ohio, but go home wondering why this kind of university has such a pathetic rink. The only answer was always that their was no support coming from athletics internally. Now that ground has broken, that image problem has vanished.

Ohio State, the largest school in the nation, is consistently ranked among the top public universities in the country, will now begin to compete with the likes of Boston University, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Colorado College. There are other schools out there, but they will hardly be able to offer the complete package to athletes that these programs can.

For starters, there is history at Ohio State. Also, a diverse environment which will attract certain athletes who are looking for a change. There is also this place called High Street, which in the off season can provide young men with more fun than any other campus anywhere.

Oh, and let’s not forget that this arena will be the best. We are talking about a 17,500 seat, Olympic-sized ice surface. Not to mention the special reception area, team meeting room, coaches rooms, workout facility, and other perks.

Sounds like Minnesota, but it’s not. It is in every respect a pro arena, with sight lines easy on all spectators’ eyes, and luxury accommodations for those who want them. Even if it takes a couple of years to fill the seats, the atmosphere will be a huge improvement on the old for Ohio State.

Andy Geiger, the relatively new athletic director, is helping things along. His support of the program is important, and his presence at games, home and away, is intentionally cultivating that new image he wants the program to have. New uniforms last season resemble professional jerseys, and this years’s recruits have a glimmer in their eyes. It is because they can see the ground moving right in front of them on the corner of Lane and Olentangy, right next to the Woody Hayes Facility, the supreme football practice headquarters.

When you look at this building, and the new baseball stadium in the works, and see the sight for the Nicklaus Golf center, all in one gorgeous sports park, it takes your breath away.

The concrete and the dust are welcome in Columbus. It has been too long a wait, but the Buckeyes are preparing for the new millennium, and they are going first class all the way.

The Men Who Would Be Reasoner

By David H. Hendrickson

October 15, 1996

If you think you’re going to read about network journalist Harry Reasoner, you need to watch less TV and more hockey.

The Reasoner is Marty Reasoner, Boston College’s slick playmaker. Reasoner, Marty that is, garnered last year’s Hockey East Rookie of the Year award and should be one of the league’s top forwards this year.

Who will be this year’s Marty Reasoner?

Unlike Hockey East we’ll pick our pre-season rookie team and keep going for three lines, three pair of defensemen, and three goaltenders. Now admittedly this exercise is nothing short of journalistic Russian roulette will most of the barrels full, but at the very least you’ll find our picks entertaining.

GOALTENDERS

Our third string netminder is Marc Robitaille, one of Northeastern’s two freshmen goalies. Robitaille, 20, played last year for the Gloucester Rangers in Ontario’s Central Junior Hockey League where he racked up a 2.94 GAA in 35 games.

Robitaille is competing for Huskie netminding duties with fellow frosh Judd Brackett from the Junior Whalers and seldom-used senior Kevin Noke. According to head coach Bruce Crowder, “Marc has separated himself from the rest of the pack. Of course, there’s a lot left to be seen, but at this point he’s out in front.”

Robitaille won’t duplicate his 2.94 GAA for the rebuilding Huskies, but that shouldn’t stop him from being one of only three league netminders this year to establish himself as a number one goaltender in his inaugural season.

UNH’s Sean Matile nails down the second string spot. Matile played major junior hockey which forced him to miss last year as well as the first ten games of this year. Wildcat fans hope that he’ll be worth the wait.

Coach Dick Umile has tried to rein in runaway expectations, but has also indicated that Matile could contend for Rookie of the Year honors. “When Sean comes back,” he said, “we think that we’ll be real solid in our goaltending.”

Matile, a big boy at 6-3, 220, last played in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BCJHL) for the Vernon Lakers. He compiled a 4.32 GAA and .892 save percentage in his last year there. Although mediocre at best, those statistics were reportedly more a measure of the weak team he played for than his own puckstopping ability.

Since then he has drawn raves from everyone from Maine’s top recruiter Grant Standbrook to teammates who practiced with him last year to fans who eyeballed his performance during Wildcat Midnight Madness.

Maine’s Alfie Michaud takes our top spot with a bullet. The more we hear about him, the more we like his chances. Michaud posted a spectacular .920 save percentage and 2.68 GAA last year while going 25-16-2, earning him a unanimous Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League All-Star selection.

Maine preseason press releases termed Michaud’s backups, Javier Gorriti and Ed Washuk, “walk-ons in the truest sense of the word.” As a result, Michaud, who played in 49 games last year, should get the call as long as he can stand. And if someone can prop up his exhausted body, that’ll be considered standing.

Although he looks to be the runaway winner among rookie dufflebags in games played, Michaud’s first-team status reflects more than mere endurance. Teammates who have practiced against him, as well as fans who watched him in Maine’s traditional Blue-White game, are convinced that the kid can flat-out play. They compare him to BC’s Greg Taylor, with the footnote that opponents had better beat him on the second or third shot, because they’ll rarely get the first one past him.

Michaud compares himself to NHL goalie Felix Potvin. “I like to come out and challenge. I have a lot of speed and I try to use it to my advantage,” said Michaud in an article by Larry Mahoney in the Bangor Daily News. In the same article head recruiter and goalie coach Grant Standbrook commented, “Alfie was the best goalie I saw in North America last year.”

Michaud could seriously challenge for Rookie of the Year, especially considering how vital he will be to Black Bear fortunes. All of Maine’s netminding eggs are in Michaud’s basket, so his performances alone could dictate whether Maine will once again be among the top teams in the league or whether they will fall back to also-ran status.

Seven of the last nine years Maine goaltenders have earned All-Hockey East honors. Michaud should eventually carry on that Black Bear tradition.

DEFENSEMEN

Our number five and six defensemen are Providence’s Josh MacNevin and UNH’s Dan Enders.

Enders is only 5-10, 178, but that didn’t stop him from being named a USHL second-team All-Star last year. Playing for the league champion Green Bay Gamblers, Enders tallied a 7-19–26 stat line while proving that size is no measure of toughness; he totaled 153 penalty minutes in 45 games.

Enders has reportedly looked good in practices, but played little in New Hampshire’s exhibition game against Ottawa. However, coach Dick Umile had the confidence to use him during a key 4-on-4 late in the game, so we’re gambling that Enders will force his way into the rotation and make an impression once he’s there.

MacNevin, a fourth round NHL draft choice, is an offense-minded blueliner who played last year for the Junior A national champion Vernon Vipers (BCJHL). A second-team league all-star, he tallied 13 goals and 45 assists for 58 points in 51 games. He was also named Vernon’s top defenseman and Rookie of the Year.

MacNevin should have plenty of opportunity to show his stuff. Paul Pooley’s Friars graduated five senior defensemen last year. MacNevin should not lack for ice time.

Our second-team defensemen are Merrimack’s Andrew Fox and New Hampshire’s Jayme Filipowicz. Fox (13-31–44 in 64 games) was selected to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League All-Star squad. He also won team awards for MVP, Outstanding Ability and Gentlemanly Conduct, and Most Popular Player.

Coach Ron Anderson commented that Fox — along with fellow freshmen Sandy Cohen, Chris Halecki, and Drew Hale — “has looked very good and [is] ahead of where I thought [he’d] be. We’ve only been on the ice for four or five days. Give [him] another week and I think we’ll be real pleased.”

If Fox (6-1, 200) lives up to his billing, he could become the third Warrior defenseman and fourth Merrimack player overall in the last four years to earn a berth on the league’s All-Rookie team. He would join fellow blueliners John Jakopin and Darrel Scoville, as well as forward Casey Kesselring.

Filipowicz (6-3, 215) will make an immediate impact on the UNH blueline. He was reportedly the top scoring defenseman (7-29–36) in the USHL last year, and Dick Umile is already showcasing those talents.

Umile paired Filipowicz with Jason Krog on the points on each power play in New Hampshire’s exhibition game against Ottawa. He displayed poise and an ability to find the open man, rather than contributing with booming slapshots.

UNH’s defense struggled last year. If Filipowicz continues his fine blueline play against tougher competition, it will go a long way to catapulting the Wildcats to the top of Hockey East.

BU’s Tom Poti and BC’s Mike Mottau comprise our top pair of blueliners. The two New England prep stars ranked in virtually everyone’s list of Top Five incoming freshmen.

Mottau (6-20–26 in 31 games) hails from Thayer Academy. The New England Hockey Report says, “… Mottau has tremendous talent. He’s highly mobile. He has great hands. He’s an excellent stickhandler…. He also has a highly accurate shot — both wrister and slapper.”

Don’t look to find Mottau (6-1, 180) in the BC sin bin very often, though. He totaled a mere 14 PIMs in 31 games.

Poti, a similarly gifted offensive force, has already caught Coach Jack Parker’s eye. Out of BU’s five freshmen, Parker says, “Tom Poti probably looks the best. [He looks] very, very comfortable and [is] a very talented kid…. I consider him the best incoming freshman defenseman [in the league].”

Chris O’Sullivan’s departure leaves an opening (among others) on one point of the Terrier power play. Poti will be a leading candidate to fill that role.

Since Brian Leetch swept not only Rookie of the Year but also Player of the Year honors in 1986-87, BC’s Ian Moran has been the lone blueline winner of the top freshman prize. Poti could be primed to repeat that feat.

FORWARDS

Maine’s Cory Larose, UMass-Lowell’s Greg Koehler, and Northeastern’s Billy Newson comprise our third line.

Newson comes to the Huskies from the Hartford Jr. Whalers. Although his scoring statistics were not available, another Newson stat leaps out. He stands a mere 5-8, 165 pounds. Talent, however, often comes in small packages. Such appears to be the case with Newson.

Coach Bruce Crowder likes what he sees in the roadrunner. “He’s got great speed and he sees the ice really well. He’s also a great competitor.”

The Huskies finished last in league scoring last year and then graduated about half of its offense. Newson should be one of the solutions to that problem for Crowder, especially on Northeastern’s large ice surface where he seems destined to blast past opposing defensemen.

Lowell’s Koehler has already gained a measure of fame for his part in Ken Dryden’s Home Game documentary. Koehler (6-2, 195), a twenty-one year old from the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League, tallied 33-64–97 numbers in 49 games last year.

He begins this season centering an all-rookie line with Mario Leblanc and John Campbell on the wings. The line impressed in Lowell’s exhibition opener against Concordia. UML coach Tim Whitehead said of the three, “We are really pleased with how our freshmen [forwards] have come in and played at a higher level.”

Larose, 21, was named BCJHL Playoff MVP for his efforts in leading his Langley squad to the league championship finals. He also posted 28-46–74 numbers in 54 regular season games.

Larose (6-0, 180) opens the season centering what will probably be the Black Bears’ top line. Flanking him will be top goal scorer Shawn Wansborough and a reportedly much improved Steve Kariya, himself a league All-Rookie selection last year. He will also man one of the points during Maine power plays.

Merrimack’s Sandy Cohen, BU’s Chris Heron, and Lowell’s Mario Leblanc form our second line.

Cohen led the Sioux City Musketeers with 27-27–54 numbers during the regular season. He then elevated his game during the playoffs, carrying a sub-.500 team to the semifinals on the shoulders of his ten goals and ten assists in nine games.

He then upped the ante in the US Junior A Hockey National Championship Tournament when he netted seven goals and five assists in three games.

Smart alecks might opine that Cohen will be a “money player” who never gets to play in a “money game” at Merrimack. But Cohen could be just what the Warriors need to get into money games. Merrimack has needed the sniper that could win for them their fair share of the close games and give them a shot at big time games in March. Based on his performance last year, Cohen is the man.

Perhaps we’re nuts to select seventeen-year old Chris Heron (5-10, 168) for our second line. But perhaps we’d be nuts to leave him off. Playing for the Bramalea Blues in the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, Heron piled up 48-59–107 numbers. Stats like that make one look past the peach fuzz that may or may not be on Heron’s cheeks.

Other, deeper Terrier teams might have had the luxury of redshirting Heron or playing him sparingly while he matured. This Terrier team, however, will look to get an immediate contribution from the highly sought after recruit. It says here they’ll get it.

UMass-Lowell’s Mario Leblanc (17-25–42 in 25 games) played in the second-line shadows while prepping at Cushing Academy. The unstoppable first line of Jason Philbin, Ryan Moynihan, and Nick Gillis, not to mention blue chip blueliner Tom Poti, grabbed most of the headlines. However, at Lowell he is already emerging from his former teammates’ shadows.

As noted previously, he is now paired with our third line selection Greg Koehler and John Campbell to form an impressive All-Frosh line. Since there are only four returning forwards with any scoring totals of significance, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Leblanc, Koehler, and perhaps Campbell manning Lowell’s second powerplay unit.

The New England Hockey Report says that Leblanc (5-11, 190), “has a very good shot and moves the puck well. A strong forechecker, he can hit and take a hit — he has a nasty streak too.”

Our top line can do it all. BC’s Jeff Farkas, BU’s Dan Lacouture, and Providence’s Fernando Pisani provide a mix of playmaking, sniping, and physical play in the corners.

Pisani (6-1, 185), ranked by The Hockey News as the number eight recruit overall, led his St. Albert Saints to an Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) title. An eighth round NHL draft choice, Pisani (6-1, 180) topped the AJHL with a 40-63–103 stat line in 60 games. He also piled up 134 PIMs.

Coach Paul Pooley has begun the season playing Pisani with Russ Guzior and Mike Omicioli, a line that should top any of the Friars’ lines last year.

Lacouture totaled 24-35–59 in 29 games for the Junior Whalers in the East Coast Junior Hockey League. A power forward at 6-3, 193, he was an early second round NHL pick. Lacouture cannot fill the physical void left in the wake of Mike Grier’s departure; only Grier could do that. However, Lacouture could develop into the Mike Pomichter of the late 90’s for BU. In the meantime, he will be the top power forward among league freshmen.

The Hockey News proclaimed that Farkas was the number one recruit in the country. Farkas (5-11, 175) piled up 36-64–100 numbers for the Niagara Falls Scenics out of the Metro Toronto Junior Hockey League. He has not only played on the national Select 16 and 17 teams, he also played in last year’s World Junior tournament and this summer’s Under-20 competition.

Farkas, the latest in a recent parade of blue-chippers to BC, also doubles as our Rookie of the Year selection. He becomes our “Man Who Would Be Reasoner”, a fitting title since they’ll be celebrating wins out of the same Boston College locker room this year.

USCHO All-Hockey East Rookie Team

First Team
Forward: Jeff Farkas, Boston College
Forward: Dan Lacouture, Boston University
Forward: Fernando Pisani, Providence College
Defense: Tom Poti, Boston University
Defense: Mike Mottau, Boston College
Goaltender: Alfie Michaud, Maine

Second Team
Forward: Sandy Cohen, Merrimack
Forward: Chris Herron, Boston University
Forward: Mario Leblanc, UMass-Lowell
Defense: Jayme Filipowicz, New Hampshire
Defense: Andrew Fox, Merrimack
Goaltender: Sean Matile, New Hampshire

Third Team
Forward: Billy Newson, Northeastern
Forward: Cory Larose, Maine
Forward: Greg Koehler, UMass-Lowell
Defense: Josh MacNevin, Providence College
Defense: Dan Enders, New Hampshire
Goaltender: Marc Robitaille, Northeastern

Hockey East Medley

By David H. Hendrickson

October 14, 1996

USCHO All-Hockey East Preseason Team and Award Winners

Goaltender              Dan Dennis              Providence College
Goaltender              Martin Legault          Merrimack
 
Defenseman              Jon Coleman             Boston University
Defenseman              Darrel Scoville         Merrimack
Defenseman              Mike Nicholishin        Mass Lowell
Defenseman              Ken Hemenway            Boston College
 
Forward                 Chris Drury             Boston University
Forward                 Marty Reasoner          Boston College
Forward                 Mark Mowers             New Hampshire
Forward                 Shawn Bates             Boston University
Forward                 Eric Boguniecki         New Hampshire
Forward                 Dan Shermerhorn         Maine
 
Player of the Year      Chris Drury             Boston University
Rookie of the Year      Jeff Farkas             Boston College
Coach of the Year       Jerry York (tie)        Boston College
                        Ron Anderson            Merrimack
Len Ceglarski Award     Derek Bekar             New Hampshire

USCHO Hockey East All-Nickname Team

Northeastern Sports Information Director Bill Doherty is college hockey’s founding father of player nicknames. His top two from last year were the priceless Mike (Bud) Veisor and Dan (Hobey Dobey) McGillis. Here is USCHO’s list of Hockey East nicknames, some original and some that have floated around Hockey East in recent years. Regretfully, Marc (Nachos) Grande was pulled from this list because he was a late roster scratch from Doherty’s own Huskies.

Boston College
Peter Masters (and Johnson)
Mike (Hockey Is My) Correia
Brian Callahan (Tunnel)

Boston University
Michel (Bunny) Larocque
Tom (Barnes &) Noble
Peter (Ninja Turtle) Donatelli
Brendan (90210) Walsh
Matt (You May Be Wrong, I May Be) Wright

Maine
Dan Shermerhorn (Of Plenty)
Reg (Stanford) Cardinal
Chris (Oakland) Roeder

UMass-Amherst
(Tony the) Tiger Holland
Tom Perry (and the Heartbreakers)
Dan (Hey) Juden
Chris (Leaky) Fawcett
Joe (Leon) Trosky
Rob (U2) Bonneau

UMass-Lowell
Mike (First Tee) Mulligan
Anthony (Gino) Cappelletti
Ryan (All That Glitters Is Not) Golden

Merrimack
Martin Legault (My Eggo)
Claudio (Wood) Peca
Jason (Touch and) Feeley

New Hampshire
Eric (Hole-In-One) Nickulas

Northeastern
Arttu (D2) Kayhko
Jeff (Mo) Vaughan
Jonathan (Prank) Calla

Providence
Dennis Sousa (Phone)
Jon Rowe (Row Row Your Boat)
Dan Dennis (The Menace)

The Greatest Hits of Hockey East

“I Got You, Babe” – Northeastern and new head coach Bruce Crowder. They say our love won’t pay the rent… may be all too true as last year’s Coach of the Year deals with a roster bereft of talent.

“I Feel So Lonely, I Could Cry” – PC’s Hal Gill, the only returning Friar defenseman from last year’s top six.

“Bat Out Of Hell” – Chris Drury on a breakaway.

“The Fool On The Hill” – who else, but the NCAA? Their ethically bankrupt decision to effectively strip a UNH women’s recruit of her scholarship because she took an advanced English course instead of one with “75% grammar” typifies an organization frequently in need of both brain and heart transplants.

“Bridge Over Troubled Waters” – Jerry York. He inherited a cesspool from Steve Cedorchuk and has resurrected the Eagles as a recruiting machine and emerging Hockey East power.

“Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” – UMass-Lowell, where three goalies were one too many in 1994-95. Scott Fankhouser returns from a year in the juniors to reunite The Swiss Cheese Trio. After a strong year from Fillion last year, however, there will be no trio nor Swiss Cheese. Look for new head coach Tim Whitehead to avoid the mistake of two years ago and tap one of the three as the odd man out.

“Back in the Saddle” – (not to be sung until December 24) Shawn Walsh. His detractors, and there are many, would instead nominate him for everything from “Lyin’ Eyes” to “Mistra Know It All”, but this writer will veto that choice, looking past his errors and welcome back a hopefully wiser Walsh who has been a great ambassador for the sport.

“The Sounds of Silence” – Jack Parker, when an official is having a bad night. (NOT!)

“Take This Job and Shove It” – Referees and linesmen within earshot of Parker on bad nights.

“All Revved Up With No Place To Go” – Tim Lovell, who may sit out the 1996-97 season before returning for his final year in 1997-98.

“Crazy Love” – Tim Lovell, again, if he instead returns in mid-season for the UMass-Amherst. Why trade a full regular season with the Black Bears for half a regular season and playoffs with the Minutemen?

“Wild Thing” – hairy BU fan “Sasquatch”

“My Hometown” – native Maine-iac Aaron Boone, who turned down reported full scholarships at UMass-Lowell and Merrimack to walk-on at Maine.

“Hit Me With Your Best Shot” – Merrimack’s Martin Legault, who looks to return to All-Hockey East status after an off year last season.

“Hello, Goodbye” – Maine’s Jeff Tory and Blair Allison, who left the Black Bears days after announcing they were staying.

“(You Look) Wonderful Tonight” – BU goalie Tom Noble, who magically still has every hair in place at the end of each game.

Fillion Reportedly Suspended for Six Games

By David H. Hendrickson

October 14, 1996

Martin Fillion, UMass-Lowell’s pre-season All-Hockey East goaltender, has been suspended for six games for undisclosed disciplinary reasons, according to an article in The Lowell Sun.

Lowell coach Tim Whitehead confirmed after his team’s exhibition win over Concordia that he had banished Fillion to the stands for disciplinary reasons, but declined to elaborate. When asked if the punishment could extend to the opening night of the regular season, he answered, “It might.”

Since the appearance of the Sun, Lowell officials responded that, “[Writer] Chaz [Scoggins] is speculating,” and declined further comment.

If the article is correct, Fillion will miss the first five games of the season, all against league opponents. The five games would include home-and-home series against UMass-Amherst and Boston College, as well as the opener to a home-and-home against Merrimack.

Fillion was Lowell’s only selection to the All-Hockey East pre-season squad.

Lowell’s other goalies are senior Craig Lindsay, who appeared in seven games last year (4.24 GAA, .866), and sophomore Scott Fankhouser, who returned to the River Hawks from a reportedly exceptional season in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

Fairbanks Player Recovering after Surgery

By Tim Brule

October 11, 1996

University of Alaska Fairbanks defenseman Erik Drygas is recovering in the Intensive Care Unit at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital after suffering a serious neck injury resulting from a head-first collision with the boards during practice on Monday, October 7, 1996.

On Oct. 10, Drygas underwent surgery to repair a severe fracture to his fifth cervical vertebra. The injury has left Drygas partially paralyzed from the waist down with limited response from his upper body.

It is not known at this time the extent in which Drygas will recover from this injury.

The hockey world was rocked by a similar incident last year, when Boston University freshman Travis Roy fractured a vertabrae 11 seconds into his first collegiate shift.

Hockey East Announces Preseason Picks

By David H. Hendrickson

October 11, 1996

Hockey East announced its preseason picks during its Media Day held today at the Fleet Center. Boston University took the top spot in the Coaches’ Poll, in which a first place vote is worth one point, second place two points, and so on. They were also the only team to place three players on the preseason team.

Coaches’ Poll

TEAM                    POINTS
1. Boston University      12
2. New Hampshire          20
3. Boston College         31
4. Maine                  40
5. Providence             41
6. Merrimack              60
7. UMass-Amherst          63
8. Northeastern           66
9. UMass-Lowell           72

All-Hockey East Preseason Team

F: Shawn Bates, Boston University
F: Eric Boguniecki, New Hampshire
F: Chris Drury, Boston University
F: Mark Mowers, New Hampshire
F: Marty Reasoner, Boston College
F: Dan Shermerhorn, Maine
D: Jon Coleman, Boston University
D: Hal Gill: Providence
D: Ken Hemenway, Boston College
D: Jason Mansoff, Maine
G: Dan Dennis, Providence
G: Martin Fillion, UMass-Lowell

Howell’s Pre-season Picks for 1996-97

By Geoff Howell

October 10, 1996

1) Michigan: Like you thought it would be Princeton?
2) Minnesota: A little young, perhaps, but good depth and the Wooger seems pretty optimistic.
3) Vermont: I can think of three reasons to justify this selection …
4) Michigan State: A very tough team with slight worries on D.
5) Denver: Last year’s late season collapse was probably an aberration.
6) Bowling Green: A great bet, especially if Petrie is healthy.
7) Boston University: Still the best in Hockey East, but definitely some worries due to recent defections.
8) Colorado College: Have to break in the rookies in a hurry.
9) Lake Superior: See Colorado College.
10) Clarkson: Todd White, Dan Murphy and a cast of bangers.
11) St. Lawrence: How you can resist putting these two teams together? A great group of youngsters.
12) New Hampshire: We’ll see if Umile successfully retooled the defense and goaltending.
13) Maine: A lot depends on last-minute roster developments. The Black Bears will probably surprise those who have written them off.
14) St. Cloud: This year’s up-and-comer.
15) Boston College: If only because of Marty Reasoner.
16) Western Michigan: Thank the Lord for the UIC transfers, or the Broncos would have had some big problems.
17) Harvard: Much rides on the freshmen and sophomores.
18) Minnesota-Duluth: Who comes out of the pack in the WCHA? Why not UMD?
19) Cornell: I don’t think Mike Schafer turned from a genius to an average coach over the summer.
20) Merrimack: OK, boys, don’t let me down this year.

Others I considered: Michigan Tech, Providence.

I think Michigan is a brain-dead choice for No. 1 and the next eight are those that I mentioned, although anything could happen to shuffle them within that pack. It seems as if there are numerous teams relying heavily on the contribution of frosh and sophs (CC, Lake State, Harvard, St. Cloud, etc.) and that should make things interesting. This is not a particularly strong year for seniors, but I think the young talent bodes well for the future.

Tigers Top WCHA Pre-season Poll

By Jim Thies

October 3, 1996

WCHA coaches, in their annual poll, have tabbed Colorado College to win its fourth straight regular season league championship.

The Tigers got seven first-place votes. Minnesota, Denver and St. Cloud State, which finished behind CC in that order, each picked up one first-place vote.

North Dakota was fifth followed by Minnesota-Duluth, Michigan Tech, Wisconsin, Alaska-Anchorage and Northern Michigan.

Coaches do not vote for their own team.

1996-97 WCHA Coaches Poll

 1. Colorado College (7)    156
 2. Minnesota (1)           140
 3. Denver (1)              130
 4. St. Cloud State (1)      98
 5. North Dakota             96
 6. Minnesota-Duluth         92
 7. Michigan Tech            68
 8. Wisconsin                66
 9. Alaska-Anchorage         30
10. Northern Michigan       24

WCHA Commissioner Charged with Felony Theft

By Deron Treadwell with Jim Thies

September 30, 1996

WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod was charged Friday with felony theft and theft by swindle, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Allegedly McLeod, the former athletic director at Minnesota-Duluth, used money from the university to pay off personal expenses.

According to the Star Tribune, the criminal complaint accuses McLeod of depositing over $2,800 of university money into his personal account, and using nearly $15,000 of university money to pay off a personal home-equity loan during the years 1992 and 1993.

McLeod’s attorney, Steven Pihlaja, told the Star Tribune that McLeod will plead not guilty and wants a trial to show that he had the permission of his boss, Greg Fox, UMD’s vice chancellor of finance and operations, to use the money to pay for university expenses.

The WCHA voted to conduct an unscheduled audit, but has made no immediate action toward McLeod’s status as commissioner.

Lovell To Decide By December

By David H. Hendrickson

September 29, 1996

Senior forward Tim Lovell will decide by December whether he will join the UMass-Amherst Minutemen in mid-season. Lovell, a Norwood, Mass. native, left Maine, where he compiled 21 goals and 40 points statistics last year en route to a selection to the All-Hockey East team.

Lovell will choose between two options. He may sit out the entire year to retain his final year of eligibility for 1997-98. Or he may join the team on Dec. 27, the earliest he can play for the Minutemen due to NCAA restrictions on transfer credits. He is allowed to practice with the team in the interim.

When the transfer was originally announced on Aug. 29, Lovell said, “It wasn’t an easy decision for me to leave Maine. I still have a lot of friends there, and I wish the program the best. But I also wanted another chance to play postseason hockey and UMass gives me that chance. Besides that, the School of Education at UMass has a great reputation, and I’m looking forward to finishing my academic career there.”

Head coach Joe Mallen is leaving the decision up to the talented forward. Based on the importance Lovell has attached to the postseason, it appears likely that if the Minutemen are faring well, he will join them for the stretch run. However, if the team is struggling, he may opt to play a full season in 1997-98 rather than exhaust his eligibility with a half-season followed by a quick exit in the league playoffs.

Minutemen coach Joe Mallen expressed delight with the acquisition.

“I’m extremely pleased at the prospect of adding a player of Tim’s caliber to our team,” said Mallen when the transfer was announced. “He is a Massachusetts guy, and I think this will be beneficial to both Tim and UMass. Tim will add a new dimension of skill and experience to our team, and he will continue to pursue his degree in education in our nationally ranked Education Department.”

Lovell joins Brett Clark and Brad Mahoney in leaving Maine in the wake of their postseason sanctions. Jeff Tory and Blair Allison will also be leaving the Black Bears if selected for the Canadian National Team.

Michigan Tops CCHA Preseason Polls

By Deron Treadwell

September 29, 1996

The defending 1996 NCAA Champion Michigan Wolverines are the runaway favorite to win the Central Collegiate Hockey Association again in 1996-97.

Michigan garnered all of the possible 9 first place votes in the coaches’ poll, while gaining 33 of 34 possible first place votes in the CCHA media poll.

Michigan State was the consensus second-place team. According to the league, Michigan State was picked in the second to third place range on all ballots.

In the coaches’ poll, it’s Bowling Green who gains the third place spot, followed by Lake Superior State, Western Michigan and Ferris State respectively.

Miami, Notre Dame, Alaska-Fairbanks and Ohio State make up places 7 through 10.

The CCHA Media Poll takes a slightly different spin on the league with Lake Superior slipping ahead of Bowling Green for third place and Western Michigan rounding off the top 5.

Miami is picked to finish 6th in the media poll, followed by Ferris State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Alaska-Fairbanks.

CCHA Coaches’ Pre-season Poll

 1. Michigan (9)        81
 2. Michigan State      69
 3. Bowling Green (1)   63
 4. Lake Superior       61
 5. Western Michigan    41
 6. Ferris State        36
 7. Miami               34
 8. Notre Dame          28
 9. Alaska-Fairbanks    22
10. Ohio State          15

CCHA Media Pre-season Poll

 1. Michigan           339
 2. Michigan State     270
 3. Lake Superior      268
 4. Bowling Green      254
 5. Western Michigan   201
 6. Miami              161
 7. Ferris State       129
 8. Notre Dame         114
 9. Ohio State          74
10. Alaska-Fairbanks    60

Vermont Picked to Win ECAC

By Deron Treadwell

September 23, 1996

Vermont is the preseason number one team in the 1996-97 ECAC men’s ice hockey coaches poll, according to USA Today.

Vermont returns virtually the same lineup that led it to a 27-7-4 record last season and a berth in the NCAA semifinals against Colorado College. The Catamounts received 11 of a possible 12 first place votes from the coaches.

Among the key returners for the Catamounts are forwards Martin St. Louis and Eric Perrin, and goalie Tim Thomas. All three are considered solid candidates for the Hobey Baker Award this season.

Clarkson, who finished second last season with a 25-10-3 record, was voted second, while Harvard (one first place vote) is the preseason No. 3 team. St. Lawrence and Colgate round out the top 5.

Cornell, Rensselaer, Brown and Princeton will battle for the middle spots and Dartmouth, Union and Yale will fight to move out of the bottom, according to the ECAC coaches.

1995-96 WCHA Year in Review

By Jim Thies

September 22, 1996

The 1995-96 WCHA season was another thriller. The Final Five had two overtime games and another one-goal game in the semi-finals. The Broadmoor Trophy made the University of Minnesota, winners of the Trophy in 1993 and 1994, its 1996 resting place.

After that Minnesota and MacNaughton Cup champions Colorado College advanced to the NCAA championships. In the West Regional Minnesota beat Providence (5-1) but lost to Michigan (4-3) while CC topped Mass-Lowell (5-3).

Don Lucia’s Tigers proved to be a gritty representative into the finals when they beat Vermont 4-3 in double overtime. The legs were weary in the finals but it still took Michigan overtime to win the title from the Tigers, who have won three straight regular season WCHA championships, 3-2.

Another piece of icing was added when Minnesota’s Brian Bonin, who was the league’s MVP, was named the Hobey Baker Award winner, climaxing a career that was nothing short of spectacular. The Hobey Baker Award is given annually to the nation’s best Division I hockey player.

The list of conference award winners would make any coach look for a Zamboni to ride. How about having Rookie of the Year Brian Swanson (Colorado College) at center with Defensive Player of the Year Eric Rud (Colorado College) at defense. Add in the Student-Athlete of the Year, Dan Trebil (Minnesota) to the mix.

The first all-WCHA team featured forwards Bonin, Peter Geronazzo (Colorado College) and Teeder Wynne (North Dakota) back up by defensemen Mike Crowley (Minnesota) and Nick Naumenko (North Dakota). Goalie Ryan Bach (Colorado College) topped off the team.

The All-Rookie team should have fans happy for years. Swanson, Matt Cullen (St. Cloud) and Erik Rasmussen (Minnesota) are up front. Scott Swanson (Colorado College) and Darren Bradley (Alaska Anchorage) are on the blue line and Steve DeBus (Minnesota) mans the nets.

Clear the ice and start that Zamboni.

The 1995-96 pre-season coaches poll had Doug Woog’s Gophers topping Colorado College. But the Tigers lost just twice in WCHA play (4-3 to Denver, 3-2 to Minnesota) and won the title by 12 points. Minnesota finished a solid second and five teams finished with 30 or more points. Only Alaska-Anchorage (8) and Northern Michigan (5) finished in single digits in wins.

It was easy to see why the Tigers won the title. They led the league with 178 goals and gave up the fewest, 78. Special teams play can make or break any team and once again Colorado College was strong. They converted on 31.8 percent of their power-play opportunities and killed off 86 percent of their opponents. Both stats were tops in the league.

A look at the final conference scoring race has four seniors at the top; Bonin (25-39-64), Wynne (23-37-60), Geronazzo (31-24-55) and Colin Schmidt (Colorado College) (15-33-48). Fans should be happy that five of the next six leading scorers could return; Brian Swanson (19-28-47), Crowley (13-33-46), Antti Laaksonen (Denver) (18-23-41), Rasmussen (13-27-40) and Scott Swanson (8-31-39).

Four of the top four goalies also could return; Judd Lambert (Colorado College) (12-0-2, 2.05 GAA, .923 Save %), Bach (14-2-2, 2.70, .898), DeBus (10-6-0, 2.91, .894) and Jim Mullin (Denver), 6-4-2, 3.13, .887.

Can 1996-97 be more exciting? Probably, but that’s another story.

Now You See Them, Now You Don’t

By David H. Hendrickson

September 15, 1996

In a direct about-face from previous comments that they were staying for their senior years at Maine, Blair Allison and Jeff Tory have now decided to try out for the Canadian National Team. Both players have been All-Hockey East selections the past two years. Tory was also a First Team East All-American in 1995-96. Both are considered to be odds-on favorites to make the Canadian team.

Tory and Allison had recently been quoted that they would be staying, citing loyalty to the Black Bear program. However, the lure of the national team and the exposure it would provide for their future professional careers proved too tempting to pass up.

Their likely departures follow those of Brett Clark to the Western Hockey League Brandon Wheat Kings, Tim Lovell to the UMass-Amherst Minutemen, and Brad Mahoney to the Northeastern Huskies.

The University of Maine has appealed the NCAA-mandated postseason ban that set into motion these defections. The outcome of the appeal, however, was not expected in time for the players to still have alternative opportunities in the event that the appeal failed.

Nothing Will Ever be the Same Again

By Mike Machnik

September 14, 1996

Tonight in Montreal, Team USA defeated Team Canada, 5-2, in Game 3 to take the inaugural World Cup.

Over the history of the sport of ice hockey, very few international tournaments have ever been held that qualify as true world championships involving the very best each country had to offer. For the first time ever, Team USA can legitimately lay claim to being the best in the world.

Team USA finished with a record of 6-1-0, with two wins over Team Russia and three wins in four games against Team Canada (5-3-0). The last two wins came in Canada.

This tournament victory is the biggest win ever by a US hockey team. The 1980 Miracle on Ice led to 1996, no doubt about it. But this win surpasses 1980 because this win was no miracle, despite the last minute heroics tonight, and it came against the world’s best.

The record of 5-1-0 against Teams Russia and Canada is very convincing indeed, even though Canada put up a gallant fight and the teams were closely matched.

The relevance to college hockey comes in that Team USA was dominated by players who came through the US college system. About 17 of the Team USA players, including many of their key players, went through college hockey on their way to the pros. These players came from schools like Wisconsin, Boston College, Boston University, Minnesota-Duluth, even Division II and III schools like Bemidji State and Hamilton.

This is something that those of us who have spent years following college hockey and Team USA in its various incarnations can rejoice in.

U.S. hockey has taken a long time to get to this point. For a long time, despite the many big wins by US teams and great performances by US players, US hockey always took a back seat to Canada. But tonight, for the first time ever, every player, coach, and administrator involved in developing American hockey players can celebrate a well-earned world championship win by US hockey.

It may not have been followed as closely by the average U.S. sports fan, but the large hockey community that exists in the US knows the ramifications of this win. And the college hockey community played an integral role in making it possible. Without college hockey, it might not have happened.

The history of U.S. hockey has a number of great milestones. 1960 Squaw Valley and 1980 Lake Placid rank among them. But on September 14, 1996, a new milestone was reached. And from this day forth, in the world of hockey, nothing will ever be the same again.

It is truly a great day for U.S. hockey.