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Jerry York: The Road to 500 Wins

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“I told my wife we’d try it for five years, and if nothing came of it I’d get a real job.”

JERRY YORK

JERRY YORK

Twenty-five years later, Boston College coach Jerry York has yet to hold a “real job,” but has earned numerous coaching awards, led a team to a national championship, and won 500 games. He joined the elite 500 Club on Saturday, Nov. 30, when his Eagles came from behind to post a 6-4 win over St. Lawrence. He now ranks fourth among active Division I coaches, behind only Michigan State’s Ron Mason, Wisconsin’s Jeff Sauer, and Boston University’s Jack Parker.

“I have a lot of respect for him,” said Providence coach Paul Pooley. Pooley rubbed shoulders with York in the CCHA before both migrated to Hockey East some two years ago. “He’s a gentleman and deserves everything he’s getting. Hey, look at his record. He’s been successful wherever he’s gone.”

York’s first success came as a player at BC, where he arrived as a walk-on and left as the team captain and a first-team All-American. After a year on the USA national team that almost placed him on the 1968 Olympic squad, York returned to BC as a graduate assistant. There he ran the intramural program and helped with the freshman team while working on his master’s degree. When Len Ceglarski, then head coach at Clarkson, called and offered an assistant coaching position, York put on hold his plans to become a guidance counselor and accepted.

“When I said to my fiancee that we had a chance to go to Potsdam, New York, she had to get a map out,” York recalled with a chuckle. “I said to her, ‘I don’t want to go to Potsdam by myself. Let’s get married.'”

As an assistant, York’s primary responsibility was recruiting, which required a big adjustment from his BC days.

“I’d always been BC born-and-bred and at that time BC recruiting was very local. At Clarkson they were recruiting Canadian players, of all things,” York said, laughing. “I was going into small towns in Ontario recruiting for a completely different kind of school.”

“I wasn’t used to an assistant,” said Ceglarski, who had run the Golden Knights by himself for 12 years. “In hindsight I should have let him do more. Jerry was always a really good worker and showed great imagination.”

Two years later, John “Snooks” Kelly retired at Boston College. At 26, full of youthful innocence and confidence, York applied for the job. After his interview, BC athletic director Bill Flynn told York that although he had many strong qualifications, he lacked the experience necessary for a program of that stature. It was a moment York would joke about 22 years later at the press conference where he was named the new BC coach, saying, “I guess I finally have enough experience to come back to Boston College.”

Instead of becoming the new Eagles coach, he ascended to the head job at Clarkson. Ironically, Ceglarski took the BC head coaching job that York had sought. Expecting to move on to BC as Ceglarski’s assistant, York instead was offered the top Clarkson position, prompting his “five years or a real job” discussion with his wife, Bobbie.

York promptly displayed the ability to attract top recruits to his program, a cornerstone of his coaching success.

“Coaching is 80 percent recruiting,” said York. “The X’s and O’s get a lot better on the board when you have players who score a lot of goals or are [great defenders]. All coaches understand how important our coaching is, but we’ll never undersell the importance of recruiting.”

York’s first recruit as a head coach was Dave Taylor. Taylor would eventually score 108 points as a senior before going on to a 17-year NHL career in which he scored 1069 points, 35th among all-time NHL scorers and sixth among right wings. Even after Taylor’s arrival, however, York still encountered tough times.

“Actually,” said Taylor, “my freshman year was the first year in about 25 that Clarkson didn’t qualify for the playoffs. So it was a low, low point for the program.”

Some upperclassmen also left the team after that year, miffed that Taylor and the rest of the strong freshmen class received the extra shifts and power-play opportunities that they considered their due.

“Frankly, when [those players] played,” said Taylor, “they weren’t as good as some of the freshmen. With Jerry, whether you’re a freshman or a senior, if you play well for him you’re going to be rewarded with extra ice time. The guys that he feels are his top players, he plays a lot. He’s not the type of coach that necessarily just rolls four lines.”

York still holds that philosophy. “We certainly encourage competition among all our players,” he said. “The bar is raised each year as far as who’s playing and how much. It’s an easy black-and-white issue for me. Your input to the team is based not on what you did last year or last month but on what I see every day in practice. I think players like that. They don’t want to be slotted into [roles or amounts of ice time] because of reputation.

“If [someone] is playing less, that’s because someone else is playing better than he is. Now do we hold that other player back and say, ‘Hey, you can’t play even though you’re practicing better and playing better?’ I think all the good coaches reward good play by that player playing more, whether that player is on the first line or the fourth line.”

Despite the hard feelings sometimes produced, York’s approach proved successful at Clarkson, as it would at his other stops.

“We built up [the program] until, when I was a senior,” said Taylor, “we were ranked number one in the nation for a large part of that year. I think Jerry should be credited for all the work he did to bring that program along from a team that missed the playoffs to three years later being nationally ranked and one of the top teams in the nation.”

York hasn’t simply recruited players like Dave Taylor to his program and then just called out line changes. He’s also earned a track record of helping many players develop their games in preparation for the next level.

“When I left Levack, Ontario, to go play at Clarkson,” said Taylor, ” I had not been drafted by a [major] junior club and I don’t think anyone had given me much of [a chance] to go on and play in the NHL, let alone play for 17 years with the LA Kings. But those four years under Jerry York made it possible for me to go to the NHL. Certainly my skill development, my confidence, and the overall growing-up process that you go through in college, a lot of that I attribute to Jerry York. He’s certainly had a huge impact on my career.”

In 1976-77 York earned the Spencer Penrose Award as the nation’s Division I Coach of the Year. “I’ve called it the Dave Taylor Coach’s Award,” York said, “because he was such an outstanding student-athlete. Coaching became a lot easier with that type of player. But I was thrilled and excited about it. When you’re honored by your fellow coaches, that makes it special.”

Two years later Amo Bessone retired at Michigan State and York interviewed for the job. However, so did Bowling Green’s Ron Mason, already a college hockey legend. When the Spartans picked Mason, a disappointed York prepared for another season at Clarkson.

The next day, however, the Bowling Green athletic director called. He’d had an interesting conversation with his counterpart at Michigan State.

“Ron Mason finished first in your search. Who finished second?” asked the Bowling Green AD.

“What do you want me to do, save you all the work?”

“Well… yes.”

“Okay. It came down to Ron and Jerry York.”

Bowling Green made York an offer which, after consideration, he accepted.

“I thought Bowling Green was a step up for me,” said York. “I was very excited about all the plusses that the BG program had, [especially playing in] the CCHA and the importance of hockey to the university.”

At Bowling Green, however, he not only had to replace a legend in Ron Mason — something he’d already done when he took over for Ceglarski at Clarkson — he also had to replace a senior class that included all-time leading goal-scorer Johnny Markell and two members of the 1980 Olympic team, Kenny Morrow and Mark Wells.

“People understood that there would be a bit of a rebuilding process, but at some point you have to start winning,” said York. “In time we were able to attract that Nelson Emerson and Rob Blake sort of player to Bowling Green that did for us what Dave Taylor did at Clarkson.

“There’s a real similarity between what happened at the two schools,” said York. “Dave Taylor would have won the Hobey Baker Award but there wasn’t one in the mid-seventies. George McPhee won the Hobey Baker while I was coaching at BG in 1982. Then Nelson Emerson was a three-time finalist and Rob Blake was a finalist. All the successful coaches have had some top All-American, Hobey Baker type of player. Certainly we got that at Bowling Green.”

After two losing seasons to begin his BG tenure, the recruiting successes began to pay off. Bowling Green won the CCHA three straight years, culminating in the 1983-84 National Championship, which the Falcons won in an all-time classic game — four overtimes against Minnesota-Duluth.

“I actually thought the previous year we had the best team in the country,” said York. “We finished first in the CCHA and then lost in overtime to Michigan State in the CCHA championship finals. For some inexplicable reason, and I still can’t figure it, we were bypassed in the selection process for the NCAA tournament.” Of the eight teams selected for the tourney, the NCAA took only Michigan State from the CCHA. “None of us could believe it. It certainly fueled our resolve for the next year when we did win it, but I think we could have won it back-to-back years. In retrospect, I think the 82-83 team was stronger than the 83-84 one.”

Bowling Green continued as a powerhouse, winning 25 or more games for eight out of nine years beginning in 1981. But the nineties proved to be tough times for the Falcons: three straight losing seasons and one barely above .500.

“Recruiting sometimes goes in cycles,” said York. “We lost some tough recruiting battles to Michigan, Michigan State, and Lake State. But I thought we really started to turn it around with the freshman class of Curtis Fry, Mike Johnson, and Kelly Perrault when I left. In my estimation those three could be All-Americans this year, so I felt good about [leaving BG] like that.”

Meanwhile, turmoil embroiled Boston College. Len Ceglarski’s successor, Steve Cedorchuk, had posted a 24-40-10 record in his two years. The recruiting powerhouse that had produced six first-place Eagle finishes in Hockey East’s first seven years had broken down. Even more seriously, Cedorchuk had humiliated BC with a scholarship scandal plastered across the front pages of the Boston newspapers. According to the reports, Cedorchuk had promised more than the 18 scholarships allowed by the NCAA. When a higher-than-expected proportion of recruits accepted the offers, there weren’t enough to meet the commitments. Sparks flew and Cedorchuk became known as the Coach Who Couldn’t Count To 18.

Mike Milbury replaced Cedorchuk, but then stomped off in a fury a few months after accepting the post. A humbled Boston College needed not just a coach who could return BC to its glory days, but a man of stability and unquestioned character. The school looked to York.

“Jerry York has very strict morals,” said Dave Taylor. “He’s very much a straight shooter. You can certainly trust Jerry York. Whatever he says, he stays true to his word.”

York seemed a perfect match for BC’s needs. A principled man, he had achieved success wherever he was and, unlike Milbury, York would “without question” make Boston College his final move.

“Going back to BC was something I’d always thought of,” said York. “I’d grown up in the area and it was a chance to go back to my alma mater. Despite the roots we’d developed at Bowling Green, the tug was way too much not to come back.”

BC’s problems did not concern York. “That was never a factor. I’d been associated with BC for so long that I knew the history of the program. I knew that we could attract the very top student-athletes to BC. So I thought we’d have more Emersons, more Blakes, and more Dave Taylors.

“There wasn’t any question that we’d be successful in recruiting. I knew it would be a few years before we got it started. The majority of the scholarships were given out to the players we already had in school. Until we could actively go out and recruit again, I knew it would be a couple of years. [But after that] I knew we’d be a national player.”

York has lived up to those expectations. After a totally handcuffed first year, he recruited Marty Reasoner and then followed that with one of the top freshman classes in the country: Jeff Farkas, Blake Bellefeuille, Mike Mottau and Kevin Caulfield. Next year promises more of the same — four more ultra-blue chippers have already signed letters of intent.

“I thought the reception our current players at that time gave the recruits on campus was outstanding. They really helped recruit the Jeff Farkases, Blake Bellefeuilles and Marty Reasoners,” said York. York had told those upperclassmen early on that even though he hadn’t recruited them, he was a Boston College guy and they were still Boston College players. Their cooperation with recruiting made an attractive school look even better.

“At Clarkson and Bowling Green we were often recruiting Canadian players who weren’t familiar with the school,” said York. “But at BC we’re dealing with kids who at nine or ten were playing with the Jr. Eagles, or they’ve been coming to our games or the football or basketball games.”

In short, kids who, like York himself, grew up wanting to play for the Eagles. As much as recruiting is different for him at BC, though, some things remain the same.

“One of the things that hasn’t changed at all over the 25 years that I’ve coached is that players want discipline,” said York, who suspended a key player last year for breaking team rules. “They want to be involved with a team that’s very well structured as far as what’s right and what’s wrong. The players want to have as much success as they possibly can and they’re smart enought to understand that without discipline they’re not going to reach that level.

“I want all the players to clearly understand that they’re going to be pushed very hard to become the best player they can be here at BC. They’re going to be in a program that’s very well-defined and very well-structured as far as the importance of the classroom and the importance of representing BC to a very high standard. That hasn’t changed at all.”

While other Eagle coaches have clashed with BC athletic director Chet Gladchuk, York has not. “I make it a point to have a good relationship with all of the people I work with,” said York. “Chet has been very supportive and I consider him a close friend.”

One of the significant questions facing York at the end of this year will be whether Marty Reasoner stays at BC or turns pro with the St. Louis Blues.

“We hope to have a lot of players with those options,” said York. “Marty will have some informative talks with us and with St. Louis, but he values his education highly and feels he can progress as a hockey player because of the strength of Hockey East. One of his goals is to bring BC to national prominence.”

National prominence may not be in the cards this year, but seems almost a foregone conclusion for the future.

“I’m certainly going to coach the next decade here,” said York. “We want to win national championships. No question, that’s our goal. You do that by making your team a player in the national scene. If you’re one of the top five programs each year, then you’re going to win national titles. I don’t think you go from being an obscure program to all of a sudden winning a national title. You’ve got to be knocking on the door. So I want our team to be always be in the thick of the race.

“Then I think we can win a championship.”

US World Junior Roster Announced

USCHO Staff Report
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The roster for the U.S. Junior Team was announced Tuesday. This year’s games take place in Geneva, Switzerland, with practice games in Germany.

Boston College and Minnesota led the way with players on the roster, with three each. For BC, forwards Marty Reasoner, Jeff Farkas, and Blake Bellefeuille will play; for Minnesota, forwards Erik Rasmussen and Wyatt Smith, along with defenseman Ben Clymer will be traveling to Switzerland. The two teams, without these players, will meet each other in the opening round of the Mariucci Classic in Minneapolis on Dec. 27.

St. Cloud State and Colorado College had two players each make the roster. Boston University had two players announced, but one of the players, freshman Dan LaCouture, has left BU.

Colorado College is perhaps the hardest hit by the roster announcement, as they face Vermont in the opening round of the Badger Showdown, followed by the either of Wisconsin/New Hampshire. None of the other three teams in the tournament lose players to the U.S. Junior Team. The team follows up with a game at Michigan State, which loses Mike York to the Junior Team.

Minnesota and Boston College, while each plays each other with the shortened roster, must face Miami or Clarkson, both schools unaffected. Minnesota has an exhibition match with Team Finland, and the players get back from Switzerland just in time for a road trip to Alaska-Anchorage.

Typically the loss of the key young talent is difficult for the teams, but it is generally agreed that the players come back better for the experience.

1996-97 United States National Junior Team Roster

 No. Name, Pos.        Current Team
 Blake Bellefeuille, F Boston College (HEA)
 Brian Boucher, G      Tri-City Americans (WHL)
 Jesse Boulerice, F    Detroit Whalers (OHL)
 Ben Clymer, D         Minnesota (WCHA)
 Josh DeWolf, D        St. Cloud (WCHA)
 Robert Esche, G       Detroit Whalers (OHL)
 Jeff Farkas, F        Boston College (HEA)
 Chris Hajt, D         Guelph Storm (OHL)
 Dan LaCouture, F      Boston Univ. (HEA)
 Paul Mara, D          Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
 Michael McBain, D     Red Deer Rebels (WHL)
 Mark Parrish, F       St. Cloud (WCHA)
 Dan Peters, D         Colorado College (WCHA)
 Toby Petersen, F      Colorado College (WCHA)
 Tom Poti, D           Boston Univ. (HEA)
 Erik Rassmussen, F    Minnesota (WCHA)
 Marty Reasoner, F     Boston College (HEA)
 Jason Sessa, F        Lake Superior (CCHA)
 Ben Simon, F          Notre Dame (CCHA)
 Wyatt Smith, F        Minnesota (WCHA)
 Mike York, F          Michigan State (CCHA)
 B.J. Young, F         Red Deer Rebels (WHL)

Coaching and support staff

U.S. National coach – Jeff Jackson, Ann Arbor Mich.
Director of player personnel – Bob Mancini, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Assistant coach – Greg Cronin, Bangor Maine
Assistant coach – Mel Pearson, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Team leader – Scott Monaghan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Team physician – Dr. Keith Meister, Gainsville, Fla.
Athletic trainer – Greg Ipson, Houghton, Mich.
Equiptment manager – Jim Dunn, Long Lake, Minn.
Video technichian – Joe Curnane, Boston, Mass.
USA Hockey President – Walter L. Bush, Jr., Edina, Minn.
USA Hockey international council chairman – Ron DeGregorio, Salem, N.H.
USA Hockey Executive Director – Dave Ogrean, Colorado Springs, Colo.
USA Hockey senior director, international administration – Art Berglund, Colorado Springs Colo.
USA Hockey techincal director – Dave Peterson, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Schedule

Exhibition Games
Dec. 21 United States vs. Sweden
Dec. 22 United States vs. Germany or Slovakia

1997 IIHF World Junior Championship
Dec. 26 United States vs. Switzerland
Dec. 28 United States vs. Canada
Dec. 29 United States vs. Czech Republic
Dec. 31 United States vs. Germany
Jan. 1 Qualifying round: A2 vs. B3/ B2 vs. A3
Jan. 3 Semifinal round: B1 vs. Winner A2-B3 / A1 vs. Winner B2-A3
Jan. 4 Gold medal game/bronze medal game

Pools

 Group A               Group B
 Canada                Sweden
 Czech Republic        Russia
 United States         Finland
 Germany               Slovakia
 Switzerland           Poland

This Week in the ECAC: November 29, 1996

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ECAC PREVIEW: Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 1996

ECAC Preview: Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 1996 by Jayson Moy

[Editor’s note: several ECAC teams play games Tuesday, Nov. 26. These matchups were featured in last week’s ECAC Preview, and are not reflected in the records shown below.]

Last season showed off the ECAC’s strength at the top. This year, parity has returned with a vengeance.

This past weekend, every team split its two games, while in New Hampshire, there was another big upset.

Cornell, ranked 9th in the new Around the Rinks/USCHO Poll, was knocked from the unbeaten ranks by upstart Yale on Friday, then rebounded with a win over Princeton. The Tigers were victorious over Colgate on Friday, but the Red Raiders followed up with an overtime victory over Yale on Saturday evening.

In New York’s Hudson Valley, RPI’s scoreless string reached three full games with Clarkson’s 4-0 win Friday, but the Engineers shot the lights out in a victory over St. Lawrence the next night. St. Lawrence had defeated Union on Friday, but the Dutchmen in turn came back and upset the Golden Knights on Saturday.

All this, combined with Dartmouth’s upset over No. 7 Vermont on Friday, left a huge logjam in the ECAC standings, with three points separating second-place Princeton from the four teams tied for eighth.

A handful of ECAC league games are sprinkled within the schedule this Thanksgiving weekend, and time will tell if the craziness continues:

Princeton (4-2-1, 3-2-1 ECAC) at Harvard (2-3-1, 2-3-1 ECAC) Saturday, 7:00 p.m., Bright Hockey Center, Cambridge, MA

Princeton has been an early surprise with seven points, good for second place. The success seems to be a result of good play from each part of the Tigers.

"We’ve been competitive," said head coach Don Cahoon. "Start with our goaltending. It was a question."

Nick Rankin has performed nicely in goal. He currently ranks third among the ECAC overall goaltending leaders with a .922 save percentage and a 2.41 GAA.

Cahoon has played five defensemen most games this season, and there is a reason.

"We’re not deep on defense, but we’ve got two sophomores (Steve Shirreffs and Mike Acosta) and two freshmen (Dominique Auger and Darren Yopyk)," said Cahoon.

"Our strength is up front. It gives me a chance to play an extra forward because that’s where our depth is."

Princeton has surprised so far, but Cahoon is wary of the early success of the Tigers.

"We’re a long ways away from being great," he said.

Harvard is having a tough start to the year. Sitting at 2-3-1, its only wins on the young season have come against Brown.

The Crimson are having trouble scoring, averaging 2.80 goals per game. Forward Rob Millar is the leading Crimson scorer with seven points; but in the nets, Harvard has only allowed 3.40 goals per game.

Combine the numbers and it is evident that Harvard has kept their games close so far in the season. This includes losses to Cornell and Colgate, 3-2 and 2-1 respectively, a 2-1 win over Brown, and a 2-2 tie with Yale.

Other offensive woes include the power play. The Crimson are 2-for-32 on the season, with both goals coming in the first game of the season.

PICK: Princeton is working on a lot of cylinders at the moment. They have already defeated Harvard 6-2 earlier this season. There is no reason why this result should not be the same. Princeton 6, Harvard 2

Yale (2-3-1, 2-3-1 ECAC) at Brown (1-6-1, 1-4-1 ECAC) Saturday, 7:00 p.m., Meehan Auditorium, Providence, RI

Yale provided one of the many upsets in this young ECAC season with a 4-3 victory over previously-unbeaten Cornell. The next evening Yale lost a close one to Colgate, 4-3 in OT.

Yale has given notice: it is not the doormat a lot of people thought it would be this season.

"We’ve managed to have at least one stellar team performace per week," said Tim Taylor, Yale’s head coach. "We’re proving to be a team that’s capable of doing that."

With a young group, Taylor thinks his team is coming along on both ends of the rink.

"We’ve managed to play effectively defensively and offensively to the point where we’re spending a lot of time in the other team’s zone," he said. "Territorialy, we’re a much improved team.

"We’re getting it out with authority, getting it in with authority, and keeping it in with authority."

With ECAC Rookie of the Week Jeff Hamilton (2-2–4 last weekend) among his crop of young players, Taylor looks forward to the long road ahead.

"If we continue to play like this, people might not take us lightly anymore," he said, "which will make it tougher."

Brown continues to have trouble scoring enough goals to combat the inability to stop them. The Bears were swept by No. 1 Michigan this past weekend, 5-2 and 7-2, and have allowed 38 goals this season.

"We were scoring, and I thought that would be a problem with this team," said head coach Bob Gaudet, "We’re allowing too many goals."

On the offensive front, their top scorer is defenseman Jimmy Andersson (1-9–10) — it usually is not a good sign when a blueliner is your leading scorer. But the Bears’ forwards saw some life as junior Damian Prescott tallied three of the four goals scored against Michigan.

PICK: We have a team that is getting a lot of respect to begin the season with their impressive performance at Yale. There is also a team which needs a win very badly in Brown. In their first meeting, Brown won 5-4. The Bears get to go for the sweep at home this time, but don’t count on it. Yale 4, Brown 2

Colgate (6-3-0, 3-3-0 ECAC) at No. 9 Cornell (5-1-0, 5-1-0 ECAC) Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Lynah Rink, Ithaca, NY

The Red Raiders have five of the top 12 scorers in the ECAC going into this weekend’s action. Dave DeBusschere (10-12–22) and Mike Harder (8-12–20) top the ECAC charts, and Rob Mara (6-8–14), Tim Loftsgard (3-9–12) and Jack McIntosh (2-8–10) rank as well.

But even with this offensive power and impressive non-league record, the Red Raiders are only a .500 team in the ECAC so far.

The special teams had been playing well early in the year, but have sputtered lately. Against Princeton, Colgate was 0-for-5 on the power play while letting the Tigers go 2-for-7. Head coach Don Vaughn has been concerned about that fact.

"We continue to take bad penalties at times, and it continues to hurt us," he said.

Colgate lost to Princeton 4-3, and defeated Yale 4-3 in overtime. The win over Yale was freshman goalie Shep Harder’s first career start. The Minnesota native (no relation to teammate Mike Harder) made 39 saves for the win.

Defenseman Jack McIntosh scored the game winner with 38 seconds left in the overtime session.

The Big Red continue to lead the ECAC on the power play. They added two more power-play goals against Princeton on Saturday, and are now sitting at 29.7 percent efficiency.

"If you’re going to be successful in college hockey, you have to have good special teams," head coach Mike Schafer said.

Unfortunately for Schafer, he’ll be without senior forward Vinnie Auger for at least four games. According to assistant coach Scott Garrow, Auger has a broken thumb and will definitely miss the next two games against Miami (OH) and Colgate. He will probably miss the series against Union and RPI the following weekend as well.

The broken thumb came as a result of a slash by Princeton defenseman Dominique Auger in the second period last Saturday. No penalty was called on the play.

Cornell remains in first place by three points, and is off to a good start. But Schafer knows his team can’t get complacent.

"We’re pretty fortunate to be 5-1," he said, "I looked (Friday) night with the Colgate loss and Vermont losing to Dartmouth. … We have to be counting our blessings."

Colgate gets its first chance at revenge after being embarassed in two quarterfinal round playoff games last year. Cornell swept the series, 8-1 and 8-3, on its way to the ECAC Tournament championship.

PICK: Special teams were the key in last year’s playoff series and definitely will be again here. Both teams are deadly on the power play. This means that the defense and the goaltending will have to be at the top of their games. Cornell’s is presently stronger. Cornell 5, Colgate 3

In addition to the league games, there’s a bevy of non-conference action on this holiday weekend:

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

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

Boston University has moved back up to number two in the ATR/USCHO Poll by virtue of a 7-0-1 record since its loss to Vermont early in the season.

Terrier forward Chris Drury is a leading Hobey Baker candidate with his 21 points (on 12 goals and nine assists) on the season. Shawn Bates follows closely in the scoring department with 15 points.

The goaltending tandem of Tom Noble and Michel Larocque are one-two in Hockey East. Noble is 4-0-0 with a 1.79 GAA and a .929 save percentage. His partner Larocque is 3-0-1 with a 2.94 GAA and an .888 save percentage.

Boston College is still struggling to find itself. The Eagles were swept by UNH this past weekend, 8-3 and 4-2.

"We played 40 minutes of excellent hockey," said head coach Jerry York of Saturday’s game, "But that’s not going to give us much success at this level. We have to play a full 60 minutes."

It gets tougher for York, with goaltender Greg Taylor still out of action with a broken hand.

St. Lawrence earned a much-needed win over Union on Friday, 4-3, but then let a ton of rubber fly at goalie Jon Bracco in a 6-3 loss to RPI.

Trailing 2-0 going into the second period Friday, the Saints scored three goals to Union’s one to end the period tied, 3-3. Bob Prier then tallied his seventh of the season 6:52 into the third to give St. Lawrence the win.

The Saints gave up 59 shots to RPI on Saturday, 27 in the third period. RPI scored four goals in the third and defeated the Saints, 6-3.

Clarkson’s Dan Murphy shutout RPI, 4-0, to gain his second career shutout on Friday. The Golden Knights then lost a close one to Union 2-1.

"They outworked us for the first two periods," said head coach Mark Morris. "Union played exceptionally well early on."

Clarkson had the upper hand in the third period, with Guillaume Beese scoring 11 seconds into the period to pull the Golden Knights to within one. Clarkson could not get the tying goal, though.

PICKS:

BU at SLU: Lack of goaltending has hurt SLU so far with the loss of Clint Owen. Too much offense for SLU. BU 8, SLU 2

BC at Clarkson: Two teams looking for some consistency. BC is looking for people to break out, and Clarkson is trying to solve some of its offensive problems. Clarkson in a close one. Clarkson 5, BC 3

BC at SLU: Here’s a tough one. Rochester, N.Y. native Marty Reasoner should have a ton of folks watching him play here. He shines in this one. BC 6, SLU 2

BU at Clarkson: A rematch of last year’s second round NCAA tournament game. BU seems stronger now than they were then. Clarkson does not. BU 6, Clarkson 3

No. 8 Miami (OH) (9-3-0) at Colgate (6-3-0) & No. 9 Cornell (5-1-0) Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m. & 7:00 p.m., Starr Rink & Lynah Rink, Hamilton, NY & Ithaca, NY

Miami lost a big game against Michigan State on Friday, but bounced right back with a 4-3 win over Notre Dame the following evening.

That win came with 40 seconds left in the game as freshman Dustin Whitecotton tallied his first career goal.

The story for the Redskins is in net, where juniors Trevor Prior and Adam Lord are one-two in the CCHA in goaltending.

Prior has an amazing 1.42 GAA and a .934 save percentage. In league play, his GAA is 1.51 and his save percentage is .920. In the CCHA, Lord’s GAA is 2.00 and his save percentage is .922 to go along with a 4-0-0 record.

Junior Randy Robitaille (9-11–20) leads the offensive attack for the Redskins.

Cornell and Colgate are previewed above.

PICKS:

Miami at Colgate: This is the Redskins’ second venture to New York State this season. In one earlier NYS appearance they defeated St. Lawrence, 4-2. This should be a battle as the outstanding forwards of Colgate battle the outstanding goaltending of Miami. Miami 5, Colgate 4

Miami(OH) at Cornell: Miami’s penalty kill is 86 percent. Cornell’s power play is 29.7 percent. Something has to give. The tight checking of the Big Red will give Miami fits, as it did to another team that likes to skate, Princeton. Cornell 4, Miami 2

RPI (5-4-0) at Northeastern (2-7-1) & Merrimack (3-6-1) Friday & Saturday 7:00 p.m., Matthews Arena & Volpe Center, Boston, MA & North Andover, MA

RPI finally saw its scoreless streak of 203:04 end with a first-period goal by Alain St-Hilaire in the 6-3 win over St. Lawrence on Saturday

"When that first goal went in, there was a big sigh of relief from everybody," said head coach Dan Fridgen. "Our guys deserve a lot of credit, because they didn’t quit."

Even though they were shut out by UMass-Lowell, Union and Clarkson in their three previous games, Fridgen sees things turning back around for his team.

"We’re back," he said. "We haven’t changed anything in three games. We’ve just worked hard. Sooner or later, the bounces would come. Our work ethic was there."

It started to show Friday against Clarkson. RPI had numerous chances, but Dan Murphy made 36 saves in his shutout. Saturday, Eric Healey alone had 16 shots alone and scored a goal. Freshman Pete Gardiner added two goals in the effort.

Northeastern and head coach Bruce Crowder continue to limp through the season following a sweep at the hands of Providence over the weekend, 4-3 and 8-0.

The last time the the Huskies faced RPI was earlier this season, and they fell, 4-3. Freshman Marc Robitaille had a good game in goal with 39 saves in the losing effort.

Eric Kaminski, Justin Kearns, Roger Holeczy, and Todd Barclay figured in some of the scoring in the first game.

Crowder is looking for more consistency from his club. After gaining three Hockey East points in Maine, they were swept by two of the tougher Hockey East clubs in Boston University and Providence.

Merrimack is also a team looking for consistency. After getting shackled by Boston University on Friday 9-1, the Warriors earned a hard-fought Hockey East point with a 3-3 tie at home.

Merrimack will be at home for the game againt RPI — a plus for the Warriors. They are 3-1-1 at the Volpe Center thus far in the season.

At home on Saturday, Eric Thibeault made 49 saves in the tie against the Terrers. He was chased after one period on Friday after giving up five goals.

Led by forward Rejean Stringer, the Warriors look to add more offense this weekend.

PICKS:

RPI at Northeastern: RPI got out of the gate fast in their first meeting, but the Huskies came back to tie it after one period. Good goaltending by Joel Laing and Robitaille allowed only one more goal, as RPI won it 4-3. RPI is back on the scoring front, and starting to put it together. Matt Garver is also scheduled to return for RPI, adding more offense. RPI 6, Northeastern 2

RPI at Merrimack: These two teams have played close ones at the Volpe in recent years, 3-3 in 1992, and a 2-1 RPI win in 1994. Merrimack is tough at home, and this is no different. RPI’s offense is the key here, and, as always, special teams. RPI 4, Merrimack 3

Merrimack (3-6-1) at Dartmouth (3-3-0) Friday, 7:30 p.m., Thompson Arena, Hanover, NH

Merrimack is previewed above.

Dartmouth pulled off one of last weekend’s shockers in the ECAC with a 4-1 victory over Vermont.

"Our team played very well," said Big Green head coach Roger Demment. "Close to perfection sometimes. Overall it was a total team effort."

A surprise for the Big Green has been goaltender Jason Wong. The freshman from Richmond, BC is second in the ECAC goaltender rankings with a .913 save percentage, and 2.25 GAA. Wong held the Catamounts scoreless in the last 56:52 of the upset.

"He (Wong) was especially strong in the third period," said Demment. "With the goalie pulled, he made some strong saves."

The season is starting to come together for Demment’s team.

"We got off to a disappointing start that first weekend," he said, "We played below our potential. ..We’re beginning to start to do the things we wanted."

PICK: It looks like the Big Green might have found their goaltender in Wong. He will continue his strong play. Dartmouth 5, Merrimack 3

Ottawa at Union (4-4-0) Saturday, 7:00 p.m., Achilles Rink, Schenectady, NY

Ottawa is, at last look, in last place of the Far East Division in the Ontario Universities Athletic Association with a 2-5-0 record.

In its previous jaunts to the United States, Ottawa has not won a game. The team lost to Boston College, 9-2 and to Dartmouth, 5-3. Ottawa did tie UNH 3-3 in another game.

If there is any trend that can be gotten from these three games, it’s that that Ottawa will take a lot of penalties and give up a lot of shots on goal. Both tendencies were evident in these three games.

Once again it was Trevor Koenig in goal for Union, making the difference for the Dutchmen on Saturday. He made 37 saves, including 21 in the third period, and continues to lead the ECAC with a 1.89 GAA.

Scoring is a concern for the Dutchmen, who have just 20 goals in eight games for an average of 2.50 goals per game. These are not good numbers, but when you have Koenig in goal, it is enough.

PICK: Union should get some offense going, and should get plenty of power play work. Union 7, Ottawa 2

Northeastern (2-7-1) at Harvard (2-3-1) Sunday, 7:00 p.m., Bright Hockey Center, Cambridge, MA

Northeastern and Harvard have been previewed above.

PICK: Two struggling teams looking for a way to win. These two will meet again in February … in the consolation game of the Beanpot. This time it will be Harvard and J.R. Prestifillippo. Harvard 3, Northeastern 2

No. 7 Vermont (7-3-0) at Providence (5-5-1) Tuesday, 7:00 p.m., Schneider Arena, Providence, RI

Since reaching number one in the ATR/USCHO Poll, the Catamounts have gone 3-3-0 (2-3-0 ECAC). Teams have begun to realize how to play the Catamounts. Tight checking on the French Connection, and launching shots at Tim Thomas, has been the formula in their three losses.

You can also throw a hot goaltender at them as well. Joel Laing, Jason Elliot, and Jason Wong have all defeated the Cats.

In five league games, none of the Connection (Martin St. Louis, Eric Perrin, and J.C. Ruid) are even in the top 15 in league scoring. Tim Thomas is not in the top five in goaltending in league play, which is virtually unheard of after leading the league the past two years.

On the other hand, the Cats have eaten up non-league competition. Overall, St. Louis is 5-13-18, Perrin is 6-9-15, and Ruid is 5-8-13. Thomas has a GAA of 2.51, and a save percentage of .926.

Providence blasted Northeastern 8-0 on Saturday after defeating the Huskies 4-3 the night before.

For a team that was little unsure of itself, the 8-0 win did them some good. Before the games this past weekend, head coach Paul Pooley was worried about his personnel.

"It’s time to evaluate some players and maybe get some new ones into the lineup," he said.

A good offensive showing by the Friars, and it should help going into this weekend.

PICK: Vermont has been a terror against non-league opponents, and it should not change this weekend. Vermont 6, Providence 2

And finally, the only tournament featuring an ECAC team this weekend — The Governor’s Cup:

No. 7 Vermont (7-3-0) vs. No. 4 New Hampshire (9-2-0) Friday, 8:00 p.m., Gutterson Fieldhouse, Burlington, VT

Vermont has been previewed above.

UNH is on a roll. Since starting the season 1-2-0, it has reeled off eight straight wins, including a sweep of Boston College, 8-3 and 4-2, last weekend.

UNH also has its anticipated goaltending tandem in place, Brian Larochelle and Sean Matile. Matile had been ineligible for the first part of the season because he played in some major junior games before coming to UNH. He made 31 saves in his debut with the 4-2 win.

A combination of good offense and decent defense has made head coach Dick Umile a very happy man as his team moves up to number four in the ATR/USCHO poll, though the teams only two losses are to ECAC foes Vermont and Colgate.

PICK: UNH is on a tear, and UVM is not so sure of themselves. In the first meeting between the two teams, UVM was the victor 5-1 at UNH. This time they are in Vermont. The two teams are different right now though, and the hotter team gets the nod. UNH 4, UVM 3

The ECAC action gets hot once again next weekend with 10 league games on the docket.

Friday, December 6 Saturday, December 7 Clarkson at Brown Clarkson at Harvard St. Lawrence at Harvard St. Lawrence at Brown Union at Colgate Union at Cornell RPI at Cornell RPI at Colgate Boston University at Yale Princeton at Yale Princeton at Army

Wednesday, December 11 Harvard at Union

Where will the upsets come next week?

(Many thanks to Adam Wodon and Dave Hendrickson for their contributions to this preview)

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

Copyright 1996 Jayson Moy . All Rights Reserved.

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This Week in the CCHA: November 29, 1996

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CCHA PREVIEW: Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 1996

CCHA Preview: Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 1996 by Paula C. Weston

On the surface, it seems that little changes from week to week in the CCHA. The top three teams have shuffled around a bit — Michigan State now tops the conference, Miami holds on to second place and Michigan hovers at third. While the status quo held for another week of CCHA play, a closer look reveals a conference where the fourth-place team can leapfrog to first in just one weekend, and the teams languishing at the bottom of the conference could be in the running with just a couple of wins.

The top three teams in the CCHA play non-conference games this week. Michigan and Michigan State join the WCHA’s Wisconsin and Minnesota for the College Hockey Showcase. Miami has a New York State road tour, with stops at Colgate and Cornell. Western Michigan (tied for fifth place with Notre Dame) travels to Providence. The six remaining teams will try to break their mid-conference gridlock by fighting amongst themselves.

Last week’s record in picks: 7-1 Overall record in picks: 14-5

Lake Superior State (8-5-1, 5-2-0 CCHA) at Notre Dame (4-6-1, 3-4-1 CCHA) Tuesday, Nov. 26, 7 p.m., Joyce Center Field House, South Bend, IN

The Lakers will attempt to distance themselves from the CCHA pack with this game against the Fighting Irish.

Lake Superior brings a six-game win streak to South Bend. After a four-point weekend against Ferris State, the Lakers became the fourth CCHA team with points in double digits (10). The Lakers will be looking to junior left wing Joe Blaznek to continue his four-game point streak. Blaznek leads the Lakers in points with 20 on seven goals and 13 assists.

The Lakers will also be counting on junior goaltender John Grahame, whose 47 saves against Ferris State made him the Bauer/CCHA Defensive Player of the Week.

With just seven points, Notre Dame is tied with Western Michigan for fifth place in the CCHA. A win against Lake Superior State would put the Irish just one point behind the Lakers. Notre Dame head coach Dave Poulin says he’s happy with the way his team is playing. The Irish split last weekend, upsetting Bowling Green on Friday, and losing at Miami Saturday.

"We’re playing more disciplined hockey, and our recruiting class brought us a higher level of talent. To a man, each player is playing well.

"We know what Lake State is. They’ve experienced enormous change, but we know to expect good hockey from them," Poulin said.

Both of these teams are on the move upward in the conference. This is an even matchup that’s difficult to call. The Lakers have a slight edge offensively and defensively, with 30 goals for and 24 against, versus ND’s 26-28. And the Lakers are more accustomed to winning than are the Irish.

PICK: Lake Superior 5-2

Lake Superior State (8-5-1, 5-2-0 CCHA) at Alaska-Fairbanks (2-9-0, 2-7-0 CCHA) Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 7 p.m., Carlson Center, Fairbanks, AK

This series serves as a proving ground for both the Lakers and the Nanooks. After flying out of Chicago the morning after the Notre Dame game, the Lakers can potentially take six points in three games to jump into a first-place CCHA tie with Michigan State. The Nanooks, on the other hand, want to show the world that wins against Michigan State and Western Michigan were by design, not chance.

The Nanooks will look for offensive leadership from senior center, and team captain, Cody Bowtell, whose 13 points ties him with Western Michigan’s Justin Cardwell for third in the CCHA. The Nanooks had last week off, so they may have a real advantage over the Lakers.

Besides playing without a break, the Lakers are playing hard. Going into Tuesday’s game with Notre Dame, the Lakers were on a six-game win streak. While accumulating points during what was arguably a soft spot in their schedule (they beat Ferris State and Ohio State twice apiece), the Lakers have just one player among the top scorers in the CCHA: sophomore right wing Jason Sessa. Sessa was held scoreless against Ferris State last Friday.

Lake State has the better offense, but don’t expect Alaska-Fairbanks to let them walk away with it all.

PICKS: Alaska-Fairbanks 3-2 Friday, Lake Superior 4-1 Saturday, Lake Superior 5-3 Sunday

Notre Dame (4-6-1, 3-4-1 CCHA) at Ferris State (5-10-1, 2-8-0 CCHA) Friday & Saturday, 7 p.m., Ewigleben Ice Arena, Big Rapids, MI

Notre Dame looks to climb the CCHA ladder on the backs of the Bulldogs. But nothing is certain in this strange start to the CCHA season.

One of Ferris State’s two league victories was a 5-1 win in South Bend on Nov. 15. And the Bulldogs played the Lakers tough on the road last weekend. But FSU has lost its last three games each by a score of 3-2, and that’s something Bulldog assistant coach Drew Famulak says has to change.

"We held Lake Superior to 15 shots in that first night we played them. We’ve played well, and our power play is good. We need to get a break."

Ferris State needs more than a break to begin to see daylight from the bottom of the CCHA standings. Says Famulak, "We only have four games before Christmas. We have to get some points."

Notre Dame has a chance to distinguish itself from the muddy middle of the pack with points this weekend, but coach Dave Poulin says he can’t look that far ahead when there’s a game at hand.

"I can’t look toward the weekend when we’re playing Lake [Tuesday night]. It’s funny to be schedule-watching this early in the season, anyway. If you look at what’s happening in-house, and take care of that, the rest takes care of itself."

Notre Dame is playing more like a team on the way up than Ferris is right now. With four points this weekend, the Irish may start putting some essential distance between themselves and the lower tier of the CCHA.

PICKS: Notre Dame 3-2 (sorry, Ferris) Friday, 5-1 Saturday

Ohio State (2-9-0, 2-7-0 CCHA) at Bowling Green (6-7-1, 2-7-1 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., BGSU Ice Rink, Bowling Green, OH

Bowling Green (6-7-1, 2-7-1 CCHA) at Ohio State (2-9-0, 2-7-0 CCHA) Sunday, 3 p.m., Fairgrounds Coliseum, Columbus, OH

Surprisingly, the only thing separating these two teams in CCHA play is one point — the tie that Bowling Green had with Michigan.

Bowling Green head coach Buddy Powers is not amused. "No one’s going to fear Bowling Green right now. We’re making other teams feel confident right now."

The Falcons dropped a pair of games at home last weekend, Friday to Michigan State and Saturday to Notre Dame. Powers says his team is finding new ways to lose. "The winning goal in the Michigan State game was deflected off of our defender."

Powers says his team isn’t playing hard enough. "We allowed Notre Dame to score soft goals, instead of storming back after Friday’s loss.

"These guys can’t feel sorry for themselves. They’re treating themselves as victims. They’re not victims — they’re making their own mistakes."

One team that hopes Bowling Green finds a solution to its problems closer to Christmas than Thanksgiving is Ohio State. After a weekend off, the Buckeyes would like to pick up a few points themselves.

"Other teams we think we’re equal with are beating this [Bowling Green] hockey club," says Buckeye head coach John Markell. "They’re still a dangerous hockey club. We’re going to have to have a lot of shots on net to exploit their defense. We’re going to have to play an effective hockey game, no matter what their record is."

Going into this weekend, the Buckeyes have scored only 17 goals in league play, the lowest total in the conference, and Markell doesn’t understand why.

"Some players will have to start stepping up, and I’m waiting for that. I can’t see why they’re not doing that. Other guys we expect to create chances and play well aren’t doing it."

The Buckeyes took two out of three from the Falcons last year; the Falcons beat the Buckeyes in non-conference play at the start of the season. Both teams are struggling. This may be a split weekend, but don’t be surprised if the Falcons get the four points they need.

PICKS: Bowling Green 4-1 Saturday; Ohio State 3-2 Sunday

The fourth annual College Hockey Showcase:

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

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

Michigan vs. Wisconsin, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Michigan State vs. Minnesota, Saturday, 8 p.m.

Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Wisconsin square off this weekend for the College Hockey Showcase at the Joe.

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."

Regardless of Michigan’s top ranking in every major college hockey poll (including the USCHO/Around the Rinks poll), Berenson isn’t overconfident about the Wolverines’ abilities. "We haven’t proven that we’re much better than any team we’ve played. Every night has been a battle. I can’t tell you who the best team is in our league right now."

In spite of Berenson’s modesty, Michigan is a real contender to repeat its national title this year. 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. The Wolverines swept Brown last weekend.

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 Michigan State has outscored opponents 47-31, coach Ron Mason said last week that his team is still working to come together. Michigan State completed a successful sweep through Ohio last week, beating both Bowling Green and Miami.

With combined goals-for at 87 and goals-against at 53, you have to wonder who Berenson and Mason think they’re fooling.

From Jim Thies, USCHO’s WCHA Correspondent, we get this insight on Minnesota and Wisconsin:

"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, .895) and Erik Day (3-1-0, 1.00, .956) 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.

"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 then, 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, .902) won his first collegiate start last Friday, but look for Kirk Daubenspeck (5-6-0, 3.41, 886) to return to action."

Both Michigan and Michigan State should be right at home with these high-scoring WCHA teams. I’ll go out on a limb here and say that the CCHA will prevail (note: journalism is an objective science).

PICKS: Friday: Michigan 5-4, Michigan State 6-2. Saturday: Michigan 7-2, Michigan State 3-2

Miami (9-3-0, 7-1-0 CCHA) at Colgate (6-4-0, 3-3-0 ECAC) Friday, 7 p.m., Starr Rink, Hamilton, NY

Miami(9-3-0, 7-1-0 CCHA) at Cornell (5-1-0, 5-1-0 ECAC) Saturday, 7 p.m., James M. Lynah Rink, Ithaca, NY

Miami faces real challenges on the road as it travels through central New York for two games against ECAC teams.

Miami suffered its first CCHA loss against Michigan State last week, but remains in second place in the CCHA. One key to Miami’s success is its Scrooge-like defense. While Miami has scored only 30 goals in CCHA play, it has allowed only 14. That’s fewer than any other CCHA team.

Each of Miami’s opponents split its games last weekend. Both Colgate and Cornell lost on Friday — Cornell to Yale, 4-3, and Colgate to Princeton, 4-3. Each team won Saturday. Colgate beat Yale 4-3 (OT), and Cornell beat Princeton 3-1. Cornell scored two power-play goals in its game against Princeton, while holding the Tigers scoreless on the power play for six tries. Neither Colgate nor top-ten Cornell may be capable of generating big offense, which is exactly what would be needed to beat this Miami team.

PICKS: Miami 4-2 Friday, 3-1 Saturday

Western Michigan (5-4-1, 3-4-1 CCHA) at Providence (5-5-1, 4-3-1 HEA) Friday & Saturday, Schneider Arena, Providence, RI

A well-rested Western Michigan travels to take on the Providence Friars of Hockey East. Western Michigan is one of the CCHA teams that has yet to find its offensive feet. So far this season, the Broncos have allowed more goals (29) than they’ve scored (27). This series against Providence is notable primarily for Western’s absence from CCHA play this weekend, which may affect how the rest of the CCHA shakes down.

Providence swept Northeastern last week, squeaking by 4-3 in OT on Friday, and rolling 8-0 on Saturday. Overall, however, Providence is not exactly an offensive powerhouse. Providence has no player with more than three points in league play, and no one with more than five points in overall play.

By contrast, Western Michigan has two players in double digits in CCHA play, and three in double digits for points in overall play. Western Michigan’s Justin Cardwell is the third-leading scorer in CCHA play with 15 points.

The Broncos should overpower the Friars.

PICKS: Western Michigan 5-2 Friday, 6-2 Saturday

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

Copyright 1996 Paula C. Weston . All Rights Reserved.

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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.

Return to Feature Articles Return to News and Game Recaps Return to US College Hockey Online

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.

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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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