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This Week in the MAAC: February 12, 1999

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Okay, so my first shot at picking games didn’t turn out too good.

I did pick the split between UConn and Quinnipiac (though not the fact that the visiting team would win both games).

And how about those Ice Griffs? They walked right into Iona and took two games from the Gaels.

Okay, enough about my Las Vegas fate.

Let’s talk about playoffs.

We have possibilities in the MAAC for a three- (maybe four-) team race for first and second place, and two more interested parties looking to move into third and fourth.

Hence, this weekend’s games are exactly what the doctor ordered.

First-place Quinnipiac only plays one league game — a chance for teams like Holy Cross and UConn to gain some ground, though those teams play each other.

As we move on down, the battle for home ice will pass through Springfield as AIC hosts Canisius. The Griffs are hot and could move into the top four with a sweep this weekend.

So fasten those seat belts, because this ride into the MAAC playoffs is going to be a bumpy one.

Last week’s picks: 3-5-0 Overall record: 3-5-0

Canisius (9-10-5, 7-8-5 MAAC) at American Int’l (11-9-3, 10-7-3 MAAC) Friday, 7:00 pm, Olympia Ice Center, W. Springfield, Mass. Saturday, 4:30 pm, Olympia Ice Center, W. Springfield, Mass.

Canisius College could be the hottest team in the MAAC. In their last 12 games, the Ice Griffs are 7-2-3 and have climbed from the bottom of the standings into sole possession of fifth place.

Last weekend, the Griffs were the second-period team of choice in their two-game set with Iona. Canisius outscored the Gaels 5-1 in that period en route to a 5-2, 4-3 sweep.

Freshman David Deeves scored a goal and an assist in each of the contests to earn MAAC Rookie of the Week honors.

In Friday night’s contest, after Deeves opened the scoring at the 8:41 mark of the first, Iona tied the game on a goal by Andrew Segal before the close of the period.

But Canisius scored two unanswered goals in the second to take a 3-1 lead, and After Iona got back to 3-2 on an Erik Nates goal just 26 seconds into the third, Darren Todd scored his first collegiate marker on the power play to extend the lead to two goals again.

Rookie Brad Kenny added an empty-netter, his second goal of the evening, to close the game. The Ice Griffs outshot the Gaels 35-33 on the night and Stephen Fabilli made 31 saves to gain the win.

On Saturday night, Deeves once again got things going for Canisius. His goal 4:26 into the second period on the power play broke a scoreless tie.

Iona tied the game when leading-scorer Ryan Carter scored on the power play at 12:22. Just 42 seconds later, though, freshman winger Corey Lucas skated down the left side and fired a slapshot over the Gael goaltender to regain the lead.

And before the period was over, junior captain Rob Othmann cashed in on a Gael turnover to make the score 3-1.

After Iona made it a game just over five minutes into the third, Othmann extended the Griffs’ lead to 4-2 with his second goal of the night. Iona did close to 4-3 just a minute and 17 seconds later, but senior goaltender Bob Janosz closed the door the rest of the way.

The sweep put the Griffs just four points behind this week’s opponent, AIC, which kept its place in fourth with a two-game sweep over formerly-streaking Sacred Heart. The Yellow Jackets regained their winning ways after dropping two games to UConn just one week ago.

On Friday night, AIC scored two power-play goals while Chance Thede made 27 saves en route to a 4-1 win.

The next night, the Yellow Jackets proved this writer wrong by going into Sacred Heart’s home arena and scoring a 3-2 win.

That puts AIC into a unique position in the standings. With 23 points, the Yellow Jackets are only five points out of second place, currently held by Holy Cross and UConn.

At the same time, they only lead Canisius by four points, making this series all the more important.

Two wins and the Yellow Jackets might be able to start looking towards second or third, while two losses jeopardizes their home-ice chances in the playoffs.

Picks: Two hot teams make for two hot games. AIC wins on Friday, 5-4, before Canisius recovers Saturday, 3-2 in overtime.

Holy Cross (13-8-3, 13-5-2 MAAC) at Connecticut (13-7-4, 12-4-4 MAAC) Friday, 7:30 pm, UConn Ice Arena, Storrs, Conn. Connecticut at Holy Cross Saturday, 7:00 pm, Hart Recreation Center, Worcester, Mass.

Last week, the University of Connecticut proved one thing: Quinnipiac is not going to run away with the inaugural MAAC title.

It took only one goal, but the second-place Huskies were able to make a statement last Friday night down in East Haven, Conn., as Trent Landry did something that the 35 other skaters could not: score a goal.

Landry’s goal, exactly halfway through the game (10:00, second), was the only one as John Chain of UConn and J.C. Wells of Quinnipiac each made 30 saves in net for a 1-0 Husky win.

For Landry, it was only his second goal of the season, and the first game-winner of his career.

The win pulled the Huskies within four points of the first-place Braves, but more importantly it game them the chance to sweep the Braves on home ice on Saturday night.

But maybe someone should have asked Quinnipiac its thoughts on the matter, because just a bit over 13 minutes into Saturday night’s game, Quinnipiac had already scored the game-winning goal.

After Chad Poliquin put the Braves up, 1-0, Chris Cerrella scored the eventual winner 13:12 in as the Braves skated by the Huskies, 4-1.

Mike Narotski scored UConn’s only goal in the game, early in the second period. But the Braves were too tough, scoring late goals in the second and third to guarantee Quinnipiac the victory.

So how do the standings look now?

Quinnipiac regains its six-point stranglehold on first place, with both UConn and Holy Cross chasing. That makes the timing of this weekend’s series between Holy Cross and UConn great — and the Crusaders couldn’t agree more.

Holy Cross just completed a weekend sweep of cellar-dwelling Fairfield, and has lost only two games since returning from winter exam break.

With 13 wins, the Crusaders are second in the league in wins (Quinnipiac, 16), and stand six points out of first place with a game in hand.

Last weekend, the Crusaders used firepower to beat the Stags of Fairfield. In Friday night’s contest, Holy Cross outshot the Stags, 58-20, in a 5-1 victory in front of a vocal crowd in Worcester.

Chris Fattey posted a goal and an assist in the win.

The highlight of the game may have been the goaltending by Fairfield’s John True (53 saves), but that had nothing to do with creating a hockey rarity, which occurred as referee Bill Stewart did not whistle a penalty the entire game. It was the first game in the young history of the MAAC to not have a penalty called.

Saturday night in Bridgeport, Conn., there were a few more penalties and a lot fewer shots, but the result was nearly identical.

Holy Cross opened a 3-0 lead five minutes into the second period on goals by Paul Cavanaugh, Mike Maguire, and Fattey. After Fairfield closed to 3-1 before the end of the period, the Crusaders put the game away when Brett Cagliuso scored at 7:49 of the third period.

Oddly, after the Crusaders dominated the shots on Friday, Fairfield was able to outshoot Holy Cross, 23-20, in the rematch.

Picks: Gotta pick the reverse split here. Holy Cross wins on the road, 3-1, on Friday, but UConn doesn’t fear the Hart, winning 2-1 on Saturday.

Iona (9-13-1, 8-11-1 MAAC) at Fairfield (1-22-0, 1-19-0 MAAC) Friday, 8:30 pm, Wonderland of Ice, Bridgeport, Conn. Fairfield at Iona Saturday, 7:00 pm, The Ice Hutch, New Rochelle, N.Y. Iona at Army (14-13-1) Tuesday, 7:00 pm, Tate Rink, West Point, N.Y.

Fairfield and Iona are very much the same — or maybe very different.

Both teams were victims or weekend sweeps: Fairfield by Holy Cross and Iona by Canisius.

Both teams are struggling in the bottom of the MAAC and neither has much chance to host the first round of the MAAC playoffs (in Fairfield’s case, there is no chance).

And neither has won many games since returning from exam break.

But that’s where the similarities end.

For Fairfield, the only win of the season has come since the exam break, so for them, that is a major accomplishment.

Fairfield has to feel like it is taking steps forward: playing tougher, finding themselves in the middle of closer games, especially late in the games.

Last weekend’s series against second-place Holy Cross showed a Fairfield team allowed 58 shots on Friday night, but then held the Crusader offense to 20 shots on Saturday night.

So it is pretty easy to see that Fairfield, though most of the results are the same, is growing as a team.

But, unfortunately for Iona, that same growth is not so obvious.

The Gaels were not exactly picked to win every game at the beginning of the season, but early indications were that this team could compete.

Since the winter break, the Gaels only positive was a respectable 3-3 tie at UConn. And falling twice at home last weekend to Canisius stretched the Gaels’ losing streak to four games.

The Gaels are now two points behind Canisius and six behind AIC for the final home-ice spot, with just eight games remaining in the season.

However, the season series with Fairfield has been anything but close for Iona. The Gaels have won all three previous meetings (including one non-league game in the Quinnipiac Cup), and the scores have been lopsided: 12-3, 11-3, and 6-2.

The 29 goals against Fairfield represent 37.2 percent of the Gaels’ scoring on the season, so if you think Iona isn’t happy to see Fairfield coming on the schedule, you’re crazy.

But it will be important for the Gaels to realize that this may be the last chance they get to salvage the regular season.

Army has played five games against the MAAC this season. They currently lead the series, 3-2, against MAAC foes.

Tuesday night’s game is the final game for Army against MAAC opponents this season.

Picks: This sure isn’t a case of putting my money where my mouth is. Regardless of everything, the Gaels sweep the weekend, 3-1 and 7-4. Army is too much for the Gaels, winning 5-2.

Quinnipiac (18-3-2, 16-3-2 MAAC) at Air Force Friday, 7:00 pm MT, Cadet Ice Arena, Colorado Springs, Colo. Saturday, 7:00 pm MT, Cadet Ice Arena, Colorado Springs, Colo. Quinnipiac at Sacred Heart (5-17-1, 5-15-1 MAAC) Tuesday, 7:30 pm ET, Milford Ice Pavilion, Fairfield, Conn.

The Quinnipiac Braves continue to hold a six-point lead on first place in the MAAC, thanks to their ability to bounce back last Saturday night and defeat second-place UConn on the road.

Splitting a weekend might usually be disappointing for Quinnipiac.

But, after a disappointing 1-0 loss to UConn on Friday at home, the Braves knew that they had one mission left to focus on last weekend: earning a split.

And earn the win is exactly what the Braves did.

Even though UConn held a 9-7 shot advantage after one period, Quinnipiac made good on two of those shots and held a 2-0 lead at the end of one.

And with a 3-1 lead in the third period, goaltender Dan DiLeo knew it was his responsibility to hold the fort.

Which is exactly what he did.

DiLeo made 17 third-period saves and had 33 saves for the game while earning the win.

That ends the season series between the two clubs, as each team won two games.

This week, Quinnipiac plays three games for the second time in three weeks. The first two contests are against D-I independent Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo; the only other MAAC team to face Air Force this season was Holy Cross, which traveled to Colorado early in the season and skated to a 5-5 tie in the first game before dropping the second, 5-2.

Quinnipiac has only played two other non-league games this season. They defeated Bentley, 7-4, in the Quinnipiac Cup, and also beat Army on the road, 3-2, on Jan. 12.

Tuesday night, the Braves return to MAAC action to complete a midweek series with Sacred Heart. The first game of the home-and-home was over a week ago, also on a Tuesday. The Braves won, 6-1.

The Pioneers fell victim to a weekend sweep by AIC last weekend, falling 4-1 on the road on Friday, and 3-2 at home on Saturday.

After winning five of their first eight MAAC games after the exam break, Sacred Heart has since lost three in a row.

A bright spot for the Pioneers continues to be the play of goaltender Alexis Jutras-Binet.

Since a Dec. 4 loss to Canisius, when Jutras-Binet’s goals against-average ballooned to 6.11, his GAA has continuously fallen, reaching a season-low of 4.42.

Though still high, this is the improvement that Pioneer coach Shaun Hannah will have to look for as his team enters into the playoffs.

Picks: Air Force’s offense is too much for Quinnipiac. The Braves fall 5-2, 4-3 in Colorado. Quinnipiac shakes off the jet lag on Tuesday and pulls out a close game, 3-2.

This Week in the CCHA: February 12, 1999

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Last year at this time, we learned that hockey means never having to say you’re sorry. In fact, we learned that the word hockey can be substituted for the word love universally–when used as a noun and not a verb, of course, but let’s save that for another column.

Hockey makes the world go ’round.

Hockey will keep us together.

All you need is hockey.

In the spirit of both love and hockey, I asked CCHA fans to share with me their impressions of the nicest fans in the league. Perhaps it comes as no surprise that the response was small.

In general, people are impressed with the niceness of Michigan State and Ferris State fans, and many people commented on how nice Wisconsin fans are. Not a few folks complained about the student fans at Yost and Bowling Green. In all, there were no surprises.

"My overall impression is that Michigan State has the most congenial fans of anyone in the CCHA," writes Chuck Cliff, a longtime Lake Superior State fan. "Over the years just have met a number of nice Spartan fans. I also can’t remember any jerks along the way.

"I have met many fans from around the country. Wisconsin has to have the best fans in the nation."

Ben J. Buss, an Ohio State student and fan, has a similar view of Spartans–but you have to put his experience in context.

"I’d like to commend the Michigan State fans who came over and sat on the OSU side last year during the CCHA playoff game against M*ch*gan [sic]. They were great! (They told us some good stories too!)

"And contrary to popular belief, nice Cornell fans DO exist–I met one in 1997 on a road trip."

Michigan State fan Mark Kollar says that he prefers the fans of Northern Michigan and Ferris State to any other school he’s visited. "The fans I’ve sat around at both venues were very nice to an out of place Spartan fan and his wife."

Fellow Spartan Adam Loch says that the Nanook fans are the nicest he’s encountered. "They usually seemed gracious, a lot more than I would be after flying in from Alaska." Wolverine fan Joe Zurawski says the nicest fans he’s ever met are from Bowling Green. "I’ll never forget meeting several of them at Riverfront in Cincinnati [at the 1996 NCAA championships]. They were very friendly and were handing out stickers to be proudly worn proclaiming for all to see, ‘It is a great day for hockey.’

"A close second are the fans from North Dakota. I met several at Van Andel Arena during the 1997 West Regional, at the Bradley center a week later and at Yost Arena at the 1998 West Regional."

Another Wolverine fan tells a story about the Lynah-Yost link. "The nicest fans I’ve run into are Cornell’s and Yale’s," writes Donald Steven Adamek.

"Michigan fans have not forgotten that Cornell fans taught us their cheers in ’91. We didn’t just steal them, some of them took the time to teach the cheers to us. Since then, they’ve been our favorite team outside of the CCHA."

Kent Kanipe, a fan of both the Wolverines and Spartans–now, there is love–writes about Minnesota fans who left a lasting impression on him and his wife after a tough Golden Gopher loss.

"My wife and I traveled up to East Lansing for the NCAA regional match-up between Michigan and Minnesota on a Saturday afternoon. We picked up tickets at the door and they just happened to be right in the middle of the Minnesota section (actually sitting just a couple of rows in front of their pep band). If you remember the game you will recall that it was a tight battle, and Michigan pulled it out on the now-famous Mike Legg goal.

"Well, the Minnesota fans were incredibly gracious after the game ended, even staying and chatting with us for a while. They seemed very impressed with the Michigan team and its coaches, and wished us success during the rest of the tournament.

"What impressed me the most was the sportsmanship demonstrated in defeat. They said nothing disparaging and even though their team lost, they truly seemed to enjoy the game and the tournament atmosphere. Since that day I have tried to model myself after those Minnesota fans and parents, because that is what the game is supposed to embody."

Indeed.

Former CCHA commissioner Bill Beagan often described his relationship with college hockey as a great romance. Having met so many wonderful people along the way, I know exactly what Bill meant.

Happy Valentine’s Day, hockey fans.

With a 2-2 tie in South Bend and a 3-2 win over the Lakers at the Joe, No. 3 Michigan State remains in first place with 36 points. This weekend, the Spartans host No. 7 Notre Dame on Friday night.

The Buckeyes took four points on the road two surge into second place with 33 points. No. 9 Ohio State beat Bowling Green 3-2 Friday before beating No. 8 Michigan 3-2 Saturday. Ohio State travels to Northern Michigan for two this weekend.

No. 8 Michigan lost twice at home, 6-3 to Lake Superior State and 3-2 to No. 9 Ohio State. The Wolverines, two points behind the Buckeyes in the standings, travel to Western Michigan for one game Saturday night.

No. 7 Notre Dame tied No. 3 Michigan State 2-2 before defeating Alaska-Fairbanks 5-2. Notre Dame holds onto fourth place in the CCHA with 29 points. This weekend, the Irish travel to Munn before hosting Ferris State.

With 25 points, the Northern Michigan Wildcats are in fifth place. The ‘Cats were idle last week, and host No. 9 Ohio State for two this weekend.

Knocking on Northern’s door is Ferris State, sixth in the standings with 24 points. The Bulldogs were also idle last weekend, and this week they travel to face Western Michigan and No. 7 Notre Dame.

The Bowling Green Falcons remain in seventh place with 19 points after dropping a pair of games last weekend, 3-2 to Ohio State and 4-1 to Western Michigan. This weekend, the Falcons travel to Alaska-Fairbanks for two.

In a three-way tie for eighth place, Western Michigan, Miami, and Lake Superior State have 14 points each.

After firing head coach Bill Wilkinson, the Broncos took four points last weekend, beating Alaska-Fairbanks 6-3 and Bowling Green 4-1. This weekend, Western hosts Ferris State and No. 8 Michigan.

Miami was idle last week, and travels to Lake Superior for two. The Lakers beat No. 8 Michigan 6-3 in Yost before losing 3-2 to No. 3 Michigan State.

In last place with 11 points, the Nanooks head home after a disappointing trip south, having lost 6-3 to Western Michigan and 5-2 to Notre Dame. Alaska-Fairbanks hosts Bowling Green for two this weekend.

Last week’s record in picks: 2-6 Overall record in picks: 87-67

I’ll never ask you to do the math again.

No. 7 Notre Dame (16-7-4, 13-6-3 CCHA) at No. 3 Michigan State (21-3-6, 15-2-6 CCHA) Friday, 8 p.m., Munn Arena, East Lansing, MI Ferris State (11-10-5, 10-8-4 CCHA) at No. 7 Notre Dame (16-7-4, 13-6-3 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., Joyce Arena, South Bend, IN

Notre Dame’s big names and top line earned the Irish three points last weekend.

After trailing for the first sixteen minutes of the home game against the Spartans, Benoit Cotnoir (6-10–16) scored his fifth goal of the year, unassisted, on the Irish power play to bring Notre Dame to within one. Ben Simon (14-18–32) tallied his 14th goal of the season, assisted by Aniket Dhadphale (12-9–21), in the second period to create the deadlock.

In Saturday’s win over Alaska-Fairbanks, Brian Urick (11-18–29) and Dhadphale scored on the power play in the first, Cotnoir and Joe Dusbabek (4-8–12) scored even-strength in the first, and Simon added a second-period goal.

The Irish outshot their opponents both nights. On Friday, Notre Dame had 28 shots on goal to Michigan State’s 25; Saturday, they nearly doubled the shots on the Nanooks, 41-21. Forrest Karr (2.48 GAA, .903 SV%) logged the 125 minutes in the Irish net.

"We’re rolling along," says head coach Dave Poulin. The Irish are 7-2-2 in 1999, and are 10- 0-2 at home this season.

Poulin says he’s happy to have Urick back in the lineup after the high-scoring forward missed a few weeks because of a broken bone in his right hand. "He’s as complete a player as I’ve coached."

Urick is tied for fourth in conference points with Bowling Green’s Dan Price. Linemate Ben Simon is tied for second with BG’s Adam Edinger.

The Irish are leading the league in goals per conference game with 3.59. They are also among the stingiest teams in the CCHA, allowing just 2.23 goals per league game.

Speaking of rolling, the Irish power play continues to roll along at a stunning 24 percent in league play. Notre Dame’s penalty killing is just average, succeeding 85 percent of the time, but the Irish are the second least-penalized team in the league, averaging 18.36 minutes per game.

Others to watch are Dan Carlson (5-16–21), rookie David Inman (5-6–11), Chad Chipchase (8-3–11), and defenseman Tyson Fraser (1-9–10). Fraser has seen his share of injury this season, and the Irish are a decidedly-better team when he’s in the game.

No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 Michigan State–Part 2

Dave Poulin jokes about the schedule with the Spartans. "Well, you know, we don’t see them again until, well, this Friday, and then we don’t see them after that until next Friday."

One week after testing Notre Dame’s undefeated home record, these two teams get to do the same thing in Munn, where the Spartans are unbeaten in 25 games.

The Spartans tallied their two goals against the Irish last week in the first period, on the power play. Rustyn Dolyny (11-9–20) scored his 12th of the year and Bryan Adams (7-2–9) his 16th.

The Spartan power play has moseyed up from 10th place to eighth in league play, as Michigan State has scored eight times on its last 28 man-advantage opportunities (28.6 percent). The Spartans have at least one power-play goal in each of their last six games.

"I thought we played really well down there," says Michigan State head coach Ron Mason. "Those two power-play goals may surprise some people, but we won the special-teams battle, and that kept the game tied."

In Saturday’s 3-2 win over Lake Superior State in Joe Louis Arena, Shawn Horcoff (10-15–25) scored his 12th goal, Mike York (10-18–28) scored his 17th–unassisted, shorthanded–and Mark Loeding (3-2–5) had the game-winner on the Spartan power play at 19:58 in the second.

The Spartans allowed the two Laker goals in the third period. Spartan Joe Blackburn made 15 saves as the Spartans outshot the Lakers 38-17. The sophomore had 41 saves on the weekend.

"We played really well," says Mason, "and I thought they played kind of slow at first. The night before might have taken a lot out of them.

"The nice thing about [last weekend] is that we are still in first place. That’s all we think about–we don’t think about streaks or ties or anything. We just want to be in first place at the end."

Michigan State leads this all-time series 41-28-5, and 24-12-1 in East Lansing. The Spartans are 14-1-4 against the Irish since Notre Dame rejoined the CCHA in 1992. Of course, the series is even this season with the one tie.

Pick

Poulin says that Michigan State "sure looked good against us." He adds that while Mike York didn’t have a point in that first meeting, "he was a factor on the ice, no question."

Surprise us once, Dave, just once.

Ron Mason says, "When you are coming off a game like the one we had last Friday, it’s fresh in everyone’s mind the style that they play and the kind of effort we are going to need."

Again with the surprises.

Here’s what you really need to know. Not only is Michigan State unbeaten in its last 25 home contests, but the Spartans are unbeaten in their last 17 games overall (13-0-4), the third-longest streak in MSU history and the best since 1988.

The Spartans also enjoy a 14-game unbeaten streak against conference opponents, the last loss a 2-1 decision to Michigan in Yost on Nov. 20.

Sophomore goaltender Joe Blackburn is first among NCAA goaltenders in overall goals-against average (1.45), and he’s first in the CCHA (1.49). He’s second in the country in overall save percentage (.928), and second in the league (.926).

Yeah, I got the memo early in the season about Notre Dame, but this is Michigan State, this is Munn, and my pick percentage stinks worse than any locker room I’ve ever encountered.

Michigan State 3-2

Ferris State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame

The slumping Bulldogs bring a five-game winless streak to South Bend, where Notre Dame hasn’t lost a game this season.

Ouch.

Two weeks ago, Ferris State took just one point at home from Miami, losing 5-1 and tying 2-2. Prior to that, on a swing through Ohio, Ferris lost to Ohio State 3-0 and tied Bowling Green 4-4. The week before, the Bulldogs blanked Michigan 4-0 at home before losing 2-1 to Northern to start the streak.

Junior center Brian McCullough (9-8–17) leads the Bulldogs in scoring, and is the top Bulldog on the road with seven points in 10 away games. He’s also big in conference games, with 17 of his 20 overall points earned in league action.

Along with McCullough, Kevin Swider (7-5–12), Joel Irwin (6-7–13), Jim Dube (3-9–12), Brent Wishart (4-8–12), Geoff Bennetts (8-2–10), and Kenzie Homer (6-4–10) are the top contributors to the Bulldog scoring committee. Swider, a sophomore, is just one point away from 50 for his career.

Underrated sophomore defenseman Jim Dube is just one point away from equaling his total of last season, with 16 overall in 25 games this year. Dube is also +5 in league play–and not every high-scoring Bulldog can boast of a positive plus/minus this year.

It’s a shame, really, that the Bulldogs have slumped while sophomore goaltender Vince Owen remains solid. With a 2.24 league GAA and a .918 conference save percentage, Owen has the third-highest save percentage in the conference, and one of the best in the country.

While Ferris State is four league wins away from tying the school record of 15 set by the 1990-91 team (which finished third), the Bulldogs are not traditionally a strong-finishing team, so those wins may be hard to get. Ferris State is 28-40-4 in the last eight regular-season games of each year from 1990 on.

Pick

If the Bulldogs were playing some consistent hockey, Notre Dame might be a little more alarmed at facing Owen, who is absolutely the real deal. Ferris State is 22-9-3 against Notre Dame in the all-time series, and 6-2-1 against the Irish in the last eight matches.

Earlier this season, Ferris State lost 5-3 at home to Notre Dame, but beat the Irish 4-2 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.

Here is where I regain my faith. It’s all about the picks, baby.

Notre Dame 4-2

No. 9 Ohio State (17-10-4, 15-6-3 CCHA) at Northern Michigan (16-9-3, 11-8-3 CCHA) Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., Lakeview Arena, Marquette, MI

This series brings together two teams with nearly identical conference records, two teams riding nearly identical unbeaten streaks. The Buckeyes are 6-0-2 in their last eight contests, while the Wildcats are 5-0-3 in theirs.

One key difference is that Ohio State played hard last weekend and travels far this week to play, while Northern Michigan had the weekend off to rest up for "Oh-How-I-Hate" Ohio State.

(Only in Marquette do fans stoke any kind of rivalry at all with Ohio State. Talk about your long memories.)

The Buckeyes played in two electrifying games last weekend in arguably the two toughest road venues in the CCHA, and came away with four points and second place as a pair of Buckeyes tallied their first game-winning goals of the season.

Ohio State trailed for just six minutes on the weekend, after Ryan Murphy scored for Bowling Green at the 5:57 mark of the first period. All three goals in the 3-2 win over the Falcons came on the Buckeye power play.

Hugo Boisvert (13-21–34) scored his 19th of the season at 11:49 in the first to tie it up. Jeff Maund (0-1–1) got his first point of the season on Brendan Lafrance’s (5-2–7) eighth goal of the year just under three minutes later. Brian Morrison (1-2–3) scored his first of the season–the game-winner–with 15 seconds remaining in regulation.

Neal Rech (4-2–6) set the pace of the OSU-Michigan game with his fifth goal of the season at 1:05 in the first. Eric Meloche (5-9–14) followed up on the Buckeye power play exactly three minutes later, his eighth of the season. Boisvert had the game-winner, a steal from Bobby Hayes at the Michigan blue line when Hayes fell down and lost the puck, at 11:20 in the second. The junior’s 20th goal of the season was his first game-winner.

Jeff Maund (1.88 GAA, .932 SV%)–the goalie of assist fame–also looked pretty good in net for the Buckeyes, too, allowing just one even-strength goal on the weekend in 49 shots. Maund leads the league in save percentage and is second in goals against. He has given up just eight goals in his last seven games.

That first Buckeye line is playing incredibly well. Boisvert is +12 in league games, and his right winger, Eric Meloche, leads the Buckeyes at +14. Boisvert also leads the CCHA in league and overall points. The left winger on that line, captain Dan Cousineau (2-1–3) is just +1, but Cousineau has played only 16 games this season because of injury, and has been with the top line for just the second half of the season.

Other Buckeyes to watch include the always-underrated Chris Richards (5-15–20), who is not only among the league’s best defensive forwards, but combines lethally with Boisvert on the power play; J.F. Dufour (7-8–15), who seems to have found life on the second Buckeye line; and three defensemen: Andre Signoretti (3-12–15), Jason Crain (2-8–10), Ryan Jestadt (6- 2–8).

Jestadt and Signoretti lead a defense that is now second in the league, allowing just 2.00 goals per conference game. Jestadt, Signoretti, and Crain are also important components of the power play, which has performed at 25 percent during this unbeaten streak.

(This is especially important when you consider that OSU’s power-play percentage against Northern Michigan during the teams’ previous four meetings is 30 percent.)

Signoretti ranks third among defensemen in the league in scoring, and he picked up three assists last weekend. This sophomore is hot; Signoretti has not been on the ice for an opponent goal of any kind in the last six games. In those six, he has been on the ice for just 10 Ohio State goals.

Before getting last weekend off, the Northern Michigan Wildcats took three of four points against the Nanooks in Fairbanks, winning 3-2 and tying 2-2 Jan. 29 and 30.

Jeff White (3-5–8), Chad Theuer (4-11–15), and Sean Owens (3-2–5) had the goals in the first game, while Roger Trudeau (10-7–17) and Bryan Phillips (5-4–9) scored in the tie. Buddy Smith (2-23–25), and J.P. Vigier (17-9–26) assisted on Trudeau’s goal.

Dan Ragusett (2.40 GAA, .907 SV%) was the goalie of record both nights.

Vigier and Smith are seventh and eighth, respectively, in league scoring with Vigier leading the CCHA in goals (17) and power-play goals (10), and is tied for first in game-winning goals (5). Smith leads the league in assists (23).

The current Wildcat unbeaten streak is their best since winning eight in a row in February and March, 1992. The ‘Cats began the season with a six-game win streak.

During the current streak, Northern is outscoring opponents 29-15, including 16-5 during the third periods of those games. Rookie Chad Theuer leads the team in scoring during those eight games with three goals and seven assists, while Tyson Holly and Jeff White have scored the most goals, with four each.

Nevertheless, the games in the streak have been close, with three one-goal wins and three ties. And Ragusett has been hot, posting a 1.82 GAA and .929 save percentage in that span.

Picks

If all this information about Ohio State seems like overkill to you, consider that this team began the season 1-6-2, and since then has tied the season series with No. 3 Michigan State, and taken it from No. 7 Notre Dame (2-1-0) and No. 8 Michigan (2-0-1). The Buckeyes are currently one game off last season’s Final Four pace, and are outscoring opponents 72-48.

Northern Michigan is outscoring league opponents 69-61.

"Ohio State is coming into this series with a lot of momentum, and we’ll have to be ready to go as soon as the puck drops Friday night," says Northern head coach Rick Comley.

OSU head coach John Markell says he sees "the keenness" in his players’ eyes, something that he says has been missing since late last season. But he takes absolutely nothing for granted.

"We could go up there and play our best game and still not take a point. Northern’s an excellent team, and we have tremendous respect for them."

The all-time series is tied 17-17-3. Northern has a 12-4-2 edge in games against OSU in Lakeview, but Ohio State took two games there last season, and the Buckeyes are 4-0-0 in their last four games against Northern.

"It should be an exciting, fast-paced series, and we’ll need to win a couple games if we’re going to have a chance at getting home ice for the first round of the playoffs," says Comley. "Hopefully, our week off last week will allow us to rest up from our trip to Alaska and get ready for the stretch run."

Markell says, "I think it’s going to be an evenly-matched series. Whoever works the hardest is going to get the points. It could come down to a bounce here and a bounce there."

Markell’s right. The hardest-working team will win these games, and there are few teams that work as hard as Northern Michigan–and the Wildcats are playing for home ice.

That having been said, the Buckeyes are playing great hockey right now, and they want to finish ahead of those Wolverines in the standings.

Maund and Boisvert over the excellent Northern first line and the solid Ragusett, 3-2, 4-2

Miami (7-16-5, 5-13-4 CCHA) at Lake Superior State (7-18-3, 6-14-2 CCHA) Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., Taffy Abel Arena, Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Eight teams make the CCHA playoffs. Both the RedHawks and the Lakers are tied with the Broncos for eight place.

To quote Ella Fitzgerald, something’s got to give.

The RedHawks last played two weeks ago, when they took three points from Ferris State in Big Rapids, winning 5-1 and tying the Bulldogs 2-2.

Mark Shalawylo (10-9–19), Alex Kim (7-7–14), Patrick Leahy (5-7–12), Jason Deskins (10- 8–18) and Gregor Krajnc (3-4–7) had the goals in the first game, all scored even strength. Deskins had both goals in the 2-2 tie, the first shorthanded and unassisted.

Andy Marsch (3.31 GAA, .887 SV%) had 26 saves the first night and 32 the second as the ‘Hawks were outshot 36-24.

Last weekend, the Lakers defeated No. 8 Michigan at home 6-3, their first win over the Wolverines in 10 games. Even Jeff Jackson never won in Yost.

Tobin Praznik (11-6–17) scored goals 11 and 12 of the season in that game, the second goal holding up to be the game-winner. Also scoring for the Lakers were Jeff Cheeseman (7-3–10), Mike Henderson (1-3–4), Fred Slukynsky (7-4–11), Trent Walford (6-7–13).

In their 3-2 loss to Michigan State Saturday, Walford scored his sixth of the season. Ben Keup (4-5–9) had the second goal.

Jayme Platt (2.89 GAA, .901 SV%) was in net both nights, with 24 saves in Yost, and 35 in Joe Louis Arena as the Spartans outshot the Lakers 38-17.

Both teams are heating up at the right time of the season to take points, but neither is playing with any consistency. Both have recently beaten ranked teams or teams well ahead of them in league standings.

Miami has a tendency to blow games late, and the RedHawks give up lots of goals at the end of any given period. The RedHawks are 2-6 in one-goal games this season, and have allowed 22 goals in the last two minutes of any period. In the final two minutes of regulation, Miami has allowed 10 goals, including four game-tying goals and four game-winners.

The Lakers are scoring 2.55 goals per game to Miami’s 2.50. Lake Superior State is allowing 3.14 goals per game to Miami’s 3.27.

The Laker power play converts at just over 15 percent, while Miami’s is struggling at about 11 percent. The Miami penalty kill is successful 85.8 percent of the time, to Lake Superior’s 83.8 percent.

The RedHawks have more spark than do the Lakers, but this series is in the Soo. It may not at all decide eighth place, at least not in the standings.

Picks: Lake Superior 4-3 Friday, Miami 4-2 Saturday

Bowling Green (12-14-3, 8-12-3 CCHA) at Alaska-Fairbanks (6-19-1, 5-18-1 CCHA) Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m. AT, Carlson Center, Fairbanks, AK

Lack of consistency is something that plagues each of these teams, especially the Falcons, who have loads of talent but seem to lack that certain something to put them firmly in the running.

Last weekend, Bowling Green lost 3-2 to Ohio State and 4-1 to Western Michigan. The Western Michigan game turned into "a circus," according to head coach Buddy Powers.

"Savard [BG goaltender Mike Savard] was in the box for ten minutes in the third. [Jason] Piwko played well going in for him, but it’s hard to score goals killing penalties, and we had to kill a lot of penalties last weekend."

In fact, the Falcons lost the game Friday on Brian Morrison’s power-play goal with 15 seconds left in regulation. As for Saturday, Powers says, Western goaltender Matt Barnes played exceptionally well.

"He was the story of the game. What else can I say? We should’ve been up 5-1 over Western."

Ryan Murphy (7-17–24) scored from Dan Price (9-20–29) and Adam Edinger (13-19–32) on the Bowling Green power play to open the scoring against Ohio State Friday night. Craig Desjarlais (7-7–14) had the second goal in that 3-2 loss.

Edinger’s assist and goal on the weekend extended his career-best point streak to nine games.

Mike Savard (3.46 GAA, .878 SV%) was stunning in the Falcon net, saving 30 shots on goal Friday as the Buckeyes outshot the Falcons 33-22.

Edinger scored the sole goal in the 4-1 loss. Savard allowed 4 goals on 14 shots; in relief Jason Piwko stopped all 10 shots.

Piwko, a senior who doesn’t see much time in net, has improved his career save percentage from .830 at the start of the season to .852 by stopping 19 of 20 shots he’s faced in relief this season.

Bowling Green currently has a three-game losing streak, during which time the Falcon power play is two-for-15 (13.3 percent) while opponents have scored on nine of 19 chances (47.7 percent).

The Nanooks are 1-1-10 in their last 12 league games dating back to January 1, most recently having lost 6-3 to Western and 5-2 to Notre Dame.

In the 6-3 loss to Western, Chris Kirwan (9-4–13), Sjon Wynia (5-6–11) and Aaron Grosul (1-4–5)–the only Nanook on the plus side of things in conference play at +1–had the goals. Wynia and Kirwan had the goals in the loss to Notre Dame.

Ian Perkins (4.17 GAA, .878 SV%) made 36 saves, as the Nanooks were outshot 21-41 by Notre Dame. Perkins made 15 saves on 21 shots against Western.

Bowling Green leads this all-time series 9-6-1, and the Falcons are 4-2-1 in the Carlson Center. The Nanooks won the previous game this season, 6-5 in Bowling Green on Nov. 14.

Games against the Nanooks are not gimmes, but Bowling Green has been playing well above the level of this competition. Few defenses are a good match for the Price-Edinger-Jones line, and the Nanook defense gives up a lot of goals per game.

Pick: Bowling Green 4-2, 5-2

Ferris State (11-10-5, 10-8-4 CCHA) at Western Michigan (5-16-6, 4-13-6 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., Lawson Arena, Kalamazoo, MI No. 8 Michigan (17-8-4, 14-6-3 CCHA) at Western Michigan (5-16-6, 4-13-6 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., Lawson Arena, Kalamazoo, MI

The Broncos moved from 11th place to a three-way tie for eighth with their first back-to-back wins of the season last weekend, 6-3 over UAF and 4-1 over Bowling Green.

With his two goals against Fairbanks, Chad Kline (4-4–8) earned CCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors, and freshman Anthony Battaglia was the CCHA Rookie of the Week after helping kill 12 of 13 opponent power-play attempts.

Also scoring in the game against the Nanooks were Corey Waring (6-6–12), Steve Rymsha (4- 5–9), David Gove (6-11–17), and Geoff Collard (1-4–5). Daryl Andrews (2-6–8), Chuck Mindel (10-5–15), Jason Redenius (7-2–9), and Matt Addesa (5-5–10) scored in the win over Bowling Green. That’s nine Broncos combining for a 10-goal weekend.

Matt Barnes had an excellent weekend, with 27 saves against the Nanooks and 39 in the Bowling Green game.

Before last weekend, the Bronco power play had scored no goals on its last 15 chances, but converted 5-of-13 times last weekend, for a two-game conversion rate of 38.5 percent. The 10 goals the Broncos scored were in stark contrast to the single goal Western had scored in its three previous contests.

Geoff Collard’s goal was his first in 101 games. Talk about a dry spell. Jason Redenius snapped a 12-game scoreless streak, and Chuck Mindel’s 10th goal of the season Saturday gives him the lead among Bronco goal-scorers. One more for Mindel and he’ll match his career high, achieved as a rookie with Illinois-Chicago.

Ferris State vs. Western Michigan

Western lost 3-1 to Ferris State in the Broncos’ season opener, and the teams skated to a 2-2 tie in Big Rapids on Dec. 5, when Ferris was the ninth-ranked team in the country. Western leads this all-time series 50-26-6.

After taking just one point from Miami at home two weeks ago, the Bulldogs have had a lot of time to adjust their game in order to beat teams they should be beating with Vince Owen in net. Western Michigan is one of those teams.

Interim Bronco head coach Jim Culhane says, "All I’ve asked from our team is to compete. We’re fighting for a playoff spot and each game is like a playoff game for us. We’re really not doing anything different than before.

"Ferris is shooting for a home ice spot, and after having last week off, and will be rested for us."

Pick: Ferris State 4-1

No. 8 Michigan vs. Western Michigan

Culhane says, "Michigan should be very disappointed after losing twice last week at home. When’s the last time that happened?"

Well, Jim, since you asked, the last time Michigan dropped back-to-back games at home was Feb. 12 and 13, 1998, against Lake Superior State.

Michigan’s last five-game winless streak came in the 1988-98 season, when the Wolverines went 0-7-2 from Nov. 18 through Dec. 16.

After losing 6-3 to Lake Superior State and 3-2 to those pesky Buckeyes last weekend, look for the Wolverines to attempt to return to winning form in Kalamazoo, in spite of the fact that Michigan is 0-4-2 in its last six games away from Yost. In those six games, the Wolverines have been outscored 15-7.

What’s happening with Michigan, a team that went 6-0-2 in its first eight games on the road this season?

"I think it’s a combination of everything," says Wolverine head coach Red Berenson. "Look at the scheduling of those last five games. Three were against top-ten teams. I don’t think there was much to choose from between those teams, and the Lake game was just one of those things."

One of those things when freshman goaltender Josh Blackburn (2.22 GAA, .907 SV%) allowed six goals on 23 shots. Blackburn did rebound with an excellent game against Ohio State the following night, stopping 21 of 24 shots on goal. Toward the end of the third, Blackburn made an incredible save on a J.F. Dufour-Neal Rech breakaway to keep the Wolverines to within one.

Mike Van Ryn (7-7–14), Jeff Jillson (3-10–13), and Josh Langfeld (11-7–18) had the goals against Lake Superior State. The Michigan power play was effective against Ohio State in the 3-2 loss, accounting for both goals. Sean Ritchlin (7-2–9) scored his eighth goal of the season and Josh Langfeld his 13th.

Berenson says, "I think we’re struggling to be the same kind of team we were in the past, but we’re competitive. We’re not dominating anyone.

"We’re about where I thought we’d be going into this season. We’re not a great team; we’re a competitive team.

"We lost seven games after Christmas, and it’s a struggle lately. We’ve blown too many chances, given up too many goals. We’re getting trapped, making poor choices. It’s disappointing."

Team-leading freshman Mike Comrie (10-14–24) is the only Wolverine to reach double digits in both goals and assists. The last rookie to lead Michigan in goals was Denny Felsner, who netted 30 goals during the 1988-89 season, on his way to leading Michigan in goals all four of his seasons with the Wolverines.

Bubba Berenzweig (3-12–15) played an impressive game Saturday, assisting on Langfeld’s goal. With that assist, the senior defenseman topped his previous career-high 19 points in one season, established in both his sophomore and junior seasons.

The Wolverines lead this all-time series 40-22-7, and are undefeated against Western Michigan in the last seven meetings (6-0-1). In the last 36 matches between the Wolverines and the Broncos, Michigan is 28-3-5.

Michigan beat Western 6-3 at Yost on Jan. 16, a game in which senior Dale Rominski (11-5–16) notched his first career hat trick.

Jim Culhane says that since this game is televised, the Wolverines "are definitely going to be motivated to play."

And how.

Pick: Michigan 6-3

This Week in the ECAC: February 12, 1999

By Becky Blaeser & Jayson Moy
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In a situation no different from any other year, ties for position in the ECAC standings abound.

There’s a tie at the top, between Clarkson and St. Lawrence. The Knights swept a pair last weekend from Dartmouth and Vermont while the Saints picked up three points against the same two teams.

There’s a tie for third place, between Princeton and Rensselaer. The Tigers were swept last weekend by Colgate and Cornell and the Engineers won their lone game over Brown.

There’s a tie for fifth place, between Yale and Colgate. Yale picked up three points with a win over Cornell and a tie against the Red Raiders. Colgate also got two more with a victory over Princeton.

Hey, there isn’t a tie for seventh place! Cornell sits there all alone after picking up two points with a win over Princeton after a loss to Yale.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

There’s a tie for eighth place between Brown and Vermont. Brown earned two points with a win over Union after a loss to Rensselaer the night before, and Vermont nailed one point with a tie against St. Lawrence before falling to Clarkson.

Ah, another team alone in the standings. Harvard currently holds the last playoff spot after tying Union on Friday evening.

There is essentially a tie between Dartmouth and Union because neither wants to be where they are right now — out of the playoffs. Dartmouth is one point out after dropping a pair in the North Country, and Union picked up one point on the weekend.

Have a look yourself.

ECAC Standings

The Nitty-Gritty.

That’s what it’s come down to. Four weeks left — eight games — home ice or just a trip to Placid. Everything is on the line in the next four weeks.

Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for the wildest ride in college hockey — the stretch run in the ECAC.

Last Week: 6-6 Season To Date: 92-67, .579

Rensselaer (16-7-1, 9-4-1 ECAC, T-3rd) and Union (3-18-3, 1- 11-2 ECAC, 12th) at Clarkson (14-9-1, 11-3-0 ECAC, T-1st) Friday – Saturday, 7:30 pm – 7:00 pm, Potsdam, NY Union (3-18-3, 1-11-2 ECAC, 12th) and Rensselaer (16-7-1, 9-4-1 ECAC, T-3rd) at St. Lawrence (15-9-2, 10-2-2 ECAC, T-1st) Friday – Saturday, 7:30 pm – 7:00 pm, Canton, NY

The Engineers of Rensselaer came off of a sweep at the hands of Clarkson and St. Lawrence going into last weekend’s lone game with Brown. After ending two periods of play tied at two, the Engineers scored five times in the third period to record a 7-3 victory over the Bears.

"We picked it up a couple of notches in the third period," said Engineer head coach Dan Fridgen. "We got back to basics in the third period in doing what we do best — scoring goals and playing well defensively in our own end."

Having a single game last weekend at a time when all the other ECAC teams were playing a pair didn’t seem to faze Fridgen.

"It gives us some time to prepare and enjoy the win," he said of the rare day off. "This will give us some time to pick up some confidence that we might have lost last weekend."

The Engineers will get to face the North Country rivals once again this weekend, except it will be in the lovely confines of Northern New York.

"We’ve got a huge weekend coming up in the North Country," said Fridgen. "They don’t take kindly to visitors, but hopefully we’ll be ready for that trip. We’re not out for revenge, redemption is really what we are looking for."

Not only is the North Country a place many teams leave shaking their heads — which the Engineers did last year with a 1-0 loss to St. Lawrence and a 11-0 loss to Clarkson — but this is also a set against the co-leaders of the ECAC.

"All the better," said Fridgen. "It’s real tight up there. We got the ship back on course, and we just have to keep on plowing through the waters."

Union picked up one point last weekend in a tie against Harvard, but couldn’t gather any others in dropping a 5-2 game to Brown on Saturday. Despite picking up one point, the Dutchmen are no closer to making the last playoff position than they were a week ago, remaining four points behind the Crimson for the last spot.

"We certainly have a tough road trip ahead going against the teams that are at the top," said head coach Kevin Sneddon. "That’s always a tough trip and now you throw in that they are both playing as well as they are. We have to step up to the challenge. If these guys want to play in the postseason then they have to show up on Friday night.

"These are our playoffs now. We have to win some of these games if we want to be in the playoffs."

After a fine performance against the Crimson on Friday in a 1-1 tie, the Dutchmen had the game tied against Brown at two, but the Bears scored three times in the last 22 minutes of the game to take the win.

"We had some chances again [Saturday]," said Sneddon. "We didn’t play as well defensively as on Friday, again we had a lot of offensive opportunities, but we just didn’t bury them. It seems like that’s been the story all year long. It’s frustrating, believe me. But we have to keep going and play 120 minutes a weekend."

Clarkson came into the weekend trailing St. Lawrence and Princeton by one point for the lead in the ECAC. The Golden Knights came out of last weekend with a share of the lead in the league with St. Lawrence.

The Knights defeated Dartmouth 2-1 and then Vermont 3-2 to take four points and a share of the lead.

On Friday, the Knights scored twice in the first six minutes of the second period to gain the win over the Big Green.

"We stole one," said Clarkson coach Mark Morris. "We didn’t deserve it, but we’re happy about the two points. We were out-hustled, out-hit and out-shot.

"We know we have to play much better to go anywhere this year. I can’t think of any facet of the game we’re happy with right now…except the win."

The next night the Knights broke a 2-2 tie in the third period on an Erik Cole goal that was mildly controversial. Some say it never crossed the goal line, some say it did. Either way, the Knights got the two points and a share of the lead in the ECAC.

Now the Knights get to take on Rensselaer and Union again, twice in the span of three weeks. One of the things that the Knights did do in that previous series was score goals — 10 of them in the two games. That total went to five goals last weekend.

"Nobody on our team is running away with any tremendous scoring output," said Morris. "But it’s nice to see that we’re getting good production from a lot of different sources."

St. Lawrence went to overtime in both of its games last weekend, tying Vermont 1-1 before defeating Dartmouth 4-3 with three seconds left in the extra stanza. The overtime win kept the Saints in first place, albeit in a tie with Clarkson for the position.

"Obviously it is a big win for us," said head coach Joe Marsh. "We came out flat and it took us about a period and a half to get it going. Vic Natali made a big play to get things started and from then on it was a pretty good game. Eric Heffler had another big night and we came out of the weekend with three points. If we can do that every weekend, we’ll take it."

The overtime goal was scored by Erik Anderson, second on the team in scoring with 23 points (7g-16a).

"Erik’s usual first thought is to pass the puck," said Marsh. "He is an outstanding passer and a great playmaker, but this time he had no one to pass to and got off a great shot. Dartmouth played an outstanding game and took it to us for at least half of it, but the guys reached down in the overtime and really worked hard to come up with the winner."

The 1-1 tie on Friday was a great battle between goaltenders, and the Saints’ Eric Heffler is one of the best.

"It was a pretty good hockey game, and certainly an outstanding showing by both goalies," said Marsh about the Vermont game. "Both teams probably feel they had chances to win it. I thought we did a fairly good job defensively in addition to Heff’s play, but we over-handled the puck on offense."

Picks: Rensselaer at Clarkson — This is Clarkson’s time to shine. The Knights continue to do so, putting some distance between themselves and Rensselaer. Clarkson 4, Rensselaer 2 Union at St. Lawrence — In the land of Heffler, the lack of an offense for Union will send the Dutchmen out of Appleton shaking their heads with their second shutout of the season at the hands of the Saints. St. Lawrence 3, Union 0 Union at Clarkson — Union came back to tie Clarkson in the last minute last season at Cheel. No such luck this year. Clarkson 5, Union 2 Rensselaer at St. Lawrence — The trend has always been toward high-scoring games in Troy (5-4 this year) and low-scoring games in Canton. Once again, don’t buck the trend. St. Lawrence 3, Rensselaer 2

Princeton (14-6-1, 9-4-1 ECAC, T-3rd) and Yale (9-10-2, 7-5-2 ECAC, T-5th) at Harvard (8-11-2, 3-9-2 ECAC, 10th) Friday – Saturday, 7:30 pm – 7:00 pm, Boston, MA Yale (9-10-2, 7-5-2 ECAC, T-5th) and Princeton (14-6-1, 9-4-1 ECAC, T- 3rd) at Brown (7-9-5, 3-7-4 ECAC, T-8th) Friday – Saturday, 7:30 pm – 7:00 pm, Providence, RI

It’s sad to see a team that looked so good fall so hard.

As if wasn’t bad enough that Princeton dropped two bad games last weekend against Cornell and Colgate, the Tigers now will be without the services of All-American defenseman Steve Shirreffs, who sprained his knee against Colgate. He is expected to miss four weeks; in addition, Benoit Morin and possibly J.P. Acosta could be out this weekend too.

"The preliminary MRI results [on Shirreffs] show a knee injury to the MCL so he is going to be out three to four weeks," said Princeton head coach Don "Toot" Cahoon. "Every team goes through this, and hopefully we will see him before the season is out and when it most counts: during the playoffs."

The once-feared lines of the Tigers have been all but dismantled as the team appears to be losing steam and confidence. Hobey Baker hopeful Jeff Halpern chipped in his obligatory three points on the weekend, but he got little help from his teammates, who amassed an outrageous 107 penalty minutes on the weekend.

"First of all, we were outplayed on Friday night. Colgate played with a purpose and most assuredly we did not, and consequently the game went the way it should have," Cahoon said. "Saturday night was another story. We played with poise, we got off to a good start and then it developed into something other than we thought it would."

Another big factor for the Tigers has been the disappearing act of senior co-captain Syl Apps on the offensive end. In the first two months of play, Apps recorded at least a point in nine of 12 games as the team cruised to a 9-2-1 record.

Since 1999 has arrived, Apps has gone pointless in six of nine games, during which time the Tigers are 5-4. This past weekend, Apps was kept off the scoreboard once again, and most notably finished with a five-minute major against Colgate and then a 10-minute misconduct infraction against Cornell the following night.

"First of all, Syl is a defensive player, so his offense comes from his defense," Cahoon said. "This is a difficult time for Princeton kids — going into exams, coming out of exams — and there is a lot of continuity that is lost. I think that Syl, as will a lot of our other guys, will gain back that offensive prowess that they had earlier in the year in the next few weeks."

The challenge has been set in front of the Tigers, who face the possibility of falling farther out of the top playoff positions this weekend, as they are faced with two winnable games against two teams struggling to find a winning formula — namely Harvard and Brown.

Two wins would most likely resurrect and spearhead Princeton into the final three weekends of ECAC action, while a pair of losses would spell certain doom for the small band of Tigers struggling for home ice.

For anyone who doubted Yale’s potential to be a contender come March, it is time to own up to the mistake. After a dismal start to the season in which the Bulldog offense struggled while the defense was attempting to find an identity without Ray Giroux, the Bulldogs have recently proven that they are a contender.

What else can you say about a team that everyone forgot about until the past two weekends in which they claimed seven points from a home-and-away series with Cornell and Colgate to move into a tie for fifth and only three points out of third place in the ECAC race?

This past weekend, Yale held off a hungry Cornell team, 2-1, on Friday night and then managed to pull out a respectable 4-4 tie the following night against Colgate. Jeff Hamilton continued to pile on the points (3 goals, two assists), while Alex Westlund played the role of savior by collecting 83 saves on the weekend, including 47 against the Red Raiders.

"I think few teams have that kind of finisher [like Hamilton]," said Yale head coach Tim Taylor. "It’s part of our team makeup and team chemistry, and it’s one of the weapons that we have. Against a team like Cornell, we give away a lot in size and maybe in experience and age, but both our special weapons — Westlund in the goal and Hamilton up front — paid some dividends and were key elements in the fact that we could go in there into that environment and come away with a 2-1 win."

The downside to the weekend for Yale, however, was the loss of defenseman John Gauger, who injured his hand in the second period and is expected to miss at least three weeks of action.

"It’s a loss, because John was just rounding into shape in terms of his physical condition and his mental condition," Taylor said. "His confidence was rising and the team’s confidence in him to handle any situation was improving. He’s a strong kid, both mentally and physically, so he’ll get through this."

This weekend, Yale will hit the road once again and face-off against a potentially dangerous Harvard team on Friday night. Earlier in the season, Taylor and Co. rattled the Crimson at Ingalls Rink with a 7-1 thrashing, but traditionally, Bright Hockey Center has not been a kind place for the Bulldogs. They entered last season’s meeting in Cambridge having gone 0-for-Bright, without a win in 19 tries since it opened in 1979.

If Yale can play the same style of hockey it has in the past couple of weeks, however, then there is no doubt that the Bulldogs should waltz back to New Haven with four more points.

"Lynah Rink is a tough place to play, and it came down to our character in terms of our getting out of there with a win in that situation, so it was a good testament to the character of our team," Taylor said. "For that, I’m proud and thankful that we’re coming together as a team, but I’m a little disappointed that we got out-skated so badly. I wouldn’t say we got out-worked, but we got out-skated."

The Beanpot has come and gone and Harvard is once again finding itself having to look forward as the past left nothing good in its wake.

The Crimson headed into the historic Boston Tournament as the one of the favorites and finished dead last after consecutive losses to Northeastern and then most recently to Boston College in the consolation game on Monday night. In addition, while the team was in the midst of the Beanpot mayhem, it also allowed Union to steal a point from it last Friday night at Achilles Rink.

That tie may prove to be highly significant considering that Harvard is currently sitting in 10th place in the ECAC standings, just one point ahead of Dartmouth.

"The Union game felt like a loss," said Harvard head coach Ronn Tomassoni. "That was a point that we should have gotten. Then Boston College came out with two in the first two minutes, and it just deflated us."

Despite the wretched start, the Crimson responded by taking a 3-1 lead midway through the second period off a four-on-four Scott Turco tally. B.C. quickly found Harvard netminder Oliver Jonas’ weak spot (his five-hole), however, as they posted two goals to equalize the contest heading into the final period.

That’s where it all fell apart for the Crimson. Even a goaltending change which sent Harvard’s ace, J.R. Prestifilippo into the game to relieve Jonas, had no effect as the Harvard defense fell apart piece by piece. There was little backchecking, no marking in front of the net, and absolutely zero energy on the side of the Crimson players which led to the eventual 6-4 defeat.

"It was a Beanpot game, but it was the consolation game," said Harvard captain Craig Adams. I don’t think that anyone is going to lose sleep that we lost this game. We have to focus on our league games."

Unfortunately for the Crimson, the team may be without the services for sophomore scoring ace Steve Moore, who was injured during the Union games, this weekend as it hosts Yale and Princeton at Bright Hockey Center.

The split seems to be the tale of the season for Brown. Once again, the Bears had its ups and downs this past weekend when it got shelled, 7-3, by RPI on Friday night before rebounding with a solid 5-2 win over Union on Saturday.

Against the Engineers, the Bears kept the contest close after two periods following goals by Matt Kohansky and Jade Kersey, but the third period turned into a nightmare very quickly. RPI exploded for five goals, including the first two of the period which were scored within a 25 second span, to seal the contest and send Brown reeling farther towards the ECAC cellar.

Instead of folding, however, the Bears ventured to the next town over and took its frustration out at Achilles Rink on the Skating Dutchmen, who were coming off a tie the night before against Harvard. Brown netminder Scott Stirling, who allowed all seven goals against the Engineers, responded as well, finishing with a game-high 38 saves against the Skating Dutchmen.

"We were up 2-0 but I didn’t think we were playing very well," said Brown head coach Roger Grillo, who got a three-point performance from Mike Bent against Union. "We were lucky on a couple of goals, but if Scotty had not played well for us in the first, I was not happy with the way we played in the first period.

"It was a real good effort for us. We started out doing stupid things and for some reason we were playing young. Even though we are young, we can’t be playing that way at this time of the season. But [Saturday night] was good for us. We settled down, played well in the second half of the game and we got the job done."

In addition to Bent, who is third on the team in scoring with 17 points, the line of Jeff Lawler, James Duval, and Shawn Brackenridge is beginning to become an offensive factor in recent games, but is still lacking the consistency Grillo desires from one of his top lines at this point of the season. This past weekend, the trio accounted for three points, including Brown’s first goal against Union just 1:12 into the period.

This weekend will present a new challenge for the Bears who must find a way contain the physical style of play of Princeton on Friday night and then the team speed of Yale the following night.

"There are standings and there are teams below you and in our league it’s going to be a dogfight until the last weekend," Grillo said. "The objective for us is to put as many points up as we can. We were playing good hockey [Friday] except for about 12 minutes and [Saturday] we played well except for a few minutes. We’re playing pretty great hockey right now, we just have to keep up with the good things and work with the bad things."

Picks: Princeton at Harvard — In the only other meeting between these two teams this season, Princeton eked out a 3-2 victory at a time when everyone else was beating up on the hapless Crimson. This time around, the roles have switched a bit. Harvard is playing a much better brand of hockey, in addition to being highly-motivated by the fact that the Crimson are fighting for their precious playoff lives. Harvard 3, Princeton 2 Yale at Brown — With team speed and potent weapons up front, Yale is a tough matchup for Brown. Despite the loss of Gauger, the Bulldogs should have no problem controlling Bent, Smith, and Lawler. The Bears, on the other hand, will have difficulty stopping Yale’s transition game as well as Hamilton up front. Yale 6, Brown 3 Yale at Harvard — The records don’t bode well for Yale heading into Cambridge, but for anyone who has watched the Harvard-Yale hockey rivalry the past four years or so, it is clear that the fear of Bright Hockey Center is no longer an issue. Yale is playing well and Harvard’s confidence is suspect. Yale 4, Harvard 1 Princeton at Brown — Princeton is having its own problems at the moment, but after being swept last weekend, the same thing shouldn’t happen again…even without Shirreffs on the blue line. It won’t be the prettiest game, but in the end it’s Princeton 2, Brown 1

Cornell (9-9-3, 6-5-3 ECAC, 7th) and Colgate (12-8-4, 7-5-2 ECAC, T-5th) at Vermont (10-11-2, 4-8-2 ECAC, T-8th) Friday – Saturday, 7:30 pm – 7:00 pm, Burlington, VT Colgate (12-8-4, 7-5-2 ECAC, T-5th) and Cornell (9-9-3, 6-5-3 ECAC, 7th) at Dartmouth (7-13-1, 3-10-1 ECAC, 11th) Friday – Saturday, 7:30 pm – 5:00 pm, Hanover, NH

Cornell started last weekend with a 2-1 loss to Yale at Lynah Rink. A 1-1 tie was broken with just over six minutes to play in the third. Head coach Mike Schafer was disappointed at the loss.

"What can I tell them," he said. "We outshoot them 37-15, and we lose a hockey game off a puck that bounces three times and finds the net. We have to change our own destiny; we get beat by a goal down at Princeton the other night in a game that we had under control. We get beat in a game tonight that I felt we deserved to win."

Good news came to the Big Red last Friday when defenseman and assistant captain Jeff Burgoyne came back after a battle with the flu that forced him to miss the previous weekend’s games.

"Getting Jeff back is huge for our team," Schafer said. "The kid lost 8- 10 pounds last week with the flu, and even though he wasn’t 100 percent tonight, he had a huge impact on the game."

Burgoyne assisted on the lone goal of the night — a 5 x 3 tally by Kyle Knopp.

The lack of scoring had been one of the woes for the Big Red, but they broke out on Saturday evening with an 8-4 victory over Princeton. The Big Red scored eight unanswered goals after the Tigers broke out to an early 3-0 lead.

Among the goals were two 5×3, two 4×5 and two 5×4.

The downward spiral looked as if it were never-ending for the Red Raiders of Colgate. Not only in terms of losses, but also in terms of lack of offense. The offense was not quite there on Friday night, but a 3-1 win over Princeton was the right medicine.

"This was a big win for us, especially against such a good team and after the difficult January we had," head coach Don Vaughan said. "We really refocused in the past week and got back to believing in ourselves."

Two goals in the first period were enough to put the Tigers away and the two points kept the Red Raiders in a tie for fifth place in the ECAC heading into a showdown the next evening with the team they were tied with — Yale.

After falling behind 3-1 after one period of play, the Red Raiders scored twice in the second period to tie the game and then the teams traded goals in the third period and each got a point and a share of fifth place in the standings.

"Quite frankly, we’re disappointed," said Vaughan about the tie on Saturday. "We proved we can skate with the elite last night, then came out flat. We have to learn to play all three periods."

Picking up three points on the weekend is a much needed boost for the Red Raiders and they hope to continue the push.

"Mostly we just have to learn to be a tougher team mentally. I wish I could say it’s rookie mistakes, we’re young, but that’s not the truth," Vaughan said. "It’s all about putting together three periods every night. Still, if we can play the way we did for five periods this weekend, we can contend."

After a great goaltending performance by Andrew Allen against St. Lawrence on Friday evening that resulted in a 1-1 tie, Vermont went into Cheel Arena and found itself in another low scoring affair with Clarkson. This time the Cats gave up a goal in the third period and lost the game 3-2.

As mentioned in the Clarkson preview, the goal was a bit controversial in that some thought the puck had not crossed over the goal line. Despite the controversy, it was not what was on head coach Mike Gilligan’s mind following the game.

"I didn’t see the goal, but that’s not the thing that’s bothersome," he said. "What was is that we didn’t skate as well in the third period as we had in the first and second.

"[Clarkson] believed they could put it away, I don’t know if we believed we could beat them."

The Cats are barely hanging on after a strong start to the ECAC season. With only three points in the ECAC since the beginning of 1999, the Cats are tied for eighth in the standings and face a tough weekend against Cornell and Colgate.

Dartmouth played two hard-fought contests against the two of the top teams in the league last weekend, and unfortunately it has nothing to show for its efforts.

Oh, the pains of rebuilding rear its ugly head! Instead of stealing a few crucial points from the weekend and holding sole possession of eighth place, the Big Green is now sitting in 11th place with seven points, only three points ahead of Union.

On Friday night, Dartmouth kept the offensive pressure on throughout the contest as they outshot the Golden Knights, 39-27. Two power-play tallies by Clarkson in the first six minutes of the second period, however, proved to be the difference en route to the 2-1 Dartmouth loss.

"It was not from a lack of effort," said Dartmouth head coach Bob Gaudet. "It’s all I can ask from them. We played a very good team in their own building, but it’s tough when you play a solid game and get an ‘L’. We just need to find a way to put the puck away."

The following night was much of the same as Dartmouth gave St. Lawrence all it could handle. Within the first two minutes of play, Dory Tisdale and Scott Peach found the back of the net for the Big Green for the early 2-0 lead. The Saints stormed back in the second period to tie the game at two, and after both teams notched a goal in the third, the two teams headed into the overtime period.

To add insult to injury, with only three seconds remaining in the extra period, Erik Anderson netted the game winner to send Dartmouth home with zero points for the second straight weekend.

"With a couple of bounces here and there, it could have been a three or four point weekend for us," said senior captain David Risk. "They’re the two top teams in the league right now, but we played them tight both nights. It’s disappointing. It was devastating, but you have to wake up the next day and continue to fight."

Once again, Dartmouth must go back to the drawing board this weekend as it hosts Colgate and Cornell — two teams that are playing exceptionally good hockey at this stage. Despite the recent losses, there is a positive side for the Big Green in that their p layoff hopes are still alive as the bottom teams continue to stay within striking distance.

"Right now we need to find a way to get into the playoffs and get some experience," added Gaudet.

Picks: Cornell at Vermont — The Big Red found some offense on Saturday against Princeton. With the taste of scoring once again, the Big Red motor into Burlington and get the win. Cornell 4, Vermont 2 Colgate at Dartmouth — The Red Raiders, too, have found the touch once again — both in terms of winning and scoring goals. They make the Big Green suffer through some more growing. Colgate 5, Dartmouth 2 Colgate at Vermont — That all-important fifth spot continues to be held, in part at least, by Colgate. Colgate 4, Vermont 1 Cornell at Dartmouth — More success for the Big Red. Cornell 5, Dartmouth 3

Next Week in the ECAC: Friday, February 19 St. Lawrence at Princeton Clarkson at Yale Harvard at Colgate Brown at Cornell Dartmouth at Union Vermont at Rensselaer

Saturday, February 20 Clarkson at Princeton St. Lawrence at Yale Brown at Colgate Harvard at Cornell Vermont at Union Dartmouth at Rensselaer

Thanks to Jason Frank, Juan Martinez and Steve Marsi for their contributions to this preview.

All photographs used by permission of the appropriate Sports Information Departments. Any reproduction without authorization is prohibited.

Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy are ECAC Correspondents for U.S. College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1999 Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy. All rights reserved.

Miracle On Ice

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When Ernie Hartlieb arrived at Miami University as a freshman in the fall of 1997, the campus he’d visited just once seemed eerily too familiar. When nearly every classroom, dining hall, or dorm the RedHawk forward entered gave him a peculiar sense of deja vu, he realized he had seen all of these places before.

Ernie had seen these places he was encountering for the first time months before, while lying in an induced coma.

“When I was under, I was having dreams about Miami, and I’d only been there once on the recruiting trip,” says Ernie. “I dreamed of things I never visited. Then I got there, and it was like, whoa! I was walking into places, and I’d get this weird feeling. I’d seen it before.”

On June 24, 1997, Hartlieb suffered an extensive head injury and lay comatose for eleven days.

“It happened right before my freshman year, in the summertime,” says the Sterling Heights, Mich., native. “I was playing pickup hockey at Fraser Ice Arena in Fraser, Mich. I didn’t have my chinstrap on.”

The Miami sophomore says that he collided with a friend, his helmet came off, and his skull hit the ice, fracturing on impact.

“Five titanium plates and 30 pins,” says Ernie. “They didn’t expect me to live.”

The 19-year-old sounds casual when he talks about his brush with death, but his father, Henry Hartlieb, repeats the story with the intensity of a man who nearly lost his son.

“It was a frightening experience,” says Henry, his voice low and sober.

“He was playing hockey the summer before last up in Fraser, just trying to stay in shape for his first college season. I was at work at the time. They were playing in the afternoon. I got home, and I checked the answering machine, and I had a message saying, ‘Mr. Hartlieb, you should get over to the hospital because Ernie fell and hit his head.’ And that was really all it said. I didn’t know how serious it was or anything.”

It wasn’t until Henry arrived at Mount Clemens General Hospital in Mount Clemens, Mich., that he learned that his son was fighting for his life. “When I got there the hospital staff was waiting for me at the door. They said he had fractured his skull and had to go up to surgery immediately because he had pressure on the brain that they had to relieve.

“I got to see him go up in the elevator into surgery, and that was the last time I saw him until he was coming out of surgery. It was horrible. For about four or five hours we just sat and waited, not knowing what was going to happen.”

No one, including the medical staff, knew whether or not Ernie was going to survive his accident and subsequent operation.

“After he came out, we talked to the doctor, who said it was too early to tell just what kind of condition he was going to be in, and even if he was going to make it. We were pretty shocked, to say the least.

“This went on for probably three or four days, not knowing which direction he was going to take before we had some positive signs from the doctor that the pressure was starting to come down and it looked as though he was going to recover.”

The doctors at Mount Clemens induced coma “to keep Ernie quiet,” says Ernie’s father, and for the first few days after the operation, Ernie’s parents and his best friend, fellow RedHawk Jason Deskins, were forbidden to visit him.

“They measured pressure on the brain, and every time someone came in to see him, the pressure would go up so they made us stay out for a couple of days,” says Henry. Ernie’s mother, Randa Hartlieb, says that while she was kept from visiting her son while he recovered from surgery, “I was not normal.”

Ernie says he knows how difficult it was for his parents, although he doesn’t remember sensing their presence when they were near. “My mom was a wreck. They told her on that first night that I was supposed to die.”

After it was clear that Ernie would live, his parents began to wonder what life would be like for their son after this traumatic injury. “We’re just thankful he came out of it alive,” says Henry. “Hockey was the last thing on our minds when all of this happened. When he started to recover, all we asked for is that he be normal and healthy.”

Miami head coach Mark Mazzoleni went to visit Ernie after the young man had been awakened from the induced coma. “It was awful. He was just off the coma. He was aware and talking. When you know Ernie, you know what he’s like, and there he was lying there cracking jokes.

“I didn’t know if he’d play. I didn’t even know if he’d walk.”

Ernie was released after spending nearly a month at Mount Clemens.

“When he got out of the hospital, we had to carry him to the car and carry him to his bed. He couldn’t walk,” says Henry. “He’d lost about 30 or 40 pounds, but he started to gain it back pretty quickly once he got home. He started eating again and getting his strength back, and his main goal was to make it to the first day of school.”

Not only did Ernie make it to the first day of school, but he was practicing with the team, and played his first game just six months after his ordeal. Eight months after shattering his skull, Ernie scored his first collegiate goal in Miami’s 6-5 loss in Bowling Green on March 7, 1998.

“He gave me the puck and I cried,” says his mother.

Ernie says his doctors credit his quick recovery to his youth and excellent physical condition, but as speedy as his return bto hockey was, Ernie says it felt like forever before he could play again.

“I was really antsy,” says Ernie. “It took until Christmas for the doctors in Cincinnati to give me the OK to play. I was mad that Coach Mazzoleni wouldn’t let me play.”

“When he came back to school, he did not participate in dry-land conditioning,” says Mazzoleni. “All of a sudden, though, he was skating, and that’s when we had a problem because he really wanted to go.”

Mazzoleni chuckles when he tells the story because it illustrates so much of Ernie’s character. “Ernie is a young man full of positive energy. He’s looked on positively by his peers and coaches because of that energy.

“He wanted to go.”

A year and a half after his injury and one year after his return to hockey, Ernie Hartlieb is a an integral part of a young Miami team, with six goals and six assists in 26 games this season.

“His skills are a lot better than most people realize,” says Mazzoleni, “and he’s certainly earned the right to play.”

Henry Hartlieb says that his son “hasn’t changed a bit,” but his mother sees a difference. “He’s gutsier now than ever. Nothing fazes him any more. And that scares me.”

The Miami sophomore thinks his mother worries too much, but he concedes that the incident remains as real now as it was in the summer of 1997. “It’s been a year and a half, and I talk about it every day as though it were yesterday.”

Ernie says he remembers that sense of deja vu that accompanied him when he began school in Oxford, Oh., in the early autumn of 1997, and he clings to the belief that he “visited” the Miami campus months before he arrived. People may scoff at his claims, says Randa Hartlieb, but she, for one, believes what Ernie tells her of what he remembers from the coma.

After all, she understands belief.

“While he was under, he had a dream that somebody pulled him from the other side, so God was with him,” says Randa.

“I prayed a lot, and everybody else prayed with him. God wanted him on this earth.”

Kazmaier Award Candidates Named

USCHO Staff Report
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USA Hockey Foundation president Walter L. Bush, Jr., announced Tuesday the names of the 10 candidates for the 1999 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, presented to the most outstanding player in NCAA women’s ice hockey.

Harvard features three candidates, while Brown and New Hampshire boast two each.

The candidates are Ali Coughlin, Princeton; Hillary Witt, Northeastern; Sara DeCosta, Providence; A.J. Mleczko, Harvard; Tara Mounsey, Brown; Angela Ruggiero, Harvard; Nicki Luongo, New Hampshire; Tammy Shewchuk, Harvard; Carisa Zaban, New Hampshire; and Ali Brewer, Brown. Coughlin and Witt are repeat selections.

“The USA Hockey Foundation is proud to recognize these outstanding student-athletes,” said Bush. “These talented players personify on- and off-ice excellence, making them worthy candidates for this prestigious award.”

Nominations came from the head coaches of women’s varsity ice hockey programs throughout the United States. Three finalists for the award will be announced March 15, and the Kazmeier Award itself will be presented to the winner in St. Paul, Minn., on March 25.

The recipient will be chosen by an 11-member selection committee comprised of women’s coaches, representatives of the print and broadcast media, and a representative of USA Hockey.

Individual tickets, priced at $100.00 for adults and $50.00 for children under 12, and table sponsorships may be purchased by calling John Donovan at the USA Hockey Foundation, (800) 566-3288, ext. 178; or Mike Snee at the Minnesota Wild, (651) 602-6017. Individual tickets and table sponsorship packages are tax deductible.

The inaugural Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award was presented last March in Boston, Mass., to New Hampshire forward Brandy Fisher. The award is named in honor of the late Patty Kazmaier, who was a four-year varsity letterwinner and All-Ivy League honoree for Princeton from 1981-82 through 1985-86. An accomplished athlete who excelled in ice hockey, field hockey and lacrosse, Patty Kazmaier-Sandt died on Feb. 15, 1990, at the age of 28 following a long struggle with a rare blood disease.

NCAA Nixes Tourney Expansion

USCHO Staff Report
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At its meetings in Chicago last week, the NCAA Championships Cabinet rejected a proposal to expand the NCAA men’s Division I championships from 12 teams to 16.

The proposal, brought by the newly-formed MAAC, would have taken effect either next season or possibly for the 2000-01 tournament, and would probably have required a move to four regionals of four teams apiece, rather than the current two.

As well as increasing tournament opportunities for all D-I programs, the proposed expansion would likely have made it easier for the MAAC, currently in its first year of existence, to obtain an automatic bid for its conference champion to participate in the tourney.

Autobids are currently in place for the four previously-existing conferences: the CCHA, WCHA, Hockey East and ECAC. Each of those leagues automatically sends both its regular-season and playoff champion to the NCAA tournament.

Although men’s hockey has added several Division I teams recently, including the advent of the MAAC, and expects several more in the next couple of years as Division II programs move up, the cabinet felt that trend was not sufficient to warrant immediate expansion.

“We looked at their sponsorship trends and we really felt that right now they’re pretty flat,” cabinet chair Jean Lenti Ponsetto, senior associate athletic director at DePaul University, was quoted in the online edition of the Ann Arbor (Mich.) News Friday. “Having 12 spots for 52 members gives people a pretty good opportunity to participate in the championship.

The door, however, was left open for future efforts.

“We’ll invite men’s ice hockey to come back to us again if their numbers start to move,” Ponsetto said. “Right now, with 12 teams of 52 getting a chance, that’s close to one-in-four.”

This Week in Hockey East: February 5, 1999

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Can it get any better than No. 2 Maine and No. 3 New Hampshire on Sunday, followed by the Beanpot championship on Monday? Get them VCRs running….

And speaking of the Beanpot, is there any better way to spend the first Monday in February than watching two overtime games in the Battle for Boston? Writers mindful of their deadlines groaned over the extra sessions — a blowout by either team would be preferable since the game story would be all but completed by the second intermission — but the fans and purists got their money’s worth and a whole lot more.

With a plethora of awards this week, let’s get right to the envelopes, please.

Player of the Month: Jason Krog (F, New Hampshire) takes this award for the second straight month. Krog ranks as the nation’s top scorer, while leading the country in both points-per-game (2.00) and assists (34).

Rookie of the Month: Barrett Heisten (F, Maine) posted a 6-5–11 scoring line for January, including three game-winners.

Heaton Goalie of the Month: Sean Matile and Ty Conklin (New Hampshire) both posted great numbers while leading UNH to a 9-1 January record. Conklin (1.60 Jan. GAA, .922 Jan. Sv%) and Matile (1.80, .918) split the 10 games.

KOHO Player of the Week: Jayme Filipowicz (D, New Hampshire) scored both game-winning goals against Northeastern and Providence, while totaling a 2-3–5 scoring line.

KOHO Rookie of the Week: Ales Dolinar (F, Boston College) registered three assists in two games against UMass-Amherst.

Heaton Defensive Player of the Week: Anthony Cappelletti (D, UMass-Lowell) led the resurgent River Hawks over BU and Merrimack, complementing his strong play in his own zone with a goal and an assist. Cappelletti (11-17–28), one of the league’s most underrated and underrecognized performers, shares the Hockey East scoring lead among defensemen with Maine’s David Cullen.

Hockey East Standings

Record in picks last week: 5-4 (include an oh-fer in the Beanpot as several readers have gleefully pointed out)

Season’s record in picks: 99-53, .651

The Beanpot: Championship Game

Northeastern (9-13-3, 4-10-2 HEA, 8th) vs.

Boston University (9-14-2, 5-9-2 HEA, T-5th)

Monday, 8 p.m., FleetCenter, Boston, MA WABU-TV68

Who’da thunk it?

Boston University hadn’t won a game since Dec. 27. The Terriers had lost to UMass-Lowell, 4-1, on Friday, a game in which coach Jack Parker sent Russ Bartlett, Chris Heron, Juha Vuori and Colin Sheen to the stands as healthy scratches.

So what happens against No. 7 Boston College, the only nationally ranked team in the tournament? Not only does BU win in overtime, 3-2, but Vuori and Sheen earn Parker’s praise while Heron and Bartlett collaborate on the winning goal.

"There were a number of guys that played extremely well," said Parker after the dramatic win, "but a couple that really stood out were two defensemen who didn’t play the last game, Colin Sheen and Juha Vuori. They both played extremely well.

"We got steady performances from [Joe] DiPenta and Danny Ronan. Pat Aufiero gave us a great game for a freshman. He played really well. I was really pleased with our defense overall. That was the difference in the game.

"The difference in our team over the last few weeks is that we’ve been real sloppy defensively and we haven’t played that hard defensively and been really jumpy with the puck. We were none of those things tonight. In an area where we could have been real nervous, we were as poised as we’ve been all year.

"And obviously we had a chance to win because [Michel] Larocque did what he usually does for us. He had a terrific game. When they had a few flurries, he stood tall for us. Especially in the overtime when they had a couple chances, he really looked sharp."

The win extended BU’s Beanpot dominance over BC to a stunning 11 straight games dating back to 1982. When Parker arrived on campus as a player in the sixties, the Terriers had lost six of the eight head-to-head Beanpot clashes. Since then, BU has posted a shocking 19-2 record in the match-up.

So what is the secret?

"Boston College has always brought out the best in us," said Parker. "The 1976 Beanpot final… the 1981 first-round game… those were the two times BC has beaten us and I remember those two games and it’s [still] hard to swallow. BC is our biggest rival and vice-versa. We have been very fortunate against them in this tournament, there’s no question about it."

Although any win over BC is savored by the Terriers, especially those in the Beanpot, Parker found this one particularly special.

"This was really satisfying because we have been struggling so badly in areas where there was no way we were as bad as our record was showing," he said. "It had a lot to do with our poise and how hard we were playing. And we played hard tonight and played with a lot of poise tonight."

One advantage BU did have in the semifinal contest, however, could turn against them in the championship game against Northeastern.

"The pressure was on BC," said Parker. "As much as we’ve been successful [in the Beanpot,] if we didn’t win it, well, we’ve won it four years in a row. There was a lot more pressure on BC just to get into the final. I thought we had an advantage there."

Against Northeastern, however, that same pressure of expectations could work against BU. BC was the nationally-ranked powerhouse, but the Huskies and Terriers share more than just canine nicknames. There is little to separate the two teams in the standings. But as the de facto owner of the Beanpot in recent years, BU will be a heavy favorite to take a fifth-straight title. Whether that becomes a Terrier advantage or disadvantage remains to be seen.

Northeastern, on the other hand, will be making only its second title appearance since 1988, when it last won the Beanpot. As much as BU has dominated the tournament, the Huskies have been its doormat. They’ve won it only four times and finished last more often than the other three schools combined.

"It’s great to be playing in the late game next week," said coach Bruce Crowder, who had wondered aloud at the Beanpot luncheon about his program’s continued ghettoization to the early game in the first round.

The Huskies will be playing second fiddle to no one next Monday, though.

"We’ll have to get some extra sleep next week," quipped Crowder.

Northeastern got to the championship game by rebounding from Harvard’s tying goal with 4.5 seconds left to win it in overtime. Brian Cummings became the Huntington Hounds hero with help from Ryan Zoller and defenseman Jim Fahey.

"Any time you can come into a tournament like this and especially win in overtime, they don’t really get much better than that," said Crowder after the thriller. "I told the kids between the third period and overtime, ‘This is what dreams are made of. You’ve got a great opportunity to be skating out there and be a hero. You dream about that and a lot of times it doesn’t come true, but now you’ve got it at hand. Take advantage of it.’"

And take advantage they did.

The game-winner, not to mention the entire box score, fit the team profile to a T. The Huskies typically don’t play a single senior and consist of only four juniors to complement the 11 sophomores and nine freshmen. Other than junior Billy Newson’s second-period goal, all the other points went to underclassmen. Freshmen Leon Hayward and Willie Levesque scored and assists went to rookies Fahey (2), Rich Spiller (2) and Zoller.

"I don’t think there’s enough time," answered Crowder when asked to assess the impact of his freshmen. "They’ve been fantastic. They’ve come in and a lot of kids have really surprised us.

"With us being young, for us to be successful we’re really going to have to get a lot out of our freshmen. They were equal to the task tonight, especially in front of this type of a crowd and this type of environment. As a coaching staff, we were tremendously pleased."

The burden on the young defensemen could ratchet up yet again if the ongoing blue-line attrition claims sophomore Matt Brown. Brown suffered an injury in the game and was being X-rayed for a broken hand.

For those expecting a repeat of BU’s 11-4 shellacking of Northeastern in the 1996 title game, that wouldn’t appear to be in the cards. While BU struggled coming into the tournament, the Huskies have slowly been putting the pieces to the puzzle together, losing only to Providence and nationally-ranked UNH and BC since the holiday break.

PICK: This flies in the face of Beanpot history, not to mention all the BU fans who have chided me for incorrectly picking Boston College last week, but the hunch here is that Northeastern will win in overtime, 2-1.

The Beanpot Consolation Game No. 7 Boston College (16-9-2, 11-5-0 HEA, 3rd) vs. Harvard (8-10-1, 3-9-1 ECAC, T-10th)

Monday, 5 p.m., FleetCenter, Boston, MA

Will the Beanpot frustration never cease for Boston College?

Ask current Boston Bruin Steve Heinze, an All-American at Chestnut Hill almost 10 years ago when the Eagles also had great teams but couldn’t win the ‘Pot, and he almost winces.

"Those would be my worst memories of Boston College," he says. "We never won the Beanpot…. BU owned the thing and we couldn’t pull it out."

This time, the Terriers topped the heavily-favored Eagles in overtime, 3-2, marking BU’s eleventh straight Beanpot win in the match-up.

"I thought our team played very, very well," said coach Jerry York after the loss. "We played very hard. It was unfortunate in the OT that we gave up an outnumbered rush. It was something we’ve talked about and have tried to stay away from.

"We had good chances to score tonight, but the bottom line is that you have to convert good chances into goals.

"But I’m very proud of how we played. We played hard and well. Full marks go to BU."

So how are the Eagles to regroup from this unkindest cut of all?

"You go to the next game," said York. "There’s no option."

Lest BC fans grow too despondent, a recent history lesson is in order. Last year’s squad used a crushing overtime loss in the first round as a launching pad for its stretch run, going undefeated from that point until the national championship game.

Can the Eagles repeat that performance? It remains to be seen.

(For a detailed look at Harvard, see this week’s ECAC Preview by Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy.)

PICK: In the game that no one wants to play, the Eagles dominate, 6-3.

No. 2 Maine (19-2-4, 11-2-2 HEA, 2nd) vs. No. 3 New Hampshire (21-4-1, 13-2-1 HEA, 1st) and

Northeastern (9-13-3, 4-10-2 HEA, 8th)

Friday, 7 p.m., Matthews Arena, Boston, MA

Sunday, 7 p.m., Alfond Arena, Orono, ME FOXSNE

Maine jumped in front of Providence last week, taking an early second-period lead of 4-0. PC rallied to make it 4-3 before the Black Bears pulled away to a 7-4 victory. The win gave Maine a sweep of the season series.

"We knew it was a game where we could gain on UNH and BC because both teams had lost to Providence and this was our third game [after two wins]," says coach Shawn Walsh. "So from the very start we were a very focused team."

Barrett Heisten earned Hockey East Rookie of the Month honors for his six goals and five assists in January. When he left for the World Junior Tournament, the freshman had yet to find the back of the net, perhaps making him the best forward in college hockey without a single goal. But he got the bung-puller first for Team USA and then in a collegiate sense against Boston College in his second game back. He’s been on a roll since.

"He’s a young freshman who was just getting used to college hockey and college life," says Walsh. "Clearly, once he scored a goal, he was much more relaxed.

"But Barrett Heisten doesn’t need to score goals to be a great player. He’s such an all-around, solid defensive forward that anything we get out of him in terms of offensive production is gravy."

With Sunday’s much-anticipated Clash of the Titans on deck, the Black Bears may be tempted to look past Northeastern and think only of New Hampshire. Walsh intends to dash any such leanings.

"The focus for our four days of preparation is Northeastern," he says. "We won’t talk about New Hampshire until after Friday’s game. Northeastern played us very, very well in the series up here [on Dec. 12-13.] That 7-7 tie showed how much strength they have offensively.

"I walked away from that series very, very impressed with that team. And last Friday, they had New Hampshire on the ropes and then won their Beanpot game. So they’re coming around."

Following that contest, the Black Bears will host New Hampshire in one of the marquee matchups of the year.

"I’d like to have more than one day to prepare for them," says Walsh, noting that the clash is UNH’s only one of the week. "That’s the difficult thing. But we’re at home.

"It’s clearly a game between two teams that have played very, very well. What’s a compliment to both teams is that in this day and age of a lot of parity in college hockey, these two teams have found a way to win.

"I’m really impressed with New Hampshire. They’re just an excellent club. Their overall speed is very good and they have a real commitment to defense. They’re the best opponent I’ve seen on film so far."

Special teams could be the deciding factor. The two teams rank one-two in the league in penalty killing, but while UNH is atop the league with a 24.03 power-play percentage Maine has struggled of late with the extra man. After leading the nation two years ago and trailing only Boston College last year, Maine’s power play has dropped from a superb 31 percent rate early in the season down to 21.40.

New Hampshire won its seventh and eighth straight games last weekend, squeaking past Northeastern, 5-4, and Providence, 4-2.

"We found a way to win," says coach Dick Umile. "I’m not surprised that the games were close. We were playing good hockey teams.

"Obviously, Northeastern is a good hockey team. They’re well-coached. The game became a power-play game. We got the last power play and ended up winning the game by executing on the power play.

"Against Providence College, Sean [Matile] kept us in it in the first period. In the first 10 minutes of the second period, we played well and in the last 10 minutes, they played well. But we played a good third period and gave ourselves the opportunity to win. It was a game that went back and forth. Providence played well, both goalies made some big saves, and we came out on top."

Jayme Filipowicz became one of the few defensemen to win league Player of the Week honors.

"He’s been playing well," says Umile. "We’ve got some great defensemen in the league and I’m not going to take anything away from the other ones, but Jayme and Stevie O’Brien are two very solid defensemen in the league. They’ve done a lot for our team. They lead our defensive group in general."

Along with Matile and Ty Conklin sharing the Goaltender of the Month award, Jason Krog took Player of the Month. As the nation’s top scorer, he’s getting a lot of UNH fans talking Hobey Baker Award.

"He’s a terrific candidate for it," says Umile. "I know it’s not on his mind 24-hours-a-day, but he’s doing everything he can possibly do to prove that he’s a strong candidate. "He’s the main reason that our team is where we’re at. We wouldn’t be doing what we’re doing without him, that’s for sure. He’s playing tough games: people are in his face, shadowing him, but he’s still finding a way to either set up a goal or score a goal for us. He’s having a terrific season so far and he’s a terrific person."

On Sunday, the Wildcats will be taking on the Black Bears in the first league match between Hockey East’s top two teams. The two titans did meet in the opening round of the Governor’s Cup, a contest won by Maine, 4-3, but that game did not count in the league standings.

"Right now, they’re playing a lot better than when we saw them in the Governor’s Cup," says Umile. "They’re a typical Maine team. They’re quick, they transition well, they do well in specialty situations, and they’re getting good goaltending.

"They’re number two in the country, not by mistake. They’ve earned it. They’re a real solid team. We’re going to go up there and hope we play our best and they play their best. It should be a great college hockey game."

Northeastern is profiled above in the Beanpot section.

PICKS: Maine defeats Northeastern, 4-2, prior to Sunday’s clash. Against UNH, the home ice advantage proves decisive, 3-2.

No. 7 Boston College (16-9-2, 11-5-0 HEA, 3rd) hosts

UMass-Amherst (6-16-2, 3-11-2 HEA, 9th)

Friday, 7 p.m., Conte Forum, Chestnut Hill, MA

Boston College is profiled above in the Beanpot section.

UMass-Amherst lost the first two of its three-game gauntlet against BC, 7-1 and 3-1.

"The first night down at BC we had a lot of guys with no legs," says coach Joe Mallen. "It got to be a long night.

"But the game back here [at the Mullins Center], I thought we played very well. We were beaten by a couple of great plays by two real good players. Bobby Allen jumped down on a power play and scored a real nice goal and Jeff Farkas just had a great individual effort to score the third goal.

"No matter how you slice it, we’re heavy underdogs in those games. But we stuck to our game plan that second night… and we were right in it the whole night.

"Now we have to just see what can happen three times in a row."

Following that third game against the Eagles, UMass-Amherst will be one of the few teams with no games left against Hockey East’s three nationally ranked powerhouses. The Minutemen close with two league games each against Merrimack, UMass-Lowell and Providence plus a singleton vs. Northeastern.

"We’re real excited about the last part of the schedule," says Mallen. "In the past years within the league, it always seemed to have been two at Maine, two at UNH and two at BU. It just seems that this year, if the Hockey East schedule can give us a break, this is the break.

"This is the time we have to make a move."

PICK: How will BC react to its Beanpot frustration? Look for a 4-1 win.

Providence College (13-12-0, 8-8-0 HEA, 4th) vs.

UMass-Lowell (14-12-0, 6-10-0 HEA, T-5th)

Friday, 7 p.m., Paul E. Tsongas Arena, Lowell, MA

Saturday, 7 p.m., Schneider Arena, Providence, RI

Providence’s bid to crash the party of the league’s blue-blood trio — UNH, Maine and BC — fell short last week when the Friars lost to Maine, 7-4, and New Hampshire, 4-2.

"We played well in the second and third periods against Maine, but got down too much," says coach Paul Pooley, whose Friars trailed 3-0 after 20 minutes.

"I thought we played a solid game at UNH, controlled the play a lot, but missed some chances. [Sean] Matile made some big saves for them…. They’re a team that has obviously won a lot of games in the third period. They’re a solid club."

PC now takes on a Lowell team that has posted an 8-3 record since the break and is only four points behind the Friars and fourth place.

"BC, Maine and UNH are the three top teams in the league and for everybody else it depends on who gets playing well at the right time," says Pooley. "Lowell is coming on, so it’s going to be a big weekend for us, as it is for them."

Coming off games against the league’s top two offensive teams, will the Friars be approaching the River Hawks any differently?

"Against Maine, you have to try to take away their transition game because they just come, come, come," says Pooley. "And UNH, [too]. But Lowell is a very good transition club as well with [defenseman Anthony] Cappelletti joining the play. They give the guys the green light to go, especially in the offensive zone. So it’s a matter of executing and taking care of the puck, making sure it gets in and trying to dictate what we’re going to do with them."

UMass-Lowell vaulted from a share of the cellar to a tie for fifth place with wins over BU, 4-1, and Merrimack, 4-3.

"It was an important weekend for us, but so is this weekend," says coach Tim Whitehead. "The way the standings are now… teams can make a jump like we did and leapfrog us as well. Our goal is just to continue to chip away at the standings and work our way up."

Here’s a pop quiz. What league defenseman is tied with David Cullen for the blue-liner scoring lead?

The answer is one of Hockey East’s most underrated players, Anthony Cappelletti. The senior, the Defensive Player of the Week, now totals 11 goals and 17 assists.

"We’re real proud of Anthony and how he’s developed here," says Whitehead. "He got some ice time as a freshman, but the end of that year was the first opportunity he had to really make an impact. He really stepped it up during the playoffs after not playing a lot of games. In his sophomore year, he made a big improvement and again in his junior year and this year, too.

"It’s nice to see a guy improve like that and come from a humble start and really make a name for himself. He’s a very underrated defensemen…. There are some others too, but he certainly deserves everything he gets, because he’s worked so hard to get it.

"The interesting thing about him is that he does not look like the smoothest player out there, but then he’ll amaze you with the smooth plays that he makes. He’s really a very composed competitor out there."

The River Hawks were 6-9 before the holiday break, but have posted an 8-3 record since. And two of those losses were to No. 3 UNH. What has been the key to the turnaround?

"As a team, we’re playing more conscientiously defensively and our goaltending has been more consistent," says Whitehead. "Scott Fankhouser has made a tremendous improvement this year.

"We had to be patient with him going into this year because he didn’t have a lot of experience, but I’m just proud of the improvement he’s made and the consistency he’s shown.

"He’s still working at it. There’ll be some ups and downs, but he’s given us the opportunity to win some games."

Lowell is now a sweep of this weekend away from a share of fourth place. Even a split, however, won’t be easy against the Friars, who won the first game in this series three weeks ago, 5-2.

"They’re a very dangerous team," says Whitehead. "They can be very explosive on the special teams, both on the power play and shorthanded. They’re a very balanced, hard-working team that I’ve been very impressed with. They’re a tough team to beat. They certainly handled us last time in our rink.

"They’re a team that I don’t feel has any weaknesses. You can’t look at them and say that this is what you can exploit. They’re a very sound team. They’ve got good leadership back at the blue line, they’re getting solid goaltending and they’ve got some offensive threats that you really have to respect.

"They’re a well-rounded team. We’re certainly going to have our hands full."

PICKS: The teams split, with each taking 4-3 wins on the road.

Merrimack (9-15-1, 5-9-1 HEA, 7th) at

Boston University (9-14-2, 5-9-2 HEA, T-5th) and

UMass-Amherst (6-16-2, 3-11-2 HEA, 9th)

Friday, 7 p.m., Walter Brown Arena, Boston, MA

Saturday, 7 p.m., Mullins Center, Amherst, MA

Merrimack lost its fifth and sixth straight games, falling to Brown, 3-2, and Lowell, 4-3. Against Brown, the Warriors outshot the Bears, 42-18, but Brown goaltender Scott Stirling stole one with his spectacular play.

"I thought we played real well, but we had major breakdowns," says coach Chris Serino. "It’s not like they just threw some pucks on the goal, they earned the goals that they got. So I’m disappointed that we didn’t play a full game."

Hosting the River Hawks, Merrimack bounced back from a 2-0 deficit to lead, 3-2, with four minutes remaining. A power-play goal tied the game, however, and UML got the game-winner with 1:15 left.

"We started slowly, but we played well and did a lot of good things," says Serino. "But we’ve got to do away with the major breakdowns because, right now, every time we have a major breakdown it’s going in the net."

Despite the losing streak, Serino is still encouraged by some aspects of his team’s play.

"I went back a reviewed film from us earlier in the year and we’re playing much better," he says. "We’re just not getting the results that we got early. That’s what we’re trying to impress on the kids, that if we keep getting better things will come our way."

Serino recognizes, however, that as much as wins can create positive momentum, losses can begin to snowball, making it all the tougher to right the ship.

"We held Lowell to six shots in the first period and seven in the second period," he says, "but they got 13 in the third. I thought we played the third period not to lose rather than to win. That’s where we’re at right now. We’ve got to start playing to win and not to not-lose."

Boston University is profiled above in the Beanpot section.

UMass-Amherst is profiled above in its game against Boston College.

PICKS: Merrimack gets back on track, topping BU, 4-3, and UMass-Amherst, 4-2.

This Week in the ECAC: February 5, 1999

By Becky Blaeser & Jayson Moy
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It’s heating up now.

With only five weeks left in the regular season, the jockeying for positions to get into the ECAC playoffs has already begun. After this weekend, every team will have eight games left with which to determine their postseason fate.

Speaking of weekends, the last one was huge for four teams. St. Lawrence and Princeton swept series this past weekend to move into a first-place tie in the ECAC standings, while Clarkson’s sweep enabled the Golden Knights to slip into third and Yale’s pushed the Bulldogs into a fifth-place tie.

It was not good news for Union, Rensselaer, Colgate and Cornell, which were swept by the above four teams.

Vermont moved up to eighth place with an overtime victory over Dartmouth, leaving the Big Green tied with Harvard for the last playoff position.

This week’s ECAC honors: ECAC Player of the Week — Jason Windle, St. Lawrence ECAC Rookie of the Week — Shawn Grant, Clarkson ECAC Goaltender(s) of the Week — Eric Heffler, St. Lawrence and Scott Stirling, Brown

ECAC Standings

This weekend is pivotal, as there should be tremendous movement in the standings with three ties for positions, two points separating first place from fourth, four points separating fifth from eighth and six points separating fifth from 11th.

Last Week: 7-7 Season To Date: 86-61, .585

Princeton (14-4-1, 9-2-1 ECAC, T-1st) and Yale (8-10-1, 6-5-1 ECAC, T-5th) at Colgate (11-8-3, 6-5-1 ECAC, T-5th) Friday – Saturday, 7:30 pm – 7:00 pm, Starr Rink, Hamilton, NY Yale (8-10-1, 6-5-1 ECAC, T-5th) and Princeton (14-4-1, 9-2-1 ECAC, T- 1st) at Cornell (8-8-3, 5-4-3 ECAC, T-5th) Friday – Saturday, 7:30 pm – 7:00 pm, Lynah Rink, Ithaca, NY

Previous Meetings This Season: January 29 — Princeton 3, Cornell 2 and Yale 5, Colgate 1 January 30 — Princeton 2, Colgate 1 and Yale 4, Cornell 2

What’s that saying about good teams finding a way to win? Well, as trite as the cliche may be, that was the way of the Princeton Tigers last weekend. With heavy legs, and still trying to recover from a 19-day layoff, the Tigers fought back from a 2-0 deficit against Cornell on Friday night to claim their 14th victory of the season and retain a piece of first place in the ECAC hunt.

The heroes of the weekend — senior defensemen Steve Shirreffs, Jackson Hegland, and Michael Acosta — have been relatively silent offensively throughout the season, but chose an opportune time to dust the cobwebs off their sticks. After accounting for only two goals combined in the first 17 games of the season, each of three blueliners found the back of the net against Cornell.

"Every game you are going to have different guys contributing to the team," Acosta said. "Having the defense do it is just to our advantage, that we know that we can depend on the defense for a goal or two or sometimes even three."

Colgate, still smarting over a 5-1 pounding from Yale the night before, entered Hobey Baker Rink the following night with a much-improved game plan against Princeton. This time, the Tigers fell back upon old, reliable offensive guns as Jeff Halpern (18-11-24) and Scott Bertoli (7-10-17) scored the only goals they would need in the 2-1 victory which sealed the four-point weekend.

One of the brightest spots for Princeton was the play of its rotating netminders, senior Nick Rankin and freshman Dave Stathos. A source of worry at times for head coach Don "Toot" Cahoon, the two goalies turned in similarly-impressive performances, registering 29 and 30 saves, respectively, to give the Tigers a chance to come away with the two victories.

"Dave is a 20-year-old freshman. He has played at a real high level of junior hockey and that shows," Cahoon said. "He competed against (Cornell’s Matt Underhill) who is a pretty good goaltender. Dave is a good one but it is a day-to-day process. That position is so fragile and you have to stay with it."

The goaltending rotation will in all likelihood continue this weekend when, for the second straight week, Princeton takes on Colgate and Cornell. This time, however, the Tigers will play the role of the visitors, and they will also be carrying the weight of being frontrunners. Precariously tied atop the league with St. Lawrence, which is again playing solid hockey, Princeton will have to continue to find a way to win in order to be in the driver’s seat come March.

One week ago, Yale head coach Tim Taylor declared that the first two weekends in February would dictate the direction his team was heading.

In clutch fashion, his players responded with two huge victories over Colgate and Cornell to move into a three-way tie for fifth place. In addition, the Bulldogs’ struggling offense was resuscitated (at least for two games) as the first line received some much-needed help. Even the special teams play showed signs of depth, taking pressure off Jeff Hamilton, who had been acting as Yale’s sole lifeline.

On Friday night against the Red Raiders, Yale produced its most decisive win of the season, jumping out to a 4-0 lead after two periods and then holding on for the 5-1 victory. After collecting only one assist against Colgate, Hamilton took charge the following night with two crucial goals, including the game-winner, in the first period to ice the Big Red.

"I think the special teams’ play was the key," said Taylor, whose team scored four power-play goals in the weekend sweep. Our second power-play unit did a great job of maintaining pressure and we had an awful lot of chances."

The story of the game, however, was senior netminder Alex Westlund, who not only finished with 31 saves, but became Yale’s all-time career saves leader. It was appropriate that Westlund placed his name in the Yale annals against Colgate, a team he has traditionally dominated. In his last four starts against Don Vaughan’s squad, the Bulldog goalie has allowed only two goals.

Westlund, last year’s ECAC Goaltender of the year, has been particularly affected by his team’s recent growing pains. Last weekend was perhaps the breakthrough he needed, as it marked one of the first times all season that the Yale defense was able to hold its own, perhaps finally letting the Bulldog faithful ask, "Ray who?"

"It was nice to break the record in front of the home crowd, but it was great just to win," said Westlund following the game. "We seem to play solidly against Colgate over the past couple of years. Our defense always seems to limit the quality shots against them."

Coming off such a successful weekend against Colgate and Cornell, Yale will have a chance to repeat its four-point performance as it heads North for the ECAC’s version of a home-and-home series.

"This is what we expect from ourselves every time we take the ice," said Yale senior captain Keith McCullough, who collected a goal and three assists in the two games.

"People try to tell us that last year was the exception, and that we can’t do it again, but my answer to that is no. We have basically the same personnel, and to say we’re not contenders to take the ECAC is crazy. I’m just proud as hell about these guys. We’re just tapping, just beginning to find out what we can do. We’re not going to be taken lightly anymore."

Things have not gone well as of late for Colgate. The Red Raiders are coming off a weekend in which they were swept by Yale and Princeton and have not won a game since a 4-3 overtime victory over Clarkson, a span of five games and have dropped three of those five.

In addition the Red Raiders have gone into an offensive funk. They have scored 13 goals in the last eight games, going 1-5-2 in that span.

"I am worried about our offense, mostly about the power play," head coach Don Vaughan said. "Our special teams are making the difference at this stage. Because we’ve been struggling, we’ve been pressing too hard at times. We have to be patient."

The Red Raiders have scored four power-play goals in 45 attempts in those eight games.

On Friday evening, the Red Raiders fell behind 4-0 after two periods of play and never recovered in the 5-1 loss. The next night against Princeton, the Tigers took a 2-0 lead before Colgate scored in the 2-1 loss.

"We got behind early and didn’t play particularly well after that," Vaughan said of Friday’s game. "When you’re already struggling with your offense and then you fall behind quickly, things get really tough.

"We actually played really well [Saturday]. We haven’t had much success there in the past and we fell behind early, but we battled back and probably out-chanced them on the night. The puck just didn’t bounce our way."

With the same set of teams this weekend, the Red Raiders are looking to right the ship.

"This kind of thing is a challenge every team faces at some point, but we know if we can take care of business at home it will pick us up," Vaughan said. "We just need to go out there and work really hard, stay patient but also take some chances. One thing’s for sure, though, we’ll be ready."

It was a lost weekend for the Cornell Big Red. The Big Red were swept by Princeton and Cornell. Before the weekend even began, Jeff Burgoyne was lost for the weekend with a case of the flu. Things did start well though for the Big Red as they took an early 2-0 lead on Princeton, but the second period saw two Tiger goals in the span of two minutes before the Tigers won it in the third period, 3-2.

"We’ve got to look at ourselves," Cornell head coach Mike Schafer said. "We’re the ones who made the mistakes in the second period to let them get back in the game. So, it was a frustrating night from that standpoint."

The next night the Big Red fell behind 3-0 in the first period, never were in the game and lost 4-2.

"It was a real disappointing weekend in the sense that I thought we got away, a couple of weeks ago, from making mental errors that were going to cost us games," Schafer said. "And we did the same thing [Saturday] and gave them a three-goal lead.

"Our guys were physically and mentally ready to play, but give Yale some credit, the first few chances they get to score, they score. Our guys don’t execute, and they put the puck in the back of the net.

"You can look back and say, `Yeah, we did a good job as far as trying to get back into the game.’ But you don’t get points for getting back into games, you get points for winning games and we didn’t do that [last weekend]."

One of the worrisome items for the Big Red has to be their lack of production. The Big Red have not scored more than four goals since Dec. 4, and have only tallied 26 goals in the 11 games since that date. In fact, the Big Red have scored four or more goals just three times this season.

"I asked some guys to start to step up their production because we’re depending on certain guys to carry the workload," said Schafer.

One of those "certain guys" has been the captain of the Big Red, Kyle Knopp. Knopp leads the team with 27 points, but only seven of those points have been goals. Freshman Denis Ladouceur has 10 goals to lead the team, while Doug Stienstra has seven goals on the season.

The Big Red will once again face off against Yale and Princeton this coming weekend — an oddity of the schedule, to say the least.

"It’ll be great to see the things that worked and didn’t work on video," said Schafer. "Obviously, it’s a great opportunity to get back and redeem ourselves after dropping two in a row down there.

"We didn’t play that well last weekend. You’ve got to give them credit — they played well against us. But the chance to play them again right off the bat is what we wanted. These are teams we feel we can beat. They’re good clubs, but so are we.

"I think it comes down to work ethic. If we work a little harder, we hustle after the puck and do the little things, it will lead to success this weekend."

Picks: Princeton at Colgate — The Princeton attack is still looking for consistent performances from both its offense and defense corps. As it stands, Colgate isn’t playing well enough to handle one or the other — let alone both at the same time. Princeton 4, Colgate 2. Yale at Cornell — The Big Red cannot be kept down for long. But then again Yale is one of the hottest teams in the league right now. But not at Lynah. Cornell 3, Yale 2. Yale at Colgate — The best news for Yale is that Colgate has entered the heart of its annual mid-season slump. After the Bulldogs dominated the Red Raiders at Ingalls Rink last Friday night, morale and confidence levels can’t be very high in Hamilton, N.Y. Yale 6, Colgate 1. Princeton at Cornell — The Big Red drop the season series to the Tigers, who actually win by more than one goal. Princeton 4, Cornell 2.

Dartmouth (7-11-1, 3-8-1 ECAC, T-10th) and Vermont (10-10-1, 4-7-1 ECAC, 8th) at Clarkson (12-9-1, 9-3-0 ECAC, 3rd) Friday – Saturday, 7:30 pm – 7:00 pm, Cheel Arena, Potsdam, NY Vermont (10-10-1, 4-7-1 ECAC, 8th) and Dartmouth (7-11-1, 3-8-1 ECAC, T-10th) at St. Lawrence (14-9-1, 9-2-1 ECAC, T-1st) Friday – Saturday, 7:30 pm – 7:00 pm, Appleton Arena, Canton, NY

Previous Meetings This Season: January 15 — Clarkson 4, Vermont 2 and St. Lawrence 4, Dartmouth 3 January 16 — Clarkson 6, Dartmouth 1 and St. Lawrence 6, Vermont 0

The deciding battle between travel partners last Saturday night could not have been more fitting. After Vermont and Dartmouth split their first two contests of the season, the showdown for bragging rights came center stage in Burlington, Vt.

And the winner? Following 64 minutes of hockey in which the teams registered 32 shots on net, Stephane Piche let loose the game-winning shot to give the home team the 3-2 overtime victory, its fourth of the ECAC season. It also delivered the Big Green a crushing blow as Dartmouth’s hopes to move into the heart of the playoff race continued to slip by the wayside.

"We wanted to prove that we’re a better hockey team than they are," said Dartmouth head coach Bob Gaudet. "They’re starting a line of seniors and we’re playing a bunch of freshmen, but our kids played hard. I’m disappointed in the loss."

Disappointment and near-misses have been the story of the 1998-99 season for Dartmouth, which continually battles with its youth across the board. A seemingly revitalizing three-point weekend against Yale and Princeton three weeks ago, for example, was quickly negated by two losses to St. Lawrence and Clarkson and then again by the heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Catamounts on Saturday.

Goaltender Eric Almon has posted solid numbers — allowing only three goals per league contest — but can’t make up for the defensive breakdowns and lack of consistency on the offensive end by the skaters in front of him. Admittedly, with each contest Dartmouth has taken strides, but as is the case with all young teams, each time on the ice is still a lot like a game of Russian roulette.

"I thought we outplayed UVM in the third period, but they came back and played really well in the overtime," said Gaudet, who did get a two-point performance from freshman Dan Casella against Vermont. "Our kids played hard and we had excellent goaltending, but we just couldn’t do it in overtime."

The road does not get much smoother for the Big Green, who heads north to take on two of the hottest teams in the ECAC — St. Lawrence and Clarkson. The last time these teams met, Dartmouth came close to upsetting the Skating Saints the first night, but fell short. That blow was too much for the Big Green as the next night ended in a disastrous 6-1 embarrassment to Clarkson. Gaudet just hopes that his team will show more mental durability this time around.

To say that the overtime win over Dartmouth was needed is an understatement for Vermont. After coming close to upsetting Clarkson a few weeks ago, the Catamounts lost to St. Lawrence and Dartmouth and were starting to free-fall in the league standings.

The Cats had gone winless in the ECAC since November, and were winless in 1999 (0-6-1, all ECAC games), plummeting from fourth in the standings to ninth.

There is still a great need for the Cats to get some wins and to get some points. The Cats can now move all the way into sixth place with two wins and some help from other teams.

Don’t look now, but the Clarkson Golden Knights are making a statement. After a weekend sweep of Union and Rensselaer, the Knights are sitting in third place, just one point behind leaders St. Lawrence and Princeton. That’s a move you might not have seen coming if you only looked at Clarkson’s 1-6-0 start to the season.

"We had a nightmare of a start to the season — we had a lot of quality teams right out of the chute and we weren’t quite ready to play those teams, and it affected our confidence quite a bit," said head coach Mark Morris. "We have a lot of young guys in the lineup and it’s taken them some time to mature. It’s encouraging to know they are getting more experience and some of our more notable players are starting to play the way we know they can."

But then again, those around ECAC hockey know that the Golden Knights are always a second-half team. It looks like no exception this year.

"I wish I knew," joked Morris about the second-half runs. "There’s always room for improvement, but we’re making progress. Our guys are starting to become believers as to what we are after and it’s a learning process for all of us to find the pieces of the puzzle."

The learning has helped his team and helped them to this point in the season where the Knights are poised to take a run at the regular season title.

"I think that we demand a lot of our players and we’re willing to sacrifice wins for eliminating undisciplined play," said Morris about his formula. "Anytime you make a decision for the sake of winning a game you are sending the wrong message. When a kid needs to be disciplined he needs to sit out or to be sat out. Our team has had a lot of learning to do in the first half.

"We’ve got a lot of battles left to play yet, but to know that we’re inching towards the top is encouraging."

After a weekend sweep of Rensselaer and Union, the Saints of St. Lawrence are back into first place.

"It was a good way to come off of an emotional loss to Clarkson," said head coach Joe Marsh after Friday’s win over Rensselaer. "We worked hard and the guys know that Heffler is capable of big saves. It’s a big win for us but tomorrow is just as big right now and the thing with this team is the ability to stay focused, especially on the road. It was a good experience, especially for the younger guys, and we’re fortunate to get the two points."

The last-second win over the Engineers was followed up by a 4-0 defeat of the Dutchmen.

"The Union game wasn’t the prettiest thing you’ll ever see, but we’ll certainly take the result," said Marsh. "They are a scrappy team, and it is one of those games that scares you coming off a big win on Friday, but once again we played a solid second period and the special teams got the job done."

The Saints have done it from all facets of the game — goaltending, special teams, offense and defense.

"We had a number of guys step up and contribute this weekend, which is really nice to see," said Marsh. "Unfortunately, we did have some injuries on the road trip. But thanks to being able to play a lot of guys early, we do have people who can step in and contribute, and that showed on Saturday. Hopefully we’ll get everyone back in short order, but we do have the depth to allow the injured guys to get 100 percent healthy before they get back into the lineup."

This has been quite the turnaround for the Saints, who last season needed a last-minute goal in order to make the ECAC playoffs.

"I give this team a lot of credit, this is a team that has worked hard," said Marsh. "It was a real good response and it’s a long season and they’ve been able to keep the straight and narrow."

Picks: Dartmouth at Clarkson — The Golden Knights are on a roll, in which case their home ice is not someplace you want to be. The Big Green find that out. Clarkson 6, Dartmouth 1. Vermont at St. Lawrence — A pivotal point in the season for both teams. The Saints are trying to stay up top with Princeton; the Cats are trying to find themselves. St. Lawrence 4, Vermont 2. Vermont at Clarkson — Now what did we say about Cheel Arena? Clarkson 5, Vermont 1. Dartmouth at St. Lawrence — It would be too much to ask of Dartmouth to upend St. Lawrence in Appleton Arena. The Skating Saints will also be looking for revenge after barely escaping Hanover with a win. And there is also that little matter of Eric Heffler. St. Lawrence 5, Dartmouth 1.

Harvard (8-10-1, 3-9-1 ECAC, T-10th) and Brown (6-8-5, 2-6-4 ECAC, 9th) at Union (3-17-2, 1-10-1 ECAC, 12th) Friday – Saturday, 7:30 pm – 7:00 pm, Achilles Rink, Schenectady, NY Brown (6-8-5, 2-6-4 ECAC, 9th) at Rensselaer (15-7-1, 8-4-1 ECAC, 4th) Friday, 7:30 pm, Houston Field House, Troy, NY Beanpot Consolation Harvard (8-10-1, 3-9-1 ECAC, T-10th) vs. Boston College (16-9-2, 11-5- 0 Hockey East, 3rd) Monday, 6:00 pm, Fleet Center, Boston, MA

Previous Meetings This Season: January 8 — Brown 3, Union 3 January 9 — Rensselaer 2, Brown 0 and Harvard 4, Union 3 January 12 — Harvard 3, Boston College 1

For the second straight year, Harvard added a dramatic touch to the annual Beanpot tournament when junior defenseman Matt Scorsune scored the game-tying goal with a mere 4.2 seconds left on the clock to send the first-round contest against Northeastern into overtime.

However, for the second straight year at the Beanpot, it was not meant to be for the Crimson, who watched as Huskies sophomore Brian Cummings knocked home a rebound 4:35 into the overtime period to prevent Harvard from advancing to the coveted championship game on Monday night.

"A little deja vu did cross my mind," said Harvard head coach Ronn Tomassoni, alluding to last year’s semifinal, in which Harvard was able to defeat Boston College in overtime after similar regulation-time heroics. "We all felt good heading into overtime, it just wasn’t in the cards. I thought the third period was really ours. Our team is in really good condition and we had lots of opportunities to score."

Despite the obvious skating advantage — due to the likes of Steve Moore, Chris Bala, and Craig Adams — over Northeastern, Harvard was unable to take advantage of the larger FleetCenter ice surface and had difficulty adjusting in the early going. A back-checking miscue and then a defensive breakdown at the Harvard blueline led to the first two Huskies’ goals and it wasn’t until the third period when the Crimson began to generate its best offensive opportunities.

"We were sluggish at the start of the first period and we were sluggish at the start of the second," Tomassoni said. "For some reason it took us a while to find our legs in each period. We certainly had our opportunities, though. Our power play really hasn’t clicked for us lately and we had difficulty setting up."

None of that mattered, however, when Scorsune one-timed a Ben Storey feed into the lower left-hand corner near the end of regulation. Ironically, however, it was Scorsune who was unable to control the lobbed puck into the Crimson defensive zone which led to Cummings’ game winner.

Before Harvard serves out its fate by playing in the consolation game against Boston College on Monday night, the team must travel to Union to take on the Skating Dutchmen in a crucial ECAC contest. Harvard has made a valiant move up the league ladder after its disastrous 0-8-1 start, but it will have to lift its chin out of its navel following the loss to Northeastern in order to stay in the playoff hunt.

The Scott Stirling that everyone at Brown knew and loved has made a return to the Bears lineup. After struggling through a series of losses the past couple of months and actually losing the starting position for a few games, the Brown netminder delivered his best performances of the year this past weekend in his team’s two victories over MSU-Mankato.

On Saturday night, Stirling was phenomenal as he knocked away a game-high 40 saves for his first shutout of the season. The next afternoon, he wasn’t able to repeat the shutout feat, but he did play well enough to although his team to post four goals before allowing two Mankato goals in the third period. By that time, however, the game had been sealed and delivered as Brown cruised to an easy 8-3 win over the host team.

Offensively, the Bears saw an even scoring attack as eight different Brown players scored on the weekend, including two-goals a piece from Mike Bent, Paul Giblin, and Josh Barker. The team also notched three power-play goals on the weekend, which drew a sigh of relief from Brown head coach Roger Grillo, who had seen his special teams struggle during its recent non-league stretch.

Now that Brown has found a way to knock off non-league opponents, it has to return to league play as it travels to RPI and Union this weekend. The Engineers were the last ECAC opponent the Bears faced, but that was a month ago before Brown embarked on its seven- game non-league stretch.

Union College had just gotten a few monkeys off of its back with its first win since November, but was brought rudely back to the losing trend by Clarkson and St. Lawrence.

A 5-3 loss to the Knights was followed up with a 4-0 loss to the Saints. The losses continue to leave the Dutchmen in last place in the ECAC, four points out of a playoff berth.

"It’s been a frustrating year," said head coach Kevin Sneddon. "We’re in a situation where we have a fear of failure. We see ourselves playing with the attitude of going out there and playing and it’s just a matter of time before something is going to happen to make us fail. We’re playing not to lose right now.

"It’s all attitude. The next thing is getting the experience that we need. We need the experience in how to win close games. I had thought that the RPI game back in November when we won in overtime would kickstart us in that direction, but it just didn’t happen."

It has been hard for the Dutchmen. But with ten games left in the season, that is plenty of time for a turnaround and plenty of opportunity to make the playoffs and make some noise.

"Even though we lost two this weekend we had some good moments," said Sneddon. "The guys came into practice this week with a great attitude and what we have done is reevaluate our goals for the last ten games and what to do with those ten games. Right now we’re in 12th place, we can’t go any lower and we’ve got nothing to lose."

The Rensselaer Engineers’ winning streak of nine came to a screeching halt this past weekend with losses to St. Lawrence and Clarkson. A last second loss to the Saints was followed by a loss in which the Engineers never held the lead against the Golden Knights.

"You’re going to have ups and downs in a season," said head coach Dan Fridgen. "All of a sudden you’re on a nine-game winning streak and you’re the heroes. Lose a couple and you’re back to reality, you’re bums again. Such is life."

The Engineers fell from first place to fourth in the standings after the weekend, and with one fewer game to play than ten other ECAC teams, it might have been the biggest weekend of the season.

"When you look at this weekend as far as coming out with two victories, [that] would have put us in exceptional shape," said Fridgen. "But we’re in good shape. I’m not saying that losing is something you accept; yeah, we’re hurting because of the two games, but there are still points to be had.

"We’re faced with a little adversity and the sign of a good team is how you handle that adversity. Do you pack your bags and go home or do you accept the challenge? We’ll see what we’re made of. This is the bigger challenge — what we face this weekend."

Picks: Harvard at Union — Kevin Sneddon vs. Ronn Tomassoni. It will be the student vs. the mentor for the second time. Sneddon has done some good things with the struggling Union program, but the talent factor rests on the side of his alma mater. Harvard 4, Union 2. Brown at Rensselaer — This is an important game for both teams. The Bears are looking to move up and the Engineers are looking to regroup. With Stirling hot, this game is going to be closer than the last one between these two. Rensselaer 3, Brown 2. Brown at Union — Brown has an uphill road in its quest for decent playoff position, but with Stirling finally finding his rhythm, things should only get better for the Bears, who cap off another zero-point weekend for Union. Brown 5, Union 2. Harvard vs. Boston College — Harvard has already beaten Boston College this season and should repeat the feat. Unfortunately, consolation games in front of approximately a dozen fans in the FleetCenter bring out a depressing quality in the Crimson skaters. A meaningless game for both teams, it will be a yawner. Boston College 3, Harvard 2.

Next Week in the ECAC Friday, February 12 Rensselaer at Clarkson Union at St. Lawrence Princeton at Harvard Yale at Brown Colgate at Dartmouth Cornell at Vermont

Saturday, February 13 Union at Clarkson Rensselaer at St. Lawrence Yale at Harvard Princeton at Brown Cornell at Dartmouth Colgate at Vermont

Thanks to Jay Wang, Michael Sharp and Steve Marsi for their contributions to this preview.

All photographs used by permission of the appropriate Sports Information Departments. Any reproduction without authorization is prohibited.

Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy are ECAC Correspondents for U.S. College Hockey Online.

Copyright 1999 Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy. All rights reserved.

This Week in the CCHA: February 5, 1999

By
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Recently, the sparring on the USCHO Message Board among college hockey fans has reached an all-time high–or low, as the case may be. The flip side of such animosity is sportsmanship, even friendship.

As CCHA Correspondent for U.S. College Hockey Online, I’ve met my fair share of poor sports; however, the majority of people I’ve met through college hockey have run the gamut from friendly to wonderful.

In your opinion, what team other than the one you personally root for has the nicest fans? What is the nicest or most polite fan behavior you’ve witnessed from people whose team is not your favorite?

Let me hear from you. Give me your opinion about the nicest fans you’ve encountered, and feel free to include fans from other conferences. If you have a specific story, share it with me, and I’ll share it next week in this column.

Just email me at [email protected]. Please include your full name and email address, and tell me what team you root for yourself. Any stories received may be used in next week’s column, so be clear about what’s on the record and what’s not, and whether or not you want your name used when your story is told.

Thanks for reading, and happy hockey! Paula

For the first time since the season began, there are no ties in the CCHA standings.

The No. 4 Michigan State Spartans continue to hold at first place with 33 points. Last weekend Michigan State tied No. 6 Michigan 3-3. This weekend, the Spartans travel to South Bend for their first meeting of the season with the No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish before meeting the Lakers in Joe Louis Arena Saturday night.

No. 6 Michigan is just two points out of first place. After the 3-3 draw with the Spartans last weekend, the Wolverines lost to No. 9 Notre Dame 3-2. This weekend, Michigan hosts Lake Superior Friday and Ohio State Saturday.

Nipping at the heels of the Wolverines, Ohio State remains in third place with 39 points, two points behind No. 6 Michigan. Last weekend, the Buckeyes beat Western Michigan 3-2 before shelling the Broncos 8- 0. Ohio State faces Bowling Green for the first time this season Friday before heading up to Ann Arbor.

No. 9 Notre Dame is three points behind Ohio State in fourth place in the CCHA. Last weekend, the Irish beat No. 6 Michigan 3-2. This weekend, Notre Dame hosts Alaska-Fairbanks on Saturday.

With a 3-2 win and 2-2 tie in Fairbanks last weekend, the Northern Michigan Wildcats gained three points for a total of 25, one behind the Irish and good enough for fifth place. The ‘Cats are idle this week.

One point separates sixth-place Ferris State (24 points) from Northern Michigan. Last weekend, the Bulldogs lost 5-1 to Miami before tying the RedHawks 2-2–both games at home. Ferris State sits out this weekend.

Ferris State’s weekend off could be good news for the seventh-place Bowling Green Falcons, who are in position to gain some ground this weekend. Bowling Green, in seventh place with 19 points, split with Lake Superior last weekend, winning 3-2 before losing 4-3 in overtime. The Falcons host the Buckeyes and the Broncos this weekend.

It seems the Miami RedHawks have done some growing up. The ‘Hawks beat Ferris State 5-1 and tied the Bulldogs 2-2 on the road last weekend. With 14 points, Miami will try to hold on to eighth place while taking this weekend off.

Since there’s no preview for Miami this week, now is the time to mention the honors two RedHawks earned last weekend with their play in Big Rapids. Sophomore RedHawk Jason Deskins is this week’s CCHA Offensive Player of the Week for his three goals and one assist against Ferris State. Deskins scored both goals in the 2-2 tie, one of which was his first career shorthanded tally.

Senior Miami goaltender Andy Marsch made 60 saves and allowed only one even-strength goal in his 125 minutes in net against Ferris State last weekend. For his outstanding play, Marsch was named CCHA Defensive Player of the Week and the USCHO/CCM Defensive Player of the Week.

Congratulations to the RedHawks!

Lake Superior State, in ninth place with 12 points, split with Bowling Green at home last weekend, losing 3-2 and winning 4-3 in overtime. The Lakers travel to No. 6 Michigan before hosting No. 4 Michigan State.

Alaska-Fairbanks is tenth in the league with 11 points. The Nanooks lost to Northern Michigan 3-2 before tying the Wildcats 2-2 at home. UAF travels to Western Michigan and No. 9 Notre Dame this weekend.

With 10 points, the Western Michigan Broncos anchor last place in the league this week after 3-2 and 8-0 losses to Ohio State last weekend. Bronco head coach Bill Wilkinson was relieved of coaching duties at the start of this week. Western hosts Alaska-Fairbanks and travels to Bowling Green this weekend.

Last week’s record in picks: 5-5 Overall record in picks: 85-61

So flip a coin already!

No. 4 Michigan State (20-3-5, 14-2-5 CCHA) at No. 9 Notre Dame (15-7-3, 12-6-2 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., Joyce Center, South Bend, IN No. 4 Michigan State (20-3-5, 14-2-5 CCHA) vs. Lake Superior (6-17-3, 5-13-2 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI

No. 4 Michigan State vs. No. 9 Notre Dame

This is the first game of the season between these two teams, and the first game to be played within a 15-day span. Each team had at least some success against the same top-ten team last weekend; Michigan State tied Michigan 3-3, while Notre Dame beat the Wolverines 3-2.

"Our kids played pretty well in the third period," says Michigan State head coach Ron Mason, whose Spartans had to come from behind to tie the game. "They got the first goal, and it was a bit of a fluky goal, so we had to catch up."

Everyone is trying to catch up with the Spartans, who hold tight to first place in the league. It’s unlikely that Notre Dame, a full seven points behind Michigan State in the standings, can move up to the top spot in the league, but the Irish are fighting hard to host a playoff series.

The Spartans lead this overall series 41-28-4, but trail in South Bend 15-16-3, but are 6-0-3 in the Joyce Center in their last nine trips. Notre Dame is undefeated at home this season, compiling a 9-0-1 record there so far.

The Spartans took two of three from the Irish last season, and the loser scored just one goal in all three contests. Notre Dame beat the Spartans 6-1 in East Lansing on November 1, 1997, snapping a 17-game winless streak against MSU. The Spartans won the other two games 5-1 and 3-1.

This game pairs up the best power play in the league with one of the worst. Notre Dame’s power play has been converting at over 20% all season–and it’s the fourth-best in the nation– while Michigan State’s power play slumbers at about 12%. Of course, the Spartan penalty kill is the best in the league, effective about 93% of the time. Notre Dame’s PK is about 85%.

Statistics can, however, be misleading. Lest you think of MSU’s special teams as unproductive offensively, remember that the Spartans can be deadly on the PK. Michigan State has scored 10 shorthanded goals while coughing up just 11 power-play goals this season. Rustyn Dolyny (10-8–18) and Shawn Horcoff (9-14–23) share the national lead with three shorthanded goals each. The Spartans’ overall PK (.919) leads the nation.

This game also matches one of the league’s top lines with the absolute, bar-none, best defense in the country.

Ben Simon (12-16–28), Brian Urick (10-16–26), and Aniket Dhadphale (11-7–18) have combined for 33 of Notre Dame’s 72 goals this season. Both the Irish and the Spartans are averaging more than three goals per game in arguably the toughest defensive conference in the country.

The Spartan attack is led by the incomparable Mike York (9-18–27) followed by Horcoff, Bryan Adams (12-6–18), Dolyny, Damon Whitten (7-4–11), and defenseman Chris Bogas (1-9– 10). The Spartans are 9-0-1 when Whitten registers a point.

Several Irish players have been on the hot side lately. Simon has nine points in his last seven games; Chad Chipchase (8-3–11) has five points in his last six games; Benoit Cotnoir (4-9–13) has 10 points in his last eight games; Dan Carlson (5-14–19) has six points in his last seven games.

The Spartans have allowed one goal or less in 75% of their games (21 of 28), including nine of the last 11 games, and Michigan State is the only team in the nation allowing fewer than two goals per game (1.32).

By the numbers, Spartan goaltender Joe Blackburn is the best in the league. Blackburn leads the conference in goals against (1.40) and is second in save percentage (.930). Notre Dame’s Forrest Karr (2.26 GAA, .905 SV%) is hot, though, with a 1.71 GAA and .927 save percentage in his last seven games.

Pick

The Spartans are riding a 15-game unbeaten streak (12-0-3), the longest active unbeaten streak in Division I hockey.

A player for each team injured on the same day in separate games may return this weekend. Notre Dame’s Brian Urick has missed three games since January 16 because of a cracked bone in his hand. Urick had three straight two-point games before he was injured January 16.

Spartan defenseman Andre Hutchinson, whom Mason calls "essential," may return to play this weekend for the first time since spraining his knee on January 16.

This game is more of a test for Notre Dame than it is for Michigan State, in the sense that the Irish are trying to prove something this season. In spite of that great Irish first line and power play, the teams are essentially even offensively, as Mike York tends to be a one-man squad. Defensively and in net, the Spartans have a clear advantage.

That having been said, faith saw me through last weekend, and I’ve learned my lesson.

Notre Dame 2-1

No. 4 Michigan State vs. Lake Superior

Last weekend, the Lakers split with Bowling Green, losing 3-2 then winning 4-3 in overtime. The OT game began with the Laker power play after a scrum at the end of regulation. Lake Superior is 2-1-0 since losing 4-1 to Michigan State on January 22.

Tobin Praznik (9-5–14), Trent Walford (4-7–11), Mike Vigilante (2-9–11), and Fred Slukynsky (6-4–10) lead the Laker offense. Ben Keup (3-5–8) had the game-winning goal against the Falcons last weekend, and also tallied two assists for the series. As a team, the Lakers are -51 and are being outscored 48-63 by league opponents.

Former Spartan Mike Brusseau (3.08 GAA, .891 SV%) and Jayme Platt (2.86 GAA, .899 SV%) occupy the Laker net; Brusseau is capable of outstanding play.

Pick

The Lakers need points to make the playoffs, and unless MSU breaks down, it’s unlikely that Lake Superior will get what they need here.

The Spartans lead the series 42-27-8, and have won the two previous meetings this season. Michigan State is 5-4-0 against Lake Superior at The Joe. The Spartans have beaten the Lakers six straight, and are 6-0-2 in the last eight games against Lake.

The Spartans have won their previous two games at Joe Louis Arena, when they beat Northern Michigan and Michigan during the Great Lakes Invitational.

The venue gives Michigan State the edge. Michigan State gives Michigan State the edge.

Michigan State 4-1

Ohio State (15-10-4, 13-6-3 CCHA) at Bowling Green (12-12-3, 8-10-3 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., BGSU Ice Arena, Bowling Green, OH Ohio State (15-10-4, 13-6-3 CCHA) at No. 6 Michigan (17-6-4, 14-4-3 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, MI

Ohio State vs. Bowling Green

The Buckeyes beat Western Michigan 3-1 last weekend before rolling over the Broncos 8-0. The Ohio State defense scored six of the 11 Buckeye goals in the two games.

Freshman defenseman Scott Titus had the game-winner in the first game, his first collegiate goal and his first of two on the weekend. Titus also finished the weekend +4, and earned CCHA Rookie of the week honors.

Titus’s partner, Ryan Skaleski, tallied his first goal and point of the season. Ryan Jestadt (6-2- -8) also notched two goals, just one week after tying Michigan with 1:10 to go in regulation.

The Buckeye offense also showed up to play. Hugo Boisvert (11-21–32) had his first four- point period with a goal and three assists in the first period of the second game. Boisvert now leads the league in both conference scoring and overall scoring.

One other player deserves mention for Ohio State. Senior Brian Morrison, who sat out as a healthy scratch for nearly a year before being inserted into the OSU lineup against Cornell in January, got his first point of the season with a sweet little drop pass to Eric Meloche (4-8–12) in the first game.

The shutout was Jeff Maund’s (1.87 GAA, .933 SV%) third of the year, third in the month January, and third in the Schottenstein Center. He must like playing there. Maund began the season giving up close to four goals per game. His save percentage now leads the league.

After such decisive play against Western Michigan, the Buckeyes face a big test this weekend with their first game of the season against Bowling Green. Ohio State has a tendency to show up for big games and let down for games against teams lower in the standings. Breaking that pattern against Western may be a good sign for OSU.

Head coach John Markell knows that he’s facing one of the best lines in the league when the Bucks head north to BG.

"We know we have to check their first line, and how we rotate our checking line will be a big part of this game," says Markell.

That checking line consists of the ever-underrated Chris Richards (5-14–19), J.F. Dufour (7- 7–14), and Neal Rech (3-2–5).

"The key for us may be the match-ups," says Markell. "While we have to check their first line, they have to check ours. It may come down to how well our fourth lines play."

Bowling Green is led by Adam Edinger (2-18–30), Dan Price (9-19–28), Ryan Murphy (6- 16–22), Mike Jones (5-14–19), Chris Bonvie (9-7–16), Craig Desjarlais (6-7–13), and Greg Day (4-7–11). There is no better one-two punch in the league than Edinger and Price, period.

Last weekend, the Falcons split with Lake Superior, and the manner in which the split occurred did not please head coach Buddy Powers.

"I thought in the first game, you could tell the Lakers were playing as though they have their backs against the wall," says Powers. "It was a close-checking game, they kept our power play in check. They obviously did a pretty good job scouting the power play."

The second game was a different story, says Powers. He says that with about 15 seconds to go in regulation, a Laker player ran BG goaltender Mike Savard, and a "chain of events" resembling a "circus" ensued.

"When the dust settled, Mike Jones got the only penalty. It should’ve been a major penalty, but it shouldn’t have been the only penalty," says Powers.

The Lakers began OT with the power play, and won the game.

In spite of the Falcon firepower, Bowling Green is -71 as a team, and is being outscored 68- 81. Powers says, "We’ve been close in games with a lot of teams in the top five in the league, but it’s getting over that hump that we can’t seem to do yet."

Senior Mike Savard is the starting goalie for the Falcons. Savard’s numbers have improved considerably this season, and he currently posts a 3.41 GAA and .881 league save percentage.

Pick

This game pits one of the league’s best power plays against a solid penalty kill. The Bowling Green power play is converting on 20% of its chances, while Ohio State is killing penalties at the rate of 93%. OSU killed all 40 opponent power-play chances in the Schottenstein Center in January. Good thing for the Falcons this one’s in BG.

Both teams can score goals, and Bowling Green outshoots opponents by a much wider margin than does Ohio State.

Ohio State has the advantage in net and defensively. The young Buckeye defense has solidified significantly since the first of the season, and Maund appears to be in a groove.

The one weakness OSU has is inconsistency. If Ohio State looks past this game toward Saturday’s finale with Michigan, Bowling Green will win. If the teams get into a shootout, it’s like Bowling Green will win. If penalties disrupt the flow of the game, Ohio State may lose its collective concentration and Bowling Green will win.

If the Buckeyes play their game, Ohio State will win.

Ohio State 4-3

Ohio State vs. No. 6 Michigan

The Wolverines can’t possibly be happy with their 3-3 tie in East Lansing and their 3-2 loss in South Bend last week. One point in two games is tough for Michigan to take.

On whom better to take out a little Michigan aggression than the Buckeyes, especially since Ohio State actually leads this season series 1-0-1. The 1-0 shutout over Michigan on January 2 was the first time the Buckeyes have ever blanked the Wolverines. Michigan has scored just one goal against Ohio State this season, in 125 minutes of play.

Can you hear the gallop of the Four Horsemen? Or is this like that episode of the original Star Trek series where characters meet their polar opposites in a parallel universe?

Michigan holds a 44-20-8 lead in this all-time series. In the last 34 meetings, the Wolverines are 29-2-3, but are 0-2-1 in the last three games between Michigan and OSU, dating back to last year’s CCHA tournament.

Chris Richards and Ryan Jestadt have scored for the Buckeyes against Michigan this year. Mike Comrie (10-11–21) scored the lone Wolverine goal against Ohio State on January 23.

Comrie leads the Wolverines in scoring, followed by the underrated Josh Langfeld (9-7–16), Mark Kosick (6-8–14), Bubba Berenzweig (3-10–13), Dale Rominski (11-4–15), Mike Van Ryn (6-7–13), Dave Huntzicker (2-10–12), Jeff Jillson (2-10–12), Bobby Hayes (1-9–10), and the other underrated Wolverine, Scott Matzka (2-8–10), who gave it everything he had in overtime against the Buckeyes.

Hayes tallied his first league goal and also had an assist against Notre Dame last weekend. Berenzweig picked up two assists in the Michigan State game.

In net for Michigan, Josh Blackburn is stellar, with a 1.96 league GAA and .916 save percentage. Blackburn made 53 saves last weekend, including 32 in the game against Michigan State.

Pick

As you would expect with two teams that have combined for three goals in two games, the Buckeyes and Wolverines are fairly evenly matched.

Offensively, Ohio State has the potential for more fireworks with players like Boisvert, Richards, Meloche and Brandon Lafrance. OSU is outscoring league opponents 66-44 to Michigan’s 63-43.

As a team, Ohio State is +77; Michigan is +71.

Michigan has the better power play, converting at roughly 16%; Ohio State’s power play works about 14% of the time.

Ohio State’s penalty kill is effective more than 90% of the time, while Michigan kills off about 88% of opponent penalties. Michigan and Ohio State are the number-one and number-two most- penalized teams in the league, respectively.

In net, Ohio State has an advantage when Maund’s head is in the game, but the two previous matches proved to be glorious goaltending duels.

The advantage has to be Michigan’s at home, even though the Buckeyes will play their hearts out.

Michigan 2-1

Alaska-Fairbanks (8-17-1, 5-16-1 CCHA) at Western Michigan (3-16-6, 2-13-6 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., Lawson Arena, Kalamazoo, MI Alaska-Fairbanks (8-17-1, 5-16-1 CCHA) at at No. 9 Notre Dame (15-7-3, 12-6-2 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., Joyce Center, South Bend, IN

Alaska-Fairbanks vs. Western Michigan

Both the Nanooks and the Broncos need points to make the CCHA playoffs. This battle for eighth place has some interesting overtones, given that Dave Laurion has given his notice and Bill Wilkinson was given his walking papers.

Last weekend, Fairbanks played Northern Michigan close in two games at home, losing 3-2 and tying 2-2.

Mike Jaros (3-6–9) and Kevin McNeill (4-2–6) had goals each night for the Nanooks, while Jamie Coady (7-2–9) had a two-goal weekend, lighting the lamp in each game.

Ian Perkins (4.01 GAA, .882 SV%) made 64 saves on the weekend.

The Nanooks face a potentially demoralized Western Michigan team. The Broncos lost 3-1 to Ohio State Friday before taking an 8-0 beating Saturday night. Steve Rymsha (3-3–6) had the only goal on the weekend for Western Michigan.

Jeff Reynaert (4.18 GAA, .879 SV%) played well for the Broncos Friday night, stopping 41 of 44 Buckeye shots on net. The following night, however, Reynaert allowed four goals on eight shots in the first period. Matt Barnes (3.39 GAA, .880) allowed the remaining four goals in two periods.

Pick

Because of technical difficulties, current official CCHA statistics are unavailable for the Nanooks. It doesn’t matter–Fairbanks should win this game.

The Nanooks are big, fairly fast, with an aggressive forecheck and consistent goaltending. The Broncos seem to lack on-ice leadership and general focus.

Alaska-Fairbanks 4-2

Alaska-Fairbanks vs. No. 9 Notre Dame

If this game were being played anywhere but in South Bend, it would be no gimme. Fairbanks has the ability to skate with Notre Dame, and the Nanooks have been known to rise to a challenge and exploit an opponent’s weakness, should the opponent display any weakness.

The Nanooks lead this all-time series 12-8-0, but the Irish have won the last six straight, including a decisive two-game home sweep in January, 6-2 and 6-1. Aniket Dhadphale and Dan Carlson both scored twice in the first game; Chad Chipchase had two goals in the second game.

Jim Lawrence (6-7–13), Chris Kirwan (7-3–10), and Sjon Wynia (3-7–10) are the only three Nanooks in double-digit conference scoring.

Pick

The Nanooks are ninth in CCHA scoring, ninth in league defense, 11th in power-play percentage, and 10th in penalty killing. The only thing working in UAF’s favor where special teams are concerned is that the Nanooks are the least penalized team in the league.

Offensively, Notre Dame can eat these guys for lunch, as they proved by outscoring the Nanooks 12-3 in two games earlier this season. The Notre Dame power play, should the Irish get the chance, may be enough to beat Alaska-Fairbanks.

Notre Dame 4-2

Lake Superior (6-17-3, 5-13-2 CCHA) at No. 6 Michigan (17-6-4, 14-4-3 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, MI

The Lakers have the edge in this all-time series 31-38-6, but the Wolverines have taken 20 of the last 28 contests, and are unbeaten by the Lakers (9-0-1) in the last 10 meetings, dating back to January 31, 1992.

The Lakers and Wolverines met on October 11 in Yost, where Michigan delivered a 2-0 shutout. The Wolverines outshot the Lakers 40-14 in that game, back when Rob Galatiuk (3.64 GAA, .876 SV%) was playing regularly–and well, apparently.

Dale Rominski and Mike Comrie had the goals for Michigan. The goal was Rominski’s first of the season; Comrie’s goal was the first of his collegiate career. The shutout was Josh Blackburn’s first collegiate shutout.

Since that meeting, the Wolverines have actually improved, posting the second best defensive stats in the nation.

The Lakers are being outscored 48-63 in league games. The team stands at -57 in league play. The Wolverines are outscoring league opponents 63-43, and are +71 as a team in CCHA play.

You do the math.

Pick: Michigan 4-1

Western Michigan (3-16-6, 2-13-6 CCHA) at Bowling Green (12-12-3, 8-10-3 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., BGSU Ice Arena, Bowling Green, OH

The Falcons lead this all-time series 64-35-3, and most recently beat the Broncos 5-3 at home (December 12). In Bowling Green, the Falcons are 37-11-0 against Western Michigan.

Frank Novock (4-10–14), David Gove (5-10–15), and Chuck Mindel (9-4–13) had the goals for Western. Scoring for Bowling Green were Mike Jones (5-14–19), Chris Bonvie (9-7–16), Doug Schueller (4-3–7), Craig Desjarlais (6-7–13), and Ryan Murphy (6-16–22).

The only power-play goal of the night was Mindel’s, and Murphy’s goal was an empty-netter. Jeff Reynaert made 28 saves for Western to Mike Savard’s 21 in the BG net.

The surging Falcons have the best first line in the league, an outstanding power play, more consistent goaltending, and the home-ice advantage.

Pick: Bowling Green 5-2

This Week in the WCHA: February 5, 1999

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It’s just one of those things that always seems to happen in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

Last weekend, conference leader North Dakota — also the No. 1 team in the nation — squared off with Minnesota-Duluth, the last-place team in the league. Looks like a sure sweep for the Sioux, right?

Maybe in some other league, but one thing WCHA coaches learn right off the bat when they come in is that you never take another team for granted. The Bulldogs were within a minute of grabbing a win in the series opener and, despite losing their No. 1 goaltender, fought for a tie the second night.

This is where I get to make a shameless excuse. Maybe that’s why it’s so darn difficult to make picks each week. I don’t even want to look back at my record most weeks. Something you think is a dead-lock cinch turns out to be a flop.

With that pleasant thought in mind, let’s turn to this week’s action. After all, it’s time for Winter Carnival in Houghton, Mich., as the Techsters welcome the Sioux. The Huskies took both games last season against Minnesota — will they be able to harness the power of the Carnival to their advantage again?

Fresh off a pair of 1-1 ties with Alaska-Anchorage, St. Cloud State returns home to welcome Wisconsin. The Badgers fell victim to a Denver onslaught last Saturday, and have now fallen into seventh place in the conference. Can either UW coach Jeff Sauer or SCSU leader Craig Dahl field an entire lineup for this matchup?

After not tasting victory in two months, last weekend’s Minnesota sweep of Tech must have been awfully sweet for the Gophers. Maybe they should enjoy it while it lasts. They hit the road to face a rested, healthy Colorado College team. Will CC regain the form it had earlier this season, or will they continue to "struggle" against an improved-shooting Gopher team?

Minnesota-Duluth is next on the list of teams to make the journey to Alaska, but they welcome the challenge. After all, you push the No. 1 team to its limits two nights in a row, you should be able to walk with your chin up. Anchorage needs some wins to solidify its upper-level position in the face of advancing teams. Can UAA goaltender Gregg Naumenko keep up his solid play or will an improving Bulldogs offense be the one to get to him?

Denver again goes on the road to play a game at home and also plays a road game at that same arena. Confused? So am I. The Pioneers play a pair of non-conference games at the Air Force Academy this weekend, facing Air Force on Friday and Minnesota State, Mankato on Saturday. Will DU play well enough to keep its position in the U.S. College Hockey Online Top 10?

Will I finally stop asking questions and start giving some answers?

No. 1 NORTH DAKOTA (20-2-2, 15-1-2 WCHA: 1st) at MICHIGAN TECH (7-18-1, 7-13 WCHA: 8th) Friday-Saturday, 7:05-5:05 ET, MacInnes Student Ice Arena, Houghton, Mich.

ON THE SIOUX: You won’t find North Dakota coach Dean Blais surprised that Minnesota-Duluth put up such a fight against his team last weekend.

"Duluth has always been good competition," Blais said. "At times they’ve been rated real high and we’ve knocked them off, and vice versa."

But that still doesn’t make up for the fact that the No. 1 team in the nation, who had lost or tied only three games entering the weekend, came that close to being swept by the last place team in the conference. The Sioux have been forced to make a comeback to earn their points in each of their last three games.

Not to mention the number of close games they’ve been a part of. Seven of UND’s last nine games have either been a tie or a one-goal game. That starts to wear on a team after a while.

"Don Lucia wanted to know which church I went to," Blais said. "It’s been a grind, not so much physically, but mentally. When we came from two goals down at CC to win in the third period and then two goals down against Minnesota, and pulling our goaltender, tying it and winning it at Duluth, it’s been a tough three weeks. But we haven’t lost, we’ve managed to hang on."

The question stands, however, on the Sioux’s status. Are they as good now as they were earlier in the season. They don’t appear to be as dominant. Blais said that despite the prevalence of the one-goal game, he sees more intensity on his team now than before.

"It’s tough when everyone’s shooting at you," Blais said. "We’ve played well and the other teams have played well against us too."

Things haven’t been exactly as the UND leader would like, though. He emphasized that there is still a long way for his team to go before it wins anything.

"We haven’t accomplished anything. We haven’t won the league yet," Blais said. "It’ll be a joyous occasion when we do, but that’s still one of our goals. A few teams are still mathematically in range. We don’t want to see any peaks and valleys — especially valleys — at the end of the year. We want to keep building on what we’ve done.

"I’ve seen a little bit of complacency and no improvement in the last month, so I’m looking forward to seeing another jump in our improvement. I don’t know when that’ll come, it’s hard to tell. We’ve played three of our last four series on the road. Three of our last four series are going to be at home, so I would expect things to come together a little bit the last month of the season."

ON THE HUSKIES: Michigan Tech is just 3-8 this season at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. But when Winter Carnival comes around, throw that all out the window. Something strange happens, and I’m not talking about the festivities.

Since 1950, the Huskies are 65-27-6 in games played during Winter Carnival, the largest collegiate winter festival in the nation. Each year, in the fifth week of the winter quarter, Houghton transforms itself from a sleepy Upper Peninsula city to a thriving bastion of celebration. How to explain MTU’s success during the festival is an interesting question.

For a long time, Tech just had a good hockey team. With recent teams not exactly setting the world on fire, the Huskies are only 8-6-4 in the 1990s, but it still must be said that MTU is a different team during the Carnival.

"I think the players get caught up in the excitement and they relax a little bit more and just go out there and have some fun," Huskies coach Tim Watters said.

Winter Carnival isn’t just the games. There’s a snow sculpture contest, broomball tournaments, a talent show and the Sno-Ball Dance, featuring the Winter Carnival Queen.

"The whole atmosphere over Winter Carnival is just that — a carnival-like atmosphere," Watters said. "The students get into not just the hockey games but all the activities a little bit more, as do the local people and the many people that visit our campus."

That excitement should grow this season, as No. 1 North Dakota comes to town.

"I think it’s exciting any time you get to play the No. 1 team in the nation," Watters said. "There’s an air of excitement and this weekend will be no different."

The Techsters dropped a pair of 4-2 games to Minnesota last weekend, watching a two-goal lead go Friday night and seeing a 1-0 lead slip away on Saturday.

"I didn’t think we had a killer instinct this past weekend," Watters said. "We got up two goals in the first period on Friday night and we let that slip through our fingers. I think it just carried over through the rest of the weekend."

THE MATCHUP: Blais called his team "the road warriors." When you have a 10-0-2 record on the road, you can say things like that.

He said he hopes that experience will carry over to the time it counts.

"I think our guys know what it takes to win on the road," Blais said. "With the WCHA Final Five, the quarterfinals, semifinals and NCAA finals all on the road, you’d better be able to play on the road. It’s a different game. You keep it real simple and with a lot of discipline."

Here’s a side note: The Huskies have won the John MacInnes Memorial Cup, given to the winner of the two-game, total-goals series, 31 of the last 39 seasons.

PICKS: North Dakota, 4-3; 5-3

WISCONSIN (9-14-3, 7-9-2 WCHA: 7th) at ST. CLOUD STATE (12-11-3, 8-10-2 WCHA: 5th) Friday-Saturday, 7:35-7:05 CT, National Hockey Center, St. Cloud, Minn.

ON THE BADGERS: Things have come to this in Madison. At Jeff Sauer’s weekly news conference on Monday, the Wisconsin coach preceded reporters’ questions with a listing of his team’s latest injuries. "So you don’t have to ask the question," he said.

The question that comes up every week is, "Who’s next on the injury list?"

Here’s this week’s update: Defenseman Jeff Dessner injured his shoulder last Friday, forcing him out of Saturday’s game. He is expected to play this weekend, but Sauer said that it’s going to be "game-to-game." If Dessner gets hit again, his shoulder may dislocate again.

Defenseman Craig Anderson, already out for the season with a fractured vertebra, had the stabilizing halo removed from his head last weekend. The team is pursuing a medical redshirt for him, but it would be a special exemption because Anderson is already in his fifth season.

Forwards Niki Siren and Andy Wheeler were cleared to practice this week after knee injuries suffered on Dec. 31. Their status is still questionable.

Sauer said that, at practice Monday, he was going to have nine players in a no-contact situation. Just another in a set of problems plaguing the Badgers.

"I’ve personally never been through a season when we’ve had this many different types of things," Sauer said. "It’s just been one scenario after another."

The team’s goal of getting to the top five is still in reach, Sauer said. Of course, there are some tough weekends ahead of his team.

"With what transpired over the weekend and games in hand, we win a couple games along the way and we’re right back in the middle of things," he said. "Our schedule’s not easy, there’s no question, to have to play CC and North Dakota yet. We have five weekends left; the only weekend on a small rink, which when you have a depleted roster is tough too, is the trip to Michigan Tech. Everything else is going to be on the big ice surface, which you need some bodies for that."

ON THE HUSKIES: When teams play Alaska-Anchorage, more often than not, they are forced to play the Seawolves game. In successive 1-1 ties last weekend, St. Cloud State saw a little of that.

"I think the first night we played that way," Huskies coach Craig Dahl said. "The second night, the slot shots were a lot more, it was like 18-14, it was a little more wide-open game. It’s evident to see where their main improvement is as a team, and that’s their goaltending. We had four breakaways at least during the weekend, including a 2-on-0 that we hit the pipe on."

While Gregg Naumenko was outstanding for the Seawolves, so was Dean Weasler for the Huskies. Weasler stopped 61 of 63 shots last weekend, including 39 on Saturday. He now has a 9-5-2 record with a 3.11 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.

Through everything, Dahl said he was happy to get the unconventional two points.

"I’m glad we got out of there with two points," he said. "It’s a hell of a trip."

One of the things that jumps out of St. Cloud’s results this season is the balance. Through 25 games, the Huskies have hovered around the .500 mark. The most they have been under is two games — after sweeps by Michigan Tech on Nov. 13-14 and North Dakota on Nov. 27-28. On the other hand, the most they have gone over .500 is one game, including their present mark.

SCSU, like Wisconsin, remains plagued by injuries. Dahl still has seven players — including three of his top nine forwards — out of the lineup. On the bright side, the Huskies didn’t lose anyone else last weekend.

"Praise God," Dahl said.

The Huskies currently hold a one-point lead on Minnesota and a two-point advantage on Wisconsin for fifth place. The Badgers and Gophers, however, each have two games in hand on the Huskies. With eight games remaining, Dahl said he has presented the team with what it will have to do down the stretch to hold on to fifth place.

"I’d say we’re going to have to get 10 points out of the 16," he said. "They know what they’ve got to do. We’ll see what happens."

THE MATCHUP: It’s funny, but neither coach seems really interested in the other’s actions.

"We don’t worry about them," Dahl said. "We just practice the things we have to do to get better. I never really stress too much, except watching their power play and penalty kill, know what they’re doing there."

Said Sauer: "I’m not too concerned about their roster. I’m more concerned about our roster and what we have to do."

Wisconsin leads the all-time series, 19-13-3, but has not had a lot of success recently. Over the last 16 games, UW is just 4-10-2 against SCSU.

PICKS: St. Cloud State, 5-3; 2-0

MINNESOTA (9-13-6, 7-8-3 WCHA: 6th) at No. 5 COLORADO COLLEGE (17-8-1, 12-6 WCHA: 2nd) Friday-Saturday, 7:35-7:05 MT, Colorado Springs World Arena, Colorado Springs, Colo.

ON THE GOPHERS: Yes, it was a full two months between Minnesota victories. And yes, the Gophers feel a whole lot better now that they’ve broken the winless streak.

The consecutive 4-2 victories over Michigan Tech moved the Gophers back into sixth place, within striking distance of fourth with a pair of games in hand.

"Wins are a whole lot better than losses," Gophers coach Doug Woog said. "The name of the game is to get a ‘W.’ We needed to get some points. The guys needed some rewards too, it’s been a long, long haul of getting shots and no goals."

A couple of things stand out between the Gophers team of last weekend and the one that endured January. The first is the improvement in shots.

"I thought we were shooting the puck a little bit better over the last couple weeks," Woog said. "We got good goals — we put the puck into the twine — against North Dakota. We hit five pipes Saturday night against Michigan Tech. We were bouncing that puck around pretty good."

The other is the balance in the scoring punch. Seven different players scored the eight goals for Minnesota last weekend.

"Before, I think you found it the same," Woog said. "You found points being distributed around quite a bit. It’s been moved around a little bit and that’s been pretty positive from our end of it. Our forward line has been balanced. We’re getting some production from some different people."

One of the results of that change is Matt Leimbek, who earned Minnesota’s second WCHA Player of the Week award of the season after a five-point (2 goals, 3 assists) weekend. He has eight points in his last five games and has scored goals in his last three games — the only goals of the sophomore’s career.

"Matty came through three games in a row with goals," Woog said. "It’s so ironic, he hasn’t scored a goal at Minnesota and now he’s got three in a row and got them all on the power play."

ON THE TIGERS: Having a weekend off this late in the season could have numerous effects, both positive and negative. For Colorado College, it seems the positives have already come; whether they can continue them through the weekend is the next challenge.

Positive No. 1: Time Off. CC coach Don Lucia didn’t see his players between his team’s last game and last Friday.

"I don’t know who enjoyed it more, them not seeing me or me not seeing them at this point of the year," Lucia said.

For some, this mini-break is the first in a long time. Forward Justin Morrison didn’t get any break while he was with the U.S. Junior National Team during winter break, so this was good for him, Lucia said. He also said he’s going to shorten practices the rest of the season to give people more of a break.

Positive No. 2: Injury recovery. The Tigers got Toby Petersen back for the Jan. 22-23 series with Michigan Tech, now it looks like K.J. Voorhees will see his first action of the season this weekend after recovering from back surgery.

"The biggest adjustment he’s going to have to make is just getting back in game speed," Lucia said. "There’s only one way to do that, and that’s play games. He’s where everybody else was in October. He’s practiced for three weeks, it’s like the season opener for him, the trouble is the speed limit goes up in games. I think he’ll be fine, especially two or three weeks from now. I don’t expect him to be in a groove this weekend, but I’m hoping that by the end of February he’ll be very comfortable."

Unfortunately for CC, Jon Austin went down with a sprained ankle this week in practice and will be out for two to three weeks. He joins Berk Nelson on the injured list.

Suddenly, the Tigers have company on their heels. Denver is just two points back, but CC has two games in hand. Said Lucia: "This is a weekend that we can try to put some distance between us and them."

As far as playing to the end, Lucia knows his team’s fate, as well as many others, rest in its own hands.

"What’s interesting in our league right now is that everybody controls their own destiny," Lucia said. "We control our own destiny for second, Minnesota controls their own destiny to get a home ice spot and maybe climb a whole lot higher. There’s this big mass of teams that are fighting for home ice, and it’ll be interesting to see how it plays out. Nobody’s got anybody to blame but themselves if you don’t get home ice or you do get home ice."

THE MATCHUP: If you’re a Minnesota fan, the images of the Nov. 6-7 series at Mariucci Arena must still haunt you — maybe even more as this weekend’s series approaches. That weekend, CC came into Minnesota and put a whomping on the Gophers, 7-1 and 6-1.

It’s hard to forget the sight of Tigers players skating circles around the Gophers defense. Lucia said that was one of the best weekends of hockey he’s seen his team play.

"It was one of those weekends where the stars were aligned right for us," Lucia said. "That’s probably as good a weekend of hockey as I’ve had a team play in six years. Just back to back, all six periods, goaltending was very good, the specialty teams was very good. Every phase of the game clicked. We need to do that again this week. My concern is, having the weekend off, that we’re not too rusty in the first period and Minnesota takes advantage of that. This is an important final 10 games for us and we obviously want to try to do well at home and win as many games as we can at home from here on out, establish ourselves and try to get second place."

Woog holds a high opinion of CC, probably drawn from that weekend.

"To me, they’ve got as good a talent as anybody in the league,"Woog said. "That’s the part that scares me. Their skill level, their speed level throughout the lineup is as good if not the best in the league. That kind of scares me. We won’t give them as much space. It was like kids against men when we played them the last time. We play a little tighter, we play better defensively. They just threw the puck around like it was on a string. Hopefully we won’t allow them to have that many opportunities this time around."

To do that, the Gophers will have to control the neutral zone on the big ice. If they can’t do that, the scoreboard might get another pounding.

PICKS: Colorado College 5-2; tie 4-4

MINNESOTA-DULUTH (6-19-3, 3-14-3 WCHA: 9th) at ALASKA-ANCHORAGE (11-11-4, 8-8-4 WCHA: 4th) Friday-Saturday, 7:35 AT, Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, Alaska

ON THE BULLDOGS: When you come so close to defeating the No. 1 team in the nation, not just once but twice, do you feel encouraged that your team can play at that level or frustrated that you didn’t have a better fate?

"Both," said Minnesota-Duluth coach Mike Sertich, who saw North Dakota steal a win last Friday and fight back for a 2-2 tie last Saturday.

"I don’t think there’s a question that we had it in our hands and North Dakota snatched it from us, but that’s all part of the gig."

That’s all been part of the trend against North Dakota this season for the Bulldogs. They lost 3-0 and 4-1 at Engelstad Arena earlier this season.

"We played North Dakota tough all four games," Sertich said. "Realistically, when you look at the games out there they were one-goal games. It was 1-1 Saturday night with about 3 minutes left and they got some at the end and 1-0 (Friday night) and they got an empty-netter and another one at the end."

A good number of WCHA coaches have expressed their belief that Duluth is not your normal last-place team. But effort aside, what counts is the numbers. And UMD just hasn’t received its share of breaks this season.

They got more bad news Saturday night when goaltender Brant Nicklin was knocked out with a sprained left knee. He will miss this weekend’s trip to Anchorage, ending his streak of consecutive WCHA starts at 80.

Tony Gasparini, the son of former North Dakota coach Gino Gasparini, will take over the No. 1 spot in Nicklin’s absence. He has a 2.29 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage in 184 minutes of work over five games this season. That includes the last 59:21 of Saturday’s tie with the Sioux.

"He didn’t get nearly the shots that Nicklin had to play, but played very well when we needed him," Sertich said.

ON THE SEAWOLVES: Dean Talafous still isn’t quite sure what happened last weekend in a pair of 1-1 ties against St. Cloud State. Was this the same team that opened up its offense this season or a version of last year’s last-in-the-NCAA scoring effort?

"I don’t know what the heck happened," Talafous said. "I thought both teams played hard. I don’t think they held back at all. It was good goaltending in both ends. I think both teams played pretty good defense, but not because they sat back and tried to defend. It was just kind of the way the weekend went."

The UAA coach considers this time of year playoff time, and, as such, things tend to get a little tighter.

"If you look at the past, playoff time is a little more difficult, things toughen up," Talafous said. "Teams are trying to bring their game to a new level. Generally speaking, the games are pretty tight. You look at Duluth and North Dakota last weekend and you look around the league and it’s just hard-fought games."

Goaltender Gregg Naumenko continued his stellar freshman season, lowering his goals-against to 1.97 while raising his save percentage to .932 with 56 saves last weekend.

"Gregg is really playing well for us but I think he’d be the first one to admit the team is working extremely hard in front of him as well," Talafous said. "The kind of success Gregg is having wouldn’t be happening if the team wasn’t limiting the quality shots in front of him and working extremely hard at coming back and defending. You need both.

"Even the best goalie in the world, if the team in front of him isn’t working and there’s a lot of quality shots and rebounds, isn’t going to look very good. Gregg has been very steady for us, but I think the team’s performance has been very consistent as well."

Naumenko has allowed just one goal in 10 of his last 12 outings.

UAA was not called for a penalty in Saturday’s game against the Huskies. The only surprise about that tidbit is the length of time since that last happened. It was almost two years ago — Feb. 22, 1997 — when the Seawolves last failed to take a penalty.

THE MATCHUP: Count Talafous as another of the coaches who thinks Duluth is a lot tougher than its record suggests.

"I still think the series we played in Duluth earlier this year is as tough a series as we’ve played this year," he said. "We have a tremendous amount of respect for Duluth. And then to go toe-to-toe with North Dakota for two games, they’ve played North Dakota as well as anybody. The combination of our memory of our series down there, and then with what they did last weekend, I don’t think they’re going to catch anybody by surprise."

Anchorage got three points out of that series in Duluth earlier this season — a 3-1 win and a 1-1 tie — but, "We needed everything, good goaltending, we played our best ever and still it could have went the other way easily," Talafous said.

Sertich said his team isn’t in a position where it can worry about the other team’s situation.

"We just have to take care of ourselves, we don’t worry about them," Sertich said. "We know what we’re up against, but the only thing we can control is what we do."

PICKS: Alaska-Anchorage; 2-1; 1-0

No. 10 DENVER (15-9-2, 10-8-2 WCHA: 3rd) at AIR FORCE (12-13-1) Friday, 7:30 MT, Cadet Ice Arena, Air Force Academy MINNESOTA STATE, MANKATO (10-12-4) at DENVER Saturday, 4:00 MT, Cadet Ice Arena, Air Force Academy

ON THE PIONEERS: Your top line produces all of three points in a two-game set, with two of those points coming on a late, meaningless goal Saturday night. Do you think your team has much of a chance?

"It’s funny how that goes," Denver coach George Gwozdecky said. "Sometimes yes and sometimes no."

It just so happens that last weekend’s series with Wisconsin was sometimes yes. The line of Paul Comrie, Mark Rycroft and James Patterson didn’t have much of an impact at all, but the Pioneers still skated out of Madison with three points.

The DU line that made the most noise was that consisting of Joe Murphy, Chris Paradise and Matt Pettinger, a combination which was united recently.

"(They) outstanding both nights," Gwozdecky said. "I thought they were our best line (Friday) night and one of the reasons they got the start was the way they played (Friday) night. I was hoping they could create some energy for us early in the game."

Gwozdecky said he felt that line’s performance, as well as the fact that each line contributed a goal to the 5-0 rout on Saturday, shows his team’s depth.

"We’ve got some marquee players, there’s no question about it," Gwozdecky said. "That top line should be our most productive line, but we also have depth to our lineup. I think it’s been proven in the past that we’re not a one-man team. I think that was probably proven throughout the weekend."

Stephen Wagner made up for a poor effort on Friday with his fourth shutout of the season on Saturday. He became the first DU goaltender to amass four shutouts in a season since Gerry Powers, who had five in 1968-69. It was also the fifth blanking of his career.

"He was back on his game tonight," Gwozdecky said after Saturday’s game. "Who knows why he played like he did (Friday) night."

Comrie received a game disqualification for butt-ending on Saturday and will miss Friday’s game against Air Force on the resulting suspension.

A reporter asked Gwozdecky after Saturday’s win if the Pioneers were a title contender. His response was a solid no — even he thinks North Dakota has this nailed down. But there was more.

"Are we an contender for second place?" Gwozdecky asked. "I think we’ve got CC in our sights, I think we might have an opportunity to catch them if the timing is right."

ON THE FALCONS: Air Force had a weekend off after sweeping Niagara two weeks ago, 4-1 and 3-2.

Senior center Justin Kieffer leads coach Frank Serratore’s team with 31 points in 26 games (11 goals, 20 assists). Tony Lawrence leads Air Force freshmen with 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points.

Sophomore netminder Marc Kielkucki has an 11-9-1 record, a 3.34 goals-against average and a .870 save percentage.

ON THE MAVERICKS: Coach Don Brose’s Minnesota State, Mankato team had trouble capitalizing on its chances in a pair of home losses to Brown last weekend. They outshot Brown 40-21 on Sunday, but still lost 3-0.

After finishing the first period of Sunday’s game tied at 1, Brown came out firing again and outscored the Mavericks 7-2 in the final two periods of an 8-3 victory. Senior wing Tyler Deis, junior forward Jesse Rooney and sophomore forward T.J. Guidarelli scored MSU’s goals.

Mankato junior defenseman Todd George has moved into a tie for eighth on the Mavericks’ scoring list for defenseman with 64 points in 93 games.

Junior center Aaron Fox leads the Mavericks in scoring this season with 15 goals and 16 assists. He has appeared on the scoring sheet in 18 of his 25 games this season.

MSU is 4-7-3 on the road in ’98-99 and 3-7-2 against WCHA teams this season.

THE MATCHUPS: Think these are just more non-conference games? Think again. Every game at this part of the season would be considered for a team on the bubble of the NCAA tournament. Two wins gives Denver a better record and a better chance of getting in if they don’t get the automatic bid.

The last time DU played Air Force, the Pioneers romped, 11-1, on Dec. 27, 1995 in the Denver Cup. They are 18-2 against the Falcons and 1-1 vs. Minnesota State, Mankato.

PICKS: Denver over Air Force, 5-1; Denver over Minnesota State, Mankato, 3-2

UPCOMING SCHEDULE Here’s where things get really weird at the Kohl Center in Madison. Wisconsin and Colorado College play Thursday night and Saturday morning. Maybe Jeff Sauer should start working on "Brunch with the Badgers."

Thursday, Feb. 11 Colorado College at Wisconsin

Friday, Feb. 12 Alaska-Anchorage at Minnesota Denver at North Dakota Michigan Tech at Minnesota-Duluth Nebraska-Omaha at St. Cloud State

Saturday, Feb. 13 Colorado College at Wisconsin Alaska-Anchorage at Minnesota Denver at North Dakota Michigan Tech at Minnesota-Duluth Nebraska-Omaha at St. Cloud State

This Week in the MAAC: February 5, 1999

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Well, here I am — sitting in front of my computer, realizing that I’ve got the crystal ball now. And it’s time for me to gaze into it for the first time as the new MAAC correspondent here at USCHO.

And what a week to do it!

This week we have the two best teams in the MAAC squaring off for what showed be two exciting games.

At the same time, teams like Canisius, Iona, and AIC are battling it out for home ice in this year’s inaugural tournament.

And I’m the guy who gets to predict what’s going to happen.

Remember, don’t take my word for it (and especially don’t bet the farm on what I say). I’m just an observer like each one of you.

So here goes — my chance to keep my record unblemished (at 0-0-0, its the only time of the year I haven’t been wrong!)

Connecticut (17-2-2, 15-2-2 MAAC) at Quinnipiac (12-6-4, 11-3-4 MAAC) Friday, 7:00 pm, East Haven Rink, East Haven, Conn. Quinnipiac at Connecticut Saturday, 7:30 pm ET, UConn Ice Rink, Storrs, Conn.

A very smart person once said that good teams find ways to win tough games.

For the University of Connecticut hockey team that sentiment rang true not once, but twice this past weekend.

On back-to-back nights against AIC this past weekend, UConn found itself tied in the third period.

On Friday night, UConn scored the final four goals of the game, three of them in the third period, to overcome a 2-1 deficit and win 5-2. Junior forward Mike Narotski scored just 10 seconds into the third period to break the 2-2 deadlock.

The next night was similar, as UConn again broke a 1-1 tie with three third-period goals, the last an empty-netter, to win 4-2.

UConn’s senior forward Geoff Angell continues to lead the Huskies in scoring with eight goals and 17 points. His goal on Saturday night gave UConn a lead it never relinquished.

Angell came down the right side, shot the pack across his body and the and lifted it over the goaltender to give UConn at 2-1 lead.

"I can’t say enough about the play of my three seniors: Geoff Angell, Dan Sheehan and Rob Martin," said Husky coach Bruce Marshall.

"Geoff’s goal was as nice as you see."

The four points on the weekend allowed UConn to remain six points behind league-leader Quinnipiac in the MAAC, which sets up this weekend’s matchup with the Braves.

"This weekend’s series with Quinnipiac will show whether us, Holy Cross and AIC can stay with (Quinnipiac) or if they are going to pull away from the pack," said Marshall.

"We are a hard-working, blue collar team who has to play a blue-collar game to beat Quinnipiac," he added. "Last time we played, that’s how the first game went. We played hard and got the lead. Then we did a good job of holding the lead.

"The second night we let them get one, two, three goals. You don’t want to be playing catch-up to a team like that."

This series is the end of a five-games-in-eight-days stretch for Quinnipiac. Last weekend saw a Jekyll-and-Hyde performance against Fairfield that pushed the Braves to the limit on Friday night for a 3-1 Quinnipiac win. That was before the Stags’ no-show performance on Saturday that led to a 10-0 romp for the hosts.

Tuesday night, Quinnipiac used six goals from six different scorers to beat a pesky Sacred Heart squad, 6-1.

Leading scorer Neil Breen (10-15–25) was Friday’s hero, scoring Quinnipiac’s first two goals and assisting on the third.

"We came out flat in the first," said Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold. "That has been indicative of our team of late."

Pecknold points to youth and lack of experience as why his team hasn’t always come to play.

"Since we beat (Army) a few weeks back, the team hasn’t had a lot of focus. (The win) was a big positive for the program but the (lack of) focus has been negative."

Backup goalie Dan DiLeo got the win for the Braves on Friday, stopping just 17 shots.

Saturday night saw the Quinnipiac offense soar to life, finding the back of the net a season-high 10 times.

At the same time, freshman goalie Jim White was stopping all 20 shots that came his way and not only picked up his first shutout, but also his first career win.

Chad Poliquin notched a hat trick in the game while John Guerriero and Anthony DiPalma each picked up two tallies.

On Tuesday, Poliquin and Mike Ruggiero each tallied three assists to help pace the Braves over Sacred Heart.

J.C. Wells returned between the pipes after his two-game rest to pick up his league-leading 12th win of the season.

The game was close until Quinnipiac broke it open late in the second with two goals 25 seconds apart.

"It was a matter of time before the puck went in the net for us," said Pecknold.

As far as this week’s games against the Huskies are concerned, Pecknold says it shouldn’t be hard to focus.

"We were picked fourth in the preseason poll, so being in first place was overachieving," Pecknold added. "But now teams are gunning for us. We can’t sneak up on teams anymore."

Picks: The home team has the advantage in this series. Quinnipiac wins Friday 4-3 before UConn exacts revenge in Storrs on Saturday, 5-3.

Fairfield (1-20-0, 1-17-0 MAAC) at Holy Cross (11-8-3, 11-5-2 MAAC) Friday, 7:00 pm ET, Hart Recreation Center, Worcester, Mass. Holy Cross at Fairfield Saturday, 7:30 pm ET, Wonderland of Ice, Bridgeport, Conn.

The Crusaders of Holy Cross made their only trip of the season to Canisius last weekend to meet the Ice Griffs, who entered the series unbeaten in five games (2-0-3).

Holy Cross, similarly, entered Friday’s game on a three-game winning streak, with only one conference loss since the break.

After a scoreless first period in the series opener, the Crusaders blew the game open with three second-period goals by Joe Roache, Pat Rismiller and Chris Fattey in a span of 4:25.

The Griffs answered 32 seconds later to close to 3-1 after two. But Holy Cross iced the game when Roache netted his second of the night, at 2:48 of the third.

On Saturday afternoon, Holy Cross couldn’t contain Griff forward Brad Kenny, who provided his first career hat trick to end the Crusaders’ four-game unbeaten streak.

On the stat sheet, it was a contest totally dominated by Holy Cross, which outshot the Griffs 28-14. But there seemed to be no solving goalie Stephen Fabilli, who posted 26 saves for Canisius.

Roache finished the weekend with three goals, his first three of the season in 12 games played.

"Joe Roache had a great weekend for us last week," said Holy Cross coach Paul Pearl. "Joe is a good fourth-line player who saw some ice time last weekend because we were a little bumped up and he took advantage of it."

Roache will have a chance to see even more ice time this weekend as the Crusaders will be without Paul Cavanagh, Joe Cavanagh, Phil Barner and Rismiller, all of whom received game-disqualification penalties as result of a fight at the end of Saturday night’s game. All four received automatic one-game suspensions as a result of the altercation.

As far as this week’s opponent, Fairfield, is concerned, Pearl is optimistic but cautious.

"Fairfield is a pretty good team," said Pearl. "They beat us last year and almost beat Quinnipiac last weekend.

"(Remembering the loss) will help get our team fired up for this one."

Meanwhile, Fairfield gave everything it had to try to follow up its only win of the season — which came the week prior, against AIC — with an upset of first-place Quinnipiac.

In Friday night’s game in Hamden, Conn., the Stags found themselves down just 2-0 in the second period when Michael Shaheen blasted a shot to the left corner of the net to pull Fairfield within a goal.

That put the Stags in a position to complete its comeback and pull one of the biggest college hockey upsets of the season. And Stag goalie Derek Saunders was hoping to keep the team there.

Unfortunately for Saunders and the Stags, Braves forward Terry Harris had different ideas. He snapped home a power-play goal at 12:30 of the third period to take the wind out of Fairfield’s sails.

Worse for Fairfield, the wind never came back, not even after the game.

Saturday night, Fairfield fell behind Quinnipiac 2-0 early in the rematch, and that was only a preview of things to come.

Stag goaltending surrendered 10 markers on the night: two in the first, five in the second and three in the third.

"For us to be in any game, our team has to pay attention to the little things," said second-year Fairfield coach Mike Doneghey. "We have to play the system.

"On Friday night we played that system and it showed. Saturday was a totally different story."

If the Stags want to compete against Holy Cross, they will surely need to play within that system, or reap consequences similar to Saturday’s.

Picks: Holy Cross has no problem at home, winning 5-2. The Stags do their best back on home ice, but come up short, 3-2.

Sacred Heart (5-15-1, 5-13-1 MAAC) at American Int’l (9-9-3, 8-7-3 MAAC) Friday, 7:00 pm ET, Olympia Ice Center, W. Springfield, Mass. American Int’l at Sacred Heart Saturday, 7:30 pm ET, Milford Ice Pavilion, Fairfield, Conn.

Folks down in Bridgeport, Conn., must be wondering — where are the masked men who stole their hockey team, and who are these guys playing in their place?

The Pioneers of Sacred Heart are coming off of their best offensive output of the season, having registered 7-3 and 8-4 wins over Iona.

Coming into the weekend, the Pioneers had scored just 46 goals in their first 18 games. That means their 15 goals last weekend represent 25 percent of the season’s offense.

Freshman Chris Makos notched the first hat trick of the season for the Pioneers, and that in his first game back in the lineup after suffering a shoulder injury that had him sidelined.

Makos matched those three goals on the weekend with three assists and was a plus-6 overall for the series.

Pioneers coach Shaun Hannah credits the offense but doesn’t want to forget about his goaltender.

"We’ve had balanced scoring from all of our forwards this season — (but) goaltending has played a large part of our success".

"(Goaltender Alexis Jutras-Binet) has stood on his head for us all season long," said Hannah.

Indeed, Jutras-Binet was a key both nights, stopping 17 shots in the third period and 27 in the game on Friday, as well as 36 shots in Saturday’s contest.

The second period seemed to be the frame of choice for the Pioneers last weekend, as they outscored the Gaels 10-1 over the two games in the middle 20 minutes.

Tuesday night, the Pioneers played the first of two Tuesday-night games this month against southern Connecticut rival Quinnipiac.

The Braves broke a 1-1 deadlock late in the second period with two goals just 25 seconds apart and went on to a 6-1 victory.

Jutras-Binet continued to face plenty of rubber in net, stopping 32 Quinnipiac shots while taking the loss.

AIC enters this weekend on the heels of two tough losses to second-place UConn last Friday and Saturday.

Friday night saw the Yellow Jackets jump out to an early 2-1 lead on goals by Mike Liebro and Todd Bassler in the first stanza. Unfortunately for AIC, that was all the offense they could muster that night.

UConn stormed back in the second and third with four goals while at the same time outshooting the Yellow Jackets, 29-7.

Much of the same happened on Saturday night when the Yellow Jackets traveled to Storrs, Conn., for the rematch.

Mike Sowa put AIC out in front late in the first period before UConn tied the game early in the second.

But, much like the night before, UConn owned the third period, scoring the next two goals to take a 3-1 lead.

Dan Curran got the Yellow Jackets within a goal with 55 seconds left, but it was too little, too late. The Huskies added an empty-net goal for the 4-2 final.

Picks: Sacred Heart needs to rebound from Tuesday night, but AIC is blood-hungry. AIC takes the first game, 4-2, before Jutras-Binet stops the show on Saturday for a 3-1 Pioneer win.

Canisius (7-10-5, 5-8-5 MAAC) at Iona (9-11-1, 8-9-1 MAAC) Friday, 7:00 pm ET, The Ice Hutch, New Rochelle, N.Y. Saturday, 7:00 pm ET, The Ice Hutch, New Rochelle, N.Y.

For the Iona Gaels, the status of their season may best be described as "critical."

Last weekend, needing two wins to perhaps gain ground on third-place Holy Cross, the Gaels instead dropped two decisions to a surging Sacred Heart club.

Two wins would have given Iona 21 points, three fewer than HC. Instead, the Gaels have just 17 points, just two more than sixth-place Canisius, whom they host for two games this weekend.

So to say the least, this could be do-or-die for the Gaels in the race for home ice in the playoffs.

At the same time, Canisius has to be licking its chops with the opportunity to play a team that has struggled since the Christmas break (1-4-1).

For Iona, rookie Ryan Carter continues to lead the team and the MAAC in scoring (23-17–40). Fellow freshman Rob Kellogg isn’t too far behind Carter — he’s second on both lists with 32 points (15-17–32).

Carter’s two goals on Friday night against Sacred Heart were enough to keep the game tied through one. But the second period was a nemesis for the Gaels, who were outscored 10-1 in that period.

Special teams were also a problem for Iona last week. The Iona power play was 1-for-11 on the weekend, and the penalty kill allowed a goal to the SHU power play on Friday. The Pioneer power play has clicked at an anemic 8.8 percent (last in the MAAC) this season.

Iona, on the other hand, is 5-2-3 in its last 10 games.

That includes two hard-fought games last weekend with Holy Cross, which were good enough to earn a series split with the Crusaders.

After losing a tough 4-1 game on Friday, the Ice Griffs bounced back on Saturday to earn a 3-2 victory, the 250th of head coach Brian Cavanaugh’s 18-year career at Canisius.

Brad Kenny provided the offensive punch for the Ice Griffs on Saturday night, notching a hat trick that accounted for all three Canisius goals.

Canisius goalie Steve Fabilli improved his record to 3-1-1, making 26 saves en route to the win.

Coach Cavanaugh realizes the importance of the upcoming weekend.

"These two games will be important for our team as far as hosting the first round of the playoffs is concerned," Cavanaugh said.

He also remembers that the Gaels came into Buffalo and took two games from the Griffs earlier in the season.

"Iona played us tough at our place and they will be tough on the road."

Picks: Iona plays well on home ice on Friday, winning 4-1. The Ice Griffs make the sweep too difficult, winning a barnburner on Saturday, 3-2.

ECAC Commish Unveils Preseason Tourney Plans

USCHO Staff Report
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ECAC ice hockey commissioner Jeff Fanter has confirmed that on Oct. 15 and 16, a new interconference preseason tournament will take place at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, N.Y.

The as-yet unnamed tournament will feature Rensselaer as host, Boston University, Niagara and a fourth team which is still to be determined.

An official announcement on the event will be made in two to three weeks.

“This tournament is one of several events that the ECAC will be involved with over the next two to three years,” he said. “Look for more events to take place like this.”

The scheduling of the planned tournament is of interest, as it will take place one week after the third annual Ice Breaker Invitational in Denver, Colo.

“This event is not a competing event with the Ice Breaker,” said Fanter. “It is an event to raise college hockey to a greater level.”

Other events under consideration include some similar to the ECAC-Hockey East Holiday Doubleheader this past December in Hartford, Conn.

WMU Fires Head Coach Wilkinson

USCHO Staff Report
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Western Michigan head coach Bill Wilkinson, whose last-place team had been the focus of an internal investigation earlier this season, has been relieved of his duties effective immediately, the university announced today.

Wilkinson will be replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach Jim Culhane while the search for his successor gets underway. Culhane is expected to be among the candidates for the vacancy.

Wilkinson himself will be reassigned as a special assistant to athletic director Kathy Beauregard. His contract with the university runs through June 30, 2000.

“We appreciate Bill’s many years of loyal service to this institution,” Beauregard said. “The University felt it was time for a change in the leadership of the hockey program. The University remains committed to fulfilling the terms of Coach Wilkinson’s contract.”

In 16-plus years as Bronco head coach, Wilkinson compiled a 313-301-53 record, including three NCAA tournament appearances and one CCHA playoff title. But WMU has been less succuessful in recent years, finishing 10-25-3 with a CCHA-record 18-game losing streak last season. The team is currently in last place in the league with a 3-16-6 overall record.

The Broncos’ season has also been marred by the arrests of two players at a team party which took place at a house owned by Wilkinson, and by the subsequent suspensions of the entire team for secondary NCAA violations uncovered during the university’s investigation of the matter.

UNH Players Charged With Criminal Trespassing

USCHO Staff Report
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Five current and former University of New Hampshire students, including three members of the fourth-ranked men’s hockey team, have been charged with criminal trespassing in connection with an altercation which took place at the end of last semester.

According to Associated Press reports, junior defensemen Jayme Filipowicz and Dan Enders, sophomore forward Corey-Joe Ficek and Jeff Trip, a former football player who finshed his career at UNH in the fall, were charged with criminal tresspassing. A fifth student, Ryan Hurd, was charged with disorderly conduct.

The students will be arraigned later this month.

Athletic director Judy Ray said she and hockey coach Dick Umile will determine if any action is to be taken against the three players. Umile said he has known of the incident for a few weeks, but declined further comment.

Filipowicz (6 goals, 16 assists, 22 points) has been a mainstay on the Wildcat blue line, and last weekend scored both game-winning goals in wins over Northeatern and Providence.

Ficek (7-5-12) tallied two goals in Friday’s 5-4 win over Northeastern before leaving the game with a lower back bruise.

Enders was a regular on the defensive corps for the 21-4-1 Wildcats before breaking his collarbone in a victory over UMass-Lowell on Jan. 23, at which time it was expected that he would miss six weeks of action.

This Week in the MAAC: January 29, 1999

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Ever notice how much Metro Atlantic hockey resembles the TV series The Simpsons?

First, The Simpsons is set in the mythic town of Springfield…and there’s a town called Springfield in New England, where most of the MAAC schools are located. Coincidence? I think not.

Next, how often does The Simpsons come on? Every week. And when do the MAAC teams play hockey? Every week. The plot thickens.

Plus, if you hunt around the various MAAC hockey teams, you’re sure to find players, coaches and staff named Homer, Bart…Marge and…um…Apu…

Hmm.

I gotta start writing these earlier.

All right, enough of that foolishness. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled foolishness.

Last weekend in the MAAC could be described as the Week of Ties, or maybe just the Week of Fairfield. The Stags rebounded from a Friday loss to American International to stop the Yellow Jackets 6-3 to claim their first victory of the season.

Meanwhile, three of the remaining five MAAC games last weekend finished as 3-3 ties, including both games between Quinnipiac and Canisius. Iona and Connecticut likewise tied, and Holy Cross made up some ground on the conference leaders by taking two games — both by the score of 4-2 — from Sacred Heart.

With last weekend in the books, Quinnipiac retains the MAAC lead with a 12-2-2 record and 26 league points, but Holy Cross has now pulled into a second-place tie with UConn, just four points behind. The Braves may still be in the driver’s seat, but with 12 games to go in league play, a four-point lead is nowhere close to safe.

AIC, despite giving up Fairfield’s first win, stayed ahead of Iona for fourth place, while Canisius holds in sixth with 13 points. The MAAC’s cellar-dwellers, Sacred Heart and Fairfield, now have seven and two league points, respectively.

Quinnipiac (14-2-2, 12-2-2 MAAC) at Fairfield (1-18-0, 1-15-0 MAAC) Friday, 8:30 pm ET, Wonderland of Ice, Bridgeport, Conn. Fairfield at Quinnipiac Saturday, 7:00 pm ET, East Haven Rink, East Haven, Conn. Sacred Heart (3-14-1, 3-12-1 MAAC) at Quinnipiac Tuesday, 7:00 pm ET, East Haven Rink, East Haven, Conn.

That rush of air felt throughout the Northeast last Saturday was a collective sigh of relief from Fairfield’s hockey players, coaches and fans. After getting mauled 9-3 on Friday, the Stags recovered to post a 6-3 win for their first league points.

The victory came courtesy of linemates Rob Curtis (11-6–17) and Conal Barbuto (5-6–11), each of whom scored two goals in the contest, and netminder Derek Saunders (1-2-0, 6.11 GAA, .829 SV%), who stopped 33 AIC shots. Barbuto and Curtis scored 17 seconds apart early in the third to break open a tie game, and Saunders played Saturday’s game in place of number-one goalie John True, who was pulled halfway through the third period Friday after giving up eight goals.

Rookie Bryan Cairns (1-0–1) also scored Saturday for the Stags, his first career tally.

So — the proverbial monkey may be off the Stags’ backs, but this is still a team with a long way to go. Fairfield is giving up three times as many goals as it is scoring in MAAC play (105-35), and a lot of the trouble seems to be in net.

Whether it’s going to be True, Saunders or Charles Fitzpatrick, who played the final 9:12 Friday, someone has to step up for the Stags to improve.

Meanwhile, the Quinnipiac Braves played a so-so pair of games against homestanding Canisius last Saturday and Sunday, ending in two 3-3 ties. Saturday’s action saw Canisius score first and never trail, but Chad Poliquin’s (7-14–21) goal one minute into the third period knotted it up for the Braves. Chris Cerrella (9-13–22) notched a goal and an assist for Quinnipiac.

The next night it was Canisius’ turn to play catch-up after blowing an early lead. In a game which featured a hefty 15 power plays, the only actual power-play goal was by QC’s Mike Ruggiero (5-6–11), who scored at 13:50 of the second period to give Quinnipiac its only lead.

Like its predecessor, Sunday’s game went to OT, where despite 11 shots on goal in the five extra minutes, neither team could pull out the win. Both netminders played well to preserve the tie, with Quinnipiac’s J.C. Wells stopping 30 shots.

Wells, by the way, continues to lead the MAAC in league wins (11), goals-against average (2.15), save percentage (.895) and minutes (890). He backstops a defense which is tops in the conference in goals against (just 36 in 16 games, a 2.3 average).

The Brave offense is hardly less dominating, as four Quinnipiac players stand in the top 12 in MAAC scoring. Oddly, one of those, super freshman and leading conference scorer Neil Breen (11-13—24), was held without a point against Canisius.

Shows what my praise will do to you, and with that in mind, contributions are now being accepted for keeping my mouth shut about hot players.

The third game of the week for Quinnipiac is an odd game against Sacred Heart Tuesday — odd because it’s the front end of a home-and-home series in which the games are separated by two weeks. The Braves and Pioneers play the back end at Sacred Heart on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Sacred Heart is profiled below, in its series with Iona.

Picks: On paper, this looks like a mismatch, and despite Fairfield’s heartening win Saturday, that’s probably what it will be on the ice, too. Quinnipiac is not likely to show the Stags the same generosity that it did the Griffins last weekend. Quinnipiac 7-2, 4-0

Then, on Tuesday, the Braves make it three wins for the week against the tenacious, but outmatched, Pioneers. Quinnipiac 5-2

Holy Cross (8-7-3, 8-4-2 MAAC) at Canisius (6-9-5, 4-7-5 MAAC) Friday, 8:00 pm ET, Dann Memorial Rink, Buffalo, N.Y. Saturday, 2:00 pm ET, Dann Memorial Rink, Buffalo, N.Y.

The Crusaders of Holy Cross made their move last week, winning two games with Sacred Heart and sliding into a tie with UConn for second place in the conference. That means the preseason favorites are now 4-1 in their last five league games, and sit just four points behind league-leading Quinnipiac.

For the series, the Crusaders outshot the Pioneers 94-48, but were held comparatively close by Sacred Heart netminder Alexis Jutras-Binet. On Friday, Holy Cross got two goals and an assist from Paul Cavanaugh (10-8–18) and three assists by Mike Maguire (3-11–14) as the Crusaders scored three goals in the third period — on a monumental 20 shots — to erase a 2-1 deficit.

Holy Cross had trailed after 40 minutes of play despite outshooting Sacred Heart 31-17.

The next night the win was more straightforward, as Pat Rismiller (6-16–22) netted 1-2–3, including the game-winner, a power-play goal at 16:35 of the second period. Scott Simpson (4-3-1, 2.87 GAA, .889 SV%), who played both games in the Crusader nets in place of Tom Ormondroyd, then held off the Pioneers to gain his second win of the series.

This weekend, Holy Cross takes on Canisius, fresh off a solid, if only somewhat satisfying, series with QC. The Ice Griffs skated to two 3-3 ties with the Braves in Buffalo, coming back in one and losing a lead in the other.

In the first game, the MAAC’s second-leading scorer, Chris Duggan (13-15–28), notched Canisius’ first two goals to stake the Griffs to a 2-1 lead early in the middle frame. The victory was not to be, however, as the Braves stormed back from that deficit as well as a later 3-2 margin to draw the contest.

Even with that in mind, the Griffs couldn’t have been too upset with the tie, seeing as they were outshot 38-24 by Quinnipiac for the game. Bob Janosz (3-8-4, 3.79 GAA, .889 SV%) earned most of the credit there, stopping a total of 35 shots (and 64 shots on the weekend) for the hosts.

Sunday’s game was more back-and-forth, with each team holding one-goal leads before settling for the tie again. Seth Wiener (3-4–7) tallied the game’s final goal for the Griffs, while Todd Bisson (3-6–9) notched two assists.

The two ties, though well-played, continued the Griffs season-long pattern. They have now tied three of their last five games, and have recorded five draws in just 16 MAAC games in 1998-99.

Picks: Both teams look sharp right now, Canisius’ odd tie-happy string notwithstanding. But Holy Cross, in particular, has shown a pattern this season of alternating good and bad performances, so let’s say that happens again. Canisius 4-3, Holy Cross 5-2

American Int’l (9-7-3, 8-5-3 MAAC) at Connecticut (10-6-4, 9-3-4 MAAC) Friday, 7:30 pm ET, UConn Ice Rink, Storrs, Conn. Connecticut at American Int’l Saturday, 7:00 pm ET, Olympia Ice Center, W. Springfield, Mass.

"It had to come sometime, and it just happened to be us."

That’s probably the rallying cry this week on the campus of American International, which was victimized by Fairfield last Saturday for the Stags’ first win of the year. Now, the MAAC hockey league is too young, and rivalries too nascent to call that loss embarrassing, but getting beat 6-3 by a team which was 0-18 up ’til then is not the way to improve morale.

So the question now is, what will the Yellow Jackets do about it? Their next opponent, Connecticut, is also coming off a disappointment, so there’s no shortage of motivation for these teams in what could be an excellent weekend of hockey.

AIC’s collapse against Fairfield Saturday was even more surprising when you consider that the ‘Jackets had just pummeled the Stags 9-3 the night before. In that game, Dan Curran (11-3–14) scored two goals, including the shorthanded game-winner, and Mike Peddycord (4-5–9) continued his recent scoring streak by adding two tallies of his own. Though Fairfield actually scored the first goal of the night, it was never a contest after that: the ‘Jackets quickly returned three-for-one in the first period, and built a 6-2 lead after two.

Saturday’s game, as already mentioned, was a whole different ball of wax. Peddycord got his third goal of the weekend, but there was little else to cheer if you were an AIC fan, as the Stags hammered normally-reliable Chance Thede (7-5-3, 3.22 GAA, .901 SV%) for six goals on 34 shots.

Nevertheless, the Yellow Jackets remain in fourth place in the league standings, but just two points ahead of Iona. And AIC will need a return to form by its defensive corps (47 goals against in MAAC play, fourth-best in the league) to gain any ground against UConn.

That’s because the Huskies have an axe of their own to grind. UConn outshot Iona 42-22 last Saturday in its lone game of the week, but let the Gaels back into the contest by blowing a 3-1 second-period lead.

Ryan Murphy (1-1–2) scored the third UConn goal, an unassisted even-strength marker at 2:05 of the second, and added an assist. That goal looked like insurance at that time, but ended up as the difference between a tie and a loss as the Gaels stormed back to knot it up.

The game was also notable for what it didn’t have — scoring from UConn’s trio of Geoff Angell (9-10–19), Dan Sheehan (4-13–17) and Ciro Longobardi (9-7–16). That group was held to one point (a Longobardi assist) on the evening, and that will have to change against AIC for the Huskies to make up ground.

The 3-3 finish also meant that UConn has tied three of its last four, the fourth decision being a 4-1 loss to Sacred Heart. That’s alarming for Husky fans, who watched their team jump out to a 9-2-1 start in the MAAC before the current troubles. Now, Connecticut will need to hustle to maintain a share of second place, let alone challenge Quinnipiac for the lead.

UConn still sports a solid D — the Huskies are second in the league in goals against — and Marc Senerchia (9-5-4, 2.56 GAA, .894 SV%) trails only Quinnipiac’s J.C. Wells in most key goaltending categories. Frankly, though, the defense has kept the heat off Senerchia for most of the season: he has faced just 282 shots in 850-plus minutes of MAAC play. His performance could be the key to UConn rejoining QC atop the league, or sliding as far as fourth.

Picks: The Huskies really, really need two wins here, but don’t count on it. AIC has been one of the league’s best home teams this season (a 6-1-2 league record), and the Yellow Jackets need these points at least as much as the Huskies do. UConn 3-1, AIC 3-2

Iona (9-9-1, 8-7-1 MAAC) at Sacred Heart (3-14-1, 3-12-1 MAAC) Friday, 7:30 pm ET, Milford Ice Pavilion, Fairfield, Conn. Sacred Heart at Iona Saturday, 7:00 pm ET, The Ice Hutch, New Rochelle, N.Y.

This series pits the MAAC’s seventh-place team against the team picked to finish last in the preseason coaches’ poll.

Iona has baffled the pundits, churning out its fair share of conference wins en route to a fifth-place standing and the respect of its league mates. That has been accomplished largely as a result of prodigious scoring; the Gaels have notched 66 goals in MAAC play, good for second in the league.

The O is led by Ryan Carter (21-15–26) , who leads the conference in goals, points and power-play markers; Rob Kellogg (15-17–32) , who sits second to Carter in goals and third in points; and, ofttimes, defenseman Tim Kyrkostas (6-11–17), the MAAC leader in blueliner scoring. Think about this: Carter alone has accounted for nearly one-fourth of Iona’s league goals this year.

Carter notched his 16th goal of the MAAC season last Saturday to get the draw for the Gaels against UConn. He was assisted by Erik Nates (9-10–19), who tallied a goal of his own to start the comeback from a 3-1 second-period deficit.

In nets for Iona, Dan McGuire (5-3-1, 3.79 GAA, .875 SV%) claimed credit for the tie, replacing Ben Brady after the first period (which saw UConn take a 2-1 lead) and allowing just one goal on 27 shots in the game’s final 40 minutes.

Oddly enough, Iona is the only team in the MAAC to sport a significantly better record on the road than at home. The Gaels are 5-3-1 in league games away, versus just 3-4-0 in home tilts.

Across the ice from the Gaels this weekend will be Sacred Heart, led by goaltender Alexis Jutras-Binet (3-12-1, 4.87 GAA, .886 SV%). Apart from being one of its best (don’t let the numbers fool you), Jutras-Binet is certainly the league’s busiest keeper — the porous Pioneer D has allowed 543 shots on him this year. That’s 190 more than any other goaltender in the league has faced.

I repeat: that’s 190 more than any other goaltender in the entire league.

Not helping the Sacred Heart cause is an anemic offense which sits seventh in the MAAC in goal production. SHU scored just four goals against Holy Cross last weekend, although the Pioneers did hold the lead (2-1) at one point Saturday. Lloyd Marks (4-3–7) managed 1-1–2 in that contest, while team scoring leader Erik Drake (4-13–17) (the only Pioneer among the MAAC scoring charts, at 4-7–11) notched an assist on Marks’ goal.

That is, the Pioneer offense is sleepwalking right now, but all it would take is a little boost to make this a competitive team. The Pioneers showed their firepower with four goals to beat UConn two weeks ago, and before that with 12 goals in a two-game sweep of Fairfield.

Picks: Iona doesn’t play a whole lot of defense, which could be inviting for the stagnant Pioneers. But Iona does score a whole lot, which won’t help Jutras-Binet revive the blueline corps of Sacred Heart. With two teams that are such opposites, this call is tough. I gave SHU the benefit of the doubt last week, but Holy Cross was too strong. Iona is probably the same — but not by much. Iona 3-2, 4-3

Next week in the MAAC:

Friday, February 5: Canisius at Iona Fairfield at Holy Cross Sacred Heart at American Int’l Connecticut at Quinnipiac

Saturday, February 6: American Int’l at Sacred Heart Canisius at Iona Holy Cross at Fairfield Quinnipiac at Connecticut

This Week in Hockey East: January 29, 1999

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And UMass-Amherst gave hope to Red Sox fans everywhere by defeating Boston University for the first time in 79 years. If the Curse of Elton Mansell — the Minuteman coach who won his only game against the Terriers back on Jan. 16, 1920 — is over, can an end to the Curse of the Bambino be far behind?

Oh yeah, and there’s also this thing called The Beanpot on tap.

As for the awards, there’s a strong hint of deja vu this week.

KOHO Player of the Week: Jason Krog (F, New Hampshire) won for the second time in a row after putting together a 2-3–5 weekend, becoming the nation’s leader in points and points-per-game and also registering his 200th career point. With a week like that, he should have bought a lottery ticket.

KOHO Rookie of the Week: Darren Haydar (F, New Hampshire) took this award for the fourth time. (It seems like more because he didn’t win his first until Nov. 16.) Haydar had his eighth two-goal game of the year to total 21, tops in the country. Not just tops for rookies. Tops for everyone.

Heaton Defensive Player of the Week: Boyd Ballard (G, Providence) became the second Friar in two weeks to take this honor, following in Josh MacNevin’s footsteps. Ballard’s 36-save shutout led Providence over Boston College in front of the FOX Sports New England cameras. The national media also took notice as CNN dubbed his performance its "Play of the Day."

Hockey East Standings

Record in picks last week: 5-5 (After 8-0 last week, "Pride goeth before destruction.")

Season’s record in picks: 94-49, .657

The Beanpot

Northeastern (8-12-3, 4-9-2 HEA, 7th) vs. Harvard (8-9-1, 3-9-1 ECAC, T-9th)

No. 7 Boston College (15-8-2, 10-5-0 HEA, 3rd) vs.

Boston University (8-13-2, 5-8-2 HEA, 5th)

Monday, 6 p.m. (NU-HU), 9 p.m. (BC-BU), FleetCenter, Boston, MA

Boston College split its weekend series with Providence, losing 3-0 before rebounding with a 5-2 win. The Eagles then dominated UMass-Amherst, 7-1 on Tuesday, for their first back-to-back wins of 1999.

And so, after another tilt against the Minutemen on Friday night, Boston College will once again vie for Beanpot bragging rights. Last year, the Eagles suffered a bitter loss to Harvard in overtime of the first round, but were able to rebound from that defeat to go unbeaten until the national championship game.

They’ll be looking again to follow the Beanpot with a late-season winning streak, only this time have that skein be the result of the momentum gained from a Beanpot championship rather than a rebound from a stinging defeat.

Historically, the Eagles haven’t fared as well as expected in the Beanpot, winning the title only twice in the last 22 years. While BC has boasted some of the country’s strongest teams during those two decades and change, none of those dominant squads celebrated on the second Monday in February. Ironically enough, the two championship years came in 1983, when the Eagles posted a 15-13-2 record, and in 1994, the highlight of a 15-16-5 campaign.

However, perhaps that just means that they are due.

Boston University lost its one game of the week, 5-4 to UMass-Amherst. The Terriers rallied with three goals in the final three minutes, but had dug themselves too deep a hole.

"It was way too little, too late," says coach Jack Parker. "It was the same old thing of not competing, not playing with any enthusiasm. UMass played well. I won’t take anything away from them, but we just weren’t in a frame of mind where we gave a great effort."

Could the Beanpot with all its enthusiasm and excitement be just the thing to get BU (0-5-1 in its last six games) back on track?

"One of the concerns I have with this team," says Parker, "is that the Beanpot is almost a mini-season for us and this season has been one where we’ve been concerned about not winning and not being as good as we used to be.

"I don’t need my club being worried about what it’s going to be like if they don’t win after winning the Beanpot four years in a row. They don’t need the pressure of having to live up to other peoples’ expectations, but they need the opportunity to get excited about hockey games .

"The latter will be more important: ‘Geez, we’re going to be playing Boston College in the Beanpot. That’ll be great. Let’s go after them.’

"Whenever we play BC, it gets us excited. Probably the best game we played all year was against Boston College. We certainly need something to bring us up to that competitive level and enthusiastic level.

"Playing BC in the Beanpot is something that, if it doesn’t get us playing with enthusiasm, there aren’t going to be a lot of games that are going to do it."

The Northeastern Huskies kissed their sister twice last week, failing to hold third-period leads against UMass-Amherst and Brown. Against the Minutemen, Northeastern held a 2-1 advantage with six minutes to play, but had to settle for a 2-2 tie.

That lost point, however, paled in comparison to the 5-5 tie with Brown. In that contest, the Huskies led 5-1 with 11 minutes remaining, but surrendered four unanswered goals.

"I thought we played well both games," says coach Bruce Crowder. "The one [against Brown] really got away from us. It’s one of those things, a great learning experience, but you hope you never have to go through it again.

"Looking back, we were up 5-1 going into the third period, but in the second period they took it to us pretty good. Maybe we were a little bit lucky to be up 5-1 and they were maybe a little bit luckier or took advantages of certain situations to come back and tie it. But I was very impressed with Brown and the way they came at us and played hard for 60 minutes."

Mike Jozefowicz returned from a knee sprain to face Brown, but fellow defenseman Jimmy Fahey remained out with a wrist injury. Fahey is a question mark for Friday night, but Crowder hopes to have him back for the Beanpot.

Prior to Monday night’s Beanpot opener, Northeastern must take on No. 4 New Hampshire.

"They’re a heck of a hockey team," says Crowder. "I had an opportunity to watch them play against Lowell on Saturday night. I thought Lowell played a good game also, but UNH just kept coming and coming.

"They’ve got senior defensive leadership. They’ve got a senior in goal. They’ve got the kid [Darren] Haydar playing extremely well as well as [Jason] Krog, so we’re going to have our hands full.

"They’re a very good hockey team and playing with a lot of confidence. Obviously, we’re going to have to be at our best to counteract that."

As for the Beanpot, the Huskies will be facing a team that appeared dead in the water at one point, posting a 2-8-1 record after the first weekend in December. Since then, however, the Crimson have won six of their last seven games and should be anything but a pushover.

"Expectations were pretty high for them going into the season," says Crowder. "They didn’t really get off to a great start, but they’re playing great hockey right now. I know they’ve been off a little bit for exams, which might be an advantage for us, but I don’t think so.

"Anything can happen when you get to the Beanpot and hopefully we’re going to play one of better games of the year come Monday night."

(For a detailed look at Harvard, see this week’s ECAC Preview by Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy.)

PICKS: Could BU reprise its Beanpot upsets of the late eighties? Possibly, but BC needs to put together a run, and what better time than now? BC prevails, 5-3.

And Harvard returns to the championship game with a 3-2 nail-biter.

No. 2 Maine (18-2-4, 10-2-2 HEA, 2nd) at

Providence College (13-10-0, 8-6-0 HEA, 4th)

Friday, 7 p.m., Schneider Arena, Providence, RI

Maine continued its winning ways, taking both games at Merrimack, 5-2 and 4-3.

"We were hungry for a sweep," says coach Shawn Walsh. "We actually talked about it before we left Orono. We know we’re in a pennant race and we wanted four points.

"Once we got two [on Friday,] we really wanted it. You could see it in their faces."

It would appear that the Black Bears are not only more talented this year than the past couple seasons, but are also developing the necessary killer instinct.

"They’re getting it," says Walsh. "I don’t think we’re an unbelievable team. We can be beaten by anybody. Certainly UMass and Northeastern have proven that. But we’re getting better.

"I like what I’m seeing out of this team. We’re on a steady climb and we continue to do it with three regulars out of the lineup."

One player who is certainly on a climb is freshman Barrett Heisten, who has five goals and five assists in his last six games.

"Heisten is coming on," says Walsh. "He’s becoming arguably as good a rookie as there is in this league. Since getting back from the World Juniors, he’s been a different player."

While UNH fans will certainly point to their own Darren Haydar as the league’s top freshman, there’s no doubt that Heisten is now a big contributor on the top line with Cory Larose and Steve Kariya.

Speaking of which, Kariya (16-26–42) now trails only Jason Krog (17-31–48) in the league’s overall scoring race.

"Stevie has stepped up," says Walsh. "He’s elevated his game much like [Marty] Reasoner did last year. He’s carrying this team on his shoulders."

The Black Bears face Providence in their lone game this week.

"It’s been a great series, especially the second game when they had us down, 2-0, and we came back and beat them," says Walsh. "We know how experienced they are and how strong they are. Last year, they swept us in their rink and we want to atone for that. We also realize it’s going to be a monumental task.

"It’s our only game of the week, so we’re going to focus on it and give it our best."

The Friars’ split with Boston College last weekend certainly showed that they are a dangerous foe.

"If anything, their win over BC heightens our interest," says Walsh. "Our listening ability will be higher than it would have been had BC won both games. But it will be a typical tough Hockey East game between maybe two of the best four teams in the league."

Providence made the rest of the league sit up and take notice with a Friday night 3-0 defeat of Boston College on the Hockey East Game of the Week. The Friars couldn’t finish off the potential sweep, however, losing 5-2 at home.

"Friday night, we played a very solid game, obviously," says coach Paul Pooley. "[Goaltender] Boyd [Ballard] played exceptionally well, but I thought we did what we wanted to do for the most part. We gave up some chances, but we created a lot of chances, too. It was an excellent game for us.

"On Saturday night, a couple faceoff goals in the first period really set us back. Then they scored a power-play goal to make it 3-0. But we showed a lot of character coming back to 3-2. We had a lot of chances, had a lot of shots. We just couldn’t put it in.

"Our power play was 2-for-6, but when we needed a goal on a power play we couldn’t get it. It’s unfortunate because our power play is going pretty well. But it was a real good game.

"Gionta had three goals: a short-handed goal, a power-play goal and an empty-netter. He’s definitely the key to their team and the catalyst for them. He’s a great player.

"I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t win. But I think we made it exciting and I think we learned a lot about ourselves and what it takes to beat a team like BC back-to-back."

It doesn’t get any easier because the Friars now take on No. 2 Maine and No. 4 New Hampshire.

"It’s a big weekend," says Pooley. "We knew these last four games were going to be big after the Lowell game. We feel good about facing Maine and UNH. BC is probably a little more aggressive on their forechecks. They give up some things a little bit if you execute.

"Maine and UNH are both very sound defensively. That’s their bread and butter. Maine is very, very aggressive and we have to try and exploit some things that they do with their aggressiveness.

"They’re both solid teams. We’ve got to take care of the biscuit and make sure we be patient, wait for the opportunities and be very, very aggressive on the offensive transition."

PICKS: These should be two terrific battles that could go either way. Maine tops the Friars, 4-3 in overtime. UNH makes it two, 3-2.

No. 4 New Hampshire (19-4-1, 11-2-1 HEA, 1st) at

Northeastern (8-12-3, 4-9-2 HEA, 7th)

Providence College (13-10-0, 8-6-0 HEA, 4th) at No. 4 New Hampshire (19-4-1, 11-2-1 HEA, 1st)

Friday, 7 p.m., Matthews Arena, Boston, MA

Saturday, 7 p.m., Whittemore Center, Durham, NH

New Hampshire extended its unbeaten streak to six games with two more victories, 3-1 and 4-1, over UMass-Lowell.

"We’re playing well and obviously the weekend was good hockey, good competition," says coach Dick Umile. "[Lowell goaltender Scott] Fankhouser played well and made it tough, but our team played for 60 minutes and just did whatever they had to do to win the hockey game. I was pleased with the overall performance of the team."

What is striking about the Wildcats is how they don’t have quite the offensive dazzle of last year’s squad, but are just so solid, seemingly devoid of weaknesses.

"We’ve got balance," says Umile. "We’re strong defensively, led by Steve O’Brien, our senior. Our two goaltenders, Sean Matile and Ty Conklin, are playing very well.

"And we’ve got balance up front and our lines can all play. [Jason] Krog is having an absolutely fabulous year. That makes us a very balanced team and we can do a little bit of everything."

On the negative side, a significant Wildcat will be out of the lineup for an extended time for the first time all season. Dan Enders broke a collarbone and will be sidelined for at least six weeks.

On the plus side, Sean Matile, who battled inconsistency earlier in the season, has rewarded Umile’s faith in him with 46 saves of 48 shots over the last two games. His win over Lowell gives him 48 on his career, tying him for the UNH lead with Greg Moffett.

"Goaltending is a tough position," says Umile. "Goaltenders take the blame for loses and a lot of things. At times, it may not be totally their fault. There’s no question Sean wasn’t playing at the top of his game.

"But I believe right now he’s back playing well, playing with a lot of confidence. I know he’s worked at it. We’re with him every single day. People on the outside don’t deal with him every single day so they didn’t know that [earlier] we just needed to give the support that he needed and probably let him fight [through] it."

This week, the Wildcats face Northeastern and Providence.

"They just get tougher and tougher," says Umile. "The competition in our league is always difficult. Playing down at Northeastern is difficult. They always play you tough.

"And then we have Providence. I’m not surprised at the success of Providence of late. I felt that they were a real good team in the beginning of the year. We split with them early on, so it’s kind of a rubber match game for us."

Northeastern is profiled above in the Beanpot section.

Providence is profiled above in its contest against Maine.

PICKS: UNH takes two more, 4-2 over Northeastern and 3-2 over Providence.

No. 7 Boston College (15-8-2, 10-5-0 HEA, 3rd) at

UMass-Amherst (6-15-2, 3-10-2 HEA, T-8th)

Friday, 7 p.m., Mullins Center, Amherst, MA

Boston College is profiled above in the Beanpot section.

UMass-Amherst took three of four points on the weekend, tying Northeastern, 2-2, and defeating BU, 5-4.

"All league points are tough at this point, but three out of four points was a real nice weekend for us," said coach Joe Mallen. "Beating BU is something that’s really been a challenge for us. It was always an uphill battle.

"We felt that we had played so well in those two 3-2 losses [to BU] early in the season that we were due. Our kids just really did a good job. They really went out and played hard. For 50 minutes we played terrific. In the last four or five minutes we had a letdown, but for us to score five goals against BU and a good goaltender like Michel Larocque is a good accomplishment."

Sophomore Jeff Turner was the offensive star, getting the game-tying goal against Northeastern and the game-winner against BU.

"Jeff’s a real gritty player," says Mallen. "[He] missed the whole first half of last year with a broken leg, so really he’s just getting a full year under his belt now. We think he’s going to be one of the leaders of the future on this team."

The Minutemen then opened a three-game series with Boston College with a 7-1 loss on Tuesday.

"Obviously, I have great respect for what BC is doing right now," said Mallen before the game. "They’re definitely one of the top teams in the country. They may be a little up and down, but on any given night they can beat anybody in the country.

"For us right now, hockey is a game of momentum and we’ve just got to use the momentum from the Northeastern and BU games to play real well against BC.

PICKS: BC takes off on a winning streak, 4-1.

Boston University (8-13-2, 5-8-2 HEA, 5th) at

UMass-Lowell (12-12-0, 4-10-0 HEA, T-8th)

Friday, 7 p.m., Paul E. Tsongas Arena, Lowell, MA

Boston University is profiled above in the Beanpot section.

UMass-Lowell lost two over the weekend to No. 4 UNH, 3-1 and 4-1.

"Both nights we were in position to upset them late in the third period," says coach Tim Whitehead, whose River Hawks led one night going into the third and were tied the other. "I’m pleased that we were in position to do that. Obviously, we would have loved to have seen us follow through with that and knock them off, so it was disappointing.

"But UNH, when it came down to it, won the game in the end. We didn’t give it to them. The kids competed and we were in position to win it, we just got beat by some real good plays, particularly the second night at their rink when Krog and Haydar did a nice job of polishing it off."

With the River Hawks now tied for eighth place in Hockey East, this week’s games against BU and Merrimack become the perfect time for them to make a move on two teams that aren’t far ahead of them in the standings.

"We’re excited to play this weekend," says Whitehead. "These are two games with a lot of significance for the teams involved so it should be a lot of fun that way.

"It’s an opportunity for us. If we can get a couple in the win column, we can make some headway. But obviously for us, at this point every game is challenging because you look at the standings and every team is stacked up ahead of us.

"We’ve got 10 games left and all 10 of those are going to be challenging for us. But it’s also an exciting time for us because we have the opportunity, if we knock some of these teams off, to climb up in the standings."

PICKS: Lowell gets back on the winning track, 4-2.

Merrimack (9-13-1, 5-8-1 HEA, 6th) vs. Brown (3-8-5, 2-6-4 ECAC, 8th) and

UMass-Lowell (12-12-0, 4-10-0 HEA, T-8th)

Thursday, 7 p.m., Meehan Auditorium, Providence, RI

Sunday, 2 p.m., Volpe Center, North Andover, MA

Merrimack finished its four-game set against UNH and Maine empty-handed, losing to the Black Bears, 5-2 and 4-3.

"Against New Hampshire, I don’t think we came close, but I thought that against Maine we had some real chances to win," says coach Chris Serino. "Hopefully, we’ll continue some of that against Brown and Lowell this week."

In the second game against the Black Bears, Serino put Greg Classen on the top line with Rejean Stringer and Kris Porter and the rookie responded with two goals. Classen had served as second-line center for most of the year.

"You try to get balance in your scoring and that’s why I had him down there [on the second line,]" says Serino. "But if the first line is going to be the line that scores most of your goals anyway, then you have to take advantage of every opportunity.

"One thing that Greg does very well is he goes to the net. He’s gotten a lot of goals that way: going to the net, getting rebounds, having a quick stick in front of the net when there’s a loose puck. If you play with Stringer and Porter, there’s going to be a lot of those. And he’s got the speed to open up the ice a little bit.

"The other line that I thought played well defensively for us was [Chris] Halecki, [Vince] Clevenger and [John] Pyliotis. We tried to play them on Kariya’s line and I thought they did a good job.

"I’m going to try to keep [those two lines] together and play with the other two."

Although the Thursday tilt with Brown could be viewed as a less important nonconference match-up, Serino sees it as a key contest.

"Brown is a very important game, just to get us back on a winning note," he says. "It’s a big game to get us rolling again.

"With a team like ours, when you win it does so much for the guys that it becomes important for us to win."

And as for Lowell…

"It’s going to be a huge game for us," says Serino.

UMass-Lowell is profiled above in its game against BU.

(For a detailed look at Brown, see this week’s ECAC Preview by Becky Blaeser and Jayson Moy.)

PICKS: Merrimack sweeps, 5-2 over Brown and 4-3 over Lowell.

Thanks to Scott Weighart for his contributions to this preview.

This Week in the MAAC: January 29, 1999

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Ever notice how much Metro Atlantic hockey resembles the TV series The Simpsons?

First, The Simpsons is set in the mythic town of Springfield…and there’s a town called Springfield in New England, where most of the MAAC schools are located. Coincidence? I think not.

Next, how often does The Simpsons come on? Every week. And when do the MAAC teams play hockey? Every week. The plot thickens.

Plus, if you hunt around the various MAAC hockey teams, you’re sure to find players, coaches and staff named Homer, Bart…Marge and…um…Apu…

Hmm.

I gotta start writing these earlier.

All right, enough of that foolishness. We now return you to your regularly-scheduled foolishness.

Last weekend in the MAAC could be described as the Week of Ties, or maybe just the Week of Fairfield. The Stags rebounded from a Friday loss to American International to stop the Yellow Jackets 6-3 to claim their first victory of the season.

Meanwhile, three of the remaining five MAAC games last weekend finished as 3-3 ties, including both games between Quinnipiac and Canisius. Iona and Connecticut likewise tied, and Holy Cross made up some ground on the conference leaders by taking two games — both by the score of 4-2 — from Sacred Heart.

With last weekend in the books, Quinnipiac retains the MAAC lead with a 12-2-2 record and 26 league points, but Holy Cross has now pulled into a second-place tie with UConn, just four points behind. The Braves may still be in the driver’s seat, but with 12 games to go in league play, a four-point lead is nowhere close to safe.

AIC, despite giving up Fairfield’s first win, stayed ahead of Iona for fourth place, while Canisius holds in sixth with 13 points. The MAAC’s cellar-dwellers, Sacred Heart and Fairfield, now have seven and two league points, respectively.

Quinnipiac (14-2-2, 12-2-2 MAAC) at Fairfield (1-18-0, 1-15-0 MAAC) Friday, 8:30 pm ET, Wonderland of Ice, Bridgeport, Conn. Fairfield at Quinnipiac Saturday, 7:00 pm ET, East Haven Rink, East Haven, Conn. Sacred Heart (3-14-1, 3-12-1 MAAC) at Quinnipiac Tuesday, 7:00 pm ET, East Haven Rink, East Haven, Conn.

That rush of air felt throughout the Northeast last Saturday was a collective sigh of relief from Fairfield’s hockey players, coaches and fans. After getting mauled 9-3 on Friday, the Stags recovered to post a 6-3 win for their first league points.

The victory came courtesy of linemates Rob Curtis (11-6–17) and Conal Barbuto (5-6–11), each of whom scored two goals in the contest, and netminder Derek Saunders (1-2-0, 6.11 GAA, .829 SV%), who stopped 33 AIC shots. Barbuto and Curtis scored 17 seconds apart early in the third to break open a tie game, and Saunders played Saturday’s game in place of number-one goalie John True, who was pulled halfway through the third period Friday after giving up eight goals.

Rookie Bryan Cairns (1-0–1) also scored Saturday for the Stags, his first career tally.

So — the proverbial monkey may be off the Stags’ backs, but this is still a team with a long way to go. Fairfield is giving up three times as many goals as it is scoring in MAAC play (105-35), and a lot of the trouble seems to be in net.

Whether it’s going to be True, Saunders or Charles Fitzpatrick, who played the final 9:12 Friday, someone has to step up for the Stags to improve.

Meanwhile, the Quinnipiac Braves played a so-so pair of games against homestanding Canisius last Saturday and Sunday, ending in two 3-3 ties. Saturday’s action saw Canisius score first and never trail, but Chad Poliquin’s (7-14–21) goal one minute into the third period knotted it up for the Braves. Chris Cerrella (9-13–22) notched a goal and an assist for Quinnipiac.

The next night it was Canisius’ turn to play catch-up after blowing an early lead. In a game which featured a hefty 15 power plays, the only actual power-play goal was by QC’s Mike Ruggiero (5-6–11), who scored at 13:50 of the second period to give Quinnipiac its only lead.

Like its predecessor, Sunday’s game went to OT, where despite 11 shots on goal in the five extra minutes, neither team could pull out the win. Both netminders played well to preserve the tie, with Quinnipiac’s J.C. Wells stopping 30 shots.

Wells, by the way, continues to lead the MAAC in league wins (11), goals-against average (2.15), save percentage (.895) and minutes (890). He backstops a defense which is tops in the conference in goals against (just 36 in 16 games, a 2.3 average).

The Brave offense is hardly less dominating, as four Quinnipiac players stand in the top 12 in MAAC scoring. Oddly, one of those, super freshman and leading conference scorer Neil Breen (11-13—24), was held without a point against Canisius.

Shows what my praise will do to you, and with that in mind, contributions are now being accepted for keeping my mouth shut about hot players.

The third game of the week for Quinnipiac is an odd game against Sacred Heart Tuesday — odd because it’s the front end of a home-and-home series in which the games are separated by two weeks. The Braves and Pioneers play the back end at Sacred Heart on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

Sacred Heart is profiled below, in its series with Iona.

Picks: On paper, this looks like a mismatch, and despite Fairfield’s heartening win Saturday, that’s probably what it will be on the ice, too. Quinnipiac is not likely to show the Stags the same generosity that it did the Griffins last weekend. Quinnipiac 7-2, 4-0

Then, on Tuesday, the Braves make it three wins for the week against the tenacious, but outmatched, Pioneers. Quinnipiac 5-2

Holy Cross (8-7-3, 8-4-2 MAAC) at Canisius (6-9-5, 4-7-5 MAAC) Friday, 8:00 pm ET, Dann Memorial Rink, Buffalo, N.Y. Saturday, 2:00 pm ET, Dann Memorial Rink, Buffalo, N.Y.

The Crusaders of Holy Cross made their move last week, winning two games with Sacred Heart and sliding into a tie with UConn for second place in the conference. That means the preseason favorites are now 4-1 in their last five league games, and sit just four points behind league-leading Quinnipiac.

For the series, the Crusaders outshot the Pioneers 94-48, but were held comparatively close by Sacred Heart netminder Alexis Jutras-Binet. On Friday, Holy Cross got two goals and an assist from Paul Cavanaugh (10-8–18) and three assists by Mike Maguire (3-11–14) as the Crusaders scored three goals in the third period — on a monumental 20 shots — to erase a 2-1 deficit.

Holy Cross had trailed after 40 minutes of play despite outshooting Sacred Heart 31-17.

The next night the win was more straightforward, as Pat Rismiller (6-16–22) netted 1-2–3, including the game-winner, a power-play goal at 16:35 of the second period. Scott Simpson (4-3-1, 2.87 GAA, .889 SV%), who played both games in the Crusader nets in place of Tom Ormondroyd, then held off the Pioneers to gain his second win of the series.

This weekend, Holy Cross takes on Canisius, fresh off a solid, if only somewhat satisfying, series with QC. The Ice Griffs skated to two 3-3 ties with the Braves in Buffalo, coming back in one and losing a lead in the other.

In the first game, the MAAC’s second-leading scorer, Chris Duggan (13-15–28), notched Canisius’ first two goals to stake the Griffs to a 2-1 lead early in the middle frame. The victory was not to be, however, as the Braves stormed back from that deficit as well as a later 3-2 margin to draw the contest.

Even with that in mind, the Griffs couldn’t have been too upset with the tie, seeing as they were outshot 38-24 by Quinnipiac for the game. Bob Janosz (3-8-4, 3.79 GAA, .889 SV%) earned most of the credit there, stopping a total of 35 shots (and 64 shots on the weekend) for the hosts.

Sunday’s game was more back-and-forth, with each team holding one-goal leads before settling for the tie again. Seth Wiener (3-4–7) tallied the game’s final goal for the Griffs, while Todd Bisson (3-6–9) notched two assists.

The two ties, though well-played, continued the Griffs season-long pattern. They have now tied three of their last five games, and have recorded five draws in just 16 MAAC games in 1998-99.

Picks: Both teams look sharp right now, Canisius’ odd tie-happy string notwithstanding. But Holy Cross, in particular, has shown a pattern this season of alternating good and bad performances, so let’s say that happens again. Canisius 4-3, Holy Cross 5-2

American Int’l (9-7-3, 8-5-3 MAAC) at Connecticut (10-6-4, 9-3-4 MAAC) Friday, 7:30 pm ET, UConn Ice Rink, Storrs, Conn. Connecticut at American Int’l Saturday, 7:00 pm ET, Olympia Ice Center, W. Springfield, Mass.

"It had to come sometime, and it just happened to be us."

That’s probably the rallying cry this week on the campus of American International, which was victimized by Fairfield last Saturday for the Stags’ first win of the year. Now, the MAAC hockey league is too young, and rivalries too nascent to call that loss embarrassing, but getting beat 6-3 by a team which was 0-18 up ’til then is not the way to improve morale.

So the question now is, what will the Yellow Jackets do about it? Their next opponent, Connecticut, is also coming off a disappointment, so there’s no shortage of motivation for these teams in what could be an excellent weekend of hockey.

AIC’s collapse against Fairfield Saturday was even more surprising when you consider that the ‘Jackets had just pummeled the Stags 9-3 the night before. In that game, Dan Curran (11-3–14) scored two goals, including the shorthanded game-winner, and Mike Peddycord (4-5–9) continued his recent scoring streak by adding two tallies of his own. Though Fairfield actually scored the first goal of the night, it was never a contest after that: the ‘Jackets quickly returned three-for-one in the first period, and built a 6-2 lead after two.

Saturday’s game, as already mentioned, was a whole different ball of wax. Peddycord got his third goal of the weekend, but there was little else to cheer if you were an AIC fan, as the Stags hammered normally-reliable Chance Thede (7-5-3, 3.22 GAA, .901 SV%) for six goals on 34 shots.

Nevertheless, the Yellow Jackets remain in fourth place in the league standings, but just two points ahead of Iona. And AIC will need a return to form by its defensive corps (47 goals against in MAAC play, fourth-best in the league) to gain any ground against UConn.

That’s because the Huskies have an axe of their own to grind. UConn outshot Iona 42-22 last Saturday in its lone game of the week, but let the Gaels back into the contest by blowing a 3-1 second-period lead.

Ryan Murphy (1-1–2) scored the third UConn goal, an unassisted even-strength marker at 2:05 of the second, and added an assist. That goal looked like insurance at that time, but ended up as the difference between a tie and a loss as the Gaels stormed back to knot it up.

The game was also notable for what it didn’t have — scoring from UConn’s trio of Geoff Angell (9-10–19), Dan Sheehan (4-13–17) and Ciro Longobardi (9-7–16). That group was held to one point (a Longobardi assist) on the evening, and that will have to change against AIC for the Huskies to make up ground.

The 3-3 finish also meant that UConn has tied three of its last four, the fourth decision being a 4-1 loss to Sacred Heart. That’s alarming for Husky fans, who watched their team jump out to a 9-2-1 start in the MAAC before the current troubles. Now, Connecticut will need to hustle to maintain a share of second place, let alone challenge Quinnipiac for the lead.

UConn still sports a solid D — the Huskies are second in the league in goals against — and Marc Senerchia (9-5-4, 2.56 GAA, .894 SV%) trails only Quinnipiac’s J.C. Wells in most key goaltending categories. Frankly, though, the defense has kept the heat off Senerchia for most of the season: he has faced just 282 shots in 850-plus minutes of MAAC play. His performance could be the key to UConn rejoining QC atop the league, or sliding as far as fourth.

Picks: The Huskies really, really need two wins here, but don’t count on it. AIC has been one of the league’s best home teams this season (a 6-1-2 league record), and the Yellow Jackets need these points at least as much as the Huskies do. UConn 3-1, AIC 3-2

Iona (9-9-1, 8-7-1 MAAC) at Sacred Heart (3-14-1, 3-12-1 MAAC) Friday, 7:30 pm ET, Milford Ice Pavilion, Fairfield, Conn. Sacred Heart at Iona Saturday, 7:00 pm ET, The Ice Hutch, New Rochelle, N.Y.

This series pits the MAAC’s seventh-place team against the team picked to finish last in the preseason coaches’ poll.

Iona has baffled the pundits, churning out its fair share of conference wins en route to a fifth-place standing and the respect of its league mates. That has been accomplished largely as a result of prodigious scoring; the Gaels have notched 66 goals in MAAC play, good for second in the league.

The O is led by Ryan Carter (21-15–26) , who leads the conference in goals, points and power-play markers; Rob Kellogg (15-17–32) , who sits second to Carter in goals and third in points; and, ofttimes, defenseman Tim Kyrkostas (6-11–17), the MAAC leader in blueliner scoring. Think about this: Carter alone has accounted for nearly one-fourth of Iona’s league goals this year.

Carter notched his 16th goal of the MAAC season last Saturday to get the draw for the Gaels against UConn. He was assisted by Erik Nates (9-10–19), who tallied a goal of his own to start the comeback from a 3-1 second-period deficit.

In nets for Iona, Dan McGuire (5-3-1, 3.79 GAA, .875 SV%) claimed credit for the tie, replacing Ben Brady after the first period (which saw UConn take a 2-1 lead) and allowing just one goal on 27 shots in the game’s final 40 minutes.

Oddly enough, Iona is the only team in the MAAC to sport a significantly better record on the road than at home. The Gaels are 5-3-1 in league games away, versus just 3-4-0 in home tilts.

Across the ice from the Gaels this weekend will be Sacred Heart, led by goaltender Alexis Jutras-Binet (3-12-1, 4.87 GAA, .886 SV%). Apart from being one of its best (don’t let the numbers fool you), Jutras-Binet is certainly the league’s busiest keeper — the porous Pioneer D has allowed 543 shots on him this year. That’s 190 more than any other goaltender in the league has faced.

I repeat: that’s 190 more than any other goaltender in the entire league.

Not helping the Sacred Heart cause is an anemic offense which sits seventh in the MAAC in goal production. SHU scored just four goals against Holy Cross last weekend, although the Pioneers did hold the lead (2-1) at one point Saturday. Lloyd Marks (4-3–7) managed 1-1–2 in that contest, while team scoring leader Erik Drake (4-13–17) (the only Pioneer among the MAAC scoring charts, at 4-7–11) notched an assist on Marks’ goal.

That is, the Pioneer offense is sleepwalking right now, but all it would take is a little boost to make this a competitive team. The Pioneers showed their firepower with four goals to beat UConn two weeks ago, and before that with 12 goals in a two-game sweep of Fairfield.

Picks: Iona doesn’t play a whole lot of defense, which could be inviting for the stagnant Pioneers. But Iona does score a whole lot, which won’t help Jutras-Binet revive the blueline corps of Sacred Heart. With two teams that are such opposites, this call is tough. I gave SHU the benefit of the doubt last week, but Holy Cross was too strong. Iona is probably the same — but not by much. Iona 3-2, 4-3

Next week in the MAAC:

Friday, February 5: Canisius at Iona Fairfield at Holy Cross Sacred Heart at American Int’l Connecticut at Quinnipiac

Saturday, February 6: American Int’l at Sacred Heart Canisius at Iona Holy Cross at Fairfield Quinnipiac at Connecticut

David Cullen: Quarterback Extraordinaire

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This year, Hockey East instituted a Defensive Player of the Week Award to complement its other awards, which forwards and goaltenders traditionally dominate. After Maine’s first weekend of action, the league selected David Cullen. After Maine’s second weekend of action, the league again selected David Cullen.

Two years ago, the Black Bears boasted the best power play in Division I. Last year, only NCAA runner-up Boston College topped them. Through almost those entire two years, the quarterback of that exceptional unit was David Cullen.

"He’s one of the top two or three, at the worst, defensemen in the league. Offensively, he might be as good as there is."

— Maine coach Shawn Walsh

This season, even though Maine’s man-advantage has experienced ups and downs, Cullen has been a constant force from the blue line. He has totaled more points than any other defenseman in Hockey East and trails the national leader, Colorado College’s Scott Swanson, by only one.

“I don’t think it’s any surprise that he’s developed the way he’s developed,” says coach Shawn Walsh. “You could see recruiting him that he wanted the puck at the end of a tight game. He had the ability to go end to end. He’s got some things you just can’t teach. Where he’s developed is his physical strength and his defensive ability.”

As a freshman, though, Cullen joined a blue-line corps that already included Jeff Tory, Jason Mansoff, Brian White and Jeff Libby, as well as fellow freshman Brett Clark. There was plenty of offensive firepower in that group. As the sixth defenseman, Cullen would have to focus on the weakest part of his game, playing in his own end.

“Our team in juniors only had two hours of practice a week and then we just played games,” he says. “It wasn’t much of a teaching atmosphere. It was just, ‘Here’s the puck and go and try to score more goals than the other team.’ I was mostly up the ice the whole game. I didn’t really worry about my own end.

“When I came to Maine, it was totally different. I had to learn a lot of things that a lot of the kids already knew. The defensive part of my game was pretty bad.

“It took me about till Christmas to get used to everything. I was fortunate that the coaches worked with me every day. I got into a regular role by Christmas and helped contribute as a sixth D.”

The hard work on his defensive game earned him the team’s Most Improved Player Award at the end of the year.

“Definitely when you get recognized by your teammates it’s nice to hear,” Cullen says. “It’s a good feeling that your hard work went somewhere.”

That hard work as a freshman appeared ready to parlay itself into a bigger role for him as a sophomore, especially after the losses of Tory and Clark. But along with the rest of the team, Cullen got off to a disappointing start. At the exam break in December, the Black Bears held a 2-5-1 record in Hockey East games and stood 5-7-1 overall in Division I play.

And Cullen was struggling.

“At Christmas, I think I only had about eight or nine points,” he says. “I really hadn’t found my game. I know when Coach Walsh came back [after a one-year absence], I played terrible the first game in Denver. I just didn’t do anything right.

“He took me aside in practice and told me to work on my defense and to jump in the O when I should jump in the O. He started getting on me a little more about certain things and started pushing me more in practice.

“That helped me to understand the game a lot more and become a better player. I got more confidence as I got more playing time and just took off from there.”

Took off, indeed. Within a few weeks, he earned his first recognition as Hockey East Player of the Week, helped in no small part by the Maine power play going 7-for-9 with him at the helm. Four weeks later, he again earned Player of the Week honors.

After scoring only six points as a freshman, Cullen jumped to 30, despite the slow start. He also finished with a team-low eight penalty minutes, a remarkable number for a defenseman.

And most importantly, he played a big part in Maine finishing the season as the hottest team in the country, losing only twice after New Year’s.

Last season, while improving his defensive consistency, he ratcheted his offensive game up another notch as well. He doubled his goals to 10 and totaled 37 points, trailing only Boston College’s Mike Mottau and Boston University’s Tom Poti.

To become one of the league’s elite, Cullen has had to apply himself off the ice as well as on. He entered Maine as a 185-pound freshman, but now weighs in at 209. As Walsh puts it, “He’s become a man out there.”

“When I came here to Maine,” Cullen says, “I wasn’t in too good shape and didn’t lift much weights at all. I really needed to get into the weight room. I wasn’t too aware of the extent to which you need to be in condition to be a college athlete.

“A lot of that was also just maturing as a person. I was pretty young when I came here. Now, I’m [22]. It’s just been growing as a person and putting a couple of extra pounds on of muscle.”

In dramatic contrast to the shape he was in as a freshman, Cullen’s conditioning now gives Walsh extra options.

“He can take lots of ice,” Walsh says. “He’s got one of those bodies and metabolism that allows him to play 30-35 minutes a game and it doesn’t seem to affect his play.”

Cullen’s off-ice work may also have played a part in his ability to stay healthy. He entered the season having played in 100 consecutive games, tops among the Black Bears, and has yet to miss a game.

“Knock on wood, I haven’t really had an injury here at Maine that’s been very serious,” he says. “Last year, I was behind Brian White and Steve Kariya [for most consecutive games]. Then Whitey went out for a game and Steve became the iron man. Then the end of last year, he came down with that lung injury.

“I kept bugging him, ‘I’m the new iron man,'” Cullen says with a laugh, realizing that the bullseye is now on his jersey. “I hope I didn’t jinx myself. I guess I’ve just been lucky enough not to get hurt.”

Not so lucky at first glance, however, was his first cousin, John Cullen, the former BU All-American and pro standout. John, who had years earlier tried to convince David to follow in his footsteps at BU, missed the entire 1997-98 NHL season battling cancer, including undergoing bone marrow transplants. When the news seemed to be worsening, concern mounted throughout the hockey community, but naturally much more so among the Cullen clan.

“He was my idol growing up,” David Cullen says. “He wasn’t just a good hockey player, he was a great guy. The kind I wanted to model myself after.

“I used to always see him in the summer at family reunions and that type of thing. And when he used to play with Pittsburgh or Hartford we would always go down to Buffalo [to watch him play] because we lived right by Buffalo across the border. We always watched the games there and saw him after the games. When we heard the news, it was a shock to the whole family.”

Fortunately, the John Cullen cancer story has a happy ending. Although he has hung up his skates, the disease is in remission.

“That’s the kind of person John is,” David Cullen says. “He just fought it. And right now, he’s succeeding in life again. It’s great.”

Although next year he’ll almost certainly be following in his older cousin’s footsteps into professional hockey, David Cullen isn’t looking that far ahead right now.

“I’m just going to try to have a good year and help the team win,” he says. “Who knows, maybe there will be something down the road after this year. But if not, that’s why I went to school and am getting my degree. I’m going to be graduating on time. I went to school because I know hockey won’t be there forever. That’s why I went to school, for something to fall back on.”

Until then, Cullen’s focus will be on winning games for Maine, a goal that so far is going almost perfectly. The Black Bears have lost only twice and rank second in the country.

So what does Maine’s power-play quarterback extraordinaire look for when he has the puck at the point?

“I just think you play it by ear,” he says. “The coach says I try to get the puck too much to Stevie [Kariya]. He says Steve and I have tunnel vision. But if I have a guy like Steve Kariya on my power play, I want to try to get him the puck.

“You just basically take what the defense gives you. If they sit back, then just fire the puck. Shoot at the net and let the guys in front smack home the rebounds. If they pressure, try to hit the seams. A lot of it is just going out there and relying on your instincts.”

Which Cullen is also doing when he approaches his role as team captain along with Kariya and assistants Bobby Stewart and Jason Vitorino. Although he feels there’s a time and place for speaking up, a lot of leading is done through a captain’s actions.

“It’s important the way you practice everyday and the way you approach your scheduled lifts,” Cullen says. “Your work ethic on and off the ice matters. Guys look at that. If they see their captain riding the bike after practice, they say, oh, he’s doing it, maybe we should be doing something like that, too. If you’re making your lifts, they should be making their lifts, too. There’s no cutting corners.

“You lead by example, but if someone does step out of line, you say something to him. Both Steve and I are the way that if something needs to be said, we’re not going to hold back.

“We have Bobby Stewart and Jay Vitorino who are also assistant captains. They do a lot of talking for us, too. I don’t think we need four guys yelling. As long as one guy says what needs to be said, that should be sufficient.”

If it all does come together for the Black Bears this season, it will be sweet indeed for seniors like Cullen who have paid their dues the last three years.

“I came here because I wanted to be on one of the top teams in the nation every year and I wanted in my four years to have a national championship ring to look at,” he says. “That’s our ultimate goal, to bring the championship back to Maine.

“That’s definitely on our minds every day, but we can’t look too far ahead. We’ve got to take every weekend, one game at a time.”

This feature originally appeared in the Friends of Maine Hockey Newsletter.

This Week in the WCHA: January 29, 1999

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It seems that every week I open with something about North Dakota edging ever closer to the MacNaughton. Dang it, I did it again. Well, let’s put the Sioux aside for a while and look at some teams that don’t really know where they’re going to finish.

As it has been for a while now, the middle of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association is very tight. Positions three through eight are separated by six points. If everyone keeps beating everyone else, this race is going to come down to the last weekend.

While second-place Colorado College gets the weekend off, new No. 3 Denver, fresh off a sweep of Alaska-Anchorage, travels to face Wisconsin. Anchorage, now in fourth place, hosts fifth-place St. Cloud State this weekend. The interesting thing about these series is that teams are not only playing for points now, they’re playing for positioning in case of a tie. Wisconsin and Denver split earlier this season in the Rockies and this is the only meeting this season between the Huskies and the Seawolves.

In other action, Minnesota, quickly getting desperate for a victory — something the Gophers haven’t had in two months — hosts Michigan Tech, which comes off a pair of close losses at CC, something they hope to learn from.

Oh yeah, North Dakota plays at Minnesota-Duluth. You’ll be interested to hear the comments of UMD coach Mike Sertich on how he plans to take on the Sioux.

How’s that for keeping the reader involved?

DENVER (14-9-1, 9-8-1 WCHA: 3rd) at WISCONSIN (9-13-2, 7-8-1 WCHA: 6th) Friday-Saturday, 7:35 CT, The Kohl Center, Madison, Wis.

ON THE PIONEERS: Denver had to fight back from deficits entering the third period on both ends of last weekend’s series with Alaska-Anchorage, and the fact that they successfully did so says one thing: The Pioneers are in this race until the end.

But coach George Gwozdecky knows there’s no room for error, considering the competition is always just a step back.

"This race, if anybody looks at the point standing, you realize how close it is," he said. "One weekend you can be in second place and the next weekend, you can be in fifth. You can change order so drastically."

Pardon Gwozdecky if he had some flashbacks last weekend. From the sound of the crowd at McNichols Arena Saturday night, when the game drew 5,227, he might have thought he was back at the old DU Arena. So what if it’s already been knocked down?

"Our crowd that we had on Saturday night reminded me of some of our old days at DU Arena," he said. "We had a little over 5,000 and they were really into it. That really helped us, it gave us quite a bit of energy, especially going into the third period down 2-0 and down 3-1 with eight minutes to go.

"We’ve been off our campus for almost two years now, and you kind of have a tendency to forget what it’s like. We’re playing in a great game, and all of a sudden the crowd starts getting into it and they were loud in the third period. It was fun because, prior to the puck being dropped at certain face-offs, the crowd would start clapping their hands and stomping their feet, yelling and doing all the chants that we used to have at the old DU Arena when we had such a home ice advantage."

The Pioneers came back from that 3-1 deficit with a goal by Paul Comrie and a 6-on-4 tally by Chris Paradise in the last minute. DU won, 4-3, on another power-play goal by James Patterson a half minute into overtime. That opportunity with the advantage came as the result of a major penalty for checking from behind assessed to UAA’s Mike Scott at the end of regulation.

For the weekend, Denver clicked on four of seven power-play chances. In fact, they clicked for four power-play goals on four power-play shots. That’s right, a 100 percent shooting percentage with the man advantage.

Ryan Hacker, the victim of the check from behind, is likely to be ready to play this weekend. After being knocked out from the hit.

ON THE BADGERS: Just when you thought Wisconsin’s injury situation was getting better, you get knocked for a loop again. At least Kent Davyduke did.

On the same day that coach Jeff Sauer announced his team would probably get senior defenseman Tim Rothering back from a broken jaw, he also noted that Davyduke, a freshman forward, may not be available. Davyduke took a jolt to the head in Sunday’s 3-2 Badger victory over Minnesota State, Mankato. Sauer said doctors performed a CAT scan, and are concerned about Davyduke’s vision.

But who needs anyone else when Matt Murray is on the ice? The freshman walk-on continued to make an impact with two goals on Sunday, including the game-winner with less than four minutes to play. With that extra something at forward, Sauer might shuffle things up with the return of Rothering.

He said it’s possible that Rothering will line up at forward, as he did in the consolation game of the Badger Hockey Showdown in December, and that forward Dan Bjornlie will play his second consecutive series at defense.

"I really liked Dan Bjornlie back there last weekend," Sauer said, despite the fact that Bjornlie was a minus-3 and committed an error that led to a Maverick goal. "I like what he does back there, especially on the big ice."

Sauer said the fact that his team has not lost focus despite its sub-par showing this season is a tribute to the players.

"I’m disappointed in our standing, I’m not disappointed in the team whatsoever," he said. "With all the adversity this team has had, we haven’t lost them as a staff."

The team’s current sixth-place position, however, could be misleading. UW has two games in hand on the four teams directly in front of them.

"There’s no question that we have a great opportunity," Sauer said. "We could finish as high as second — it’s possible if we went on a run here. There’s a lot of hockey to play here."

THE MATCHUP: Sauer, who coached Denver’s Hobey Baker candidate Paul Comrie, had some kind words for the Denver scoring leader (13-23–36). First, he said Comrie would be in his top three if he voted for the Hobey Baker Trophy (the others being CC’s Brian Swanson and UND’s Jason Blake). Then:

"If I had to take one of the three top players right now to help us do what we have to do, I’d take Paul Comrie."

Why’s that, a reporter asked? "Consistency. It’s something that he didn’t do the last couple years, but now he’s doing it," Sauer said.

Denver has had a reasonable amount of success in Madison recently. The Pioneers have won four of their last five at Wisconsin. Of course, that was at the Dane County Coliseum, where Gwozdecky played college puck, grabbing a national championship in 1977. So he knows both sides of the Madison atmosphere.

"I really can’t give you a reason why we’ve had the kind of success we have had there over the last short while," he said. "I know Wisconsin is a school that is one of the two marquee programs in our conference; they have been for years and years and years. Every hockey team that plays them gets up for them and is excited to play Wisconsin."

Sauer said that Denver has not fared as well on the big ice this season. Maybe his team can play that up. Gwozdecky said the only thing his team prepares when they get to practice on the larger ice is the different angles for the goaltenders.

PICKS: Denver 5-2; Wisconsin 4-3

No. 1 NORTH DAKOTA (19-2-1, 14-1-1 WCHA: 1st) at MINNESOTA-DULUTH (6-18-2, 3-13-2 WCHA: 9th) Friday-Saturday, 7:05 CT, Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center, Duluth, Minn.

ON THE SIOUX: You want dominance, I’ll give you dominance. North Dakota is 14-1 since Nov. 20.

But Nos. 13 and 14 didn’t exactly come easy. The Sioux had to fight off a Minnesota charge on Friday and came back from 3-0 and 5-2 deficits on Saturday for a 6-5 win. Not that the come-from-behind victory should have been that much of a surprise. It was the third year in a row the Sioux made a third-period comeback in the second game of the series with the Gophers in Grand Forks.

Jeff Panzer was the story on Friday. He scored four of UND’s five goals on the night and assisted on the fifth. He also scored the game-winning goal on Saturday.

Senior defenseman Brad Williamson had five assists on Friday, to tie the nation’s best performance this season. Of course, his team-leading seven-game assist streak came to an end Saturday, when apparently, the well ran dry.

Goaltender Andy Kollar was pulled from Saturday’s game after giving up three goals in just over 11 minutes, and on only seven shots. Gee, pretty tough when the backup is Karl Goehring, huh? The sophomore came in and stopped 17 of 19 shots to get the win.

ON THE BULLDOGS: When things aren’t going a team’s way, you have to look for the positives. Minnesota-Duluth was swept last weekend by St. Cloud State, but 12 of the 18 Bulldogs who played figured in the scoring.

"I guess if you’re looking for something, that would be one," UMD coach Mike Sertich said. "I guess I’m more concerned in two things: One, in our effort Friday night and (two) Saturday night, the effort and no result. Those two things concern me more than anything."

Against Wisconsin a couple weekends ago, the Bulldogs had a great effort, but came away with nothing. The series with the Huskies wasn’t exactly that way.

"We had some kids on Friday night that, because of effort, didn’t execute," Sertich said. "That bothers me. It bothers me to this day. Saturday night, we had the effort and the execution, and we didn’t get the results. I can’t put my finger on it."

So what’s next for the Bulldogs, besides the impending matchup with North Dakota?

"Keep plugging away," Sertich said. "Most of our problems are inexperience, and unfortunately that’s one thing you can’t coach."

Jeff Scissons has been one of the bright spots on this team, and that hasn’t gotten past Sertich. He leads UMD with 13 goals and nine assists.

"He’s one of those kids you don’t need to worry about," Sertich said. "He’s there every night. He’s one of the better players in the league."

THE MATCHUP: I’ll just let Sertich’s words speak for themselves.

On his strategy to stay with UND: "Bus crash," he said jokingly. "I don’t know. How the hell do you beat them? Everybody else has tried and never done it either. I have no idea. They’re definitely good. They don’t have a weak spot — that I can tell, anyway.

"Now I know how Custer felt…I’m weird, I know."

If levity could just get him a couple wins…

PICKS: North Dakota 5-2, 6-3

MICHIGAN TECH (7-16-1, 7-11-1 WCHA: 7th) at MINNESOTA (7-13-6, 5-8-3 WCHA: 8th) Friday-Saturday, 7:05 CT, Mariucci Arena, Minneapolis

ON THE HUSKIES: Michigan Tech coach Tim Watters knows his team had a good shot to get out of Colorado Springs with some points last weekend, but the bounces just didn’t go the Huskies’ way. But the fact that his team was able to compete with CC was a good sign.

"I thought both games, we skated with CC and we contained them quite well," Watters said. "They are a pretty talented club, it was just one of those things. I thought we had a good opportunity on Friday to maybe get a point or two out of there and it just didn’t go that way."

The loss on Friday snapped Tech’s three-game winning streak. It’s just time again for the Huskies to regroup, something they’re probably getting accustomed to. Their play at CC was pleasing on one hand yet frustrating on another.

"I think we’re optimistic," Watters said. "We went to CC, who’s the No. 6 team in the nation, and we played fairly well. Although it’s frustrating that we played well and we didn’t get anything to show for it."

Another promising sign for the Huskies is that their power play has started to come around. They have scored at least one power-play goal in eight of their last 10 games and are now scoring on 13.3 percent of their conference chances.

The Huskies scored first in both games last weekend, both coming from freshman Paul Cabana. He now leads WCHA rookies with 10 goals overall and seven in league play, making a run for a spot on the all-rookie team.

"Any time you have a freshman come to your program and he’s able to contribute offensively right away the way he has," Watters said, "it’s going to be an impact on your team. He certainly has done that."

ON THE GOPHERS: Maybe, just maybe, if Minnesota was playing anyone in this nation besides North Dakota last weekend, they would have come away with a pair of wins. Just goes to show what bad timing will do to you.

Here’s more bad timing for the Gophers: They haven’t won a game since Nov. 29. That’s right — two full months. It’s now a school-record 10 game winless streak. Gophers coach Doug Woog can’t speak for his players, but he knows the hard work the team showed last weekend should have paid off.

"I do know we played our butts off the last couple weekends and we haven’t got anything to show for it," he said. "Hopefully we’ll continue to play hard like we have. We’re scoring some goals and some positive things are happening. It’s just that the most positive thing is not, and that’s winning."

When Minnesota was up 5-3 on the Sioux, they had two breakaway opportunities but could not capitalize. The rest is history.

They are a little better team in certain spots than we are, but we had a chance to win those games," Woog said.

So what’s the problem with the Gophers? It might stem from a simple fact — if you give up too many goals, you’re not going to win too many games.

"I don’t like the fact that we’re giving up as many goals as we are, that’s concerning us," Woog said. "Our penalty kill has not been where it should be, our five-on-five coverage at times has not been good and our goaltending needs to be a little better at times. It’s a composite issue."

THE MATCHUP: If the Gophers can keep up the level of play they showed against North Dakota, they could probably defeat anyone…except maybe North Dakota.

"We have to continue to score and we have to continue that intensity," Woog said. "If you continue the intensity, things will work out better. We have to realize that these, again, are must-points and get after it."

Watters said he respects Minnesota’s front lines.

"I think Minnesota has a lot of very good forwards that are very capable of scoring lots of goals," he said. "We’re going to have to contain them."

Minnesota took 40 penalty minutes on Saturday against North Dakota, and Woog said his team can’t afford to do that again this weekend.

PICKS: Minnesota 5-3; Michigan Tech 3-2

ST. CLOUD STATE (12-11-1, 8-10 WCHA: 5th) at ALASKA-ANCHORAGE (11-11-2, 8-8-2 WCHA: 4th) Friday-Saturday, 7:35 AT, Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, Alaska

ON THE HUSKIES: Despite the fact that coach Craig Dahl’s team is riddled with injuries, despite the fact that he has only 10 forwards, St. Cloud State also should be in the race until the finish.

The Huskies took both ends of a home-and-home series with Minnesota-Duluth last weekend, finally getting the reward they deserved, Dahl said.

"We played hard and got rewarded this time," he said. "Up against Tech (two weeks ago), I thought we played really well except in the nets. This time we played pretty well again and got better goaltending, too."

Dean Weasler stopped 68 of 74 Bulldogs shots last weekend. Just another part of an up-and-down year in Husky goaltending.

"He was good for quite a while and then he kind of went south on us, and then he was good last weekend again," Dahl said.

The Huskies also netted a pair of power-play goals, but Dahl isn’t exactly jumping for joy. Both shots came from the point, and he doesn’t see the power-play getting much better.

"We’re not going to have a lot of execution because we just don’t have that type of high-skill," Dahl said, referring to the loss of top-scorer Jason Goulet, among others, from the ranks.

With all the young guys, Dahl tries to keep it simple.

"I tell them to do two things: work your ass off and work smart," he said. "As far as goals, you can’t always control that. If i think they’re getting uptight, I try to joke with them a little bit, make sure they’re not squeezing their sticks and turning them into sawdust. I say you’d better work and you’d better work hard and you’d better do our systems, really be disciplined, and we’ve been doing that great. That’s why we’re still able to be where we’re at, even with all those injuries."

ON THE SEAWOLVES: Alaska-Anchorage lost each of its third-period leads against Denver last weekend and ended up losing each of its games. Disappointing, yes, but also a learning experience.

"It was a little disappointing," UAA coach Dean Talafous said. "Our young team learned that it’s playoff time now. To beat teams like Denver or anybody in the league on the road at this point in the season, we’re going to have to step our game up one more notch if it’s possible. It was a good thing to go through for our team. Disappointing, yeah, but I think we learned a lot."

But it was an uncharacteristic way for the Seawolves to lose. The penalty killers allowed four power-play goals on four shots.

"Penalties never help you, that’s why we take the least penalty minutes per game in hockey — I realize the importance of not taking them," Talafous said. "But we’re human and over the course of the season, you’re going to get a couple penalties. It was untimely, but we still could have killed them off, but we didn’t do a very good job of that either."

The killer was the major penalty for checking from behind that allowed Denver to win the game in overtime. While Mike Scott, the checker, didn’t play in Sunday’s game, neither did goaltender Gregg Naumenko. Doug Teskey, from whom Naumenko took the starting job earlier this season, got the call.

"I wanted to get Teskey in there to get him a game," Talafous said. "Naumenko, he’s played a lot of hockey for a freshman. I thought it doesn’t hurt to get a breather at the same time. It’s going to be a long stretch drive here, so it’s a chance to give him a breather."

Last weekend’s games marked the first and second times this season UAA had lost a game which it led entering the third period.

THE MATCHUP: Of course, games are always important as the season begins to wind down, but this is the only meeting between these two teams. So this is probably each team’s biggest series to date. Of course, every week’s series has been the biggest series to date, and that trend will continue until the end of the season.

"I’m sure a lot of people could make the argument that it’s the biggest series, but it seems like every weekend is bigger," Talafous said. "I think everybody feels that way. It’s so close in the standings that every game is crucial. We’ve got to be at our best and try to do everything we can to win these hockey games."

Said Dahl: "To me, head-to-head is the name of the game. I think our guys are looking forward to it. We’re not looking forward to the plane trip."

Who does?

Dahl said he would be satisfied with a split, but that would probably change if the Huskies win the first game of the series.

PICKS: Alaska-Anchorage, 2-1; St. Cloud State, 3-2 (ot)

UPCOMING SCHEDULE: Hey, it’s Winter Carnival time again! Oh, wait, the Huskies have to go up against the Sioux. Looks like the Carnival Queen might have to go it alone at the Sno-Ball Dance.

Friday, Feb. 5 Minnesota-Duluth at Alaska-Anchorage Minnesota at Colorado College North Dakota at Michigan Tech Wisconsin at St. Cloud State Denver at Air Force

Saturday, Feb. 6 Minnesota-Duluth at Alaska-Anchorage Minnesota at Colorado College North Dakota at Michigan Tech Wisconsin at St. Cloud State Minnesota State, Mankato at Denver

This Week in the CCHA: January 29, 1999

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With all the buildup surrounding this week’s game between No. 5 Michigan and No. 3 Michigan State, an important story may be lost in the hype.

Last Friday, when University of Alaska-Fairbanks head coach Dave Laurion announced his resignation effective at the end of the season, the ripples throughout the college hockey world were small, to be certain. During Laurion’s tenure, the Nanooks have struggled to be competitive, perennially lingering near the bottom of the CCHA standings.

Laurion’s record as Nanook coach isn’t necessarily an accurate measure of his coaching abilities. Consider that Laurion, who’s spent 14 years total at Fairbanks, has had to recruit to the geographically most remote NCAA Division I program. Consider also how much money the hockey program costs the school, and the kind of position that Laurion has found himself in.

One of the conditions for UAF joining the CCHA was that the school would pay for all travel expenses for competitors to play in Fairbanks. Think of the funds it takes to fly an entire team and staff to Fairbanks; think of how many times the Nanooks do this per year.

Think, then, of the kinds of pressures that Laurion and the Nanook team have faced. Expenses need to be justified. A winning program would certainly justify expenses. But there is no way the Nanooks can compete with any other CCHA program in the recruiting wars, given the location of the school and its minimal exposure outside of Alaska.

So, the school doesn’t see results, and doesn’t adequately fund recruiting, which further hampers recruiting efforts, which does nothing to help the results of any given season.

"I think it will be healthy for the program for someone to come in with new ideas for fund raising and ticket sales," says Laurion.

Fund raising and ticket sales? If Laurion is preoccupied with just keeping the program afloat, how can the school expect him to effectively do his job as coach?

Money is so tight for the Nanooks that their booster club had to buy them a skate sharpener last season–the school itself refused the request for funds.

Several CCHA coaches have been very vocal in their opposition to the Nanook program. Several complain each time they head north; several have suggested the Nanooks don’t belong in the league.

The fact remains that the CCHA did welcome the Alaska-Fairbanks program as a full member of the league. The CCHA had every chance to turn down UAF’s application, but it did not. If allowing UAF to join the CCHA was indeed a mistake–and I’m not saying that it was–how sad it would be if the league simply sat back and watched the Nanooks conveniently unravel.

With 32 points, No. 3 Michigan State is two points ahead of No. 5 Michigan, at the top of the CCHA standings. Last weekend, the Spartans beat Lake Superior 4-1 before skating to a 1-1 tie with Northern Michigan. This Friday night, Michigan State and Michigan square off in Munn Ice Arena.

The Wolverines beat Bowling Green 5-4 before tying Ohio State 1-1 last weekend. In addition to the game against the Spartans, No. 5 Michigan travels to No. 10 Notre Dame Saturday.

Ohio State beat Ferris State 3-0 and tied No. 5 Michigan 1-1 last weekend. The Buckeyes moved into third place with 25 points, but are just one point ahead of No. 10 Notre Dame. This weekend, Ohio State hosts Western Michigan for two.

After a tie and a loss, the No. 10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish slip to fourth place, with 24 points. The Irish tied Northern Michigan 3-3 and lost to Lake Superior State 3-1 in a swing through the Yoop last weekend. No. 10 Notre Dame hosts No. 5 Michigan Saturday night.

Ferris State slipped out of the top four with a 3-0 loss to Ohio State and a 4-4 tie in Bowling Green last weekend. With 23 points, however, the Bulldogs are in good shape to hop back up. This weekend, Ferris State hosts Miami for two.

With 22 points, Northern Michigan is nipping at the Bulldogs’ heels and is certainly within reach of a top-four finish. Last weekend, the Wildcats tied No. 10 Notre Dame and No. 3 Michigan State. Northern travels to Alaska-Fairbanks for two this weekend.

Bowling Green is in seventh place, five points behind Northern Michigan. Last weekend, the Falcons lost to No. 5 Michigan 5-4 before tying Ferris State 4-4. This week, Bowling Green travels to Lake Superior State for two.

Miami holds on to that eighth spot by the slimmest of margins. With 11 points, the RedHawks are one point ahead of the bottom three teams. Miami was idle last week, and travels to Ferris State this weekend for two.

Alaska-Fairbanks, Lake Superior State, and Western Michigan are tied for last place with ten points each.

Last weekend, the Nanooks blanked Nebraska-Omaha 4-0 and 7-0. They host Northern for the first time ever this weekend.

Lake Superior State lost to No. 3 Michigan State before upsetting No. 10 Notre Dame. The Lakers host Bowling Green for two this weekend.

Western Michigan dropped a pair of games to No. 8 Rensselaer in Troy last weekend, 5-2 and 2-0. The Broncos and Buckeyes face each other twice in Columbus this weekend.

Last week’s record in picks: 7-5 Overall record in picks: 80-56

That’s Ties 4, Paula 0, in case you’re counting.

No. 5 Michigan (17-5-3, 14-3-2 CCHA) at No. 3 Michigan State (20-3-4, 14-2-4 CCHA) Friday, 7 p.m., Munn Ice Arena, East Lansing, MI

Oh, the rivalry! Oh, the hype! Oh, the humanity!

On game nights when Michigan and Michigan State play each other, life in the entire lower third of the great state of Michigan comes to a dead stop. Air traffic becomes messy. The shelves of the local video store are stocked. You can’t even get a pizza delivered.

Okay, it’s not quite that monumental–but don’t tell that to fans of either team.

"These are big games for all teams," says Michigan head coach Red Berenson of the pair the Wolverines will play this weekend.

"Whether or not they have a bearing on the standings remains to be seen. But if you’re going to make any ground, you’ve got to do it when you’re playing head-to-head. It might be the only chance you get to advance your team."

The Wolverines won a tight 5-4 game in Bowling Green last Thursday before getting just one point from Ohio State, where a late third-period goal tied it up for the Buckeyes.

Geoff Koch (2-3–5), Mark Kosick (6-8–14), Sean Ritchlin (6-1–7), Mike Comrie (9-11–20), and Dale Rominski (10-4–14) scored the goals against Bowling Green, while Josh Blackburn made 22 saves.

Comrie had the goal in the OSU game, in which Blackburn had 25 saves. With his two goals and an assist on the weekend, Comrie was named the CCHA Rookie of the Week.

"We’ve been a little erratic of late, but we’ll be ready for this game," says Berenson. "These teams typically don’t give each other much."

Ain’t that the truth. Michigan beat Michigan State 2-1 in their first regular-season meeting in Yost on Nov. 20. At the GLI, Michigan State beat Michigan 3-1.

Seven of the last ten meetings between the Wolverines and Spartans have been decided by two or fewer goals.

The Wolverines travel to East Lansing 4-1-1 in their last six. The Spartans are riding a 14-game unbeaten streak, having most recently beaten Lake Superior 4-1 and tied Northern Michigan 1-1.

"We didn’t play very well for two periods against Lake," says Michigan State head coach Ron Mason. Regardless, the Spartans got the 4-1 win, with Bryan Adams (12-6–18), Mike Weaver (1-5–6), Adam Hall (6-2–8), and Rustyn Dolyny (10-7–17) had goals in the game against Lake Superior State.

Dolyny also had the only goal in the game against Northern, scoring at 9:53 in the third on the Spartan power play to tie the game.

Joe Blackburn (1.35 GAA, .931 SV%) had 20 saves in the game against Lake, but 36 in Marquette–the highest number of shots surrendered by the Spartans this season.

Pick

This game pits the two best defenses in the nation, and two goalies leading the CCHA in stats. Michigan State has a definite edge defensively, outscoring opponents 66-25, with a team plus/minus of +156.

The Wolverines have outscored opponents 58-37, and are +66 as a team.

The stats say that Joe is better than Josh, but stats don’t tell the whole story. Michigan has an edge in net.

Scoring-wise, there’s no doubt who has the advantage. Mike York (9-18–27) is tied for second in league scoring with Hugo Boisvert and Dan Price. York’s the best player on the ice in any game he plays.

"He’s multidimensional," says Mason. "Mike York does every part of the game well, whether it’s faceoffs, or power plays, or penalty killing. In our league, no one’s going to win the national scoring title because you have to earn your space in the CCHA. But he’s the whole package."

In addition to York, Shawn Horcoff (9-12–21), Adams, and Dolyny are among the CCHA’s top twenty point scorers.

Michigan has a good offense led by Comrie, followed by the underrated Josh Langfeld (9-7–16), Kosick, Rominski, Dave Huntzicker (2-10–12), and a trio of defensemen–Bubba Berenzweig, Mike Van Ryn, and Jeff Jillson–with 11 points each.

Michigan State’s league-best penalty killing (.925) should be able to handle the Wolverine power play, which is performing at 16.5%. Similarly, while converting at just 12.2%, the Spartans probably won’t be much of a match for the Wolverines’ 87.7% penalty kill.

The Spartans are 20-0-4 in their last 24 games in Munn Ice Arena, a school record. Although it will be close, they’ll probably extend it.

Michigan State 2-1

No. 5 Michigan (17-5-3, 14-3-2 CCHA) at No. 10 Notre Dame (14-7-3, 11-6-2 CCHA) Saturday, 7 p.m., Joyce Center, South Bend, IN

The Fighting Irish had a rough trip north last weekend, tying Northern Michigan 3-3 before losing 3-1 to Lake Superior State.

"We had lots of chances," says Notre Dame head coach Dave Poulin of the game against the Wildcats. "We had a penalty from the warm-ups, so they started the game on the power play. We had great, great chances. Forrest [Karr] played well."

Aniket Dhadphale (10-7–17), Ryan Dolder (2-2–4), and Troy Bagne (1-1–2) scored for the Irish in the tie. Karr (2.27 GAA, .904 SV%) made 30 saves in the game.

On Saturday, Poulin says that the Irish didn’t play their best hockey, and that Ben Simon (11-15–26), Dan Carlson (5-13–18) and Dhadphale totaled 18 shots on goal. Simon had the sole Irish goal, and Karr made nine saves on the 12 shots he faced. Jeremiah Kimento made eight saves in relief of Karr.

Neither Brian Urick (10-16–26) nor defenseman Tyson Fraser (1-8–9) played for the Irish last weekend. Urick may miss this week as well because of injury; Fraser is expected to return.

Poulin says that while his team is aware of the race for points, he doesn’t want Notre Dame focusing on the big picture at the expense of the smaller one.

"If you get caught up in watching the schedule, you’re in trouble."

Pick

Michigan leads this all-time series 50-33-3, and head coach Red Berenson is 28-2-1 against Notre Dame. In games against Coach Poulin, Berenson is 11-1-0.

Going back to last year’s playoffs, these two teams have played each other very tough. The Irish came back to tie the Wolverines 2-2 on November 14 in South Bend. One week later, the Wolverines beat Notre Dame 1-0 in Yost.

One key for Michigan will be staying out of the penalty box–something the Wolverines had difficulty with two weeks ago but didn’t seem to have much trouble with last week. The Notre Dame power play is ungodly good, at 23.1%.

Michigan has the clear advantage both defensively and in the net, but that first Notre Dame line is strong, even if only two-thirds of the line is playing. Dhadphale is a sniper on the power play; half of his 10 conference goals have come on the PP.

This should be a good one, and I suspect this pick will hurt me in the end.

Notre Dame 2-1

Western Michigan (3-14-6, 2-11-6 CCHA) at Ohio State (13-10-4, 11-6-3 CCHA) Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH

The Broncos played their last nonconference games of the regular season last week, losing 5-2 and 2-0 to Rensselaer. Head coach Bill Wilkinson says Western Michigan used the games as a final tune-up before the last big push to make the CCHA playoffs.

"Everything went smoothly," said Wilkinson. "The refereeing was good. The host school was great."

Now that the Broncos return to CCHA action this week against the Buckeyes, Wilkinson says his team needs to get back to the defensive basics.

"Early in the season, we played well defensively. We’ve got to get back to that play. We’re beating ourselves, taking penalties at the wrong time.

"And as good as Ohio State is, we’re more concerned with us than we are with them."

Greg Mitchell (0-1–1) and Bryan Farquhar (1-1–2) had the goals against Rensselaer. Matt Barnes (3.26 GAA, .882 SV%) made 33 saves in the 5-2 loss, while Jeff Reynaert (3.91 GAA, .883 SV%) stopped 26 pucks in the shutout.

Wilkinson is right to be concerned about the Bronco defense. Western is being outscored by opponents 40-77, and the team plus/minus is -190 in conference play.

Turning such a defense around may be difficult in Columbus, where the Buckeyes are once again playing good hockey. Ohio State shut out Ferris State 3-0 and tied Michigan 1-1 last weekend in the Schottenstein Center.

However, the Buckeyes make a habit of giving bottom-of-the-conference teams confidence, having recently lost 4-3 in overtime to Miami, and 3-2 to Lake Superior in the Schott.

"Last weekend was very good for us," says head coach John Markell. "We’ve got some guys concentrating again. Boisvert and Maund are on track, and Richards is playing well."

Hugo Boisvert (10-17–27) and Chris Richards (5-12–17) lead the Bucks in scoring, followed by J.F. Dufour (6-6–12), Eric Meloche (3-7–10), and Andre Signoretti (3-7–10). Boisvert is tied with Dan Price and Mike York for second in league scoring.

Jeff Maund (2.01 GAA, .929 SV%) has moved ahead of Ferris State’s Vince Owen in league goaltending for third in conference stats. Maund made 55 saves last weekend and became the only player in the league to be named CCHA Defensive Player of the Week four times this season. Maund was also the USCHO Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this year.

Yan Des Gagne (1-0–1), Boisvert, and Dufour scored against Ferris State. Defenseman Ryan Jestadt (4-2–6) scored the tying goal with just 1:10 to go against Michigan.

Markell is aware that Ohio State has a tendency to show up for big games and let down for other opponents.

"The challenge is on them, the players," says Markell. "We need to work on consistency. We have to understand that we get good offensive chances because we play good team defense."

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The last time these two teams met, Ohio State led Western Michigan 2-1 with less than five minutes of regulation remaining, but Corey Waring (5-5–10) scored at 16:48 in the third to tie the game.

In that game, Maund stopped 14 of 16 Western shots on goal, the fewest shots the Bucks have allowed this season.

Ohio State should, by the book, beat Western Michigan twice. But will the Buckeyes be up to this challenge?

"We have to understand that Western Michigan can beat any team on any given night, just like Lake," says Markell. "I hope we’ve learned a lesson about that."

Ohio State 4-1, 5-2

Miami (6-16-4, 4-13-3 CCHA) at Ferris State (11-9-4, 10-7-3 CCHA) Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., Ewigleben Arena, Big Rapids, MI

The Bulldogs ran into some tough competition last weekend on a swing through Ohio, losing 3-0 to Ohio State and tying Bowling Green 4-4.

Vince Owen (2.09 GAA, .925 SV%, fourth in the league) was excellent in net for the Bulldogs in the OSU game, allowing just one even-strength goal, and stopping 24 of the 26 shots he faced. Owen stopped 27 shots in Bowling Green.

Jim Dube (3-8–11), Rob Collins (2-4–6), Jason Basile (1-2–3), and Scott Lewis (1-4–5) had the goals in the tie.

The Bulldogs are led in scoring by Brian McCullough (7-7–14), Kevin Swider (7-5–12), Joel Irwin (6-7–13), Dube, Brent Wishart (4-7–11), and Geoff Bennetts (8-2–10).

The RedHawks, idle last weekend, notched their first back-to-back wins two weeks ago, with a 4-3 overtime win over Ohio State, and a 7-3 win over Lake Superior State. The last ‘Hawk game was a 5-1 loss to Michigan State at The Crown in Cincinnati on January 16.

Mark Shalawylo (9-8–17), Jason Deskins (7-7–14), and Alex Kim (6-7–13) lead the RedHawk offense. Kim has five power-play goals, tying him for third in the league. Converting at 12.3%, the Miami power play is ninth in the league.

Ian Olsen (3.19 GAA, .895 SV%) is has seen more time in the Miami net, but senior Andy Marsch (3.99 GAA, .863 SV%) is the goaltender of record in four of the RedHawks’ six wins. Marsch has started the last four Miami games, and is 2-2-0 in those four starts.

The RedHawks are young, talented, and enthusiastic, but have a ways to go before being consistently competitive. Miami is 2-6 in one-goal games this season, compared to 7-6 last year, and the ‘Hawks tend to give up late goals, allowing 10 in the last two minutes of regulation play this season.

Opponents have scored 22 times within the last two minutes of any given period against the RedHawks this season.

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Ferris State holds a 31-26-9 advantage in the all-time series. This is the first meeting between the RedHawks and Bulldogs this season; Ferris State took the season series 2-1-0 last year, winning the final two meetings. Miami is 3-5-2 in its last 10 trips to Big Rapids.

These are two games that each team needs to win. The Bulldogs are fighting for playoff home ice, and the RedHawks are just fighting to make the playoffs. Ferris State has every advantage in this series, especially in net, where Owen is outstanding.

Shalawylo is a playmaker for Miami, and the RedHawks never give up, but Big Rapids is a tough place to play for anyone, let alone the RedHawks.

For Miami, Dustin Whitecotton continues to remain out of the line-up with that broken left humerus. Freshman defenseman Jake Ortmeyer suffered a broken thumb in practice on Jan. 11, and is expected to miss the next two weeks.

Ferris State 4-2, 3-1

Northern Michigan (15-9-2, 10-8-2 CCHA) at Alaska-Fairbanks (8-16-0, 5-15-0 CCHA) Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m. AT, Carlson Center, Fairbanks, AK

Nanook head coach Dave Laurion announced his resignation last week, and he’s positive he’s making the right choice for himself, his family, and for Nanook hockey.

"I think it can be used as a positive," says Laurion. "I still want to go out a winner, make the playoffs, and shake up the college hockey world."

The Nanooks certainly played like they had something to prove last weekend, beating Nebraska- Omaha 4-0 and 7-0. "We had a good weekend against Omaha," says Laurion. "Ian Perkins obviously won the goaltending dual."

Perkins (4.24 GAA, .878 SV%) had 61 saves on the weekend. Scott McIlroy (0-3–3), Jim Lawrence (6-7–13), Dennis Gould (0-0–0), and Dwayne Zinger (2-5–7) had the goals in the first game; Nathan Rocheleau (1-3–4), Kerry Hafele (3-4–7), Daniel Carriere (2-2–4), Jamie Coady (5-2–7), Chris Kirwan (7-3–10), and Lawrence scored in the second game. Aaron Grosul (0-3–3) had two assists in the 4-0 win.

(Remember, all stats used in previews of conference games are conference stats.)

This weekend, the Nanooks host the Wildcats for the first time ever, having played all six previous meetings in Marquette. Northern Michigan tied Notre Dame 3-3 and Michigan State 1-1 at home last weekend.

Scoring came from unexpected places in both games for the ‘Cats last weekend. Chad Theuer (3-8–11), Lee Ruff (1-3–4), and Fred Mattersdorfer (4-7–11) scored against the Irish, while Doug Schmidt (2-2–4) had the unassisted goal against the Spartans.

Dan Ragusett (2.48 GAA, .906 SV%) had 27 saves against Notre Dame, and 22 against Michigan State. Ragusett had been splitting time in net with Duane Hoey, but has started the last eight games for Northern. In those eight starts, the sophomore has a 2.17 GAA and .924 save percentage.

Wildcat head coach Rick Comley says, "Its a long trip for us this week up to Fairbanks, but these games are very important for us if we’re going to gain a home-ice playoff berth. We’re coming off of a pair of tight games at home versus Notre Dame and Michigan State, and we’ll have to carry that same intensity over into this weekend’s series."

Of course, the Wildcats play an incredibly intense game, with one of the league’s top lines and a forecheck like nobody’s business.

J.P. Vigier (17-8–25), Buddy Smith (2-21–23), and Roger Trudeau (9-7–16) comprise the top Wildcat line, and they bring it every night. Smith and Vigier assisted on Ruff’s first goal of the season last weekend, and Vigier and Trudeau assisted on Theuer’s goal, on the Wildcat power play.

That man-advantage is important to the Wildcats, who have tallied at least one power-play goal in five of their last six games. Northern is 13-3-1 when scoring on the PP this season, and the Northern power play is converting at 15%, fourth in the league.

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Northern has won all six meetings between the ‘Cats and the Nanooks. Earlier this season, the Wildcats rallied from a 3-1 deficit by scoring three goals within a three-minute span in the second period to take the lead in Marquette. Northern won 5-3, and outshot the Nanooks 40-16.

This game pairs one of the league’s most explosive offenses with one of the least eventful. The Wildcats are averaging 3.2 goals per game, while the Nanooks are scoring 2.35 on average. UAF will have its hands full if the ‘Cats have that man-advantage. The Nanook penalty kill is effective just 78.4% of the time, and UAF averages over 20 minutes in the box per game.

Wildcat defenseman Colin Young is expected to be out for three or four weeks with a sprained knee, and defenseman Mike Sandbeck (sprained ankle) is questionable for this weekend’s series after being injured Friday’s game against Notre Dame.

It will be interesting to see how the Wildcats weather the long trip, and that may certainly be a factor in these games. But Northern has every advantage from the net out, and they want home ice as badly as UAF wants to make the playoffs.

Northern Michigan 4-3, 6-3

Bowling Green (11-11-3, 7-9-3 CCHA) at Lake Superior State (5-16-3, 4-12-2 CCHA) Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., Taffy Abel Arena, Sault Ste. Marie, MI

The Lakers lost 4-1 to Michigan State the night before beating Notre Dame 3-1 last weekend.

"We couldn’t get to the net in the third against Michigan State," says Laker head coach Scott Borek.

Trent Walford (3-7–10) had the goal in the MSU game for the Lakers, assisted by Fred Slukynsky (6-3–9) and Ryan Vince (3-5–8). Netminder Mike Brusseau (3.08 GAA, .891 SV%) made 20 saves, as the Lakers kept the shots close, 23-21.

Brusseau looked good the second night as the Irish peppered him through two and two-thirds periods, saving 24 of 25 shots. In the third, Brusseau had to be replaced with Rob Galatiuk (3.91 GAA, .886 SV%); Brusseau was rushed to the hospital with severe dehydration.

The starting goalie should be ready to go this weekend, a victim of a ‘flu that’s run through the Laker team. Another victim was back-up Jayme Platt (2.85 GAA, .898 SV%), who was so sick he didn’t even suit up for the Notre Dame game. Galatiuk saved all eight shots he faced in the third, as the Lakers stayed tough for the 3-1 win.

Jeremy Bachusz (3-3–6) scored shorthanded, and Tyler Palmer (1-3–4) and Ben Keup (2-3–5) each had a goal in the win.

Borek calls Galatiuk’s performance "gutsy" and says that the Notre Dame game was "a good win, considering."

The Lakers are hosting the Falcons twice this weekend. Bowling Green came from behind to beat Lake 5-4 two weeks ago in BG. The Falcons lost 5-4 to Michigan and tied Ferris 4-4 last week at home.

"They played a great game against Michigan on film," says Borek. "Their top line was pretty dominant against Michigan."

The top Falcon line includes Adam Edinger (11-17–28) and Dan Price (8-19–27). Edinger currently leads the CCHA in conference scoring, by a point. Price is tied with Hugo Boisvert and Mike York for second in scoring. For his two goals and three assists last weekend, Price was named the CCHA Offensive Player of the Week.

In the earlier meeting, Vince had a pair of Laker goals, and Walford and Slukynsky also scored. Chris Bonvie (8-7–15), Ryan Wetterberg (1-1–2), Edinger, Austin de Luis (2-1–3), and Ryan Murphy (6-16–22) netted goals for the Falcons.

Bowling Green outshot Lake Superior 39-24. In the loss, Platt made 34 saves, while Mike Savard (3.47 GAA, .877 SV%) had 20 saves in the win.

Borek is impressed with the Falcon fourth line of Wetterberg, Dennis Williams (3-1–4), and Scott Hewson (0-2–2), and also with the BG power play, which has improved to converting 20.7% of the time.

"Certainly, we need to work on staying out of penalty box. We just need to make sure we play a disciplined game," says Borek. "And we need to go to the net hard."

In the 5-4 loss to Michigan, Bonvie, Edinger, Grady Moore (2-5–7), and price scored for Bowling Green. Against Ferris State, Bonvie, Price, Murphy, and Williams scored. The Falcons had two power-play goals in each game. Savard made 50 saves on the weekend.

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The Falcons lead the all-time series against the Lakers 56-48-4, and are 20-25-2 in Abel Arena. In the last six games played in Sault Ste. Marie, BG is 5-1-0, and is 7-2-0 in the last ten games against Lake Superior. The last three games in the series have been decided by a goal.

Laker Ryan Knox (3-5–8) is out indefinitely with mono, and Laker Matt Frick (shoulder, ‘flu) should return to play this weekend.

There’s no doubt that Bowling Green has the edge offensively, and given the recent play of both teams, it may be fair to say that the Falcons are better defensively, too. Both Brusseau and Platt have better numbers than does Savard, but the senior Falcon netminder has been playing competitively during the last dozen games.

If the Lakers stay out of the penalty box, they have a chance at taking some points–a slim chance. The Falcons are playing for playoff position, while the Lakers are playing to make the playoffs. If Lake is going to take points, it may be the first night, but it’s likely Bowling Green will come out ahead both nights.

Bowling Green 4-3, 5-2

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