Kaleigh Chippy of Mercyhurst advances on Boston University’s Marie-Philip Poulin. (Ryan Coleman/Ryan Coleman, USCHO.com)
As was the case last year, Mercyhurst enters the season needing to replace its primary goaltender.
“It’s too early to tell exactly how we’re going to navigate through it,” said coach Michael Sisti. “[Amanda] Makela has a lot of experience, but we like our other two goalies as well. Without great goaltending, you just can’t have the season you hope to have. Everything starts there, and hopefully, we’re solid in net again.”
Goaltending is made all the more important because the Lakers’ defense figures to make some mistakes along the way.
“We’re pretty young back on ‘D,'” Sisti said. “Most of our freshmen play right away, which from a recruiting standpoint they enjoy, but with that comes learning on the go. It’s good to have someone like [juniors] Molly [Byrne] and [Caroline] Luczak back there that have from day one played a lot of games.”
Few teams in an Olympic year can send out a trio of forwards coming off seasons of more than 40 points, but Mercyhurst can with CHA Player of the Year Christine Bestland and sophomores Jenna Dingeldein and Emily Janiga. That’s a big advantage in the CHA, where none of the other teams return even one scorer of that caliber.
“We’re going to need support from other players, too,” Sisti said. “We’ve got a combination of some new players who haven’t quite been in the fire before, and we have some players that are returning that maybe haven’t played as big a role for us in the past. We’re going to need them to step up, because it’s tough to win games with two or three people. We’re going to need a good chunk of our team to step up in all different areas to be successful. If we can do that, we’ll be fine. If not, it’ll be a tough year. That’s the challenge.”
2012/03/17 – RIT’s Kourtney Kunichika is defended by Norwich’s Marie-Philip Guay during the NCAA Division-3 National Championship game in Rochester, N.Y. on March 17th, 2011. RIT defeated Norwich 4-1. (Mike Bradley)
Fresh off of an NCAA Division III Championship and competing in Division I for the first time, Rochester Institute of Technology proved that it belonged.
The Tigers posted a .500 record, including a 7-8-5 mark in league play. The success was achieved in large part by relying on a veteran core that had helped RIT earn its D-III title.
This season, many of those veterans are gone, and nine new players arrive. The Tigers may have more talent, but less experience. The loss of its former leaders was evident in a 12-1 pounding at the hands of No. 3 Clarkson in this season’s opener, the type of calamity that last year’s squad was poised and resilient enough to avoid.
Starting goaltender Ali Binnington is coming back from an injury and her backups were getting their first exposure to the college game, compounding the problems versus the Golden Knights. The question becomes whether the game in Potsdam was just a bad day or systemic of problems that will plague RIT throughout the season.
Three of the four top-scoring Tigers graduated, so new scorers must emerge to support Kourtney Kunichika. Conference play does not begin for RIT until November. That gives Scott McDonald several weeks to learn what he has in his arsenal and an opportunity for new leaders to emerge in the locker room.
At least early in this campaign, it may be necessary to take a step back in order to move forward. RIT will contend in the CHA, but it is a bit much to expect that to occur during this year’s regular season.
Kallie Billadeau of Syracuse (Syracuse University Athletics).
Whether Syracuse was better than expected in 2012-13 or just better than I expected, it’s safe to say that much of the success of the Orange can be attributed to the emergence of Kallie Billadeau in net. Her 16 wins, 1.56 goals against average and .940 save percentage were all vast improvements over what she had demonstrated in her first two seasons.
If she can maintain that level of play, then Syracuse is a legitimate threat to unseat Mercyhurst atop the CHA standings. Assuming she does, I still don’t like the chances of the Orange doing so for a couple of reasons.
Syracuse has trouble holding on to scorers for four years. While at St. Lawrence, coach Paul Flanagan always had players on his roster who could put the puck away. Gina Kingsbury, Rebecca Russell, Sabrina Harbec, Chelsea Grills, Carson Duggan — Flanagan always had a skater or two that he could send over the boards to change a game.
At Syracuse, starting with the transfer of Isabel Menard three years ago, it doesn’t work out. Last season, Laurie Kingsbury suffered an injury that forced an end to her career. Shiann Darkangelo transferred to Quinnipiac; while she may not be of the caliber of others on the list, she would have been one of the top returnees. With a midle-of-the-pack offense, it is tough to earn a title.
Even more damning, Syracuse can’t break through and beat Mercyhurst. The Orange have zero wins over the Lakers in four years, and that cost them a realistic shot at the both the regular season and tournament crowns last spring. Until Syracuse can steal a page from Robert Morris and figure out a way to upend the champions, the likely finish for the Orange is behind both the Lakers and Colonials.
Rebecca Vint of RMU. Photo by Jason Cohn (JASON COHN/RMU ASSIGNED)
Things didn’t go as smoothly for Paul Colontino in his second year at Robert Morris as they did in season one. The Colonials went just 2-9-1 in conference play against Syracuse, RIT, and Lindenwood combined, leading to a sub-.500 mark in league action. Ironically, RMU had far less of a problem with league champion Mercyhurst, taking three of the four season meetings.
The real problems for the Colonials surfaced in the 2013 portion of the schedule. Coming out of the break, RMU went just 2-10-1, sabotaging a season that had shown promise to that point. Whatever the Colonials did over the holidays, they may want to consider a different itinerary this season.
Rebecca Vint’s production dropped slightly in her sophomore season, due in part to opponents being keenly aware of No. 24 on the ice. Seniors Thea Imbrogno and Kristen Richards provide a couple of additional threats for Robert Morris, but it will be important for players to expand their offensive games, as no other returnee exceeded 15 points.
Just as vital will be finding a goaltender that can survive a baptism by fire. Junior Courtney Vinet, the only returning goalie, has only played 191 minutes for the Colonials. She’ll be joined by newcomers Carley Catherine and Jessica Dodds.
Merrimack announced Tuesday that Stop It Goaltending director and former Northeastern goaltending coach John Carratu has joined the Warriors’ staff as the volunteer goaltending coach this season.
Minnesota State forward Zach Lehrke announced Tuesday that he will not play his senior season with the Mavericks.
“This is a difficult decision, but due to a medical condition that I have been battling for some time, it has become apparent to me that I will not be able to compete for Minnesota State my senior season,” said Lehrke in a statement. “I’ve had a great experience here in Mankato and would like to thank the Maverick men’s hockey coaching staff, the athletic training and medical staffs in working with me on this issue in my three years with the program and wish my teammates all the best with the 2013-14 season.”
Lehrke recorded 23 goals and 31 assists for 54 points in 104 games with Minnesota State from 2010-13.
It seemed like just last week Yale was hoisting the NCAA title in Pittsburgh — and now we’re just over six months away from crowning a new national champion in Philadelphia.
Just like any other college campaign, a number of familiar faces from the previous season won’t be back. Gone is last year’s NCAA scoring champion Rylan Schwartz (Colorado College), along with other top 10 national scorers Danny Kristo (North Dakota), Erik Haula (Minnesota), Hobey Baker Award winner Drew LeBlanc (St. Cloud State), Corban Knight (North Dakota) and Kyle Flanagan (St. Lawrence).
There’s still plenty of puck-moving talent up front coming back in the college ranks, though.
After consulting with a number of NCAA coaches, here’s a look at 10 Division I forwards to keep an eye on in 2013-14, listed in alphabetical order. This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the biggest, fastest or strongest examples out there, nor surefire Hobey Baker Award finalists, nor locks to go on to successful NHL careers.
They are, however, 10 players who more than likely will give you your money’s worth when you sit down to watch them in action this season, from now until April.
Kenny Agostino is just under a point per game in his Yale career (photo: Melissa Wade).
Agostino tied for the Bulldogs’ scoring lead with since-graduated Andrew Miller. He saved his best for last by recording four points in four NCAA tournament games as Yale won its first national title, including setting up the game-winner in overtime in a regional semifinal against favored Minnesota.
That was just after Agostino’s NHL rights had been dealt from Pittsburgh to Calgary in the Jarome Iginla trade. The Flanders, N.J., native, who made the jump directly from New Jersey high school hockey to NCAA Division I, has produced 100 points in 101 career games with Yale, including 58 assists, and will be looking to maintain that pace in his senior season.
Andrew Calof has 102 points in 95 career games for Princeton (photo: Shelley M. Szwast).
Calof has registered at least 30 points in each of his three previous collegiate campaigns while playing on struggling Tigers teams the past two seasons. He’s also led Princeton in scoring each of his three years.
He went over 100 career points last season and has 40 goals and 62 assists for 102 points in 95 games to date. A former ECAC Hockey and Ivy League rookie of the year, the Nepean, Ontario, native also earned second-team All-ECAC and first-team All-Ivy League accolades last season.
If the Tigers are to improve this season, Calof will have to be the one they’re following.
Greg Carey was a second-team All-American for St. Lawrence last season (photo: Shelley M. Szwast).
Carey tallied 28 goals last season, half of which came on the power play, and also led the Saints in overall scoring. The Hamilton, Ontario, product tied for fourth in the nation in points, and is averaging better than a point per game in his college career (128 points in 114 games).
He also tallied 20 goals and 33 points in ECAC play last year to pace the circuit, earning second-team All-American honors. This year, however, Carey will have to make do without the aid of graduated teammate Flanagan, who figured in on half of Carey’s scoring plays in 2012-13.
Ryan Carpenter (left) posted 26 points last season (photo: Rachel Lewis).
Carpenter served as a team captain as a sophomore and finished 11th in CCHA scoring with 26 points. Six of his goals came with a man advantage, and three scores decided games. This was after a freshman campaign in which the Oviedo, Fla., native netted 11 goals and 30 points, before becoming more of a sniper last season.
“Ryan Carpenter has the opportunity to be a force this year in the WCHA,” an opposing coach said. “He is coming off a very productive season and should improve on that during his junior year.”
He’ll be a linchpin as the Falcons shift from the defunct CCHA to the revamped WCHA.
Austin Czarnik has 77 points in 82 career games at Miami (photo: Rachel Lewis).
Czarnik, who hails from Washington, Mich., finished fifth in CCHA scoring last season with 31 points in 32 contests in the league’s swan song, and was a second-team All-America selection. Four of his 14 goals overall last year came while short-handed, while three were game-winners.
In 82 career games with the RedHawks over two seasons, he’s put up 53 assists and 77 points while helping Miami to two NCAA tournament appearances and the final CCHA regular season title. This year, he’ll serve as team captain as the RedHawks transition to the NCHC.
“Every time he’s on the ice he’s a threat to score, even strength, power play or short-handed,” an opposing coach said. “He’s also not afraid to get involved either — honest and physical.”
Johnny Gaudreau is the only returning member of last season’s Hobey Hat Trick (photo: Melissa Wade).
Everyone and anyone who follows college hockey knows what Gaudreau did in 2011-12, tallying 21 goals and 45 points while also scoring one of the most spectacular goals of the year in the title game in Tampa to help Boston College clinch its third NCAA crown in five seasons.
He finds ways to get open and has the speed, hands and vision to make any defense anxious.
“Johnny Gaudreau … has an ability to break a game open in several different ways,” an opposing coach said.
Last year, BC’s latest mighty mite again scored 21 goals, six of which were game-winners, and also earned first-team All-America honors, although the Eagles were ousted in the first round of the national tournament by Union.
After winning a Beanpot title last season but no other team trophies, you can bet the Carney’s Point, N.J., product and his Eagles teammates will have plenty of incentive this time around.
Canisius’ Kyle Gibbons (right) scored twice in the Atlantic Hockey tournament championship game last season (photo: Omar Phillips).
Gibbons led Atlantic Hockey in scoring as a junior with 40 points in 33 conference games, and in three seasons in Buffalo he has put up ever-increasing totals.
The Ohio product has posted 42 goals and 92 points in 111 career games, along with 11 power-play goals and six game-winners. He finished last season on a 10-game scoring streak, tallying 19 points in that span, including a four-point performance in the league title game against Mercyhurst and a goal in the NCAA tournament versus Quinnipiac.
“Very skillful with the puck, and it is difficult to take it away from him once he has it on his stick,” an opposing coach said. “Extremely accurate shot paired with a quick release makes him a danger whenever he is on the ice.”
Minnesota State’s Matt Leitner (right) saw his point production jump by 19 last season (photo: Jim Rosvold).
Leitner went from 28 points as a freshman to 47 points last year, and also had six power-play goals and two game-winners to finish among the nation’s top scorers. The California-born forward also helped the Mavericks to their first NCAA tournament berth since 2003.
“Matt Leitner is very savvy five-on-five and on the power play,” an opposing coach said. “He is very patient with the puck and is the type of player who is very dangerous on the rush and making plays in the offensive zone. He has been a top scorer in the USHL as well as in the WCHA. He has natural offensive ability.”
Now we’ll see what he gets done in the new WCHA, which the Mavericks are favored to win in its first year post-realignment.
Minnesota’s Kyle Rau never went more than three games without a point last season (photo: Jim Rosvold).
Rau and the Golden Gophers embark upon a new road this year, with the advent of the Big Ten, and he’s Minnesota’s leading returning scorer with the departure of Haula to the pro ranks last spring.
Rau, from Eden Prairie, Minn., averaged a point per game last year, and had two or more points in 11 games, including a trio of three-point nights. He also had streaks of five and six games with at least one point, and never went more than three games without getting his name on the score sheet.
He’ll be looked to at least duplicate that effort as the Gophers begin Big Ten play.
Ryan Walters had 16 multiple-point games as a junior for Nebraska-Omaha (photo: Michelle Bishop).
The leading returning scorer in the nation after a 22-goal, 52-point season, Walters hit the century mark for his career with an assist in the season finale against Minnesota State.
The Roseau, Minn., native has improved his point total every season, and last year more than doubled the output of his sophomore year. He had 16 multiple-point games as a junior, including a string of eight such contests, and posted a pair of four-point outings. A second-team All-American, he also had 18 points against opponents that made the NCAA tournament. The Mavericks will be looking to Walters to keep lighting lamps as they enter the NCHC this season.
Molly Byrne and Caroline Luczak of Mercyhurst. Photo by Ryan Coleman.
For the first time in three years, the lineup of teams in College Hockey America looks exactly the same as it did the year before. How long that will last remains to be seen, but at least for now, the rumors all involve teams joining the CHA, not leaving it.
“For the women’s game, you just want it to grow as big as possible,” Mercyhurst coach Michael Sisti said. “You want the number of teams to grow, the competition level to grow, certainly the attendance to grow, and all those things may lead to more games in the NCAA tournament, more games on TV So it’s a work in progress, but hopefully, things are going in the right direction.”
The league has stabilized at the critical number of six teams, and it is his understanding that the conference automatic bid will be awarded as early as 2015.
“It’s been an interesting journey, but things are highly competitive now, which is what you want,” said Sisti, the only coach who has watched the entire history of the league unfold, because his is the only team that has been a league member from the beginning.
“Last year with the playoffs, a couple of those [best-of-three] series, one went to three games, which was really exciting,” Sisti said. “The rivalries are building and some really nice traditions are growing.”
It is almost tempting to pick a different champion just to mix things up and honor the league’s tradition of change.
But who? Syracuse lost its top two scorers. Robert Morris is inexperienced in net. RIT graduated its veteran core. Lindenwood’s goalie can steal games, but it is another thing to steal a title. Penn State just has too far to go in one year.
I guess that leaves Mercyhurst. The Lakers have actually had to fend off a late challenge the last couple of seasons, but I don’t see it coming down to the wire this year. Mercyhurst has too much pop at the top of the line chart that the others can’t match. The Lakers have won all 12 CHA season titles, and 13 shouldn’t prove unlucky for the gang from Erie. It’s just as well, because this is the only league I ever manage to predict correctly.
Click on the team name for a more detailed preview.
According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, Air Force’s games in the Kendall Classic, Oct. 11-12 in Anchorage, Alaska, may not be played due to the U.S. government’s partial shutdown.
The school announced Tuesday that travel for all intercollegiate athletics is cancelled.
A press release from the academy stated that Air Force “will attempt to play all home intercollegiate athletic contests but those may be cancelled, as well.”
Monday’s exhibition game against New Brunswick is still on as scheduled, as are the season-opening nonconference games against Alaska on Oct. 11-12.
Most of the academy support staff are considered civil-service employees and are not eligible to travel, while many other federal employees have been furloughed, noted The Gazette.
Army, meanwhile, is under similar restrictions from the Department of Defense, according to the Centre Daily Times. That could put the first Penn State game at Pegula Ice Arena, scheduled for Oct. 11, in jeopardy if the Black Knights aren’t able to travel.
Thatcher Demko didn’t allow a goal in 28 minutes at the All-American Prospects Game in Pittsburgh (photo: Dan Hickling).
There was the World Junior camp invitation in Lake Placid and a chance to expose his goaltending ability to the world.
Then there was a spot in the All-American Prospects Game in Pittsburgh and a shot at showcasing himself to scores of NHL scouts.
“It’s obviously encouraging,” Boston College goaltender Thatcher Demko said. “It’s a little bit of a boost. But obviously there’s a lot of work to be done between now and me getting to the NHL. Every day is another day to work hard.”
That said, you want to know what really has a grip on Demko’s head space?
The task of grabbing the attention of Boston College coach Jerry York in time for the Eagles’ Oct. 10 season opener against Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Demko, a true freshman at BC, has a chance to seize the crease while vying with holdovers Brian Billett and Brad Barone, both juniors.
“I’m just going to try to play as many games [at BC] as I can,” Demko said following his half-game stint in last week’s prospects game, staged in Pittsburgh by USA Hockey. “Obviously, nothing is given to you. You have to earn it. You’ve got to work hard in practice and perform in games. Hopefully take it from there.”
Even so, the San Diego native who won’t turn 18 until Dec. 8 said he’s excited about the possibility of being the opening night starter for the perennial NCAA power.
“Absolutely,” he said. “It’s always fun competing for a job. It pushes you.”
And as Demko sees it, that pushing can come best in college.
Recent seasons have seen a stream of American-born netminders — John Gibson, Alex Nedeljkovic, Mac Carruth, Anthony Stolarz et al — heading north, turning their backs on the NCAA to play major junior.
Demko could have joined the flow — his junior rights are held by Spokane of the WHL.
However, the psychology major (possibly an apt choice for a goalie) was firm in keeping his commitment to Boston College.
“Major junior is a quicker path to the NHL,” Demko said. “And yeah, it’s quicker. But I saw myself as a late bloomer. I have a lot of developing left to do both physically and mentally. I thought that an extra four years at a great level in the NCAA would really help my game.”
Demko’s game is pretty darned good already. Certainly the NHL thinks so.
Projected by the league as a possible first-round pick in the 2014 entry draft — Demko and Nedeljkovic were the only two goalies given “A” (must-see) grades by NHL Central Scouting — he was a no-brainer selection to the prospects game.
“It was definitely an honor,” Demko said. “There were a lot of [great] American goalies that could have been here.”
Demko saw just six shots during 28:23 of action but he stopped them all. Included was the sprawling skate save he made on a wraparound attempt by Ryan Donato.
“He made a good move,” Demko said. “He cut to the net and made the ‘D’ hesitate, which gave him time to cut to the post. I felt the puck hit my skate and just tried to cover the net.”
And at 6-foot-3 and 192 pounds (and still growing), Demko can cover plenty of net.
Minnesota State kicked off its season by hosting Mercyhurst in a nonconference series, taking the first contest, 4-2, before falling by a 3-2 score in the second game. While that split should be encouraging, the Mavericks also split with the Lakers two years ago in the season’s second weekend, and then went on to finish last in the WCHA with only three wins.
This would appear to be a sturdier MSU team that features six senior forwards and is backstopped by senior Danielle Butters, who was very sharp versus Mercyhurst.
“That was our first recruiting class that came in,” coach Eric Means said. “We’re going to have to do it with experience and older girls that have played a lot of hockey.”
They have yet to experience a lot of success, however. The sixth-place finish a year ago was their best finish at Minnesota State, and the team still ranked near the bottom nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense.
Butters started strong in her first year as MSU’s primary goaltender, but her numbers fell off as she battled injuries and fatigue. If she can stay healthy and get some timely rest, that will go a long way toward shoring up the scoring defense.
The offense looks to be more challenging. Top scorer Lauren Smith graduated, and none of the returners has demonstrated her ability to single-handedly create offense. The Mavericks do have a good power play, so perhaps they can leverage that same teamwork into their offense in even-strength situations. MSU ranks high in penalty minutes and low in penalty kill efficiency, so it would behoove it to improve in both areas.
While the Mavericks seem destined to finish sixth once more, their success versus Mercyhurst hints that they are capable of moving higher in the conference race.
“It’s going to be tight, and that’s what we told our team,” Means said. “There’s going to be no easy nights, and that’s why it was a good weekend for us. That’s the same type of hockey we’re going to see every weekend.”
Minnesota-Duluth missed out on the NCAA tournament for a second consecutive year and only the third time in its history. Even worse, for the first time the Bulldogs failed to advance to the conference semifinals after being swept at home in the quarters by Ohio State.
A big reason why is that the team’s goal output dropped for the fifth straight season; UMD no longer possesses the thunder that was once its trademark. Defenseman Brigette Lacquette seems likely to delay her junior season as she is centralized with Team Canada, and the last Bulldog class to earn an NCAA title has graduated. Things seem bleak indeed in Duluth.
If we’ve learned anything, it is to never count the Bulldogs out. Neither the team’s 2008 nor 2010 NCAA titles looked likely in the months leading up to them.
“I just think that Duluth is an incredibly dangerous team,” Minnesota coach Brad Frost said. “They’re well-coached and they’ve got a great tradition up there, and so anytime you’ve got a tradition like that and you’ve been in the national picture, you have that experience. I’m sure Shannon [Miller] wasn’t pleased with their season last year, so I would expect them to come back pretty strong.”
Even a coach as accomplished as Miller can’t get out on the ice and score goals, so she’ll need someone to reverse the recent trend. Returning players such as junior Jenna McParland and senior Jamie Kenyon have shown signs of scoring prowess, but have yet to tap into their full potential. Additions like Canadian U-18 standout Ashleigh Brykaliuk and Vermont transfer Meghan Heurtas could jumpstart the attack.
The offense isn’t the only problem, as goals allowed have risen the last two seasons in spite of a focus on team defense. For the first time in history, UMD’s opponents outscored the Bulldogs in 2012-13.
Factors such as these are probably what WCHA coaches were considering when they voted UMD to finish outside the top four for the first time in the preseason poll. However, I feel like I’ve seen this movie before, and that’s not how it ends. Expect UMD to enjoy a healthier season this year, look for goalie Kayla Black to make strides in her second year, and the Bulldogs will be back on home ice when the playoffs commence.
After enjoying one of its best seasons two years ago, Bemidji State struggled mightily in 2012-13. The Beavers allowed the most goals in conference play, and only St. Cloud State scored fewer.
The top two scorers graduated, so BSU will need to rebuild around younger players like sophomore Kaitlyn Tougas and transfers Kristine Grenier and Stephanie Anderson from Mercyhurst and Minnesota, respectively. The offensive output figures to be closer to last season’s 49 goals than the 101 scored two years ago. Coach Steve Sertich is a master at making do with less, so perhaps he can craft an effective power play out of the players at his disposal.
That could be enough to earn more wins if a solution can also be discovered in goal. Freshman Brittni Mowat arrives from Pembina Valley to offer another option and started both games at Lindenwood to open the season, posting a win and a tie.
Help is also needed on the blue line that loses ace shot blocker Erika Wheelhouse. Some good size is available at the position in players like seniors Allie Duellman and Danielle Williams and sophomore Ivana Bilic.
“You look at St. Cloud, Bemidji, and Mankato, and they knocked off some teams last year, and I would expect them to do the same this year,” Minnesota coach Brad Frost said. “I don’t think those teams lost as much as some of the upper-echelon teams in our league, so they’ve got some experience coming back, and they’re going to be very dangerous teams as well. I think our league, top to bottom, is probably as open as it has ever been.”
On paper, Bemidji State likely has the least talent in the league. However, Sertich is good at getting his teams to overachieve, and I look for that to be the case again this year. To add an additional carrot on the end of the stick, the Beavers host the WCHA Final Face-Off for the first time in 2014.
Players on the 2012-2013 All-USCHO D-I Women’s teams (Alex Rigsby). (Dan Sanger)
After scoring 212 goals during its last NCAA Championship season in 2010-11, Wisconsin’s offensive output dropped to 103 goals a year ago. Brianna Decker, who tallied a point on more than half of those, is now gone. That doesn’t bode well for a return to potency this season.
“The thing that helps us, especially in the early part of the season, is our goaltending situation where we’re strong in the nets,” coach Mark Johnson said. “We’ve got some good veteran defensemen coming back. From an offensive standpoint, that go-to person, the Brianna Decker, they’ve graduated, they’ve moved on. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do things by committee, which, actually, could turn out to be a very positive situation.”
The Badgers will need more committee members to emerge, as only three players besides Decker had as many as 20 points. Those three — Madison Packer, Karley Sylvester, and Courtney Burke — are back, but only one other returnee from last year reached double-digit points. Luckily, Brittany Ammerman is healthy after an injury limited her season to three games; Ammerman recorded 30 points as a sophomore.
The situation is far more promising on the other end of the ice for Wisconsin, where senior goaltender Alex Rigsby has already posted 83 career victories.
“They’ve got the strongest returning goalie probably in the whole country, at least experience wise,” Minnesota coach Brad Frost said. “They’re extremely tough to score on, and with Rigsby in net, she gives them a great chance.”
For Wisconsin to get back to the top spot in the WCHA, it will need improvement from many players. Johnson expects the team to get a boost in that regard as the Badgers begin their second season in their new rink.
“The one advantage this group has had is that we had the LaBahn Arena all summer,” he said. “So for the kids that stayed around in summer school, they got a chance to skate all summer during that eight-week summer session. They got a chance to work out. So our base, as far as a conditioning standpoint, a strength standpoint, we’re probably ahead of where we were last year at this time.”
Ohio State continued its renaissance under Nate Handrahan, getting back to the conference semifinals for the first time in three years and being ranked as high as sixth. But for a slump after the new year, the Buckeyes could even have made their way into their first NCAA tournament.
“You look at them last year in the first half and they were one of the top teams in the country,” Gophers coach Brad Frost said. “I think that experience has probably helped them for this year. While it’s great to have a great first half, you have to have a great second half, too. They maybe lost some games that they were winning in the first half. Nate is changing the culture of that program, and they’re one that expects to be in the national picture every year now. Another very tough opponent.”
Just when OSU seemed poised to build on that success, the Buckeyes started the current campaign by losing an exhibition to the Toronto Junior Aeros in overtime. Yes, it was only an exhibition, but an inability to put away a junior team doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
“We don’t draw up the script to play a team that you should beat handily and lose and find silver linings and say, ‘Oh yeah, it’s all good; it’s all part of the big plan,'” Handrahan said. “I’m not that smart. I don’t have a crystal ball. We need to learn from this and help us move forward.”
It’s important that the Buckeyes move forward quickly, because their season opens on Saturday with a key nonconference clash at Mercyhurst. That presents a challenge for both the coaching staff, where both of the assistants are new to Ohio State, and for the captains, seniors, and other leaders in the locker room.
Handrahan said, “I think the true test of our new leadership is going to be what happens now. We’ve lost a hockey game that in all reality we shouldn’t have. As we go forward, they’ve got to feel that emotion, that embarrassment, those kind of things. Going forward from here, out leadership will be tested now. There are new opportunities, and I think they’ll be up to the task.”
With seniors at every position, OSU looks to be in good shape as far as leadership. In the new world of women’s hockey, where the talent gap between teams grows smaller each season, it is imperative that teams play near their optimum every time out. An early wake-up call may prove beneficial in that sense.
Players on the 2012-2013 All-USCHO D-I Women’s teams (Hannah Brandt).
This promises to be a transitional year in the WCHA, as players like Brianna Decker, Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux, and Noora Räty that have formed the identity of the conference have completed their eligibility. Their former schools all bring in strong recruiting classes, so while the personnel losses leave the door open a crack for lower teams to make a move, look for the influx of talent to help maintain the status quo atop the league.
Minnesota likely lost the most talent. Because the Gophers started with a definite talent edge, my guess is that they will remain on top when all of the subtracting and adding is complete. However, their margin of error has been eroded, so it wouldn’t take much in the way of injuries or slumps to shift the balance and produce a different champion.
As of now, I see a top three of Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin with Bemidji State and St. Cloud State trying to escape the cellar. The only thing I’m sure of is that the picture will look much different in five months than it does today.
Click on the team team for a detailed preview.
Minnesota Golden Gophers Projected Finish: First WCHA Coaches Poll: First Previous Season: First, 28-0-0-0, 84 points Key Departures: Noora Räty, Amanda Kessel, Megan Bozek, Mira Jalosuo, Becky Kortum, Lee Stecklein Arrivals: Dani Cameranesi, Kelsey Cline, Kate Flug, Paige Haley, Sidney Peters, Kate Schipper, Megan Wolfe Key Players: Hannah Brandt (33-49-82), Maryanne Menefee (16-22-38), Amanda Leveille (0.00 goals against average (GAA), 1.000 save percentage)
North Dakota Projected Finish: Second WCHA Coaches Poll: Third Previous Season: Tie for second, 18-9-1-0, 55 points Key Departures: Jocelyne Lamoureux, Monique Lamoureux, Ashley Furia, Jordan Slavin, Megan Gilbert, Allison Parizek, Mary Loken, Jorid Dagfinrud Arrivals: Annie Chipman, Kayla Gardner, Gracen Hirschy, Manda Koep, Halli Krzyzaniak, Lisa Marvin, Amy Menke, Nicole Novak, Marissa Salo, Lexie Shaw, Susanna Tapani Key Players: Michelle Karvinen (18-29-47), Josefine Jakobsen (16-26-42), Meghan Dufault (19-22-41)
Wisconsin Badgers Projected Finish: Third WCHA Coaches Poll: Second Previous Season: Tie for second, 17-9-2-2, 55 points Key Departures: Brianna Decker, Alev Kelter, Saige Pacholok, Jordan Brickner Arrivals: Mellissa Channell, Ann-Renée Desbiens, Sydney McKibbon, Sarah Nurse, Jenny Ryan Key Players: Alex Rigsby (1.49 GAA, .943 save percentage), Madison Packer (18-19-37), Courtney Burke (4-19-23)
While many contending teams view the Olympic year as an additional challenge that results in the absence of key players, for St. Cloud State an Olympic year represents opportunity. The Huskies parlayed a talented senior class and depleted rosters of some conference foes to finish a program-best third in the WCHA in 2009-10, the previous Olympic season. It has been mostly famine ever since, so for coach Jeff Giesen, the Olympics likely couldn’t arrive soon enough.
The offense has shown a gradual climb over the past couple of seasons, but opponents still scored twice as often as SCSU last year.
Both junior Julie Friend and sophomore Katie Fitzgerald are capable of winning in goal when afforded adequate support. Friend tends to get more minutes, although their numbers are quite similar.
The team defense overall would likely be adequate if the Huskies could just score more. At roughly a goal and a half per game, the offense just doesn’t supply enough power.
The last couple of months of the season were particularly disappointing. SCSU won its eighth game on January 4, then added only one more win over the final 15 games, when the offense was never able to score more than twice.
The top producers are senior forward Molli Mott (22 points) and junior defenseman Audrey Hanmer (18 points). The Huskies just need more people to show up on the score sheet more often than once a month. In the meantime, at least the renovation of Herb Brooks National Hockey Center has been completed.
(Michelle Karvinen-3 North Dakota)26 Jan. 13 St. Cloud State University hosts The University of North Dakota in a WCHA match-up at the National Hockey and Event Center in St. Cloud,MN (BRADLEY K. OLSON)
It would be ironic if North Dakota claimed its first conference championship in its first season without the Lamoureux sisters, but that is a definite possibility. Even without the offense that Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux provided, few teams return a trio as prolific as Michelle Karvinen, Josefine Jakobsen, and Meghan Dufault, each of whom added more than 40 points.
The concern offensively would be that after those three, production dropped sharply; the next highest scorer had 12 points. Finnish import Susanna Tapani should help in that regard.
“Anytime you lose players the magnitude of Jocelyne and Monique, it’s a transition,” Minnesota coach Brad Frost said. “If other players fulfill their roles and really step up, then they’ve got an opportunity to have an incredible season. They’ve got some great recruits coming in. They’ll probably be a little better defensively, which is maybe where they struggled last year and probably a little more depth. I think they’ll have a very strong year.”
UND especially needs that influx of talent on defense, because coach Brian Idalski no longer has the option of moving Monique Lamoureux back to the blue line as was necessary part way through each of the last two seasons. The impact of the new defensive rookies was apparent in North Dakota’s exhibition game.
“We haven’t been that deep on ‘D’,” coach Brian Idalski said. “Some of those kids with their outlet passes and moving the puck — that was really good. We were pretty impressed with that. I thought Gracen Hirschy was extremely strong today. You can see why we were so excited about her, and Halli [Krzyzaniak] is a fantastic player.”
The other traditional position of concern for UND was goaltending. Inconsistency plagued the position; a few weeks of strong play would be offset by a regression at the worst time.
Sophomore Shelby Amsley-Benzie’s performance down the stretch of her rookie campaign gave evidence that she may be the answer for the next few years. She became the full-time starter over the final two months of the season, and only twice allowed more than a pair of goals, yielding three on both of those occasions.
If she can improve on the .918 save percentage of her first season, then those North Dakota title aspirations may be realized. However, the Olympics present North Dakota with a different obstacle than the other WCHA contenders because of the European players at UND, leading Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson to conclude that North Dakota may be the team most impacted by the Olympic Games.
“Depending on what Sweden and Finland and a couple other players on their team, when they’ll be leaving,” Johnson said. “All of a sudden we get to Four Nations and six of your players are getting on a plane Monday morning and heading out to Lake Placid for the Four Nations [tournament] and then sometime in December heading out again. Then you get them in January preparing for the Olympics; you might have them for 60 percent of your season. That becomes challenging.”
Sarah Davis is all smiles. (Ryan Coleman/Ryan Coleman, USCHO.com)
A wide variance exists in how the coming season might unfold for Minnesota.
Teams often struggle after saying goodbye to a franchise goaltender, and the Gophers graduated the winningest goalie in NCAA history in Noora Räty.
“As of right now, Amanda Leveille is going to get the start for us,” coach Brad Frost said. “She’s got some great experience. She learned a lot last year after playing behind Noora, and she played in seven games and didn’t give up a goal.”
So if goaltending doesn’t sink Minnesota, how about the loss of Patty Kazmaier Award winner Amanda Kessel to the Olympics?
“I’m not worried necessarily about our players up front,” Frost said. “I think we’ve got 11 or 12 that can play up there.”
The numbers bear that out, as seven forwards from the top three lines return, all of whom had at least 18 points a year ago, led by sophomore Hannah Brandt with 82. Rookies have stepped right in to fill the openings up front, Kate Schipper and Dani Cameranesi, who garnered the most votes for WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year.
“Dani is not really a natural goal scorer, but she’s going to get her goals because of how hard she works and her nose for the net,” Frost said.
The position of greatest concern at Minnesota is defense, where Megan Bozek and Mira Jalosuo graduated and Lee Stecklein was named to the United States centralization roster.
“We were planning on obviously losing Kessel,” Frost said. “We didn’t know about Hannah Brandt. Didn’t know about [defensemen Rachel] Ramsey, [Milica] McMillen, or Stecklein. It could have been worse for us and lost even more players.”
The last time the Gophers failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament came in 2006-07, when after reaching the championship game in three straight seasons, the team needed to replace three defensemen. However, Frost was able to survive a similar obstacle in 2009-10, the most recent Olympic year, and return to the Frozen Four with 50 percent turnover on the blue line.
Frost auditioned five different players for the three openings on defense in the team’s two exhibition games, and expects to settle on a rotation over the next couple of weeks. My guess is that Minnesota will be able to cope with some growing pains on defense because of its strength in other areas, such as at center, where Brandt and seniors Kelly Terry and Sarah Davis return.
“I think with the youth that we have on our blue line, it’s critical that our centers are experienced in the D-zone coverage,” Frost said. “That may change throughout the year, but to start we’ll have all three of our returning centers there.”
While Minnesota may defend its WCHA title, don’t expect it to duplicate the team’s record from a year ago.
“It’s not about going undefeated,” Frost said. “It’s about improving throughout the year, and I would expect us to be a much better team five months from now than we are right now.”
Six teams received first-place votes in the preseason USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll conducted on Monday, but with 19 first-place votes and 844 total points, Massachusetts-Lowell starts the year in the top spot.
No. 2 Miami had 14 first-place votes, followed by No. 3 Wisconsin with two, No. 5 Minnesota with one, sixth-ranked and defending national champion Yale with eight and No. 10 Quinnipiac with a single No. 1 vote.
Boston College finished fourth in the poll.
North Dakota, Notre Dame and St. Cloud State took up spots seven through nine, respectively.
There was a tie for 11th place as Michigan and Minnesota State each wound up with 417 points.
New Hampshire landed at No. 13, Providence 14th, Rensselaer 15th, Union at No. 16, Denver at No. 17, Western Michigan at No. 18, Boston University 19th and Niagara at No. 20.
In addition, 19 other schools received votes in the poll.
