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SUNYAC picks: Nov. 4

November 4, 2011

Game of the Week
For the second week in a row, a mark-your-calendar game from the preview takes place. This time, it is Geneseo’s key game, traveling up to Oswego on Friday. I picked this game because it was the first big test for Geneseo to see if they can leapfrog to the front.
An even bigger test being in Oswego. An even more difficult test since Oswego just came off a loss to Utica. Have you ever seen a mad Laker? (Well, neither have I, but that’s besides the point…)
Oswego has shown offensive power in its three wins, scoring at least six goals a game. If that offense wakes up again, watch out Ice Knights.
Geneseo will have to rely on its tight-checking game to keep Oswego in check and avoid any neutral ice turnovers.
“They are such a deep team,” Geneseo coach Chris Schultz said. “Their forwards are so darn fast. Their defensemen are very skilled. We have to play a perfect game to win. We have to make sure we take care of the puck, especially in the neutral zone. If we don’t get pucks deep and we turn the puck over, they are rushing three to four guys. They’ll do that every time, and they will punish you every time. Everybody knows that. We just have to play a very simple style of hockey. We have to block shots. We have to play Geneseo Ice Knight hockey in order to win. It’s doable. It’s absolutely doable. But there has to be a 21-man commitment on our bench.”
It is doable, but I’m going to take the “safe” pick, and take Oswego, especially since they will be coming in knowing they can not just phone it in.
Other Picks
In the first week of picks, I was virtually perfect in the conference games, but only got one out of three in the nonconference games for a total of 7-2-1 (.750).
Another intriguing contest also takes place on Friday — Fredonia at Morrisville. A big test for both these teams, and two points that will make a big difference in February.
“It’s always a tough game,” Fredonia coach Jeff Meredith said. “It’s going to be a battle. We’re going on the road against a team that likes to play on the edge, likes to get after you, mix it up. We need to go to Morrisville with what we brought to Geneseo.”
I’m a bit biased since I’ve seen Fredonia, and I like what I saw, so I’ll take the Blue Devils.
Friday is chock full of intriguing games. Brockport at Cortland is a contest that will go a long way in determining positioning at the end of the season, and maybe even a playoff chance for one of these teams. Cortland has beaten Hobart, so on paper, the Red Dragons have been more impressive after the first weekend, so I’ll pick them to win.
Saturday sees four more conference games. Geneseo will beat Cortland, Buffalo State will take Morrisville, Oswego will have no trouble against Brockport, and Plattsburgh will win the first battle of the North Country in Potsdam.

ECAC East picks: Nov. 4

By Tim Costello

November 4, 2011

Lots of “firsts” this year for the ECAC East! First, there are games that mean something the first weekend in November. That’s about two weeks ahead of the schedule defined by the previous interlocking schedule with the NESCAC conference. While the travel partner arrangements remain intact, these games will be the first leg in what sees two match-ups among all of the league’s teams vs. the single regular season match-up that spanned the two conferences in the past. That means there should be a lot more familiarity with each other, and certainly more rivalry building, as there is always a second-chance game against all the teams in the league this year. Norwich and St. Michael’s are off, so eight of 10 teams are in action this weekend, and this is how I see it playing out.
Friday, November 4th
St. Anselm at Massachusetts-Boston
Both teams will be looking to get out of the gates quickly and build some confidence. The Beacons return the more seasoned squad, and will be looking to take advantage of the young Hawks. Home ice makes the difference. Mass.-Boston 4- 3
New England College at Babson
The Beavers and the Pilgrims always seem to start out slowly but build momentum at the right time for the conference playoffs. This one should have a great pace and a fair amount of offense. Babson has the edge in goaltending with either Testa or Peabody and that’s the difference . Babson 4- 2
University of New England at Castleton
The Spartans were more than a little disappointed to end last season before the conference championship game and will be looking to set the tone early. The Nor’easters showed a much improved game in the second half of the season and will look to build their new program on a strong group of returning players and good incoming freshman class. Coach Todd has already been where UNE is now and the Spartans will show how much further they need to come. Castleton 5- 1
Southern Maine at Skidmore
Whether it’s the regular season or playoffs, these two teams always play a close game. Both squads like the big ice so no advantage there either way. So closely matched I should pick an opening night tie, but where’s the fun in that? One visiting team has to win opening night. Southern Maine 3- 2
Saturday, November 5th
New England College at Mass.-Boston
Four-point weekends are rare at any point in the season, but especially where all of the parts are still being tweaked. Looks like a split for both teams this weekend. New England College 3- 1.
St. Anselm at Babson
Note the above as both teams had difficulty coming away with points on both nights of the weekend last season and this year looks to start the same. St. Anselm 5-3
Southern Maine at Castleton
Spartans aspire to sit at the top of the standings and a view from the first place perch after week 1 is a good start. Castleton 3 -1
University of New England at Skidmore
This one may be the most fun game of the weekend. Assuming no ill effects of the quick turnaround to the Olympic size rink, Coach Holt’s squad should love the room to move and create. Don’t call this an upset . University of New England 4 – 3
The ECAC East is off an running (preview posted separately). Enjoy the action, as it’s a whole new league this year – Drop the puck!

ECAC West Weekly Picks, Nov. 4-6

By Scott Biggar

November 4, 2011

Friday, November 04
Hobart at Manhattanville
Manhattanville jumps right into the deep end with its first NCAA game against a tough ECAC West opponent, hosting Hobart. The Valiants scored a big comeback victory against the Under-18 team last weekend, while Hobart failed to do the same against Cortland. That gives Manhattanville the edge heading into this weekend’s games.
Elmira at Utica
“We had eight losses to just three teams last year,” said Utica coach Gary Heenan. “We talked about Oswego, and that was a huge game for us. We’re following it up with a team (Elmira) that beat us twice and tied us once last year. No question it has been a game that we have thought long and hard about all summer.”
Saturday, November 05
Elmira at Manhattanville
Elmira has too many offensive weapons for the young Valiants defense to handle this early in the season.
Hobart at Salve Regina
The Statesmen should be able to get rolling and gain some confidence against Salve Regina.
Saint Michael’s at Utica
This is a bit of a trap game for Utica. Coming off the highly anticipated game against Elmira, the Pioneers will have to guard against an emotional letdown with St. Michael’s.

Sunday, November 06
Curry at Neumann
Neumann finally plays its first NCAA game of the season. The Knights have had plenty of time to prepare for what is historically a very tough ECAC Northeast team.

Paula's picks: Nov. 4, 2011

By Paula C. Weston

November 4, 2011

Happy November! Hard to believe that a full month of the college hockey season is a matter of record.
Speaking of records, here’s mine.

Paula’s picks

Last week: 6-5-1 (.542)
Season to date: 34-23-6 (.587)
In this season of seeming CCHA parity, I will take any week over .500.

This week

There are four conference series this week with two nonconference sets scheduled. Everything is Friday-Saturday. All starts are 7:05 p.m. local except for the games in Marquette and Ann Arbor, which begin at 7:35 p.m. Michigan State has the weekend off.
FSU at BGSU
The Bulldogs lost two games to Michigan in Ann Arbor last weekend — and looked like a top-10 team anyway. Fast, disciplined, strong defensively with exceptional goaltending in the early going of the season, Ferris State absolutely has what it takes to remain in the hunt all season long. Until last weekend, FSU was scoring goals, too, but the Bulldogs were held to two goals in two games and top guns Travis Ouellette (6-2–8) and Kyle Bonis (5-1–6) were silenced in the 5-2 and 4-0 losses.
Bowling Green lost two close home games to Notre Dame, bringing their CCHA losing streak to three games after opening their league play with a split against Lake Superior State the weekend before. The Falcons are much improved this season; they bring to this series a defense that is allowing only 2.00 goals per game. They’re struggling up front, though, and have scored five goals in their four league games — after averaging 2.75 goals per game in their first four games of the season, all nonconference. Sophomore Bryce Williamson has four goals in eight games; he had five in 31 last year. Freshman Ryan Carpenter (3-5–8) brings some promise. BG’s best player by far this season is junior Andrew Hammond (1.87 GAA, .922 SV%), who is posting career numbers.
Picks: Each team has played four conference games, with FSU three points ahead of BGSU in the standings. The Bulldogs are 4-0 against the Falcons in two seasons. FSU 3-1, 3-1
Miami at UAF
At this point, many college hockey folks must be scratching their heads where Miami is concerned. Expected to reload seamlessly after graduating a talented senior class, the RedHawks have yet to find their groove. Last weekend, Miami was swept at home by Lake Superior State, a 3-2 overtime loss followed by a 5-3 decision in which the Lakers jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the middle of the second period. After allowing four goals, Connor Knapp was replaced by Cody Reichard. Numbers for both senior goaltenders are way down this season — the pair splits time in net and sports a team save percentage of .879 — but the duo doesn’t appear to be getting much help in terms of team defense or scoring.
The Nanooks return to Fairbanks with one point from a long trip to Ohio after a 2-2 tie and 6-0 loss last weekend. Another team struggling defensively, Alaska is surrending 2.75 goals per game and goalie Scott Greenham’s numbers (.894 SV%) are as off as those of his Miami counterparts. Greenham is also lacking the offensive support he needs; the Nanooks are averaging 2.25 goals per game, although junior Nik Yaremchuk (5-1–6) is doing his part.
Picks: Each of these teams is looking for its first CCHA win. With an 0-4-0 record in league play, Miami is off to its worst conference start since 1995-96. The Nanooks (0-2-2) are two points ahead of the RedHawks in league standings. Miami has to win one sometime, right? So does Alaska. Miami 3-2, UAF 4-2
ND at NMU
Notre Dame is bringing its eighth-best offense (3.86 goals per game) to Marquette after sweeping Bowling Green last weekend. Sophomore Anders Lee (10-3–13) became the first player in the nation to hit the 10-goal mark with his game-tying, power-play goal early in the third period of ND’s 3-2 Saturday win; Lee has at least one goal in each of ND’s seven games this season. He and classmate T.J. Tynan (2-12–14) ride season-long point streaks into this series, and Tynan’s scoring streak extends to the last game of last season. The Irish are getting help from more than just those sophomores, though. Freshmen accounted for three of ND’s six goals against BGSU, and senior Patrick Gaul scored the game winner in the 3-2 contest, his second of the season. That was Gaul’s third career goal, and his first of the year this season broke a drought dating back to Jan. 2, 2010.
The Wildcats lost two close games to Western Michigan last weekend, a 4-2 contest that included an empty netter and 3-2 loss in OT the following night. The only Wildcat to find the net against the Broncos was sophomore Stephan Vigier (5-1–6), who scored both goals in each contest, but Justin Florek (5-4–9) and Tyler Gron (4-2–6) have had strong starts to their senior seasons. Another senior starting strong is goaltender Reid Ellingson (2.24 GAA, .922 SV%). Although Ellingson and sophomore Jared Coreau have been splitting time in the NMU net, Ellingson’s numbers are better. He relieved Coreau in Saturday’s loss.
Picks: The Irish swept the Wildcats in Marquette last season, but the teams are 9-9-2 when NMU is home. Every team playing a league game this week has a chance to gain on Lake Superior State, but the Irish can tie the Lakers with a sweep in the Yoop. ND 3-2, 4-2
WMU at UM
Last weekend, the Broncos swept Northern Michigan in two close games, with senior captain Ian Slater netting his first goal of the season to win the game in overtime Saturday. Freshman goaltender Frank Slubowski (1.48 GAA, .918 SV%) had both wins on the weekend, although he and junior Nick Pisellini have each seen action this year. In addition to their undefeated (5-0-3) start to the season, the Broncos have posted other impressive numbers: 1.62 goals against (fourth in the nation); 3.62 goals for (tie 12th); penalty kill at 88.6 (11th). The Broncos have at least a goal from 15 different skaters, with sophomore Shane Berschbach (4-4–8) and junior Trevor Elias (4-0–4) leading in goal scoring. Elias needs two goals to tie his career-high total of six in 42 games last year.
The Wolverines swept visiting Ferris State last weekend, outscoring the Bulldogs 9-2 in the process. Senior goaltender Shawn Hunwick (1.88, .949) recorded his third shutout of the season in Saturday’s 4-0 win and UM looks good defensively, allowing 1.88 goals per game (tie ninth). Like the Broncos, the Wolverines are getting offensive production from a lot of players, with 14 skaters having scored at least a goal so far this season. Michigan’s offense is second in the nation, averaging 4.88 goals per game, although the Michigan power play (18.4/t28th) has yet to awaken. Three Wolverines — juniors Lindsay Sparks and A.J. Treais, and freshman Phil Di Giuseppe — have five goals each.
Picks: Although the Broncos come into this weekend undefeated, I don’t see them leaving it that way. The Wolverines are three points behind WMU and will be keenly aware of this early season opportunity to gain that ground and to pull closer to league-leader LSSU. Of course, the Broncos will be keen to remain ahead and with their four-point deficit to the Lakers, the Broncos could pull into first place with a five-point weekend. Neither team has forgotten their last meeting: WMU’s 5-2 win over UM in a CCHA playoff semifinal game last season. I could be wrong about many picks this weekend, not the least of which could be these. UM 4-3, 4-2
BSU at LSSU The Lakers are taking a break from their fast CCHA start by hosting future WCHA rival Bemidji State. Last weekend, LSSU swept Miami on the road (3-2, 5-3) while the Beavers lost twice to Minnesota-Duluth (6-2, 1-0). The Lakers are fueled by the excellent goaltending of sophomore Kevin Kapalka (2.00 GAA, .924 SV%). Junior Nick McParland (6-3–9) leads LSSU in scoring, having now reached his career-high six-goal total from a season ago — a feat that took him 32 games to accomplish. Two goalies have split time for BSU this season, senior Dan Bakala (3.13, .877) and freshman Andrew Walsh (3.23, .901). Junior Jordan George (4-1–5) is BSU’s leading goal scorer. The teams last met in Bemidji in 2005-06, when the Lakers won and tied. I’m banking on Kapalka. Picks: LSSU 3-2, 3-2
OSU at UAH The Buckeyes took five points from Alaska last week with a tie plus shootout point followed by a 6-0 shutout, breaking OSU’s eight-game winless streak versus UAF. That win was senior goaltender Cal Heeter’s (2.24 GAA, .927) fourth career shutout, first of the season. Sophomore Chris Crane (5-3–8) leads OSU in scoring; he has one more goal in eight games this season than he did in 37 least year. The Chargers are looking for their first win of the season after a 1-1 tie and 7-2 loss to Air Force at home last weekend. Sophomore Clarke Saunders (3.30, .909) was in net for both of those games. The Chargers are being outscored 29-8 by opponents this season. Three Chargers — Kyle Lysaght, Craig Pierce and Mac Roy — have two goals each. Picks: OSU 3-2, 4-2

WCHA picks: Nov. 4-5

By Tyler Buckentine and Brian Halverson

November 4, 2011

Well, here we go, another week of picks in the books. Alaska-Anchorage has the week off so Bemidji State heads east to play red-hot Lake Superior State. One team aims to continue validating its start, another looks for a bounce-back weekend at home, a well-respected bench boss coaches his 500th game, one series could easily result in two ties, and unnamed sources have indicated the possibility of a heated rivalry rekindling this weekend. As always, please remember this is for entertainment purposes only.

Minnesota State (1-5-0, 0-2-0 WCHA) at No. 16 Michigan Tech (5-2-1, 3-2-1 WCHA)

Tyler: Tech is seemingly unbeaten at home so far this season and as big as a win would be for MSU, the injuries will still hurt them. Tech sweep

Brian: The Mavericks lead the all-time series 23-14-4 and have won five of the last eight meetings (5-2-1). But the Huskies’ hold an 11-10-3 edge at home in the series and stand 5-0-1 overall this season at John MacInnes Student Ice Arena, outscoring opponents 21-11 in the process. An already offensively-challenged Minnesota State team is far from healthy while MTU will be suiting up last week’s offensive and defensive players of the week in Milos Gordic and Josh Robinson respectively. Tech takes a pair.

No. 15 North Dakota (3-4-1, 1-3-0 WCHA) at No. 5 Minnesota (7-1-0, 4-0-0 WCHA)

Tyler: Both teams have a lot riding on this series. If this isn’t the weekend Aaron Dell or Brad Eidsness has the breakout performance UND needs, the Fighting Sioux is going to have to score a lot to keep up with Minnesota’s scoring attack. It’ll be interesting to see if UND eases up or plays it’s usual rough-and-tumble style this weekend. The Gophers have the best power play in the nation in the nation and the Sioux may not want to risk taking penalties. But the Gophers’ 7-1 record will be put to the test by the Sioux nonetheless. Split

Brian: The Fighting Sioux have scored 10 goals in their last 139 shots on goal. “We couldn’t put the puck in the ocean for a few games in a row”, said North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol of his team’s scoring slump. Using the same analogy, Minnesota’s Ken Patterson, conversely, has been guarding a puddle for the most part this season posting shutouts in four of the Gophers’ eight games. The Sioux are physically more intimidating, Ben Blood is a stud, and the Brock Nelson-Corban-Knight-Danny Kristo line is dynamic. But Minnesota’s scoring depth and goaltending advantages overcome that in a Minnesota sweep.

No. 14 Minnesota-Duluth (4-3-1, 2-2-0 WCHA) at No. 8 Denver (3-2-1, 2-1-1 WCHA)

Tyler: This will be a fired-up Denver team after leaving Houghton with just one point last week and scoring just three goals. The offensive firepower the Pioneers are known for will take aim at Bulldogs goaltender Kenny Reiter and his sub-par save percentage (.891). DU sweep

Brian: After an eye-opening weekend at Michigan Tech, the Pioneers received an attitude adjustment in what coach George Gwozdecky kindly referred to as “a pretty physically demanding practice.” Sounds like a bag-skate to me. To have a chance, the Bulldogs had better be prepared to weather early storms in each game as Denver tries to rectify its first-period scoring woes (shutout in the opening period of three of six games). A lot will depend on how well DU goaltender Adam Murray has recovered from last week’s injury while UMD goalie Kenny Reiter will have to resurrect the form he showed most of last weekend. Ultimately, I think the Denver Pioneers everyone expected to see from the start emerges this week which doesn’t bode well for the national champs. DU takes two.

Wisconsin (4-4-0, 3-3-0 WCHA) at St. Cloud State (3-4-1, 1-1-0 WCHA)

Tyler: Ryan Faragher is the X Factor this weekend, who will again start in Mike Lee’s place. Will the SCSU goalkeeper have the performance like last weekend’s, in which he turned away 67 of the 70 shots he faced, or will Wisconsin take advantage of an inexperience freshman goalie? Wisconsin’s offense isn’t too aggressive with the WCHA’s third-lowest shots-per-game total (24), but neither are the Huskies (25 shots per game, fourth-lowest in the WCHA) going against a pair of freshman goalies for Wisconsin. Even matchup here. Split

Brian: They are both essentially .500 teams, each team split its most recent series, a freshman goalie will start both games for each team, Wisconsin leads the all-time series 43-28-8 but the Huskies have a 16-15-4 edge in the Granite City, and the teams are 4-4 in their last eight meetings. Detect a pattern here? Split

No. 2 Colorado College (4-0-0, 2-0-0 WCHA) at Nebraska-Omaha (4-4-0, 3-1-0 WCHA)

Tyler: This one is a battle of two powerful top lines but I like CC’s defense and goaltending in this series. CC sweep

Brian: The Colorado College Tigers arrive for their first-ever visit to Omaha having played the fewest games of any WCHA team. Mavericks coach Dean Blais will coach his 500th and 501st career games this weekend but will have to wait at least one more week for his 308th overall win as CC will sweep.

Bemidji State (3-5-0, 2-4-0 WCHA) at No. 11 Lake Superior State (7-1-0, 5-1-0 CCHA)

Tyler: The Beavers only came up with three goals on 40 shots for the weekend against a UMD team that has been awfully shaky this season and Lake Superior has good numbers in its own zone. Lake Superior sweep

Brian: The two teams are 3-1 against Miami this season with LSSU sweeping the Redhawks last weekend and Bemidji State splitting at Miami to open the season. But Miami’s 2-6 record tends to temper any enthusiasm over those results. The Lakers hold a 21-16-2 advantage in the overall series but they haven’t met since 2005 when LSSU traveled to Bemidji and left with a win and a tie (2-1, 2-2). After holding UMD to just one goal last Saturday (in a 1-0 loss) BSU goalie Dan Bakala seems to have recovered from an abysmal start two weeks ago at home against Michigan Tech in which he allowed three goals on four shots. I like LSSU’s record but I simply don’t trust it and think the Beavers can get it done on the road if only once. Split

Hockey East Picks – November 4-5

By Jim Connelly

November 3, 2011

Pretty solid weeks for both Dave and me last week. Hopefully at least I can keep it going this week!

Jim last week: 8-2-1

Dave last week: 8-2-1

Jim’s record-to-date: 26-14-5

Dave’s record-to-date: 27-15-5

Here are this week’s picks:

Friday, November 4

Maine at Boston College

Jim’s pick: Really like the way that Boston College is playing right now so hard to pick against them.

BC 4, Maine 2

Dave’s pick: Agreed. The Eagles are playing very much like the number one team in the country.

BC 4, Maine 2

Northeastern at Merrimack

Jim’s pick: Though I think this could be a very even matchup, I’m not picking against Merrimack at home right now.

MC 3, NU 1

Dave’s pick: I’m not picking against the undefeated, untied Warriors at home or on the road.

MC 4, NU 1

Vermont at Providence

Jim’s pick: Vermont has had good luck at Providence so I’m going with the Cats on night one.

Vermont 4, PC 2

Dave’s pick: I’m going to have to disagree with Jim on this one. Home ice prevails, at least in game one.

PC 3, UVM 2

Massachusetts at New Hampshire

Jim’s pick: It seems the Wildcats have been awoken.

UNH 4, UMass 3

Dave’s pick: The Wildcats continue to dig themselves out of the hole they’ve made for themselves in the Hockey East standings. The Minutemen remain winless within the league and sink deeper into their hole.

UNH 4, UMass 2

Saturday, November 5

Merrimack at Northeastern

Jim’s pick: Not as easy to pick Merrimack on the road, but the 6-0-0 start has me riding the Warrior wave.

MC 4, NU 3

Dave’s pick: I was hoping Jim would go with the Huskies at home here so I could widen my lead. I’m going with the Warriors until proven wrong.

MC 4, NU2

Vermont at Providence

Jim’s pick: Friars will salvage a split of this series.

PC 3, UVM 1

Dave’s pick: I’m picking the split the other way with the Catamounts needing overtime to do it.

UVM 2, PC 1 (OT)

Boston College at Massachusetts

Jim’s pick: Eagles always struggle at UMass, but I just can’t pick against BC right now.

BC 5, UMass 3

Dave’s pick: Picking the Eagles is a no-brainer. I’m good at no-brainers.

BC 4, UMass 1

Boston University at Massachusetts-Lowell

Jim’s pick: Historically, this series goes the Terriers way. But I have a weird gut about the River Hawks in this one.

UML 4, BU 3

Dave’s pick: Jim’s pick is a gutsy one, but I can’t agree. With only one game to get up for this weekend, BU comes out flying.

BU 4, UML 2

Maine at New Hampshire

Jim’s pick: Things may be going well for UNH, but this is Maine’s game to lose right now.

Maine 4, UNH 2

Dave’s pick: Perhaps the toughest game of the weekend to pick. Have the Wildcats completely gotten back on track? How strong is Maine? I see UNH with four points on the weekend to get to .500 in Hockey East.

UNH 4, Maine 3

Atlantic Hockey Picks 11/4-11/6

By Chris Lerch

November 3, 2011

Last Week: 6-4-2 (I had the Niagara-Colgate split right but on the wrong nights)
On the Season: 36-13-6 (.703)

This Week’s Picks:

Friday, November 4 & Saturday, November 5:
Sacred Heart at Air Force – Sacred Heart seems to play the Falcons tough no matter what their record, evidenced by the Pioneers taking three of four points from the Falcons last season. But I think after blowing a late lead at home last weekend, Air Force will be fired up. Air Force 5, Sacred Heart 2; Air Force 4, Sacred Heart 2.

Connecticut at Mercyhurst – I think this will be the most entertaining series of the weekend and the hardest to predict. UConn swept the Lakers out of the playoffs last season. I’m picking a split here. Mercyhurst 4, UConn 3; UConn 5, Mercyhurst 4.

Holy Cross at Niagara – Both teams figure to finish near the top of the standings, so this is a big early-season series since it is the only meeting between the two schools. Niagara leads the all-time series 5-1, but I’m again thinking split. Holy Cross 3, Niagara 2; Niagara 3, Holy Cross 2.

Army at Rochester Institute of Technology – Both teams are having trouble scoring goals so far this season, and the teams have just one win between them. I’d pick a tie in at least one game if I could, but instead I think RIT rebounds at home in a pair of close games. RIT 3, Army 2; RIT 4, Army 3.

American International at Robert Morris – The Yellow Jackets have never beaten the Colonials (0-5-1) and even though they are an improved team I’m still giving RMU the advantage, especially at home. RMU 3, AIC 2; RMU 4, AIC 2.

Saturday, November 5 & Sunday, November 6:

Bentley at Canisius – The teams split at Bentley last season, and I’m picking a similar result in Buffalo. The teams have played each other close over the years, with the Golden Griffins holding a slim 21-19-3 advantage all-time. Bentley 4, Canisius 3; Canisius 5, Bentley 2.

New donors coming forward to save Alabama-Huntsville?

USCHO Staff Report

November 3, 2011

Potential new donors have been identified by Alabama-Huntsville, according to an article in Thursday’s Huntsville Times, and these individuals have reportedly been said to have enough money to keep the UAH team afloat for three more seasons.

“Concerning hockey, there are some new developments,” said state representative Phil Williams in the article. “There are some folks we believe that are willing to make the financial portion of this decision go away.”

Alabama-Huntsville announced last month that this season will be the last for UAH at the Division I level.

“I am trying to really expedite these individuals, who say they will write the check, to write the check, and be willing to meet with the new president (Dr. Robert Altenkirch ) and say if this is just a financial situation, could this cause us to reconsider, given this late-breaking information,” added Williams.

An unnamed source told the Times that new private pledges have been made that would fully fund the hockey program over the next three years. Williams said he did not know the identity of the donors, only that some are in Huntsville and some are out of town.

Miami’s Tiesling gets one-game suspension from CCHA

USCHO Staff Report

November 3, 2011

The CCHA announced Thursday that Miami forward Patrick Tiesling has been suspended for one game, under the league’s supplemental discipline process, as the result of an incident that occurred against Lake Superior State on Oct. 28.

At the 11:19 mark of the second period last Friday night, Tiesling was assessed major and game misconduct penalties for hitting from behind.

Tiesling is ineligible to play in Miami’s next game, Nov. 4 against Alaska, but is eligible to return to the ice Nov. 5.

New coach, same success at Adrian

By Derek Dunning

November 3, 2011

It’s not often a brand new coach gets to take over a team fresh off winning a conference championship and making an appearance in the NCAA tournament.

However, that’s the opportunity that Chad Davis was presented with when he was hired as the new Adrian women’s hockey head coach in July, replacing Melissa Lomanto, who had the coached the team for the previous three seasons.

Under Lomanto, Adrian went 54-25-6, including winning its first-ever NCHA Tournament title in 2011 and then making its first appearance in the NCAA tournament before bowing out to RIT in the first round.

“This has been a successful program in the past,” Davis said. “My job is to continue that success, but also to help it grow and continue to progress toward the next level and the next step. There is always a process in learning how to win big games. The team going through the tournament last year can only help them grow down the road.”

Davis comes to Bulldogs Country after spending a season as a volunteer assistant coach at Division I Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania, where he worked with the Colonials’ goaltenders and helped guide them to leading the conference in save percentage and goals against average.

“I plan on bringing my coaching philosophies and trying to direct this program toward taking the next step,” Davis said.

Adrian and college hockey success have gone hand in hand ever since the university started a men’s and women’s program in the fall of 2007. The men’s program is a remarkable 102-12-2 in four seasons of play, and the Bulldogs made it all the way to the national championship game last March before falling to perennial powerhouse St. Norbert, 4-3, in Minnesota.

The women’s program hasn’t been too far behind the men’s program, and has quickly made strides in the NCHA, winning the conference tournament last year with an upset of top-seeded Wis.-River Falls.

“Being at Adrian College is a unique experience,” Davis said. “The men’s varsity program has obviously done very well, and the women’s program has been solid too. They love their hockey here in Adrian, and each team kind of supports each other. It’s a nice situation where the school and players really get behind each program.”

Last weekend, the Davis era at Adrian got off to a successful start as the Bulldogs swept a pair of nonconference games at Oswego to open up the 2011-12 season. Adrian downed the Lakers 3-0 the first night and then won a back-and-forth battle on Saturday by a score of 5-3.

“We were excited to start the season, and I was excited to get behind the bench for my first game here,” Davis said. “We’re trying to implement some new systems and work on taking this team to the next level. We went in and competed, played hard, and came out with two wins.”

Sophomore forward Danielle Smith led the way for the Bulldogs with a five-point weekend with a goal and four assists. Ashley Gniewek, Olivia Rork, Kristin Maton, and Hannah McGowan all had two points as well.

Gone are the likes of Stacey Kempson and Jessica Grubbs, who were both members of the inaugural Adrian women’s program recruiting class and rank 1-2 on the all-time program scoring list.

However, Davis still has the luxury of having 16 returnees from last year’s squad, including sophomore RBK All-American goaltender Emily Michelin and All-NCHA First Team senior defenseman Kelly Salis.

“It’s definitely a unique situation to be able to take over a successful team that has a stable of top returners coming back,” Davis said. “You have Olivia Rork, who is a good player and will be a productive scorer for us, as well as Danielle Smith. Kelly Salis is back after being an all-conference player, and I think we made some nice additions as well.”

Some of those additions made an immediate impact last weekend, with Courtney Millar and Lauren Zachwieja both scoring their first career goals. Junior defenseman Kristin Maton also had a goal and an assist after transferring in from Plattsburgh State with two seasons under her belt as a Cardinal.

“Last weekend, we had a lot of firsts, with a lot of newcomers score,” Davis said. “We have a strong base of returning players, but so far a lot of the new faces have contributed.”

The Bulldogs also brought in two Division I transfers that figure to have an impact in sophomore forward Sarah Connelly from Niagara University and senior goaltender Brittany Zeches from Wayne State.

Arguably the strongest link from last year’s squad that returns this season is Michelin between the pipes. The sophomore burst onto the scene last year with six shutouts in the first half of the season, and finished up with an impressive eight clean slates in 2010-11.

“She is a game-changer, and the team is confident with her in the net,” Davis said. “She had an incredible season last year, and so far this year it’s looked like she has picked up where she left off. We’re confident in our goaltending with Emily Michelin leading the way.”

The next two weekends, the road will get a little tougher for the Bulldogs, as they continue their six-game road trip to start the season by heading to Wis.-River Falls this weekend for a pair of conference games and then follow up with Wis.-Superior next weekend.

Joe Cranston’s Falcons will certainly be out for revenge after Adrian handed UWRF its first loss of the season in the NCHA Championship game.

“Our big message right now is to focus on what we can control, and right now that’s our everyday practices,” Davis said. “We’re just trying to be consistent in what we do. Whether we’re playing River Falls, Oswego, or whoever it is that weekend, we want to prepare the same way and play our game and if we do that, we’ll give ourselves the best chance that weekend.”

Starting big

By Scott Biggar

November 3, 2011

Utica has gotten off to a quick start this season, marked by a big 3-2 win over No. 2 Oswego last Saturday. The Pioneers scored a pair of goals in the second period to take a 3-1 lead, and then hung on for the 3-2 victory in front of 3,500 screaming fans.

With a team loaded with freshmen last year, Utica had problems winning the close games. They lost two games to Oswego by 3-1 and 2-1 scores, but exacted a little revenge this time around.

“Last year, we lost those close games,” said Utica coach Gary Heenan. “I hope this is a sign of things to come.”

Two indicators of a maturing Pioneers team are discipline and focus. Through two NCAA games so far, Utica has only taken seven total penalties, compared to 11 by its opponents. Having the special teams numbers on your side of the balance sheet can make the game much simpler to win.

“[Discipline] is extremely important, especially early in the year when things tend to get called a lot tighter,” said Heenan. “In our three games now, we have been very disciplined. That carries forward from last year. I like the way our team is very disciplined, not only penalty-wise, but within our systems as well.”

Utica got a jump preparing for the season with a trip to Europe in August. With a roster loaded with veterans, the Pioneers had the manpower returning for once in a collegiate career trip. Utica won all four games, three by a single goal.

“The trip was super,” said Heenan. “Going over the summer was a little different. It was nice to get the guys back. We stole a couple of games we should have lost. The goaltenders played well.”

While there certainly is a benefit for a college team to play during the summer, something normally not allowed unless it is part of a special trip like this, it can be a bit tough on the players. After practicing for a week, then two weeks on the trip, the players return to the States, only to not be able to practice or play again until the middle of October.

“There are definitely some mental issues you have to face when you get back,” said Heenan. “All of the sudden, you have to hang the equipment up for six weeks. That’s tough. You get the competitive juices flowing, and then it is taking too long a break.”

The trip was a bonding experience for the team as well. They did some sightseeing, rode around the countryside on bicycles, and ate all their meals together. While that was good for the veteran players on the trip, it did present a bit of a dilemma when the team returned to campus in the fall.

“There is a mixed answer about that (bonding experience),” said Heenan. “You think the answer is yes, and then all of the sudden you are introducing your freshmen who weren’t a part of that. That doesn’t sit well with me, and for that reason I’m not sure I would do it that time of year again.”

Division I Princeton?
Back in the ’80s, it was very common for Division II or III teams to play games against their Division I big brothers. Many teams would play upwards of three or four games per year against the top tier teams, and it led to some classic battles.

When the NCAA started placing emphasis on mathematical ratios to determine playoff bids in the ’90s, teams at all levels were forced to take a more parochial view, and the number of games between divisions dwindled to almost zero.

Princeton however, re-started the tradition two seasons ago when they played new program SUNY-Morrisville. They also played an exhibition game last season.

This year, Neumann was able to play an exhibition game against Princeton, thanks to relationships coach Dominick Dawes developed during summer hockey camps.

Neumann lost the game to Princeton 5-1 on October 23, but used the experience to gauge itself against a team at another level. Special teams was the undoing of the Knights, as Princeton scored three power-play goals and a short-handed goal.

“The game was fun,” said Dawes. “The guys really enjoyed it. We dressed five forward lines and eight defensemen to try things out. Going into it, it was a good chance for us to set the bar and see where we are at. We got a lot out of it.”

The Knights then had two weeks off before finally getting into NCAA play this Sunday against Curry. They have used the off time to work on improving specific areas of the team.

“We are enjoying breaking up the Princeton game into sections, addressing one specific area each day,” said Dawes.

The seniors on this year’s squad were mere freshmen when the team won the national title in 2009, but the entire team got a taste of the national tournament last year when Neumann received a Pool C bid. This year’s squad is loaded with upperclassmen hungry to go deep into the tournament this year.

“There are more expectations this year,” said Dawes. “The guys got a little tease of a national bid last year. Now it is about starting to do the little things that ensure we are challenging year after year.”

Leftover thoughts

By Russell Jaslow

November 3, 2011

Not all the information I gathered for the season previews can fit in the original article. So, here are some of those thoughts that are worth mentioning.

One of the items that struck me is how some schools purposely create a very tough nonconference schedule. Obviously, you have no control over the conference schedule, so the goals you want to set outside your conference are mostly controlled by the coaches.

For the top programs, like Oswego and Plattsburgh, they always want to make sure they have strong opponents in case they need the Pool C entry into the NCAA tournament.

There’s nothing really new on Plattsburgh’s schedule, as they have followed this philosophy for years. As usual, they participate in the Primelink Tournament (held this year at Middlebury). This year, Elmira is the guest team, along with Middlebury and Norwich, making this one of the toughest Primelinks ever. For their own tournament, the Cardinal Classic, they didn’t shy away from bringing in strong teams — Babson, Utica, and Castleton. Then, Plattsburgh scheduled games against Castleton, Skidmore, Norwich, Middlebury, and Williams.

Oswego followed the same formula for their Pathfinder Bank Oswego Classic, selecting a team from the ECAC West, New England, and the West. It may not be the strongest tournament this time around, but Connecticut College, Neumann, and Hamline aren’t all pushovers. Oswego started the season out with a home-and-home against Elmira, plays Utica twice, have a very interesting contest against Curry, and also plays Hobart and Hamilton.

What is sometimes surprising is when a team which could use a win, any win, for confidence-boosting reasons, is still willing to challenge themselves with the best competition possible.

Cortland is in a unique geographic location, where they don’t have to travel far to line up the top teams in the country.

They scheduled the entire ECAC West (Neumann twice), play New England College twice, and threw in Hamilton for good measure.

“Our schedule is one of the toughest in the country,” Cortland coach Joe Baldarotta said. “We don’t have any easy games on our schedule. I know some people look at us as a game they can take off. We can’t point to any game where we can do that. We’re not ducking anybody.”

Considering they just beat Hobart, who’s to argue with that strategy?

Brockport’s coach Brian Dickinson looks at some of these tough games from another perspective, like the season opener at Utica.

“Great test,” he said. “Going on the road for the opener is a great thing as a coach. They put a lot of people in the stands. That gets our guys ready for when we go to Oswego and Plattsburgh, which we do early in the season.”

Morrisville doesn’t shy away from competition either. They go up against Tufts, perhaps Castleton, Neumann twice, Norwich, Elmira potentially three times, and Manhattanville.

Another interesting item is how Plattsburgh’s schedule is lined up. They have no weekday games. None. All their games take place on Friday or Saturday. Same with Oswego, Potsdam, and Morrisville. Other schools have just one weekday game, and they take place when school is not in session.

I could never understand why the self-proclaimed elitist schools, like when the Middlebury president proposed shortening the season or the NESCAC insists on starting later, think a shorter time period to fit in the same number of games is a good thing academically.

Look at any Division III basketball schedule. They have to start later than hockey, but end the season on the same weekend and play the same number of games (25). Basketball teams have to play numerous weekday games. How is traveling during the week, missing classes, tests, and study time, more academically beneficial than an extra week or two of playing on the weekends when most students aren’t bothering with school stuff?

One final thought, which I did mention, but want to emphasize again, is how close I think this season will be for certain positions. Yes, on paper Oswego appears to be the runaway season champion, but I really like Geneseo. I believe they have had the best two years of recruiting than anyone in the league outside of Oswego, and are poised to possibly make a run at the Lakers. They just need to avoid some of these heart-stopping games.

Behind them, it really is a tossup between the teams I expect to make the playoffs. And it really is a tossup between the teams I expect not to make the playoffs.

In fact, at the last minute, I switched Fredonia and Buffalo State in my predictions. I did the same with Cortland and Brockport.

If I wrote the preview on a different day, I may have done the predictions differently. That’s how close I think it will be this year.

A Confession
I have a confession to make. One that will completely, without a doubt, absolutely destroy my reputation.

A month ago, I went to the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J. to drive the pace car in the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association event. All us officials got fed lunch everyday. On the last day, they brought in Kentucky Fried Chicken.

I went through the line, loading my plate up. Then, at the end of the line, I saw them.

Hot, soft pretzels.

I’m at a race track, driving the pace car, and being served hot, soft pretzels. Can life get any better than this?

My plate was full, and I thought, well, let me eat this first, and I’ll come back to get a pretzel. When I was done, I was full, and I knew I could be in the pace car for hours, and pace cars don’t have … ummm … facilities. I looked back at the hot, soft pretzels on the serving table calling my name out.

I had no choice. I had to pass up the pretzels. Yes, I had to pass up a hot, soft pretzel. A free hot, soft pretzel.

May God have mercy on my soul.

SUNYAC Players of the Week (selected by the conference)
Player of the Week: David Arduin, Geneseo (F, Sr., Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia) finished with two goals and two assists. Down 3-1 to Buffalo State, Arduin netted a power-play goal in the third period and then assisted on the equalizer with .9 seconds remaining. In the overtime, he picked up an assist on the game-winner just 17 seconds into the extra frame. On Saturday, Arduin scored the game-winning goal in the third period to grab the win over Fredonia. He has scored a goal in each of the team’s three games this season.

Rookie of the Week: Mark Constantine, Plattsburgh (F, Haddonfield, N.J.) netted two goals in his collegiate debut. Constantine put the Cardinals up 2-1 in the first period and then scored the only mark of the second period, a power-play goal to give Plattsburgh a 4-3 advantage.

Goalie of the Week: Adrian Rubeniuk, Geneseo (Jr., Grandview, Manitoba) stopped 29 of 30 shots over the course of 60 minutes against Fredonia. He made 17 saves in the first two periods before the Blue Devils tied the game at 1-1 20 seconds into the third. The Ice Knights were outshot 13-6 in the final period, but managed to net the game-winner and hold on as Rubeniuk turned aside 12 shots in the third.

What comes after “Z”?

By Arlan Marttila

November 3, 2011

This week’s USCHO Division I Women’s Poll contains something noteworthy. No, not the fact that Cornell became the first team other than Wisconsin to receive a first-place vote, or even that the Top 10 consists of 11 teams. One of the teams locked in a tie at No. 10 with 12 points, Bemidji State, is making its first appearance in the Top 10.

“I think Bemidji State probably hasn’t gotten a lot of respect over the years,” Beavers coach Steve Sertich says. “I think people are noticing us a little bit more than they have. We’ve always played hard, but now we’re finding ways to win games.”

BSU’s most recent win, 2-1 on Saturday in Bemidji over a Minnesota squad that came into the game ranked No. 2, made the Gophers the latest in a long line of visitors to leave the Sanford Center with at least one loss. Since moving into its new home just over a year ago, Bemidji State has hosted 11 series, and only one opponent, title-bound Wisconsin last February, has left undefeated. Even the mighty Badgers needed overtime in the second game to accomplish their sweep.

“It’s like there’s something magical about this place,” says junior forward Emily Erickson of Coleraine, Minn. “We’re so fortunate to have it.”

It’s not entirely surprising that the Beavers haven’t attracted more recognition in the past, given that last season’s mark of 11-13-4 in conference games was their best record in 12 years of WCHA play.

“It’s a curse and a blessing to be in the WCHA,” Sertich says. “We’re proud to play against teams like Minnesota and Wisconsin, but it’s tough every weekend no matter who you play, where you play them. Our league is so tough top to bottom. St. Cloud even last week — they’re not that far away. It does wear you down, and it is hard. Hopefully, we can maintain the intensity that we’ve had so far into the season right now.”

As an example of how taxing their schedule can be, last season Bemidji State played 21 contests against teams ranked in the top 10 in the final poll. By comparison, Mercyhurst, the Beavers’ first Sanford Center victim, faced such opponents only four times.

Not that everyone minds the tough competition.

“I love it,” Erickson says. “You know you’re playing against the best people. You want to play against high-caliber people and when you do that, you can compare yourself to the best, and play against the best, and that’s what makes you better as a team.”

Currently sitting with an overall record of 6-2-2, BSU is off to its best start ever through 10 games. That the Beavers would get out of the blocks quickly was not obvious after graduating last season’s leading scorer, Erin Cody, who had a point on more than half of the team’s 70 goals last season and finished with 109 career points, second only to the 122 amassed by 2003 graduate and current Bemidji assistant coach Amber Fryklund.

“We knew coming in that it would be tough to replace a Cody,” Sertich says. “They don’t come around very often. It’s funny, we’re getting scoring by committee. We’ve got defensemen pitching in, we’ve got freshmen pitching in — sometimes they’re ugly goals, but we’re finding ways to score. A lot of it has to do with just the quantity of shots we’re getting on net, and we’re getting bounces every once in a while. The kids are doing a good job getting pucks on goal.”

One place Bemidji State is getting the job done is on the power play. In six games of WCHA action, it has converted on a gaudy 52.6 percent of its opportunities, and a Sadie Lundquist deflection just four seconds into the final power play proved decisive against the Gophers. Lundquist leads the team in points with 16, one more than Erickson, who won the faceoff leading to the Lundquist goal.

A critical component at the other end of the ice is Slovakian Olympic goaltender Zuzana Tomcikova, known as “Z” to her teammates. She saved 41 of 42 Minnesota shots to preserve the BSU upset. Sertich called her performance outstanding, but her time to shine in the Bemidji crease is waning, as both she and primary backup Alana McElhinney are seniors.

“She turns games around, and we’ll have to find a couple goalies that can do that,” he says.

To complicate matters for the BSU staff, top defensemen Montana Vichorek, Marlee Wheelhouse, and Kimberly Lieder will also be wrapping up their careers in the spring.

“It’s like that every year; there’s always holes to fill,” Sertich says. “That’ll be the next challenge for us.”

One improvement made since he took over the program in 2006 is an upgrade in the skating ability of the team, and Sertich credits his assistant coaches with finding those players.

“We didn’t have speed when I first came here,” he says. “We had hard-working kids, but it’s a game of speed. And now, top to bottom, we can skate with a team like [Minnesota]. It’s an absolute necessity to have players who can get up and down the rink.”

Erickson, one of those flying up and down the ice, is unfazed by the challenges that loom next season without Tomcikova in net, just as she welcomes those that remain in 2011-12.

“Each year is different, and the chemistry on a team is different from year to year,” Erickson says. “Each person knows they have to step it up another notch. Beaver hockey is all about that. Coach addresses that. Our program is all about working hard, and we’ll make that happen next year when it comes.”

Presenting a case that records really don’t matter when Minnesota, North Dakota meet

By Tyler Buckentine and Brian Halverson

November 3, 2011

It’s one of those series where “you can throw the records out the window,” just like the cliché recommends.

When No. 15 North Dakota and No. 5 Minnesota square off at 7 p.m. CDT Friday and 7:30 Saturday at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis, records, rankings, and rink location will have little bearing on the outcome; at least not the way you might think.

In the seven seasons of the Dave Hakstol era at North Dakota, the home team in the series has a fairly predictable 12-8-3 edge, with the Sioux winning three of four neutral-site games. Beyond that, the numbers get a bit more interesting.

Whenever or wherever the Gophers and Sioux have met in that time frame, the lower ranked/seeded team is 14-10-3 (.519 winning percentage). In fact, the last two times the teams met with Minnesota holding a double-digit advantage in the rankings, as is now the case, the Sioux swept both series, in 2007 and 2009.

“It’s probably not a surprise,” Hakstol said of the success of the underdog in the series’ recent history. “Rivalries in college sports are great things to be part of and we’re fortunate that we’ve got a good, traditional heated rivalry with Minnesota.”

Like any year during this always-heated rivalry between North Dakota and Minnesota, expect high intensity, big hits and a lot of activity after the whistle blows.

“The atmosphere during those games is something I’ll always remember,” said Minnesota captain Taylor Matson. “The brawls, the big hits. Everything is always more up-tempo and everything is more classified in this series.”

But just for the heck of it, let’s hold on to the records. There is a lot at stake for both teams this weekend and both teams have something to prove.

Doubters might cite the record of Minnesota’s opponents (7-9-2, not including games against the Gophers), but North Dakota presents a challenge Minnesota hasn’t seen this season. Yes, the Sioux have a losing record (3-4-1) but go ahead and throw UND’s record “out the window” for a minute.

“It’s equally important, this weekend, for us as it is for [Minnesota],” UND forward Corban Knight said. “We had some ups and downs early this season but we got a big win Saturday night and we have to build off that.”

“We haven’t really played anyone tough recently but if we beat North Dakota people will respect us a little bit more,” Matson said. “No matter what our record is and what their record is, it’s going to be a battle every shift.”

The Gophers enter the series at 7-1 overall and average 5.38 goals per game, the best in the nation by almost an entire goal. Fourteen of those goals are credited to their nation-best power play (35.9 percent). Minnesota gets a lot of its scoring from one of the top offensive lines in the country: Erik Haula (7-10–17) who leads the nation in points, Jake Hansen (3-8–11) and freshman Sam Warning (3-3–6).

Minnesota also has a fifth-rated scoring defense at 1.75 goals per game, thanks to goalie Kent Patterson, who has played every minute for the Gophers with a .940 save percentage.

This will be a great measuring stick for the Gophers because the Sioux never play dull hockey and are going to bring everything, especially to a rivalry series like this.

The Sioux are going to have to find scoring from guys other than Knight (4-6–10) and Danny Kristo (4-8–12). The defense, which was thought to be the strength of the Sioux, must improve, and the goaltending will come around with proven goaltenders — Aaron Dell (.843 save percentage, 3.47 goals against average) and Brad Eidsness (.895, 3.31).

“It’s a huge rivalry but we have to remember that there’s four points out there,” said Knight. “I heard about it even when I was playing in juniors, the North Dakota/Minnesota rivalry. It’s a lot of fun out there and I’m privileged to be a part of it.”

“There’s something different about the North Dakota atmosphere,” said Minnesota assistant captain Jake Hansen. “There’s no series that gets you more pumped up than playing North Dakota. We don’t like each other.”

CC has big test this weekend

Colorado College’s Joe Howe has the nation’s best goaltending numbers in the two important categories, but he’s played only half the amount of games compared to a lot of the country’s goalies. Nebraska-Omaha will test Howe’s .964 saves percentage and 0.90 goals against average this weekend in Omaha.

The Mavericks are led by their top line of Matt White (3-9–12), Terry Broadhurst (7-4–11) and the addition of Alex Hudson (2-3–5 in four games) upon his return from a suspension that kept him out the first four games of the season.

That line has 12 of the 24 goals scored by UNO this season, but the Mavericks offense needs to diversify this weekend — and this season — for UNO to be successful.

The Tigers scorers are ready to break out after two bye weeks and a trip out East in the first four weeks. Jaden Schwartz, Rylan Schwartz and Scott Winkler have six points each through four games.

WCHA draws show up three NHL teams

Value City Arena at Ohio State of the CCHA has the largest capacity of any NCAA hockey arena at 17,500 but the WCHA has the next four biggest. CenturyLink Center in Omaha has a capacity of 15,959, followed by Wisconsin’s Kohl Center (15,237), UND’s Ralph Engelstad Arena (11,634) and Mariucci Arena (10,000).

That brings us to a little nugget USCHO.com reader Vic Beradelli emailed us this week: the attendance after six games this season at the Ralph (10,754) and at the Kohl Center (10,699) is better than the six-game attendances of the NHL teams in Columbus (10,113), Phoenix (10,012) and Dallas (9,671).

The averages of those NHL teams fill only a little more than half of the respective arenas.

On the collegiate end of this interesting bit is proof of how popular the game is the further west a college hockey fan travels.

Ten WCHA arenas rank in the top 20 in capacity and they’re near full on Friday and Saturday nights more often than not.

Pioneers seek to be quicker out of gate, stay out of the box

Adam Murray’s performance as caretaker of the goaltender position until starter Sam Brittain’s January return from knee surgery was seemingly the Denver Pioneers’ only question mark heading into this season.

But a couple of trends have hurt the Pioneers in the early going, such as difficulty jump starting their offense early in games and getting into penalty trouble.

In Denver’s 10-2 win over Minnesota State on Oct. 22, for example, the Pioneers were called for six consecutive penalties in the first nine minutes of the third period.

Although the outcome was no longer in doubt, Denver coach George Gwozdecky, perturbed nonetheless, called a timeout in which he chose to step off the bench and onto the ice to deliver his message.

“At the second intermission, we’re up 7-0 and I don’t think either team wanted to play the final period of the game,” Gwozdecky said last week. “We came out and we got lazy, we got sloppy, we started taking penalty after penalty and those are things that none of [the coaches] will stand for.

“All of a sudden it got a little too loose so I just decided it was probably time to be able to say ‘OK, gentlemen, I need to get in front of you, we may need to make eye contact, and I need to give you my thoughts as to how things are going. This is not going to be a two-way discussion, this is a one-way discussion,’ and so we had that discussion and we played much better after that point.”

But in losing and tying at Michigan Tech last weekend, the Pioneers scored just four times in the series while surrendering three power-play goals. Just one of Denver’s goals came in the opening period, meaning the Pioneers have scored first-period goals in just three of their six games.

Although Gwozdecky expects a few players “whose sticks have gone cold” to come around eventually, the penalties remain a concern.

“There have been times where we have cheated defensively and, as a result, we’re getting caught out of position and we’re having to scramble,” said Gwozdecky. “We’ve taken some poor penalties that in some cases aren’t even leading to scoring chances.”

Gwozdecky hopes Monday’s physically demanding practice addressed some of the issues his team has been dealing with.

“Some of the things that we saw from our team [against Michigan Tech], especially on Friday night, were not the things we usually see from our team,” said Gwozdecky. “We tried to make some adjustments, not only in effort but in attitude as well.

“I think they were able to survive [the rigorous practice] and understand that it’s that type of effort and execution that is going to allow us to at least give ourselves the best chance to be successful.”

It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish

Goaltending concerns have dogged Minnesota-Duluth in the early going this season. Starter Kenny Reiter lugged a 3.31 goals against average and .875 save percentage into last weekend’s home series against Bemidji State, while his backup, Aaron Crandall, allowed five goals on 23 Notre Dame shots in his only action of the season on Oct. 8.

When Reiter allowed goals on BSU’s first two shots on Friday, it had all the makings of a long weekend for the Bulldogs.

In fact, just the opposite was true.

“They scored on a good play and a bad bounce, just two bad breaks for us. I try to stay calm, so I wasn’t going to dwell on it,” Reiter told the Duluth News Tribune‘s Kevin Pates after Friday’s game, a 6-2 UMD win. “We were playing well, and we knew if we stuck with it we’d be OK. We took care of the puck after that, and they didn’t see much again until late in the game.”

As it turned out, the goals would be the final shots to elude Reiter, who blanked the Beavers the rest of the weekend on the way to earning his seventh career shutout in Saturday’s 1-0 win.

“Bemidji didn’t get many good opportunities. We cleaned up things defensively and ultimately got the result we wanted, a win and a sweep,” said Reiter, whose 38 saves in 40 shots in the series might have earned him player of the week honors had it not been for a couple of other stellar performances last weekend.

Players of the week

Offensive: Milos Gordic, Michigan Tech sophomore forward

Gordic, whose 15 goals last season led the Huskies, saw his first action of the season on Friday upon his return from injury. Not eager to relinquish MTU’s goal-scoring crown, Gordic picked up where he left off against then-No. 2 Denver, registering a hat trick in his debut and adding another goal for good measure on Saturday. The four goals tie Gordic with Brett Olson for the team lead.

Defensive: Josh Robinson, Michigan Tech senior goaltender, and Kent Patterson, Minnesota senior goaltender

The two are each repeat winners in this category. Patterson was honored Oct. 11 after back-to-back shutouts of Sacred Heart to open the season. Robinson was selected the following week for his pair of overtime wins over Wisconsin.

Robinson denied 61 of 65 Denver shots on goal last weekend to help the Huskies to a win (7-2) and a tie (2-2) against the Pioneers at MTU’s MacInnes Student Ice Arena. His 4-1-1 record, 2.28 goals against average and .922 save percentage have been critical to the Huskies’ 5-2-1 start.

Patterson rebounded from a 5-4 loss to Vermont on Oct. 23 to earn his fourth shutout in eight games this season on Friday in Minnesota’s 5-0 win on the road over Alaska-Anchorage. He followed that up with a 3-1 win on Saturday and stopped 48 of 49 shots on the weekend to raise his record to 7-1-0 with a 1.74 goals against average and .939 save percentage.

Rookie: Ryan Faragher, St. Cloud State freshman goaltender

Replacing the injured Mike Lee, Faragher made 44 saves in his WCHA debut and shut out North Dakota 4-0 in Grand Forks. He followed that up with 23 saves in a 3-1 loss to the Sioux on Saturday. Faragher tied a school record on Friday, making 24 saves in the second period alone.

Against the rest

WCHA teams are a combined 19-13-4 (.583) in 36 non-conference games. Conference teams are 7-0 against Atlantic Hockey, 4-6 against the CCHA, 3-2-1 against ECAC Hockey and 5-5-3 against Hockey East.

Between the dots …

Michigan Tech’s rise to No. 16 in this week’s USCHO.com NCAA Division I Men’s poll marks the Huskies’ first foray into the top 20 since they were ranked No. 15 in the Oct. 24, 2007, poll. … Faragher is expected to start both games for St. Cloud State in its home series with Wisconsin as Lee has not practiced this week while Huskies junior defenseman Tim Daly is likely out for the weekend as well due to flu symptoms. … Wisconsin sophomore forward Mark Zengerle jumped out to an early lead in the WCHA scoring race with 10 league points (4-6–10) after a five-point weekend (2 goals, 3 assists) against UNO last week. … Alaska-Anchorage is the league’s only idle team this week while Bemidji State travels to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., to face No. 11 Lake Superior State in the lone non-conference series of the weekend involving a WCHA team.

Boston University, Massachusetts find frustration from same series

By Jim Connelly

November 3, 2011

Last weekend’s series between Boston University and Massachusetts caused pain and angst for both clubs. True, maybe that pain is a little less for the Terriers, who mustered a tie and win from the home-and-home set. But both coaches left the series with growing concerns.

For BU, slow starts are beginning to be the norm. The Terriers dug themselves a multiple-goal deficit for the third and fourth times this season last Friday and Saturday. Friday, BU rallied from 2-0 down to earn a 2-2 tie. Saturday’s deficit was worse, falling behind 3-0 before taking a 4-3 lead, allowing the Minutemen to tie the game and then winning in overtime on a Matt Nieto goal.

If last weekend was an isolated incident, there might not be cause for concern. But given that BU fell behind Providence 3-0 in a 5-3 loss and behind Holy Cross 4-2 in a 5-4 loss, it might be time to raise a red flag.

“I was pleased that they didn’t lose their poise and they kept competing,” said BU coach Jack Parker. “But we haven’t put 60 minutes together and we had that problem last year too.”

Parker felt Friday’s two-goal deficit was worse than Saturday’s; he felt his team had been outplayed on Friday. On Saturday, Parker felt his team simply needed that first goal to get it going and once it came the floodgates opened.

“We got a goal to make it 3-1 and that ignited us and from there we controlled the game,” said Parker. “It was a good, competitive night for us after going down 3-0, but we’ve got a long way to go if we want to be a competitive hockey team.”

While Parker may have some concerns, his opposing coach last weekend simply has frustration.

You can say what you want about BU’s comebacks, but for UMass taking just a single point from games where you have multiple-goal leads is painful and damaging.

“Incredibly disappointed with our inability to sustain a level of play that we work so hard to create,” said UMass coach Don “Toot” Cahoon. “There are a lot of lessons that we’ve been working like hell to try to impart on these guys. Sometimes I think it’s taking effect, then other times I think it’s falling on deaf ears.”

Cahoon then summed things up more simply.

“We managed to beat ourselves,” he said.

There is no doubt that UMass is an improved team from a season ago. The maturity of getting a year older for what was a young club last season should be shining through at this point. When you look at leads of 2-0 and 3-0 against a nationally ranked team like BU, maybe you think that maturity is beginning to materialize.

But then you look at collapses in those same games and wonder what to make of it.

“Everything we did in the first period that was so good and effective went out the window,” said Cahoon. “Things that we work on in practice weren’t even considered [after getting the lead], never mind executed.”

When all is said and done, Cahoon and his staff are left to shake their heads. While there’s plenty of time remaining in the season, it’s obvious that at this point frustration is beginning to show.

“Most people think the coaches are the solution, but generally speaking, I think the players are the solution,” said Cahoon. “If they can play as well as they did in the first period or as well as we play from time to time, why is it we can’t put that together for 60 minutes? I don’t have that answer and we’re working toward that.

“I won’t buy into this being an extension of a year ago. A year ago, we were really weak. A year ago, we were immature. I won’t buy into that.

“We’re just too pigheaded. We won’t play a certain way. When we stop being so pigheaded and they start playing for each other a little bit more, maybe we’ll start winning a few games.”

Peacocks and pucks

Hockey East announced on Wednesday a two-year deal with NBC and NBC Sports to provide national exposure for the conference.

NBC Sports Network, which will be the renamed Versus network come Jan. 2, 2012, will broadcast a 16-game college hockey schedule this year that includes three regular season Hockey East tilts, one game from the Hockey East quarterfinals and the entire Hockey East championship tournament from the TD Garden.

While most will look at this and figure it is directly tied to Notre Dame’s decision to join Hockey East for the 2013-14 season (NBC has an all-sports contract with Notre Dame), according to commissioner Joe Bertagna this deal was well in the works prior to the Fighting Irish’s decision.

“We actually had this agreed to before that,” said Bertagna, noting that the two-year terms of the deal were partially agreed to because, at the time, no one knew Notre Dame’s hockey future. “The timing [to release the news] now is that Versus wanted to announce everything they are doing [across college hockey] first before individual leagues would announce theirs.”

Reading the announcement, it seemed as though NBC and Versus trumped regional cable sports network NESN. That, though, is hardly the case, Bertagna said.

“We’re not breaking away from NESN,” said Bertagna. “NESN will still have New England [for the Hockey East tournament]. Versus will have it nationally.”

Thus, for residents inside of NESN’s service area, the NBC Sports Network/Versus broadcast of the Hockey East tournament will be blacked out. Bertagna said he is not sure whether NBC will use the NESN feed along with NESN announcers for the games, noting that is an option as is bringing their own talent as well.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Bertagna did address a number of rumors that have intimated that Hockey East or any other league would stand to make substantial money because of a TV deal with a national television network.

“It’s very rare, whether it’s local or national that any [network] is paying any fees to the conference,” said Bertagna. “The money [networks] are spending is the production money.

“Hockey is not like basketball or football. I have to laugh when I read some things online from fans that we’re going it for money. People don’t make money on college hockey. It’s a very rare program that makes money on college hockey.”

What the NBC deal will do for Hockey East is further increase exposure for the league’s brand and its member teams, something that Bertagna sees continually as having an impact.

“The biggest thing is the branding of the league and the recruiting,” Bertagna said. “One of the things that is starting to increase is the number of players from warm-weather states. That number has been going up every year.

“The ability to have these kids in non-traditional areas see our games is important. People are able to see these games who wouldn’t be able to be exposed otherwise.”

Most improved?

Since watching last weekend’s Boston College/Massachusetts-Lowell series, I’ve been touting to many the fact that the River Hawks may be the most improved team in Hockey East.

You may think I’m crazy given that Lowell was swept by the Eagles 4-2 and 6-3. And Saturday’s loss, in which the River Hawks spotted BC a 6-1 lead through two, certainly made me think twice about my statement. But I stand by what I say because this Lowell team is very different from the five-win club it was a season ago.

What’s changed is the octane level. Lowell is ready to play a faster game than in recent years. Even when the River Hawks went to the Hockey East title game in 2009, they didn’t play with the pace that this year’s club is.

The difference is strictly mentality, if you ask first-year coach Norm Bazin. This year’s version of UML is about changing from defense to offense quickly and then plastering shots.

To date, the River Hawks lead Hockey East in shots per game. They have battered opposing goaltenders with pucks, posting a minimum of 35 shots in each of the team’s five games.

What now separates an improved Lowell team from a competitive Hockey East club is the ability to translate those shots into goals.

Lowell is averaging just 3.00 goals per game, and that’s something that needs to change, Bazin said.

“[Getting shots] has been a focus. We want to produce more offense and we want to get after teams and that’s not going to change,” said Bazin. “We’ve got to pick and choose how we’re going to go about our business and execute defensively. We had more than enough shots [against BC] to produce, now we have to do a better job of finishing.”

Quick hits

• Congratulations to New Hampshire coach Dick Umile who, with a win on Saturday over Northeastern, captured his 300th career Hockey East win. He joins BU’s Jack Parker as just the second coach to reach 300 league wins.

• Also congratulations to UMass-Lowell alums Mike Nicholishen and Ken Kaiser, who both were enshrined among the school’s Legends of Lowell Hockey last Friday as part of the fourth annual Riley Reunion Night, which tips its cap to former Lowell coach Billy Riley. Nicholishen is the school’s leading scorer among defensemen and led the River Hawks to the NCAA regional final in 1996. Kaiser was part of two of Lowell’s NCAA Division II championship teams in 1981 and 1982. He also holds the school record for goals in a game (nine, vs. American International in 1981).

• And a third congratulations to BU’s Travis Roy, who was given the university’s prestigious Young Alumni Award last weekend as part of Alumni Weekend. Roy’s story is well documented — he was paralyzed just 11 seconds into his first game in October 1995. Since then, Roy has written a book about his life and has become a motivational speaker across the globe.

• BU’s Nieto, with his overtime game-winner on Saturday, extended his goal-scoring streak to eight games dating to last season. Nieto is one game short of the school’s record of nine, set by Chris Drury in 1996.

• If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the overtime winner by Maine’s Brian Flynn against Providence last Friday night. Rarely do you see a player on his knees with his back to the net score a goal. Forward to 5:40 below to see the goal:

[youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=028Ahi3qC28 width=500]

And finally, not that it has anything to do with anything, but …

Has Julian Edelman’s alleged misconduct at a Boston nightclub finally taken beer and fried chicken out of the news? Not that I want to see a young man’s career tainted by a (likely) alcohol-infused mistake, but if it means Boston sports radio is ready to talk about something that doesn’t have something to do with the Red Sox clubhouse, I’m all for it.

It may have been a bad trick for Edelman, but for this writer’s ears, strangely it has become a treat.

After rough start, week off does wonders for Mercyhurst

By Chris Lerch

November 3, 2011

After weekends in Omaha and Fairbanks that saw them open the season 0-4, the Mercyhurst Lakers had a weekend off before their home opener with Rochester Institute of Technology and a game at Cornell.

The downtime seems to have worked. Mercyhurst defeated RIT 2-1 on Friday and then beat Cornell 5-4 in Ithaca, N.Y., on Saturday.

“We really needed the week off,” Lakers coach Rick Gotkin said. “We didn’t do anything different [in preparation] but had some extra days off for guys to refocus.”

Senior goaltender Max Strang, who played in 10 games in his previous three years with the Lakers, has played every minute so far this season and came up big in both games last weekend, especially on Friday, when he made 49 saves on 50 shots.

“I’m really happy for Max,” said Gotkin. “He’s a great kid and he’s worked really hard. He’s been patient, waiting a long time to get his chance and he’s making the most of it.”

The Lakers have 12 freshmen on the roster, and several made key contributions over the weekend. Four rookies got their first career goals, with Ryan Misiak and Chris Bodo scoring the goals against RIT and Nardo Nagtzaam and Matthew Zay tallying at Colgate. Nagtzaam, a product of Nijmegen, Netherlands, had a pair of goals and an assist against the Big Red.

“We had a lot of that [scoring from freshman] and we’re going to need more,” said Gotkin. “We don’t need them all to score all the time but we do need contributions from everyone. The freshmen are coming along well.”

The Lakers play their next six games at home, including a pair this weekend against a dangerous Connecticut team.

“They’re really good,” said Gotkin. “They’ve been very tough the last few seasons and this will be a good test for us.”

Players of the week

All three players of the week this time around are rookies. From the home office in Haverhill, Mass.:

Atlantic Hockey player of the week:
Brian Sheehan, Sacred Heart

The freshman had four goals last weekend, two in each game, in a pair of losses for the Pioneers.

Atlantic Hockey goalie of the week:
Colby Drost, Niagara

Drost made the most of his first collegiate start, making 42 saves in a 2-1 win over Colgate. He’s the fourth goaltender used by Niagara coach Dave Burkholder already this season, and looks to challenge for more time.

Atlantic Hockey rookie of the week:
Steve Weinstein, Bentley

The Los Angeles native had four assists in the Falcons’ 7-3 win over Sacred Heart, the most helpers in a game for Bentley in four seasons.

Players of the month

Air Force swept the first monthly awards of the season:

Atlantic Hockey player of the month for October:
Kyle De Laurell, Air Force

The junior forward already has six goals and 10 points this season. He’s tied for 16th in the nation in goals per game (0.86).

Other players nominated: Steve Mele, American International; Kyle Gibbons, Canisius; Brant Harris, Connecticut; Adam Schmidt, Holy Cross; Derek Elliott, Mercyhurst; Scott Arnold, Niagara; Trevor Lewis, Robert Morris.

Atlantic Hockey goalie of the month for October:
Stephen Caple, Air Force

The senior has stepped up after an injury to incumbent starter Jason Torf, going 3-0-2. His 1.93 goals against average leads the league.

Other goalies nominated: Garrett Bartus, Connecticut; Eric Levine, Robert Morris.

Atlantic Hockey rookie of the month for October:
Cole Gunner, Air Force

Gunner has been a sniper so far this season, racking up two goals and nine assists so far. His 11 points are tops on the team.

Other rookies nominated: Alex Grieve, Bentley; Nardo Nagtzaam, Mercyhurst; Tyson Wilson, Robert Morris.

A trio of honorables from AIC

Three players from American International, while not earning all-league honors, had pretty good weeks to help the Yellow Jackets to a split. Junior Steve Mele had both AIC goals in a 5-2 loss at No. 11 Union, while classmate Adam Pleskach had a goal and two assists in a 7-4 win over Sacred Heart. Rookie Jason Popek also contributed a pair of goals in that game.

Close calls

Air Force is 3-0-2 and sits atop the AHA standings early in the season, but not without a lot of nail biting. Six of the Falcons’ seven games this season have either been ties, one-goal games, or not decided until an empty-net goal.

Do unto others

One of those close games was last Saturday, when visiting Canisius pulled off an impressive comeback, scoring two extra-attacker goals in the final 1:34 to earn a tie. It’s usually the Falcons that pull off the last-second heroics, especially at home.

“Our kids played so hard and worked their butts off tonight, but we cheated ourselves at the end,” Air Force coach Frank Serratore said after the game. “I love the kind of effort we had tonight and our game was pretty good overall. But this one is a kick in the stomach.”

Snowed out

Army left West Point Saturday morning with the intent of playing at Connecticut that night. But the freak October storm that paralyzed much of the Northeast kept the Black Knights bus from reaching Storrs, Conn. The game has been rescheduled for Feb. 7, 2012.

Jinxed?

RIT’s Frank Ritter Arena has historically been a tough place for the opposition, with the Tigers holding a 25-2-5 record in league play there over the past two seasons. The rink is sporting a $4 million expansion this season, featuring new locker rooms.

But since the Tigers have moved into their new digs, they have not scored a goal at Ritter Arena. A scoreless tie with Niagara and a 5-0 loss to Union means zero goals in 125 minutes of play so far, the longest streak at home in school history. RIT hosts Army for a pair of games this weekend.

Taking one in the stats

Robert Morris had a tough weekend at Michigan State, staying with the Spartans in both games through two periods but falling twice. Eric Levine made 31 saves in a 5-2 loss on Friday for the Colonials, while Brooks Ostergard stopped 34 shots in a 6-2 defeat on Saturday.

Coach Derek Schooley thought his netminders deserved better fates.

“Brooks and Eric Levine had a tough weekend goals-against-wise, but I don’t think their play is indicative of the score,” he said after Saturday’s game. “We have two very competent goaltenders that did not get any help this weekend. It’s unfortunate for them, it’s unfortunate for their save percentage and for their goals against average.”

Extended sentence

The Shane Madolora saga continues at RIT. The team found out last Friday that what was thought to be a three-game suspension by the NCAA for the senior goaltender was actually five games.

Madolora had failed to properly apply for eligibility in 2009, and the NCAA recently discovered the error. The internal department that found the problem recommended a three-game suspension, but a disciplinary committee that has the final say increased it by a pair of games.

“When he got to our school he was certified, eligible, no question about grades, he’s a very good student,” said RIT coach Wayne Wilson. “He sat out the year (2008-09) and then he was supposed to request reinstatement and he did not.”

But Wilson says the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.

“I’m stunned,” he said. “I was expecting an apology for the two games he had to sit out. I can’t even explain it to you. Where is five games coming from? The person working on it recommended three and I don’t know where [even] three was coming from.”

Madolora should be back for the Tigers’ Nov. 11 game against Air Force.

DeMichiel back with RIT as women’s assistant coach

USCHO Staff Report

November 2, 2011

Former Rochester Institute of Technology goaltender Jared DeMichiel has joined the RIT women’s hockey staff as a new assistant coach.

“Jared is a great addition to our program and coaching staff,” said RIT head coach Scott McDonald in a news release. “I was (an assistant coach) on the men’s staff when Jared was recruited to RIT, and have remained good friends with him over the years. Jared was a tireless worker and a great character guy to have in the locker room as a player and I know this will translate to him becoming a great coach.”

DeMichiel, who graduated from RIT in 2010, played goal for the Tigers from 2006-10, and is the school’s all-time leader with 41 wins and seven shutouts at the Division I level. He played in 66 career games, finishing 41-19-2 with a 2.48 goals against average and a .909 save percentage.

NBC Sports to broadcast 16 NCAA games this season

USCHO Staff Report

November 2, 2011

The NBC Sports Group will air 16 live college hockey games this season on the NBC Sports Network, including four from the Hockey East tournament (one quarterfinal, both semifinals and the championship final).

This season is the first time that NBC will broadcast college hockey games.

“We are excited to be launching our first-ever college hockey package by building a destination on Friday nights on the NBC Sports Network with many of the preeminent brands in the sport,” president of programming for NBC Sports Jon Miller said in a statement.

It was also announced that a multi-year deal with Notre Dame to have Irish home games televised on the NBC Sports Network will start with the 2013-14 season, the same year Notre Dame joins Hockey East.

2011-12 NBC SPORTS COLLEGE HOCKEY SCHEDULE

Saturday, Dec. 31 – Boston University at Notre Dame, 7 p.m. (VERSUS)

Jan. 6 – Dartmouth at Rensselaer, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 13 – Minnesota-Duluth at Nebraska-Omaha, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 20 – Michigan at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 27 – Yale at Harvard, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 3 – Cornell at Rensselaer, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 10 – Boston College at Vermont, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 10 – Minnesota at Denver, 10 p.m.
Feb. 17 – Dartmouth at Yale, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 24 – Boston University at Vermont, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 24 – North Dakota at Denver, 10 p.m.

March 2 – Denver at Nebraska-Omaha, 7:30 p.m.

Hockey East Tournament
March 9 – Quarterfinals, 7:30 p.m.
March 16 – Semifinals 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
March 17 – Finals 8 p.m.

Sioux nickname situation takes another twist

USCHO Staff Report

November 2, 2011

An article in Tuesday’s Grand Forks Herald says a lawsuit filed in federal court Tuesday by Sioux Indians who support the University of North Dakota’s use of the Fighting Sioux nickname could affect next week’s reconsideration of the issue by the North Dakota Legislature.

Attorneys for the Spirit Lake Sioux tribe filed the lawsuit against the NCAA in Fargo, following through in their plight to save the Sioux nickname.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the tribe and Archie Fool Bear, individually and as a representative of Standing Rock petitioners who are seeking a reservation-wide referendum on the nickname issue. It claims that the NCAA’s efforts to stop use of the name and logo “violate Native American civil rights, equal protection rights and religious rights.”

NBC Sports Network to televise college hockey in primetime

By Tyler Buckentine

November 2, 2011

The NBC Sports Group announced Wednesday it will air 16 live college hockey games this season on NBC Sports Network this season.

The Saturday, Dec. 31 game between Boston University and Notre Dame will debut the network’s college hockey coverage at 6 p.m. (CST) on Versus. Two days later on Jan. 2, 2012, Versus will re-launch as NBC Sports Network, on which the remaining 15 will be televised. All 15 will shown in primetime on Friday nights.

The WCHA will make its debut on the network when Nebraska-Omaha hosts Minnesota-Duluth Jan. 13. Denver will host the back end of two doubleheaders against Minnesota (Feb. 10) and North Dakota (Feb. 24).

The Pioneers will play at UNO in the last televised regular season game of the season. The NBC Sports Network will also show ECAC, CCHA and Hockey East games, plus the Hockey East Tournament.

“We are excited to be launching our first-ever college hockey package by building a destination on Friday nights on the NBC Sports Network with many of the preeminent brands in the sport,” said Jon Miller, President of Programming for NBC Sports Group.

The NBC Sports Group also recently announced a multi-year deal with Notre Dame to have its home games televised on the NBC Sports Network starting in 2013, when the school joins Hockey East.