So I had a feeling that the Wolverines would beat St. Lawrence last night, but 10-3? Not surprisingly, someone had a hat trick. Senior Luke Glendening — who had eight goals in 44 games last season — recorded his first career three-goal game.
Including last night’s win, here’s how I’m doing so far with the picks.
Last week (including Thursday): 13-7-1
Season to date: 16-7-1
I correctly picked last weekend’s QU-OSU and NMU-UW series to split, but I picked the wins and losses on opposite night, so four in the “L” column for me. I can live with it.
This Week
The CCHA opens its 41st season of conference play with two league series. There’s a slew of nonconference play, including the Brice Alaska Goal Rush in Fairbanks. Everything is Friday-Saturday, and all games start at 7:05 p.m. local time except for the NMU series, which begins at 7:35 p.m.
MSU at LSSU
The Spartans came away from last weekend’s Ice Breaker with head coach Tom Anastos’ first career win, 3-2 in OT over Air Force in the third-place game. The Lakers were idle last weekend after opening their season with two road wins over Alabama-Huntsville Oct. 1-2. Last year, the Spartans defeated and tied the Lakers in Sault Ste. Marie; the last LSSU win over MSU came Jan. 31, 2009.
Lee Reimer leads MSU in scoring so far with two goals and an assist, and it was Will Yanakeff with that win in net against Air Force. Newcomer Chris Ciotti has four points (1-3–4) for the Lakers, but Nick McParland leads them in goal scoring with two, and the very capable Kevin Kapalka had the sweep in net against UAH. Very hard to call, but I’m favoring the Lakers Friday because of their bye week. LSSU 3-2, MSU 3-2
OSU at ND
Each of these teams split last weekend in their first D-I action of the year. The Buckeyes beat Quinnipiac at home Friday night, 2-1, before losing 4-3 Saturday. The Irish traveled to Duluth where they had to watch the Bulldogs — the team that eliminated ND from last year’s Frozen Four — lift the national championship banner before losing to UMD 4-3 Friday, but ND rebounded with a 5-3 win Saturday. Freshman Ryan Dzingel — that’s Ryan, not Danny, Dzingel, over whom it is reported that 12-year-old girls swoon — leads OSU with two goals and an assist, while Cal Heeter has the win for the Buckeyes. It is completely unsurprising that T.J. Tynan (1-3–4) and Anders Lee (2-1–3) top the scoring for ND; Steven Summerhays has the win in net for the Irish.
The teams split last season in Columbus, with each squad limiting the opponent to one goal in its loss. The series is 12-12-4 at the Joyce Center — and these will be the last CCHA games to be played in that venue before Notre Dame moves into Compton Arena. This gives the Buckeyes the chance to return an old favor; ND and OSU played the last regular-season series in OSU’s Ice Rink in 1998 before the Buckeyes moved into the Schottenstein Center in January of 1999. OSU swept that series. Perhaps Notre Dame will return that favor. ND 3-2, 3-2
BGSU at UAH
The Falcons defeated and tied Connecticut at home last weekend to open their series, with Bryce Williamson recording two goals and Andrew Hammond in net for both games. The Chargers are looking to pick up their first win of the season, after four straight losses to CCHA teams; last weekend, UAH was swept on the road by the Broncos, who outscored the Chargers 11-1. Mac Roy has two goals through four games for UAH; John Griggs and Clarke Saunders have split time in net. BGSU beat UAH three times last season — two close games early and a 5-1 win in the RPI Holiday Tournament at Thanksgiving. I’d like to see the Falcons continue that streak, but BG’s defense and net are still fairly vulnerable. UAH 3-2, BGSU 4-3
Miami at Colgate
The RedHawks split a pair at home last weekend against Bemidji State, losing 5-3 Friday before Saturday’s 3-2 win. Colgate is 2-0 after emerging victorious from last weekend’s Maverick Stampede, beating Robert Morris 3-1 and host Nebraska-Omaha 4-3. Matt Tomassoni has two goals for Miami; Connor Knapp and Cody Reichard continue to split time in the Miami net this year as they have for all three of their previous seasons, with Knapp picking up last weekend’s win. Kurtis Bartliff and Joe Wilson each have two goals for Colgate, with Alex Evan and Eric Mahalik each picking up one of those wins. The teams have met just twice before, the last time Dec. 27, 1998, a 7-2 Colgate win at a holiday tournament in my hometown of Syracuse. Miami 3-2, 3-2
Rensselaer at FSU
The Engineers opened their season last weekend with a loss and win against visiting Minnesota State, a series in which they allowed just two goals. Scott Diebold and Bryce Merriam each played a game, with Merriam getting the Saturday win. The Bulldogs swept St. Lawrence on the road — successfully defending the realm — with freshman C.J. Motte and senior Taylor Nelson each picking up a win in net. Kyle Bonis and Travis Ouellette each has three goals for the Bulldogs. It’s a homecoming for RPI head coach Seth Appert, who manned the FSU net (1992-96) under current coach Bob Daniels. The teams have met just once before, a 3-2 FSU win in Big Rapids in January 1998. I’m thinking that FSU may have some guns this season — and that the Bulldogs will continue to defend the realm. FSU 3-2, 4-2
SCSU at NMU
Each of these teams is 1-1 in the early going. The Huskies lost the title game of last week’s Kendall Hockey Classic in overtime to Alaska-Anchorage, 4-3, after beating Alaska Friday to get a chance for hardware. The Wildcats exchanged a pair of 3-2 decisions with Wisconsin last weekend, winning in OT Friday. The game winner was scored by sophomore Reed Seckel, and it was his first career goal in 13 games. SCSU has a trio of seniors — Travis Novak, Jared Festler, Drew LeBlanc — leading in scoring, and Novak has the most goals with two. Mike Lee (2.44 GAA, .911 SV%) has been the only goalie of record. Justin Florek has three goals for the Wildcats; Reid Ellingson (1.85, .931) and Jared Coreau split time in net last weekend, with Ellingson picking up the win. The last time these teams met was Mar. 26, 2010, in the NCAA West Regional in St. Paul, a game in which SCSU’s Tony Mosey scored the game-winner 23 seconds into the second overtime. He’s gone now. NMU 3-2, SCSU 3-2
WMU at Union
Here’s a match between two teams that demolished opponents last weekend. The Broncos swept visiting Alabama-Huntsville, 7-1 and 4-0, while the Dutchmen beat Army on the road, 8-1. Shane Berschbach leads WMU in goals (3-1–4), but Chase Balisy leads the scoring (1-4–5). Freshman Frank Slubowski began his D-I career with the shutout; Nick Pisellini had the other win for WMU. Wayne Simpson had three goals and a helper against Army and Troy Grosenick had the win. Last season, WMU took two close games from Union in Kalamazoo. WMU 4-2, 3-2
Mercyhurst and UNO at UAF
This is the Brice Goal Rush in Fairbanks, with UAA rounding out the field. Mercyhurst and UNO have had a look at each other already, as the Lakers played in the Maverick Stampede, which the Mavs hosted.
The Lakers lost both of their Stampede games, 5-1 to UNO and 2-1 to Robert Morris. Grant Blakey and Trent Frey are the sum of Mercyhurst’s goal scoring so far this season. Max Strang was in net for both games.
After beating Mercyhurst, UNO lost to Colgate in the title game, 4-3. Brock Montpetit, Terry Broadhurst and Josh Archibald each has two goals this season; the very capable John Faulkner played both games with numbers (2.51 GAA, .878 SV%) that will surely improve.
The Nanooks lost to St. Cloud, 4-1, and beat Clarkson, 3-1, in the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage last weekend. Four Nanooks each has a goal, while Scott Greenham (2.00, .889) manned the net for both games — and we know his numbers will improve, too.
I see the Nanooks getting past Mercyhurst, but their old CCHA rivals the Mavericks? I don’t think so. UAF 3-2, UNO 4-2
Paula's Picks: Oct. 14
Women’s picks: October 14
In his column this week, Arlan Marttila discussed the importance of getting off to a quick start. I and Arlan had a great first week in our picks, but a miserable second week, each going 4-5-2 (.454). Since we had identical records in the first week as well (though we’ve picked differently in a few series each week), we are 12-6-3 (.642) on the year.
Speaking of the importance of an early start, undefeated No. 1 Wisconsin and undefeated No. 3 Minnesota square off in a barnburner of an early-season series. Also on tap this week are Boston College against New Hampshire for a pair, as well as some other interesting match-ups.
Friday-Saturday, October 14-15
Boston College vs. New Hampshire
Candace: New Hampshire hosts Friday, BC on Saturday. The Eagles got crushed by No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday last week, but rebounded to win in the last seconds of the game on Sunday. I think that will carry over against a Wildcats team that showed vulnerability in losing to Syracuse. Boston College 4-2, 3-2
Arlan: It used to be that each team was better suited to their home ice, but not as of late. Boston College 3-1, New Hampshire 2-1
Syracuse vs. Clarkson
Candace: The Orange host Clarkson on Friday and then visit them on Saturday. I honestly didn’t think Syracuse would beat New Hampshire on the road last week. Clarkson is looking to rebound from a disappointing year last season. I’m calling split. Syracuse 3-1, Clarkson 3-2
Arlan: I can’t find a coin to flip, so I’ll go with the power of home ice. Syracuse 1-0, Clarkson 3-2
Bemidji State at Maine
Candace: Bemidji didn’t do well in Columbus last weekend on the road. Maine is coming off two stirring come-from-behind wins against Quinnipiac. I think the Black Bears will sweep. Maine 3-2, 2-1
Arlan: Bemidji isn’t a good road team, but I think they’ll get one game. Maine 2-0, Bemidji State 3-2
Friday, October 14, Sunday, October 16
Minnesota at Wisconsin
Candace: The marquee series of the weekend. The Gophers lost a tough game to the Badgers in the WCHA championship last spring, and the hangover from that loss may have affected them in their upset loss to Boston College in the NCAA tournament. Both teams are undefeated, but while Minnesota hasn’t really been challenged, Wisconsin looked very strong in sweeping an excellent North Dakota team last week. I think the Badgers sweep here as well in two close games. Wisconsin 3-2, 4-3
Arlan: The Gophers should still get a tie even if Schoullis is out, but there’s no percentage in picking ties in this contest. Wisconsin 4-1, 3-2
Saturday-Sunday, October 15-16
Mercyhurst at Providence
Candace: Both teams are off to, by their standards, slow starts. Mercyhurst split with Minnesota State last weekend, while Providence lost to Clarkson and tied St. Lawrence. I think the Lakers could sweep a struggling Providence team, but I’m calling split. Mercyhurst 4-2, Providence 3-2
Arlan: The Lakers are inconsistent, and except for last year, the Friars’ seasons start slow. It would be tough to make a living betting on women’s hockey. Mercyhurst 4-1, 3-2
Saturday, October 15
Quinnipiac at Northeastern
Candace: Quinnipiac was expected to challenge Cornell for the ECAC title, but the team has looked mediocre in its first few contests. Northeastern beat Syracuse last weekend. I’m calling home team win. Northeastern 3-2
Arlan: The Bobcats are better than their record, but that takes another hit this week. Northeastern 4-2
Oct. 14-15 picks
No. 14 Minnesota (2-0-0, 0-0-0 WCHA) at No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth (1-1-0, 0-0-0 WCHA)
Tyler: This one is a battle of youth and Minnesota’s freshman class is more talented. Six of the seven freshmen who played against Sacred Heart last weekend scored at least a point. Mind you, that was a bad Sacred Heart squad. Both teams have a leader offensively — Jake Hansen for the Gophers and Jack Connolly for the Bulldogs (advantage UMD). This is also a great chance for JT Brown to prove he’ll be a star on regional TV. Minnesota has the edge in goal with All-WCHA goalie Kent Patterson, who shut out Sacred Heart twice in the sweep. Meanwhile, UMD’s goaltending has been very suspect, allowing eight goals on 32 shots against Notre Dame. Those numbers make you cringe regardless of the opponent’s national rank. Split
Brian: The Bulldogs are coming off of an emotional, hard-fought split with then-top-ranked Notre Dame at home as they witnessed the raising of their 2011 national championship banner. While the Gophers’ home opponent, Sacred Heart, wasn’t nearly as formidable, Minnesota swept the series convincingly 9-0 and 6-0, firing 92 shots in the process. UMD has won six of the last 10 meetings but the teams split last season’s series (1-1-2). Both teams bring young squads to the table after significant offseason losses, which I think favors UMD at home on Friday. But I look for the Gophers freshmen to settle in and Kent Patterson to come up big on Saturday to earn Minnesota a split.
No. 18 Wisconsin (1-1-0, 0-0-0 WCHA) at Michigan Tech (2-0-0, 0-0-0 WCHA)
Tyler: Don’t let that 2-0 record fool you, Michigan Tech has a long way to go. Remember when the Huskies started last season with five straight wins. Those wins came against teams that took a few weeks just to win a game and last week’s opponent, American International, is traditionally one of the worst teams in the country. Wisconsin, meanwhile, looked a long way removed from its title game appearance two seasons ago, in a home split against Northern Michigan last week. I think Tech, on its home ice, can squeeze out a victory this weekend. Split.
Brian: Michigan Tech is coming off of a season-opening sweep (4-3, 3-1) of American International, its first sweep of the same team since taking two from Northern Michigan Dec. 19-20, 2008. This marks the second consecutive year the Huskies have begun 2-0-0 after they opened last season with wins over Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State. Freshman forward Blake Pietila’s three-point weekend (2-1–3) earned him WCHA Rookie of the Week honors.
Wisconsin’s freshmen goaltenders, Landon Peterson and Joel Rumpel, got their feet wet in last weekend’s home split with Northern Michigan but they, and their fellow freshmen, will have their mettle tested on the road for the first time in Houghton. The Badgers carry an 11-game winning streak over the Huskies into the weekend. The streak ends here, but the Badgers will bring two points back to Madison.
Bemidji State (1-1-0, 0-0-0 WCHA) at No. 7 Colorado College (0-0-0, 0-0-0 WCHA)
Tyler: The Beavers have already proven they aren’t afraid to go into anyone’s barn. A split at No. 2 Miami was a great way to start the season but it wasn’t as David/Goliath as you might think. Miami lost a lot in the offseason, was overrated to begin the season and won’t be a top-five team this year. I think CC is a tougher opponent for Bemidji State even though the Tigers are just opening their season tonight. CC has the firepower Miami doesn’t, and is a lot better defensively. Doctors cleared William Rapuzzi to play earlier this week, giving the Beavers one more talented forward to worry about if he does. CC Sweep.
Brian: While Colorado College was cruising to a 5-0 exhibition win over the United States Under-18 Team last Saturday, Bemidji State was coming up just short of a road sweep of then-No. 2 Miami. CC and BSU met just twice in 2010-11 with the Beavers earning three points with a 5-5 tie and a 2-1 win in Bemidji. The Tigers lead the all-time series 3-2-1 but are 3-1 against Bemidji State at World Arena. The Beavers demonstrated grit on the road last weekend but a bit of it vanishes into thin air this weekend as the Tigers sweep this series.
Massachusetts-Lowell (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Hockey East) at Minnesota-State (1-1-0, 0-0-0 WCHA)
Tyler: The Mavericks scored 11 goals in last season’s series at Lowell. They probably won’t score that many this weekend but MSU’s goaltending is solid enough to hold UML down while the offense gets a comfortable lead. MSU sweep.
Brian: Minnesota State plays its first home games of the season after heading east last weekend and earning a split with RPI (1-0, 1-4) in which goaltenders Austin Lee and Phil Cook combined to make 70 saves. UMass-Lowell, on the other hand, is opening its season against the Mavericks, although the River Hawks did tie New Brunswick 3-3 in an exhibition last Saturday. The two teams met in Lowell last season with the Mavericks sweeping and, despite the change in time zones, I expect the same result this time around.
St. Cloud State (1-1-0, 0-0-0 WCHA) at Northern Michigan (1-1-0, 0-0-0 CCHA)
Tyler: The Huskies have too many question marks to predict a sweep and the Wildcats were very close to leaving Madison with a sweep last weekend. This one will be a challenge for SCSU, but I think the Huskies earn a split on the U.P.
Brian: SCSU coach Bob Motzko returns to the scene of his first win at the helm of the Huskies, a 3-2 OT win over NMU on Oct. 15, 2005, to split Motzko’s debut series. After a season-opening 4-1 win over Alaska in the Kendall Hockey Classic at Anchorage, the Huskies coughed up a 2-0 third-period lead and lost 4-3 in overtime to Alaska-Anchorage. Similarly, the Wildcats left Madison with split after a pair of 3-2 contests after blowing 2-0 leads in each game. The Huskies lead the all-time series 21-15-1 but are just 6-12 at Marquette. It all boils down to a hard-earned split for each.
No. 17 Maine (1-1-0, 1-1-0 Hockey East) at No. 6 North Dakota (1-1-0, 0-0-0 WCHA)
Tyler: UND players haven’t forgotten about last season’s embarrassing losses at Maine, and maybe the 7-3/4-2 losses built enough clichéd character and help set the clichéd foundation for a great season-long run. The Sioux are a long way from January form but what hurt UND last year at Maine were the penalties. If the Sioux keep the penalties to a minimum, UND sweeps.
Brian: North Dakota’s road to last season’s Frozen Four came with a giant pothole early on when the Sioux traveled to Orono ranked No. 2 in the nation and were swept handily by the 12th-ranked Black Bears 7-3 and 4-2. Fast forward to this weekend where the teams meet again separated in the polls by nearly an identical margin. Each team enters the series 1-1 as Maine split home games with Merrimack (2-1 L) and Northeastern (6-3 W) while the Sioux nipped Air Force 4-3 and fell to Boston College 6-2 in their annual Icebreaker Tournament at The Ralph. Call it revenge, call it payback, or call it retribution, if you will, but I’ll call it a Fighting Sioux sweep.
No. 16 Nebraska-Omaha (1-1-0, 0-0-0 WCHA) vs. Alaska-Anchorage (1-0-1, 0-0-0 WCHA) @ Fairbanks
Tyler: Not a WCHA game, but a good preview. Jordan Kwas looked to be a key player coming into the season and he has three points in two games and Mickey Spencer went nuts last weekend with four goals and two assists. But UNO’s offense is better and will be too much for UAA goaltending, which allowed seven goals on 40 shots. Mavericks goalie John Faulkner is the X-factor. If he shuts Spencer and Co. down, UNO wins.
Brian: The fourth-ever meeting (1-1-1) between UNO and UAA on Friday will be the first outside of Anchorage’s Sullivan Arena; but won’t be in Nebraska. That will have to wait until Oct. 21-22 when the Seawolves make their first trip to Omaha to open each school’s conference schedules. Friday’s matchup at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks, on the other hand, opens the Brice Alaska Gold Rush tournament where I expect UAA to regain the upper hand in the series, if only for a week that is.
No. 16 Nebraska-Omaha (1-1-0, 0-0-0 WCHA) at Alaska (1-1-0, 0-0-0 CCHA)
Tyler: I believe the better of the two hockey teams in Alaska is Anchorage and UNO should beat the Nanooks. UNO wins.
Brian: The former CCHA rivals meet for the first time since the Mavericks beat the Nanooks 5-3 on Dec. 12, 2009, in UNO’s last visit to Fairbanks as a CCHA team. UNO’s history with Alaska (49 games) is the longest of any Mavericks opponent and 28 of those games have either been decided by one goal (17) or ended in a tie (11). I expect another close game but Nebraska-Omaha comes out on top in this one.
Mercyhurst (0-2-0, 0-0-0 Atlantic Hockey) at Alaska-Anchorage (1-0-1, 0-0-0 WCHA)
Tyler: UAA faces a lesser goaltender in Mercyhurst’s Max Strang, Saturday. UAA scores five in a win against the Lakers.
Brian: Alaksa-Anchorage is undefeated (4-0-0) in four previous engagements with the Lakers including a 5-3 win in last year’s Kendall Hockey Classic. Mercyhurst was swept by Nebraska-Omaha and Robert Morris in last week’s Maverick Stampede in Omaha. I don’t see it getting any better for the Lakers in this one as the Seawolves will extend their unbeaten streak over Mercyhurst to five.
No. 3 Denver (0-0-0, 0-0-0 WCHA) at No. 1 Boston College (2-0-0, 0-0-0 Hockey East) and No. 8 Boston University (1-0-0, 1-0-0 Hockey East)
Tyler: Anyone who watched the BC/UND game won’t dispute the Eagles’ No. 1 rank. That offense will be too tough for a young Pioneers team and a backup goalie, but Denver is ranked third for a reason — its offensive firepower. Saturday will be a great matchup between the Pioneers offense and a Terriers defense that allowed 2.6 goals per game last year and BU goalie Kieran Millan, who saved 92 percent of the shots he faced last season. BC beats DU. DU beats BU.
Brian: What a way to open the season for Denver as the Pioneers head east to Boston where a baptism of fire awaits George Gwozdecky’s freshmen in the form of two highly ranked opponents. A year ago Denver was swept at home by Boston College (6-2, 3-0) in a series in which the Pioneers were 0-for-17 on the power play. The teams have split six games all time in Chestnut Hill, Mass., but the Eagles have won four of the last five meetings between the schools. Make it five of six as the Pioneers fall in their opener.
Denver and Boston University meet on Saturday for the first time since Jan. 3, 2009, when the Terriers defeated the Pioneers 4-1 for the Denver Cup championship. Denver is 4-6 in its last 10 meetings with BU but the Pioneers are 0-7-2 all time against the Terriers in Boston. The Boston curse is snapped on Saturday with a Denver win.
Hockey East picks, Oct. 14-18
Dave got off to a one-game lead over Jim last weekend and came within an extra-attacker goal at 19:58 of doubling that lead at Northeastern on Friday. Yes, folks, Jim’s win last year was a total fluke. This year will be back to the norm of Dave’s superiority.
Dave last week: 6-3-1
Jim last week: 5-4-1
Dave’s record-to-date: 6-3-1
Jim’s record-to-date: 5-4-1
Here are this week’s picks:
Friday, October 14
Boston University at Providence
Dave’s pick: The Terriers played an exhibition game two weeks ago and then shut out New Hampshire, 5-0, last weekend. By contrast, the Friars are jumping into the fray without so much as an exhibition game. This pick is the no-brainer of all no-brainers.
BU 6 PC 1
Jim’s pick: Last week’s performance by BU certainly made me a believer.
BU 4, PC 2
New Hampshire at Northeastern
Dave’s pick: New Hampshire might have lost to BU, 5-0, last weekend, but I’m not jumping off the bandwagon yet. That game was a lot closer than the score indicated and I see UNH coach Dick Umile turning things around right away. Those boisterous Husky fans in the student section may have something to say about it, though.
UNH 4 NU 3
Jim’s pick: Can’t see the Wildcats starting their Hockey East schedule 0-2.
UNH 5, NU 3
Bentley at Massachusetts
Dave’s pick: My analysis on this one begins and ends with the admission that I’m a Hockey East snob.
UMass 4 Bentley 1
Jim’s pick: Not as much a Hockey East homer as Dave, but I am a realist.
UMass 6, Bentley 2
Denver at Boston College
Dave’s pick: I’m going with BC all the way after its impressive performance in the Ice Breaker where the Eagles defeated Michigan State, 5-2, and North Dakota, 6-2. (How ’bout them apples, Sioux fans? Heh, heh, heh. [Now that should get the comments section cooking.] ) By contrast, Denver has only played two exhibition games, a tie with a Canadian team and a 3-0 win over the US U-18 squad.
BC 4 Denver 2
Jim’s pick: This is probably the game of the week for Hockey East teams. I think BC proved last weekend they’re the top team in the country right now, but Denver may have something to say about it. Right now I think home ice will be the difference.
BC 3, Denver 2
Massachusetts-Lowell at Minnesota State
Dave’s pick: The Mavericks scored a total of two goals in two games last weekend against Rensselaer, but that was good enough for a split (a 1-0 win and a 4-1 loss). I think modest scoring will again be good enough, this time against the River Hawks.
Minnesota-State 2 UML 1
Jim’s pick: Not sure what to expect from Lowell this season, but I’ll start off with confidence and say the River Hawks win coach Norm Bazin’s opener.
UML 3, Minnesota State 2
Maine at North Dakota
Dave’s pick: The Sioux struggled to defeat Air Force in the Ice Breaker opening round and then got smoked by BC, 6-2. Put this series at a neutral site and I might go for a split, but not at the Ralph.
ND 3 Maine 2
Jim’s pick: Have a feeling that North Dakota will watch last year’s debacle at Maine as motivation. And it will work.
ND 5, Maine 3
Saturday, October 15
Boston College at New Hampshire
Dave’s pick: This should be a great matchup and it’s on the Wildcats home ice, but I like BC this year a lot.
BC 4 UNH 3
Jim’s pick: UNH always a tough place to play for BC (and any other team) but I think I’ll keep picking BC until the give me a reason not to.
BC 3, UNH 2
Massachusetts at Providence
Dave’s pick: Welcome to Hockey East, Nate Leaman. After a lopsided loss to BU, the Friars are going to make it an oh-fer weekend to start their new coach’s tenure. T.J. Syner will lead the Minutemen with a goal and two assists.
UMass 4 PC 2
Jim’s pick: I’m going to disagree with Dave here. I think Nate Leamen gets his first with at Providence this weekend and UMass is the more likely game.
PC 3, UMass 1
Army at Merrimack
Dave’s pick: See Bentley at UMass above. Cross-referenced under “Hockey East snob.”
MC 4 Army 2
Jim’s pick: Merrimack’s play last weekend at Maine makes me a believer once again.
MC 5, Army 1
Denver at Boston University
Dave’s pick: Denver seems like too good of a team to incur a Beantown sweep, but I think BC and BU are good enough to inflict it. Kieran Millan once again stars.
BU 3 Denver 2
Jim’s pick: I can’t see Denver getting swept. Not that I think BU is an automatic, but if the Pioneers lose on Friday, they’ll be hungry as heck on Saturday.
Denver 4, BU 3
Maine at North Dakota
Dave’s pick: The Black Bears almost pull out the split, but overtime on the road isn’t kind.
ND 4 Maine 3 (OT)
Jim’s pick: Agreed. Even though I think Maine is too good to get swept, on the road in Grand Forks is one place I see it happening.
ND 6, Maine 4
Massachusetts-Lowell at Minnesota State
Dave’s pick: The Mavericks finish off the sweep in another low-scoring contest.
Minnesota State 2 UML 1
Jim’s pick: This ends up a series split.
Minnesota State 3, UML 1
Tuesday, October 18
Connecticut at Massachusetts-Lowell
Dave’s pick: The River Hawks get off the schneid after a lost weekend in Mankato.
UML 4 UConn 2
Jim’s pick: AHA got one win last weekend in non-conference play. Don’t see that changing against Hockey East.
UML 6, UConn 2
Josh’s Picks: ECAC Hockey Oct. 14-16
OK, it’s time to throw my hat in the ring – picks time. Never been a big prognosticator, at least not a good one. Terrible at poker, OK at roulette, never played the ponies. Wish me luck, or comment below to vote against me.
Miami at Colgate (Friday-Saturday)
I like Colgate in both games on this one. That said, it’ll be close, probably a couple one-goal games. True, the Redhawks, who just split a series at home against Bemidji State, have always been a good road team (especially in 2009-10, when they went 12-1-5 away from Steve Cady Arena).
However, it was the Raiders that had the real show of power last week. Robbie Bourdon, John Lidgett and Kurtis Bartliff each had three points in leading the Raiders to the Mutual of Omaha Stampede title. An added bonus – they each scored both nights.
Colgate goalies Eric Mihalik (Goalie of the Week) and Alex Evin each had a win, while it was really a mixed results type of weekend for the Redhawks’ backstops. Cody Reichard gave up four of the Beavers’ five goals in the third period alone. Colgate knows they can get in the Redhawks’ heads.
Colgate, 4-3; Colgate, 1-0.
Sacred Heart at Clarkson (Friday-Saturday)
I’d like to ask Clarkson to be gentle to a Pioneers team that came back from getting whupped a combined 15-0 at Minnesota. The Golden Knights still need a win themselves, so here’s their best two chances possibly all season, especially against an opponent that has won 10 total away games the last two seasons (and are obviously 0-2 this year).
Louke Oakley is the only Clarkson player with points in two separate games, but first-year head coach Casey Jones has to like the fact 10 skaters put up points during the Knights’ trip to Alaska for the Kendall Hockey Classic. A power play that went 3-12 on the weekend is a nice confidence-booster as well.
Clarkson, 5-1; Clarkson, 6-2.
Western Michigan at Union (Friday-Saturday)
This could be one of the toughest series to call this weekend, because both teams are getting here via clear routs of their opposition last week. The Union Dutchmen beat Army, 8-1, and the Western Michigan Broncos beat Alabama-Huntsville, 7-1 and 4-0.
Neither defense was really tested last week, the Dutchmen seeing 18 shots in their game and the Broncos seeing 22 over two contests. That could be the clincher – whichever defense wakes up first wins. I’ll call my first split.
Western Michigan, 3-1; Union, 2-0
Rensselaer at Ferris State (Friday-Saturday)
The Engineers will have to boost their power play production from an unimpressive 2-for-16 performance the first weekend of the season. St. Lawrence made Ferris State look like a world-beater last week, as the Bulldogs scored four power play goals and went 9-for-10 on the penalty kill.
Ferris State, 3-0; Ferris State, 2-1
Canisius at Quinnipiac (Saturday-Sunday)
All signs point to a Quinnipiac sweep – Canisius hasn’t played a regular season game yet and only managed a tie against Queen’s University in exhibition play back on Oct. 2. The Golden Griffins have to find a way to stop Jeremy Langlois, who has four points and has scored in each of his three games this year. The Griffs could try to exploit a goaltending tandem (of Eric Hartzell and Dan Clarke) that is still trying to find its feet, holding save percentages of .875 or worse out of the gate.
Quinnipiac, 4-2; Quinnipiac, 7-4
St. Lawrence at RIT (Saturday)
Sorry, Saints, it’s another tough draw for you as you seek win No. 1.
St. Lawrence comes off a heart-wrenching trip to Ann Arbor that saw the Michigan Wolverines hit the Saints with a 10-3 defeat. RIT didn’t show great guns when they opened the season on Saturday with a scoreless tie against Niagara, but goalie Shane Madolora was impressive in net with 32 saves. Watch out for Cameron Burt, with 107 points in 110 career games. RIT has won 25 games at Ritter Arena the last couple years, as well. This game, however, will take place at a sold-out Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester (thanks, Jen).
The Saints should be able to get a point (or more?) out of junior Kyle Flanagan, with five points in three games, including two multi-point games. Associate head coach Mike Hurlbut needs everyone to get going, though, and soon.
RIT 3, St. Lawrence 1
So, professor(s), what do you see happening this weekend?
Atlantic Hockey Picks 10/14-10/20
Last Week: 11-3-1
On the Season: 11-3-1 (.767)
This Week’s Picks:
Friday, October 14
Niagara at Air Force – Niagara has yet to score a goal yet in two games, but with Jason Torf out I think it will…but not enough to defeat the Falcons at home. Air Force 4, Niagara 3.
Connecticut at Army – Army is coming off a tough home loss to Union, giving up an uncharacteristic eight goals. UConn won’t score nearly that many, but will get enough for the win. UConn 3, Army 1.
Bentley at Massachusetts – Bentley played Michigan close last weekend, trailing just 2-1 going into the third period of each game. I expect more of the same with the Minutemen coming out on top of a close contest. UMass 4, Bentley 3.
Mercyhurst at Alaska – The Lakers are 0-4 in Alaska over the past three seasons and I don’t see that changing. Alaska 5, Mercyhurst 3.
Saturday, October 15
American International at Holy Cross – I like the Crusaders at home over an improved AIC team. Holy Cross 5, AIC 3.
Army at Merrimack – Merrimack may not be as strong as last season, but they should defeat the Black Knights at home. Merrimack 4, Army 2.
St. Lawrence at Rochester Institute Technology – Air Force coach Frank Serratore as likened the atmosphere at Blue Cross Arena to a “a pumpkin convention” because of the sea of orange-clad fans. The game has already sold out meaning 10,000+ screaming Tiger fans. RIT has historically not fared well as well at BCA as it has at Ritter Arena, despite the larger crowds. I think that trend continues. St. Lawrence 3, RIT 2.
Mercyhurst at Alaska-Anchorage – More of the same. Alaska-Anchorage 4, Mercyhurst 2.
Sunday, October 16
Robert Morris at Air Force – This has the opportunity to be the best game of the week. It’s a long way for RMU to go for one game and the Falcons will have played Niagara on Friday. I’ll take Air Force and the home ice. Air Force 3, Robert Morris 2.
Friday October 14 and Saturday October 16
Sacred Heart at Clarkson – The Pioneers got punked in Minnesota last weekend, and while Clarkson isn’t as strong as the Gophers, I think they’ll still sweep. Clarkson 5, Sacred Heart 2; Clarkson 4, Sacred Heart 1.
Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 16
Canisius at Quinnipiac – The Bobcats won and tied at Canisius last season, but I like them to pull both games out. this time. Quinnipiac 4, Canisius 3; Quinnipiac 3, Canisius 2.
Tuesday, October 16
Bentley at Quinnipiac – Quinnipiac continues on its run though AHA competition, and I think Bentley will give the Bobcats all they can handle. I like the Falcons in an upset. Bentley 3, Quinnipiac 2.
Connecticut at Massachusetts – Surprisingly, these teams haven’t met in ten years. I’m picking an AHA sweep on a Tuesday night. UConn 4, UMass 3.
Thursday, October 20
RIT at Canisius – The Tigers always seem to do well at Canisius, and I think that trend continues. RIT 4, Canisius 2.
Sacred Heart at Connecticut – I think the Huskies will dominate this battle of Nutmeg State schools, UConn 5, Sacred Heart 1.
Getting off on the right blade
Excepting the Ivies, teams have a weekend or two of action behind them. Every team wants a winning start to the season, but because the cumulative record of all teams at any point is always .500, not everyone will achieve that goal. For teams with championship aspirations, how crucial is a fast start?
In an attempt to answer that question, I looked at the conference races in the NCAA era. Dating back to the 2000-01 season, there have been 45 teams that have claimed or shared crowns in Hockey East, the CHA or GLWHA, the various incarnations of the ECAC, and the WCHA, excepting the vacated title of 2008. For each of those seasons, I compiled the champs’ first two conference game outcomes, and those of the teams that finished as runner-up.
Conference champions have served notice early of their intentions, registering a composite record of 84-1-5 over the first couple of conference tilts for each. CHA winners, Mercyhurst nine times and a co-champion from Wayne State, are a perfect 20-0, perhaps not surprising given the Lakers’ dominance of the circuit. ECAC titleholders have started almost as well at 21-0-1, with eventual 2006 winner St. Lawrence’s tie at the hands of Harvard in the Saints’ second game as the only blemish. Hockey East champs started 16-0-4, including New Hampshire tying twice as a kickoff to the title in 2009. WCHA rulers, at 21-1, suffered the only defeat, that by Wisconsin’s first championship team in 2005-06. The Badgers dropped their opener to Minnesota-Duluth, and then had to come from behind and win in overtime to avoid getting swept.
On the other hand, the teams falling one place short in the conference standings typically struggle a bit more at the outset by going 60-26-8. Runners-up in the CHA have really had difficulty, posting a record of 5-11-2. Subordinate teams in the ECAC start great at 18-1-1; that makes sense, because the larger number of members enhances the likelihood that those finishing just out of the top spot will still be of high quality.
League champions are typically able to extend their streak beyond the opening weekend. I averaged the game number in which the league titlists suffered their first setback, assigning an arbitrary value one more than the number of games for those that went through the schedule undefeated. Across all conferences, that worked out to the initial loss coming after the ninth game. The runners-up hit that first bump sooner, typically after the fourth game.
If a team is looking beyond league play and wants to hoist that NCAA trophy, does that change the importance of the first games in establishing a trend? While the eventual NCAA winners aren’t quite as dominating statistically as the .961 winning percentage of the conference champs, they still manage an impressive 20-2 clip. The two losses are the previously mentioned Wisconsin lapse at the hands of UMD, and Robert Morris upsetting UMD in the second game of its 2009-10 title run, when the young Bulldogs were without Jocelyne Larocque and looked to be far from medalist material.
The opponent in the Frozen Four championship game has also gotten off well, posting a composite 17-5 mark on opening weekend. That record is weakened a bit by Cornell’s 2009-10 squad getting ambushed and swept by a Mercyhurst team that had already played a few games.
The dominance of the future NCAA winner shines through more clearly when comparing their unbeaten streaks to start the season against those of the teams that they face in the championship game. NCAA champs lose for the first time after game 10 on average, highlighted by Wisconsin not falling until the 21st game in 2008-09. The national tourney victims first taste defeat just beyond game five.
As competition continues to increase in the game, some of the gaudy statistics are likely to moderate a bit. Based on Wisconsin losing only twice on its path to the crown in 2011, parity may be arriving, but it has yet to reach its destination. In fact, the Bulldogs in 2010 were the only championship team of the last nine years to lose more than four games, and that came in an Olympic year, when the most dominant players were absent.
Quick Pick: Oct. 13
Two things, CCHA fans:
1. A big apology to Ryan Dzingel, who is clearly not Danny Dzingel, as I originally wrote in today’s column. Dzingel is a freshman forward for Ohio State. I am a middle-aged columnist-slash-teacher living in Flint. I hope that clears things up.
2. There’s a game tonight, so there must be a pick.
St. Lawrence at Michigan, Thursday only, 7:35 p.m.
The Saints — a sentimental favorite of mine — were swept by Ferris State in Big Rapids last weekend, 4-2 and 5-1. Sophomore Matt Weninger was in net for the Friday game, senior Robby Moss for Saturday’s loss. Three different SLU players netted their first goals of the season in the series.
UM has played and won three games since Oct. 4, outscoring opponents 14-2 so far this season. Last weekend, it was a home sweep of Bentley. There are five Wolverines with two goals each, and senior Shawn Hunwick has great early numbers: .070 goals against average and .972 save percentage.
Michigan has seven straight wins against St. Lawrence. The Wolverines and Saints last played Oct. 10-11, 2008, in Ann Arbor; UM swept 4-3 and 5-3.
Pick: UM 4-2
Look for complete weekend picks tomorrow morning here in the CCHA blog. Follow me on Twitter: @paulacweston.
Focusing at the CCHA as it is, not as it will (not) be
You know, I just never thought that it would come to this. I envisioned a day when I would no longer be covering CCHA hockey — a day that I know many of you have also envisioned, with much longing — but I never thought that the end of my CCHA coverage would come because of the end of the CCHA.
I confess to having mourned more than a little this summer, especially when it became apparent that the CCHA would be the odd conference out. I confess to having wondered why one team was so eager to desert the league, and I confess to being amused by what amounted to that team’s online personal ad. I confess to understanding the lack of panic by the league itself even though many fans angrily confused cooler heads — and respect for individual league members — with a lack of action.
As the season begins, I find myself fighting cynicism. A colleague of mine called the CCHA a lame-duck league, and I confess — forgive me, CCHA fans — that this phrase had crossed my mind as well, but I promise not to use it.
There is a temptation to look too much into the future, to speculate about what happens in 2013-14, but we have two whole seasons of CCHA hockey left to celebrate. So I’m putting aside my genuine feelings of sadness and looking only at this penultimate season of CCHA hockey.
Mostly. Of course, we may dish about the not-so-distant future and there may be occasional bitterness. There will be some snark, too, and soon. After all, I’m still me.
Let’s ride this league for as long as we can, live in the now of college hockey and not its near future and enjoy this season in the CCHA.
Shall we?
Lessons from seasons past
At the end of 2008-09, Notre Dame captured the CCHA regular-season title and the Mason Cup. Not surprisingly, the Irish were picked to finish second in 2009-10 by both the coaches and the media. They finished ninth.
Oops.
After last year’s Frozen Four appearance — and not in small part due to the strength of their stellar sophomore class — the Irish topped the CCHA preseason coaches and media poll as well as the USCHO preseason national poll.
“It’s all about what you do after the fact,” says Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson. “Just like I tell kids, when you get drafted in the NHL, it’s the start of your career, not the culmination of it. It’s the same thing with polls. It’s one thing to be recognized and another thing to play the game.
“Last year we weren’t ranked in the top 15 and look where we ended up. Expectations do funny things to people.”
Now it’s time for the Irish to employ those lessons learned from that disappointing season two years ago and ND’s two co-captains — seniors Sean Lorenz and Billy Maday — have a pretty good idea of how the Irish need to do just that.
“Keeping the chemistry,” says Lorenz. “As long as we’re one team, I think that is the first step. As upperclassmen, we just have to make sure that the underclassmen know to listen to coach.”
“If you think about it, we’re right back to where we started [two years ago],” says Maday. “This year can go one of two ways: We can continue on from last season or we could take a step back. Now that we seniors have been through a tough sophomore season … we can relay that back to the sophomores. We can jump on that a little sooner than two years prior. Hopefully the experience factor will help us.”
Both Lorenz and Maday were part of a small sophomore class when the Irish failed to meet the expectations of two seasons ago; Notre Dame returns a dozen players who were rookies that fell a game away from a national championship.
“The year before last year,” says Maday, “I would say we didn’t respond well to the preseason hype and the success we has prior to that, which would have been my freshmen year. We kind of forgot what it took to win those games, the simple play that was required and the hard work and discipline that was required to win those games.”
“I think sophomore year is the hardest year out of college,” says Lorenz, “especially when you have a good freshman year. You have a good freshman year and you expect it to be easy and you get comfortable a little bit, and everyone’s gunning for you and you realize this is a lot harder.”
One of the factors keeping Notre Dame focused is how the 2010-11 season ended, with a 4-3 loss in the Frozen Four. “That loss to Minnesota-Duluth is still bitter,” says Maday. “We recognize how close we were. As long as we can keep that fire and keep motivated I think we can we’ll do OK.”
Another factor motivating the Irish is the knowledge of what undermined them in St. Paul. “Special teams killed us,” said Lorenz. “That’s why we lost the game in the Frozen Four. Straight up, that’s why we lost. Our offense carried us through [the season], but we definitely need to get better defensively.”
Lorenz says it’s the job of the upperclassmen to make sure that players stay focused on Notre Dame’s weaknesses. “To get better, you have to focus on what you’re not good at, and really harping on things to improve on.”
It may sound as though Lorenz and Maday are all business, but no one in South Bend wants to lose another key factor of last year’s success, one that was everyone attributes directly to last year’s young freshman class — the class without the baggage of underperforming from a season before.
“That’s the most fun year I’ve had playing hockey,” says Lorenz. “It was fun, and that’s what hockey’s supposed to be about.”
“It was awesome,” says Maday. “It was one of the most fun teams I’ve been on, I think. That’s part of the reason we had so much success on the ice. They helped the guys who were there the year before forget about that … and get back to what it’s like to have fun playing hockey.”
Even Jackson says, “I bought into the enthusiasm that those players brought,” but he adds, “Let’s face it: we’re still young.”
This season’s challenges aren’t limited to the pressures of high expectations and a team with 17 freshmen and sophomores on the roster. The Irish are also moving into a new arena after the season has begun, something akin to playing home games on the road for a while, says Jackson.
Of course, the players don’t see it that way. Before the season began, the team had the chance to skate — once — on the new ice in the Compton Family Ice Arena, which will become Notre Dame’s new home Oct. 21, when it hosts Rensselaer. When the Irish took the ice for the first time in the new building, they made sure they did so as a team; everyone skated at the same time.
“It was awesome,” says Maday. “It was as expected.”
The good kind of expectations. As for history, polls and preseason hype, Lorenz says there’s only one way to deal with it, in the end: “You can’t really have any expectations; you just have to play.”
Reading comprehension for hockey fans
Please read the following passage. A one-question quiz follows.
College hockey fragments and a team that we’ll call Team Quite the Catch, being courted by more than one conference, hints strongly that it will be announcing soon where it will play — and the hint reveals that it will align itself with a conference rather than play as an independent.
Before the announcement, Conference Fabulous — one of the leagues known to have courted Team Quite the Catch — announces that when the realignment dust settles it will proceed with the current list of teams that it’s already named … and Team Quite the Catch isn’t on that list.
Team Quite the Catch announces soon after that it will align itself with another conference we’ll call Hockey East, for the sake of simplicity.
Question: What would motivate Conference Fabulous to announce its conference roster before Team Quite the Catch has made its alignment announcement? Send your answer to [email protected].
Alas, there is no extra credit.
And I told you there would be snark.
Players of the week
Early in September, the CCHA announced a new partnership with Gongshow Gear, Inc. Because of that, the CCHA rookie of the week is the Gongshow rookie of the week.
These are the kinds of things that even a fertile imagination like mine cannot make up.
Rookie of the week
Bowling Green’s Ryan Carpenter scored his first collegiate goal and registered three assists in BG’s win and tie with Connecticut — a great weekend for the Falcons. Carpenter is the first ever Gongshow rookie of the week, and that is the last time that I will write “Gongshow rookie of the week.”
Good heavens.
Offensive player of the week
Ferris State’s Kyle Bonis had the game-winning goals each night as the Bulldogs swept St. Lawrence. I think his coach should call him out more often.
Defenseman of the week
Western Michigan’s Matt Tennyson had two goals and an assist and was plus-5 in the Broncos’ sweep of Alabama-Huntsville.
Goaltender of the week
Michigan’s Shawn Hunwick is 3-0-0 already with a .972 save percentage and 0.70 goals against average.
More kudos
Congratulations to WMU’s Andy Murray and MSU’s Tom Anastos for their first wins as head coaches of Division I programs. Murray’s came Friday night, a 7-1 win over visiting UAH. Anastos’ came Saturday, 3-2 in overtime against Air Force in the third-place game of the Ice Breaker.
Congratulations to MSU sophomore Lee Reimer, who tied that score on the power play in the third period and netted that game-winning goal 54 seconds into overtime. Reimer has two goals in this young season; he had two goals in 29 games last year.
Congrats, too, to all the guys who netted their first collegiate goals: BGSU’s Ryan Carpenter and Dan DeSalvo; FSU’s T.J. Schlueter; Miami’s Jimmy Mullin and Alex Wideman; Michigan’s Alex Guptill, Phil Di Giuseppe and Travis Lynch; Ohio State’s Ryan Dzingel and Matt Johnson; Western Michigan’s David Killip.
And finally, congrats to the goalies who earned their first D-I wins, FSU’s C.J. Motte and WMU’s Frank Slubowski.
My ballot
Here’s how I voted for the USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll:
1. Boston College
2. Notre Dame
3. North Dakota
4. Miami
5. Michigan
6. Denver
7. Minnesota-Duluth
8. Boston University
9. Nebraska-Omaha
10. Western Michigan
11. New Hampshire
12. Colorado College
13. Yale
14. Union
15. Merrimack
16. Minnesota
17. Maine
18. Rensselaer
19. Alaska
20. Wisconsin
Scheduling flexibility allows Hockey East teams big-game opportunities
In recent years, the Hockey East schedule has opened slowly with few league games and then built to a climax. The Ice Breaker kicked off the season with a Hockey East team typically playing other elite teams from around the country, but the league schedule saved its bullets. Heavyweights like Boston College and New Hampshire faced off for the title with a home-and-home series in the final weekend.
So it was a surprise to see Boston University hosting UNH last Saturday. Was this a calculated departure from the norm, presumably to kick the season off with a bang? And was that experiment a dud given the 5-0 final score?
No and no.
The matchup of the two perennial powers (which was, in truth, considerably closer than the final score indicated) had nothing to do with league intentions. Neither did Massachusetts at Northeastern or Merrimack at Maine or Northeastern at Maine.
The way the league drew up the schedule back in June 2010, there wasn’t a single league game for last weekend. Only Boston College’s entry in the Ice Breaker was on the docket.
“Our policy allows schools to move games if they have mutual consent and it doesn’t negatively affect a third party,” Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna says. (An example of such a negative side effect is a team moving a game and, as a result, another team plays two games on a weekend against opponents who only play one.)
So why the musical chairs that resulted in not one or two league games but four? To facilitate scheduling of attractive programs outside the conference.
“What happens in October and sometimes November is that [dates in those months] are the only chance to play some non-league opponent,” Bertagna says. “The schools have limited options. So they put in these requests primarily so that they can open a weekend for non-league play.
“All those league games this weekend were not designed by the league. In every case, the schools moved those games to accommodate some non-league opportunities.”
A look at the schedule of the three home teams involved illustrates the point. On Saturday, BU hosts third-ranked Denver, which comes to town to also play BC the night before. Was a switch necessary to make this highly desirable matchup work? Perhaps.
And you don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to connect the dots between Maine’s rescheduled games against Merrimack and Northeastern and the Black Bears visiting sixth-ranked North Dakota this weekend. Or Northeastern’s trip to South Bend in early December to play second-ranked Notre Dame.
All of which doesn’t mean that next year will play out the same way. Hockey East schedules go in cycles such that the second year is a mirror image of the first. For example, if Merrimack and Northeastern play a home-and-home series on a given weekend this year, next year they’ll also play a home-and-home series on the same weekend, but with the home games reversed.
“Going forward next year,” Bertagna says, “the schedule that I have out for 2012-2013 is a flip flop of the original schedule that I made. It’s not a flip flop of the current schedule.”
Schools can, and almost certainly will, make similar changes to that schedule. A few will also adjust the Friday-Saturday night splits to their liking.
“[We design the schedule] so everybody gets an equal chance of playing on Friday or Saturday,” Bertagna says. “Most schools prefer Saturday, but we have some that prefer Friday.
“A school like Northeastern has so many alumni and employees in Boston already on a Friday, they find that a lot of them will stay in for a Friday game in greater numbers than will come back in for a Saturday.
“So they’ll go to their opponent and ask for Friday both years [of the cycle]. A lot of times the opponent will agree because they like the Saturday games.”
Notre Dame and the 11-team dilemma
All the talk around the rinks this past weekend was, “Who’s going to be the 12th team?” There’s considerable excitement about Notre Dame joining Hockey East and bringing the strength and allure of its program.
Many observers, however, are waiting for the other shoe to drop, recalling the scheduling awkwardness of the nine-team Hockey East during the time between Massachusetts joining the league and Vermont rounding it out to 10 members. Down the stretch, a team would be off or multiple teams would play only a single contest.
So as Bertagna conceded last week, an even number of teams is ideal. But it’s not a requirement.
Twelve would be very nice indeed. Eleven less so. Not knowing which one it will be, however, is the worst situation of all.
“You can do an 11-team schedule or you can do a 12-team schedule,” Bertagna says. “There are ways to do both.
“The point we’ve been trying to make all along is that as nice and tidy as 12 is so that on a given Saturday everyone is playing, our approach is not going to be that we’ve got to get to 12.
“Our approach is let’s see who’s interested. If we hear from schools that the league feels are a good fit for us and we solve the odd-even problem, then we’ve got it. But in the absence of finding that school, we’re not going to make getting to 12 the determining factor.
“I’ve read different things in print that claim it’s a done deal and it’s this school or that school. It’s somewhat comical when you’re on the inside and you know there are no done deals. If anything, there have been casual conversations, but that’s about it.
“We do feel that we’d like to get it resolved sooner rather than later because people are on hold and coaches are getting opportunities to pursue non-league schedules. Those opportunities will not be there forever. So hopefully we can do this, but it really depends on hearing from schools.
“Our position has never been to go after schools sitting in existing conferences. Anything we’ve done since I’ve been here has been after schools have contacted us and we’ve responded to them.
“That’s all I can say at this point.”
More non-league games and the uneven playing field effect
As part of Notre Dame and potentially another school joining Hockey East in 2013-14, the league’s teams will drop from 27 league games (playing nine opponents three times each) to 22 (assuming a 12-team league in which each school plays the other 11 twice). Finding those extra five non-league opponents means different things for different programs. It’s a wealth of options for the top schools and a mixed bag for others.
Every program can get games. But it’s a question of not only who but where.
“Some of our schools who perhaps can’t dictate this as much as they’d like, find themselves having great opportunities to play any number of places on the road, but when they ask the schools to reciprocate, a lot of them won’t return to their facility,” Bertagna says. “They pay a guarantee and they make it attractive that way, but from a competitive point of view our schools want to have games in their buildings.”
As an example, Merrimack traveled to Michigan to play two games in 2002 and then another in 2005, but the perennial powerhouse never made a return trip back to North Andover. The Warriors program benefited from adding an opponent like that to its schedule (and also from the financial guarantee), but faced a competitive disadvantage from playing all of those non-league games on the road.
This is why the NCAA has attempted in past years to add “good road wins” to the tournament selection criteria. Powerhouse programs who can use their clout and large arenas to play a disproportionate share of nonconference games at home shouldn’t have that advantage extended to the NCAA tournament.
With an extra five such games to schedule, the effect becomes more pronounced. Programs like Boston College, Boston University, New Hampshire and Maine likely will benefit based on their prestige and large facilities. As for those teams on the lower rungs of the ladder …
“We’re looking into any way the league can help with that, but it does appear to be one of those things where the schools are on their own,” Bertagna says. “If we’re looking at 12 to 14 non-league games, it will be easier for some schools to sculpt that schedule in their buildings than others.”
Of course, not every Hockey East program is looking to add the Michigans of the college hockey world to their schedule, at least not if it’s a one-way deal.
“Different schools have different philosophies on non-league scheduling,” Bertagna says. “It may depend on where their program is competitively at a given point in time on who they want to schedule and who they feel they can match up well against. If you just look at the non-league schedules from year to year, you’ll see that different schools attack it differently.
“You’ve got top-10 teams like Denver this weekend coming in to play BC and BU. Other schools will play a lot of Atlantic Hockey teams or ECAC teams. Some of them are nothing more than just that the coaches have a great relationship and they like to play each other. Some of them are just tradition; they’ve always played a certain opponent.
“But it’s not an even playing field when it comes to tackling a 12- or 14-game non-league schedule.”
And finally, not that it has anything to do with anything but …
I sure hope Theo stays. (OK, journalistic practice dictates that I refer to him as Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein, but in baseball circles Theo is as much a one-word name as Kobe is in basketball.)
Think of where the Sox were when he took over. Think of where they are now plus the two world championships. Yes, there have been free agent disasters, but there are always free agent disasters. It’s the nature of the beast. Compare the talent that has been home grown and acquired through trades with what was there before Theo took over.
There are things to fix. Theo is the best guy to fix them.
WCHA teams looking for different results in featured East-West tilts
This is the first week of league play, with three WCHA series set for this weekend. No. 9 Minnesota-Duluth hosting No. 14 Minnesota is certainly one to watch but all of college hockey nation has an eye on a few marquee East-West matchups.
No. 3 Denver heads to Boston to play top-ranked Boston College on Friday and No. 8 Boston University on Saturday. No. 6 North Dakota hosts No. 17 Maine for a two-game series in Grand Forks. Denver-BC and UND-Maine are both rematches of games last season that featured ugly results for the WCHA teams.
Denver fell behind early to the Eagles in both games and couldn’t recover, losing 6-2 and 3-0. The Pioneers power play went 0-for-17 on the weekend. That was at Magness Arena, and this weekend’s trip is going to be even tougher. Cam Atkinson and Joe Whitney lit Denver up last season with four points each in two games. Both are gone this season.
UND’s trip to Maine last season was just as forgettable. The Sioux lost 7-3 and 4-2. Maine was on the bubble for an NCAA tournament bid going into the Hockey East playoffs last year but was swept by Merrimack.
It’s been documented that UND is a different team on its face but so are the Black Bears. Maine lost its 51-point scorer and first-line right winger, Gustav Nyquist, and its top two centers from last year’s team.
None of that should matter if the Sioux play disciplined hockey this weekend. Maybe UND was outplayed last October, but penalties were a big reason the losses were so lopsided (the second game was a three-goal game going into the last half of the third period).
UND gave Maine 19 power plays on the weekend and the Black Bears cashed in for five power-play goals. The penalties were lazy (hooking, holding, tripping) and unnecessary (contact to the head, elbowing, hitting from behind). The Sioux don’t have the talent to get away with it this year.
Heads up
As WCHA supervisor of officials Greg Shepherd said in the league’s preseason teleconference, this isn’t a rules change year. However, the NCAA did tweak the wording on the contact to the head rule just a bit.
Referees were more lenient in recent years on checks when players were traveling “north-south” (i.e., goal line to goal line) than if they were skating “east-west” and contact to the head was made. In other words, there was more of chance to get penalized on a blind-side hit.
“Now it’ll be penalized whether its north, south, east or west,” Shepherd said. “Any time there’s any kind of contact to the head, it’s a five-minute major and a game misconduct. [The NCAA] is trying to get the concussions and head injuries out of the game.”
Minnesota State’s Eriah Hayes got slapped with a contact-to-the-head penalty in the early minutes of the second period in Saturday’s 4-1 loss at Rensselaer. Gabe Guentzel committed the same penalty early in the second period of an exhibition game against the United States Under-18 Team on Saturday.
“Our officials have done a great job calling this, just like checking from behind,” Shepherd said. “We’re going to call this just as severely. We’re here to protect the players and the game.”
Penalties hurting Michigan Tech
When you’re a team struggling to find ways to win games as Michigan Tech has for several seasons, it would behoove said team to avoid shorthanded situations as much as possible or, at the very least, have an extremely proficient penalty kill unit. Unfortunately for the Huskies, just the opposite is true.
Over the past two seasons, only Alaska-Anchorage has been penalized more in conference play (17.5 penalty minutes per game as opposed to 17.4 for Michigan Tech). What separates the two, however, is that the Seawolves rank fifth in the conference in penalty kill percentage over that span (82.4 percent), nearly 10 full percentage points over the Huskies, who rank dead last at 72.9 percent.
Huskies coach Mel Pearson said the key, of course, is to strive to become the league’s least-penalized team.
“We played in our own zone way too much last year,” said Pearson. “We’ve got to try … and play in the other team’s zone, play at a higher pace, and be a more aggressive forechecking team so that we’re not in our zone taking penalties all the time.”
Although just one series is in the books, early returns reveal modest improvement with, obviously, much work yet to be done. Michigan Tech was penalized 12 times for 27 minutes last weekend in its sweep of American International (4-3, 3-1).
Spencer the spark for Seawolves
Coming off its second-best conference season (12-14-2, eighth place) since joining the WCHA in 1993, Alaska-Anchorage’s 2011-12 campaign got off to a rousing start. The Seawolves (1-0-1) hosted the 21st edition of the Kendall Hockey Classic, which they not only won for the first time since 2006 — and sixth overall — but did so in dramatic fashion.
After playing to a 4-4 draw with Clarkson on Friday, UAA faced a St. Cloud State team needing a win or a tie to take the title. When Cam Reid scored just 3:29 into the final period to give the Huskies a 2-0 lead and goaltender Mike Lee seeming unbeatable, St. Cloud State looked to have things well in hand.
As it turned out, that was all simply a prelude to the Mickey Spencer show.
Spencer not only helped set up Jordan Kwas’ goal at 5:04 to get UAA on the board, he proceeded to score three times himself, including the game winner with just 1:54 remaining in overtime to give the Seawolves a 4-3 victory.
The winning shot was fired low to the blocker side of Lee, which Spencer said WCHA goalies had better get used to seeing.
“That’s my spot,” Spencer told Doyle Woody of the Anchorage Daily News. “I’ll say it, and I don’t care if goalies know it. That’s where I’ll shoot.”
The hat trick was just the sixth in tournament history and only the second by a Seawolves player (Rob Conn vs. Dartmouth in 1990). Not surprisingly, Spencer’s six-point weekend (4-2–6) earned the junior forward the tournament’s most outstanding player award and WCHA offensive player of the week honors.
WCHA skaters: The ones to watch
In our season preview, we gave a thorough rundown of the wealth of goaltending talent returning to the WCHA this season. So we thought it might be in order to recognize some of the forwards and defensemen expected to make headlines in 2011-12.
The WCHA’s deep talent pool of forwards is led by conference preseason player of the year Jason Zucker of Denver. Zucker’s 36 points (20-16–36) in conference play earned him last season’s rookie of the year honors. Junior Drew Shore is also back after leading the Pioneers in scoring with 46 points (23-23–46), giving Denver a serious 1-2 punch for the second straight year.
Just a short drive to the south, Colorado College sophomore Jaden Schwartz looks to build on an explosive rookie year of his own. Despite losing 15 games to injury, Schwartz led the Tigers with 47 points (17-30–47).
Defending national champion Minnesota-Duluth welcomes back a pair of dangerous forwards in leading scorer Jack Connolly (18-41–59) and Frozen Four most outstanding player J.T. Brown (16-21–37). Brown’s contribution was especially impactful as the Bulldogs were 19-3-3 in games in which he registered at least one point and 7-7-3 when he didn’t.
North Dakota forward Corban Knight’s 44 points (14-30–44) were second only to Hobey Baker Award finalist Matt Frattin’s 60-point season last year. While he can’t be expected to triple his production as he did from his freshman to sophomore years, he and 2009-10 WCHA rookie of the year Danny Kristo should provide North Dakota fans with plenty of excitement.
Kristo returns after seeing his production dip from 36 points (15-21–36) as a freshman to 28 (8-20–28) due to a 10-game absence as a sophomore due to frostbite on his toes. But he’s healthy now and the line of Kristo, Knight and sophomore Brock Nelson is certainly one to watch.
Michael Dorr enters this season as Minnesota State’s returning scoring leader (12-14–26), and the Mavericks captain is sure to build on those numbers in his senior year. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Dorr was a two-time WCHA offensive player of the week as a junior, including a five-point weekend (3-2–5) in leading the Mavericks to the Shillelagh Tournament title with wins over Brown and national semifinalist Notre Dame.
Nebraska-Omaha’s dynamic duo of co-captains Terry Broadhurst and Alex Hudson returns to make life miserable for opposing goaltenders. With 31 points (13-18–31) last season as a junior, Hudson, who begins the year sitting out a team-imposed suspension, leads Mavericks returnees in scoring. Broadhurst finished just a point behind (11-19–30) despite missing nine games due to injuries.
Nick Bjugstad finished his freshman season as Minnesota’s hottest-scoring forward with 16 points (6-10–16) in the Gophers’ final 16 games. Overall, the 6-foot-5, 211-pound sophomore finished with 20 points (8-12–20) as a rookie even though he missed five games with mononucleosis and two more while playing for the United States at the 2011 World Junior Championship. Bjugstad is being counted on to shoulder a larger offensive load and appears primed to deliver just that.
On the blue line, there is no bigger threat in the WCHA than Wisconsin’s Justin Schultz, whose 47 points (18-29–47) led the nation’s defensemen last season. A Hobey Baker Award finalist as a sophomore, Schultz should reach the 100-point plateau for his career by season’s end.
North Dakota’s Iron Man, senior Ben Blood, enters the season as the team’s active leader in games played with 108, including 100 consecutive. Blood led the nation last season in plus/minus with a plus-32 while chipping in 12 points (2-10–12).
Denver sophomore David Makowski (6-24–30) is a skilled playmaker from the point but is not afraid to use his body when needed. He’ll be asked to fill the void left by Matt Donovan’s departure for the pros.
Senior Gabe Guentzel begins the final year of a stellar Colorado College career as alternate captain of the Tigers. A well-rounded defenseman, Guentzel set a career high as a junior with 28 points (6-22–28).
An academic All-WCHA defenseman, Bemidji State senior Brad Hunt needs just 14 points to reach 100 for his career. Read led all BSU defensemen in scoring as a junior (3-18–21) and brings a 112-consecutive-games streak into the 2011-12 season.
St. Cloud State sophomore Nick Jensen made quite a splash in his rookie campaign in the Granite City. Winner of the 2011 Roland Vandell Award as SCSU’s rookie of the year, Jensen scored five goals as a freshman and was fourth on the team with 18 assists.
At 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, Minnesota-Duluth senior Brady Lamb is an imposing figure on the Bulldogs’ blue line. Although the alternate captain’s point totals fell off a bit as a junior, Lamb stepped up when it counted with three assists in UMD’s 3-2 win over Michigan in the 2011 national title game. His role is expected to expand with the departures of Justin Faulk and Mike Montgomery.
Minnesota sophomore Mark Alt is one of the conference’s rising stars on the blue line. Although he may never produce eye-popping numbers, Alt, who led all Gophers freshmen defensemen last season with 10 points (2-8–10), remains a viable offensive threat. But the 6-foot-3, 202-pound Alt, early on at least, has demonstrated a bit of a mean streak and has considerably elevated his game defensively.
Slow start for Atlantic Hockey teams? We’ve seen it before
Another opening weekend to the college hockey season, and another opening weekend slate of losses for Atlantic Hockey teams. In all, the league went 1-13 in non-conference games last week.
Non-league games early in the season have traditionally been bad news for AHA teams, especially when almost all of them are on the road and many involve ranked teams.
Last week was no exception. None of those 14 games was played in an AHA rink, and eight were against ranked teams.
As I blogged about on Monday, there were some positives, including some good goaltending and many games going down to the wire. Air Force led both North Dakota and Michigan State, but wound up losing late against the Fighting Sioux and in overtime to the Spartans.
“We put ourselves in position to win both games, but didn’t win either one,” Falcons coach Frank Serratore said after the game on Saturday. “We were the perfect tournament opponent. We gave two teams character-building wins. I don’t see much good in this. We had a lead in the third period of both games and didn’t get it done. Not only did we not get it done once, we didn’t get it done twice.”
Splitsville in Omaha
The only Atlantic Hockey team to record a win last week was Robert Morris, which beat conference foe Mercyhurst 2-1 in the consolation game of the Maverick Stampede tournament in Omaha.
“We went a long way to play a team we’re going to see three more times this season,” said Colonials coach Derek Schooley. “Before the tournament Gotski [Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin] said that would have been all right if it was in the finals.”
But instead Robert Morris dropped a 3-1 decision to eventual champion Colgate and Mercyhurst was defeated by host Nebraska-Omaha 5-1.
“For a first weekend we played fine,” said Schooley. “This time of the year the team that minimizes its mistakes the most usually wins. Our goal was to play better as the weekend went on and our best period was the third period on Saturday.”
Goose eggs
Despite a combined 62 shots on goal, Rochester Institute of Technology and Niagara skated to a 0-0 tie on Saturday. It was the first scoreless tie in RIT’s 47-year history, and just the second such tie in school history for Niagara. RIT’s Shane Madolora and Niagara’s Cody Campbell were each credited with a shutout.
Although they didn’t post many wins, some other AHA netminders turned in strong performances this week:
• Bentley’s tandem of sophomore Branden Komm and senior Kyle Rank combined to stop 83 shots in a pair of losses at Michigan.
• Connecticut’s Garrett Bartus made 78 saves in a pair of games with Bowling Green, including 41 in a 4-4 tie on Saturday.
• Eric Levine stopped 29 of 30 shots to help Robert Morris to a 2-1 win over Mercyhurst.
Classy
Twenty nominees have been announced for the 2012 Lowe’s Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School) Award, which focuses on athletic, academic and community achievement.
Among the nominees were three Atlantic Hockey seniors: Mike Daly (Holy Cross), Chris Haltigin (RIT) and Paul Weisgarber (Air Force).
The field will be narrowed to 10 finalists in January, with the winner announced at the Frozen Four. Air Force’s Jacques Lamoureux won the award last season.
Trying again up north
This weekend will mark the third time in four years that the Mercyhurst Lakers have ventured to Alaska for the Gold Rush tournament. As usual, Mercyhurst will play both the Nanooks and the Seawolves.
In four previous games, Mercyhurst is 0-4 and has been outscored 18-8. Maybe the third time will be the charm for the Lakers, who get a well-deserved week off on their return after consecutive weekends in Omaha and Fairbanks. Mercyhurst then hosts RIT for its home opener on Oct. 28.
Sellouts
Last season RIT set a record for attendance at an Atlantic Hockey regular season game by selling out Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena (10,556). As of this writing, only about 1,000 tickets remain for Saturday’s contest against St. Lawrence at the same venue.
Tickets may be even harder to get in 2012 and 2013 when Penn State and Michigan, respectively, come to Rochester to square off against the Tigers at BCA.
A good problem to have
RIT’s first game of the season was an exhibition against York (Ontario). Coach Wayne Wilson used a different goalie each period, and Madolora, Josh Watson and Jordan Ruby combined for a 32-save shutout. The three goalies shared the No. 1 star of the game (hey, it was an exhibition).
“That’s great,” said a sarcastic Wilson after the game. “The two that I don’t start next week are going to say, ‘How can you sit me? I was the No. 1 star last game!'”
Alumni watch
Former RIT player Chris Tanev has opened the season at Vancouver, which was not a big surprise considering he finished last season with the Canucks, including Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals.
Another former AHA star that game very close to making the big club as a free agent was Cory Conacher, who left Canisius last season as the school’s all-time leading scorer. He had great rookie and preseason camps with the big club before being sent to Norfolk in the AHL.
“Tampa was very impressed with Cory,” said Canisius coach Dave Smith. “In the end, they want him to play hockey and get better. He made his mark in camp and now he’ll play every day at Norfolk … and when the time is right, hopefully earn his way to the NHL.”
In defense of the shootout?
Like many old-school hockey fans, I detest the shootout. To have played one after the scoreless tie between Niagara and RIT last Saturday, after 65 minutes of edge-of-your-seat hockey, would have been a travesty.
But it may has its place — deciding things that don’t matter. For example, Bowling Green and Connecticut played to a 4-4 tie on Saturday, and because the game was played in a CCHA building, fans expected a winner. But since it wasn’t a conference game, the contest goes into the books as a tie and the shootout was an “exhibition.” Perfect.
I’m also fine with using the shootout to decide such vitally important things as consolation games of in-season tournaments. After all, that third-place trophy probably cost a couple hundred bucks and somebody’s got to take it home. Besides, we gotta start the championship game on time.
Lampooning “The National”
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), which begins play in 2013, has already taken to calling itself “The National” in some press releases.
Nuh-uh. Not going there, unless every conference is allowed a nickname. For the AHA, I’d recommend “The Atlantic,” but there’s already a magazine with that name. And an ocean. Maybe “A-Ha!”, like an “A-ha!” moment, or that ’80s band with the cool video and the guy who sings really high. The league could adopt “Take On Me” as its official theme song.
Or maybe we’ll can just call each conference by its real name.
St. Lawrence forced back to the drawing board after opening losses
St. Lawrence looked around Appleton Arena following a two-day visit by Ferris State and there was one common thought: “What a mess.”
The Bulldogs left behind 4-2 and 5-1 defeats of the Saints, leaving St. Lawrence to clean up what they could before leaving for their Thursday night stint against Michigan.
There was a lot to work to do over those few days between the sweep and the trip to face the Wolverines.
“We’re going over a lot of video,” said associate head coach Michael Hurlbut, running the bench while longtime coach Joe Marsh is on a medical leave of absence. “We hold our guys accountable, we want to make sure they’re in the proper position. I like their work ethic, I like their energy, but we need to stick to the systems.”
Penalties killed the Saints last weekend, almost doubling the Bulldogs in minutes (39-22 for the weekend). The Bulldogs pounced and were 4-for-12 on the power play, scoring two man-up markers in each game.
“We need to be more disciplined,” said Hurlbut. “We’ve traditionally taken more penalties than the average team and that continued this weekend. We had really good energy and were up 1-0 on Friday night when [Rick Carden] took the most senseless penalty I’ve seen by charging the goaltender. Then, the same player went back in for an elbow to the head [called as roughing].”
On the first call, Carden was called for goaltender interference, and T.J. Schlueter scored on the ensuing power play to tie the game.
On Saturday night, Gunnar Hughes was called for a five-minute major for hitting from behind, and a 10-minute game misconduct was added to that.
Following the Michigan game and a Saturday game at Rochester Institute of Technology, the team gets three weeks off before starting its league schedule on Nov. 4 against Union.
“We’re still playing with the lines, trying to get a fair evaluation of all the guys,” said Hurlbut. “We’ll be practicing a lot. This is an important week for evaluations. It’s a good thing to have guys wanting to impress the coaching staff.”
On a positive note for the Saints, junior co-captain Kyle Flanagan scored a goal and two assists and had an even plus-minus rating through that tough weekend.
On the spot: Quinnipiac junior Jeremy Langlois
Quinnipiac split a weekend series at Ohio State, falling 2-1 and winning 4-3. Junior forward Jeremy Langlois was involved in the offense in both games, finishing the weekend with two goals (both on Saturday) and an assist. USCHO.com caught up with Langlois midweek, as the Bobcats were preparing for their home opener Friday night against Atlantic Hockey’s Canisius.
USCHO: What were your thoughts on the opening weekend series in Ohio? How different were the two nights?
Langlois: I thought that our team played very well this weekend. We made a few mistakes, which is expected because it was our first games of the year. But our team battled and competed hard both nights, which shows our character. The penalties in the first game were detrimental, and although we played good enough to win, we were not able to capitalize on our opportunities. The second night, we were able to score a few quick goals and two on the power play, which is a good sign for our team moving forward.
USCHO: What did you think of your personal performance and the team’s performance as a whole in both games?
Langlois: I thought that the team played very well in both games and our team leaders did a good job of getting everyone ready to play both games. We have some things we need to clean up, including taking penalties, but I thought we progressed throughout the weekend.
My line [with Ben Arnt and Spencer Heichman] did a good job this weekend, being aggressive and pressuring the Ohio State defensemen. We also concentrated on keeping it simple and making the easy plays down low, which led to a goal from Spencer.
I think in the second game our power play did a good job moving the puck around and getting shots through, which led to more scoring.
I tried to just concentrate on playing hard every shift and being confident with the puck. My teammates did a really good job making passes to me that led to good scoring opportunities.
USCHO: What lessons does the team take away from last weekend?
Langlois: There are many important things to take away from last weekend, including that we need to be more cautious when checking, due to the new head contact rule. We know that we can play with anyone as long as we play Quinnipiac hockey, which means doing all the little things correctly.
Around the league
Colgate: The Raiders won the Mutual of Omaha Stampede, their first tournament win since 2006 (UConn Classic). Beating Nebraska-Omaha in the final gave them their first win over a WCHA school since beating Minnesota-Duluth in 1998.
Rookie of the Week Joe Wilson scored the winner in the final. Erik Mihalik earned ECAC goalie of the week honors for his part in taking home the trophy.
The Raiders welcome Miami to Starr Rink for a Friday-Saturday set this weekend.
Rensselaer: The Engineers had some power play issues the first night against Minnesota State. Those were somewhat repaired the second night. Last Friday, the Engineers went 0-for-11 with the extra man in a 1-0 shutout loss in which Rensselaer outshot its opponent 36-20. Engineers freshman Ryan Haggerty and junior Nick Bailen were responsible for 10 of those 36 shots.
Bailen broke through the next night with a goal, and Haggerty earned his first two collegiate points.
The Engineers travel this weekend to Ferris State, fresh off its sweep of St. Lawrence.
Union: It’s tough to get a read on Union’s first game, an 8-1 win over Army last Saturday. Is Union that good, or is Army in a down year, or was it just a black night for the Black Knights?
In any event, the win helped Union remain at No. 11 in both national polls, and helped junior Wayne Simpson earn ECAC Hockey player of the week honors. Simpson potted a hat trick and an assist in the game.
Senior Kelly Zajac and sophomore Matt Hatch each had three-point games. Freshman Max Novak began his career with two goals.
Next, the Dutchmen open up Messa Rink on Friday against No. 12 Western Michigan, which had its own puzzling two-game sweep over that poor Alabama-Huntsville team that just can’t seem to find a home (league). After the Dutchmen and Broncos throw down, some questions will be answered.
Clarkson: The Golden Knights are 0-1-1, though that tie is actually a shootout loss to Alaska-Anchorage in the Kendall Hockey Classic. Senior Julien Cayer, a Detroit Red Wings draft pick who’s flown under the radar most of his college career (23 points in his previous 74 games), showed that he might have that breakout senior year with a two-goal performance in Game 1.
Problem is, he had one shot on goal and was a minus-1 against Alaska in the consolation game. Will the real Julien Cayer please stand up? He’ll have a chance to do so at home at Cheel Arena against Sacred Heart this weekend.
Cornell: The No. 19 Big Red go up against … one another … on Saturday in their annual Red-White Game, which will help to raise money for the university’s Emergency CARE Fund. Admission at Lynah Rink for the event is free, but donations are suggested. The Emergency Cornellians Aiding and Responding to Employees Fund is a program offering financial assistance to faculty and staff who have experienced a non-recurring sudden or emergency-related financial hardship due to an unforeseen or unavoidable event.
Need to know basis
What else is in the grab bag of info here?
• Colgate senior Kevin McNamara has started the Goals for Good charity, raising money concurrent with the amount of goals over the course of a season, weekend or one game for a charity to be determined. More information is on goalsforgood.org.
• Cornell’s Keir Ross, Brown’s Jack MacLellan and Dartmouth’s Doug Jones are all candidates for the 2012 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. They are among 20 nominees.
• Brown was awarded the host spot for the 2013 NCAA East Regional at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I. It will be the first regional there since 2003 and the ninth NCAA hockey tournament overall, including six Frozen Fours.
Top three alumni performances
First off, best of luck and a speedy recovery to ex-Princeton defenseman Taylor Fedun, who broke his leg during the exhibition season with the Edmonton Oilers. He paid a visit to his Oilers teammates before their season-opening 2-1 win against Pittsburgh on Sunday.
First prize: Rich Peverley (St. Lawrence), Boston Bruins — he led the Stanley Cup-defending B’s in goals with two in three games, and signed a three-year contract extension.
Second prize: Andy McDonald (Colgate), St. Louis Blues — Started his 12th NHL season with two assists in two games.
Third prize: Colin Greening (Cornell), Ottawa Senators — Still technically a Calder Trophy-eligible rookie, he had two goals through three games.
Top three recruit performances
Almost too many to list, but let’s give it a shot.
First prize: Peter Quenneville (Quinnipiac ’15-16), Sherwood Park (AJHL) — The ’94-born Edmontonian had 22 points through 12 AJHL games.
Second prize (tie): Nick Cruice (Union ’13-14), South Shore (EJHL) — 16 points in 10 games
Second prize (tie): Andrew Johnston (Union ’12-13), Humboldt (SJHL) — Possible future linemate for Cruice has 16 points in 10 games as well.
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