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It dawns on us!

October 10, 2011

Both the season and some facts, that is.

Colgate!

That pretty much sums up my reaction to the weekend’s results, as the Raiders made it clear that no matter what trials and travails they may endure this year, they are not last year’s team.

The story of the 2010-11 Colgate Raiders has been hashed over like so many Donner Party campfire tales, and while we’re barely 120 minutes into the ’11-12 campaign, the current squad is two games over .500… heights that no Hamilton club has achieved since the very last regular-season game of the 2009-10 season. There is some work to do – the power play was punchless in five opportunities, the team took 22 minutes in penalties and surrendered goals in two of nine shorthanded situations – but for now let the Gatorade flow, for the Colgate Raiders are 2-0-0.

The U hits heavy

Union has developed a taste for blood in its past two summers: last fall, the Dutchmen carpet-bombed their early-season opposition with 29 goals in their first four home games; this year the Dutch opened the bomb-bay doors and let fly in a season-opening 8-1 annihilation at hapless Army. Junior Wayne Simpson led the assault with a hat trick and four points, but six other Dutchmen tallied multiple points as well. Sophomore Troy Grosenick pulled through with 17 saves on 18 shots in a surprisingly clean contest that had only two penalty calls.

SLU: boxed in

The Saints aren’t quite where they want to be two games in, having dropped both tilts against visiting Ferris State this weekend by a 9-3 aggregate. At first blush, scoring would appear to be a concern, but a quick glance at the box score would suggest another problem that may have been at the root of the losses: penalties.

The Saints served 39 minutes of penance this weekend, in which time the FSU Bulldogs struck four times (in 12 power plays). The Saints, on the other hand, only drew 22 minutes in penalties and 10 power plays, on which they scored one goal. The hosts held a lead for all of 2:49 this weekend – late in the first period of Friday’s game – and couldn’t seem to keep it together enough to develop the whole-team, offensive flow for which the Saints have long been admired. They say you learn more from your mistakes than your victories; here’s hoping the Saints are as astute on the ice as they are in the classroom.

Wisconsin maintains stranglehold on No. 1 spot in women’s poll

USCHO Staff Report

October 10, 2011

Wisconsin retains its position at the top of the USCHO.com Division I
Women’s Poll this week, while several teams in the bottom half of this
week’s poll do some flip-flopping.

The Badgers garnered all 15 first-place votes this week.

Cornell (No. 2), Minnesota (No. 3), Boston University (No. 4) and Boston
College (No. 5) stay the same from a week ago.

New No. 6 Minnesota-Dulth trades places with North Dakota this week.

Northeastern, unranked last week, takes over the eighth spot in this week’s
poll, while Dartmouth is up to No. 9 from No. 10 and Mercyhurst falls two
spots to No. 10.

Boston College the new top team in D-I men’s poll

USCHO Staff Report

October 10, 2011

Boston College is the new No. 1 team in the country in this week’s
USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, jumping four spots from its fifth place
ranking last week.

Notre Dame, No. 1 in the Sept. 26 poll, falls to No. 2, while Denver rises
to No. 3, Michigan jumps to No. 4 from No. 6 and Miami falls three spots to
round out the top five.

North Dakota (down three to No. 6), Colorado College (stays No. 7), Boston
University (up two to No. 8), Minnesota-Duluth (down one to No. 9) and Yale
(down one to No. 10) finish out the top half of the poll, which saw six
teams earn first-place votes.

Union stands pat at No. 11, Western Michigan goes from No. 13 to 12,
Merrimack jumps two places to No. 13, Minnesota is up five to No. 14 and
then it’s New Hampshire coming in at No. 15 after being ranked twelfth last
poll.

At No. 16, Nebraska-Omaha is down two spots, Maine is down one to No. 17,
Wisconsin up one to No. 18, Cornell up one to No. 19 and Rensselaer falls a
couple to No. 20.

Knee-jerk reactions

By Arlan Marttila

October 10, 2011

We can easily make too much of results at this time of the year, when any outcome represents one quarter or even one half of a team’s games to date, but less than three percent of a team’s schedule by year’s end. Because several games this weekend were decided very late, evaluations can pivot on a single shift that may or may not have implications for the season as a whole.

Some conclusions can already be reached, such as, Wisconsin is still Wisconsin. After a fairly routine 5-2 win on Saturday at home over highly-regarded North Dakota, the Badgers completed the sweep with a 3-2 victory on Sunday, despite never leading until the game ended in sudden death. UW fell behind 2-0 in the second period when the Fighting Sioux power play converted for the second time, answered 57 seconds later on a Brianna Decker goal, and got the equalizer on a power play of its own with a minute remaining in regulation. Hilary Knight sent the visitors home in frustration with the game-winning goal at 3:03 of overtime. UND remains winless all-time versus Mark Johnson-coached teams, as both Sioux decisions over the Badgers came during the 2009-2010 season when he was coaching the United States Olympic Team.

A game that followed roughly the same pattern occurred an hour later in Duluth, where visiting Boston College was the team that came back from two down, denying Minnesota-Duluth a sweep. The Bulldogs took a short-lived two-goal lead on a five-on-three advantage early in the second, but the Eagles negated any momentum with a short-handed goal 15 seconds after the ensuing faceoff. UMD nursed the lead to inside of three minutes to go in the contest, but Emily Pfalzer tied it up, and Alex Carpenter won it for BC in the final second with another short-hander.

Elsewhere in action of note, Mercyhurst had more trouble in Mankato than expected, splitting a pair of one-goal games with Minnesota State, RPI stayed unbeaten with a tie and a win on the road versus a Vermont squad expected to show improvement, and Northeastern kicked off its season with convincing triumphs over Syracuse and Colgate. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the weekend came in Hamden, Conn., where Maine not only earned a road sweep of higher-ranked Quinnipiac, but did so by storming back from three-goal deficits each day. Could something special be brewing in Orono, Maine? Meanwhile, an up-and-coming Bobcats squad already has three losses, a total they didn’t reach until the final game of October last season.

The Patty picture

A half dozen goalies recorded shutouts over the weekend, although none of them were required to make 20 stops to do so. At the other end of the ice, three other forwards notched hat tricks, and senior Natalie Spooner of Ohio State added a fourth goal to her Friday performance and threw in the only goal of the shootout as a bonus.

It’s way too early for the panic button in Grand Forks

By Tyler Buckentine

October 10, 2011

Dave Hakstol said it best when he stated the morning before the season opener, that North Dakota “isn’t a top-2 team in the WCHA right now,” Hakstol said.

“…right now.”

The UND coach made that statement before the Sioux had to rally to beat Air Force, Friday, and before it fell hard to No. 5 Boston College, Saturday. Hakstol’s right. Right now, UND is not the second-best team in the league, but that’s where the WCHA Preseason Coaches Poll predicted the Sioux to finish.

The second part of Hakstol’s quote: ”We have a lot of work to do to get to that level but we will get there.”

And there’s no question the Sioux could get there. Hakstol is not a prophet, but he knows how his team traditionally progresses as the season moves along.

UND has had slow starts during Hakstol’s seven seasons behind the Sioux bench – Last year’s 4-3-1 October was slow by UND standards - but his team always turns up the voltage after the turn of the year. The Sioux has gone 111-40-16 from January on since Hakstol took over for Dean Blais in 2004.

Saturday’s 6-2 loss to BC on home ice made it official that UND won’t be going undefeated this season, and it seemed a handful of Sioux fans didn’t see that one coming, just judging by some of the comments on the chief in-game message board in Sioux Nation.

Much of the discussion included where to place blame for such a catastrophic defeat, UND’s current state of “mediocrity” and disappointing finishes in the NCAA Tournament. Hakstol took the blunt of it.

Blais is the only current WCHA coach with a better career winning percentage than Hakstol (.652) and Don Lucia is the only WCHA coach with a better winning percentage in his first seven seasons with his current team (.671) than Hakstol.

What separates coaches like Blais, Lucia, Mike Eaves and George Gwozdecky is that those guys have national championship rings earned as head coaches. Scott Sandelin suffered six losing seasons and four WCHA finishes in eighth place or lower before he won his national title.

Hakstol has been to five Frozen Fours and coached the Sioux to the 2005 title game in his first season.

Dave Hakstol is not the reason UND hasn’t won a championship since 2000 but he, along with all the talent he recruited, is why the Sioux reached the Frozen Fours more than any team in the WCHA over the past seven years.

The 2010-11 North Dakota squad might’ve been the best team to play for Hakstol and it was a major letdown when the top-ranked Sioux lost to Michigan, 2-0, in the national semis.

Hakstol had his team on a mission in the postseason and the Sioux dominated the Wolverines that night, outshooting Michigan 40-20. Hakstol did not choke. The 2011 title was UND’s to win but the Sioux ran into a hot goalie, Shaun Hunwick, who made 40 saves to shut the Sioux down.

And six months later, the Sioux roster is void of the guys who scored 128 of the 177 UND goals last season and the team is young. Nebraska-Omaha is the only WCHA team to play more freshmen (8 ) in its first two games than UND – the Sioux has played seven – and only Wisconsin has less seniors on its roster (2) than UND, which has three.

Yes, BC caught the Sioux defense flat-footed on many occasions Saturday and Aaron Dell allowed a couple soft goals, but give it time. This isn’t the 2010-11 Sioux team, it’s a roster full of youth but promise. UND will experience growing pains and it’s going to take some time to get up to Sioux standards.

The 1-1 record is nothing for third-ranked UND or its fans to worry about. No. 1 Notre Dame opened with a loss to Minnesota-Duluth and No. 2 Miami lost at home to Bemidji State in its opener, so don’t look up. The sky is not falling in Grand Forks.

Brian Halverson joined our columnist staff this season and he breaks down Minnesota-Duluth’s new top line and Bemidji State’s split at No. 2 Miami

Connolly could do damage with new linemates

One of the questions facing Minnesota-Duluth as it prepared to begin its defense of the national championship was who would fill the vacancies left by Justin Fontaine and Mike Connolly on the Bulldogs’ top line alongside Jack Connolly.

That trio combined to lead the nation in scoring among Division I forward lines with 68 goals and 171 points. But when Fontaine and Connolly made the leap to professional hockey they took 50 goals and 112 points with them.

“It’s difficult when you lose the scoring that we did,” said Sandelin in UMD’s USCHO season preview. “We’ve got to look to some guys to step up and there’s still some question marks as to who those people are going to be.”

Sandelin received a preliminary answer in UMD’s weekend split with No. 1 ranked Notre Dame when junior Mike Seidel and sophomore J.T. Brown saddled up next to Connolly and displayed immediate chemistry.

Seidel, who entered the series with 13 goals to his credit over two seasons at UMD, scored three times against the Irish and Brown added one as the three combined to net four of the Bulldogs’ seven goals and eight points overall in the two games.

Connolly, the team’s leading scorer last season as a junior (18-41–59), was the line’s low man with ‘only’ two assists.

The Bulldogs host Minnesota this coming weekend and, despite back-to-back shutouts, the Gophers’ young defensemen – junior Seth Helgeson is the lone upperclassman – were not exactly tested in their season-opening series against Sacred Heart.

After what they produced against what was the nation’s No. 1 team, it appears Brown and Seidel are primed to step up and be part of UMD’s top scoring line, along with Connolly. Minnesota’s inexperienced defenders are the next test.

Don’t sleep on Bemidji State

Bemidji State was picked in the preseason coaches poll to land 10^th in the WCHA standings this season and we pretty much agreed (Tyler 9^th, Brian 10^th). But the Beavers gave notice in their season-opening series at No. 2 Miami that they are not interested in conceding that many spots in the standings.

Bemidji State traveled to Ohio last weekend and returned home with an impressive, hard-earned split with the Redhawks. After beating Miami 5-3 Friday, the Beavers and Redhawks were tied 2-2 late in the third until Matt Tomassoni’s second goal of the game with just 4:55 to play allowed Miami to escape with a split.

The prevailing opinion coming into the season was that goaltender Dan Bakala and forward Jordan George were, more often than not, going to have to be the catalysts for any Bemidji State successes. While that’s probably still true to some degree, it was not the case against Miami.

Bakala was still called upon the make the big saves when needed last weekend, just not nearly as often as he is accustomed. Bemidji State limited Miami to 46 shots in the two games, well below last season’s opponent average of 30.2 shots per game.

While George did score one of Bemidji State’s two goals in Saturday’s loss, the Beavers got three points each from junior forward Aaron McLeod (2-1—3) and senior defenseman Brad Hunt (0-3—3) in the series.

Although there is some sentiment out there that Miami was not worthy of its No. 2 ranking – and certainly will not maintain it–the fact remains that the Beavers split with, and were in position to sweep, a highly-ranked, NCAA tournament caliber team on the road.

Weekend work-up: Oct. 9, 2011

By Paula C. Weston

October 9, 2011

Well, that was interesting.
With 18 nonconference games featuring CCHA teams, we were given a good early look at the league, top to bottom. Three things stand out.
1. No one is invincible.
No. 1 Notre Dame opened its season with a 4-3 loss to Minnesota-Duluth … which is the same way the Irish ended the 2010-11 season, and by the exact same score. Perhaps more troubling for the Irish — more troubling than being dealt two losses by the same team to bookend an offseason — is that UMD exploited ND’s penalty kill for two in that loss; the Irish gave up three in the previous meeting April 7. ND allowed just one power-play goal in Saturday’s 5-3 win.
After that game, sophomore T.J. Tynan said that the Irish “played grittier” with fewer turnovers. “We still didn’t play our best,” said Tynan, “but we know our team can be great if we play like we can.”
The No. 2 RedHawks also opened their season with a loss to a WCHA team, allowing four goals in the third period in Friday’s 5-3 loss. The 3-2 rebound the following night was secured by Matt Tomassoni’s shorthanded goal at 15:05 in the third.
2. Everybody wins!
Everyone in the CCHA except for Lake Superior played last weekend, and every team recorded at least one win. If we count LSSU’s sweep of UAH the prior weekend, we can say that everyone in the CCHA is at least .500 in nonconference play so far this season. Yes, I know it’s early and meaningless but this weekend’s results — with many games against the WCHA — could have turned out far worse.
Kudos especially to Bowling Green, whose win and tie against Connecticut give the Falcons their first opening weekend with positive results since 2008-09. Six different Falcons scored in the contests, and junior goaltender Andrew Hammond played both games.
3. Bob Daniels is a genius.
At the start of the season — as he does every season — Ferris State’s Bob Daniels speculates about the Bulldogs’ offense and where the goals will be coming from. During the preseason conference call, Daniels talked about the potential of Matt Kirzinger and Travis Ouellette and said that Eric Alexander is “a player we feel is ready for a breakout season as well as Kyle Bonis.”
In FSU’s 4-2 and 5-1 road sweep of St. Lawrence, Kirzinger and Alexander recorded their first two assists of the season, but Ouellette and Bonis, both juniors, each had three goals — and Bonis had the game-winner in each contest. Bonis had seven goals in 33 games last season; Ouellette had 10 in 36.
Kudos to the Bulldogs for that successful defense of the realm, for what little time the realm remains.
Paula’s Picks
Most recent weekend: 12-7-1
Season to date: 15-7-1
I’ll take it — especially since I called for splits in the Quinnipiac-OSU and NMU-Wisconsin series, but picked the wins and losses on the opposite nights.

Moral Victories?

By Chris Lerch

October 9, 2011

Three things I leaned from the first weekend of play in Atlantic Hockey

– For some teams, there are no moral victories. “We are way past moral victories,” Air Force coach Frank Serratore said after a 4-3 loss on Friday at North Dakota, where the Falcons held a 3-2 lead with seven minutes to play.

“We had them down, right where we wanted them, and we didn’t get it done. There is nothing to feel good about. We are plenty good enough to lose close to anyone in the country. The bottom line is that we were in a heavyweight weight and we were ahead and lost a decision. We just didn’t finish. Teams either find a way to get it done or they find a way to let it get away. Plain and simple, we didn’t get it done.”

The Falcons also lost the lead and the game on Saturday, 3-2 to Michigan State. Air Force goalie Jason Torf left with the game tied and with five minutes to play after suffering a groin injury, and rookie Paul Moberg allowed the game winner on the only shot he faced, 54 seconds into overtime.

– Maybe for some teams, there are some moral victories – Both AIC and Bentley were swept at Michigan Tech and Michigan, respectively, but AIC led in both games and Bentley stayed with the Wolverines until late in each game. UConn played two close games at Bowling Green, bowing 2-1 on Friday and earning a back-and-forth 4-4 tie on Saturday.

– There is already some hot goaltending in the league – Niagara’s Cody Campbell and Rochester Institute of Technology’s Shane Madolora both posted shutouts on Saturday – against each other. Madolora made 32 saves and Campbell stopped all 30 shots he faced in a 0-0 tie. It’s the first scoreless tie in RIT’s 47 year history.

“Normally, you see a lot of 7-6 games this time of year,” said RIT coach Wayne Wilson after the game. “But both goalies played very well.”

ritnugoalies — Cody Campbell and Shane Madolora dueled to a scoreless tie on Saturday (Omar Phillips)

First impressions across Hockey East

By David H. Hendrickson

October 9, 2011

It’s only one weekend so I reserve the right to unlearn what I think I’ve learned. But here are three things I think I learned from this weekend’s games.

Three, Massachusetts may have found at least one solution to the graduation of goaltender Paul Dainton.

I know it’s just one game and the road to Goaltender Stardom is littered with the empty husks of goalies who looked good in their first game.

Got it.

But let’s put it this way. Freshman Kevin Boyle made a strong first impression in UMass’s 3-3 tie with Northeastern. The Huskies finally got the equalizer via an extra-attacker goal with two seconds remaining, but Boyle looked strong protecting a 3-2 lead from early in the second period until that point.

UMass coach Don “Toot” Cahoon won’t be making any lasting decisions based on the one game, but going into the season he needed either returning sophomore Jeff Teglia or one of two freshmen, Boyle or Steve Mastalerz, to emerge between the pipes. Teglia might well have gotten the start against Northeastern if not felled by illness.

But let’s just say that the early evidence on one of the three candidates is quite positive.

Two, this is not last year’s BU Terriers; the 2011-2012 edition can protect a third-period lead.

Last year, the Terriers were infamous for robbing goaltender Kieran Millan of shutouts by taking chances to “get their goal” and in the process turn a 2-0 or 3-0 lead into a close game. Against New Hampshire on Saturday, however, BU maintained a defense-first approach, limiting the Wildcats to only six third-period shots (with the result of getting goals off defense instead of bad choices).

One, this may be last year’s Merrimack Warriors.

Those who expected the Warriors to wither up and die following the loss of Stephane Da Costa (and others), got a surprise this past weekend. Merrimack traveled up to Orono and defeated Maine, 2-1.

In many ways, the Warriors followed the same recipe that gave them so much success last year. Other than the low score (which admittedly could be evidence of a more defensive style of play), the ingredients all match.

Last year, especially in the playoffs, Merrimack blocked shot after shot. Against Maine, the Warriors blocked 19 of them.

Beyond that, they killed all nine penalties and scored a shorthanded goal. Least year, their PK ranked third in Hockey East, behind only BU and BC, and their nine shorthanders trailed only BC.

Based on the one game, the recipe matches.

After exhibition sleepwalk, Millan back in form for Boston University

By Scott Weighart

October 8, 2011

BOSTON — Boston University fans know that they can count on senior goaltender Kieran Millan.

Except, perhaps, in games that don’t count.

In last week’s exhibition game, Millan sleepwalked through two periods, giving up five goals on just 17 shots against St. Francis Xavier. But what a difference a week, and a game that counts in the Hockey East standings, can make. Millan made 35 saves against No. 12 New Hampshire, including four or five real gems, to earn his sixth career shutout while tying Sean Fields for the all-time Terriers record for wins with 62.

It was enough to make Jack Parker wonder just who was that masked man last Saturday night.

“I went in the dressing room and asked, ‘Kieran, who was that guy wearing your uniform last week?'” Parker said. “I’ve never seen him look like that, ever. I’ve seen him look like tonight a lot of times. Glad to have him back.”

Millan wasn’t fazed by his performance last week, knowing that this was the first one that really mattered.

“It’s an important game, where last game we’re just trying to get our feet wet,” Millan said. “Obviously, it didn’t go the way I wanted it to go, but it didn’t mean anything, so it was really easy to refocus and get ready for this week.”

If you glanced at the box score, 5-0 makes it look like a BU blowout, but it could just have easily been a 4-4 game. The BU skaters played at a high energy level and looked like world-beaters at times with slick passing in the offensive end, but they also had their fair share of brain cramps that led to all too many odd-man rushes and a pair of short-handed breakaways.

“Right off the bat, we gave them two-on-ones, three-on-twos,” Parker said. “We’ve got to be more thorough in our own end.”

Despite the chances, it was literally all for naught for the Wildcats. The first great save came halfway through the first period, when a BU defenseman unwisely pinched to set up a UNH two-on-one. Nick Sorkin made a fantastic pass through the defender, but Millan stoned Austin Block on the doorstep.

Parker was surprised to learn that it was a record-tying performance.

“He tied it for wins tonight? I didn’t know that. He’s going to go well beyond that, I hope. He’s been a terrific goaltender, and he’s had a chance to play from the get-go as a freshman; obviously had a great year as a freshman to get us to the national championship. He’s been one of the best goalies to play here in a long line of really good goalies.”

While breaking the record might seem to have been a lock, that wasn’t the case last spring. A pro contract was a definite possibility.

“Obviously, we’re tickled that he came back,” Parker said. “There was talk that he might sign with Colorado. I think he’s really happy to be back and looking forward to a great senior year with us.”

Gallery: Niagara at RIT

By Todd D. Milewski

October 8, 2011

Photographer Omar Phillips captured these pictures Saturday night in Niagara’s 0-0 tie with Rochester Institute of Technology.

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Gallery: Notre Dame at Minnesota-Duluth

By Jim Rosvold

October 8, 2011

The mood was festive at Amsoil Arena on Friday night. The 2011 National Championship banner was unveiled before the Bulldogs played the Fighting Irish in the season opener. Here are some images from an action packed 4-3 Duluth victory:

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Holy Cross adds Guerriero to coaching staff as new assistant

USCHO Staff Report

October 7, 2011

Holy Cross has named former Northeastern captain Jason Guerriero as an assistant coach.

“We are very excited to have Jason on our staff,” said Holy Cross head coach Paul Pearl. “He brings a ton of enthusiasm and hockey knowledge to the job and his work ethic is outstanding.”

Guerriero graduated from Northeastern in 2005 having compiled 147 points on 49 goals and 98 assists.

Following graduation, Guerriero went on to have a six-year professional hockey career, including two seasons as a member of the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League, and played last year for Sonderjyske Hockey Club in Denmark.

This will be Guerriero’s first coaching job.

Paula's Picks: Oct. 7

By Paula C. Weston

October 7, 2011

It was a good week for the CCHA, with three nonconference wins and a bunch of exhibition victories (and one notable exception — congratulations, Ontario IT) but this week really kicks off the regular season.
Last week: 3-0
Season to date: 3-0
Hey, that was easy!
Click on any team’s name to see its season preview — well, any team but Alabama-Huntsville. Everyone plays except for Lake Superior State.
This Week
There are two tournaments this week.

IceBreaker Tournament

North Dakota hosts this year’s Ice Breaker in Grand Forks Oct. 7-8.
Michigan State vs. Boston College Friday, 4:05 p.m. CT.
The Spartans beat Western Ontario 6-1 in exhibition play Tuesday night, a game in which sophomore Greg Wolfe netted two goals and Drew Palmisano stopped 22 shots. This is BC’s first action of the season. The warm-up will help the Spartans, but I’m going with how the CCHA traditionally performs against Hockey East — and Boston College in particular. BC 3-2
Air Force/NoDak vs. Michigan State Saturday, 4:05/7:05 p.m.
The Falcons took two exhibition games from Canadian teams last weekend, outscoring opponents by the collective score of 13-7. The Sioux beat Regina in one exhibition game, 8-1, a game in which seven different UND players scored and three NoDak goalies saw action. MSU over Air Force, 2-1; UND over MSU 4-2

Kendall Hockey Classic

Alaska-Anchorage hosts the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage, but the Seawolves and Nanooks won’t meet until the end of the season, when they play for the Governor’s Cup.
St. Cloud vs. Alaska Friday, 5:05 p.m. AT
Sophomore Colton Beck and junior Chad Gehon each had two goals when the Nanooks blanked Northern Alberta IT last Saturday. Senior Scott Greenham, junior Steve Thompson and freshman Sean Cahill each played a period, in that order. This is the first game of the season for St. Cloud, who finished ninth in the WCHA last season. Alaska 3-2
Clarkson vs. Alaska Saturday, 4:05 AT
The Golden Knights beat Ottawa in exhibition play Sunday. Paul Karpowich made 25 stops in the game and four different Clarkson players scored. Clarkson finished seventh in the ECAC last season. Alaska 4-2

Everyone Else

All games are Friday-Saturday at 7:05 p.m., with the exception of the Michigan series and Friday’s Miami game.
Alabama-Huntsville at Western Michigan The Chargers lost two one-goal games at home to Lake Superior State last weekend, while WMU beat Toronto, 7-2, Saturday. Seven different Broncos scored in that contest and Nick Pisellini made 19 saves. WMU 3-2, 5-3
Bemidji State at Miami Each of these teams won in exhibition play last Sunday. BSU shut out Regina, 7-0, with seven different Bemidji players scoring and three tending goal. In Miami’s 4-1 win over Windsor, Alden Hirschfeld had two goals; Connor Knapp and Cody Reichard split time in net, with Reichard allowing the only goal. I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t call the RedHawks to win two. Miami 3-2, 3-1
Bentley at Michigan Bentley, who finished 10th in the AHA last season, begins the new campaign with two in Yost Arena. The Wolverines recovered from their Saturday exhibition loss with a Monday exhibition win over the U.S. Under-18 Team and a real win — a 5-0 win — over Niagara Tuesday night. Shawn Hunwick and Adam Janecyk shared the shutout, while Chris Brown and Lindsay Sparks each had two goals. UM 4-2, 3-2
Connecticut at Bowling Green UConn warmed up with a 7-4 exhibition win over Ryerson Saturday, a game in which Marcello Ranallo and Ryan Tyson each had two goals. Garrett Bartus and Tom Communale each played for the Huskies in net; Communale allowed three of the four goals. Sunday, BG beat Ontario IT — the team that had gotten by Michigan the night before — by a score of 7-4. James McIntosh, Mike Fink, and Jake Sloat each potted two for the Falcons; Andrew Hammond, Scott Zacharias and Wyatt Galley each played a period in net. The Huskies finished sixth in Atlantic Hockey last year. BGSU 3-2, UConn 4-2
Ferris State at St. Lawrence FSU beat Toronto, 5-0, Sunday, and what you’re about to read is going to seem familiar: five different Bulldogs scored, and three goalies — Taylor Nelson, C.J. Motte, Rob Granett — each played a period. Who knew? SLU lost to Carleton last Sunday, 5-2, and the Saints had three goalies in net for that one, too. I’m thinking that the original Defender of the Realm defend what’s left of the realm. FSU 4-3, 3-2
Notre Dame at Minnesota-Duluth Notre Dame beat Western Ontario, 4-0, Sunday, a game in which Billy Maday registered two and Mike Johnson and Steven Summerhays shared the net. Minnesota-Duluth beat Lakehead 5-1 last Sunday. Travis Oleksuk had two goals and Kenny Reiter and Aaron Crandall shared the net. This weekend, the Bulldogs get to raise their national championship banner with one of the teams they beat in the Frozen Four in the building. The Irish ended their 2010-11 season with a 4-3 loss UMD, giving up three power-play goals in the game, something that rankles them almost as much as the loss itself. Again, given where I voted the Irish in the preseason poll, I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t call a sweep — even against the defending national champions. ND 3-2, 3-2
Northern Michigan at Wisconsin This is the first action of the season for both the Wildcats and the Badgers. I got nothin’. UW 4-2, NMU 3-2
Quinnipiac at Ohio State Last Sunday, Quinnipiac warmed up with a 5-2 win over Acadia. Connor Jones had two goals and Dan Clarke and Jake Whiting each saw time in net. (Apparently, the preseason was scripted this year all across the country. Who knew?) OSU beat Windsor, 6-5, last Saturday. Chris Crane had two goals for the Buckeyes and — are you ready for it? — Cal Heeter and Brady Hjelle each played goal for OSU. QU 3-2, OSU 3-2

Women’s Picks: October 7

By Candace Horgan

October 7, 2011

Well, both Arlan and I kicked off our picks season in great style. I went 8-1-1 (.850), as did Arlan 8-1-1 (.850). We have some tougher games to pick this week, so hopefully our prognostication abilities are up to the task.

Friday-Saturday, October 7-8

Bemidji State at Ohio State
Candace: Bemidji did well to take three of four points from a Friars squad that many expect to challenge the Boston hegemony in Hockey East. Ohio State is the type of team that the Beavers need to beat if they want to take the next step in the WCHA. I’m calling a Bemidji sweep. Bemidji 3-1, 2-1
Arlan: Providence provided the Beavers with a helpful prep last weekend. BSU 2-0, OSU 3-1

Quinnipiac at Maine
Candace: I expect the Q to be one of the few teams to challenge Cornell for dominance in the ECAC this season. They looked good last week in a split with perennial power Mercyhurst. Quinnipiac 4-2, 3-1
Arlan: Bobcats ride momentum of Lakers win to sweep of Black Bears. Quinnipiac 3-1, 2-1

Friday, October 7

Syracuse at Northeastern

Candace: A tough one to call. The Orange are looking to challenge the better teams in the country, but last week’s blowout loss to the Gophers showed they aren’t quite there yet. Northeastern has been up and down over the last few seasons. I think home ice will be key. Northeastern 1-0
Arlan: Home ice and Schelling are a tough combination to overcome. NU 2-0

Saturday-Sunday, October 8-9

North Dakota at Wisconsin
Candace: The Sioux rebounded Saturday against Boston University, but Wisconsin is an order of magnitude above the Terriers. Plus, it’s in Madison, so despite the high-flying Lamoureux sisters, I think the Badgers will sweep two close games. Wisconsin 3-2, 4-2
Arlan: Sioux playing at high level coming of BU, but it’s been a long time since anyone swept a Mark Johnson team. UND 3-2, Wisconsin 5-1

Boston College at Minnesota-Duluth
Candace: The Eagles had a great season last year, but lost their two best players to graduation. Minnesota-Duluth is looking to move back up on the WCHA and national rankings after a somewhat disappointing season. I think the Eagles have enough though for a split. Minnesota-Duluth 4-2, Boston College 2-1
Arlan: Hard one to pick, because neither team has played a game yet. If either gets swept, it gets their season off to a rocky start. UMD 3-1, BC 2-1

Saturday, October 8

Syracuse at New Hampshire
Candace: The Orange shocked the Wildcats last season when UNH was still in the top 10. I expect that loss will be extra motivation for New Hampshire. UNH 2-1
Arlan: Young Orange team not yet ready for the big ice of the Whit. UNH 3-2

Sunday October 9

Providence at St. Lawrence
Candace: Providence didn’t look too good against Bemidji last weekend, and St. Lawrence often hovers near the top 10 nationally. The Saints lost their starting goalie from last year though, so they may struggle early. Look for Providence to get the win. Providence 3-2
Arlan: Goals are tough to find in this game, and the Friars get the deciding one. Providence 2-1

Good opening months key to Alabama-Huntsville’s season

By Tom Robinson

October 7, 2011

Chris Luongo believes the time is now for Alabama-Huntsville to get started in the right direction.

“If there is a spot on our schedule that is key, it’s between now and mid-November because we have four series at home between now and then,” Luongo said. “The second half of the year is going to be on the road at Maine, on the road at [Minnesota-]Duluth, on the road at Denver, so it’s going to be a challenging stretch.”

The Chargers are trying to get turned in a new direction after going 4-26-2 in Luongo’s first season. They opened the 2011-12 season by dropping a pair of one-goal games to Lake Superior State.

“We’re going to have to make some hay here,” Luongo said of the early part of the schedule. “That’s especially challenging with an extremely young team, but the guys are up to it and they’re extremely excited about the season.”

Alabama-Huntsville’s independent schedule includes eight teams that made the NCAA tournament a year ago.

The Chargers have nine newcomers on the roster, led by defenseman Graeme Strukoff and Ben Reinhardt and forward Kyle Lysaght. Craig Pierce, another freshman, had one of three Alabama-Huntsville goals on the opening weekend.

Jamie Easton, Mac Roy and Justin Cseter, three of the top five scorers, return from a squad that averaged fewer than two goals per game.

About the Chargers

2010-11 record: 4-26-2

Key losses: Forwards Neil Ruffini, Keenan Desmet and Chris Fairbanks; defensemen Ryan Burkholder and Matt Baxter

Players to watch: Goaltender Clarke Saunders; forwards Jamie Easton, Brice Geoffrion, Mac Roy and Justin Cseter; defensemen Curtis deBruyn and Tom Durnie

Impact rookie: Defenseman Graeme Strukoff

Why the Chargers will finish better than last year: All three goaltenders return behind a defense that features team captain Curtis deBruyn and four-year player Tom Durnie and adds promising freshmen Graeme Strukoff and Ben Reinhardt.

Why the Chargers will not finish better than last year: A team that scored fewer than two goals per game last season and managed just three in the first two games this season does not return a player who scored more than six goals a year ago.

Atlantic Hockey Picks 10/7-10/13

By Chris Lerch

October 7, 2011

Welcome to the first edition of the picks for the 2011-2012 season.
Friday, October 7
Air Force at North Dakota (Icebreaker Tournament) – It’s a homecoming for Air Force captain Paul Weisgarber, a former North Dakota Mr. Hockey award winner in high school. The Falcons will put a scare into the Fighting Sioux, but I think the hosts come out on top. North Dakota 3, Air Force 2.

Robert Morris vs. Colgate (Maverick Stampede) – There won’t be much atmosphere at the early game, but I like the Colonials in what should be an entertaining game for those that come early. RMU 5, Colgate 4.

Mercyhurst at Nebraska-Omaha (Mavericak Stampede) – There are two AHA teams in Omaha, looking to avoid playing each other, unless it’s in the championship game. I’m picking against that. UNO 4, Mercyhurst 2

Saturday October 8
Niagara at Rochester Institute of Technology – The Tigers have not beaten the Purple Eagles since both were in a D-III league in 1997. I think RIT gets the monkey off its back. RIT 3, Niagara 2.

Union at Army – Army is tough to beat at home, but Union has too many weapons. The Dutchmen are 13-0-1 against the Black Knights dating back to 1992. Union 4, Army 2.

Friday, October 7 and Saturday October 8
UConn at Bowling Green – I’m picking a split, with Bowling Green coming out on top Friday and the Huskies rebounding on Saturday. BGSU3, UConn 2; UConn 4, BSGU 3.

American International at Michigan Tech – These teams have never played each other, and both coming off last-place finishes in their leagues. I’m giving Tech the home-ice edge, however. MTU 3, AIC 2; MTU 5, AIC 3.

Bentley at Michigan – This is another first-ever meeting. Michigan beat up on Niagara last Tuesday thanks to winning the goaltending battle. I think the Wolverines match as well against Bentley. Michigan 4, Bentley 1; Michigan 4, Bentley 2.

Sacred Heart at Minnesota – And yet another first-time meeting. The Pioneers are coming off a disappointing season and this is a tough place to try to get back on track. A win here would be a huge first step, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. Minnesota 4, Sacred Heart 1; Minnesota 4, Sacred Heart 3.

Boston College/Michigan State vs. Air Force – I think Air Force drops this game regardless of the opponent.

Colgate/RMU vs. Mercyhurst – In an All-AHA title or consolation game, I”m going with RMU. I’m picking the Lakers to lose to Colgate if they happen to square off.

Mercyhurst/UNO vs. RMU – See above on a potential RMU/’Hurst game. I think UNO wins this tournament, so I’m picking the Mavericks to defeat Robert Morris if that matchup occurs.

Wednesday, October 12
Holy Cross at Quinnipiac – The Crusaders will get a tuneup Friday with an exhibition against New Brunswick. This game opens a string of six straight games for the Bobcats against AHA teams. I’m picking the Crusaders to win on the road. Holy Cross 3, Quinnipiac 2.

Hockey East Picks – October 7-13

By Jim Connelly

October 7, 2011

It’s almost unbelieve to think that it’s now October and the Hockey East season is back upon us. Jim will be looking to defend his picks title from a year ago over Dave, while the old man (that’s Dave) is out for blood.

Here are this week’s picks:

Friday, October 7

Massachusetts at Northeastern
Jim’s pick: Tough choice here but I’ll pick the Huskies winning for their new head coach.
NU 3, UMass 2

Dave’s pick: I’ll get the season off to a good start by disagreeing with Jimmy. It says here the new head coaches get off to a rocky start.
UMass 3, NU 2

Merrimack at Maine
Jim’s pick: Early test for the somewhat new-look Warriors team. While I think they’re evenly matched, I think home ice is the difference maker.
Maine 4, MC 2

Dave’s pick: Sadly, I must agree this time. Home ice decides.
Maine 3, MC 2

Michigan State vs. Boston College (at Ice Breaker, Grand Forks, N.D.)
Jim’s pick: BC comes out of the gates flying.
BC 5, Michigan St. 2

Dave’s pick: Yup. BC in a clear win.
BC 4, Michigan St. 2

Saturday, October 8

New Hampshire at Boston University
Jim’s pick: Great early-season matchup! Let’s see how the UNH offensive looks against what should be a decent BU defense.
UNH 4, BU 3

Dave’s pick: I’m going with home ice here in a battle of goaltenders.
BU 2, UNH 1

Boston College vs. North Dakota/Air Force (Ice Breaker, Grand Forks, N.D.)
Jim’s pick: I see two different outcomes depending on the opponent.
BC 6, AFA 3; or No.Dak. 4, BC 3

Dave’s pick: At a neutral site, I’d pick BC regardless of opponent. But with the game in Grand Forks, North Dakota will be too tough to beat.
BC 4, AFA 1; or No.Dak. 3, BC 2

Sunday, October 9

Northeastern at Maine
Jim’s pick: Black Bears quick starters and earn to wins to start the season.
Maine 5, NU 2

Dave’s pick: I’d go with a big Maine win here even at a neutral site.
Maine 4, NU 1

Minnesota State searching for goals to swing close games

By Brian Halverson

October 7, 2011

Since finishing in a tie for fourth place in the WCHA in 2007-08, Minnesota State has endured a steady fall toward the bottom of the conference standings. If the Mavericks are to climb even a few rungs up the conference ladder in 2011-12, last season’s ninth-ranked scoring offense (2.39 goals per game) must be improved upon.

“We didn’t score the way we needed to be successful,” Mavericks coach Troy Jutting said. “I thought defensively we played pretty good hockey last year and didn’t give up a ton of goals but we did not score the way you need to.”

Certainly not in the manner necessary to squeeze a few more points out of several close games. In fact, 22 Minnesota State games last season were decided by one goal or fewer, including eight losses and six ties.

“We created opportunities last year, we just did not finish,” said Jutting. “We’ve got to do a better job of that this year if we want to be successful. We’re better up front, quite a bit better up front, than we’ve been in a while.”

Look for senior captain Michael Dorr — Minnesota State’s top-scoring returnee with 26 points (12-14–26) — to lead the charge up front, aided by junior Eriah Hayes (11-11–22) and sophomore Chase Grant (8-12–20).

The Mavericks finished last season 11th in the conference standings, which is where the preseason coaches poll predicts them to land this season. But Jutting doesn’t put a lot of stock in polls in general, especially those taken before games are played.

“I think [the reason] we’re there in the coaches minds is that we did lose three senior defensemen (Ben Youds, Kurt Davis and Channing Boe) who played a lot of hockey for us,” said Jutting. “We have to replace those minutes.”

That will be a tall order for a young defensive corps, not only considering the sheer volume of ice time consumed by the now-departed defensive trio but also their production. Davis led all Minnesota State players last year with 27 points (9-18–27) while Youds (7-14–21) and Boe (5-5–10) each finished with double-digit point totals.

“There’s going to be some young kids that need to learn in a hurry and adjust in a hurry to the pace, the quality and the talent of the WCHA,” Jutting said, referring to players such as sophomore Josh Nelson and freshmen Zach Palmquist, Brett Stern and Mat Knoll.

That blue line inexperience likely will place added pressure on Minnesota State’s returning goaltending tandem of Austin Lee and Phil Cook. As they have the past two seasons, Jutting expects the pair to share the goaltending duties, although Cook (10-13-4, 3.01 goals against average) received the bulk of last year’s playing time over Lee (4-5-2, 2.59).

Regardless of who plays, Jutting said Lee and Cook are, “going to have to perform well early on while our young guys back on the blue line kind of get the college game figured out.”

About the Mavericks

2010-11 overall record: 14-18-6

2010-11 WCHA record: 8-16-4 (11th)

2011-12 predicted finish (coaches poll): 11th

Key losses: D Ben Youds, D Kurt Davis, D Channing Boe

Players to watch: F Michael Dorr, F Eriah Hayes, F Chase Grant

Impact rookie: F Matt Leitner

Why the Mavericks will finish higher than the coaches poll: Goal scoring and goaltending are enough to squeeze out a few more close-game wins.

Why the Mavericks will finish lower than the coaches poll: Scoring woes continue while inexperienced defenders are exposed.

Alaska-Anchorage looking for more scorers to emerge

By Tyler Buckentine

October 7, 2011

Last season was a big step for Alaska-Anchorage, which made just its second appearance in the WCHA Final Five in program history.

In order for UAA to make a return trip to St. Paul, Minn., and improve on last season by earning an NCAA tournament bid, the Seawolves will have to find other sources for offense.

“It’s going to take some time for us to find ourselves,” said coach Dave Shyiak. “The five seniors that we lost played the hard minutes for us and it’s going to take some time for the young guys to step in and fill those roles.”

The Seawolves ranked 48th in the country in scoring offense last season, and three of their top six scorers off last season’s roster are gone. Tommy Grant (16-16–32), Craig Parkinson (8-13–21) and Sean Wiles (10-7–17) all graduated.

Jordan Kwas had 24 points as a freshman but the Seawolves need him to score more goals. He had four last season. Matt Bailey (10-10–20) is another forward expected to lead the UAA offense as a sophomore this season.

About the Seawolves

2010-11 overall record: 16-18-3

2010-11 WCHA record: 12-14-2 (eighth)

2011-12 predicted finish (coaches poll): Ninth

Key losses: F Tommy Grant, F Craig Parkinson, F Sean Wiles

Players to watch: G Rob Gunderson, F Jordan Kwas, F Matt Bailey

Impact rookie: D Austin Coldwell

Why the Seawolves will finish higher than the coaches poll: Kwas will break out and give UAA the boost it needs offensively.

Why the Seawolves will finish lower than the coaches poll: The Seawolves simply don’t have the scoring right now.

Nebraska-Omaha appears to have depth to cover personnel losses

By Tyler Buckentine

October 7, 2011

The identity of Nebraska-Omaha is high-flying action and heavy offense. The Mavericks lost a lot of players in the offseason who contributed to that style, but there’s plenty of youth ready to not only fill in, but expand upon their roles.

“Up front, we lost three of our top six scorers but we have a lot of guys returning who had great years so we have good balance,” said coach Dean Blais. UNO’s top three scorers in 2010-11 — Joey Martin, Rich Purslow and Matt Ambroz — are gone.

A few returning players Blais referred to were Alex Hudson (13-18–31) and Terry Broadhurst (11-19–30). But Hudson, a captain and the Mavericks’ leading returning scorer, was suspended indefinitely by the school in late September.

And then there was the promising rookie class featuring Matt White (14-11–25), Ryan Walters (11-12–23) and Brock Montpetit (11-10–21), who all played a significant role in UNO’s high-powered offense last season.

“Because they were so talented, they got a chance to play and they contributed,” Blais said. “The more ice time they got, they improved to the point where they were contributing a lot.

“We had times last year where we played three freshmen together and it didn’t seem to matter because they got the job done.”

UNO’s incoming freshmen class will be counted on to bolster its blue line, just like last year’s rookies gave the offense a boost.

“We have two freshman in Brian O’Rourke and Jacob Megna on ‘D’ that have been impressive,” Blais said. “Jacob got a lot of ice time and played very well for us in the exhibition game against British Columbia.”

If it all comes together, the Mavericks shouldn’t have a problem reaching the Final Five. Of course, that was an expectation last season, too, when the Mavericks went 0-5-1 against Bemidji State and were swept out of the WCHA first round by the Beavers.

“We had a lot of good up-and-down games against [BSU] last year and we couldn’t find a way to beat them,” Blais said. “[BSU goalie] Dan Bakala was great in those games. He might get to the NHL if any scouts saw him play against us.”

About the Mavericks

2010-11 overall record: 21-16-2

2010-11 WCHA record: 17-9-2 (third)

2011-12 predicted finish (coaches poll): Fourth

Key losses: D Eric Olimb, F Matt Ambroz, F Rich Purslow, F Joey Martin

Players to watch: G John Faulkner, F Alex Hudson, F Terry Broadhurst, F Matt White, F Ryan Walters

Impact rookie: F Jayson Megna

Why the Mavericks will finish higher than the coaches poll: UNO’s sophomore forwards will continue to score and Faulkner will have another solid season in goal.

Why the Mavericks will finish lower than the coaches poll: The lack of veteran leadership will hurt the Mavericks, especially with junior captain Hudson suspended indefinitely.