need<\/em> to win the first-round game against Northern Michigan (no slouch) and put themselves in position to at least play Minnesota (a team that can essentially punch its ticket to the Frozen Four right now).<\/p>\nTwo, the Beanpot. An albatross, it seems, over the Crimson in recent years. They’ve already beaten the two big dog Beanpot teams this season. If they do it again, it’s a dream season already, no matter what happens in the NCAA (so long as there’s not another third-period meltdown).<\/p>\n
Falcon Crest<\/h4>\n
A number of teams have faced adversity this season and overcome it. Take Alaska-Anchorage, for example. Players getting suspended for figthing each other, and a rash of major injuries to deplete a lineup already smacked by early departures.<\/p>\n
Then there’s Bowling Green, where Scott Paluch has fashioned himself a pretty good team despite seeing seven upperclassmen suspended earlier this season for four games. Paluch, raised under the tutelage of Jerry York, and his assistants have already proven to be one of the best young staffs in the country. And then they were hit with another situation — the continuing health issues of their all-league goalie.<\/p>\n
It came to light last week that goalie Jordan Sigalet is suffering from multiple sclerosis. How this has been handled, by the team as a whole, and by Sigalet in particular, is extraordinarily admirable.<\/p>\n
Sigalet is handling things admirably, but you can sense the disappointment in his voice when you speak to him. Still, he continues to be hopeful that the disease will not force him to retire. He said he’s taking medication that supposedly kicks in after six months, and this is month five. He said that if the episodes he has do not pop up, then playing with MS is not an issue. It’s just that no one knows when he’ll have an attack, as he did a couple weeks ago.<\/p>\n
“If I wasn’t taking medication it would get worse,” Sigalet said. “I take an injection three times a week. … It’s been frustrating. It’s a waiting game. I’m looking forward to [six months] to see if it’s starting to work. If it works well, hopefully there will be no more attacks.<\/p>\n
“Ever since the first attack, my hands never got their feeling back. All the other stuff comes and goes. My hands are like pins and needles. It took adjusting, but now I’m used it.<\/p>\n
“At first I couldn’t tie my shoes. Over time I got used to it. … I think [my game] is just as good as before.<\/p>\n
“Exercise is good. The part [the doctors] don’t like is the stress part of it all. It’s stressful mentally playing in a lot of games. It won’t make me worse.”<\/p>\n
Sigalet said it’s been great to have his brother on the team too, sophomore defenseman Jonathan Sigalet.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, as one of the few seniors on this young team, Jordan is optimistic about the program’s future, and high on Paluch.<\/p>\n
“You see the improvement every year, Sigalet says. “I wish I had more years left. <\/p>\n
“[Paluch] is the most positive guy you’ll ever meet. Even when things aren’t going good, he never get down on us or anything. He gives good vibes in the dressing room. I’ve been thankful to have him as a coach. He believed in me.”<\/p>\n
And he’s stuck with him through this ordeal, as Paluch and his staff continue to pull the right strings despite the challenging off-ice situations.<\/p>\n
Defending the Honor<\/h4>\n
The World Junior Championship is almost upon us, and again it is destined to be a great tournament, and again, the United States populace is destined not to care.<\/p>\n
And again, it’s a shame. Team USA is the defending champs, and they are defending the title on home soil. There’s a lot to be excited about with American hockey. The National Development program still has its issues among many people, but for the most part, it appears that USA Hockey has really figured things out. The junior teams, and under-18, and under-17 teams are all doing very well in recent years.<\/p>\n
Some of the selections for this year’s team were interesting. One was Shawn Weller from Clarkson. It took a lengthy and tumultuous appeal to the NCAA just to get him through the Clearinghouse and in the Clarkson lineup, albeit a few games late. But once there, he’s played well. He was in the evaluation camp in August, and came out from under the radar to impress the organizers.<\/p>\n
So USA Hockey and coach Scott Sandelin went with him over the likes of Robbie Earl (Wisconsin), Tom Fritsche (Ohio State) and Peter MacArthur (Boston University). My spies tell me that Ohio State was all over Weller’s case all last weekend during the two-game set in Potsdam. The spy theorizes that OSU was trying to prove something after Weller was chosen over Buckeye wunderkind Fritsche. Just a theory.<\/p>\n
Earl was an interesting omission, given that he is leading Wisconsin in scoring and he comes from the Development Program. He was bypassed last year as well, but this year, he’s been more consistent. But some people have suggested perhaps he’s not gritty enough to do well in this tournament. All I know is, Earl has overcome adversity his whole life, and if he keeps his head on his shoulders, this could motivate him to a great season. There will be other opportunities for him to play for his country.<\/p>\n
The goaltending decision was interesting. The U.S. went with 2004 NHL first-round pick Cory Schneider out of Boston College to back up Al Montoya. Schneider is just 18, and there were older goalies they could have taken, such as Vermont’s Joe Fallon, just to name one. But Schneider is being groomed as the heir apparent down the line, and since Montoya has a good handle on things, the U.S. felt comfortable taking an inexperienced understudy with great potential. We just hope that Montoya doesn’t play as uninterestedly as he’s seemed at times this season for the Wolverines.<\/p>\n
Random<\/h4>\n
\u2022 Welcome RIT into the Division I fold. This is a long time coming, and great for college hockey. Even though the program won’t be able to give scholarships, this helps bring a relatively large market into Division I. The Rochester area will be hosting a regional soon, but this solidifies that area as an attractive spot for Division I hockey. There’s little doubt RIT could do well in Atlantic Hockey right now, and the program could very well be the next Niagara. <\/p>\n
\u2022 The WCHA is ridiculously good right now. It’s been building this way for the last few years, but it’s reached a peak. It’s hard for many people to admit this, since they are afraid this just fuels the West’s air of superiority, but forget all that nonsense. We’re just talking facts here, and there’s nothing wrong with that. With the job Mike Eaves has done at Wisconsin, and how Don Lucia has taken Minnesota back to its loftiest heights, and how Scott Owens stepped right in and picked up where Lucia left off at Colorado College, and how George Gwozdecky has molded Denver … I mean, where are the weak spots? These schools already have some natural advantages because of their tradition, because they are near youth hockey hotbeds, and because they have large buildings that attract recruits. When you throw in the mix that some of the nation’s best coaches have emerged there too, it’s hard to beat.<\/p>\n
\u2022 By my next article, BU will be firmly ensconced in Harry Agganis Arena. So here’s a fond farewell to Walter Brown Arena. I’ve been there a handful of times, and it was always a treat. But I hear Agganis is going to give The Ralph a run for its money (minus the marble floors), and I can’t wait to finally see it.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Anyone notice how smoothly the ECAC is going this year? Yeah, me too. It doesn’t hurt, of course, that the on-ice product is the best it’s been in a while — probably since 1997. There are some teams there with legitimate opportunities to make noise in the postseason.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Wisconsin is a quiet 13-5. Cornell is a quiet 7-2-2. Michigan is supposedly underachieving at 13-4-1.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What to make of the Canisius situation, and contrasting it to Harvard’s great run.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Between the Lines: Dec. 22, 2004 - College Hockey | USCHO.com<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n