Skipping School: Early Contracts Injur Small-Market Teams

Every college hockey coach wants professional-level players. The flip-side to that desire, however, is that those NHL-caliber players tend to make the jump from college to professional before their senior season plays out.

Nowhere is this more noticeable than the smaller-market colleges/universities. In a market where it is a challenge every year to recruit, the players that have what it takes to make it to the top is hard to come by. And when those players do finally don the jersey of a smaller hockey school, it is hard to convince many of them to play out all four years.

It's an impact felt much more at schools such as Northeastern, Vermont, or Lake Superior State than it is at schools such as Minnesota, Michigan, or Wisconsin. While the classic line for the major schools has been "they don't re-build--they re-load," every player lost from minor schools leaves a hole to be filled...especially when the player is a step-above their teammates.

Lake State scores! Screenshot taken from YouTube link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gUnw8tPRQI 

Northeastern will have a hole to fill this fall with the leaving of senior forward Steve Quailer. According to USCHO.com, Quailer acquired 63 points over three seasons with Northeastern. He has signed a two-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens.

The Vermont Catamounts have lost Zemgus Girgensons before he ever put on the Catamount jersey. Girgensons will sign a contract with the Buffalo Sabers as a first-round draft pick. Vermont will try to build without their stellar recruit.

Lake Superior State University lost two key players this summer. Senior Zach Trotman has signed a contract with the Boston Bruins, and will forgo his final year for the Lakers. Trotman was a solid anchor on defense for  the Lakers. In addition, LSSU lost junior forward Kyle Jean, who has signed with the New York Rangers. Jean was a force to be reckoned with at 6'4" and 212 lbs. According to lssulakers.com, Jean acquired 38 points in his two seasons at Lake State, including 24 points this past season.

These, and similar schools, do not have the option to simply re-load. They re-build. As legendary USA coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) said in the movie "Miracle":

"It's not about finding the best players. It's about finding the right ones."

--JoshE

Making the "Naughty List": CCHA and ECAC Give Suspensions

It looks like Santa will be making some notations in his little booklet.
And they aren't on the good side of his list.

I can see him writing now.

 "Alaska...tsk tsk...Notre Dame...my, oh my...Lake State...shameful...Yale...sigh."


All four of these teams received player game-suspensions within the past week, with the exception of Yale, who received a reprimand from the ECAC to their head coach.

The University of Alaska saw junior forward Adam Henderson penalized for "contact to the head roughing" against the Ferris State Bulldogs on Saturday night.  He received a five minute major and a game misconduct, and will not be allowed to participate in the Nanooks Friday night game against Bowling Green State.
Alaska lost the game 4-3.

The Fighting Irish have lost center Riley Sheahan for their upcoming game vs. Michigan. Sheahan, a Detroit Red Wings draft pick, delivered what uscho.com called an "illegal hit" in Notre Dame's 3-2 loss to the Western Michigan Broncos on Saturday night. That loss gave Western Michigan a weekend sweep of the Irish.

Lake Superior State felt the absence of forward Andrew Perrault last Friday night, in their 2-1 loss to the Miami Redhawks. Perrault, the 6' 2" sophomore from Saskatchewan, was suspended by the CCHA for the delivery of a hit against the University of Michigan on January 7th (LSSU and Michigan tied 2-2, with the Lakers winning the shootout 2-1). Perrault returned to the lineup last Saturday in the Lakers' 4-3 win over Miami.

The Yale Bulldogs received a reprimand this past week directed at their head coach Keith Allain. The East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) handed down the reprimand after Allain's heated post-game comments after a 5-4 overtime loss against the Clarkson Golden Knights. Allain threw harsh comments towards the officiating crew, landing himself on the conference's radar.

Suspensions are not anomalies, yet neither are they an everyday occurrence. But when suspensions or reprimands are given with bulk shipping, it makes both players and coaches stop and think a bit more before saying what's on their mind or delivering a questionable hit. Neither of which should be part of this game.

Canadians...and Russians...and Americans...Oh My! [International College Hockey Adds An Exciting Twist]

It's a unique challenge for everyone involved; no matter if they represent the stars and stripes, salute the maple leaf, or wear red as they cross the Pacific. 


Face it. When American college hockey meets a Russian select team or takes on a neighboring Canadian squad, things can get exciting. Even in exhibition match-ups.


An "all-star team of Russia's junior league"; that's how one online article accurately described just who these Russian Red Star players actually are (http://rt.com/sport/hockey/mhl-red-stars-hockey/). These outstanding players from the junior level have been pooled together and shipped to the United States to play eight games, with six games against NCAA opponents, the finale being tonight's game against UMass-Lowell.

Thus far, the Red Stars have played well, yet can only claim a single victory to date.
     Loss: 1-5 (North Dakota)
     Win:  6-1 (Vermont)
     Loss: 4-6 (Yale)
     Loss: 2-3 (Northern Michigan)
     Loss: 1-2 (Notre Dame)

Despite the 1-4 record, the Russian Red Stars have only been outscored 17-14. They have a chance to leave a good taste in their mouth tonight, as they close out their trip at 7:00pm in Massachusetts.

                                                                   *    *   *
The Western Ontario Mustangs hold a solid record back in Canada: 13-7 overall, with a 13-3 conference record. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, that record has not translated well across the border.
   
     Loss: 0-4 (Notre Dame)
     Loss: 1-6 (Michigan State)
     Loss: 4-7 (Harvard)
     Loss: 2-4 (Dartmouth)
     Loss: 2-3 (Lake Superior State)

Despite being outscored 24-9 in five games, the Mustangs can hope that the experience will only boost their season as they re-start collegiate play back in Canada. These are college kids, after all; it doesn't take rocket science to look at the results, find the film tape, and learn how to improve. The Mustangs should be ready for a big second half of the season.

When international teams face off at the rink, it provides a bit of incentive for exhibition games.
There is the opportunity to improve skills.
There's the chance to tune-up for the weekends conference game.
There the possibility for the third and fourth lines to get some extra time on the ice.

And, of course, there's national pride.


http://www.westernmustangs.ca/index.aspx?path=mhockey (Western Ontario)
http://rt.com/sport/hockey/mhl-red-stars-hockey/  (Article on Red Stars)
http://www.uscho.com/   (US College Hockey Online)

Holiday Tournaments Allow Inter-Conference Battles

Momentum? Sure. Conference standings? Negative. Extra Christmas pudding? Go for it.

But holiday hockey tournaments certainly don't appear to hold much weight at first glance. Or second glance for that matter. But one of the most overlooked parts of college hockey during the holidays is the chance for each conference to make a statement for itself.

Much like its older and larger brother, NCAA football, collegiate-level hockey teams often do not get the privilege of playing out-of-conference games until right around the beginning of the new year. When that happens, it gives the conferences a chance to make statements about the quality of teams it hosts. The more well-known conferences play to prove themselves the best; the smaller conferences play for recognition; meanwhile, the middle-of-the-road collaboration of teams goes out to prove it is top-notch and not to be ignored.

During this opening Thursday night, sixteen teams representing five conferences faced off for inter-conference battles on the hockey rink (the exception being UConn and Army, who faced each other as fellow members of the American Hockey Athletic conference).

Below, you will find the scores of all tonight's eight games, along with the conferences each team represents:

      Maine (Hockey East) :      6                 Clarkson (ECAC) : 1
      Michigan State (CCHA) :  3                 Michigan Tech (WCHA): 1
      Lake Superior (CCHA)  :  5                 Vermont (Hockey East) : 3
      R.I.T. (AHA) :   3                                 Ferris State (CCHA) : 0
      U-Mass Lowell (Hockey East) : 7         R.P.I. (ECAC) : 2
      UConn (AHA) : 2                                Army (AHA) : 0
      Michigan (CCHA) : 4                           Boston College (Hockey East) : 2
      St. Cloud State (WCHA) : 4                Western Michigan (CCHA) : 2


Now. Here are the records for each conference thus far in the holiday tournaments:

     American Hockey Athletics (AHA) :                      2-1
     Hockey East:                                                      2-2
     Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA):     3-2
     East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC):                0-2
     Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA):   1-1


At this point, strictly by mathematics, it's very close between the CCHA and AHA conferences. Going by percentages, AHA would lead with 66.7% success at this point in the tournaments. The CCHA would come in second with 60%. However, it should be noted that the CCHA has more overall wins than the AHA (as well as two additional teams playing); and also, two AHA teams played each other, automatically giving the conference a win and loss.

Based on scores and performance by the teams, I'd say the CCHA and Hockey East look to be the best teams out there in the tournaments. As far as championship games go, the CCHA will have both Michigan and Michigan State play each other, guaranteeing a tournament win. Lake Superior will play R.I.T., which hails from the AHA, for the Catamount Cup in Vermont. For Hockey East, both Maine and U-Mass Lowell will be in championship games on Friday night.

Things should get interesting over the weekend, as conferences battle each other in tournament hockey. Which team will come out with the most tournament titles? Who knows.

Just pass the chips, ring-in the end of the world, and catch some holiday hockey.

Out of Luck: Notre Dame's Irish Shocked with Winless Streak

The Leprechaun was enjoying himself.

Notre Dame took an eleven-game undefeated streak from October 21 thru November 25th, the longest active streak in the nation. During that period, the Irish outscored their opponents 34-21, with goaltender Mike Johnson allowing more than two goals/game only once (Johnson had a .5 GAA during that span). Despite some close games, Notre Dame seemed destined to win, even rising to the #2 team in the country.

But finally, Lake Superior State found the magic they needed, ending Notre Dame's streak with a 5-2 victory in Sault, Michigan. And while LSSU celebrated their victory, the Irish boarded the bus back to South Bend to await their weekend against a no-name Northeastern University squad, in preparation for the "real" test against #11 Ferris State.

Perhaps that's only speculation. But it helps explain the next four games.

Because ever since then, the Irish have struggled. They showed up at Compton Ice Arena with a chip on their shoulder from the loss at Lake Superior. But as fans across the country looked up at the jumbo-trons in their respective arenas on Friday night, they blinked twice and rubbed their eyes as the final score from South Bend flashed up on the screen. 9-2 Northeastern.

Same story the next night. Just a little closer. Not that it mattered.
Northeastern wins, 2-1.

It wasn't exactly the prep weekend the Irish were hoping for. The practice weekend for Notre Dame turned into them surrendering their first sweep of the season. Just in time for a Ferris State team the came out blitzing the Irish, shutting down an offense led by Anders Lee and TJ Tynan. The Bulldogs took the first game 4-1.

The winless streak was something quite unforeseen just two weeks ago for Coach Jackson's Irish. Notre Dame is not supposed to lose four straight games, at least in the eyes of Irish Nation.
But that Saturday, Notre Dame rebounded. The Irish came out Saturday night and split the series with Ferris State with a reflection of Friday's game: 4-1, this time for Notre Dame.

With that win, the Irish hope to be propelled into their three games over Christmas break with as much momentum as they can. It won't be an easy break either; games for Notre Dame include Boston University, the Minnesota Golden Gophers, and an exhibition against the Russian Red Stars.

The losing streak may be over, but Notre Dame's work to regain momentum is not. Fortunately, they are still listed near the top of the nation (currently #6), and are coming off a solid road win against Ferris State. A tough Christmas break will tell the country a lot about the future of this team's season.

The Leprechaun is on his knees now. But he's getting back up.

Sunday Review: Stumblers and Studs (Nov. 6th)

Never saw it coming for this weekend's stumbler.

#1 Boston College looked like they had a free game this past Saturday against a UMass Minutemen hockey squad with only one win on the year. Unfortunately, free games often become freak games.

Welcome to Amherst, City of Upsets.

UMass played Boston College hard all night long, taking a 1-1 tie into the third period. Once there, it took less than five minutes for Steven Guzzo to give the Minutemen the lead. And despite trading goals late in the period, Massachusetts held on to the lead, burying an empty-net goal to secure the 4-2 win over #1 BC.

 

                                                                  *   *   *

Ferris State was expected to win. But when everyone else in the top 10 is losing, kudos is given to the stud that FSU is proving themselves to be. 

#10 Ferris State (8-2-0) maintained a strong start to the season over a recently-struggling Bowling Green State hockey team. BGSU (4-5-1) started the season with a five game unbeaten streak; they have proceeded to drop their last five games.  The Falcons fell to Ferris by scores of 4-0 and 5-3.

Ferris State gets "stud" status for this week, despite having a weak schedule so far this year. Their competition has been less than mediocre, playing struggling squads from BGSU (5-game losing streak), Miami University (4-6-0, only two CCHA conference wins) and St. Lawrence (only one win [1-5-0]). 

It will be a statement weekend for the Bulldogs, as they face #11 Lake Superior State University in Big Rapids, MI this Friday/Saturday. Lake State is coming off a home-series split against Bemidji State.

                                                                   

        

#5 M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A Will Be Too Much for #14 North Dakota

Even as the the tribe of Sioux Indians fight to keep the mascot on the plains of the hockey landscape, the University of North Dakota is in need of some fighting of its own. 

Literally. It's time for the ever-interesting brawl fest against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

This series always turns out to be a hard-hitting, bench-clearing fight-instigating series. In 2008 these teams faced-off with at least three fights, with the capstone being the fight during the handshake line. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpbXDFfeyKs

#15 North Dakota makes the trek across the border to take on their rival #5 Minnesota. The Gophers hold a strong challenge for NoDak, with Minnesota coming into the game at 7-1-0. The Fighting Sioux have struggled a bit this year with a 3-4-1 record. 

The biggest challenge this weekend will be finding a way to shut down an incredible Gopher offense. Minnesota has scored 38 goals in eight games, averaging 5.375 goals per game. This is compared to North Dakota's average of 1.727 goals per game.

North Dakota has simply not had a good start to the year. They have struggled against nearly every team they have played, while Minnesota has blown teams out. The Gophers also have an impressive sweep of defending national champion #14 Minnesota-Duluth by two scores of 5-4. North Dakota on the other hand, was swept this year by then #17 Wisconsin, and has also lost a hard game to #1 Boston College by a score of 6-2. 

I would be surprised if North Dakota gets a win this weekend. Minnesota is too strong.

Prediction: Minnesota 4-2; Minnesota 4-0.

Bobcats Too Much for Struggling "Ivy League" Princeton

They walked to classes this morning in their preppy sweater vests and ties, carrying briefcases and portfolios that would make any public university student jealous. But when the time came to hit the ice, everyone remembers why students go to Princeton for academics and not hockey.

Despite back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances in 2008 and 2009, the Princeton Tigers, at only three games into the season, would very much like to start over and better their frustrating 0-2-1 record. The frustration for the Tigers only continued tonight against # 19 Quinnipiac University (7-2-0), as the Tigers suffered a 5-2 loss to the Bobcats.

Being down 1-0 in the first isn't the most demoralizing thing in the world. But when Quinnipiac's Russell Goodman was thrown out of the game with a 5-minute major penalty and a game misconduct, you can't go the entire powerplay without scoring. And you certainly can't give up a shorthanded goal.

Apparently, Princeton can. Scott Zurevinski scored a shorthanded goal with just over 3 minutes left in the period to put Quinnipiac up 2-0. 

The demise continued for the Tigers when the Bobcats made it a chilling 3-0 in the second period. A bit of life flickered for a moment, however, when Princeton's Will MacDonald scored late in the period to cut the lead to 3-1. Princeton would try in vain to get the crucial next goal, but QU went up 4-1 in the third thanks to a timely goal by Bryce Van Brabant. The Tigers continued to show a glimpse of life by cutting the lead back down to two, when Eric Meland scored for Princeton.

It wasn't enough to spark a comeback. Quinnipiac buried an empty net goal, and sealed the game at 5-2.

The Bobcats of Quinnipiac have had a nice start to the season, coming in this week at #19 in the country. The schedule, though, has been only mediocre. We will see how the Bobcats perform as the schedule lets them face off against #9 Yale and #13 Union later on in the season.

And for Princeton? Looks like it's back to the books to find out how to solve a struggling season.