-Marian's Chris Brown Finalist for
National D-III Coach-of-the-Year (3/13/02)
-Marian College Defeats Crookston for
MCHA Tournament Championship (2/24/02)
-MCHA Championship Line-Up Set;
Post-Season Awards Announced (2/23/02)
-MSOE's Mike Turcott Sets MCHA Career
Scoring Mark in Final Week (2/18/02)
-MCHA Tournament Action Right Around
the Corner (2/14/02)
-MCHA Tournament Seedings Yet to be
Decided; Sabres Stay Perfect (2/11/02)
-Marian College Clinches Regular
Season Title With Sweep of MSOE (2/4/02)
-Sweep of Lawrence Vikings Keeps
Marian Undefeated in MCHA Play (1/28/02)
-Tom Conti of Lawrence One of Four
Finalists for 2002 Humanitarian Award (1/23/02)
-MCHA Gets Noticed Nationally as Berg
Receives Runner-Up Honor (1/22/02)
-Lawrence Tops Last Seasons Win Total
With Split; Sabres Sweep (1/21/02)
-Sabres Stay Perfect in MCHA Play;
League Plays Non-Conference Slate (1/14/02)
-Minnesota-Crookston Starts 2002 Off
With Sweep of Lawrence (1/7/02)
-Lawrence Vikings Grab Third-Place in
MCHA Heading Into Break (12/17/01)
-Sabres Stay Perfect at 5-0-0 in
League Play With Sweep of Crookston (12/10/01)
-Raiders Continue Impressive
Turnaround From Last Season (12/3/01)
-MSOE Creates Three-Way Tie for First
Place in MCHA (11/26/01)
-Marian College Sweeps Vikings;
Player-of-the-Week Awards (11/19/01)
-Northland Grabs First Place With
Sweep; Marian Opens With Win (11/12/01)
-MSOE Wins Over Crookston Highlight
MCHA Opening Weekend Action (11/5/01)
-Conference Action in MCHA Kicks Off
This Weekend (11/2/01)
-MCHA Announces Week One of
Player-of-the-Week Award Winners (10/29/01)
-2001-2002 Hockey Season to Begin
October 26 (10/19/01)
-Ostapina Leaves NEC for Milwaukee
School of Engineering (6/13/01)
-MSOE Coach Hessenauer Resigns
(4/5/01)
-March 13, 2002
Marian Hockey Coach Chris Brown Named Coach-of-the-Year
Finalist
(Courtesy of USCHO.com) - The finalists
were named for the Edward Jeremiah award, given by the
American Hockey Coaches Association to the College Division
(Division II or III) coach of the year.
Criteria for being named a finalist are to win the coach of the
year award in your conference, and/or to coach a team to the
Division III Frozen Four.
Marian College’s Chris Brown was among the
finalists, after leading the Sabres to an 18-7-2 overall record and
was also undefeated throughout the regular and post-season in the
MCHA.
The finalists are:
Bill Beaney (Middlebury); Chris Brown (Marian);
Tim Coghlin (St. Norbert); Bob Emery (Plattsburgh); Scott Harlow
(Stonehill); Al MacCormack (Lebanon Valley); Kevin McGonagle
(MCLA); Mike McShane (Norwich); Terry Meagher (Bowdoin); Brett
Peterson (Gustavus Adolphus); Dan Stauber (Wisconsin-Superior);
Wayne Wilson (RIT).
-Wilson won the award last season. Beaney (1990, 1995), McShane
(1997, 1999, 2000) and Meagher (1986, 1989) are also past
winners.
The winner will be announced in early April and presented at the
AHCA Convention on April 27.
-February 24, 2002
Marian College Concludes Perfect MCHA Season With 2002
Championship
The Marian College Sabres ran their MCHA win streak to 27
games and concluded the 2001-2002 season at a perfect 18-0-0 (16-0
regular season/2-0 post-season) with a 7-3 victory over the
UM-Crookston Golden Eagles on Sunday (February 24) evening at the
Appleton Family Ice Center. The Sabres grabbed an early 2-0 lead
and started the third period up 5-2 on the scoreboard. They iced
the game with two empty net goals to lay claim to their second
straight MCHA Tournament Championship. Lawrence University started
Championship Sunday with a thrilling 5-4 overtime win over MSOE in
the Consolation Championship. The Vikings needed a goal with under
a minute remaining in regulation to force the extra session, and
wrapped up the victory on their first shot-on-goal in overtime.
The All-Tournament team was named at the conclusion of the
action on Sunday, with Marian College’s Terry Dunbar
(Duluth, MN) receiving MVP honors for the second-straight
season. The Sabre goalie led the squad to 4-1 and 7-3 wins on the
weekend. The rest of the All-Tournament team included forward
Jon Daigle (Marian College); forward Ryan
Blick (Lawrence University); forward Brock
Anundson (UM-Crookston); defenseman Ryan Moren
(MSOE); defenseman Dan Weymann (Marian
College); and goalie Joey Reese
(UM-Crookston).
MCHA Post-Season Awards were also given out on Saturday (February
24). MSOE Raider Ryan Moren (Lakeville, MN) was
tabbed MCHA Player-of-the-Year for the second straight season.
Marian College Head Coach Chris Brown received
MCHA Coach-of-the-Year honors. Brown led his team to an unblemished
16-0-0 mark in the regular season and included in that perfect
season: topping the MCHA in goals-per-game (6.25), goals-allowed
(1.38); power-play (28.6%), and penalty-kill (89.1%); among others.
Marian College and Lawrence
University were both recipients of the Team Sportsmanship
Award.
-February 23, 2002
Championship Sunday All Set; MCHA Awards Named
The final day of play for the 2001-2002 MCHA season has
been set and exciting hockey action has been on display at the
Appleton Family Ice Center as Marian College will take on
UM-Crookston in the Championship and MSOE will go up against
Lawrence University in the consolation.
Two great games were played at the Appleton Family Ice Center
tonight (February 23), as the top-seeded Sabres prevailed 4-1 in
the first semi-final and the Golden Eagles out-lasted MSOE by a
score of 2-1 in a double-overtime nail-biter in the second
semi-final. The Consolation Game starts at 2:00 PM on Sunday
(February 24), while the puck will drop on the Championship game at
5:00 PM.
MCHA Post-Season awards were given out during the break between
the two games. MSOE's Ryan Moren (Lakeville, MN)
claims Player-of-the-Year honors for the second straight season;
Marian College Head Coach Chris Brown was chosen
Coach-of-the-Year as he led his squad to a perfect 16-0-0 season;
and Marian College and Lawrence
University split the Team Sportsmanship Trophy. The First
and Second Teams for All-Conference were also named:
First Team All-Conference
Forward: Dan Odegard (Marian College)
Forward: Brad Hawkins (Marian College)
Forward: Lee Jenke (MSOE)
Defense: Ryan Moren (MSOE)
Defense: Dan Weymann (Marian College)
Goalie: Terry Dunbar (Marian College)
Second Team All-Conference
Forward: Jonathan Geiring (Northland College)
Forward: Tom Conti (Lawrence University)
Forward: Ryan Becker (Northland College)
Defense: Nick Meyer (Northland College)
Defense: Todd Chandler (UM-Crookston)
Defense: Stuart Manning (Lawrence University)
Goalie: Aivars Ziedins (Northland College)
-February 17, 2002
Stage Set for 2002 MCHA Tournament; MSOE’s Turcott Sets
Career Point Record
The last weekend of the regular season had plenty of
action in the battle for play-off positioning, and even a little
history. MSOE Raiders Senior Forward Mike Turcott
(Brookfield, WI) put his name in the MCHA Record Book when
he scored his 90th career point in league action. His power-play
goal with just :13 left in the game on Saturday (February 16) gave
him the mark, as the four-year player now has 44 goals and 46
assists in his illustrious career. The assistant captain broke the
mark of 89 (47G/42A) points held by Marian’s Dave Chipman
(1998-00) in his 59th MCHA contest in a Raider uniform. In other
action, Marian ran their MCHA win streak to 25 straight with
back-to-back blankings of Northland College and MSOE wrapped up a
second-place league finish with a split versus Lawrence. The MCHA
Tournament is all set to go…Lawrence University will be the
host and the games will be played February 22-24 at the Appleton
Family Ice Center. For complete information, go to www.mchahockey.com and click on
the Tournament link on the homepage.
Players of the Week:
-Milwaukee School of Engineering players Ryan
Moren (Lakeville, MN) and Mike Turcott
(Brookfield, WI) are the first to be selected
Co-MCHA-Players-of-the-Week this season. Moren had a great weekend
on the ice statistically with 6 points, netting a hat trick and an
assist in Friday’s tough loss to the Vikings, while adding
two assists (including one on the game-winner) from his defenseman
position in Saturday’s Raider victory that clinched second
place for the squad. This was quite a difference from last season
for Moren, as his team finished 8-8-0 this year after going 3-12-1
in conference play last season and failing to qualify for the
league tournament. Turcott was chosen for his Record Book-heroics
on Saturday that were noted above.
ALSO NOMINATED: Staurt Manning (Lawrence University); Teddy Eagle
(Marian College)
-Marian College Sabres Sophomore Goaltender Terry Dunbar
(Duluth, MN) becomes the first MCHA goalie to win
Goalie-of-the-Week three times this season. He went a perfect 2-0
on the weekend, making 15 saves in Friday (February 15)
night’s contest and keeping the Lumberjacks out of the net on
five power-play opportunities. On Saturday, he played the first
half of the contest, earning the win while making 8 saves before
giving way as the Sabres finished the regular season unbeaten and
untied at 16-0-0.
ALSO NOMINATED: Jim Pfeiffelmann (Lawrence University)
-Lawrence University Vikings Freshman Forward Danny
Schroder (Duluth, GA) gets the nod for MCHA
Rookie-of-the-Week by virtue of his hat-trick in the Vikings 7-4
victory on Friday (February 15) night. The Economics major tallied
three of Lawrence’s first four goals, and had his hat-trick
completed just 10:36 into the first period.
ALSO NOMINATED: Mike Noel; Andy Allen; Pat McKay (Marian
College)
-February 14, 2002
Lawrence University Set to Host MCHA
Tournament
Lawrence University Sports Release
Contact: Joe Vanden Acker, Sports Information Director
920-832-6878 Email: joseph.m.vandenacker@lawrence.edu
APPLETON, Wis. - Lawrence University will
host the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament on Feb.
22-24 at the Appleton Family Ice Center.
The tournament begins Friday evening when the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds
face off. The winner of that game takes on No. 1 seed Marian
College on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. The Nos. 2 and 3 seeds play at
7:00 p.m. Saturday. The second through fifth seeds have yet to be
determined between Milwaukee School of Engineering, the University
of Minnesota-Crookston (Crookston, MN), Northland College (Ashland,
WI), and Lawrence (Appleton, WI).
The semifinal losers take the ice at 2:00 p.m. Sunday in the
consolation game. The championship game will be played Sunday at
5:00 p.m. Admission for a single game is $5 for adults and $3 for
students. Fans may also purchase a pass for the two games Saturday
or the pair of games Sunday at $8 for adults and $5 for
students.
The Appleton Family Ice Center is located just south of the
intersection of Highway 41 Ballard Road. The facility is located
within Memorial Park.
-February 11, 2002
Sabres Stay Perfect; Second Through Fifth Place Still Up for
Grabs
The Marian College hockey ran their win streak versus
MCHA opponents to 23 in a row with a sweep of UM-Crookston in
Minnesota over the weekend. After escaping with a 2-1 win on
Friday, the Sabres responded with a 9-2 victory on Saturday to move
to 14-0-0 in league play. In other action, MSOE and Northland split
their series, meaning no other league team has locked up a spot in
the standings. That leaves a lot to be decided on the ice this
upcoming weekend, when the remainder of the regular season MCHA
slate is played out. The conference tournament is set for the
weekend after – February 22-24, 2002.
Players of the Week:
-Marian College Sabres Freshman Forward Andy
Allen (Virginia, MN) is selected the MCHA
Player-of-the-Week after a great weekend on the ice. After
assisting one of the Sabres two goals in a 2-1 win on Friday
(February 8), the Elementary Education major struck for a hat-trick
in Marian’s 9-2 contest on Saturday. Allen scored the first,
fourth, and ninth goals of the game on just four (4) shots and
added an assist for good measure. His 11 goals on the season are
second on the Marian squad.
ALSO NOMINATED: Mike Turcott (MSOE)
-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders Sophomore Goaltender
Matt Hirsch (Cottage Grove, WI) becomes the third
different MSOE goalie to receive MCHA Goalie-of-the-Week honors
this season. Matt was in goal for the Raiders win on the weekend,
stopping 23-of-26 Lumberjack shots in the 6-3 victory.
-Marian College Freshman Defenseman Mark Williams (Green
Bay, WI) is chosen MCHA Rookie-of-the-Week for the second
time this season (The previous time was for the week ending
11/18/01). The Business major had the game-winning goal versus the
Golden Eagles in Friday’s one-goal victory, added an assist
on Saturday, and was +4 (+/-) on the weekend with his time on the
ice.
ALSO NOMINATED: Brano Kruger (MSOE)
-February 4, 2002
Marian College Sabres Clinch MCHA Regular Season Title With Sweep
of MSOE
The Marian College hockey team accomplished a
program-first with their play this past weekend – they
clinched their first MCHA regular season championship by sweeping
the MSOE Raiders by scores of 8-1 and 3-2. The wins marked the
Sabres 20th and 21st victories in a row versus MCHA opponents and
were also their 17th and 18th straight over the Raiders. The
regular season championship is the first for Marian in the
four-year history of the conference, as they stay undefeated at
12-0-0.
In other league action, the Golden Eagles moved into a tie for
second-place in the conference, picking up their fifth and sixth
conference wins of the season by sweeping the Lumberjacks. Also,
the Lawrence Vikings dropped a non-conference match-up to
Finlandia. With first-place securely in the Sabres hands, second
through fifth in the standings still needs to be decided on the ice
with just two weekends and eight games of hockey action remaining
before the conference tournament.
Players of the Week:
-Marian College Sabres Freshman Forward Ian
Carroll (Peoria, IL) is tabbed MCHA Player-of-the-Week for
his work on the ice this past weekend in helping clinch the title
versus MSOE. The rookie had a goal and an assist in
Thursday’s victory and lit the lamp for two of the three
goals the Sabres tallied in their 3-2 victory Friday. His 12
points (6G/6A) are eighth in the MCHA in freshman scoring.
ALSO NOMINATED: Adam Coe (UM-Crookston)
-Marian College Sabres Sophomore Goaltender Terry Dunbar
(Duluth, MN) receives MCHA Goalie-of-the-Week honors for
the second time this season, in a closely contested week against
the Golden Eagles Joey Reese. While both players allowed just three
goals in their two wins on the weekend, Dunbar made 55 saves
compared to Reese’s 33 and kept his team undefeated against
the second-place Raiders. The Studio Art major had a save
percentage of .948 on the weekend and helped keep the Raiders
0-for-11 on power-play opportunities in the contests.
ALSO NOMINATED: Joey Reese (UM-Crookston)
-UM-Crookston Golden Eagles Freshman Forward Brock
Anundson (Baudette, MN) becomes the first Crookston player
(and first non-Sabre) in four weeks to get the nod for MCHA
Rookie-of-the-Week honors. The Marketing major tallied a hat-trick
on just six shot attempts versus the Lumberjacks on Saturday,
including one goal short-handed an added an assist for good
measure.
ALSO NOMINATED: Mike Noel (Marian College)
-January 28, 2002
Marian Keeps Conference Mark Perfect With 18th and
19th Consecutive MCHA Wins
The beat goes on for the Sabres, as they swept the
Lawrence Vikings to extend their MCHA win streak to 19 games. Their
last loss to an MCHA foe was January 19 of last season when they
dropped a 3-1 decision to Northland College. They are currently
10-0-0 in league play heading into the final month of the season.
In other MCHA action this week, Northland College snapped their
losing streak when they defeated Bethel College behind a 60-save
performance by their goalie. UM-Crookston was back in action this
weekend, dropping a pair of games to Bethel College. There are just
13 games remaining of the MCHA regular season schedule, as teams
will try to improve their place in the standings in their upcoming
match-ups.
Players of the Week:
-Lawrence University Vikings Freshman Forward
Ryan Blick (Canton, MI) becomes the third MCHA
player - and second Viking - to win two different weekly awards, as
his selection of Rookie-of-the-Week (for the week ending 12/16/01)
goes nicely with his selection as MCHA Player-of-the-Week today
(Marian’s Jon Daigle and Lawrence's Mike Burkhart have also
won both honors). The Education major had two goals and an assist
on the weekend, including an unassisted goal on Saturday (January
26) night that tied the Sabres 3-3 before Marian pulled out the
victory. His 20 points on 9 goals and 11 assists is third on the
Lawrence squad.
-Northland College Lumberjacks Freshman Goaltender Aivars
Ziedins (Talsi, Latvia) wins MCHA Goalie-of-the-Week
honors for the second time in three weeks with his work versus
Bethel College on Monday (January 21). The freshman net-minder
earned his first collegiate win and helped the Lumberjacks snap a
14-game losing streak with an amazing 60 saves in the 6-4 win,
including 25 in the third period alone. He had a save percentage of
.938 and killed all four of the power-play opportunities of his
opponents.
-Marian College Sabres Freshman Forward Brent
Gunnlaugson (Lethbridge, Alberta) tops off a memorable
weekend on the ice by earning MCHA Rookie-of-the-Week honors. The
Sport and Recreation Management major played in his first two
collegiate games this weekend, and responded with three goals and
two assists in the sweep of Lawrence. Earning the starting nod on
Saturday, Gunnlaugson scored two goals in the first 4:50 of the
contest, including one just fifteen seconds into the action.
ALSO NOMINATED: Dusty Hendrickson (Northland College); Danny
Schroeder (Lawrence University)
-January 23, 2002
Four Named Hockey Humanitarian Finalists
-Compiled by US College Hockey On-Line
Staff
|
Past Winners |
|
2001 Jason Cupp, Neb.-Omaha |
Four players from varied backgrounds have been named finalists
for the 2002 Hockey Humanitarian Award, presented anually to the
player who exhibits a strong commitment to their communities, their
teams, and their studies.
This year’s finalists are Daniel Casella, Dartmouth senior;
Thomas Conti, a three-year captain at Division III
Lawrence; Rocky Reeves, a four-year captain at Buffalo State and a
two-time finalist; and Jeff Wilson, captain at Union.
The announcement of this year’s recipient will be made on
Friday, April 5 in St. Paul, Minn. as part of the festivities
surrounding NCAA Division I Frozen Four.
Daniel Casella, Dartmouth
A native of Verona, New Jersey, Casella became involved in
community service while attending Lawrence Academy. While there, he
volunteered at a soup kitchen, a senior citizens home, and shoveled
sidewalks in the neighborhood.
His work in the community continued after he matriculated at
Dartmouth. Among his activities, Casella has visited the Hanover,
N.H.,-area schools where he taught students about the dangers of
drugs. He has also coached local youth hockey programs from mites
to peewees and has been a key factor in the Big Green’s
Holiday Toy Drive.
"Despite the huge time and energy commitments that playing hockey
at a Division I school like Dartmouth College entails, Dan Casella
somehow manages to take a full course load of classes and gives
back to the community almost every day," said Dartmouth coach Bob
Gaudet. "I have had the pleasure of working with Casella for four
seasons at Dartmouth, and I can honestly say that his love for
children is greater than anyone else’s that I have ever
seen."
Casella plans has enlisted in the Peace Corps, and will be working
to rebuild a community in the Caribbean after graduation. He has a
3.03 grade point average as a government major, and has been a
solid role player for the Big Green.
"Dan is regularly the first player on the ice for practice and the
last to leave the rink," said Gaudet. "His combination of work
ethic, skill, selflessness, and courage has inspired his teammates
and endeared him to our fans."
Thomas Conti, Lawrence
Born in Summit, New Jersey and now a resident of Atlanta, Conti
is a two-sport athlete, is in Phi Beta Kappa, has been nominated
for a Rhodes Scholarship, and works with the youth in Appleton,
Wis.
One of seven children, Conti began his community involvement in
1996 when he started tutoring Vietnamese children. He continued
doing so until 1998. Other activities include helping to construct
a Habitat for Humanity home during the spring of 1999, volunteering
at the Boys and Girls Club, and participating in the Adopt-A-School
tutoring program.
In soccer, Conti has been a four-year standout and team captain
for two seasons. As a sophomore, he was a Second Team All-Midwest
Conference selection, while he was a First Team pick his junior and
senior seasons.
On the ice, he has been a four-year regular, as well. His freshman
year, he had 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points in 15 games, and
was named Lawrence University’s Freshman Athlete of the
Year.
After his hockey statistics dropped off his sophomore year, he
bounced back as a junior with 14 goals and 9 assists for 23 points
in 25 games. The team’s MVP last year, he already holds the
school records for assists in a season and in a career, goals in a
season and in a career and points in a career.
Academically, he has a 3.857 grade point average while majoring in
math and computer science. He has received a number of academic
scholarships and is a Lawrence Presidential Scholar. Ranked in the
top six percent of his class, he has been nominated for the
prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.
"He will never say ‘No’ to anyone in need of
assistance and literally jumps at the opportunity to be of benefit
to someone else," Lawrence coach David Ruhly said. "I feel proud
that Tom is a member of my team because he demonstrates that one
can be an incredible athletic leader, a formidable academic
presence, and one of the strongest and most influential members of
the Lawrence University community."
Rocky Reeves, Buffalo State
A native of Anchorage, Alaska, Reeves is currently serving as
team captain for an unprecedented fourth year, and was also a
finalist last year.
His involvement in the Buffalo community began because of a broken
leg he sustained as a freshman in his first game with the varsity.
Rather than leave school and return to his hometown, he chose to
stay at Buffalo State. Not only did he earn a 3.41 grade point
average that year, but he also quickly got involved with both the
campus and the local community.
The activities have included the Concerned Ecumenical Ministry
Soup Kitchen; the National Condom Safe Sex Week promotion; "Take
Back the Night," celebrating the survival of sexual abuse; the
Carlysclub Cancer Fundraiser; and the Buffalo State Health Fair. He
has also organized and implemented the Holiday Rummage Sale for the
Homeless and helped distribute books to the Western New York needy
organizations through the Project FLIGHT Book Drive.
Academically, he has maintained a 3.30 GPA while majoring in
health and wellness. He received his Bachelor's degree this past
December and is currently working on his Masters.
He has been named to the SUNYAC All-Academic Team two years, was
on the SUNYAC Commissioner’s List twice, and on the
Dean’s List for three years.
Reeves has also been nominated for four other awards: the Buffalo
State President’s Medal, the Chancellor’s Award for
Academic Excellence, the Outstanding Senior Award in his major of
health and wellness, and the Outstanding Community Service Award
also in his major. The announcements of the winners of these awards
are still pending.
"Rocky defines what this award exemplifies both on and off the
ice," said Buffalo State coach Jim Fowler. "Rocky does not do all
these great things to receive the recognition, but does so because
he knows he is making a difference."
Jeff Wilson, Union College
A native of London, Ontario, Wilson has been one of the
offensive standouts for Union the past three years. Among the
team's top three scorers each year, he was his team’s leading
scorer last season.
During his athletic career, he has been named the team’s
Rookie of the Year, the team’s Most Improved Player, and its
Unsung Hero. Statistically, his best season was a year ago when he
had 12 goals and 10 assists for 22 points in 34 games.
Respected by his teammates, Wilson, who has a 2.8 GPA in English,
was the unanimous choice to serve as team captain this year.
He has also been an integral member of the Schenectady, N.Y.
community, having been involved in causes such as the "Dutchmen
Skate for Cancer," with the proceeds going to the American Cancer
Society. He's also been involved in Big Brothers and Big Sisters
Night, the Walk for Juvenile Diabetes, and visits to
children’s hospitals.
He also created "A Skating Dutchmen Christmas," during which the
team sponsored a family via social services and purchased gifts for
the family. Plus, he established "Pennies for Points," during which
sponsors donated one dollar for every point a Union player earned
during a game. The proceeds were then given to underprivileged
youth hockey players in Schenectady.
Finally, in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks,
he created "Dutchmen Skate for 9/11." The proceeds from that
fund-raiser went to the NYPD and NYFD fund, and to two local
families that were affected by the attack.
"Once in awhile, if you are a fortunate coach, you come across
certain individuals who personify what college athletics is all
about; someone who is more concerned with others than himself,"
said Union coach Kevin Sneddon. "I have experienced this in our
program for the past couple of years with one individual in
particular, Jeff Wilson.
"Jeff has not only created and designed several projects, he has
literally volunteered for all of our community services projects
during the last four years. As well, he has encouraged his fellow
teammates to become more involved in volunteer work around the
Capital District. His actions appear to be quite contagious.
"Whether he is organizing a team event within the community or
merely greeting children after games, he clearly represents our
college with class and depicts what college athletics is all
about."
NOTE: The following press release is courtesy
of Lawrence University Sports News
-Contact: Joe Vanden Acker, Sports Information Director,
920-832-6878
Lawrence's Conti national finalist for Hockey Humanitarian
Award
(APPLETON, WIS.) - Lawrence University hockey
standout Tom Conti is one of four finalists for the 2002 Hockey
Humanitarian Award, which is presented each year to college
hockey's finest citizen.
Conti, a senior from Dunwoody, Ga., joins Dartmouth College senior
Daniel Casella, Buffalo State senior Rocky Reeves, and Union
College senior Jeff Wilson on the list of finalists. The winner
will be announced on Friday, April 5, in St. Paul, Minn, and the
ceremony is part of the festivities surrounding the NCAA Division I
Frozen Four.
"It's a phenomenal honor for Tom," Lawrence head coach Dave Ruhly
said. "He has truly demonstrated all the ideals that go into this
award. This award is Tom Conti."
Ruhly said his captain's character, sportsmanship, and his tough
and tenacious play are an example to the rest of the team and
building blocks for the Lawrence hockey program.
"To have Tom be a finalist for this award is a great step for our
program," Ruhly said. "Tom embodies everything that we believe in.
This is what our program is about."
Conti is a standout in the community, in the classroom, and on the
ice.
One of seven children and the son of Al and Victoria Conti, he has
been involved in community work since 1996 when he tutored
Vietnamese children, work he continued until 1998. Conti has been a
volunteer at the Appleton Boys and Girls Club since 1999, and he
participated in the Adopt-A-School tutoring program in 1998 and
'99. Conti also helped construct a Habitat for Humanity home in
1999.
Conti has also served as a volunteer coach in both the Appleton
Area Hockey Association and with Appleton youth soccer.
A two-sport star in hockey and soccer at Lawrence, Conti was named
the school's Freshman Athlete of the Year in 1999.
On the ice, Conti has been in the lineup since day one. The
forward is the school's career leader in goals (38), assists (36),
and points (74). Conti also holds the school record for assists
(19) and points (29) in a season and assists (7) and points (9) in
a game.
Conti was a four-year starter on defense for the Lawrence soccer
team, and a three-time All-Midwest Conference selection, including
first-team honors the past two seasons.
In the classroom, Conti is one of Lawrence's finest
student-athletes. While majoring in both math and computer science,
Conti has amassed a grade point average of 3.857.
The winner of numerous academic scholarships, Conti was elected to
Phi Beta Kappa and was a Rhodes Scholar candidate. During his
academic career at Lawrence, one of the nation's top liberal arts
colleges, Conti won the Sophomore Prize for Computer Science and
the Iden Charles Champion Cup, given each year for excellence in
scholarship, athletic ability, college spirit, and loyalty.
He is a three-time academic All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey
Association selection and was named to the academic All-Midwest
Conference team four times. Conti has also been selected for the
Verizon CoSIDA Academic All-District 5 team in both soccer and
hockey.
The Hockey Humanitarian Award was the brainchild of John
Greenhalgh and Jeff Millman. Inspired by the courageous return of
to the ice of Boston University's J.P. McKersie after his brush
with death, Greenhalgh and Millman brought together a group of from
the worlds of athletics, business, education, and the media to
create this award. McKersie won that first award in 1996 because
"he represented all that can be right about sports."
Since that time, Michigan defenseman Blake Sloan won in 1997,
Wisconsin's Erik Raygor was the winner in 1998, Kristine Pierce of
the Rochester Institute of Technology won in 1999, Jim Legler of
Maine was the 2000 winner, and Jason Cupp of the University of
Nebraska-Omaha was last year's recipient.
-January 22, 2002
Marian College Goalie Bob Berg Receives National Honor
Marian College freshman goalie Bob Berg (Antigo,
WI) topped his MCHA Goalie-of-the-Week honor by being
selected runner-up for Defensive Player-of-the-Week by US College Hockey On-Line today (January
22). Berg posted back-to-back blankings of Northland College and
received the runner-up status after being nominated and receiving
votes from the staff of the nationally-known website, which is
known to hockey fans nation-wide as the "Definitive College Hockey
Resource". Berg lost out top honors to UW-Stout goaltender Jeff
Dotson. To view the press release, click HERE.
-January 21, 2002
Sabre Goalie Bob Berg Posts Back-to-Back Shut-Outs; Lawrence &
MSOE Split
Marian College won their 16th and
17th straight games versus MCHA opponents this past
weekend with 4-0 and 8-0 wins over the Northland College
Lumberjacks. Sabre freshman goalie Bob Berg led the way with
back-to-back shut-outs as he ran his collegiate record to 4-0 in
five games and kept the Sabres undefeated in league play at 8-0-0.
In the other MCHA series of the week, the Lawrence Vikings, led by
their goalie Grant Henderson, spilt with MSOE. The Raiders won 3-1
on Friday while the Vikings came back to post a 2-1 win on Saturday
night. That marked the fifth league win (5-7-0) this season for
Lawrence, an impressive turn-around for a squad that went 3-10-1 in
league play last season.
Players of the Week:
-Marian College Sabres Junior Forward Dan Odegard
(Oakdale, MN) becomes the first two-time winner of the
MCHA Player-of-the-Week honor for the Sabres this season. The AIT
major led the way in the sweep of Northland with two goals and six
assists on the weekend. The captain paced the 8-0 win on Saturday
(January 19) night with a 2-goal/4-assist performance.
ALSO NOMINATED: Ryan Blick (Lawrence University); Brad Hawkins
(Marian College)
-Marian College Sabres Freshman Goaltender Bob Berg
(Antigo, WI) earns the nod for MCHA Goalie-of-the-Week
honors for his impressive back-to-back shut-outs of the
Lumberjacks. The Studio Art major made 19 saves on Friday night and
15 saves in Saturday’s contest. For the season, he now owns a
save percentage of .963 and a 0.69 goals-against-average. This is
the second time this season he has won the weekly honor.
ALSO NOMINATED: Grant Henderson (Lawrence University)
-Marian College Sabres Freshman Forward Jon Daigle
(Richmond, BC, Canada) had three goals and an assist in
the victories over Northland to earn MCHA Rookie-of-the-Week
honors. The Marketing major highlighted Saturday’s action
with two goals and an assist after scoring once Friday night. His
seven goals on the season lead the Marian freshman and are second
on the squad.
ALSO NOMINATED: Ryan Blick (Lawrence University)
-January 14, 2002
Marian Gets Conference Win Early in Week; MCHA Takes on
Non-Conference Foes
Marian College defeated MSOE 2-1 on January
8th in the only scheduled conference game of the week.
The victory keeps the Sabres undefeated in league action and knocks
the second-place Raiders another game behind in the standings. The
MCHA suffered setbacks on the weekend, with each team losing to
their non-conference opponents. Marian fell to UW-Stevens Point;
MSOE to UW-Stout; Lawrence to St. Olaf, and Northland to
St. Scholastica.
Players of the Week:
Players of the Week:
-MSOE Raiders Senior Forward Lee Jenke (Brookfield,
WI) becomes the first three-time winner of MCHA
Player-of-the-Week honors this season. Although his team dropped a
pair to UW-Stout, Jenke did his best to carry his squad with one
goal and four assists in the two games. His five points on the week
led all conference scorers.
ALSO NOMINATED: Teddy Eagle (Marian College); Matt Melchiori
(Lawrence University)
-Northland Lumberjack Freshman Goaltender Aivars Ziedins (Talsi, Latvia) receives MCHA Goalie-of-the-Week honors for his work in the Lumberjacks loss to St. Scholastica. Even though his team came up short, the rookie, who was making his first collegiate start, stopped 52 shots in the contest, and had Northland tied going into the third period before giving up three power-play goals. None-the-less, his .946 save percentage for the week was tops in the league.
-Marian College Sabres Freshman Forward Pat McKay (St.
Clair Shores, MI) was tabbed MCHA Rookie-of-the-Week with
his play against the Pointers. The Marketing major had a goal and
an assist on Saturday night after notching an assist in
Friday’s loss. His three points on the weekend were a
pleasant surprise for Marian Coach Chris Brown, as McKay had six
points on the season coming into the weekend’s action.
ALSO NOMINATED: Aivars Ziedins (Northland College); Joe Swanson
(MSOE)
-January 7, 2002
Minnesota-Crookston Gets New Year Off to Good Start With Sweep of
Lawrence
The Golden Eagles of Crookston started off the new year
in grand fashion with a home sweep of the Lawrence Vikings this
past Saturday and Sunday. The Golden Eagles, led by goalie Joey
Reese, won both games by identical 6-to-1 scores in the only MCHA
action of the weekend, snapping what had been a seven-game skid in
the process. With the two victories in the lightly-scheduled week,
the Golden Eagles also sweep Player-of-the-Week awards. The
conference will resume a full slate of games this week, as all
teams will be back in action following the holiday break.
Players of the Week:
-Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagle Sophomore Forward
Jay Tupa (Fargo, ND) earns the first MCHA
Player-of-the-Week honors for his team in the 2001-2002 campaign
with his accomplishments on the weekend. He netted three goals,
including one short-handed and one of the power-play variety. He
also added an assist to finish the two games with four
points.
-Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagle Freshman Goaltender
Joey Reese (Crookston, MN) notches MCHA
Goalie-of-the-Week honors for his fantastic play in the sweep of
the Vikings. The Business Aviation major allowed just one goal in
each game and had a save percentage of .943 on the 2-0 weekend. A
big reason for Crookston’s success, Reese shut-out Lawrence
in their 11 power-play opportunities on the weekend.
-Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagle Sophomore Defenseman
Adam Sprehe (Grand Forks, ND) receives the
MCHA’s accolades for Rookie-of-the-Week with his stellar
play. The Wildlife Management major had a goal and two assists in
the victories, and was chosen as a “Star-of-the-Game”
in Saturday’s 6-1 win where he had two points on a goal and
an assist.
-December 17, 2001
Lawrence Sweep of Northland Highlights MCHA Play Heading Into
Holiday Break
The Lawrence Vikings leap-frogged the Northland
Lumberjacks for third place in the MCHA standings by virtue of
their 7-5 and 9-3 victories this past weekend to improve to 4-4-0
in league play. As a result, the squad becomes the second to sweep
Player-of-the-Week honors on the campaign (Marian set the precedent
the week ending November 18, 2001). In other MCHA contests, MSOE
and UM-Crookston both dropped non-conference series, as the Raiders
lost a pair to St. Scholastica and the Golden Eagles fell victim to
UW-Eau Claire. Marian College was off as they had already started
their semester break last weekend. The next scheduled contests for
the MCHA will be on January 5, 2002. The next conference weekly
report will come out on Monday, January 7, 2002. HAPPY
HOLIDAYS!
Players of the Week:
-Lawrence University Vikings Senior Forward Tom
Conti (Dunwoody, GA) earns the first MCHA
Player-of-the-Week honor for his team this season with his play
versus the Lumberjacks. He helped his teammates with two assists on
Saturday (December 15), including one on the game-winner. He then
topped that with a hat-trick in the Vikings 9-3 victory the next
day.
-Lawrence University Vikings Senior Goaltender Grant Henderson (Monona, WI) becomes the first player to receive MCHA Goalie-of-the-Week honors twice in the 2001-2002 season. He earned the award by virtue of his play in leading the Vikings to a sweep on the weekend. Henderson made 25 saves in Saturday’s (December 15) 7-5 win and another 18 - on 20 shots - in Sunday’s (December 16) 9-3 victory to post a perfect 2-0 record on the weekend.
-Lawrence University Vikings Freshman Forward Ryan Blick
(Canton, MI) receives the Viking’s second-straight
MCHA Rookie-of-the-Week honor of the season. Blick notched his
first collegiate hat-trick on Saturday (December 15) and then had
an assist and the eventual game-winning tally in Lawrence’s
victory on Sunday.
ALSO NOMINATED: Wes Reid (Northland College)
-December 10, 2001
Marian Stays Perfect in MCHA Play, Move Into First-Place Tie With
MSOE
Marian College swept a series from UM-Crookston for the
first time in school history over the weekend to move into a
first-place tie with MSOE at 10 points each in the standings. The
Sabres improved to 5-0-0 in league play in winning their 14th
consecutive game versus MCHA opponents dating back to last season.
Lawrence won their only game this week, as they defeated the Golden
Eagles 7-2 on Sunday afternoon. In non-conference action, the
Northland Lumberjacks dropped a pair to highly-ranked Augsburg
College and MSOE traveled to Brockport, NY where they dropped
decisions to Oswego and Humber in the Jimmy Mac Invitational.
Players of the Week:
-Marian College Sabres Junior Forward Dan Odegard
(Oakdale, MN) tallied three goals versus the Golden Eagles
this weekend to help the Sabres earn the sweep. The AIT major
earned player-of-the-week honors with a two-goal performance on
Friday (December 7) night and scoring the game-winner for Marian on
Saturday (December 8) afternoon.
ALSO NOMINATED: Tom Conti (Lawrence University)
-Marian College Sophomore Goaltender Terry Dunbar
(Duluth, MN) receives MCHA Goalie-of-the-Week honors in a
tightly contested race with the other nominee. The Studio Art major
set the tone for the big weekend versus Crookston by stopping
22-of-23 Golden Eagle shots – a .957 save percentage –
and allowing only a lone power play goal in the Sabres 6-1 victory
on Friday (December 7) night.
ALSO NOMINATED: Grant Henderson (Lawrence University)
-Lawrence Vikings Freshman Right Winger Mike Burkhart
(McKinney, TX) receives his first MCHA Rookie-of-the-Week
honor of the season after capturing Player-of-the-Week accolades
for the week ending October 28. The Economics major tallied his
first collegiate hat-trick in the 7-2 Viking win.
ALSO NOMINATED: Bob Berg (Marian College)
-December 3, 2001
MSOE Continues Amazing Turnaround With Sweep of Northland
The MSOE Raiders continued their hot play of late by
sweeping Northland College over the weekend and improving their
MCHA record to 5-2-0 on the season – first place by
themselves. Just a season ago, these same Raiders finished the MCHA
campaign with a 3-12-1 record and did not qualify for the
post-season tournament.
In non-conference action, UM-Crookston participated in the USAF
Academy Tournament in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the Lawrence
Vikings split a pair of exhibition games with Finlandia. Marian
College did not play this past weekend.
Players of the Week:
-MSOE Raiders Senior Forward Lee Jenke
(Brookfield, WI) Lee Jenke (Brookfield, WI) becomes the
first player to earn back-to-back player-of-the-week honors this
season. Jenke had four goals (2 in each game) on the weekend,
including the game-winner over the Lumberjacks on Friday night and
an unassisted goal on Saturday that tied the game and sent it into
overtime.
ALSO NOMINATED: Matt Melchiori (Lawrence University)
-Lawrence University Vikings Senior Goaltender Grant
Henderson (Monona, WI) receives MCHA Goalie-of-the-Week
honors for leading his team to a 3-2 win on Friday night in his
only action of the weekend. The history major gave up just 2 goals
and had an impressive save percentage of .949 while stopping 37
Lion shots-on-goal in the victory.
ALSO NOMINATED: Matt Hirsch (MSOE)
-MSOE Raiders Freshman Forward Joe Swanson (Superior,
WI) receives MCHA Rookie-of-the-Week honors for his
two-game tally of 3 goals and 1 assist in the sweep of the
Lumberjacks. The highlight of the weekend for Swanson was lighting
the lamp in overtime on Saturday night with the game-winning
goal.
ALSO NOMINATED Ryan Becker (Northland College)
-November 26, 2001
MSOE Creates Three-Way Tie for First With Split at
Minnesota-Crookston
The MSOE Raiders matched their win total of last season this past
weekend when they split a series at UM-Crookston. The Raiders, who
were 3-12-1 a season ago, upped their MCHA mark to 3-2-0 on the
season and created a 3-way tie for first place at six points apiece
with Marian College (3-0-0) and with Northland College (3-1-0). All
other action this week was non-conference affairs.
Players of the Week:
-MSOE Raiders Senior Forward Lee Jenke (Brookfield,
WI) earns player-of-the-week honors for his four-point
performance in the split with the Golden Eagles. Jenke had an
unassisted goal to go along with his three assists on the
weekend.
ALSO NOMINATED: Andy Gillies (Lawrence University); Brad Hawkins
(Marian College).
-MSOE Raiders Senior Goaltender Sam Carrico (Roseville,
MN) receives MCHA Goalie-of-the-Week honors for leading
his team to a 5-4 win on Friday (November 24). He had a save
percentage of .905 while stopping 38 UM-Crookston shot
attempts.
-Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagles Freshman Forward Theran
Bauer (Spooner, WI) receives MCHA Rookie-of-the-Week
honors for his two-game effort of two goals and one assist in the
split with MSOE. One impressive stat: Bauer took only three shots
in the two games, an imposing .667 success percentage on his two
goals.
ALSO NOMINATED: Andy Rozanski (Lawrence University); Ryan Puffer
(MSOE); Jonathan Geiring (Northland College)
-November 19, 2001
Marian Keeps Win Streak Alive Over Lawrence; Jump Into Share of
First-Place
The Marian College Sabres defeated Lawrence for the tenth
and eleventh straight times in head-to-head action as they swept a
home-and-home series from the Vikings this past weekend. The wins
improve the Sabres MCHA mark to a perfect 3-0-0 and they now jump
into a tie for first place in conference with Northland College.
The only other action this week was non-conference affairs,
highlighted by UM-Crookston gaining a split with Augsburg College.
The Sabres dominated the Player-of-the-Week awards by virtue of
their combined 16-5 victories.
Players of the Week:
-Marian College Junior Defenseman Dan Weymann
(Oakdale, MN) earns player-of-the-week honors for his
three-goal/two assist effort on the weekend, including two
power-play goals. The Business Management major almost came up with
a hat trick on Saturday night, when he scored two goals in 5:09 of
the second period before narrowly missing a third.
ALSO NOMINATED: Mark Williams (Marian College); Mark Ewing (Marian
College)
-Marian College Freshman Goaltender Bob Berg (Antigo,
WI) receives MCHA Goalie-of-the-Week honors for leading
his team to a 8-2 win in his first collegiate start and appearance
on Saturday. The Studio Art major stopped 17 of 19 Viking
shots-on-goal (.895%).
-Marian College Freshman Defenseman Mark Williams (Green
Bay, WI) receives MCHA Rookie-of-the-Week honors for his
two-game effort of three goals (one power-play) and three assists
in the victories over Lawrence. The Business major also had the
game-winning tally for the Sabres on Friday night.
ALSO NOMINATED: Jon Daigle (Marian College)
-November 12, 2001
Northland Sweep Gives Team First-Place; Marian
Opens MCHA Season With Win
Northland College continued their solid play on the young season
with a sweep of UM-Crookston this past weekend. Their 6-2 victory
on Friday (November 9) marked the Lumberjacks first-ever win over
the Golden Eagles in MCHA play. After the first two weekends of
MCHA play, Northland finds themselves alone in first place at
3-1.
In a week that had a very light schedule, Marian College opened
its conference season with a 4-3 victory over MSOE.
Players of the Week:
-Marian College Freshman Forward Jon Daigle (Richmond,
British Columbia) earns the Sabres first
player-of-the-week honors this season with his play in
Marian’s 4-3 win over MSOE. The freshman Marketing major
tallied 2 goals and 1 assist in the victory, including one of the
power-play variety and one short-handed.
ALSO NOMINATED: Jonathan Geiring (Northland)
-Northland Sophomore Goaltender Billy Ferkol (Parma,
OH) receives MCHA Goalie-of-the-Week honors for leading
his team to their first-ever victories over UM-Crookston. In the
two victories, the Education major made 66 saves and had a .929
save %.
-Northland College Freshman Wing Wes Reid (Williams Lake,
British Columbia) earns MCHA Rookie-of-the-Week honors
with his play on the weekend. In two games, he lit the lamp for 4
goals (one short-handed) and added an assist. The 6-2 freshman is
an Environmental Studies major at Northland.
ALSO NOMINATED: Jon Daigle (Marian College); Mike Noel (Marian
College)
-November 5, 2001
MSOE Posts First-Ever Victories over Minnesota Crookston
The 2001-2002 MCHA hockey season started with a bang as
MSOE highlighted the weekend with their first-ever defeats of
conference foe Minnesota-Crookston. In other action, Northland and
Lawrence skated to a split and Marian tied and lost to Augsburg
College in non-conference action.
Players of the Week:
-Northland College Freshman Center Jonathan
Geiring (Dollard-de-Ormeaux, PQ) helped the Lumberjacks to
a split with Lawrence and receives MCHA Player-of-the-Week honors
for his four goal/two assist effort in the two games on the
weekend. The 6-2, 210 lb. Education major tallied three of those
goals in power-play situations.
ALSO NOMINATED: Andy Eisch (MSOE); Brad Hawkins (Marian); Matt
Melchiori (Lawrence)
-For the second week in a row, MSOE Sophomore Goaltender
Adam Blomfield (Anchorage, AK) receives MCHA
Goalie-of-the-Week honors. Adam was between the pipes for both of
the Raiders wins over Minnesota-Crookston.
ALSO NOMINATED: Grant Henderson (Lawrence); Terry Dunbar
(Marian)
-Marian College Freshman Forward Andy Allen (Virginia,
MN) paced the Sabres with three goals on the week in tough
games against highly-ranked St. Norbert College and Augsburg
College to earn MCHA Rookie-of-the-Week honors.
ALSO NOMINATED: Mike Burkhart (Lawrence); Jonathan Geiring
(Northland); Ryan Puffer (MSOE).
-November 2, 2001
MCHA to Open Conference Play Tonight
The 2001-20002 MCHA season will be underway this evening
as all five of the league's teams will be in action.
Minnesota-Crookston, last year's regular season conference
champion, will be at MSOE this evening (November 2) and Northland
College will play host to Lawrence University. Marian College will
also be in action this weekend, as they will be hosting
non-conference opponent Augsburg College on Saturday and
Sunday.
-October 29, 2001
MCHA Announces First Week of Player Awards
The 2001-2002 hockey season has begun and the MCHA has
announced their initial week of awards following completion of the
season's first week. Every Monday during the hockey season, the
MCHA will pick a Player-of-the-Week, a Goaltender-of-the-Week, and
a Rookie-of-the-Week from nominations by each of the respective
schools. With the first week in the books, the following players
have been chosen:
-Lawrence University Freshman Forward Mike Burkhart
(McKinney, TX) is the first MCHA Player-of-the-Week for
the 2001-2002 season. The newcomer scored two of Lawrence’s
three goals on the weekend in losses to UW-Stout.
-MSOE Sophomore Goaltender Adam Blomfield (Anchorage,
AK) is the inaugural winner of the MCHA
Goaltender-of-the-Week Award. Adam was between the pipes for
Saturday’s tough 3-2 loss to Buffalo State where he stopped
37 of 40 shots-on-goal.
-MSOE Freshman Forward Jacob Basten (DePere, WI)
grabs the first MCHA Rookie-of-the-Week Award for the 2001-2002
season. He currently leads the Raiders team with three points after
the weekend where he had two goals (including one short-handed) and
one assist in the Buffalo State All Sport Invitational in Buffalo,
NY.
-October 19, 2001
Let the Games Begin!...Hockey Season Starts Next
Weekend
With just seven days to go before the 2001-2002 hockey
season begin, players and coaches alike are eager to start playing
for real. The MCHA will begin non-conference action with three
teams playing games next weekend (October 26-27). Defending MCHA
Tournament Champion Marian College will travel to River Falls to
take on the UW-RF Falcons on Friday and Saturday night. The Vikings
of Lawrence will play host to another NCHA school, UW-Stout. And
lastly, MSOE will travel to Buffalo, New York for Mark Ostapina's
first game as their head coach as they take on Fredonia.
Conference action will get under way the following weekend
(November 2-3), as Minnesota-Crookston will play MSOE and Lawrence
will be at Northland.
The MCHA season begins with a few new faces and a new-look
website.
As stated before, Mark Ostapina, previously at New England
College, will take over the reigns of the Raiders. In six seasons
at NEC, Ostapina guided the club to a 63-84-8 (.432) record. This
past year, the Pilgrims posted a 20-10-0 record and defeated the
defending national champions Norwich, 2-1, to capture the ECAC East
championship.
Additionally, Gary Warren has been named Head Hockey Coach at
Crookston. He replaces Mark Huglen who resigned in July to pursue
his academic career full-time at UMC, and interim Head Hockey
Coach, Mike Swentik, who stepped in after Huglen to coach the
Golden Eagles for the 2000-01 season.
Previous to his hire at UMC, Warren has been the Head Hockey Coach
at MSU-Bottineau for the past 16 years. His program has experienced
many honors including three National Championships and eight Region
XII Titles. Eight of Warren's 16 years with Bottineau, he was named
Coach of the Year.
-June 13, 2001
Ostapina Leaves NEC for MSOE
Took Pilgrims to NCAA tournament last season
-by Jim Connelly/MAAC Correspondent for
USCHO
MILWAUKEE — After guiding New England College to its best
season in his tenure, including a berth in the NCAA Division III
tournament, head coach Mark Ostapina has resigned to become head
coach at the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
In six seasons at NEC, Ostapina guided the club to a 63-84-8
(.432) record. But this past year, the Pilgrims posted a 20-10-0
record and defeated the defending national champions Norwich, 2-1,
to capture the ECAC East championship. NEC fell to Wisconsin-River
Falls in the first round of the NCAA Championships.
Though MSOE is not known for being a national hockey power playing
in the MCHA, a league that does not currently have an automatic
qualifier to the NCAA tournament, the move will bring Ostapina
closer to his family. Ostapina is a native of Wisconsin and played
for the University of Wisconsin in the late 1970s.
As for the challenge ahead, MSOE finished last in the MCHA last
season with a 3-21-1 record, one year after setting a school record
for victories with 13. Ostapina replaces Pat Hessenauer, who
resigned from the head coach position in early April.
-April 5, 2001
MSOE Coach Hessenauer
Resigns
-by Lynn Burke/D-III Staff Writer for
USCHO
MILWAUKEE — Pat Hessenauer has resigned as head coach at
Milwaukee School of Engineering, athletic director Dan Harris
confirmed Thursday, saying that the school would immediately begin
a search for a full-time coach to replace him.
"We are very committed to ice hockey." said Harris. "We're going
from a part-time coach to a full-time coach in the athletic
department. And we're increasing the budget significantly for a
sport that has a budget that's four or five times larger than any
other sport we have."
In his resignation letter, Hessenauer contested Harris' view of
things.
"Due to a lack of commitment and support from the school and those
involved, my efforts would be better spent elsewhere," said
Hessenauer. "The five years that I have spent coaching the MSOE
program has been an enjoyable and rewarding experience. I strongly
feel the program has grown tremendously under my leadership and I
wish them the best of luck in the future."
Hessenauer coached MSOE for five seasons, compiling a 51-71-7
record. The Raiders were 3-21-1 this past season after setting a
school record with 13 victories in 1999-2000.
He also served as secretary, treasurer and public relations
director of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association.
Hessenauer played at Wisconsin-Whitewater, He began coaching youth
hockey in his hometown of Janesville, Wis., and eventually moved
into the high school ranks.
At MSOE, he twice earned MCHA coach of the year honors. He is
finishing his communications degree at Wisconsin-Milwaukee with
plans to pursue a masters in Sports Administration. His other
duties at MSOE include director of the Red & White Booster Club
and organizing fundraising programs for the athletic programs.
Attempts to reach Hessenauer for comment were unsuccessful.