-Awards Continue to Roll in for
MSOE's Brian Soik (6/13/06)
-Lawrence University Tabs Mike
Szkodzinski as New Head Coach (6/5/06)
-Lawrence Parts With Head Coach
(5/8/06)
-MCHA Well-Represented On
All-USCHO Teams (4/5/06)
-League Announces Player of the
Year, Coach of the Year, All-Conference Awards (3/8/06)
-MSOE Misses At-Large Selection
to NCAA Tournament (3/6/06)
-Harris Cup Belongs to MSOE for
Second-Straight Season (3/5/06)
-Midwest Collegiate Hockey
Association Tournament Starts This Friday (3/1/06)
-Northland College Athletes
Featured in Sporting News Magazine (2/28/06)
-MSOE Raiders Win MCHA Regular
Season Championship (2/20/06)
-League Heads Into Final Weekend
of Regular Season Play (2/13/06)
-MSOE Raiders Become First-Ever
MCHA Team in Top 15 in Nation (2/6/06)
-League Set to Enter Home Stretch
of Regular Season (1/30/06)
-Interim Label Removed From
Fabiili at Northland (1/26/06)
-MSOE Closing in on Top 15 in the
Nation (1/24/06)
-Oakes a Finalist for 2006 Hockey
Humanitarian (1/20/06)
-League Schedule Hits Midway
Point as MCHA Race Stays Tight (1/16/06)
-Crookston's Gary Warren Records
Career Win No. 400 (1/13/06)
-MCHA's Oakes Nominated for
Hockey Humanitarian; League Returns to Action (1/9/06)
-MCHA Receiving More National
Attention as League Enters Break (12/18/05)
-MCHA Website Experiencing
Technical Problems With Server (12/17/05)
-MSOE Continues to Rise in
National Rankings (12/12/05)
-Sabres, Raiders, Sweep by MCHA
Foes to Take Early Standings Lead (12/5/05)
-Raiders and Vikings Post
Unprecedented Victories (11/28/05)
-MSOE Tops Nationally-Ranked
Babson College (11/26/05)
-Northland Splits With Finlandia,
Gets Fabiilli First Victory as Lumberjacks Coach (11/21/05)
-MSOE, Lawrence Sweeps Highlight
Full League Slate (11/14/05)
-Raiders and Sabres Battle to
Split in MCHA Opening Series (11/7/05)
-2005-06 Season Underway for MCHA
(11/2/05)
-MCHA Set to Open Eighth Season of
Play on Tuesday (10/24/05)
-MSOE's Burzon Named to Preseason
All-USCHO Team (10/19/05)
-Fabiilli in at Northland College
(9/19/05)
-Northland Head Coach Dan Huntley to
Leave MCHA (7/27/05)
-MSOE Coach Wins USA Hockey 16-Select
Festival
-MCHA Names New League
Commissioner (7/22/05)
-Marian's Ian Carroll Earns National
Academic Honors (6/14/05)
-MSOE Hockey to Host USA Hockey
National Under-18 Team (6/1/05)
-June 13, 2006
Soik Chosen to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America
Team
-Courtesy of MSOE Sports Information Director Brian
Gibboney
CONTACT: 414-277-2412 or gibboney@msoe.edu
MSOE hockey player Brian Soik (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) was
selected to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America
At-Large Second Team, as voted on by the College Sports Information
Directors Association (CoSida). The At-Large selection includes
scholar-athlete candidates with at least a 3.20 Grade Point Average
(G.P.A.) from the following sports: golf, hockey, tennis,
men’s volleyball and wrestling. The College Division includes
student-athletes from NCAA Division II and III institutions.
In MSOE’s 103-year history, Soik is one of five athletes to
receive the CoSida Academic All- America honor. He joins
men’s basketball players Jeff Brezovar (1982 & 1983),
Matt Hopf (2004), track athlete Rachel Eggebrecht (1999) and
wrestler Matthew Schoenherr (2004) as MSOE student-athletes that
have accomplished this achievement.
Athletic Director Dan Harris commented, “Brian is one of the
elite students and athletes at MSOE. He has many natural talents
and abilities, but his dedication to success in both academic and
athletic achievement is matched by very few others,” Harris
stated. “I am extremely proud to have Brian as a
student-athlete at MSOE.
MSOE men’s hockey coach Mark Ostapina was also extremely
proud of Soik’s accomplishments. “Brian is very
deserving of this award,” said Ostapina. “He puts pride
in both his academic and athletic achievements and this award
signifies what Brian is all about.”
The 6’1” junior forward has received numerous honors
this year including the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association
(MCHA) Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player of the
conference tournament. Soik finished tied for fifth in the NCAA in
points per game with a 1.67 average. His .78 goals per game average
placed him in a tie for ninth place, nationally.
Soik was also a USCHO online All-West Region Honorable Mention. He
was the leading scorer in the MCHA. In 2006, Soik and the MSOE
hockey program won its second straight MCHA and Harris Cup
title.
Scholastically, he has a 3.90 Grade Point Average in mechanical
engineering and has made the Dean’s List every quarter at
MSOE. He is a three-time MCHA All-Academic team member and was a
CoSida Academic All-America Men’s At-Large Second Team Region
V selection in 2005.
This year, his Region V All-America first team selection
automatically made him one of eighty finalists for the award.
-June 5, 2006
Szkodzinski Named Lawrence University Hockey Coach
-Courtesy of Lawrence Sports Information Director Joe Vanden
Acker
CONTACT: 920-832-6878
APPLETON, Wis. -- Mike Szkodzinski has been named the new
head ice hockey coach at Lawrence University, Director of Athletics
Robert Beeman announced on Monday.
Szkodzinski comes to Lawrence from St. Norbert College, where he
has been an assistant with the Green Knights for the past two
seasons.
"We are pleased to secure a coach of Mike's caliber to lead the
Lawrence University hockey program," Beeman said. "His proven track
record as a player and as the top assistant for the nationally
ranked St. Norbert team, combined with his East Coast recruiting
ties, give Lawrence instant credibility in national hockey
circles."
During Szkodzinski's two seasons at St. Norbert, the Green Knights
put together a 49-8-5 record, including a 22-2-4 mark in Northern
Collegiate Hockey Association play. St. Norbert was the NCAA
Division III runner-up in 2006 after winning the NCHA regular
season title. The Green Knights won the NCHA title in 2005 and also
claimed the Peters Cup.
"I am extremely excited to lead the Lawrence University hockey
team in the coming seasons," Szkodzinski said. "I'd like to thank
Bob Beeman for the chance to coach the Vikings, and I'm really
looking forward to becoming a part of the Lawrence community."
Before coaching at St. Norbert, Szkodzinski was an assistant for
two seasons at the University of Findlay and spent a season as an
assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
A native of Brighton, Mich., Szkodzinski played for two seasons at
Ferris State University, earning All-Central Collegiate Hockey
Association Rookie Team honors in 1997. He transferred to St.
Norbert and was a standout goaltender for the Green Knights.
Szkodzinski was a second-team All-American in 1999 and earned
first-team All-NCHA honors in 1999 and 2000.
Szkodzinski put together an impressive 2.21 career goals against
average and still holds the school record with a .917 career save
percentage. He compiled a 32-9-4 record between the pipes, and
included in that total is a 4-2 win in the 1999 NCAA Division III
Tournament over Middlebury College.
Szkodzinski earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration
from St. Norbert and has a Master of Business Adminstration from
Findlay.
Lawrence returns 21 players from this past season's squad,
including captain Joe Searl, assistant captain and All-Midwest
Collegiate Hockey Association defenseman Josh Peterson, and
All-MCHA goaltender Andrew Isaac. The Vikings finished the 2005-06
campaign with a 9-14-4 record, including a 7-9-4 mark in conference
play.
-May 8, 2006
Ruhly Not Renewed as Lawrence University Head Hockey Coach
-Courtesy of Lawrence Sports Information Director Joe Vanden
Acker
CONTACT: 920-832-6878
APPLETON, Wis. -- Lawrence University head ice hockey
coach Dave Ruhly will not be offered a new contract, Director of
Athletics Robert Beeman announced Monday.
Ruhly's contract expires in June at the end of the 2005-06
academic year.
A 1998 graduate of Providence College, Ruhly served as Lawrence's
head coach for seven seasons. Ruhly was the first full-time head
coach, and the eighth overall, in the brief history of
intercollegiate hockey at Lawrence when he came on board in 1999.
Hockey has been a varsity sport at Lawrence since 1986.
Ruhly's team put together a record of 9-14-4 in 2005-06, and the
Vikings finished in fourth place in the six-team Midwest Collegiate
Hockey Association with a 7-9-4 record.
In Ruhly's seven seasons, the Madison native compiled a record of
50-119-9. His best season was 2004-05, when Lawrence finished
11-13-2 and took second place in the MCHA.
Beeman said a national search for a new head coach will begin
immediately.
-April 5, 2006
Three MCHA Players and MSOE's Ostapina Earn National Postseason
Honors
USCHO.com's Men's Division III All-USCHO Team has been
announced, and three players from the Midwest Collegiate Hockey
Association as well as Milwaukee School of Engineering head coach
Mark Ostapina have been recognized with end of the
year honors.
Left to Right: Brian Soik, Matt Burzon, Mitch Sabo, Mark
Ostapina
Two MSOE players were tabbed for Honorable Mention honors in the
West, as Brian Soik and Matt
Burzon were rewarded for their performances from this past
season. Soik, who was named MCHA Player of the Year and league
tournament MVP, earned a spot after tying for the league-lead with
45 points (21G/24A) in leading the Raiders. He was also first in
scoring in league play, finishing second in assists and third in
goals. Burzon played a vital role in goal, topping the league
goalies in goals-against-average (2.21), save percentage (.914) and
winning percentage (.824) in a 14-3-0 campaign.
The other player to earn an individual honor was Lawrence
University's Mitch Sabo, who was an Honorable
Mention choice for the West's All-Rookie Team. Sabo scored 10
points (7G/3A) as a defender, recording two game-winning goals
along the way.
Rounding out the awards was MSOE head coach Mark
Ostapina, who was named Honorable Mention for the West
Coach-of-the-Year award for the second-straight season. Ostapina
claimed back-to-back MCHA regular season crowns and Harris Cup
Championships this year, leading the Raiders to a 21-5-1 campaign -
a school record for victories and the most wins by an MCHA team
since 1998-99. He was honored as MCHA Coach-of-the-Year for the
second-straight season as well.
West First Team
Goal — Kyle Jones, So., St. Norbert
Defense —Andrew Derton, Jr., St. Norbert
Defense — John Bottoms, Sr., St. Thomas
Forward — Connor Hughes, Sr., St. Norbert
Forward — Aaron Johnson, Jr., Augsburg
Forward — Scott Bjorklund, Jr., St. John's
West Second Team
Goal — Adam Hanna, Sr., St. John's
Defense — Jon Keseley, Jr., Gustavus Adolphus
Defense — Darryl Smoleroff, Sr., St. John's
Forward — Andy Cote, Jr., St. Norbert
Forward — Dan Krmpotich, Sr., St. Thomas
Forward — Mike Kneeland, Fr., Lake Forest
Honorable Mention: Matt Burzon (MSOE),
Spencer Carbury (St. Norbert), Tyler Dahl (UW-River Falls), Sean
Fish (UW-Stevens Point), Adam Gill (St. Mary's), Derek Hansberry
(UW-River Falls), Mark Menzies (St. Scholastica), Mike Salmela
(UW-River Falls), Brian Soik (MSOE)
West Rookie Team
Goal — AJ Bucchio, UW-River Falls
Defense — Mark Menzies, St. Scholastica
Defense — Clay Rehm, St. Thomas
Forward — Derek Hansberry, UW-River Falls
Forward — Mike Kneeland, Lake Forest
Forward — Kent Bostrom, Bethel
Honorable Mention: Sean Fish (UW-Stevens Point), Chris Nathe
(UW-River Falls), Mitch Sabo (Lawrence),
Barrett Simons (St. Olaf), Jon Skoog (St. Norbert), Jack Wolgemuth
(UW-Stout)
West Coach of the Year: Tim Coghlin, St. Norbert
Runners-Up: Sean Goldsworthy (St. Olaf), Mark Ostapina
(MSOE)
D-III Player of the Year: Mickey Gilchrist
Runners-Up: Adam Hanna (St. John's), Connor Hughes (St.
Norbert)
-March 8, 2006
Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Announces
End-of-Season Awards
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association announced all
if its league awards at a banquet held in conjunction with the MCHA
Tournament this past weekend in Appleton. The league's
All-Conference, All-Freshman and All-Academic Teams were all named,
as well as the Player and Coach of the Year awards.
Harris Cup champion MSOE won the two major awards, with
Mark Ostapina earning the Coach-of-the-Year honor
and Raider Brian Soik adding MCHA
Player-of-the-Year honors to his Tournament MVP trophy that he won
this past weekend..
|
|
|
2006 MCHA All-Conference (Alphabetical): |
2006 MCHA All-Freshmen (Alphabetical): |
|
|
| MCHA Coach of the Year: MSOE's Mark Ostapina | MCHA Player of the Year: MSOE's Brian Soik |
The 2005-06 MCHA All-Academic Teams:
|
FINLANDIA UNIVERSITY |
LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY |
|
MARIAN COLLEGE Matthew BoboDave DeSander Chad Little
|
MSOE |
|
NORTHLAND COLLEGE |
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-CROOKSTON |
|
Lawrence University's -Mason Oakes- One of seven finalists for the 2006 Hockey Humanitarian Award |
|
-March 6, 2006
MSOE Misses Bid for the NCAA Tournament
-Courtesy of MSOE Sports Information Director Brian
Gibboney
CONTACT: 414-277-2412 or gibboney@msoe.edu
After winning the Midwest Collegiate Hockey
Association championship game on Sunday night, MSOE Raiders head
coach Mark Ostapina waited anxiously for the call - whether or not
the Raiders will get a bid to the NCAA tournament. At 10:15 p.m.
Ostapina had to call his team and let them know that they would be
home during the tournament.
The selection committee, comprised of coaches from both eastern
and western schools chose to take three teams from the west region;
West region automatic qualifiers UW-Superior and St. Olaf with C
pool candidate St. Norbert, and seven other teams coming from the
highly competitive and Division III heavy New England/New York
area, will compete for the title.
After compiling a 21-5-1 record Ostapina was disappointed that the
Raiders were not selected to the NCAA tournament. “We had the
second best winning percentage and quality win quotient in the west
behind number one seed St. Norbert and still was overlooked by the
committee. The MSOE team did everything the coaching staff asked of
them and fell short. The fact is that this is the NCAA tournament,
and many fine teams are watching.”
The Raiders completed their second straight season with 20 or more
wins and their second consecutive MCHA/Harris Cup championship.
-March 5, 2006
MSOE Repeats as Harris Cup Champions Behind MVP
Performance of Brian Soik
The Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders won their
second-straight Harris Cup on Sunday afternoon at the Appleton
Family Ice Center, defeating Marian College by a final score of 5-2
in the title game of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association
Tournament.
Marian took a 2-1 lead into the final period before tournament MVP
Brian Soik (pictured at left) put his team on his
shoulders and took over. Soik scored a hat trick in the third
period alone, tallying three of the four goals that MSOE added. He
lit the lamp at the 10:17 mark to tie the game and at the 15:41
mark for the game-winner. After Michael Duta registered his second
goal of the contest to make it 4-2, Soik added an empty-netter for
the hat trick. The victory gave the Raiders the Harris Cup in
MSOE’s most-successful season in program history at 21-5-1
overall. Marian finishes its season at 14-12-1.
Marian’s Greg Copeland opened the scoring in the first,
slipping one past Matt Burzon for the 1-0 lead. Duta tied the game
with just five seconds remaining in the first before Chad Little
gave the Sabres their second lead of the game with the only goal of
the second period.
All-Tournament Team
MVP, Brian Soik, MSOE
Jason Jadczak, Marian
Mike Parks, Finlandia
Luke Hasbargen, MSOE
Chad Little, Marian
Michael Duta, MSOE
Lee Swallow, MSOE
-March 1, 2006
Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament
Starts Friday in Appleton, Wis.
The journey for the right to claim the Harris Cup starts
this weekend for all six teams in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey
Association. Action gets underway this Friday at the Appleton
Family Ice Center, as Lawrence University will play host to the
event.
Friday features two semifinal qualifiers, with No. 3 Finlandia
(9-12-3 overall, 9-8-3 MCHA) taking on No. 6 Northland (3-22-0,
3-17-0) in the first game of the tournament, with the puck dropping
at 2 p.m. for the game. The second contest features No. 4 Lawrence
(8-13-4, 7-9-4) taking on No. 5 Minnesota-Crookston (6-17-2,
6-13-1), scheduled to start at 5 p.m.
Once those games are over, Saturday's schedule will then be
determined as the lowest remaining seed will play No. 1 MSOE
(19-5-1, 17-2-1), last year's Harris Cup Champions. The highest
remaining seed will then clash with No. 2 Marian College (13-11-1,
13-6-1). MSOE will play their game at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, with
the Sabres set to play at 6:30 p.m.
The tournament will conclude with the MCHA Championship on Sunday
afternoon, as winners of Saturday's semifinals will battle for the
Harris Cup starting at 3 p.m.
Dates: Friday, March 3rd-Sunday March
5th, 2006
Host Team: Lawrence University
Where: Appleton Family Ice Center
Appleton Family Ice Center
From the North or South:
• Take Highway 41 and exit at Ballard Road.
• Turn south and go approximately a quarter-mile and turn
right into the entrance for Memorial Park.
• The Ice Center is located to the left just past the
entrance to the park.
Format:
Friday, March 3, 2006
2:00 Game 1 Semi-final qualifier
FINLANDIA UNIVERSITY vs.
NORTHLAND COLLEGE
5:00 pm Game 2 Semi-final qualifier
LAWRENCE UNIVERISTY vs.
MN-CROOKSTON
Saturday, March 4, 2006
3: Game 3 Semi-final MSOE vs.
Lowest remaining seed
6:30pm Game 4 Semi-final MARIAN
COLLEGE vs. highest remaining seed
Sunday, March 5, 2006
3:00 pm Championship Winners of Saturday's
semifinals
ADMISSION
ADULTS $5.00 / STUDENTS $3.00 / 8 & UNDER FREE
-February 28, 2006
Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Players
Receive National Attention
-Courtesy of the Northland College Sports Information
Department
Two Northland College hockey players are featured in this
week’s issue of Sporting News magazine. Sporting
News magazine is one of the most respected sporting magazines
in the United States. The magazine has been around for nearly 120
years and reaches 3.9 million readers weekly.
The article is entitled “Give
blood, play hockey – and live to tell about it.” It
retells the story of Northland College Senior Ryan Theros getting
injured during a hockey game down in Milwaukee. Teammate Jim Junker
jumped onto the ice and applied pressure on the wound to stop the
bleeding.
Reporter Dave Kindred decided to write the story after hockey fan
and spectator Dave Lewis wrote to him describing Junker as a true
team player, “I wish I had noticed the teammate’s
number so I could tell you his name. He is a true American
hero,” Lewis said.
-February 20, 2006
League Tournament Next Up on the Schedule for
MCHA
The 2005-06 Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association regular
season is in the books and the Milwaukee School of Engineering
Raiders are the champions of the league for the second-straight
season. The Raiders repeated on the strength of a 17-2-1 league
record, breaking the mark for most wins by a team in league play
set by Marian College back in 2001-02 (the Sabres went 16-0-0 that
season). They earn the No. 1 seed in the tournament, with Marian
coming in at No. 2 with its 13-6-1 league mark after tying Lawrence
2-2 in overtime Feb. 17 and beating the Vikings 7-3 on Saturday.
Next up is the Finlandia Lions, coming in at 9-8-3 and off the
biggest win of their season – a 6-5 defeat of then-#12 MSOE
on Saturday. Lawrence is the four-seed (7-9-4), with
Minnesota-Crookston the five (6-13-1) and Northland – coming
off a season-ending 7-4 victory over Crookston – the six seed
(3-17-0) in the run for the Harris Cup at the league tournament,
which begins Friday, March 3rd, in Appleton, Wis.
MSOE led the way in numerous statistical categories, including
6.05 goals-per-game on offense – more than a goal per game
better than number two. They also led in defense with their 2.10
GAA, more than 1.5 better than second place.
The Raiders had four of the top five point scorers in the league,
with Brian Soik leading the MCHA with 37 points
(15G/22A). Teammate Lee Swallow was next with 36
(13G/23A), a new record for sophomores. MSOE’s Blair
Hanberg was third, recording 32 points (17G/15A), tied
with Finlandia’s Josh Paquette (13G/19A).
Raider Michael Duta rounded out the top five with
30 points (13G/17A).
MSOE newcomer RG Flath led the conference in
goals with 17, tying the league mark for scores by a freshman, set
by Joe Lewis of Finlandia last year. Hanberg was
tied for first with 17, breaking the sophomore record of 15 held by
MSOE’s Ryan Herron (1998-99). Soik was third with 15
goals.
Swallow topped the charts in assists with 23, with Soik’s 22
equaling the junior record held by Marian College’s Dave
Chipman (1999-2000). Teammate James Shipley was
third with 20.
Defensively, MSOE had two goalies turn in tremendous seasons, as
Matt Burzon was first with his .917 save
percentage and his 2.06 GAA. Not far behind, Joe
Dovalina was second in both categories at .915 and
2.13.
Left to Right: Aaron Wallace (Northland) ... Daniel
Ljung (Lawrence) ... Jason Jadczak (Marian)
Players of the Week:
-Northland College Lumberjacks senior forward Aaron
Wallace (Brownstown, MI) earns the honors for MCHA
Player-of-the-Week for his efforts in getting Northland its third
league win of the season. He accounted for six points in
Saturday’s 7-4 victory, netting four goals while adding two
more assists. He also had one assist on Friday for a league-high
seven points.
Other Nominees: Brian Soik (MSOE), Evan Thornton (Lawrence), Bill
Griffore (Marian), Mike Parks (Finlandia)
-Lawrence University Vikings senior goalie Daniel Ljung
(Avesta, Sweden) is this week’s choice for MCHA
Defensive Player-of-the-Week. The German major had 61 saves in
Friday’s tie – the third-most in league history (former
Northland goalie Todor Petvov had games of 71 and 65). He also
played in relief on Saturday, making 10 more saves to give him a
save percentage of .945 for the weekend.
Other Nominees: Jason Jadczak (Marian), Joe Juntilla
(Finlandia)
-Marian College Sabres freshman goalie Jason Jadczak (Des
Plains, IL) is the MCHA Freshman-of-the-Week. In
Friday’s 2-2 tie with Lawrence, he stopped 38 of 40 shots for
a save percentage of .950. Then, on Saturday, he earned the victory
with 38 more saves to give him a .939 save percentage on the
weekend.
Other Nominees: Simon Labrosse-Gelinas (MSOE), Bill Griffore
(Marian), Keith Johnstone (Finlandia)
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: The MCHA website was experiencing technical difficulties with it’s server that have just been able to be fixed today. The site was unable to be edited and updated from Feb. 16 through 5 p.m. today, Feb. 27. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience in this matter.
-February 13, 2006
MSOE Continues to Rise in National Rankings as
MCHA Heads into Final Weekend
The MSOE Raiders moved up two spots in the national
rankings, checking in at No. 12 today when the USCHO.com Division
III men's poll was released. They swept Lawrence by scores of 10-2
and 5-2 on the weekend and received 47 votes, 16 more than when
they were No. 14 a week ago.
In other league action, Marian secured their hold on the No. 2
seed with a sweep of Northland, defeating the Lumberjacks by scores
of 7-4 and 5-2. In the other match-up, both games were 5-4
decisions, with Crookston winning on Saturday and Finlandia
claiming the victory on Sunday.
Players from around the league continue to record hat tricks, as
two more accomplished the feat this past weekend. MSOE's
Blair Hanberg was the first on Friday night,
recording a power play, short-handed and even-strength tally in the
Raiders' 10-2 win. The other happened on Saturday, when Crookston's
Teal Plaine accounted for three of his team's five
goals in a 5-4 victory.
The league record book will be assaulted this upcoming weekend, as
plenty of scoring records are within reach of falling heading into
the final weekend of regular season play. MSOE's RG
Flath has 16 goals, just one off the freshman record of 17
set by Finlandia's Joe Lewis a season ago. His
teammate Blair Hanberg needs just one more goal to
set a new record for goals by a sophomore, as he has already tied
the mark of 15 set by MSOE's Ryan Herron in the 1998-99 season.
Assist-wise, three players have a chance to break their respective
class records: Finlandia's Josh Paquette has 19
assists, just two off the record of 21 for sophomores. MSOE's
Brian Soik has 20 assists in MCHA play, just two
off the junior record of 22. And, lastly, his teammate
James Shipley currently has 19 assists, also two
off the senior mark of 21. In the points category, MSOE's
Lee Swallow has 30 points, just one away from the
sophomore record of 31, held my Raider Mike
Turcott set back in the 1999-2000 campaign.
Left to Right: Teal Plaine (Crookston) ... Luke
Hasbargen (MSOE) ... James Goodfellow (Marian)
Players of the Week:
-Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagle sophomore forward
Teal Plaine (Hallock, Minn.) is this week's MCHA
Player-of-the-Week. The accounting major had the hat trick on
Friday and also an assist, helping account for four of his team's
five goals in the 5-4 win. On Sunday, he scored another goal to
finish with five points on the weekend.
Other Nominees: Evan Thornton (Lawrence), Joe Lewis (Finlandia),
Blair Hanberg (MSOE)
-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders senior defenseman
Luke Hasbargen (Rhinelander, Wis.) is this week's
MCHA Defensive Player-of-the-Week. Hasbargen played extremely well
in all three zones in the weekend sweep of Lawrence, helping limit
the Vikings to an 0-for18 showing on the power play. He also had
two assists and finished the weekend +4.
Other Nominees; Lukas Alberer (Finlandia), Mitch Sabo
(Lawrence)
-Marian College freshman forward James Goodfellow
(Naperville, Ill.) wins MCHA Freshman-of-the-Week honors
for the second time this season for accounting for game-winning
goals in each of Marian's victories on the weekend. On Friday, he
had the winner and an assist and was +2. On Saturday, his goal was
the decision-maker again and was +3.
Other Nominees: RG Flath (MSOE), Ryan Sullivan (Finlandia), Aaron
LaFave (Lawrence)
-February 6, 2006
MSOE Becomes First MCHA Team to Crack Top 15 in
Nation
The big news out of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey
Association was made by the Milwaukee School of Engineering
Raiders, who became the first-ever league school to be voted into
the Top 15 poll when the new standings were released earlier this
afternoon by USCHO.com. The Raiders, who swept by Northland College
this past weekend by scores of 6-0 and 5-1, received 31 votes to
claim the No. 14 spot in the poll. They had been receiving votes
for most of the season, and were even the highest vote-getter last
month, before making the jump. Only MSOE and Marian College have
ever received votes in the poll in the eight-year history of the
league.
That wasn't the only highlight for MSOE, as they clinched the
regular season championship with the pair of victories. They now
have 29 points courtesy of their 14-1-1 league mark, earning their
second-straight league regular season crown (the most second-place
Marian could end up with is 28 points).
On the ice, there were some notable performances as well. Three
players recorded hat tricks, as Finlandia University's Joe
Welgos and Marian College teammates Chad
Little and Billy Schill all scored three
goals in a game. The high-scoring Sabre duo helped lead their team
to a sweep of UMC-Crookston, as Marian swept the Golden Eagles by
scores of 7-1 and 8-4. In the other league match-up, Lawrence got
past Finlandia 5-1 on Saturday before the Lions came back for a 4-4
overtime tie on Sunday. With second through fourth place separated
by just two points, every game left on the schedule will have
meaning for those involved.
USCHO.com Division III Men's Poll (Minneapolis, Minn./February 6,
2006)
| Team (1st place) | Record | Points | Last Week |
| 1. St. Norbert (10) | 19-2-2 | 220 | 2 |
| 2. Middlebury (5) | 10-0-0 | 211 | 2 |
| 3. Norwich | 10-2-2 | 192 | 3 |
| 4. Manhattanville | 12-3-0 | 180 | 4 |
| 5. Oswego | 8-2-1 | 158 | 5 |
| 6. UW-River Falls | 7-1-0 | 151 | 7 |
| 7. Hobart | 9-2-0 | 128 | 8 |
| 8. St. Thomas | 5-2-1 | 105 | 13 |
| 9. New England College | 6-3-3 | 81 | 12 |
| 10. St. John's | 8-3-0 | 78 | NR |
| 11. St. Scholastica | 6-1-0 | 57 | 11 |
| 12. Bowdoin | 7-4-2 | 53 | 9 |
| 13. Geneseo | 5-2-0 | 49 | 15 |
| 14. MSOE | 16-4-1 | 31 | NR |
| 15. Williams | 7-2-0 | 28 | 10 |
Others receiving votes: Bethel 13, Colby 11, Wis.-Superior 9,
St. Olaf 8, Elmira 7, Gustavus Adolphus 7, Mass.-Dartmouth 5, Utica
5, Babson 1.
The USCHO.com Poll is compiled by U.S. College Hockey Online
(USCHO), and consists of 15 voters, including coaches and beat
writers from across the country. USCHO is currently in it's tenth
year as the nation's premier source of information on college
hockey.
Left to Right: Chad Little (Marian) ... Jason Jadczak
(Marian) ... Billy Schill (Marian)
Players of the Week:
-Marian College Sabres junior forward Chad Little
(Southampton, ONT) earns the MCHA Player of the Week
award. The team captain led the league with eight points (4G/4A)
for the week, helping his team to a sweep of UM-Crookston. On
Friday, he scored or assisted on three of the first four goals of
the game, helping the Sabres cruise to the win. On Saturday, he put
up a five-point (3G/2A) effort, including the hat trick when he
scored short-handed in the closing minutes of the victory. He had
two short-handed goals and was +6 on the weekend.
Other nominees: Blair Hanberg (MSOE), David Olynyk (Lawrence), Joe
Welgos (Finlandia), Teal Plaine (UM-Crookston)
-Marian College Sabres freshman goalie Jason Jadczak (Des
Plaines, IL) earns his first career award, as he is tabbed
for the MCHA Defensive Player-of-the-Week. He started and played
the whole game Friday, stopping 34 of 35 shots (.971 sv %) and
holding the Golden Eagles to an 0-for-10 showing on the power play.
Then, on Saturday, he came on in relief at the 13:01 mark of the
first after Crookston had scored three unanswered goals to take a
3-1 lead. He went on to make 32 more saves on 33 shots (.970) while
blanking the Golden Eagles on eight more extra-man opportunities to
record a perfect 2-0 weekend.
Other nominees: Andrew Isaac (Lawrence), Matt Burzon (MSOE), Joe
Juntilla (Finlandia), Jay Visger (UM-Crookston)
-Marian College Sabres freshman forward Billy Schill
(Sault Ste. Marie, ONT) gives the Sabres the first weekly
award sweep of the season, earning MCHA Freshman-of-the-Week
accolades. Schill had a hat trick and was +2 on Friday before
adding two more assists in Saturday's victory. He finished +3 on
the weekend.
Other nominees: Jason Jadczak (Marian), Ted Greeley (Lawrence),
Simon Labrosse-Gelinas (MSOE)
-January 30, 2006
MSOE Takes Control of First Place as League
Enters Last Month of Regular Season
The MSOE Raiders took a firm hold of first place in the
Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association this past weekend, defeating
second-place Marian College twice in a home-and-home series. Both
games were one-goal affairs, with the Raiders securing a 4-3
overtime victory on the road on Friday night before recording
a 3-2 win at home on Saturday to improve to 26-3-1 in their
last 30 regular season MCHA contests. They now stand in at 12-1-1
in league play this season, taking a step closer to their
second-straight regular season title. All eyes will be on the
release of the USCHO.com national poll later Monday evening as
well, as the Raiders could crack the Top 15 for the first time ever
after an undefeated week.
The other two league match-ups produced splits, as Lawrence made
the long road trip to Crookston, winning 3-2 in overtime on Friday
before falling 4-3 on Saturday afternoon. In the final series,
Northland came back from a 9-2 loss to Finlandia on Friday night by
defeating the Lions 3-2 on Saturday. Both of the Lumberjack's MCHA
victories this season have come against Finlanida.
With six games remaining in the regular season, a look at the
conference scoring leaders shows quite a battle brewing for the
league lead. Finlandia (two players) and MSOE (four players), make
up the top six point-scorers, while the league already has nine
players with 20 or more points (to compare there were just 10 all
season last year). Finlandia's Josh Paquette (25
points on 9G/16A) currently has a one-point lead over MSOE's
Brian Soik (24 points on 11G/13A), while just four
points separate the top six scorers.
1. Josh Paquette (FU) 25 points (9G/16A)
2. Brian Soik (MSOE) 24 (11G/13A)
3. Michael Duta (MSOE) 23 points (11G/12A)
4. Lee Swallow (MSOE) 22 points (10G/12A)
T5. Blair Hanberg (MSOE) 21 points (9G/12A)
T5. Joe Lewis (FU) 21 points (8G/13A)
Left to Right: Joe Searl (Lawrence) ... Mike Mistretta
(Northland) ... Mike Marquette (MSOE)
Players of the Week:
-Lawrence University Vikings junior left wing Joe
Searl (Fond du Lac, Wis.) is the choice for the MCHA
Player-of-the-Week. The psychology major and team captain was
instrumental in Lawrence's 3-2 overtime road win on Friday. He had
an assist on the goal that put his team up 2-1, and then, after
Crookston had battled back to tie the game and send it into
overtime, scored the game-winner to send the Vikings out with the
victory. He also had an assist on Saturday, giving him a
team-leading 19 points (7G/12A) on the year.
Other Nominees: Mike Parks (Finlandia), Patrick Knutson
(Crookston), Michael Duta (MSOE), Matt Hann (Crookston)
-Northland College Lumberjacks freshman goalie Mike
Mistretta (Amherst, NY) wins the MCHA Defensive
Player-of-the-Week award for his role in the Lumberjacks efforts
against Finlandia this weekend. The meteorology major played over
24 minutes of Friday's game, stopping 21 of 23 shots. He then came
back on Saturday to make 48 saves on 50 shots (.960 save %) in the
'Jacks 3-2 victory, his first collegiate win. For the weekend, his
save percentage was .945.
Other Nominees: Ben Larson (Crookston), Joe Juntilla
(Finlandia), Brett Shelanski (Crookston), Jason Woll (MSOE), Andrew
Isaac (Lawrence), Wyatt LaVigne (Crookston)
Other Nominees: Ryan Sullivan (Finlandia), Ted Greeley
(Lawrence)
-January 26, 2006
Steve Fabiili Promoted to Northland College Head Coach; Interim
Label Removed
-Courtesy of Northland College Athletic
Director Steve Wammer
CONTACT: 715-682-1244
ASHLAND, WI – The interim tag has been removed from
Northland College Head Men’s Ice Hockey Coach Steve
Fabiilli’s title today according to Director of
Athletics Steve Wammer.
Fabiilli had been named interim coach in September of 2005
following the resignation of former coach Dan Huntley.
“Steve has done an excellent job so far this year, his
knowledge, experience and work ethic has brought much to our
program” commented Wammer. “It has become obvious that
he is a great choice for this position, the decision to make him
our permanent coach was easy. I feel the future of Northland
Hockey is in excellent hands.”
Prior to being named Interim Head Coach at Northland, Fabiilli served as co-head coach at Division I Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. That team finished second in the Atlantic Hockey Conference with a record of 14-7-3. An alumnus of Canisius, Fabiilli was named Team MVP his senior year and was also the College’s Male Athlete of the Year.
"I am excited to continue to work with the program at Northland College." says Fabiilli, "I believe that we can move LumberJack Hockey forward and build a strong and successful hockey program.”
-January 24, 2006
Leitzan Ties MCHA Record With Five Goals; MSOE Climbs in National
Poll
It was a week for the record book in the Midwest
Collegiate Hockey Association. For starters, MSOE freshman
Matt Leitzan tied the league record for goals in a
game when he lit the lamp five times against Minnesota-Crookston on
Friday night, becoming the first player in nearly six years to
accomplish the feat. He started things out with a goal in the first
period before exploding for four more in the third to tie three
other players who share the record.
FIVE GOALS IN AN MCHA GAME
Matt Leitzan, MSOE vs. Crookston, 01/20/06
Mike Dittrich, Marian College vs. MSOE, 02/05/00
Chris Hill, Findlay vs. Benedictine, 02/13/99
Dave Bell, Findlay vs. Benedictine, 02/13/99
There was another milestone reached in that same game, as Crookston
senior Patrick Knutson recorded career point No.
100 with assists on two goals. He then went over the century mark
with a goal on Saturday. He now has 101 points (55G/46A) and is the
second-leading scorer in Golden Eagle history, trailing only Brock
Anundson's 112 points (51G/61A). He was honored for his achievement
by the school at a recent game (L-R: Head Coach Gary Warren,
Director of Athletics Stephanie Helgeson, Patrick Knutson, MCHA
Commissioner Terry Brand).
MSOE reached unprecedented territory for a league team, receiving
35 votes when the USCHO.com NCAA Division III poll was released on
Monday. They are just one spot away from cracking the Top 15, as
Colby, with 37 points, was ranked 15th this week. This is the
highest-ever ranking for an MCHA team. Marian was the only other
team to previously receive votes in the poll.
In league action, MSOE swept by Crookston to remain firmly in
first place with a 10-1-1 record. Marian and Finlandia played to a
split, leaving the Sabres in second with a ledger of 8-4-0 in
league play. In the other series, Lawrence University came away
with a sweep, downing Northland in two one-goal games at home.
-Matt Leitzan-
-Andrew Isaac-
Players of the Week:
-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders freshman forward
Matt Leitzan (Appleton, WI) is the MCHA
Player-of-the-Week. Leitzan had a fabulous weekend on the ice,
recording the five-goal game on Friday and then adding two more on
Saturday. The business major also two assists on Saturday for a
nine-point weekend.
Other Nominees: Patrick Knutson (Crookston), Dave Olynyk
(Lawrence), Matt Bobo (Marian)
-Lawrence University Vikings junior goalie Andrew Isaac
(Mississauga, ONT) receives MCHA Defensive
Player-of-the-Week honors for his work between the pipes in the
Vikings sweep of Northland. The economics major stopped 22 of 23
shots on Sunday and 19 of 21 Lumberjack shots on Monday to give him
an unblemished record and a save percentage of .931 for the
weekend.
Other Nominees: Matt Bobo (Marian), Jason Woll (MSOE), Scott Ross
(Marian)
-It's hard to argue with a scoring record and a league-best
nine-point weekend, so freshman forward Matt Leitzan
(Appleton, WI) takes two awards this week, winning the
MCHA Freshman-of-the-Week award as well.
Other Nominees: Scott Ross (Marian), Ted Greeley (Lawrence),
Andrew Corvo (Marian)
-January 20, 2006
Mason Oakes of Lawrence University Named One of
Seven Finalists for the 2006 Hockey Humanitarian Award
The finalists for the 2006 Hockey Humanitarian Award were announced
Friday, and Lawrence's Mason Oakes is among them.
This marks the second time that a player from the Midwest
Collegiate Hockey Association has been a finalist for the award,
joining Lawrence's Tom Conti, a three-year captain
who was a finalist for the honor in January of 2002. Oakes
(pictured at left) was announced earlier this month as one
of 18 players nominated nationally for the honor. He is currently
fourth on the team with 12 points (7G/5A) and has played in 89
games in his Viking career, recording 57 points
(29G/28A).
The following press release is courtesy of the award's website, www.hockeyhumanitarian.org
Mpls., Minn. – The Hockey Humanitarian Foundation today announced seven outstanding student athletes who were selected as finalists for the 2006 Hockey Humanitarian Award.
The finalists, listed in alphabetical order, are:
Janelle Armitage Sr. University of
Connecticut
Eric Leroux Sr. Princeton University
Drew Miller Jr. Michigan State University
Mason Oakes Sr. Lawrence University
Jaime Sifers Sr. University of Vermont
Chris Trick Sr. University of Notre Dame
Lindsay Williams Jr. Clarkson University
The finalists were selected by the Hockey Humanitarian Award Executive Committee from a group of 18 nominees. Each of the finalists have exhibited a strong commitment to their communities, their teams and their studies. Among the highlights of their many humanitarian endeavors:
Janelle Armitage organized a winter coat and clothing drive, organized a team effort to purchase gifts for teen home and organized a fund drive to aid an arena employee whose home was burned down. Eric Leroux spent 10 weeks in Kenya working with the Foundation for Sustainable Development and six weeks in Ecuador working in a community malaria clinic. At Princeton he founded a team initiative named PUCK (Providing Underprivileged Communities and Kids) and the Princeton World Health Initiative.
Drew Miller created the Spartan Buddy Program which sends students to visit children with severe or terminal illnesses. Miller is a Pen Pal to a local elementary classroom and has worked with the Children’s Miracle Network, Teams For Toys and the Special Olympics. Mason Oakes works with multiple Boys and Girls Clubs and is very involved in the Appleton, Wisconsin community including food drives and volunteering at retirement homes.
Jaime Sifers is the team liaison with the Jarred Williams Foundation which helps families with a chronically ill child, helped raise $20,000 to improve the lives of children, women and families at risk as well as working with the King Street Youth Center. Chris Trick oversees the community service activities of the Irish hockey team and organized the “Buddy Walk” in addition to organizing the Robinson Center Kid’s Skate. Lindsay Williams oversees the weekly community service efforts of the Clarkson women’s hockey team and works with the Helping Hands for less fortunate families. Williams has raised money for holiday dinners and organized the “Skate With The Knights”.
The 11th recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian Award will be selected from this group of finalists and named in a ceremony held in conjunction with the Hobey Baker Award and NCAA Skills Competition on Friday, April 7th in Milwaukee, Wisconsin during the 2006 NCAA Frozen Four.
-January 16, 2006
Warren's 400th Career Victory Highlights
Conference Slate of Games
Minnesota-Crookston highlighted the weekend in the
Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association, as they got head coach Gary
Warren his 400th career victory on Friday night and then topped
that off by sweeping Northland with a victory on Saturday as well.
In a weekend of three MCHA series, the Golden Eagles were the only
ones to pull off the sweep as the league schedule hit it's
mid-point.
MSOE kept it's hold on first place (17 points) with a 7-1 win on
Friday and a 3-3 overtime tie Saturday on the road against
Finlandia, who now stands in third in the league standings (12
points). The Raiders stayed prominent in the eyes of the national
voters as well, as they received 18 votes in Monday's USCHO.com
Division III poll.
Marian College remains in second (14 points), as they split with
Lawrence, falling 5-3 Friday night before coming out on top in a
9-7 shoot-out on Saturday. Each league team now has 10 games in the
books and 10 games remaining in conference action, with just five
points separating first through third place.
Players of the Week:
-The MCHA Player-of-the-Week award will be shared this
week. One recipient is Minnesota-Crookston sophomore forward
Brent Groenke (Morden, MB). Groenke scored twice
on Friday before playing an even bigger role on Saturday. After
already recording an assist, he added two goals in the third period
once Northland had tied the game at 4-4. The first came on the
power play while the second was the short-handed game-winner. The
other honoree is Northland College junior forward Jim
Junker (St. Paul, MN). It's not too often that a player on
a team that gets swept earns the honor, but Junker played a role in
seven of the 10 goals that the Lumberjacks scored on the weekend.
On Friday, he had two goals and two assists out of Northland's five
goals. On Saturday, it was three assists on the team's five goals
for a league-best seven points (2G/5A) on the week.
Other Nominees: Neil Wallace (Lawrence), Chad Little (Marian),
Patrick Knutson (Minnesota-Crookston)
-Milwaukee School of Engineering junior goalie Matt Burzon
(Danby, Vt.) wins the MCHA Defensive Player-of-the-Week
for the third time this season. The construction management major
was between the pipes for the Raiders' 7-1 victory over Finlandia
on Friday night, stopping 23 of 24 Lion shots in the win. He now
leads the MCHA in goals-against-average (1.50), save percentage
(.942) and winning percentage (1.000, a perfect 6-0).
Other Nominees: Pete Stafford (Lawrence), Andy Fiore (Marian), Ben
Larson (Minnesota-Crookston)
-Marian College freshman forward Billy Schill (Sault Ste.
Marie, ONT is the MCHA Freshman-of-the-Week for his
efforts in the Sabres split with Lawrence. On Friday, he played a
role in each of Marian's scores, recording a goal and two assists
in the 5-3 loss. Then, on Saturday, he added another goal and two
assists to give him a six-point (2G/4A) weekend. He was also +5 on
the ice for the series.
Other Nominees: Nick Jennette (Lawrence), Travis Pederson
(Minnesota-Crookston), Matt Lietzan (MSOE)
-January 13, 2006
Crookston's Gary Warren Nets Career Victory No.
400
Friday the 13th may be unlucky for some, but not this time for
Crookston head coach Gary Warren. On Friday, his Golden Eagles
defeated Northland College by a score of 7-5 to give Warren career
victory No. 400.
Warren (pictured at left), in his fifth season at
Crookston, has accumulated a record of 55-59-10 in his tenure as
Golden Eagles head coach, winning a regular season crown in the
2002-03 season and tournament crowns in the 2002-03 and 2003-04
campaigns. Crookston has played for the Harris Cup in each of the
seasons that Warren has been the head coach.
For his career, his 25-year mark now stands at 400-279-47. He was
the head coach at MSU-Bottineau before accepting the Crookston job
in December of 2000.
-January 9, 2006
Lawrence's Oakes Nominated for 2006 Hockey
Humanitarian; MCHA Returns to Ice for 2006
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association returned to the ice for
the 2006 portion of their schedule this past week, with every team
but Northland taking part in non-conference action. In the biggest
game of the week, MSOE took a 2-0 first period advantage on No. 3
St. Norbert, only to see the Green Knights battle back to take the
lead and add a late empty-netter in the 4-2 victory. The Raiders
outshot St. Norbert 12-6 in the final period, but were unable to
retake the lead.
The other big news of the week happened at Lawrence University,
where senior Mason Oakes (pictured below
left) was announced as one of 18 players nominated nationally
for the 2006 Hockey Humanitarian Award. Oakes is currently fifth on
the team with eight points (5G/3A) and has played in 87 games in
his Viking career, recording 53 points (27G/26A). He is also a
two-time MCHA All-Academic team member.
According to the organization's website, http://www.hockeyhumanitarian.org/,
the Hockey Humanitarian Award annually honors college
hockey’s finest citizen and seeks to recognize college hockey
players, Division I or Division III, male or female, who give back
to their community in the true humanitarian spirit. It’s been
said of the Hockey Humanitarian Award that we seek not to celebrate
Hall of Fame athletes, but rather Hall of Fame human beings.
The nominees, listed in alphabetical order, are:
Janelle Armitage, Sr., University of Connecticut
Jessica Clermont, Sr., Niagara University
Carlton Ellis, Jr., Suffolk University
Abbey Kaknes, Sr., University of Vermont
Eric Leroux, Sr., Princeton University
Eric Marvin, Sr., Western Michigan University
Annice Mason, Sr., Saint Michael’s College
David McKee, Jr., Cornell University
Drew Miller, Jr., Michigan State University
Greg Moore, Sr., University of Maine
Meghan Mutrie, Sr., University of North Dakota
Mason Oakes, Sr., Lawrence University
Carrie Schroyer, Sr., Harvard University
Jamie Sifers, Sr., University of Vermont
Jon Smyth, Sr., Colgate University
Chris Trick, Sr., University of Notre Dame
Lindsay Williams, Jr., Clarkson University
Jason Wilson, Sr., Norwich University
Finalists for the award will be announced on
www.hockeyhumanitarian.org on Friday, January 20. The 11th
recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian Award will be selected from
the group of finalists and named in a ceremony held in conjunction
with the first-ever NCAA Skills Competition on Friday, April 7th in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin during the 2006 NCAA Frozen Four.
Players of the Week:
-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders sophomore
forward Lee Swallow (Stanwod, MI) earns MCHA
Player-of-the-Week honors for his role in the Raiders' contest
against No. 3 St. Norbert. The construction management major scored
the goal that gave MSOE a 2-0 first period lead and was outstanding
in all three zones in his return from injury.
Other Nominees: Matt Hann (UM-Crookston), Joe Searl (Lawrence)
-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders sophomore defenseman
Ken Walters (Amery, WI) earns the MCHA Defensive
Player-of-the-Week award. The business major recorded the first
goal of the Raiders contest against St. Norbert and was +1 on the
evening.
Other Nominees: Andy Link (Lawrence)
-Lawrence University Vikings freshman left wing/defenseman
Blake Royale (Burlington, Ontario) earns the MCHA
Freshman-of-the-Week honors for his play this week. The Biology
major scored a goal against Gustavus Adolphus and was +1 for the
weekend.
-December 18, 2005
Finlandia's Paquette; MSOE's Ostapina Among First
Half's Bests on USCHO.com
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association received some
national attention this week in C. J. Spang's "This Week in
West Region - D-III" article on the college hockey website
uscho.com.
In the article called "Midway Madness", Spang lists his mid-season
first and second teams in the West. The MCHA was represented with
Finlandia University's Josh Paquette earning a
spot as a First Team forward, while Milwaukee School of Engineering
head coach Mark Ostapina was selected as the coach
of the Second Team.
Paquette currently leads the MCHA in assists (11) and points (19),
while his 1.90 points per game average ranks ninth in the country.
His goals per game average of 0.80 ranks 24th and his assist
average of 1.10 is 21st among all NCAA Division III hockey
players.
Ostapina has MSOE back where they finished last season, in first
place in the league standings with a 7-1 ledger. His 9-3-0 overall
slate includes a 3-2 victory over Lake Forest (Oct. 29), the
Raiders first-ever defeat of an NCHA squad. It also includes a 3-2
overtime win over No. 11 Babson (Nov. 26), MSOE's first-ever defeat
of a ranked team.
-December 17, 2005
Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Website
Experiencing Technical Difficulties
The MCHA website has been experiencing technical
difficulties over the past three to four days. We appreciate your
patience as we found the cause of the problem. As of 5 p.m. on
Saturday (Dec. 17), it appears that everything should be back to
normal. Unfortunately, the website needed to be repaired using a
back-up from Dec. 10, so any information that was added since then
has been lost. The scores, schedules and standings pages have now
been updated, but last week's recap and players of the week have
yet to be re-posted.
The league PR director is currently working on that, and the
information will be back on the MCHA site as soon as possible.
Again, thank you for your patience and understanding in helping us
deal with problems with our server.
(NOTE: The information has now been re-posted)
-December 12, 2005
Top Three Teams in MCHA Complete Weekend
Sweeps
The MSOE Raiders, Marian Sabres and Finlandia Lions all
completed sweeps on the weekend, keeping their respective holds on
first (MSOE at 7-1-0), second (Marian at 6-2-0) and third place
(Finlandia at 5-2-1) in the conference standings. The Raiders and
Lions did it with offensive fireworks: In a series that pitted the
top two teams from the regular season a year ago, MSOE made a
statement by defeating Lawrence by scores of 8-3 and 8-1. Finlandia
completed their first-ever sweep of Crookston, defeating the Golden
Eagles 7-4 and 8-4. The Sabres kept pace with a sweep of their own,
handing Northland losses by scores of 7-4 and 2-1 in Fond du Lac.
All teams in the league except MSOE are now off for the
holiday/semester break. The Raiders have one exhibition game
remaining versus the US Under-18 Team on Dec. 17, 2005.
The weekend victories have helped MSOE continue to earn national
recognition as well, as they continue to receive votes in the
USCHO.com/CSTV Division III Men's poll. This marks the
third-straight week that they have appeared, getting the most-ever
votes (17) that they have ever received when the poll came out
Monday afternoon. The poll ranks the top 15 teams in the land; MSOE
would be considered No. 18 in the country.
| Team (1st place) | Record | Points | Last Week |
| 1. Middlebury (12) | 6-0-1 | 222 | 1 |
| 2. Manhattanville (3) | 10-0-0 | 211 | 2 |
| 3. St. Norbert | 10-2-2 | 192 | 3 |
| 4. Oswego | 12-3-0 | 180 | 4 |
| 5. St. John's | 8-2-1 | 158 | 5 |
| 6. Bowdoin | 7-1-0 | 151 | 7 |
| 7. Hobart | 9-2-0 | 128 | 8 |
| 8. Norwich | 5-2-1 | 105 | 13 |
| 9. UW-River Falls | 6-3-3 | 81 | 12 |
| 10. St. Thomas | 8-3-0 | 78 | NR |
| 11. New England | 6-1-0 | 57 | 11 |
| 12. UW-Superior | 7-4-2 | 53 | 9 |
| 13. Trinity | 5-2-0 | 49 | 15 |
| 14. Plattsburgh | 7-4-1 | 41 | NR |
| 15. Colby | 7-2-0 | 28 | 10 |
Others Receiving Votes: Geneseo 21; Bethel 18; Milwaukee
School of Engineering 17, Gustavus Adolphus 5; UW-Stout 2;
Babson 1; UW-Stevens Point 1
--The USCHO.com Poll is compiled by U.S. College Hockey Online,
and consists of 15 voters, including coaches and beat writers from
across the country.
Players of the Week:
-Milwaukee School of Engineering sophomore forward
Blair Hanberg (Edmonds, Wash.) becomes the
third-consecutive Raider to earn MCHA Player-of-the-Week honors,
sharing the award this week with Finlandia University Lions
sophomore forward Josh Paquette (Marquette, Mich).
Both players had phenomenal weekends in leading their respective
teams to league sweeps. Hanberg had a league-high nine points
(3G/6A) for the week, starting things off with a goal and four
assists in Saturday's win over Lawrence. The business major then
topped that on Sunday with two goals and two assists, including the
game-winning tally. He finished +5 on the weekend. Paquette
continued his torrid scoring pace, adding eight more (3G/5A) to
give him a league-leading 19 points (8G/11A) in just eight games,
well ahead of the second-place total of 15 points. Paquette had a
goal and two assists (including a helper on the game-winner) in
Friday's victory and then recorded two goals and three assists in
Saturday's win.
Other Nominees: Brian Soik (MSOE), Matt Hann (UM-Crookston), James
Goodfellow (Marian),
-Marian College junior defenseman Brett Fox (Detroit,
Mich.) is the MCHA Defensive Player-of-the-Week. The team
captain played a key role in the Sabres' sweep of Northland. On
Friday, he had a goal and three assists (including one on the
game-winner) in the 7-4 victory. Then on Saturday, he registered an
assist on Marian's first goal in a 2-1 win, and helped anchor a
defense that held the 'Jacks to a 1-for-8 showing on the power
play.
Other Nominees: Joe Dovalina (MSOE), Ben Larson (UM-Crookston),
Ryan Riley (Northland), Brad VanTassell (Finlandia)
-The high-scoring action on the weekend gave the league ties in
two different awards, as Milwaukee School of Engineering freshman
forward Simon Labrosse-Gelinas (Houston, Tex.)
gives the Raiders two of the league award winners for the week,
earning the MCHA Freshman of the Week honors. He ended the weekend
+6, with three goals and two assists. He had a goal and an assist
on Saturday and then finished the weekend with two goals and one
assist in Sunday's victory. He shares the honor with Marian College
freshman forward James Goodfellow (Naperville,
Ill.). Goodfellow recorded a hat trick in the Sabres' 7-4
win on Friday, scoring an even-strength, power-play and
short-handed goal. He played an even bigger role on Saturday,
assisting on the first goal and scoring the game-winner
short-handed in Marian's 2-1 victory. He ended the series with a
hand in five of the nine goals his team scored on the weekend.
Other Nominees: Mike Mistretta (Northland), Ryan Sullivan
(Finlandia)
-December 5, 2005
Marian, MSOE Use Sweeps to Move Atop MCHA
Standings
The Marian Sabres and MSOE Raiders both swept weekend
series, keeping the Raiders in first place and moving the Sabres up
into second place in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association
standings. MSOE powered past Northland, outscoring the Lumberjacks
by a combined score of 13-1, while Marian made the tough road trip
up to Crookston and came away with the sweep, topping the Golden
Eagles by scores of 6-4 and 5-3. Marian (4-2 MCHA) now trails the
Raiders (5-1 MCHA) by just a game in the race for the top of the
conference. In other league action, Finlandia posted a 7-5 victory
and a 2-2 tie against Lawrence University, leap-frogging the
Vikings in the standings as a result. Just four points separate
first through fourth place as the league heads back into another
conference slate of games this weekend.
Players of the Week:
-Milwaukee School of Engineering sophomore forward
Lee Swallow (Stanwood, MI) becomes the
second-straight Raider to earn MCHA Player-of-the-Week honors. The
construction management major had a five-point weekend (3G/2A) in
helping power MSOE to the sweep of the 'Jacks. He started the
weekend off with two goals on Friday, including the
game-winner.
Other Nominees: Travis Hanson (Finlandia), Pete Mossberg
(Lawrence), Patrick Knutson (Crookston), Bill Griffore (Marian)
-Finlandia University Lions junior goalkeeper Joe Juntilla
(Calumet, MI) and Milwaukee School of Engineering junior
goalie Matt Burzon (Danby, Vt.) give the MCHA its
first tie for the year, as they share league Defensive
Player-of-the-Week honors. Juntilla played a key role in helping
the Lions jump into third place with a victory over Lawrence on
Friday with 29 saves and then a tie on Saturday with 27 stops. In
addition, he held the Vikings to an 0-for-14 showing on the power
play. Burzon earns the top honor for the second-straight week, as
he recorded a shutout and two wins on the weekend. The construction
management major
Other Nominees: Matt Bobo (Marian)
-Marian College freshman forward Bill Griffore (Milford,
MI) earns the Sabres first MCHA Freshman of the Week
honors of the season. Bill scored two goals and had one assist in
Saturday's 6-4 Marian win over Crookston and was +4 on the night. A
day later, he scored again and was +1. He played in every situation
and helped his line to record five of the 11 goals that Marian
scored on the weekend.
Other Nominees: Mitch Sabo (Lawrence), Joe Beaudry (Finlandia),
Simon Labrosse-Gelinas (MSOE)
-November 28, 2005
Holiday Week of Games Provides Thrills for
MCHA
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association witnessed a
couple of firsts on the ice during the holiday week. The first
happened on Tuesday night, when Lawrence defeated Lake Forest by a
final score of 6-5. That victory marked the first-ever win over an
NCHA team for Lawrence and snapped what was a 12-game losing streak
in the series, dating back to Nov. 21, 1986 (Lake Forest began play
in the NCHA in 1992-93). The other big moment came on the weekend,
when MSOE topped nationally-ranked Babson College 3-2 in overtime
on Saturday at the Babson Invitational in Massachusetts. The win
over Babson, who entered play ranked No. 11 in the most recent
uscho.com NCAA Division III poll, was the Raiders first-ever over a
nationally ranked opponent. The last MCHA team to beat a ranked
opponent was Marian College, when they knocked off River Falls -
ranked No. 5 at the time - by a score of 4-2 back on Jan. 9, 2004.
The Sabres tied then-No. 3 St. Norbert College 3-3 on Nov. 26
of last season as well.
Conference action will be the name of the game this weekend, as
all six schools square off in three series: Finlandia versus
Lawrence, MSOE versus Northland and Marian versus
Minnesota-Crookston.
Players of the Week:
-Milwaukee School of Engineering senior forward
James Shipley (Oak Park, Ill.) earns MCHA
Player-of-the-Week for his role in the big Raider victory over
Babson on Saturday. The business major scored the goal that tied
the contest at 2-2 in regulation and then assisted on the
game-winner in overtime. His efforts earned him a spot on the
All-Tournament Team as well.
Other Nominees: Mason Oakes (Lawrence)
-Milwaukee School of Engineering junior goalie Matt Burzon
(Danby, Vt.) gives the Raiders two league honors this
week, as he is the MCHA Defensive Player-of-the-Week. The
construction management major was between the pipes for the Raiders
unprecedented victory on Saturday, saving 34 of 36 shots for a save
percentage of .944 in the victory over Babson. He helped out on the
offensive side as well, recording an assist on MSOE's first goal of
the game by Brian Soik. A night later in the championship game, he
came off the bench in the second period, stopping 22 of 24 shots to
give him a save percentage of .933 for the weekend.
Other Nominees: Daniel Ljung (Lawrence)
-Lawrence University Vikings freshman forward Nick
Jennette (Grand Rapids, Mich.) is the MCHA
Freshman-of-the-Week for the second time this season. The biology
major played a key role in the Vikings first-ever victory over an
NCHA opponent, scoring a goal and adding an assist on the
game-winner against Lake Forest. He currently leads all MCHA
freshman with 1.14 points per game (5G/3A), with his eight points
good enough for third in the league overall.
Other Nominees: Jason Woll (MSOE)
-November 26, 2005
MSOE Pulls Upset of Nationally-Ranked Opponent
-Courtesy of MSOE Sports Information Director Brian
Gibboney
CONTACT: 414-277-2412 or gibboney@msoe.edu
BABSON PARK, Mass. --
Sophomore Lee Swallow (Stanwood, Mich. /
Northwood) scored the game-winning goal at 8:28 of
overtime to lead the Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders to a
3-2 victory over host Babson College in the first semifinal of the
2005 Babson Invitational Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament
presented by Irving Oil on Saturday afternoon. With the win, the
Raiders (5-2-0) advance to Sunday’s championship game at 4
p.m., while the Beavers (1-2-0) will play in the consolation game
at 1 p.m.
This victory is the first win in MSOE’s history over a
nationally ranked opponent. Coach Mark Ostapina shares his
enthusiasm after the game. “We played a consummate team game
against a bunch of individuals (Babson) and we won,” said
Ostapina. “To travel east and beat them on their home ice,
there is nothing bigger.” Babson currently ranks #8 in NCAA
Division III Men’s Hockey and is one of the east coast ice
hockey giants.
Babson took a 1-0 lead at 13:32 of the first, as senior Sam
Vatrano scored for the Beavers. They increased the lead to 2-0
three minutes later off a blue-line shot by senior Greg Cassista on
the power play at 16:09.
MSOE cut its deficit in half eight minutes into the second period,
as the Raiders caught Babson in a line change on the heels of a
two-man advantage. After the first penalty expired, junior
Brian Soik (Stevens Point, Wisc. / Spash ) skated
in uncontested and put a shot through the legs of senior goalie
Craig Weiner at 8:01. MSOE then knotted the contest at 2-2 when
senior James Shipley (Oak Park, Ill. / Oak Park)
scored on a slap shot from the right point on another power play at
12:40.
MSOE out shot Babson, 12-6, in the third period, but Weiner made
12 of his 27 saves to keep the game even. However, the Raiders
would secure the victory midway through the 20-minute overtime
session, as Shipley gathered a rebound of sophomore Blair
Hanberg’s (Edmonds, Wash. / Edmonds-Woodway) shot in
the right corner and sent a backhand centering pass to a wide-open
Swallow. The sophomore forward then one-timed the pass into an open
net to lift MSOE to the 3-2 overtime win.
Burzon was outstanding for the Raiders, stopping 34 of the 36
shots that he faced in net while also adding an assist on
Soik’s goal. MSOE will now play Hobart (5-2-0) in
Sunday’s championship game slated for 4pm EST. Hobart was a
6-0 winner over William’s College in Saturday’s second
semifinal contest.
-November 21, 2005
Weekend Slate of League Games Tightens Early
Standings Race
Both Minnesota-Crookston and Northland College broke into
the victory column this past weekend, tightening the standings
across the MCHA. Idle MSOE remains in first place after Lawrence
lost and tied Crookston, going overtime for the 3-3 result on
Friday before the Golden Eagles won 3-1 Saturday. Finlandia moved
into a tie for third with Marian, who was off this weekend as well,
after their split with Northland College. The Lumberjacks
victimized the Lions to get new head coach Steve Fabiilli his first
victory, winning 5-3 on Friday night. It's early, but just three
points separate first through fifth in the standings. There will be
a full slate of games over the holiday week, with two teams making
trips over Thanksgiving - Finlandia will be playing in the Hockey
Showcase in Blaine, Minn., while MSOE will head to the Babson
Invitational.
Players of the Week:
-Northland College Lumberjacks junior forward
Jeff Affleck (Souris, MB) becomes the first
Lumberjack to earn MCHA Player-of-the-Week honors this season. The
business major played a key role in getting his team the win on
Friday. Down 3-0 to the Lions, Affleck started the rally with an
assist on the 'Jacks first goal. The team captain then scored
short-handed to get his team within one at 3-2, as Northland scored
five unanswered goals to earn the victory. He also added an assist
on Saturday.
Other Nominees: David Olynyk (Lawrence), Jason Aldridge
(Finlandia), Teal Plaine (Minnesota-Crookston)
-Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagles junior goalie Kyle
Knudsen (Mead, WA) gives Crookston their first league
honors of the season as well, as he is the MCHA Defensive
Player-of-the-Week. He went 1-0-1 on the week, playing the entire
weekend against Lawrence. He made made 42 saves in the 3-3 draw on
Friday before making 32 more stops in the win on Saturday. His
numbers for the week included a 1.92 GAA and a .949 save
percentage.
Other Nominees: Andrew Isaac (Lawrence), Steve Piccoli
(Finlandia), Ryan Riley (Northland)
-Finlandia University Lions freshman forward Ryan Sullivan
(Marquette, MI) gets the honor of MCHA
Freshman-of-the-Week. In Friday's game, he was even on +/- in the
loss while playing on power play and penalty kill. Then on
Saturday, he helped spark the Lions to the win when his goal gave
Finlandia the 2-1 edge, a lead they would never relinquish in the
6-3 victory. He also added an assist on Saturday and finished +2
for the game.
-November 14, 2005
Lawrence, MSOE Get Weekend Sweeps in MCHA
Action
Lawrence University and MSOE both went undefeated in
conference play on the week, with the Vikings opening league action
with a sweep of Northland College and the Raiders moving to 3-1 in
the MCHA with two victories over Minnesota-Crookston. The Vikings
unleashed their offense to start the conference slate, combining
for 15 goals in their two wins, including an amazing three tallies
in a span of just 16 seconds in their victory on Saturday. The
Raiders won going away in Friday and then thwarted a Golden Eagle
comeback on Saturday with a 5-4 overtime win after UMC battled back
from a 4-1 deficit. In other league action, Finlandia opened loop
play with a split at Marian College to start off at 1-1, securing a
tough road victory in the process.
Players of the Week:
-Finlandia University Lions sophomore forward
Josh Paquette (Marquette, MI) wins a heated battle
for MCHA Player-of-the-Week. The second-leading scorer in the
league from a season ago got off to a red-hot start with a
league-high 7-point weekend. He started with a bang, recording a
hat trick (one shorthanded/one power play/one even-strength) to go
along with an assist in the Lions 6-4 win on Friday. He then added
three more points (1G/2A) on Saturday.
Other Nominees: Michael Duta (MSOE), Brent Groenke (UM-Crookston),
Josh McAndrew (Marian), Eric Bury (Marian), Neil Wallace
(Lawrence)
-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders freshman defenseman
Jason Yolo (Hartland, WI) lands MCHA Defensive
Player-of-the-Week accolades for the Raiders. The mechanical
engineering major was +4 for the weekend. He recorded an assist in
Friday’s victory and then came back Saturday with an assist
to go along with the game-winning goal in overtime to give his team
the victory.
Other Nominees: Matt Bobo (Marian), Nate Haskins
(Minnesota-Crookston), Josh Peterson (Lawrence)
-Lawrence University Vikings freshman forward Aaron LaFave
(Centerville, OH) gives Lawrence the MCHA
Freshman-of-the-Week honor for second time in three weeks to start
the 2005-06 season. He scored his first two career goals on Friday
before assisting teammate Neil Wallace on back-to-back goals just
eight seconds apart in the second period of Saturday’s
victory.
Other Nominees: Josh McAndrew (Marian), Eric Bury (Marian), Blake
Miller (Finlandia), Simon Labrosse-Gelinas (MSOE)
-November 7, 2005
MSOE and Marian Open Conference Play With Weekend
Split
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association began league
play this weekend, in addition to getting two more teams on the ice
for the 2005-06 campaign. The first league game of the season was a
good one, as the Marian Sabres surprised defending champion MSOE
Raiders with a 3-2 overtime victory at the Kern Center on Friday
before the Raiders regrouped for a 5-1 victory on Saturday in Fond
du Lac. Finlandia opened the new campaign in impressive fashion,
posting two victories over the Toronto Rattlers, while Northland
College started the year with losses to Concordia (MN).
Players of the Week:
-Milwaukee School of Engineering junior forward
Michael Duta (Seattle, WA) gets the nod for MCHA
Player-of-the-Week, giving MSOE the award for back-to-back weeks to
start the 2005-06 season. The business major had a five-point
weekend, all on assists (two helpers Friday/three Saturday), and
made the key steal and pass on the game-winning goal on Saturday
night.
Other Nominees: Kyle Grabowski (Marian)
-Marian College junior goaltender Kyle Grabowski (Oakdale,
MN) earns MCHA Defensive Player-of-the-Week for his
efforts in the Sabres' overtime victory in Milwaukee. He made an
amazing 50 saves and had a .962 save percentage in the 3-2 win, and
stopped 84 of 91 (.923 save %) Raider shots on the weekend.
Other Nominees: Matt Burzon (MSOE), Greg Copeland (Marian)
-Milwaukee School of Engineering freshman forward RG
Flath (Salt Lake City, UT) gets his first league
accolades, earning Freshman-of-the-Week honors with his offensive
display on the weekend. The architectural engineering major netted
the first hat trick of the new season, finding the back of the net
three times in MSOE's 5-1 victory on Saturday. He scored the
game-winner shorthanded in that game and also added an assist on
Friday for the four-point weekend.
Other Nominees: Greg Copeland (Marian)
-November 2, 2005
MSOE Gets Milestone Victory Over Lake Forest in
Opening Week of Season
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association opened the
eighth season in league history this past week, with four of the
six schools seeing non-conference action. Marian College played in
the first game of the NCAA Division III season against No. 2 St.
Norbert Oct. 25th. The Sabres pulled within a goal at 3-2 just 2:51
into the third period before the Green Knights turned it on for the
victory. The story of the week, however, was MSOE opening their
season with a split against NCHA foe Lake Forest. The Raiders were
defeated 4-1 on Friday night but came right back the next night
with a 3-2 win over the Foresters. The victory was not only the
team’s first-ever defeat of LFU, but also marked the
school’s first win against an NCHA opponent. Northland and
Finlandia open their 2005-06 campaigns this weekend.
Players of the Week:
-Milwaukee School of Engineering sophomore forward
Ryan Lettau (Fond du Lac, Wis.) is the first MCHA
Player-of-the-Week for the 2005-06 season. The architectural
engineering major scored the game-winner in MSOE’s 3-2
victory over Lake Forest, giving his team their first-ever victory
over an NCHA opponent. For the game, he had one goal and assisted
on another. He was also a key factor in the team’s goal on
Friday night without being awarded an assist.
Other Nominees: Andrew Isaac (Lawrence)
-Milwaukee School of Engineering junior goalie Joe
Dovalina (Evergreen Park, Ill.) gets honored as the MCHA
Defensive Player-of-the-Week. The business major was between the
pipes for four of six periods this weekend. He entered
Friday’s game in the third period, keeping Lake Forest
scoreless while making eight saves. He then recorded the
team’s milestone victory on Saturday, taking a shutout into
the third period while making 31 saves on the night. His save
percentage for the series was .951.
-Lawrence University Vikings freshman forward Nick
Jennette (Grand Rapids, Mich.) is the MCHA
Freshman-of-the-Week. The biology major made an immediate impact as
a newcomer to the Viking line-up, scoring a goal in his first
collegiate game against UW-Stout.
Other Nominees: Jason Woll (MSOE)
-October 24, 2005
Let the Games Begin!...Puck Drops Tomorrow on
2005-06 Season
With just a day to go before the 2005-06 hockey season
begins, players and coaches alike are eager to start playing for
real. The MCHA will begin non-conference action on Tuesday (Oct.
25), with Marian College taking on No. 2 St. Norbert College on the
road.
Three more games dot the schedule on Friday (Oct. 28), as Lawrence
opens with a home game against UW-Stout and defending MCHA Champion
MSOE plays host to Lake Forest. Marian will also open their home
schedule that day, taking on Buffalo State.
Season previews for each MCHA team follow:
-Season Previews are courtesy of each school's Sports
Information Director
MSOE (2004-05 MCHA record: 14-2-0, First place)
The MSOE Raiders opened the new Kern Center and the
2004-2005 season in remarkable fashion: playing to packed houses
and winning the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association championship
and the Harris cup for the first time in the teams’ history.
Now they have set their sites on another goal, a second consecutive
championship.
Head Coach Mark Ostapina didn’t mince words concerning what
lies ahead for this team. “I told my guys last year, that
they reached the top of the mountain,” said Ostapina. “
Now we are starting back at the foot of a steeper mountain, looking
to defend the Harris Cup and the MCHA crown.”
What was unique about last year’s team is that not one
person stood out, but the team had a balanced lineup. They only
garnered two All-Conference nods on a team that finished 14-2 in
the MCHA regular season, and was one of only nine Division III
teams with a 20-win season.
This season, expect more of the same from the Raiders as they rely
on youth since having graduated six players from last year’s
team. However, they return All Conference and MCHA tournament Most
Valuable Player, junior goalie Matt Burzon. His 2.26 Goals Against
Average was first in the league. Ostapina said, “Matt
(Burzon), as all our goaltenders played strong last year and
anchored our stingy defensive play.”
All-Tournament defender Ross Chawansky and Luke Hasbargen will
play key roles in repeating as defending champions. Chawansky was
named to the MCHA All-tournament team for his post-season play,
while Hasbargen was a force on the ice for the Raiders all season
long. “Luke (Hasbargen) has developed into the consummate
captain and leader”, said Ostapina.
Ostapina plans to use rookie defenseman Jason Woll and Jason Yolo
to fill the void left by a tough, hard checking Brano Krueger.
MSOE may be strong defensively, but they have a balanced and
efficient offense, returning five of their top scorers, including
Raider’s top scorer sophomore Lee Swallow, scoring threats
sophomore Blair Hanberg and junior Brian Soik.
Although not making the MCHA all-tournament team, Soik led MSOE in
playoff points. In regular season play, Hanberg averaged 1.50
points per game (ppg), while Swallow had a 1.31 ppg average,
landing the Raiders in fifth and ninth place among conference
point-getters, respectively.
Freshmen also play a large part in Ostapina’s plan for
success. He will look to Forwards RG Flath and Simon
Labrosse-Gelinas to contribute immediately to the Raider offense.
Ostapina said, “These two players has experienced success at
the highest junior level and I see no reason they cannot succeed at
the NCAA level”.
This year, the Raiders not only play a tough conference schedule,
but also have a tough non-conference road schedule. The Raiders
travel to Boston over Thanksgiving break to play in the Irving Oil
Invitational against nationally ranked NCAA Division III teams
Williams, Hobart and host Babson College (November 26 &
27).
At home, their schedule is not any easier, opening with midwest
power, Lake Forest on October 28, followed by home games with last
year’s number one ranked team in the nation, Saint Norbert
(January 7) and an exhibition game with the USA 18-Under Olympic
Developmental team (December 17).
LAWRENCE (9-7-0, Second)
The Lawrence University hockey team is coming off one of
the best seasons in school history, but the Vikings have plenty of
work to do heading into the 2005-06 campaign.
Lawrence returns a solid core of players, but the Vikings must
replace the two leading scorers in school history, Ryan Blick and
Mike Burkhart, who were both lost to graduation.
The Vikings took second place in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey
Association last season with a 9-7 mark and 26 points. Lawrence was
11-13-2 overall.
The Vikings can build on the fact they will receive great
goaltending from a pair of all-conference performers, Andrew Isaac
(Mississauga, Ontario) and Daniel Ljung (Avesta, Sweden).
Issac, who earned national Player of the Week honors last season,
is a two-time all-conference selection. He was 8-7-1 with a 3.66
goals against average and .912 save percentage last season. Ljung,
who earned all-conference honors as a freshman, was 3-6-1 with a
4.65 GAA and .881 save percentage.
New to the mix is freshman goaltender Andrew Litchfield
(Grayslake, Ill.).
The goaltenders will get help from a solid corps of defenders.
Sophomore assistant captain Josh Peterson (Duluth, Minn.) earned
all-conference honors and was named to the United States College
Hockey Online All-West Rookie Team last season. He had eight goals
and 11 assists a season ago. Also returning are senior defensemen
Andy Link (Rochester, Minn.) and sophomores Joe MacDonald (St.
Paul, Minn.), Ryan Colville (Milton, Ontario), and Pat Tuohy
(Wrentham, Mass.).
A big group of freshmen defensemen will also be called upon to
help. Adam Brand (Antigo), Peter Stafford (Madison), Ted Greeley
(Marquette, Mich.), Blake Royle (Burlington, Ontario), and Mitch
Sabo (Bell Canyon, Calif.) will be counted upon to lend a hand at
the blue line.
Junior captain Joe Searl (Fond du Lac) is one of several standout
forwards that are back. Searl had 10 goals, 16 assists, and 26
points last season.
Assistant captains Pete Mossberg (Salt Lake City, Utah) and Mason
Oakes (Madison), both seniors, are coming off solid seasons. Oakes
had 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points, and Mossberg had eight
goals and 16 assists for 24 points.
Junior Kalle Larsson (Gothenburg, Sweden) made the move to forward
last season, and his powerful slap shot produced five goals and 11
assists for 16 points.
Also returning at foward are senior Charlie Ward (Falmouth,
Maine), juniors David Olynyk (Burlington, Ontario), Evan Thornton
(Colorado Springs, Colo.), and Will Vanderhyden (Viroqua), and
sophomores Neil Wallace (Presque Isle) and Brian Kennihan
(Valencia, Pa.).
The Vikings have a host of freshmen forwards, led by Nick Jennette
(Grand Rapids, Mich.), Jesse Jacobs (Pacifica, Calif.), Chris
Lawson (Monument, Colo.), and Aaron LaFave (Centersville,
Ohio).
MINNESOTA-CROOKSTON (9-7-0, Third)
Perhaps known for their slow starts and strong finishes,
this year’s Golden Eagle Hockey Squad is anxious to sustain a
strong performance throughout the season.
Returning 18 candidates who experienced playing time in last
year’s MCHA runner-up run, Coach Gary Warren is looking for
the team to be led with character and a positive direction.
“A year ago we got of to a slow start; we put it into
perspective, redefined our team goals, and were persistent with
them. It was a valuable learning experience that strengthened this
year’s returnees,” says Coach Warren.
The Golden Eagles will be led by four seniors, Patrick
Knutson (EGF, MN), Nate Haskins (Spooner
WI), and Dustin Steigauf (Bemidji, MN)
and all will help captain the team. Senior defenseman Ben
Larson (Rothsay, MN) will also be looked upon for
leadership.
Knutson has made a strong impact on the team and the MCHA in his
three years. He has been named MCHA Player of the Week on numerous
occasions. He has been selected to All-Tournament Teams, the
All-Freshman Team and last season after a tremendous playoff run
Patrick was Named National Player of the Week. Going into his
senior season he has tallied 81 points in 82 games, an outstanding
accomplishment at any level of hockey.
Nate Haskins’ tournament play of a year ago was outstanding
as the converted defenseman made the move from forward to help
strengthen his team. No coincidence the team started to make its
second half move the same time Haskins was moved back to the point.
The past two seasons Haskins was named MCHA All-Academic.
Sophomore goalkeeper Jaden Isakson (Bismarck ND)
anchors the defense having come off a great freshman year. Isakson
was named UMC Male Athlete Newcomer of the Year after his heroics
of a year ago. Some of his honors were being named MCHA Player of
the Week back to back times and to the All-Tournament team. He will
be challenged by Junior Brett Shelanski (Bloomington,
MN) and Junior College All-American transfer Kyle
Knudsen (Mead, WA).
Local favorite Matt Hann (Crookston, MN) turned
in a noteworthy freshman campaign by registering 20 points in 28
games and also being recognized as MCHA Player of the Week on back
to back occasions. He along with nine returning forwards will give
the Golden Eagles depth up front.
“In the early going,” Coach Warren states “These
guys have not been afraid of the work. They show a great work ethic
and enthusiasm toward the demands of being a student athlete, with
a daily approach to the task at hand look for the 2005-2006 Golden
Eagles to factor in the always difficult Midwest College Hockey
Association race.
FINLANDIA (7-8-1, Fourth)
Last season the Finlandia Lions hockey team accomplished
one of their main goals for the season – make an impact in
the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (MHCA) and host the first
round of playoffs. Their goals for the 2005-2006 do not
vary much from the previous year. The team would like to
finish in the top three of the MCHA, resulting in a home play-off
opportunity. Fifth year head coach Joe Burcar hopes to also
have one-third of his team on the MCHA All-Academic Team.
“We have very talented student-athletes in the classroom and
on the ice,” says Burcar. “This is a very
important goal for us to accomplish.”
In the classroom and on the ice, Burcar will be looking five
returnees to lead the way: Josh Paquette
(Marquette, MI), Joe Lewis (Marquette, MI),
Mike Parks (Marquette, MI), Travis
Hanson (Bark River, MI), Jamie Leffler
(Vancouver, Canada).
Paquette, a 6’0”, 180-pound sophomore, returns to the
Lions’ starting line. Last season, he tied the MCHA
assist record with 26. Paquette also had seven goals on 45
shots. “Paco (Paquette) is a good leader,” states
Burcar. “We will be looking for him to compete against
the opponents’ top lines this year.”
Along side Paquette is another Marquette-native, Joe Lewis.
Lewis had a spectacular freshman year last season. With 19
goals and 15 assists, he broke the MCHA freshman goal record.
“Like Paco, Joe will be lined up with the opponents’
best line,” says Burcar. Lewis also had six power-play
goals and one short-handed goals.
Travis Hanson, 6’1”, 200-pounds, is with the Lions for the second year. Hanson compiled seven points in his 24 games. “Travis is a scrappy player,” remarks Burcar. “He is the team’s workhorse. He can go out there at any moment and play any position. He is the grinder of the team.”
From Vancouver, Canada, junior Jamie Leffler will be looked to for penalty kills. Last season he had 19 points (eight goals and 11 assists), two of those from power play goals. “Leffler is a great leader. As for his speed, he is up there with some of our top skaters,” says Burcar.
To round out the Lions’ returning youth, Mike Parks enters his second year as a Lion. Originally from Marquette, Michigan, Parks was third on the team in scoring with nine goals and 20 assists in his 24 games. “We will look to Parks to play many aspects of the game,” states Barcar. “Parks leads by example. He has a great presence on the ice.”
“We also can’t forget about the others returning,” says Burcar. “Derek Onkalo (Houghton, MI), Jason Aldrich (Hancock, MI), Trevor Morrison (Ishpeming, MI), and Joe Juntilla (Calumet, MI). They will all get quality minutes on the ice this year, along with some of our new guys like Reed (Laulainen) and Ryan (Sullivan).”
Reed Laulainen, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound forward from Minneapolis, Minnesota, graduated from Minnehaha Academy, where he played four years. He was honorable mention all-state in Minnesota his senior season after he tallied 26 goals and 27 assists. "Reed is a natural scorer," says Burcar. "He has great vision on the ice and has good offensive skills."
From Marquette, Michigan, Ryan Sullivan, a 5-8,
165-pound, forward, played for the Helena Bighorns of the North
American Hockey league the past two seasons, recording five goals
and four assists last year. Before Helena, Sullivan spent one year
with the Springfield Spirit of the NAHL and two years with the
Marquette Electricians. "Ryan is a hard worker and a great penalty
killer," Burcar says. “Look to him to create a lot of
disruption when he is on the ice.”
Overall, Coach Burcar sees a tight race in the MCHA.
“It is going to be tough each weekend,” he says.
“Most teams have a great core returning, making them very
competitive. It should be an exciting season.”
MARIAN (6-9-1, Fifth)
Marian College Hockey head coach Jasen Wise won’t
make any predictions on the season, but one thing he will say is
that he knows his team will not be outworked. The Sabres head coach
is reluctant to make any predictions, simply because he really
doesn’t know what to expect this season. The Sabres were
9-18-2 last season and only return six players from a season ago.
That being said, the Sabres have 14 new skaters this season, 12 of
which are freshmen. Coach Wise knows that some may view this as a
weakness, but he thinks that he has some young players that are
very mature and that will make up for the lack of experience at the
collegiate level.
The Sabres will have some big holes to fill in regards to losses
from last season. Graduated are six seniors who contributed for 52
goals and 76 assists a year ago. Forwards Jon Daigle, Andy Allen,
and Ian Carroll were major contributors on an offense that finished
second in the MCHA last season, with 4.19 goals/game. Diagle and
Allen rank as the 4th and 6th most prolific
scorers in Marian history, respectively.
However, coach Wise believes that they have plenty of offense
returning to go along with the newcomers. “We have some key
returnees to go along with a lot of offensive-minded newcomers that
will make things very interesting,” stated Coach Wise. Coach
Wise wants to focus on what he has and not on what he doesn’t
have. What he does have back is a trio of forwards that are looking
to make an even bigger impact this season. Chad Little
(Southampton, ONT) is back and has been chosen as one of
two captains on this year’s squad. “Chad is someone who
I cheer for because he works so hard. He is someone I see putting
up a season like Jon Daigle did a year ago,” stated Wise. The
junior had 14 goals last season and 10 assists to go along with 3
power-play goals. The last of the trio of forwards is sophomore
Carl Bresser (Waupun, WI). Bresser was impressive
as a freshman last season as he tallied 10 goals and 10 assists on
the season. “Carl is someone who has vastly improved since
last season and someone we will look to in short-handed
situations,” stated Wise. Coach Wise also sees freshman
James Goodfellow (Naperville, IL) as someone to
come in and provide a lot of punch offensively. Goodfellow’s
stick handling ability and his knack for scoring have stood out in
practice so far. Another freshman Andrew Corvo (Oak Park,
IL) has also caught the attention of the head coach.
“Andrew is someone who could have a serious impact as a
freshman. He understands the game and will be a threat
offensively,” stated the head coach. Other newcomers on
offense include Josh McAndrew (Atikokan, ONT), Eric Bury
(Blue Springs, MO), Eric Rakow (Little Falls, MN), Jake Hanson
(Peoria, IL), Jack Aide (Bismarck, ND), Bill Griffore Jr. (Milford,
MI), and Billy Schill (Sault Ste. Marie,
ONT). All seven of these players will be expected to come
in and contribute right away. “These are guys that are very
versatile. We will use them in many different situations,”
noted the coach.
Defensively, the Sabres will rely on junior captain Brett
Fox (Detroit, MI) to lead the way. The Sabres gave up 3.81
goals/game last season and hope to improve on that number.
“Brett’s leadership will be relied on immensely this
season at the blue line,” noted the coach. Fox scored 2 goals
last season and also chipped in with 7 assists. Senior
Matthew Bobo (Mattawan, MI) is also back and he is
looking to improve on his 7 goals and 14 assists from a season ago.
“Bobo is someone who will be relied on for leadership in all
situations and a player we look for to really improve this
season,” stated the head coach. Jeffrey Wills (Flint,
MI), who is a very physical player, will help defensively
with his aggressive attitude. Andrew Fiore (Georgetown,
ONT) is someone Coach Wise believes will have a great
career in a Sabre uniform. “Andrew is a player who with time
will be recognized as a force in the conference,” stated
Wise. Kyle Jones (Sault Ste. Marie, ONT) and
Gregory Copeland (Lloydminister, SK) are two other
defensive players who will see plenty of time in the 2005-2006
season.
The goalie position is one that Coach Wise feels comfortable with.
Kyle Grabowski (Oakdale, MN) and Dave
DeSander (Saginaw, MI) are both back and will compete for
minutes between the pipes all season. Coach Wise believes that the
two will challenge each other and in the end that it will make them
both better. Grabowski played in twenty-four games last season and
accounted for 72.9% of the minutes in goal. Grabowski had 664 saves
a season ago and a save percentage of .885. He had two shutouts and
was credited with eight wins on the season. His 3.41
goals-against-average in conference placed him fourth in the MCHA.
DeSander played in four games as a freshman and made 100 saves. He
does have some starting experience as he started four games for the
Sabres a year ago. Brett Anderson (Buffalo, MN)
will also look to compete for time in goal this season for the
Sabres.
As usual, the schedule will be demanding. Coach Wise believes
the first three games, which are against #2 ranked St. Norbert
College, Buffalo State (NY), and Fredonia State (NY) will greatly
help them prepare for the MCHA schedule. He believes that there is
great parody in the league, but feels MSOE and Crookston have to be
the favorites in the conference.
This young Sabre team will be put to the test right away as they
face St. Norbert College on the road Tuesday, October
25th. The Knights are currently ranked 2nd in
the Preseason USCHO.com Poll.
NORTHLAND (2-14-0, Sixth)
Last season the LumberJacks finished with a 3-24-0 record
in the MCHA. With a new coaching staff implemented and a
solid core of seniors back in the line up, the Jacks should make
big strides in growing and developing into a competitive team.
Joining the Jacks for his first season behind the helm will be Head Coach Steve Fabiilli. Coach Fabiilli comes to Northland after serving as assistant coach at Division I Canisius College. “Creating a team identity that will allow us to be competitive consistently - on the ice, in the classroom, and respectfully among the community will be our focus”, said Coach Fabiilli. Helping Fabiilli achieve this goal will be first year assistant coach Chris Hamp. Coach Hamp played for the Jacks from 1999-2002 and is exactly what Coach Fabiilli is looking for. “Chris brings a very strong work ethic, dedication and positive energy that will most definitely have an impact on our players.”
The LumberJacks will see a total of 11 seniors return for their final campaign. Leading the way will be senior captain and All-Academic Team member Jeff Affleck (Souris, Man.), who led the way last year with a team high 16 goals and 16 assists. “Jeff is an outstanding young man and team leader for us. He leads by example day in and day out and will continue to set the bar for the rest of his teammates,” comments Coach Fabiilli. Assisting Affleck up front will be fellow classmate and assistant captain Winston Bothner (Beechy, Sask.) who finished second in team scoring with 7 goals and 16 assists. “Winston will be looked upon to improve on his numbers from last year and continue to lead the team with his strong character and work ethic,” notes Fabiilli.
Leading the way on defense will be senior assistant captain Derek Lehrke (Park Rapids, MN) and sophomore assistant captain Ryan Riley (Moose Jaw, Sask). Lehrke will be relied on heavily this year as the workhorse of the team. He competed in all 27 games last year and will be looked upon to take care of his own end and log some heavy ice time. “The way Derek is able to motivate himself and his teammates will make everyone around him better, he is always first in the gym and is ready to help out in any way he can within the community,” said Coach Fabiilli. Helping out will be Riley, who joined the team late last year. In the final 11 games of the season Riley was able to chip in 7 points. He will be expected to contribute again this year and to improve on his numbers from last year. “Ryan has the potential to become one of the best defenseman in the league and maybe in the nation. He continues to push himself everyday and expects nothing less of himself,” said Coach Fabiilli. “He will have to be at his best day in and day out to ensure team success.”
There will be a battle for the position of goaltender. With the return of junior Justin Grant (Burlington, IA) and new comers Corey Brenner (Lanesborough, MA.) and Mike Mistretta (Buffalo, NY) it is up in the air as to who will take over the number one spot. Coach Fabiilli knows they will decide it for them. He says, “I will let them battle it out in practice and in games and let them make the decision for me, the one who wants it the most and is consistent will be our guy”.
This is a year of change and new beginnings for the Northland College LumberJacks, with a solid core of returnees and new attitudes, the team will look to each other to compete day in and day out in the classroom, on the ice and in the community.
Steve Fabiilli enters his first season as head coach and third in the team’s history. He takes over a program that will continue to build itself up into a competitive contender in the MCHA.
Fabiilli comes to Northland after serving as an assistant coach at Division I Canisius College. While at Canisius, Fabiilli helped guide the Griffins to a 14-7-3 record, good for second place in the Atlantic Hockey Conference and a school record for conference standings.
He was involved in coaching a finalist for the Humanitarian Award, an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Award Winner, two Atlantic Hockey Conference Academic All-Stars, two Players of the Week, and a Rookie of the Week. Coach Fabiilli was instrumental in working with and developing a four-time Goalie of the Week and All-Atlantic Hockey Conference goalie.
Fabiilli was a four-year letter winner at Canisius from 1997-2001 and finished his career with an overall record of 29-15-4. He currently ranks fifth in career wins, ninth in career saves, and fourth in both career goals against average and save percentage. His senior year coach Fabiilli was honored with being named Canisius College Male Athlete of the Year and Team MVP.
“I am extremely excited to be part of the LumberJack Hockey family,” Fabiilli said. “I look forward to the challenges of building a successful hockey program.”
Coach Fabiilli, a native of Sudbury, Ontario, competed in three National Championships in a four-year span. He played in the Telus Cup in 93-94, and had back to back appearances in the Royal Bank Cup in 95-96 and 96-97. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education in 2001 and a Master’s degree in Sports Administration in 2005, both from Canisius College. He currently resides in Ashland.
-October 19, 2005
MSOE's Matt Burzon Named Preseason Honorable
Mention All-USCHO
The U.S. College Hockey Online website (www.uscho.com) named their
Preseason All-USCHO teams comprised of all NCAA Division III teams
on Wednesday.
MSOE junior goalie Matt Burzon has been chosen as
a West Team Honorable Mention selection.
Burzon [pictured at left] led the MCHA in goals-against
average (2.26), save percentage (.922) and winning percentage a
season ago en route to helping the Raiders to their first-ever
league crown with a 14-2-0 record. He was named MCHA All-Conference
and capped the season by earning MCHA Tournament MVP honors as MSOE
won the Harris Cup.
The complete list, courtesy of uscho.com:
The All-USCHO teams are selected by USCHO staff.
East First Team:
Forward — Cameron Finch, Sr., Trinity
Forward — Gus Katsuras, Sr., Hamilton
Forward — Ryan McCarty, Jr., Potsdam
Defense — Tom Sullivan, Sr., Babson
Defense — Brendan Timmins, Sr., Trinity
Goal — George Papachristopolous, Sr., Bowdoin
East Second Team:
Forward — Mike Carmody, So., New England
Forward — Eric Frank, Sr., UMass-Dartmouth
Forward — Mikey Gilchrist, So., Middlebury
Defense — Jason Murfitt, So., Manhattanville
Defense — Arthur Fritch, So., Colby
Goal — Ross Cherry. Middlebury
Honorable Mention: Bret Adams (Curry), Adam Dekker (Utica), Jocelyn Dubord (Oswego), Matt English (Geneseo), Mike Gooch (Neumann), Josh Hector (St. Anselm), Ryan Scott (Oswego), Matt Zeman (Fredonia)
West First Team:
Forward — Spencer Carbury, Sr., St. Norbert
Forward — Jay Dardis, Sr., Wisconsin-Superior
Forward — Brandon Wilcox, Sr., St. Thomas
Defense — Andrew Derton, Jr., St. Norbert
Defense — Keith Detlefsen, Sr., Gustavus Adolphus
Goal — Adam Hanna, Sr., St. John's
West Second Team:
Forward — Scott Bjorkland, Sr., St. John's
Forward — Tyler Canal, Jr., Lake Forest
Forward — Conner Hughes, Sr., St. Norbert
Defense — Mike Kautz, Sr., Wisconsin-Stout
Defense — Darryl Smoleroff, Sr., St. John's
Goal — Kyle Jones, So., St. Norbert
Honorable Mention: Ryan Adams (Bethel), Mathieu Bonnelly (Wisconson-Superior), Matt Burzon (MSOE), Tyler Dahl (Wisconsin-River Falls), Chris Gehrke (Wisconsin-Stevens Point), Critter Nagurski (Augsburg)
-September 19, 2005
Steve Fabiilli Named Northland College Ice Hockey
Coach
ASHLAND, WI – Steve Fabiilli has been named head men’s
ice hockey coach at Northland College today, according to Director
of Athletics Steve Wammer.
“We are thrilled to have Steve take over our hockey
program,” commented Wammer. “His knowledge, experience
and work ethic will bring much to our program. We believe we
have an excellent coach who will be able to work well with our
players and teach them the skills necessary to compete in the
MCHA.”
Fabiilli served as co-head coach last season at Division I
Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. That team finished second in
the Atlantic Hockey Conference with a record of 14-7-3. An
alumnus of Canisius, Fabiilli was named Team MVP his senior year
and was also the College’s Male Athlete of the Year.
"I would like to thank Northland College and Athletic Director
Steve Wammer for this exciting opportunity to join the LumberJack
hockey family." says Fabiilli, "I look forward to the challenges of
building a strong and successful hockey program.”
-July 27, 2005
Huntley Resigns as Northland College Hockey Coach
& Assistant Director of Athletics
Named Director of Athletics at University of Texas -
Brownsville
Northland College Director of Athletics Steve
Wammer announced today (July 27) that Assistant Director
of Athletics & Head Hockey Coach Dan Huntley
has resigned to become Director of Athletics at the University of
Texas – Brownsville. Huntley had a five year tenure at
Northland, coming to Ashland following an exceptionally successful
stint as the Head Hockey Coach at Rainy River Community College
where he led the Voyaguers to the National Championship in
1999.
“Dan Huntley (pictured at left) served Northland
College exceptionally well, he cared deeply about his team and the
hockey program, he also was a tremendous administrator, which made
him an obvious choice as Northland’s first Assistant Director
of Athletic,” commented Wammer. “The
University of Texas-Brownsville is looking for someone to lead them
as they advance and expand their athletic program – they
couldn’t have chosen a more qualified candidate than Dan
Huntley, I am confident he will do an outstanding job there.
Northland will miss his leadership, professionalism, and
dedication, not only to the hockey team, but to the athletic
department and college.”
“I am very thankful for the opportunity to coach hockey the
past 15 years and last five, at Northland College. I have
thoroughly enjoyed playing a role in the development and in
building relationships with all of the players I have been
associated with. They will always have a special place in my
heart. I wish the current players at Northland College the
very best and hope for more success in the coming years,’
states Huntley. “I am very excited to take on the
leadership role of Director of Athletics at UTB and in helping
their athletic department as it takes on new
challenges.”
“In our five years in Ashland and at Northland College, we
were able to make some wonderful and lasting friendships and
participate in great organizations with our children. Those
two things have made this decision to leave very hard.”
Huntley added, “I am very appreciative of the
opportunities, outside of hockey, that were offered to me during my
employment at Northland College. They have had a great
influence on my professional development and in receiving the
opportunity to become the Director of Athletics at UTB.”
Northland will announce plans for hiring a new coach in the near
future according to Wammer.
-July 26, 2005
MSOE Coach Wins USA Hockey 16-Select Festival
-Courtesy of MSOE Sports Information Director Brian
Gibboney
CONTACT: 414-277-2412 or gibboney@msoe.edu
Rochester, NY - MSOE head hockey Coach Mark
Ostapina led USA Hockey 16 select Gold to first place in
the National division and first place overall point total with 9
points, best in the festival held in Rochester New York, June
24-July 1.
|
Milwaukee School of Engineering Head Coach Mark Ostapina |
The Gold team finished the festival 4-1-1 among the twelve
16-select teams. Coach Ostapina was one of 12 head coaches selected
to coach at the festival, coaching America’s top 240 premier
16-year-old athletes. The select program is one of the USA Olympic
hockey feeder programs, preparing athletes for future Olympic and
World competition.
Ostapina returns to coach the MSOE Raiders as they prepare to
defend the Harris Cup and their Midwest Collegiate Hockey
Association crown.
-July 22, 2005
MCHA Names Terry Brand as New League
Commissioner
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association has announced
Friday (July 22) that the league has appointed a new outside
commissioner to lead the conference into the 2005-06 season and
beyond. The six-team league - which will be entering their eighth
season of play this upcoming winter - will now be headed by Terry
Brand, who replaces former MCHA President Steve Wammer of Northland
College. Wammer served the role of president for over three years,
succeeding Dan Harris of MSOE, the league's founding president.
Brand is very excited about the position and the opportunity to
join the MCHA. "This is a great opportunity for me to give
something back to a game that has given a lot to my family and I,"
he stated. "College hockey is a great game to be involved in and it
provides student athletes an outstanding activity to enhance their
college experience."
"I look forward to working with all the coaches and players during
this upcoming season."
Brand (pictured at left) brings a wealth of hockey
knowledge to the position. He is very familiar with hockey programs
around Wisconsin and the surrounding area. He currently serves as
the Supervisor of Community Services in the D.C. Everest School
District, where he schedules all facility use in the community,
including youth sports and youth and adult recreation programs. His
background includes over twenty years of experience in the
management of ice skating facilities. Additionally, his coaching
experience in hockey dates back to over twenty years. Coaching
stops include UW-La Crosse (1983-86), Lawrence University
(1987-90), the Fox Valley Youth Hockey Association (1990-92), the
US Naval Academy (1992-93), the University of Maryland (1992-94),
and USA Hockey (1993-94) before reaching his current coaching
positions. He presently serves as Head Coach and General Manager of
Central Wisconsin AAA Hockey (since 1996) and the Head Coach of the
Antigo Area Youth Hockey Association (since 1995).
Brand is looking to put his ideas and thoughts about the league to
use. "The MCHA offers student athletes the opportunity to extend
their hockey careers into their college years. I look forward to
building on the efforts of both Dan [Harris] and Steve [Wammer] and
the progress they led the league through in the first seven
years."
The league has seen membership increase in recent years and
expansion is just one of the items on the agenda for Terry. He
continued, "I will work towards building a league that will draw
the same respect from prospective student athletes that some of the
long standing leagues have now."
Developing more Division III hockey schools and growing the league
are things he plans to put his efforts into. "At both UW LaCrosse
and Lawrence University, I was involved in the years of transition
from club teams to varsity teams. I think that is very valuable
experience that I can use in expanding the MCHA."
The MCHA has also announced one other change in the league office
directory. Chris Zills, who has served as the league's public
relations director for the past four seasons, will be back but will
no longer be at Marian College. The former Marian SID (pictured
at left) has taken a new position in the sports information
office at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He will stay on in
his role as PR Director of the MCHA from his new position.
-June 14, 2005
Marian's Ian Carroll Named Third Team Academic
All-American
The 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American College
Division Men's At-Large Teams were named today (June 14) by CoSIDA
(College Sports Information Directors of America), and the MCHA was
represented by Marian College's Ian Carroll, who
was chosen as a member of the Third Team. Being picked for one of
the national teams is one of the highest honors a Division III
athlete can receive.
Ian played in all 29 games for the Marian hockey team this past
winter, notching career-highs with 13 goals and 12 assists on his
way to a personal-best 25 point season. The senior
Economics/Finance and Marketing major carries a 3.97 GPA and
finished his Sabre career as the eleventh-most prolific scorer in
school history, recording 70 points on 33 goals and 37 assists in
his career. He also finished his career second all-time in game
played with 109, just a game shy of the record 110. He has been
named to the MCHA All-Academic Team each year he has played at
Marian, and was named the school's Economics/Finance
Student-of-the-Year this spring. Additionally, Carroll was one of
just two hockey players among the 45 student-athletes on the three
teams.
The fifteen-member at-large teams are made up of nominees from
350+ NCAA Division III schools that sponsor the 14 sports that do
not have an individual Academic All-American team. The Men's
At-Large program includes the sports of fencing, golf, gymnastics,
hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, tennis, volleyball, water polo and
wrestling.
Third Team (Alphabetical Order)
Name
School, Yr, Sport, (Hometown), GPA/Major
Brandon Burke Emory,
Jr, Swimming, (Duluth, Ga.), 3.82/Business Admin.
Ian
Carroll
Marian (Wis.), Sr, Ice Hockey, (Peoria, Ill.), 3.97/Econ./Fin.
& Marketing
Brad Changstrom Whitman, Sr, Tennis, (Loveland, Colo.),
3.75/Biochem./Biophys.
Jason
Ford
Central (Iowa), Jr, Tennis, (Granite Falls, Minn.),
3.97/Physics
Adam Hanna
Saint John’s, Jr, Ice Hockey, (Owatonna, Minn.),
3.71/Economics
Thomas Hipp Barry,
Jr, Tennis, (Kreenheinstetten, Germ.), 3.95/Sports Mgmt.
Vanja Kalabic
BYU-Hawaii, Sr, Water Polo, (Belgrade, Yugo.), 3.71/Bus. Mgmt.
Jonathan Kleinman Johns Hopkins, Sr, Swimming, (North Oaks,
Minn.), 3.67/Neuroscience
Rio
Kuteira
Willamette, Sr, Golf, (Arcata, Calif.), 3.91/Physics
David Lutz
Wayne State,
Sr, Swimming, (Rochester, Mich.), 3.72/Civil Engineering
Matt Martelli
Sewanee, Sr, Swimming,
(Winchester, Ky.), 3.65/Biology
Andrew Miller
Otterbein, So, Golf, (Xenia, Ohio), 3.94/Business Finance
Andy
Shelley
Missouri-Rolla, So, Swimming, (Katy, Tex.), 4.00/Mech.
Engineering
Kyle Thompson Rollins, Sr, Swimming,
(Orlando, Fla.), 3.90/Mathematics
Ryan
Valek
Augsburg, Jr, Wrestling (Belle Plaine, Minn.), 3.78/Accounting
Dustin
Winn
SUNY-Oneonta, Sr, Wrestling, (Bainbridge, N.Y.),
3.65/Phys./Engineering
"Being one of just 45 student-athletes on one of the national
teams is truly an honor," stated Carroll when told
of his selection. "Hockey and school have both been very important
to me over the last four years and to receive an award that
combines both is a great ending to my four years at Marian."
"Ian is the type of person you only wish the best for," stated
Jasen Wise, Carroll's head coach on the hockey
team. "He is very deserving of this award and we are proud to say
he is a member of our hockey program. I wish I had Ian for
another four years, he will be missed and is an excellent example
of a person who excels both in the classroom and at the rink."
The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)
selects ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® teams
in 12 programs: football, women’s volleyball, men's soccer,
women's soccer, men’s basketball, women’s basketball,
baseball, softball, men’s track & field/cross country,
women’s track & field/cross country, men’s at-large
and women’s at-large.
-June 1, 2005
MSOE Hockey to Host USA Hockey National Under-18
Team
-Courtesy of MSOE Sports Information Director Brian
Gibboney
CONTACT: 414-277-2412 or gibboney@msoe.edu
Milwaukee -- Coming off their first Midwest Collegiate
Hockey Association Championship, Athletic Director Dan Harris
announced that the MSOE Raiders hockey program would be part of the
USA Hockey National Under -18 team’s tour. The game will be
played on Saturday December 17, 2005 at the MSOE Kern Ice Arena
with the puck dropping at 7:05pm.
The USA Hockey program sends an Under 18 developmental team across
the nation, playing competitive top ranked varsity college programs
to prepare players for Olympic play. Many of the players on the
team go on and play hockey professionally, both at the national and
international level. The MSOE men’s hockey program has been
one of a handful of colleges chosen as an opponent for the USA
national team while they are touring through Wisconsin.
Dan Harris shares his enthusiasm for the event. “That USA
Hockey would want to play against our Raiders is a compliment to
Coach Ostapina and his program. This will be a great experience for
our team and a great game for all the hockey fans of Milwaukee to
enjoy.”
The U-18 team will be playing the University of Wisconsin on
December 16, the night before playing the Raiders. MSOE plays at
the Kern Center, 1245 N. Broadway, Milwaukee. Ticket availability
will be announced at a later date.