Northern Collegiate Hockey Association

2010-11 HEADLINES


Green Knights Win NCAA Title
March 26, 2011 (from St. Norbert Sports Information)
Titletown can add another trophy to its case.

St. Norbert College claimed its second men's ice hockey national championship with a 4-3 win over Adrian College at the NCAA Division III Frozen Four at the University of Minnesota's Ridder Arena. The Green Knights, who also won the national crown in 2008, finished the year 25-4-1. Adrian, which carried an 18-game unbeaten streak into the game, also finished 25-4-1.

The Green Knights scored the last marker in a seven-goal sequence that had teams alternating the scoring. Senior defenseman Nick Tabisz, a three-time first team All-America selection, blasted a power-play bomb from the right circle at the 15:26 mark for what would hold up as the game-winning score. It was Tabisz's fourth goal of the five-game St. Norbert post-season.

St. Norbert's defense locked down high-flying Adrian in the third period, with both teams only getting five shots on net. The Green Knights blocked a whopping 14 shots in the game, including five in the third period, to hold the national scoring leader to no goals in the final 20 minutes.

The Green Knights scored first just 4:15 into the game when Cody Keefer's shot hit Adrian goaltender Brad Fogal in the shoulder and waffled slowly past the goal line. The Bulldogs answered at 10:49 when Sam Kuzyk finished off a passing combination.

A bonanza on the power play then fueled the Green Knights, who turned in a season-high 3-for-5 effort with the man advantage. Tabisz fired a shot from the point that went past the cage, and the rebound off the bottom of boards went straight to Johan Ryd for a power-play goal at 13:01. St. Norbert led 2-1 after one period.

Adrian knotted the game at 2-2 when Kyle Watson scored at 7:10, but the Green Knights responded with another power-play goal. Keefer caught a rebound from a Brandon Hoogenboom drive at 10:38 for his second goal of the game and his third of the Frozen Four. Keefer finished the year with a team-high 14 goals.

The Bulldogs answered again at 14:27 when Eric Miller's backdoor shot just snuck under the crossbar. But just 59 seconds later Tabisz answered with his decisive goal.

Not to be lost in the offense was the goaltending of two-time first team All-America honoree B.J. O'Brien. O'Brien was named the Frozen Four's Most Outstanding Player for the second consecutive year after making 17 stops in the title game. Keefer and Tabisz were also selected to the All-Tournament Team.

St. Norbert finished the year as the nation's top defensive team, allowing just 1.80 goals per game this season. The Green Knights have now led the nation in scoring defense three times in the last five years. The Green Knights, who scored just 102 goals in 30 games this season, finished the year a glittering 10-2 in one-goal games.

O'Brien finished the year leading the NCAA Division III in goals against average and winning percentage and was tied in shutouts. Ryd led the country in game-winning goals. In addition to the team leading the country in scoring defense, it also had the top penalty-killing unit at 89.4 percent.






O'Brien Stands Tall, St. Norbert Advances to Title Game with win over Norwich
March 25, 2011 (from St. Norbert Sports Information)
St. Norbert College advanced to its fifth NCAA Division III championship game in eight years with a pulsating 3-2 win over defending champion Norwich University in a Frozen Four semifinal at the University of Minnesota's Ridder Arena.

Scott Pulak scored the game winning goal with 7 minutes 33 seconds remaining to snap a 2-2 tie and send the Green Knights back to the title game. St. Norbert, which lost 2-1 in double overtime to Norwich in last year's championship, won its only national title in 2008. The Green Knights will face Adrian College at 7 p.m. Saturday for the title, the first all-West Region championship game since UW-River Falls beat UW-Superior in 1994.

St. Norbert and Norwich battled to a scoreless draw after the first two periods. The Cadets held a 9-6 shots advantage after the first period, but heavy pressure led to a 17-3 margin in the second period for a 26-9 edge after 40 minutes.

The Green Knights (24-4-1), ranked No. 1 in the USCHO.com Division III Poll, then scored on their first two shots of the third period. Cody Keefer's shot from the right circle 1:30 into the period broke the ice. Seth Soley followed at 3:20 from about the same spot for a 2-0 lead.

Norwich (22-6-3), ranked No. 2 in the USCHO.com Division III Poll, then answered with the next two goals. Travis Janke finished off a series of heavy Cadet pressure at 5:39. Pier-Olivier Cotnoir then scored his 21st goal of the year at 11:14 following a nice pass from below the goal line by Greg Eskedjian.

St. Norbert then got the game-winner at 12:27. Johan Ryd's pass along the goal line found Pulak on the backdoor of the net, and the redirect was true. Brandon Longley also assisted on the score.

Norwich had a couple of good looks in the last 7 minutes, but was consistently turned away by St. Norbert goaltender B.J. O'Brien. The Cadets had a faceoff in the St. Norbert zone with 3.8 seconds left, but the Green Knights won the draw and ran out the clock.

O'Brien, the 2010 Frozen Four's Most Outstanding Player despite playing for the runner-up team, was stellar again with 39 saves. O'Brien, who made 70 saves in last year's title game, made all 26 saves in the first two periods.

Norwich was 0-for-4 on the power play, while St. Norbert was 0-for-1. The Cadets' Parker Carroll made 15 saves in net.






Three Skaters, Goalie Named Men's All-American
March 24, 2011
The American Hockey Coaches Association announced the 2011 All-America awards Thursday night as part of the National Championship banquet; three players from St. Norbert and one from UW-Stout earned the distinguished honor.

St. Norbert defenseman Nick Tabisz (Kettering, OH) was named to his third straight All-American team, and teammate B.J. O'Brien (Lakeville, MN) was named to his second straight. Also voted to the West first team was UW-Stout forward Branden Gay (Calgary, AB).

St. Norbert forward Johan Ryd (Sodertalje, Sweden) was named to the West second team, the first All-AMerica honors for the junior.





NCHA Takes Four of Six Women's West All-America Spots
March 17, 2011
The American Hockey Coaches Association has announced its women's All-Americans for 2011, and three NCHA skaters and a goalie were named to the team.

UW-River Falls defenseman Lauren Conrad (Lino Lakes, MN) and forward Kait Mason (Eagan, MN) made the West first team, as did UW-Eau Claire forward Kristin Faber (Austin, MN) and Adrian goaltender Emily Michelin (Highland, MI).

The honor is particularily special for Conrad and Faber, who achieved the award in their senior seasons.

The award for Mason and Michelin comes in just their freshman years.






St. Norbert Gains Semifinals with 4-0 Win Against Hamline
March 12, 2011 (from St. Norbert Sports Information)
St. Norbert College advanced to the NCAA Division III Frozen Four for the seventh time in nine years with an impressive 4-0 shutout of Hamline University in a national quarterfinal game at the Cornerstone Community Center.

The Green Knights, ranked No. 1 in the final USCHO.com Division III Poll, improved to 23-4-1 overall. St. Norbert will face Norwich in a national semifinal game on March 25 at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis in a rematch of the 2010 national title game, won by the Cadets 2-1 in double overtime. Hamline saw its season end 17-7-5.

St. Norbert held a 14-8 shots-on-goal advantage in the first period but neither team scored after the first 20 minutes. The Green Knights drew first blood 5 minutes 15 seconds into the second period when Joe Perry banged home a loose puck.

That one goal would hold up for just over 26 minutes of action until St. Norbert took a 2-0 lead when Seth Soley redirected a Mike Bernardy drive for a power-play goal at 11:34 of the third period.

Just 33 seconds after that score, St. Norbert's Taylor Langford was whistled for a major contact-to-the-head penalty. The Green Knights killed off nearly two minutes of the foul when Hamline's Brett Burgau was whistled for slashing in the offensive zone at 14:04. St. Norbert cashed in on the 4-on-4 chance when Nick Tabisz's blast hit the crossbar and went in at 15:27. Scott Pulak's shorthanded empty-netter at 17:02 closed out the scoring.

The Green Knights, whose only multi-point game came from Cody Keefer's two assists, outshot the Pipers 34-21. Hamline goaltender Beau Christian made 30 saves, while St. Norbert's B.J. O'Brien picked up his fourth shutout of the year with 21 stops.

St. Norbert was 1-for-4 on the power play, while Hamline was 0-for-3.

For the second time in three years, the West Region will have two teams in the Frozen Four. Oswego State and Adrian face off in the other semifinal. Oswego joins St. Norbert and Norwich as repeat qualifiers to the Frozen Four.






Top-Seeded RIT Flexes Muscle in Beating Adrian in NCAA First Round
March 12, 2011 (from Adrian Sports Information)
It was not an ideal first appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the Adrian College women's hockey team as they fell 10-1 to the Rochester Institute of Technology. The Bulldogs finish their season 19-8-3.

After coming down from 3-0 last week to win the NCHA championship over Wisconsin-River Falls, the Bulldogs were unable to overcome a 4-0 first period deficit.

The Tigers got on the board early in the first period as Kourtney Kunichika pushed the puck home at 4:11. Erin Zach scored the eventual game-winning goal four minutes later. Kolbee McCrea and Tenecia Hiller scored to complete a 4-0 first period.

The second period featured more RIT scoring, but Adrian did light the lamp. Lauren Turner scooped up a rebound after a Brooke Zaleski slap shot from the right side. The goal was historic being the first-ever goal scored by Adrian in the NCAA tournament.

Freshman Emily Michelin (Highland, Mich.) made the start in goal for Adrian, making 14 saves in 26 minutes of play. Sophomore Ashley Drop (Erie, Pa.) came on in relief during the second period and made 20 saves in 33 minutes.






UW-River Falls Women Clipped by Gustavus in NCAAs
March 11, 2011 (from UW-River Falls Sports Information)
The Gustavus Adolphus women’s hockey team powered its way to the NCAA semifinals by beating UW-River Falls, 4-1, on Friday night at Hunt Arena.

Gustavus scored first at 13:18 of the first period. Jenna Christensen put home a shot from in close that beat Falcon goalie, Ashley Kuechle (Saskatoon, SASK, Battleford Sharks). Christensen scored after Kuechle stopped a shot by Meagan Wanecke. It was Christensen’s fifth goal of the season and Gina DeNucci also picked up an assist.

The Gusties went ahead, 2-0, at 1:09 when Wanecke scored her sixth goal of the season off another rebound. Christensen and Maddie Bergh picked up the assists. GAC had an 8-1 lead in shots in the period

The Falcons took a minor penalty for too many players on the ice and the Gusties scored a power-play goal to take a 3-0 lead in the second stanza. Christensen scored her second of the game, and sixth of the season, with assists to Melissa Doyle and Kelsey Kennedy. About five minutes later the Falcons took another minor and once again the Gusties took advantage of the situation to take a 4-0 lead. Lindsey Hjelm scored the goal with a 35-foot slap shot that went off Kuechle’s glove and into the net. Christensen and Alyssa Gaulrapp got the assists. It was Christensen’s fourth point of the game. GAC had a 7-5 advantage in shots in the period.

The Falcons dominated play in the final 20 minutes outshooting GAC, 16-3. Early in the third UWRF’s Kait Mason's (Eagan, MN, Eagan HS) redirect from 15 feet was kicked away by GAC goalie Danielle Justice. The Falcons went on a power play and had two shots on goal. With just over nine minutes left the Gusties took another penalty and the Falcons had three shots on goal but couldn’t score. But just six seconds after the penalty ended the Falcons scored their only goal of the game. Brook Story (Warroad, MN, Warroad HS) got the goal from in close to make it a 4-1 game. It was her 12th goal of the year and Katie Flanagan (Roseville, MN, Roseville HS) picked up the lone assist.

The Falcons ended the game with a 22-18 advantage in shots on goal. Justice made 21 saves and improves to 17-3-3 overall. Kuechle made 14 saves and ends the year with a 4-1-2 record. Both teams took six minor penalties.





Hamline Sneaks Past UW-Superior in NCAA First Round
March 9, 2011
Chris Berenguer scored at 6:41 of overtime on a power play to send Hamline past UW-Superior 3-2 in a NCAA First Round game in Superior, Wis. The Pipers will travel to Green Bay on Saturday for a quarterfinal date with St. Norbert.

Talon Berlando put the Yellowjackets up 2-1 with a goal late in the second period. And it lasted well into the third, but the Pipers eventually came back and tied the game at 11:15.

UW-Superior outshot Hamline 38-30, despite having just one power play opportunity to the Pipers' five.

The Yellowjackets finish the year 16-13-1.






UW-Superior Awarded At-Large Bid to NCAA Tournament
March 7, 2011
The UW-Superior Yellowjackets have been awarded a berth in the NCAA Tournament and will take on Hamline University in a First Round game at Wessman Arena in Superior. The 'Jackets will be the visiting team, however, because Hamline was not able to secure a venue to host the game themselves. The game will take place on Wednesday, March 9.




St. Norbert to Host NCAA Quarterfinal on March 12
March 7, 2011
NCHA playoff champion St. Norbert will host a NCAA quarterfinal game on Saturday, March 12. It will play the winner of a First Round matchup between Hamline University and UW-Superior. The winner of the quarterfinal game advances to the NCAA Semifinals at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis on March 25.




UW-River Falls Earns NCAA At-Large Bid, Will Face Gustavus
March 7, 2011 (from UW-River Falls Sports Information)
The Falcon women's hockey team has earned an at-large berth into the NCAA National Playoff series and will host Gustavus Adolphus College in a first round game.

The game will be played on Friday with the puck dropping at 7:05 p.m., at Hunt Arena. Tickets will be on sale from noon-5 p.m., on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Hunt Arena. Tickets will be available at the door an hour before game time on Friday. Ticket price is $8 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. Those two years old and under will be admitted free.

The Falcons, 24-1-4 overall, earned one of the two at-large berths into the tourney. Norwich University (23-4-1) earned the other and received a first round bye. Other first round matchups have Middlebury (21-4-1) hosting Manhattanville (19-7-2) and Adrian (19-7-3) playing at Rochester Institute (24-1-2). The site of the finals will be determined after the completion of the first round games. The semfinals will be played on March 18 with a championship and third place game set for March 19.

The Falcons and Gusties played earlier this year in River Falls with the Falcons winning, 4-2, on Dec. 10 at Hunt Arena.





Adrian Draws #1 RIT in NCAA First Round
March 7, 2011 (from Adrian Sports Information)
The Adrian College women's hockey team was selected to travel to #1 Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) for their quarterfinal game of the NCAA tournament on Saturday, March 12. The game time is set for 3:00 pm (est.).

The game will take place at Ritter Arena in Rochester, N.Y. with the winner of the game will advance to the Frozen Four on Friday, March 18 at a time and place to be announced after this weekend's games.

Adrian won the NCHA title in overtime by a score of 4-3 over #1 Wisconsin-River Falls on Saturday, March 5 to earn their first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. Adrian handed Wis.-River Falls their first loss of the season. The Bulldogs are 19-7-3 on the season.

RIT won the ECAC West Championship by defeating SUNY Plattsburgh, 2-1 to claim their second trip to the tournament. The Tigers are 24-1-2 on the year.

RIT and Adrian met twice earlier in the season, with Adrian falling at home, 4-2 on January 7, and 8-0 the following day. In the 4-2 loss, Adrian scored first against the Tigers, which was the first time this season that RIT had trailed in a game. Adrian led 2-1 in the second period before giving up three unanswered goals. The Bulldogs are 0-4 all-time against RIT. RIT also defeated Adrian twice in Rochester last season, 6-1 and 4-0.







Peters Cup Championship - St. Norbert Defeats UW-Superior 2-1
March 5, 2011 (from St. Norbert Sports Information)
St. Norbert College captured its ninth Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Peters Cup championship with a hard-fought 2-1 win over UW-Superior at the Cornerstone Community Center.

The Green Knights (22-4-1), ranked No. 1 in the USCHO.com Division III Poll, earned the league's automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament. Pairings for the tournament will be announced at 8 a.m. Monday and tickets for their first game hosting will go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday. Superior fell to 16-12-1.

St. Norbert controlled about the first 10 minutes of the game and ended up taking a 1-0 lead. Superior's Derek Stauber was fingered for a slashing penalty at the 6 minutes 20 seconds mark, a foul that led to a power-play goal. Nick Tabisz's hard wrister from a tough angle near the goal line got past Superior goaltender Drew Strandberg at 7:18.

Superior enjoyed prolonged stretches of control, especially in the second period. However, most of the Yellowjackets' shots on St. Norbert netminder B.J. O'Brien came from near the blue line and minimized quality scoring chances. The Green Knights caught a break at 15:41 when Scott Pulak's shot was stopped but rebounded right to Johan Ryd for a 2-0 lead. The goal ended up as Ryd's seventh game-winning goal of the year, which currently leads Division III skaters and is a new St. Norbert season record.

The Yellowjackets couldn't get on the scoreboard until 45 seconds remained when Stauber scored with the extra attacker. Superior couldn't get Strandberg pulled again until there was 25 seconds left, and the visitors did not get a good look at the equalizer during that time.

Superior outshot St. Norbert 31-22, including 22-14 in the final two periods. O'Brien made 30 stops, while Strandberg turned away 20 shots. Both teams committed three minor penalties. St. Norbert was 1-for-3 on the power play and Superior was 0-for-3.




O'Brien Cup Championship - Adrian Defeats UW-River Falls in OT
March 5, 2011 (from UW-River Falls Sports Information)
Adrian College’s Nina Laurie scored at 12:59 of overtime to lift her team to the 2011 NCHA O’Brien Cup Championship on Saturday afternoon at UW-River Falls.

Adrian beat the host Falcons,4-3. The Bulldogs, now 19-7-3, won their first O’Brien Cup playoff title and with it the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA National Championship tournament. Laurie beat Falcon goalie, Cassi Campbell (Anchorage, AK, Toronto Rattlers), with a wrist shot high to the glove side to send her team to the NCAA Tournament. Adrian scored two goals in the game’s final 3:05 to force the extra session.

The Falcons, now 24-1-4, will have to wait to see if they can get one of two at-large berths into the NCAA Tourney. The NCAA tourney field will be announced Monday morning.

The Falcons took a penalty at 5:03 of the first period, but the UWRF penalty killers did a solid job and Campbell made three saves to keep the game even.

The Falcons took a 1-0 lead at 9:20 when Lauren Conrad (Lino Lakes, MN, Centennial HS) scored. Conrad broke in from the left point and let go with a slap shot that got past two Bulldog defenders and a partially screened goalie Emily Michelin. It was Conrad’s eighth goal of the year. She was assisted by Brook Story (Warroad, MN, Warroad HS) and Katie Flanagan (Roseville, MN, Roseville HS).

About two minutes later the Falcons went ahead, 2-0, when Kait Mason (Eagan, MN, Eagan HS) scored. Emma Nordness (Excelsior, MN, Benilde-St. Margaret’s HS) hit Mason with a perfect pass as Mason was streaking down the left side. Mason’s wrist shot beat Michelin on the far side. It was Mason’s team-best 19th goal of the year and Nordness picked up the only assist.

After the goal, the Falcons took a penalty and Campbell made two saves to keep the Falcons in the lead. One of the saves came from 15 feet on a hard shot by AC’s Stacy Kempson who was standing alone in front. Just after the penalty ended, UWRF’s Alyssa Jackson (Cambridge, MN, Cambridge-Isanti HS) broke in and hit the right post with a hard slapper from the top of the slot.

The Bulldogs had a 13-10 advantage in shots in the first 20 minutes.

Adrian took a penalty early in the second period and the Falcons kept the puck in the Bulldogs’ zone for the entire two minutes. But several Falcons shot were blocked and Michelin made one save to keep it a 2-0 game.

The Falcons went ahead, 3-0, at 4:37 of the second period when Mason scored her 20th goal of the year. The goal ties Mason for the single season record for goals. She broke across the middle of the ice from left to right and beat Michelin high. Jessica Thompson (Shoreview, MN, Mounds View HS) and Jami Weiss (Hermantown, MN, Proctor-Hermantown HS) picked up the assists.

Adrian clawed its way back into the game with a goal at 11:59 of the second period. Nicky Futers scored from right on top of the crease to get her team to within 3-1. She scored her fourth goal of the season unassisted. Late in the period Falcon defender Heather Horgen (Grand Rapids, MN, Grand Rapids HS) broke up a Bulldog two on one with a clever poke check. The Falcons finished the period with a slight 13-11 advantage in shots.

Early in the third period the Falcons took a penalty and AC had one shot on goal during the player advantage. Shortly after the Bulldogs took a minor penalty, but the Falcons did not have a shot during the power play.

Adrian got to within 3-2 with 3:55 to play in the game when Olivia Rork scored her 11th goal of the year. She scored off a rebound from a shot by Kempson. The Bulldogs tied the game with 1:30 to play when Kempson scored her 16th of the year with an assist to Ashley Gniewek. The pass from Gniewek found a breaking Kempson alone on the right side of the Falcon goal and she made no mistake on the shot that tied the game.

UWRF’s Jamie Briski's (Chisholm, MN, Hibbing-Chisholm HS) shot on the doorstep about nine minutes into the overtime was the best chance for the Falcons in the extra session. With 10:53 to go Flanagan’s shot from 20 feet was gobbled up by Michelin. The Falcons had a 6-2 advantage in shots in the extra session.

UWRF was called for three minor penalties and AC was called for four. The Falcons finished 0-3 on the power play and the Bulldogs were 0-3. Adrian finished with a slight 34-33 advantage in shots for the game.

Michelin made 31 saves while Campbell stopped 29 shots.






UW-River Falls, Adrian Advance to O'Brien Cup Semifinals
March 4, 2011 (from UW-River Falls Sports Information)

UW-River Falls 5, Concordia-Wisconsin 2
UW-River Falls earned a 5-2 win over Concordia University in a NCHA O’Brien Cup semifinal game on Friday afternoon at Hunt Arena.

Kait Mason (Eagan, MN, Eagan HS) had a three-point game for the Falcons and now has 38 points this year with 18 goals and 20 assists. The 38 points is a single-season Falcon record.

The Falcons struck first at 17:01 of the first period. With a Falcon power play running down, Lauren Conrad (Lino Lakes, MN, Centennial HS) fed Emma Nordness (Excelsior, MN, Benilde-St. Margaret’s HS) a pass at the top of the circle to the CU’s goalie, Lea Jondal’s, left. Nordness cut to the middle of the ice and beat Jondal with a wrist shot through the five-hole. It was Nordness’s 13 goal of the year. Conrad picked up the assist on the play. The Falcons had a 9-7 advantage in shots in the first 20 minutes.

Concodia tied the game at 16:29 of the second period when Hilary Christiansen scored off a rebound in from of Falcon goalie, Cassi Campbell (Anchorage, AK, Toronto Rattlers). Alisa Java picked up the assist on the play. It was Christiansen’s fourth goal of the year.

But the Falcons responded with two quick goals before the end of the second stanza. Kayleigh Bell (Stillwater, MN, Stillwater HS) scored a power-play goal off a slap shot from the middle of the ice. Mason picked up the lone assist on the play that gave the Falcons a 2-1 lead at 17:51. It was Bell’s eighth goal of the year. Then with just 31 seconds to play in the second period Mason scored her team-best 17th of the year. Breanne Hrabe (New Prague, MN, New Prague HS) fed Mason a pass just to the left side of the CU goal and Mason one-timed it in. Nordness also picked up an assist. UWRF had a 13-6 advantage in shots in the period.

CU made it a 3-2 game at 2:48 of the final period. Sarah Cole beat Campbell with a wrist shot from 25 feet out and just to Campbell’s right. April Forar got the lone assist on the goal. UWRF’s Katie Flanagan (Roseville, MN, Roseville HS) made it a two-goal game at 9:41 of the third period when she scored her 16th of the year, unassisted. She took a shot that Jondal stopped, but Flanagan pounced on the rebound and put it home. Mason scored an empty-net goal with one second to play in the period to make it a 5-2 final. UWRF had 15-10 advantage in shots in the final peiod.

Adrian 3, UW-Superior 0
(from Adrian Sports Information)
The Adrian College women's hockey team advanced to their first-ever Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) O'Brien Cup championship game with a 3-0 win over #9 Wisconsin-Superior. With the win, the Bulldogs are now 18-7-3 on the season, which ties a team record for most wins in a season.

Adrian struck the first blow as senior Jessica Grubbs (Woodbridge, Va.) was able to beat the Superior goaltender with just four seconds left in the first period. Grubbs' power play goal was assisted by fellow senior Danielle Maludy (Maumee, Ohio) and junior Brooke Zaleski (Toledo, Ohio). Grubbs took the pass from Maludy at the point and fired off a wrist shot that found the back of the net.

Neither team was able to find the net in the second period as the Bulldogs out-shot the Yellowjackets 10-to-9.

Much like the first period, most of the third period was relatively quiet until sophomore Ashley Gniewek (Southgate, Mich.) netted her eighth goal of the season on assists by junior Olivia Rork (Wayne, Mich.) and Zaleski at 17:07 of the third period. Rork took a shot at Superior goalie Amy Torgenson who was able to make the initial save, but Gniewek was there to tap home the rebound.

Senior Stacey Kempson (Windsor, Ont.) added an empty net goal, her 15th of the season, with 14 seconds left in the final period to seal the Adrian victory. Kempson was assisted by Maludy and junior Kelly Salis (St. Clair Shores, Mich.).

Freshman goaltender Emily Michelin (Highland, Mich.) earned her eighth shutout of the season while making 24 saves.





St. Norbert Defenseman Nick Tabisz Winner of Scholar-Athlete Award
March 3, 2011
St. Norbert College senior defenseman Nick Tabisz has been named the 2011 Men’s Scholar-Athlete Award winner, Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Commissioner Bill Kronschnabel announced today. Tabisz made the All-NCHA team for the fourth straight season and was a First-Team All-America selection by the AHCA and U.S. College Hockey Online during his sophomore and junior seasons. This is the second year in a row Tabisz has made the NCHA All-Academic Team.

The Kettering, Ohio native is a Mathematics major and carries a 3.77 overall grade point average. On the ice this season Tabisz posted 5 goals and 10 assists for 15 points. He ranks in the top five in goals, assists, and total points for NCHA defensemen. Tabisz earned NCHA Player of the Week honors twice during his career with the Green Knights. Tabisz helped St. Norbert appear in the Div. III Championship game twice, winning the title in 2008.

A four-year letter winner at St. Norbert, Tabisz was a 2010 Academic All-American, a three-time Dean's List member and currently is a member of the National Math Honor Society Pi Mu Epsilon.
Full Men's All-Academic Winners











UW-Eau Claire's Kristin Faber Wins 2011 Scholar-Athlete Award
March 3, 2011
UW-Eau Claire senior forward and team captain Kristin Faber has been named the 2011 Women’s Scholar-Athlete Award winner, Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Commissioner Bill Kronschnabel announced today. Faber, who made the All-NCHA team for the second straight season, also earned the 2011 NCHA Player of the Year Award - the first time a student-athlete has earned Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete in the same year. She earned NCHA Player of the Week honors three times during her career. This is the second straight season Faber has made the NCHA All-Academic Team.

Faber is from Austin, Minnesota. Her major is Physical Education, in which she has earned a 3.50 overall grade point average. On the ice this season Faber posted 20 goals and 10 assists for 30 points. She lead the NCHA in goals scored (setting a new UWEC school record), and ranked second in the conference in total points. Faber served as team captain this season and was an alternate captain of the Blugolds for the 2009-2010 season.

A four-time letter winner, Faber has made time to be very active in volunteer programs in the community. She currently is involved in more than a half dozen youth programs, ranging from walking kids to school to coaching Special Olympics Athletes.
Full Women's All-Academic Winners










Peters Cup Championship Set: UW-Superior vs St. Norbert
March 2, 2011
The 2011 Peters Cup Championship game will feature the top two seeds from this year's conference field as UW-Superior will play at St. Norbert. The winner of the title matchup will earn the NCHA's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

In the season series between the two teams, St. Norbert won two of the three meetings. The teams split a series January 20-21 in Superior; St. Norbert won the rubber match on February 4 in Green Bay. St. Norbert's points leader is Johan Ryd, who has posted 23 points in 21 total games (including playoffs). Talon Berlando leads the Yellowjackets with 25 points in 28 games (including playoffs).

#4 UW-Stevens Point at #2 UW-Superior
Four different Yellowjackets scored and goaltender Drew Strandberg made 31 saves as host UW-Superior beat UW-Stevens Point 4-2. Strandberg stopped all 14 shots he saw in the third as the Pointes outshot the 'Jackets 14-7 in the final period.
#6 UW-River Falls at #1 St. Norbert
Kyle Stroh scored twice and Brandon Hoogenboom added two assists as host St. Norbert defeated UW-River Falls 5-3 in an NCHA semifinal. Tied 1-1 after the first period, the Green Knights struck for three goals in the second and held on for the victory.

Full Men's Release - Mar 2, 2011











O'Brien Cup Update - UWRF, ADRIAN, UWS, CUW Advance
March 2, 2011
#8 St. Norbert at #1 UW-River Falls
Game 1: Zoe Kurth scored the game-tying goal at 18:13 of the 3rd period for St. Norbert and the teams finished in a 2-2 tie.
Game 2: Katie Flanagan had a hat trick and Kait Mason scored twice as UW-River Falls cruised to a game and series win 7-1 over St. Norbert.

#7 UW-Stevens Point at #2 Adrian
Game 1: Tied 1-1 after two periods, Adrian scored two goals 2:18 apart and held on to win 3-1 in the series opener.
Game 2: Danielle Smith scored two goals and goalie Emily Michelin made 34 saves as Adrian held off UW-Stevens Point for a second straight day.

#6 Lake Forest at #3 UW-Superior
Game 1: Five different players scored as the Yellowjackets pulled away to beat Lake Forest 5-1.
Game 2: Stacey Dierking starred in goal for the Foresters, making 35 saves in a 1-0 shutout.
Game 3: One goal was all UW-Superior needed to defeat Lake Forest in the mini-game, turning the tables on the Foresters who had just beaten the 'Jackets 1-0 in game 2 of the series.

#5 Concordia-Wis at #4 UW-Eau Claire
Game 1: Concordia-Wisconsin scored twice in the 3rd to make it a one-goal game, but UW-Eau Claire held on and eventually won 5-3.
Game 2: The teams played an exciting call-and-answer game that ended with CUW's Sarah Luberda scoring the game-winner with 33 seconds to go.
Game 3: Samantha Meuwissen scored at 2:12 of overtime in the mini-game to send Concordia-Wis to the semifinals.

Full Women's Release - Mar 2, 2011










UW-Eau Claire's Faber Voted Women's Player of the Year
February 24, 2011
The Northern Collegiate Hockey Association announced today that UW-Eau Claire forward Kristin Faber (Austin, Minn. / Austin HS) has been voted the 2011 Women's Player of the Year by the league coaches. Faber recorded 23 points in 20 conference games while being a focal point in opponents strategy to beat the Blugolds.

"Kristin has been a dominant player in this league since she started four years ago," said UW-Eau Claire head coach Mike Collins. "She has been a great team leader and she makes everyone around her a better hockey player."

Faber put together a remarkable season as a goal scorer in the NCHA, posting 16 goals in conference play. That total ranks among the best all-time, and it was accomplished while her team ranked seventh in goals for. A significant player in the NCHA points race all year long, her point total of 23 ended up as the third best. Faber had five multi-point games on the season, four of which were multi-goal games. Her top individual statistical performances on the season came when she had a hat trick against rival UW-Stevens Point on January 21st and a two goal, one assist outing against Concordia-Wisconsin on February 4th.

On the national level, Faber was among the highest ranks in goals per game and game-winning goals. Her 20 total goals in 25 games played ranked third in the country through the end of the regular season, and her four game-winners were good for 11th.

The coaches also voted for Coach of Year and UW-River Falls' Joe Cranston was the 2011 winner. Cranston guided the Falcons to an undefeated regular season and the greatest win total in school history at 22-0-3. UW-River Falls locked up the regular season NCHA championship with a full weekend remaining on the schedule. This is the 4th Coach of the Year award for Cranston.

Also announced today were the 2011 All-NCHA selections, and it was league champion UW-River Falls leading the way with four players being voted to the team. Senior forward Jessica Thompson (Shoreview, Minn.) was named to her second All-NCHA team, while fellow-forward Kait Mason (Eagan, Minn.) achieved the honor in her freshman season. Mason's 26 conference points made her the 2011 NCHA scoring leader. A pair of senior defensemen rounded out this year's group for UW-River Falls: Kayleigh Bell (Stillwater, Minn.) and Lauren Conrad (Lino Lakes, Minn.).

Other notable selections included junior forward Erin Marvin (Shoreview, Minn.) of UW-Stevens Point and Kelly Salis (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) of Adrian, both whom were named to their second consecutive All-NCHA teams. And in a year that featured a dozen outstanding freshmen performances, Lauren Straus (Henderson, Nev.) and Kaley Gibson (Glendale, Ariz.) of St. Norbert, and Emily Michelin (Highland, Mich.) of Adrian joined UWRF's Mason as freshmen earning league honors.

For the first time, an All-Rookie team was selected by the NCHA coaches. The inaugural picks were highlighted by Mason, Straus and Michelin, who also were named All-NCHA. St. Norbert had the most selections to the All-Rookie team with two. Joining Straus was defenseman Emma Agen (Stockholm, Sweden), who had eight points in 17 games for the Green Knights.
Full All-NCHA team / Honorable Mention / All-Rookie team

2011 Women's All-NCHA
FORWARDS
Kristin Faber, Sr, UW-Eau Claire (09, 10)
Sarah Luberda, Sr, Concordia-Wis.
Erin Marvin, Jr, UW-Stevens Point (10)
Kait Mason, Fr, UW-River Falls
Lauren Straus, Fr, St. Norbert
Jessica Thompson, Sr, UW-River Falls (09)

DEFENSEMEN
Kayleigh Bell, Sr, UW-River Falls
Lauren Conrad, Sr, UW-River Falls
Allie Pullar, Sr, UW-Superior
Kelly Salis, Jr, Adrian (10)

GOALTENDERS
Kaley Gibson, Fr, St. Norbert
Emily Michelin, Fr, Adrian

(08) Indicates previous All-NCHA selection year












Men's Quarterfinals Feature Plenty of Drama
February 22, 2011
The quarterfinals of the NCHA Peters Cup Playoffs last weekend featured plenty of drama as two of the three series needed the mini game to decide the winner. UW-River Falls and UW-Stevens Point both advanced with wins in game two of their series plus wins in their respective mini games.

UW-River Falls was within seconds of being eliminated last Saturday - twice. The Falcons trailed UW-Stout 3-2 when Josh Calleja scored with eight seconds to go in regulation. That forced overtime, where the Falcons needed to win in order to stay alive in the series. And in a similar situation, Sean Roadhouse scored the game-winner with 29 seconds left in the overtime session. The Falcons were victorious in the mini game and won the series.

UW-Stevens Point scored midway through the third period in game two of its series for an eventual 1-0 win over UW-Eau Claire. That forced the mini game, which the Pointers also won 1-0. Nick Graves was perfect in goal for the Pointers on Saturday night.

UW-Superior and St. Scholastica played tight, back-and-forth games in their series, but UW-Superior pulled out wins in each of the two games to advance.
Men's Weekly Release - Feb 22, 2011










Concordia-Wisconsin's Luberda Named Women's Player of the Week
February 22, 2011
Concordia-Wisconsin forward Sarah Luberda (De Pere, Wis.) has been named Player of the Week in the NCHA Women's Division for her role in a 3-point weekend for the Falcons against UW-Stevens Point. Luberda notched three points as the Falcons secured the fifth seed in the upcoming league playoffs.

Luberda helped get Concordia-Wisconsin an early lead as she assisted on a goaal by Alisha Java at 5:41 of the first period. The senior also assisted on an early third period goal that put CUW up 4-1. The Falcons added two empty-net goals in route to a 6-1 win.

Saturday's rematch was much closer, but Luberda had another nice game. She scored the game-tying goal at 7:45 of the third; the teams finished in a 2-2 tie.
Women's Weekly Release - Feb 22, 2011










Men's Player of the Year: B.J. O'Brien, St. Norbert
UW-Eau Claire's Loen named Coach of the Year / Five Green Knights named All-NCHA
February 17, 2011
The Northern Collegiate Hockey Association announced today that St. Norbert senior goaltender B.J. O'Brien (Lakeville, Minn.) has been voted the 2011 Player of the Year by the league coaches. O'Brien's season has featured remarkable statistics and clutch saves in leading the Green Knights to the regular season championship and the top seed in the upcoming Peters Cup Playoffs.

"B.J. has been the backbone of our program the past two seasons" said St. Norbert head coach Tim Coghlin. "Not only are his statistics compelling, but his work ethic on and off the ice is tremendous ... He is one of the most important reasons St. Norbert has won back-to-back league championships."

O'Brien led the NCHA in conference goals against average (1.60), save percentage (.931) and wins (14) during the regular season. His overall record was a sparkling 17-2-1 with three shutouts in 1173 minutes. O'Brien stymied opposing shooters throughout the year, making big saves in crucial situations that allowed St. Norbert to be in position to win. Of his 17 total wins, nine of them were decided by two goals or less and only three were decided by four goals or more - which demonstrates the pressure-filled conditions he often played in.

On the national level, O'Brien's numbers ranked among the best. His overall goals against average of 1.59 was tops in the nation through games of February 16th; his .932 save percentage and .875 winning percentage ranked fifth and third, respectively.

The coaches also voted for Coach of Year and UW-Eau Claire's Matt Loen was the 2011 winner. Loen guided the Blugolds to a 14-10-1 record through the regular season, with ten of those games coming against ranked opponents. UW-Eau Claire posted an outstanding 6-3-1 record in those games. This is the first Coach of the Year award for Loen, who is in his fourth year with UWEC.

Also announced today were the 2011 All-NCHA selections, and it was league champion St. Norbert leading the way with five players being voted to the team. Senior defenseman Nick Tabisz (Kettering, OH) made a bit of NCHA history as he was selected to his fourth All-NCHA team, an extreme rarity. Teammate Mike Bernardy (Sandy, UT) was also voted All-NCHA, the second selection in a row for the junior blue-liner, and goaltender O'Brien was also picked for the second straight time.

League scoring co-champions Branden Gay (Calgary, AB) and Jordan Singer (Lino Lakes, MN) were awarded with their first All-NCHA honors. Gay closed out the season with a seven-point weekend for UW-Stout as he surged to the top of the conference points list. Singer, playing in just his sophomore season, went for 11 goals and 10 assists in 18 conference games in route to the All-NCHA team.

For the first time, an All-Rookie team was selected by the NCHA coaches. The inaugural picks were highlighted by UW-Stout's flashy forward Kevin O'Donnell (Stoughton, WI), who led all rookies in scoring with 14 conference points on the year. O'Donnell was also voted Honorable Mention All-NCHA. That same distinction fell upon UW-Superior goaltender Drew Strandberg (Thunder Bay, ON), who led all rookie goalies in goals against average while taking All-Rookie honors as well as Honorable Mention All-NCHA.
Full All-NCHA team / Honorable Mention / All-Rookie team



2011 Men's All-NCHA
FORWARDS
Talon Berlando, Sr, UW-Superior
Justin Faryna, So, UW-Superior
Branden Gay, Sr, UW-Stout
Brandon Longley, Sr, St. Norbert
Johan Ryd, Jr, St. Norbert
Jordan Singer, So, UW-Eau Claire

DEFENSEMEN
Mike Bernardy, Jr, St. Norbert (10)
Jeff Forsythe, Fr, UW-Superior
Nick Tabisz, Sr, St. Norbert (08, 09, 10)
Bryce Wilcox, So, UW-Eau Claire

GOALTENDERS
Tom Lescovich, So, UW-Stout
B.J. O'Brien, Sr, St. Norbert

(08) Indicates previous All-NCHA selection year











UW-Stout's Branden Gay Wins Final Player of the Week Award
February 15, 2011
Senior forward Branden Gay (Calgary, Alb. / St. Mary's) has been named NCHA Men's Player of the Week after his seven point performance last weekend for the UW-Stout Blue Devils. The four goals and three assists vaulted him to the co-scoring title for the season (shared with UW-Eau Claire sophomore Jordan Singer).

UW-Stout won twice as Gay dominated the competition. Against UW-Stevens Point, Gay had a goal and two assists in a 5-4 final. And in the second game of the weekend against #2 St. Norbert, Gay scored three times and assisted once. The hat trick was just the fourth all season in NCHA league play - and Gay did it against the regular season champion, St. Norbert.
Men's Weekly Release - Feb 15, 2011








St. Norbert's Gibson Earns Player of the Week Award, Again
February 15, 2011
St. Norbert College freshman goalie Kaley Gibson (Glendale, Ariz. / Arizona Coyotes) has earned NCHA Women’s Player of the Week honors by stopping all but one shot she faced against St. Scholastica last weekend. This is the second time Gibson has received the weekly award this season.

The freshman goaltender lived up to her Arizona roots with hot play Friday against the Saints. Gibson kept CSS off the scoreboard with 22 saves in a 2-0 victory, but the freshman’s second shutout of the season was just the beginning.

St. Scholastica peppered the net with another 22 shots on Saturday, but the Saints lit the red light just once against Gibson and the Green Knights in a 2-1 final. The win marked St. Norbert’s fourth straight and helped the SNC clinch a playoff spot in their inaugural season of women’s college hockey.

With the sweep St. Norbert improves to 11-9-3 on the season (8-7-3 in conference play) and remains unbeaten in their last five games. Gibson has now allowed one goal or less in nine of her 14 games played, good for a GAA of 1.70.
Women's Weekly Release - Feb 15, 2011











Women's Playoff Scenario (through Saturday's results, Feb 12)
February 12, 2011
Here are some notes on the latest playoff scenarios in the Women's Division:
UW-River Falls: Clinched #1 seed, clinches regular season title out-right with win Sunday over FIN

Adrian: Clinched #2 seed (via tiebreaker over UWS)

UW-Superior: Clinched #3 seed

UW-Eau Claire: Controls destiny for #4 seed (via tiebreaker over CUW) ... Holds tiebreaker on CUW, UWSP and LFC [upcoming games - at CSS]

Concordia-Wis: Highest possible seed is #4 ... Holds tiebreaker on SNC [upcoming games - vs UWSP]

UW-Stevens Point: Highest possible seed is #4 ... Holds tiebreaker on SNC [upcoming games - at CUW]

St. Norbert: Highest possible seed is #5 ... [upcoming games - vs ADRIAN]

Lake Forest: Highest possible seed is #6 ... Holds tiebreaker on UWSP [upcoming games - at FIN]











Men's Player of the Week: UW-Stevens Point's Kyle Heck
February 8, 2011
Freshman forward Kyle Heck (Plover, Wis. / Dryden, SIJHL) has been selected NCHA Men's Player of the Week for his performance last weekend in a pair of Pointer victories. Heck's efforts helped UWSP position itself where it controls its own destiny to secure a home playoff series with one weekend of conference play remaining.

In a 3-1 win over visiting St. Scholastica last Friday, Heck scored on the power play with just 25 seconds remaining in the second period. The goal would prove to be the game-winner.

On Saturday the Pointers gained another win, this time against second-place UW-Superior. Heck opened the scoring at 14:18 of the first, but his night was far from finished. Down 3-1 heading into the third period, UW-Stevens Point mounted a comeback, with Heck assisting on the game-winner with just 1:16 to play.

On the season Heck ranks 10th among NCHA rookies in scoring. He has posted four goals and five assists for nine points overall.

UW-Stevens Point travels to UW-Stout and UW-River Falls this weekend in games that have great significance on the playoff seedings.
Men's Weekly Release - Feb 8, 2011








Adrian's Kelly Salis Earns Women's Player of the Week
February 8, 2011
Junior defenseman Kelly Salis (St. Clair Shores, Mich. / Victory Honda) of Adrian has been named NCHA Women’s Player of the Week after a big offensive weekend where she scored five goals while leading the Bulldogs to a sweep of Lake Forest.

Last Friday Salis netted a pair of first period goals to put Adrian up 2-1 after one. The early lead led to the Bulldogs pulling away and winning 6-3.

On Saturday Salis did something even more impressive by tallying all three Adrian goals in a tight 3-2 victory. With the Bulldogs down 2-1 heading into the third period, Salis tied the game at 1:21 on the power play and bagged the eventual game-winner at 3:34.

The hat trick was the seventh in Adrian school history and the first by a defenseman. Salis has now scored in five of her last six games and leads the NCHA in points by defensemen with 15. The four point weekend for the bulldogs clinched a conference playoff spot and moved them to 12-6-3 on the year (10-3-3 in conference play.)
Women's Weekly Release - Feb 8, 2011










UW-River Falls Goalie Lewan Named Men's Player of the Week
February 1, 2011
Freshman goaltender Scott Lewan (Westland, Mich. / Alberni Valley, BCHL) of UW-River Falls has been named NCHA Men's Player of the Week after two stellar performances last weekend. Lewan backstopped a pair of victories for the Falcons, putting the team in the mix to make a major playoff seeding jump as the regular season winds down.

Lewan tallied 60 total saves in wins at UW-Superior and St. Scholastica. The victory over the Yellowjackets was a 1-0 overtime win, with Lewan stopping all 32 shots he faced. In Saturday's 5-3 win over the Saints, Lewan made 28 saves on 31 shots.

Lewan leads the NCHA in total saves (508) and still ranks second in goals against average (2.24). He leads the league in save percentage with a .932 mark and owns a 6-8-1 overall record.
Men's Weekly Notes - Feb 1, 2011








Concordia-Wisconsin's Jondal Takes Player of the Week Honors
February 1, 2011
Concordia-Wisconsin junior goaltender Lea Jondal (Somerset, Wis. / Cretin -Derham Hall) has been named NCHA Women's Player of the Week after surrendering just three goals in a win and tie last weekend for the Falcons. Jondal made 62 total saves over the two games at UW-Superior.

Last Friday the Falcons won 2-1 at the #10 Yellowjackets, thanks much in part to Jondal's 27 saves. Six of those saves came with UWS on the power play. It was the first time in Concordia-Wis' history that it has won against UW-Superior (0-7-1 in eight previous meetings).

On Saturday Jondal was even busier with UW-Superior throwing 37 shots on goal, but she turned away 35 of them as the teams skated to a 2-2 overtime tie. Jondal stopped 14 shots alone in the second period and held UWS to 1-for-4 on the power play.

The 3-point weekend vaulted the Falcons into third place in the NCHA standings and brought Jondal's season record to 9-5-2. Her GAA is below two at 1.99.
Women's Weekly Notes - Feb 1, 2011











Jordan Singer of UW-Eau Claire Takes Men's Weekly Award
January 25, 2010
Sophomore forward Jordan Singer (Lino Lakes, Minn. / Bismark, NAHL) has been selected NCHA Men's Player of the Week from an especially strong pool of candidates who recorded excellent weekends on the ice. Singer's seven points in a series sweep at St. Scholastica earned him the weekly honor.

The Centennial H.S. alum scored the game-winning goal on Friday night as part of a hat trick, and he added an assist as well. All his points came as the Blugolds trailed the Saints most of the game. At 2:33 of the second period, with UWEC down 3-1, Singer scored his first of the night, a power play goal that sparked the comeback. He scored the eventual game-winner at 15:02 of the same period, then finished his hat trick at 118:03 of the third. UW-Eau Claire won 5-3.

On Saturday night Singer was all over the score sheet again. He assisted on the eventual game-winner early in the second period, putting the Blugolds up 3-0 at the time. And when St. Scholatica cut the lead to 3-1 and started a comeback of their own, Singer squashed it with a power play goal. He added an empty-net goal late in the third to cap a remarkable weekend.

On the year Singer leads UW-Eau Claire with 24 points in 19 games played. He also leads the NCHA in points for conference games with 16 on 11 goals and five assists.
Men's Weekly Notes - Jan 25, 2011









UW-Eau Claire Senior Faber Named Women's Player of the Week
January 25, 2011
Kristin Faber (Austin, Minn. / Austin H.S.) of UW-Eau Claire has been chosen NCHA Women's Player of the Week after guiding the Blugolds to a pair of conference wins last weekend. Faber finished with four goals in the two games against rival UW-Stevens Point.

On Friday night Faber posted the 4th hat trick of her career as she led a Blugold comeback effort that resulted in a 5-3 win. Faber tied the game at 1-1 with a goal early in the second period, then tied it at 3-3 with her second of the game late in the second. The impressive night was capped when she finished her hat trick with a short-handed game-winning goal with just 4:12 to play in regulation.

In the Saturday UW-Eau Claire found itself clinging to a one goal lead in the third period. Faber's defensive play helped her team hang on for another victory, with the senior scoring an empty-net goal to ice the win at 19:21 of the third.

Faber leads UWEC in scoring with 19 points on the season. She ranks third in the NCHA in scoring and first in goals.
Women's Weekly Notes - Jan 25, 2011






Wild Weekend Features Five Hat Tricks
January 23, 2011
Five different players recorded hat tricks last weekend between the Men's and Women's Divisions, part of a wild weekend of conference games. Three came from the Women's Division and two from the Men's. The Women have now posted eight hat tricks this season; the Men have posted five. Below is a breakdown of the outstanding individual performances from last weekend:

WOMEN

Fri, Jan 21

Kristin Faber, UWEC

UWSP 3 at UWEC 5

3 goals, GWG

Sat, Jan 22

Olivia Rork, ADRIAN

FIN 1 at ADRIAN 9

4 goals, assist

Sat, Jan 22

Alisha Java, CUW

CUW 6 at LFC 2

3 goals

MEN


Fri, Jan 21

Jordan Singer, UWEC

UWEC 5 at CSS 3

3 goals, assist, GWG

Sat, Jan 22

Garrett Suter, UWSP

UWRF 3 at UWSP 4

3 goals, assist, GWG (SH)










UW-Superior's Faryna Earns Men's Player of the Week
January 18, 2010
UW-Superior forward Justin Faryna (Calgary, AB / Drumheller Dragons, AJHL) has been selected Player of the Week in the NCHA Men's Division for his efforts last weekend against UW-Stout. Faryna recorded seven points in the two game sweep of the Blue Devils.

The Yellowjackets came into the series looking to keep pace in the conference standings and Faryna provided a punch that helped UWS do just that. On Friday night Faryna notched a goal and three assists as UW-Superior won 7-2. His assist at 19:17 of the second period came just after the Blue Devils had scored two straight and were staging a comeback.

Saturday night featured plenty of scoring by both teams as well, with Faryna getting his name all over the score sheet. He scored twice and assisted once in the 8-6 road victory. His goal at 6:32 of the third proved to be the game-winner as UW-Stout went on to score two goals of their own with the extra attacker on. Faryna assisted on a goal at 16:38 of the second and scored just over a minute later to put UWS up 6-2.

The seven points over the weekend vaulted Faryna into a tie for first in season scoring for the Yellowjackets with 16 points. The sophomore has notched at least a point in five straight games.
Men's Weekly Notes - Jan 18, 2011






Women's Player of the Week: UWSP's Pomering
January 18, 2011
UW-Stevens Point sophomore goaltender Staci Pomering (Roscoe, Ill. / Hononegah H.S.) has been selected NCHA Player of the Week in the Women's Division. Pomering played a significant role as the Pointers gained three points in the standings with a tie and win over visiting Adrian College.

Pomering played especially well as the teams finished in a 1-1 overtime tie on Saturday. She turned away 36 Bulldog shots while surrendering just the one goal. Pomering made six saves in the first period, 14 in the second, 12 in the third and four in overtime. Adrian's lone goal came on the power play in the second period.

On Sunday afternoon, with all other NCHA games having been played and the Pointers sitting near the bottom of the jam-packed standings, Pomering put up another nice game and guided her team to a 4-1 win. She made 25 saves on 26 shots, including several during five Adrian power play opportunities.
Women's Weekly Notes - Jan 18, 2011







St. Norbert's Coghlin ties NCHA coaching wins record at 370
January 15, 2011
St. Norbert head coach Tim Coghlin earned his 370th career victory Saturday night when his Green Knights defeated UW-Eau Claire 3-2 at the Cornerstone Community Center in Green Bay. Coghlin is now tied with former Bemidji State coach Bob Peters, for whom the NCHA playoff trophy, the Peters Cup, is named.

Coghlin will try to become the all-time winningest coach this weekend when St. Norbert travels to UW-Superior. His career record rests at 370-97-38. Coghlin is in his 18th season behind the bench for St. Norbert.


All-Time Winningest Coaches, NCHA History (as of Jan 16, 2011)


1

Bob Peters

Bemidji State

370-134-36

1

Tim Coghlin

St. Norbert

370-97-38

3

Steve Freeman

UW-River Falls

271-131-30

4

Joe Baldarotta

UW-Stevens Point

265-171-38

5

Steve Nelson

UW-Superior

249-168-21

6

Dan Stauber

UW-Superior

203-68-42

7

Don Brose

Minnesota State - Mankato

200-110-34









St. Norbert's Joanette Takes Player of the Week Award
January 11, 2010
St. Norbert junior forward Alain Joanette (Chelmsford, Ont.) has been named Player of the Week in the NCHA Men's Division. Joanette posted five points for the Green Knights last weekend in a pair of non-conference victories over Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foes.

In a 6-0 win over St. John's, Joaneette scored the opening goal at 4:11 of the first period. That 1-0 lead would sail into the third period, when Joanette extended it to 2-0. That goal came at 2:06 and sparked the Green Knights to pull away from the Johnnies. Joanette added an assist on the 6th St. Norbert goal as well, capping his second three-point night of the year.

On Saturday Joanette added a pair of assists, both on significant goals, as his team defeated Concordia-Moorhead 5-1. He assisted on the opening goal of the game at 11:11 of the first, then helped put SNC up 3-0 at 5:45 of the second.

On the season Joanette has 12 points in 13 games played. In his last six games he has recorded multiple points four times.

St. Norbert retained the number one ranking in the U.S. this week, this time sharing it with Oswego State.
Men's Weekly Notes - Jan 11, 2011










Gibson Named Women's Player of the Week
January 11, 2011
St. Norbert goaltender Kaley Gibson (Glendale, Ariz.) has been named Player of the Week in the NCHA Women's Division for her strong performance last weekend at Lake Forest.

Gibson guided the Green Knights to their first victory in as many games in the new year by stopping all but one Forester shot in a 3-1 final. She finished with 32 total saves, including a very busy first period. Gibson made 14 saves on 14 shots in the first; among those were three LFC power play attempts.

Lake Forest pressed in the third, but Gibson was up to the task again. She made 11 stops in the last period, despite having her shutout broken up with 30 seconds to go.

On the season Gibson is 4-3-0 with a 1.76 Goals against average and a .945 save percentage. Her save percentage is tops in the NCHA.
Women's Weekly Notes - Jan 11, 2011









UW-Superior's Stauber Picks Up 200th Win
December 13, 2010
From UW-Superior Sports Information
University of Wisconsin-Superior men’s hockey coach Dan Stauber won his 200th game as head coach on Saturday, when his Yellowjackets defeated St. Scholastica 7-3 at Wessman Arena.

Stauber, in his 11th season has head coach, now has an overall record of 200-67-42. He surpassed the 300-games coached benchmark earlier in the season.

“I guess this means that I’ve been around a while, but in all seriousness it’s a nice milestone. I just wish it would have happened sooner,” Stauber said. “More than anything, it’s a credit to the players that I’ve been so fortunate to coach in this program and the coaches that I’ve been privileged to work with. This is more about them and their contributions to the program then anything else.”

Stauber became the head coach in August 2000 when Steve Nelson resigned to become the commissioner of the America West Hockey League (AWHL). Stauber’s team won 30 games in his first season and finished third in the nation. The following season, he guided the Yellowjackets to the school’s second national championship. His teams have won two NCHA regular season titles (2001, 2009), four WIAC titles (2002, 2003, 2004, 2009) and three NCHA playoff titles (2001, 2002, 2006). His teams have played in four NCAA tournaments, reaching the final four twice.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment for Dan and is a testament to his teams over the years,” Athletics Director Steve Nelson said. “That is a lot of wins, in any sport, at any level, and on behalf of our athletic department and our entire university, I want to congratulate Dan and wish him success and many more wins down the road.”

Stauber is second on the all-time wins list at UW-Superior, trailing Nelson, who won 248 games in 14 seasons (1986-2000).







Women's Player of the Week: UW-River Falls' Defensemen Conrad
December 14, 2010
UW-River Falls senior defenseman Lauren Conrad (Lino Lakes, Minn. / Centennial HS) has been named player of the week for the games of December 7 - 13. Conrad contributed a pair of points in helping #2 UW-River Falls defeat #7 Gustavus Adolphus on last Friday as well as a pair of goals in a victory over St. Catherine on Saturday.

In the Friday game Conrad assisted on a second period power play goal that tied the game at one. The game was tied 2-2 in the third when Conrad scored at 8:40, putting the Falcons ahead for good. They would add an empty net goal and beat the visiting Gusties 4-2.

In the win over St. Kate's Conrad opened the scoring at 11:36 of the first. The Falcons would jump out to a 3-1 lead after the opening period, then surge past the Wildcats. Conrad scored an even strength goal at 17:50 of the second to cap her four-point weekend. UW-River Falls went on to beat the Wildcats 7-3 and improve its record to 10-0-0.

Conrad doubled her point total on the year last weekend, making her stat line now read four goals and four assists for eight points. The wins led to the Falcons jumping up to number two in the latest national rankings.
Women's Weekly Release - Dec 15, 2010





UW-Eau Claire Goalie Stephenson Named Player of the Week
December 15, 2010
UW-Eau Claire sophomore goalie Brandon Stephenson (Saline, Mich. / Saline HS / Traverse City, NAHL) made 70 saves last weekend in a split with UW-Stevens Point and has been named the NCHA Men's Division Player of the Week.

Stephenson turned away 34 of 36 shots last Friday while guiding the Blugolds to their fifth straight victory. He made 11 saves on 11 shots in the third period with his team clinging to a 3-2 lead most of the period. UW-Eau Claire won the game 4-2.

In the rematch on Saturday night, Stephenson made the Pointers work once again. He recorded 36 saves on 39 shots as the Blugolds fell 3-2.

On the season Stephenson is 8-2-0 with a .911 save percentage. He has made 30 or more saves three times and ranks second in the NCHA in total wins. The Blugolds have faced seven teams ranked at the time of competition this season and have posted a 6-1 record in those games.

The NCHA started its holiday break on December 13th, which will run through Dec 29th. The UW-Stevens Point men start the action back up with a pair of games at the Oswego Hockey Classic December 30-31 in Oswego, N.Y., where they'll play Hobart in the opening game. The Pointers will play either Hamilton or #1 Oswego State in the second game.
Men's Weekly Release - Dec 15, 2010






Brook Story of UW-River Falls Earns Player of the Week Award
December 7, 2010
UW-River Falls freshman forward Brook Story (Warroad, Minn. / Warroad) has been selected NCHA Women's Player of the Week for her two multi-point games in a pair of hard-fought wins for the Falcons last weekend. The wins vaulted UWRF to third in the national rankings and extended its winning streak to eight.

Story put the Falcons up 2-0 at 6:06 of the first period last Friday against rival UW-Eau Claire. UW-River Falls looked to be cruising to their 7th straight win, but the Blugolds cut the lead to 3-2 heading into the third. Story wasted no time in bagging her second goal of the game at 0:48 and sparking her team to pull away and win 7-4.

In game two of the series, Story again scored in the opening period, this time on an unassisted goal at 4:37. With the score 1-1 in the third, she earned an assist on the goal by Katie Batters (Champlin, Minn. / Champlin Park). UW-River Falls would go on to win 3-2 in overtime.

On the season Story has seven goals and two assists among nine points. She ranks 11th nationally in scoring by freshmen.
Women's Weekly Release - Dec 7, 2010









UW-Superior's Dalbec Takes Weekly NCHA Honors
December 7, 2010
UW-Superior freshman forward Pat Dalbec (Superior, Wis.) has been named NCHA Player of the Week by the league office for his four-point weekend December 3-4. Dalbec helped the Yellowjackets pick up two wins and move to second place in the standings.

On Friday night Dalbec assisted on the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over visiting UW-Stevens Point. The power play goal came at 16:04 of the second period with the score knotted at 1-1. The Yellowjackets hung on through a scoreless third period to grab two points.

On Saturday Dalbec was all over the score sheet, notching two assists and scoring once in a 4-2 win over the Pointers. He sent a long pass that led to a short-handed breakaway goal early in the first period that made the score 1-0. Later in the period he assisted on a goal that made it 2-0. UW-Superior seemed to be cruising until UW-Stevens Point cut the lead to 3-2 early in the third. But Dalbec responded 2:30 later with an even strength goal that provided a cushion and led to the 4-2 final.

Dalbec's 4-point weekend bounced him to five total points on the year. The two victories led to UWS being voted #15 in the latest national rankings.
Men's Weekly Release - Dec 7, 2010






Adrian's Gniewek Nabs Player of the Week Award
November 23, 2010
Adrian College sophomore forward Ashley Gniewek (Southgate, Mich / Anderson) has been named player of the week in the NCHA for the week ending November 21st. She recorded four points as the Bulldogs swiped three conference points in a road series at UW-Superior.

On Friday Gniewek scored Adrian's lone goal of the game at 16:49 of the second period on the power play. That goal proved enough for the Bulldogs to earn a tie in the opening game of the series.

On Saturday Gniewek busted out with a goal and two assists in a 4-3 victory. She scored the opening goal of the game at 14:42 of the first, assisted on a second period goal that made the score 3-0, then assisted on the game-winning goal with just 3:30 left in regulation.

Gniewek's four-point weekend boosted her to seven total points on the year.
Women's Weekly Release - November 23, 2010







St. Norbert's Nick Tabisz Named men's Player of the Week
November 23, 2010
St. Norbert senior defenseman Nick Tabisz (Kettering, OH) has been named NCHA Men's Player of the Week for the week of November 15 - 21. The defenseman was involved in three of the Green Knights' five total goals last weekend in a sweep of visiting UW-River Falls.

Tabisz scored the third goal in St. Norbert's 3-1 victory on Friday night. The goal came at 16:57 of the second period and gave SNC some breathing room in a tight conference battle with the Falcons.

On Saturday night Tabisz assisted on both Green Knight goals in a 2-1 win. Both tallies came in the opening period, the first on the power play. After that, the 5-11, 175 pound senior put in his usual solid defensive effort to help St. Norbert hang on for the victory and pick up four points on the weekend.

On the season Tabisz has four goals and four assists for eight points. He ranks second in the NCHA in points by defensemen and tenth nationally in the same category.
Men's Weekly Release - November 23, 2010







UW-Superior's Jenn Paul Earns Player of the Week Award
November 16, 2010
Northern Collegiate Hockey Association officials have selected Jenn Paul (Paynesville, Minn. / River Lakes Stars) as Women's Player of the Week for her outstanding performance in three victories for the Yellowjackets. Paul recorded seven points over the three games, sending UWS into first place in the NCHA.

In the first-ever women's division "Bridge Battle" on November 9, Paul scored twice in the third period to lead UW-Superior past neighbor St. Scholastica 2-1. She scored 37 seconds in on the power play, then bagged the game-winner at 13:58.

On the weekend Paul chipped in with two more goals and three assists in a series sweep of Finlandia. On Friday the freshman notched two assists; on Saturday she was involved in three of the 'Jackets four total goals, scoring twice and assisting once.

Paul's nine points on the year is tops for UWS and tied for best in the NCHA.
Women's Weekly Release, Nov 16, 2010






UW-Stout's Robert Carr Named Men's Player of the Week
November 16, 2010
UW-Stout senior forward Robert Carr (Roseau, Minn. / Roseau H.S., Fargo-NAHL) has been named NCHA Men's Player of the Week, the league office announced today. Carr notched four points last weekend as the Blue Devils swept visiting St. Scholastica, earning four points in the standings and vaulting STOUT into a tie for second place.

On Friday night UW-Stout jumped out to a 4-0 lead on the Saints in the first period, and Carr found the score sheet on two of them. He assisted on a power play goal at 6:18 and then scored a shorthanded goal at 10:49. He would score again early in the second period as the Blue Devils went on to win 7-5.

Saturday night was another memorable opening period for STOUT and Carr, the latter scoring his fourth goal of the year just 1:35 into the game. The even-strength goal sparked his team to put up four goals in the game and go on to win 4-1.

On the season Carr ranks second for the Blue Devils in scoring with eight points in eight games played. He has recorded at least a point in six of eight games this year and his four goals are good for a tie for fourth in conference goal scoring.
Men's Weekly Release, Nov 16, 2010







CUW's Sarah Luberda Has Historic Night in Win over Marian
November 10, 2010 [story edited on Nov 11, correcting the ranking to third all-time]
Sarah Luberda scored twice and assisted on three other Concordia-Wisconsin goals as the Falcons beat Marian University 7-1 tonight. The five-point outburst is a tie for third all-time for individual points in a single conference game. The record in the statistic category is eight points, set by UW-Superior's Mika Sharpe in 2000 - the inaugeral women's hockey season.

Thirteen players have recorded five points in a conference game, including Luberda, since the start of the women's league. It was accomplished twice last season - once by UW-River Falls' Jessica Thompson (Jan 23, 2010 against Finlandia) and most recently by Lake Forest's Kim Herring (Feb 20, 2010 against Concordia-Wis).







UW-Stevens Point Goalie Pomering Named Player of the Week
November 9, 2010
UW-Stevens Point sophomore goalie Staci Pomering (Roscoe, Ill. / Hononegah) has been selected Player of the Week in the Women's Division for her 40-save performance last weekend in two wins over St. Thomas. The Pointers and Pomering moved to 4-0 on the season.

Pomering made 23 saves on 24 shots against the Tommies last Friday, nine of which came with St. Thomas on the power play. UWSP went on to win 4-1. Pomering followed that performance up with a 17 save outing in a 2-1 win Saturday afternoon. St. Thomas finally got a puck past Pomering with 2:19 left in the third. Pomering stood tall in the final minutes, protecting the one-goal lead and finishing the sweep for the Pointers.

On the season Pomering is 4-0 with a 1.50 goals against average. She has made 91 total saves and has a save percentage of .938.
Women's Weekly Release - Nov 9, 2010








Niemann's 4-Point Weekend Good For Player of the Week
November 9, 2010
UW-Stevens Point junior forward Harrison Niemann (Canton, Mich. / Novi) has been named player of the week in the NCHA Men's Division for his outstanding play last weekend at Bethel and at #15 Hamline. Neimann notched four points on two goals and two assists, helping UWSP to a pair of non-conference victories.

The headline win for the Pointers came on Saturday night when they beat #15 Hamline 5-1; Niemann assisted on the first and third goals. UW-Stevens Point led 2-1 after the first period and it got some much desired breathing room when Niemann set up Johnny Meo at 9:39 of the second. Both of Niemann's assists were on even strength goals.

Last Friday UWSP beat Bethel 2-0, with Niemann scoring both goals. His first came on the power play at 10:00 of the first period, the second at 17:17 of the third - also on the power play.

Niemann's four-point weekend vaulted him to five total points on the year, good for third on the Pointer roster. The two wins also sent UWSP into the uscho.com national rankings at #10.
Men's Weekly Release - Nov 9, 2010







St. Norbert's Agan Named to Swedish National Roster
November 3, 2010 (from St. Norbert Sports Information)
St. Norbert freshman defenseman Emma Agen has been selected to play with the Swedish National Team in the 4 Nations Cup held Nov. 9-13 in Newfoundland.

Agen, who was on the Swedish National Team's pre-tournament list for the Vancouver Olympics last winter, is the only NCAA Division III women's hockey player to make a 4 Nations Cup team roster.

The Swedes are scheduled to play the United States in an exhibition game on Nov. 5 in Brunswick, Maine. Sweden then plays Finland in its tournament opener Nov. 9, followed by Canada on Nov. 10 and the United States on Nov. 12. The bronze and gold medal games are scheduled for Nov. 13. Canada has won five of the last six 4 Nations Cup gold medals.

In two games with St. Norbert Oct. 29-30, Agen had one assist with two minor penalties as the Green Knights split the first two games in program history.






UWSP's Tanzer Earns Women's Player of the Week
November 2, 2010
UW-Stevens Point freshman forward Allie Tanzer (Chippewa Falls, Wis / Chippewa Falls) has been named player of the week in the NCHA Women's Division for her effort last weekend in a series at St. Olaf. Tanzer recorded five points over the two games via a pair of goals and three assists.

On Friday night Tanzer assisted on three Pointer goals and scored another, all part of a 6-1 season opening victory. On Saturday she put UWSP up 3-0 at 14:34 of the second period, a goal that proved crucial as the Pointers ended up winning 4-3 to complete the sweep.
Women's Weekly Release - Nov 1, 2010






St. Norbert's Pulak Named First Player of the Week in Men's Division
November 2, 2010
St. Norbert College senior forward Scott Pulak (Green Bay, Wis.) has been named NCHA player of the week in the Men's Division, the league office announced this afternoon. Pulak posted five assists in two conference victories over UW-Stout last weekend.

The shots heavily favored the Green Knights on Friday night, but each of their three goals proved critical as the game progressed. Pulak helped on goals at 0:12 of the first period and 19:01 of the third as SNC won 3-1.

On Saturday Pulak assisted on a pair of first period goals that put the Green Knights up 4-2 after the first. Each of those times he set up Johan Ryd (Sodertalje, Sweden). Pulak also assisted on a late second period goal, capping an impressive 5-point weekend.
Men's Weekly Release - Nov 1, 2010








Women's Coaches Pick UWRF as Favorite; Expanded Conference Debuts
October 20, 2010
The addition of two new women's programs - St. Norbert and St. Scholastica - and how they might affect the dynamic is the early headline in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association's Women's Division as the 2010-11 season gets underway. The Green Knights and the Saints bring the total number of teams to eleven, changing the landscape of a conference already loaded with strong programs. The Green Knights will open play at home on Friday, October 29th while the Saints start play on Friday, November 5th, also at home.

Last season's second place finisher, Adrian College, officially kicks off the season this Saturday night when it travels to Cortland State (N.Y.). The Bulldogs advanced to the NCHA semifinals last year, falling to eventual playoff champion UW-River Falls.

Speaking of the Falcons, they were selected as the team to beat this season in the annual preseason coaches' poll. UW-River Falls received nine of the eleven first-place votes and easily took the top spot in the rankings. Seventeen letter-winners return to the Falcon roster in 2010-11, providing plenty of optimism for the two-time defending playoff champs.
Women's Preseason Release - Oct 20, 2010






30th NCHA Season Opens, Coaches Tab St. Nobert as Men's Favorite
October 20, 2010
When the puck drops this Friday and UW-Stout battles Concordia-Wisconsin in Mequon, it will mark the start of a milestone 30th season for the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association. UW-Stout has the honor of kicking things off, but every team is looking to put its stamp on the historic year.

Defending regular season and playoff champion St. Norbert will open play next weekend when the Green Knights can hang another banner at the Cornerstone Community Center. St. Norbert won its 8th playoff championship last March with a 7-1 victory over UW-River Falls and proceeded to grind through the NCAA tournament, coming one overtime goal away from winning the national title in the longest championship game ever played.

UW-River Falls and UW-Stevens Point will also be in action this weekend, both taking on non-conference opponents. The Falcons, who were one win away from an NCAA tournament berth last season, return last year's conference point leader Josh Calleja (New Richmond, Wis. / Minnesota, MNJHL). UW-Stevens Point was the only team besides St. Norbert to receive a first-place vote in the preseason coaches' poll.

Next weekend features a full slate of conference matchups with all seven men's team in action.
Men's Preseason Release - Oct 20, 2010