-Soik's All-American Honors Top Postseason Awards List (3/30/07)
-MCHA to Welcome Lake Forest to League in 2009-10 (3/29/07)
-Finlandia University Lions are the 2007 Harris Cup Champs!! (3/4/07)
-Lawrence Wins MCHA Consolation On Strength of Two Goals in Final 1:25 (3/4/07)
-League Announces Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, All-Conference Awards (3/4/07)
-MSOE Goes for Third-Straight Tournament Title Sunday (3/3/07)
-Harris Cup Champion to be Crowned in MCHA Tournament This Weekend (2/26/07)
-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Playoffs Start This Weekend (2/19/07)
-MSOE Earns Third-Straight MCHA Title in Last Game of Season (2/17/07)
-Top Two Seeds to be Determined in Last Week of Regular Season (2/12/07)
-Joe Searl of Lawrence Featured in Local Newspaper Article (2/6/07)
-Conference Action Heats Up as League Starts Last Month of Regular Season (2/5/07)
-Soik Breaks MCHA Career Assist Mark; Paquette Records No. 100 (1/29/07)
-Brian Soik of MSOE Featured in Article on USCHO.com (1/23/07)
-Searl Keeps Vikings Rolling; MSOE's Swallow Nets Career Point No. 100 (1/22/07)
-Finlandia/MSOE, Lawrence/Marian Split; Crookston Takes Three Points (1/15/07)
-Back to League Play After Non-Conference Slate to Start 2007 (1/8/07)
-MCHA Strikes Again: Sabres Surprise No. 4 UW-River Falls (1/4/07)
-Finlandia Knocks Off Nationally Ranked Team, Dropping #4 UW-Superior, 5-3 (12/16/06)
-MCHA Heads Into Holiday Break (12/11/06)
-Finlandia Stays Right Behind MSOE as Both Teams Sweep (12/4/06)
-All Six Teams Set to Square-off in Weekend Conference Series (11/27/06)
-MCHA Heads Into Thanksgiving Break With Light Schedule (11/20/06)
-League Alumni Dunbar and Moren Representing MCHA Professionally (11/14/06)
-Lawrence Gets Szkodzinski First Wins as Vikings and MSOE Earn Sweeps (11/13/06)
-MSOE Takes Early Conference Standings Lead (11/6/06)
-Read the MCHA Season Preview From USCHO.com (10/31/06)
-2007 Harris Cup Championship to be Hosted by Finlandia University (10/31/06)
-MCHA Opens 2006-07 Season Against Top-15 Opponents (10/30/06)
-Soik and Swallow Land Spots on Preseason All-USCHO Teams (10/29/06)
-MCHA Announces More Expansion Plans for 2007-08 (10/26/06)
-Ninth Season of MCHA Play Begins Tonight (10/24/06)
-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association To Expand Next Season (10/23/06)
-MCHA Represented by MSOE in Preseason Poll (10/17/06)
-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)

 

 

 

 

-March 30, 2007
Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association's Players and Coaches Collect Numerous Honors
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association recently concluded arguably the most successful season in its nine-year history: Three teams finished better than .500 overall (nearly four with Lawrence just a game under); both Finlandia and MSOE finished with 19 victories and a solid league-wide record against nationally-ranked teams - with the Raiders spending time in the Top 15 and the Lions receiving votes in the final poll.

That led to numerous postseason honors, most notably being Brian Soik of MSOE becoming the first MCHA player to earn All-American honors.

Note: The following story courtesy of MSOE's Sports Information Office.
MSOE’s Soik Named Division III All-American
SUPERIOR, Wis. (March 23, 2007) - The awards keep on piling up for MSOE’s senior forward Brian Soik, as he has joined 23 other NCAA division III hockey players being named as a RBK Hockey Division III Men's All-American selection, announced Friday at the NCAA Division III Men's Championships hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

Soik, the two-time MCHA Player of the Year, was selected to the West Region second team. Earlier that evening, he was also honored as one of eight finalists for the year’s Sid Watson Award, which recognizes the most outstanding player in Division III hockey for the year.

This is the first time an MSOE hockey player received All-American status. Soik becomes for the fifth All American in the school’s history and the first ever for a male MSOE athlete in a team sport.

He ends his Raider hockey career with impressive statistics. In 108 games, Soik scored 45 goals, added 81 assists for a total of 126 points, second on the MSOE career points list. This season in 26 games, Soik collected seven goals with 28 assists for 35 total points.

Coach Ostapina, extremely proud of Soik’s accomplishments, comments on the award. “As a coach, I’ve always felt that Brian Soik was All-American quality. It’s great that he and the league (MCHA) have been recognized as one of the best in the west,” said Ostapina. “Brian would be the first to tell you that this is a team award that he couldn’t accomplish anything without the help from his teammates, their hard work and dedication they put in."

The RBK Hockey All-American Teams are sponsored by RBK Hockey, an international leader in hockey equipment, and chosen by members of the American Hockey Coaches Association.

Player of the Year: G Andrew Gallant, Sr., Manhattanville
East Region, First Team
G Andrew Gallant, Sr., Manhattanville
D Arthur Fritsch, Jr., Colby
D Tom Maldonado, Jr., Middlebury
F Rick Cleaver, Jr., Norwich
F Mitch Stephens, Sr., Geneseo
F Neil Trimm, Jr., Neumann

West Region, First Team
G A.J. Bucchino, So., UW-River Falls
D Jim Henkemeyer, Fr., UW-River Falls
D Derek Paige, Sr., UW-Superior
F Marc Belanger, Jr., St. Norbert
F Aaron Johnson, Sr., Augsburg
F T.J. Dahl, Jr., UW-River Falls

East Region, Second Team
G Ryan Scott, Jr., Oswego
D Mike Gooch, Jr., Neumann
D John Halverson, Sr., Trinity
F Mike Hedden, So., Neumann
F Brendan McLaughlin, So., Oswego
F Greg Osborne, Sr., Colby

West Region, Second Team
G Mike Stone, Jr., UW-Stout
D John Paulson, Jr., St. Olaf
D Ryan Van Bockel, Sr., St. Thomas
F Derek Hansberry, So., UW-River Falls
F Nick Pernula, Jr., St. Thomas
F Brian Soik, Sr., MSOE


Next up for the league was having four players earn spots on the All-USCHO.com D-III Team. Soik landed on the West Second Team a year after earning honorable mention status as a junior. He earned his second-straight MCHA Player of the Year award this season, finishing with 34 points (7G/27A), establishing a new mark for league assists in a season (24) and career (66) in the process. Finlandia's Josh Paquette, who led the league in scoring (46 points on 21G/25A) and tied the MCHA career points mark (99) as just a junior, landed on the honorable mention squad. MSOE's Blair Hanberg (honorable mention) and Marian College's Nick Cinquegrani (West Rookie Team honorable mention) rounded out the list.

Brian Soik	Josh Paquette	Blair Hanberg	Nick Cinquegrani	Mark Ostapina

Note: The following two stories courtesy of www.uscho.com.
MINNEAPOLIS — Manhattanville senior goaltender Andrew Gallant has been selected the USCHO.com National Player of the Year. The Summerville, PEI native led his team to the national semifinals this season, and had a goals against average of 1.91 and a save percentage of .928. USCHO.com has also named Oswego coach Ed Gosek National Coach of the year. Gosek led the Lakers to their first ever national title this season. The winners and all-star teams are selected by the USCHO.com staff. A complete list follows:

West First Team
Goal — AJ Bucchino, So., UW-River Falls
Defense — Jim Henkemeyer, Jr., UW-River Falls
Defense — John Paulson, Jr., St. Olaf
Forward — Tyler Dahl, Jr., UW-River Falls
Forward — Aaron Johnson, Sr., Augsburg
Forward — Nick Pernula, Jr., St. Thomas

West Second Team
Goal — Mike Stone, Jr., UW-Stout
Defense -— Andrew Derton, Sr., St. Norbert
Defense — Derek Paige, Sr., UW-Superior
Forward — Marc Belanger, Jr., St. Norbert
Forward — Derek Hansberry, So., UW-River Falls
Forward — Brian Soik, Sr., MSOE
Honorable Mention: Neal Carlson (Bethel), Sean Fish (UW-Stevens Point), Blair Hanberg (MSOE), Kyle Jones (St. Norbert), John Keseley (Gustavus Adolphus), Josh Paquette (Finlandia), Greg Peterson (UW-Eau Claire), Ryan Van Bockel, (St. Thomas), Jack Wolgemuth (UW-Stout)

West Rookie Team
Goal — Aaron Damjanovich, Bethel
Defense — Jordan Baird, St. Scholastica
Defense — Bobby Kuehl, UW-Stout
Forward — Braden Desmet, UW-Superior
Forward — Scott Motz, UW-Stout
Forward — Shane Wheeler, St. Norbert
Honorable Mention: David Adams (St. Olaf), Nick Cinquegrani (Marian), AJ Hau (Augsburg)

East First Team
Goal — Andrew Gallant, Sr., Manhattanville
Defense — Arthur Fritch, Jr., Colby
Defense — John Halverson, Sr., Trinity
Forward — Rick Cleaver, Jr., Norwich
Forward — Mitch Stephens, Sr., Geneseo
Forward — Neil Trimm, Jr., Neumann

East Second Team
Goal — Ryan Scott, Jr., Oswego
Defense — Mike Gooch, Jr., Neumann
Defense — Tom Maldonado, Jr., Middlebury
Forward — Mike Hedden, So., Neumann
Forward — Brendan McLaughlin, So., Oswego
Forward — Greg Osbourne, Sr., Colby
Honorable Mention: Mark Carragher (S. Maine), Jeff Grant (Mass.-Dartmouth), Mickey Gilchrist (Middlebury), Jeff Green (Mass.-Dartmouth), John Huchko (Castleton), Chris Mills (Manhattanville), Mike Polsonetti (Hobart), Steve Sankey (Geneseo), Ryan Woodward (Oswego)

East Rookie Team
Goal — DJ Delbuono, Skidmore
Defense — Mike Corbelle, Bowdoin
Defense — AJ Mikkelsen, Manhattanville
Forward — Pier-Luc Belanger, Plattsburgh
Forward — Ross Enmark, Curry
Forward — Matt Ward, Neumann
Honorable Mention: Steve Culbertson (Castleton), Gerard Heinz (Cortland), David Layne (Wesleyan), Todd Sheridan (Brockport)

D-III Coach of the Year: Ed Gosek, Oswego
Honorable Mention: Terry Watkins (UW-Stout)

D-III Player of the Year: Andrew Gallant, Manhattanville
Honorable Mention: Mitch Stephens (Geneseo)


Edward Jeremiah Award Finalists Announced

(March 17, 2007) - Twelve coaches who have enjoyed on-ice success in 2006-07 have been named finalists for the Edward Jeremiah Award, given annually to the College Division (NCAA Division III) Men's Ice Hockey Coach of the Year. Named in honor of the former Dartmouth head coach, the Jeremiah Award will be presented at the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Coach of the Year Banquet on Saturday, April 28, in Naples, Fla.

Heading the list of finalists is four-time Jeremiah Award winner Bill Beaney of Middlebury, as are his NCAA opponents this weekend, Tim Coghlin of St. Norbert College College, Ed Gosek of Oswego State, and Keith Levinthal of Manhattanville.

Other finalists represent winners of conference Coach of the Year honors. They are: Chris Brown, Augsburg (MIAC); Brian Dickinson (SUNYAC); Mark Ostapina, Milwaukee School of Engineering (MCHA); Chris Potter, Wesleyan (NESCAC); John Rolli, UMass-Dartmouth (ECAC Northeast Co-Coach); Neil Sinclair, Skidmore (ECAC East); R.J. Tolan, Wentworth (ECAC Northeast Co-Coach); Terry Watkins, UW-Stout (NCHA).

NCAA semifinalist Keith Levinthal of Manhattanville was also the ECAC West Coach of the Year. Voting will take place after this weekend's NCAA Men's Division III Frozen Four in Superior, Wis.

 

 

 

 

 

-March 29, 2007
Lake Forest to Join Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association in 2009
Foresters will leave Northern Collegiate Hockey Association after 17 years
-Courtesy of Lake Forest Sports Information Director Mike Wajerski

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Lake Forest College Athletic Director Jackie Slaats and Head Men’s Hockey Coach Tony Fritz announced Tuesday (March 27) that the program will join the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA) effective July 1, 2009. The Foresters are currently members of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) and will continue as full-fledged NCHA members for the next two seasons. Lake Forest will officially begin MCHA play in 2009-10.

The MCHA currently consists of Lawrence University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Adrian College, Marian College, Concordia University (Wis.), Finlandia University, Northland College, and the University of Minnesota Crookston. The league was formed in 1998 and Lawrence, MSOE, Marian, and Northland are the four remaining charter members. Crookston joined the conference a year later and Finlandia in 2004. The programs at Adrian and Concordia were recently started and are set to begin play in 2007-08.

“By joining the MCHA we are aligning ourselves with institutions of a similar academic profile and athletic philosophy,” stated Slaats. “Many of the league members are also located closer to Lake Forest than those in the NCHA and we compete against them in various other sports. While we have enjoyed our relationship with the NCHA, we look forward to the new rivalries that will be formed by this move.”

Lake Forest competed as an independent until Fritz took the program to the NCHA in 1992. “I’ve enjoyed competing in the NCHA for the last 15 years,” he began, “but I am extremely excited about this move. Competing against schools more like Lake Forest will have a very positive effect on the future of Forester Hockey. The shorter bus trips will benefit our student-athletes academically and athletically.”

The Lake Forest College women’s hockey team will continue competing in the NCHA. The MCHA does not currently field a women’s division.


This marks the third new team to join the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association in the past six months. Concordia University (announced Oct. 23, 2006) and Adrian College (announced Oct. 26, 2006) will begin play in the MCHA next season.

"This is a great opportunity to add a school with a great hockey tradition," MCHA Commissioner Terry Brand said. "We are very happy to bring a team into the MCHA that has the experience they do as a program and for them to be able to compete with schools that are more similar to them."

 

 

 

 

-March 4, 2007
Sullivan's Late Goal Gives Finlandia Harris Cup Crown
-BOX SCORE-

The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament Championship ended in a great battle between the Milwaukee School of Engineering and Finlandia University on Sunday in Hancock, Mich. After two ties and two lead changes, the Finlandia Lions are the 2007 Harris Cup Champions by a score of 4-3. With just 51 seconds to play, Ryan Sullivan scored his second goal of the game to give the Lions the crown.

“Wow, this is unbelievable … the feeling is just incredible,” Finlandia head coach Joe Burcar said. “I am extremely happy for the players. They have paid their dues and are deserving of this. This is why you play the game.”

The Lions were down 2-0 in the first period and saw MSOE tie the game at 3-3 with about six minutes to play, but emerged victorious in front of a packed house at the Houghton County Arena.

“We just kept battling,” Burcar said. “This was two great teams on the ice. There were lots of ups and downs but we kept pushing until we found a way.”

       


Finlandia held a 3-2 lead when Keith Johnstone scored on a power play 11:06 into the third. MSOE never gave up, getting the equalizer when RG Flath scored his second of the day with 6:01 to play to knot the score at 3-3. Just when everyone was thinking overtime, Sullivan gave his team the lead with a shot from just inside the blue line over the shoulder of the Raider keeper.

The Raiders jumped out to the early lead, getting a breakaway goal from Blair Hanberg  6:03 into the game and Flath’s first tally six minutes later to take the early 2-0 lead.

The Lions battled back, with Sullivan lighting the lamp at the 14:36 mark of the first to make it 2-1 at the end of the period. Josh Paquette tied the game at 2-2 in the middle of the second, burying an unassisted goal after a turnover.

Sullivan’s (pictured at left) heroics earned him MCHA Tournament MVP honors, and he was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammates Joe Beaudry and Marc Marcotte. MSOE’s Jason Woll and Blair Hanberg and Lawrence ’s Billy Siers and Andrew Isaac rounded out the squad.

 

 

 

 

 

-March 4, 2007
Lawrence Claims MCHA Consolation Victory, 4-2
-BOX SCORE-

A lot can happen in two minutes and 29 seconds, just ask Lawrence University and Marian College, who proved the old saying, “it ain’t over, ‘till it’s over” in the consolation game of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association on Sunday in Hancock, Mich.

Late in the third, the Vikings were up, 2-1, after scoring two goals in a 43 second span late in the second period. It stayed that way until the final minutes, when Marian’s Brett Fox scored with just 2:29 remaining and appeared to be sending it to overtime to determine a winner.

Just like that, the Vikings answered, as Billy Siers (#17 pictured at left) lit the lamp for his second goal of the game with 1:25 left in the contest. After a Sabre timeout in which they pulled the goalie, LU held off a final rush, capped by Joe Searl’s empty netter that crossed the line with just 0.1 remaining on the clock. The shot nearly went the length of the ice, sneaking in the far post to close out the 4-2 decision and give Lawrence the MCHA Consolation Championship.

“That was pretty much a storybook ending for the seniors … minus an MCHA Championship,” Lawrence head coach Mike Szkodzinski said. “The way they have handled themselves on the ice through some rough early-season times and the way they conduct themselves off the ice has created a new atmosphere for Lawrence hockey.”

    
         

After a scoreless first period, the Sabres were the first to score when Bill Griffore, Jr., hit the back of the net with 14:54 left in the second. The Vikings took the lead in a hurry later in the frame, as Siers and Nick Jennette scored in less than a minute’s span to make it 2-1. It stayed that way until Fox’s goal.

“It feels like we have been in that position a number of times this season,” Szkodzinski said. “But we didn’t panic, we stuck to the game plan and capitalized on our opportunities.”

Searl’s last-second goal (shown celebrating with teammates after the goal at left) was also a record, as it gave him 18 on the season to tie the LU standard for goals in a year. He finished the game with a team-high three points (1G/2A). The victory was also huge for the Viking program, giving them a 13-14-2 mark – the most victories in school history.

 

 

 

-March 4, 2007
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 on Friday in Houghton, Mich. 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.

For the second-straight season, two representatives from MSOE won the two major awards, with Mark Ostapina earning the Coach-of-the-Year honor and Raider Brian Soik adding back-to-back MCHA Player-of-the-Year honors.

MCHA All-Conference (Alphabetical by position)
Forwards:
James Goodfellow, Sophomore, Marian
Josh Paquette, Junior Finlandia
Joe Searl, Senior, Lawrence
Brian Soik, Senior, MSOE
Ryan Sullivan, Sophomore, Finlandia
Lee Swallow, Junior, MSOE

Defensemen:
Brett Fox, Senior, Marian
Marc Marcotte, Sophomore, Finlandia
Josh Peterson, Junior, Lawrence
Jason Woll, Sophomore, MSOE

Goalies:
Matt Burzon, Senior, MSOE
Cullen Caldwell, Freshman, Marian

Player of the Year: Brian Soik, MSOE (pictured below - left)
Coach of the Year: Mark Ostapina, MSOE (pictured below - right)

         
         

MCHA All-Freshman Team:
Jacob Anderson, MSOE
Cullen Caldwell, Marian
Nick Cinquegrani, Marian
Nick Henkemeyer, Marian
Marc Howe, Lawrence
Bo Storozuk, Northland

MCHA All-Academic Team
Finlandia (12 members)
++ Ties Crookston’s league standard set in 2003-04 for one team ++
Lukas Alberer, Jr. *
Robert DeVaun, So.
CJ Fisher, Jr.
Travis Hanson, Jr. *
Joe Junttila, Sr. *
Kevin Korte, So.
Matt Lindgren, Jr. *
Marc Marcotte, So.
Blake Miller, So.
Josh Paquette, Jr. *
Mike Parks, Jr. *
Ryan Sullivan, So.

Lawrence (10 members)
Ted Greeley , So.
Jesse Jacobs, So.
Nick Jennette, So.
Brian Kennihan, Jr. *
Aaron LaFave, So.
Kalle Larsson, Sr.
Chris Lawson, So.
Andrew Litchfield, So.
Austin Montgomery, Jr.
Josh Peterson, Jr. *

Marian (10 members)
Greg Copeland, So.
Andrew Corvo, So.
Dave DeSander, Jr. *
James Goodfellow, So.
Bill Griffore Jr., So.
Jason Jadczak, So.
Kyle Jones, So.
Josh McAndrew, So.
Ted Thompson, Jr.
Jeff Wills, So.
 
MSOE (8 members)
Nick Bilpush, Sr. *
Ross Chawansky, Jr. *
Joe Dovalina, Sr.
Matt Fastelin, Jr. *
Josh Rudolph, Sr. #
Brian Soik, Sr. #
Jason Woll, So.
David Yolo, Sr. #
 
Minnesota-Crookston (3 members)
Teal Plaine, Jr. #
Brett Shelanski, Sr. $
Ryan Tucker, Jr. *
 
Northland (3 members)
Justin Grant, Sr. *
Jim Junker, Sr. #
Steve O’Hern, Sr. *

Note:
* = Two-Time All-Academic member
# = Three-time All-Academic member
$ = Four-time All-Academic member

 

 

 

-March 3, 2007
It's MSOE versus Finlandia for 2007 MCHA Tournament Championship
Note: Game stories courtesy of Finlandia Sports Information
Finlandia Takes on MSOE - March 3, 2007
In a scoreless first period, the Finlandia Lions awoke in the second period to snag the win in the MCHA semifinal game versus Marian College, 6-3.  The Lions will face MSOE at 3:00 pm at the Houghton County Arena for the MCHA Championship.

Although there were seven penalties in the first period, neither team could capitalize on their power play opportunities.  It took until nearly halfway through the second period to get either team on the board.  Finlandia's Jason Aldrich (Hancock, MI) was the first to score at 9:42.  He was assisted by Keith Johnstone (Marquette, MI) and Mike Parks (Marquette, MI).

Less than two minutes later, 11:21, Finlandia went up 2-0 with a score by Tiger Marcotte (Baraga, MI) .  Ryan Sullivan (Marquette, MI) was credited with the assist.  On a quick play down the ice, the Sabres tried to stay in the game with a goal :23 later, but Sullivan answered with his own goal at 14:37.  Sullivan was +3 on the ice.

With the score 3-1, Marian's Carl Bresser scored at 16:15 to bring the Sabres within one at the second intermission.

Finlandia ran away with the win in the third, though, scoring three straight goals.  Joe Beaudry (Marquette, MI), Joe Welgos (Darien, IL), and Parks each earned another point in the goals statistic

Marian added one more final goal late in the third to bring the score to 6-3.

Finlandia out shot Marian, 30-23.  Lukas Alberer (Austria) earned the win in goal, saving 20 shots.  Marian's Cullen Caldwell recorded the loss.

MSOE in Championship Game - March 3, 2007
The Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) showed why they were MCHA champions and the #1 seed in this weekend's tournament.  The Raiders rolled past the Vikings of Lawrence Saturday afternoon with a score of 4-0.

In a quiet first period by both teams, MSOE's Chad Kenyon finally found the back of the net at 8:43.  He was assisted by Michael Duta and RG Flath.  That was the only action through the first intermission.  Each team did not force a penalty until the second period.

MSOE came out in the second period firing shots but could not find the back of the net.  The Raiders out shot Lawrence in the second period 14 to eight. 

The third period belonged to MSOE's Blair Handberg.  Nine seconds into the third, Hanberg scored his first of three goals.  Lee Swallow and Jason Woll dished the passes.  At 4:57, Hanberg marked his second point as did Woll on the assist.  Jacob Anderson also was credited with an assist. 

The scoring ended on a power play goal by MSOE's Hanberg at 18:51. 

Overall, MSOE out shot Lawrence 36-27.  Joe Dovalina of MSOE recorded the win, while Lawrence's Isaac Andrew's was marked with the loss. 

 

 

 

 

-February 26, 2007
Final Four Teams Set to Battle for Harris Cup
The first round of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association is over and the top four seeds from the regular season will battle it out for the tournament championship this weekend. No. 2 Finlandia will be the host March 3 & 4, with top-seeded MSOE joining them in Houghton, Mich., as three-time regular season and two-time defending Harris Cup champions.

The third and fourth seeds also made it to the weekend. The Marian Sabres and Lawrence Vikings, respectively, each came away with a series victory this past weekend. The Sabres did it convincingly, defeating Northland by scores of 9-0 and 7-1. James Goodfellow led the way offensively, starting the series with three goals and one assist on Friday. He added two more goals and one assist Saturday to finish with seven points (5G/2A) in the sweep. The Sabres are actually the hottest team in NCAA Division III hockey, riding the best current unbeaten streak of eight games (all victories) in the nation.

In the other series, the Vikings won the opener, 5-3, Friday and then won the race to three points in the series with a 2-2 OT tie on Saturday. Billy Siers was the difference, as his goal with 1:48 remaining helped LU get to overtime and end the season for Minnesota-Crookston, getting first-year coach Mike Szkodzinski into the final four.

Heading into the remainder of the tournament, several MCHA names dot the national statistics. Finlandia’s Josh Paquette is 12^th in points per game, scoring at a 1.72 clip (43 points on 20G/23A). MSOE’s Lee Swallow is also on that list, sitting 29^th at 1.48 ppg (37 on 16G/21A). Both are tied fro 14^th in goals per game. Brian Soik is seventh in assists per game at 1.12 (27 in 24 games) and the Lion’s Marc Marcotte is the second-highest scorer among defensemen in the nation (1.27 ppg on 7G/21A=28 points).

The MCHA Tournament Semifinals and Finals conclude this weekend.
Schedule of events:
Friday, March 2
MCHA End of Season Banquet at Best Western Franklin Square, downtown Houghton.
Social begins at 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m., program (guest speaker/awards) to follow.

Tournament games:
Note: Any games that involve the host Finlandia Lions will be available on the radio at 98.7 FM or on their website at www.wglifm.com.

Saturday, March 3
#1 MSOE vs. #4 Lawrence at 11 a.m. EST
#2 Finlandia vs. #3 Marian at 3 p.m. EST

Sunday, March 4
MCHA Consolation at 11 a.m. EST
MCHA Championship at 3 p.m. EST

 

 

 

 

 

-February 19, 2007
MCHA Regular Season in the Books
It doesn’t get much more exciting than the final week of play was in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association this past weekend. For starters, Finlandia hosted MSOE with the regular season championship on the line. After a big 11-4 win by the home team on Friday set the stage for a possible sharing of the conference title and a winner-take-all for the No. 1 seed in the tournament, MSOE made it three-straight league crowns for head coach Mark Ostapina with a 3-2 victory. The Raiders scored quickly, as freshman Reid Crawford lit the lamp just forty-six seconds into the game. Crawford made it 2-0 in the second, with Lee Swallow putting the Raiders ahead 3-0 with the eventual game-winner midway through the second. The Lions battled back in front of the home crowd, getting a goal from Marc Marcotte in the second and one from Mike Parks midway through the third to make it a one-goal affair. MSOE’s defense did the rest, as Joe Dovalina made six third-period saves to earn the victory.

In the chase for the career MCHA scoring title of 99 points (held by former Marian College player Dan Odegard), MSOE’s Brian Soik finished his career with 97 after the weekend, tallying final totals of 31 goals and a new MCHA record of 66 assists. In addition to the career assist record, his 24 helpers this season also broke the MCHA mark of 23. Finlandia’s Josh Paquette jumped past Soik to end the year, recording four points on the weekend to end the season in a tie with Odegard at 99 on 39 goals and 60 assists. The junior’s first point in league play next season will eclipse the standard.

Topping the leader boards was Paquette in points (39 on 19G/20A). Second was Swallow with 30 (15G/15A). Paquette’s 19 goals was first, with teammate Ryan Sullivan second with 18. Soik was one of three players with 20+ assists, taking first with 24 with Paquette in second with 20, tied with teammate Joe Beaudry.

Other league marks to fall include two entries by Northland’s Bo Storozuk. His 742 saves on the season smashed the former MCHA mark of 559, while his 1053:17 played was way ahead of the former mark of 896:08 as well. MSOE’s RG Flath established a new mark with seven career short-handed goals (record was six), while Marian’s Nick Cinquegrani’s four short-handed goals this year tied the season standard. Other close calls included 12 wins in goal this season by the Raiders Matt Burzon (record is 13) and 17 assists by the Lion’s Marc Marcotte, second-most (mark is 18) by a defensemen in one season.

The chase for the Harris Cup starts this weekend with the first round of the playoffs Feb. 23-24. MSOE and Finlandia have earned byes as the top two seeds, so #3 Marian will host #6 Northland and #4 Lawrence will host #5 Minnesota-Crookston. The opening round is a two-game series with possible mini-game. The winners will advance to the MCHA Tournament, hosted by Finlandia March 3-4.

              
              
Left to Right: Carl Bresser (Marian) ... Matt Hann (UM-Crookston) ... Cullen Caldwell (Marian) ... Reid Crawford (MSOE)

Players of the Week:
-The two teams that swept league series this past weekend were powered by two players offensively. Marian College Sabres junior forward Carl Bresser (Waupun, Wis.) and Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagles junior forward Matt Hann (Crookston, Minn.) both played vital roles in helping their teams go 2-0 to split MCHA Player of the Week honors. Bresser started the weekend with two goals (one short-handed) and one assist in Marian’s 5-0 win over Lawrence . He followed that up with a goal and an assist in the 4-2 victory Saturday, helping account for five of nine goals on the weekend and finishing +5. Hann, a pre-chiropractic major, recorded 17 shots versus Northland on the weekend, finishing with a league-best seven points on three goals and four assists.
Other Nominees: Nick Jennette (Lawrence), Lee Swallow (MSOE), Josh Paquette (Finlandia)

-Marian College Sabres freshman goalie Cullen Caldwell (Calgary, ALB) is the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. Cullen started the weekend with a shutout, stopping all 21 of Lawrence's shots in a 5-0 blanking. He followed that performance with the win on Saturday stopping 21 of 23 shots.  His save percentage this weekend was .955 and he has recorded four of the victories in Marian’s current six-game winning streak.
Other Nominees: Joe Dovalina (MSOE), Brent Groenke (Crookston), Tiger Marcotte (Finlandia)

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders freshman forward Reid Crawford (Glendale, Wis.) picked a great time to earn his first MCHA Freshman of the Week honors for his work in the title-clincher for the Raiders. The business major scored the first two goals of the game to put MSOE up, including one less than a minute in to propel his team to its third-straight league crown.
Other Nominees: Cullen Caldwell (Marian)

 

 

 

 

-February 17, 2007
MSOE Hockey Clinches Regular Season Title With 3-2 Win
-Courtesy of MSOE Sports Information Director Brian Gibboney
CONTACT: 414-277-2412 or gibboney@msoe.edu
Hancock, Mich.— Despite a crushing defeat on Friday night, the MSOE Raiders played aggressively and took a 3-2 decision over second place Finlandia, clinching their third consecutive regular season crown.

The Raiders wasted no time in scoring, as freshman Reid Crawford scored off a Lee Swallow pass, just 46 seconds into the game. MSOE scored the next two goals, Crawford with his second on the night, this time from Mike Jantzi and Jason Woll, while Swallow scored off passes from Woll and Michael Duta on a Raider power play.

The Finlandia Lions got on the scoreboard on an unassisted goal by Marc Marcotte with six minutes remaining in the second period. Finlandia added one more goal on a 3-on-5 power play with nine minutes remaining in the game, but could not get any closer.

For the Raiders, Joe Dovalina went the distance in goal, giving up two goals and collecting 24 saves and the win.

The Raiders now clinch the regular season title outright and the first place seed in the MCHA tournament, to be held at Houghton County Arena on March 3 and 4. IN the first of two semifinals, they will play the lowest remaining seed on Saturday, March 3 at 11:00am. The Highest remaining seed plays Finlandia at 3pm. The consolation game will be held Sunday at 11am, with the championship to follow at 3pm.

 

 

 

 

-February 12, 2007
Majority of Tournament Seeds in Place Heading Into Final Weekend
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association had three series on the schedule this past weekend that each produced a sweep. One of the biggest featured a first-place MSOE squad taking on a red-hot Lawrence team. The Raiders prevailed, winning 2-1 on Friday and 7-1 on Saturday to keep a solid hold on their first place position. Finlandia kept pace by sweeping past Minnesota-Crookston, winning 6-2 and 5-2 to give it a chance at the title next weekend. Marian College took a pair from Northland, winning 6-0 and 7-1 to guarantee itself third place in the league standings.

That stated, the third through sixth seeds for the MCHA Tournament are solidified, as the Lumberjacks will be the No. 6 seed. Crookston follows at No. 5. Regardless of what happens in the Marian/Lawrence series this upcoming weekend, the Vikings are the No. 4 seed followed by the Sabres at No. 3. The last thing to be decided is the top two spots: Finlandia (14-4-0/28 points) hosts MSOE (15-1-2/32 points) this upcoming weekend. A win or tie guarantees the Raiders their third-straight MCHA regular season crown. Mark Ostapina’s squad is nearly back in the Top 15 once again, as they are the top team in the “others receiving votes” this week.

The weekend added another 100-point scorer and a couple of new additions to the league record book, as well what could be an interesting ending to the season as far as the league record for career points is concerned. MSOE’s Blair Hanberg joined the 100-point club, as he ended the weekend with 102 (50G/52A) points in his time in a Raider jersey. Finlandia accounted for two records, as its four shorthanded goals in Saturday’s win set a new mark, as did Ryan Sullivan’s 18th goal of the conference season. That broke the record for goals by a sophomore, which was 17 set last season by Hanberg.

Lastly, former Marian College player Dan Odegard’s record 99 career points will be up for overtaking, as MSOE’s Brian Soik has upped his career total to 96 points and Finlandia’s Josh Paquette stands in at 95, each with two games remaining on the regular season schedule.

         
         
Left  to Right: Ryan Sullivan (Finlandia) ... Matt Burzon (MSOE) ... Nick Cinquegrani (Marian)

Players of the Week:
-Finlandia University Lions sophomore forward Ryan Sullivan (Marquette, MI) is the MCHA Player of the Week. He started the weekend with two shorthanded goals in Saturdays 6-2 victory and was a +3 on the ice. Then, on Sunday, he was +3 again and recorded a goal and an assist to help keep his team within striking distance of first place. As stated earlier, his 18 goals in league play this season set a new MCHA standard for sophomores.
Other Nomiees: Lee Swallow (MSOE), James Goodfellow (Marian)

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders senior goalie Matt Burzon (Danby, VT) is the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week, pushing his career weekly league honors to seven. The construction management major played a vital role in the Raiders’ sweep of Lawrence , coming up with 57 saves on 59 shots over the weekend for a .966 save percentage. He held the red-hot Lawrence squad to just one goal each night and limited LU to a 2-for-16 showing on the power play.
Other Nominees: Nick Henkemeyer (Marian), Tiger Marcotte (Finlandia)

-Marian College Sabres freshman forward Nick Cinquegrani (Rolling Meadows, IL) earns MCHA Freshman of the Week accolades for the second time this season. His two goals pushed the lead from 1-0 to 3-0 in Friday’s 6-0 win and then he added the first goal of the game on Saturday. He was +5 on the weekend, won 70% of his face-offs and leads all MCHA freshman in league scoring with 18 points (10G/8A).
Other Nominees: Chad Kenyon (MSOE), Ross Rouleau (Finlandia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

-February 6, 2007
Lawrence's Joe Searl Featured in Story in Appleton Post-Crescent
Lawrence senior Joe Searl was featured this week in a profile in the Appleton Post-Crescent. The article below is reprinted from www.postcrescent.com.

No longer a captain, Searl still a leader for Vikings
By Mike Sherry
Post-Crescent staff writer

The news hit Joe Searl like a high stick to the mouth.

Before this season started, new Lawrence University hockey coach Mike Szkodzin-ski told Searl that he would no longer be the captain of the Vikings.

The demotion hit the senior from Fond du Lac hard, and seeing junior Josh Peterson take over as captain was difficult.

But Searl has fought back the best way he knew how — by playing the most inspired hockey of his life.

"I responded the best I could and put it out of my mind," Searl said. "In my eyes and the guys' eyes, I think I'm still a leader on this team. And they've told me that. That's really what's gotten me through it.

Rather than sulk in his own private penalty box, Searl has led the surprising Vikings to an 11-9-1 record.

He has scored 17 goals, has 11 assists and is one of the leading candidates for Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association player of the year.

His play this season, and the way he has responded to no longer wearing the captain's "C" on his sweater, has impressed Szkodzinski.

"Joe simply went about his business and decided that he was going to be the leader if he wore the letter or didn't wear the letter," Szkodzinski said. "The way he carries himself away from the rink now is definitely what future Vikings and current Vikings should look up to."

Neither Searl nor Szkodzinski would provide a lot of details about why he was stripped of his captain's role. Searl admits he was late to some early workouts.

"With a new coach, a leader can't be defiant. You can't have a rogue leader," Searl said.

Szkodzinski, who praised Searl for his play on the ice and his leadership in the weight room, would only say that Searl needed to make some better decisions away from the hockey rink.

Szkodzinski, who came to Lawrence after being an assistant coach at St. Norbert College the past two seasons, says Searl has stepped up in almost every way imaginable.

"He's completely engulfed himself into Lawrence hockey this year and it shows every day on the ice, in the weight room and in the classroom," Szkodzinski said. "Sometimes players get very comfortable in a situation that they're in and sometimes they need to be pushed to a different level and get out of their comfort zone.

"Luckily, Joe has responded in a positive manner to that. Whether he's wearing the captain's C or not, I think every player in that locker room looks to Joe for leadership."

The Vikings had their six-game winning streak stopped by Finlandia on Saturday, but Lawrence still has won nine of its last 11 games. The winning has taken away most of the sting Searl felt from not being captain.

"Coach's decision was, I believe, the correct one," he says now.

Searl, a psychology major, isn't an imposing figure on the ice at 5-foot-8, 185 pounds. But that hasn't stopped the forward from being a threat to score every time he gets his stick on the puck.

"I never say die," he said. "I'm not the biggest guy in the world or the fastest guy or the most talented. I use the tools I have at the highest speed I can and work as hard as I can."

Szkodzinski says Searl is "relentless."

"Joe is willing to sacrifice his body to make plays for the well-being of the team," Szkodzinski said. "Joe's also been very disciplined in the system and that's led to more scoring opportunities for him."

Searl is one of five seniors on the team. There were 12 players in his freshman class, so he and the other remaining seniors take a great deal of pride in having stuck it out.

And now that the program is on the upswing, his outlook for the end of his senior season is definitely brighter than when the season started.

"Everyone is catching the buzz about hockey," Searl said. "People I don't know are saying good luck to me. It's a good feeling to be recognized for the work that we've put in."

 

 

-February 5, 2007
MSOE Keeps Rolling; Standings Race Heating Up for Tournament Seeds
With the first weekend of February in the books, the MSOE Raiders remain at the top of the league standings after sweeping by Northland, winning 12-1 and 5-2 to improve to 13-1-2 with 28 standings points. Brian Soik continues to etch his name in the MCHA record book, as his season total of 21 assists in conference action ties the mark for most assists by a senior and is just two off the all-time mark of 23 helpers in a season - and he still has four games left to play. Marian College also recorded a sweep, defeating Minnesota-Crookston by scores of 8-1 and 7-2 to move to 8-6-2 with 18 points, jumping back over Lawrence to third. Speaking of the Vikings, they did extend their school-record win streak to six on Friday (giving them wins in nine of their last 10 games) with a 4-3 OT defeat of Finlandia. That puts LU at 8-7-1 with 17 points. The Lions roared back Saturday, winning 7-1 to remain in second at 12-4-0 with 24 points, still within striking distance of the Raiders. With four teams over .500 in the league standings, none of the top four seeds for the league tournament have been determined. Just two weekends of hockey remain in the regular season.

         
         
Left to Right: Blair Hanberg (MSOE) ... Joe Junttila (Finlandia) ... Tyler Fletcher (Marian)

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders junior forward Blair Hanberg (Edmonds, WA) earns his second MCHA Player of the Week award of the season. The business and marketing major had a five-point weekend, scoring twice and recording three assists. His second goal on Friday night was his 50^th of his career and is now first in the league overall with 20 goals and tied for first in league play with 15. He was +5 for the weekend and had the game-winner on Friday, his fourth of the season.
Other Nominees: Andrew Corvo (Marian), Joe Junttila (Finlandia)

-Finlandia University Lions senior goalie Joe Junttila (Calumet, MI) is the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week, as he came through with a great performance in his only action of the weekend. After dropping an overtime game Friday, Junttila helped the Lions to the 7-1 win Saturday with stellar work between the pipes. He stopped 26 shots defensively and had an assist on a 3 v. 5 shorthanded goal. He also limited Lawrence to a 1-for-12 effort on the power play.
Other Nominees: Jason Woll (MSOE), Brett Fox (Marian)

-Marian College Sabres freshman forward Tyler Fletcher (Calgary, ALB) rounds out the week with MCHA Freshman of the Week honors. He had two goals, three assists (all in one game) and was +3 in the Sabres' sweep of Crookston.
Other Nominees: Brandon VanAcker (Finlandia), Jacob Anderson (MSOE)

 

 

 

 

-January 29, 2007
Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Heads into Final Month of Regular Season
It was a weekend of milestones for the MCHA, with MSOE’s Brian Soik breaking the league career assist mark and Finlandia’s Josh Paquette netting career point No. 100. In addition, the play on the ice kept the standings heated up as the calendar turns to February. Lawrence, the hottest team in the league, extended its winning streak to a school-record five-straight with an overtime defeat of Lake Forest and a sweep of Crookston on the weekend to give it eight wins in its last nine outings. In other league action, Finlandia swept past Northland by scores of 10-0 and 4-1 to remain in second place, hot on the heels of league-leading MSOE. The Raiders and Marian played to a 2-2 tie on Friday before MSOE came back with a 7-3 victory on Saturday to move to 11-1-2 (24 points), ahead of the Lions at 11-3-0 (22 points). The Vikings also jumped into third place at 7-6-1 (15 points), just ahead of the Sabres at 6-6-2 (14 points).

MCHA Career Assists 59-Brian Soik, MSOE 58-Jon Daigle, Marian, 2001-2005 57-Dan Odegard, Marian, 1999-2003 56-Josh Paquette, Finlandia 54-James Shipley, MSOE, 2002-2006

MCHA Career Points 99-Dan Odegard (42G/57A), Marian, 1999-2003 94-Jon Daigle (36G/58A), Marian, 2001-2005 90-Mike Turcott (44G/46A), MSOE, 1998-2002 89-Dave Chipman (47G/42A), Marian, 1998-2000 88-Josh Paquette, Finlandia (32G/56A) 87-Brian Soik, MSOE (28G/59 A)

With an assist on Lee Swallow’s goal at the 3:07 mark of the second period on Saturday, Brian Soik (pictured above left) pushed his career assist total to 59, breaking the former mark of 58 held by Marian College ’s Jon Daigle (2001-05). For Finlandia, Josh Paquette's (pictured above right) second goal of the game on Friday gave him career point No. 100. The junior forward is also right behind Soik in the career assist category, as his weekend total of three helpers gives him 56 in his career. Both players are also chasing down the MCHA career point record of 99 (currently held by former Sabre Dan Odegard), as Paquette has 88 points (32G/56A) and Soik 87 (28G/59A).

         
Left to Right: Kalle Larsson (Lawrence) ... Blake Miller (Finlandia) ... Mark Howe (Lawrence)

Players of the Week:
-Lawrence University senior forward Kalle Larsson (Gothenburg, Sweden) is this week’s MCHA Player of the Week. Despite a deep list of nominees, Larsson’s exploits were one of the big reasons Lawrence has won eight of its past nine games. The government major had a hat trick and an assist in LU’s 5-4 overtime win over Lake Forest, netting the game-winner at the 3:05 mark of OT. He then had the game-winning goal on Friday as well, before adding two assists on Saturday for an eight point (4G/4A) week.
Other Nominees: Josh Paquette (Finlandia), Nick Bilpush (MSOE), Joe Beaudry (Finlandia), Joe Searl (Lawrence)

-Finlandia University sophomore defenseman Blake Miller (Hancock, MI) tops the list of nominees for MCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors. Defensively, he helped limit Northland to just six shots in the game on Friday – and 16 for the weekend, while holding the ‘Jacks power play to a 1-for-12 showing. He also contributed on offense, scoring two power play goals and adding an assist on Friday before chipping in with another assist Saturday.
Other Nominees: Matt Burzon (MSOE), Mike Ackley (Lawrence)

-Lawrence University Vikings freshman forward Mark Howe (Cedarburg, WI) earns MCHA Freshman of the Week honors for the second time this season on the strength of eight points (4G/4A) during the week. He started off with a bang, scoring once and adding three assists – including one on the game-winner – as Lawrence knocked off Lake Forest in overtime. Then, on the weekend, he recorded a goal and an assist on Friday before lighting the lamp twice in the Vikings’ 4-1 win Saturday.
Other Nominees: Jake Anderson (MSOE), Brandon VanAcker (Finlandia)

 

 

 

 

-January 23, 2007
Brian Soik of MSOE Featured in Article on USCHO.com
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association had one of its players featured in an article on the national hockey website, www.uscho.com, last week. In  website correspondent Matthew Webb's weekly column - "This Week in the NCHA and MCHA", Brian Soik was featured in the Jan. 19 edition.

Note: The following is reprinted from uscho.com, by Matthew Webb
For complete release, click HERE.

MSOE's Soik Does It All
By now most people are familiar with MSOE forward Brian Soik's exploits on the ice. The senior captain and Stevens Point, Wis., native has scored 91 points in his three plus seasons for the Raiders. Centering MSOE's top line, he burst onto the scene last season by posting 45 points in 27 games. He has helped lead the Raiders to back-to-back Harris Cup Championships and has garnered his share of individual recognition in terms of all-conference and various all-tournament accolades — including picking up MCHA Player of the Year honors last season.

Those things most people are familiar with.

What they may not be familiar with, however, is that with a 3.9 GPA, the Mechanical Engineering major is a permanent fixture on MSOE's Dean's List. Not only that, but Soik also volunteers his time for numerous causes within the community. As a result of his selfless efforts, Soik was recently named one of thirteen nominees for the 2007 Hockey Humanitarian Award.

It's the extent of Soik's volunteer work that may be most impressive. For the past three season's he has helped organize an annual broomball tournament aimed at raising money for Toys for Tots, a program designed to provide Christmas toys to needy children. After raising another $10,000 this year, the tournament has generated over $30,000 since its inception.

It doesn't stop there, as last September Soik and teammate Ross Chawansky organized a team to participate in Dylan's Run for Autism, a 2 mile-run walk along the Milwaukee lakefront aimed at raising funds and awareness for autism. Soik also played a part in organizing a Boy Scout outing at a recent home game, including a post-game skate with the team.

Acording to MSOE head coach Mark Ostapina, Soik's efforts are clearly superlative.

"He's our captain, a great leader," he said. "For him to lead and do things in the community — it takes a rare individual to do that. He wasn't a finalist for the Humanitarian Award but he keeps on doing stuff. He's been doing stuff so recently the award couldn't even take it into account. He's a special individual."

Another factor that makes Soik's efforts impressive is the way the MSOE schedule is structured. On a quarterly system, players must deal with final exams twice during the course of a season. Between the rigors of successful hockey and academic careers, Ostapina often wonders where Soik finds enough time to do as much as he does.

"He tutors guys on the team also, he's a math whiz," he said.

Ostapina then added half-jokingly, "He spends so much time helping other people I sometimes have to make sure he is still worrying about Brian Soik."

Though Soik was not named one of the five finalists for the Hockey Humanitarian Award, it doesn't really matter. What does matter is that there are players out there like Brian Soik who remind us hockey is merely a part of what they do, and that after all, it is only a game.

 

 

 

-January 22, 2007
Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Enters Stretch Run of Regular Season
Two series sweeps and a split on the weekend leave the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association standings a bit less tight and in a different order. MSOE remains in first place after a sweep of Minnesota-Crookston, winning by scores of 5-2 and 5-0 to move to 10-1-1 with 21 points. After winning 7-4 on Friday, Finlandia looked to keep pace with the Raiders, but Marian recorded a 4-3 OT victory on Saturday to move the Lions to 9-3-0 in league with 18 points and a solid hold on second. The Sabres remain in third at 6-5-1 with 13 points, while Lawrence leap-frogs Crookston for fourth after sweeping Northland by scores of 4-0 and 12-2. The Vikings now have 11 standings points and a 5-6-1 record, with the Golden Eagles fifth (3-7-2, 8 points) and Lumberjacks sixth (0-11-1, 1).

A couple of noteworthy statistics: The 12 goals that Lawrence scored was the highest league output in over three years, when Finlandia netted 13 in a win Nov. 1, 2003. MSOE’s Lee Swallow hit a milestone, recording point No. 100 over the weekend. He now has 102 points (37/65) in his career. MSOE teammate Brian Soik inches closer to the all-time MCHA assist record, as his weekend total pushes him 57 in his career, just one behind Jon Daigle’s ( Marian College , 2001-2005) record of 58. Raider RG Flath tied a league career record as well, when he netted his sixth career shorthanded goal on Friday. A couple of other league players also showed off some offensive fireworks, as Finlandia’s Ryan Sullivan and Lawrence ’s Mark Howe each had a hat trick.

              
Left to Right: Joe Searl (Lawrence) ... James Goodfellow (Marian) ... Jason Woll (MSOE) ... Mark Howe (Lawrence)

Players of the Week:
For the second time in three weeks, the MCHA will have co-players of the week. And for the second time in three weeks, Lawrence University Vikings senior forward Joe Searl (Fond du Lac, WI) gets a share of the accolades. This week, he splits the top honor with Marian College Sabres sophomore forward James Goodfellow (Naperville, IL). Searl scored twice in Friday’s 4-0 win, tallying a power play goal and the game-winner. The psychology major then added two more goals and an assist on Saturday to power the Vikings to the sweep. Goodfellow played a key role in the Sabres series with second-place Finlandia. Despite Marian giving up 10 goals on the weekend, Goodfellow was a +5 on the ice. He had three assists in Friday’s loss and then played hero on Saturday. In the 4-3 OT win, he had two assists in regulation and then topped that with the winner in overtime. He finished with a league-high six points (1G/5A) on the weekend.
Other Nominees: Ryan Sullivan (Finlandia), Lee Swallow (MSOE)

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders sophomore defenseman Jason Woll (Portland, OR) earns the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors for his work in the sweep over Crookston. The business major had a goal and two assists in Friday’s win before adding an assist on Saturday for a four-point weekend offensively. On the other end, he logged a lot of penalty kill time as MSOE limited its opponents to a 2-for-19 showing with the man advantage, including a couple of 3 v. 5 chances. He currently leads all league defensemen in scoring (9 points on 3G/6A).
Other Nominees: Josh Peterson ( Lawrence ), Kyle Joes (Marian)

-Lawrence University Vikings freshman forward Mark Howe (Cedarburg, WI) earns the first MCHA honor of his career, taking home Freshman of the Week honors. The undecided major started the weekend with an assist on Friday before lighting the lamp with his first career hat trick (including the game-winner) on Saturday. He is currently second in goals and third in scoring among league freshman.
Other Nominees: Ross Rouleau (Finlandia), Nick Cinquegrani (Marian)

 

 

 

 

 

-January 15, 2007
Five of Six Weekend MCHA Games Decided by One Goal or Less
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association was back to conference play this past week. Going into the weekend, Finlandia trailed first-place MSOE by just one point, while Marian was six points behind. After a weekend that included numerous thrilling one-goal games, not much has changed. The Lions and Raiders split the big No. 1 vs. No. 2 match-up, with MSOE winning 2-1 on Friday before FU rattled off a 6-1 win on Saturday. Marian and Lawrence split a home-and-home series, with each team claiming a one-goal victory on its home ice. Lastly, Minnesota-Crookston moved into fourth place by themselves by earning a league-best three standings points, defeating Northland, 6-5, in overtime on Friday and tying, 1-1, again in OT on Saturday. It’s three more league series on the schedule for this weekend, with MSOE at Crookston, Finlandia at Marian and Lawrence at Northland.

         
         
Left to Right: Mike Parks (Finlandia) ... Lukas Alberer (Finlandia) ... Bo Storozuk (Northland)

Players of the Week:
-Finlandia University Lions junior forward Mike Parks (Marquette, MI) earns the MCHA Player of the Week nod for his work against MSOE. He had an assist on the Lion’s lone goal in the 2-1 loss Friday, and then paved the way in Saturday’s win by scoring the first two goals of the game – including the game-winner – in the 6-1 victory. He was also a +5 on the weekend.
Other Nominees: Teal Plaine (UM-Crookston), Bo Storozuk (Northland)

-Finlandia University Lions junior goalie Lukas Alberer (Poertschach, Austria) also tops the list of nominees to give FU two award-winners for the week. He made 16 saves in Friday's 2-1 loss, and then topped that with 25 saves in the 6-1 victory on Saturday. For the weekend, he had a .935 save percentage, a 1.50 GAA and held the Raiders power play to a 1-for-17 showing in the series.
Other Nominees: Jason Jadczak (Marian), Matt Tanneberg (Northland), Kyle Knudsen (UM-Crookston)

- Northland College Lumberjacks freshman goalie Bo Storozuk (Swan Valley, MTB) adds MCHA Freshman of the Week honors to the defensive award he won Nov. 6. He started the week on Wednesday with 59 saves against St. Olaf, then, had 89 more on the weekend to give him a .937 save percentage for the week. He also set an MCHA record for goalies by recording two assists in a game on Friday
Other Nominees: Jason Ford (Marian), Mark Howe ( Lawrence ), Brian Fergusson (UM-Crookston), Lindsay Boulter (Northland)

 

 

 

-January 8, 2007
MCHA Back in Action to Start 2007
It has been an interesting return to the ice for the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association over the holiday break. Things got started right before Christmas, when Finlandia knocked off then-#4 UW-Superior, 5-3. As the calendar changed to '07, MSOE re-entered the national poll at No. 15, and the upsets kept coming. Marian started the New Year off right with a 4-4 tie of then-#4 UW-River Falls, nearly winning before the Falcons added a late goal.

The non-conference action continued this past weekend, with Lawrence sweeping St. Olaf (MN) and UM-Crookston taking a pair from Southern New Hampshire. All in all, the league went 6-4-1 against non-conference foes. After Northland plays host to St. Scholastica on Wednesday, it is back to league play, with all six teams playing on the weekend, including the big No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown when MSOE hosts Finlandia.

              
              
Left to Right: Joe Searl (Lawrence) ... Ryan Leadens (Crookston) ... Andrew Isaac (Lawrence) ... Nick Cinquegrani (Marian)

Players of the Week:
-Two players played key roles in helping their teams to sweeps of non-conference opponents this weekend, so they will share the MCHA Player of the Week honors. Lawrence University Vikings senior forward Joe Searl (Fond du Lac, WI) earns his second player of the week honors this season (and third of his career). On Friday, the psychology major put the Vikings on his back and carried them to a big victory, scoring the game-tying goal with :36 seconds remaining and then topping that by adding the game-winner on a breakway :09 seconds into overtime to beat St. Olaf, 2-1. He also recorded an assist on the game-tying goal on Saturday. Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagles senior forward Ryan Leadens ( South St. Paul , Minn ) splits the award, as the business marketing major had a career-high five-point night - including a hat trick - to lead Crookston to a 6-5 victory on Saturday. Of his two assists, one came on the game winning overtime goal. On the previous night, he recorded one assist to up his weekend point total to a league-best six.
Other Nominees: Mike Parks (Finlandia)

 

-Lawrence University Vikings senior goalie Andrew Issac (Mississauga, ON) gives the Vikings two honors, as he is the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week. The economics major came up huge all weekend in helping LU to the sweep, He stopped 34 of 35 on Friday night in a 2-1 OT win and came back with 29 saves on 32 shots in Saturday's 4-3 win. For the weekend, he made 63 saves and had a perfect 2-0 mark and .940 save percentage.
Other Nominees: Marc Marcotte (Finlandia), Kyle Knudsen (UM-Crookston)

-Marian College Sabres freshman forward Nick Cinquegrani (Rolling Meadows, IL) gives the Sabres their second-different MCHA freshman of the week this season. He almost single-handedly helped Marian defeat #4 River Falls, scoring twice and assisting on a third goal as Marian earned the 4-4 tie.
Other Nominees: John Lombardi (UM-Crookston), Mark Howe (Lawrence), Kasey Kreuter (Finlandia)

 

 

 

-January 4, 2007
MCHA Team Strikes Top 10 Foe Once Again
The Marian Sabres started the new year out on the right foot for the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association, as the Sabres earned a 4-4 tie with #4 UW-River Falls on Thursday night. This marks the second-straight game for the MCHA where one of its teams has beaten or tied an opponent ranked in the national poll.

The Sabres had leads of 3-1 and 4-3 on the strength of three points (2G/1A) by Nick Cinquegrani, but the Falcons tied the game at the 16:55 mark of the third period. Despite outshooting UWRF 40-37 in the game and 6-to-4 in the extra session, the Sabres were unable to grab the win but will take the tie against the No. 4 team in the country. This marks the second-straight game for an MCHA team to upset a Top 5 team (see release below on Finlandia's 5-3 victory over then-#4 UW-Superior).

BOX SCORE: Marian 4; UW-River Falls 4

Game story courtesy of Marian College Sports Information Department:

(Fond du Lac, WI) - The Sabres were just 3:05 away from defeating the #4-ranked UW-River Falls Falcons on Thursday evening. The Falcon's Jim Jensen scored a power play goal 16:55 into the final period to even the score at 4-4, and that is where things ended up after overtime. The tie moves the Sabres to 4-6-2, while the Falcons are now 11-2-1.

The Falcons jumped on top 1-0, 6:52 into the first period, as Jared Sailer scored off an assist from Devin Underwood. Marian evened things less than nine minutes later as James Goodfellow (Naperville, IL) scored off assists from Nick Cinquegrani (Rolling Meadows, IL) and Greg Copeland (Lloydminister, AB).

Travis Van Dyn Hoven (River Falls, WI) then gave Marian the lead at the 10:54 mark on a put-back off an assist from Jack Aide (Bismarck, ND). Van Dyn Hoven was playing in his first contest as a Sabre. Then at the 15:07 mark, Cinquegrani added a power play goal off assists from Andrew Corvo (Oak Park, IL) and Goodfellow to give the Sabres a 3-1 lead. The Falcons were able to convert on a power play goal of their own with less than two minutes remaining in the second period to cut the deficit to 3-2 heading into the final stanza.

In the third, Dustin Norman scored a breakaway short-handed goal 6:21 into the period to even things up. Cinquegrani got back into the action at the 12:58 mark as he scored a power play goal off an assist from Corvo.

Marian looked to be in the driver's seat until a pair of late penalties cost them in the third. Marian was called for two penalties at the 16:10 mark and it didn't take long for the Falcon's Jim Jensen to cash in. His power play goal tied things up at 4-4 with just 3:05 left in the third period. Neither team was able to score and the game headed into overtime.

In the extra period, Marian had some good looks and outshot the Falcons, 6-4, but had to settle for the tie.

Marian outshot the Falcons 40-37 in the contest and both teams were 2-for-7 on the power play.

Cullen Caldwell (Calgary, AB) stopped 33 shots in the contest, while AJ Bucchino stopped 36 shots for the Falcons.

 

 

-December 18, 2006
Finlandia Upsets #4 UW-Superior
Finlandia University headed into the holiday break with arguably the biggest victory in the history of the program: a 5-3 come-from-behind win over #4 UW-Superior on Saturday. The decision not only extends the Lions current winning streak to five games, but improves the team to 8-3-0 heading into the break.

The win is the Lions second-ever over a ranked team and marks the sixth time in league history that an MCHA team has beaten or tied an opponent ranked in the national poll. Finlandia was actually the last to do it as well, beating then #12 MSOE, 6-5, in February of last season. Marian held the distinction of the highest-ever defeat (#5 River Falls in 2004) and tie (#3 St. Norbert in 2004 as well) of a ranked opponent before the win this weekend.

Previous occurrences:
Finlandia beat #12 MSOE, 6-5, 2/18/06
MSOE beat #11 Babson, 3-2, 11/26/05
Marian tied #3 St. Norbert, 3-3, 11/26/04
Marian beat #5 UW-River Falls, 4-2, 1/9/04
Crookston tied #9 St. John’s, 3-3, 12/13/03

Saturday: FU 5, UW-Superior 3

The following game story is courtesy of www.mininggazette.com

By KEITH WARVIE, DMG Sports Writer

HANCOCK — Talk about your big wins.

This one was one for the history books.

Finlandia scored three times in the third period to post a 5-3 come-from-behind win over Wisconsin-Superior in hockey action Saturday night at the Houghton Co. Arena.

“What an outstanding period,” Finlandia coach Joe Burcar said of the final 20 minutes. “We’ve always tried to make the third period the best period of the hockey game, but the guys even down two going in (to the third) had that belief in the locker room that we could do something good.”

The victory by Finlandia, however, does raise a question. If the Yellow Jackets were ranked fifth in the country coming into the game, then shouldn’t the Lions be in the Top 5 as well?

“This is by far the biggest win in the history of our program,” Burcar said. “This win was a total team effort.

“It’s an outstanding day for our program.”

Matt Lindgren started the comeback with a goal at the 13:08 mark to level the score at 3-3. A power-play goal by Joe Welgos with just under seven minutes left gave Finlandia its first lead at 4-3.

Joe Beaudry sealed the deal with an empty-net goal with just two ticks remaining on the clock. The goal was Beaudry’s second of the game.

His first goal in the opening period tied the game at 1-1. Beaudry’s tally came just moments after Findlandia had killed off back-to-back penalties.

Josh Paquette had the other goal for the Lions. His tally late in the second period kept the Lions within one at 3-2 heading into the third.

“Our team has shown great resilience all year,” Burcar said. “We’ve been down in a few games and always found a way to battle back.

“Our experience showed today. When we were down 3-1 in the second we didn’t push the panic button. We just continued to play our system, to play our way.”

Goaltender Joe Juntilla made 25 saves and was picked as the No. 1 star. Welgos and Paquette were the second and third stars for the Lions.

Keith Warvie can be reached at kwarvie@mininggazette.com

 

 

 

-December 11, 2006
Weekend Sweeps Lead to Top Three Spots in Standings
In the final complete week of action before the holiday break in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association, the MSOE Raiders, Finlandia Lions and Marian Sabres all swept their weekend series to sit in the top three spots in the league standings.

MSOE topped Lawrence , winning 3-0 and 5-1 to improve to 7-0-1 in league play this season. The Raiders have now posted a record of 23-1-1 in their past 25 regular season MCHA contests. The Lions hit the road to take two from Minnesota-Crookston, outscoring the Golden Eagles 14-4 on the weekend, including a 10-2 rout on Friday. After a loss to Marian to open the league slate this year, the team has reeled off seven-straight victories to sit at 7-1-0 and firmly in second place. The team has averaged over five goals a game, outscoring the opposition 41-19 in league play so far in 2006-07. Lastly, the Sabres upped their record to 4-3-1, sweeping past Northland by scores of 4-1 and 5-2.

Most of the league teams have now hit the semester break, as the MCHA will see just three games on the schedule between today and January 4. Crookston will host Concordia (MN) and Finlandia will welcome No. 4 UW-Superior Dec. 16. The last game of the calendar year will see that same #4 Superior team host Northland Dec. 29.

In other league news, MSOE’s Matt Burzon was recently selected as one of five goalie finalists (and the only D-III member) for the 2007 NCAA Frozen Four Skills Challenge. The Skills Challenge competition will once again be held in an East vs. West format. The competitions will include puck-control relay, fastest skater, hardest shot, rapid-fire shooting, accuracy shooting and penalty shot. The second annual Skills Challenge will be held April 6 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis and will be shown live on ESPNU. 

         
Left to Right: Lee Swallow (MSOE) … Matt Burzon (MSOE) … Cullen Caldwell (Marian)

Players of the Week:
-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders junior forward Lee Swallow ( Stanwood , MI ) earns the third MCHA Player of the Week honor of his career for his playmaking efforts in his teams’ sweep of Lawrence . The business major had a five-point weekend by recording five assists on MSOE’s eight goals in the series. He assisted the game-winner both nights, ending with two assists in the 3-0 shutout and three helpers in the 5-1 victory Saturday. He now leads in assists and is second in points in league play, and is tops in season points (19 on 4G/15A) overall.
Other nominees: Mike Parks (Finlandia), Cullen Caldwell (Marian), Keith Johnstone (Finlandia)

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders senior goalie Matt Burzon (Danby, VT) also adds to his career honors (he now has six), winning the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week award for his undefeated weekend between the pipes. The construction management major posted a 3-0 shutout on Friday, making 12 saves and blanking the Vikings on eight power-play opportunities. Then, on Saturday, he made 23 more saves – allowing just one goal on a 5-on-3 power play – to improve to 7-0-1 on the season.
Other nominees: Lukas Alberer (Finlandia), Cullen Caldwell (Marian), Joe Juntilla (Finlandia)

-After earning league defensive player of the week honors last week, Marian College Sabres freshman goalie Cullen Caldwell ( Calgary , ALB) is back at it again, this time earning MCHA Freshman of the Week accolades. He stopped 52 of 55 shots in two wins over Northland for a .945 save percentage. In addition, he limited the ‘Jacks to a 1-for-17 showing on the power play.
Other nominees: Charles Zieserl ( Lawrence ), Chad Kenyon (MSOE), Nick Cinquegrani (Marian)

 

 

 

-December 4, 2006
MSOE and Finlandia Keep Standings Race Close
In a weekend that featured the six teams in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association battling it out, MSOE and Finlandia came away with sweeps of their opponents to keep the race for first place in the standings very tight. The Raiders took two from Northland, winning the opener 3-0 before claiming an 8-2 win on Saturday. The Lions had to come from behind on Saturday, as they trailed 3-0 and 4-1 before scoring the final four unanswered goals for the 5-4 win. FU then won Sunday, 5-2, to complete the sweep. Those victories keep MSOE in first at 5-0-1, and with 11 standings points. Finlandia is firmly in second at 5-1-0, with 10 points.

In the other series, Marian earned a split by winning convincingly, 7-0, on Saturday, That came after a 6-2 loss to Minnesota-Crookston in the opener. For the Golden Eagles, Brent Groenke had a hat trick on Friday, as did MSOE’s Blair Hanberg and Nick Bilpush on Saturday.

         
         
Left to Right: Josh Paquette (Finlandia) ... Cullen Caldwell (Marian) ... Billy Siers (Lawrence)

Players of the Week:
Finlandia University Lions junior forward Josh Paquette ( Marquette , MI ) gives the Lions the MCHA Player of the Week for the second time in the past three weeks. He spearheaded the come-form-behind win on Saturday, assisting on two counters while scoring the tying goal. Then, on Sunday, he had two goals and two assists in the 5-2 win, giving him a league-high seven points (3G/4A) for the week.
Other nominees: Brent Groenke (UM-Crookston), Carl Bresser (Marian), Blair Hanberg (MSOE), James Goodfellow (Marian)

-Marian College Sabres freshman goalie Cullen Caldwell ( Calgary , ALB) gives the Sabres their first weekly award of the season, as he is tabbed the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week. Caldwell was called into action in Marian’s loss Friday and played well. Then, on Saturday, he recorded his first collegiate shutout, blanking Crookston 7-0 with 27 saves. For the weekend, he had a save percentage of .938.
Other nominees: Blake Miller (Finlandia), Kyle Knudsen (UM-Crookston), Matt Burzon (MOSE), Nick Henkemeyer (Marian)

-Lawrence University Vikings freshman forward Billy Siers ( Mount Prospect , IL ) earns the MCHA Freshman of the Week honors for his efforts against Finlandia. Despite falling twice, Siers helped account for five of the six LU goals on the weekend by recording two goals and three assists. He currently leads all rookies in overall scoring with seven points (4G/3A).
Other nominees: Mike Jantzi (MSOE), Nick Cinquegrani (Marian)

 

 

 

-November 27, 2006
League Entertains Light Schedule During Holiday Week
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association did not have a very busy schedule during the week of Thanksgiving, having just three schools playing games, all of the non-conference variety. Northland played its only contest of the week on Tuesday, falling 6-2 to St. Mary's (MN). Finlandia traveled to Augsburg's Holiday Tournament, dropping games to the host Auggies and to Bethel. Lastly, MSOE hosted its own tournament, brining in Gustavus Adolphus as well as two nationally-ranked teams in No. 10 UW-Stout and No. 12 Neumann. The Raiders saw both ends of a winning score of nine goals, defeating Gustavus 9-6 before falling to Neumann, 9-0. Of note in that event, MSOE senior Brian Soik scored a goal versus Gustavus, giving him 40 for his career and 100 points overall as well. The league dives back into a full slate of conference games this weekend, with Friday night games followed by Saturday matinees at MSOE (hosting Northland), Marian (hosting UM-Crookston) and Finlandia (hosting Lawrence).


Player of the Week:
-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders sophomore forward RG Flath (Salt Lake City, UT) wins his second MCHA Player of the Week honor of the season. The architectural engineering major was the only Raider to earn a spot on the All-Tournament team, recording two goals and two assists on the weekend. He currently leads the MCHA in both points (13 in eight games) and goals (seven).
Other Nominees: Brian Soik (MSOE)

 

 

 

-November 20, 2006
Finlandia Moves Into Second Place With Weekend Sweep
Finlandia University improved to 3-1-0 in its first four Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association games of the year on the weekend, sweeping by Northland College by scores of 5-1 Friday and 7-3 on Saturday. The Lions moved into second place by themselves, just one point behind the league-leading MSOE Raiders. It was a light schedule this week, as just four teams were in action, with UM-Crookston and Lawrence playing two games versus each other as well. The Golden Eagles earned some standings points on the weekend, taking a 6-3 win on Friday and a 1-1 overtime tie Saturday. The schedule will be even lighter during the holiday week: the Lumberjacks will play one game Tuesday, Finlandia will play two games in the College Showcase (in Minneapolis, Minn.) and MSOE will host Gustavus Adolphus, UW-Stout and Neumann in its Thanksgiving Tournament.

         
         
Left to Right: Joe Beaudry (Finlandia) ... Kyle Knudsen (Minn.-Crookston) ... Kasey Kreuter (Finlandia)

Players of the Week:
-Finlandia University Lions sophomore forward Joe Beaudry (Marquette, MI) gets tabbed the MCHA Player-of-the-Week after his work in the Lions' sweep of Northland. He had a goal and an assist Friday and then came back with another goal and two assists for a five-point weekend that saw him at +5 on the ice. In addition, he was a big contributor on the FU power play that was at 35% for the weekend.
Other nominees: John Lombardi (UM-Crookston)

-Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagles senior goaltender Kyle Knudsen (Mead, Wash.) gets rewarded for his work between the pipes on the weekend by being named MCHA Defensive Player of the Week. He recorded the first victory of the season for the Golden Eagles when he beat Lawrence on Friday. He made 50 saves in the two games, earning a win and a tie with 50 saves and a .926 save percentage. He helped preserve the 1-1 tie with four big saves in the OT session.
Other nominees: Marc Marcotte (Finlandia)

-Finlandia University Lions freshman defenseman Kasey Kreuter (Oneida, WI) gives the Lions two of the three weekly awards by being named MCHA Freshman of the Week. He scored his first collegiate goal, while his line contributed four goals on the weekend. In addition, he was +3 for the two games and helped limit the Northland offense to 21 shots Friday and 28 shots Saturday.
Other nominees: Alex Ehler (Northland), John Lombardi (UM-Crookston)

 

 

 

-November 14, 2006
Former MCHA Players Still Making a Name for Themselves in Professional Hockey
The amount of players to take the ice for the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association increases every season, but the number of players to continue their careers professionally numbers just seven. Of those players, former MSOE Raider Ryan Moren and former Marian Sabre Terry Dunbar are still living the dream of playing professionally. 

Moren (pictured above left), the MCHA Player-of-the-Year in 2000-01 and 2001-02, was also the first-ever league player to sign a professional contract when he inked a deal with the Anchorage Aces in September of 2002. He was a first team all-conference selection four-years straight and is still the MCHA's and MSOE's all-time leading scoring defenseman with 43 goals and 128 points in 104 career games. Moren is currently playing for the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL in Wheeling, West Virginia. So far this season, he has appeared in all 10 games, recording an assist and a +3 rating for the 4-6-0 Nailers.

Dunbar (pictued at left) was a three-time all-league goalie as well as MVP of two MCHA Tournaments. He left Marian as the league and school record holder in numerous categories, and still hold league marks for most wins in a season (13), career wins (37), career minutes (2,689) and best winning percentage in a season (10-0 in 2001-02). This season, he is the starting goaltender for the Knoxville Ice Bears of the SPHL. He has a perfect 5-0-0 mark between the pipes for the team, with a 3.40 GAA and .881 save percentage.

He was recently featured in an article on www.knoxnews.com, written by Nick Gates.

 

Note: The following story reprinted from knoxnews, Oct. 19, 2006:

Knoxville goalie Terry Dunbar once again designed and hand-painted his spiffy mask in the Ice Bears' orange-and-black colors.

Included on Dunbar's work of art is the aerial lift bridge, a landmark in his hometown of Duluth, Minn., as well as an orange shamrock.

"That's for the Irish half of my family," he said after the Ice Bears completed the second day of training camp Wednesday at Civic Coliseum. "I can use all the luck I can get."

A bottle of Jack Daniel's Old No. 7 whiskey on the side attracts attention.

"Well, it's made in Tennessee," he explained. "It's the first thing that comes up on people's minds, at least among some of my friends."

Dunbar isn't certain the distillery will send him a complimentary bottle for the free advertisement, but it is certainly more masculine than Winnie the Pooh. The Disney cartoon character was on the mask he used with the Ice Bears during his first tour of duty with the Ice Bears in 2004-05.

"I got four or five (Pooh) dolls my rookie year from some of the girls," he said. "Maybe they'll bring me some Jack."

On the opposite side from the bottle is a caricature of guitarist Slash of the rock band Guns N' Roses.

"It's a reminder not to slash anybody in the face," he said.

Dunbar was supposed to start the 2004-05 Southern Professional Hockey League playoffs as Knoxville's goalie. But he slashed Columbus' Tom McMonagle in the throat during the final regular-season game at Columbus and was suspended by the league for five games.

"A rookie mistake to say the least," Dunbar said.

McMonagle, who at one time played for the Ice Bears, baited Dunbar and embellished the penalty.

"He really sold it (to the referee), but it's always your own fault," he said.

The Cottonmouths swept the Ice Bears with Jamie Ronayne in goal on their way to the President's Cup. Ronayne led Knoxville to the championship last season, while Dunbar was a backup for the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees in the Central Hockey League.

Ronayne retired and the 6-foot-2 Dunbar decided to return this season and is projected to play the bulk of minutes.

Dunbar plans to start the Ice Bears' first preseason game against the Huntsville Havoc on Friday at Civic Coliseum. Opening faceoff is 7:30 p.m. and tickets cost $7.

"I'd like to play the first period," he said.

 

 

-November 13, 2006
MSOE and Lawrence Sweep Weekend League Series
Every team in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association was on the ice this past weekend, with MSOE hosting Minnesota-Crookston, Finlandia hosting Marian College and Northland at Lawrence. The Raiders maintained their solid hold on first place, improving to 3-0-1 in league play with a sweep of the Golden Eagles, winning 3-2 on Friday and 5-1 on Saturday. The Vikings opened up the conference slate on a high note, sweeping past the Lumberjacks by scores of 3-2 on Friday and 5-0 Saturday to get new head coach Mike Szkodzinski his first career victories. In the other series, Finlandia came back from a 4-3 loss to the Sabres on Saturday by recording a 2-1 win Sunday. Despite losing on Saturday, the Lions Travis Hanson highlighted the efforts by accounting for all of his team's goals with a hat trick.

The league will have a quiet week heading into Thanksgiving, with just four teams scheduled to play: Crookston will host Lawrence and Northland welcomes Finlandia.

 

             
Left to Right: Joe Searl (Lawrence) ... Josh Peterson (Lawrence) .... Lukas Alberer (Finlanida) ... Pat Greely (Lawrence)

Players of the Week:
-Lawrence University Vikings senior forward Joe Searl (Fond du Lac, WI) earns the second MCHA Player-of-the-Week honor of his career for his efforts in the Vikings sweep of the Lumberjacks. The psychology major scored two power play goals, including the game-winner on Saturday. He added two assists on Saturday for a four-point weekend, pushing his team-leading point total to seven in four games.
Other nominees: RG Flath (MSOE), Ryan Leadens (UM-Crookston), Travis Hanson (Finlandia)

-Lawrence University Vikings junior defenseman Josh Peterson (Duluth, MN) and Finlandia University Lions junior goaltender Lukas Alberer (Poertschach, Austria) are named co-MCHA Defensive Players-of-the-Week. Peterson, a biology major and team captain, recorded two assists each night versus Northland and led a defense that held the 'Jacks to a 2-for-22 showing on the power play and yielded just 11 shots in Saturday's 5-0 victory. Alberer helped the Lions to the split, as he was was the winning goalie in Sunday's 2-1 victory. He stopped 26 of 27 shots and blanked Marian on five power play opportunities.
Other nominees: Jason Woll (MSOE), Ryan Tucker (Crookston), Justin Klinkhammer (Crookston)

-Lawrence University Vikings freshman goaltender Pat Greeley (Marquette, MI) gives Lawrence a weekly sweep of the league awards as well by earning MCHA Freshman-of-the-Week accolades. He recorded his first collegiate victory on Friday night, making 19 saves.
Other nominees: Reid Johnson (MSOE), Nick Cinquegrani (Marian)

 

 

 

-November 6, 2006
MSOE Opens League Slate With Victory and Tie Against Marian
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association opened league play this week, as MSOE and Marian College got things underway with a home-and-home series. The teams settled for a 3-3 tie on Friday in front of a large crowd at the Kern Center, before the Raiders came back to earn a 4-2 victory in Fond du Lac on Saturday. Northland College also got its season up and running, playing Concordia (MN) to two tough, one-goal losses. It was a 1-0 decision on Friday followed by a 3-2 defeat on Saturday.

The final two teams that have yet to play in 2006-07 will hit the ice this week, as Minnesota-Crookston opens the slate with a game against Concordia (MN) on Tuesday. Then, on the weekend, it’s full-blown MCHA action, with Crookston at MSOE, Northland at Lawrence, and Marian at Finlandia.

         
         
Left to Right: RG Flath (MSOE) ... Bo Storozuk (Northland) .... Lindsey Boulter (Northland)

Players of the Week:
-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders sophomore forward RG Flath (Salt Lake City, UT) gives the Raiders MCHA Player-of-the-Week honors in back-to-back weeks. After MSOE played Marian to a 3-3 tie on Friday, the architectural engineering major made sure his team was getting the win Saturday, scoring the first two goals of the game in a span of less than five minutes to stake MSOE to a 2-0 lead before the first period was even half over.
Other nominees: Bo Storozuk (Northland)

-Northland College Lumberjack freshman goaltender Bo Storozuk (Swan Valley, MTB) earns MCHA Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors for his work between the pipes in the ‘Jacks first two games of the year. Despite suffering two, one-goal defeats, Storozuk allowed just four goals on 105 shot attempts – a stellar .962 save percentage, including 56 saves on Saturday.
Other Nominees: Matt Burzon (MSOE)

-Northland College Lumberjack freshman forward Lindsey Boulter (Uxbridge, ONT) gives the Lumberjacks two of the three awards for the week by being named MCHA Freshman-of-the-Week. He played a role in both scores the ‘Jacks recorded on the weekend, tallying his first collegiate goal and adding an assist in the 3-2 loss.

 

 

-October 31, 2006
USCHO.com Season Preview for Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Now On-Line
-Following story courtesy of uscho.com
By Matthew Webb/Staff Writer

Commonly overshadowed by the NCHA and MIAC, the MCHA is a conference looking to fully establish itself not only in the West Region, but nationally. In terms of recognition, Milwaukee School of Engineering carried the league on its back last season. Finishing with a 21-5-1 record, including victories over Lake Forest and Babson and a tight loss to St. Norbert, the Raiders earned the respect of many — not only for themselves but for the league as a whole. Late last season, MSOE even cracked the top 15 of the USCHO.com/CSTV poll, a rare occurrence for a MCHA team.

There is no question MSOE is an overwhelming favorite to win the league again this year, but in a league that has grown by leaps and bounds over the past five seasons, nothing is a certainty. This year the MCHA will flash a little bit of the old and a little bit of the new as it continues a rise to what many around the league hope is an eventual state of prominence.

The Old
In a rather rare occurrence in college athletics, the MCHA boasts two teams who did not graduate a single player last year. Marian and Finlandia, last season's second and third place finishers respectively, return their entire rosters for the 06-07 campaign. The returning experience should be a boost for the Sabres and Lions as they both look to hunt down MSOE and claim the top spot.

Unfortunately for them, MSOE also returns most of their team. Losing only one key player in forward James Shipley, the Raiders enter the season with an experienced club of which a majority of their players have already played for, and won, MCHA regular season and playoff championships.

The New
The biggest MCHA news this offseason came from two teams that will not officially be joining the league until 2007-08. Announced on Oct. 24, Concordia University, located in Mequon, Wis., was officially accepted into the league. The Falcons will be coached by former North Dakota standout Tony Hrkac.

It was then announced on Oct. 26 that Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan will also begin MCHA play in 2007-08. Adrian also announced the hiring of current Bowling Green (D-I — CCHA) assistant coach Ron Fogarty as their new head coach.

Aside from the implicit benefit in adding two more committed programs to the league, the biggest impact of this expansion is that the MCHA will enter the 2007-08 season with seven Division III programs. As seven is the magic number for conferences when it comes to earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, MCHA league commissioner Terry Brand has announced intentions to begin the application process for NCAA conference recognition. With official conference recognition would come a potential automatic NCAA berth for the MCHA Champion, an occurrence which would drastically increase the league's visibility.

As a result of this, Minn-Crookston has requested divisional reclassification with the NCAA. If Crookston's bid to reclassify as a Division III team is successful, the Golden Eagles would become eligible for NCAA Division III postseason play. Also if successful, the MCHA would increase its membership to eight Division III teams, making the move the final chapter in the solidification of a league that as recently as 1999 only had four member institutions.

Other news this offseason saw Mike Szkodzinski accept the head coaching position at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis. A former All-American goaltender with St. Norbert of the NCHA, Szkodzinski joins the Vikings after assistant coaching stints with UW-Eau Claire and St. Norbert.

The Really New
The MCHA and the NCAA tournament? Having never placed a team in the NCAA tournament, tournament talk is not something usually surrounding the MCHA. MSOE proved last year however that it is not an impossible task. If MSOE is able to run the table once again in the league, keep an eye on these dates:

Oct. 27, Oct. 28, Nov. 25, Nov. 26, Jan. 6

These are the dates MSOE plays teams from out of conference. Their opponents in those games are Lake Forest, Gustavus Adolphus, St. Norbert and either Wis.-Stout or Neumann. The Raiders were in the NCAA discussion until late last season but fell out once their record against ranked teams was taken into account. If they are able to not only dominate the league, but fare exceedingly well in these non-conference games, MSOE could very well be in the running for an at large berth to the tournament.

Speculation indeed, but if the Raiders pick up a few out-of-conference victories, this situation will be worth following as the season wears on.

The Present
Though the MCHA continues to grow and improve, for now we are still left with a stratified league with a clear favorite, a few other teams who could step up and challenge, and a few teams looking to make drastic improvements. Following is a team-by-team breakdown of the league along with this season's projected finish.

2006-07 MCHA (In Reverse Order of Predicted Finish)

Northland
Head Coach: Steve Fabiilli, 2nd year overall and at Northland (3-23-0)
2005-06 Overall Record: 3-23-0
2005-06 MCHA Record: 3-17-0 (6th in MCHA)
Key Returners: F Jim Junker, sr. (9-13-22)
Key Losses: F Jeff Affleck (11-15-26); F Winston Bothner (7-13-20); F Aaron Wallace (9-8-17); F Ryan Potts (9-6-15)
2006-07 Projected Finish: Sixth
Outlook: As Steve Fabiili enters his second season as head coach of the Lumberjacks, it's clear his program has nowhere to go but up. The Lumberjacks have posted a record of 17-106-4 over the past five seasons, and have been firmly planted in the MCHA cellar.

As Steve Fabiili enters his second season as head coach of the Lumberjacks, it's clear his program has nowhere to go but up. The Lumberjacks have posted a record of 17-106-4 over the past five seasons, and have been firmly planted in the MCHA cellar.

Northland's attempt to forget the past and focus on the future begins with a roster sporting twelve newcomers. Replete with ample experience in juniors, this year's newcomers will be expected to contribute right off the bat.

"We had seventeen guys leave from last year," Fabiilli said. "It's a challenge to replace that many guys. There are certain character and personality aspects we were looking for in this year's players. That's the first step to improvement, which is the ultimate goal of this program. I think the new guys bring us a good mix of experience and energy."

One area where the Lumberjacks are experienced is in net. Sophomore Mike Mistretta (2-10-0, 4.43, .884) and senior Justin Grant (1-11-0, 6.24, .859) saw a majority of the time in goal last season and can be expected to carry the load again this season.

The goaltending experience will be essential for a Lumberjack team that lost four of its top five scorers and three of its top defensemen from last season.

Leading up a new-look offensive cast will be top returning scorer and captain Jim Junker. The senior captain will be relied on to set the tone for a Lumberjack offense that aside from him returns only twelve points of scoring from last year. Fabiilli also expects a host of new faces to contribute offensively.

"We've gotten a lot quicker," he said. "It may take some time to get everyone going in the same direction, but I like what we have."

Defensively, the Lumberjacks will also have an almost entirely new look. Returning only two defensemen in junior Eric DeCaires (0-4-4) and senior Steve O'Hern (1-2-3)

Northland is very reminiscent of Wis.-Eau Claire of the NCHA. Both have second year coaches, both have seen major roster overhaul this offseason, and both are getting high praise from others around the league. Much like Eau Claire, a wait and see approach with the Lumberjacks is probably the best way to go. Fabiilli is looking to make his mark on the program and turn Northland into a contender in the MCHA but with so many new faces this season it will take a few games before anyone can accurately judge this Lumberjack team. That's not stopping Fabiilli and his Northland team from expecting much more this season, however.

"We would like to finish in the top four of the conference," he said. "That was our stated goal from the get go. There are a lot of good teams in this league, but that's our goal. If we want to achieve it we better be ready to play each and every day or it's not going to happen."

Most intriguing storyline: The Lumberjacks are going to improve, but how long will it take

Minnesota-Crookston
Head Coach: Gary Warren, 6th season overall and at Minn.-Crookston (59-67-10)
2005-06 Overall Record: 6-18-2
2005-06 MCHA Record: 6-13-1 (5th in MCHA)
Key Returners: F Matt Hann, jr. (13-18-31); F Teal Plaine, sr. (15-13-28); F/D Ryan Leadens, sr. (9-15-24); F Brent Groenke, jr. (11-7-18)
Key Losses: F Patrick Knudson (17-14-31)
2006-07 Projected Finish: Fifth
Outlook: The Golden Eagles are only two seasons removed from back-to-back MCHA tournament championships. After falling on harder times over the past to years, Crookston will attempt to get back to the top with vastly revamped lineup.

The Golden Eagles are only two seasons removed from back-to-back MCHA tournament championships. After falling on harder times over the past to years, Minnesota-Crookston will attempt to get back to the top with vastly revamped lineup.

The Golden Eagles will welcome 21 new faces to this season's lineup.

Good news, however, is that three of Crookston's top four scorers are among those who do return for the 2006-07 campaign.

Among these are seniors Teal Plaine and Ryan Leadens, who — along with juniors Matt Hann and Brent Groenke — will be looking to jump start an offense that ranked fifth in the MCHA with 3.55 goals per game last season.

Defensively, the Crookston defense ranked last in the MCHA in 05-06, allowing goals at a rate of 5.55 per game.

The first line of defense for a team looking to improve defensively is the return of two goalies who both have earned valuable MCHA experience. Senior Kyle Knudsen (1-5-1, 5.63, .850) and junior Jaden Isakson (3-5-0, 5.77, .825) will be expected to carry the load and protect an unproven defensive unit.

On defense, the Golden Eagle do return juniors Ryan Tucker (2-7-9) and Kyle Sponholtz (0-2-2), but they are the only players to return who did see significant time on defense last season.

As the only Division II team in the MCHA, and therefore ineligible for the NCAA Division III tournament, Crookston is often unwarrantedly labeled as being "that other team." With the current changes occurring in the MCHA however, along with their recent application for Division III status, the Golden Eagles and their history of success are back with a new-look team looking to jump back into the conference race — and fully into the world of Division III hockey.

Most intriguing storyline: Everyone knows this program knows how to win. With an influx of new faces, will the Golden Eagles be able to win right away?

Lawrence
Head Coach: Mike Szkodzinski, 1st year at overall and at Lawrence (0-0-0)
2005-06 Overall Record: 9-14-4
2005-06 MCHA Record: 7-9-4 (4th in MCHA)
Key Returners: F Joe Searl, sr. (9-16-25); F David Olynyk, sr. (11-12-23); F Nick Jennette, so. (8-13-21); D Josh Peterson, so. (4-13-17)
Key Losses: F Pete Mossberg (10-13-23)
2006-07 Projected Finish: Fourth
Outlook: Entering his first season as coach of the Vikings, Mike Szkodzinski is more than excited about the prospects of the Lawrence program.

Entering his first season as coach of the Vikings, Mike Szkodzinski is more than excited about the prospects of the Lawrence program.

"It's an opportunity to create an atmosphere based on great pride and character," he said. "This is a school with great academics and an athletic director who is fully supportive. This is something I am really excited about."

Unfortunately, he takes over a program that has struggled somewhat over the past few seasons. While admitting that success won't come immediately or easily, he's hoping the injection of a new attitude to the program will help get Lawrence headed in the right direction.

"The first thing we have to do is create a culture of hard work and discipline," he said. "It all starts there. I want that to be one of the strengths of this team, and I think it will be. Consistency, discipline and work-ethic need to be our strengths."

Citing his four captains in particular in David Olynyk, Josh Peterson, Aaron LaFave and Evan Thornton, Szkodzinski hopes the attitude will catch hold and establish the basis for improvement.

"Those are guys who I expect to lead by example," he said.

When it comes to the Lawrence team that will actually take the ice, senior goalie Andrew Isaac (6-9-3, 3.86, .896) can be expected to see a majority of time in net. Though that is the case, Szkodzinski was quick to point out that anything is possible.

"We have a senior in goal and he is experienced, which is something we should be able to rely on. But at the same time we have a freshman and a sophomore who are more than capable of pushing him."

Offensively, the Vikings will be led by juniors Searl and Olynyk, who — along with sophomores LaFave (4-11-15) and Nick Jennette (8-13-21) — accounted for a significant portion of Lawrence's scoring last season.

On the blue line, the Vikings are led by Peterson and return their top seven defensemen from last season's team.

The Vikings have been a mediocre team for the past few seasons. While they do return a large portion of their impact players from last season and bring in a freshman class that Szkodzinski expects to contribute rather quickly, it's clear that Lawrence's road to improvement will begin with a new attitude.

For now, Lawrence isn't going to run over anyone on talent alone, but if Szkodzinski is able to establish the positive and hard-working attitude he desires in his team, improvement is something that should come with time for the Vikings.

Most intriguing storyline: Will the infusion of new energy into the program be enough to raise Lawrence's position in the standings?

Finlandia
Head Coach: Joe Burcar, 5th season overall and at Finlandia (23-39-5)
2005-06 Overall Record: 10-13-3
2005-06 MCHA Record: 9-8-3 (3rd in MCHA)
Key Returners: F Josh Paquette, jr. (15-22-37); F Joe Lewis, jr. (13-16-29); F Mike Parks, so. (11-13-24); F Jason Aldrich, jr. (11-9-20); F Ryan Sullivan, so. (9-10-19)
Key Losses: None
2006-07 Projected Finish: Third
Outlook: The Lions enter their third season in the MCHA hoping to continue the progress they have made in their first two. Following up a fourth place finish in their inaugural season with a third place finish last year, Finlandia returns every single player from last season which is reason enough to instill hope in head coach Joe Burcar.

The Lions enter their third season in the MCHA hoping to continue the progress they have made in their first two. Following up a fourth place finish in their inaugural season with a third place finish last year, Finlandia returns every single player from last season which is reason enough to instill hope in head coach Joe Burcar.

"Our experience is something we can turn to," he said. "Last season there were some games that got away from us and that may have been due to our youth. Now these guys have a season together and know you have bring your 'A' game all the time."

Burcar is certainly accurate when he speaks to the Lions experience, as they have plenty of it no matter where you look.

Having scored 70 points in his first two seasons, junior forward Josh Paquette is certainly the Lions big playmaker but he is only the first name on a list of players with the potential to put up big numbers. Junior Joe Lewis, sophomore Mike Parks, sophomore Ryan Sullivan, junior Jason Aldrich, junior Steve Piccoli (5-12-17) and junior Travis Hanson (5-11-16) are at the head of an extremely deep group of forwards.

"There is no question I'm happy with our depth up front," said Burcar. "We also have a few freshmen coming in this year who are fast and can score as well."

With the depth up front, the Lions defensemen don't do much in terms of offensive production, but according to Burcar are crucial to establishing a hard-nosed physical presence that is essential to their success.

"I'd call it a blue-collar team," he said. "We play a physical style and work hard. The work ethic and physicality is something we can use to make it tough on other teams."

Junior Brad VanTassel (3-6-9), junior Blake Miller (2-4-6) and sophomore Matt Lindgren (0-2-0) comprise the heart of the Lions defense. Also expected to be a key fixture on the Finlandia blue line is transfer Tiger Marcotte. Marcotte will be a sophomore and joins the Lions after a successful freshman season with Utica (ECAC West).

The depth doesn't stop there as the Lions return both goaltenders from last season's team. Senior Joe Juntilla (9-8-2, 4.34, .857) and junior Lukas Alberer (1-5-1, 4.26, .862) are both back, and along with two freshman give the Lions four goaltenders that Burcar is happy with. Despite this, Juntilla is closing in on numerous school records so expect him to see a majority of time this season.

Overall the Lions have plenty to be optimistic about heading into the season. Having returned every player from a team that rose a spot in the standings last season, Finlandia is hoping to move up again this season, though Burcar insists it won't come easy.

"I'm happy with our team, but this league keeps improving," he said. "I like where we are at but there are no gimmes in this league. There are some very good teams at the top, and we just need to keep a good work ethic and come to play every night."

Most intriguing storyline: In only their third season in the MCHA, will Finlandia continue to improve on an already impressive history?

Marian
Head Coach: Jasen Wise, 3rd season overall and at Marian (24-29-3)
2005-06 Overall Record: 14-12-1
2005-06 MCHA Record: 13-6-1 (2nd in MCHA)
Key Returners: F Chad Little, sr. (15-16-31); F Andrew Corvo, sr. (11-19-30); F Billy Schill, so. (11-16-27); F Bill Griffore Jr., so. (12-12-24)
Key Losses: D Matthew Bobo (11-16-27)
2006-07 Projected Finish: Second
Outlook: After taking over an undermanned program three years ago, head coach Jasen Wise has been able to turn the Sabres into one of the most formidable teams in the MCHA. With no losses to graduation following last season, it's reasonable to assume Marian may continue their climb up the MCHA ladder.

After taking over an undermanned program three years ago, head coach Jasen Wise has been able to turn the Sabres into one of the most formidable teams in the MCHA. With no losses to graduation following last season, it's reasonable to assume Marian may continue their climb up the MCHA ladder.

Leading the cast of returning players are two goalies that both saw action last season. Sophomore Jason Jadczak (7-6-1, 3.22, .909) is the most impressive statistically, but don't be surprised if junior Dave DeSander (4-2-0, 4.68, .853) or freshman Cullen Caldwell find a way into the lineup this season.

Senior captain Brett Fox (2-6-8) leads a group of defensemen who helped Marian hold opponents to the second fewest goals in the MCHA last season (3.55 per game). Sophomores Jeffrey Wills (2-7-9), Andrew Fiore (5-3-8), Scott Ross (3-3-6) and Kyle Jones (1-4-5) enter this season with a year of experience and should only improve was already was a stingy Sabre defense.

Coming off a season in which they scored almost five goals per game Marian also looks to be in good hands offensively. Among their returning players are six forwards who posted more than twenty points last season - four of whom are only sophomores. Senior Chad Little returns after leading the Sabres in scoring last season and along with sophomores Andrew Corvo, Billy Schill, Bill Griffore Jr. and James Goodfellow (11-11-22) will lead a deep group of forwards who have a knack for scoring.

Under Wise, the Sabres are known for being a disciplined team that makes few mistakes. With some Junior A recruits coming in to add to what already is a fairly skilled team, Wise appears to be slowly piling up the talent that will make their style of play even more effective. Remember, it was only two years ago that the Sabres took the ice with 17 skaters - three of whom were goalies. With only three players remaining from that 2004-05 club, the Sabres are stocked with new talent and a new attitude, and could be poised to challenge for the MCHA crown.

Most intriguing storyline: Marian looks to be the team most prepared to contend with MSOE for the conference title. Will they?

Milwaukee School of Engineering
Head Coach: Mark Ostapina, 12th season overall and 6th at MSOE (128-150-12 overall, 65-66-4 at MSOE)
2005-06 Overall Record: 21-5-1
2005-06 MCHA Record: 17-2-1 (1st in MCHA)
Key Returners: F Brian Soik, sr. (21-24-45); F Lee Swallow, jr. (16-29-45); F Blair Hanberg, so. (20-19-39); F Michael Duta, sr. (15-19-34); D Ken Walter, jr. (5-11-16); D Jason Woll, so. (2-12-14); D Jason Yolo, so. (2-8-10)
Key Losses: F James Shipley (8-23-31); D Luke Hasbargen (1-6-7)
2006-07 Projected Finish: First

Quite frankly, there isn't much to suggest the two-time defending MCHA Champions won't make it three in a row this season. Whether it's in net, on defense or at forward, the Raiders are loaded. A major difference this season, however, is that between the two-time defending league champion status and the NCAA talk swirling about the program, every team is going to be gunning for them.

Head coach Mark Ostapina says his team is aware of this, and will be forced to excel every night if they wish to repeat last season's performance.

"We've known this since the first day of practice when we talked about our goals," he said. "We have two targets on our back now and we better bring our 'A' game all the time. Everyone has gotten better and the league is much stronger. We have to come and play."

When analyzing the strengths of the Raiders, it's tough to even decide where to begin.

They return a pair of quality and experienced goaltenders in seniors Matt Burzon (14-3-0, 2.21, .914) and Joe Dovalina (7-2-1, 2.29, .914). While Burzon saw more action last season, both have proven themselves gameworthy and the Raiders' pipes are in good hands regardless of who plays.

"We have two excellent goaltenders. It's that simple," Ostapina said.

The Raiders also return a host of experienced blueliners. Led by junior captain Ross Chawansky (1-5-6), sophomore Jason Yolo and junior Ken Walter, the defensive corps may even be improved from last season according to Ostapina.

"We have a lot of leadership back there," he said. "I think we've gotten a little bigger on defense, and didn't lose much mobility in doing so."

When it comes to forwards, the Raiders may be even more stacked.

Leading a group of six thirty point scorers is senior Brian Soik. A second team preseason All-USCHO selection, Soik continues to improve and may be poised to drastically increase on his 45 points he scored a year ago. Not to be overshadowed are junior Lee Swallow, sophomore Blair Hanberg, senior Michael Duta, sophomore R.G. Flath (18-13-31), sophomore Simon Labrosse-Gelinas (13-17-30) and freshman Jake Anderson.

With this many proven point scorers back in the lineup, the depth factor is one Ostapina feels may favor the Raiders.

"It all comes down to balance. We have depth up and down the lineup," he said. "I really think we get the consummate team effort out of our guys. If we work hard as a team, we are fortunate enough to be able to come at people in waves."

Bottom line is that this team is expected to win the league again, and perhaps garner increased attention on the national scene. A win against a power like St. Norbert is about all that's left to accomplish before solidifying themselves as a legitimate contender. Of course MSOE will have to win some games in order to once again win the MCHA, but for now it's a safe bet to assume they will.

Most intriguing storyline: If MSOE is able to dominate the conference again, can they accomplish enough out of conference to get serious NCAA talk?

 

 

 

-October 31, 2006
MCHA Semifinals, Finals to be Hosted by Finlandia University
-Courtesy of Finlandia University Communications
CONTACT: karen.johnson@finlandia.edu
HANCOCK , MI – The journey for the right to claim the 2006-07 Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA) Harris Cup will conclude in Hancock , Michigan , March 2-4, 2007, Finlandia University announced today.

“We are thrilled to host the semifinals and finals of the MCHA tournament,” says Finlandia’s sixth-year head men’s hockey coach Joe Burcar . “We look forward to a good weekend of Division III hockey. The community has rallied behind our program in the past and I look forward to their continued support.”

The MCHA quarterfinals will occur the weekend of February 23, 2007. The first- and second-seeded teams will receive a bye. The fifth-seeded team will travel to the fourth-seeded team’s rink. And the third-seeded team will host the sixth-seeded team. The winners of those series and the top two seeded teams will travel to the Houghton County Ice Arena in Hancock to compete in the semifinals and finals. 

The game times are:
Saturday, March 3, 2007 – Semifinals
    Semifinal #1: First Seed vs. Fourth Seed – 3:00 p.m.
    Semifinal #2: Second Seed vs. Third Seed – 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 4, 2007 – Finals
    Consolation Game – 1:00 pm
    Championship Game – 5:00 pm

Championship and All-Tournament Team presentations will follow the final game.

For additional information about the men’s hockey program at Finlandia University , please contact Finlandia University athletic director Chris Salani at 906-487-7378 or chris.salani@finlandia.edu.

Finlandia University , established in 1896, is a learning community dedicated to academic excellence, spiritual growth and service. In September 2006, the baccalaureate degree-granting institution was awarded full NCAA Division III membership. The Finlandia Lions participate in 13 men’s and women’s athletic programs. Visit www.finlandia.edu for additional information.

Now in its ninth season of play, the MCHA is currently comprised of six NCAA Division III colleges and universities. They are Finlandia University (Hancock, MI), Lawrence University (Appleton, WI), Marian College (Fond du Lac, WI), Milwaukee School of Engineering (Milwaukee, WI), University of Minnesota Crookston (Crookston, MN) and Northland College (Ashland, WI). Adrian College ( Adrian , MI ) and Concordia College ( Mequon , WI ) will join the league in the 2007-08 season. Visit www.mchahockey.com for additional information.

 

 

-October 30, 2006
MSOE Starts 2006-2007 Season With a Bang
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association opened its ninth season of play this week with three of the six teams hitting the ice. After Marian College got things started by playing No. 2 St. Norbert – falling 4-1 on Tuesday - two-time defending league champion MSOE opened with a 9-0 victory over Lake Forest on the road on Friday. The 9-0 blanking was the biggest margin-of-victory the league has seen in quite some time against a non-conference foe. The last time a league team blanked a non-conference opponent by a margin anywhere near that result was a 5-0 Marian victory over St. Scholastica Oct. 31, 2003. The nine-goal differential was MSOE’s biggest shutout win of any kind since blanking Northland by the same score Dec. 3 of last season. The Raiders did end up dropping the second game of the weekend series, 4-3, but are off to a solid start.

The Sabres traveled to New York for the weekend, falling to Fredonia State and Buffalo State . Lawrence got things going on Friday as well, falling 4-1 to UW-Stout. They played well on Saturday, falling 6-4 to No. 11 UW-River Falls. Up this week: Northland and Finlandia begin their seasons this weekend and Marian and MSOE start league play as well.

         
         
Left to Right: Blair Hanberg (MSOE) ... Joe Dovalina (MSOE) ... Jacob Anderson (MSOE)

Players of the Week:
-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders junior forward Blair Hanberg (Edmonds, WA) played a key role in the big season-opening win and as a result, is the first MCHA Player-of-the-Week for 2006-07. The business major had a four-goal weekend, including a hat trick in MSOE’s victory on Friday.

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders senior goaltender Joe Dovalina (Evergreen Park, IL) earns MCHA Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors by posting his first career shutout in the Raider’s 9-0 win over Lake Forest . The business major made 18 saves and held the Foresters to an 0-for-9 showing on the power play.
Other Nominees: Andrew Isaac (Lawrence)

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders forward Jacob Anderson (Toronto, ONT) gives MSOE a sweep of the weekly awards by being chosen MCHA Freshman-of-the-Week. The mechanical engineering major made a good first impression: two goals and one assist on the weekend, including the game-winning tally versus Lake Forest .
Other Nominees: Pat Greeley ( Lawrence )

 

 

-October 29, 2006
MSOE Lands Two Players on Preseason All-USCHO Squads
The U.S. College Hockey Online website (www.uscho.com) named their Preseason All-USCHO teams comprised of all NCAA Division III teams last Wednesday.

MSOE senior forward Brian Soik and junior forward Lee Swallow were both chosen as West Team selections. Soik earned a place on the Second Team, while Swallow was an Honorable Mention choice.

Soik (pictured at left) was the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Player of the Year a season ago, as well as the MVP of the MCHA Tournament and leading point-scorer in the conference (37 points on 15G/22A). Swallow was right behind him in second on the league scoring list (36 points on 13G/23A) and was also a member of the all-tournament team. Both players helped lead the way as MSOE repeated as regular season and Harris Cup champions.

The complete list, courtesy of uscho.com: The All-USCHO teams are selected by USCHO staff.

West First Team:
Forward — Aaron Johnson, Sr., Augsburg
Forward — Critter Nagurski, Sr., Augsburg
Forward — Mike Kneeland, So., Lake Forest
Defense — Andrew Derton, Sr., St. Norbert
Defense — Jon Keseley, Sr., Gustavus Adolphus
Goal — Kyle Jones, Jr., St. Norbert

West Second Team:
Forward — Sean Fish, So., Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Forward — Nate Rein, So, Wisconsin-Superior
Forward — Brian Soik, Sr. MSOE
Defense — Neal Carson, Sr., Bethel
Defense — Nate Sorenson, Jr., Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Goal — AJ Bucchino, So., Wisconsin-River Falls

Honorable Mention: Tyler Dahl ( Wisconsin-River Falls ), Tyler Gow ( St. Norbert), Mike Hosfield (Gustavus Adolphus), Lee Swallow (MSOE), Sheldon Wing (St. Norbert)

East First Team:
Forward — Rick Cleaver, Jr., Norwich
Forward — Mickey Gilchrist, Jr., Middlebury
Forward — Ryan Woodward, Sr., Oswego
Defense — Arthur Fritch, Jr., Colby
Defense — Brett Smith, Sr., St. Anselm
Goal — Ross Cherry, Jr., Middlebury

East Second Team:
Forward — Nikita Kashirsky, So., Norwich
Forward — Kyle McCullough, Sr., Mass-Dartmouth
Forward — Jason Murfitt, Jr., Manhattanville
Defense — Nic Dumoulin, So., Elmira
Defense — Tom Mandonado, Jr., Middlebury
Goal — Karl Helgesson, Jr., Plattsburgh

Honorable Mention: Dallas Bossort (Wesleyan), Mike Carmody (New England), Ryan Ellis (Oswego), TJ Kelly (Colby), Keith Longo (Hobart), Tim McVaugh (Boiwdoin), Doug Raeder (Middlebury), Mitch Stephens (Geneseo), Neil Trimm (Neumann)

 

 

 

-October 26, 2006
Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Announces Addition of Adrian College for 2007-08
For the second time in less than a week, the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association is announcing expansion of the league. The conference released the news on October 23rd that Concordia University will begin play in 2007-08 and now another team will be joining them, giving the MCHA eight schools participating for next season.

Adrian College , which announced in late September that the school will join the ranks of NCAA Division III schools playing hockey, was unanimously approved today to join the MCHA for next season.

“This was a unanimous decision that was made by our members,” MCHA Commissioner Terry Brand said. “The addition of Adrian College to the MCHA is a big step forward and allows us to take greater control of our own destiny. Now that we have eight members - seven of which are NCAA DIII programs - we can start a process to apply to the NCAA for conference recognition and hopefully an automatic qualifying bid someday soon for postseason national tournament play.”

The MCHA began its ninth season of play Tuesday night. Four of the six current members have been in the league since its creation prior to the 1998-1999 season ( Lawrence , Marian, MSOE and Northland). Minnesota-Crookston was added the following season with Finlandia University joining for the 2004-05 campaign.

“It's always a great day for hockey when new teams are formed,” Brand said. “My hope is that even more schools will now consider hockey in both the Illinois and Michigan area.”

Adrian also announced the hiring of a new coach today:

Ron Fogarty, assistant ice hockey coach at Bowling Green State University ( Ohio ), has been named the first head men’s ice hockey coach in the history of Adrian College .

“To say that we are thrilled to attract Ron Fogarty to this position is an understatement,” said Adrian College Athletic Director Mike Duffy. 

“We have been excited about the construction of our ice arena and building ice sport programs from the beginning. Attracting Ron Fogarty, with his experience of developing talent, creates an opportunity for our future student athletes to be coached by one of the best around,” Duffy finished.

In his coaching career, Fogarty has compiled an impressive resume of developing future NHL draft picks and creating winning programs. Working under head coach Scott Paluch at BGSU, Fogarty tutored five NHL draft picks in four seasons.

Fogarty commented, “I am excited and honored to be named the first head coach of the men’s ice hockey program at Adrian College .”

 

-October 24, 2006
Let the Games Begin!...Puck Drops Tonight on 2006-07 Season
With the 2006-07 hockey season beginning tonight, players and coaches alike are eager to start playing for real. The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association will begin its ninth season of play with non-conference action on Tuesday (Oct. 24), with Marian College hosting No. 2 St. Norbert College .

Three more games dot the schedule on Friday (Oct. 27), as Lawrence opens on the road against UW-Stout and defending MCHA Champion MSOE plays at Lake Forest . Marian will also continue its schedule that day, traveling to Fredonia State (NY).

Season previews for each MCHA team follow:

-Season Previews are courtesy of each school's Sports Information Director
MSOE (2005-06 MCHA record: 17-2-1, First place)
How does the MSOE Raiders hockey team better two consecutive 20-win seasons and two conference championships? Answer: They do it a third time.

Add a trip to the NCAA tournament and this season would be even more special to Coach Ostapina and his team. With the NCAA championship being held in Superior , Wis. this year, the game will be close to MSOE, in both distance and achievement.

The team will lose only two from last year’s squad, returning the core from its stellar staff. The most notable players returning are seniors forward Brian Soik and goalie Matt Burzon. Both players were named as USCHO.com West Region Honorable Mention selections.

Soik is one of the most well-rounded student-athletes in MSOE history. He proved this last season by being named as the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Player of the Year and chosen to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America At-Large Second Team. Soik finished tied for fifth in the NCAA averaging 1.67 points per game. He also had a .78 goals per game average (gpg) placing him ninth in the nation among goal leaders. “Even though we lost the leadership of Luke Hasbargen, We look to Soik to fill that void and continue to be one of the best all-around players in the NCAA,” said Ostapina.

Burzon also ranks twelfth among national leaders for the Raiders, averaging 2.21 goals against average (gaa). Ostapina said, “One of the key reasons we are ranked sixth in the nation for total defense is the goaltending of Matt Burzon.”

The Raider squad is senior laden with four others returning to join Soik and Burzon and round out the group of 2007 graduates. Besides Burzon in the goal, MSOE has veteran back-ups in seniors Joe Dovalina and Josh Rudolph. Dovalina played in twelve games last year, averaging 2.29gaa.

Senior forward Michael Duta looks to contribute to the Raiders offensive success again this year. Duta scored 15 goals and 19 assists in 2005-06. Senior defensemen David Yolo returns from an ankle injury in 2005-06 to help the deep Raider defensive bench.

Although the Raiders have talented seniors, they also bring an abundant amount of talent across the board from both the junior and sophomore classes. Offensively, juniors Lee Swallow and Blair Hanberg add scoring power to the offense. Swallow was third in the nation with five game winning goals for the Raiders and was tied for fifth in the nation with teammate Soik at 1.67 ppg. Swallow also ranked fifth in the nation averaging 1.07 assists per game (apg). Hanberg contributed 20 goals, 19 assists on the season. He also added four game winning goals, placing him tenth among the nation’s leaders.

Last year’s freshmen provided some surprising scoring threats in RG Flath and Simon Labrosse-Gelinas. Playing forward, Flath had .72gpg, fourteenth in the nation and Gelinas added 13 goals and 17 assists from the forward position.

Besides David Yolo on the defensive side of the blue line, younger brother Jason will enter his sophomore season on defense. The mainstay for the Raider defenders is Ross Chawansky. Chawansky was an MCHA All-Tournament selection in 2004-05 and played an integral part last season. A pleasant surprise for the Raider defense was the outstanding play of freshman Jason Woll. In his first collegiate season last year, Woll was selected to the MCHA All-Conference team.

For the Raiders to rise and be among the nation’s best they must defeat teams like Gustavus Adolphus, St. Norbert and Lake Forest to name a few. They will play host to Neumann, UW-Stout and Gustavus Adolphus in the first MSOE Thanksgiving tournament Saturday, Nov. 25 and Sunday, November 26.

Ostapina is optimistic about the tough schedule, “The team knows they have a target on their chest and back, yet we have the players that have worked all off season to face the toughest challenge of their careers.”

Marian College (2005-06 MCHA record: 13-6-1, Second place)

The Marian College Sabres enter the 2006-2007 season with high expectations, thanks in large part to a solid group of returning players and a strong 2005-2006 season, in which the Sabres finish second in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association. The Sabres return sixteen players from a season ago, and another player who played in 25 games in 2004-2005. With one of the deepest teams in years, head coach Jasen Wise is very excited to get the season started. “I think we have some quality depth this season and I’m hoping that will translate into more wins for us,” stated Wise.

The Sabres do have a few losses due to graduation that they will have to make up for. Gone are Chad Little and Matthew Bobo. Little led the team in scoring last season with 31 points (15G/16A), while Bobo added 27 points (11G/16A). Little finished his career 9^th on Marian’s all-time scoring list, while Bobo finished 16^th on the list. Bobo is also 3^rd in career points by a defenseman in Marian hockey history.

Offensively, the Sabres return eight forwards from a season ago, who accounted for 83 of the team’s 113 goals (73% of the team’s offense). Of these eight players, five scored 20 points or more a season ago. Leading that group in scoring last season is sophomore Andrew Corvo ( Oak Park , IL ) who recorded 30 points (11G/19A) as a freshman. Not far behind Corvo is another sophomore, Billy Schill (Sault Ste. Marie , ON ). Schill scored 27 points (11G/16A) last season. Sophomores Bill Griffore Jr. ( Milford , MI ), James Goodfellow ( Naperville , IL ), and junior Carl Bresser ( Waupun , WI ) are three other players who scored over 20 points last season. Griffore Jr. added 24 points (12G/12A), while Goodfellow (11G/11A) and Bresser (8G/13A) recorded 22 and 21 points respectively. Goodfellow also led the squad with three game-winning goals in the 2005-2006 season. Kyle Rasmussen ( Altoona , WI ) and Josh McAndrew ( Atikokan , ON ) are two other forwards who scored ten or more points last season. Other returning forwards are senior Jack Aide ( Bismarck , ND ) and sophomore Ross Oestreich ( Waupaca , WI ) who played in 25 games as a freshman in 2004-2005.

Coach Wise will be looking for offensive production from all returning forwards. “Their experience from last season should help them get off to a quick start this season,” stated Wise. “I will be looking for more of a leadership role out of Carl Bresser because he an upperclassman now,” added the coach. Wise also expects Goodfellow, an assistant captain this season, to lead by example on-and-off the ice. “James played very well down the stretch last season by playing physical, blocking shots, and leading the team in game-winning goals. The respect gained from his teammates and coaching staff is evident by him being chosen as an assistant captain as a sophomore,” noted Wise.

The Sabres also welcome six new forwards to the mix this season. New to the squad are Alex Spies (Forest Lake, MN), Nick Cinquegrani ( Rolling Meadows , IL ), Tyler Fletcher ( Calgary , AB ), Jason Ford ( Milford , MI ), Michael Herbert ( Naperville , IL ), and Ryan Hitchcock ( Butte , MT ). Wise stated that Fletcher and Ford are two players who should have an immediate impact. Fletcher played right wing for the Melville Millionaires (SJHL) and recorded 41 points (12G/29A) in 53 games last season. Ford was a captain for the Valley Jr. Warriors (EJHL) a season ago.

Defensively, Marian returns six defensemen, including senior captain, Brett Fox ( Warren , MI ). Last season, Fox recorded two goals and six assists in only 11 games. Wise sees Fox as being someone who can provide leadership on the blue-line and help on the power-play and penalty-kill. Also back are five sophomores that gained valuable experience a season ago. Jeff Wills ( Davison , MI ), Kyle Jones (Sault Ste. Marie, ONT), Gregory Copeland ( Lloydminister , AB ), Scott Ross ( Rockford , IL ), and Andrew Fiore (Sault Ste. Marie , ON ) all return and Coach Wise looks for improvement from each one. “These guys are all playing with more confidence and I believe it will show out on the ice,” commented the coach. A season ago, Wills scored nine points, while Fiore and Copeland added eight. Ross tallied six points in just 16 games. 

Marian has also added two new defensemen this season. Ted Thompson ( Listowel , ON ) and Nick Henkemeyer ( Prior Lake , MN ) will be looked at to strengthen the Sabre defense. Thompson, a junior transfer from UW-Eau Claire, is expected to provide some leadership out on the ice because of his two years of experience for the Bluegolds. Wise described Henkemeyer as an offensive-minded defenseman who will eventually provide offense for the Sabres from the blue-line.

The Sabres also return experience at the goalie position as Jason Jadczak ( Des Plaines , IL ) and Dave DeSandler ( Saginaw , MI ) return. Jadczak was 7-6-1 a season ago and was recognized by the MCHA as he was an All-Rookie team selection, as well as being named to the MCHA All-Tournament team. Jadczak recorded 441 saves in 819:43 seconds last season. He had a .909 save-percentage to go along with a 3.22 goals-against-average. DeSander sported a 4-2 record in 9 games for the Sabres.

New to the mix at the goalie position is freshman Cullen Caldwell ( Calgary , AB ). Wise sees Caldwell as being someone who can push Jadczak and DeSander for time in goal.

The schedule will once again be tough as the Sabres face two non-conference teams ranked in the Preseason USCHO.com Poll in St. Norbert College and UW-River Falls . The Sabres will also travel to New York to face Fredonia State and Buffalo State on October 27-28. Their other non-conference game is against a tough Lake Forest College squad.

As for the MCHA, Wise hopes to improve on Marian’s second place finish a season ago, but states MSOE is still the favorite until somebody knocks them off. The Raiders are receiving votes in the Preseason USCHO.com Poll. He believes Finlandia University will continue to press for one of the top spots in the conference as well.

Finlandia University (2005-06 MCHA record: 9-8-3, Third place)

The men’s Finlandia hockey team had many goals accomplished during the 2005-2006 season.  The team finished third in the MCHA, improving from fourth the previous season.  Secondly, the team had nine student-athletes on the 2005-2006 MCHA All-Academic team.  Finally, three student-athletes were placed on the MCHA All-Conference team: Josh Paquette ( Marquette , MI ), Joe Lewis ( Marquette , MI ), and Steve Picolli ( Highland , MI ). 

Sixth-year head coach Joe Burcar will continue to have some of these same goals but would like to make the numbers a bit higher and tougher.  “We will be looking to improve this season in the MCHA with key returners to lead the way,” says Burcar.  “We will continue to improve in the classroom also.  We have some very smart student-athletes this year.  I hope to have more than nine on the All-Academic team.  It is definitely possible.”

Leading the way for the returners is senior Joe Welgos ( Darien , IL ).  Last season, Welgos accumulated five goals and 11 assists.  He also netted four power play goals.  “I am looking for him to have a great senior year,” says Burcar.  “Two seasons ago he was in the top of the nation in power play goals.  I hope he will be as successful this season to go out on a high note.”

Another senior on the roster is Derek Onkalo ( Houghton , MI ).  After coming off a few injuries, Burcar hopes he will be in full health for his senior year.  “Derek is fast despite his injuries.  But working through those injuries is part of the game.  It shows determination on his part.  He is definitely setting an example for the underclassmen,” states Burcar.  Onkalo had one assist in his six games last season. 

Rounding out the seniors and currently holding the MCHA record for minutes played in goal in a season (896:08 in 2004-2005), senior goaltender Joe Juntilla ( Calumet , MI ) enters the 2006-2007 season healthy and in full force.  “I am hoping for a strong season out of Juntilla,” states Burcar.  “We hope he will break more records in the MCHA and Finlandia.” Currently, Juntilla has the record for the most saves in a season with 716 (2004).  He is looking to break former Lion Mario Paoli’s record of most saves in a career with 1673 saves and the career record of fewest goals allowed.  Paoli tallied 234 goals allowed in his four years as a Lion. 

Two juniors assume the roles of assistant captains this season.  Josh Paquette ( Marquette , MI ) and Travis Hanson ( Bark River , MI ) combined for 53 points overall last season.  Paquette led the Lions on power play goals with seven and tied for third in the league in scoring (13-19-32).  “These two will be targeted by opposing teams, so we will need to play smart to continue their scoring momentum,” comments Burcar.  “They both had a great off-season by hitting the weight room extremely hard.  They both have defined their role as an offensive threat.”

Joining the Lions this season is a transfer from Utica College , Tiger Marcotte ( Baraga , MI ).  Marcotte played in all 27 games last season at Utica and accrued five goals and three assists while there.  “He brings a presence to our defensive core,” states Burcar.  “We look for him to spend a lot of time on the ice because of his knowledge and skill of the game.”

“We have good numbers like last year.  The difference between last year and this year though is the maturity and leadership on and off the ice,” states Burcar.  “We have great leaders on this team and guys that are good role models to the underclassmen.  This team shows determination, heart, and smarts.  It should be a great year.”

Lawrence University (2005-06 MCHA record: 7-9-4, Fourth place)

The Lawrence University hockey team enters a new era this season with Mike Szkodzinski taking over the reins of the program.

            Szkodzinski, an All-American goaltender at St. Norbert College , was hired to be the Vikings’ head coach back in June. He came to Lawrence from St. Norbert, where he had served as an assistant for two seasons.

            Szkodzinski takes over a team that returns 18 players from a season ago, including All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association selections Josh Peterson and Andrew Isaac.

            Peterson, a sophomore defenseman from Duluth , Minn. , and Isaac, a senior goaltender from Mississauga , Ontario , form the backbone of the Lawrence defense.

            Peterson scored four goals and handed out 13 assists for 17 points last season. He now has 36 points for his career.

            Isaac holds virtually every Lawrence goaltending record. He posted a 6-9-3 record last season with an .896 save percentage and 3.86 goals against average. For his career, Isaac is 18-29-5 with a .905 save percentage and 3.80 goals against average.

            The Vikings also welcome back goaltender Andrew Litchfield, who saw action in only one game a season ago. New between the pipes is freshman Pat Greeley, a native of Marquette , Mich. , and the younger brother of defenseman Ted Greeley.

            To go along with Peterson are five more returning defensemen. Juniors Blake Royle and Pat Tuohy and sophomores Peter Stafford, Ted Greeley, and Adam Brand are all back. Royle score three goals to go with a pair of assists, and Brand had eight assists last season, second-best among the defensemen. The lone freshman among the defenders is Charlie Zieserl.

            The team’s leading scorer from a season ago, forward Joe Searl, is back for his senior season.

            Searl, a native of Fond du Lac , Wis. , scored nine times and had a team-high 16 assists to pace the squad with 25 points. Searl enters the season sixth on Lawrence ’s career list with 64 points. He is fifth with 39 assists and 11th with 25 goals.

            Senior forward David Olynyk also returns after scoring a team-high 11 goals to go with 10 assists last season. Despite missing a large portion of one season due to injury, Olynyk still ranks in the school’s top 20 in career goals, assists, and points.

            Senior forward Evan Thornton looks to build on a solid junior season that saw him score five goals and hand out nine assists. Senior Kalle Larsson is back after scoring three goals and tallying six assists a season ago.

            The junior class of forwards is paced by Neil Wallace, who had nine goals and eight assists last season, and Brian Kennihan. 

            Sophomore forward Nick Jennette made a splash during his rookie campaign and was fourth on the team in scoring. He tallied eight goals to go along with 13 assists for 21 points. Jennette heads the talented group of sophomores that also includes Aaron LaFave, who had four goals and 11 assists in 2005-06, Austin Montgomery, Jesse Jacobs, and Chris Lawson.

            The Vikings welcome a talented quartet of forwards to the squad this season. Look for Billy Siers, Masa Takahashi, Jon Sacks, and Marc Howe to all make an impact during their rookie campaigns.

Minnesota-Crookston (2005-06 MCHA record: 6-13-1, Fifth place)

The Golden Eagle Hockey team gets to work first for the UMC winter sports teams when they open up practice on October 9^th.  Coach Warren welcomes 21 new players to this year’s team to blend with last years returners.  UMC was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by Lawrence University last season after the two teams scored a combined six goals in the final period.  UMC was on the short end of many one goal games last season and looks to turn things around and get back on the winning track in 2006-07. 

The Golden Eagles return three of their top four scorers from a year ago including leading scorer, junior Matt Hann ( Crookston , MN ).  Hann led UMC in assists a season ago with 18, while adding 13 goals for a team leading 31 points.  Fellow junior Teal Plaine ( Hallock , MN ) returns after netting 15 goals which was second for the Golden Eagles.  Plaine also finished second in total points with 28.  Assisting Hann and Plaine on the front line will be senior Ryan Leadens ( South St. Paul , MN ).  Leadens had a break out season a year ago posting nine goals and 15 assists for 24 total points which was fourth for the Golden Eagles. 

UMC opens up at home with an exhibition game on October 20^th at 7:30 against Briercrest Bible College .

Northland (2005-06 MCHA record: 3-17-0, Sixth place)

The Northland College hockey program will be looking to improve from last year’s season.  With only seven returning players, the Jacks will be looking to the incoming class to adjust as quickly as possible for team success.  “Everyone will get playing time, the newcomers will have to adjust to college hockey as quickly as possible for our team to be successful” second year coach Fabiilli said.  “We are also looking to continue to rebuild this program.  It is important that these newcomers learn our systems and what is expected to help out future classes” added Fabiilli.

Forwards
The Jacks return only one of their top scorers from last season in senior Jim Junker.  The newly-appointed captain finished second in team scoring with 22 points.  “We will look to Jim to be our leader and to improve on his offensive numbers he had from last year.”  Fabiilli said.

Also returning for the Jacks will be Juniors Mike Stevens and Ryan Hunt.  “Mike and Ryan will be looked at to contribute more offensively while being able to continue playing good defensive hockey” Fabiilli said. 

Joining the upperclassman will be seven newcomers, Lindsey Boulter, Alex Ehler, Brandon Sachwitz, Pat Sierocinski, Andy Finco, Josh Spiegel and Mike Tatavosian. “These newcomers will be expected to contribute right away for us.  I expect them to be good all round hockey players, providing offense for us while playing solid defensive hockey.  All of these newcomers will have the work ethic, determination and commitment to help this program move forward.”  Coach Fabiilli said.

Defense
On defense the Jacks return two players from last year’s team.  Senior Steve O’Hern and Junior Eric DeCaires will be looked at to be the leaders of the blue line.  “Both Steve and Eric have good defensive awareness.  We will work with them to help out offensively as well.  We expect these two to log a lot of ice time for us and playing in every situation.” Fabiilli said.

Joining the two returning players will be newcomers Brian Zwawa, Matt Tanneberg and Joe Belanger.  “These newcomers will be put into every situation right away.  We have high expectations for them and we are confident they will be able to provide us with solid defense while contributing offensively.  Fabiilli said

Goalies
In the net the Jacks return two goalies from last season.  Senior Justin Grant returns for his final campaign.  Also returning is junior Corey Brenner.  Coach Fabiilli has brought in two more goalies to compete for playing time.  Joining Justin and Corey are Bo Storozuk and Adam Gorecki.  “We have really good depth in the goalie position which will provide some competition among them.  We have extremely high expectations from our goalies and all four of these guys know exactly what is expected.”  Fabiilli said.

 

 

-October 23, 2006
Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Adds Concordia University for 2007-2008
-Courtesy of Concordia Sports Information Director Rick Riehl
CONTACT: rick.riehl@cuw.edu
When the 2007-2008 season begins, the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association will be experiencing more growth as Concordia University, Wisconsin has been officially selected to join the league after the MCHA members approved their application to the conference earlier this month. The Falcons will play a full league schedule in the MCHA in 2007-2008. Concordia, located in Mequon, Wisconsin, was very excited to receive the news. "We are looking forward with great anticipation to dropping the puck with the MCHA," said Athletic Director Rob Barnhill.

"Adding hockey was an ambitious step for our athletic department and we are excited to have hired Tony Hrkac to coach our first year team as we begin play in this excellent conference." Concordia will join Finlandia, Lawrence, Marian College, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Minnesota-Crookston, and Northland College as league members.

                                                                  
The league will be expanding for the second time in three years, last adding Finlandia University in November of 2003. Concordia officials announced Sept. 19 that the school was adding hockey to its sports line-up for the 2007-2008 school year.

"We are very excited to be making this announcement," said CUW President Patrick Ferry. "It will enable students who play hockey another choice in pursuing their higher education goals while continuing to play a sport they love."

"The development of hockey at Concordia is a great opportunity for the MCHA to expand and grow," said Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Commissioner Terry Brand. "I hope that it will stimulate even more growth in Division III hockey. This will offer even more student athletes from the Midwest the chance to compete at this level."

Concordia has hired NHL veteran and Mequon resident Tony Hrkac to serve as head coach for the Falcon men's team. Hrkac's outstanding hockey career includes a 1987 NCAA National Championship while competing at the University of North Dakota and the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA's top Division 1 performer that same season.  His 18-year professional career includes stints with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Atlanta Thrashers, Chicago Black Hawks, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Quebec Nordiques, San Jose Sharks, and St. Louis Blues, plus winning a Stanley Cup ring with the Stars in 1999.  Hrkac's final professional stop was with the AHL Milwaukee Admirals from 2003-2005 and he helped lead that team win the Calder Cup in 2004.

 

 

-October 17, 2006
MSOE Becomes First-Ever MCHA Team to be Included in Preseason Poll
The official start of the season may still a week away, but teams from the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association have been practicing since the start of the month and begin exhibition contests later this week. But, the first team to make national noise is the MSOE Raiders, as they were included in the preseason USCHO.com's Men's Division III poll.

A year ago, the Raiders went 21-5-1 en route to winning their second-straight MCHA regular season crown and Harris Cup Championship before just missing a bid to the NCAA Tournament. They were among 10 schools receiving votes in the poll, essentially earning them the No. 21 spot.

The USCHO.com Poll is compiled weekly and consists of 15 voters, including 13 coaches of Division III programs and two hockey writers. USCHO.com provides in-depth coverage of college sports, including hockey, lacrosse, soccer and others.

	Team	(First Place Votes)	Record	Points	Last Poll
1	Middlebury	(15)	26-2-2	225	1
2	St. Norbert		25-5-2	207	2
3	Norwich		22-5-2	187	3
4	Elmira		18-9-2	132	9
5	Manhattanville		20-5-2	127	4
6	Hobart		20-8-0	123	7
7	Oswego		18-7-2	102	13
8	New England College		19-6-3	93	5
8	St. Thomas		17-9-1	93	11
10	Wis.-Superior		18-10-3	89	8
11	Wis.-River Falls		17-7-3	79	14
12	Plattsburgh		19-12-1	68	NR
13	St. John's		16-7-3	64	12
14	Geneseo		19-9-2	48	6
15	St. Olaf		13-9-5	29	NR
Others Receiving Votes: Bethel 27, Babson 25, Bowdoin 24, Mass-Dartmouth 18, St. Scholastica 12, MSOE 10, Curry 7, Colby 6, Trinity 3, Williams 2

 

-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.