The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association continues to change the face of hockey in the West and today adds another chapter to the story that the league continues to write.

Dr. G. Steven Larson, commissioner of the league, has announced today a new era for the conference, complete with a new name and representation of both women’s and men’s teams under one association.

Please head to www.nchahockey.org for the new league website.

The MCHA has continued to expand, announcing last summer that both St. Norbert College and The College of St. Scholastica will be joining the league for the 2013-14 campaign. That new era will embark with a new league name, as the MCHA will officially be moving forward as the “Northern Collegiate Hockey Association”.

“We are very pleased to announce these changes as we are moving into the transitional phases of our women’s and men’s conferences,” Larson said. “It was very important for us to respect and recognize the traditions of both associations while simultaneously moving forward with a new perspective to reflect the changes that have taken place. Needless to say, this is a very exciting period of progression for member institutions and our hockey programs.”

As part of the league transition, the women’s teams from the current NCHA will now be under the same conference umbrella with the men’s, with each side having its own administrative structure, constitution and bylaws.

“Moving the eight current MCHA men’s programs forward as the NCHA brings together our men and women under one umbrella,” Adrian president & chair of the MCHA/NCHA president's council Jeff Docking said. “We can now work on promoting growth on both fronts, while keeping 30-plus years of combined championship tradition alive.”

The original Northern Collegiate Hockey Association dates back to 1980 and includes a lengthy history that consists of 12 NCAA National Championships won by six different members.

There will be plenty of history to merge when this new era begins, one that most notably comes into play when you talk about the student-athletes goal of winning a championship.

On the men’s side, the NCHA tournament champion will continue to play for the “Harris Cup”, named after MSOE Director of Athletics Dan Harris, who served as the first president of the MCHA and helped get the league up and running to become what it is today.

The regular-season champion will now receive the “Peters Cup”, named after Bob Peters, the long-time Bemidji State coach. Peters won 728 games and 13 national championships with the Beavers, including two NCAA titles as an early member of the NCHA back in 1984 and 1986. The Peters Cup is an NCHA tradition, as it had been handed out to the NCHA playoff championship winner since 1998.

On the women’s side, the NCHA tournament champion will now play for the “Slaats Cup”, named in honor of Lake Forest College Director of Athletics Jackie Slaats, in recognition of her efforts and dedication in pioneering the formation of the Women’s NCHA.

The regular-season champion will now receive the “Kronschnabel Cup”, named after Bill Kronschnabel, the commissioner of the former Northern Collegiate Hockey Association since 2002. He served as the NCHA Supervisor of Officials from 1998 to 2005 and also played a role in the former MCHA as its Supervisor of Officials in its early stages.

“We felt it was very important to honor and recognize the individuals who were so important in pioneering and fostering the development of the MCHA and NCHA,” Larson said. “Their leadership and vision have been instrumental in the success of both associations.”

The MCHA dates back to the 1998-99 season and has taken great strides in the past 15 years to rise to the level that is has achieved. With the former NCHA essentially dissolving this offseason, the MCHA wanted to take a piece of the history and prestige of the conference it has become with its new name.

The NCHA women’s conference was formed in 2000 and will play its 14th season starting next fall. The conference has sent 13 teams to the NCAA tournament over the past 11 years, including five to the semifinal round. It will be reducing its membership from 11 to seven institutions this offseason and change its leadership.

“I am really excited about the coming together of the two leagues and about both the synergy and energy that will result from having our men and women compete under the same name,” Slaats said. “I am also honored and humbled to have the new league playoff championship bear my name. It’s hard to believe how quickly, and how much, women’s hockey has grown since the initial formation of a women’s division in the spring of 2000. I honestly could not be happier or more proud of the outcome.”

Both the women and men will maintain their automatic qualifier status and continue to play for a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

“Those of us at Concordia University are very excited to be a part of the new direction and strategic vision for our hockey conference,” MCHA DASC Chair Rob Barnhill said. “The level of competition in our new conference will be rigorous and the student-athlete experience will be greatly enhanced by participating with student-athletes from likeminded and like-missioned institutions.”

The “Men’s NCHA” will consist of the following 10 members: Adrian College, Concordia University, Finlandia University, Lake Forest College, Lawrence University, Marian University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Northland College, St. Norbert College and The College of St. Scholastica.

The “Women’s NCHA” will consist of the following seven members: Adrian College, Concordia University, Finlandia University, Lake Forest College, Marian University, St. Norbert College and The College of St. Scholastica.

The league will also welcome a new logo and a new website. Immediate changes will be seen starting today on the league website (which will operate under the www.nchahockey.org site only moving forward), with updating and archiving changes happening into the summer.

League staff will have a familiar look, while also welcoming a new face to the mix. Dr. G. Steven Larson, the current MCHA commissioner, will serve in the same capacity for both the “Men’s NCHA” and the “Women’s NCHA”. Jim Olson, the former MCHA Supervisor of Officials, will continue in his role for both sides of the conference.

Chris Zills and Brian Monahan, who previously worked behind the scenes for the MCHA and NCHA to publicize their respective leagues, will be moving into similar, but different roles moving forward for the “new” NCHA. Monahan will serve in the role of Director of Public Relations, taking an active role in promoting, social media, blogging and other “faces” of the media. Zills will be the Director of Sports Information, maintaining the behind-the-scenes aspect of the communications department.

The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association continues to see its players earn postseason honors after another successful season on the ice.

Today, D3Hockey.com announced its All-American and All-Region teams and three different MCHA players were recognized. Adrian College senior Zach Graham, the MCHA Player of the Year, was selected as a D3Hockey Second-Team All-American and a first-team member in the West Region. His teammate, freshman Shaquille Merasty, was tabbed for second-team all-region honors, as was MSOE senior Jordan Keizer.

Graham once again led the league in scoring, accounting for 39 points on 14 goals and 25 assists. Merasty was one of the top freshman in the country, leading all newcomers in scoring with 22 goals and 16 assists for 38 points. Keizer accounted for 28 points in 2012-13 (17G/11A)), finishing his Raider career with 129 points in 112 games overall.

The USCHO.com website also recently named its postseason honors. Graham was selected to its Second-Team All-American squad, while Merasty was honored as the USCHO.com Rookie of the Year.

Zach Graham and Shaquille Merasty of Adrian College were both named members of the 2013 CCM Division III Men's Hockey All-American Team, when the squads were named Thursday night.

The league continues to shine when it comes to its players earning All-American status, as this makes nine honorees over the past three seasons - two this year, four in 2012 and three in 2011.

Graham (pictured below left), the repeat MCHA Player of the Year this season, was also the only repeat selection from the 2012 squad and becomes the first MCHA player to earn first-team status twice in a career. Merasty (pictured below right), an All-MCHA selection, is one of just two freshman on either the East or West squads and the first freshman to earn any type of All-American honors in MCHA history.

The All-American awards are sponsored by CCM HOCKEY and chosen by members of the American Hockey Coaches Association.

ADRIAN, Mich. – Paul Rodrigues took a pass from Luke Moodie and scored 13-plus minutes into overtime to advance Oswego State (24-4) with a 3-2 win over Adrian College (23-2-3) and send the Lakers to the Final Four for the fourth consecutive year.

“We had a couple of chances early in overtime and they kept two forwards up high at the blue line to do quick transitions. When you have that many seniors and their leadership it makes you calmer in those tense situations,” commented Adrian head coach Ron Fogarty.

It was a game of momentum as Oswego struck first on the power play just over six minutes into the contest. Chris Muise netted his 10^th of the season from Chris Brown and Tyler Leimbrock for a 1-0 lead. Muise patiently weaved his way through Adrian defenders and beat Adrian netminder Scott Shackell low to the left. Oswego peppered Adrian with 21 first-period shots, but the Bulldogs were able to weather the storm allowing just the lone first period marker.

Adrian grabbed momentum in the second period scoring a pair of goals in less than a two-minute span. First, the nation’s No.1 power play struck just 27 seconds into the man-advantage to tie the game at 1-1.Josh Ranalli scored his 18^th of the season from Josh Cousineau and Zach Graham just less than four minutes into the middle frame. Cousineau took the puck behind the end line and centered a beauty to Ranalli who one-timed the puck into the net between the circles.

At the 5:30 mark, the nation’s leading rookie scorer Shaquille Merasty gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead. Cousineau notched his second assist of the night on Merasty’s 22^nd goal of the year. Cousineau made a couple of individual moves with the puck between and around defenders before backhanding a pass to an open Merasty to the right of the net.

Oswego’s Jon Whitelaw would tie the game from Tim Carr and Moodie with just over a minute left in the second period. Adrian outshot the Lakers, 14-9, in the middle period.

The teams would play to a stalemate in the third period with Oswego holding the edge in shots, 15-7.

Rodriques would strike in overtime to advance the Lakers next weekend to Lake Placid. Moodie would earn assists on both the tying and winning goal.

Adrian goaltender Scott Shackell made several stellar saves and finished the contest with a career-high 52 saves. Oswego’s Andrew Hare was also solid turning aside 31 shots.

Both teams ended the night 1-for-4 on the power play during the first two periods.

“We had the opportunity two years ago to have a senior laden team. Oswego has that team this year and they showed why they have made it the final four so many times recently. They came at us pretty hard in the first period and I felt like our guys were a little too anxious. We had a better mindset in the second period and got on the power play a couple of times to change momentum. We had a quick flurry in overtime during the first minute and we just couldn’t put it in the back of the net. That’s what happens sometimes,” said Fogarty.
Oswego will play Norwich in the semifinals on Mar. 15 at 4 p.m. from Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y.

-Story courtesy of Adrian College Sports Information Department

Adrian College is headed back to the NCAA Tournament. After posting a 4-1 victory over MSOE Saturday in the Harris Cup championship, the Bulldogs waited for the announcememnt from the NCAA Sunday evening.

The NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Committee announced the field of 11 teams for the 2013 NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship Sunday night.

-Click HERE for interactive NCAA bracket.

Eight conferences have been awarded automatic qualification. The remaining three teams were selected at-large by the committee.

The championship playoff format involves three first-round games and four quarterfinal games that are played on the campuses of the participating institutions. All games in the championship are single elimination. The four quarterfinal winners advance to Lake Placid, N.Y. at Herb Brooks Ice Arena for the semifinals and championship game, which will be conducted March 15-16. The Olympic Regional Development Authority and Plattsburgh State will co-host the championship.

Adrian (23-1-3) captured the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association automatic bid by winning the Harris Cup on Saturday afternoon with a 4-1 victory over Milwaukee School of Engineering. Oswego State (23-4) won the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) championship with a 4-0 win over Plattsburgh State on Saturday night.

Adrian and Oswego State have met twice on the ice with the teams splitting the pair of games. Adrian lost 5-2 on Jan. 8, 2010 at then No. 1 Oswego State and the Bulldogs got revenge with a 5-3 win in the NCAA National Semifinal on Mar. 25, 2011.

The two teams will face-off on Saturday, Mar. 9 at Arrington Ice Arena with a tentative start time of 7 p.m.

Ticket information will be released when it becomes available.

-Story provided by Adrian College Sports Information Department

ADRIAN, Mich. – The No. 6 Adrian College men's hockey team increased their unbeaten streak to 17 games by beating the MSOE Raiders, 4-1, to win their fifth Harris Cup championship, Saturday afternoon at Arrington Ice Arena.

Josh Cousineau was named tournament MVP as the Bulldogs regained the championship from the same team that took it from them last year. Cousineau ended the tournament with five points on three goals and two assists.

"We knew we had to play as a team tonight in order to win," said Cousineau. "We wanted to work hard to bring that cup back to Adrian after losing it last season. We were confident not having lost all season to MSOE and thought that we could win it tonight."

The nation's No. 1 Division III hockey power play went 2-for-4 and broke open a tie game midway through the second period.

Shaquille Merasty netted his 21st goal of the season at the 9:35 mark of the middle stanza for the first of two second period power-play goals that proved to be the game winner.

Less than four minutes later, Cousineau would up the Bulldogs lead to 3-1 on the power play with his 12th on the year.

Shelby Gray would add an empty-netter with one second to play for the 4-1 final.

Zach Wilson would get the Bulldogs on the board first about five minutes into the game with his fifth of the year to stake Adrian to an early 1-0 lead, but with under two minutes left in the first period MSOE's Kevin LoGiudice would tie the game at one goal apiece.

"Getting the first goal was huge for us tonight," said head coach Ron Fogarty. "They responded well after that though. We struggled in the second early in the year, but we turned that around lately getting four in the second last night and two tonight. Special teams are huge. If you can win the special teams game you can win the game most of the time. Both our goalies were great this weekend. Shackell played great for us tonight and helped us out a lot back there."

Ryan Lowe and Kevin Balas would both earn assists on Adrian's first and third goals, while Lukas Ciotti and Sam Nyberg were credited with helpers on the game-winning goal.

Adrian outshot MSOE, 28-23, with goaltender Scott Shackell turning aside 22 shots for the win.

"My defense bailed me out a lot this weekend, they blocked a lot of shots," said Shackell. "Defensively we were very good this weekend. They made it easy to play behind them. We wanted the redemption after last year and we came out and got it. It was a pretty even first, but our special teams came through for us in the second."

It was the fifth time this season that the Bulldogs beat their nemesis. Shackell, Merasty and Chris Leone were all named to the All-Tournament Team for Adrian. The Bulldogs will find out their opponent for the 2013 NCAA Tournament on Sunday night at 10 p.m. courtesy of NCAA.com.

All-Tournament Team
Jordan Keizer - MSOE
Shaquille Merasty - Adrian
Josh Ranalli - Adrian
Nathan Brunk - MSOE
Chris Leone - Adrian
Scott Shackell - Adrian

Josh Cousineau - Adrian - MVP

-Story courtesy of Mark Jagord, Adrian College Assistant Sports Information Director

Defense was the name of the game in the second semifinal Friday night at Arrington Ice Arena, with Milwaukee School of Engineering earning a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Marian University in the MCHA Tournament.

Jordan Keizer scored the game-winner in the first period and goalie Nick Kohn (pictured) made 29 saves to record the shutout, helping the Raiders advance to tomorrow’s championship game.

“That was good playoff hockey – that’s what it’s all about,” MSOE head coach Mark Ostapina said. “A 1-0 game, I think it’s great and shows that both teams are very competitive. Both goalies played outstanding and that is the key. Both teams proved themselves on both sides of the puck. I am proud of MSOE, without question, but Marian also did a phenomenal job – definitely a worthy opponent.”

Kohn was at his best in the third, making 10 total stops – several of the highlight variety. Marian made one final push at the end, pulling the goalie for the final 63 seconds. But, the Raider defense held, with the Sabres getting off three shots – two on target – but both stopped in traffic by Kohn.

“For a freshman, we just know how good he (Kohn) is,” Ostapina said. “Coming out of juniors, he played for the Chicago Hitmen and it was always ‘helter-skelter’ in that situation. Bringing him in, we know he could play and that if anyone could deal with situations like that, it was him.”

Keizer netted the only goal of the game at the 8:42 mark of the first period, throwing in a rebounded shot off the goalie’s pads from a tough angle for his 17^th of the season. That came just minutes after Marian failed to take advantage of a great chance, with Kohn making a nice stop on a breakaway by Tyler Klein.

“That’s Jordy Keizer - Jordan has been doing that his whole career,” Ostapina said. “He always seems to rise to the occasion when others can’t. He’s a very special individual and when the puck is on his stick, you never know what is going to happen.”

Marian goalie Josh Baker was almost as good, making 26 saves, including a handful of great saves in the second. That period was just as even as the first, with MSOE maintaining the 10-9 shot edge to make it an even 19-19 after two.

MSOE was the only team to take advantage of a scoring opportunity in an even first period, with the Sabres actually holding a 10-9 edge in shots in the first 20 minutes. The game ended with the Sabres holding a 29-27 edge in shots overall.

The Raiders will now take on Adrian College, which advanced with an 8-0 win over Northland College in the first semifinal of the evening. The puck will drop on the MCHA Tournament Championship Saturday at 4 p.m. Links for live stats and live video are available on the MCHA schedule page.

Adrian College scored four goals in the second period and never looked back, advancing to the MCHA Tournament Championship with an 8-0 victory over Northland College Friday at Arrington Ice Arena.

Josh Ranalli led the way with his first career hat trick. Josh Cousineau scored twice and added a pair of assists to tie his season-high with four points.

“We have always scored goals in spurts,” Adrian head coach Ron Fogarty said. “Our attack has always been that way and when they smell one they get the confidence and it’s two, three, four. But, I like the ‘zero’ on the board for goals against better than the ‘eight’ goals for.”

The Bulldogs led just 1-0 after one but opened the game up midway through the second period. Goalie Scott Shackell did the majority of the rest, making 24 saves before coming off the ice late in the third period to help record the combined shutout. Northland was making its first-ever appearance in the Harris Cup Four.

“Northland came at us there with a couple of spurts in the first,” Fogarty said. “It’s 1-0 and you hope to get the second goal sooner or later. We had to wait until the second period to get that but Shackell played well. Northland actually missed on a couple of great chances in the first. We were patient and got the job done.”

Ahead just 2-0 in the middle of the second and with the LumberJacks on the power play, Shackell came up with five saves in the two-minute penalty and one on a breakaway just prior to it. That power play ended well the other way, with Andrew Dovey finding Chris Leone as he got out of the penalty box for the breakaway to make it 3-0.

“They score on that and it’s a different game,” Fogarty said. “That was a turning point. Leone scores on the breakaway and that was fortunate. But Shackell played well. Both goalies have played well but Shackell played extremely well when called upon.”

The Bulldogs put the game out of reach at the end of the second period, scoring twice in a span of 24 seconds to make it 5-0. Cousineau tallied on an assist by Shaquille Merasty from the corner and, before the crowd had even sat back in their seats, Duston Hebebrand made it 5-0 with his fifth goal of the year.

Early in the second, it was Cousineau that made it 2-0, picking up a rebound off a shot in front, taking it to open left side and scoring easily.

The majority of the first period was scoreless, but each team had plenty of opportunities, with 26 total shots in the period. Adrian struck first, lighting the lamp at the 16:45 mark on a nice individual effort from Ranalli. Zach Graham won a face-off in front of Northland’s net and Rinalli did the rest, skating to the middle and firing top-shelf from close range for his 15^th goal of the season. The assist for Graham was the 100^th of his career.

The Bulldogs spent little time before threatening again, with Shelby Gray putting a close-range effort off the post just 75 seconds later.

Adrian ended the night with 44 shots and a 1-for-3 showing on the power play. Northland recorded 30 shots in the loss.

Adrian will face the winner of the second semifinal, with Marian University and MSOE facing off tonight with an 8 p.m. start time. The tournament final is set for Saturday at 4 p.m., with the champion advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association announced all if its league awards at a banquet held in conjunction with the MCHA Tournament Thursday night in Adrian, Mich. The league's All-Conference, All-Freshmen and All-Academic Teams were all named, as well as the Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards.

Adrian College senior forward Zach Graham was named the MCHA Player of the Year after once again leading the league in scoring with 30 points (13G/17A) to highlight the award ceremony. He becomes the second player in league history to earn the honor twice in a career (MSOE’s Brian Soik, 2005-06 / 2006-07).

Adrian and MSOE each had three players honored with postseason accolades to lead the way.

AC head coach Ron Fogarty was selected as the MCHA Coach of the Year for the third time in his career after leading his squad to an unbeaten 17-0-3 league mark this season and winning the league title for the sixth year in a row.

2012-13 MCHA All-Conference (Alphabetically by position)
Forward: Zach Graham (Adrian College, Senior)
Forward: Jordan Keizer (MSOE, Senior)
Forward: Tyler Klein (Marian University, Junior)
Forward: Shaquille Merasty (Adrian College, Freshman)
Forward: Brad Scurfield (Lawrence University, Senior)
Forward: Brad Tierney (MSOE, Senior)

Defense: Brandon Boelter (Lawrence University, Freshman)
Defense: Mitch Kriz (Marian University, Senior)
Defense: Mike Montrose (Finlandia University, Junior)
Defense: Michael Thompson (MSOE, Junior)
Defense: Brady Vandenberk (Northland College, Senior)

Goalie: Scott Shackell (Adrian College, Sophomore)
Goalie: Brendan Sullivan (Lake Forest College, Senior)

*Note: Extra spot at defense due to tie in voting

2012-13 MCHA All-Freshmen Team (Alphabetically by position)

Forward: Cody Ganchar (MSOE)
Forward: Logan Lemirande (Lawrence University)
Forward: Shaquille Merasty (Adrian College)
Defense: Brandon Boelter (Lawrence University)
Defense: Ben Certo (Lake Forest College)
Goalie: Nick Kohn (MSOE)






2012-13 MCHA All-Academic Team


















Adrian - 3
Zach Graham, Senior * … Rob Heath, Sophomore … Dylan Towns, Sophomore

Concordia – 2
Brandon Bayer, Junior … Billy Sias, Senior

Finlandia – 5
Troy Chandler, Junior … Cedrik LaFrance, Sophomore … Jordan Marr, Sophomore … Michael Montrose, Junior … Scott Vargas, Junior

Lake Forest – 8
Thomas Bark, Senior # … Robert Barrett, Sophomore … Christopher Gard, Junior * … Jason McAloon, Sophomore … Peter Nesper, Sophomore … Cameron Severson, Sophomore … David Sharpe, Senior # … Luke Swardenski, Sophomore

Lawrence – 7
Kevin Aslett, Senior * … Mike Baldino, Senior #… Phil Bushbacher, Senior # … Kevin Killian, Sophomore … Austin Rohaly, Sophomore … William Thoren, Junior * … Paul Zuke, Junior

Marian – 8
Robbie Bailey, Junior * … Brian Berger, Sophomore … Kevin Darcy, Sophomore … Tyler Klein, Junior … Mitch Kriz, Senior * … Andy Kuechler, Senior # … Aaron Leonard, Sophomore … Josh Martin, Sophomore

MSOE – 5
West Bauman, Junior * … Nathan Brunk, Senior # … Carl Lindblad, Senior # … Kevin Logiudice, Sophomore … Devin Schmitt, Junior *

Northland – 7
Shane Buckley, Senior … Sean Devlin, Sophomore … Cody Hasbargen, Sophomore … Austin Southerland, Senior # … Matt Valley, Sophomore … Jamieson Webking, Senior … Zeke Yslas, Sophomore

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

The 2013 Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Harris Cup Four field has been set as Adrian College's Arrington Ice Arena will play host to Adrian, Marian, MSOE and Northland on March 1-2.

The semifinals will feature top-seeded Adrian (21-1-3) against fourth-seed and newcomer to the party Northland (10-16-1). The Bulldogs captured the top seed and a first-round bye after winning its sixth straight regular season championship and the Southern Division. The LumberJacks faced off at Lawrence in the first round and lost 3-0 in game one on Friday. Northland rallied on Saturday to win game two 5-2 and then captured the mini-game 1-0.

"Official Harris Cup Four" website

The second semifinal will feature second-seed Marian (13-11-1) versus third-seed Milwaukee School of Engineering (16-9-2). The Sabres won the Northern Division and earned the first-round bye. The Raiders hosted Lake Forest in the first round and won 3-2 on Saturday in game one. MSOE was forced into the mini-game after falling 2-0 in game two, but won the tie-breaker 1-0 over the Foresters.

Adrian and Northland played each other in the opening series of the season, Nov. 2-3, with the Bulldogs claiming a 7-2 and 12-1 pair of wins on the road. MSOE defeated Marian twice on Dec. 7 (4-1) and Dec. 8 (2-1) in MCHA play and the teams met one other time as a non-conference game with the Sabres winning 3-0 on Jan. 12 at home.

The winners will meet on Saturday with the chance to represent the conference as an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament.

The "Official Harris Cup Four" website can be found HERE, containing all pertinent information that will be updated throughout the weekend.

2013 MCHA Harris Cup Four
Friday & Saturday -- March 1-2
Arrington Ice Arena -- Adrian, Mich.

Tournament Ticket Information
Reserved Seats - $10
General Admission (Standing Room Only) - $8
Seniors/Students (Must have college I.D.) - $5

There will also be tournament passes available:
3 Game Reserved - $25

Note: Ice Arena will be cleared after first semifinal game on Saturday.
For all ticket information, please contact Arrington Ice Arena (517-265-5161 Ext. 5011).

Pairings
Semifinals
Friday, Mar. 1 - 5:00 PM - #1 seed Adrian (21-1-3) vs #4 seed Northland (10-16-1) - Live Stats/Video
Friday, Mar. 1 - 8:00 PM - #2 seed Marian (13-11-1) vs #3 seed MSOE (16-9-2) - Live Stats/Video
Finals
Saturday, Mar. 2 - 4:00 PM - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 

Note: All times eastern


-Release courtesy of Ryan Thompson, Adrian College Sports Information

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - The Raiders defeated Lake Forest 1-0 in the mini-game of the MCHA Quarterfinal series at the Kern Center Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee. The Foresters defeated MSOE 2-0 earlier in the day to force the mini-game. The Raiders will now face Marian in the MCHA Harris Cup Four Friday in Adrian, Mich.

Junior forward Austin Grosvenor scored at the 15:34 mark of the mini-game to put the Raiders on top for good. MSOE out-shot Lake Forest 14-9 in the 20-minute game. It appeared that the Foresters tied the game with 6.8 seconds left but the goal was waved off because it was kicked into the net.

In the Foresters' victory, Andrew Stein and Pat Charron logged the team's goals. Brendan Sullivan made 39 saves to log his fourth shutout of the season. It was the first time this season that MSOE was shut out in conference action.

-Story courtesy of MSOE Sports Information Department

APPLETON, Wis. – Today's game was a test to the character of this Northland team and they proved themselves to be a squad of disciplined and resilient young men.  After the Vikings scored the first two goals of the game, Northland not only came back to tie, but scored five unanswered goals.  The Jack's slashed the Vikings by a score of 5-2.

The first period of the game introduced a hungry Lawrence team; they sent nine shots at the Jack's goaltender, Mason Riley (Turnersville, N. J.), and scored on one.  Northland recorded twelve, but the opposing goal tender refused every attempt.  The pace of the period continued throughout the entire
game and the screaming of the fans echoed off of the walls until the final buzzer.

The second period began in a similar fashion as the Vikings netted the first goal, but this would be their last tally of the day.  Northland's first goal came from a power play attempt off the stick of senior assistant captain, Kraig Wright (Corunna, Ont.).  The play began after Riley settled the puck in the Jack's defensive zone and fed the puck to Brady Vandenberk (Strathroy, Ont.) who then threaded a pass to the stick of Wright.  After the goal the momentum shifted to the side of the Jack's and they kept their foot on the gas for the rest of the game.  The tying goal came from another power play attempt and this time it was sophomore, Matt Lennon (Reedsburg, Wis.), who found the back of the net.  The period ended with the teams deadlocked at two goals apiece.

The Jack's used their second period performance to leap frog into a scoring escapade that would ensure their victory.  It took just about six minutes for the Jack's to obtain their lead and it was assistant captain, Mike Lennon (Reedsburg, Wis.), who sent the puck past the opposing goaltender.   To add some insurance to their lead, Kraig Wright, pounded the puck into the back of the net for his second goal of the game.  Oxygen was running low for the Vikings and what made their lives flat line was an empty net goal scored by Nathan Brown (Westlock, Alb.). 
With this Northland victory the playoff series was split and a twenty minute mini-game was played to decide which team would advance to the MCHA semi-finals next weekend. 

This game was played immediately after the first game.

Four minutes of penalties and twenty-four shots were recorded on the mini-game score sheet after the drop of the puck.  Each team felt their hearts stop as two shots were wrung off the goal posts, but only one team was able to race onto the ice after a goal was scored?Matt Lennon (Reedsburg, Wis.) became the hero of the weekend for Northland.

As Lennon bolted through the neutral zone he picked up enough speed to gain a step on the Viking defensemen and sent a shot off of the facemask of the goaltender.  The puck rebounded to the side of the net and Lennon had just enough speed to give it another whack which sent it over the goal line and his teammates into the air celebrating the first Northland playoff series victory in history.  The Jacks had to kill off a late penalty and with their goalie pulled Lawrence put pressure on the Jacks.  With about 20 seconds left in the period, Mike Lennon was able to pick up a loose puck and send it down the ice to kill off the remaining seconds. 

The Jack's will depart for Adrian College later next week to appear for the first time at the MCHA tournament.  The Jacks will take on host Adrian College at 5pm Central Time on Friday, with the championship game on Saturday 4pm.

Story courtesy of Northland College Sports Information

There was plenty yet to be decided as the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association went into its final week of action this past weekend. This much was known: Adrian College and Marian University had won division titles (AC the league crown) and MSOE had second-place in the division wrapped up and would host in the first round.

In the Northern Division, three teams were competing for two spots as the season came to a close. Lawrence emerged as the No. 2 seed and host in the first round, earning a 2-1 victory over Lake Forest Friday to put its fate in its own hand and then followed through with a 2-2 tie that got the Vikings to 15 points (6-11-3) and the second seed.

Finlandia University came in two points ahead of Northland College, but the Lions fell on the road at nationally-ranked Adrian by scores of 5-3 and 2-0. That opened the door to the LumberJacks, who came up with a huge victory when they topped No. 13 MSOE, 5-4, in overtime Friday. Mike Lennon scored the goal that, at the end of the weekend, had wrapped up a spot in the postseason for his team.

It did come down to a tie-breaker, however. With the LumberJacks and Lions both tied with 7-13-0 records and 14 points, the first tie-break was head-to-head record. That did not break the tie, as the teams split four games during the regular season. So, it came down to the second tie-breaker of goal differential in those four games. Northland tallied 18 goals in those four games and Finlandia had 17, giving the advantage to the ‘Jacks by the slimmest of margins.

In the Southern Division, Lake Forest had a lead and maintained it, earning a point from the tie while Concordia split with the Sabres, but was not enough.

The postseason begins this week, with Adrian and Marian earning first-round byes. Lawrence hosts Northland, with the teams squaring off Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. The Raiders play host to Lake Forest, getting underway Saturday at 7 p.m. and wrapping up Sunday with a 2 p.m. start. Both first-round series are two-game series plus a mini-game if needed. The winners will advance to the MCHA Harris Cup Four, hosted by Adrian College at the Arrington Ice Arena.

         
Left to right: Zach Graham, Adrian ... Fabian Sivnert, Lawrence, Cody Ganchar, MSOE

Players of the Week
-Adrian College Bulldogs senior forward Zach Graham (Palmerston, ONT) is the MCHA Player of the Week for his contributions as the Bulldogs completed an undefeated regular season with a 17-0-3 record. Graham had a goal and an assist in the 5-3 win Friday and followed that up with the empty net goal in a 2-0 win in the regular-season finale. The empty-net goal gave him the MCHA scoring title on the year (13G/17A=30 points) by just one point.
Other nominees: Mike Lennon (Northland), Cody Ganchar (MSOE)

-Lawrence University Vikings freshman goalie Fabian Sivnert (Hollviken, Sweden) is the MCHA Defensive Player of the week for his efforts in helping LU to the No. 2 seed in the division and home ice in the first round of the postseason. He made 37 saves to earn a 2-1 victory over Lake Forest Friday before making another 37 saves to preserve 2-2 tie over the Foresters in game two. He posted a .961 save percentage on the weekend.
Other nominees: Michael Thompson (MSOE), Jim Hamby (Adrian)

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders forward Cody Ganchar (Avon Lake, Ohio) in the MCHA Freshman of the Week for his scoring touch in MSOE’s regular-season finale. The civil engineering major tallied the first hat trick of his career, tallying the game-winner unassisted as well as adding an assist.
Other nominees: Matt Moore (Lawrence)

The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association enters the final weekend of regular season play with much still up in the air regarding the postseason. One team that solidified its spot this past week was Marian University. The Sabres wrapped up their fourth Northern Division crown in a row with a sweep of Northland College, recording victories of 3-0 and 6-2. In the Southern Division, Adrian College already has the overall title wrapped up as well, but remained unbeaten with 6-1 and 6-5 wins over Concordia University. Those two teams have earned a first-round bye in the postseason.

As for the rest, a lot is at stake as the league heads into the final weekend, as every team in the conference is still alive for a postseason berth. In the South, MSOE has second-place wrapped up and will host the first-round at the Kern Center. The Raiders and Lake Forest College played to a 2-2 draw Friday before MSOE grabbed a 5-4 overtime win in the second game.

The Foresters control their destiny for the final spot in the South, as they sit with 15 points (compared to Concordia's 12) and can wrap up that final spot with one victory this upcoming weekend.

In the North, it is not quite as clear. Finlandia University helped itself dramatically last week, sweeping Lawrence University by scores of 4-3 in overtime and 5-1 to leapfrog both the Vikings and LumberJacks in the standings. The Lions now have 14 standings points, compared to the 12 of both LU and Northland. That final spot may come down to tiebreakers, as the final series is against out-of-division opponents, with the schedule featuring AC/FU, CUW/MU, LFC/LU and MSOE/NC.

              
-Left to right: Troy Chandler, Finlandia ... Scott Shackell, Adrian ... Nick Kohn, MSOE ... Chris Hughes, Concordia

Players of the Week
-Finlandia University Lions junior goalie Troy Chandler (Souris, AB) is the MCHA Player of the Week after helping lead his team to a huge weekend sweep over Lawrence. Entering the weekend two points out of a postseason spot with just four games remaining, Chandler stopped 37 of 40 shots as the Lions came back for a thrilling 4-3 overtime win Friday. Then, on Saturday, Chandler stopped 35 of 36 shots in a 5-1 victory to help Finlandia leapfrog all the way into second place in the division. He ended the weekend with a .947 save percentage.
Other nominees: Zach Graham (Adrian), Brad Tierney (MSOE), Robbie Bailey (Marian)

-Adrian College Bulldogs sophomore goalie Scott Shackell (Kanata, Ontario) and Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders freshman goalie Nick Kohn (Hartland, Wis.) will split MCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors this week. Shackell earns the honor for the second time in three weeks after making 23 saves on 24 shots (.958 save percentage) in his start against the Falcons, holding CUW to an 0-for-5 showing on the power play. Kohn, a week after earning league freshman honors, went 1-0-1 on the weekend to establish an MSOE record for wins by a freshman at 14. He held Lake Forest to a 1-for-12 showing on the power play.
Other nominees: Travis Armstrong (Finlandia), Mitch Kriz (Marian)

-Concordia University Falcons forward Chris Hughes (Dundee, Mich.) is the MCHA Freshman of the Week after his role in the Falcons offense against nationally-ranked Adrian. He lit the lamp for the only goal Friday and then nearly helped CUW to a huge comeback Saturday when he had a goal and added an assist in the 6-5 loss.
Other nominees: Warren Carter (Marian), Cody Ganchar (MSOE)

Adrian College came from behind to earn a 3-3 tie against Lake Forest College Sunday afternoon, laying claim to a sixth-consecutive Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season title in the process. With a 6-1 victory over the Foresters Saturday and the tie the following day, the Bulldogs remain unbeaten in league play at 13-0-3 and, with 29 points, clinch another league title to add to their trophy case.

Marian University strengthened its hold on first place in the Northern Division, getting by Lawrence University in a pair of closely-contested contests to reclaim the "Battle of 41" trophy after scoring in the final seconds in game two to complete the weekend sweep by scores of 3-1 and 3-2.

MSOE also swept its games this past weekend, getting past Concordia University by identical 3-1 scores. Northland College and Finlandia University split their series, with the LumberJacks putting up 11 goals in their 11-4 win Friday - their highest goal total since November of 1998. Saturday's affair was a big one for senior captain Brady Vandenberk, who set school records for career assists and points by a defenseman at Northland College (See article on MCHA website).

         
Left to right: Tyler Klein, Marian ... Josh Baker, Marian ... Nick Kohn, MSOE

Players of the Week
-Marian University Sabres junior forward Tyler Klein (Fargo, N.D.) is the MCHA Player of the Week for his efforts in the Sabres victory over Lawrence. He saved his biggest moment for last, helping Marian overcome a 2-0 hole in the third period. He lit the lamp to make it 2-2 at the 7:52 mark and followed that up with the game-winner with just 8.5 seconds remaining in regulation to help Marian claim the traveling trophy played for between the two teams.
Other nominees: Matt Lennon (Northland), Nick Kohn (MSOE)

-Marian University Sabres junior goalie Josh Baker (Canton, Mich.) is the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week after earning a pair of victories over Lawrence to give his team some separation in the standings and inch closer to a division title. He stopped 77 shots on the weekend for a .962 save percentage. A total of 41 of those came in the 3-1 road win Friday, which was followed up by 36 more Saturday - including 15 in a scoreless third period in the 3-2 victory.
Other nominees: Brady Vandenberk (Northland), Logan Bauman (MSOE)

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders goalie Nick Kohn (Hartland, Wis.) is the MCHA Freshman of the Week after allowing just one goal each game in a weekend sweep of Concordia University. He made 44 total saves and posted a .957 save percentage, while not allowing a goal on 10 CUW power play opportunities.
Other nominees: Chris Leone (Adrian), Brett Campbell (Marian)

ASHLAND, Wis. - Senior Captain Brady Vandenberk (Strathroy, Ontario) has set new records for career assists and points by a defenseman at Northland College.

Proudly, Northland College hockey has yet another star leading the team and pushing the bar of excellence even higher.  This time it is team captain, Brady Vandenberk, who gains the spotlight as the all-time point and assist leader amongst defensemen.  Brady is an Ontario native and has had a hockey stick in his hands since before he can remember.  He came to Northland College three and a half short years ago by the hand of fellow friend and teammate, Kraig Wright (Corunna, Ontario). 

Brady's hockey ambitions just about came to an end after the conclusion of his junior career but the LumberJacks were in need of a consistent and well-rounded defenseman and Kraig knew exactly who to call.  To say that Brady's arrival at Northland College is fortunate would be a tremendous understatement.  Since his arrival the team has been able to cultivate a deep defensive core that has improved every game since his first moment on the ice here in Ashland, Wisconsin. 

A leader, in the eyes of anyone with sense, consists of a person with determination, desire, and the ability to take a team under his wing in positive times and even in the direst of situations.  Brady has shown nothing less than this in his career even before the “C” was stitched upon his jersey.  As a humble and intelligent man he has gained the respect of his teammates, coaching staff and all of those that know his as a both a person and a hockey player. 

His natural ability, and his hard working persona, has landed him as one of the most crucial aspects of this hockey program.  A couple of weeks ago he led his team in a two game series against Lake Forest College and as it is very fitting to his personality he had not the slightest idea that he was gaining on the assist record for Northland defenseman.  After the Friday night win, with an assist in the game, a teammate approached him in the locker room and let him in on his success.  “I didn't even know I had it, I was just happy we won our first game coming back from break.  I was just looking to the next day to complete the sweep; that was the important part.”

This past weekend as the LumberJacks played a two game set against Finlandia University, Brady was up for another milestone.  On Friday night, Vandenberk was able to get two more points with a goal and an assist that would tie him for most points by a defenseman.  On Saturday with another goal Vandenberk broke the record which was previously held by Dave Rowan who played for the Jacks from 1998-02.  With his goal, Vandenberk now has 52 career points and 34 career assists with four games left to improve on those numbers. 

In Brady's opinion it was just another point to help Northland try to win another conference game.  With two records that do not prove the character of this team, Brady's sight is nowhere near his record holding and personal success but rather on the task that lies ahead for his team. 

“I would be lying if I said the records didn't mean anything to me. It' nice to be able to leave my mark here at Northland College however, the task is incomplete and the job is far from done.  My ultimate dream when I chose to attend NC was to lead the team to a record setting season, home ice advantage and a strong playoff run.  We have seen some very positive things from our team since Christmas break and we are hoping our momentum continues and is able to carry us deep into playoffs.”

The Northland College hockey program has grown considerably in the past few years according to Brady and he made it clear that the organization as a whole will continue down a path to a better future. 

“I love this group of boys and I could not have gone this far without them or any other Jack that I have had the pleasure to play this game with.  I will take a piece of everybody I have played with and I hope that they know that.” 

Brady hopes to continue his hockey career for at least one more year after his conclusion at Northland and he has the ability and drive to do so.  The hockey world as a whole can be proud to have had the pleasure of calling Brady Vandenberk one of their own.

-Story courtesy of Northland College Sports Infromation

The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association featured a nationally-ranked battle of its own this past weekend, as #8/7 Adrian College traveled to Wisconsin for a weekend series at RV/#15 MSOE. In front of a big crowd at the Kern Center Friday, it was the Bulldogs who struck first, scoring the only goal of the third period to secure the 2-1 victory. Adrian then gave itself some more separation in the division standings by completing the sweep in the form of a hard-fought 4-3 win Saturday to improve to 12-0-2 in league play.

Lake Forest College also came up with a big sweep, dropping Concordia University in a home-and-home series to actually leap-frog the Falcons in the division standings and move into third place in the South with the pair of victories after recording wins of 7-4 and 5-1.

In other league action, Marian University and Finlandia University split, with each team taking a 3-2 decision on back-to-back nights. Lawrence University was unable to take advantage, as LU and Northland also split, with the Vikings winning 4-1 on Friday before the LumberJacks came back for a 4-3 win on Saturday. Up next is a big showdown in the Northern Division, as the first-place Sabres (7-7, 14 points) and second-place Vikings (5-7-2, 12 points) are set to meet in a crucial home-and-home series.

             
Left to right: Shaquille Merasty (Adrian) ... Jason McAloon (Lake Forest) ... Scott Shackell (Adrian) ... Mason Riley (Northland)

Players of the Week
-Adrian College Bulldogs freshman forward Shaquille Merasty (Mennadosa, Manitoba) and Lake Forest College Foresters sophomore forward Jason McAloon (Elk Grove, Ill.) will split the MCHA Player of the Week honors after each played a key role in their team's victories. Merasty netted a hat trick in the 4-3 win over MSOE Saturday, adding to his league-leading totals of 23 points and 14 goals. McAloon recorded the first four-point game of his career Friday. With his team down, 2-0, he assisted a goal and scored the next to tie the game. He scored on the power play and assisted another as his team went on to victory.
Other nominees: Mike Lennon (Northland), Brian Berger (Marian)

-Adrian College Bulldogs sophomore goalie Scott Shackell (Kanata, Ontario) is the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week after securing Adrian's 2-1 victory Friday night. He made 32 saves against the nationally-ranked Raiders, including 14 in the third period alone. He closed the door in the one-goal decision with a big save in the final minute with MSOE on the power play and its goalie pulled in a 6-on-4 situation.
Other nominees: Ben Certo (Lake Forest), Mason Riley (Northland)

-Northland College LumberJacks goalie Mason Riley (Turnersville, NJ) is the MCHA Freshman of the Week after his efforts between the pipes helped his team to a split against Lawrence. He made an impressive 44 saves in defeat Friday and then topped that with 47 saves (and a .940 save percentage) in getting the win Saturday.
Other nominees: Rudi Pino (Lawrence), Ian Pichel (Lake Forest), Kyle L'Arrivvee (Marian)

ADRIAN, Mich. - The Adrian College men and women's hockey teams are coming together to support a noteworthy cause as they will each host a Pink the Rink contest for the second year. The women's team will host Saturday, Jan. 26 against UW-Stevens Point at 2 p.m. and the men will host Sunday, Feb. 3 against Lake Forest at 3 p.m.

Both teams will be wearing their pink jerseys and pink socks for the games. The jerseys that are not purchased by the players' families will be up for silent auction the weekend of each event. The winning bidders will go down to the ice after the game to receive their jersey from the player.

There will also be t-shirts, both pink and gray, that are going to be sold prior and during the event while supplies last. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Hickman Cancer Center at ProMedica Bixby Hospital in Adrian. The primary use will be to provide funds for those who cannot afford or do not have insurance for mammograms and care. There will also be representatives from the Hickman Cancer Center available to answer questions and provide information about breast cancer.

Story courtesy of the Adrian College Sports Information Department

It was a full weekend of league play in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association and four different sweeps made the league standings a bit more interesting as the month of January comes to a close.

Adrian College took care of business at home, with the No. 8/7 Bulldogs posting a 6-0 shutout over Marian University Friday before finishing off the series with a 3-1 victory Saturday to move to 10-0-2 (22 points) in the Southern Division standings. MSOE kept pace with two victories (now 17 points), as the RV/#15 Raiders recorded a 4-3 overtime victory at home Friday before completing the home-and-home series with Lawrence University with a 4-0 defeat Saturday. The Bulldogs and Raiders are set to meet at the Kern Center in Milwaukee this upcoming weekend.

It was Northland College that took the biggest advantage of its opportunity on the weekend. With Lawrence and Marian both dropping a pair, the LumberJacks made up four points in the standings with a sweep of Concordia University, winning 5-3 and 5-2. That moves Northland to 8 points in the Northern Division with the Vikings (10 points) and Sabres (12) still in its sights. Lake Forest also had a big weekend, knocking off Finlandia University by scores of 4-2 and 5-0 to complete the fourth weekend sweep in the conference.

         
Left to right: Kraig Wright, Northland ... Brendan Sullivan, Lake Forest ... Nick Kohn, MSOE

Players of the Week
-Northland College LumberJacks senior forward Kraig Wright (Corruna, ONT) beats out a tough field for MCHA Player of the Week honors. In the 5-3 win Friday, he recorded assists on all three of teammate Mike Lennon's hat trick goals. Then, on Saturday, he scored to tie the game, 1-1, and then assisted Northland's next goal to tie the game again at 2-2 as his team went on to the victory.
Other nominees: Mike Violette (Lake Forest), Mike Lennon (Northland), Steven Shaffroth (MSOE)

-Lake Forest College Foresters senior goalie Brendan Sullivan (Fall River, Mass.) is the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week for the third time this season after posting a .946 save percentage and a 1.00 GAA (one shutout) on the weekend. The shutout of Finlandia on Saturday was his third of the season.
-Other nominees: Brady Vandenberk (Northland), Scott Shackell (Adrian)

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders goalie Nick Kohn (Hartland, Wis.) is the MCHA Freshman of the Week after leading his team to a weekend sweep of Lawrence. He ended the week with 50 saves and a .943 save percentage as well as a 4-0 shutout on the road on Saturday.
Other nominees: Mike Mikulan (Northland), Casey Moneer (MSOE)

The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association is back in full swing in 2013, with all eight schools back on the ice this past weekend. With the light schedule over the holiday break, here are a few of the "must-see" decisions recorded by the MCHA in that time:

*Adrian College defeated NCAA Division I Alabama-Huntsville, 4-2, Jan. 4 to give the league a huge victory on the road in front of a crowd of over 1,000 people. Four different players scored goals as the Bulldogs broke open a 2-2 tie in the second period to make a statement in a rare matchup between interdivision teams. Adrian also posted quality non-conference victories over Stevens Point (6-4 Dec. 30) and, most recently, over Genseseo (3-1 Jan. 8). Both of those opponents were receiving votes in the national polls.

*Lawrence University toppled Castelton State, 2-1, when Matt Moore scored with less than three minutes left in the game at the Pathfinder Bank Oswego State Classic Dec. 30. Castelton had been ranked in the Top 10 earlier this season and was receiving votes at the times.

Back on the ice this week, the Vikings did not let up, earning a pair of ties against the #7/7 Bulldogs, with scores of the contests 5-5 Friday and 4-4 Saturday. Concordia claimed a two-game sweep of Finlandia (3-2 and 5-4), while Northland College and Lake Forest College split their league series. Lastly, Marian University recorded a 3-0 win on the road over RV/#14 MSOE, which was actually played an a non-league matchup for standings purposes.

Northland College takes on St. Scholastica this week Tuesday as the final non-league contest on the schedule in 2012-13, with MCHA action heating things up the rest of the way. That gets started this weekend with matchups between Adrian/Marian, Northland/Concordia, Finlandia/Lake Forest and MSOE/Lawrence.

         
Left to right: Aaron Leonard, Marian ... Josh Baker, Marian ... Brandon Boelter, Lawrence

Players of the Week
-Marian University Sabres sophomore forward Aaron Leonard (Allen Park, Mich.) is the MCHA Player of the Week for his key role in Marian's 3-0 shutout of No. 14 MSOE. His goal broke open a 0-0 game midway through the second period and then he assisted the Sabres' second goal en route to the 3-0 win, helping his team get off to a strong start in 2013.
Other nominees: Brad Scurfield (Lawrence), Bobby Barrett (lake Forest), Zach Graham (Adrian)

-Marian University Sabres junior goalie Josh Baker (Canton, Mich.) is the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week after a stellar outing on the road against nationally-ranked MSOE. He recorded his second shutout of the season - and third of his career - in the 3-0 decision, stopping all 33 shots that came his way.
Other nominees: Brandon Boelter (Lawrence)

-Lawrence University Vikings defenseman Brandon Boelter (Saginaw, Mich.) is the MCHA Freshman of the Week after helping his team to a pair of draws against the nationally-ranked Bulldogs. The Adrian transfer had a goal and two assists on the weekend, including the assist on the late, game-tying goal Saturday. He was +4 on the weekend and played against AC's top-line offense the two games.

Seven of the eight teams in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association were in action last week, with MSOE and Marian University playing a two-game conference series and the other five schools taking on non-league foes. The Raiders, ranked No. 14 at the time, took care of business against the Sabres, claiming a win of 4-1 at home Friday before overcoming a third-period deficit in sweeping the series with a 2-1 victory in Fond du Lac Saturday.

Lake Forest College and Northland College provided the out-of-league highlights, with the Foresters sweeping St. Mary's by scores of 5-3 and 2-0. The LFC defense was impressive, allowing just three goals in the two games (including the first shutout of St. Mary's this year) to a team that entered the series ranked eighth in the nation in scoring.

The LumberJacks took a convicing 6-3 victory Friday over a Bethel team that was receiving votes in the national poll, while also playing an Augsburg squad - which had just dismantled No. 10 Superior by a score of 8-2 the night before - to a 3-3 tie Saturday. The draw was more impressive considering the 'Jacks were down, 3-1, with less then five minutes left in regulation.

With the holiday break upon us and a light schedule heading into the new year, just a reminder that the next time a full schedule will be upon us won't be until 2013. Enjoy the holiday season and the MCHA will see you back here for the next weekly report Monday, January 14.

         
Left to right: Brad Tierney, MSOE ... Brendan Sullivan, Lake Forest ... Mason Riley, Northland

Players of the Week
-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders senior forward Brad Tierney (Edmonton, Alberta) is the MCHA Player of the Week after helping MSOE to a two-game sweep of Marian. He had a goal and an assist Friday at home and then scored the game-winner late in the third period to help the Raiders complete the home-and-home sweep. The goal was the second of the period, having trailed 1-0 when the third started.
Other nominees: Nathan Brown (Northland)

-Lake Forest College Foresters senior goalie Brendan Sullivan (Fall River, Mass.) is the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks. He helped lead Lake Forest to the 2-0 week with 28 saves in the opener and 27 in game two for a .948 save percentage on the weekend.
Other nominees: Nick Kohn (MSOE), Brandon Fehd (Northland), Mason Riley (Northland)

-Northland College LumberJacks goalie Mason Riley (Turnersvill, NJ) is the MCHA Freshman of the Week after helping his squad to a 1-0-1 week. He made 23 saves Friday to top a tough Bethel squad and then came back with 42 more against Augsburg to help earn the tie. He finished the week with a .915 save percentage.
Other nominees: Cody Ganchar (MSOE), Brandon Fehd (Northland)

(SabreAthletics.com) – Former Marian University standout defenseman Tommy Fitzpatrick has signed a contract with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL, the team announced today, Dec. 7.

Fitzpatrick, 25, appeared in 11 games with the Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League this season and scored one goal. The Fort McMurray, Alberta native was fortunate to skate in two preseason games with the Sting Rays earlier this year.

Fitzpatrick is in his first season of professional hockey after playing three seasons for Marian where he set numerous records for defensemen with 13 goals and 62 assists for 75 points over 77 games. He also led Marian to three straight MCHA Northern Division titles.

Check back for updates or follow Tommy's progress at the team's homepage:http://www.stingrayshockey.com

The Sabres, who currently sit in first place in the MCHA Northern Division, is back in action tonight, taking on MSOE in the first of two games this weekend.

-Story courtesy of Marian Sports Information Office

It was back to Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association action this past weekend and the schedule ended up seeing three of four teams completing two-game sweeps. Adrian College was one of them, topping Concordia University to improve to 9-0-0 on the season. The team stands in at No. 6 in the D3Hockey.com poll and No. 5 in the USCHO.com poll. Through nine games, the Bulldogs rank at the top of the NCAA charts in scoring average at 6.0 goals per game and second in scoring margin at 4.11 (leader is at 4.33). In addition, AC joins top-ranked Norwich (9-0-0) as the only unbeaten and untied teams remaining.

Marian University swept past Northland College, posting wins of 6-3 and 6-4 to improve to 6-2-0 in league play this season and hold a four-point lead in the division. Lawrence University also recorded a sweep, defeating Finlandia University, 6-3 and 5-2.

Last, but not least, Lake Forest College earned a tie against then No. 15 MSOE Friday, holding on in the 1-1 decision. MSOE took the series, claiming a 2-1 victory in game two. Lots of non-conference action highlights the upcoming weekend, including contests against Gustavus Adolphus and Bethel that are receiving votes in the national polls.

Left to right: Logan Lemirande, Lawrence ... Nick Kohn, MSOE ... Brett Campbell, Marian

Players of the Week
-Lawrence University freshman forward Logan Lemirande (Janesville, Wis.) is the MCHA Player of the Week after dominating the stat sheet in LU's sweep of Finlandia. He started the weekend with a goal and four assists in the 6-3 win and then followed that up with a short-handed goal and assist Saturday. He was +5 on the weekend, involved in 8 of his team's 11 goals and assisted both game-winners.
Other nominees: Devin Schmitt (MSOE), Shaquille Merasty (Adrian), Brad Scurfield (Lawrence)

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders freshman goalie Nick Kohn (Hartland, Wis.) is the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in goal against the Foresters. He allowed just one goal each night, stopping 58 of 60 shots for a .967 save percentage as MSOE went 1-0-1.
Other nominees: Thomas Nosella (Marian), Cody Kostecki (Concordia)

-Marian University Sabres forward Brett Campbell (Hilton Beach, Ontario) is the MCHA Freshman of the Week. He registered five points on the weekend, including two goals and three assists as Marian swept visiting Northland. Campbell found the back of the net in each contest, while accounting for the game-winner in the series finale Saturday. He assisted on two of the first three goals for Marian in the first period, then hammered home his second goal of the season late in the second period, which eventually proved to be the game-winner in a 6-4 win.
Other nominees: Cody Kostecki (Concordia), Shaquille Merasty (Adrian), Logan Lemiranda (Lawrence), Nick Kohn (MSOE)

Six of the eight teams in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association were in action over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, taking on some quality compeition including two teams that were ranked nationally in the top five in St. Norbert and UW-Eau Claire.

In addition, MSOE swept a Bethel team, 4-1 and 3-2, that was receiving votes in the national poll and Adrian recorded a 7-3 victory over a St. Mary's squad that was also receiving votes. With the new polls out this week, the Bulldogs are now No. 6 in the D3Hockey.com poll and No. 4 in the USCHO.com poll. The Raiders are No. 15 by USCHO and receiving votes in the other. Lake Forest also got into the action, posting an undefeated 1-0-1 week in a series against Hamline.

It's finally back to MCHA league action this week, with all eight teams in action: Adrian hosts Concordia University, Lawrence University welcomes Finlandia University, Marian entertains Northland College and Lake Forest College and MSOE will play a home-and-home series.

         
Left to right: Jordan Keizer, MSOE ... Brendan Sullivan, Lake Forest ... Shaquille Merasty, Adrian

Players of the Week:
-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders senior forward Jordan Keizer (Edmonton, Alberta) is the MCHA Player of the Week. The business major started the week out with the game-winner in Friday's win over Bethel and then followed that up by assisting the game-winning goal in Saturday's 3-2 win to help complete the two-game sweep. The goal was the 60th of his MSOE career.
Other nominees: Lukas Ciotti (Adrian), Brendan Sullivan (Lake Forest)

-Lake Forest College Foresters senior goalie Brendan Sullivan (Fall River, Mass.) is the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in a 1-0-1 week for his team. He stopped all 23 shots he faced Friday to earn the 4-0 shutout of Hamline - the team's first shutout in three years. He also entered Saturday's game with his team trailing by a goal after two periods and made six saves in 25 scoreless minutes to help preserve the 3-3 tie.
Other nominees: Nick Kohn (MSOE), Ryan Gieseler (Adrian)

-Adrian College Bulldogs forward Shaquille Merasty (Minnedosa, Minn.) is the MCHA Freshman of the Week for the second time this season as he continues to score goals at an impressive rate. He netted two more in the win (and was +3) over St. Mary's, giving him nine goals on the season to lead the conference and also rank first in NCAA D-III in goals per game at 1.29. His nine goals are five more than any other freshman in the league at this point.
Other nominees: Evan Wilson (MSOE)

ASHLAND, Wis. - Senior Kraig Wright has become Northland College's All-Time Point Leader and with three quarters of the season remaining he will look to break the All-Time Assist and Goal records.

Some athletes pass through time and leave behind memories and take with them positive and joyous recounts of their experience wearing the colors of their school.  Some, however, do this and more.  Kraig Wright is a player who did more.  His name will be inked in the record books of the Northland Hockey archives for years to come due to his excellence on the ice surface.

Originating from the city of Corunna, in southern Ontario, Canada, Kraig Wright grew up loving the game of ice hockey.  When he started playing at the age of four years old his idea of where the sport would take him was unknown to him.  He grew up in the traditional Canadian hockey manner with a father would played before him and who introduced him to the frozen lakes and ponds where his dreams began.  When he collected his memories of his childhood, hockey was the most prominent aspect.  Kraig grew up playing the sport and creating his path to his success with every stride. 

Northland College would serve him as a home for four years intertwining education and his passion for hockey.  Although, Northland was not his first college as he attended a much larger school closer to his home town.  His interests and comforts were not met, however, until he experienced the small school atmosphere here in Ashland, Wisconsin where he was more than just a number in a mass of others.  Northland seemed comfortable and full of opportunity especially when Head Coach Steve Fabiillii approached him telling him that he would fit well in a program that was looking to make a bigger name in the NCAA Division III hockey world.

It was clear shortly after Kraig arrived that he would greatly assist Northland in its process of rebuilding and that he would be comfortable for a long stay.  Over the past three years Kraig has showed his offensive power and his ability to lead a team through adversity as a mature and experienced player.  At the start of his junior year Kraig was awarded the position of assistant captain on the LumberJacks hockey team and wore it proudly on his chest through the season and into his senior year.  With his confidence high and his natural ability to find the back of the net Kraig climbed his way to the top of the Northland Hockey record books. 

It is now his final season here at Northland and already, early in the season, he has taken reign as the career point leader for Northland College.  In 81 career games thus far Kraig has amassed 98 points (38g, 60a) surpassing the old record of 94 points held by Ryan Becker.   With his goal of becoming the all-time point leader behind him, Kraig has his eyes set on closing in on both the career assist and career goal records. 

The point that put him over the top was a rather emotional and even ironic situation for Kraig.  During a power play in the second period a few games past, Kraig found senior caption Brady Vandenberk (Strathroy, Ont.) awaiting a pass at the blue line.  He feathered the puck past the opposing team penalty killers and Vandenberk stepped into the shooting lane and sent the puck past the net minder like a cannon ball.  Kraig recounted this event and continued to shed light upon his and Brady's history as teammates and friends.  The two played together in junior hockey for the Strathroy Rockets of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League and only temporarily split paths.  Mid-way through Kraig's freshman campaign the Jacks were in need of a defenseman and Kraig reconnected with Brady and they then began four more seasons together. 

As momentous of a feeling it must have been for Kraig to claim the title of career point leader he showed his humble character and tamed his emotions as he knew that there was much more work to be done to get the season off to a good start.  An unselfish sense of being was unveiled in Kraig as he told the story of that night.  He said that while he was ecstatic about his individual achievement he knew that there was much more to be done to mold his team into a competitive and resilient team for the remainder of the year.  “A winning record is more important than an individual goal of any player,” said Kraig. 

It seems as though the LumberJacks are on their way back to the top in the views of Kraig as his projections for this season are high.  The team has had a slow start to the season, but this leader feels as though each experience in a stepping stone to something greater.

His aspirations go further than just this season.  Kraig hopes to obtain an amateur try out after the conclusion of his college career.  His destination is rather unknown and is open to many different areas of opportunity.  However, one hope of his is that wherever he goes that we will be able to work on his master's degree in business.  As an educated individual Kraig is not banking on the sport of hockey to carry him through the rest of his life.  His career goal is to own his own residential construction company close to his home in Ontario.  It is clear the Kraig has a plan for success both on and off the ice which allows him to be seen as a responsible and selfless leader. 

Kraig has a few words of advice to share with both his teammates and those young and ambitious hockey players like he was; “Realize what kind of player you are and what role you will play for your team.  Once you do that you can work to strengthen the important aspects of your game and by doing this the better off you will be.” 

His four years have gone by in a flash.  His father asked at the age of sixteen after his first junior game if he had fun, and of course his answer was, yes.  He explained to Kraig that he should enjoy every second because it will be over before he would know it.  He was right but, Kraig did enjoy every second and now he finds himself in his last collegiate year at the age of twenty-four not only reflecting on the years past but also looking forward to those ahead of him.    

Kraig Wright Accomplishments
- All-Time Career Point Leader – Northland College
- Single Season Point Leader – Northland College
- Single Season Assist Leader – Northland College
- Most Points by a Freshman – Northland College
- Most Assists by a Freshman – Northland College
- Two Assists away from becoming the All-Time Assist Leader – Northland College
- Eleven Goals away from becoming the All-Time Goal Leader – Northland College

Story courtesy of Northland College Sports Information

Marian University made the first early-season move up the standings, taking over first place in the MCHA Northern Division when it swept Lawrence University and saw Finlandia University split with Northland College. In the Southern Division, Adrian College continued to roll, posting a weekend sweep of Lake Forest College.

The Sabres claimed a pair of one-goal wins, improving to 4-2-0 (and a first-place division total of 8 points) with victories of 3-2 in the opener and 4-3 - in overtime - against the Vikings in the second game. The Lions had been tied with the Sabres in the standings, but a split against the LumberJacks sees them at 3-3-0 and in second place in the division for now.

The Bulldogs improved to a perfect 6-0 on the season and have now outscored their opponents by a total of 38-9 on the year after posting wins of 6-2 and 4-1 over Lake Forest.

Five of the eight MCHA teams will be in action during the holiday week, including Marian and Lawrence in the MCHA/NCHA Thanksgiving Tournament at St. Norbert.

             
-Left to right: Matt Lennon (Northland) ... Troy Chandler (Finlandia) ... Jim Hamby (Adrian) ... Mason Riley (Northland)

Players of the Week
-Northland College LumberJacks sophomore forward Matt Lennon (Reedsburg, Wis.) is the MCHA Player of the Week after almost single-handedly carrying his team to its first victory of the season. On Saturday against Finlandia, Lennon scored the first two goals of his collegiate career to give his team a 2-0 lead. He also assisted the team's fourth goal and only a Lions score with 39 seconds left in regulation kept him from earning the game-winner as well.
Other nominees: Aaron Leonard (Marian), Duston Hebebrand (Adrian), Collin Saint-Onge (Finlandia)

-Finlandia University Lions junior goalie Troy Chandler (Souris, Manitoba) and Adrian College Bulldogs sophomore goalie Jim Hamby (Ann Arbor, Mich.) split the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors after each put on an impressive display between the pipes on the weekend. Chadler went 1-1 on the weekend, posting a .927 save percentage and 1.50 GAA. In addition, he tied the MCHA record for assists by a goalie by recording a pair Friday, becoming just the third goalie all-time to accomplish the feat. Hamby found himself brought into action after an ejection, but responded well. He stopped all 13 shots he faced on Friday and then made 25 saves on 26 shots in the second game Saturday to compile a 0.79 GAA and .962 save percentage.
Other nomiees: Mason Riley (Northland), Josh Baker (Marian)

-Northland College LumberJacks goalie Mason Riley (Turnsville, NJ) gives his team two weekly winners as the MCHA Freshman of the Week. He earned his first collegiate win Saturday making 20 saves to help NC to its first victory of the year.
Other nomiees: Lucas Mertz (Marian)

It was a big weekend for the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association, as a battle between two of its teams that were both nationally ranked was featured on the schedule. The #11/8 Adrian Bulldogs hosted the #15/12 MSOE Raiders, with the Bulldogs claiming a pair of victories - 4-2 in the opener and 5-1 in the second game - after two contests played in front of sellout crowds at Arrington Ice Arena.

Not to be outshadowed was the impressive start that first-year head coach Jasen Wise has Concordia on. With yet another weekend sweep - this time by scores of 2-0 and 4-2 over Lake Forest College - the Falcons are tied atop the league standings with eight points with their 4-2 record. The weekend sweep also marks four victories in a row, the first four-game winning streak in CUW program history.

Lawrence University got into the win column, recording a pair of victories over Northland College on a weekend where it scored 18 goals. The Vikings won the opener, 10-1, and finished off the sweep with an 8-6 win Saturday. Marian University and Finlandia University split, with the Sabres getting a 3-0 win Saturday after a tough 1-0 loss in the opener.

         
Left to Right: Zach Graham, Adrian ... Scott Shackell, Adrian ... Jake Hebda, Concordia

Players of the Week
-Adrian College Bulldogs senior forward Zach Graham (Palmerston, Ontario) in the MCHA Player of the Week after recording game-winning goals on back-to-back nights in the sweep over MSOE. He scored early in the third and had an assist in the opener and followed that up with the winner on Saturday as well.
Other nominees: Brad Scurfield (Lawrence), Ashton Reinboldt (Marian), Jake Hebda (Concordia)

-Adrian College Bulldogs sophomore goalie Scott Shackell (Kanata, Ontario) is the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week after playing a major role in helping AC to a pair of victories over #15/12 MSOE. He stopped 22 of 24 shots Friday and then topped that with 33 saves on 34 shots in the finale Saturday. He finished with a .948 save percentage and 1.50 GAA.
Other nominees: Troy Chandler (Finlandia), Erik Soderlund (Lawrence), Jake Hebda (Concordia), Josh Baker (Marian)

-Concordia University Falcons goalie Jake Hebda (Firestone, Colo.) is the MCHA Freshman of the Week. Just seven days after earning MCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors, Hebda kept CUW rolling with another pair of wins. He earned just the second-ever shutout in program history Friday in the 2-0 victory, making 28 saves. He then made 22 saves on 24 shots Saturday to complete the 2-0 weekend with a .961 save percentage.
Other nominees: Shaq Merasty (Adrian), Matt Moore (Lawrence)

Adrian College and Concordia University each recorded weekend sweeps, as the 2012-13 season is now officially underway for all eight teams in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association.

The Bulldogs came out firing, posting 19 goals in two games against Northland College. The Falcons swept their home-and-home series against Lawrence University, with Jasen Wise getting his first victories as CUW's new head coach. More impressively, it was just the second weekend sweep in Concordia's program history (the other came against Crookston in 2008).

MSOE splits a pair against Finlandia University, with the Raiders being the only team to move to six points in league play with their 6-3 win Friday. Just as notable was the Lions 4-3 victory Saturday, coming against an MSOE squad ranked No. 7 by USCHO.com. In the fourth league series, Marian and Lake Forest also split, with the visitor getting the win each night by the identical 3-2 scoreline.

         
Left to right: Collin Saint-Onge (Finlandia) ... Jake Hebda (Concordia) ... Shaquille Merasty (Adrian)

Players of the Week
-Finlandia University Lions junior forward Collin Saint-Onge (Marquette, Mich.) is the MCHA Player of the Week for his role in the Lion's 3-2 victory over nationally-ranked MSOE. After falling behind 1-0, he carried his team to a 3-1 lead with an assist and a pair of goals, with the scores coming in a span of just over two minutes.
Other nominees: Josh Ranalli (Adrian), Jordan Bruce (Lake Forest), Tyler Klein (Marian), Jake Hebda (Concordia)

-Concordia University Falcons freshman goalkeeper Jake Hebda (Firestone, Colo.) is the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week after his role in CUW's sweep of the Vikings. On Friday, he stopped 31 of 33 saves for the win. He followed that performance with by making 29 of 31 saves on Saturday to complete the impressive weekend with a .937 save percentage and 60 total stops. 
Other nominees: Andrew Dovey (Adrian), Andrew Stein (Lake Forest), Mike Montrose (Finlandia)

-Adrian College Bulldogs forward Shaquille Merasty (Minnedosa, Manitoba) is the MCHA Freshman of the Week after his high-flying offensive debut in AC's sweep of Northland. He scored a pair of goals in both games, adding an assist Saturday for a five point weekend. He ended the series +4 and one of his two goals Saturday was the game-winner.
Other nominees: Evan Wilson (MSOE), Leo Podolsky (Lake Forest), Shigenobu Kakudate (Finlandia), Warren Carter (Marian), Jake Hebda (Concordia)

Hockey season has started, as five teams from the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association have played their season openers over the past 10 days.

Marian University started things October 20, earning a hard-fought 3-3 tie against the University of Wisconsin-Stout despite trailing 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 in the contest in head coach A.J. Aitken's first game on the bench for the Sabres.

The first league series is also in the books, with MSOE jumping off to a 2-0 start with a sweep of Concordia University, posting victories of 6-1 and 3-2 over the Falcons.

In addition, Lake Forest and Finlandia University are also off and running on the new campaign. This week, all eight teams will be in action with four league weekend series.

With the two wins under its belt, MSOE is off to a quick start in the polls, coming in at seventh place in the initial USCHO.com poll as well as 15th in the D3Hockey.com preseason poll. Adrian, which has not yet played a game, comes in at No. 8 in the USCHO poll and No. 11 in the D3Hockey poll. Lastly, Marian is also receiving votes in the first USCHO.com poll released Monday.

Players of the Week:

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders senior forward Brad Tierney (Edmonton, Alberta) is the MCHA Player of the Week after leading his squad to a 2-0 start. He tallied a four-point weekend, including the game-winner on Saturday. He added a key assist on MSOE's shorthanded goal Friday and was +4 on the weekend.
Other Nomiees: Mitch Kriz (Marian)

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders freshman goalie Nick Kohn (Hartland, Wis.) is the MCHA Defensive Player of the Week. He posted both wins over the Falcons and had a 1.50 GAA abd .948 save percentage.
Other nominees: Josh Baker (Marian)

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders freshman forward Cody Ganchar (Avon Lake, OH) is the MCHA Freshman of the Week. The civil engineering major was a key member of the Raiders squad, netting one goal and assisting another. He was +3 on the weekend and won key face-offs both nights - including the face-off on the game winner Saturday.

FOND DU LAC, Wis. (SabreAthletics.com) – Aaron Leonard's game-tying third period goal sent the home faithful into a frenzy and first-year Head Coach A.J. Aitken away with his first thrilling decision of the 2012-13 season after the Marian University men's hockey team came from behind to force a 3-3 draw with the visiting UW-Stout Blue Devils inside the Blue Line Family Ice Center this evening, Oct. 20.

Leonard's goal came on a great build-up amidst a UW-Stout five-minute major penalty late in the third period. The sophomore put it home after Brian Berger and Mitch Kriz worked the puck into the zone. Andy Kuechler and Berger accounted for the other two Marian goals, while Josh Baker made 31 saves between the pipes.

Marian and UW-Stout move their records to 0-0-1 after the season opening tie.

A furious first period was highlighted by four goals and 12 penalties combined. UW-Stout's Carl Bombardier broke the scoreless tie with a score at the 11:14 mark in the period. Just over a minute later, Kuechler got the Marian crowd roaring with the tying score, set up by freshman Brett Campbell and senior Brendan Roberts.

Less than a minute later, Jordan Tredinnick gave the Blue Devils the lead back before Brian Berger found the equalizer only 19 seconds later on an assist by Robbie Bailey.

Compared to the first, the next two periods were relatively calm. Both teams found power play scores with UW-Stout taking a 3-2 lead at the 7:47 mark in the second period. Trailing and finding few opportunities, the Sabres caught a break when Russ Whited was whistled for a five-minute boarding major. Marian took advantage when Leonard found the net from assists by Berger and Mitch Kriz.

Both teams tallied two shots in the overtime session, but both goalies stood tall to the task in preserving the tie.

The Sabres will have the week off before traveling to UW-River Falls for a 7:05 p.m. start, Saturday, Oct. 27.

Adrian College has been selected as the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association’s No. 1 hockey team for the fifth-straight season, according to the league’s 2012-13 preseason coaches poll released today by the league office.

The Bulldogs received 49 points, garnering all possible first-place votes from the leagues eight head coaches (coaches could not vote for their own team).

They are now 122-18-3 overall after five seasons in the league and have claimed the past five MCHA regular season titles and four Harris Cup crowns in that stretch.

Adrian (20-6-1, 17-2-1 MCHA in 2011-12) won the regular-season title once again a year ago, but had their lock on the Harris Cup lifted by MSOE.

The Raiders (22-7-1, 16-3-1 MCHA), who claimed the 2012 Harris Cup and invitation to the NCAA Tournament with a 3-2 overtime victory in the championship game, placed second in the poll with 42 points and the remaining first-place vote.

Lawrence University (13-11-4, 11-6-3 MCHA) bumps up to third with 34 points, just ahead of Marian University (13-9-4, 12-5-3 MCHA), which finished in fourth place with 28 points.

Concordia University (2-20-3, 2-16-2 MCHA), which finished in eighth place a season ago, has been picked to make the most improvement and ended up in fifth in the poll with 23 points.

Lake Forest (5-22-0, 4-16-0 MCHA), with 22 points, snuck in ahead of Finlandia University (7-18-1, 7-13-0 MCHA), which had 20 points. Northland College (6-16-3, 5-13-2 MCHA) rounded out the poll with eight.

The MCHA enters its 15th season this fall, getting regular season play underway October 20. That evening, Marian University will play host to the University of Wisconsin-Stout and Finlandia University will take on Elliot Lake in an exhibition contest.

MCHA Preseason Coaches Poll
Adrian: 49 points (7 first-place votes)
MSOE: 42 (1 first-place vote)
Lawrence: 34
Marian: 28
Concordia: 23
Lake Forest: 22
Finlandia: 20
Northland: 8

APPLETON, Wis. -- Three Lawrence University hockey players have signed to play for professional teams in the United States and Sweden.

Defenseman Jameson Raymond, forward Matt Hughes and forward Ben DiMarco, all 2012 Lawrence graduates, have signed pro contracts.

“This is an exciting time for the three young men and our program,” Lawrence coach Mike Szkodzinski said. “The program has grown and is respected at the professional level. Ben, Jameson and Matt have all worked extremely hard for their opportunities and most certainly are the type of young men who represent Lawrence University hockey very, very well. The coaching staff couldn’t be happier for them.”

Raymond, a native of Flint, Mich., has signed with the Knoxville Ice Bears of the Southern Professional Hockey League. Raymond was an All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association selection in 2011-12 after scoring three goals and adding 16 assists for 29 points. Raymond scored 18 goals and had 55 assists for 73 points in 111 career games.

Hughes, who hails from Goodrich, Mich., is playing with Hedemora SK of the Swedish Division 1. Hughes, also an All-MCHA selection in 2011-12, scored 15 goals and added 12 assists for 27 points. Hughes scored 46 goals and handed out 45 assists for 91 points in his career.

A native of Galveston, Texas, DiMarco signed with Vallentuna BK of the Swedish Division 1. DiMarco had one goal and three assists for four points this past season and finished his career with 21 goals and 28 assists for 49 points.

This trio of players was key over the past four seasons as Lawrence won 53 games, the best four-year stretch in the program’s history.

The trio of Hughes, Raymond and DiMarco join five other Lawrence players that have signed pro contracts during Szkodzinski’s tenure. Josh Peterson (Flint Generals), Nick Jennette (Huntsville Havoc), Corey Garrett (Finland), Josh DeSmit (Finland) and Billy Siers (Elmira Jackals) have all played professionally.

Lawrence opens its season on Oct. 27 at the Appleton Family Ice Center with an exhibition game against the Wisconsin Rampage.

--
Joe Vanden Acker
Director of Athletic Media Relations
Lawrence University
920-832-6878