Quinnipiac beats Union, NY, 3-2 in 5 overtimes
March 13, 2010
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (AP)—It took five overtimes and nearly six hours, butQuinnipiac managed to edge out Union College 3-2 early Saturday in the longesthockey game in college history.
Greg Holt of the Bobcats scored with 10:22 remaining in the fifth overtimeto give Quinnipiac the win in the ECAC best-of-three quarterfinal series.
At 150 minutes and 22 seconds, it was the longest game in college hockeyhistory. The previous record was set in 2006, when Yale beat Union College 3-2in a game that was 141 minutes and 35 seconds long.
Union scored two goals in the first period, while Quinnipiac scored a goaleach in the first and second periods.
The third-seeded Union will continue the series Saturday night against thefifth-seeded Bobcats.
Information from: Times Union, http://www.timesunion.com
Wisconsin women's hockey plays intrasquad scrimmage (CBS Interactive U-WIRE)
September 29, 2009
(CSTV U-WIRE) MADISON, Wis.—Fora team that was supposed to be missing its two best players, there wereplenty of fireworks Monday night as the white team skated to an 8-1victory in the annual Wisconsin women’s hockey red/white scrimmage.
Eventhough All-Americans Hilary Knight and Meghan Duggan are gone due toOlympic commitments, the white team appeared to pick up where UW’sstellar offense left off last year. Led by Brianna Decker’s four goals,the white team easily cruised by an overmatched red defense in the40-minute game.
Thered team found itself in a hole early, as junior Geena Prough beat redteam goalie Nikki Kaasa from the top of the circle just minutes intothe game.
“It kind of just trickled by — it was one of those ones where you are just getting into the flow,” Kaasa said.
Althoughthe red team was able to keep the white offense in check for most ofthe first half, the white team dominated the entire match. The playersouthustled the red team, dominated puck control and capitalized on moreof their opportunities. According to interim head coach TraceyDeKeyser, the white team was impressive.
“We saw some good energy that we can harness and run with,” DeKeyser said.
Inthe second half, the white team was finally able to score with easeagainst a tired red defense. Focusing more on forward lineups, DeKeyserused only three red team defensemen in the second period and it showed.The defense gave up some uncharacteristic mistakes deep in their ownzone, and in a six-minute stretch, the white team scored four timesagainst replacement goalie Becca Ruegsegger.
“Some people were getting some good chances and capitalizing,” DeKeyser said.
Thelack of rest also took its toll on the red team offense. Given apenalty shot for the red team, defensemen Malee Windmeier misplayed thepuck and was unable to capitalize on a golden chance. With the defenseon such short rest, the white offense was able to chase down everyloose puck and keep the icing penalties to a minimum.
“Ithink we started to get more comfortable,” junior Mallory Deluce said.“I think we just settled down and started working together.”
Givenso many opportunities to score, the onslaught from the white team wasinevitable. Using a combination of speed and awareness, Decker scoredthree times at the end of the game.
“Ourforwards are really good,” goaltender Alannah McCready said. “Deckerdecided she was just going to score a bunch of goals that period.”
Inaddition to mismatches, the white team was also aided by a low level ofphysical play during the scrimmage. Not wanting to injure anybody, theteams were playing about half as physical as they do during the regularseason.
“Unlikefootball, we don’t really have a practice hitting squad,” DeKeysersaid. “It’s not really a great example of what the game is going to belike on Friday.”
Thescrimmage was in preparation for their first regular season matchupagainst North Dakota this weekend. The Badgers are hoping to repeat asnational champions this season, which would be the program’s fourthtitle in five years.
Despitelosing several All-Americans from last year’s team, perhaps the biggestchange in the roster will be the temporary departure of 2009 coach ofthe year Mark Johnson. However, because DeKeyser has been with theprogram from its founding days, the players are comfortable with thetransition.
“I’veonly had coach Johnson for a brief period of time,” Decker said. “He’sa great guy and that’s why I came here, but with him being gone, Tracyis going to just have to fill his shoes, and I think she can do that.”
More Sports News from The Badger Herald.
Helmets to help Harvard hockey prevent concussions
September 17, 2009
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP)—The Harvard men’s hockey team will wear new helmets thisyear that are designed to provide extra protection from concussions.
Coach Ted Donato said the team will be working with The Messier Project,spearheaded by Hall of Famer Mark Messier, to promote safe play during theseason.
The Messier Project said Harvard is the first Division I team to join thecampaign addressing concussions in hockey.
Notre Dame hockey looks ahead to season of redemption (CBS Interactive U-WIRE)
August 22, 2009
(CSTV U-WIRE) SOUTH BEND, Ind.—As the prominence of the Notre Dame hockey program has grown over the past few years, so too have the expectations. Those lofty standards came crashing back down on the Irish last spring in a 5-1 upset loss to Bemidji State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
"We had a great season, and I don't want to take away from that," Irish coach Jeff Jackson said. "But the last game of the year, we weren't the same team that we were for the majority of the season."
Notre Dame rose as high as No. 1 in the national rankings last year, and claimed both the CCHA regular season and clayoff Championships, earning the latter with a 5-2 come-from-behind victory over Michigan at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
Jackson said the Bemidji State loss has stuck with him over the off-season, and expected it had with his players as well. Even though NCAA regulations prohibit much contact between coaches and players over the summer, Jackson said he trusted in his team's work ethic.
"They're a pretty focused group," Jackson said. "And I'll be pretty surprised if they weren't working hard."
The biggest question mark heading into the new season will be between the pipes, just as it was two years ago. Going into the 2007-08 campaign, then-junior Jordan Pearce beat out then-sophomore Tom O'Brien and the highly touted then-freshman Brad Phillips. Pearce went on to become one of most decorated netminders in Irish history, setting program records in single-season wins and shutouts as well as career wins.
Jackson said Phillips, who missed all of last season because of a leg injury, would be the starter this season with O'Brien and freshman Mike Johnson serving as suitable back-ups.
"Jordan Pearce, when he got his first opportunity he never looked back, and we hope that Brad can do the same thing," Jackson said. "That's going to be the biggest question mark going into the season, but I have full confidence that Brad can take the similar type of step that Jordan took."
As far as Phillips' injury goes, Jackson said he expected Phillips to be fully recovered from the surgery, which was done last October. Phillips returned to the ice last spring for some light practice just before the NCAA Tournament.
"He looked pretty good for a guy that hadn't played or practiced all year," Jackson said. "The biggest thing for Brad is going to be his mental approach to the game."
In addition to Pearce, the Irish also have to replace seniors Erik Condra, Christian Hanson, Garrett Regan and Justin White. Jackson said he expected the current senior class, specifically players like Ryan Thang and Kyle Lawson, to take on a larger role.
Rounding out the roster will be the six-man freshman class of forwards Kevin Nugent, Nick Larson, Kyle Palmieri and Riley Sheahan, defenseman Sam Calabrese, and Johnson.
Jackson said Palmieri, selected 26th overall in the 2009 NHL Draft by Anaheim, and Sheahan, second cousin of former Irish player Brock Sheahan, have the best chance to contribute immediately, though he expects all the freshmen to leave their mark eventually.
"There's no question that Kyle Palmieri is going to be ready to play right away, and I hope that Riley Sheahan will as well," Jackson said.
Notre Dame will need contributions from across the board if they expect to successfully navigate a conference schedule that includes four games each against rivals Michigan and Michigan State and two against last year's national runner-up Miami (Ohio). Outside of CCHA player, Notre Dame has a home game against perennial power Boston College, a potential match-up against North Dakota in the midseason Shillelagh Tournament in Chicago, and, to top it all off, a fall break trip to Boston to play defending national champion Boston University.
"I don't want to go through the season without having some bumps in the road so that your team gets better and knows how to play teams of that caliber," Jackson said.
The agreement with Boston University stipulates that the Terriers will play a return game in South Bend in 2011, Notre Dame's first season in the new Lefty Smith Ice Rink, which will break ground this spring.
"There's motivation to prepare our team, but there's also motivation to bring teams into our building as well," Jackson said.
The Irish open their season with a non-conference two-game series against Alabama-Huntsville on Oct. 9 and 10 in the Joyce Center.
Note
The CCHA voted on Aug. 11 to deny admission to Alabama-Huntville. The Chargers currently play in the College Hockey Association, a four-team conference that is set to disband after the 2009-10 season. The CCHA will be dropping to 11 teams after this season, as Nebraska-Omaha will be joining the WCHA.
"We certainly didn't do it out of disrespect for Alabama-Huntsville," Jackson said. "We were just more worried about the members of our conference and making sure our league is in full health for the future. It's disappointing and I hate to see that happen, but it is based on a lot of different reasons."
More Sports News from The Observer.
Boston Coll. to meet Boston U. in hockey at Fenway
August 20, 2009
BOSTON (AP)—NCAA hockey champion Boston University will face Boston College inthe men’s game of a Hockey East doubleheader at Fenway Park on Jan. 8, one weekafter the NHL’s annual Winter Classic at the ballpark.
In the opener, the women’s teams of Northeastern and New Hampshire willplay. Hockey East announced the games on Thursday.
Fenway Park, the home of baseball’s Red Sox, will be set up for the NewYear’s Day game between the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers.
In the previous two Winter Classics, Pittsburgh played Buffalo at RalphWilson Stadium in 2008 and Detroit played Chicago at Wrigley Field this year.
Boston University leads Boston College, the 2008 NCAA champion, 123-106-17in the storied series.
UND hockey player dismissed
August 19, 2009
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP)—University of North Dakota junior forward Matt Frattinhas been dismissed from the hockey team for violating team rules.
Head coach Dave Hakstol said Frattin was arrested and charged with drivingunder the influence on Wednesday.
Frattin had another run-in with police last month. He was given a 10-daysuspended sentence, fined $225 and put on probation for a year in an incident inwhich he and a former UND player were accused of throwing dinnerware, a kitchentable and a lawnmower onto a street.
Hakstol says Frattin’s status with the team might be revisited before the2010-11 season.
Frattin is from Edmonton, Alberta. He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafsin the fourth round of the 2007 draft.
AP Source: College hockey games planned for Fenway
August 13, 2009
BOSTON (AP)—A college hockey doubleheader will follow the NHL’s winter classicat Fenway Park.
The Boston College and Boston University men’s teams will play outdoors atthe ballpark, as will the women’s hockey teams from Northeastern and NewHampshire. The Boston Herald first reported on the games Thursday and a personinvolved in the negotiations confirmed the deal to The Associated Press. Theperson spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official announcement wasscheduled for next week.
The games will be on Jan. 8, a week after the New Year’s Day pro gamebetween the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers.
Hockey freshman is Michigan's Lone Star on the ice (CBS Interactive U-WIRE)
August 11, 2009
(CSTV U-WIRE) ANN ARBOR, Mich.—It was in 2006 when coaches Rob Krohl and Pat Peake looked on at the Prospects Hockey Tournament in Toronto, billed as the best showcase of hockey talent in North America. Both were coaches for Detroit Honeybaked, a developmental hockey league that looked for the best of the best — NHL-caliber talent.
Then, Krohl and Peake's attention turned to one player. A high school sophomore burst through the neutral zone with the puck. Entering the opposing team’s end, he let a slap shot rip from two feet inside the blue line.
The puck flew over the goaltender’s left shoulder, ricocheted off the crossbar, and flew into the net. It was something the coaches had seen from Chris Brown before. After all, it was their invitation that brought Brown to the tournament. And he had lit the lamp seven times since hitting the ice.
Krohl and Peake continued to watch intently as the Flower Mound, Texas, native made yet another dazzling play. Peake, a former forward for the Washington Capitals, turned to Krohl.
"That’s an NHL shot,” he said confidently.
The Lone Star Hockey Player
Brown, now an incoming freshman, did not take an ordinary path to Michigan. The first-ever Texas-born Michigan hockey recruit grew up on an ice rink while many of his closest friends spent their time on football and baseball fields.
He is an anomaly as far as Texas athletes go. In a hotbed for high school football, Brown knew hockey was more than just a childhood hobby for him, and at 18 years-old, Brown is one of the most promising prospects in America.
Despite his family’s Texas roots, hockey runs in the Brown family. Brown’s brother Chase, a high school junior, is also a hockey player, and his father, Chris, played Division-II hockey at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
“My family has supported me through every decision I’ve ever made, whether it’s hockey-related or not,” Brown said. “It was really hard to have their son leave when he was 15 years old, so they deserve a lot of credit.”
Becoming a Wolverine
Brown made the trek from the small-town Dallas suburb to Michigan before his sophomore year of high school — and before the Wolverines had even contacted him. He came to play for Krohl and Peake, who recruited him for their Detroit Honeybaked travel team.
Brown journeyed 1000-plus miles to join Krohl and Peake. He joined a team consisting of four eventual 2009 NHL Entry Draft second-round picks and six players selected for the US Under-18 National Development Team. He knew he was playing with the country's best young talent.
Brown — one of those four second-round picks and six U.S. Development Team players — led the squad in goals (42) and points (74) and was named alternate captain by Krohl.
“The one thing that I was always impressed about him even before he came to play for me was how he could carry on a conversation,” Krohl said. “He was a very mature and a very polite kid — the type of kid that I would want to represent my hockey club.”
Krohl may have been the first to see Brown's potential but soon enough he wasn’t alone. Before the season even started, more teams in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area came calling.
First, the U.S. Development program, based in Ann Arbor, selected him to play for their Under-18 team in the 2008-09 season. The program has yielded American stars Patrick Kane, Rick DiPietro and Phil Kessel as well as former Michigan players Al Montoya, Kevin Porter, Chad Kolarik and Mark Mitera. Pretty good company to say the least.
During his sophomore season, Brown also began talks with Michigan associate head coach Mel Pearson, who told him no scholarship offer was available. They hadn't seen him play enough during his time in Flower Mound. Brown understood — recruiting Texans was unchartered territory for the Michigan hockey program, much less handing out scholarships.
But he didn’t have to wait long. Within the first month of the start of his season with the Honeybaked, Pearson and Michigan coach Red Berenson liked what they saw.
And the decision was easy for Brown.
“I was offered a scholarship and literally 30 seconds later I said, ‘Yes sir,'” Brown said. “Why would you turn down the best college hockey program in the country?”
Officially a Wolverine — and the most highly-touted recruit for the 2009-10 season — Brown joined the US Development Team in 2008 and left his mark on the score sheet. He was second on the team in power play goals (10) and first in PIM (120) in 62 games. His combination of an offensive skill set and a willingness to play a physical game is clearly why Michigan came knocking on his door.
The Draft Experience
On June 26 and 27, Brown was at the Bell Centre in Montreal for the NHL Draft, accompanied by his family, Krohl and Krohl’s father. Projected as a late-first round or early-second round selection, he was chosen as the sixth player in the second round, 36th overall, by the Phoenix Coyotes. He was the second American-born player taken overall, behind U.S. Development Team teammate Kyle Palmieri.
He described his time north of the border as “surreal,” and six weeks after becoming a Coyote, the fact that he has a potential future in the NHL is still sinking in day-by-day.
“To be a part of the selection process and to sit and experience everything — and then to finally hear your name called — is a dream come true,” Brown said. “I got my foot in the door and now it’s up to me to get better.”
Brown isn’t the first Michigan player to hear his name called by Phoenix. In the past five seasons, four Wolverines have become Coyotes via the draft. All four were also former U.S. Development Team players. Brown joins Porter, Kolarik and Michigan senior captain Chris Summers as players that have taken the path of the U.S. Development Team to Wolverines and finally to the Coyotes in the NHL.
Playing for the Great One
Maybe the strongest indicator of Brown's NHL potential is the fact that Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky — the all-time leader in points and arguably the game’s greatest player ever — contributed to the selection of Brown as their first offensive player taken.
“It’s another plus,” Brown said. “If you play for Phoenix, you get to play for the greatest player who ever played the game. So it makes it even more special to know that he had a role in saying, ‘Hey, we want Chris Brown on our team.’”
As flattered as Brown was to play for "The Great One," the Coyotes front office was thrilled to have a player they had been tracking for so long left on the board.
“He’s a tremendous young man,” Coyotes Assistant General Manager Brad Treliving said. “As we go through this process with (selecting) kids, we do psychological testing. It gives us some insight to the character of the players.
"Chris’s tests were off the charts.”
Brown began his career as a Coyote last month at rookie camp. He and about 20 other prospects became acquainted with one another on and off the ice, where they climbed a mountain one morning in the 100-degree Arizona heat. Brown soaked in his first experience as a professional hockey player and also took the opportunity to spend time with Michigan teammate Summers, with whom he roomed for the four days.
While Brown admitted the NHL game, even at the rookie level, had a faster pace than anything he had ever seen before, the camp focused primarily on providing the young players with information on fitness, nutrition and how to act professionally.
“Now the fun begins with pushing yourself even harder, developing your skills, being smarter and also becoming a better person,” Brown said. “That’s one thing I got out of the professional atmosphere — there’s obviously the hockey aspect but if you’re not a good person, (NHL coaches) aren’t really interested because they don’t want to have to deal with a problem.”
A Two-Way Player
It was clear to Krohl and Peake from the beginning that Brown brings a versatile style on the ice that few others can bring.
At 6 feet 2, 190 pounds, he has the size and the skating ability to offer an offensive punch and an enforcer mentality for the Wolverines right away.
With Honeybaked, Brown displayed his offensive side, registering the most points of anyone in a lineup filled with NHL prospects. With the U.S. Development Team, he showed a little bit of both sides. He contributed goals on the power play and was a menace in the defensive zone, limiting opponents’ time and space while racking up penalties.
Treliving recognizes his offensive talent, but thinks the other component of his game will carry him to the NHL level.
“He’ll play in the hard areas, take pucks to the net, bump into the goaltender, hang around and have a conversation about it if somebody wants to do that as well,” Treliving said. “We’re not looking at a two-minute-a-night player. There’s some substance to his game.”
At this point, though, Brown’s potential at the highest level is exactly that — just potential. He plans on earning an undergraduate sports management degree in the next four years, meaning the NHL will have to wait.
And those four years could mean a great deal to Berenson, who's had to deal with early exits from Michigan for several years.
“You can’t turn down a Michigan education,” Brown said. "So for right now, it’s four years, and I’m going to do whatever I can to bring a national championship within those four years.”
More Sports News from The Michigan Daily.
NH men’s hockey team penalized for violations
July 23, 2009
DURHAM, N.H. (AP)—The University of New Hampshire men’s hockey team has beenpenalized by the NCAA for recruiting violations.
The NCAA’s Division I Committee on Infractions announced Thursday the teamhas been placed on two years’ probation. A number of recruiting restrictionswere among the penalties agreed to by the NCAA enforcement staff, the universityand individuals involved.
The penalties resulted from nearly a thousand impermissible e-mail messagessent by an associate head coach to 30 prospective student-athletes in the fallof 2007 and the spring of 2008.
Gophers look close to home for assistant coaches (CBS Interactive U-WIRE)
July 10, 2009
(CSTV U-WIRE) MINNEAPOLIS—While many student-athletes end their career with a program after graduating, some Minnesota athletes are still looking for ways to help their teams.
This fall, three former Gophers plan to return to their athletic programs at Minnesota, but this time, as assistant coaches.
Some head coaches at Minnesota see advantages to keeping their former athletes around the program even after they’re done competing as Gophers.
“The learning time for them is very short they know exactly how I want things done,” women’s track head coach Matt Bingle said. “They can step right in and help right away with the way they’ve been taught about how I deal with issues and those types of things.”
Senior Liz Roehrig finished competing for Minnesota track and field this past spring and will be volunteering her time as an assistant coach in the fall. Roehrig said she wants to give back to the Minnesota program that helped her develop so much as an athlete. She said she hopes to be able to help everyone take a step forward and get a little bit better at a time.
“I know how they work and how they train,” Roehrig said. “I’ll know them better and be able to coach them how they need to be coached.”
Roehrig served as a team captain during her last two years at Minnesota and showed early signs of being a great leader, Bingle said.
“She’s helped out a lot of the younger girls and helped them learn the ropes and how to deal with being a Division I athlete,” Bingle said.
Grant Potulney also acted as an early leader for the men’s hockey program while competing for Minnesota. He was named team captain his sophomore year and held that honor until graduating in 2004, after helping the team win two national titles.
“One of the reasons why we recruited him was that we thought he was a good player but an even better leader,” head coach Don Lucia said. “All the players looked up to Grant. When he walks into a room he just commands respect.”
Potulney began volunteering his time as an assistant coach for the hockey program this spring and was named interim coach when Mike Hastings resigned after just one year.
“Right now I’m just trying to suck in as much information as I can and give whatever sort of feedback I feel can help the program,” Potulney said.
Lucia said Potulney will be a strong candidate to replace Hastings, and the team plans to have someone hired full-time for the position by the end of next week.
“I don’t know anywhere that would be as special to me as coaching at Minnesota,” Potulney said. “It’s just the energy that these young men have and the will to get better.”
The passion that players have when competing for the Gophers must be paralleled by their coaches, women’s head soccer coach Mikki Wright said .
“The number one qualities that we’re looking for in a successful coach are that you have to be loyal, and you have to have a passion for it every single day,” Wright said.
The women’s soccer program recently hired former Gopher Krystle Kallman as a new assistant coach for the fall. Kallman graduated this past May after playing her senior season with Minnesota.
As an athlete, Kallman helped Minnesota to their most successful season in history, but head coach Mikki Wright said she made an even bigger impact as a leader.
“I’d like to accomplish more as a coach than I did as a player to keep the program consistently doing well and striving for the next level,” Kallman said.
Wright said there was no question that Kallman would make a great coach because she possesses the passion and loyalty that coaches must have.
Though these athletes already possessed qualities that would make them good coaches, some transitions will be made as they rework their relationships with former teammates and coaches.
Roehrig and Kallman will both be coaching their former teammates, and Kallman will also be working with her younger sister who will be playing her third season with Minnesota.
Neither Roehrig or Kallman said they were nervous about changing their relationships, and Wright said that the transition should not be difficult.
“I think it’s harder for an outsider to come in and get to know them as people, to gain their trust and to develop a relationship,” Wright said. “It’s so much harder to do that than it is to just alter your relationship.”
More Sports News from The Minnesota Daily.