MiCHO Power Poll 02.01.2012

This week's MiCHO Power Poll has been released:

1) Michigan (idle)
2) Ferris State (swept Michigan State)
3) Western Michigan (split with Bowling Green)
4) Lake Superior State (win, shootout win over Ohio State)
5) Michigan Tech (tie, win against No. 1 Minnesota-Duluth)
6) Northern Michigan (split with Miami)
7) Michigan State (swept by Ferris State)

Each week during the season, MichiganCollegeHockey.com staffers will compile the MiCHO Power Poll. Contrary to popular belief, there is no coin flip involved. The poll comprises the seven Division I teams in the state of Michigan.

Lakers gain revenge on Buckeyes...sort of

By Michael David/LSSU Beat Writer

So far this season, the only team to sweep the Lake Superior State Lakers in a weekend series was the Ohio State Buckeyes. This weekend the Lakers got their revenge on OSU. They didn't sweep the Buckeyes, but did the next best thing by shutting them out 1-0 on Friday, and tying 4-4 on Saturday, with a shootout win to gain the extra point in the CCHA standings.

Friday night, the Lakers scored early in the first period on a goal by senior defenseman Kyle Haines when OSU was caught in a line change. The lone assist came from freshman forward Chris Ciotti. That would prove all the scoring Lake State would need, as sophomore goalie Kevin Kapalka earned his first shut-out of the season, and fifth of his career.

Kapalka made 34 saves on the night, and the Lakers were held 0-4 on the power-play. LSSU held the Buckeyes 0-5 with the man advantage.

Saturday nights game was an instant classic, as the teams scored back and forth, and skated to a 4-4 tie after regulation and five minutes of overtime. Ohio State would get on the board early in this one, scoring a power-play goal at 8:38 of the first period. The Lakers would answer back, with Nick McParland tying the game on a goal assisted by junior forward Dominic Mondardo and sophomore forward Kyle Jean. The Lakers used their momentum to put another puck past the Buckeye netminder, but the Big Ten officials ruled it a no goal and it was not reviewed. Ohio State would take the momentum back, as they would score at the 0:00 mark of the first period, to take a 2-1 lead into the intermission.

The Lakers came back strong in the second, when Monardo would score a power-play goal of his own to notch the score at 2. Assists went to defenseman Zach Trotman and Kevin Czuczman. The Lakers would use the power-play to take the lead 3-2, when Kellan Lain found the back of the net with assists going to Monardo and Czuczman. Ohio State would make their own comeback, and score two more goals to end the second period up 4-3.

LSSU would use the extra man again, to tie the game 4-4. This time Trotman would get credited with the goal, when his blast from the point slid between the pipes. After the end of regulation, and five minutes of overtime, each team would earn one point in the CCHA standings. Lake State was able to kill off 1:50 of a 2-man Buckeye advantage early in the OT. The Lakers would win the shoot-out 2-1, with goals from Monardo and Dan Radke to earn the all important extra point.

Kapalka was stellar in net again for Lake State, making 41 saves. He is now 4-0 in shoot-out situations. The Lakers were 3-8 on the power-play while Ohio State was 2-5.

Lake Superior (14-11-5/9-9-4-4 CCHA) will host the USA NTDP team in exhibition action next weekend.

Western Michigan splits home-and-home with BGSU

By Bob Miller/Western Michigan Beat Writer

Coming off a pair of road losses to Miami, a home-and-home series with Bowling Green looked like just the ticket to get Western Michigan right back into the thick of the race for the top spot in the CCHA.

The Broncos produced mixed results against Bowling Green.

On Friday, comfortably at home at Lawson Ice Arena, Western Michigan jumped to a 3-0 second period lead on a pair of goals by Dane Walters and a single by Greg Squires and coasted to a 4-1 victory over the Falcons.

“I think this was a big win for our time,” said Western Michigan head coach Andy Murray. “Coming off a couple of defeats last weekend, we need to get back on the winning track. Bowling Green wears their jerseys with pride, too. They work hard and we talked about that before the game. I reminded them of that after the second period.”

That Bowling Green pride showed up in Saturday night's rematch.

Playing at home, the Falcons responded to Squires' early first period goal with a pair of third period goals of their own to edge the Broncos, 2-1. Bowling Green netminder Andrew Hammond blanked the Broncos with 28 saves after allowing Squires' goal at 1:21 of the first period.

The weekend split left Western Michigan tied with Miami for second spot in the CCHA standings while holding two games in hand over the RedHawks. The Broncos only trail league-leading Ferris State by one point as they await the arrival of Alaska for a two-game set Friday and Saturday.

Bulldogs move into first place with sweep over MSU

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

Just one week after grabbing five of six points from Ohio State, Ferris State is now in sole possession of first place atop the CCHA thanks to a pair of one-goal wins over Michigan State this past weekend.

Senior Derek Graham played a pivotal role in the Bulldogs' dominance, netting two assists in Friday's 2-1 win. Graham found himself in the mix once again in Saturday's 4-3 decsion, scoring a game-tying goal in the first period, and later as a set-up man for Travis Ouellette's game-winner in the third, which came while on the power-play.

The Spartans however did not stand idly, as they scored the first goals of both contests. The lone score for Michigan State on Friday came from Matt Berry, who buried a rebound on netminder Taylor Nelson with 15:48 elapsed in the second. Earning helpers on that play were Tim Buttery and Will Yanakeff.

With 18 seconds left in the frame, the Bulldogs were able to score the equalizer thanks to a power-play marker by senior captain Chad Billins. Aside from Graham, freshman defenseman Simon Denis was also credited with an assist.

Ferris State's momentum carried over to the final period, where freshman forward T.J. Schlueter net the game-winner with under seven minutes to play.

Yanakeff finished with 28 saves compared to Nelson's 24.

In the series finale, the Spartans grabbed a 1-0 lead on Mike Merrifield's goal at 4:07 of the first, only to have the Bulldogs take control of the scoreboard by period's end with markers from Graham and Corey Kane.

Senior forward Jordie Johnston made it a two-goal game by scoring his 15th of the campaign with 2:49 elapsed in the second. Michigan State however would bounce back, thanks to goals by Brent Darnell and Greg Wolfe to make it a 3-3 affair after 40 minutes of action.

An slashing penalty to the Spartans at the beginning of the third period would prove costly shortly therafter, as Ouellette knocked home Ferris State's second power-play goal of the evening less than two minutes in to complete the sweep.

Drew Palmisino totalled 25 saves in the loss for Michigan State, including 10 in the second period.

Nelson stopped 19 of 22 shots en route to improving to 13-4-1 as a starter.

The Spartans (13-11-4 overall, 8-9-3-2 CCHA) continue their road trip this weekend with a series against the Ohio State Buckeyes, whom are currently in a three-way tie for second-place in the CCHA.

In what will be their only trip to the Upper Peninsula this season, the Bulldogs (17-8-3 overall, 11-6-3-1 CCHA) head to Marquette, Michigan for a two-game set against Northern Michigan.

Wildcats and Miami do the splits

By Susannah Nichols/ Northern Michigan Beat Writer

The Northern Michigan Wildcats rolled into Oxford, Ohio, and picked up a 2-1 victory against the Miami RedHawks. On Saturday, however, the No. 17-ranked RedHawks proved to be too much for the 'Cats to handle and handed their visitors a 6-0 shutout.

Justin Florek netted his fourteenth goal of the season to put the 'Cats on the board on Friday night. Erik Higby and Wade Epp were credited with assists. Tyler Gron added a goal (with some help from Matt Thurber and Kyle Follmer) to give the 'Cats a 2-0 lead by the end of the first period.

That would prove to be enough, thanks to the outstanding play of goalie Jared Coreau: the RedHawks outshot the 'Cats 30-9 over the next two periods, but Coreau only allowed one goal early in the third. He finished with 40 saves.

Coreau got the start for Saturday's game as well and kept things reasonably close for the first two periods, allowing two goals on 24 shots. However, his teammates couldn't find the back of the net and managed only two shots in the final twenty minutes.

The RedHawks, on the other hand, got two more goals on Coreau before he was replaced by Reid Ellingson who gave up two goals on ten shots. The 0-6 loss was the 'Cats' worst of the season.

Northern's record is now 12-9-5 (7-8-5-2 CCHA). The team will look to rebound next weekend when they return to Marquette to take on the Ferris State Bulldogs. Game time is 7:30 on Friday and Saturday.

MiCHO Power Poll 01.25.2012

This week's MiCHO Power Poll has been released:

1) Michigan (split with Notre Dame)
2) Ferris State (win, shootout win against Ohio State)
3) Western Michigan (swept by Miami)
4) Michigan State (win, shootout loss against LSSU)
5) Lake Superior State (loss, shooutout win against MSU)
6) Northern Michigan (defeated Michigan Tech)
7) Michigan Tech (lost to Northern Michigan)

Each week during the season, MichiganCollegeHockey.com staffers will compile the MiCHO Power Poll. Contrary to popular belief, there is no coin flip involved. The poll comprises the seven Division I teams in the state of Michigan.

Spartans, Lakers split series in East Lansing

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Michigan State and Lake Superior State played two tight games over the weekend at Munn Ice Arena and each team came away with a victory.

Friday night, Kevin Walrod scored to break a 2-2 tie with 1:10 left in regulation and captain Torey Krug added an empty-net score to lead Michigan State to a 4-2 win.

Fred Cassiani staked the Lakers to a 1-0 lead only 28 seconds into the game, but Mike Merrifield tied the score midway through the period. The Spartans took a 2-1 lead only two minutes later on a goal by Brett Perlini and MSU held that lead through the second period and for most of the third before Kellan Lain evened the score with just under three minutes remaining in the game.

That set the stage for Walrod’s heroics.

Will Yanakeff made 45 saves in the win, while Kevin Kapalka stopped 23 shots for the Lakers.

Saturday night, Dan Radke assisted on the game-tying goal and scored the winning goal in the shootout, helping the Lakers to a 2-2 tie/shootout win over Michigan State.

Lake Superior opened the scoring with Chris Ciotti finding the back of the net.

The Spartans answered with two tallies from Dean Chelios and Greg Wolfe. With under five minutes to go, Cassiani tied the game for Lake Superior.

The game would remain deadlocked through overtime and the Lakers would go on to win the shootout, 2-1.

Yanakeff stopped 32 shots and Kapalka had 37 saves for LSSU.

Lake Superior (13-11-4 overall, 8-9-3-3 CCHA) has claimed at least two points during every road series in 2011-12 except one - the Dec. 2-3 series at Ohio State. The Lakers have a chance to make up for its showing during a Jan. 27-28 rematch against the league-leading Buckeyes, which will be played at Taffy Abel Arena.

MSU (13-9-4 overall, 8-7-3-2) will be back in action next weekend in Big Rapids to play Ferris State.