MiCHO Power Poll 11.11.09

This week's MiCHO Power Poll has a new top dog as the resurgent Michigan State Spartans have displaced the Michigan Wolverines for the first time all season long.

MSU beat Nebraska-Omaha once in regulation and once in a shootout last week, while Michigan looked uninspired in their sweep at the hands of the nation's No. 1-ranked Miami RedHawks.

Ferris State is the new No. 3 as the Bulldogs are off to their best start ever at 7-3-0 after taking both from Bowling Green last weekend. Western Michigan, despite sweeping Lake Superior State, falls a notch to the fourth spot.

In another change, Northern Michigan, now at No. 6, and Michigan Tech switch rankings.

1) Michigan State (beat, tied Nebraska-Omaha)
2) Michigan (swept by Miami)
3) Ferris State (swept Bowling Green)
4) Western Michigan (swept Lake Superior State)
5) Lake Superior State (swept by Western Michigan)

6) Northern Michigan (tied, lost to Ohio State)
7) Michigan Tech (swept by North Dakota)

Each week, MichiganCollegeHockey.com staffers will compile the MiCHO Power Poll. The poll will comprise the seven Division I teams in the state of Michigan.

Wolverines 'unacceptable' against Miami

By Matt Mackinder/Michigan Beat Writer

It was a battle of two national and CCHA powerhouses last weekend and the top-ranked Miami RedHawks showed why they're atop the national polls by taking both from the No. 4 Michigan Wolverines at Yost Ice Arena.

Michigan managed just two goals all weekend, losing by scores of 3-1 Friday night and 5-1 Saturday night.

"We're giving up goals too easily and they are so hard to come by," noted U of M head coach Red Berenson.

Saturday night, David Wohlberg (pictured) staked the Wolverines to an early 1-0 lead before Miami stormed back with five unanswered tallies.

"There is not much you can say," Michigan senior captain Chris Summers said. "The outcome of the game says everything. It's a tough loss and a tough game to play in. We didn't show up to play."

Bryan Hogan finished with 24 saves for Michigan in a game that featured 34 total penalties for 95 minutes as the rivals recorded a combined 147 PIMs over the weekend series.

"[The puck] was like a hot potato tonight," added Berenson. "I can tell you that this is the worst game of our season. We have played eight games and this is by far our worst game. It was like we were skating in sand. I don't know whether it was preparation, I don't know if it was distractions, I don't know, but that's what it was. It wasn't just one player. I go around the locker room at the end of the game. When we win, I have a hard time finding someone who didn't have a good game. When we lose, I have a hard time finding someone who did have a good game. That was a fact tonight.

"Our team really has to refocus and rethink their commitment to this team and what they're going to do to help the team. We need to regroup on Monday and get back to work because this was unacceptable."

In Friday night's game, Chris Brown was the lone goal-scorer and Hogan made just 10 saves.

"I didn't know if the whistle blew or not so I put it in anyway," said Brown describing his goal. "It was a good power-play shift by my line: Louie [Caporusso] and Carl [Hagelin] and our defensive pairing Chad [Langlais] and [Steve] Kampfer. We just cycled the puck well and Carl put the puck toward the net. We started whacking at it and the ref let the puck go. It was sitting on the goal line and it was an easy one so I tapped it in. It was a big goal and we just have to make sure we capitalize on the power play from here on out."

Miami also became the first team to sweep Michigan in Ann Arbor in more than eight years since Northern Michigan did it back on Oct. 26-27, 2001.

The Wolverines (4-4-0 overall, 2-2-0 CCHA) now gear up for a home-and-home series with Michigan State starting Friday night at home and finishing Saturday night at Munn Ice Arena in East Lansing.

Photo courtesy UM Photo Services

WMU takes four points from Lake State

By Karl Henkel/Western Michigan Beat Writer

It was a four-point weekend for Western Michigan.

The Broncos blew a three-goal lead but won in a shootout Friday night and then knocked off Lake Superior State again in the second game of a weekend series the next evening.

In the opener, WMU built a 3-0 first-period lead, but LSSU crept back and tied the game at 3-all with seven seconds remaining in regulation on a goal by Fred Cassiani.

After a scoreless overtime, JJ Crew scored the lone shootout goal.

Brian Mahoney-Wilson made 35 stops in net for LSSU after taking over for Pat Inglis, who made two saves in just less than 10 minutes. Jerry Kuhn had 36 saves for WMU.

In Saturday’s game, Western Michigan’s Ian Slater and Patrick Nagorsen scored in the second and third periods, respectively, for a 2-0 lead. The Broncos, backed by Riley Gill’s 40 saves, held on to win, 2-1.

Mahoney-Wilson stopped 36 shots.

Western Michigan (5-2-1, 1-2-1-1 CCHA) travels to Ohio State Friday and Saturday night, while Lake Superior State (4-5-1, 1-4-1-0) hits the road to play Nebraska-Omaha.

Michigan Tech swept by No. 3 Sioux

By Andy Bourdeau/MTU Beat Writer

Michigan Tech (2-6-0 overall, 1-5-0 WCHA) came off a weekend split with St. Cloud State and looked to gain momentum at the hands of No. 3-ranked North Dakota, but it did not fare as well for the home team.

The Huskies played strong for spurts, but were swept 4-2 and 4-1.

Again, special teams failed the Huskies, giving up four power-play goals, including three on Friday night. MTU goals on Friday came off the sticks of John Kivisto and Eli Vlaisavljevich, while the only goal on Saturday came from Jordan Baker.

Both nights, MTU showed they could compete in spurts, but against a team like UND, it was not enough. UND ended up dominating the majority of play both nights and had it not been for the spectacular play from goalie Kevin Genoe both nights, it would have been much uglier.

Saturday's game was closer than the 4-1 score indicated, as the Sioux scored two goals in the last two minutes of play to put it away.

Genoe ended the nights with 37 saves Friday and 31 on Saturday.

When asked about special teams, Huskies’ coach Jamie Russell said, “Until we correct our penalties, we are making things very difficult for ourselves."

MTU travels to Minnesota Duluth for a two-game WCHA series this weekend.

Bulldogs take a bite out of BGSU

By Tom Morelli/Ferris State Beat Writer

After being swept by Alaska the week before, Ferris State got off their schneid by posting 5-1 and 3-2 victories at home over Bowling Green State.

The Bulldogs received much help from their power-play units on Friday night, as four of their goals came with the man-advantage.

Despite a goal by the Falcons’ Jordan Samuels-Thomas a minute into the second period, Ferris State answered back nearly seven minutes later with a power-play marker from senior Blair Riley.

Just before the mid-point of the stanza, the Bulldogs continued to dominate with the extra attacker, as center Aaron Lewicki and defenseman Brett Wysopal helped set-up freshman Travis Ouellette’s game-winning goal.

Fellow first-year player Matt Kirzinger scored his third of the campaign at 12:04, followed by an even-strength marker by junior Justin Menke to give Ferris State a 4-1 lead after two periods of play.

With charging and tripping calls assessed to Bowling Green early in the third, it didn’t take long for Ferris State to take advantage of the 5-on-3 opportunity, as Riley notched his second lamp-lighter of the contest just 59 seconds in.

Sophomores Chad Billins and Wysopal each finished with two assists apiece.

Goaltender Taylor Nelson finished with 22 saves for the Bulldogs, while the Falcons’ Andrew Hammond and Nick Eno combined for 30.

It was another case of overcoming adversity for Ferris State the following night, as they once again had to rebound from a one-goal deficit.

Following a power-play goal from Bowling Green’s Kai Kantola with 5:20 gone by in the first period, Ouellette was able to score the equalizer just three minutes later.

Ouellette worked his charm again later in the period by finishing off a pass from Scott Wietecha and Lewicki.

Wysopal, a transfer from Colorado College, would score his first goal as a Bulldog in waning moments of the second period in what later proved to be the game-winner.

With a little over three minutes in regulation, Tomas Petruska brought the Falcons within a goal by sneaking the puck past netminder Pat Nagle.

Lewicki garnered an assist on all three scores for Ferris State.

Eno held the edge over Nagle in the saves department by a 36-29 margin.

The Bulldogs (7-3-0 overall, 2-2-0-0 CCHA) will have a real test on their hands this weekend when they travel to Oxford, Ohio to face No. 1 ranked Miami in a two-game set.

Northern Michigan splits with Buckeyes

By Susannah Nichols/ Northern Michigan Beat Writer

The Northern Michigan Wildcats (2-5-1, 1-3-0-0 CCHA) blanked the Ohio State Buckeyes (3-6-1, 2-3-1-1 CCHA) on Friday night in a 1-0 decision, but then lost in a 5-4 contest on Saturday evening.

Mark Olver scored both nights for the Wildcats and goalie Reid Ellingson had a total of 56 saves for the weekend.

Although Olver scored just 22 seconds into Friday's game off a pass by Phil Fox, Ellingson earned his first-star ranking by ensuring that the Wildcats' lead stood for the rest of the night.

The 'Cats and the Buckeyes played neck-and-neck for most of the evening. The Northern players demonstrated their tenacity by winning faceoffs, 37-25, and they outshot the home team, but not by much - 13 shots apiece in the first period, OSU edging Northern, 12-11, in the second, and Northern outshooting OSU, 12-7, in the third.

Northern tried to replicate their performance on Saturday. They struck first again, this time thanks to Tyler Gron, who capitalized on a pass from Andrew Cherniwchan for his first goal of the season. Scott Macaulay was also credited with an assist on Gron's goal.

The 'Cats went up 2-0 late in the first, when Justin Florek and Erik Gustafsson combined to set up Olver for his second goal of the weekend.

The Buckeyes came out swinging in the second period, and despite being outshot, 7-5, managed to tie up the game going into the third period.

A Northern power play early in the third gave Billy Smith the advantage he needed to put the 'Cats back on top. Special teams worked in Northern's favor later in the period, when Cherniwchan netted his first of the season (with some help from Gron and Fox) to give Northern a 4-3 lead.

The Buckeyes tied the game at 11:31, and a late period goal by Sergio Somma sealed the victory for Ohio State.

Ellingson had 24 saves in Saturday's game.

Northern stays on the road next weekend as they face Notre Dame in South Bend on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday at 4:00 p.m.

MSU blanks, ties Nebraska-Omaha

By Matt Mackinder/Michigan State Beat Writer

Michigan State took four points last weekend from No. 10 Nebraska-Omaha in a rare Thursday-Friday series.

In Thursday's opener, Drew Palmisano made 31 saves and national scoring leader Corey Tropp had a goal and an assist for the 17th-ranked Spartans.

"We started out pretty quick, got a quick goal, which got us the lead," Palmisano told MSUSpartans.com. "It is always easier playing with the lead instead of being down or tied, and it forces them into making offensive plays and we took advantage of it. We had a lot of plays down in there zone and it made my job easier. I was not too busy, and when I was, it was not point-blank shots, it was shots of from the outskirts and shots I had to control my rebounds."

National Rookie of the Month Derek Grant tallied the other goal for the Spartans.

Friday night, the two teams skated to a 3-3 tie after overtime, but MSU lost the ensuing shootout, 2-1, in four shooters.

Mike Merrifield tallied a goal and an assist, while Chris Forfar and co-captain Nick Sucharski also scored in regulation.

Palmisano finished with 29 stops for MSU (7-2-1 overall, 4-1-1-0 CCHA).

"They played better and worked harder," Michigan State head coach Rick Comley said to MSUSpartans.com. "They didn't seem to have their jump last night. That is why I think a Thursday-Friday home series really hurts the home team. We don't get any skates, can't get together and are in classes. The visiting team is just here. I'm not taking anything away from them."

The Spartans have a home-and-home set with Michigan, swept this weekend by No. 1 Miami, next weekend starting Friday night in Ann Arbor and concluding the next night in East Lansing.

Lakers hammer Wayne State

by Tom Balog / Wayne State Beat Writer

Mercyhurst’s dominance of Wayne State continued over the weekend as the #1 team in the country skated into the City Sports Center and swept the Warriors (3-5-2, 0-2-0 CHA) in rather convincing fashion.

Friday night the Lakers flexed their muscles and rolled to a 3-1 win on Skate for the Cure night.

Lindsey Park was brilliant in goal for the Warriors, but still couldn’t stop the Lakers from going up 3-0 on goals by Jesse Scanzano, Bailey Bram, and Vicki Bendus.

Sophomore blueliner Jill Szandzik roofed her first of the year at 18:21 of the third period to beat Lakers netminder Hillary Pattenden and spoil the shutout.

Park finished the night with 33 saves in the WSU net. Pattenden only needed to make 12 stops for MC.

Things didn’t get any better for the Warriors on Saturday afternoon as the Lakers cruised to a 7-2 win.

Scanzano kept her hot streak going against WSU, notching a hat trick and one assist to lead the Lakers to their ninth win in ten games this season.

Jess Jones and Kelley Stedman also scored a pair of goals each for MC.

Trailing 3-0, former Laker Lauren Ragen (pictured) got the Warriors on the board just 35-seconds into the second period with her second marker of the season.

"I got the puck out of the corner and was looking to pass it," said Ragen. "My linemates were screaming for me to shoot it and I did and it went in. I was so excited and actually tripped after that. I couldn't stop laughing."

Wayne State other bright spot occurred at 8:01 when Katrina Protopapas hammered in a power-play tally to make it a 4-2 game. Protopapas’s goal was her sixth power-play marker of the season which leads the nation.

Park started in net again for the Warriors, but wasn’t as sharp as Friday night. Park made 8 saves on 11 shots and was relieved at the 15:02 mark of the first period.

Delayne Brian finished out the game and stopped 14 of 18 shots.

Pattenden, playing in her tenth straight game for MC, turned away 23 of 25 shots.

Wayne State will return to action next Friday night in Madison, Wisconsin as they begin a two-game set with the currently sixth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers.

Photo courtesy of WSU Athletics

Warriors Skate for the Cure tonight

Compiled by MiCHO staff

The Wayne State Warriors will welcome the top-ranked Mercyhurst Lakers to the City Sports Center in Detroit for the start of a two-game set this evening.

Tonight’s game will also be Skate for the Cure Night, continuing the CHA’s initiative to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research and treatment.

It is the fifth annual Skate for the Cure event at the City Sports Center. While it is a positive campaign from a philanthropic standpoint, past Skate for the Cure games have not been kind to the Warriors on the scoreboard - Wayne State is 1-3 when hosting this event.

The Warriors fell to then-No. 6 Mercyhurst, 4-2, in the first Skate for the Cure game on Feb. 10, 2006. Wayne State dropped a 6-1 result to Minnesota State on Nov. 10, 2006, and a 5-3 decision to then fourth-ranked St. Lawrence on Nov. 2, 2007.

Last season the team snapped its losing streak, however, with a 4-3 victory over 10th-ranked Northeastern on Nov. 14.

On Saturday, the Warriors will be sponsoring a canned food drive to help feed those in need through the upcoming holiday season.

Tonight’s conference home opener will face off at 7:00 p.m. Saturday’s game will feature a 2:00 p.m. start for the series finale.

MiCHO Power Poll 11.04.09

This week's MiCHO Power Poll has the Michigan Wolverines on top where they have been all season long.

Michigan went north last weekend and swept Lake Superior State on the road pretty convincingly.

The No. 2 Michigan State Spartans survived a scare in the first game of the series, but swept Western Michigan in a home-and-home set when all was said and done.

Changes in the poll this week see Northern Michigan drop to No. 7 and last week's cellar-dweller, Michigan Tech, move up to No. 6.

The rest of the poll is below.

1) Michigan (swept Lake Superior State)
2) Michigan State (swept Western Michigan)
3) Western Michigan (swept by Michigan State)
4) Ferris State (swept by Alaska)
5) Lake Superior State (swept by Michigan)

6) Michigan Tech (split with St. Cloud State)
7) Northern Michigan (swept by Miami)

Each week, MichiganCollegeHockey.com staffers will compile the MiCHO Power Poll. The poll will comprise the seven Division I teams in the state of Michigan.