Wolverines release '05-06 schedule

Michigan's 84th season of hockey
will feature 19 games at historic Yost Arena

Head coach Red Berenson of the University of Michigan ice hockey team announced today the team's schedule for the 2005-06 season. The Wolverines will play 36 regular-season contests, including 19 at the friendly confines of Yost Ice Arena. U-M will face five opponents that finished the 2004-05 season ranked in the top 15 nationally by the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.

The Maize and Blue's 84th season begins with the annual Blue/White intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday, Oct. 1. U-M faces the University of Toronto in an exhibition tune-up the following day (Sunday, Oct. 2).

Michigan begins the season with a five-game homestand. Quinnipiac visits Ann Arbor for a two-game series to formally start the season Oct. 7-8. The non-conference schedule continues with a heavyweight bout against the nationally renowned Boston College Eagles on Friday, Oct. 14. The early non-conference schedule concludes on Sunday, Oct. 16, against Merrimack.

U-M's lone home match-up with rival Michigan State kicks off the 28-game CCHA schedule on Saturday, Oct. 22. Michigan plays Michigan State a total of four times in the conference as a result of the schools being in the same cluster. Nebraska-Omaha and Alaska Fairbanks are also included in U-M's cluster. Michigan visits UAF for a two-game set the second week of the CCHA season, Oct. 28-29. U-M then returns for a home-and-home weekend (Nov. 4-5) against Notre Dame that begins in South Bend, Ind. The Wolverines travel to Marquette, Mich., for a Nov. 11-12 series with Northern Michigan before they get a weekend off Nov. 18-19.

The 13th annual College Hockey Showcase awaits the Maize and Blue when it returns to action Nov. 25-26. Although U-M holds the best record in the CHS over Michigan State, Minnesota and Wisconsin at 14-9-1, the Wolverines will be looking to snap their four-game losing streak over the past two seasons. Minnesota is up first on Friday, Nov. 25, and Wisconsin comes to town Saturday, Nov. 26. The Badgers beat U-M in Madison, Wis., in the fall of 2004; however, Michigan answered by ending UW's season in the 2005 NCAA Tournament.

Michigan wraps up the first half of its season slate with a road series against Miami (Dec. 2-3) and a home series vs. Nebraska-Omaha (Dec. 9-10).

The 41st annual Great Lakes Invitational in Detroit, Mich., runs Dec. 29-30. Michigan plays in the nightcap on Thursday (Dec. 29) against GLI invitee Colorado College, which overcame a 3-0 deficit in the 2005 NCAA Midwest Regional final to eliminate the Wolverines from the national tournament. Depending upon the outcome against CC, Michigan will see either Michigan State or Michigan Tech on Friday (Dec. 30) in the championship or third-place game.

Michigan wraps up its season series with Alaska Fairbanks in a home series Jan. 6-7. The U.S. National Team Development Program Under-18 team makes its sixth annual visit to Yost Ice Arena on Friday, Jan. 13. The Wolverines play their first of three Tuesday evening contests on Jan. 17 when they head to East Lansing, Mich., to take on the Spartans. The week continues with a home-and-home series that starts at Bowling Green Jan. 20-21. U-M goes back to Michigan State on Friday, Jan. 27, and then the in-state rivals put the final touches on the season series at Joe Louis Arena on Saturday, Jan. 28.

The final month of the regular season starts with a Tuesday, Jan. 31, tilt vs. Western Michigan. U-M makes the return trip to Kalamzoo, Mich., on Tuesday, Feb. 7. In between, the Maize and Blue hosts Ohio State Feb. 3-4. Lake Superior State comes to Ann Arbor for two games Feb. 10-11. Michigan finishes the series against UNO in Omaha, Neb., in a non-traditional Saturday-Sunday format Feb. 18-19.

The final series of the season is a home-and-home pair with Ferris State Feb. 24-25. FSU hosts game one while U-M will have the regular-season finale to honor its five-member senior class on Senior Night.

All 12 CCHA teams will qualify for the CCHA Tournament, but seeds 1-4 will receive first-round byes for the weekend of March 3-5, during which the squads that finished fifth through 12th will play best-of-three series at campus sites. The four teams remaining after the first round will travel to the campuses of top four seeds for a second round of best-of-three series March 10-12. It has yet to be determined whether teams will be reseeded following the first round. The four teams that emerge from the second round will move on to Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich., for the CCHA semifinals and finals Friday and Saturday, March 17-18. The victor of the CCHA Tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The road to Frozen Four will travel through four NCAA Regional sites. Two regionals will be held on March 24-25, with the University of North Dakota hosting the West Regional at the Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D., and the Northeast Regional, hosted by Boston University, being played at Worcester's Centrum Centre in Worcester, Mass. On March 25-26, Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute and the ECAC will co-host the East Regional at Pepsi Arena in Albany, N.Y., while Michigan Tech University hosts the Midwest Regional at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wis.

Having made a record-setting 15 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, the Wolverines will be driving to get back to the Frozen Four after missing out in each of the last two campaigns. The 2006 Frozen Four will take place in Milwaukee, Wis., with games being played at the Bradley Center. The national semifinals will be on Thursday, April 6, and the NCAA championship game will be played on Saturday, April 8.

See the press release HERE and schedule HERE.

USA National Junior camp roster has college feel

The 43 invitees for USA Hockey's 2005 National Junior Team Evaluation Camp, to be held Aug. 5-14 in Lake Placid, N.Y., were announced yesterday and several Michigan college players will have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot for the annual World Junior Championship tournament held at Christmastime.

Of the 43 players, 29 are college players who represent 13 schools, with Michigan (four players) and Michigan State (three players) well accounted for.

Incoming Wolverines defensemen Jack Johnson and Mark Mitera will join future Spartan Brandon Gentile on the blue line along with former MSU defender A.J. Thelen.

Up front, current MSU forward Bryan Lerg and future freshman Justin Abdelkader join Michigan's Chad Kolarik and Kevin Porter.

Michigan recruit Andrew Cogliano was invited to Team Canada's camp as well.

The World Junior tournament will take place Dec. 26, 2005-Jan. 6, 2006 in Vancouver, B.C.

U-M grad Nystrom eager to start pro career

Eric Nystrom is ready to follow
his father's footsteps into the NHL

By RANDY SPORTAK -- Calgary Sun

If you think you're following the negotiations between the NHL and its players, imagine how tightly Eric Nystrom is monitoring the situation.

A new collective bargaining agreement isn't all that's standing between Nystrom and his first NHL contract but it is the biggest obstacle.

"I'm keeping a close eye on it," said the Flames 2002 first-round draft choice. "It looks like things are going well and hopefully sooner than later it gets done."

In Calgary for the prospects camp that wrapped up yesterday, Nystrom hopes to soon be making a home in the Stampede City.

Though likely a year or two away from being an NHLer, the son of Islanders multi-Cup winner Bob Nystrom showed over the past few days he's closer than nearly all the others on the track to the Flames roster.

"It's nice graduating from school and getting a chance to see the next level and not worrying about going back to school," said the University of Michigan grad. "It's becoming a true part of the organization."

A Sutter player in the way he pays close attention to his defensive responsibilities and plays with tenacity, the left-winger/centre knows he must climb the depth chart.

"I'm 22 years old, older than most of the guys here, so you expect to make the jump. You expect to make the big club," he said.

"But if it takes spending a year in the minors and getting some seasoning, that's what it takes."

Of course, that would mean going to a place where he's hardly popular.

The University of Nebraska-Omaha is in the same conference as Michigan and Nystrom did his share of damage to the Mavericks.

"I've had some good success against Omaha," he said with a laugh. "I actually played in that arena the minor-league team is going to be in.

"They don't like Michigan Wolverines in Omaha but I'd be playing for the home team if that's where I'm playing and hopefully will give them a reason to cheer."

Shyiak leaves NMU for Alaska-Anchorage

Northern Michigan associate head coach Dave Shyiak has been named the new head coach at Alaska-Anchorage, replacing John Hill who left to take an assistant's position at Minnesota.

Shyiak was an assistant for 10 seasons with the Wildcats, including the past three as the associate head coach.

At NMU, Shyiak has helped guide the Wildcats to seven 20-win seasons, six Central Collegiate Hockey Association Super Six tournament berths and one NCAA tournament appearance (1998-99). The Wildcats have averaged over 20 wins a season under Shyiak’s tenure. NMU was a member of the WCHA during Shyiak’s first three seasons as an assistant.

“My family and I are extremely excited to have this opportunity. We can’t wait to get to Anchorage to begin building relationships with the team, the staff and the community,” Shyiak said. “My vision and passion for this position remains the same as it was four years ago when I applied — UAA hockey has great potential to grow and have success. John (Hill) has created a very stable foundation and both Jack (Kowal) and Keith’s (Morris) recruiting efforts have resulted in upgrading the talent level. I am particularly grateful to Dr. Cobb and the UAA administration for this opportunity. Everyone has treated me first class.”

Northern Michigan head coach Walt Kyle was happy to hear of the promotion, yet down at the same time.

“I’m extremely happy for Dave and his family," Kyle said. "This is a big loss for our program — he’s been such a part of NMU hockey, both as a player and as a coach and has done a great job for us. Anchorage is getting a great man who will do an excellent job.”

A co-captain on NMU’s 1991 NCAA Championship team, Shyiak also claimed two WCHA Tournament titles (1989 and 1991) and one WCHA regular-season title (1991) as a player. He earned WCHA All-Academic Team accolades in 1988. He earned a bachelors of science in Physical Education from Northern Michigan in 1993.

The 38-year-old Shyiak was a finalist for the UAA head coaching position in 2001. He and his wife Lucia are the parents of two sons - Kristian (1) and Sheldon (newborn).

For the Northern Michigan release follow the link:
http://newsbureau.nmu.edu/wildcats/story.cfm?storyid=1169.

For the Alaska Anchorage release follow the link: http://www.goseawolves.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=readStory&story_id=2033.

Anzalone’s ship sinking?

LSSU head coach Frank Anzalone has been unable
to bail out the Lakers in his four seasons back with the team

The rumors surrounding Lake Superior State head coach Frank Anzalone continue to swirl amid a recent article by InsideCollegeHockey.com.

The buzz originally surrounding Anzalone was that the Lakers head man would either step down or be fired after posting a dismal 32-97-20 record in his second stint in the Sault.

The school has yet to comment on the speculation, but former LSSU player and current assistant Jim Roque has already been tabbed as a possible replacement and former Soo Indians (NAHL) head coach Joe Shawhan would then assume Roque's assistant coach position.

Anzalone was extremely successful his first time at the Lakers helm from 1983-1990, piloting the squad to a 191-108-22 overall record, one CCHA regular-season title, four NCAA Tournament appearances and a National Championship in 1988.

But since his return in 2001, the team has finished no better than 9th place in the CCHA and the roster has been constantly plagued with defections.

Last season, the Lakers finished with an overall record of 9-22-7 for their third straight campaign with less than ten wins.