Michigan's Porter garners CCHA honor

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association announced today that junior forward Kevin Porter of the University of Michigan has been named the RBC Financial Group CCHA Player of the Month for November.

The 20-year old from Northville led Michigan in scoring during November, recording eight goals and 10 assists in nine games, as the Wolverines posted a 7-2-0 record. He stands second in the CCHA in conference scoring and is third among league players in overall points.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound forward recorded six multi-point games for the Wolverines highlighted by a four-point effort in a 6-2 win over Michigan State on Nov. 4 that jumpstarted a seven-game winning streak and was followed by his second career hat trick in a 6-4 victory over Nebraska-Omaha on Nov. 10. Porter contributed three assists to Michigan's Nov. 17-18 road sweep of Ferris State before scoring one goal and assisting on the game-winning goal in Michigan's 2-1 decision over the arch-rival Spartans on Nov. 21.

He concluded the month with a goal and two assists in the College Hockey Showcase, including a helper on the third period winner at Wisconsin on Nov. 24.

Porter, a fourth-round draft pick of Phoenix in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, has produced 11-11-22 during his current 11-game point streak that started on Oct. 27 with two goals, including the overtime winner, and an assist in a 4-3 non-conference victory over Northeastern University.

He has been held off the scoresheet just once in the Wolverines' 15 games this season.

Special mention for RBC Financial Group CCHA Player of the Month honors goes to Notre Dame senior goalie David Brown, Ohio State senior defenseman Sean Collins, Miami junior forward Nathan Davis, Alaska junior forward Kyle Greentree and Western Michigan junior forward Jeff Pierce.

Chelsea Burnett honored by CHA

The CHA recognized Wayne State forward Chelsea Burnett as Rookie of the Week.

She scored a goal late in the third period of WSU's 5-4 loss to Boston College last weekend.

It is the second time Burnett has received the honor this season.

Sophomore Lindsay DiPietro received a nomination for Offensive Player of the Week.

MiCHO Power Poll 11.28.06

The Michigan Wolverines stretched their winning streak to seven games before falling to top-ranked Minnesota at the College Hockey Showcase. Wins early in the week over Michigan State and Wisconsin have the Maize and Blue on top of our weekly MiCHO Power Poll for the fourth straight week.

1) Michigan, 11-4-0 (beat MSU & Wisconsin, lost to Minnesota)
2) Michigan State, 6-6-1 (lost to U-M, Minnesota and Wisconsin)
3) Northern Michigan, 7-6-2 (idle)
4) Lake Superior State, 8-5-1 (one point at Alaska)
5) Michigan Tech, 6-4-2 (idle)
6) Western Michigan, 5-6-1 (lost at FSU on Tuesday)
7) Ferris State, 4-8-1 (shutout WMU)
8) Wayne State, 3-10-0 (split at No. 12 Cornell)

Each week, MichiganCollegeHockey.com editors Matt Mackinder and Tom Balog will compile the MiCHO Power Poll. The poll will comprise the eight Division I teams in the state of Michigan.

Warriors split at No. 12 Cornell

Not a lot of people, admittedly including yours truly, gave Wayne State much of a shot over the weekend.

The Warriors (3-10-0, 1-1-0 CHA) were traveling to Ithaca, New York to battle the 12th ranked Cornell Big Red.

Wayne State head coach Bill Wilkinson had his team ready to go once again though and the Warriors pulled off the shocker, splitting with the Big Red on their home ice.

Four power-play goals were the difference in Saturday's opener as the Warriors earned a 5-4 win in front of over 4,200 at the Lynah Rink.

Senior Jason Baclig (pictured) led the Green and Gold with a goal and two assists. Nate Higgins, Derek Bachynski, Dan Iliakis and Mark Nebus also scored as Wayne State won their third road game of the season.

Freshman goalie Brett Bothwell improved his personal record to 3-3-0, stopping 27 shots for the victory.

Cornell outshot WSU 31-23 for the game and finished the evening with a 3-for-11 power play. Wayne State went 4-for-7 with the man advantage.

Wayne State couldn't duplicate the magic on Sunday afternoon as they were blanked by Cornell, 2-0.

Senior netminder Will Hooper stopped 26 shots in the loss.

The Big Red out gunned Wayne 28-21 and converted one power-play attempt on ten opportunities. Wayne State went 0-for-7 with the man-advantage.

The loss was also the fourth time in the last eight games that the Warriors have been shut out.

Wayne State returns home to the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum this weekend for a pair of CHA contests against the Bemidji State Beavers.

Both games are slated to begin at 7:05 p.m. and there will be free admission to everyone who brings an unwrapped toy for the US Marines Corps Toys for Tots program.

Photo courtesy Mark Hicks / Westside Photography

Michigan splits at College Hockey Showcase

The Michigan Wolverines upended Wisconsin, but couldn't slay the Minnesota dragon at last weekend's College Hockey Showcase.

Friday in Madison, David Rohlfs and Andrew Cogliano (pictured) scored 27 seconds apart in the third period to help Michigan to a 4-3 win over the Badgers. Tim Miller and T.J. Hensick also scored and Kevin Porter and Cogliano added two assists apiece.

Billy Sauer made 34 saves in the victory.

Top-ranked Minnesota, fresh off beating Michigan State Friday, dominated the Wolverines, 8-2, Saturday night. Sauer made 44 saves and Hensick had a goal and an assist for the Wolverines. Porter scored U-M's other goal.

Michigan's five-game losing streak to Minnesota is the longest since a seven-game streak that lasted from 1979-80 through 1986-87. Michigan's last win against the Gophers came on Dec. 11, 2002.

The Wolverines (11-4-0, 7-2-0 CCHA) return to CCHA action this weekend with a home-and-home series against Western Michigan. The Wolverines host the Broncos on Friday for a 7:35 p.m. puck drop on Comcast Local. Saturday's game will be played in Kalamazoo and starts at 7:35 p.m.

MSU swept at College Hockey Showcase

It wasn't the showcase weekend Michigan State was hoping for.

The Spartans were swept at the College Hockey Showcase, losing to both Minnesota and Wisconsin last weekend at the annual Thanksgiving weekend event.

Michigan State got a three-point night from Justin Abdelkader (goal, two assists) and a pair of goals from Tim Kennedy, but fell to top-ranked Minnesota, 5-4, in the opening game Friday night in Minneapolis.

Mike Ratchuk (pictured) also scored and Jeff Lerg finished with 28 saves.

Saturday night, MSU was blanked, 2-0, by sophomore Wisconsin goalie Shane Connelly in Madison.

Lerg made 25 saves for the Spartans (6-6-1, 4-4-1 CCHA), who were shut out for the first time since Feb. 12, 2005 at Alaska-Fairbanks (1-0) and now have a three-game losing streak for the first time since Nov. 11-15, 2005.

The Spartans get a home series on the slate this weekend in hosting Ohio State at Munn Ice Arena.

Lions fall to Augsburg, Bethel

At the Augsburg Holiday Tournament last week, Finlandia lost to both the host Auggies and the Bethel Royals.

Wednesday, FU could muster just a power-play goal from Mike Parks and the Lions fell, 5-1. Joe Juntilla made 18 saves in goal.

(And a guy named Critter Nagurski had a goal and two assists for Augsburg)

Then last Thursday, Ryan Sullivan and Joe Beaudry scored in a 7-2 defeat. Juntilla finished with 37 stops for the Lions (3-3-0, 3-1-0 MCHA).

Finlandia hosts Lawrence this weekend.

The Finlandia women were idle last weekend and host Wisconsin-Superior this weekend.

Warriors drop two at UNH tournament

The Wayne State Warriors departed the UNH Tournament 0-2. They lost 7-1 to the host Wildcats on Friday, and fell 5-4 to Boston College on Saturday.

The Warriors' records now stands at 5-9-0 overall.

New Hampshire, ranked second in the country, lived up to its reputation. The Wildcats scored six straight goals on netminder Valery Turcotte before she was pulled and replaced by Tiffany Thompson.

Freshman Brandi Frakie scored a power-play goal midway through the third period to put Wayne State on the board, but UNH scored again to end the game 7-1. Laura Monk assisted on Frakie's goal.

Turcotte finished with 24 saves; Thompson with six.

The Warriors kept Saturday's contest close. Although the Eagles scored two goals to open the game, Melissa Boal set up Lindsay DiPietro to cut BC's lead to one. Two minutes later, DiPietro set up Sam Poyton (pictured) for the tying goal. The goal was Poyton's fifth of the season.

The Eagles wrestled back the lead. Deborah Spillane scored in the final minutes of the first period and Lauren Wiedmeier added a tally to put BC up 4-2.

Poyton took another pass from DiPietro to score her second goal of the night on the power play, but BC struck again to widen their lead to 5-3. Chelsea Burnett scored at 17:49 of the third, but the Warriors couldn't eke out a tying score and the game ended 5-4. DiPietro assisted on Burnett's goal for her fourth point of the night.

Thompson started in net for the Warriors, but was pulled in favor of Turcotte after she allowed the Eagles' first two goals. Thompson made three saves, while Turcotte finished with 18.

The Warriors are idle this coming weekend and then continue battling ranked teams when they welcome No. 8 Princeton to Detroit the weekend of Dec. 8-9.

Both Friday and Saturday's games against the Tigers will feature a promotion in conjunction with the US Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. Each person bringing an unwrapped toy to the game(s) will recieve free admission.

Lakers salvage one point in Alaska trip

Lake Superior State University was only able to earn one point in their trip to Alaska this weekend, tying 2-2 on Friday night and falling 3-1 in Saturday's finale.

The Lakers are now 3-4-0 in Saturday contests, with wins against Wayne State and American International, but are only 1-3-0 in CCHA play, including losing their past three CCHA games played on Saturday evenings.

Friday night, the Lakers jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the Nanooks with Josh Sim and Derek A. Smith each scoring on the power play. Senior goaltender Jeff Jakaitis allowed two Alaska even-strength goals 41 seconds apart just after the midway point of the second period by Ryan Muspratt and Darcy Campbell to give the Nanooks a 2-2 tie.

Lake Superior State found themselves down early in the game Saturday night with the Nanooks' Kyle Greentree slipping a goal past Jakaitis just 52 seconds into the game.

Greentree added a second goal just past the midpoint of the first period and then completed the hat trick with under four minutes remaining in the second period on the power play after a frustrated LSSU team was called for three consecutive penalties.

The lone bright spot for the Lakers was Sim scoring his second goal of the weekend and sixth of the season.

LSSU went 2-for-13 on the power play and held UA to 1-for-11 with the extra man on the weekend.

Next weekend, the Lakers play a home-and-home series against Northern Michigan University.