Wayne State submits proposal to CCHA

I want you to want me:

As first reported by James Jahnke in last week's INCH CCHA Notebook, Wayne State has officially presented a proposal to the CCHA to join the league.

“We have officially made a proposal to join the league for the 2008-09 season and sent a letter of application,” said coach Bill Wilkinson. “We have not gotten any reaction or been given a timetable, but I expect it will be on the agenda for the spring meetings in Florida — at least I hope so. I don’t expect anything until then.”

Also in the column, CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos commented on the future of College Hockey America.

“I think that is one issue that will percolate a little as we look to the future," Anastos said. "Our feeling has always been that we want to do anything we can to help the CHA stay together, because, without it, it will be difficult to grow college hockey.

"Last April, some of us went to the NCAA Hockey Committee to draw up some legislation that would give the committee authority to grant the CHA an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament even with fewer than six teams, which would allow it to continue to operate. I’m not sure that that legislation has gone all the way through the NCAA yet, but it has at least been passed at a few levels, so that’s all good news. But that said, many of those CHA programs are concerned about their long-term viability and have started to look around … but our preference is to see the CHA stay together.”

Full article HERE.

WMU's LoVecchio honored by CCHA

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association announced today that sophomore forward Jeff LoVecchio of Western Michigan University has been named the RBC Financial Group CCHA Player of the Month for January.

LoVecchio, a 21-year old from Chesterfield, Mo., began the month of January by assisting on the lone Broncos goal in a 5-1 loss at Bowling Green on Jan. 5. The following night, LoVecchio scored his first shorthanded goal of the season to help Western Michigan earn a road split with a 5-0 victory.

Western Michigan then began an eight-game homestand by hosting the top two teams in the CCHA, Miami and Notre Dame, on consecutive weekends. LoVecchio tallied a goal and an assist in a 5-3 loss to the No. 3-ranked RedHawks on Jan. 12 before scoring twice and adding an assist in a 5-3 Broncos win on Jan. 13 to earn a split while finishing +6 for the series. LoVecchio registered his second shorthanded goal of the season and added an assist in a 3-2 win over No. 3-ranked Notre Dame on Jan. 19 and recorded a team-high seven shots in a 3-0 loss to the Irish the following night.

Western Michigan ended the month on a three-game winning streak with a conference victory over Ferris State and home-ice sweep of Alabama-Huntsville. LoVecchio scored the game-winning goal, tallied an assist and was +3 in a game for the third time in January in a 5-2 win over the Bulldogs on Jan. 23. He recorded his fifth multi-point game of January with two goals in a 6-5 overtime win against the Chargers on Jan. 27.

For the month, LoVecchio finished with nine goals and eight assists in nine games while leading the Broncos to a 6-3-0 record. He averaged 1.56 point-per game and recorded two shorthanded goals, a game-winning goal and a +12 rating.

Special mention for RBC Financial Group CCHA Player of the Month goes to Notre Dame senior goaltender David Brown, Michigan sophomore forward Andrew Cogliano, Michigan State junior forward Bryan Lerg, Ohio State junior forward Dominic Maiani, Nebraska-Omaha senior forward Scott Parse and Northern Michigan junior forward Mike Santorelli.

Hockey Day in Michigan is gearing up

The second annual Hockey Day in Michigan will hit the ice in a little over a week on February 10th and the list of exciting events keeps on growing.

Already on the agenda are “Hockey is Fun” clinics at the Joe Louis Arena, Detroit Red Wings open practice, as well as a wealth of youth and high school age events throughout the state.

Two college hockey games will be also be televised on FSN Detroit, including Alaska at Western Michigan at 4:35 p.m. and Michigan vs. Michigan State at Joe Louis Arena at 7:35 p.m.

For a full list of Hockey Day in Michigan events, please visit the CCHA website HERE.

MiCHO Power Poll 1.30.07

For the fourth straight week, the Michigan State Spartans, the sixth-ranked team in the country, are on top of our MiCHO Power Poll. The Spartans were idle, but are still enjoying a five-game winning streak and an impressive run of taking 10 of their last 12 contests. The 11th-ranked Michigan Wolverines are nipping at the Spartans' heels after dominating Ferris State in a two-game set at Yost. Western Michigan also moves up to No. 5 after beating Ferris State on Tuesday and sweeping Alabama-Huntsville at Lawson.

1) Michigan State, 16-8-1 (idle)
2) Michigan, 19-9-0 (swept FSU)
3) Lake Superior State, 14-11-3 (split with OSU)
4) Michigan Tech, 12-13-3 (took three points from CC)
5) Western Michigan, 12-13-1 (swept UAH)
6) Northern Michigan, 11-17-2 (swept by UNO)
7) Wayne State, 7-19-0 (swept at No. 16 Niagara)
8) Ferris State, 7-18-3 (swept by U-M)

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. (national rankings and rankings in parenthesis reflect the USCHO/CSTV Division I Men's Poll)

Michigan dominates Ferris State in sweep

The Michigan Wolverines swept aside Ferris State last weekend and in doing so outscored the Bulldogs, 15-6.

Friday, powered by an offensive charge led by Jack Johnson's first-career hat trick and two tallies from both Kevin Porter and T.J. Hensick, the Wolverines cruised to a 9-4 victory over Ferris State at Yost Ice Arena.

David Rohlfs and Travis Turnbull also added goals for Michigan and Billy Sauer made 36 stops.

"It is great to see the puck go in when our defensemen are jumping up and getting shots," Michigan head coach Red Berenson said. "And Jack scored different types of goals. Our defense can be dangerous, and obviously Johnson can be. Good for him, it is a good place to have your first hat trick."

Eric Vesely potted a pair for FSU and singles came from Mark Bomersback and Brendan Connelly. Derek MacIntyre made 21 saves.

Then Saturday, Johnson scored two more and added two assists in a 6-2 win.

"I just kept firing," said Johnson. "The past 10 games or so, they were not going in for me, but I had the mentality to keep shooting, and eventually one of them is going to go in. I kind of made a living off this weekend from great passes from Andrew (Cogliano) and Matt (Hunwick). I started getting the bounces going my way."

Hunwick, Cogliano, Turnbull and Brian Lebler scored U-M's other goals and Sauer turned aside 22 shots.

Mitch O'Keefe made 28 saves for the Bulldogs, who got goals from Bomersback and Zac Pearson.

Michigan (19-9-0, 14-6-0 CCHA) has a home-and-home with Western Michigan starting Friday in Kalamazoo. Ferris State (7-18-3, 4-14-2 CCHA) hosts Ohio State.

Photo by Eric Bronson, © Wolverine Photo

Western Michigan sweeps UAH

Western Michigan won one game rather handily and another in overtime last weekend at home against Alabama-Huntsville

Friday, the Broncos won 5-0 behind a 26-save shutout from Riley Gill.

Jeff Pierce scored twice and Ryan Mahrle, Jason Moul and Paul Szczechura added singles for WMU.

Brian Bicek added three assists for Western Michigan.

Szczechura's goal at the end of overtime, his second of the game, gave WMU the 6-5 victory Saturday night.

Jeff LoVecchio scored twice in regulation and Mark Letustu and Pierce also scored to back Daniel Bellissimo's 34-save outing.

The Broncos (12-13-1, 9-10-1 CCHA) play a home-and-home series with Michigan this weekend starting Friday in Kalamazoo.

Warriors halted by Purple Eagles

Wayne State's brief two game winning streak was snapped on Friday night as the Niagara Purple Eagles rolled to a 4-2 win at Dwyer Arena in western New York.

The Purps leading goal scorer Ted Cook scored a 5-on-3 power-play goal in the first period to give the home team a 1-0 lead.

The Warriors responded early in the second with goals by Nate Higgins and Jason Baclig to take a 2-1 advantage.

The 16th-ranked Eagles owned the remainder of the games scoring on a goal Ryan Annesley, a second power-play goal by Cook, and a third period tally by Matt Caruana.

Brett Bothwell started in net for WSU and stopped 16 of 20 shots.

Juliano Pagliero turned sway 37 of 39 blasts for NU.

Wayne State fought back on Saturday night, but eventually fell by a final of 4-3.

After spotting the Purps a 3-0 lead, the Warriors got third-period markers from Mike Forgie and Tylor Michel to trim the lead to one.

The always dangerous Cook put the Eagles back up by two goals with 26th goal of the year at the 16-minute mark.

Jon Grabarek popped in a 4-on-4 goal with the extra attacker on, but that was as close as Wayne would get.

Bothwell started again between the pipes for WSU and stopped 27 of 31 shots.

Pagliero stopped 36 of 39 for NU.

Wayne State (7-19-0, 3-9-0 CHA) will take on the USA Under-18 Team back home at the Coliseum on Friday night.

Finlandia men sweep Northland

Finlandia women not as lucky

It was night and day last weekend for the men's and women's teams from Finlandia.

The men swept Northland at home, while the women lost to Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Wisconsin-River Falls at home.

Lukas Alberer needed to make just six saves in FU's 10-0 rout Friday night.

Josh Paquette and Blake Miller each scored twice and Joe Beaudry added a goal and four assists. Marc Marcotte, Mike Parks, Ryan Sullivan (three assists), Kasey Kreuter and Mitch Tallent also registered goals.

Saturday, Beaudry, Parks, Jason Aldrich and Brandon VanAcker scored in a 4-1 win. Joe Juntilla made nine stops.

The women, meanwhile, fell to Eau Claire, 4-1, on Saturday. Katie Markovich made 15 saves and Jana Riutta scored the Lions' lone goal.

Sunday versus River Falls, FU dropped a 5-3 decision. Riutta, Sara Sleik and Ashley Leitch tallied and Corinne Czekaj stopped 16 in net.

The FU men (13-6-0, 11-3-0 MCHA) are at Lawrence this weekend and the women (4-13-2, 0-8-1 NCHA) are on the road Saturday at Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Sunday against Lake Forest.

Wildcats drop both to Mavericks

The Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks swept Northern Michigan over the weekend by scores of 5-2 and 6-1.

Each night, the Wilcdats jumped out to a 1-0 lead, which they held into the first intermission. Each night, the Wildcats fell apart.

During the offensive outburst, Maverick goals came in from Brandon Scero, Dan Knapp, Scott Parse (2), Mick Lawrence, Dan Charleston (2), Dan Swanson, Mike Eickman and Nick Fanto. NMU goals were scored by Mike Santorelli (2) and Ray Kaunisto.

Special teams proved to be the focal point of the series, however, as UNO was 3-14 on the power-play. NMU (11-17-2, 8-13-1), on the other hand, was 0-10 with the advantage, although it was worse than that for the 'Cats; the Northern power-play unit surrendered a pair of shorthanded goals to the Mavericks.

The Mavericks now look ahead to a home series with the Michigan State Spartans (16-8-1, 12-6-1) while NMU prepares for a home-and-home against the Lake Superior State Lakers (14-11-3, 8-9-3)

MTU takes three from #13 Colorado College

Michigan Tech came into the weekend in eighth place in the WCHA and a shot at home ice for the playoffs. They had the difficult task of taking on the Tigers from Colorado College, a team that MTU has struggled with in the past years. Backstopped by the sophomore duo in net, the Huskies tied 2-2 and won 1-0 over the weekend.

It was Alex Gagne and Tyler Shelast (pictured) giving the Huskies a 2-0 lead in the second. The goals came after a 0-0 first period. The Tigers brought it to a 1 goal lead before the buzzer sounded to end the period.

With nine minutes remaining, CC tied the game with a power-play goal. Michael Lee Teslak stayed strong in net for the remainder of the period and the five minutes in overtime to get the tie for his team. Teslak ended the night with 23 saves.

Saturday, it was Shelast again giving the Huskies the lead. This time it was all that Rob Nolan needed as he stopped all 25 shots he faced, including 11 in the third, for his first career shutout.

MTU ended the weekend tied for sixth in the WCHA, three points out of the home ice position. Shelast is also on a five-game point streak.

Michigan Tech (12-13-3, 7-10-3 WCHA) will travel to Minnesota State for a weekend series Friday and Saturday in Mankato.

Warriors sweep away Robert Morris

The Wayne State Warriors (11-14-1, 3-3-0 CHA) defeated the Robert Morris Colonials (9-15-2, 1-5-0 CHA) twice this weekend. They won 5-2 on Friday, thanks in large part to a Melissa Boal hat trick, and nailed an overtime 3-2 win on Saturday on the quick stick of Sam Poyton (pictured).

The Warriors thoroughly dominated the Colonials for the first two periods of Friday's game. Special teams proved to be critical for the team as Boal, Brandi Frakie and Danielle Wilson each scored a power-play goal in the first half of the game, and Boal then added a shorthanded goal to give the Warriors an impressive 4-0 lead.

Robert Morris attempted to mount a comeback by scoring two goals in the third period, but the Warriors were out of reach. Boal capitalized on the Colonials' decision to pull their goalie in the game's final minute as she notched an empty-net goal to seal the game at 5-2 and complete her second career hat trick.

The victory was a true team effort: Chelsea Burnett, Tina Vanderhoeven, Laura Monk, Lindsay DiPietro, Poyton, and Boal were all credited with assists.

The Warriors outshot the Colonials 28-21; Valery Turcotte finished with 19 saves.

The Colonials kept Saturday's game close, as they struck first midway through the first period.

Wayne State retaliated in the second period. Boal and Amanda Hungle set up Katrina Protopapas. On a third-period power play, Boal teamed with Frakie to get the puck to Burnett, who got the lead back for the Warriors.

The game looked to be wrapped up for the Warriors until the Colonials pulled their goalie and Kristen Miles scored with less than a minute remaining to send the game to overtime.

Their hope was short lived, however. Poyton only took eight seconds to slam in the winning shot. DiPietro and Christine Jefferson earned assists on the game winner.

Turcotte finished with 18 saves on Saturday, and the Warriors dominated the Colonials in shots, 38-20.

The Warriors are idle next weekend, and then face Niagara on the road February 9-10.

Tyler Gron commits to NMU

Chris Heisenberg is reporting that the Northern Michigan Wildcats have received a verbal commitment from Spruce Grove Saints forward Tyler Gron.

Gron was a third-round pick of the WHL Prince George Cougars, but when he didn't want to report to the Cougars, his rights were traded to the Medicine Hat Tigers. Soon after, the 5-foot 11, 195-pound forward decided, instead, to go the route of the American college athlete.

This season, Gron has 21 goals and 21 assists in 48 games with his hometown Saints, members of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and he is on the 2006-07 North All-Star team. In two seasons at Spruce Grove, he has picked up 33 goals and 41 assists.

His September 7, 1989 birthday will make him a true 18-year old freshman at the start of next season.

Current NMU players Nathan Sigmund and Nick Sirota also played for Spruce Grove.