MTU weekend preview - Nov. 2, 2007

Michigan Tech (4-2-0, 3-1-0) is on the road for the first time this year, giving the team a chance for some needed bond time. They head to a tough opponent in the tenth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers. The Huskies are coming off a split at home with last week's No. 1 team in the country, North Dakota.

MTU will look to Michael-Lee Teslak in net and a solid performance from the defense to remain at the top of the WCHA standings. They will need good defense as the Badgers have one of the most exciting players of the year in Kyle Turris. He was drafted third in this past year's NHL Entry Draft by Phoenix and is that good. It has been said that Wisconsin has not seen a prospect like Turris since Dany Heatley a few years back.

Current leading scorers for the Huskies early in the season are Malcolm Gwilliam (2-4--6) and Drew Dobson (1-4--5).

MiCHO Power Poll 10.31.2007

For the third straight week the Michigan Wolverines find themselves in the top spot on the MiCHO Power Poll.

The third-ranked Maize and Blue swept Boston University at Yost last weekend to extend their winning streak to four games. Matt Rust scored a pair of markers on Friday night as Michigan rolled to a 4-2 win over BU. Six different players scored on Saturday night as the Wolverines completed the sweep of the winless Terriers.

Michigan State comes in at second as the Spartans have also won four straight after sweeping past the Northern Michigan Wildcats at Munn.

Michigan Tech rounds out the top three as the Huskies pulled the biggest surprise in college hockey last weekend, splitting with the top-ranked North Dakota Fighting Sioux at MacInnes.

1) Michigan, 5-1-0 (swept BU)
2) Michigan State, 4-1-0 (swept NMU)
3) Michigan Tech, 4-2-0 (split w/ #1 North Dakota)
4) Ferris State, 2-3-1 (split w/ #14 Notre Dame )
5) Lake Superior 1-2-1 (Split w/ #11 Clarkson)
6) Northern Michigan 1-5-0 (swept by MSU)
7) Western Michigan, 2-2-0 (swept by Niagara)
8) Wayne State, 0-5-1 (swept at Robert Morris)

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)

Wildcats swept at Michigan State

by Matt Mackinder / Michigan State Beat Writer

Michigan State escaped with a two-game sweep over Northern Michigan last weekend in East Lansing.

The then-No. 9 Spartans scored four goals in the second period to narrowly beat Northern Michigan, 5-4, Friday night.

The Wildcats struck first on a goal from Nick Sirota and Jared Brown’s first collegiate assist, but the Spartans tied the game with a power-play tally by Justin Abdelkader. Michigan State took a 5-1 lead in the second period as freshmen Andrew Rowe and Corey Tropp recorded their first collegiate goals. Matt Schepke and Tim Kennedy also scored in the middle frame.

Daniel Vulkovic notched two assists.

Northern Michigan didn't let up, however, scoring three times in the third period.

Ray Kaunisto scored his first two goals of the season, including one with the extra attacker with 22 seconds left in the game. Tim Hartung netted the other.

“The puck was jumping all over the place,” MSU head coach Rick Comley said of the third period. “The pucks bouncing like crazy, but maybe in the end, that's another game we need. Because right now, they're too loose in my mind. We got it 5-1 after two and it just looked over. We moved the puck so well up until that point and then things got sloppy and we started turning the puck over. They came at us hard, to their credit, and we lost the battles in the hash-mark in the defensive zone instead of getting pucks out they kept them in. They went to the net with the puck and got sticks on it.”

Jeff Lerg made 21 saves for MSU, while Brian Stewart and Derek Janzen combined for 20 saves on the NMU end. Stewart stopped 14 before being pulled at the start of the third period.

Lerg recorded 33 saves for Michigan State in a 3-2 win over Northern Michigan the next night as MSU scored all three on the power play.

The junior goalie also played in his 60th consecutive game, tying the school record held by Joe Selinger, who set the mark from Jan. 15, 1957-March 14, 1959.

“It is really just a nice compliment obviously from the coaching staff, and everyone here to put that much confidence in me, to keep playing me on a consistent basis,” Lerg said of the record. “I think that is why I try and work hard during the week, and work hard during the offseason, to make sure I can be both mentally and physically to be in shape to play night-in and night-out. I just hope that we continue to do well and hopefully I will get a few more starts along the way.”

Senior captain Bryan Lerg scored his first goal of the season less than two minutes into the game to give the Spartans an early lead. Tim Kennedy made it a 2-0 game late in the first period until Sirota put one past Lerg late in the second period and Brown tied it up for the Wildcats early in the third.

Ratchuk hooked up with Sucharski and Corey Tropp for the game-winner midway through the third period.

“I just wound up and took it,” Ratchuk said. “As I shot it, it was dead silent and finally it hit the net and I just lost it. It was awesome, everybody was going nuts.”

Janzen kicked out 23 shots for the Wildcats.

The now-No. 6 Spartans (4-1-0, 2-0-0 CCHA) travel to Alaska this weekend for the Nanooks' CCHA opener. NMU (1-5-0, 0-4-0 CCHA) hosts top-ranked Miami for two.

Michigan sweeps Boston University

by Matt Mackinder / Michigan Beat Writer

The Michigan Wolverines took care of Boston University last weekend at Yost Ice Arena rather handily.

Freshman Matt Rust scored twice and senior captain Kevin Porter had a goal and an assist to power third-ranked Michigan past Boston University, 4-2, Friday night.

Rust now has four goals in five games this season for the Wolverines.

Freshman Aaron Pulashaj also scored for U-M and classmate Max Pacioretty notched his first career point with an assist on Porter’s goal.

Goaltender Billy Sauer made 30 saves for the Wolverines, including 15 in the first period.

"Billy kept us in the game,” U-M head coach Red Berenson said. “If Billy hadn't had a much better than average game, then we wouldn't be talking about a victory. The whole game would have taken a different direction. He was the difference."

Saturday night, Michigan used a balanced attack to finish a sweep of BU, winning 6-2. Six different players scored for the Wolverines and 14 players recorded at least one point, including Sauer.

Ben Winnett, Pacioretty (first NCAA goal), Louie Caporusso, Travis Turnbull, Chad Kolarik and Carl Hagelin tallied goals for the Wolverines and Sauer finished with 22 saves.

"It is such a relief,” said Pacioretty. “I had a feeling I was going to get it tonight. I had a good feeling in warmups. Everyone kept saying 'give Max the puck' in practice, so I just had a feeling all day that it was going to happen tonight."

"We have to take the weekend with a grain of salt,” Berenson said. “Boston University is a team to contend with in Hockey East. They're going to be in the top two or three in that conference. I thought we got away with a game last night that on another night we could have lost. Then tonight we came back and had a better game. I appreciate BU coming out here and playing in a tough road environment and we will probably do the same next year out there. They're a good team and they hung in there. It was a good game for a long time; it was 3-1 going into the third period. One goal, one power play or one bounce and you're back into a one-goal game."

Michigan (5-1-0, 2-0-0 CCHA) will face Nebraska-Omaha on the road this weekend.

Ferris splits with Notre Dame

by Andy Oliver / Ferris State Beat Writer

Ferris State took a surprising split from Notre Dame over the weekend and in the process knocked the Irish down the national standings a pinch.

Friday night, Notre Dame scored the first goal of the game at 7:23 of the first period when Evan Rankin received a pass from Brett Blatchford to enter the Ferris zone. Rankin took a quick shot from just inside the blue line through a screen and beat Ferris goalie Pat Nagle low blocker.

The game stayed 1-0 until the beginning of the third period. Notre Dame scored again at 1:41 of the third period. Christian Hanson won the face off in the Ferris zone back to defenseman Brock Sheahan, who took a low shot that pinballed through traffic and was deflected in by Ben Ryan.

Notre Dame would score again at 2:55 of the third when a forechecking Dan Kissel would steal the puck behind the Ferris goal and center it to an open Ryan Thang, who buried his shot before Nagle could react.

The Bulldogs picked up the tempo after the third goal and started to make it a game when Corey Couturier scored his first goal of the season at 10:31 of the third period. Defenseman Scott Wietecha moved the puck down low in the Notre Dame zone to Aaron Lewicki, who centered a pass to Couturier at the left faceoff circle and he beat Notre Dame goaltender Jordan Pearce high blocker side.

With 1:31 left in the game, Ferris pulled Nagle for a sixth attacker and the play worked.

At 19:04 Couturier scored his second goal of the night for Ferris. Matt Case moved the puck to defensive partner Evan Case, who put a hard low shot on net and Couturier tipped it past Pearce to make it a one-goal game. Ferris continued to put pressure on Notre Dame but was unable to tie the game.

Nagle made 31 saves for FSU.

Saturday night, Ferris shutout Notre Dame, 3-0, behind a stellar 37-save outing from goalie Mitch O’Keefe.

Matt Frank started the scoring for Ferris at 16:07 of the first period with a shorthanded goal. On the forecheck, Matt Case got the puck to Frank, who took a shot through a Notre Dame defenseman’s legs and beat Pearce high blocker side.

Justin Menke scored the second shorthanded goal of the game at 6:56 of the third period for Ferris. Case was able to clear the puck out of the Ferris zone and a speedy Menke picked up the puck near center ice and went in on a breakaway. Menke cut across in front of Pearce and beat him five hole along the ice.

Adam Miller scored his first goal of the season at 17:46 of the third period. Notre Dame had pulled their goalie for the sixth attacker and was putting pressure on O'Keefe, when the puck was chipped out of the Ferris zone. Lewicki won the race for the puck near center ice and taped it up to Miller who shot it into the empty Notre Dame net.

Notre Dame would pull their goaltender again and played the last 1:27 in the Ferris zone with a 6-on-3 man advantage due to two Ferris penalties, but were unable to beat O'Keefe.

The Bulldogs (2-3-1, 1-1-0 CCHA) are at Ohio State this weekend.

Lakers split with No. 8 Clarkson

by Mike Burrill / LSSU Beat Writer

The Lake Superior State Lakers earned a hard-fought split with a talented Clarkson Golden Knights team over the weekend.

Friday night, the Lakers fell to Clarkson by the score of 4-0. Sophomore Pat Inglis was in net, making 21 saves on the night. LSSU was 0-for-5 on the power play, while the Knights went 2-for-7.

Saturday night, the Lakers were able to turn things around and finally got the power play going.

Toward the end of the first period, Nathan Perkovich scored Lake State's first power-play goal of the season with assists going to defenseman Simon Gysbers and captain Troy Schwab.

LSSU would take that momentum into the second period, when freshman Chad Nehring scored minutes after the puck dropped on a nice feed from Josh Sim. The Lakers continued the assault when Steven Kaunisto's shot from the point found the net on a feed from Dan Eaves. Eaves would then get a power play goal of his own to end the second period. Nehring and Kaunisto drew assists.

In the third period, Nehring would wrap up his multiple point game with another power-play goal set up by Eaves and Nik Sellers.

The best story of the weekend comes from between the pipes. Freshman netminder Brian Mahoney-Wilson would earn his first career win in his first start on the back of 32 saves. The San Jose Sharks draft pick shutout Clarkson for 55:23 of the game, before leaving with an undisclosed injury. Inglis would enter the game in relief, giving up the Knights lone goal of the night in the closing minute.

Lake Superior State (1-2-1) plays at No. 12 Notre Dame on Thursday and Friday.

Wayne State still winless

by Tom Balog / Wayne State beat writer

The Wayne State Warriors (0-5-1, 0-2-0 CHA) are still looking for their first win of the season after getting swept by the Robert Morris Colonials in Pennsylvania over the weekend.

Friday night the Warriors spotted the Colonials a 3-0 lead and fell by a final of 3-1 in the CHA conference opener for both teams.

Captain Mike Forgie (pictured) scored the lone goal for the Green and Gold at 13:52 of the second period.

Freshman Kyle Funkenhauser stopped 23 of 26 shots in net for WSU.

The Colonials made it a perfect 3-0 vs. the Warriors this season with a 4-1 win back at the Island Sports Center on Saturday night.

After a RMU power-play marker in the first period, the Warriors tied it up on freshman forward Dylan Exton’s first colligate goal at 2:57 of the second.

That was it for the Warriors though as the home team Colonials ripped off three straight goals in the third for the series win.

Funkenhauser started his third straight game between the pipes for WSU and turned aside 18 of 22 shots.

The Warriors will get a week off before their final home opener on November 9 against the Lake Superior State Lakers.

The Lakers are currently 1-2-1 on the season after a split with #9 Clarkson at the Taffy Abel Arena over the weekend. LSSU will open their CCHA season on the road in South Bend vs. #12 Notre Dame this Friday.

Bulldogs get commitment from Ouellette

Tecumseh Chiefs forward Travis Ouellette has accepted an NCAA scholarship to Ferris State University for the 2008-2009 season.

This season, the 18-year-old Ouellette has nine goals and 13 assists for 22 – second among the Western Ontario (Junior B) Hockey League top scorers. Last season, the Windsor, Ont., native scored 31 goals among 63 points and was chosen for the WOHL All-Star team.

Prior to playing for the Chiefs, the 5-foot-8, 160-pound Ouellette earned Rookie of the Year honors as a member of the Essex 73’s of the Great Lakes Junior C League.

Michigan Tech and No. 1 UND split

By Andy Bourdeau / Michigan Tech Beat Writer

Michigan Tech (4-2-0, 3-1-0) has been improving, which has been evident with last season's finish and this season's start, but few would have thought the wins would continue over a team ranked No. 1 in the nation.

On Friday, the Huskies managed a 3-1 win over North Dakota, lead by the man in the pipes, Michael Lee Teslak. This is the Huskies first victory over a top-ranked team since 2005, when they beat Wisconsin.

The Huskies received goals from Bennet Royer, Drew Dobson and Jimmy Kerr on their way to the 3-1 victory Friday night. The game was played in front of 2,650 people, but the atmosphere and noise had a feeling as if it were sold out. They watched the home team put together the best game of the year, if not of the past three years.

The Huskies matched the intensity of the Fighting Sioux and were able to get the bounces their way and get a huge upset.

Teslak (left) made 26 saves on 27 shots and was absolutely phenomenal in net, stopping nearly everything the Sioux could send his way.

Royer started the scoring, in the second when Jordan Baker sent a pass across the crease, to Royer, who had a look at an empty net and did not disappoint. UND tied it before the second intermission on a rebound that Teslak could not control.

Dobson's goal came in the fifth minute of the third, when he threw a high shot at the goal that somehow made it through. UND pulled the goalie and generated some good chances, but could not get the equalizer.

Jordan Foote took a rebound out of the zone and found Kerr, who skated in on the empty net and put the game away.

Saturday was a different story, as UND fought back for the split in convincing fashion, 6-0 over the Huskies. Both teams played most of the game on special teams, but it was MTU on the wrong side at the end.

Tech had a few chances early in the game, but could not capitalize on any. Baker had the best chance when he found himself on the receiving end of a centering pass, only to hit the post on the redirection.

Rob Nolan started in net, but was not able to come up with the big saves we have seen all year. He did not return when the players came to the ice in the third.

T.J. Oshie had a hat trick for UND and showed why they have one of the best offenses in the nation.

Michigan Tech will make their first road trip of the year, to a very good Wisconsin team, this weekend.

WMU swept by Niagara University

By Tom Morelli/WMU Beat Writer

Western Michigan University had their first setback of the season, losing on Friday and Saturday to Niagara University in a non-conference series.

In Friday’s game, the Purple Eagles didn’t waste any time from the get-go, scoring 44 seconds into the contest. Down early, the Broncos were faced with another dilemma as forward Jeff Pierce was slapped with a game misconduct seconds after the goal for checking a player from behind.

Freshman Ryan Watson gave Western Michigan a shift in momentum at 1:36 in the period after tying the game up on a short-handed goal, with Matt Clackson providing the assist.

From there on out, the Broncos began to collapse defensively, and succumbed to a power-play and short-handed goal by Matt Caruana in the second and third period, respectively.

Left-winger Brian Bicek helped inch Western Michigan closer, lighting the lamp at 11:25 of the final period.

An insurance goal by Paul Zanette with a minute left in the game sealed the 4-2 win for Niagara University.

In his first collegiate start, freshman goaltender Jerry Kuhn stopped 18 of 22 shots for the Broncos.

Western Michigan experienced a scoring drought through nearly all of Saturday’s game, managing to get on the scoreboard with under a minute left.

After being ejected from the previous game, Pierce gained retribution by sneaking the puck past Purple Eagles’ netminder Juliano Pagliero with only 21 seconds remaining. Forwards Max Campbell and Patrick Galivan were credited with the assist, which came with an extra attacker.

The Broncos however, failed to convert on their two power-play opportunities and were slightly outshot by Niagara University, 27-26.

Junior goaltender Riley Gill made 24 saves in the contest, with 14 of them coming in the second period alone.

The pair of losses drops Western Michigan to a .500 record (2-2-0), as the Broncos return home for their CCHA opener against Bowling Green University on Friday, followed by a trip to the BGSU Arena the following night.

Wayne State sweeps Cornell

By Susannah Nichols/ WSU Women’s Beat Writer

The Wayne State Warriors (4-2-0) extended their winning streak to four games with a weekend sweep over Cornell in Ithaca.

Saturday’s victory was particularly sweet, as the team rallied from a 4-0 deficit to seize the win in overtime. Melissa Boal and Lindsay DiPietro (pictured, right) were critical factors in the team’s weekend success, contributing seven and eight points, respectively.

DiPietro played a role in each of the Warriors’ goals in Friday’s 4-1 win. Her power-play goal at the end of the first period put the Warriors on the board. Special teams struck again early in the second, when DiPietro and Chelsea Burnett set up Sam Poyton for the eventual game-winner, Poyton’s fourth goal of the season.

Boal added two goals—one another power-play tally—in the third period to seal the win for the Warriors.

Danielle Wilson assisted on Boal’s second goal for her first point of the season and goalie Valery Turcotte made 17 saves.

On Saturday, Cornell scored four unanswered goals before captain Ashley King notched her first goal of the season to mount the Warriors’ comeback. Emily Berzins and Janet Babchishin earned assists on the play.

From there, DiPietro, Boal and Poyton worked their magic for the remainder of the second period. Poyton and Boal each scored a goal (with the other two assisting) to pull the Warriors within a goal. The team had to fight for their tying goal in the third period. Cornell kept the Warriors’ defense busy, and only DiPietro (with a little help from Poyton and Boal) could find the back of the net at 13:14 of the period.

Cornell was called for interference less than two minutes into overtime and Boal capitalized on the opportunity, taking a pass from DiPietro to beat the Cornell netminder.

Turcotte had 30 saves, including a dazzling 17-shot shutout in the third period.

The Warriors’ next opponent is St. Lawrence—the two teams face off Friday and Saturday in Detroit.