Wolverines sign trio for '08-09 season

The University of Michigan signed forwards Robbie Czarnik (Washington) and David Wohlberg (South Lyon) and defenseman Greg Pateryn (Sterling Heights) for the 2008-09 season on Wednesday afternoon.

Czarnik and Wohlberg are with the United States National Under-18 Team in Ann Arbor, while Pateryn is playing in the United States Hockey League with the Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets.

"I've seen (Czarnik and Wohlberg) improve since they went (to the NTDP)," said U-M head coach Red Berenson. "I think they'll be solid players when they get here. Czarnik might be a little more of an opportunist type. If you had to compare them in a general way, I could compare Czarnik a little bit to Chad Kolarik. And I could compare Wohlberg a little bit to (Kevin) Porter. That's a little bit. We'll have to wait and see how they come along. They're both good players."

Pateryn is signed for next season, but may not report to Ann Arbor until the 2009-10 season. Last year, he was an All-State selection playing for Brother Rice High School.

"He really has a love for Michigan and Michigan hockey," said Michigan associate coach Mel Pearson. "He's playing in Ohio and we have an agreement with him that we'll reevaluate him at the end of the year. It's a pretty big jump from Michigan high school hockey into college and I think that's one of the reason's he left his senior year and went down into the USHL -- he's played very well there. He might need another year, so we're going to reevaluate that at the end of the season and sit down with Greg and just see if another year would make sense for him and us."

Kolarik and Porter are the lone seniors on Michigan's roster this season.

MiCHO Power Poll 11.21.2007

The Michigan Wolverines just keep piling up the wins and as a result have firm hold on the MiCHO Power Poll for the sixth week in a row.

The nationally second-ranked Maize and Blue (11-1-0, 8-0-0 CCHA) racked up their 9th and 10th straight wins at the Taffy Abel Arena over the weekend at the expense of Lake Superior State.

Kevin Porter notched a pair of goals and an assist the Wolverines crushed the Lakers, 5-1, on Friday night. Porter duplicated his effort with another two markers and a helper as Michigan closed out the series in the Soo with a 6-2 knockout.

Michigan State had their eight-game winning snapped as top-ranked Miami rolled to a 4-2 win at Munn on Friday night. The RedHawks completed the sweep with a 3-1 victory on Saturday evening.

Complete Poll

1) Michigan, 11-1-0 (swept LSSU)
2) Michigan State, 8-3-0 (swept by #1 Miami)
3) Michigan Tech, 5-6-1 (lost and tied UMD)
4) Ferris State, 5-6-1 (split at UNO)
5) Northern Michigan 3-9-0 (split at BGSU)
6) Western Michigan, 3-7-0 (swept by #9 ND)
7) Lake Superior 2-7-1 (swept by #2 UM)
8) Wayne State, 2-7-1 (split w/ Bemidji)

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)

Ferris State splits with UNO

By Andy Oliver / Ferris State Beat Writer

Ferris State split at Nebraska-Omaha last weekend by winning 5-1 on Friday night, but falling Sunday, 2-0.

Friday night, Brendan Connolly started the scoring for Ferris at 5:18 of the first period when he dove and tipped in a pass from Cody Chupp between the legs of Nebraska-Omaha goaltender Jerad Kaufmann.

Ferris freshman defenseman Scott Wietecha continued the scoring at 7:15 with his first career goal on a one-timer from the point that beat Kaufmann high blocker. Assisting on the power play goal was Corey Couturier and Zach Redmond. Nebraska-Omaha came right back at 8:58 of the first, with what would be their only goal of the game. Rich Purslow took a slap shot from the top of the circles on Ferris goaltender Pat Nagle and the rebound went right to Mick Lawrence standing all alone at the side of the net and he put it behind Nagle.

Ferris scored its third goal of the period at 10:41 when Couturier took a bad-angle shot from the end line and it beat Kaufmann low inside the post. Assisting on the goal was Connolly and Chupp. That was the end of the night for Kaufmann, who was replaced by backup goaltender Jeremie Dupont.

Ferris forward Blair Riley picked up his second goal of the season at 4:10 of the second period with a one-timer from the left faceoff dot. Adam Welch and Evan Case assisted on Riley's goal.

Ferris' final goal of the game came at 14:57 of the third period when J.T. Dahlinger took a pass from Matt Frank and put a low, hard shot on net that deflected off a Nebraska-Omaha defenseman past Dupont. Also assisting on the goal for Ferris was forward Adam Miller.

Nagle got the win with 31 saves on the night.

Sunday was a different game, as Nebraska-Omaha senior goaltender Eric Aarnio got his first career shutout.

Ferris State goaltender Mitch O'Keefe made 20 saves in a losing effort.

The Bulldogs (5-6-1, 4-4-0 CCHA) are idle this weekend and return to action next weekend for a home-and-home set with Western Michigan starting Friday at home.

MSU signs half-dozen to NLIs

Michigan State announced the signing of six players to National Letters of Intent who will enroll at Michigan State and begin competing for the Spartans in the 2008-09 hockey season.

Included in the group are defenseman Tim Buttery (Northville), goaltender Drew Palmisano (Ann Arbor) and forwards Adam Henderson, Daulton Leveille, Trevor Nill (Novi) and Brett Perlini.

“We’re very happy with this group of incoming recruits,” noted MSU head coach Rick Comley. “We believe that we are bringing in quality players who will compliment the ones we have returning next season.”

Palmisano was the 2006-07 USHL Goaltender of the Year and boasts a 8-2-0 record so far in 2007-08. He leads the league with a 1.78 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage and has recorded one shutout for the Omaha Lancers. A year ago, he appeared in 25 games for Omaha after being traded from Ohio and boasted a 19-4-2 record, 2.72 GAA, and .914 save percentage.

Buttery, the lone defenseman in the group, has eight assists and is a +6 in 14 games in his second season with the Chicago Steel, with five of his points coming on special teams (four assists on power-play goals, one on a shorthander). He had a 2-17-19 stat line in 2006-07.

The four incoming forwards are all coming from different leagues - Henderson is currently playing for the Spruce Grove Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and has 11 goals and 11 assists in 25 games. He ranks third on the team in goals, and is second in power-play tallies (5) and penalty minutes (42). In two seasons in Spruce Grove, he has a 33-35-68 stat line.

Leveille is currently playing in his hometown of St. Catharines, Ontario for the St. Catharines Falcons, members of the Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League. Leveille ranks third on the team in points (25) on a team-best 13 goals to go with 12 assists. He leads the league in short-handed tallies (5), while ranking 10th (and leading his team) in power-play tallies (6).

Nill was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in last summer’s NHL Entry Draft, picked in the seventh round (190th overall). The son of Detroit Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill, the centerman is skating this season for the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League, where he owns a 3-4-7 stat line in 24 games. Nill played in 53 games a year ago with the Detroit Compuware midgets, where he produced 13 goals and 20 assists.

Perlini is a member of the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets, and has played in 10 games this season (1-2-3). He previously played for the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, where he ranked eighth in the league in scoring (57 points) and led the league in goals (38) in 48 games in 2006-07.

Michigan State has five seniors on its current roster - forwards Bryan Lerg, Chris Mueller and Zak McClellan and defensemen Jeff Dunne and Daniel Vukovic.

Spartans swept by RedHawks at home

By Matt Mackinder / Michigan State Beat Writer

The top-ranked Miami RedHawks completed a two-game sweep of No. 3 Michigan State on Friday, posting a 3-1 victory over the Spartans in East Lansing . It was the first sweep by a CCHA opponent at Munn Ice Arena since November of 2005 and dropped the Spartans to 8-3-0 overall and 4-2-0 in the CCHA.

Matt Schepke scored MSU’s lone goal and Jeff Lerg made 30 saves in net.

Spartans head coach Rick Comley wasn’t downtrodden after the game when asked about the team’s morale.

“They are okay; it's November,” said Comley. “That's the one thing about hockey. You play a lot of games and how you do down the stretch is much more important than how you do now. But that's not to discredit Miami. I thought Miami was as good a team as we've seen in a long time.”

Michigan State wraps up a six-game homestand this weekend when it hosts the College Hockey Showcase. The Spartans entertain Minnesota on Friday and Wisconsin on Saturday. Both games begin at 7:05 p.m.

Wolverines sweep LSSU in the Soo

By Matt Mackinder / Michigan Beat Writer

Michigan extended their nation-best winning streak to 10 games with a weekend sweep of Lake Superior State up north.

Saturday night, five different players had multi-point nights for Michigan as the Wolverines cruised to a 6-2 win to remain unbeaten in conference play (8-0-0).

Senior captain Kevin Porter continued his strong start with a goal in the first period, but the Lakers responded with goals from sophomore forwards Zac MacVoy and John Scrymgeour. Travis Turnbull tied the game for the Wolverines in the second period and Aaron Palushaj scored the game-winner on the power-play just two minutes later.

Michigan sophomore forward Anthony Ciraulo recorded a goal and an assist for his first points of the season.

Max Pacioretty and Brain Lebler also scored for U-M and goaltender Billy Sauer made 34 saves.

Pat Inglis started in goal for LSSU and made nine saves on 13 shots, but was pulled 4:58 into the second period after Lebler’s goal. Brian Mahoney-Wilson mopped up and stopped 16 shots the rest of the way.

Porter scored two goals and added an assist as the Wolverines won 5-1 Friday night.

Laker freshman forward Rick Schofield notched the first period’s lone goal, but the Wolverines responded with three markers in the middle period and a pair in the third. Pacioretty, Palushaj and Turnbull also scored for Michigan.

Sauer made 24 saves and Mahoney-Wilson turned aside 28 for the Lakers.

Michigan was 15-for-15 on the penalty kill last weekend, drawing praise from head coach Red Benenson.

"It starts with your goalie, obviously,” Berenson said. “Billy Sauer was sharp when he had to be sharp. Then our defensemen and our forwards worked hard. To get down five on three we were lucky we escaped. I think twice (Saturday) night we were down five on three. You can't do that. You can't take a penalty when you're killing a penalty."

The Wolverines (11-1-0 overall) return to Ann Arbor to host the 15th annual College Hockey Showcase this Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 23-24). No. 10 Wisconsin comes to Yost Ice Arena on Friday for a 7:35 p.m. faceoff. U-M then entertains No. 12 Minnesota on Saturday at 7:35 p.m. in a rematch of the Ice Breaker Invitational championship game from earlier this season when the Golden Gophers handed the Wolverines their only loss to date.

Lake Superior State (2-7-1, 0-4-0 CCHA) plays at Northern Michigan Friday and hosts the Wildcats at 7:35 p.m. on Saturday.

Broncos downed by Notre Dame

By Tom Morelli/WMU Beat Writer

Western Michigan University dealt with a difficult weekend, losing both games to #11 ranked Notre Dame in the Bronco’s third CCHA series of 2007.

Penalties were like the plague for Western Michigan, as they accumulated 12 minors on Friday night, which left the Broncos short-handed for almost half of the game. The Fighting Irish proved to be more controlled, only being escorted the penalty box twice.

Notre Dame’s Ryan Thang put his team up early, firing the puck past Western Michigan goaltender Riley Gill about halfway through the first period.

With less than a minute in the opening stanza, senior forward Mike Lesperance put some competitive fire back in the Broncos, scoring the equalizer for his first goal of the season. Tyler Ludwig and Dave Krisky both earned assists on the game-tying goal.

The Fighting Irish capitalized on many offensive opportunities in the following period, as they earned five power-play opportunities. After Dan VeNard score the go-ahead-goal at 2:16, Notre Dame converted two goals with the man advantage toward the end of the period.

While Patrick Galivan was serving a hooking penalty, Erik Condra lit the lamp a mere 19 seconds later to give the Fighting Irish an insurance goal.

Ludwig was sent to the sin bin for a holding penalty with 17:58 elapsed, but it didn’t end there for the Broncos. Left-winger Brian Bicek followed Ludwig to the box, after Western Michigan was caught by officials for having too many men on the ice.

Following the double dose of penalties, Notre Dame scored a minute later, using the 5-on-3 to their advantage. Mark Van Guilder sealed the 4-1 win at 18:52 for his seventh goal of the campaign.

The Broncos penalties coincided with their lack of shots, managing 12 to the Fighting Irish’s 44.

Gill denied 40 of Notre Dame’s shots, but fell to 3-4-0 as a starter.

Saturday night didn’t prove to be any better for Western Michigan, who established the tone early, only to see their lead disappear as quickly as it arrived.

Freshman center Max Campbell scored what was the Broncos’ only goal of the night, putting his team on the scoreboard with just over a minute and a half gone by in the first period. Defensemen Steve Silver and Galivan were both credited for the helper, which gave Galivan a CCHA-leading 11th assist.

The Fighting Irish shifted momentum to their side later in the period, registering goals at the 12 and 17 minute marks, much to the dismay of the Kalamazoo crowd.

Dan Kissel strengthened Notre Dame’s lead with his second goal of the season at 8:12 into the middle period. Thang scored his second goal in as many nights, this time on the power-play with a mere 11 seconds remaining.

Not to be outdone on their other special teams unit, Condra tallied a short-handed goal at 7:55 of the final period to give Notre Dame a 5-1 win.

Western Michigan struggled once again on getting shots fired toward the net, mustering up a measly 11 shots.

It was another busy night between the pipes for Gill, who stopped 27 of 32 shots.

The weekend sweep by Notre Dame drops the Broncos to 3-7-0 on the year, and a 1-7-0 record in conference play.

The Ohio State Buckeyes will trek across the border next weekend to face Western Michigan for a two-game set on November 23-24.

Warriors hold off Rensselaer

By Susannah Nichols/ WSU Women's Beat Writer

The Wayne State Warriors extended their unbeaten streak to four games last weekend, with a decisive 5-3 victory and a hard-fought 1-1 tie against visiting Rensselaer. The Warriors move to 7-4-1 on the season, and offensive powerhouses Melissa Boal and Sam Poyton maintained their 10-game point streaks.

To say Boal and Poyton were both critical factors in Friday’s game would be an understatement: they, along with fellow junior Lindsay DiPietro, were responsible for all of the Warriors’ points.

Poyton, who was named both CHA and USCHO Player of the Week last week, got the scoring started at 6:38 of the first period, with assists from Boal and DiPietro. After Rensselaer evened the score a minute later, Boal unleashed a hat trick, briefly interrupted by a Laura Gersten tally for the Engineers.

Rensselaer retaliated with a power play goal midway through the third stanza to pull within one, but DiPietro and Boal set up Poyton for her second goal of the game (her 12th of the season) to seal the 5-3 win for the Warriors.

Senior goalie Tiffany Thompson (pictured) had 25 saves for the Warriors.

Saturday’s game was a defensive showcase, as both teams could only score once: Rensselaer lit the lamp first early in the second period, and Poyton, with assists from Boal and DiPietro, knotted the game up five minutes later.

Thompson kept the game even for the Warriors; she recorded 23 saves, including three in overtime. She was awarded #1 star accolades for her performance. The game was Thompson’s fourth consecutive victory.

This weekend, the Warriors will travel to Hamilton, NY to face Colgate.