Lakers jipped in opening exhibition

By Michael David/LSSU Beat Writer

Taffy Abel Arena-Sault Ste. Marie, MI: The Lake Superior State Lakers started the 2013-'14 season on a sour note, dropping their opening exhibition game to the USA U18's by the score of 3-2. The Nationals took the early 1-0 lead, but Lake State quickly tied it with a tally by senior Dan Radke. The only assist was credited to Colin Campbell. 

USA took a 2-1 lead into the second, where there was no scoring. Senior net-minder Kevin Kapalka played the first 30:12 of the game, making 13 saves and giving up the two goals. Radke tied the game at 2 with a goal in the third period, with assists going to Campbell and  defenseman Zach Sternberg. It looked as if the game was destined for overtime, but the officials called two quick questionable penalties on the Lakers to put them two men down. LSSU made a gallant effort, but the Nationals slid one over the line for the 3-2 lead. Kevin Murdock was pulled from the Laker net in the final minute, but they couldn't find the equalizer.

Murdock also made 13 saves, and gave up the lone power-play goal. Lake State out-shot USA 41-29, and won the face off battle 32-25. The Lakers are back home next weekend, where they will face Atlantic Hockey's Robert Morris for parent's weekend to to honor the 1988 NCAA Championship team.

CCHA honors former players with All-Decade Team

CCHA Press Release

Continuing to ‘Celebrate The Legacy’ in its’ 42nd and final season, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) has released the All-Decade Team for 2000-13 to honor the league’s top performers from the past 13 years.

 

The illustrious group of 12 players, selected by a committee of coaches, administrators and media, joins the league’s All-Decade teams from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s that were selected in 2001.

All 12 players selected to the CCHA 2000-13 All-Decade Team were All-Americans (six multiple All-Americans) and graduated to professional careers. Eleven played in the National Hockey League (NHL), Michigan State goaltender Ryan Miller (pictured) blossomed into an NHL All-Star and U.S. Olympian, while Ferris State forward Chris Kunitz has captured the Stanley Cup with both Anaheim and Pittsburgh.

 

The CCHA 2000-13 All-Decade Team was chosen from a pool of Hobey Baker Award winners and All-Americans that played at least three years of college hockey. The selections were made by a committee of coaches, administrators and media that have been involved with the league for the better part of the last three decades.

 

Below is the team in alphabetical order by position with their overall career totals. Miller won the 2002 Hobey Baker Award and was a two-time CCHA Player of the Year and two-time Goaltender of the Year. Other Hobey Baker Award winners on the All-Decade Team include Michigan forward Kevin Porter (2008) and Miami forward Andy Miele (2011).

 

CCHA 2000-13 All-Decade First Team

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	GP	G	A	Pts.
T.J. Hensick	F	Michigan	164	75	147	222
Chris Kunitz	F	Ferris State	152	99	76	175
Kevin Porter	F	Michigan	168	85	98	183
Andy Greene	D	Miami	159	27	87	114
John-Michael Liles	D	Michigan State	162	44	94	138

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	W-L-T	GAA	SV%
Ryan Miller	G	Michigan State	73-18-12	1.54	.941

CCHA 2000-13 All-Decade Second Team

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	GP	G	A	Pts.
Ryan Jones	F	Miami	161	90	57	147
Andy Miele	F	Miami	141	60	100	160
Scott Parse	F	Nebraska Omaha	159	79	118	197
Brad Fast	D	Michigan State	164	30	84	114
Greg Zanon	D	Nebraska Omaha	154	30	77	107

Name, Lettered	Pos.	School	W-L-T	GAA	SV%
Cody Reichard	G	Miami	53-24-9	2.10	.912

Lakers grind out exhibition win over NTDP

By Michael David/LSSU Beat Writer

The Lake Superior State Lakers played host to the USA U-18's in exhibition play Friday night. The talented youngsters gave LSSU fits all night, with their speed and precision passing, but the Lakers were able to grind out the 4-3 victory.

Lake State jumped onto the board to take the 1-0 lead at the 12:02 mark of the first period, when junior forward Nick McParland found the back of the net on the power-play. Senior captain Fred Cassiani and junior defenseman Zach Sternberg earned the assists. The USA squad would add a power-play goal of their own, to tie the game at one with just under two minutes remaining in the first period.

Cassiani would put Lake State up 2-1 at the 7:49 mark of the second, on a nice goal assisted by sophomore forwards Dan Radke and Colin Campbell. Approximately half way through the second period, Lake Superior would switch net minders. Sophomore Kevin Kapalka would leave the game making 18 saves, and giving up just the one goal. Sophomore Kevin Murdock entered the game, and was treated rudely by the U-18's, as they scored two quick goals on him in a 42 second span, to take a 3-2 lead in the second.

The Lakers re-grouped for the third period, though, and tied the game at the 6:39 with a power-play goal by Campbell. Cassiani and Sternberg would again team up for the helpers. At the 10:54 mark, the Lakers would take the lead when sophomore forward Kellan Lain pounded the puck between the pipes on a goals assisted by freshman defenseman T.J. Wees and freshman forward Buddy Robinson. Lake Superior was able to hold of the USA squad for the 4-3 victory.

Murdock settled in nicely, and made 15 saves in his half of the game, and some key ones in the third period. LSSU was 2-4 with the man advantage, and the U-18's were 1-4.

Taking a week off from CCHA action, the Lakers will try to re-gain some ground when they travel way up to Fairbanks, Ak., to take on the Nanooks.

Michigan connections aplenty at Worlds

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

USA Hockey announced its full 23-man roster for the 2010 IIHF World Men's Championship scheduled for next month in Germany, and Team USA is chock-full of Michigan connections.

Defensemen Andy Greene (Trenton/New Jersey Devils) and Matt Greene (Grand Ledge/Los Angeles Kings) join former Michigan blueliner Jack Johnson on the back end.

Up front, Tim Kennedy (Michigan State/Buffalo Sabres), David Moss (Michigan/Calgary Flames) and Eric Nystrom (Michigan/Calgary Flames) make up the in-state contingent.

Team USA opens the tournament against host Germany on May 7. The game will be played at Gelsenkirchen's VELTINS-Arena, home of the German soccer league's FC Schalke. The contest is expected to be played in front of a world record crowd of more than 76,000 spectators.

MiCHO Wednesday Tidbits

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Here's a smattering of news from across Michigan's hockey programs.

Lake Superior State - USA Hockey hires alum, new radio deal

http://lssulakers.com/sports/m-hockey/2008-09/news/martel-ken
http://lssulakers.com/sports/m-hockey/2008-09/news/radio_partner

Michigan - Voting starts for NHL All-Star Team

http://mgoblue.com/ice-hockey/article.aspx?id=176900

Northern Michigan - '09-10 schedule is out

http://webb.nmu.edu/SportsAthletics/Sports/MensHockey/News.shtml?articleID=108006&team=&display=short&category=&IsNewsBureau

Adrian - MCHA to get auto-bid

http://adrianbulldogs.cstv.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/041409aaa.html

Yu, McWhorter set for World U. Games

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

USA Hockey announced earlier this week the 22-player U.S. University Select Team roster, as well as six alternates, for the upcoming 2009 Winter World University Games.

The event will take place in Harbin, China, from Feb. 18-28, 2009.

Highlighting the U.S. roster for the biannual event are forwards Lukas DeLorenzo (Penn State University) and Johnny Liang (University of Illinois), defenseman Jon Biliouris (University of Rhode Island) and goaltender Stephen Yu (Garden City/University of Michigan-Dearborn), all of whom were members of the U.S. University Select Team that competed at the 2007 Winter World University Games in Torino, Italy.

The U.S. team, which was picked from an evaluation camp last month, is comprised of players from collegiate ice hockey teams affiliated with the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

"The talent at camp was fantastic so we had a difficult task in picking the team, but the input from the coaches on the selection committee was very useful and helped make the choices easier," said Joe Augustine, head coach of the U.S. University Select Team. "We have a talented team and the belief that we will do well, so there is a lot of anticipation for the games to start."

The U.S. lineup up front includes Jim Gehring (West Chester University), the 2007-08 ACHA Men's Division I Player of the Year, as well as Sean McWhorter (Kalamazoo/Western Michigan University), who led his team with 58 points (23-35) in 39 regular-season games a year ago.

Biliouris will be joined on the blue line by Brad Hoelzer (University of Illinois), an ACHA Second Team All-American defenseman in 2007-08 and the MVP of the ACHA Men's Divsion I All-Star Game.

In goal, Yu will team with Paul Marshall (Ohio University), an ACHA Third Team All-American in 2007-08.

Augustine is currently in his 20th season as head coach at the University of Rhode Island, where he has compiled a 390-170-33 record, 19 consecutive winning seasons and one ACHA National Championship (2006). He won back-to-back ACHA Men's Division I Coach of the Year honors in 2004-05 and 2005-06, and was the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year in 2003-04.

Augustine will be assisted by Scott Balboni, head coach at Penn State University, and David Debol (Saline), head coach at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Other Michigan connections on the roster include alternate goaltender Ryan Gregory (Novi/Kent State University), alternate defenseman Jarrett Samp (Troy/Oakland University) and alternate forward Shawn Wilson (Riverview/University of Michigan-Dearborn).

"It is a great honor to be named to the World University Games roster and possibly have the chance to represent the United States in international competition,” said Samp. “Throughout the entire evaluation process, I was impressed with the players and coaches from the ACHA and I am confident that the team will be a great representative for USA Hockey."

Michigan recruits dot NTDP U-18 roster

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Four players from Michigan have made the final roster for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program's Under-18 Team and one more from Texas has committed to a Michigan school.

All four in-state players - defenseman Cam Fowler (Farmington Hills) and forwards Kevin Lynch (Grosse Pointe), Kenny Ryan (Franklin Village) and A.J. Treais (Bloomfield Hills) - played on the Under-17 Team last season, along with Texas native and forward Chris Brown.

Fowler has committed to Notre Dame, Lynch, Treais and Brown to Michigan, and Ryan to Boston College. All commitments, except for Ryan (2010-2011), are for the 2009-2010 season.

Full roster HERE.

Treais photo courtesy USA Hockey

Wildcats handled by USNTDP Saturday

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Northern Michigan suffered a 5-2 exhibition loss to the U.S. National Under-18 Team Saturday night in Marquette behind two goals from Notre Dame recruit Patrick Gaul.

The Wildcats got two third-period goals from Erik Spady and Derek May, both assisted by Jared Brown, but that's as close as they came to being in the game.

Future Michigan Wolverines forward David Wohlberg scored 66 seconds into the game for the NTDP and David Warsofsky (Boston University recruit) and Jeremy Morin also scored for Team USA.

Reid Ellingson stopped 19 shots in net for NMU, while Joe Cannata (Merrimack recruit) made 21 stops at the other end.

This was Team USA's first-ever win over the Wildcats as NMU had enjoyed a 3-0-1 record all-time against the Americans.

Northern Michigan (10-15-1, 7-11-0 CCHA) travels to Michigan this weekend for two CCHA contests.

MiCHO Power Poll 10.17.2007

After a long summer, the teams have hit the ice and it’s the Michigan Wolverines who have grabbed the No. 1 spot in this year’s first installment of the MiCHO Power Poll.

The Maize and Blue started the year with a dramatic 4-3 overtime win over Boston College on Friday at the Ice Breaker Invitational. Saturday night they fell just short of making it two in a row as they were clipped 4-3 by the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Ice Breaker title game at the Xcel Energy Center.

The defending National Champion Michigan State Spartans started their title defense slowly by suffering a 6-0 shutout at the hands of the top-ranked North Dakota Fighting Sioux at the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game in Grand Forks.

1) Michigan, 1-1-0 (beat #2 Boston College, lost to #3 Minnesota))
2) Michigan State, 0-1-0 (lost to #1 North Dakota)
3) Michigan Tech, 1-1-0 (Lost to NMU, Beat LSSU)
4) Northern Michigan 1-1-0 (Beat MTU, Lost to UMD)
5) Western Michigan, 0-0-0
6) Lake Superior 0-1-1 (Tied UMD, lost to MTU)
7) Ferris State, 0-2-2 (swept at Union)
8) Wayne State, 0-2-0 (Lost to UAA and RMU)

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)

Spartans blanked in North Dakota

by Matt Mackinder / Michigan State Beat Writer

Michigan State opened its season on Saturday night at North Dakota in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game and fell to the top-ranked Fighting Sioux, 6-0, in front of 11,738 fans at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

The No. 3 Spartans outshot their hosts 23-22, but could not solve senior netminder Jean-Phillipe Lamoureaux, who finished with a 22-save shutout.

Jeff Lerg stopped 16 shots for MSU (0-1-0).

"It's kind of the worst nightmare," said MSU coach Rick Comley to USCHO. "It's what you fear after six months of people patting you on the back and then you come in here and play a team of that caliber."

MSU lost its first season opener in three seasons and falls to 38-26-3 in all-time openers.

Michigan State was shutout in its season opener for the first time since Oct. 11, 2002, when the Spartans fell to Denver, 5-0, in the first round of the Maverick Stampede in Comley's first game as head coach.

The Spartans will look to rebound this weekend in their home opener, hosting Colgate in a two-game set Friday and Saturday at Munn Ice Arena. MSU will raise its national championship banner in a pre-game ceremony on Friday night.

MSU's Lerg, Petry honored by USA Hockey

Michigan State sophomore goaltender Jeff Lerg and incoming defenseman Jeff Petry will be honored by USA Hockey at its 2007 Annual Congress at the Sheraton Hotel in Colorado Springs.

Lerg has been named the organization’s College Player of the Year, while Petry will be honored as the Junior Player of the Year.

The five-day Congress provides USA Hockey’s various committees, districts and employees the opportunity to come together for a series of forums, workshops and award ceremonies intended to improve the organization and honor those who have contributed to its great success. USA Hockey will honor its service award recipients and present the player of the year awards on Wednesday, June 6, at an award banquet tabbed “A Night of Tribute.” The event will be staged in the Sheraton’s Grand Ballroom beginning at 7 p.m. MDT.

Lerg, who was honored as the USA Hockey Junior Player and Goalie of the Year while playing for the Omaha Lancers, led Michigan State to the NCAA Division I national championship this season for the first time since 1986. The sophomore played in all 42 of Michigan State ’s games in 2006-07 and posted a 26-13-3 record, to go along with a 2.41 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. Lerg was perhaps at his best in the NCAA Tournament, as he allowed just five goals in four tournament games (1.25 GAA, .954 SV%). He was named NCAA Midwest Regional MVP and also to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team.

Petry completed an outstanding second season with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League and is the recipient of USA Hockey’s Junior Player of the Year award. Petry, the USHL’s 2006-07 Defenseman of the Year, notched 18 goals and 27 assists in 55 games to triple his point production from the previous season while leading Des Moines to the Clark Cup Final Four. He will join the Spartan defensive corps in the fall, and was a second-round draft selection of the Edmonton Oilers (45th pick overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.