Wayne State women's hockey folding

By Tom Balog / Wayne State Beat Writer

Just 16 days after announcing captains for the 2011-12 season, MichiganCollegeHockey.com has learned that Wayne State University has made the decision to discontinue it's women's hockey program.

Warrior head coach Jim Fetter was told of the move yesterday in a closed door meeting with WSU athletic director Rob Fournier at the Matthaei Building.

The Warriors began play in 1999 and were the only Division 1 women's hockey program ever in the state of Michigan.

During their 12-year run, the Warriors collected a 265-351-54 record that culminated in sharing the College Hockey America regular season title in 2007-2008.

Members of the Wayne State hockey team can continue to attend school on scholarship, but must maintain NCAA athletic standards. Players wishing to transfer may sign with another school and play immediately without waiting one year.

News of the decision has already been hard for Wayne State fans who lost the men's program after the 2007-2008 season and an effort to reverse the move has already begun with a page called Save the WSU Women's Hockey Program on Facebook.

Please check for further updates as they become available.

Warriors earn sweep at Colgate

By Tom Balog/Wayne State Beat Writer

The Wayne State Warriors finally cracked the win column with a solid road sweep of the Colgate Raiders over the weekend.

The Warriors (2-2-0) scored four goals in just over 20 minutes in Friday's opener and held on for a 4-3 victory in Hamilton, New York.

Gina Buquet started the scoring with her second of the season in the second period.

Julie Ingratta, Adrianna Pfeffer, and Veronique Laramee-Paquette all recorded their first markers of the season to push WSU to a 4-2 lead, late in the third period.

Colgate pulled their goaltender and scored an extra attacker goal with just 26-seconds remaining, but that was as close as the Raiders would get.

Beth Rotenberg, Amanda Kirwan, and Brittany Phillips scored for the home team.

Delayne Brian (pictured) started between the pipes for the Green and Gold and stopped 22 shots. Kimberly Sass turned away 26 for Colgate.

Wayne State took advantage of a Colgate miscue on Saturday afternoon and notched a stunning 1-0 overtime win at Starr Rink.

Colgate forward Brittany Phillips went to the box for holding at the 19:02 mark of the third period. Then, just 13 seconds into overtime, Veronique Laramee-Paquette rifled in a power-play tally to give the Warriors the win.

The goal was the fastest overtime goal in school history and gave WSU a 11-10-0 lead in the all-time series against Colgate.

Gina Buquet and Jenaya Townsend picked up the assists.

Delayne Brian stopped 22 shots for her second shutout of the season and third of her career.

Lisa Plenderleith took the hard loss after stopping 30 shots for Colgate.

The Wayne State Warriors will conclude their four-game road trip with a pair of games at Bemidji State next weekend.

Photo courtesy of Wayne State Athletics

Wayne State opens with loss, tie

by Tom Balog / WSU Beat Writer

The Wayne State Warriors opened the season on the road in Troy, NY and were rewarded with a point against the Rensselaer Engineers.

Friday night the Warriors mounted a furious comeback, but fell just short by a final score of 3-2.

After a scoreless first period, the Engineers scored a pair of power-play goals and a shorthanded marker to skate out to a 3-0 lead.

Julie Hebert finally put WSU on the board with her first collegiate marker at 3:17 of the third. Fellow freshman Gina Buquet made it a one-goal game, scoring her first goal, shorthanded at 17:19.

The Warriors pulled the goalie for the final 39-seconds, but couldn’t manage to net the equalizer.

Lindsey Park started in the net for the Green and Gold and stopped 32 shots in the loss.

Sonja van der Bliek turned aside 23 for RPI.

Neither team managed to turn on the light on Saturday afternoon as WSU and RPI skated to a 0-0 draw.

Rensselaer outgunned Wayne State again, this time by a 37-21 shot margin.

Delayne Brian (pictured) was perfect in the WSU net and earned her second career shutout.

Sonja van der Bliek stopped every shot for RPI for her tenth career shutout.

Wayne State is off next weekend and then will kick off their home schedule on Oct. 16-17 at the City Sports Center against Boston University.

Photo courtesy of Wayne State Athletics.

Wayne State Warriors Preview

By Tom Balog/Wayne State Beat Writer

WAYNE STATE WARRIORS

Head coach: Jim Fetter (sixth season, 100-84-18)

Home arena: City Sports Center (500)

Last season: 21-9-2 overall, 11-5-0 CHA (2nd), lost in CHA final to Mercyhurst

Returning for the Warriors:
Goaltenders: Delayne Brian, Lindsey Park, Brittany Zeches
Forwards: Micheline Frappier, Katrina Protopapas, Veronique Laramee-Paquette, Alyssa Baldin, Adrianna Pfeffer
Defensemen: Chelsea Burnett, Christine Jefferson, Marlee Fisher, Jill Szandzik, Ciara Lee

No longer wearing the Green and Gold:
Forwards: Melissa Boal, Lindsay DiPietro, Sam Poyton, Emily Berzins, Brandi Frakie, Amanda Hungle, Becky Sonn , Janet Babchishin
Defensemen: Natalie Payne, Tina Vanderhoeven, Bailey Lane

New to the Warriors:
Forwards: Gina Buquet, Lauren Ragan, Julie Hebert, Julie Ingratta, Jaclyn Stapleton, Lauren Coxon
Defensemen: Lauren Lovold, Jenaya Townsend

Outlook: Wayne State will use more balanced scoring and rely on their blueline experience as their skate into their tenth season of play.

The offensive fireworks that Warrior fans have come to expect will be absent this season with the graduation of Melissa Boal, Lindsay DiPietro, and Sam Poyton. The powerhouse line contributed 600 points over the last four seasons.

"I think offensively our numbers might go down compared to the past, but I'm hoping with our defense and goaltenders returning that we'll do a better job in our zone and not need to score as many goals to win games and be competitive," said Fetter. "I wouldn't be surprised if there were a lot of 1-0, 2-1, or 3-2 scores this year. Hopefully, we'll be on the winning side of those games."

Veronique Laramee-Paquette will wear the 'A' this season and leads 13 returning players after totaling 10 goals and 20 points in her freshman season.

The Warriors will be solid on defense with senior captain Christine Jefferson and fellow fourth-year player and all-time leading defensive scorer Chelsea Burnett.

Delayne Brian led the Warriors between the pipes last season 15 wins. Lindsey Park played in 12 games and paced the CHA with a .921 save percentage and placed second with a school-record 2.10 goals-against average.

Wayne State will begin the '09-10 season with a pair of non-conference games at Rensselaer beginning on Fri, Oct. 2. The first home series at the City Sports Center will face off on Fri, Oct 16 against Boston University.

The Warriors will begin the battle for the CHA crown with a pair of home tilts starting on Fri, Nov. 6 in Detroit against archrival and reigning conference champ Mercyhurst.

Warriors take exhibition opener

by Tom Balog / Wayne State Beat Writer

The Wayne State Warriors began their tenth season of play with a 3-2 exhibition win over the York Lions on Friday night.

Julie Ingratta, Micheline Frappier, and Gina Buquet all scored by the 5:14 mark of the second period to push the Green and Gold to a 3-0 lead.

Lindsey Park started between the pipes for WSU and stopped 9 of 10 shots. Brittany Zeches came in near the midway part of the game and turned aside 6 of 7 shots.

Jennifer Petkovics and Autumn Mills lit the lamp for York and Syndey McMurter recorded 30 saves.

Wayne State will begin regular season play next weekend in Troy, N.Y. against the Rensselaer Engineers. The Warriors will return to their home ice at the City Sports Center on October 16 to begin a two-game set against the Boston University Terriers.

B2 Networks to Broadcast 2008 CHA Men's and Women's Playoffs

Three Women’s and Three Men’s Game Can be Seen Live From Niagara’s Dwyer Arena

Courtesy of B2 Networks Communications Department

DETROIT , MI – College Hockey America and B2 Networks announced today that the entire 2008 CHA Women’s Tournament and the first three games of the 2008 CHA Men’s Tournament will be broadcast worldwide on B2 Networks. All action will be broadcast live from Dwyer Arena in Niagara University , N.Y.

“The CHA is extremely pleased to join with the B2 Networks in bringing CHA Division I men's and women's Championship Tournament Hockey to college hockey fans worldwide," said CHA Commissioner, R.H. "Bob" Peters.

The women’s tournament begins on Friday, Mar. 7 with the semifinals.

Top-seeded Wayne State will take on fourth-seeded Robert Morris at 3 p.m., and second-seeded Mercyhurst will follow against host Niagara, the No. 3 seed at 7 p.m.

Mercyhurst is ranked No. 7 in the nation in the Mar. 3 USCHO.com poll.

Friday’s winners will meet to determine the 2008 CHA champion on Saturday at 7 p.m. All times are Eastern.

On the men’s side, Wayne State will take on Alabama-Huntsville in the quarterfinal match up on Friday, Mar. 14 at 7 p.m. The winner will face top-seeded Bemidji State in the semifinals at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The second semifinal will follow at 7 p.m. between second-seeded host Niagara and third-seeded Robert Morris. All times are Eastern.

"B2 Networks has enjoyed an expanded role in delivering CHA games to fans around the world this season thanks to our partnerships with Alabama-Huntsville, Bemidji State, Mercyhurst, Niagara and Wayne State," stated Richard Brosal, B2 Networks Executive Vice President for Business Operations and Marketing. "We are pleased to be involved in the conference’s men’s postseason for the second straight year, and for the first time, we will be broadcasting the women’s tournament as well."

Fans can purchase individual game passes for $8.00 ( US ) each. In order to view the games, fans will need a high-speed internet connection and the current version of Microsoft Windows Media Player. Purchases can be made at www.b2tv.com or www.collegehockeyamerica.com.
B2 Networks is a premier provider of reliable and secure international television and pay-per-view broadcasting systems. Our network of arenas, stadiums, local venues and data centers are currently in use to distribute live sports and events to personal computers, television screens, mobile devices and commercial venues around the world. Working with organizations such as the AHL, ECHL, NLL, IHL, USHL, NAHL, Arena Football Leagues and selected NCAA and NAIA conferences and member institutions, B2 Networks has established itself as a leader in innovative global direct to home, mobile and television broadcasting. For the B2 Networks' Programming Guide visit www.b2tv.com, or for information about B2 Networks, visit www.b2now.com.

WSU sweeps Niagara, grabs share of CHA title

By Susannah Nichols/ Wayne State Women's Beat Writer

The Wayne State Warriors (21-8-3, 9-2-1 CHA) closed out their regular season with two wins over Niagara - a 3-1 decision on Friday and a 4-3 victory on Saturday. The wins earned the Warriors a share of the CHA regular-season title. The team also holds the No. 1 seed entering playoff competition.

Melissa Boal, who earned CHA Offensive Player of the Week honors for her weekend contributions, scored the Warriors' first goal on Friday night. Tina Vanderhoeven fed Boal the puck on a Warriors' power play, and Boal sent a wrist shot into the net. Boal set up Sam Poyton midway through the second period, and then scored herself less than 30 seconds later. Danielle Wilson was credited with an assist on Boal's second goal.

Niagara scored once in the second period, and goalie Valery Turcotte made 24 stops to seal the 3-1 victory.

Niagara struck first in Saturday's contest as Ashley Riggs notched a power-play goal at 7:22 of the opening period. Boal set up Poyton to knot the game at one, but the Purple Eagles wrested back the lead early in the second frame. Chelsea Burnett took advantage of a Niagara misplay to go in alone and score unassisted to tie the game back up.

Boal got the Warriors' their first lead of the game by batting in a rebound from Lindsay DiPietro (the assist was DiPietro's NCAA-best 46th of the season). Vanderhoeven was also credited with an assist on the play. The Warriors extended their lead to 4-2 when Katrina Protopapas and Sammi Bowers set up captain Ashley King for her third goal of the season.

In the final period, the Warriors fought off a five-minute penalty, and Niagara pulled their goalie for an extra attacker in the final minutes, resulting in a goal that cut the Warriors' lead to one. However, Turcotte came up huge for her team, making several key stops in the final minutes to preserve the Warriors' lead. She made 17 saves for her 16th win of the season. She finished the weekend with a .922 save percentage and was awarded CHA Defensive Player of the Week honors.

The Warriors begin playoff action against fourth-seeded Robert Morris on Thursday at Niagara.

WSU seniors photo courtesy Mark Hicks/West Side Photographic

Warriors split with #7 Mercyhurst

The Wayne State Warriors reached yet another milestone in the development of their program as they split with the 7th ranked Mercyhurst Lakers over the weekend at the City Sports Center in Detroit.

The split gave the Warriors a 2-1-1 season mark against their foes from Erie, PA, marking the first time the Green and Gold have taken the season series.

“I challenged our girls and they stepped up to plate,” said Wayne State Warrior head coach Jim Fetter. “Everyone knows their role and they did what was expected of them. They really showed a lot of character.”

A record 435 fans filled the arena on Friday night for Pack the Rick and “Doc” Andrews Scholarship Night, but unfortunately watched the Warriors fall by a score of 4-1.

Sam Poyton notched the Warriors lone goal with a power-play goal at 5:28 of the first period. Poyton took a tic-tac-toe pass from Lindsay DiPietro and Melissa Boal and buried it from just in front of MC goaltender Laura Hosier for her 33rd of the year.

The Lakers went on a blitz from there, scoring four straight goals to take the win.

Stephanie Jones, Hayley McMeekin, Ashley Cockell, and Jesse Scanzano all scored for the Lakers and Hosier made 32 saves in net.

Valery Turcotte stopped 25 for WSU.

WSU finished the night 1-9 on the power-play and MC ended up 1-5 with the man advantage.

Saturday afternoon it looked like the Lakers might run away with it, but the Warriors staged a monumental comeback and pulled out a dramatic 3-2 overtime win.

Scanzano and Jones scored first and second power-play goals respectively to give Mercyhurst a 2-0 lead after forty minutes of play.

The Warriors came alive in the third as Poyton notched a 4-on-4 goal at 14:57 to get WSU on the board.

Line mate Melissa Boal scored the equalizer less than two minutes later, forcing the third overtime game in the season series.

Chelsea Burnett assisted on both Poyton and Boal’s third period goals.

At 2:02 of overtime, Lindsay DiPietro started the play by getting the puck into the Mercyhurst end. Katrina Protopapas took the initial shot and Poyton was there to slam in the rebound for her 35th of the season.

Turcotte made 31 saves in net for WSU. Hosier stopped 22 for MC.

For her three goal, one assist effort vs. MC, Poyton was named the CHA Offensive Player of Week. It’s is the fifth time this year Poyton has earned the award.

“I’m pretty sure we’re going to be working really hard all week in practice, “said Fetter. “We don’t a let down like we had against Robert Morris. We’ll get the girls going and get them focused for this last series.”

Wayne State (19-8-3, 7-2-1 CHA) and Mercyhurst are tied on top of the CHA with 15 points each with just two regular games remaining for both teams. WSU will host Niagara back at City Sports next weekend. MC will play a home and home with Robert Morris.

WSU women falter in RMU split

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Just one week after beating national powerhouse Mercyhurst for the first time ever and earning a No. 10 national ranking, the Wayne State women tasted an upset from the other side in a split at home with Robert Morris.

The 2-1 loss Friday was WSU’s first to RMU in their four-year history.

With the loss, WSU saw its school record 11-game unbeaten streak snapped.

Melissa Boal scored just 32 seconds into the second period and Valery Turcotte made 27 saves, ending her personal 11-game unbeaten streak as well.

The Warriors rebounded for a 2-1 win of their own Saturday as Lindsay DiPietro and Sam Poyton scored to back Turcotte’s 16-save performance.

Wayne State (18-7-3, 6-1-1 CHA) will host No. 7 Mercyhurst in a battle for first place atop the CHA standings Friday and Saturday at the City Sports Center. Friday’s game starts at 7 p.m. and Saturday’s matinee goes at 2 p.m.

Wayne women sweep CHA honors

By Susannah Nichols/ WSU Women's Beat Writer

Wayne State swept the CHA weekly awards after beating and tying #6 Mercyhurst on the road.

Junior Sam Poyton was named Offensive Player of the Week. Poyton scored two goals in Friday's game, including the overtime game-winner. She also had a goal in Saturday's game and finished the weekend with a +2 plus/minus rating.

Senior goalie Valery Turcotte's 78-save weekend could not go unnoticed. After stopping 52 shots in Friday's game (including four in overtime) and 26 on Saturday, she was awarded Defensive Player of the Week honors. Turcotte was particularly effective in shutting down Mercyhurst's power play unit--ranked third in the nation coming into the series--she stopped nine out of ten power play shots.

Freshman forward Adrianna Pfeffer earned Rookie of the Week honors. She scored two goals in Friday's game.

This is the sixth straight week a Warrior has earned league honors, and the first time this year that the team swept the league awards.

Warriors remain unbeaten

By Susannah Nichols/ WSU Women's Beat Writer

The Wayne State Warrior's winning streak--a school-record nine games--came to an end on Saturday, when they fought to a 2-2 tie with Mercyhurst. However, the tie, coupled with 5-4 overtime victory on Friday, allows the team to preserve their eleven-game unbeaten streak. Additionally, Friday's win was significant because it was the Warriors' first victory over Mercyhurst.

Junior forward Lindsay DiPietro and senior goalie Valery Turcotte also maintained streak of their own: DiPietro has earned points in each of the last twelve games, and Turcotte is unbeaten in her last eleven starts.

Mercyhurst got on the board first in Friday's game, but DiPietro struck back three minutes later, off assists from Chelsea Burnett and Melissa Boal. Burnett then set up Adrianna Pfeffer for a power play goal, Pfeffer's second of the season. Sam Poyton (pictured) added a goal (assisted by DiPietro and Boal) to put the Warriors up 3-1 heading into the first intermission.

Sammi Bowers and Janet Babchisin helped Pfeffer notch her second goal of the night, but Mercyhurst then scored three unanswered goals to knot the score heading into overtime. Senior goaltender Valery Turcotte was a critical factor in keeping the Warriors alive; she made 36 of her dazzling 52 game saves in the second two periods.

In overtime, Mercyhurst outshot Wayne State 4-1, but the Warriors only needed one: Poyton grabbed Tegan Schroeder's rebound and shot it past goalie Laura Hosier for the victory.

Saturday's game was initially a battle between Hosier and Turcotte, neither of who allowed a goal in the first period. While Mercyhurst was likely looking to score on their power play late in the second period, it was DiPietro who wrested control of the puck and beat Hosier on a breakaway.

Early in the third period, Poyton picked up a pass from Boal to light the lamp. Mercyhurst responded with two goals within the next ten minutes to tie things up (and outshot the Warriors 17-5 over the third period and overtime), but neither team could nail the game-winner.

Turcotte finished with 26 saves.

The Warriors (17-6-3, 5-0-1 CHA) return to Detroit this weekend: they will face Robert Morris on Friday and Saturday at the City Sports Center.

ICE CHIPS…

- By beating and tying Mercyhurst on the road, Wayne State leaped into the USCHO.com Division I Women's Poll for the first time in school history. The Warriors are ranked #10 in the current poll and Mercyhurst came in at #7.

- Wayne State University hockey players Ashley King and Mike Forgie and are among the 66 finalists on the voting ballot for the 2008 Frozen Four Skills Challenge, as announced by the NCAA. Fans can vote for their favorites online until Thursday, February 14.

photo courtesy of WSU Athletics

Warriors cage Black Bears

For the current squad of the Wayne State women’s team, the past doesn’t mean a whole lot. The Warriors forgot all about an 0-8 all time mark against Maine as they handily swept the Black Bears in a two-game set at the City Sports Arena.

There’s still room for improvement, though, said WSU assistant coach Nicolette Frank after Saturday’s series clincher.

“We didn’t have three consistent periods and we’re trying to work towards that," Franck said. "We have come out aggressive against Quinnipiac (this weekend). Everyone is battling hard and playing well and we want to keep that up. Six good periods in a row is what we’re shooting for.”

Friday night, the Warriors got 12 saves from Val Turcotte and shutout the Bears, 5-0.

The game featured a little bit of everything including separate ejections to both team’s captains, an injured head referee and goals scored even strength, on the power play and shorthanded.

Newcomer Sammi Bowers, in just her third WSU game, started the scoring with the eventual game-winner on the power play at 12:03 of the second period.

Just under six minutes later, Sam Poyton scored an even-strength marker to put the Warriors up by a 2-0 score after 40 minutes of play.

Brandi Frakie scored her first of the year, shorthanded, at 13:42 of the third to widen the gap. Bowers and Poyton scored back-to-back again about two minutes later to close the night’s scoring.

WSU outshot the Black Bears, 39-12, for the game.

The shutout was the second of the year and seventh all-time for Turcotte.

The final score was closer in Saturday’s afternoon finale, but the Warriors still prevailed by a final of 4-3.

Wayne State’s power line scored all four goals with Lindsay DiPietro scoring the opener, Melissa Boal (pictured) the next two, and Poyton finishing it up by registering her third marker of the weekend.

Turcotte turned aside 21 of 24 shots to bump her season record to 5-4-1.

Wayne State (10-6-2 0-0-0 CHA) concludes its six-game homestand with the aforementioned series against Quinnipiac this weekend. The first game will be part of part of a double-header with the WSU men's team and will be played at the Taylor SportsPlex at 3:30 p.m. in Taylor, Mich. Game two is at 2:00 p.m. and will be played at the City Sports Center.

ICE CHIPS….

+ WSU head coach Jim Fetter missed the last two series against Minnesota and Maine as he helped guide Hockey Canada's Under-18 team to a silver medal at the IIHF World Women’s U18 Championships In Calgary.

+ Poyton (21-18—39) and Boal (22-16—38) rank second and third in the county in points.

+ DiPietro (6-29—35) is ranked first in the nation with 29 assists.

+ Since winning their opener on Sept. 29 against Sacred Heart, Maine (1-18-2) has gone winless in their last 20 games.

Wayne State women split at Colgate

By Susannah Nichols/ WSU Women’s Beat Writer

The Wayne State Warriors secured a 4-2 triumph over Colgate last Friday night, but suffered a 7-3 loss on Saturday.

The Warriors started Friday’s game down 2-0, but got on the board by capitalizing on a 5-on-3 power play. Sam Poyton and Lindsay DiPietro (pictured right) set up blueliner Tina Vanderhoeven for her second goal of the season.

Poyton followed with the tying goal at the end of the second period, and the go-ahead goal at the start of the third. DiPietro assisted on both of Poyton’s goals. Ashley King and Christine Jefferson also contributed assists on individual goals. Janet Babchishin rounded out the Warriors’ scoring with some help from King and Emily Berzins.

Senior goalie Tiffany Thompson earned her fifth consecutive win with 35 saves.

Thompson also started in Saturday’s contest, but was replaced by Valery Turcotte after Colgate amassed a 4-0 lead.

King got the Warriors on the board with a power-play goal assisted by Adriana Pfeffer and Chelsea Burnett. Pfeffer notched her first goal of the season, and Poyton scored to bring the Warriors within 6-3, but their efforts were not enough. Colgate added an empty-net goal to seal the final 7-3 score.

Poyton’s performance was a bright spot in the Warriors’ loss as her goal allowed her to extend her point streak to 12 games, breaking the school record of 11, set by Poyton herself last season.

Becky Sonn, Amanda Hungle, Tina Vanderhoeven and Jenny Cameron added assists in Saturday’s game.

The Warriors’ record now stands at 8-5-1. The team is idle until the New Year when they face Minnesota on January 5-6.

Poyton tabbed Player of the Week

Wayne State junior forward Sam Poyton was named College Hockey America (CHA) Offensive Player of the Week after a nine point weekend at Northeastern.

Poyton led Wayne State with nine points (four goals and five assists) helping the Warriors to a series sweep of Northeastern.

In game one, Poyton scored her second career hat trick (including the game winner) with two assists for a team and game high five points in WSU’s 6-2 victory. In the Warriors’ 7-2 game two win, Poyton continued her impressive offensive output with four points, scoring the game-winning goal with a team-high three assists.

She also finished with a plus/minus rating of +7 for the two games.

Poyton (10-11--21) is tied for third nationally with 21 points in just 9 games. Teammates Melissa Boal (15-10--25) and Lindsay DiPietro (5-17--22) ranked 1-2 nationally in scoring.

The Warriors (6-4-0) will take on the Rensselaer Engineers in pair of games at the Coliseum in Detroit this Friday and Saturday.

Wayne State adds Franck to bench

Nicolette Franck has been named an assistant coach of the Wayne State women's hockey team. Franck, a former goaltender at Yale University, brings a vast level of coaching experience to the Warriors.

"Nicolette is the final piece to our coaching staff and I am excited to have her aboard," said WSU head coach Jim Fetter. "Her coaching experience and knowledge of the game will be a huge asset that our players will certainly benefit from."

After graduating from Yale with a bachelor's degree in psychology, Franck spent two years in the National Women's Hockey League, playing for the Brampton Thunder (pictured) and Toronto Aeros. She also played goalie for the 2006 Women's National Inline Hockey Team, winning a silver medal at the FIRS Inline World Championship and gold at the North American Roller Hockey Championships (NARCh) Tournament, where she was named Top Goaltender.

Franck has coached at various levels over the past decade, including three years with the Etobicoke Dolphins in Ontario. Beginning as a goaltenders coach for the Midget A squad in 2004, Franck moved all the way up to the head coach position of the Intermediate AA team in 2007.

Please click here for the full Wayne State Hockey press release.

St. Lawrence sweeps Wayne State

By Susannah Nichols/ WSU Women's Beat Writer

The Wayne State Warriors women’s hockey team (4-4-0) played with heart and hustle last weekend, but couldn’t translate their efforts into a victory. The team was swept by No. 4 St. Lawrence 5-3 on Friday night and 5-2 on Saturday.

On Friday, the Warriors mounted an impressive comeback effort after falling behind 3-0. Late in the second period, Lindsay DiPietro scored two goals, one assisted by Melissa Boal, and the other assisted by Sam Poyton (pictured). Less than three minutes into the third period, the Warriors went on the power play, and Boal scored off of her own rebound to knot up the game at three.

St. Lawrence, however, was quick to recover and added two goals to seal the 5-3 victory.

Senior goalie Tiffany Thompson recorded 15 saves in Friday’s game.

The Warriors got on the board first in Saturday’s game. Katrina Protopapas scored her third goal of the season on the power play. Boal and Chelsea Burnett earned assists on the play. St. Lawrence then responded with three straight goals despite excellent penalty killing work by the Warriors’ defensive unit and 19 second-period saves by senior Valery Turcotte.

Poyton set up Boal for a left-side goal to pull the Warriors within a goal. St. Lawrence, however, was able to light the lamp twice more and stifle any offensive energy from Wayne State.

Turcotte finished the game with 35 saves.

Wayne State faces Northeastern in Boston this weekend.

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.