Oakland beats Stoneybrook, on to semifinals

Oakland routed rival Stoneybrook, 7-1, last night behind two goals each from Dan Oleksy and captain Brandon Lipari.

The Grizzlies now advance to the national semifinal for the third straight season and will face the No. 2 seed from the West Region, Colorado State, tonight in Rochester, N.Y.

"Today was the best game we played all year as a team," OU head coach Sean Hogan said. "Top to bottom everyone was ready. I am very proud to be coaching this group of young men."

Oakland started off strong killing off an early 5-on-3 and quickly turned the tide with two power-play goals to lead 2-0 after one period of play.

"We liked the intensity," Oakland assistant coach J.R. Dunn said. "We reminded the team that Stoneybrook was very capable of mounting a comebcak, so we needed to stay smart and stay out of the box."

The Grizzlies kept the momentum throughout the second period in taking a 4-0 lead into the dressing room after 40 minutes.

"It was important to stay out of the box in the third," noted Hogan. "It can start to get chippy in games like this. I was happy to see our guys keep their heads."

Oakland was backstopped by exceptional play from their goaltender Chris Joswiak (pictured).

"Joz turned it up for this game," assistant coach Gordie Schaeffler said. "I was very pleased to see he is back on his game."

You can catch all the semifinal action live on Internet radio at www.achachampionships.com.

Joswiak photo by Matt Mackinder.

Wayne State one and out in tournament

Tylor Michel's goal in the second period pulled Wayne State into a 1-1 tie with Alabama-Huntsville, but the Chargers scored twice more to eliminate the Warriors from the College Hockey America Tournament Friday night.

WSU goalie Will Hooper stopped 24 shots in a losing cause. Wayne State finishes 6-23-6 overall.

Click here for USCHO's game recap.

WSU time-out photo by Matt Mackinder.

Grizzlies get past Indiana, Colorado

Oakland University defeated Indiana in the first game of the ACHA DII National Tournament Wednesday in a 10-9 overtime shootout and then overcame Colorado the following game, 4-3.

Oakland was down twice by three goals, 6-3 and 7-4, in the second period and fought back to an 8-8 tie after two periods of play.

"I was estatic to see our guys fight back like that," OU head coach Sean Hogan said. "It showed a lot of heart, the true makings of a championship team."

OU capped the comeback with an overtime game winning goal by veteran defenseman Dale Swims.

"Dale has been a great asset to this program and has been a producer since his arrival," commented Oakland assistant coach J.R. Dunn.

OU regrouped for the second game and again found themselves down 2-0 to Colorado early in the first.

"We knew we had the ability to fight back and the scoring power to do it," Oakland assistant coach Gordie Schaeffler said. "We just needed to tighten it up a bit."

The Grizzlies headed into the third period with a 4-2 lead and looked to close out the Buffloes. Colorado had a different plan, however, as they would bring the score to within one with under 10 minutes remaining in the game. OU would have to exstinguish numerous Colorado rushes late in the game to garner the 4-3 win.

Oakland will play rival Stoneybrook for a birth in the national semifinal tommorrow at 3:30. You can listen in at www.achachampionships.com.

Warrior women ousted in OT by Niagara

The Wayne State women's hockey team's season came to an abrupt end on Thursday night, as the Warriors (14-16-5) were defeated in overtime by the Niagara Purple Eagles (11-20-4), 4-3, in the semifinals of the College Hockey America Tournament at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum.

Prior to Thursday, Wayne State had never scored a goal in its CHA playoff history. The Warriors would score three in this game, all of which came on power plays, as they went 3-for-6 with 11 shots overall with a skater advantage.

The first period was scoreless, despite a 12-4 advantage in shots on goal for the Warriors.

Lindsay DiPietro got the Warriors on the board with her 14th goal of the season at 11:20 of the second period. DiPietro won a faceoff in the offensive zone and sent the puck back to senior defenseman Peyton Patterson. Patterson fired a shot which was tipped past NU goaltender Allison Rutledge by DiPietro, who by then was positioned between the circles.

Niagara's Erin Toth knotted the score at one at the 15:52 mark with her second goal of the season. Toth sent a wrist shot from just inside the blue line through heavy traffic in on Warrior goaltender Tiffany Thompson.

The Warriors would score the final goal of the period, however, at 17:37 when Kristy Leng, who was behind and to the right of the Niagara net, bounced the puck off an NU skater near the post and past Rutledge, giving Wayne State a 2-1 lead. Laura Monk (pictured) and Sarah Campbell were credited with the helpers.

Shots on goal were 25-8 through two periods in favor of Wayne State, who had never lost (10-0-4) during the 2005-06 regular season when leading after two periods.

Wayne State increased its lead to 3-1 when Sam Poyton scored her 29th of the season at 12:20 of the third period. DiPietro and Melissa Boal set up Poyton in front of Rutledge, and she successfully scrambled to get the puck away from the Niagara defenders and into the net.

Poyton's 29 goals tie the CHA single-season record, set last year by Ashley Riggs of Niagara.

The Purple Eagles called a timeout at the 17:25 mark, and came out with Rutledge on the bench in favor of an extra skater. The move was effective, as Melanie Mills scored 11 seconds later to close the gap to 3-2. Toth, who fed the centering pass to Mills, and Chelsea Donovan earned assists on the play.

Rutledge briefly returned to the ice, only to again be pulled for an extra attacker with 1:33 remaining. Six seconds later, Donovan tied the game with her 10th goal of the season, deflecting the puck in past Thompson on the left side. Candace Boyles and Lisa Agozzino assisted on the goal, and the game headed to overtime.

The Warriors managed five shots on goal in the extra period, but the Purple Eagles made their only shot on goal in overtime count. Meagan Smith and Mills crashed the net, and Smith wound up with a loose puck on the left post and put it in at the 3:01 mark, sending Niagara to Sunday's championship game against the Mercyhurst Lakers, to be broadcast on CSTV at 11:05 a.m.

Thompson finished with 14 saves in the game, while Rutledge stopped 37 of WSU's shots for her 11th win of the season.

Wayne State's 2005-06 campaign ends with a 14-16-5 record overall, having finished the regular season with a 6-4-2 conference record, its best in school history.

Photo by Mark Hicks/WestSide Photo.

Kovalchik named Second Team All-CHA

Wayne State senior defenseman Steve Kovalchik was named to the Second Team All-CHA squad during Thursday night's College Hockey America awards presentation held at the Hall of Legends in Ford Field.

Kovalchik finished in a tie-for-second among CHA blueliners with 11 assists in 20 games and was tied-for-fifth in league scoring among defensemen with 12 points.

He becomes the third WSU blueliner named to the CHA All-League Second Team joining Tyler Kindle (2000-01) and Keith Stanich (2002-03).

Kovalchik will tie the school record for career games played (141) this evening as the Warriors battle Alabama-Huntsville in a CHA quarterfinal contest at 7:35 p.m.

Photo by Mark Hicks/WestSide Photo.

WSU women's team garners CHA awards

The College Hockey America league office announced the recipients of the women's year-end awards at the CHA Championship Banquet, held at the Ford Field Corner Lounge on Wednesday evening.

Wayne State took home several honors.

Freshmen forwards Melissa Boal and Sam Poyton were named to both the All-CHA First Team and the All-Rookie Team, with Poyton also earning an Easton Hockey Three-Star Award for Wayne State. Just 34 games into their respective collegiate careers, both players had a profound impact on the team this season, setting several single-season records and rapidly climbing the all-time lists in several categories.

Boal, who became the first Warrior in history to score four goals in a game on Feb. 25 against Robert Morris, established several new WSU single-season marks, including points (47), assists (24), and power-play goals (11). She ranks tied-for-fourth all-time in points and is the active leader on the team. She also set new league records for shots on goal (194), power-play goals, and power-play points (25).

Poyton set a school record on Jan. 20 against Rensselaer when she scored her 16th goal of the season, breaking the previous mark set by Emily McGrath-Agg in the 2003-04 campaign. By the end of the regular season, Poyton tallied 28 goals, one shy of the CHA record. She currently stands as the active goal-scoring leader on the team and in second on the all-time list behind former Warriors' captain Kelly Zamora (34).

Three Warriors were named to the All-CHA Second Team: freshman forward Lindsay DiPietro, freshman defenseman Tina Vanderhoeven and senior defenseman Peyton Patterson. Vanderhoeven also joins Boal and Poyton on the All-Rookie Team.

DiPietro is tied with Boal for the school record in assists, recording 24 helpers during the regular season. She also tallied 37 points on the season, third on the single-season list behind Boal and Poyton.

Vanderhoeven surpassed all rookie defensemen in team history with 10 assists and 13 points during the regular season.

Patterson, two-time winner of the team's most improved player award, progressed in her career from playing limited minutes her freshman year to being an assistant captain in her last two seasons. With career-highs in assists (11) and points (12) this season, she climbed her way into the WSU record books, as her 26 career points rank tied for 15th all-time and her 21 assists tie for 11th.

Senior captain Jessica Snelgrove (pictured above left) was named the CHA Student-Athlete of the Year, an award given to a senior student-athlete who displays outstanding sportsmanship, a high grade-point average in progression towards a degree, and strong on-ice skills.

The Coach of the Year Award went to Jim Fetter, the first such award of his career. He has 42 victories in his three years at Wayne State, doubling the 21-win total over the previous four seasons of the program's history. Fetter's 2005-06 squad played to its best conference record (6-4-2) and is one win shy of the team-record 15 wins, set in his first season at the helm in 2003-04.

Wayne State also had 11 players named to the All-Academic Team: Jenny Cameron, Sarah Campbell, Jessica Haydahl, Ashley King, Laura Monk, Peyton Patterson, Jessica Snelgrove, Becky Sonn, Nicole Stahl, Valery Turcotte, and Danielle Wilson.

Wayne State will face Niagara in the semifinals of the CHA Tournament, hosted by WSU at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum, on Thursday at 8:05 p.m. The winner will advance to face either Mercyhurst or Robert Morris in the championship game on Sunday at 11:05 a.m.


COMPLETE LISTING OF AWARD WINNERS

All-CHA First Team
F - Melissa Boal, Wayne State
F - Valerie Chouinard, Mercyhurst
F - Sam Poyton, Wayne State
D - Ashley Pendleton, Mercyhurst
D - Danielle Lansing, Mercyhurst
G - Allison Rutledge, Niagara

All-CHA Second Team
F - Julia Colizza, Mercyhurst
F - Stefanie Bourbeau, Mercyhurst
F - Lindsay DiPietro, Wayne State
D - Tina Vanderhoeven, Wayne State
D - Peyton Patterson, Wayne State
G - Brianne McLaughlin, Robert Morris

All-Rookie Team
F - Melissa Boal, Wayne State
F - Valerie Chouinard, Mercyhurst
F - Sam Poyton, Wayne State
D - Tina Vanderhoeven, Wayne State
D - Samantha Ullrich, Robert Morris
G - Brianne McLaughlin, Robert Morris

Easton Three-Star Awards
Mercyhurst - Valerie Chouinard
Niagara - Allison Rutledge
Robert Morris - Brianne McLaughlin
Wayne State - Sam Poyton

CHA Easton Three-Star Player of the Year
Valerie Chouinard, Mercyhurst

Student-Athlete of the Year
Jessica Snelgrove, Wayne State

Rookie of the Year
Valerie Chouinard, Mercyhurst

Player of the Year
Valerie Chouinard, Mercyhurst

Coach of the Year
Jim Fetter, Wayne State

NMU gets Kraemer for '06-07

Wichita Falls Wildcats' captain Kyle Kraemer has committed to play for Northern Michigan University this fall.

Kraemer currently leads the NAHL team in scoring with 55 points and has been the team’s leader both on and off the ice.

Over the past few months Kraemer has spoken with numerous colleges that were interested in having him in their line up next season. The entire process, though exciting, has been very tiring.

“I really feel like I had to hand pick the right school," said Kraemer. "Every day you go back and forth between schools, comparing and contrasting everything. It has been very stressful."

The stress is now over for Kraemer as he looks forward to next year at NMU.

“I am very excited," he boasted. "Coach (Walt) Kyle and coach (John) Olver from NMU have been up front and honest with me the whole time. (Wichita Falls head) coach (Brian) Meisner also really likes them a lot and he has been instrumental in this process. I feel NMU gives me the opportunity to be the best player that I can be, and will prepare me for the future.

"The good news is that I will still be a Wildcat, but now I’ll be in green and white."

Michigan State hands out awards Tuesday

Junior captain Drew Miller, senior assistant captain Corey Potter and sophomore Bryan Lerg each captured two awards at the 2006 Michigan State Hockey Awards Banquet, held Tuesday evening at the Holiday Inn South in Lansing.

Potter was named the team’s Outstanding Defensive Player as well as earning the Bill Burgess Outstanding Senior Award, while Bryan Lerg was the team’s Outstanding Offensive Player, and also voted Most Improved in a vote of the 2005-06 MSU team.

Miller (pictured), meanwhile, captured the Amo Bessone Award for athletic, scholastic, and community participation in addition to being voted by his teammates as the squad’s MVP.

Miller, who’s family has a long history of excellence within the Spartan hockey program, enters the postseason tied for the team lead in scoring with Bryan Lerg (13 goals, 21 assists, 34 points). He is among three finalists for the CCHA’s Best Defensive Forward honor, and ranks 11th in the league in scoring, and 14th in assists. Miller’s steady contributions throughout the season have become even more impressive down the stretch run of the regular season, with four goals and two assists in February; two of his goals stood as game-winners, he assisted on a third, and assisted on a game-tying goal at Ohio State, a game MSU went on to win.

The junior’s off-ice contributions to the campus and surrounding community are as impressive as those to his team on the ice. He has been the driving force behind the creation of the "Spartan Buddies" program, where MSU athletes are "buddies" with pediatric patients at Sparrow Hospital. He also has involved himself, with, among other things, MSU’s "Teams for Toys" program, the Childrens Miracle Network, Special Olympics, the Adaptive Sports Festival, and DARE. He is a finalist for the CCHA’s Ilitch Humanitarian Award (which will be awarded in Detroit during the CCHA Championship weekend), as well as the prestigious Hockey Humanitarian Award, which will be presented in conjunction with the Hobey Baker Memorial Award at the Frozen Four in Milwaukee.

Potter, an assistant captain for the Spartans, captured the Dr. John Downs Outstanding Defensive Player Award for the third consecutive season, joining former MSU blueliner Joby Messier as the only players voted the recipient three times in their playing careers. Potter anchors a defense which ranks third in the CCHA and ninth nationally, allowing just 2.34 goals per game. He has also contributed at the other end, as his three goals and 13 assists (16 points) is the best offensive output of his career. In a season marred by injuries to several key players early in the year, Potter is one of just four players to make an appearance in all 38 games.

Bryan Lerg shares the team lead offensively with Miller, with 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points. He has more than doubled his offensive output from his first varsity season, when he had 10 goals and five assists in 41 games. Lerg ranks 11th in the CCHA in scoring, and 14th in assists. Like Potter, Lerg is one of just four players to appear in all 38 games this season for Michigan State.

Another Lerg secured a team award, as freshman netminder Jeff was named the team’s Outstanding Rookie. Jeff Lerg has backstopped the Spartans to their impressive second-half surge, posting a 1.72 GAA and .936 save percentage since Jan. 1. He has emerged as one of the top first-year players in the nation, and was the Hockey Commissioners Association/CSTV National Rookie of the Month in January. Overall, he boasts a record of 12-4-6, a goals against average of 1.98 (which ranks sixth nationally), and is eighth in the country in saves percentage (.926). He is among the three finalists for the CCHA Rookie of the Year award.

Senior Colton Fretter was named the Blue Line Club President’s Award Winner, presented to the top scholar-athlete in the senior class. Fretter boasts a 3.046 grade-point average as a kinesiology major, and will be graduating this summer. He has been on the Dean’s List (3.5 semester GPA or higher) three times, was CCHA All-Academic Team Honorable Mention in 2004 and Academic All-Big Ten last year. The senior has served on MSU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as the hockey representative for the past three years, and has also done a number of outreach events, including March is Reading Month, Pen Pal Program, Jr. Spartan Tailgate and Picnic, and Trick or Treating with Children with cancer.

On the ice, Fretter is the team’s fourth-leading scorer (10 goals, 17 assists,. 27 points), and ranks fourth in the CCHA with four game-winning goals, which includes two in overtime; his biggest of the year was the OT game-winner against Michigan Tech to send the Spartans to the GLI Championship game in December.

Classmate Jared Nightingale was given the Spartan Fitness Award. The three-year assistant captain of the Spartans has appeared in 34 of MSU’s 38 games; he has a goal and six assists for seven points, and is second on the team with a plus/minus rating of +7. There is a family history with this honor, as Nightingale’s brother, Adam, won this award in 2004.

Finally, the team’s Goofus Award, given annually to the team humorist, was awarded for the second straight season to sophomore Zak McClellan. McClellan, who appeared only in one exhibition game as a freshman last season, has played in 24 games in 2005-06 on the Spartans’ fourth line, a critical component of MSU’s depth and a considerable contributor to the team’s success. He has a pair of goals and two assists on the season, and potted his first collegiate goal in November against Northern Michigan.

Michigan State, entering the postseason with a 20-10-8 overall mark, finished second in the CCHA in the regular season (14-7-7), and hosts Alaska Fairbanks this weekend in a quarterfinal series with an eye on advancing to the league’s championship next weekend in Detroit. Michigan State is the all-time winningest team in CCHA Tournament play, with a 72-20-0 mark all-time in tournament games, a league-best 10 CCHA Tournament titles, and boasts a 45-3 mark all-time in conference tournament games played on its home ice.

Photo, from 2005 GLI, by Matt Mackinder.

WSU swept by Air Force, gets No. 6 seed

Wayne State honored their four seniors (above) prior to Saturday's game, but couldn't send the foursome out on a high note as the Warriors lost, 5-3, to give Air Force the series sweep.

Friday night, WSU fell by a 3-1 mark.

With their win Friday, Air Force clinched the No. 5 seed in this week's CHA Tournament at the State Fairgrounds Coliseum. The Warriors (6-22-6, 3-12-5 CHA) finished in the CHA basement and will play Alabama-Huntsville Friday in the quarterfinals.

Jon Grabarek's power-play goal was WSU's lone goal Friday night and goaltender Will Hooper stopped 33 shots in the loss. Canton native Peter Foster finished with 17 saves for Air Force and Dexter native Eric Ehn scored the Falcons' first goal.

Saturday night, Matt Kelly allowed two early goals and never recovered in the 5-3 loss. John May, Dan Iliakis and Adam Krug scored and Kelly registered 22 saves. Foster made 26 stops and Ehn scored his second goal in as many games while West Bloomfield native Josh Schaffer potted a pair.

Game time Friday night is 7:35 p.m. at the Coliseum. Air Force plays No. 4 Robert Morris in the first game at 3:35 p.m. Niagara won the CHA regular-season title and Bemidji State finished second. Both NU and BSU get quarterfinal round byes.

For more tournament coverage, click here.

Photo by Matt Mackinder. Left to right: John May, Steve Kovalchik, Greg Poupard, head coach Bill Wilkinson and (kneeling) Matt Kelly.

WSU women drop two at Niagara

Niagara was swept at Wayne State earlier this season and last weekend returned the favor in western New York as the Purple Eagles put two wins on the board against the Warriors.

Friday night, Sam Poyton had a goal and an assist for WSU and Melissa Boal also scored in a 3-2 loss. Val Turcotte made 20 saves while Allison Rutledge stopped 39 for NU.

Saturday night, Chelsea Donovan's third goal of the weekend, 4:23 into overtime, gave Niagara the 2-1 win.

Sarah Campbell (pictured) netted WSU's goal midway through the third period.

Tiffany Thompson finished with 25 saves and Rutledge had 38.

Wayne State finishes the season 14-15-5 overall and 6-4-2 in the CHA.

The two teams rematch Thursday in the CHA Tournament semifinals at the State Fairgrounds Coliseum at 8:05 p.m. WSU is the No. 2 seed and Niagara is seeded third. Mercyhurst finished first in the CHA and first-year Robert Morris dead last.

Ferris and Western advance in CCHA tourney

Both Ferris State and Western Michigan swept their CCHA first-round series last weekend and advanced to the second round this weekend.

Ferris State eliminated Ohio State, defeating the Buckeyes, 2-1, on Saturday in Big Rapids.

After scoreless first and second periods, sophomore forward Adam Miller beat OSU backstop David Caruso to give FSU a 1-0 lead at 5:18. Freshman forward Dan Riedel scored his second goal of the series when he notched a power-play tally at 7:09.

Buckeye junior forward Kenny Bernard cut the lead to one when he beat FSU rookie netminder Mitch O'Keefe at 11:42. The tally snapped O'Keefe's postseason shutout streak at 110:41.

O'Keefe turned aside 29 shots to earn the victory while Caruso stopped 43 shots. The victory sends the Bulldogs to Ann Arbor to battle Michigan for the second time in three weeks.

Western Michigan sophomore goaltender Daniel Bellissimo turned aside 31 shots to blank host Lake Superior State, 1-0, as the Broncos swept the host Lakers to punch their ticket for Oxford, Ohio, to battle Miami. After 54 minutes of scoreless hockey, senior captain Mike Erickson beat LSSU junior goalie Jeff Jakaitis on the power play to propel the Broncos to the series win.

Jakaitis turned aside 26 shots in defeat.

Michigan State will host Alaska-Fairbanks, who swept Notre Dame.

Huskies scoreless against North Dakota

Michigan Tech couldn't score last weekend, literally, and were swept at North Dakota in the final week of the regular season.

Friday night, goalie Michael-Lee Teslak made 34 saves, but MTU fell, 4-0.

Then on Saturday, Teslak and Rob Nolan combined for 23 saves in a 6-0 shellacking.

The No. 8 Huskies (7-23-6, 6-16-6 WCHA) travel to No. 3 Wisconsin this weekend to open WCHA tournament action.

Wildcats get verbal commitment from Dorich

Third-year Des Moines Buccaneers defenseman Alan Dorich, 19, has committed to Northern Michigan University for next season.

The Orland Park, Ill., native has had his past two seasons cut short due to injury. This year, he appeared in 24 games, scoring one goal for five points while holding a plus-16 rating.

"Alan was the consummate defensive-defenseman for our team, and, in my opinion, one of the best at doing that in the entire USHL," Bucs coach-GM Regg Simon said. "He was matched against other team's top lines, he was our best penalty-killer and he led our team in blocked shots. He did everything for us. I'm happy and proud that he'll get to move on to a great college hockey program."

Dorich is the 16th Buccaneer this season to commit to a Division I program, the USHL's 129th.

Golden Grizzlies gear up for national run

Oakland University will be making their sixth straight ACHA D-II National Tournament appearance this week in Rochester, N.Y., when they face off against GMHL rival Indiana University this Thursday.

The Golden Grizzlies will be looking for their second national title in three years.

"We worked hard all season with a tough schedule and I think it will help us in these games," OU head coach Sean Hogan (pictured above) said. "Playing tough competition night in and night out helped us prepare for this tournament."

The tournament opens with a round-robin format where (Central Region No. 2 seed) OU will take on (No. 3 Southeast) Indiana University, (No. 4 West) University of Colorado and then rival (No. 1 Northeast) Stoneybrook University.

Oakland defeated Stoneybrook in overtime in the national semifinal during their 2004 national championship run.

"It will be a long hard road," Oakland assistant coach J.R. Dunn (right) said. "The year we won it all we won two overtime games. I have stressed to the guys all week that we need to be focused and ready each game."

Finlandia falls in MCHA semifinals

Finlandia's season came to a heartbreaking close with their 3-2 overtime loss last Saturday in Appleton, Wisconsin, to Marian in the MCHA tournament semifinals.

The Lions had beaten Northland, 6-2, Friday night to advance in the tournament.

In Saturday's loss, Mike Parks and Joe Beaudry scored to give FU a 2-1 lead heading into the third period, but Billy Schill scored at 6:45 of the third and then 3:34 into OT to give Marian the victory.

Lukas Alberer made 36 stops for the Lions.

The Sabres then fell to the Milwaukee School of Engineering in Sunday's final, 5-2.

Friday, Joe Juntilla made just 17 saves and Parks scored twice for Finlandia. Ryan Sullivan, Joe Lewis, Josh Paquette and Steve Piccoli also tallied for FU.

Finlandia finishes the year 10-13-3 and 9-8-3 in MCHA play.