Three Michigan teams in latest USCHO poll

Ferris State kick off the New Year at number 3 in the latest USCHO Division I Men's hockey poll.

The WCHA leading Bulldogs are 15-3-3 on the season and are coming off a 3-0 loss to Colgate in the championship game of the Mariucci Classic in Minneapolis.

Also cracking the Top-20, the Michigan Wolverines rank eighth and the Lake Superior State Lakers roll in at number nineteen.

In the USCHO.com Division III Men's Poll, the Adrian Bulldogs remain unbeaten at 12-0-1 and climb into the number one spot for the first time in school history.

Wolverines and Bulldogs Rank 3-4

The Michigan Wolverines were off of game action all week, but hold onto the #3 spot in the USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll for the third week in a row. 

In the in-state battle of ranked teams, Ferris State went on the road to the Taffy Abel Arena in the Sault and swept Lake Superior.

The Bulldogs scored four first period goals on Friday and dropped the Lakers, 5-3.

FSU exploded for another pair in the opening period on Saturday and held off the Lakers, 3-1, to move to 13-2-2 on the year and move up two spots to #4.

LSSU falls three spots to #17 with a record of 9-6-1.  

In the USCHO.com Division III Men's Poll, Adrian went into the week as #3 and grabbed 3 of 4 points on the road at Marian. The Bulldogs are now 10-0-1 overall on the year.

Michigan at No. 3 in latest USCHO Poll

The Michigan Wolverines had a light week, but still hold down the third spot in the latest USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll.

Andrew Copp notched the game-winner for the the Maize and Blue (9-2-1) at 3:38 of OT at Yost on Friday night to defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes in their only game action of the week.

The Ferris State Bulldogs (11-2-2) grabbed three of four points over the weekend from the Northern Michigan Wildcats on the road at the Berry Events Center and hold steady in sixth place.

Lake Superior also cracks the top-20 with an overall record of 9-4-1.

The 14th ranked Lakers celebrated Thanksgiving with a pair of 4-3 victories over the Bowling Green Falcons at the Taffy Abel Arena.

In the USCHO.com Division III Men's Poll, the Adrian Bulldogs are ranked third with a perfect 9-0-0 record.

Adrian's luck runs out in title game

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

The Adrian College Bulldogs fell painfully short in their bid for their first NCAA Division III Championship, falling 4-3 to the St. Norbert College Green Knights at the Ridder Arena in Minneapolis on Saturday night.

"We had a few lapses on the penalty kill and that really lead to them getting the win," said head coach Ron Fogarty. "I'm proud of our guys and the heart they showed each time we went down a goal. I'm also proud to be the head coach of Adrian College."

Nick Tabisz scored on the power-play at 15:26 of the third period to seal the title for St. Norbert who were in the championship game for the fifth time in the last eight years.

Sam Kuzyk, Kyle Watson, and Eric Miller lit the lamp and Brad Fogal made 30 saves for an Adrian team that finished with an overall record of 25-4-1.

"We could not gain any momentum because every goal by us was answered by them," said senior Sam Kuzyk. "Our team tried to overcome the penalties but they really did a good job of making those penalties hurt."

Cody Keefer popped in a pair of goals, Johan Ryd added a power-play marker and B.J. O'Brien stopped 18 as SNC won it's second National Championship.

The 17 outgoing Bulldog seniors won four MCHA regular season and Harris Cup titles and depart with an overall record of 102-12-2.

Senior blueliner Jeremy Klaver and senior forward Shawn Skelly both nabbed Frozen Four All-Tournament Team honors.

Photo courtesy of Adrian Athletics.

Adrian to play for D-III championship

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Adrian advanced to the Division III national title game with a 5-3 win over Oswego State Friday afternoon in Minneapolis.

The Bulldogs, winners of 14 straight games, will now play for the first NCAA championship in school history tonight against St. Norbert.

Shawn Skelly scored twice, while Zach Graham, Andrew Dovey and Mike Towns added singles to back Brad Fogal's 39-save performance in net.

"We are thrilled to be moving on and it really has not hit me yet," said senior forward Eric Miller, who added two assists. "We still have one more game to win before we can really exhale. Our goal four years ago was to win a national title and we are so close to realizing a dream."

The national championship will be decided tonight at 8 p.m. from Ridder Arena in Minneapolis.

The game can be seen by going here and clicking on the live video link.

Adrian off to Division III Frozen Four

Adrian Press Release

The Arrington Ice Arena was very quiet after 20 minutes of play last Saturday night.

Adrian saw themselves down 2-0 to Elmira College in a NCAA quarterfinal game after the Soaring Eagles scored twice on the nation's best penalty kill unit.

What happened next will be talked about in the community for a long time.

The Bulldogs staged a comeback for the ages with five straight goals, all at even strength, and propelled themselves into the NCAA Division III Frozen Four with a 5-3 win.

"We knew that we were playing well other than on the penalty kill in the first period," said senior forward Sam Kuzyk. "The shot total was in favor of us and we were out-playing them 5-on-5. We got a couple of greasy goals in front and the floodgates opened. It was a special moment to win on home ice in my final game at Arrington Ice Arena."

Kuzyk rose to the occasion scoring twice against Elmira. He netted a goal at 7:55 of the second period for his ninth of the season on a play where he had to fight for a rebound and smacked the puck past Elmira goaltender Darren MacDonald on Adrian's 17th shot on goal.

Linemate and fellow senior Brad Houston tied the game at 2-2 with his 14th of the season at 10:14. He also got a rebound and backhanded it after a Shawn Courtney blast off a faceoff led to the rebound.

The Bulldogs were just getting started as Shawn Skelly got into the act at 15:55 with a one-timer between the circles that went under MacDonald for his 100th career goal and 19th of the season. Eric Miller had an assist on the go-ahead goal, which was also his 200th career point.

Adrian suffocated Elmira in the first 1:23 of the third period and built their lead to 5-2. Kuzyk's second of the night at 1:07 came from Quinn Waller and Mike Dahlinger as Waller's blast off the boards came right to Kuzyk on the left pipe.

Joel Workman scored his eighth of the season just 16 seconds later off a rebound from Kyle Gallinger from the right point.

The Bulldogs had five goals in 10 shots on goal during the barrage.

Brock Sawyer got his second goal of the evening at 2:21 to make things a little interesting on a 4-on-4 situation.

Adrian closed things out as Elmira pulled MacDonald with 1:10 left, but could not threat the back of the net.

Adrian outshot Elmira, 29-23, on the night with four coming on a power play that went 0-for-5.

The Soaring Eagles finish the season at 17-7-4, while Adrian improves to 24-3-1.

Adrian will face Oswego State in the NCAA semifinals on Mar. 25 at 3:30 p.m. from Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. The two teams played last season with the Lakers winning 5-2 on Jan. 8, 2010, in Oswego. The Lakers were ranked No. 1 in the country at the time.

Adrian wins fourth straight MCHA title

Adrian Press Release

The Adrian men's team can hoist another banner inside Arrington Ice Arena after a 3-1 win at Milwaukee School of Engineering Friday night as they clinched their fourth straight MCHA regular season title, improving to 20-3-1 overall and 17-1-1 in the MCHA.

The Bulldogs won the South Division and will earn a bye into the Harris Cup semifinals as the conference's top seed. The Harris Cup will begin March 5 with the finals set for March 6.

Adrian will finish the regular season tonight against the Raiders and improved to 16-0-1 all-time against MSOE.

Senior goaltender Brad Fogal had a historical night as he became the NCAA Division III all-time wins leader in net. Fogal made 35 saves in one of his best efforts of the season and is now 88-10-2 in his career. Fogal surpassed Kyle Jones of St. Norbert (2002-2005). Fogal sits eighth in Division III history in goals-against average, 12th in save percentage and fourth in win percentage.

The Bulldogs and Raiders entered the contest with identical records and the top ten battle did not disappoint. Adrian, ranked fifth in the latest USCHO.com Division III poll, got on the board first after a scoreless first period. Senior forward Eric Miller (pictured) scored at the 40-second mark of the second period on the power play with assists from Josh Cousineau and Zach Graham. It was Miller's 15th goal of the season and 85th of his career. It was also his sixth power play goal of the season and 29th of his career.

Milwaukee School of Engineering, ranked eighth this week, tied the game at 1-1 at the 12:17 mark of the second. MSOE had a golden opportunity just a few minutes earlier as Michael Soik attempted a penalty shot that was stopped by Fogal. The second period ended at 1-1 with the Raiders holding a 26-11 edge in shots on goal at that point.

Junior forward Jordan Watts scored the game-winner at 2:31 of the third period at even strength with assists from Joel Workman and Kyle Watson. It was his ninth goal of the season in his first year with the Bulldogs. That goal seemed to give Adrian momentum heading toward the finish as Adrian outshot MSOE, 14-10, in the third to bring the total to 36-25 in favor of the Raiders for the contest.

Adrian killed off two penalties in the third period and all four for the game. AC came into the game as the third-best penalty killing unit in Division III at 89.3 percent. After a Jeremy Klaver holding minor put the Raiders on the power play with 2:04 left, Watson controlled the puck and slipped it into an empty net at the 18:23 mark with an assist from Mike Towns. It was his third goal of the season and 32nd of his career.

Adrian has now gone unbeaten in their last 13 games going 12-0-1.

Photo courtesy Adrian College Athletics

Adrian to play at Michigan Stadium

Adrian College Press Release

The Adrian College men's hockey team will get a chance to showcase their program on the biggest stage in college athletics on Saturday, December 4, as they will play the first outdoor game in the modern era of NCAA Division III hockey at Michigan Stadium.

The Bulldogs will square off with MCHA opponent Concordia University (Wis.) at 9:30 a.m., one week before the Big Chill between the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.

"This is an outstanding opportunity to showcase our men's hockey team," said Adrian athletic director Mike Duffy. "NCAA Division III student-athletes work very hard and to reward them with an opportunity to play in a venue like the 'Big House' may only come along once in a lifetime. This will be a moment that they will remember for the rest of their lives."

The Bulldogs feature one of the best programs in Division III and are currently ranked 10th in the nation by USCHO.com's preseason poll. Adrian has captured three straight MCHA regular season and Harris Cup titles and are gunning for a fourth in 2010-11.

"Our program appreciates the opportunity given to us by Craig Wotta and the University of Michigan to hold the first men's Division III outdoor game at the Big House," said Adrian head coach Ron Fogarty, who is entering his fourth year. "Over the past three years our team has competed against the USA-18 team, played overseas in Finland and competed for championships. Along with playing the Czech-18 team this November, this adds to the list of unique events that our players and staff have been able to experience while being at Adrian College."

The game was originally scheduled for a home game at Arrington Ice Arena, which was set to begin at 3:00 p.m. The contest will count towards both teams overall and conference records.

"Concordia University and our hockey players are honored to be involved in this game," said Concordia head coach Tony Hrkac, who is also entering his fourth year with the Falcons. "This venue showcases our great sport in a majestic way. This type of special event is huge for Division III hockey."

Ticket information about the event and other details are still unavailable at this time.

NAHL vet Burke commits to Finlandia

Traverse City North Stars Press Release

Sean Burke has been an avid outdoorsman since he was old enough to hold a rod and reel.

Now, the former Traverse City North Stars forward and Grand Traverse Hockey Association product will be able to hunt the plentiful bounty and fish the well-stocked waters of the northernmost reaches of the Upper Peninsula – and get to play college hockey in Copper County.

Burke, who spent the last three seasons with the North Stars after a decorated high school career at Traverse City West, is headed to Finlandia University in Hancock, where he’ll study business and skate for the Lions.

“It feels good to have my direction set,” said Burke, who finished his junior career with 33 points over 137 contests. “It felt like there was a weight off my chest when it finally became official. I mean, there was no way I was going to go to college and not play hockey. I’m pretty excited about it.”

Burke was an All-State selection at TC West in 2007 and tendered by the North Stars. He appeared in 40 games as a rookie, with a pair of goals and five assists. His offensive output jumped to eight goals and as many assists in 2008-09 and he had logged a career-high nine goals last season before breaking his kneecap against Motor City on Jan. 23. He returned for the season finale and saw action in the team’s Robertson Cup playoff run, but hadn’t returned to full strength until the summer.

“That was hard because I had seen some interest from some schools, but when I was out injured – I had lost a lot of opportunity time; I was sitting on nothing,” Burke explained. “I hadn’t talked to Finlandia, but I got a text one day from (current TC West) coach Rintala asking me what I thought about it. It kind of came out of nowhere, but I’m glad it did.”

North Stars head coach-GM Anthony Palumbo says the Lions are getting the total package in Burke, and he should know – he’s coached Burke for the last eight seasons.

“I coached him as a bantam, in high school, and for the past three years in juniors,” Palumbo offered. “I know they’re getting a great kid and a great teammate with a tremendous work ethic. He’s earned everything he’s gotten at every level and I have no doubt he’ll do the same up there.”

Burke, who plans to study business at the 500-student private college on the rugged Keweenaw Peninsula, will not be alone as he embarks on his college hockey career. A pair of fellow TC West alums are also set to play at Finlandia this year: forward Shane Totten and defenseman Vinnie Pietrangelo.

Former North Stars goalie Ryan Donovan and ex-Marquette Rangers forward Collin Saint-Onge are also on the Lions roster.

Burke will also get to see some familiar faces on opposing benches this year by virtue of playing in the NCAA Division III Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association – Former North Stars Matt Hughes, Jameson Raymond and Jonathan Sheridan at Lawrence University, and Ben Plocar and Mike Schenfeld at Milwaukee School of Engineering.

“It’s exciting to move on to the next step of your career, to know you’re going to get a great education in a comfortable setting,” Burke said. “I think (playing) juniors – at that level, that pace – helps you mature as a player. You’re around good players who help you raise your own game and help you acclimate to the game when you’re a younger player.”

Like most hockey players, Burke had plenty of backing in matriculating from mite through bantam in the Grand Traverse Hockey Association youth program, his prep career at TC West and three-year run with the North Stars.

“I’ve had a lot of great coaches over the years who have helped me get this far,” Burke concluded. “And getting to play basically all my hockey in Traverse City, I’ve made a lot of lifelong friends and I’m grateful for that. But through it all, I’ve been lucky to have tremendous support from my family.

"I can’t thank them enough.”

Photo by John L. Russell/Great Lakes Images

McCabe new bench boss with Finlandia

Finlandia Press Release

Finlandia University has announced that John McCabe has accepted the position of head men's ice hockey coach beginning in the 2010-11 academic year.

McCabe takes over the Finlandia Lions men's hockey program after completing his sixth season as an assistant men's hockey coach at the University of Alabama-Huntsville, which is a NCAA Division I school. McCabe helped lead the UAH Chargers to two College Hockey America tournament titles (losing a third in the championship game to Bemidji State in 2006) and two NCAA regional semifinal appearances, most recently the 2010 Midwest Regional in Fort Wayne, Ind.

At Huntsville, McCabe worked under Danton Cole, former Michigan State All-American and Stanley Cup winner the New Jersey Devils.

"John brings with him all of the hockey knowledge that he's acquired under Coach Cole and his former coaches to help create at Finlandia the optimal environment to breed success in the college ranks," said FU athletic director Chris Salani.

Salani explained the number one priority in Finlandia's search for a men's hockey coach was to identify the candidate with proven experience and success and a solid understanding of how a college program should be run.

"The hockey environment in the college setting is much different than in the junior ranks," Salani notes. "To achieve success and elevate Finlandia hockey to D-III national prominence, which is our goal, it was critical that we find the person who is the right fit for our community and for our program. I believe we've found that person in John McCabe."

Salani is hoping to generate at Finlandia a similar atmosphere of excellence as recently demonstrated by the men's hockey program at Adrian College, also a member of NCAA Division III and the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association.

"I believe in many ways Adrian's success can be credited to the hiring of a coach who understood and had the experience of the DI college game behind him," Salani explained. "In a lot of ways, I expect Coach McCabe to immediately set the Finlandia's men's hockey program in the right direction and compete for not only MCHA titles, but national titles."

In the previous four years, McCabe's primary responsibility for the UAH hockey program was that of head men's hockey recruiter.

"John's networks throughout North America and in Scandinavia, combined with his regular work in identifying high profile recruits, will also be a huge asset in establishing a quality and successful product on the ice for Finlandia," Salani said.

In his own hockey career, McCabe played for UAH from 1995-1998 during a period in which the Chargers program won two NCAA D-II national championships - the second in his senior year as captain of the team. Following, McCabe played seven seasons of minor professional hockey, most notably four seasons in the East Coast Hockey League with the Mobile Mysticks, the Greensboro Generals and the Toledo Storm.

Established in 1999, the Finlandia men's hockey program is a member of NCAA Division III and the MCHA. The team was coached on an interim basis by Salani in the 2009-10 season and by former head coaches Joe Burcar (2002-2009) and Scott Mikesch (1999-2001). The Lions won the Harris Cup in 2007.

McCabe relocates to Hancock with his wife, Carla, seven-month-old daughter Annslee, and step-daughter, eight-year-old Lillie.

Burcar lands on feet in Orange County

Compiled by MiCHO Staff

Former Finlandia University head coach Joe Burcar will join Orange County Hockey Club as its Midget 18U AAA head coach and 16U AAA assistant coach next season, the club announced.

Burcar is the brother of Jim Burcar, who coached the club's 16AA team to a national title earlier this month.

Joe Burcar had a 70-69-9 record in eight seasons at Finlandia, a Division III school in Hancock that competes in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association.

He has also coached numerous Team Michigan squads at the Select festival, winning gold with Team Michigan on more than one occasion.

One and done: Adrian falls to St. Norbert

St. Norbert Press Release

St. Norbert College advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Tournament for the eighth time in nine years with a hard-fought 4-3 win over Adrian College in a first-round game at the Cornerstone Community Center in Green Bay, Wisc., Wednesday night.

The Green Knights improved to 22-3-3 with the win and will face Gustavus Adolphus College (20-6-2) at 7:00 p.m. Saturday in a national quarterfinal game at the Cornerstone.

Adrian, making its first NCAA Tournament appearance, finishes 24-4-0.

St. Norbert built a 4-1 lead, but had to withstand a late Adrian flurry to advance. Adrian cut the deficit to 4-2 when Mike Dahlinger put home a rebound on a power play with 10:47 gone in the second period. That score held up until there was 3:41 remaining in the game when the Bulldogs' Mike Towns had the puck bounce off his shoulder in front of the net for a goal.

Adrian pulled goaltender Brad Fogal with 55 seconds remaining, but did not get a quality look with the extra attacker. There was a face-off in the St. Norbert defensive zone with five seconds left, but the Green Knights won the draw and ran out the clock.

After Adrian's Chris Stansik opened the scoring with a low shot from the right circle at 10:14 of the first period, St. Norbert's offense got rolling. Cody Keefer's wrister from the right slot squared the game at 1-1 at the 17:52 mark of the first.

Dustin Walz's blast from the blue line for his first goal of the season put St. Norbert ahead 2-1 at 2:07 of the second. Matt Boyd answered 1:14 later when he finished off a pretty passing combination with assists from Tyler Allen and Shane Wheeler. Brandon Longley then found himself in the right place at the 8:56 mark, when a centering pass from Mike Bernardy found Longley's chest-level stick and was redirected in for a 4-1 lead.

The Green Knights dodged a major bullet midway through the third period when they had to kill off a 5-on-3 Adrian power play. St. Norbert's Dylan Exton was called for elbowing at 8:52 and Walz followed with a cross-check at 9:49. The Green Knights killed the first penalty and then Dahlinger was slapped with an interference penalty at 11:12 to send the action to 4-on-4.

St. Norbert, which had two assists from Alain Joanette, outshot Adrian 31-19 and held a 4-3 shots edge in the third period.

B.J. O'Brien made 16 saves for St. Norbert, which was 0-for-3 on the power play.

Adrian was 1-for-3 on the power play. Fogal made 27 stops for the Bulldogs, including 14 in the first period.

Adrian cracks NCAA D-III tourney field

The 2010 NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Tournament pairings were released on Sunday evening and the Adrian Bulldogs (24-3-0), winners of the MCHA, will travel to St. Norbert College (21-3-3) to face-off against the winners of the NCHA Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m. EST.

This will be the first NCAA appearance for the Bulldogs in its third season of existence. St. Norbert is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament, as they were national runner-up in 2004 and 2006, while winning the 2008 Division III national title. They have also finished third twice. The Green Knights will be making their 11th trip to the national tournament with an all-time record of 12-9-1.

Adrian finally is where they felt they have belonged for the past two seasons. The Bulldogs were not included in the tournament as an at-large team despite the best winning percentage over the past two years in Division III. This year was the first season that the MCHA had an automatic qualifier for the winner of the Harris Cup. The Bulldogs won their third straight Harris Cup with a dramatic 3-2 win on Saturday afternoon against Marian University.

St. Norbert captured the Peters Cup championship on Saturday night with a convincing 7-1 victory at home against Wisconsin-River Falls. The Green Knights are the top-seed in the West Region for the eighth time in the last nine years. St. Norbert is also 12-1-1 at their home rink, the Cornerstone Community Center.

"We are very excited to be playing on Wednesday against one of the best programs in the country," said Adrian head coach Ron Fogarty. "Our guys are ready for the challenge and this is the opportunity we have wanted."