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NU Takes Game One in AH Tournament

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Niagara Outlasts AIC in Double Overtime

 

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y . — Dan Kolenda scored at 4:43 of the second overtime to give Niagara hockey a 1-0 win over AIC in the first game of the opening round of the 2014 Atlantic Hockey Tournament at Dwyer Arena on Friday evening.

Kolenda wrapped up what was the longest game in program history with his third goal of the season, tipping the puck underneath the pads of starting AIC goaltender Hunter Leisner off a Vince Muto shot from the point.  With the win, the Purple Eagles take a 1-0 in the best-of-three first round series and push their record to 12-18-5 on the season, while the loss drops AIC to 10-24-1

Between the pipes Niagara’s Jackson Teichroeb took home the win, and his third shutout of the season, with 38 stops.  Leisner competed save-for-save with Teichroeb and made 48 saves.  Teichroeb had to make big stops throughout the contest, including several highlight saves while a man-down to keep the Purple Eagles in the game.

“It was a busy night for both goaltenders.  They stole the show,” head coach Dave Burkholder said. “Teichroeb has been great for us down the stretch.  If he can play like that tomorrow we’re in good shape.”

After 60 minutes of scoreless hockey that saw the Purple Eagles outshoot the Yellow Jackets 36-31, the teams headed into sudden death overtime.

The first period of extra time saw Niagara outshoot the Yellow Jackets, 7-5, with three of those chances coming on the power play as the Yellow Jackets were called for too many men with under 10 minutes remaining in the period.  Despite being a man down it was AIC that almost tucked away the go-ahead goal as Blake Peake raced in on Teichroeb, but Muto made a superb defensive effort with a sliding save to prevent the pass across the slot to an open AIC player.

“Everyone chipped in tonight,” added Burkholder.  “From start to finish Divjak was our best player.  That was a very complete game for him.  It’s the time of year where he has to come through, and he did.  Pietrobon was also able to create some energy for us.  Overall it was a great experience for everyone.  It’s one win down and five to go.  That’s how we’re looking at this.”

The teams traded opportunities throughout regulation, with the scoring chances increasing as the game wore on, but the teams continued to come up against the solid goaltending of Teichroeb and Leisner.  Teichroeb made several key saves during an AIC power play midway through the second period, including a sliding pad save on a Jake Williams’ one time shot through traffic from the near faceoff circle.

In the waning moments of the third period it looked like Niagara would find the go-ahead go as the Purple Eagles peppered Leisner with quality scoring opportunities, three of which came off the stick of Ryan Rashid, but the AIC netminder was a brick wall in between the pipes to send the contest into OT.

The Purple Eagles were able to get a season-high 49 looks on net.  Both teams went 0-for-3 on the man-advantage.

Niagara looks to wrap up the first round tomorrow when the Purple Eagles and Yellow Jackets take to the ice at Dwyer for a 7:05 p.m. puck drop.

 

Buffalo Stars Heading to NJPHL All Star Showcase

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Buffalo Stars players headed to All Star Showcase

Several players and a coach have been selected to represent the Buffalo Stars Full Season Midgets at the NJPHL All Star Showcase in April in Burlington, Ontario.

Buffalo Stars U16 players Christopher Botzenhart, Mike Sokol, Spencer Jones, Josh Evoy, Frank Bodami and Jamie Cummings will participate.  Buffalo Stars U18 players Zach Ziolkowski, Danny Golba and Trevor Izdorczak have also been selected.

The All Star Showcase involves 6 teams made up of players from the 28 teams in the league. They will play in a round robin format April 11-13 in Burlington, Ontario.

Stars U16 Head Coach Jerry Wheeler has also been selected to coach one of the 6 All Star Teams.

Players are selected by coaches in the league using a ballot system. The selected players are then assigned to a team based on a value ranking system.

“We are pleased that so many of our players have been chosen to participate” said Stars General Manager Pete Preteroti. “This will be a fine opportunity for them to get an extra look this season”. 

A full schedule, when available will be published on the Buffalo Stars website at:www.buffalostars.com

Canisius Hosting Sacred Heart in Round 1

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Canisius (12-19-3, 11-13-3 AHA) vs. Sacred Heart (12-22-0, 11-16-0 AHA)
Dates: Friday, March 7 – Sunday, March 9
Times: 7:05 p.m.
Location: Buffalo, N.Y.  |  Buffalo State Sports Arena
TV/Webcast: America One Network
Live Audio: GoGriffs.com
DI Series History: Canisius leads, 22-18-5

The Canisius College hockey team opens defense of its Atlantic Hockey title with a first-round series against Sacred Heart. The schools will play a best 2-of-3 series on Friday, Saturday andSunday (if necessary) at the Buffalo State Sports Arena. All three games are slated for 7:05 p.m.

SCOUTING THE GRIFFS
• Canisius (12-19-3, 11-13-3 AHA) was swept for the first time last weekend and finished in seventh place in the league standings.
• Senior Kyle Gibbons leads Canisius with 30 points, 13 goals and eight power-play tallies this season.
• Senior Tony Capobianco owns a 2.98 goals against average and .909 save percentage in 23 starts this season with an 8-12-2 record.

AHA FIRST ROUND PREVIEW
• The seventh-seeded Griffs are hosting 10th-seeded Sacred Heart in the Atlantic Hockey First Round for a best 2-of-3 series.
• The schools split a two-game series in Buffalo earlier in the season.
• The advancing team will be reseeded for another best 2-of-3 series next week. Canisius can play #2 Bentley, #3 Air Force or #4 Connecticut.

FAMILIAR PATH AS GRIFFS LOOK TO DEFEND CROWN
• Some might be disappointed with a seven seed for the AHA Tournament but this season is looking a lot like last year.
• The Griffs also earned the seven seed en route to their first title last year. Canisius swept Bentley and Air Force and then earned wins against Niagara and Mercyhurst in Rochester to win the title.

CAPOBIANCO CHASING A PAIR OF SCHOOL RECORDS
• Senior Tony Capobianco is nearing a pair of school records.
• Capobianco has totaled 2,812 saves in his career. He is just 17 stops shy of the school record.
• Included in his 2,812 saves are an AHA Tournament record 235 saves during last season’s title run.
• The senior also recorded his sixth career shutout on Feb. 14 and is now tied for the most in the program’s Division I history.

CANISIUS POSTSEASON HISTORY
• The Griffs are in their 16th season competing at the Division I level, having compiled a 15-18 postseason mark during that span, including a 12-13 record in the Atlantic Hockey Tournament.
• Canisius won the program’s first conference title last season (as the seven seed) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
• The Griffs are 4-3 all-time as the higher-seeded school, which includes a two-game sweep of Bentley last season in the first round.

CANISIUS – SACRED HEART SERIES HISTORY
• In 45 meetings between the two schools, Canisius holds a slight advantage in the series, 22-18-5.
• The teams split a pair of games earlier this year when both schools rallied from a two-goal deficit to win. In the opener, Canisius earned a 5-4 victory after trailing, 4-2, in the third period. The Griffs then scored two early goals in the finale only to see the Pioneers net the final three in a 3-2 victory.
• Canisius has controlled the series since both freshmen classes first arrived on campus. In the last four seasons, the Griffs own a 6-1-1 record against the Pioneers.
• The schools are meeting for the second time in the postseason. In the 2002 MAAC Quarterfinals, Sacred Heart earned a 3-2 overtime victory against the Griffs in Milford.

ABOUT THE PIONEERS
• Sacred Heart won six of its final 10 games of the season after starting the year just 5-12-0 in league play. Overall, the Pioneers are 12-22-0 with an 11-16-0 mark against Atlantic Hockey foes.
• Freshman Justin Danforth leads the Pioneers with 29 points this season and a team-best 24 assists. Drew George ranks second on the squad with 25 points, including a team-best 12 goals.
• Alex Vazzano has played a majority of minutes in goal, posting a 7-17-0 record with a 3.64 goals against average and .897 save percentage.

Colgate’s Finn Honored

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Colgate goaltender Charlie Finn took home his second-straight ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Month award after helping the Raiders secure a first-round bye.

 

Finn continued his good play in the month of February with a 3-1-2 record. He posted a .945 save percentage and a 1.63 goals-against average. He faced three ranked opponents out of the six games and went 2-0-1 in those games with wins over No. 8 Cornell and No. 5 Quinnipiac. He allowed only one goal in four of the six games. He made 30-plus saves in three games, including 41 in a 4-4 tie with No. 3 Union and 31 at No. 5 Quinnipiac. He allowed only one power-play goal all month long on 31 chances for opponents.

 

He pushed aside an average of 28.8 shots per game and was named rookie of the week on Feb. 25.

 

The North Vancouver, B.C., native has enjoyed an excellent second half of the season with a 9-2-3 mark since a 2-2 tie and shootout win over then No. 1 Minnesota in early January. He was named ECAC Hockey Rookie and Goalie of the Month in January.

 

He helped secure Colgate’s second first-round bye in the last two seasons and finished the regular season with a 13-6-4 overall record and an 11-3-3 mark in conference. He finished the year in the top-4 in league goals against average and save percentage. His .735 winning percentage was second in ECAC Hockey.

 

The upcoming ECAC Hockey Tournament features four first-round series conducted at on-campus sites Friday-Sunday, March 7-9; four quarterfinals series at on-campus sites Friday-Sunday, March 14-16; and the championship semifinals and championship game March 21-22 at the 1980 Rink-Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, New York.

 

The Raiders earned a first-round bye in the tournament after finishing second in the league. Colgate’s opponent has yet to be determined as the league re-seeds after the first round. The games are on March 14-16.

Tickets are $12 for a reserved seat and $10 for general admission. Colgate students can get in free by showing their Gate Card at the entrance.

Tickets can be purchased three ways. Fans can log on to bleedcolgatemaroon.com, call the Colgate Ticket Office at 315-228-7600 or stop by the ticket office in Reid Athletic Center from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Former Canisius Player Picked Up By Sabres

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 The Buffalo Sabres today announced that the team has claimed forward Cory Conacheroff waivers after he was waived yesterday by the Ottawa Senators.

Conacher (5’8”, 180 lbs., 12/14/89) has played in parts of three NHL seasons with the Senators and the Tampa Bay Lightningafter signing a two-year contract with Tampa Bay in March 2012. Conacher was traded to Ottawa at the 2013 NHL Trade Deadline and has since skated in 72 games for the Senators, recording 25 points (6+19). Through three NHL seasons, Conacher has totaled 49 points (15+34) in 107 games played.
While playing for the Norfolk Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the Lightning, in 2011-12, Conacher was awarded the Les Cunningham Award as the league’s most valuable player and was also the recipient of the AHL’s Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award, given annually to the league’s most outstanding rookie. He was named to the AHL All-Rookie team and helped the Admirals capture the team’s first Calder Cup.
A Burlington, Ontario native, Conacher played four years at Canisius College (AHA) in Buffalo, where he became the Golden Griffins’ career leader in points (147) and goals (62) and was named the Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year in 2009-10.

NU Hosting First Round AHA Tourney; Muto Honored

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After wrapping up the 2013-14 regular season, the sixth-seeded Niagara Purple Eagles begin their quest for their first AHA Tournament Title when Niagara hosts AIC in a best-of-three first round series, March 7-9, at Dwyer Arena.  All three games are scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

 

The Purple Eagles (11-18-5; 11-11-5 AHA) and eleventh-seeded AIC (10-23-1; 9-17-1 AHA) open the series Friday and Saturday at 7:05 p.m., and Sunday’s game if necessary is also at 7:05 p.m.  The winner advances to the best-of-three quarterfinal series (March 14-16).

 

Niagara is 4-3-0 all-time in the AHA Tournament, including 4-1-0 at home.  NU will play a first round series for the first time since becoming a member of the AHA back in 2010-11 where the Purple and White dropped a 6-3 decision to cross-town rival Canisius in a single-elimination contest.

 

HOW TO CATCH THE GAMES

•   All three games versus AIC will be broadcasted live on 1340 WLVL and PurpleEagles.com, with Steve Warzala on the call for Friday’s and Sunday’s game, if necessary, while Paul Hamilton will take over broadcasting duties on Saturday.

•   Live stats for both NU home games are available via www.purpleeagles.com and can be accessed from the main page under the event calendar section.

 

NIAGARA LEADERS

•   Isaac Kohls and Hugo Turcotte lead the team in scoring with 24 points each. Kohls is at the top of the statistical board in goals (12), while Turcotte has 15 assists to his name to lead the squad.  Ryan Rashid has also been a key offensive contributor, pocketing 10 goals and nine assists.

•   Matt Williams is first with a +14 plus/minus rating.

•   Patrick Divjak leads the squad with 112 shots on goal. Hugo Turcotte is close behind with 111 looks on net.

•  Freshmen goaltenders Jackson Teichroeb (4-11-3) and Adrian Ignagni (6-6-2) have split time, although Teichroeb has started the previous five games. Teichroeb owns a .902 save percentage and a 2.87 goals-against average.

 

LAST TIME OUT

•  Niagara was able to take away two points from the weekend series against Air Force—using a four-goal third period to down the Falcons, 4-1, on Friday, but falling, 4-1 the following day on home ice during Senior Day.

•  In game one the Falcons held a 1-0 lead heading into the final period of regulation, but the Purple Eagles were able to fight back into the contest triggered by Chris Lochner’s game-tying goal with 16:16 left in the third period.  Kevin Ryan and Matt Chartrain also scored in the third for the Purple Eagles while Patrick Divjak added an empty netter.  Starting NU goaltender Jackson Teichroeb pushed aside 26 shots, including 15 in the second period.

•  The second night NU and AFA traded goals in the opening four minutes of the contest, but the Falcons scored three consecutive goals to take the 4-1 victory at Dwyer Arena.  Chris Lochner scored the Purple Eagles’ only goal of the contest.  Jackson Teichroeb made his fifth straight start in between the pipes, pushing aside 19 Air Force shots.

 

POST SEASON GAMES AT DWYER

•  Niagara is 7-3-0 in the 10 postseason games played at Dwyer Arena, starting with the 2002 CHA Tournament.

 

2012-13 PLAYOFFS

•   Last season Niagara battled back from a goal down twice, but it was not enough as the Purple Eagles’ AHA playoff run ended in the semifinal round with a 5-3 loss to Canisius.

•   NU would tie the contest twice in the second after falling behind a goal, but the Griffins pulled away with the game with an early third period goal that would give Canisius a two-goal advantage and one NU could not dig themselves out of.

•  In the quarterfinal round the Purple Eagles swept RIT in the best-of-three series.  Niagara came out with a 3-2 victory in the opening game on March 15, followed by a thrilling 2-1 overtime win.

 

DEPTH PERCEPTION

•  Twenty-four of the 27 Purple Eagles on the active roster (including goaltenders) have registered at least one point this season.

•  NU have secured points from all the classes, as the freshmen lead the way with 83 points, with the sophomores not far behind with 64 of 244 Purple Eagles points.  The seniors have collected 50 points, while the juniors have pocketed 47 points.

 

THE NU-AIC SERIES

•  These two squads have met eight times since the series began in 2010, with the Purple Eagles holding a 7-1-0 advantage.

•  Niagara took the first six contests against the Yellow Jackets, but saw its winning streak end against its AHA foe back in January as the Yellow Jackets dropped the Purple and White, 6-2.

 

SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS

•  AIC currently owns a 10-23-1 overall mark, while owning a 9-17-1 AHA record.  The Yellow Jackets finished the regular season with 19 points which was good for eleventh place.

•  The Yellow Jackets are averaging 2.59 goals a game and are allowing 4.29, placing them 39th and 58th the nation, respectively.

•  The power play has gone 21-for-112 while the penalty kill is 88-for-108, ranking them 20th and 33rd in the NCAA, respectively.

•  Jon Puskar leads the team in scoring with 34 points with a team-leading 17 goals and has added 17 assists.  David Norris is tops on the team with 26 assists (5-26-31), while Alexander MacMillan has cracked the 20-point mark off 12 goals and 15 assists.

•  All three AIC goaltenders have been active this season with Hunter Leisner (8-14-1) seeing a majority of time in net.  Leisner has made 784 saves for a 3.78 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage.

 

 

Muto Named to the AHA All-Rookie Team

 

HAVERHILL, Mass. – Freshman defenseman Vincent Muto is Niagara’s lone representative on the 2013-14 Atlantic Hockey Association All-Rookie Team as announced by the league office on Thursday morning.

Muto has been a solid, reliable player on the blue line for the Purple Eagles, while establishing himself as one of the top offensive defensemen in the league.  The Niagara Falls, N.Y. native has amassed 16 points off four goals and 12 assists, good for sixth on the team in scoring and is tops among NU defensemen.

The AHA Rookie of the Week has played in 31 of 34 games this season, scoring his first two collegiate goals against Army (Nov. 16) and adding an assist for a career-high three point game.

Niagara beings its quest for its first AHA Tournament title on Friday, March 7, taking on AIC in game one of the best-of-three first round series.  Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Dwyer Area.

Bowman Cup Scheduled; Features Buffalo/Rochester Rivalry

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The Buffalo Sabres today announced that the 10th Annual Scotty Bowman

Showcase will take place on Wednesday, April 9th at First Niagara Center. The 2014 Scotty Bowman Showcase consists of
three all-star hockey games between players from Buffalo, NY and their rivals from Rochester, NY. Admission for the games is
$5.
The first game will begin at 6 p.m. with high school juniors from the two cities facing off against one another for the Tim
Horton Memorial Cup. In 2013, the Buffalo juniors won the second annual Tim Horton Memorial Cup.
The next game will take place at 7:30 p.m. between high school seniors from each city. The winner of the second game will
be awarded the Scotty Bowman Cup. This award and the event are named after the legendary Scotty Bowman, the winningest
coach in NHL history. Bowman will be in attendance to present the Bowman Cup to the victorious senior team. The Rochester
seniors won last year’s Bowman Cup, improving to 3-6 in the event’s nine-year history.
The third game will feature players from Buffalo and Rochester who play prep school or junior hockey, either locally or
elsewhere. The junior and senior-year high school-aged players will face off for the Rick Martin Memorial Cup at 9 p.m. All
three games will consist of two 22-minute halves.
Players will be individually nominated and rated by a group of area high school, midget and junior coaches from both cities
based on their play this past season. For more information, or to nominate a player for consideration, please contact Sabres
Youth Hockey Manager Ed Grudzinski by phone at 716-855-4174 or via email at [email protected].
Several players have furthered their careers following their participation in the Scotty Bowman Showcase, with the most high profile player being Phil Lane of Rochester. Lane was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the second round (52nd overall) of
the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, after competing in both the 2008 and 2009 events.
The final selection of each team will be completed by the Buffalo Sabres based on the ratings of the nominating committee.
The participants for each game will be announced at a later date.

HARBORCENTER To Host Youth Tournaments

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VP and Director of Hockey Nik Fattey today announced the HARBORCENTER2014-2015 youth hockey tournament schedule that will include twenty new events for boys and girls, mite through midget, at the AAA and AA levels.
“Our tournaments will create a unique and differentiating experience for hockey families from Western New York and beyond,” Fattey said.  “At the AAA level, we will host some of the best youth teams from around the country and provide a competitive level of hockey that places our events among the best tournaments currently available.  For AA teams, we will similarly provide a special high-end opportunity.  Our best-in-class facilities, geographic location, amenities and affiliation with the Buffalo Sabres are a major attraction for top teams. providing the region with tens of thousands of visitors each year.”
For the AAA boys’ events, the Buffalo Junior Sabres will be the host team.  In addition to many top local teams that are expected to join them, highly-ranked organizations outside the area have already expressed interest, including the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, Syracuse Nationals, Compuware Ambassadors and London Junior Knights.
All participating teams will be guaranteed four games in Buffalo’s brand new, state-of-the-art hockey and entertainment complex.  There will be no gate fees for spectators, and all games will be streamed online in high definition at HARBORCENTER.com.
Connected to First Niagara Center, the home of the Buffalo Sabres, HARBORCENTER is located on the waterfront in downtown Buffalo’s historic Canalside district.  The facility’s two NHL-size rinks are uniquely located on the sixth floor.  The feature rink will provide seating for 1,800 spectators.  HARBORCENTER will have up to nine locker rooms available for tournament teams.  In addition, the hockey complex includes IMPACT Sports Performance’s 4,600 square foot off-ice training facility, a 40-seat theater for film study and additional classroom space.
“Our tournaments are a key component of HARBORCENTER’s programming,” said HARBORCENTER President John R. Koelmel.  “In addition to watching all games under one roof, visitors will have the chance to enjoy our two-story (716) Food and Sport restaurant and, beginning in the spring of 2015, families will be able to stay at our full-service Marriott Hotel, creating a one-stop destination for a memorable hockey weekend.  And the economic benefit for Canalside, the City of Buffalo and the WNY region will be significant as our twenty new events will bring new players and families to the area.”
The tournament schedule is as follows:
AAA
U9 (2005): December 19 – December 21
U10 (2004): January 23 – January 25
U11 (2003): December 27 – December 29
U12 (2002): December 5 – December 7
U13 (2001): January 16 – January 18
U14 (2000): February 13 – February 15
U16 (1998): October 31 – November 2
U18 (1996): October 31 – November 2
 
AA
U10 (2004): November 7 – November 9
U12 (2002): December 12 – December 14
U14 (2000): February 6 – February 8
Jamboree
U7 (2007): December 19 – December 21
U8 (2006): December 19 – December 21
 
 
AAA Girls
U12 (2002): January 30 – February 1
U14 (2000): November 14 – November 16
U16 (1998): November 28 – November 30
U19 (1995): November 28 – November 30
AA Girls
U12 (2002): February 20 – February 22
U14 (2000): February 27 – March 1
U16 (1998): November 21 – November 23
Interested teams can apply online for tournament entry at HARBORCENTER.com, through the link below, from now untilMay 1.

USA Hockey Heads to Capitol Hill

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey, will join Gary Bettman, commissioner of the National Hockey League; Dan Coleman, president of the USA Warriors; and Kevin Davis, president and CEO of Bauer Performance Sports, on Capitol Hill Wednesday (March 5) for a panel discussion before members of Congress and their staffs on how ice hockey can assist in the rehabilitation of injured veterans.
The event, slated to begin at 10:30 a.m. ET in room 2203 of the Rayburn House Office Building, is being hosted by the Congressional Hockey Caucus, including co-chairs Reps. Pat Meehan (R-Pa.),Lee Terry (R-Neb.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) and Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.). Luke Russert from NBC News will serve as moderator.
Wednesday evening the scene will shift to Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va., practice home of the NHL’s Washington Capitals, for the sixth annual Congressional Hockey Challenge. The event — a friendly, but competitive ice hockey game pitting Lawmakers against Lobbyists — will face-off at 7 p.m. ET, with proceeds benefitting the NHL scholarship of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club and USA Warriors Ice Hockey.

March 3 Men’s Rankings

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University of Minnesota Remains Unanimous No. 1 in
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women’s College Hockey Poll
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine
17th Annual Women’s College Hockey Poll – #22

(First-place votes in parentheses)
Rank
School
Last Week’s Ranking
2013-14
Record
Weeks in
Top 10
1 University of Minnesota, 190 (19)
1
34-1-1
22
2 Clarkson University, 161
3
27-4-5
22
3 University of Wisconsin, 158
2
27-6-2
22
4 Boston College, 128
4
26-5-3
22
5 Cornell University, 115
6
22-5-4
22
6 Harvard University, 92
5
23-5-4
22
7 Quinnipiac University, 61
7
22-5-9
19
8 Mercyhurst University, 60
8
22-7-4
15
9 Robert Morris University, 38
9
24-7-3
13
10 University of North Dakota, 36
10
19-11-4
22
Others receiving votes: Northeastern University, 4; Boston University, 1; University of Minnesota Duluth, 1.
Notes: To view past polls, click here … The University of Minnesota received all 19 first-place votes in this week’s poll … Minnesota has been the No. 1-ranked team in each of the last 48 polls dating back to March 20, 2012 … ECAC Hockey leads the way with four ranked programs, while the Western Collegiate Hockey Association has three, College Hockey America has two teams ranked, and the Hockey East Association is represented with one school in the poll … A total of 13 teams received votes.
About the poll: The 17th annual USA Today/USA Hockey MagazineWomen’s College Hockey Poll is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association. The poll includes input from coaches and journalists representing each of the four NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the AHCA and USA Hockey.

Women’s CHA Playoffs Begin; RIT vs Robert Morris; Mercyhurst vs Syracuse

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 For the second straight season, the RIT women’s hockey team will travel to Mercyhurst University for the College Hockey America Semifinals. On Friday, RIT, seeded third, will face No. 2 seed Robert Morris at 7:30 p.m. in one semifinal. Top-seed Mercyhurst will host No. 4 Syracuse in the first semifinal at 4 p.m. The two winners will meet in the championship game on Saturday at 3 p.m.
 
 RIT (18-15-5) enters its final weekend of 2013-14 season riding a Division I team record five-game winning streak after sweeping Penn State in the best-of-three CHA First Round Series at Ritter Arena last weekend by scores of 3-2 and 3-0. Celeste Brown (Great Falls, MT/National Sports Academy), the CHA Player of the Week, scored 10:15 into overtime on Friday, while CHA co-Goaltender of the Week Ali Binnington (Oakville, Ontario/Mississauga Chiefs) stopped all 31 shots she faced for her sixth shut out of the season on Saturday.
 
Binnington has stopped 147-of-151 shots during RIT’s five-game winning streak (.974 save percentage). Overall, she is 14-9-2 with a 1.82 goals against average and .940 save percentage to go along with six shutouts this season and 14 for her RIT career, second most in school history. Binnington is sixth nationally in save percentage, tied for fifth in shutouts, and has the 11th best goals against average in Division I.
 
Junior Marissa Maugeri (Ajax, Ontario/Durham West Lightning) leads the team in scoring with 27 points on nine goals and 18 assists, while senior Erin Zach (Elmira, Ontario/Cambridge Fury) is second with 24 points on seven goals and 17 assists. SeniorKourtney Kunichika (Fullerton, CA/LA Selects) has 22 points this season and is fifth all-time in scoring at RIT with 134 career points on 53 goals and 81 assists. She is two points shy of fourth and four away from third. Freshman Mackenzie Stone (Kars, Ontario/South Carleton) has five goals this season, all of which are game-winning tallies.
 
RIT is 19-12 all-time in postseason contests at the Division I and III levels, since women’s hockey was recognized as a NCAA Championship sport in 2001. Since Scott McDonald took over as head coach in 2006, RIT is 15-7 in the postseason, including a 15-3 mark at Ritter Arena. The Tigers are 14-1 at home in the postseason over the last four seasons, including a 5-0 mark en route to winning the 2012 NCAA Division III National Championship. Last season, the Tigers advanced to the CHA Semifinals, defeating Penn State in a two-game sweep in the first round, both by one-goal outcomes, before falling to Syracuse in overtime of the semifinals.
 
Robert Morris (24-7-3), the No. 10 team in Division I, enters the weekend having earned a bye into the semifinals. Last time out, the Colonials wrapped up the regular season by sweeping Penn State on Feb. 21-22 by scores of 5-2 and 4-0. Robert Morris is outscoring its opponents, 99-58 this season. Brittany Howard leads the team in scoring with 41 points on 17 goals and 24 assists, while Rebecca Vint has a team-best 23 goals and 40 points. In net, Jessica Dodds is 21-4-3 with a 1.58 goals against average and .935 save percentage.
 
Mercyhurst (22-7-4), ranked No. 8 nationally, enters the weekend also having earned a bye into the semifinals. The Lakers have won all but one CHA Championship and advanced to the NCAA Semifinals last season. Last time out, the Lakers wrapped up the regular season with a win and tie against Lindenwood on Feb. 21-22. Mercyhurst is riding a nine-game unbeaten streak (8-0-1) and is 15-2-2 since falling to the Tigers, 2-1 on Nov. 22. Mercyhurst is outscoring its opponents, 116-60 this season. Christine Bestland leads the team in scoring with 50 points on 20 goals and 30 assists, while Emily Janiga has 40 points on 15 goals and 25 assists. Five players have over 30 points this season. In net, Amanda Makela is 20-6-4 with a 1.85 goals against average and .927 save percentage.
 
Syracuse (20-13-3) advanced to the semifinals after easily dispatching Lindenwood University in a two-game sweep in the CHA First Round last weekend, winning by scores of 4-1 and 6-0. Syracuse is outscoring its opponents, 98-73 this season. Melissa Piacentini leads the Orange in scoring with 29 points on 17 goals and 12 assists, while Nicole Renault and Jessica Sibley are right behind with 28 and 26 points, respectively. In net, Jenesica Drinkwater is 16-6-1 with a 1.82 goals against average and .929 save percentage.
 
RIT is 1-3-0 this season against Robert Morris, 1-3-0 against Mercyhurst, and 3-1-0 against Syracuse. The wins over Mercyhurst and Robert Morris were the first two for the Tigers against ranked opponents in the DI era. RIT is guaranteed to finish with a winning record for the first time at the Division I level.
 
Both games will be available online at America One NetworkLive stats are also available for each game.
 
Tickets are available one hour before puck drop at the Mercyhurst Ice Center. Admission for adults will be $10 and students with a valid I.D. will be charged $5.
 
There will be a banquet on Thursday, March 7 at the Ambassador Banquet and Conference Center in Erie, Pa. Throughout the banquet, the four remaining CHA teams, Syracuse, Robert Morris, Mercyhurst and RIT will be recognized and honored for their achievements throughout the regular season. The banquet will be open to the public, at $36 a head and to contact Aaron Kemp ([email protected]/ 814-725-9390) for more information.      

Potsdam: Arnold Selected for Conference All Team

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POTSDAM, N.Y.–SUNY Potsdam men’s hockey player Mike Arnold (Didsbury, Alberta/Kingston Voyageurs) has been selected to the All-State of New York Athletic Conference third team for men’s ice hockey.

This marks the second time that Arnold has earned all-conference recognition. He was named to the second team for his play during the 2012-13 season.

This season, Arnold led the Bears in scoring with a team-high 17 goals and six assists for 23 points. The senior captain scored five power play goals and had two game-winners including one in Potsdam’s 3-2 overtime victory at SUNY Cortland on Dec. 7.

Arnold finishes his Potsdam career with 49 goals, 20 assists for 69 points in 86 games. His 49 goals tie him for 14th with Steve Stone (1984-88) on the Bears all-time goals list.

In conference play this season, Arnold racked up 11 goals and six assists for 17 points in 16 games to tie for sixth in scoring in the SUNYAC.

TV Schedule for Sled Hockey; Paralympics from Sochi

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NBC Sports to Broadcast Four Sled Hockey Games at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games
TeamUSA.org Will Stream All U.S. Games Live
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – NBC Sports and TeamUSA.org will provide unprecedented coverage of the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, including eight hours of sled hockey action on NBC and NBC Sports Network.
The 2014 Paralympic Winter Games run March 7-16 in Sochi, Russia. Team USA is the defending gold medalists from the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C. The U.S. won the bronze medal at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, and captured its first gold medal at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.
NBC Sports will broadcast four sled hockey games, including live airings of the two semifinal games onThurs., March 13, on NBC Sports Network, and a one-hour delayed broadcast of the gold-medal game on Sat., March 15, on NBC. NBCSN will also air Team USA’s preliminary-round match-up with Russia on Tues., March 11, via tape delay. All U.S. games in the tournament will be streamed live atTeamUSA.org.
2014 Paralympic Winter Games
Game Schedule for U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team
March 8-15 – Shayba Arena – Sochi, Russia
Date Opponent
Game Time (ET)
Broadcast (Time) Live Stream
Sat. March 8 Italy 7:30 a.m. None TeamUSA.org
Sun., March 9 South Korea 8:30 a.m. None TeamUSA.org
Tues., March 11 Russia 8:30 a.m. NBCSN (3 p.m. ET) TeamUSA.org
Thurs., March 13 Semifinals 5 a.m. NBCSN (Live) TeamUSA.org
12 p.m. NBCSN (Live) TeamUSA.org
Sat., March 15 Bronze-Medal Game 5 a.m. None TeamUSA.org
Gold-Medal Game 12 p.m. NBC (1 p.m. ET) TeamUSA.org
Notes: For Team USA information, including roster, player and staff bios, game schedule, news and more, click here … Team USA’s captain is Andy Yohe, while its alternate captains are Taylor Chaceand Josh Sweeney … The youngest player on the roster is Brody Roybal, who turned 15 in May and is making his Paralympic debut. Declan Farmer turned 16 in November … The oldest player is Andy Yohe at 35 … Four members of the team have served in the U.S. military. Jen Lee is active duty in the U.S. Army. Rico Roman is a U.S. Army veteran, while Paul Schaus and Josh Sweeney served in the U.S. Marine Corps … Dan Brennan, director of sled and inline hockey for USA Hockey, is the general manager of the 2014 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team. Jeff Sauer is head coach of the 2014 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, while Guy Gosselin, serves as the team’s assistant coach … Additional staff members include team physician Mike Uihlein, athletic trainer Mike Cortese, equipment manager Joel Isaacson and Matt Trevor, USA Hockey’s manager of communications.

Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi: Preview

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The Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games ice sledge hockey competition begins on 
Saturday (8 March) and is expected to showcase the deepest field of teams yet, 
including reigning world champions Canada, defending Paralympic champions USA 
and an up-and-coming squad from host nation Russia.

Top-seeded Canada, led by veteran forwards Greg Westlake and Brad Bowden, will 
be favoured in Group A, which also includes No. 4 Czech Republic, No. 5 Norway 
and No. 8 Sweden. Canada are out for revenge after failing to make the podium at 
their home Games four years ago.

The Czechs will search for their first Paralympic medal as head coach Jiri Briza 
makes his Paralympic debut behind the glass. Norway and Sweden have participated 
at every Paralympics in the sport, and the Norwegians have medalled at each of 
them. If veteran defenceman Rolf Pedersen is still at the top of his game, 
Norway may just reach the podium once again.

Second-seeded USA, the current world silver medallists, are eager to repeat 
their Vancouver 2010 success and will lean on forward Josh Pauls, goaltender 
Steve Cash and a contingent of war veterans in Group B. 

But Dmitry Lisov and host nation No. 3 Russia will not go down without a fight 
on their home ice, and look promising to medal after taking bronze on the world 
stage in 2013. Team captain Vadim Selyukin, who lost both of his legs while 
serving in the military in Chechnya, built Russian the team from scratch. He 
launched a sports club for people with an impairment in 2004, and from there an 
international programme grew.

No. 7 Italy, led by Florian Planker's powershot, and No. 6 South Korea, anchored 
by Seung-Hwan Jung's speed, round out the group. Neither Italy nor South Korea 
have medalled at the Paralympics in ice sledge hockey.

AT A GLANCE
Venue: Shayba Arena
Medal events: 1
Teams: 8
Classification: There is only one sport class, which is for athletes with an 
impairment in the lower part of their body that would prevent them from playing 
able-bodied ice hockey.
Paralympic Games debut: Lillehammer 1994

VANCOUVER 2010 RESULTS
Gold: USA
Silver: Japan
Bronze: Norway

DID YOU KNOW?
Sochi 2014 will mark the 20th anniversary of ice sledge hockey's inclusion at 
the Paralympic Games.

IPC ONES TO WATCH ATHLETES
Brad Bowden, Canada
Steve Cash, USA
Seung-Hwan Jung, South Korea
Dmitry Lisov, Russia
Josh Pauls, USA
Rolf Pedersen, Norway
Florian Planker, Italy
Greg Westlake, Canada