Author Archives: Michael Napier

Hoof Beats: Frenchy Open fast approaching

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The program’s biggest summer fundraising event is just three weeks away!

The 2015 UAH Hockey Frenchy Open presented by CNTS Investments LLC and Total Package Hockey will tee off at 1 p.m. on June 6 at Huntsville Country Club.

The tournament layout will be a four-player scramble with prizes going to the top three teams. Raffle and door prizes will be available.

Register online to reserve your spot. Registration per player is $150, which includes 18 holes of golf, a cart, a UAH Hockey polo shirt, refreshments, and dinner. Full four-player teams can register for $600.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, can call 256-824-2485 or email Nick Laurila.

In addition, there will be an UAH alumni hockey game at the Wilcoxon Municipal Ice Complex in Huntsville on June 5 at 7 p.m.

“The Frenchy Open” is named after Charger left wing Jean-Marc Plante, who died in 2001. Also known as “Frenchy,” the Laval, Quebec, native played for UAH from 1988-92, scoring 16 goals and 19 assists in 94 games. Plante worked at the front office of the Florida Panthers and became the athletic marketing director at UAH. A memorial scholarship is awarded in his honor to the Charger hockey player who demonstrates leadership, sportsmanship, and team spirit, and who participates in community and university volunteer service.

Schedule change: The Thanksgiving weekend series against rival Bemidji State has been changed to Wednesday, November 25 and Friday, November 27. Puck drop remains at 7:07 p.m. for both games. The change means UAH will avoid going up against the Iron Bowl on Saturday, November 28.

UAH will host its first ever game on a Wednesday. The Chargers have played only four times on Wednesday before, all on the road:

Wednesday, Dec. 12, 1990 at Minnesota (lost 10-0) — A stop in Minneapolis on the way to Alaska.
Wednesday, Dec. 11, 1991 at Alaska-Fairbanks (lost 9-5 but later won by forfeit) — Part of four games in five nights in Alaska
Wednesday, Dec. 30, 1998 at Connecticut (won 3-0) — Holiday tournament right before New Year’s
Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011 at Merrimack (lost 6-0) — Northeast road trip that also sandwiched Thanksgiving

Brears named Academic All-District: UAH forward Chad Brears was named to the 2014-15 Capital One Academic All District At-Large Team, announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America on Thursday.

The junior from Cold Lake, Alberta, was named to the District 4 first team in NCAA Division I covering Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Puerto Rico.

Brears scored a 4.0 grade-point average majoring in mechanical engineering this year. He was second on the Chargers this past season with 15 points (three goals and 12 assists) in 36 games.

Chargers’ 2015-16 schedule released with 18 home games

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It's good to be home. (Photo by Chris Brightwell)

It’s good to be home, where UAH will play 18 times in the 2015-16 season. (Photo by Chris Brightwell)

For the first time in 15 years, UAH is scheduled to play more home games than not.

The WCHA released its 2015-16 composite schedule on Monday, and UAH followed with the official revealing of the Chargers’ slate.

The Chargers will have 18 home games for the first time since the 2000-01 season, when UAH hosted the College Hockey America conference tournament. In terms of regular season, it’s the most home games in UAH’s modern Division I era, and the most home games against Division I teams ever. This is an exciting development given the difficulty UAH has securing home non-conference games (see UAH’s recent independent years).

In addition to the 28-game WCHA schedule, UAH will have three non-conference series, two at home, representing Hockey East and the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

UAH opens the season at home for the first time since 2012 with the first of three non-conference series, Oct. 9-10 against Connecticut. UConn last came to Huntsville as a member of Atlantic Hockey to open the Chargers’ 2003-04 season, but now the Huskies represent Hockey East. UConn was expected to struggle transitioning to the East’s premier conference in its first season in 2014-15, but finished in a tie for ninth and look to be a program on the rise.

Homecoming at hockey is back as the Chargers open league play at home against Alaska-Anchorage on Oct. 23-24. UAH won both games against UAA in Huntsville last season as the Seawolves struggled to last place in the WCHA.

The Chargers hit the road for the first time at Lake Superior State, where they earned three critical points last season on the way to a WCHA playoff spot. UAH then hosts their playoff opponent from last season, Michigan Tech, on Nov. 6-7. Tech, one of three opponents who reached the NCAA tournament last season, swept the Chargers in Houghton in two games, the first being the 1-0 triple overtime marathon that saw Carmine Guerriero make 76 saves.

Bemidji State returns to Huntsville for rounds 77 of 78 of the Chargers-Beavers rivalry on Thanksgiving weekend. Rounds 79 and 80 will be in Bemidji on Feb. 26-27.

On Dec. 18-19, Colorado College comes to Huntsville after the Chargers visited Colorado Springs to open the 2014-15 campaign. The Tigers finished last in the powerful NCHC, but managed two one-goal wins over UAH, both on third-period goals.

The Chargers ring in 2016 at one of the storied programs in college hockey. UAH visits North Dakota for the first time since 1989, when the Chargers lost 12-6 and 11-5. UND, owners of seven national championships, won the NCHC regular season title and reached the Frozen Four last month.

All but six of the Chargers’ home games come before the New Year, meaning UAH will see a lot of travel down the stretch. UAH has only one series in January, February, and March. The Charges host Alaska on Jan. 8-9, defending WCHA champion and NCAA tournament participant Minnesota State on Feb. 12-13, and Bowling Green on March 4-5 to finish the regular season.

The Chargers go to the state of Alaska once, a late-January set in Anchorage.

Season ticket and Blue Line Club information will be released over the summer. For more information, call 256-UAH-PUCK.

Here is the 2015-16 UAH Charger hockey schedule. Home games are in bold, all starting at 7:07 p.m.

Oct. 9-10 – Connecticut
Oct. 23-24 – Alaska Anchorage*
Oct. 30-31 – Lake Superior State*
Nov. 6-7 – Michigan Tech*
Nov. 20-21 – Bowling Green*
Nov. 27-28 – Bemidji State*
Dec. 4-5 – Northern Michigan*
Dec. 11-12 – Minnesota State*
Dec. 18-19 – Colorado College
Jan. 1-2 – North Dakota
Jan. 8-9 – Alaska*
Jan. 15-16 – Ferris State*
Jan. 29-30 – Alaska Anchorage*
Feb. 12-13 – Minnesota State*
Feb. 19-20 – Northern Michigan*
Feb. 26-27 – Bemidji State*
March 4-5 – Bowling Green*

March 11-13 – WCHA Quarterfinals (at top four seeds)
March 18-19 – WCHA Final Five (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
March 25-27 – NCAA Tournament Regionals
April 7-9 – NCAA Frozen Four (Tampa, Fla.)

* WCHA game.

 

UAH announces team awards, captains at banquet

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Last Wednesday night was the end of season banquet for the Chargers, who celebrated the strides made in the 2014-15 season and looked forward to the next step in the program’s growth.

Sophomore goaltender Carmine Guerriero was the team’s Most Valuable Player of the 2014-15 season. Guerriero had a .928 save percentage, fourth-best in UAH history, and a 2.56 goals against average, fifth-best in program history.

Defensive Player of the Year went to junior Frank Misuraca, who led UAH defensemen in goals with six goals. He was second among Chargers with 69 blocks.

After making the WCHA All-Rookie Team and leading the Chargers in scoring with 23 points, Max McHugh was an obvious choice for Freshman of the Year.

The Charger of the Year Award, which goes to the player who exemplifies what it means to be a UAH Charger, went to senior Craig Pierce. The Roswell, Ga., native became an alternate captain this season, scoring three goals in 28 games and battling a wrist injury.

Also announced were the 2015-16 captains. Junior Brent Fletcher will don the “C” for the Chargers next season, with seniors Frank Misuraca and Chad Brears being the alternate captains.

Press release from UAHChargers.com

2015 Frenchy Open golf outing set for June 6

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The 2015 UAH Hockey Frenchy Open presented by CNTS Investments LLC will tee off at 1 p.m. on June 6 at Huntsville Country Club.

The golf tournament is the program’s biggest summer fundraising event. The tournament layout will be a four-player scramble with prizes going to the top three teams. Raffle and door prizes will be available.

Register online to reserve your spot. Registration per player is $150, which includes 18 holes of golf, a cart, a UAH Hockey polo shirt, refreshments, and dinner. Full four-player teams can register for $600.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information, can call 256-824-2485 or email Nick Laurila.

In addition, there will be an UAH alumni hockey game at the Wilcoxon Municipal Ice Complex in Huntsville on June 5 at 7 p.m.

“The Frenchy Open” is named after Charger left wing Jean-Marc Plante, who died in 2001. Also known as “Frenchy,” the Laval, Quebec, native played for UAH from 1988-92, scoring 16 goals and 19 assists in 94 games. Plante worked at the front office of the Florida Panthers and became the athletic marketing director at UAH. A memorial scholarship is awarded in his honor to the Charger hockey player who demonstrates leadership, sportsmanship, and team spirit, and who participates in community and university volunteer service.

Who’s coming in: A look at next year’s future Chargers

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Editor’s note: We’ve reviewed the 2014-15 season, now let’s take a look at who’s coming in for 2015-16. This analysis comes from one of our regular posters in the UAH thread of the USCHO.com forums, who wished not to be named. He follows junior hockey more closely than either me or Geof, and we appreciate him allowing us to share this on UAHHockey.com. Remember that this site is independent of UAH and the hockey program, neither of which can comment on recruits until they have signed a NCAA National Letter of Intent. Also, this was written before the announced commitments of Madison Dunn and Hans Gorowsky. See our Commitments page for more information. — Michael Napier

It’s that time of year when junior seasons start wrapping up, and I thought I’d give an update on our recruits for this upcoming 2015-2016 season. I’ve followed our boys pretty closely and honestly believe this is the best class UAH has brought in in the last 10 or so years. I don’t think we’re done quite yet either. Here’s what I think will be next year’s incoming class:

Forwards

Brandon Salerno – Pickering Panthers (OJHL), 49 GP, 30 G, 39 A, 69 Pts

After starting the year in Huntsville, but having NCAA Clearinghouse issues, he put up some fine numbers in the OJ. Sure, moving from Waterloo (USHL) in 2013-14 to Pickering this year was a step down in terms of competition, but I think it was a great move for him to regain his confidence. He played only sparingly in Waterloo and was often times a healthy scratch. In Pickering, he was “the” player on an average team and he put up well over a point per game. He’s not the biggest guy, but he’s got Salhany-type speed and has a knack for making plays. Salerno is a legit Division I prospect who we’ll see on special teams from day one. Arguably the top forward coming in. Check out this player of the week video and you’ll see what I’m talking about. His season’s done after Pickering failed to make the OJHL playoffs.

http://youtu.be/l4isrnSiIpY

Jetlan Houcher (Photo by Fort McMurray Oil Barons)

Jetlan Houcher (Photo by Fort McMurray Oil Barons)

Jetlan Houcher – Fort McMurray Oil Barons (AJHL), 60 GP, 39 G, 32 A, 71 Pts

Excellent numbers on an average AJHL team. Everything I’ve seen and read indicates he’s a pure goal scorer. Got a great shot with a quick release; the kid can score. He’s done it at every level he’s played at. Got to wonder if skating is an issue considering he isn’t already in college somewhere, but I highly doubt it’s a huge hindrance given his numbers. Houcher has been everything for the Fort McMurray Oil Barons this year. He’s the captain, and with 22 more points than the next closest player on the roster, they’ll be making the playoffs due in no small part to his contributions. A good kid and a leader, Houcher should challenge for top-six minutes right away.

Adam Wilcox – Fairbanks Ice Dogs (NAHL), 41 GP, 5 G, 11 A, 16 Pts

Also a TPH product, Wilcox is from Atlanta and has bounced around junior leagues these past few years. He had a cup of tea with Wichita Falls (NAHL) in 2011-12, spent two season playing sparingly for Houcher’s Oil Barons in the AJHL in 2012-14, and is now with Fairbanks back in the NAHL. Wilcox is fast, big, and strong, and while he’s never going to “wow” you with his offensive abilities, he’s a heart and soul kind of player that every team needs to win. He plays with an edge (evidenced by his 62 PIMs this season) and has a lot of energy. Think Brent Fletcher here folks. Hope his offensive numbers can improve the rest of the reason and into the playoffs. We’ll love his style of play down here in Huntsville and he should be a solid contributor on the bottom six for years to come.

Defensemen

Kurt Gosselin – Alberni Valley Bulldogs (BCHL), 32 GP, 12 G, 31 A, 43 Pts

Playing for Alberni Valley in the BCHL, Gosselin has really come into his own this year. A Michigan native, he has put up a whopping 1.3 points per game as a defenseman. That’s unheard of in most junior leagues. He’s been hurt since mid-January, otherwise those totals would be much higher. And even despite his injury, he was just nominated for Defenseman of the Year for his division. Gosselin has solid size, skating ability, and vision. He’s quarterbacked the power play when healthy and played big minutes. If he can fully come back from his injury, there’s no reason to think he can’t play top four minutes as a freshman.

Cam Knight – Wichita Falls Wildcats (NAHL), 57 GP, 9 G, 24 A, 33 Pts

A teammate of Beaulieu’s on Wichita Falls’ solid team, Knight has put up excellent numbers a defenseman in the NAHL. He’s already surpassed what Cody Champagne did last year and Frank Misuraca did a few years back, and he’s still got some season left. Both of those two right-handed shot defenseman have done well for UAH thus far and Knight should continue that trend. He’s a tough Mass. product with good size, solid skating ability, and a good shot. He’s a two-way defenseman who plays with a chip on his shoulder at times. Would be a good recruit for any school in our league. Like Gosselin, should compete for top four minutes right away.

John Teets – Fairbanks Ice Dogs (NAHL), 58 GP, 3 G, 15 A, 18 Pts

Teets has been a teammate of Wilcox’s for awhile now. Teets played with him for two years on Houcher’s Oil Barons (AJHL) squad, and now with his hometown Fairbanks in the NA. He has great size and plays hard. A stay-at-home defenseman in the truest sense of the word, he’s another heart and soul guy like Wilcox. You need guys like him on a team. Should be a solid contributor on the PK one day. Likely will compete for playing time immediately as a freshman.

2016 and beyond

Austin Beaulieu – Wichita Falls Wildcats (NAHL), 57 GP, 22 G, 30 A, 52 Pts

A former TPH kid from Florida, Beaulieu probably has the highest ceiling of our incoming forwards. Judging by his birthdate, he’s a senior in high school. It’s rare that UAH gets an 18-year-old kid straight out of high school. Most of our guys have near exhausted junior eligibility. Clearly his speed, vision, and playmaking abilities from Midget AAA have translated well at the next level. More of a passer than a goal scorer, Beaulieu has been extremely consistent for Wichita Falls (NAHL) this season, rarely being held off the scoresheet for more than a couple games at a time. It’s his first year of juniors and he’s playing on the top line for a solid team in the U.S.’s second best junior circuit. His season isn’t done yet and Wichita Falls is poised to go deep into the playoffs. Another kid who can legitimately compete for top-six minutes right away.

Ted Rotenberger – Springfield Jr. Blues (NAHL), 38 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 Pt (includes 6 GP with Topeka)

Yet another former TPH kid, and Huntsville native, many of you have likely heard of Rotenberger. His character is reportedly off the charts and he’ll be a welcome addition to the team when he’s ready, but he’s not quite there yet. Defenseman tend to develop slower than forwards at nearly all levels and he needs another year or two to get bigger and stronger and to play more minutes. I just cannot see the coaching staff bringing him in in 2015. Could be wrong, we’ll see.

Connor Wood – Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (NAHL), 57 GP, 2 G, 3 A, 5 Pts (includes 10 GP with Amarillo)

Also a TPH kid from Atlanta, Wood has had a tough year by the looks of it. He’s a quick, tough, agitator dating back to his TPH days, but that has led to some ridiculous PIM totals (182) this year. Wood can play the scrappy role well and still produce; he did it with TPH. He just needs some more seasoning before he comes to school. He’s sure to get more ice time next year and his offensive numbers will hopefully take a noticeable bump up.

Ivan Bondarenko – Wenatchee Wild (NAHL), 38 GP, 4 G, 10 A, 14 Pts

He’s Russian and has been committed for a long time. I believe the plan was for him to come in in 2016 or 2017 all along. Bondarenko has that Russian explosive flair as seen by his crazy numbers in the now defunct NORPAC league last year (50-51-101 in 37 games played as a 16 year old). He, like Wood and Rotenberger, just needs more time to develop. I imagine he’ll play a lot more next year, but right now he’s counted on for secondary scoring with Wenatchee in the NAHL. Will be following him closely next year.

Hoof Beats: Prince invited to Team GB

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Photo Credit: Timothy Burns

Photo Credit: Timothy Burns

Jack Prince will playing for a spot on his home country’s national team.

The Charger wing from Leicester, England is on Team Great Britain’s initial 31-man squad preparing for the World Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The team will be pared down to 23 players in two weeks.

Prince scored five goals with nine assists for 14 points in his just-completed junior season, and has 30 points in three years at UAH.

Dunn commits: The Chargers picked up a commitment on Wednesday from Madison Dunn, a forward from the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

Dunn, who is from Calgary, had eight goals and 35 assists for 43 points in 60 games with the Bandits during the regular season. He had two goals and five assists in six playoff games so far as Brooks goes into the second round of the AJHL playoffs.

More information on incoming recruits is coming soon. For more information, visit the Commitments page.

Banquet in two weeks: Remember that the UAH hockey post-season banquet is Wednesday, April 1, at 7 p.m. at Spragins Hall.

The cost is $25 per person, and you have the opportunity to sponsor a player’s dinner at the banquet for $25.

There will be several silent auction items at the event as well as the opportunity to sit with your favorite player at dinner. Payments will be accepted at the door upon arrival.

The hockey office asks that you RSVP for the event.  If you have any other questions you can email Nick Laurila.

Around the WCHA: The WCHA Final Five is this weekend at the XCel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The semifinals take place Friday, with Bowling Green facing Michigan Tech at 4:07 p.m. MacNaughton Cup champion Minnesota State faces Ferris State at 7:37 p.m. The Broadmoor Cup championship game is Saturday night at 6:07 p.m.

The champion gets an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Minnesota State and Michigan Tech, ranked second and fifth respectively in the Pairwise Rankings, are locks to be at-large bids, with No. 12 Bowling Green in decent shape with at least a semifinal victory. If Ferris State wins the Broadmoor Cup, it is conceivable that the league could get four teams in college hockey’s big dance.

The WCHA Final Five can be seen on Fox College Sports Central. Find FCS on your local cable or satellite provider.

 

By the numbers: The 2014-15 season

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Now that the 2014-15 season is over, let’s take a look about how the Chargers improved from the previous season from a statistical perspective. There are many ways the Chargers improved that reflected in their record, which is where we start.

Carmine Guerriero

Carmine Guerriero had one of the best goaltending seasons in UAH history. (Photo by Todd Pavlack/BGSUHockey.com)

Record: 2013-14: 2-35-1 (.066); 2014-15: 8-26-4 (.263); Change: +.197

This is the most visible, most obvious improvement. Not only did UAH have six more wins, which is the sixth-biggest jump in Division I, but three more ties — or nine more games where we had points.

Scoring margin: 2013-14: -3.29; 2014-15: -1.55; Change: +1.74

The Chargers had 26 losses, which is still not good. But this shows we’re closing the gap even if we didn’t come through victorious. UAH lost games by five or more goals 12 times in 2013-14. This season: Three. UAH reduced the number of games lost by three or more from 26 to 13.

That’s why general excitement was up this season. The number of games we still had a shot went up from 32 percent to 68 percent.

Offense: 2013-14: 1.08 goals per game; 2014-15: 1.63; Change: +0.55

Still nothing to write home about, but at least we’re no longer dead last in the nation, or even in the WCHA (sorry, Lake Superior State). Three goals has been the magic number this season — this year the Chargers scored three-plus 10 times (as opposed to only three times in 2013-14), and were 6-2-2 in those games.

The freshmen really contributed to the boost, which is why we’re optimistic that the offense will continue to improve its potency with experience. Leading the team was Max McHugh, whose 12 goals are the most by a Charger since Matt Sweazey in 2008-09, and whose 23 points are the most since four Chargers had that many or more in 2006-07. Brandon Parker had 14 assists, most since Andrew Coburn had 15 in 2009-10. UAH freshmen, including Brennan Saulnier, Josh Kestner, Richard Buri, and Cody Champagne, accounted for 61 of 167 points (37 percent) this season.

Meanwhile, our juniors had their best seasons to build on as they become seniors. Chad Brears had 15 points to more than double of career total coming in to 2014-15. Jack Prince’s 14 points is also a career high. Defenseman Frank Misuraca had six MisuRockets™ find the net. And Alex Carpenter, who had no playing time in two seasons at Western Michigan, put together a nice 3-5-8 season in 32 games played.

Coach Mike Corbett has said the goal for UAH is to be the up-and-down team like a Michigan Tech. Building depth behind this corps can do just that.

Defense: 2013-14: 4.37 goals allowed per game; 2014-15: 3.18; Change: +1.19

Again, UAH is still near the bottom of the WCHA in this category (besting only Lake Superior), but as we wait patiently for the offense to catch up, the improved defense really helped the Chargers be competitive.

The rise of sophomore goaltender Carmine Guerriero was a big part of that, of course. His .928 save percentage this season was the fourth best in UAH history and second in the modern Division I era, putting him among the top 20 in the country (currently 14th with others’ conference tournaments and the NCAA tournament to go). His 2.56 goals against average was fifth best in UAH history and third in the Division I era.

But it goes beyond just Guerriero. The Chargers still allowed a lot of shots this season (37.58 shots on goal allowed per game, next to last in Division I), but they also blocked a ton. Brandon Carlson finished the season with 94 blocked shots, currently 2nd in the country. Four Chargers are among the nation’s top 100 defensemen in blocked shots, including Frank Misuraca (69), Brandon Parker (61), and Graeme Strukoff (56).

Power play efficiency: 2013-14: 12-137 (8.8%); 2014-15: 19-124 (15.3%); Change: +6.5%

UAH was dead last in Division I on the power play last season, but found its way to the middle of the pack in the WCHA in 2014-15. The Chargers had the fewer power play opportunities in the WCHA this season, but when they got one, they got aggressive, and it showed. McHugh became even more of a threat, scoring five of his 12 power play goals on the season.

Penalty kill efficiency: 2013-14: 117-166 (70.5%); 2014-15: 164-201 (81.6%); Change: +11.1%

Considering the Chargers were by far the worst on the penalty kill in 2013-14, this was arguably the aspect of UAH’s game that improved the most. The Chargers had the most shorthanded situations in 2014-15 — they were the third-most penalized team in Division I at 15.8 penalty minutes per game — and while the kill percentage is only eighth-best in the WCHA, it feels like night and day.

They had their rocky moments (allowing three power play goals at Air Force negating a 3-0 UAH lead, and six power play goals in a 11-1 drubbing at Michigan Tech during the regular season), but also had impressive streaks: Opponents were 2-for-40 from Nov. 15 (Lake Superior was 0-for-10) to Dec. 14, including a stretch of 17 straight penalties killed, and a string of 19 straight kills from Feb. 13-21.

So the numbers may not be great, but they show the improvement this club made over the season. And there’s so much potential to get better. And that means more wins. Get excited for 2015-16.

By the numbers: Looking back on an epic

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UAH looks to stave off elimination tonight at 6 p.m. in Game 2 at Michigan Tech. Here’s some notes on last night’s epic playoff opener, won by the Huskies 1-0 in triple overtime.

Friday night’s game was the longest in UAH hockey history, and the second multiple-overtime game for the program. It was the second-longest in WCHA history and the seventh-longest in NCAA history. It would have been sixth-longest if UMass and Notre Dame hadn’t gone to five overtimes last week.

LONGEST GAMES IN UAH HISTORY
Time OTs Date Opponent Score Event
118:49 3 3/13/2015 Michigan Tech L 1-0 WCHA Quarterfinals Game 1
95:18 2 3/23/2007 Notre Dame L 3-2 NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinal
72:31 1 3/11/2007 Robert Morris W 5-4 CHA Championship
72:30 1 3/15/2003 Bemidji State L 2-1 CHA Semifinal
69:12 1 3/16/2002 Wayne State L 5-4 CHA Championship
68:39 1 3/9/2007 Wayne State W 4-3 CHA Quarterfinal

Carmine Guerriero was phenomenal keeping the game scoreless as long as he could. He made 76 saves, the most in UAH and WCHA history, and 11 short of the NCAA record set by Notre Dame’s Cal Peterson in that 5OT game last week (UMass goalie Steve Mastalerz had 75 saves in that game). It was the fifth-most saves in NCAA history.

The WCHA’s previous record for saves in a single game was Kirk Daubenspeck, who had 75 saves with then-member Wisconsin against Colorado College on March 8, 1997.

Guerriero now holds two of the top three single-game save performances for UAH. He had 61 at Minnesota State on Feb. 15, 2014. Barry Friedman had the old all-time UAH record, stopping 62 against Geneseo State on Nov. 8, 1986.

MOST SAVES IN A GAME, NCAA HISTORY
Saves Goaltender School Date Opponent
87 Cal Petersen Notre Dame 3/6/2015 Massachusetts
78 Dick Greenlaw Rensselaer 12/14/1965 Boston U.
77 Rick DiPietro Boston U. 3/26/2000 St. Lawrence
77 Bill Halbrehder Minnesota Duluth 12/19/1964 Michigan
76 Carmine Guerriero Alabama Huntsville 3/13/2015 Michigan Tech

Alas, the Chargers streak of allowing a goal now stands at 165 games since Cam Talbot’s last UAH shutout in 2010, and UAH has been shut out 41 times in that stretch.

In the two regular-season games at Michigan Tech on January 30-31, Guerriero allowed nine goals over 84:41. He played a bit better Friday.

Chargers fall 1-0 to Tech in record-breaking playoff opener

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BOX SCORE

This will be remembered forever by Charger fans as a classic. It’s a classic example of how far the Chargers have come this season, but also a classic playoff heartbreak.

Tyler Heinonen’s goal with 1:11 left in the third overtime lifted Michigan Tech to a 1-0 victory on Friday, taking game one of this best-of-3 WCHA quarterfinal series.

It’s hard to believe that back in late January, the Chargers were blown out of the John D. MacInnes Student Ice Center by scores of 5-0 and 11-1. But thanks to the historic effort by UAH goaltender Carmine Guerriero, the Chargers (8-25-4) were even with the fourth-ranked Huskies (27-8-2).

Guerriero made a 76 saves, an all-time record for UAH and the WCHA. They happened in a game that lasted 118:49, which is the longest game in both UAH’s and Michigan Tech’s histories, the second-longest in WCHA history, and the seventh-longest in NCAA history.

Game two is Saturday night at 6:07 p.m., and that won’t seem like a long time to rest for the Chargers after playing the equivalent of two games in one, especially since most of the action was in their end. Michigan Tech finished with a 77-32 shots on goal advantage, controlling possession right from the start.

But that did not mean the Chargers didn’t have scoring opportunities. Despite being credited with only three shots on goal in the first period, the Chargers may have put more pressure on the Huskies than in either of the two regular-season games in Houghton.

Michigan Tech was able to notch 11 shots on goal in the first, and had what amounted to an extended power play to help.

Richard Buri was called for holding when he took down MTU’s Reid Sturos with 6:15 left, and after UAH killed the ensuing power play, Buri iced the puck coming out of the box. That forced the Chargers to keep their penalty killers on the ice, and it took another minute for Guerriero to cover the puck and allow UAH to make a change. In that minute, Guerriero had to make three more saves.

Still, UAH kept the Huskies off the board, the first shutout period for the Chargers against the Huskies in six.

Michigan Tech kept pouring it on in the second period, but Guerriero was up to the task. He denied Joel L’Esperance on a partial break, and had to make several body saves and cover ups as the Huskies had three power play opportunities.

On on power play chance of the second period for Tech with 5:35 to go, the puck went by Guerriero as he tried to cover up, but a quick whistle led to the goal being immediately waved off. Guerriero then made a body save on Shane Hanna and had to pounce on another puck in the crease to keep the game scoreless.

UAH finished off another penalty kill to start the third period, and Guerriero continued to make saves. One was very close to being not, however, as a Tanner Kero drive went five-hole on Guerriero, and the puck trickled through the crease and wide of the net by about two inches with about 13 minutes left in regulation.

With 9:22 left in the third, the Chargers finally got their power play after Shane Hanna is called for high sticking. Then with 8:00 left, Matt Roy cross-checked Brennan Saulnier to the right of the Husky net, giving UAH a two-man advantage for 38 seconds.

Jack Prince’s chance from the slot was stopped by MTU goalie Jamie Phillips, who scrambled to cover as he finally started getting some work. Phillips made five saves during the 3:22 of UAH power play time, keeping the Chargers off the board.

UAH, which was outshot 28-6 in the first two period, outshot MTU 7-6 in the third as the teams finished scoreless in regulation.

In the first overtime, UAH had to kill off more Husky power play time. First, Brandon Parker was called for roughing with 10:23 left, but no goal.

But the biggest hit was by Brennan Saulnier, who crushed Tech’s Alex Petan in the UAH corner with 3:02 left in overtime. Petan was down for a few minutes but was able to leave the ice. Saulnier was given a five-minute checking from behind and a game misconduct, and with his third game misconduct will be disqualified for Saturday’s Game 2 and may get more discipline from the WCHA.

The Huskies had a couple of great chances during the power play near the end of the first overtime. Tanner Kero somehow got a shot of while being hampered in the slot, but Guerriero was able to get a blocker on it. Then, Joel L’Esperance, who had been denied by Guerriero on a couple of breakaways during the game already, was stopped again at the doorstep.

UAH killed the remaining 1:58 of the MTU major power play to keep going. Guerriero kept seeing rubber and keeping out of the net, including a Blake Pietila’s blast that stunned him in his upper left arm. He eventually broke UAH’s all-time single saves record of 62, which was set by Barry Friedman against Geneseo State in 1986.

The Chargers had a power play chance of their own with 6:17 left in the second overtime after a high stick by Mike Neville, but UAH could do nothing with it.

With 4:41 left in the second overtime, the game became the longest in UAH history, surpassing the 2007 NCAA Midwest Regional semifinal against Notre Dame, which UAH lost 3-2.

UAH had two power play chances in the third overtime, including a 4-on-3 situation, but despite jabs by Brandon Parker and Max McHugh, the Chargers could not score.

Then came Heinonsen’s game-winner on Michigan Tech’s 77th shot. He beat Guerriero high on a rebound, sending euphoria to the Husky faithful.

Phillips got the shutout with 32 saves.

Game two can be seen at WCHA.tv for a subscription fee, or free at the World of Wings at Charger Union. It can also be heard on Pasty.net.

Series Preview: WCHA Quarterfinals at Michigan Tech, March 13-15

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CATCHING THE GAMES
Times: Game 1: 6:07 p.m. CT Friday
Game 2: 6:07 p.m. CT Saturday
Game 3*: 6:07 p.m. CT Sunday
* if necessary
Watch it: WCHA.tv (subscription)
Hear it: Pasty.net
Stats: CollegeHockeyStats.net
Twitter: @weloveuahhockey, @uahhockey, @mtuhky, @TechHockeyGuide

As playoff debuts go, this will be tough. Very tough.

UAH makes its first-ever WCHA postseason appearance this weekend with a best-of-3 series at No. 4 Michigan Tech, where the Chargers have simply had problems against the Huskies.

It’s playoff hockey, and strange things can happen, but it’s safe to say that the Chargers are huge underdogs in this series. UAH is the seventh seed, and Michigan Tech is the second seed.

Game 1 is Friday night, game 2 is Saturday night, and, if necessary, a deciding game 3 would be Sunday night. All games are scheduled to start at 6:07 p.m. CDT.

All-time series: The Chargers are 0-6 all-time against the Huskies, and are 0-4 in Houghton. UAH was blown out in both games there in late January this season by scores of 5-0 and 11-1. In 2013-14, the Chargers lost 4-1 and 10-4 at Houghton. That’s a combined score of 30-6 for the Huskies on their home ice.

The two games in Huntsville over Thanksgiving weekend were a bit closer, with Tech winning 4-2 and 5-2.

Brandon Carlson

Brandon Carlson, who scored UAH’s goal on Saturday, is second in the nation with 83 blocked shots. (Photo by Todd Pavlack/BGSUHockey.com)

Charger recap: UAH (8-24-4 overall, 7-20-1 WCHA) saw its losing streak extended to six to finish the regular season by being swept at Bowling Green.

On Friday, the Falcons scored two in the first, two in the second, and three in the third to win 7-2. Two Max McHugh goals in the third period averted the shutout.

Saturday’s game was tighter, but Bowling Green found a way to win 2-1. Brandon Carlson’s goal in the first period erased a 1-0 lead for the Falcons, who retook the lead late in the same period and held on the rest of the way. Matt Larose had his best start of the season, stopping 26 of 28 shots.

McHugh, named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team on Thursday, has 23 points on 12 goals and 11 assists to lead the Chargers. He has the most points by a UAH player since the 2006-07 season.

Other top scorers for UAH: Chad Brears (3-12-15), Jack Prince (5-9-14), Brandon Parker (0-14-14), Jeff Vanderlugt (6-7-13), Frank Misuraca (6-6-12).

Starting goaltender Carmine Guerriero had his worst start of the season last Friday, his 11th straight start in a row. He comes into the postseason with a 2.69 goals against average and a .923 save percentage, which is still fifth-best in the WCHA.

UAH Tale of the tape
(WCHA rank)		 MTU
8-24-4
7-20-1 WCHA (8th)		 Record 26-8-2
21-5-2 WCHA (2nd)
1.72 (9th) Goals/game 3.64 (1st)
3.25 (9th) Goals allowed/game 1.78 (1st)
15.5 (2nd) Pen. minutes/game 12.2 (8th)
16.2% (6th) Power play 21.2% (2nd)
81.5% (8th) Penalty kill 85.0% (6th)

About the Huskies: Michigan Tech (26-8-2 overall, 21-5-2 WCHA) fell one point short of Minnesota State in the race for the MacNaughton Cup, but the fourth-ranked Huskies are 10-1-1 in their last 12 after a home-and-home sweep of U.P. rival Northern Michigan to finish the regular season. Tech will be hosting a WCHA playoff series for the first time in 22 years.

Senior foward Tanner Kero was named the league’s Player of the Year after winning the WCHA scoring title with 34 points in 28 conference games. Kero, an All-WCHA First Team selection, is tied for 10th in the nation with 43 points on 18 goals and 25 assists. He totaled nine points against UAH in the four games this season.

Joining Kero on the All-WCHA First Team is goaltender Jamie Phillips. The junior and Winnipeg Jets prospect is second in the league in goals against average (1.76) and top the WCHA in save percentage (.935).

Two junior forwards, Alex Petan and Malcolm Gould, made the All-WCHA Second Team. Petan has 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists), followed by Gould’s 31 (14, 17).

New Jersey Devils draftee Blake Pietila is close behind with 13 goals and 15 assists for 28 points, putting him on the All-WCHA Third Team. Sophomore defenseman Shane Hanna also made the Third Team.

Around the WCHA: Here are the other three WCHA quarterfinal series this weekend. The winners of the best-of-3 series will go to the WCHA Final Five at the XCel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., on March 20-21. All times are Central and all games can be seen online on WCHA TV.

No. 8 Lake Superior State at No. 1 Minnesota State
Game 1: Friday, 7:07 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, 7:07 p.m.
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, 7:07 p.m.

No. 6 Northern Michigan at No. 3 Bowling Green
Game 1: Friday, 6:07 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, 6:07 p.m.
Game 3 (if necessary): Sunday, 6:07 p.m.

No. 5 Ferris State at No. 4 Bemidji State
Game 1: Friday, 7:37 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday, 7:07 p.m.
Game 3 (if necessary), 5:07 p.m.