Category Archives: Charger Hockey News

Hoof Beats: Chargers to face off with America’s best youth

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This weekend’s games don’t count to UAH’s record, but they still mean something.

The Chargers, fresh off their sweep of Northern Michigan at the Von Braun Center, host the USA National Under-18 Team this weekend for two exhibition games. Game times are 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

“You’ve got the most talented 17- and 18-year-olds in the country,” coach Mike Corbett said after Saturday’s UAH victory. “You’ve got four or five kids who are going to be first-round NHL draft picks. There will probably be some NHL general managers in the building. We don’t want to take a step back.”

Perhaps a couple of our boys will catch the eyes of those GMs. Most of the players on the U-18 roster are committed to big-time Division I programs, so this will be an interesting mid-season test.

UAH has played the U-18 team six times, with Team USA is 5-0-1 all-time. Two seasons ago, the Chargers lost 6-2 and tied 1-1 in Huntsville. At the time, the U-18 squad was coached by former UAH head coach Danton Cole.

UAH Penalty Shots
Modern D-I era (since 1999)
Player Opponent Result Date
Dwayne Blais Iona success 11/4/2000
Kevin Morrison Air Force success 10/8/2006
Tom Train Princeton fail 12/1/2006
Justin Cseter Omaha fail 1/28/2011
Matt Salhany Northern Michigan fail 1/17/2015

Penalty shots: Matt Salhany was awarded UAH’s first penalty shot in four years when he was tripped up by Northern Michigan’s Jake Baker on Saturday. Alas, Salhany failed in the attempt.

The last Charger penalty shot was by Justin Cseter, who also failed to score at Nebraska-Omaha on Jan. 28, 2011. The last successful UAH penalty shot was by Kevin Morrison at Air Force on Oct. 8, 2006. UAH is 2-for-5 on penalty shots in its modern Division I era (1999-present).

The last penalty shot against the Chargers was Oct. 23, 2009, when Western Michigan’s Cam Watson beat Cam Talbot. Opponents are also 2-for-5 on penalty shots against UAH in the modern Division I era.

Stat pack: 

  • Carmine Guerriero’s .933 save percentage is second in the WCHA behind Bowling Green’s Chris Nell, and is 12th in Division I.
  • Max McHugh’s 17 points is second among WCHA freshman, just one behind Minnesota State’s C.J. Franklin.
  • The Chargers have started another string of successful penalty kills, now up to 13 after last weekend. Again, they’ve had the most practice, with 139 power plays against — by far the most in Division I. Their season penalty kill is 84.9 percent, sixth in the WCHA.

WCHA leading the Top 10: While only six points separate fourth and tenth in the WCHA standings, the top three have separated themselves from the pack. And those three are in the top 10 in this week’s USCHO.com poll.

No. 1 Minnesota State retained the top spot and more than doubled the number of first-place votes (42) after last weekend’s sweep at Ferris State.

The Mavericks have opened an eight-point lead atop the standings over Bowling Green, which split the WCHA’s marquee series at Michigan Tech and moved up one spot to No. 6.

Michigan Tech, whom the Chargers play next week in Houghton, Mich., also moved up a notch to No. 10.

This week’s promotions: On Saturday, the first 500 fans will receive a set of UAH hockey trading cards. The first 1000 fans to Sunday’s game receive a free UAH hockey team photo. As always this season, kids 12 and under get free admission courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.

Blue Line Club luncheon: Before every home series, come meet and greet with the coaches at the Blue Line Club luncheon. UAH head coach Mike Corbett will speak this Friday at noon in the Varsity Room at Spragins Hall.

Terranova’s is catering. Tickets are $8 at the door, and free for Blue Line Club members.

Hoof Beats: Moving on – UAH hosts NMU this weekend

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Despite the struggles at Bemidji State, the Chargers retained sole possession of eighth place in the WCHA standings, remaining very much alive in the playoff hunt.

So let’s move on, shall we?

UAH gets another opportunity to solidify its position this weekend at the friendly confines of the Von Braun Center. The Chargers host Northern Michigan on Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m.

Skate with the Chargers: Wednesday night is another outdoor Skate with the Chargers at the Huntsville Museum of Art in Downtown Huntsville. The event, sponsored by the UAH Association for Campus Entertainment and the Blue Crew, runs from 7-9 p.m.

General admission is $10, military personnel admission is $8, and kids 8 and under get in for $5.

The first 100 UAH students get in free with their Charger ID.  Transportation for UAH students will be provided with buses leave the parking deck at 6:30 p.m.

This week’s promotions: The first 500 fans to Friday’s game receive a free set of UAH hockey trading cards. On Saturday, the first 500 fans get a free UAH hockey puck.

As always this season, kids 12 and under get free admission courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.

Blue Line Club luncheon: Before every home series, come meet and greet with the coaches at the Blue Line Club luncheon. This Friday at noon at the Varisty Room, Northern Michigan head coach Walt Kyle and UAH head coach Mike Corbett will speak.

Bojangles’ is catering. Tickets are $8 at the door, and free for Blue Line Club members.

Hoof Beats: Marooney, McHugh earn WCHA weekly honors

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Cody Marooney

Cody Marooney (Photo by Chris Brightwell)

Two Chargers earned WCHA weekly awards Monday for their contributions to UAH’s sweep of Alaska-Anchorage over the weekend.

Cody Marooney was named UAH’s first WCHA Offensive Player of the Week after scoring both game-winning goals. His goal on Friday gave UAH a 3-0 lead early in the second period, and the Chargers held on to win 3-2. On Saturday, his goal at 12:50 of the second period broke a 1-1 tie en route to a 2-1 Charger victory.

The two goals raised Marooney’s season total to three. The sophomore from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, has played in all 60 UAH games the past two seasons.

The WCHA Rookie of the Week is Max McHugh, who had a three-point weekend. The freshman from Seattle scored the Chargers’ first two goals in the first period in Friday’s win, and pitched in an assist in UAH’s first goal on Saturday. He is the third Charger to win the award, following Matt Larose last season and Brennan Saulnier back in November.

McHugh has 15 points on the season, already the highest single-season total in the past four years. He leads all WCHA rookies in points is tied for 11th overall.

CG35 stays strong: Goaltender Carmine Guerriero just missed on the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week (again — he’s been nominated SEVEN times this season), but he had another good week between the pipes. Guerriero stopped 58 of 61 shots combined as his record rose to 5-8-2 on the season.

Guerriero’s goals against average dropped to 2.31, and his save percentage rose to .934. His save percentage is now third best in the WCHA and tied for ninth in all of Division I.

Maybe it’ll stick.

Around the WCHA: No. 13 Bowling Green got to play outside on Saturday, hosting No. 19 Robert Morris at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, home of the Mud Hens and the Detroit Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate. There was concern that the rainy weather would delay or cancel the game, but the teams played to a 2-2 tie. Bowling Green won the second game at Robert Morris on Sunday, and moved up to No. 11 Monday in this week’s USCHO.com poll.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1ZKc4QPuS4

No. 5 Michigan Tech went to Madison to play a struggling Wisconsin team, and blew out the one-win Badgers on Friday, 8-1. But the Badgers got that second win on Saturday, stunning the Huskies 2-o despite being outshot 47-19. Tech dropped three spots to No. 8.

While Tech was playing a non-conference series, Minnesota State moved into sole possession of first place in the WCHA with a three-point weekend at Northern Michigan. The Mavericks cruised to a 4-1 win on Friday, but just managed a 2-2 tie on Saturday. Minnesota State is now ranked fourth in the poll.

Ferris State struggled in its first weekend in Alaska, getting swept by the Nanooks. Alaska got the game-winner Friday with 5:32 to win 2-1, and rolled FSU goaltender C.J. Motte and the Bulldogs on Saturday, 6-0. Alaska goalie Davis Jones notched his fourth shutout.

Shake it off: We end this edition of Hoof Beats with some silliness, courtesy of the UAH Blue Crew and all Charger athletes. You’re welcome.

Hoof Beats: Special improvement

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Brears

Chad Brears has four power play points (1-3-4) to lead UAH thus far this season. (Photo credit: UAH Sports Information)

The Chargers are 3-3-2 in their last eight games, which in itself is enough to surpass all of last season’s win and non-loss totals. The improvement in record is also showing in the stats, particularly on special teams.

While a 1.93 goals per game offense isn’t great (50th of 59 Division I teams), it’s still better than last season’s dead-last 1.08. The defense has also improved, going from 4.37 goals per game last season (also dead last) to 3.07 so far this year (44th in D-I).

What’s remarkable is the improvement on special teams. Last season, UAH was also 59th of 59 in both power play (8.8 percent) and penalty kill (70.5 percent). This season, UAH is 24th in power play (18.2 percent) and 29th in penalty kill (84.5 percent).

According to collegehockeystats.net, the Chargers are second in the nation in combined special teams (the sum of power play goals scored and penalties killed divided by the total power play opportunities for and against).

The penalty kill in particular has been noticeable during the last eight games, as the Chargers have killed 88.2 percent of penalties — and it would have been even higher save for the three third-period power-play goals Air Force scored to force a tie on November 8. The game accounts for half of the power play goals UAH has allowed in the past four weeks.

UAH has gotten a lot of penalty killing practice, however. The Chargers are sixth in the country in penalty minutes at 17.2 penalties-in-minutes per game. In the last four games, opponents have had 32 power play opportunities, an average of eight per game. Fortunately, opponents have scored on only three of those chances.

Huskies come to town hungry: Michigan Tech, this weekend’s opponent at the Von Braun Center, was the No. 1-ranked team with a perfect 10-0 record going into last week’s clash at home against No. 9 Minnesota State in a key WCHA clash. The series didn’t disappoint in terms of drama, but Tech was on a short end of a couple of one-goal losses (2-1 and 3-2), dropping the Huskies to No. 6 in the USCHO.com poll and No. 5 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll released Monday.

Still, Michigan Tech will be the second-highest ranked team to visit Huntsville. Last season, St. Cloud State swept both games from UAH as the third-ranked team in Division I.

UAH is 2-29-2 all-time against teams ranked in the top 10 in the USCHO.com poll. The last victory came on Oct. 9, 2009, when the Chargers stunned No. 5 Notre Dame in South Bend, 3-2.

The Huskies are still in first place in the WCHA with an 8-2 record and 16 points, two more than Minnesota State (7-1) and Bowling Green (7-1).

This week’s promotions: The first 1,000 fans attending Friday’s game against Michigan Tech will receive a free UAH mini hockey stick courtesy of Maynard’s. On Saturday, the first 500 fans get a set of UAH hockey trading cards, courtesy of Wells Fargo. Puck drop for both nights is 7:07 p.m.

For all home games this season, all kids 12 and under get free admission courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.

Toys for Tots: Please consider bringing an unwrapped toy or a donation for Toys for Tots at Saturday’s game:

Blue Line Club luncheon: Before every home series, come meet and greet with the coaches at the Blue Line Club luncheon. This Friday at noon at the Varisty Room, Michigan Tech head coach Mel Pearson and UAH head coach Mike Corbett will speak.

Terranova’s is catering. Tickets are $8 at the door, and free for Blue Line Club members.

Hoof Beats: LSSU series could have playoff implications

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This weekend at the Von Braun Center, the Chargers will be battling for a playoff spot.

UAH (1-7-2 overall, 0-4-0 WCHA) hosts Lake Superior State (1-9-0 overall, 1-5-0 WCHA) on Friday and Saturday (7 p.m. both nights). The Chargers were picked to finish 10th again in the league, while Lake Superior State, which is in rebuilding mode after finishing 9th last season, is expected to finish 9th again.

Only the top eight in the WCHA make the playoffs — that was, until Alaska was hit with a posteason ban this season as punishment for NCAA rules violations last week. Instead, the 9th-place team will qualify (unless it’s Alaska).

Of course, it’s still early, but whoever is more successful this weekend could have the upper hand in making the WCHA tournament, especially if it comes down to tiebreakers. The Chargers and Lakers meet again in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., on February 13 and 14.

For UAH, making the postseason would be big. Our underclassmen would get valuable playoff experience for the future. Our seniors would get the playoff experience they may not have expected when they signed on at UAH, which would be a nice sendoff for their college careers.

While the opportunity for the Chargers to make the WCHA playoffs is nice, it’s unfortunate that it comes at the expense of the Alaska Nanooks. UAH alum Lance West is an assistant coach on that club, and it’s unfair that the current players are being punished for compliance and administrative errors committed years ago.

The Nanooks have struggled as of late, losing five in a row after starting the season with five straight wins. Like the Chargers, they are 0-4 in WCHA play this season.

This week’s promotions: This is Military Appreciation Weekend at the VBC, sponsored by Wells Fargo and Torch Technologies. All veterans and active military personnel get free admission to both games. On Saturday, the first 500 fans will receive free camo rally towels.

Kids ages 12 and under get free admission to all home games this season, courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.

Blue Line Club luncheon: Before every home series, come meet and greet with the coaches at the Blue Line Club luncheon. This Friday at noon at the Varisty Room, Lake Superior State head coach Damon Whitten and UAH head coach Mike Corbett will speak.

LawLers Barbecue is catering. Tickets are $8 at the door, and free for Blue Line Club members.

Recruiting news: The Chargers picked up a commitment on Sunday, as defenseman Kurt Gosselin announced he will play for UAH. The Brighton, Michigan, native currently plays for the Alberni Valley Bulldogs of the British Columbia Hockey League, where he has four goals and 11 assists in 13 games this season.

Last week, Huntsville native and UAH commit Ted Rotenberger was traded from the Topeka RoadRunners to the Springfield Jr. Blues. Rotenberger is already getting more playing time, playing in all three games for Springfield this past weekend.

Stat packs: Numerical notes about the Chargers:

  • Out of the 17 goals the Chargers have scored this season, 13 have come in the second period. UAH has scored one goal in the first period (Friday’s game at Air Force), and three in the third (two of which were also from Friday’s game at Air Force).
  • Out of the 33 goals the Chargers have allowed, 16 have come in the third period.
  • With a win and tie at Air Force, the Chargers had a “3-point weekend” on the road for the first time since a trip to Robert Morris on Dec. 2009.
  • The seven goals scored over the weekend at Air Force were the most against Division I opponents since Nov. 26-27, 2010 (a 5-1 loss to Bowling Green and a 6-1 win over Connecticut at the RPI Holiday Classic).
  • UAH is now unbeaten against Air Force in its last four games at Colorado Springs (3-0-1). The Chargers’36 varsity wins against Air Force are the most against any opponent.
  • Carmine Guerriero’s .934 save percentage now ranks fifth in the WCHA. While there’s still plenty of season left, Guerriero is on pace to break Derek Puppa’s UAH all-time single-season record, which is .932 set in the 1995-96 season.

 

Saulnier named WCHA Rookie of the Week

Brennan Saulnier

Courtesy UAH Sports Information

Brennan Saulnier was named the WCHA’s Rookie of the Week on Monday after helping the Chargers notch a win and a tie at Air Force over the weekend.

Saulnier had two assists in UAH’s 4-2 win on Friday. His first came on Cody Champagne’s late first-period goal that tied the game at 1, and the second was on Josh Kestner’s game-winning goal with 1:53 left in the contest.

The Halifax, Nova Scotia freshman has played in all 10 games for the Chargers, scoring a goal and three assists.

Minnesota State’s Teddy Blueger was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week (UAH’s Craig Pierce was nominated for this two-goal performance on Saturday). Bowling Green goalie Tommy Burke was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week (UAH’s Carmine Guerriero was nominated for stopping 24 of 26 shots in Friday’s win).

UAH hosts Lake Superior State in WCHA action Friday and Saturday at the Von Braun Center. Puck drop is 7:07 p.m. both nights.

Hoof Beats: Corbett returns to Air Force as visitor

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Here are some news and notes regarding the Chargers and the WCHA ahead of UAH’s two-game series at Air Force on Friday and Saturday.

Fans in Colorado Springs this weekend will see a familiar face, as UAH head coach Mike Corbett returns to Air Force. Corbett was an assistant coach for the Falcons for 10 seasons before taking over the Charger program last year. Corbett was also the associate head coach in 2012-13.

Corbett helped lead the Falcons to five Atlantic Hockey Association tournament titles, two AHA regular-season titles and five NCAA Tournament appearances.

“It’s going to be different,” Air Force senior defenseman Dan Weissenhofer told the Colorado Springs Gazette. “I expect he will have some things to say to get under our skins a bit. We’ll have to give it right back.”

Carmine Guerriero

Photo by Chris Brightwell

Guerriero among league leaders: Carmine Guerriero is now fourth in the WCHA in save percentage through the first month of the season. In four starts, he has made 161 saves (an average of 40.25 per game) on 172 shots (43 per game), which is a .936 save percentage.

Guerriero trails Mathias Dahlstrom of Northern Michigan (.964), Jamie Phillips of Michigan Tech (.952), and C.J. Motte of Ferris State (.943). Matt Larose is 10th at .909.

Talbot update: New York Rangers and former Charger goaltender Cam Talbot saw action on Monday for the first time in three weeks, getting the start at Madison Square Garden against the St. Louis Blues. Talbot stopped 31 of 34 shots as the Rangers lost to St. Louis 4-3 in a shootout.

This season, Talbot has played 148 minutes over three games with two starts, posting a 2.84 goals against average and an .899 save percentage. With the Rangers playing in a stretch of 15 games in 29 days during November, Talbot is likely to see more ice time to spell top goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.

Future Chargers: Here’s how some of the players who have committed to the Chargers are doing in junior hockey so far this season. 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 much more closely than either Geof or me, and we appreciate him allowing us to share this on UAHHockey.com.

Brandon Salerno

UAH commit Brandon Salerno has been is scoring machine with Pickering of the OJHL this season.

Brandon Salerno (Pickering (OJHL), 13 GP, 11-13-24): “Absolutely tearing it up. Appears to have regained his confidence after a dismal year with Waterloo.”

Austin Beaulieu (Wichita Falls (NAHL), 12 GP, 8-5-13): “Having a great year thus far. Should come in and have an immediate impact. Great speed and vision carrying over from his TPH days.”

Cam Knight (Wichita Falls (NAHL), 12 GP, 3-9-12): “Also having an awesome year. His size and skating should have him pushing for top 4 minutes. Great to see a defenseman with these kind of numbers in the NA.”

Connor Wood (Rio Grande Valley (NAHL), 12 GP, 0-3-3): “Either dropped or traded from Amarillo. Not a good sign. He’s a feisty, competitive kid so hopefully that’ll start to show on the scoresheet. May need an extra year of juniors.”

Roberts Smits (Janesville (NAHL), 8 GP, 2-2-4): “Also dropped or traded from Amarillo. Starting to pull it together. Janesville has a bit more firepower up front so I’m betting those numbers will go up. He continues to improve and he may be on the move back to Bloomington (USHL) where he began the year.”

Joey Marooney (Sioux Falls (USHL), 8 GP, 1-1-2): “Playing in easily the most competitive league in the U.S., not bad numbers considering the jump from Minnesota high school hockey. Hope he can start lighting the lamp a bit more. May be the next Max McHugh. Promising prospect regardless.”

Ivan Bondarenko (Wenatchee (NAHL), 7 GP, 2-0-2): “Seems to have trouble cracking the lineup. He’s one of the youngest players in the league and will definitely be in juniors for another year before he comes to school, so there’s really no cause for concern. Could be a big time prospect for us this time next year.”

Teddy Rotenberger (Topeka (NAHL), 6 GP, 0-1-1): “Seems to be having a tough time cracking the lineup, which is troubling. I know he’s drawn rave reviews for his character so I doubt this will be too much of a drawback for him. But he needs to play and produce if he’s going to really contribute once he gets to UAH. An extra year of juniors may be best for him. Time will tell.”

Also, Alpharetta, Ga., forward Adam Wilcox of the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the NAHL recently committed to UAH:

“Was a serious prospect a few years back, he was on Dubuque’s (USHL) affiliate list and played there a few games when Vinny Saponari (NTDP alum and Atlanta native) and Johnny Gaudreau (Hobey Baker winner and current Calgary Flame) were there. He’s got good size and can skate. I haven’t seen him play in years, but the numbers are slightly lacking. May be a Brent Fletcher, diamond-in-the-rough-type.”

Visit our commitments page for more on recruiting.

Alaska hit with NCAA sanctions: The University of Alaska-Fairbanks received its NCAA punishment Wednesday for a series of infractions involving ineligible players from nine sports, including hockey.

The Nanooks will lose one scholarship for each of the next three years, and are banned from NCAA postseason play this season. Alaska vacates all victories from the 2007-08 to the 2011-12 seasons. They are also ineligible for the WCHA playoffs, which will now include the 9th place team (unless its Alaska).

Hoof Beats: Street Festival tailgate among Opening Night festivities

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tailgate-party-posterFriday night could be big for the Chargers as they open the home season against Bowling Green. Here’s a rundown of the events and promotions for Opening Night:

  • Tailgate party: Downtown Huntsville will have its final Street Food Festival of the year with a tailgate party at the corner of Church Street and the Von Braun Center. Admission for the party, which starts at 5:30 and lasts up until the 7 p.m. face-off, is free.
  • Alumni night: All UAH alumni and their families get free general admission with a UAH Alumni Association card presented at the ticket booth. If you need a card, call the Alumni Association at 256-824-6549 or email alumni@uah.edu to get one.
  • Kids 12 and under get in free to all 16 home games this season courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.
  • Trading cards: The first 500 fans will receive a set of UAH Charger hockey trading cards.

At Saturday night’s game (also at 7 p.m.), the first 500 fans receive free schedule posters and magnets.

Blue Line Club luncheon: Before every home series, come meet and greet with the coaches at the Blue Line Club luncheon. This Friday at noon at the Varisty Room, Bowling Green head coach Chris Bergeron and UAH head coach Mike Corbett will speak, as well as WCHA commissioner Bill Robertson.

Terranova’s is catering. Tickets are $8 at the door, and free for Blue Line Club members.

We got votes? Despite the 0-2 start — and only two wins in the last 49 games — UAH got eight votes (or is it points?) in the first in-season USCHO.com national poll. We are befuddled as to why this would be, besides likely voter error. If the poll wasn’t questionable enough, 44 of the 59 Division I teams got votes in a poll that voters are supposed to select a top 20.

Stat packs: From the last series at Colorado College:

  • The Chargers killed 11 of 12 penalties. It’s a great start for a club that last season was dead last in the country with opponents scoring 29.5 percent of the time with a man advantage.
  • All five goals the Chargers scored came in the second period. All three goals scored on Saturday came from defensemen (two by Brandon Carlson, one by Frank Misuraca).
  • Saturday’s rally from a 3-0 down was the first time the Chargers came back from a three-goal deficit to tie since October 29, 2010 at Michigan State. UAH tied the Spartans 4-4 after being down 4-1.

Around the WCHA:

  • Bemidji State went into Grand Forks on Friday and stunned then-No. 2 North Dakota 5-1. Brendan Harms scored two goals in the first half of the game, and then the Beavers rolled with three goals in the final 4:14 of the second period to open a 5-0 lead. North Dakota beat the Beavers 2-1 on Saturday in Bemidji.
  • Both Alaska and Alaska-Anchorage won their games in Anchorage’s Kendall Hockey Classic, both taking out No. 10 Wisconsin and Maine. The Alaska Nanooks, now ranked 19th, won the Classic on the final tiebreaker of goals allowed (2). Next up is the Alaska Goal Rush in Fairbanks, where both Alaska schools will face Penn State and Air Force.
  • No. 13 Minnesota State went to Nebraska-Omaha and split a two-game set. The MSU Mavericks lost Friday night 5-3 before rebounding to beat the UNO Mavericks 4-2.
  • In the battle of Ohio, Bowling Green and No. 11 Miami split a home-and-home series. Kevin Dufour scored twice as the Falcons won at home 3-2 on Friday, and Dufour scored another Sunday in a 3-2 loss at Miami.
  • Lake Superior State fell to 0-4 after being swept at Robert Morris.

Hoof Beats: Brears named WCHA’s outstanding scholar-athlete

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Chad Brears

Photo by Jazzmine Jordan

UAH forward Chad Brears was named the WCHA Outstanding Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Wednesday.

Brears, a sophomore from Cold Lake, Alberta, had a 4.0 grade point average while majoring in mechanical engineering and balancing hockey, travel, and school. He was second on the team in goals with six and scored 10 points on the season.

The award is voted on by the conference’s faculty athletics representatives.

Several other Chargers excelled in the classroom this season and were named to the WCHA All-Academic Team. They are: Joakim Broberg, Brandon Carlson, Alexander Carpenter, Brandon Clowes, Brent Fletcher, Brice Geoffrion, Mat Hagen, Jamie Kendra, Matt Larose, Cody Marooney, Frank Misuraca, Craig Pierce, Doug Reid, Ben Reinhardt, Matt Salhany, Wade Schools, Regan Soquila, Jeff Vanderlugt, and Anderson White. To make the All-Acdemic Team, athletes must have spent a year of residency at the university and maintain a 3.0 grade point average or above over the past two semesters.

Here are the complete WCHA postseason awards.

Boomer talks Chargers: UAH hockey was the subject of a recent CBS Sports Minute on CBS Sports Radio. Here is the audio with former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Boomer Esiason talking about the Chargers:

[audio:http://uahhockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/boomer_UAH.mp3]

Talbot and Russell: Cameron Talbot is the backup goaltender on the New York Rangers. Wyatt Russell is an actor who is slated to play Bobby Orr in the upcoming movie “Turk.” In Huntsville, both were vying for the Chargers’ starting goalie job. The two competitors and friends are the subject of an article Wednesday in nhl.com.

Around the WCHA: It’s playoff time! The action starts late tonight with Game 1 between Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska in Fairbanks. The other three best-of-3 quarterfinal series start Friday.

Here is the schedule (all times Central):

No. 8 Bemidji State at No. 1 Ferris State
Game 1 Friday, 6:07 p.m.; Game 2 Saturday, 6:07 p.m.; Game 3 Sunday (if necessary), 4:07 p.m.

No. 7 Northern Michigan at No. 2 Minnesota State
Game 1 Friday, 7:07 p.m.; Game 2 Saturday, 7:07 p.m.; Game 3 Sunday (if necessary), 7:07 p.m.

No. 6 Alaska-Anchorage at No. 3 Alaska
Game 1 Thursday, 10:07 p.m.; Game 2 Friday, 10:07 p.m.; Game 3 Saturday (if necessary), 10:07 p.m.

No. 5 Michigan Tech at No. 4 Bowling Green
Game 1 Friday, 6:07 p.m.; Game 2 Saturday, 6:07 p.m.; Game 3 Sunday (if necessary), 6:07 p.m.

All first round games are available on a subscription basis on America One. The four winners will meet at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich. for the WCHA Final Five. The semifinals are March 21 and the Broadmoor Trophy championship is March 22. The Final Five can be seen on Fox College Sports Central.

Hoof Beats: Larose wins WCHA rookie of the week

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Matt Larose won the WCHA Rookie of the Week Award on March 4, 2014.

Courtesy Joey Daniels, UAH Sports Information

Friday’s performance in UAH’s 2-1 win at Bemidji State earned freshman goaltender Matt Larose the WCHA Rookie of the Week award.

Larose, of Nanaimo, British Columbia, stopped 40 of 41 shots as the Chargers won in Bemidji for the first time since 2007. It was his third straight start with 40 or more saves.

Princely highlight: The goal that won Friday’s game was by Jack Prince, and it was featured in Wednesday’s WCHA Plays of the Week (see the :22 mark in the video below). It was Prince’s sixth goal of the season, tying for the team lead.

Blue Line Club luncheon: The eighth and final Blue Line Club luncheon is Friday at noon in the Varsity Room at Spragins Hall. Northern Michigan head coach Walt Kyle is the special guest, and he and UAH coach Mike Corbett will talk about the final series of the regular season.

Terranova’s is catering the lunch, which is $8 at the door and free to Blue Line Club members.

BhjSCQlCMAAoCtSFriday tailgate: Get ready for Friday night’s game against NMU with a tailgate party outside Propst Arena. There will be free food, entertainment, and parking from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.

UAH students who ride the chartered buses from campus to Propst Arena will be entered into a drawing for a cash prize. The first 100 students to arrive get a free taco or cupcake.

The party is sponsored by Downtown Huntsville Inc., in conjunction with UAH, the UAH Blue Crew and the UAH Student Government Association.

Weekend promotions: All general admission tickets to both Friday and Saturday night’s games are free, courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.

On Friday, the first 500 fans will receive a set of UAH hockey trading cards.

Saturday is Senior Night, as the Chargers’ four seniors, Alex Allan, Brice Geoffrion, C.J. Groh, and Mat Hagen will be honored before the game. The first 500 fans will receive a free Saturn V mini rocket, courtesy of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. It’s also  Huntsville International Airport is also giving away a $500 airline voucher.

Around the WCHA: This is it. A crazy-tight race for playoff positioning comes down to the final weekend.

Long story short: Either Ferris State or Minnesota State (or both) will win the MacNaughton Cup as regular season champions, with tie-breakers possibly needed for seeding. Ferris State had a rough go in Fairbanks, getting swept by the Nanooks. Couple in Minnesota State’s sweep at Lake Superior and we have a tie at the top with 38 points.

Ferris State dropped to 7th in the latest USCHO.com poll, while Minnesota State went up to No. 17. Alaska received votes.

Elsewhere, Bowling Green split at Northern Michigan. Now third through ninth is separated by five points, and the top eight teams make the WCHA playoffs.

It goes without saying: All five remaining league series mean something in this final regular-season weekend. Bemidji State, which might be rooting for UAH now, is at Bowling Green. The top seed may be won in Big Rapids, where Ferris State hosts Lake Superior, or Mankato, where Minnesota State hosts Michigan Tech. And first-round hosting duties and bragging rights are on the line in the Governor’s Cup as Alaska hosts Alaska-Anchorage.

WCHA Standings Conference Overall
GP W L T Pts W L T
y-Minnesota State 26 19 7 0 38 21 13 0
y-Ferris State 26 18 6 2 38 23 9 3
x-Alaska 26 13 11 2 28 16 12 4
x-Michigan Tech 26 12 10 4 28 14 16 6
Alaska-Anchorage 26 11 11 4 26 15 13 4
Bowling Green 26 11 11 4 26 14 14 6
Lake Superior State 26 12 14 0 24 16 17 1
Bemidji State 26 10 12 4 24 10 17 7
Northern Michigan 26 11 14 1 23 13 19 2
Alabama-Huntsville 26 2 23 1 5 2 33 1

x-Clinched playoff berth.
y-Clinched home ice in first round.

THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA
All times Central.
* WCHA game.

Friday, March 7
* Northern Michigan at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
* Bemidji State at Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
* Lake Superior at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
* Michigan Tech at Minnesota State, 7:37 p.m.
* Alaska-Anchorage at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.

Saturday, March 8
* Northern Michigan at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
* Bemidji State at Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
* Lake Superior at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
* Michigan Tech at Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
* Alaska-Anchorage at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.