Category Archives: WCHA News

Hoof Beats: Prince invited to Team GB

Posted on by
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.

 

McHugh named to WCHA All-Rookie Team

Posted on by
Max McHugh

Max McHugh

Max McHugh, UAH’s freshman forward from Seattle, was named to the All-Rookie Team among the 2014-15 WCHA Awards announced Thursday.

McHugh is the Chargers’ leading scorer with 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points, the most for a UAH player since the 2006-07. He had 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points in WCHA play this season, which was third among all rookies in the league and tied for 19th among freshmen in NCAA Division I.

McHugh has played in all 36 of UAH’s games this season, winning the WCHA Rookie of the Week Award twice. His 12 goals are tied for 12th among all players in the WCHA.

The league also announced its all-academic team, featuring 13 Chargers: Chad Brears (Jr., F, Cold Lake, Alberta, 2013-14 WCHA Outstanding Scholar-Athlete of the Year); Brandon Carlson (So., D, Huntington Beach, Calif.); Alex Carpenter (Jr., F, Portage, Mich.); Brent Fletcher (So., F, New Westminster, British Columbia); Matt Larose (So., G, Nanaimo, British Columbia); Frank Misuraca (Jr., D, Clinton Township, Mich.); Craig Pierce (Sr., F, Roswell, Ga.); Jack Prince (Jr., F, Leicester, England); Doug Reid (Sr., F, Innisfil, Ontario); Ben Reinhardt (Sr., D, Arnprior, Ontario); Regan Soquila (So., F, Maple Ridge, British Columbia); Jeff Vanderlugt (Sr., F, Richmond Hill, Ontario); Anderson White (Jr., D, Caledon, Ontario).

2014-15 WCHA Awards

Player of the Year – Tanner Kero, Sr., F, Michigan Tech
Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year – Tanner Kero, Sr., F, Michigan Tech
Defensive Player of the Year – Colton Parayko, Jr., D, Alaska
Rookie of the Year – Michael Bitzer, Fr., G, Bemidji State
Scoring Champion – Tanner Kero, Sr., F, Michigan Tech
Goaltending Champion – Stephon Williams, Jr., G, Minnesota State
Coach of the Year – Mike Hastings, Minnesota State

2014-15 All-WCHA First Team

Forwards: Tanner Kero, Sr., Michigan Tech; Matt Leitner, Sr., Minnesota State; Tyler Morley, Jr., Alaska
Defensemen: Colton Parayko, Jr., Alaska; Zach Palmquist, Sr., Minnesota State
Goaltender: Jamie Phillips, Jr., Michigan Tech

2014-15 All-WCHA Second Team

Forwards: Bryce Gervais, Jr., Minnesota State; Alex Petan, Jr., Michigan Tech; Malcolm Gould, Jr., Michigan Tech
Defensemen: Matt Prapavessis, Sr., Bemidji State; Casey Nelson, So., Minnesota State
Goaltender: Stephon Williams, Jr., Minnesota State

2014-15 All-WCHA Third Team

Forwards: Blake Pietila, Sr., Michigan Tech; Marcus Basara, So. Alaska; Brendan Harms, So., Bemidji State and Blake Tatchell, Sr., Alaska Anchorage (tied)
Defensemen: Shane Hanna, So., Michigan Tech; Brock Maschmeyer, So., Northern Michigan
Goaltender: CJ Motte, Sr., Ferris State

2014-15 WCHA All-Rookie Team

Forwards: Brandon Hawkins, Bowling Green; C.J. Franklin, Minnesota State; Max McHugh, Alabama Huntsville
Defensemen: Mark Friedman, Bowling Green; Nolan Valleau, Bowling Green
Goaltender: Michael Bitzer, Bemidji State

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

Posted on by

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: Marooney, McHugh earn WCHA weekly honors

Posted on by
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.

Series Preview: vs. Alaska-Anchorage, Jan. 2-3

Posted on by

Happy New Year! The Chargers kick off the second half of the 2014-15 campaign with a WCHA series with the Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves on Friday and Saturday. Puck drop is 7:07 p.m. both nights at the Von Braun Center.

The first 500 fans to Friday’s game receive a free set of UAH Hockey trading cards, and the first 500 at Saturday’s game get a free UAH Hockey T-shirt. Kids 12 and under get in free to both games.

CATCHING THE GAMES
Times: 7:07 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Tickets: Ticketmaster: Friday | Saturday
Complete ticket information
Promotions: Kids 12 & under get free admission
Fri.: UAH trading cards to first 500
Sat.: UAH T-shirts to first 500
Online video: WCHA.tv (subscription)
Live stats: UAHChargers.com
Twitter: @weloveuahhockey, @uahhockey, @UAAHockey
More previews: UAHChargers.com
GoSeawolves.com

All-time series: It’s been almost all Seawolves since the series began in 1987: UAA leads 18-2-1. Both Charger wins came in Huntsville, but those happened in 1991 and 1992. Last season saw an end to a 20-year hiatus in the series, with Anchorage going 3-0-1 against the Chargers. UAH tied the first game in Huntsville 1-1 before falling 4-1.

Chargers recap: UAH (3-14-3 overall, 2-10-0 WCHA) lost 2-1 and tied 3-3 in its final non-conference series of the season at No. 12 Omaha two weeks ago. The Chargers are winless in their last seven since beating Ferris State on Nov. 12.

In the opening game on Dec. 2o, Omaha scored goals in the first and third period to win 2-1. Jeff Vanderlugt’s tally with 11 seconds remaining in regulation averted the shutout. Carmine Guerriero made 29 saves.

On Dec. 21, the Chargers had leads of 2-0 and 3-1, but Omaha rallied to tie 3-3 with the equalizer coming with 20 seconds left in regulation. Jack Prince, Max McHugh, and Alex Carpenter.

McHugh and Vanderlugt top the Chargers with five goals apiece. McHugh now leads the team in points with 12, which is tied for the WCHA among freshmen with Minnesota State’s C.J. Franklin. Prince joins McHugh in double-digit points with 10.

Guerriero has a 2.44 goals against average. His .932 save percentage is 4th in the WCHA and tied for 12th in Division I.

UAH Tale of the tape
WCHA rank in parentheses		 UAA
3-14-3
2-10-0 WCHA (10th)		 Record 5-7-4
2-6-2 WCHA (T8th)
1.80 (9th) Goals/game 2.31 (7th)
3.15 (8th) Goals allowed/game 2.81 (7th)
16.9 (2nd) Pen. minutes/game 17.8 (1st)
18.3% (4th) Power play 12.8% (8th)
83.5% (6th) Penalty kill 80.5% (8th)

About the Seawolves: Alaska-Anchorage (5-7-4 overall, 2-6-2 WCHA) is ranked 12th in this week’s USCHO.com poll. The Seawolves will be seeing their first action in four weeks: Their last games were Dec. 5-6, where they had back-to-back ties at home against Bemidji State.

Junior Blake Thatchell is the Seawolves’ leading scorer with 12 points on three goals and nine assists. Senior Brett Cameron has five goals to lead UAA. Sophomore defenseman Chase Van Allen also has nine assists.

Freshman goaltender Olivier Mantha matches Guerriero’s goals against average at 2.44, and his .928 save percentage is fifth in the WCHA. He has one shutout, coming at home against Northern Michigan on Nov. 22.

WCHA Standings Record Pts.
Michigan Tech 10-2-0 20
Minnesota State 10-2-0 20
Bowling Green 8-1-1 17
Ferris State 6-4-0 12
Northern Michigan 5-5-2 12
Alaska* 5-7-0 10
Bemidji State 3-6-3 9
Lake Superior State 3-11-0 6
Alaska-Anchorage 2-6-2 6
Alabama-Huntsville 2-10-0 4
* Ineligible for postseason play

Around the WCHA: Including UAH-UAA, there are three conference series on tap this weekend. Third-ranked Minnesota State, tied with No. 5 Michigan Tech atop the league standings, visits Northern Michigan, while Ferris State starts a two-week odyssey in Alaska with a series in Fairbanks.

Tech, which beat Ferris State in the third-place game in the Great Lakes Invitational, goes to Wisconsin.

On Saturday afternoon, No. 13 Bowling Green plays outdoors for the first time, taking on No. 19 Robert Morris at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio, home of the Toledo Mud Hens, the Detroit Tigers’ Triple-A minor league affiliate. Both teams meet again in Pittsburgh (back indoors) on Sunday.

Here’s the schedule for league teams the next two weeks. All times are Central. Games involving WCHA teams at home can be seen online on WCHA TV.

Friday, January 2

* Alaska-Anchorage at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
* #3 Minnesota State at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
* Ferris State at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.
#5 Michigan Tech at Wisconsin, 7 p.m.

Saturday, January 3

* Alaska-Anchorage at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
* #3 Minnesota State at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
* Ferris State at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.
#19 Robert Morris vs. #13 Bowling Green at Fifth Third Field, Toledo, Ohio, 11 a.m.
#5 Michigan Tech at Wisconsin, 7 p.m.

Sunday, January 4

#13 Bowling Green at #19 Robert Morris, 6:05 p.m.

* WCHA conference game

Hoof Beats: LSSU series could have playoff implications

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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: Brears named WCHA’s outstanding scholar-athlete

Posted on by
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

Posted on by
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.