Pardon me if you’ve heard this before: Doug Ross, 25 years; Danton Cole, three years; Chris Luongo, two yrs; Kurt Kleinendorst, one year.  As I got ready to interview our seniors, I thought about this: when you grow up, you play bantams and midgets, a level or two of juniors, and then you go to college.  At all of those stops, you change coaches, but when you come to college, you expect some stability.

The UAH 2014 seniors have not had that stability.  How has this affected them?

“At the beginning of the year, it’s something that the seniors talked about,” said Brice Geoffrion.  “We looked at how many freshman started here that year and how few of us are left.  There was 12 of us, and now it’s just four.”

“When you play junior, you get accustomed to playing for a new coach every year or two, so in that way, it’s similar,” Mat Hagen said.  “But for the program, I think that it’s great that they’ve got a guy who’s going to be here for at least the next three years, and I’m sure that he’ll be here much longer.”

“It’s been tough,” CJ Groh said.  “It’s been a roller coaster for me, as I’ve never been able to really establish myself with a coach and get an understanding.  I think now we’re going in the right direction with Coach Corbett, but it’s definitely tough.”

“It’s been hard in terms of program identity and stability,” Alex Allan said.  “As a player, having to change systems every year is difficult.  It’s hard having a new guy looking at you every year and thinking, ‘Can this guy play in my system?’  Guys may tighten up more a bit than they should.  But on the other end, it’s been a good learning experience having to work with different personalities, systems, and the way people doing things.”

It’s more than just the voice in a player’s ear on the bench — it’s who brought them there.  “I was recruited by Lou and Danton, and there’s guys in here that were recruited by Kleinendorst, so it’s a mix,” Hagen said.  Geoffrion said, “It was Coach [Dennis Williams] who first reached out to me.”  Williams, you’ll remember, was a UAH assistant before taking the Bowling Green job … in 2009.

Corbett has a lot of expectations for the team and his seniors.

“The identity of this team is that we’re better than we have been in the past years,” Geoffrion said. ” We’ve really been needing a skill line, and I think that we might have that in [Alex] Allan, [Chad] Brears, and [Regan] Soquila.  But we’re also going to have to outwork every team every night.  We’ll have to be in better shape so we can be better in the third and outlast our opponents in the time of the game where they’re won.”

“He’s big on details and discipline,” Hagen said.  “The first thing that he wants is for you to be a good person first and then worry about what you are as a hockey player.”

“I think that he’s more of a factor in our education,” said Groh.  “All of my teachers tell me that he’s on top of things and finding out how things are going.  He seems like a really good players’ coach.”

“He’s pretty easy to read,” Allan said.  “He doesn’t say much to me, but I know what I expect from myself.”

“Coach Corbett has been great,” Geoffrion added.  “He’s passionate, and you can really tell that he knows what he’s doing.  What happened in the past with the other coaches is done.”

Graduation looms for these men.  Hagen switched from business into civil engineering, which is the opposite of how that normally goes.  “It’ll take me another semester after the switch, but it’s been good for me as I’m going into engineering.  This is definitely the town for that.  I would’ve never thought growing up in BC and then moving to Ottawa that I would come to Alabama, become an engineer, and settle down for the long term.”

Geoffrion and Allan are due to finish on time, and Groh said that he’ll need a summer to finish.  Allan is looking to play professionally.

“Depending on how my year goes, I’ll decide if I want to try to play longer.  I’m close to getting my Italian citizenship — playing over there would be an awesome experience.  When it comes down to European hockey, it comes down to the quota on imports, so if you have citizenship in that country, you’re not counted against the quota.”

Adversity was the theme of our discussions.  Mat Hagen was introspective when asked about that topic.  “I got a phone call from Coach Luongo offering me a scholarship.  It feels like a long time ago.  I wouldn’t change anything that’s happened.  Both CJ and I have had some tough times here as well as some good times.  I know that being here has helped me grow through adversities, from knowing whether the program would be here or not or who would be coaching.  My four years has prepared me for the real world.”

Groh added, “I think that it’s great to come in here and learn to deal with adversity, like Mat said.  It’s a great challenge and a time to face things that you’ve never faced before.  Hockey’s been an up-and-down for me personally, but it’s been great for me.”

Allan isn’t satisfied with the results that he’s gotten in college.  “I was pretty successful in junior, but I obviously haven’t really done much offensively here.  I think that I’ve matured a lot as a player.  I’ve had to change my game to be successful at this level.  I’ve become a lot more well-rounded as a player.  Am I happy with where I’m at?  No, not really.”

Where do the seniors see the team in five years?  CJ was quick with his response: “Hopefully with the same coach.”

Alex expressed confidence: “I think that it’ll be great.  We’re in the league, there’s support like I’ve never seen before, and we’ve got a coach who wants to come in here and put a stamp on the program.  We’ve got a good group of recruits coming in.”

CJ added, “I think that Dr. Altenkirch has been great with his support, and now that we have a coach here that believes in what we’re doing with school, I think we’re going to be good.”

Mat finished us out: “Just from what we’ve seen here for the first couple of months.  The way that this program is going this year compared to our first three years, there’s a big difference.  Everything was thrown together last minute.  This year, everything is more organized, and you feel like you’re being treated better.  In theory, this should make us better on-ice.  Then you look at the support that the fans bring, and everything is there for the program to be successful.”

It’s been a rough start to this season, and it’s been a tough time for our seniors, but there is no quit in them.

Alaska-Anchorage broke open a one-goal game with four power-play goals in the third period to beat UAH 6-1 on Saturday.

The Seawolves scored five power play goals, three of them during a four-minute stretch after Matt Salhany’s five-minute charging penalty and Craig Pierce’s slashing penalty. It turned a two-goal UAH deficit into the rout.

UAH scored the first goal of the game, but not without confusion. Chad Brears drove to the net to the right side of UAA goaltender Rob Gunderson, and a pileup in front of the goal ensued.

The goal light went on, and after the officials discussed, Brears was awarded his third goal of the season at the 8:12 mark. Regan Soquila notched his third assist of the year, and Cody Marooney got an assist for this first point as a Charger.

But as been the case so far this season, the Chargers did not keep the lead for long. Just 16 seconds later, the Seawolves take it down the UAH end and Scott Allen gets the puck past UAH goaltender Matt Larose to tie the game at 1-1.

UAH has had four leads this season for a combined three minutes and nine seconds.

With 3:41 left in the opening period, UAA’s Brad Duwe checked Brandon Carlson hard into the boards near the left wing corner of the Charger zone. Carlson was a little shaken up, and Duwe was given a checking from behind major penalty and a game misconduct.

The Chargers had good puck movement on the ensuing power play, and peppered Gunderson with eight shots before the end of the period. However, Gunderson stopped them all to keep the game tied at intermission. UAA killed off the rest of the penalty to start the second period.

After a scuffle sent Craig Pierce of UAH and Austin Coldwell of UAA to the box, Anderson White was called for holding to set up a 4-on-3 Seawolf power play. With the open ice, Matt Bailey was able to poke poke past the stick side of Larose to give Alaska-Anchorage the lead at 2-1 at the 9:43 mark of the second.

Anchorage made it 3-1 to start the third period with another power play goal. Graeme Strukoff was called for roughing at the end of the second.

Then came Salhany’s penalty in front of the Charger penalty box, and the game got away from there. UAA outshot UAH 13-3 in the third period and 28-19 for the game.

UAH next hosts St. Cloud State at the Von Braun Center next Friday and Saturday.

Carmine Guerriero did all he could to keep the Chargers in the hunt, but UAH could only muster a late shorthanded goal in a 3-1 at Alaska-Anchorage.

While UAH’s freshman goaltender made 30 saves, the offense could only get 14 shots on net. Alex Allan’s breakaway goal with 1:56 to go — UAH’s first shorthanded goal since Sebastian Geoffrion’s tally against New Hampshire on Nov. 26, 2011 — denied UAA’s Rob Gunderson the shutout.

At least the Chargers were in the game throughout on a Friday night. They had been blown out on the first three Friday games of the season.

There was lots of action in the first period, but most of it was in the UAH end. Alaska-Anchorage won 10 of 16 faceoffs and benefited from two power plays to mount a 22-5 shots taken advantage (8-4 on goal).

For the most part,  Guerriero was up to the challenge. However, on the second power play, the Seawolves crashed the net and fired away. Guerriero made three straight saves before Brett Cameron put in a rebound to give UAA a 1-0 lead.

Guerriero was still sharp in the second as the Seawolves continued to pressure. Meanwhile, UAH’s few chances to equalize were so close.

Brandon Clowes made a nifty move to put the puck between a defender’s legs, but his shot hit the post. Frank Misuraca hits another post as a Charger power play expired. Gunderson somehow made the stop after going down during a Charger 3-on-1, and then just got a piece on a Cody Marooney shot on a nearly wide-open net. But after two periods, Alaska-Anchorage maintained the 1-0 lead.

Those types of opportunities vanished in the third period. UAH could not get any offensive rhythm, and the Seawolves eventually broke through.

Matt Bailey’s one-timer from the right circle beat Guerriero on the top shelf and made it 2-0 UAA with 15:17 to go in regulation.

Allan got his goal — his third of the season — late in a Seawolves power play to cut the lead to 2-1. He picked off a slow pass from the UAH blue line and took it to the house.

The Chargers’ chance to tie the game was hampered after Anderson White was called for tripping. Scott Allen’s backhanderd shot past Guerriero with 1:28 left sealed the game for UAA.

Game two of the series is later Saturday at 10:07 Central Time.

More teams in the WCHA got their conference schedules under way this past weekend.

Bemidji State is still alone in first place after a split at home against league-favorite Minnesota State. Bowling Green and Ferris State got sweeps in their first-ever WCHA series, and Northern Michigan split at Alaska to join them with four points in the early going.

Four WCHA series are on tap this weekend, including UAH’s first visit to the state of Alaska since 1993 as the Chargers face Alaska-Anchorage. Lake Superior State will be the last team to start its conference slate when it hosts Alaska.

#16 Minnesota State at Bemidji State

Bemidji State 4, Minnesota State 1 (Friday): The Beavers stayed undefeated in WCHA play thanks to three goals in a span of 6:27 of the second period against the Mavericks. Andrew Walsh stopped 27 of 28 shots for BSU.

Minnesota State 4, Bemidji State 3 (Saturday): Bemidji State erased a 2-0 deficit last in the second period, but a late goal by Johnny McInnis and an empty-netter by Teddy Blueger with 10 seconds left secured the split.

Alaska-Anchorage at Bowling Green

Bowling Green 6, Alaska-Anchorage 1 (Friday): Camden Wotjala had two goals as the Falcons breezed past the Seawolves. BG notched three goals on the power play.

Bowling Green 1, Alaska-Anchorage 0 (Saturday): Brent Tate’s goal at 11:50 of the first was all the Falcons needed to complete the sweep. Tomas Sholl made 16 saves for the shutout. UAA’s Rob Gunderson stopped 24 of 25 shots.

Northern Michigan at Alaska

Alaska 5, Northern Michigan 4 (Friday): Northern Michigan’s rally falls short as the Nanooks win their first WCHA game. Alaska used three power-play goals and five different scorers to build a 5-2 lead. Cohen Adair had two goals for the Wildcats.

Northern Michigan 2, Alaska 1 (Saturday): Stephan Vigier’s league-leading seventh goal of the season with :22 left in the first was the game winner as the Wildcats earn a split. Mathias Dahlstrom made 22 saves for NMU.

#12 Lake Superior State at #13 Wisconsin

Lake Superior State 3, Wisconsin 3 (OT, Friday): The Lakers stunned the Badgers with three goals in the first 4:09, but the Badgers rallied for the tie at home thanks to two third-period goals. LSSU’s Alex Globke and Dan Radke each had a goal and an assist, and Kevin Kapalka made 41 saves in net.

Wisconsin 8, Lake Superior 1 (Saturday): Nic Kerdiles scored twice as the Badgers convincingly handed the Lakers their first loss of the season. Kevin Czuczman had the lone tally for LSSU.

Michigan Tech at #4 Michigan

Michigan 3, Michigan Tech 2 (OT, Friday): Andrew Copp scored with 1:34 left in overtime to give the Wolverines the win. Blake Pietila and C.J. Eick each had second-period goals as the Huskies rallied from a 2-0 deficit. MTU goalie Phoenix Copley made 40 saves.

Michigan 2, Michigan Tech 1 (Saturday): Tech could not finish coming back from another 2-0 deficit as the Wolverines sweep. Dennis Rix had the goal for MTU, which got another 28 saves from Copley.

On Tuesday, Bowling Green lost at Ohio State 5-3.

More looks around the league:

• SBN College Hockey: WCHA Notebook and Musings
• USCHO: Beavers are tough, Mavericks lose power, Lakers and Chargers on the rebound

THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA
All times Central
* WCHA game

Friday, November 8
* UAH at Alaska-Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
* Bemidji State at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
* Alaska at Lake Superior State, 6:37 p.m.
* Bowling Green at Minnesota State, 7:37 p.m.
Michigan State at Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.

Saturday, November 9
* UAH at Alaska-Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
* Bemidji State at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
* Alaska at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m.
* Bowling Green at Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Western Michigan, 6:05 p.m.
Michigan State at Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.

Sunday, November 10
Northern Michigan at Western Michigan, 4 p.m.

You have to admire the Chargers’ resilience, turning a bad night Friday into a better night Saturday for the third straight week. And you have to think that soon, they can and will win these types of games.

But it’s still heartbreak for UAH, which lost to Ferris State 3-2 on Saturday night at the VBC. This one will hurt a little more, as the Chargers had two one-goal leads that were short-lived.

UAH, which was shutout in its last two games, finally broke its scoring drought UAH with 8:31 left in the second period. Alex Allan knocked in the rebound off a sprawling C.J. Motte to give the Chargers a 1-0 lead. Brent Fletcher and Steve Koshey got the assists on the 4-on-4 goal.

Ferris State responded just 1:16 later as the Bulldogs crashed the net. Justin Buzzeo got the equalizer on an assist by Dom Panetta.

The Chargers regained the lead again at 2-1 with 6:56 to go, as Matt Salhany beat Motte on a breakaway. It was Salhany’s first goal and point for UAH, with assists to Wade Schools and Ben Reinhardt.

But it only took 19 seconds for FSU to tie it up. Kyle Schempp scored on a rebound from the left circle with 6:37 left.

Then a penalty bit the Chargers again. Frank Misuraca was called for cross-checking with 3:49 to go, and Ferris State needed only 28 seconds of power-play time to take the lead on Buzzeo’s second goal of the game.

UAH had its chances to tie it up after Cody Marooney and Jason Binkley got tangled up in front of the penalty boxes. Both would sit in said boxes for roughing, but Binkley got four minutes to set up one final push for the Chargers with 3:19 to go.

The Chargers couldn’t capitalize, but then FSU’s Garrett Thompson received a high-sticking penalty with 1:14 left. UAH also pulled goaltender Matt Larose for a 6-on-4 advantage. Regan Soquila’s shot with five seconds left hit the post, and that’s as close as UAH would get.

Larose was spectacular, working the glove and body en route to 42 saves. After two rough starts, he earned the third star of the game. He had to be strong, as Ferris State outshot UAH 45-17.

The Chargers showed they came to play defensively by shutting out the Bulldogs (5-2 overall, 2-0 in WCHA play) in the first period. It was the first scoreless opening period allowed by the Chargers this season. Coming into the game, half of the goals UAH allowed this season had come in the opening frame.

UAH has had three leads this season for a combined 2 minutes and 53 seconds, including the two in this game and the first game against Bemidji State last week.

The Chargers (0-6 overall, 0-4 in WCHA play) will have their first conference road series next week as they head to Alaska-Anchorage. Both games Friday and Saturday will start at 10:07 p.m. Central Time. The next home series is Nov. 15 and 16 against St. Cloud State.

Another Friday night, another slow start, another deep hole the Chargers can’t afford to dig.

Ferris State, one of the favorites to challenge Minnesota State atop the WCHA this season, scored four first-period goals en route to a 5-0 win over UAH at the Von Braun Center on Friday night.

It’s the third straight Friday that UAH was blown out in the first game of the series. In the first two series, the Chargers played better the second night and were competitive, and they look to do the same in the rematch Saturday night at 7:07.

But in game one, it was decided early. Dominic Panetta got the Bulldogs on the board with a goal at 1:40.

After that, it appeared the Chargers would not let things snowball this time as they put pressure and shots on goal on Ferris goaltender C.J. Motte, who made 21 saves in his shutout.

Then the penalties came, Ferris State made the most of just about every opportunity.

Anderson White was called for tripping at 13:04. Thirty-six seconds later, Garrett Thompson puts in a rebound on the right side and the Bulldogs lead 2-0.

Jeff Vanderlugt went off for slashing at 15:42. UAH technically killed the penalty, but Kelly Babinski on a breakout scored five seconds after it expired. 3-0 Bulldogs.

Brandon Carlson was sent off for roughing at 18:12. Kyle Schempp converts to make it 4-0 with 20 seconds left in the first period.

For the game, Ferris State scored three power play goals on five opportunities. Meanwhile, UAH went 0-for-2 as it suffered its second straight shutout.

The second period was more even — each team got eight shots on goal — but Scott Czarnowczan tallied the lone goal of the frame for the final 5-0 score.

Ferris State outshot UAH 37-21. Guerriero made 32 saves.

Saturday night, the first 500 fans receive a UAH Chargers puck courtesy of SportsMed. — Michael Napier

Are you frustrated yet?  Sure.  I can guarantee you that the players are more frustrated.  This is a young, young team.  Combine that with a new head coach and a new assistant coach and things are just plain different.  What I saw tonight was a lot of hard effort that wasn’t always coherent.  Coherence will come with time and trust, and I’m quite sure that the Chargers will have that taken care of soon enough.

Penalties killed the chances for a win tonight.  Three power play goals and a fourth goal that came six seconds after a penalty expired made all the difference in the world.  If this is a slow-down game where the guys aren’t taking as many penalties, maybe things are different.  That said, the boys haven’t had their 5-on-5 breakthrough just yet.

Some have said that Carmine Guerriero is the clear #1 goalie based on his first two efforts.  While the above paragraph goes to explain why he perhaps wasn’t to blame for tonight’s loss, I think that the greater story there is that Matt Larose is better than some people have given him credit for being.  I expect that we’ll see Larose in net tomorrow, and I think that he will benefit if the trend line continues for bad-Friday, good-Saturday.

Rome was not built in a day.  — Geof Morris

Photo credit: Timothy Burns

The Chargers look to finally get into the win column this weekend as they host Ferris State in a WCHA series.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and the VBC box office. This week’s promotions are:

• Friday night, kids 12 and under wearing Halloween costumes get in FREE. First 500 fans receive UAH hockey trading card sets.
• Saturday night, the first 500 fans receive a UAH hockey puck courtesy of SportsMed.

If you can’t make the game, there are many ways to follow the action:

• VIDEO: WCHA TV on America One Sports
• AUDIO: Bulldog Sports Network
• LIVE STATS: UAHChargers.com
• TWITTER: @weloveuahhockey (UAHHockey.com), @uahhockey (official hockey program), @uahchargers (official athletics department), @ferrishockey

TEAM COMPARISON
	2013-14 Stats
0-4-0	Overall record	3-2-0
0-2-0	WCHA record	0-0-0
1.00	Goals per game	3.40
4.75	Goals allowed per game	2.60
18.5	Penalty minutes per game	12.4
3/27 (11.1%)	Power play	5/25 (20.0%)
12/17 (70.6%)	Penalty kill	20/24 (83.3%)
Chad Brears (2-0-2) Brandon Clowes (0-2-2) Regan Soquila (0-2-2) Frank Misuraca (0-2-2)	Leading scorers	Garrett Thompson (3-4-7) Justin Buzzeo (3-4-7) Justin DeMartino (2-3-5)
Carmine Guerriero (2 GS, 1.91 GAA, .942 SV%) Matt Larose (2 GS, 8.10 GAA, .786, SV%)	Goaltending	C.J. Motte (3 GS, 3.00 GAA, .900 SV%) Charles Williams (2 GS, 2.03 GAA, .931 SV%)

The Chargers are trying to spark their offense — they are last in the WCHA in scoring — and they’ll have their work cut out for them against C.J. Motte. Meanwhile, freshman goaltender Carmine Guerriero leads the league in goals against average (1.91) and save percentage (.942) after two starts. He was the goalie of record in UAH’s two one-goal losses.

Ferris State University comes to Huntsville to play its first ever WCHA series. The Bulldogs come to the league from the now-defunct CCHA.

Ferri State was UAH’s first-ever opponent as a varsity hockey program, as the Chargers lost 7-2 on October 25, 1985. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 7-2, including a 6-0 mark in Big Rapids, Michigan. UAH split with FSU in the lone series played in Huntsville in October 2010, with Ferris winning 4-1 and UAH winning 4-2. The last time these programs met was later that 2010-11 season, with the Bulldogs sweeping the Chargers 5-2 and 5-1 in February.

Ferris State reached the 2012 Frozen Four in Tampa, which was hosted by UAH. The Bulldogs beat Union 3-1 in the national semifinals before falling 4-1 to Boston College in the championship game. Last season, FSU was 16-16-5 overall and finished fifth in the CCHA.

Last week, the Bulldogs split two games at home against St. Lawrence, losing the first game 3-2 and winning the second game 5-3.

This season, Ferris State looks to be Minnesota State’s chief rival for the top spot in the WCHA. The Bulldogs were picked to finish second in both the coaches and media preseason polls.

Tomorrow, kids will dress up to get free candy.

Friday, kids will dress up to get free hockey.

Don’t discard your Halloween costumes after the trick-or-treating is over. Kids 12 and under wearing their Halloween costumes will get in free to Friday night’s game against Ferris State.

On Saturday, the first 500 fans will receive a puck with the UAH Chargers logo, courtesy of SportsMed.

Get your tickets now. Remember that there will be great promotions all season long.

Coaches luncheon: As with every home series, there will be a coaches’ luncheon Friday at noon in the Varsity Room at Spragins Hall.

LawLers Barbecue will be catering the luncheon and our special guest speaker will be head coach Bob Daniels of the Ferris State Bulldogs. UAH coach Mike Corbett will follow Daniels and will also speak to the group about this weekend’s series.

Tickets are $8 at the door, but Blue Line Club members get in free.

Guerriero is a stat leader: Freshman goaltender Carmine Guerriero has the early lead in the WCHA in both goals against average (1.91) and save percentage (.942).

Talbot watch: Former Charger Cam Talbot continues to impress New York Ranger fans as the team’s No. 2 goaltender. Talbot made his third start Tuesday, making 24 saves in the Rangers’ 2-1 win over the New York Islanders on Long Island. Watch Cam’s post-game reaction.

On Saturday, Talbot got his first NHL victory, making 32 saves as the Rangers beat the Red Wings 3-2 in overtime in Detroit. Watch his reaction (wearing Broadway Hat and all).

Twitter time: To better reflect that we are the unofficial site and Twitter account of UAH hockey, we’ve changed our Twitter handle to @weloveuahhockey. The hockey and sports information offices have taken over the handle @uahhockey, so give it a follow for updates direct from the source.

For clarification, UAHHockey.com is independent site from the UAH athletics department. As such, we’re can be more creative and critical with our commentary.

Good to find a use for those old unis…

By the way, thanks to the UAH hockey staff and the sports information office for providing the access and information that helps make this site the best it can be.

Final Five: We can’t make any suggestions that UAH will be in it, but in case you are interested, here is a brochure for the WCHA Final Five, which will take place March 21-22 in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Defending the zone: UAH men’s soccer coach Matt Watts spotted a scarecrow wearing last year’s older away uniforms (right) at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens.

By the way, the “football” Chargers are having a pretty good season in Watts’s first season as head coach. After finishing 1-15 last year, UAH is 9-6-1 overall and 7-6 in the Gulf South Conference. They travel to Union on Friday before heading to the GSC Tournament the following weekend.