#28 Ben Reinhardt controls the puck behind the net. (Credit: Todd Pavlack, BGSUHockey.com)
Matt Larose stopped 40-of-43 shots on goal tonight, an effort that I’d rate as his best performance of the season (though his effort against Ferris was also very good). The Friday night blues weren’t played tonight, but the boys never could solve Bowling Green State University’s Tommy Burke, who logged his first collegiate shutout and the Chargers fall 3-0 to the Falcons on a snowy night in northwest Ohio that had many in their fan base missing the game in favor of the MAC championship game for their Falcons.
Gotta say that Matty Larose looked great on that PK, even with the snow angel.
The Falcons’ best pressure was applied on special teams, whether they had the advantage or not. Two of those three goals allowed were power-play goals. One was a multiple-effort goal:
Ben Murphy fires a shot from the left-wing circle, his second such shot, but Larose couldn’t stop the second one. 18:12 for the goal’s time.
Time for the shortest conference road trip! The Chargers visit Bowling Green on Friday and Saturday. Puck drop is 6:07 p.m. Central Time both nights. Follow all the action:
Bowling Green leads 7-2-1 in the all-time series with UAH. The Falcons and Chargers last met in Oct. 2011, with BG winning 4-2 and 3-0. BG has a 4-0-1 overall record against UAH at home.
UAH lost 5-2 to Notre Dame and 1-0 to Western Michigan last week at the Shillelagh Tournament in South Bend, Indiana. The loss to WMU was the Chargers’ fifth one-goal loss this season, all on Saturdays. Jeff Vanderlugt scored two goals against Notre Dame, giving him three on the season to move into a tie for the team lead.
The Falcons have lost five of their last seven, with four of those seven games going to overtime. BG was swept at Lake Superior by identical 4-3 scores last week, which dropped the Falcons to a tie for fifth place with Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan in the WCHA.
UAH is searching for its first win of the season. The Chargers have lost 23 straight games dating back to last season, and have lost 16 straight on the road.
Next week, the Chargers return home to face Minnesota State at the Von Braun Center.
Drew Evans of BGSUHockey.com reached out to us before we could reach out to him on an idea that we apparently all had: trading thoughts about our team’s prospects to the other team’s fans. We know that you’re probably a little tired of hearing from us week-in, week-out, so why not another voice? Michael and I fired the Falcons guys six questions, which you’ll see below. If you don’t know, BGSU’s program was under grave threat of closure just a few years for ours. What you’re seeing in Ohio is a beacon in the light of what we’d all agree are dark times for our program. Hang in there, everybody.
UAHHockey.com: What’s it like to come back from the brink of elimination as a program to a team strongly competing in the conference? How did the fan base stay committed to the program during the transition?
It’s honestly been a roller coaster ride. My (very small, probably insignificant) addition to the program’s revival was creating the “Save BGSU Hockey” Facebook page. Thousands of members later I realized how tight knit this college hockey community truly is. Now, that’s not to say that there weren’t growing pains as the team has re-built itself into a competitive team every night. But to have been lucky enough to cover the team from the single digit wins to competing for a conference championship; it’s been truly special.
We have one of the most dedicated fan bases in the country. Even with the team living in the cellar hockey routinely outdrew our basketball team, despite the round ball team having a few decent years. I also want to point out our awesome student section: The Bleacher Creatures. The Creatures got their start back in the late 70s. Unfortunately it’s a tradition that fell by the wayside. But, in the past two seasons a few dedicated students have picked the torch up and ran with it. We truly have a rink that’s very tough to play in thanks to those weirdos.
[Ed.: Blue Crew, you have your aspirational target. —GFM]
UAHHockey.com: Has the student involvement at BG always been as high as it is right now? What drives that? Are there other successful sports at the school?
Our student involvement was highest in the 80s as the team was winning conference championships and even the 1984 National Championship. Losing seasons really hurt our student attendance and some nights the arena felt more like a wake than a hockey game. But, like I wrote about above, our Bleacher Creatures have made the “Arena With No Name” a very difficult venue to walk out with a win.
These people are just a little scary.
Currently we’re experiencing an improving football team that is actually playing the Mid-American Conference Championship Friday night (we’re not expecting a great attendance number Friday). Also, our women’s basketball team has become one of the perennial mid-major powerhouses and seems to be eyeing an NCAA tournament berth again this year. Our baseball team also had a Cinderella year last year as they made the NCAA Tournament.
UAHHockey.com: What do you make of the rumor that BG wants out of the WCHA and in a league with other Division I programs?
I can’t tell you whether there have been any back room talks with other schools about re-creating the CCHA. I do know that before BG accepted the WCHA invitation they were attempting to bring some of the Atlantic Hockey teams on board that had expressed a desire to go to full scholarships. When these teams couldn’t commit that quickly BG was left with no other option than to accept the WCHA bid.
I realize that to you all (or, y’all) complaining about travel will fall on deaf ears. But, for a school that already sponsors 17 other division one sports, two road trips next year to Alaska plus the bus trips out to Bemidji and Mankato are tough to slot into our budget. If I had to take a shot in the dark I’d say the CCHA or something similar will probably be “reanimated” within 10 years due to the travel costs alone.
UAHHockey.com: Beyond the guys making noise on the scoresheet — Williamson, De Salvo, Cooper, Tate, Freibergs — who are the guys that we’ll notice on the ice when we see them?
We’ve got a talented group of freshman that have slotted in well. Matt Pohlkamp has seen some time on our top line and is already one of our better two-way players. Sean Walker is a punishing defenseman who plays a very physical game despite his smaller size. He’s also a great skater with good hands. Dajon Mingo is also going to be an interesting player to keep an eye on. He scored his first two goals since February of earlier this year this past weekend. He’ll create plays with his speed but at times he tries to do just a little too much. We’re wondering if his two goals will help spark him going forward.
Everybody loves a group celly.
UAHHockey.com: You’ve had a 50-50 goalie situation this season a bit like ours: when you account for the quality of the team’s performance in front of them, there’s not a huge gap between the two of them. Do you see Tommy Burke pulling away as the season goes on?
We’ll use a “1A, 1B” system all year unless there is an injury or one of our guys tanks. Coach Bergeron really likes the two goal system because it forces teams to game plan for two different goalies. You’ll face Tommy Burke on Friday. Burke has been solid this season and plays with a lot of poise for only being a sophomore. On Saturday Tomas Sholl will be between the pipes. Sholl saw a bit of fame when a video of him making a save on Sidney Crosby during the lockout went viral. Some of his saves are unorthodox and at times he gets a little out of position. But, he’ll make a few saves a game that will make you shake your head.
UAHHockey.com: What do you think your high water mark is for the season? Are you looking to be at-home in the first round and see if you can ride some hot goaltending?
If you would have asked me two weeks ago I would have told you we’ll be hosting a first round playoff series in any spot from 2-4. With the team’s recent struggles and inability to hold on to leads I think we’ve slipped closer to a 4-6 seed. We’re just a tough team to gauge because of a couple key injuries. Our best offensive weapon Ryan Carpenter has been out all season with injuries and our power forward Adam Berkle went down this weekend with a hip pointer. Carpenter seems to be heading towards a comeback when we travel down your way with Berkle probably out at least a few weeks.
With that said our schedule here on out is home heavy with some of the lesser teams in the conference. It’s possible we make a big run and host a series. I realize this is a wishy-washy answer but with the bipolar performances I’ve seen it’s just too hard to make a call.
The Chargers’ Movember campaign was a success, raising $1,140 toward the fight against prostate cancer and promotion of men’s health. The team’s goal this year was $1,000.
Talbot watch: Former Charger Cam Talbot made his second straight start in goal for the New York Rangers on Monday. No. 1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist wasn’t happy, but said he supported coach Alain Vigneault’s decision. Unfortunately, Talbot followed with his first off game of the season, allowing four goals in the Rangers’ 5-2 loss at home to Winnipeg. “I have to do a better job,” Talbot said afterward.
New commitment: Tyler Poulsen, a forward for the Topeka Roadrunners of the NAHL, has committed to UAH for next season, according to Chris Heisenberg’s recruiting list.
Poulsen, 20, of Arvada, Colo., has 21 points in 28 games with Topeka so far this season. He had 13 goals and 19 assists last season with Topeka, his fourth full season in the NAHL.
Literal one-goal games: Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Western Michigan in the third-place game of the Shillelagh Tournament was only the seventh 1-0 game in UAH’s varsity hockey history, dating back to 1985 — also the sixth of this season (UAH lost to Bemidji State 1-0 on Oct. 26). Actually, all seven games occurred since 2004. UAH is now 2-5 all-time in 1-0 games.
Around the WCHA: Ferris State just keeps rolling. The Bulldogs won and tied at Northern Michigan at home to remain undefeated in WCHA play at 8-0-2. FSU stayed at No. 6 in the USCHO.com poll and No. 7 in the USA Today/USA Hockey poll. One big reason the Bulldogs keep winning: goaltender C.J. Motte.
Bemidji State remained in second while tying and losing to Miami in non-conference action at home. But Lake Superior State and Minnesota State were able to leapfrog Bowling Green after series sweeps. The Lakers, who took two from Bowling Green, rose two spots to No. 14 in the USCHO.com poll.
WCHA Standings
Conference
Overall
GP
W
L
T
Pts
W
L
T
Ferris State
10
8
0
2
18
11
2
2
Bemidji State
10
5
4
1
11
5
8
3
Lake Superior State
8
5
3
0
10
9
4
1
Minnesota State
8
5
3
0
10
7
7
0
Bowling Green
10
4
5
1
9
6
7
3
Michigan Tech
8
4
3
1
9
6
8
2
Northern Michigan
8
4
3
1
8
6
6
2
Alaska-Anchorage
10
3
5
2
7
6
6
2
Alaska
8
2
6
0
4
5
7
2
Alabama-Huntsville
8
0
8
0
0
0
14
0
THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA All times Central.
* WCHA game.
Friday, December 6 * UAH at Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
* Bemidji State at Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
* Ferris State at Lake Superior State, 6:37 p.m.
* Northern Michigan at Minnesota State, 7:37 p.m.
* Alaska at Alaska-Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
Saturday, December 7 * UAH at Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
* Bemidji State at Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
* Ferris State at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m.
* Northern Michigan at Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
* Alaska at Alaska-Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.
Western Michigan certainly wanted the win over Northeastern in the Shillelagh Tournament in South Bend on Friday, but they fell to Northeastern and had to play UAH in the consolation game on Saturday. I’m willing to bet you that more fans watched that game on the Internet than did inside the Compton Family Ice Arena, and what they saw was a team of Chargers working their butts off to get their first win. It didn’t come, though, as the Broncos eked out a 1-0 win.
Chase Balisy and Shane Berschbach had to have a little jump in their step as they came to the rink on Saturday morning. After all, they were part of a Western Michigan team that railroaded the Chargers in 2011-12. Balisy was 1-4—5 on the weekend, and Berschbach was 3-1—4. “That team we played two years ago? They canceled that program? They’re 0-13-0?” Sure, you respect your opponent, but …
… but Berschbach only got off two shots, and Balisy didn’t find the net at all, either. In fact, the Chargers allowed only 29 SOG, the lowest non-conference mark of the season and the fourth-lowest of the year (26 and 24 vs. Bemidji, 28 at Anchorage on Saturday night).
It was a gritty, hard-fought game, and it’s a shame that it was 1) at a neutral site for both teams and 2) up against the Iron Bowl here in Alabama. But those of us who watched it know the following:
The only goal came on Western’s only power-play on the day, with Kyle Novak leaking out on the back side. Berschbach got the puck to him, and that was all she wrote as far as scoring.
It was a great day for discipline for the Chargers, who went to the box just twice, with Brandon Carlson’s hooking call coincidental to a diving minor.
The power play was powerless for the Chargers tonight, but they drove the puck hard.
The effort was there all game long, even if it wasn’t always coherent. One thing that I consistently noticed during the game that the Broncos had a hard time breaking through the neutral zone with passes. They could do it with one guy finding seams, but tic-tac-turnover was more like it. That wasn’t the only great effort, either: the forecheck was strong today.
Frank Slubowski — who got a shutout in the Saturday night game against UAH in 2011 — was solid in goal. He is the reason that the Broncos won that game.
Carmine Guerriero was sharp. He couldn’t do much about Novak’s goal, and he stopped the rest. He is the reason that the Chargers could’ve come back to win that game.
My three stars: Slubowski, Guerriero, Novak.
The boys will bus back to Huntsville tonight to finish up final exams before heading back north to Ohio, where they’ll face the Falcons of Bowling Green State University in a WCHA tilt. The Falcons are 5-1-1 at home this season.
Jeff Vanderlugt scored twice and turned a potential blowout into a one-goal game, but 11th-ranked Notre Dame pulled away for a 5-2 win over UAH in the Shillelagh Tournament in South Bend on Friday.
The Chargers, still looking for that elusive first win, take on Western Michigan in the consolation game Saturday at 3:05 p.m. Central Time. The game can be seen online at WatchND.tv. Northeastern defeated Western Michigan in a shootout after a 1-1 tie.
Notre Dame struck quickly at 4:08 of the first to take a 1-0 lead. Just 17 seconds after a hooking call on Graeme Strukoff, Andy Ryan scores a power-play goal, putting in a rebound off of Matt Larose after a blast from T.J. Tynan.
Tynan then scored himself, down low at 10:19. Stephen Johns increased the Irish lead to 3-0 just 23 seconds later.
UAH cut the lead to 3-1 with 21 seconds left in the first. Brandon Carlson’s shot from the right point reached Vanderlugt, who collected the puck in the slot and beat Notre Dame goaltender Chad Kutanar. It was Vanderlugt’s second goal of the season, assisted by Carlson and Doug Reid.
The goal came on the Chargers’ fourth shot, compared to 16 for Notre Dame in the first period.
UAH stepped it up to start the second, and closed to within a goal. Vanderlugt notched his second goal of the game as he redirected a Jack Prince shot past Kutanar to make it 3-2 with 9:03 left. Steve Koshey got the other assist.
But Notre Dame soon regained their three-goal advantage to end the second. Mario Lucia’s shot from the left side was missed by Larose to make it 4-2, and then Robbie Russo made it 5-2 with a shorthanded tally.
No goals and no penalties in the third period while Notre Dame continued to dominate possession. The Irish outshot the Chargers 44-15 for the game.
Holiday tournament time! The Chargers are in South Bend, Indiana, this weekend to play in the Shillelagh Tournament, hosted by Notre Dame. UAH plays the 11th-ranked Irish tonight at 6:35 p.m., and will play either Northeastern or Western Michigan at 3:05 p.m. in the championship or consolation game.
UAH vs. Notre Dame: This is the first of two visits to South Bend for UAH this season, as the Chargers return for a regular two-game series with the Fighting Irish on January 10 and 11.
The last time UAH played Notre Dame was in South Bend to start the 2009-10 season: The Chargers stunned the fifth-ranked Irish 3-2 in the first game, and lost 3-1 in the second game. UAH is 6-7 all-time against the Irish, and the Chargers’ 3-2 double overtime loss in the NCAA Midwest Regional semifinal in 2007 is the longest game in UAH hockey history.
Notre Dame was swept at UMass-Lowell last weekend.
UAH vs. Northeastern: The Huskies would be the first repeat opponent for the Chargers this season if they meet on Saturday. NU beat UAH 9-1 and 3-2 in Boston to open the season. Northeastern is coming off a sweep of a home-and-home series with Merrimack. Kevin Roy’s 11 goals are tied for fourth-most in the nation.
UAH vs. Western Michigan: The Broncos hold an 11-1 all-time series lead against the Chargers, the lone UAH win coming on Oct. 20, 2000. The teams last met in Kalamazoo in Oct. 2011. WMU swept a home-and-home with Michigan State last week. Shane Berschbach is seventh in the nation in points per game (1.42).
Last week, we updated you on how some former Chargers are doing in the pros. This week, we’re have some updates on who will be donning the blue and white in the near future.
Max McHugh signs his national letter of intent to play for UAH in 2014-15 (photo via Twitter).
The early signing period for 2014-15 concluded on November 20. We currently know of one signing.
Max McHugh is a forward for the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League. The Edgewood, Wash. native scored 41 goals and 105 points over the last three seasons for the Wenatchee Wild of the North American Hockey League. This season he has five points in 17 games for the Fighting Saints, and helped Dubuque win the bronze medal at the Junior Club World Cup last summer.
UAH has picked up three more verbal commitments:
Josh Kestner, a Huntsville native, is coming to UAH next season. The Huntsville High grad is in his second season with the Sarnia Legionnaires of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. He is currently seventh in the GOJHL with 39 points in 25 games.
Joey Marooney, Cody‘s brother, announced he will join the Chargers in 2015. The Eden Prairie, Minn. native is a forward for Holy Family Catholic High School.
Ivan Bondarenko committed to UAH earlier this month, and is slated to become the Chargers’ first-ever Russian player in 2015. Bondarenko is tearing up the NPHL with the West Sound Warriors, with 15 goals and 17 assists in just 14 games this season.
For more information on UAH’s recruiting, visit the Commitments page. A reminder: The university and the coaching staff cannot officially comment on any player until he has signed an National Letter of Intent, and UAHHockey.com is not affiliated with the university or the coaching staff.
Happy Thanksgiving: In this week’s episode of Tradition Continues, the team would like to pass on their holiday wishes:
Up next: The Chargers make their first of two trips to South Bend, Indiana, this weekend. UAH plays host Notre Dame in the Shillelagh Tournament on Friday at 6:35 p.m. The Chargers play either Northeastern or Western Michigan on Saturday.
A shillelagh is a wooden club or cudgel associated with the Irish. Is that what Notre Dame calls their hockey sticks?
Another shutout for Talbot: Cam Talbot was back in the South on Saturday night, and he earned his second shutout in as many starts. The former Charger and current New York Ranger made 17 stops in a 2-0 victory over the Predators at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The Rangers have won in Talbot’s last five starts.
Around the WCHA: Ferris State remained undefeated in league play after a sweep of Alaska in Big Rapids, Mich. The Bulldogs are 7-0-1 in the WCHA, leading Bemidji State (which split at home with Lake Superior) by four points despite playing two fewer conference games. Bowling Green split with Minnesota State in Mankato to stay in third place with nine points.
Ferris State moved up four spots in this week’s USCHO.com poll to No. 6, and earned a first-place vote. Lake Superior State is the WCHA’s other ranked team, staying at No. 16. In the USA Today/USA Hockey poll, Ferris is ranked seventh.
WCHA Standings
Conference
Overall
GP
W
L
T
Pts
W
L
T
Ferris State
8
7
0
1
15
10
2
1
Bemidji State
10
5
4
1
11
5
7
2
Bowling Green
8
4
3
1
9
6
5
3
Northern Michigan
6
4
2
0
8
6
5
1
Alaska-Anchorage
8
3
3
2
7
6
4
2
Lake Superior State
6
3
3
0
6
7
4
1
Minnesota State
6
3
3
0
6
5
7
0
Michigan Tech
6
2
3
1
5
4
8
2
Alaska
6
2
4
0
4
5
5
2
Alabama-Huntsville
8
0
8
0
0
0
12
0
THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA All times Central.
* WCHA game.
Friday, November 29 UAH at Notre Dame (Shillelagh Tournament), 6:35 p.m.
* Ferris State at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
* Bowling Green at Lake Superior State, 6:37 p.m.
* Alaska-Anchorage at Minnesota State, 7:37 p.m.
* Michigan Tech at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.
Miami at Bemidji State, 7:37 p.m.
Saturday, November 30 UAH vs. Northeastern or Western Michigan, 3:05 or 6:35 p.m.
* Ferris State at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
* Bowling Green at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m.
* Alaska-Anchorage at Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
* Michigan Tech at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.
Miami at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
Unlike last night, the Chargers had a strong start: it was an 8-4 shots-on-goal advantage early, and the boys were ramping up the pressure. The team looked to be feeling pretty good going into the break, and then a penalty, and then a power-play goal for the Wildcats with just :26 left, as CJ Ludwig ripped a shot from the point that made it all the way through traffic for a 1-0 lead.
Play was fairly even for the first few minutes of the second period, but the Wildcats scored again with a point shot, as Wade Epp rifled a puck through from the blue line to put the home side up 2-0. There was some controversy about a possible third goal, but it was waved off after the replay showed that Carmine Guerriero’s mask was loose before the scoring shot was taken.
After two periods, the shots on goal were fairly even, 17-13 NMU with the edge. Then the wheels fell off, and the advantage ballooned to 33-17 for the final tally. Another goal was reviewed, but this one was allowed to stand, as it appeared as if a Charger initiated the contact into Guerriero, so Reed Seckel’s goal stood up. Ryan Daugherty netted the fourth and final goal after Mathias Dahlstrom left his net on a delayed penalty call.
Northern was 1-for-2 on the power play tonight as the Chargers limited their penalties. The Chargers were 0-for-2.
The Chargers make the long, cold, 20-hour bus ride home from da UP tonight, and they’ll be back on the road on Thanksgiving to South Bend, Ind., for Notre Dame’s Shillelagh Tournament. The boys are next at the VBC December 13th and 14th.
