Category Archives: 2013-14

Hoof Beats: Talbot recalled, Broberg translated, McKenna’s homecoming

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UAH alum Cameron Talbot (’10) was called up to the New York Rangers on Tuesday. The goaltender who helped the Chargers win the final CHA championship in 2010 will back up Henrik Lundqvist after the Rangers waived Martin Biron.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said Talbot in this interview with Blueshirts United:

This is Talbot’s third call-up to New York, but he has yet to see any official NHL action. He is one of three former Chargers to don NHL uniforms: The others are Jared Ross (22 total regular-season and playoff games for the Philadelphia Flyers, including a goal in the 2009 playoffs) and Scott Munroe (goalie dressed in two call-ups with the Flyers but did not play).

Tradition Continues, Volume 1: Coach Corbett discusses the Northeastern series, and Brandon Carlson attempts to translate Joakim Broberg‘s Swedish.

Back in Boston: It didn’t take long in Stephen McKenna‘s collegiate career to have a homecoming. The South Boston native was back home for the Chargers’ series at Northeastern. “I’m happy where I am,” McKenna told Joe Meloni of College Hockey News. “We’re going to surprise some people. Believe me.”

Farewell, A.J.: A.J. Baker, the assistant coach under Doug Ross who helped the Chargers win two Division II championships, died of an apparent heart attack on Oct. 2 at the age of 54. Our thoughts are with his friends, family, and the players he touched.

What to do on the off weekend: The Charger basketball teams have started practice and will host the annual Midnight Madness on Friday night at Spragins Hall. The event will wrap up Homecoming Week at UAH. Beforehand, the UAH soccer teams host West Alabama on Friday.

You can also scout the Beavers as they host No. 3 Minnesota on WCHA TV. Several games involving WCHA teams will be available, including Colgate at Bowling Green, St. Lawrence at Ferris State, Nebraska-Omaha at Northern Michigan, Connecticut at Minnesota State, and all games of the Alaska Goal Rush in Fairbanks.

Around the WCHA: Nonconference nonsense

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The new-look WCHA hasn’t exactly had the best showing in the first two weeks of action.

There were some bright spots: Alaska-Anchorage is already halfway to matching its win total from all of last season after winning its home tournament (and beating national finalist Quinnipiac to boot).

Unheralded Bemidji State had a one-goal loss and a tie at No. 9 St. Cloud, although they could’ve had more if it weren’t for Nic Dowd (Huntsville native, wink, wink). Michigan Tech had a similar weekend at Minnesota-Duluth. But what was up with the shootouts? The NCHC uses shootouts on ties in league games. For non-conference games, the opposing team can accept before the series to have shootouts. The shootout results do not count in Pairwise rankings, so why bother?

But overall, the WCHA is a combined 6-11-3 so far in nonconference action, and Anchorage and Lake Superior accounted for four of those wins. Perhaps it’s not coincidence that they were the only ones to play at home.

More nonconference action this weekend, but this time six WCHA clubs will be hosts. The Chargers are idle ahead of their WCHA opener at home against Bemidji.

Here’s what happened around the WCHA this week. UAH was swept by Northeastern, 9-1 and 3-2.

Kendall Hockey Classic hosted by Alaska-Anchorage

Alaska 6, Air Force 1: It wasn’t until Wednesday that Air Force got the go-ahead to fly up to Anchorage because of the government shutdown. The Falcons might wish they hadn’t gone after all. Cody Kunyk paced the Nanooks with two goals. Anchorage Daily News recap

Alaska-Anchorage 3, No. 10 Quinnipiac 1: The stunner of the weekend involving a WCHA team belonged to the home-standing Seawolves. UAA, with only four wins last season, took the national championship finalist from last spring. Hudson Friesen and Brett Cameron each had a goal and an assist, and Rob Gunderson kept the Bobcats at bay with 24 saves. Anchorage Daily News recap

No. 10 Quinnipiac 4, Alaska 1: Quinnipiac got back on track Saturday with three power-play goals. Anchorage Daily News recap

Alaska-Anchorage 4, Air Force 2: In the finale, Matt Bailey scored the game-winning goal with four seconds left to give Alaska-Anchorage its second win a row. Jordan Kwas had a hat trick, netting his second goal to tie the game with 1:52 remaining, and then scoring an empty-netter just before the final buzzer. Anchorage Daily News recap

No. 11 Minnesota State at No. 14 Providence

Providence 5, Minnesota State 1: Bryce Gervais gave the Mavericks the early lead, but the Friars won with five unanswered. USCHO recap

Providence 3, Minnesota State 0: It didn’t get better for the WCHA favorites, as the Mavs were stymied by Jon Gilles’ 38 saves. USCHO recap

Northern Michigan at No. 3 Wisconsin

Wisconsin 5, Northern Michigan 2: NMU could not recover from three first-period goals by the Badgers. CJ Ludwig and Stephan Vigier scored for the Wildcats. The Mining Journal recap

Wisconsin 2, Northern Michigan 1: Luke Eibler had the goal for NMU to tie the game in the third, but he had something to do with the Wisconsin game-winner. The Mining Journal recap

Bemidji State at No. 9 St. Cloud State

St. Cloud State 3, Bemidji State 2: Huntsville-native Nic Dowd scored the game-winner shorthanded for the Huskies with 4:01 to go. St. Cloud Times recap

Bemidji State 2, St. Cloud State 2: The Beavers held a 2-0 lead on goals by Phil Brewer and Nate Arentz, but St. Cloud rallied in the third. Dowd tied the game on the power play. BSU won the pointless shootout 3-2. St. Cloud Times recap

Bowling Green at No. 16 Union

Bowling Green 3, Union 3: Three second-period goals for the Falcons erased a 2-0 Dutchmen lead. Dan DeSalvo, Pierre-Luc Mercier, and Bryce Williamson scored for BG. Albany Times Union recap

Union 5, Bowling Green 2: Bowling Green allowed four power play goals. Albany Times Union recap

Michigan Tech at Minnesota-Duluth

Minnesota-Duluth 2, Michigan Tech 1: Pheonix Copley kept Tech in the hunt with 39 saves, but Justin Crandall scored the game-winner with 2:46 left for the Bulldogs. Duluth News Tribune recap

Michigan Tech 1, Minnesota-Duluth 1: Mike Neville tied the game for MTU with 6:07 to go. In another meaningless shootout, the Huskies won 2-0. Duluth News Tribune recap

Robert Morris at Lake Superior State

Lake Superior State 3, Robert Morris 1: Alex Globke, Matt Bruneteau, and Chris Ciotti each had a goal to take down the Colonials. Kevin Murdock stopped 26 shots for the Lakers. LSSULakers.com recap

Lake Superior State 3, Robert Morris 1: Matt Johnson, Andrew Dommett, and Kevin Czuczman scored in a near replay in Sault Ste. Marie. LSSULakers.com recap

WCHA Standings Conference Overall
W L T Pts W L T
Alaska-Anchorage 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
Lake Superior State 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
Alaska 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
Ferris State 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
Bemidji State 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Bowling Green 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Michigan Tech 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Alabama-Huntsville 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Minnesota State 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Northern Michigan 0 0 0 0 0 2 0

 

THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA
All times Central.

Tuesday, October 15
Ohio State at Bowling Green, 6 p.m.
Ferris State at Mercyhurst, 6 p.m.

Friday, October 18
Colgate at Bowling Green, 6 p.m.
St. Lawrence at Ferris State, 6 p.m.
Nebraska-Omaha at Northern Michigan, 6 p.m.
Lake Superior at Union, 6 p.m.
Michigan Tech at Notre Dame, 6:30 p.m.
Minnesota at Bemidji State, 7:30 p.m.
Connecticut at Minnesota State, 7:30 p.m.
Western Michigan vs. Alaska-Anchorage at Alaska Goal Rush, 8 p.m.
Denver at Alaska (Alaska Goal Rush), 11 p.m.

Saturday, October 19
Colgate at Bowling Green, 6 p.m.
St. Lawrence at Ferris State, 6 p.m.
Nebraska-Omaha at Northern Michigan, 6 p.m.
Lake Superior at Union, 6 p.m.
Michigan Tech at Notre Dame, 6:30 p.m.
Minnesota at Bemidji State, 7 p.m.
Connecticut at Minnesota State, 7 p.m.
Denver vs. Alaska-Anchorage at Alaska Goal Rush, 7 p.m.
Western Michigan at Alaska (Alaska Goal Rush), 10 p.m.

Northeastern 3, UAH 2

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UAH looked overwhelmed on Friday. On Saturday, the Chargers got the hang of it.

It’s still a 3-2 loss to Northeastern, but much progress was made compared to the 9-1 debacle from Friday. The Chargers (0-2) were better prepared at the start, and played with more consistent energy.

And Carmine Guerriero showed why he was such a big get for this club.

Guerriero made 34 saves in his first collegiate start, making several critical saves on Kevin Roy and company to keep UAH in it all contest long.

One similarity to Friday night’s game, however, was that a Charger was sent off early in his collegiate debut. Brent Fletcher received a hitting from behind major penalty and a game misconduct at the 2:23 mark, duplicating Brandon Clowes’ action from the first game.

Northeastern (2-0) capitalized in just eight seconds of the major power play to take the first lead. Braden Pimm deflected Mike Szmatula’s shot past Guerriero.

Unlike Friday night, UAH would not let the game get away. The Chargers would kill the rest of the penalty — with a little help from Colton Saucerman’s hook of Stephen McKenna — to keep the score at 1-0. That was the score at the end of the first.

The Chargers increased their offensive pressure in the second period, and Guerriero continued to make big saves to keep UAH in it.

Two crucial penalties — cross-checking by Anderson White in front of the UAH net, and another cross-checking on Joakim Broberg after the whistle, led two a two-man advantage for the Huskies. NU got its second power-play goal of the night, as Cody Ferriero’s drive from just inside the blue line ricocheted off the post and in at the 16:02 mark.

Still, UAH was in the game heading to the third period down 2-0. And eventually, the Chargers’ pressure would lead to a power play goal of their own. At 4:57, Chad Brears one-timed a Regan Soquila pass from behind the net past Northeastern goalie Derick Roy to cut the lead to 2-1. Clowes also got an assist.

Colton Saucerman padded the NU lead with a goal with 6:52 to go. But Northeastern piled up the penalties, giving UAH chances late. A Dax Lauwers holding call with 2:03 left, followed by a Saucerman hooking penalty with 57 seconds left, gave the Chargers a two-man advantage, plus an extra attacker with Guerriero pulled.

UAH blasted away, but Derick Roy was up to the task until a Steve Koshey bullet cut NU’s lead to 3-2. But it was too little, too late with only 4.2 seconds to go.

The Chargers’ next action is the big WCHA-opening series at home with rival Bemidji State on Oct. 25-26. — Michael Napier

Commentary: No one likes a loss, but that was a solid game by the Chargers and a day-and-night difference from last night. The boys were forward on their skates all night long and willing to trust themselves and their teammates from end-to-end. There were a few too many penalties, but NU coach Jim Madigan would probably get mad if I said that very loudly in his vicinity.

Giving up two power play goals isn’t something you like, but killing seven more penalties isn’t bad. Carmine didn’t see that first puck, which jostled about on its way to the net. He didn’t have much chance on Ferriero’s rocket — the boys had been doing a great job of strangling the point shot, but it’s pretty hard to do that when you’re down to one forward. But allowing just one goal on Fletcher’s major had to give the boys some jump, and they showed that with a very tight 20 minutes starting halfway through the first period.

Our power play goals were fun ones: Regan feeding Chad for a great wrister on the glove side just outside the slot showed off the familiarity they have from their days at Merrit in the BC league. Steve’s laser blocker high was the clear point shot that the boys were looking for all through the final power play. But not holding the puck in the offensive zone kept the boys from what would have been a thrilling comeback.

Now the boys get a week off before we’ll see them at the VBC. Make sure to come on out! — Geof Morris

Northeastern 9, UAH 1

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There’s lots of excitement about the future of Charger hockey. There was lots of excitement heading into Friday night as UAH represented the WCHA for the first time.

But there will still be days like this, when you realize you’re rebuilding and have seven freshmen making their college debuts.

Northeastern hit the Chargers early and often, dominating the first period and never looking back in an 9-1 win over UAH Friday night in the season opener for both teams. Both teams face off again Saturday at 6 p.m (Catching the Game).

The Huskies came out shooting, and it wasn’t long before their top scorer Kevin Roy got on the board. His spin move from between the circles bounced off the crossbar past freshman goalie Matt Larose gave NU a 1-0 lead just 46 seconds in.

On the Huskies’ first power play, Dalen Hedges took a Zach Aston-Reese pass in the left circle and snapped it over Larose for a 2-0 advantage at 6:07.

NU already had an 11-1 shots advantage at that point, but after Brandon Clowes was called for a hitting-from-behind major with a game misconduct, the Huskies poured it on. In the ensuing five-minute power play, NU extended its lead to 4-0 after goals from Matt Benning and Braden Pimm in a 10-shot barrage.

Larose was pulled after the fourth goal, stopping 16 of 20 shots in just 11 minutes. The other freshman net minder, Carmine Guerriero, was peppered immediately, and he stopped five pucks in his first minute alone.

At one point, NU had a 23-1 shots advantage. UAH would close a little thanks to two power plays late in the period, but could not convert.

Larose came back in goal to start the second, and the Chargers were able to get a few more opportunities for themselves. However, a loose puck goal by Mike McMurtry at 5:31 made it 5-0, Adam Reid at 15:10 made it 6-0, and Roy’s second goal of the night made it 7-0.

UAH finally got on the board with 1:11 to go in the second. Brandon Carlson’s shot rebounded off of goalie Clay Witt, and Chad Brears followed up in the slot for his first goal of the season. Frank Misuraca got the second assist.

Braden Pimm earned his own game misconduct on a contact to the head penalty, but the Chargers couldn’t fully realize a major power play due to penalties of their own. Most of the second period and early in the third was full of whistles: UAH had 10 penalties, while NU had 12.

Ryan Belonger scored at 4:41 of the third period, and Roy finished his hat trick with 1:52 to go to finish the scoring.

Northeastern outshot UAH 52-27. Larose finished with 35 saves on 44 shots. Guerriero had eight saves in just under nine minutes.  — Michael Napier

Commentary: What do you say about a night like tonight?  I think that you have to focus on three things:

  1. The penalties are an obvious thing to control.  The game was called very tightly, and the guys have to react to that.  I don’t think that either major penalty was more than a minor, but a) I don’t wear stripes and b) it’s early in the season, and we usually see points of emphasis.  The boys just have to rein that one in — and you can see how it affected both teams.
  2. Northeastern has a speed advantage, and the boys have to work strategically to get them wider and slower.  The Huskies were at their best tonight when slashing through center ice, as you can see by, well, anything that Mike Szmatula did on the ice.
  3. The power play didn’t do the best job of handling the puck and holding it in the offensive zone.  That has to be better.  No matter what the Huskies’ forwards can do to use their speed advantage, the point guys have to do a better job holding the puck in, moving it lower, and taking shots.

Herm Edwards liked to say, “We can build on this.”  Yes, we can.  After the last few years, it’ll be more interesting to see Game 21 than Game 1. — Geof Morris

Catching the Game: at Northeastern, 10/11-12

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Now, we play hockey.

UAH hockey begins its 29th varsity season and 35th overall on Friday and Saturday night, 6:00 p.m. Central both nights. The Chargers are in Boston to take on the Northeastern Huskies. Here’s how you can follow the action:

TEAM COMPARISON
UAH_logo_100 2012-13 Stats Northeastern_logo_75
3-21-1 Overall record 9-21-4
1.44 (59th) Goals per game (rank) 2.38 (45th)
4.12 (58th) Goals allowed per game (rank) 3.47 (55th)
12.5 (32nd) Penalty minutes per game (rank) 12.4 (34th)
13.3% (53rd) Power play (rank) 16.5% (32nd)
76.3% (56th) Penalty kill (rank) 81.1% (32nd)

 

Northeastern leads the all-time series 2-0, beating UAH 3-0 and 3-1 in November of last season. Friday night is the season opener for both teams. Northeastern beat Dalhousie 5-0 in a preseason exhibition.

The Huskies struggled last season, particularly at the end, losing nine of their last 11 and finishing last in Hockey East. With significant roster turnover, Northeastern is not expected to fare better this season as they are picked to finish last in the Hockey East preseason coachces poll. Like UAH, the Huskies have a large freshman contingent (12) on their roster, one more than the Chargers. Sophomore Kevin Roy, who notched three assists against the Chargers last season, was their leading scorer last season with 17 goals.

Hoof Beats: Dressing up for the party

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Photo by Gemini Athletic Wear

Photo by Gemini Athletic Wear

Two days until the boys face Northeastern in Boston. When you watch the games this weekend, this is what they’ll be wearing. Gemini Athletic, which designs many uniforms in Division I, unveiled the away blues on Tuesday.

There are some differences from the away jerseys worn during the second half of last season. The shoulders are no longer black, and the interlocking UAH has been replaced with a horseshoe. The font on the front has changed and the player number is on the front for the first time. And, of course, we have the WCHA logo.

Coaches show: TONIGHT at Drake’s (4800 Whitesburg Drive, Suite 14), UAH hockey will be hosting a live call-in show on 97.7 The Zone from 7-8 p.m. Coaches Mike Corbett and Gavin Morgan will be there to take your questions and talk about the upcoming season. Free handouts will be available, as well as chances to win FlexTix packages. If you can’t make it, tune to 97.7 FM or listen online.

Conversations: Corbett and Jeff Vanderlugt discuss preparations for the new season:

Corbett and Ben Reinhardt also went on WAAY Channel 31 to talk Charger hockey (about one minute in after the Huntsville Stars story):

Commitment: Max McHugh, a forward for Dubuque of the United States Hockey League, announced his verbal commitment to UAH on Tuesday. McHugh will join the Chargers in 2014. “It’s an up-and-coming team that has a potential to make history and become something big,” McHugh told Mike McMahon in an interview for College Hockey News.

Community: C.J. Groh, Craig Pierce, Matt Salhany, and Stephen McKenna visited Huntsville Hospital on Tuesday for their Chargers Crew program. The kids were recognized as part of the team off the ice.

Around the WCHA: Getting to know the league

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Mondays throughout the season, we’ll have a recap of what happened throughout the WCHA, and a preview of the week ahead.

Since the only regular-season action involving WCHA teams over the weekend was Ferris State’s split with Colgate (along with a ton of preseason exhibitions), we’re starting with a look at the rest of the WCHA as we start the season.

 

uaf_logo_150Alaska Nanooks

Location: Fairbanks, Alaska

Last season: 17-16-4 overall, 12-13-3 CCHA (6th place). Lost to Michigan State in the  first round of the CCHA Tournament.

Program accomplishments: NCAA Tournament participant in 2010.

Famous alums: Shawn Chambers.

Series with UAH: Alaska leads 12-6-1, with the last meeting coming in the 1992-93 season.

Predicted WCHA finish: 3rd (media), 5th (coaches).

Players to watch: Cody Kunyk, Sr., F (11 G, 17 A, 28 Pts in 2012-13); Colton Parayko, So., D (4 G, 13, A, 17 Pts).

 

uaa_logo_150Alaska Anchorage Seawolves

Location: Anchorage, Alaska

Last season: 4-25-7 overall, 2-20-6 WCHA (12th place). Lost to St. Cloud State in the first round of the WCHA Tournament.

Program accomplishments: NCAA Tournament participant 1990-92.

Famous alums: Mike Peluso.

Series with UAH: Alaska-Anchorage leads 15-2, with the last meeting coming in the 1992-93 season.

Predicted WCHA finish: 9th (media), 9th (coaches)

Players to watch: Blake Thatchell, So., F (9 G, 16 A, 25 Pts in 2012-13); Matt Bailey, Sr., F (7 G, 12 A, 19 Pts).

Side note about the Alaska teams: UAH played both Anchorage and Fairbanks, both home and away, with regularity from 1987-93. Four times the Chargers played both schools twice in a five-day span (a single trip), and in two seasons they traveled to Alaska twice in the same season.

 

bsu_logo_150Bemidji State Beavers

Location: Bemidji, Minnesota

Last season: 6-22-8 overall, 5-16-7 WCHA (11th place). Lost to Minnesota in the first round of the WCHA Tournament.

Program accomplishments: 13 National Championships: 7 NAIA, 5 NCAA Division II, 1 NCAA Division III.

Famous alums: Joel Otto, Matt Read.

Series with UAH: Bemidji State leads 38-28-4. Split four Division II national championship series.

Predicted WCHA finish: 8th (media), 7th (coaches)

Players to watch: Brendan Harms, Fr., F (70 Pts with USHL’s Fargo Force in 2012-13); Matt Prapavessis, Jr., D (2 G, 9 A, 11 Pts).

Side note about Bemidji State: UAH has faced the Beavers 70 times, more than any other opponent thanks to the battles in Division II and the CHA.

 

bgsu_logo_150Bowling Green Falcons

Location: Bowling Green, Ohio

Last season: 15-21-5 overall, 10-15-3 CCHA (9th place). Lost to Notre Dame in the quarterfinals of the CCHA Tournament (defeated Lake Superior State in the first round).

Series with UAH: Bowling Green leads 7-2-1.

Program accomplishments: 1984 National Champions, 9-time NCAA Tournament participant.

Famous alums: Rob Blake, Brian Hollinger (Hobey Baker winner), George McGhee (Hobey Baker winner), Nelson Emerson.

Predicted WCHA finish: 4th (media), 4th (coaches)

Players to watch: Ryan Carpenter, Jr., F (18 G, 15 A, 33 Pts in 2012-13); Mike Sullivan, Jr., D (1 G, 15 A, 16 Pts).

Side note about Bowling Green: Longtime UAH coach Doug Ross was an all-CCHA forward at BGSU, and the late Jim Harris, UAH athletics director, graduated from BGSU. Bowling Green is the closest conference opponent UAH has as a varsity program.

 

fsu_logo_150Ferris State Bulldogs

Location: Big Rapids, Michigan.

Last season: 16-16-5 overall, 13-12-3 CCHA (5th place). Lost to Ohio State in the quarterfinals of the CCHA Tournament.

Series with UAH: Ferris State leads 7-2.

Program accomplishments: 2-time NCAA Tournament participant (2003, 2012). Reached the Frozen Four in 2012, losing to Boston College in the national championship game.

Famous alums: Jason Blake, Dave Karpa, Chris Kunitz.

Predicted WCHA finish: 2nd (media), 2nd (coaches)

Players to watch: Jason Binkley, Jr., D (2 G, 8 A, 20 Pts. in 2012-13); Garrett Thompson, Sr., F (11 G, 15 A, 26 Pts); Scott Czarnowczan, Sr., D (5 A); CJ Motte, Jr., G (2.19 GAA, .927 SV%).

Side note about Ferris State: FSU was UAH’s first opponent as a varsity program. The Chargers lost 7-2 on Oct. 25, 1985, in Big Rapids.

 

lssu_logo_150Lake Superior State Lakers

Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

Last season: 17-21-1 overall, 11-16-1 CCHA (8th place). Lost to Bowling Green in the first round of the CCHA Tournament.

Series with UAH: Lake Superior State leads 3-2-1.

Program accomplishments: 3-time NCAA National Champions (1988, 1992, 1994), and 2-time NAIA National Champions (1972, 1974).

Famous alums: Jim Dowd, Doug Weight, Brian Rolston.

Predicted WCHA finish: 7th (media), 8th (coaches).

Players to watch: Kevin Czuczman, Jr., D (2 G, 9 A, 11 Pts in 2012-13).

Side note about Lake Superior State: UAH’s lone Division I win last season was at LSSU.

 

mtu_logo_150Michigan Tech Huskies

Location: Houghton, Michigan.

Last season: 13-20-4 overall, 8-16-4 WCHA (10th place). Lost to North Dakota in the first round of the WCHA Tournament.

Series with UAH: None. This season will be the first meeting.

Program accomplishments: 3-time National Champions (1962, 1965, 1975).

Famous alums: Tony Esposito (Hockey Hall of Fame), Paul Coppo

Predicted WCHA finish: 5th (media), 3rd (coaches).

Players to watch: Alex Petan, So., F (15 G, 19 A, 34 Pts in 2012-13); Brent Baltus, Fr., F (24 G, 28 A, 52 Pts with Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL).

Side note about Michigan Tech: MTU is one of four current Division I teams that UAH has not played (Boston University, Union, and Dartmouth are the others).

 

msum_logo_150Minnesota State Mavericks

Location: Mankato, Minnesota.

Last season: 24-13-3 overall, 16-11-1 WCHA (6th place). Lost to Wisconsin in the quarterfinals of the WCHA Tournament (beat Nebraska-Omaha in the first round).

Series with UAH: Tied 19-19-5.

Program accomplishments: 1980 NCAA Division II National Champions, 2 NCAA Division I tournament appearances (2003, 2013).

Famous alums: David Backes, Ryan Carter, Tim Jackman

Predicted WCHA finish: 1st (media), 1st (coaches).

Players to watch: Matt Leitner, Jr., F (17 G, 30 A, 47 Pts in 2012-13); Zach Stepan, Fr., F (4th round pick by Nashville in 2012); Zach Palmquist, Jr., D (7 G, 18 A, 25 Pts); Stephon Williams, So., G (2.00 GAA, .924 SV%).

Side note about Minnesota State: Despite never being in the same conference until now, UAH has faced the Mavericks 43 times – the fourth-most in UAH history.

 

nmu_logo_150Northern Michigan Wildcats

Location: Marquette, Michigan.

Last season: 15-19-4 overall, 9-15-4 CCHA (10th place). Lost to Michigan in the first round of the CCHA Tournament.

Series with UAH: Northern Michigan leads 3-0-1.

Program accomplishments: 1991 National Champions, nine NCAA Tournament appearances.

Famous alums: Steve Bozek, Dallas Drake, Tom Laidlaw.

Predicted WCHA finish: 6th (media), 6th (coaches).

Players to watch: C.J. Ludwig, Sr., D (4 G, 11 A, 15 Pts in 2012-13); Reed Seckel, Jr., F (13 G, 12 A, 25 Pts), ; Stephan Vigier, Sr., F (7 G, 14 A, 21 Pts).

Side note about Northern Michigan: UAH and NMU haven’t faced each other since 2004.

LAST WEEK IN THE WCHA:

Friday, October 4:
Alaska-Anchorage 2, British Columbia 1 (exhibition)

Saturday, October 5:
Ferris State 7, Colgate 4
Michigan Tech 3, Laurentian 2 (exhibition)
Northern Michigan 3, USA Uder-18 1 (exhibition)
Bowling Green 7, Wilfrid Laurier 1 (exhibition)
Alaska 8, British Columbia 1 (exhibition)

Sunday, October 6
Colgate 1, Ferris State 0
Northern Michigan 3, Laurentian 2 (exhibition)
USA Under-18 3, Lake Superior State 2 (exhibition)
Minnesota State 7, Lethbridge 1 (exhibition)

THIS WEEK IN THE WCHA:
All times Central.

Friday, October 11:
UAH at Northeastern, 6 p.m.
Minnesota State at Providence, 6 p.m.
Bowling Green at Union, 6:30 p.m.
Robert Morris at Lake Superior State, 6:30 p.m.
Michigan Tech at Minnesota Duluth, 7 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Wisconsin, 7 p.m.
Bemidji State at St. Cloud State, 7:30 p.m.
Air Force vs. Alaska at Kendall Classic (Anchorage), 8 p.m.
Quinnipiac at Alaska-Anchorage (Kendall Classic), 11 p.m.

Saturday, October 12:
UAH at Northeastern, 6 p.m.
Robert Morris at Lake Superior State, 4 p.m.
Minnesota State at Providence, 6 p.m.
Bowling Green at Union, 6:30 p.m.
Michigan Tech at Minnesota Duluth, 7 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Wisconsin, 7 p.m.
Quinnipiac vs. Alaska at Kendall Classic (Anchorage), 7 p.m.
Bemidji State at St. Cloud State, 7:30 p.m.
Air Force at Alaska-Anchorage (Kendall Classic), 10 p.m.

Hoof Beats: The buzz is rising…

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It’s October! It’s finally here!

Now that we’re in October, the buzz for the new season is cranking up. “Buzz” is an interesting word as we close in on the home opener against Bemidji in only three weeks: On the WCHA coaches conference call last week, the Von Braun Center was referred to as a “hornet’s nest.”

That means expected high decibel levels, people. Get your tickets now. And if top-level college hockey isn’t enough…

Promotions: UAH released the 2013-14 promotional schedule on Tuesday, and it’s the biggest in Charger history. T-shirts, pucks, bobbleheads, thundersticks — even mini toy rockets (we are Huntsville after all) will be given away at the 16 home games. Plus, there will be many in-game activities and opportunities for free admission for kids. We’ve added the promotions to our own schedule page.

Snag one of these posters at the Madison Street Festival on Saturday.

Snag one of these posters at the Madison Street Festival on Saturday.

Posterized: The boys will be at the Madison Street Festival on Saturday. Meet the team and get this lovely schedule poster.

Preseason: The Chargers still have a week before their season opener at Northeastern, but the rest of the WCHA will be action this weekend. Ferris State travels to Colgate to get the college hockey season officially under way, while the rest of the league is in preseason exhibitions.

The preseason poll was released by USCHO.com on Monday. The only ranked WCHA team is conference favorite Minnesota State, which starts at No. 11. Other league teams receiving votes are Ferris State, Michigan Tech, Alaska, and Bowling Green.

Professional: The latest pro signing of a former Charger is Sebastian Geoffrion. After his tryout agreement with Nashville, Geoffrion signed with the Cincinnati Cyclones. Former UAH players Davide Nicoletti and Jeff Winchester played for Cincinnati last season.

To check out how our alumni are faring in professional hockey all around the world (and we mean all around the world), visit our In the Pros page.

Podium: Head coach Mike Corbett spoke to the Huntsville Rotary Club on Tuesday, and the program got a Twitter plug from Mayor Tommy Battle.

Predictions: You’ve seen the WCHA preseason poll by the media. The coaches poll isn’t much different (although by my math, one coach doesn’t have us last). It is what it is. We’ve got a lot of lost time to make up. But it’s going to be fun to watch this program grow and rise again thanks to the renewed support of the university and its fans.

UAH Picked Last by WCHA Media in Preseason Poll

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Jack Hittinger of the Bemidji Pioneer is coordinating the 2013-14 WCHA Media Poll.  I’m one of the 25 voters.  Here are the results of the poll, which I’m not sure that you’ll like:

Minnesota State nearly unanimous; but league has parity

Leitner, Stepan named player, rookie of the year

BEMIDJI, Minn. — With six new teams in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association this season, many predicted more parity in the new-look league.

According to members of the WCHA media, that prediction should hold true — although most think Minnesota State will finish on top a year after a fantastic season and an NCAA tournament appearance.

The Bemidji Pioneer WCHA Preseason Media Poll shows the Mavericks as a near-unanimous choice to win the league, garnering 22-first place votes. A panel of 25 members of the WCHA media voted on a predicted order of finish, as well as individual awards.

Despite nearly everyone in the media selecting MSU to take first in the league, the disparity between the Mavericks (who earned 244 total points) and the second place team was just 26 points.

Ferris State earned two first place votes and 218 points for a solid second place finish.

Alaska was picked to finish third with 68 points.

The teams in the middle of the pack were separated by 12 points. Bowling Green (149 points) was picked to finish fourth, followed by Michigan Tech (144) and Northern Michigan (137).

Lake Superior State (117) was chosen to finish seventh, Bemidji State eighth (108) and Alaska Anchorage ninth (54). Alabama-Huntsville, who was an independent last season, was picked to finish 10th out of 10 teams with 36 points.

The media also selected the league’s Preseason Player and Rookie of the Year, as well as an All-WCHA team.

Minnesota State swept the Player and Rookie of the Year awards. MSU forward Matt Leitner was the league media’s near-unanimous pick for preseason Player of the Year; while Mavericks’ forward Zach Stepan was the media’s pick for preseason Rookie of the Year.

Leitner was also named to the All-WCHA team as a forward along with Bowling Green’s Ryan Carpenter and Michigan Tech’a Alex Petan.

Defensemen named to the All-WCHA team were Minnesota State’s Zach Palmquist and Ferris State’s Jason Binkley.

MSU’s Stephon Williams was voted the goaltender on the All-WCHA team.

Results

Team (First-Place votes) Total Points

1. Minnesota State (22) 244

2. Ferris State (2) 218

3. Alaska 168

4. Bowling Green 149

5. Michigan Tech 144

6. Northern Michigan 137

7. Lake Superior State 117

8. Bemidji State (1) 108

9. Alaska Anchorage 54

10. Alabama Huntsville 36

Preseason Player Of The Year

Matt Leitner, F, Minnesota State

Others receiving votes: Garrett Thompson, F, Ferris State; Stephon Williams, G, Minnesota State

Preseason Rookie Of The Year

Zach Stepan, F, Minnesota State

Others receiving votes: Tomas Sholl, G, Bowling Green; Brendan Harms, F, Bemidji State; Mathias Dahlstrom, G, Northern Michigan; Cliff Watson, D, Michigan Tech

Preseason All-WCHA Team

Forwards

Matt Leitner, Minnesota State; Alex Petan, Michigan Tech; Ryan Carpenter, Bowling Green

Others receiving votes: Cody Kunyk, Alaska; Reed Seckel, Northern Michigan; Stephan Vigier, Northern Michigan

Defensemen

Jason Binkley, Ferris State; Zach Palmquist, D, Minnesota State

Others receiving votes: Matt Prapavessis, Bemidji State; Ralfs Freibergs, Bowling Green; Colton Parayko, Alaska; CJ Ludwig, Northern Michigan

Goaltender

Stephon Williams, Minnesota State

Others receiving votes: CJ Motte, Ferris State; Andrew Walsh, Bemidji State.

The following media members took part in the Bemidji Pioneer WCHA Preseason Media Poll:

Justin Bradford, ESPN Radio Nashville; Bruce Cech, KCBF 820/UAF play-by-play; Dave Danis, Northern Michigan play-by-play; Erik Drygas, KCBF 820 AM/UAF color analyst; Drew Evans, BGSUHockey.com; Casey Ford, ESPN Radio UP; Shane Frederick, Mankato Free Press; Kevin Gordon, Bowling Green Sentinel-Tribune; Kurt Haider, KENI News/KTZN Sports/UAA hockey play-by-play; Dirk Hembroff, 93.5 FM/MTU play-by-play; Dominic Hennig, 97.3 FM/FSU Play-by-Play; Jack Hittinger, Bemidji Pioneer; Dan Kowalski, 97.3 FM/FSU Color Commentator; Budd McLaughlin, AL.com hockey writer; Geof Morris, UAHHockey.com; Kevin Meyers, Bowling Green Radio Sports Organization; Tim O’Donnell, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner; Rob Roos, Sault Evening News; Martin Slagter, Big Rapids Pioneer; Jerry Taylor, ABC10 UP; John Wagner, Toledo Blade; Matt Wellens, Marquette Daily Mining Journal; Kevin Wells, KT UU-Channel 2; Scott Williams, Lakeland Public Television/KBUN Sportsradio, Brandon Veale/Michael Bleach, Daily Mining Gazette.

Here’s my ballot: 1. Mankato 2. Tech 3. Ferris 4. Alaska 5. BG 6. NMU 7. Lake State 8. Bemidji 9. UAH 10. Anchorage

Why do I have UAH one spot above the bottom?  It’s pretty simple: we’ll play fourteen league games at home, and last year, we took a point off of the Mavericks in our building.  As unsettled as the situation at UAH is, the situation in Anchorage was worse (again, in my opinion), given that they changed ADs mid-stream.  This is belief in the Chargers and not disdain for the Seawolves.

I hope that I’m wrong.  I hope that we’re playing on the road March 14th and 15th.  I just don’t see it happening, not with a squad this young starting from the bottom.

Michael or I will put these media polls out every week, and I’ll always be willing to tell you what my votes are.  For this initial one, I went with my gut in going Tech over Ferris.  We shall see how this goes.  Also: who the hell voted Bemidji #1?  Come on now.

Interview: Dr. Robert Altenkirch

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Photo credit: encyclopediaofalabama.org

Photo credit: encyclopediaofalabama.org

We could have had all the support in the world to change the fate of our beloved hockey program, but only one man could make the decision: Dr. Robert Altenkirch. He signs his emails as “Bob”, and I can confirm that he reads his own emails. When I sent a message to set up our interview, he responded at 8:00 p.m. on a Monday night. That should tell you a lot about the man right there.

So what made Dr. Altenkirch reverse Chancellor Portera’s decision? “There was a lot of interest from external constituents, and a lot of interest from internal constituents as well.”

Obviously, deciding to keep the varsity program was just the first step on the road to stability. “Our focus was getting in a conference. We knew that we probably wouldn’t survive as the only independent among 59 teams. That left us with two options: the western with the WCHA, and the other was the Atlantic [Hockey Association].” Of the risk, he said, “We basically shot the dice. We focused on the western.”

UAH had been in this place before with the CCHA before it folded.  Just because the WCHA had nine teams didn’t necessarily mean that they’d take any old 10th team that came along. That said, there are hangups with taking any team to D-I these days — which is, in my eyes, a big mistake driven by football and basketball that hurts the other member sports. For the WCHA, expansion to 10 meant poaching from another conference, staying at nine schools, or picking UAH.

As such, UAH had some selling to do. “I think that we made the right arguments. Our research classification would be the highest in the conference. We bring a long tradition. It’s a nice place to visit — it’s no more difficult to get to Huntsville, Alabama than it is to get to Fairbanks, Alaska.”

As you might expect, travel was a big concern for the member schools.  The new WCHA has two teams in Alaska (Alaska and Alaska-Anchorage), one in Alabama, two in Minnesota (Minnesota State-Mankato and our hated rival, Bemidji State), one in Ohio (Bowling Green State), one in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan (Ferris State), and three in the UP (Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, and Lake Superior State). To call the WCHA “far flung” would be an understatement.  However, the nature of travel gave us an advantage that we exploited.

“If you look at the schedule, ten teams works better than nine teams,” Altenkirch said. “Ten teams reduces the frequency of double trips to Alaska substantially. There is a cost savings involved.” To drive the point home, he developed a spreadsheet that showed how UAH would reduce those travel outlays — he even showed it to me in the UAH presentation to the WCHA. “The number of double-trips to Alaska in any given season is reduced by 22% with us in the league. One of those trips runs about $40,000, so if you can avoid that, you’re doing good.”

Athletics conferences are about academics as well as athletics.  The Big Ten started off as a conference of academic peers that wanted to play each other in varsity sports.  That also explains their judiciousness in expansion, as they do not want to dilute the brand.  UAH played that card in the pitch. “But before [making the travel arguments], we showed them that our hockey players are good students, too.” This fits right in with the GPA goals of all UAH student-athletes, who as a group hold a GPA in excess of 3.00, which is no mean feat at UAH.

UAH’s academic ability is well-known, but playing high-profile Division I opponents will help more prospective students and employers know that UAH is here for the challenge. UAH has a classification of “very high” research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutes of Higher Education, joining 16 other D-I hockey programs: Boston University, Brown University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Michigan State University, The Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Princeton University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University Connecticut, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Michigan, the University of Minnesota, the University of Notre Dame, and Yale University. The chances are that you’ve heard of most of all of those schools, often through their athletic exploits. UAH is one of 106 schools classified as “very high”, and 29% of those are D-I college hockey schools.

Asked if the CCIHE classification made a difference, Altenkirch said, “I think so. They always say that you’re judged by the company that you keep. It’s nice to be next to company that accomplishes something. Eighty to 85 percent of our total expenditures are on research.”

I asked Dr. Altenkirch where Athletics fits in the larger scope of the University’s mission. He said, “I think that Athletics is part of the overall student experience. It provides a little campus life and gets the community excited about the institution. It helps us recruit students. Not all of our student-athletes are on full scholarships. Many of them are paying customers, and to me, [athletics] is a good character builder. Those hockey players don’t do well in the classroom because they’re good hockey players. They do well in the classroom because they’re well-regimented.”

I then turned the discussion to UAH’s new head coach, Mike Corbett. Dr. Altenkirch is confident in what Coach Corbett will bring to the program. “He spent ten years at the Air Force Academy,” he said. “If they’re not the most successful program from winning percentage in the country in the past few years, they’re close. Obviously, they’re recruiting good students, and there’s discipline there. All those pieces fit for us.”

Of the University’s mid-term goals for the hockey program, he said, “I think that what you’ll see is a phenomenon where we’ll win the conference and play for something. Right now, we’re realistically at the bottom. I think that will change, because a lot of young men will look at things and say, ‘I could go to one of the top-ranked schools and might not get to play. But if I go to UAH, I’ll play.’ These things cycle. I’m looking for the team to win a lot more than they have these past few years. I think that the program within a five-year period will be at least at a .500 record.”

Is hockey a way that we remind that UAH exists? “I think that all of our teams are like that,” he said. “We build a sense of community. Let’s face it: there will be a lot more teams that come to a basketball game or a hockey match than will come to hear a highly-technical research lecture. It’s a connection with the community, especially the kids.”

What’s Dr. Altenkrich’s top priority for our fans? “The first is to come to the games. It’s not very attractive to an athletes to come to and empty house.”

Are you excited yet about hockey? The Bemidji State series is coming sooner than you think!