Category Archives: 2014-15

Huskies blast Chargers, 11-1

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Houghton has become a place of horrors for UAH.

Michigan Tech (20-7-1 overall, 15-4-1 WCHA) led almost from the start, scoring twice in the first 1:17 and never were challenged in a 11-1 win over the Chargers (7-18-3, 6-14-0 WCHA). Tech outshot the Chargers 54-12.

UAH is now 0-4 all-time in Houghton in the series that started last season, outscored by a combined 30-6.

Two weeks to regroup is all you can say. The Chargers get a week off to lick their wounds before heading to Lake Superior State on Feb. 13-14 to work on keeping their WCHA playoff position.

The Huskies scored on two of their first three shots. Tanner Kero banked a shot of the post in a wide open to give Tech the lead just 33 seconds in.

Chad Brears was called for hooking at the time of the goal, and Alex Petan quickly capitalized, putting in a rebound past Carmine Guerriero. Just 1:17 in, and UAH was already down 2-0.

UAH was fortunate not to be behind even more. The Huskies fired a total of 21 shots on Guerriero in the first period, allowing only four to the Chargers. UAH had to kill57 seconds of a two-man Michigan Tech advantage late in the first period.

However, Tech would grow that lead in the second period. Just 10 seconds in, while still on the power play from the previous period, Malcolm Gould geat Guerriero on the after a centering pass from Blake Pietila to make it 3-0 Huskies.

Over four minutes later, Max Vallis backhands the puck over Guerriero’s glove from the slot, and Michigan Tech led 4-0. Guerriero, who had already seen 28 shots in 24:41, was pulled for Matt Larose. At that point, the Chargers only had five shots on goal.

UAH finally got on the board with 6:12 left in the second. Jack Prince scored his fifth goal of the season from the right side, assisted by Chad Brears and Brandon Parker, to cut Tech’s lead to 4-1.

The goal ended the longest road scoring drought in UAH hockey history – a span of 233 minutes and 26 seconds dating back to December 21 at Omaha.

The Huskies regained the four-goal lead at 5-1 after Brent Baltus scored as the puck trickled past Larose while he was down with 1:51 left in the second.

Brent Fletcher received a spearing major penalty with a game misconduct after the whistle ending the second. The Huskies added goals Tanner Kero and Joel L’Esperance on the ensuing power play to lead 7-1.

L’Esperance, Vallis, Cliff Watson, and Baltus scored the final goals of the game.

Larose allowed seven goals on 26 shots.

The 11 goals allowed by the Chargers were the most since a 12-1 loss at Minnesota on Nov. 1, 2002. It’s the second most goal allowed in UAH’s modern Division I era and fourth most all-time.

Road woes continue as Michigan Tech shuts out UAH

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The Chargers have made big strides this season. However, against the top teams in the WCHA, which are also some of the top teams in the nation, they can’t afford any mistakes and expect to win. It took a span of five minutes for that reminder to hit hard.

Michigan Tech scored three goals in four minutes and 13 seconds of the second period, and that’s all the eighth-ranked Huskies needed in a 5-0 win over UAH on Friday night in Houghton, Michigan.

The Chargers (7-17-3 overall, 6-13-0 WCHA) fell to 0-7 on the season against the top three teams in the WCHA: Minnesota State, Michigan Tech, and Bowling Green. Tech (19-7-1 overall, 14-4-1 WCHA) was four points behind Minnesota State atop the WCHA standings coming into the night.

UAH was shut out for the third straight road game — a program first. The Chargers have been shut out six times this season and 40 times over the last five years.

UAH hung tough in the first period, although Michigan Tech won the puck possession battle. The Huskies outshot the Chargers 14-8, but a chunk of that advantage came on the lone MTU power play following a Richard Buri holding call. The Huskies thoroughly controlled the puck at the UAH end and got four shots on goal, but all were seen well and stopped by Carmine Guerriero.

Guerriero saw the puck well the whole period, making many glove stops as the teams were scoreless after one.

But things fell apart early in the second, and the Huskies took firm control of the game after the first six minutes.

First, Richard Buri is called for interference at 41 seconds. Alex Petan puts in a rebound on the power play just 27 seconds later. Michigan Tech leads 1-0.

Second, UAH is called for too many men on the ice at 2:02. Blake Pietila scores just 30 seconds later. Michgan Tech leads 2-0. Two straight power play goals after the Chargers had run a streak of 15 straight penalties killed.

Third, three minutes later, Malcolm Gould puts in another rebound. Michigan Tech leads 3-0.

The Huskies got the first 12 shots on goal in the second period. Somehow UAH would get eight of the next nine shots on goal on a couple of power play opportunities of their own, but the Chargers could not find the net and found themselves deep in a whole after two periods.

Joel L’Esperance added two third-period goals for the final tally as UAH could not mount a comeback. Michigan Tech finished with 37 shots on goal to UAH’s 20.

Guerriero allowed all five goals, tying a season high. He made 32 saves.

Game two of the series is Saturday night at 6:07 p.m. Central Time.

Series Preview: at Michigan Tech, Jan. 30-31

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CATCHING THE GAMES
Times: 6:07 p.m. CT Friday and Saturday
Watch it: WCHA.tv (subscription), UAH Charger Union, The Office Break Room and Bar
Hear it: Pasty.net
Stats: CollegeHockeyInc.com
Twitter: @weloveuahhockey, @uahhockey, @mtuhky, @TechHockeyGuide

The Chargers will be in Houghton, Michigan, this weekend to face the eighth-ranked Michigan Tech Huskies. Puck drop is Friday and Saturday at 6:07 p.m. Central Time.

The games can be seen on WCHA.tv. If you don’t have a WCHA.tv subscription, you can watch the game from Charger Union’s World of Wings on the UAH campus or The Office Break Room and Bar in downtown Huntsville.

All-time series: Michigan Tech has won all four meetings with UAH since the series started last season. The Huskies won both games in Huntsville on Nov. 28-29 by scores of 4-2 and 5-2. Last year in Houghton, Michigan Tech dispatched the Chargers, 4-1 and 10-4.

Defenseman Brandon Parker is tied for the UAH team lead with 10 assists.

Defenseman Brandon Parker is tied for the UAH team lead with 10 assists.

Chargers recap: UAH (7-16-3 overall, 6-12-0 WCHA) lost two exhibition games at home to the U.S. National Under-18 Team last week.

On Friday, Brennan Saulnier scored the Chargers’ only goal in a 2-1 overtime loss. Matt Larose made 31 saves from the second period on.

On Saturday, Brandon Carlson and Alex Carpenter each put UAH in front, but two last-minute goals felled the Chargers 4-2. Larose stopped another 39 shots.

Max McHugh’s team-leading 17 points is second among WCHA freshman, two behind Minnesota State’s C.J. Franklin. He also leads the Chargers in goals with seven, and tied for the team lead with Brandon Parker in assists with 10.

Defenseman Frank Misuraca has six goals, one behind McHugh. Jeff Vanderlugt (5-6-11), Prince (4-7-11), and Brears (3-8-11) are tied for second in points.

Carmine Guerriero has taken over the WCHA’s top spot in save percentage at .933, which is good for 10th in Division I. His 2.32 goals against average is eighth in the league.

UAH Tale of the tape
(WCHA rank)		 MTU
5-16-3
4-12-0 WCHA (T-8th)		 Record 18-7-1
13-4-1 WCHA (2nd)
1.77 (9th) Goals/game 3.23 (2nd)
2.96 (9th) Goals allowed/game 2.04 (1st)
15.4 (2nd) Pen. minutes/game 11.8 (8th)
16.9% (6th) Power play 18.3% (3rd)
84.9% (5th) Penalty kill 83.2% (6th)

About the Huskies: Michigan Tech (18-7-1 overall, 13-4-1 WCHA) sits four points behind Minnesota State at the top of the WCHA standings. The Huskies are ranked 8th in this week’s USCHO.com poll, and currently sit 10th in the Pairwise rankings. They are 8-7-1 after starting the season 10-0-0.

The Huskies are 3-2-0 so far in their current nine-game homestand and 8-5-0 this season at the John J. MacInnes Student Ice Arena. Last week, Michigan Tech swept Alaska, 4-3 in overtime and 3-2.

Michigan Tech boasts one of the more complete teams in the league. They are second only to Minnesota State in scoring (3.23 goals per game) and are tops in scoring defense (2.04 goals allowed per game).

The Huskies have the top two point scorers in the WCHA: Tanner Kero and Alex Petan each have 11 goals and 19 assists for 30 points. Both combined for two goals and five assists in their sweep at UAH. Malcolm Gould has 20 points, and New Jersey Devils draftee Blake Pietila has 10 goals.

Jamie Phillips, a Winnipeg Jets prospect, is second in the WCHA in goals against average at 2.03, and is fifth in save percentage at .926. Phillips only saw 29 shots in the two games at UAH, allowing four goals.

WCHA Standings Record Pts.
Minnesota State 15-2-1 31
Michigan Tech 13-4-1 27
Bowling Green 11-3-2 24
Ferris State 8-8-0 16
Northern Michigan 6-8-4 16
Alaska* 7-12-1 15
Bemidji State 5-8-3 13
Alabama-Huntsville 6-12-0 12
Lake Superior State 6-14-0 12
Alaska-Anchorage 4-10-2 10
* Ineligible for postseason play

Around the WCHA: Four league series are on the docket this weekend.

No. 6 Bowling Green heads to Bemidji State, where the Beavers are riding high after beating Minnesota-Duluth and Minnesota State to win the North Star College Cup.

Minnesota State, which fell to No. 3 in the poll but remains No. 1 in the Pairwise, battles Ferris State in Mankato. The Mavericks won both games at Ferris two weeks ago in another rematch between last season WCHA championship finalists.

Alaska-Anchorage will try to climb out of last place against Northern Michigan in Marquette.

Here’s the schedule for league teams this week. All times are Central. All games can be seen online on WCHA TV.

Friday, January 30

UAH at #8 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska-Anchorage at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
#6 Bowling Green at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
Ferris State at #3 Minnesota State, 7:37 p.m.

Saturday, January 31

UAH at #8 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Alaska-Anchorage at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
#6 Bowling Green at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
Ferris State at #3 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.

 

Hoof Beats: Playoff push in the final 10 games

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Ten games to go. It’s been a while since UAH hockey has had meaningful games down the stretch.

The Chargers find themselves tied with Lake Superior State for eight place in the WCHA with 20 points. UAH has two games in hand, and are two points up on Alaska-Anchorage The top eight teams make the WCHA playoffs, not counting postseason-ineligible Alaska.

UAH is only one point behind seventh-place Bemidji State, but also only four points behind Ferris State and Northern Michigan, who are tied for fourth. The top four get to host the first round of the playoffs. It will take some masterful play against some tough opponents to earn one of those coveted spots.

Here’s how the remaining schedule break down:

  • Away at Michigan Tech, Friday-Saturday: Arguably the toughest series is this next series. Back in November, the Chargers were swept by the Huskies, now ranked 8th in the nation, in Huntsville. The 4-2 and 5-2 scores at home were more competitive than last year’s games in Houghton, where UAH was blown away 4-1 and 10-4. Points here will go a long way.
  • Away at Lake Superior State, Feb. 13-14: The Chargers get a week off before heading to the Soo, where they’ll face a Lakers team fight they didn’t have the first half of the season, primarily thanks to the hot goaltending of Gordon Defiel. UAH and LSSU split their series in Huntsville back in November, with Defiel getting a 1-0 shutout.
  • Home vs. Ferris State, Feb. 20-21: UAH surprised many by nabbing a win in Big Rapids against C.J. Motte and the Bulldogs on November 21. The Chargers may benefit at home against a Ferris State team that has hovered around .500 while having trouble scoring consistently.
  • Home vs. Alaska, Feb. 27-28: It’s been a roller-coaster season for the Nanooks, who received a postseason ban from the NCAA in October. Alaska would love to play spoiler (and could very well) in Lance West’s homecoming, but the ‘Nooks have had difficulties on the road.
  • Away at Bowling Green, March 6-7: The Falcons have joined the upper echelon of the league this season, and could still be battling for the MacNaughton Cup in the regular-season finale. Could another MisuRocket™ stun the BG faithful and perhaps clinch a playoff berth for the Chargers?

What will happen? Watch for Geof Morris’s calculations on The WCHA Playoff Prediction Blog in the coming weeks.

Watch the boys on the road: Charger fans an get together to watch UAH hockey road games the rest of the season at two Huntsville locations.

On campus, UAH students can watch the games at Charger Union’s World of Wings, thanks to UAH Student Affairs.

Games can also be seen at The Office Break Room and Bar, for those who are adult beverage inclined.

Teets commits: UAH received another commitment last week, as John Teets announced he would play for the Chargers.

Teets is a 6-3, 200-pound defenseman from Fairbanks, Alaska, currently playing for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the North American Hockey League. Teets has three goals and 13 assists for the Ice Dogs this season.

His Ice Dogs teammate, foward Adam Wilcox, committed to UAH back in December.

Also see: Penalty Box Radio had a feature Tuesday exploring the improvement of the Chargers this season. Justin Bradford talked with UAH coach Mike Corbett, rising star goaltender Carmine Guerriero, and top-scoring freshman Max McHugh about how the work the team has put in is paying off.

Last-minute goals lead to UAH loss against USA U-18s

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UAH showed the could battle with the best talent in America for two days. Although these were exhibition games, the results were still two heartbreaking defeats.

Jeremy Bracco scored the game-winner on a breakaway with 26 seconds left, then got the empty net goal to seal the deal with nine seconds to go to give Team USA a 4-2 victory over the Chargers to finish a two-game exhibition sweep at the Von Braun Center on Sunday.

Team USA outshot UAH 43-13, but the final result was in doubt for about the entire game, similar to Team USA’s 2-1 overtime win on Saturday.

Like Saturday, UAH scored the first goal of the contest. This time, Brandon Carlson did the honors during the Chargers’ second power play, putting in a rebound past Team USA goaltender Luke Opilka at the 8:15 mark. Alex Carpenter and Frank Misuraca, who fired the initial shot from the right point, got the assists.

Another similarity to Friday night’s game was Team USA’s dominance of the second period. Team USA outshot the Chargers 17-3 in the second after leading 17-1 the night before.

Fortunately, Team USA could not parlay it into a lead. They were able to tie the game at 1 on Colin White’s tally at 4:12.

At 9:45, on only the Chargers’ second shot of the period, Alex Carpenter ripped one from near the left circle, beating Opilka on the top left corner to give UAH a 2-1 advantage. He was assisted by Brennan Saulnier and Matt Salhany.

Just 52 seconds later, Team USA knotted the game at 2 as Jack Roslovic was able to shove the puck past UAH goaltender Matt Larose.

The Chargers put the body on Team USA to start the third, but Cody Marooney had a slashing penalty at 9:52 — necessary to stop Team USA from taking the lead.

UAH killed the ensuing power play, but Team USA used it to gain momentum in the Charger end. UAH did not have many chances the rest of the way.

With 1:30 to go in regulation, Larose stopped Brendan Warren’s breakaway opporunity. Then another defensive lapse gave Bracco his own breakaway, which he converted to give Team USA the 3-2 lead.

UAH immediately pulled Larose for the extra attacker, but Bracco the puck and scored the empty-netter for the final result.

Larose finished another solid outing with 39 saves. He stopped 31 of 33 shots on Saturday when he played the second period on.

Next week, the Chargers begin the stretch run in the race for a WCHA playoff berth. UAH, currently tied with Lake Superior State for eighth place in the league, visits second-place Michigan Tech on Friday and Saturday.

UAH returns home on February 20 and 21 to face Ferris State.

Notes: UAH stopped all three Team USA power plays on Sunday, and all eight for the weekend. UAH was 1-for-5 with the power play for the series. … UAH is now 0-7-1 all-time in exhibitions with the U.S. National Under-18 Team.

Chargers lose in OT to USA Under-18 Team

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The Chargers battled with the best of America’s young hockey talent, but fell 2-1 in overtime against the U.S. National Under-18 Team in a Saturday exhibition game at the Von Braun Center.

Matthew Tkachuk, son of NHL 500-goal scorer Keith, beat UAH goaltender Matt Larose with 40 seconds left in overtime after the Chargers had a couple of chances at victory of their own.

Team USA outshot the Chargers 39-17, but most of that advantage was built in a dominating second period (17-1). Outside of the second, Team USA outshot UAH 22-16.

The Chargers struck first seven minutes in. Frank Misuraca’s shot from the right point rebounded off Team USA goaltender Mike Lackey right to Brennan Saulnier at the doorstep. Saulnier wristed the puck past Lackey for the 1-0 Charger lead.

UAH had opportunities to expand the lead with a two-man advantage in the middle of the first, and Team USA had three power play changes themselves, but neither team could convert.

Charger starting goaltender Carmine Guerriero stopped all six shots he faced.

The second period was all Team USA. The Under-18s got the first 13 shots on goal before Jeff Vanderlugt finally broke the streak with about seven minutes left in the frame. It was UAH’s only shot of the period to Team USA’s 17.

But Team USA could only get one goal on UAH goaltender Matt Larose, who came in for Guerriero in the second. Troy Terry, who has committed to Denver, beat Larose as he drive through the slot to tie the game at 1-1 at the 11:50 mark.

Larose finished with 31 saves on 33 shots in 45 minutes of work. Lackey played the whole game and made 16 saves for Team USA.

UAH and Team USA face off again Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. at the VBC. The first 1,000 fans get a free UAH hockey team photo.

Notes: Ben Reinhardt returned to the UAH lineup after missing 10 games due to injury. … James Block and Bryan Siersma saw their first action for UAH. … UAH is now 0-6-1 in exhibition games against the U.S. Under-18 Team.

Series Preview: vs. U.S. National Under-18 Team

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CATCHING THE GAMES
Times: 2:07 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Tickets: Ticketmaster: Saturday | Sunday

Complete ticket information
Promotions: Kids 12 & under get free admission
Sat.: UAH trading cards to first 500
Sun.: UAH team photo to first 1000
Online video: WCHA.tv (subscription)
Live stats: UAHChargers.com
Twitter: @weloveuahhockey, @uahhockey, @usantdp

The Chargers take a break from WCHA play with a two-game exhibition set with the U.S. National Under-18 Development Team. The puck drops at 2:07 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

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

Chargers recap: UAH (7-16-3 overall, 6-12-0 WCHA) extended its home win streak to four games after a sweep of Northern Michigan last weekend.

The Chargers won 2-1 Friday night on goals by Jack Prince and Frank Misuraca. UAH was outshot 33-15 for the game and 14-2 in the third period to hold off the Wildcats. Carmine Guerriero made 32 saves.

UAH won another one-goal game Saturday night by a score of 3-2. Misuraca netted another goal in the first to give the Chargers the early lead, Chad Brears broke a 1-1 tie in the second, and Richard Buri got the game-winner at the 5:35 mark of the third. Guerriero stopped 25 of 27 shots.

Max McHugh’s team-leading 17 points is second among WCHA freshman, just one behind Minnesota State’s C.J. Franklin. He also leads the Chargers in goals with seven, and tied for the team lead with Brandon Parker in assists with 10.

Misuraca’s two goals for the weekend gives him six, one behind McHugh. Jeff Vanderlugt (5-6-11), Prince (4-7-11), and Brears (3-8-11) are tied for second in points.

About the U.S. National Under-18 Team: The Under-18 Team is 25-10-2 playing a schedule comprised of international teams, junior teams from the USHL, and NCAA Division I and III clubs, including Miami, Michigan, Providence College, Boston University, Cornell, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado College, North Dakota, and Michigan State.

Team USA has won three in a row, coming off a two-game sweep of the Dubuque Fighting Saints at their home in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Auston Matthews of Scottdale, Arizona, is the team’s leading scorer with 27 goals and 28 assists for 55 points. Jeremy Bracco (Boston College commit) has 51 points, leading the team in assists with 36. Matthew Tkachuk, son of former NHL star Keith Tkachuk, also has 20 goals.

Goaltending duties are split between Luke Opilka (Wisconsin commit), who has a 3.07 goals against average and an .883 save percentage with two shutouts, and Michael Lackey (Harvard), who has a 2.91 GAA and .891 save percentage.

WCHA Standings Record Pts.
Minnesota State 15-2-1 31
Michigan Tech 11-4-1 23
Bowling Green 10-2-2 22
Ferris State 8-8-0 16
Northern Michigan 6-8-4 16
Alaska* 7-10-1 15
Bemidji State 5-8-3 13
Alabama-Huntsville 6-12-0 12
Lake Superior State 5-13-0 10
Alaska-Anchorage 4-10-2 10
* Ineligible for postseason play

Around the WCHA: Only two conference series this weekend, and a very interesting non-conference tournament up in Minnesota.

Sixth-ranked Bowling Green, coming off a split at Michigan Tech and looking to keep hot, hosts Lake Superior, which surprised Bemidji State with a sweep in the Soo last week. Tech, now at No. 10, entertains Alaska, which suffered a sweep in Fairbanks at the hands of their hated rivals from Anchorage.

The North Star Cup features four of the five Division I programs in Minnesota, and this year Bemidji State joins Minnesota State in the tournament. The Beavers play No. 7 Minnesota-Duluth on Friday afternoon, while No. 1 Minnesota State battles No. 17 Minnesota in the nightcap. The third place and championship games are Saturday.

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

Friday, January 23

* Lake Superior State at #6 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
* Alaska at #10 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Bemidji State vs. #7 Minnesota-Duluth at St. Paul, Minn. (North Star Cup), 4 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Penn State, 6 p.m.
#1 Minnesota State vs. #17 Minnesota at St. Paul, Minn. (North Star Cup), 7 p.m.

Saturday, January 24

U.S. National Under-18 Team at UAH (exhibition), 2:07 p.m.
* Lake Superior State at #6 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
* Alaska at #10 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Penn State, 3:30 p.m.
North Star Cup third place game, 4 p.m.
North Star Cup championship game, 7 p.m.

Sunday, January 25

U.S. National Under-18 Team at UAH (exhibition), 2:07 p.m.

* WCHA game.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stat pack: 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UAH 3, NMU 2

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While UAH realizes that its best offense comes from point shots that get tipped or have rebounds hoovered up into dirty goals, all of its goals this weekend were one-shot goals.  Junior defenseman Frank Misuraca (Clinton Township, Mich.) picked up his second goal of the weekend, and junior forward Chad Brears (Cold Lake, Alberta) and freshman defenseman Richard Buri (Nitra, Slovakia) also fired pucks in from 50+ feet away, powering UAH to a 3-2 win over WCHA rival Northern Michigan.

The sweep — the Chargers’ second consecutive home sweep, one that pushed them to five wins in their last seven home contests — pushed the Chargers to 7-16-3 (6-12-0 WCHA) on the season and kept them ensconced in position to pick up the 7th seed in the 2015 WCHA playoffs.  The loss dropped the Wildcats to 9-8-5 (6-8-4 WCHA) and left them deadlocked in fourth place in the standings with Ferris State, who was swept by Mankato.  The Wildcats and Bulldogs are three points clear of Bemidji State (also swept) in 6th and just four ahead of those pesky Chargers.  (Now how much did that sweep in Bemidji hurt?)

Misuraca started the scoring early for the home squad, taking a pass back to the point from freshman forward Brennan Saulnier (Halifax, Nova Scotia).  “That was the same [kind of goal] as Bowling Green last year,” senior forward and team captain Doug Reid (Innisfil, Ont.) said of Misuraca’s goal.  The marker was Misuraca’s sixth of the season, which leads all UAH defensemen in goal scoring and puts him second on the team.

Sophomore defenseman Barrett Kaib (Pittsburgh, Pa.) picked up the equalizing goal, his second on the season.  Sophomore forward Casey Purpur (Grand Forks, N.D.) picked up his first point on the season with the assist.

Northern Michigan’s effort to level the game were successful for only 3:28.  A cross-checking minor by sophomore defenseman Brock Maschmeyer (Bruederheim, Alb.) at 14:26 followed by a roughing minor by sophomore forward Dominik Shine (Pinckney, Mich.) at 15:03 gave the Chargers a long two-man advantage.

While UAH couldn’t score with two extra men on a four-corners style attack designed to open space and draw defenders below the goal line and away from the powerful point shots that the Chargers love, the puck did get to the right place five seconds after Maschmeyer returned to the ice:

Brears ripped one from a few feet inside the blue line and pretty much straight down the middle, and apparently Wildcat junior goaltender Mathias Dahlström (Smedjebacken, Sweden) never saw it.  Brears’s 3rd gino of the season was assisted by freshman defenseman Brandon Parker (Faribault, Minn.) [10th] and senior forward Jeff Vanderlugt (Richmond Hill, Ont.) [6th].

Parker’s assist has him leading the team and ties him for first in overall defenseman points with Misuraca.  No Charger has had double-digits in assists since 2010-11, when five Chargers did so (Matt Baxter [13], Justin Cseter [12], Jamie Easton [12], Keenan Desmet [10], Tom Durnie [10]).  If you’re really curious, the last Chargers to get 15 were Andrew Coburn (15 in 09-10). Brandon Roshko (15 in 08-09, 17 in 07-08).  The last 20-assist Chargers were David Nimmo (22) and Shaun Arvai (20) in 2006-07.

The second period was fairly slow, with just 13 shots on goal (8 UAH, 5 NMU).  However, there was a penalty shot, as sophomore forward Matt Salhany (Warwick, R.I.) was slowed up on a breakaway attempt.  He did not convert the opportunity.  In the modern era, the Chargers have been awarded five penalty shots and have converted twice: Kevin Morrison on Oct. 8, 2006 at Air Force and Dwayne Blais at home against Iona on Nov. 4, 2000.  The last Charger to attempt a penalty shot was Cseter at Omaha on January 28, 2011.

[The Chargers have caused five penalty shots in the same time frame, allowing two goals.  Mark Byrne stopped his, and Blake McNicol and Cam Talbot were each 1/2.]

But there would be some excitement for the Wildcat faithful in the lower bowl late in the period.

Junior forward Darren Nowick‘s (Long Beach, Calif.) goal was his sixth of the season, and the assist was freshman forward Zach Diamantoni‘s (Boca Raton, Fla.) fourth.  Maschmeyer (5th) got the secondary assist.

“That’s what we work on a lot in practice,” Reid said.  “That one, he had an open shot at the net, and he just hammered it.  He’s a big boy, and he put a lot behind it.  It was a nice shot!”  Straight off the draw, freshman forward Max McHugh (Seattle, Wash.) pulled it back to Buri, a hulking force standing a few feet inside the blue line.  With everyone collapsed to the circle, Buri had a clean look at the glove side of the net and let fly.

From there, the Chargers just held on, with Dahlström out for the final 1:34 of the game.  The Chargers iced it several times in that setting, and Reid was pushed too wide to put one in the empty net.  But this team knows how to hold on now, and it’s not just four consecutive home wins: it’s four consecutive home wins with the other team’s net empty at the end of the game: 1:34 last night, 1:09 the night before, 1:18 on Jan. 3rd (6×4 for :27), and 2:10 on Jan. 4th (6×4 for :45).

The win pushed the 2015 senior class — Reid, Vanderlugt, forward and assistant captain Craig Pierce (Roswell, Ga.), defenseman Graeme Strukoff (Chilliwack, B.C.), and defenseman Ben Reinhardt — to seven Division I wins in their final season, two more than their first three seasons combined.  “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” said Pierce, who played in his 100th game as a Charger on Saturday night.  “We’ve been real good at home in 2015 at home.  We didn’t like how we played last weekend at Bemidji, so we’re happy to come back here and get four points in the WCHA.”

The Chargers are off of NCAA play next weekend as they host the US National Team Development Program’s Under-18 team in 2:00 p.m. Central contests on Saturday and Sunday.  UAH will then travel to Houghton, Mich. to face Michigan Tech before a weekend off and their third and final trip to the UP of the year to face Lake Superior in the Soo.  That matchup could be key in determining which WCHA squad gets an early tee time in March.  More on the probabilities of teams making the WCHA playoffs coming this week on wchaplayoffs.com.

UAH 2, NMU 1

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… and the other two were against the #6 team in the country.  Suffice it to say that the boys are on a bit of a roll at home.  Where you could write off the win over Lake Superior and the sweep of Alaska-Anchorage as doing the job of beating the teams below you in the WCHA standings, beating Northern Michigan — and better, their top-flight goalie — is a whole other kettle of fish.  The Wildcats are the first ranked team — in the sense that the team has been ranked at any point in the season — that the Chargers have defeated in 2014-15, and after playing Omaha to 1-2 and 3-3 scores, you could tell that they were on the edge.

Don’t it make you feel bad
When you’re tryin’ to find your way home,
You don’t know which way to go?
If you’re goin’ down South
They go no work to do,
If you don’t know about Chicago.

You know why there’s no work down South?  Because the Chargers already did it all.

The homestanding Alabama-Huntsville Chargers moved 6-16-3 (5-12-0 WCHA, good enough for 8th place) on the 2014-15 season off the strength of an early 2-0 lead over Northern Michigan (9-7-5, 6-7-4 WCHA) that the boys held on to despite a 14-2 Wildcat shots-on advantage in the third period.  Sophomore goaltender Carmine Guerriero (Montréal, Qué.) moved to 6-9-2 on the season, while Wildcat junior goaltender Mathias Dahlström (Smedjebacken, Sweden) fell to 9-5-3.

There was little significant action in the first period as the teams felt each other out; the score sheet is marked only by three minor penalties (two elbowing minors to UAH, a goalie interference infraction on NMU) and twelve shots on goal, seven for the visitors and five for the home squad.

Things were far, far different in the second.  The Chargers again picked up a pair of minors — another elbowing whistle and one for roughing the goalie — but the key things were two UAH goals.

UAH forward Jack Prince (Leicester, England)

UAH forward Jack Prince (Leicester, England)

Junior forward Jack Prince (Leicester, England) got scoring started for the Chargers, taking a feed from freshman forward Max McHugh (Seattle, Wash.) on a brief rush, winding up from the left-wing faceoff dot to push the puck under Dahlström’s arm (13 sv).  The goal was Prince’s fourth of the season, and McHugh’s assist was his ninth, tying him with freshman defenseman Brandon Parker (Faribault, Minn.) for the team lead while extending his scoring lead.

“That’s the kind of play that we work on in practice,” UAH coach Mike Corbett says.  “Everyone does it: feed a guy on the wing, rip a shot, pounce on the rebound.  This time, the puck went in on the initial shot.”

UAH defenseman Frank Misuraca (Clinton Township, Mich.)

UAH defenseman Frank Misuraca (Clinton Township, Mich.)

Corbett is famous for saying that “there ain’t a lot of one-shot goals“, but both Charger goals on Friday night were twine-seeking missiles.  The game-winner came off the stick of junior defenseman Frank Misuraca (Clinton Township, Mich.), his fifth of the season.  “There was a scrum on the right half-wall,” Misuraca said, “and the puck came to Kestner.  I was calling for it, and he threw a back-hand pass off the boards up to me, and I just put my head down, gathered the puck, and shot it as hard as I could.”  While freshman forward Josh Kestner (Huntsville) was not credited with an assist, it seems likely that he will be in a scorer’s revision.

From that point, it was about holding on to a hard-fought lead.  A goal by sophomore forward Shane Sooth (Canyon Country, Calif.) broke up Guerriero’s shutout bid (32 sv).  The Chargers’ last shutout remains a 1-0 win by Cam Talbot (Caledonia, Ont.) in the 2010 CHA tournament semifinal. You have to go back to October 25, 2003 for the last home UAH shutout, a 6-0 win over Connecticut shared by Adam McLean (Woodstock, Ont.) and Scott Munroe (Moose Jaw, Sask.).

Senior forward and team captain Doug Reid (Innisfil, Ont.) had high praise for Guerriero’s effort.  “He’s been rock solid,” Reid said.  “We knew that it was going to be a goalie battle, too, and he stood out.  When asked about the last goal, both the captain and the coach spoke of a lull in the Charger defense.  “I think that guys were just standing around and watching the puck,” Reid said, “and they took advantage of it and got a luck bounce.”

35-Guerriero

UAH goaltender Carmine Guerriero (Montréal, Qué.)

 

Guerriero was sharp in net, but it wasn’t just Huntsville’s favorite French-Canadian keeping pucks out of the net.  “We had a lot of guys sacrificing their body,” Misuraca said.  “I know that we had a couple of guys get hit up high in the chest by pucks on the penalty kill.”  Assistant coach Gavin Morgan added, “You know what?  [Guerriero] looked great, but the guys are playing well in front of him.”

It’s clear that things are different in Huntsville.  The Chargers are on a three-game home winning streak, an occurrence whose last appearance goes back to the 2009-10 season, culminating in the final home win by the Chargers prior to the Lake State win.  “We’re trying to change the culture,” Corbett said.  “We’re still making it hard for ourselves, but at least they’re aggressive penalties.”

A win streak longer than three goes all the way back to 2005-06, when the Chargers ripped off a staggering ten-game home winning streak, sweeping Air Force 1/6-7, Robert Morris 1/13-14, Bemidji State 2/3-4, RIT on 2/10-11, and Wayne State on 2/24-25.  We’ve talked about that last game in the past, as it’s the high-water mark of Charger hockey at 132 games over .500.  The Chargers went 11-1 at home that season.

Home series are where the Chargers will make their hay.  With both Alaska-Anchorage and Lake Superior winning last night, the Chargers’ hold on eighth place — seventh if you pull the Nanooks out of the standings — remains tenuous.  UAH does pull back to within three points of Bemidji in 7th/6th with the win, but they will need help.

The Chargers’ home WCHA slate to finish has Saturday night’s tilt against Northern and then series against Ferris State (whom the Chargers defeated in Big Rapids) and Alaska (whom the Chargers took the Nanooks to OT).  Getting six points out of those five games would get the Chargers to 16.  The road isn’t as kind, with contests against Tech and BG, who handled the Chargers pretty handily in Huntsville earlier this season; the other road series is a trip to the Soo, and both teams will have that marked as a roadblock on the way to the Final 4ive.

7:07 p.m. Central in Huntsville Saturday night: will the streak continue?