Category Archives: 2014-15

Hoof Beats: Special improvement

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Brears

Chad Brears has four power play points (1-3-4) to lead UAH thus far this season. (Photo credit: UAH Sports Information)

The Chargers are 3-3-2 in their last eight games, which in itself is enough to surpass all of last season’s win and non-loss totals. The improvement in record is also showing in the stats, particularly on special teams.

While a 1.93 goals per game offense isn’t great (50th of 59 Division I teams), it’s still better than last season’s dead-last 1.08. The defense has also improved, going from 4.37 goals per game last season (also dead last) to 3.07 so far this year (44th in D-I).

What’s remarkable is the improvement on special teams. Last season, UAH was also 59th of 59 in both power play (8.8 percent) and penalty kill (70.5 percent). This season, UAH is 24th in power play (18.2 percent) and 29th in penalty kill (84.5 percent).

According to collegehockeystats.net, the Chargers are second in the nation in combined special teams (the sum of power play goals scored and penalties killed divided by the total power play opportunities for and against).

The penalty kill in particular has been noticeable during the last eight games, as the Chargers have killed 88.2 percent of penalties — and it would have been even higher save for the three third-period power-play goals Air Force scored to force a tie on November 8. The game accounts for half of the power play goals UAH has allowed in the past four weeks.

UAH has gotten a lot of penalty killing practice, however. The Chargers are sixth in the country in penalty minutes at 17.2 penalties-in-minutes per game. In the last four games, opponents have had 32 power play opportunities, an average of eight per game. Fortunately, opponents have scored on only three of those chances.

Huskies come to town hungry: Michigan Tech, this weekend’s opponent at the Von Braun Center, was the No. 1-ranked team with a perfect 10-0 record going into last week’s clash at home against No. 9 Minnesota State in a key WCHA clash. The series didn’t disappoint in terms of drama, but Tech was on a short end of a couple of one-goal losses (2-1 and 3-2), dropping the Huskies to No. 6 in the USCHO.com poll and No. 5 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll released Monday.

Still, Michigan Tech will be the second-highest ranked team to visit Huntsville. Last season, St. Cloud State swept both games from UAH as the third-ranked team in Division I.

UAH is 2-29-2 all-time against teams ranked in the top 10 in the USCHO.com poll. The last victory came on Oct. 9, 2009, when the Chargers stunned No. 5 Notre Dame in South Bend, 3-2.

The Huskies are still in first place in the WCHA with an 8-2 record and 16 points, two more than Minnesota State (7-1) and Bowling Green (7-1).

This week’s promotions: The first 1,000 fans attending Friday’s game against Michigan Tech will receive a free UAH mini hockey stick courtesy of Maynard’s. On Saturday, the first 500 fans get a set of UAH hockey trading cards, courtesy of Wells Fargo. Puck drop for both nights is 7:07 p.m.

For all home games this season, all kids 12 and under get free admission courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.

Toys for Tots: Please consider bringing an unwrapped toy or a donation for Toys for Tots at Saturday’s game:

Blue Line Club luncheon: Before every home series, come meet and greet with the coaches at the Blue Line Club luncheon. This Friday at noon at the Varisty Room, Michigan Tech head coach Mel Pearson and UAH head coach Mike Corbett will speak.

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

Ferris State 5, UAH 2

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While UAH had a fine first two periods, the wheels came off in the third period, as the homestanding Ferris State University Bulldogs (7-6-0 overall, 4-4-0 WCHA) pulled away to win 5-2 and secure a conference split at the Robert L. Ewigleben Arena in Big Rapids, Mich.  The loss dropped UAH to 3-9-2 on the season and 2-6-0 in WCHA play.  No worries, though: Bemidji lost, too, so we’re still tied with the rodents in the league standings.

The Chargers scored early again in this one, as freshman defenseman Richard Buri (Nitra, Slovakia) ripped a shot from the point off of a draw by freshman forward Max McHugh (Seattle, Wash.) to junior forward Chad Brears (Cold Lake, Alta.) just 2:29 into the contest.  The visitors then held serve for the next ten minutes or so, going on the power play at 12:10 when Ferris freshman forward Mitch Maloney (Macomb, Mich.) kicked freshman defenseman Brandon Parker (Fairbault, Minn.) behind the Chargers’ net and received a major penalty and match disqualification.

The hopes for an early 2-0 lead were quickly dashed when Ferris junior forward Matt Robertson (Rohnert Park, Calif.) picked up a puck along the wall in the Bulldogs’ defensive zone and saw sophomore teammate Chad McDonald (Battle Creek, Mich.) with time and space.  The pass was good for the first of Robertson’s four assists on the night, and McDonald went forehand-backhand before roofing the puck past the outstretched blocker of UAH sophomore netminder Carmine Guerriero (Montréal, Que.) for the first of his two goals just :16 into the major.  The SHG was the fourth that the Chargers have allowed this year.

Robertson made his presence known halfway through the second, stick-handling through the defense between the circles before finding Islanders draftee and sophomore forward Kyle Schempp (Saginaw, Mich.) for the go-ahead goal at 10:05.  The Chargers struck back a couple of minutes later when freshman forward Brennan Saulnier (Halifax, Nova Scotia) fed junior defenseman Frank Misuraca (Clinton Township, Mich.) the puck at the point.  Misuraca’s strong shot bounced right to senior forward Jeff Vanderlugt (Richmond Hills, Ont.), who pounded the puck past Ferris senior netminder C.J. Motte (St. Clair, Mich.) to tie the game at two with 4:22 left in the second period.

And at that point, it was pretty okay for the Chargers.  They out-shot the Bulldogs 11-9 in the first and 12-9 in the second — more SOG in 40:00 tonight than they had in a full game last night.  But a facemasking penalty on Brears at 19:35 of the 2nd, combined with a cross-checking penalty to Ferris junior defenseman Brandon Anselmini (Guelph, Ont.) sent the teams to the locker room at 4-on-4, an option that isn’t to the Chargers’ strength.

McDonald struck :26 into the period off of a feed from Robertson, and it was on.  Ferris State outshot UAH 17-7 in the final frame, including a goal from sophomore forward Jared VanWormer (Traverse City, Mich.) at the tail end of Brears’s major.  At that point, it got rough.  Saulnier had already taken two cross-checking minors, and then he picked up a major high-sticking penalty.  Ferris killed the advantage :48 later, but then McHugh ran into Motte 1:56 into the major and 1:02 into the 4-on-4.

UAH was back to killing the 5-on-4 major penalty when Guerriero interfered with a Bulldog, sending Misuraca to the box, a place Frank has only been to twice this season.  1:01 later, Guerriero committed another infraction, this time sending senior defenseman Graeme Strukoff (Chilliwack, B.C.) to the box to serve his roughing penalty.  McDonald also went off for a misconduct penalty at the same time.  Mind you, there are still four seconds remaining on Saulnier’s major at this point.

Sophomore forward Matt Salhany (Warwick, R.I.) went off at 17:35 for roughing, and Schempp followed :11 for hooking.  In all, eight penalties were called in the third, three involving goalies, two by a goalie, and an extended 4-on-3.  The Chargers were at full strength just 10:25 of the second period, and that just won’t cut it.

Saulnier was really in trouble again tonight, and that just can’t keep happening.  Brears’s facemasking penalty was pretty borderline to my eye, as both players were making the same motions and it just seems that Chad’s fingertip got caught in a hole in the grid as he pushed the player’s head back in a scrum.

The Chargers came into the game averaging 15.8 PIM/G, but they racked up twice that tonight.  In fact, that average has been steadily climbing, with PIM totals of 16, 16, 16, 22, 18, and 36 tonight.  This has to be a worrying trend.  Yes, the PK was 8-for-9 tonight and has killed 29 of their last 32 penalties, but you just can’t keep doing that and expect positive results all of the time.

Special teams are indeed a strength for the Chargers, who have had positive events in 79 of 128 situations, a 61.7% rate that is second in the nation behind Harvard, but those 128 opportunities are tied for the third-most in the country with Colgate behind Minnesota-Duluth (138) and Miami (131).  But until guys like Salhany and fellow sophomore forward Cody Marooney (Eden Prairie, Minn.) have turned themselves into Steve Charlebois (1999-2003, Carbon, Alta.) or Jason Hawes (1999-2003, Perth, Ont.), the Chargers are playing with fire.

Ferris junior forward Kenny Babinski (Midland, Mich.) concluded the scoring with an empty-net goal at 19:01.  Guerriero ended up with 30 saves and drops to 3-5-1 on the season.  Motte pushes to 7-6-0 on the strength of a 28-save effort.

The Chargers face Michigan Tech at the VBC next weekend.  The Huskies came into the weekend as the #1 team in the country, but Minnesota State swept them in two one-goal games in Houghton.  Look for the dogs to come a-barking.

UAH 3, Ferris State 2

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The boys are back.  I repeat, the boys are back.

The Alabama-Huntsville Chargers (3-8-2 overall, 2-5-0 WCHA) never trailed in this hockey game, scoring in the first two minutes and holding the lead for the next 31:08.  The homestanding Ferris State Bulldogs (6-6-0 overall, 3-4-0 WCHA) pulled even midway through the second, but two third-period goals pushed the home fans to the brink, and the Chargers held on for a 3-2 win at the Robert L. Ewigleben Arena in Big Rapids, Mich.

The Chargers are now 3-1-1 in their last five games.  Their last two-game win streak against Division I opponents came when that Cam Talbot guy was in net, backstopping the Herd to the 2010 CHA Championship.  The last stretch of at least 3-1-1 was also in 2010, when UAH won the replacement game from the Amy Bishop shooting at Niagara, lost by one goal and tied Bemidji at the VBC next weekend, and then beat Robert Morris and the Purple Eagles for that NCAA berth.

If you want to look at the last three-game winning streak, it also comes that season: two wins at home against Niagara, a road win there before being called home, then a home win against the Colonials.  Oh, and last night, Talbot shut out the Flyers and Bemidji alumnus Matt Read.  #CHAForever

There are three major stories to the evening’s proceedings.  They are: junior forward Chad Brears (Cold Lake, Alta.), an overtaxed but strong penalty kill, and sophomore netminder Carmine Guerriero (Montréal, Que.), who made his fourth start in five games.

Brears

Brears hadn’t lit the lamp all season, but he did it twice tonight on five shots-on-goal.  His first goal came at 1:48 of the first, when a splendid feed across the goal mouth from freshman forward Max McHugh (Seattle, Wash.) and an entry pass from senior defenseman Graeme Strukoff (Chilliwack, B.C.) gave him the time, space, and angle that he needed to rip the puck hard past Ferris senior goaltender CJ Motte (St. Claire, Mich., 6-6-0, 15 sv).  The primary assist put McHugh temporarily atop the team’s scoring chart.

Brears would score the game-winning goal on the power play in the third, when a point shot rattled from freshman defenseman Brandon Parker (Faribault, Minn.) around and found his stick after touching that of junior forward Jack Prince (Leicester, England).  The assists for Parker and Prince pushed them to six points, alongside McHugh.  It was a fine night for Chad.  Cheers, buddy.

Penalty Kill

After giving up three, third-period power play goals against Air Force, the Chargers limited Lake Superior to one on Friday and none in ten on Saturday.  Tonight, the Chargers again had problems staying out of the box, committing nine minor penalties resulting in eight power play chances for the homesteading Bulldogs.  The Chargers nearly killed them all, but the Bulldogs struck gold on their seventh when sophomore forward and New York Islanders draftee Kyle Schempp (Saginaw, Mich.) scored to make it a 3-2 game.

A late-period interference penalty by Strukoff led to the Bulldogs pulling Motte for an extra attacker with around :50 left.  While you hate to see them get all the opportunities, the fact is that the Chargers have killed 21 of their last 23 penalties, a 91.3% clip that’s well above their season rate of 84%.

One concern that I (and I’m sure that many of you as well) have with all the penalties is that you take Prince off of the ice.  Anyone who’s watched UAH play even-strength hockey for any length of time has come away with good impressions of Prince and his freshman linemates Brennan Saulnier (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and Josh Kestner (Rocket City, U.S.A.).  Prince leads the team in shots on goal (30) despite losing ice time every time that his team is down by a man or more.  Saluter is second with 24 and Kestner fifth with 19.  With UAH mired at 1.92 goals per game, you want your volume shooters out there as often as you can.

Guerriero

What is there to say about Guerriero?  Last year’s squad struggled with puck possession, and when they did finally get it across the center line, they were often there just to dump, change, and chase.  What we’re seeing right now is a lot better than that, but it still starts between the pipes for the Chargers.  CG35 made 36 saves as the Bulldogs outshot UAH 38-18.  If he wasn’t the best player in blue out on the ice tonight — you could argue that Brears was — he was in the top two or three.

The confidence that exudes from Guerriero radiates out through his teammates, and it’s really clear to me that Parker and fellow freshman defensemen Cody Champagne (Brookfield, Conn.) and Richard Buri (Nitra, Slovakia) know what to do with the puck when they get just a little room to move it out of the zone.  Combine their work with that of Strukoff, senior Ben Reinhardt (Arnprior, Ont.),  junior Frank Misuraca (Clinton Township, Mich.) ,and sophomore Brandon Carlson (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and the Chargers have a solid D core that feels like it improves every weekend.

But it’s always going to stop and start with the fantastic Québécois, who pushed his GAA down to 2.23 and his SV% up to .939.  The WCHA is clearly a goalies’ league, what with Motte (8th), Northern Michigan’s Mathias Dahlström (Smedjebacken, Sweden, 1st), and Michigan Tech’s Jamie Phillips (Caledonia, Ont., 2nd) all in the top ten of Division I net minders in terms of goals-allowed average.  Guerriero currently stands at 31st, but more outstanding efforts from him that are coincident with his teammates limiting shot opportunities and strongly possessing the puck could see him pick up his first collegiate shutout.  (I’m sure that folks in Bemidji might start in here by saying something about small sample sizes, but the only people that take that course at Bemidji are math majors, and …)

Random thoughts

  • The go-ahead goal from junior forward Alex Carpenter (Portage, Mich.) was a fantastic workmanlike goal.  He and Saulnier worked to corral a bouncing puck low.  Carpenter hasn’t gotten to play competitive hockey since 2010-11, his final year in the USHL.  After not getting ice at Western Michigan, he came to Huntsville and seems to have found a place to play after sitting out a transfer year.  Alex, we’re excited for you.
  • Sophomore forward Cody Marooney (Eden Prairie, Minn.) just kept popping off of my TV screen tonight.  He had two shots on goal, stick-checked a number of pucks, and was really active on the PK.  The Shattuck St. Mary’s product should be joined next season by his brother Joey.
  • Carlson (3), Brears, and Marooney were the only Chargers with more than one SOG.  I’d do something with ±, but they don’t have that for our players.

So the hopes for tomorrow:

  1. Six or fewer minor penalties, no majors.
  2. Fewer than 30 SOG.
  3. At least 28 SOG.
  4. A road sweep.

Keep up with the game tomorrow night, and we’ll be back then.

Oh, one last thing: while the Chargers are 3-1-1 in their last five matches, the hated Bemidji State Beavers are 0-5-0.  The teams are tied for sixth in the WCHA standings with four points apiece.

Series Preview: at Ferris State, Nov. 21-22

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The Chargers head to Big Rapids, Mich., this Friday and Saturday to face the Ferris State Bulldogs.

CATCHING THE GAMES
Times: 6:07 p.m. CT Friday and Saturday
Online video: WCHA.tv (subscription)
Online audio: WDEE-FM
Live stats: Click here
Twitter: @weloveuahhockey, @uahhockey, @FerrisHockey
More previews: UAHChargers.com
FerrisStateBulldogs.com

All-time series: Ferris State leads the series 9-2, including a 6-0 record in Big Rapids dating back to UAH’s first-ever varsity game in 1985. Last season, the two teams met for their WCHA series in Huntsville, where the Bulldogs won 5-0 and 3-2. The last time the Chargers were at Ferris State was in February of 2011, won by the Buldogs 5-2 and 5-1.

Chargers recap: UAH (2-8-2 overall, 1-5-0 WCHA) snapped a 31-game home winless streak against Division I opponents on Saturday and earned a split against Lake Superior State. The Chargers are 2-2-2 in their last six games.

On Friday, Carmine Guerriero stopped 33 of 34 shots, but the Chargers could not find the net as Lake Superior State won 1-0.

On Saturday, Guerriero started back-to-back games for the first time at UAH, and the Chargers responded offensively in a 5-2 victory. Jeff Vanderlugt had three points on the night, and was one of five different scorers (Cody Marooney, Richard Buri, Max McHugh, Vanderlugt, Jack Prince). It was the Chargers largest offensive output against a Division I opponent since 2010. UAH killed all 10 Laker power plays.

The Chargers now have five players with five points to lead the team: Max McHugh, Brandon Carlson, Jack Prince, Matt Salhany, and Brandon Parker. McHugh and Frank Misuraca each have three goals. UAH has 20 points from freshmen this season — a third of the team’s total.

Guerriero now sports a 2.27 goals against average (6th in the WCHA) and a .938 save percentage (4th in the WCHA).

UAH Tale of the tape
WCHA rank in parentheses		 FSU
2-8-2
1-5-0 WCHA		 Record 6-5-0
3-3-0 WCHA
1.83 (9th) Goals/game 2.27 (7th)
3.00 (6th) Goals allowed/game 1.64 (3rd)
15.7 (2nd) Pen. minutes/game 14.4 (4th)
18.4% (4th) Power play 8.2% (9th)
83.6% (7th) Penalty kill 90.5% (4th)

About the Bulldogs: Ferris State (6-5-0 overall, 3-3-0 WCHA) finally exploded offensively in a sweep at home against Alaska-Anchorage. After scoring just 11 goals in their first 10 games this season, the Bulldogs put a 10-spot on the Seawolves last Thursday, then shut out UAA 4-0. FSU has won four of six.

The Bulldogs have been relying heavily on their senior all-star goalie, C.J. Motte. A top-10 Hobey Baker finalist last season, Motte has posted a 1.58 goals against average and a .948 save percentage so far in 2014-15.

Offensively, FSU is led by junior Matt Robertson, who has nine points (four goals, five assists). Sophomore Gerald Mayhew — who was the WCHA’s Offensive Player of the Week for his five-point weekend against Alaska-Anchorage — also has four goals, and sophomore Chad McDonald has five. Senior defenseman Jason Binkley has five assists.

Around the WCHA: It’s a marquee matchup in Houghton, as Michigan Tech — the new No. 1 team in Division I — hosts Minnesota State. The Huskies are the only unbeaten and untied team in the nation at 10-0-0 after a sweep at Bemidji State last week. Tech is 8-0-0 in WCHA play, while the ninth-ranked Mavericks are tied with Bowling Green with a 5-1-0 conference record.

This is the first weekend with all 10 teams in conference action. Elsewhere, Bowling Green hosts Bemidji State, Alaska is at Lake Superior State, and Northern Michigan is in Anchorage.

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

Friday, November21

* UAH at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
* Bemidji State at #18 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
* Alaska at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m.
* #9 Minnesota State at #1 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
* #17 Northern Michigan at Alaska-Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.

Saturday, November 15

* UAH at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
* Bemidji State at #18 Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
* Alaska at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m.
* #9 Minnesota State at #1 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
* #17 Northern Michigan at Alaska-Anchorage, 10:07 p.m.

UAH 5, LSSU 2: It’s Been a Long Time

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Hey, UAH won at home tonight!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WzG64syKHA

The last Division I home win was back in January 2011 over our least favorite rodents, Bemidji State, a game where Matt Baxter (Toronto, Ont.) scored two of UAH’s three power-play goals and an unassisted, shorthanded goal by (That Damn) Matt Read wasn’t enough to bring the Beavers level.  It may seem a little painful to think about all what I’ll write next, but I think that it’s important.  Why?  This is another turning point.  This is the way up.  This is our road back to .500.

So the last time UAH won a D-I home game:

So let’s talk about why they won.

“Our PK was 10 for 10, and our power play was 3-for-3,” junior forward Jack Prince (Leicester, England) said.  It’s not often that you can say that your special teams are 100%, and tonight it was for us.  When your special teams are 100%, that’s usually going to be a good result, and for us, tonight, it was.”

Prince’s power-play goal put the nail in the coffin in a 5-2 defeat of WCHA foe Lake Superior State University.  The Lakers fall to 2-10-0 (2-6-0 WCHA) on the season, while the Chargers improve to 2-8-2 (1-5-0).

There were significant changes to the lineup.  Senior defenseman Graeme Strukoff (Chiliwack, B.C.) was in and senior defenseman Ben Reinhardt (Arnprior, Ont.) was out.  Junior defenseman Anderson White (Caledon, Ont.) was in so that sophomore defenseman Brandon Carlson (Huntington Beach, Calif.) could play forward.  Sophomore forward Regan Soquila (Maple Ridge, B.C.) and junior forward Alex Carpenter (Portage, Mich.) left the forward rotation for Carlson and senior forward Jeff Vanderlugt (Richmond Hill, Ont.) respectively.

But the most important lineup move was one that didn’t make a change, as sophomore goaltender Carmine Guerriero (Montréal, Que.) again started in net for the Chargers.  His 23-save effort was enough to move him to 2-4-1 on the season.

For UAH coach Mike Corbett, playing Guerriero both nights was an instinct.  “He was the best player on the ice.  Matt Larose didn’t lose his spot.  [Guerriero]’s playing so well that we just had to give him the extra game.”  Throughout their tenure as a tandem, neither Guerriero nor Larose had started both nights of a weekend, though each had come to relieve the other for the bulk of a start before playing their full game.  The change surprised many, including both Michael and me.

When I spoke with Guerriero late last season, I asked him what he’d be working on over the summer.  I hadn’t even finished the question when he responded with one word: “Conditioning.”  It always felt to me that Corbett felt uneasy about playing either goaltender both nights regardless of the success from the Friday game.  Witness the Air Force weekend: after a solid night on Friday, Carmine gave way to Matt on Saturday, who stopped 36-of-39.  Even after stopping 61 shots in a game last season, Guerriero knew that he’d have to come back stronger for his sophomore campaign.

“I worked hard this summer with my goalie coach, and I think that it paid off, honestly,” Guerriero said.  He was effusive in his praise for his teammates — despite enduring 10 power plays, UAH allowed just 25 shots on goal.  “I was just there in case they needed me.”  When asked if he missed the extra work, he said, “That’s okay.  I like it.  It’s what I’m there for.”

Senior captain Doug Reid (Innisfil, Ont.) was elated after the win.  “It feels great, and it’s been a long time coming,” he said of his first Division I home win.  “We knew that we had to come in and compete.  We really out-worked them, and we got the result that we wanted.”

Reid praised his teammates’ work on the PK.  “We play a very disciplined game when killing penalties.  We know that we’re a defensive team, so our focus is to just get to the puck and get it out.”

The Chargers got goals from five different skaters.  Sophomore forward Cody Marooney (Eden Prairie, Minn.) got the first goal of the night with a shorthanded marker that came most of the way through a bench minor served by Prince for too many men on the ice.  Marooney forced a turnover with pressure and sliced right through the Laker defense and past freshman netminder Gordon Defiel (Stillwater, Minn.), who had just 25 saves on the night.

Freshman defenseman Richard Buri (Nitra, Slovakia) scored fifteen seconds after serving a minor tripping penalty to push the Chargers to 2-0 5:22 into the second period.  Laker goals off of the sticks of senior forward and assistant captain Chris Ciotti (Oxford, Mich.) and sophomore forward Garret Clemment (Wausau, Wisc.) knotted the game up at two apiece with just 3:23 left in the second.

But a tripping penalty by sophomore forward Gus Correale (Prince George, B.C.) set up the Chargers’ power play with their first opportunity of the night after killing seven Laker power plays.  Freshman forward Max McHugh (Seattle, Wash.) made the Lakers pay for their sin a minute into the advantage, and the Chargers would retain a one-goal lead into the third.

The UAH offense would turn into overdrive in the final frame, peppering Defiel with ten shots, including a power-play marker by Vanderlugt in his first action in two weeks.  Prince would roof the puck to finish the Lakers off, laughing off an early miscue.  “I had a wide open net early and hit the post, and I knew then that it would be a long night.”

The Chargers travel to Ferris State next weekend for a tilt against the tough Bulldogs, who nearly doubled their season scoring output with fourteen goals this weekend against Alaska-Anchorage.  “I’m super excited,” Guerriero said.  “It’s a nice rink and very rowdy.  We just want to keep up this momentum that the boys have and pick up two W’s on the road.”

And then there’s Michigan Tech in two weeks, who are the likely #1 when the next round of polls come out, as they defeated Bemidji State tonight to move to 10-0-0 (thanks, boys) while the other unbeaten all lost this weekend.  “I’m excited for that as well,” Guerriero said.  “It’s a challenge, and we want the opportunity to show everyone what we’re capable of.”  The Huskies go to Mankato next weekend to face the Mavericks, and the Verizon Wireless Center is a tough place to play.  That said, the Huskies are rolling right now, and we could have the #1 team in town the day after Thanksgiving.

Lake State 1, UAH 0

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See, I’ve been sitting on this idea that I’d start any tweet of a Brennan Saulnier goal with “BETTER CALL SAUL!”  Unfortunately for the Chargers, the freshman forward from Halifax, Nova Scotia took two major penalties, and the best efforts of the Charger penalty killers, led by Carmine Guerriero (33sv, Montréal, Que.), could not keep all Laker shots out of the net.  Lake Superior State University junior forward Bryce Schmitt (Minot, N.D.) bested Guerriero (1-4-1) on Saulnier’s second major, and that’s all she wrote.

The Chargers’ penalty problems worked against them in this contest.  The home squad spent seven of the last eight minutes of the first period with a man in the penalty box.  Even so, the Chargers led the shots on goal race 11-9 after the first 20 minutes.

The second period was not as kind, as the Lakers outshot UAH 16-6 after a minor interference penalty to Richard Buri (Nitra, Slovakia) followed by a major one to Saulnier gave the Lakers plenty of opportunity to turn the west end of the Propst Arena into a shooting gallery.  A late-period power play for UAH didn’t prove fruitful, as freshman goaltender Gordon Defiel (Stillwater, Minn.) stopped all of those shots on his way to a 26-save shutout performance and the win (2-7-0).

The third period was largely uneventful, with no penalties called and the teams each putting nine shots on net.

This was a frustrating game for everyone, to be sure.  After a win and a tie last weekend at Air Force, everyone was feeling it — and we all had high hopes for Saulnier, who was the WCHA Rookie of the Week for his efforts in Colorado Springs.  Lake Superior isn’t setting the world on fire, either, and we all know that there are playoff implications for this series.

Should Saulnier sit out on Saturday night?  I certainly argued for it in the moment earlier tonight.  I think that he might do so if the Chargers had depth, but they don’t, as senior forward Jeff Vanderlugt (Richmond Hill, Ont.) has been absent from the lineup after his auspicious start, which likely means that he is injured.  (I have not discussed his status with any of the coaches.)  Vandy is a key cog in the Chargers system, a big body with good skills who led the team in goals and points his sophomore year and was tied for third in goals last year.  Corbett doesn’t have any depth: UAH has started just 13 forwards all season.  Corbett would have to dig into the guys he brought in to fill out the roster, and I’m fairly sure that he doesn’t want to do that in a league matchup.

I’m focused on the penalty situation so much because it obscured the rest of the game.  Killing 16 minutes of penalties wears a team down, and a team with UAH’s scoring woes — seven goals last weekend notwithstanding — will find it hard to net many goals when they have the luxury of three forwards on the ice.  After those first twelve minutes, UAH had difficulty establishing a lot of flow in the way that we saw last weekend.

It will come.  Let’s hope that it comes tomorrow night and we can get our first league win out of the way in November.

Series Preview: vs. Lake Superior State, Nov. 14-15

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The Chargers are back home, resuming WCHA play and hosting Lake Superior State on Friday and Saturday.

It’s Military Appreciation Weekend, and all veterans and active personnel get free admission to both games. On Saturday, the first 500 fans will receive free camo rally towels. For all home games this season, kids 12 and under get in free courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.

CATCHING THE GAMES
Times: 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Tickets: Ticketmaster: Friday | Saturday
Complete ticket information
Promotions: Veterans, active military, and
kids 12 & under get free admission
Fri.: Trading cards
Sat.: Camo rally towels
Details
Online video: WCHA.tv (subscription)
Live stats: UAHChargers.com
Twitter: @weloveuahhockey, @uahhockey, @LakeStateHockey
More previews: UAHChargers.com
LSSULakers.com

All-time series: The Chargers and Lakers have met eight times since 2005, with Lake Superior holding a 5-2-1 advantage in the series.

The Lakers have won all four meetings at the Von Braun Center, including two one-goal games (2-1 and 3-2) last season.

Chargers recap: UAH (1-7-2 overall, 0-4-0 WCHA) had its best weekend in quite a while at Air Force.

On Friday, Jost Kestner’s goal with 1:53 left in regulation was the game-winner in UAH’s 4-2 victory. Cody Champagne, Frank Misuraca, and Jack Prince (with the empty-net clincher) also scored, and Carmine Guerriero stopped 24 of 26 shots in net as the Chargers recorded their first win of the season.

On Saturday, UAH took a 3-0 lead in the second period with Max McHugh and Craig Pierce (twice) scoring in a span of 5:08. However, three power play goals in the third by the Falcons forced a 3-3 tie. Matt Larose made 36 saves.

It was the first weekend since Dec. 2012, a sweep of Division III Finlandia, where the UAH did not lose, and the first since the 2010 CHA Tournament against Division I opponents. It was also the first 3-point weekend on the road since the Chargers tied and beat Robert Morris on Dec. 4-5, 2009.

Friday night will be senior captain Doug Reid’s 100th game with the Chargers. He has two goals and 12 assists in his UAH career.

UAH Tale of the tape
WCHA rank in parentheses		 LSSU
1-7-2
0-4-0 WCHA		 Record 1-9-0
1-5-0 WCHA
1.70 (8th) Goals/game 1.60 (9th)
3.30 (8th) Goals allowed/game 3.80 (10th)
15.0 (3rd) Pen. minutes/game 8.2 (10th)
12.5% (7th) Power play 7.0% (9th)
80.8% (9th) Penalty kill 82.4% (8th)

About the Lakers: Lake Superior State (1-9-0 overall, 1-5-0 Atlantic Hockey) is coming off an idle week. The Lakers’ last action came two weeks ago at Alaska-Anchorage, where a 3-2 overtime victory forced a series split and snapped a nine-game losing streak to start the season. LSSU is looking to rebuild under first-year coach Damon Whitten.

Like the Chargers, Lake Superior State has had problems scoring goals consistently, netting only 16 in 10 games (UAH has 17). Junior forward Bryce Schmitt leads the Lakers in goals and points so far with three and five, respectively. Senior Stephen Perfetto and junior Austin McKay each have two.

Defensively, the Lakers are last in the WCHA in goals allowed (3.80 per game). They have had to rely on two freshmen goaltenders: Gordon Defiel (eight starts, 3.41 goals against average, .908 save percentage), and Kevin Aldridge (two starts, 3.90 GAA, .845 save pct.).

Around the WCHA: Two other league series are on tap for the weekend. No. 5 Michigan Tech puts its perfect record on the line at Bemidji State, and Ferris State hosts Alaska-Anchorage in a Thursday-Friday series.

In non-conference action, Bowling Green has a home-and-home with in-state rival Ohio State. Friday night’s game is at Bowling Green and Saturday’s game is in Columbus.

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

Thursday, November 13

* Alaska-Anchorage at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.

Friday, November 14

* Lake Superior State at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
* Alaska-Anchorage at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m.
* #5 Michigan Tech at Bemidji State, 7:37 p.m.
Ohio State at #19 Bowling Green, 7:07 p.m.

Saturday, November 15

* Lake Superior State at UAH, 7:07 p.m.
* #5 Michigan Tech at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
#19 Bowling Green at Ohio State, 6 p.m.

Idle: Alaska, #9 Minnesota State, #18 Northern Michigan

Hoof Beats: LSSU series could have playoff implications

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This weekend at the Von Braun Center, the Chargers will be battling for a playoff spot.

UAH (1-7-2 overall, 0-4-0 WCHA) hosts Lake Superior State (1-9-0 overall, 1-5-0 WCHA) on Friday and Saturday (7 p.m. both nights). The Chargers were picked to finish 10th again in the league, while Lake Superior State, which is in rebuilding mode after finishing 9th last season, is expected to finish 9th again.

Only the top eight in the WCHA make the playoffs — that was, until Alaska was hit with a posteason ban this season as punishment for NCAA rules violations last week. Instead, the 9th-place team will qualify (unless it’s Alaska).

Of course, it’s still early, but whoever is more successful this weekend could have the upper hand in making the WCHA tournament, especially if it comes down to tiebreakers. The Chargers and Lakers meet again in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., on February 13 and 14.

For UAH, making the postseason would be big. Our underclassmen would get valuable playoff experience for the future. Our seniors would get the playoff experience they may not have expected when they signed on at UAH, which would be a nice sendoff for their college careers.

While the opportunity for the Chargers to make the WCHA playoffs is nice, it’s unfortunate that it comes at the expense of the Alaska Nanooks. UAH alum Lance West is an assistant coach on that club, and it’s unfair that the current players are being punished for compliance and administrative errors committed years ago.

The Nanooks have struggled as of late, losing five in a row after starting the season with five straight wins. Like the Chargers, they are 0-4 in WCHA play this season.

This week’s promotions: This is Military Appreciation Weekend at the VBC, sponsored by Wells Fargo and Torch Technologies. All veterans and active military personnel get free admission to both games. On Saturday, the first 500 fans will receive free camo rally towels.

Kids ages 12 and under get free admission to all home games this season, courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.

Blue Line Club luncheon: Before every home series, come meet and greet with the coaches at the Blue Line Club luncheon. This Friday at noon at the Varisty Room, Lake Superior State head coach Damon Whitten and UAH head coach Mike Corbett will speak.

LawLers Barbecue is catering. Tickets are $8 at the door, and free for Blue Line Club members.

Recruiting news: The Chargers picked up a commitment on Sunday, as defenseman Kurt Gosselin announced he will play for UAH. The Brighton, Michigan, native currently plays for the Alberni Valley Bulldogs of the British Columbia Hockey League, where he has four goals and 11 assists in 13 games this season.

Last week, Huntsville native and UAH commit Ted Rotenberger was traded from the Topeka RoadRunners to the Springfield Jr. Blues. Rotenberger is already getting more playing time, playing in all three games for Springfield this past weekend.

Stat packs: Numerical notes about the Chargers:

  • Out of the 17 goals the Chargers have scored this season, 13 have come in the second period. UAH has scored one goal in the first period (Friday’s game at Air Force), and three in the third (two of which were also from Friday’s game at Air Force).
  • Out of the 33 goals the Chargers have allowed, 16 have come in the third period.
  • With a win and tie at Air Force, the Chargers had a “3-point weekend” on the road for the first time since a trip to Robert Morris on Dec. 2009.
  • The seven goals scored over the weekend at Air Force were the most against Division I opponents since Nov. 26-27, 2010 (a 5-1 loss to Bowling Green and a 6-1 win over Connecticut at the RPI Holiday Classic).
  • UAH is now unbeaten against Air Force in its last four games at Colorado Springs (3-0-1). The Chargers’36 varsity wins against Air Force are the most against any opponent.
  • Carmine Guerriero’s .934 save percentage now ranks fifth in the WCHA. While there’s still plenty of season left, Guerriero is on pace to break Derek Puppa’s UAH all-time single-season record, which is .932 set in the 1995-96 season.

 

Saulnier named WCHA Rookie of the Week

Brennan Saulnier

Courtesy UAH Sports Information

Brennan Saulnier was named the WCHA’s Rookie of the Week on Monday after helping the Chargers notch a win and a tie at Air Force over the weekend.

Saulnier had two assists in UAH’s 4-2 win on Friday. His first came on Cody Champagne’s late first-period goal that tied the game at 1, and the second was on Josh Kestner’s game-winning goal with 1:53 left in the contest.

The Halifax, Nova Scotia freshman has played in all 10 games for the Chargers, scoring a goal and three assists.

Minnesota State’s Teddy Blueger was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week (UAH’s Craig Pierce was nominated for this two-goal performance on Saturday). Bowling Green goalie Tommy Burke was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week (UAH’s Carmine Guerriero was nominated for stopping 24 of 26 shots in Friday’s win).

UAH hosts Lake Superior State in WCHA action Friday and Saturday at the Von Braun Center. Puck drop is 7:07 p.m. both nights.

UAH 3, Air Force 3

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It was the best of seconds, it was the worst of thirds.  It was the age of the Bulldog Line, it was the age of bad penalties and worse kills.  It was the epoch of belief that maybe we had turned the corner, it was the epoch of incredulity that we blew a three-goal lead.  It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.  We had a road sweep before us, we had a blown three-goal lead before us.  We were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the sin bin.  In short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

It was a tie, but man, I never expected to be disappointed in a three-goal weekend against a non-conference opponent.  (Okay, WCHA brethren, we did our job for PWR help.)

UAH scored three goals in 5:08 in the second half of the second period, two off of the stick of senior forward Craig Pierce (Roswell, Ga.) to take their first three-goal lead against a Division I foe since a road game against Maine in February 2012.  In fact, that game also saw a hot line, with forwards Kyle Lysaght (Marietta, Ga.), Justin Cseter (Menomomie, Wisc.), and Mac Roy (Chiliwack, B.C.) each netting a goal and two assists.

Pierce’s goals came as the Bulldog Line brought the pressure to Falcon sophomore goaltender Chris Truehl (Stoughton, Wisc.), with Pierce streaking through the slot to pick up rebounds from sophomore forward Brent Fletcher (New Westminster, B.C.) and then senior forward and captain Doug Reid (Innisfail, Ont.) to finish a flurry of UAH scoring attempts.

Unfortunately for UAH, the Falcons must have read the script from that Maine game during the second intermission, as the Falcons equaled the Black Bears’ three-goal output in the final regulation frame.  After killing the first nine penalties of the weekend, UAH conceded three power play goals in four opportunities, the last two coming just 1:31 apart, to bring the game to level 5:48 in regulation.

Unlike last night, there were no late-game heroics.  But unlike that Maine result, the Chargers kept the puck out of their net in the overtime, and the boys in blue hop a plane ride home with three more points in the CHA standings (hey wait) but sadly without their first road sweep in five years (also against Air Force).

Mike Corbett is now 2-3-1 all-time against the Serratores.

There was a lot to like in this game.  Chief among them is sophomore goaltender Matt Larose (0-4-1, Nanaimo, B.C.), who was solid in net (36 sv).  Next comes the pressure from the aforementioned Bulldog Line, who played good transition hockey and really brought the pressure from the tops of the circles on in.  Third was the forechecking game, which wavered in the first part of the second period but was always at least passable the rest of the game — and often better than that.

In the end, what we’ll all remember from this one is that the boys had a three-goal lead and gacked it with four third-period penalties and a fifth from the second that carried 1:48 into the third.  Setting yourself up to kill nearly half the period in penalties is asking for disaster, and that’s exactly what the Chargers got in this one.  Simply put, the Chargers have to learn how to win games like that, and staying out of the box is high on the list of things that influence that, even if the refs are making bad calls.

We’ll see you next week at the VBC for games against Lake Superior State University.  Puck drop is 7:07 Central both nights.