Category Archives: 2017-18

Chargers make themselves at home with 5-1 win over UAA

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It may be just the first game, but the Chargers took a step toward establishing their presence they have missed at Von Braun Center.

UAH opened its home season with dazzling plays and timely goals, entertaining a homecoming and Military Appreciation Weekend crowd of 3,128, in a 5-1 victory over Alaska Anchorage on Friday night.

BOX SCORE

UAH (3-6-0 overall, 2-1-0 WCHA), which had won only two games at home last season, got two goals from Brennan Saulnier as the Chargers had 40 shots on goal against the Seawolves (1-7-1, 1-2-0).

“That’s as complete a game that we’ve played since I’ve been here,” said UAH head coach Mike Corbett, now in his fifth season. “It was nice to see. Power play, penalty kill, 5-on-5 … we dominated the first half of the game. We were able to get our shot totals and put some by their goalie.”

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fYQUYEynDI[/embedyt]

 

The first period was all Chargers, who dominated puck possession and were making plays that got the crowd into it. UAH had 24 shot attempts, and 19 were on net. UAA only had 10 attempts with four on goal.

Saulnier was seemingly everywhere, and he got UAH on the board early at 2:18 on the power play. He found a spot from the slot to beat UAA goaltener Olivier Mantha for his fifth goal of the season. He was assisted by Austin Beaulieu and Kurt Gosselin.

Mantha, a senior who known for his ability to keep the Seawolves in any game, was a big reason the Chargers’ lead wasn’t larger.

Saulnier struck again in the second, with a wrister from the left circle for a 2-0 UAH lead with 15:08 left. At six goals, Saulnier matches his season high in just nine games.

“For myself, our power play has really been clicking,” Saulnier said. “I’ve been finding the open areas and getting my shots off.

It was also the first time the Chargers scored the first goal of the game this season.

“It was nice to get the first one tonight and I felt like we were just rolling after that,” Saulnier said.

“That first goal was a big one for him, because he shows the poise,” Corbett said. “He outwaits the goalie and then he scores the goal.

“Our best players have to be the best players and he was one of them tonight.”

The Seawolves answered at 7:06 when UAA’s leading scorer Austin Azurdia fired a shot past Jordan Uhelski high from close range.

But any momentum the Seawolves may have gained did not last long. UAH regained its two-goal advantage at 10:30. Cam Knight’s doorstep shot led to a scramble in the UAA net.  Beaulieu got a shot in, then Christian Rajic put in a rebound for a 3-1 lead. It was Rajic’s third goal of the season.

“We eliminated the big mistake tonight,” Corbett said. “Even when we made a mistake and they scored their goal, we were able to come right back with our third goal.”

UAH took a 4-1 lead when John Teets made a beautiful centering pass to Levi Wunder, who fired it from the slot for his first collegiate goal.

In the third period, Anchorage came out stronger and made Uhelski work a bit more. But he was up to the task, making saves and recovering rebounds. He finished with 16 saves on UAA’s 17 shots on goal.

“It’s tough when you don’t really get a lot of action during the game, you kind of lull a little bit,” Uhelski said. “Honestly, it’s just staying even keel the whole game, making sure I don’t get too high or too low, and when it was time to step up and do my part for the team, I was ready.

“It was just a battle in front. Obviously, I’m not the biggest guy, so I’ve got to be looking around, I’ve got to be moving, I’ve got to be really active as far as locating that puck and jumping on it. But my ‘D’ made it really easy for me because anytime there was a scrum they were clearing the guys out, and I just cover the puck.”

“We tried to play a little more cautious and sometimes that can be our Achilles’ heel when you let off and let them back in the game,” Saulnier said. “U-Haul played really well in that third period for us. He was our best player in the third period.”

Madison Dunn put in an empty-netter with 1:52 to go for the final 5-1 score and another eruption from the crowd, which was larger than any crowd last season.

“The crowd was amazing tonight. It was electric in there,” Saulnier said. “It was like having an extra guy on the ice all night. We fed off that.

“I really like our team this year. We work hard, got a good group, and I think we showed it tonight that we’re going to contend in the WCHA.”

Game two of the series is Saturday night at 7:07 p.m. at the VBC as homecoming an Military Appreciation Weekend continues.

Three stars of the game:
1. Brennan Saulnier, UAH (2 goals)
2. Austin Beaulieu, UAH (2 assists)
3. Connor Wood, UAH (2 assists)

Road-weary Chargers look to establish home presence

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The Chargers have completed the first quarter of their season, with all eight games on the road against tough competition.

It started with two losses at No. 8 Notre Dame, which is now ranked No. 6 in this week’s USCHO.com poll. Then a split at then-No. 15 Michigan Tech. Then two losses at Cornell, which has moved up to No. 14. Then a trip across the country last week to Arizona State, where the Chargers forged a split.

Mike Corbett

UAH head coach Mike Corbett (UAH Athletics/Doug Eagan)

Although they only won two of the eight games, UAH head coach Mike Corbett found positives they can build on moving forward.

“I like where we’re at,” Corbett said. “We probably had one stinker game in there where I thought we didn’t compete, but in reality three of the four series were against top 20 teams and I’ll put a paycheck that Cornell will be in the top 10 in two weeks. Obviously, the competition was good.”

It will help that the Chargers will spend the next three weeks at home (finally). UAH hosts Alaska Anchorage this weekend for the home opening series, followed by Lake Superior State and Ferris State the following two weeks.

“Homecoming weekend is to establish a good home presence, get people in the building this first weekend of the year and get them excited about hockey since we’ve been on the road,” Corbett said. “We can also cure our wounds a little bit. We’re a little road weary.”

That home presence has been lacking the past couple of years. Out of the Chargers’ nine wins last season, only two were at the Von Braun Center. UAH was 6-20-6 the last two seasons at home.

“We’re also trying to establish a little bit of home ice advantage for us,” Corbett said. “A lot of times we played well, the only bad thing is the home team lost.

“We’re watching Anchorage and what they’re doing and some of their tendencies, but we’re still establishing our identity as a team right now. We’re playing five or six freshmen up front, and they’re getting more and more comfortable every weekend and we need them to chip in a little bit more. The focus is going to be on us over the course of the next three weekends.”

Defensively, the Chargers have given up 3.5 goals per game so far this season, ninth in the WCHA.

“We’ve all got to be come better defensively,” Corbett said. “We’ve done a good job of minimizing shots on goal for the most part. We’re in that 25 to 32 range, which is similar to most teams in the country.

“Now we need our goaltending to be 90 or 91 percent on a consistent basis. The biggest thing is we need to eliminate some of those bombs that end up in the back of your net. It’s not just our defensemen, it’s our team defense.”

The goaltenders have posted a combined .886 save percentage so far, with senior Jordan Uhelski starting six games and freshman Mark Sinclair starting two. Uhelski was in net for the Chargers’ two wins.

“I think right far as our goaltending is that they’re still neck-and-neck,” Corbett said. “Jordan played very, very well in the two games he’s won, but we need consistency in our net. You got both guys who we like and believe can do the job, and now it’s going to be who wants to step up and grab that job.

“We’d like to ride one goaltender, but not until one of them consistently starts playing at the level we believe they can. To put it nice and simple, just make the saves he needs to make.”

Offensively, UAH has had to deal without playing two top centers, Max McHugh and Jordan Larson, who will both remain out for some time.

Brennan Saulnier

Brennan Saulnier (UAH Athletics/Doug Eagan)

Meanwhile, Brennan Saulnier has four goals already this season, tied with fellow senior Josh Kestner for the team lead. Saulnier has always shown what he can do with the puck, but has also been known to rack up penalty minutes.

“A lot of people criticize him for his play, but we love his fire, ” Corbett said. “We’re re-channeling that fire.

“He’s matured, and he sees that he’s a senior and there’s a leadership position for him on our team. And with Max and Larson out, we need him to be a point producer, focused and dialed in to be an offensive threat every time he’s out on the ice.”

Tyler Poulsen has also started strong with three goals in seven games. Christian Rajic has made an early mark as a freshman with two goals and two assists.

Kurt Gosselin and Cam Knight continue to contribute from the blue line with four and three assists, respectively. Gosselin remains a scoring threat himself with two goals.

The power play is ahead of last year’s pace at 15.4 percent, but it recently had a stretch of 23 straight opportunities without a goal before breaking through in Saturday’s win at Arizona State.

“Against Cornell we hit the post three times,” Corbett said. “Early on against Arizona State, we had a little trouble getting in the zone and set up. But we’re moving the puck pretty well.

“You want to score a goal on the power play, but the biggest thing you want to do is, worst-case scenario, is giving you positive momentum. Even during the 0-for-23 stretch, it was  more frustration because we hit posts, missed some backdoor plays, got pucks flubbing off some guys’ sticks, and not because they’re not ready. We were still getting opportunities and it was continuing to provide momentum for us. It wasn’t demoralizing for our team.

“We’ve made a few tweaks here and there in the zone, putting guys in different situations, so we’re still kind of figuring it out a little bit.”

On the flip side, the penalty kill has been struggling at 73.9 percent. The PK was pivotal in the two wins, however, at 92.4 percent.

“Hans Gorowsky is our only returning penalty killer,” Corbett said. “We had to retrain Madison Dunn, who’s doing a good job and getting it. We didn’t have (Adam) Wilcox in the first weekend to be able to play some additional minutes on the penalty kill, and he’s a quality penalty killer who knows what he’s doing.

“It’s not your standard penalty kill that not a lot of kids coming from juniors are used to. To be able to get them thinking how we need them to think is going to take some time.”

That includes Levi Wunder and Andrew Dodson, two freshmen who are getting minutes on the penalty kill.

“With everything that we’ve had to deal with in the WCHA in the course of my four years is, you have got to distribute minutes. So we’ve got to be able to get some of those freshmen in on the special teams.”

The Chargers will use the time at home to rest up and build some cachet, because the next road trip is even longer and more grinding. Three straight road trips before an off week for Christmas, and then “hell starts”: Three straight weeks on the road, starting at Bemidji, then directly to Fairbanks and Anchorage.

“Once again, it’s about managing our team,” Corbett said. “We want to put ourselves in position for that last stretch of games in the fourth quarter (when UAH plays its last eight games at home), that we’re knocking on the door for the playoffs.

“We’re going to have to take care of our home rank, the old .750 at home and .500 on the road. We started out .500 on the road in the WCHA, so we have a good start and we’ve got games at hand. We’ve got to take care of those games at hand right now, especially at home.”

Festivities abound for Chargers’ home opening series

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The Chargers are finally playing at home this weekend, and there will be a lot going on.

UAH hosts Alaska Anchorage at the Von Braun Center this Friday and Saturday, with puck drop at 7:07 p.m. both nights.

Homecoming is this weekend, and all UAH alumni get free admission. The homecoming king and queen will be announced at Saturday’s game.

Military Appreciation Weekend is presented by AUSA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Lockheed Martin and the UAH Office of Research and Economic Development. Military service members, veterans, Army civilians and their families can get free general admission with their military ID.

Soldiers are enlisted during last year’s Military Appreciation Weekend. (UAH Athletics/Doug Eagan)

The first 500 fans on Saturday receive a free camo rally towel. During the first intermission on Saturday, there will be a mass enlistment of Soliders into the Army.

In addition:

  • Free general admission will be available to all kids 12 and under, courtesy of Huntsville International Airport.
  • The first 500 fans at Friday’s game receive a free set of UAH Hockey trading cards, courtesy of Wells Fargo.

Blue Line Club luncheon: The first Blue Line Club luncheon is Friday at noon in the Varsity Room at Spragins Hall on the UAH campus. Terranova’s will be catering an it is free to Blue Line Club members.

Alaska Anchorage coach Matt Thomas and UAH coach Mike Corbett will be on hand to talk about this weekend’s series and their respective programs.

Chargers bedevil ASU to split series

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The Chargers defeated Arizona State 3-1 on Saturday night in Tempe, Arizona, to force a series split and put a happy end to a long and occasionally frustrating road swing to start the season.

UAH (2-6-0) overcame a 1-0 deficit with two second-period goals and held the Sun Devils (2-6-2) to 19 shots on net.

BOX SCORE

UAH came out firing and making ASU goaltender Joey Daccord work in the first period, something the Chargers didn’t do in their 3-2 loss on Friday. UAH had 14 shots on goal Saturday as opposed to just one on Friday.

However, the Chargers couldn’t convert any of those shots into goals. They had some good looks, including a Levi Wunder breakaway and a Brennan Saulnier shot that trickled in the crease before finally being cleared.

On the other end, the Sun Devils only managed two shots on goal despite having three power play opportunities.

While the first period was relatively quiet, the second period was anything but.

Kurt Gosselin got a boarding penalty at 5:06, and ASU converted on the power play with a Brinson Pasichnuk goal for a 1-0 lead. UAH has given up the first goal in all eight games this season.

But the Chargers quickly with a tic-tac-toe goal. Cam Knight sent it forward to Gosselin in the slot, who tapped it to Christian Rajic in the right circle, who beat Daccord to tie the game at 1-1. It was Rajic’s second goal of the season.

Things got rough after that. With 10:25 left in the second, Steen Pasichnuk was assessed a five-minute major penalty after boarding Gosselin. A fracas in the corner of the UAH end ensued after that, resulting in two roughing calls on both sides.

During UAH’s major power play, each team traded minor penalties, but the Chargers finally got a power play goal. Brennan Saulnier, out of the box following a high-sticking call, one-timed a Gosselin pass from the right side to give UAH a 2-1 lead with 5:28 left in the period. Connor James got the second assist for his first point of the season.

The goal ended a long drought on the power play for UAH, which had failed in its last 23 opportunities dating back four games to Oct. 21 at Michigan Tech.

The Sun Devils came out strong in the third period, and applied plenty of pressure on UAH goaltender Jordan Uhelski. ASU put 11 shots on net in the period, but Uhelski used the body and glove to stop them all.

ASU played the last minute with Daccord on the bench for the extra attacker and produced a last flurry, but Josh Kestner was able to fire in the clinching goal, his fourth of the year, from the neutral zone with 26 seconds left.

The win ends a 13-game losing streak for UAH against non-conference opponents.

Senior defenseman Brandon Parker was not in UAH’s lineup on Saturday, missing his first game since his freshman season. Parker had played in 105 consecutive games for the Chargers.

Next up, UAH hosts Alaska Anchorage at the Von Braun Center for a WCHA home-opening series. Puck drop is 7:07 on Friday and Saturday for Homecoming and Military Appreciation Weekend.

UAH loses first game against Arizona State, 3-2

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The first game in the battle of the Sun Belt goes to Arizona State.

The Sun Devils defeated the Chargers 3-2 Friday at Oceanside Ice Arena in Tempe, Arizona.

BOX SCORE

UAH (1-6-0) continued to struggle offensively, particularly on the power play. The Chargers were 0-for-6, and have not scored in their last 20 power play opportunities.

Arizona State, in its third season as an NCAA Division I program, improved to 2-5-2.

As they have for all seven games so far this season, the Chargers allowed the first goal.

On a 4-on-3 power play, Jakob Stridsberg beat UAH goaltender Mark Sinclair on a one-timer from the right circle for a 1-0 Sun Devil lead at the 7:40 mark of the first period.

In the offensive zone, UAH had plenty of shot attempts in the first period, but only one — by Brennan Saulnier with 1:48 left — was on net. Eight of the Chargers’ chances went wide, and six were blocked by the Sun Devils.

The Chargers finally got to make ASU goaltender and Ottawa Senators prospect Joey Daccord work in the second period, putting 10 shots on him. But the one goal they scored was on a bad turnover.

Nick Gushue tried to pass the puck around the back boards, but Brennan Saulnier was there to intercept it behind the ASU net. Saulnier then wrapped it around past Daccord for a 1-1 game at the 1:45 mark of the second period.

Stridsberg put the Sun Devils back up 2-1 almost four minutes later, putting in a rebound for his second goal of the game.

UAH had three chances to tie it up on the power play, but it continued to struggle.

The Devils had a chance to extend their lead on a penalty shot after Cam Knight slashed Anthony Croston on a shorthanded breakaway with 10:50 left in the second. Sinclair was patient and made the save.

ASU did get its two-goal lead at 5:13 of the third, when captain Dylan Hollman beat Sinclair while falling in the slot.

UAH pulled within 3-2 with 1:18 to go with the extra attacker when Kurt Gosselin scored his second goal of the season, assisted by Hans Gorowsky.

Sinclair finished with 19 saves on 22 ASU shots on goal.

Also complicating matters was UAH’s faceoff situation. UAH only won 19 of 62 faceoffs.

UAH has now lost 13 straight games against non-conference opponents. The last chance to break the streak for this season is in the series finale, which is Saturday night at 9:05 p.m. Central Time.

Preview: UAH at Arizona State

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Where: Oceanside Ice Arena, Tempe, Ariz.
When: Friday, 9:05 p.m.; Saturday, 9:05 p.m. (CDT)
Watch: ASU Live Stream
Team stats: UAH | Arizona State

Charger update: Not much went right last week as UAH (1-5-0) was swept at Cornell by scores of 5-1 and 3-0. It was the third of four straight road trips to start the season. The Chargers finally play at home next week against Alaska Anchorage.

UAH will need to find its offensive against the Sun Devils. After scoring goals eight in two games at Michigan Tech, the Chargers only scored one at Cornell — by Brennan Saulnier with 3:08 left in the first game. UAH only had 11 shots on goal in the second game.

Special teams will also need to step up. The power play sputtered to 0-for-12 against Cornell. Meanwhile, the penalty kill allowed four goals in 13 opportunities.

This will be the last non-conference series of the season. The Chargers have lost 12 straight games outside the WCHA.

Charger leaders:
Tyler Poulsen (Jr., F, 3 goals-2 assists-5 points in 5 games played)
Josh Kestner (Sr., F, 3-2-5 in 6 GP)
Brennan Saulnier (Sr., F, 2-2-4 in 6 GP)
Cam Knight (Jr., D, 0-3-3 in 6 GP)
Jordan Uhelski (Sr., G, 3.82 goals against average, .890 save percentage in 5 starts)

UAH Tale of the tape
(NCAA rank)		 Arizona State
1-5-0 Overall record 1-5-2
2.00 (T-55th) Goals/game 2.25 (T-51st)
4.00 (56th) Goals allowed/game 3.38 (T-45th)
14.7 (15th) Pen. minutes/game 12.2 (T-29th)
17.2% (T-33rd) Power play 8.3 (56th)
73.7 (T-47th) Penalty kill 78.8% (36th)

About the Sun Devils: Arizona State is 1-5-2 so far in its third season as a NCAA Division I varsity program. ASU remains the only independent in Division I after discussions with the WCHA and the NCHC did not produce an agreement.

The Sun Devils won their season opener at home against Massachusetts, but have since gone winless in their last seven games.

ASU also had trouble scoring at an ECAC opponent last week, losing 3-0 and tying 1-1 at Colgate.

Players to watch:
Jakob Stridsberg (Jr., D, 3-2-5 in 8 GP)
Anthony Croston (Jr., F, 2-3-5 in 8 GP)
Dylan Hollman (Sr., F, 1-4-5 in 8 GP)
Louie Rowe (Jr., F, 1-4-5 in 8 GP)
Joey Daccord (So., G, 2.97 GAA, .918 save pct. in 7 starts, Ottawa Senators prospect)

Series notes: This is the first meeting between UAH and Arizona State. Next season, the Sun Devils visit Huntsville on Oct. 19-20, 2018.

Back in the club era, UAH twice played a team from the state of Arizona. The Chargers defeated Northern Arizona 6-2 in the 1982 national semifinals and Arizona 7-4 in the 1983 national semifinals, both en route to U.S. National Club Championships.

This week in the WCHA: All times are Central. Games featuring WCHA teams at home can be seen on WCHA.tv.

Thursday, Nov. 2
Ferris State at Michigan, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 3
UAH at Arizona State, 9:05 p.m.
* Alaska Anchorage at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m.
* Bowling Green at #20 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
* #9 Minnesota State at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
* Bemidji State at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.
Ferris State at Michigan, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 4
UAH at Arizona State, 9:05 p.m.
* Alaska Anchorage at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m.
* Bowling Green at #20 Michigan Tech, 6:07 p.m.
* #9 Minnesota State at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m.
* Bemidji State at Alaska, 10:07 p.m.

* WCHA conference game.

UAH comes up empty at Cornell in 3-0 shutout

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UAH found nothing but frustration in Ithaca, N.Y., this weekend, falling 3-0 to Cornell on Saturday as the Big Red completed a dominant series sweep.

The Chargers (1-5-0) managed only 11 shots on goal against the Big Red (2-0-0) as they lost their 12th straight non-conference game. They’ll finish their out-of-WCHA schedule next week at Arizona State.

BOX SCORE

Including Cornell’s 5-1 win on Friday, the Chargers managed only one goal in the series. UAH’s power play was almost nonexistent, going 0-for-12 for the weekend.

The Chargers didn’t get many opportunities to score in the first period, even with two power play chances. UAH only had four shots on goal to the Big Red’s nine.

After UAH’s first power play expired, Cornell responded with a 3-on-1 break, leading to a 1-0 lead 3:05 into the game on Matt Nuttle’s goal. The opponent has scored first in all of the Chargers’ six games this season.

UAH probably had its best power play of the weekend early in the second period with some good passing, but only had one shot on net.

Cornell then scored on its next power play, with Trevor Yates getting his second goal of the series on Jordan Uhelski’s doorstep with 10:35 left in the second.

The Chargers were in a bind late in the second period with three straight penalties. Kurt Gosselin was called for hooking and slashing with 25 seconds left, then Brandon Parker got a cross-checking penalty seven seconds later to set up a two-man advantage for Cornell.

UAH was able to kill all the penalties early in the third period, but could not convert it into much offensive pressure.

But the Chargers were still in it down 2-0, up until Brennan Saulnier’s boarding penalty with 3:53 to go. Trevor Yates struck again on the power play to make it 3-0.

While UAH’s power play floundered, Cornell finished 4-for-13 in the series with the advantage.

The frustration then vented over for UAH. Ten seconds after the goal, Gosselin committed a high-sticking penalty that also drew a 10-minute misconduct.

Uhelski finished with 19 saves on 22 Cornell shots on goal.

Cornell freshman goaltender made all 11 saves for the shutout.

Cornell takes control, beats UAH 5-1

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UAH couldn’t withstand the attack of Cornell in the second and third periods in a 5-1 loss Friday night in Ithaca, N.Y.

UAH (1-4-0) had a feverish attack late in the first period thanks to plenty of power play opportunities, but Cornell (1-0-0) weathered the storm and took over the game.

BOX SCORE

UAH’s losing streak against non-conference opponents is now at 11 games.

Cornell scored the opening goal on the power play. Cam Knight went off for interference at 4:35, and only four seconds later, Alec McCrea scored as the puck went through a thick screen and past Jordan Uhelski.

UAH had extensive chances to score late in the first period as Cornell piled up some penalties.

Alex Rauter got a slashing call with 3:58 left, and then Noah Bauld checked Brennan Saulnier from behind into the boards. Bauld got a five-minute major and a game misconduct, giving the Chargers a two-man advantage.

The Chargers got many a shot on Cornell freshman goaltender Matthew Galajda, but could not break through. The Big Red killed off the Rauter penalty, but after Yanna Kaldis tripped Josh Kestner, UAH had another 5-on-3 opportunity to finish the first period.

UAH ended up with a 16-7 shots on goal advantage but found itself down 1-0 at intermission.

The Big Red killed off the Kaldis penalty and the major to start the second period, and then went on the attack.

When Christian Rajic went off for tripping, Cornell scored quickly on their ensuing power play again. Trevor Yates made it 2-0 with a goal just five minutes into the second.

Less than two minutes later, Morgan Barron made it 3-0 after putting in a rebound after a 2-on-1.

The Chargers’ best chance in the second period came when Tyler Poulsen, back after sitting out last week’s series finale at Michigan Tech, had a breakaway, but he ended up in the net instead of the puck after Galajda made the save.

UAH simply could not mount a comeback, getting only three shots on goal in the third period. Meanwhile, Jeff Malott added two goals in the third period for a 5-0 Cornell lead.

Brennan Saulnier prevented the shutout with his second goal of the season with 3:08 left in the game. Poulsen and Connor Merkley got the assists.

Uhelski finished the game with 26 saves. Galajda had 28.

Game two of the series is Saturday night at 6 p.m. Central Time. The game can be seen via subscription to the Ivy League Network.

Preview: UAH at Cornell

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Where: Lynah Rink, Ithaca, N.Y.
When: Friday, 6 p.m.; Saturday, 6 p.m. (CDT)
Watch: Ivy League Network

Jordan Uhelski

Charger update: UAH (1-3-0 overall, WCHA 1-1-0) earned a split at Michigan Tech in its first WCHA series of the season last week. After losing 5-4 in game one, the Chargers beat the Huskies for the first time ever by a 4-2 score in the second game.

UAH’s special teams were the story in Houghton. After going 1-for-10 at Notre Dame to start the season, the Charger power play went 4-for-7 at Michigan Tech, boosting its season efficiency to 29.4 percent. The penalty kill, which struggled in the first game, came up big in the victory, keeping MTU off the scoreboard in its eight power plays.

Josh Kestner scored two goals and one assist in the series, giving him five points for the season to lead the team. Kurt Gosselin also had a three-point weekend, helping him get WCHA Defensive Player of the Week along with his six blocked shots. Tyler Poulsen scored his third goal of the season on Friday.

Jordan Uhelski played both games between the pipes and made 74 saves, the most in the NCAA for the week. He lifted his save percentage to .908 on the season to go with his 3.69 goals against average in three starts.

About the Big Red: Cornell was 21-9-5 overall in 2016-17, finishing third in the ECAC with a 13-4-5 league record. The Big Red reached the ECAC championship game (losing to Harvard) and the NCAA Northeast Regional semifinals (losing to UMass Lowell).

Cornell is predicted to finish third again in this season’s ECAC preseason media and coaches’ polls behind Harvard and Quinnipiac.

The Big Red, who have six NHL draft picks, return the core of their offense from last season, led by junior co-captain and All-Ivy League selection Mitch Vanderlaan.

The biggest question for Cornell may be its goaltending, which belonged to the graduated Mitch Gillam for the last three seasons. Hayden Stewart is the Big Red’s lone returning netminder, having only two games played last season (.947 save percentage, 1.35 goals against average).

Players to watch:
Mitch Vanderlaan (Jr., F, 15 goals-13 assists-28 points in 2016-17)
Trevor Yates (Sr., F, 12-10-22 in 2016-17)
Anthony Angello (Jr., F, 12-8-20 in 2016-17)
Yanni Kaldis (So., D, 1-13-14 in 2016-17)
Morgan Barron (Fr., F, 6th-round pick by New York Rangers)

Series notes: Cornell leads the all-time series 3-0-1, with two series played in Ithaca in 2001 and 2010. UAH tied Cornell 2-2 in the last meeting on Dec. 4, 2010.

This week in the WCHA: All times are Central. Games featuring WCHA teams at home can be seen on WCHA.tv.

Friday, Oct. 27
UAH at Cornell, 6 p.m.
* Alaska at Bowling Green, 6:37 p.m.
* Ferris State at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
* #16 Michigan Tech at #12 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
Lake Superior State at Michigan State, 6:05 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 28
UAH at Cornell, 6 p.m.
* Alaska at Bowling Green, 6:07 p.m.
* Ferris State at Bemidji State, 7:07 p.m.
* #16 Michigan Tech at #12 Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m.
Lake Superior State at Michigan State, 6:05 p.m.

* WCHA conference game.

UAH beats Michigan Tech for the first time, 4-2

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UAH got its first ever victory over 15th-ranked Michigan Tech on Saturday, beating the Huskies 4-2 in Houghton.

The Chargers, whose first win of the season earned a series split, were 0-13-2 all-time against Michigan Tech and 0-8-1 at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena.

BOX SCORE

The Chargers (1-3-0 overall, 1-1-0 WCHA) came up big on the penalty kill, which had struggled in the first three games of the season. Michigan Tech (4-2-1 overall, 2-1-1 WCHA) came up empty on eight power plays, including four in the third period alone while UAH was nursing a two-goal lead.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmjGIhVBiPk[/embedyt]

 

Jordan Uhelski was a big reason for the victory, and not just during the penalty kill. The senior goaltender made 41 saves, limiting rebounds and getting the cover ups when needed.

The Chargers were outshot 43-20, partly a result of being shorthanded a bunch, but got the timely goals: one on the power play and one shorthanded.

UAH had to play without its leading goal scorer in Tyler Poulsen, who was suspended by the WCHA on Saturday for his vicious elbow hit on Raymond Brice in the third period of Friday’s game.

Michigan Tech got on the board early again in this game, with Thomas Beretta one-timing a centering pass in the slot over Jordan Uhelski at the 4:56 mark.

UAH’s hot power play got its first shot after Cooper Watson checked Madison Dunn into the boards. And Kurt Gosselin tied the game … twice.

First, Gosselin ripped one from the high slot to beat Tech freshman goaltender Robbie Beydoun, who was making his first collegiate start, with 11:15 left in the first. However, the officials waved the goal after consulting the video replay.

No matter. Thirty-two seconds later on the power play, Gosselin did a replay of his own, and this time it counted. Gosselin’s first goal of the season tied the game at 1-1, assisted by Brandon Parker and Brennan Saulnier.

It was the fourth straight power play opportunity converted by the Chargers.

Beydoun got the quick hook, and MTU coach Joe Shawhan put in Patrick Munson, last night’s goalie, in net.

The Huskies, who scored three power play goals their 5-4 win on Friday, got three power play chances after Gosselin’s goal, but UAH was able to kill them off without incident.

MTU had plenty of scoring chances, however, and was able to put 17 shots on goal in the first period to UAH’s four. Uhelski kept steady, stopping 16 of them.

The Chargers made their fourth shot on goal count, taking a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Josh Kestner, driving toward the net, backhanded a Christian Rajic pass in mid-air past Munson with 3:57 left in the period.

Connor Merkley got the second assist on the goal for his first career point at UAH.

The Chargers were able to get more consistent offensive pressure and limiting Michigan Tech in the second period. The Huskies still had a shots advantage in the period, but it was only 13-10.

UAH got the lone goal of the second, however, and this time it came on the Huskies’ power play.

With Saulnier in the box for a roughing penalty, defenseman John Teets picked off a puck near the Charger blue line for a breakaway, then scored on a trickler between Munson’s legs for a 3-1 lead with 9:31 remaining in the frame. It was UAH’s first shorthanded goal of the season.

UAH had to withstand a continuous onslaught by the Huskies in the third period, partly because the Chargers couldn’t stay out of the penalty box. MTU had four power plays in the final frame, but couldn’t convert on any.

It wasn’t until a mistake at center ice led to a two-on-none that Tech was able to cut UAH’s lead to 3-2 with 2:10 left. Gavin Gould had an easy open net as Uhelski had no chance.

Tech was forced to pull Munson for the extra attacker, but Hans Gorowsky was able to score on the empty netter with 1:17 remaining to regain the two-goal advantage and the final 4-2 score. Brandon Salerno and John Teets got the assists.

UAH’s season-opening road swing continues next Friday and Saturday with a series at ECAC opponent Cornell.