Colorado College, which was held to a single goal in Friday's overtime loss to Minnesota, has a lot riding on today's game against North Dakota. CC is ranked fourth in the PairWise rankings, while the Fighting Sioux are ranked fifth. The winner of today's game is projected to be the top seed in the NCAA West Regional at World Arena, while the other is expected to be the second seed.
Coach Scott Owens said after Friday's game that he and his staff would have a lengthy discussion about whether to play starting goaltender Richard Bachman. It seems the CC coaches decided playing for that top seed was worth it because Bachman is listed as the starter.
As I mentioned above, CC was held to a single goal Friday--that's the first time the Tigers haven't scored at least two goals in a game. Owens made the first significant change to the top three lines since January, moving left wing Scott McCulloch to the fourth line and shifting Derek Patrosso, who typically plays right wing, to the second-line left wing spot. This is similar to the lineup CC went with in November's split with North Dakota (here).
A few comments:
--Minnesota goaltender Alex Kangas was as good as advertised. The 20-year-old freshman (a couple months older than Richard Bachman) is on a hot streak. How will CC do against North Dakota's Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, who took his second loss in three games after leading the Sioux to an 18-game unbeaten streak? Should be another goaltending battle.
--Minnesota's defense was much improved over October. The Gophers kept CC's shots to the outside and did not allow the Tigers to get rebounds. To get prime scoring opportunities against North Dakota, CC has no choice but to be gritty.
Lines:
Colorado College
21 Bill Sweatt -- 14 Chad Rau -- 25 Mike Testwuide
16 Derek Patrosso -- 19 Andreas Vlassopoulos -- 23 Jimmy Kilpatrick
10 Scott Thauwald -- 17 Tyler Johnson -- 22 Eric Walsky
26 Scott McCulloch -- 9 Brian McMilllin -- 5 Addison DeBoer
8 Jack Hillen -- 15 Nate Prosser
7 Kris Fredheim -- 4 Jake Gannon
11 Brian Connelly --24 Ryan Lowery
30 Richard Bachman
31 Drew O'Connell
1 Tyler O'Brien
North Dakota
16 Ryan Duncan -- 7 T.J. Oshie -- 14 Brad Miller
20 Matt Watkins -- 29 Chris VandeVelde -- 17 Rylan Kaip
10 Andrew Kozek -- 8 Ryan Martens -- 22 Brad Malone
26 Kyle Radke -- 11 Darcy Zajac -- 21 Matt Frattin
4 Taylor Chorney -- 28 Robbie Bina
2 Joe Finley -- 5 Chay Genoway
6 Zach Jones -- 25 Jake Marto
1 Jean-Philippe Lamoureux
30 Aaron Walski
Showing posts with label owens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label owens. Show all posts
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
No. 5 CC 5, No. 7 Denver 2 (final) CC--2007-08 MacNaughton Cup Champions
Colorado College captured the MacNaughton Cup outright and the Gold Pan in one fell swoop Friday, winning 5-2 over rival Denver.
For those of you holding tickets to Saturday's sold-out game at World Arena, fear not. The Tigers want to curb their Saturday-night losing streak.
"We've got to take care of business tomorrow," captain Scott Thauwald said. "That game's going to matter in the PairWise and we don't want to have a let down after a big emotional win."
Coach Scott Owens said after the game, however, that he is not sure if he will play or rest goaltender Richard Bachman.
"We're going to talk about it," Owens said. "In some ways (resting) is the prudent thing to do. In other ways, you're playing Denver and you're playing a sold-out building and you're playing for the PairWise."
If it's left up to Bachman, he'll play.
"I don't want a break," he said. "I want to play them again tomorrow night."
Center Chad Rau hit the 100-point mark barrier with two goals in 12 seconds early in the third period. His 99th point came on a blazing shot from the left circle that didn't even draw a flinch goaltender Peter Mannino.
"I thought that was an NHL shot," Owens said.
For those of you holding tickets to Saturday's sold-out game at World Arena, fear not. The Tigers want to curb their Saturday-night losing streak.
"We've got to take care of business tomorrow," captain Scott Thauwald said. "That game's going to matter in the PairWise and we don't want to have a let down after a big emotional win."
Coach Scott Owens said after the game, however, that he is not sure if he will play or rest goaltender Richard Bachman.
"We're going to talk about it," Owens said. "In some ways (resting) is the prudent thing to do. In other ways, you're playing Denver and you're playing a sold-out building and you're playing for the PairWise."
If it's left up to Bachman, he'll play.
"I don't want a break," he said. "I want to play them again tomorrow night."
Center Chad Rau hit the 100-point mark barrier with two goals in 12 seconds early in the third period. His 99th point came on a blazing shot from the left circle that didn't even draw a flinch goaltender Peter Mannino.
"I thought that was an NHL shot," Owens said.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Injury Update for CC-DU Series
For CC:
--Right wing Addison DeBoer returned to practice for the first time since he was injured Feb. 22 at Minnesota-Duluth. DeBoer had separated his left shoulder, but looked strong during a 45-minute skate involving a lot of shooting drills. DeBoer was wearing a noncontact jersey.
--Defenseman Kris Fredheim, who missed six games with a shoulder injury earlier this season, was back at practice Tuesday after missing the second half of Saturday's game against Minnesota State-Mankato with what he termed an "upper-body injury." Fredheim was also in a noncontact jersey.
--Goaltender Richard Bachman, defensemen Jack Hillen and Jake Gannon, and right wing Eric Walsky took Tuesday's practice off. As the season winds down, coach Scott Owens will often designate off days for certain players to keep them healthy and fresh down the stretch.
I'm at Denver today working on material for this weekend's series and I also attended the 2008 Frozen Four press conference (separate posting above), where I spoke to Denver coach George Gwozdecky.
Gwozdecky had this to say about sophomore Tyler Ruegsegger, who has been out for a month with a groin injury but returned to practice this week:
"He did not have a lot of negative effects from practice. Obviously, his conditioning and his timing are not there because he's been off for a month. But the biggest issue with his injury was not as big of a problem as he thought it was going to be. So, he's made some great progress. You've got to give a lot of credit to our medical staff and Tyler because they've worked tirelessly on his rehab. There is a good chance that he will be in the lineup Friday and, if not Friday, Saturday."
Ruegsegger had 10 goals and 10 assists in 24 games before his injury, including a goal and an assist in Denver's 3-2 win over CC at Magness Arena in November.
--Right wing Addison DeBoer returned to practice for the first time since he was injured Feb. 22 at Minnesota-Duluth. DeBoer had separated his left shoulder, but looked strong during a 45-minute skate involving a lot of shooting drills. DeBoer was wearing a noncontact jersey.
--Defenseman Kris Fredheim, who missed six games with a shoulder injury earlier this season, was back at practice Tuesday after missing the second half of Saturday's game against Minnesota State-Mankato with what he termed an "upper-body injury." Fredheim was also in a noncontact jersey.
--Goaltender Richard Bachman, defensemen Jack Hillen and Jake Gannon, and right wing Eric Walsky took Tuesday's practice off. As the season winds down, coach Scott Owens will often designate off days for certain players to keep them healthy and fresh down the stretch.
I'm at Denver today working on material for this weekend's series and I also attended the 2008 Frozen Four press conference (separate posting above), where I spoke to Denver coach George Gwozdecky.
Gwozdecky had this to say about sophomore Tyler Ruegsegger, who has been out for a month with a groin injury but returned to practice this week:
"He did not have a lot of negative effects from practice. Obviously, his conditioning and his timing are not there because he's been off for a month. But the biggest issue with his injury was not as big of a problem as he thought it was going to be. So, he's made some great progress. You've got to give a lot of credit to our medical staff and Tyler because they've worked tirelessly on his rehab. There is a good chance that he will be in the lineup Friday and, if not Friday, Saturday."
Ruegsegger had 10 goals and 10 assists in 24 games before his injury, including a goal and an assist in Denver's 3-2 win over CC at Magness Arena in November.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Mankato Eve
When Colorado College looks back on one weekend that made a difference in its quest for the MacNaughton Cup and a top seed in the NCAA West Regional, it may look no further than the St. Cloud State series.
The Tigers stretched their lead to 4-1 just 24 seconds into the second period in Friday's game (Feb. 8) and went on to win 5-3 after the Huskies put the pressure on.
On Feb. 9, CC suffered its first -- and so far, only -- home loss of the season, falling behind 3-1 after a period and eventually losing 4-2.
That series was sandwiched between two dominating performances: the sweep of Clarkson and the road sweep of Minnesota-Duluth, in which the Tigers shut out Duluth both nights.
Coach Scott Owens hopes CC can become a model of consistency, starting with this weekend's series against No. 10 Minnesota State-Mankato, a squad that has won seven of its past nine.
"As soon as you think it's automatic, that's when you get into trouble," Owens said after the Tigers' final skate before the series in which they could clinch the MacNaughton Cup. "We're on a one-game losing streak at home. We can't go on autopilot and expect to win."
Coming off of the defensive corps' strongest performance of the season last weekend at Duluth, defenseman Jack Hillen said his fellow defensemen have adapted a playoff mentality and hope to cut down on the amount of shots allowed this weekend.
"It was a good lesson after we lost to St. Cloud," said Hillen, the top-scoring Western Collegiate Hockey Association defenseman with 28 points. "We didn't play that well. Against Duluth, we got into a roll a little bit. ... It was maybe a good reminder to play hard every night, that we've got to play well no matter what. But no one's dwelling on the loss."
Captain Scott Thauwald, who returns to the lineup for the first time since Feb. 9, said that if anything, CC's focus and intensity has only increased this week with the knowledge that two wins gives the Tigers a share of the MacNaughton Cup. If North Dakota loses or ties a game at Duluth this weekend, CC will win the Cup outright with two victories over Mankato.
Again, Thauwald pointed to the loss to St. Cloud State as added inspiration in CC's bid for its first regular-season title since it shared one with Denver in 2004-05.
"It wasn't necessarily the worst thing in the world," he said. "It was a good eye-opener. Guys are fired up because we lost the last time we played at home. We're ready to start a new streak here."
Because right wing Stephen Schultz (concussion) will not return to the lineup this season and left wing Addison DeBoer (separated shoulder) will be out this weekend, the Tigers will have just 12 forwards plus converted defenseman Brett Wysopal at their disposal.
Notes:
1,000 tickets remain for Friday's game against Mankato...400 tickets remain for Saturday's game...CC's regular-season finale against Denver on March 8 is sold out.
Anticipated CC lines for Friday:
Bill Sweatt--Chad Rau--Mike Testwuide
Scott McCulloch--Andreas Vlassopoulos--Jimmy Kilpatrick
Scott Thauwald--Tyler Johnson--Eric Walsky
Brett Wysopal or Dan Quilico--Brian McMillin--Matt Overman
The Tigers stretched their lead to 4-1 just 24 seconds into the second period in Friday's game (Feb. 8) and went on to win 5-3 after the Huskies put the pressure on.
On Feb. 9, CC suffered its first -- and so far, only -- home loss of the season, falling behind 3-1 after a period and eventually losing 4-2.
That series was sandwiched between two dominating performances: the sweep of Clarkson and the road sweep of Minnesota-Duluth, in which the Tigers shut out Duluth both nights.
Coach Scott Owens hopes CC can become a model of consistency, starting with this weekend's series against No. 10 Minnesota State-Mankato, a squad that has won seven of its past nine.
"As soon as you think it's automatic, that's when you get into trouble," Owens said after the Tigers' final skate before the series in which they could clinch the MacNaughton Cup. "We're on a one-game losing streak at home. We can't go on autopilot and expect to win."
Coming off of the defensive corps' strongest performance of the season last weekend at Duluth, defenseman Jack Hillen said his fellow defensemen have adapted a playoff mentality and hope to cut down on the amount of shots allowed this weekend.
"It was a good lesson after we lost to St. Cloud," said Hillen, the top-scoring Western Collegiate Hockey Association defenseman with 28 points. "We didn't play that well. Against Duluth, we got into a roll a little bit. ... It was maybe a good reminder to play hard every night, that we've got to play well no matter what. But no one's dwelling on the loss."
Captain Scott Thauwald, who returns to the lineup for the first time since Feb. 9, said that if anything, CC's focus and intensity has only increased this week with the knowledge that two wins gives the Tigers a share of the MacNaughton Cup. If North Dakota loses or ties a game at Duluth this weekend, CC will win the Cup outright with two victories over Mankato.
Again, Thauwald pointed to the loss to St. Cloud State as added inspiration in CC's bid for its first regular-season title since it shared one with Denver in 2004-05.
"It wasn't necessarily the worst thing in the world," he said. "It was a good eye-opener. Guys are fired up because we lost the last time we played at home. We're ready to start a new streak here."
Because right wing Stephen Schultz (concussion) will not return to the lineup this season and left wing Addison DeBoer (separated shoulder) will be out this weekend, the Tigers will have just 12 forwards plus converted defenseman Brett Wysopal at their disposal.
Notes:
1,000 tickets remain for Friday's game against Mankato...400 tickets remain for Saturday's game...CC's regular-season finale against Denver on March 8 is sold out.
Anticipated CC lines for Friday:
Bill Sweatt--Chad Rau--Mike Testwuide
Scott McCulloch--Andreas Vlassopoulos--Jimmy Kilpatrick
Scott Thauwald--Tyler Johnson--Eric Walsky
Brett Wysopal or Dan Quilico--Brian McMillin--Matt Overman
Friday, January 25, 2008
No. 3 CC 2, Michigan Tech 2 (OT, final)
Huskies' captain Jimmy Kerr scored at 4:01 of the third period, but CC tied it up with less than eight minutes to go in regulation when right wing Mike Testwuide knocked in a pass from the right half-wall by Andreas Vlassopoulos.
Three thoughts:
1. CC showed great urgency to get back into the game, but once the Tigers tied the score, it was all Huskies. You can hear that sentiment in audio clips from CC's Mike Testwuide and Michigan Tech's Jimmy Kerr on Tiger Den Saturday.
2. Again, goaltender Richard Bachman showed remarkable poise in net for CC. The freshman, who is now 15-3-1 in 19 games played, has allowed two or fewer goals in 15 of those outings. That's simply amazing. He said after the game that the second period, in which he had 16 saves, really helped him get in his rhythm. Coach Scott Owens said he thought he saw more and more confidence in Bachman as the game went on.
3. Right wing Stephen Schultz has scored in each of the past two games while CC's top line has been held scoreless.
Stats breakdown:
Shots: CC 30, MTU 33
Shot leaders: CC Jimmy Kilpatrick, 6; MTU Jimmy Kerr, 7
Power plays: CC 1-4 (8 shots), MTU 0-3 (7)
Faceoffs won: CC 38, MTU 30
CC faceoffs: Chad Rau 12/21; Andreas Vlassopoulos 8/16; Eric Walsky 5/8; Bill Sweatt 2/3; Brian McMillin 1/4; Scott Thauwald 0/1; Tyler Johnson 0/5
MTU faceoffs: Ryan Angelow13/24; Peter Rouleau 9/19; Alex Gagne 4/9; Bennett Royer 3/5; Jimmy Kerr 1/1.
Three thoughts:
1. CC showed great urgency to get back into the game, but once the Tigers tied the score, it was all Huskies. You can hear that sentiment in audio clips from CC's Mike Testwuide and Michigan Tech's Jimmy Kerr on Tiger Den Saturday.
2. Again, goaltender Richard Bachman showed remarkable poise in net for CC. The freshman, who is now 15-3-1 in 19 games played, has allowed two or fewer goals in 15 of those outings. That's simply amazing. He said after the game that the second period, in which he had 16 saves, really helped him get in his rhythm. Coach Scott Owens said he thought he saw more and more confidence in Bachman as the game went on.
3. Right wing Stephen Schultz has scored in each of the past two games while CC's top line has been held scoreless.
Stats breakdown:
Shots: CC 30, MTU 33
Shot leaders: CC Jimmy Kilpatrick, 6; MTU Jimmy Kerr, 7
Power plays: CC 1-4 (8 shots), MTU 0-3 (7)
Faceoffs won: CC 38, MTU 30
CC faceoffs: Chad Rau 12/21; Andreas Vlassopoulos 8/16; Eric Walsky 5/8; Bill Sweatt 2/3; Brian McMillin 1/4; Scott Thauwald 0/1; Tyler Johnson 0/5
MTU faceoffs: Ryan Angelow13/24; Peter Rouleau 9/19; Alex Gagne 4/9; Bennett Royer 3/5; Jimmy Kerr 1/1.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Game day: No. 4 CC vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Pregame notes:
1. Junior Eric Walsky will play tonight, despite injuring his right wrist Wednesday. Walsky skated briefly in a noncontact jersey toward the end of Thursday's practice with heavy tape on his wrist. Walsky will center the fourth line, so he'll only play about 12 minutes at most. But Walsky's presence means the Tigers will have a full lineup. I would have to guess that with center Chad Rau available Sunday against either UMass or No. 6 Notre Dame - UMass knocked off the Fighting Irish 4-3 in the first game - coach Scott Owens will give Walsky a rest.
2. Who is going to replace Cody Lampl? Owens liked to say that Lampl never had to score a point or dish an assist to make a contribution to the Tigers. Lampl's high-energy, big-hitting style of play reminded his teammates to finish their checks. But with Lampl suspended until January 2009 unless his appeal is successful, CC will have to find another way (or ways) to generate that same spark. Most are looking to left wing Scott McCulloch, but right wing Jimmy Kilpatrick said Thursday that it will have to be a collective effort.
3. Goalies tend to be a superstitious bunch, but goaltender Richard Bachman is excited to debut a new set of pads tonight. Instead of a metallic gold, these leg pads have a yellow gold that matches more closely that of the Tigers' uniform. Bachman said the equipment company rep delivered his pads to his house in Highlands Ranch just before Christmas and he started breaking them in during his week off. He prefers stiffer pads, so he said he's happy to have a new set midseason. As for the glove, Bachman has been working extra hard to break that in. "It's still a little stiff," he said.
4. CC practiced this morning at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, Fla., about 15 minutes from the team hotel.
Lines:
Colorado College
10 Thauwald--17 Johnson--23 Kilpatrick
26 McCulloch--19 Vlassopoulos--5 DeBoer
28 Schultz--9 McMillin--25 Testwuide
12 Quilico--22 Walsky--18 Overman
8 Hillen--15 Prosser
27 Wysopal--4 Gannon
11 Connelly--24 Lowery
30 Bachman
31 O'Connell
1 O'Brien
RPI
23 Colling--17 Lord--16 Klerer
15 Helfrich--8 Morissette--26 Contini
27 Uryadov--11 Kerins--21 Polacek
9 Ornelas--22 Angers-Goulet--10 Halpern
6 Merth--7 Foss
4 Brutlag--3 Jensen
12 Vassel--2 Burgdoerfer
31 Lange
1 Alford
25 Neubert
1. Junior Eric Walsky will play tonight, despite injuring his right wrist Wednesday. Walsky skated briefly in a noncontact jersey toward the end of Thursday's practice with heavy tape on his wrist. Walsky will center the fourth line, so he'll only play about 12 minutes at most. But Walsky's presence means the Tigers will have a full lineup. I would have to guess that with center Chad Rau available Sunday against either UMass or No. 6 Notre Dame - UMass knocked off the Fighting Irish 4-3 in the first game - coach Scott Owens will give Walsky a rest.
2. Who is going to replace Cody Lampl? Owens liked to say that Lampl never had to score a point or dish an assist to make a contribution to the Tigers. Lampl's high-energy, big-hitting style of play reminded his teammates to finish their checks. But with Lampl suspended until January 2009 unless his appeal is successful, CC will have to find another way (or ways) to generate that same spark. Most are looking to left wing Scott McCulloch, but right wing Jimmy Kilpatrick said Thursday that it will have to be a collective effort.
3. Goalies tend to be a superstitious bunch, but goaltender Richard Bachman is excited to debut a new set of pads tonight. Instead of a metallic gold, these leg pads have a yellow gold that matches more closely that of the Tigers' uniform. Bachman said the equipment company rep delivered his pads to his house in Highlands Ranch just before Christmas and he started breaking them in during his week off. He prefers stiffer pads, so he said he's happy to have a new set midseason. As for the glove, Bachman has been working extra hard to break that in. "It's still a little stiff," he said.
4. CC practiced this morning at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, Fla., about 15 minutes from the team hotel.
Lines:
Colorado College
10 Thauwald--17 Johnson--23 Kilpatrick
26 McCulloch--19 Vlassopoulos--5 DeBoer
28 Schultz--9 McMillin--25 Testwuide
12 Quilico--22 Walsky--18 Overman
8 Hillen--15 Prosser
27 Wysopal--4 Gannon
11 Connelly--24 Lowery
30 Bachman
31 O'Connell
1 O'Brien
RPI
23 Colling--17 Lord--16 Klerer
15 Helfrich--8 Morissette--26 Contini
27 Uryadov--11 Kerins--21 Polacek
9 Ornelas--22 Angers-Goulet--10 Halpern
6 Merth--7 Foss
4 Brutlag--3 Jensen
12 Vassel--2 Burgdoerfer
31 Lange
1 Alford
25 Neubert
Friday, December 14, 2007
Gameday: No. 3 CC 3, St. Cloud State 1 (final)
Final thoughts:
1. If you didn't catch Friday's article on CC's penalty kill, it might be worth a read ("Treads realign CC's play"). The Tigers' penalty kill was phenomenal tonight, holding St. Cloud State to just one goal on 10 shots in eight power plays. The Huskies entered the game clicking at 22.8 percent (21 of 92), but that dropped to 22 percent (22 of 100) after Friday.Of course, goaltender Richard Bachman deserves a lot of credit, but the forwards -- especially Scott Thauwald, Chad Rau and Scott McCulloch -- did a stand-out job possessing the puck when they took it away from the Huskies' power play. All of the defensemen kept St. Cloud State off of Bachman's pads and combined for several takeaways in the slot. Impressive.
2. Speaking of McCulloch, it was good to see him score for the first time since Nov. 3 against North Dakota. The senior left wing and alternate captain has been doing so many positive things while playing on the third line, but scoring hasn't been one of them. Coach Scott Owens has repeatedly praised McCulloch's defensive efforts and leadership this season. In three of the Tigers' four losses -- all of which came on the road -- that third goal proved elusive. It was a big goal.
"I've been focusing on getting chances," McCulloch said. "When the chances stop coming, that's when you have to start worrying. I think just focusing on that and helping the team win in other ways is what has kept me going and just kept me in a positive mind-frame. I don't think being negative around the guys would help me any or help us win."
3. As I said below after the first period, the defensemen really established themselves early. St. Cloud State only scored once and did not score on even strength for a reason.
"They have a few high-end skill guys that we had in mind," defenseman Ryan Lowery said. "Our goal was to knock them around and knock them in. Collectively, as a D-corps, I think we did that pretty well. I would say it was a goal coming into the weekend."
When asked if the defensemen contributing two of the Tigers' three goals was a result of aggression or luck, Lowery grinned as he threw out some fighting words: "Actually, this week in practice, the D-corps was winning all of the small games, so it carried over into tonight."
Lowery is referring to competitions throughout practice that pit the defensemen against the forwards. And, yes, the defensemen were cleaning up this week.
After a period:
1. Defensemen making the difference. Nate Prosser and Ryan Lowery each had first-period goals. In their defensive zone, the Tigers are forcing St. Cloud State to take outside shots and the defensemen established a physical presence early.
2. So much for least penalized team. St. Cloud State took three first-period penalties. Perhaps coach Bob Motzko thought the Huskies weren't playing aggressive enough during their five-game losing streak.
3. Strong start. Any worries of rust after the bye week looked misplaced during the first-period effort from CC. The Tigers outshot St. Cloud State 13-6, converted on one of their three power plays and generated plenty of short-handed offense out of their penalty kill.
Three thoughts:
1. Crash the net. Last season, the Huskies had proven goaltender Bobby Goepfert in net. Tonight, St. Cloud State has freshman B.J. O'Brien, who has played in just one game this season. Because St. Cloud State is the least penalized team in the nation, averaging just 9.4 penalty minutes per game, the Tigers can't expect to get many power-play opportunities and will need to do their damage in even-strength situations.
2. Stop the Viennese twins. One is from Vienna, Austria, the other is from Vienna, Va., but sophomore Andreas Nodl and freshman Garrett Roe both have the offensive skill to change a game. Look for the Vlassopoulos line to be given the task of neutralizing Roe's line.
3. Rusty? CC players and coaches alike felt good about their preparation for tonight's game during the past two weeks. Will the Tigers pick up where they left off after Alaska-Anchorage? Or will they take a period or more to get back into the rhythm of WCHA play?
Ice chips:
**CC alum and former radio color commentator Jim Paradise will be joining Ken Landau on the call tonight on 103.9 FM.
**Scouts from Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils are in attendance.
Lines:
Colorado College
10 Thauwald--14 Rau--23 Kilpatrick
21 Sweatt--19 Vlassopoulos--5 DeBoer
26 McCulloch--22 Walsky--25 Testwuide
2 Lampl--17 Johnson--28 Schultz
8 Hillen--15 Prosser
7 Fredheim--4 Gannon
11 Connelly--24 Lowery
30 Bachman
31 O'Connell
Healthy scratches: Brett Wysopal and Brian McMillin
Did not travel: Derek Patrosso (ankle), Dan Quilico, Matt Overman, Tyler O'Brien
St. Cloud State
27 Mosey--13 Dey--19 Lasch
12 Nodl--9 Roe--10 Hartman
21 Brocklehurst--17 Marvin--18 Volpei
22 Borgen--8 Olson--15 Oslund
26 Swanson--24 Stephenson
28 Carlisle--7 Raboin
6 Barta--2 Ammerman
30 O'Brien
33 Weslosky
41 Dunn
Referees: Derek Shepherd and Marco Hunt
Linesmen: Jonathon Morrison, Tony Czech
1. If you didn't catch Friday's article on CC's penalty kill, it might be worth a read ("Treads realign CC's play"). The Tigers' penalty kill was phenomenal tonight, holding St. Cloud State to just one goal on 10 shots in eight power plays. The Huskies entered the game clicking at 22.8 percent (21 of 92), but that dropped to 22 percent (22 of 100) after Friday.Of course, goaltender Richard Bachman deserves a lot of credit, but the forwards -- especially Scott Thauwald, Chad Rau and Scott McCulloch -- did a stand-out job possessing the puck when they took it away from the Huskies' power play. All of the defensemen kept St. Cloud State off of Bachman's pads and combined for several takeaways in the slot. Impressive.
2. Speaking of McCulloch, it was good to see him score for the first time since Nov. 3 against North Dakota. The senior left wing and alternate captain has been doing so many positive things while playing on the third line, but scoring hasn't been one of them. Coach Scott Owens has repeatedly praised McCulloch's defensive efforts and leadership this season. In three of the Tigers' four losses -- all of which came on the road -- that third goal proved elusive. It was a big goal.
"I've been focusing on getting chances," McCulloch said. "When the chances stop coming, that's when you have to start worrying. I think just focusing on that and helping the team win in other ways is what has kept me going and just kept me in a positive mind-frame. I don't think being negative around the guys would help me any or help us win."
3. As I said below after the first period, the defensemen really established themselves early. St. Cloud State only scored once and did not score on even strength for a reason.
"They have a few high-end skill guys that we had in mind," defenseman Ryan Lowery said. "Our goal was to knock them around and knock them in. Collectively, as a D-corps, I think we did that pretty well. I would say it was a goal coming into the weekend."
When asked if the defensemen contributing two of the Tigers' three goals was a result of aggression or luck, Lowery grinned as he threw out some fighting words: "Actually, this week in practice, the D-corps was winning all of the small games, so it carried over into tonight."
Lowery is referring to competitions throughout practice that pit the defensemen against the forwards. And, yes, the defensemen were cleaning up this week.
After a period:
1. Defensemen making the difference. Nate Prosser and Ryan Lowery each had first-period goals. In their defensive zone, the Tigers are forcing St. Cloud State to take outside shots and the defensemen established a physical presence early.
2. So much for least penalized team. St. Cloud State took three first-period penalties. Perhaps coach Bob Motzko thought the Huskies weren't playing aggressive enough during their five-game losing streak.
3. Strong start. Any worries of rust after the bye week looked misplaced during the first-period effort from CC. The Tigers outshot St. Cloud State 13-6, converted on one of their three power plays and generated plenty of short-handed offense out of their penalty kill.
Three thoughts:
1. Crash the net. Last season, the Huskies had proven goaltender Bobby Goepfert in net. Tonight, St. Cloud State has freshman B.J. O'Brien, who has played in just one game this season. Because St. Cloud State is the least penalized team in the nation, averaging just 9.4 penalty minutes per game, the Tigers can't expect to get many power-play opportunities and will need to do their damage in even-strength situations.
2. Stop the Viennese twins. One is from Vienna, Austria, the other is from Vienna, Va., but sophomore Andreas Nodl and freshman Garrett Roe both have the offensive skill to change a game. Look for the Vlassopoulos line to be given the task of neutralizing Roe's line.
3. Rusty? CC players and coaches alike felt good about their preparation for tonight's game during the past two weeks. Will the Tigers pick up where they left off after Alaska-Anchorage? Or will they take a period or more to get back into the rhythm of WCHA play?
Ice chips:
**CC alum and former radio color commentator Jim Paradise will be joining Ken Landau on the call tonight on 103.9 FM.
**Scouts from Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils are in attendance.
Lines:
Colorado College
10 Thauwald--14 Rau--23 Kilpatrick
21 Sweatt--19 Vlassopoulos--5 DeBoer
26 McCulloch--22 Walsky--25 Testwuide
2 Lampl--17 Johnson--28 Schultz
8 Hillen--15 Prosser
7 Fredheim--4 Gannon
11 Connelly--24 Lowery
30 Bachman
31 O'Connell
Healthy scratches: Brett Wysopal and Brian McMillin
Did not travel: Derek Patrosso (ankle), Dan Quilico, Matt Overman, Tyler O'Brien
St. Cloud State
27 Mosey--13 Dey--19 Lasch
12 Nodl--9 Roe--10 Hartman
21 Brocklehurst--17 Marvin--18 Volpei
22 Borgen--8 Olson--15 Oslund
26 Swanson--24 Stephenson
28 Carlisle--7 Raboin
6 Barta--2 Ammerman
30 O'Brien
33 Weslosky
41 Dunn
Referees: Derek Shepherd and Marco Hunt
Linesmen: Jonathon Morrison, Tony Czech
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Game day: No. 4 CC 4, Alaska-Anchorage 1 (final)
Three thoughts:
1. The Tigers must be more determined about getting shots on net. Last night's total of 16 simply isn't enough. CC was outshot 46-36 overall with the breakdown like this:
--Shots blocked by defense: CC 10, UAA 12
--Shots off target: CC 9, UAA 6
--Pipes: CC 1, UAA 0
--Shots on target: CC 16, UAA 28
How CC fared Saturday: The Tigers were outshot 25-23. Early in the game, Anchorage was doing a great job of blocking shots, especially from CC's defensemen. But the game opened up once the Seawolves scored and the defensemen started to change the shooting angle. CC ended up taking 52 shots total to Anchorage's 42.
The breakdown:
--Shots blocked by defense: CC 17, UAA 10
--Shots off target: CC 10, UAA, 7
--Pipes: CC 2, UAA 0
--Shots on target: CC 23, UAA 25
2. Anchorage came off of a bye week. CC is heading into one. Who wants it more?
How CC fared: The Tigers got great goaltending from Drew O'Connell Friday and Richard Bachman Saturday. The pair combined to hold Anchorage by saving 52 of 53 shots. CC allowed its first power-play goal since Nov. 2, but has killed 34 of the last 35 penalties. The power play, thanks to opportunistic play from the Kilpatrick-Rau-McCulloch-Connelly-Lampl group, regained its somewhat shaky footing with two goals Saturday. All in all, CC gained some confidence heading into its next road series at St. Cloud State, but could stand to up the ante on offense after scoring just four power-play goals in the last three games.
3. Can the Tigers earn a road sweep? North Dakota beat Denver 3-1, meaning CC could pull six points ahead of the Pioneers, who have two games in hand, in Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings.
How CC fared: The Tigers proved they could get gritty on the road and rose to the occasion over the last 30 minutes of Saturday's game. With Denver's loss, the two points proved to be quite important. As right wing Jimmy Kilpatrick pointed out after the game, Anchorage hadn't been swept by any team home or away this season. Even though the Seawolves are in last place in the WCHA, they are much more disciplined than in years past and if they can get a few more goals, could be a dangerous team. Could be interesting in mid-January when the teams meet again.
Briefly:
--There was a brief moment with two minutes left -- after left wing Cody Lampl was checked from behind by Anchorage's Chris Tarkir and defenseman Kris Fredheim went for retaliation -- where it looked as if the series might end with a brawl as it did last December at World Arena.
"I must say I had a little flashback," coach Scott Owens said. "But (coach) Dave (Shyiak) did a good job of getting everyone settled down."
--Best fashion statement: Defenseman Ryan Lowery, inspired by classmate Brett Wysopal, was sporting some moccasins he bought Saturday in Anchorage with his CC windsuit.
Colorado College
10 Thauwald--14 Rau--23 Kilpatrick
21 Sweatt--19 Vlassopoulos--25 Testwuide
26 McCulloch--17 Johnson--22 Walsky
2 Lampl--9 McMillin-18 Overman
8 Hillen--15 Prosser
7 Fredheim--4 Gannon
11 Connelly--27 Wysopal
30 Bachman
31 O'Connell
Alaska-Anchorage
21 Lunden--20 Crowder--9 Clark
24 Tassone--37 Cartwright--18 Tarkir
8 Selby--17 Parkinson--7 DayChief
28 Haddad--34 McCabe--16 Grant
4 LaFranchise--33 Robinson
13 Backstrom--23 Vidmar
10 Lovdahl--22 Tuton
30 Olthuis
39 Gordon
21 Mayo
1. The Tigers must be more determined about getting shots on net. Last night's total of 16 simply isn't enough. CC was outshot 46-36 overall with the breakdown like this:
--Shots blocked by defense: CC 10, UAA 12
--Shots off target: CC 9, UAA 6
--Pipes: CC 1, UAA 0
--Shots on target: CC 16, UAA 28
How CC fared Saturday: The Tigers were outshot 25-23. Early in the game, Anchorage was doing a great job of blocking shots, especially from CC's defensemen. But the game opened up once the Seawolves scored and the defensemen started to change the shooting angle. CC ended up taking 52 shots total to Anchorage's 42.
The breakdown:
--Shots blocked by defense: CC 17, UAA 10
--Shots off target: CC 10, UAA, 7
--Pipes: CC 2, UAA 0
--Shots on target: CC 23, UAA 25
2. Anchorage came off of a bye week. CC is heading into one. Who wants it more?
How CC fared: The Tigers got great goaltending from Drew O'Connell Friday and Richard Bachman Saturday. The pair combined to hold Anchorage by saving 52 of 53 shots. CC allowed its first power-play goal since Nov. 2, but has killed 34 of the last 35 penalties. The power play, thanks to opportunistic play from the Kilpatrick-Rau-McCulloch-Connelly-Lampl group, regained its somewhat shaky footing with two goals Saturday. All in all, CC gained some confidence heading into its next road series at St. Cloud State, but could stand to up the ante on offense after scoring just four power-play goals in the last three games.
3. Can the Tigers earn a road sweep? North Dakota beat Denver 3-1, meaning CC could pull six points ahead of the Pioneers, who have two games in hand, in Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings.
How CC fared: The Tigers proved they could get gritty on the road and rose to the occasion over the last 30 minutes of Saturday's game. With Denver's loss, the two points proved to be quite important. As right wing Jimmy Kilpatrick pointed out after the game, Anchorage hadn't been swept by any team home or away this season. Even though the Seawolves are in last place in the WCHA, they are much more disciplined than in years past and if they can get a few more goals, could be a dangerous team. Could be interesting in mid-January when the teams meet again.
Briefly:
--There was a brief moment with two minutes left -- after left wing Cody Lampl was checked from behind by Anchorage's Chris Tarkir and defenseman Kris Fredheim went for retaliation -- where it looked as if the series might end with a brawl as it did last December at World Arena.
"I must say I had a little flashback," coach Scott Owens said. "But (coach) Dave (Shyiak) did a good job of getting everyone settled down."
--Best fashion statement: Defenseman Ryan Lowery, inspired by classmate Brett Wysopal, was sporting some moccasins he bought Saturday in Anchorage with his CC windsuit.
Colorado College
10 Thauwald--14 Rau--23 Kilpatrick
21 Sweatt--19 Vlassopoulos--25 Testwuide
26 McCulloch--17 Johnson--22 Walsky
2 Lampl--9 McMillin-18 Overman
8 Hillen--15 Prosser
7 Fredheim--4 Gannon
11 Connelly--27 Wysopal
30 Bachman
31 O'Connell
Alaska-Anchorage
21 Lunden--20 Crowder--9 Clark
24 Tassone--37 Cartwright--18 Tarkir
8 Selby--17 Parkinson--7 DayChief
28 Haddad--34 McCabe--16 Grant
4 LaFranchise--33 Robinson
13 Backstrom--23 Vidmar
10 Lovdahl--22 Tuton
30 Olthuis
39 Gordon
21 Mayo
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Scouting No. 3 North Dakota
I'm sure I'm not the only one who balked last Friday when Michigan Tech downed North Dakota 3-1. I remember thinking, "How did they do that?"
Well, besides the intangibles the Huskies brought to the table (read Jess Myers' story about Michigan Tech coach Jamie Russell's hellish week) Michigan Tech got great goaltending from Michael-Lee Teslak, stayed out of the penalty box and was opportunistic.
When I asked coach Scott Owens what the Tigers can take from the Huskies' triumph, the first words out of his mouth were, "We need to get good goaltending." No decisions had been made by the close of Wednesday's practice, but I would imagine Richard Bachman will get a chance to battle Jean-Philippe Lamoureux. Bachman is ranked 14th in goals against average and 10th in save percentage, making him the top freshman goaltender in the country.
Now for my three things to keep in mind:
1. Speaking of Lamoureux... Lambasted last season for being a slow-starting goalie, Lamoureux has silenced his critics with four shutouts in five games and only two goals allowed in the loss to Michigan Tech. That gives the junior, who made headlines for reclaiming his hyphenated first name at the beginning of the season, an impressive .983 save percentage and 0.43 goals against average.
2. D-corps exam So far, I'd give the Tigers' defensemen an A-/B+ (A for Minnesota, B for New Hampshire). For the most part, CC's defensemen did an admirable job keeping Minnesota and New Hampshire's top threats off the board -- although they could have done a better job with the Wildcats' second line. How will they handle this week's offensive threats? Scan these names: T. J. Oshie, Ryan Duncan, Taylor Chorney. Most likely, these three juniors will be challenging for NHL roster spots 11 months from now. The Sioux's depth should give CC a nice defensive gut-check heading into five home games.
3. Where's that veteran offense? As you can read tomorrow on Tiger Den, the Tigers need to take the puck to the paint (to borrow a term from basketball) in order to generate some legitimate five-on-five scoring chances, as they struggled to do last weekend at New Hampshire.
Well, besides the intangibles the Huskies brought to the table (read Jess Myers' story about Michigan Tech coach Jamie Russell's hellish week) Michigan Tech got great goaltending from Michael-Lee Teslak, stayed out of the penalty box and was opportunistic.
When I asked coach Scott Owens what the Tigers can take from the Huskies' triumph, the first words out of his mouth were, "We need to get good goaltending." No decisions had been made by the close of Wednesday's practice, but I would imagine Richard Bachman will get a chance to battle Jean-Philippe Lamoureux. Bachman is ranked 14th in goals against average and 10th in save percentage, making him the top freshman goaltender in the country.
Now for my three things to keep in mind:
1. Speaking of Lamoureux... Lambasted last season for being a slow-starting goalie, Lamoureux has silenced his critics with four shutouts in five games and only two goals allowed in the loss to Michigan Tech. That gives the junior, who made headlines for reclaiming his hyphenated first name at the beginning of the season, an impressive .983 save percentage and 0.43 goals against average.
2. D-corps exam So far, I'd give the Tigers' defensemen an A-/B+ (A for Minnesota, B for New Hampshire). For the most part, CC's defensemen did an admirable job keeping Minnesota and New Hampshire's top threats off the board -- although they could have done a better job with the Wildcats' second line. How will they handle this week's offensive threats? Scan these names: T. J. Oshie, Ryan Duncan, Taylor Chorney. Most likely, these three juniors will be challenging for NHL roster spots 11 months from now. The Sioux's depth should give CC a nice defensive gut-check heading into five home games.
3. Where's that veteran offense? As you can read tomorrow on Tiger Den, the Tigers need to take the puck to the paint (to borrow a term from basketball) in order to generate some legitimate five-on-five scoring chances, as they struggled to do last weekend at New Hampshire.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Game day: New Hampshire 4, CC 2 (final)
Third-period goals:
Colorado College 1, New Hampshire 2: Brad Flaishans (Craig Switzer, Matt Fornataro), 4:33, pp.
Just 35 seconds into a 101-second five-on-three scenario, Switzer's pass from the point was one-timed by Flaishans from the top of the left circle. The slap shot beat Bachman inside the left post.
"There was a power-play blast and there was a lot of traffic," coach Scott Owens said of the goal.
Colorado College 2, New Hampshire 2: Scott McCulloch (Jack Hillen, Andreas Vlassopoulos), 9:52, pp.
Hillen ripped a shot from the point and McCulloch and Bill Sweatt crashed the net, punching the rebound past goaltender Brian Foster.
Colorado College 2, New Hampshire 3: Paul Thompson (Danny Dries, Joe Charlebois), 10:08.
Sixteen seconds after CC's game-tying score, Charlebois' slap shot from the outside edge of the right circle was tipped by Dries on the near post and batted in by Thompson backdoor.
Colorado College 2, New Hampshire 4: Peter LeBlanc (Jerry Pollastrone), 19:53, en.
After a neutral zone turnover created a 2-on-1 rush, defenseman Brian Connelly overcommitted to LeBlanc, who drove past him and finished in the empty net.
Post-game quotes:
Coach Scott Owens
--On the two-referee, two-linesman system
"The two-man system is something that's being experimented with this year, I thought it went reasonably well. I would give it a thumbs-up based on this weekend."
--On goaltender Richard Bachman
"You know what? Three goals against in a road game, his first road game, five goals in three games against teams rated top-six in the country, you know, that’s a good start for the young man."
--Concerned about CC's penalty kill, which gave up three goals on 10 power plays?
"I’m not concerned. I just hate putting so much pressure on our special teams by not generating a goal or a goal and a half a game on five-on-five and that’s an area we’ve really got to get better at here."
Defenseman Jack Hillen
--On what the Tigers learned this weekend
"What it takes to win on the road. Obviously we’re not good enough right now. You can’t just come into a barn, especially a team that’s as good as UNH, and not put a full road game together. We made too many mistakes. We did a lot of good things right, you can certainly take those away. But as a senior and a veteran on this team, I’m looking at goals after we just get one. ...It’s a whole different atmosphere coming into a place like this than playing at home and w e’ve got to learn and we’ve got to learn pretty quick or it’s going to get away."
--On playing from behind on the road
"It’s hard. It’s harder to come back on the road because you don’t get that momentum from the crowd. You feel like you’re on your own and you don’t get the breaks from the refs. I’m not saying that’s what caused the game, I’m just saying you’re not going to get anything going your way, you’ve got to make your own momentum and it’s that much harder on the road. If you’re playing catch up, it’s not a good recipe for road wins."
Left wing Scott McCulloch
--On what CC's 5-on-5 offense needs
"I think that’s just not playing in the tough areas. We’ve got a lot of skilled forwards but it’s getting the puck to the paint and being there and getting traffic in front of the goalie. I think that’s an area we need to improve on, especially being an older team, it’s something that we should already be doing. I think we need to improve big-time on that.
I think we had a few turnovers, just not taking care of the puck and maybe missing a few lanes. But they’re a great team, they move the puck really well through the neutral zone, that’s their strength. You’re not always going to be able to stop that team, but I think in all areas, bearing down would help out.
Inside the stats:
--New Hampshire had the faceoff edge, 39-32. For CC, Chad Rau won 12/20 faceoffs and Vlassopoulos earned 11/22 wins.
--CC scored on two of seven power plays, as did the Wildcats, but had 16 shots to New Hampshire's seven on the man-advantage.
--In the first and second period, Bachman faced just seven shots from the slot. By contrast, in the third period, eight of UNH's 12 shots came from the slot.
***
Tiger Tracks:
Tonight's American Hockey League showdown between the Lake Erie Monsters and the Iowa Stars was a CC-studded affair. Defenseman Brandon Straub helped the Monsters to a 3-2 win, in which Stars captain Toby Petersen had a goal and Stars alternate captain Marty Sertich was held to a single shot.
Colorado College 1, New Hampshire 2: Brad Flaishans (Craig Switzer, Matt Fornataro), 4:33, pp.
Just 35 seconds into a 101-second five-on-three scenario, Switzer's pass from the point was one-timed by Flaishans from the top of the left circle. The slap shot beat Bachman inside the left post.
"There was a power-play blast and there was a lot of traffic," coach Scott Owens said of the goal.
Colorado College 2, New Hampshire 2: Scott McCulloch (Jack Hillen, Andreas Vlassopoulos), 9:52, pp.
Hillen ripped a shot from the point and McCulloch and Bill Sweatt crashed the net, punching the rebound past goaltender Brian Foster.
Colorado College 2, New Hampshire 3: Paul Thompson (Danny Dries, Joe Charlebois), 10:08.
Sixteen seconds after CC's game-tying score, Charlebois' slap shot from the outside edge of the right circle was tipped by Dries on the near post and batted in by Thompson backdoor.
Colorado College 2, New Hampshire 4: Peter LeBlanc (Jerry Pollastrone), 19:53, en.
After a neutral zone turnover created a 2-on-1 rush, defenseman Brian Connelly overcommitted to LeBlanc, who drove past him and finished in the empty net.
Post-game quotes:
Coach Scott Owens
--On the two-referee, two-linesman system
"The two-man system is something that's being experimented with this year, I thought it went reasonably well. I would give it a thumbs-up based on this weekend."
--On goaltender Richard Bachman
"You know what? Three goals against in a road game, his first road game, five goals in three games against teams rated top-six in the country, you know, that’s a good start for the young man."
--Concerned about CC's penalty kill, which gave up three goals on 10 power plays?
"I’m not concerned. I just hate putting so much pressure on our special teams by not generating a goal or a goal and a half a game on five-on-five and that’s an area we’ve really got to get better at here."
Defenseman Jack Hillen
--On what the Tigers learned this weekend
"What it takes to win on the road. Obviously we’re not good enough right now. You can’t just come into a barn, especially a team that’s as good as UNH, and not put a full road game together. We made too many mistakes. We did a lot of good things right, you can certainly take those away. But as a senior and a veteran on this team, I’m looking at goals after we just get one. ...It’s a whole different atmosphere coming into a place like this than playing at home and w e’ve got to learn and we’ve got to learn pretty quick or it’s going to get away."
--On playing from behind on the road
"It’s hard. It’s harder to come back on the road because you don’t get that momentum from the crowd. You feel like you’re on your own and you don’t get the breaks from the refs. I’m not saying that’s what caused the game, I’m just saying you’re not going to get anything going your way, you’ve got to make your own momentum and it’s that much harder on the road. If you’re playing catch up, it’s not a good recipe for road wins."
Left wing Scott McCulloch
--On what CC's 5-on-5 offense needs
"I think that’s just not playing in the tough areas. We’ve got a lot of skilled forwards but it’s getting the puck to the paint and being there and getting traffic in front of the goalie. I think that’s an area we need to improve on, especially being an older team, it’s something that we should already be doing. I think we need to improve big-time on that.
I think we had a few turnovers, just not taking care of the puck and maybe missing a few lanes. But they’re a great team, they move the puck really well through the neutral zone, that’s their strength. You’re not always going to be able to stop that team, but I think in all areas, bearing down would help out.
Inside the stats:
--New Hampshire had the faceoff edge, 39-32. For CC, Chad Rau won 12/20 faceoffs and Vlassopoulos earned 11/22 wins.
--CC scored on two of seven power plays, as did the Wildcats, but had 16 shots to New Hampshire's seven on the man-advantage.
--In the first and second period, Bachman faced just seven shots from the slot. By contrast, in the third period, eight of UNH's 12 shots came from the slot.
***
Tiger Tracks:
Tonight's American Hockey League showdown between the Lake Erie Monsters and the Iowa Stars was a CC-studded affair. Defenseman Brandon Straub helped the Monsters to a 3-2 win, in which Stars captain Toby Petersen had a goal and Stars alternate captain Marty Sertich was held to a single shot.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Scouting No. 6 New Hampshire
Three things to keep in mind this week as CC heads into a two-game set at New Hampshire:
1. Kevin Regan The senior goaltender, who saved 30 of 31 shots in the Wildcats' 4-1 win over Boston University, has an impressive career save percentage of .928 and 2.28 goals-against average in 61 games. Regan, named Hockey East defensive player of the week, is a big reason UNH was picked to finish first in its conference.
2. Big corners UNH's Whittemore Center, which features an ice sheet with the same dimensions as the World Arena (200' x 100'), is rumored to have nearly square corners (I'll be pulling out my measuring tape). That means more space for the CC forwards to work with, but conversely, a tougher defensive task for the Tigers' young defensemen.
3. Formidable top line The combination of LW James VanRiemsdyk, C Mike Radja, and RW Matt Fornatero will need some special attention. In the Wildcats' first outing against Boston University, each had a goal and an assist. VanRiemsdyk might be "just a freshman," but he's already drawing comparisons to Minnesota's Blake Wheeler. CC coach Scott Owens said the matchup between CC and New Hampshire should resemble last weekend's games against Minnesota.
***
Notes:
Right wing Jimmy Kilpatrick (hip) will travel and is "very close," coach Scott Owens said Tuesday, after he put Kilpatrick with center Chad Rau and left wing Scott Thauwald to test his progress...Stephen Schultz (undisclosed leg injury) and Dan Quilico (right ankle) did not make the travel roster but both are back to full-contact practicing...Read Owens' Tuesday at the Rink chat transcript here...Elliot Olshansky puts his foot in his mouth after CC's season-opening sweep of Minnesota.
***
Recruiting Round-up:
One of CC's recent commitments, Tim Hall, who is slated to join the Tigers next season, was named to the U.S. Junior Select team, which will compete Nov. 5-11 in Trail and Nelson, British Columbia, at the World Junior A Challenge. Nick Dineen, another forward recruit for 2008, is also on the 21-player roster.
Hall was also named a 'B' list of NHL Central Scouting's Player To Watch list, released today. A 'B' rating indicates a potential third- to fifth-round draftee. Rylan Schwartz, who committed to join CC in 2009 but could enroll next fall, was given a 'C' rating, meaning he is a potential late-round selection. Central Scouting will release a midterm and final ranking before the NHL draft in June 2008.
Andrew Hamburg has endured quite a journey this fall. After being released from the Waterloo Black Hawks (United States Hockey League), Hamburg was picked up by the Texas Tornado (North American Hockey League), where he had one goal and one assist in two games. As pointed out by Ryan of the USHL blog, the Tornado traded Hamburg to the St. Louis Bandits of the NAHL, where he now appears on the roster but not in the stats.
***
Tiger Tracks:
In net for the Charlotte Checkers (ECHL), Matt Zaba stopped 29 of 30 shots in his first professional victory, a 5-1 win over the Augusta Lynx.. The lone goal for the Lynx was scored by Aaron Slattengren. Trevor Frischmon, who joined the Checkers Tuesday, had two assists.
Toby Petersen was named captain of the Iowa Stars (AHL).
Shortly after he allowed one goal on two shots in his NHL debut, Curtis McElhinney was sent packing to the Calgary Flames' AHL affiliate.
1. Kevin Regan The senior goaltender, who saved 30 of 31 shots in the Wildcats' 4-1 win over Boston University, has an impressive career save percentage of .928 and 2.28 goals-against average in 61 games. Regan, named Hockey East defensive player of the week, is a big reason UNH was picked to finish first in its conference.
2. Big corners UNH's Whittemore Center, which features an ice sheet with the same dimensions as the World Arena (200' x 100'), is rumored to have nearly square corners (I'll be pulling out my measuring tape). That means more space for the CC forwards to work with, but conversely, a tougher defensive task for the Tigers' young defensemen.
3. Formidable top line The combination of LW James VanRiemsdyk, C Mike Radja, and RW Matt Fornatero will need some special attention. In the Wildcats' first outing against Boston University, each had a goal and an assist. VanRiemsdyk might be "just a freshman," but he's already drawing comparisons to Minnesota's Blake Wheeler. CC coach Scott Owens said the matchup between CC and New Hampshire should resemble last weekend's games against Minnesota.
***
Notes:
Right wing Jimmy Kilpatrick (hip) will travel and is "very close," coach Scott Owens said Tuesday, after he put Kilpatrick with center Chad Rau and left wing Scott Thauwald to test his progress...Stephen Schultz (undisclosed leg injury) and Dan Quilico (right ankle) did not make the travel roster but both are back to full-contact practicing...Read Owens' Tuesday at the Rink chat transcript here...Elliot Olshansky puts his foot in his mouth after CC's season-opening sweep of Minnesota.
***
Recruiting Round-up:
One of CC's recent commitments, Tim Hall, who is slated to join the Tigers next season, was named to the U.S. Junior Select team, which will compete Nov. 5-11 in Trail and Nelson, British Columbia, at the World Junior A Challenge. Nick Dineen, another forward recruit for 2008, is also on the 21-player roster.
Hall was also named a 'B' list of NHL Central Scouting's Player To Watch list, released today. A 'B' rating indicates a potential third- to fifth-round draftee. Rylan Schwartz, who committed to join CC in 2009 but could enroll next fall, was given a 'C' rating, meaning he is a potential late-round selection. Central Scouting will release a midterm and final ranking before the NHL draft in June 2008.
Andrew Hamburg has endured quite a journey this fall. After being released from the Waterloo Black Hawks (United States Hockey League), Hamburg was picked up by the Texas Tornado (North American Hockey League), where he had one goal and one assist in two games. As pointed out by Ryan of the USHL blog, the Tornado traded Hamburg to the St. Louis Bandits of the NAHL, where he now appears on the roster but not in the stats.
***
Tiger Tracks:
In net for the Charlotte Checkers (ECHL), Matt Zaba stopped 29 of 30 shots in his first professional victory, a 5-1 win over the Augusta Lynx.. The lone goal for the Lynx was scored by Aaron Slattengren. Trevor Frischmon, who joined the Checkers Tuesday, had two assists.
Toby Petersen was named captain of the Iowa Stars (AHL).
Shortly after he allowed one goal on two shots in his NHL debut, Curtis McElhinney was sent packing to the Calgary Flames' AHL affiliate.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Game day: CC 2, Minnesota 1, OT
Forget my three keys to the game, which were basically rip-offs from yesterday. Let's look at how the Tigers earned the sweep over Minnesota tonight.
1. Richard Bachman. In case you missed it, the freshman from Highlands Ranch turned in a phenomenal debut performance Friday (saved 23 of 24 shots) and earned the start again tonight only to one-up himself with a 38-save performance, including 18 saves on the penalty kill.
In his first career back-to-back starts against the No. 3 Gophers, Bachman saved 61 of 63 shots--that's a .968 save percentage and 1.00 goals against average. Wow.
"I'm excited right now," Bachman said of earning the sweep. "I'm having fun. It's been an awesome last couple of days and I'm proud of team in front of me. It has been great."
2. Penalty kill. CC's penalty kill ended last season ranked seventh in the nation.
Looks like the Tigers picked up right where they left off and then some.
CC killed 13 of 13 penalties this weekend against the Gophers, whose power play is "their bread and butter," coach Scott Owens said.
Not only did the Tigers hold Minnesota scoreless on the man-advantage, they generated offense as well. Even though CC has yet to score a short-handed goal, it looks like the moment is not too far off.
"We return a lot of our penalty killers, to start with," said center Chad Rau, who scored both goals in the win. "There's only one new guy on our special teams for penalty killing, and that's Walsky and he's familiar with our systems. I think we're all familiar with each other and when we get the puck, if we have time, we're always trying to look for each other. I know me and McCulloch, that's our plan every game is to catch the opponent sleeping on the power play if they're thinking too offensive."
3. Weathering the storm. Even though Minnesota may have dominated long stretches of the second and third periods, CC found ways to create dangerous scoring chances and get the puck out of the defensive zone. The defensemen managed several late-game odd-man rushes well with timely poke checks and physical play. They also kept the Gophers off of Bachman's doorstep for the most part, limiting their second chances.
"It shows a lot of character, a lot of grit, a lot of moxie with our team," Owens said. "It wasn't necessarily a thing of offensive beauty for us tonight, but we found a way to win. We'll take it."
CC also showed poise after Minnesota's early goal and prevented another during that tenuous two-minute span following a score.
"We had gotten stung last night, they scored before the announcement was even done," Owens said. "We wanted to make sure we address that to a certain extent. That's one of the areas you've got to get better at as these games get lower scoring."
What will probably be addressed in practice this week:
--Fitness: "We fatigued tonight," Owens said. "It was a combination of their big bodies getting after it and us fatiguing a little bit."
--Cashing in on scoring opportunities: "We should have had two in the first period," Owens said. "It would have been a different game if we had done that....I thought we were going to get more chances but we didn't."
--Limiting shots in the defensive zone: Owens can't be too pleased with his defensemen allowing 34 shots over the final 42:42.
1. Richard Bachman. In case you missed it, the freshman from Highlands Ranch turned in a phenomenal debut performance Friday (saved 23 of 24 shots) and earned the start again tonight only to one-up himself with a 38-save performance, including 18 saves on the penalty kill.
In his first career back-to-back starts against the No. 3 Gophers, Bachman saved 61 of 63 shots--that's a .968 save percentage and 1.00 goals against average. Wow.
"I'm excited right now," Bachman said of earning the sweep. "I'm having fun. It's been an awesome last couple of days and I'm proud of team in front of me. It has been great."
2. Penalty kill. CC's penalty kill ended last season ranked seventh in the nation.
Looks like the Tigers picked up right where they left off and then some.
CC killed 13 of 13 penalties this weekend against the Gophers, whose power play is "their bread and butter," coach Scott Owens said.
Not only did the Tigers hold Minnesota scoreless on the man-advantage, they generated offense as well. Even though CC has yet to score a short-handed goal, it looks like the moment is not too far off.
"We return a lot of our penalty killers, to start with," said center Chad Rau, who scored both goals in the win. "There's only one new guy on our special teams for penalty killing, and that's Walsky and he's familiar with our systems. I think we're all familiar with each other and when we get the puck, if we have time, we're always trying to look for each other. I know me and McCulloch, that's our plan every game is to catch the opponent sleeping on the power play if they're thinking too offensive."
3. Weathering the storm. Even though Minnesota may have dominated long stretches of the second and third periods, CC found ways to create dangerous scoring chances and get the puck out of the defensive zone. The defensemen managed several late-game odd-man rushes well with timely poke checks and physical play. They also kept the Gophers off of Bachman's doorstep for the most part, limiting their second chances.
"It shows a lot of character, a lot of grit, a lot of moxie with our team," Owens said. "It wasn't necessarily a thing of offensive beauty for us tonight, but we found a way to win. We'll take it."
CC also showed poise after Minnesota's early goal and prevented another during that tenuous two-minute span following a score.
"We had gotten stung last night, they scored before the announcement was even done," Owens said. "We wanted to make sure we address that to a certain extent. That's one of the areas you've got to get better at as these games get lower scoring."
What will probably be addressed in practice this week:
--Fitness: "We fatigued tonight," Owens said. "It was a combination of their big bodies getting after it and us fatiguing a little bit."
--Cashing in on scoring opportunities: "We should have had two in the first period," Owens said. "It would have been a different game if we had done that....I thought we were going to get more chances but we didn't."
--Limiting shots in the defensive zone: Owens can't be too pleased with his defensemen allowing 34 shots over the final 42:42.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Final Thoughts, Calgary exhibition
Here are some quotes from Eric Walsky, a junior who is in his first season playing for Colorado College after transferring from Alaska-Anchorage following the 2005-06 season. Walsky had a goal and an assist and finished plus-1, as did linemates Addison DeBoer and Stephen Schultz, in the 4-3 win over the University of Calgary.
On his first shift with Colorado College
It was really nice to get back out there. The first shift I didn’t try to do too much. I just wanted to feel it out a little bit and play it safe. No, I felt good. I didn’t feel like I missed a whole season or anything. I felt comfortable. My vision’s still a little bit off and so is my speed.
Was your first outing as a Tiger as you envisioned it?
It was kind of what I anticipated but I didn’t feel like I saw everything. I felt a step behind compared to what I would have really liked to have felt. It’s still really early on and it was a good start. It gives me a little confidence going into the regular season.
How did the team approach the depleted lineup?
Everyone was really anxious to play and nobody really conserved their energy too much in hopes that they’d have a reserve in the end but, uh, it was a little conservative merely because of the fact that it was the first game of the season and nobody felt too comfortable out there. Everyone was gripping their sticks a little bit.
How did it go with linemates Addison DeBoer and Stephen Schultz?
It was good, I really like playing with them. Schultz and I, I feel like we have good chemistry, even though we didn’t too much possession of the puck together but I think we stuck together out there.
Feel like you're really part of the team now?
I don’t feel like I’m in the limbo anymore, kind of on the team but not on the team at the same time.
***
Coach Scott Owens on practice this week:
We’re going to work very hard in practice this week because we have to. We have to improve our conditioning and our defensive play.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Scuffles Solidify CC Squad?
As defenseman Jack Hillen took a swing at classmate Derek Patrosso at Thursday's captain's practice, I couldn't help but wonder if what Hillen had just told me about "great team chemistry" was null and void.
Part of it is that I grew up in basketball country. If one Tar Heel were to lash out at another like that, Roy Williams would probably have to resign.
Also, as a veteran of female teams, I can say unequivocally that if the same physical manifestation of frustration were to happen, the grudges would never dissolve and the group would quickly become fractured into cliques.
But I guess it's different for men, as I have been learning in my second season of spending every day watching and talking to the Colorado College hockey team.
Thursday's practice had more scuffles than in all of last season's practices combined.
"Way to stay intense," said senior Scott McCulloch, who had to pull apart Hillen and Patrosso, before reminding the Tigers of some basic ground rules. "Make sure, if you're going to fight, that you take off your helmets so we're not breaking hands."
When I asked players about fighting with their teammates, they smiled forgivingly at me and explained what is an obvious concept to them.
"We're just ready to play," said defenseman Nate Prosser, who got chippy with freshman Stephen Schultz during the Tigers' short-sided 3-on-3 game. "That's just us being competitive.... It happens every day in juniors."
Eric Walsky, who is more apt to stand to the side and watch after nursing his right wrist back from a potentially career-ending injury, said fighting is a "good thing."
"It's all subconscious," he explained. "Nothing personal." Walsky added that when a little fighting doesn't happen, those frustrations can boil over in the locker room and destroy team chemistry. So, it's like a safety valve? "Yep," he said.
I'll admit it: my brief tutorial on the subject of intrasquad fighting still left me somewhat flummoxed, especially as the players left the locker room laughing and talking as if they'd spent their practice sharing their feelings or doing team-bonding activities.
But I guess, as they explained to me, that's exactly what they were doing. I think I just had a breakthrough.
Leave me a comment and let me know what you think about fighting within a team.
***
Mark your calendars:
CC's 2007-08 TV Schedule
(All Times MT)
Day & Date Opponent Network/Channel Time
Fri., Oct. 19 Univ. of Minnesota FSN Rocky Mountain 7:30 pm
Sat., Oct. 20 Univ. of Minnesota FSN Rocky Mountain 7 pm
Sat., Nov. 3 @ Univ. of North Dakota The CW (KXTU) 6 pm
Fri., Nov. 23 Univ. of Denver CET Network (Comcast) 7:30 pm
Sat., Dec. 1 @ Univ. of Alaska Anchorage The CW (KXTU) 9 pm
Fri., Jan. 4 @ Univ. of Wisconsin Big Ten Network 6 pm
Sat., Jan. 5 @ Univ. of Wisconsin CSTV 6 pm
Sat., Mar. 8 Univ. of Denver CET Network (Comcast) 7 pm
***
Articles off of the WCHA conference call, held Wednesday morning:
--Shane Frederick of the The Free Press (Mankato) writes about the WCHA's youthfulness.
--Elliott Olshansky of CSTV quotes Scott Owens and George Gwozdecky's takes on the Rockies' late-season surge. Previously, Olshansky says the Tigers are overrated. What do you think?
***
Tiger Tracks:
Four former Tigers made opening-day NHL rosters: Brett Sterling (Atlanta Thrashers), Mark Stuart (Boston Bruins), Curtis McElhinney (Calgary Flames) and Tom Preissing (Los Angeles Kings).
--Will Stuart stick on the Bruins' roster?
--Sterling gets love from readers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Thrashers blog. Also: makes Burnside's watch list and earns a new nickname around Hotlanta.
It looks as though Brandon Straub will start his professional career with the Johnstown (Pa.) Chiefs (ECHL).
And what a lucky guy Matt Zaba is: he will begin with the Charlotte Checkers, an ECHL team in gorgeous North Carolina!
Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald asked Marty Sertich to give advice to Sioux senior Ryan Duncan about how to avoid a Hobey hangover.
Trevor Frischmon gets a shot to play another season in Syracuse (AHL).
Mike Stuart lands offer in Austria, while Peter Sejna's status remains unknown.
Part of it is that I grew up in basketball country. If one Tar Heel were to lash out at another like that, Roy Williams would probably have to resign.
Also, as a veteran of female teams, I can say unequivocally that if the same physical manifestation of frustration were to happen, the grudges would never dissolve and the group would quickly become fractured into cliques.
But I guess it's different for men, as I have been learning in my second season of spending every day watching and talking to the Colorado College hockey team.
Thursday's practice had more scuffles than in all of last season's practices combined.
"Way to stay intense," said senior Scott McCulloch, who had to pull apart Hillen and Patrosso, before reminding the Tigers of some basic ground rules. "Make sure, if you're going to fight, that you take off your helmets so we're not breaking hands."
When I asked players about fighting with their teammates, they smiled forgivingly at me and explained what is an obvious concept to them.
"We're just ready to play," said defenseman Nate Prosser, who got chippy with freshman Stephen Schultz during the Tigers' short-sided 3-on-3 game. "That's just us being competitive.... It happens every day in juniors."
Eric Walsky, who is more apt to stand to the side and watch after nursing his right wrist back from a potentially career-ending injury, said fighting is a "good thing."
"It's all subconscious," he explained. "Nothing personal." Walsky added that when a little fighting doesn't happen, those frustrations can boil over in the locker room and destroy team chemistry. So, it's like a safety valve? "Yep," he said.
I'll admit it: my brief tutorial on the subject of intrasquad fighting still left me somewhat flummoxed, especially as the players left the locker room laughing and talking as if they'd spent their practice sharing their feelings or doing team-bonding activities.
But I guess, as they explained to me, that's exactly what they were doing. I think I just had a breakthrough.
Leave me a comment and let me know what you think about fighting within a team.
***
Mark your calendars:
CC's 2007-08 TV Schedule
(All Times MT)
Day & Date Opponent Network/Channel Time
Fri., Oct. 19 Univ. of Minnesota FSN Rocky Mountain 7:30 pm
Sat., Oct. 20 Univ. of Minnesota FSN Rocky Mountain 7 pm
Sat., Nov. 3 @ Univ. of North Dakota The CW (KXTU) 6 pm
Fri., Nov. 23 Univ. of Denver CET Network (Comcast) 7:30 pm
Sat., Dec. 1 @ Univ. of Alaska Anchorage The CW (KXTU) 9 pm
Fri., Jan. 4 @ Univ. of Wisconsin Big Ten Network 6 pm
Sat., Jan. 5 @ Univ. of Wisconsin CSTV 6 pm
Sat., Mar. 8 Univ. of Denver CET Network (Comcast) 7 pm
***
Articles off of the WCHA conference call, held Wednesday morning:
--Shane Frederick of the The Free Press (Mankato) writes about the WCHA's youthfulness.
--Elliott Olshansky of CSTV quotes Scott Owens and George Gwozdecky's takes on the Rockies' late-season surge. Previously, Olshansky says the Tigers are overrated. What do you think?
***
Tiger Tracks:
Four former Tigers made opening-day NHL rosters: Brett Sterling (Atlanta Thrashers), Mark Stuart (Boston Bruins), Curtis McElhinney (Calgary Flames) and Tom Preissing (Los Angeles Kings).
--Will Stuart stick on the Bruins' roster?
--Sterling gets love from readers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Thrashers blog. Also: makes Burnside's watch list and earns a new nickname around Hotlanta.
It looks as though Brandon Straub will start his professional career with the Johnstown (Pa.) Chiefs (ECHL).
And what a lucky guy Matt Zaba is: he will begin with the Charlotte Checkers, an ECHL team in gorgeous North Carolina!
Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald asked Marty Sertich to give advice to Sioux senior Ryan Duncan about how to avoid a Hobey hangover.
Trevor Frischmon gets a shot to play another season in Syracuse (AHL).
Mike Stuart lands offer in Austria, while Peter Sejna's status remains unknown.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Non-stop
When practice wrapped at 10:30 Tuesday night, Colorado College junior Cody Lampl had some words for the players stretching around him.
"That was awesome," he said, exhaling and prompting nods from the rest of the team.
Coach Scott Owens had 16 skaters and three goaltenders dripping with sweat after the high-intensity workout.
For the first time, the Tigers were organized into lines, which I'll put below. But I wouldn't place too much significance on them, considering that forwards Andreas Vlassopoulos, Chad Rau, and Tyler Johnson were not at practice. Defensemen Jake Gannon and Ryan Lowery also did not show.
Until October 6, the date of CC's season-opening exhibition against Calgary and the first official day of practice, players are not required to attend the thrice-weekly workouts. Usually, the only reasons the players will miss practice is for an academic purpose or for medically mandated rest.
Those who did attend participated in offensively minded drills, including the "three-goal" drill, in which one goal is placed at center ice and two are placed in the corners. The team is divided into two and the drill promotes offensive creativity and vision. If one net is clogged, players who go to the open space are often rewarded with breakaway and 2-on-1 situations. Some of the highlights of the three-goal drill were freshman goaltender Richard Bachman, who continues to impress with his saves, and sophomore wing Mike Testwuide, who said his left knee (partial tear of the medial collateral ligament) is healed, looked quicker to the puck than last year.
Testwuide said he focused on increasing his leg strength and speed in the off-season. When I asked Testwuide if he was planning on being involved more in cycling the puck than just sitting in front of the net, he assured me, "No, no, I'll be there."
[in no particular order]
Red McCulloch--Thauwald--Testwuide
White Sweatt--Walsky (not enough players to complete line)
Gold Overman--McMillin--Lampl
Blue DeBoer--Schultz--Patrosso
Defensemen: Wysopal, Fredheim, Hillen, Connelly, Prosser
Goalies: O'Connell, O'Brien, Bachman
***
Assigned to Manchester (AHL) Tuesday night, former Tiger Richard Petiot will not return to the Centennial State when the the Kings play the Avalanche in a 7 p.m. preseason tilt.
"That was awesome," he said, exhaling and prompting nods from the rest of the team.
Coach Scott Owens had 16 skaters and three goaltenders dripping with sweat after the high-intensity workout.
For the first time, the Tigers were organized into lines, which I'll put below. But I wouldn't place too much significance on them, considering that forwards Andreas Vlassopoulos, Chad Rau, and Tyler Johnson were not at practice. Defensemen Jake Gannon and Ryan Lowery also did not show.
Until October 6, the date of CC's season-opening exhibition against Calgary and the first official day of practice, players are not required to attend the thrice-weekly workouts. Usually, the only reasons the players will miss practice is for an academic purpose or for medically mandated rest.
Those who did attend participated in offensively minded drills, including the "three-goal" drill, in which one goal is placed at center ice and two are placed in the corners. The team is divided into two and the drill promotes offensive creativity and vision. If one net is clogged, players who go to the open space are often rewarded with breakaway and 2-on-1 situations. Some of the highlights of the three-goal drill were freshman goaltender Richard Bachman, who continues to impress with his saves, and sophomore wing Mike Testwuide, who said his left knee (partial tear of the medial collateral ligament) is healed, looked quicker to the puck than last year.
Testwuide said he focused on increasing his leg strength and speed in the off-season. When I asked Testwuide if he was planning on being involved more in cycling the puck than just sitting in front of the net, he assured me, "No, no, I'll be there."
[in no particular order]
Red McCulloch--Thauwald--Testwuide
White Sweatt--Walsky (not enough players to complete line)
Gold Overman--McMillin--Lampl
Blue DeBoer--Schultz--Patrosso
Defensemen: Wysopal, Fredheim, Hillen, Connelly, Prosser
Goalies: O'Connell, O'Brien, Bachman
***
Assigned to Manchester (AHL) Tuesday night, former Tiger Richard Petiot will not return to the Centennial State when the the Kings play the Avalanche in a 7 p.m. preseason tilt.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Coaches Emphasize Precision
With assistant coaches Norm Bazin and Joe Bonnett running practice Monday, the speed was cranked up a notch. Colorado College players spent most of the 90-minute practice split into separate groups: the forwards worked with Bazin and the seven-man defensive unit worked with Bonnett. No special teams work as of yet.
Among the forwards' focal points were precision passing and toughness. One drill was devoted to taking hits along the glass while protecting the puck.
On the defensive end of things, senior Jack Hillen and junior Jake Gannon took charge, setting a hard-working pace in footwork drills.
Alternate captain Jimmy Kilpatrick (hip) and reserve sophomore Dan Quilico (ankle) watched practice from the bench.
Coach Scott Owens and athletic director Ken Ralph observed practice.
***
Both members of the St. Louis Blues' American Hockey League affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen, last season, Peter Sejna and Mike Stuart remain on the free agent list. Although I never saw Sejna play for CC, I can't imagine that many predicted he would be on the outside looking in at 27 years old. See Sejna's career numbers here. Sejna won the 2003 Hobey Baker Award.
In reference to his bad-luck injury, former CC goaltender Curtis McElhinney says he is still adjusting to the NHL.
Recent CC grad Matt Zaba was released from New York Rangers training camp and will report to Hartford (AHL). Defenseman Brian Salcido will report to Portland (AHL).
Also, Thrashers win 4-3 in OT with two goals from Joey Crabb, one from Brett Sterling and an assist from Colin Stuart. Crabb, one of 13 players reassigned from training camp, will return to Chicago (AHL).
Among the forwards' focal points were precision passing and toughness. One drill was devoted to taking hits along the glass while protecting the puck.
On the defensive end of things, senior Jack Hillen and junior Jake Gannon took charge, setting a hard-working pace in footwork drills.
Alternate captain Jimmy Kilpatrick (hip) and reserve sophomore Dan Quilico (ankle) watched practice from the bench.
Coach Scott Owens and athletic director Ken Ralph observed practice.
***
Both members of the St. Louis Blues' American Hockey League affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen, last season, Peter Sejna and Mike Stuart remain on the free agent list. Although I never saw Sejna play for CC, I can't imagine that many predicted he would be on the outside looking in at 27 years old. See Sejna's career numbers here. Sejna won the 2003 Hobey Baker Award.
In reference to his bad-luck injury, former CC goaltender Curtis McElhinney says he is still adjusting to the NHL.
Recent CC grad Matt Zaba was released from New York Rangers training camp and will report to Hartford (AHL). Defenseman Brian Salcido will report to Portland (AHL).
Also, Thrashers win 4-3 in OT with two goals from Joey Crabb, one from Brett Sterling and an assist from Colin Stuart. Crabb, one of 13 players reassigned from training camp, will return to Chicago (AHL).
Sunday, September 9, 2007
First Captain's Practice
The crisp breeze Sunday harkened fall and was perfectly on cue for the first captain's practice of the 2007-08 season, held at Honnen Ice Arena on Colorado College's campus.
Alternate captain Jimmy Kilpatrick was not present because he underwent hip surgery a month ago.
Coach Scott Owens described the injury as a torn labrum.
"He's out until probably November," Owens said, adding that Kilpatrick's absence will hurt in the early going. "From what I've been led to believe, he's rehabbing it extensively. Hopefully he will be able to play by Thanksgiving."
Kilpatrick said he is rehabilitating twice a day, seven days a week and, as of right now, does not plan to redshirt. He first noticed the injury in "the last third of the season," but he nor trainer Richard Quincy could not pinpoint the exact cause.
"It was a nagging thing throughout the season and it wasn't an easy diagnosis," Kilpatrick said. "But the MRI showed it wasn't good.... We tried to treat everything else possible because I didn't want to miss a game."
Kilpatrick said he tries to be around the team as much as possible and does many of his workouts alongside the Tigers during weightlifting sessions.
"I'm trying to stay positive," he said. "I'll try to be there as much as possible without getting choked up about it."
Kilpatrick and his mother, Diann, spent the first week after his surgery at sophomore forward Mike Testwuide's house in Vail.
Junior Cody Lampl said he expects to play forward this season. Recruited as a defenseman, Lampl switched to checking-line forward last season and provided a physical presence in the corners.
"We all have the same goal in mind, to make it to the Frozen Four and win a conference title," captain Scott Thauwald said. "We're a close group and both the underclassmen and seniors are doing a good job of making the freshmen feel comfortable."
The freshmen certainly seemed comfortable as they delivered checks and passed the puck confidently.
"We need guys to step up and play physical this season," Thauwald said. "It was good to see bodies being thrown around a little bit."
Sporting a slightly-raised red scar on his right wrist, sophomore left wing Bill Sweatt, said his wrist is all healed and was pleased with the first-day effort.
"That was like we were playing a real hockey game," he said. "It was intense."
Although Sweatt was still the fastest player on the ice, it looked like a few more Tigers could push him this season.
Alternate captain Jimmy Kilpatrick was not present because he underwent hip surgery a month ago.
Coach Scott Owens described the injury as a torn labrum.
"He's out until probably November," Owens said, adding that Kilpatrick's absence will hurt in the early going. "From what I've been led to believe, he's rehabbing it extensively. Hopefully he will be able to play by Thanksgiving."
Kilpatrick said he is rehabilitating twice a day, seven days a week and, as of right now, does not plan to redshirt. He first noticed the injury in "the last third of the season," but he nor trainer Richard Quincy could not pinpoint the exact cause.
"It was a nagging thing throughout the season and it wasn't an easy diagnosis," Kilpatrick said. "But the MRI showed it wasn't good.... We tried to treat everything else possible because I didn't want to miss a game."
Kilpatrick said he tries to be around the team as much as possible and does many of his workouts alongside the Tigers during weightlifting sessions.
"I'm trying to stay positive," he said. "I'll try to be there as much as possible without getting choked up about it."
Kilpatrick and his mother, Diann, spent the first week after his surgery at sophomore forward Mike Testwuide's house in Vail.
Junior Cody Lampl said he expects to play forward this season. Recruited as a defenseman, Lampl switched to checking-line forward last season and provided a physical presence in the corners.
"We all have the same goal in mind, to make it to the Frozen Four and win a conference title," captain Scott Thauwald said. "We're a close group and both the underclassmen and seniors are doing a good job of making the freshmen feel comfortable."
The freshmen certainly seemed comfortable as they delivered checks and passed the puck confidently.
"We need guys to step up and play physical this season," Thauwald said. "It was good to see bodies being thrown around a little bit."
Sporting a slightly-raised red scar on his right wrist, sophomore left wing Bill Sweatt, said his wrist is all healed and was pleased with the first-day effort.
"That was like we were playing a real hockey game," he said. "It was intense."
Although Sweatt was still the fastest player on the ice, it looked like a few more Tigers could push him this season.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Kilpatrick Named Alternate Captain and Other Notes
Senior right wing Jimmy Kilpatrick (New Prague, Minn.) will serve as alternate captain to senior forward Scott Thauwald (Rochester, Minn.) for the 2007-08 season. Kilpatrick led the Tigers in scoring last season (7 g, 25 a) and played on the first power play unit. An outspoken critic of the team's late season performance, Kilpatrick is a leader by example. After two defensemen, Lee Sweatt and Brandon Straub, served as captains in '06-'07, it will be interesting to see what changes, if any, happen to team dynamics with two offensive players as declared leaders.
Do you have any thoughts? Post a comment.
Speaking of Captains
CC's first captain's practice will be held Sunday, Sept. 9, at Honnen Ice Arena, which is found on the northwest corner of W. Cache La Poudre and N. Cascade.
Coaches met with the team Tuesday. The Tigers' first game, an exhibition against Calgary on Oct. 6, is just more than a month away and will occur on the first official day of practice. With the first three series against NCAA heavyweights Minnesota (Western Collegiate Hockey Association), New Hampshire (Hockey East) and North Dakota (WCHA), every day counts.
Straub To Attend Avalanche Rookie Camp
Stay tuned to The Gazette this week for more coverage as former CC defenseman Brandon Straub tries to make his mark at Avs Rookie Camp, which starts Saturday, Sept. 8, and lasts until Tuesday, Sept. 11, in Centennial, Colo. Straub will join former WCHA players J.D. Corbin (Denver) and Nigel Williams (Wisconsin) at the camp.
Tickets
Season tickets are still available and individual tickets go on sale Saturday, Sept. 8, at the CC athletics website, the World Arena Box office or TicketsWest at 719-576-2626.
Radio Show Returns to McCabe's
Coach Scott Owens' weekly radio show will again be broadcast live on FM 103.9 from McCabe's Tavern every Tuesday from 6:30-7:30 p.m., starting Oct. 2.
Owens will also be on the air (FM 103.9) Friday mornings at 7:30 starting Oct. 5.
Save The Date
Here are some future CC hockey events that you might want to mark on your calendar:
Skate With The Tigers
--The biannual fan-friendly event will take place on Sunday, Nov. 18, from 12:15-1:45 p.m. at Honnen Ice Rink and again on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008, from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at Sertich Ice Center. Players sign autographs and talk with fans.
CC Hockey 70th Anniversary Celebration
--Events are scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 1-2, when CC hosts Clarkson.
Fun Fact
Both assistant coaches, Joe Bonnett and Norm Bazin, had family additions during the offseason.
--Coleston Bazin was born March 23 to Michelle and Norm Bazin.
--Sam Bonnett was born June 25 to Laura Hines and Joe Bonnett.
Do you have any thoughts? Post a comment.
Speaking of Captains
CC's first captain's practice will be held Sunday, Sept. 9, at Honnen Ice Arena, which is found on the northwest corner of W. Cache La Poudre and N. Cascade.
Coaches met with the team Tuesday. The Tigers' first game, an exhibition against Calgary on Oct. 6, is just more than a month away and will occur on the first official day of practice. With the first three series against NCAA heavyweights Minnesota (Western Collegiate Hockey Association), New Hampshire (Hockey East) and North Dakota (WCHA), every day counts.
Straub To Attend Avalanche Rookie Camp
Stay tuned to The Gazette this week for more coverage as former CC defenseman Brandon Straub tries to make his mark at Avs Rookie Camp, which starts Saturday, Sept. 8, and lasts until Tuesday, Sept. 11, in Centennial, Colo. Straub will join former WCHA players J.D. Corbin (Denver) and Nigel Williams (Wisconsin) at the camp.
Tickets
Season tickets are still available and individual tickets go on sale Saturday, Sept. 8, at the CC athletics website, the World Arena Box office or TicketsWest at 719-576-2626.
Radio Show Returns to McCabe's
Coach Scott Owens' weekly radio show will again be broadcast live on FM 103.9 from McCabe's Tavern every Tuesday from 6:30-7:30 p.m., starting Oct. 2.
Owens will also be on the air (FM 103.9) Friday mornings at 7:30 starting Oct. 5.
Save The Date
Here are some future CC hockey events that you might want to mark on your calendar:
Skate With The Tigers
--The biannual fan-friendly event will take place on Sunday, Nov. 18, from 12:15-1:45 p.m. at Honnen Ice Rink and again on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008, from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at Sertich Ice Center. Players sign autographs and talk with fans.
CC Hockey 70th Anniversary Celebration
--Events are scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 1-2, when CC hosts Clarkson.
Fun Fact
Both assistant coaches, Joe Bonnett and Norm Bazin, had family additions during the offseason.
--Coleston Bazin was born March 23 to Michelle and Norm Bazin.
--Sam Bonnett was born June 25 to Laura Hines and Joe Bonnett.
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