Dutchmen Ex-Files - 12/29/13

by Ryan Fay

The latest round-up in former Dutchmen news for the week ending December 29:

Ex-Union Player of the Week
G Keith Kinkaid (Albany, AHL)

Kinkaid won his 50th game at the AHL level and recorded his league-high fourth shutout of the season with 19 saves in a 2-0 blanking of Adirondack on Friday. The shutout, the ninth of his career, also tied an Albany franchise record for shutouts in a season - and it's only December.

Things have been pointing in the right
direction for Kinkaid this season

Kinkaid extended his shutout streak to 95 minutes and 46 seconds before allowing a second period goal in Saturday's 4-1 win over Portland. He finished the night with a season-high 38 stops.

The sterling performances helped Kinkaid gain the league lead in goals against average at 1.92. He's also in the top five in wins (13, 5th) and save percentage (.927, 5th).

“He’s a good goalie and the team plays well in front of him,” Adirondack head coach Terry Murray told the Troy Record following Friday's contest.

With another organization, those kind of numbers might put him in line for a look with the parent club, but the need just isn't there with New Jersey, which has a formidable duo in net with Cory Schneider and future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur.

Albany will be glad to have Kinkaid in the meantime.

In other former Dutchmen news:

D Greg Coburn (Las Vegas, ECHL)
Coburn registered an assist in Las Vegas' 5-2 defeat to Idaho on Friday. Coburn, who took a career-high six shots on goal, has three goals and three assists in 24 contests.

G Troy Grosenick (Worcester, AHL)
Grosenick didn't have his strongest week, though apparently he didn't receive a lot of help. He tied his career-high with four goals allowed in a 4-0 loss to Portland on Thursday. On Friday, he surrendered a goal on three shots in relief duty during a 5-2 win against St. John's. He sits at 6-4-0 on the year with a 2.27 GAA (8th in the league) and a .916 save mark.

F Josh Jooris (Abbotsford, AHL)
Jooris had one of his better games as a pro in Friday's 5-1 victory over Oklahoma City. He notched a goal and an assist and finished the night with a career-high plus-3 rating.

Jooris has come on of late, picking up seven points (2 g, 5 a) in his last 12 games after being held off the scoresheet in the 12 games before that. He has a 3-9--12 line in 31 games this season.

F Wayne Simpson (South Carolina, ECHL)
Simpson assisted on what proved to be the game-winning goal in South Carolina's 3-2 win over Greenville on Friday. He's up to 15 points (8 g, 7 a) in 23 games this season. The 24-year-old still hasn't taken a single penalty this season.

D Shawn Stuart (Drakkars de Caen, French Elite League)
Stuart chipped in an assist in Drakkars' 5-3 loss to Angers on Sunday. He's the club's top scoring blueliner with six points (g, 5 a) in 16 games.
Recent feature: Catching Up With... Shawn Stuart

D Nolan Julseth-White (Las Vegas, ECHL)
Julseth-White scored his second goal of the season in Thursday's 4-3 setback to Bakersfield. The 25-year-old also has three assists in 27 games.

F Kelly Zajac (Albany, AHL)
Zajac collected an assist in Albany's win over Portland on Saturday, raising his season totals to 2-13--15 in 24 games.

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Dutchmen Ex-Files - 12/23/13

by Ryan Fay

The latest look at what various former Dutchmen have been doing on the ice over the past week:

Ex-Union Player of the Week
F Wayne Simpson (South Carolina, ECHL)

Simpson

Simpson keeps on rolling for the Stingrays.

He recorded his first multi-goal game at the professional level with a pair of tallies against former Clarkson netminder Paul Karpowich in a 4-2 win at Gwinnett on Friday.

The 24-year-old then scored his first game-winning goal as a pro with a second period tally in Saturday's 3-2 victory over the same team.

He has 11 points (7 goals, 4 assists) in his last 10 games. At that rate, it's only a matter of time before he's up in the AHL.

On the season, Simpson has an 8-6--14 line in 20 games.

In other news:

F Kyle Bodie (South Carolina, ECHL)
Bodie picked up an assist in Friday's win at Gwinnett, giving him four points (one goal, three assists) in five games since being acquired from San Francisco earlier this month. Between stops in South Carolina, San Francisco, and Cincinnati, Bodie has seven points (three goals, four assists) in 21 games.

F T.J Fox (Denver, CHL)
Fox collected two assists in a 6-5 loss to Rapid City on Saturday, raising his season point total to 13 (four goals, nine assists) in 26 games.

G Troy Grosenick (Worcester, AHL)
Grosenick is adjusting to the AHL just fine. He took over the league-lead in goals against average after stopping 29-of-31 shots in a 3-2 win at Hershey on Saturday. The Brookfield, Wisconsin native has a 2.01 GAA in 10 games this season to go with a 6-3-0 record and a .924 save percentage.

F Josh Jooris (Abbotsford, AHL)
Jooris assisted on the game-tying goal at 4:47 of the third period before Abbotsford topped Hamilton, 3-2, in a shootout on Sunday. Jooris has 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 26 games.

G Keith Kinkaid (Albany, AHL)
Kinkaid isn't far behind Grosenick on the league GAA leaderboard. He's tied for second at 2.09. Kinkaid most recently played on Saturday, brushing aside 26-of-29 shots in a 3-2 overtime setback at Binghamton. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Kinkaid, who fell to 11-4-1 on the year.

F Trevor Mingoia (Providence, Hockey East)
Mingoia has made a quick impact at Providence for former Union head coach Nate Leaman. Mingoia, who left Union in October 2012, has a point in each of his first four games with the fifth-ranked Friars. His first goal with Providence came in Friday's 4-1 win over Army.

F Kelly Zajac (Albany, AHL)
Zajac chipped in a helper in Saturday's loss at Binghamton, pushing his season line to 2-12--14 in 22 contests.

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Ex-Union netmidner Kinkaid posts shutout (with video)

by Ryan Fay

Former Union goaltender Keith Kinkaid collected 24 saves to earn his second shutout of the season on Wednesday, leading the AHL's Albany Devils to a 3-0 win over Hartford at the Times Union Center.

Kinkaid, who also blanked Hartford behind a 25-save showing last Friday, was at his best late in the game with 11 third period stops.

It was the netminder's sixth consecutive victory, tying Jeff Frazee's franchise record. Kinkaid improved to 7-1-1 on the season with a league-leading 1.75 goals against average. His .930 save percentage ranks fourth.

Kinkaid's former Union and current Albany teammate, Kelly Zajac, picked up a second period assist in Wednesday's triumph. The forward has a goal and two assists in 11 contests this season.

On Monday, Kinkaid was named AHL Player of the Week after going 3-0 with a 0.97 goals against average and a .963 save percentage in three starts last week.

 Kinkaid's postgame (via thealbanydevils.com)



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Kinkaid assigned to Albany

by Ryan Fay

The New Jersey Devils assigned former Union goaltender Keith Kinkaid to the American Hockey League's Albany Devils on Sunday.

Kinkaid appeared in 45 games with Albany last season, going 21-17-6 with a 2.72 goals against average, a .905 save percentage and a pair of shutouts.

He made his National Hockey League debut with New Jersey in March, stopping 12-of-13 shots in 26 minutes of action against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Kinkaid played parts of two games with New Jersey this preseason. He allowed two goals on 16 shots over a combined 40 minutes of ice time.

Albany is New Jersey's top minor league affiliate.

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UPDATED: Jooris forgoes senior year, signs with Calgary

by Ryan Fay

The Dutchmen suffered a major loss on Tuesday.

Star forward Josh Jooris gave up his senior year of eligibility to sign with the Calgary Flames, just weeks after impressing in their development camp.

Jooris inked a two-year, two-way entry-level deal that is worth $832,500 per year in the NHL and $70,000 in the AHL, with a signing bonus of $92,500 each season. The average annual value is $925,000.

"Josh is a right shot center with size and skill,” Flames general manager Jay Feaster said in a release. “During our recent development camp he played an aggressive, up-tempo style and displayed good grit and a high compete level. Our staff felt strongly that we should attempt to get him signed, and we are pleased to welcome him to the organization."

The decision to leave Union a year early wasn't an easy one for Jooris, who is expected to compete in Flames main camp later this year.

Jooris (Union)

"My time at Union has truly been the best of my life,” Jooris said in a release. “The people involved with my three years at school is what made this decision extremely difficult. I fully intend on completing my degree in the near future. Union has always upheld the importance of being a student first and an athlete second, and I truly value my education."

Union head coach Rick Bennett said Jooris called him on Monday night to break the news. The deal had already been done.

"He's living his dream now," Bennett said when reached by phone on Tuesday. "You wish him all the best. He was a great guy for us, a great person, and we always appreciated his time with us."

Jooris, 23, made the most of that time. He piled up 88 points (29 goals, 59 assists) in 117 games over three seasons with the Dutchmen, and finished fourth on the team this past year with 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists). He was Union’s active career leader in playoff scoring with 16 points (seven goals, nine assists), including a pair of goals in Union's 5-1 win over Boston College in the NCAA East Regional semifinal on March 30.

Losing a key offensive player so late in the summer wasn't the best timing for the program, which had already lost its top two scorers, Wayne Simpson and Kyle Bodie, to graduation.

"The timing absolutely stinks," Bennett said. "I wish I could sugarcoat it, but it stinks. It's awful tough to replace a player at this time, never mind one of your best players."

Jooris is the fourth Union player to leave early to go pro in the past three years, but the other three signed contracts within weeks of the season ending. Goaltender Keith Kinkaid signed with New Jersey following the 2010-2011 season, forward Jeremy Welsh signed with Carolina after the 2011-2012 season, and netminder Troy Grosenick agreed to terms with San Jose in April.

Kinkaid and Welsh have already had cups of coffee in the NHL. Bennett thinks Jooris could see that level as well.

"My thoughts are that he's probably going to be in the American Hockey League this year and he may get a call-up to the National Hockey League," Bennett said. "I hope he does, I really do. It would be great for him and his family."

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Union Hockey Notebook - 3/8/13

by Ryan Fay

When Keith Kinkaid made his NHL debut for New Jersey on Tuesday, Union men's hockey head coach Rick Bennett couldn't have been happier for his former goaltender.

"It was really fun to watch him play," Bennett said. "To see his dream become a reality was really special."

Bennett, an assistant when Kinkaid was being recruited, said the goalie landed on Union's radar after a strong showing one year in the Chowder Cup, a summer tournament. Reeling Kinkaid in was a "team effort," according to Bennett, who also credited former head coach Nate Leaman and ex-assistant Ben Barr.

Bennett said Kinkaid began flashing pro potential during the 2008-2009 season when he posted a 1.78 goals against average for the St. Louis Bandits of the North American Hockey League.

Kinkaid (Devils)

"He was starting to really open up some people's eyes," Bennett recalled, noting one NHL team nearly drafted Kinkaid in the seventh round that year. "Then he had a really good freshman year here and we knew we had him one, maybe two, more years."

It turned out that Kinkaid would only do one more year at Union as the Farmingville, New York native signed with the New Jersey Devils organization in the weeks following his sophomore campaign and has since played extensively for their top minor league affiliate in Albany.

Despite stopping 12 of 13 shots in his NHL debut, Kinkaid was sent back to Albany on Wednesday for more seasoning.

RECRUITING ADVANTAGE?

Kinkaid isn't the only other recent Union player to have gone on to the pro ranks. Forward Kelly Zajac and defenseman Nolan Julseth-White are currently on American Hockey League rosters (Albany and Providence, respectively) while forward Jeremy Welsh is with Carolina in the National Hockey League.

That has to look impressive to potential recruits, right?

"I'd like to think it does help, but we've heard a lot of 'no' through our recruiting battles this year," Bennett said. "To say it has pushed over the edge in recruiting, I can't say that it has."

LONG LINE

From Steve Baker to Trevor Koenig to Kris Mayotte to Kinkaid to Troy Grosenick, Union has a rich history between the pipes.

"If you want to be a goaltender and you want to be in the spotlight, there's not a better program than Union College," Bennett said. "It seems like people gravitate towards the goaltender. That happens a lot of places, but more so here. It's such a high profiled position and people want to know you. It's really important that we recruit high character guys.

"If you're a good goalie, you're going to have a lot of the spotlight. Through that spotlight, you have to carry yourself in the right way. All these guys that have come through the program have done that."

GROSENICK UPDATE

Grosenick missed Saturday's 4-0 win over Clarkson after sustaining an injury the previous night, but returned to practice this week and has "looked good," according to Bennett.

Backup Colin Stevens turned in a terrific performance in relief of Grosenick, stopping all 24 shots he faced en route to picking up his third shutout of the year.

"It will be a nice, healthy competition," Bennett said of his goaltending situation. "That's what you want going into the playoffs."

PICK ME! 

The ECAC men's hockey playoffs get underway this weekend, but Union is off on account of having a first round bye. The Dutchmen host the highest remaining five through nine seed next weekend.

If Bennett is right, fifth-seeded Dartmouth will be coming to Messa Rink. The coach picked them to eliminate 12th-seeded Harvard this weekend.

In other action, sixth-seeded St. Lawrence hosts 11th-seeded Colgate and Bennett favors Colgate.

"It's tough for me to count Colgate out when they always seem to get there," he said.

The third first round matchup pits eighth-seeded Princeton against ninth-seeded Cornell and Bennett likes Cornell.

"Cornell is one of those teams, too," he said. "They find a way and have a ton of experience."

The final first round series is seventh-seeded Brown against 10th-seeded Clarkson.

"I'm going to have to go with Brown at this point, but if Allan McPherson is healthy it's going to be a tossup," Bennett said, referencing Clarkson's fourth-leading scorer who was banged up Saturday's 4-0 loss to Union.

Kinkaid shines in NHL debut (with video)

by Ryan Fay

Former Union standout Keith Kinkaid made his NHL debut during New Jersey's 5-2 loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

After starter Johan Hedberg allowed three goals on 11 shots, Kinkaid came in with just under seven minutes left in the second period and stopped 12 of 13 shots the rest of the way, including a great breakaway save on Tampa star Steven Stamkos at 1:08 of the third period. The only blemish was a screen-aided goal by Nate Thompson at 8:36 of the third. It was Thompson's second of the night.

Tampa's fifth goal was an empty-netter by B.J Crombeen with 20 seconds left in the third.

Kinkaid saw 25:45 worth of action, and the only other Union goaltender to see action in the NHL was Steve Baker, who played in parts of four seasons for the Rangers between 1979-1983.

New Jersey resumes play Thursday at home against Buffalo, but according to Devils beat man Rich Chere, the struggling Hedberg will be starting despite Kinkaid's strong debut.

VIDEO: Kinkaid stones Stamkos:

Reviewing the men's hockey class of 2013

by Ryan Fay

Tonight's game versus Clarkson marks the final regular season home game for five Union players. Kyle Bodie, Greg Coburn, Ryan Forgaard, Wayne Simpson, and Shawn Stuart are set to graduate this spring.

The seniors have propelled Union to 89 victories in the past four seasons and would become the winningest class with three more wins. Additionally, the seniors have contributed to two Cleary Cups (2011, 2012), a Whitelaw Cup (2012), and a Frozen Four appearance (2012).

Below are former head coach Nate Leaman's assessments of the seniors from when the recruiting class was announced by Union in May 2009. I've included some short career summaries to see how those assessments have panned out. There's also looks at three additional members of the class who left the program early.


F KYLE BODIE

LEAMAN: "Kyle has very good vision with a great stick. In junior hockey he was a very good power-play player at the top of the point. We graduated two guys, leaving holes that we needed to fill. We look for him to step in and have an impact on the team."

It may have taken two seasons, but Bodie has undoubtedly had an impact on the team. After a combined 22 points in his freshman and sophomore years, Bodie has 60 points in his junior and senior seasons. He is currently tied with Simpson for the team lead in points with 30.

D GREG COBURN

LEAMAN: "Greg led his team in scoring as a defenseman. He is another mobile defenseman with great stick skills and has an offensive upside."

Coburn has saved his best for last as the senior is enjoying his best offensive season to date. His eight goals, 15 assists, and 23 points are all career highs. He has been the Dutchmen's best offensive defenseman this year and has dressed in 146 career games. Of the five seniors, only Simpson has played more games (152).

D RYAN FORGAARD

LEAMAN: "Ryan has a great skill set with good mobility. He competed in probably the best league last year and he has great pedigree coming from the USHL."

Forgaard hasn't provided much impact on the stat sheet (0 goals, 9 assists in four years) but has served as solid depth on the blueline for a defensive unit that has ranked in the top 15 nationally in each of the past four years. The Minnesota native has over 100 games in a Union sweater to his credit.

F WAYNE SIMPSON 

LEAMAN: "Wayne is another forward we think can make an impact. He led prep school in scoring and he plays more of a power game. He has a good stick, good vision and has all the attributes to be a very good player."

Simpson has turned into at least a "very good" player. Earlier this year, he became the ninth player to join Union's Division I era 100 points club and has three 30+ point seasons under his belt.

D SHAWN STUART

LEAMAN: "Shawn has a very good stick with good size on the blue line. He has mobility and we look for him to play for us."

Stuart has certainly played for Union. Until injuries derailed the second part of his senior season, Stuart played in 100 straight games. While never a guy you'd notice looking at a statsheet (25 points in 140 career games) Stuart has nevertheless been a rock on defense for Union. He earned the program's Scott Richardson "unsung hero" award last season.

OTHERS

There are three members of the 2009 recruiting class who won't be partaking in senior night tonight.

JEREMY WELSH left the program after pacing the team in goals (27) and points (44) last year. Welsh decided to forgo in his senior year to sign with the Carolina Hurricanes organization and has spent time in the AHL and NHL since. The Bayfield, Ontario native ended his Union career with exactly 100 points, ninth most in the program's Division I era.

"We don't have a player like Jeremy," Leaman said in 2009. "He has good size and we don't know if he is going to play center or on the wing - he does both exceptionally well. We are going to be a real impact player with how versatile he is on offense and defense."

With a 1.99 goals against average, KEITH KINKAID backstopped the Dutchmen to their first Cleary Cup in his sophomore campaign.

"Keith has won almost every award in junior hockey," Leaman said in 2009. "He's really developing nicely. He has good size and good athletic ability."

The goalie developed nicely enough that the Devils wooed him to go pro after two years in Schenectady. In the time since, Kinkaid has performed solidly in extensive action at the AHL level for Albany.

JEAN SEBASTIAN BERGERON is the least known name of the bunch. The defenseman left Union after two seasons.

"Jean Sebastian is a mobile defenseman," Leaman said in 2009. "I like his competitive level; he competes very well."

But he never competed for Union. Bergeron saw no game action in his two seasons. He would go on to play 11 games of Canadian college hockey in 2011-2012 for Concordia.

Kinkaid and Zajac: From Dutchmen to Devils

by Ryan Fay

It's understandable if Union supporters have their eyes on the New Jersey Devils organization.

Keith Kinkaid, the starting goaltender on the 2010-2011 Cleary Cup winning team, was recalled to New Jersey this week while Kelly Zajac, who served as an assistant captain on last year's Frozen Four squad, was bumped up to the Albany Devils of the American Hockey League on Monday.

KINKAID

The Farmingville, New York native left Union and signed with the Devils organization in April 2011 after a breakthrough sophomore season that resulted in a minuscule 1.99 goals against average and a .920 save percentage.

The netminder was in the midst of his second season with Albany prior to getting recalled on Wednesday and posted a solid 2.69 GAA and a .905 save %, similar figures to what he finished with a year ago.

"From what I’ve observed, the coaching staff is pleased with Kinkaid’s improvement from his rookie season and are acknowledging that with the amount of playing time he receives," said Times Union Albany Devils beat writer Pete Dougherty. "Until his NHL call-up, he had started 33 of [a possible] 51 games."

While Martin Brodeur has been a rock between the pipes for nearly two decades, the 40-year-old can't play forever. And his backup, Johan Hedberg, is 39-years-old. Eventually, the Devils will have multiple openings on its goaltending depth chart.

According to New Jersey Star-Ledger Devils beat man Rich Chere, Kinkaid is seen as a "serious candidate" to be one of New Jersey's top goaltenders once Brodeur retires, but he'll face heavy competition from fellow prospect Scott Wedgewood, a third rounder in the 2010 draft.

The 20-year-old Wedgewood has a 3.31 GAA and an .895 save % for Trenton of the ECHL, a league one step below the AHL.

"Wedgewood may be the likely number one on a post-Brodeur Devils team, but these projections often have a way of changing when a player matures and steps forward," said Chere. "I could, in fact, envision Kinkaid and Wedgewood sharing the goalie duties in a few years. The scouting department feels Kinkaid has the size and skills to make it in the NHL."

The latest recall is the third NHL recall of Kinkaid's young career, but the 23-year-old has yet to see any ice time at hockey's highest level. But with Brodeur nursing a sore back, now is as good of a time as any.

The Devils placed Brodeur on injured reserve on Tuesday, meaning he can't return until at least Monday when the Devils venture to Toronto. In the meantime, New Jersey travels to Winnipeg tonight ahead of a trip to Buffalo on Saturday. Kinkaid will likely need something to happen to Hedberg to see game action.

If Kinkaid receives ice time, he'll become the second goaltender in Union hockey history to play in an NHL game. The other was Steve Baker, who played in parts of four seasons with the New York Rangers from 1979-1983.

Even if Kinkaid doesn't get off the bench, it's still a win-win.

"I had a lot of fun backing up last year," he told the New Jersey media on Tuesday. "Obviously, you want to get that first game, but the time will come. It starts in practice. You show them what you got and hopefully they trust you enough to put you in. Just being with the team is an accomplishment."

ZAJAC

When Kelly Zajac's Union career concluded last spring, he ranked second on the program's Division I era points list with 128, three behind Adam Presizniuk.

The Manitoba native quickly signed an amateur tryout contract with Albany last April and was held without a point in three games at the end of the season. He was subsequently inked to a one-year AHL deal.

"Some skeptics may have seen signing Kelly as a favor to [his older brother] Travis before he was signed to a long-term contract extension, but Kelly will be given a chance to make it on his own," said Chere.

One thing that has hindered Zajac from making it so far has been health, a surprise considering he was remarkably durable during his Union career. Between stops in Albany and Trenton, Zajac has appeared in only 21 games this season.

"He's been banged up for a good part of the year [with a lower body injury] and only now is he able to play in every game instead of getting a game off of a 3-in-3 and so on," said Trenton Titans beat man Mike Ashmore of the Trentonian.

When Zajac, 24, has managed to play, the results have been strong. In 15 games for Trenton, he scored six goals and picked up 10 assists. The forward has also collected a couple goals and a helper in six games for Albany to go along with a plus-2 rating.

"Pretty skilled guy," Ashmore said. "He probably doesn't belong in Trenton in the first place [and is] probably a solid middle six forward in the AHL right now."

Added Dougherty, "[Zajac] basically is caught in a numbers game, created somewhat by the NHL lockout and the extra players who were in the AHL."

Numbers games aside, Zajac needs to do one thing to stick in the AHL.

"Stay healthy. It isn't much more than that," said Ashmore. "The skill set is there, but once he's able to have a completely healthy season and kind of work his way through the glut of depth in Albany, he'll be fine."

Going further up the ladder, could Kelly join older brother Travis in a New Jersey uniform someday?

"I think he has a chance," Ashmore said. "He still needs a little time to develop at the pro level, but end of 2013-14/mid 2014-15 season, he'll hopefully be at that stage of his career where he could get an opportunity"

Dougherty has more of a wait and see approach.

"I don’t know that he has the skill set of Travis, and his size (5'11/175) is a bit of a detriment, as well," he said. "It’s really too early to make that judgment until he gets more of a chance to play in the AHL."

Opined Chere, "Kelly's future appears to be that of a role player who could be called up and sent back several times before a final decision is made. One thing about Lou Lamoriello's Devils: if a player does get a call-up and makes an impression, he'll be rewarded with a contract and stay in the NHL."

Dutchmen Details: TV Coverage? Fuhgeddaboudit.

• Union moves up to #6 in both the USCHO.com and USA Today polls. 
• Union remains at #2 in the INCH rankings, sandwiched between #1 Boston College and #3 Minnesota. INCH has this to say about the Dutchmen:

After suffering a first-round upset as the top seed in the quarterfinal round last year, the Dutchmen left little doubt this time around. Union trailed for less than six minutes the entire weekend and swept RPI.

Senior Molly Kate Devin

• The Dutchwomen visited Van Corlaer Elementary school, where they answered questions from students about the rigors of being student-athletes before playing a game of floor hockey. What I'd like to know: can Union install intramural floor hockey? I hear Kate Gallagher has some garnet and white Mylec floor hockey pads just in case...
• In case you missed it, Andy Stinchfield (of club hockey notoriety) published a piece in the Concordiensis about the Dutchwomen. 
• With a dearth of deals at the NHL trade deadline, a college free agent could be a nice boost for a team looking to add a good player at the right time. Or to build for the future. NHL.com has a list of NCAA free agents who might have those in the pro ranks salivating. Kelly Zajac and Troy Grosenick make the list. Brian O'Neill of Yale is the only other ECACer on the list. Don't be surprised if Jeremy Welsh gets some serious looks, either. We'll touch more on this later in the week.
• As always, the Official Blog of Union Hockey has some pertinent information and interesting stats.
• Vote on the Times Union's poll on where Union will end up Atlantic City. Too bad "teach Sam Coatta to count cards" isn't an option.



This photo comes up when you search "Grosenick," for some reason. 

• Don't expect Coach Bennett's squad to coast into Atlantic City, especially given the volatile nature of the NCAA selection process. From USCHO's ECAC Blog:

...This is to say that there are scenarios out there (play with them yourself!) that have the Dutchmen and Big Red on the wrong side of the bubble, should either fail to win the Whitelaw Cup. That may seem remarkable given Union’s current status as D-I’s sixth-ranked team in the PWR, but such is the case. 

Not surprisingly, Harvard and Colgate – each ranking in the low 20′s – will probably need to win the title in order to gain entry to the national tourney.

• Troy Grosenick was named a finalist for the ECAC Goaltender of the Year Award, aptly named after Ken Dryden. Last year, Keith Kinkaid won the Ken Dryden award. Let's compare their stats:
• Kinkaid (2010-2011) 38 GP; 3 SO; 1.99 GAA; .920 SV%
• Grosenick (2011-2012) 29 GP; 2 SO; 1.66 GAA; .936 SV%
• The major discrepancy here is the games played--if Troy had not missed time due to a nagging lower body injury, those numbers would most likely be more even. Now, let's take a look at the other goalies nominated for this year's Dryden Award, Cornell's Andy Iles and Clarkson's Paul Karpowich:
• Iles: 31 GP; 2 SO; 2.08 GAA; .920 SV%
• Karpowich: 37 GP; 5 SO; 2.46 GAA; .921 SV%
• It turns out that the ECAC championships will not be covered on network TV--the only such league championship series that is being left off the air. At the very least, fans of the four teams can kvetch together. 
• But it looks like RPI's TV station will be there. You'll have to pay to watch, but you probably would have had to do that anyway. Kudos to those Rensselaer-ians for keeping everyone in the loop. Stay tuned (pun intended) for more news on this.

Around the NCAA

• We haven't mentioned it here yet, but best of luck to Joe Marsh, who recently retired from his post as St. Lawrence head coach. Marsh's 26 year stint as head coach is impressive enough, but he was one of the true gentleman of the game. Best of luck to him in retirement and to St. Lawrence in the future. It will be strange to see the Saints come to town without him behind the bench.
• Minnesota-Duluth, reigning champs, purveyors of bleach blond hair and victors over Union in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year, get some press in the New York Times.
• If you haven't already, be sure to check out the work of Luke Devoe over at From The NIP to the Bank, the excellent Quinnipiac Blog. While you're at it, follow the equally excellent RPI blog, Without a Peer. While we're at it, keep the page hits coming for Dan's brilliant ECAC blog.