Union, Boston College aren't strangers

by Ryan Fay

Tonight's opening round East Regional game between Union and Boston College (9 PM, ESPNU/WatchESPN) will mark the first meeting between the two schools.

But that doesn't mean players on both teams aren't already familiar with one another.

Wayne Simpson played prep hockey with Boston College's Steven Whitney for three years at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts. Simpson and Whitney served as two of the team's three captains during their senior year.

Whitney has gone on to post impressive numbers for Boston College. His 26 goals rank second in the country this season behind St. Lawrence's Greg Carey, who netted 28. Whitney's 45 points are second-best in Hockey East, and he eclipsed the 100 career point plateau earlier this year. Entering play this weekend, the senior has 128 points in 159 contests for BC.

Whitney (Hockey East)

"He's a great player," Simpson said of Whitney. "He's been playing real well and that doesn't surprise me. He has a very good shot and if he finds ice just one time it could kill us. We have to be extra aware of him. It's going to be important to shut him down this weekend."

Doing that will be easier said than done.

"It's tough," Simpson admitted. "We just have to know when Whitney is out there. We have to be physical, make it hard for him to earn his ice, and wear him down."

The only player in Hockey East with more points than Whitney this year is teammate Johnny Gaudreau, who has 50. There are two Union connections to Gaudreau.

Defenseman Charlie Vasaturo, who is out for the year with a knee injury, goes way back with Gaudreau as the two are from neighboring parts of New Jersey. Shayne Gostisbehere played with Gaudreau during the recent World Junior Championships in Russia, where Team USA captured a gold medal.

Gaudreau, also known as "Johnny Hockey", was a major reason why. He led the field with seven goals, including a hat trick, and tied for the team lead in points with nine.

"Gaudreau is an excellent player and he's very shifty," Gostisbehere said. "Even as small as he is -- 5-foot-8, 150 pounds -- it doesn't matter. He's a great player. He has great hands and eyes. He's a playmaker out there."

The best example of that playmaking ability came in last year's national championship game victory over Ferris State. With the Eagles leading 2-1 in the third period, Gaudreau picked up a loose puck at his own blue line and after escaping from Ferris State's Kyle Bonis, he weaved around Bulldogs defenseman Brett Wysopal and roofed a backhander past goalie Taylor Nelson. Whitney added an empty netter to ice the 4-1 win.

Gostisbehere said Gaudreau, a Hobey Baker finalist this season, can be contained if Union does a couple things.

"Just don't look at the puck and keep him in front of you if you can," he advised. "He gets lost very easily and the next thing you know he's putting the puck in the back of your net."

That's one thing the Dutchmen won't want to see.

BC's Alber is one that got away

by Ryan Fay

When Boston College defenseman Patch Alber suffered a serious knee injury in late December, one of the first phone calls the Clifton Park native received came from Schenectady.

"Rick Bennett was one of the first in the hockey community to reach out to Patch right after his knee surgery on New Year's day," said Larry Alber, Patch's father.

Alber, who returned to action on March 15th against Vermont after missing 20 games, has a long history with the Union head coach. The elder Alber said Union recruited Patch and that Bennett, then an assistant under Nate Leaman, was the primary contact between Union and his son. The two still keep in touch.

"Union's interest seemed serious at the time," the elder Alber recalled. "Leaman called Patch the summer between his junior and senior years of high school -- as soon as NCAA rules allowed."

The elder Alber said the Dutchmen had a lot to offer in his son's eyes. 

"Union was attractive to Patch primarily for its location close to home, its reputation as a great academic institution, its coaching staff, the direction that Union was heading as an up and coming powerhouse, and that a teammate from Northwood School, Mario Valery-Trabucco, played there," the elder Alber said.

Ultimately, though, things didn't come together.

"Patch was, and still is, small for a defenseman at 5'10, 170-pounds and that made most coaches and teams postpone any offers until the end of the season," the elder Alber said. "At the end of the day, Union just didn’t see enough to seal the deal."

Bennett wishes he could have that decision back.

"You can chalk that one up to a bad decision by Rick Bennett -- a real bad decision by Rick Bennett," Bennett said. "I had a chance to see Patch play. We really liked his character. It was one of those where we weren't sure for a defenseman what we were looking for at that time. I'm not going to throw it on the other staff -- I'll take credit for that one."

The elder Alber said there aren't any hard feelings because Union wasn't the only school to say 'thanks, but no thanks.'

"I'm not blaming Union, as RPI and a few other ECAC teams all expressed interest but offers just didn’t materialize," he said. "Boston College seemed to be willing to overlook his size and took a chance on him as a recruited walk-on and he jumped at it."

Alber, now a senior, impressed enough to earn a scholarship the past two years. In four years on Chestnut Hill, the 24-year-old has dressed in 112 games, scoring four goals and chipping in 25 assists. He has a cumulative plus-51 rating.

"He has had a real fine career for us," said Boston College head coach Jerry York.

Along the way, Alber has won national championships in 2010 and 2012. Union, which faces Alber and the Eagles tomorrow at 9 p.m. in the East Regional semifinal, hopes the local kid doesn't add a third.

Q&A with CHN's McMahon and Meloni

by Ryan Fay

Union (21-12-5, 10-8-4 ECAC Hockey) takes on Boston College (22-11-4, 15-9-3 Hockey East) Saturday at 9 pm in the opening round of the East Regional at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, RI.

For the scoop on the Eagles, I checked in with Mike McMahon and Joe Meloni, Hockey East insiders for College Hockey News.

UNION HOCKEY NEWS (UHN): Which BC players should Union fans keep an eye on?

MIKE MCMAHON (MM): Johnny Gaudreau is obviously one of the best forwards in the entire nation. Steven Whitney, also a forward, is a guy who I think is really underrated in that he performs in all three zones better than anyone that I've seen in Hockey East. Then they have a great supporting cast. Forwards Pat Mullane and Bill Arnold are top-line players on most other teams and they're missing another forward in Kevin Hayes (right quad) who would have made them even better.

Parker Milner flies under the radar a bit, in the sense that I don't feel like many people recognize him as one of the better goaltenders in the nation, and I think he is. The guy won a national title and was MVP of the entire tournament.

UHN: What are BC's strengths this year?

JOE MELONI (JM): BC's strengths are the same as they always are. They can score in bunches in a hurry. They don't have the offensive depth they had a season ago, but their top four forwards are as dangerous as anyone in the country. Each of their top two lines has a weaker player, but both of them can be opportunistic scorers and are strong on the forecheck.

BC's top power-play unit is dominant with it's usual quick, confident puck movement. Keeping track of Gaudreau at the half-wall and along the goal line is nearly impossible. The Eagles are going to get their chances.

They're also the most confident team I've ever seen. Even with their loss in the Hockey East tournament, nothing has changed for them. They know what they're capable of, and they play to their strengths.

UHN: What are BC's weaknesses this year?

JM: BC's weaknesses are its depth at both forward and defense. Last year, they had three scoring lines that could put up points against anyone. That has dwindled this year with a handful of forwards doing most of their scoring... BC has shifted its lines a bit in the last few weeks to spread out some of the explosiveness.

On the defensive end, it's been a very tough year for BC. There are four freshman defensemen that see regular time. Mike Matheson is the exception to this, since he's a truly dominant player even as a freshman. He'll likely double shift throughout the tournament, expect him to play more than 30 minutes on Saturday night. He's a special player at both ends of the ice.

Aside from Matheson, though, BC has some issues. They'll most likely play five defensemen on Saturday, with either Travis Jeke or Colin Sullivan (both freshmen) dressing and seeing little time. As a whole, the defensive corps has shown some problems against teams that forecheck heavily and pressure the initial puck carrier on the breakout.

A lot of this can be neutralized with good support from their quick forwards, but that takes away some of their numbers in the neutral zone. All in all, the defensive unit is a fine group, but it's difficult to see them winning a national title if they aren't perfect these next few weeks.

UHN: How has BC played lately?

MM: They've played OK, for them. Given how they've typically performed in February and March, I think many BC people are disappointed with what they've seen thus far. They weren't Hockey East champs for the first time since 2009. They've allowed over three goals per game in their last 10 games, which isn't a good recipe. One thing that really sticks out to me, though, is that they've scored nearly 40% of their goals the last 10 games on the power play. For Union, that number is only about 17%. That tells me that the Dutchmen are playing much better 5-on-5.

UHN: How do you see the game going?

MM: Like most games this time of year, I think it's close. But honestly, I have Union not only beating Boston College, but winning that region. I think the Dutchmen have been one of the hotter teams the last three weeks and I really like the way they've defended. I see a 3-2 Union win. Maybe 4-2 if they can tack on an empty netter.

JM: I think Union wins this one. Rick Bennett's team prides itself on defensive excellence and commits to it. They create offense through this defensive discipline. That's exactly the type of style that can get to BC, especially if Union's forecheckers create some turnovers below the face-off circles. Union wins, 4-2.

__________

Follow McMahon on Twitter at @MikeMcMahonCHN
Check out McMahon's "Mack Report" website here
Follow Meloni on Twitter at @JoeMeloni

An old friend is willing to help

by Ryan Fay

If Union ends up facing North Dakota in the NCAA tournament, they can count on help from an old friend.

Cain (Manitoba)

But that old friend, former Union player Luke Cain, doesn't expect to be getting a call.

Cain, back playing college hockey for the University of Manitoba, played an exhibition against North Dakota on October 6th. North Dakota won, 5-3.

"I don't expect Rick Bennett to call me for a scouting report if they do end up playing North Dakota," Cain said. "The video analysis that the Union staff does would be far superior to the scouting report that I would be able to give them. However, if Rick does reach out to me, I would be more than willing to help him in any way that I could."

Cain admits North Dakota may be a different team than they were in October, but has vivid recollections of what he saw from the Fighting Sioux earlier this season.

"They were a fast team with a tremendous amount of skill," he recalled. "The place that I found them vulnerable was their arrogance on the ice. Some of their players seemed unwilling to make the simple or easy play and would instead try something fancy.

"This led to turnovers and scoring chances. They are a good team, with extremely fast, dynamic, players who have the ability to score if you give them the chances. A smart, structured, strong defensive game is needed to beat them."

In 24 games for Manitoba, Cain has five goals and three assists.

I'll have much more from Cain in the near future.

Déjà Vu All Over Again

If you only read one thing today, it should probably be this:

College hockey is the friggin best sport in the world.
— Joe Yerdon (@JoeYerdonPHT) March 24, 2012

But in case you hanker for a little more, consider everything that happened yesterday in the NCAA.

***

Courtesy Patrick Dodson

I woke up this morning eager to refresh Twitter on my phone. I had to make sure that those memories of Union College advancing to the Elite Eight were not wispy remnants of a dream. It couldn't have been real, right? A mob of Union fans serenading Troy Grosenick with chants of "Ho-bey Ba-ker!" while the ESPN crew caught up with him post game. The veritable sea of garnet to my left and right, some 150 miles away from Schenectady. This couldn't be real.

What snapped me back to reality, ironically, was a sense of déjà vu. Over the course of this season, there has a veritable mountain of "pinch-me" moments. Union traveling to Michigan and winning at Yost Arena. The Dutchmen playing an outdoor game at Fenway Park and winning. The Red Sox cathedral turning into a glorified Union rally. Winning the Cleary Cup with the thrilling help of a rival. Sweeping RPI out of the playoffs (and going 5-0 against them overall). Triumphantly hoisting the Whitelaw in Atlantic City. And now, advancing to the Elite Eight after a nailbiting (and often controversial) game against Michigan State.

Union Faithful (Courtesy Patrick Dodson)

                                                                              ***

But to limit your college hockey worldview to a Dutchmen-centric one last night would have been tragic. Fellow ECAC traveller Cornell pulled off the upset of the tournament, defeating #2 Michigan in Green Bay. The game was anything but pretty: penalties marred the flow of the game, there were disallowed goals (sound familiar?). Despite the fits and starts, Cornell held on to a slim 2-1 lead over Michigan going into the third. But with four minutes left, Michigan slipped a puck past Andy Iles. In the ensuing extra frame, Rodger Craig (not to be confused with original Met Roger Craig) deposited a shot past an out of position Shawn Hunwick. With that, Friday saw two ECAC teams move on. But as Michigan departed the ice, we were reminded why hockey, despite its chippiness and rivalries, is still very much a gentleman's game. From CHN's recap:

After Hunwick took a couple of seconds to absorb seeing his season end with an OT goal in an NCAA game for the third straight season, he picked up the puck that Craig deposited in the net, skated to the Cornell bench, and gave it to an assistant coach to give to Craig..."It's one of the classiest things I've seen in 25 years of coaching," Schafer said. "To think of that in such a disappointing moment showed a lot of class for the kid and character, and those things don't go unnoticed. ... I was very impressed by it."

But wait, there was more. Miami of Ohio mounted a furious comeback during the second game at Webster Bank Arena after UMass-Lowell jumped off to a quick, seemingly insurmountable 3-0 lead. Miami roared back with three tallies in the third. With a five minute powerplay that would ultimately spill over into overtime, the Red Hawks seemed poised to steal an improbable win. But thanks to UMass-Lowell's Doug Carr (no relation to Daniel Carr), and a well-timed save by the post in OT, the River Hawks survived the onslaught before Riley Wetmore scored the game winner, propelling his team to the their first NCAA win since 1996. Miami settled for another heart-rending tournament loss.

Just in case you were wondering, Ferris State eliminated Denver in an equally thrilling 2-1 win. Only a day of back-and-forth drama and compelling narratives could push this game to the very bottom of our recap.

***

As the dust settled after the whirlwind action of Friday night, a few stories came into focus. The Dutchmen would move on, winning their first ever Division I NCAA tournament game. Their opponent? Massachusetts-Lowell, stranger to the tournament since 1996. No matter what, one team will emerge from today's 6:30 game as a first-time Frozen Four participant. 

But then there is Cornell. If all goes according to plan, Union could meet up with Cornell in Tampa for the final. Most assuredly, that prospect has not yet registered on Coach Bennett's squad's radar. Nor should it: much of the success of the Union program (beside stellar goaltending, a rock solid defense and timely scoring) is rooted in the mantra: "one game at a time." To the casual fan, who can't help but dream of the next step--and the one after that--the Dutchmen live by the platitudes that seem mundane to the rest of us. But these are not players merely rehearsing the company byline. Their even-keeled steadiness is a hallmark of their success and one of the end results of the program's lofty aspirations. Don't be mistaken, the boys understand that last night's win was the biggest in program history. But they also understand, more importantly, that hockey is a fickle game, especially in the NCAA Tournament (simply look above to witness the thrilling volatility of last night's action). To paraphrase Hobey Baker finalist Troy Grosenick in nearly every post-game conference, the sport is not about looking at past failures or missed opportunities. It is, instead, predicated adding each brick to the growing accomplishments of this program, piece by piece. Before you know it, the team is advancing to the Elite Eight, with an eye on the Frozen Four. You don't have to pinch yourself to wake up from this splendid dream: this is a splendid reality.

Tidbits:

• Disallowed Goal: It was a common theme last night, also changing the complexion of Cornell's contest. From my view in the stands, the flurry in front of Grosenick's net resulted only in some emphatic Michigan State celebrations and an equally emphatic "no goal" signal from the official; the red light never flashed. The call needed to be entirely conclusive to overturn the on-ice ruling, and luckily for Union, it wasn't. But upon further review, the goal probably should have counted. The puck appeared to cross the goal line just as the net was lifted off its moorings by Josh Jooris. It's impossible to know what the officials conferred on in the box (for quite a long time), but in the end, the call on the ice stood. I imagine if the red light had gone on, they would have overturned it.
• Rent-A-Band: There's no secret to the tunes that wafted down from one of Union's sections yesterday. They were fun, peppy, and loud, but weren't strictly Kosher. See, Union had hired the Sacred Heart Band instead of bussing down the Nott Noisemakers for the contest. This smacks of a bad PR move for Union Athletics, which has done everything else right. Let the band that has played every game at Messa Rink play in Bridgeport. This should not an indictment of a lack of interest from Union fans. The head of Union's pep band is rightfully infuriated. This is, instead, a cost-efficiency move. The faux-U-Crew was good last night, but it certainly struck the wrong chord with Union fans. Let an integral piece of the hockey team travel with them; they certainly deserve it.

Union's Press Conference From Bridgeport

The Dutchmen had a press conference after their practice on Thursday afternoon. This was definitely the biggest press conference I've ever been a part of.





The thing Coach is laughing about in the beginning of the video is that Ken Schott asked him what he's most scared about with Duluth, and Coach said "the weather."

My Projected Bracket

The NCAA Tournament starts on Friday, which means I have to submit my bracket for the "NCAA Hockey Bracket Challenge" in support for "Score for Kristen and the Kids."

This is what I honestly think will happen in the 2011 NCAA Hockey Tournament:

Regionals
Bridgeport
Union over Minnesota-Duluth
Yale over Air Force
*Union over Yale

Manchester
Miami over New Hampshire
Merrimack over Notre Dame
*Miami over Merrimack

St. Louis
Nebraska-Omaha over Michigan
Boston College over Colorado College
*Boston College over Nebraska-Omaha

Green Bay
North Dakota over RPI
Western Michigan over Denver
*North Dakota over Western Michigan

Frozen Four
St. Paul
Miami over Union
Boston College over North Dakota
**Boston College over Miami

* Regional Championship
** Frozen Four Championship

As you can see, I'm confident that many of the "newer" and "less-known" teams will win a game, but the traditional powers will have no problems making the Frozen Four and winning the championship.

I feel that the Bridgeport region is the biggest toss up. I honestly believe that any of the four teams in that region can make it to the Frozen Four. You can call me a homer, but I like Union's chances against UMD and Yale. I wouldn't be surprised if all three games went into overtime. Also, I hope the ECAC has one representative in the Frozen Four.

The reason why I picked BC to win it all again is because of their expereince. They return a bunch of guys who won last year, including stud Cam Atkinson, and goaltender John Muse returns to try and win a third national championship. I like North Dakota because of their winning tradition and the leading scorer in the nation Matt Frattin. I also think Miami will go to the FF because of the dynamic duo of Carter Camper and Andy Miele, who both have good experience in the tournament. Personally, BC, North Dakota and Miami are on a level of their own and are the best three teams in the country.

Who knows what will happen? The NCAA Hockey tournament can be very unpredictable, which is what makes it so much fun.

NCAA Hockey Bracket Challenge For Charity

My fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi (Upsilon Sigma chapter), is hosting an NCAA Hockey Bracket Challenge to raise money for the "Score for Kristen & the Kids" fund. This charity is in support of Kristen Shinebarger, who was recently diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, and her family. Her mother, Shelly Shinebarger, is the Director of Student Services at Union and does a lot for Dutchmen, especially with the guys from Canada. As of February 7th, about $4,000 has been raised. Let's continue this success and spread it the cause throughout the college hockey community.

For more info on the charity click here.

The way the bracket challenge works is that it costs $5 to submit one bracket (or $12 for three brackets, $20 for five brackets), and the winner takes 50% of the total amount raised, while the other half goes to the Shinebarger family.

Here's how to sign up:
Register (click here)
Fill out Bracket (click here)
Pay via PayPal (click here)

For more info check out the Facebook Page. Join the event and invite all of your friends.

Fun Facts: Former team manager Jeremy Apple '09 is a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity... Jason Oshins '86 founded the chapter of AEPi at Union College and is a huge Garnet Blades donor and is on the school's Board of Trustees.

Here's a video of Kristen when she was honored by Union's women's hockey team in February:



Here's a video from the press conference when the initiative was announced:

Union Is Heading To Bridgeport!

Wow, this is pretty exciting! It's still pretty amazing that UNION COLLEGE is not only in the NCAA Tournament for the first time (in Division I history), but they are a #2 SEED! This is going to be one exciting week leading up to the weekend in Bridgeport. I'll do my best to keep all of you posted and informed on our upcoming opponents and other news.

Here is what the official bracket looks like:

East Regional (Bridgeport, Ct.)
No. 4 Air Force (20-11-6)* vs. No. 1 Yale (27-6-1)*
No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth (22-10-6) vs. No. 2 Union (26-9-4)

West Regional (St. Louis)
No. 4 Colorado College (22-18-3)  vs. No. 1 Boston College (30-7-1)*
No. 3 Nebraska-Omaha (21-15-2) vs. No. 2 Michigan (26-10-4)

Midwest Regional (Green Bay)
No. 4 Rensselaer (20-12-5) vs. No. 1 North Dakota (30-8-3)*
No. 3 Western Michigan (19-12-10) vs. No. 2 Denver (24-11-5)

Northeast Regional (Manchester, N.H.)
No. 4 New Hampshire (21-10-6) vs. No. 1 Miami (23-9-6)*
No. 3 Notre Dame (23-13-5) vs. No. 2 Merrimack (25-9-4)

* automatic qualifiers
By conference: WCHA 5, CCHA 4, ECAC 3, Hockey East 3, Atlantic Hockey 1

Personally, I think this is the best case scenario for the Dutchmen. Any team you play in the NCAA Tournament is going to be tough opponent, so all the game are going to be difficult. But, if I had to pick a region to be in and a #1 seed to be in the same bracket with, I'd pick Bridgeport and Yale, respectively. Bridgeport is the closest of the four sites to Schenectady and Union has beaten Yale already this year. I also feel the Bulldogs are the weakest of the four #1 seeds, even though they had two convincing performances in the ECAC Final Four. I think Union has as good of a chance as any team in Bridgeport to make it to the Frozen Four.

But, Yale should not be our focus right now... it should be the other Bulldgos. That is THE University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. They also have a very good team and will be a very tough opponent. Their top line of Fontaine-J. Connolly-M. Connolly is supposed excellent and have put up big numbers. They also have a stud freshman defenseman in Justin Faulk. But after that it doesn't sound like they have too much. Their goaltender also doesn't seem to be anything special, and isn't on the same level as Keith Kinkaid. This is just what I've heard. I will do my best to find out everything on the Bulldogs throughout the week.

This is going to be a fun week... CAN'T WAIT!

Videos of Union on ESPN2

Here are two videos of Union on ESPN2's NCAA Hockey selection show. The first video is of when the East Regional was announced, and the second is the interview with Coach Leaman.





Ken Schott also has some videos from the reception at the Nott Memorial:

For the reaction when Union's name was announced and Coach Leaman's interview click here.
For the press conference after the announcement click here.

The Tournament Field Is Set!

Saturday night ended the league playoffs, which solidified the NCAA Tournament field. Here are the results from the league championship and third place games:

ECAC
Championship: Yale 6 - Cornell 0
Third Place: Dartmouth 5 - Colgate 3
*Yale gets auto bid

CCHA
Championship: Miami 5 - Western Michigan 2
Third Place: Michigan 4 - Notre Dame 2
*Miami gets auto bid

Hockey East
Boston College 5 - Merrimack 3
*Boston College gets auto bid

WCHA
North Dakota 3 - Denver 2 (2OT)
*North Dakota gets auto bid

Atlantic Hockey
Air Force 1 - RIT 0
*Air Force gets auto bid

For game recaps of these game go to USCHO.

So, here is the final NCAA Tournament field by seed:
1. Yale
2. North Dakota
3. Boston College
4. Miami
5. Michigan
6. Merrimack
7. Denver
8. Union
9. Minnesota - Duluth
10. Western Michigan
11. Notre Dame
12. Nebraska-Omaha
13. New Hampshire
14. Colorado College
15. RPI
16. Air Force

Dartmouth, BU, Maine, and Minnesota just missed. For the final PWR click here.

So, we have three ECAC teams in the tourney which is awesome! Even though I don't like to say it... Congrats RPI. Represent the Capital District well!

We will find out tomorrow where each team plays. Make sure to watch the selection show at 11:30am on ESPN2. USCHO's Jayson Moy predicts the tournament field to look like this (link):

Bridgeport
Yale vs. Air Force
Union vs. Minnesota-Duluth

Manchester
Miami vs. New Hampshire
Merrimack vs. Notre Dame

Green Bay
North Dakota vs. RPI
Denver vs. Western Michigan

St. Louis
Boston College vs. Colorado College
Michigan vs. Nebraska-Omaha

I'd bet that Moy is right and this is what the tournament looks like. As a Union fan, I'd be very happy with this. Every team is you're going to play is tough, but if I had to choose a #1 seed to play (that is if we win the first game, which will be tough) it would be Yale since we're familiar with them. You never know what can happen in the NCAA Tournament. I mean, RIT went to the Frozen Four last year and this year they're not even in the tourney.

"ANYTIME, ANYPLACE, ANYHOW"

Union Drops In The Rankings

Union dropped two games and won once against Colgate this weekend. They will be off this upcoming weekend and will await to see where they end up in the NCAA Tournament.

This is where they currently stand in the rankings:

USCHO: down 5 spots to #9
INCH: down 4 spots to #7
USA Today/USAHM: drop 4 spots for a tie for #8 with Notre Dame
TCHB: down 6 spots to #9

PWR: 9th
RPI: 8th
KRACH: 10th

Here are some links pertaining to where Union could end up in the NCAA tournament:

USCHO's Jayson Moy has Union as the 9-seed playing in Bridgeport against Merrimack and with Yale and RIT. (click here)

Have fun with USCHO's PairWise Predictor to figure out all the different scenarios of how different teams can and cannot make the NCAA tournament. (click here)

The College Hockey Blog has Union in Green Bay for the NCAA Tourney playing Michigan, and with Miami and Boston University. (click here)

It Looks Like Union Will Be Dancing!

I just want to make it known that I'm not great with numbers, formulas, etc. So, I can not figure out all the possible situations where Union will and will not make the NCAA tournament.

But, there is a PWR guru on the USCHO Forums named "Priceless." This is what he had to say about Union's chances of being a #1 seed and making the tournament (thanks to Will aka UHM on this one):

"Union (#4-#12) Can only get the final #1 seed by winning the ECAC, Denver losing before the final of the WCHA, BC/BU/Maine winning Hockey East and someone besides Michigan and Miami emerging from the CCHA. UNH, Merrimack, Michigan, Miami and Denver can all take the #1 seed by winning their conference. Union can lose this weekend or twice in AC and still not fall below #12. It looks like they are in the tournament." (link to the post)

So, it looks like the Dutchmen will be making their first ever tournament appearance no matter what happens in the ECAC playoffs. But, I'd feel a lot more comfortable winning two games this weekend and two games the following weekend.

P.S. I attended a Media Day today at the rink and took some videos. They'll be posted later.

Union Loses Mariucci Classic Championship Game

Matt Read scored twice for the Beavers

After Friday night's big win against Minnesota, the Dutchmen followed it up with a disappointing 3-1 loss against the Bemidji State Beavers in the tournament championship game. This is a pretty disappointing way to end the out of conference schedule and head into the winter term.

Here is what Union has done in OOC games this season:
vs. Sacred Heart - W, 9-0
vs. Sacred Heart - W, 7-3
at. Alaska-Fairbanks - L, 1-2 (Brice Alaska Goal Rush)
at Alaska-Anchorage - W, 4-3 (Brice Alaska Goal Rush)
vs. Niagara - W, 6-1
vs. RIT - W, 7-2
vs. UConn - T, 3-3
vs. RPI - T, 3-3 (Lake Placid - Halloween Faceoff)
vs. AIC - W, 8-1
vs. Army - W, 6-2
at Western Michigan - L, 1-2
at Western Michigan - L, 1-3
at Minnesota - W, 3-2 (OT) (Mariucci Classic)
at Bemidji - L, 1-3 (Mariucci Classic)

So Union went 8-4-2 in non-ECAC play, which looks pretty good but when you analyze it they really didn't do so great. Against Atlantic Hockey opponents (some of the weakest teams in NCAA Division I hockey) the Dutchmen went 6-0-1, outscoring their opponents 46-12. This means they went 2-4-1 against stronger OOC opponents where they were outscored 11-15 (I am not counting the RPI game since they are in the ECAC). So, this shows that Union has trouble competing against some of the tougher teams in college hockey, while they beat up on weaker opponents. One should also realize that these "tougher" OOC opponents are not ranked higher than the Dutchmen in the USCHO national rankings. Besides the win over Minnesota, Union has not proven that they are a legitimate contender for a national tournament berth.

Presizniuk is just one point away from breaking Union's
all-time points record. He currently tied with Jason Walters
at 115 points.

The problem behind this struggle against these tougher teams is the lack of offense. In the seven games against these "tough" teams the Dutchmen averaged just 1.57 goals per game. That is not a formula for success. Maybe the absence of Adam Presizniuk is a reason to why this has happened. The defense on the other hand has done their part as they have only allowed 2.14 goals per game in these seven games.

To be brutally honest, I really think that at this moment Union is very overrated. They have not proven to be the #12 team in the country. Beating up on the cellar dwellers is nice, but if you can't pull out wins against tough opponents on the road you will not be making the national tournament. Hopefully, they can step their game up in ECAC play, climb the standings, and make a run in the league playoffs. There are plenty of big games against good opponents in the ECAC to play (Yale, Clarkson, Princeton, Dartmouth), so Union still has the chance to prove that they are a legitimate Top 16 team. As of this moment Union is tied for 14th in the PWR, which is good for a NCAA tournament berth.

I will be back on campus tomorrow as classes start up for the winter term on Monday.

Here are some links about the game against Bemidji:
Union Athletics.com
USCHO
CHN
BSU Beavers.com

Dutchmen Drop First Game at Western Michigan

The #10/12 Union Dutchmen drove 12 hours west to Kalamazoo, Michigan to take on out-of-conference Western Michigan in a pair of weekend games. Western Michigan has been ranked as high as #19 in USCHO.com poll rankings, but is currently on the outside looking in on the top 20. The Dutchmen are 7-1-1 in nine non-conference games this season, and 5-6-2 in games against CCHA teams in eight seasons with Nate Leaman as head coach. This marked the first ever meeting between Union and Western Michigan.


Western Michigan took an early 1-0 lead at 15:01 in the first period on a nifty play in the neutral zone by Broncos defenseman Luke Witkowski to set up a two-on-one. Witkowski deflected the puck off the boards to Chase Bailey to the left of the slot, who then fed Shane Berschbach with a cross-ice pass. Berschbach finished into an open net.


The Western Michigan Broncos would strike again in the second period on the the team's third power play opportunity of the game. With senior forward Andrew Buote in the penalty box for boarding, Shane Berschbach took control of a rebound on a blocked shot from the point and fired a low wrist shot from the circle past sophomore goaltender Keith Kinkaid at 3:36.


Trailing 2-0 in the second period, Union would cut Western Michigan’s lead in half on their second power play opportunity of the night. The man advantage was created by sophomore forward Justin Pallos who was tripped up by Jerry Kuhn while driving to the net at 10:29. On the power play, sophomore forward Jeremy Welsh fed freshman defenseman Mat Bodie with a pass across the point. Bodie’s long wrist shot was deflected in front by freshman forward Daniel Carr past Kuhn at 12:23. The goal was Carr’s 10th of the season and sixth point in the last three games.


Carr also received the best opportunity to tie the game with Union on the power play late in the third period. Carr took a long pass from freshman forward Josh Jooris, and skated in alone on a breakaway. His low shot was stopped by Kuhn with 2:25 remaining in the game.


Despite outshooting Western Michigan 24-17 for the game, and 9-4 in the third period, Union fell 2-1 in a hard fought contest. They will try to split the weekend series in Kalamazoo this afternoon at 4 pm.
You may all listen to the game on TeamLine internet radio: http://www.teamline.cc/free_listen?teamcode=1160&eventcode=25&status=PFU

Recap of Day 1 of NCAA Tournament

In an exciting first day of the NCAA Tournament a #1 seed, #2 seed, #3, and #4 seed all advanced. It was an exciting four games as three of the games were one goal games. Both games in the West regional were close affairs. First, St. Cloud topped Northern Michigan 4-3 in double overtime. This was the first win for the (2)Huskies in the national tournament in eight tries. This game was followed by another nail-biter as Wisconsin beat Vermont 3-2 behind three power-play goals by the (1) Badgers.

The biggest upset of the day came in the East Region where (4) RIT beat a highly praised Denver team 2-1. I was able to watch this game on TV and was very impressed with the Tigers and their goaltender Jared DeMichiel. DeMichiel was very aggressive in net as he was on top of his crease all game. On one save he was even out around the hash marks.

The only game that was a blowout was the UNH-Cornell game where Bobby Butler,the nation's leading scorer, and the (3) Wildcats put up a six spot on Ben Scirvens and the Big Red. Scrivens did not allow a goal for an ECAC record 266:11, but UNH was able to put up six goals in the final 23+ minutes of the first round game. Not only was this not good for Cornell, but it is bad for the ECAC as a whole. Cornell was supposed to be the top team in the ECAC by far and a legitimate contender for the national tournament. But, allowing six goals in their first tournament game proves that the ECAC is truly the weakest of the "Big Four" conferences in college hockey. As a Union fan it is mind-boggling how Cornell looked so dominant during the ECAC playoffs and in the championship game against the Dutchmen, and then get demolished against UNH. Imagine what the Wildcats would have done to Union's four freshmen defensemen and freshman goaltender. This was the first time the Big Red allowed six goals all season and only the third time they allowed at least five goals. Also note that Cornell went into Manchester earlier this season and beat the Wildcats 5-2.

Well, after going 3-1 today I lead the family bracket challenge. But, my one loss is a big one since I picked Cornell to go to the Championship game. Luckily, two people picked Denver to go to the championship game and one picked the Pioneers to win them all.

Tomorrow, the Northeast and Midwest Regionals get underway. In the Northeast, (1) BC takes on (4) Alaska-Fairbanks at 1:30pm, and (2) North Dakota will go up against the last ECAC team left in the tournament in (3) Yale at 5:30pm. (1)Miami, the nation's top team, kicks off the Midwest regional against (4)Alabama-Huntsville at 4pm, who snuck into the tournament as they won the CHA tournament when Bemidji was upset in the previous round. At 7:30pm, (2) Bemidji looks to cool down (3) Michigan, who is riding a hot streak into the national tournament. They seem to be really feeding off the opportunity of playing in the Frozen Four in their home state.

Hopefully, tomorrow's six games will be equally exciting as today's.

RIT upsets Denver in first game of NCAA Tournament

March Madness doesn't pertain just to NCAA Basketball! Who would have thought that RIT of Atlantic Hockey would top the second best team in the tournament???? Well, I did. Every year my family and I have our own bracket competition. So, last night I filled out my bracket and picked RIT to upset the Pioneers. I was the only one in my family (and probably one of the few people in the world) to pick the upset. Here is the rest of my bracket:

Midwest:

(1)Miami over (4) Alabama-Huntsville

(2) Bemidji over (3) Michigan

(1) Miami over (2) Bemidji

Northeast:

(2) North Dakota over (3) Yale

(1) Boston College over (4) Alaska - Fairbanks

(1) Boston College over (2) North Dakota

West:

(1) Wisconsin over (4) Vermont

(2) St. Cloud over (3) Northern Michigan

(1) Wisconsin over (2) St. Cloud

East:

(2) Cornell over (3) New Hampshire

(4) RIT over (1) Denver

(2) Cornell over (4) RIT

Frozen Four:

(1) Miami over (1) BC

(2) Cornell over (1) Wisconsin

(1) Miami over (2) Cornell

NCAA Tournament starts today

While the NCAA Basketball tournament continues today, the NCAA Hockey tournament begins with the East and West Regional Games. In Albany, (1) Denver takes on (4) Rochester Institute of Technology at 3pm, and (2) Cornell goes up against (3) New Hampshire at 6:30pm. In St. Paul, (1) Wisconsin plays (4) Vermont at 9pm, and (2) St. Cloud State matches up against (3) Northern Michigan at 5:30pm.

If you haven't filled out your bracket do so ASAP. I have already done so and have picked Miami, Boston College, Wisconsin, and Cornell to make it to the Frozen Four. Then I have Miami and Cornell matching up in the final with Miami taking home the hardware.