1989 And Still Waiting

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

ECAC Hockey Video of the Week: Troy Grosenick's Two Ridiculous Saves in the East Regional

If you didn't know who Troy Grosenick was... now you do:

NCAA Regionals in Review; Looking to the Frozen Four

Freshman Daniel Ciampini scored Union's first goal against UMass-Lowell (Times Union)

This past weekend was a very good weekend for ECAC Hockey, one of the best in a while. Even though Cornell did not advance to the Frozen Four, they still beat top seeded Michigan in Green Bay, before dropping a 2-1 decision to Ferris State. Very few people gave the Big Red a chance to win against the Wolverines, but behind Andy Iles' stellar play and Rodger Craig's game-winning goal, they were able to pull off the upset. The following night they played the Bulldogs very closely, but did not have an answer for their second goal of the third period. I would like to congratulate Coach Schafer and his team on a tremendous season. This wasn't the most talented squad Ithaca's seen in the past years, but they might have been the most complete team. Their victory over Michigan might be the most impressive win by an ECAC team this season.

Cornell celebrates Rodger Craig's OT winner vs. Michigan

The ECAC Hockey banner will be carried into the Frozen Four by the Dutchmen of Union College. They were able to beat Torey Krug and the Michigan State Spartans on Friday by the score of 3-1 for the program's first ever win at the D1 level, and then topped the UMass-Lowell 4-2 the following night to advance to their first ever Frozen Four. Union is the first ECAC team to reach the final weekend in college hockey since Cornell did in 2003. Being a Union grad, watching my team win an NCAA game and then advance to the Frozen Four was a surreal moment for me. I won't go into it, but my buddy Zach Pearce at the Union Hockey Blog sums up my feelings perfectly.

I watched all the East Regional games live and I thought Union's Jeremy Welsh and Troy Grosenick stole the show. Welsh was an absolute beast in both games, making big hits and scoring a goal in each matchup. Barry Melrose and John Buccigross were salivating over him during the TV broadcast, and I'm sure the scouts were as well. Besides his fluky turnover that led to UML's second goal, he played great and was deserving of the regionals Most Outstanding Player.

At the same time, Grosenick let the country know that he was the real deal. Even though he was a Hobey Baker finalist and named the top goalie in the league, I feel that a lot of people around the country were overlooking him because he played in the ECAC. I'm sure many people felt UML's Doug Carr and Miami's Connor Knapp were better than Grosenick, but I think he proved otherwise. He was very good against the Spartans, and then came up with some ridiculous game-saving stops against the River Hawks (which earned him SportsCenter's #2 play of the night). He might have also played himself into a Hobey Baker Hat Trick spot.

I thought Union's fans put up a good showing in Bridgeport. For a smaller fan base, a lot of supporters came to see their team win, especially on Saturday night. The Dutchmen crowd wasn't especially loud, which is probably due to their inexperience (and nervousness as well). I thought the UMass-Lowell crowd was the best. They had the best pep band and the most raucous fans, who had some great signs. They were chanting "Easy-AC" during the Union game, but when the Dutchmen had everything all wrapped up after Kyle Bodie's empty-netter, the Union faithful started chanting "ECAC!," which I thought was really cool.

Union celebrates victory of UML (Times Union)

Union will face another first-time Frozen Four participant in Ferris State in the first Frozen Four semifinal next Thursday. If Union were to win, they'd be the first ECAC team to reach the final since Colgate in 1990. I don't know too much about the Bulldogs at the moment, but from what I can tell it will be a very low-scoring, defensive game. Ferris is very good defensively and on the penalty kill, but Union is also has a shutdown defense. I think Union's power-play will have to come up big. While Ferris has the sixth ranked penalty kill in the nation, they still take a lot of penalties. If they give the Dutchmen too many chances, they will capitalize. The winner of the first semifinal will play either Boston College or Minnesota for the national championship.

Now, looking forward to the Frozen Four, it could be the greatest weekend in ECAC Hockey in over 20 years. In a matter of 24+ hours we could see the league's first Hobey Baker winner since Harvard's Lane MacDonald in 1989, and first national champion since Harvard in 1989.

While Union will be the league's only shot to break the national championship drought, it's a little unsure now who could break the Hobey Baker streak. This time last week, it was pretty much decided that Colgate's Austin Smith would be the one to give the league its best shot, but with the emergence of Grosenick, he has a legitimate shot as well. My guess is that only one of these guys will crack the Top 3. Will they win? Who knows. Grosenick and Smith are both very deserving, as well as Maine's Spencer Abbott, Wisconsin's Justin Schultz, and Minnesota-Duluth's Jack Connolly. While I truly think Smith give the league its best shot, Grosenick will also be considered for leading his team to the final weekend.

Troy Grosenick (Times Union)

There's also another thing to think about. Did Grosenick's performance help or hurt Smith's chances of winning the Hobey. Grosenick's dominance over a CCHA and Hockey East team might have some people thinking that his stats were not padded. This could help Smith since some think his goal total is blown out of proportion. Grosenick might have legitimized Smith's stats. On the other hand, some people might think Grosenick is the best player in the ECAC. This could take some votes away from Smith, and the two could cancel each other out. Who knows what Grosenick's performance has done. We'll find out later this week.

This is a very exciting time for our league, and I hope fans of any league team are supporting the Dutchmen in Tampa and the Hobey Baker finalists. Our league gets no respect, and this could be a weekend that changes everything. Let's hope.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Scouting UMass-Lowell & Ferris State

The River Hawks celebrate their OT victory yesterday

UMass - Lowell
Record
24-12-1 (17-9-1, Hockey East)

Last NCAA Tournament Appearance
1996

How They Got Here
Finished 2nd in Hockey East with 35 points... Lost two out of three to Providence in the Hockey East Quarterfinals... Earned victories over Boston University (twice), Maine (twice), and Boston College in the regular season... Finished 12th in the PWR... Beat Miami 4-3 in overtime in the East Regional Semifinals

Top Scorers
Riley Wetmore, Jr., Forward ---- 37GP, 14G, 25A, 39PTS
Scott Wilson, Fr., Forward ---- 36GP, 16G, 23A, 39PTS
Derek Arnold, So., Forward ---- 37GP, 17G, 19A, 36PTS
Matt Ferreira, Sr., Forward ---- 36GP, 13G, 18A, 31PTS
David Vallorani, Sr., Forward ---- 37GP, 10G, 20A, 30PTS
[Complete Team Statistics]

Goaltending
Doug Carr, So. ---- 32GP, 22-9-1, 2.10GAA, .929SV%
Brian Robbins, Fr. ---- 4GP, 1-3-0, 4.25GAA, .860SV%
Marc Boulanger, So. ---- 4GP, 1-0-0, 2.56GAA, .878SV%

Team Stats
3.35 Goals per Game (8th nationally)
2.43 Goals Allowed per Game (13th)
21.5% Power-Play Conversion Rate (t-11th)
80.9% Penalty Kill Rate (36th)

Why Union will win
The River Hawks had to battle hard in the third period and had to play a little overtime, meaning they could be tired tomorrow. Union will be well rested as they played the earlier game on Friday. This will be a battle between two of the nation's top netminders, so expect a low-scoring game with special teams playing a big role. I think the Dutchmen have the advantage in the special teams department, since Lowell's PK doesn't rank too highly. These two teams seem very similar in many ways, so I wouldn't be surprised if this game went an extra frame or two.

Other notes
Lowell's head coach Norm Bazin is also a first year head coach. He played four seasons at Lowell from 1990-91 to 1993-94 where he amassed 58 points in 134 games. Bazin then became an assistant for the River Hawks from 1997-98 to 1999-00 before becoming the assistant at Colorado College for eight seasons. He was the head coach of DIII Hamilton for three seasons before accepting his current position.

The River Hawks were one of the hottest teams in the nation in the earlier half of the season, but cooled off heading into the NCAA's. In their previous 10 games heading into Bridgeport, Lowell went 4-5-1, with only one of those wins coming against a team in the tournament field.

Union and Lowell has three common opponents this season, with the River Hawks going 3-0-0 in those games. They swept a home-and-home with New Hampshire in early December, and topped RPI 7-2 in the UConn Hockey Classic right before New Year's. The Dutchmen lost to the Wildcats in overtime at the end of October, but won all five meetings with the Engineers this season.

The Bulldogs celebrate vs. Denver

Ferris State
Record
24-11-5 (16-7-5-1, CCHA)

Last NCAA Tournament Appearance
2003

How They Got Here
Finished 1st in CCHA with 54 points... Lost two out of three to Bowling Green in the CCHA Quarterfinals... Earned victories over Miami (twice) and Michigan State (twice) in the regular season... Finished 6th in the PWR... Beat Denver 2-1 in the Midwest Regional Semifinals

Top Scorers
Jordie Johnston, Sr., Forward ---- 40GP, 19G, 15A, 34PTS
Matthew Kirzinger, Jr., Forward ---- 39GP, 10G, 23A, 33PTS
Kyle Bonis, Jr., Forward ---- 40GP, 18G, 11A, 29PTS
Chad Billins, Sr., Defense ---- 40GP, 7G, 22A, 29PTS
[Complete Team Statistics]

Goaltending
Taylor Nelson, Sr. ---- 28GP, 19-6-3, 2.13GAA, .922SV%
C.J. Motte, Fr. ---- 12GP, 5-5-2, 1.98GAA, .925SV%

Team Stats
2.95 Goals per Game (21st nationally)
2.20 Goals Allowed per Game (t-7th)
19.15% Power-Play Conversion Rate (25th)
85.3% Penalty Kill Rate (6th)

Why Cornell will win
Once again, the Big Red have their work cut out for them. Like Michigan, the Bulldogs are very good defensively, so Cornell will have to be opportunistic on their chances, just like when Joakim Ryan scored shorthanded last night. If they are going to win, they will have to win a one-goal, low scoring affair. It's also imperative that Andy Iles plays as well as he did last night. Without his performance, I don't see the Big Red upsetting the Wolverines last night. I think it's very possible that Cornell limits Ferris to less than three goals, but it might be difficult to score against a team that's great defensively and on the penalty kill.

Other notes
Head Coach Bob Daniels has been coaching the Bulldogs since the 1989-90 season, but has been the bench boss since the 1992-93 season. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach in the CCHA for two seasons with University of Illinois-Chicago.

Leading scorer Jordie Johnston accumulated 10 goals, 11 assists, and 21 points in his first three seasons at Ferris, but has surpassed all those totals in his senior season.

In the beginning of the season, Nelson and Motte were splitting time in between the pipes, but Nelson has taken over the reigns. Motte has only played three times in 2012.

The Bulldogs have played three ECAC teams this year, and have won all six games against those opponents. They swept St. Lawrence to open the season in Canton by the scores of 4-2 and 5-1, and then beat RPI 4-0 and 2-0 the following weekend back home. Colgate also visited Ferris, but dropped both games in early January. In those two games, Austin Smith collected a goal and an assist.

Friday, March 23, 2012

#ECACHockey Live Tweet Deck (NCAA First Round)

Let the games begin!

Previews: Cornell, Union

(1) Union vs. (3) UMass-Lowell (4) Cornell vs. (2) Ferris State

Get Pumped Up ECAC Hockey Fans! It's Tourney Time!

Here are some new pump up videos made for Union & Cornell for the playoffs:

Here's Union Video Coordinator Phil Cohn's latest masterpiece for this year's playoffs:

A Cornell fan made a video chronicling Cornell's latest post-season domination:

Scouting Michigan State & Michigan

Torey Krug

Michigan State
Record
19-15-4 (14-11-3-2, CCHA)

Last NCAA Tournament Appearance
2008

How They Got Here
Finished 5th in the CCHA with 47 points... Got swept by Miami in the CCHA Quarterfinals... Picked up victories against Western Michigan (twice), Minnesota, and Michigan throughout the regular season... Finished 15th in the PWR right in front of Northern Michigan

Top Scorers
Torey Krug, Jr., Defense ---- 37GP, 12G, 21A, 33PTS
Lee Reimer, So., Forward ---- 38GP, 9G, 21A, 30PTS
Brett Perlini, Sr., Forward ---- 38GP, 9G, 21A, 30PTS
Greg Wolfe, So., Forward ---- 37GP, 10G, 16A, 26PTS
[Complete Team Statistics]

Goaltending
Will Yanakeff, So. ---- 22GP, 13-8-1, 2.48GAA, .923SV%
Drew Palmisano, Sr. ---- 17GP, 6-7-3, 2.68GAA, .918SV%

Team Stats
2.89 Goals per Game (24th nationally)
2.63 Goals Allowed per Game (t-19th)
16.3% Power-Play Conversion Rate (below 40th)
87.3% Penalty Kill Rate (4th)

Why Union will win
Union is hot, while the Spartans are not. The only reason MSU is in the tourney is because Union beat Harvard for the Whitelaw Cup. Union has been playing some of their best hockey straight into the tournament, while MSU has limped in. I also think the Dutchmen defense is well matched up with the Spartan offense. Union's defense is the top ranked in the nation, while the Spartans are more of a middle of the pack offensive team. If the Dutchmen defense is as good as we think it is, I think they should have no problem shutting down the MSU offense.

Other notes
Like Union, the Spartans are also led by a first year head coach, Tom Anastos. Prior to being named the Spartans' bench boss, Anastos was the commissioner of the CCHA for 13 seasons. He was appointed to this position exactly one year ago today.

The Spartans are led on and off the ice by a tremendous player, Torey Krug. Krug, a junior, is not only the captain of the team, but is also a Hobey Baker finalist. He is also leads MSU in goals and points. Oh, and did I mention that he's a defenseman. For the second consecutive season, Krug has earned First Team All-CCHA honors, while also being named the league's best offensive defenseman. This year he was also given the CCHA's Player of the Year award. I've seen some video of the Livonia, Michigan native, and I must say he's very explosive and loves to jump up in the play. The Dutchmen will have to keep an extra eye on him when he's on the ice.

MSU's roster also features the sons of former college hockey and NHL superstar defenseman Chris Chelios. Dean and Jake, a junior and sophomore, respectively, have each played in over 30 games this season.

Shawn Hunwick

Michigan
Record
24-12-4 (15-9-4-1, CCHA)

Last NCAA Tournament Appearance
2011

How They Got Here
Finished 2nd in the CCHA... Lost to Western Michigan in the CCHA Championship game... Picked up victories against Ferris State (twice), Western Michigan, Michigan State (3x), Boston College, and Miami (twice) throughout the regular season... Finished second in the PWR

Top Scorers
David Wohlberg, Sr., Forward ---- 40GP, 16G, 17A, 33PTS
Alex Guptill, Fr., Forward ---- 40GP, 16G, 17A, 33PTS
Lee Moffie, Jr., Defense ---- 40GP, 7G, 25A, 32PTS
A.J. Treias, Jr., Forward ---- 39GP, 15G, 16A, 31PTS
Chris Brown, Jr., Forward ---- 37GP, 12G, 17A, 29PTS
Phil Di Giuseppe, Fr., Forward ---- 39GP, 11G, 14A, 25PTS
[Complete Team Statistics]

Goaltending
Shawn Hunwick, Sr. ---- 39GP, 24-11-3, 1.97GAA, .933SV%
Adam Janecyk, So. ---- 5GP, 0-1-1, 3.17GAA, .897SV%

Team Stats
3.25 Goals per Game (10th nationally)
2.15 Goals Allowed per Game (4th)
15.3% Power-Play Conversion Rate (below 40th)
84.5% Penalty Kill Rate (13th)

Why Cornell will win
If the Big Red were to upset the Wolverines, it would be a huge upset. I don't think many are giving Cornell shot. All the signs, stats, etc. are pointing Michigan's way, but in the game of hockey, any team can win on any day. In my eyes, the only way Cornell can pull off the upset is by winning the game 1-0 or 2-1. The Big Red have a good defense and will have to rely on it against a very good Michigan offense. They will have to pack the middle of the ice and have Andy Iles be on the top of his game. If the defense holds up, and the power-play can convert once, I'd give the Big Red a shot.

Other notes
The Wolverines have gone 1-1-0 against ECAC competition this season. They beat St. Lawrence 10-3 in October, but fell to Union 6-3 in November. The Big Red and Wolverines have met six times, with Michigan holding a 3-2-1 advantage. The last time the two faced off was a 3-3 tie at Yost Arena in 1997.

When the Dutchmen visited the Wolverines, they were in the middle of their November losing streak. At the time, many thought Michigan was on their way to a down year. Obviously, they were wrong. From November 4th to December 2nd, Michigan went 1-7-1, but have only lost four time since then, none of which were back-to-back.

Michigan made it to the national title game last year, where they lost to Minnesota-Duluth in overtime. So, this team is a very battle tested team, especially Hobey Baker finalist goaltender Shawn Hunwick. It also helps that Red Berenson is behind the Wolverine bench, who has led his team to 22 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including 11 trips to the Frozen Four.