MCHA 2003-2004 Season Outlooks
Lawrence
University - Appleton, Wisconsin
It is safe to say the Lawrence University
hockey team can’t sneak up on anyone anymore.
With the Vikings posting big wins over Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association
(MCHA) foes and nonconference opponents alike last season, Lawrence has
developed into a skilled and disciplined squad.
The Vikings posted a school-record number of wins and finished with a 12-15
record while playing top competition from both the Northern Collegiate Hockey
Association and the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. With even a
tougher schedule ahead for this season, the Vikings will be tested.
“We have a strong core of returnees this season, who, along with a strong
freshman class, should allow us an opportunity to win every game,” Lawrence head
coach Dave Ruhly said.
Lawrence is led by its three returning all-conference players, junior forwards
Ryan Blick (Canton, Mich.) and Danny Schroder (Duluth, Ga.) and sophomore goalie
Daniel Ljung (Avesta, Sweden).
Blick and Schroder teamed with Andy Rozanski (New Berlin) to form
Lawrence’s No. 1 line last season. Blick, a first-team all-conference selection,
led the team with a school-record 40 points on 16 goals and 24. Schroder, a
second-team pick, scored a school-record 18 goals (18-19-37) and was named the
United States College Hockey Online Division III Player of the Week early last
season after playing a key role in the Vikings’ victory that snapped the 27-game
MCHA winning streak of Marian College. Rozanski (12-8-20) was third on the team
with 12 goals.
The Vikings also return several additional talented forwards. Mike Burkhart
(McKinney, Texas) had nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points. Aaron Graber
(Marquette, Mich., 8-3-11), was second on the team with seven power-play goals.
Senior John Burton (Phoenix, Ariz.) is back after missing all of last season
with a broken wrist. Others returning are: Pete Mossberg (Salt Lake City, Utah), Brad Barton
(Colorado Springs, Colo.), Gharrity McNett (Waterford), Mason Oakes (Madison),
and Mike Beauchaine (Algonquin, Ill.).
Several newcomers join the returning forwards, led by Joe Searl (Fond du
Lac), Charlie Ward (Falmouth, Maine), Nick Anton (Traverse City, Mich.), David
Olynyk (Burlington, Ontario), Willie Vanderhyden (Viroqua), and Evan Thorton
(Colorado Springs, Colo.).
The last line of defense in 2002-03 was Ljung, who turned in the best season
ever by a Lawrence goalie and earned second-team all-conference honors. His ten
victories shattered the school record, and he posted a 3.75 goals against
average and .883 save percentage.
Ljung is joined by a pair of newcomers, Andrew Isaac (Mississauga, Ontario) and
Rory Cox (Chicago, Ill.). “Strong goaltending is critical to every team’s success,” Ruhly said. “We
have a very solid returner in Daniel Ljung.”
The defense in front of Ljung is paced by captain Andy Fieber (Dousman), who
had one goal and four assists for five points, and Jay Schofield (Freeport,
Maine). The Vikings will need immediate contributions from several freshmen on
defense. Newcomers to the defense are paced by a pair of junior hockey
teammates, Cristopher Benitah (Jonkoping, Sweden) and Kalle Larsson (Gothenburg,
Sweden). Both played for the Dayton Gems of the Continental Elite Hockey League
last season. Also new to the defense are James Tracy (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and Jon McKernan (Philadelphia, Pa.).
Marian
College - Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
The Marian
College hockey team and head coach Chris
Brown can’t wait to get back on the ice this year. On February 1st
of last season, the team was sitting at 13-7-1 overall and looking to defend
both regular season and MCHA Tournament Championships in the final month of the
season. But the team went just
1-4-1 in their last six games, including three 2-1 losses to
conclude the schedule…a “bad” finish by Marian standards. “We did not play with
the passion of a champion,” noted Coach Brown. “We didn’t capitalize on
opponent’s mistakes in the last month, we were not as hungry as the year before
and we were lucky it didn’t catch up to us sooner.” Entering the 2002-2003
season on a 27-game MCHA win streak also set the tone for challenges from
opponents. That stumble down the stretch last season was a wake-up call for the
team, and they are re-committed this year. “We are in the best shape we have
ever been in,” noted Brown. “Our goal every year is to be one of the top NCAA
Division III teams. Physical conditioning along with a winning attitude cannot
be compromised.”
Losses will be notable, as the squad graduated some key players, including last
season’s MCHA Player-of-the-Year Dan Odegard. Odegard was a 4-year
starter who received MCHA post-season honors every year of his career. He leaves
the program in third place on the all-time scoring list with 134 points
(57G/77A), one of just three Sabres all-time to crack the 100-point barrier. He
also leaves as the MCHA’s all-time scoring leader with 99 points (42G/57A). “Dan
set the tone for the team and its work ethic,” said Brown. “We will need players
to take over that responsibility, but you don’t replace a Dan Odegard.”
Talent-wise, the Sabres are ready to make that transition. “We may have lost
experienced players,” noted the coach, “but that presents an opportunity to
bring in fresh faces, and I like our overall talent level now.” They also have 7
of their Top 10 scorers returning from last season, a point, however, that Brown
doesn’t put a lot of importance on. “I don’t look at last season’s numbers,” he
explained. “Collectively, it doesn’t matter (about the returning scorers), as
this team just wants to win games and they don’t care who scores the goals to do
that.”
Junior Jon Daigle (Richmond,
BC) (9G/27A), senior Brad Hawkins
(Nepean, Ontario)
(10G/19A), and sophomore Nate Erick (Olds,
Alberta)
(14G/10A) are the three leading scorers returning from last season. Daigle will
be the captain in 2003-2004. “He works hard every day,” noted Brown. “He has a
knack for setting up plays and finishing them.” His 36 points led the team last
season while his 27 assists were second all-time in the Marian record book.
Those numbers helped him earn First Team All-MCHA honors. Hawkins sits at #4 on
the all-time scoring list (92 points on 38G/54A) and was a First Team All-MCHA
selection as both a freshman and sophomore with a knack for big goals. “He had 3
overtime-winners for us last season (4 game-winners overall),” stated his coach.
“He has found a way to score in clutch situations when we have needed it, and
will be looked at to continue to do so.” Erick led the team with his 14 goals
last season, despite not playing on one of the top two lines. “That just shows
his scoring touch,” said Brown.
Junior Andy Allen (Virginia, MN)
(11G/6A) will again be looked at to do what he
does best – score goals. “Andy is a gifted goal-scorer who possesses a quick,
accurate shot,” said his coach. “We need him to stay involved in the game and
stay healthy.” Returning senior Mark Ewing (Langley,
BC) (7G/4A) will prove valuable. “He
plays in a lot of situations for us,” said Brown. “We need him to be our best
two-way player and to lead by example on special teams.” Brown also looks for a
break-out season from junior Pat McKay (St.
Clair Shores, MI) (5G/12A). Juniors
Mike Noel (Brownstown, MI)
(2G/9A) and Ian Carroll (Peoria,
IL) (4G/6A) are two players who
Brown said put in a lot of extra work on their fitness in the off-season. “Noel
is quicker this year, while Ian added over 10 pounds of muscle to his frame,”
noted their coach. “They should both have nice seasons for us.” Sophomore
Greg Kreese (Olds, Alberta)
(2G/6A in 11
games), who played the second half of the season, will start the year off the
ice with a back injury. “We will miss his physical presence,” Brown said.
Defensively, the Sabres will be anchored by assistant captain Ken McKay (St.
Clair Shores, MI) (1G/7A). “Ken has
really developed,” said Coach Brown. “He is our leader on defense, he’s smart,
and has a passion for the game. He will play in all situations.” When those
situations call for a more physical game, J.B. Neal (Festus,
MO) (1G/5A) will be called on.
Junior Mark Williams (Green
Bay, WI)
(2G/2A) also returns. “He keeps getting better for us, he just needs to play
within himself,” said Brown.
The goalie position will be in the hands of senior Terry Dunbar (Duluth,
MN). “He is a hard-worker who has
set some high goals for himself this season,” stated Brown. “He has the ability
to reach those and will be our goalie on opening night.” Dunbar currently holds
Marian season and career records in four categories: games played, minutes
played, wins, and saves. A big highlight for Dunbar a year ago was a 35-save
performance in a win over then-#12 Elmira College
on the road.
There will be 12 newcomers on the ice for the Sabres this year. The coaching
staff states that as a whole, this group of freshman has increased the talent
level of this team. As is the case with most college hockey players, there will
be new challenges. “These players will need to make the transition from junior
hockey to college hockey,” explained Brown. “As they do that, I know that we
will begin to see that this is a very good recruiting class.” Freshman forwards
include Brent Chandler (Pickering, ONT), Justin Birks (Penticton,
BC),
Chad Little (Southampton, ONT),
and Ryan Stattner (Anchorage,
AK). On defense, they will be
Matthew Bobo (Mattawan, MI), Brett Fox (Detroit, MI), David Koch
(Anchorage, AK), Derek Doucette (Toronto, ONT), and Adrian Chubaty
(Millet, ALB). Three new goalies will be vying for ice time as well: Joey
Ali (Vancouver, BC),
Matt Bour (Campbell, CA),
and Kyle Grabowski (Oakdale,
MN). Ali and
Grabowski are transfers who will be eligible second semester.
As far as the MCHA goes, this year is the most excited that Brown has been in
his four years. The league continues to get better. Each institution is
recruiting harder and working diligently to make the MCHA a respected league in
the Division III hockey picture. “Our goal every year is to win the conference
and the tournament crowns. I feel those are tougher goals to reach every year
because of the quality of our league, so our players have to continue to get
better every year.” That comes soon, as the team is opening the 2003-2004 season
on the road versus St. Norbert College next week Tuesday (October 28). The Green
Knights made it to the Frozen Four a year ago and have been tough on the Sabres,
holding a 7-0-0 all-time record against them, including a 3-1 win in last year’s
season-opener for both teams. This year’s edition of the team is eager to prove
that the end of last season was a fluke. “We are not a big, bruising team,”
concluded Brown. “But what we lack in size we make up for by being a relentless
team that will work hard, play with discipline, and always be team-oriented.”
Milwaukee
School of Engineering - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
-Coming Soon!!
University
of Minnesota at Crookston - Crookston, Minnesota
Written by: Dana Boe; Sports Editor of the Crookston Daily Times
University of Minnesota, Crookston
men’s hockey team has only one goal in mind, repeat as MCHA champions. And,
according to Head Coach Gary Warren, all the components are in place for the Golden
Eagles to do just that, but he says that the conference has gotten stronger and
will be very competitive.
"There is a lot of balance and
depth in this conference with a lot of good goaltenders," said Warren. "Any
given night, any team can beat any other team. Picking a favorite at this point
would be really difficult."
The Golden Eagles, who finished
16-4-3 overall and 10-3-3 in the conference, will be led by senior co-captains
Ben Perkins and Jay Tupa, as well as junior Brock Anundson and sophomore Patrick
Knutson. Perkins was all-conference last year, finishing tied for second with 22
points (10 goals, 12 assists). Tupa had 18 points (nine goals, nine assists).
"Both of these players have figured heavily into the success of the program,"
said Warren.
Anundson is the leading
returning scorer, as he racked up 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists), to tie
departed senior Scott Mack. Anundson also led the team with five power play
goals. Knutson was on the all-tournament team at the MCHA championship and is
the leading goal scorer, as he put 13 in the net last year to go along with his
nine assists. To start the year, the first offensive line will be Perkins
centering Anundson and redshirt freshman Chris Knapp. The second line will have
senior Mark Erickson (14 points on seven goals and assists) centering Knutson
and Tupa. “We have some nice elements with speed and grit," said Warren. "We
will be able to play an up- tempo game with these guys, and they will be good
around the net."
Sophomore Dustin Steighauf and
junior college transfer Kurtis Dukelow will be the three and four centers
respectively with sophomores Nate Haskins and Ryan Leadens in the third line and
senior Theran Bauer and redshirt freshman David Perri in the fourth. "We’re
fairly deep on offense, with very little drop off in our lines," said Warren.
"As we progress, we will continue to bring our game to a higher level."
The last line of defense will be
one of the greatest assets to the team. The starting goalie for the Eagles will
be the MVP of the MCHA tournament, sophomore Erik Kraska. Kraska started 22 of
the 25 games for the Eagles last season, saving 512 of 574 shots (.892
percentage) and posted a 17-3-2 record. "Erik is always under control, very
poised," said Warren. "He makes some saves that really turn the momentum around
for us."
Pushing him for time will be
freshman Lee Baldwin. Baldwin competed for Team North Dakota last year in
Chicago and has been strong in practice, according to Warren. "Lee is showing
that he can compete in practice, but we need to know if he can make a run in
game situations."
The defensive lines have not
been decided yet, but Warren says that they will have some quick defenders that
also know how to score but may lack toughness. “The jury is still out about how
physical we can be," said Warren. "But, there is no doubt we have some people
who can shoot the puck."
Junior Shawn Carlson and senior
Mike Alvestad are the highest scoring defenders back. Carlson tied for the lead
in power play goals with five, as he racked up a total of 16 points (seven
goals, nine assists). Alvestad finished second in the conference in defensive
scoring (17 points on 10 goals and seven assists) behind departed Eagle Todd
Chandler. "We have some good offensive defensemen," said Warren. “They will do
really well in power play situations," said Warren.
Also figuring into the mix of
defenders will be senior Josh Jaeger, junior Marc Tveit, sophomores Dominick
Hammer and Ben Larson and freshmen Justin Barron, DJ Ecker, and Andrew Goldberg.
This year’s Eagle team has some
pretty big skates to fill, as the Eagles graduated six last year. Chandler, Adam
Coe, Jeff Johnston, Levi Lies, Dustin Barton and Mack. "The seniors last year
seemed to have it all, speed, hands, grit, toughness," said Warren. "They all
knew how to put points on the board."
Teams Warren says will be tough
in the conference are Northland College (Wis.) and Lawrence University (Wis.),
but he said there is no team you can take a night off against. The Eagles open
their season Friday, Nov. 11 at the Minnesota School of Engineering at 7 p.m.
"The team has been showing lots of enthusiasm, and they are really anxious to
play," said Warren. "If we can stay healthy, we’ll be in the hunt but so will
everybody else."
Northland
College - Ashland, Wisconsin
The Lumberjacks come into the 2003-04 season
with their highest expectation in seven years. The Jacks return 14 players
including 7 of their top 10 scorers from a year ago. The Jacks will be young as
their roster boasts only one senior and two juniors.
Junior Ryan Becker leads the offensive attack
as he earned MCHA All-Conference honors in 2001-02, was 4th in scoring on the
team a year ago and finds himself on the Jacks top ten list for points after
only two seasons. Sophomore Ryan Potts led the Jacks scoring attack last season
with 9 goals and 12 assists earning him MCHA All-Rookie Team honors. Sophomore
Captain Jeff Affleck was second in scoring and will be considered one of the top
centers in the league this season. Jeff’s leadership should help the Jacks this
year as they are set to move up in the standings.The Jacks will be counting on
sophomores, Aaron Wallace, Winston Bothner, CJ Gamble, and Adam Svette to
improve on the freshman campaigns. The lone senior on the squad, Dusty
Hendrickson, will assume the assistant captain duties and help lead the Jacks
strong penalty kill.
The goaltending duties will be up for grabs
as Louie Newstrom and Andy Kragness saw action at the end of last season, but
newcomers Justin Grant, Burlington, IA and transfer Brian George, Tulsa, OK
should see action in the net this season.
The Jacks defense lost two time All-MCHA
performer Darrin Voskuhl. His presence and leadership will be missed by the
young group of blueliners. The Jacks have four sophomores, Derek Lehrke, Johan
Ehrenpohl, Tony Schmidt, and Nate Dolentz, who all saw action last season and
three freshman vying for ice time on defense.
Two things will need to happen for the Jacks
to move up in the MCHA standings this year, the first is to become a stronger
defensive team by cutting down on opponents shots per game and PP chances given
up. Secondly, the Jacks will have to put the puck away in the offensive end when
given the opportunity. Look for the Jacks to gain confidence as the season
progresses as Coach Huntley brought in another strong recruiting class.
This years freshman class is headlined by the
addition of Victor Appelqvist and Felix Berglund, Gothenborg, Sweden and DJ Feil
and Cody Hovdestad, Swift Current, SK. These four forwards should help the Jacks
offense gain momentum as they transition into the collegiate game. Also, look
for Dan Gregory, Colorado Springs, and Jim Junker, St. Paul, Mn to push for
immediate playing time. On defense, toughness and finesse have definitely been
added with the addition of Ryan Theros, Two Harbors, MN and Nate Lapoint, Eau
Claire, WI. Scott Canfield should be in the wings as he starts to develop.
