2005-2006 HEADLINES
-Awards Continue to Roll in for MSOE's Brian Soik (6/13/06)
-Lawrence University Tabs Mike Szkodzinski as New Head Coach (6/5/06)
-Lawrence Parts With Head Coach (5/8/06)
-MCHA Well-Represented On All-USCHO Teams (4/5/06)
-League Announces Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, All-Conference Awards (3/8/06)
-MSOE Misses At-Large Selection to NCAA Tournament (3/6/06)
-Harris Cup Belongs to MSOE for Second-Straight Season (3/5/06)
-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament Starts This Friday (3/1/06)
-Northland College Athletes Featured in Sporting News Magazine (2/28/06)
-MSOE Raiders Win MCHA Regular Season Championship (2/20/06)
-League Heads Into Final Weekend of Regular Season Play (2/13/06)
-MSOE Raiders Become First-Ever MCHA Team in Top 15 in Nation (2/6/06)
-League Set to Enter Home Stretch of Regular Season (1/30/06)
-Interim Label Removed From Fabiili at Northland (1/26/06)
-MSOE Closing in on Top 15 in the Nation (1/24/06)
-Oakes a Finalist for 2006 Hockey Humanitarian (1/20/06)
-League Schedule Hits Midway Point as MCHA Race Stays Tight (1/16/06)
-Crookston's Gary Warren Records Career Win No. 400 (1/13/06)
-MCHA's Oakes Nominated for Hockey Humanitarian; League Returns to Action (1/9/06)
-MCHA Receiving More National Attention as League Enters Break (12/18/05)
-MCHA Website Experiencing Technical Problems With Server (12/17/05)
-MSOE Continues to Rise in National Rankings (12/12/05)
-Sabres, Raiders, Sweep by MCHA Foes to Take Early Standings Lead (12/5/05)
-Raiders and Vikings Post Unprecedented Victories (11/28/05)
-MSOE Tops Nationally-Ranked Babson College (11/26/05)
-Northland Splits With Finlandia, Gets Fabiilli First Victory as Lumberjacks Coach (11/21/05)
-MSOE, Lawrence Sweeps Highlight Full League Slate (11/14/05)
-Raiders and Sabres Battle to Split in MCHA Opening Series (11/7/05)
-2005-06 Season Underway for MCHA (11/2/05)
-MCHA Set to Open Eighth Season of Play on Tuesday (10/24/05)
-MSOE's Burzon Named to Preseason All-USCHO Team (10/19/05)
-Fabiilli in at Northland College (9/19/05)
-Northland Head Coach Dan Huntley to Leave MCHA (7/27/05)
-MCHA Names New League Commissioner (7/22/05)
-Marian's Ian Carroll Earns National Academic Honors (6/14/05)
-MSOE Hockey to Host USA Hockey National Under-18 Team (6/1/05)

-June 13, 2006
Soik Chosen to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team
-Courtesy of MSOE Sports Information Director Brian Gibboney
CONTACT: 414-277-2412 or gibboney@msoe.edu
MSOE hockey player Brian Soik (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) was selected to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America At-Large Second Team, as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSida). The At-Large selection includes scholar-athlete candidates with at least a 3.20 Grade Point Average (G.P.A.) from the following sports: golf, hockey, tennis, men’s volleyball and wrestling. The College Division includes student-athletes from NCAA Division II and III institutions.

In MSOE’s 103-year history, Soik is one of five athletes to receive the CoSida Academic All- America honor. He joins men’s basketball players Jeff Brezovar (1982 & 1983), Matt Hopf (2004), track athlete Rachel Eggebrecht (1999) and wrestler Matthew Schoenherr (2004) as MSOE student-athletes that have accomplished this achievement.

Athletic Director Dan Harris commented, “Brian is one of the elite students and athletes at MSOE. He has many natural talents and abilities, but his dedication to success in both academic and athletic achievement is matched by very few others,” Harris stated. “I am extremely proud to have Brian as a student-athlete at MSOE.

MSOE men’s hockey coach Mark Ostapina was also extremely proud of Soik’s accomplishments. “Brian is very deserving of this award,” said Ostapina. “He puts pride in both his academic and athletic achievements and this award signifies what Brian is all about.”

The 6’1” junior forward has received numerous honors this year including the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association (MCHA) Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player of the conference tournament. Soik finished tied for fifth in the NCAA in points per game with a 1.67 average. His .78 goals per game average placed him in a tie for ninth place, nationally.

Soik was also a USCHO online All-West Region Honorable Mention. He was the leading scorer in the MCHA. In 2006, Soik and the MSOE hockey program won its second straight MCHA and Harris Cup title.

Scholastically, he has a 3.90 Grade Point Average in mechanical engineering and has made the Dean’s List every quarter at MSOE. He is a three-time MCHA All-Academic team member and was a CoSida Academic All-America Men’s At-Large Second Team Region V selection in 2005.

This year, his Region V All-America first team selection automatically made him one of eighty finalists for the award.

-June 5, 2006
Szkodzinski Named Lawrence University Hockey Coach
-Courtesy of Lawrence Sports Information Director Joe Vanden Acker
CONTACT: 920-832-6878
APPLETON, Wis. -- Mike Szkodzinski has been named the new head ice hockey coach at Lawrence University, Director of Athletics Robert Beeman announced on Monday.

Szkodzinski comes to Lawrence from St. Norbert College, where he has been an assistant with the Green Knights for the past two seasons.

"We are pleased to secure a coach of Mike's caliber to lead the Lawrence University hockey program," Beeman said. "His proven track record as a player and as the top assistant for the nationally ranked St. Norbert team, combined with his East Coast recruiting ties, give Lawrence instant credibility in national hockey circles."

During Szkodzinski's two seasons at St. Norbert, the Green Knights put together a 49-8-5 record, including a 22-2-4 mark in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association play. St. Norbert was the NCAA Division III runner-up in 2006 after winning the NCHA regular season title. The Green Knights won the NCHA title in 2005 and also claimed the Peters Cup.

"I am extremely excited to lead the Lawrence University hockey team in the coming seasons," Szkodzinski said. "I'd like to thank Bob Beeman for the chance to coach the Vikings, and I'm really looking forward to becoming a part of the Lawrence community."

Before coaching at St. Norbert, Szkodzinski was an assistant for two seasons at the University of Findlay and spent a season as an assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

A native of Brighton, Mich., Szkodzinski played for two seasons at Ferris State University, earning All-Central Collegiate Hockey Association Rookie Team honors in 1997. He transferred to St. Norbert and was a standout goaltender for the Green Knights. Szkodzinski was a second-team All-American in 1999 and earned first-team All-NCHA honors in 1999 and 2000.

Szkodzinski put together an impressive 2.21 career goals against average and still holds the school record with a .917 career save percentage. He compiled a 32-9-4 record between the pipes, and included in that total is a 4-2 win in the 1999 NCAA Division III Tournament over Middlebury College.

Szkodzinski earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from St. Norbert and has a Master of Business Adminstration from Findlay.

Lawrence returns 21 players from this past season's squad, including captain Joe Searl, assistant captain and All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association defenseman Josh Peterson, and All-MCHA goaltender Andrew Isaac. The Vikings finished the 2005-06 campaign with a 9-14-4 record, including a 7-9-4 mark in conference play.

-May 8, 2006
Ruhly Not Renewed as Lawrence University Head Hockey Coach
-Courtesy of Lawrence Sports Information Director Joe Vanden Acker
CONTACT: 920-832-6878
APPLETON, Wis. -- Lawrence University head ice hockey coach Dave Ruhly will not be offered a new contract, Director of Athletics Robert Beeman announced Monday.

Ruhly's contract expires in June at the end of the 2005-06 academic year.

A 1998 graduate of Providence College, Ruhly served as Lawrence's head coach for seven seasons. Ruhly was the first full-time head coach, and the eighth overall, in the brief history of intercollegiate hockey at Lawrence when he came on board in 1999. Hockey has been a varsity sport at Lawrence since 1986.

Ruhly's team put together a record of 9-14-4 in 2005-06, and the Vikings finished in fourth place in the six-team Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association with a 7-9-4 record.

In Ruhly's seven seasons, the Madison native compiled a record of 50-119-9. His best season was 2004-05, when Lawrence finished 11-13-2 and took second place in the MCHA.

Beeman said a national search for a new head coach will begin immediately.

-April 5, 2006
Three MCHA Players and MSOE's Ostapina Earn National Postseason Honors
USCHO.com's Men's Division III All-USCHO Team has been announced, and three players from the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association as well as Milwaukee School of Engineering head coach Mark Ostapina have been recognized with end of the year honors.

              
Left to Right: Brian Soik, Matt Burzon, Mitch Sabo, Mark Ostapina

Two MSOE players were tabbed for Honorable Mention honors in the West, as Brian Soik and Matt Burzon were rewarded for their performances from this past season. Soik, who was named MCHA Player of the Year and league tournament MVP, earned a spot after tying for the league-lead with 45 points (21G/24A) in leading the Raiders. He was also first in scoring in league play, finishing second in assists and third in goals. Burzon played a vital role in goal, topping the league goalies in goals-against-average (2.21), save percentage (.914) and winning percentage (.824) in a 14-3-0 campaign.

The other player to earn an individual honor was Lawrence University's Mitch Sabo, who was an Honorable Mention choice for the West's All-Rookie Team. Sabo scored 10 points (7G/3A) as a defender, recording two game-winning goals along the way.

Rounding out the awards was MSOE head coach Mark Ostapina, who was named Honorable Mention for the West Coach-of-the-Year award for the second-straight season. Ostapina claimed back-to-back MCHA regular season crowns and Harris Cup Championships this year, leading the Raiders to a 21-5-1 campaign - a school record for victories and the most wins by an MCHA team since 1998-99. He was honored as MCHA Coach-of-the-Year for the second-straight season as well.

West First Team
Goal — Kyle Jones, So., St. Norbert
Defense —Andrew Derton, Jr., St. Norbert
Defense — John Bottoms, Sr., St. Thomas
Forward — Connor Hughes, Sr., St. Norbert
Forward — Aaron Johnson, Jr., Augsburg 
Forward — Scott Bjorklund, Jr., St. John's

West Second Team
Goal — Adam Hanna, Sr., St. John's 
Defense — Jon Keseley, Jr., Gustavus Adolphus
Defense — Darryl Smoleroff, Sr., St. John's
Forward — Andy Cote, Jr., St. Norbert
Forward — Dan Krmpotich, Sr., St. Thomas
Forward — Mike Kneeland, Fr., Lake Forest
Honorable Mention: Matt Burzon (MSOE), Spencer Carbury (St. Norbert), Tyler Dahl (UW-River Falls), Sean Fish (UW-Stevens Point), Adam Gill (St. Mary's), Derek Hansberry (UW-River Falls), Mark Menzies (St. Scholastica), Mike Salmela (UW-River Falls), Brian Soik (MSOE)

West Rookie Team
Goal — AJ Bucchio, UW-River Falls
Defense — Mark Menzies, St. Scholastica
Defense — Clay Rehm, St. Thomas
Forward — Derek Hansberry, UW-River Falls
Forward — Mike Kneeland, Lake Forest
Forward — Kent Bostrom, Bethel
Honorable Mention: Sean Fish (UW-Stevens Point), Chris Nathe (UW-River Falls), Mitch Sabo (Lawrence), Barrett Simons (St. Olaf), Jon Skoog (St. Norbert), Jack Wolgemuth (UW-Stout)

West Coach of the Year: Tim Coghlin, St. Norbert
Runners-Up: Sean Goldsworthy (St. Olaf), Mark Ostapina (MSOE)

D-III Player of the Year: Mickey Gilchrist
Runners-Up: Adam Hanna (St. John's), Connor Hughes (St. Norbert)

-March 8, 2006
Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Announces End-of-Season Awards
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association announced all if its league awards at a banquet held in conjunction with the MCHA Tournament this past weekend in Appleton. The league's All-Conference, All-Freshman and All-Academic Teams were all named, as well as the Player and Coach of the Year awards.

Harris Cup champion MSOE won the two major awards, with Mark Ostapina earning the Coach-of-the-Year honor and Raider Brian Soik adding MCHA Player-of-the-Year honors to his Tournament MVP trophy that he won this past weekend..

The 2005-06 MCHA All-Academic Teams:

-March 6, 2006
MSOE Misses Bid for the NCAA Tournament
-Courtesy of MSOE Sports Information Director Brian Gibboney
CONTACT: 414-277-2412 or gibboney@msoe.edu
After winning the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association championship game on Sunday night, MSOE Raiders head coach Mark Ostapina waited anxiously for the call - whether or not the Raiders will get a bid to the NCAA tournament. At 10:15 p.m. Ostapina had to call his team and let them know that they would be home during the tournament.

The selection committee, comprised of coaches from both eastern and western schools chose to take three teams from the west region; West region automatic qualifiers UW-Superior and St. Olaf with C pool candidate St. Norbert, and seven other teams coming from the highly competitive and Division III heavy New England/New York area, will compete for the title.

After compiling a 21-5-1 record Ostapina was disappointed that the Raiders were not selected to the NCAA tournament. “We had the second best winning percentage and quality win quotient in the west behind number one seed St. Norbert and still was overlooked by the committee. The MSOE team did everything the coaching staff asked of them and fell short. The fact is that this is the NCAA tournament, and many fine teams are watching.”

The Raiders completed their second straight season with 20 or more wins and their second consecutive MCHA/Harris Cup championship.

-March 5, 2006
MSOE Repeats as Harris Cup Champions Behind MVP Performance of Brian Soik
The Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders won their second-straight Harris Cup on Sunday afternoon at the Appleton Family Ice Center, defeating Marian College by a final score of 5-2 in the title game of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament.

Marian took a 2-1 lead into the final period before tournament MVP Brian Soik (pictured at left) put his team on his shoulders and took over. Soik scored a hat trick in the third period alone, tallying three of the four goals that MSOE added. He lit the lamp at the 10:17 mark to tie the game and at the 15:41 mark for the game-winner. After Michael Duta registered his second goal of the contest to make it 4-2, Soik added an empty-netter for the hat trick. The victory gave the Raiders the Harris Cup in MSOE’s most-successful season in program history at 21-5-1 overall. Marian finishes its season at 14-12-1.

Marian’s Greg Copeland opened the scoring in the first, slipping one past Matt Burzon for the 1-0 lead. Duta tied the game with just five seconds remaining in the first before Chad Little gave the Sabres their second lead of the game with the only goal of the second period.

All-Tournament Team
MVP, Brian Soik, MSOE
Jason Jadczak, Marian
Mike Parks, Finlandia
Luke Hasbargen, MSOE
Chad Little, Marian
Michael Duta, MSOE
Lee Swallow, MSOE

-March 1, 2006
Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament Starts Friday in Appleton, Wis.
The journey for the right to claim the Harris Cup starts this weekend for all six teams in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association. Action gets underway this Friday at the Appleton Family Ice Center, as Lawrence University will play host to the event.

Friday features two semifinal qualifiers, with No. 3 Finlandia (9-12-3 overall, 9-8-3 MCHA) taking on No. 6 Northland (3-22-0, 3-17-0) in the first game of the tournament, with the puck dropping at 2 p.m. for the game. The second contest features No. 4 Lawrence (8-13-4, 7-9-4) taking on No. 5 Minnesota-Crookston (6-17-2, 6-13-1), scheduled to start at 5 p.m.

Once those games are over, Saturday's schedule will then be determined as the lowest remaining seed will play No. 1 MSOE (19-5-1, 17-2-1), last year's Harris Cup Champions. The highest remaining seed will then clash with No. 2 Marian College (13-11-1, 13-6-1). MSOE will play their game at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, with the Sabres set to play at 6:30 p.m.

The tournament will conclude with the MCHA Championship on Sunday afternoon, as winners of Saturday's semifinals will battle for the Harris Cup starting at 3 p.m.

Dates: Friday, March 3^rd-Sunday March 5^th, 2006
Host Team: Lawrence University
Where: Appleton Family Ice Center

Appleton Family Ice Center
From the North or South:
• Take Highway 41 and exit at Ballard Road.
• Turn south and go approximately a quarter-mile and turn right into the entrance for Memorial Park.
• The Ice Center is located to the left just past the entrance to the park.

Format: 
Friday, March 3, 2006
2:00 Game 1 Semi-final qualifier FINLANDIA UNIVERSITY vs. NORTHLAND COLLEGE
5:00 pm Game 2 Semi-final qualifier LAWRENCE UNIVERISTY vs. MN-CROOKSTON

Saturday, March 4, 2006
3: Game 3 Semi-final MSOE vs. Lowest remaining seed 
6:30pm Game 4 Semi-final MARIAN  COLLEGE vs. highest remaining seed

Sunday, March 5, 2006
3:00 pm Championship Winners of Saturday's semifinals

ADMISSION
ADULTS $5.00 / STUDENTS $3.00 / 8 & UNDER FREE

-February 28, 2006
Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Players Receive National Attention
-Courtesy of the Northland College Sports Information Department
Two Northland College hockey players are featured in this week’s issue of Sporting News magazine. Sporting News magazine is one of the most respected sporting magazines in the United States. The magazine has been around for nearly 120 years and reaches 3.9 million readers weekly.

The article is entitled “Give blood, play hockey – and live to tell about it.” It retells the story of Northland College Senior Ryan Theros getting injured during a hockey game down in Milwaukee. Teammate Jim Junker jumped onto the ice and applied pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding.

Reporter Dave Kindred decided to write the story after hockey fan and spectator Dave Lewis wrote to him describing Junker as a true team player, “I wish I had noticed the teammate’s number so I could tell you his name. He is a true American hero,” Lewis said.

-February 20, 2006
League Tournament Next Up on the Schedule for MCHA
The 2005-06 Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association regular season is in the books and the Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders are the champions of the league for the second-straight season. The Raiders repeated on the strength of a 17-2-1 league record, breaking the mark for most wins by a team in league play set by Marian College back in 2001-02 (the Sabres went 16-0-0 that season). They earn the No. 1 seed in the tournament, with Marian coming in at No. 2 with its 13-6-1 league mark after tying Lawrence 2-2 in overtime Feb. 17 and beating the Vikings 7-3 on Saturday. Next up is the Finlandia Lions, coming in at 9-8-3 and off the biggest win of their season – a 6-5 defeat of then-#12 MSOE on Saturday. Lawrence is the four-seed (7-9-4), with Minnesota-Crookston the five (6-13-1) and Northland – coming off a season-ending 7-4 victory over Crookston – the six seed (3-17-0) in the run for the Harris Cup at the league tournament, which begins Friday, March 3^rd, in Appleton, Wis.

MSOE led the way in numerous statistical categories, including 6.05 goals-per-game on offense – more than a goal per game better than number two. They also led in defense with their 2.10 GAA, more than 1.5 better than second place.

The Raiders had four of the top five point scorers in the league, with Brian Soik leading the MCHA with 37 points (15G/22A). Teammate Lee Swallow was next with 36 (13G/23A), a new record for sophomores. MSOE’s Blair Hanberg was third, recording 32 points (17G/15A), tied with Finlandia’s Josh Paquette (13G/19A). Raider Michael Duta rounded out the top five with 30 points (13G/17A).

MSOE newcomer RG Flath led the conference in goals with 17, tying the league mark for scores by a freshman, set by Joe Lewis of Finlandia last year. Hanberg was tied for first with 17, breaking the sophomore record of 15 held by MSOE’s Ryan Herron (1998-99). Soik was third with 15 goals.

Swallow topped the charts in assists with 23, with Soik’s 22 equaling the junior record held by Marian College’s Dave Chipman (1999-2000). Teammate James Shipley was third with 20.

Defensively, MSOE had two goalies turn in tremendous seasons, as Matt Burzon was first with his .917 save percentage and his 2.06 GAA. Not far behind, Joe Dovalina was second in both categories at .915 and 2.13.

         

Left to Right: Aaron Wallace (Northland) ... Daniel Ljung (Lawrence) ... Jason Jadczak (Marian)

Players of the Week:
-Northland College Lumberjacks senior forward Aaron Wallace (Brownstown, MI) earns the honors for MCHA Player-of-the-Week for his efforts in getting Northland its third league win of the season. He accounted for six points in Saturday’s 7-4 victory, netting four goals while adding two more assists. He also had one assist on Friday for a league-high seven points.
Other Nominees: Brian Soik (MSOE), Evan Thornton (Lawrence), Bill Griffore (Marian), Mike Parks (Finlandia)

-Lawrence University Vikings senior goalie Daniel Ljung (Avesta, Sweden) is this week’s choice for MCHA Defensive Player-of-the-Week. The German major had 61 saves in Friday’s tie – the third-most in league history (former Northland goalie Todor Petvov had games of 71 and 65). He also played in relief on Saturday, making 10 more saves to give him a save percentage of .945 for the weekend.
Other Nominees: Jason Jadczak (Marian), Joe Juntilla (Finlandia)

-Marian College Sabres freshman goalie Jason Jadczak (Des Plains, IL) is the MCHA Freshman-of-the-Week. In Friday’s 2-2 tie with Lawrence, he stopped 38 of 40 shots for a save percentage of .950. Then, on Saturday, he earned the victory with 38 more saves to give him a .939 save percentage on the weekend.
Other Nominees: Simon Labrosse-Gelinas (MSOE), Bill Griffore (Marian), Keith Johnstone (Finlandia)

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: The MCHA website was experiencing technical difficulties with it’s server that have just been able to be fixed today. The site was unable to be edited and updated from Feb. 16 through 5 p.m. today, Feb. 27. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience in this matter.

-February 13, 2006
MSOE Continues to Rise in National Rankings as MCHA Heads into Final Weekend
The MSOE Raiders moved up two spots in the national rankings, checking in at No. 12 today when the USCHO.com Division III men's poll was released. They swept Lawrence by scores of 10-2 and 5-2 on the weekend and received 47 votes, 16 more than when they were No. 14 a week ago.

In other league action, Marian secured their hold on the No. 2 seed with a sweep of Northland, defeating the Lumberjacks by scores of 7-4 and 5-2. In the other match-up, both games were 5-4 decisions, with Crookston winning on Saturday and Finlandia claiming the victory on Sunday.

Players from around the league continue to record hat tricks, as two more accomplished the feat this past weekend. MSOE's Blair Hanberg was the first on Friday night, recording a power play, short-handed and even-strength tally in the Raiders' 10-2 win. The other happened on Saturday, when Crookston's Teal Plaine accounted for three of his team's five goals in a 5-4 victory.

The league record book will be assaulted this upcoming weekend, as plenty of scoring records are within reach of falling heading into the final weekend of regular season play. MSOE's RG Flath has 16 goals, just one off the freshman record of 17 set by Finlandia's Joe Lewis a season ago. His teammate Blair Hanberg needs just one more goal to set a new record for goals by a sophomore, as he has already tied the mark of 15 set by MSOE's Ryan Herron in the 1998-99 season. Assist-wise, three players have a chance to break their respective class records: Finlandia's Josh Paquette has 19 assists, just two off the record of 21 for sophomores. MSOE's Brian Soik has 20 assists in MCHA play, just two off the junior record of 22. And, lastly, his teammate James Shipley currently has 19 assists, also two off the senior mark of 21. In the points category, MSOE's Lee Swallow has 30 points, just one away from the sophomore record of 31, held my Raider Mike Turcott set back in the 1999-2000 campaign.

         
Left to Right: Teal Plaine (Crookston) ... Luke Hasbargen (MSOE) ... James Goodfellow (Marian)

Players of the Week:
-Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagle sophomore forward Teal Plaine (Hallock, Minn.) is this week's MCHA Player-of-the-Week. The accounting major had the hat trick on Friday and also an assist, helping account for four of his team's five goals in the 5-4 win. On Sunday, he scored another goal to finish with five points on the weekend.
Other Nominees: Evan Thornton (Lawrence), Joe Lewis (Finlandia), Blair Hanberg (MSOE)

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders senior defenseman Luke Hasbargen (Rhinelander, Wis.) is this week's MCHA Defensive Player-of-the-Week. Hasbargen played extremely well in all three zones in the weekend sweep of Lawrence, helping limit the Vikings to an 0-for18 showing on the power play. He also had two assists and finished the weekend +4.
Other Nominees; Lukas Alberer (Finlandia), Mitch Sabo (Lawrence)

-Marian College freshman forward James Goodfellow (Naperville, Ill.) wins MCHA Freshman-of-the-Week honors for the second time this season for accounting for game-winning goals in each of Marian's victories on the weekend. On Friday, he had the winner and an assist and was +2. On Saturday, his goal was the decision-maker again and was +3.
Other Nominees: RG Flath (MSOE), Ryan Sullivan (Finlandia), Aaron LaFave (Lawrence)

-February 6, 2006
MSOE Becomes First MCHA Team to Crack Top 15 in Nation
The big news out of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association was made by the Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders, who became the first-ever league school to be voted into the Top 15 poll when the new standings were released earlier this afternoon by USCHO.com. The Raiders, who swept by Northland College this past weekend by scores of 6-0 and 5-1, received 31 votes to claim the No. 14 spot in the poll. They had been receiving votes for most of the season, and were even the highest vote-getter last month, before making the jump. Only MSOE and Marian College have ever received votes in the poll in the eight-year history of the league.

That wasn't the only highlight for MSOE, as they clinched the regular season championship with the pair of victories. They now have 29 points courtesy of their 14-1-1 league mark, earning their second-straight league regular season crown (the most second-place Marian could end up with is 28 points).

On the ice, there were some notable performances as well. Three players recorded hat tricks, as Finlandia University's Joe Welgos and Marian College teammates Chad Little and Billy Schill all scored three goals in a game. The high-scoring Sabre duo helped lead their team to a sweep of UMC-Crookston, as Marian swept the Golden Eagles by scores of 7-1 and 8-4. In the other league match-up, Lawrence got past Finlandia 5-1 on Saturday before the Lions came back for a 4-4 overtime tie on Sunday. With second through fourth place separated by just two points, every game left on the schedule will have meaning for those involved.

USCHO.com Division III Men's Poll (Minneapolis, Minn./February 6, 2006)

Others receiving votes: Bethel 13, Colby 11, Wis.-Superior 9, St. Olaf 8, Elmira 7, Gustavus Adolphus 7, Mass.-Dartmouth 5, Utica 5, Babson 1.
The USCHO.com Poll is compiled by U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO), and consists of 15 voters, including coaches and beat writers from across the country. USCHO is currently in it's tenth year as the nation's premier source of information on college hockey.

         
Left to Right: Chad Little (Marian) ... Jason Jadczak (Marian) ... Billy Schill (Marian)

Players of the Week:
-Marian College Sabres junior forward Chad Little (Southampton, ONT) earns the MCHA Player of the Week award. The team captain led the league with eight points (4G/4A) for the week, helping his team to a sweep of UM-Crookston. On Friday, he scored or assisted on three of the first four goals of the game, helping the Sabres cruise to the win. On Saturday, he put up a five-point (3G/2A) effort, including the hat trick when he scored short-handed in the closing minutes of the victory. He had two short-handed goals and was +6 on the weekend.
Other nominees: Blair Hanberg (MSOE), David Olynyk (Lawrence), Joe Welgos (Finlandia), Teal Plaine (UM-Crookston)

-Marian College Sabres freshman goalie Jason Jadczak (Des Plaines, IL) earns his first career award, as he is tabbed for the MCHA Defensive Player-of-the-Week. He started and played the whole game Friday, stopping 34 of 35 shots (.971 sv %) and holding the Golden Eagles to an 0-for-10 showing on the power play. Then, on Saturday, he came on in relief at the 13:01 mark of the first after Crookston had scored three unanswered goals to take a 3-1 lead. He went on to make 32 more saves on 33 shots (.970) while blanking the Golden Eagles on eight more extra-man opportunities to record a perfect 2-0 weekend.
Other nominees: Andrew Isaac (Lawrence), Matt Burzon (MSOE), Joe Juntilla (Finlandia), Jay Visger (UM-Crookston)

-Marian College Sabres freshman forward Billy Schill (Sault Ste. Marie, ONT) gives the Sabres the first weekly award sweep of the season, earning MCHA Freshman-of-the-Week accolades. Schill had a hat trick and was +2 on Friday before adding two more assists in Saturday's victory. He finished +3 on the weekend.
Other nominees: Jason Jadczak (Marian), Ted Greeley (Lawrence), Simon Labrosse-Gelinas (MSOE)

-January 30, 2006
MSOE Takes Control of First Place as League Enters Last Month of Regular Season
The MSOE Raiders took a firm hold of first place in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association this past weekend, defeating second-place Marian College twice in a home-and-home series. Both games were one-goal affairs, with the Raiders securing a 4-3 overtime victory on the road on Friday night before recording a  3-2 win at home on Saturday to improve to 26-3-1 in their last 30 regular season MCHA contests. They now stand in at 12-1-1 in league play this season, taking a step closer to their second-straight regular season title. All eyes will be on the release of the USCHO.com national poll later Monday evening as well, as the Raiders could crack the Top 15 for the first time ever after an undefeated week.

The other two league match-ups produced splits, as Lawrence made the long road trip to Crookston, winning 3-2 in overtime on Friday before falling 4-3 on Saturday afternoon. In the final series, Northland came back from a 9-2 loss to Finlandia on Friday night by defeating the Lions 3-2 on Saturday. Both of the Lumberjack's MCHA victories this season have come against Finlanida.

With six games remaining in the regular season, a look at the conference scoring leaders shows quite a battle brewing for the league lead. Finlandia (two players) and MSOE (four players), make up the top six point-scorers, while the league already has nine players with 20 or more points (to compare there were just 10 all season last year). Finlandia's Josh Paquette (25 points on 9G/16A) currently has a one-point lead over MSOE's Brian Soik (24 points on 11G/13A), while just four points separate the top six scorers.

1. Josh Paquette (FU) 25 points (9G/16A)
2. Brian Soik (MSOE) 24 (11G/13A)
3. Michael Duta (MSOE) 23 points (11G/12A)
4. Lee Swallow (MSOE) 22 points (10G/12A)
T5. Blair Hanberg (MSOE) 21 points (9G/12A)
T5. Joe Lewis (FU) 21 points (8G/13A)

         
Left to Right: Joe Searl (Lawrence) ... Mike Mistretta (Northland) ... Mike Marquette (MSOE)

Players of the Week:
-Lawrence University Vikings junior left wing Joe Searl (Fond du Lac, Wis.) is the choice for the MCHA Player-of-the-Week. The psychology major and team captain was instrumental in Lawrence's 3-2 overtime road win on Friday. He had an assist on the goal that put his team up 2-1, and then, after Crookston had battled back to tie the game and send it into overtime, scored the game-winner to send the Vikings out with the victory. He also had an assist on Saturday, giving him a team-leading 19 points (7G/12A) on the year.
Other Nominees: Mike Parks (Finlandia), Patrick Knutson (Crookston), Michael Duta (MSOE), Matt Hann (Crookston)

-Northland College Lumberjacks freshman goalie Mike Mistretta (Amherst, NY) wins the MCHA Defensive Player-of-the-Week award for his role in the Lumberjacks efforts against Finlandia this weekend. The meteorology major played over 24 minutes of Friday's game, stopping 21 of 23 shots. He then came back on Saturday to make 48 saves on 50 shots (.960 save %) in the 'Jacks 3-2 victory, his first collegiate win. For the weekend, his save percentage was .945.
Other Nominees: Ben Larson (Crookston), Joe Juntilla (Finlandia), Brett Shelanski (Crookston), Jason Woll (MSOE), Andrew Isaac (Lawrence), Wyatt LaVigne (Crookston)
Other Nominees: Ryan Sullivan (Finlandia), Ted Greeley (Lawrence)

-MSOE Raider 

-January 26, 2006
Steve Fabiili Promoted to Northland College Head Coach; Interim Label Removed
-Courtesy of Northland College Athletic Director Steve Wammer
CONTACT: 715-682-1244

ASHLAND, WI – The interim tag has been removed from Northland College Head Men’s Ice Hockey Coach Steve Fabiilli’s title today according to Director of Athletics Steve Wammer.

Fabiilli had been named interim coach in September of 2005 following the resignation of former coach Dan Huntley.  “Steve has done an excellent job so far this year, his knowledge, experience and work ethic has brought much to our program” commented Wammer. “It has become obvious that he is a great choice for this position, the decision to make him our permanent coach was easy.  I feel the future of Northland Hockey is in excellent hands.”

Prior to being named Interim Head Coach at Northland, Fabiilli served as co-head coach at Division I Canisius College in Buffalo, New York.  That team finished second in the Atlantic Hockey Conference with a record of 14-7-3.  An alumnus of Canisius, Fabiilli was named Team MVP his senior year and was also the College’s Male Athlete of the Year.

"I am excited to continue to work with the program at Northland College." says Fabiilli, "I believe that we can move LumberJack Hockey forward and build a strong and successful hockey program.”

-January 24, 2006
Leitzan Ties MCHA Record With Five Goals; MSOE Climbs in National Poll
It was a week for the record book in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association. For starters, MSOE freshman Matt Leitzan tied the league record for goals in a game when he lit the lamp five times against Minnesota-Crookston on Friday night, becoming the first player in nearly six years to accomplish the feat. He started things out with a goal in the first period before exploding for four more in the third to tie three other players who share the record.
FIVE GOALS IN AN MCHA GAME
Matt Leitzan, MSOE vs. Crookston, 01/20/06
Mike Dittrich, Marian College vs. MSOE, 02/05/00
Chris Hill, Findlay vs. Benedictine, 02/13/99
Dave Bell, Findlay vs. Benedictine, 02/13/99

There was another milestone reached in that same game, as Crookston senior Patrick Knutson recorded career point No. 100 with assists on two goals. He then went over the century mark with a goal on Saturday. He now has 101 points (55G/46A) and is the second-leading scorer in Golden Eagle history, trailing only Brock Anundson's 112 points (51G/61A). He was honored for his achievement by the school at a recent game (L-R: Head Coach Gary Warren, Director of Athletics Stephanie Helgeson, Patrick Knutson, MCHA Commissioner Terry Brand).

MSOE reached unprecedented territory for a league team, receiving 35 votes when the USCHO.com NCAA Division III poll was released on Monday. They are just one spot away from cracking the Top 15, as Colby, with 37 points, was ranked 15th this week. This is the highest-ever ranking for an MCHA team. Marian was the only other team to previously receive votes in the poll.

In league action, MSOE swept by Crookston to remain firmly in first place with a 10-1-1 record. Marian and Finlandia played to a split, leaving the Sabres in second with a ledger of 8-4-0 in league play. In the other series, Lawrence University came away with a sweep, downing Northland in two one-goal games at home.

    
   -Matt Leitzan-       -Andrew Isaac-

Players of the Week:
-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders freshman forward Matt Leitzan (Appleton, WI) is the MCHA Player-of-the-Week. Leitzan had a fabulous weekend on the ice, recording the five-goal game on Friday and then adding two more on Saturday. The business major also two assists on Saturday for a nine-point weekend.
Other Nominees: Patrick Knutson (Crookston), Dave Olynyk (Lawrence), Matt Bobo (Marian)

-Lawrence University Vikings junior goalie Andrew Isaac (Mississauga, ONT) receives MCHA Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors for his work between the pipes in the Vikings sweep of Northland. The economics major stopped 22 of 23 shots on Sunday and 19 of 21 Lumberjack shots on Monday to give him an unblemished record and a save percentage of .931 for the weekend.
Other Nominees: Matt Bobo (Marian), Jason Woll (MSOE), Scott Ross (Marian)

-It's hard to argue with a scoring record and a league-best nine-point weekend, so freshman forward Matt Leitzan (Appleton, WI) takes two awards this week, winning the MCHA Freshman-of-the-Week award as well.
Other Nominees: Scott Ross (Marian), Ted Greeley (Lawrence), Andrew Corvo (Marian)

-January 20, 2006
Mason Oakes of Lawrence University Named One of Seven Finalists for the 2006 Hockey Humanitarian Award
The finalists for the 2006 Hockey Humanitarian Award were announced Friday, and Lawrence's Mason Oakes is among them. This marks the second time that a player from the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association has been a finalist for the award, joining Lawrence's Tom Conti, a three-year captain who was a finalist for the honor in January of 2002. Oakes (pictured at left) was announced earlier this month as one of 18 players nominated nationally for the honor. He is currently fourth on the team with 12 points (7G/5A) and has played in 89 games in his Viking career, recording 57 points (29G/28A). 

The following press release is courtesy of the award's website, www.hockeyhumanitarian.org

Mpls., Minn. – The Hockey Humanitarian Foundation today announced seven outstanding student athletes who were selected as finalists for the 2006 Hockey Humanitarian Award.

The finalists, listed in alphabetical order, are:

Janelle Armitage Sr. University of Connecticut
Eric Leroux Sr. Princeton University
Drew Miller Jr. Michigan State University
Mason Oakes Sr. Lawrence University
Jaime Sifers Sr. University of Vermont
Chris Trick Sr. University of Notre Dame
Lindsay Williams Jr. Clarkson University

The finalists were selected by the Hockey Humanitarian Award Executive Committee from a group of 18 nominees. Each of the finalists have exhibited a strong commitment to their communities, their teams and their studies. Among the highlights of their many humanitarian endeavors:

Janelle Armitage organized a winter coat and clothing drive, organized a team effort to purchase gifts for teen home and organized a fund drive to aid an arena employee whose home was burned down. Eric Leroux spent 10 weeks in Kenya working with the Foundation for Sustainable Development and six weeks in Ecuador working in a community malaria clinic. At Princeton he founded a team initiative named PUCK (Providing Underprivileged Communities and Kids) and the Princeton World Health Initiative.

Drew Miller created the Spartan Buddy Program which sends students to visit children with severe or terminal illnesses. Miller is a Pen Pal to a local elementary classroom and has worked with the Children’s Miracle Network, Teams For Toys and the Special Olympics. Mason Oakes works with multiple Boys and Girls Clubs and is very involved in the Appleton, Wisconsin community including food drives and volunteering at retirement homes.

Jaime Sifers is the team liaison with the Jarred Williams Foundation which helps families with a chronically ill child, helped raise $20,000 to improve the lives of children, women and families at risk as well as working with the King Street Youth Center. Chris Trick oversees the community service activities of the Irish hockey team and organized the “Buddy Walk” in addition to organizing the Robinson Center Kid’s Skate. Lindsay Williams oversees the weekly community service efforts of the Clarkson women’s hockey team and works with the Helping Hands for less fortunate families. Williams has raised money for holiday dinners and organized the “Skate With The Knights”.

The 11th recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian Award will be selected from this group of finalists and named in a ceremony held in conjunction with the Hobey Baker Award and NCAA Skills Competition on Friday, April 7th in Milwaukee, Wisconsin during the 2006 NCAA Frozen Four.

-January 16, 2006
Warren's 400th Career Victory Highlights Conference Slate of Games
Minnesota-Crookston highlighted the weekend in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association, as they got head coach Gary Warren his 400th career victory on Friday night and then topped that off by sweeping Northland with a victory on Saturday as well. In a weekend of three MCHA series, the Golden Eagles were the only ones to pull off the sweep as the league schedule hit it's mid-point.

MSOE kept it's hold on first place (17 points) with a 7-1 win on Friday and a 3-3 overtime tie Saturday on the road against Finlandia, who now stands in third in the league standings (12 points). The Raiders stayed prominent in the eyes of the national voters as well, as they received 18 votes in Monday's USCHO.com Division III poll.

Marian College remains in second (14 points), as they split with Lawrence, falling 5-3 Friday night before coming out on top in a 9-7 shoot-out on Saturday. Each league team now has 10 games in the books and 10 games remaining in conference action, with just five points separating first through third place.

Players of the Week:
-The MCHA Player-of-the-Week award will be shared this week. One recipient is Minnesota-Crookston sophomore forward Brent Groenke (Morden, MB). Groenke scored twice on Friday before playing an even bigger role on Saturday. After already recording an assist, he added two goals in the third period once Northland had tied the game at 4-4. The first came on the power play while the second was the short-handed game-winner. The other honoree is Northland College junior forward Jim Junker (St. Paul, MN). It's not too often that a player on a team that gets swept earns the honor, but Junker played a role in seven of the 10 goals that the Lumberjacks scored on the weekend. On Friday, he had two goals and two assists out of Northland's five goals. On Saturday, it was three assists on the team's five goals for a league-best seven points (2G/5A) on the week.
Other Nominees: Neil Wallace (Lawrence), Chad Little (Marian), Patrick Knutson (Minnesota-Crookston)

-Milwaukee School of Engineering junior goalie Matt Burzon (Danby, Vt.) wins the MCHA Defensive Player-of-the-Week for the third time this season. The construction management major was between the pipes for the Raiders' 7-1 victory over Finlandia on Friday night, stopping 23 of 24 Lion shots in the win. He now leads the MCHA in goals-against-average (1.50), save percentage (.942) and winning percentage (1.000, a perfect 6-0).
Other Nominees: Pete Stafford (Lawrence), Andy Fiore (Marian), Ben Larson (Minnesota-Crookston)

-Marian College freshman forward Billy Schill (Sault Ste. Marie, ONT) is the MCHA Freshman-of-the-Week for his efforts in the Sabres split with Lawrence. On Friday, he played a role in each of Marian's scores, recording a goal and two assists in the 5-3 loss. Then, on Saturday, he added another goal and two assists to give him a six-point (2G/4A) weekend. He was also +5 on the ice for the series.
Other Nominees: Nick Jennette (Lawrence), Travis Pederson (Minnesota-Crookston), Matt Lietzan (MSOE)

-January 13, 2006
Crookston's Gary Warren Nets Career Victory No. 400
Friday the 13th may be unlucky for some, but not this time for Crookston head coach Gary Warren. On Friday, his Golden Eagles defeated Northland College by a score of 7-5 to give Warren career victory No. 400.

Warren (pictured at left), in his fifth season at Crookston, has accumulated a record of 55-59-10 in his tenure as Golden Eagles head coach, winning a regular season crown in the 2002-03 season and tournament crowns in the 2002-03 and 2003-04 campaigns. Crookston has played for the Harris Cup in each of the seasons that Warren has been the head coach.

For his career, his 25-year mark now stands at 400-279-47. He was the head coach at MSU-Bottineau before accepting the Crookston job in December of 2000.

-January 9, 2006
Lawrence's Oakes Nominated for 2006 Hockey Humanitarian; MCHA Returns to Ice for 2006
The Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association returned to the ice for the 2006 portion of their schedule this past week, with every team but Northland taking part in non-conference action. In the biggest game of the week, MSOE took a 2-0 first period advantage on No. 3 St. Norbert, only to see the Green Knights battle back to take the lead and add a late empty-netter in the 4-2 victory. The Raiders outshot St. Norbert 12-6 in the final period, but were unable to retake the lead.

The other big news of the week happened at Lawrence University, where senior Mason Oakes (pictured below left) was announced as one of 18 players nominated nationally for the 2006 Hockey Humanitarian Award. Oakes is currently fifth on the team with eight points (5G/3A) and has played in 87 games in his Viking career, recording 53 points (27G/26A). He is also a two-time MCHA All-Academic team member.

According to the organization's website, http://www.hockeyhumanitarian.org/, the Hockey Humanitarian Award annually honors college hockey’s finest citizen and seeks to recognize college hockey players, Division I or Division III, male or female, who give back to their community in the true humanitarian spirit. It’s been said of the Hockey Humanitarian Award that we seek not to celebrate Hall of Fame athletes, but rather Hall of Fame human beings.

The nominees, listed in alphabetical order, are:
Janelle Armitage, Sr., University of Connecticut
Jessica Clermont, Sr., Niagara University
Carlton Ellis, Jr., Suffolk University
Abbey Kaknes, Sr., University of Vermont
Eric Leroux, Sr., Princeton University
Eric Marvin, Sr., Western Michigan University
Annice Mason, Sr., Saint Michael’s College
David McKee, Jr., Cornell University
Drew Miller, Jr., Michigan State University
Greg Moore, Sr., University of Maine
Meghan Mutrie, Sr., University of North Dakota
Mason Oakes, Sr., Lawrence University
Carrie Schroyer, Sr., Harvard University
Jamie Sifers, Sr., University of Vermont
Jon Smyth, Sr., Colgate University
Chris Trick, Sr., University of Notre Dame
Lindsay Williams, Jr., Clarkson University
Jason Wilson, Sr., Norwich University

Finalists for the award will be announced on www.hockeyhumanitarian.org on Friday, January 20. The 11th recipient of the Hockey Humanitarian Award will be selected from the group of finalists and named in a ceremony held in conjunction with the first-ever NCAA Skills Competition on Friday, April 7th in Milwaukee, Wisconsin during the 2006 NCAA Frozen Four.

Players of the Week:
-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders sophomore forward Lee Swallow (Stanwod, MI) earns MCHA Player-of-the-Week honors for his role in the Raiders' contest against No. 3 St. Norbert. The construction management major scored the goal that gave MSOE a 2-0 first period lead and was outstanding in all three zones in his return from injury.
Other Nominees: Matt Hann (UM-Crookston), Joe Searl (Lawrence)

-Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders sophomore defenseman Ken Walters (Amery, WI) earns the MCHA Defensive Player-of-the-Week award. The business major recorded the first goal of the Raiders contest against St. Norbert and was +1 on the evening.
Other Nominees: Andy Link (Lawrence)

-Lawrence University Vikings freshman left wing/defenseman Blake Royale (Burlington, Ontario) earns the MCHA Freshman-of-the-Week honors for his play this week. The Biology major scored a goal against Gustavus Adolphus and was +1 for the weekend.