Just a quick note to brighten your day…
I know it’s tough to adjust to life without hockey.
To ease that transition, it always helps to look forward to next season.
One member of CC’s recruiting class for 2008 is Nick Dineen, a player who has paid his dues by spending three years in the United States Hockey League. This article should make you excited about what’s coming around the bend for the Tigers.
Colorado College has scored only two goals in each of its past three games. At Michigan Tech last weekend, the Tigers were limited to four goals in a weekend for the first time this season.
Michigan Tech and Air Force, which the Tigers beat 2-1 Jan. 19, are very defensive-minded, meaning they protect the slot and area in front of the crease above all else. Michigan Tech is also one of the more physical teams CC has played, featuring a little more of an old-school clutch-and-grab style. Because of Michigan Tech’s discipline, though, the Huskies managed to avoid penalties. And thanks to scoring first both nights, Michigan Tech could afford to play an extremely defensive style.
CC players are wary of a second-half slide, especially with only a five-point lead over streaking North Dakota and a tenuous seven-point lead over third-place Denver, which has played four fewer games — so too, it seems, are the coaches. Several drills in Wednesday’s practice centered on getting the puck to the net, including 1-on-1s to goal, in which the players had to fight past another player to get a shot on net.
Against Clarkson this weekend, an Eastern College Athletic Conference team which likely will resort to a defensive style to slow CC’s fast-paced transition game on the Olympic sheet (the Golden Knights’ first game on an Olympic sheet this season), the Tigers will try some brand-new groupings.
From Wednesday’s practice:
Sweatt–Rau–Testwuide
McCulloch–Vlassopoulos–Kilpatrick
Thauwald–Johnson–Walsky
DeBoer–McMillin–Schultz
Overman–Quilico
As you can see, McCulloch is expected to be back in the lineup after a four-game hiatus.
On Clarkson
You might be wondering about Clarkson. Located in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson has an enrollment of 3,000 (as compared with CC’s ~1,950). The Golden Knights made the NCAA Tournament last season after winning the ECAC tournament and lead the ECAC standings this season. Clarkson and CC have played eight times and the Tigers own a 7-0-1 record. The most significant meeting between the schools was in 1957, the year of CC’s last national championship, when CC defeated Clarkson to advance to the NCAA title game against Michigan. The past four meetings have been in regular-season series, with the most recent in October 2003. The Tigers met Clarkson in the 1997 and 1998 NCAA Tournaments.
Tiger Tracks
At 29 years old, Toby Petersen won the speed skating competition at the 2008 AHL All-Star Game with the fastest time in a decade. Petersen also scored on the first penalty shot in All-Star Game history…Brett Sterling and Brian Salcido also scored for Team USA in the All-Star Game…James Brannigan had a goal for the Augusta Lynx in an 8-6 win over the Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL)…Recruit Nick Dineen had a goal Tuesday in the USHL All-Star Game…Rookie Colin Stuart got his second call-up this week to the Atlanta Thrashers…Even though he was demoted from the Calgary Flames in favor of goaltender Curtis Joseph, the other Curtis — Curtis “CuMac” McElhinney – is the “closest” to being NHL ready, Flames’ Western pro scout Ron Sutter said.
As you’ll read in The Gazette on Wednesday, CC secured letters of intent from Tim Hall, Andrew Hamburg and Rylan Schwartz. Those are in addition to the letters of intent from Nick Dineen and David Civitarese, signed last fall and earlier this year, respectively.
The recruits that are definitely coming in 2008, barring injury or some unforeseen circumstance, are Dineen, Hall, Civitarese and Joe Marciano. Possible additions to that class–resulting from early departures and other roster changes–include Hamburg and Schwartz. If either of those two makes a rapid skill development this season, then that would also earn them consideration for 2008 matriculation.
Coach Scott Owens discusses some of the players below:
F Nick Dineen, Omaha, Neb.
Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
5-foot-9, 190 pounds, 2/28/89
Shoots: Right
Fun fact: Dineen played for the AAA Pikes Peak Miners in 2004-05 and attended Liberty
Owens: “Dineen is really excelling right now. He’s in his third year in the league. He’s a tremendous locker-room guy. He’s a great leader. He can play gritty, he can score. He’s really having a great year. He was one of their top three guys in that (World Junior A) tournament up at Trail (B.C.). He’s all about team. …We knew that he had tremendous character. In midgets he scored a fair amount. His first two years in the USHL, he just scored OK, but now he’s settling down and he’s still pretty young.”
C Tim Hall, Sewickley, Pa.
Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets (USHL)
5-foot-8, 160 pounds, 2/2/90
Shoots: Left
Fun fact: Hall is the second player from the Pittsburgh area in CC history. John Mooney, who played for CC from 1989-91.
Owens: “Tim Hall had 17 goals and 14 assists as a ’90 (birthdate) last year in the USHL. He’s off to a little bit of a slow start this year, but he played well overseas this summer and he also really played well up at Trail (at the World Junior A tournament). He’s a tenacious, hard-working left-handed forward with some scoring touch. He’s a smart hockey player and he’ll be an asset to us. He needs to get things rolling a little bit now, but no matter what we’re bringing him in next year.”
2008 or 2009
C Rylan Schwartz, Wilcox, Saskatchewan
Notre Dame Hounds (Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League)
5-foot-10, 180 pounds, 1/8/1990
Fun fact: Plays for the same team that produced sophomore defenseman Kris Fredheim and assistant coach Norm Bazin.
“He’s been doing well. He’s only played two, three months of junior hockey. He did very well in midgets. Our original discussion on him was for ’09. We just wanted him to mature and that’s where we thought he’d fit in nicely for us.”
RW Andrew Hamburg, Phoenix
St. Louis Bandits (North American Hockey League)
6-foot-2, 175 pounds, 6/17/1989
Fun fact: Nicknamed “Hammer”
Hamburg landed with the Bandits after a two-game stint with the NAHL’s Texas Tornado. Originally thought would be playing for Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL, but was one of the final cuts.
“He was a late cut. It’s tough for high school. It’s a learning experience. He ended up in St. Louis, which has a very good North American team and he’s doing pretty well.”
I’ll catch Owens about Civitarese and Marciano later this week.
I’ll be exploring this topic in further detail this week, but I just wanted to get the ball rolling.
Freshman goaltender Richard Bachman has five wins in his first five Western Collegiate Hockey Association starts. He got his fourth and fifth wins against Minnesota-Duluth goaltender Alex Stalock, who was Bachman’s predecessor in net for the Cedar Rapids Roughriders (United States Hockey League).
Turns out Cedar Rapids has been a bit of a WCHA goaltender factory. I decided to compare Bachman’s statistics in his first five starts to those of other Cedar Rapids goaltenders who have ended up in the WCHA, including Stalock, Minnesota State-Mankato’s Dan Tormey and St. Cloud State’s Bobby Goepfert.
First five WCHA starts
Bachman: .962 save percentage, 1.19 goals against average, 5-0 record
Stalock: .880 save percentage, 3.00 goals against average, 1-3-1
Tormey: .910 save percentage, 2.20 goals against average, 2-1-2
Goepfert*: .910 save percentage, 2.80 goals against average, 1-3-1
*first five WCHA starts came as a junior, played for two seasons at Providence before transferring to SCSU
Anyway, I know it’s a little strange to be digging around in these stats, but I just wanted to prove to myself that what Bachman has done so far isn’t normal. Sure, he’s a 20-year-old freshman (three days older than Stalock, actually), but adjusting to the league is a tough task. No question Wisconsin will be a test with Kyle Turris up front. It’ll be exciting to see how Bachman squares off against Shane Connelly, who stood on his head last Friday to shut out North Dakota.
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Recruiting Roundup:
Tiger Tracks:
CC recruits Tim Hall and Nick Dineen, both tabbed to join the Tigers next fall, each picked up goal and an assist in a come-from-behind 7-6 overtime victory over Belarus in the World Junior A Challenge.
The win pits the U.S. against Canada East in a sell-out game tonight in Nelson, B.C.
Trailing 4-1 in the second period, the U.S. drew within two goals thanks to Hall’s power-play goal, assisted by Blake Kessel (New Hampshire commit). Hall picked up an assist on Kessel’s 4-on-3 score with two minutes left in the period to cut Belarus’ lead to 4-3.
At 4:20 of the third, Belarus ahead 5-3, Dineen scored to keep the U.S. within a goal. Just 24 seconds later, Dineen assisted a game-tying goal by Ben Blood (North Dakota commit).
Read the box score and Hockey Canada’s recap here.
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Is anyone reading this blog? If so, post a comment (for example, what do you think of CC’s incoming recruits? Or, what do you want to see more of on the blog?). I know some of you don’t have Google accounts, but you can post a comment without a Google email address.
Three things to keep in mind this week as CC heads into a two-game set at New Hampshire:
1. Kevin Regan The senior goaltender, who saved 30 of 31 shots in the Wildcats’ 4-1 win over Boston University, has an impressive career save percentage of .928 and 2.28 goals-against average in 61 games. Regan, named Hockey East defensive player of the week, is a big reason UNH was picked to finish first in its conference.
2. Big corners UNH’s Whittemore Center, which features an ice sheet with the same dimensions as the World Arena (200′ x 100′), is rumored to have nearly square corners (I’ll be pulling out my measuring tape). That means more space for the CC forwards to work with, but conversely, a tougher defensive task for the Tigers’ young defensemen.
3. Formidable top line The combination of LW James VanRiemsdyk, C Mike Radja, and RW Matt Fornatero will need some special attention. In the Wildcats’ first outing against Boston University, each had a goal and an assist. VanRiemsdyk might be “just a freshman,” but he’s already drawing comparisons to Minnesota’s Blake Wheeler. CC coach Scott Owens said the matchup between CC and New Hampshire should resemble last weekend’s games against Minnesota.
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Notes:
Right wing Jimmy Kilpatrick (hip) will travel and is “very close,” coach Scott Owens said Tuesday, after he put Kilpatrick with center Chad Rau and left wing Scott Thauwald to test his progress…Stephen Schultz (undisclosed leg injury) and Dan Quilico (right ankle) did not make the travel roster but both are back to full-contact practicing…Read Owens’ Tuesday at the Rink chat transcript here…Elliot Olshansky puts his foot in his mouth after CC’s season-opening sweep of Minnesota.
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Recruiting Round-up:
One of CC’s recent commitments, Tim Hall, who is slated to join the Tigers next season, was named to the U.S. Junior Select team, which will compete Nov. 5-11 in Trail and Nelson, British Columbia, at the World Junior A Challenge. Nick Dineen, another forward recruit for 2008, is also on the 21-player roster.
Hall was also named a ‘B’ list of NHL Central Scouting’s Player To Watch list, released today. A ‘B’ rating indicates a potential third- to fifth-round draftee. Rylan Schwartz, who committed to join CC in 2009 but could enroll next fall, was given a ‘C’ rating, meaning he is a potential late-round selection. Central Scouting will release a midterm and final ranking before the NHL draft in June 2008.
Andrew Hamburg has endured quite a journey this fall. After being released from the Waterloo Black Hawks (United States Hockey League), Hamburg was picked up by the Texas Tornado (North American Hockey League), where he had one goal and one assist in two games. As pointed out by Ryan of the USHL blog, the Tornado traded Hamburg to the St. Louis Bandits of the NAHL, where he now appears on the roster but not in the stats.
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Tiger Tracks:
In net for the Charlotte Checkers (ECHL), Matt Zaba stopped 29 of 30 shots in his first professional victory, a 5-1 win over the Augusta Lynx.. The lone goal for the Lynx was scored by Aaron Slattengren. Trevor Frischmon, who joined the Checkers Tuesday, had two assists.
Toby Petersen was named captain of the Iowa Stars (AHL).
Shortly after he allowed one goal on two shots in his NHL debut, Curtis McElhinney was sent packing to the Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate.
Nick Dineen, who will join Colorado College next season, leads the United States Hockey League defending champion Sioux Falls Stampede as a third-year player and co-captain.
The Tigers’ latest pickup, Tim Hall, played a key role in his Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets’ sweep of the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL). Game 1: Hall’s shootout goal clinched the win. Game 2: Hall picks up an assist.
Dakota Eveland, who will join CC in 2009 or 2010, had an assist in the Omaha Lancers’ win over the Tri-City Storm this weekend.
On a low-scoring Okotoks Oilers (Alberta Junior Hockey League) squad, David Civitarese is one of the youngest but also the third-leading scorer among forwards.
Andrew Hamburg still has not resurfaced after being released from Waterloo (USHL). EDIT: Looks like the Texas Tornado (NAHL), where Hamburg was traded to, will start up this weekend.
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Tiger Tracks:
Though the same stature as former Chicago Wolves teammate and AHL record-setter Darren Haydar, Brett Sterling got the nod. An interesting piece on how timing can make all the difference when trying to stick on a NHL roster.
Aaron Slattengren‘s strong second half last season has his Augusta (Ga.) Lynx (ECHL) coach predicting big things. (subscription required)
Bad Karma? A knee injury to Brett Krahn cleared the way for Curtis McElhinney to make the Calgary Flames’ roster. Now, because of a knee injury of his own, McElhinney will be out of commission for at least a week, this article says.
Want to get a look at some future Tigers? The USHL Fall Classic begins today in Sioux City, Iowa, and will be broadcast online via B2 networks, the same service that will be available on cctigers.com this season. Here’s the link to watch. All times listed are Central.
Games involving recruits are:
Thursday, Sept. 27
10:00 a.m. Omaha Lancers (Dakota Eveland–2009 or 2010) vs. Green Bay
1:00 p.m. Lincoln Stars vs. Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets (Tim Hall–2008)
3:00 p.m. Sioux Falls Stampede (Nick Dineen–2008) vs. Waterloo Black Hawks (Andrew Hamburg–2008)
Friday, Sept. 28
10:00 a.m. Waterloo Black Hawks (Hamburg) vs. Des Moines Buccaneers
1:00 p.m. Chicago Steel vs. Omaha Lancers (Eveland)
4:00 p.m. Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets (Hall) vs. Sioux Falls Stampede (Dineen)
Saturday, Sept. 29
12:00 p.m. Omaha Lancers (Eveland) vs. Ohio Jr. Blue Jackets (Hall)
4:00 p.m. Sioux Falls Stampede (Dineen) vs. Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
7:00 p.m. Sioux City Musketeers vs. Waterloo Black Hawks (Hamburg)
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With the demise of the Wayne State (Mich.) hockey program announced yesterday, Grand Forks Herald hockey reporter Brad Elliott Schlossman poses an important question: Will Bemidji State join the WCHA in 2008?
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Tiger Tracks:
Colin Stuart was reassigned to Chicago (AHL), but Brett Sterling made on the Atlanta Thrashers’ roster.
Noah Clarke is still in the hunt for a spot on the New Jersey Devils’ roster.
Curtis McElhinney will start the season as the Calgary Flames’ backup.
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For those who are curious, the Tigers have a practice scheduled for tonight at 9:15 at Honnen Ice Arena (NW corner of Cascade and Cache La Poudre Streets). I’ll get the rest of the schedule tonight.
