Game day: No. 4 CC vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Pregame notes:
1. Junior Eric Walsky will play tonight, despite injuring his right wrist Wednesday. Walsky skated briefly in a noncontact jersey toward the end of Thursday’s practice with heavy tape on his wrist. Walsky will center the fourth line, so he’ll only play about 12 minutes at most. But Walsky’s presence means the Tigers will have a full lineup. I would have to guess that with center Chad Rau available Sunday against either UMass or No. 6 Notre Dame – UMass knocked off the Fighting Irish 4-3 in the first game – coach Scott Owens will give Walsky a rest.

2. Who is going to replace Cody Lampl? Owens liked to say that Lampl never had to score a point or dish an assist to make a contribution to the Tigers. Lampl’s high-energy, big-hitting style of play reminded his teammates to finish their checks. But with Lampl suspended until January 2009 unless his appeal is successful, CC will have to find another way (or ways) to generate that same spark. Most are looking to left wing Scott McCulloch, but right wing Jimmy Kilpatrick said Thursday that it will have to be a collective effort.

3. Goalies tend to be a superstitious bunch, but goaltender Richard Bachman is excited to debut a new set of pads tonight. Instead of a metallic gold, these leg pads have a yellow gold that matches more closely that of the Tigers’ uniform. Bachman said the equipment company rep delivered his pads to his house in Highlands Ranch just before Christmas and he started breaking them in during his week off. He prefers stiffer pads, so he said he’s happy to have a new set midseason. As for the glove, Bachman has been working extra hard to break that in. “It’s still a little stiff,” he said.

4. CC practiced this morning at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, Fla., about 15 minutes from the team hotel.

Lines:
Colorado College
10 Thauwald–17 Johnson–23 Kilpatrick
26 McCulloch–19 Vlassopoulos–5 DeBoer
28 Schultz–9 McMillin–25 Testwuide
12 Quilico–22 Walsky–18 Overman

8 Hillen–15 Prosser
27 Wysopal–4 Gannon
11 Connelly–24 Lowery

30 Bachman
31 O’Connell
1 O’Brien

RPI
23 Colling–17 Lord–16 Klerer
15 Helfrich–8 Morissette–26 Contini
27 Uryadov–11 Kerins–21 Polacek
9 Ornelas–22 Angers-Goulet–10 Halpern

6 Merth–7 Foss
4 Brutlag–3 Jensen
12 Vassel–2 Burgdoerfer

31 Lange
1 Alford
25 Neubert

Game day: No. 4 CC 4, Alaska-Anchorage 1 (final)

Three thoughts:
1. The Tigers must be more determined about getting shots on net. Last night’s total of 16 simply isn’t enough. CC was outshot 46-36 overall with the breakdown like this:
–Shots blocked by defense: CC 10, UAA 12
–Shots off target: CC 9, UAA 6
–Pipes: CC 1, UAA 0
–Shots on target: CC 16, UAA 28
How CC fared Saturday: The Tigers were outshot 25-23. Early in the game, Anchorage was doing a great job of blocking shots, especially from CC’s defensemen. But the game opened up once the Seawolves scored and the defensemen started to change the shooting angle. CC ended up taking 52 shots total to Anchorage’s 42.
The breakdown:
–Shots blocked by defense: CC 17, UAA 10
–Shots off target: CC 10, UAA, 7
–Pipes: CC 2, UAA 0
–Shots on target: CC 23, UAA 25

2. Anchorage came off of a bye week. CC is heading into one. Who wants it more?
How CC fared: The Tigers got great goaltending from Drew O’Connell Friday and Richard Bachman Saturday. The pair combined to hold Anchorage by saving 52 of 53 shots. CC allowed its first power-play goal since Nov. 2, but has killed 34 of the last 35 penalties. The power play, thanks to opportunistic play from the Kilpatrick-Rau-McCulloch-Connelly-Lampl group, regained its somewhat shaky footing with two goals Saturday. All in all, CC gained some confidence heading into its next road series at St. Cloud State, but could stand to up the ante on offense after scoring just four power-play goals in the last three games.

3. Can the Tigers earn a road sweep? North Dakota beat Denver 3-1, meaning CC could pull six points ahead of the Pioneers, who have two games in hand, in Western Collegiate Hockey Association standings.
How CC fared: The Tigers proved they could get gritty on the road and rose to the occasion over the last 30 minutes of Saturday’s game. With Denver’s loss, the two points proved to be quite important. As right wing Jimmy Kilpatrick pointed out after the game, Anchorage hadn’t been swept by any team home or away this season. Even though the Seawolves are in last place in the WCHA, they are much more disciplined than in years past and if they can get a few more goals, could be a dangerous team. Could be interesting in mid-January when the teams meet again.

Briefly:
–There was a brief moment with two minutes left — after left wing Cody Lampl was checked from behind by Anchorage’s Chris Tarkir and defenseman Kris Fredheim went for retaliation — where it looked as if the series might end with a brawl as it did last December at World Arena.
“I must say I had a little flashback,” coach Scott Owens said. “But (coach) Dave (Shyiak) did a good job of getting everyone settled down.”

–Best fashion statement: Defenseman Ryan Lowery, inspired by classmate Brett Wysopal, was sporting some moccasins he bought Saturday in Anchorage with his CC windsuit.

Colorado College
10 Thauwald–14 Rau–23 Kilpatrick
21 Sweatt–19 Vlassopoulos–25 Testwuide
26 McCulloch–17 Johnson–22 Walsky
2 Lampl–9 McMillin-18 Overman

8 Hillen–15 Prosser
7 Fredheim–4 Gannon
11 Connelly–27 Wysopal

30 Bachman
31 O’Connell

Alaska-Anchorage
21 Lunden–20 Crowder–9 Clark
24 Tassone–37 Cartwright–18 Tarkir
8 Selby–17 Parkinson–7 DayChief
28 Haddad–34 McCabe–16 Grant

4 LaFranchise–33 Robinson
13 Backstrom–23 Vidmar
10 Lovdahl–22 Tuton

30 Olthuis
39 Gordon
21 Mayo

Lampl Will Play Friday

Junior forward Cody Lampl will play Friday against Wisconsin, he said after practicing Thursday.

Lampl, who suffered a hip bruise after a collision with the goalpost on Oct. 29, missed the Nov. 2 game at North Dakota. He returned to the lineup with limited success Nov. 3 and did not practice all of last week leading into the series with Minnesota-Duluth, in which he did not play. Lampl played in a non-contact jersey Wednesday and was able to participate fully in Thursday’s practice. Lampl said he did not know if he would play both nights against Wisconsin, but that it would be a coaches’ decision.

Projected lines for Friday are:
10 Thauwald–14 Rau–23 Kilpatrick
21 Sweatt–19 Vlassopoulos–16 Patrosso
26 McCulloch–17 Johnson–22 Walsky
2 Lampl–9 McMillin–28 Schultz

***
Center Brian McMillin‘s high school team, the Roseau Rams, will be featured throughout the season in The Hockey News. Check out the first installment here. Turns out Roseau, a town of 2,700 people about 2.5 hours northeast of Grand Forks, N.D., and not far from the Canadian border, has three hockey rinks buzzing with activity. I’ll have to see what Brian thinks of this media buzz.

Wednesday Practice Notes

• After a day’s rest (Tuesday’s practice was optional), the Tigers resumed practice today and turned in a good 1-hour, 35-minute effort with lots of five-on-five offensive-zone drills.
• Mike Testwuide (high ankle sprain) was on the ice before practice, skating for trainer Jason Bushie and begging to be allowed to join the rest of the team for practice. Testwuide’s pleas paid off and he was able to skate in a noncontact jersey for 35 minutes.
• Cody Lampl (hip bruise) was also back in practice in a noncontact jersey and was able to skate in most drills. Whenever he was not allowed to participate, he stayed involved by cheering on his teammates in typical Cody fashion. Lampl in a noncontact jersey is a little ironic, don’t you think? A couple of times, Lampl’s instincts got the best of him.
• The Tigers started working on their penalty kill for this weekend’s series against Wisconsin, whose power play is clicking at 30.2 percent (13-for-43). The Badgers’ power play accounts for 39.4 percent of their scoring.
• Another fun fact on this year’s Wisconsin team: in just eight games, it has scored 33 goals — that’s 35.5 percent of last year’s goal-scoring total. In the first eight games last season, the Badgers had only scored 17 goals.

Game day: CC at North Dakota

Update:
Cody Lampl is questionable for Saturday’s game as the result of an injury suffered in Monday’s practice. More on this later.

Lines:

Colorado College
10 Thauwald–14 Rau–23 Kilpatrick
21 Sweatt–19 Vlassopoulos–16 Patrosso
26 McCullcoh–17 Johnson–22 Walsky
5 DeBoer–9 McMillin–28 Schultz

8 Hillen–15 Prosser
7 Fredheim–4 Gannon
11 Connelly–24 Lowery

31 O’Connell
30 Bachman

Scratches: D Brett Wysopal, F Cody Lampl

North Dakota
16 Duncan–29 VandeVelde–7 Oshie
20 Watkins–17 Kaip–21 Frattin
10 Kozek–11 Zajac–14 Miller
19 Trupp–8 Martens–18 Forney

2 Finley–28 Bina
4 Chorney–5 Genoway
6 Jones–3 LaPoint

1 Lamoureux
31 Grieco
30 Walski

Sioux and Tigers battle flu

According to Brad Elliott Schlossman’s North Dakota blog, CC isn’t the only team combating flu-like symptoms.

Among the ailing Tigers are:

–Mike Testwuide, who practiced in a non-contact jersey Tuesday, did not practice Wednesday and will not travel.

–Cody Lampl, who missed practice Tuesday and practiced Wednesday in a non-contact jersey, albeit to limited success. During CC’s practice-ending routine of push-ups and sit-ups, the normally enthusiastic Lampl just sat there, slumped. But Lampl decided to travel, saying he was feeling better. He mustered a smile when I suggested the Tigers could benefit from his hard-checking presence on the small sheet. Something tells me the very prospect of getting some big hits this weekend is giving Lampl a reason to rally.

–Stephen Schultz did not make the travel roster last weekend and was laid up with the flu. “I took my fluids and got some rest,” he said. The right wing said he has beat the bug and will make his collegiate debut on the fourth line this weekend.

There’s nothing like the recirculating air on a plane to perpetuate illness within a team. It’ll be interesting to see how everyone is feeling at the Friday morning skate, but lucky for the Tigers, this is their last road trip until Anchorage at the end of November.

Other CC players who did not make the 22-man travel roster are Tyler O’Brien, Matt Overman, and Dan Quilico.

Gameday Final: CC 3, Minnesota 1

Looking back at the Three Keys:
1. Limit neutral-zone turnovers: The Tigers spent all week in practice preparing for the odd-man rushes that Minnesota generates out of the neutral zone. Even though the Gophers had more odd-man rushes than assistant coach Joe Bonnett would have liked, and scored on one, the Tigers’ defensemen and backchecking forwards did a good job of funneling the puck to one side so that goaltender Richard Bachman could have a clear shot.

2. Defensive effort/physical play: See above. Also, as he did often last year, right wing Cody Lampl made several back-cracking checks to set the tone for the Tigers. Left wing Billy Sweatt, defenseman Jake Gannon and defenseman Nate Prosser also showed some tenacity.

3. Limit excessive penalties: CC took one fewer penalty than the Gophers (six total, including two roughing penalties). Bachman and the penalty killers were exemplary, holding Minnesota to just five shots on four power plays. Scott McCulloch’s near-shorthanded goal in the second period, which hit the left post, was a pure hustle play.

Goals:
First Period
Colorado College 1, Minnesota 0: Bill Sweatt (Andreas Vlassopoulos, Jack Hillen), 12:28, pp. Vlassopoulos collected the puck off the back wall and sent a pass to Sweatt, who one-timed it past Frazee and inside the right post for the Tigers’ first goal of the year.
“For me, it was an amazing feeling, especially coming in a big game like this and against a team like the Gophers,” Sweatt said.
Colorado College 1, Minnesota 1: Cade Fairchild (Blake Wheeler, Ben Gordon), 13:07. Just 39 seconds after CC scored, Minnesota’s classic odd-man rush came out of the neutral zone and did a nice tic (Gordon) -tac (Wheeler) -toe (Fairchild) around defenseman Jake Gannon and inside the right post.

Second Period
Colorado College 2, Minnesota 1: Eric Walsky (Scott Thauwald), 0:25. Defenseman Nate Prosser created a turnover in the Tigers’ defensive corner. Thauwald scooped up the loose puck and fed Walsky who sliced through the Minnesota defense and beat Frazee.
Here’s how he described it: “I was really looking for the pass the whole time and then I saw that the goalie was cheating. I kind of shot mid-stride and wasn’t planning on it, so…I got a lot of crap from the guys.”

Third Period
Colorado College 3, Minnesota 1: Derek Patrosso (Vlassopoulos, Sweatt), 11:04. Sweatt sent a pass along the back wall to Vlassopoulos, who fed Patrosso on the right side of the crease. Frazee covered low so Patrosso went high.
“When you’re young, you’re taught that when you’re in close like that to try to go upstairs,” Patrosso said. “It was a natural instinct to wait it out and wait for him to go down and then go upstairs.”

Extra Stats:
–CC’s penalty kill: 4 for 4
–CC’s power play: 1 for 5
–Faceoffs: Minnesota 27, CC 25
CC’s top faceoff man: Chad Rau 13/25
Minnesota’s top faceoff man: Blake Wheeler 10/15

Non-stop

When practice wrapped at 10:30 Tuesday night, Colorado College junior Cody Lampl had some words for the players stretching around him.

“That was awesome,” he said, exhaling and prompting nods from the rest of the team.

Coach Scott Owens had 16 skaters and three goaltenders dripping with sweat after the high-intensity workout.

For the first time, the Tigers were organized into lines, which I’ll put below. But I wouldn’t place too much significance on them, considering that forwards Andreas Vlassopoulos, Chad Rau, and Tyler Johnson were not at practice. Defensemen Jake Gannon and Ryan Lowery also did not show.

Until October 6, the date of CC’s season-opening exhibition against Calgary and the first official day of practice, players are not required to attend the thrice-weekly workouts. Usually, the only reasons the players will miss practice is for an academic purpose or for medically mandated rest.

Those who did attend participated in offensively minded drills, including the “three-goal” drill, in which one goal is placed at center ice and two are placed in the corners. The team is divided into two and the drill promotes offensive creativity and vision. If one net is clogged, players who go to the open space are often rewarded with breakaway and 2-on-1 situations. Some of the highlights of the three-goal drill were freshman goaltender Richard Bachman, who continues to impress with his saves, and sophomore wing Mike Testwuide, who said his left knee (partial tear of the medial collateral ligament) is healed, looked quicker to the puck than last year.

Testwuide said he focused on increasing his leg strength and speed in the off-season. When I asked Testwuide if he was planning on being involved more in cycling the puck than just sitting in front of the net, he assured me, “No, no, I’ll be there.”

[in no particular order]
Red McCulloch–Thauwald–Testwuide
White Sweatt–Walsky (not enough players to complete line)
Gold Overman–McMillin–Lampl
Blue DeBoer–Schultz–Patrosso

Defensemen: Wysopal, Fredheim, Hillen, Connelly, Prosser
Goalies: O’Connell, O’Brien, Bachman
***
Assigned to Manchester (AHL) Tuesday night, former Tiger Richard Petiot will not return to the Centennial State when the the Kings play the Avalanche in a 7 p.m. preseason tilt.

First Captain’s Practice

The crisp breeze Sunday harkened fall and was perfectly on cue for the first captain’s practice of the 2007-08 season, held at Honnen Ice Arena on Colorado College’s campus.

Alternate captain Jimmy Kilpatrick was not present because he underwent hip surgery a month ago.

Coach Scott Owens described the injury as a torn labrum.

“He’s out until probably November,” Owens said, adding that Kilpatrick’s absence will hurt in the early going. “From what I’ve been led to believe, he’s rehabbing it extensively. Hopefully he will be able to play by Thanksgiving.”

Kilpatrick said he is rehabilitating twice a day, seven days a week and, as of right now, does not plan to redshirt. He first noticed the injury in “the last third of the season,” but he nor trainer Richard Quincy could not pinpoint the exact cause.

“It was a nagging thing throughout the season and it wasn’t an easy diagnosis,” Kilpatrick said. “But the MRI showed it wasn’t good…. We tried to treat everything else possible because I didn’t want to miss a game.”

Kilpatrick said he tries to be around the team as much as possible and does many of his workouts alongside the Tigers during weightlifting sessions.

“I’m trying to stay positive,” he said. “I’ll try to be there as much as possible without getting choked up about it.”

Kilpatrick and his mother, Diann, spent the first week after his surgery at sophomore forward Mike Testwuide‘s house in Vail.

Junior Cody Lampl said he expects to play forward this season. Recruited as a defenseman, Lampl switched to checking-line forward last season and provided a physical presence in the corners.

“We all have the same goal in mind, to make it to the Frozen Four and win a conference title,” captain Scott Thauwald said. “We’re a close group and both the underclassmen and seniors are doing a good job of making the freshmen feel comfortable.”

The freshmen certainly seemed comfortable as they delivered checks and passed the puck confidently.

“We need guys to step up and play physical this season,” Thauwald said. “It was good to see bodies being thrown around a little bit.”

Sporting a slightly-raised red scar on his right wrist, sophomore left wing Bill Sweatt, said his wrist is all healed and was pleased with the first-day effort.

“That was like we were playing a real hockey game,” he said. “It was intense.”

Although Sweatt was still the fastest player on the ice, it looked like a few more Tigers could push him this season.