ECAC

The ECAC concluded the first round of their conference playoffs this past weekend. The top four teams (Cornell, Harvard, Colgate and Vermont) had first round byes.

Fifth-seeded Dartmouth had their hands full with 12th-seeded Yale. The Bulldogs took the Big Green to three games before the series was decided. Yale forced a third and final game when freshman Will Engasser (PHX) notched his first two career goals, including the game-winner in the contest. In the third and deciding game, Dartmouth’s sensational top line of senior Lee Stempniak (STL), junior Mike Ouellette and Ivy League Rookie of the Year Nick Johnson (PIT) as well as outstanding sophomore defenseman Grant Lewis (ATL) all helped propel the Big Green to the second round of the conference playoffs with a 5-2 win.

Dartmouth will meet fourth-seeded Vermont in the second round in a rematch of the Ledyard Bank Holiday Classic Championship game. The Catamounts, led by freshman sensations goaltender Joe Fallon and forward Torrey Mitchell (SJ), were 1-2 versus the Big Green in the three regular seasons meetings. One of the losses came during the Ledyard Bank tournament. Fallon, a top candidate for ECAC Rookie of the Year, has been nothing short of phenomenal this season. He sports a 15-7-4 record that includes five shutouts. Fallon ranks eighth in the nation in goals against average (1.97). Mitchell, another potential candidate for ECAC Rookie of the Year, ranks third in the conference in scoring among rookies with 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists).

Sixth seeded Brown swept 11th-seeded RPI in two games. Talented sophomore Brian Ihnacak (PIT) and freshman defenseman Paul Baier (LA) both notched two points in the second and deciding game for the Bears. Freshman Adam D’Alba has been brilliant in goal for Brown this season. He stopped 49 of 56 combined shots in the series to lead the Bears in the sweep over the Engineers.

Brown will meet third-seeded Colgate in the second round of the conference playoffs. The Raiders swept the Bears in both regular season meetings. Colgate comes into the post-season with one of the nation’s top defenses. The Raiders have enjoyed an outstanding season thanks in large part to senior goaltender Steve Silverthorn. Silverthorn sports a 21-8-3 record that includes four shutouts. He ranks fifth in the nation in goals against average (1.84). The performance of the forward tandem of junior Kyle Wilson (MIN) and freshman Tyler Burton has also been key to Colgate’s success this season. Burton, a top candidate for ECAC Rookie of the Year, leads the Raiders in scoring with 30 points (17 goals, 13 assists). Wilson is currently fifth on the team in scoring with 19 points (five goals, 14 assists).

Seventh-seeded St. Lawrence had no trouble disposing of tenth-seeded Princeton in two games. SLU senior Mike McKenna (NSH) was sensational in goal, stopping 43 of 45 shots along with posting an assist in the two-game series. Junior John Zeiler (PHX) potted four points (one goal, three assists) to help propel the Saints to victory.

SLU will meet second-seeded Harvard in the second round. The teams split the two regular season meetings, notching wins on their respective home rinks. The Crimson enjoyed an outstanding season thanks in large part to the phenomenal play of senior goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris (PHI). He currently leads the nation with a .946 save percentage and is second with a 1.47 goals against average. SLU will face one of the nation’s best defensive teams that allowed a paltry 1.83 goals against during the regular season. Another area where Harvard has excelled this season has been on the power play. They are tied for fifth in the nation with a 23.1 efficiency rating. Senior Andrew Lederman has been one of Harvard’s biggest surprises this season. He is enjoying a career year with 19 points (6 goals, 13 assists). The Crimson also boasts one of the best blueline corps in the nation in seniors Noah Welch (PIT) and Ryan Lannon (PIT), junior Peter Hafner (FLA) and sophomore Dylan Reese (NYR).

In what was perhaps the best first round match-up, eighth-seeded Union College and ninth-seeded Clarkson needed nearly 10 periods of play to determine a winner. Freshman Shawn Weller (OTT), who has struggled to score this season, netted his biggest goal of the year at the 18:18 mark of overtime to send Clarkson to the second round of the conference playoffs. Union College got a valiant effort out of freshman Justin Mrazek (WSH), who went the distance in all three games. Mrazek stopped 81 of 94 shots combined in the series.

Clarkson will meet top-seeded Cornell in the second round. Cornell swept Clarkson in both meetings this season. The Golden Knights will face the nation’s stingiest defense, top special teams unit and Ivy League Player of the Year in sophomore goaltender David McKee. In 29 regular season games this season, the Big Red has allowed just 38 goals against, best in the nation. McKee, a strong candidate for ECAC Player of the Year, ranks first in the nation in goals against average (1.27) and shutouts (8) and is second in save percentage (.943). McKee needs just one more shutout before Cornell’s season ends to break Ken Dryden’s career shutout record. Senior Mike Knoepfli (TOR) is the hottest player on the Cornell team going into the post-season. In the final eight regular season games, Knoepfli posted 12 points (five goals, eight assists). Sophomore defenseman Ryan O’Byrne (MON) has blossomed into one of Cornell’s top defensemen, logging upwards in the neighborhood of 25-30 minutes of ice time per game.

WCHA

#1 Denver vs. #10 Michigan Tech – The Pioneers are coming off of a hard fought split versus in-state rival Colorado College last weekend. The reigning national champions got a share of the MacNaughton Cup, awarded to the WCHA regular season champions, in the split. By virtue of outscoring their Colorado rivals in head-to-head matches, the Pioneers gained the all-important top seed in the opening round of the conference playoffs. Denver is coming off of an outstanding regular season led by arguably the nation’s best blueline tandem of sophomore Matt Carle (SJ) and junior Brett Skinner (VAN). The duo ranks second and third respectively in the nation in scoring and points per game. Carle leads all Pioneers defensemen in scoring with 37 points (12 goals, 25 assists). Skinner is second with 34 points (4 goals, 30 assists). His 30 assists lead the nation among defensemen and puts him tied for fifth overall. The Pioneers bring the second-ranked offense in the nation into the post-season that is averaging 4.14 goals per game.

Denver will meet tenth-seeded Michigan Tech in the opening round of the conference playoffs. The Pioneers have won three of the four regular season meetings. The lone Huskies win came in a 3-0 shutout back on January 7^th in Houghton. MTU is coming off of a weekend series that saw them get swept by Minnesota. The player to watch on the Huskies roster is the sensational senior Colin Murphy. Murphy, a likely finalist for the Hobey Baker award, leads the Huskies with 53 points (11 goals, 42 assists). His 42 assists lead the nation and his 53 points is tied for second. Senior goaltender Cam Ellsworth was sensational in the previous meeting between the two teams back in early January. In the two-game series, Ellsworth stopped 76 of 77 shots combined and earned WCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors as well. One area where MTU excels is on the power play. MTU ranks tied for fifth in the nation in man-advantage situations with a 23.1 percent efficiency rating.

#2 Colorado College vs. #9 St. Cloud State – The Tigers are coming off of a crucial split versus archrival Denver last weekend. Despite losing the top seed, Colorado College did become a co-winner of the MacNaughton Cup. The Tigers possess the nation’s most explosive offensive duo in juniors Marty Sertich and Brett Sterling (ATL). Both players are favorites for both the Hobey Baker and WCHA Player of the Year. Sertich leads the nation in scoring with 59 points (24 goals, 35 assists). His linemate, Sterling ranks tied for second in the nation with 53 points (27 goals, 26 assists). Sterling’s 27 goals also lead the nation. Senior goaltender Curtis McElhinney (CGY) won the WCHA regular season goaltending title with a conference best 2.09 goals against average. McElhinney, a strong candidate for WCHA Goaltender of the Year, finished the regular season with a 17-2-1 record. His .875 winning percentage is the best in the nation. McElhinney’s goaltending partner, sophomore Matt Zaba (LA), finishes the regular season with a 9-5-2 record. His .625 winning percentage ranks tied for 20^th in the nation.

Colorado College will meet ninth-seeded St. Cloud State in the opening round of the conference playoffs, having split the two regular season meetings with the Huskies. SCSU beat Colorado College 4-3 in overtime back on February 11^th before suffering a 3-0 shutout the next night. The Huskies are coming off of a tie and loss to North Dakota last weekend. One area where the Huskies have gotten some outstanding play is from their blueline. Senior Matt Gens (VAN) is enjoying the best season of his career since his freshman year. He has played in all 38 games, scoring 16 points (three goals, ten assists). When Gens wraps up his collegiate career this spring, he will have etched his name in the St. Cloud State hockey history books as one of the team’s top five all-time leading defensemen in scoring. Sophomores Justin Fletcher and Casey Borer (CAR) are also enjoying stellar seasons. Fletcher leads the team’s defensemen in scoring with 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists). While Borer has yet to notch his first goal of the season (he currently has ten assists), he has been one of the Huskies most improved and reliable defensemen this season.

#3 Minnesota vs. #8 Minnesota State-Mankato – The Golden Gophers are coming off of a convincing sweep of Michigan Tech last weekend. Senior Justin Johnson has been superb in goal for Minnesota, filling in for the injured sophomore Kellen Briggs. Johnson is a perfect 4-0 coming into the post-season. Minnesota possesses the fifth-best offense in the nation that averages 3.69 goals per game. What is so remarkable about the statistic is that the team has gotten significant scoring contributions from nearly all of their skaters. Minnesota has had no trouble spreading the wealth as 14 players on the roster have points in double digits. Of those 14, four are defensemen, five if you count junior Andy Sertich’s (PIT) time on the blueline. Junior Tyler Hirsch, who is enjoying a career year, leads the team in scoring with 42 points (11 goals, 31 assists). The dynamic duo of sophomores Ryan Potulny (PHI) and Danny Irmen (MIN) rank first and second respectively on the team in goal scoring. Potulny leads the team with 24, followed by Irmen with 20. Potulny also ranks second in the nation with 14 power play goals.

Minnesota will meet eighth-seeded Minnesota State-Mankato in the opening round of the conference playoffs, having swept the Mavericks in all four regular season meetings. Minnesota outscored Minnesota State 23-11 in the four meetings. The Mavericks are coming off of a sweep of their Nebraska-Omaha counterparts last weekend. Minnesota State is as great on offense as they are bad on defense. The Mavericks (along with MTU) have given up more goals than any other team in the conference. While the defense is struggling, the offense is not. The ‘awesome twosome’ of sophomores David Backes (STL) and Travis Morin (WSH) rank first and second respectively on the team in scoring. Backes leads the team with 39 points (17 goals, 22 assists). His linemate Morin is second with 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists). Minnesota State also has one of the conference’s best defensemen in sophomore Kyle Peto, who leads all Mavericks defensemen in scoring with 27 points (3 goals, 24 assists). Peto’s 27 points rank fourth in the conference among defensemen.

#4 Wisconsin vs. #7 Alaska-Anchorage – The Badgers are coming off of a disappointing tie and loss to Minnesota-Duluth last weekend that also saw them lose the third seed in the conference. After a great start to 2005, the Badgers struggled in the last nine games of the regular season, going 1-5-3 in that stretch. Wisconsin has gotten exceptional production from their underclassmen, particular the sophomores this season. Nearly 45 percent of the Badgers scoring has come from the sophomore class. Leading the way is the always-exciting Robbie Earl (TOR), who co-leads the team in points with 38 (17 goals, 21 assists). His linemate, freshman Joe Pavelski (SJ), also has 38 points (12 goals, 26 assists). Pavelski, a strong candidate for WCHA Rookie of the Year, has enjoyed an outstanding rookie campaign. His 38 points currently rank tied for first in the conference and tied for second overall in the nation among rookies. Wisconsin is one of only two WCHA teams (Colorado College being the other) that not only rank in the top 15 in the nation on both offense and defense but on special teams as well. While the Badgers power play has slipped a bit in recent games, they still have a better than 20 percent efficiency rating. Equally as good, if not better, is the Badgers penalty kill, which ranks tied for fourth in the nation at 87.3 percent.

Wisconsin will meet seventh-seeded Alaska-Anchorage for the second consecutive season in the opening round of the conference playoffs, having swept the Seawolves in all four regular season meetings. Wisconsin outscored UAA 17-5 in the four meetings. Alaska-Anchorage is coming off of two losses to in-state rival Alaska-Fairbanks in the battle for the Governor’s Cup last weekend. There are few, if any team in the NCAA this season that has lost more man games due to injury than Alaska-Anchorage. Injuries have absolutely decimated the Seawolves, so much so that only three players have played in all 34 regular season games. Among them has been freshman defenseman Luke Beaverson (FLA). The imposing rookie has two points on the season (both assists). What has been remarkable about the Seawolves this season has been the fact that despite the overwhelming number of injuries and some off-ice incidents, the team has been able to put together a very respectable 11-17-3 regular season record. The record is almost identical to their record last season.

#5 North Dakota vs. #6 Minnesota-Duluth – The Fighting Sioux are coming off of a win and tie versus St. Cloud State last weekend and go into post-season play riding a modest four-game unbeaten streak. Offense, or lack thereof, has been a big problem for UND this season. After leading the nation in offense and averaging nearly four and a half goals per game last season, the Fighting Sioux offense ranks tied for a dismal 38^th in the nation and averaging just 2.75 goals per game this season. Freshman Travis Zajac (NJ) and sophomore Drew Stafford (BUF) are two players who have shouldered much of the team’s offensive load this season. Both players are tied for second on the team in scoring with 29 points each. Zajac has been impressive in his rookie campaign not only offensively but on the defensive side as well. With the departures of Zach Parise and Brandon Bochenski along with the injuries to sophomore Brady Murray (LA), Stafford has been relied upon heavily for offense and has answered the call. While team offense has been a concern, the team defense looks very solid. The blueline tandem of senior Matt Jones (PHX) and junior Matt Greene (EDM) continue to be the driving forces behind the Fighting Sioux defense.

North Dakota will meet sixth-seeded Minnesota-Duluth in the opening round of the conference playoffs, having split the two games up at Duluth back in December. The Bulldogs won the opening game on December 10^th 5-1, but fell to the Fighting Sioux the next night 3-4. UMD is coming off a crucial win and tie versus Wisconsin last weekend and look to be heating up at the right time. If there’s any team who can feel North Dakota’s offensive pain this season, it’s Minnesota-Duluth. After averaging 4.11 goals per game last season, the Bulldogs are averaging just 3.22 goals per game this season. UMD’s offensive struggles this season have puzzled many in the college hockey community because of the return of most of last year’s team. Outstanding senior Evan Schwabe, a potential finalist for the Hobey Baker award, leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 44 points (19 goals, 22 assists). Fellow senior sniper Marco Peluso is enjoying a career year with 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists). Freshman Matt McKnight (DAL) has been impressive in his rookie campaign playing in virtually every situation for the Bulldogs. He leads all UMD freshmen in scoring with 18 points (5 goals, 13 assists).

Copyright 2005 Hockey’s Future. Do not duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.