St. Norbert finishes as runner up at Frozen Four

Elmira, N.Y. (March 19, 2006) - Middlebury won its eighth NCAA Championship in the last 12 years as it picked up a 3-0 win over St. Norbert College at First Arena. The NCAA crown is the third consecutive title for the Panthers.

The Panthers opened the scoring just 1:36 into the game with a power play goal from Robert MacIntyre, his third goal of the season. Mickey Gilchrist took a shot from the high slot that was saved by Kyle Jones, the rebound came to MacIntyre on the left side as he buried the shot.

The Green Knights (25-5-2) had another chance as Kurtis Peterson's shot from the right side was saved by Raeder before puck fell into the crease and was cleared by Middlebury defenseman Jeff Smith at the seven-minute mark. Andy Cote broke in with some room in transition just 1:20 later, but his shot to the middle of Raeder's chest was saved.

St. Norbert had a pair of power plays at the 11:31 and 14:04 marks, but was able to muster few opportunities. The first period ended with the Green Knights holding an 11-10 shots advantage.

John Sales made it a 2-0 game at 7:15 as he scored shortly after a power play had expired. Darwin Hunt came from behind the net to hit Sales who was sitting on the doorstep. Sales quickly snapped a hard shot to the top right corner that nipped the far post. Sales almost struck for his second of the period at the 13-minute mark, but his shot that developed from a two-on-one in transition was stopped by Jones. St. Norbert went on the power play for the final 1:26 of the second period, but could not find the back of the net. The Panthers held a 7-3 shots advantage in the period.

St. Norbert had three chances to score in the first four minutes of the third period. The first two were saved by Rader, with Leonard Badeau clearing a puck out of the crease as Ryan Petersen was attempting to poke it in the net. The Panthers answered just a minute later with a good scoring opportunity, but Scott Bartlett's rocket was snapped out of the air by Jones.

A power play at 5:28 failed for the Green Knights, while Peterson was denied by Raeder at 7:49. The Middlebury defense hung tough midway through the period, not allowing many shots on goal. The Panthers had a pair of power plays in the final five minutes of the game, but could not convert. Middlebury finally gained some breathing room with 45 seconds remaining as Mickey Gilchrist score on an open net from just inside the blue line to make it a 3-0 final. The win was the second championship win over St. Norbert, with the Panthers earning a 1-0 overtime win at Norwich in '04.

Raeder ended the game with 22 saves to pick up his second shutout of the season, while Jones, the NCHA player of the year, ended the day with 18 saves.On Saturday, senior All-American Connor Hughes scored his second goal of the game at 9:27 of overtime, vaulting St. Norbert College into the Championship game, after a wild 5-4 semi-final victory in front of 1,373 fans at First Arena.

Hughes hit the crossbar with a backhander from the left face-off circle five seconds earlier. The puck caromed back to him at nearly the same spot and this time, Hughes made no mistake, burying a backhander just under the crossbar for his 22nd tally of the season.

A minute earlier, Hobart goaltender Keith Longo made a huge save, snaring a point-blank opportunity by Kurtis Peterson after the initial shot by Sheldon Wing was stopped with 11:31 left.

St. Norbert outshot Hobart 10-1 in the overtime and 43-27 overall. Longo was brilliant for the Statesmen, stopping 38 shots. Kyle Jones made 23 saves for the Green Knights.

"It was a very hard fought game," said St. Norbert head coach Tim Coghlin. "We were sluggish in the first, but fortunately, we bounced back and made good progress throughout the game."

With the score tied at 3-3 after two periods of play, the Green Knights took their second lead of the afternoon at the 2:59 mark of the third, as Jeff Hazelwood ripped a shot from the slot past Hobart goaltender Keith Longo, who appeared to be screened on the play.

Troy Boisjoli won the face-off back to Connor Hughes, whose shot from the point was blocked by a Hobart defenseman. The puck ricocheted to Hazelwood who wristed the puck just inside the left post for his seventh goal of the season and his fifth on the power play.

The Statesmen (20-8-0) would not quit however, as Jonathan Swift tallied his second goal of the game with 12:42 left in regulation, tying the game at 4-4. Hobart got the puck in deep and used a persistent fore-check to keep the play alive. Conor Bradley found Swift just outside the left face-off circle and his wrist shot went through traffic in front and found the back of the net for his eighth goal of the season.

St. Norbert held a 33-26 edge in shots after regulation.

The Statesmen spotted St. Norbert a 1-0 lead early in the period and exploded for three tallies over a 2:35 span to take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission. Hobart outshot St. Norbert 15-12.

Jones was called upon to make his first big save of the game seven minutes in, as Colby McVey and William Brame broke in on a partial 2-on-0 break. McVey fed Brame at the side of the net, but Jones got over and smothered the attempt.

The Green Knights got on the board first at the 8:51 mark, as Kurtis Peterson stuffed home a rebound in front of the Statesmen net after Longo made a tremendous diving save on Jeff Hazelwood's wrap-around attempt. The goal was the 12th of the season for Peterson. Marc Belanger also assisted on the goal.

Hobart had a golden opportunity to tie the game with the man-advantage later in the period, as Shawn Houde, parked right in front of the St. Norbert net, gobbled up a rebound, and with Jones out of position, hit the left post.

Swift tied the game for Hobart at the 16:02 mark of the period, as he slammed home a rebound off a shot from Houde for his seventh goal of the season.
Just 1:01 later, Mike McCarthy picked up a loose puck at the St. Norbert blue-line and ripped a blast through a screen over the glove of Jones for his 10th tally of the year.

The scoring barrage continued for the Statesmen, as Will Bodine blasted a shot from the left point on the power play that once again traveled through a screen in front that eluded Jones, giving the Statesmen a 3-1 advantage. Brame assisted on the tally, Bodine's fourth of 2005-06, which came at the 18:37 mark.

The Green Knights dominated the play over the middle stanza, outshooting Hobart 13-4 and scoring the only two goals of the period to tie the game at 3.

St. Norbert got back within one at the 4:47 mark of the second period, as Ryan Petersen collected a rebound of a shot from Lonny Forrester that caromed off the back boards and ripped a shot past Longo from the right face-off circle for his seventh goal of the season.

The Green Knights controlled play for the rest of the period, but Longo made several great saves, including a couple from point-blank range.

Finally, with 5:19 left in the period, the Green Knights were able to solve Longo, as Hughes slammed home a rebound at the side of the Statesmen net off a shot from Spencer Carberry for his 21st tally of the year, tying the game at 3-3. / Stories courtesy of Elmira Sports Information.

Pointers take third place at women's Frozen Four

Plattsburgh, N.Y. (March 18, 2006) - Junior goaltender Amy Statz turned away 29 shots to lead the UW-Stevens Point women's hockey team to a 2-0 victory over Gustavus Adolphus in the NCAA third place game Saturday afternoon in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Statz made nine first period saves as the Gusties tallied seven shots on goal before the Pointers (21-5-4) finally put a shot on Kitty Hurley. Sophomore forward Katy Lankey put Stevens Point ahead 1-0 on just its second shot on goal. Lankey came off the bench as a Pointer penalty expired as freshman Jackie Drews hit her with a pass at the blue line and Lankey hustled in one on zero to beat Hurley with a wrist shot.

Truckey had a chance to put the Pointers up two in the second on a breakaway chance but Hurley was able handle the shot with a kick save.

Statz continued to shut down Gustavus Adolphus as the Gusties out-shot the Pointers 13-4 in the second period and 29 to 13 in the game. Gustavus put 10 shots on goal during three power play opportunities in the second period, but Statz refused to let one past her.

With 4:26 remaining, Statz was charged with a tripping penalty when she tried to get her stick on a centering pass from the right point as a Gustavus player tried to handle the puck cutting in front of Statz just outside the crease.

"I wasn't happy with the call, but I knew for the next two minutes they weren't going to score on me", Statz said.

Gustavus has a number of chances in the third period as two shots hit the post, but bounced off to the side and a defender was able to control for Stevens Point.

Freshman Michelle Sosnowski scored her fifth goal of the season when she flipped a long shot from just inside her own defensive zone into an empty net on the far end to seal the victory for the Pointers. Jamie Lewandowski was credited with an assist on the goal.

For Statz it was her 10th shutout and 18th win of the season.

UW-Stevens Point used a strong second period to tie the game at 1-1 at the second intermission, but Plattsburgh State scored three third period goals to snap the Pointers' 15-game unbeaten streak in an NCAA Division III semi-final game, Marc 18, in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

The Cardinals scored the game winner 1:41 into the third when Jessica Moreau was credited with her second goal of the game, and 15th of the season, when she threw a centering pass from the corner through the crease and it deflected off a Pointers' defender and into the net.

Plattsburgh State went ahead 3-1 at the 4:43 mark when Jenn Clarke deflected a Keltie Jones slapshot from the left circle as she screened goaltender Amy Statz in front of the crease. Ainsley Brien completed the scoring when she scored an empty net goal from the opposite blue line with 53 seconds remaining.

UW-Stevens Point used an 8-3 shooting advantage to tie the game in the second period. Freshman Jackie Drews scored a power play goal when she knocked home a loose rebound in front of the net after Jamie Lewandowski's shot from the point was originally saved and Madison Darud's rebound attempt was turned away. For Drews it was her seventh goal of the season and Darud was given the only assist on the goal.

"My kids played hard", Coach Brian Idalski said. "Going into the third period we felt we had a great opportunity."

The first period started out slow with both teams using a number of early line changes, as the first shot on goal didn't occur until the 12:13 mark. The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead when Moreau came from behind the net and was able to sneak the puck in on a wrap around attempt. Sharis Smith assisted on the goal. UW-Stevens Point out-shot the Cardinals 17-13.

St. Norbert powers way to men's NCAA Frozen Four

Green Bay, Wis. (March 11, 2006) - St. Norbert advanced to the Frozen Four with an 8-2 win over NCHA rival UW-Superior, Saturday in Green Bay , Wis. The Green Knights, who were beaten by Superior, 2-1, in the Peters Cup finals, will meet Hobart College in Elmira, NY, Saturday, March 18 at 11:30 a.m.

St. Norbert 8, UW-Superior 2
St. Norbert scored six power play goals in a rough and tumble contest that saw St. Norbert advance to the Frozen Four with an 8-2 win.

The Green Knights opened the game with three first period goals over the first 11 minutes of the game, sending Superior goalie Mathieu Bonnelly to the bench. The first period was a precursor of things to come as nine penalties were whistled, with only one goal a power play goal – St. Norbert's second goal of the night at 6:19 by Sheldon Wing. Superior got on the board at 17:15 in the second period with a power play goal by Derek Miller. That power play goal would be the first of five consecutive power play goals by the two teams. St. Norbert took a 5-1 lead on back-to-back goals 23 second apart by Marc Belanger (19:17) and Kurtis Peterson (19:40) to close out the second.

The third period would go 13 minutes without a score before the Knights' Tyler Gow scored at 13:45 and Spencer Carberry chipped in at 15:37. Superior put up their second and final goal of the night with an even strength goal by Nate Rein at 17:22 and St. Norbert's Ryan Peterson, who had scored the first goal of the game 1:36 into the contest, bookended his performance with a power play goal with 10 seconds remaining.

The teams combined for 31 penalties for 118 minutes. Superior had 19 penalties for 65 minutes and St. Norbert 12 penalties for 43 minutes. St. Norbert outshot Superior, 38-22. Bonnelly was tagged with the loss after making four saves, but allowing three goals. Chad Beiswenger come on to make 26 saves for the Yellowjackets and allowed five goals. Kyle Jones picked up the win with 20 saves.

UW-Superior 2, St. Olaf 1
After two-and-a-half periods of shutout hockey, the Yellowjackets drew first blood on a goal by Seth Rada with 12 minutes left to play in the game. Nate Rein doubled the score at 2-0 with a goal three minutes before the final buzzer for the eventual game winner, but the Oles (12-10-5 ) made the game interesting when Joel Ihrie scored only 20 seconds after Rein's goal. Matheiu Bonnelly got the win for the Yellowjackets with 14 saves, while the Oles' Dan Kehler had 25 saves.

UW-Stevens Point's defense carries Pointers to women's NCAA Frozen Four

Stevens Point, Wis. (March 11, 2006) - UW-Stevens Point advanced to the Frozen Four for the second time in three years with a 2-0 shutout over UW-Superior, which was making their first NCAA appearance, Saturday in Stevens Point, Wis. The Pointers will travel to meet up with top ranked Plattsburgh State Friday, March 17 at 6 p.m. (CT), a team that tripped up the Pointers, 3-1 in January.

UW-Stevens Point 2, UW-Superior 0
The Pointers scored two first period goals, then let their top ranked defense get to work to shut out the Yellowjackets, 2-0, giving Superior their fourth loss of the season and their fourth to the Pointers. Chris Hanson scored on the power play at the 7:18 mark of the first period and Kim Lunneborg scored at 18:07 in the stanza to close out the scoring. Nicole Grossmann assisted on both goals and Jamie Lewandoski assisted on the first goal and Michelle Sosnowski on the second.

Stevens Point pelted Superior goalie Kristy Faechner with 15 shots in the first period, then pulled back for four shots in the second and none in the third. The Yellowjackets when the other way, getting off only three shots in the first, seven in the second and nine in the third as Amy Statz stopped all 19 shots.

Superior wrests Peters Cup from St. Norbert

Green Bay , Wis. (March 4, 2006) - BJ Radovich scored two-minutes, 46-seconds into overtime to give UW-Superior a 3-2 win over top-seeded and top-ranked St. Norbert, Saturday, March 4 at the Cornerstone Community Center in Green Bay , Wis., to win the Peters Cup.

Radovich, who scored his 15th goal of the season, received the pass from Mike Bickley.

Superior now receives the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament, which begins Wednesday, March 8. St. Norbert, which has been ranked No. 1 for most of the last half of the season, will most likely receive an at-large bid in the West Region.

Superior opened the scoring when Pat Power scored, with an assist by Derek Miller, five minutes into the game.

But the Green Knights tied the game in the first stanza on a goal by Troy Boisjoli, with assists by James Switzer and Lonny Forrester.

St. Norbert took the lead, 2-1, on a power play goal by Andy Cote ', his 20 th goal of the season, with an assist by Jeff Hazelwood eight minutes into the third period.

The Yellowjackets' Miller knotted the game with a power play goal with 13 minutes remaining in regulation.

Shots were dead equal, with each team putting 28 shots on net. Superior 's Mathieu Bonnelly had 26 saves and St. Norbert's Kyle Jones had 25 saves.

Stevens Point wins inaugural O'Brien Cup

Stevens Point, Wis. (March 4, 2006) - UW- Stevens Point defenseman Chris Hanson was simply bided her time. And she couldn't have picked a better time to score her first goal of the season than in the championship game of the O'Brien Cup, the NCHA's women's championship series.

With the score tied at 2-2, Hansen's unassisted goal at 7:31 in the third period put the Pointer up, 3-2, and the top seeded team went on to down UW-Superior, 4-2, Saturday, March 4 at Ice Hawks Arena.

Stevens Point , and Superior , will hear Sunday, March 5 if they received a bid to the NCAA Division III tournament. The NCHA does not receive an automatic bid.

The Pointers never trailed as they won their second consecutive NCHA tournament title, but the Yellowjackets twice knotted the score.

Madison Darud, on an assist by Jenna Daggit, scored five minutes into the game to give Stevens Point a 1-0 lead

It wouldn't be until late in the second period before the Yellowjackets would get on the board as Erin Kegley, the NCHA player of the year and leading scorer, tied up the contest with four minutes left in the second. She was assisted by Ashley Jenkins.

But the Pointers would not trail at the end of any period in this contest as Michelle Sosnowski scored unassisted on the power play less than two minutes later.

Superior again tied the score, this time in the third when Jamie McClintock pumped in her 16 th goal of the season at the 5:05 mark of the third period. Alicia Cowieson and Susan Crabb were credited with assists.

But Hanson broke the tie less than two minutes later and the Pointers got the clincher with seven minutes left in the game when Darud scored on an assist by Jackie Drews.

Stevens Point dominated the shooting, holding a 27-14 advantage. The Yellowjackets' Kristy Faechner recorded 23 saves and the Pointers' Amy Statz had 12 saves.

 

River Falls 4, Lake Forest 2

UW-River Falls scored three goals in the first five minutes of the game and looked like they would blow Lake Forest out of Willett Arena in the O'Brien Cup third place game. But the Foresters made a game of it by scoring late in the first and early in the second, but the Falcons would get the consolation contest, 4-2.

Jenna Scanlon scored only a minute into the game, the Kelly Jensen followed up with a power play goal at the 3:38 mark and Lou Paulson picked up the Falcons' second power play goal of the contest less than two minutes later to put River Falls up 3-0.

Lake Forest 's Courtney DeHoey scored on the power play with three minutes left in the first and Katie Snowden scored only a minute into the second to pull the Foresters to within one goal, 3-2.

The teams would go 33 minutes of shutout defense before River Falls ' Leaigh Landgraf scored the clincher at 14:38 in the third period.

Lake Forest outshot River Falls , 33-32. The Foresters' Sally Bevis had 28 saves, while Falcons used a different goalie for each period. Katie Kantrud got the start and 11 saves. Mandi Mohwinkel came out in the second period to pick up the win and recorded 10 saves. Amber Lindner worked a scoreless third period with 10 saves.

 

Stevens Point 2, Lake Forest 1

Stevens Point scored twice in the first period and made the goals stand up in a 2-1 win, Friday, March 3, a semi-final contest.

Michelle Sosnowski scored at 14:04 of the first period and Tracy Truckey got the eventual game-winner, a power play goal at 17:29.

Lake Forest made the game interesting with a third period goal by Katie Snowden at the 6:22 mark.

Sally Bevis recorded 38 saves for Lake Forest , 17 in the first, 18 in the second, and Amy Statz picked up the win with 20 saves, nine in the second, 10 in the third.

 

Superior 4, River Falls 1

Lindsey Bennett scored two goals for Superior and the Yellowjackets went on to a 4-1 win over River Falls in a second semi-final, Friday, March 3.

Bennett scored the Yellowjackets' second goal of the night – and the eventual game winner – at 3:19 in the second period. She also got the last goal of the evening at 1:48 in the third period.

Susan Crabb put Superior on the board first with a power play goal at 14:54 of the first period.

Jamie McClintock scored Superior 's third goal of the game at 17:16 of the second. River Falls ' only goal came less than a minute later on a shot by Lou Paulson.

Kristy Faechner had 30 saves for Superior. River Falls ' Mandi Mohwinkel had 26 saves.

Superior's Erin Kegley leads 12-member All-NCHA women's team

Menomonie, Wis. (March 2, 2006) For the second consecutive year, UW-Superior forward Erin Kegley (Jr, Inver Grove Heights, Minn) led the NCHA in scoring and was named the NCHA player of the year. Kegley highlights the 12-member 2005-06 All-NCHA team and is this season's only three time, first team selection. Kegley has 22 goals on the year and 23 assists for 45 points. In NCHA games only, Kegley has scored nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points.

Joining Kegley at forwards on the first team are UW-Stevens Point's Nicole Grossmann (Fr, Lindstrom, Minn) and UW-Superior's Ashley Jenkins (Jr, Owatonna, Minn). Grossmann has scored 10 goals and five assists in league play, and 15 goals overall and seven assists. Jenkins has scored 11 NCHA goals and four assists, while on the season, she has pushed in 13 goals and 13 assists.

UW-River Falls' Jenny Wallace (Jr, Buffalo, Minn) repeats as a first team defensive player. She is joined by newcomer Allison Rushing (So, Seattle, Wash) of Lake Forest College. Wallace has scored eight NCHA goals and five assists, while Rushing has scored two goals and seven assists.

Lake Forest College's Sally Bevis (Jr, Huntington, NY) is the first team goalie. Bevis leads all goalies in saves 538 overall, 377 in league play. Bevis was an honorable mention choice last year.

Second team forwards include: UW-River Falls' Lindsay O'Keefe (Sr, Roseville, Minn) and Lou Paulson (Sr, Duluth, Minn) and UW-Eau Claire's Lauren Havard (Fr, San Angelo, Texas). Second team defensive players include: UW-Superior's Caitlin Jarrett (Jr, Bar River, Ont) and UW-Stevens Point's Lauren Kellin (So, Grand Rapids, Minn). UW-Superior's Rikkor Nespor (Fr, Stonewall, Manitoba) was second team goalie. Sixteen players were named to the honorable mention squad.

UW-Superior's Dan Laughlin was named the coach of the year for the second time (2004) and UW-Eau Claire's Amanda Schultz (Sr, Stevens Point) was the NCHA scholar-athlete.

2005-06 Women's All-NCHA Team

2005-06 All Academic team
Thirty student-athletes have been named to the 2005-06 women's NCHA All-Academic team.

UW-Eau Claire forward Amanda Schultz (Sr, Stevens Point, Wis.) received the NCHA Scholar-Athlete Award. Schultz, who was named to the All-Academic team for the third time, is a Special Education major, with a specialization in cognitive disabilities and learning disabilities with a 3.98 grade point average. To be eligible for the scholar-athlete award, the student must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.50.

UW-Eau Claire forwards Schultz and Jessie Boyles (Sr, Prior Lake, Minn/Exercise Science), Lake Forest defenseman Darby McGrath (Sr, Chippawa, Ont./English/Politics) and forward Erin McGrath (Sr, Chippawa, Ont./History), and UW-River Falls forward Lindsay O'Keefe (Sr, Roseville, Minn./Biomedical Sciences) were named to the team for the third time. Thirteen others have been named to the team for the second straight year.

To be named to the team a player must have a cumulative 3.00 grade point average, have earned at least 50 semester or 75 quarter hours, and be recommended by her head coach.

2005-06 Women's NCHA All-Academic Team

Complete 2005-06 All-NCHA Team and 2005-06 All-NCHA Academic Team (pdf format)

Pointer's LaClair shuts way out to conference honors

Menomonie, Wis. (February 27, 2006) UW-Stevens Point goalie Julie LaClaire (So, White Bear Lake, Minn) posted two shutouts over the weekend as the Pointers clinched their second straight NCHA title and was named the player of the week.

LaClair stopped all 12 shots in Fridayís 5-0 win over Finlandia and then made 11 saves, including six in the third period, to preserve a 1-0 title-clinching win over the Lions on Saturday. LaClair made just her second and third starts of the season in the critical series, filling in for regular goaltender Amy Statz.

Also nominated was: UW-Superior forward Erin Kegley (Jr, Inver Grove Heights, Minn).

Pointers wrap up second consecutive title

Stevens Point, Wis. (February 25, 2006) During its current 12-game unbeaten streak, the UW-Stevens Point women's hockey team has relied heavily on its defense and did so again Saturday in its conference championship-clinching 1-0 win over Finlandia at Ice Hawks Arena.

The win gives the Pointers their second straight Northern Collegiate Hockey Association championship and the right to host next weekend's NCHA playoffs for the second straight year. The Pointers will host Lake Forest in the semifinals on Friday at a time to be determined. UW-Superior and UW-River Falls will meet in the other semifinal.

UW-Stevens Point, which boasts the top-ranked defense in the NCAA Division III, has allowed just 28 goals in 25 games this season. Saturday's game was the team's third straight shutout as the Pointers have surrendered just six goals in their current 12-game streak.

"Our defense has been awesome," said Pointers' forward Kim Lunneborg, one of two seniors playing in her final home regular season game. "They've been shutting people down and doing everything right."

The Pointers allowed Finlandia just 11 shots on goal in the game and withstood a furious flurry in the final minutes as the Lions played with an extra attacker for the final 1:37 of the game. It was also a second straight shutout for sophomore Julie LaClair, who has made just three starts this season and still has not allowed a goal.

"She showed up this weekend," Pointers' senior Tracy Truckey said of LaClair. "This is Julie's day. She works so hard and she deserved this opportunity."

The game remained scoreless until the third period when freshman Nicole Grossmann provided another clutch goal for the Pointers. Grossmann now has 16 goals this season and has scored the teamís first goal of the game in six of their last eight games. She collected a loose puck in the corner on a third period power play and slid the puck through from the side for an unassisted goal at the 6:35 mark. UW-Stevens Point had 31 shots and six power plays in the game, but couldnít solve Lionsí goalie Corinne Czekaj until Grossmannís score.

The win gave the Pointers' their third league title in their sixth season of varsity hockey. It was much different than last year when the team featured seven experienced seniors.

St. Norbert's Jones leads 14-member All-NCHA men's team

Menomonie, Wis. (February 23, 2006) Fourteen players, including three that repeated from last year's first team, were named to the 2005-06 All-NCHA men's team.

St. Norbert goalie Kyle Jones leads the way, making his second consecutive appearance on the team. Jones, a sophomore who posted a 10-1-2 record in the NCHA with a 1.14 goals against average in league games-only, was named the NCHA player of the year. Jones set NCHA single season records for most shutouts (5) and fewest goals allowed (19).

St. Norbert's Andrew Derton and UW-Stout Mike Kautz, both defensemen, repeated to the all-league team. Derton scored four goals and 11 assists and also had four power play goals. Kautz had four league goals, three power play goals, and three assists. Joining Derton and Kautz were UW-Stevens Point's James Jernberg, UW-Superior's Derek Miller, an honorable mention choice last season, UW-River Falls' Mike Salmela and St. Norbert's Sheldon Wing.

UW-River Fallsí AJ Bucchino was named as a goalie, after a 6-3-1 league record with a 2.29 GAA.

St. Norbert's Connor Hughes led six newcomers to the team as forwards. Hughes was an honorable mention choice last season and the only senior among the six forwards that were predominately underclassmen. St. Norbert's Andy Cote, UW-River Falls' Tyler Dahl and Derek Hansberry, and UW-Stevens Point's Sean Fish joined Hughes. Dahl is a sophomore and Cote, Hansberry and Fish are all freshmen.

St. Norbert coach Tim Coghlin was named the NCHA coach of the year for the fourth time after leading the Green Knights to their fifth consecutive NCHA title this season. UW-River Fallsí Mike Salmela, a biology major, earned the NCHA scholar-athlete award. 2005-06 Men's All-NCHA Team

2005-06 All Academic team
Sixty student-athletes have been named to the 2005-06 men's NCHA All-Academic team.

UW-River Falls forward Mike Salmela was named as the 2005-06 NCHA Scholar-Athlete. A biology major with a grade point average of 3.717, Salmela has received the 2004 Collegiate All-American Scholar, was awarded a 2004 National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates in Neuroscience and has presented cell biology and neuroscience research to the National Conference on undergraduate research in 2004, 2005 and will present again in the spring of 2006. Salmela, a native of Duluth, Minn., has been named to the UW-River Falls Dean's List seven semesters. Salmela has been the president of the UW-River Falls Premedical Society, and is currently the president of the Society for Undergraduate Research, Scholarly & Creative Activities.

UW-Stevens Point defenseman Jordan Blair (Sr, Wausau, Wis/Computer Information Systems), UW-River Falls goalie Dan Meneghin (Sr, Surrey, BC/Accounting), UW-Eau Claire goalie Chris Nelson (Sr, Madison/Management Information Systems), Lake Forest forward Cory Wilson (Sr, Calgary, Alberta/Business and Communications) and St. Scholastica defenseman Gordon Burnette (Sr, Regina, Sask./Management), forward Kory Kutchmarek (Sr, Waunakee, Wis/Accounting), and forward Curtis Markewich (Sr, Regina, Sask./Management). Sixteen others have been named to the team for the second straight year.

To be named to the team a player must have a cumulative 3.00 grade point average, have earned at least 50 semester or 75 quarter hours, and be recommened by his head coach. 2005-06 Men's NCHA All-Academic Team

Complete 2005-06 All-NCHA Team and 2005-06 All-NCHA Academic Team (pdf format)

Pointer's Statz collects school, conference honors

Menomonie, Wis. (February 20, 2006) UW-Stevens Point goalie Amy Statz (Jr, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) posted her 13th career shutout, a Stevens Point record as she helped the Pointers stay in first place with two wins over the weekend. Statz was named the NCHA player of the week.

Statz set the Stevens Point career shutout record in a 4-0 win over Lake Forest Saturday, then came back with a 3-1 win over the Foresters on Sunday. The only goal Statz gave up on the weekend was on a 3-on-5 power play.

Also nominated were: UW-Eau Claire defender Allie Campbell (Jr, Plymouth, Minn/Wayzata); UW-Superior forward Jamie McClintock (Fr, Stone Wall, Manitoba).

Hat trick helps Falcons' Scanlon to weekly honors

Menomonie, Wis. (February 13, 2006) - UW-River Falls forward Jenna Scanlon (So, Apple Valley, Minn) was named the NCHA player of the week after scoring four goals - including a hat trick - as the Falcons defeated and tied Lake Forest College over the weekend.

In a 2-2 tie Feb. 10, Scanlon scored her ninth goal for the season at 7:25 of the third period to give the Falcons a 2-0 lead at the time. In a 4-3 win Feb. 11, she scored a hat trick in helping her team to the win. She scored at 16:59 of the first period to tie the game, 1-1. She scored again at 13:22 of the second period to tie the game, 2-2 and her third goal came at 13:52 of the third and gave the Falcons a 3-2 lead. Her first goal came with the Falcons on the power play. Scanlon leads the team with 12 goals and she is tied for second in points with 15.

Also nominated were: UW-Eau Claire goalie Jill Arendt (So, Plymouth, Minn); UW-Stevens Point defender Lauren Kellin (So, Grand Rapids, Minn); UW-Superior goalie Kristy Faechner (Sr, Tabor, Alberta).

Lake Forest's Campbell puts brakes on St. Norbert

Menomonie, Wis. (February 13, 2006) - Lake Forest goalie Scott Campbell (Fr, Bloomfield, Ont) had 39 saves and beat top ranked St. Norbert, 4-2. Campbell was named the NCHA player of the week.

Campbell stopped 39 of 41 shots on goal in Lake Forestís 4-2 triumph at St. Norbert College Saturday night. He played a key role in the Foresters killing all seven of the Green Knightsí power play opportunities. The victory vaulted Lake Forest into a tie for fourth place in the league standings and helped secure a home quarterfinal series for the Foresters.

Also nominated for player of the week were: Stevens Point forward Russel Law (Fr, Bay City, Mich); UW-Superior goalie Mathieu Bonnelly (Sr, Beauport, Ont); UW-Eau Claire goalie Steffan Braunlich (Sr, Los Angeles, Calif); UW-River Falls forward Derek Hansberry (Fr, Arvada, Ont); UW-Stout forward Andrew Stearns (Jr, Wadena, Minn)

Blugolds' Schultz scores with NCHA player of the week honors

Menomonie, Wis. (February 6, 2006) - UW-Eau Claire forward Amanda Schultz (Sr, Stevens Point/SPASH) scored a hat-trick in a 7-0 win over St. Catherine and added the Blugolds' only goal in a 5-1 loss at UW-River Falls. Schultz was named the NCHA player of the week.

Schultz accounted for four of the Blugoldsí eight goals in two games over the weekend. On senior night Schultz recorded her fourth career hat trick in the win over St. Catherine. Schultz recorded goals at 3:50 and 19:02 of the first period and 19:02 of the second period to preserve the victory. In the loss at River Falls Schultz recorded the Blugoldsí only goal of the game at 7:11 of the first period to tie the game at 1-1 before the Falcons scored four unanswered goals.

Also nominated were: UW-Stevens Point forward Nicole Grossmann (Fr, Lindstrom, Minn); UW-River Falls forward Lindsay O'Keefe (Sr, Roseville, Minn); UW-Superior forward Vi Theofylatos (Jr, Tweed, Ontario)

Hat trick plus one lifts Knights' Cote to player of the week honors

Menomonie, Wis. (February 6, 2006) St. Norbert forward Andy Cote (Jr, Davisburg, Mich) scored five goals to lead the Green Knights to a perfect 2-0 record over the weekend and within one win of clinching the NCHA regular season championship. Cote was selected as the NCHA player of the week.

Cote scored one marker in Friday's 6-0 win over UW-Eau Claire, and then tallied four goals as St. Norbert beat UW-Stevens Point 6-1 in front of a SNC-record 5,516 at Resch Center in Green Bay. Three of Cote's goals on the weekend were on the power play. On the season, Cote has 10 goals in NCHA play, a league high.

Also nominated for player of the week were: Lake Forest forward Tyler Canal (Jr, Thunder Bay, Ontario); UW-River Falls goalie AJ Bucchino (So, Bow, NH); UW-Superior forward Pat Power (Fr, Winnipeg, Manitoba).

Falcon defender Wallace is NCHA player of the week

Menomonie, Wis. (January 30, 2006) UW-River Falls defender Jenny Wallace (Jr, Buffalo, Minn) scored three goals over the weekend and was named the NCHA player of the week.

The Falcons lost a close 2-1 decision to UW-Superior on Saturday, but rebounded for a 6 4 win over Finlandia on Sunday. Wallace scored twice to lead the Falcons in the win over Finlandia. She scored the team's third goal at 18:35 of the first period to give the Falcons a then 3-1lead. She scored what proved to be the game winning goal at 9:12 of the third period to give the Falcons a 5-4 lead.

lead.Also nominated were: UW-Eau Claire forward Martina Korinek (Jr, White Bear Lake, Minn); UW-Superior forward Lindsay Bennett (Jr, Sudbury, Ont).

St. Norbert's Jones player of the week for second consecutive week

Menomonie, Wis. (January 30, 2006) Despite seeing his scoreless streak ended, St. Norbert goalie Kyle Jones (So, North Delta, British Columbia) was named the NCHA player of the week after he posted two wins over two of the top three teams in the league over the weekend.

Jones led St. Norbert to a pair of big road wins this past weekend to increase its lead in the NCHA to three points, with the Green Knights beat River Falls 7-0 and Stout 5-1. Jones pitched a 30-save shutout against River Falls - his fourth straight overall. He narrowly missed a fifth against Stout, making 21 saves, and allowed a goal with just 2:38 left in the game. Jones saw his consecutive shutout sequence end at a staggering 337 minutes 22 seconds. He has six shutouts this season, 11 in his career, and has allowed just 13 goals in 10 NCHA games this season.

Also nominated for player of the week were: UW-Stevens Point forward Russel Law (Fr, Bay City, Mich); UW-Eau Claire goalie Steffan Braunlich (Sr, Los Angeles, Calif); UW-River Falls forward Jared Sailer (Jr, Fernie, BC); UW-Superior forward Nate Rein (Fr, Shakopee, Minn)

Point's Lunneborg is NCHA player of the week

Menomonie, Wis. (January 23, 2006) UW-Stevens Point forward Kim Lunneborg (Sr, Richfield, Minn) scored two key goals and assisted on a third as the Pointers moved into first place of the NCHA. Lunneborg was named the NCHA player of the week.

Lunneborg contributed on the game's first two goals in Saturday's 6-1 win over UW-Eau Claire and scored the first goal of the game in a 4-1 decision over UW-River Falls Sunday. Against the Blugolds, Lunneborg assisted on the first goal of the game, then scored shorthanded the eventual game winner. Against the Falcons, she scored the first goal of the game 53 seconds into the contest.

Also nominated were: UW-River Falls forward Jenna Scanlon (So, Apple Valley, Minn); UW-Superior forward Alicia Cowieson (Fr, Souris, Manitoba).

St. Norbert's Jones player of the week after two shutouts

Menomonie, Wis. (January 23, 2006) St. Norbert goalie Kyle Jones (So, North Delta, British Columbia) was named the NCHA player of the week after he posted back-to-back shutout wins over the weekend.

Jones spun a pair of shutouts to post a 2-0 win over St. Scholastica, Jan. 20, and a 1-0 win over UW-Superior,Jan. 21, making 16 saves against the Saints and 14 against the Yellowjackets. Jones set a St. Norbert record with his 10th career shutout, and broke his old school record for consecutive shutout sequence. Jones' scoreless streak, which is currently active at 220 minutes, broke his old record of 201:19 set last season. The 1-0 win over Superior was the first 1-0 win in St. Norbert history.

Also nominated for player of the week were: UW-Stevens Point forward Sean Fish (Fr, Ramsey,Minn); UW-Eau Claire forward Chip Dunleavy (Sr, Littleton, Colo); UW-River Falls forward Pat Borgestad (So, St. Paul, Minn); UW-Stout forward Matt Mlynarczyk (Jr, Oakdale, Minn); UW-Superior goalie Mathieu Bonnely (Sr, Beauport, Manitoba)

Point's Grossman is NCHA player of the week

Menomonie, Wis. (January 16, 2006) UW-Stevens Point forward Nicole Grossman (Fr, Lindstrom, Minn) was in the right place at the right time in two games and was named the NCHA player of the week for her efforts in two Pointer wins last weekend.

Grossman scored the game-winning - and only - goal of the game with three-minutes, 28-seconds remaining in a 1-0 win over UW-Superior Saturday, then assisted on the eventual game winning goal in a 5-1 win over Finlandia, Sunday. Grossman also added a short handed goal in the win over Finlandia. The wins moved the Pointers from fourth in the conference standings to a tie for second.

Also nominated were: UW-Eau Claire forward Martina Korinek (Jr, White Bear Lake, Minn); Lake Forest forward Dayna Kanis (Fr, Georgetown, Ont).

Falcon goalie shuts out ranked team, is player of the week

Menomonie, Wis. (January 16, 2006) UW-River Falls goalie AJ Bucchino (So, Bow, NH) recorded his first collegiate shutout, a 3-0 win over No. 9 St. Thomas, Saturday. Bucchino was named the NCHA player of the week.

Along with the shutout, Bucchino made 33 saves and improved his season record to 6-1-3. He leads the Falcon goalies in appearances with 10 and has 289 saves, a .938 saves percentage and a team and conference low 1.86 goals against average.

Also nominated for player of the week were: UW-Stevens Point forward Rolf Ulvin (Jr, Edina, Minn); Lake Forest forward Chris Wilson (Fr, Bloomfield Hills, Mich); UW-Eau Claire forward Chris Dunleavy (Sr, Littleton, Colo) and UW-Stout defenseman Mike Kautz (Sr, Des Plaines, Ill).

DeHoey repeats as NCHA player of the week

Menomonie, Wis. (January 9, 2006) Lake Forest forward Courtney DeHoey (So, Chatham, Ont) had a hand in all three goals as the Foresters upended sixth ranked Elmira College, Jan. 7, and DeHoey becomes the first player to repeat as NCHA player of the week.

Against Elmira, DeHoey scored the team's first two goals in a 3-1 win in Elmira, then assisted on an empty net goal late in the game to seal the win. DeHoey scored the team's first two goals in an evenual 5-3 loss to Hamilton College, Jan. 4. DeHoey scored the game opening goal, then gave the Foresters a 2-1 lead in the second period on a shorthanded goal. DeHoey leads the NCHA in scoring with 23 points and in goals with 13. She is tied for second in assists with 10. DeHoey was also named the NCHA player of the week Nov. 28.

Also nominated were: UW-Eau Claire forward Amanda Schultz (Sr, Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH); UW-Stevens Point forward Madison Darud (Fr, Apple Valley, Minn); UW-River Falls forward Leah Baron (Sr, Hermantown, Minn); UW-Superior forward Lindsay Bennett (Jr, Sudbury, Ont)

Saints freshman forward named player of the week

Menomonie, Wis. (January 9, 2006) St. Scholastica freshman foward AJ Tucker (Fort Frances, Ont) was named the NCHA player of the week after tallying six points in two 6-2 wins last week.

Tucker, the Saints leading scorer with 18 points (5G, 13A), served up four assists in a 6-2 win over Finlandia University, Jan. 6, then added a goal and assist in a 6-2 win at St. Mary's, Jan. 7.

Also nominated for player of the week were: UW-Stevens Point forward Nick Zebro (Fr, Mosinee, Wis.); Lake Forest forward Mike Kneeland (Fr, Calgary, Alberta); UW-Eau Claire goalie Steffan Braunlich (Sr, Los Angeles, Calif); UW-River Falls forward Dustin Norman (Fr, South Delta, BC); UW-Superior forward Jay Dardis (Sr, Proctor, Minn).

UW-Superior finishes in tie with US National Team

Superior, Wis. (January 6, 2006) UW-Superior and the U.S. National Team Development Program Under-18 Team fittingly skated to a 5-5 overtime tie Friday night before 1,400 at Wessman Arena.

Superior led 4-0 after the first period against an Under 18 team playing its first game in 20 days. The Under 18 team of Ann Arbor, Mich., rallied with five straight goals and a 5-4 lead early in the third period. UWS scored the final goal with 3:06 to play on a shot by Derek Miller. In the five-minute overtime, UWS led in shots 5-0.

"We threw everything we could at them in the first period and were fortunate to get up, because as you could see, they are very, very talented," said UWS coach Dan Stauber, whose team beat Finlandia 8-2 Thursday. "We gave them our best punch and they punched us right back in the second and third periods."

The Under 18 team (5-8-2 versus collegiate teams) faces Minnesota Duluth at Jan. 7.

"UWS didn't surprise us at all in the first period," said Under 18 coach John Hynes. "The kids had about 12 days off and we didn't start practicing until Tuesday, so I think it was partly not being prepared and partly having that much time off. We didn't take them lightly at all. But I thought the second and third periods were indicative of how our kids can play." / Story by Duluth News-Tribune & News Service Reports

Former NCHA player of the year on 2006 Latvian Olympic team

Riga, Latvia (December 22, 2005) Former St. Norbert College hockey standout Maris Ziedins was named recently to the roster of Latvia's Olympic hockey team, which will compete at the 2006 Winter Olympics February in Turin, Italy. Latvia opens Olympic play on February 15 against the United States. The Latvian national team will also host the 2006 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships in Ziedins' hometown of Riga this coming May.

"Coming off last year's World Championships, we hoped he'd get the opportunity to play in the Olympics," St. Norbert coach Tim Coghlin said. "It's a big step for Maris and to have a shot to play in the Olympics is pretty impressive."

Ziedins competed at St. Norbert from the 1999-2000 to 2002-03 seasons and was named the American Hockey Coaches Association College Division Player of the Year in 2003. He scored 145 points (74-71-145) in 117 games and was a two-time All-America selection. Ziedins was also the 2002 Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Player of the Year and was a two-time first-team All-NCHA selection. Ziedins, who was a Dean's List student at St. Norbert, is a 2003 graduate of the college with a degree in international business. He was twice named to the NCHA All-Academic team.

Finlandia's Syrowik keys win, named NCHA player of the week

Menomonie, Wis. (December 12, 2005) When it came down to crunch time, Finlandia University forward Danielle Syrowik provided a game-tying assist and put in the game-winning goal in overtime as the Lions picked up their first-ever Northern College Hockey Association (NCHA) win, Dec. 10 in Hancock, Mich. Syrowik was given the NCHA player of the week award for her efforts.

Trailing 3-2 to UW-River Falls, Dec. 10, Syrowiak, a sophomore from Shelby Township, Mich, assisted Sara Sleik with the game-tying goal with 41 seconds remaining in the third period to send the game into overtime, then scored the game-winner with 37 seconds remaining in the extra period to give the Lions a 4-3 win. The Lions split with the Falcons for the weekend, falling 5-1 on Dec. 11.

Also nominated were: UW-Stevens Point forward Tracy Truckey (Sr, Green Bay, Wis.)

Blue Devils' Stone named player of the week

Menomonie, Wis. (December 12, 2005) UW-Stout goalie Mike Stone lived up to his name and played as a "stonewall," turning away 57 shots and picking up his first collegiate shutout with a 4-0 road win over No. 9 UW-Superior, Saturday, Dec. 10. Stone was named the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) men's player of the week.

Stone, a sophomore from West St. Paul, Minn, was a vital part of Stout's penalty kill, as the Blue Devils stopped all nine of Superior's power play opportunities, including two 5-on-3 opportunities.

Also nominated for player of the week were: UW-Stevens Point goalie Marcus Paulson (Fr, Eden Praire, Minn); UW-River Falls goalie AJ Bucchino (So, Bow, New Hampshire)

Korinek helps Blugolds to first point, garners women's weekly honor

Menomonie, Wis. (December 5, 2005) UW-Eau Claire forward Martina Korinek sent the series' second game into overtime in the waning minutes, the day after she helped the Blugolds earn their first NCHA point of the season in a 2-2 tie with first place Lake Forest College. Korinek was named the NCHA player of the week.

While not scoring any points, Sunday, Dec. 4, Korinek helped the Blugolds to a 2-2 tie the day after falling to Lake Forest (IL) 3-2 in overtime, Saturday, Dec. 3. In Saturdayís game Korinek, a junior from White Bear Lake, Minn, gave the Blugolds a chance after she scored the game-tying goal at 7:38 in the third period to send the game into overtime.

Also nominated were: UW-Stevens Point defenseman Jamie Lewandowski, So, Rolling Meadows, Ill (Fremd); Lake Forest forward Dayna Kanis, F, Georgetown, Ont; UW-River Falls forward Kelly Hurley, Jr, Lakeville, Minn.

Pointers' Fish keys penalty kill, men's player of the week

Menomonie, Wis. (December 5, 2005) UW-Stevens Point freshman forward Sean Fish was named the NCHA player of the week after keying the Pointers' penalty ill over the weekend. Fish, 5-foot-6, 165-lbs, from Ramsey, Minn (Anoka), was a key member of the Pointersí penalty killing unit that held opponents scoreless in 16 power play opportunities while UW-Stevens Point scored a total of four shorthanded goals in wins over UW-Superior and St. Scholastica over the weekend. Fish scored two shorthanded goals and assisted a power play goal in the 4-3 win over UW-Superior, Friday, Dec. 2, and then assisted the go-ahead shorthanded goal with 7:50 left in 3-2 victory, Saturday, Dec. 3.

Also nominated for player of the week were: St. Norbert goalie Kyle Jones, So, North Delta, British Columbia; UW-Eau Claire goalie Steffan Braunlich, Sr, Los Angeles, Calif (Loyola); UW-River Falls forward Derek Hansberry, Arvada, Colo; UW-Stout forward Andrew Stearns, Jr, Wadena, Minn.

Forester's DeHoey takes home NCHA women's player of the week honors

Menomonie, Wis. (November 28, 2005) Lake Forest College's Courtney DeHoey was named the NCHA women's player of the week after scoring twice in Lake Forest College's 8-3 victory over Hamline University, Friday, Nov. 25. DeHoey added an assist in the team’s 4-0 blanking of host Concordia-Moorhead College, Saturday, Nov. 26.

The sophomore forward from Chatham, Ont., now has 15 points on seven goals and eight assists for the year.

Also nominated were UW-Eau Claire defenseman/forward Tara Hayner, Jr, Stillwater, Minn; UW-River Falls forward Kelly Jensen, So, Eden Prairie, Minn.

St. Scholastica winger is NCHA men's player of the week

Menomonie, Wis. (November 28, 2005) Dustin Sieben, a 6-foot-2, 210-lb senior right winger, scored six goals and added an assist in two St. Scholastica wins last week. Sieben has been named the NCHA men's hockey player of the week.

Sieben, from Millet, Alberta, Canada, scored four goals in the Saints' 6-1 win over Augsburg, Friday, Nov. 25 at the Division III College Hockey Showcase, then added two goals and an assist in a Scholastica 6-3 win over Concordia-Moorhead the following day in the same tournament.

Also nominated were UW-Eau Claire goalie Steffan Braunlich, Sr, Los Angeles, Calif; UW-Stevens Point forward Russel Law, Fr, Bay City, Mich; Lake Forest College forward Mike Kneeland, Fr, Calgary, Albert; UW-Stout forward Andy Wiesner, Jr, Rochester, Minn. (Marshall)

Pointer forward selected as women's player of the week

Menomonie, Wis. (November 21, 2005) - UW-Stevens Point forward Katy Lankey scored the game-tying goal with six seconds left in Friday's 2-2 tie with ninth-ranked UW-Superior and had two goals and an assist in Saturdayís 4-2 win over the Yellowjackets. Lankey was named the NCHA women's player of the week.

In addition to her offensive numbers, Pointer coach Brian Idalski lauded Lankeyís defense against the nation's leading goal scorer, Erin Kegley of Superior, holding Kegley to one goal on the weekend which came on a five-on-three power play. For the week, Lankey scored three goals (with one power play goal), had one assist and finished with four points.

Also nominated were: UW-Superior's Rikki Nespor, F, Fr, Stonewall, Manitoba; UW-Eau Claire's Karen Hebert, F, Jr, Lakeville, Minn. (Holy Angels); Lake Forest College's Lil Caligiuri, F, Sr, Wheaton, Ill; UW-River Falls' Lou Paulson, F, Sr, Duluth, Minn (Proctor-Hermantown).

Falcons' Dahl selected as NCHA men's player of the week

Menomonie, Wis. (November 21, 2005) - UW-River Falls forward TJ Dahl scored scored four goals over the weekend to help the Falcons beat UW-Stevens Point (3-1) and UW-Eau Claire (7-4) in River Falls. Dahl was named the NCHA men's player of the week.

In the Falcons' first conference game of the season Nov. 18 against the Pointers, Dahl was able to put the Falcons on the board first with a goal 9:31 into the first period.

In Saturday's 7-3 win over Eau Claire, Dahl had a career best three goals to record his first career hat trick. Dahl scored two goals in the second period at 9:33 and 16:50. His third goal came midway through the third that bumped the Falcons lead to 4-0.

Dahl, 6-1, 195 pounds, now has seven goals on the season and leads the team in goals and points (13).

Also nominated were: UW-Superior's Nate Rein, F, So, Shakopee, Minn; St. Nobert's Connor Hughes, F, Sr, Fernie, British Columbia; UW-Eau Claire's Sean Clark, D, Sr, Royal Oak, Mich (Brother Rice); UW-Stevens Point's Sean Fish, F, Fr, Ramsey, Minn (Anoka); UW-Stout's Matt Koenig, G, Fr, Lakeland, Minn (Stillwater)

Foresters' Wilson named NCHA women's player of the week

Menomonie, Wis. (November 14, 2005) Laura Wilson, a forward from Lake Forest College, helped lead Lake Forest to a weekend sweep of Augsburg College and has been named the NCHA women's player of the week after scoring three goals and an assist over the weekend.

Wilson scored a pair of goals and added an assist in the Saturday, Nov. 12, 6-0, victory over the Auggies. On the following day, she scored a power play goal in a 3-2 Forester triumph. Her six goals and five assists are both tied for the team lead.

Also nominated were: UW-Superior's Stacy Anderson, F, Jr, Huntington Beach, Calif; UW-Stevens Point's Lauren Kellin, D, So, Grand Rapids, Minn; UW-River Falls' Lou Paulson, Fr, Sr, Duluth, Minn (Proctor-Hermantown)

Knights' Forrester tabbed as NCHA men's player of the week

Menomonie, Wis. (November 14, 2005) - Lonny Forrester, a forward from St. Norbert, had a seven-point weekend with two goals and five assists as the Green Knights powered to an 11-3 win over St. Mary's and a 6-4 triumph over No. 4 St. Thomas. Forrester was named the NCHA men's hockey player of the week.

Forrester had four assists in the St. Mary's game, Friday, Nov. 11, then scored the game's first two goals against St. Thomas, Saturday, Nov. 12. Forrester also had an assist on the game-winning goal in the third period. Forrester now four goals and six assists for the third- ranked Green Knights.

Also nominated were: UW-Stout's Matt Koenig, G, Fr, Lakeland, Minn. (Stillwater); UW-Eau Claire's Brooks Lockwood, F, Jr, Hudson, Wis; UW-Superior's BJ Radovich, F, Sr, Hermantown, Minn; Lake Forest's Tyler Canel, F, Jr, Thunder Bay, Ontario; UW-Stevens Point's James Jernberg, D, Sr, St. Cloud, Minn; UW-River Falls' TJ Dahl, F, So, Burnsville, Minn.

Foresters' Kohuch garners first player of the week honors

Menomonie, Wis. (October 31, 2005) After stopping 38-of-39 shots on goal, Lake Forest freshman goalie Brandon Kohuch (Windsor, Ontario) picked up his first collegiate win - a 4-1 win over the Milwaukee School of Engineering Friday, Oct. 28 - and was named the NCHA men's hockey player of the week. Kohuch, at 5-foot-11, 175-lbs, recorded a saves percentage of .974.

Also nominated were: St. Norbert's Andrew Derton, D, Jr, Powell River, BC; UW-Superior's Baron Bradley, G, Jr, Neepawa, Manitoba; UW-Stevens Point's Colin Trulock, D, So, Champaign, Ill; UW-Stout's Mike Stone, G, So, West St. Paul, Minn; and UW-River Falls' Joe Adams, F, So, Roseau, Minn.

Pointers picked to repeat in women's NCHA preseason poll

Menomonie, Wis. (October 25, 2005) UW-Stevens Point was picked to repeat as the 2005-06 champion of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) women's division, according to a preseason poll by the league's six coaches.

The Pointers, who took the 2004-05 crown with a 9-0-1 NCHA record and a 22-3-1 overall record, garnered four of the six first place votes.

UW-River Falls (13-12-0, 6-4-0 NCHA) hauled in two first place votes and were chosen second. UW-Superior (15-8-2, 6-3-1) was a close third. UW-Eau Claire (15-9-1, 4-5-1) was fourth, and Finlandia University (3-17-1, 0-9-1) and Lake Forest College (8-9-6, 1-5-4) tied for fifth.

The Pointers, who defeated River Falls in the NCHA championship game, 3-1, will need to replace seven graduated seniors, but do return goalie Amy Statz. Statz was a first team all-NCHA pick and was fourth in the NCAA in goals against average (GAA) with 1.29.

Headlining the returning defense that ranked fourth in Division III last year at 1.31 goals per game, is junior Chris Hanson and a trio of sophomores in Lauren Kellin, Jamie Lewandowski and Korryn Brooks.

Goaltending will be a concern for the Falcons, who Marlene Yaeger, an ACHA West All-American and the 2003 NCHA co-player of the year. Coach Joe Cranston will have four players vying for the spot. Offensively, the Falcons return their top 13 scorers from last year.

The Yellowjackets return 14 players from last years team including two-time All-American junior forward Erin Kegley who was the NCAA Statistical Champion and NCHA Player of the Year last season. Superior returns a strong underclass and will return goalie Kristy Faechner who holds almost every Superior record in the net.

Eau Claire returns 15 letterwinners, including goalie Jill Arendt, who posted a 9-1-2 overall record and a 2.11 GAA, and their leading scorer from last season, Amanda Schultz, who scored 15 goals and eight assists.

Finlandia comes into the league for their second go-around, while the Foresters bring first year coach Carisa Zaben into the NCHA mix. Lake Forest improved their record by nine games last year and tripled their scoring output from the previous years. The Lions return 13 letterwinners, including leading scorer Danielle Syrowik, who scored 10 goals and 12 assists.

2005-06 NCHA Women's Preseason Coaches Poll
1. UW-Stevens Point (4)
2. UW-River Falls (2)
3. UW-Superior
4. UW-Eau Claire
5, tie. Finlandia University
5, tie. Lake Forest College

Two NCHA womens team ranked in USCHO.com preseason poll

Minneapolis, Minn (October 24, 2005) - Two women's teams from the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association have been ranked in the top 10 of the USCHO.com Division III Women's Preseason Poll.

UW-Stevens Point, the 2004-05 NCHA champion, was ranked fifth. The Pointers were 22-3-1 overall last season. UW-Superior (15-8-2) was ranked 10th. UW-River Falls received votes.

Middlebury College was ranked first with 12 first place votes.

2005 USCHOC.com Preseason Women's DIII Poll

St. Norbert gets men's preseason nod in coaches poll

Menomonie (October 20, 2005) - Four-time Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) champion St. Norbert is expected to repeat again as champion for the 2005-06 season according to a preseason poll conducted by the NCHA coaches.

The Green Knights (24-3-3, 12-0-2 NCHA) received seven first place votes to assume the top spot in the poll. UW-River Falls (17-9-2, 9-2-3) received the other first place vote and was picked second.

UW-Superior (19-3-7, 9-2-3) and UW-Stevens Point (12-12-3, 7-6-1) were placed third and fourth, respectively.

Lake Forest College (13-14-1, 7-7-0), St. Scholastica (5-17-5, 2-10-2), UW-Stout (10-13-4, 2-9-3) and UW-Eau Claire (8-15-4, 1-10-3) round out the poll.

St. Norbert returns 23 letterwinners from a team that captured the school's seventh NCHA crown. Senior forward Connor Hughes is the leading returning scorer with 39 points. Hughes tallied 15 goals and 24 assists, with five power play goals. Senior forward Spencer Carbery also scored over 30 points, netting a team-high 24 goals with 12 assists for 36 points. The Knights return five other players who scored at least 20 points.

The Falcons return three of their six leading scorers and return their two goalies - Dan Meneghin and Andy Scanlon, both seniors.

The Yellowjackets posted the fewest losses in school history last season, and came within a game of the NCAA tournament. But they also lost 12 letterwinners, of which several played key roles in Superior's 2002 NCAA championship team.

The Pointers may want to be a more offensive minded team this season, but should not have to worry much about defense. Stevens Point returns every defenseman from last year's squad.

Lake Forest advanced to the semi-finals of the NCHA playoffs before falling to St. Norbert last season. Both St. Scholastica and UW-Stout are looking to move up the ranks, and both are seeing increased depth at every position as vital to this season. Luke Strand is the new kid on the block as a head coach in the NCHA, but Strand has been an assistant at St. Norbert and is hoping some of that winning will rub off on his Blugolds.

The 2004-05 NCHA women's preseason coaches poll will be released Monday, Oct. 24.

2005-06 NCHA Men's Preseason Coaches Poll
1. St. Norbert (7)
2. UW-River Falls (1)
3. UW-Superior
4. UW-Stevens Point
5. Lake Forest College
6. College of St. Scholastica
7. UW-Stout
8. UW-Eau Claire

Ten selected to USCHO.com men's preseason squad

Minneapolis, Minn (October 20, 2005) - Ten players from seven different Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) member teams were named to the USCHO DIII Men's Preseason All-USCHO team.

St. Norbert, which is ranked second in the USCHO.com preseason poll, had four players named to the West Team. Senior forward Spencer Carbury and junior defenseman Andrew Derton were named to the West First Team. Senior forward Connor Hughes was named to the second team, as was senior goalie Kyle Jones.

UW-Superior senior forward Jay Dardis was also a first team pick.

Lake Forest junior forward Tyler Canal and UW-Stout senior defenseman Mike Kautz were second team selections.

Named to the honorable mention squad were UW-Superior's Mathieu Bonnelly, UW-River Falls' Tyler Dahl and UW-Stevens Point's Chris Gehrke.

Three NCHA mens team ranked in USCHO.com preseason poll

Minneapolis, Minn (October 17, 2005) - Three men's teams from the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association have been ranked in the top 15 of the USCHO.com Division III Men's Preseason Poll.

St. Norbert, the 2004-05 NCHA champion, was ranked second and received three first place votes. The Green Knights were 24-3-3 overall last season. UW-Superior (19-3-7) was ranked seventh, while UW-River Falls (17-9-2) is ranked 13th. Lake Forest College and UW-Stevens Point also received votes. Middlebury College, last year's NCAA Division III champions were ranked first with 11 first place votes.

The USHOC.com Division III Women's Preseason poll is expected to be released Monday, Oct. 24.

2005 USHOC.com Division III Men's Preseason poll

Ed Zepeda named NCHA Supervisor of Officals

St. Paul, Minn (September 14, 2005) - Long time collegiate referee Ed Zepeda has been named the Supervisor of Officials for the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA), league commissioner Bill Kronschnabel announced today.

Zepeda has been officiating at the collegiate level for more than 16 years, predominately in the NCHA and the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). Zepeda has officiated in seven NCAA Division III tournament and three NCAA Division III national championship games.

Zepeda has also served as an official in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and three years in the West Professional Hockey League (now the Central Hockey League).

Duties of the supervisor of officials include scheduling, evaluating and mentoring league officials.

"Ed's officiating ability and demeanor have earned him high respect with players, coaches, and his fellow officials," Kronschnabel said. "We are fortunate to have him at the helm of our officiating staff."

"As a long-time official with the NCHA, I look forward to expanding my role within the organization," Zepeda said.

Zepeda has been the Director of Business Development for Thomson Prometric in St. Paul, Minn., since 2000. He resides in Woodbury with his wife, Robin, and children, Tyler, 14, Tayler, 12 and Teona, 11.

Kronschnabel, who has been the NCHA Supervisor of Officials since 1998, and in a dual capacity as NCHA Commissioner since 2002, will continue in his administrative capacity as the conference commissioner.

Strand Named Blugold Men's Hockey Coach

Eau Claire (July 21, 2005) - An Eau Claire native and a four-year Blugold letterwinner has been named the new UW-Eau Claire men's hockey coach.

Director of Athletics Scott Kilgallon has announced that Luke Strand will take over as the Blugold men's coach, replacing Jean Laforest who resigned to take a pro position with the Youngstown, Ohio SteelHounds.

Strand, who played for Blugold coach Ian Perrin from 1993-97, comes to the Blugolds after a two-year stint as an assistant coach and assistant general manager with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League.

A graduate of Eau Claire North High School, Strand played his prep hockey for Tom Kuklinski and then went on to play for the Junior A North Iowa Huskies from 1991-93 before joining the Blugolds.

As a Blugold, he ranks among the top 20 all-time career scorers with 85 points (41 g, 44 a) during a 104-game career. He was given the Wally Akervik Memorial Award as the top freshman in 1994 and received the Most Dedicated Player Award as both a junior and a senior. He was a member of one of the school's most successful teams in 1994-95 when the Blugolds finished 16-11 overall.

Following his career at UWEC, Strand spent two seasons with the Madison Monsters and one season with the Madison Kodiaks of the UHL. When his playing career ended, he became an assistant coach and head JV coach with the perennially powerful St. Norbert men’s hockey program under head coach Tim Coghlin. The Green Knights were 68-15-5 during his three seasons on the staff with an NCAA Frozen Four appearance in 2002-03. He recruited a 2003-04 team that finished runner-up in the NCAA Division III national tournament.

Strand had this comment about his selection as the head Blugold coach. "First of all, I am particularly grateful to Director of Athletics Scott Kilgallon and the UW-Eau Claire administration for the opportunity of becoming the head coach of the men’s ice hockey program. I look forward to building relationships with the players, supporters and staff at UWEC. My vision and passion for this position will help create a great environment for student-athletes to grow in."


UW-Stout Sports Information Office Adds NCHA Responsibilites

Menomonie (July 7, 2005) - Layne Pitt has been named as the sports information director of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA), Bill Kronschnabel, NCHA president, announced today.

Pitt, the sports information director at UW-Stout for the last 11 years, takes over for Jim Thies, who served in the same capacity since 1996. Pitt's responsibilities will include the management of the NCHA web site, all NCHA statistics, weekly previews, compilation of athlete of the week and All-NCHA teams and act as liaison between the media and the NCHA.

"We are excited that Layne, with his knowledge and experience, will be joining our team and spearheading our media efforts," Kronschnabel said.

Pitt, who was recently named the Midwest Sports Information Director of the year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, will continue in his role as sports information director at UW-Stout. Prior to coming to Stout, Pitt, a UW-Stout graduate, was a photographer for UW-Stout Photographic Services, was a photojournalist for Fox Valley Sports in Appleton and served as the editor, sports editor and photojournalist at The Dunn County News in Menomonie.

Paul Cruz will assist with the responsibilities. Cruz, a UW-River Falls graduate and Menomonie native who was also at one time a sports editor at the Dunn County News, will join the Stout staff as a sports information assistant in August.

The NCHA includes a men's and women's league. The eight-team men's league include: St. Norbert College, UW-Superior, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout, UW-Eau Claire, the College of St. Scholastica and Lake Forest College. The six-team women's league includes: UW-Stevens Point, UW-Superior, UW-Eau Claire, UW-River Falls, Finlandia University and Lake Forest College.


Laforest Leaves Blugolds for New Position

Eau Claire (June 1, 2005) - Blugold Director of Athletics Scott Kilgallon announced that Eau Claire men's hockey coach Jean Laforest resigned his position.

Laforest, who came to the Blugolds from the professional ranks, is returning to the professional ranks as the head coach of the newly-formed Youngstown (Ohio) SteelHounds of the Central Hockey League.

Laforest leaves the Blugolds after three years as the head coach. In his second season, the Blugolds achieved their first winning campaign in nine years, going 14-12-1. This year, the team struggled because of a rash of injuries and finished 8-15-4 but was competitive throughout the season. The Blugolds actually tied St. Thomas, a Final Four team, during the season.