Sophomore Sean Bentivoglio is second in the CHA in assists. |
DROPPING THE PUCK
The Niagara University men’s hockey team (3-6-0) returns to Dwyer Arena following a four-week, eight-game road trip.
Not having played a home game since their Oct. 9 season-opener against UMass-Lowell, the Purple Eagles face Quinnipiac University (3-2-0) in a two-game non-conference series Friday and Saturday. Both games are scheduled for a 7:05 p.m. start.
ROAD WARRIORS
Niagara concluded its eight-game road trip with two losses to Western Michigan University last weekend.
Following their 4-3 loss Nov. 5, in which the Broncos scored the game-winning goal with only 22 seconds remaining in regulation, the Purple Eagles lost to Western Michigan, 4-1, Nov. 6. In the three-goal loss, Niagara outshot the Broncos, 43-24, however went 0-of-7 on power-play opportunities.
The Purple Eagles finished with a record of 3-5-0 during the eight-game road trip.
EHGOETZ HONORED
With his 10 points in the month of October, senior captain Barret Ehgoetz was named Honorable Mention Player of the Month by the Hockey Commissioners’ Association.
Ehgoetz, the lone representative from the College Hockey America conference, led the Purple Eagles in points and assists for the month of October, moving into second place in CHA history in career points. Currently leading the CHA in points, Ehgoetz has four goals and eight assists for 12 points in nine games this season.
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS
Led by junior captain Ty Deinema and senior assistant captains Tom Watkins and Craig Falite, Quinnipiac is coming off a 2-1 win over Dartmouth Oct. 30.
Idle last weekend, the Bobcats are led in scoring by senior forward Matt Craig, who has five points (2 goals, 3 assists) in five games. Scoring two goals in the 3-0 win over Bentley Oct. 16, which led the Bobcats to the Quinnipiac Cup Championship, Craig has points in four of the five games this season.
Also contributing, both with three points, are senior forward Chris White and sophomore defenseman Reid Cashman. Cashman leads all Bobcat defensemen in scoring this season with a goal and two assists.
Starting all five games in net this season, senior goaltender Jamie Holden has a 2.14 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage. Holden is currently tied for the lead in the Atlantic Hockey conference in wins with three.
This season, Quinnipiac is 0-1-0 against teams from the CHA, losing 4-0 to Air Force Oct. 24.QUINNIPIAC TO ECAC
Quinnipiac will participate in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference, announced by the ECAC in August. Filling the vacancy by the University of Vermont’s move to Hockey East, the Bobcats will officially join the 12-member school conference following the 2004-05 season.
AGAINST THE BOBCATS
Only three players on the Niagara roster have participated in a game against Quinnipiac in their collegiate careers.
Seniors Shayne Baylis, Barret Ehgoetz and Ryan Gale all participated in the Purple Eagles' 7-6 win over the Bobcats Dec. 29, 2001. Baylis registered an assist in the Niagara win.
HISTORY VS. QUINNIPIAC
Meeting two times in the program’s nine-year history, Niagara owns a 2-0-0 record against Quinnipiac.
The Purple Eagles defeated the Bobcats, 5-4, in overtime Oct. 15, 1999, coupled with a 7-6 win Dec. 29, 2001.
BURKHOLDER AGAINST QU
Now in his fourth season as head coach of the Niagara program, Dave Burkholder is 1-0-0 against Quinnipiac, defeating the Bobcats, 7-6, Dec. 29, 2001.
NU VS. ATLANTIC HOCKEY
Having played teams from the Atlantic Hockey conference 29 times in the program’s nine-year history, Niagara holds a 22-5-2 (.793) record.
Last season, the Purple Eagles went undefeated against Atlantic Hockey teams, going 1-0-1 against crosstown Canisius College Jan. 22 and 24.
BURKHOLDER VS. ATLANTIC
Niagara head coach Dave Burkholder has an 8-1-1 (.850) record against teams from the Atlantic Hockey conference in the 10 previous games played.
Burkholder is currently on a three-game winning streak against Atlantic Hockey teams, last losing Jan. 23, 2003 to Canisius College.
WILLIAMSON SUSPENDED
Due to a disqualification in the Nov. 6 game against Western Michigan, junior assistant captain Jason Williamson will serve a one-game suspension and miss Friday’s game against Quinnipiac. Williamson has played in every game this season for the Purple Eagles.
BARTON MAKES FIRST START
Making a career-high 37 saves, sophomore goaltender Allen Barton made his first start of the season against Western Michigan Nov. 5.
Barton started the second game against the Broncos Nov. 6, making 13 saves in two periods of action.
MOLLISON SEES FIRST ACTION
Freshman goatlender Scott Mollison, the youngest player on the Niagara roster (4/22/86), made his collegiate debut Nov. 6 against Western Michigan.
A native of Winnipeg, Man., Mollison made seven saves in 21:31 of shutout hockey against the Broncos.
CARUANA REGISTERS FIRST
Playing in every game this season, freshman forward Matt Caruana scored his first collegiate goal against Western Michigan Nov. 5. With Niagara down, 3-2, midway in the third period, Caruana scored a power-play goal, tying the game at the 13:24 mark of the final period.
Caruana came to Niagara following a stellar junior career with the Bowmanville Eagles of the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League (OPJHL).
SCORING DROUGHT
Through nine games this season, Niagara has received only one goal from its third and fourth forward lines.
The lone goal was tallied by freshman forward Mike Maier in the Oct. 16 game against nationally-ranked Maine, in which Niagara lost 6-2.
COLLEGE HOCKEY AMERICA
Two conference games highlight this weekend’s College Hockey America league schedule. Alabama-Huntsville, leading the CHA with a 2-0-0 conference mark, travels to Air Force for the Falcons’ conference-opener. Robert Morris, the newest member of the CHA, hosts Wayne State in the Warriors' first conference series of the season.
Along with this weekend’s non-conference series with Quinnipiac, Bemidji State hosts Bentley from the Atlantic Hockey conference Friday and Saturday.
COMMISSIONERS’ CUP SERIES
Commissioners from the nation’s six Division I ice hockey conferences have announced the creation of a 21-game series to be played during the 2004-05 season.
Commencing Oct. 23 and concluding in late January, each conference participates in seven designated contests, with each league playing three home games, three away games and one game at a neutral site.
CHA RANKINGS
In his final season, senior captain Barret Ehgoetz leads the CHA conference in points after nine games. Ehgoetz has 12 points on four goals and eight assists, leading the CHA in assists and tied for fifth in goals.
Senior Ryan Gale is tied for the conference lead in goals with seven, standing third in points with 10 (7 goals, 3 assists).
In his second season with the Purple Eagles, sophomore Pat Oliveto leads all CHA defensemen in scoring with seven points (4 goals, 3 assists).
As a team, Niagara is third in scoring offense (3.11 gpg) and has the third-best power play (.169) and penalty kill (.812).
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Senior Ryan Gale, tied for the CHA lead in goals, is tied for the sixth nationally with seven goals scored this season.
Also joining Gale in the national rankings, senior Barret Ehgoetz is tied for 15th nationally with 12 points, standing tied for 14th in the nation in assists (8).
EHGOETZ AND CHA
Continuing to ascend in the College Hockey America record books, senior captain Barret Ehgoetz continues to rank second all-time in CHA history in points with 132 thus far in his collegiate career.
Ehgoetz is already the third-leading goal scorer in the CHA with 59 career goals, ranking fourth with 73 assists. He trails former Air Force forward Andy Berg, who is the all-time leader in CHA history with 142 career points.
GALE HITTING STRIDE
A solid contributor in his first three seasons, senior forward Ryan Gale has seven goals in the past six games, standing tied for the College Hockey America conference lead in goals this season (7).
Following his move to the first line, opposite senior captain Barret Ehgoetz, Oct. 16 against the University of Maine, Gale has flourished, becoming one of the main offensive threats for the Purple Eagles.
SENIORS LEAD THE WAY
Registering 30 of Niagara’s 76 points this season -- including 13 of 28 goals -- the senior class of Shayne Baylis, Ryan Carrigan, Barret Ehgoetz, Ryan Gale and Kris Wiebe lead the Purple Eagles in scoring this season.
With Ehgoetz, Gale and Wiebe also scoring all three of Niagara’s game-winning goals, Gale leads the team with seven goals this season.
The six-member sophomore class is second on the team in scoring with 21 points, followed by the juniors (12) and freshmen (13).
STREAKING
Continuing his game streak of 89 consecutive games play, senior captain Barret Ehgoetz has a four-game point streak, registering six points in the four-game span.
Sophomore Sean Bentivoglio also has tallied points in the past two games, leading the team with a two-game assist streak.
EHGOETZ UP TO NO. 4
Leading the CHA with 12 points this season, senior captain Barret Ehgoetz is fourth in Niagara history in points. After scoring a goal and adding an assist in the two-game series against Western Michigan last weekend, Ehgoetz has 132 career points, also ranking fourth in assists (73) and fifth in goals (59) at Niagara.
Former Purple Eagle forwards Mike Isherwood and Mikko Sivonen are the all-time leaders in points in Purple Eagles’ history with 145.
OH CANADA
The Niagara roster boasts 17 Canadians, one of the largest contingency of Canadian players in collegiate hockey.
The 17 players span as far west as British Columbia and as far east as Quebec.
RETURNERS
Niagara returns 17 players who experienced the NCAA Tournament last season, including forwards Sean Bentivoglio, Aaron Clarke, Justin Cross, Barret Ehgoetz, Ryan Gale, Chad Murray, Marc Norrington, Mario Nucci, and Jason Williamson, defensemen Shayne Baylis, Ryan Carrigan, Brian Hartman, Jason Jones, Andrew Lackner, and Pat Oliveto, with goaltenders Allen Barton and Jeff Van Nynattten.
The team returns 70 of its 124 total goals (56.5 percent) and 185 of its 321 points (57.6 percent) from a year ago.
Ehgoetz is the Purple Eagles’ leading returning scorer, leading Niagara -- as well as the CHA conference -- with a career-high 52 points (25 goals, 27 assists). Lackner is the leading returner among blueliners, posting 15 points on two goals and 13 assists. Van Nynatten returns as Niagara’s No. 1 goaltender, posting 18 wins last season and a 2.81 goals-against average.
NEWCOMERS
The Purple Eagles welcome 12 new players to the roster this season, one of the largest incoming classes in program history.
Joining the squad are forwards Matt Caruana, Cliff Ketchen, Tim Madsen, Mike Maier, Tayler Simpson, C.J. Tozzo and Kris Wiebe, defensemen Travis Anderson, Scott Langdon, Trevor Mallon and Mike Novosad, along with goaltender Scott Mollison.Wiebe, a senior, is a transfer from the University of Findlay, earning all-conference honors with the Oilers last season.
CAPTAINS NAMED
Joining three-year captain Barret Ehgoetz are juniors Andrew Lackner and Jason Williamson.
Voted assistant captains by their teammates, both Lackner and Williamson have been solid contributors on-and-off the ice throughout the previous two seasons.
Ehgoetz has been the consummate leader for Niagara the past three seasons, voted assistant captain in his sophomore year.
A LOOK BACK
Niagara finished the 2003-04 season with a 21-15-3 overall record, finishing second in the College Hockey America conference with a record of 14-6-0. The Purple Eagles won the CHA Conference Tournament, defeating Wayne State and Bemidji State to win their second conference tournament crown.
Playing eventual Frozen Four-participant Boston College in the NCAA Tournament, Niagara fell to the Eagles, 5-2. Departed senior Joe Tallari and sophomore forward Sean Bentivoglio had goals for the Purple Eagles in the loss.
NATIONAL HONOR
Niagara senior forward Barret Ehgoetz earned honorable mention honors on the 2004 Preseason All-U.S. College Hockey Online team, representing the only player from the CHA to garner national preseason honors.
Ehgoetz enters his senior season with the second-most points of any returner to Division I men’s hockey.
PRESEASON ALL-CHA
Returning as the reigning CHA Co-Player of the Year, senior captain Barret Ehgoetz was named preseason All-CHA.
Ehgoetz was joined on the preseason team with juniors Andrew Lackner and Jeff Van Nynatten.
All three earned postseason conference honors last season, headlined by Ehgoetz being named CHA Co-Player of the Year and Van Nynatten earning CHA Tournament Most Valuable Player honors.
Both Ehgoetz and Van Nynatten were unanimous All-CHA selections.
UP NEXT
Niagara opens CHA conference play next weekend against preseason favorite Bemidji State. Continuing their four-game homestand, the Purple Eagles host the Beavers at Dwyer Arena Friday and Saturday. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. Friday and 3:05 p.m. Saturday.
