Senior Kris Wiebe has three points in the past two games. |
DROPPING THE PUCK
The Niagara University men’s hockey team (5-6-0, 0-0-0 CHA) continues its four-game homestand, hosting Bemidji State University (3-3-0, 0-0-0 CHA) at Dwyer Arena Friday and Saturday.
This weekend’s series opens up the conference portion of the schedule for both the Purple Eagles and Beavers.
SWEEPING
After playing eight-straight games on the road, Niagara swept Quinnipiac University last weekend, defeating the Bobcats 3-1; 4-1 in the two games at Dwyer Arena.
The Purple Eagles were led by the scoring of junior forward Justin Cross, who led Niagara with four points (2 goals, 2 assists) in the two-game series against the Bobcats.
Freshman Scott Mollison picked up both wins for Niagara, making a combined 50 saves in the two games.
TOURNAMENT FINALISTS
Friday’s game will be the first contest between the Purple Eagles and Beavers since the March 14 dramatic College Hockey America Tournament finals, played at Tri-City Arena, in Kearney, Neb.
Bemidji State, after falling behind late in the third period, tied the game with less than two minutes remaining in regulation.
In overtime, former Niagara forward Joe Tallari scored the game-winning goal at 13:27 of the overtime period, sending the Purple Eagles to their second NCAA Tournament in five season.
SCOUTING THE BEAVERS
Led by junior forward Ryan Huddy, who has seven points on a goal and six assists, Bemidji State is coming off a two-game sweep of Bentley College last weekend.
In the two games, Huddy tallied a goal and five assists en route to earning College Hockey America Offensive Player of the Week for the first time this season.
Last season’s CHA Rookie of the Year, Luke Erickson, stands tied for second on the team in scoring, averaging a 1.00 points per game, with two goals and four assists for six points.
Seniors John Haider and Brendan Cook have six and five points, respectively.
In goal, sophomore Layne Sedevie has started five of the Beavers’ six games this season, earning two wins. Sedevie, backed up by freshman Matt Climie, has a 3.68 goals-against average and a .861 save percentage.
CEREMONIAL PUCK DROP
A ceremonial puck drop will proceed both Friday’s and Saturday’s game.
Prior to Friday’s contest, members of the Unicco custodial and maintenance regional staff will drop the ceremonial puck on "Unicco Day" at Dwyer Arena.
Longtime ice hockey player, Charley Fekete, will be dropping the puck prior to Saturday’s game. The 90-year-old has been a long-time Niagara supporter.
NIAGARA IN CHA OPENERS
In its five seasons in the CHA conference, Niagara has a 4-1-0 record in conference openers. The lone loss in CHA openers came Nov. 1, 2002, falling to Air Force, 5-2, at Dwyer Arena.
In conference home openers, the Purple Eagles also have a record of 4-1-0, defeating Alabama-Huntsville in last season’s CHA home opener, 2-1.
HISTORY VS. BEMIDJI STATE
In the 21 previous games against Bemidji State, Niagara holds a 11-6-4 advantage.
Last season, the Purple Eagles won the season series against the Beavers, going 3-2-0 in the five games played.
BURKHOLDER AGAINST BSU
Meeting Bemidji State 13 times in his coaching tenure at Niagara, head coach Dave Burkholder has a 6-5-2 record.
Burkholder opened with a 2-2-0 record against the Beavers in his first season as head coach of the Purple Eagles in 2001-02.
PLAYERS AGAINST BSU
With 14 players on the roster seeing previous action against Bemidji State, Niagara is led in scoring by senior captain Barret Ehgoetz. In 12 games against the Beavers, Ehgoetz leads the Purple Eagles with seven points (4 goals, 3 assists). In last season’s five games against Bemidji State, Ehgoetz had three goals and two assists for five points.
Second on the team against the Beavers is junior forward Justin Cross. In nine appearances against Bemidji State, Cross has two goals and three assists for five points.
Junior goaltender Jeff Van Nynatten has started seven contests in net against the Beavers, credited with a 4-2-1 record. Van Nynatten has a 3.24 goals-against average and a .883 save percentage in the seven games.
MOLLISON MAKES HISTORY
Getting his first collegiate start in the Nov. 12 game against Quinnipiac, freshman goaltender Scott Mollison made history by becoming the first freshman goaltender in the nine-year history of the Niagara program to earn a victory in his first collegiate start.
In the 3-1 win, Mollison made 21 saves, not allowing a goal in the opening two periods.
Mollison followed his historic win with a 29-save effort the following evening, helping Niagara earn a 4-1 win and the two-game sweep over the Bobcats.
CROSS LEADS
After registering six points in Niagara’s first nine games, junior forward Justin Cross led the team in scoring in the two games against Quinnipiac last weekend.
Playing alongside senior Kris Wiebe and freshman Matt Caruana, Cross tallied goals in both wins, adding two assists in the Nov. 13 three-goal win for the Purple Eagles.
WIEBE SCORES
Looked upon to add scoring and a physical presence in his final collegiate season, senior Kris Wiebe tallied two points against Quinnipiac Nov. 13. Moving into a tie for fifth on the team in scoring, with seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) this season, Wiebe finished with three points in two games last weekend.
NORRINGTON TALLIES FIRST
Seeing action in eight of the Purple Eagles’ 11 games this season, junior forward Marc Norrington tallied his first point of the season, scoring a goal in the 3-1 win over Quinnipiac Nov. 12.
Finishing with eight points (5 goals, 3 assists) last season, Norrington scored again the following evening, adding a power-play goal at 17:43 of the second period.
COLLEGE HOCKEY AMERICA
This weekend’s College Hockey America conference schedule features two league contests, with defending CHA Regular Season Champions Bemidji State traveling to Niagara and Air Force visiting Robert Morris.
In non-conference games, Wayne State will play a home-and-home series against Bowling Green Thursday and Saturday.
Conference-leading Alabama-Huntsville, which received votes in this week’s U.S. College Hockey Online/College Sports Television national poll, visits Minnesota State for a two-game non-conference series Friday and Saturday.
MOLLISON EARNS CHA AWARD
Picking up two victories in his first two collegiate starts, freshman goaltender Scott Mollison earned College Hockey America Rookie of the Week, announced by the conference office Monday.
In the two games against the Bobcats, Mollison stopped 50 of 52 shots, not allowing a goal in the opening two periods of either game.
CHA RANKINGS
Senior captain Barret Ehgoetz sits second in the College Hockey America conference with 14 points in 11 games this season. Averaging 1.27 points per game, Ehgoetz has five goals and nine assists, tied for the CHA lead in assists.
Senior Ryan Gale is tied for the conference lead in goals with eight on the season. Gale ranks fifth in the CHA in points, registering 12 points in 11 games.
Both Ehgoetz and Gale have two game-winning goals this season, standing tied for the CHA lead.
Although not registering a point in the past four games, sophomore Pat Oliveto is tied for the conference lead in points by a defenseman. Oliveto, tied for fifth on Niagara in scoring, has four goals and three assists for seven points.
Freshman Travis Anderson, who has played all but one game on defense, is tied for fourth in the conference in freshman scoring, with five points on five assists.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Senior Ryan Gale, tied for the CHA lead in goals, is tied for the sixth nationally with eight goals scored this season.
Also joining Gale in the national rankings, senior Barret Ehgoetz is tied for 12th nationally with 14 points, standing tied for 14th in the nation in assists (9).
EHGOETZ AND CHA
Continuing to ascend in the College Hockey America record books, senior captain Barret Ehgoetz ranks third all-time in points, with 134 points thus far in his collegiate career.
In a battle with senior forward Jared Ross of Alabama-Huntsville, Ehgoetz is tied for second in the CHA with 60 career goals, tied for third with 74 assists.
Ehgoetz and Ross (136) both trail former Air Force forward Andy Berg, who is the CHA all-time leading scorer with 142 career points.
GALE HITTING STRIDE
Flourishing playing opposite of senior captain Barret Ehgoetz, senior Ryan Gale has scored eight goals in the past eight games, leading the CHA conference in goals scored this season.
A solid contributor his first three seasons, Gale moved opposite of Ehgoetz in the Oct. 16 game against the University of Maine, continuing to be one of the main offensive threats for the Purple Eagles ever since.
SENIORS LEADING THE WAY
Registering 37 of Niagara’s 95 points this season -- including 16 of 35 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 five of Niagara’s game-winning goals, Gale leads the team with eight goals this season.
The six-member sophomore class is second on the team in scoring with 23 points, followed by the juniors (18) and freshmen (17).
STREAKING
A measure of durability, senior captain Barret Ehgoetz continues his streak of 90 consecutive games played, dating back to his freshman season.
Ehgoetz also has points in the Purple Eagles last six games, tallying eight points on two goals and six assists.
Seniors Kris Wiebe and Ryan Gale, along with juniors Justin Cross and Marc Norrington all have points in the Purple Eagles’ last four games.
Freshman goaltender Scott Mollison has a consecutive win streak of two games, winning both contests last weekend against Quinnipiac.
EHGOETZ UP TO NO. 4
Senior captain Barret Ehgoetz trails former Purple Eagle forward Peter DeSantis by one point, on the verge of moving into a tie for third all-time in Niagara history in career points. Ehgoetz, 134 points in his collegiate career, is also tied for third in career goals (60) and ranks fourth in assists (74).
Former Purple Eagle forwards Mike Isherwood and Mikko Sivonen are the all-time leaders in points in Purple Eagles’ history with 145.
ACROSS THE BORDER
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.
RETURNEES
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 GLANCE 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 HONOREE
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, off next weekend for the Thanksgiving holiday, travels to CHA-leading Alabama-Huntsville Dec. 3 and 4.
Last season, the Purple Eagles went 3-1-0 against the Chargers, splitting the two-game series last season at the Von Braun Center.
