December 6, 2007
What, Me Worry?

By Joe Gladziszewski

If you think that Colgate is concerned about being tied for last place in ECAC Hockey with just one league win through its first six games, you are greatly mistaken.

ECAC Hockey Notebook


Colgate sophomore David McIntyre is third on the Raiders in scoring with 14 points, trailing only seniors Tyler Burton and Jesse Winchester, who have 17 points apiece.

National TV Schedule

Worrying about the big picture just isn't part of the Colgate hockey culture, and even though results haven't gone their way in league play, the short-term focus has served the Raiders well in recent weeks. Colgate ended the first semester with a 5-1-1 record in its last seven games, including a weekend sweep of Robert Morris last weekend with 4-3 and 5-0 wins at Starr Rink.

"You can't get ahead of yourself. You can't start looking at the standings and where we are. It's about the process, the day-to-day stuff, and I'm convinced with this team if we do that we'll be fine," Colgate head coach Don Vaughan said.

The fact is that Colgate struggled prior to getting hot in the month of November. A stretch of nine games saw the Raiders get just one win (a neutral site victory over St. Lawrence) and two ties (against Quinnipiac and Dartmouth). Even though they didn't see rewards in the win column, the Colgate coaching staff wasn't disappointed with how the Raiders were playing and were especially pleased with the team's work ethic.

"Overall, and I've said this all along, I've been pleased with the way we're working. There's just such a fine line nationally between all of us and it comes down to a bounce of the puck some nights or a mistake. It seemed like the mistakes we made this year have ended up in the back of our net," Vaughan said. "We turned to our leadership, guys that have been through this before, and we try to keep guys focused on the task. It goes back to the process, and if they buy into what we're trying to do and believe in what we're doing, then it's a matter of working through it without having to make any great changes."

One of those leaders, senior assistant captain Tyler Burton, stepped up and vocalized the coaching staff's mantra that hard work and consistency will be rewarded in the long run. Then, results on the ice began to turn. A tie and win at Dartmouth and Harvard got the Raiders rolling, and then a split at home against Connecticut was followed by the sweep of Robert Morris.

"Coming back this weekend and winning two at home feels great going into the break," Burton said. "We know what we've got to do and we'll keep at it here for the next few weeks and just try to stay positive and take it into the New Year and hopefully continue to roll."

It won't be easy for Colgate, as they begin their next stage of the schedule on Dec. 28 against nationally-ranked Wisconsin at the Badger Showdown in Madison and will face either Bowling Green or Northeastern in the second game. Road games at Union and Rensselaer follow that in early January and then a home weekend against Clarkson and St. Lawrence.

We have no idea how Colgate will fare in those games, but regardless of the outcome, we know there won't be any panic by the Raiders.

SEEN AND HEARD IN ECAC HOCKEY

Taking ECAC Hockey International: Two stories this week have surfaced, and will likely give ECAC Hockey member clubs some exposure outside of the United States in the coming weeks and again next season.

First, Yale head coach Keith Allain and Harvard assistant coach Patrick Foley will serve as assistant coaches for the United States team at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship to be held in the Czech Republic in late-December and early-January. Allain and Foley are a part of a coaching staff that will be headed by John Hynes, head coach of the U.S. National Team Development Program's Under-18 team. It is Allain's 11th different coaching assignment within USA Hockey, and a reversal of roles from the 2001 World Juniors when Hynes was an assistant to Allain. This is Foley's third international assignment, as he was an assistant for the NTDP Under-18s when they won gold in 2006 at the Under-18 Worlds and a silver medal in the same competition in 2007.

Secondly, as originally reported by the Schenectady Daily Gazette (and seen on the INCH Newsstand), Rensselaer and Vermont are in discussions to play their first regular-season game next season at Le Colisee in Quebec City, former home of the Quebec Nordiques. The plan was set in motion by RPI hockey alums Joe Juneau and J.F. Gosselin.

Great Weekend Getaway
120x60 - Brand Red

Harvard at Vermont
(Saturday, 7 p.m.)
It wasn't that long ago that Vermont was a member of ECAC Hockey, so we'll visit an old familiar venue when the Crimson and Catamounts meet at Gutterson Field House on Saturday night. The coaches know each other quite well, as Ted Donato and Kevin Sneddon were teammates at Harvard for three years from the 1988-89 through 1990-91 seasons. The game will be televised by CN8 throughout New England.

While You're There: The UVM Athletics site has an extensive list of dining options that suit any hockey fan's taste.

Stick Salute

Kudos to the homeowners, businesses, and municipalities who have hung holiday lights and decorations, making for scenic snowy drives to recent games.

Bench Minor

When winter begins, you often hear that attendance at certain games is lower than expected "because of the weather." Say what? What else is there to do when the weather is bad than go to the hockey game?

FRIES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BAG

• In a pretty big game contested earlier this week, Rensselaer held serve on home ice with a 4-2 win over Harvard at Houston Field House. Four different Engineers scored and Mathias Lange made 34 saves for RPI. Earlier this year, Harvard beat Rensselaer 3-0.

• St. Lawrence beat Clarkson 4-2 at Appleton and ended up getting two wins (both on home ice) in three regular-season games against the Golden Knights this year.

• Scary numbers from Brown's Mayor's Cup game at Providence on Wednesday. The Friars won 8-0. When it comes to the scoreboard, the snowman is better than the snowball. Providence also had a 55-18 shots-on-goal advantage and scored five goals in the second period. The Bears are 0-5-1 in their last six, but return to ECAC Hockey action this weekend with a Saturday game at Yale.

• Cornell's Riley Nash scored an impressive goal at Brown earlier this season, and the magic of B2 Networks, resourceful viewers, and YouTube means that you can watch it!

• Princeton impressed early with a 3-0-0 start but then lost four straight games. Things may be headed back in the right direction for the Tigers with two wins in their last three games. They have a huge opportunity to get some nationwide exposure with a home series against Notre Dame this weekend.

• Dartmouth has this weekend off, but returns to the ice for a mid-week game at Boston University on Dec. 13. That game will be televised on CN8.

• Colgate's Joe DeBello scored his first collegiate goal in last Saturday's 4-3 win over Robert Morris, on a night when the Raider fourth line combined to tally five points on the night.

• Union freshman forward Adam Presizniuk had four points last weekend, all assists, including three against Quinnipiac as the Dutchmen won their first ECAC Hockey game of the season 4-3 at the Bobcats' TD Banknorth Sports Center.

• After going 4-0-1 in its first five home games, Quinnipiac lost back-to-back home games against Princeton and Union, before getting a 3-2 victory over RPI in its last home game. The Bobcats will head to Pittsburgh this weekend to face Robert Morris at the RMU Island Sports Center.

• Harvard is in a stretch of non-league games with a road test at Vermont on Saturday followed by a home game against Boston College on Wednesday, with an exhibition game against the NTDP Under-18s in between. The Crimson already defeated one Hockey East foe this year, in an overtime win over Boston University.

A variety of sources were utilized in the compilation of this report. Joe Gladziszewski can be reached at gladdy@insidecollegehockey.com.