March
20, 2005
NCAA Tournament
Northeast Regional Capsules | Amherst, Mass.
Mullins
Center
Saturday, March 26
Noon ET: No.
1 Denver vs. No. 4 Bemidji State
3:30 p.m.
ET: No. 2 New Hampshire vs. No. 3 Harvard
Sunday,
March 27
Noon ET: Regional
Final
NO.
1 SEED DENVER PIONEERS
Location:
Denver, Colo.
Record: 28-9-2 (19-7-2 WCHA, tied for first)
Qualified: WCHA Tournament champions
NCAA Championships: Six (1958, 1960, 1961, 1968,
1969, 2004)
NCAA Appearance: 17th (most recent, 2004)
Head Coach: George Gwozdecky
Key Players: Gabe Gauthier, F, Jr. (20-26—46);
Paul Stastny, F, Fr. (15-27—42); Matt Carle, D, So. (12-27—39)
What You Need to Know: The buzz surrounding Denver
centers on how they’ve become more explosive offensively,
but the Pioneers are better defensively than they were a year
ago – at least statistically. DU allows 2.62 goals per game
this year, an improvement of 0.11 from last season.
How They'll Advance: By taking an early lead.
Denver is 23-1-1 this season when they score first, but that explanation
is too simple. The Pioneers boast quality depth – nine players
have scored more than 20 points – and they can beat you
in a variety of ways. One night, skilled forwards like Gauthier
and Stastny can do you in; the next night it might be standout
defensemen Carle and Brett Skinner, savvy senior forwards Jeff
Drummond, Jon Foster and Luke Fulghum, or goaltenders Glenn Fischer
or Peter Mannino that get you.
What Might Trip Them Up: Gwozdecky asserts that
he’ll continue rotating goaltenders Fischer and Mannino
during the NCAA Tournament. Mannino has been terrific –
how he wasn’t named to the WCHA all-rookie team is a head-scratcher
– but Fischer has been iffy as evidenced by his .890 save
percentage (Mannino’s is .920). It’s probably not
wise to make a habit second-guessing a guy who guided a program
to its first national title in 35 years, but hitching the wagon
to Mannino seems to make the most sense.
| Most
Recent Denver Line Chart |
| Left
Wing |
Center |
Right
Wing |
Notes |
| 17
L. Fulghum |
11
P. Stastny |
19
R. Dingle |
O’Leary
replaced the suspended Geoff Paukovich in the DU lineup for
the WCHA championship game. |
| 39
J. Drummond |
9
G. Gauthier |
7
A. Veideman |
| 15
J. Foster |
6
M. Handza |
21
J.D. Corbin |
| 10
R. Helgason |
C.
T. O'Leary |
14
T. May |
| Defense |
Defense |
Goalies |
| 4
B. Skinner |
5
A. Thomas |
29
P. Mannino |
Carle
and Skinner draw the most attention, but Halme leads the team
with a whopping +33 plus-minus rating. |
| 25
M. Carle |
20
J. Halme |
28
G. Fisher |
| 26
N. Larson |
27
M. Laatsch |
|
NO.
2 SEED NEW HAMPSHIRE WILDCATS
Location:
Durham, N.H.
Record: 25-10-5 (15-5-4 Hockey East, tied for
second)
Qualified: At-large bid
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: 25th (most recent, 2004)
Head Coach: Dick Umile
Key Players: Preston Callander, F, Sr. (39 GP,
24-29-53—53); Sean Collins, F, Sr.
(39 GP, 18-36—54); Jacob Micflikier, F, So. (39 GP, 19-23—42)
What You Need to Know: The Wildcats can be one
of the most entertaining teams in the country, with a dynamic
offense filled with weapons. They nearly won the Hockey East regular
season title, but stumbled down the stretch before regaining their
form in the playoffs.
How They'll Advance: It's a typical UNH team
on the first two lines, both of which can create offense as well
as any group in the country. Their power play is also formidable;
only an incredibly hot goalie will keep the Wildcats from scoring
goals.
What Might Trip Them Up: Part of what makes UNH
entertaining is the fact that their opponents can often match
them goal for goal (as Dartmouth, 9-8 winners over UNH in January,
proved most notably). The defense is better than that result indicates,
but can be exploited.
| Most
Recent New Hampshire Line Chart |
| Left
Wing |
Center |
Right
Wing |
Notes |
| 10-S.
Collins |
15-P.
Callander |
23-B.
Hemingway |
As
great as the first two lines are, the third has chipped in
some timely offense when needed. |
| 9-J.
Micflickier |
27-D.
Winnik |
18-J.
Aikins |
| 12-M.
Radja |
39-M.
Fornataro |
14-J.
Ciocco |
| 28-A.
Leach |
16-B.
Pouliot |
36-M.
Kolanos |
| Defense |
Defense |
Goalies |
| 7-T.
Teplitsky |
33-B.
Yandle |
29-J.
Pietrasiak |
Yandle
is gifted with the puck on his stick, but not as strong in
his own end. |
| 4-C.
Switzer |
3-R.
Barker |
32-K.
Regan |
| 19-B.
Flaishans |
20-C.
Murray |
|
NO.
3 SEED HARVARD CRIMSON
Location:
Cambridge, Mass.
Record: 20-9-3 (15-5-2 ECACHL, second)
Qualified: At-large bid
NCAA Championships: One (1989)
NCAA Appearance: 20th (most recent, 2004)
Head Coach: Ted Donato
Key Players: Dov Grumet-Morris, G, Sr. (19-8-3,
1.60, .947); Noah Welch, D, Sr. (33 GP, 6-12—18); Tom Cavanagh,
F, Sr. (33 GP, 10-19—29)
What You Need to Know: Harvard first-year coach
Ted Donato is back on campus. He's been very conscientious to
credit the team for taking him through the season, instead of
asserting that he's been leading the team. Donato was the NCAA
Tournament's Most Outstanding Player in 1989 when Harvard won
its only national title. That year also included a disappointing
ECAC playoff loss. Donato could call on that 1989 karma.
How They'll Advance: This is a veteran team with
a senior class that's making its fourth straight trip to the NCAA
Tournament. They will need to call upon that experience, but block
out the memories. Harvard lost in the first round the last three
years.
What Might Trip Them Up: Harvard is struggling
to score goals lately and without goals it doesn't matter how
good goaltender Dov Grumet-Morris is. Cornell had success by taking
away the top line of Tom Cavanagh, Brendan Bernakevitch, and Ryan
Maki. It might be a tactic that Harvard's opponents copy.
| Most
Recent Harvard Line Chart |
| Left
Wing |
Center |
Right
Wing |
Notes |
| 9-T.
Cavanagh |
18-B.
Bernakevitch |
7-R.
Maki |
Andrew
Lederman, tied for third on the team in scoring, is the 13th
forward. |
| 23-M.
Taylor |
27-K.
Du |
16-S.
Mandes |
| 8-D.
Murphy |
19-C.
Johnson |
11-J.
Pelle |
| 22-D.
Watters |
17-T.
Magura |
6-R.
Flynn |
| Defense |
Defense |
Goalies |
| 5-N.
Welch |
3-P.
Hafner |
30-D.
Grumet-Morris |
Lannon
is Harvard's best defender and Reese is the best offensive
blueliner. |
| 20-R.
Lannon |
2-D.
Reese |
33-J.
Tobe |
| 14-D.
MacDonald |
15-T.
Walsh |
1-J.
Daigneau |
NO.
4 SEED BEMIDJI STATE BEAVERS
Location:
Bemidji, Minn.
Record: 23-12-1 (16-4-0 CHA, first)
Qualified: College Hockey America champion
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: First
Head Coach: Tom Serratore
Key Players: Brendan Cook,
F, Sr. (35 GP, 19-20—39); Luke Erickson, F, So. (34 GP,
11-27—38); Matt Climie, G, Fr. (12-4-1, 1.69, .916)
What You Need to Know: This is Bemidji's first
trip to the NCAA Division I tournament, but the Beavers have more
national titles than any team in the field. Under long-time coach
Bob Peters, BSU won seven NAIA championships, five NCAA Division
II crowns and one NCAA D-III title from 1967-1997.
How They'll Advance: Bemidji will need their
stifling defense to slow the likes of Gabe Gauthier and Paul Stastny,
with Peter Jonsson leading the way. Jonsson and his teammates
were able to shut down Alabama-Huntsville's talented first line
in the College Hockey America championship, but this will require
an even better effort, especially on the larger Mullins Center
ice surface. Freshman goaltender Matt Climie, who took over the
starting spot midway through the year, will have to be at his
very best as well.
What Might Trip Them Up: The Beavers played a
fairly challenging non-conference schedule, but even their tie
at North Dakota didn't give them a look at the kind of offensive
depth and skill they'll see from the Pioneers. They can't get
in an up-and-down game with DU, especially without CHA Player
of the Year Andrew Murray, who broke his collarbone in the final
weekend of the regular season. Experience is also a factor; Bemidji
and Colgate are the only teams with no players who have been to
the NCAAs in the past.
| Most
Recent Bemidji StateLine Chart |
| Left
Wing |
Center |
Right
Wing |
Notes |
| 7-B.
Cook |
28-J-G
Gervais |
21-L.
Erickson |
Cook
has 42 goals the last two seasons, including a team-high nine
on the PP this year. |
| 26-R.
Huddy |
27-R.
Miller |
20-B.
Jarvis |
| 8-M.
Kuharski |
10-M.
Pope |
12-L.
Garritan |
| 18-J.
Bluhm |
14-S.
Holman |
11-R.
Sirianni |
| Defense |
Defense |
Goalies |
| 4-P.
Jonsson |
2-N.
Schwartzbauer |
33-M.
Climie |
Jonsson
is the Beavers' best defensive dman; Haider the best offensively. |
| 25-D.
Deterding |
22-A.
Martens |
1-L.
Sedevie |
| 16-J.
Haider |
5-N.
Souraniemi |
|
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