March 18, 2007
NCAA Tournament
East Regional Capsules | Rochester, N.Y.

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Blue Cross Arena
Friday, March 23

2:30 p.m. ET: No. 1 Clarkson vs. No. 4 Massachusetts

6 p.m. ET: No. 2 St. Cloud State vs. No. 3 Maine

Saturday, March 24

6 p.m. ET: Regional Final

NO. 1 SEED CLARKSON GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Location: Potsdam, N.Y.
Record: 25-8-5 (13-5-4 ECACHL, second)
Qualified: ECACHL tournament champions
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: 19th (most recent, 1999)
Head Coach: George Roll
Key Players: Nick Dodge, F, Jr. (35 GP, 18-21—39); Shawn Weller, F, Jr. (38 GP, 19-21—40); David Leggio, G, Jr. (24-6-5, 2.20, .929); Steve Zalewski, F, Jr. (38 GP, 16-18—34)
What You Need to Know: The Golden Knights have enjoyed a revival in this, George Roll’s fourth season at the helm. A balanced and talented group of forwards led them to their first ECAC Hockey League playoff title since 1999, the last year they made the national tournament. Clarkson seeks its first win in the NCAAs since 1996.
How They'll Advance: The top three lines are so strong and balanced that Clarkson can afford off nights from a couple of their top players and still win. The Knights are also less susceptible to teams that try to match lines or defense pairs against a top line, since that can change on any given night. Quinnipiac was able to slow Clarkson’s offense for two periods in the ECACHL title game, but the Knights exploded for four third-period goals in the comeback win.
What Might Trip Them Up: Clarkson leans heavily on juniors and seniors, but experience – at least on this big of a stage – is bound to be a concern with a team that posted 20 wins for the first time since 2001. Their likely opponents, Massachusetts and St. Cloud State, are NCAA greenhorns as well, but the No. 1 seed puts a little more pressure on the Golden Knights.

Most Recent Clarkson Line Chart
Left Wing	Center	Right Wing	Notes
10-M. Sullivan	32-N. Dodge	19-D. Cayer	The depth of Clarkson's top three lines rivals that of any team in the tournament.
9-S. Weller	15-S. Zalewski	8-M. Beca
21-T. Marks	11-C. D'Alvise	91-S. Guthrie
18-M. Kolu	26-M. Willemsen	20-B. Rutherglen
Defense	Defense	Goalies
14-G. Clitsome	2-P. Paquet	33-D. Leggio	The Knights' D is not particularly offensive minded; Clitsome (19 pts.) is the top scorer.
3-M. Grenzy	12-T. Mason	30-K. McNulty
7-M. Curley	44-J. Crowe	1-T. Potter

NO. 2 SEED ST. CLOUD STATE HUSKIES

Location: St. Cloud, Minn.
Record: 22-10-7 (14-7-7 WCHA, second)
Qualified: At-large bid
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: Sixth (most recent, 2003)
Head Coach: Bob Motzko
Key Players: Bobby Goepfert, G, Sr. (17-9-7, 2.24, .927); Andrew Gordon, F, Jr. (39 GP, 22-23—45); Andreas Nodl, F, Fr. (39 GP, 18-28—46); Ryan Lasch, F, Fr. (39 GP, 16-23—39)
What You Need to Know: It’s a long, long drive from St. Cloud to western New York, but extensive travel for the NCAA playoffs is nothing new for the Huskies. The program’s five previous NCAA trips have sent them to Sault Ste. Marie, Albany, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Worcester. And yes, the Huskies are 0-6 in those games.
How They'll Advance: We’re thinking Bobby Goepfert smiled just a little bit when he saw that his first NCAA tournament game involved a return to his Hockey East roots and a date with Maine. There’s no secret that the key to the Huskies hopes rest squarely on the shoulders of their Hobey finalists between the pipes. If those uncharacteristic rebounds we saw in St. Paul last weekend get left in the garbage bin just outside the airport security checkpoint at MSP, the Huskies chances go up several notches.
What Might Trip Them Up: The pre-med and pre-psych students who follow St. Cloud State hockey might raise a few questions about their favorite team’s physical and mental health right now. In Saturday’s come-from-ahead overtime loss to Wisconsin, Goepfert recovered from a nasty shot to the shoulder/neck region that had him face down, motionless on the ice for a few scary minutes, but second-line center Nate Raduns left the ice and didn’t return. Mental health is a question mark only because the Huskies played a solid game against North Dakota and got run over anyway. Late March is not the time that you want to be less-than-prime in the head, or elsewhere.

Most Recent St. Cloud State Line Chart
Left Wing	Center	Right Wing	Notes
12-A. Nodl	13-N. Dey	17-A. Gordon	SCSU's top three scorers hail from Austria, Nova Scotia, and California, respectively.
14-D. Kronick	8-N. Raduns	25-R. Lasch
16-M. Mjelleli	26-J. Swanson	20-R. Peckskamp
23-A.J. Gale	37-M. Olson	10-M. Hartman
Defense	Defense	Goalies
27-J. Fletcher	24-M. Stephenson	47-B. Goepfert	Goepfert, the Providence transfer, could face two Hockey East foes.
6-C. Borer	7-G. Raboin	33-J. Weslosky
21-G. Clafton	2-J. Ammerman	30-B.J. O'Brien

NO. 3 SEED MAINE BLACK BEARS

Location: Orono, Maine
Record: 21-14-2 (14-12-1 Hockey East, tied for fifth)
Qualified: At-large bid
NCAA Championships: Two (1993, 1999)
NCAA Appearance: 17th (most recent, 2006)
Head Coach: Tim Whitehead
Key Players: Josh Soares, Sr., F (37 GP, 19-22—41); Michel Léveillé, Sr., F (37 GP, 18-23—41); Teddy Purcell, Fr., F (37 GP, 16-24—40); Ben Bishop, So., G (19-8-2, 2.15, .921)
What You Need To Know: Maine will be playing its first game in 13 days when it faces Clarkson in Rochester, and after getting swept by UMass in consecutive weekends, the Black Bears haven't won since Feb. 24. Furthermore, they haven’t beaten a team with a winning record since taking down Vermont Feb. 10.
How They’ll Advance: Ben Bishop is expected to return in goal for Maine, but he hasn’t played since being injured Feb. 24. It might be too much to ask for Bishop to make a run similar to the one he made last season in the NCAA Tournament. The Black Bears have three tremendous offensive options in Josh Soares (19-22—41), Michel Leveille (18-23—41) and Teddy Purcell (16-24—40). Maine also has the best power-play unit in the nation, converting at a 25.3 percent rate.
What Might Trip Them Up: The transition defense was a problem for Maine against UMass. There were times when the Black Bears dominated play at the Mullins Center but turned the puck over, allowing the Minutemen to take possession, bury their chances, and seize momentum.

Most Recent Maine Line Chart
Left Wing	Center	Right Wing	Notes
18-J. Soares	11-M. Léveillé	12-K. Johnson	Léveillé, who scored seven points in 14 games from Nov. 25-Jan. 27, has 15 points in his last 12 games.
14-B. Ryan	22-M. Hamilton	26-T. Purcell
29-B. Shepheard	23-T. Morrone	16-R. Bellamy
37-C. Hahn	7-J. Marshall	55-V. Laise
Defense	Defense	Goalies
44-B. Tyler	21-M. Duffy	30-B. Bishop	Wilson, while subbing for Bishop, has lost six straight starts.
2-M. Lundin	79-S. Danis-Pepin	33-D. Wilson
13-K. Hopson	27-T. Ramsey	31-S. Foley

NO. 4 SEED MASSACHUSETTS MINUTEMEN

Location: Amherst, Mass.
Record: 20-12-5 (15-9-3 Hockey East, fourth)
Qualified: At-large bid
NCAA Championships: None
NCAA Appearance: First
Head Coach: Don "Toot" Cahoon
Key Players: Jon Quick, G, So. (18-11-5, 2.20, .928); Chris Capraro, F, Sr. (33 GP, 10-25—35); Cory Quirk, F, So. (37 GP, 13-18—31); Mark Matheson, D/F, Sr. (36 GP, 13-11—24)
What You Need To Know: Jon Quick has emerged as one of the best goalies in the country this season, and he has played his best hockey down the stretch. UMass doesn’t have a true go-to scorer, as four players have reached double figures in goals, but none have more than 13. The Minutemen have been getting consistent production out of four lines. Two players — Chris Capraro and Cory Quirk — have scored 30 points, six have at least 20 points and nine have at least 18 points.
How They’ll Advance: They won a season-best six straight games before dropping the double-overtime decision to New Hampshire in the Hockey East semifinals. Still, the Minutemen played well enough to win — and probably should have won — that game. Quick will need to keep up his stellar play between the pipes, and he’ll need some support from the offense.
What Might Trip Them Up: This is the first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament for the Minutemen, so inexperience could play a factor early on against Clarkson. And despite the balanced offensive attack, UMass has had difficulties finding the back of the net at times this season. Its offense ranks 30th in the country and 15th among the tournament field.

Most Recent Massachusetts Line Chart
Left Wing	Center	Right Wing	Notes
23-C. Capraro	12-C. Quirk	67-M. Burto	Is the best yet to come? UMass's lineup features just four seniors — Anderson, Capraro, Jarman, and Matheson.
14-P.J. Fenton	26-B. Watson	24-A. Berry
49-K. Jarman	8-J. Virtue	10-W. Ortiz
18-S. Crowder	16-M. Anderson	11-C. Davis
Defense	Defense	Goalies
20-M. Matheson	28-M. Kostka	29-J. Quick	Matheson, the top scorer on D, can also play center.
7-D. Leaderer	27-J. Braun	33-D. Meyers
5-T. Bevis	4-J. Wessbecker	30-J. Gilbert