Saturday, March 25, 2006

Quick update on some of our pro boys

AHL

Binghamton Senators
Brandon Schwartz, 5GP, 0G, 0A, 0PTS, 0PIM, -2

Grand Rapids Griffins
Greg Amadio, 61G, 0G, 3A, 3PTS, 125PIM, +11
Clay Wilson, 51G, 8G, 22A, 30PTS, 31PIM, +12

Iowa Stars
Chris Conner, 3GP, 1G, 0A, 1PT, 0PIM, 0

Milwaukee Admirals
Chris Durno, 48G, 17G, 16A, 33PTS, 34PIM, +7

Toronto Marlies
Brett Engelhardt, 59 GP, 11G, 25 A, 36PTS, 74PIM, +6
Colin Murphy, 40 GP, 12G, 14A, 26PTS, 27PIM, +1

ECHL

Greenville Grrowl
Cam Ellsworth, 31GP, 19-10-1 Overall, 2.77GAA, .902SV%

Johnstown Chiefs
Brad Sullivan, 11GP, 0G, 0A, 0PTS, 2PIM

Victoria Salmon Kings
Taggert Desmet, 6GP, 1G, 8A, 9PTS, 2PIM

CHL

Corpus Christi Rayz
Frank Werner, 60GP, 7G, 6A, 13PTS, 28PIM

Tulsa Oilers
Marek Dora, 39GP, 4G, 16A, 20PTS, 34PIM

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

2006-2007 Season Schedule

The schedule for the upcoming season was recently released. Here's what we're looking at for the regular season:

Fri 6 Oct
Lakehead (ex)
Fri 13 Oct NMU
Sat 14 Oct NMU
20-21 Oct Vermont
27-28 Oct UAA
3-4 Nov CC
10-11 Nov UMD
17-18 Nov DU
1-2 Dec SCSU
8-9 Dec UMN
15-16 Dec UND
Fri 29 Dec UM^
Sat 30 Dec HU/MSU^
5-6 Jan UMD
12-13 Jan BSU
19-20 Jan UAA
26-27 Jan CC
2-3 Feb MSU,M
9-10 Feb DU (WC)
23-24 Feb UW
2-3 Mar UMN

^GLI; bold games are home.

Looks like the Huskies will not be going to St. Cloud or Madison this year; nor will the Mavericks and the Sioux be visiting.

Once again, NMU only twice this season, unfortunately. I'd gladly trade the Beavers series for another home and home with the Wildcats.

The worst part of the schedule (to the joy of UMD fans everywhere) has to be how early on in 2007 that we will be going to the DECC. Tech's Winter Break will still be going on that time. Our tradition started two years ago to take over the DECC by bringing around 40 Misfits will come to an end. This season, we must leave it up to the guys to sweep the Bulldogs at the DECC... even though there won't be 40 Misfits there making enough noise to annoy even themselves. The vacation thing won't stop me, but it'll be hard to find 40 other willing souls to go. Guess I better get working on it right now...

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Senior tribute...

Here is a tribute to our class of awesome seniors:

With this year’s crop of seniors finishing their careers, this season marks the end of an era for the hockey Huskies. Gone are the Brett Engelhardts, Colin Murphys and Chris Conners of the past six seasons. Boy, what an era it’s been.

This year’s six seniors are no exception. From the before mentioned Conner to this season’s captain, Brandon Schwartz, what this group of seniors managed to do was survive a coaching change and play well enough to enjoy a modest level of success. This included a major victory over then top-ranked Wisconsin in Madison, WI, on December 9th of 2005.

“These guys showed a tremendous amount of leadership,” said coach Jamie Russell. “These guys bought in to what we’re trying to do here.”

Nick Anderson became a force on the power play over his last two seasons. Netting 22 career goals, 15 of them came on the man advantage. In his final year, Anderson netted nine goals and 16 points, good for sixth on the team.

Conner’s career statistics speak for themselves. In 151 games, he amassed 69 goals, 15 of which came while short handed. That total is good for second all-time in NCAA history. His 129 points are good for 34th all-time among Husky scorers.

He did finish his final season with 17 goals and 29 points to lead the Huskies in scoring. His goal total was good for his second-highest in his four-year career.

Conner has signed an amateur try-out with the Iowa Stars of the American Hockey League. He started off his professional career with a bang, netting his first professional goal in his first game against the Manchester Monarchs.

Taggert Desmet, Conner’s center for most of the last three seasons not only put up 57 points over the course of his career, but also was the main man on faceoffs much of his three seasons in the black and gold.

Desmet finished his senior year with seven goals and 17 points. His biggest goal may have been the one he netted in the third period Feb. 4th at Minnesota State-Mankato.

Desmet has already begun his professional career quickly, with one goal and six points in three games for the Victoria Salmon Kings of the East Coast Hockey League. In his debut, he notched three assists before netting the game-winning goal in overtime.

Hailing from Heinola, Finland, Pekka Saittakari didn’t compete in nearly as many games as the rest of his fellow classmates, dressing for only 91 games total, but when he did play, he made sure he left it all on the ice. Saittakari finished his senior season +5.

A staple of the blueline, John Scott’s impact to the defensive corps was never felt as heavily as it was during the early stages of this season, when he was forced to sit out the first 14 games. After his return, the Huskies did the seemingly impossible, beating Wisconsin in their own building, and rattling off a consecutive streak of WCHA series with points of eight. Scott had his best offensive season, netting three goals, giving him seven goals and twelve career points.

The final senior, Schwartz, had huge shoes to fill. Following Murphy would be tough for anyone. After some early growing pains, Schwartz settled in, netting 10 goals and 26 points, good for second on the team.

Schwartz took his 82 career points, and signed an amateur try-out with the Binghamton Senators. After a pair of games, he is still searching for his first point.

While wins were few and far between for these seniors, all six of them brought something special to the team, and will be sorely missed next season, not just by the team, but also by the fans, especially the Mitch’s Misfits, as this class was instrumental in helping the Misfits become a reality.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Quick UND Recap; Post Season Begins

One word can easily sum up this past weekend for the Huskies in Grand Forks: DISAPPOINTMENT.

Unfortunately, the Huskies couldn't manage one single goal all weekend. They put together about 4 good periods of hockey, but had nothing to show for it.

One of the biggest highlites of the weekend had to have been the BRILLIANT powerplay the Huskies excuted on their first up-one-man opportunity of the series. (That was a long sentence.) I am still in awe over its greatness. Besides the fact that they didn't score on it, everything else was perfect... In my three years of watching Michigan Tech hockey, those were, without a doubt, the two most beautiful minutes I'd ever seen. Can't even describe it...

And at the UND games, it was a MeanEgirl first... I got to see my first penalty shot. I must say, I was VERY nervous... and scared for Teslak. Luckily for all of us, Kaip didn't get off the best of shots. Teslak denied it and there was much rejoicing from Section 311.

Two games. 10 GA. 0 GF. Several unhappy MTU fans.

However, everything we've done up to this point no longer matters. Post season is now. We'll be headed to Madison this upcoming weekend to face the Badgers (23-9-3, 17-8-3 WCHA). Looks like star goaltender Brian Elliott is getting back in his groove after his injury that kept him off the ice for weeks. This is bad news for the Huskies, who really need him to SUCK this weekend, so they can be this year's miracle upset.

If the hockey team doesn't get it together this weekend, it will of course be our seniors' last games as college hockey players. But, with all odds against them... If they somehow manage to pull a couple of victories out, they'll be headed to St. Paul next weekend to compete in the Final Five. That would be excellent... as their band is already suited up and ready to go.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Tech Blog Up and Running




Alright, people have been telling me that MTU needs a hockey blog. Well, here it is. Sure, it's pathetic right now, but we'll see how it goes. I'd like to get more writers for it, but again, we'll see how it turns out. Since the season is nearly over for the Huskies, this blog isn't going to go far for the remainder of it. Next year, however, I hope this is big!

Now to get to hockey talk - this weekend, the Huskies will be playing their last regular season series for the 2005-2006 season. They find themselves in Grand Forks to take on the UND Fighting Sioux. Tech, who is 7-21-6 (6-14-6 WCHA) are looking to spoil home ice for North Dakota, who are 21-14-1 (14-12-0 WCHA). Chances are looking pretty good that Michigan Tech will finish 8th in the conference this season, which is quite the improvement from the 10th place they had been becoming very well acquainted with for the past two years.

In the two teams' last 10 meetings, the Sioux hold a slight edge, winning ten games to the Huskies' zero. North Dakota is the only team that Coach Russell has yet to get even a point from. I'm really hoping it will happen THIS WEEKEND, as I'll be there! It'll be my second visit to Grand Forks and 3rd and 4th times in the Ralph Engelstad Arena. Hopefully I enjoy the outcome a little bit more this time around.

Bare with me as this hockey blog gets up and running. I'm new at hockey blogging, and blogging altogether. I'm going to be looking for more writers for this blog as well.