January 17, 2011

ATHLETIC REPUBLIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK #10 BRIAN FLYNN, MAINE (Junior Forward; Lynnfield, Mass.) Flynn scored three goals and added a pair of assists in Maine's two victories on the weekend. He scored two goals, including the overtime game-winner, in Maine's 4-3 win over Providence on Friday night and added had an assist to finish the game with three points. Flynn tallied a goal and an assist in Maine's 4-1 win over No. 3 Boston College on Sunday night, finishing the weekend a +4 rating. PRO AMBITIONS ROOKIE OF THE WEEK #27 ADAM PHILLIPS, UMASS (Freshman Defenseman; Farmington Hills, Mich.) Posted a pair of goals for the Minutemen in the 4-1 win over UMass-Lowell on Saturday night at the Mullins Center. PURE HOCKEY DEFENSIVE PLAYER/WEEK #29 ROB MADORE, VERMONT (Junior Goaltender; Pittsburgh, Pa.) Madore stopped 70 shots (.972 save%) without allowing a 5-on-5 goal in a weekend split with Northeastern. He recorded 32 stops in the 3-1 win on Friday night vs. the Huskies and followed that up with a 38- save performance on Saturday in the 2-0 loss. HOCKEY EAST TEAM OF THE WEEK MAINE BLACK BEARS The Black Bears took four points at Alfond Arena this past weekend with a 4-3 overtime win on Friday night and a 4-1 victory on Sunday night against No. 3 ranked Boston College. Maine scored eight goals on the weekend and went a perfect 8-for-8 on the penalty kill in the two games. Maine outshot Providence, 39-17, on Friday with a 11-3 shot advantage in the opening period.

Athletic Republic Player of the Week Brian Flynn of Maine ARMY ROTC THREE STARS AWARD At the conclusion of each Hockey East game, the " Army ROTC Three Stars of The Game" are selected. Here are the 2010-2011 season leaders to date: Rk. Name Cl. Pos. School 1. Paul Thompson Sr. F UNH 2. Cam Atkinson Jr. F BC 3. Wade MacLeod Sr. F NU   Kieran Millan Jr. G BU 4. Chris Connolly Jr. F BU   Stephane Da Costa So. F MC   Joey Diamond So. F Maine

HOCKEY EAST WEEKLY TOP PERFORMERS

Cam Atkinson, BC (Jr., F, Greenwich, Conn.) Scored his team-leading 17th goal in a 4-1 loss at Maine.

Shawn Bates, MC (Fr., F, Fort. Saskatchewan, Alta.) Tallied the game-winner and an assist in Friday's 5-4 win before adding a helper Saturday.

Joe Cannata, MC (Jr., G, Wakefield, Mass.) Recorded his first shutout of the year and fifth of his career with 24 saves Saturday.

Chris Connolly, BU (Jr., F, Duluth, Minn.) Tallied a pair of goals (PPG, SHG) in the Terriers' 5-2 victory over Harvard on Saturday.

Paul Dainton, UMass (Sr., G, Iqaluit, Nunavut) Stopped 61 of 66 shots (.924 save%) faced over the weekend posting the sweep over UML.

Jeff Dimmen, Maine (Sr., D, Colorado Springs, Colo.) Tallied a goal and added a pair of assists in Maine's 3-1 win vs. BC Sunday with a +4 rating.

Maury Edwards, UML (Sr., D, Rocky Rapids, Alta.) Scored twice in a pair of games against UMass.

Justin Gates, PC (Jr., G, Cranston, R.I.) Made a career-high 35 saves at No. 14 Maine on Friday.

John Henrion, UNH (So., F, Holden, Mass.) Scored a pair of goals in a 5-4 loss to Dartmouth. Henrion was a +2 and had four shots on net.

Jordan Heywood, MC (Fr., D, Regina, Sask.) Notched his first career goal finishing the weekend with three points and a team-high 12 shots (+3 rating).

Danny Hobbs, UMass (Jr., F, Shawville, Que.) Posted a goal and three assists on the weekend. Friday, he scored the game-winner with 11.6 seconds left at UML.

Tanner House, Maine (Sr., F, Cochrane, Alta.) Scored a goal and added three assists in Maine's 2-0-0 weekend.

Chase Langeraap, UMass (Sr., F, Cayuga, Ont.) Scored a goal on Friday against UMass Lowell and added an assist on Saturday.

Wade MacLeod, NU (Sr., F, Coquitlam, B.C.) Scored both goals in the 2-0 shutout of Vermont and had an assist in Friday's loss.

Kieran Millan, BU (Jr., G, Edmonton, Alta.) Stopped 33 shots in the Terriers's 5-2 win against Harvard Saturday.

Carter Madsen, MC (Jr., F, Calgary, Alta.) Recorded his first career two-goal and three-point game, leading Merrimack to a 7-0 win over Huntsville.

Chris Rawlings, NU (So. G, North Delta, B.C.) Logged his fifth career shutout Saturday vs. UVM. Made 39 saves on the weekend.

Steve Silva, NU (Sr., F, Tyngsboro, Mass.) Scored NU's lone goal in the 3-1 setback and an assist on Saturday in the 2-0 victory.

Shawn Sirman, Maine (So., G, Blezard Valley, Ont.) Made 24 saves (.960 save%) in Maine's 4-1 win over No. 3 Boston College.

Mike Sislo, UNH (Sr., F, Superior, Wis.) Scored the game's first goal and added an assist vs. Dartmouth on Saturday.

T.J. Syner, UMass (Jr., F, Springfield, Mass.) Had a four-assist weekend with two helpers in each win over UMass Lowell.

Paul Thompson, UNH (Sr., F, Derry, N.H.) Registered a goal and an assist in UNH's 5-4 loss against Dartmouth.

Jesse Todd, MC (Jr., F, Calgary, Alta.) Netted three goals and four points leading Merrimack to a pair of wins over Alabama-Huntsville.

CAREER FIRSTS/MILESTONES/WHO's HOT

CAM ATKINSON, BC (GREENWICH, CONN.) Recorded his 100th (54g,46a) career point Sunday at Maine in his 99th career game

Justin Courtnall, BU (Victoria, B.C.) Scored his first collegiate goal in Saturday's win over Harvard

Stephane Da Costa , MC (Paris, France) Extended point streak to 10 games with 18 points (7g) in that time

Paul Dainton, UMass (Iqaluit, Nunvut) Now has 2,762 career saves needing just 288 to tie the UMass program record (3,050, Brian Regan)

Brian Flynn , Maine (Lynnfield, Mass.) Tallied his 90th career point Sunday vs. the Eagles

John Henrion, UNH (Holden, Mass.) Scored a career-high two goals on Saturday against Dartmouth

Jordan Heywood, MC (Regina, SK) Netted his first career goal Saturday

Danny Hobbs, UMass (Shawville, Que.) Has 5 goals and 7 assists in the last 9 games

Tanner House, MAINE (Cochrane, Alta .) Scored his 90th career point on Sunday against Boston College

Patrick MacGregor, BU (Hamden, Conn.) Earned his first collegiate point with an assist vs. Harvard Saturday

Carter Madsen, MC (Calgary , Alta .) Set career-highs with two goals and three points Saturday vs. UAH

PROVIDENCE COLLEGE PENALTY KILL Has killed 41 of the last 43 penalties (95.3%)

Jon Swavely , Maine (Reading, Pa.) Scored his first career goal on Friday against Providence

Colin Shea, UMass (Shrewsbury , Mass.) Scored his first career goal in the win vs. UMass Lowell Saturday

Sebastian Stalberg , UVM (Gothenburg, Sweden) Has eight points in the last seven outings for Vermont (4g,4a)

Riley Wetmore, UML (Swanton, Vt.) Has scored six goals in the last nine games

TEAM NOTES

Boston College: BC fell at Maine in its lone game of the week, 4-1, a loss that snapped a seven-game win streak that began on Nov. 28 against Vermont…The Eagles were awarded a penalty in the second period; Black Bear goaltender Shawn Sirman stopped Pat Mullane's backhanded bid to his glove side…the loss also snapped an eight-game unbeaten streak vs. the Black Bears (7-0-1)...BC finished 2-1-0 in the season series against Maine…The team finished 0-for-4 on the power play and have not scored in man-advantage opportunities in three straight contests…Cam Atkinson scored BC's only goal which marked his 100th career point. He has 54 goals and 46 assists in 99 career games and is the third active player with 100 points, joining senior linemates Brian Gibbons (140 points) and Joe Whitney (127 points)…Sophomore goaltender Parker Milner stopped all 13 Maine shots faced in the game's final 36 minutes in his sixth appearance of the season... BC will next conclude the league series with BU at Agganis Arena on Friday, Jan. 21; the Eagles earned consecutive wins over BU in early December.

Boston University: Only three teams (Merrimack, New Hampshire, Yale) in the nation have fewer losses this season than the Terriers…BU is 52-1-4 in the last 57 games in which it has led after two periods…Charlie Coyle (East Weymouth, Mass.) and Sahir Gill (Terrace, B.C.) are tied for second among Hockey East freshmen in scoring with 16 points each…The Terriers have killed off their opponents' last 14 power plays to move up to 13th in the nation in penalty kill at 85.6 percent (95-of-111)…BU has had a league-high 19 different players score a goal this season…Junior Corey Trivino (Toronto, Ont.) has five points (1g, 4a) in the last three games…Sophomore defenseman Sean Escobedo (Bayside, N.Y.) has recorded an assist in each of the last three contests…The Terriers will begin a stretch of five league games – four of which are on the road – in 12 days on Tuesday when they visit Merrimack in a contest that will determine the season series following a pair of ties in a home-and-home in November. All five games are against nationally ranked squads that BU is currently either tied with or one spot ahead of or behind in the league standings.

Maine: Maine won a pair of games on the weekend…The Black Bears defeated Providence 4-3 in overtime on Friday, before skating to a 4-1 win over #3 Boston College on Sunday. It was the third time this season that the Black Bears have beaten a team ranked third in the nation or higher...Maine swept a series with then No. 2 North Dakota earlier this year…The Black Bears have won three games in overtime this season, the most since the 2002-03 season…Brian Flynn notched the overtime game-winner against the Friars on Friday…It was his team-leading third game-winning goal this season…Shawn Sirman got his first start in goal in over a month and earned the win against Boston College…He turned away a penalty shot in the victory and improves to 3-0-2 on the season…The Black Bears are 8-1-1 at Alfond Arena this year…Gustav Nyquist (Malmo, Sweden) extended his point-scoring streak to eight games…He also moved into a tied for 34th place on Maine's all-time scoring list with 119 career points…The Black Bears held their opponents scoreless on eight power play chances over the weekend…Maine had 14 student-athletes post a 3.0 or better during the first semester, including three with a perfect 4.0.

Massachusetts: UMass snapped a season-long five-game losing skid with a pair of wins against UMass Lowell giving the Minutemen a season sweep of the River Hawks…The two wins moved UMass into 7th-place in the league standings just one point out of sixth and four points out of a tie for 5th-place…UMass will head to Vermont (currently in 9th) this weekend for a pair of games…UMass has received a special teams boost as the penalty kill has been 14-of-14 over the last four games since allowing its last power play goal against Northeastern (1/7)…The PK units have not allowed an extra man goal in four of the last five games…The power play unit also has posted extra man goals in each of the last five games going 7-of-24 (29.2) in that span – 14 points higher than the overall average…UMass forwards accounted for 20-of-25 points in the two wins over Lowell after scoring just 13-of-23 points in the previous five games…After taking leads into the third periods of each game against Lowell, UMass is now 5-2-1 when leading or tied after the second period (0-9-2 when trailing)…Friday's win at Lowell also marked the first road win of the season (1-7-2).

UMass-Lowell: UMass Lowell suffered a weekend sweep at the hands of rival Massachusetts, dropping their record to 2-18-2 overall and 2-14-0 in Hockey East …The losses extend the River Hawks' losing streak to 13 games…On Friday, UMass Lowell battled back from a 4-1 deficit to tie the game in front of 5,753 fans—its largest home crowd of the season…Despite the comeback, the Minutemen scored with 12 seconds left to steal the victory… The River Hawks' were outshot in the game 37-40, their most shots on goal since Oct. 23 vs. NU…In the loss, Riley Wetmore, Joseph Pendenza (Wilmington, Mass.), Shayne Thompson (Stittsville, Ont.) and Maury Edwards (Rocky Rapids, Alta.) all scored goals...Pendenza's tally came short handed, his third such goal this season…Pendenza now has the most short handed goals by a River Hawk since Ed McGrane tallied five in 2001-02. Edwards followed with the lone UMass Lowell tally during Saturday's 4-1 loss…It marked the first time Edwards has recorded goals in back-to-back games since Mar. 7-13, 2009.

Merrimack: Maintaining its best start in its Division I school history at 12-4-4, Merrimack increased its winning streak to five games and its roadwinning streak to six with 5-4 and 7-0 victories over Alabama Huntsville in the first-ever college hockey games in the state of Tennessee…The Warriors concluded non-conference play unbeaten at 6-0-1…Merrimack ranks tied for fifth nationally in winning percentage and is one of three teams with four losses or fewer in the country…The Warriors are averaging six goals per game in four January wins, scoring seven goals twice…Merrimack's defense remains first in Hockey East and second nationally, while its penalty kill is second in Hockey East and in the country…Merrimack outshot Huntsville by a 93-39 margin, getting the first 19 shots in Saturday's win…Joe Cannata recorded his fifth career shutout and now has a winning record in his collegiate career (29-28-9)…The Warriors open a four-game homestand with BU Tuesday night at Lawler Arena.

New Hampshire: John Henrion scored a career high two goals on Saturday night against Dartmouth. Henrion has four goals in the last four games with tallies in three of the last four…UNH completed non-conference play with a 2-3-1 mark, but just a 1-2-1 marking against ECAC foes…Dartmouth captured the Battle for the RiverStone Cup X with a 5-4 win. The 'Cats hold a 6-3-1 advantage in the RiverStone series…Paul Thompson tallied a late goal to tie it a 4-4 in the third period. He has five goals in the last three games for UNH…The 'Cats will look to extend its 26-game (19-0-7) Whittemore Center unbeaten streak against Hockey East foes…UNH will play three of its next four against Providence College...Mike Sislo tallied a goal and an assist on Saturday and is now just four points shy of 100 points for his career. Sislo's linemates Thompson (93 points) and DeSimone (91) are also closing in on the century mark.

Northeastern: Northeastern salvaged a split in its weekend series with Vermont, shutting out the Catamounts, 2-0, after dropping a 3-1 contest in the opener. The Huskies' offensive attempt outnumbered UVM's in a 73-42 margin in shots. Wade MacLeod has found his name on the scoring sheet in his last six outings, matching a career-best. His recent tear has thrust him past defenseman Jim Fahey (1998-2002) in the all-time Northeastern scoring annals. MacLeod has scored 112 points (49-63-112) in 131 career games, while Fahey registered 111 points in 143 contests. Chris Rawlings climbed in the Northeastern record books, as well, obtaining his fifth-career shutout via 17 saves in the 2-0 shutout of UVM on Saturday. Rawlings' fifth-career shutout elevated him to third all-time in career shutouts for Northeastern. The North Delta, B.C. is now two shutouts behind Keni Gibson (2001-05) with seven and the Huskies' all-time leader, Brad Thiessen (2006-09) with nine. The Huskies step out of Hockey East action for a rare Wednesday night bout with cross-town foe Harvard on Jan. 19 for a preview of the firstround matchup in the Beanpot Tournament. The last time Northeastern and Harvard met on the ice outside of the TD Garden came on Dec. 19, 1999 in Cambridge. The last time the Huskies and Crimson met at Matthews Arena was on Nov. 24, 1995 (NU lost, 4-1).

Providence College: The Friars rallied from a two-goal, third period deficit at No. 14 Maine to force overtime, but were defeated, 4-3, in overtime on Friday…Junior goalie Justin Gates made his first career start at Alfond Arena…PC had three different goals scorers, including Tim Schaller who evened the score at 3-3 late in the third period…Providence has played in seven overtime games this season…Providence College's stretch of 22 consecutive penalty kills came to an end on Friday at No. 14 Maine…The Friars have now killed off 41 of the last 43 penalties (95%) in the last eight games…Tim Schaller, who has 15 points (4 g, 11 a), has tripled his scoring from his freshman season…Senior Ian O'Connor (Londonderry, N.H.) has a career-high 17 points this season, including a career-best 11 assists…The Friar senior class has scored 32 (62%) of the team's 52 goals…The Friars will play No. 4 UNH three times in eight days beginning on Friday, January 21 at the Whittemore Center.

Vermont: The Catamounts earned a split over the weekend with Northeastern, leaving Matthews Arena Friday night with a 3-1 win and then falling 2-0, to the Huskies Saturday…Anthony DeCenzo (Hibbing, Minn.) picked up his second goal of the year Friday playing for the fist time in his career on the top-line…Jack Downing (New Canaan, Conn.) recorded his first gamewinning goal of the year and fifth in his career…Nick Bruneteau assisted on the Stalberg goal and now has seven assists in as many games and continues to pace UVM with 11 helpers on the season…Dan Lawson (Oak Forest, Ill.) and Drew MacKenzie (New Canaan, Conn.) each had an assist on the weekend…The Catamounts are plus-8 on the year in the opening period through 20 games…Rob Madore (Pittsburgh, Pa.) stopped 70 shots with out allowing a 5-on-5 goal over the weekend and has allowed only one 5-on-5 goal in the last 296 minutes played through January.

COMMISSIONER'S CORNER

We are crossing into the second half of the season with this week's games and while every game is still worth just two points, there is a heightened sense of importance to all games from here on in. As most fans know, Hockey East is the only conference of the five nationally who eliminate teams from post-season play. Our ninth and tenth place teams are the only Division I hockey teams that do not have a post-season. It is tough on those coaches but I agree with the policy as backed up by the ten conference athletics directors. This explains some of the intensity that surfaces down the stretch.

Hockey East games featured two penalty shots this past weekend, both denied by the goalkeepers. On Saturday, the BU women were awarded a penalty shot against arch-rival BC (both teams are ranked nationally) and Olympian Molly Schaus won the battle with Jenn Wakefield (but BU won the game, 4-0). On Sunday night, in a game carried nationally on CBS College Sports, Maine goalie Shawn Sirman stopped BC's Pat Mullane en route to a 4-1 win.