January 30, 2006
ECRHA First Semester Review
A Few Surprises, But Some Things Never Change
The first semester of this 2005-2006 ECRHA season has been filled with
great performances, intense rivalry match ups, and big upsets, but some
things still remain the same. Coming as no surprise, at this holiday
break two of the league?s three hottest teams are perennial powerhouses
Suffolk Community College and Towson University.
Reigning Division 3 champion #4 Suffolk Community College saw its season start slow; losing two games without the services of superstar forward John Lechmanski. Since then, Suffolk has won 7 straight games by an average margin of victory just under nine goals, with their closest game being a 7-4 victory over Rutgers. Lechmanski has averaged an overwhelming 8.4 points per game, including 5 power play goals, 6 shorthanded goals, and 4 game winning goals. Suffolk?s defensive game has also been stellar, with a big reason being between the pipes. Goalie Kevin Hammerschlag has been awesome, posting a 2.50 GAA and a .888 save percentage. Suffolk?s only two losses, both of which were without Lechmanski and Hammerschlag, were to the 2004-2005 Division 1 runner-up, Rochester Institute of Technology and champions, Towson University.
The Southern Conference-leading #7 Towson Tigers have coasted to a 6-0-1 regular season record, with huge victories over Suffolk and Rutgers, and a tie with RIT. Towson?s success has been fueled by a trio of offensive superstars; juniors Josh Stein and Gene Gsell, and freshman Dane Houser. All three players are among the top ten Division one scoring leaders, with Gsell leading the Tigers with 31 points in just 7 games. Dane Houser has been one of the top freshmen this season, scoring 10 goals and adding 9 assists in only 7 games. Towson?s defense, led by Captain Jim Tamburino, has been rock solid, allowing only 20 goals in seven games. With an undefeated record of 5-0-1, goaltender Mike Burke has been excellent in net, boasting a 2.29 goals against average and a remarkable .915 save percentage. The defending champions look exceptional from top to bottom and still remain the team to beat in Division 1.
The 2004-2005 ECRHA runner-up #11 Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers currently sit atop the Northern Conference standings with a record of 4-2-1. After playing a tough first half schedule with games against Towson, Suffolk, Rhode Island, and Rutgers twice, RIT still remains a contender for the ECRHA title. Freshman Brian Helm and junior Mark McCreary currently lead the team in scoring, while the team?s veteran defensemen John Nowak and Tim Dion have led by example while anchoring the strong Tigers? defense. Sophomore goaltender Brett Campbell has been consistently strong between the pipes with a 4.28 GAA. Campbell showed top form in RIT?s tie with Towson, stymieing the relentless Tigers assault and making 42 saves in the process. Even with their star players showing elite form this early in the season, questions remain about RIT?s consistency. The Tigers have shown flashes of brilliance at some moments, but will it be enough to stay in the mix as one of the top contenders for the ECRHA championship come March? It should be an interesting second half of the season for the Tigers, and one should expect them to regain dominant form by All Star weekend.
A surprise to many is #6 Rutgers University, thrown into the mix as a contender this year and sporting a 12-2 regular season record, good enough for first in the extremely competitive Central Conference. The 12 wins have not come easy for the Knights, as tough victories came against RIT twice, SUNY Binghamton twice, and Rhode Island twice. The explosive Knights? offense has been led by six players each scoring over twenty points in the Knights? 14 games played. However, the major difference between last year?s Rutgers squad and this year?s is the addition of freshman sniper Andrew Brodsky and transfer power forward Bob Markowick. Flourishing while playing alongside their veteran line mates, Captain Anthony Tsigourakos and Assistant Captain James Novak, both Brodsky and Markowick have scored over 28 goals apiece and both are among the top 5 league leaders in scoring. The team?s defensive corps has looked solid, and with 11 wins and a goals against average of 3.00, senior goaltender Matt Pokoj has regained the form he showed last year in earning team MVP honors. Sophomore Rob Fulton has been the driving force of the team?s defense, registering 22 goals and 15 assists. With a roster so deep with talent, the Scarlet Knights are a surprise top contender for this year?s title.
Also coming as a surprise has been the play of #20 SUNY Binghamton. The Bearcats are currently third in the Central Conference with a solid 8-6-1 record. The dangerous trio of Mike Guerriero, Mike Coyle, and John Cahill has led the Bearcats to conference victories over Pittsburgh and Penn State, while goaltender Mike McGrath has been consistent between the pipes, registering five victories, including a shut out over Penn State. Early in the season, the Bearcats showed their team?s courage by earning two tough victories over Boston University, yet another dark horse team thrown into the mix this year. Although they own a record below .500 (4-6-1), the Terriers remain one of Division 1?s top surprise teams this season, as evidenced by their upset victory over SUNY Buffalo back in November in Glastonbury, CT. Seniors Justin Leibow and Matt Brandwein have posted big offensive numbers for BU, including a combined ten power play goals. If not for two close one-goal losses to Binghamton and Rhode Island, Boston would be atop the Northern Conference at this point in the season.
Even with all of their success, Boston did falter in their final game of the semester, losing a blowout to the University of Pittsburgh in Feasterville, PA. The Pittsburgh Panthers are currently the holders of a 5-3-3 record, further demonstrating the belief that the Central Conference is the most competitive in ECRHA?s Division 1. With four of the conference?s five teams having winning records, the wins do not come easy in the Central. However, Pitt managed two conference victories early in the season against Penn State and perennial powerhouse SUNY Buffalo, feeding off the crowd energy at their hometown rink in Harmar Township, PA. Seniors JD Almonte and Brad Blake, along with sophomore Matt Luttrell, have been the catalysts of Pitt?s offensive assault. The three have averaged over two points per game in the first semester, with Almonte scoring three shorthanded goals, leaving him tied for first in ECRHA?s Division 1. The goaltending tandem of Joe Gottuso and Matt McFarland has been quite advantageous for the Panthers and definitely gives them flexibility during the stretch run entering the second semester. With the late addition of ECRHA All-Star Dave Thomas, the Panthers have put themselves in prime position to be a serious threat at Regionals in March.
With the majority of their core players returning this season, Towson, Rutgers, Buffalo, and RIT all have had successful first halves of their seasons, as evidenced by their high winning percentages. Some teams have not been as lucky, experiencing high turnover rates this season. Many of the past ?power house? teams have few, if any, core players returning from last season, and the effects of these changes can be seen in their poor records. To date, Northeastern University, University of Rhode Island, University of Delaware, and Penn State University all have won less than 40% of their games this season, relegating themselves to the bottom five teams in overall in Division 1 winning percentage.
The shocking aspect of this development is the fact that all four of these teams owned winning records last season and all four qualified for the Regional Tournament last March, with Rhode Island and Delaware both receiving bids to the 2005 National Collegiate Tournament. The biggest effects of turnover are seen with the Rhode Island Rams; a team that was crowned Northern Conference champions in 2004-2005 with a 14-3-1 record and two star players finishing in top three in scoring. To date, the Rams are 3-7-0 with only one player, Captain Rick McGuire, in the top fifteen in scoring. The Rams have gotten very good goaltending out of senior Jarred Martin, who is among the top 5 league leaders in saves, goals against average, and save percentage. However, with six out the team?s ten skaters being underclassmen, the Rams have suffered a tremendous drop-off in depth this year and are the best example of roster turnover in the ECRHA today.
Looking ahead, these rosters deep in underclassmen shows that the future outlook for these teams is not as bleak as it appears to be. Penn State shows a possible future return to glory, with three of its starters being sophomores. Forwards Nick Godfrey and Corey Calajoe have shown impressive offensive ability, with both averaging over two points per game. The University of Delaware Fighting Blue Hens also show some future promise, with eight of eleven starters in either their first or second season in ECRHA. Sophomore Matt White has been an offensive spark for UDel, registering nine goals and eighteen points in fourteen games. Northeastern has a completely new team, with only one returning player from last year?s team. Being the hockey hotbed that Boston is, Northeastern should have no problem recruiting additional players while improving their current core.
Just as questions remain regarding the futures of many past ?powerhouse? teams, so do questions about the present for two of ECRHA?s other established ?top teams.? The University of Maryland has experienced a high level of roster turnover, with six players graduating after last season. Still, the Terrapins remain one of ECRHA?s stronger teams with a 3-3-1 record. Maryland?s three losses came against Towson, Suffolk, and Rutgers, and the one tie was with #25 Pittsburgh. Seniors Eddie Dingles, Anthony Sweeney, and Daniel O?Brien have led the Terrapins in wins over #20 Binghamton, James Madison University, and Delaware, while freshman Jason Schwankert has remained a bright spot on defense. Evan Schweiger, the team?s freshman goaltender, has posted solid numbers during his first season in ECRHA, but in the end, will it be enough to advance in the Regional Championships come March? Coach Matt ?Rozey? Rosenthal has been known to motivate his teams in big games, as seen in last year?s tie with URI at Regionals. However, this team is without the core that brought Maryland success in the past, and it remains to be seen whether or not Maryland will be able to succeed when it counts most.
The other puzzling team this season has been #21 SUNY Buffalo; a team that, with a 14-3-1 record, won the Central Conference last season with wins over Towson and Suffolk down the stretch. With the entire core returning this season, the Wings were a shoe-in as one of the top contenders for the ECRHA Regional Championship. Even with their 9-2 record, Buffalo has been shaky at times, losing games to underdogs Boston and Pittsburgh. Snipers Ryan Perkins, Jay Slutsky, and Craig Chadwell have continued to light the lamp, each averaging around three points per game. Senior goaltender Dale Gerbetz has been solid but has not posted the stellar numbers that he has in the past. Buffalo has the talent to contend for the Regional Championship, but do they have the consistency? If they get hot, the Buffalo Wings will be one of ECRHA?s most dangerous teams come March.
The second semester looks to be an exciting one, with more key match ups and rivalry games to come. The Buffalo Wings will have the opportunity to prove themselves this weekend in Glastonbury, CT with huge games against Suffolk, RIT, and Rhode Island. The race for the Central Conference title will be a highly-anticipated battle, as Rutgers and Buffalo have yet to meet this season and will likely play at All Star Weekend to decide the Central Conference championship. During the past weekend of January 21st, all of the Central Conference teams, with the exception of Rutgers, competed for playoff spots in Williamsport, PA. With wins over its central conference rivals, Buffalo improved to 9-2, while Pittsburgh and SUNY Binghamton earned valuable points in the standings to put themselves in prime position for a playoff berth.
To add to the second semester drama, defending-champions Towson University, having only played seven games thus far, will most likely see rematch games against RIT, URI, and Suffolk. Towson?s Southern Conference rival, Maryland, also has the bulk of their schedule to be played, and it will be interesting to see them prove themselves against rival teams Buffalo, RIT, and URI. The Northern Conference title is still up for grabs, however, having several games in hand on the teams chasing them in the standings, it is not likely that any team will pass RIT. The Tigers will be tested this upcoming weekend in Glastonbury, CT with two critical games against SUNY Buffalo and Rhode Island.
Rolling into 2006, some teams are up while others are down. With the amount of parity between the Division 1's top teams, the battles for the final playoff spots will be intense and competitive, with the hottest nine teams qualifying. When the Regional Championships approach us in late February, expect to see a few surprises. But with Towson going in as the favorites to win it all, some things never change.
Reigning Division 3 champion #4 Suffolk Community College saw its season start slow; losing two games without the services of superstar forward John Lechmanski. Since then, Suffolk has won 7 straight games by an average margin of victory just under nine goals, with their closest game being a 7-4 victory over Rutgers. Lechmanski has averaged an overwhelming 8.4 points per game, including 5 power play goals, 6 shorthanded goals, and 4 game winning goals. Suffolk?s defensive game has also been stellar, with a big reason being between the pipes. Goalie Kevin Hammerschlag has been awesome, posting a 2.50 GAA and a .888 save percentage. Suffolk?s only two losses, both of which were without Lechmanski and Hammerschlag, were to the 2004-2005 Division 1 runner-up, Rochester Institute of Technology and champions, Towson University.
The Southern Conference-leading #7 Towson Tigers have coasted to a 6-0-1 regular season record, with huge victories over Suffolk and Rutgers, and a tie with RIT. Towson?s success has been fueled by a trio of offensive superstars; juniors Josh Stein and Gene Gsell, and freshman Dane Houser. All three players are among the top ten Division one scoring leaders, with Gsell leading the Tigers with 31 points in just 7 games. Dane Houser has been one of the top freshmen this season, scoring 10 goals and adding 9 assists in only 7 games. Towson?s defense, led by Captain Jim Tamburino, has been rock solid, allowing only 20 goals in seven games. With an undefeated record of 5-0-1, goaltender Mike Burke has been excellent in net, boasting a 2.29 goals against average and a remarkable .915 save percentage. The defending champions look exceptional from top to bottom and still remain the team to beat in Division 1.
The 2004-2005 ECRHA runner-up #11 Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers currently sit atop the Northern Conference standings with a record of 4-2-1. After playing a tough first half schedule with games against Towson, Suffolk, Rhode Island, and Rutgers twice, RIT still remains a contender for the ECRHA title. Freshman Brian Helm and junior Mark McCreary currently lead the team in scoring, while the team?s veteran defensemen John Nowak and Tim Dion have led by example while anchoring the strong Tigers? defense. Sophomore goaltender Brett Campbell has been consistently strong between the pipes with a 4.28 GAA. Campbell showed top form in RIT?s tie with Towson, stymieing the relentless Tigers assault and making 42 saves in the process. Even with their star players showing elite form this early in the season, questions remain about RIT?s consistency. The Tigers have shown flashes of brilliance at some moments, but will it be enough to stay in the mix as one of the top contenders for the ECRHA championship come March? It should be an interesting second half of the season for the Tigers, and one should expect them to regain dominant form by All Star weekend.
A surprise to many is #6 Rutgers University, thrown into the mix as a contender this year and sporting a 12-2 regular season record, good enough for first in the extremely competitive Central Conference. The 12 wins have not come easy for the Knights, as tough victories came against RIT twice, SUNY Binghamton twice, and Rhode Island twice. The explosive Knights? offense has been led by six players each scoring over twenty points in the Knights? 14 games played. However, the major difference between last year?s Rutgers squad and this year?s is the addition of freshman sniper Andrew Brodsky and transfer power forward Bob Markowick. Flourishing while playing alongside their veteran line mates, Captain Anthony Tsigourakos and Assistant Captain James Novak, both Brodsky and Markowick have scored over 28 goals apiece and both are among the top 5 league leaders in scoring. The team?s defensive corps has looked solid, and with 11 wins and a goals against average of 3.00, senior goaltender Matt Pokoj has regained the form he showed last year in earning team MVP honors. Sophomore Rob Fulton has been the driving force of the team?s defense, registering 22 goals and 15 assists. With a roster so deep with talent, the Scarlet Knights are a surprise top contender for this year?s title.
Also coming as a surprise has been the play of #20 SUNY Binghamton. The Bearcats are currently third in the Central Conference with a solid 8-6-1 record. The dangerous trio of Mike Guerriero, Mike Coyle, and John Cahill has led the Bearcats to conference victories over Pittsburgh and Penn State, while goaltender Mike McGrath has been consistent between the pipes, registering five victories, including a shut out over Penn State. Early in the season, the Bearcats showed their team?s courage by earning two tough victories over Boston University, yet another dark horse team thrown into the mix this year. Although they own a record below .500 (4-6-1), the Terriers remain one of Division 1?s top surprise teams this season, as evidenced by their upset victory over SUNY Buffalo back in November in Glastonbury, CT. Seniors Justin Leibow and Matt Brandwein have posted big offensive numbers for BU, including a combined ten power play goals. If not for two close one-goal losses to Binghamton and Rhode Island, Boston would be atop the Northern Conference at this point in the season.
Even with all of their success, Boston did falter in their final game of the semester, losing a blowout to the University of Pittsburgh in Feasterville, PA. The Pittsburgh Panthers are currently the holders of a 5-3-3 record, further demonstrating the belief that the Central Conference is the most competitive in ECRHA?s Division 1. With four of the conference?s five teams having winning records, the wins do not come easy in the Central. However, Pitt managed two conference victories early in the season against Penn State and perennial powerhouse SUNY Buffalo, feeding off the crowd energy at their hometown rink in Harmar Township, PA. Seniors JD Almonte and Brad Blake, along with sophomore Matt Luttrell, have been the catalysts of Pitt?s offensive assault. The three have averaged over two points per game in the first semester, with Almonte scoring three shorthanded goals, leaving him tied for first in ECRHA?s Division 1. The goaltending tandem of Joe Gottuso and Matt McFarland has been quite advantageous for the Panthers and definitely gives them flexibility during the stretch run entering the second semester. With the late addition of ECRHA All-Star Dave Thomas, the Panthers have put themselves in prime position to be a serious threat at Regionals in March.
With the majority of their core players returning this season, Towson, Rutgers, Buffalo, and RIT all have had successful first halves of their seasons, as evidenced by their high winning percentages. Some teams have not been as lucky, experiencing high turnover rates this season. Many of the past ?power house? teams have few, if any, core players returning from last season, and the effects of these changes can be seen in their poor records. To date, Northeastern University, University of Rhode Island, University of Delaware, and Penn State University all have won less than 40% of their games this season, relegating themselves to the bottom five teams in overall in Division 1 winning percentage.
The shocking aspect of this development is the fact that all four of these teams owned winning records last season and all four qualified for the Regional Tournament last March, with Rhode Island and Delaware both receiving bids to the 2005 National Collegiate Tournament. The biggest effects of turnover are seen with the Rhode Island Rams; a team that was crowned Northern Conference champions in 2004-2005 with a 14-3-1 record and two star players finishing in top three in scoring. To date, the Rams are 3-7-0 with only one player, Captain Rick McGuire, in the top fifteen in scoring. The Rams have gotten very good goaltending out of senior Jarred Martin, who is among the top 5 league leaders in saves, goals against average, and save percentage. However, with six out the team?s ten skaters being underclassmen, the Rams have suffered a tremendous drop-off in depth this year and are the best example of roster turnover in the ECRHA today.
Looking ahead, these rosters deep in underclassmen shows that the future outlook for these teams is not as bleak as it appears to be. Penn State shows a possible future return to glory, with three of its starters being sophomores. Forwards Nick Godfrey and Corey Calajoe have shown impressive offensive ability, with both averaging over two points per game. The University of Delaware Fighting Blue Hens also show some future promise, with eight of eleven starters in either their first or second season in ECRHA. Sophomore Matt White has been an offensive spark for UDel, registering nine goals and eighteen points in fourteen games. Northeastern has a completely new team, with only one returning player from last year?s team. Being the hockey hotbed that Boston is, Northeastern should have no problem recruiting additional players while improving their current core.
Just as questions remain regarding the futures of many past ?powerhouse? teams, so do questions about the present for two of ECRHA?s other established ?top teams.? The University of Maryland has experienced a high level of roster turnover, with six players graduating after last season. Still, the Terrapins remain one of ECRHA?s stronger teams with a 3-3-1 record. Maryland?s three losses came against Towson, Suffolk, and Rutgers, and the one tie was with #25 Pittsburgh. Seniors Eddie Dingles, Anthony Sweeney, and Daniel O?Brien have led the Terrapins in wins over #20 Binghamton, James Madison University, and Delaware, while freshman Jason Schwankert has remained a bright spot on defense. Evan Schweiger, the team?s freshman goaltender, has posted solid numbers during his first season in ECRHA, but in the end, will it be enough to advance in the Regional Championships come March? Coach Matt ?Rozey? Rosenthal has been known to motivate his teams in big games, as seen in last year?s tie with URI at Regionals. However, this team is without the core that brought Maryland success in the past, and it remains to be seen whether or not Maryland will be able to succeed when it counts most.
The other puzzling team this season has been #21 SUNY Buffalo; a team that, with a 14-3-1 record, won the Central Conference last season with wins over Towson and Suffolk down the stretch. With the entire core returning this season, the Wings were a shoe-in as one of the top contenders for the ECRHA Regional Championship. Even with their 9-2 record, Buffalo has been shaky at times, losing games to underdogs Boston and Pittsburgh. Snipers Ryan Perkins, Jay Slutsky, and Craig Chadwell have continued to light the lamp, each averaging around three points per game. Senior goaltender Dale Gerbetz has been solid but has not posted the stellar numbers that he has in the past. Buffalo has the talent to contend for the Regional Championship, but do they have the consistency? If they get hot, the Buffalo Wings will be one of ECRHA?s most dangerous teams come March.
The second semester looks to be an exciting one, with more key match ups and rivalry games to come. The Buffalo Wings will have the opportunity to prove themselves this weekend in Glastonbury, CT with huge games against Suffolk, RIT, and Rhode Island. The race for the Central Conference title will be a highly-anticipated battle, as Rutgers and Buffalo have yet to meet this season and will likely play at All Star Weekend to decide the Central Conference championship. During the past weekend of January 21st, all of the Central Conference teams, with the exception of Rutgers, competed for playoff spots in Williamsport, PA. With wins over its central conference rivals, Buffalo improved to 9-2, while Pittsburgh and SUNY Binghamton earned valuable points in the standings to put themselves in prime position for a playoff berth.
To add to the second semester drama, defending-champions Towson University, having only played seven games thus far, will most likely see rematch games against RIT, URI, and Suffolk. Towson?s Southern Conference rival, Maryland, also has the bulk of their schedule to be played, and it will be interesting to see them prove themselves against rival teams Buffalo, RIT, and URI. The Northern Conference title is still up for grabs, however, having several games in hand on the teams chasing them in the standings, it is not likely that any team will pass RIT. The Tigers will be tested this upcoming weekend in Glastonbury, CT with two critical games against SUNY Buffalo and Rhode Island.
Rolling into 2006, some teams are up while others are down. With the amount of parity between the Division 1's top teams, the battles for the final playoff spots will be intense and competitive, with the hottest nine teams qualifying. When the Regional Championships approach us in late February, expect to see a few surprises. But with Towson going in as the favorites to win it all, some things never change.
A review of Division II, can still be found here: http://www.ecrha.net/article.php?article_id=50738
~~posted by ECRHA Journalist Panel~~