Archive for August, 2009

Pointers Reload; Hungry For Success

August 30th, 2009 Matt.Kaskavitch
Wil Nichol

Wil Nichol

UW-Stevens Point is a NCHA program with solid tradition and a hardcore following.  With four national championships and two runner-up finishes in nine appearances, there is no need to wonder why their following is so strong.

One of the greatest changes in the UW-Stevens Point program came in 2007 when former head coach Joe Baldarotta decided to resign after a 16 season career with the Pointers.  Baldarotta was a staple of UWSP hockey and well recognized on-campus and in the K.B. Willett Arena.  They needed a new coach to take the reins, and they found their man just a few blocks away.

Will Nichol, a UWSP hockey alum, was named the new head coach of the Pointers after coaching SPASH (Stevens Point Area High School) to a record of 46-3 in just two seasons.

With two seasons under his belt now at UWSP, the Pointers are heading in the right direction. UWSP displayed a respectable 15-10-2 record last season, finishing 5th in the NCHA.

UWSP lost 12 seniors last season and they were in desperate need of some recruits.  Nichol stepped to the challenge and recruited what many believe is the best recruiting class in Div. III hockey this off-season.  It looks like Wil wants to break out of the middle of the NCHA and return the program to its 1990′s glory.

UWSP Recruits

Those in bold produced 30 overall pts or more last season in juniors

  • (F) Justin Johson – OPJHL
  • (D) Jon Bockman – OPJHL
  • (F) Nick Kenney - NAHL
  • (F) Alex Handy – USHL
  • (D) Brandon Busse – BCHL
  • (F) Sam Graham – SJHLUWSP-mascot
  • (D) Sean McNeely – NAHL
  • (F) Donnie Hallmark – USHL
  • (F) Chris Annunziato – NAHL
  • (F) Taylor Kuypers – USHL
  • (G) Nick Graves – NAHL
  • (F) Johnny Meo – NAHL
  • (F) Kyle Greco – NAHL
  • (G) Alan Armour – MJHL
  • (D) Tyler Kruger – NAHL

The two obvious front runners in the NCHA this season are UW-Stout and UW-Superior, a likely Peter’s Cup rematch from last season. Point will be a team to keep your eye on in 2009-2010, they could be this years surprise team.

With this kind of recruiting class adding to UWSP’s high scoring sophomores like Madden and Nesper, the Pointers look to be building a high powered dynasty once again. UWSP will look to build that dynasty on the shoulders of Thomas Speer.  The  6’0 goaltender and Janesville Wisconsin native will likely claim the job between the pipes where he will remain for two more seasons.

Since UWSP has not fought near the top of the NCHA in many years, they have the asset of being able to sneak up on teams.  Teams like UW-Stout, St. Norbert College and UW-Superior have targets on their back each and every game.

Does UWSP have a surprise for the NCHA this season?  I think so.

F, Justin Johnson Wellington Dukes (OPJHL) 5’11″, 180 Eau Claire, Wis. 40gp, (11-20-31), 16pim http://www.wellingtondukes.com/profile_player.php?search=19

.

 D, Jon Bockman Wellington Dukes (OPJHL) 6’3″, 190 Wind Lake, Wis. 52gp, (7-46-53), 64pim http://www.wellingtondukes.com/profile_player.php?search=9

.

 F, Nick Kenney Mahoning Valley Phantoms (NAHL) 6’0″, 187 Wixom, Mich. 46gp, (19-16-35), 47pim

.

 F, Alex Handy Indiana Ice (USHL) 5’9″, 165 Carmel, Ind. 16gp, (0-1-1), 20pim

.

 D, Brandon Busse Prince George Spruce Kings (BCHL) 6’2″, 205 Stevens Point, Wis. 50gp, (2-8-10), 46pim

.

 F, Sam Graham Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL) 6’2″, 205 Lawndale, Cali. 49gp, (19-31-50), 57pim http://www.weyburnredwings.ca/news_item.aspx?news_id=2734

.

 D, Sean McNeely Alaska Avalanche (NAHL) 6’1″, 185 Brooklyn Park, Minn. 54gp, (7-24-31), 53pim http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=1027

.

 F, Donnie Hallmark Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) 6’0″, 205 Ontario, Cali. 54gp, (18-14-32), 91pim 38 career USHL fights are most in league history

.

 F, Chris Annunziato Kenai River Brown Bears (NAHL) ??, 185 Alta Loma, Cali. 56gp, (14-15-29), 72pim

.

 D, Taylor Kuypers Lincoln Stars (USHL) 5’11″, 170 Madison, Wis. 43gp, (0-1-1), 32pim

.

 G, Nick Graves Alpena Ice Diggers (NAHL) 5’11″, 180 Hewitt, Wis. 47gp, (23-19-5, 2.78, .906)

.

 F, Johnny Meo Mahoning Valley Phantoms (NAHL) 5’5″, 150 Vernon Hills, Ill. 56gp, (11-23-34), 52pim

.

 F, Kyle Greco St. Louis Bandits (NAHL) 6’2″, 195 Hillside, Ill. 52gp, (19-26-45), 36pim

.

 G, Alan Armour Selkirk Steelers (MJHL) 5’11″, 185 Northfield, Minn. 40gp, (18-7-0, 2.66, .916) MJHL Goalie of the Year

.

 D, Tyler Kruger
Posted in NCHA News No Comments »

Q&A: Jared Britton (F)

August 29th, 2009 Matt.Kaskavitch

Jared Britton (JR) is a proud Canadian faithful, you’ll often find him toting pictures of his latest catch from fishing trips in his ‘homeland’.  When not catching dinner on the lake, you’ll find Britton burying goals on the pond.  A native of Regina, Saskatchewan Britton has a small frame standing 5’10 and 175lbs. What he lacks in size Britton makes up for in tenacity.

‘Deaner’ as he is often called played junior A hockey in the Superior International Junior Hockey League or SIJHL for the Schreiber Diesels. During the 2006-2007 season, the Diesels finished 2nd overall in the SIJHL with a 33-11-2 record.  Much thanks to the contributions of Britton who put up 26G and 32A (58pts) in just 38 games.

Britton has struggled slightly in his transition to Div. III hockey putting up only 5 points in 28 games.  With two seasons under his belt, 2009-2010 could prove to be his break out year while seeing more ice time.  Jared Britton, a player to keep your eye on in 2009-2010!

Jared is majoring in Engineering Technology at UW-Stout.

deaner

fishin

——————————————————————————————————–

Stouthockey.com: Favorite NHL Player?

Jared Britton: Grettterrr the great one

Stouthockey.com: Favorite NHL team?

Jared Britton: Philadelphia Flyers

Stouthockey.com: Favorite DI collegiate team?

Jared Britton: Denver

Stouthockey.com: Best hockey moment in your life to date?

Jared Britton: Winning the championship in Superior last year , ‘getting drafted 3rd round by the Atlanta Thrashers’ or singing Canada’s national anthem with Pischlar (goaltender – Sudbury, ON) to the team at practice

Stouthockey.com: What is your favorite place to play at in the NCHA, excluding the Dunn of course!

Jared Britton: Stevens Point because of the college atmosphere

Stouthockey.com: Do you have any pre-game rituals we should know about?

Jared Britton: Wake up around ten and make banana pancakes for the men, play some video games or watch a movie until around 2 p.m., go to the gym and start warming up/stretching, make a nice meal (usually pasta with mean sauce) around 3 p.m. and head to the rink around 5 p.m., Once there— Listen to weezy, tape my stick and make sure there’s no girls in the room when Motz comes to take his pre-game shower.

Stouthockey.com:  Do you have a preferred stick you like to dangle with?

Jared Britton: Fresh 85 flex Synergy

Stouthockey.com: How about skates?

Jared Britton: Reebok 9k’s

Stouthockey.com: Describe what it was like to play in Lake Placid, NY last season.

Jared Britton: It was pretty incredible from staying in the Olympic Training Center to playing in the Herb Brooks Arena. Something that I will never forget throughout my life and a place where I would love to go back to again this year.

Stouthockey.com: Funniest thing you’ve encountered being Canadian now living in the U.S.

Jared Britton: The guys on the team give me a hard time about eating dill pickle spitz in the garage (sunflower seeds), Going to the bank and a lady didn’t believe I was actually from a city called Regina and was offended when I pronounced it.  (RUH-GYNE-UH)

Stouthockey.com:  Who are some people you look up to?

Jared Britton: Syd the kid, Shaun White, George Jung and my dad

Stouthockey.com: Blondes or brunettes?

Jared Britton: Brunettes

Stouthockey.com: Boxers or Briefs?

Jared Britton: Briefs

Stouthockey.com: Speed boat… or pontoon boat?

Jared Britton: Pontoons, the possibilities are endless

Stouthockey.com: What’s your plans for after you graduate from UW-Stout?

Jared Britton: Go to Thailand or travel around for 3 months and experience different cultures and then start a manufacturing business

Stouthockey.com: When your not burying ginos or trash talking on NHL 10 (Xbox 360), what do you enjoy doing?

Jared Britton: Catch butterflies, collect my bellybutton lint, people watch, golf, play pog, snowboard, stain decks, travel, star gaze, buy furniture, cook , throw the Frisbee around, fish ,smoosh softballs with the men and play Call of Duty (Xbox).

Stouthockey.com: What are your goals/expectations of yourself and your teammates in 09-10?

Jared Britton: Defend our title in the NCHA and make it back to Lake Placid

Posted in Q&A Tags: , , No Comments »

Q&A: Matt Morin (F)

August 24th, 2009 Matt.Kaskavitch

Matt Morin has grown up with ‘hockey in his blood’.  The 5’10 175lb sophomore forward grew up in Brooklyn Park, MN.  For you east coast folks, that’s a major suburb of Minneapolis/St.Paul. Les Aberman(Mighty Ducks movie’s) also hails from Brooklyn Park! Weird? A peek at Morin’s Facebook page shows this quote, ‘Activities: Hockey, Hockey, Hockey, Love the sport to death!’  Matt is a player who truly loves the game and can never get enough of it.

Matt played his high school hockey for the Osseo Orioles where he was named team captain during the 2004-2005 season.  He ranks 31st all-time on the Osseo points leader board with 63 points (24G 39A) in his varsity career.  Matt’s brother Travis who graduated in 2002 tops the all-time points leaders with 159 points (67G 92A) at Osseo. Travis plays professional hockey in the East Coast Hockey League for the South Carolina Sting Rays where he has already won multiple awards his first year in the league, including being named an ECHL all-star. 

After a great high school career, Matt headed to the NAHL to play for the Northern Iowa Outlaws.  During his two seasons with the Outlaws, Morin racked up 15G and 45A good enough for 60pts overall.  During his 2nd year in juniors, he was invited to participate in NAHL Future Prospects Tournament showcasing the leagues best talent.

From there, Morin committed to play for the Blue Devils and made an impact right away last season.  He was given numerous late 3rd period shifts with the game on the line.  Coach Terry Watkins showed lots of confidence in the true freshmen and Morin didn’t disappoint.  When his blades touched the ice, his feet were moving constantly.  Morin never takes a shift off.  In his first season he ranked 4th on the team in points tallying 10G and 17A for 27pts overall. His effort was rewarded when he was selected to the USCHO.com West All-Star Rookie team at the end of last year.

Matt Morin

Matt Morin defending against St. Johns University

We had a chance to talk with Matt recently this summer and here is what he had to say!

—————————————————————————————————

Q&A With Matt Morin

Stouthockey.com – Who is your favorite NHL player?

Matt Morin: Gotta be Ovechkin, most complete player in the game today.

Stouthockey.com – Favorite NHL team?

Matt Morin: Home town guy. Minnesota Wild

Stouthockey.com – Favorite DI collegiate team?

Matt Morin: Maine Blackbears.

Stouthockey.com – Favorite hockey moment in your life as of yet.

Matt Morin: Making it out to lake placid has to be tops for me. To play in such a historic place, was a chance of a lifetime.

Stouthockey.com – Favorite place to play in the NCHA?

Matt Morin: I thought Stevens Point was a blast to play at. They had some pretty rowdy fans.

Stouthockey.com – Do you have any pre-game rituals?

Matt Morin: Oh man where to start? Always make a delicious pasta dish Thursday night, than shoot some hoops Friday morning.. I have way too many to be honest, theory is just be relaxed and comfortable before a game and doing it the same way helps. But if things don’t go right than it’s time to switch er’ up.

Stouthockey.com – Do you have a favorite stick?

Matt Morin: The Harrow-Harrow 2-piece connection is the way to go. Reeboks aren’t bad either.

Stouthockey.com – Favorite or preferred kind of skates?

Matt Morin: Reeboks

Stouthockey.com – Now comes the tough ones! Blondes or Brunettes?

Matt Morin: Brunettes for sure!

Stouthockey.com – Girls are burning up the e-mail Matt, Boxers of Briefs?

Matt Morin: Boxers

Stouthockey.com – Pontoon boat or speed boat out on the lake?

Matt Morin: Pontoons- you can fish from them, swim from them, grill on them… You know cruise the lake in comfort.

Stouthockey.com - What are you plans once you graduate from UW-Stout?

Matt Morin: Hopefully continue my hockey career, or move to Brainerd!

Stouthockey.com - When not playing hockey, what do you enjoying doing in your free time?

Matt Morin: Love to golf and fish! The only two things i will happily get up for at 6:30 in the morning to do. Volleyball, bowling, cribbage.

Stouthockey.com - Describe the feeling of playing in Lake Placid, NY last season during the NCAA Championships

Matt Morin: Incredible! I’ve grown up with hockey in my blood, so to be playing in such a rink where the “Miracle on Ice” happened was a dream come true. Just to feel the electricity in such a place with so much history andmeaning, it was beyond describable. From the drive into the adirondacks, to the terrifying plane ride home, i had the chills the whole week.

Stouthockey.com - What do you see your role as this coming season?

Matt Morin: I’ll try and do whatever is asked of me to win night after night. The should be the role of everyone in a team sport i think.

Posted in Q&A Tags: , , , No Comments »

Klaren Signs With Laredo (CHL)

August 23rd, 2009 Matt.Kaskavitch

Nick Klaren (Roseville, MN) led the Blue Devils to a NCAA Championship appearance last season.  Klaren who was a team captain last season was a leader both on and off the ice.  Struggling with injuries in the playoffs, Klaren never gave up on his teammates and fought through the pain.  Not only did he skate, he was productive.

Klaren has signed a contract to play with the Laredo Bucks of the Central Hockey League.  Nick will navigate his way out of the state of hockey in late September as he prepares for the Bucks training camp which begins October 9th in Laredo, Texas.

Nick won’t be the only Blue Devil in the state of Texas playing professional hockey.  Former goaltender Matt Koenig (Lakeland, MN) has also signed an entry level contract with the Texas Brahmas (CHL).  Koenig will move to North Richland Hills, TX in late September in preparation for training camp.  Koenig will be joined on the Brahmas roster by former St. Norbert Green Knight A.J. Gale. (Lantzville, B.C.)

_70D8098

Posted in Team News Tags: , , No Comments »

Blue Devils Excel On Ice & The Classroom

August 23rd, 2009 Matt.Kaskavitch

The Blue Devils had the most successful season in program history in 2008-2009, making an appearance in the NCAA Div. III Championships in Lake Placid, NY.  With that success comes hard work, long nights, dedication and sharp mental focus.  Not only are the Blue Devils succeeding on the ice, they are also making the grade in the classroom.

Seven players were named to the NCHA All-Academic team.  To be placed on the academic team, student-athletes must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher.

The players receiving this honor are:nchahockeylogo

Bengtson is an engineering technology major with a GPA of 3.30. Carr has a GPA of 3.44 and is majoring in golf enterprise management. Johnston has a GPA of 3.43 while majoring in industrial technology education. Kuehl has a GPA of 3.34 in engineering technology. Pischlar is majoring in manufacturing engineering with a GPA of 3.81. Scovill is majoring in construction management with a GPA of 3.78 and Hasbargen is majoring in engineering technology with a GPA of 3.58.

Posted in Team News Tags: , , , , , , , No Comments »

Q&A: Mike Morgan (G)

August 13th, 2009 Matt.Kaskavitch

n1279320102_30168746_22Mike Morgan has  played hockey all over North America, literally. Mike Morgan started playing puck in Phoenix, AZ.  From there it was a whirlwind to Biloxi, MS then Northfield,MN and finally landing in Rosemount, MN where he graduated in 2008.

While in Rosemount, Morgan played in the Upper Midwest Elite League, a AAA ‘before-the-season’ program showcasing some of the midwest’s best young talent.  In 2006, the 6’1 182lb goaltender participated in the National Select 17′s in 2006 and made a run to the section finals with the Rosemount Irish during his senior season in 2008.

After his time in the ‘State of Hockey’, Morgan headed up to Winkler Manitoba where he played for the Flyers in the MJHL.  After a short stint there, Morgan was shipped down to Boston, MA to play for the Valley Jr. Warriors in the Eastern Junior Hockey League where he was picked up mid-season by head coach Terry Watkins.

Next season will likely showcase Jesse Pischlar (Sudbury, ON) in net for the Blue Devils, but Morgan will be pushing on the Sudbury native for some ice time.  The two goaltenders spend time together both on and off the ice and Morgan knows what he needs to bring to the crease this season.

“Competition is something needed in the goalie position, and I know Pischlar and myself will push each other to be at our best.” said Morgan.

We had a chance to sit down this summer and chat with Mike about some of your burning questions!

———————————————-

Stouthockey.com:  Favorite NHL goaltender?

Mike Morgan: Chris Osgood and Martin Brodeur

Stouthockey.com: Favorite NHL team?

Mike Morgan:  Detroit Red Wings

Stouthockey.com:  Favorite collegiate team

Mike Morgan:  U of Maine Blackbears

Stouthockey.com:  Best hockey moment in your career so far?

Mike Morgan:  It’s between last year’s Peter’s Cup championship game or the NCAA National Quarterfinals game. Obviously I didn’t play, but both games had a great atmosphere and it was something special just to be a part of.

Stouthockey.com:  Favorite place to play in the NCHA?

Mike Morgan:  Besides “The Dunn” I would have to say UW-River Falls or UW-Superior. Both are quality rinks, and the seamless glass is always a nice feature to have.

Stouthockey.com:  Any pre-game rituals or things ‘you must do’ before going on the ice?

Mike Morgan: I just try to keep to myself and think about the game. Usually I’ll listen to the same song before going out to the ice, Linkin Park ‘Somewhere I Belong’.

Stouthockey.com:  Do you have any preferences towards certain equipment?

Mike Morgan: Vaughn Velocity 3. As for sticks, I’m not too picky, but recently I’ve grown fond of the Sherwood 9950 with the Thibault pattern

Stouthockey.com:  Favorite pre-game meal?

Mike Morgan:  Some sort of pasta with chicken

Stouthockey.com: Blondes or Brunettes?

Mike Morgan:  Brunettes

Stouthockey.com:  All the ladies have been wanting to know, boxers or briefs?

Mike Morgan: Boxers

Stouthockey.com:  A day on the lake in a speed boat or pontoon?

Mike Morgan:  Pontoon

Stouthockey.com:  What do you want to do once you graduate with your degree in Applied Science?

Mike Morgan:  I’d love to be able to continue my hockey career, but if I don’t have that opportunity, I’d like to pursue a career in engineering.

Stouthockey.com: When your not on the ice, where could someone likely find you?

Mike Morgan:  I enjoy playing pool, bocce ball, ping-pong, and volleyball. Of course, I love hitting the sticks and dangling on NHL 09, soon to be NHL 10.

Posted in Q&A Tags: , , , , No Comments »

UW-Stout Loaded With Talent For 09-10

August 7th, 2009 Matt.Kaskavitch

UW-Stout has one of the best forward lines returning in all of Division III hockey for this coming season, fans hope that translates into lots of scoring. Last season Stout averaged 4.1 goals-per-game, good enough for 2nd overall in the NCHA conference.  Much of that effort was fueled by their first line consisting of Derek Hanson, Joel Gaulrapp and Scott Motz.  All three will be seniors this season and are hungry for another chance at an NCAA National Championship.

Derek HansonDerek Hanson leads the scoring pace for UW-Stout where he scored 17 goals, 28 assists for a NCHA leading 45 points in 2008-2009.  Hanson a 5’9 175lb center from Bemidji, MN played his junior hockey in the MJHL where he was a two-time all-star.  Hanson is known for being in the right places at the right time and having a natural scoring ability. If Hanson has an open look, chances are he will bury the puck.

hs_hoc_gaulrapp_joel_1

Helping Hanson on the first line is Joel Gaulrapp, a 6’0 185lb forward from Owatonna, MN. Gaulrapp was a transfer from UW-Superior and his time at UW-Stout has been more than productive. Gaulrapp is a two-time All-NCHA and All-WIAC selection.  Helping his team win some tight playoff games, Gaulrapp tallied 21 goals, 21 assists for 42 points in 2008-2009. That put Gaulrapp 2nd overall in the NCHA in points and a leader in goals.  Gaulrapp can dangle with the best of them and is always moving his feet on the ice.  When the game is on the line, Gaulrapp is on the ice.

Scott MotzOn the other side of the ice is Scott Motz, a 6’1 210lb winger from Lake Elmo, MN.  Motz played his junior hockey with the Alexandria Blizzard in the NAHL with teammates Bobby Kuehl and Paul Henderson.  Motz is the inevitable play-maker on the first line with Hanson and Gaulrapp setting up spectacular goals all season long.  Motz finished 2008-2009 with 14 goals, 23 assists good for 37 points and 3rd overall in points in the conference. The most notable play for Motz last season was his cross-ice pass which allowed teammate Jack Wolgemuth to bury a clapper from the blue line with seconds remaining in the NCAA National Quarter-Final vs. St. Scholastica.  That play put UW-Stout in the NCAA Frozen Four in Lake Placid, NY in March.

In addition to the senior forward line UW-Stout has some very promising up-and-coming youngsters like Matt Morin, Robert Carr and Joel Whited.  This season will prove to be a growing season for the younger players who will need to step up big in 2010-2011 and fill some major holes.

In addition to the young talent already on-campus, UW-Stout may have its best recruiting class in school history coming in this season.  Tyler Currier (Alaska Avalance-NAHL) verbally commited to UW-Stout only to instead attend the University of Alaska-Anchorage (WCHA) on scholarship.  That speaks to the caliber of players coming in this season.  The recruiting class will be made public come fall.

UW-Stout is talked as the favorite to win the NCHA this season, but only time will tell.

Posted in Team News Tags: , , , , No Comments »

Weekend Series Return To NCHA

August 3rd, 2009 Matt.Kaskavitch

Starting in 2009-2010, the Lake Forest Foresters will join the MCHA conference leaving one-less team in the NCHA.  This has brought on a new scheduling system for the NCHA conference now that it has an odd number of teams.  Each team in the conference will now play each other three times, with two of those three coming in a back-to-back weekend series. 

This use to be how the scheduling system was set before the adoption of the travel partner system.  Matthew Webb of USCHO.com explains…

When the NCHA adopted the travel partner system ten years ago, many long-time NCHA fans lamented the fact it meant the elimination of the two-game weekend sets against the same opponent.

Though the travel partner setup made sense in terms of both geography and finances, gone was the potential for storyline development that could only exist when the same teams met on back-to-back nights.

I suspect the NCHA may be looking at the ECACW as a model for this. The ECACW, a six team league, currently plays 15 conference games. The ECACW has also been able to land three teams in the NCAA tournament (a clear goal of the NCHA) the past two seasons. The ECACW’s ability to to this has largely been fueled by very high strength-of-schedule ratings league-wide, thanks in part to a relatively insular league schedule and some fairly significant non-conference success.

The nuts and bolts: If the NCHA can continue to dominate the MCHA and MIAC the way it has the past four seasons, it’s conceivable that more games against itself will only bolster the selection criteria (particularly SOS) for the top NCHA teams come selection time.
Read the full blog from Matthew Webb

So why should fans be rejoicing?  The two-game series scheduling can make for some real great Saturday games!  Words are exchanged, faces are washed and jabs are thrown all of which typically boils over into game two of the series on Saturday night, not to downplay any Friday night game of course!

“We have the best league in the country and the kids get to play great games every single weekend.  It’s not like you have a weekend off and then a tough weekend, every weekend is a battle.” said UW-Stout head coach Terry Watkins via telephone.

This series schedule will bring back old rivalries and maybe even spark some new ones. 

“I think there are so many rivalries in our league that I don’t know that one is any bigger than another one.  All the teams in the conference are just so good.  I think it’s awesome.” Watkins added.

You can check out UW-Stout’s series-formatted schedule for 2009-2010 here. 

Posted in NCHA News Tags: , , No Comments »


  • Featured Video

FireStats icon Powered by FireStats