INCH UPDATE DESK

August 29, 2006
Vicari Leaves MSU

Michigan State goaltender Dominic Vicari has decided to forgo his senior season and seek a professional contract.

Vicari entered his junior year as Michigan State's top goaltender, but lost his starting job thanks to the emergence of freshman Jeff Lerg.

"In this day and age, the reality is that not all players stay in college all four years," head coach Rick Comley said in a statement. "We wish Dominic good luck in his pursuit of a professional career."

Vicari appeared in 83 career games for Michigan State in his three seasons, and posted a 2.37 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. He recorded 16 shutouts, good for second on the school's all-time list behind Ryan Miller (1999-2001). His career games played ranks eighth in the Michigan State record book, while his GAA and save percentage both rank fourth.

August 24, 2006
Mercyhurst Extends Gotkin's Contract

Mercyhurst head coach Rick Gotkin's contract has been extended four years, through the 2009-10 season, the school announced Thursday.

Under Gotkin's leadership, Mercyhurst owns a seven-year Division I record of 151-88-18, three NCAA playoff appearances, three regular season conference titles, four regular season runners-up, seven conference playoff appearances, three conference playoff championships, and one conference runner-up. He ranks ninth among Division I coaches in all-time winning percentage (.623; 18 years) and 11th in victories (338).

August 24, 2006
Lindsay Joins RMU Staff

Robert Morris head coach Derek Schooley has named former Colorado College assistant Matt Lindsay as assistant coach. Lindsay replaces Marc Fakler, who accepted a position with Western Michigan.

“We are very fortunate to have added Matt to our staff,” said Schooley. “Matt has worked under some high level coaches and he comes to us from a nationally-ranked program at Colorado College. He has an excellent background in coaching and a strong passion to succeed.”

Prior to his stint with CC, Lindsay was an assistant coach at Hobart College and Utica College. He is a 2001 graduate of Williams.

August 23, 2006
DiGuilian Steps Down as UVM Assistant

Damian DiGiulian, the assistant coach at Vermont for the past 10 seasons under Mike Gilligan and Kevin Sneddon, has resigned from his position, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.

“The reason for my resignation is really quite simple, I want to spend this next year of my life with my young son Giovanni and my wife Kelly," DiGuilian said in a statement. "I am committed to continuing my career as a coach in the future but want to take this time to enjoy it with my family."

“Although it was difficult news to hear, I really want to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank Damian for his passionate years of service to the University of Vermont,” Sneddon said. “He has been an integral part of our hockey program for 10 years, and the work he has done will have a lasting impact on the future of Vermont hockey.”

DiGuilian thanked Sneddon, his players and others in the Burlington community in his statement, but saved his most effusive thanks for Gilligan.

“[T]here is one person that I owe everything I have in this great business to and that is Mike Gilligan," he said. "He has been a true mentor, friend and confidant and he will always hold a special place in my heart. Mike is a tremendous ambassador for our University. I thank him for all that he has done for my family and I.”

Gilligan, who stepped down as the Catamount coach after the 2002-03 season, was recently named an assistant coach with the UVM women's hockey team. He also serves as an assistant to the director of athletics and was an assistant coach on the U.S. Women's Olympic Team in 2006.

August 21, 2006
Dane Jackson Joins North Dakota Coaching Staff

Former North Dakota wing Dane Jackson, an 11-year professional hockey veteran, will return to Grand Forks as an assistant to Fighting Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol.

Jackson, a four-year letterwinner at North Dakota from 1988-92, was head coach and player personnel director for the Adirondack Frostbite of the United Hockey League last season. Prior to that, the Castlegar, B.C., native was an assistant with the American Hockey League's Manchester Monarchs, the top minor-league affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings.

The 36-year-old Jackson, whose pro career included stints with Vancouver, Buffalo and the New York Islanders over parts of four seasons, replaces another ex-North Dakota skater, Brad Berry. Berry last month left his post as Fighting Sioux associate head coach to take a job as an assistant coach with the AHL's Manitoba Moose.

August 17, 2006
UVM's Sneddon Agrees to Contract Extension
Vermont coach Kevin Sneddon has agreed to a contract extension through the 2010-2011, athletic director Bob Corran announced Thursday.

In three seasons with the Catamounts, Sneddon has guided the team to a 48-50-14 mark. Last year, UVM's first as a member of Hockey East, started the campaign with a school-best, seven-game winning streak en route to a 18-16-4 overall mark. In 2004-05, Sneddon's charges finished fourth in the ECAC Hockey League with a 21-14-4 record, Vermont's first 20-win effort since 1996-97.

August 17, 2006
American International Adds Two Assistants

American International coach Gary Wright filled out his coaching staff, hiring Eric Lang and Trevor Large as assistants.

Lang, a four-year letterwinner for the Yellow Jackets, scored 15 goals and 34 assists during his AIC career. He returns to his alma mater after four seasons as varsity hockey coach at Byram Hills High School in Armonk, N.Y. Large played for four seasons at Ferris State, totaling 33 points in 129 career matches. He joins the AIC staff after serving as an assistant coach of the Brampton Battalion Midget AAA team.

August 9, 2006
Yale's Meckler, OSU's Keserich Leave College Ranks

David Meckler, who scored seven goals and three assists in 31 games as a freshman at Yale last season, has opted to forgo his remaining three years of college eligibility by signing with the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights.

"It was really a hard decision to leave such a great school as Yale," Meckler told INCH contributor Paul Shaheen of Research on Ice. "At this point, I see this opportunity as the best way for me to develop as a hockey player."

The 6-foot, 190-pound forward from Highland Park, Ill., scored the game-winning goal in the Bulldogs' five-overtime win over Union in the first round of the ECACHL playoffs last March, ending the longest game in NCAA history at 141:35. The Los Angeles Kings selected him in the fifth round of June's NHL Draft.

On the same day Meckler revealed his decision to leave Yale, the United States Hockey League's Tri-City (Neb.) Storm announced that Ohio State goaltender Ian Keserich would join the team for the 2006-07 campaign.

Keserich, Dave Caruso's backup for two seasons with the Buckeyes, was expected to compete for playing time with incoming freshman Joe Palmer this season. In 10 career appearances for OSU, the Parma, Ohio, native was 4-3-0 with a 2.52 goals against average and a .905 save percentage. He was chosen in the seventh round of the 2004 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche.

With Keserich in the USHL, the two remaining goalies on the Buckeyes' roster (Palmer and Phil Lauderdale, the team's third netminder in each of the last two seasons) have never seen a second of collegiate action.

August 9, 2006
Tech Takes Tok: Ex-USHL Aide is New MTU Assistant

Michigan Tech coach Jamie Russell rounded out his coaching staff by hiring Chris Tok as an assistant. Tok replaces Ian Kallay, who left the Huskies in June to pursue private business opportunities.

Tok, a former University of Wisconsin defenseman, comes to Houghton after spending four seasons as an assistant coach with the USHL's Waterloo Black Hawks. During his tenure with the Black Hawks, the team posted a 134-109-21 record and won its first-ever league playoff championship in 2004. Prior to his stint with Waterloo, Tok spent one season as a player-assistant coach for the United Hockey League's Missouri River Otters.

August 1, 2006
Stanley Cup Coming to SCSU

Former St. Cloud State standouts Bret Hedican and Matt Cullen are scheduled to bring the fabled Stanley Cup trophy to the National Hockey Center on Saturday, August 12. In honor of this special occasion, SCSU will host a Stanley Cup Festival from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the National Hockey Center. The event will include a free souvenir poster featuring Hedican and Cullen.

The Stanley Cup Festival at SCSU will be a fun-filled family event with kids’ games and activities, clowns, learn-how-to-juggle classes, skill contests featuring current SCSU hockey players and lots of food. The Stanley Cup is scheduled to arrive at 5 p.m. with special introductions of Hedican and Cullen in the main rink followed by photo opportunities with the Stanley Cup in the practice rink. Admission for this event will be free.

Hedican played college hockey for the Huskies from 1988-91, while Cullen was with the Huskies from 1995-97. They are the first former SCSU players to see their names etched on the Stanley Cup since Hall of Fame goalie Frank Brimsek led the Boston Bruins to a pair of Stanley Cups in the 1930s and 1940s.

July 31, 2006
Berry Leaves North Dakota for AHL

North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol announced Monday that associate head coach Brad Berry will depart UND to take an assistant coaching position in the Vancouver Canucks organization.

Berry, a member of the Fighting Sioux coaching staff for the past six seasons, has
signed a three-year NHL contract with Vancouver and will be an assistant coach for the Manitoba Moose, an American Hockey League affiliate and top minor league team of the Canucks.

Hakstol said a search for Berry’s replacement would begin immediately.

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