INCH UPDATE DESK

October 1, 2008
Colorado College Preseason Pick of WCHA Coaches, Media

WCHA preseason coaches' and media polls conducted by newspapers in Grand Forks and Madison, respectively, arrived at the same conclusion — Colorado College is favored to repeat as league champion.

The Tigers garnered eight of 10 possible first-place votes in the Grand Forks Herald coaches' poll, while North Dakota earned the other two first-place mentions. In the Capital Times media poll, CC collected 22 of 25 first-place votes, with the Fighting Sioux getting the nod on three ballots.

Both the coaches and media voted on preseason player of the year and rookie of the year honorees. The media also selected a preseason all-conference team.

Grand Forks Herald
Coaches' Poll
  Capital Times (Madison, Wis.)
Media Poll
1. Colorado College (8) 78   1. Colorado College (22) 247
2. North Dakota (2) 67   2. North Dakota (3) 210
3. Denver 62   3. Denver 192
T4. Minnesota 53   T4. Minnesota 156
T4. Wisconsin 53   T4. Wisconsin 156
6. St. Cloud State 48   6. St. Cloud State 133
7. Minnesota State 38   7. Minnesota State 124
8. Minnesota Duluth 24   8. Minnesota Duluth 78
9. Michigan Tech 14   9. Michigan Tech 51
10. Alaska Anchorage 13   10. Alaska Anchorage 32
Player of the year: Richard Bachman, G, Colorado College (coaches); Chad Rau, F, Colorado College (media)
Rookie of the year: Jason Gregoire, F, North Dakota and Jack Connolly, F, Minnesota Duluth (coaches); Joe Colborne, F, Denver (media)
Capital Times Preseason All-WCHA Team
F-Ryan Duncan, North Dakota
F-Ryan Lasch, St. Cloud State
F-Chad Rau, Colorado College
D-Chay Genoway, North Dakota
D-Jamie McBain, Wisconsin
G-Richard Bachman, Colorado College

September 30, 2008
Coaches, Media Differ on CCHA Favorites

2008 Frozen Four participants Michigan and Notre Dame topped the CCHA preseason polls, released Tuesday in conjunction with the league's media day in Grand Rapids, Mich. The Wolverines are the media's pick to win the regular-season crown, while the Fighting Irish grabbed the top spot in the coaches' poll.

Coaches' Poll   Media Poll
1. Notre Dame (8) 128   1. Michigan (43) 945
2. Michigan (3) 122   2. Notre Dame (35) 915
3. Miami (1) 108   3. Michigan State (2) 776
4. Northern Michigan 102   4. Miami (2) 746
5. Michigan State 96   5. Northern Michigan (1) 700
6. Ferris State 84   6. Ferris State 529
7. Ohio State 67   7. Bowling Green 444
8. Nebraska-Omaha 59   8. Nebraska-Omaha 415
9. Bowling Green 56   9. Ohio State 339
10. Lake Superior St. 46   10. Lake Superior St. 322
T-11. Alaska 28   11. Alaska 198
T-11. Western Michigan 28   12. Western Michigan 145

The CCHA also revealed the coaches' choices for the preseason all-conference squads. Michigan and Notre Dame each placed two players on the all-league first team.

All-CCHA First Team   All-CCHA Second Team
F-Erik Condra, Notre Dame   F-Carter Camper, Miami
F-Aaron Palushaj, Michigan   F-Tim Crowder, Michigan State
F-Justin Mercier, Miami   F-Mark Olver, Northern Michigan
D-Mark Mitera, Michigan   F-Ryan Thang, Notre Dame
D-Kyle Lawson, Notre Dame   D-Jeff Petry, Michigan State
G-Jeff Lerg, Michigan State   D-Ian Cole, Notre Dame
    G-Billy Sauer, Michigan
Honorable mention: Erik Gustafsson, D, Northern Michigan; Eddie Del Grosso, D, Nebraska-Omaha; Jordan Pearce, G, Notre Dame; Jacob Cepis, F, Bowling Green; Nick Sirota, F, Northern Michigan; Zach Redmond, D, Ferris State.

September 30, 2008
Niagara Favorite in CHA Coaches' Poll

Niagara, winner of the 2008 College Hockey America tournament, is the choice the league's coaches to win the conference regular-season champion according to the CHA preseason poll released Tuesday.

Coaches' Poll
1. Niagara (3) 9
2. Bemidji State (1) 7
T3. Alabama-Huntsville 4
T3. Robert Morris 4

Niagara and Bemidji State each placed three players on the preseason all-CHA team. The Purple Eagles' Vince Rocco was tabbed as preseason player of the year.

Preseason All-CHA Team
F-Vince Rocco, Niagara
F-Chris Margott, Robert Morris
F-Matt Read, Bemidji State
F-Tyler Scofield, Bemidji State
D-Ryan Annesley, Niagara
D-Cody Bostock, Bemidji State
G-Juliano Pagliero, Niagara

September 29, 2008
BC Favored to Repeat in Hockey East

Defending national champion Boston College is the favorite to repeat as Hockey East conference champions according to the league's coaches, Hockey East announced Monday.

The Eagles garnered six of the 10 first-place votes in the poll, with Boston University getting three and New Hampshire one.Northeastern and Vermont round out the top five.

Coaches' Poll
1. Boston College (6) 86
2. Boston University (3) 80
3. New Hampshire (1) 78
4. Northeastern 62
5. Vermont 58
6. Massachusetts 48
7. UMass Lowell 46
8. Providence 34
9. Maine 28
10. Merrimack 20

September 24, 2008
Bemidji State Tabbed as 2009 CHA Tourney Host

Bemidji State will host the 2009 College Hockey America tournament on March 13-14, the conference announced. It'll mark the first time in 10-year history of the CHA that the league tournament will be held in Bemidji.

Despite dwindling to just four members this season, the CHA playoff champion will again earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Of the league's remaining teams, only Robert Morris has yet to make an NCAA postseason appearance. Niagara has made three NCAA trips (2000, 2004, and 2008), Bemidji State has two national tournament berths to its credit (2005 and 2006), while Alabama-Huntsville has one (2007).

September 24, 2008
Atlantic Hockey Coaches Tab Air Force as Favorite

Defending champion Air Force is the favorite in Atlantic Hockey for 2008-09, receiving seven of 10 first-place votes in the league's coaches' poll, released Wednesday. Mercyhurst and RIT also received first-place votes and round out the top three.

Coaches' Poll
1. Air Force (7) 79
2. Mercyhurst (1) 70
3. RIT (2) 68
4. Sacred Heart 55
5. Army 40
6. Holy Cross 38
7. Canisius 34
8. Connecticut 29
9. Bentley 26
10. American International 11

September 22, 2008
Princeton Favored in ECAC Hockey

Princeton, which reached the NCAA Tournament last season as the ECAC Hockey playoff champion, is favored to win the conference's regular season title in 2008-09 according to coaches' and media polls released Monday.

Harvard, Cornell and Clarkson occupy the second, third and fourth spots, respectively, in both polls.

Coaches' Poll   Media Poll
1. Princeton (9) 118   1. Princeton (15) 278
2. Harvard (2) 103   2. Harvard (4) 247
3. Cornell (1) 100   3. Cornell (2) 244
4. Clarkson 88   4. Clarkson (2) 234
5. Union 80   5. Quinnipiac 178
6. Quinnipiac 72   6. Union 160
7. Yale 67   7. Yale 156
8. St. Lawrence 48   8. St. Lawrence 129
9. Colgate 43   9. Rensselaer 107
10. Rensselaer 38   10. Colgate 99
11. Dartmouth 33   11. Dartmouth 81
12. Brown 11   12. Brown 34

September 20, 2008
Coaching Legend Harkness Dies at 89

Ned Harkness, who coached national championship teams in hockey and lacrosse and was a critical figure in the growth of three ECAC Hockey programs, died on Friday at the age of 89.

Harkness led Rensselaer (1954) and Cornell (1967, 1970) to national titles and also won a lacrosse title with the Engineers.

After an NHL stint with the Detroit Red Wings as head coach and then general manager, Harkness returned to the college game, reviving the program at Union.

When Inside College Hockey rated the best coaches in college hockey history in 2003, Harkness ranked fifth.

August 29, 2008
Lightning Classic Moves to Chicago; Jackson Blasts NHL Team

The Tampa Bay Lightning have backed out on their commitment to host the 2009 Lightning College Hockey Classic, moving the tournament to the Chicago area for the upcoming season. The move, reported by Ken Schott of the Schenectady Daily Gazette this morning, was made official by Notre Dame today.

Notre Dame will play host to the first ever Shillelagh Tournament at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill. on Jan. 2 and 3, 2009. The tournament will also feature Minnesota-Duluth, Union and UMass-Lowell.

Fighting Irish head coach Jeff Jackson issued a strong statement against the Lightning, which are under new ownership. Tampa Bay's St. Pete Times Forum is scheduled to host the Frozen Four in 2012.

"I am extremely disappointed in the Tampa Bay Lighting's decision to not continue the tournament," Jackson said. "We had a verbal agreement to continue this for two more years and as hosts of the Frozen Four in 2012, I'm not sure it's the best message to send to the college hockey community by cancelling the tournament at such a late date."

August 28, 2008
NCAA Names Midwest, West Regional Sites for 2010-11

Fort Wayne, Ind., St. Paul, Minn., Green Bay, Wisc., and St. Louis have been awarded NCAA regionals in 2010 and 2011, the NCAA announced Thursday. All four sites are off campus and feature 200-by-85-foot ice surfaces.

Fort Wayne's Allen County War Memorial Coliseum will host the Midwest Regional on March 27-28, 2010, while the West Regional at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul begins a day earlier. Albany, N.Y., and Worcester, Mass., had already been selected as East and Northeast regional sites, respectively.

In 2011, the West Regional heads to St. Louis' Scottrade Center—site of the 2007 Frozen Four—on March 25-26. The Midwest Regional begins one day later at the Resch Center in Green Bay. Bridgeport, Conn., and Manchester, N.H., are the East and Northeast sites, respectively, that year.

"The ice hockey committee is excited to announce these sites as we had a tremendous amount of interest shown by cities across the Midwest,” said Joel Maturi, chair of the Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Committee. “We focused on selecting sites that have NHL size ice sheets and are in neutral buildings. We really feel that each of these buildings will showcase college hockey, give our student-athletes a tremendous experience and help take our championship to another level.”

August 25, 2008
Howard Steps Down at Wisconsin

Bill Howard—one of the most heralded assistant coaches in the college game—is stepping down from his position as goaltending coach at Wisconsin after 36 years with the Badgers.

Howard was a part of all six Badger national championship teams and coached goaltenders such as Curtis Joseph, Mike Richter and Brian Elliott.

Howard noted in a statement that he didn't intend to retire from coaching, but simply felt it was time to leave the Wisconsin program.

"Effective immediately, I hereby wish to submit my resignation from my position with the UW hockey program as an assistant coach and goalie coach," he said. "I wish to thank all the wonderful support staff, the three head coaches that I worked for (the late Bob Johnson, Jeff Sauer and Mike Eaves), the past and present administration, all the media personnel, the players and specifically all of the great goalies that I had the opportunity to work with and coach over the past four decades.

“Although this was a long thought out and difficult decision for me and my family to make, their support, thoughts, insight and understanding made this decision much easier to make. I am fortunate at this time to have many other opportunities as a goalie consultant and coach.

“I still have a great passion for teaching and coaching players and goalies at all age levels. I therefore am not retiring from coaching but simply moving in a different direction. It's been a lot of fun, a great run, and has been very rewarding.”

August 14, 2008
CCHA to Institute Shootouts for 2008-09

The CCHA has announced that an NHL style three-player shootout will be used in the 2008-09 season to determine a winner for regular-season conference games that are tied after 60 minutes of regulation play and five minutes of overtime.

"The shootout has proved to be an exciting addition to hockey at a variety of levels and we are anxious to bring it into college hockey," conference commissioner Tom Anastos said. "The drama it creates is very popular with fans, and importantly, today's players love it."

The CCHA becomes the first of college hockey's six Division I men's leagues to adopt the shootout. The NCAA Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules Committee voted in July to allow conferences to experiment with a shootout in regular-season contests as a means to enhance the excitement of the game.

Games decided by a shootout will still be considered ties in the NCAA Tournament selection process.

The CCHA has approved the following point system for regular-season play; Two points for a win in regulation or overtime, one point for each team if the game is tied at the conclusion of the five-minute overtime period and one point is awarded to the team who wins the shootout.

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