INCH
UPDATE DESK
May
31, 2005
St.
Cloud Names Motzko Assistant Coach
St.
Cloud State University athletic director Dr. Morris Kurtz announced
the appointment of Bob Motzko as an assistant coach on Tuesday.
Motzko is scheduled to start at St. Cloud State on Monday, June
13.
Motzko has
served as a men's hockey assistant coach at Minnesota since 2001.
He was part of NCAA Division I national championship teams in
2002 and 2003, and helped the Gophers win WCHA playoff crowns
in 2003 and 2004.
A 1987 graduate
of St. Cloud State University, Motzko was a two-year varsity letterwinner
for the SCSU hockey team from 1983-85. As a Husky hockey player,
Motzko scored 13 goals and 10 assists. Motzko began his coaching
career in 1986-87 as an assistant coach for the legendary Herb
Brooks at SCSU, when he also worked with current SCSU head coach
Craig Dahl.
"Bob
(Motzko) and I have talked for many years about him returning
to St. Cloud State, so I'm thrilled that we have this opportunity
to add him to our staff," Dahl said. "I firmly believe
that we1ve added one of the top assistant coaches in the nation
to our program, and I'm delighted that Bob will once again be
part of Husky hockey."
May
27, 2005
CC's
Sertich Wins USA Hockey Honor
Colorado
College forward Marty Sertich today was named 2005 USA Hockey
College Player of the Year as the top American-born player in
the NCAA ranks. The Hobey Baker Memorial Award recipient from
Roseville, Minn., scored 27 goals and added 37 assists last season,
leading the Tigers to a share of the WCHA regular-season championship
and a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four.
Goaltender Jeff Lerg, who will be a freshman at Michigan State
this fall, won two awards. The Livonia, Mich., native, who played
for the USHL's Omaha Lancers last season, was honored as USA Hockey's
Junior Player of the Year and earned the Dave Peterson Goalie
of the Year Award, which is picked from a pool of netminders who
attended USA Hockey's National Goaltender Camp or the organization's
Select 16 and Select 17 Festivals.
Minnesota-bound forward Phil Kessel captured the Bob Johnson Award
for excellence in international play. Kessel paced the U.S. to
a gold medal at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship in April,
leading the tournament in scoring with 16 points. The Madison,
Wis., product also scored five goals and an assist in helping
the U-18 squad to a first-place showing at the Five Nations Cup
in February, and notched four goals and two assists for the U.S.
team at this year's World Junior Championship.
Princeton
goaltender Jeff Mansfield was named USA Hockey Disabled Athlete
of the Year. Mansfield, who is deaf and communicates via sign
language, played in three games for the Tigers during his freshman
campaign and posted an 0-2-0 record.
May
26, 2005
Woodward
Named MSU Volunteer Assistant
Former Michigan
State forward Rob Woodward (1989-93) will serve as the Spartans'
volunteer assistant coach for the 2005-06 season, head coach Rick
Comley announced. Woodward, who will begin his duties Aug. 1,
will assist in all facets of practices and games, with a specific
focus on coaching the team's forwards.
"I believe
that Rob will be a good fit for our program," said Comley.
"He brings a tremendous amount of experience, enthusiasm,
dedication and commitment. He understands the Michigan State hockey
program and the goals we are working towards. He will be a compliment
to our coaching staff."
Woodward spent
the past five seasons (2000-2005) as the head coach of Lansing
Catholic Central High School where he compiled a 71-51-5 overall
record. Woodward, who took over the program in 2000-01, went 9-13-3
in his first season. During the past two seasons, the Cougars
recorded a 30-17-2 overall mark (25-5-2 conference). In addition,
LCC captured the conference title for the first time in 27 years
in 2004. During his tenure, he was selected as the Capital Area
Activities Conference Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2005.
May
26, 2005
Clark
Named USA Hockey's Fishman Intern
Alex Clark
has been hired as a member of USA Hockey's media and public relations
staff as The Brian Fishman Intern for the 2005-06 season. Clark,
who graduated summa cum laude on May 15 from Colgate, will begin
his duties with USA Hockey in late June.
The Brian
Fishman Internship, in its seventh year, is named after the late
Brian Fishman, who passed away on Jan. 7, 1999, at age 28. Fishman
was the manager of communications and marketing for the USA Hockey
National Team Development Program in 1998-99 and served as the
sports information contact for the University of Michigan men's
hockey team from 1995-97.
Clark will
assist in all facets of USA Hockey's media and public relations
effort, including feature writing for USA Hockey Magazine.
"Alex
typifies the integrity, enthusiasm and passion for hockey that
so distinguished Brian, and I am confident he will be a strong
asset to USA Hockey," said Barry Fishman (Potomac, Md.),
Brian's father. "Brian's mother, Ruth, and I are pleased
to welcome Alex to the tradition of excellence that the internship
has come to represent."
May
24, 2005
Union
Assistant Gasparini Leaves
Tony Gasparini, an assistant coach at Union the past two seasons on Nate Leaman's staff, will be leaving the school to move back to South Dakota with his family.
Gasparini,
whose father, Gino, is the commissioner of the USHL and former
North Dakota head coach, was the head coach of the USHL's Sioux
Falls Stampede prior to joining the Skating Dutchmen.
May
24, 2005
Maine
Names Dumont Graduate Assistant
Jamie Dumont, an Oswego State graduate who spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach at Bowdoin, has been named a graduate assistant coach at Maine. Dumont is a Lewiston, Maine, native.
May
12, 2005
Eligibility
Oversight May End Career of
NMU's Contois
Northern
Michigan forward Andrew Contois, the team's leading goal scorer
last season, has probably played his last game for the Wildcats.
According to the Marquette Mining Journal, a misinterpretation
between the NMU and the NCAA when Contois transferred from Lake
Superior State led the school to believe he had one more year
of eligibility remaining.
The article doesn't mention the basis for the confusion, but school
officials may have believed the Marquette native had another year
of eligibility left because he sat out the second semester of
his freshman season and the first semester of his sophomore campaign.
Contois played in nine contests with the Lakers in 2001-02, then
transferred to Northern Michigan. He gained eligibility at NMU
in December 2002 and played in 23 games for the Wildcats that
season.
Last season, Contois ranked among the top 10 goal scorers
in the CCHA with a career-best 19 goals and 36 points in 39 games.
The school is appealing Contois' status.
May
2, 2005
Mercyhurst
Extends Gotkin's Contract
Mercyhurst
athletic director Pete Russo announced Monday that the school
has extended the contract of head coach Rick Gotkin through the
2008-09 season.
“We
are very appreciative of the work that Rick and his coaching staff
have done”, said Russo, “and we want to make certain
that both current team members and prospective student athletes
know he is going to be here a long time.”
Gotkin directed
the Lakers to the 2005 Atlantic Hockey title and nearly upset
top-seeded Boston College in the NCAA Tournament, losing 5-4.
Mercyhurst finished tied for second place during the regular season,
but won eight straight down the stretch, including three straight
playoff wins to claim the conference’s automatic bid.
Under Gotkin's
leadership, Mercyhurst owns a six-year Division I record of 129-75-17,
three regular season conference titles, three regular season runners-up,
six conference playoff appearances, three conference tournament
championships and one conference tournament runner-up.
May
2, 2005
Palazzari Resigns USA Hockey Post
USA
Hockey executive director Doug Palazzari resigned his position
after six years on the job.
"I
enjoyed my time at USA Hockey tremendously," said Palazzari,
"I'm proud of the things that have been accomplished over
the past six years and know that the organization will continue
to make great strides as it moves forward. It was time for a change,
both for myself and USA Hockey."
Palazzari,
a former standout at Colorado College and the WCHA Most Valuable
Player in 1974, came to USA Hockey in 1991 as director of the
organization's youth and education programs. He was appointed
executive director on June 12, 1999.
A national
search will begin immediately to find a successor to Palazzari.
INCH
Update Desk Archives: April
