Tanner
Glass has earned the respect of his teammates and
coaching staff and is an assistant captain as a junior.
Colgate and Dartmouth feature the two most
potent offensive lines in the league, with some of the most
complete and talented players. You probably know about Dartmouth's
Mike Ouellette and David Jones – both were First Team
All-Ivy selections and will be members of the All-ECACHL
teams when they are announced on Friday. Colgate's Jon Smyth,
a preseason ECACHL first-teamer, and Tyler Burton, a member
of last year's All-Rookie team, are the big guns for the
Raiders.
You also know that a line needs three players
to be complete and successful, and we take some time this
week to talk about the lesser-known wingmen on the league's
best two lines – Dartmouth's Tanner Glass and Colgate's
Jesse Winchester.
Inside College Hockey: Congratulations
on the regular-season title and the number-one seed. This
weekend you guys have another chance to set a school milestone
at the championship weekend. How are you guys feeling right
now?
Tanner Glass: We're excited to be where we
are, heading to Albany and playing against Harvard. They're
ranked high nationally and we've had a lot of great battles
against them. We can't be in a better position.
ECACHL
Semifinal Capsules
No. 1 Dartmouth
Record: 18-11-2 (14-6-2 ECACHL)
Big Green Fact: Dartmouth
was the highest scoring team in the ECACHL and is
averaging over half a goal-per-game more than Colgate,
Cornell, and Harvard who ranked fifth, sixth, and
seventh.
How Dartmouth Wins:
Sophomore goaltender Mike Devine has played well and
has actually been a calming force for a veteran defense.
He'll have to continue to play well in his most pressure-packed
weekend to date. The Big Green boast a group of talented
forwards that can beat you with strength and skill.
That versatility must help them generate offense in
what is always a tight-checking weekend.
No.
2 Colgate
Record: 20-11-6 (14-6-2 ECACHL)
Raider Fact: Colgate's
only tournament title came in 1990. They've made it
to the championship weekend four times since then
– 1995, 2000, 2004, 2005 – and have failed
to advance to the championship each time.
How Colgate Wins: The
Raiders' best players must rise to the occasion. Tyler
Burton, Kyle Wilson, Jon Smyth and others were invisible
in a loss to Quinnipiac last Friday. Colgate turned
the series around when they started to play well.
Colgate enters the weekend with the best power-play
percentage of these four teams.
No. 3 Cornell Record: 20-7-4 (13-6-3 ECACHL)
Big Red Fact: Cornell
has been the class of the ECACHL over the four seasons,
including the current campaign. They've backed it
up with an 8-2-0 against Harvard in that time, but
the Big Red are just 8-7-1 in the same span against
Colgate and Dartmouth.
How Cornell Wins: The
Big Red have the strongest recent winning tradition
of these four teams. The veteran players know how
to get the job done and were given a great example
to follow by former teammates like Mike Knoepfli,
Charlie Cook, and Mike Iggulden. They'll have to capture
the playoff spirit those guys brought to the ice last
year.
No.
4 Harvard Record: 19-11-2 (13-8-1 ECACHL)
Crimson Fact: In the
overall season stats for ECACHL, Harvard ranked fourth
among all ECACHL teams in scoring defense. The three
teams ahead of the Crimson are the other three teams
joining Harvard in Albany.
How Harvard Wins: Senior
Dan Murphy started the season strong and has regained
his scoring touch down the stretch. He has teamed
up with center Kevin Du and winger Ryan Maki to give
the Crimson a legitimate number-one line. That trio
will need some support. Look for that to be provided
by defenseman Dylan Reese and the second line of Dave
Watters, Paul Dufault, and Jon Pelle.
INCH: Dartmouth got off to a slow
start this season. Was there one thing that helped turn
your season around?
TG: I'd have to say it's Mike Devine. He really
provided our team with a calming influence in the defensive
zone. We go into every game knowing we have a guy that can
make every save he should and even some that he probably
shouldn't make. He's been the biggest difference for us.
INCH: You're a drafted player
(9th round, 2003, Florida Panthers) and that comes with
some status. But you had just 11 points in your freshman
year and 15 points as a sophomore. This year you've more
than doubled (11-16–27) your career totals. Have you
changed anything, or has it just happened?
TG: Not much has changed with my game. I try
to play a hard-nosed style and take care of my defensive
zone. This year the points have come. I've been on a great
line with Mike Ouellette and David Jones and it helps to
be able to step in and play with top two line players. They're
also very responsible in the defensive end and have so much
creative talent.
Jesse Winchester, like Glass, has had a breakout
season. He scored four points in 28 games as a freshman
but has 36 points heading into this weekend, ranking behind
only Burton and Kyle Wilson in team scoring.
Inside College Hockey: Last year
you had four points and this year is kind of a breakout
year for you, playing with Jon Smyth and Tyler Burton most
of the time. Jon Smyth went through the same thing, with
kind of a slow start his first year and now he's probably
one of the best players in Colgate history. What can you
say about him?
Jesse Winchester: Jon is a big leader in the
room and on the ice he does everything for us. He blocks
shots, scores big goals, I can't say enough about the guy.
He does it every day and it's a pleasure playing on his
line.
INCH: What have you learned from
him in particular?
JW: A lot of leadership skills. He is a quiet
leader but he and I get along really well and with Tyler
we've bonded together.
INCH: What types of things did
you learn as a freshman to bring to this year?
JW: You learn a lot as a freshman. In junior
we weren't coached like we are here so it's a big transition.
I had a lot of confidence this year. In the summer I worked
out really hard and was given a chance to play with the
top two guns on our team and made the most of it. I just
want to keep on building.
INCH: Last year you guys made
it to this point in the season and Colgate ended up playing
in the third-place game. Colgate hasn't played in the championship
game since 1990. I guess for this team in this tournament
the next step is getting there. How do you feel this team's
chances stack up?
JW: When we're playing on emotion and playing
all together we have a pretty good chance against anyone
I think. As long as we do that we'll be ready next weekend
and we're looking forward to the battle.
INCH: What do you think of Cornell?
JW: Cornell's a great team up and down the
lineup. They're big, strong, tough, and they've got a great
goalie. It's going to be a great game. We match up well
against them and the two games we played against them this
year were close, so it's going to come down to the wire.
