Niagara
freshman forward Chris Moran helped the Purple Eagles
snap their four-game winless streak with two goals and
two assists in a 7-3 win over Robert Morris last weekend.
The final weekend of the regular season brings
with it multiple playoff scenarios:
• Niagara needs just one point in its
two games at Alabama-Huntsville to clinch outright their
second consecutive and third overall CHA regular-season
title.
• If the Purps get that point and Robert
Morris sweeps visiting Wayne State, the Colonials would
tie Bemidji State for second place. RMU has the advantage
thanks to its 3-1 head-to-head record against the Beavers
this season. BSU hosts the U.S. Under-18 team for a pair
of exhibition games this weekend.
• An Alabama-Huntsville sweep of Niagara
and a Robert Morris sweep of Wayne State would create a
three-way tie for first place. The Colonials would get the
league title on the strength of its 3-2-1 head-to-head record
against the Purple Eagles, coupled with their advantage
over Bemidji State.
• Wayne State has a one-point edge over
Alabama-Huntsville for last line change in their first-round
playoff tilt. Depending on the events of the weekend, we
might be digging deep in tie-breakers to determine who takes
fourth place, but the see-saw is leaning Wayne State’s
way.
The CHA tie-breaking system is:
1. Best record head-to-head
among teams involved.
2. Most wins in conference
play
3. Fewest goals allowed in
conference games played between the teams involved.
4. Fewest goals against in
conference play.
5. Best goal differential in
conference games played between the teams involved.
6. Best goal differential in
all conference games played.
The Warriors and Chargers split the four games
in the season series, and both currently have six conference
victories. Should the number of conference victories stay
the same — via a Chargers tie or other scenarios too
numerous to outline here — the third tie-breaking
criteria would be invoked. The Warriors have allowed 14
goals to UAH, while the Chargers have given up 15 to Wayne
State, one of them an empty-netter way back in October.
Welcome to March …
SEEN AND HEARD IN CHA
Peaking at the right time? With
a win and a tie last weekend against Bemidji State, Wayne
State is undefeated in its last five games. In four of those
contests, the goaltending tandem of Brett Bothwell and Will
Hooper has allowed just one goal.
The Warriors received two-point weekends from
Mike Forgie, Mark Nebus, Derek Bachynski and Jeff Caister
and solid goaltending for the eighth and ninth conference
games in a row.
What happened? Bemidji State’s
struggles continued last weekend as they managed just two
goals against Wayne State — matching the school record
for fewest goals in a College Hockey America series —
but the Beavers did earn a point to remain tied for first
in the league with Niagara. BSU ended the regular season
with a 2-8-2 mark in its last 12 games.
This weekend, the Beavers take on the U.S.
Under-18 Team in a pair exhibition games at Glas Fieldhouse.
The two teams have met just once in BSU's Division I era
— a 4-3 win for the U.S. team in 2002
Back on track? Niagara found
its offense and goaltending in the same weekend and came
away with three key points against Robert Morris. In doing
so they secured their spot as the only team in the nation
with an undefeated season at home at 12-0-2.
"What a great season at Dwyer,"
coach Dave Burkholder said, "It is a true tribute to
all the guys in our locker room. This team, especially the
seniors, know (the record) is something that has never been
done here before, and we are all extremely proud of that."
The Purps are now undefeated in 17 straight
at home dating back to the 2005-06 season.
Great Weekend Getaway
Wayne
State at Robert Morris (Fri.-Sat.) This series and the Niagara-Alabama-Huntsville
affair have playoff implications, but the WSU-RMU
series holds more intrigue. The Warriors are trying
to stay in fourth, while the Colonials aiming for
second — or even first with some help from the
Chargers.
While you’re there: Catch
the CHA women’s championship game at the Island
Saturday at 4 p.m. Top seed Mercyhurst, the nation's
second-ranked team, is the favorite.
Stick
Salute
Niagara
freshman Chris Moran exploded for two goals
and two assists in a 7-3 win against Robert Morris,
helping the Purps end a four-game winless skid.
Bench
Minor
Robert
Morris goaltender Joe Tuset allowed two goals
on the first seven shots he faced before being pulled
eight minutes into the same 7-3 blowout.
Juliano Pagliero made 32 saves in net in Friday's
7-3 win and Allen Barton stopped 33 in the 3-3 tie Saturday.
Chris Moran and Matt Caruana each registered four-point
weekends with Moran’s all coming in the first game.
You can decide if it’s good or bad,
but of the six goals allowed by the Purps to the Colonials
in the two games, five came on special teams — four
via the power play and one short-handed.
FRIES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BAG
• Bemidji State registered 18 of their
27 shots after the second period in Saturday’s 1-1
overtime tie at Wayne State. First star Will Hooper stopped
all of them for the Warriors.
• Wayne State’s Stavros Paskaris,
who scored 12 goals and 33 points as a freshman in 2004-05,
finally scored a goal this season. It came in Friday’s
3-1 win. His last goal was February 10th, 2006 — 38
games ago.
• Bemidji’s Ryan Miller went 33-19
in the face-off circle last weekend.
• Of the four CHA teams playing league
series this week, only Niagara has a winning record (3-1-0)
in the last weekend of the regular season over the past
two seasons. Alabama-Huntsville, Robert Morris, and Wayne
State were all 1-3-0 during that span.
• Alabama-Huntsville is 0-5 this season
in Friday games coming off a bye week. The Chargers host
Niagara this weekend after a week off.
• Niagara’s Ted Cook is in the
midst of a five-game goal scoring streak.
A variety of sources were utilized in
the compilation of this report. Warren Kozireski can be
reached at warrenkozireski@yahoo.com.
