February
21, 2008
Numbers
Game: BSU-RMU Series Had it All
By
Warren Kozireski
Bemidji State senior goaltender Matt Climie
entered last weekend's series at Robert Morris with a shutout
streak of 68:43 against the Colonials and started well,
keeping the home team off the scoreboard in the first period.
College
Hockey America Notebook
Bemidji
State goalie Matt Climie allowed three goals in the
second period of Robert Morris's 4-1 win over the
Beavers last weekend. It was the first time this season
Climie had given up three goals in a period.
Everything changed in the second as the Colonials
were on their way to a 4-1 win. Logan Bittle scored his
first goal of the season at 7:37 of the middle stanza to
snap the scoreless streak at 96:20. Before the period was
over, Sean Berkstresser and Tom Biondich also tallied. It
marked the first time Climie, who entered the weekend ranked
third in the nation in goals against average, had allowed
three goals in a period this season.
In fact, the last time he allowed the triple
was against — you guessed it — Robert Morris
in a College Hockey America playoff semifinal match last
year in Des Moines.
In the third period, Ryan Cruthers scored
a shorthanded goal, the first shortie allowed by Climie
since Nov. 9.
“I’m aware that Climie is having
a good season, but I was just trying to be solid for my
team down the stretch,” said Robert Morris senior
goaltender Christian Boucher after Friday's game. “I
went through a tad of a slump in the middle of the year,
but I’ve been feeling real good in practice and converting
that to games.”
“There’s not much to say,”
said Bemidji State coach Tom Serratore. “The better
team won and they deserved everything they got. They just
played with more intensity and won all the battles for the
loose pucks.
“This time of year, it’s not systems,
but it’s how you respond, it’s how you react,
it’s how you execute. When the time of possession
game is two-thirds to one-third, it will be very difficult
to win the hockey game."
“They took it too us up there [in late
January] and we knew we had to match their intensity,”
said RMU coach Derek Schooley. “That’s what
good hockey teams do and they are a good hockey team. If
they punch you in the face, you need to punch them back.
Not literally, but you need to be ready to respond when
they take it to you.”
The Beavers rebounded Saturday with the allegorical
punch in the face Schooley discussed, pasting RMU, 7-2.
The game featured five goaltenders between the two teams
and seven unanswered goals from the Beavers. Travis Winter
netted two goals and one assist, while Tyler Scofield registered
a three assists.
As for the goalie carousel, Climie started
in net for the Beavers, but gave way to Orlando Alamano
with 10 minutes remaining in regulation. Robert Morris started
Boucher, but Schooley yanked him 9:31 into the first period
after allowing three goals on four shots. His replacement,
Wes Russell, played 34 seconds before Boucher re-entered
the game. He game up two goals on nine shots over a 16-minute
span of the first and second periods before yielding to
Jim Patterson, who played the remaining 14 minutes of the
second period, allowing two goals on eight shots. Russell
played the entire third period, stopping all six shots he
faced.
With the split, Bemidji State is now even
closer to its third CHA regular-season title. A sweep at
home in two weeks against Wayne State in their final two
conference games would give the Beavers 29 points. Even
if Robert Morris wins its last four conference games, the
Colonials would max out at 28 points.
Niagara, currently in third place with 18
points, has six league games remaining and would need to
sweep all 12 points [if the Beavers also sweep] to earn
its third consecutive crown.
Bemidji State travels to Ralph Engelstad Arena
this weekend for two non-conference games against North
Dakota — the Beavers have never beaten the Fighting
Sioux, who currently ride an 11-game unbeaten streak. Robert
Morris has an exhibition game against the U.S. Under-18
team at home Saturday.
SEEN AND HEARD IN THE CHA
Less Reaney: Niagara learned
the day prior to its last non-conference game of the season
that it was losing junior forward Les Reaney for good.
The Saskatchewan native signed a professional
contract with Edmonton and was assigned to the American
Hockey League affiliate in Springfield, Mass.
“That was a bombshell for us,”
said Niagara head coach Dave Burkholder. “Around noon
[Friday], Les Reaney asked to see me privately and said
that he had signed with Edmonton.
“There is a part of me who is proud
of him and happy for him, but as an educator and college
coach, it's my job to get these guys to graduation and commencement
on time. He thought the money and the opportunity was something
he should take and we support him and his dream.
“He leaves the program with 99 career
points and helped us win two regular-season titles. I would
have liked to have this be a month and half down the road,
but we wish him the best.”
The Purple Eagles followed the Reaney announcement
by skating to a 3-3 tie at Burkholder’s alma mater,
RIT. That extended their record against the Tigers as Division
I programs to 2-0-1.
“I’m just glad that we’ve
got this scheduling alliance going and I truly hope that
we can play each other every year," said Burkholder.
"That’s our plan.”
Great Weekend Getaway
Niagara
at Alabama-Huntsville
(Fri.-Sat.) In the weekend's only conference series,
Niagara makes up the two games in hand it holds on
second-place Robert Morris and puts its eight-game
unbeaten streak on the line. The Chargers try to close
the gap on fourth-place Wayne State, which is idle
this weekend.
While You're There: After Saturday's
hockey game, check out men’s basketball as Alabama-Huntsville
hosts North Alabama at 7 p.m.
Stick
Salute
Robert Morris
senior forward Logan Bittle scored his first goal
of the season — the first of four in a row for
the Colonials — and assisted on another to propel
his team to a 4-1 win against Bemidji State Friday.
“It was good to see him get the
monkey off his back because he is a goal scorer, but
that was his best game of the year by far,”
said RMU coach Derek Schooley.
Bench
Minor
Bemidji State
forward Tyler Lehrke was on the ice for all four even
strength goals in a 4-1 loss at Robert Morris Friday.
He rebounded with an assist and +1 Saturday.
Splitsville: Wayne State
and Alabama-Huntsville split their weekend series, which
allowed the Warriors to keep their three-point cushion for
fourth place with eight points outstanding for both.
Derek Bachynski picked up five points on the
weekend for the Warriors while Kevin Morrison had two goals
and four points in the two-game set for the Chargers.
Alabama-Huntsville wraps up their home schedule
this weekend against Niagara. They are 2-1-2 over their
last five games against the Purps, including a 5-3 upset
in last season's playoff semifinals. The Warriors have the
weekend off.
FRIES AT THE BOTTOM
OF THE BAG
• “Cruthers for the Hobey”
posters were seen hanging throughout the Island Sports Center
Complex for Robert Morris's games against Bemidji State
last weekend. Cruthers, with 19 goals and 42 points, is
fourth in the country in scoring.
• Robert Morris is now 3-50-4 all-time
when allowing four or more goals in a game.
• Bemidji State is now 74-30-14 in conference
play. That's the fourth-best all-time record in league games
based on winning percentage in Division I. The Beavers trail
Cornell, Michigan, and Boston College on that list.
• BSU defenseman Cody Bostock has scored
10 of his 15 points this season on the road.
• Freshmen Ryan Cramer and Dan McIntyre
teamed up for their first collegiate points in Bemidji State
uniforms in Saturday’s victory at Robert Morris. Cramer
scored the Beavers' sixth goal of the night midway through
the second period. McIntyre earned the second assist.
• Wayne State’s Ryan Adams also
picked up his first career goal Saturday on an empty-netter
in the Warriors' 4-2 win at Alabama-Huntsville
• Niagara senior forward Taylor Simpson
was in the lineup for last Saturday's game against RIT,
his first game action since Dec. 15.
A variety of sources were utilized in
the compilation of this report. Warren Kozireski can be
reached at warrenkozireski@yahoo.com.
