December 18, 2008
2008-09 College Hockey America Midseason Review

By Warren Kozireski

SURPRISE TEAM

Three of the four teams in the conference had questions in goal to start the season. Bemidji State was one of those after losing four-year starter Matt Climie. But Matt Dalton, coming off a freshman season where he saw action in just five games and had a .854 save percentage, has stepped in and allowed a total of five goals over the Beavers current five game winning streak heading into the break. 2007-08 CHA Rookie of the Year Matt Read continues to pace the offense with Tyler Scofield the leading goal scorer and Brandon Marino making both of his two goals count as game-winners. Freshman defenseman Brad Hunt and senior d-man Cody Bostock have also helped on the offensive end with five power-play goals and 17 points between them.

The team was very happy to wave goodbye to October since they are 6-2-0 since beginning the campaign 1-5-0. They find themselves in a familiar place – first place in CHA with 8 points. But the start of the second half could bring flooding to the Beavers den. After their trip to Dartmouth to play UMass in the first round of the holiday tournament and then either Army or the host, they have a home-and-home with North Dakota prior to a weekend at Minnesota Duluth with a weekend off in between.

Ted Cook missed a lot of the first half due to injury, but Niagara had three freshmen emerge to pick up the slack.

SURPRISE INDIVIDUALS

On a team with the offensive firepower that includes preseason CHA Player of the Year Vince Rocco, the nation's leading active power-play goal scorer in Ted Cook, Chris Moran and 15-goal scorer Egor Mironov as well as defenseman Tyler Gotto who exceeded 20 points last season, it’s a group of freshman making an impact for Niagara through the first half.

Brian Dowd (11 points), Sam Goodwin (7) and Wes Consorti (6) stand 3-4-5 of CHA freshmen in scoring and all three are in the top-23 overall in the conference in scoring.

Though some of their opportunity was due to the broken wrist suffered by Cook early in the season (he’s been back for four games), the trio with fellow freshmen Dan Baco and defenseman Robert Martini has accounted for almost one-third of the Purps' power-play goals and 25 percent of Niagara’s total point production so far.

WHAT HAPPENED TO ...

Bemidji State senior forward Travis Winter? One season removed from finishing third on the team with 24 points in 36 games, Bemidji State senior forward Travis Winter has yet to register a point over the four conference games he’s appeared in and has only three points overall in 10 games. The groin injury that forced him to miss four games must be lingering longer than anybody anticipated or wants. It’s a frustrating final season for a player who is in the top-15 in scoring during the Beavers Division I era.

BEST NEW FACE

Alabama-Huntsville freshman forward Cody Campbell. When a freshman leads his team in scoring, it is always noteworthy. Three goals and eight assists have the Maple Ridge, British Columbia native accounting for 18 percent of the Chargers offense this season. A case in point was last weekend when he was in on all four UAH goals with two goals and two assists. He has been a two-time selection as CHA Rookie of the Week. Brad Hunt of Bemidji State and Brian Dowd of Niagara also merit mention in this category.

BIGGEST UPSET

There's not much to choose from this season aside from the upset that almost was — Alabama-Huntsville's 1-0 loss at Colorado College opening weekend thanks to 43 saves from Cameron Talbot.

That leaves Robert Morris earning three points in two games against visiting Ferris State. It's noteworthy because the Bulldogs sit in the middle of the pack in CCHA at the break, but also because the win marked one of just four the Colonials have so far and the tie one of two. Chris Margott and Nathan Longpre combined for 11 points over the two games and Wes Russell claimed a firm grasp on the top goaltending job with 56 saves. Oh, and Ferris State is 8-6-2 since including picking up three points against nationally-ranked Miami and a one-goal loss to top-ranked Notre Dame.

Travis Winter hasn't met past production, but Bemidji State finds itself atop College Hockey America.

TOUGHEST ROAD OUT

In hindsight, Bemidji State’s five losses in six games to start the season don’t look so bad coming at nationally ranked Minnesota State, at nationally ranked Air Force and against a team receiving votes in St. Cloud State. Since that opening stumble, the Beavers are 6-2-0 and enter the Ledyard Bank Classic at Dartmouth the weekend after Christmas on a five-game winning streak.

TOUGHEST ROAD IN

After the New Year, Niagara will play 11 consecutive weekends including the CHA playoffs in Minnesota without a break. Included in the run are their two longest road trips to Bemidji State and Alabama-Huntsville on consecutive weekends in late January plus another trip south two weeks after that. Back-to-back trips to Sacred Heart and #10 Cornell will begin the stretch.

MUST-SEE SERIES

It’s looking like a two-horse race between Bemidji State and Niagara again this season, and the two meet in western New York with just three weeks left in the regular season Feb. 19-20. It's a bit of odd scheduling with the Thursday-Friday series and it will mark the Beavers second (and maybe final) trip to Dwyer after splitting a pair of 3-1 games prior to Thanksgiving.

BIGGEST QUESTION ANSWERED

None really. The league is still in limbo; Robert Morris hasn’t found a winger to at least partially fill the gap left by Ryan Cruthers; Dalton (Bemidji) and Talbot (UAH) are vying for Second Team All-CHA goaltender behind Juliano Pagliero (Niagara); and the conference race is still up for grabs with less than one-third of the league schedule in the books. So to officially fill the space, we'll go with Bemidji State’s new arena deal clearing several more hurdles, including the state budget crisis, and is on track. That should solidify their bid to jump to the WCHA.

BIGGEST QUESTION REMAINING

Wherefore art the future of the CHA? The seemingly perpetual question may (should) be answered by mid to late January. Niagara and Robert Morris to the Atlantic? Bemidji State to the WCHA? Alabama-Huntsville to the CCHA? Are there any other dance partners? Scholarship reductions? Do teams have time to adjust the 2009-10 schedule or does the CHA last another lame-duck season? Have I covered all of the main questions? Can you answer a question with more questions?