December
23, 2003
UConn Hockey Classic
Connecticut
Ice Arena • Storrs, Conn.
THE
FIELD
Sunday,
December 28
Air
Force vs. Sacred Heart, 2 p.m. ET
Bentley at Connecticut, 5:15 p.m. ET
Monday,
December 29
Third-Place Game, 2 p.m. ET
Championship, 5:15 p.m. ET
LAST
YEAR
Alabama-Huntsville put the college hockey world on notice when it stunned Ferris State in overtime of the first game, then went on to beat Findlay, 4-2, for the title. The Chargers were in the midst of a 13-game unbeaten streak at the time.
INTERESTING
HISTORICAL FACT
Air
Force captured the championship of this tournament two years
ago, giving the Falcons a title more recently than their
hosts. Connecticut has won the event once in their Division
I years, beating Holy Cross and Sacred Heart for the 1999
crown.
WHO
TO WATCH
There aren’t a whole lot of offensive heroes in this field, as none of the four teams boasts a point-per-game scorer. What you will find, however, are some good do-it-all types at the top of their scoring charts.
Spanky Leonard, Air Force’s senior captain, has a name that makes you smile and a game to match. Air Force is the only team in the event which UConn won’t play again this year, so make a point of spotting Leonard.
UConn’s leading scorer, Beau McLaughlin, has two short-handed goals among his team-high six. The junior is a key leader on a team that includes at least 11 freshmen in most lineups. Another versatile forward, Mike Reagan, leads the way for Sacred Heart. Bentley’s Paul Markarian has followed his impressive freshman season by scoring a goal every two games this year, and he’s especially potent on the power play.
HOW
WE SEE IT
It may be the least appealing of the holiday tournaments on a national level, but unlike some, it should offer four entertaining, competitive games. Even last year, when most – like, er, us at INCH – expected a Ferris State cakewalk, we ended up with a great tournament.
The host Huskies, with their incredibly young lineup, are still a bit of an unknown, although they’ve shown signs of promise. Ties against Quinnipiac and Rensselaer, plus overtime losses at Vermont and Mercyhurst, are signs of a team that could be dangerous once it learns how to win.
Bentley and Sacred Heart both underachieved out of the gate, although the Pioneers appear to have turned the corner. Can the Falcons follow suit? If they do, you have to think it will be with the help of senior Joe Lovell. The club’s leading scorer last year, he has just 1-5—6 this year, with four of those assists in the last four games.
Air Force, on the other hand, started stronger than expected this season, and enter with a very good chance to extend the CHA’s streak in the UConn Hockey Classic to four straight titles.
