CAMERON BURT
RIT
Sr. | F | Detroit, Mich.

Cameron Burt

His Statistics: 1 GP, 2-3–5, 6 shots, +3 rating

His Impact: Burt was at the center of the action all night long as RIT played its annual early-season game at the downtown Rochester Blue Cross Arena. After a 0-0 tie in the season-opener against Niagara, this game had plenty of scoring. Burt got the Tigers on the board just three and a half minutes into the first period, but his most important contributions came at the end of the game.

RIT trailed 5-4 in the closing seconds of the third period, but Burt assisted on Adam Hartley’s goal with nine seconds left to send the game to overtime. On the first shift of the extra session, Burt was also in on the assists as Adam Mitchell scored at 14 seconds of overtime. RIT got a 6-5 win in front of an enthused hometown crowd of more than 10,000 at Blue Cross Arena.

The game in downtown Rochester has become a tradition for the Tigers and will continue for at least the next two seasons as part of the school’s Brick City Weekend (Homecoming). The next two opponents are Penn State in 2012 and Michigan in 2013.

His Runners-Up: Kyle Jean, Lake Superior State; Jeremy Langlois, Quinnipiac; Josh Robinson, Michigan Tech; Riley Wetmore, UMass Lowell

Well before Detroit and Warroad, Minn., staked claim to the moniker, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., the home of Lake Superior State University, was the first U.S. city dubbed Hockeytown. Based on the early-season play of the Lakers and their north-of-the-Mackinac-Bridge brethren Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan, perhaps Hockey Peninsula is a more appropriate nickname.

The three teams have a combined 11-1-0 mark, with the lone loss belonging to NMU; the Wildcats dropped a 3-2 decision at Wisconsin on Oct. 8. We’re not sure how long this run will last—Northern Michigan hosts Michigan this weekend, and Michigan Tech faces Denver and Lake State goes to Miami next weekend—but if we know anything about Yooper hockey fans, they’re enjoying the moment.

In our slightly reformatted First Shift for the 2011-12 season, we’ve eschewed a dedicated space for Rankings Outrage and instead will be folding some of those ideas into our other categories. This season has been rife with surprising results in the early going, and that makes ranking teams a little difficult. One thing we can’t seem to reconcile with what we saw in the other national polls is the overall support for a 1-3-0 Minnesota Duluth team, that has played all four of its games on home ice. Sure, it’s no easy task to deal with Notre Dame nor Minnesota, but there wasn’t any room for the Bulldogs in the INCH Power Rankings. In our opinion, they haven’t proved that they belong to be listed among the nation’s top-20 teams.

What Happened?: Over the years, we’ve grown accustomed to New Hampshire’s method of restocking its lineup—freshmen and sophomores mature and assume the role as the team’s offensive weapons as upperclassmen. And while it’s worked in the past, the Wildcats are struggling mightily thus far, outscored by 15-1 margin in their first three games.

“It’s frustrating of course,” senior forward Stevie Moses told Al Pike of Foster’s Daily Democrat following UNH’s 5-1 loss to Boston College Saturday. “We expect to win every night. But I think we’ve gotten better each period … If we can finish a few more pucks and maybe tighten up in the D-zone a little bit I think we’re going to be pretty good moving forward.”

What We’re Watching: Our Friday Four-cast is reserved for later in the week, but there are already some interesting decisions to be made about which games matter most this early in the year. One of those series is taking place in Providence, as the undefeated, upstart Friars host the 1-3-0 defending national champions from Minnesota Duluth. Of course it’s only two games, but it’s another chance to gain some knowledge about two teams with eyebrow-raising results thus far.

What the …?: Whoa, whoa, whoa down everyone. Among several coverage stories forecasting end-of-season NCAA brackets, the publication of rankings of NCAA Tournament criteria, and the buzz in some social media circles there’s already thoughts on the end-of-year national showcase. We’re not even into November, people. Relax and enjoy the season. The NCAA Tournament stuff will sort itself out over the next several months. Forecasting and projecting the bracket now is like declaring the horse with the cleanest break to be the Kentucky Derby winner.

@derekschooley Derek Schooley – 15 Oct
We could have had a CHA reunion weekend as Niagara, Robert Morris, Air Force and Bemidji all in Col Springs. #goodleague #cha

• All Robert Morris coach Derek Schooley needed to do to complete the roundup of ex-College Hockey America members was extended an invitation to Alabama-Huntsville and get the Wayne State band back together. That last one might be difficult.

Mickey Spencer

MICKEY SPENCER
Alaska Anchorage
Jr. | F | Gibbons, Alberta

His Statistics: 2 GP, 4-2—6 including a hat trick capped by overtime goal against visiting St. Cloud State Saturday.

His Impact: Considering he entered 2011-12 with six goals and seven assists in 46 games over two seasons for the Seawolves, Spencer had more than a career weekend—he had a career in a weekend as Alaska Anchorage won its Kendall Hockey Classic for the first time since 2006.

Spencer opened the weekend with a goal and an assist in UAA’s 4-4 draw against Clarkson. In Saturday’s finale against St. Cloud State, the junior winger assisted on teammate Jordan Kwas’s third-period goal that halved the Huskies’ lead at 2-1 and scored two goals in a span of 1:59 later that period to give the Seawolves a 3-2 edge. SCSU scored with less than a minute left in regulation to send the game into overtime, setting the stage for Spencer’s heroics 3:06 into the extra session.

His Runners-Up: Kurtis Bartliff, Colgate; Kyle Bonis, Ferris State; Shane Madolora, RIT; Pat Mullane, Boston College

Not only is the college hockey season getting started, but the puck has dropped in the National Hockey League, too. A number of former collegians made NHL debuts over the past few days; four managed to also notch their first career goals, led by ex-Wisconsin Badger and current Nashville Predator Craig Smith—he scored in his team’s Oct. 7 season opener and added a goal and two assists the following night. Joining Smith in scoring their maiden goals this week are Columbus’s Cam Atkinson (Boston College), Ottawa’s Stephane Da Costa (Merrimack), and Philadelphia’s Matt Read (Bemidji State).

With a rare annual exception or two, college hockey is played indoors, so we were terribly frustrated when the weather had an impact in such an early-season game. High winds Friday afternoon in Grand Forks, N.D. caused a power outage at Engelstad Arena that delayed the Boston College-Michigan State game during the second period. Of more national significance, it hampered television transmission of the early game – an afternoon start that would’ve been a great start to the college hockey weekend for fans across the nation who were able to see that one.

What Happened?: On the ice in the CCHA, it was a fairly routine weekend with no major surprises. Off the ice, however, the news wasn’t good at all. One, the league got what amounts to its eviction notice when Bowling Green decided to join the WCHA in two seasons rather than piecing together a conference with a few Atlantic Hockey breakaway programs. Two, Michigan defenseman Jon Merrill, arguably the CCHA’s best blueliner, was suspended for 12 games for violating team rules. Then Miami forward Reilly Smith, perhaps the circuit’s best forward, was suspended for violating team rules; he missed the RedHawks’ series with Bemidji State.

What We’re Watching: We’ll be keeping an eye on how Niagara’s goaltending rotation develops over the next several games. In the Purple Eagles’ season-opener at Michigan last Tuesday, Carsen Chubak got the starting nod and was relieved by Chris Noonan in a 5-0 loss. Saturday night at RIT, sophomore Cody Campbell got the start and shutout the Tigers over 65 minutes, in a 0-0 tie. Campbell appeared in 12 games last year with a 3.38 goals-against average, .895 save percentage and 4-6-1 record.

What the …?: Folks who listen to Jim Rome’s radio show on a regular basis know that one of the host’s fundamental rules is self-glossing—you never, ever give yourself a nickname. Besides, it’s just not hockey-like.

So we were mildly perturbed when the bourgeois National Collegiate Hockey Conference referred to itself in press releases as “The National.” Apparently it’s a trend, because in its press release announcing the addition of Bowling Green as a member in two seasons, the WCHA called itself as “The Association family,” which sounds like either an early ‘70s funk band or a motorcycle gang.

There’s no truth to the rumor that Hockey East is going to start referring to itself as “Hockey.”

@dexshow Mark Dekanich – 9 Oct
Big shout out to Colgate Men’s Hockey for winning the UNO Tournament last night! First tourney win since we won the coveted UConn one in 07!

• Former Raider goalie Mark Dekanich, now with the Columbus Blue Jackets, kept an eye on his alma mater and sent hearty congratulations, from someone who experienced what it’s like to win prestigious in-season tournaments.

RYAN RONDEAU
Yale
Sr. | G | Carvel, Alberta

Ryan Rondeau

His Statistics: 2 GP, 2-0-0, 2 shutouts, 44 saves

His Impact: Rondeau simply backstopped Yale to the ECAC Hockey title with two shutouts on the weekend. He made 22 saves each night in wins over Colgate and Cornell. The Bulldogs are known for being a quick-strike, dangerous team in transition that generates chances and scores lots of goals. That style works, but they can play it with more confidence knowing that Rondeau is backing them up at the other end of the ice.

The senior has answered any questions of doubt lingering around Yale’s goaltending situation. He has three straight shutouts, six shutouts overall, a 26-5-1 record with a 1.83 goals-against average and .932 save percentage. It was the second year in a row that the ECACH champ won both of the league tournament’s final two games by shutout, after Cornell and Ben Scrivens achieved that in 2010.

His Runners-Up: Cam Atkinson, Boston College; Matt Frattin, North Dakota; Jacques Lamoureux, Air Force; Andy Miele, Miami

There’s no doubt that Yale has its sights set on bigger prizes down the road, but that doesn’t mean that the Bulldogs shouldn’t cherish the achievement of winning their conference tournament. That realization was probably emphasized by the fact that the team was upset in last year’s quarterfinal round. To see the Bulldog team pass the Whitelaw Cup from player-to-player and raise the trophy in front of the team’s fans at Boardwalk Hall was a welcome sight. It’s not easy to win these things, no matter what league you compete in.

On the other hand …

Here at INCH, we get mildly perturbed when teams refuse to take possession of championship trophies — such as North Dakota after winning the Broadmoor Trophy Saturday — based on some absurd hockey superstition stating that the only touchable hardware is handed out following the final game of the season. Nonsense! Winning a league championship is an impressive achievement and should be embraced, especially in the WCHA. We often hear how great the WCHA is and how difficult it is to win in that league. To turn around and act like it’s not that big a deal is inconsistent, at best.

“He wants to get back in the game, we want him in the game and we want to win the game. This is important.”

Can you sense a theme here? That’s what Denver coach George Gwozdecky said when asked by INCH’s Jess Myers about DU forward Jason Zucker’s return to action in the WCHA Final Five championship game after Zucker missed some time with an injury earlier in the contest. That epitomized the effort and commitment that both teams showed in the double-overtime title match. To insinuate that either team would take it easy or give less of an effort because their NCAA Tournament spots were ensured misses the point. They’re playing for an important title.

It should come as no surprise that Rensselaer made moves in both of the voter-driven polls this week because … uh, well … because the Engineers received an NCAA Tournament at-large berth Sunday. Really? No disrespect to the Capital District Puckmen, but RPI hasn’t played a game in more than two weeks, moving up in the rankings solely due to how things worked out in the PairWise is voting with a little too much hindsight.

@U_Tendy31 Corey Milan
Its almost that time of year for Jorts.. #steeze

Some levity caps this week’s First Shift from Union goalie Corey Milan. It’s unfortunate that the Dutchmen weren’t on hand for the ECAC Hockey championship weekend in Atlantic City. With outdoor temperatures near 80 degrees on Friday and 70 degrees on Saturday, Milan and the jorts would have been stylin’ easy on the Boardwalk.

Garrett Roe
St. Cloud State
Sr. | F | Vienna, Va.

His Statistics: 2GP, 4-0 – 4, 2 GWG, +3 rating in sweep of Wisconsin

His Impact: Garrett Roe turned 23-yeard-old last Tuesday and celebrated his birthday with a pair of two-goal games against the Badgers at the National Hockey Center. Roe’s efforts helped the Huskies improved their record to 3-1-2 over their last six games and now St. Cloud State sits just one point behind Wisconsin and two points behind Colorado College entering the final weekend of the regular season.

Roe has 10 goals and 34 points on the season, but he’s picked up his scoring in the second half of the season. In his last 16 games, starting with St. Cloud State’s holiday tournament in Florida, Roe has 23 points.

His Runners-Up: Reilly Smith, Miami; David Vallorani, UMass-Lowell; Paul Zanette, Niagara; Harry Zolnierczyk, Brown

Here at INCH, we’ve always placed a high value on winning conference regular-season championships—there’s something to be said for emerging as the best team in your respective league over the course of a four- or five-month period. With that in mind, hearty congratulations are in order for Atlantic Hockey champion RIT, CCHA champion Michigan, ECAC Hockey champion Union, and WCHA champion North Dakota for their accomplishments. Boston College and New Hampshire will battle for the Hockey East regular-season crown this weekend.

We understand the rationale behind the Atlantic Hockey playoff format—the league is divided into two, six-team pods based on geography, and the top two teams in each pod are awarded byes into the conference quarterfinals. It’s not an issue for the western pod where RIT, which finished first overall in the league, and Air Force, which was second overall, earned byes. But in the eastern pod, the byes went to Holy Cross, which finished third overall, and UConn, which finished sixth overall. Ergo, the Huskies get a first-round bye while Niagara and Robert Morris, the league’s fourth- and fifth-place teams, must play their way into the quarters. That just doesn’t seem right.

“I want to be on the other end of the sweep, but I’d rather have this happen now than in the playoffs. It’s a lesson.”

That’s what Merrimack head coach Mark Dennehy told the Eagle-Tribune of North Andover, Mass. following his team’s two losses to Maine in Hockey East play this past weekend. As noted in the latest INCH Power Rankings, it was the first time all year that the Warriors dropped back-to-back games. His point is also well-made from the standpoint that these two teams could very likely meet in the first round of the Hockey East playoffs. If that happens, there’s little doubt that Merrimack will be better prepared and bring forth better overall efforts.

Not to be all Merrimack-centric here, but you had to figure that the other shoe would fall for the Warriors at some point in time during the regular season. But when it finally did at Maine this past weekend, USCHO.com voters dumped Merrimack five spots to ninth in this week’s poll. After all, the back-to-back losses were the Warriors’ first of the season, they’ve got fewer losses (seven) than all but one Division I team, and their 21 wins are more than all but five teams in the country. We’d like to suggest a mulligan for Merrimack—after all, the nation’s top-ranked team, North Dakota, didn’t have much success during its trip to Orono earlier this season.

@PalmTree29 Drew Palmisano
Dear @Andy_Miele we would greatly appreciate it you would let LSSU win one game so we wouldn’t have to travel back to alaska again. Thanks

Turns out Michigan State goalie Drew Palmisano was more optimistic than persuasive with this Friday afternoon tweet. The Spartans went out and won both of their games on the weekend, but so did Miami and Andy Miele at Lake Superior State. That means a first-round playoff trip to Fairbanks for Michigan State, and the Spartans just visited there Feb. 18-19 in a CCHA series that resulted in a split.

SHANE MADOLORA
RIT
So. | G | Salinas, Calif.

Shane Madolora

His Statistics: 2 GP, 2 shutouts, 2 wins, 46 saves

His Impact: Madolora backstopped RIT to a pair of victories over Canisius as the Tigers clinced the Atlantic Hockey regular-season title. It’s mid-February, but Madolora still hasn’t been beaten this season. His latest victories upped his overall record to 14-0-6 on the year.

Friday’s win on RIT ice wasn’t as much a story of Madolora, but an efficient overall effort by the Tiger defense as it yielded just 18 shots but also killed off seven Canisius power plays. Madolora capped the weekend with a 28-save shutout at Canisius on Sunday. For the season, Madolora owns a .938 save percentage and 1.82 goals-against average.

His Runners-Up: Tyler Gron, Northern Michigan; Carter Madsen, Merrimack; Chris McCarthy, Vermont; James Mello, Dartmouth; Josh Thorimbert, Colorado College

We’ve been following the exciting race in Atlantic Hockey all season long, and even though RIT clinched the regular-season title there’s still a lot to be interested in as the season winds down and the playoffs get cranked up. You’ve probably heard about the likes of Niagara, Robert Morris and even Air Force throughout the year but Holy Cross has also crept into the picture.

The Crusaders are currently tied for third in the conference and have a 12-8-3 mark in league play despite being just 13-14-3 overall. Sophomores Rob Linsmayer (30 points) and Kyle Fletcher (29 points) lead the offense. Holy Cross has rattled off six straight wins to get them in the conversation for home ice and a favorable seed in the Atlantic Hockey tournament and closes the year with two games against last-place Sacred Heart and two games against ninth-place Bentley.

In what has been a cold, snowy winter in the upper Midwest, Mother Nature nearly spoiled the centerpiece of the annual Hockey Day in Minnesota Saturday when temperatures in the mid-30s and bright sunshine turned the Moorhead, Minn., outdoor rink hosting a pair of high school games into a sloppy mess. According to the excellent Minnesota Hockey Hub website (www.mnhockeyhub.com), Tim Shaughnessy, goaltender for Twin Cities suburban power Hill-Murray, wore sunglasses for a portion of the first period, but the sun was the least of his problems. You’ve got to see the accompanying photos.

“The crease was so bad in the first period, I couldn’t even skate in it,” he said. “I had to be on my knees the whole time.”

“We need to start protecting each other and do it the right way. That wasn’t the right way.”
- Cornell head coach Mike Schafer

We were tuned in to a pair of games this past weekend that featured some “fights” of the college hockey variety that were generally pretty clumsy and out of place. Union held a 4-0 lead on Cornell Friday night when Cornell’s Dan Nicholls dropped his gloves right after a faceoff and grabbed Union’s Andrew Buote and ripped off his helmet and shoulder pads. Denver trailed Minnesota 6-1 in the third period of their game Saturday and the teams combined for 56 minutes of penalties including fighting majors and game disqualifications to David Makowski of Denver and Jake Hansen of Minnesota.

INCH followers know that we enjoy the occasional scrap at the pro level, but that’s where it belongs. Sending a message or taking out frustrations through fisticuffs at the college level is more than a little goofy, and as Schafer said, there are better ways to take care of business.

All Union has done up until this point of the season is win more games (22) and score more goals (119) than any other team in the nation. Only Boston College has a better winning percentage than the Dutchmen’s .734 overall mark. They’ve won seven straight and 11 of their last 12 games, and have overtaken Yale for first place in ECAC Hockey. Despite the lengthy resume, coach Nate Leaman’s club is ranked seventh in both of this week’s voter-driven polls. As you’ll see in the INCH Power Rankings, we think they deserve to be in the top five.

@FearTheTriangle
“What did you tell you kids going into OT?” York: “Next goal wins.” Now that’s coaching.

This was a late entry into First Shift, but well-deserved after a back-and-forth thriller in the Beanpot championship, a 7-6 overtime victory for Boston College over Northeastern. That didn’t stop a UMass blog from taking the opportunity to chirp their oh-so-beloved Hockey East counterparts on Chestnut Hill.

MIKE CONNOLLY
Minnesota Duluth
Jr. | F | Calgary, Alberta

Mike Connolly

His Statistics: 6-0—6 in the Bulldogs’ tie and win against Minnesota last weekend, including a school record-tying five goals in Saturday’s 6-4 victory.

His Impact: Mike Connolly knows a little about scoring goals; he entered the weekend series against Minnesota with 40 markers in 106 career games and picked up the game-tying goal in Friday’s 2-2 draw with the Gophers. But even an accomplished marksman like Connolly couldn’t have predicted a goal-scoring outburst like the one that occurred Saturday in Duluth.

Connolly netted a natural hat trick a little more than 21 minutes into the game to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead. When Minnesota scored twice in the second period to draw to 3-2, Connolly scored his fourth of the night with 1:17 left before the second intermission to extend the UMD lead to 4-2. The Gophers would draw to within one goal twice in the third period, but Connolly ultimately salted the game away with his fifth goal of the night with 1:20 left in regulation.

The six goals Connolly registered in the two games against Minnesota was one more than he scored in UMD’s 13 games between Nov. 19 and Jan. 22. Saturday’s five-goal game was the Calgary native’s first multi-goal effort since the Bulldogs’ Oct. 22 win against Alaska Anchorage.

His Runners-Up: Chris Barton, Merrimack; Joe Devin, Cornell; Andy Miele, Miami; Scott Pitt, Mercyhurst

The INCH Player of the Week is brought to you by The INCH Shop.

For a townie from Potsdam, N.Y., Craig Conroy did pretty well for himself. The ex-Clarkson standout and 1994 All-American retired from the NHL last week after 1,009 games with Montreal, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Calgary. Conroy, who scored 182 goals and 360 assists over his 17-year career, had his best season with the Flames in 2001-02 when he posted a 27-48—75 line in 81 games.  What kind of player was Conroy? Put it this way—any time Don Cherry gives you a nod in Coach’s Corner for the way you played, you’ve done something right.

The current UMass roster is unlikely to be populated by any players who were a part of the program’s last appearance in the NCAA Tournament. That concluded the 2006-07 season. It was just four full years ago and the Minutemen have fallen significantly. This past weekend’s Massachusetts results were particularly troubling to us. After a 5-0 loss at Boston College, UMass yielded 11 goals to Merrimack. Fine opponents, both BC and Merrimack, but even when matching the first- and 58th-ranked teams (no matter who those are) we don’t expect an 11-spot to be hung up.

“Hockey I like the most … because it’s the closest to super-heroics: They wear costumes, there are masks, there are good guys and bad guys, there are fights, it’s on ice … it’s like a Crystal Palace, like you’re fighting in the Fortress of Solitude. It’s not so much as sport as it is an adventure for me.”

That was writer/director/comic-book geek/New Jersey Devils fan Kevin Smith explaining his love of hockey in an interview on Los Angeles radio station KROQ last week. The guy who brought us “Clerks”, “Dogma”, and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” says the last film he’ll direct is “Hit Somebody”, based on the Warren Zevon song of the same name.

This week’s note stands in direct contrast to last week’s Outrage, which noted that 31 teams—more than half of the schools playing Division I hockey—received at least one vote in the USCHO.com poll. In this week’s USA Hockey Magazine/USA Today poll, the 18th of the 2010-11 campaign, 12 of the teams currently in the top 15 have been part of said rankings for 15 or more weeks this season; that means that 80 percent of the teams have remained relatively unchanged since the first poll back in October. We’ll discuss the significance of this phenomenon in this week’s INCH Podcast.

@C_cohen25 Can’t believe I’m following a game on a blog lol. My ipad won’t let me watch online or listen. Go BU! 2-1 going into 3rd shut em down keiran

The Beanpot is a funny thing. Outsiders think it’s something that only people within a 50-mile drive of Boston care about, but we’ll take some time to salute the transplants. Even though former BU defenseman Colby Cohen is originally from Philadelphia and has spent time in Cleveland and Denver this season as a pro, he’s still tracking the Terriers.

JACQUES LAMOUREUX
Air Force
Sr. | F | Grand Forks, N.D.

His Statistics: 2 GP, 4-1–5, 3 PPG, GWG

His Impact: Lamoureux factored on five of Air Force’s seven goals in a tie and win against Canisius. He had two goals and an assist in Friday’s 4-4 tie, and he scored two goals in a span of 1:56 in the third period Saturday. The second of those two goals stood up as the game-winner in a 3-2 victory.

Lamoureux leads Air Force with 13 goals and 28 points this season.

Air Force has also moved into decent position in the Atlantic Hockey playoff race. They’re in fourth place, just one point behind Robert Morris and two points back of Niagara. Air Force is 3-1-3 in its last six games.

His Runners-Up: Chase Balisy, Western Michigan; Michael Dorr, Minnesota State; Paul Thompson, New Hampshire; Allen York, Rensselaer

The INCH Player of the Week is brought to you by The INCH Shop.

Alabama-Huntsville hasn’t had a lot of success this season but got its biggest win of the campaign Saturday at Nebraska-Omaha. Freshman goalie Clarke Saunders did his part in the victory. He made 58 saves and helped foil eight UNO power plays. Sebastian Geoffrion scored the winning goal 29 seconds into overtime to give the Chargers a 2-1 win.

We’ll give the CCHA credit for trying to generate some buzz, although we’re not sure what the league is trying to accomplish by adding the slogan “Hockey in the D” as part of the conference’s playoff championship at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit next month. Maybe it sounds hip? Perhaps the CCHA should appeal to fans disgruntled with the sight lines for the 2010 Frozen Four at Ford Field by calling the Joe Louis event “Hockey You Can See”.

Perhaps we should change this item this week to “David Ramsey Says What?” — that’s the title of the blog belonging to the thusly-named Colorado Springs Gazette sports columnist. In his most recent post, Ramsey takes exception to North Dakota fans shouting “Sioux!” instead of “brave” at the end of the national anthem.

Wrote Ramsey: “Guess the actual words of the anthem aren’t quite good enough for North Dakota fans … even if this behavior offends and saddens those who care about our great country and its great anthem.”

INCH doesn’t have a problem with this practice, but understands it’s a delicate subject with some folks. We wonder if Ramsey objected to fans at the 1991 NHL All-Star Game in Chicago drowning out the national anthem with cheers in support of U.S. troops fighting in the first Persian Gulf War, which we rank among the most stirring moments in this country’s athletic history.

One commenter to Ramsey’s blog offers perhaps the best rebuttal to the author’s post by noting the peoples who first settled North America. “The Sioux were here first, right?” wrote the poster. “That would make this their home.”

This week’s commentary on the national polls isn’t necessarily a gripe with which teams are nationally-ranked, but simply the sheer number of teams receiving votes. A total of 31 teams received at least one mention by poll voters in the USCHO.com poll. That’s more than half of the teams in the country – including Providence, swept over the weekend by New Hampshire and owners of a 7-12-5 overall record.

@slapschotts UPSET!!!!!!! Union knocks off No. 1 Yale, 3-2!!!

That offering comes from Union’s beat writer at the Schenectady Daily Gazette. We think that the no cheering in the press box expectation also applies on Twitter.

MICHAEL DORR
Minnesota State
Jr. | F | Roseville, Minn.

His Statistics: 3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points, plus-minus rating of +4 in wins against Notre Dame and Brown.

His Impact: Dorr led the way for Minnesota State as the Mavericks captured the title at the Shillelagh Tournament in suburban Chicago. He scored the game-winning goal with 23 seconds left in the third period of the semifinal game against Notre Dame, then added two goals and an assist in Minnesota State’s 7-3 championship game victory over Brown.

Dorr now leads the Mavericks in goals (7) and points (15), including three power-play goals and two game-winners. After suiting up for two games for the Minnesota Golden Gophers as a freshman, Dorr transferred to Mankato and has made a positive impact on the Minnesota State program.

His Runners-Up: Loren Barron, Quinnipiac; Danny Dries, Ohio State; Brian Gibbons, Boston College; Jason Torf, Air Force

The INCH Player of the Week is brought to you by The INCH Shop.

The Hockey News put out its annual rankings of hockey’s 100 people of power and influence, a list populated by usual suspects like Gary Bettman, Colin Campbell, Brian Burke, and so on. This year, however, the mag added a rundown of the game’s top 40 movers and shakers under the age of 40 and the college game was well represented. Among those mentioned were head coaches Seth Appert (Rensselaer), Jeff Blashill (Western Michigan), and Enrico Blasi (Miami); Michigan State associate head coach Brian Renfrew; ex-Michigan standout and current Pittsburgh assistant GM Jason Botterill; player agent Eustace King, a former Miami goaltender; and a pair of Boston University products—John Hynes, head coach of Pittsburgh’s American Hockey League affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and Nashville head amateur scout Jeff Kealty.

For all the talk about the U.S. entering the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship as the favorite coming off last year’s gold medal performance in Saskatchewan, the Americans never played up to their status as the team to beat in Buffalo. The performance of goaltender Jack Campbell (37 saves) notwithstanding, Monday’s 4-1 semifinal loss to Canada was a disappointment of monumental proportions. But even in pool play, the U.S. never once flexed its muscles against lesser opponents. If the U.S. wants to position itself among the elite in this event on an annual basis, it needs to carry that attitude onto the ice every night.

“Derek Morris refused to let me use one of my college sticks because he said it was yellow and that it was hideous.”

Former American International goaltender Tom Fenton, recounting his stint as the emergency backup goaltender with the Phoenix Coyotes for the team’s Dec. 17 game against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden to Joe DeLessio of New York Magazine. ‘Yotes starter Ilya Bryzgalov came down with the flu a few hours before faceoff that night, and the team didn’t have time to ship a goalie in from their AHL affiliate in San Antonio.

Enter Fenton, who played 81 games in goal for AIC from 2005-09 and is now director of game operations and community relations at Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y. The Sarnia, Ontario, native gathered his equipment, blew off a final exam, and raced to MSG for the chance to back up Jason LaBarbera for one night. A lifelong Chicago Blackhawks fan, Fenton admits that he’ll probably start rooting for the Coyotes from this point forward.

We accept that many people will dissent against Yale’s standing atop the INCH Power Rankings and both voter-driven polls as they are currently published, but there’s something else that should be considered. Many of those same dissenting voices have traditionally pointed to polls “that matter” or are derived from mathematical calculations based on results and opponents. Well, looky here—Yale happens to be ranked first in both the PairWise and KRACH. Citing those as the most reliable measures when they show WCHA or Hockey East dominance and ignoring it in favor of blaming voters when Yale reigns doesn’t align.

@JerryD91 Tough loss but we can’t be sad we gotta win bronze for pride to show we can come together after a loss like that

Former Rensselaer forward Jerry D’Amigo summed up the U.S. mindset not long after his team’s loss to Canada Monday in the semifinals of the IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo. D’Amigo, who now plays for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, had 12 points to lead the U.S. to the gold medal in last year’s WJC. He’s scored two points this time around.

KEVIN KAPALKA
Lake Superior State
Fr. | G | Mississauga, Ontario

His Statistics: 2 GP, 2 W, 2 Shutouts, 63 saves vs. Ferris State

His Impact: Ferris State entered last weekend’s series at Lake Superior State brimming with confidence, fresh off a win and tie against then-No. 1 Miami in Big Rapids. The Bulldogs left Sault Ste. Marie searching for answers thanks in large part to Kapalka, who turned aside all 63 Ferris shots he faced in the series to become the first Laker goalie to post back-to-back shutouts since Blaine Lacher did it back on March 11-12, 1994.

Kapalka’s impact goes beyond this weekend. After starting the season with three losses and a tie, the Lakers are 5-2-1 in their last eight games. Kapalka has started five of those games and is 4-0-1 while allowing seven goals on 145 shots for a .952 save percentage and a 1.38 goals against average.

His Runners-Up: Jack Connolly, Minnesota Duluth; Matt Lindblad, Dartmouth; Adam Mitchell, RIT; Paul Thompson, New Hampshire

The INCH Player of the Week is brought to you by The INCH Shop.

Nice week for USA Hockey in international competition as three teams comprised primarily of players who’ll be on college rosters in the near future won gold medals at events around the world. In Penticton, B.C., the U.S. Junior Select Team—comprised of players from the United States Hockey League—downed Canada East Sunday to win the World Junior A Challenge for the third straight year. In Sundsvall, Sweden, the U.S. Under-18 Team topped the host country in a shootout to earn its second straight Under-18 Four Nations Cup championship. Finally, in the Under-17 Four Nations Cup in suburban Chicago, the U.S. team blasted Russia in the title match to repeat as champs.

If, as Alec Baldwin’s character said in Glengarry Glen Ross, coffee is for closers, then Yale left Cadet Ice Arena in Colorado Springs Sunday decaffeinated. The Bulldogs allowed Air Force to score four times in a little more than 10 minutes en route to a 4-3 loss to the Falcons. Yale’s special teams were anything but—AFA had five power-play chances in the third period, converting on two of them, and the Falcons also scored a shorthanded goal. Listen, the Bulldogs will be fine. Just don’t let any more slip away.

“Everyone knows we love playing in black.”

North Dakota senior forward Matt Frattin may be thrilled when the Fighting Sioux get all Twilight-y with the black sweaters, but it’s certainly an omen for opponents. According to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald, the Sioux are 21-1-2 in the black garb since the 2006-07 season. Forget Team Edward or Team Jacob—we’re with Team Hakstol.

“I’m not sure I can explain INCH’s logic,” wrote Ken Schott in the Schenectady Daily Gazette when questioning how Union dropped three spots and Rensselaer climbed one position in our most recent INCH Power Rankings even though the two teams has just split a weekend series.

First, it’s a matter of realizing that there’s other important hockey being played outside of a 30-mile radius from Albany, N.Y. Second, the Dutchmen were victims of circumstance. We felt compelled to bump North Dakota and New Hampshire up the ladder ahead of Miami and Michigan who, like Union, split against ranked opponents. Since those three teams had similar showings, it only seemed fair to keep Union behind the two CCHA clubs. The Engineers, meanwhile, benefitted from our decision to drop Michigan State four spots from No. 15 to No. 18. Long story short, blame the CCHA.

And if a lower-ranked team splits with a higher-ranked team, it stands to reason there should be a narrowing of the gap between those teams in a ranking.

@RITsports The cat is officially out of the bag!! RIT to begin funding initiative to build new hockey arena. http://bit.ly/bpQQ49 (Nov. 12, 4:32 p.m.)

RIT announced a funding campaign to construct a new hockey arena Friday afternoon. An initial gift of $1 million was announced, with a goal to raise up to $15 million towards construction of a facility. While details on the facility are still coming to light, and a timeline has not yet been established, it’s good news for a program that regularly fills its current home, Ritter Arena, which seats a little more than 2,000 fans.

MATT DiGIROLAMO
New Hampshire
Jr. | G | Ambler, Pa.

Matt DiGirolamo

His Statistics: 2 GP, 2 W, .965 save pct., 1.00 GAA

His Impact: DiGirolamo backstopped the New Hampshire Wildcats to a pair of 2-1 victories. He made 31 saves Friday on the road in an impressive victory at Boston College, and came back the following night to make 24 saves and win on the road at UMass Lowell.

DiGirolamo has assumed the number-one goaltending job in Durham following the graduation of Brian Foster last year. He had four career starts prior to this season, but he has started all seven games this year and carries a .921 save percentage and 2.66 goals-against average with a 4-1-2 record.

His Runners-Up: Pat Nagle, Ferris State; Matt Weninger, St. Lawrence; Paul Zanette, Niagara; Mark Zengerle, Wisconsin

The INCH Player of the Week is brought to you by The INCH Shop.

It’s far too soon to pencil in Western Michigan for an NCAA Tournament berth, but at the very least, new head coach Jeff Blashill has the Broncos pointed in the right direction. After sweeping visiting Michigan State last weekend, WMU is 6-2-2, the school’s best 10-game start in a decade.

“I think our guys understand we don’t want to just come in and beat good teams or beat ranked teams,” Blashill told Matt Fazio of the Kalamazoo Gazette. “We want to be that team.”

Fans are starting to take notice, too. More than 4,000 people crammed into Lawson Ice Arena Saturday, the biggest crowd in nearly four years.

Two proud programs stand together as the only winless teams in the country. Hockey East members Massachusetts (0-5-2) and Vermont (0-3-3) are still seeking their first victories of the year. UMass has played just three home games. Vermont has played four at home, but three of those have come against nationally-ranked Denver (loss, tie) and Maine (OT loss). Even the six Ivy League teams already have at least one win each, and they’ve only been playing for two weekends.

“Yesterday, we were trying to be a little cute, but today, simple is genius.”

That’s Michigan forward A.J. Treais to Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reporter Danny Martin following the Wolverines’ 5-2 win at Alaska Saturday. Apparently, Treais’s definition of simple is putting a lot of shots on goal and keeping your opponent from doing the same—Michigan outshot the Nanooks by a 40-19 margin in the series finale.

This week the outrage is with us. Nebraska-Omaha followers are rightfully proud of their team’s hot start, as the Mavericks carry a 7-1-0 overall mark and 4-0-0 record in WCHA play. Here are a couple of thoughts pulled from Monday on the INCH twitter account.

Unomavmania @INCH We’re not feeling the love. Do you really think there are 10 teams playing better hockey than UNO right now?

RedArmyUNO @INCH was defensive/sarcastic about its critics last week. We don’t think they are “out to get” us; we think they aren’t watching. Union?!

RedArmyUNO UNO’s Rankings: KRACH 1. PWR 2. RPI 2. USCHO 6. USAToday 7. INCH in its fifth week of “Rankings Outrage,” 11. Yes, behind Union.

We’ll use this space to briefly explain our side of the story. First, we are watching. Nebraska-Omaha has moved up in the INCH Power Rankings each week other than the week they didn’t play, and they held their spot that week. Second, there may not be 10 teams playing better than UNO right now, but we do think most of the 10 teams we have ranked ahead of the Mavericks would be favored in a neutral-site game against UNO. Third, Union seems to be a particular sticking point with the Red Army. Both teams have pretty similar results to this point. No fault losing at Michigan or Alaska, Union’s tied a few games that could have been wins, and Union had a more impressive victory over their lone common opponent, RIT.

@MinutemenNation Students: refrain from doing the “sucks!” cheer during the lineups tonight. These guys will be serving our country after college. #UMass (Nov. 5, 2:27 p.m.)

We applaud the message put forth Friday from a UMass blog that recognizes a pregame ritual might not be as appropriate when the opponent is Army – a fitting way to start a week of remembrance and honor for active military and veterans.