Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Notes: LSSU Gets Jump Start
Headrick’s big strides, PSU’s rookie trio, Holy Cross upset and more.
By Nate Ewell
Lake Superior State, the No. 59 team nationally in scoring a year ago, raced to a 2-0-0 start thanks to a 13-goal outburst last weekend. Sophomore defenseman Owen Headrick (Garden River, Ont./Soo-NOJHL), who had a solid freshman season with 12 points, is halfway to that total through two games. The NHL free agent who hails from the nearby Garden River First Nation credited his year of experience for his impressive first weekend. “I just feel way more confident out there,” he told SooToday.com. “I trust myself more.”
Must Read/See/Hear Material
New York Times: BU won’t celebrate yet (the season just started)
New Haven Register: Newcomer Cukste adjusting well at Quinnipiac
Duluth News Tribune: UMD’s smallest player Osterberg knows how to throw his weight around
Mankato Free Press: Huntebrinker progressing as impact player
Buffalo News: Fortman flourishes as Griffs captain
USCHO.com: Quinnipiac siblings leading charge
College Hockey News: Former Maverick finds passion, success in music
The Pipeline Show: Holy Cross head coach David Berard
Five More Storylines No One Should be Without
Rookie line fuels PSU – Nate Sucese (Fairport, N.Y./Dubuque-USHL) has shined on an all-freshman line for Penn State, scoring three goals in the last two games alongside Brandon Biro (Sherwood Park, Alta./Spruce Grove-AJHL) and Liam Folkes (Scarborough, Ont./Brockville-CCHL). A 26-goal scorer and second-team All-USHL selection with Dubuque last year, Sucese (SOO-seese) is a 5-foot-8, 174-pound right wing with tremendous speed. He and his linemates are three of nine freshmen who have seen action for the Nittany Lions thus far entering a trip to future Big Ten rival Notre Dame this weekend. Saturday’s game is on NBCSN
Moore success at Holy Cross – Holy Cross, on the heels of Saturday’s overtime upset of Providence, welcomes another national power to DCU Center this weekend in Boston College. The Crusaders are fueled by a fantastic first line, led by junior T.J. Moore (Edina, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret’s). Moore had hat tricks in each of the first two games this season and is the only active player in Division I with more than one three-goal game in his career (he has three). Moore has been an impact player at Holy Cross despite missing nearly all of 2013-14, the year before he enrolled, due to injury.
Daccord’s homecoming – Freshman goaltender Joey Daccord (Boston, Mass./Muskegon-USHL/OTT) is about as far from home as possible at Arizona State, but he gets to return to his hometown this weekend for two games at Northeastern. Daccord backstopped the Sun Devils’ win against Air Force Sunday with 24 saves. He’s a second-generation college goaltender who has been taught by one of the best – his father, Brian, is a Merrimack alum and the founder of Stop It Goaltending, as well as a goalie consultant for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Maverick chemistry – Omaha is 2-0-0 after a pair of wins in Alaska last weekend, fueled in part by junior linemates Jake Randolph (Duluth, Minn./Omaha-USHL) and Tyler Vesel (Rochester, Minn./Omaha-USHL/EDM). Randolph and Vesel’s chemistry traces back a year prior to joining the Mavericks, when they starred across town for the USHL’s Omaha Lancers and finished first and third, respectively, in league scoring. They start a six-game homestand this weekend against Vermont. Friday’s game is on American Sports Network
Clarkson’s European influence – Clarkson sophomore Juho Jokiharju (Tampere, Finland/Lukko U20) played only five games as a freshman and sat out the first series this year, but made a big impact once he got in the lineup last weekend. Jokiharju recorded his first three goals of his college career in a weekend split vs. Merrimack and New Hampshire. The Finn – whose brother, Henri, plays for the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks – is one of five Europeans on the Golden Knights. The continue their non-conference schedule with visits to Providence and UMass Lowell this weekend.
NHL Note of the Week
Thirteen first-round NHL draft picks are playing college hockey this year, the most in the NCAA in the last seven years:
Clayton Keller, Boston University (7th, Arizona)
Tyson Jost, North Dakota (10th, Colorado)
Charlie McAvoy, Boston University (14th, Boston)
Luke Kunin, Wisconsin (15th, Minnesota)
Dante Fabbro, Boston University (17th, Nashville)
Kieffer Bellows, Boston University (19th, New York Islanders)
Dennis Cholowski, St. Cloud State (20th, Detroit)
Colin White, Boston College (21st, Ottawa)
Brock Boeser, North Dakota (23rd, Vancouver)
Henrik Borgstrom, Denver (23rd, Florida)
Riley Tufte, Minnesota Duluth (25th, Dallas)
Tage Thompson, Connecticut (26th, St. Louis)
Trent Frederic, Wisconsin (29th, Boston)
Fries at the Bottom of the Bag
Last year Boston University handed Quinnipiac its only loss before Feb. 12. The two top-10 teams meet Saturday in Boston … Among teams that have played a game, six remain unbeaten and untied – Bemidji State, Lake Superior State, Minnesota, Minnesota State, Omaha and North Dakota. Two meet each other this weekend (Bemidji State at North Dakota) … Wisconsin’s Cameron Hughes (Edmonton, Alta./Spruce Grove-AJHL/BOS) scored a remarkable goal that earned SportsCenter’s Top Play and the No. 1 spot in NCAA.com’s Top Plays … Don’t miss St. Cloud State players showing off their voices in car karaoke.