Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Notebook: History on the Line

The CCHA and Michigan head into a momentous weekend, plus Providence, Quinnipiac and more.

Notebook: History on the Line
Alex Guptill leads Michigan to Joe Louis in search of a 23rd straight NCAA appearance.

By Nate Ewell

Note of the Week

One for the books at Joe Louis – History is on the line in Detroit this weekend, as the CCHA celebrates its final championship weekend and Michigan looks to extend its record NCAA Tournament streak to 23 straight appearances. Alex Guptill (DAL pick) has led the Wolverines’ resurgence, with the sophomore recording 14 points (6g-8a) in the team’s 7-0-1 run. The Newmarket, Ontario, native’s season has mirrored his team’s – after struggling early he was even scratched for a weekend series. His recent scoring tear has him atop the team scoring list and has kept Michigan’s NCAA hopes alive.

Must Read/See/Hear Material

Chiasson honors his late father on and off the ice – Michigan Daily
Kristo fulfilling a dream – Grand Forks Herald
Crowd calls for Tate Maris – Grand Forks Herald
McKenzie is Miami’s wild Westerner – WCPO.com
Past Against Future – College Hockey News

Five More Notes No One Should Be Without

PC’s other freshman – Focus in the first Hockey East semifinal will likely be on each team’s freshman goalie – with good reason, as Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell, WPG pick) and Jon Gillies (Providence, CGY pick) could be the top two netminders in the conference. Another rookie to watch is Providence’s Nick Saracino, who had goals in all three games last weekend as the Friars topped New Hampshire in the quarterfinals. The St. Louis native – who missed the first nine games of the season with an injury – has points in six of his last seven games, including three game-winning goals.

Family powers Quinnipiac – Quinnipiac, the ECAC’s No. 1 seed – and likely No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament – is powered in part by strong family ties. Twins Connor and Kellen Jones (EDM pick) are two of the team’s top five scorers, while brothers Loren and Alex Barron both man the blue line. Three other pairs of brothers are committed to join the Bobcats in future recruiting classes: Tim and Connor Clifton, Daniel and David Pieper and twins Jonah and Nathan Renouf.

WNY rivalry – An outstanding Western N.Y. rivalry will play out in the first Atlantic Hockey semifinal Friday in Rochester, N.Y., as Canisius faces regular-season champion Niagara. The two teams – led by junior goaltenders Carsen Chubak and Tony Capobianco – combined for just seven goals in their three meetings this season (Niagara claimed the series, 2-1). Canisius, which upset Air Force in the quarterfinals, enters on a six-game winning streak that’s been powered in part by leading scorer Kyle Gibbons (3g-8a in that time).

Offense on display at Final Five – If you like goals, keep an eye on the WCHA Final Five in St. Paul. Five of the top 11 offenses and six of the top 10 scorers in college hockey are present at Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota and St. Cloud, the co-champs in the regular season, tied for the most goals in conference play as well (3.36 goals per game).

The young shall lead them – One thing to watch for in Sunday’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show (ESPNU, 9 p.m. ET): freshman goaltenders. Depending on this weekend’s results, it’s conceivable that three of the four No. 1 seeds could be led by freshmen goalies (Minnesota, Miami, UMass Lowell). Minnesota State, Boston University, Rensselaer, Providence and Michigan are other tournament hopefuls led by first-year goalies.