Thursday, January 7, 2016

Notes: Three of a Kind

Bemidji State triplets, Sun Devils welcome Division I foes, Harvard’s other superstar and more.

Notes: Three of a Kind
Myles Fitzgerald scored twice in his return to the lineup last weekend, skating alongside brothers Gerry and Leo.

By Nate Ewell

Two of Bemidji State’s Fitzgerald triplets – Gerry and Myles – returned from injuries for last weekend’s series at Alaska and once reunited on a line with brother Leo (Port Alberni, B.C./Victoria-BCHL), it’s perhaps not surprising that they rediscovered their chemistry right away. The trio combined for 3 goals and 3 assists as the Beavers began their 10-day Alaska road trip with a win and a tie. Gerry leads the team in scoring despite missing four games, while Myles has been limited to four games all season. The only triplets in Division I – also the only trio of brothers in Division I – the Fitzgeralds lead Bemidji State to Alaska Anchorage this weekend.

Must Read/See/Hear Material

Boston Herald: No time like the present for York
N.Y. Times: Swedish players increasingly drawn to U.S. colleges
Hartford Courant: UConn’s Thompson, who has a sweet shot, owes much to tough-guy dad
Norwood Transcript & Bulletin: Falcons from the same nest
College Hockey News: Appleton slips under U.S. radar, but is breaking out for MSU
Detroit Red Wings: Abdelkader’s a happy college graduate
Pac-12 Networks: ASU transitions to NCAA
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle: RIT home ice is slick and family-friendly

Five More Storylines No One Should be Without

ASU’s offensive Masters – Arizona State welcomed its first Division I visitor Tuesday in a 5-2 loss to Connecticut and the Huskies will stick around for the Desert Hockey Classic this weekend (along with ASU, Michigan Tech and Yale). As the Sun Devils continue to break new ground in their first Division I season, their very first recruit – freshman Jordan Masters (Rochester, N.Y./West Kelowna-BCHL) – is leading the way. Masters scored both goals vs. UConn and has 19 points through 20 games. A music lover who also DJs – his Twitter handle is @DjJordyJ13 – Masters and the Sun Devils host this weekend’s tournament at Gila River Arena. | Friday’s game is on Pac-12 Networks | SunDevils.com: ASU partnership with Coyotes a boon for both sides

Harvard’s other superstar – Harvard heads to Madison Square Garden Saturday to face Quinnipiac, putting senior star Jimmy Vesey (N. Reading, Mass./South Shore-EJHL/NSH) on a big stage. Vesey’s senior co-captain, Kyle Criscuolo (Southampton, N.J./Sioux City-USHL) deserves his share of the spotlight as well. The first two-year captain in 92 years at Harvard, Criscuolo has established himself as an outstanding leader while ranking third nationally in goals per game (0.83). Criscuolo scored three times last weekend, including the OT goal that lifted the No. 5 Crimson to the Mariucci Classic title, giving him 7 goals in the last 6 games. | The Crimson: Bucking 92-year trend, Criscuolo returns as Crimson captain

National Goal per Game Leaders
0.95 – Andrew Poturalski, New Hampshire
0.94 – Austin Ortega, Omaha
0.83 – Kyle Criscuolo, Harvard
0.80 – Zac Lynch, Robert Morris
0.79 – Jake Walman, Providence (STL)

Frey rising – Ohio State junior goaltender Christian Frey (Arlington, Texas/Dubuque-USHL) was a midseason addition to the Buckeye lineup two years ago and is best known in the NCAA ranks for his performance the rest of that season. After an up-and-down sophomore season and a slow start this year, he started the second half with the surprises of the holiday tournament season – wins vs. top-10 foes Boston College and Cornell at the Florida College Classic. The Texan leads the Buckeyes into their second Big Ten series of the year this weekend at Wisconsin.

Danforth excels for SHU – Sacred Heart started the new year with its first sweep of the season and could climb above .500 in Atlantic Hockey this weekend in a home-and-home against Army West Point. Leading the charge is junior Justin Danforth (Oshawa, Ont./Cobourg-OJHL), who has 9 points in his last 4 games, including Saturday’s overtime goal. Danforth was an immediate contributor when he joined the Pioneers, winning 2013-14 Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Year honors, but this has been his most productive year yet. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound center leads Sacred Heart in goals, points, shots, faceoff wins and game-winning goals.

Points per Game, Since Dec. 1
2.25 – Justin Danforth, Sacred Heart (9 pts in 4 GP)
2.17 – Kely Conner, Michigan/WPG (13/6)
2.17 – Spencer Foo, Union (13/6)
2.00 – Jack Riley, Mercyhurst (8/4)
1.83 – Tyler Kelleher and Andrew Poturalski, New Hampshire (11/6 each)

Bjork back for ND – The 14 players returning to NCAA hockey from the World Junior Championship will be watched closely in the coming weeks – some may show signs of fatigue after the international tournament, while others have some extra jump. Anders Bjork (Mequon, Wisc./U.S. NTDP/BOS) scored twice for the U.S. in the bronze medal game victory and appears poised to build on his breakthrough first half at Notre Dame. Already second on the team in scoring (16 points in 17 GP), the son of former Fighting Irish All-American Kirt Bjork rejoins a Notre Dame team that is among the hottest in the nation. UND is 5-2-4 in its last 11 games entering a home-and-home with nearby rival Western Michigan. Friday’s game is on NBCSN; Saturday’s is on CBSSN

NHL Note of the Week

Ten NCAA alums were named to the 2016 NHL All-Star Teams, including rookie Dylan Larkin (Michigan) and second-year star Johnny Gaudreau (Boston College).

Fries at the Bottom of the Bag

Vermont legend Martin St. Louis returns to Gutterson Fieldhouse Friday night for Martin St. Louis Night as the team faces Dartmouth … North Dakota goaltender Cam Johnson (Flint, Mich./Waterloo-USHL) and Michigan forward Kyle Connor (Shelby Township, Mich./Youngstown-USHL/WPG) were named Player and Rookie of the Monoth, respectively, by the Hockey Commissioners’ Association (all monthly honors) … The NCHC and WCHA have announced that teams in each conference will wear dark jerseys at home for the remainder of the season … Providence’s last five losses, dating to last season, have come in overtime (0-5-3 in OT in that time).