By Nate Ewell
Small superstars – NCAA college hockey has a long history of producing dynamic smaller players, guys like Martin St. Louis and Paul Kariya who overcome their stature with skill, speed and strength. Two of the best current examples will be on display this weekend in Oxford, Ohio, as Miami hosts North Dakota in a series that includes the NCHC’s first conference game. RedHawk junior Austin Czarnik, at 5-foot-9, was the CCHA player of the year last season, while 5-6 Rocco Grimaldi leads the UND offense.
Friday’s game is on CBS Sports Network
Must Read/See/Hear Material
The Power and Potential of Penn State – USCHO
Tom Anastos’ goal: Win while building MSU program – Lansing State Journal
Roy Continues to Show his Creativity – SBN College Hockey
The Bond Between Minnesota Hockey and College Hockey – Minnesota Hockey
Breaking the Ice – College Hockey News
Five More Notes No One Should Be Without
Championship caliber challenge – The puck drops on the inaugural Big Ten/Hockey East Challenge this weekend, with four Hockey East rinks hosting foes from the Midwest. The teams involved this weekend clearly demonstrate the appeal of the new format – six of the last eight national champions are involved in the Big Ten/Hockey East games this weekend.
Michigan-UNH games are on FOX College Sports
Surprising Sacred Heart – The story of the young season is in Fairfield, Conn., where C.J. Marottolo’s Sacred Heart team has matched its 2012-13 win total with a 2-1-0 start. That includes a win over preseason No. 1 UMass Lowell on Friday. The young Pioneers – who have suited up 11 freshmen – face the team that handed them their lone loss on Saturday, traveling to Rensselaer. The Engineers will be without injured goaltender Jason Kasdorf, who shut out SHU, 6-0, on Oct. 12.
Fast starts – Two first-year head coaches take perfect records to Fairbanks, Alaska, this weekend for the Alaska Goal Rush. Alaska Anchorage’s Matt Thomas and Denver’s Jim Montgomery both went 2-0-0 in the opening weekend, with the Seawolves capturing their own Kendall Hockey Classic and the Pioneers posting back-to-back shutouts against Merrimack. Both will need another win Friday (UAA vs. WMU, Denver vs. Alaska) in order to set up a battle of unbeaten first-year coaches on Saturday.
Pittsburgh reunion – Two Frozen Four teams from a year ago meet in a home-and-home this weekend as Quinnipiac and UMass Lowell face off. Neither got the start they wanted this season – both were upset in their first game of the year – but they rebounded with wins on Saturday. Of the four teams in Pittsburgh last April, these two bring back the most weapons, led by Quinnipiac’s Jones twins (Connor and Kellen) and Matthew Peca, plus UMass Lowell’s Connor Hellebuyck, Joseph Pendenza and Scott Wilson.
TV exposure – College hockey’s broadcast exposure continues to grow, as a record 178 games will be carried on national and regional sports networks in 2013-14.
Full TV Schedule
Fries at the Bottom of the Bag
Six of Union’s eight goals through two games have come on the power play … Bowling Green scored four straight goals to come back from a 3-0 deficit and beat Ohio State, 4-3, Tuesday night. The Buckeyes will host a rematch next Tuesday … Ivy League teams, which have a later start date than others in Division I, begin play with six exhibition games this weekend … Colorado College will honor the memory of former Tiger Scott Winkler, who passed away unexpectedly on June 12, prior to Friday’s game against Minnesota Duluth.