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(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Tracy "Dolphin" McNeely has spent an entire month without the comforts of a solid roof, electricity or plumbing. In that time, she's braved blowing rains, intensely humid heat and even a snowfall.\nMcNeely celebrated her one-month anniversary Sunday in a Brown's Woods tree. Despite the elemental exposure and increasing negativity from developers and the landowner, the 19-year-old environmentalist said her commitment is unwavering.\n"I'm still feeling 100 percent willing to stay up here, and I doubt that's going to change," she said. "It's getting harder and harder by the day, but I also find more things by the day to keep myself going and keep my spirits up."\nIn her abundant free time, McNeely said, she enjoys reading, doing crossword puzzles and using a two-way radio to talk with "ground support."\n"Ground support," as McNeely refers to the family-and-friends unit that keeps vigil around the clock at the base of her tree, has acted as McNeely's primary lifeline and communication with the outside world.\nThe group keeps a quiet camp around McNeely's new home, with the McNeely family dogs greeting visitors with sloppy kisses and wrestling playfully in fallen leaves.\n"We've had lots of people, especially in the first couple weeks," Donna McNeely, McNeely's mother, said. "Weekends tend to be real busy."\nDonna estimated that more than 800 people have come to visit McNeely and offer their support. More than 600 have offered their signatures to petitions calling for the preservation of Brown's Woods.\nBut Jeff Kittle, vice president of Indianapolis-based developer Herman and Associates, said the project will continue despite the protest.\n"Our position is to close on this piece of land in the next 60 days and start construction," Kittle said. "There's a strong need in Bloomington for affordable housing."\nKittle said the land is not environmentally sensitive, contending it's simply a privately owned piece of land and that the construction of the housing complex will create a tax base and jobs for Bloomington and Monroe County citizens.\nActivists and Herman and Associates have their eyes on the May 8 Monroe County Council meeting, in which the council will determine whether to release a $13.5 million tax bond to Herman and Associates.\n"The project has private activity tax-exempt bonds, and there needs to be approval from the issuers, Monroe County," Kittle said.\nKittle said the process of approving these bonds has been underway for almost a year and was unanimously approved by the Economic Development Commission.\nDespite the looming reality of construction, the protesters, said they remain optimistic.\n"I think (the first month) has been very successful," Donna McNeely said. "I think tree sitting is now a household phrase in Bloomington. I think urban sprawl has been on the front page, and people have been up in arms about that for a long time."\nDespite having living quarters not much larger than the inside of a dumpster, McNeely has stuffed her perch from edge to edge with necessities from food, water and propane to luxuries including a coffee maker, books and a megaphone. The megaphone was donated after her voice became hoarse from shouting her messages down to the rest of the world. And she's willing to keep sitting, shouting or whatever it takes to keep Brown's Woods intact.\n"It's time to get out and explore," McNeely said. "Explore the green spaces that are around -- in your own neighborhoods, around IU. Just take in everything the forest has to offer"
(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Joseph Ramos lived in the Fox House for about six months last year. He described the building as "a gift from God."\n"It was a beautiful place," he said. "It was a good idea, but it was like a zoo."\nA recovery residence for people living with HIV and AIDS, the Fox House will be shut down by the Center of Behavioral Health, its property manager, when its five-year lease ends in December. The house is widely known to have suffered from financial and management woes since opening in 1996. \n"It appears the nature of the epidemic has changed somewhat," said David Carrico, director of clinical services for the Center of Behavioral Health. "The demand for this type of housing is not needed right now. (Closure of houses for people with AIDS) is a phenomenom across the country.\n"The other reason is that (Fox House) was never adequately funded or staffed," Carrico said. "There were a variety of reasons for that, but if it was going to be a program, there needed to be staffing attached to it, as well as some funding source."\nCarrico said when the house was created by grant money from Housing for People with AIDS in 1996, no operational funds were attached. Plagued by several residents who failed to pay rent and without grant money to support it, he said its closure was inevitable.\n"We submitted a successful grant to AIDServe Indiana, the funding body for these kinds of programs in this state," Carrico said. "That was a program that just went out of business. Before we got any money from that grant, they closed. We never did receive anything."\nThe decision to close the facility upset Ramos. He feels the house, named after AIDS victim Thomas H. Fox, is a positive and essential attribute to the care of HIV and AIDS patients in Indiana.\n"Once you come out of the hospital and have HIV, you need a place to regroup so you can get your mind right," Ramos said. "The reason these people weren't paying rent is because there was drug activity in the Fox House, there was drinking in the Fox House. It was good for Indiana -- but we didn't screen the people going in."\nRamos cited a number of factors in the house's failure, including lack of supervision, funds and resources.\n"What we're doing is cutting our own throat," Ramos said. "In reality, there are people who really need a place like the Fox House. But (Positive Link) didn't strong-arm. They didn't screen. They didn't talk to these people, to find out if they were addicts, if they were ex-cons, to see if they had a mental condition. You have to screen people -- even if they're HIV positive. We're going to lose these grants, in every program, in every state."\nRamos also cited the lack of supervision or acknowledgement of the different types of people who have to deal with AIDS.\n"You have to separate the problem," Ramos said. "If you are gay, you have counseling with a gay person who can deal with that. If you just came out of jail, deal with a person on that level. Separate the issues -- it would work. Unfortunately, there's not enough people to go around."\nCarrico said the decision to close the home has been in place since earlier this year.\n"We made the decision that we would no longer continue as the property manager," Carrico said. "No other group or entity has come forth to continue as the property manager. We've gone through many community meetings about this issue. Since that was the case, the owner (of the building) is applying for a waiver to use the house for other purposes."\nCarrico said two residents are presently living in Fox House, and the facility will potentially accept candidates through the expiration of its lease.\nRobert Fox, father of Thomas H. Fox, said while he and his wife were only involved with the Fox House on a volunteer level, they're devastated to see the house close.\n"We're sorry, of course, to see it come to this kind of a close. We've been pretty close to the situation," Fox said. "But we have had no connection to this house, other than as volunteers."\n"There probably won't be another program like the Fox House," Ramos said. "They think it's a loss, a waste of time. But it was a good thought"
(07/16/01 2:12am)
As the lecture-became-debate hopelessly, endlessly wages on, I carelessly glance out the window. Orientation student employees of some sort pass by, laughing and smiling as the sun bounces off the well-defined shoulders of their red T-shirts.\nThe girl has shoulder-length curling brown hair, khaki slacks and more white on her teeth than Darryl Strawberry's gums. The gentlemen wear identical short-cropped hair, one with a few tips dyed blond, indicating within corporate regulation that he's "hip." They sport matching khaki shorts and hundred-dollar sandals.\nAll four look like they've been at the HPER every day since their freshmen orientations. There's not a ripple of leftover body fat, a blemish on the dark-tanned skin or any justifiable reason to spend that much money on sunglasses.\nLet's get real. This public relations crap is really the first message we're conveying to kids when they make an investment in higher education? I know that knowledge isn't considered as important of a commodity as, say, designer sunglasses, but in today's fashion-first, fashion-last world, has it now become completely obsolete?\nIt seems that every time the Earth rotates on its axis I find a new reason to be glad I'm just a few weeks away from graduation. Not that I anticipate the world awaiting me is going to be honest and intelligent -- far from it, actually -- but just because I've put up with this crap too long.\nAll through elementary school, I hated it. I was bored. People told me high school would be better because it would challenge me and engage me. Well, they were wrong. High school was even worse than grade school. Not only were the lectures as inspired as a Segal plot, but the people couldn't go more than 10 steps without darting into the bathroom to check their hair.\nAnd what did my high school teachers tell me? "Just wait until college," they said. "It's a strong academic environment. It will be challenging, but also engaging and ultimately rewarding."\nSure.\nI do appreciate all the off-campus lessons college has given me -- without them, I could not be who I am today. But inside the classrooms, it's still the same kids I graduated grade school and high school, with. The names change, but that's all.\nMy mom once told me I returned home after the third or fourth day of kindergarten and told her, "That was fun, but I don't think I want to go anymore." Well, here I am, getting ready to graduate college and not a thing has changed. Inspiring myself to go to class lately has been comparable to inspiring my cat to take a shower.\nI drift back into the lecture. Where are we? Is this going to be on the test?
(05/17/01 5:25pm)
More than 2,500 students had their names and Social Security numbers downloaded from the Office of the Bursar by an unknown international source in February. In light of the security breach, the board of trustees passed a resolution during their meeting two weeks ago to increase the security of IU's computing system.\nUniversity IT policy officer Mark Bruhn, who is responsible for the University's technological security, said University Information Technology Services' policymakers have a plan for increasing security across the University. This includes a vulnerability scanning service, an advisory subscription service and an increase in security seminars.\n"Almost every computer system has the potential of being a security problem," Bruhn said. "The issue is that there's approximately 55,000 networked systems. We need to get information to all people associated with those systems at some level. We must educate everyone at some level, and technicians at a higher level."\nTechnicians can use the vulnerability scanning service to scan their own system for vulnerabilities before someone on the Internet can do it. If a vulnerability exists, the technicians will then be able to fix it themselves before someone on the Internet discovers it.\nThis service has been provided for a couple of years, but UITS is working to increase the capabilities of the vulnerability scanning service, Bruhn said. UITS is working with individual departments to make it part of their specific routine.\nAccording to Bruhn, in the past three years, 55,000 scans have been made by 82 distinct departments.\n"We need to increase that to many, many more departments," Bruhn said.\nAdvisory subscription services can check the security of a computer system, but this service is intended for use by any computer and any user working from the IU network, according to Bruhn. The user simply needs to access the advisory subscription service Web site, subscribe to advisories and follow the instructions.\nThe third thing UITS plans to do in order to increase overall system security is education. Bruhn said he hopes there will be an increase in service training programs. He said UITS classes and human resource seminars need to focus more on security and technology information.\nBruhn said he feels each University department must work with UITS to help increase technological security. He said while security lapses will always exist, the goal of UITS is to minimize the number of opportunities for security to be breached.\n"One can presume if a technician is diligent in scanning his or her own systems, other intruders' opportunities will be minimized," Bruhn said. "We won't eliminate vulnerability. We should be able to minimize the opportunities for others on the Internet to exploit the vulnerabilities on those systems."\nBursar Susan Cote, whose office's information was stolen in the initial hack, feels the new policies will help increase the overall security of the University's technology.\n"We know that some vulnerability may exist (across the campus)," Cote said. "The more guidelines for training, resources and scans, the more secure the department as a whole will be."\nFollowing the breach, UITS made several security recommendations to the Office of the Bursar. According to Cote, "all of those recommendations were put into place."\nDespite the University's attempt to beef up security, some feel they are not addressing the real concern behind the initial hack.\nDoctoral candidate Kurt Richter, whose information was stolen from the Bursar's system, has been an outspoken critic of the University since the hack. He said while the University has in general done a good job of both security and increasing security, they are not addressing the root of the problem.\n"One of the things they're not doing is the idea of changing the Social Security numbers as a means of identification at the University," Richter said. "They've missed the point of that last breach."\nRichter suggested the University use a random digit in place of the Social Security number as a student identification number, and that the two numbers be correlated, for purposes of reporting to the government, through an Intranet, not Internet, based computer.\n"It's untenable that a student should have to give a Social Security number to loan out a badminton racket," Richter said. "It's a callous disregard of the purpose of the Social Security number."\nDespite criticism, Bruhn feels the University is moving in the right direction in regard to technological security. He hopes to look for opportunities where a large number of people might gather to talk "not just about information security but also technological security."\n"There are many departments that pay very good attention to security," Bruhn said. "Some need help in that area; they don't have technical expertise, they don't have the staff"
(05/17/01 2:04am)
On my darkest nights, I think there's a vengeful god, one who receives pleasure from prematurely removing the best and brightest, hell-bent on the destruction of this planet. From a curled lump on my couch, I scream at him through tear-filled eyes, asking what gives him the right to meddle with others' happiness.\nBut most evenings, I simply stare into the night sky, pondering loneliness and the wind's ability to detect mood. It picks up momentum just as the runaway train of my thought process comes crashing into the climactic decision that my loved ones are gone forever.\nIt's often noted that every dead person becomes a saint in the eyes of their mourners. That observation is true, only to the degree that we as a culture have been trained to respect the memories of fallen comrades. Certainly an admirable quality, moreso than the cannibalistic tendencies we show toward the living. But, for the sake of honesty, this is not the most fulfilling practice.\nWhen everyone becomes a hero in death, the greatness of the true heroes is diluted. When every gravestone is created by the same human hands, the uniqueness of each memory fades into oblivion. Soon the only place for the dead is in our hearts.\nAs generations pass, the only memories that remain are those immortalized within the context of history and ideas. The rich, the famous and the world-renowned become later generations' default stereotypes of their ancestors.\nBut, as nearly every person on the planet ironically understands, those people are rarely the ones who truly touch our lives. A piece of legislation, a contemporary novel or a corporate merger affect our daily existence less than our personal encounters, both beloved and chance. We remember the well-known because it's easy, but humans are still the biggest factor in the human condition.\nIt's hard to let the memories of these people slip away. Whether it be the 79-year-old whose sharp mind and warm heart finally succumbs to a long bout of cancer or the 23-year-old whose beautiful eyes and room-warming smile are dragged away painfully early, the human deserves to be remembered. But, after eternity locks its lips on you and I, who will tend to the fire of these peoples' memory?\nAs the glow fades, the embers burn and the wood slowly turns to ash, another memory of another unique and irreplaceable person is lost forever. For as many that have gone, that many more are yet to be lost. Time cannot be defeated. Luckily, beyond all the metaphors, past the rhetoric, there's still hope.\nFor while each human, at least at the level where he or she truly made a difference, will ultimately be forgotten, the spirit of that person will live forever.\nTake the time to remember your fallen family and friends -- if you've taken on the weight of carrying them with you, they certainly deserve it. The lessons they gave you and the love they showed is the reason you miss them. Make it the reason you remember them. In our lives, all we can ever be are teachers and students.\nFlowers wither and die, gold turns to dust and every one of us will eventually die. But some things can last forever.\nWho, what, when and where are concepts for dusty bookshelves. Why is the true reason we remember these people. Why is what we carry with us for the rest of our lives. Why is what we pass, either consciously or subconsciously, to those who will continue after we are gone.
(05/10/01 2:10am)
While Bloomington during most of the year can aptly be described as a giant ball of energy flying toward the glass window of my sanity, summers are a lot different down here. Just a few days into the summer semester and I can already see the effects.\n Parking is more ample. Professors are better humored. There isn't a 20-minute wait to use exercise equipment or check e-mail on campus. Motionless barefoot college students, many of whom don't even have dreadlocks, lie dazed, lifeless, scattered across Dunn Meadow like Gettysburg.\nDid I mention there's actually parking available?\nBut paradise is not without realities. In addition to the Florida heat and Texas mosquitoes, one of Bloomington's major summer deficiencies is the road construction.\nI know, I know. It's a necessary part of maintaining the roads. But that's the point.\nIf you've driven down Woodlawn Avenue on campus lately, you know what I'm talking about. It was closed a few weeks back, baracaded off from Seventh to 10th Street in a massive University conspiracy to make me late to my statistics class.\nI'm not going to lie, except maybe in Dunn Meadow. I don't have a clue why Woodlawn was closed. Road construction, laying pipe, asbestos, squirrel removal, whatever. It doesn't change the fact that IU buses were flying down residential Bloomington streets at 7 a.m. every day.\nBut the road is worse now than when they started. The southbound lane between Eighth and Seventh Streets has the texture of a cheese grater and enough bumps to make the AM radio in my car skip. And even though the traffic skipped town for the summer, it's made driving down Woodlawn that much more infuriating.\nThis isn't an isolated incident of University oversight, if you can believe it. Last time they were doing construction on 10th Street, the crews left a ramp at the bottom of the hill in front of the Psychology Building big enough to host professional skateboarding events. After a year of constantly scraping my undercarriage, the barrage of motorists finally wore it down to a manageable thump.\nOf course, we'll see what lays in the wake of our University's most recent project on that road.\nSo while B-town is busy with the shutdown, I'd like to offer a few tips to our hippy-go-lucky summer residents.\nFirst, whatever you do, don't drive anywhere, at any time, for any reason. It might be convenient, sure, but if you use a road too much, we have to shut it down and make it uneven, maybe borderline dangerous to drive on. That way, people will go out of their way to avoid using it, and traffic volume on that road will decrease.\nAnd who says Purdue is the only engineering geniuses in this state?\nNow, go get yourself a nice pair of soft shoes. You're going to do a lot of walking, especially if you deliver pizza, and we can't have you crossing streets and adding unjust pressure to our fragile road system. The asphalt is cracking, the potholes are forming and you were going to cross the street in work boots? Some people just don't have any consideration for the rest of society.\nMaintaining our roads and highways is one of the most important functions for a working society. Without this infrastructure, IU buses wouldn't be able to fly through my neighborhood at 7 a.m., waking me in time to walk to class.
(03/05/01 5:11am)
FISHERS, Ind. -- The Hoosiers were eliminated from the 1999 American Collegiate Hockey League Division II National Championship Tournament because of a tiebreaker. IU and Michigan State ended their battle in a 3-3 tie. Michigan State had scored 18 goals in the tournament, while IU had 17. So, despite the tie, the Spartans advanced to the semifinals.\nThe same scenario unfolded again this year. \nTo advance to the tournament's semifinal round Friday at the Fishers Ice Forum, the Hoosiers again had to defeat Michigan State. Although the Hoosiers arguably had the edge the entire game, the teams were forced to settle for a 1-1 tie, and once again, Michigan State advanced.\n"We're cursed," assistant coach and general manager Alex Kyrias said after the game.\nMore than 1,000 people crammed into the Forum to watch the Hoosiers and Spartans tangle. The Spartans had swept the Hoosiers in a late January series in Michigan. With emotions on the brink, the two teams fought throughout Friday's game.\nWith 8:43 remaining in the second period, Michigan State finally put a shot past sophomore goalie Charlie Pulley. Pulley allowed only one goal on 30 shots at the net Friday.\n"I was happy with the way I played, and I was happy with the way the team played," Pulley said. "We had our chances in overtime, but they just had enough to hang on."\nIU didn't hesitate to fire back. With 6:00 on the clock in the second period, IU capitalized on a 5-on-4 power play when junior forward Matt Voll fired a shot at Michigan State goalie freshman Sean Huberty, who blocked the shot, tried to sit on it and accidentally pushed it into the Spartan net to tie the contest 1-1. Voll was assisted by junior forward Gordy Haggard and freshman forward David Dassell.\nDespite several scoring opportunities for both teams, no one managed to score throughout the remainder of regulation. Allotted a 10-minute overtime, the intense game continued. \n"I think, in overtime, we pretty much owned them," IU coach Rich Holdeman said. "It was a tough way to go out."\nThe Hoosiers outshot the Spartans 9-1 in overtime but failed to move the puck past the goal line. The Hoosiers had possession almost the entire extra period, but IU never got a break.\n"We played well, but it's hard to be happy when you lost," junior forward and assistant captain Bryan Grant said. "We outplayed them, but their goalie just came up big. You have to give him a lot of credit."\nThe Hoosiers finished with a tournament record of 1-0-2 after a 5-4 overtime win against Utah Wednesday and a 5-5 tie with New York University Thursday. As in 1999, only two teams in the tournament were undefeated -- champion Life University and IU.\nDespite the disappointing situation, the Hoosiers kept their heads up after the game.\n"I couldn't be (more proud) of the way the team played," Holdeman said. "I'm very disappointed for the players' sake, but I can't be upset with the way we played."\nThe end of the season also marks the end of a Hoosier era. Although the team is losing few seniors, Brad Lutsch, IU's all-time leader in points, goals, assists and penalty minutes, is one of them. Lutsch leaves to pursue a career with the Indianapolis Ice.\n"It's disappointing because we didn't lose the game," Lutsch said. "It's just tough ... to be in the national championship tournament, and to have the game end in a tie. It's disappointing, but we're still proud of the way all the guys played. Everyone really stepped up"
(02/28/01 5:16am)
Five games for all the marbles. The hockey team knows as much about pressure as any other team in the country, but this is the culmination of every goal the team has been talking about all year. \nOf course, it's not going to be an easy road to victory in the Division II American Collegiate Hockey Association's national championship.\n"One of the problems with our ranking procedures is that the bids of the tournament come out a bit early," coach Rick Holdeman said.\nTo come out of its preliminary grouping, the Hoosiers will likely need three consecutive victories today, Thursday and Friday. Today's match against the West's third-seeded Utah will most likely prove to be as difficult as any game in the tournament. The Utes recently beat Sierra University, the West's No. 1 team.\nFriday's matchup against Michigan State University also promises to be a challenge for the Hoosiers. The Spartans swept the Hoosiers Super Bowl weekend in East Lansing and are far-and-away the best team in the central division of the ACHA.\nBut without a second thought, IU's team captain said the squad is a respectable and viable force for the national crown.\n"I'm feeling pretty confident we're going to do well," junior forward and captain Dan Hauck said. "We have to take it one game at a time and play as hard as we can. I think with it being the national tournament, there's a little more pressure, but I think we can handle it."\nIU's hockey team made it to the final game of the tournament in 1995, 1998 and 2000. It walked away empty-handed each time. And the players know the pressure is on their performance as well as the team's legacy.\n"You can't say if something doesn't work this year, we have next year," junior forward and assistant captain Bryan Grant said. "You never know when you'll have another chance."\nAll things considered, the Hoosiers have as good of a chance as anybody to win the tournament. With the games taking place in Fishers, Ind., the Hoosiers are on familiar ice, where several of them played high school hockey for Park Tudor. The team enters its second weekend without a major injury for the first time this calendar year, and the coaches said they feel the Hoosiers are practicing "very well" right now.\nHoldeman said the team hopes to switch senior Justin Wojtowicz and sophomore Charlie Pulley around in goal throughout the weekend, hopefully keeping both players fresh. Pulley is scheduled to start against Utah.\nFor Wojtowicz, Brad Lutsch, Darrell Huotari and the Hoosiers' other seniors, years of frustration and past disappointment will be riding on the results of these five games.\n"We don't have too many seniors, and that's one of the reasons we've been a little inconsistent during the year at times," Holdeman said. "It'll be a big question mark for us."\nAnd if things don't work out so well for the Hoosiers this weekend?\n"We're not thinking about that right now," Hauck said.
(02/26/01 5:33am)
The hockey team swept Robert Morris College in its final home series of the season this weekend. The Hoosiers crushed the Eagles 9-1 Friday and squeaked out a 6-5 victory Saturday.\n"We were just trying to get out of there with a win and no disqualifications," assistant coach and general manager Alex Kyrias said of the weekend.\nFriday's game saw an easy victory for the Hoosiers (20-10-2, 11-1-2 Midwest Collegiate Hockey League). IU had a 4-0 lead before Robert Morris (19-16-1) was even able to get on the board. Even with the goal, the Hoosiers maintained their confidence, eventually defeating the Eagles 9-1.\nHoosier standouts in Friday's contest included junior forward Ed Karasek, who had two goals, and freshman defenseman Mike Piotrowski, who added three assists to the Hoosier effort. Sophomore goalie Charlie Pulley allowed just one goal in the first two periods, while senior Chad Whitlock finished the game with 14 saves.\nSaturday's game proved to be the more competitive contest, with the Hoosiers edging out a 6-5 victory. The battle remained close throughout the contest, with the Eagles cutting the Hoosier lead to one goal with just six seconds remaining. But IU persevered, winning its final home game of the season. \n"Guys were just wanting to do the right things Saturday, but I don't think everyone was trying very hard," Kyrias said.\nJunior forward and assistant captain Bryan Grant led the Hoosiers with a hat trick and an assist Saturday. The three goals made Grant IU's all-time leader for goals in a season. In his final home game as a Hoosier, senior Justin Wojtowicz allowed two goals in two periods and easily recorded the victory.\nThe American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II national championships begin Wednesday in Fishers, Ind. To participate in Saturday's final rounds, the Hoosiers must have the best record in their bracket, which includes Michigan State, Utah and New York University. \nIU's players say they have been waiting for this tournament since the team's one-goal loss in the finals last year.\n"Our major goal last year was to win nationals last year, and we didn't," Grant said in an interview Oct. 6. "We had a great record, but didn't accomplish what we wanted to accomplish. It's going to be a whole different story this year."\nThe Hoosier coaches are also confident that IU will play to its full capabilities in the tournament.\n"I told my team again how well I thought we played (in the conference tournament), and I firmly believe if we play that well, we should be able to do some damage in this tournament," coach Rich Holdeman said.
(02/23/01 6:18am)
Fresh off a heartbreaking loss to Miami (Ohio) for the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League conference championship, the hockey team plays host to its final home series of the season against Chicago's Robert Morris College at 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday at the Frank Southern Center. Saturday's game will also be a chance to honor the Hoosiers' two graduating seniors.\nThe Hoosiers (18-10-2, 11-1-2 MCHL) expect they shouldn't have much difficulty dealing with Robert Morris (19-14-1).\n"It looks to me like they should be pretty competitive, although really not the strongest team we've played," coach Rich Holdeman said. "We want to just keep guys sharp this weekend, play well and win the games."\nIn its premier season as an American Collegiate Hockey League team, Robert Morris has established itself in the college hockey world as a strong program with a promising future.\n"A good collaboration of guys from the state of Illinois," said assistant coach and general manager Alex Kyrias, describing the Eagles. "I'm expecting a pretty competitive weekend -- a good tune-up for us, hopefully."\nKyrias said the Hoosiers, who have been consistently banged up since Decmeber, are finally recovered. After sitting out the conference championship weekend, junior defenseman Tim McMahon, - the final injured Hoosier to return to the lineup -- participated in a full-contact practice Thursday night. The team said it is confident heading toward the Wednesday commencement of the national tournament in Fishers, Ind., despite its double-overtime loss in the conference tournament finals Feb. 17.\n "We hope to keep active this weekend so we don't take a weekend off before nationals," junior forward and assistant captain Bryan Grant said. "I really think there's nothing else to focus on (except the national tournament). It's the end of the year, and that's what we're gunning for."\n Saturday's game will also be a chance to honor the Hoosiers' graduating seniors. Although five Hoosiers are listed as seniors on the roster, goalie Justin Wojtowicz and forward Darrell Huotari will be the sole honorees Saturday.\n"Both guys have been with the program for several years, and I think it's always a good thing to recognize them," Holdeman said. "I'm always sad to see guys move on, but I guess it's part of the progress."\nKyrias said sophomore Charlie Pulley will start in goal Friday, while Wojtowicz will man the net for the final home game of his Hoosier career.
(02/12/01 5:43am)
The hockey team's three-game weekend with Minnesota and Illinois ended with mixed results. In their final contests before the conference championship series, the Hoosiers defeated the Minnesota Golden Gophers 6-4 at the Frank Southern Center, then were swept Friday and Saturday at Illinois.\nIU (16-9-2, 11-1-2 Midwest Collegiate Hockey League) got off to a quick start Friday against a late-arriving Minnesota team, rattling off five goals in the first period to take a 5-0 lead. Junior forward and assistant captain Bryan Grant knocked in three goals and became the first Hoosier to have a one-period hat trick this season.\nAs the game progressed, the Hoosiers began to lose the momentum that had propelled them to a lead in the first period. IU scored only once in the game's final two periods and escaped from a rallying Minnesota team with a 6-4 victory.\n"We came out and played well in the first period, then kind of folded after that," Grant said. "It was more of being pretty pissed off at ourselves. We were a lot better team than they were, and there was no reason they should have come near us."\nThe Hoosiers jumped out to another early lead Friday against Illinois' Division-I team. Sophomore forward Clint Heiber scored a quick goal. A second Hoosier goal was then disallowed.\nIllinois bounced back, scoring two goals to end the first period and then four unanswered goals in the second.\n"The second period they scored four unanswered goals -- that kind of knocked us out," coach Rich Holdeman said.\nMissing three key players from the lineup Saturday, including Grant, did not help the Hoosiers' chances against Illinois as the Illini swept the series with a 5-1 win. Senior goalie Justin Wojtowicz stood out for the Hoosiers Saturday, allowing 5 Illini goals in 40 attempted shots.\n"The goaltending was pretty good this weekend. (Illinois) had seven power play goals this weekend," assistant coach and general manager Alex Kyrias said. "We were 5-on-3 four times. It wasn't that we were that dirty, it was just very questionable officiating."\nThe MCHL tournament begins Friday in Fishers, Ind. The Hoosiers have the No. 1 seed in the tournament, facing 8th-seeded Toledo in the first round. If victorious, the Hoosiers will face either Kentucky or Dayton in the second round, while favorites for the final game include Michigan, Miami of Ohio and IU.
(02/08/01 4:43am)
The hockey team faces its first-ever contest against Minnesota at 7:30 p.m. today at the Frank Southern Center. This is the first game in the Hoosiers' second three-game weekend of the year.\nMinnesota is generally a low-ranking ACHA Division-II team because few conference competitors travel to the state of Minnesota.\n"(Minnesota) coming here to play us and the University of Kentucky is trying to make a statement," assistant coach and general manager Alex Kyrias said of the Gophers. "It'll be a good challenge."\nThe Hoosiers (15-7-2, 11-1-2 Midwest Collegiate Hockey League) are hosting the single game against Minnesota before traveling to a two-game series with Illinois' Division-I team.\nIn a triple-overtime thriller, the Hoosiers defeated the Illini 4-3 in the final round of the Chicago College Classic Thanksgiving Tournament Nov. 25. The team suspects Illinois will be searching for revenge with its packed venue and professional-size ice rink.\n"We need to realize that the circumstances in Illinois are not ideal, but those are circumstances you need to win under sometimes," Kyrias said. "We've beat them before in their building, so we know we can do it again."\nThe Hoosiers have not decided to start a goalie for the Minnesota game, but the plan is to start sophomore Charlie Pulley at Illinois Friday.\n"I think we have a really good chance (to beat Illinois) as long as we go in there and play the way we did Saturday (against Michigan)," Pulley said. "If we're able to block out (the rink and crowd size) and overcome those two challenges early, I think we have a pretty good look for Friday night."\nThe latest rankings for both the American Collegiate Hockey Association and MCHL have been released, and the Hoosiers fared well in both. The team finished first in the MCHL regular season and secured the top seed entering the conference tournament Feb. 16 in Fishers, Ind. \nThe team will play the University of Toledo (1-16, 0-14 MCHL) in the first round. The Hoosiers defeated the Rockets by a combined score of 19-0 in a two-game series Oct. 20 and 21 in Toledo.\n"I think the team's feeling pretty confident coming off a big win against Michigan," junior forward and assistant captain Brandon Phillips said. "I think we're going in (the conference tournament) thinking we're going to do well."\nIn the final rankings for ACHA Division-II hockey, the Hoosiers finished second in the Southeast Region behind Life. Life swept the Hoosiers at the Frank Southern Center in December, marking the first time IU had been swept at home in three years. Life received five first-place votes, while the Hoosiers and Michigan split the final two. Miami (Ohio) and Indiana (Penn.) round out the Southeast Region teams selected for the national tournament. Nationals begin Feb. 28 and will also be played in Fishers, Ind.\nThe Hoosiers will face Michigan State, New York and Utah in the national tournament.\n"Hopefully, the guys will be salivating at the chance to play Michigan State," Kyrias said.
(02/05/01 5:23am)
To clinch the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League regular season championship, the hockey team had to do no worse than a win and a tie against top-ranked University of Michigan this weekend.\nSo in a Hollywood-style turn of events, the Hoosiers (15-7-2, 11-1-2 MCHL) fought back from a 4-1 deficit to tie the Wolverines Friday, then crushed Michigan (20-5-2, 11-2-1 MCHL) 7-3 Saturday.\n"First place is nice," assistant coach and general manager Alex Kyrias said. "For the next two or three days, we'll just enjoy what we've done. Winning the league is a really nice accomplishment."\nThe standout Hoosier this weekend was sophomore goalie Charlie Pulley. When Michigan scored with 11:10 remaining in the second period Friday to take a 4-1 lead, IU's coaching staff opted to pull starting goalie senior Justin Wojtowicz for Pulley. Pulley made 15 saves to help the Hoosiers to a 4-4 tie Friday, then allowed just three goals during Saturday's blowout.\n"The key for any of our goalies is making those key stops at key times," Kyrias said. "Making stops when it's 1-0 or 2-0 is key, and that's what I've been preaching all year."\nThe Hoosier offense got off to a slow start Friday. Michigan maintained a 4-2 lead at the end of the second period and a definite momentum advantage. But just 27 seconds into the third period, IU's first line took the Michigan defense on a 3-on-2 breakaway. Junior forward and assistant captain Bryan Grant took a pass from junior forward and captain Dan Hauck, and before Michigan goalie Ted Parsons could even ready himself, the Hoosiers had cut the Michigan lead to 4-3.\nOn a 4-on-4 play with just under four minutes left in the contest, junior forward and assistant captain Brandon Phillips crushed a shot past Parsons to tie the game.\n"That was a big character game," Hauck said. "We showed a lot of heart battling back, and we set ourselves up for the biggest game of the year."\nGrant had two goals in Friday's contest, while Hauck and senior defenseman Brad Lutsch each had three assists. Each of the Hoosiers' 11 points Friday were earned by the starting lineup, which includes Grant, Hauck, Lutsch, Phillips and freshman defenseman Mike Piotrowski.\nWith the pressure on both teams Saturday, Hoosier fans packed the Frank Southern Center to watch the single most important conference game of the regular season. Fans were not disappointed, as both teams fought hard for the first ten minutes. \nAlmost halfway through the first period, junior defenseman Tim McMahon slipped a shot past Parsons to give the Hoosiers a 1-0 lead and, more importantly, an edge in confidence. IU followed McMahon's shot with four more unanswered goals before Michigan finally got on the board.\n"The team really came together and played hard (Saturday)," Holdeman said. "Intensity is really something we've been struggling with the past few games. Tonight, there were a few holes there, but by and large, we dominated the whole way, and I was very happy about that."\nGrant had two goals and two assists for the Hoosiers Saturday, while Lutsch chipped in a goal and three assists. Twelve Hoosiers were involved in the scoring onslaught Saturday.\n"When Michigan would score, we would answer," Kyrias said. "That says a lot about our intensity."\nWith the weekend's victories, the Hoosiers take the No. 1 seed in the MCHL tournament.\n"Having seen everyone this year, if we're playing our game, I feel confident playing anybody," coach Rich Holdeman said. "Of course, I say that having played (Miami (Ohio) and Michigan) on our rink"
(02/02/01 7:11pm)
The word "pressure" is not foreign to the IU hockey team, but rarely is so much pressure put on a non-playoff weekend. \n As the Hoosiers (14-7-1, 10-1-1 Midwest Collegiate Hockey League) are hosts to the Michigan Wolverines (20-4-1, 11-1 MCHL) at 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday, conference tournament placement is on the line.\n "I think the time for sulking or discouraging over past losses is over," assistant coach and general manager Alex Kyrias said. "If we want to do that, we'll just lose more."\n Michigan leads the MCHL with 22 league points. The Hoosiers are in second with 21 points, Miami (Ohio) is in third with 18 points and Kentucky rounds out the top four with 16 points. In a conference game, a win is worth two points, a tie is one point and a loss is neither a gain nor loss in points.\n While Miami and Kentucky battle in a home-and-home series this weekend, the Hoosiers will try to sweep the Wolverines, the only way to secure first place in the MCHL entering the conference tournament.\n But if Miami gets at least three points from its Kentucky series and Michigan sweeps IU, the Hoosiers could finish as low as third place in the conference entering the tournament.\n But the Hoosiers are sure they are the best team.\n "Everyone has the confidence that we're a good team, but it's time to put it together for the stretch," junior forward and assistant captain Bryan Grant said. "We have to put it together the way we're supposed to be playing."\n The Hoosiers will start Grant, junior forward and captain Dan Hauck, junior forward and assistant captain Brandon Phillips, freshman defenseman Mike Piotrowski and senior defenseman Brad Lutsch Friday. Senior Justin Wojtowicz makes his 10th start this season in goal for the Hoosiers, with Saturday's goalie yet to be determined.\n "The team as a whole is sick of losing," Wojtowicz said. "We're ready to come out and play hard. There isn't a team that's better than us; it's just other teams coming out and wanting it more than us."\n Both the Wolverines and Hoosiers are on to their longest losing streaks in recent memory. IU has dropped its last three games, while Arizona swept the Wolverines in a two-game series last weekend in Tucson, Ariz. Kyrias said he doesn't doubt both teams will come out ready to play.\n "These games will only make us stronger, these tough games, whether we win or lose them," Kyrias said. "There's been a lot said this week at practice about heart, and guys are starting to get the message that a regular effort will not win us these games. It's going to take an extraordinary effort by everyone."\n Both games begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Frank Southern Center, 1965 S. Henderson St. They are the last two home conference games for the Hoosiers this season.
(01/26/01 5:11am)
After a weekend with one win and one loss to conference rival Miami of Ohio, the hockey team travels to East Lansing, Mich., tonight and Saturday to battle Michigan State.\nIU (14-5-1, 10-1-1 Midwest Collegiate Hockey League) and Michigan State have a long, twisted history. The Hoosiers eliminated the Spartans from the national tournament in 1998 and 2000, while the Spartans eliminated the Hoosiers in 1997 and 1999.\n"I think that it's a nice opportunity to face a team that will probably be heading to nationals with us," assistant coach and general manager Alex Kyrias said. "I think we have the depth and talent to compete, so I'm not worried."\nThe Hoosiers will play Friday without junior forward and assistant captain Bryan Grant. IU's leading scorer, Grant, and junior forward Matt Voll each received a one-game suspension as a result of Saturday's second-period rumble with Miami.\nGordy Haggard will join captain Dan Hauck and assistant captain Brandon Phillips, all junior forwards, on the team's first line Friday.\n"These are must-win games for us," Haggard said. "Friday will test our composure and depth. I think we're up to the challenge."\nThe key to victory this weekend is defense, Kyrias said.\n"This weekend will be tough," Kyrias said. "There's no doubt Michigan State is one of the most talented teams in the country. Their varsity program is the No. 1 team in college hockey. That makes it difficult, but I think we'll manage."\nThe Hoosiers will start senior Chad Whitlock in the net Friday, with Saturday's goalie to be determined. Whitlock enters the weekend with a 4-1-1 record and a 90.1 save percentage on 214 attempted shots. The game is Whitlock's first start since the Hoosiers' Dec. 1 match against Dayton.\n"Every game I've ever played against them has been a close game," Whitlock said. "It's a great rivalry. It adds a little bit of excitement to the game for us."\nIn the American Collegiate Hockey Association rankings released Thursday, IU improved from fourth to third in the MCHL. All seven voting committee members selected the Hoosiers as the third team in the conference. All seven chose Miami, formerly in third place, as the fourth-place team. While the four top-ranking MCHL teams all qualify for the national tournament, standing is important for tournament placement.\n"We have a young team," Haggard said. "Hopefully, we'll take (the Miami weekend) as a learning experience, learn to finish teams quicker and put a dagger in their backs. That's what good teams do -- come right back"
(01/22/01 5:29am)
Many Hoosier hockey enthusiasts thought they would have a clearer picture of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League standings after the weekend's two-game series between Miami of Ohio and IU. \nBut the only thing anyone could really determine from the weekend is that the two teams are bitter rivals, well-matched and anxious for a third game.\nAfter skating past Miami without much difficulty Friday, the Hoosiers found themselves in an all-out war Saturday, which ended with four players suspended and a last-minute Miami lead and victory.\n"In one word, it's frustrating," assistant coach and general manager Alex Kyrias said of Saturday's performance.\nThe Hoosiers dominated the ClubHawks early Friday. IU owned the game's intensity and racked up a goal in the first period and another early in the second.\nMiami's only goal in the contest came on a penalty shot with 3:57 remaining in the second period. ClubHawk Jeff Lorenz fired a shot into the upper-left corner of the net, just out of reach of Hoosier senior goalie Justin Wojtowicz. While the goal momentarily shifted control of the match, the Hoosiers regained their composure and won the contest 3-1.\n"I think we came out strong in the first period," junior forward and assistant captain Bryan Grant said. "I think we're much more talented than they are, and luckily we played a good game."\nThe Hoosiers entered Saturday's contest with a high confidence level. In a game that saw five lead changes, Miami scored two goals in the final three minutes of the third to take home a 6-5 victory.\nWith 7:12 remaining in the second period, Miami junior forward Matt Mole took an after-whistle slash at Wojtowicz. Grant intervened, a fight broke out and four players were ejected from the contest, including Grant and junior forward Matt Voll.\n"I felt the turning point was when Grant was ejected," coach Rich Holdeman said. "I knew Miami wasn't going to quit, and I felt like, at the end, they finally got over the hump and relaxed."\nJunior forward and assistant captain Brandon Phillips fired a goal past Miami with 4:50 left in the final period to give the Hoosiers a 5-4 lead, but the ClubHawks fought back to snap the Hoosiers' eight-game undefeated streak and win the contest.\nIU travels to Michigan State for two games Friday and Saturday. The team will be back in Bloomington Feb. 2 and 3 for the season's final conference series against Michigan.\n"Hopefully, the lesson we learned (against Miami) is that we've got to close out games," Holdeman said. "We have to wait for games to be over before we let down our guard"
(01/19/01 5:44am)
The hockey team last played Miami of Ohio University March 4. In a close contest, the Clubhawks edged out the Hoosiers 3-2. Not only did Miami hold a 3-0-1 record against the Hoosiers last season, but the March 4 game was the national championship.\nThe Hoosiers (13-4-1, 9-0-1 Midwest Collegiate Hockey League) are looking for revenge. They will have their chance when they play host to Miami (7-3, 6-2 MCHL) at 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday at the Frank Southern Center, 1965 S. Henderson Ave.\n"We can win both of these games, but they won the national championship," junior forward and assistant captain Bryan Grant said. "Winning both of these games isn't going to make me feel better about losing last year."\nThe Hoosiers claim they don't need any help getting psyched up for this series.\n"I think we're ready," coach Rich Holdeman said. "I think it was a good week of practice. I feel like the guys are ready to go, and the motivation is definitely there."\nIU now leads the MCHL with 19 league points. Miami is in third, with 12 points. This will be Miami's first battle since its 7-1 thrashing of Ohio State Dec. 2.\nThe Clubhawks feature a balanced scoring attack this season, led by freshmen forwards Jeff Lorenz and Nick Maitland. Both have 12 points this season for Miami.\n"They're very disciplined, they play their systems extremely well and are well coached," Holdeman said. "I think we had more talent than they did last year, but they're so well disciplined, they're hard to score on."\nThe Hoosiers have had no problem scoring so far this season. Grant leads the way with 45 points, while forward and captain Dan Hauck, forward and assistant captain Brandon Phillips and defenseman Tim McMahon, all juniors, all have more than 20 points on the season.\nThis weekend marks the Hoosiers' first two battles in a nonstop series of competitive games, leading up to the conference championships Feb. 16 and 17. Following Miami, IU must travel to Michigan State for two games, face conference powerhouse Michigan at home, then play host to Minnesota before heading to Champaign, Ill., to battle Illinois' D-I team.\nFor IU's five seniors, the next few weeks will be the final opportunity to secure the one thing that has eluded the talented Hoosier hockey program since they've been here -- a national championship.\n"I want to see our team compete at a higher level," Holdeman said. "We've got to elevate our game, not for this series, but for the rest of the season"
(01/16/01 5:47am)
After scoring just one goal in the first period Friday, the Hoosier hockey team bounced back, netting 23 goals in the next five periods and crushing Purdue 12-1 both Friday and Saturday night.\nDespite IU's slow start Friday at the Fishers Ice Arena, the team had no problem picking up the pace in the second period. The Hoosiers rallied to grab a 7-1 lead before the period's end and easily skated to victory.\n"The first period was pretty lackluster," coach Rich Holdeman said. "In the second period, we finally started to get our momentum."\nIn his first playing opportunity in more than two months, sophomore goalie Charlie Pulley shut down the Purdue offense, making 26 saves and allowing just one goal in the contest.\n"It's always rough to give up one and be so close to a shutout, but I was happy with it," Pulley said. \nFriday's massacre saw 12 Hoosiers contribute to the offensive effort. In his first game back in a Hoosier jersey after a semester off, senior defenseman Brad Lutsch got back into his game with two goals and two assists. Junior defenseman Tim McMahon also contributed two goals and two assists.\n"Playing felt pretty good," said Lutsch, who finished the weekend with six points. "It was good to finally play a game, even if the competition level was lacking.\n"More than 600 people packed the Frank Southern Center for the Saturday night rematch. But it seemed the game was over before it even started, as the Hoosiers jumped to a commanding 3-1 lead in just more than five minutes of play.\nJunior forward and captain Dan Hauck led the way for IU Saturday. Hauck chalked up the first Hoosier hat trick of the season, scoring three goals and contributing three assists in the contest. Junior forward and assistant captain Bryan Grant chipped in with two goals and four assists.\nAlthough the Hoosiers entered the contest planning to pull Justin Wojtowicz at the halfway point, the senior and leading Hoosier goalie made an impressive effort, allowing just one goal in more than 26 minutes on the ice. His replacement, senior goalie Chad Whitlock, responded by not allowing the Purdue offense to score in the final 27:30 of the game.\n"It was nice to get off to a good start (Saturday), especially with the amount of people here," assistant coach and general manager Alex Kyrias said. "I think the guys have fun playing in front of a crowd like that."\nThe emotional highlight of Saturday's contest came with about eight and a half minutes remaining in the second period. A small collision in front of the Purdue goal led to a full-scale brawl and resulted in the disqualification of two Boilermakers and two Hoosiers. Sophomore forward Frank Harrison and freshman forward Zach Vietri were thrown out of Saturday's game and will sit out Friday's contest with Miami (Ohio) University.\n"We lost two guys I wanted to have next week, so I'm not happy at all," Holdeman said. "But at the same time, I don't know what they could've done differently."\nThe Hoosiers will host Miami at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Frank Southern Center, 1965 S. Henderson Ave. IU leads the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League with 19 league points. Miami, with 12 points, sits in third place. \nDespite the conference standings, IU is ranked fourth in the American Collegiate Hockey Association's Division II rankings, where Miami is ranked third.
(01/12/01 5:40am)
A well-rested hockey team, now with its all-time leading scorer back in the fold, will face off against Purdue in a conference home-and-home series this weekend. The action begins tonight at Purdue's home ice in Fishers before coming to Bloomington at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Frank Southern Center, 1965 S. Henderson Ave.\n"I think it's going to be a good time playing Purdue," junior forward and captain Dan Hauck said. "I think that we need to start out well and play two solid games against them to get the semester going on the right foot."\nIU does not claim to take Purdue lightly, although in past years the Boilermakers have not done well in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League conference. But assistant coach and general manager Alex Kyrias said the schedule only gets tougher after Purdue.\n"We have four weeks after this one that are probably the toughest in the entire country," Kyrias said. "I don't think anyone else has that type of schedule."\nFollowing the Purdue series, the hockey team faces weekend series against conference rivals Miami (OH), Division-II heavyweights Michigan State, MCHL leaders Michigan and the Illinois' Division-I team. The Hoosiers defeated the Illini in the finals of the Chicago College Classic Thanksgiving Tournament Nov. 25.\nWhile the Hoosiers have not finalized their goaltenders for the series, Kyrias said he is confident senior Justin Wojtowicz will start at least one of the games this weekend.\nAlthough history shows IU defeats Purdue twice a year like clockwork, Purdue is confident it will give the Hoosiers a good series.\n"We're a very young team," said Purdue coach Gary Goldberg. "I'm aware of how good they are, but because of the rivalry, I hope we'll be motivated and play well."\nIn the teams' Jan. 14 and Jan. 15, 2000 matchups, IU defeated Purdue by a total score of 19-3. The most notable aspect of IU-Purdue matchups during the past few years has arguably been the players' tendencies to become involved in intense and dramatic fights. \nEarlier this week, the IU hockey team announced its all-time leader in points and penalty minutes, defenseman Brad Lutsch, has returned to the ice for his final semester of eligibility. \n"Brad's a great player, and he's tended to make the guys he plays with better," coach Rich Holdeman said. "His accomplishments really speak for themselves"
(01/11/01 6:14am)
Brad Lutsch, the hockey team's all-time leading scorer, made his return to the Frank Southern Center ice January 19, 1999, against Purdue University. In a Hollywood-style climax to his already incredible collegiate career, Lutsch netted a hat trick. Midway through the second period, hit a Purdue player so hard the helpless Boilermaker shattered the glass board and ended up in the second row of the bleachers.\n"It was a clean hit," said coach Rich Holdeman, "but Brad hit the kid so hard, he actually broke the bars that support the glass."\nIU's all-time leader in points, goals, assists and penalty minutes, Lutsch is an IU hockey legend. And for one last semester, No. 22 will be back on the ice again.\nLutsch, a defenseman, will probably see time in this weekend's home-and-home series with Purdue, which will start in Fishers, Ind., Friday before coming to the Frank Southern Ice Arena, 1965 S. Henderson Ave., at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.\nHoldeman said he is excited to have his all-time scoring leader and a defenseman back in the fold.\n"(His return) gives us a more effective power play," Holdeman said. "Last season, our power play operated at 40 percent. If you can score almost half the time you have a power play, it really helps in close games."\nThe American Collegiate Hockey Association allows any player to be eligible for 10 semesters. By joining the IU roster, Lutsch has now entered his final semester of ACHA eligibility. He has also enrolled in classes this semester.\nAssistant coach and general manager Alex Kyrias said the ACHA has cleared Lutsch's eligibility and the coaching staff was thrilled to bring back Lutsch, who originally came to the team with the idea. But Kyrias said it was the team's decision.\n"Asking the players seemed the right thing to do," Kyrias said. "The vote turned out in his favor."\nAs its vote indicated, the team is excited to have Lutsch back in the lineup.\n"I think it's a great addition to our team," junior forward and captain Dan Hauck said. "He's an exceptional player who's going to make us a better squad. Having him back there, we'll have an offensive defenseman that we haven't had all year."\nLutsch's contributions to the lineup will help the ailing Hoosier team. During winter break, the Hoosiers graduated senior Josh Becktell. Sophomore forward Matt Cohen and sophomore forward Rhys Anderson then left the team for personal reasons.\nFreshman defenseman Justin Peck is also expected to miss the Purdue series this weekend because of injury.\nIn addition to Lutsch, the Hoosiers have added two players to the roster for the spring semester. Freshman forward Bob Pesavent, who last played with the Chicago junior B hockey team, has transferred to IU and joined the team. The Hoosiers have also added freshman defenseman Dusty Driscoll, who originally made the Hoosier lineup in October but took the fall semester off to concentrate on academics.\nLutsch was an assistant captain for the Hoosiers' 1999-2000 squad but will not be sewing a letter on his jersey for his final semester.\n"Brad isn't the kind of guy who leads by words," Hauck said. "He leads by action"