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(02/24/03 6:04am)
IU ended its regular season on a high note this weekend with a sweep of Robert Morris College. The wins were the Hoosiers' last home games of the season before leaving for Anaheim, Calif., this week to compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division-II National Championship tournament.\nThe Hoosiers got up early Friday when freshman forward Matt Heseman scored his first goal of the season. Robert Morris answered in the first with a power-play goal.\nGraduate student Tom Orr put IU ahead again before the end of the first, but again the Eagles responded with a second power-play goal on their second chance. \n"I told the guys there should be no way we give up a power-play goal all weekend, and sure enough, they score on the first couple chances they got," IU coach Rich Holdeman said.\nThe Hoosiers responded with a five-goal barrage to end the second, and the Hoosiers added two in the third to win 9-2. Sophomore forward David Ravensberg scored three goals and junior defenseman David Standa earned four assists.\nSaturday IU scored early and held the Eagles scoreless until they established a three-goal lead. Senior defenseman Joe Rogers had a goal and an assist and senior goaltender Charlie Pulley earned the win in net on IU's senior night.\nIU was the only Great Midwest Hockey League team in action this weekend. The other five teams rested during the weekend between the GMHL and ACHA tournaments. Junior forward David Dassel said the games helped the team get ready for nationals.\n"Obviously it was a bit of a risk," Dassel said. "But we were on the ice in a game situation so it helped us stay on top of our game."\nThe Hoosiers escaped the weekend injury and suspension free. Holdeman said the coaching staff decided to bench every player that had minor injuries.\n"It was a perfect situation for us," Holdeman said "They played clean, and we were able to get a good tune-up game without injuries or disqualifications."\nIU will leave for Anaheim Tuesday to gear up for Thursday's first-round matchup against Oakland University.\n"Everybody is ready to go," Pulley said. "It's a young team, and there's a lot of energy and excitement in the locker room"
(02/24/03 6:04am)
IU ended its regular season on a high note this weekend with a sweep of Robert Morris College. The wins were the Hoosiers' last home games of the season before leaving for Anaheim, Calif., this week to compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division-II National Championship tournament.\nThe Hoosiers got up early Friday when freshman forward Matt Heseman scored his first goal of the season. Robert Morris answered in the first with a power-play goal.\nGraduate student Tom Orr put IU ahead again before the end of the first, but again the Eagles responded with a second power-play goal on their second chance. \n"I told the guys there should be no way we give up a power-play goal all weekend, and sure enough, they score on the first couple chances they got," IU coach Rich Holdeman said.\nThe Hoosiers responded with a five-goal barrage to end the second, and the Hoosiers added two in the third to win 9-2. Sophomore forward David Ravensberg scored three goals and junior defenseman David Standa earned four assists.\nSaturday IU scored early and held the Eagles scoreless until they established a three-goal lead. Senior defenseman Joe Rogers had a goal and an assist and senior goaltender Charlie Pulley earned the win in net on IU's senior night.\nIU was the only Great Midwest Hockey League team in action this weekend. The other five teams rested during the weekend between the GMHL and ACHA tournaments. Junior forward David Dassel said the games helped the team get ready for nationals.\n"Obviously it was a bit of a risk," Dassel said. "But we were on the ice in a game situation so it helped us stay on top of our game."\nThe Hoosiers escaped the weekend injury and suspension free. Holdeman said the coaching staff decided to bench every player that had minor injuries.\n"It was a perfect situation for us," Holdeman said "They played clean, and we were able to get a good tune-up game without injuries or disqualifications."\nIU will leave for Anaheim Tuesday to gear up for Thursday's first-round matchup against Oakland University.\n"Everybody is ready to go," Pulley said. "It's a young team, and there's a lot of energy and excitement in the locker room"
(02/21/03 6:20am)
The IU hockey team will get only two games to erase last weekend's Great Midwest Hockey League tournament semifinal loss before it goes to the American Collegiate Hockey Association finals next weekend. IU will face off against Robert Morris College in a home series this weekend, the last home games of the season.\nIU (16-9-1) swept a pair of games against Robert Morris' Division I Gold team (17-18-1) earlier this season in Chicago. The Hoosiers will now take on Robert Morris' Division II Maroon team (9-23). \nGraduate forward Tom Orr said he expects the Maroon team to give IU a good matchup.\n"They're a hard-working team, they've played well against teams we've played," Orr said. "If they're anything like the team last year, they will work hard and gave us a pretty good game."\nThe Eagles lost the first game of their Great Lakes Intercollegiate Hockey League tournament to the Dayton Flyers, a team IU swept 8-0 and 6-1 in the first two games of the season.\nIU is also coming off a loss in their GMHL conference tournament. The Hoosiers beat Ferris State 10-6 in the first round of the tournament. Orr and sophomore forward David Ravensberg each had five points in the game. The next morning, the Hoosiers came up short against Michigan in the semifinals. Michigan lost to Miami (Ohio) in overtime of the championship game to give the Redhawks the conference title.\nWith the GMHL season and tournament over, IU's only chance for a championship this season will be the ACHA Division II national tournament in Anaheim, Calif. \nJunior forward Clint Heiber said the most important thing IU can do this weekend is make sure everything is in order for the trip.\n"We just need to come together and play our system," Heiber said. "We have a big weekend next week so we're focused on coming together and getting ourselves prepared for next week."\nThe Hoosiers will be one of 16 Division II teams vying for the national title, as well as three other GMHL teams, Miami (Ohio), Michigan and Oakland, who the Hoosiers will take on in the first round of the ACHA tournament.\n"I think the best thing is for us to polish off the skills and style that we want to bring to California," Orr said. "If we play our best this weekend, it will send us into nationals playing well."\nJunior forward Matt Ritz will serve his one-game suspension received at the end of IU's last game against Michigan for a spearing major penalty. The rest of the Hoosiers are healthy and available.\nIU will play Robert Morris Friday and Saturday. Both games start at 7:30 p.m. at Frank Southern Arena.
(02/12/03 5:44am)
When IU and five other teams formed the Great Midwest Hockey League two years ago, many expected a high level of competition. The GMHL tournament, which takes place this weekend, will showcase just how competitive the league has become.\nThe GMHL will send four of its six members to the American Collegiate Hockey League national tournament this season, but before the teams depart for Anaheim, Calif. they will meet in Rochester, Mich. to compete for the GMHL tournament title.\nOakland University (20-6-4, 7-2-1) surprised the GMHL this season with their first place finish and .667 winning percentage. Last year, the Grizzlies finished fifth in the GMHL with a 2-6-2 conference record and an overall winning percentage of .484. Oakland was invited to the ACHA national tournament as the No. 3 team from the Central region. \nWith the regular season title under their belt and an invite to California already extended, Oakland General Manager Tom Ricketts said the Grizzlies have nothing left to prove this weekend.\n"We're just going to try to have fun," Ricketts said. "We would love to win, especially since it's in our own barn, in front of our own fans; but our goal all year has been the national championship, so we won't be too disappointed if we lose this one."\nIU (15-8-1, 5-4-1) is taking a different approach to the GMHL tournament. The Hoosiers finished in third place after splitting last weekend's games against Michigan State and Oakland. IU coach Rich Holdeman said the Hoosiers will show up to play when they travel to Oakland's campus this weekend.\n"There is a lot to play for," Holdeman said "We found over the years that it's almost as competitive to win this (GMHL) tournament as it is to win nationals, and I think most of the other teams look at it that way too."\nOne of the biggest obstacles IU will face is the number of games it will play. The Hoosiers' first matchup against Ferris State University begins at 8:15 p.m. Friday. The winner of that game will play Michigan at 8:45 a.m. Saturday. The winners of the semifinals will meet later that night at 8:15 p.m. Holdeman said the tournament will help prepare IU for the national tournament, when they could face multiple games on the same day again.\n"You just can't win unless you have some depth to work with," Holdeman said "This is one of the reasons we've tried to develop a deep roster during the season."\nOver the past few years, the GMHL has been well-represented at the ACHA national Division II tournament. In 2001, all six teams were invited. Last season, five of the six went to New York to compete for the national title, and three of them, IU, Michigan and Miami, made it to the final four. IU and Oakland will meet again after the GMHL tournament, regardless of the outcome, in the first round of the ACHA.\nIU will return next weekend for a two-game home series against D-II Robert Morris and travel to California for the ACHA tournament the following weekend.
(02/03/03 5:42am)
The IU hockey team completed a weekend to set up a shot at the Great Midwest Hockey League regular season title next weekend.\nThe Hoosiers got up early against Ferris State when junior forward David Dassel scored on a rebound. IU added another before FSU responded with a powerplay goal midway through the first. The Hoosiers scored twice more in the first and the teams traded goals in the second to give IU a 5-2 lead.\nIU started the third with an early powerplay goal before FSU scored three straight times to make it a one-goal game with seven minutes to play. Junior goaltender Josh Block fended off the attack and IU scored late in the third to earn the 7-5 road victory. Block stopped 33 shots for his team-high 6th win of the season.\nDassel said IU won, despite playing poor defense, by capitalizing on their scoring chances.\n"We started getting a little lazy and it was just a lack of concentration," Dassel said. "We just didn't finish the job and play with the same intensity at the beginning."\nSaturday, IU headed to Lansing, Mich., for the first conference game against Michigan State.\nIU again scored first when sophomore defenseman Todd Lorenger took a pass from junior forward Matt Ritz for Lorenger's 3rd goal of the season. MSU scored on a powerplay with 1:30 remaining in the first to even the game.\nGraduate forward Tom Orr responded for the Hoosiers early in the second, but again MSU answered when the Spartans put back a rebound in front of junior goaltender Brandon Tucker. MSU goalie Sean Huberty stopped a barrage of IU shots in the second to end the period 2-2.\n"I thought we were getting the better of the scoring chances (in the second period), but they just weren't going in," Holdeman said.\nIU started the third with a goal by freshman forward Pete Johnson two minutes into the period. It would be all IU needed to skate past MSU. Ten minutes later, freshman forward Tyler Crowley gave the Hoosiers an insurance goal and IU completed the weekend sweep with a 4-2 victory.\nTucker stopped 28 shots to improve to 3-0 on the year. Holdeman said the unexpected emergence of Tucker as a starter has given the team a boost.\n"He (Tucker) has always been good at coming in off the bench, in a relieving kind of role, but we're really glad to see him playing well as a starter." Holdeman said.\nThe wins move IU into a tie with Miami (OH) with nine points each. Both teams will play games against Oakland (20-6-3, 6-2-0) and Michigan State next weekend. Oakland could win the GMHL outright with a pair of victories, but both IU and Miami could move into a tie for first with Michigan. The top two teams receive a bye in the first round of the GMHL tournament.\n"We're optimistic, but we know that MSU has beat us before at home and Oakland only needs one more win to secure a conference title, so we know that nothing is going to come easy," junior defenseman David Standa said.\nIU will return to Bloomington to finish the GMHL season with games against Oakland Friday and Michigan State Saturday. Both games start at 7:30 p.m. at Frank Southern Arena.
(01/31/03 5:56am)
The road to a regular season Great Midwest Hockey League championship will be an uphill one for IU, but the Hoosiers are ready to climb it. IU (12-7-1, 2-3-1 GMHL) will begin the home stretch of the GMHL season this weekend with a pair of road games against Ferris State University and Michigan State University.\nThe last time FSU and IU met, the teams racked up 187 minutes of penalties in a physical game. IU coach Rich Holdeman said his team needs to keep their cool, avoid injury and disqualifications, which could sideline players for Saturday's game with MSU.\n"Let me put it this way: We're trying to dress most of our biggest guys," Holdeman said. "I'm well aware that this could be a pretty rough outing."\nOn Saturday, IU will travel to East Lansing for a game against rival Michigan State (5-7-2, 2-3-1). The Hoosiers lost the first game against MSU this season, a non-conference game in which the Spartans ended IU's 27-game home unbeaten streak. After the 3-4 loss, Holdeman said the team lacked the intensity to win big games, something freshman forward Tyler Crowley said has changed.\n"That game proved to be a wake-up call," Crowley said. "We can't just go out there and expect to win off our talent alone."\nThe University of Michigan (13-7-1, 6-3-1) leads the GMHL with 13 points. The Wolverines have finished their GMHL schedule and will wait to see if Oakland (18-6-3, 6-2-0) can win one of its remaining two games to take the title outright.\nIU will have to win all four remaining games and get a little help from archrival Miami University (Ohio) to win the GMHL. If UM beats Oakland and IU wins all four games, IU will finish tied with Michigan for first place with 13 points.\nHoldeman said he hopes to finish in the top two spots to earn a bye in the first round of the GMHL tournament, but freshman forward Pete Johnson said he expects IU to do a little better.\n"We definitely need to defend the title," Johnson said. "We're expected to win these games and we're looking forward to the (GMHL) tournament."\nIU will return home next weekend to finish the GMHL regular season with home games against MSU and Oakland.
(01/24/03 5:45am)
IU will face its toughest challenge to date with two road games in the Nittany Lion Invitational this weekend. IU will be the only division II team in a four-team field.\nThe Hoosiers will enter the tournament fresh off a pair of 10-1 victories over Purdue last weekend in a series that IU coach Rich Holdeman said provided little competition for the Hoosiers.\n"We had more talent than they (Purdue) did; so I was trying to make sure we were executing our system properly so we're ready for this weekend," Holdeman said. "I feel pretty good about what we're putting together. We're going to have four strong lines out there."\nIU (11-6-1) will face off against Washington & Jefferson (20-4) in the Hoosiers' fifth game of the season against a division I opponent. IU is 2-2, with a pair of wins against No. 20 Robert Morris and two losses to No. 2 Illinois, against D-I teams.\n"I think the talent level (between D-I and D-II) is pretty even," senior goaltender Charlie Pulley said. "They might have a few extra players, but the games just come down to who plays together as a team and who shows up to win."\nThe Presidents will bring their high-scoring offense across the state to meet IU in the first game of the tournament. Washington & Jefferson averages 5.2 goals per game while allowing 3.33.\nIn the other game Friday, Penn State (19-2-1) will play West Virginia (2-19-2). Penn State is undefeated in 24 meetings with the Mountaineers. Should both PSU and IU win, the Hoosiers will get a chance to face off against No. 1 and three-time defending national champion PSU.\nThe tournament will be the Hoosiers' last games against D-I opponents this season and the last games before a four-game conference schedule that will finish the Great Midwest Hockey League season.
(01/24/03 5:45am)
Learning about hockey at IU can be confusing, especially for anyone who has followed NCAA hockey like junior Doug LaFave.\n"The first time I heard that IU was playing teams like Michigan and Michigan State, I wondered what was going on," LaFave said. "I never knew about the club hockey league here."\nLaFave, like many others across the country, watched NCAA hockey. IU, along with hundreds of other universities, plays in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, an organization devoted to club hockey programs.\nLike the NCAA, the ACHA has multiple divisions within the organization. IU is one of 115 teams that compete for the Division II National Championship every year.\nACHA executive director Christian Wilk said the ACHA provides a competitive alternative for schools who do not have the resources to develop NCAA programs. \n"Basically, (each school's) athletic department makes a decision as far as if they are going to move to up to the NCAA level; and the success of the club has no bearing on that decision," Wilk said.\nThe only difference between officially being classified as a D-I team in the ACHA are academic eligibility requirements, Wilk said, but IU hockey General Manager Adam Shuchman said there are many benefits to being a D-I team.\n"The Division I teams get a lot more exposure," Shuchman said. "When someone talks about the ACHA, the first thing they think of is the Division I teams; Penn State and Illinois. Being Division I would put (IU) right up there."\nPlaying D-I would cost the IU club more money each year than it spends now because IU would have to travel further to play other D-I teams. The club currently receives the majority of its financial support from players, alumni, families, and other supporters of the team, Shuchman said, and the extra money would have to come from those supporters who wanted to see the IU program step up a level.\n"In Division I, you get professional-looking teams who act professional," Shuchman said. "We already conduct ourselves at that level and it's something we look into at the beginning of every year."\nWilk said movement from the ACHA to NCAA has happened before but is rare. He said movement between divisions, as IU might do, was more common, with two or three teams moving between divisions every year.\nIU has a recent history of success against some of the top D-I teams in the country, including a sweep of Illinois and a victory over three-time D-I national champion Penn State.\n"They (PSU) came here last year and we beat them," IU coach Rich Holdeman said. "I'm sure we got that invitation (to the Nittany Lion Invitational) so they could have a chance at us again." \nIU will get another opportunity to prove themselves against two D-I teams this weekend when they travel to Pennsylvania as the lone D-II team in the weekend tournament.
(01/17/03 6:23am)
It's been a long time since Purdue beat IU on the ice. So long, in fact, that nobody seems to remember.\n"I'm not sure how long it's been," IU coach Rich Holdeman said. "They haven't won in the ten years I've been here."\nIU General Manager Adam Schuchman, who holds the archive records for IU hockey, doesn't know either.\n"It's been quite awhile, most of our records back then are incomplete," Schuchman said.\nIU (9-6-1, 2-3-1) will play Purdue University (5-9) this weekend in a non-conference battle of perennial rivals. The games will be the first for IU since Dec. 14, but junior forward Clint Heiber said he doesn't think the layover will affect the Hoosiers this weekend.\n"They (Purdue) are not that strong so we just pretty much take it as a practice," Heiber said.\nLast season, IU scored 31 goals against the Boilers and allowed just one goal in the two game series. Despite the lopsided nature of the games, Holdeman said the fan support for the Purdue series has historically been the highest of any given season.\n"Our home games (against Purdue) are always fun for us, because there are lots of fans who cheer as hard if we're winning one-nothing or ten-nothing," Holdeman said.\nIU will take the ice with a slightly different team to begin the second semester. Junior defenseman Jamie Dillon, senior forward Brad Parks and junior forward Rhys Anderson will all be sidelined for the rest of the season for IU. Anderson, who was fourth in total points for the season, decided to take the rest of the year off after sustaining a concussion against Liberty University in November.\nThose players left empty spots in the lineup that Holdeman will try to fill this weekend while implementing a new defensive strategy. Despite so many changes, graduate forward Tom Orr said the team will come out better ahead.\n"It's nice because it's given us a lot of different looks and different things we can use to throw at teams," Orr said. "You never know what is going to happen in the national tournament, so it helps us be prepared for anything."\nIU will be looking to lock down any changes before they travel to Pennsylvania to participate in the Nittany Lion Invitational. The tournament will feature many of the top division I teams in the nation. IU was the only Division II team invited to participate this year. Holdeman said he expects a challenge in Pennsylvania, but that the Purdue series has its own important implications.\n"I told the guys, when you're playing your school's main rival it doesn't matter if you're playing checkers or hockey, you want to do your best," Holdeman said. "The guys are really hyped up to play and they haven't played in four weeks, so we want to go and play well and get ready for the rest of the season.\nIU and Purdue will face off Friday on the Boiler's home ice, Pan Am arena in Indianapolis. Saturday, the two teams will complete the series at 7:30 p.m. at Frank Southern arena.
(12/13/02 5:35am)
Last season IU lost to the University of Michigan in the American Collegiate Hockey Association national semifinals. The final horn sounded the end of the Hoosiers season, and the end of IU's highest-scoring line in the 34-year history of IU hockey. One member of that line, Bryan Grant, left with the single-season goals, assists and points record and is currently second all-time at IU in those same categories.\nGrant wasn't the only one leaving. IU was left to fill 50 percent of its total points production. Coach Rich Holdeman said he knew that the veteran players would play a part in filling that production, but he would have to search for some talented freshmen as well.\nWhat he found was freshman Pete Johnson, a forward leading the Hooisers in goals, assists and points.\n"He has definitely fulfilled our expectations so far," Holdeman said. "He not only puts points on the board, he's a physical player, and we've been pretty happy about having him so far."\nJohnson has racked up eight goals and 10 assists through 15 games for the Hoosiers, averaging 1.2 points per game. In IU's last five matchups, Johnson has scored four times and helped on four others.\nHoldeman has been busy this season trying different lines, especially early on, but has rested on a trio of Johnson, graduate forward Tom Orr (six goals, seven assists), and sophomore forward Adam Trussel (four goals, three assists). The three have made one of IU's most productive lines this season, lighting the lamp at least one time in the last five games. Orr said Johnson helped the team early and has developed as the year progresses.\n"I think he's had the scoring touch the whole time he's been here," Orr said. "Now he's learning the system and doing the little things right."\nJohnson came to IU from Riverwoods, Ill. He said hockey played a large role in his decision but was not the deciding factor. Holdeman said his situation is common among IU hockey players.\n"They (the players) have decided to get on with their life and come to a good school where they still get to play hockey." Holdeman said. "Some are guys who considered playing varsity somewhere, and it didn't work out."\nThe ACHA is a nationwide league for club hockey teams and is not affiliated with the NCAA. ACHA teams do not have scholarships to give players and Holdeman said most, like IU, do not have the budget to actively recruit in the same ways as varsity athletic programs.\nThe ACHA has its advantages, too. Teams can invite players to come workout or practice with the team, which is against NCAA regulations. This allows club teams to see players without having to travel and to see how well they work with the team.\n"We rely heavily on tips we get from parents, alumni and friends of the program," Holdeman said. "The program has gotten to the point where we attract a fair amount of people, and we follow up on that. Our players do a good job in helping us as well." \nThis season IU is 8-6-1 and 2-3-1 in conference play. Johnson and the veterans are looking to get some Great Midwest Hockey League wins before the GMHL tournament Feb. 14 and 15. In the meantime, Johnson has some goals of his own.\n"I want to get a national championship under my belt," Johnson said. "I never won state in high school, so winning nationals is definitely a goal of mine."\nLife University, which dropped all athletics programs over the summer, would have defended that title. Johnson said their absence may open the door for IU. Johnson and the rest of the Hoosiers will have to finish in the top four in Southeast region standings to get to Anaheim, Calif., the site of the 2003 ACHA tournament.\n"With Life out of the picture, it's wide open this year, and we have a great shot at winning it," Johnson said.
(12/13/02 5:34am)
IU will try to recover after a tough series against regional and league opponent Miami (Ohio) last weekend. The Hoosiers lost a 2-6 contest in Oxford, Ohio, and came back to Bloomington for a tie Saturday. IU will take on regional opponent Bowling Green State University Friday for a one-game-only matchup that has national playoff implications.\n"I think it's going to be a tough game. I hope our guys come ready to play," coach Rich Holdeman said. "Based on who they've played and how they've done, it should be a good, solid game."\nBGSU (13-5-0) is a former Midwest Collegiate Hockey League (MCHL) opponent of IU. The teams played regular league games until BGSU left the conference in 1996. IU has won the last six games against the Falcons, including a 6-0 shutout in the last game of the 1996 MCHL season.\nThe game was scheduled well into the season after IU-Purdue University at Fort Wayne folded their hockey program. Holdeman said the game will provide a tough opponent and help shorten the break between semesters for the players.\nAfter last weekend, southeast region No. 2 Miami will likely surpass No. 1 IU. Bowling Green will try to take advantage of the rankings shift to move themselves into contention for a trip to the American Collegiate Hockey Association national tournament, Holdeman said.\n"We played well last weekend, but it didn't show up in the win column," graduate forward Tom Orr said. "We need to play as well and get the scoreboard to follow so the rest of the Southeast conference, who isn't at Frank Southern (Arena) to see us playing well can see the wins."\nThe powerplay tells the story of the IU season. In games the Hoosiers have won, they have scored on 26.3 percent of their powerplay opportunities and held their opponents scoreless 83.7 percent of the time. In their losses, IU is just 9.5 percent on the powerplay and 67.7 percent on the penalty kill.\n"In the games we've lost, the special teams have been symptomatic of the play as a whole," Holdeman said. "When we play with a high intensity level, our special teams work with everything else."\nThe Hoosiers will try to slow down a BGSU offense that has put the puck in the net 46 times in their last five games while allowing only nine in the same span. And with a chance to move up in region rankings, Holdeman said he was sure the Falcons would be ready to come to Bloomington.\n"They've got a chance to play their way into the nationals if they beat us. This is going to be their Olympics," Holdeman said. "I'm expecting this to be a good, hard-fought battle."\nSaturday, IU will play the annual Alumni Classic. The game is played between a team of IU hockey alumni and the current IU hockey team.\nIU will face BGSU at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Frank Southern Arena. The Alumni Classic will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Frank Southern.
(12/06/02 5:14am)
If history repeats itself, IU is in for a tough battle this weekend. IU (8-5-0, 2-2-0) will take a four-game win streak into an arena where they've never won. IU heads to Oxford, Ohio Friday night to take on Miami University. Saturday, Miami will come to Bloomington to complete the series.\nEvery year since the 1994-1995 season, IU or Miami has won the conference title. Last year, the teams split a series on the last weekend of conference play to give MU the regular season title in the Great Midwest Hockey League. IU got its revenge later in the season, beating the Hawks in the championship game of the GMHL tournament. Miami holds a 12-8-2 advantage all-time against IU.\n"It's a huge rivalry for us; it's just been back and forth between us," junior defenseman Mike Piotrowski said. "They've put us out of contention a few times, so it's definitely one of our biggest rivalries."\nMU (4-2-0, 2-2-0) and IU are tied in GMHL standings with four points each through four games.\nBoth teams trail the University of Michigan, which leads the GMHL with nine points through five conference games. Michigan will also play two conference games this weekend, so if IU is to make up points in the standings, they will have to get help from either Ferris State or Oakland University. \nIU has many players with streaks of their own coming into this weekend's series. Freshman forward Pete Johnson has a goal and an assist in each of the Hoosiers' last three games. Johnson (7 goals, 8 assists) leads IU in scoring, averaging 1.15 points per game.\nBoth junior forward David Dassel and sophomore forward David Ravensberg have four-game goal scoring streaks. Ravensberg has racked up eight of his 12 points this season in the last four games, scoring six times and assisting on two other goals.\n"David is the kind of player who is capable of being a big scorer," coach Rich Holdeman said. "He's going to the net more and starting to pick it up."\nHoldeman may reach his own milestone this weekend if the Hoosiers can manage a sweep. Holdeman currently has 198 career wins at IU, and Saturday's game could be his 200th.\nBesides being a GMHL conference game, MU is also a Southeast opponent for IU. Regional rankings determine which teams will travel to Anaheim, Calif. at the end of the season for the American Collegiate Hockey Association national tournament. IU is currently No. 1 and MU is No. 2 in the Southeast region. IU would help themselves out by winning for the first time in Oxford this weekend.\n"Each time we get out there, it just contributes to (the team's success)" Dassel said. "I think we're starting to play for each other more than we were at the beginning of the season, and we have to play that way if we want to be successful this season."\nIU will play at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night at Frank Southern Arena.
(11/25/02 4:55am)
Saturday's second period against Ferris State took nearly an hour to complete, but it was over too quickly for IU.\nThe Hoosiers began the period down 0-2. Four minutes into the second, IU junior forward Bob Pesavento received an elbowing penalty and the IU bench received another penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving FSU a two minute three-on-five advantage.\nIU did step up, killing the penalty and scoring four unanswered goals before the end of a penalty-ridden second.\nIU got on the board when a shot by sophomore defenseman Todd Lorenger bounced back to junior forward David Dassel, who buried the rebound for his fourth goal of the season and his second on the weekend.\nSophomore forward David Ravensberg evened the game just 14 seconds later, sweeping in another FSU rebound after being taken down in front of the net.\nFreshman forward Pete Johnson put IU ahead for good at the 13 minute mark of the second when graduate forward Tom Orr pulled up in the FSU zone and sent a pass to Johnson, who was wide open in front of the net. Johnson put two moves on FSU freshman goalie Drew Youngblood and knocked the puck to the back of the net. \nDassel added a powerplay goal with less than two minutes to go in the second and the Hoosiers rolled through the third. Sophomore forward Matt Ritz, Orr and Ravensberg each gave IU a goal to end the game with a 7-2 IU victory. IU posted 76 penalty minutes and two ejections.\n"There were those times where we were in front of the net and our players got jumped." junior forward Rhys Anderson said. "Those are the times where we have to go in and watch our boys' backs."\nFSU forward Anthony Hurd did his best to match that total, racking up 45 penalty minutes of his own, and two game misconduct ejections; one for swinging his stick at freshman forward Tyler Crowley and one for fighting immediately afterward with sophomore defenseman Jamie Dillon.\n"I tried to get our guys to focus on the most important thing," coach Rich Holdeman said "Sometimes you get sidetracked, and it can be an impediment to winning the game. I think we did a fairly good job of keeping focus given the situation."\nOn Friday, the Hoosiers downed Michigan for their first conference win of the season.\nUnlike Saturday's slow start, IU came out firing on all cylinders in the first. Ravensberg put a shot between the skate of Michigan goalie Justin Spurlock and the near pipe while falling over to put IU ahead 1-0. Shortly after, Ritz one-timed a pass from Dillon on a three-on-two opportunity for the Hoosiers. Dassel added his third of the season later in the first to give IU a 3-0 margin.\n"We came out in the first and we were just on fire," Anderson said. "They couldn't handle what we were dishing out." \nIU carried that momentum right through intermission. Anderson scored just over a minute into the second. Michigan answered with a powerplay goal shortly after, but IU ended any hope of a comeback when Pesavento took advantage of confusion in the Michigan zone to put the Hoosiers up 5-1. Michigan added another at the end of the second and the teams traded powerplay goals in the third for a 6-3 IU victory.\nJunior goalie Brandon Tucker got his first start of the season and took advantage of it, earning his first career win Friday night.\nThe wins gave the Hoosiers four points in the Great Midwest Hockey League standings, cutting in half the eight-point lead by Oakland University, who did not play conference games this weekend. The wins moved IU from last to having sole possession of third place in league standings.\n"This weekend was huge for us, we pretty much have a new team this year and this was a huge confidence booster for us," Anderson said "We know now that we can beat any team if we play our game"
(11/22/02 5:16am)
IU is only two games into the Great Midwest Hockey League season, but it may already be do-or-die time for the Hoosier hockey team.\nIU (4-5-0, 0-2-0) returns to Bloomington after getting swept in a two-game road trip that included a 3-4 loss to Michigan and a 1-4 loss to Oakland. The series started GMHL play for the Hoosiers, who find themselves eight points back in league standings.\n"We are the defending champions of the GMHL," freshman forward Pete Johnson said. "So we definitely have the challenge to defend that status." \nThere is some good news for IU. Oakland University (10-2-1, 4-0-0) leads the league with eight points, but the Grizzlies play two non-conference games this weekend. If IU can get two wins, they will cut Oakland's lead in half, but two tough teams will stand in the Hoosiers' way.\nIU will face off against Michigan (8-1-1, 3-1-1) for the second time in two weeks. Last weekend, IU lost to the Wolverines when graduate forward Kent Bednarz netted his first goal of the season with just 2:21 remaining in the game. Junior defenseman Justin Peck said revenge is one of the factors that will motivate the Hoosiers this weekend.\n"It was a pretty close game all along; it could've gone either way," Peck said. "I think we are definitely going to prove something this weekend."\nCoach Rich Holdeman said IU and Michigan matched up pretty evenly, but that the Hoosiers weren't able to play well in key final minutes.\n"That one just feels like it got away from us." Holdeman said. "I don't think the guys had a good time last weekend, and they're glad to have the chance to get Michigan here to try to avenge that loss."\nFerris State (7-3-1, 0-1-2) will take on the Hoosiers for the first time this season. The Bulldogs are coming off a weekend series in which they scored 14 goals against Saginaw Valley State. FSU's two conference ties were against Michigan and Michigan State.\n"I think they are a pretty solid team, quite a bit improved from last year." Holdeman said. "Both our games with them were close last year, and I think they'll be better this year."\nBoth FSU and Michigan have at least five players averaging over one point per game. IU's top scorers, Johnson and senior defenseman Joe Rogers, are each averaging 1.0 points per game. IU has more players with points, however, which Holdeman said can be an advantage.\n"In some regards it's a good thing because we are more balanced in our attack. I think its harder to defend against a team like that (with balanced scoring)" Holdeman said. \nIU will play just their second and third home games of November this weekend. In the first, IU dropped a close contest to Michigan State in a non-conference matchup. The home loss to MSU was the Hoosiers first dating back to Jan. 20, 2001. Peck said the team is ready to come home and play strong again.\n"We hate to lose at home, and we lost to Michigan State, which hasn't happened in a while," Peck said. "The second we lost there (at home) we had motivation to come out strong this week."\nIU will take on Michigan Friday and Ferris State Saturday. Both games start at 7:30 p.m. at Frank Southern Arena.
(11/20/02 4:43am)
Last weekend, the IU hockey team faced two tough opponents on the road. This weekend, the team will face two top-ranked teams at home. Next weekend, IU will take the ice against a 7-0-0 Liberty University. See a pattern developing?\nThe team is in the middle of one of the toughest schedules any collegiate hockey team will undertake this year. The Hoosiers conference, the Great Midwest Hockey League, sent five of six teams to the national tournament last year, and IU coach Rich Holdeman said he expects all six teams to be in Anaheim, Calif., this year for the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division II tournament.\n"We joined this league last year because we wanted to play good teams every weekend," Holdeman said, "And last year, we got exactly what we expected; the league championship was in question until the last weekend."\nThe ACHA is divided into four regions and ranks teams within those regions. The top four teams in each region play for a national title at the end of the season. IU is currently No. 1 in the southeast region.\nThe GMHL could possibly send all six teams to the national tournament because Miami (Ohio) and IU compete in the southeast region while the other four teams, Michigan, Oakland, Michigan State and Ferris State, compete in the Central region. \nThe Hoosiers have 17 games against Division II opponents remaining. Twelve of those games will be against teams ranked fourth or higher in their respective region. In January, IU will travel to Pennsylvania and play Division I No. 11 Washington & Jefferson and possibly Division I No.1 Penn State.\nIU hockey General Manager Adam Schuchman is responsible for scheduling the team's games. Schuchman said there are many benefits to compiling such a hard schedule, even if it means dropping a few games against tough teams.\n"If you end up with a simple schedule, when you're beating every team by 10 goals, players aren't having fun," Schuchman said. "It isn't exciting for the players, and it isn't exciting for the fans."\nIf the opponents are not difficult enough, IU will be on the road for the majority of the season. Of the Hoosiers' 29 games this year, only 12 will be played at Frank Southern Arena. All the more reason, Schuchman said, the Hoosiers will be forced to play great hockey.\n"Every guy has to go out there and play every single minute of every game," Schuchman said. "In the past, we've allowed one line in particular to get the job done, but now we are playing four lines every game."\nIU (4-5-0, 0-2-0) will take on No. 1 Michigan and No. 4 Ferris State this weekend in Bloomington. The Hoosiers will be working to close the 8-point gap between them and first-place Oakland University (10-2-1, 4-0-0) in the GMHL.
(11/08/02 5:25am)
The IU hockey team will try to end a three-game skid this weekend in Chicago, Ill. The Hoosiers (2-3-0) will play two games against No. 19 Robert Morris College (8-5-0) in their second division I series of the year.\nThis weekend will mark the third series between the teams. IU holds the series edge 4-0 and has outscored Robert Morris 29-10 in those four meetings.\nLast week, IU lost one game to Michigan State, but played some of their best hockey towards the end of the game. Graduate forward Tom Orr said the momentum from that last period will help the Hoosiers this weekend.\n"Last week was really an eye-opener, losing in our own building, we hadn't done that in a while. We really played with a lot of desperation at the end (of the Michigan State game)" Orr said. "Our intensity has been really good this week in practice."\nThe Hoosier's special team woes continued last weekend as Michigan State tallied two powerplay goals to IU's none. Senior defenseman and team captain Joe Rogers said special teams have been the focus of the team this week.\n"We need to improve on our special teams," Rogers said. "We need to control the puck more both attacking and in the defensive zone."\nCoach Rich Holdeman said that intensity was the biggest difference between IU's play early on against Michigan State and late in the game. He said he will be looking for that improvement to show on the powerplay.\n"They (the players) got a sense of what it meant to play with a higher level of intensity and urgency. We're continuing to work on that and we're working a lot on our special teams, which is the most critical part of our game." Holdeman said.\nRobert Morris is fairly new to the ACHA, joining three years ago. The college has two teams, a gold team that plays division I, and a maroon team that plays division II. IU will face Robert Morris Maroon in their last regular season series of the year. Holdeman said the team is looking forward to getting back on track.\n"We've got a lot of guys from Chicago who are excited to go home and play in front of friends and family." Holdeman said. "Robert Morris has made a lot of progress in the last three years, so it should be a pretty good test for us, but definitely winnable"
(11/07/02 5:06am)
Every year at this time, Indiana is gearing up for its three winter sports of preference, high school basketball, college basketball and professional basketball. There is, however, another sport that many regions around the United States enjoy every winter, hockey.\nMany at IU have had little exposure to the sport. Most know what hockey is, but few have any real impression of it.\n"The only thing I like about hockey is the fights," junior Joshua Ross said. "None of the local papers cover it, and it's always the last thing on 'Sportscenter.'"\nHockey fans are often hard to come by in this part of the country, but in spite of this, the IU hockey team has built a loyal fan base and one of the most successful programs in the country.\n"I definitely think we are unique to this part of the state," IU coach Rich Holdeman said. "Going to a hockey game usually isn't something students see as an option, but I've worked real hard to get people to the games."\nHoldeman said that when he came to IU in 1992, the fan base was small, but has grown considerably. About 300 spectators will come to Frank Southern Arena for any given game. \n"Things have changed dramatically since I've been here. Our first semester, the rink wasn't even up and running; we played our games in Columbus," Holdeman said. "We had a few loyal fans, mostly girlfriends and parents. Now, we have an advantage because of the fans, and we've been pretty successful at home."\nThings have changed. Last year, the team ranked in the top six at IU for attendance and revenue generated, thanks in large part to the success IU has had. Every year since 1995, IU has appeared in the ACHA National tournament and has finished second three times. IU won the GMHL championship last year in the league's inaugural season.\n"Hockey in general, around the state, has never really picked up," IU hockey General Manager Adam Schuchman said. "But I think the success of this team and the professional way that they're run, they've created a fun atmosphere to go spend a Friday or Saturday evening."\nGraduate student and forward Tom Orr said the excitement of the games is what keeps fans coming back. He said the team, despite being club hockey, has much to offer fans.\n"The level of play is really good," Orr said. "It's not really a club for hockey because there are so few varsity programs. We'll play the best team a school has to offer every time out."\nSchuchman said he has been watching club hockey for years, and today's game is an improved product.\n"We're starting to see stronger programs and more professional coaches get into these programs. The quality of play is getting more recognition," Schuchman said. "It's not the same old club hockey that people had known in the '70s and '80s where half the team would get tossed out for fighting."\nThe team is not going to quit recruiting fans. Holdeman said he still is willing to make a pitch to any of his IU biology students to get them to a game.\n"We find that if we can get them there once, they're hooked, because hockey is a great sport and a great spectator sport"
(11/04/02 5:04am)
IU came into Saturday's game looking to rebound after a pair of losses dealt by Illinois last weekend. But instead, the Hoosiers ended a 27-game home unbeaten streak dating back to January 2001.\nIt looked like the Hoosiers were back on track early in the first period. Less than four minutes into the period, senior defenseman Joe Rogers took the face-off pass from junior forward Frank Harrison and sent a shot over the glove of Michigan State goalie Sean Huberty.\nBut instead of carrying that momentum, the Hoosiers were weighed down by a tough Michigan State team that forced IU to play its physical brand of hockey.\n"We had talked about playing the body and how it was critical to our success," coach Rich Holdeman said. "And we did pretty well early on, we got a goal early, but it seemed like after we scored, we thought it was going to be a cakewalk or something."\nWhat resulted was a rough-and-tumble first period with 79 total penalty minutes. Junior forward Matt Howard and MSU junior defenseman Chris Pletkovic were given game misconduct penalties for fighting in the first. \nSophomore forward Brandon Schnurr responded for Michigan State halfway through the first with a one-time slapshot past senior goalie Charlie Pulley on the powerplay.\nMichigan State added goals early in the second and early in the third before sophomore forward Matt Ritz pulled the Hoosiers within a goal.\nShortly after, Michigan State capitalized on IU's increased offensive pressure, taking a turnover at the blue line the length of the ice and sliding the puck around Pulley to go ahead 4-2. Senior forward Clint Heiber brought IU back within one, but it would not be enough as IU fell, 4-3.\nHoldeman said his team played much better under pressure than they did early on.\n"It seemed like until we went down 3-1, we really weren't that interested in the game. But at that point we played with some sense of urgency and made a game out of it," Holdeman said. "But you just can't wait that long in the game to start playing hard if you want to beat teams like this."\nIU also got its first taste of a new rule installed by the NHL and NCAA designed to speed up the game. The time between play stoppage and the ensuing face-off was shortened, so each team has about five seconds to place or match lines put on the ice.\nIU assistant coach Scott Nolting said this was the second time IU had played with the rule, the first being last weekend at Illinois.\n"It took us a while to adjust to that," Nolting said.\nIU General Manager Adam Schuchman said it was more difficult at home because the visiting team puts its line on the ice first, and the home team matches that line. He said having to react to the line changes at home was more difficult than having to put lines on the ice.\n"You could tell we weren't used to it," Schuchman said.
(11/01/02 5:53am)
IU's season ended last year in the national semifinals to Life University. Life won the ACHA Division II Championship. It is a title Life will not be defending. \nIn August, Life University cut its club hockey team along with its other athletics programs in an attempt to bolster its academic reputation. The move left a void in the IU hockey schedule that will be filled this weekend with one game against Michigan State (1-2-1) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Frank Southern Arena.\nThe Hoosiers (2-2-0) are looking to rebound after a pair of losses against Division I Illinois last weekend. The losses are fresh on the minds of the players and they are ready to get back on track, said junior forward Mike Piotrowski.\n"Just the fact that we lost those games, and we really didn't play that bad, makes us real hungry for the win this weekend," Piotrowski said.\nThough Michigan State is a Great Midwest Hockey League member, the game will be a non-conference game. Michigan State was scheduled to play Life University four times this year, so IU and Michigan State agreed to this weekend's game to help fill both teams' schedules. \nIU hockey general manager Adam Schuchman said it was a tough situation. \n"We wanted to pick up a challenging opponent who was going to give us a good contest like Life was going to give us without taking a step down and playing an easier team," Schuchman said. "Plus, the fans always like to come out and see a good game and that was part of the decision."\nCoach Rich Holdeman said he will look for improvement on the powerplay this weekend. The Hoosiers were 0 for 11 last Saturday on the powerplay and gave up two shorthanded goals, but Holdeman said he was pleased with many other things his team did.\n"We need to work on (powerplays)," Holdeman said. "But I was real pleased with the penalty kill, which had been the real killer for us on Friday, and I thought our goaltending was good the whole series, especially (senior goalie Charlie) Pulley."\nPulley recorded 34 saves en route to a 5-3 loss last Friday night. Piotrowski said he thinks IU came away from Illinois a better team and that it will show Saturday night.\n"We started to work harder, more physically, and I think our attitude has changed a lot," Piotrowski said. "And anytime we play a team like Michigan State, we want to win. It doesn't matter if it isn't a league game. We want to win"
(10/25/02 5:43am)
The Hoosiers take their 2-0 start to Champaign, Ill. this weekend to take on the University of Illinois. Coach Rich Holdeman said he thinks this will be one of the toughest series of the season.\n"It's just a great test for us, playing under adverse conditions against a good team," Holdeman said. "It's going to be a great opportunity to see how our guys play under pressure."\nIllinois coach Chad Cassel said he expects two evenly matched teams to take the ice despite IU's Division II status.\n"IU is one of the top Division II teams," Cassel said. "They've got a great program, and they've provided some great games for us."\nIU swept Illinois last year in a two game series at Frank Southern Arena, but have struggled recently in Illinois. The Hoosiers have not won in Champaign since 1995. Cassel said revenge was on his team's mind, but it is not the only motivating factor.\n"We definitely want to avenge last year's losses, but we're off to a good start. And we just want to keep it rolling," Cassel said. "It doesn't matter who we're playing right now. We just want to play well."\nThe No. 2 Illini will be tough enough, but the University of Illinois Ice Arena will be one of the biggest obstacles the Hoosiers will have to overcome. The arena features an unusually wide ice surface, wider than any NHL surface and even wider than Olympic regulations. The Hoosier's home ice, Frank Southern Arena, is a much smaller rink, something players said will require an adjustment.\n"It's probably Illinois' single biggest advantage," junior forward David Standa said. "They know how to use that surface, and it usually takes opposing teams a period or two to adjust."\nHoldeman said playing on the large surface requires patience. He said players will have to keep their heads up and use the extra space to their advantage. \nIU will play sophomore forward David Ravensberg and junior defenseman Justin Peck for the first time this year. Ravensberg, the returning points leader from last season, separated a shoulder two weeks ago. Peck injured his wrist before the season. Holdeman said Ravensberg looked good in practice this week, but Peck may play less.\n"(Peck) may see more limited action, but he's obviously a veteran player who can give us some good minutes," Holdeman said.\nIllinois starts the highest points-producing line in the ACHA. Senior forward Brian Tilden, junior center Pat Olson and sophomore winger Brett Duncan have each averaged over 1.6 points per game for the Illini.\nIU counters with senior defenseman Joe Rogers (1 goal, 3 assists) and forwards Michael Kearns (1 goal, 2 assists) and Clint Heiber (3 assists). IU will also carry the momentum of a successful series last weekend in which IU outscored Dayton 14-1 on the weekend, but Standa said this series will be much different.\n"Not only is it a weird ice surface, it will be a sold out rink with lots of fans," Standa said. "It's their Homecoming, and they'll be tough."\nHoldeman said that if the Hoosiers stick to their plan, they have a good shot at leaving Illinois with a victory or two.\n"They'll be gunning for us, no doubt about it," Holdeman said. "We know we can play at their level. I think if our guys keep their composure and play our game, we'll give them a run for their money"