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1 Anchorage Daily News October 29, 2003 Wednesday, FINAL EDITION Alaska: SPORTS; Pg. C1 Seawolves open WCHA on the road DULUTH: Foe is poised for a breakout season By DOYLE WOODY Anchorage Daily News A season ago in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, no one predicted the juggernaut that was Minnesota State-Mankato. The Mavericks, picked by league coaches to finish eighth in the 10-team league, reeled off a school-record, 17- game unbeaten streak, finished second in the WCHA and earned the school's first NCAA Tournament bid. On the flip side, no one foresaw Denver's dive. The Pioneers, picked by league coaches to win the WCHA, slid to seventh place. Same deal two seasons ago. UAA was picked to finish 10th, but tied for sixth. Denver was picked fifth, but won the league. And Colorado College, pegged to capture the league title, slipped to fourth. "Every year in this league, there's a surprise team," said Minnesota State-Mankato coach Troy Jutting. Make that teams, because for every team that unexpectedly gives off a golden glow, another unexpectedly loses its shine. In this league, a streak or two can turn into a statement and a few stumbles can equal a pratfall. "I always say, if you blink an eye, it's the difference between third and seventh place," said Minnesota coach Don Lucia. And as UAA opens its WCHA schedule with a road series this weekend at Minnesota- Duluth, it could be facing the team poised to make a big jump in the standings. All the Bulldogs did last weekend was sweep Lucia's two-time defending national champion Gophers -- in Minneapolis, no less. Minnesota-Duluth was picked to finish seventh last season, but grabbed fifth. The Bulldogs went down the stretch. And they hardly lost anyone to graduation. The Bulldogs return seven players who scored eight or more goals last season, including T.J. Caig, who scored 25 points in 24 games after becoming eligible following the holiday break. "Last year was last year," said fourth-year Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin, who is not one for brash predictions. "I don't know if we're a team that'll be up with the top teams, but I think we'll be competitive." Though Minnesota was swept last weekend, don't expect the Gophers to stay down for the count. Yes, the Gophers lost brilliant blueliner Paul Martin early to the NHL and goaltender Travis Weber has stopped playing for personal reasons. But Lucia has depth of talent -- defenseman Keith Ballard and WCHA Rookie of the Year forward Thomas Vanek, the fifth pick overall in the NHL draft -- and he nearly always has his teams playing their best at season's end. Ballard, however, is out two to four weeks with a leg injury suffered last Friday against Duluth, and the big question for the Gophers is whether their goaltending will suffice. North Dakota is loaded too. The Fighting Sioux return snipers Brandon Bochenski and Zach Parise. Coach Dean Blais, who guided the Sioux to NCAA titles in 1997 and 2000, predicted Parise's line could combine for 100 goals. Colorado College lost Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Peter Sejna and fellow All- Americans Tom Preissing and Noah Clarke. But talent remains -- not least, All- American goaltender Curtis McIlhenney -- and coach Scott Owens and staff recruit splendidly. The Tigers don't rebuild so much as reload. George Gwozdecky's Denver team is off to a 4-0 start and

2 has added freshman blueliner Matt Carle of Anchorage, who was a second-round draft pick of the San Jose Sharks last summer and Monday was named to Team USA for the World Junior Championships. The Pioneers return seven players who scored at least seven goals last season, most notably 20-goal scorer Connor James, and goalie Adam Berkhoel. At Minnesota State-Mankato, the Mavericks lost sniper Grant Stevenson early to the pros, but Shane Joseph returns after scoring a team-high 29 goals. Joseph is small (5- foot-9, 185 pounds), but is exceptionally quick and is excellent along the boards. He leads a team that combines talent with a thirst for hard work and has tasted success. "Obviously, when you have a little success, expectations go up," Jutting said. "That's no different here." Wisconsin turned Madison into the site of a soap opera last season, when first-year coach Mike Eaves had a physical confrontation with forward Alex Leavitt and captain Brad Winchester was arrested for allegedly punching a police officer outside a bar in the wee hours. The Badgers return 19-goal scorer Rene Bourque and goalie Bernd Bruckler and have a star in freshman defenseman Ryan Suter. Still, they've suffered back-to-back losing seasons and that makes for restless fans of a program accustomed to excellence. St. Cloud State slipped to sixth last season after three consecutive NCAA appearances, and the Huskies need forward Mike Doyle of Anchorage to emerge again. He scored just seven goals last season after scoring 17 as a freshman. The Huskies have started well, going in league play. Michigan Tech welcomes the only new coach in the league in Jamie Russell, the former Husky. Tech appears on the rise, thanks in part to the rebuilding of former coach Mike Sertich, and possesses proven scorers in Colin Murphy, Chris Conner and Brett Engelhart. Conner has nine goals and 11 points in Tech's first four games. UAA can only get better after last season, when it failed to win a WCHA game and became just the third team to sink to such futility in a league that dates back to the season. The Seawolves' best players last season were largely freshmen, and third-year coach John Hill's new freshman class has been impressive in the team's 3-1 start. And sophomore transfer center Chris Fournier of Anchorage is the kind of playmaker UAA's program has long lacked. Daily News assistant sports editor Doyle Woody can be reached at dwoody@adn.com. GRAPHIC: BOB HALLINEN / Anchorage Daily News archives; Minnesota sniper Thomas Vanek, who led the nation's freshmen in goals last season and scored the gamewinning goal in the national championship game, tries to score on UAA goaltender Chris King in a game last season. The Buffalo Sabres selected Vanek fifth overall in the NHL draft last sumer, but he chose to return to school and help the Gophers seek a third straight national title.

3 Detroit Free Press October 28, 2003 Tuesday 1 EDITION AREA SPORTS IN BRIEF: Wolverines will open hoops practice to public The Michigan men's basketball team will hold a practice that is free and open to the public Friday at Crisler Arena. Fans are invited to watch the practice from 3:30-6:30 p.m. The Wolverines will play an exhibition against Michigan Tech at 2 p.m. Nov. 8 at Crisler. U-M opens the regular season at home against Oakland University at 7 p.m. Nov. 21. Hockey: Michigan State forward Jim Slater and Michigan goaltender Al Montoya are the Central Collegiate Hockey Association players of the week. Slater had a careerhigh five points (two goals, three assists) in a 7-3 win against Western Michigan. Montoya stopped 43 of 45 shots in two victories over Northern Michigan.... Montoya and Michigan State defenseman Corey Potterwere named to the U.S. j u n i o r team that will compete in the world junior championship in December. Others on the team are goalie Jimmy Howard(Maine, Red Wings prospect), forwards Ryan Kesler(Livonia) and Patrick O'Sullivan(Sterling Heights), and defenseman James Wisniewski(Whalers). U.S. under- 18 coach Moe Manthaand his assistant, Ken Martel, will be assistants for the juniors. Men's soccer: Michigan State goalkeeper Mike Robinsonis the Big Ten defensive player of the week. Robinson made eight saves in 1-0 victories over Western Michigan and Wisconsin.... Oakland University junior defender Ryan Rzepkais the Mid-Continent Conference defensive player of the week. Rzepka and Oakland's defense didn't allow any shots on goal i n wins over Bowling Green and Valparaiso. Rzepka also had two assists in the 6-0 victory over Valparaiso.... Hope midfielder Kyle Nevenzeland Calvin sweeper Kurt Viskerare the players of the week i n the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.... Calvin is ranked in the D i - vision III Top 25 for the first time since The Knights (12-4, 7-1 MIAA) are No. 16 in the poll released by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Calvin finished the season ranked No. 21 i n Women's soccer: Oakland midfielder Erica Demersis the Mid-Continent offensive player of the week. Demers had a goal and two assists in a 5-0 win over Indiana- Purdue-Indianapolis.... Calvin midfielder Noell Berhuisand Alma defender Ruth Andersonare the MIAA players of the week. Berhuis had a goal and two assists i n wins over Kalamazoo and Albion. Anderson helped the Alma defense key a 4-0 win over Adrian and a 1-1 tie with St. Mary's. Volleyball: Eastern Michigan middle blocker Katie Wagenmakeris the Mid- American Conference West Division player of the week. Wagenmaker had a.463 hitting percentage in two victories.

4 Grand Forks Herald October 28, 2003 Tuesday North Dakota: SPT WCHA Players of the week Offense: Michigan Conner. Tech forward Chris Special teams: Northern State kick r e - turner Deacon Burns. Volleyball players of the week Defense: Minnesota-Duluth Reichmuth. goalie Isaac Rookie: Colorado College's Matt Zaba. DAC- 10 Football players of the week Offense: Mary quarterback Tim Garcia. Defense: Valley City State linebacker Josh Kasowski. NSIC Football players of the week Offense: Minnesota-Duluth running back Dave Rufledt, Southwest Minnesota State running back David Whitten. Defense: Wayne State safety Kyle Lingenfelter. Offense: Bemidji State's Lisa Smith. Defense: Northern State's Monica Inge. NCC Volleyball players of the week Hitters: MSU-Mankato's Jen Jacobs, North Dakota State's Nicole Rieck. Setters: Augustana's Angie Hummel, NDSU's Kari Holmgren. Football players of the week Offense: North Dakota State's Rod Malone, Nebraska-Omaha's Justin Kammrad. Defense: MSU-Mankato's Jared Ziemke, South Dakota State's Rodney Francois. Special teams: Nebraska-Omaha's Andy Severson.

5 St. Cloud Times October 28, 2003 Tuesday Minnesota: SPORTS; Pg. 3D Gophers' pride takes a hit with UMD sweep Kevin Allenspach Staff Four games into their season, the Minnesota Gophers' twotime national champion crown doesn't seem to quite fit anymore. In fact, the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs came along and whacked the Gophers upside the head with a sweep of the teams' weekend series at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis. On Friday, Minnesota raised its national championship banner. And lost in overtime after T.J. Caig scored and Isaac Reichmuth made 35 saves. On Saturday, the Gophers honored Herb Brooks. And flopped 4-2 after Caig scored another game-winner and Reichmuth made 39 saves. Minnesota has perhaps the most vaunted forwards in the country, yet could only score once at even strength Friday. And Saturday the Gophers were 0-for-4 on the power play. "Our forwards didn't play with the zip and hunger they have to play with," Minnesota coach Don Lucia told the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune. "We're still a good team, but we have to give ourselves a chance. We didn't deserve to win." On top of the defeats, defenseman Keith Ballard also suffered a knee injury and could miss a month. That leaves a relatively young D-corps in front of a pair of goalies who are trying to establish themselves in the absence of Travis Weber, who quit the team shortly before school started. Junior Justin Johnson stopped 23 of 27 shots Friday, and freshman Kellen Briggs made 21 saves on 24 shots Saturday. It marked the first time in 91 games that Minnesota suffered back-to-back losses and was the first time the Gophers were swept at home since Feb , 2000, against Wisconsin. It was the Bulldogs' first sweep in Minneapolis since Oct , "This is a big jolt," forward Barry Tallackson told the Star Tribune. "It's a wake-up call for us." Bulldogs return home to face improved UAA Duluth opened the season with five consecutive road games. Now the Bulldogs return to their "house," the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center, with high expectations. The players and their fans believe they were overlooked for an NCAA Tournament berth last season, when they finished fifth in the WCHA and took third place in the Final Five. Two wins over the Gophers only increased the fever in the Twin Ports. "Sure we're excited, but it's only our first two league games of the season," Bulldogs forward Tim Stapleton told the Duluth News-Tribune. "We can use this as motivation, but we can't look back and keep thinking about it. We have to look to our next games." Those would be against Alaska Anchorage, which is off to its best four-game start (3-1-0) in a decade. The Seawolves also seem to have put last season's 35-game winless streak out of their minds. "We're at a good place, but we don't want to be too high," Seawolves defenseman and captain Lee Green told the Anchorage Daily News. "It's a good feeling. We're going to enjoy it, but we need to move on. League play is going to be a step up. There are more tests coming." Sterling shaken Colorado College forward Brett Sterling, the leading freshman goal scorer in WCHA play last season, suffered an injured thumb when he was checked along the

6 boards in Saturday's 4-4 tie at Clarkson. "It was one of those freak accidents," Sterling told the Colorado Springs (Colo.) Gazette after he had a cast put on his right hand. "You would - think with a glove on - it wouldn't really do anything." The Tigers won 3-2 on Friday, but the loss of Sterling for two weeks or longer left coach Scott Owens pretty somber. Plus, freshman center Brandon Polich is also out until at least Thanksgiving with a lacerated spleen. What'd he say? The Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald used an off week to report on how North Dakota coach Dean Blais has had to evolve his approach to recruiting to keep up with the other big programs in the nation. Curiously, he said: "I remember a few years ago we lost Matt Cullen to St. Cloud State because St. Cloud had a better weight room," Blais told the Herald. "That variable is in our favor now." Obviously, with the new $100 million Engelstad Arena, the Sioux have a recruiting gem. Still, it makes one wonder how bad North Dakota's old weight training facilities must've been. The Huskies have made cosmetic changes to their weight room, but it's by no means a showplace. Around the WCHA Michigan Tech will unveil new white jerseys Friday in a non-conference home game against Vermont. Minnesota State-Mankato beat Bemidji State 3-1 on Friday. Kyle Nixon made 36 saves in his first appearance since Nov. 30, Jon Volp stopped 43 shots in a 2-2 tie the next night. The Mavericks were outshot in the series. Wisconsin walk-on freshman forward Mark Heatley, a younger brother of former Badgers star Dany Heatley, played for the first time in last weekend's non-conference series sweep of Quinnipiac. Wisconsin won 2-1 and 4-1. GRAPHIC: AP photo Minnesota-Duluth's Justin Williams (8) checks Minnesota's Gino Guyer (7) during the third period on Saturday. The Bulldogs completed their first road sweep of the Gophers since 1989.

7 Capital Times October 27, 2003 Monday, ALL EditionsWiconsin: SPORTS; Pg. 2D SWEEP GIVES UW SOMETHING TO BUILD ON Todd D. Milewski The Capital Times It was a test. The subject: Scoring goals. The proctor: Quinnipiac. The University of Wisconsin men's hockey team's goalscoring shortcomings through two weekends of the season put the spotlight squarely on the offense in the Badgers' first home series. That it would be facing a team that allowed 103 shots on goal in its last series put the UW on alert that scoring opportunities likely would present themselves time and again. So after a 4-1 victory over Quinnipiac on Saturday night at the Kohl Center gave the Badgers a sweep of the nonconference series, the UW could be confident that it didn't fail the exam. That 97 shots on goal in two games yielded only six goals wouldn't allow for the highest marks, either. There was no offensive epiphany. There was, however, the potential for a breakthrough in respect to the ever-changing way the Badgers line up their forwards. On Saturday, UW coach Mike Eaves put freshman Andrew Joudrey, sophomore Ryan MacMurchy and senior captain Rene Bourque together for the first time this season. They clicked. MacMurchy had a pair of goals and helped set up scores by Bourque and Joudrey. He broke a 10-game goal-scoring drought with his tiebreaking and game-winning goal midway through the game. It was such a simple formula. Take last season's top scorer (Bourque) and the runner-up in that category a year ago (MacMurchy), and add an ahead-of-the-learning-curve freshman (Joudrey) to put it all together up the middle. "You'd think that when you look on paper there's a possibility of good things happening, and they did happen," Eaves said. "They carried a great part of the game. They led our team. They gave our team confidence. It's how they scored the goals. They got the puck in deep, they worked hard, they made the plays that they needed to. By doing what they did, I think that was infectious to the rest of our group." The caveat, part one: The Joudrey line so dominated the game that, either in appearances or in fact, the rest of the offense didn't do a whole lot. Having only one productive line may be enough to win a game here or there, but it's no way to go through a season. The caveat, part two: The bye week at which the Badgers are staring won't immediately provide the important second test of the line that could confirm or refute its status as the top line of the future. Still, with a team that averaged two goals per game entering the weekend and had scored one goal in regulation in each of its past three games entering Saturday, it could be seen as a significant step in the right direction. "We felt pretty confident out there," said Joudrey, a junior hockey teammate of MacMurchy two seasons ago. "We knew that if we worked hard all shift that we would outpower them and win every shift." Said Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold: "That line, I thought they were dominant. I tried to match up my best defensive line and some of my better defensemen against them, but they just kept coming. You've got to give them a lot of credit and give Wisconsin's team a lot of credit. They played hard both nights and they dominated us both nights. If it wasn't for my goaltending, we would have had two blowouts." In that respect, goaltender Brian Elliott had an easy night in his first appearance for the Badgers. He didn't have to face 49 shots like Quinnipiac's Jamie Holden did on Saturday, or even the 48 shots the Bobcats' Justin Eddy saw in Friday's 2-1 overtime victory for UW.

8 But Elliott, who was directed to the UW last summer only after incoming freshman Michael Brodeur was deemed ineligible because of involvement with a Canadian major junior team, had to make 14 of his 19 saves in the third period, when the Bobcats had the benefit of a five-minute power play after Ryan Suter was whistled for a major slashing penalty. It was the kind of experience Eaves was hoping Elliott could see in his first game for the Badgers. Elliott appeared jumpy in the first two periods -- he saw only three shots in each -- but settled down. "You always get your firstgame jitters, but it's hard when you don't get many shots," Elliott said. "The third period, it started to pick up. You've got to get things rolling and get a feel for things." Maybe that's the way the Badgers as a whole are approaching things. They have this weekend off before resuming Western Collegiate Hockey Association play with a series at Michigan Tech. For the time being, they appear to have relieved some of the pressure that was building after losing three straight games and scoring only four goals in that time. MacMurchy admitted to some weight leaving his shoulders at the same time the goalscoring drought vanished. He thought he had been playing well, but in his increased role as a scorer he was deficient until Saturday night. With MacMurchy's big night and the contributions of Bourque and Joudrey, the UW may have something to build on. "You don't want to have a loss when you've got two weeks until your next game," MacMurchy said. "It makes you feel a lot better knowing you got a sweep coming in. Guys are more excited. We definitely have a lot of things to work on. We're a young team. But we just have to keep working, take every day of practice like a big day and keep getting better, keep rolling. "I'm really excited about the future and just everything. Now that we're starting to get rolling, I think we can get some positive things going here." < tmilewski@madison.com Quinnipiac Wisconsin First period: No scoring. Penalties: Craig, Q, 7:47; Falite, Q, 8:24; Earl, W, 8:24. Second period: W -- Bourque 2 (MacMurchy), 3:53. Q -- Craig 1 (Morton, Cashman), 9:05. W -- MacMurchy 1 (Boeser, Bourque), 12:17. Penalties: Morrison, Q, 20:00; Kelly, Q, 20:00; Likens, W, 20:00; Wozniewski, W, 20:00. Third period: W -- Joudrey 3 (MacMurchy, Suter), :32; MacMurchy 2, 18:47. Penalties: Van Nostrand, Q, 7:24; Suter, W (5-minute major, slashing), 13:09; Froehlich, Q, 16:20; Wozniewski, W, 16:20; Morrison, Q (5-minute major, grabbing the facemask), 18:27; Suter, W, 18:27. Saves: Q (Holden ) 45; W (Elliott ) 19. Power play: Q 0-for-1; W 0-for- 2. Att ,165.

9 Saint Paul Pioneer Press October 26, 2003 Sunday Minnesota: SPORTS; BRIEF; Pg. 3B COLLEGE HOCKEY ROUNDUP: U women blank Wisconsin From news services Natalie Darwitz scored two goals and a s - sisted on another as the University of Minnesota women's team defeated Wisconsin 3-0 Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. Jody Horak stopped 27 shots for her second straight shutout, as the No. 1-ranked Gophers improved to overall and dropped the Badgers to Lyndsay Wall scored the other Gophers goal and assisted on both Darwitz scores. All of the Gophers' goals came on power plays in the second period. The shutout was the 11th of Horak's career. Horak has a scoreless streak lasting 135:01 minutes, starting in the third period of the first game of the season against Ohio State. The shutout marked her 40th career win in three years at Minnesota. Darwitz extended her scoring streak to 1 8 games with at least one point. In those 1 8 games, Darwitz has 33 points. At 16:01 of the first period, the Gophers' Krissy Wendell was given a five-minute major penalty for checking from behind and was assessed a game misconduct. Minnesota St. (Mankato) 3, Bemidji State 1:Minnesota State (Mankato) completed a weekend sweep at Bemidji, Minn. The Mavericks are in their past five meetings against Bemidji State. Shera Vis, Alycia Wilson and Kristina Koga scored the Mankato goals. Carly Napier scored for Bemidji (1-4-0). MEN St. Cloud State 6, Michigan Tech 5:Billy Hengen scored the winning goal with less than five minutes to play as host St. Cloud State defeated Michigan Tech. Chris Conner had a hat trick and found the back of the net five times in Michigan Tech's two-game series with St. Cloud State. Bemidji State 2, Minnesota State (Mankato) 2: Jon Volp stopped 41 shots for Mankato in a tie at Bemidji, Minn. Wisconsin 4, Quinnipiac 1:Ryan MacMurchy scored his first two goals of the season and added two assists as Wisconsin completed a sweep of a nonconference series with Quinnipiac at Madison, Wis. MacMurchy broke a 1-1 tie and a game goalless skid that dated to last season with a second-period goal that helped the Badgers (3-3) take advantage of a gap in shots on goal. Rene Bourque and Andrew Joudrey added goals for Wisconsin. Matt Craig scored f o r Quinnipiac (2-4).

10 St. Cloud Times October 26, 2003 Sunday Minnesota: SPORTS; Pg. 1D Huskies hang on for wild 6-5 win Kevin Allenspach Staff Times photo by Dave Schwarz, St. Cloud State's Ryan LaMere dives to block a shot during the first period Saturday at National Hockey Center. Hengen's goals give Coole, SCSU win over Tech The best save Adam Coole made Saturday night might've been the souvenir puck he grabbed for Billy Hengen. How else can you characterize the St. Cloud State men's hockey team's 6-5 shootout over Michigan Tech Saturday at the National Hockey Center? Hengen scored the first two goals of his college career, including the game-winner with less than four minutes to go, and Coole came off the bench to save 16 of 18 shots the final two periods as the St. Cloud State Huskies held off the Michigan Tech Huskies and completed a three-point weekend. "I felt real snake-bitten," said Hengen, a sophomore who had just two assists in 14 games last season. "It feels like it's been so long. I was like 'Please go in.' " Hengen's first goal came late in the first period, after SCSU had fallen behind 3-1. It was a tap-in from about six inches away. "It was nice to get it out of the way and that's how you usually get the first one - a tap-in or something like that," said Hengen, who had 220 points in his high school career and remains the all-time leading scorer at Holy Angels. "We were down 3-1, but the team's morale was never down. We knew if we'd make up for it." Coole, who earned his first victory in almost two years last Saturday against Wisconsin, took over for Jason Montgomery, who allowed three goals on nine shots. St. Cloud State responded with three goals in a 13-minute span, and Coole could've cruised to the win if not for MTU's Chris Conner, who scored twice in the third period for his second hat trick in four games. Fortunately for SCSU, Hengen responded a minute after Conner tied it at 5-5. Hengen circled behind the net, turned in the right circle and roofed a wrist shot over the right shoulder of goalie Bryce Luker. "Coach (Craig) Dahl told me to get faster, so I really worked on that this summer," Hengen said. "I'm not the fastest guy on the ice, but I'm fast enough where I can make some room for myself. "I had the same exact play (in Friday's 3-3 tie), but I couldn't get (the shot) up high enough. Tonight I did, fortunately, at the right time." Tim Conboy took a boarding penalty, but Michigan Tech didn't get a sniff. And, for the fourth game in a row, the opposing goalie went to the bench in the final minute - but St. Cloud State held on. "The third period was a blur but, if this was a movie, the climax would have been the last three minutes," Coole said. "That was a huge kill. That was the game right there, and the weekend, too." Dave Iannazzo deflected a shot inside the left post on the power play less than two minutes into the game, but Michigan Tech roared back with three goals before the game was seven minutes old. "(Montgomery) got hung out to dry on the second two," said Dahl, whose team improved to in the WCHA. "You'd like to see a goalie make a big save on one of those, but you can't blame him if he doesn't. Sometimes it's just better to make a change because I'm sure he felt bad emotionally about what he just went through."

11 Conner, a 5-foot-7 sophomore speedster who scored twice Friday, made it 3-1 with a short-handed breakaway. "He's a great player," Coole said. "He's quick and he uses his teammates well. He's going to be a force in this league. To be honest, I'd never even heard of that kid before this weekend. He turned my head, I know that." Joe Jensen produced a power-play goal early in the second, and senior captain Matt Hendricks, who was long overdue, and Garrett Larson, playing for the first time this season, each scored their first goals of the year. Hendricks wiped out Coole while backchecking on MTU's fourth goal, and Conner tied it by batting the puck out of midair with five minutes to go. "We've got to learn to play with a lead," said Conner, who had 13 goals as a freshman. "If we can do that, we're going to be a tough team in the WCHA. But we've got some little things to work on. We're extremely close. The past (three) games we've been in overtime and we keep coming back. It shows a lot of character." But perhaps the best test of character can be explained with this: Four of MTU's goals came from one line. SCSU got scoring from all four lines.

12 The Associated Press State & Local Wire October 25, 2003, Saturday, BC cycle St. Cloud St. 3, Michigan Tech 3 ST. CLOUD, Minn. Chris Conner scored two goals and Dave Iannazzo had a goal and an assist as Michigan Tech and St. Cloud State skated to a 3-3 tie in WCHA action Friday. Bryce Luker had 47 saves for Michigan Tech, including three in overtime. Conner's goal for Michigan Tech (1-1-1, WCHA) early in the second period, making it 1-0, was the first time a team has led St. Cloud State (2-0-1, WCHA) this season. St. Cloud's Mike Doyle scored a minute later to tie the score. Doyle finished with a goal and an assist on four shots. After another quick goal by Conner, St. Cloud came back with goals by Iannazzo and Joe Jensen to pull them into the lead. Colin Murphy's goal for Michigan Tech with less than 30 seconds to play in the third period pushed the game into overtime. Neither team scored in extra minutes to leave the final score locked at 3-3.

13 The Associated Press State & Local Wire October 25, 2003, Saturday, BC cycle Michigan Tech 47, Hillsdale 28 HOUGHTON, Mich. Dan Mettlach passed for three touchdowns and ran for a fourth and David Anderson had three of Michigan Tech s five interceptions in a victory over Hillsdale on Saturday. Lee Marana rushed for 226 yards and two touchdowns for the Huskies (4-4 overall and Great Lakes Intercollegiate). Mettlach's 43-yard TD pass to Jacob Smith with 5:56 left in the third quarter gave Tech a 34-0 lead over the Chargers (3-5, 3-4). Mettlach finished 15-for-19 for yards with no interceptions. Hillsdale's Bill Skelton passed for 203 yards and a touchdown, and led the Chargers with 122 yards rushing on just nine carries. But he was relieved by Aaron Scholl after throwing his fifth interception on second-and-goal at the Huskies' 7-yard line early i n the fourth quarter. Scholl was 6-for-7 for 64 yards with a 16-yard TD pass to Chris Clay with 1:26 r e - maining.

14 The Associated Press State & Local Wire October 25, 2003, Saturday, BC cycle St. Cloud St. 6, Michigan Tech 5 ST. CLOUD, Minn. Billy Hengen scored the game-winning goal with less than five minutes to play in the third period as St. Cloud State defeated Michigan Tech 6-5 Saturday. Chris Conner had a hat trick and found the back of the net five times in Michigan Tech s two-game series with St. Cloud State. Michigan Tech is now overall and in the WCHA. Colin Murphy scored a goal and had two assists for St. Cloud State while Casey Borer and Matt Gens added two assists apiece for the Huskies (3-0-1 WCHA). St. Cloud outshot Michigan Tech and converted on two of their six power play chances. Michigan Tech also scored on two of its seven power play opportunities. Jon Pitts had two assists and Bryce Luker stopped 29 shots for Michigan Tech.

15 Detroit Free Press October 25, 2003 Saturday 3 EDITION COLLEGE HOCKEY: Michigan shuts out N. Michigan FREE PRESS STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES Michigan jumped to an early lead and didn't look back in a 2-0 victory over Northern Michigan on Friday night at Yost Arena. Al Montoya made 19 saves for the shutout. Eric Werner and Milan Gajic scored as U - M put 57 shots on goalie Craig Kowalski. Werner added an assist. Werner put Michigan up, 1-0, when he banged the puck past Kowalski midway through the first period. The Wolverines (5-1-0, Central Collegiate Hockey Association) fired 2 7 shots on Kowalski in the second period, but he kept it 1-0 until Gajic scored on a power play 10:19 into the third. Northern Michigan (3-2-0, 2-1-0) struggled to generate sustained pressure i n Michigan's zone. "Shutouts are great for goalies, and they're great for teams, but particularly for the defense," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "Obviously Montoya played strong tonight, but our defense did a lot of good things." The teams meet again at 3:05 p.m. Sunday at Yost. By Courtney Lewis, special writer Michigan State 4, Western Michigan 2: Ash Goldie scored the go-ahead goal on the power play for the host Spartans (2-3, 1-2 CCHA), who scored three thirdperiod goals in overcoming a 2-1 deficit. Mike Lalonde scored twice for Michigan State. Western Michigan (2-2-1, ) got goals from Jeff Campbell and Dana Lattery. Miami (Ohio) 5, Lake Superior State 2:Brandon Crawford-West shut out Lake Superior State in the final two periods, and Andy Greene scored two powerplay goals for the visiting Redhawks ( 2-4-1, CCHA), who were 4-for-5 with the man advantage. The Lakers (1-1- 1, 0-1-0) took a 2-0 lead as Alex Dunn and Nathan Ward scored. Matt Violin finished with 30 saves for Lake State. Crawford-West made 21 saves. Findlay 6, Wayne State 3: Findlay scored three power-play goals in building a 4-0 lead over the visiting Warriors (2-2). Mark Bastl score twice for Findlay ( ). Travis Rycroft, Derek MacKay and Chris Vail scored for Wayne State. Michigan Tech 3, St. Cloud State 3:Colin Murphy scored with 25 seconds left in regulation for the visiting Huskies (1-1-1, Western Collegiate). Freshman Bryce Luker made 47 saves f o r Michigan Tech. Chris Conner scored twice for the Huskies. St. Cloud is 2-0-1,

16 Saint Paul Pioneer Press October 25, 2003 Saturday SPORTS; BRIEF; Pg. 4D HOCKEY ROUNDUP: Wisconsin knocks off Quinnipiac in OT From news services Defenseman Andy Wozniewski's power-play goal 1 minute, 38 seconds into overtime lifted Wisconsin to a 2-1 victory over Quinnipiac in a nonconference game Friday night at Madison, Wis. Wozniewski redirected a shot past Bobcats goaltender Justin Eddy. The puck got through the goalie's legs and trickled toward the goal line before Eddy gave it a final push into his own net. Eddy, who stopped 51 shots in a 3-2 loss at Michigan last Saturday, stopped 46 shots against the Badgers (2-3). Quinnipiac (2-3) grabbed the lead with 32.5 seconds left in the first period on an Aaron Ludwig goal that went on the scoreboard only after referee Brad Albers conferred with the goal judge. Wisconsin responded in the second period when Rene Bourque, last season's top scorer, netted his first goal of the season on a rebound. That came with Wisconsin on a power play that came shortly after the Badgers killed off 7 minutes, 43 seconds of consecutive Quinnipiac powerplay time. Bernd Bruckler made 16 saves for the Badgers. Colorado College 3, Clarkson 2: Scott Polaski scored with 2:07 to play as Colorado College beat Clarkson in a comefrom-behind nonconference victory at Potsdam, N.Y. The Tigers (3-0) got the game-winner when Polaski scored on a breakaway after taking a long pass from Scott Thauwald. Dustin Traylen posted 29 saves for Clarkson (1-1-1), and the Tigers' Matt Zaba had 24. St. Cloud State 3, Michigan Tech 3: Chris Conner scored two goals to help visiting Michigan Tech gain a tie with St. Cloud State. Bryce Luker had 47 saves for Michigan Tech (1-1-1, WCHA), including three in overtime. Mike Doyle and Dave Iannazzo each had a goal and an assist for St. Cloud State (2-0- 1, 2-0-1). Minnesota State (Mankato) 3, Bemidji State 1:Kyle Nixon had 36 saves as Minnesota State (Mankato) beat host Bemidji State. Dana Sorenson, Jeff Marler and Jon Hart scored for the Mavericks (1-2). Luke Erickson scored the lone goal for the Beavers (0-2- 1). WOMEN Minnesota-Duluth 4, Ohio State 3:Jenny Potter's goal at 13:30 of the final period gave Minnesota-Duluth a victory over Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. Larissa Luther, Tricia Guest and Noemie Marin added goals for the Bulldogs (3-2, 3-2 WCHA). Jana Harrigan scored twice for the Buckeyes (0-3, 0-3). Minnesota State (Mankato) 2, Bemidji State 1:Devon Nichols scored two goals as visiting Minnesota State (Mankato) defeated Bemidji State. Nichols' second goal, 1:13 into the final period, was the game-winner for the Mavericks (5-0, 3-0), who received 31 saves from goalie Shari Vogt. Jenny Schnickel scored the only goal for the Beavers (1-3- 1, 0-3) St. Cloud State 2, North Dakota 1:Ashley Stewart and Leanne Perrin scored goals as St. Cloud State (1-2) earned its first victory of the season, beating North Dakota (1-4) in St. Cloud, Minn.

17 St. Cloud Times October 25, 2003 Saturday Minnesota: SPORTS; Pg. 1D SCSU fit to be tied Staff Times photo by Dave Schwarz, St. Cloud State's Mike Doyle battles for control of the puck with Michigan Tech s Jon Pittis during Friday's WCHA men's hockey game at the National Hockey Center. The teams tied, 3-3 in overtime. Michigan Tech s late goal makes home team settle for 3-3 tie in OT Just when it looked like the St. Cloud State men's hockey team was starting on a roll, the Miracle Makers from Michigan Tech came to town. Linemates Dave Iannazzo and Mike Doyle each scored goals and Joe Jensen added one on the power play as SCSU twice overcame one-goal deficits and was within 30 seconds of its third consecutive victory. Instead, MTU junior Colin Murphy swept in a prayer, which is nothing new for him. And freshman goalie Bryce Luker made 47 saves as the Michigan Tech Huskies rallied to tie the St. Cloud State Huskies 3-3 on Friday night at the National Hockey Center. "It's very disappointing anytime you lose a game - I mean tie a game - in the last minute," said Iannazzo, who tied for the team lead with six shots. "I thought, other than half of the second period, we dominated them. We really worked hard and, to come out with a tie, it's very frustrating. But they've got a good goalie and that's how it's going to come out sometimes." Luker skated to the bench for a sixth attacker in the final minute. MTU defenseman Clay Wilson knocked down with his glove an SCSU clearing attempt. Murphy hooked the puck out of a maze of legs and yanked it past freshman goalie Tim Boron, who lost his stick. "It was a scramble in between about four or five guys," said Murphy, who scored three times after the 18:30 mark last Saturday in a 7-6 overtime win overnorthern Michigan. "I just happened to pop open and I shot it on net." St. Cloud State coach Craig Dahl said he thought it was a controversial play. His team bounced back to outshoot Michigan Tech 3-0 in overtime, but the teams each skated off with a point for the first time since Nov. 19, 1996, in the all-time series. Boron, making his first appearance after back-to-back one-goal games by sophomore Jason Montgomery and junior Adam Coole, stopped 24 shots. Boron was buoyed by a postgame chat with volunteer goalie coach Bill Frantti, and said he didn't think SCSU's 16-3 shot edge in a scoreless first period dulled his concentration. "Ordinarily, I'd say yeah, that could be a problem," Boron said. "But this was my first game. So I could've had no shots and I still would've been in it." Nine seconds into the second period, however, he didn't get his knees together and Chris Conner scored from a bad angle. "I think giving up that early goal in the second period changed the momentum," Iannazzo said. Doyle got it back a minute and a half later when he plowed a rebound behind Luker, but Michigan Tech went up again two minutes later when Conner carried the puck 120 feet and scored on Boron again. St. Cloud State was trying to set up a play in the MTU zone. Matt Gens took a slap shot from the right point, but it was blocked and Conner broke up ice with only Ryan LaMere back to defend a 2-on-1. Conner faked a pass and zinged a shot into the upper left corner after LaMere went down and skidded into the crease.

18 Conner has six goals already after netting a hat trick in his first game of the season, a 4-3 overtime loss, and adding a goal in last Saturday's game. Michigan Tech outshot St. Cloud State in the second, and it didn't help SCSU that captain Matt Hendricks missed most of the period after taking a tumble into the boards. Iannazzo schooled MTU defenseman Lars Helminen early in the third period, executing a toe-drag that neatly faked the way clear for a wrist shot that beat Luker inside the left post. Jensen tipped in a point shot from Matt Gens to make it 3-2 with less than 13 minutes to go. Murphy nearly tied it shortly after but Boron gloved his shot over the net. It was one of only five saves Boron had to make before that final minute. He said the victory may have held up if a Michigan Tech player hadn't ripped his stick away. "There were so many legs I couldn't see anything," Boron said. "I had to go down with my blocker to cover the butterfly and I think he beat me on my right. If I had my stick, I would've been out challenging and in position. Instead, I had to stay back and cover that five-hole." Murphy and his MTU teammates didn't go back to the hotel all that happy, either. "I guess you could say it's routine to play all these overtime games, but it's hard being up 2-1 in the third period and losing that lead," Murphy said. "That's happened to us in all three of our games now. But on the road, this is a big tie." Entering the game, St. Cloud State was against Michigan Tech since "Any time you put up 50 shots, you're doing something right," Iannazzo said. "We worked on that in practice, getting more shots on net. And if we keep doing that, we're going to see good things happen."

19 The Associated Press State & Local Wire October 24, 2003, Friday, BC cycle St. Cloud St. 3, Michigan Tech 3 ST. CLOUD, Minn. Chris Conner scored two goals and Dave Iannazzo had a goal and an assist as Michigan Tech and St. Cloud State skated to a 3-3 tie in WCHA action Friday. Bryce Luker had 47 saves for Michigan Tech, including three in overtime. Conner's goal for Michigan Tech (1-1-1, WCHA) early in the second period, making it 1-0, was the first time a team has led St. Cloud State (2-0-1, WCHA) this season. St. Cloud's Mike Doyle scored a minute later to tie the score. Doyle finished with a goal and an assist on four shots. After another quick goal by Conner, St. Cloud came back with goals by Iannazzo and Joe Jensen to pull them into the lead. Colin Murphy's goal for Michigan Tech with less than 30 seconds to play in the third period pushed the game into overtime. Neither team scored in extra minutes to leave the final score locked at 3-3.

20 Duluth News-Tribune October 24, 2003 Friday SPTS WCHA men's hockey capsules WCHA MEN'S TEAM CAP- SULES WCHA team capsules in order of 2003 regular-season finish: COLORADO COLLEGE Coach: Scott Owens Last season: Finish: NCAA quarterfinals This season: 2-0 Division I rank: No. 9 Good: Scored 14 goals in opening sweep of Alaska Fairbanks helped by W Brett Sterling, W Tyler Liebel, C Marty Sertich, W Colin Stuart and C Aaron Slattengren; All-American G Curtis McElhinney is a career Not so good: Gone is 2003 Hobey Baker winner Peter Sejna; 18 of 26 players are freshmen or sophomores MINNESOTA Coach: Don Lucia Last season: Finish: NCAA champion This season: 1-1 Division I rank: No. 3 Good: W Thomas Vanek, 2003 NCAA MVP, stayed in school to join F Grant Potulny, Troy Riddle and Matt Koalska in attempt to win a 3rd straight Division I title Not so good: Starting G Travis Weber and All-American D Paul Martin didn't stay in school MINN.STATE-MANKATO Coach: Troy Jutting Last season: Finish: NCAA first round This season: 0-2 Division I rank: Unranked Good: All-American F Shane Joseph is top returning scorer in Division I; freshman F David Backes, a 2003 second round NHL pick by St. Louis, had 3 points in opening two losses to Providence Not so good: Mavericks already have as many home losses (2) as all of last season; F Grant Stevenson has graduated NORTH DAKOTA Coach: Dean Blais Last season: Finish: NCAA first round This season: 2-1 Division I rank: No. 3 Good: The line of Brady Murray, Zach Parise and Brandon Bochenski can score; freshman G Jordan Parise has won his first 2 games Not so good: Fighting Sioux power play is 0-for- 20 in 3 games; North Dakota held to 17 shots on goal in 2-1 home loss to Boston College MINNESOTA DULUTH Coach: Scott Sandelin Last season: Finish: Third in WCHA Final Five This season: Division I rank: No. 15 Good: Just about everyone's back including WCHA All-Rookie G Isaac Reichmuth and entire defensive corps led by senior captain Beau Geisler Not so good: Have toughest opening 5 games in Division I with North Dakota, Boston College, Michigan State and Minnesota -- all on the road ST. CLOUD STATE Coach: Craig Dahl Last season: Finish: NCAA first round This season: 2-0 Division I rank: Unranked Good: The Huskies, with 4 straight NCAA appearances, got off to a good start with a home sweep of Wisconsin; W Brock Hooton had 3 assists in series and transfer G Adam Coole earned a win Not so good: Much of last season's offense left with F Joe Motzko, Jon Cullen and Ryan Malone DENVER Coach: George Gwozdecky Last season: Finish: WCHA first-round loss This season: 4-0 Division I rank: No. 7 Good: Senior G Adam Berkhoel is 3-0, 1.33 GA and.953 saves percentage and a career ; Pioneers averaging 4.75 goals led by F Kevin Ulanski with 9 points Not so good: WCHA saves percentage leader G Wade Dubielewicz is gone along with scoring leader F Kevin Doell WISCONSIN Coach: Mike Eaves Last season: Finish: WCHA first-round loss This season: 1-3 Division I rank: Unranked Good: After a season of facing cancer and a broken hand, W Dan Boeser scored the winning goal in season opener; heralded freshman class includes scoring leader F Andrew Joudrey and D Ryan

21 Suter Not so good: The Badgers, eighth in the league last season, outshot St. Cloud State but managed just 2 goals in losing twice to begin the WCHA schedule MICHIGAN TECH Coach: Jamie Russell Last season: Finish: WCHA first-round loss This season: 1-1 Division I rank: Unranked Good: The Huskies scored the final 4 goals Saturday night at home, the last 3 by W Colin Murphy, to beat Northern Michigan in OT for coach Jamie Russell's first win; Murphy and linemate Chris Conner have 6 points each in 2 games Not so good: Russell is Michigan Tech s third coach in four years following Tim Waters and Mike Sertich ALASKA ANCHORAGE Coach: John Hill Last season: Finish: WCHA firstround loss This season: 3-1 Division I rank: Unranked Good: The Seawolves have already tripled their win total of last season, broken a schoolrecord 35-game winless streak and earned their first shutout in 138 games in beating Alaska Fairbanks, Massachusetts-Lowell and Air Force; G Chris King and Kevin Reiter have a combined 2.75 GA and.930 saves percentage Not so good: Anchorage is the last 32 games against WCHA teams entering the season opener Oct. 31 at the DECC. KEVIN PATES, NEWS TRIB- UNE[R]

22 Duluth News-Tribune October 24, 2003 Friday SPTS A favorite in WCHA isn't a sure thing BY KEVIN PATES NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER After being picked to win the 2003 Western Collegiate Hockey Association men's regular-season title, Denver finished seventh among 10 teams. That's a tough league. How good was the WCHA last season? Minnesota won a second straight NCAA Division I title, the third for the league i n four years. Colorado College junior winger Peter Sejna won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey's best player. Five WCHA teams were selected for the NCAA tournament, more than any other Division I conference. Minnesota has been chosen by WCHA coaches to win the 2004 regular-season title. Gopher coach Don Lucia knows that path will be crowded with contenders. "The WCHA, from top to bottom, has been the best league in college hockey the last few years," said Lucia, a WCHA coach f o r 11 years. "The top four in the WCHA can compete with the best teams in other leagues, and the fun part is that it's not always the same four teams at the top i n our league. "Denver will be better this season, North Dakota and Duluth will be better, St. Cloud State has already won two league games, Anchorage has three wins, Michigan Tech and Wisconsin have won. Who does that leave as a weak team? No one." The WCHA was competitive enough last season that 44 percent of league games were decided by one goal or ended in a tie, which delighted a league-record 1.5 million fans. St. Cloud State has the early lead this season after sweeping Wisconsin last weekend. There are two other series this weekend, including Minnesota Duluth at Minnesota today and Saturday. Bulldog coach Scott Sandelin, in his fourth season, figures there's some good to be found in a demanding 28-game league schedule. His team was picked to tie for third in 2004 after finishing fifth i n "It's so competitive every weekend that i t forces you to become a better team," said Sandelin. "There's no question that the depth in the WCHA makes it the best league in Division I." While the WCHA has been good in nonconference play ( last season and in ), the league i s only 12-6 so far this year. WCHA preview capsules, 4D.

23 St. Cloud Times October 24, 2003 Friday SPORTS; Pg. 1D Schwartz finally plays at home Kevin Allenspach Staff Last weekend was homecoming at St. Cloud State. This weekend it's homecoming for Brandon Schwartz. A 2000 graduate of St. Cloud Apollo High School, Schwartz plays his first college game at the National Hockey Center tonight when Michigan Tech opens a series against St. Cloud State. MTU didn't travel to St. Cloud last season. He's doing his part to fill up the building, garnering about a dozen tickets for family and friends. And he's bringing all of his teammates over to his mom's house tonight for postgame lasagna. Whether they win or lose could impact their appetite, but Schwartz is off to a sweet start in his sophomore season. Skating on one of Michigan Tech s top two lines, alongside seniors Jon Pittis and Brett Engelhardt, Schwartz scored and set up the tying goal in last Saturday's 7-6 overtime win at home against Northern Michigan. "There's some kind of chemistry about our line," said Schwartz, who missed the middle of last season with a knee injury. He joined the two veterans once he returned and scored eight of his 11 points in the final nine games. Tonight Schwartz will proudly carry the mantle of a select group of players from Central Minnesota to play Division I hockey - and an even smaller number who get to do so before the hometown crowd. He joins Apollo teammate Chris Harrington, a sophomore defenseman with the Minnesota Gophers, and St. Cloud State freshman Nate Raduns, a Sauk Rapids High School graduate, as the area alumni currently in the WCHA. Next year, their number will grow when Apollo graduates Matt Hartman and Mike Howe head to St. Cloud State and Minnesota, respectively. "It's nice to be a part of that," Schwartz said. "Playing junior hockey is a big reason we all made it, and I think back to when I was growing up. We have the Sauer brothers to thank for opening our eyes to that." Kent Sauer, a 1997 Apollo graduate, played in the USHL before going on to a brief college career at Minnesota- Duluth. He is playing in the East Coast Hockey League this season. And Kurt Sauer, a 1999 Apollo graduate, made it even bigger. He played in the USHL, chose to play in the Canadian major junior Western Hockey League, and is now in his second season with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Schwartz said the last time he played at the Hockey Center was when Apollo lost in the section playoffs his senior season. Since then, he played two years in Sioux City of the USHL. He's now 5-foot-11 and says he's slimmed down to just under 200 pounds. Where his hockey career takes him remains to be seen, but he's got a 3.95 gradepoint average to back him up so far. "I worked pretty hard to come back strong this year and I feel really good right now," Schwartz added. This weekend he'll try to show everyone else why. This column is the opinion of Times sports writer Kevin Allenspach. He can be reached by phone at or e- mail at: kallenspach@ stcloudtimes.com