University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Gearing Up for 2003 UConn Hockey Classic
12/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
STORRS, CT (Dec. 22) - The University of Connecticut men's hockey team is gearing up for the annual UConn Hockey Classic, which this year will feature teams from Air Force, Bentley and Sacred Heart. The tournament games will be played at 2:00 pm and 5:15 pm on both Sunday, December 28th and Monday, December 29th. UConn will face Bentley in the second game of day one, and will advance to either the championship or consolation game on the second day.
Classic Tidbits
All four teams have participated in at least one previous UConn Classic … Air Force is the only team at the Classic not in the Atlantic Hockey Association … Only Air Force, Alabama-Huntsville, Colby College and Wayne State remain undefeated at the Classic … Air Force has records of 2-0 vs. Sacred Heart, 8-0 vs. UConn and 6-1 vs. Bentley … Bentley, Brockport, Iona, St. Anselm and Southern Maine are all winless at the Classic … UConn’s last Classic Title was in 1999-00 against Sacred Heart, its second championship victory since the start of the Classic … The 2003-04 Classic marks the 11th consecutive year of the tournament … The Classic has had four different homes since its first year during the 1993-94 season … The Veteran’s Rink in West Hartford (1 year), the International Skating Center in Simsbury (2 years), the Norwich Ice Rink (2 years) and now the UConn Ice Arena (6 years).
Connecticut Huskies
With two wins over strong College Hockey America opponents and two others against rivals in the Atlantic Hockey Association, the Huskies have enjoyed a good measure of success in the first half of the 2003-04 season. With more than half the UConn team being made up of freshmen, this could be tabbed as a "rebuilding" year for the Huskies. However, many of the freshmen have been solid contributors, and with a small but strong core of veteran leadership, the Huskies look to continue to make strides as they move into the major portion of their AHA schedule this season.
UConn started the season with eight games on the road, and came home having won two big contests over Alabama-Huntsville and AHA opponent Canisius. The Huskies then returned for a five-game homestand, and picked up another AHA win over American International, as well as a big win over CHA member Bemidji State. Prior to having two weeks off in December, the Huskies faced league-leading Holy Cross for the second time this season, and lost by a score of 4-2. UConn suffered a disappointment upon their return from the break when they lost 4-3 in overtime at Vermont.
Junior Beau McLaughin and sophomore Chris Uber lead the team in points with 10 apiece, with McLaughin leading the team in goals with five, and Uber leading in assists with seven. Freshmen Trevor Stewart, Cole Koidahl and Bill Magnuson have all made significant contributions this season, and each have goals and assists that combine to eight points. Freshman goaltender Scott Tomes has played in 13 of UConn’s 14 games, compiling a record of 4-5-3. He has made 349 saves while allowing just 42 goals for a saves percentage of .893.
Air Force Falcons
Although just barely under the .500 mark for wins this season, the Falcons have struggled in the College Hockey America conference with just one win in six games. However, Air Force has a strong tradition of winning against all three opponents they may face at the UConn Hockey Classic, and will be looking to continue that trend and build confidence that will help them record more "w’s" down the stretch. In their most recent regular-season game, the Falcons defeated Findlay 5-2 after tying them 1-1 the day before. The tie snapped a four-game losing streak for Air Force. Should the Falcons face Bentley on day two of the tournament, they will find an opponent they have defeated three of three times so far this year, and if they face UConn, they face a foe they have defeated all eight times the two squads have met. Air Force will first meet Sacred Heart, a team they defeated the only two times they’ve met back in 2000.
Senior forward Spanky Leonard leads the Falcons with six goals and nine assists for 15 points, and has tallied four of Air Force’s 12 power play goals this season. Sophomore Mike Knaeble is second on the team in points with 12 (four goals, eight assists), and has scored three of his team’s five shorthanded goals this year. Sophomore Matt Bader, senior Shane Saum and Junior Ryan Wiggins all have 10 points apiece, with Bader leading the team in goals with seven. Saum and Wiggins have both notched two power play goals, while Knaeble has scored two shorthanded goals.
Senior goaltender Mike Polidor has played in 15 of the Falcons’ 16 games, making 335 saves and allowing just 40 goals for a saves percentage of .893. Polidor’s record in net is 6-7-1, and his goals allowed average is 2.90.
Bentley Falcons
Head coach Ryan Soderquist and his young squad have struggled to find wins this season, racking up just one "W" despite having four losses come with a one-goal deficit. The Falcons won their second game of the season against American International on Oct. 11, and have failed to record any since. Bentley most recently tied possible tournament opponent Sacred Heart on Dec. 5, which was meant to be the first of a two-game series, but inclement weather forced game two to be postponed until early January. The Falcons will be looking for their first Atlantic Hockey Association win at the tournament when they face UConn, because their win against AIC was not counted as a conference game. Bentley has lost three times this season to possible day two tournament opponent Air Force, and has gone 0-1-1 against their other possible day two opponent, Sacred Heart.
Sophomore Paul Markarian leads the Falcons with six goals and three assists for nine points, and has scored five of Bentley’s 11 power play goals this year. Junior Seth Vinocur has yet to tally a goal this season, but has recorded eight assists to rank second on the team in points. The Falcons have just two seniors on the roster this year, and eight of the team’s nine leading goal scorers are underclassmen. Penalties have hurt the offensive chances of the team, who has recorded nearly 100 more minutes in the box than their opponents. Junior goaltender Simon St. Pierre has played in 11 complete games for the Falcons, making 336 saves while allowing just 36 goals for a saves percentage of .903.
Sacred Heart Pioneers
After a 0-6-0 start to the 2003-04 season, including a 0-3-0 start against Atlantic Hockey opponents, the Pioneers have won four of their last seven games and have risen to third place in the conference. Sacred Heart is currently 4-8-1 overall and 4-4-1 in AHA contests. Most recently, the Pioneers suffered a 7-2 loss to non-conference opponent Colgate on Dec. 12. Sacred Heart will meet Air Force in their opening game at the Classic, a team they lost to twice in 2000 in the only two games the two teams have played. The Pioneers have participated in the Classic only one time prior to this year, when they went 1-1 with a win over Findlay and a loss to UConn in the 1999-2000 season.
Senior Mike Regan leads the team with five goals and six assists for 11 points, while freshman Pierre-Luc O’Brien is close behind with five goals and five assists for 10 points. Each have tallied two power play goals, while Regan also has a shorthanded and a game-winning goal to his credit. Leading the team in goals is senior Marc-Andre Fournier with six, including three power play tallies, while sophomore Peter Giatrelis has scored five timely goals as three of them have been game-winners.
Junior goaltender Kevin LaPointe has a 4-6-1 record this season, with a 3.08 goals against average and a .907 saves percentage after making 330 saves while allowing just 34 goals. Freshman Jason Smith is the only other player to have seen action in net, with a 0-2-0 record and a saves percentage of .873.
Eighth-year head coach Shaun Hannah may reach a milestone at the Classic. If his Pioneers can record just one win over the weekend, Hannah will record his 100th career victory.
