Brown Claims First Liberty Hockey Invitational

The inaugural Liberty Hockey Invitational in Newark, N.J. went to the Brown University Bears. The tournament, which was played on Oct. 25-26 at the Prudential Center, home of the NHL's New Jersey Devils, featured an all-ECAC field its first time out, including Brown, Dartmouth, host Princeton and defending NCAA champion Yale.

Brown bested Yale, 4-1, on Friday as Mark Naclerio notched two goals and an assist, while Princeton edged Dartmouth, 3-2 in overtime on Tucker Brockett's first career goal for the Tigers. On Saturday, Brown closed out matters by beating Dartmouth, 5-3, with Naclerio netting the game-winning goal and also setting up two other scores. Yale nipped Princeton, 3-2, as Nicholas Weberg scored twice, including the game-winner shorthanded  midway through regulation.

Naclerio and Brockett were both named to the All-Tournament Team, along with forward Stu Wilson (Yale), defensemen Brandon Pfeil (Brown) and Brett Patterson (Dartmouth), and goalie Sean Bonar (Princeton), according to goprincetontigers.com.

Despite published crowds of less than 2,000 per game, according to USCHO.com box scores, the Invitational is slated to return to Newark next fall.

Former UAH Netminder to Make NHL Debut Tonight

 
Former University of Alabama-Huntsville goaltender Cam Talbot will make his NHL debut tonight when the New York Rangers visit the Philadelphia Flyers. He will play in place of injured regular and 2012 Vezina Trophy winner Henrik Lundqvist.

"It's every kid's dream that grows up playing hockey to one day get the chance to play in the NHL," said Talbot in a game preview at NJ.com. "I just can't wait until that time comes. I'll have to approach it like any other game. It'll be tough to control those emotions, but I'll have to do my best to settle myself down and just focus on the game."

A native of Caledonia, Ont., Talbot, 26, played at UAH from 2007 to 2010. In three seasons with the Chargers, he posted a 15-44-6 record in 70 games with a 3.03 goals-against average, .909 save percentage, and three shut-outs. He also also led the Chargers to the final College Hockey America crown with a 43-save effort in the 2010 league title game against Niagara, and then closed out his college career with 36 stops in a 2-1 loss to Miami in an NCAA Midwest Regional semifinal, according to his career stats at USCHO.com.

After turning pro with Hartford (AHL) in 2010, playing in one game, the undrafted Talbot went 11-9-2 with the Wolfpack in 22 games (2.84, .902) the following season, according to hockeydb.com. He then played in 33 games with Connecticut (AHL) in 2011-12, finishing with a 14-15-1 record (2.61, .913) , before going 25-28-1 in a career-high 55 appearances (2.63, .918) with the Whale last season.

Face-off tonight at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia is slated for 7 p.m.

Cornell's Ryan Profiled at NYHJ

My latest feature story on Cornell University junior defenseman, New Jersey native and San Jose Sharks draft choice Joakim Ryan is up at New York Hockey Journal's web site.

No. 19 Cornell defeated York, 7-2, in an exhibition game on Oct. 19 in Ithaca, although Ryan did not play. The ECAC's Big Red open the 2013-14 NCAA regular season this weekend with a pair of games at Nebraska-Omaha.

Out with the Old at UND, Unfortunately

 
The old Ralph Engelstad Arena is now gone, but the memories live on.

The old coffee-brown steel barn, which served as the home of North Dakota Fighting Sioux Hockey from 1972 to 2001, met its demise in July and August to make way for a new UND indoor practice facility.

Former Sioux players have talked about the building and what it meant to them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7ZVay9qSi8

I never made it to the old Ralph myself, but it seemed like a neat place. The gateway to five NCAA titles and 11 combined WCHA regular-season and tournament crowns, it was more representative of a simpler time in college hockey than the palatial new Ralph Engelstad Arena on the UND campus that replaced it 12 years ago.

Remember When, indeed.

Off to a Fast, Strange Start

Sacred Heart defeats UMass Lowell? Bentley beats Nebraska Omaha? Alaska Anchorage outlasts Quinnipiac? One week into the Men's NCAA Division I season and it's already crazy time, I guess.

Other surprises over the weekend included Vermont skating to a tie in its rematch with North Dakota, Providence sweeping WCHA favorite Minnesota State, and Merrimack being blanked in a sweep at Denver. And in its first game ever at the brand-new Pegula Ice Arena (shown), Penn State topped Army, 4-1, on Friday night to help inaugurate the new Big Ten Conference.

All the scores from Oct. 10 through Oct. 13 can be found here at USCHO.com.

Here We Go Again

It begins once more.

Following last week’s slate of exhibition games against Canadian schools, along with a couple of non-conference outings, the 2013-14 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey campaign swings into full gear this weekend starting tonight, when Colgate visits RIT and Boston College drops in on Michigan. The schedule then picks up on Friday and Saturday with the Mariucci Classic in Minneapolis and the Kendall Classic in Anchorage, plus a slew of non-conference contests that will extend through Sunday afternoon when Rensselaer visits B.C.

Hard to believe it’s college hockey season again, with the MLB postseason and the NFL regular season both in full swing, and the NHL having just gotten underway itself. Still, just 184 days from now, a new Division I national champion will be crowned in Philadelphia.

The last six years have seen Yale, B.C., Minnesota-Duluth, B.C., Boston University, and B.C. skate off with the NCAA trophy. We’ll see if that trend continues, or if someone else will break through this time out in an even-numbered season. After last year’s national tournament, whereby Yale literally came out of nowhere to win it all, anything can—and most likely will—happen.

Buckle up.

Devils Come Up Short in B.C. Alum's Return to Vancouver, B.C.

Former Boston College goaltender Cory Schneider, who led the Eagles to two NCAA championship games in his three years at the Heights, came up short Tuesday night in his return to Vancouver, which selected him in the first round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

Traded to New Jersey on draft day back in June, Schneider made 29 saves but couldn't prevent the Devils from falling for a third straight game in extra time, as the host Canucks rallied for a 3-2 overtime victory on Oct. 8. Full story can be found here.

Schneider, 27, from Marblehead, Mass., backstopped B.C. from 2004 to 2007, and majored in finance. He posted 65 total victories in his tenure with the Eagles, and also earned First Team All-America accolades as a junior.

B.C. opens its 2013-14 campaign Thursday night at Michigan

10 Forwards to Take a Look At

Last year I looked at 10 goaltenders to watch in NCAA Division I for USCHO.com—this season it's 10 forwards to take a look at. Wish I could have had 20 players to post, but oh well.

Most of these skaters will be in 2013-14 action by this weekend,. As to who among them might possibly raise the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, and/or the NCAA championship trophy in six months time, well, your guess is as as good as mine at this point.

Anyway, time to drop the puck.