This week on CCHA RinkRap: the diverging fates of two goalies; opposite approaches to exhibition games Saturday; a rousing Hockey Night in Ohio; and a barn closes in Sioux Falls.
Closing out the Sanford Center
It wasn’t exactly Shaquille O’Neal turning out the lights of the old Boston Garden when his Magic KO’d the Celtics in the 1995 NBA playoffs, but Minnesota State’s Sam Morton had a similar effect on the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls on Saturday. Trailing 1-0 in the third period, Morton scored the tying goal and assisted on the winner in the Mavericks’ 2-1 victory over Augustana, the final act in a riveting weekend series. It was the last foreseeable college hockey games in the 12,000-seat concert facility known more for giant trucks than goals and saves.
Augustana’s next home game will be January 26, at the school’s brand new Midco Arena, an on-campus gem that holds a cozy capacity of 3,082. The move represents a step forward for both a league and a program with a gigantic hockey upside based on the new arena and its dynamic young coach Garrett Raboin. Raboin now sports an IIHF gold medal from his role as assistant coach with victorious Team USA.
The games versus Minnesota State were a border war of sorts between Augustana and its closest CCHA neighbor (170 miles). It also represented a battle between the league’s future and its immediate past, Minnesota State having won the league title the past six seasons. It took a veteran from MSU’s two Frozen Fours to settle the skirmish, as Morton helped close out the series and the Sanford Center with his league-leading 14th and 15th goals to secure a tie and a victory for the reigning champs.
Morton has established himself as a bona-fide All-America candidate with his prolific goal scoring this season. Rather than wait near the goal mouth to clean up loose pucks, the speedy Morton chooses to carry the puck at every opportunity, daring to defenders to catch him if they seek to lay a glove on him.
His club trailed in both games this weekend, and Morton was involved in four of the Mavericks five total goals (2-2-4) in separate comebacks. A captain whose speed, rapid release and sheer will turned an Augustana sweep into a tie and a win for the visitors in purple. He is the only member of the new CCHA to have ever scored in a national championship game (2022) and is within two goals of the national goal scoring lead. If Minnesota State is to claim yet another MacNaughton Cup, Captain (all) America will be the driving force.
A Tale of Two Goalies
Augustana’s Zack Rose and Bowling ‘s Christian Stoever are pair of goalies whose career tracks appear intertwined. They were teammates for two seasons at Bowling Green, years colored by injury to Rose (labrum tears on both hips) and opportunity for Stoever—wresting the starting job from Rose. This past spring the teammates decided one program was too small for the two of them. BG coach Ty Eigner found himself mediating. “As goalies, they want to be in the net as much as possible.” Eigner delicately chose Stoever, and wished Rose the best in his future endeavors.
The worm has turned, starting on October 14. A healthy Zack Rose started for Augustana, outdueling Stoever’s BG Falcons for a 3-2 victory, the first in Vikings program history. Rose now leads Augustana goaltenders with 10 starts, while Stoever is the one plagued by injuries. His start Saturday vs Ohio State was Stoever’s first action in two months due to an injured wrist. Their respective performances this past weekend show how fickle the life of a college goaltender can be.
On Friday, Rose stoned Minnesota State in a shootout to gain the faux victory, turning aside 44 shots in a breathtaking performance. Seeing all that rubber put him in a zone.
“You don’t have time to think when shots are coming at you,” Rose said in the post game. “It makes the game easier mentally.”
Back at Bowling Green, there was nothing easy for Stoever in his first start since November 11. On Saturday he didn’t face a single Ohio State shot until the seven-minute mark, as the Falcons dominated play on home ice. Unlike Rose, Stoever had spent eight weeks thinking about the next shot, and it came from Cam Thiesing, a wrister Stoever wished he could have back. One shot, one goal allowed in two months.
Stoever regained his composure and was solid, but not stellar, in his seventh start. He coughed up the lead, taking the loss in a game the Falcons dominated for long stretches. While his former net mate Zack Rose is the toast of Sioux Falls, Stoever fights to regain his number one role at Bowling Green.
Two Exhibition Games, Two Different Philosophies
Both St. Thomas and Michigan Tech were playing regional rivals in exhibition games Saturday, but the two head coaches had opposite approaches to their respective contests.
Up at Northern Michigan, Tech coach Joe Shawhan left all four members of the Pietila family back in Houghton, turning the game into an audition for fourth-line minutes. Shawhan was in the stands for most of the game, but came to the bench in the third period just long enough to challenge a controversial call before returning to the stands. His patchwork squad lost by five goals, but you would never have known in the post game.
“You have to have some fun with the game,” Shawhan said with a smile. “Some of the guys got enjoyment out of it, and it wasn’t total frustration.”
St. Thomas coach Rico Blasi, on the other hand, didn’t have the luxury of winning a prestigious holiday tournament entering his club’s exhibition with Duluth. His Tommies were swept at Vermont over New Year’s, and he needed all their attention while hosting an in-state rival whose coach Tommy Sandelin has won three national titles. Blasi got the performance he sought, and St. Thomas ground out an impressive 3-1 win against one of the state’s brand name programs.
“We played our game and we were rewarded,” said Blasi to his squad in the post-game locker. “When we’re playing together . . . engaged and willing to pay the price, we’re a good team. We’ve only got four games in January in the league. You cannot take a period, a second for granted.”
There is an important sign behind Blasi as he addresses his troops: “Fides in Fratrem.” For those who have forgotten their Latin fundamentals, it roughly translates to “Trust in your brothers.” If the Tommies are to legitimately contend for the MacNaughton Cup in the second half, they must abide by that command.
Puck-Eye State . . . It’s not Minnesota, Michigan or Massachusetts, but Bowling Green hosted a racous hockey night Saturday at a packed Madhouse on Mercer, the latest rendition of the Battle of Ohio. Five thousand fans squeezed in under the aluminum roof to bellow their bloody heads off, witnessing a riveting tilt complete with lead changes, a half-dozen goals, clutch saves and heavy hits. Towering defender Scooter Brickey was played the roll of Darth Vader for the Buckeyes, an intimidating presence who scored his nation-leading (for defensemen) 8th goal for the visitors in Saturday’s win. Ohio State captured the unofficial crown in the Battle of Ohio.
described the goal as “an easy putt.”David Brown Friday night in Sioux Falls. Adroit announcer Callum Gau, originally considered a golf recruit, scored his 3rd goal of the season by finishing off a goal-mouth feed from Hayden Hennen could not make it back to Sioux Falls for the series with Minnesota State, but he and his gold medal made an appearance on the Sanford Center Jumbotron. His message of triumph fueled more hockey passion for the Vikings . . . Augustana D Garrett Raboin back in the Beavers den. Pohlkamp is the first Bemidji skater ever to medal in the World Juniors . . . Augustana coach Eric Pohlkamp has a four-game point streak (2-2-4) . . . Bemidji will see the return of gold medal defenseman Nick Hale. First, their penalty kill is a perfect 14-14 over the first four games since the break, and second, graduate transfer defenseman Bob Daniels' Ferris State shook off a seven-game losing streak Saturday, jumping on first place Bemidji early in their matinee and holding on for a 5-3 win. There are two very encouraging signs for veteran coach Loose Biscuits . . .