Hockey East Online

	Hockey East Player of the Week James Marcou of Massachusetts

WAKEFIELD, Mass. -- Northeastern and Vermont came away with splits in their WCHA road series at Colorado College and Denver, respectively, while No. 10 ranked UMass-Lowell placed second in the 13th annual Ice Breaker Tournament. Massachusetts also opened its season with a 5-2 win over Rensselaer at the Mullins Center on Thursday night.

Hockey East Player of the Week James Marcou (King Park, N.Y.) paced the Minutemen in a 5-2 win on Thursday night, tying a career-high with four assists. New Hampshire also faced RPI on Saturday and was defeated by a score of 3-1.

No. 15 Vermont fell to No. 2 Denver on Friday, 5-4, but came back strong on Saturday with a 6-4 victory at Magness Arena. Brayden Irwin (Toronto, Ont.) tallied a four-point (2g,2a) weekend, while teammate Jack Downing (New Canaan, Conn.) recorded three points (2g,1a).

The Huskies rebounded from a 4-2 loss to Colorado College on Friday and posted a 4-3 victory on Saturday at the World Arena. Chris Donovan (Fairfax Station, Va.) and Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Week Garrett Vermeersch (Macomb, Mich.) notched three points apiece on the weekend.

No. 10 UMass-Lowell shutout St. Lawrence on Friday night, 3-0, in its opener and was edged by host Nebraska-Omaha on Saturday, 4-3. Senior forward Kory Falite (Billerica, Mass.) had a four-point weekend (2g,2a) for the River Hawks and was named to the Ice Breaker All-Tournament Team

Providence College opened its season officially on Saturday night with a 2-1 win vs. Holy Cross at Schneider Arena, after a 6-3 exhibition loss to New Brunswick on Friday night. Sophomore goalie Alex Beaudry (Cumberland, Ont.) made 33 saves for the Friars on Saturday night, earning him Pure Hockey Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career.

Merrimack dropped a pair of games at No. 8 North Dakota over the weekend, which included a 3-2 loss on Saturday. Junior forward Chris Barton (Calgary, Alb.) scored three of the Warriors four goals on the weekend.

The University of Maine also lost twice at Union College. Freshman forward Adam Shemansky (Robbinsville, N.Y.) registered a goal in each of his first two collegiate games for the Black Bears.

No. 3 Boston University and No. 12 Boston College downed the U.S. Under-18 Team in exhibition action by scores of 6-3 and 3-2, respectively. BC freshman forward Chris Kreider (Boxford, Mass.) lit the lamp with two goals vs. Team USA.

Cam Atkinson, BC (So., F, Greenwich, Conn.) Tallied a game-high three points (1g,2a) in BC’s 6-3 preseason victory over the U.S. U-18 National Team.

Chris Barton, MC (Jr., F, Calgary, Alb.) Netted three of Merrimack’s four goals this weekend, including both goals in a 3-2 loss to North Dakota on Saturday.

Nick Bonino, BU (Jr., F, Unionville, Conn.) Scored BU’s first goal against the U.S. Under-18 Team for his second tally of the preseason

Andrew Braithwaite, MC (Sr., G, Kingston, Ont) Stopped 32 shots in a 3-2 loss to #6 UND, including 28 in the final two periods.

Bobby Butler, UNH, (Sr., F, Marlboro, Mass.) Butler scored a power play goal in UNH’s 3-1 loss at Rensselaer.

Rocco Carzo, UMass (Fr., F, Media, Pa.) Scored his first career goal, the game-winning goal, in a 5-2 win over RPI.

Chris Donovan, NU (Sr., F, Fairfax Station, Va.) Posted a three-point showing on Saturday in the 4-3 victory at Colorado College.

Jack Downing, UVM (Jr., F, New Canaan, Conn.) Notched two goals and had an assist in a weekend spilt at No. 1 Denver.

Kory Falite, UML (Sr., F, Billerica, Mass.) Tallied four points (2g, 2a) at the Ice Breaker. Sas named to the Ice Breaker All-Tournament Team.

Carter Hutton, UML (Sr., G, Thunder Bay, Ont.) Recorded a .915 save% in a weekend split with SLU and UNO. He shutout SLU, making 24 saves.

Brayden Irwin, UVM (Sr., F, Toronto, Ont.) Scored two goals and had two assists in a weekend split at No. 1 Denver.

Matt Irwin, UMass (So., D, Brentwood Bay, B.C.) Posted his first career two-goal night and finished with three points (2g, 1a) in UMass’ win over RPI.

Chris Kreider, BC (Fr., F, Boxford, Mass.) Scored twice, including an shorthanded score, in BC’s 6-3 exhibition win over the U.S. U-18 National Team.

Daniel New, PC (So., D, White Plains, N.Y.) Scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in a 2-1 win over Holy Cross in the season opener.

Gustav Nyquist, Maine (So., F, Malmo, Sweden) Registered two goals in Maine’s weekend series at Union.

Joe Pereira, BU (Jr., F, West Haven, Conn.) Scored the game-winning goal in the 3-2 exhibition win over U.S. Under-18 Team

Adam Shemansky, Maine (Fr., F, Robbinsville, N.J.) Posted two goals on the weekend for the Black Bears at Union College.

Greg Cronin, NORTHEASTERN 150th game as Huskies head coach with Saturday’s win

James Marcou, UMass (Kings Park, N.Y.) His four assists moves him into 19th all-time at UMass with 83 career points

Oct. 11, 2003: UMass defeats UMass Lowell 3-2 as part of a 4-0 start to the season that ended with the Minutemen as Hockey East Finalists. It was the program’s best start since 1971-72 when UMass was 6-0 en route to the ECAC Division II National Title.

Oct. 12, 2001: Blaise MacDonald wins his first game as UMass Lowell’s head coach, beating his former team, Niagara University, 7-3 in the Tsongas Arena.

It was exactly 40 years ago this month that I first stepped on the ice as a college freshman, starting a career in college hockey that continues to today. The start of the season remains an exciting mix of the familiar and the new. We welcome the site of returning players we enjoyed the year before. Our eyes catch a glimpse of why highly touted freshmen were so heavily recruited. We run into people we last saw in late March or early April. Every team has a chance for a special year.

Believe it or not, there was a time when the start of the season coincided with Thanksgiving, not with the opening games of the Major League Baseball postseason. But here we are, checking scores of the Patriots, the Bruins, the Red Sox and our favorite college hockey team all at the same time. It is a much-welcomed ritual, checking scores. But how we check them has changed so much in recent years. We used to call press boxes or wait until the morning paper arrived. Now mobile devices let us check updated scores in real time. Real time video on our hand held devices will soon be the norm.

Hockey East fans will have another new feature before long. Since the end of last season, the ten Hockey East athletic directors voted to install video replay equipment at all ten arenas. Some are up and running and the rest will be before the end of October. Each rink will be equipped with overhead cameras above the goals and a center ice camera to give officials multiple angles on all goals. Only the referee can initiate a replay and he will be governed by NCAA rules as to what he can review. A monitor at ice level will allow him to see the different camera angles as well as the time on the clock. There are also audio capabilities to assist in those situations where hearing a whistle could affect the outcome of a play. This should be a great tool for all officials in their quest to “get it right.”

So here we go, ready to start league play in this our 26th season of Hockey East. We have been spoiled in recent years by enjoying a pair of national championships. Whether a third is in the cards or not, let’s enjoy another ride.

Boston College: Each of BC’s three goaltenders saw one period of action in both preseason games. Junior John Muse (East Falmouth, Mass.), who underwent hip surgery late last April, started each exhibition in net. All totaled, the East Falmouth, Mass., native stopped 11 (of 12) first-period shots faced. Sophomore Chris Venti (Needham, Mass.) stopped 10 (of 11) shots faced in 40 minutes of action and freshman Parker Milner (Pittsburgh, Pa.) saved 15 (of 17) shots in 40 minutes of preseason play...Sophomore defenseman Tommy Cross (Simsbury, Conn.), who missed the final 12 games of the 2008-09 season, led all BC skaters in preseason play, totaling four points (2g,2a) and a plus-minus rating of +5 in two exhibition contests...Senior alternate captain Matt Lombardi (Milton, Mass.) tallied a game-high three points (2g,1a) in BC’s 4-1 preseason win over St. Francis Xavier on Sunday, Oct. 4.

Boston University: The Terriers will begin their 89th season on Friday (Oct. 16) when they visit Massachusetts for a 7 p.m. contest...BU raised its fifth national championship banner prior to Saturday’s exhibition victory over the U.S. Under-18 Team...Nine different Terriers recorded one point in the win...Last weekend, BU skated to a 2-2 tie with St. Francis Xavier thanks to goals from Corey Trivino (Toronto, Ont.) and Nick Bonino...For the first time ever, the Terriers enter a season with a roster that has more players from New York (5) than from Massachusetts (3).

Maine: Rookie Adam Shemansky scored two of Maine’s four goals on the weekend. He netted a goal in each game for the Black Bears… The other two were scored by sophomore Gustav Nyquist…Maine played seven rookies in each game at Union…A total of eight rookies saw action for Maine this weekend…The Black Bears had just two seniors in the lineup in addition to goalie Dave Wilson (Caledon East, Ont.)…Maine assistant captain Jeff Dimmen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) played in his 70th career game on the weekend, the most of anyone on the Maine squad.

Massachusetts: UMass was 4-for-11 (.364) on the power play against RPI (10/8)…Four different Minutemen scored goals in the win…The game against RPI was the earliest home opener in program history…UMass is now 59-3-1 in the last 63 games where the Minutemen score four-or-more goals…UMass is now 37-37-2 all-time in its season-opener dating back to 1908…Martin Nolet and Brett Watson are two of 20 nominees for the Lowes Senior CLASS Award – UMass is the only school to have two representatives.

UMaas-Lowell: The River Hawks went 1-1 this weekend, finishing second at the Ice Breaker Tournament in Omaha, Neb. UMass Lowell defeated St. Lawrence 3-0 on Friday afternoon—the first season opening shutout in program history and the first opening win since 2004-05. Carter Hutton saved all 24 shots he faced and Kory Falite tallied three points with a goal and two assists. Falite assisted on goals by Ben Holmstrom (Colorado Springs, Col.) and Maury Edwards (Rocky Rapids, Alb). The River Hawks were perfect on the penalty kill, stopping all three Saints’ chances. In the Ice Breaker Championship game, UMass Lowell suffered a tough 4-3 loss to host Nebraska-Omaha. Falite, Scott Campbell (Navan, Ont.) and Paul Worthington (Penndel, Pa.) each tallied goals in the loss. The River Hawks were one-for-three on the power play. During the weekend, freshman Riley Wetmore (Swanton, Vt.) earned his first collegiate point on Friday night with an assist and followed with a second assist on Saturday. UMass Lowell had two players named to the Ice Breaker All-Tournament Team: Falite with four points (2g, 2a), and Edwards with three points (1g, 2a). The River Hawks have an off week to prepare for their home-opener versus Colgate on Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.

Merrimack: Facing the Fighting Sioux for the first time in school history, Merrimack dropped a pair of games in Grand Forks…Debuting their new road jerseys, junior captain Chris Barton scored three of the Warriors’ four goals over the weekend…Senior Justin Bonitatibus (Walpole, Mass.) scored the first goal of the season for Merrimack, netting his first goal since October 20, 2007…Junior Matt Moulakelis (Hawthorne Woods, Ill.), who has played just eight games in two seasons, centered the second line in both games, making his first appearance since February 23, 2008. Moulakelis missed the last 37 games with an injury…Merrimack played in front of crowds of over 11,000 both nights, the most they have played in front of since making the Hockey East Semifinals in 1998…Merrimack played without freshman Stephane Da Costa (Paris, France) who has not been cleared by the NCAA…Kyle Bigos (Upland, Calif.) was the lone freshman in Friday’s opening night lineup…The Warriors, 5-0 in the their last two season against non-conference teams at home, host Holy Cross Friday and Army Saturday.

New Hampshire: UNH dropped its season opener at Rensselaer, 3-1 marking the first time the Wildcats dropped an opener since 1996...New Hampshire had won eight-straight heading into this season…Bobby Butler scored the Wildcats’ first goal of the 2009-10 season, he was the last UNH player to score a year ago tallying in a 2-1 loss to BU in the Northeast Regional Finals…The Wildcats return home to open against national finalist Miami. New Hampshire has won back-to-back home openers with wins over Wisconsin last season and Colorado College in 2007-08...Next weekend’s matchup with Miami will be the first against a CCHA foe since the 2007-08 season…This year’s three non-conference games out of the gate marks the first time the Wildcats have played more than two non-conference games to start the season since the 2005-06.

Northeastern: Senior forward Chris Donovan has taken charge offensively as he leads the Huskies with four points through two games. Donovan potted the game-winner on Saturday at Colorado College (4-2) en route to a three-point showing. The Fairfax Station, Va. native also registered an assist in the season opener...Rookie Garrett Vermeersch has made his early impression as the freshman has accounted for both of Northeastern’s power play goals this season. Vermeersch’s first-career goal game in Friday’s game at CC while his second came on the backend of the series along with a helper for three points through two games. Donovan and Vermeersch are two of four skaters to have accrued a mini-pointstreak through two games. Senior David Strathman logged an assist in each bout while sophomore Alex Tuckerman recorded a goal on Friday and an assist on Saturday for to get a streak started...Freshman Robbie Vrolyk also tasted his first-career goal for NU by tapping in the Huskies’ second goal of Saturday’s win, 4-2... Freshman Chris Rawlings overcame his nerves from the first night and earned his first victory at Colorado College, 4-3, for the Huskies by stopping 34 shots on 37 attempts. On Friday night, Rawlings surrendered four goals on the same number of shots.

Providence College: The Friars defeated Holy Cross, 2-1, on Saturday, marking their first regular-season opening win since 2004 …Sophomore Daniel New recorded a career-high two points, including the game winner. New also recorded his first collegiate goal against Holy Cross last season…Classmate Alex Beaudry made 33 saves to earn his first win of the season…The Friars will play the next four games on the road starting with two at Notre Dame on Thursday and Friday and two games at Bowling Green the following weekend…It will mark PC’s first ever trip to South Bend, Ind.

Vermont: The Catamounts split a weekend series at No. 1 Denver… Saturday’s victory over the Pioneers marked the first time Vermont hasn’t beaten the No. 1 ranked team since 2004…Prior to the victory Vermont’s last win against the nation’s top-ranked was on Oct. 29, 2004 in a 3-2 victory at Minnesota-Duluth…Sophomore goalie Rob Madore (Pittsburgh, Pa.) had 68 saves in the two games against DU…Freshmen Ben Albertson (Williston, Vt.), Anders Franzon (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) and Sebastian Stålberg (Gothenburg, Sweden) each picked up assists in their first career starts…Vermont is 19-16-6 against ranked opponents dating back to the start of the 2007-08 season…The Catamounts are 5-4-0 against WCHA teams since joining Hockey East.