Monday, November 19, 2012

College hockey round-up, Week 6

Boston College continued its early-season roll over the weekend, winning its ninth straight game and remaining atop the new weekly Division I poll.

The Eagles moved to 9-1-0 and gave head coach Jerry York his 922nd career victory with a come-from-behind home victory over Merrimack on Friday night. Down 3-0 in the second period, Steven Whitney, Patrick Wey and Danny Linell tallied to tie the game, then Whitney's second of the contest coming with 7:22 left in regulation was the winner.

York, who is two away from tying Ron Mason's record of 924 wins and three away from setting a new record, will have a prime chance to achieve immortality by the time his kids complete their next three outings: hosting undefeated and suddenly-ranked Dartmouth this Saturday and then a home-and-home, nationally-televised weekend set with Boston University on November 30 and December 1.

Unlike last week, it was not a unanimous decision.

Denver remained at No. 2 and picked up a pair of first-place votes, while New Hampshire ascended to No. 3 along with one first-place mention.

The Pioneers made their surge thanks to a pair of victories over Colorado College (6-2, 6-5) to run their record to 9-1-0, while the Wildcats took home their third and fourth wins in a row after dispatching UMass-Lowell on Friday (3-0) and BU on Sunday (3-1). Denver and New Hampshire (8-1-1) will meet on Saturday at Magness Arena in Colorado's capital. Wildcats goaltender Casey DeSmith was virtually impenetrable, eventually stretching his personal-best and school-record shutout streak to 203:32.

Minnesota and Miami of Ohio both dropped one spot to fourth and fifth, respectively. The Golden Gophers fell despite a win and tie (2-2, 3-1) against perennial WCHA rivals Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday at Mariucci Arena, while the RedHawks slipped despite a tie and win (2-2, 2-0) against CCHA foe Michigan State.

The top 10 was rounded out by Notre Dame, North Dakota, Union College, Western Michigan and Boston University. For the former Fighting Sioux, Flyers prospect and sophomore Michael Parks made his season debut in Friday's 4-4 tie against Minnesota-Duluth, but left before the end of the game with an undisclosed injury.

More bad luck for Philly 2012 selection Anthony Stolarz of Nebraska-Omaha...while the Mavericks were off this weekend, word came down last Tuesday that fellow netminder John Faulkner was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week after stopping 61-of-66 shots in two victories against UMD.

A reminder that Penn State enjoyed the week off, and will return to the ice for two games at Union after the holiday.

Princeton received a sound drubbing on the road in upstate New York last weekend. On Friday, the other Orange and Black managed to hold on for a 3-3 tie with St. Lawrence, then wound up on the wrong end of a 7-2 decision at neighbor Clarkson on Saturday. The Tigers continue their seven-game road swing this weekend, playing Sacred Heart on Friday afternoon in Fairfield, CT and then UMass-Lowell at Tsongas Arena on Saturday afternoon.

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