The Mercyhurst University women’s hockey team gained one spot in the latest USCHO.com Division I poll, which was released Monday. The Lakers (2-0-0), which swept a season-opening series with College Hockey America newcomer Rochester Institute of Technology this past weekend, passed Northeastern (0-0-0) for the ninth spot with 34 voting points.
Defending national champion Minnesota (2-0-0) retained the No. 1 spot after sweeping Colgate by a combined 18-0 score this past weekend. Cornell (0-0-0) and Boston College (0-0-0) moved up one spot to second and third, respectively, despite not playing any games. Wisconsin fell to fourth from second after a win and tie against unranked Minnesota State-Mankato. North Dakota (0-0-0), Boston University (0-0-0), St. Lawrence (0-0-0) and Minnesota Duluth (0-0-0) rounded out the top 10.
Quinnipiac (0-0-0), which hosts Mercyhurst Friday and Saturday, made the honorable mention list with two points.

What: Mercyhurst College (7-9-1) at Ledyard Bank Classic

When: Thursday at Dartmouth (6-4-1), 7 p.m.; Friday vs. No. 5 Boston College (11-5-0) or Colgate (3-12-1), 4 or 7 p.m.

Where: Thompson Arena – Hanover, N.H.

On the air: www.dartmouthsports.com (Internet video and radio)*

Players to watch

Mercyhurst – Sr. G Ryan Zapolski (6-6-0 record, 2.70 goals-against average, .920 save percentage, 1 shutout), Sr. F Steve Cameron (6-8-14), Sr. F Scott Pitt (5-8-13), Fr. F Daniel O’Donoghue (5-6-11), Sr. F Ryan Raven (6-5-11)

Dartmouth – Fr. F Matt Lindblad (6-7-13), Jr. G James Mello (5-1-1, 1.67, .945, 1 SO), Jr. F Nick Walsh (7-5-12), Jr. F Doug Jones (1-11-12), Sr. F Scott Fleming (4-6-10)

Boston College – Jr. F Cam Atkinson (14-7-21), Sr. F Brian Gibbons (7-13-20), Sr. G John Muse (10-3-0, 1.87, .939), Sr. F Joe Whitney (2-13-15), Jr. D Paul Carey (6-7-13)

Colgate – Jr. F Austin Smith (4-10-14), Sr. F Brian Day (8-5-13), Sr. F Francois Brisebois (4-9-13), So. F Robbie Bourdon (5-7-12), Jr. G Alex Evin (3-8-1, 2.84. .902, 2 SO)

Fast facts

Mercyhurst – The Lakers begin the second half with their final two non-conference games of the season. They finish their schedule with 15 straight Atlantic Hockey Association games. … They are 2-2-1 in non-conference games (road tie against nationally ranked Michigan, two home losses to Western Michigan, two home wins against Alabama-Huntsville). … The Lakers face Dartmouth for the first time in the program’s 24-year history. The Big Green are one of only eight schools in the 58-team NCAA Division I that haven’t faced Mercyhurst (Boston University, Harvard, Massachusetts-Lowell, Merrimack, Northern Michigan, Providence and North Dakota). … Junior D Kevin Noble (lower-body injury) will miss his fifth and sixth straight games. But coach Rick Gotkin said he could rejoin the lineup for next weekend’s series at Connecticut. … The Lakers have four power-play goals in the past four games after totaling five in their previous 13 games. … Pitt and Cameron became the 13^th and 14^th players to reach 100 career points in the program’s Division I history in the two-game sweep of UAH. They are the Lakers’ first 100-point teammates since Ben Cottreau and Scott Champagne in 2006-07.

Dartmouth – The Big Red received 36 votes in the latest USCHO.com poll – 13 shy of reaching the top 20. … They are 5-2-1 in the past eight games. … They have the nation’s seventh-best offense (3.64 goals per game) and rank among the top 20 in scoring defense (2.55 goals per game). … Mello ranks second nationally in goals-against average and save percentage.

Boston College – The Eagles have won three of their four national championships in the past decade (2001, 2008, 2010). … Sophomores Chris Kreider, Brian Dumoulin and Patrick Wey are representing the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo. … BC has 11 NHL draft picks, including Atkinson (Columbus), Carey (Colorado), Kreider (N.Y. Rangers) and Wey (Washington). … The Eagles have faced Mercyhurst once – a 5-4 win in the 2005 NCAA Tournament.

Colgate – The Raiders have seven NHL draft picks, led by Smith (Dallas). … They are 1-5 against the Lakers, with their last meeting in 2004-05. … They have lost three straight, all to AHA teams (Niagara, Robert Morris twice), and 10 of their last 11. … They will face BC for the first time since 1983-84.

Up next: at Connecticut (Jan. 7-8, 7:05 p.m.)

* Today’s game only

– Victor Fernandes

What: Colgate (5-10-0) at No. 3 Mercyhurst College (9-2-0)

When: Saturday, 2 p.m.

Where: Tullio Arena

On the air: www.americaone.com (Internet video)

Players to watch

Mercyhurst – Jr. G Hillary Pattenden (9-2-0 record, 2.06 goals-against average, .907 save percentage, 1 shutout), Sr. F Meghan Agosta (13 goals, 12 assists, 25 points), Sr. F Vicki Bendus (8-14-22), Jr. F Bailey Bram (8-9-17), Sr. F Jesse Scanzano (4-12-16)

Colgate – So. F Brittany Phillips (6-6-12), So. F Jenna Klynstra (6-3-9), So. D Jordan Brickner (1-6-7), Jr. D Amanda Kirwan (1-6-7), Fr. F Jocelyn Simpson (3-3-6)

Bailey Bram (Contributed/Mercyhurst College)

Fast facts

Mercyhurst – Bram (ill) rejoins the lineup after being hospitalized last week. … D Samantha Watt (concussion) won’t play today. … Freshman F Christie Cicero returned to game action last weekend at Wayne State after missing the previous month with a leg injury. … The Lakers have won 14-of-18 career meetings with the Raiders (14-2-2), including 8-3 and 8-2 wins at Mercyhurst Ice Center last season. … Agosta leads NCAA Division I with 2.50 points per game and trails Quinnipiac freshman F Kelly Babstock (27 points), Ohio State junior F Laura McIntosh (26) and Boston College senior F Kelli Stack (26) in overall scoring. … Agosta is third in goals per game (1.30) and tied for fourth in goals. … Bendus (1.40), Agosta (1.20) and Scanzano (1.09) are among the top five in assists per game. … The Lakers rank second to Wisconsin in scoring offense (5.50 goals per game to 5.36). … Junior F Jess Jones (4-5-9) had a five-point outing and seven total points in the two-game sweep of Wayne State last weekend.

Colgate – The Raiders are 1-3 against ranked opponents this season. They lost to then-No. 9 Boston College 4-0 on Oct. 8, defeated then-No. 9 New Hampshire 1-0 in overtime the next day, lost to then-No. 10 Providence 2-1 in overtime on Oct. 16 and fell to then-No. 10 Harvard 3-1 on Nov. 6. … Their only wins against Mercyhurst were in the 2004-05 season (3-0) and in 2008-09 (4-3). … Colgate, a member of ECAC Hockey, enter today off a 4-3 loss to Syracuse, the Lakers’ College Hockey America rival … The Raiders face their first non-conference road game of the season.

Up next: vs. Niagara (Dec. 3, 7 p.m., Dec. 4, 2 p.m.)

- Victor Fernandes

What: Army (2-4-0, 1-3-0 AHA) at Mercyhurst College (1-4-1, 1-2-0)

When: Friday and Saturday, 7:05 p.m.

Where: Mercyhurst Ice Center

On the air: www.americaone.com (Internet video), www.wmce.com (Internet radio)

Players to watch

Mercyhurst – Sr. G Ryan Zapolski (1-1-0 record, 3.54 goals-against average, .911 save percentage), Fr. F Taylor Holstrom (2-2-4), Sr. F Ryan Raven (3-1-4), Sr. F Steve Cameron (1-2-3), So. F Paul Chiasson (2-1-3)

Army – Sr. F Cody Omilusik (3-0-3), So. F Andy Starczewski (2-3-5), Jr. F Bryant Skarda (3-1-4), Jr. D Marcel Alvarez (1-3-4), Sr. G Jay Clark (1-4-0, 2.97, .911)

Fast facts

Mercyhurst – The Lakers snapped an eight-game winless streak dating to last February with a 6-2 win at Air Force last weekend. … On that night, Rick Gotkin (400-276-53 record in 23 seasons) became the 36^th NCAA men’s hockey coach to reach the 400-win mark. “That number is more a reflection of our program than it is of me,” he said. … Senior Fs Cameron (flu), Brandon Coccimiglio (upper-body injury) and Mike Gurtler (lower-body injury) didn’t travel to the game at Air Force. Cameron and Gurtler will play this weekend. Coccimiglio remains out of the lineup. … These teams meet for the only time this season. … The Lakers are unbeaten in six straight games against the Black Knights (4-0-2) and hold a 23-9-2 series lead. Mercyhurst has won 16-of-18 meetings at MIC (16-1-1). … Freshman F Daniel O’Donoghue (2-2-4) scored his first two career goals against Air Force. … Senior F Scott Pitt (1-2-3) needs six points to reach 100 in his career. … Zapolski, an Erie native, made 32 saves against the Falcons.

Army – The Black Knights have responded to a season-opening, four-game losing streak (including Atlantic Hockey Association losses to Holy Cross, Colgate and Canisius) with consecutive wins against Canisius and Massachusetts, a Hockey East Association school. … Army concludes a season-high, five-game road trip this weekend. They begin a six-game home stand Nov. 19. … So G Ryan Leets earned the win and had an assist against UMass last weekend in his first career start and second career game. … Junior Bill Day scored a goal against UMass in the former defenseman’s first game at forward.

Up next: at Robert Morris (Nov. 19, 7:05 p.m.)

- Victor Fernandes

The Mercyhurst College women’s hockey team and Erie Otters will play three day-night doubleheaders at Tullio Arena this season. The games are a lead-in to the NCAA Women’s Division I Frozen Four, set for March 18-20 at the downtown arena, Lakers coach Michael Sisti said Monday.

The Lakers have moved three games – Nov. 27 against Colgate and a two-game series with Brown on Jan. 14-15 – from Mercyhurst Ice Center to Tullio Arena. All three games are scheduled for 2 p.m. starts, said Casey Wells, Erie County Convention Center Authority executive director.

The Otters have home games against Kitchener on Nov. 27, Barrie on Jan. 14 and London on Jan. 15. All three games begin at 7 p.m.

“(The Tullio staff will have) extra people with locker rooms and things to juggle,” Sisti said. “It’s a nice trial run for everyone to get used to things and to smooth out anything as they get closer to hosting the (Frozen) Four.”

- Victor Fernandes

Otters-Lakers doubleheader schedule

at Tullio Arena

Nov. 27

Colgate at Mercyhurst, 2 p.m.

Kitchener at Erie, 7 p.m.

Jan. 14

Brown at Mercyhurst, 2 p.m.

Barrie at Erie, 7 p.m.

Jan. 15

Brown at Mercyhurst, 2 p.m.

London at Erie, 7 p.m.

HAVERHILL, Mass. - The College Hockey America coaches have voted who they believe will take the regular0season crown for the 2010-11 season.  Last year’s tournament champion and NCAA Frozen Four Semifinalist, Mercyhurst, which collected 16 points and four first-place votes, is this season’s top choice, as selected by the coaches.

The Lakers prevailed over Syracuse in the CHA Tournament, 3-1, to garner their tenth straight conference crown. Mercyhurst defeated Boston University in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Division I Tournament, before falling to Cornell in the national semifinals, 3- 2 in overtime, in Minneapolis, Minn.

Syracuse, last year’s tournament runner-up has been chosen second by the coaches.  The Orange earned the last first-place vote and totaled 13 points.  Following Syracuse is Niagara, which collected 10 points, followed by Robert Morris (7 points) and Wayne State (4 points).

Exhibition contests kick off the start of the CHA season on Saturday as Wilfrid Laurier travels to Erie to face Mercyhurst at 2 p.m, while Wayne State makes the trek to Toronto to face York at 7 p.m.  The regular season will start the following weekend with all five institutions in action in non-conference matches.  Mercyhurst will host St. Cloud State, while Niagara will take on Quinnipiac.

Robert Morris faces Providence, as Wayne State will drop the puck against Bemidji State.  All four of those series will be a two-game series.  Syracuse will play a single game on Oct. 1, as the Orange will host Northeastern.

The 2011 Tournament will take place in Syracuse, N.Y. at Tennity Rink with the first round taking place on March 4.  The semifinals will be the next night on March 5, with the championship game o March 6.

- From CHA news release

2010-11 College Hockey America Preseason Coach’s Poll

(First Place votes)

1.                        Mercyhurst (4)                        16

2.                        Syracuse (1)                        13

3.                        Niagara                        10

4.                        Robert Morris                        7

5.                        Wayne State                        4

Vicki Bendus (Contributed/Mercyhurst College)

The Mercyhurst College women’s hockey team will play 32 games during the 2010-11 season, including a home-and-home series against 2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Frozen Four opponent Cornell and a regular-season contest against perennial power Wisconsin.

“As always, we have a very tough road ahead of us,” said head coach Michael Sisti, who released the details of the schedule Monday evening. “Playing a schedule like this helps us compete against the teams in our league and prepares us for a deep run in the playoffs.”

Twelve opponents representing all four women’s hockey conferences will face the Lakers this season. Four teams hail from ECAC Hockey, three from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and one from the Hockey East Association (HEA), in addition to the four teams that are scheduled from the Lakers’ conference, College Hockey America (CHA). Altogether, the Lakers own a combined 164-33-12 record against opponents on their schedule.

The schedule will be one of the toughest the team has ever faced, with 18-0f-32 games taking place on the road, including six against teams that were ranked in the top 10 last season. Fourteen games and one exhibition are set for the Mercyhurst Ice Center.

Mercyhurst opens the year with its first three games at home, beginning with an exhibition contest against Canadian university Wilfred Laurier on Sept. 25. The season officially opens with a two-game series against St. Cloud State on Oct. 1-2.

The Lakers then play eight of their next nine games on the road, starting with back-to-back weekend series at Maine (Oct. 8-9) and Bemidji State (Oct. 15-16). After a home game against Robert Morris (Oct. 29), the Lakers travel to Cornell (Nov. 2) and Niagara (Nov. 6) before opening CHA play at Wayne State (Nov. 20-21).

Returning from Detroit, Mercyhurst welcomes Colgate (Nov. 27) and Niagara (Dec. 3-4) to Erie for its first home games in almost a month. A pair of road contests at St. Lawrence await to close out the first half of the season on Dec. 10-11.

After the winter break, Mercyhurst stays on the road for its first two games of the new year, taking part in the 2011 Easton Holiday Showcase in St. Cloud, Minn. The Lakers face host St. Cloud State on Jan. 1 and Wisconsin on Jan. 2, their first meeting with the Badgers since the 2009 NCAA Women’s Frozen Four title game.

Home series against Syracuse (Jan. 7-8) and Brown (Jan. 14-15) and a game against Cornell (Jan. 18) welcome the Lakers back home and prepare them for their fourth four-game road trip of the season to close out the month of January.

Mercyhurst wraps up the final month of the regular season with a visit from Wayne State (Feb. 4-5) and a trip to Syracuse (Feb. 11-12) before hosting Robert Morris on Feb. 25.

The 2011 CHA Championship Tournament will be hosted by Syracuse on Mar. 3-5 at the Tennity Ice Pavilion in Syracuse, N.Y. Mercyhurst will host the 2011 Women’s Frozen Four on March 18-20 at Tullio Arena.

- From Mercyhurst College news release, staff reports

Rick Gotkin (Contributed/USCHO.com)

Head coach Rick Gotkin of the Mercyhurst College men’s hockey team released Monday the details of the Lakers’ 2010-11 schedule, highlighted by 18 regular-season home games, a date with perennial power Michigan and a possible meeting against defending NCAA Division I champion Boston College.

“We’re very excited and really looking forward to this season,” said coach Gotkin, who is sitting on 399 wins entering his 23rd season at Mercyhurst. “We want to have a challenging schedule to prepare our players for the road ahead. Playing teams such as Michigan and Boston College gives us the experience to tackle the teams in our conference. Our league has gotten better and better over the years, and with the addition of Robert Morris and Niagara this season, it’s probably the toughest it’s ever been.”

The Lakers will play 34 regular-season games and two exhibition contests in their 24th season of intercollegiate play. Twenty-seven of those games will be against teams from Atlantic Hockey Association, while the remaining seven put the Lakers up against foes from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC Hockey), and possibly Hockey East (HEA).

Unlike previous years, Gotkin and his squad won’t have an opportunity to get a tune-up in before their first game as they head straight to Ann Arbor, Mich., to face Michigan on Oct. 2 at Yost Ice Arena. It will be the season opener for both squads and the first time the Lakers and Wolverines faced off against each other since a 5-3 loss in the 2003-04 season.

After the bout with the Wolverines, the Lakers return home to open the doors to the Mercyhurst Ice Center with a five-game home stand, beginning with an exhibition contest against Queens University, a Kingston, Ontario, school, on Oct. 3. A two-game series against Western Michigan (Oct. 15-16) follows before Canisius comes to town on Oct. 19 and the United States Under-18 National Team for another exhibition on Oct. 24.

The Lakers resume league play for the next 11 games, beginning with consecutive road singles at Niagara (Oct. 29) and Air Force (Nov. 5). The next five contests feature a pair of two-game home series against Army (Nov. 12-13) and American International (Nov. 26-27) sandwiched around a game at Robert Morris on Nov. 19. A trip to Sacred Heart (Dec. 3-4) and a home series against Rochester Institute of Technology (Dec. 10-11) close out the stretch and lead the team into non-conference action for the rest of the month.

Following a series against former Division II rival Alabama-Huntsville (Dec. 16-17) at home, the Lakers will have two weeks off before taking part in the 2010 Ledyard Bank Classic in Hanover, N.H., where they will face Dartmouth (Dec. 30) in the opening game and either Boston College or Colgate, depending on the outcome, the next day.

Mercyhurst has not faced Boston College since a 5-4 setback in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Division I Tournament.

Atlantic Hockey play then heats up again as the Lakers open up the second half of the season on the road at Connecticut (Jan. 7-8), followed by a home series against Holy Cross (Jan. 14-15) and a trip to Bentley (Jan. 21-22). Mercyhurst closes out its three-game season series with RIT in Rochester, N.Y. on Jan. 29, taking the team into the final month of the regular season.

Back-to-back home-and-home series kick off the month of February with the Lakers facing Niagara (Feb. 4-5) and Robert Morris (Feb. 11-12). Both series will have Mercyhurst on the road for the first contest. Air Force (Feb. 18-19) then closes out its series with a pair at the Mercyhurst Ice Center before the regular-season finale against Canisius on Feb. 25 on the road and Feb. 26 in Erie.

- From Mercyhurst news release