Recent Recipient of MN Cinematic Arts Award

Article Republished for HDM Minneapolis 2020

Peter Markle is a name familiar to many in Minnesota, whether you are a hockey fan or a movie buff.  I had the opportunity to talk to Peter while he was in town recently to receive his Cinematic Arts Award and we also went around several times via email to get his thoughts on a variety of related hockey and Hollywood subjects.

Hockey Background.

Markle was actually born in Pennsylvania and moved to Minnesota in first grade.  He lived in Edina on Minnehaha Blvd.  About youth hockey he said, “The Arden rink was right across the house next to the creek.  My dad and Stu McIntosh (Bruce’s dad) started the Edina parkboard hockey program.  It began with 4 teams and they built it up to over 600 kids when they turned it over.”

1970 US National Team – Markle back row 5th from right

After college he was asked to attend the Boston Bruin training camp in London Ontario.  He was the only college student and one of two Americans to attend.  Tommy Williams of 1960 Olympic fame was the other and Pete said, “I thought Tommy was their best skater (at the time Bobby Orr was hurt). 

He followed his Ivy League days by playing minor professional hockey for the Rochester Mustangs (USHL) and the Flint Generals (IHL) in 1969-1970. He also played for the US National Team from 1969-1971.  The 1970 US team won the gold in the world B championships with some very familiar names (Herb Brroks, Craig Patrick, Gary Gambucci, Len Lilyholm, etc.)

His passion for hockey continued for several years while he was playing Senior A hockey with the St. Paul Parkers, a perennial power house loaded with Div I and ex-pro players, and a team that won many state and national senior tournaments. 

Of his time with the Parkers, Peter commented,”My favorite time playing hockey was with the PARKERS and on a line with Ron Naslund and Marv Jorde.”

He tells this story about a memorable road trip, but not for a reason you might think, “Jake (McCoy), Marv (Jorde), Nas (Ron Naslund) and I were on a private plane trying make it to a national championship game in Wisconsin.  We ran into a major storm and we were late for the game and Marv convinced the pilot to put it down on the highway next to the rink.  We were flying 50 feet above the trees as the pilot had his arm out the window with a scrapper trying to clear ice buildup.  Jake, Nas and I threatened to take over the controls and we finally diverted to the airport.  We were 2 minutes late for the face off and the other team made us forfeit.  I think Marv (rest in peace) is still mad at us.”

He added, “Louie Nanne told me that in the summer Olympic Development league that Jake McCoy was always one of first players picked in the draft because he  played honest defense (and invented the shot block).”

Interest in Film Lurking.

It was during this time of his life that his real passion for film and film-making took hold. 

I ask Peter what precipitated his interest in film and film making.  He answered, “I always was mesmerized in the theater.  We went to the Edina theater on 50th and France which is still there.  I remember seeing the Alan Ladd film, Shane.  I got into Harvard Business school but declined.  I was awful at the various jobs.  I tried real estate, banking etc.  I gave hockey a shot and after a tryout for the Islanders when I was 26, Moose Lallo wanted me to come play for him in Muskegon.  I told him no.  Moose was stunned and replied, ‘well, what could you possibly do other than play hockey?’  I said, ‘direct movies’.  I got home and bought a camera and the first step was how to load the damn thing.  Basically I took the on-the-job training path.”  Note on connection to Alan Ladd – Pete did Youngblood for his son, Alan Ladd Jr, who was running MGM at the time.

Markle with old hockey buddies and friends during recent visit to Mpls to receive his Cinematic Arts award. L/R: Ron Naslund, Gary Gambucci, Tony Phillippi, Craig Sarner, Peter Markle, Bruce McIntosh, Pete Jocketty, Jake McCoy, Ron Shrieffer, Scott Frantzen

I asked him if he studied film or related topics at Yale.  He said, “I studied Art History and English Literature which moved me closer to the arts and I guess cinema would qualify under that category.” 

To get training/experience he took several jobs, “My first paid project was on a machine that sliced bread and packaged it.  Second on a sprinkler system.  I did a 20 minute promo with the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA – Gambucci, Lefty Curran were on that team.  I did a lot of on-ice skating with the camera.  I also did a major industrial film for a New York company on the Southern Railroad.  We had our own train and helicopters.  I went into the Kentucky coal mines.  The impetus to move to California was making a feature film locally (in Minneapolis) called “The Personals” in 1982.” 

This is when he moved to LA in hopes of a film-making career.  Of that, Peter said, “I didn’t know and still don’t know if there is a career there.  That feeling is endemic to the business.  I worked with Martin Sheen and he thought that the film he was working on would always be his last.  It’s pretty much indicative of how tough the business is, particularly for actors.  Gene Hackman told me it took him 9 years to get a job.”

Peter, on the scene of Youngblood

His third film, “Youngblood“, had some star power in Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze and it was Keanu Reeves’ first film.  It was made for $4.1 million in 1986 and grossed $15.5 million domestically. His background as a professional hockey player and three years on the US National team surely helped inspire this film.  He used the “Mustangs” name in the film after the Rochester Mustangs and utilized players from the Toronto Marlies – the junior A team.  It was their summer job. 

Markle noted, “Peter Zezel and Steve Thomas (Mustangs in Youngblood) were with us all summer and both made the NHL that fall and went on to great careers.”

Youngblood cast

What was also interesting and something of an inside story was the names given to the characters/players in the movie…many from Peter’s old teammates on the Parkers and other teams.  He still keeps in touch with many of his old hockey buddies and often returns for reunions.  See picture below.

Those first three films, then, set the stage for a truly prolific career in Hollywood.

In 1988 he directed Gene Hackman and Danny Glover in “BAT 21” for Tri-Star. It was based on a true story and made several top ten films of the year lists.

In 1989 he directed “The Last Days of Frankie the Fly” which premiered on HBO and starred Dennis Hopper, Kiefer Sutherland, Daryl Hannah and Michael Madsen. It was a dark comedy that Hollywood Reporter called “one of Dennis Hopper’s best performances in years.”

In 1994 he directed the comedy western film, “Wagons East!“, with John Candy.

Recent Parkers reunion at Tom Reid’s. Peter kneeling in front row on right end

He was the writer/director in 2002 for “Virginia’s Run” which won the acclaimed Crystal Heart award at the Heartland International Children’s Film Festival.

He went on to make several films for TV including:

“Flight 93” which gave A & E network the largest audience in its history (over 35 million have watched it since its debut).  It was nominated for 6 Emmys including Best Director.  It was also nominated by the Director, Producer and Writer Guilds and winning the writing award for best movie or miniseries.

“Faith of My Fathers” (A & E) starring Shawn Hatosy and Scott Glenn based on the book by John McCain about his capture and incarceration during the Vietnam war. It was nominated for 4 Emmys.

“Nightbreaker” (TNT) starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez about nuclear testing in the 1950s and it’s consequences to the ‘guinea pig’ soldiers was nominated for 5 ACE awards including best director.

“Saving Jessica Lynch” for NBC was watched by over 18 million viewers. It broke the real story of a US Army convoy of essentially non-combat personnel taking the wrong turn through hostile territory, the loss of life and subsequent rescue of Lynch.

Markle on the set

Not limited to feature film making, Markle has also directed numerous episodes for hit shows/series including:

The X-Files, CSI, CSI Miami, Without a Trace, Life, NYPD Blue, Burn Notice, Rescue Me, ER, Homicide, Crisis, Fairly Legal, Crash, Three Rivers, Cane, Runaway, Everwood, Numb3rs, The Mountain, Las Vegas, Jack & Bobby, Cold Case, The Agency, Haunted, The District, Strange World, The Strip, L.A. Doctors, The Magnificent Seven, EZ Streets, Moloney, and others.

For a list of film and TV credits following the link =>> HERE. 

The list of actors and actresses he has worked with are so numerous, we need a link to list them all =>> HERE. 

They basically represent a list of Who’s Who in Hollywood!  Here are a few of the notables… Gene Hackman, Danny Glover, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Sam Jackson, Gabriel Byrne, Alec Baldwin, Angelica Huston, Patricia Arquette, David Duchovny,  James Caan, Dennis Hopper, Pat Swayze, Rob Low, Martin Sheen, Donny Waldberg, John Slattery, Daryl Hannah, Richard Dean Anderson, Lou Gossett Jr.

Minnesota Cinematic Arts Award and Latest Film.

Markle was recently in town to receive the prestigious Minnesota Cinematic Arts Award for his achievements in the film industry.

He was also here to introduce his recently completed film, “Odds Are” at several screenings in the metro area.

The story, based on actual events, is about three college students that play a challenge game called Odds Are. The game quickly morphs into a struggle for survival for the three.

Lily and Luc Marcus

When asked how he likes life in California, Peter commented, “I miss Minnesota and when people ask me where I live when on location I often as a reflex say, ‘Minnesota’.  They invariably say, ‘I hear people are nice there’ and then I add, ‘Oh yeah, for sure.  We got a lot of really swell folks out there.  They never charge you for your coffee refills and things like that, you know’, in my best Minny accent.” 

I asked Peter about what he liked about creating films and the excitement around working with some of Hollywood’s best.  He replied, “Every job is totally different.  They all take you down a different path.  The actors, crew, stories all change.  But there is a true similarity to making a film and hockey.  It’s all about collaboration and teamwork and, like hockey, it’s a social event.  Sometimes there’s beer in the lot after we wrap.  The Black Top Bar as Tom Younghans (former NHL North Star pro) has named it.  He just sent me the hats and t-shirts.”

A lot of his fans wonder if there is another hockey movie on the horizon?  His reply to that question, very concise, was, “I have one written that I haven’t tried to sell yet.  It’s in the beer league genre, but the players are in prison.”  He also told me that there are many hockey scripts available, maybe hundreds, but that, “You need a star.”

I asked Peter, what’s next for you?  He said, “I’ve read that they key to financial survival is taking a late retirement and an early death.  I’m still writing and selling.”  He also shared one of his favorite Hollywood quotes, “There are no rules in Hollywood and as long as you don’t break any you’ll have a fighting chance.  It’s like a Yogi quote that eventually makes sense.”

Parting Shots.

Peter still plays some adult hockey in and around the LA area and skis when he can with his family at Mammouth. 

Peter with children and who’s that?

The 2010 pic at left of Peter with Luc and Lily at an arena in CA includes a star of a different type.  Peter tells a short story about his kids meeting the great Gordie Howe.   

“I love the pic of Gordie with the kids.  At the party after the game Gordie was horsing around and stealing food off Luc’s plate.  Luc kept slapping his hand.  I told him later that Gordie was the one of the best fighters in the NHL in his day.  Luc said, ‘you should have told me that before.’ ”

Related to hockey, he said, “I think (Jim) Westby and his group should start an old-timers pickup franchise in LA.”  Jim Westby is a USA Hockey “Ironman” award winner and has for years run a pick-up group in Bloomington that has won many USA National Adult championships and other tournaments nation-wide.  When he has a chance, Peter plays with this group when he visits Minnesota.  About participating in a recent tournament with them in Santa Barbara, Peter remarked, “I played once and pulled my groin in the third shift and headed for the showers.  I guess the pace was too fast.”

The post Peter Markle – Hockey to Hollywood! appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Darwtiz finds balance with hockey and family

Former Gopher and Olympian Natalie Darwitz is, and always has been, a winner. Sometimes it can take longer to ascend to the top, but inevitably in her charmed hockey career Darwitz always makes there.

She’s won two national titles with the Gophers and two silver medals at the Olympics as a player and she made it to the state tournament as a coach at Lakeville South last season. She even dabbled as a broadcaster for NBC during the 2014 Winter Olympics — and was well thought of by her peers.

Now Darwitz has a new challenge, as the head hockey coach at Hamline University.

“I want to help grow women’s hockey,” Darwtiz told me by phone. “My goal is to continue to grow the game any way possible.”

Even by Twitter, which is how this foray into coaching began.

“I knew something was up when the Athletic Director at Hamline (Jason Verdugo) followed me on Twitter,” Darwitz said with a giggle.

A follow up phone call led to a lunch, which led to her hire and the chance to become an ambassador for the game that she loves. With the job in hand she immediately realized the magnitude of the task ahead of her.

Simply getting the word out about Division III hockey would be a job in itself. But it’s a labor of love. Darwitz hopes to be able to play games at different places around the state just to try and reach players who might not see Division III women’s college hockey as an option.

“There are a lot of good players that could step in right now and make an impact on a D-III team,” Darwitz says. “And they think, ‘Ummm, I am just going to go into medicine and be a regular student.’ That’s a little disheartening. Because the one thing I try to tell those kids is that, ‘You have the rest of your life to be an average Joe. You can squeeze in four more years to be a student-athlete.’”

When she’s not trying to inform recruits of the enjoyment of playing college hockey, she’s trying to convince others that the level at which you do it shouldn’t matter.

Natalie Darwitz (Photo courtesy of Hamline University Athletics)

“So often there is a perception that I have to do D-1 and that playing D-III is a knock to my ego,” Darwitz explains. “It’s not; you just lack some skill or hockey awareness to not be on a D-1 roster.”

Teaching that skill is also a big part of her job. A lot her players at Hamline are still learning how to take their game to the next level. And while Darwtiz was one of — if not the— best of her time in women’s ice hockey, teaching others to be like her is not easy and, frankly, not her goal. Instead she focuses on going back to the basics and eventually building up.

“It takes a lot of ingredients to make cookies. Same thing when you play a 5-on-5 game,” she explains. “You have to do it first 1-on-0, 1-on-1, so we’re breaking stuff down.”

While this next step in her coaching career wasn’t necessarily planned, it will be where she stays for a while. Darwtiz and her husband Chris just had their first child over the summer and she is enjoying being able to be home with Joseph during the day while continuing to be around the game she loves.

“What resonated with me is that division III hockey would allow me to be at home when my son was born and be a stay at home mom and then allow me a couple of hours a day to be coaching,” she says. “It just kind of gives me a little more balance and stability in life.”

But when you’re arguably the most famous name in the game in which you’re coaching, people constantly want to know when or if you’ll try to coach at the highest level. But Natalie Darwitz knows that coaching at the highest level comes with the highest level of time commitment, something she is just not ready to commit to at this point in her life.

“Hockey is always going to be a part of my life, it’s just a matter of what percentage of my day is it going to take up,” says Darwtiz. “When my son gets older and hopefully plays, will I have to take a step back? I don’t know. The last thing I want to do is to be so busy helping other kids that I don’t get to see my own kid play.”

For now, she is excited about the task ahead of her at Hamline and the balance it provides between her two greatest loves; hockey and family, both of which she is committed to turning into winners.

The post Schwartz: The best of both worlds appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Historic turnaround carries Hamline into NCAAs

By Matthew Webb
Contributor, D3hockey.com

The 2010-11 season proved a high-water mark for the Hamline men’s hockey program. Coming off three straight 16-win seasons under then-head coach Scott Bell, the Pipers posted a 17-7-5 mark and claimed MIAC regular and postseason titles en route to their first NCAA tournament appearance.

In just his first season at Hamline head coach Cory Laylin has engineered a remarkable turnaround.
Photo: Cory Chuchna for d3photography.com

Hamline also garnered its first NCAA tournament win that year as it won an opening round contest at UW-Superior. Though the Pipers fell to eventual national champion St. Norbert the following weekend, the season remains the most successful in school history.

The face of the program shifted dramatically mere weeks later as Bell resigned and was replaced by Hamline alum Scott Steffen. In Steffen’s lone season behind the Pipers’ bench the team posted a 10-14-2 mark and things tailed off dramatically from there as over the following two seasons the Pipers went 3-41-6 under new head man Doc DelCastillo. It was the worst record of any team in the nation over that span.

Entering the 2014-15 season, DelCastillo was out and new head coach Cory Laylin was in. A 1992 graduate of the University of Minnesota and four-year letterwinner for the Golden Gophers, Laylin brought a significant amount of collegiate and professional playing experience to table and had spent the prior two seasons as head coach of the Brookings Blizzard of the North American Hockey League. He had also spent two years as an assistant at Hamline under Bell.

Despite the ample experience, Laylin had a formidable challenge on his hands as he was the program’s third coach in four seasons and had just taken over a program that had notched just three wins in the previous 32 months.

“I got the job in April and it was kind of a last second deal where I had to put things together, and ‘woosh,'” Laylin said. “I had to change the way things were going here and had to make some kind of drastic moves. We’re playing with eight freshman right now and the guys who stayed have been rejuvenated and everyone is staying within the system and doing what we’re asking.”

Hamline opened its 2014-15 campaign with a game in the MIAC Showcase against Saint John’s and the first 60 minutes of the Laylin Era didn’t go quite as well as those in the Hamline camp had hoped it might. The Pipers fell behind 2-0 after one period, 5-0 after two and ultimately suffered a 6-2 setback at the hands of the Johnnies.

However, Laylin points to the fallout of that season-opening loss as the first sign the new-look Pipers were buying into his vision and that positive change was closer on the horizon than perhaps anyone expected.

“That first game of the year we got beat by Saint John’s and we had a sit down with our captains,” Laylin said. “The next night we went out and beat St. Thomas and our guys started to believe. That’s when we started exploring who we are and it’s been a journey. As things have evolved the guys have really stepped up — it’s just a really good group. Especially some of the guys who have been though the dark times.”

One of the players who experienced those dark times is senior captain Joe Rubbelke. A defenseman from North Saint Paul, Minn., Rubbelke has had an exceedingly productive individual career despite the fact that for his first three collegiate seasons team success did not always follow.

A three-time MIAC all-conference selection who also garnered honorable mention honors as a freshman, Rubbelke has posted 15 goals and 56 assists for 71 points in 96 games with the Pipers. Despite the individual success, Rubbelke admits that playing for three coaches in a span of four years presented its fair share of challenges for the team.

“It’s not something you wish for,” Rubbelke said. “It’s tough going through seasons and getting used to new things year after year and not being able to build off what you’ve done. It’s been difficult but the guys that have been through it and have been around for it embrace it, and you know, it’s been a fun ride.”

Senior captain Joe Rubbelke has seen his share of ups and downs over the past four seasons.
Photo: Cory Chuchna for d3photography.com

As Laylin and his staff worked to continue to right the ship, success came in modest chunks in the weeks that followed and a 2-0 win over UW-Superior on November 15 ran the Pipers’ record to 3-3, which meant that in a span of just 16 days they had matched their combined win total of the previous two seasons.

Hamline went 1-1-3 over the remainder of the first semester and stood at 4-4-3 overall at the holiday layoff. While not an earth-shattering start by any stretch, considering the track record of the previous few years it was a start that had raised eyebrows around the MIAC and much of the West Region.

“It was a little bit of a surprise if you look back on the past couple of seasons, “Rubbelke said. “Winning three games was pretty tough for us and were in a lot of games but we just couldn’t figure out how to get a win. Coming into this season when Coach Laylin got the job he brought in a new energy and excitement right away. He went out and recruited a lot of guys and have a lot of new freshmen in this year that have done a great job for us, and also a couple of transfers who are juniors who have helped out a lot.”

While the start to the season was certainly encouraging in its own right, Laylin and Rubbelke were both quick to mention that it was the first weekend following the break that proved to be a turning point for the team. Not only in terms of success on the ice but perhaps more importantly in terms of establishing confidence in the belief that this year’s team might actually be capable of accomplishing something special.

“It happened on the weekend we played Lake Forest and UW-Stevens Point,” Laylin said. “We came back from a 4-1 deficit against Lake Forest, had a great third period and tied those guys. Then the next night we came out and beat Stevens Point at home here and that was a great weekend for our guys. We’ve just kind of springboarded from there.”

Four third period goals, capped off by a natural hat trick by junior forward Kevin Novakovich, paced the comeback that forged the eventially 5-5 (ot) tie with the Foresters, while a goal by junior forward Brandon Zurn 7:36 into the third period proved the game-winner in the Pipers’ 5-4 win over Stevens Point.

“I think we all had a feeling right after break when we had a series with Lake Forest, who has been a good team this year, and then obviously the game against Stevens Point,” Rubbelke added. “Those gave us a good kickstart to the second semester and a lot of confidence knowing we could hang with a really good team like Stevens Point.”

“Those were a real eye opener and turning point for us this year.”

Hamline ultimately posted a 7-6-1 mark after the New Year and finished the regular season 11-10-4 overall Its 7-6-3 MIAC record proved enough to sneak it into the five-team MIAC postseason as the number five seed. Come the playoffs, it took a three third period goals to eek out a 4-3 win at Augsburg in the opening round, while just two nights later the Pipers again scored three times in the third as they scored a 6-3 semifinal upset win at nationally-ranked and top-seeded St. Thomas.

The win over the Tommies set up a showdown for the league title at Saint Mary’s — the same Saint Mary’s that had scored a weekend sweep with a pair of one-goal wins over the Pipers just three weeks prior. A third Cardinals’ win was not in the cards however, as Hamline again won the third period by scoring twice to break a 2-2 deadlock and claim the MIAC championship with a 4-2 win.

“Those previous games [against Saint Mary’s] could have gone either way, to be honest,” Laylin said. “We outshot them pretty heavily in one of the two, and in the title game we were very opportunistic and finished our chances. I thought we played real well in the third period of the final game — we blocked shots and did what we needed to do. Our kids are gritty and they did what they had to to get the results.”

Can the Pipers pull of yet another postseason road upset?
Photo: Cory Chuchna for d3photography.com

The victory also, against all odds, sent Hamline to the NCAA tournament for just the second time in school history where they will hit the road for the fourth time this postseason for a quarterfinal against the same Stevens Point team they beat on January 10. The Pointers enter the contest as the No. 3 ranked team in the D3hockey.com Men’s Top 15, while the Pipers again stand as underdogs in the eyes of many.

“I think they’re the best team we played all year, even though we won that one,” Laylin said. “They’re four lines deep, they have really, really good defenseman — four of the best around. We’re going to have to play our best game to be in that game.”

“We think very highly of them and they’re probably the best team we’ve played all year,” Rubbelke added. “For us it’s going to come down to just playing a good road game. Keep it simple — don’t go out there and try to win the game in the first period. Keep it simple in the defensive zone and hopefully that ultimately leads to scoring opportunities and we score on those opportunities that we do get.”

One thing is certain: Hamline now sits just one win away from winning its way to a Frozen Four that is being hosted right in its own backyard. Laylin repeatedly praised the work ethic and the gritty nature of this year’s team and whether those features, and perhaps some more third period prowess, will be enough to upend Stevens Point on Saturday night remains to be seen.

But does whether the Pipers manage to win yet another playoff road game even really matter? In some ways of course it does, but to the fact that what they have accomplished this season will go in the books as one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Division III men’s hockey history, it likely doesn’t.

“We’re young and we have such a great group of guys that want to play for each other with such a blue collar mentality,” Laylin said. “It’s a joy to coach these guys because they just won’t quit. From what we’ve come from to see where we are now, there has been no more enjoyable time in my coaching career than to see this group form the way it has.”

From 1-19-5 in 2012-13 and 2-22-1 in 2013-14 to the brink of Division III’s biggest stage, the 2014-15 Pipers are a classic illustration of the fact that perhaps sometimes these things aren’t as difficult as many make them out to be.

After all, measurable progress was attained by the end of the season’s first weekend, and all it took was the right mix of a dedicated new coach and his staff, and the right blend of old and new talent — some of which had been through the darkest years in program history and were eager and willing to do whatever it took to get things turned around in a hurry.

Which is exactly what Hamline has just done.

“This group is the closest group I’ve ever played with at Hamline here,” Rubbelke said. “With guys always hanging out, being together, having each other’s backs — it’s just been fun to be able to be around each other. We’re just a super close team which has helped us be successful.”

“We’re hungry to win and everybody is excited to bring the program back up to where it has been and where we know it can be.”

The post Pipers go from worst to first appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Conference has selected Hamline University’s Charlie Adams and Gustavus Adolphus University’s Erica Power as its Men’s and Women’s Hockey Athletes-of-the-Week. Details on the selections from the MIAC release are below:

MIAC Men’s Hockey Athlete-of-the-Week

Charlie Adams, Hamline
Mahtomedi, Minn. / Mahtomedi

The Hamline men’s hockey team got a thrilling win over Saint John’s Friday and a split of the series to stay in contention for one of the five spots in the MIAC Playoffs. Pipers’ junior forward Charlie Adams (Mahtomedi, Minn.) was a big reason for Friday’s win, as he scored four of the team’s six goals – including the game-winner – to lead his team to victory. For his performance, the MIAC sports information directors honored Adams Monday with his second MIAC Men’s Hockey Athlete-of-the-Week award of the 2014-15 season.

Adams’ four goals in a single game are the most by a Hamline player in recent memory, and his team needed every last one of them in Friday’s remarkable 6-5 road victory. Adams started the scoring with his first goal 6:07 into the game and scored again in the second period to give his team a 3-2 lead. He then scored both of Hamline’s third-period goals – one at 13:44 to give his team a 5-3 lead, then, after SJU tied it up, he scored again with just 2:18 left to give Hamline the win. This season, Adams has 12 goals to rank third in the MIAC and his 20 points give him the eighth-best total in the league. He’s scored 11 goals in conference play, which lead the league, and his 16 points in MIAC play ranks second in the conference.

MIAC Women’s Hockey Athlete-of-the-Week

Erica Power, Gustavus
Lakeville, Minn. / Apple Valley

Gustavus forward Erica Power (Lakeville, Minn./Apple Valley) certainly had a clutch weekend to help her team secure a sweep of St. Catherine and remain atop the MIAC standings. The first-year standout came through when her team needed it most, as she scored the game-winning goal in both of the Gusties’ wins over the Wildcats. For her performance, the MIAC sports information directors honored Power Monday with the MIAC Women’s Hockey Athlete-of-the-Week award.

Power started her big weekend by delivering the game-winner in Friday’s 4-1 road win over SCU. Gustavus had just tied things up 1-1 when she struck with the go-ahead goal just 38 seconds later to dramatically shift the momentum and help give her team the win. A day later, her game-winner in front of the home crowd was even more dramatic, as she scored the game’s only goal with just two minutes remaining in the final period to lift her team to a 1-0 win and the sweep. This season, Power ranks seventh in the MIAC in goals (eight), second in assists (13) and fourth in points (21) and she shares the league lead with three game-winning goals. Her 21 points lead all MIAC first-year players.

The post MIAC Athletes of the Week appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Lots to ‘like’ in the MIAC
The MIAC’s social media presence started two years ago, in the fall of 2010, with Facebook and Twitter accounts dedicated to the conference. This week, both MIAC social media sites hit significant milestones, as the league received its 1,000th “follow” on Twitter, and its 800th “like” on Facebook. The MIAC would like to thank its dedicated fan base for help reaching both numbers.

In addition, metro-area MIAC fans will get a chance to see conference action on TV this winter. Channel 45 plans to broadcast two hockey contests at the University of St. Thomas, one each in men’s hockey and women’s hockey. The broadcast schedule is below.

Channel 45 MIAC Hockey TV Broadcasts
• Dec. 1 – Men’s Hockey – Concordia at St. Thomas – 2:30 p.m.
• Feb. 16 – Women’s Hockey – Augsburg at St. Thomas – 2 p.m.

Bethel men’s hockey brings broomsticks to St. Peter
The Bethel University men’s hockey team went on the road Saturday night and completed the sweep of the #5 ranked Gustavus Adolphus College Gusties with a 2-0 victory at the Don Roberts Ice Rink. After an emotional and physical, and at times dominating, 3-2 win Friday night the Royals proved it was no fluke with another solid performance and a convincing victory. Bethel outshot Gustavus 24-20 and freshman Matt Rowe recorded his first career win and shutout in the net.

Gustavus’ Colleen Jacoby makes impact between the Pipes 
Less than one day removed from her first collegiate start on Saturday afternoon, Gustavus goaltender Colleen Jaboby (Muskegon, Mich.) recorded the first shutout of her career to allow the Gustavus women’s hockey team a season-opening sweep over Bethel with 3-1 and 2-0 victories.  Jacoby tallied 29 saves on the night, the most in regular-season play since Dec. 10th, 2010 when Danielle Justice `12 recorded 36 saves against UW-River Falls.  Jacoby’s 29 saves are also the most in an MIAC regular season-game since Nov. 22nd, 2002 when Anne Kautzer `05 recorded 29 saves against St. Thomas.

Hamline women’s hockey finally goes home
Nearly a month after they were allowed to start practice, the Hamline women’s hockey team finally got on their regular home ice – Warner Coliseum – Monday, November 12, for a practice. The ice hadn’t gone in at the Coliseum so the team had been practicing at Ridder Arena. As it turned out, it was a brief moment. The day after practicing at home, HU headed to Duluth for a non-conference game with St. Scholastica. The Pipers played their first three “home” games in Vadnais Heights and a fourth at Ridder. The women play their first game at Warner on November 18 against St. Olaf.

St. Catherines hockey opens MIAC season with sweep of Augsburg
After dropping it’s opening game of the season without scoring a goal, the St. Catherine University hockey team erupted this weekend, scoring three power goals Friday night in a 3-2 win over Augsburg before shutting the Auggies out 2-0 on Saturday at home. Newcomer Bailey Rasmussen scored the first goal in each contest, while Megan Killmer and Mallory Ryan each collected two points in the Friday win to lead the Wildcat attack.

MIAC Student-Athlete Spotlight

Karissa Olsen, Concordia College
Freshman, Women’s Hockey
Eden Prairie, Minn./ Eden Prairie
Major: Nursing

Why did you choose to be a Division III student-athlete? 
I couldn’t imagine not continuing playing hockey in college, and this was the perfect opportunity

If you could meet any athlete, who would it be and what one question would you ask them? 
Wayne Gretzky of course! I would ask him what was the most valuable thing he learned playing hockey

Who was your favorite childhood athlete and why? 
My brother, because I have always looked up to him as a hockey player

What is your most embarrassing sports moment?
When my breezers fell down while playing

Do you have any pregame/pre-event rituals? If so, what are they?
Eating noodles and stretching

If you have been involved in community service projects, which project has been the most rewarding and why? 
I always think going to Feed My Starving children is rewarding because it puts in perspective the difference between needs and wants.

Record Chasing: Lakeville freshman stops 64 in collegiate debut

Just one weekend after Concordia-Wisconsin’s Kaitlyn Evans put up a top-10 save performance with 54 stops, Finlandia’s Taylor Gustafson of Lakeville, Minn. posted 64 saves in a 5-1 loss on Friday, November 9.  The 64 saves is the second most all-time in NCHA history, just 5 short of the record.

Gustafson faced more than 20 shots in all three periods against visiting Marian.  Her save totals by period reads 24-21-19.

In the second game of the two-game series Gustafson made 41 more saves, good for 105 stops on the weekend.

The single-game save record is 69 and is held by Melissa Calder of Marian, who accomplished the feat on February 19, 2010 against UW-River Falls.  The record for all games (including non-conference) is 79, set by Katie Hirsch, also of Concordia-Wisconsin, in 2007.

Below is a list of the top single-game goaltender performances in NCHA history:

Most Saves – NCHA conference games

69, Melissa Calder, Marian – vs UW-River Falls, Feb 19, 2010
64 Taylor Gustafson, Finlandia – vs Marian, Nov 9, 2012
63 Sally Bevis, Lake Forest, at UW-River Falls, Mar 3, 2007 (*playoff game)
57 Britta Staudenmaier, Concordia-Wis, vs UW-Eau Claire, Nov 17, 2007
54  Jennifer DeGeorge, Concordia-Wis, vs St. Scholastica, Feb 10, 2012
54, Kaytlin Ruzicka, Marian, at Adrian, Feb 7, 2010
53 Ryann McCarthy, Lake Forest, at UW-Superior, Mar 2, 2007 (*playoff game)
53, Elyse Dowdell, Superior vs. River Falls, Dec. 13, 2003
52  Kaitlyn Evans, Concordia-Wis at St. Scholastica, Nov 2, 2012
52, Kari Hunter, Concordia-Wis., vs UW-Superior, Nov 22, 2008

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