Motzko stirred, not shaken, by questions surrounding Huskies

St. Cloud State
Coach: Bob Motzko (St. Cloud State ‘87), 11th Season 235-164-42 with the Huskies
2015-16: 31-9-1 Overall (17-6-1 Conference), Lost in NCAA West Regional Final
Picked by media to finish 4th in NCHC

Key Returning Players: Mikey Eyssimont, So. F (14-19), Jimmy Schuldt, So. D (10-16), Will Borgen, So. D (1-13), Ben Storm Sr. F (2-5), Nate Widman, Jr. D (1-10).
Key Newcomers: Ryan Poehling Fr. F, Jack Ahcan, Fr. D, Dennis Cholowski, Fr. D.

St. Cloud State advanced to the NCAA tournament for a fourth consecutive season in 2015-16, but to get back they’ll have to adjust to a new cycle of players fast.

“Everyone always tells me how many guys we lost, and what kind of scorers we lost, but we’ve got plenty of guys who can replace those guys,” Jimmy Schuldt said. “We’ve got two really good defensemen coming in, two really good goalies coming, and I think depth is our strength this year.”

The Huskies expected to lose Ethan Prow, Kalle Kossila, Joey Benik, Jimmy Murray, and David Morley to graduation. They even begrudgingly accepted that their number one goaltender, Charlie Lindgren, was going to move on after his junior season. However, Patrick Russell left after scoring 20 goals, and 21 assists during his sophomore season to sign an entry level deal with the Edmonton Oilers. His early departure meant that Motzko was going to have to replace his entire top six scorers and his number one goaltender for 2016-17.

Last year coach Bob Motzko said he knew his power play before they even suited up, and knew who our number one goalie was when he started planning for the season. The challenge this year is to figure out where all the pieces fit and he’s excited about the opportunity to coach again and the test to figure it out.

St. Cloud State has some incoming talent like defenseman Dennis Cholowski, drafted 20th overall in the NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, the highest ever selection for a Huskies player or commit. They also have Jack Ahcan coming in after being named the USHL Defenseman of the Year last season. And then Ryan Poehling accelerated his high school studies to join St. Cloud State and his brothers a year earlier than anticipated. Ryan Poehling’s 2017 NHL Draft future also looks favorable after getting one of the 29 A ratings assigned by the NHL Central Scouting.

The picture in goal isn’t so clear. Motzko looks for athletes with great character, a track record of being successful, and thinks they have three guys who fit that bill, but the only thing they don’t have is a lot of minutes played in college hockey and they’re going to give them that opportunity.

The candidates include returning sophomore 22-year-old 5’11” David Zevnik, who played at St. Thomas Academy, and joined the Huskies as a recruited walk-on after two years with the Wichita Falls in the NAHL. The new goalies are 21-year-old 6’2” Jeff Smith, a transfer from UMass-Lowell who played three years with Powell River in the BCHL, and 19-year-old 6’0” Zach Driscoll who played at Eastview HS, Austin in the NAHL, Omaha in the USHL, and Penticton in the BCHL. All three goalies played a period in the St. Cloud State exhibition game against Regina.

“We just went through nine years of outstanding goaltending, from Mike Lee to Ryan Faragher to Charlie Lindgren, and that’s a pretty good run–we just got to make sure it’s a fourth run,” Motzko said.

“We’re a young hockey team with a new goaltender, I think we can score goals so that gives us a chance. Now can we keep it out of our net to give us a better chance.”

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Hastings to lean on seniors to lead big rookie class

Minnesota State
Coach: Mike Hastings (St. Cloud State ‘93), 4th Season 100-49-14 with the Mavericks
2015-16: 21-13-7 Overall (16-5-7 Conference)
Picked by media and coaches to finish 3rd in WCHA

Key Returning Players: C.J. Franklin, Jr. F (14-11), Michael Huntebrinker, Sr. F (7-12), Zach Stepan, Sr. F (6-7), Carter Foguth, Sr. D (1-6), Sean Flanagan, Sr. D (2-9), Daniel Brickley, So. D (2-9), and Cole Huggins, Sr. G (.917 Sv%-1.84 GAA).
Key Newcomers: Parker Tuomie, Fr. F., Marc Michaelis, Fr. F.

The Mavericks are defending back-to-back MacNaughton Cups at Verizon Wireless Center this season, but the departures of Teddy Blueger, Bryce Gervais, and Casey Nelson left big gaps in the line-up card for fifth-year coach Mike Hastings.

“Our group of six seniors are going to be very important in how we start our WCHA play,” Hastings said. The coach also recruited an older class among his eight new Mavericks because he needs them to come in and play a little bit older than freshman especially with a schedule that features an October slate of Michigan Tech, St. Cloud State, at Alaska, and Ferris State.

Parker Tuomie is the biggest name among recruits joining the stable. Tuomie scored 54 points (30-24) for the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL last season and was the coaches’ choice for preseason rookie of the year.

“I see Parker has got some respect throughout the league,” Hastings said. “Hopefully he can take that and prove what he can do on a night in and night out basis.”

Defensively, Minnesota State will be counting on Carter Foguth, Sean Flanagan, and Daniel Brickley to combine and offensively production Casey Nelson took to the Buffalo Sabres.

Between the pipes, senior Cole Huggins is going to be counted upon to steady the herd. Hastings said the goalie has had some great support in front of him and competing with him for playing time, but this year the team will be looking to the crease for support.

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Bulldogs gearing up to take the next step

Minnesota Duluth
Coach: Scott Sandelin (North Dakota ‘86), 16th Season 287-277-75
2015-16: 19-16-5 Overall (11-10-3 Conference), Lost in NCAA Northeast Regional Final
Picked by media to finish 3rd in NCHC

Key Returning Players: Alex Iafallo, Sr. F (8-15), Dominic Toninato, Sr. F (15-6), Karson Kuhlman, Jr. F (12-8), Neal Pionk, So. D (4-13), Willie Raskob Sr. D (2-11), Carson Soucy, Sr. D (3-9),
Key Newcomers: Avery Peterson Jr. F, Riley Tufte, Fr. F, Joey Anderson, Fr. F, Hunter Miska, Fr. G.

Minnesota Duluth has seven seniors and six juniors who have experience playing in NCAA Regionals. They also have 13 upperclassmen with the experience of coming up just short of advancing past a regional final.

“The last two years we’re one goal away from tying the game in the final minute,” Dominic Toninato said. “Obviously we got to get there again, but I think the goal is to get over that hump and make the Frozen Four.”

Toninato decided to pass on offers from Toronto to play professional hockey in 2016-17 and take one more trip with his hometown dogs for another chance at a Frozen Four. Toninato leads a talented group of forwards that got deeper with the addition of Riley Tufte, the 25th overall pick by the Dallas Stars, and Joey Anderson, the 73rd overall pick by the New Jersey Devils. Coach Scott Sandelin said his highly touted freshman will eventually be impact players, but he has the luxury of having plenty of veterans players that he can count for production early.

“When Cam and Farley came in, we needed them to be good and they were,” Sandelin said of the departed Tony Cameranesi and Austin Farley. “But with these two, we don’t have to do that. I’d like to see them be more hungry, earn it, and frankly I’d like to give some older guys a chance.”

Sandelin says the depth of teams the Bulldogs’ opponents means his top players can’t take shifts off, his top players can’t have nights off, and he knows with freshmen there are going to be inconsistencies to their game. The coach expects to lean on Toninato, Alex Iafallo, Karson Kuhlman early and give Adam Johnson, Kyle Osterberg, and Jared Thomas more chances to contribute.

The biggest question mark coming into the season was how to replace Kasimir Kaskisuo who posted a .923 Sv% and 1.92 and left after his sophomore season to sign as an undrafted free agent with Toronto. Sandelin had never gone into a season where he had zero goalies without any previous college experience in goal. At the NCHC media day, the coach coach was coy with wh was ahead of who, but said he recruited Hunter Miska for a reason. Miska came into the season with five years of junior hockey experience, was named the 2015-16 USA Hockey Goalie of the Year, and after two wins against Michigan Tech appears to be the replacement for Kaskisuo.

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Gophers eager to put disappointing season behind them

Minnesota
Coach: Don Lucia (Notre Dame ‘87), 17th Season 415-219-68 with Gophers
2015-16: 20-17-0 Overall (14-6-0 Conference)
Picked by coaches to finish 1st in Big Ten

Key Returning Players: Justin Kloos, Sr. F (16-27), Leon Bristedt, Jr. F (20-17), Tyler Sheehy, So. F (12-18), Jake Bischoff, Sr. D (6-12), Eric Schierhorn, So. G (90.2 Sv%-2.67 GAA).
Key Newcomers: Mike Szmatula, Jr. F, Rem Pitlick, Fr. F, Ryan Lindgren, Fr. D, Ryan Zuhlsdorf, Fr. D.

Minnesota won its fifth consecutive regular season conference title last season, but missing out on the NCAA tournament for the first time in those five seasons made earning a banner feel hollow.

“I think it’s going to be a team that will play for one goal, with not a lot of outside influences as far as other things going,” captain Justin Kloos said. “I think this will be a focused group, because last year was unacceptable.”

The team lost Hudson Fasching, Michael Brodzinski, and Nick Seeler to professional contracts, but will have veteran players and most spots in the lineup.

Up front, two new options will start the season in the top nine. Junior transfer wing Mike Szmatula will start the season playing on a line with Kloos and Taylor Cammarata. Szmatula was a point per game player in Hockey East for two seasons, and coach Don Lucia expects him to transition seamlessly into the lineup. The other new player to the line-up, Rem Pitlick, decided late to join the Gophers for 2016-17 and will likely play with Leon Bristedt and Vinni Lettieri. The forward was drafted 76th overall by Nashville in the NHL Entry Draft and decided to join Minnesota after playing in a Predators Development Camp and World Junior Evaluation Camp.

“Obviously Rem deciding to come was big … you see his skill on the ice right away, he’s going to really elevate the skill level of our team,” Lucia said. “I think you’ll see him have a big year.”

The other ‘top nine’ line will start with redshirt senior Connor Reilly playing with sophomores Tyler Sheehy and Tom Novak. Reilly is finally healthy coming into a season after recovering from three seasons limited by injuries. Reilly feels this is the first time in three years that his brain and body are working together, and now that his knee feels good, his hands and shot feel good again.

Defensively Jake Bischoff returns to lead a blue line of mobile defensemen who all can play the game Associate Head Coach Mike Guentzel demands. He’ll be pushed by returning players and freshmen Ryan Lindgren and Ryan Zuhlsdorf will get early opportunities as Jack Glover returns from offseason shoulder surgery.

Eric Schierhorn returns as the 2015-16 Big Ten Goaltender of the Year who led all NCAA freshman with 20 wins between the pipes. Schierhorn worked on his lateral quickness and flexibility during strength and conditioning, and expects to play a more upright technique this year.

The Gophers open play in Alaska and then face a difficult non-conference schedule against numerous ranked teams including a series against No. 1 North Dakota, a road game against No. 5 Boston College, a home and home against No. 7 St. Cloud State, a road game against No. 15 Northeastern, a road game against No. 16 St. Lawrence, a home and home against No. 19 Minnesota State. Minnesota also will face No. 6 Minnesota-Duluth in the opening game of the North Star College Cup.

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