Monday, November 26, 2012

Three Stars: November 19-25

2014 defense commit Bo Pellah is getting a serious look from NHL scouts.

3. Gadowsky Lands 2013 Transfer
(Lions 247)

Recent commit Eric Scheid, an Alaska-Anchorage transfer, gets the Andrew Dzurita treatment. Your money quote:
“I expect us to really surprise some people. I think a lot of people have been writing Penn State off to not be competitive for the first couple of years, but people don’t understand how easy it is for Penn State to recruit with their facilities and coaching staff. With the guys they have now, I think next year we’re going to make a big jump and turn a lot of heads.”
2. Union-Penn State postgame report
(Schenectady Daily Gazette)

I don't normally include recap-ish stuff in Three Stars, but I'm making an exception as a way to give a stick tap to Ken Schott, who covers Union hockey and is easily the hardest-working opponent beat writer I've encountered this season. He made my life ridiculously easy this past weekend with his in-game updates and with his postgame content (including players and coaches from both sides).

This is Schott's blog post about Sunday's PSU-Union game. Be sure to read it, watch the linked videos, and give him a follow on Twitter as well, you won't be disappointed when doing any of those things.

1. 14 BCHLers, plus one alum, listed in latest Central Scouting rankings
(bchl.ca)

Halifax's Fucale tops Central Scouting's list of goalies
(nhl.com)

In 2011 and 2012, Penn State sort of flirted with the NHL Entry Draft in the form of Luke Juha and Mark Yanis, both of whom were considered at different points of the process but ultimately passed over. However, it's starting to look more and more likely that PSU will finally have a player drafted (while associated with the school, apologies to Max Gardiner) in 2014, with Eamon McAdam and Bo Pellah standing as the top two candidates for the distinction of being the first.

The latest evidence: the listing of both Pellah and McAdam in the NHL Central Scouting Service preliminary rankings. McAdam was named the USHL's best goaltending prospect, while Pellah received a C rating, which loosely translates to fourth, fifth or sixth round consideration.

McAdam was also named one of five draft-eligible goalies worthy of first or second round consideration by The Pipeline Show.

Best of the Rest

What If? BC To The Big Ten: A Hockey Perspective
(BC Interruption)

With the Big Ten drastically lowering its standards to chase television sets of late... hey, why not Boston College? Added bonus:
While joining the Big Ten would put BC in a stable football conference and make the athletics department more secure financially, it would be absolutely catastrophic for the hockey program and would effectively destroy BC hockey as we know it.
Get on the phone, Jim Delany.



(Deadly Nuts)

Deadly Nuts is absolutely one of my favorite blogs because it's sort of what I wish I could be if I was a) funnier and b) less inhibited. Oh, and c) could recap hockey games using MS Paint. Seriously, take a look at this post covering OSU's sweep of Northern Michigan two weekends ago, it's unreal.

Duxbury's Amie Varano commits to play ice hockey at Sacred Heart
(wickedlocal.com)

A recruiting miss for the women, as Varano considered the Nittany Lions, along with DIII schools Norwich, Castleton State and the University of New England. And picked Sacred Heart, which would be my last choice of the group.

New hoop event at NHTI will replace Jacob's Bridge
(unionleader.com)

Here's some insight on a possible St. Anselm move to NCAA Division I for both men's and women's hockey - and why it may be more likely now than nine years ago, when a previous batch of serious rumors hit. St. Anselm's women would likely join Penn State in College Hockey America, should DI status become a reality.


@MarkHorgas
(Twitter)

Former Icers player and coach and long-time sponsor and booster Mark Horgas found a couple quality teammates at the rink last Monday night in the form of women's players Jill Holdcroft (left) and Kendra Rasmussen (right).

Daily Dish: Should USA Hockey's Dave Ogrean Resign?
(juniorhockey.com)

This column calls for a high-ranking official in an organization to resign because he allegedly didn't do enough to stop abuse. Never heard of anything like this happening before, that's for sure.

What do I think? I don't know, ask USA Hockey fanboy Chris Peters what he thinks. Then I'll take the opposite position, because he's probably wrong.

Huntsville’s biggest concern is off ice
(Omaha World Herald)

I like to toss something in about Alabama-Huntsville once in a while, just because. This one's a nice update on their present status, which is...
In January, the WCHA is expected to discuss whether to extend an invitation to Alabama-Huntsville to join the league.

“Without a conference, it’s going to be difficult to keep the program, without a doubt,” Chargers coach Kurt Kleinendorst said. “I don’t think the WCHA is looking at it that way — the WCHA needs to do what’s best for the conference. But I think Huntsville has a lot to offer. I don’t see the downside.”
It goes without saying by now, but best of luck to our brothers in non-varsity origins. UAH visits the Ice Pavilion on February 8th and 9th.

Hockey withdrawal
(hockeybuzz.com)
I started the year by watching the Rochester Americans, and that lasted for awhile, but it's just not the same. It's not NHL hockey. It's not the Buffalo Sabres. I also covered the Buffalo State men's hockey team and that was very intense, especially in the season opener when they defeated Penn State, but still, after some time, it didn't make up for NHL hockey.
What's "NHL hockey?"

13 comments:

  1. Nobody believes this, but the Big Ten is seeking members that fit overall as institutions - big research universities. BC isn't one of those. It would be a bad fit.

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  2. Boston University was just admitted to the AAU -- which is sort of what the B1G looks for (Nebraska is no longer an AAU member) in a school. Unfortunately, BU doesn't have close to the football pedigree required.

    Awesome to see McAdam get more recognition. But I still haven't seen a list of early signees. Didn't the early signing period end last Wednesday? Anyone have any inside information?

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    Replies
    1. I can confirm, via his father, that McAdam signed. Saar did as well, he tweeted a photo of himself doing it. Not sure about Goodwin and Thompson, but there's no reason to believe anything's up there. Not sure whether Scheid would have been able to in time, he might have to go during the regular period like Max Gardiner did last year.

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    2. Great news on McAdam for obvious reasons. Especially if he gets drafted high. That will certainly look good for recruiting and for our future in goal.

      I'm guessing then that no news is simply typical PSU media during a big football week -- we get only the basics.

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    3. Plus Thanksgiving...it's one of the bigger stories of the year I guess, so waiting is a little understandable, although I believe basketball and other sports put releases out. It wouldn't be a player holding it up obviously - the period's closed, so you have what you have.

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    4. Finally....

      http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/112812aab.html

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  3. I like how you guys thought I was serious about the BC thing when I was just using it as an excuse to express how completely awesome it would be to see their program wrecked haha.

    As for the motives behind Rutgers and Maryland, I tend to believe that large, state-related, non-sucky research school is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition (obviously excluding Northwestern and 95% of PSU there haha). There's some flexibility on the AAU thing. The timing is telling to me though - what's changed since the Big Ten declined to bring in Rutgers and Maryland at the same time as Nebraska?

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    Replies
    1. Ha, that's the reason I pointed out BU as a "better" fit academically.

      I think the B1G was reacting to ND joining the ACC. Or rather, they had this planned but were waiting for ND to make their move first just in case ND to the B1G was still in the cards. For the record, ND is not an AAU member either.

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  4. Nebraska was in the AAU when they were invited and will probably be again. Some kind of technicality.

    Notre Dame is not, apparently, but many of it's faculty would like it to be. ND certainly has a number of world class faculty, but it's graduate program is relatively small and it doesn't have a medical school or the breadth of research as the other B10 schools.

    BU would actually be a better fit as a university than BC, but BU doesn't have football at all any more.


    I've heard the B10 is hoping to go to 16. It's insane. Possible options include Georgia Tech, which is would add another big market, UVA and/or UNC. I think it would be hard to pull UNC away from NC State and Duke. UVa probably wouldn't come unless VT did too. If we must have this insanity, then VT plus UVA would be ok. Really pin down that DC market. But really I don't want any of these new additions except maybe Notre Dame.

    Pitt and Syracuse would be a good fit, I think, and it might lead at least Syracuse and maybe Pitt too to think about adding men's hockey. Neither of those expand the B10's marketing reach. They would, however, put a big dent into the ACC, which seems to be part of the B10's strategy.

    I also like the idea of adding Johns Hopkins as a member only for academics (like U of Chicago is) and for lacrosse.

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  5. Can anyone confirm the 2/1 game against Ohio will be played at the Giant Center in Hershey? A Hershey Bears season ticket holder just informed me of an email sent out announcing the game. Would be cool for me -- only 20 minutes away.

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    Replies
    1. Hmmm...any chance of getting the email? I can't find anything on the Bears site about it. They just love blowing up my four-game weekends haha. I'd probably pick the men over the women this time, but I hate having to choose.

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    2. Just forwarded it to you.

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  6. Thanks for the kind words and the shout out. Gotta do something to make up for my jibberish writing and general disregard for deadlines :) I aspire to someday be as informative as TYT, learn something new here every time I visit.

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