{"id":30206,"date":"2009-01-08T12:42:15","date_gmt":"2009-01-08T18:42:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2009\/01\/08\/this-week-in-the-cha-jan-8-2009\/"},"modified":"2010-08-17T19:57:20","modified_gmt":"2010-08-18T00:57:20","slug":"this-week-in-the-cha-jan-8-2009","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp-admin.uscho.com\/2009\/01\/08\/this-week-in-the-cha-jan-8-2009\/","title":{"rendered":"This Week in the CHA: Jan. 8, 2009"},"content":{"rendered":"
It’s 2009 and time for resolutions. Ask any CHA coach, though, and their obvious answer to be successful this year is to get as many wins as possible, win the CHA tournament and get into the NCAA round of 16.<\/p>\n
For one team, that will be the case. But as to which one, well, that’ll be determined in two short months’ time up in Bemidji.<\/p>\n
During last weekend’s B2 Network feed of the Bemidji State-North Dakota games, it was reported that the CHA will in fact continue on in its current format next season, but then disband for the 2010-2011 season with two teams (probably Niagara and Robert Morris) joining Atlantic Hockey.<\/p>\n
Bemidji State should have a pretty good idea on its WCHA wishes by the Jan. 19 expansion vote, so that leaves just Alabama-Huntsville without a potential home.<\/p>\n
CCHA? Is that you? CCHA? Is that you looking to help out a successful program? <\/p>\n
Why one more year, though? This writer would bet it’s due to schedules being made and agreed upon years ahead of time. Makes sense, right?<\/p>\n
All this “new” news aside, it’s really nothing new. <\/p>\n
Perhaps 2009 will shed a glimmer of light to these rumors that come about, oh, once a day or so in the CHA fraternity.<\/p>\n
There are no points for moral victories and, like the late, great Gorilla Monsoon used to say, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.<\/p>\n
Still, Bemidji State proved last weekend that perhaps their niche is in the WCHA as they dropped two one-goal games to North Dakota in a stellar home-and-home set.<\/p>\n
The Beavers got a goal and an assist from Matt Read and Tyler Scofield and goaltender Matt Dalton made a career-high 36 saves Friday, but North Dakota was too much in the final two periods, stealing a 4-3 victory in front of a capacity crowd at the John Glas Fieldhouse.<\/p>\n
Ryan Cramer also scored for BSU.<\/p>\n
“That was a heck of a game,” said Bemidji State coach Tom Serratore in the Bemidji Pioneer<\/i>. “Minus an Oshie or a Parise, they are as good as any team UND has had the last few years. I am proud of our guys and they way they hung in there until the end. They gave themselves a chance to win. We got solid goaltending and stayed in the hunt until the end. Against a team like UND, that says a lot.”<\/p>\n
Saturday night in North Dakota, Scofield’s goal at 10:44 of the third period sent the game to overtime, only to see Brett Hextall net the game-winner 31 ticks into the extra frame on a power play for a 4-3 win.<\/p>\n
Brad Hunt and Matt Francis staked BSU to an early 2-0 lead 5:07 into the first period.<\/p>\n
Read added two helpers for the Beavers, while Orlando Alamano, playing his first game since Oct. 25, stopped 36 shots in a losing cause.<\/p>\n
“I don’t know what to say right now … it’s a devastating loss,” Serratore said in the Pioneer<\/i>. “We played a wonderful third period and fought our way back into the game. It was a very hard way to lose. <\/p>\n
“I’m very proud of the way the guys played. What else can I say?”<\/p>\n
Niagara christened 2009 with a pair of convincing wins at Sacred Heart over the weekend.<\/p>\n
Friday night, Vince Rocco and Chris Moran tallied the game’s only goals and Juliano Pagliero made 29 shots to extend his shutout streak to 152:04 as the Purple Eagles rolled to a 2-0 win.<\/p>\n
“It was a very good road effort from our club tonight,” NU head coach Dave Burkholder said. “Pagliero made several quality saves to keep us in the lead.”<\/p>\n
“I was pleased with my effort tonight,” Pagliero said. “Our play has been special as of late and it says a lot about our team.”<\/p>\n
Saturday night, two Niagara seniors hit career milestones as the Purple Eagles came from behind and defeated the Pioneers, 4-2, for their seventh win in eight games.<\/p>\n
Rocco became the newest member of the Niagara 100-point club, while Pagliero broke Jeff Van Nynatten’s consecutive shutout streak (164:15, Feb. 2004) in the victory.<\/p>\n
Rocco’s 100th point came on his 39th career goal, a tally that started the scoring late in the first period. He also added an assist on Moran’s goal.<\/p>\n
Bryan Haczyk and Paul Zanette, also with an assist, completed the scoring for NU and Pagliero finished with 27 saves.<\/p>\n
David Ross added two assists for the Purple Eagles as well.<\/p>\n
“We are really proud of the effort,” Burkholder said. “Our boys persevered, coming back from a 2-1 deficit. It was a complete team effort, since sweeping a team on the road is a difficult task.”<\/p>\n
After being off nearly three weeks, Robert Morris showed little rust in taking three points from American International at home last weekend.<\/p>\n