Jan. 18, 2005

2004-05 - GAMES 23 & 24

WAYNE STATE HOCKEY (11-9-2, 4-4-2 CHA)
vs. Robert Morris (4-13-3, 0-7-1 CHA)
Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 22-23 - Plymouth, Mich.

MATCH-UP AT A GLANCE:

Arena - Compuware Sports Arena (4,000)
Surface - 200' x 85'
Face-off - 3:05 p.m./2:05 p.m. Eastern
Series Record - Wayne State leads 1-0-1

THE GAMES

The Wayne State University men's hockey team plays its only home games of January this Saturday and Sunday at the Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth. CHA newcomer Robert Morris provides the opposition this weekend.

The Warriors have played eight of their 10 league games away from the Motor City and have a 3-3-2 road record following a win (4-3 OT) and loss (4-2) at defending CHA tournament champion Niagara last weekend.

Sophomore left wing Jason Bloomingburg scored 3:25 into overtime on Friday for WSU's first lead of the game. Twelve different Warrior skaters earned points in the contest. Junior goalie Matt Kelly made 26 saves including five in overtime. He had four saves during Niagara's power-play chance in the extra session.

Bloomingburg and junior left wing John May each scored in Saturday's setback against the Purple Eagles.

Wayne State and the Colonials of Robert Morris played two very close games in Pittsburgh back in November. The Warriors won the opener 3-2 as May and freshman centers Stavros Paskaris and Adam Krug each scored in Bill Wilkinson's 400th career coaching victory. The teams skated to a 1-1 (OT) tie the next night as RMU goalie Christian Boucher stopped 40 WSU shots. Warrior freshman right wing Tylor Michel's goal 75 seconds into the third period was the game-tying goal.

Robert Morris is coached by Derek Schooley, a former player at Western Michigan under Wilkinson.

THE COACHES

Wayne State's Bill Wilkinson is 24th in NCAA history with 405 career wins. He is in his sixth season at WSU and 23rd season overall.

Derek Schooley has a 4-13-3 mark in his first season as a collegiate head coach.

THE SERIES

Wayne State went 1-0-1 in the first two meetings on Nov. 12-13 in Pennsylvania.

IN THE POLLS

Wayne State was selected fourth in the College Hockey America (CHA) preseason coaches' poll, while Robert Morris was sixth.

SCOUTING ROBERT MORRIS

The Colonials are 1-2-2 in their last five games but have road wins at Canisius and Quinnipiac this year.

Junior forward Kurt Wright (a transfer from Findlay) leads the team with six goals. Freshman forward Jace Buzek has a team-best 10 assists and 14 points.

Freshman netminder Christian Boucher (4-10-3, 2.96, .909) has started 17 of RMU's 20 games and has one shutout, a 0-0 (OT) tie versus Mercyhurst.

RMU's power play has scored 14 times in 140 chances (10.0%), while allowing 29 goals in 122 opponent man-advantage opportunities (76.2%).

NIAGARA RECAP

WSU completed its four-game road trip to begin 2005 with a split at Niagara (4-3 win in OT and 4-2 loss).

The Warriors recorded their first overtime victory since Dec. 27, 2003, as Jason Bloomingburg scored at the 3:25 mark of the extra session to give WSU the triumph at Niagara University last Friday.

Bloomingburg's goal came only 14 seconds after Niagara had called a timeout. The Purple Eagles had a full two minutes of power-play time in the extra period as WSU's Nate Higgins was assessed a penalty just nine seconds into overtime.

Wayne State entered the contest with a 4-6-1 mark when allowing the first goal, but after trailing 2-0, coach Bill Wilkinson's squad responded with the next two goals. Niagara's Matt Caruana gave the hosts a 1-0 lead 4:30 into the match with a five-on-three power-play goal as two Warrior defensemen, Greg Poupard and Dan Iliakis, were in the penalty box.

NU increased its lead as Barret Ehgoetz scored a four-on-three man-advantage marker at the 9:03 mark of the first period.

WSU began its first comeback of the game late in the opening period as Tylor Michel tallied a five-on-three power-play goal with only 1:42 remaining in the stanza. Michel's sixth of the season was assisted by Iliakis and Jason Baclig.

Poupard's first goal since Feb. 29, 2004 (at Alabama-Huntsville) came during a Wayne State power play 3:34 into the second period and tied the game at two. His fifth career goal (and third career power-play goal) was assisted by Stavros Paskaris and Steve Kovalchik.

Niagara regained the lead on an even-strength goal by Sean Bentivoglio at the 9:05 mark of the second period. It was the first even-strength marker of the contest for either team.

The Warriors rallied again in the third period as Higgins tied the game at three with his sixth of the season at the 8:35 mark. Mark Cannon and John Grubb garnered assists on WSU's first even-strength goal of the game. Center Mike Forgie and Mark Nebus both earned their second-game winning assists of the season on Bloomingburg's overtime goal.

WSU goaltender Matt Kelly improved his season record to 7-5-0 by stopping 26 Purple Eagle shots including five in overtime. NU goalie Allan Barton turned aside 23 Warrior shots. Each team scored two power-play goals in the game, WSU in seven chances and Niagara in eight opportunities.

Wayne State had another "split" weekend with a 4-2 setback at Niagara University on Saturday night.

Niagara's Barret Ehgoetz scored the first two goals of the game at the 10:03 and 14:38 marks of the first period. Unlike the night before where the first four goals were scored on the power play, all six goals were even-strength markers.

WSU battled back to within a goal on two occasions (2-1 and 3-2) but NU sealed the win with an empty-net goal by Sean Bentivoglio.

Bloomingburg extended his goal-scoring streak to three games as he netted WSU's first tally of the contest with 1:39 remaining in the opening period. His team-leading 14th lamp-lighter was assisted by Forgie and Nebus.

The Purple Eagles went ahead by two goals again on a marker by Ryan Gale. The teams were scoreless for the next 14 minutes until WSU's John May scored his seventh of the campaign off assists from Nebus and Paskaris.

WSU netminder Will Hooper was pulled in the final minute but the Warriors could not score the equalizer. Hooper was credited with 15 saves in the contest, while Niagara's Scott Mollison stopped 23 Wayne State shots. Each team went scoreless with the man-advantage (WSU 0-for-6, NU 0-for-5).