Jan. 20, 2004

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

2003-04 - Games 23 & 24

WSU MEN'S HOCKEY (6-14-2, 2-8-0 CHA)
vs. Bemidji State (11-7-2, 8-2-0 CHA)
Friday-Saturday, Jan. 23-24 - Plymouth, Mich.

MATCH-UP AT A GLANCE:

Arena -- Compuware Sports Arena (4,000)
Surface -- 200' x 85'
Face-off -- 7:05 p.m./3:05 p.m. Eastern
Site -- Plymouth, Michigan
Series Record -- Bemidji State leads 9-5-3

THE GAMES

The Wayne State University men's hockey team wraps-up its four-game homestand with a two-game College Hockey America series against the Bemidji State Beavers this Friday and Saturday at the Compuware Sports Arena.

The Warriors head towards the stretch run looking to move up in the CHA standings. WSU is 1-6-0 overall in its last seven games and 1-5-0 in its last six league contests. Wayne State was swept at home (5-2, 7-3) by Alabama-Huntsville this past weekend, and coupled with Findlay's home split with Niagara, the Warriors now trail the Oilers and Air Force by one point for fourth place.

In addition, WSU has played just six of its 22 games in Detroit. Starting with this weekend's series against BSU, Wayne State will play seven of its final 12 regular-season games at Compuware. The Warriors, however, are just 1-5-0 (1-4-0 at Compuware and 0-1-0 at Taylor) at home this year.

Following the weekend set against Bemidji, WSU will be idle the rest of January and begin February with a road trip to Niagara (Feb. 6-7).

THE COACHES

WSU head coach Bill Wilkinson is in his fifth season as the Warrior bench boss. He has a 78-72-13 record at WSU with an overall collegiate head coaching mark of 391-373-66 in his 22nd season.

Tom Serratore, a 1987 graduate of Bemidji State, has a 37-39-15 mark in his third year at his alma mater.

THE SERIES

Wayne State trails 5-9-3 in the all-time series after the Beavers won 3-2 and 5-2 in Minnesota on Dec. 5-6, 2003. WSU is 2-2-2 at home against BSU.

IN THE POLLS

The Warriors were selected fourth in the College Hockey America (CHA) preseason coaches poll after finishing tied-for-third in 2002-03. Bemidji State was picked to win the conference by the CHA coaches.

SCOUTING BEMIDJI STATE

The Beavers have been idle since a split (3-6, 3-2) at Niagara on Jan. 9-10.

Junior forward Brendan Cook (11-8--19) leads the team in goals and points, while sophomore center Ryan Huddy (2-15--17) leads the squad in assists. Senior Grady Hunt (8-4-0, 2.65, .884) has started 13 games with freshman Layne Sedevie (2-3-2, 2.35, .910) starting five contests.

BSU's power play has scored 20 times in 105 opportunities (19.0%), while the penalty-killing units have stopped 86 of 100 (86.0%) opponent chances.

ALABAMA-HUNTSVILLE RECAP

Wayne State played its first home games since Nov. 16, but the Chargers extended WSU's home losing streak to five games with a pair of wins (5-2, 7-3).

In the series opener on Saturday, the host Warriors were upended by UAH on a hat trick from Jared Ross. He scored once in the first period and added two more goals in the middle stanza. His first goal came after both teams failed to score on their first power-play attempts on the game. UAH had 3:07 of power play time after WSU's Travis Rycroft was assessed a major for checking from behind just 26 seconds into the contest.

The Warriors battled back to tie the game with 5:56 left in the opening period when Nate Higgins took a feed in the slot from Ryan Wright. Wright had pressured UAH goalie Adam MacLean behind the net causing the turnover. The first period ended 1-1 even though the guests held an 11-5 advantage in shots on goal.

Ross scored 49 seconds into the middle stanza with linemates Bruce Mulherin and Craig Bushey both earning their second assists of the game. Doug Watkins' four-on-four goal after Todd Bentley won an offensive zone face-off gave the Chargers a 3-1 lead at the 9:02 mark of the second period. Ross added another goal with 9:25 remaining in the middle stanza for a 4-1 UAH advantage.

In the third period, Wright scored his second goal in as many games and third in the last five contests, off a feed from John May just past the halfway point (10:46). Bushey completed the scoring with an empty-net goal with 13 seconds left in the game.

Warrior senior goalie Marc Carlson made 35 saves including 19 in the middle stanza when WSU was outshot 22-11. MacLean was credited with 24 saves in the Charger cage. Both teams went zero-for-five on the power play.

In the Sunday afternoon affair, UAH started the scoring just 35 seconds into the game when Bruce Mulherin scored an unassisted goal. The Warriors tied the game at the 7:58 mark of the first period when Billy Collins scored his sixth of the campaign off assists from Nicholas Staneckyj and John May.

The Chargers added goals by Jared Ross (10:15 - ppg), Jackson Harren (13:33) and Steve Canter (14:31) before the first intermission. UAH held a 14-10 advantage in shots on goal during the opening 20 minutes.

Taylor Donohoe scored his first collegiate goal 1:27 into the middle stanza during a WSU power play. Ross scored at the 10:44 mark and A.J. Larivee increased UAH's lead to 6-2 with a goal at the 11:09 mark. The Chargers outshot WSU 15-11 in the second period.

Collins netted his second of the game 8:46 into the third period off an assist from Matt Boldt. UAH's Shaun Arvai completed the scoring with 9:50 left in the third period.

WSU goalie Marc Carlson made 32 saves, while Charger netminder Scott Munroe had 28 saves. The Warriors scored three power-play goals in 11 chances, while UAH was one-for-six with the man-advantage.