Jan. 24, 2007

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GAME STORYLINES
Victorious in three of its last four games, the Wayne State men's hockey team (7-17-0, 3-7-0 CHA) will look to continue its recent upswing at conference foe and 16th-ranked Niagara University (15-8-3, 6-1-3 CHA) this weekend.

Both games are scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on WDTK 1400 AM and online at www.wdtkam.com with play-by-play announcer Kevin Brechmacher calling the action.

Wayne State is coming off its first conference sweep since 2004, defeating Robert Morris 7-4 on Friday and 2-1 on Saturday at the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum.

Niagara, ranked 20th last week, twice defeated then No. 16 Quinnipiac last weekend, 5-2 on Friday and 3-2 on Saturday.

BEHIND THE BENCH
Bill Wilkinson is in his eighth season as Wayne State's head coach and his 25th year as a collegiate head coach. Wilkinson's overall record stands at 421-440-77, while his mark at WSU is 108-139-24.

Niagara's Dave Burkholder has spent his entire six-year head coaching career behind the Purple Eagles' bench, posting a record of 103-91-15.

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS
The all-time series is tied, 13-13-3, including a pair of Niagara wins earlier this season (Dec. 8-9). The Warriors have only defeated the Purple Eagles three times in the last 18 meetings since 2003 (3-13-2 in that span).

IN THE POLLS
WSU was selected to finish fifth in the College Hockey America preseason coaches poll. Niagara was tabbed for second.

ON THIS DATE
Wayne State has never played on Jan. 26 and has played only once on Jan. 27, a 2-2 tie against Alabama-Huntsville last season.

SCOUTING NIAGARA
The Purple Eagles are 12-3-2 since Nov. 4, with all three losses in that span occurring on the road to ranked teams, including two at then No. 7 Denver two weeks ago.

Niagara has the top five point scorers in the CHA, with Les Reaney leading the way (15-24--39). Ted Cook (23-14) and Sean Bentivoglio (15-22) have 37 points apiece, followed by Chris Moran (5-26--31) and Matt Caruana (10-15--25).

Cook is the league's top goal scorer, while Moran tops the list in assists. Moran leads all CHA rookies in points and helpers.

Sophomore goaltender Juliano Pagliero (11-6-2) is second in the CHA in save percentage (.922) and goals-against average (2.79).

WSU NOTES
Wayne State put together back-to-back victories for the first time this season with a weekend sweep of Robert Morris. It was also WSU's first conference sweep since Feb. 28-29, 2004, at Alabama-Huntsville.

Tylor Michel, the CHA Offensive Player of the Week, recorded his first career hat trick on Friday. Michel scored all three goals in the third period in a record-setting span of 7:57, far surpassing Jason Durbin's 2001 record of 21:06. His first goal was the game-winner, as he added another even-strength tally and a short-handed empty-net goal.

Brett Bothwell is the CHA Rookie of the Week after making 50 saves in the series, 22 of which came in the third period (44 percent), and surrendering just one power-play goal in eight chances.

Dan Iliakis had a four-point weekend with three assists on Friday and the game-winning goal on Saturday.

Jason Baclig has a point in each of the last four games, and Mark Nebus has one in six of the last seven.

Jared Katz, who had his four-game goal scoring streak and six-game point streak snapped Saturday, leads all CHA rookies with seven goals.

Since being blanked at Niagara, 4-0, on Dec. 8, the Warriors' sixth shutout loss of the season, Wayne State has averaged 3.75 goals per game, including two seven-goal contests, and has gone 4-4-0 in that span.

WSU CAPTAINS
Jason Bloomingburg, Mike Forgie

WSU ASSISTANT CAPTAINS
Nate Higgins, Taylor Donohoe