Feb. 14, 2006

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GAME STORYLINES

The Wayne State University men's hockey team (5-17-6, 2-7-5 CHA) will try to snap its six-game (0-4-2) winless streak as it returns to the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum for a two-game College Hockey America series against the Niagara University Purple Eagles (14-13-1, 8-5-1 CHA).

WSU rallied from a three-goal deficit to garner a tie (7-7 ot) last Friday at Robert Morris, but the host Colonials prevailed, 5-4, on Saturday.

The Warriors trail RMU by three points and lead Air Force by one point heading into the final three weekends of the regular season.

BEHIND THE BENCH

Bill Wilkinson is in his seventh season as Wayne State's head coach and his 24th year as a collegiate head coach. Wilkinson's overall record stands at 413-417-77, while his mark at WSU is 100-116-24.

Niagara's Dave Burkholder has an 82-81-12 mark in his fifth year as a collegiate head coach.

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS

Wayne State leads the all-time series 12-10-3 versus Niagara. The teams played two overtime contests on Nov. 4 (NU 5-4) and Nov. 5 (3-3).

WSU is 5-3-2 all-time at home against Niagara.

IN THE POLLS

WSU was selected to finish third in College Hockey America, while Niagara was tabbed to finish fourth.

RADIO

Wayne State has completed its regular-season radio broadcasts for 2005-06.

ON THIS DATE

WSU has never played on Feb. 17.

The Warriors are 0-1-0 on Feb. 18 following a 5-2 loss at Bemidji State in 2000.

SCOUTING NIAGARA

The Purple Eagles snapped a two-game losing skein with a 6-2 win over Air Force last Saturday.

Freshman forward Ted Cook leads the team in goals (16), points (30) and power-play goals (10). Senior forward Jason Williamson has a team-high 21 assists. Niagara is second in the CHA in goals for (55) and third in goals allowed (46).

Senior Jeff Van Nynatten (13-11-0, 3.43, .913) has started 24 of NU's 28 games.

Niagara has scored 39 power-play goals in 187 chances (20.9% - eighth nationally), while stopping 129 of its opponents 162 opportunities (79.6%).

NOTES

Adam Krug recorded five points (1g, 4a) on Friday to set the WSU single-game point record. He also tied the Warrior record for assists in a period (2, twice) and assists in a game (4).

Derek Bachynski recorded his first career power-play goal on Friday. Adam Drescher had two assists on Friday. His only previous career point was an assist at Bowling Green on Nov. 20, 2004.

Dan Iliakis' goal on Friday was his first since Dec. 2 at Air Force. He had his first multiple-point game of the season on Saturday with two assists.

The seven goals scored by WSU last Friday is the most since a 9-3 Warrior win at Bowling Green on Nov. 20, 2004.

The 14 combined goals on Friday is the most in any Wayne State overtime game in school history (there have been two 6-5 WSU overtime wins).

The eight overtime games (1-1-6) in a season is the second-most in school history. Wayne State played 11 overtime affairs during the 2000-01 campaign.

The six ties in a season is a school record (WSU had four overtime draws in both 2001-02 and 2004-05).

Wayne State's last four Friday night league games have all ended in a tie (3-3 at Bemidji State on Jan. 13, 2-2 vs. Robert Morris on Jan. 20, 2-2 vs. Alabama-Huntsville on Jan. 27 and 7-7 at Robert Morris on Feb. 10).

Jason Bloomingburg's goal 10 seconds into Saturday's missed tying the school record by one second. Jason Baclig scored nine seconds into this season's opener against Michigan State at the Lefty McFadden Invitational. On Friday, Bloomingburg scored at 19:59.9 of the third period to send the game into overtime.

Steve Kovalchik is bidding to become the first blueliner to lead WSU in scoring in school history. He had a helper each night to extend his assist streak to three games and take over the team scoring lead with 18 points.

The Warriors have lost 42-man games to injury this year. Wayne State went 3-2-1 for the six games with no injuries.

Four of the eight meetings between WSU and RMU have been overtime affairs with the Warriors holding a 3-2-3 lead in the all-time series, but the Colonials have a 1-0-3 advantage in extra-session contests.