College Hockey Sunday Evening Links

For those keeping track at home, there were two NCHC series this weekend, and both of these series ended in a series split. I believe it’s a preview of things to come. This league is going to be a head knocker, and there will be no easy wins in the NCHC. Every game is going to be a war. A team can’t take a night off and expect to win the league championship. I know it sounds cliché, but it’s the truth.

In case you forgot, last season, four of the eight teams in the NCHC made the NCAA playoffs. Half of the league went to the NCAA tourney and the other half that didn’t make the NCAA tourney, could be in contention to make the tourney this season.  One of the teams (Saint Cloud State University) made the Frozen Four, losing to the eventual runner-up Quinnipiac University.

Tigers pay tribute to late @ColoradoCollege hockey teammate Scott Winkler http://t.co/GHiZiZ4vpE #cctigers @TheNCHC
— The Gazette (@csgazette) October 20, 2013

NCHC Weekend Recap - http://t.co/tInSHckap8 #NCHChockey
— Matt Christians (@Matt_Christians) October 20, 2013

For all those asking there will not be a BMT season 6. After 4.5 great seasons we have decided to retire the show. #BMTtalk
— Brad Miller Time (@BMTUND) October 21, 2013

No. 1 Miami bounces back to get series split against UND http://t.co/AOqyO5Rj44
— Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) October 20, 2013

Postgame comments from Stephane Pattyn, Colten St. Clair and ... http://t.co/jcVDP2ostF
— North Dakota MHockey (@UNDMHockey) October 20, 2013

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• Clash of the Titans: Miami Plays North Dakota for Weekend Set (thehockeywriters.com)
• NCHC Hockey: UND Hockey Players Love Shootout Option (thehockeywriters.com)
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Tough week for hockey: Edmonton loses prospect

Oklahoma City Barons (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last week, was a tough week for hockey. While we morn the passing of former Colorado College Tiger forward Scott Winkler. Last week, we also got word that Edmonton Oilers prospect Kristians Pelss had drowned in Latvia.

Joanne Ireland, Edmonton Journal - For days Josh Green held out hope that Kristians Pelss had not drowned, that it was just a horrible coincidence that he was missing and that someone else had jumped into the Daugava River in Riga, Latvia.

Sadly, the search came to a tragic end on Saturday when Pelss, a 20-year-old Edmonton Oilers prospect, was confirmed dead.

“When I heard the initial reports, I was absolutely floored. You just feel sick to your stomach but you keep hoping for a miracle. It’s so sad,” said Green, the captain of the Oklahoma City Barons.

“We spent most of the year with him. He didn’t play in the playoffs but he was with us every day. Just a real good kid, a real hard worker, and he had this dry wit when it came to his humor, which is what I liked about him.”

Travis Ewanyk spent two seasons with Pelss in the Oil Kings fold, a memorable stretch that included the team’s Memorial Cup run in 2012. Ewanyk then closed out this season with Pelss in Oklahoma City. He had many conversations with Oil King teammates and coaches over the course of the past few trying days.

Related articles

• Edmonton Oilers confirm death of 20-year-old prospect Kristians Pelss (metronews.ca)
• Oilers prospect Kristians Pelss reported missing in Latvia (globalnews.ca)
• Oilers prospect Pelss drowns in Latvia (bnd.com)
• Oilers prospect missing: Report (lfpress.com)

CC mourns death of Scott Winkler

CC mourns death of Scott Winkler: Colorado College and Tiger Hockey are mourning the loss of Scott Winkler, wh... http://t.co/hEZFU990Us
— CC Tiger Athletics (@CCTigers) June 13, 2013

As Redwing77 mentioned, Former Colorado College Tigers forward, Scott Winker died unexpectedly at home on Wednesday, in Asker, Norway. Scott Winkler was 23 years old.

C.C. Tigers -- Colorado College and Tiger Hockey are mourning the loss of Scott Winkler, who died unexpectedly on Wednesday at his parents' home in Norway after recently completing his senior season with the Tigers.

No other details of his passing are available at this time.

Winkler graduated from CC on May 20 with a bachelor's degree in economics. A third-round selection of the Dallas Stars in the 2008 NHL draft, he had recorded career highs of 13 goals and 28 points for the Tigers in 2012-13.

"It is an unfathomable tragedy to see a talented young man pass at such an early age," said Ken Ralph, director of athletics at CC. "This spring we have seen Scott put in a great deal of work to prepare himself for his professional career and the rest of his life. He had such a bright future ahead of him. I'd like to ask all Colorado College fans and supporters of college hockey everywhere to keep the Winkler family in your thoughts and prayers."

Born and raised in Asker, Norway, Winkler came to the United States in 2007 to play for the Russell Stover midget major AAA team in Overland Park, Kan. He played a year of juniors for the Cedar Rapids Roughriders of the United States Hockey League in 2008-09 before enrolling at Colorado College as a freshman. He compiled 63 points (24g,39a) in 120 career games with the Tigers.

Some Sad News (RW77)

Ok, I know this doesn't relate to the NHL or to UND Hockey or, I guess, to NDSU athletics but...

Just graduated CC Forward Scott Winkler was found dead at his parent's home in Norway yesterday (Wednesday, June 12th).  He was 23.

This is definitely not cool.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the Winkler family and friends.

I hope the rest of the UND Hockey family would do the same.

C.C. vs. UW: winner to the NCAA tourney

The University of Wisconsin Badgers (21-12-7) and Colorado College (18-18-5) faceoff tonight in the championship game of the Red Baron WCHA Final Five at 7:00 pm. Central.

You can watch that game on DirecTV channel 668 FSN, if you don’t have cable.

This is an important game for both teams.

The winner goes the NCAA playoffs. The Tigers if they lose, they’re season is over. The same may happen for the Wisconsin Badgers if they don’t win tonight as well, it’s up to the Pairwise math.

Wisconsin is currently sitting at 17^th in the Pairwise so they’re definitely a bubble team.

After the win last night, Colorado College Tiger goalie Joe Howe summed it up with the quote of the weekend, “Rylan [Schwartz] put a quote on the board from Mike Babcock [Redwings head coach] you don’t have to win three games, you have to win one game three times.”

I have told people that the Tigers have one of the best lines in college hockey and the opposition has had a tuff time stopping Rylan Schwartz, Alexander Krushelnyski and the local boy Charlie Taft (Edina, Minnesota). Regardless of the record, the Tigers are a good hockey teams and are peaking at the right time. The Tigers have also won five of their last six games.

Last night, the Tigers looked as if they had watched some game film from the BSU and Minnesota series. At times, it looked like C.C. used some of the same offensive strategies. On one play, the Tigers chipped the puck up the glass and the forward from C.C. skated into the puck and got a quick shot on net that Adam Wilcox made a big save on. If Wilcox doesn’t make that save, it’s a 3-0 game.

You have to give credit, where credit is due. The Tigers beat DU (20-13-5) in games, they beat UND (21-12-7) and Minnesota (26-8-5).

Colorado College Tigers: Rylan Schwartz (19g-32a—51pts), Alexander Krushelnyski (15g-27a—42pts), William Rupuzzi (15g-20a—35pts), Scott Winkler (13g-15a—28pts), Archie Skalbeck (12g-11a—23pts)Defense: Mike Boivin (14g-14a—28pts) Eamonn McDermott (3g-20a—23pts), Peter Stoykewych (2g-9a—11pts). Goalies: Joe Howe 14-11-4, 2.97 GAA, .915 save percentage, Josh Thorimbert 4-7-1, 3.73 GAA, .873 save percentage.

Wisconsin Badgers: Forwards: Michael Mersch (23g-13a—36pts), Mark Zengerle (9g-21a—31pts), Nic Kerdiles (9g-21a—30pts), Joseph Labate (9g-13a—22pts),  Tyler Barnes (14g-15a—21pts), Defense:  Jake McCabe (3g-17a—20pts) John Ramage (8g-10a—18pts). Goalies: Landon Peterson 6-4-3, 2.01 GAA, .926 save percentage, Joel Rumpel 15-8-4, 2.21 GAA, .921 save percentage.

Cross-posted at the Hockey Writes Combine

Related articles

• Day two reflections from the WCHA Final Five (thehockeywriters.com)
• Day two reflections from the WCHA Final Five (getrealhockey.com)

11/26 CC vs. UND Lines

Image via WikipediaUND goes again with Dell in net. CC goes with Howe. A lot of line changes for UND. The only other note is that CC Defenseman Eamon McDermitt is out tonight. Ian Young, a freshman, is in.
(per Brad Schlossman's blog located here)

UND’s lines
29 Brock Nelson–10 Corban Knight–7 Danny Kristo
11 Derek Rodwell–9 Mario Lamoureux–27 Carter Rowney
21 Brendan O’Donnell–16 Mark MacMillan–15 Michael Parks
28 Stephane Pattyn–13 Connor Gaarder–20 Joe Gleason

Fighting Sioux Defensive Paring

4 Derek Forbort–24 Ben Blood
2 Andrew MacWilliam–5 Nick Mattson
18 Dillon Simpson–22 Andrew Panzarella

Fighting Sioux Goalies 

32 Aaron Dell
31 Brad Eidsness
35 Tate Maris

UND Player Stats 

Colorado College’s lines
8 Jaden Schwartz–13 Rylan Schwartz–27 William Rapuzzi
16 Alex Krushelnyski–22 Nick Dineen–25 Scott Winkler
9 Dakota Eveland–11 David Civitarese–21 Jeff Collett
12 Archie Skalbeck–23 Tim Hall–15 Andrew Hamburg

Tiger  Defense Pairings 

10 Gabe Guentzel–4 Joe Marciano
20 Ian Young–6 Peter Stoykewych
5 Aaron Harstad–28 Mike Boivin

Tiger Goalies

31 Joe Howe
39 Josh Thorimbert

Tiger Player stats 

Related articles

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• Tuesday evening free for all (mvn.com)
• WCHA Power Rankings - November 21 (insidehockey.com)
• Hump Day Links... (mvn.com)

Sioux vs Tigers game one lines

Image via Wikipedia

Fighting Sioux Forward lines

29 Brock Nelson – 10 Corbin Knight (A) – 7 Danny Kristo
9 Mario Lamoureux (C ) – 27 Carter Rowney –  20 Joe Gleason
21 Brendan O’Donnell – 16 Mark MacMillian – 11 Derek Rodwell
 28 Stephane Pattyn – 13 Connor Gaarder – 15 Michael Parks

Fighting Sioux Defensive Parings

4 Derek Forbort – 24 Ben Blood (A)
2 Andrew MacWilliam (A) – 5  Nick Mattson
18 Dillon Simpson – 22 Andrew Panzarella
Fighting Sioux goalies

32 Aaron Dell
31 Brad Eidsness

Fighting Sioux stats

Tiger Forward lines 

8 Jaden Schwartz – 13 Rylan Schwartz 27 William Rapuzzi (A) 

16 Alexander Krushelnyski – 22 Nick Dineen (C) – 25 Scott Winkler

9 Dakota Eveland 11 David Civitarese (A) – Jeff Collett

12 Archie Skalbeck – 23 Tim Hall 15 – Andrew Hamburg  

Tiger Defensive pairing

10 Gabe Guentzel  (A) – 4 Joe Marciano

6 Peter Stoykewych – 7 Eamonn McDermott

5 Aaron Harstad – 28  Mike Bovin 

Tiger Goalies

39 Josh Thorimbert

28 Joe Howe

Tiger Player Stats

One Ice Officials; Refs: Jonathan Morrison (27), Brian Thul (14) -  AR: Andry Carton (92)  Nathan Freeman (78)

Related articles

• Series Preview: Sioux vs. Tigers (insidehockey.com)
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