Hockey East Class of 2011: How Did They Fare?

The ECHL, AHL and NHL regular seasons have all come to a close, and with the seasons ending, so too are many Hockey East 2011 alums done playing for the season. 

Of all the alums, former Northeastern captain Tyler McNeely impressed the most during a brief stint in the AHL, netting five goals, recording four assists and finishing with a plus-nine rating in ten games for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Both Stephane Da Costa (Merrimack) and Matt Campanale  (UNH) donned NHL sweaters, but neither registered a point during their play with Ottawa and the New York Islanders, respectively. 

John Muse impressed in his lone start with the Portland Pirates, stopping 33 of 35 shots in an overtime win. Former teammate Cam Atkinson played in five games for Springfield, scoring three goals and adding two assists. 

Former BU captain Joe Pereira played a single game with the Worcester Sharks before being traded to Bridgeport, where he scored five points in ten games. 

Hockey East player of the year Paul Thompson played in four games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, tallying three points and a plus-four rating. 

ECHL

UMass - F Chase Langeraap (SC) 8 GP, 2-0=2, +2
Merrimack - F Joe Cucci (SC) 2 GP, 0-0=0, Even
Vermont - F Josh Burrows (BKR) 7 GP, 1-0=1, +5

AHL

BC - F Cam Atkinson (SPFLD) 5 GP, 3-2=5, +2
BC - F Jimmy Hayes (RFD) 7 GP, 0-0=0, Even
BC - F Joe Whitney (POR) 1 GP, 0-1=1, +1
BC - G John Muse (POR) 1-0-0, 1.85 GA, .943 Sv %
BU - F Joe Pereira (WOR) 1 GP, 0-0=0, Even; (BPT) 10 GP, 2-3=5, +1
BU - D David Warsofsky (PRV) 10 GP, 0-3=3, +3
Maine - F Tanner House (OKC) 6 GP, 1-4=5, +3
Maine - F Gustav Nyquist (GRP) 8 GP, 1-3=4, +1
Maine - D Jeff Dimmen (POR) 7 GP, 0-1=1, -4
Maine - D Mike Banwell (ALB) 4 GP, 0-1=1, -5
Maine - D Josh Van Dyk (ABB) 1 GP 0-0=0, Even
UMass - G Paul Dainton (SPFLD) 2-2-0, 2.63 GA, .912 Sv %
Merrimack - F Chris Barton (BPT) 1 GP, 0-0=0, Even
Northeastern - F Wade MacLeod (SPFLD) 9 GP, 1-2=3, -5
Northeastern - F Tyler McNeely (BPT)  10 GP, 5-6=11, +9
UNH - D Matt Campanale (BPT) 5 GP, 0-0=0, Even
UNH - F Paul Thompson (WBS) 6 GP, 1-2=3, +4
UNH - F Mike Sislo (ALB) 3 GP, 0-0=0, -5
Vermont - D Kevan Miller (PRV) 6 GP, 0-0=0, +2


NHL

Merrimack - F Stephane Da Costa (OTT) 4 GP, 0-0=0, -1
UNH - D Matt Campanale (NYI) 1 GP, 0-0=0, Even

UNH's Matt Campanale Becomes Second Hockey East 2011 Alum to Make NHL debut

Matt Campanale skates as a member of the New York Islanders for the first time at TD Garden. 

Photo courtesy Scott Slingsby.

Playing at the University of New Hampshire, Matt Campanale was no stranger to quality talent. The top forward line - comprised of Hockey East player of the Year Paul Thompson, captain Mike Sislo and Washington Capitals prospect Phil DeSimone - on the 2010-11 Wildcats put up 148 points combined, 53 of them goals and 13 of those, game-winners.

So it was all but certain that when UNH’s season ended - some would say abruptly, some would say later than expected - with a 2-1 loss to Notre Dame in the NCAA Northeast Regional Final just ten days ago, there would be a Wildcat soon trading in his UNH Blue and White for different colors and a shot at NHL glory.

Just, nobody expected Campanale would be it.

Thompson signed an entry-level deal with Pittsburgh to a substantial amount of fanfare - after all, such an injury-depleted team could use Thompson’s hands to help boost their offense. Sislo followed by signing with the Devils, which snuck under the radar, but gave the former captain as much a chance as anyone to make an NHL roster before April. And Campanale quietly signed an amateur tryout offer with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL affiliate of the flailing New York Islanders.

In two games with Bridgeport, Campanale didn’t register a point, notching only one shot on goal and two penalty minutes. After practice on April 5th, he got a phone call from the Islanders front office. He figured he was heading back home to Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. But the Islanders had different plans for the blue-liner who led his alma mater in plus-minus at plus-25 and was second on the team in blocked shots with 48.

He wasn’t heading back to Pennsylvania. He was heading to Boston, to the TD Garden, to the same sheet of ice that he’d last played on 17 days earlier as a Wildcat in the Hockey East semifinals, only this time, he was going to do it as an NHLer.

“When I got the call, I was really excited; when I found out it was Boston, I was thrilled,” Campanale said after the Isles’ 3-2 defeat. “My entire family was here, and I’m not sure how many New Hampshire people were coming up, but it was probably a decent amount.”

By anyone’s standards, it wasn’t a glowing debut - the former UNHer logged only 8:21 of ice time and didn’t register a shot, getting on the score sheet only for a delay of game penalty with 11:26 remaining in the game.

“Everyone was telling me to get on the score sheet somehow,” Campanale quipped after the game.

“It was a lot of fun, but it’s an extremely high level, even compared to the AHL,” he said, admitting that he couldn’t quite get away with the things he was used to in college because the size and strength of the opposition at the NHL level was so different.

Even on familiar ice, Campanale knew it wasn’t the same game. “[The atmosphere was] a lot different, actually,” he said when asked how his first NHL game compared to the last time he played on Garden ice.

With the Islanders’ having lost 578 man-games to injury on the season, Campanale may get to see time in their last two games, Friday versus Pittsburgh and Saturday at Philadelphia. If he does, it’s safe to say he’ll relish the offseason and look forward to future tilts with, say, Florida.

Not that he isn’t relishing this chance, right now.

“It’s definitely something that nobody expected, but it was exciting that I got the opportunity and I’m just really happy to be here.”

Checking in on the Hockey East Class of 2011

Now that the flurry of post-post-season comings and goings are over, it's time to see how the Hockey East class of 2011 is faring in their post-collegiate careers.

Since his season ended - perhaps prematurely - at the hands of Notre Dame, Stephane Da Costa is the only Hockey East-er to head straight to the NHL. Playing for the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, Da Costa recorded a shot, but no points and was a minus-one in the Sens' 4-2 loss to the suddenly frisky Toronto Maple Leafs.

Other HEA alums who are poised to see time at the NHL level in the next season include reigning conference player of the year Paul Thompson, who has three point (1-2) in three games for the Wilkes-Barre Penguins and is a plus-four - a surprise for a player who didn't do much back-checking as a student-athlete. His former linemate Mike Sislo signed a two-year, entry-level deal with the New Jersey Devils on Sunday; while Sislo will finish the season at AHL Albany this year, he could compete for time in a Devils roster full of holes next season.

Former Boston College standout Cam Atkinson has played in two games with AHL Springfield (MA), and is 2-2=4 in those games with a plus-one rating. His former teammate Jimmy Hayes has played three games for the Rockford IceHogs - AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks - but is yet to register a point and is a minus-one in those games. Don't be thrown by the AHL's website saying that he's playing D for Rockford - he's still on the right wing.

Ex-Maine Black Bear Gustav Nyquist has 1-2=3 totals through four games with Detroit Red Wings' affiliate Grand Rapids, and has a plus-one rating as well.

Below are the stats for all Hockey East 2011 alums through their first few days/weeks as professionals:

ECHL

UMass - F Chase Langeraap (SC) - 8 GP, 2-0=2, +2
Merrimack - F Joe Cucci (SC) - 2 GP, 0-1=1, Even
Vermont - F Josh Burrows (BKR) - 7 GP, 1-0=1, +5


AHL
BC - F Cam Atkinson (SPFLD) 2 GP, 2-2=4, +1
BC - F Jimmy Hayes (ROC) 3 GP, 0-0=0, -1
BU - F Joe Pereira (WOR)- 1 GP, 0-0=0
BU - D David Warsofsky (PRV) - 7 GP, 0-1=1, +1
Maine - F Tanner House (OKC) 3 GP, 1-1=2, +1
Maine - F Gustav Nyquist (GRP) 4 GP, 1-2=3, +1
Maine - D Jeff Dimmen (POR) 2 GP, -1
Maine - D Mike Banwell (ALB) 1 GP, 0-0=0, -1
UMass - G Paul Dainton (SPFLD)- 1-2-0, 2.71, .923
Merrimack - F Chris Barton (BPT) - 1 GP
Northeastern - F Tyler McNeely (BPT) - 6 GP, 2-1=3, +4
Northeastern - F Wade MacLeod (SPFLD)- 5 GP, 1-0=1, -1
UNH - D Matt Campanale (BPT) - 1 GP
UNH - F Paul Thompson (WBS) - 3 GP, 1-2=3, +4
Vermont - D Kevan Miller (PRV) 3 GP, 0-0=0, Even


NHL

Merrimack - F Stephane Da Costa (OTT) - 1 GP, -1



Signings

Merrimack Captain D Adam Ross - ECHL’s Victoria Salmon Kings
UNH Captain F Mike Sislo - NHL New Jersey Devils (assigned to Albany)
Maine D Josh Van Dyk - NHL Edmonton Oilers (assigned to Abbotsford, has not yet played)

New England D-I Men's Hockey Awards Announced

For those of you left with a bitter taste in your mouth after Merrimack was all but snubbed in the Hockey East annual awards department, your justice has been delivered. The 2010-11 New England Hockey Awards - voted on by coaches and media alike - have been announced today, and the Warriors are well-represented. So, too, is Yale, but nobody really cares.

Goalies    John Muse, Sr. (Boston College)
Ryan Rondeau, Sr. (Yale)

Defense    
Brian Dumoulin, So. (Boston College)
Blake Kessel, Jr. (New Hampshire)
Danny Biega, So. (Harvard)
Karl Stollery, Jr. (Merrimack)

Forwards    Cam Atkinson, Jr. (Boston College)
Gustav Nyquist, Jr. (Maine)
Paul Thompson, Sr. (New Hampshire)
Stephane Da Costa, So. (Merrimack)
Andrew Miller, So. (Yale)
Brian O’Neill, So. (Yale)


2010-11 New England Hockey Awards
Clark Hodder Award – Division I Coach of the Year
Mark Dennehy (Merrimack)

Leonard Fowle Award – Most Valuable Player
Paul Thompson, Sr., F (New Hampshire)

George C. Carens Award – Rookie of the Year
Charlie Coyle, Fr., F (Boston University)

Herb Gallagher Award – Best Forward
Paul Thompson, Sr., F (New Hampshire)

Bob Monahan Award – Best Defenseman
Brian Dumoulin. So., D (Boston College)

Paul Hines Award – Most Improved Player
Ryan Rondeau, Sr., G (Yale)

Frank Jones Award – Best Defensive Forward
Tanner House, Sr., F (Maine)

Joe Tomasello Award - Unsung Hero Award
Mike Daly, Jr., D (Holy Cross)

Parker/York Award – Contribution to New England Hockey
Jim Logue (Boston College)


The site hasn't been updated yet, but to view past award winners, check out http://www.newenglandallstars.com/.

Hockey East Playoffs: March Sweeps - BC, UNH, Merrimack Advance In Two Games

at Boston College 4, UMass 2 - Boston College wins series, 2 games to zero

CHESTNUT HILL, MA - Thanks to Jimmy Hayes, Boston College has some accessories to add to their 2011 hardware.

Hayes registered a hat trick, scoring first for the Eagles, potting the game-winner and registering an empty-net goal with 23 seconds to go as regular-season champion Boston College swept UMass out of the quarterfinal round of the Hockey East playoffs.

Joe Whitney had the other goal for BC, which advances to the conference semifinals for the seventh straight season. Chase Langeraap opened the scoring for the Minutemen only 21 seconds in, giving UMass hope with its second strong start in as many nights, but it wasn’t to be for Toot Cahoon’s squad.

John Muse made 18 saves to preserve the win for the Eagles, who went 1-for-5 on the man advantage, while UMass wasn’t able to convert on their five man-advantage chances.

at New Hampshire 4, Vermont 3 - UNH wins series, 2 games to zero

DUHRAM, NH - It had been a long two seasons for Dick Umile, whose UNH teams hadn’t advanced past the quarterfinal round of the Hockey East playoffs since 2008. A year after winning the opening game of a series with Vermont before falling 1-0 in the next two, they left nothing to chance.

After UVM’s Ben Albertson opened the scoring at 3:49 of the second period, the Wildcats answered with three straight goals. Austin Block scored on a partially screened breakaway at 17:14, and Stevie Moses tipped Brett Kostolansky’s blast from the right point 42 seconds later to give second-seeded UNH a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Paul Thompson extended the lead to 3-1 on a wicked wrister  at 9:06 of the third, but Vermont came back to tie it at three with less than four minutes to go. UNH captain Mike Sislo responded, scoring his 13th goal with exactly three minutes remaining.

Despite going 0-for-8 on the power play, UNH outshot Vermont 39 to 28. The Catamounts were 1-for-4 with the man advantage.

Matt Di Girolamo stopped 25 shots for the win.

at Merrimack 6, Maine 2 - Merrimack wins series, 2 games to zero

ANDOVER, MA - Mark Dennehy’s squad celebrated its second home playoff series the right way this time, skating Maine out of the building as the Warriors advanced to Boston for just the second time in team history.

Carter Madsen recorded a hat trick for Merrimack, which also got goals from Mike Collins, Ryan Flanigan and Jeff Velleca. Flanigan added three assists for his first career four-point night.

Jeff Dimmen and Brian Flynn scored for Maine, which struggled to find an answer for Merrimack’s aggressive forecheck. After not allowing five goals once all season, Dan Sullivan let five pucks past him for the second straight night, before giving way to Shawn Sirman in the third period.

Despite the teams being whistled for a combined 66 penalty minutes, Merrimack had only three power play chances. They converted on one of them, while Maine’s vaunted power play attack was held quiet on their four opportunities.

Joe Cannata made 29 saves to earn the win for Merrimack, which hasn’t played in the Hockey East quarterfinals since 1998.

Home Cooking: All Higher Seeds Win On First Full Night Of Hockey East Playoffs

at Boston College 4, UMass 1

CHESTNUT HILL, MA - Jimmy Hayes showed up at just the right time. After the Minutemen outshot the Hockey East regular season champs 6-1 through the first ten minutes of the game, Hayes beat UMass goaltender Paul Dainton to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.

They wouldn’t look back.

Cam Atkinson scored his league-leading 28th goal of the year just 14 seconds into the second period, and by the time UMass’ Daniel Hobbs scored a power play goal at 11:52 of the middle frame, the Minutemen were already down 3-0 and BC cruised to a 4-1 victory at Conte Forum. John Muse stopped 26 shots to preserve the win for Boston College, which moved a win away from its seventh straight appearance in the Hockey East semifinals.

Dainton stopped 31 shots for UMass, but it wasn’t enough as Toot Cahoon’s squad couldn’t find the depth to skate with BC or the offense to make up for it.

UMass had eight opportunities with the man advantage, but was only able to convert once. BC went 1-for-6 on the power play.

The Minutemen and Eagles face off at 7 PM Saturday night at Conte Forum with UMass’ season on the line.

at New Hampshire 3, Vermont 1

DURHAM, NH - Stevie Moses nearly registered more shots himself than his entire team did a week earlier, recording 10 attempts on net, and closing the scoring off a beautiful feed from Mike Borisenok early in the third period to cap a 3-1 Wildcats win.

Despite being outshot 14-4 in the first period, UNH took an early lead on Paul Thompson’s 27th goal of the season at 4:23. It seemed as though that might be the game-winner for a long time, as Matt Di Girolamo was superb against a solid Catamounts attack.

The lone Vermont goal came when Sebastian Stalberg - who had a great chance in the first on a wrap-around that Di Girolamo sprawled backwards with his arm over his head to glove away - was able to pry lose a rebound and put the puck between the UNH goaltender’s legs.

UNH was successful on its only power play chance when Phil DeSimone scored the game’s second goal with four seconds remaining in a Dan Lawson tripping penalty. Vermont went 0-for-5 with the man advantage.

Di Girolamo stopped 32 Vermont shots to earn the win in his first career Hockey East playoff game.

UNH and Vermont go at it again Saturday night as the Wildcats look to avenge last season’s early playoff exit when they beat the Cats 7-4 on Friday night but lost successive 1-0 decisions on Saturday and Sunday and were unable to advance in the Hockey East tournament.

at Boston University 5, Northeastern 2

BOSTON, MA - BU spotted Northeastern an early lead when Brodie Reid scored his ninth goal of the year at 3:25 of the first period, but pushed back to even the series and extend their season for at least one more game, winning a 5-2 decision at Agganis Arena.

Joe Pereira tallied twice for the Terriers, including an empty-net goal with just 35 seconds remaining, and Matt Nieto, Kevin Gilroy and Ryan Ruikka added markers for BU, which struggled to find any offense in a 4-2 loss to Northeastern on Thursday night.

Jamie Oleksiak also scored for Northeastern, making it a 3-2 game after two periods, but BU was too much for the Huskies in the third. Clay Witt, who has faced BU in three of the five games that he’s played this season, made 29 saves in relief of Chris Rawlings, who allowed three of the six shots he saw to go by him.

Kieran Millan made 30 saves to earn the win for BU, which needs to at least advance to the Hockey East semifinals to have a chance at playing in the NCAA tournament.

Despite drawing ten Northeastern penalties, BU was only able to convert on one power play. Northeastern went 1-for-7 with the extra man.

The series will pause briefly as Agganis Arena hosts the America East Men’s Basketball Championship on Saturday before resuming Sunday night at 7 PM with both team’s seasons on the line.

at Merrimack 5, Maine 4

ANDOVER, MA - The Black Bears jumped out to a 2-0 lead nearly halfway through the action, and it looked like the Warriors were going to suffer a similar fate to the one they experienced two weeks ago in Orono.

Three unanswered goals later, Merrimack was in charge and held off multiple attempts at a comeback to take a 1-0 series advantage.

Gustav Nyquist scored his 50th career goal for Maine to open the scoring, and added two assists later to finish with three points. Robby Dee scored twice for the Black Bears and added an assist as well.

While Maine held Joe Cucci and Mike Collins pointless on the night, Merrimack found its scoring from lower down the lineup chart. Elliott Sheen scored twice and Ryan Flanigan added a goal and an assist, as the Warriors’ third line contributed three goals and two assists on the night.

Dan Sullivan - who’d been strong in net recently for Maine - gave up five goals on 24 shots. It was the first time Sullivan had given up five goals all season, though he was pulled twice in games in which he gave up three goals in a period.

The Black Bears lost despite going 3-for-5 on the power play and holding Merrimack to only three man-advantage chances, which they converted one of. 

Joe Cannata stopped 20 Maine shots to earn the win.

The series continues Saturday night, presumably with Maine’s season on the line. Saturday’s game will be televised on NESN and starts at 7:30 PM.

Hockey East Playoffs: Quarterfinals Picks

Boston College over UMass in two games

You don’t need to know much about this series. Simply look at the history; BC swept UMass this year. BC’s won two of the last three national titles. BC swept UNH last weekend. Boston College has won eight of its last ten games, 11 of its last 13 and 18 of 22. UMass, meanwhile, hasn’t won in twelve games. They’ve earned three out of a possible 24 points.
Sure, two of BC’s wins over UMass this year were by two goals, but that’s not nearly encouragement enough to think that the Minutemen could steal a game in this series. BC has their eyes on bigger prizes, for sure. But as long as they focus on this one, there isn’t much that can stop them.

UNH over UVM in three games

UNH went 2-0-1 against Vermont this year. When they won, they won handily; 5-1 and 6-1. When they tied, they didn’t bother showing up. Which sounds a lot like what UNH normally does in March. There are no ties this time of year, so the Wildcats would be well-served to show up early and often and put an anemic Vermont offense in a position where it can’t catch up.
Vermont’s defense isn’t stellar. Rob Madore’s going to need to have the weekend of his career for the Cats to advance. Vermont’s D will have to have a spotlight on Paul Thompson, who has 5-11=16 totals against the Cats in his career. But if they can keep the games low-scoring, doubt will creep into the minds of the home team and it could be their undoing.
At the end of the day, this UNH team is too experienced and too hungry to lose this series, but they’ve experience enough heartbreaks to get shaken if they go down early in a game or lose Friday night. Whoever scores first will play a huge role in who wins these games.

Northeastern over Boston University in three games

Yes, they’ve played seven straight one-goal games. Yes, BU’s won five of them. Yes, BU’s 5-2 all-time against Northeastern in the Hockey East playoffs. Yes, BU was the hottest team in the conference before falling to the Huskies on Saturday night at Agganis. Yes, they’re 15-3-4 against Northeastern in the last five seasons.
But the emotional boost that Northeastern gets from the return of Greg Cronin will help. A lot. Enough, probably, to earn them game one of the series. BU’s been lackadaisical with a lead, but hasn’t shown much urgency when trailing, either. The Terriers have relied on their freshmen and junior Alex Chiasson to get the job done this year, while the Huskies rely on their senior leadership to light the lamp and their young guys to keep the other team off the board. Kieran Millan has been suspect in big games. Chris Rawlings has risen to the occasion whenever called upon.
If Northeastern takes Thursday’s game one, expect BU to look a little like deer in headlights. And don’t expect them to respond well.

Maine over Merrimack in three games

Only one team in this series is playing for an NCAA tournament berth. It’s also the team that peaked at the right time of year. Maine proved that they can beat Merrimack by getting behind the forecheck, and don’t expect them not to do so again. Sure, Merrimack’s solid at home - 12-2-2 on the season. Sure, they get Stephane Da Costa back, and they’re 19-5-4 with him in the lineup.
But this comes down to goaltending, just like everything else at this time of year does. Joe Cannata’s been a shell of himself the past few weeks, and Dan Sullivan has been hulking up for the playoffs. That, of course, can change. And change quickly and easily. And if it does, this is easily Merrimack’s series.
But you can’t predict that. And until you can, this is Maine’s series to lose. They have more post-season experience on the ice and on the bench than does Merrimack, and they have the ability to let Merrimack beat themselves, which is an upper hand that the Warriors don’t hold over Maine.