Faceoff Factor

NCAA Weekend Recap: The Return Of The King Edition

Andrew Chiappazzi | College/NCAA

Jan 28, 09:19 PM | Hype this story!

Ladies and Gentlemen…the King has returned.

Welcome home, all you University of Miami Redhawks. You are once again the undisputed ruler of all things college hockey related. Michigan proceeded to hand Michigan State three points, and in the process show how they can be defeated: lock them down defensively and the high powered offense will quietly sink into its shell.

Whether the Spartans’ fabled blueprint will last – the Wolverines did show signs of being able to break out in the Saturday night game, salvaging a 2-2 tie – will remain to be seen, but like the Patriots in the NFL, once you’ve established a weakness, you can find ways to exploit it.

It may never come in the regular season, but in one game playoffs? The Wolverines are suddenly very human.

The List:
Skater of the Weekend: Matt Fornataro, Sr. F, New Hampshire.
In a vital series against semi-resurgent Boston, Fornataro reminded everyone why he is the scoring leader of the Wildcats and not the flashier guys like Mike Radja or James vanRiemsdyk. Fornataro potted a goal in three assists as UNH swept the series by a combined score of 9-5. He was also a +3, as UNH had just 7 power plays all weekend and did most of their work at even strength.

Goalie of the Weekend: Jeff Lerg, Sr. Michigan State.
Lerg did it again. Any time you knock off the #1 team in the nation and do it by holding them to only two goals over two games, taking three points and a major confidence boost, it’s a gigantic win. In fairness to the Wolverines, Michigan State didn’t score much either. But Lerg was phenomenal, stopping 55 of 57 shots, including the 26 save shutout Friday night. He and Peter Mannino may be the best in the nation.

The Oh-No-Not-Again-Zebra-Mistake Award: At this point, one has to wonder if the WCHA is actually trying to get in the news for its officiating. As if the season’s two previous incidents – both involving and benefiting Denver – were not enough, the WCHA found itself under siege again after a disputed goal Saturday night. The University of Alaska-Anchorage found itself in a strange position: the cellar-dweller was dominating perennial contender North Dakota in the home of the Sioux. And then, the zebras struck.

Referee Todd Anderson disallowed a Seawolves goal in the 2nd period, eventually leading to a 3-1 UND win. UAA coach Dave Shyiak was beside himself with anger after the loss, saying that the effort put forth by his struggling team deserved the win and that the waved-off goal essentially destroyed his team’s morale.

Adding more intrigue: the Seawolves scored again 14 seconds after the disallowed goal, but instead of tying the game at 2, they remained down by one.

Eventually, maybe the WCHA will get one right.