July 26, 2001
2001-2002 Hockey Prospectus
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NOTRE DAME, Ind. – For the 2001-02 Notre Dame hockey team, putting last season in the past won’t be very hard to do. After showing improvement in each of Coach Dave Poulin’s first five seasons that culminated with a trip to the CCHA finals in 1999-2000, the Irish stumbled during the 2000-01 season.
Despite a disappointing 10-22-7 record and a 7-15-6 record in the CCHA, there was reason for optimism as the Irish started to put their game together in the final month of the season.
Notre Dame played single-elimination hockey over the last month of the season going unbeaten in six straight (4-0-2) before falling in the regular season finale to Western Michigan to miss the playoffs by just one point.
Head coach Dave Poulin, now in his seventh season behind the Notre Dame bench, believes that his team’s strong finish is indicative of the kind of hockey the Irish will play in the season ahead.
“We were one of the hottest teams at the end of last season, but we still fell short by a point and were on the outside looking in when the playoffs started,” says Poulin.
“The challenge for us is to pick up where we left off and get back to where we want to be and that’s among the top teams in the league. I thought that we had shown strong progress the previous two years, but took a step back. I am very excited about what this team can do,” added the 1982 Notre Dame grad.
While the Irish struggled in 2000-01, many younger player sgot a chance to learn on the job and should be better for it. The 25- man roster has just four seniors and is loaded with sophomores and juniors who have already seen a great deal of college hockey action.
Notre Dame loses eight players from the 2000-01 roster – six forwards, one defenseman and one goaltender. Upfront, the Irish must replace the team’s top two scorers in honorable mention all-CCHA left wing Dan Carlson (17-25-42) and team captain Ryan Dolder (15-19-34). Carlson led the team in scoring in each of his final two seasons and finished 20th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 132 career points (52 goals and 80 assists). Dolder turned in career highs in every category and was the team leader on and off the ice.
Chad Chipchase (3-4-7), Matt Van Arkel (3-5-8), Jay Kopischke (2-2-4 in 19 games) and Brett Henning (1-2-3 in 15 games) round out the departed forwards. The first five graduated while Henning saw his career ended in December due to a neck injury.
On defense, rugged Ryan Clark (0-2-2) was the lone senior on a young Irish blueline (one junior, two sophomores and four freshmen made up the remaining defensive corps) while goaltender Kyle Kolquist (0-4-2, 3.24, .910 sv%) saw the most action of his Notre Dame career.
The Irish were last in the CCHA in goals against allowing 3.85 goals per game (150 in 39 contests). Consistency will be the watch-word on defense as the blue and gold will look to cut down in the goals-against department.
In goal, the competition figures to be wide-open as three players- two returnees and a freshman – will battle for the top job. The elder statesman of the group is senior Jeremiah Kimento (Palos Hills, Ill.). As a junior, the 5-11, 190-pound netminder played in a career high 19 games (13 starts) and was 5-7-2 on the year with a 3.60 goals against and a .882 save percentage. In CCHA games he was 3-5-1 with a 3.53 average and a .889 save mark.
Junior Tony Zasowski (Darien, Ill.) will look to return to his freshman form of 1999-2000 when he took over in goal to record the lowest goals against (2.56) in Notre Dame hockey history while going 13-9-6 in 28 starts. Last season, the stand-up goaltender struggled with consistency going 5-11-3 overall with a 4.01 goals against and a .876 save percentage. He was 4-6-3 (3-2-1 in his last six starts) in the CCHA with a 3.33 goals against average.
Joining the roster this season will be newcomer Morgan Cey (Wilkie, Sask.) who joins the Irish after being one of the top junior hockey goaltenders in North America. Cey led his Flin Flon Bomber squad to the Royal Bank Cup (the Canadian junior hockey championship) finals. The 6-1, 175-pound puckstopper was a first team Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League all-star and the SJHL’s Most Valuable Player after going 35-16-0 on the year with a 2.62 goals against.
“There is no question that this is one area where we really need to improve. I believe that goaltending is the most critical position in all of sports and we have to get better here,” says Poulin.
“Our defense will be a year older and more experienced which will help whomever wins the job. Both Tony (Zasowski) and Jeremiah (Kimento) had chances to win the spot last year but struggled with consistency. Morgan Cey comes in as a goaltender who excelled at the junior A level. We will have some strong competition in goal and we are looking for the guy who can win games for us.”
A key to the team’s success in goal will be the play of the Irish defensive corps. Team captain Evan Neilsen (Jr., Evanston, Ill.) will be the leader of this young and improving group. Neilsen blossomed into a solid all-around defenseman during the second half of the 2000-01 campaign as he finished the season with two goals and 10 assists for 12 points while turning in a +1 rating. The 6-2, 210- pound Neilsen plays a strong defensive game in his own zone and started to become more involved in the offense as the season rolled on. An eighth round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Neilsen will see duty in every situation for the Irish.
“Evan is the leader of our defense and our team,” says Poulin. “In the second half of the season, he was as good as anyone in our league. He’s gotten better on knowing when to go on offense and when to stay back. I really expect him to pick up where he left off last year.”
Joining Neilsen from the junior class on the Notre Dame blueline is Paul Harris (Ridgefield, Conn.). The 6-2, 210-pound Harris has battled injuries that have limited his playing time in each of his first two seasons. Last season, he played in 19 games with a goal and three assists.
Four sophomores form the core of the Irish defense and give Poulin and his staff a variety of skills on the blueline that compliment each other.
Brett Lebda (So., Buffalo Grove, Ill.) is the offensive leader. Blessed with tremendous skating ability, the 5-10, 195-pound defenseman makes things happen when he’s in control of the puck.
Selected to the CCHA’s all-Rookie team, Lebda is one of Notre Dame’s top three returning scorers as he scored seven goals with 19 assists for 26 points. Two of his goals came on the power play while two came shorthanded. Lebda recorded a five-point game (one goal, four assists) in December versus Nebraska-Omaha. A tough, scrappy player who hates to lose, the former U.S. Under-18 team standout runs the Irish power play and is a strong penalty killer. Lebda doesn’t shy away from the physical play as he led Notre Dame with a single-season, school-record 109 penalty minutes in his rookie year.
Fellow sophomore Neil Komadoski (Chesterfield, Mo.) is a no-nonsense, rugged defenseman who loves to hit. Another United States Under-18 team alum on the Irish roster, Komadoski throws his 6-1, 215-pound frame around with reckless abandon. A third round selection by the Ottawa Senators in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, Komadoski had his early-season development slowed by a shoulder separation suffered in the second game of the season causing him to miss most of October and November. He racked up 106 minutes in penalties in 30 games and added two goals and five assists.
The third sophomore who saw plenty of playing time in his rookie year is Tom Galvin (Miller Place, N.Y.). A strong, gifted skater, Galvin, like Komadoski, missed 13 games due to injury. The 5-9, 175-pounder suffered severed tendons in his left arm when he had his arm skated over in a November practice. He registered four assists in 26 games, but showed the ability to move with the puck in his own zone and set up the offense on the attack.
Unheralded T.J. Mathieson (So., Clarksville, Md.) made the most of several injuries on the Notre Dame defense and in the words of his coach, “competed his way into a job.” Mathieson (6-1, 180) made his first appearance in the lineup at the R.P.I. Tournament in December and played a regular role on defense most of the season appearing in 17 games with 14 minutes in penalties. He will be in the running for a regular spot again in 2001-02.
Two freshmen will push for a regular role are Derek Smith (Marysville, Mich.) and Joe Zurenko (Arlington Hts., Ill.). Smith is the newest member of the Irish roster to play for the U.S. Under-18 Developmental team. A versatile, all-around defenseman, Smith is a gifted skater with outstanding hockey skills. He will add to an already talented Notre Dame defensive corps.
Zurenko (6-1, 202) is a big, physical, stay-at-home defender who brings size and strength to the blueline after playing his junior hockey with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League. The Chicago-area native will be in the battle for playing time this season.
“I’m thrilled about our defense for this coming year,” says Poulin. “We were young last year and the younger players got a chance to play in all the tough situations and learned a great deal because of the opportunity. They learned from their mistakes and really showed great progress as the season went on. We have a talented group of players with styles that compliment each other.
Evan Nielsen is the leader of this group and was among the best defensemen in our league over the second half of the year. With Paul Harris, Brett Lebda, Neil Komadoski, Tom Galvin and T.J. Mathieson, we have an experienced group of defenseman that I think will continue to get better. Derek Smith and Joe Zurenko are going to push this group and that’s only going to make us better.”
While the Irish will look to cut their goals against, Poulin will also be looking for his offense to deposit more rubber behind enemy goaltenders. Notre Dame’s offense actually improved in 2000-01, scoring 104 goals in 39 games (2.67 goals per game – ninth best in the CCHA) compared to 1999-00 when the Irish scored 103 goals in 42 games (2.45 goals per game).
The Irish had five players score 11 or more goals last season. Those five accounted for 68.3% (71 of 104) of the scoring with the graduated Carlson (17) and Dolder (15) accounting for 30.8% of the goals. Poulin believes that the 2001-02 team has the players to step up and take their place in the lineup.
“There is no question that we’ve lost two very important players in Dan Carlson and Ryan Dolder. They were not only scorers for us, but they were team leaders,” says Poulin. “I really feel that we have players ready to step into their spots and we aren’t looking for freshmen to take their places. We have a strong nucleus of returning forwards and I’m confident they will add to their output from last season.”
The Irish will be looking for big things from senior forward David Inman (Toronto, Ont.) in his final campaign in blue and gold. A 1999 second round draft choice of the New York Rangers, Inman will look to close his Irish career with a bang. A year ago, he saw duty at both left wing and center finishing seventh on the team in scoring with 11 goals and six assists for 17 points while leading the Irish with five power play goals. He closed the season with three goals and three assists in the team’s final five games.
“David Inman is one of the most talented players in the CCHA and for that matter all of college hockey. He was off to a strong start last season before he suffered a concussion the first week of November. It took him awhile to bounce back from that, but he closed the season strong. We are counting on him from the first day of practice to be one of the top players in the league,” says Poulin.
Joining Inman from the senior class on the front line are Jon Maruk (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Sam Cornelius (Edina, Minn.). Maruk joined the Irish last season as a transfer from Alaska-An-chorage and recorded five assists and filled the role of a checking center while playing 37 games. Cornelius moved from defense to left wing during the second half of the season to take advantage of his skating and hitting ability. He scored one goal in 25 games for the Irish.
Also looking to add to his offensive numbers will be junior Connor Dunlop (St. Louis, Mo.) who will serve as an alternate captain this season. He is a two-time member of the U.S. Junior National Team, who served as the team captain for the 2001 cham-pionships.
A versatile and talented player, Dunlop has all the tools to be among the top players in the CCHA. In 30 games during the2000-01 season, he recorded career highs in goals (7) and points (19).
“Connor can be a very good player in the league this year,” says Poulin. “He has two years of experience and has the talent to play at this level. He is one of this team’s leaders and we’ll count on him in every situation.”
Poulin and his staff will also count on seeing more of Michael Chin’s (Jr., Urbana, Ill.) name in the scoring summary this season. The 6-2, 210-pound winger has struggled in his first two seasons picking up 13 points (6g, 7a) as a freshman and a goal and two assists last season. Blessed with size, good speed and great hands, the Irish are hoping that this is Chin’s year to breakthrough in the CCHA.
“In his first two seasons, Michael hasn’t scored at the level we had hoped he would. He’s got the tools to be a strong offensive player, but he has to make the adjustments for the CCHA. I’m optimistic that he will find the scoring touch that he had in juniors and become one of the guys that we look to for offense,” says Poulin.
John Wroblewski (Jr., Neenah, Wisc.) and Jake Wiegand (Jr., Northfield, Mich.) round out the junior class on offense. Both are solid defensive forwards who come to play every night. Wroblewski scored a pair of goals and added four assists in 36 games while usually drawing the assignment of facing the opposition’s top scoring forward. One of Notre Dame’s top penalty killers, Wroblewski is strong on his skates and is one of the team’s quickest forwards.
Wiegand chipped in a goal and three assists in 37 contests and is a physical, grinding forward who battles in the corners and in front of the net. The 6-2, 215-pound winger makes his presence known with his hard-hitting style of play and his gritty work along the boards.
Two members of the sophomore class stepped in a year ago and produced 28 goals for the Irish in their rookie seasons. Center Aaron Gill (Rochester, Minn.) and right wing Rob Globke (West Bloomfield, Mich.) were honorable mention selections to the CCHA all-rookie team as both scored 26 points on the year and were named the team’s co-rookies of the year.
Gill is a hard-working center who came along quite nicely in his first year. An outstanding penalty killer, Gill became a regular on the power play and scored 11 goals with 15 assists for 26 points to tie for third in team scoring. Three of his goals came on the power play and he was one of just five players on the team who finished even or plus for the season. The 5-11, 170-pound center is non-stop hustle.
Globke had a tremendous rookie season especially in the goal scoring department as he lit the lamp 17 times with nine assists for his 26 points. He chipped in four power play goals and led the Irish with a pair of game-winning goals. At 6-2, 200-pounds, he has all the tools to be one of the best players ever to play at Notre Dame.
Blessed with great hands, size, speed and hockey instincts, Globke should be one of the league’s most explosive offensive players in the season ahead. A player who likes to play on the right side, he also performed well late in the season at center ice.
Kyle Dolder (So., Hutchinson, Minn.) was a walk-on last season and saw action in 10 games. He will give the Irish depth at the forward spot and will push teammates for playing time in 2001- 02.
With players like Inman, Dunlop, Gill, Globke and hopefully Chin already in place as the core of the Irish offense, Poulin also has several incoming freshmen that he hopes can add to the attack.
“I’m very excited about our incoming freshmen forwards,” explained Poulin. They bring high levels of skill, ability and character to our lineup. They’ve all played on winning teams and those are the kind of players that can help us turn things around here.”
Leading the freshman foursome is early signee Brad Wanchulak (Edson, Alb.), a 6-0, 180 pound center, who played his final year of junior hockey with the Royal Bank Cup champion Camrose Kodiaks from the Alberta Junior Hockey League. The crafty, center iceman scored the winning goal in the Royal Bank Cup championship game versus fellow incoming freshman goaltender Morgan Cey of the Flin Flon Bombers. His team’s Most Valuable Player during the regular season, Wanchulak racked up 31 goals and 50 assists for 81 points in 53 games while being named the AJHL playoff MVP. An all-around talent, Wanchulak will fill a variety of roles for the Irish while bringing great leadership qualities to the lineup.
Alex “Newsy” Lalonde (Newmarket, Ont.) brings explosive offensive skills to the Notre Dame lineup. A 6-0, 190-pound left-shot forward, Lalonde is a gifted skater who can create his own scoring chances on the ice. Known for his tremendous work ethic, he scored 38 goals with 29 assists for 67 points for the Ajax Axemen of the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League last season. Lalonde is a distant relative of NHL Hall of Famer Edouard “Newsy” Lalonde.
Cory McLean (Fargo, N.D.) and Yan Stastny (St. Louis, Mo.) are two United States Hockey League standouts who will also add to the Irish offensive attack.
McLean, a 5-10, 170 pound center, was the winner of the USHL’s prestigious Kurt Hammer Award to join Aaron Gill and former Irish defenseman Mark Eaton as Notre Dame players to win the award. A strong skater and player with great character, McLean helped the Chicago Steel to a fourth place finish in their division while finishing 10th in the league in scoring with 24 goals and 34 assists for 58 points.
Stastny blossomed as a player after leaving the North American Hockey League’s St. Louis Sting and moving over to Omaha where he helped lead the Lancers to the USHL title. He is the son of former NHL star, Peter Stastny, who played 15 seasons with Que-bec, New Jersey and St. Louis. At 5-11, 175-pounds, Stastny is a tough, gritty, physical forward who scored 17 goals with 14 assists for 31 points in 44 regular season games after moving to Omaha and then added six goals and six assists in 11 postseason contests.
The Irish will play a fairly balanced schedule this season with less travel than a year ago. Included in the 36-game docket are 28 CCHA league games, six non-league games and two exhibition games. The Irish open the 2001-02 campaign on October 5th with a preseason tilt versus the University of Toronto. The regular season opens a week later with a pair of home games versus Union College, travel to Boston for games with defending national champion Boston College and Northeastern in late October and then close out the non-league schedule with two games at Princeton in December.
Notre Dame will play its second exhibition game on Friday, December 19 when the U.S. Under-18 Developmental Team invades the Joyce Center. It will be a reunion of sorts as nine members of the current Notre Dame team have played for the U.S. Under 18 team since it started in 1997.
“The schedule breaks down well for us this season. We have a tough start with six straight road games after the opening weekend, but after that it is very balanced with breaks at Thanksgiving and in February,” commented Poulin.
“We have a chance to be a pretty good team this year,” says Poulin. “We were on the outside looking in last year and we want to get back to where we were two years ago. We have a strong core of returning players and I think we’ve added some talented players in our freshman class. It really comes down to our guys playing to the best of their abilities every night. I really feel good about this group of players. I am excited for the season to get started.”