Brown Announces Carisa Wahlig as Head Coach

On April 27th, Brown announced Carisa Wahlig as their new head coach. Wahlig was previously the head coach at Lake Forest, a Division III school located about an hour north of Chicago. She has an extensive hockey coaching resume, and relevant to the Brown job, she has experience turning a losing program into a winning one. Since 2009, Lake Forest has not had a losing season. In addition they’ve won regular season and tournament conference championships under Wahlig. For those interested in learning about the new coach, both Brown and Lake Forest released updates/bios on Coach Wahlig; Bill McLean of the Daily North Shore also wrote an excellent  article on Wahlig in December of 2017.

Wahlig will look to repeat her Lake Forest successes at Brown. With Brown's 2-27-0 record in 2017-2018, getting the program to a better record than last year is something I expect Coach Wahlig to achieve in year one, surely even by Christmas. How quickly she can elevate the program to a winning record is another question. None of the Ivies are dominant right now; in 2017-2018 only Cornell had a winning record, finishing 7th in the final USCHO poll. First year Princeton Head Coach Cara Morey finished the year with a .500 record, the other four Ivy schools finished sub .500. Given the lack of dominance out of the Ivies right now, I wonder if Wahlig can quickly get Brown into to being one of the top Ivy hockey programs, setting the stage to once again attract the best of the Ivy academic caliber hockey players to Brown.

Since Wahlig is coming from a DIII school, no additional DI coaching vacancy comes available with her hiring, negating any potential coaching carousel. If there is only one head coaching change this year, it will mark the fifth time that has happened since 2001 (the beginning of the NCAA Championship era). The last time there was only one head coaching change in a year was in 2013-2014; typically there is closer to three changes.

As for coaches going from DIII to DI and finding success, Greg Fargo, Head Coach of Colgate University comes to mind. Fargo went from being the head coach of Elmira University (DIII) to Colgate six years ago. While a $40 million dollar brand new rink that opened in 2016 likely helped recruiting, Fargo’s accomplishments at Colgate are impressive - leading Colgate to their first ever NCAA tournament and accomplishing National Runner Up this year, and earning a share of the ECAC regular season championship. Deservedly, he was named the 2017-2018 AHCA Head Coach of the year. Given Fargo's remarkable success, it is not surprising to see Brown follow suit and hire a proven head coach from the Division III level.

Also in Head Coaching news RPI removed the interim tag off of Bryan Vines, after one year at the helm, and a 9-19-6 record. Their prior year record was 10-24-2.

On the Mercyhurst front, it was announced last week that longtime Associate Head Coach Louis Goulet left the program after 11 years, leaving coaching to work in the family business. This is sad news for Mercyhurst fans, but of course I wish Lou well in his next adventure, grateful for his contribution to Mercyhurst throughout his coaching career.

It will be interesting to see if Mercyhurst hires another assistant, or if they go the route of associate head coach right away. According to collegehockeystats.net, Mercyhurst has had someone in the associate head coach role since 2006. I was curious about how common it is to have an Associate Head Coach, so I looked at the 34 Division I schools. Turns out it’s pretty common as 13 out of 34 programs had an Associate Head Coach this year. Whatever route Mercyhurst takes, next year ushers in a new era in the coaching staff.

2017-2018 Memorable Moment #7: First Win of the Season, vs Lindenwood

Whether a team’s goal is to win a national championship, a league championship, or simply have a winning season, it all starts with the first win of the season. With that in mind, I selected Mercyhurst’s October 14^th road win over Lindenwood as memorable moment #7.

On some level, the 2017-18 Mercyhurst hockey season was always going to be about responding to last season. In 2016-2017 Mercyhurst experienced their first losing season since 2001 and were bounced from the CHA tournament by the sixth seeded Lindenwood Lions. To respond to last year, the Lakers needed to rack up some wins, but two weekends into the season were 0-3-1.

With thoughts of Mercyhurst revenge, I looked to the October 13^th and 14^th series at Lindenwood. Lindenwood is in St. Charles, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis and at about 670 miles southwest from Erie, it’s the western most CHA team. I expected Mercyhurst would send a message, playing Lindenwood for the first time since last year’s early playoff exit. You can imagine my surprise when I looked at the box score for game one of the series and learned Lindenwood beat Mercyhurst again. The game was tied going into the third period, but Mercyhurst got outshot and outscored in the third, losing the game 3-2. For the first time all season, I was worried.

Lindenwood joined the NCAA Division I in 2011, and the CHA in 2012. Their October 14^th win marked the first time Lindenwood beat Mercyhurst in consecutive games versus each other. Were Mercyhurst and Lindenwood now comparable in terms of winning ability? I made plans to watch game two online so I could find out with my own eyes.

Well, I got my answer. In the second game of the series, the Lakers beat Lindenwood 6-1, outshooting them 48-15. The dominance reminded me of Canada's 7-3 win over Russia in the 2010 Olympic quarterfinal. Remember that game? Canada had needed a shootout to beat Switzerland, and lost to USA in the prelims. They had to play in a qualification round and won of course, but then faced Russia in the quarter final. There was some anxiety among Canadians, whether they admitted it or not. Turned out it was for naught as Canada was winning 7-3 by the end of the second, which became the final score. A nation breathed a sigh of relief and thought, "why did we doubt them?" That's what the second Lakers vs Lions game was like. 

Mercyhurst scored halfway through the first and never relinquished control of the game, taking 16 shots in each period. Wave after wave, the Lakers kept rolling, going 1 for 5 on the power play, five Lakers getting their first goal of the season, and getting ice time for every line. That win was the start of a winning campaign for the Lakers, who finished 18-15-4 on the season, second in the CHA regular season, and winning the CHA tournament.

The CHA format is that the 6 teams in the conference play each other four times a year, for a total of 20 conference games for each team (and about 14 non-conference games). Lindenwood traveled to Mercyhurst for another pair of games on January 19 and 20. Once again, game one was a challenging one. Mercyhurst put up over 30 shots on Lindenwood goalie Jolene deBruyn before scoring with less than a minute left in the second. They added another 2 goals in the third, winning 3-0. The next day, perhaps due to fatigue, Mercyhurst won 5-1, and the scoring started in the first minute of the first period.

The series concluded 3-1 in favor of Mercyhurst for the season, and the teams did not meet in the CHA playoffs. Lindenwood tied their career high for wins in a single season with 10, and finished 5^th in the CHA, up one spot from last year. They were eliminated by Penn State in the first round of the playoffs. Lindenwood’s most significant non-conference win was vs St Lawrence, and although they finished fifth in the CHA, they earned wins against each of Mercyhurst (1), Syracuse (2), Penn State (2), and RIT (3).  

2017-2018 Memorable Moment #8: Taking My Kids to a Game

I'm counting down the most memorable moments of the Mercyhurst Hockey season, according to me.  You can read about moment #10 here and moment #9 here.

Moment #8: October 7^th, Taking My Kids to Mercyhurst vs Saint Lawrence

I was overdue for a trip to Mercyhurst so my family and I made the hour and a half drive to Erie for game two of the home opening series versus St. Lawrence. Before the game we shopped at the bookstore and visited with the coaches and some former teammates who had also came back to cheer on the Lakers. It was my four-year-old daughter’s second Mercyhurst game, and my one-year old son’s first game. Kind of a big deal.

My daughter was a baby at her first game in 2014 so it was especially fun seeing her enjoy what a college hockey game has to offer. You know, like eating junk food, running around and climbing on stair railings, making friends with other little kids, and cheering.

The game started and the Lakers got off to a decent start. I barely got to watch since I had my kids with me but I was ok with that. It was special just to be back at the rink with my husband, kids and former teammates. My son climbed up and down the bleachers and as I followed him around I ended up chatting with a coach of a Chicago U12 team that had played in the morning and stuck around for the game. Their team made up a portion of the 437 fans that showed up for the Mercyhurst vs Saint Lawrence game. At the end of one period the score was 1-0 Saints.

My four-year-old wanted to high five the Lakers as they went on the ice, so we made our way toward the gate for the start of the second. As we descended the stairs, a group of U12 kids with the same plan zoomed past us. This made things a bit chaotic, but the U12’s welcomed my daughter to the front of the group so she could actually see, which was very sweet.

The Lakers assembled, waiting for the signal to go on the ice. For the twenty or so seconds that it took them to file past us, it was a thrill. For the U12 kids and my daughter, but also for me watching. My daughter held her little fist out just like the big kids. She was a bit tentative about getting too close, but she hung in there.

It was a classic hockey scene: my girl in pink nestled among the U12 kids in their matching track suits, the towering Lakers marching by in their home whites, fist bumps along the way. My daughter missed most of them, but she didn’t care. She was happy, standing there amidst the action. A handful of players took a step out of line to fist bump my kid as they went by and it made my weekend. The last Laker stepped on the ice, the gate swung shut and the crowd dispersed.

Mercyhurst scored in the second period after a minute or so of sustained pressure in the Saint Lawrence end. Celine Frappier passed to defender Morgan Stacey who took a shot from the point through traffic, and it was tipped by Jennifer MacAskill into the net. That old familiar horn blasted, and us Laker fans cheered. The third and a five minute OT were scoreless, and the game ended in a 1-1 tie vs then sixth ranked St. Lawrence;

We took some pictures, said our good byes and headed home. A few days later, I was watching the Blue Jackets versus the Rangers. My daughter should have been sleeping, was fighting bed time per usual. The Jackets won in regulation, an entertaining one goal game with an empty net goal in the dying seconds. We cheered, the crowd cheered, Foligno and Bobrovsky hugged. As I clicked off the tv and the room went dark, my daughter said, “hockey’s fun.”

It sure is, kid.

TIE GAME! @jennmacaskill_ gets a stick on it and finds the back of the net! 🍀 pic.twitter.com/AkgZZFfMRw

— Mercyhurst W. Hockey (@HurstWHockey) October 7, 2017

2017-2018 Memorable Moment #9: Announcing the UND Transfers

I'm counting down the memorable moments of the 2017-2018 Mercyhurst Lakers Hockey season. Moment #10 is here, Moment #9 is below.

On August 4^th, 2017, Mercyhurst announced that Kennedy Blair, Emma Nuutinen, and Vilma Tanskanen were transferring to Mercyhurst from the University of North Dakota, in the wake of UND cutting their women’s hockey program. The transfer had been reported previously, but not by Mercyhurst.

UND’s program cut was announced on March 29, 2017 and although sadness was my first reaction, soon after I hoped Mercyhurst would benefit by getting some talented transfers. Perhaps I am hardened to the reality of program cuts. The CHA has experienced program cuts three times in its sixteen seasons with the demise of Division I hockey at the University of Findlay (Ohio) in 2003, Wayne State University (Michigan) in 2011, and Niagara University (New York) in 2012. Findlay and Wayne State cut both their men’s and women’s hockey programs; Niagara, like University of North Dakota cut only the women’s program.

After the Wayne State and Niagara cuts, Mercyhurst welcomed transfers who left a legacy. Gina Buquet (junior) and Jill Szandzik (senior) transferred from Wayne State. Kaleigh Chippy (junior), Jenna Hendrikx (senior) and Kelsey Welch (senior) transferred from Niagara. All of those players except Szandzik (2012 graduate) helped Mercyhurst to the Frozen Four in 2013. My hope last spring was that history would repeat itself and Mercyhurst could once again become home to talented student-athletes in need of a transfer.

History repeated itself.

Mercyhurst gained two Finnish Olympians at forward, and a goalie with four years of eligibility in the transfer. Brad Schlossman of theGrand Forks Herald wrote that Mercyhurst’s program would have the second greatest benefit from UND transfer players.  He was right that Mercyhurst would benefit. Here’s some of what Blair, Nuutinen and Tanskanen accomplished in their first year at Mercyhurst:

Transfer Kennedy Blair, a red shirt freshman from Bismarck, North Dakota immediately contested for the starting goaltender job. She got the start in Mercyhurst’s first game of the season vs Wisconsin. Mercyhurst fell 4-0 to the number two team in the country that night, and Blair gave up 4 goals on 31 shots. Not a win, but a respectable first ever start versus a top ranked team. Goaltenders Sarah McDonnell (junior) and Blair split weekends until February 16th at which point Blair played out the season as starting goalie for the Lakers.

Blair’s first win was October 14th versus the Lindenwood Lions, and a huge win came December 1^st, with a 31 save shut out at 9^th ranked Robert Morris. Blair’s season ended with a 2-1 overtime loss to eventual national champion Clarkson in the NCAA tournament, a game in which she made 30 saves. With an 11-8-1 record, the freshman netminder had a goals against average of 1.57 (7^th in NCAA), save percentage of .934 (tied 8^th in NCAA, and highest by a Mercyhurst starter since All American Desi Clark in 2004-2005 noted Arlan Marttila of USCHO). Blair was the CHA goaltender of the year and a member of the CHA all rookie team. With Kennedy Blair in net, the future is bright for Mercyhurst.

Transfer Vilma Tanskanen, a junior forward from Vantaa, Finland, is a 2014 Olympian, and was second in points for Mercyhurst with a 14-13-27 stat line in 33 games. I admire Tanskanen’s discipline to get to an open spot in the offensive zone and trust that her teammates will get her the puck. When she gets the puck, she plays with her head up, and doesn’t shoot blindly into the goalie. She’ll make a move if necessary, or quickly make a shot attempt if there’s a scoring chance.

Below, look at Tankskanen (jersey #14) in front of the net in OT banging her stick on the ice, signaling she wants the puck. That play ended with a Nuutinen goal (jersey #20), but Tanskanen’s 14 goals on the season were tied for first on the team. The discipline to get open and stay open, the confidence to want the puck and the skill to find an open shot – all attributes that make Tanskanen an asset to this Laker team.

🚨 GAME OVER! 🚨@nuutinenn ENDS IT IN OVERTIME! 🍀🍀🍀 pic.twitter.com/YMlvN2k8Wj

— Mercyhurst W. Hockey (@HurstWHockey) March 2, 2018

Lastly, Tanskanen plays unintimidated. Not every skill player can do that. This was on display the first game I saw her, in the season opener vs Wisconsin. She was a Mercyhurst player that stuck out in a good way versus a highly ranked opponent. She doesn’t throw pucks away, will try moves on talented defenders, and plays physically tough against any opponent.
  

At the amateur level where there are rankings and narratives about which team is supposed to be better and which team is supposed to just lay down and take a beating, the ability to play unintimidated versus any opponent is an immense asset. Teams need players like that to get marquee wins that will elevate a program, or just to avoid getting beat down on the days they are outmatched on paper. During award season, it was no surprise Tanskanen named to the CHA All Conference First Team.

The third and final transfer is Emma Nuutinen, a sophomore forward also from Vantaa, Finland. A 2014 and 2018 Olympian, Nuutinen’s skill was evident in every game. Like Tanskanen she plays unintimidated, likes to possess the puck and will attempt to dangle around anyone. Nuutinen does not lose confidence no matter what happens. After a slow start to her season her persistence paid off, scoring numerous key goals for Mercyhurst resulting in an 8-5-13 stat line.

Nuutinen’s third goal of the season was a big one – an overtime winner vs Syracuse on December 9. It would not be her last big goal of the season, or even her last overtime winner. Nuutinen scored in OT versus Syracuse in the CHA semi-final and had a three-point game in the CHA final versus Robert Morris. I’m not sure Mercyhurst would be CHA conference tournament champions without Emma Nuutinen. Media must agree; after not winning a CHA regular season award Nuutinen was named MVP of the Tournament (there’s that persistence again). She was arguably Mercyhurst’s best player versus Clarkson in the NCAA quarterfinal, where she got an assist and also basically never got off the ice.

Nuutinen missed 14 Mercyhurst games while playing with Team Finland. She still finished the season ninth on the team in points, with 13 points in 23 games played, and was fourth on the team in points per game, with 0.57. With fewer Team Finland commitments next year, Mercyhurst can expect an even greater impact from Nuutinen.

The impressive hockey season from each of Blair, Tanskanen and Nuutinen, makes the August 4^th, 2017 announcement of their transfer to Mercyhurst, Memorable Moment #9 of 2017-2018.