5 Questions about UB Hockey being put on Display

By Tim Riordan@UBBullRun Oct 6, 2010, 12:44pm EDT

UB Hockey is hitting up the ACHA showcase (Full Schedule) event in Dayton Ohio. The showcase will pit them against two teams ranked highly in the ACHA preseason Poll. UB opes up against #13 Kent State on Friday and then follow up with #7 Central Oklahoma and #29 Indiana.

Fri. Oct. 8th	Kent State University	1:45 PM
Sat. Oct. 9th	Univ. of Central Oklahoma	4:45 PM
Sun. Oct. 10th	@ Indiana University	1:45 PM

UB started the season ranked #27 in the ACHA poll, two or more wins in the showcase would almost assure a top 25 standing when the next poll is released.

The Bulls have bolted out of the gate with a 4-0 start including a drubbing of Canisius, the newest member of the ECHL. The Bulls sit in second place in the League, half a game behind Mercyhurst.

	Win	Loss	EC- W	EC- L	PTS
Mercyhurst	2	0	2	0	4
Buffalo	4	0	1	0	8
R.I.T	1	1	0	0	2
Niagara	1	2	0	0	2
Canton	0	0	0	0	0
Rochester U	1	2	0	1	3
Canisius	0	4	0	2	0

Buffalo is less tested than any of this weeks opponents, the Bulls have two wins against IUP who were ranked #27 in the preseason poll, but aside from that (and the fact they did it on the road) UB has faced little in the way of substantial challenges. Unlike UB the Bulls foes this week have all played at least one top 25 team.

Kent: Kent started the season ranked 13th and has torn through their schedule with relative ease. They have yet to play a top 20 team but did defeat #24 West Virginia in pretty convincing fashion.

Central Oklahoma: Central Oklahoma came into the season ranked eigth in the preseason poll but has started 0-6. A lot of that has to do with a world beater of a schedule. Their season so far has been a pair against number seven Oklahoma with chaser of number two Iowa State> then this weekend they washed that down with a two game series against #1 Linwood.

Indiana: Ranked just behind Buffalo in the preseason poll the Hosiers rolled DePaul twice and beat up on #24 Western Michigan at home.

Who Does UB have to watch out for?

Kent: KSU has nine players averaging at least one point a game. Freshman Brandon McFail least the team with three goals and six assist. Eric Horschler and Mike Lepre each have four Goals through four games
Central Oklahoma: Because of the drubbings that CO has suffered at the hands of Iowa State and Oklahoma the stats are a bit skewed. Through six games John Cannizzo is their leading scorer.
Indiana: Forward KC Maddock not only has a great 80's action hero name but he has also been the hig scorer in each of IU's games this season.

2) How good are their goalies?

Anthony Natoli is Kent's primary goalie. Through three games played he has allowed just 3 goals.
Central Oklahoma's Nick Holms might as well have started this season with a blindfold and cigarette. He played two great offensive teams and got beat like a pinata, as a Freshman there is no real history on him.
Daniel Abramsen is the only Goalie to see the ice for IU. He is 2-1 with a shutout a 2.0 GAA

3) How are they on the Power play?

Kent is 6-19 on the season, just under 33%.
Just two powerplay goals through their last four games.
This is one of those times when a team has been involved in so many extra cirrcular activities that I really don't care to count them up. Suffice it to say they have five power play goals through three games with a whole heap of chances including several two man advantages and a couple of 3_ minute runs.

4) How are they Short Handed?

Through four games, and a ton of chances opponents have just two goals this season
A respectable 6/21 on kills over their last four games.
DePaul lit them up a bit but I think that game was one in which having 12 guys on the ice almost never happened and the ref needed some lip balm between plays. Other than they they have been perfectly average in short handed situations.

5) What to expect form the game?

I would be surprised if Notoli does not get the call, assuming he does the Bulls are going to have a hack of a time scoring on him. Kent also seems to thrive on the power play and don't seem to take too many penetrates.
No clue on what to expect in net but it's doubtful that UB will be able to show them anything they have not already had to endure. Offensively this is a team that is looking to hand out the beatings for a change.
Best chance for a Buffalo win this weekend but it will be a fight. Indiana seems to send a lot of guys to the box (six players averaging two or mire minters a game) and a team total of 74! (twenty four minutes per game)

6) Who does their coach look like