3/6 Recap: Adam sharp in Eagle win; Eno's season ends

Luke Adam collected the game winning goal and three assists Saturday to lead Cape Breton to an 8-3 thrashing of PEI. The four-point night, his third such output of the year, gives the 6'2 center a total of 87 (47-40) in 55 regular season games - good for 3rd overall in the QMJHL. Adam's mark leaves him three short of 50 with three games to play.

Jacob Lagacé added his 34th of the year for the Eagles, who earned the weekend split in Charlottetown. Jordon Southorn finished -2 for the Rocket, while Eagles forward Maxime Legault missed his third straight game due to illness.

Marcus Foligno was -1 as Sudbury lost an important battle with Niagara, 4-2. The road defeat drops the Wolves from sixth to final eighth spot in the OHL's Eastern Conference playoff standings with four games to play. Sudbury (54) holds a one point lead over ninth place Oshawa (53), with Peterborough (56) and Niagara (55) holding the sixth and seventh spots.

In the WHL, Brayden McNabb was -2 as Kootenay got spanked in their own barn by Calgary, 6-0. Wild prospect Kris Foucault had a hat trick and assist while goaltender Martin Jones recorded with his third consecutive shutout for the Hitmen. With the playoffs around the corner, the Ice have hit a cold patch of five straight losses. They will look to right the ship on Wednesday versus Red Deer.

In the NCAA, Bowling Green junior Nick Eno made 24 saves prior to exiting as Bowling Green saw their 2009-10 season conclude with a 6-1 loss to #20 Nebraska-Omaha. Eno, who had allowed four goals on 28 shots through 36:33 of time, ends his disappointing campaign at 5-13-4 with a 3.30 goals against average and .896 save percentage while fighting freshman Andrew Hammond for time.

Alex Biega was even as Harvard knocked Princeton out of the ECAC tournament with a 3-0 shutout win. Alex's freshman brother Danny paced the Crimson attack with a gorgeous goal, his fourth in five games, and an assist. Sunday action will determine Harvard's second round opponent.

Drew MacKenzie was -1 as #16 Vermont played to a 1-1 overtime tie with Lowell. The tie and a Northeastern loss to BU allowed the Catamounts to slip into the final spot in the Hockey East playoffs where they'll against the top seed, #10 New Hampshire.

In Grand Forks, Brad Eidsness made 28 saves as #7 North Dakota came back to sweep Michigan Tech, 3-2. A rebound down low and clean look off a rush put Tech ahead 2-0 through the early second period before the Sioux rallied to win their seventh straight. North Dakota's Corey Fienhage was +1 with two shots on goal and two aggressive, perhaps ill-timed minors for elbowing and boarding. The Sioux finish the WCHA regular season as the #4 seed, setting up a first round battle with Minnesota.

Justin Jokinen was scratched for the seventh consecutive game as Mankato tied #4 St. Cloud, 2-2. The Mavs will return to St. Cloud next weekend for the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

3/5 Recap: Tourney season underway

Alex Biega fired up the SabresProspects playoff season on Friday, registering an assist as Harvard scored four third period goals to win at Princeton, 4-2. The Senior Biega head-manned the puck up ice to Louis LeBlanc, who found Michael Biega for the final Crimson goal with 2:10 left on the clock. The Crimson will look to advance to the second round of the ECAC bracket when the two teams take the ice on Saturday. A Tiger win will force a deciding game on Sunday.

In the CCHA playoffs, Nick Eno made 21 saves in relief of starter Andrew Hammond as Bowling Green was blown-out at Nebraska-Omaha, 6-1. Eno, who entered the game at 2:29 of the second period with the Falcons down 4-1, allowed two power play goals before stopping the bleeding with 13 saves in the third. The Falcons will look to extend their CCHA season one more day with a win in Saturday's rematch.

In the final weekend of WCHA regular season play, Brad Eidsness made 13 saves to guide # North Dakota to a 5-1 win over Michigan Tech. The sophomore, who allowed one goal off a bad turnover (below), was rather sharp in limited duty to improve his goals against average to 1.50 over the Sioux's current six-game winning streak. Sophomore blueliner Corey Fienhage was a healthy scratch for the Sioux.



Justin Jokinen was a healthy scratch as Minnesota State dumped St. Cloud State, 4-2.

In Hockey East, Drew MacKenzie was -1 with three shots on goal as #16 Vermont lost to Lowell, 5-2. Orchard Park, NY native Nick Schaus finsihed +2 with an assist for Lowell.

In the USHL, Providence commit Mark Adams scored his fourth goal of the year on the power play as Chicago blanked Lincoln, 3-0.

In the WHL, Brayden McNabb was even with nine minutes in penalties as Kootenay lost to Medicine Hat, 2-1. The 6'4 defenseman picked up the bulk of his PIM after engaging in a short wrestling match with Tiger forward Bretton Cameron.



In the QMJHL, Luke Adam assisted on the lone Eagles goal as Cape Breton lost to PEI, 4-1. Jacob Lagacé had another quiet night for the losing side, while Maxime Legault missed his second straight game due to illness. Jordon Southorn gave a steady effort on the Rocket blueline, finishing the game +1 with a hit.

In OHL play, Nick Crawford skated to a -2 as Barrie was stopped by Ottawa, 6-3. The loss snaps the Colts eight-game winning streak, while Crawford's stretch of 21 games even or in the "plus" column comes to and end after being on the ice for a pair of third period goals against. Still, Crawford's +48 is tops in the OHL tied for 2nd overall in the entire CHL.

Marcus Foligno was even as Sudbury defeated Belleville, 4-3. The Wolves bell ringer flattened Bulls defenseman Julian Luciani with a huge hit in the first period that had the recipient down on the ice for minute or two before regaining his game wits.

2/27 Recap: Adam plays trick, continues tear

Luke Adam notched a hat trick Saturday to lead Cape Breton past Bathurst, 6-1. The three-goal night, Adam's fourth of the season, gives him 46 goals with six games remaining in the regular season, and 21 since his mid-January return form Team Canada. Maxime Legault added his 14th goal for the winners, while Jacob Lagacé assisted on the first Adam tally.

Also from the QMJHL, Jordon Southorn scored his 4th goal of the season as PEI lost to Baie-Comeau, 4-3. As noted yesterday, the goal was Southorn's first in 39 games.

In the OHL, Nick Crawford rang up a pair of assists as Barrie throttled lowly Niagara, 6-1. Both helpers came with the man advantage.

In WHL play, Brayden McNabb finished -2 as Kootenay lost to Lethbridge, 4-1. The Hurricanes scored three goals in the third period to to seal the win.

In the NCAA, Connor Knapp made 23 stops as #2 Miami played to a rare 0-0 double shutout with Ohio State. Marked by some key stops late, the blanking was Knapp's fourth of the season and Miami's ninth overall. The RedHawks finish the regular season with a 21-2-5 record, good for first place and a bye when the CCHA playoffs begin next week.

Alex Biega finished -1 as Harvard fell to St. Lawrence, 4-3. The Saints outshot the Crimson 45-22 en route to forcing the Crimson into the #9 seed and a road trip to Princeton when the ECAC playoffs kick off next weekend.

Brad Eidsness made 27 saves as #8 North Dakota held off #13 Colorado College, 3-2. Eidsness was beaten off a drop pass in the second period, and had to stand tall in the final two minutes after the Tigers scored with the extra attacker. Corey Fienhage finished the night even for the Sioux.

Corey Tropp did not factor into the scoring as #12 Michigan State ended the regular season with a 2-2 tie at Bowling Green. Nick Eno served as back-up after a disappointing Friday start. The Spartans finish the CCHA slate in second place to earn a bye week.

Justin Jokinen was again scratched as Minnesota State battled hard in a 4-3 OT loss to #1 Denver.

In the USHL, Mark Adams was +1 as Chicago swept Tri-City, 3-2.

2/26 Recap: Crawford, Colts in full gallop as playoffs loom

Nick Crawford added two assists and a +2 to his fine season line on Friday as Barrie smoked Oshawa, 9-2. Crawford's 64 points are tops among OHL defensemen, while his +48 rating is tied for the lead in all of Canadian juniors with Colby Robak of the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings. At 48-8-0-2, the Colts are currently the top-ranked team in the CHL/Mastercard Rankings with two weeks left to play in the regular season.

In the NCAA, Corey Tropp (+1) picked up two assists as #12 Michigan State defeated Bowling Green, 5-2. The Spartans leading scorer, Tropp ranks 11th nationally with 42 points (20+22). Falcons goaltender Nick Eno allowed three goals on 16 shots before getting pulled at 17:54 of the first period.

Brad Eidsness made 26 saves as #8 North Dakota won a 3-2 overtime battle with #13 Colorado College. Eidsness was beaten on a 2-1 with only a forward back on the first goal, then saw a point shot hit traffic and go past him to give CC a 2-1 lead in the early third. Stay-at-home sophomore Corey Fienhage finished the night even for the Sioux.

Drew MacKenzie scored his 3rd goal of the season into an empty net as #18 Vermont dumped #20 Boston University, 7-3. The sophomore defenseman finished the night a game-high +3.

Alex Biega assisted on the only Crimson goal as Harvard dropped a 2-1 overtime decision at Clarkson. With the score knotted at zero in the third period, Biega forced a neutral zone turnover and fed the puck to Doug Rogers who wristed in his 6th of the season.

Justin Jokinen was a healthy scratch for the fourth consecutive game as Minnesota State lost to #1 Denver, 3-1.

Connor Knapp looked on as #2 Miami minted a 6-2 win over Ohio State.

Elsewhere, Marcus Foligno earned an assist as Sudbury lost to London, 3-2. Foligno had two nice chances early, getting stopped beautifully by Knights goalie Michael Houser before ringing a cross bar on his next shift. The night before, Foligno was even in the Wolves' embarrassing 6-0 loss to Brampton.

In the QMJHL, Maxime Legault posted an assist while Luke Adam and Jacob Lagacé each registered a -1 as Cape Breton defeated Bathurst, 3-1. The Eagles earned another W, while Adam (13 games) and Lagacé (4) see their respective point streaks snapped.

Jordon Southorn played even as PEI took a 4-3 shootout over Chicoutimi. The 6'2 defenseman, who was also even in Wednesday's 3-1 loss at Drummondville, hasn't scored a goal since November 8th - a span of 39 games.

In the WHL, Brayden McNabb (-2) picked up an assist as Kootenay stumbled against Medicine Hat, 5-3. The 6'4 defender was even in the Ice's 4-2 loss to Red Deer on Tuesday.

In USHL play, Mark Adams assisted on the first Chicago goal as the Steel edged Tri-City, 4-3. The Jr. A rookie now has three goals and four assists on the season.

2/20 Recap: Foligno nets winner; Eno stands tall

Marcus Foligno scored the game winning goal on Saturday as Sudbury silenced Guelph, 5-1. The wraparound marker, his 13th of the year, gave the Wolves a 2-0 lead at 13:24 of the first period while setting a new career high in goals for the grinding forward. Eight of Foligno's goals have come in the 2010 calendar year.

In a battle of the OHL's top two clubs, Nick Crawford posted two assists as Barrie bested Windsor, 8-5. The 6'1 shutdown rearguard, who now leads the league's defensemen in points with an even 60 on the year, was a game-high +3 for the second straight night.

In WHL action, Brayden McNabb finished -1 as Kootenay took a 2-1 shootout win over Lethbridge. The Ice workhorse is currently 3rd in goal (16) and 5th in points (53) among league defenders.

In QMJHL play, Jordon Southorn was even as PEI was hammered by Rimouski, 6-1.

In Saturday NCAA play, Nick Eno stopped a career-best 38 of 39 shots Saturday as Bowling Green played to a 1-1 tie with Notre Dame. The Irish went hard at Eno all evening long, but the 6'3 backstop was up to the task with several tough stops to get the Falcons to the OT. Eno would stop two of three Notre Dame attempts in the shootout to (technically) give BGSU their first sweep of the season.

Brad Eidsness had another solid outing with 22 saves as #11 North Dakota earned the weekend sweep of #6 Duluth, 5-1. The 6'0 netminder has allowed just four goals in his last three starts while lowering his goals against average to 2.22 and upping his save percentage to .909. The only goal against on Saturday came when Sioux dman Derrick LaPoint put the puck into his own net. Corey Fienhage, playing his 23d game of the season, finished the night +1.

In the CCHA, Connor Knapp made 27 saves as #1 Miami was shocked by Nebraska-Omaha, 4-2. The RedHawks (23-5-6) saw their eight-game win streak come to an end, while Knapp (7-3-3) dropped his first decision since a January 10th loss to unranked Robert Morris. Miami will close the regular season next weekend with a set against in-state rival Ohio State.

In Hockey East, Drew MacKenzie had an assist as #17 Vermont tied #13 New Hampshire, 3-3. The 6'1 defenseman has half of his 10 season points in his last seven games.

Alex Biega was even with a shot on goal as Harvard lost at Colgate, 4-2.

Corey Tropp was -1 with a shot on goal as #12 Michigan State edged #14 Ferris State, 3-2. After a hot 2009 start that saw him collect 17 goals in his first 21 games, Tropp has just registered three in his past 13.

Justin Jokinen was scratched for the third straight game as Minnesota State, 4-3.

In the USHL, Mark Adams was even in Chicago's 1-0 loss to Sioux Falls.

2/19 Recap: Adam gets 41st; Eidsness, Eno earns W's

Luke Adam coupled his 41st goal with a pair assists on Friday to lead Cape Breton in a 6-4 comeback win over Halifax. The league's leading goal getter, Adam also notched a career-best 10 shots on goal to pace the Screaming Eagle attack. Cape Breton trailed 3-0 after the first thirty minutes before evening the score entering the third. Jacob Lagacé added his 33rd goal of the year into an empty net with :15 to play, while Maxime Legault finished the night at -1.

Lagacé avoided serious injury when he took a knee-on-knee hit from Moose dman Garrett Clarke midway through the third period. The 2011 eligible Clarke received a major and a game misconduct, while Lagacé returned to see time on the ensuing power play.

On Wednesday Legault had a goal and two assists as the Screaming Eagles defeated Shawinigan, 5-3. Adam, who saw his ten-game goal scoring streak snapped, and Lagacé each had an assist in the win.

Elsewhere Friday, Jordon Southorn was even as PEI doubled Shawinigan, 4-2.

In the OHL, Marcus Foligno scored his 12th goal of the year as Sudbury edged Niagara, 2-1. The big forward snapped home his own rebound on the power play to give the Wolves a 1-0 lead late in the first period.

In the WHL, Brayden McNabb scored his 16th goal of the season as Kootenay dropped a 6-4 decision to Spokane. The 6'4 left-side defender went high glove side through a screen to give the Ice a 4-3 lead late in the second period, but the Chiefs answered back :26 later for their first of three unanswered goals to get the win.

In Friday NCAA play, Brad Eidsness made 31 saves in what may have been his best performance of the year as #11 North Dakota defeated #6 Duluth, 5-2. Clutch saves, good rebound control and better positioning than his previous Friday outing were marks of his solid all-around evening. Corey Fienhage was -1 for the Sioux.

Nick Eno made 21 saves and earned an assist on the game winning goal as Bowling Green upset Notre Dame, 4-3. The Falcons, who beat the Irish for the first time since January 2005, rallied for a quick-strike third period after entering the final 20-minutes trailing 3-1. Eno was beaten five-hole on a power play, by a clean wrister on a partial short-handed breakaway, and glove side on a screen by shot from the point.

Corey Tropp earned an assist in his first game at the center position as #12 Michigan State lost to #14 Ferris State, 4-2.

Drew MacKenzie picked up an assist as #17 Vermont lost in overtime to #13 New Hampshire, 5-4. The sophomore punched a shot to the net that caused a down-low goal on the rebound to tie the game 3-3.

Alex Biega contributed two shots on goal as Harvard was shut out by #10 Cornell, 3-0.

Connor Knapp served as backup as #1 Miami downed Nebraska-Omaha, 6-2.

Justin Jokinen was scratched as Minnesota State defeated visiting Alaska-Anchorage, 5-2.

In the USHL, Mark Adams registered a pair of minor penalties as Chicago defeated Sioux Falls, 1-0.

On Thursday, Nick Crawford was +3 with an assist as Barrie registered 55 shots on goal in a 6-4 win over Oshawa.