...and Gerbe nets #35

Nathan Gerbe is now looking for the Hat Trick, as he just jammed home his 35th goal of the season to put Boston College up 2-0 at the 14:23 mark of period two. That's two quick strikes in 3:14 for the explosive left wing.

Gerbe nets #34

Nathan Gerbe just buried a Brian Gibbons pass from the left side to put Boston College on the board in the NCAA Championship. 15:53 left in the 2nd period. BC 1, Notre Dame 0.

Funk suspended after brawl

Rochester D Mike Funk has been suspended for one game after accumulating his third general misconduct ejection after a brawl in Friday's 4-0 loss to Syracuse. From Kevin O's Rochester D&C article:

A scrap between Amerks winger Tanner Glass and Crunch defenseman Duvie Westcott sparked an 11-player brawl that led to the ejection of nine players, including Amerks goalie Tyler Plante. "That's more a season of frustration setting in," Amerks defenseman Mike Funk said. "It's something that needed to be done." There was no plan to fight, especially since the Amerks have no brawlers. But the brouhaha began when Glass gave a shot to Westcott with his stick. Westcott slashed him back, at which point Glass decided they would fight. "It was a complete two-hander that set it off," Amerks coach Randy Cunneyworth said after his club was shut out for the ninth time. Soon all players paired off. Funk enraged the Crunch when he tried to fight highly skilled centerman Derick Brassard. Brassard turtled and Funk, who rarely fights himself, ended up on top of the rookie. "That will be in the memory banks," Crunch coach Ross Yates vowed. Crunch thug Jon Mirasty, one of the toughest fighters in the AHL, had been paired off with Anthony Stewart, with the linesmen trying to break them up. Mirasty saw Funk punching Brassard and broke free and began throwing punches at Funk from atop the pile. Because Stewart was still being detained by a linesman, Plante left his crease to pull Mirasty away from the pile. He certainly didn't want to be paired off with Mirasty. A linesmen was between them as each threw a punch. "It was like hitting a brick wall," Plante said. "Obviously he's taken a punch before."

The Rundown: Zagrapan - 4 SOG Gragnani - 2 SOG, -1 Mancari - 3 SOG Whitmore - 1 SOG MacArthur - 1 SOG, -1 Funk - 15 PIM Weber - 12 PIM Dylan Hunter missed the game with a shoulder injury, while D Mike Card re-joined the team in full-gear for their Friday practice. Card isn't expected to play again this season, but it's an encouraging sign in his battle back from a pair of concussions.

Gogulla growing while guiding

On Thursday, Philip Gogulla cashed his third goal of the playoffs on a breakaway wrister as Cologne advanced to DEL finals with a 3-2 victory over Frankfurt. The Dusseldorf native has been very active, using his speed and versatility to score a point in every semifinal game (2+4) while manning a point on the second power play unit. With nine points overall, the confident young winger is tied for second on the team in playoff scoring. The #3 Sharks move into the finals to face #2 Berlin, with game one slated for Sunday afternoon.

MacKenzie's 'Hawks need extra time for win

The Waterloo Black Hawks opened the first round of the USHL playoffs with a thrilling 4-3 defeat of Cedar Rapids in double overtime. Sabres 2007 pick Drew MacKenzie assisted on the third 'Hawks goal (the league website has it credited to Brett Olson), and added a shot on goal in the victory. The two teams will play it back tonight for game two of their best-of-five series.

Byron, Olympiques advance to semis

Last night, Paul Byron scored the first Gatineau goal to propel les Olympiques past Quebec, 5-2. The win slots Gatineau in the QMJHL semifinal round where they will square off against the Halifax Mooseheads. Byron had seven points (5+2) in the 4-1 quarterfinal series win over the Remparts. In 10 total playoff games, Byron ranks fourth on his team in scoring with eight goals and four assists. He'll be carrying seven-game point streak into play when the semis being next week.

Gerbe, Orpik to skate for title

Junior forwards Andrew Orpik and Nathan Gerbe have spent three seasons together at Boston College. Their first two seasons saw BC reach the NCAA finals, losing to Wisconsin and Michigan State. The Eagles have again clawed their way into the title game this season after Thursday's stunning 6-1 victory over North Dakota. Gerbe showed why he's one of the elite amateur players in the world, posting a hat trick and an assist in the big win over the Sioux. His shorthanded goal was the eventual game winner after Orpik put BC on the board early. The pair of 2005 picks will look for their first trophy skate tonight in Denver against upstart Notre Dame. The Irish come into tonight smoking hot after an upset win over Michigan. Take a gander at these articles, one on Gerbe followed by two on Orpik, to ramp-up into tonight's 7:00 start (Eastern). Gerbe Lifts Eagles High

“Our team went through a tough stretch, and myself I went through a tough stretch, and that’s when you have to look in the mirror and see if you’re being an honest player,” said Gerbe. “The coaches did a great job with keeping me from not trying not to cheat the game and just play hard and smart and it will come to you. That’s what’s happening right now. I’ve got great linemates, Ben Smith and Brian Gibbons, so that definitely helps out.” For the Sioux, seeing Gerbe play well against them has become a familiar pattern. Gerbe had two goals and two assists in last year’s 6-4 semifinal win over the Sioux. “He played well,” said Sioux coach Dave Hakstol. “Certainly we had some matchups in mind and tonight Nate Gerbe did a great job. Certainly he was the difference-maker in the hockey game.”

BC's fourth liners also show-stoppers

York called Kucharski and Orpik, both 6 feet 3 inches, bookends around the 5-11 Lombardi. All three like to hit hard. "They use their bodies very well," said York. "We're all pretty big," said Kucharski. "We cycle the puck and maintain control of the puck in the offensive zone and just wear teams down. Orps got a big goal early there and all three guys were hitting guys and playing a good defensive game and that's what we need to do." Anything can shake loose with a well-timed hit. Orpik scored BC's first goal in its 6-1 semifinal victory over North Dakota Thursday, set up by Kucharski, before the natural scorers - Gerbe, Ben Smith, and Dan Bertram - took over. "The older you get, you understand your star players are going to get the most attention, and we understand that," said Orpik, who is tied for ninth in team scoring with 13 points (seven goals). "The older you get, the more you understand what a role player is. Nate's role on this team is to score goals. Our job is to get the puck down low, be physical on the ice, not get scored on, be a good defensive line, and try and throw some bodies around. The way we play, we know we're not going to be in the spotlight, and that's fine with us."

'What's The Big deal?'

Like his brother before him, Andrew (6-3, 215) provides a physical dimension to a team dominated by small, quick, highly skilled players. He plays on a line with Matt Lombardi and the only other Eagle forward to top six feet, Kyle Kucharski (6-3, 200). “You look at BC and stereotypically we’re a small team,” Orpik says. “What our coaches like our line to do is to get the puck down low, cycle, and wear down their defensemen so when our top lines get out there they’ll be tired from dealing with us down low. “The coaches don’t look for us to score goals. If you’re a hockey player, you want to score goals, but the older you get, the more you understand what your role is on the team. Anytime we get a goal, it’s a bonus.” After scoring a “bonus” of six goals coming into the Frozen Four, Orpik picked a terrific time to add a seventh. He drew first blood against the Sioux, setting the table for Nathan Gerbe’s subsequent hat trick explosion.

Schiestel, Dogs still biting

On Friday, Drew Schiestel set up Luca Caputi's game winning goal on the power play as Niagara stopped Oshawa with an 8-3 win. The steady defender was also a +2 as the IceDogs staved off elimination to trail the Eastern Conference semi-final series 3-2. Schiestel, 18, also picked up an assist in Wednesday's 6-4 loss, and has six points (all assists) in five post-season games. Game six goes down Sunday afternoon at 2:00 in St. Catharines.

Gerbe, Butler named All-Americans

Congratulations to Boston College LW Nathan Gerbe and Denver D Chris Butler, as both Sabres prospects have been named to the Division I American Hockey Coaches Association RBK list of All-Americans.

First Team All-Americans East G Kevin Regan, Sr., New Hampshire (South Boston, MA) D Matt Gilroy, Jr., Boston University (North Bellemore, NY) D Mike Moore, Sr., Princeton (Calgary, AB) F Mike Radja, Sr., New Hampshire (Yorkville, IL) F Lee Jubinville, Jr., Princeton (Edmonton, AB) F Nathan Gerbe, Jr., Boston College (Oxford, MI) West G Richard Bachman, Fr., Colorado College (Highlands Ranch, CO) D Tyler Eckford, Jr., Alaska (Langley, BC) D Jack Hillen, Sr., Colorado College (Minnetonka, MN) F Ryan Jones, Sr., Miami (Chatham, ON) F T.J. Oshie, Jr., North Dakota (Warroad, MN) F Kevin Porter, Sr., Michigan (Northville, MI) Second Team All-Americans East G Josh Kassel, Jr., Army (Greensburg, PA) D Grant Clitsome, Sr., Clarkson (Gloucester, ON) D Brad Flaishans, Sr., New Hampshire (Glendale, AZ) F Bryan Ewing, Sr., Boston University (Plymouth, MA) F Peter MacArthur, Sr., Boston University (Clifton Park, NY) F Matt Fornataro, Sr., New Hampshire (Calgary, AB) West G Jeff Lerg, Jr., Michigan State (Livonia, MI) D Chris Butler, Jr., Denver (St. Louis, MO) D Alec Martinez, Jr., Miami (Rochester, MI) F Chad Rau, Jr., Colorado College (Eden Prairie, MN) F Chad Kolarik, Sr., Michigan (Abington, PA) F Ryan Lasch, So., St. Cloud State (Lake Forest, CA)

Both Gerbe and Butler are expected to sign with Buffalo in the upcoming weeks. Gerbe being placed on the East First-Team comes on the heels of his just missing out on college hockey's top individual prize - The Hobey Baker Memorial Award - which on Friday was given to Michigan's Kevin Porter.

For fellow Hobey Hat Trick nominee Nathan Gerbe, Porter’s victory should come as no surprise. “I’ve known Kevin since growing up and it’s well-deserved,” he said. “He’s such a great player and also a dynamic player. Off the ice, he’s one of the greatest kids I’ve ever played with. He’s been so caring and I’ve played with him for a few seasons at USA there [the U.S. National Development Team Program] , so I can’t say enough nice things about him.”

Schiestel making his presence felt

The St. Catharines Standard just posted a nice piece on 2007 second round pick, Drew Schiestel.

Schiestel has done a lot of things right in his major junior hockey career and was selected in the second round, 59th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2007 NHL draft. He attended his first NHL camp last fall. “They like my skating ability and offensive upside but they told me to keep working on my defensive zone awareness,” he said. That’s something he has had to work on his entire junior career. When IceDogs head coach Mario Cicchillo first watched Schiestel skate, the scout beside him said the rearguard was like a runaway train. Not any more. “Since he has gotten here, Drew had a lot better understanding of the game. He has studied the game and worked really hard,” Cicchillo said. This season, Schiestel was a plus 15, in addition to scoring eight goals and 37 points. “In the second half and into the playoffs, I’ve felt like I’ve done a really good job with that hopefully I can keep improving,” he said. His goal is to be an NHL defenceman and Cicchillo believes it’s only a matter of time before that becomes reality. “Within three years, Drew plays in the NHL. As soon as he gets in the habit of reading the game better and making good first passes, the kids going to be good.”

In the game of hockey, nicknames can go either way. Sabre greats like "Tickets" Gare, "Spinner" Spencer, and "King Kong" Korab have come and gone. The current edition of the Sabres has instead kept it simple, opting for Pommer, Millsey, Roysie, and the ridiculous 'Paillesie' that I once heard come out of a Sabre mouth. Enter Schiestel. Your Delta Tau Chi name is....

Schiestel possesses all the tools to be an NHLer, although his nickname — Shitter — may not be ready for airing on Hockey Night in Canada. It’s a handle he has had since his early days of playing AAA travel hockey. “When my hockey buddies say it, they don’t think of its actual meaning. I know it’s all fun and games and it’s just a nickname. Unfortunately it stuck.”

Possessing swift skating ability, it's safe to say that "Shitter" is well on the path to becoming a streaking rearguard in the NHL. Thanks. I'll be here all week.