2001-02 WIAC Men's Ice Hockey Headlines

RELEASED: Thursday, April 4, 2002

Superior's Stauber Named National Coach of the Year

Superior, Wis.--In his second season at the helm of the University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets, Dan Stauber led his team to a 24-5-5 record, the NCHA Peters Cup Postseason Championship, the 2001-02 WIAC championship, and the 2002 NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey National Championship. For this success, he has been named by his peers as the winner of the 2002 Edward Jeremiah Award as Men's College Division Coach of the Year.

This season was all the more remarkable considering that Stauber had to replace nine players that accounted for 200 points last season. The group of newcomers he brought on board accounted for 174 points this season.

Stauber played for UW-Superior from 1984 through 1988, graduating in 1988. After playing in Sweden for a year, Stauber launched his coaching career as an assistant at UW-Eau Claire. He then became a successful high school coach at Waupaca H.S. (WI) and with his alma mater, the Duluth Denfield Hunters. He returned to Superior as an assistant in 1998.

Stauber becomes the third coach in WIAC history to earn the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Coach of the Year honor. He joins UW-River Falls' Dean Talafous (1996) and UW-Stevens Point's Joe Baldarotta (1993).

College hockey's Coach of the Year recipients are chosen by members of the AHCA. Winners will receive their awards at the annual AHCA Coach of the Year Banquet, held in conjunction with the AHCA Convention in Naples, FL. This year's banquet is scheduled for Saturday, April 27.

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RELEASED: Wednesday, March 20, 2002

Four Earn Men's Ice Hockey All-American Honors

Madison, Wis.--Four Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men's ice hockey players have been named to the 2002 Jofa/ACHA College Division All-American Team. River Falls' Adam Kragthorpe earned first team honors, while Superior's Chris Hackett, Colin Kendall and Bruce Leonard were named to the second team.

Kragthorpe, a junior defenseman from Plymouth, Minn., earned first team honors for the second straight season. He helped the Falcons to an 18-9-2 record, scoring three goals and seven assists for 10 points. Two of his goals were power-play goals.

Kragthorpe is a two-time member of the All-WIAC First Team and he earned honorable mention honors during the 1999-2000 season.

Hackett, Kendall and Leonard helped Superior to its first-ever NCAA Division III national championship and the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) Peters Cup championship. Hackett, a junior forward from Paradise, Newfoundland, generated a WIAC-leading 32 assists this year with 10 goals for 42 points. His 42 points ranked second in the WIAC. Hackett earned All-WIAC First Team honors earlier this season.

Kendall, a junior forward from Calgary, Alberta, had 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points in 34 games this season. The 18 goals and 40 points were the third-highest totals in the WIAC during the 2001-02 campaign. Kendall was named All-WIAC First Team this season after earning honorable mention accolades last year.

Leonard, a senior defenseman from Calgary, Alberta, scored two goals and added nine assists for 11 points in 29 games this season. He was named All-WIAC First Team this season after earning honorable mention honors last year.

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Superior Wins Men's Ice Hockey National Title

Middlebury, Vt.--Colin Kendall scored the game-winning goal just 23 seconds into overtime to lift the University of Wisconsin-Superior men's ice hockey team to its first NCAA Division III Hockey Championship by a score of 3-2 over Norwich (Vt.).

The Yellowjackets become the first Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) school to win a men's ice hockey national crown since UW-River Falls won the title in the 1993-94 season.

Following a rebound off the shot of Dale Lupul from the right wing, Kendall took in the rebound just to the right of Norwich goalie Kevin Schieve. Kendall delayed for a split second to see where Schieve was before roofing a shot as Schieve was recovering from the previous save.

Norwich got on the board 13:38 into the first period as Ed Boudreau fed Kurtis Mclean in transition before Mclean ripped home a shot from the right wing. Superior answered back just 47 seconds later as Kris Wilson fed Randy Currie down low for the one-timer from just outside the crease. Norwich regained the lead at the 5:31 mark of the second period as Matt Schmidt skated in from the right wing and beat Superior netminder Nathan Ziemski. With just 1:26 remaining, Superior tied the game as Kendall's shot from the left wing deflected into the net off a sliding defender.

Schieve made 16 saves in goal for Norwich, while Ziemski made 26 saves for the Yellowjackets.

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RELEASED: Tuesday, March 12, 2002

Stevens Point's Baldarotta Earns Wisconsin Friend of Hockey Award

Stevens Point, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men’s hockey coach Joe Baldarotta has been named the 2002 recipient of the George Baumann Friend of Hockey Award. The honor was presented by the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association at its annual meeting in Madison on March 1.

Baldarotta is the winningest coach in Pointer history, compiling a 204-105-2 record over his 11 seasons as head coach at UW-Stevens Point. He is the lone individual to have been involved in every one of UW-Stevens Point’s six NCAA Division III championship game appearances.

Baldarotta has been named Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year four times and was the 1993 American Hockey Coaches Association Division III Coach of the Year. This season he helped the Pointers to an 18-9-2 record this season and was rewarded as the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

He began his coaching career at his alma mater Madison West High School, first as an assistant and then as the head coach. As the team’s head coach for four seasons, he compiled a 62-22-1 overall record and won the 1983 WIAA State Championship, earning State High School Coach of the Year honors.

Baldarotta has represented Wisconsin as a member of the coaching staffs at the U.S. Olympic Festival and is involved with presentations at youth and high school coaching clinics as well as running a youth hockey camp at UW-Stevens Point in the summer time.

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UW-Superior Men’s Hockey Team To Host St. Thomas In
NCAA Tournament Play-In Game

The University of Wisconsin-Superior Men’s Hockey team will host the University of St. Thomas (22-5-0) in a single elimination NCAA Division III Tournament Play-In Game on Wednesday, March 6 at Wessman Arena in Superior, Wis. at 7:05 p.m. The winner will travel to DePere, Wis. on Saturday and Sunday to face St. Norbert College (23-4-2). The Yellowjackets (20-5-4) defeated St. Norbert 4-3 in overtime on Saturday to capture the 2002 NCHA Peters Cup Championship.

Tickets will go on sale March 6 starting at 12 p.m. at Wessman Arena. Prices are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for students with valid student identification. No other passes will be honored. Doors will open at 5:00 PM.

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Randall Smisko, Yann Poirier and Dale Lupul each scored goals as UW-Superior defeated UW-Eau Claire 3-1 to clinch the 2001-02 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men's ice hockey championship Saturday, February 9 in Eau Claire, Wis.

The Yellowjackets scored the first three goals of the game before the Blugolds tallied their lone goal and Nathan Ziemski made 23 saves to pick up his 22 win of the season.

The title for the Yellowjackets is their first since the 1993-94 season and third overall. They also won the league title in the 1991-92 season.

The Yellowjackets will host Lake Forest (Ill.) in the quaterfinals of the National Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) tournament on Friday-Saturday, February 15-16.

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