WOLFPACK SEEKS TO FILL POSITIONS FOR 2008/2009 SEASON

The Wolfpack Hockey team is looking to fill the following vacant positions for the 2008/2009 season:

• Assistant Coach
• Team Manager
• Trip Coordinator
• Promotional Director

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the following positions and their respective duties, feel free to contact Head Coach Dave Kurtz at ncsucoach@gmail.com.

NCSU HOCKEY RECRUIT SKATE - April 5th @ 10:00am

For all prospective players and recruits:

On Saturday, April 5th, 2008, the Wolfpack will be hosting a recruit skate for all prospective players and recruits looking to try-out for next year’s team. The skate will take place at the Rec Zone in Raleigh at 10:00am. The recruit skate is free for all players.

Please try to be there as early as possible so that you can sign in, talk to the coaches and players, and get dressed and ready for the skate. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the event, please feel free to contact Head Coach Dave Kurtz at ncsucoach@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you all out there!

WOLFPACK RELEASE TENTATIVE 2008/2009 SCHEDULE

To view the 2008/2009 schedule, click here

NCSU WOLFPACK SEARCHING FOR NEW RECRUITS - 3/10/08

Prospective players,
If you are interested in playing for NC State Ice Hockey in the 2008/2009 season, please fill out the following information below and send it to Associate Coach Dave Kurtz at epyouth@embarqmail.com:

• Name:
• Age:
• Phone:
• Current Team playing for:
• Position:
• Height:
• Weight:
• Junior or Senior:
• If Senior, when did you apply to NCSU (Date):
• Will your parents be coming with you?
• Would you like to stay with a member of the current team?

We look forward to hearing from you soon

DAN MASIULIS NAMED 2007-2008 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR - 2/12/08

NCSU's very own Dan Masiulis was named ACCHL Offensive Player of the Year for the 2007-2008 season. Dan had a phenominal year as the team's leading goal scorer and contributed much to a strong NC State hockey season. Congratulations on a great season, Dan!

2007 - 2008 Season Stats:

WOLFPACK CONTINUE HOT STREAK WITH WEEKEND SWEEP - 2/7/08

“This isn’t about our record, the conference, or the regional’s…this is about pride.” With those words, Coach Steve Glick summed up what the weekend meant to NCSU hockey. With a late added home game against East Carolina University and a trip to Lynchburg, Va. to play Liberty University’s Division 2 team, this weekend was a chance to avenge two of the toughest losses that the Pack has had this season.

ECU came into Raleigh on Friday night, bringing an early season win over State as well as a host of fans into the arena with them. While technically a NCSU home game, the crowd was awash in yellow and purple. The Pirates jumped out early when they scored a power play goal just 31 seconds into the game. The Wolfpack answered at the halfway mark with a power play goal of their own. Junior Dan Masuilis received a pass from senior Bobby Riehle and put it into the back of the net to tie the score. Masuilis’ line mates would get onto the score sheet less than four minutes later when Anthony Sandonato scored, with an assist from Jon Hires, to give NC State a 2-1 lead, which they took to the first intermission.

The second period did not see any scoring in it, mostly because of the amount of penalties. Thirteen penalties called during the period, and a total of 24 through the first forty minutes slowed the pace of the game down, and made special teams play a priority.

The Pirates came out flying at the beginning of the third period and were able to connect on their power play again and tie the game up at 2-2. After that score, a defensive game turned into a shootout with whoever scoring last being the winner. NCSU took a 3-2 lead on the 2nd power play goal from Sandonato at the 6:55 mark. That lead was lost three minutes later when a hooking penalty on Ben Dombrowski, allowed another ECU power play goal. One minute later, NCSU was back on top 4-3, thanks to another goal from Masiulis.

The game held at 4-3 for several minutes until a flurry of goals came in the last three minutes of the game. With 2:32 left in the game Masiulis completed a hat trick with his third goal of the night to give the Wolfpack a two goal cushion. That goal would prove to be the game winner. ECU was able to score with 1:39 left to pull back within one goal, but two empty net goals, both scored by Masiulis, giving him a total of five on the night, iced the game and gave the Pack a 7-4 win.

Ross Whitcher got his second win of the season in net, stopping 30 of the 34 shots he saw. With the win State raised their record to 8-9-0-2 on the year. Coach Dave Kurtz commented on Whitcher’s play, “Ross got thrown into the fire tonight, his only other start was against George Mason where he only saw 10 shots, There were several times he had to single handedly bail out our guys with an individual play. He was up for the task and he was great for us tonight.”

The game singled the final home contest for two Wolfpack players, Captain Nick Cosentino and Asst. Captain Bobby Riehle, both who are scheduled to graduate in May. The next night, the team made the two and a half hour drive to Lynchburg, Va. to take on Liberty. Continuing to use pride as a motivation, the Pack looked to get even for probably the most heartbreaking loss of the year. In the fall, NCSU had a two goal lead with less than two minutes in the game, but the Pack fell apart, allowing the Flames to score twice and then gave up a short-handed breakaway in overtime to lose.

Determining to not let the same thing happen this time, NC State came out and played a disciplined game and dominated from the opening faceoff. Masiulis continued his impressive point streak by scoring the opening goal of the game. The junior center now has tallied at least one point in 16 of the 20 games this season. A power play goal by Dombrowski, less than two minutes later, put the Pack up 2-0, and a lead that would not be relinquished. Liberty was able to cut the lead to 2-1 before the end of the first period, but that would be a close as the Flames would get.

The Pack clamped down defensively, and did not allow a goal for the final 44 minutes of the game. Along the way, the Pack extended their lead to 5-1 on goals from Masiulis, Hires, and Greg Riehle. Wil White was the netminder in the game and turned away 35 shots in the win. “This, by far, was our best game,” commented coach Glick, “For the first time, our team showed the talent and ability that we have for sixty minutes. This is a win that you build on.”

Coach Kurtz, a former assistant coach at Liberty said, “This weekend was about getting a monkey off our backs. We have a couple games that we wish we could get back; our game against LU was one of them. We proved that we are a team that can dominate another team, and we are peaking at the right time.”

NC State (9-9-0-2, 5-3-0-1) is currently on a four game winning streak and is .500 for the first time since being 1-1 in October. They will look to get above that mark when they travel up to Charlottesville, Va. to take on the University of Virginia. UVA (8-8, 6-3) are currently one point ahead of the Pack for second place in the ACCHL. Game time is 9:30pm at the Charlottesville Ice Park. Directions to the rink can be found at www.uvahockey.com.

View Playoff Details

ACCHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE RELEASED - 1/29/08

As the regular season begins to wind down, the league has released its 2007/2008 ACCHL playoff schedule. This year, the tournament will be held in Roanoke, Virginia at the Roanoke Civic Center (www.roanokeciviccenter.com) from February 22-24. While the standings have yet to be finalized, with only 2 points separating the second and fifth place teams at the present time, the schedule, contingent on those final standings, is as follows:

Friday February 22nd: First Round Games scheduled for 4:00pm, 7:00pm, and 10:00pm
Saturday February 23rd: Semifinal Games scheduled for 2:00pm, and 6:00pm
Sunday February 24th: Championship Game scheduled for 2:00pm

The tournament is a single-elimination style tournament, with the first place team at the end of the regular season getting a first round bye. As of right now, Duke has a 5 point cushion over NC State, and a 6 point cushion over both Georgetown and UVA, with both of those teams having a game at hand over the Blue Devils. Duke, VT and NCSU have 3 ACCHL games remaining, GT and UVA each have 4 remaining, while GMU has 5 games remaining.

Cost: $10 for a day pass, $5 for kids and students

View Playoff Details

HUGE WIN MOVES STATE TO SECOND PLACE IN ACC - 1/29/08

The N.C. State hockey team hit the ice last weekend trying to put together back-to-back wins for the first time this season.  The previous weekend they had picked up a big ACC win against George Mason and were looking to repeat that success against Virginia Tech.  They were also trying to make up for a poor performance against the Hokies in the Canes Cup, one in which VT dominated the game and won 5-1. 

The previous game had been penalty filled, and that was a key change that the coaching staff felt needed to be addressed in this contest. Coach Steven Glick commented, “We have to stay out of the box in order to compete, the more time we spend short-handed, the less offense we can generate.”

State was the first to score, when John Probasco scored his seventh goal of the year at the 7:02 mark of the first period.  NCSU extended their lead to 2-0 when the puck founds its way to the back the net off of Dan Masiulis’ stick.  The Wolfpack looked to be heading into the first intermission with a two goal lead, when a turnover in the neutral zone led to a VT goal with just 43 seconds left in the period.  While a little deflated by the late goal, the team went into the locker room with spirits high.

However, the team was not able to carry that momentum into the second period.  The lone penalty of the period resulted in a power play goal for Virginia Tech to tie the score.  Just over ten minutes later, the Hokies struck again and took the lead for the first time in the game at 3-2, as Todd Minetree was able to beat NCSU goal Wil White.  When the horn sounded to end the second period, the attitude of the Wolfpack heading off the ice was much different then at end of the first.

“It was tough,” commented Coach Dave Kurtz, “we were running a short bench, and you could see VT gaining momentum and it seemed like no matter what we did, they were taking control of the game. I knew that the only chance we had to come back was to get that next goal, to put the pressure back on them to answer.”

The third period saw both teams throw everything they had on the ice, and it resulted in several goals being scored.  NCSU was able to tie the game 3-3, on the second power play goal from Masiulis, his 20th goal of the year.  Freshman Jonathan Hires and Junior Anthony Sandonato assisted on the goal, their 9th and 16th assists, respectfully.  Virginia Tech went back on top less than four minutes ater with a power play goal of their own, and led 4-3.

The game remained tied until less than five minutes left in the game when a slashing call on the Hokies put the Wolfpack on the power play.  With just 11 seconds left to go in the man advantage, senior defensemen Bobby Riehle was able to find the back of the net and tie the game for a fourth time.

With momentum on State’s side ,desperation by both teams caused a pile up in front of the Tech net, with just three minutes to go. Somewhere in the pile, Probasco was able to get his stick on the puck and push it between the legs of the Tech goalie and as the ref pointed to the net to signify a goal, making it 5-4; the Wolfpack bench erupted in celebration.

As it always seems when a team is trying to reverse their fortunes, it is never as easy as it looks.  During the celebration, an altercation between two players resulted in the State player receiving a penalty and insuring that NCSU would have to kill a penalty for two of the remaining three minutes of the game, if they wanted to hold on to the win.   The N.C. State penalty killers were able to stand firm for the entire two minutes of the penalty and looked to into the last minute full strength.  Again, nothing turned out to be as easy as it seemed.  A tripping penalty called behind the Tech goal with 58 seconds left to go in the game put the Pack down a player.  Next, Virginia Tech pulled their goalie for the extra attacker, with gave them a two man advantage.  Then 23 seconds later, a slashing call on NCSU made it 6-on-3. 

While the seconds ticked off, the Wolfpack penalty killers and goalie blocked shots, intercepted passes, and were able to hold the furious attack from VT for the final seconds and pulled out the huge win.  “Those last thirty seconds were the slowest moving of my life.  Every time I saw them wind up for a shot all I could see was orange and white in front of the net, and then the last second Wil’s pads would slide out to block the shot.  I can’t tell you how proud I am of Wil and those three guys that we left hanging out there for the last minute.  We won by sheer determination and this is our most satisfying win of the year,” commented Coach Kurtz after the game.

With that win, State got a key win in the ACC and now owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with Tech.  The win also put NCSU in 2nd place of the ACCHL with 11 points.  Next weekend, NC State (7-9-0-2) will look to avenge two early season losses.  On Friday, February 1st, they will welcome in-state rival ECU for their last home game of the year.  ECU won the first contest 6-4 in Greenville. Friday will also be senior night, as the team will recognize their two seniors, Nick Cosentino and Bobby Riehle.  On Saturday, the Pack will travel to Lynchburg to take on Liberty (D2). In Raleigh, the Flames scored two goals in the final 90 seconds to tie the score and beat the Wolfpack in overtime.  Friday’s game will be 9pm and Saturday will be 10:30pm.

WOLFPACK LOOKS IMPRESSIVE IN VICTORY - 1/11/08

With the sour taste of their 4-7 first half record still lingering, NC State hit the ice last night in their first game of the 2008 Canes Cup. As the team got ready to face-off against Rhode Island College, Coaches Steve Glick and Dave Kurtz were worried about the teams intensity after a five-week layoff. However, the Pack calmed their fears from the drop of the puck. State was able to use their speed to elude the tight checking RIC squad and tallied the first goal of the game just 8:13 into the opening frame. Senior defenseman Bobby Riehle scored his first goal of the year on a shot from the point during a State powerplay.

Powerplay goals would be a theme during the entire game and the Wolfpack scored two more in the first period while on the man advantage. One minute and 53 seconds after the Riehle goal, Ben Nied made the score 2-0 with a slam dunk goal after a highlight reel pass from Dan Masiulis. The goal was Nied's first as a member of the Wolfpack. Masiulis then scored a powerplay goal of his own one minute and 32 seconds after Nied's to make the score 3-0 heading into the period break.

In the second, RIC got on the board 3:36 in on one of three goals by forward Dan Nadeau, this one on the powerplay. It seemed as if it would be another tight battle for the Wolfpack but then they broke the game wide open. On a miscue by RIC goaltender Mike Csisar, John Hires scored his sixth goal of the season. Csisar began heading to the bench thinking that there was a delayed penalty and Hires was able to bury a shot into the empty net. Then, just 31 seconds later, Masiulis scored his second of the night on a great pass from Nied.

The defensemen were able to get back on the score sheet when Phil Mason fired a laser from just inside the blue line to make it a 6-1 game with seven minutes to go in the second period. Masiulis completed a hat-trick of his own at the 16:46 mark to make the score 7-1, the goal was Masiulis' 13th of the season. Freshman forward Josh Jaeschke capped off NCSU's best period of the season with a powerplay goal at the 18:49 mark. Like Nied, Jaeschke's goal was his first in a State uniform.

After a stellar performance in goal, Wil White received the third period off after a job well done. The newest member of the pack, Ross Whitcher, took over between the pipes just one week into his comeback after a year off from hockey. Nadeau was able to squeak two goals by him during the third, but Whitcher remained steady and was able to preserve the win. When the final buzzer sounded, State had come away with an 8-3 victory.

"I am extremely proud of these guys tonight," said Glick. "They were able to move the puck well and did a great job of staying out of the penalty box." Glick also praised his team for their work ethic.

"The hustle that they showed tonight was exceptional. [Nick Cosentino] showed why he is the captain and everyone followed his lead. They didn't quit and gave it their all."

The 2008 Canes Cup continues Saturday night with RIC facing-off against Duke University at 5:00 PM. That game will be followed by NC State and Virginia Tech at 8:00 PM. On Sunday, RIC will face Virginia Tech at 10:30 AM followed by NC State and Duke at 1:30 PM. All games will be at the RecZone in Raleigh.

See Game Notes

CANES CUP MARKS RETURN TO ACTION FOR NC STATE - 1/7/07

After a five week layoff, the Wolfpack look to get back on track after a disappointing first half of the season. Despite underachieving thus far, State has an opportunity to quickly turn their fortunes with a weekend triple header. NCSU will host the annual Canes Cup on January 11-13 at the RecZone in Raleigh with each game being crucial to the teams rebound. The Pack has amassed a 4-7 overall record and a 3-2 mark in ACCHL play, and every game is now do or die. With a bulk of their league play coming in the second half of the season, the Wolfpack are very much alive in the conference and this weekend is definitely the first step towards Coach Glick and Kurtz's goal of a league championship.

"This is one of the most talented teams I have ever been a part of," said Coach Glick of his squad. "If we can find a way to combine better work ethic, dedication, and discipline with that talent I don't think we will lose another game this season."

Discipline has certainly been a weak spot for State this year as they have amassed 382 penalty minutes in only 12 games (31.8 PIM/game). Making matters worse is the fact that team points leader Dan Masiulis (10 goals, 9 assists) is also the team leader in penalty minutes with 54. In order to rise to the top of the ACCHL, the team has made it a top priority to stay out of the box.

The injury bug has also plagued NCSU this season, as they have a total of 24 man games lost to injuries. This has been highlighted by freshman forward Michael Cerretti who will miss the remainder of the season after sustaining a concussion against Kennesaw State on November 10th. Furthermore, goaltender Stephen Russell will not be with the team for the rest of the season due to personal reasons.

However, the coaching staff is far from reaching for the panic button. Key additions to the roster during the holiday break have the Pack as strong as ever. Forwards Ben Nied, Josh Jaeschke, and Mike Cosentino join goaltender Ross Whitcher as the newest members of the team.

"All four guys we added are excellent players," claimed Coach Dave Kurtz. "Ben, Josh, and Cos are all top forwards and Ross gives us an excellent one-two punch in goal."

Fans will have an opportunity to see all the Wolfpack players this weekend starting with Friday nights game versus Rhode Island College (4-8-2) which begins at 9:00 PM. In addition to the game, fans will be able to enter raffles for great Hurricanes memorabilia and try free internet service courtesy of Clearwire. On Saturday night, State takes on Virginia Tech (3-6) in a non-conference game starting at 8:00 PM. The tournament rounds out with a Sunday matinee as the Pack takes on ACCHL leader Duke (7-1-1) in a conference match-up. Game time is 1:30 PM.

NC STATE ICE HOCKEY ANNOUNCES JUNIOR AFFILIATE!

The NC State Ice hockey club is pleased to announce the addition of the East Coast Eagles Junior Team as the Wolfpack’s first ever Junior affiliate. Based out of Raleigh, the ECE have become a very successful southern Junior program. Many Eagle alumni have gone on to compete at the collegiate and Junior A level.

Look for NC State to schedule a game or two against the East Coast Eagles soon. This will give ECE players the opportunity to see what it takes to play at the college level, and give NCSU coaching staff a chance to see up and coming talent. Recruits will also have the opportunity to tour NCSU campus with current players and ask questions about what the school has to offer on and off the ice.

NC State hockey Vice President, Wes White, commented "We are excited to have the ECE organization as an affiliate. There is a lot of young talent up and coming from the Eagles Junior program. Our coaching staff looks forward to the recruiting advantage. Scrimmages between our clubs will give coaches a first-hand look at great players."

PACK FACE TOUGH DOUBLE-HEADER IN ATLANTA

The Wolfpack headed back out on the road last weekend, this time heading to Atlanta for games against Life University and Kennesaw State. The Pack was trying to shake off a rough weekend that saw them loss to rival Duke 4-1, and an OT loss to Liberty 8-6.

Late Friday night, NCSU took the ice against Life University. A former ACHA powerhouse, budget cuts and accreditation issues forced the shutting down of the program. The Eagles returned last season and have been slowly trying to build up their talent base.

NCSU jumped on Life early with a goal from John Probasco just over two minutes into the game. However, it was short lived as the Eagles were able to tie the game 26 seconds later. For the rest of the first period, State controlled the style of play, but was unable to score. Life, on the other hand, capitalized on several State miscues and took a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.

Similar to the Liberty game the previous weekend, the Wolfpack found their legs, as well as their scoring touch, in the 2nd period. NCSU was able to score twice in the first five minutes of the period, on goals from Ben Dombrowski and Andrew Demetros. The tie was quickly broken by another Eagle score, putting Life up 4-3 at the halfway point of the second. Again the Pack fought back and tied it on a power play goal from Dan Masuilis, and then regained the lead, 5-4, when freshman Greg Riehle recorded his first goal of the year. Again, Life continued to apply pressure and caused a turnover with just under four minutes left it the second, and knotted the game up at 5-5.

The third period started with a bang for Life, as they scored 20 seconds in, and took the lead for the third time in the game. NCSU was forced to pick itself up off the mat again and try to make a final push to get the lead back. They retied the game at the 5:40 mark, on Demetro’s second goal of the night, and then took the lead for good with 1:12 left to go, when Masiulis scored a short-handed goal to give the Wolfpack a 7-6 lead. Masuilis completed his hat trick 54 seconds later with an empty net goal and secured a win for NC State.

NCSU raised their record to 3 wins against 5 losses. Life fell to 1-6. For the Wolfpack, the win was a hollow one as a shortened bench was reduced further by two injuries. Anthony Sandonato separated his shoulder on his first shift of the game, and captain Nick Constentino strained his PCL during a collision. A timetable for their return is not known.

The next night, State took the ice against the #11 ranked team in the Southeast region, Kennesaw State. The previous night the Owls had beaten Duke 8-5. While short on players, the Wolfpack still came out aggressive and scored the first goal, scored by Ben Dombrowski and assisted by Phil Yandall. The Pack held the lead for about five minutes before KSU scored a power play goal to tie it. The two teams skated into the locker room at the end of the first 20 minutes in a 1-1 tie.

The second period provided both teams ample opportunities to score. With the referees calling, 11 of their 26 penalties in the second period, special teams were at a premium. While overall the NCSU penalty kill was stifling, Kennesaw was able to find the back of the net for the only score of the period. The Owls took a 2-1 lead into the final period.

While tired and many players hurt, NC State refused to go away and with 8:13 left to go in the game, Jonathan Hires scored his 2nd goal in a State uniform to tie the game at 2-2. The Pack fought hard for the last two minutes of the game, but the lack of depth cost them, as KSU put away the game winner with 1:50 left. NCSU had several chances in the final minute to score, but the final horn sounded with KSU victorious 3-2.

The injury bug again bit the team during this game, as Chris Martucci separated his shoulder in the first period and Mike Cerretti was unable to play the final ten minutes of the game after take a blow to the head.

NC State (3-6, 2-1) return to Raleigh for their final home game of the semester. They will take on the University of Virginia (6-4, 3-1) at 9pm, Friday Nov. 16th at the RecZone. Currently, the Wolfpack sit third in the ACCHL standings with UVA two points ahead of them in second.

GIVE US LIBERTY & GIVE US SUDDEN DEATH!

The Wolfpack returned home on Saturday night after a frustrating afternoon the day before at Duke. State hoped the home crowd would provide the spark to get the offense going. Liberty came in with same frustrations from their games the previous weekend against Duke, game which they had lost 4-3 and 6-4.

For NCSU, the game had very similar markings of the previous day, with the Pack outshooting their opponents in the first period, but the scoreboard having the visitors up 1-0 when the first twenty minutes ended. NCSU penalty killers continued their dominance as, killing off five penalties in the first period, including a 5-on-3 for the final 42 seconds.

The Flames came out of the locker room with a purpose for the 2nd period, and it was to impose their physical presence. They began to frustrate NC State, which led to penalties, and the penalty killers were not able to keep the puck out of the net. LU was able to bury two power play goals one minute and forty-two seconds apart pushing the score out to 3-0. The game was in danger of becoming a blowout. However, for the Wolfpack, the tide would turn twelve seconds later, when the puck would find its way onto Dan Masuilis’ stick and after maneuvering his way through four defenders beat the Liberty goaltender, getting NCSU on the board. After that goal, the scoring came quickly and often for the Wolfpack. By the time the game was stopped with 3:26 left in the 2nd for a broken pane of glass, the Pack had scored two more goals, a second goal from Masiulis, and a tally from Anthony Sandanato.

The teams left the ice while the glass was being repaired, and it was decided to clean the ice and play the last minutes of the second after the cut. Coming out of the locker room for a “mini-period,” NC State kept the momentum going, taking the lead for first time at the 18:20 minute mark on an unassisted goal from Andrew Demetros, his second goal of the year.

Up 4-3 at the start of the third, both teams started to play with a desperation, knowing that the next goal could determine the outcome of the game. Masiluis seemingly put the nail in the coffin when he completed a hat trick with a goal just over halfway through the third. His goal was assisted by Rob Hartinger, his second of the night. After that goal, tempers started to overflow on the Flame bench, as two players received misconduct penalties after committing minor penalties.

As the game crept into the late stages, it looked liked the Wolfpack would get a big win at home, then the wheels came off the cart. A hooking penalty put Liberty on a power play with 3:47 left. They converted the power play with just under two minutes left in the game. With the game 5-4, Liberty took a timeout to set up a play and to pull their goalie. Skating 6 on 5 for the last minute, the Flames pounded the net, and finally pushed one past Wil White with 48 seconds left in regulation. The stunned Wolfpack barely were able to hang on against a resurgent Liberty team to force overtime.

In overtime, the tide seem to shift back to NC State’s favor, when a third LU player was given a misconduct penalty along with a minor of Unsportsmanlike conduct, putting the Pack on the power play with 3:24 left in the OT period. However, disaster would strike ten seconds later, as a pass was intercepted and Liberty was able to score a short-handed breakaway goal, winning the game.

NC State (2-5, 2-1) will have a few days to recover before they head out on the road to travel down to the Atlanta area for a weekend set with two non-conference teams. Friday’s game will be against Life University (0-5-1) at 11:30pm. NCSU will then take on the #11 ranked (Southeast Region) Owls of Kennesaw State (2-6) at 10:30pm on Saturday.

DUKE PULLS BIG WIN OVER NC STATE

NC State traveled to Durham on Friday to take on Duke University. The Blue Devils came into the game leading the ACCHL with wins over UNC, UVA, and Virginia Tech. With a win the Pack would tie Duke at the top of the standings.

The game started slowly, with both teams trying to feel each other out. Neither team was able to put together much in the way of an offense. The first period was slow moving with ten penalties being called on the teams. One of those penalties led to the Blue Devils first goal, as they took a 1-0 lead into the break on a power play goal at the 13:09 mark.

The second period saw State spending half of the period in the box, committing five penalties and fighting to keep Duke from extending the lead. However, Duke was able to push their lead out to two goals with a tally from Brandon Jenkins, his second of the night. The Pack was able cut the lead in half, when Ben Dombrowski was able to find the back of the net, with 4:36 left in the second.

State came out for the final period hoping to find a scoring touch to tie the score. Unfortunately, this is as close as the Pack would get. A turnover on the power play proved to be disastrous, as the Blue Devils scored a short-handed goal, and gave Duke the insurance goal it needed. Add in an empty net goal with 22 seconds left, and the final score saw the Wolfpack on the short end of a 4-1 score.

NCSU does not have long to think about this game, as they return to home tomorrow night. State (2-4, 2-1) will take on non-conference foe Liberty (4-6-1) at the Reczone. Game time is 8pm.

NC STATE WOLFPACK DESTROY RIVAL TARHEELS

The Wolfpack finally returned to home ice on Friday, Oct 25th to face in-state rival, the University of North Carolina. NC State came in after a long five game road series that left them at 1-3 overall. High expectations were expected by the team as they stepped out onto the ice in front of a packed house of supportive fans.

The Tarheels, looking to reverse a six game losing streak against the Wolfpack, began the game very well, weathering an early storm of shots from State players and holding the game to 0-0 tie through the first ten minutes. UNC appeared to have a great opportunity to break the tie, when at the 11:35 mark of the first, when defenseman Bryan Gouin got a major for cross-checking and a double minor for roughing. This forced NCSU to play a man short for nine minutes. The Wolfpack was able to tighten up defensively and stopped the repeated power play attempts from Carolina. The scoreless tie was broken with 4:58 left to go in the first, when Andrew Demetros made a saucer pass through the neutral zone to Rob Hartinger, who caught the Tarheels in a change and scored a shorthanded goal for State.

The scoring picked up in second period as NC State began to increase the physical play and generated their offense from UNC turnovers. Freshmen Jonathan Hires and John Probasco each got their first goals of their careers. Hires also picked up his first assist on Probasco’s goal. Sandwiched between the two freshman tallies was junior defenseman Phil Mason’s 2nd goal of the season, on an assist from his defense partner, Gouin. By the time the buzzer sounded to end the 2nd period, the Wolfpack had added another shorthanded goal, this time from Anthony Sandanato at the 14 minute mark. The teams went to the locker room with State holding a commanding 5-0 lead.

The final period only saw one goal, scored by UNC, with less than five minutes left in game. However, the final period will be remembered for the 12 penalties given to the teams, including four double minors for an incident in front of the UNC net after the whistle. A scary event happened about halfway through the period. UNC defenseman Kevin McMullin lost his skate edge during a play in front of the net and fell into the goal. McMullin lost consciousness and had to be helped off the ice. He was taken the hospital and a mild concussion was diagnosed.

After the injury, both teams seemed to be content to skate out the rest of the time on the clock, and the game ended at 5-1. The Wolfpack was able to dominate in the shot total, 59-25. State goaltender, Wil White, got his second win of the year, moving his record to 2-1 as a starter.

With this win, NCSU gains two points in the ACCHL standings and sits in 2nd place behind Duke. State (2-3, 2-0) will try to catch Duke in the standings this Friday when they travel to Durham to play the Blue Devils (5-0, 3-0) at 4:15pm. The Wolfpack will then return home on Saturday to play non-conference opponent Liberty (4-6-1), at the RecZone. Game time will be 8:00pm.

PENALTIES DOOM PACK - 10/20/07

On Friday night, State headed to East Carolina for a final tune-up before their much anticipated home opener to face the Pirates in a non-conference match-up. It was a game full of ups, downs, and penalties.

With ECU's home crowd pumped up, the last thing that NCSU wanted was to get off to a slow start. Unfortunately, that is exactly what they did as they fell behind early in the first period and were never able to fight their way back. After only being able to muster nine first period shots, the Wolfpack headed into the locker room down 3-0.

In the second, State finally found their legs and started getting shots through on ECU G Matt Dalgetty. Freshman F Michael Cerretti continued his early season tear to put the Wolfpack on the board and cut the lead to 3-1. However, penalties prevented the team from sustaining an attack and ECU retook a three goal late shortly after. Later, F Anthony Sandonato scored his first goal of the year on a slam dunk rebound to bring NCSU back within two. But ECU continued to pepper G Stephen Russell with shots and found the back of the net for the fifth time to bring the score to 5-2 as the teams headed into the third period.

It seemed as if a different State team took the ice early in the third period as they spent much of the first ten minutes inside the Pirates zone. Goals by defensive partners Phil Mason and Bryan Gouin made it a one-goal game as the clocked wound down to under eight minutes remaining. Just as it seemed like the Wolfpack were in control of the game, questionable calls to F Robby Hartinger and D Wes White snuffed out their comeback. With the goalie pulled and under a minute to go, ECU was able to put in an empty net goal and seal the win.

"With 15 penalties, you can't expect to win," said coach Steve Glick. "But I'm not discouraged with the way we played tonight. There are a lot of positives for this team to build on heading into the heart of our conference schedule."

The Wolfpack will host the UNC Tar Heels this Friday night at the Rec Zone in Raleigh. Game time is 9:00. Tickets are $5 and only $3 for NCSU students.

SEE GAME NOTES

WOLFPACK DROPS WEEKEND SET

On Thursday, the Wolfpack boarded a bus destined for Fort Myers, FL and a clash with national powerhouse Florida Gulf Coast University. Although neither of the two games ended with a win, there were plenty of positives that coaches Steve Glick and Dave Kurtz could build on for the rest of the season.

After a 14 hour bus ride and a three hour nap NCSU took the ice against FGCU on Friday night. Battling tiredness and a raucous crowd, the Pack played defensive hockey and made it's way through the first period without a goal scored for either team. In the second, a few mistakes and poor defensive play doomed the team as they fell into a 2-0 hole despite stellar goaltending from G Stephen Russell. In the third, the Wolfpack's long trip finally took its toll as they were unable to sustain any offensive attack. In the end, the team could only muster 18 shots and took the loss. However, Russell was the clear star of the game as he kept State close throughout the night turning away 50 of FGCU's 54 shots.

"Stephen was outstanding tonight," said Kurtz. "With the game [Wil White] had last week and now this performance tonight, it's comforting knowing we have a chance to win no matter who's in net".

On Saturday, State was back at it as the offense was able to get going. The Wolfpack took an early 1-0 lead as F Dan Masiulis scored his second of the year less than a minute into the opening frame. However, several miscues allowed FGCU to strike back and the Pack headed into the locker room down 4-1. After screaming fit by Coach Glick that could be heard from the stands, the team came out firing and netted three goals in the second. Masiulis netted his second of the game and linemate F Michael Cerretti scored his second of the season. Also, F Phil Yandall scored his first in a Wolfpack uniform and was greeted by praise from his teammates when returning to the bench.

"Seeing Phil's work ethic and how hard he hustled to get that goal pumped everybody up," said captain Nick Cosentino.

However, NCSU once again got themselves into penalty trouble and FGCU scored three goals of their own to take a 7-4 lead into the locker room. In the third, the Wolfpack gave it everything they had and Wil White made save after save including two off his mask but the teams tired legs could only carry them so far. In the end, State ran out of gas after a long weekend and dropped the second game 9-4.

"Even though we lost, it really felt like we played well," said assistant captain D Wes White who had an assist on the Yandall goal. "This weekend gave us a good sense of where we are as a team, and what we need to improve on as we head into conference games."

The Wolfpack (1-2; 1-0) continue their early season road trip this Friday night as they head to East Carolina University (2-1) for a non-conference showdown. Game time is 9:30. Also, don't forget the State home opener on October 26th against arch rival UNC. Game time is 9:00 at the Rec Zone in Raleigh.

PACK LOSES KEY DEFENSEMAN TO INJURY

The Wolfpack has announced that senior defenseman Bobby Riehle will miss 6-8 weeks with a knee injury. Riehle learned of the injury after a visit to an area orthopedist on Monday.

"Losing a guy like Bobby is a tremendous blow to the team, especially this early in the season," said coach Steve Glick. "[Riehle] is a physical presence and gifted hockey player, it is going to be difficult to replace his intangibles".

Riehle is also an assistant captain with the team meaning the coaching staff will be looking for increased leadership from players like Phil Mason, John Probasco, and Dan Masiulis. Along with this injury, State will also be without freshman forward Jonathan Hires for this weekends series against Florida Gulf Coast University. Hires will not play due to personal obligations. NCSU fans can listen to Friday and Saturday nights games live online by logging onto http://www.fgcuicehockey.com/broadcasting.html. Game times are 8:30 PM.

Riehle had three goals and ten assists with 14 penalty minutes in 22 games last season.

WOLFPACK START STRONG AT VIRGINIA TECH

The Wolfpack opened up the 2007-2008 season against conference opponent Virginia Tech on Saturday night at the Civic Center in Roanoke, VA. After a long ride, the team was able to find its legs and battle its way through the first period. Down 1-0, defenseman Chris Martucci scored the first goal of the year for State to make he score 1-1. Later, forward Andrew Demetros re-tied the game 2-2 by netting his first of the year with some diligent work in front of the VT net. With strong play between the pipes by G Wil White the Pack headed into the locker room tied.

The Pack struggled mightily in the second period and fell behind 4-2 after costly turnovers in their defensive zone. 10-minute misconducts assessed to F Anthony Sandonato and D Ben Dombrowski left the bench shorthanded and numerous missed assignments put the team in a hole heading into the third.

In the third, the Wolfpack climbed their way out of that hole with a combination of hard work, outstanding defensive zone play, and discipline. As Virginia Tech continued to take penalties, the State players were able to keep their cool. Freshman Mike Cerretti closed the gap to one with the first goal of his college career and last seasons ACCHL scoring champ forward Dan Masiulis tied the game a short time later. Tied 4-4 late in the third, Dombrowski was able to redeem himself from his misconduct penalty and give the team a 5-4 with a low shot from just outside the blue line. White continued his outstanding goaltending late in the final frame and the game ended with a NC State victory.

New head coach Larry Laurinatis and his assistants, Steve Glick and Dave Kurtz, will have the team back to work this week before traveling to Florida for a weekend series against #13 ranked Florida Gulf Coast University on Friday and Saturday night. The Wolfpack home opener will be on October 26th against their rival, The University of North Carolina. Game time for the opener is 9:00 PM at the Rec-Zone in Raleigh.

NCSU WOLFPACK HOCKEY - 2007-2008 SCHEDULE

The Wolfpack are pleased to announce their 2007-08 season schedule. The team faces a tough schedule with trips to Florida, Virginia, and Georgia. The Wolfpack's schedule also has them pitted against ACCHL foes such as UNC and Duke. The team would also like to announce the roster for the 2007-08 season. Under new head coach Larry Larinitus the team has several returning veterans along with a good mix of freshmen. The team looks to take on its first ACCHL test this Friday as they open the season at Virginia Tech. The game will be a hard fought battle similar to the three games the two teams played against each other last year.