As expected, the WCHA did NOT vote on whether or not to accept Bemidji State into the WCHA at their meetings in Florida. The news is actually good news (compared to a vote of "no"). Instead, the WCHA once again lifted their moratorium on expansion, and will once again take applications for membership.

The move opens the door for other schools (UNO, NMU, etc) to once again consider the measure.

Here's the audio from the press conference

Bemidji State Officials have made their presentation to the WCHA...and now the wait is on. The league members will discuss the presentation on Tuesday (no action whatsoever was taken on Monday) and a conference call is slated for Tuesday afternoon at 1pm with Commissioner Bruce McLeod.

I texted Tom Serratore tonight, and asked if anything "news-worthy" happened so far...his reply was, "Not Yet."

Like I said earlier, I don't expect a vote to happen this week. There are still too many unknowns...what is going to happen at Omaha (AD took the job at Upper Iowa - - - he was against the move to the WCHA)...what's going to happen with Huntsville...what's going to happen with Bowling Green (or any other program in financial trouble)?

I have a hard time thinking that the college hockey world would let Bemidji State go away. We're still 12 months away from that conversation happening...so there is time. Nothing NEEDS to be done now (although a YES vote would be nice)!

WCHA Commissioner Bruce McLeod will hold a conference call with the media on Tuesday to talk about the expansion of the WCHA and BSU's presentation to the league.

I'll have the audio online as soon as the call is over.

The Coaches Meetings in Florida continues in Marco Island. Bemidji State is slated to make their presentation to the WCHA at these meetings.

It's not expected that the WCHA will vote an BSU's application this week. It's thought by many that the league will wait until another team applies to the league...thus giving the WCHA their desired 12 team league.

Adam Woodon from "College Hockey News" had this to say on the matter.

The "New York Times" has this to say:

Bemidji State Will Plead Its Case to W.C.H.A.
By Pat Borzi

Monday is a big day for the Bemidji State men’s hockey program, which needs a new home with the impending demise of its conference, College Hockey America.

That’s when Bemidji’s delegation, led by president Jon Quistgaard and renowned former coach R.H. “Bob” Peters, makes its formal presentation to join the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (W.C.H.A.) at the conference’s spring meeting in Marco Island, Fla. W.C.H.A. faculty reps could vote on admission as early as Tuesday –- eight of the 10 member schools must approve it — or postpone the vote for another time, according to W.C.H.A. spokesman Doug Spencer.

Admission would be for the 2010-11 season. The four-team College Hockey America will dissolve after next season with Robert Morris and Niagara leaving to join Atlantic Hockey.

In the Beavers’ favor: BSU moves into a new, larger arena in the fall of 2010, and Bemidji is within a drive or a short flight of seven W.C.H.A. schools.

Possible snags: No other schools applied by the March 31 deadline. Twelve teams are easier to schedule for conference play than 11.

Nebraska-Omaha Coach Mike Kemp said in January that the W.C.H.A. approached his school and Northern Michigan about joining the conference. (W.C.H.A. Commissioner Bruce McLeod has denied this.) Kemp indicated the Mavs weren’t interested in leaving the Central Collegiate Hockey Conference (C.C.H.A.).

But Nebraska-Omaha athletic director David Miller resigned on March 30. Might a new AD have other ideas? Trev Alberts, the ex-Nebraska football star and former ESPN commentator, is one of the four finalists, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

A BSU student (Matt Brown) has created a Beaver Hockey video and posted it on YouTube.

Here it is:

The BSU football team will host their spring game Friday night (4/24) at 7:30pm at the Chet.

Derek Edholm (quarterback) is back for his junior year...and lots of returners are back on defense. All in all, there aren't nearly as many questions going into this spring as compared to last year.

Bring your umbrella, though, as it is supposed to rain Friday in Bemidji.

John McRae from the Bemidji Pioneer wrote this:

http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/articles/index.cfm?id=23019&section=sports

Just days after completing an historic run to the 2009 Frozen Four, the Bemidji State men’s hockey team experienced another first – losing an underclassmen to the professional ranks.

Sophomore goaltender Matt Dalton signed a National Hockey League entry level contract with the Boston Bruins organization Thursday. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Dalton becomes the first Bemidji State player during the program’s NCAA Division I era to sign a professional contract while still having eligibility remaining.

Dalton said he knew NHL teams were watching him during the regular season, but didn’t know many details at the time.

“A day after the Frozen Four my advisor called and told me the teams that were interested,” Dalton reported. “After some lengthy discussion we decided Boston was the best fit – because of the way the organization treats its players and also their goalie depth. No matter where you go at the professional level, there are going to be good goalies, but I believe Boston afforded me the best opportunity.”

Dalton said he would be assigned to Boston’s AHL affiliate in Providence, Rhode Island at the start of the next season. His immediate plans are to finish out the school year at Bemidji State, then return to his home in Ontario for a few weeks. He’ll return to Bemidji after a brief break where he’ll concentrate on training for his first professional season.

Making the decision to leave the Bemidji State program was not easy, Dalton reported, especially considering the dream season the team just completed. “It was an unbelievable roller coaster-type year,” he said, “kind of like my career at BSU. After sitting on the bench most of my freshman year I was given the opportunity this season and ran with it.

“Winning the Midwest Regional and advancing to the Frozen Four; it’s going to be tough to top that. It was the best season I’ve ever experienced – who knows, it could be the best time I ever experience in hockey. I felt I had a really good year and as a result received an offer I just couldn’t turn down.”

Even though Dalton has two years of eligibility remaining, he will have completed three years of university schooling when the current semester is over in a few weeks. “With only one year left for me to graduate, it won’t be that hard to come back and complete my degree,” he said. “If I would have had two years of school left, my decision probably would have been different.

“I just felt it was time.”

Dalton reported the toughest thing about moving on will be leaving behind the relationships he has developed. “The hardest part will be backing away from the relationships and friendships that have been made here,” he said.

“I’ll never forget my time at Bemidji State or the people I’ve come to know here.”

Dalton was the anchor in the Beavers’ incredible run through the postseason this year. In five games, including the College Hockey America tournament and the NCAA tournament, Dalton posted a record of 4-1 with a topnotch 1.60 goals against average and incredible .948 save percentage.

In the NCAA Midwest Regional, Dalton bested the statistically top goalie in the nation Notre Dame’s Jordan Pearce and another premier goaltender in Cornell’s Ben Scrivens.

Bemidji State head coach Tom Serratore said while it will be difficult to see Dalton leave the program he understands the situation. “It’s always tough to lose a great player,” Serratore reported. “Teams are typically only as good as their top players. At the same time Dalton’s signing an NHL contract shows recruits that if they have the ability they can get noticed by NHL scouts while playing for Bemidji State.

“Having our last two goalies (Dalton and 2008 BSU grad Matt Climie) sign NHL contracts tells recruits we have the ability to develop players to the highest professional level.”

Dalton finishes his BSU career with a 2.27 goals against average which is tops all-time at BSU for goaltenders with at least 1,500 minutes played, surpassing BSU great Blane Comstock (1967-71) after allowing just two goals in the Midwest Regional. The mark is also a standard among all Division I-era goaltenders at BSU.

In 2008-09 Dalton paced the CHA in goals against average (1.94), minutes played (1,018:38) and backstopped a BSU team that was tops in the league in defensive scoring (2.11) and penalty-kill (86.2) before being named as the league’s Second Team All-CHA goalie.

In over 50 years of hockey at BSU, only 10 goaltenders have recorded seasons of 15 or more wins. Dalton ended the 2008-09 season with a record of 17-11-1 to become part of that elite group and is the first of the Beavers’ Division I-era. The last BSU player to net at least 15 victories in a season was Robin Cook (1992-96) who posted 20 wins in 1994-95.

BEMIDJI, Minn. -- The Bemidji State men’s ice hockey program today announced the addition Jake Areshenko (Port Coquitlam, British Columbia), Brance Orban (Lethbridge, Alberta) and Brady Wacker (Jansen, Saskatchewan) to the Beaver men’s ice hockey program for the 2009-10 season. Each incoming student-athlete signed National Letters of Intent during the NCAA’s regular signing period beginning April 9.

“We are excited to welcome these three players into the Beaver hockey family,” commented Bemidji State assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Ted Belisle. “They each bring a good mix of skill, grit, and speed. They are quality kids who have honed their skills in junior hockey and we look forward to having them in Beaver jerseys.”

• Areshenko (6-0, 190, Defenseman, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia), a defenseman for the Fargo Force of the United State Hockey League (USHL), has played in 58 of 60 contests for a team that ranks second in the league’s Western Division in goals allowed (166). In addition, Areshenko has scored two goals and seven assists, which includes a lamplighter and three helpers on the power play. He carries a +7 plus/minus rating on the season.

The Force, 32-23-5 in its first season as a member of the USHL, clinched a playoff berth and after sweeping Omaha and is awaiting the winner of the Lincoln-Sioux Falls series. Areshenko contributed an assist on the power-play in Fargo’s 4-2 win over the Lancers April 11.
Highlights of the 2008-09 season in addition to his playoff helper include: Scoring is first goal as a member of the Force Oct. 18 in a 6-1 loss at Sioux City and recording a goal and an assist in a 6-2 victory over Green Bay Feb. 6.

Areshenko has ties to Bemidji State University. His grandfather, Dave Gunther, was head coach of the men’s basketball team at BSU from 1995-2001.

“Jake has a good mix of size and skating ability and will bring a strong presence to the ice. He’ll be able to eat up minutes on the penalty-kill and in 5-on-5 situations.” Belisle added, “In all, his steady presence in the D-zone will pay dividends as far as us getting pucks up the ice and preventing goals.”

• Orban (5-9, 155, Forward, Lethbridge, Alberta), a three-year veteran forward of the Olds Grizzlys in the Alberta Junior Hockey league (AJHL) , has skated in 201 games and piled up 84 goals and 123 assists for an impressive 203 points as a Grizzly. A proven scorer, Orban has had his most productive season in 2008-09. He has accumulated 47 goals and 48 assists in 76 games to lead his team and rank fourth in the league in total points (95), which includes 19 goals on the power play and four short-handed tallies. His total of 47 goals ranks second in the AJHL this season while his 48 assists seat him ninth among his league counterparts.

Highlights of the 2008-09 season include: Twenty-eight multi-point efforts, three times piling up four points in a single game. March 16, Orban led the Grizzlys to a 7-1 playoff victory over the Okotoks Oilers with a season-best three goals and an assist. Dec. 16, the forward put up a season-high three assists, which included helping on the game-winner in a 7-3 victory over the Brooks Bandits. He also added a goal in the game.

The Grizzlys saw their season come to an abrupt end in the third round of the AJHL Southern Division Playoffs. The team posted a 35-23-1 overall record in the regular season gaining a berth in the 2008-09 post-season. After defeating Drumheller (3-2) and Okotoks (4-2) in the first two rounds of the divisional playoffs, Olds was defeated by Spruce Grove (4-0) in the league semi-finals.

“Brance is a highly-talented offensive player who has had a lot of success the last few years with the Olds Grizzlys.” Belisle added, “He really came out of his shell this year as far as scoring goals, learning what it takes to get to hard areas of the ice to produce points. He’s always been a fan favorite wherever he has played making up for his small frame with good feet and skill-level.”

• Wacker (5-7, 155, Defenseman, Jansen, Saskatchewan), a defenseman for the Humbolt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), finished third in the league in scoring, pacing the Broncos to their third consecutive SJHL Credit Union Cup with 17 goals and 65 assists for 82 points. His 65 assists led all SJHL players and his total of 50 points on the power play (10g-40a) was second to none.

Wacker, the Broncos’ captain, concluded the 2008-09 regular season as the first player in SJHL history to be selected as the league’s Player of the Year and its Defenseman of the Year while he fell just six points shy of the league’s scoring championship. The five-time SJHL Defenseman of the Week in 2008-09, was named to the SJHL ITECH Conference All-Star roster and is a finalist for the Cnadian Junior Hockey League's (CJHL) National Player of the Year.

Highlights of the 2008-09 season include: Thirty-one multi-point contests including four-point efforts in victories over Flin Flon (9-2) Nov. 22 and Melfort (7-4) Dec. 3. The defenseman also assembled a 15-game scoring streak stretching from Oct. 22 to Dec. 7 during which he posted eight goals and 28 assists.

Wacker and the Broncos, the CJHL's top-ranked team, have extended their season to the second half of April qualifying for the ANAVET Cup series to play the Portage Terriers, Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s champions, for a chance to compete for the Royal Bank Cup, the Junior “A” National Championship. The Broncos are the defending RBC Cup Champions.

“Brady is a special defensive talent. He is the ultimate competitor. His versatility and skill set allow him to play in every situation on the defensive side of the ice. He brings every element that is needed to be a solid defensive player at the collegiate level.” Belisle added, “Even though he may be considered small at five-foot, seven-inches, he has always been one of those players that can change the game with a big hit.”

BSU’s spring signees join forwards Jordan George (Madison, Wis.), Matt Hartmann (Hugo, Minn.) and Aaron McLeod (Ottawa, Ontario), who each signed National Letters of Intent during the NCAA’s early signing period Nov. 12-19. The Beavers’ 2009-10 signing class includes players from four Canadian provinces and two states, including a Minnesota native.

Bemidji State is coming off a season in which it captured its fourth College Hockey America regular-season title in six years, a CHA Tournament crown, an NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional Championship and the first appearance in the Frozen Four in program history. The team posted an overall record of 20-16-1, while it was 12-5-1 in league play.

BEMIDJI, Minn. - Bemidji State University women¹s ice hockey standout Zuzana Tomcikova (Fr., Bratislava, Slovakia) and men's ice hockey playmaker Tyler Scofield (Sr., Prince George, British Columbia) were announced as the 2008-09 Beaver Pride Athletes of the Year, Sunday evening, at the BSU Student-Athlete Appreciation Banquet. The duo was selected from a pool of nominated student-athletes from BSU's 17 intercollegiate sport programs.

In addition, Courtney Bitter (Fr., Bemidji, Minn.) of the volleyball team and men's ice hockey rookie Brad Hunt (Ridge Meadows, British Columbia) were selected 2008-09 Female and Male Newcomers of the Year.

In all, nearly 60 seniors were recognized with the presentation of the athletes and newcomers of the year serving as the culminating point of the program.

Zuzana Tomcikova, BSU's Female Student Athlete of the Year for 2008-09, finished her freshman season for the women's ice hockey team with a 3.09 goals against average and a .917 saves percentage after playing in all but five games against some of the toughest competition in the nation. She saved 1,025 shots and was one of just three netminders in the country to notch over 1,000 stops in 2008-09. Her 1805:29 minutes between the pipes ranked seventh in the nation, and she tied the school's single-season record for shutouts with three.

In just her first year donning the green and white, Tomcikova cracked the top three on multiple BSU single-season leader boards. These include shutouts (three, T-1st), saves (1,025, 2nd), save percentage (.917, 2nd), games played (31, 3rd) and minutes played (1805:29, 3rd).

Tomcikova put together a string of three consecutive weeks being named Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Defensive Player of the Week at one point during the season, making her the first WCHA player to earn the honor three weeks in a row. At the conclusion of the season, she was selected to the WCHA All-Rookie Team and became the first BSU player ever to be named Second Team All-WCHA to cap the season.

BSU's 2008-09 Male Athlete of the Year, Tyler Scofield, finished the season ranked second on the team in scoring with 22-17=39 points. His 22 goals was not only a career-high, it also led the team and marked the first time since 2003-04 (Brendan Cook) a BSU skater has lit the lamp at least 22 times in a single season. The Prince George, British Columbia native posted 10 multi-point efforts as a senior, which include a team-leading five multi-goal games.

Scofield seemed to save his best for last. He single-handedly led the Beavers down the stretch piling up 8-7=15 points in BSU's final seven games off the season, which included a four-point effort, and first career hat trick in the regular-season finale and game wining goals in each of the team's NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional match ups advancing the Beavers to the Frozen Four for the first time in school history.

Scofield averaged one-point per game in CHA play. His 4-5=9 points on the power play and four power-play goals were all good for fourth in the league while he posted a pair of game-winning goals to finish second among CHA scorers.

With 48-63=111 points in a green and white sweater, Scofield leaves third in scoring during Bemidji State's Division I-era, his 63 helpers rank third at BSU since 1999-2000 and he is one of only three Division I-era players to record 40 goals and 60 assists.

Scofield, a Second Team All-CHA pick in 2009, was a two-time CHA Offensive Player of the Week during 2008-09 regular, was selected INCH National Player of the Week Honorable Mention Mar. 9 and earned NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player honors.

The Beaver Pride Female Newcomer of the Year, Courtney Bitter capped her freshman campaign ranked in the top five on the BSU volleyball team in several major statistical categories. In addition to leading the team in games played (103) and set assists (884), she sat second in digs (252), fourth in total blocks (24) and service aces (18) and was fifth in kills (120).

A natural leader on the court, her 8.58 assists per game this season rank as the highest average at BSU since Kristin Smith posted 10.00 assists per game in 2004. In addition, Bitter paced all Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) newcomers with four double-doubles.

Bitter, a Beaver Pride Athlete of the Week (Nov. 12), also earned Las Vegas Blast All-Tournament Team laurels in her first weekend of collegiate play.

After a stellar rookie season, 2008-09 CHA Rookie of the Year, Brad Hunt was named Beaver Pride Male Newcomer of the Year.

Hunt finished the 2008-09 campaign third on the team in scoring with 9-23=32 and ranked behind only BSU leading scorer Matt Read with 23 assists. Hunt's 32 points match Riley Riddell (2001-02) and Luke Erickson (2003-04) for the best offensive season by a freshman in BSU's Division I history and stands as the second-best single-season total by a defensemen since 1999 (Stephan Bjork, 15-19=34). In addition, his total of 23 assists puts him atop BSU's Division I-era defensemen assists list.

Hunt tallied 4-15=19 points in CHA play to lead not only all rookies, but also all blueliners and situate him fifth among CHA scorers. Hunt also proved to be a vital cog on a BSU power-play unit that paced the conference converting over 21-percent (21-99) of its opportunities on the man advantage. The freshman finished the season perched atop the league's power-play scoring list with 3-9=12 points.

Selected to the 2009 CHA All-Rookie Team and First Team All-CHA, Hunt, a three-time CHA Rookie of the Week and the league's Defensive Player of the Week on three occasions during the 2008-09 regular-season, also garnered the 2009 CHA Rookie of the Year award.

Jared Ross (former Alabama Huntsville Charger) scored his first career Stanely Cup playoff goal as the Flyers beat the Penguins 6-3 last night.

Here are his stats:

1 goal
8 shifts
5 faceoffs won
1 faceoff lost

Jared was on the ice for 6:37 (by far the least of his team)...but who cares...he has as many playoff goals as Sidney Crosby does!

Here's his Flyer's bio page

Andrew Murray hasn't played in the playoffs for Columbus, as he's been scratched with a hamstring injury.