The NCAA News - News and Features

March 23, 1998

Alabama-Huntsville turns the tables for II hockey crown

In 1997, Bemidji State used a strong defense, outstanding goaltending and an opportunistic offense to defeat Alabama-Huntsville in the Division II Men's Ice Hockey Championship.

In 1998, the Chargers returned the favor.

Sparked by the goaltending of Cedrick Billequey and an offense that netted five power-play goals, Alabama-Huntsville rolled to its second title in three years March 13-14 at Huntsville, Alabama.

The Chargers, ranked No. 1 throughout the regular season, proved worthy of the ranking, defeating the Beavers, 6-2 and 5-2, in the championship two-game series. Alabama-Huntsville finished the season with a 24-3-3 record.

Bemidji State (22-10-2) finished runner-up for the third time. The Beavers competed in their record eighth championship.

In the second game, a pair of Ryans (Gavigan and Stewart) scored less than five minutes apart to help the Chargers overcome a 1-0 deficit and claim the title.

Gavigan erased Bemidji State's only lead of the championship when he beat Beavers goaltender Neil Cooper at 11 minutes, 49 seconds of the second period. The goal was Gavigan's only point of the championship.

With Billequey continuing to turn away Bemidji State, Ryan Stewart put the Chargers ahead for the first time in the second game, netting his second goal of the championship less than five minutes later.

Colin Schmidt, who registered two goals and an assist in the series, followed with what proved to be the championship-winning goal, beating Cooper with less than two minutes remaining in the period to cap the three-goal outburst.

"I was real concerned for a period and a half," said Alabama-Huntsville coach Doug Ross. "I've got to give a lot of credit to Ryan Gavigan. Ryan Stewart and Colin Schmidt worked hard. Gavigan on the third line has been a big impact at the end of the season.

"Going in 3-1 after two periods was a big goal. We knew we had to be more aggressive. We have to give the guys a lot of credit for working hard. We knew they would come out hitting hard."

The Chargers' offense wasn't alone in its second-period heroics. The stanza also proved to be the best for Billequey and the Chargers' defense led by defensemen Mark Motowski and Shane Stewart.

Billequey, who led the nation in winning percentage (.912), goals-against average (1.76) and save percentage (.933) in regular-season competition, stepped up his game in the championship, stopping 56 of 60 shots in the two games, including 25 of 26 second-period shots.

"I was very pleased the way our team played," said Ross. "Cedrick played tough at the net."

In the championship's first game, Motowski jump-started the Chargers' attack by scoring the first of his two goals on a backhand shot during a Chargers' second-period power play. Motowski's goal was the first of three power-play goals scored by the Chargers.

After Schmidt, with assists from Shane Stewart and Joe Provenzano, extended the lead to two goals with a short-handed tally at 8:25 of the second period, Ryan Stewart gave the Chargers all they would need with an unassisted goal at 15:23.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Game 1

Bemidji St. -- 0 -- 0 -- 2--2

Ala.-Huntsville -- 0 -- 3 -- 3--6

First period: No scoring. Penalties: Bemidji St.--Jerod Bina (slashing), 8:35; Ala.-Huntsville--Matt Parker (hitting after whistle), 8:35; Bemidji St.--Jim Logan (hitting after whistle), 11:45; Ala.-Huntsville--Mark Motowski (interference), 11:45; Ala.-Huntsville--John McCabe (hooking), 12:20; Ala.-Huntsville--Mike Hamlin (hooking), 16:33; Bemidji St.--Mark Lafleur (holding), 19:46.

Second period: Ala.-Huntsville--Motowski (Jay Woodcroft, Parker), 1:30 (pp); Ala.-Huntsville--Colin Schmidt (Shane Stewart, Joe Provenzano), 8:25 (sh); Ala.-Huntsville--

Ryan Stewart (Marc Lalonde), 15:23. Penalties: Bemidji St.--Eric Andersen (charging), 6:22; Ala.-Huntsville--McCabe (interference), 6:55; Bemidji St.--Calvin Chartrand (unsportsmanlike conduct), 8:25; Ala.-Huntsville--Provenzano (cross-checking), 8:25; Bemidji St.--Mike Donaghue (unsportsmanlike conduct, misconduct), 9:15; Ala.-Huntsville--McCabe (unsportsmanlike conduct, misconduct), 9:15; Ala.-Huntsville--Woodcroft (cross-checking), 10:15; Ala.-Huntsville--Darren Awender (unsportsmanlike conduct), 13:18; Bemidji St.--Aaron Gunn (slashing), 15:43; Bemidji St.--Travis Johnson (unsportsmanlike conduct), 15:54; Ala.-Huntsville--Provenzano (unsportsmanlike conduct), 15:54; Bemidji St.--Bruce Matatall (butt-ending major, game disqualification), 18:42.

Third period: Ala.-Huntsville--Hamlin (Jim Alauria, S. Stewart), 3:26 (pp); Bemidji St.--Logan (Gunn, Andersen), 5:22; Ala.-Huntsville--McCabe (Jamie Baby, Hamlin), 9:04; Bemidji St.--Jared Gustafson (Johnson), 14:19; Ala.-Huntsville--Motowski (unassisted), 18:16 (pp). Penalties: Ala.-Huntsville--Jim Alauria (tripping), 10:34; Bemidji St.--Donaghue (cross-checking), 16:46; Bemidji St.--Bina (elbowing), 17:31; Ala.-Huntsville--Hamlin (elbowing), 17:31; Bemidji St.--Chartrand (cross-checking), 18:16.

Shots on goal: Bemidji St.--10-14-4--28; Ala.-Huntsville--9-12-13--34. Saves: Bemidji St.--Adam Pavlatos 26, Matt Anderson 2; Ala.-Huntsville--Cedrick Billequey 26. Penalties: Bemidji St.--14 for 47 min.; Ala.-Huntsville--13 for 34 min. Attendance: 4,103.

Game 2

Bemidji St. -- 0 -- 1 -- 1--2

Ala.-Huntsville -- 0 -- 3 -- 2--5

First period: No scoring. Penalties: Ala.-Huntsville--Tim McAllister (tripping), 2:06; Ala.-Huntsville--Marc Lalonde (boarding), 3:55; Bemidji St.--Dan Pelletier (hitting after whistle), 3:55; Ala.-Huntsville--Mike Hamlin (elbowing), 7:31; Bemidji St.--Eric Andersen (high-sticking), 15:27; Bemidji St.--Josh Klingfus (holding), 18:14.

Second period: Bemidji St.--Shane Kalbrener (Jim Logan, Travis Johnson), 7:35; Ala.-Huntsville--Ryan Gavigan (Colin Schmidt, McAllister), 11:49; Ala.-Huntsville--Ryan Stewart (Jim Alauria), 16:44; Ala.-Huntsville--Schmidt (Ryan McCormack, Joe Provenzano), 18:48. Penalties: Bemidji St.--Jared Gustafson (slashing), 1:44; Bemidji St.--Pelletier (holding), 8:43; Bemidji St.--Logan (cross-checking), 12:09; Bemidji St.--Johnson (cross-checking), 13:11; Ala.-Huntsville--Gavigan (interference), 13:38; Ala.-Huntsville--R. Stewart (roughing, hitting after whistle), 19:04; Ala.-Huntsville--Darren Awender (misconduct), 19:04; Bemidji St.--Calvin Chartrand (roughing, hitting after whistle), 19:04.

Third period: Ala.-Huntsville--Jay Woodcroft (John McCabe, Matt Parker), 5:17 (pp); Ala.-Huntsville--McCabe (Hamlin, Shane Stewart), 8:05 (pp); Bemidji St.--Gustafson (Greg Ambrose), 15:54 (pp). Penalties: Ala.-Huntsville--McCormack (interference), 1:58; Bemidji St.--Pelletier (tripping), 3:08; Bemidji St.--Johnson (delay of game), 4:28; Bemidji St.--Andersen (hitting after whistle), 5:17; Bemidji St.--Marc Lafleur (cross-checking), 7:12; Bemidji St.--Logan (holding), 7:40; Ala.-Huntsville--Hamlin (hooking), 14:49; Ala.-Huntsville--Provenzano (roughing), 15:29; Ala.-Huntsville--S. Stewart (unsportsmanlike conduct, delay of game), 15:46; Bemidji St.--Jerod Bina (roughing), 15:46; Ala.-Huntsville--R. Stewart (boarding), 17:43.

Shots on goal: Bemidji St.--10-12-10--32; Ala.-Huntsville--11-17-10--38. Saves: Bemidji St.--Neil Cooper 33; Ala.-Huntsville--Cedrick Billequey 30. Penalties: Bemidji St.--15 for 30 min.; Ala.-Huntsville--13 for 34 min. Attendance: 5,884.