2003-2004 Game Recaps

Tartans Fall in Pre-season Opener (9/28/2003)

CMU lost 6-5 to California on Sunday in an exhibition game. Cal jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period. The Tartans got back into rhythm in the second when Jamie Bretz and Kevin Hutchinson each had short-handed goals sandwiched around a Cal power-play tally. After Cal put home another one, D.J. Book and freshman Dan Gilmour scored in the second, and Mike Nollen added one in the third to put the Tartans up 5-4. However, Cal came on strong with two third period goals of their own to get the win.

CMU Grabs a Win (10/5/2003)

The Tartans beat Penn State West 4-3 in a pre-season game on Sunday. PSW jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but CMU came back strong with goals by Jamie Bretz and Pete Beutler. After the Nittany Lions regained the lead, Anthony Scolieri was able to tie it up on a great effort. Then, with time winding down in the third period, Dan Gilmour buried the game winner off a two-on-one. The Tartans were able to hold off PSW the rest of the way. A key component behind the victory was superb goaltending from all three Tartan netminders: Dan Garmat, Garrett Jenkinson, and Jim Vernille.

Tartans Lose Opener (10/11/2003)

CMU traveled to Cleveland on Saturday and lost the regular season opener 3-1 to Case Western. As they did in the preseason, the Tartans found themselves trailing 2-0 in the first period. After Case Western scored early in the second, Dan Gilmour got the Tartans on the board with a goal. The teams played evenly after that with no goals the rest of the way. Garrett Jenkinson was solid in net during the first two periods, and Jim Vernille turned away every shot he saw in the third. The Tartans will look to regroup over mid-semester break and come out strong the rest of the way.

CMU Stages Comeback Then Finishes Strong (10/24/2003)

The Tartans found themselves in an all to familiar position early on against Pitt on Friday but persevered to win 10-7. Less than halfway through the first period, Pitt had a commanding 3-0 lead due to sluggish play by the Tartans. D.J. Book got CMU on the board, but the Panthers quickly countered to go up 4-1. The first turning point of the game came late in the first when Dan Gilmour tallied with 40 seconds left. The Tartans gained some momentum and tied the game in the second on Book's second goal and a great effort by Jamie Bretz to drive to the net and put it home. Pitt got one back, but Book completed the hat trick to deadlock the game at 5-5 after two periods. The Panthers scored early in the third only to see the Tartans put it into overdrive and noth five straight goals. Freshman defenseman Ryan Faught scored his first of the season as did freshman winger Rick McMullen. Kevin Hutchinson added two goals of his own for insurance, and Ed Brower ended the scoring for CMU. Pitt got a late goal with under 30 seconds left. Keys to victory were great playmaking by Anthony Scolieri, who had three assists, and superb goaltending by Dan Garmat down the stretch to close out the comeback.

Tartans Lose at Home (10/25/2003)

CMU lost to Edinboro 11-5 on Saturday. The game started out well, as D.J. Book gave the Tartans a 1-0 lead. Then, Edinboro scored four straight before Book scored his second. Edinboro scored again, but Anthony Scolieri was able to counter. The Fighting Scots also scored five goals in the second period, putting the game out of reach. The lone highlight for the Tartans also came in the second period, as Devin Fell took the puck coast to coast and scored. Fell also had three assists. Edinboro scored early in the third period, and Ed Brower knocked home his second in as many games to end the scoring. CMU got great goaltending from Jim Vernille and Garrett Jenkinson, both of which often made four or five saves in succession. However, the Tartans could not clear rebounds, keep tabs on Edinboro's cycling, or get the puck out. Turnovers in the neutral zone were also costly.

Can't Get It Together (11/1/2003)

CMU lost 8-4 at California on Saturday. Once again, the Tartans trailed 2-0 early on. CMU gained some momentum, and two-goal efforts from D.J. Book and Anthony Scolieri made the score 5-4 California after two frames. In the third, the Tartans had several opportunities to score, but could not capitalize. Things got uglier as California pumped in three more goals before the end of the game.

Tartans Get Serious (11/8/2003)

CMU beat Pitt-Johnstown 8-6 in a hard-fought, physical game on Saturday. As usual, the Tartans were down 2-0 early, and, as usual, they came back. Ryan Faught buried an overpowering slap shot from the blue line on a power play, and D.J. Book netted one to tie it up at two. UPJ countered with two goals of their own to make it 4-2 after two periods of play. The Tartans came out firing in the third. Book got his second thirty-one seconds in and completed the hat trick before the shift was over. Kevin Hutchinson then roofed one to put the Tartans in front. Book's fourth tally of the night and a Mike Nollen goal off of a great set-up from Hutchinson completed the Tartans six-goal outburst to begin the period. UPJ got two late goals sandwiched around Book's fifth goal of the game. Playmaker Anthony Scolieri finished up with five assists, and Devin Fell nothced three of his own. Goaltenders Jim Vernille and Garrett Jenkinson combined their efforts to get the win.

CMU Goes North, Comes Back With a Win (11/9/2003)

The Tartans evened their league record at 3-3 with a clean sweep of this weekend's games by beating Penn State Behrend 5-2 on Sunday. CMU jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to a D.J. Book goal, but PSB was able to tie the game at one. The Tartans then took control and didn't look back. Jamie Bretz scored to regain the lead, then Book added his second marker of the night. Bretz knocked home two more goals of his own for the hat trick and a 5-1 Tartan lead after two periods of play. In the third, CMU controlled the puck but could not muster any more offense. After the Tartans already killed several penalties, PSB was able to score a power-play goal late in the third to end the scoring. Garrett Jenkinson was solid in goal, stopping nineteen of the twenty-one shots he faced.

Tartans Show Heart But Lose Late (11/14/2003)

CMU left all they had on the ice at IUP on Friday. The Indians outshot and out-chanced the Tartans, but goaltender Dan Garmat was more than equal to the task. Dan was super-human, stopping everything IUP threw at him whether he could see it or not. CMU had some golden opportunities of their own but could not cash in. The two teams battled hard all night, and the only goal of the game came when the Tartans got called for a delay-of-game penalty with under a minute to go. A screened, tipped shot from the point sealed the 1-0 loss for CMU with 35 seconds left. The Tartans will look to continue their inspired play and get back on the winning track.

CMU Can't Bounce Back (11/15/2003)

The Tartans lost their second game in a row, 5-2, at Penn State Altoona on Saturday. CMU found themselves down early again in the first period. The Lions were able to score four times in the opening stanza with the only Tartan goal coming from Kevin Hutchinson. In the second, D.J. Book notched the only marker of the period to make it 4-2. The Tartans were again outplayed in the third, allowing another goal and failing to put together any offense.

Tartans Play Poor in Loss (11/22/2003)

CMU lost 5-2 against Allegheny on Saturday. Allegheny jumped out to a 3-0 lead from which the Tartans could not recover. Penalties and turnovers proved costly as CMU prevented themselves from getting back into the game. The score read 4-2 Allegheny after two periods, and a Gator empty-netter with one second left was the only tally of the final period. Devin Fell and Dan Gilmour scored the Tartan goals.

Taking Care of Business (1/24/2004)

The Tartans started off the semester with a solid 4-1 victory against Pitt on Saturday. Rick McMullen snuck a shot by the Pitt netminder just over 30 seconds into the game, set up by Anthony Scolieri. Kevin Hutchinson extended the lead to 2-0 later in the first with assists from Dan Gilmour and Mike Nollen. In the second period, Jamie Bretz overpowerd the goaltender when he ripped a slap shot into the top shelf off a McMullen pass. The Panthers were finally able to counter with a goal from the slot area, but Devin Fell finished off the second period by cruising through the entire Pitt team and depositing a backhander into the twine. Nollen and Hutchinson assisted. That would be all the scoring, as the Tartans contained Pitt in the third with solid forechecking and suffocating defense. When the Panthers were able to generate scoring chances, Dan Garmat shut the door. Garmat made 24 saves on 25 shots to ensure the victory.

Tartans Trail Off in Exhibition Loss (1/25/2004)

CMU dropped an 8-3 decision to Robert Morris on Sunday. The Colonials led 2-0 in the first period when Kevin Hutchinson went in on a breakaway but rung it off the iron. Moments later, Eric Kidder was able to tally on a wrist shot off an offensive zone face-off win. Robert Morris added another goal, but Hutchinson atoned for his earlier miss by slamming home a rebound off a Brian Schmella point shot. The teams played fairly even in the second frame, but Robert Morris tacked on one more to make it 4-2. In the third, the Tartans could not mount a comeback as a slew of penalties caused them to run out of gas. The Colonials rattled off four more goals, and Devin Fell added a late goal for CMU to close out the scoring.

Breakdown (1/31/2004)

CMU failed to win back-to-back games on home ice with a 4-1 loss to Penn State West on Saturday. After a scoreless first period, the Nittany Lions opened up the scoring in the second. Late in the period, the Tartans countered when Anthony Scolieri knocked home a pass from D.J. Book on a two-on-one. In the third, the Tartans came out flat. Penn State West went ahead by two goals, then got a bounce off a CMU player for their final tally.

Almost (2/1/2004)

The Tartans played exceptional hockey for two periods against St. Vincent on Sunday, but they could not finish it off in the third. Kevin Hutchinson got the Tartans rolling with a first period goal, and that would be all the scoring in the opening frame. St. Vincent tied the game in the second, but the Tartans worked the power play to perfection to regain the lead. Mike Nollen won the face-off back to Dan Gilmour at the left point who made a cross-ice pass to Brian Schmella. With Igino Cafiero and Hutchinson screening in front, Schmella was able to snap a shot off the far post and in to give CMU a 2-1 edge after two periods. In an all-to-familiar situation, the Tartans took costly penalties and had nothing left in the tank for the third period. After tying the game, St. Vincent got the game winner off a weird deflection. The Polar Bearcats were able to score two more goals to make the final 5-2. Dan Garmat was incredible in goal, stopping over 40 shots, many in spectacular fashion.

The Woes Continue (2/7/2004)

CMU lost 9-3 to IUP on Saturday to run their losing streak to three in league play. The Tartans were down 3-0 until Dan Gilmour got his first of two goals on a breakaway. Mike Nollen made a crisp outlet past to spring Gilmour in all alone, and he beat the IUP netminder easily with a shot upstairs. After another IUP goal, Gilmour tallied on the power play to close the gap to 4-2. However, IUP would score one more in the second and four more in the third to put the game out of reach. Jamie Bretz knocked home a goal for the Tartans half-way through the third period to end the scoring.

Comeback Falls Short (2/14/2004)

The Tartans ended the season with a 7-4 loss to Penn State Altoona on Saturday. The game looked to be over early, as PSA took a 3-0 lead less than five minutes into the first period. However, CMU was able to cut into the lead before the period ended. Anthony Scolieri scored from close range, then he set up Dan Gilmour for the second goal. In the second, penalties kept the Tartans from mounting any more offense, but PSA tacked on two more goals for a 5-2 lead after two periods. The third period was uneventful until there were seven minutes remaining. The Tartans scored two goals in twenty-four seconds to make the score 5-4 in favor of PSA. Devin Fell made a perfect outlet pass to Pete Beutler who cut down the right wing and ripped a wrist shot to the far post. After winning the ensuing face-off and working the puck deep, Beutler got the puck to Rick McMullen who found Devin Fell open at the point. Fell danced around the entire Penn State Altoona team before flipping a shot to the top shelf. CMU continued to press offensively but could not convert. Another penalty lead to a PSA power-play goal, and they tallied again off an odd-man break with the Tartans pressuring in deep.

Alumni Game Recap (4/19/2004)

Thanks to all the alumni and current players for a fantastic weekend. We had a great time on and off the ice. See everyone next year!

2003-2004: Season in Review

On the surface, the 2003-2004 Carnegie Mellon Tartans' season did not appear to be a successful one. But on the inside, the team knew that it had assembled a talented line-up, capable of being a presence for seasons to come. The Tartans were a comeback team during the first semester, but only found early success during the second half. Although the team hovered around .500 for most of the season, their inconsistency would overshadow their talent, and the chances of making the playoffs dwindled as the season grew shorter.

With comeback victories over Pitt and 2003 CHE Champion UPJ, the Tartans felt good about their chances in most any game during the first semester. The gritty squad of experienced veterans and newcomers would then step onto the ice against an undefeated IUP team with a chance to make a statement. Outplayed and heavily outshot, the team hung together in front of goaltender Dan Garmat, only to lose on a power-play goal with 35 seconds left. CMU never seemed to recover from that defeat. They suffered loses in the final two games of the semester, and although they uponed up the second half with a strong team win, the chemistry soon ceased to exist.

The results were not there in 2003-2004, but the efforts of the players and coaches were overwhelming. On offense, the Tartans were as talented and creative as ever. The top offensive unit was powerful and consistent. Senior center Jamie Bretz epitomized strength up the middle, scoring goals in various fashions and leading by example in all situations. Grad student D.J. Book held down the fort on Jamie's left wing. Book was simply a pure goal scorer at his best this season, and he single-handedly carried the team on offense at times. On the right side, sophomore Anthony Scolieri continued to establish himself as the premiere playmaker in the league, as well as a reliable defensive force. Jamie, D.J., and Anthony also commanded an impressive power-play unit that produced several picture-perfect goals.

The offensive prowess existed throughout the Tartan line-up. The line of freshman Dan Gilmour, senior Mike Nollen, and junior Kevin Hutchinson had a little bit of everything. The talented Gilmour played well in all situations, using his speed and skill to score and set up his linemates. Nollen was a stalwart in the offensive corners, and the team counted on him to carry the load in the defensive zone as well. Hutchinson thrived on finding open ice and ripping off his deceptive wrist shot, and he seemed to create breakaway opportunities for himself whenever a neutral-zone turnover occurred. This unit could also be counted on to pick up the pieces on the power play when necessary.

Although several different faces moved in and out of the third line, the coaches could lean on all of them to possess the puck and guide the penalty killing unit. Freshman Rick McMullen developed into a powerful forechecker, using his size well. Rick also saw time on the first line this year, and he complemented the others nicely. Junior Pete Beutler, the best pure stickhandler on the team, was a crafty player at all facets of the game. High-energy Ed Brower was once again the team's emotional leader. Ed combined strength and skill to play his kind of hockey all season long. Cliched as it sounds, look up versatility in the dictionary, and there's junior Eric Kidder. Eric spent time on all three of the top offensive units as well as several games as a defenseman. He muscled his way through opposing players and did the job for the Tartans for a full three periods every game. A physical force, sophomore Kerem Aksoy was a pleasant surprise as a power forward. Like Kidder, he also saw some time on the blueline and was incredibly reliable.

The Tartans were also pleased with the development of their fourth-line players. Sophomore Alex Clemmens morphed into player who used his size and positioning to play well all season. Fellow sophomore Mike Barrella was a fiesty player on the ice and filled his role nicely. Freshman Anuj Kumar rounded himself into a winger that the coaches can count on when they need solid shifts throughout the game. Additionally, sophomore Ken Hu saw some time on the ice, using his speed to accent his skills.

On defense, the Tartans were a formidable unit. Devin Fell, arguably the most complete defenseman in the league, had another stellar season. Devin was rock solid in the defensive zone, and he could break a game open with coast-to-coast rushes and power-play savvy. Devin's partner this season was freshman Ryan Faught. Ryan simply had a phenomenal freshman season as he established himself as a physical presence and defensive force. Once again, Brian Schmella and Igino Cafiero teamed up as a defensive pair. The junior and sophomore blueliners have developed into a fine defensive pairing who also fill several roles on the power play. Many other defensemen contributed this season. Freshman Phil Lawson offered youthful exuberance, and grad student Ian McCallum was a veteran presence. The two often played together and became a firm pairing. Junior Steve Wasik suffered another injury-filled season. He played well when he got the chance, and he will look to put in a full campaign next season.

Goaltending was a strong suit for Carnegie Mellon. Sophomore Dan Garmat picked up where he left off last season. One of the most agile goalies in the league, Dan used quick pad saves and great glove work to put together several spectacular performances. Dan has also established himself as a solid puckhandler. Grad student Jim Vernille worked hard all season and was counted on to start as well as provide relief duty. Freshman Garrett Jenkinson rounded out the goaltending trio. Garrett's a great pure athlete, and he piled up several great games this season.

As always, there were several players who did not get playing time, but their practice habits and committment to the game was unparalled. Up front, grad students Dan Hennessy and Matt Preston, senior Becky Kaplan, sophomore Daren Makuck, and freshman Ryan Chin worked hard all season at their game. On the back line, professor Bruce Maggs, grad John Heffner, and freshman Josh Sztul handled the duty. Doug Williard once again provided a nice goaltending option for the Tartans at practice. Also, there were several players who only spent a brief time with the team, but their contributions are greatly appreciated: Josh Aisenberg, Josh Aderholt, Sarah Crosskey, Mike Darragh, Min Lee, Liz Mauer, Elizabeth McNicol, Jess Mignone, Anthony Morton, Sean O'Loughlin, Jessica Trybus, and Antony Vydrin. The Tartans would also like to thank John Shelapinsky, who was a team manager this season.

And what can you say about the coaching staff except that they put forth incredible time and effort as they always do. Head Coach Fred Maddalena forged together a great group of experienced players and newcomers to the game. "Coach" guided the Tartans during the whole season, putting things in perspective when the team needed it. Although not able to be around as much as he would have liked, assistant Tom Sullivan provided valuable help at practices and games throughout the season. The new face on the staff was Blair Echols. Blair worked with the defense all season, and their success is a mark of his dedication. And of course, there's goaltending coach Bill Nichols. Bill continues to improve the Tartan netminders in various ways. The results don't lie, as all three goalies have improved their games.

The Tartans will say goodbye to some great players this season. Things will look different without them, but a young nucleus is intact, and the players, coaches, and fans are looking forward to big steps in 2004-2005.