2004-2005 Game Recaps

Tartans Stuck in Second Gear for First Tune-Up (10/1/2004)

CMU lost its preseason opener 6-2 to California on Friday. Things started out well for the Tartans, as it was first shift, first shot first goal for freshman winger Ed Bergin on the power play. CMU continued their strong play throughout the first period, and the two teams were tied at one after the first twenty minutes. In the second and third periods, the tide turned for Cal. CMU played hard, but the Vulcans outchanced the Tartans and took advantage of their opportunities. Devin Fell scored one of his patented dance-around-the-whole-other-team before tucking it in goals in the third for another bright spot. The Tartans' perennial strong goaltending showed its face again, as Garrett Jenkinson and Dan Garmat brilliantly kept the game close even when the the rest of the team was outplayed. CMU will look to build on its strong work ethic and tidy up their decision-making and execution as the regular season draws closer.

CMU Plays Well but Loses in Final Second (10/2/2004)

The Tartans dropped their second straight preseason game on Saturday, this time a 5-4 decsion against CCAC. For the second game in a row CMU scored first, with Devin Fell tallying with a slap shot from the point. The game then seesawed back and forth and became very physical. Ryan Faught led the way on the demolition crew and set the tone for the Tartans. CMU's second goal came on breakaway by Anthony Scolieri despite the fact that the Tartans were facing a 5 on 3 disadvantage. Dan Gilmour got his first of the season on a breakaway as well, and Fell notched his second of the game to put CMU up 4-3. However, CCAC would tie it and score the decisive goal as time expired in the third period. Freshman goaldtender Dave Urban was phenomenal between the pipes for two periods, and Dan Garmat was equally impressive in the third, as the Tartans continue to get badly outshot.

Tartans Less than Advantageous (10/9/2004)

CMU tied Case Western 1-1 on Saturday in the regular season opener. Dave Urban did the job in net, and the Tartan goal came in the first period by Dan Gilmour. CMU was out of sync for most of the game and was unable to turn its efforts into results.

Late Rally Not Enough (10/16/2004)

The Tartans came out very flat on Saturday, resulting in a 6-2 loss to Penn State Behrend. After spotting their opponent a 5-0 lead after two periods, the Tartans picked it up with goals from Pete Beutler and Eric Kidder in the third. However, the effort would only translate into a small dent in the defecit, as PSB added a goal of their own in the third to seal it.

Unravelled (10/17/2004)

It was a tale of two games for the Tartans against Penn State West on Sunday. The game was tight through the midway point with CMU trailing 4-3. Anuj Kumar knocked home his first of the season on a great individual effort, and Eric Kidder added a pair of his own. Unfortunately, the game took an unspeakable turn for the worst before CMU could mount a further comeback. Pete Beutler did notch another goal for the Tartans in the third period, but "too little too late" had never been truer.

No Finishing Touch (10/30/2004)

The Tartans fell to Penn State Altoona 5-2 on Saturday. After falling behind 2-0, CMU tied the score with power-play goals from Anthony Scolieri and Brian Schmella. The Tartans looked to take the lead in the third, but they could not get another goal, surrendering three more to PSA instead.

Unravelled Part II (10/31/2004)

Reduced to using their two back-up goaltenders as forwards, the Tartans did not muster much of an attack against Edinboro on Sunday. Positional breakdowns and a lack of pressure lead to the consistent ligthing of the lamp behind the CMU goal. Tom Yaniglos and Kevin Hutchinson scored goals for the Tartans.

Tartans Can't Catch a Break (11/6/2004)

The Tartan's troubles continued on Saturday as they lost to Cal 11-1. Despite jumping out to an early 1-0 lead behind Andrew Chen's first goal of the season, the Ice Tartans gave up 6 goals in the second stanza after losing senior captain Brian Schmella to injury. They were able to stem the tide in the third, holding Cal to two early goals, but in the end, the injury-plagued Tartans' woes continued.

No Love at Home (11/13/2004)

The Tartans played another inconsistent game on Saturday, this time against Pitt. After creating a big deficit early, CMU used a second period surge to get back in the game. The third period, however, did not go as planned, and things got worse. Eric Kidder produced his second two-goal game of the season in the loss.

The Trend Continues (11/14/2004)

A trip to IUP did little to help the Tartans. CMU had no answers on the road as they dropped their second game of the weekend.

No Middle Ground (11/20/2004)

A disastrous second period crushed the Tartans' hope against St. Vincent on Saturday. After giving up the first goal, Kevin Hutchinson answered with the equalizer for CMU. The Tartans did give up a second goal, but they played well otherwise, backstopped by a dominating Dan Garmat in goal. Garmat was too ill to continue in the second, but Dave Urban picked up where he left off. Unfortunately, the defensive play did not, and SVC put six in during the second. Hutchinson continued his strong play in the third with his second tally, but CMU could do little more.

New Year's Unresolution (1/15/2005)

The Tartans opened 2005 with a 7-4 exhibition loss to California 2 on Saturday. The game started out promising with the Tartans grabbing a 2-0 first period lead on goals by Josh Aisenberg and Eric Kidder. Dan Garmat stopped every shot he saw in the opening twenty minutes, making several outstanding saves. The second period was a different story as CMU surrendered 30 shots and 4 goals (2 of them of the short-handed variety). With Garrett Jenkinson standing on his head, making 40+ saves in the final two periods, the Tartans edged closer with a goal from Dan Gilmour and Kidder's second marker. However, Cal held on to the lead and the victory. Aisenberg and Gilmour each picked up two assists in the loss to go with their goals.

Same Old Song (1/21/2005)

The Tartan effort looked promising at times against Pitt on Friday night, as they managed to get a decent amount of shots and offensive pressure. However, Pitt was able to capitalize on CMU's defensive mistakes, and the Tartans didn't help their own cause by frequently stalling with their transition game. Dave Urban made up for some of the lapses with several quality saves including a few dazzling glove robberies. Devin Fell returned to the line-up and promptly scored the Tartans' only two goals, both on the power play.

Slow Motion for Ya (1/28/2005)

The Tartans looked like passengers along for the ride during most of Friday night's loss to IUP. The Indians routinely beat CMU to the puck and cashed in on many of their chances. The Tartans killed penalties fairly well and had some flow on the power play, but the consistency was not there. There were a few shreds of light for CMU: Dan Garmat was oustanding in goal, making 58 saves; Pete Beutler played a solid game as he was only (-1) in the contest; and the Tartans managed a power-play goal with Dan Gilmour setting up Kevin Hutchinson on the doorstep.

Armageddon (1/29/2005)

CMU lost to UPJ on Saturday in a disgrace of a game. The Tartans did what the could and, to their credit, played very hard. However, the familiar scene of a lopsided loss materialized once again. Then, with UPJ's coach putting out a bounty on the Tartan players, the game turned into a penalty-laden bloodbath in the third period and had to be called early. For what it's worth, Dave Urban stood on his head in net for two periods as did Dan Garmat in the third. CMU was shut out for the first time this season.

Tartans Inconsistent in Loss (2/5/2005)

Saturday night's 8-5 loss at Allegheny actually had a promising start for CMU. The Tartans kept the puck in the attacking zone for several minutes to start the contest. Then, Tom Yaniglos fired home a slap shot from the point as the Tartans took advantage of an early power play. However, Alleghney was able to score two goals of their own to take a 2-1 lead after the first period. In the second, Anthony Scolieri quickly tied the game with a slap shot from the right circle while on a two-on-one. Unfortunately, the familiar second-period collapse showed its face again as Allegheny scored 5 straight goals. Kevin Hutchinson tallied from in tight to pull the Tartans to within 4 before the end of the second period. In the third period, Eric Kidder put an accent on a great individual performance by scoring on a breakaway. Allegheny answered the goal about a minute later to deflate the CMU comeback. Devin Fell scored one more for the Tartans, but they could not take advantage of several late power plays to tie the game.

Momentum: Reversed (2/12/2005)

The Tartans got off to a great start against Penn State Altoona on Saturday, as they jumped out to an early lead for the second game in a row. This time, it was of the two-goal variety with Kevin Hutchinson and Anthony Scolieri netting early goals. CMU's chokehold on the game would be quickly relinquished, however. PSA rattled off four straight goals to reverse the two-goal lead. Scolieri brought the Tartans back into the game with his second goal, and CMU trailed 4-3 after two periods of play. In the third, PSA pushed their lead to two goals again. Right on cue, Devin Fell scored the Tartans' fourth goal to make it 5-4 with plenty of time left. Although they would finish the game with a power play, the Tartans could not get the equalizer. PSA added an empty-netter to make the final 6-4.

2004-2005: Season in Review

Success is an entity that can be measured relative to any situation. At a glance, the 2004-2005 Tartans didn't seem to embody success no matter how creatively you measured their situation. A seemingly promising season quickly deteriorated with injuries and other complications before anyone had a chance to blink. And while the scoreboard and the standings weren't kind to the Tartans, the group of players that remained stuck by each other and looked for answers rather than make excuses. This was evidenced by backup goaltenders skating out when the team needed it, by role players stepping up as scorers, by scarcely-used players logging thirty minutes a game, and by injured players skating regular shifts because they were still much healthier than others.

You have to start with the Tartan seniors when talking about the concept of a team. Eric Kidder once again played as a forward and defenseman, excelling at both positions. Eric developed into a consistent scorer and, amazingly, played every game for the Tartans this year. As expected, Kevin Hutchinson kept finding ways to score goals during his senior year. More importantly, Kevin fit nicely into a leadership role this season, being a constant voice on and off the ice. Fellow forward Pete Beutler continued his progress as a complete player, becoming a go-to guy for faceoffs, power plays, and penalty kills. Pete was also defined by his tireless backchecking. Fifth-year senior Josh Aisenberg was also a much-relied-on defensive forward, and he was always planting his big frame in front of the opposition's net much to their dismay. Defenseman Brian Schmella had his season cut much too short due to injury in early November, but he was a steady presence on the ice and solid role model for the younger players before and after injury. Grad student Ian McCallum also played his last season with the Tartans, and he continued to be a wily veteran on the blue line. And, like a broken record the Tartans were tired of hearing, Steve Wasik was once again injured early in the season, ending his erratic but solid career as a CMU D-man.

The junior class possesses some of the Tartans' best overall talent at every position. Goaltender Dan Garmat was again a technically sound genius in the pipes and a great example for the other young netminders. Defenseman Devin Fell defied logic this season, playing at a high level dispite injuries. Devin could always be counted on for big plays at both ends of the ice and once scored two goals this season in a game where he literally was playing on one leg. Center Anthony Scolieri was also limited in game time this year, but he still found a way to rack up points as the Tartans' number one playmaker. Three other juniors, Alex Clemmens, Mike Barrella, and Ken Hu, continue to take steps forward on the front line. All three saw vastly increased ice time this season and performed admirably. Andrew Chen, in his first season playing ice hockey, also looks to have a bright future for CMU.

The talented sophomores are one reason why the Tartans are so optimisitic about the future. Forward Dan Gilmour fought through several injuries to put up good offensive numbers and continue the impressive play from his freshman campaign. Dan was also a respected leader, even as a young player. Defenseman Ryan Faught was again one of the most feared hitters in the league. He also missed considerable time due to injury, but didn't miss a beat when he returned to the line-up. Like many others, winger Anuj Kumar saw more ice time than expected, but he took advantage of the situation and began to polish his game nicely. Defenseman Phil Lawson gained valuable experience this season in all situations and will be counted on again next season as an upperclassman. The great athelete that is goaltender Garrett Jenkinson had another solid season, and Garrett is becoming one of the better puckhandling goaltenders in the entire league. Like others, winger Rick McMullen had his season shortened by injury and will look to bounce back in 2005-2006.

With their continued work, the Tartan freshmen have a good chance to become a phenomenal group of players before their time is done at CMU. Winger Tom Yaniglos was a complete power forward this season with a tough attitude and a scoring touch. Tom also played defense when called upon. Fellow winger Ed Bergin may be the fastest player on the squad, and the Tartans will look to him to jump start the offense in the future. For the third season in a row, the Tartans were blessed with a fantastic freshman goaltender. Dave Urban used a quick glove hand and strong lateral movement to establish himself as a solid goaltender.

There were also several players who did not get much playing time, but their coaches and teammates appreciated their efforts and desire to improve. They were professor Bruce Maggs, grad student John Heffner, senior Nikhil Sinha, junior Quinten Mercer, sophomores Ryan Chin and Josh Sztul, and freshmen Erin Gagnon and Dave Hawkins.

The entire Tartan team would also like to thank the coaches for their tireless dedication despite the way the season went: Fred Maddalena, Blair Echols, Bill Nichols, and Tom Sullivan.