Salmela Named CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District

June 5, 2006

Falcon defenseman Mike Salmela (Sr., Duluth, Minn.) has been named to the 2006 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Five College Division Men's At-Large team.

The team is comprised of all NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA student-athletes from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota and is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). It includes the sports of golf, ice hockey, rifle, swimming and diving, tennis, volleyball and wrestling.

Earlier this year Salmela was named the NCHA's and WIAC's Scholar-Athlete.

Salmela was one of the team's top defensemen. He played in all 27 games and led all Falcon defensemen in scoring. He had three goals and 16 points. His 13 assists tied him for third on the team. He scored one power-play goal and one game-winner. In his career he played in 79 games and had eight goals and 45 points. He had three power-play goals and two game-winners. He led all defensemen in scoring (4-17-21) in the 2002-03 season. He earned honorable mention to the 2003 All-WIAC and All-NCHA teams. In 2006 he was named to the first All-WIAC and All-NCHA teams.

Salmela majored in biology with a minor in chemistry. He carried a 3.717 cumulative grade point average and graduate last May. In 2004 he was awarded a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates in Neuroscience. He presented cell biology and neuroscience research to the National Conference in 2004, 2005 and will do so again in this spring. Salmela was the president of the UWRF Premedical Society (2003-04) and president of the Society for Undergraduate Research, Scholarly & Creative Activities (SURSCA) in this school year. He was also a financial officer for SURSCA from 2003-05. He was a volunteer mentor for the Big Brothers - Big Sisters organization (2003-04) and a volunteer counselor for Youth Crisis (2003-04). He was a member of the UWRF Chem Demons, a student chemistry demonstration group in 2002-04. Salmela has worked as an undergraduate researcher in the University of Minnesota neuroscience department since 2004 and is an emergency medical technician with the River Falls Ambulance Service since 2004. He was named to the 2002 and 2003 WIAC Scholastic Honor Rolls and earned UWRF Sophomore and Junior Merit awards. He has been named to the UWRF's Dean's List seven times.

CoSIDA Homepage

Bucchino, Dahl, Hansberry, Salmela Recognized
Four Named to 2006 D-III USCHO Teams

April 11, 2006

Four members of the 2006 Falcon men's hockey team have been named to D-III USCHO teams.

Goalie AJ Bucchino (So., Bow, N.H.), defenseman Mike Salmela (Sr., Duluth, Minn.) and forwards TJ Dahl (So., Burnsville, Minn.) and Derek Hansberry (Fr., Arvada, Col.) all were recognized. Dahl, Salmela and Hansberry all earned honorable mention to the West team while Bucchino and Hansberry were both named to the West Rookie team.

Bucchino, 5-10, 185 pounds, played 18 games and finished the year with a 10-5-3 record. He had a 2.08 goals against average and a .938 saves percentage. He was consistenly ranked in the top 10 of the NCAA Div. III in goals against and saves percentage categories. He recorded two shutouts, a 3-0 win over St. Thomas on Jan. 14 and a 1-0 win over Superior on Feb. 4. He was named the team's Player of the Week four times and was named the NCHA Player of the Week on Jan. 16 and the WIAC Player of the Week on Feb. 6. Earlier this year Bucchino was named to the first all-NCHA and all-WIAC teams.

Salmela, 6-3, 200 pounds, played in all 27 games and led all defensemen in points. He had three goals and 16 points. His 13 assists tied him for third on the team. He scored one power-play goal and one game-winner. He scored at least one point in four straight games twice during the season. He had two two point games. The Falcons were 2-0-1 when he scored a goal. In his career he played in 79 games and scored eight goals and 45 points. He earned honorable mention to the 2003 All-NCHA team. He was named to the 2006 NCHA All-Academic team and the league's Scholar-Athlete. Salmela was named to the first all-NCHA and all-WIAC teams in 2006.

Dahl, 6-0, 192 pounds, finished second in scoring for the Falcons with nine goals and 30 points. He played in all 27 games and led the team in assists (21). He scored six power-play goals and had two game-winners. He scored three goals in a 7-3 win over Eau Claire on Nov. 19. He scored at least one point in seven straight games during the season and scored a point in five of the team's final seven games. He had nine multiple point games and picked up four assists in a 4-2 win over Hamline. Dahl was second on the team in power-play points (6-11-17). He was twice named the team's Player of the Week and was named the WIAC and NCHA Player of the Week on Nov. 21. The team was 6-0-0 when he scored a goal. In 55 career games he has scored 21 goals and 60 points. He has 10 power-play goals and two game-winners. Dahl was named to the first all-NCHA and all-WIAC teams in 2006.

Hansberry, 6-0, 190 pounds, had a great first year for the Falcons. He led the team in goals (18) and points (33). He also led the team with 11 power-play goals and was ranked in the two top of the NCAA Div. III in that category for most of the season. He scored one short-handed goal and one game-winner. He led the team in power-play points (11-11-22). He was twice named the team's Player of the Week. He played in all 27 games and had nine multiple point games. He scored at least one point in seven straight games. Hansberry scored at least a point in six of the team's last seven contests. The Falcons were 10-3-3 when he scored a goal. Earlier this year Hansberry was named to the first all-NCHA and all-WIAC teams.

USCHO.Com Team

Salmela Named WIAC Scholar-Athlete

Feb. 28, 2006

Falcon defenseman Mike Salmela (Sr., Duluth, Minn.) has been named the 2006 WIAC Scholar-Athlete.

Earlier Salmela was named the NCHA's Scholar-Athlete.

Salmela was one of the team's top defensemen. He played in all 27 games and led all Falcon defensemen in scoring. He had three goals and 16 points. His 13 assists tied him for third on the team. He scored one power-play goal and one game-winner. In his career he played in 79 games and had eight goals and 45 points. He had three power-play goals and two game-winners. He led all defensemen in scoring (4-17-21) in the 2002-03 season. He earned honorable mention to the 2003 All-WIAC and All-NCHA teams. In 2006 he was named to the first All-WIAC and All-NCHA teams.

Salmela is majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry and carries a 3.717 cumulative grade point average. In 2004 he was awarded a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates in Neuroscience. He presented cell biology and neuroscience research to the National Conference in 2004, 2005 and will do so again in this spring. Salmela was the president of the UWRF Premedical Society (2003-04) and president of the Society for Undergraduate Research, Scholarly & Creative Activities (SURSCA) in this school year. He was also a financial officer for SURSCA from 2003-05. He was a volunteer mentor for the Big Brothers - Big Sisters organization (2003-04) and a volunteer counselor for Youth Crisis (2003-04). He was a member of the UWRF Chem Demons, a student chemistry demonstration group in 2002-04. Salmela has worked as an undergraduate researcher in the University of Minnesota neuroscience department since 2004 and is an emergency medical technician with the River Falls Ambulance Service since 2004. He was named to the 2002 and 2003 WIAC Scholastic Honor Rolls and earned UWRF Sophomore and Junior Merit awards. He has been named to the UWRF's Dean's List seven times.

To be nominated for the WIAC Scholar-Athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.25 grade point average and be in his last year of competition.

The Scholar-Athlete award is presented to the most outstanding senior during the year who exhibits the greatest combination of performance and achievement in academics, athletics and leadership.

WIAC Homepage

Bucchino, Dahl, Hansberry, Salmela Named First Team; Freeman Named Coach of the Year

Six Named to All-WIAC Hockey Teams

Feb. 27, 2006

Six members of the Falcon men's hockey team have been named to 2006 All-WIAC teams.

Goalie AJ Bucchino (So., Bow, N.H.), defenseman Mike Salmela (Sr., Duluth, Minn.) and forwards TJ Dahl (So., Burnsville, Minn.) and Derek Hansberry (Fr., Arvada, Col.) were all named to the first team. Forward Pat Borgestad (So., St. Paul, Minn.) and defenseman Jim Henkemeyer (So., St. Cloud, Minn.) both earned honorable mention.

Bucchino, 5-10, 185 pounds, played 18 games and finished the year with a 10-5-3 record. He had a 2.08 goals against average and a .938 saves percentage. He was consistenly ranked in the top 10 of the NCAA Div. III in goals against and saves percentage categories. He recorded two shutouts, a 3-0 win over St. Thomas on Jan. 14 and a 1-0 win over Superior on Feb. 4. He was named the team's Player of the Week four times and was named the NCHA Player of the Week on Jan. 16 and the WIAC Player of the Week on Feb. 6.

Salmela, 6-3, 200 pounds, played in all 27 games and led all defensemen in points. He had three goals and 16 points. His 13 assists tied him for third on the team. He scored one power-play goal and one game-winner. He scored at least one point in four straight games twice during the season. He had two two point games. The Falcons were 2-0-1 when he scored a goal. In his career he played in 79 games and scored eight goals and 45 points. He earned honorable mention to the 2003 All-NCHA team. He was named to the 2006 NCHA All-Academic team and the league's Scholar-Athlete.

Dahl, 6-0, 192 pounds, finished second in scoring for the Falcons with nine goals and 30 points. He played in all 27 games and led the team in assists (21). He scored six power-play goals and had two game-winners. He scored three goals in a 7-3 win over Eau Claire on Nov. 19. He scored at least one point in seven straight games during the season and scored a point in five of the team's final seven games. He had nine multiple point games and picked up four assists in a 4-2 win over Hamline. Dahl was second on the team in power-play points (6-11-17). He was twice named the team's Player of the Week and was named the WIAC and NCHA Player of the Week on Nov. 21. The team was 6-0-0 when he scored a goal. In 55 career games he has scored 21 goals and 60 points. He has 10 power-play goals and two game-winners. Dahl earned All-WIAC honorable mention honors in 2005.

Hansberry, 6-0, 190 pounds, had a great first year for the Falcons. He led the team in goals (18) and points (33). He also led hte team with 11 power-play goals and was ranked in the two top of the NCAA Div. III in that category for most of the season. He scored one short-handed goal and one game-winner. He led the team in power-play points (11-11-22). He was twice named the team's Player of the Week. He played in all 27 games and had nine mulitple point games. He scored at least one point in seven straight games. Hansberry scored a least a point in six of the team's last seven contests. The Falcons were 10-3-3 when he scored a goal.

Borgestad, 6-3, 200 pounds, played in all 27 games and finished with 13 goals and 26 points. He was third on the team in scoring and his 13 assists tied him for third on the team. He was second on the team in goals. He had five power-play goals and led the team with three game-winners. Borgestad had eight multiple point games. He scored a goal and had two assists in a 5-5 tie against St. Olaf. The Falcons were 7-2-1 when he scored a goal. He finished third on the team in power-play points (5-8-13). He was named the team's Player of the Week three times.

Henkemeyer, 5-11, 180 pounds, played in all 27 games and scored a career high six goals and 12 points. He scored three power-play goals. He was second on the team in scoring by a defenseman. He had three multipe point games and scored at least a point in three straight games. The Falcons were 6-0-0 when he scored a goal. He finished the year with four power-play points (3-1-4). In 40 career games he has scored six goals and 16 points.

Freeman was named the WIAC Coach of the Year for the fourth straight season in 2006. He led the Falcons to a 17-7-3 overall record and the team won the WIAC championship with a 6-1-1 record. The title is the University's 12th overall and the third in a row. Freeman has a 199-85-19 career record in 10 years with the Falcons.

Go to the All-WIAC web site to see the entire 2006 team.

Salmela Named NCHA Scholar-Athlete

Feb. 23, 2006

Falcon defenseman Mike Salmela (Sr., Duluth, Minn.) has been named the 2006 NCHA Scholar-Athlete.

Salmela was one of the team's top defensemen. He played in all 27 games and led all Falcon defensemen in scoring. He had three goals and 16 points. His 13 assists tied him for third on the team. He scored one power-play goal and one game-winner. In his career he played in 79 games and had eight goals and 45 points. He had three power-play goals and two game-winners. He led all defensemen in scoring (4-17-21) in the 2002-03 season. He earned honorable mention to the 2003 All-WIAC and All-NCHA teams.

Salmela is majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry and carries a 3.717 cumulative grade point average. In 2004 he was awarded a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates in Neuroscience. He presented cell biology and neuroscience research to the National Conference in 2004, 2005 and will do so again in this spring. Salmela was the president of the UWRF Premedical Society (2003-04) and president of the Society for Undergraduate Research, Scholarly & Creative Activities (SURSCA) in this school year. He was also a financial officer for SURSCA from 2003-05. He was a volunteer mentor for the Big Brothers - Big Sisters organization (2003-04) and a volunteer counselor for Youth Crisis (2003-04). He was a member of the UWRF Chem Demons, a student chemistry demonstration group in 2002-04. Salmela has worked as an undergraduate researcher in the University of Minnesota neuroscience department since 2004 and is an emergency medical technician with the River Falls Ambulance Service since 2004. He was named to the 2002 and 2003 WIAC Scholastic Honor Rolls and earned UWRF Sophomore and Junior Merit awards. He has been named to the UWRF's Dean's List seven times.

To be nominated for the NCHA Scholar-Athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.50 grade point average and be in his last year of competition.

The Scholar-Athlete award is presented to the most outstanding senior during the year who exhibits the greatest combination of performance and achievement in academics, athletics and leadership.

The award has been presented twice and last year UWRF's Tony Sikich earned the honor.

NCHA Homepage

Meneghin, Salmela, Underwood Honored
Three Named to 2006 NCHA All-Academic Team

Feb. 23, 2006

Goalie Dan Meneghin (Sr., Surrey, B.C.), defenseman Mike Salmela (Sr., Duluth, Minn.) and forward Devin Underwood (So., Wasilla, Alaska) have all been named to the 2006 Academic All-NCHA team.

This is the third straight year that Meneghin has been named to the team. He is one of only seven players who have been named to the team for three straight years in 2006. This year he played in five games and had a perfect 5-0 record with a 2.20 goals against average and a .920 saves percentage. In his career he played in 45 games and had a 35-6-1 record. He had a 1.92 goals against average and a .928 saves percentage. He recorded six shutouts. Meneghin is majoring in accounting.

Salmela was one of the team's top defensemen. He played in all 27 games and led all Falcon defensemen in scoring. He had three goals and 16 points. His 13 assists tied him for third on the team. He scored one power-play goal and one game-winner. In his career he played in 79 games and had eight goals and 45 points. He had three power-play goals and two game-winners. Salmela is majoring in biology.

Underwood played in 14 games and had two assists. He played in the team's last 14 games as a forward. He is majoring in physics.

To be named to the team a player must have a cummulative 3.00 grade point average, have earned at least 50 semester or 75 quarter hours, and be recommened by his head coach.

NCHA Homepage

Bucchino, Dahl, Hansberry, Salmela Named to First Team; Borgestad Earns Honorable Mention
Five Named to 2006 All-NCHA Teams

Feb. 23, 2006

Five members of the Falcon men's hockey team have been named to 2006 All-NCHA teams.

Goalie AJ Bucchino (So., Bow, N.H.), defenseman Mike Salmela (Sr., Duluth, Minn.) and forwards TJ Dahl (So., Burnsville, Minn.) and Derek Hansberry (Fr., Arvada, Col.) were all named to the first team and forward Pat Borgestad (So., St. Paul, Minn.) earned honorable mention.

Bucchino, 5-10, 185 pounds, played 18 games and finished the year with a 10-5-3 record. He had a 2.08 goals against average and a .938 saves percentage. He was consistenly ranked in the top 10 of the NCAA Div. III in goals against and saves percentage categories. He recorded two shutouts, a 3-0 win over St. Thomas on Jan. 14 and a 1-0 win over Superior on Feb. 4. He was named the team's Player of the Week four times and was named the NCHA Player of the Week on Jan. 16 and the WIAC Player of the Week on Feb. 6.

Salmela, 6-3, 200 pounds, played in all 27 games and led all defensemen in points. He had three goals and 16 points. His 13 assists tied him for third on the team. He scored one power-play goal and one game-winner. He scored at least one point in four straight games twice during the season. He had two two point games. The Falcons were 2-0-1 when he scored a goal. In his career he played in 79 games and scored eight goals and 45 points. He earned honorable mention to the 2003 All-NCHA team. He was named to the 2006 NCHA All-Academic team and the league's Scholar-Athlete.

Dahl, 6-0, 192 pounds, finished second in scoring for the Falcons with nine goals and 30 points. He played in all 27 games and led the team in assists (21). He scored six power-play goals and had two game-winners. He scored three goals in a 7-3 win over Eau Claire on Nov. 19. He scored at least one point in seven straight games during the season and scored a point in five of the team's final seven games. He had nine multiple point games and picked up four assists in a 4-2 win over Hamline. Dahl was second on the team in power-play points (6-11-17). He was twice named the team's Player of the Week and was named the WIAC and NCHA Player of the Week on Nov. 21. The team was 6-0-0 when he scored a goal. In 55 career games he has scored 21 goals and 60 points. He has 10 power-play goals and two game-winners.

Hansberry, 6-0, 190 pounds, had a great first year for the Falcons. He led the team in goals (18) and points (33). He also led hte team with 11 power-play goals and was ranked in the two top of the NCAA Div. III in that category for most of the season. He scored one short-handed goal and one game-winner. He led the team in power-play points (11-11-22). He was twice named the team's Player of the Week. He played in all 27 games and had nine mulitple point games. He scored at least one point in seven straight games. Hansberry scored a least a point in six of the team's last seven contests. The Falcons were 10-3-3 when he scored a goal.

Borgestad, 6-3, 200 pounds, played in all 27 games and finished with 13 goals and 26 points. He was third on the team in scoring and his 13 assists tied him for third on the team. He was second on the team in goals. He had five power-play goals and led the team with three game-winners. Borgestad had eight multiple point games. He scored a goal and had two assists in a 5-5 tie against St. Olaf. The Falcons were 7-2-1 when he scored a goal. He finished third on the team in power-play points (5-8-13). He was named the team's Player of the Week three times.

NCHA Homepage

Falcons Upset in Opening Round Series

Feb. 18, 2006

The Falcon men's hockey team faced-off against UW-Stout on Saturday night in the second game of their best of three series. The Blue Devils took the upper hand in the game and beat River Falls in overtime, 3-2. Going into the game the Falcons were trailing in the series 1-0 but now are eliminated from NCHA Playoff contention.

The Falcons started out the scoring in the first with a goal from Tyler Kostiuk coming at 1:39. Stout battled back six minutes later with a power play score from Matt Mlynarczyk. Pat Borgestad knocked in a late first period goal at 17:48 to give the Falcons a 2-0 lead going into the break.

The second period was a defenive and goaltending battle most of the way. River Falls' Mike Salmela was called for checking from behind and also recieved a game misconduct halfway through. With one of their best defenders out for the game, the falcons needed to fill the void fast. With River Falls on the short end, Stout's Jake Erickson tied the game back up at two with a power play goal at 14:17. The game remained scoreless for the rest of the second and through the entire third as both teams battled into overtime.

River Falls was not able to get many shot attempts on Stout goalie Mike Stone in the overtime period. With the Falcons desperate for the win to keep their series hopes alive, goalie AJ Bucchino was pulled with 1:05 remaining to gain a one man advantage. Hopes were shattered shortly after as the Blue Devil's Andrew Stern put home the game winning goal on an open net at 4:13. River Falls' overall record drops to 17-7-3 on the season.

Bucchino was solid in goal yet again as he made 45 saves in the losing effort. His record on the season drops to 10-5-3.

Stout's goalie Stone had another impressive night as he made 40 saves and shut down the Falcon offense at the right times.

Falcons Lose First Game Against Stout

Feb. 17, 2006

The Falcon men's hockey team invited UW-Stout to a Hunt Arena Playoff Game on Friday night and lost to the Blue Devils, 1-0.

The only goal of the game was scored in the first period by Stout's Cory Mozak 2:10 into the game on a power play. River Falls was not able to recover following the score.

Seven penalties were called on the Falcons while Stout only was called for five. Stout never lost momentum as they dominated the puck and kept play in the Falcons zone.

Stout also dominated the shot department where they got off 40 shots compared to the Falcons' 21.

AJ Bucchino had a stellar game in goal while only allowing one goal and making 39 saves. He just wasn't able to get any help from the River Falls offense.

Stout's goalie Mike Stone was not tested very often but made 21 saves in the win.

The Falcons look to make a comeback with a win in their game against Stout tomorrow. If the Falcons are able to knock off the Blue Devils, a 20 minute mini-game will decide who advances to the next round. Saturday's game is set to start at 7:05 p.m. at Hunt. Price is $6 for adults; $3 for senior citizens; $3 for college students with ID and $3 for students 17 and under.

Falcons Host Stout in NCHA Playoffs

Feb. 14, 2006

The Falcons were able to lock up a solid playoff spot and as the second seed, their first round match-up comes against No. 7 seed UW-Stout.

River Falls and Stout have a great history, especially this season. The teams met two times in the regular season and both came away with one victory. Derek Hansberry led the way with two goals in the River Falls 4-2 win in Menomonie. The Blue Devils got revenge the following day when they were able to edge the Falcons, 3-1.

With the two games coming at the end of the regular season, the Falcons and the Blue Devils will have faced each other four consecutive times following the first round of the playoffs. This might aid Stout's effort as they were able to gain some confidence in their season finale win.

Going into the games, the Falcons hold a record of 17-5-3 overall and the Blue Devils are 13-12. The compelling situation is that River Falls is a solid home team (11-3-1) and Stout almost as good on the road (8-3). UWRF is 26-6-2 (.794) all-time in first round NCHA playoff games.

The all-time record between the two teams stands at 54-11-1 in the Falcons advantage. This is no reason for the Falcons to take UW-Stout lightly.

Maybe the one disadvantage the Falcons have going into these playoffs is simply experience. Their leader in points on the year is Hansberry (18-14-32) who is a freshman and close behind him is a sophomore in TJ Dahl (9-20-29). Hansberry is 20th in goals and tied for second in power-play goals (11) in the NCAA Div. III.

The Blue Devils are lead by Justin Huth (4-16-20) and Andrew Stearns (13-7-20). Stout's two goalies split regular season games. Mike Stone led the way with a 7-5 record with a 3.37 goals against average and a .906 saves percentage. Matt Koenig is close behind with a 6-7 record, a 2.84 goals against average and a .904 saves percentage.

"Stout was able to beat a lot of good teams this season," said Falcon Coach Steve Freeman. "They now have a feeling that they can beat us." Freeman enters the series with a 199-86-19 career record at UWRF.

The Falcons managed to play the Blue Devils five times last season, one of which being a minigame in the first round of the playoffs. This will mark the third time River Falls and Stout have matched up in the first round of the playoffs, the first happening in the 1997-1998 season. The Falcons are 3-1 against UWS in the first round of league playoffs.

River Falls may have one great advantage on their side and that is goaltending. The Falcons have two experienced senior goalies in Dan Meneghin (5-0-0, 2.20 GAA, .929 SP) and Andy Scanlon (2-2-0, 3.01 GAA, .897 SP). Both seniors were forced to take a backseat this season due to the emergence of AJ Bucchino, a transfer player from New Hampshire. Bucchino played in 16 of the Falcons 25 games and recorded 10 wins. He is 10-3-3 overall with a 2.16 goals against average and a .933 saves percentage. Bucchino is ranked No. three in save percentage and 11th in goals against average in the NCAA Div. III.

While the Falcons and Blue Devils face-off, there will be other playoff action around the league. No. 8 UW-Eau Claire will be playing at No. 1 St. Norbert; No. 6 St. Scholastica will be visiting No. 3 UW-Superior and No. 5 UW-Stevens Point will be facing-off at No. 4 Lake Forest.

The Falcons will host a semifinal game on Feb. 25 if they beat Stout. The first round games will start at 7:05 p.m., on Friday and Saturday at Hunt Arena.

The NCHA playoff format for the first round is a best two out of three games series. One five-minute sudden death overtime will be played on Friday and Saturday. If the series is tied after Saturday's game, a 20 minute minigame will be played immediately following. If the score is tied after 20 minutes, 20 minute sudden death overtime periods will be played until a winner is determined.

Tickets will be available at Hunt Arena before each game. Price is $6 for adults; $3 for senior citizens; $3 for college students with ID and $3 for students 17 and under.

Falcons Lose at Home to Blue Devils

Feb. 11, 2006

The Falcon men's hockey team welcomed UW-Stout to Hunt Arena for a possible playoff preview and the Blue Devils took the victory, 3-1.

River Falls got off to a rough start from the start as UW-Stout was able to put the first score on the board late into the first. The Blue Devil goal came via Andrew Sterns and pushed the momentum in Stout's favor.

The second period did not go much better ad the Blue Devils were extended their lead to two early. Stout's Cory Mozak scored the Blue Devil goal at 1:32 of the period. The Falcons scored their only goal of the game almost 19 minutes later thanks to Derek Hansberry's shorthanded score. Hansberry's goal was assisted by TJ Dahl and got Hansberry to the 18 goal mark on the season.

Stout was able to put the game away early in the third with a goal from Scott Hellquist. River Falls tried to get back into the game but was not able to knock the puck into the net again.

AJ Bucchino was in goal for the Falcons where his record on the season dropped to 10-3-3. He made 33 saves in the losing effort.

The Falcons regular season came to an end tonight but the playoffs begin next Friday. The Falcons most likely will face UW-Stout again or a solid Lake Forest team.

Falcons Win at Stout, 4-2

Feb. 10, 2006

The Falcon men's hockey team earned a 4-2 come-from-behind win at UW-Stout on Friday night.

After a Falcon goal early in the opening period, Stout scored twice to take a 2-1 lead. But the Falcons scored one more in the first and twice in the third period to get the road win.

Derek Hansberry opened the scoring for the Falcons just 33 seconds into the game. His power-play goal was his 16th of the season. He was assisted by Chris Nathe and TJ Dahl. Stout then took a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal by Mike Kautz at 3:25 and an even strength goal by Andrew Stearns at 8:46. Hansberry tied the game at 18:46 of the period when he scored his second goal of the game and 17th of the season, with an assist to Dahl.

There was no scoring in the second period, but Stout outshot the Falcons, 14-3.

With the score tied in the third period, Hansberry took a major penalty for checking from behind that put the Blue Devils on the power play for five minutes. The Falcons were able to stop Stout from scoring before UWS took a minor penalty at 18:42. The Falcons killed off 4:01 of the five minute penalty. With the team's skating at even strength, Tyler Kostiuk scored with just 40 seconds to play in regulation. The game-winning goal was Kostiuk's seventh of the season. Wade Harstad scored an empty net goal with 23 seconds to play - it was his seventh goal of the year.Both goals were unassisted.

Falcon goalie AJ Bucchino made 32 saves to improve his record to 10-2-3. The Falcons were outshot, 34-19.

The Falcons, now 17-4-3 overall and 9-3-1 in the NCHA, will host Stout on Saturday at Hunt Arena in the final game of the regular season. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m.

Bucchino Named WIAC Player of the Week

Feb. 7, 2006

Falcon goalie AJ Bucchino (So., Bow, N.H.) helped the Falcons to a sweep in two NCHA road games last weekend and has been named the WIAC Player of the Week according to league Sports Information Director, Matt Stanek.

Bucchino, 5-10, 175 pounds, played key roles in the team's 5-3 win at St. Scholastica and a 1-0 win at UW-Superior. On Friday at St. Scholastica he made a season and career high 46 saves to get the win. He stopped 23 of 24 shots in the third period when UWRF was out shot, 24-9. On Saturday at UW-Superior he stopped all 23 shots he faced and that proved to be the difference in the 1-0 game. It was his second shutout of the season. He has a 9-2-3 record with a .934 saves percentage and a 2.11 goals against average this year. This week he is third in saves percentage (.934) and 11th in goals against average (2.11) in the NCAA Div. III. He has been consistently ranked in the top 10 throughout the season.

The Falcons will host UW-Stout on Saturday in the team's final regular season game of the season. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. The two teams meet Friday at UW-Stout. The Falcons have clinched at least a second place finish in the NCHA standings and will host a league first round playoff series on Feb. 17-18. If the Falcons win that series, they will host a semifinal NCHA playoff game on Feb. 25.

Falcons Edge Yellowjackets

Feb. 4, 2006

The Falcon men's hockey team went up to Superior on Saturday night to face UW-Superior and got the win in a low scoring affair, 1-0.

The whole game was a defensive battle as both teams had trouble capitalizing on power play opportunities. AJ Bucchino was in goal for the Falcons and recorded his second shutout of both the season and his career. Bucchino stopped all 23 of the Jacket shot attempts. River Falls tallied six more shot attempts that UWS.

The first and only score of the game came on a power play goal in the second by the Falcons' Mike Salmela. Salmela's goal came with 3:47 remaining in the period and was his third score on the season.

The game was ridden with penalties as their were 15 combined power play opportunities. UWS went 0-6 while the Falcons snuck 1-9 attempts through.

The win was pivitol for the Falcons as it nearly locks up second in the NCHA standings. The loss might send the Yellowjackets towards the bottom of the pack.

The Falcon's season continues when they visit UW-Stout on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Blue Devils then come to Hunt on Saturday which marks the end of the regular season. Saturday's game is set to start at 7:05 p.m.

Falcons Win at St. Scholastica, 5-3

Feb. 3, 2006

The Falcons scored three goals in 3:47 of the second period and goalie AJ Bucchino made a season high 46 saves in the team's 5-3 NCHA win at St. Scholastica Friday night.

Bucchino stopped 23 of 24 shots in the third period to push his record to 8-2-3 on the season.

The win keeps the Falcons in second place in the NCHA standings with three games to play. The Falcons have 15 points and trail first place St. Norbert by three points and lead third place UW-Superior by three points.

The game was tied, 1-1, after one period and the Falcons had a 4-2 lead after two. CSS got on the scoreboard first when Mark Menzies scored a power-play goal at 8:20 of the opening period. The Falcons tied the game at 12:05 when Derek Hansberry scored his 15th goal of the season.

CSS took a 2-1 lead at 10:17 of the second period when Steve Kordyban scored. But about three minutes later the Falcon offense awoke and took the game over. The Falcons tied the game at 13:25 when Jason Usher scored his first goal of the season with UWRF on the power-play. Just 32 seconds later, Pat Borgestad gave the Falcons a 3-2 lead when he scored his 12th goal of the year. Then TJ Dahl made it a 4-2 game when he scored his ninth goal of the year at 17:12.

CSS dominated play in the third period and made it a one-goal game at 12:20 when Joey Martini scored a power-play goal. The Falcons made the one goal difference stand up and Tyler Kostiuk scored an empty-net goal, his sixth of the season, with 20 seconds to play.

The Falcons had 26 shots on goal and finished 1-6 on the power play. CSS was 2-6 in power plays. Falcon Jim Henkemeyer had two assists.

The Falcons, now 15-4-3 overall and 7-3-1 in the NCHA, will play another NCHA game at UW-Superior on Saturday. The puck drops at 7 p.m.

Falcons Rebound and Beat Lake Forest

Jan. 28, 2006

The UW-River Falls men's hockey rebounded from their loss against St. Norbert on Friday night and edged Lake Forest at home, 4-3.

The Falcons started off well and looked to redeem themselves and put the puck in the net. River Falls' effort was rewarded as Jim Henkemeyer scored on the power play 17:46 into the first period.

Lake Forest battled back in the second and tied the game up halfway through thanks to Mike Kneeland's 13th goal of the season. The first and second period were nothing compared to what would come in the third.

The scoring started early in the third for the Falcons as Pat Borgestad put in his 11th goal of the season just a little under a minute in. Just under three minutes later Jared Sailer would put home the puck and extend the River Falls lead to two. Lake Forest would not go away as they tacked on two goals themselves to knot the game at three. LF goals were scored by Adam Tobias and Jordan Kniaziew. Luckily for the Falcons, they still had more gas in the tanks and they took the lead for good following a goal from Aaron Venasky with under two minutes remaining.

Dan Meneghin was in goal for RF and collected his fifth win in as many games. He also stopped 31 shots.

The Falcons go on the road next Friday to face St. Scholastica. The game is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m.

Falcons Punished by St. Norbert

Jan. 27, 2006

The UW-River Falls men's hockey team welcomed conference rival St. Norbert to Hunt Arena and were blanked, 7-0.

The hype building up to this week's game was immense as St. Norbert was the second ranked team in the nation and River Falls was the fourth. The hype died early as the Falcons were dominated in ever facet of the game.

River Falls was able to get the first power play of the night but after not capitalizing, the Falcons chances went down hill. St. Norbert was able to put in three first period goals and were able to keep the Falcon shot attempts to a minimal. The Green Knight goals were scored by Connor Hughes at 11:22, Andy Cote at 12:10, and Marc Belanger at 16:23. Hughes' goal came on a power play and proved to be all the Green Knights would need. St. Norbert was winning the shot department 16-5.

The second did not go any better for the Falcons. St. Norbert tacked on two more goals to increase their lead to five. Both St. Norbert goals came via Sheldon Wing at 7:48 and 16:09. For the Falcons, TJ Dahl made some amazing moves with the puck looking to score but nothing would find the net.

River Falls was pretty much playing for pride the rest of the way as younger players were able to see a little more action. Falcon attempts to score were unsuccessful and St. Norbert tacked on two more goals. The first was dropped in by Hughes at 5:41 which was his second power play goal of the game. St. Norbert's seventh goal came on an off balance prayer from Ryan Petersen with :50 remaining in the game.

AJ Buchino was in the net for the Falcons and had a rough night. Buchino allowed seven goals and recorded 31 Saves. His record on the season drops to 7-2-3.

St. Norbert's goalie, Kyle Jones, had a huge night and made many key saves. Jones recorded 30 total saves and hit the 15 win total for the season.

The Falcons look to shake off the tough loss when they take on Lake Forest at Hunt on Saturday night. The puck will drop at 7:05.

RF Push Win Streak To Seven

Jan. 21, 2006

The UW-River Falls men's hockey team visited Stevens Point Saturday night and took the win, 4-1.

The only goal of the first period came from the Falcons Tyler Kostiuk 11:25 in.

The second was a little more busy and the Falcons were able to score three more goals. RF scores came from two power play scores by Pat Borgestad, both under five minutes into the period, and a goal from Dustin Norman at 6:39. UWSP would also score a goal in the period via Nate Sorenson which would be there only goal of the game. The second and the game concluded with a three goal RF win.

AJ Bucchino was in goal for the Falcons and picked up his second win of the season. In the win, Bucchino also made 35 saves.

The Falcons look to keep the 8 game unbeaten streak momentum going when they welcome St. Norbert to Hunt on Friday. Game time is at 7:05 p.m.

RF Beat Eau Claire In Dominating Fashion

Jan. 20, 2006

The UW-River Falls men's hockey team visited Eau Claire on Friday night and came away with the victory, 5-1.

The Falcons opened up the scoring early. Mike Salmela got the Falcons on the board first with his goal at the 6:03 mark. Chris Nathe later banged home his fourth goal of the season on the power play to give the Falcons the 2-0 lead. UWEC cut the Falcon lead to one with 5:30 remaining in the period with a goal from Ben Bosworth.

The Falcons did not coast through the second period. They continued their great play with an early goal from Jim Henkemeyer. Nathe scored his second goal of the game with a little under nine minutes to play before the break. The Falcons went into the locker room with a 4-1 advantage.

The third consisted of the Falcons protecting their lead and they also extended it with Derek Hansberry's score with less than 30 seconds to play. Hansberry's goal is his 14th of the season which leads the Falcons.

Dan Meneghin made his fourth start of the season in goal and collected his fourth win. Meneghin stopped 34 shots for the cause.

The Falcons look to extend their 6 game winning streak to seven when they visit Stevens Point on Saturday. The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.

Goalie AJ Bucchino (So., Bow, N.H. ) recorded his first collegiate shutout in a 3-0 win against St. Thomas on Saturday night at Hunt Arena and has been named the NCHA Player of the Week.

Going along with the shutout, Bucchino made 33 saves and improved his season record to 6-1-3. Bucchino has played a solid role for the Falcons this season and is a great presence between the pipes. He leads the Falcon goalies in appearances with 10. In those 10 appearances Bucchino has made 289 saves, has a .938 save percentage, and has a team low 1.86 goals against average. "Anytime you can get a shutout it is a great accomplishment," said Falcon Coach Steve Freeman.

The Falcons return to NCHA play this weekend. Friday the Falcons are at UW-Eau Claire for a 7:05 p.m. face off and Saturday the Falcons play at UW-Stevens Point with the puck dropping at 7:30 p.m.

Bucchino Picks Up First Shutout With 3-0 Win

Jan. 14, 2006

Falcon goalie AJ Bucchino picked up his first collegiate shutout with a 3-0 win over St. Thomas Saturday night at Hunt Arena.

The Falcons won their sixth straight game, and are unbeated in seven straight contests, with the win. Bucchino made 33 saves to earn his sixth win of the season. He is now 6-1-3 overall.

The Falcons scored single goals in each period. Tyler Kostick scored his fourth goal of the year at 16:16 of the first period to give the Falcons all the goals they would need. He was assisted by Jared Sailer and Jason Usher. Dustin Norman scored at 7:05 of the second period to give the Falcons a 2-0 lead. He was assisted by Nate Hansen and Jim Henkemeyer. It was Norman's fifth goal of the season. Derek Hansberry scored on empty-net goal with :24 to play in the game. It was Hansberry's team leading 13th goal of the year and he was assisted by Pat Borgestad.

UST goalie Jake Maida, making his first collegiate start, stopped 30 shots.

The Falcons, now 11-3-3 overall and 3-2-1 in the NCHA, return to NCHA play next weekend. On Friday the Falcons are at Eau Claire for a 7:05 p.m. game. The Falcons have beat UWEC twice this year, 5-1 and 7-3. On Saturday the Falcons play at UW-Stevens Point with the puck dropping at 7:30 p.m. The Falcons beat UWSP, 3-1, earlier this year at Hunt Arena.

Falcons Dominate St. Mary's

Jan. 13, 2006

St. Mary's came to Hunt on Friday night and were dominated by the Falcon men's hockey team, 3-1.

Both teams were held scoreless until halfway in the first period when Derek Hansberry recorded his 12th goal of the season to put the Falcons on top. Hansberry's 12 goals on the year leads the team. Pat Borgestad later added an unassisted goal just under nine minutes after the first River Falls goal to put the Falcons on top 2-0. The first period would come to a close with River Falls holding onto the two goal lead.

St. Mary's was able to cut the River Falls lead in half thanks to Tim McNamara's goal 2:39 into the second period. McNamara's goal would be the only score of the period as the Falcons squeeked into the second intermission with a one goal lead. Going into the third, the Falcons were leading in shots 33-19.

The score remained locked at 2-1 for most of the final period until TJ Dahl finally gave the Falcons the comfortable two goal lead with eight seconds remaining on an open net. Dahl's goal is his eighth which ties him for second on the team in the category with Borgestad. Dahl leads the team in points wth 23.

Dan Meneghin made his third start in goal on the season and stayed perfect while improving his record to 3-0. Meneghin also stopped 26 shots.

The Falcons season continues Saturday night when St. Thomas visits Hunt. The game is set to start at 7:05 p.m. The last River Falls-St. Thomas matchup took place last season which ended in a 3-3 tie.

Norman Named WIAC Player of the Week

Jan. 10, 2006

Forward Dustin Norman (Fr., South Delta, B.C.) helped the Falcon hockey team to two wins last weekend and he has been named the WIAC Player of the Week.

Norman had five total points in the team's 6-2 win over Marian on Friday and s 3-2 win at Bethel on Saturday.  In the first game against Marian, Norman recorded four assists. It was Norman's first multiple point game of his career. The first assist came in the first period on a goal by Joe Adams. The other three took place in the third period on goals from Derek Hansberry, Nate Hansen, and Hansberry again.  Norman did not let up going into the Bethel game on Saturday where he recorded another assist on TJ Dahl's third period power-play, game-winning goal. "Dustin always gives a strong effort and always looks to make the team better," said Falcon Coach Steve Freeman of the 6-2, 175 pounder. He is fourth on the team in scoring with four goals and 14 points.

The Falcons host two non-conference games this weekend. Friday the Falcons host St. Mary's and Saturday St. Thomas at Hunt Arena. Games start at 7:05 p.m. both days.

Falcons Get Another Win

Jan. 8, 2006

Coming off of their 6-2 win at home, the River Falls mens hockey team went on the road to face Bethel and knotched a win, 3-2.

Aaron Venasky, assisted by Lance Malark, opened up the scoring for the game with a goal three minutes in. Both teams had two power play opportunites in the period put could not capitalize. The first ended with the Falcons on top, 1-0.

The second period went rough for the Falcons as Bethel was able to put the puck in the net twice to take the lead. The first Bethel goal was scored by Ryan Adams :20 into the period. Neal Carlson added the second Bethel goal with his power play score 15 minutes later. River Falls' Pat Borgestad tied the game at two with a late second period goal. The second was all Bethel yet it was still anyones game.

The final period was a reverse from the second in which River Falls showed dominance. The dominance took place mainly on defense as the Falcons stoned Bethels nine shots on goal. River Falls took 13 shots of their own and were able to get one in the net thanks to TJ Dahls power play goal at the 7:30 mark. River Fals put a lock down on Bethel and took the win.

AJ Bucchino was in goal for River Falls and recorded 31 saves in the win.

The Falcons will play next on Friday night at Hunt when St. Mary's visits. The game is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m.

Falcons Open Second Half With Win

Jan. 6, 2006

Marian came to Hunt Arena Friday to compete against UW-River Falls in a non-conference battle and the Falcons took the win, 6-2.

The Falcons were able to get in the scoring column first with a goal by Joe Adams 3:36 into the first period. Marian battled back shortly after via Josh McAndrew's goal. Marian's Andrew Fiore put the Sabres in the lead with his goal at the 9:01 mark of the period. The first period skated to an end with Marian on top, 2-1.

In the second, the Falcons were able get a game tying goal from Joe Tiberio at 18:28. Tiberio was assisted by Aaron Venasky and Derek Hansberry on the score. The second period consisted of a lot of great defending by both teams. River Falls was leading in shots at the end of the period, 25-16.

The third period started with a 2-2 tie but would not stay that way for long. The Falcons increased their offensive output and were able to put the puck in the net four more times. River Falls scoring was started by Wade Harstad 8:30 in. Harstad's goal proved to be the game winner. Hansberry's power play goal just under a minute later added an insurance goal for the victory. Nate Hanson scored a fifth Falcon goal at the 18:01 mark and Hansberry scored his second power play goal on the game with 17 seconds remaining in regulation.

AJ Bucchino was in goal for the eighth time this season and was able to get his fourth win. Bucchino totalled 23 saves in the effort.

The Falcons look to add another non-conference win on Saturday when they visit Bethel. The game is set to start at 7:05 p.m.

Falcons Win Again

Dec. 14, 2005

The Falcon men's hockey team welcomed Hamline into Hunt Arena Wednesday night and skated away with the victory, 4-2.

The first period started out great for River Falls as they were able to jump out to a 2-0 lead. The Falcons first score was by Wade Harstad just over five minutes into the period. Harstad's fifth goal of the season was assisted by Derek Hansberry and TJ Dahl. Pat Borgestad added the second goal eight minutes later, assisted by Dahl. The Falcons recorded 15 more shots on goal than the Pipers in the period and dominated the puck.

Pat Borgestad recorded his second goal of the game early in the second period and increased the Falcon lead to three. Dahl and Hansberry assisted Borgestad on the goal. Hamline got their first goal of the game 11:53 in via Matt Zilles and cut the River Falls lead to two. The Piper's momentum was short lived as Dustin Norman put the Falcons back up by three 3:43 after Zilles' goal. TJ Dahl recorded his fourth assist of the game on Norman's goal while Hansberry knotched his third. The second period proved to be the end of the scoring for River Falls.

River Falls protected their lead for the rest of regulation and only gave up one late goal to Hamline's Justin Hanna. With the win, the Falcons record their second victory in a row.

Dan Meneghin made his second start of the season in goal and recorded 24 saves in the winning effort.

The Falcons now go on a long break until they face Marian at home on January 6th.

Falcons Escape St. Scholastica at Home

Dec. 10, 2005

The Falcon men's hockey team came into Saturday night's game looking for their first win in four games and knocked off St. Scholastica in the final seconds, 3-2.

The first started physical which carried on for the rest of the game. River Falls was able to get in the scoring column first with Derek Hansberry's power play goal with four minutes remaining in the period. Chris Nathe added another goal for River Falls two minutes later which extended the Falcon lead to two. River Falls looked solid at the end of the first as they held a somewhat confortable lead.

St. Scholastica cut the Falcon lead in half 1:17 into the second with a goal from Trevor Geiger. The Saints were not ready to surrender a loss yet and kept the Falcons scoreless in the second period. St. Scholastica was leading the shot department through two, 21-19.

The Saints fought back in the third and were able to tie the game up with less than five minutes remaining. Shortly after the goal, St. Scholastica's Gordon Burnett was charged with a five minute major penalty which put the Falcons in the power play for the remainder of regulation. River Falls' Dustin Norman was able to squeek by a power play goal with 31 seconds remaining to give the Falcons the lead for good.

AJ Bucchino was River Falls' goalie for the second game in a row and came up with 31 saves.

After the final buzzer, the intensity did not drop off as five total penalities were laid out in a postgame brawl.

The Falcons look to start a winning streak when they take on Hamline at home Thursday. The game is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m.

Falcons Tie In OT

Dec. 9, 2005

The UW-River Falls Men's hockey team returned home on Friday night and skated to a tie against a solid UW-Superior squad, 1-1.

The first period went scoreless with a total of only 13 shots taken on goal combined. Each team committed 2 penalties but neither team could capitalize on their power play opportunites.

More excitement, at least for UW-Superior, was created early in the second when the Yellow Jackets' Colin Guiguet knocked in a goal 2:23 into the period. The Falcons responded eight minutes later with a goal from Derek Hansberry to knot the game at one. Hansberry's seventh goal of the season was assisted by TJ Dahl and Mike Salmela. The second came to an end with the both teams locked at 1.

The third period began and ended with a tie. Neither team could get any offense going. The Falcons won the shot department 12-11 but could not capitalize. The goalies for both teams remained solid as the game headed for overtime.

Only 7 total shots were taken in overtime and none of which found the net. The game concluded with both teams taking a point.

AJ Bucchino manned the net for the Falcons and finished with an impressive 31 saves.

The Falcons stretch their no win streak to 3 games but hault their losing streak at 2. River Falls looks to add a win when St. Scholastica visits Hunt Arena Saturday night. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m.

Falcons Lose Second Conference Game

Dec. 3, 2005

The UW-River Falls Men's hockey team went into St. Norbert Saturday night with hopes of avenging their Friday night loss to Lake Forest but came up short, 5-2.

St. Norbert dominated the first period and were able to jump out to a 2-0 lead. The Green Nights goals were scored by Conner Hughes a little over one minute into the period followed by a shorthanded goal from Spencer Carbery seven minutes later.

After the disapointing start, the Falcons looked to rebound.

Before River Falls could make a comeback attempt, St. Norbert increased their lead to three with a power play goal by Lonny Forrester (4:06). River Falls scored a goal ten minutes later by Aaron Venasky which cut the Green Night lead to two. The third period ended with River Falls trailing and looking at a tough road ahead of them.

River Falls' Derek Hansberry was able to cut the lead to one early in the third with the Falcons second goal of the game. Hansberry's power play goal marked the end of the scoring for the Falcons as St. Norbert ran away with the victory. The Green Nights were able to tack on two more goals late as they coasted to victory. The St. Norbert goals came from Sheldon Wing (4:01) and Andrew Derton (14:07).

Andy Scanlon was in goal for the Falcons and was tested 36 times while making 31 saves. The Falcons were doubled in the shot department, 36-18.

The loss is the Falcons second conference loss of the season.

River Falls looks to improve on their conference record when they come home December 9th to face Superior. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m.

Lake Forest Steals One From Falcons

Dec. 2, 2005

The UW-River Falls Men's hockey team went into Lake Forest Friday night looking for their third straight conference win and were denied by the Foresters, 3-2.

The Falcons jumped out to an early lead in the first with a goal by Derek Hansberry 9:55 in. Hansberry's fifth goal of the season was assisted by Dustin Norman and Pat Borgestad. River Falls was able to take a lot of shots on goal in the period and doubled Lake Forest in the department, 18-9.

The second came with Lake Forest making and early push to take the lead. The Foresters scored a goal via Matt Forsyth almost a minute into the period and then tacked on another goal two minutes later by Cory Wilson. Lake Forest's 2-1 lead did not last long as Pat Borgestad knocked in the game tying goal assisted by Dustin Norman and Mike Salmela (6:20). The second period came to a close with the score knotted at five as both teams looked hungry for the victory.

The Foresters scoring momentum carried into the third as they were able to get a goal from Graham Melbourne 3:03 into the period. Melbourne's goal proved to be the game winner. The Falcon's pulled their goalie with forty seconds left but were not able to capitalize.

The Falcon loss is their first conference loss of the season.

A.J. Bucchino manned the net for the Falcons and recorded 22 saves.

More impressive yet was Lake Forest goalie Scott Campbell who had 36 saves and prevented the Falcons from coming up with a win.

The Falcons still look to get their third conference win of the season when they visit St. Norbert on Saturday night. The game will start at 7:05 p.m.

Dahl Named NCHA, WIAC Player of the Week
Nov. 22, 2005

Forward TJ Dahl (So., Burnsville, Minn.) helped the Falcon men's hockey team to two wins last weekend and has been named the NCHA and WIAC Player of the Week.

Dahl scored four goals in this past weekend's games to help the Falcons beat UW-Stevens Point (3-1) and UW-Eau Claire (7-4) at Hunt Arena. In River Falls first conference game of the season on Friday against Stevens Point, Dahl was able to put the Falcons on the board first with a goal 9:31 into the first period. In Saturday's 7-3 win over Eau Claire, Dahl had a career best three goals to record his first career hat trick. Dahl scored two goals in the second period at 9:33 and 16:50. His third goal came midway through the third that bumped the Falcons lead to 4-0. Dahl, 6-1, 195 pounds, now has seven goals on the season and leads the team in goals and points (13). "TJ had an outstanding two-way game and is always in a good position," Falcon Coach Steve Freeman said of the sophomore standout.

The Falcons, 5-1-2 overall and 2-0-0 in the NCHA, will play again on Friday, Dec. 2 at Lake Forest. Action starts at 7:30 p.m.

Falcons Beat Blugolds Yet Again

Nov. 19, 2005

The UW-River Falls Men's hockey team collected their second conference win of the season in as many games as they tore apart Eau Claire on Saturday night, 7-3.

The start of the game was pretty low key as neither team could get on the board. River Falls won in the shot departement by out shooting the Blugolds 11-9. None of the twenty total shots in the first period found the net.

The second period brought new life for the Falcons as they were able to score five consecutive goals to take a huge lead. Second period goals were scored by Wade Harstad (2:14), TJ Dahl (9:33), Chris Nathe (10:09), Dahl again (16:50), and Tyler Kostiuk (16:57). The scoring frenzy by the Falcons seemed to knock the wind out of Eau Claire for the rest of the game. Eau Claire added a score of their own late in the period via Chip Dunleavy which cut the lead to four through two periods.

The Falcon momentum did not shift as the third period began. Andy Scanlon was clutch in goal as he made many key saves to keep the Blugolds from any hope of a comeback. Eau Claire did add a early period goal from Sean Clark (6:09), but would give up two goals to the Falcons later on. Jim Henkemeyer increased the Falcon's lead to 6-2 with 9:56 remaining in the game. TJ Dahl pleased the crowd with his third goal of the game a little over a minute later. Dahl's goal was his seventh of the season and also increased the Falcon scoring output in the game to 7, giving the crowd in attendence ice cream for the third time this season. Dahl records his first hat trick of the season and is the second Falcon this year to complete the feat. The Blugolds made one last push with a goal by Steve Dus (12:48). Eau Claire was shutout the rest of the game as the Falcons won easily.

Scanlon was once again solid in goal picking up his second victory of the season. He also tallied 23 difficult saves.

Eau Claire goalie Chris Nelson made 28 saves in the losing effort.

River Falls improves their conference record to 2-0 as they head into a nearly two week break. River Falls' next game will be played at Forest Lake on December 2nd. The puck will drop at 7:30 p.m.

Falcons Open Conference Season With Win

Nov. 18, 2005

The UW-River Falls Men's hockey team welcomed Stevens Point into Hunt Arena for the first conference game of the season and came away with the win, 3-1.

The start of the game was dominated by the Falcons as they were able to put the puck in the net first with a power play goal by TJ Dahl, 9:31 into the period. Dahl's goal is his fourth of the season which ties him for the team lead. Jared Sailer later added to the Falcons lead with a power play goal 15:20 into the first. The Falcons now had a healthy lead going into the second period, 2-0.

The second period brought more offense for the Falcons as Jim Henkemeyer increased the lead to three a little over halfway through the period (13:58). Henkemeyer's goal was his third of the season which was assisted by Dustin Norman and Wade Harstad. Steller defense and goaltending highlighted the rest of the period for River Falls and continued through the rest of the game.

The Pointers attempted to make a comeback early in the third with their first goal of the game scored by Sean Fish 3:54 in. River Falls then closed out regulation in a dominating fashion, not allowing Stevens Point to score again.

Falcon Goalie AJ Bucchino made his third start of the season and recorded his second victory. He was once again dominate throughout and recorded 29 saves.

Stevens Point took 11 more shots on goal than the Falcons but were not able to capitalize. The Falcons scored on 2 of their 5 power play opportunites while the Pointers were held scoreless in 6 power play attempts.

The Falcons look to carry their victory momentum into Saturday night's game when Eau Claire visits Hunt Arena. The game will be the Falcons second conference game of the season and will start at 7:05 p.m.

Falcons Out Skate Augsburg

Nov. 12, 2005

The UW-River Falls Men's hockey team looked to better their tie against St. John's from Thursday night and succeeded by beating Augsburg College on Saturday, 7-4. Hunt Arena was not up to the normal capacity for Falcon games but the intensity was still there. The crowd in attendance was once again treated to ice cream for the second time this season.

The first period went very well for the Falcons as they were able to repeat Thursday's feat of scoring the first goal of the game. The River Falls goal was scored by Joe Adams (6:27). With the goal, Adams seperated himself as the leading goal scorer for the Falcons this season with 4. The second period went back and forth the rest of the way as the Falcons stayed in the lead with their one goal.

Period two got the scoring barrage going that would continue for the rest of the game. Augsburg was able to knot the game up at one with a goal via Aaron Johnson (5:39). Two minutes later, the Falcons stole back the lead with a power play goal from TJ Dahl (7:39). Augsburg recovered once again with a goal from Danny Carlson (9:04). Another Falcon power play goal by Pat Borgestad was scored assisted by TJ Dahl (11:24), giving the Falcons their third lead of the game. Augsburg was able to fight back yet again. Two late Augsburg power play goals by Colby Nichol (17:36) and Joe Haehn (19:42) pushed the momentum and the lead back in the Auggies favor going into the second intermission, 4-3.

Looking at a one goal deficit coming into the third, the Falcons went on a mission. The game was once again tied right of the bat with a River Falls goal by Tyler Kostiuk (6:35). The Falcons were not done yet as Dustin Norman later tacked on a power play goal assisted by TJ Dahl which proved to be the game winner (9:48). Dahl's assist increased his game point total to 3 while boosting his team leading season total to 9. River Falls added two late insurance power play goals by Derek Hansberry (15:00), and Jim Henkemeyer (16:23). Hansberry's goal marked his fourth point scored in the last two games. The game ended with a 7-4 River Falls victory while delivering ice cream to the crowd in attendance.

Senior Dan Meneghin made his first apearence in goal for the Falcons this season to prepare for upcoming conference games and was solid, tallying 29 saves. Meneghin picks up his first of hopefully many wins this season.

The power play played a huge role in this game in that 7 of the 11 goals scored were power play goals.

River Falls next game is at home on Friday against Stevens Point. Friday's game marks the beginning of conference play for the Falcons. The puck will drop at 7:05 PM.

Falcons Leave St. John's With OT Tie

Nov. 10, 2005

The Falcons entered Thursday night's game at nationaly ranked St. John's with a 2-1-1 record and left with a tie, 2-2. The game was played at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud which threw a wrench in the game due to the rink being olympic size. This did not seem to bother the Falcons as they were able to spread out their lines and capitalize.

The first period started off well for the Falcons as they put the first goal on the board. The goal was scored by Derek Hansberry assisted by TJ Dahl (3:46). Dahl is now tied for the team lead in points with six. St. John's later answered the Hansberry goal with their first goal of the game coming from Scott Bjorklund's power play score (10:54).

Coming into the second period, the Falcons were dominating in the shot department 12-9. The shots resulted in another Falcon goal by Wade Harstad assisted by Dustin Norman (17:10). Harstad's goal is his third of the season which ties him for the team lead with Joe Adams. Norman's assist is his second of the season. The score remained at 2-1 through the remainder of the second period. The second period was highlighted by stellar defense and goaltending from the Falcons.

Shots on goal heading into the third period stood at 19-17 in favor of the Falcons. St. John's Aaron Getchell (3:19) scored to tie the game, 2-2. The Falcons were now dependent on coming up with another goal to gain the lead. The third period consisted of more great defense and goaltending for the Falcons. With 1:32 left in the third, Wade Harstad was charged with checking from behind and the Falcons were forced to play shorthanded for the rest of regulation. Regulation came to a close with a 2-2 tie.

As overtime began, the Falcons were still shorthanded for 18 seconds. The Falcons were credited with the only shot on goal in the extra session that ended with neither team scoring.

Goalie AJ Bucchino made 23 saves in the game - he had eight in each of the first two periods and seven in the third. SJU goalie Adam Hanna stopped 27 shots, including 11 in the first period.

The Falcons return to Hunt Arena on Saturday they face Augsburg in another non-conference game. The game starts at 7:05 p.m.

Gustavus Adolphus Edge Falcons

Nov. 5, 2005

The Falcons came into Saturday night looking to improve from their Friday night tie against St. Olaf but came up short against a solid Gustavus Adolphus squad, 3-4.

The first period consisted of very little scoring and a large amount of penalties. The lone goal of the period was scored shorthanded by Gustavus Adolphus' Loren Havemeier (15:22). River Falls had the advantage in the first period in the shot department, 13-9, but wasn't able to capitalize on the opportunities.

After making changes in the locker room, River Falls came out on the ice with a different attitude. Halfway through the second period Gustavus added another score, this time by Ben Ollila (10:51). The Falcons finally answered with a goal of their own from Tyler Kostiuk, assisted by Joe Adams and Mike Salmela (15:04). The second period came to a close with the Falcons trailing, 1-2.

River Falls was now within one and looked to turn up the energy.

The energy did not increase and Gustavus ran away with the game. The third period started with an early goal for Gustavus Adolphus by Steve Dusich (1:02). Jon Keseley added a fourth goal for Gustavus just over two minutes later which proved to be the game winner (3:25). Twenty seconds after Gustavus' second goal of the period River Falls cut the lead down to two with a score by Aaron Venasky (3:39). The lead was once again cut to one with another Falcon goal shortly after Venasky's by Pat Borgestad (3:56). The final sixteen minutes went scoreless and the Falcons came up short for the first time this season. The game seemed to sway in Gustavus' favor throughout as they dominated the puck.

Andy Scanlon made his second start in goal for the Falcons this season and tallied his first loss. Scanlon recorded 29 saves in the losing effort.

River Falls will continue their season next Thursday when they visit St. John's. The puck drops at 7:05 P.M.

Falcons Tie In OT

Nov. 4, 2005

Fresh off their 2-0 opening weekend record, the Falcons visited St. Olaf and left with a 5-5 tie in overtime.

St. Olaf jumped out to an early lead with the first two goals of the game. Goals were scored by Jeff Budish (10:52) and John Egge (12:07). The Falcons were able to fight off the early St. Olaf scores with a goal of their own scored by Pat Borgestad (12:23). The Falcons' hope of a win looked grim after another first period St. Olaf goal by Jeff Budish (19:38).

St. Olaf was able to add to their 3-1 lead with the first goal of the second period scored by Mitch Mudra (1:47). The win for River Falls was falling farther away. Luckily for the Falcons, Joe Tiberio was able to cut the St. Olaf lead down to two with his late second period shorthanded goal (13:51).

The start of the third period meant a rally needed to take place for the Falcons and luckily it did. The Falcons outscored St. Olaf 3-1 in the third to tie the game at 5.

River Falls scores came from Derek Hansberry's power play goal (1:47), Chris Nathe's power play goal (7:43) and Mike Salmela's go ahead power play goal (8:11). St. Olaf's lone goal was scored by Kevin Eidsmo (12:46) which notted the game up at 5. TJ Dahl also was a main threat throughout the whole game by assisting three of the Falcons five total goals.

After Eidsmo's goal, the game turned into a struggle that did not let up until the final horn of overtime. Neither team was able to add on a winning goal before the end of regulation. Overtime did not result in another score either and the teams stayed deadlocked at 5. For the Falcons, St. Olaf always is a struggle and they showed strong effort in their ability not to give up. The solid effort allowed the Falcons to recover from a 4-1 deficit and keep a goose egg in their losing column. The Falcons look to add on another win when Gustavus Adolphus visits Hunt Arena on Saturday night.

Adams Named WIAC Hockey Player of the Week

Nov. 1 , 2005

Falcon hockey player Joe Adams (So., Roseau, Minn.) helped the Falcons to two season opening wins last weekend and has been named the WIAC Player of the Week according to WIAC sports information director Matt Stanek.

Adams completed a hat trick on Saturday night against the Lawrence Vikings on Saturday to help the team to an 8-0 win. Adams scored two goals in the first period, back-to-back at 10:46 and 15:01, and then added another in the third at 10:17. The Falcons won the game, 8-0, and completed their opening weekend with a perfect 2-0 record. All three goals came with the teams skating even strength. Adams, 5-10, 180 pounds, is becoming a solid force up front for the Falcons. Coach Steve Freeman believes Adams' ability can be linked to him, "staying on the move all the time with his quickness and speed." Adams cracked the Falcon lineup late last season and has been in high gear ever since. The Falcons also defeated UW-Eau Claire, 5-1, on Friday.

Falcons Deliver Homecoming Ice Cream

Oct. 29, 2005

The Falcons left it all on the ice Saturday night and picked up their second win of the season over the Lawrence Vikings 8-0. Saturday night’s game was all River Falls from the start. The offense of the Falcons was flawlessly executed which resulted in multiple scoring opportunities.

Not only did this win represent an improved record, it also allowed the crowd to enjoy the game taste wise. Due to the Falcons scoring at least seven goals, fans were provided free ice cream coupons for the first time this season.

Five first period goals were scored by Wade Harstad (1:41), Dustin Norman (3:40), Joe Adams (10:46) and Adams again (15:01) and TJ Dahl (16:21).

The second period did not disappoint either. The Falcons added two more goals to their lead by way of Dahl (5:53) and Derek Hansberry (11:11). Dahl tallied his second goal of the game and of the season. The second period came to a close with a comfortable lead for the Falcons along with a shutout for Andy Scanlon. The shots on goal were not even close with the Falcons ending the second period with 35 compared to 15 Lawrence shots.

Scanlon racked up a total of 21 saves and completed the shutout, his first of the season and sixth of his career. The ability of Scanlon to play so well has to make Coach Steve Freeman and company happy about the Falcons situation in goal. River Falls has three capable starters in Bucchino, Dan Meneghin, and Scanlon.

The third period brought a slowed down game as the Falcons defended their 7-0 lead. River Falls showed dominance for the second night in a row when it came to puck control. Lawrence could not seem to hold onto the puck for long periods of time. The intensity on the Lawrence side was turned up in the third but it was not enough to overcome their deficit. Adams added more to the Falcons lead with his third goal of the game. Adams’ hat trick is the first recorded by a Falcon player this season.

With the win the Falcons improve their record to 2-0 after the first weekend of the season. River Falls’ next game comes on Friday, at St. Olaf followed by a game at home on Saturday against Gustavus Adolphus.

Falcons Dominate Blugolds At Home

Oct. 28, 2005

The season started off on the right skate for the UW-River Falls Men's hockey team. The Falcons defeated a solid Eau Claire Blugolds team by the score of 5-1 in front of a near sellout crowed in Hunt Arena.

The first goal was scored by the Falcons' Jared Sailer (5:03), assisted by Tyler Kostiuk. The ability to get the first goal of the game allowed River Falls to gain momentum right off the bat. Later in the first period, River Falls hit gold again with a shorthanded goal by Josh Hansen (11:42). Most notable throughout the game was the ability of the Falcons to keep the puck on Eau Claire's side of the line. Penalties were also consistant against River Falls. The positive side of those penalties was the Falcons being able to overcome Eau Claire's power play opportunities. Two times in the game River Falls was down to three players against a full Blugolds team without allowing a goal. The first period ended with a 2-0 Falcon advantage.

Eau Claire finally got on the box score with a goal by Chip Dunleavy in the second period (13:54). River Falls goaly AJ Bucchino argued the call but the goal stood up. After allowing the goal, Bucchino picked up where he left off and dominated the rest of the game. Bucchino ended the night with an impressive 34 saves.

Following the Eau Claire score, the Falcons responded two minutes later with another goal by Jared Sailer (15:12). With his second goal, Sailer represents the first Falcon to have a multiple scoring game. River Falls' third goal ended the scoring in the second period.

The start of the third period allowed the Falcons to at least smell the scent of a win coming. Wade Harstad tacked on a cushioning goal early in the third (4:26). The goal was followed by thirteen minutes of tough Falcon defense until Jim Henkemeyer cemented the game with a fifth River Falls goal (17:12).

River Falls starts the season off with a 1-0-0 record and look to add another "W" to the winning column when Lawrence comes to Hunt Arena on Saturday night.