Men's hockey: Eyes on the prize
The Pipers are ranked eighth in the country and hope to make a trip to Lake Placid in March.
Connor Moore
Issue date: 1/26/10 Section: Sports
Spencer Anderson is a new addition and just the type the Pipers need. He's big, strong and has a scoring touch. Due to an NCAA rule Anderson had to sit out a year because he had been paid to play hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), but he has made a difference since his debut in the lineup. In his first six games he has six goals and three assists for the Pipers.
"The guys I'm playing with have been able to find ways to get me the puck," Anderson said. "I consider myself a shooter but I credit my teammates who have been giving me the puck in the right areas for me to score."
The other big addition for the Pipers this season is Vichorek. If you don't know who he is on the ice just look for the biggest guy out there and it's probably Vichorek. The 6'8, 270 pound defenseman obviously adds a physical edge for the Pipers.
"Coach always tells me I'm an intimidator," Vichorek said. "I just keep my game simple, make good passes and make sure people don't score."
Vichorek scored in his first collegiate game on the power play, where he shines. The big man can stand right in front of the goalie and create screens or sit up on the point and take slap shots. Either way, he is a big part of why the Pipers have scored on 22 percent of their power plays.
With all the unsung heroes and new additions, I sometimes forget about the rock of this team and that is junior goalie Beau Christain. He has started in 14 of 15 games for the Pipers and leads the MIAC in all three goaltending categories. Christain has the best winning percentage, save percentage and goals against average in the conference.
"It all starts with Beau back there, we see him make a big save and the guys on the bench get fired up," Anderson said.
A little more than halfway through the season the Pipers are firing on all cylinders. I don't think anyone outside the MIAC really understands how good this team is. All lines can score, our defensemen have played great and we have the best goalie in the conference. All of these things equal out to be a winning formula, but that is why we play the games.
The Pipers have five more weekend series' against MIAC opponents and the one to watch would be against Gustavus on February 12 and 13, which will most likely have playoff implications.
"The guys I'm playing with have been able to find ways to get me the puck," Anderson said. "I consider myself a shooter but I credit my teammates who have been giving me the puck in the right areas for me to score."
The other big addition for the Pipers this season is Vichorek. If you don't know who he is on the ice just look for the biggest guy out there and it's probably Vichorek. The 6'8, 270 pound defenseman obviously adds a physical edge for the Pipers.
"Coach always tells me I'm an intimidator," Vichorek said. "I just keep my game simple, make good passes and make sure people don't score."
Vichorek scored in his first collegiate game on the power play, where he shines. The big man can stand right in front of the goalie and create screens or sit up on the point and take slap shots. Either way, he is a big part of why the Pipers have scored on 22 percent of their power plays.
With all the unsung heroes and new additions, I sometimes forget about the rock of this team and that is junior goalie Beau Christain. He has started in 14 of 15 games for the Pipers and leads the MIAC in all three goaltending categories. Christain has the best winning percentage, save percentage and goals against average in the conference.
"It all starts with Beau back there, we see him make a big save and the guys on the bench get fired up," Anderson said.
A little more than halfway through the season the Pipers are firing on all cylinders. I don't think anyone outside the MIAC really understands how good this team is. All lines can score, our defensemen have played great and we have the best goalie in the conference. All of these things equal out to be a winning formula, but that is why we play the games.
The Pipers have five more weekend series' against MIAC opponents and the one to watch would be against Gustavus on February 12 and 13, which will most likely have playoff implications.
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