Published: June 18, 2009 11:20 pm      

COLLEGE HOCKEY: Forton out; NU unveils schedule

Dave Burkholder is excited about the schedule his Niagara University men’s hockey team will face this season.

He’s just not sure who’ll be next to him behind the Purple Eagles’ bench.

Longtime associate head coach Jerry Forton has left the school to take a job with former NU boss Blaise MacDonald at UMass Lowell. The position opened when former Purple Eagle player Chris MacKenzie left Lowell to become the women’s head coach on Monteagle Ridge.

Burkholder, who has coached alongside Forton for 13 seasons, said losing his top assistant will make life more difficult as the program’s final College Hockey America season approaches.

“For us to lose Jerry, it’s a big loss. He had a great deal of responsibility,” Burkholder said. “Everyone involved with this program owes him a great deal of gratitude for what he’s done for us.”

While Burkholder is scouring résumés in an attempt to quickly fill the position, he no longer has to worry about this year’s schedule, which has been finalized.

The Purple Eagles will return to Michigan as part of a grueling non-conference slate that also includes road games at Clarkson, St. Lawrence, Colgate, and Quinnipiac. Niagara will host Colgate, UMass-Amherst, RPI and two games with St. Lawrence.

But the team’s biggest coup was an invite to the Shillelagh Tournament at Chicago’s Sears Centre. The Purple Eagles will open the event against perennial powerhouse North Dakota while Colgate and Notre Dame will meet. The winners and losers will play the second night.

As for the home game against UMass-Amherst, Burkholder took a chance by scheduling the contest on a Sunday in November. He was pleasantly surprised when he heard the Bills drew a bye the same weekend.

“We lucked out,” he said.

Meanwhile, Burkholder said he’s looking to hire for Forton’s post within two weeks.

“We’re looking for someone who has a good playing background, someone who’s had some recruiting experience,” Burkholder said. “We’ll never replace Jerry, but there’s some pretty special talent out there to choose from. It’s a talented pool.”

Contact sports editor Tim Schmitt at 282-2311, ext. 2266.





Niagara men’s hockey

2009-10 schedule

n NON-CONFERENCE HOME GAMES: Colgate (Oct. 9), UMass-Amherst (Nov. 8), RPI (Nov. 18), St. Lawrence (Jan 8-9).

n NON-CONFERENCE ROAD GAMES: Clarkson (Oct. 16), St. Lawrence (Oct. 17), Michigan (Oct. 22), Cornell (Oct. 30), Colgate (Oct. 31), UMass-Amherst (Nov. 6), RIT (Dec. 12), Shillelagh Tournament, vs. North Dakota (Jan. 2), Shillelagh Tournament, vs. Notre Dame or Colgate (Jan. 3), Quinnipiac (Jan. 22-23).