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Icecats clinch bid for national tournament

With an 18-1-2 record and a 16-game win streak, the Arizona Icecats were awarded a bid for the American Collegiate Hockey Association national tournament last week.

The bid marks the 16th straight season in which the Icecats have made the ACHA tournament.

No. 6 Arizona found out about its invitation just before traveling to Tempe to take on the Arizona State University's IceDevils for the fourth time this season on Saturday.

UA head coach Leo Golembiewski said he was pleased with the news.

"We have to continue what we have been working on all season - consistency, speed and quickness," he said.

The Icecats are led by top-line junior co-captains Marc Harris and Paul Dorn, who have 68 and 62 points, respectively.

Junior Ed Carfora, the second line center, has had several standout performances since November.

As the injury bug has taken over the Icecats little by little, Carfora has cemented himself as the third-leading scorer on the team with 54 points.

Injuries to key players all season have not slowed down the Icecats. Senior center Tommy Thompson, junior right wing Mike Graves, sophomore right wing Kyle Neary and senior defenseman Ed McCaffrey have all missed games due to injury.

The team has been helped by a standout year from sophomore goal tender Jason Morgan.

Morgan, who allowed three goals in the final period of Saturday's contest against ASU, had a 1.97 goals against average for the season.

This year's tournament, held in Minot, N.D. on March 2-3, will mark the second or third trip to nationals for many UA players, making this year's team more experienced than last year's squad.

But Golembiewski is making sure his team will be prepared and not overlook anyone.

"This is a remarkable team, and we are peaking as a team when we need to."