Sharks score 3 goals in third period to drop Dallas 4-2 in a nationally televised game on Versus

More on the San Jose Sharks 4-2 win over the Pacific Division rival Dallas Stars will be posted soon.

Miami (Ohio) New No. 1 on USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll

CARMEN ELECTRA REPRESENTS LBC HOCKEY - PHOTO LONG BEACH STATE

Carmen Electra is a Long Beach State hockey fan? It is one of the best jerseys in the ACHA. Long Beach State was active in the Best of the West Showcase 4-team tournament in San Jose over the weekend, with games against New Mexico, University of Colorado, and SJSU. More on local college hockey is available at the bottom of this post.

The latest NCAA Men's College Hockey Poll was released Monday from USAhockey.com:

Miami (Ohio) New No. 1 on USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Miami (Ohio) University received 30-of-34 first-place votes and 506 points to claim the top spot on the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men’s College Hockey Poll for the first time this season after sweeping the University of Nebraska Omaha in a weekend series.

This Week's Top-15 Match-ups:

Friday, November 2
No. 12 Maine @ No. 5 Boston College
No. 7 Denver @ No. 8 Minnesota
No. 10 Colo. Coll. @ No. 3 North Dakota
No. 14 Mich. Tech @ No. 9 Wisconsin

Saturday, November 3
No. 10 Colo. Coll. @ No. 3 North Dakota
No. 14 Mich. Tech @ No. 9 Wisconsin

Sunday, November 4
No. 7 Denver @ No. 8 Minnesota

The University of Michigan (446) moved up one spot to No. 2, while the University of North Dakota (433) received two first-place votes, but fell two spots to No. 3. The University of New Hampshire (430) claimed the remaining two first-place votes and moved up from No. 6 to No. 4. Boston College (385) rounded out the top five.

The University of Minnesota Duluth made its debut on the poll this week at No. 15.

NOTES: This is the first time since January 30, 2006, that Miami has held the No. 1 spot on the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men’s College Hockey Poll.

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll - #5

(First-place votes in parenthesis, Last Week's Ranking, 2007-08 Record, Weeks In Top 15)

1 Miami (Ohio) University, 506 (30), 2, 6-0-0, 5
2 University of Michigan, 446, 3, 5-1-0, 5
3 University of North Dakota, 433 (2), 1, 3-1-1, 5
4 University of New Hampshire, 430 (2), 6, 3-0-0, 5
5 Boston College, 385, 5, 3-1-2, 5
6 Michigan State University, 323, 9, 4-1-0, 5
7 University of Denver, 250, 7, 4-2-0, 5
8 University of Minnesota, 247, 10, 4-2-0, 5
9 University of Wisconsin, 235, 11, 3-1-0, 5
10 Colorado College, 219, 4, 2-2-0, 5
11 Clarkson University, 174, 8, 4-2-0, 5
12 University of Maine, 143, 13, 4-2-0, 4
13 University of Notre Dame, 99, 12, 4-3-0, 5
14 Michigan Tech University, 97, 15, 4-2-0, 2
15 University of Minnesota Duluth, 47, NR, 4-1-1, 1

Others receiving votes: St. Lawrence University, 14; Niagara University, 10; The Ohio State University, 9; U.S. Air Force Academy, 7; University of Alaska Anchorage, 4; College of the Holy Cross, 1; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1.

ABOUT THE POLL: The 13th annual USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men’s College Hockey Poll is conducted each week in conjunction with the American Hockey Coaches Association. The poll includes input from coaches and journalists representing each of the six NCAA Division I ice hockey conferences, as well as composite votes from officers of the American Hockey Coaches Association and USA Hockey Magazine, the most widely distributed hockey magazine in the world.

[Update] Five Alive: INCH's Fifth Anniversary - Inside College Hockey.

Approximately five years ago, Inside College Hockey got off the ground (specifically at 6 a.m. on Oct. 7, 2002). Thanks to you, we're still here five years later and we continue to grow. We're usually not ones to pump our tires, but we couldn't let our fifth anniversary pass without a look back at our journey from a two-person, seat-of-the-pants operation to... well, an eight-person, seat-of-the-pants operation

Congratulations INCH.

[Update2] Nice Things About Miami - Elliot Olshansky for College Sports TV.

All of that, of course, has nothing to do with Miami, and in all fairness, Miami has done plenty to earn the No. 1 ranking. The RedHawks are 6-0-0 on the season, with wins over Vermont, Ohio State and Nebraska-Omaha. The RedHawks are scoring four and two-thirds goals per game, and allowing one and a third. Jeff Zatkoff hasn't been as mind-blowingly brilliant as Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, but a .951 save percentage and a 1.2 goals-against average are just fine, thank you very much.

Most important, though, the RedHawks have done all of this despite losing Nathan Davis to a separated shoulder in the first game of the season. Losing your best player - and not just a great scorer, but a fantastic two-way forward - is a tough blow, but Miami's absorbed it astoundingly well against some pretty tough competition.

[Update3] In local college news, Santa Clara (2-2) picked up their second win of the season with a 5-3 win over U.C. Davis Saturday at Sharks Ice in San Jose. The Broncos face U.C. Irvine November 3rd on home ice.

Thursday through Sunday featured a Best of the West Showcase 4-team tournament in San Jose between SJSU, New Mexico, University of Colorado, and Long Beach State. The opening Best of the West Showcase game on Thursday featured New Mexico vs. University of Colorado. Colorado dropped 13 goals in the opener, Andrew Neitenbach scored four goals in the 13-0 route. Friday Long Beach dropped another football 13-0 score on New Mexico with 5 different players registering a multi-goal game, and the University of Colorado overpowered San Jose 8-0, P.J. Bevan and Chad Wetzel scored twice for Colorado. On Saturday SJSU stomped on University of New Mexico 10-1, Josh Legge scored a hat trick and 6 different Spartans lit the lamp, and the University of Colorado downed Long Beach 2-1 on an overtime goal by Max Myers. Long Beach defeated SJSU 4-1 on Sunday.

Stanford University (3-4) split games with UCLA at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo over the weekend, and will return home to face Oregon twice at the Redwood City Ice Oasis on Friday and Saturday. UCLA travels to Cal Berkeley for two games at the Oakland Ice Center November 2nd and 3rd.

Eloy Perez and Cynthia Talmadge register knockouts, Celaya and Garcia victorious in Monterey Riot Boxing

10/26 Riot Boxing Monterey: video1 | video2

RIOT BOXING AT THE MONTEREY CONVENTION CENTER

RIOT BOXING AT THE MONTEREY CONVENTION CENTER

The opening entrance for super flyweight Constancio "Tacho" Alvarado (2-0-3) set the tone for Friday's raucous Riot Boxing event at the Monterey Convention Center. Former Salinas fieldworker Alvarado came out for his fight with Jose Pacheco (0-0-2) to loud latin music, a roaring crowd, and a ring bathed in the tricolor green, white, and red. The buzz seldom dipped for the rest of the evening.

Alvarado may have given up height and reach to Pacheco, but "Tacho" came to the fight with very heavy hands. He landed several punches early, and showed good strength pushing Pacheco up against the ropes in the first. Pacheco was the aggressor towards the end, and he finished the round with a long looping right hand. A head butt opened up a cut over Alvarado's left eye in the second, and it flowed heavily for the rest of the fight. The pace slowed slightly for the final two rounds, but a hard shot from in close stunned Pacheco in the middle of the third. With Pacheco content to stand and trade instead of trying to cut off the ring, Alvarado finished strong. Constancio Alvarado was bloody for the fourth and final round, but he could not put a game Pacheco down. All 3 referees scored the bout 38-38, 38-38, 38-38, a unanimous draw.

The second fight featured two boxers looking for their first professional win, San Jose's Maurice Slade (0-2) out of the American Kickboxing Academy vs Oakland's Yonas Gebleegziabher (0-3) out of Kings Gym. Slade looked to attack off the counter, but in the process he let Yonas score a number of punches in the first. At the end of the round, many spectators were pleading for Slade to throw punches. It would be a familiar refrain. Slade exhibited excellent movement and agility, but never let his hands go. Yonas Gebleegziabher earned a majority decision win by being the more active fighter.

Former #1 ranked WBO welterweight and NABO champion Jose Celaya (31-3, 16KOs) continuted his comeback tour against a boxer he defeated in April, Juan Pablo Montes de Oca (9-12-2, 6KOs) of Los Angeles. Celaya came into the bout 6 pounds over the 154 pound limit, and a first round knockdown of de Oca might have signaled a more decisive performance from Celaya than the first fight. Juan Pablo Montes de Oca plodded foward, and landed solid punches when he was able to catch up to Celaya, which was not often. A frustrated de Oca started stomping his feet, and tapping his head with his gloves while yelling at Celaya in the third round. The antics drew a warning from referee Marty Sammon.

Jose Celaya's defense and mobility allowed him to elude many of de Oca's telegraphed punches, but Celaya often tucks his arms into his body and pulls straight back. Against a puncher with explosive speed, that could spell trouble. The fourth round was Juan Pablo Montes de Oca's best, trapping Celaya up against the ropes and landing numerous blows to the body. Jose Celaya earned a majority decision win 59-54, 58-55, 56-57. Many spectators vocally expressed their displeasure with the lack of action in the final two rounds, but in a post fight interview Celaya noted an illness he has been fighting earlier this week.

Undefeated Salinas boxer Jesus Vega was pulled from the Monterey card at the last minute by the CSAC, scuttling his return bout after a 4 year battle with cancer. Cuban Freddy Rojas (1-5) stepped in on a few days notice to participate in a 4-round slugfest with Gabriel Garcia (4-3), whose uncle is Georgie "The Hammer" Garcia. Garcia dictated the action early, and showed tremendous power when turning on punches inside. From the outside, Gabriel Garcia's long slapping shots were a little more unrefined. It looked like Garcia would walk through Rojas after two, but he ran into a boxer with solid technique, and one who could punch. Garcia held on as both traded punches for the final two rounds, earning a unanimous decision win 40-36, 40-36, 39-37 and a standing ovation from the crowd.

Cynthia Talmadge (1-1, 1KO) of San Francisco was fighting at a more natural weight of 120 pounds after her loss against a larger Jennifer Barber at the Riot in San Jose in July. Talmadge would face featherweight Leonie Hall (0-3-1), who had to leave her San Diego home due to the Southern California wildfires. Hall, who is deaf, actually defeated Talmadge three years prior in the amateur ranks. Talmadge came out more agressively in her second professional fight, throwing combinations, and trying to avoid a hard charging Leonie Hall like a bullfighter. Hall repeatedly tried to get in close and let loose with punches, but she paid a high price in the process. Cynthia Talmadge landed a hard right that stunned Hall halfway through the second round, followed by a brutal combination that dropped Leonie to the mat. Referee Ray Balewicz counted to two before waiving off the motionless boxer. Cynthia thanked Riot promoter Jerry Hoffman for his dedication to women's boxing in the post fight interview, and said that there will be more to come from her in the future.

Team Garcia super featherweight Eloy Perez (10-0-2, 2KOs) of Salinas headlined the Monterey Riot card with a fight against 37 year old southpaw Ron "teflon" Boyd (5-3, 2KOs) of Washington D.C. The day after Eloy Perez's 21st birthday, he found himself staring down a much larger Boyd, giving up half a foot in height. Boyd also had the imposing former Flyweight and SuperFlyweight title holder Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson in his corner. Boyd came out strong, overpowering the smaller Perez early. Towards the end of the round, Eloy started to land long lunging jabs piercing Boyd's guard.

Perez was quicker to the punch in the second round, and the damage started stacking up for Boyd. Perez could close the gap and back out without getting hit, Boyd was eating punches while he tried to move forward. There was no plan B. At the end of the second, Perez stumbled a little into the ropes, and Teflon Boyd tried to jump on the brief opening without success. More punches started to stick to Boyd in the third, and Perez turned on a left hook that wobbled Teflon Ron. Boyd never recovered in the fourth, and his trainer repeatedly called for him to snap out of his "survival mode". Two crushing lefts to the body dropped Boyd to one knee in the fifth round. Seconds later Eloy Perez dropped him with another body shot and referee Ray Balewicz stepped in and stopped the fight.

The Riot Boxing series, in its 15th year of showcasing Northern California boxing talent, may not be able to continue with rising costs and prohibitive logistical conditions. The series has featured a number of former state and world boxing champions including IBF/IBO flyweight champion Nonito Donaire, WBC female minimumweight title holder Carina Moreno, IBF featherweight champion Robert Guerrero, Cal State Jr Welterweight title holder Jesus Rodriguez, and WBC welterweight title holder "Sugar" Shane Mosley. Carina Moreno, who will fight November 8th at HP Pavilion, was a special guest at ringside. Jesus Rodriguez was in the corner for several of the Team Garcia boxers.

More information on the Riot Boxing series is available via 12sportsonline.com. A photo gallery from the Monterey Riot is available here. A highlight video with rounds from Garcia-Rojas, Celaya-de Oca, and Perez-Boyd, and post-fight interviews from Celaya, Garcia, Talmadge and Perez is available here: part 1, part2.

The Riot is an excellent venue to showcase local boxing talent, and on the topic of whether or not this would be the last event p