Meet the Recruits- We will be running a series for our new additions to the club this summer.

Meet Landyn Howze. Landyn is 21 years old and hails from Keller, Texas. He is majoring in Business Management.  Let’s Welcome Landyn to Razorback Hockey!  We asked Landyn some Hockey questions.

Razorback Hockey: How long have you played organized Hockey?
Landyn: I’ve been playing hockey for 17 years, joined my first league team at 4 years old.

Razorback Hockey: What was the name of the last Team you played with?
Landyn: Texas Brahmas of the WSHL.

Razorback Hockey: What position do you play?
Landyn: Right Wing/Center

Razorback Hockey: What are you doing to prepare for the season?
Landyn: I stay on a strict on/off ice workout regiment that keeps me in preparation for the upcoming season.

Razorback Hockey: What is Coach Gallini’s recommendation regarding the part of your game he wants you to work and focus on?
Landyn: I have yet to have a personal player/coach conversation about that yet.

Razorback Hockey: Do you have any personal goals this season?
Landyn: I just want to excel and progress not only as a player but an individual and simply be the best I can be as a student in the classroom and a player on the ice.

Razorback Hockey: What kind of things do you do to prepare for games?
Landyn: I like to stay loose before games. Play sewer ball with the boys and just listen to music. Keep it simple and not over think too much.

Razorback Hockey: What kind of things do you do to unwind after a game?
Landyn: I like to take an ice bath right after a game then get a good meal in me and just relax and let the body heal its self.

Razorback Hockey: Traditionally, hockey players like routine and prepare for games in a ritualistic manner, some are superstitious. Do you follow a routine before a game, are you superstitious, and if so, what are some of your routines and habits?
Landyn: I’d say I’m not very superstitious but I’m very routine. Game days I like to wake up and get a good breakfast in me then go to my morning skate, come home, take a nap, wake up, eat my pre game meal, then head to the rink two hours before game time.

Razorback Hockey: Most players choose a number to wear that has significance to them. Tell us the significance of the number you choose to wear?
Landyn: I choose to wear the number 12 simply because it was the number my dad wore. Ever since I can remember it has been my number and it stuck.

Razorback Hockey: Who are your biggest fans?
Landyn: By far my family, I’m so grateful to have such awesome loving parents that support me in anything I do. I wouldn’t be here without them! Besides family, Bailey Heitman. Hands down the best fan I ever had playing junior hockey.

Razorback Hockey: Do you have a favorite NHL Team? Player?
Landyn: Growing up in Texas how could the Dallas Stars not be my favorite team along with Jamie Benn being my favorite player. Guy is just a complete package forward. Brings physicality, scores, and is a play maker.

The Razorback Hockey team is excited to announce that a generous group of Hog fans from WooPig.net are organizing a team fundraising golf tournament on April 26.

Where: Red Apple Inn & Country Club, 305  Club Rd, Heber Springs, AR, 72543 (http://www.redappleinn.com/info.html)
Format: Scramble (4 person teams)
When: Saturday, April 26th, 2014 at 1 pm

Team or individual registration remains open and more details are available here and here.   After the tournament, there will be an awards banquet where pro shop gift certificates, woopig gear, game used/worn hockey apparel, and golf clubs will be given away as prizes.  Each attendee will also receive a gift bag.  Come out and help the Hogs get closer to a new lockerroom!

Although the Razorbacks did their part to advance by defeating the University of Central Florida by a 6-2 score on Thursday, the team did not have luck on its side.  Both Adrian and Arkansas finished pool play with identical 2-1 records, but the Hogs did not advance because—per the ACHA tie-breaker rules—Adrian allowed fewer goals during pool play than did Arkansas (a two goal differential).  Arkansas therefore ends its season with an overall 31-8-0 record.  Looking back, the season was a memorable one loaded with highlights including a sixteen game win streak, a victory over a nationally ranked Division I opponent, a fifth regular season SEC conference title, a fourth SEC playoff championship, and two victories at Nationals.  Of particular note within that impressive list are (1) the victory over the University of Central Oklahoma, and (2) the National Tournament wins — both are program firsts.

As the season winds down, Arkansas says goodbye to graduating seniors Johnny Stromp (#91), Martin Sundstedt (#24), Justin McDowell (#19), and Tyler Bynum (#10).  For their parts, McDowell and Stromp played for the Razorbacks for five seasons and participated in nearly all of the program’s 132 wins over that span.  Both durable and talented forwards were staples in the Arkansas lineup for years.  Stromp will graduate this spring with a business degree.  McDowell is the only graduate student on the Hogs’ roster and will continue pursuing his degree in counseling.

Sundstedt transferred to Arkansas as a sophomore after a season at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.  In his three years since then, Sundstedt served as both an assistant captain and, this season, co-captain of the Razorbacks.  He is the only player in the SEC who has been twice recognized as conference MVP and, during that same span, has also earned first team all-conference honors.  Sundstedt will graduate with a degree in management.  Bynum finishes his time with the program after three productive seasons.  He joined the Hogs out of the Tulsa Rampage junior program and will graduate this spring with a business degree.

As we say goodbye to four seniors, we are excited to introduce our new recruiting class.   Stay tuned during the off-season for stories about the newest incoming Hogs who will compete for a roster spot in August.  Thank you again to all of our fantastic fans for a memorable season.

Arkansas is still in the hunt for a National Championship.  With UCF’s thrilling overtime win last night, Adrian now has one loss in pool play.  In order to advance,the Hogs must defeat UCF and get a little help from Neumann.  With a UCF loss, the ACHA would go to tournament tie-breakers, which are the following:
1. Head to head
2. Number of wins
3. Fewest goals against
4. Goal differential in all tournament games
5. Fewest penalty minutes
6. Most periods won in pool play
7. Quickest goal recorded on score sheet
8. Coin toss

In tournament play, the Hogs have given up 10 goals.  UCF has given up 7 and Adrian has given up 8.  Roughly translated, the Razorbacks would be best served by beating UCF by 3.  Then, in Neumann’s evening game against Adrian, Neumann must score two though every goal that UCF scores on Arkansas equals a goal that Neumann must score against Adrian.

It’s a big day for the Hogs!  Tune into FastHockey.com to watch the game live at 3:30 pm EST!

From March 11 through March 15, the Razorback Hockey team will compete in the ACHA Division III National Tournament.  Hosted in Coral Springs, Florida, the Hogs will first take on two-time defending National Champion Adrian College.  Adrian enters the tournament having just finished fourth in their conference tournament last weekend.  For its part, Arkansas has not played since February 15 when it dropped a close 3-2 contest to the University of Oklahoma.  The puck drops on March 11 at 6 pm CST.

Then, on March 12, Arkansas will square off against Neumann University at 12:00 pm CST.  Neumann just last weekend earned its second consecutive DVCHC conference title by defeating rival Bryn Athyn in two straight games in their best of three championship series.  The Hogs and Knights have never met.

Finally, on March 13, the Razorbacks will take on the University of Central Florida.  The two teams have met just once—back in the 2011-12 season—when the Hogs earned a 5-2 victory in neutral ice game held in Pelham, AL.  The puck drops in that contest at 2:30 pm CST.

Fans can find more information out about the tournament here and can watch all three contests live on FastHockey.com!

On Saturday, March 1, Arkansas played its final home game as an intra-squad Red-White game.  White defeated Red in front of another great crowd by an 8-5 score.  In other news, the Razorbacks learned the order of their National Tournament pool play.  Placed in Pool D as the number one seed from the Pacific, the Razorbacks will first take on the number four seed from the North—two-time defending National Champion Adrian College—on March 11 at 7:00 pm EST.  The two programs have met just once before; on October 15, 2012, the Bulldogs defeated the Razorbacks by a lopsided 7-1 final score.

The next day, on March 12, the Hogs will square off with the number three seed from the Atlantic Region—Neumann—at 1:00 pm EST.  The two programs have never played one another.  To close pool play, Arkansas will take on the University of Central Florida, the number two seed from the South.  In the two teams’ lone meeting, the Razorbacks defeated the Knights by a 5-2 score on January 29, 2012.

The complete Division III National Tournament schedule is available here.  All of the tournament games will be professionally broadcast on fasthockey.com.

On February 14 & 15, Arkansas took on the University of Oklahoma.  OU, a Division I program, entered the weekend ranked #3 in the nation with an impressive 24-5-3 record.  Amongst their many season accomplishments, OU handed consensus #1 Arizona State its first of only two regular season losses.  Since their games with the Razorbacks, the Sooners have earned the #2 overall seed in the Division I National Championship.

Looking solely at Friday’s score between the Sooners and Razorbacks suggests a significant divide between the two programs.  Despite a competitive first period on Friday, the Sooners took over the hockey game in the second period.  Having scored a pair of goals in the first period, the Sooners added five goals in the second period to enter the third period with a commanding 7-1 lead.  The teams played even in the third period en route to a final 8-2 OU victory.

Saturday night was a different story altogether.  In front of a rowdy sold-out Jones Center crowd, the Sooners again jumped out to a 2-0 lead at the end of the first intermission.  Unlike Friday’s contest, though, the balance of the game remained close.  Although the Sooners notched a power play marker in the second period, Arkansas responded with a goal of its own to send the teams into the third frame with OU ahead 3-1.  Things got interesting late in the third period when freshman Jacob Brown buried a pass from sophomore Nick Fontana to make the score 3-2.  Although the Hogs had a handful of late chances, the Sooners earned the victory and weekend sweep.

In addition to a pair of great games, fans were treated on Saturday night to a ceremony honoring graduating seniors Martin Sundstedt, Easton Oliver, Justin McDowell, Johnny Stromp, and Tyler Bynum.  Next up for the Hogs is the Division III National Tournament in Coral Springs, Florida, from March 11-15.  Fans can learn more about the tournament here!

On Saturday night, February 8, Arkansas took on South Carolina — the #3 ranked team in the South. The Hogs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, but then played the Gamecocks even in the second frame as both teams potted a pair of goals.  With a 5-2 lead entering the third, the Razorbacks exploded for six goals en route to an 11-2 final and a trip the SEC conference finals.

In the SEC Championship game on Sunday, February 10, Arkansas overcame a one goal deficit by scoring two power play goals in the third period.  The 2-1 victory over the Tide gave the Razorbacks its fourth South Eastern Collegiate Hockey Conference Playoffs championship in five years.  That first goal was a controversial one.  On a delayed penalty call against the Tide, which turned out to be a ten-minute misconduct, the Razorbacks inadvertently knocked the puck into their own net.  The goal was controversial because a misconduct penalty, when called, results in an immediate stoppage of play rather than, as happened in the game, a delayed penalty.

Fortunately for the Hogs, the erroneous call proved inconsequential.  Trailing 1-0 entering the third period, Forest Mudgett and Marty Sundstedt scored goals two minutes apart and Arkansas held off the Tide throughout the final 6:30 of regulation play.  Kevin Scheer stopped all 25 Alabama shots and was later named tournament MVP for the second straight year.

Sunday’s win was Arkansas’ second consecutive SECHC championship, both at Alabama’s expense in the title game (Arkansas defeated Alabama 8-0 a year ago).  The win also continued the Hogs’ SEC playoff conference winning streak.  Remarkably, the Razorbacks have never lost an SEC playoff game in the four years it has competed in the tournament.

Sunday’s victory improved Arkansas’ record to 29-5-0.  The Razorbacks now await the results of the rankings committee’s vote, which will be released on Friday.  The Hogs have been #1 in the Pacific Region all season long and this most recent trio of wins should solidify its standing.  Arkansas returns home for its final homestand of the 13-14 season when it takes on Division I University of Oklahoma.  The Sooners are the #3 team in the nation at the Division I level and are the only team in the nation to have defeated Arizona State.  The puck drops on Friday at 8:30 pm and on Saturday at 4:00 pm.

On February 7, the Hogs took on the Tennessee IceVols for just the third time in the two programs’ history.  Their prior meetings resulted in two dominant wins by the Razorbacks and Friday night’s result was no different.  Arkansas jumped out to a 3-0 lead at the end of the first frame behind goals from Martin Sundstedt, Johnny Stromp, and Forest Mudgett.  The Hogs added six more in the second period behind markers from, among others, Jansen Polk, Tyler Bynum, Marcel Toure.  The team added four more goals in the third period and cruised to a 13-0 final.  Shots were 60-9 in favor of the Razorbacks.   Spencer Mulgrew earned the shutout in net.

Tonight, on February 8, Arkansas faces a stiffer test in South Carolina—the #3 ranked team in the South Region.  South Carolina enters the contest with an impressive 20-6-2 overall record, featuring wins over Central Florida (#1 South), Alabama (#5 South), Mississippi (#6 South), and UNC-Wilmington (#11 South).  The Gamecocks are led in scoring by Eric Patterson (20 G, 10 A), Kevin Cotrone (13 G, 6 A), and Michael Kochenash (11 G, 14 A).  John Musciano handles the bulk of the goaltending duties for South Carolina.

The puck drops tonight at 7:00 pm CST and it will be audio broadcast live.  The broadcast can be heard online by visiting this link:  www.spreaker.com/show/frozentide or by going to bamahockey.com and clicking on “Broadcast”.  The broadcast will begin five minutes prior to the advertised start time, although the times may be adjusted throughout the tournament due to previous games being played on the same rink.