Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
1. No. 1 sweeps
With the No. 1 position in the DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll changing hands more than a few times in November, there’s likely to be some stability at the top after No. 1 Minnesota State swept intra-state rival Bemidji State by scores of 5-1 and 3-1 on the road this weekend. The Mavericks have won five in a row and 10 of their last 11.
Minnesota State goalie Dryden McKay had 16 saves in Saturday’s win, now stands 16-3-0 on the season. Wyatt Aamodt had two assists in the win.
2. BC strikes first in Battle of Comm Ave
In the first of at least three meetings between rivals Boston College and Boston University, the visiting Eagles took two of three points with a shootout win before a crowd of 6,150 Friday night at Agganis Arena. The teams skated to a 3-3 regulation draw and a scoreless 3-on-3 overtime.
BU held a 2-0 lead after two frames, but BC roared back with a big gulp of goals, scoring thrice in a 7:11 span to take the lead. BU’s Max Kauffman tied it with his second goal of the game and fourth of the year with 8:43 to play.
The teams’ next meeting will be a home-and-home series the weekend of Feb. 25 — unless, of course, they meet in the Beanpot final on Valentine’s Day.
3. Quinnipiac rolls on
The highest ranked team east of the Mississippi River continued its dominance with a sweep of Long Island. No. 2 Quinnipiac improved to 14-3-1 with wins of 4-1 and 5-0.
The Bobcats were fueled by a balanced scoring attack, with five players — Zach Metsa, TJ Friedmann, Ethan de Jong, Oliver Chau and Wyatt Bongiovanni — recording a multi-point night in Friday’s win. Four players — Friedmann, Guus van Nes, Chau and Brendan Less — repeated the feat the next night.
4. Big Ten heavyweights split
Rivals No. 3 Michigan and No. 17 Ohio State split a pair in Columbus, Ohio, with the Wolverines winning 5-2 Friday night only to see the Buckeyes return the favor with a 6-1 thumping the following night.
The two-game series drew an announced crowd of 14,252 to the Buckeyes’ home rink.
Ohio State outshot Michigan 42-26 in Saturday night’s rout, with goalie Jakub Dobes making 25 saves. It was career win No. 150 as coach of the Buckeyes for Steve Rohlik.
5. Omaha snaps Western Michigan’s streak
No. 14 Omaha eked out a 1-0 win over Western Michigan on Saturday night in Kalamazoo to put an end to the fourth-ranked Broncos’ seven-game winning streak.
Chayse Primeau’s redirection of a Kirby Proctor shot in the second period was all the offense Isaiah Saville needed for his third shutout of the season. Western Michigan was 0 for 5 on the power play.
“That’s the best game I’ve seen Isaiah Saville play in a Mavericks uniform,” Omaha coach Mike Gabinet said.
6. Duluth, Denver split
One week after falling from the top spot to No. 5 in the USCHO poll, Minnesota Duluth lost 5-0 at home Friday to No. 12 Denver, but rebounded nicely with a 6-2 win over the Pioneers on Saturday.
The Bulldogs asserted themselves early on Saturday with three goals — one apiece from Jesse Jacques, Noah Cates, and Kobe Roth — in the opening frame.
7. UMass continues streak
Defending NCAA champion UMass hasn’t lost in regulation since Oct. 3 (14 straight games) and will ride that streak into the second half of the season following a 3-2 overtime victory at Merrimack on Wednesday night.
Freshman Lucas Mercuri’s goal for the Minutemen with 3:22 remaining in the third period tied the game 2-2 to force overtime.
“That was another character effort in the third,” UMass coach Greg Carvel said. “I didn’t like our first two periods very much, but I thought our third period we played with desperation and started to take control of the game.”
8. Fighting Hawks sweep in the Springs
No. 7 North Dakota heads into the holiday break on top of the NCHC standings after handing Colorado College its first sweep of the season. The Fighting Hawks won 5-2 and 4-1 in Colorado Springs.
Jakob Hellsten made his first collegiate start in net for North Dakota and had 23 saves.
9. Maine alum Bishop retires
Maine alum Ben Bishop will not play again in the NHL, according to Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill. The 35-year-old goalie has not played since having surgery in October 2020 to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
Bishop led Maine to its last Frozen Four appearance in 2007. He concluded his three years at Maine with 2,399 saves, second most in school history, according to The Associated Press.
10. River Hawks top Hockey East at break
No. 15 UMass Lowell will enter the new year at the top of the Hockey East standings after a pair of wins at Vermont over the weekend.
Freshman Matt Crasa scored twice in the River Hawks’ 2-1 comeback win on Saturday. That followed a two-assist performance by Crasa in a 3-0 shutout Friday night.
