NCAA D-III Men’s Ice Hockey Quarterfinal Game Picks – March 22, 2025

-

March 21, 2025

Trine celebrated a first-round win last weekend in their first NCAA appearance but now face the No. 1 ranked Hobart Statesmen on the road in one of three east v. west quarterfinal games (Photo by Trine Athletics)

After a scintillating Saturday of first-round action, we now move to the quarterfinals where three of the four games are an east vs. west affair that will determine not only the participants for the Frozen Four to close out the season at the end of March but also the location for the semifinal and championship games. Nothing better than some inter-regional action to spice up the tournament and, to be honest, I think that is exactly what the NCAA committee committed to with the bracket as constructed for this year’s tournament with most of the favorites holding form in the opening round.

Last week both Brian Lester and I went 5-1 for the firs- round games with my hitting the Hamilton game and his correct selection of Trine being the differences overall. Stakes are higher this week, not only for the teams on the ice but also the picks being made as the margin for error is slim and only three games remain on the schedule after Saturday’s quarterfinal action. Here are the picks this weekend that may or may not show some regional bias:

Saturday, March 22, 2025

NCAA Quarterfinal Round

Trine v. Hobart

TC – The Thunder travel to “The Cooler” to take on the national champions who enjoyed a week off courtesy of a first-round bye. The Statesmen have been here before and are not likely to take their opponent lightly as they seek a third straight Frozen Four berth hunting a third national title. Goaltending is critical this time of year and no one has a better pedigree than Damon Beaver and Mavrick Goyer for Hobart. Timely saves and more timely scoring from the likes of Daniels, Duclair, Aquaro and/or Shell eke out a hard-fought win – Hobart, 2-1

BL – Hobart is the No. 1 team in the nation in the USCHO.com poll and they welcome seventh-ranked Trine into town this weekend. It’s a big test for the Thunder, who are in the NCAA tourney for the first time and up against the two-time reigning national champs.

Hobart didn’t play last weekend as it had a bye and you never know how that time off might affect a team. This is a Hobart team, though, that has put up 120 goals while giving up only 28. Tanner Daniels leads the team in goals (18) and assists (21). It’s also worth noting that Hobart is 15-0 at home.

But don’t overlook Trine. The Thunder took care of business against Oswego in the first round and are feeling good about their chances of being road warriors. Trine has tallied 103 goals on the year and given up 60. Logan Furstenau leads the team with 11 goals. Trine doesn’t have that one player who has scored a ton of goals, but its balanced attack has been huge for the team this season. The Thunder will need to be at its best in all facets to have a shot at the upset. Hard to bet against the champs here, but don’t be surprised if Trine finds a way – Hobart, 4-2

Hamilton v. Curry

TC – Two teams that feature their respective conference’s goaltender and or player of the year winners in Curry’s Shane Soderwall and Hamilton’s Charlie Archer. The Colonels enjoyed a week off and now look to get right into their quarterfinal matchup with a team that plays a lot like they do. Lots of talent on both benches but look for an unlikely player scoring the game winner in overtime to cap off an amazing and highly entertaining hockey game – Curry, 3-2

BL – The Colonels haven’t lost since early December and take a 16-game winning streak into their matchup with Hamilton.

One of the keys to their success has been Shane Soderwall, who is in the running for the Sid Watson Award, which is given to the top player in D-III Hockey. Soderwall has eight shutouts this season and 13 in his career. If he’s playing his best, the second-ranked Colonels are going to be tough to beat.

Hamilton has won four in a row and while the Continentals are on the road for this one, that might not be a big deal. Hamilton is 13-3 away from home this year. The Continentals have 21 wins on the year, the most in program history, and are in the round of eight for the first time since 2017. Like Curry, Eighth-ranked Hamilton has a player of the year candidate in Luke Tchor, who has come through with 16 goals and 17 assists on the season – Curry, 4-3

Geneseo v. Aurora

TC – The Knights go west to face a high-powered opponent in the Spartans. Funny, in that I think the Knights have shown that ability very recently when they put a seven-spot up on Utica in the UCHC title game. Not expecting that much fireworks in this one but there will be chances for both teams and Zach Purcell steps up with a big goal and Adam Harris stands tall in the Knights goal to help the visitors advance to the Frozen Four – Geneseo, 4-3

BL – Fourth-ranked Geneseo has won 20 or more games eight times and looks to add to its win total this week. The Ice Knights have won three in a row and are 13-1-1 at home this season. Peter Morgan has played a huge role in Geneseo’s success, scoring 14 goals and dishing out 24 assists. The Ice Knights also have two capable goalies in Ada Harris and Jacob Torgner, who hve split time. Both have saved more than 90 percent of the shots they’ve faced.

Aurora has been among the top teams nationally all year and is no doubt a real contender for the national title. The Spartans are in the NCAA tourney for the first time and have 24 wins, the most in program history. They also have a Sid Watson Award finalist in Hassan Akl, who has been nothing short of impressive for the Spartans. He leads the nation in points and assists. He has 38 goals to go along with 13 assists and will be a big key to success for Aurora on the road this weekend. I know Geneseo is at home, but Aurora is no pushover.

This should be an entertaining game as both teams are averaging close to five goals per outing. Last team to touch the puck might win it – Aurora, 5-4

St. Norbert v. Utica

TC – This matchup is very intriguing as the five-time national champions from St. Norbert travel to face a Utica team seeking a trip back to the Frozen Four that my also include hosting it. A lot of motivation for both teams but this is a game where home-ice is the difference as the Pioneers get a big game from Ryan Piros and great special teams contributing on the scoresheet but need an ENG to finally put the Green Knights away – Utica, 5-3

BL – The Pioneers dominated their tourney opener against Fitchburg, winning 5-1, and are facing a team from the west for the first time since the opening weekend of the season when they battled Adrian. The two teams split that series. Jakob Breault has been key for the sixth-ranked Pioneers, scoring 15 goals and dishing out 17 assists, fueling an offense that averages 4.4 goals per game.

The Green Knights are unbeaten in their last 11 games and put that streak to the test this weekend. They are 9-2 away from home and have won an NCAA tourney record 35 games in the postseason. The one-two punch of Liam Fraser and Logan Dombrowsky are key for the Green Knights. Fraser leads the team in goals (21) and Dombrowsky is the assist leader (33). I like the third-ranked Green Knights in this one – St. Norbert, 4-2

So, clearly the east v. west theme carries over to the writer picks which certainly will make things interesting. It is a full day of hockey with afternoon games turning into evening affairs and at the end of the day we will know who will be playing in the Frozen Four and where it will be played to decide the national champion for the 2024-25 season. Seriously, does it get any better than this? – “Drop the Puck!”

Denver’s Buium named NCHC player of the year for 2024-25, WMU’s Ferschweiller top coach, North Dakota’s Boisvert best rookie

By USCHO Staff

-

March 21, 2025

After announcing its individual award finalists last Thursday, the NCHC handed out its 12 year-end individual awards for the 2024-25 season Thursday night at the St. Paul Event Center.

Six different teams took home an individual honor, led by a trio from Western Michigan, including Herb Brooks Coach of the Year Pat Ferschweiler. Denver also claimed three honors, with sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium nabbing both player of the year and offensive defenseman of the Year, while goaltender Matt Davis gloved the senior scholar-athlete award. Arizona State and North Dakota each had a pair of award winners, with UND freshman forward Sacha Boisvert bagging rookie of the year. Minnesota Duluth and Omaha had one winner each.

Buium added NCHC player of the year to his resume after garnering NCHC rookie of the year last season. He also claimed NCHC offensive defenseman of the year for a second straight season, including being unanimous this year. The Hobey Baker Award finalist is tied for the NCAA lead among defensemen with 42 points in 36 games, while his 1.17 points per game are tops among blueliners. His 32 assists also lead defensemen nationally and tie for second in the NCAA among all skaters. He has scored 10 goals this season, which ties for sixth in the country among rearguards.

In conference play, Buium’s eight goals and 20 assists also both led all blueliners, while he became only the third NCHC defenseman ever to record a hat trick, doing so Nov. 15 at North Dakota. He was a unanimous first team all-NCHC selection for the second straight season. The Minnesota Wild first-round draft pick carries a plus-14 plus/minus on the season, while averaging 26:06 time on ice, which is fourth nationally. Buium was a three-time NCHC defenseman of the week this season.

Ferschweiler earned his second NCHC Herb Brooks Coach of the Year honor after first winning it in 2023. This season, he led Western Michigan to its first Penrose Cup, which is also the first regular-season championship in program history. The Broncos finished the regular season with a record of 26-7-1 overall and a mark of 19-4-1 in the conference, before earning their first trip to the Frozen Faceoff since 2022. Ferschweiler’s Broncos are currently ranked number 3 in the country, tying a program best. WMU ranks as the top-scoring team in the NCAA and is tied for sixth on team defense nationally this season.

Another Denver honoree was Davis, who joins Gabe Levin (2016) as the only Pioneers to win the NCHC senior scholar-athlete award. Davis has distinguished himself both academically and athletically during his career at Denver. The two-time national champion is a four-time NCHC all-academic team member and a four-time NCHC distinguished scholar-athlete, as well as a three-time AHCA All-American scholar. The finance major currently carries a 3.96 grade-point average. On the ice, Davis finished the regular season third in the NCHC with a 2.05 goals-against average and fourth with a .922 save percentage in all games played. Last year’s NCAA Frozen Four most outstanding player has started 34 of DU’s 39 games this season, with his 26 wins first nationally. Davis also was a three-time NCHC goaltender of the week this year.

Boisvert shined in his freshman season for the Fighting Hawks, becoming the fourth North Dakota player to win NCHC rookie of the year (Brock Boeser, Shane Pinto, Jackson Blake). The Chicago Blackhawks first-round draft pick leads the Fighting Hawks in scoring with 30 points in all games played. His 16 goals also lead the team and rank third nationally among rookies. In conference games played, Boisvert led all rookies with 11 goals, a mark that tied him for fifth among all NCHC players. He was a unanimous selection to the NCHC all-rookie team, as well as a two-time NCHC rookie of the month and four-time NCHC rookie of the week.

Gloving goaltender of the year was Omaha junior Simon Latkoczy, who became the first Maverick to win the award. The Slovak went 12-8-1 in NCHC play with a conference-best .926 save percentage and a 2.75 goals-against average. He started 31 games this season overall, going 14-16-1. Latkoczy leads the NCHC with 952 saves for an average of nearly 31 saves per game, which also leads the conference. His .922 save percentage is third-best among all NCHC goalies. Latkoczy was a first team all-NCHC honoree this season and a four-time NCHC goaltender of the week.

Western Michigan swept the forward awards with sophomore Alex Bump earning forward of the year and graduate student Tim Washe capturing defensive forward of the year.

Bump followed up his all-rookie team campaign by earning unanimous first team all-NCHC honors. He led the Broncos and ranks third in the NCHC with 43 points this season. The Philadelphia Flyers draft pick has tallied 20 goals overall, tying for third in the NCHC, while his 15 markers in conference play won Bump the NCHC goal-scoring title. He’s added 23 assists this year, while averaging 1.19 points per game. In conference play, Bump tied for third with 29 points in NCHC games and was a two-time forward of the week.

Washe has been a standout for the Broncos in his final season in Kalamazoo, guiding WMU to its first Penrose Cup. The team captain led the NCHC with a faceoff win percentage of 64.5 percent in the regular season, racking up 389 wins in the dot. His 61.4 percent clip in conference play this season was also tops. Washe blocked 24 shots and posted a plus-20 plus/minus rating overall, which is second among NCHC forwards. Washe added a plus-10 mark in conference games. His seven game-winning goals this year tie for third in the NCAA, while he has tallied 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists) in 36 games.

In his first season in the NCHC, senior Ty Murchison picked up NCHC defensive defenseman of the year honors. Murchison was a leader on the Sun Devils blue line this season, helping his team to a runner-up finish in its first NCHC campaign. The ASU alternate captain leads the NCHC with 91 blocked shots, 23 more than anyone else, including 59 in conference play, also first with nearly two and a half blocks per game. As a team, the Sun Devils also tied for third in the NCHC, allowing just 2.75 goals per game. Playing in all 36 games this season, the Philadelphia Flyers draft pick chipped in four assists while posting a plus-7 plus/minus.

Another Sun Devil to leave with hardware Thursday night was ASU graduate student forward Artem Shlaine, who won the NCHC’s three stars award. Shlaine picks up the award after earning 28 ‘three stars’ points this season in NCHC games. He was named the first star of the game four times in conference play. The New Jersey Devils draft pick played a big role in the Sun Devils’ first season in the NCHC. He finished second in conference scoring with 31 points on 14 goals and 17 assists to earn first team all-NCHC honors. The 14 tallies were also second in conference play, while he tied for second in the NCHC with two short-handed goals. Shlaine’s 1.23 points per game are third in the conference in all games played.

Graduate student forward Joe Molenaar became the second straight Bulldog to earn the NCHC sportsmanship award, joining Darian Gotz last year, while he’s the fifth Minnesota Duluth player to claim it in 12 years. Molenaar was connected with the Stien family in the Duluth area after they saw a feature about him discussing the loss of his father to cancer at a young age. At the time, John Stien, the father, was facing a terminal cancer diagnosis. At John’s request, Joe met with him to offer guidance on how to help his kids through the difficult journey the family was facing. Since John’s passing, Joe has remained a source of support for the Stien children, even creating bracelets in their father’s memory to share with teammates and friends.

On the ice, Molenaar has only three minor penalties all season. He was a 2024 Hockey Humanitarian Award nominee and a two-time member of the NCHC academic all-conference team at St. Cloud State, prior to transferring. Now he is working towards his graduate degree in economics at Minnesota Duluth.

Earning the eighth annual NCHC media excellence award is North Dakota radio play-by-play broadcaster Tim Hennessy. Hennessy has served as the voice of North Dakota hockey for 45 years and is one of the two longest-tenured broadcasters in Division I college hockey. He has been on the call for six of UND’s eight national championships, 16 Frozen Fours, 29 NCAA tournament appearances and 10 conference tournament titles. He has worked with five different head coaches and has covered the entire current UND coaching staff as both coaches and players. Hennessy is a two-time North Dakota sportscaster of the year, including this year, and has won multiple regional Emmys for his voiceover work.

For eight of the awards presented Thursday night, winners were determined based on voting by the conference’s nine head coaches and one media member covering each of the NCHC’s nine programs. Athletic directors at each NCHC school had a vote on Herb Brooks Coach of the Year, as well, along with the coaches and media.

The senior scholar-athlete award is voted upon by the conference’s nine faculty athletics representatives (FARs). The sportsmanship award is voted on by conference staff from submitted nominations by member schools, while the media excellence award is voted on by the conference’s sports information directors from submitted nominations. The three stars award goes to the highest point total of ‘stars of the game’ points earned during conference games only (five for first star, three for second star, one for third star).

NCAA D-III Men’s Ice Hockey Quarterfinal Preview: Geneseo v. Aurora

By Tim Costello

-

March 21, 2025

Geneseo senior goaltender Adam Harris will look to quiet the high-paced Aurora attack on Saturday in Geneva. IL (Photo by Geneseo Athletics)

The sole representative from the west that will be hosting a quarterfinal game is Aurora who earned the right with a 3-2 win over Wisconsin Eau-Claire in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Their opponent from the east is the newly crowned champions of the UCHC, Geneseo, who punched their ticket to the quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory over the MAC champions, Stevenson. Both teams feature explosive offensive talent so if you are looking for some goal production on Saturday, this is probably the game to see some crooked numbers on the scoreboard.

“We are looking forward to playing in Chicago,” stated Geneseo head coach Chris Schultz. “Two high powered offenses should make this entertaining for all. We are focusing on our game and being great at it on Saturday.”

Geneseo brings an experienced roster deep wit playoff experience including senior forwards Peter Morgan ((14G – 20A – 34 Pts; +9), Zach Purcell (17G – 12A – 29 Pts; +23) and Cooper Fensterstock (6G – 12A – 18 Pts; +14) along with defenseman Diarmad DiMurro (2G – 13A – 15 Pts; +17) and goaltender Adam Harris (20 GP – 2.41 goals-against average – .919 save percentage) In the win over Stevenson, Morgan opened the scoring while Purcell netted the eventual game -winner with DiMurro picking up a pair of assists and Harris recording twenty-nine saves.

The host Spartans also have some big offensive tools in the form of NCHA All-Star Hassan Akl (13G – 39A – 52 Pts; +28) and the conference Rookie of the Year, Landry Schmuck (30G – 13A – 43 Pts; +28). Junior defenseman Juliano Santalucia (9G – 21A – 30 Pts; +19) is a key player at both ends of the ice while senior goaltender JaCob Mucitelli (23 GP – 2.35 goals-against average – .916 save percentage – 1 shutout) has been a fixture in the crease for the Spartans this season. In last week’s win over the BluGolds, Santalucia scored one goal, while Schmuuck chipped in with an assist and Mucitelli made twenty-four saves to help Aurora advance to the quarterfinals.

This game should be exciting, fast-paced and with enough scoring to keep any hockey fan fully engaged. Puck drop is set for Saturday, March 22 at 7 PM at the Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva, Illinois. The winner of this contest will face the winner of the Trine v. Hobart game in a semifinal next weekend at the Frozen Four.

Wisconsin’s McNaughton recognized as winner of 2024-25 Women’s College Hockey Goalie of the Year Award

By USCHO Staff

-

March 21, 2025

Ava McNaughton has been a wall in the Wisconsin crease this season (photo: Wisconsin Athletics).

The Women’s Hockey Commissioners Association has announced that Wisconsin sophomore Ava McNaughton has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Women’s College Hockey Goalie of the Year Award.

Voting was carried out by a panel of coaches, administrators and members of the media from across the country.

McNaughton has guided the top-ranked Badgers (36-1-2) into the NCAA Frozen Four this weekend in Minneapolis. She leads the NCAA in goals/against average (1.17), wins (34), and winning percentage (.946). Her save percentage of .947 is second in the NCAA, as are her eight shutouts.

Combining her two seasons in Madison, she has played 62 games with an overall record of 54-4-2 with 13 shutouts. Her other two-year numbers of note: 1.28 and .943. Quarterfinal winners against Clarkson (4-1), McNaughton and the Badgers have a semifinal date with Minnesota at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams last met in the WCHA championship game where Wisconsin prevailed 4-3.

In addition to McNaughton, the other finalists for the Women’s College Hockey Goalie of the Year Award were Cornell sophomore Annelies Bergmann and Minnesota Duluth sophomore Ève Gascon.

NCAA D-III Men’s ice Hockey Quarterfinal Preview: Hamilton v. Curry

By Tim Costello

-

March 21, 2025

Curry netminder Shane Soderwall looks to backstop Curry to the Frozen Four with a win over Hamilton on Saturday (Photo by Curry Athletics)

The only quarterfinal game that does note feature an east v. west matchup will be played on Saturday when top-seed Curry hosts Hamilton. The Colonels received a first-round bye as the No. 1 seed in the tournament while Hamilton traveled to Maine where they defeated UNE by a 4-2 score to advance to the quarterfinal round for just the second time in program history. While both teams feature skilled offensive talent, this game will likely turn on the ability for either team to solve two of the nation’s best goaltenders in Curry’s Shane Soderwall and Hamilton’s Charlie Archer.

“It was great to get the bye,” stated Curry head coach Peter Roundy. “We took advantage of the extra time to rest and get ready for Saturday. Earning the opportunity to play a home game in the NCAA quarterfinals is very special for our team as it is the first time in program history. Our fans have been very supportive all year and playing such a big game in front of them is something we are really looking forward to.”

Soderwall, the CNE Player and Goaltender of the Year, has been nothing short of sensational all season long for the Colonels. He enters Saturday’s matchup having played in twenty-six games with a paltry 1.47 goals-against average, .944 save percentage and eight shutouts while posting a 23-3-0 record in goal. Last year’s quarterfinal round saw Soderwall make and NCAA record 98 saves in a 4-3 quadruple overtime loss to eventual champion Hobart so the sophomore sensation will be looking for a better result on home ice on Saturday.

A balanced group of forwards includes senior Eelis Laaksonen (14G – 11A – 25 Pts; +20), junior Manny Cabral (9G – 14A – 23 Pts; +18), junior Gage Dill (6G – 15A – 21 Pts; +10) and first=year Karim Gayfullin ((11G – 10A – 21 Pts; +18). Laaksonen his also particularly effective at the face-off dot where puck possession may be an important element in determining a winner on Saturday.

Hamilton boasts the NESCAC Player of the Year in forward Luke Tchor as well as the Defensive Player of the year in senior goaltender Charlie Archer. Archer stopped twenty-one shots in the UNE victory and saw strong defensive support from seniors William Neault and James Philpott, as well as sophomore Ryan Sordillo.

“I really love the way our team is playing right now,” said Hamilton head coach Rob Haberbusch. “Single elimination hockey is a different animal and we’ve just about seen it all by now. We are excited for the game.”

Coach Roundy noted, ”we have a mature group who continuously improved over the course of the season. We are focused on staying in the moment and enjoying the journey. Hamilton has had a great season. They are a well-coached, structured and skilled team. We are excited for the opportunity to compete for a spot in the Frozen Four.”

Saturday’s game will be played at the Canton Ice House in Canton, Massachusetts with the opening face-off slated for a 3 PM start.

Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey standout Kraemer wins Julie Chu Rookie of the Year honors for ‘24-25 campaign

By USCHO Staff

-

March 21, 2025

Caitlin Kraemer took the college hockey world by storm as a freshman at UMD (photo: Minnesota Duluth Athletics),

Minnesota Duluth freshman forward Caitlin Kraemer has been chosen by the nation’s assistant coaches as the winner of the 2025 Julie Chu Rookie of the Year Award.

Kraemer had 18 goals and 13 assists for 31 points this season, finishing third in scoring for the Bulldogs. She had seven goals on the power play and added two short-handed goals and four game winners. UMD advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals where their season ended in a 1-0 loss to Cornell.

Kraemer is the first Minnesota Duluth player to win this national award.

“We are incredibly proud of Caitlin for being named the national rookie of the year,” said UMD coach Laura Schuler in a statement. “It is an incredible honor that truly reflects her hard work, dedication, and natural talent. Caitlin is not only a standout player but also a student of the game, constantly pushing herself to learn and grow. Her speed, power, skill, and deep understanding of the game set her apart as one of the best in NCAA hockey. Off the ice, Caitlin is an amazing teammate—funny, caring, and always easy to connect with. Our team loves her, and her positive energy and leadership truly make her a joy to be around.

“This recognition is just the beginning for Caitlin, and we can’t wait to see what she accomplishes next.”

The WCHA rookie of the year was chosen WCHA’s rookie of the month three times and was the WCHA rookie of the week four times. Kraemer had two or more points in eight games, including her first collegiate hat trick on Nov. 30 against Vermont.

Kraemer, the all-time leading scorer for Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team, compiled 37 goals in 32 games played for a total of 53 points as a U-18 national team member. She helped Canada’s U-18 squads to a bronze medal in the 2024 IIHF World Championship, where she scored a tournament-high 10 goals for a second-consecutive season after leading the tournament in scoring and Canada to a gold medal in the 2023 U18 Canada IIHF World Championship.

The runner-up for this year’s award was Connecticut’s Claire Murdoch, a freshman forward from Toronto.

The Julie Chu Rookie of the Year is chosen by a vote of the NCAA Division I schools’ assistant coaches, with one vote per staff. The award is named after the former Harvard and U.S. Olympic standout who recorded 93 points as a freshman during the 2003-04 season, en route to a career in which she set an NCAA record with 284 career points. The names on the ballot are each conference’s rookie of the year.

NCAA D-III Men’s Ice Hockey Quarterfinal Preview: St. Norbert v. Utica

By Tim Costello

-

March 21, 2025

Utica defenseman Ben Schultheis and his defense partners will need to bring their A-game against a highly skilled group of St. Norbert forwards (Photo by Michaela VanWormer)

In another powerhouse east vs. west matchup, last year’s Frozen Four participant Utica plays host to five-time national champion St. Norbert with the winner advancing to the final weekend of play. The Pioneers are coming off a comfortable 5-1 first-round win over Fitchburg State while the Green Knights advanced with a 3-1 win over the MIAC champions, Gustavus Adolphus. Both teams have skilled rosters and offensive skills that will challenge team defense and goaltending accordingly.

“We are excited to play one of the Goliaths in D-III college hockey,” noted Utica head coach Gary Heenan. “I have long admired St. Norbert and their head coach Tom Coghlin and his staff. This is a heck of an opportunity for our team. [Logan] Dombrowsky and [Liam] Fraser are special players that we will need to be focused on.”

The Pioneers have shown balance amongst their forwards including the production of graduate students Jakob Breault (15G – 17A – 32 Pts; +22) and Johnny Mulera (16G – 11A – 27 Pts; +16) who leads the team with eight power play goals. Last week’s offensive star, senior Matt Wood (9G – 21A – 30 Pts; +20) has shown big-game performance in last week’s win FSU and will be a presence in front of the Green Knights’ goal challenging the defense and goaltender.

Second semester transfer goaltender Ryan Piros (16G – 1.99 goals-against average – .923 save percentage – 3 shutouts) rebounded from the UCHC championship game loss to Geneseo with a tidy seventeen save, one-goal against performance in last week’s first round game and will need to continue his strong tournament play against a high-powered St. Norbert offense.

Dombrowsky (17G – 33A – 50 Pts), the NCHA Player of the Year and Fraser (21G – 22A – 43 Pts) are dynamic offensively skilled players while conference all-stars, defenseman Dayton Deics (5G – 12A – 17 Pts) and goaltender Hunter Garvey (25 GP – 2.09 goals-against average – .912 save percentage) will be critical elements to the Green Knights producing a big road win to advance to their thirteenth Frozen Four where they have claimed five national championships led by coach Tim Coghlin.

Saturday’s contest is scheduled to be played at 1 PM at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York with the winner advancing to the Frozen Four and a semifinal matchup with the winner of the Hamilton v. Curry quarterfinal game being played later in the day.

BRACKETOLOGY EXTRA: Late-night 2OT winner by Maine in Hockey East gives Quinnipiac, Penn State, Michigan increased NCAA tournament odds

By Jim Connelly

-

March 21, 2025

TJ Hughes has led the Michigan offense this season (photo: Michigan Photography).

Many of you may have been asleep last night by the time that Nolan Renwick redirected Charlie Russell’s shot-pass at 11:02 of the second overtime period to send Maine past Northeastern to the Hockey East title game.

Three teams that began the weekend on the bubble actually saw their odds of making the NCAA tournament increase. Northeastern was one of the six teams that are bubble busters this weekend, so their elimination reduces the number of scenarios where team outside the PairWise bubble can win the championship (and the autobid) from three to two.

Arizona State or North Dakota can still win the NCHC tournament and Dartmouth, Clarkson and Cornell can all win ECAC in Lake Placid. Any of those two results would bounce Michigan from the field.

Should both tournaments deliver a cutline mover, the second team out varies.

If Quinnipiac beats Cornell this evening in Lake Placid, they’ll secure their bid. But a loss brings in a 7% chance for the Bobcats to miss the field.

While the hopes for Michigan, Penn State and Quinnipiac improved on Thursday night, Michigan won’t know its fate on Friday as the either Clarkson or Dartmouth, teams that could bump Michigan, will reach the ECAC final.

One other note from Friday: with the wins, both UConn and Maine keep hopes alive of being a number one seed. Should both team creep into the top four in the PairWise (that would require Western Michigan to lose in the NCHC tournament) and thus earn No. 1 seeds in an NCAA regional, that will eliminate a lot of the problems created in this week’s Bracketology that shifted the AHA champion away from Boston College, the top overall seed.

Plenty of still figure out and Friday will give us a lot of clarity.

NCAA D-III Men’s Ice Hockey Quarterfinal Preview: Trine v. Hobart

By Tim Costello

-

March 21, 2025

Hobart defenseman Austin Mourar has been a big contributor offensively this season with nine goals and 20 points for the Statesmen (Photo by Adam Farid – Hobart and William Smith Colleges)

Following last weekend’s first-round bye, Hobart will begin defense of their national championship with a first ever matchup with Trine on Saturday night in Geneva, NY. The Statesmen are unbeaten on home ice this season and look to extend that streak against a strong challenger in a Thunder team that knocked off Oswego in the first-round last week by a 4-1 score.

“The only people ever to say a week off is a bad thing are the ones that lose the next game,” said Hobart head coach Mark Taylor. “ We had a week of rest, no injuries, no game or bad puck bounces so we will be ready to go on Saturday night in front of our very passionate fan base at “The Cooler” on Saturday.”

Hobart has a very deep lineup starting in goal where juniors Damon Beaver (15 GP – 1.13 goals-against average – .951 save percentage – 5 shutouts) and Mavrick Goyer (13 GP – 0.84 goals-against average – .956 save percentage – 7 shutouts) have combined for twenty-six wins and twelve shutouts this season.

The defensive corps is deep and productive on both ends of the ice led by graduate student Austin Mourar (9G – 11A – 20 Pts; +29), sophomore Bauer Morrissey (3G – 18A – 21 Pts; +22), sophomore Conor Lally (2G – 14A – 16 Pts; +17) and senior Cooper Swift (0G – 16A – 16 Pts; +29). The group is strong situationally and can play with physicality and speed.

Up front the Statesmen boast the NEHC Player of the Year in junior Tanner Daniels (18G – 21A – 39 Pts; +35) who has demonstrated a knack for scoring big goals including five game-winning goals for Hobart this season. Senior Luke Aquaro (14G – 17A – 31 Pts; +29) has also had an impressive season along with a strong set of forwards that gives the Statesmen the depth to continuously roll four lines that are productive on the ice and the scoresheet.

“The tournament was obviously constructed well when see almost all of the top seeds advancing to the next round,” stated Taylor. Trine is a very good team and have a very good coach in Alex Todd who was successful at Castleton and then D-I before coaching at Trine. We know a lot of each other’s players from the recruiting battles, so we expect a challenging game on Saturday where we are ready and excited to play.”

“They are a very good hockey club,” said Todd. ”We are going to have to find ways to take some “inches” in the game that help us compete and be in a position to win. I thought we did a lot of those things in the battle with Oswego and will know look to be a even better in the quarterfinal matchup against Hobart. It will be a tough place to play but we are looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity for the program on the national stage.”

The Thunder face-off with Hobart on Saturday, March 22 at 7 PM at The Cooler in Geneva, New York with the winner advancing to the Frozen Four next weekend.

St. Norbert hockey standout Carter Hottmann ‘peaking at right time’

By Brian Lester

-

March 21, 2025

Carter Hottmann is having a solid senior season at St. Norbert. (Photo Credit: Patrick Ferron/St. Norbert Athletics)

Carter Hottmann is used to trips to the NCAA Division III tournament with St. Norbert.

This year marks his third time going with the Green Knights. And the feeling never gets old.

“It’s a very special opportunity,” Hottmann said. “I’ve made it three out of my four years and making it my senior year with this group of guys is even more special because of the relationships we’ve built.”

Hottmann and the No. 3 Green Knights (24-5-1) are headed into the national quarterfinal round Saturday against sixth-ranked Utica (22-4-2) on the road. The winner moves on to the Frozen Four. It’s a matchup worthy of the tourney, without question, as the two programs have combined for more than 1,000 wins.

And while a team must prepare for an opponent, St. Norbert has to focus on itself as well.

“We can only control what we can control,” Hottmann said. “We have to do our best to sharpen up our details. It’s a special moment playing in the tournament. Everyone is putting a lot of heart into it.”

For Hottmann, he’s having a strong senior year, He has 11 goals and 13 assists, ranking third on the team in points behind Logan Dombrowsky (50) and Liam Fraser (43). He credits those two for his own success.

“I think I’m starting to peak at the right time and I’m playing with two of the best in the nation. That has helped quite a bit,” Hottmann said. “And the whole team is playing well and doing things the right way. And that’s leading to my success, too.”

Hottmann’s goal total is a career high in college. His assist mark matches a career high.

Growing up in Wisconsin, hockey was something he always played. But he’s also a former football and lacrosse player, and really, the direction he ultimately went in came down to a big decision.

“I had some injuries in football in high school and I had to pick a stick in terms of hockey or lacrosse. I ended up choosing hockey,” Hottmann said.

He played in the NAHL for the Janesville Jets and then chose St. Norbert because of its tradition of success, which includes five national championships.

“Every kid dreams of playing D-I and going pro, but when St. Norbert reached out, I gave it a shot,” Hottmann said. “They have the qualities of a Division I program and a super rich history. I toured the campus and that was a big selling point for me.”

He hasn’t looked back, establishing himself as one of the program’s better players Looking back, he knows it was the right decision.

“This is a connected group. We’re best buddies and brothers,” Hottmann said. “We’re all on the same boat, pulling the same rope. We’re working together to do what we need to do to be successful.”

St. Norbert started the year 12-0, looking like a national championship contender out of the gate, but did hit a rough patch after that, dropping four in a row before getting back on track. The Green Knights enter the weekend unbeaten in their last 11.

“It was good for us to start 12-0. The rough patch took us by surprise, but we got back to the details and doing what we were in the first half. That’s what is driving our success now. The learning curve we experienced helped us as a team overall.”

St. Norbert plays in one of the nation’s top conferences, with four teams nationally ranked in the USCHO.com Top 15 and three of them are still playing hockey. The Green Knights beat rival Adrian to win the NCHA crown.

To say St. Norbert has been battle-tested is an understatement.

“You have to tip your cap to our conference,” Hottmann said. “We have three teams in the tournament and Adrian could have been another. It’s really special to do what we’ve done this year, to go back-to-back as conference champs.”

St. Norbert has been close to the Frozen Four during Hottmann’s time at the school. This year, the Green Knights hope to get over the hump. As for this run for Hottmann over the last four years, he’s thankful for it.

“I couldn’t do it without my coaches, teammates and family being in my corner. All the props to them,” Hottmann said. “I’ve worked to be the best I can be on and off the ice and have worked my tail off for these types of moments. It’s very special to be on this team.”

Wisconsin women’s hockey coach Johnson chosen national coach of the year for 2024-25 season

By USCHO Staff

-

March 21, 2025

Mark Johnson is two wins away from another national title at Wisconsin (photo: Wisconsin Athletics).

For leading his Badgers to a 36-1-2 season and the top seed in this year’s NCAA National Collegiate Frozen Four, Wisconsin’s Mark Johnson has been chosen CCM/AHCA Women’s Division I Coach of the Year.

It is the fifth such honor for Johnson and the first since 2011.

The Badgers are two wins away from their NCAA-best eighth national title, all earned under Johnson’s tutelage. They meet WCHA rival Minnesota in Friday night’s semifinal in Minneapolis, following the Cornell-Ohio State opener.

This year’s deep roster boats all three Patty Kazmaier Award finalists in Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey and Casey O’Brien. They also have this year’s national goaltender of the year in sophomore Ava McNaughton.

Johnson was voted the 2024-25 WCHA Coach of the Year by the league’s head and assistant coaches after his success in the regular season. Johnson guided the Badgers to their 10th WCHA regular-season title after recording a 25-1-2 record in league play. Wisconsin won its 11th WCHA Final Faceoff title after a 4-3 defeat of Minnesota in the championship game.

Most recently, the Badgers defeated Clarkson 4-1 in the NCAA Regional Final to advance to their 16th Frozen Four in program history, which is tied for the most appearances in NCAA history with Minnesota.

Johnson has a career record of 665-120-55 in seasons at Wisconsin. No stranger to success in Madison, Johnson was a two-time All-American for the Badgers and is the school’s all time goal-scoring leader (125 goals in 125 games). The son of coaching icon Bob Johnson, Mark was a key player on the 1980 U.S. Olympic “Miracle” team and then enjoyed an 11-year NHL career.

Johnson was assisted this season by Dan Koch, Jackie Crum, and Mark Greenhalgh.

The runner-up for this year’s CCM/AHCA Division I Women’s Coach of the Year Award was Cornell’s Doug Derraugh, a three-time recipient of the award.

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Frozen Four semifinal preview

By Nicole Haase

-

March 21, 2025

(3) Cornell vs. (2) Ohio State
Saturday at 4 p.m. central on ESPN+

3 keys for Cornell

Balance. The Big Red play a spectacular defensive game from the goal out. They’re going to do a good job of forcing Ohio State to make plays if they want to win the game. But that can’t be at the expense of being offensive. This could be a 1-0 game like their win last weekend against UMD, but that seems unlikely. Cornell is likely going to have to pot more than one or two goals to win this game and Ohio State is going to try and really force turnovers and take off quickly in transition to put the stout defense on their heels. That can’t keep the Big Red from pressing forward. They have to find the right moments.
Who steps up? Last season’s Patty Kaz winner Izzy Daniel was the team’s main playmaker and they haven’t had one individual player take on that role this season. At media day Ashley Messier said that the team has faith in each other that someone will always come through, but that’s easier said than done in these situations. The Big Red’s scoring has been really evenly dispersed and that should serve them well here, but when Joy Dunne has twice as many points as Cornell’s leading scorer, Avi Adam, it makes me wonder if the Big Red can keep pace.
Controlling the nerves. All three of the other teams in Minneapolis have the benefit of Frozen Four experience and experience in Ridder Arena. Everyone will have butterflies of being on this biggest stage and the Big Red played in front of a big and loud crowd at home in the quarterfinals, but I think this is going to be a whole new environment. They can’t take a minute to get going, they can’t get overwhelmed and they have to be able to block it all out.

3 keys for Ohio State

Clean defense. As much as I’ve harped on Cornell’s need to find defense, I think you could say the same in the opposite direction for Ohio State. They’re so strong on offense and love to forecheck and push, but that does leave them more vulnerable on defense. I have no doubt Cornell will be trying to exploit that and get in behind.
Momentum. The Buckeyes have a tendency to score in bunches, but sometimes that can start later in the game. It behooves OSU to get on the board early and try to get that downhill momentum that has served them so well this season. The longer Cornell can keep them from doing that, the worse the outlook is for Ohio State.
Goaltending. Cornell’s Annelies Bergmann is one of the top three goalies in the country and just pitched a shutout in the quarterfinals. The Buckeyes have been so overwhelming on offense that they haven’t had to worry too much about giving up goals. Assuming Amanda Thiele gets the start, she hasn’t been as strong this season, with a .884 save percentage and a 2.15 goals against average. That being said, Thiele is the goalie that came in late in the season and won the starting job and carried the Buckeyes to their first title in 2022. They need a strong showing from her here.

Quotable:

“It’s our fifth time representing the Buckeyes at the Frozen Four. We’re sitting amongst a small crowd that has done that, so I think it speaks volumes for what this program has accomplished over the years.” Ohio State coach Nadine Muzerall

“I know we played Cornell, but that seemed like forever ago. I’ve told the ladies to erase that from their memory, because it’s irrelevant.” – Muzerall

“They have some very solid defensive play, systematic, great goaltending, and I think Doug is one of the best coaches in the country, and I have a lot of admiration for him and his style of hockey. So I think it’s going to be a fantastic Friday night.” – Muzerall

“Every team that is in the Frozen Four we have played before and we know how to beat them. We learned from our mistakes against them. So we’re just super excited and really confident.” – Ohio State F Makenna Webster

“We had to do a little bit of restructuring and rebuilding, and we’re just really excited and happy to be back.” – Cornell coach Doug Derraugh, on his top-ranked team missing out on the 2020 tournament due to Covid shutdowns and what it took to get back to the Frozen Four.

“It’s certainly a huge challenge because you’ve got to be solid defensively against Ohio State to give yourself a chance, but you’ve also got to score some goals. So it’s managing risk versus reward and being smart and managing the puck well.” – Derraugh

“We have such a great dynamic between the defensive core and the goalies, and we’re always communicating with each other. I think that’s really what’s carried us through. Each weekend gets bigger and bigger, and I think that our dynamic allows us to grow with that, which I think has been a key part of our success.” – Cornell G Annelies Bergmann

“Everyone gets nervous. We know that. I’m nervous. The other team’s nervous. We all are. But what makes me feel personally a lot better, is reminding myself I love this. I’m good at this. My team’s good at this. It’s not just me. It’s never just one person. I have 20-some other girls around me and an amazing coaching staff, and they’re all feeling the same way. They believe in me and I believe in them, and that’s a good feeling. That’s a good place to be.” Cornell D Ashley Messier

(4) Minnesota vs. (1) Wisconsin
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. central on ESPN+

3 keys for Minnesota

Abbey Murphy. Is it fair to put everything on her? Probably not, but you simply cannot escape that as she goes, this team goes. She has eight goals and five assists in the team’s six postseason games so far. BUT she has just two assists in the Gophers’ five games against Wisconsin this season. If the Badgers do keep Murphy in check, Minnesota still has to find a way to light the lamp. UW outscored the Gophers 27-9 over five games this season and overall, they average 5.4 goals scored per game.
Utilize the tv timeouts. Wisconsin has more depth and will get last change to be able to work the matchups. But with longer tv timeouts, the Gophers can double-shift and worry a lot less about getting caught out against the Badgers.
Staying out of the penalty box. Wisconsin carries the nation’s best power play, scoring 36% of the time while Minnesota’s penalty kill is 23rd in the country at 82.40%. Minnesota simply cannot afford to give the Badgers any advantages.

3 keys for Wisconsin

Fast start. The Badgers can be slow out of the gate at times and in the past few weeks they’ve given up early goals and had to dig themselves out of a hole. They’ve been successful thus far, but despite being the top seed, it’s going to be an uphill battle against Minnesota on their home ice.
Puck possession. Wisconsin’s biggest asset is its ability to keep the other team from having the puck. That means holding it in the zone and making smart choices, but it also means quickly shutting down zone entries and not letting Minnesota get set up. If Abbey Murphy is skating circles around the zone looking for a lane, it does not bode well for the Badgers. They have to close quickly on defense and not be reckless with the puck on offense.
Depth. Wisconsin has all three Patty Kazmaier finalists, but three of their four goals in the WCHA title game were scored by second and third liners, including a defender. TV timeouts take away some of the advantage they have here, but ultimately, they have the ability to win most head to head matchups. While Minnesota has some uncertainties in terms of who scores if their top scorer is neutralized, the Badgers have seven players with more points than the Gophers’ number three scorer.

Quotable:

“At the beginning of the year, it was the goal of ours to be in the position that we’re in right now. The players fought through a lot of adversity and a lot of pressure to get here, and now we’re excited to drop the puck tomorrow.” – Gophers coach Brad Frost

“We’re going to have to execute at a really high level. [The Badgers] are super dangerous on turnovers. They’ve got some of the best offensive players in the history of the women’s game. We believe we can win, first and foremost, but it’s going to take a great effort. No shortcuts and no shifts off. But like our players said, we feel real good about how we’re playing and excited to show that tomorrow.” – Frost

“Obviously we’ve had pretty tough losses this year, but I think that honestly that adversity has been great for us. We’ve learned from it. And coming into this weekend, we almost like that we went through that adversity because now we know how to react if we face any this weekend.” Gophers F Ella Huber

“The WCHA Final Faceoff was the best we’ve played all year. I think after that weekend, we were like, ‘we can really do this thing.’ It brought a lot of belief into our locker room.” – Huber

“Both teams are playing at a high level right now. Both have difference makers. Both goaltenders are playing well. It just sets up for a great semifinal game. The place is sold I don’t know how much better it gets than that.” – Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson

“It’s irrelevant what happened the previous five games. That shouldn’t be in our mind. It should be about where our capability individually and collectively to play our best game. You get in that space and you hope it’s enough. It may not be enough, but you hope it is. Don’t look in your rear view mirror too long, because you’ll crash. I’m looking forward and ahead, and I hope everybody on our team is doing the same thing.” – Johnson

“Maybe in the back of your head, you know how they played last time, and maybe where you need to to improve to make sure that we play our best tomorrow. But I think looking forward is the most important aspect of tomorrow, because what happened in the past is in the past, and we’re just trying to win 60 minutes tomorrow.” – Wisconsin G Ava McNaughton

Renwick lifts Maine to Hockey East title game, scores double-OT winner to bounce Northeastern

By John Doyle

-

March 21, 2025

Owen Fowler scored twice Thursday night to help Maine down Northeastern in the Hockey East semifinals (photo: Matt Dewkett).

BOSTON — Growing up in Canada, Nolan Renwick said he didn’t even know college hockey existed.

So scoring a game-winning overtime goal in the Hockey East semifinals is more of a recent dream for the senior forward from Milestone, Saskatchewan.

Nolan Renwick’s goal at 11:02 of double overtime lifted Maine to a 4-3 win over Northeastern on Thursday night at TD Garden, plus a trip to Friday’s championship game.

“That’s the goal I dream of every night this year,” Renwick said. “Trying to help our team win games and trying to get to this moment.”

No. 2 Maine (23-7-6, 15-5-6 Hockey East) advanced to the Hockey East final for the first time since 2012, when it lost 4-1 to Boston College. Its opponent will be No. 4 Connecticut, a 5-2 winner over No. 3 Boston University in the evening’s first semifinal.

Sophomore forward Charlie Russell fired the puck from the right faceoff circle across the front of the goal and past Northeastern goalie Cameron Whitehead (57 saves) to the far side, where Renwick was stationed to redirect Russell’s pass into the net.

“We figured it was going to be a greasy goal to end it,” Renwick said. “I parked myself at the side of the net and (Russell) saw me and threw it to the back post, and I was lucky it went off me.”

Owen Fowler scored the only goal of the first period, which put Maine up 1-0 at 14:02. Coming out of the penalty box, Fowler scooped up a loose puck near the Northeastern blue line for a breakaway and went 5-hole on Whitehead for the lead.

“He finds a way to score big goals,” Maine coach Ben Barr said. “He’s done that this year for us in big moments. (I) think he enjoys playing in this building. That was big-time for him, getting those two (goals).”

Black Bears goalie Albin Boija finished with 33 saves.

Maine doubled its lead at 2:03 into the second period on Fowler’s second goal, but the Huskies stormed back. Dylan Hryckowian made it 2-1 on a power-play rebound at 4:01, then Cam Lund tied it on a 2-on-1 right after a nifty pass from Jackson Dorrington with just 49 seconds to play in the frame. That’s where it stood after two stops.

Andy Moore scored his first career goal on a rebound at 4:29 of the third period to give Northeastern its only lead of the night at 3-2, but the Black Bears controlled the rest of the frame and got the tying goal off the stick of Luke Antonacci at 12:44.

No. 9 Northeastern (14-20-3, 9-15-3 Hockey East), the lowest seed ever to reach a Hockey East semifinal, saw its Cinderella postseason run come to an end. The Huskies earned wins at No. 8 Merrimack (3-2 in double overtime) and No. 1 BC (3-1).

“Just getting to the final four teams, losing in double overtimes, having two huge playoff wins, that’s something to be really proud of in this league,” Northeastern coach Jerry Keefe said. “I’m really proud of this group to get here.”

Maine twice lost to UConn during the regular season (4-2 at home on Jan. 17 and 3-2 in overtime on Feb. 21 in Storrs, Conn.). The teams skated to a 2-2 tie (with the Black Bears winning the shootout) on Jan. 18 in Orono, Maine.

Maine is seeking it’s first Hockey East tournament title since 2004.

Muldowney’s hat trick leads UConn past BU for berth in Hockey East championship game

By John Doyle

-

March 20, 2025

UConn players celebrate a goal in Thursday’s Hockey East semifinal win over BU (photo: UConn Athletics).

BOSTON — Joey Muldowney had high hopes for his first time playing at TD Garden.

The Connecticut sophomore forward might not have had visions of hats raining down on him, however.

But that’s what happened Thursday night, as Muldowney led the way for the Huskies with a hat trick en route to a 5-2 win over Boston University in the Hockey East semifinals.

“It’s definitely pretty cool,” Muldowney said. “Honestly, though, it felt just like another game. I think that’s the kind of team that we have. We’re winning. It’s just become a habit and it’s pretty awesome.”

UConn advanced to the Hockey East championship game for only the second time in program history and the first since 2022. With its first-ever NCAA berth already wrapped up thanks to its position in the PairWise, fourth-seeded UConn (22-10-4, 14-8-4 Hockey East) now seeks its first Hockey East tournament title.

The Huskies scored three unanswered goals in the first half of the second period, including a highlight-reel strike by Muldowney, his first of the night. Picking up a rebound of his own shot to the left of BU goalie Mikhail Yegorov (19 saves), and with his skates firmly behind the goal line, Muldowney backhanded it into the net just under Yegorov’s glove. UConn led 3-1 at 8:42 of the frame.

“That stretch in the second period, in the first 10 minutes, I thought that was probably some of the best hockey we’ve played all year,” UConn coach Mike Cavanaugh said.

Muldowney scored his second of the night just over five minutes into the third period to close the door on the Terriers. Muldowney slammed the puck past Yegorov’s left skate after Jake Richard snapped a backhanded pass across the front of the net to give UConn a commanding 4-1 lead.

Richard had four assists on the night, none prettier than a second-period pass from the Huskies’ left faceoff circle to a wide-open Ryan Tattle at center ice. Tattle scooped up the puck, skated uncontested into the BU zone and fired the puck past Yegorov for a 2-1 lead at 2:56.

“All I heard was Tattle screaming for the puck (and) I kind of just threw it there,” Richard said. “He was able to catch it nicely. Great finish.”

Tristan Fraser got UConn on the board less than a minute into the second period, following up a rebound of his own shot for just his third goal of the season to tie the game 1-1.

UConn goalie Callum Tung, making his 13th start of the year, made 25 saves, none prettier than a pad save on a one-timer by BU’s Cole Eiserman early in the third period during a Terrier power play with the Huskies clinging to a two-goal lead.

BU opened the scoring with a power-play goal by Quinn Hutson 9:32 of the first. Hutson faked out his defender high in the slot and fired the puck at ice level just past Tung’s left skate and into the back of the net. The Terriers took a 1-0 lead into the break.

“That was a good, old-fashioned (butt) kicking,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo said. “That’s what that was. Out-competed, out-battled for every puck. Out-battled on the wall, out-battled in the slot. They played winning hockey. They wanted to win. They wanted it a heck of a lot more than we did.”

Muldowney completed his hat trick with an empty-net goal at 16:12 to make it a 5-1 game, and BU’s Kamil Bednarik scored with 10 seconds to play to account for the final score.

No. 3 BU (21-11-4, 13-9-4) was looking for its first Hockey East tournament title since 2023. The PairWise already had the Terriers as NCAA worthy. BU will aim for its third straight appearance in the Frozen Four and fifth since 2009, the last year it won the NCAA championship.

Women’s Division I College Hockey: The PodKaz Episode 43 – Frozen Four bonus episode: Hear from players on semifinal eve

By Nicole Haase

-

March 20, 2025

On a bonus episode of the PodKaz from the Frozen Four in Minneapolis, Nicole Haase and Todd Milewski from USCHO.com chat with players from three of the four teams.

Ohio State junior defender Emma Peschel discusses the Buckeyes’ search for a second consecutive NCAA championship.

Ashley Messier, a senior defender, talks about Cornell returning to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2019.

And Minnesota freshman defender Chloe Primerano shares how the Gophers are preparing to play the Frozen Four at home.

Ohio State plays Cornell at 4 p.m. Central on Friday, with Wisconsin vs. Minnesota to follow at 7:30 p.m. Central. Both semifinal games stream on ESPN+.

The PodKaz is a production of USCHO.com. Have a question for our mailbag? Reach out to Nicole (@NicoleHaase) or Todd (@ToddMilewski) on social media or email [email protected].

Find The PodKaz on:
Spotify
Spreaker
iHeart
Amazon
Apple

This Week in Atlantic Hockey America: Holy Cross, Bentley meet this weekend for conference title, NCAA tournament automatic bid

By Chris Lerch

-

March 20, 2025

Bemtley went 1-1-1 against Holy Cross during the 2024-25 regular season (photo: Bentley Athletics).

After three rounds of playoffs, the Atlantic Hockey America tournament is down to the final two teams: Holy Cross and Bentley.

They will play a single game on Saturday in Worcester, Mass., for the title and the right to represent the league in the NCAA tournament.

Previewing the finals

No. 3 Bentley at No. 1 Holy Cross

It’s 2006 all over again. That was the last time these teams met in the finals, and the only other time Bentley got this far.

The Falcons have won a program-best 22 games and are on a four-game winning streak, allowing a total of two goals over that span. Goaltender Connor Hasley has posted 11 shutouts so far this season, one way from the all-time record of 12 set by former Niagara goalie and current Mercyhurst assistant coach Greg Gardner in 1999-2000. Gardner played in 41 games that season; Hasley has appeared in 34 so far.

Bentley features two first-team all-conference players in forward Ethan Leyh (16-22-38) and defenseman Nick Bochen (8-19-27).

Hasley, a third-team all-star, is the main reason why the Falcons have allowed the fewest goals per game in the league (2.03).

Holy Cross is led by two first-team all-stars: forward Liam McLinskey and goaltender Thomas Gale. Defenseman Mack Oliphant (second team) and forward Matt Kursonis (all-rookie) were also recognized.

McLinskey is the repeat Player of the Year in Atlantic Hockey America, putting up 51 points so far. Gale has 24 wins this season in net, a school record.

Holy Cross boasts the top power play (23.7%) and penalty kill (90.4%) in the conference. The Crusaders PK is tied with Boston College for best in Division I.

As good as the Crusaders have been this season, they might have been even better. Holy Cross doesn’t have graduate programs, which means players looking for a fifth year due to the pandemic had to go elsewhere. Jack Ricketts has 28 points for Quinnipiac this season, and former teammates Tyler Ghirardosi and Matt Guerra each put up 19 points at Sacred Heart.

Bentley and Holy Cross met three times this season, with the Crusaders posting a pair of wins.

Awards season, final edition

Here is our final set of award winners. The league has published its finalists and winners, as voted by the coaches. The official AHA winners are in bold.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
2024-25 Finalists:
Mac Gadowsky, So., D, Army West Point
Thomas Gale, Sr., G, Holy Cross
Liam McLinskey, Sr., F, Holy Cross
Our pick: McLinskey, who again leads the league in scoring (23-28-51). He’s the only player to win Atlantic Hockey POTY twice.

FORWARD OF THE YEAR
2024-25 Finalists
Ethan Leyh, Gr., F, Bentley
Liam McLinskey, Sr., F, Holy Cross
Matthew Wilde, So., F, RIT
Our pick: McLinskey, who leads the league in goals (23) and assists (28)

BEST DEFENSEMAN
2024-25 Finalists
Mac Gadowsky, So., D, Army West Point
Nick Bochen, Gr., D, Bentley
Mack Oliphant, Jr., D, Holy Cross
Our pick: Gadowsky, who is leads the nation in goals by a defenseman (16).

GOALTENDER OF THE YEAR
2024-25 Finalists
Connor Hasley, Jr., G, Bentley
Thomas Gale, Sr., G, Holy Cross
Ajeet Gundarah, Fr., G, Sacred Heart
Our pick: Gundarah, who leads the conference in save percentage (.936) and GAA (1.90).

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
2024-25 Finalists
Jack Ivey, Fr., F, Army West Point
Trevor Hoskin, Fr., F, Niagara
Ajeet Gundarah, Fr., G, Sacred Heart
Our pick: Hoskin, a Calgary draft pick, who is currently tied with BU’s Cole Hutson for most points by a freshman (27).

COACH OF THE YEAR
2024-25 Finalists
Brian Riley, Army
Andy Jones, Bentley
Bill Riga, Holy Cross
Our pick: Riley. It’s not a sentimental pick. All three finalists did an amazing job not just for this season, but for the past several years. Jones and Riga took struggling programs and turned them into contenders. But I think the best job this season was by Riley, whose team was under a microscope all season, Riley’s last. Picked to finish tenth, the Black Knights endured a nine-game losing streak in the middle of the season, and then proceeded to go 12-5-2 the rest of the way, earning a bye and then upsetting Niagara in the quarterfinals before giving Holy Cross all it could handle in their semifinal series.

With gratitude

This is my last column of the season, my 26th at USCHO.com and my 19th covering Atlantic Hockey.

This is where I thank the editors, coaches, players and SIDs that have given me their time and attention this season. It’s also where I thank my family for tolerating me during hockey season and continuing to encourage me to continue writing.

This time, I also want to thank a pair of coaches that are moving on — Brian Riley and Eric Lang. I have known both since I started covering the league in 2006, and I am forever grateful for the hours I have spent talking with them, gathering their insights and sometimes just talking about life. I’ve had some health challenges this season and felt comfortable sharing that with them. They were positive and encouraging as always.

Brian is retiring, and I wish him the best in whatever the future holds. Lang will land on his feet at a school that will be very lucky to have him. Eric learned from some of the best: Gary Wright at AIC, and Riley, with whom Lang worked as an assist for four seasons before taking the AIC job.

I hope our paths cross again.

And thank you, dear reader. The season isn’t over yet. I’ll see some of you in St. Louis in a few weeks. Until then, enjoy the hockey to come.

Union junior blueliner Prokop forgoes senior season, signs NHL deal with Maple Leafs

By USCHO Staff

-

March 20, 2025

John Prokop played a key role on the Union back end his three seasons with the team (photo: Mary Gettens).

The NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs announced Thursday that the team has signed Union junior defenseman John Prokop to a one-year contract beginning in the 2025-26 season.

He will join the AHL’s Toronto Marlies for the remainder of the 2024-25 season on an amateur tryout.

Prokop posted 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists) in 36 games with Union this season. The Wausau, Wis., native skated in 107 career games with Union, posting 85 points (20 goals, 65 assists).

In addition, Prokop was named to the ECAC Hockey all-academic team (2022-23), All-America East second team (2023-24) and ECAC Hockey first team (2023-24).

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Michigan State-Ohio State conference title game ‘going to be a great atmosphere’ in East Lansing

By Paula C. Weston

-

March 20, 2025

Michigan State went 3-1-0 during the regular season against Ohio State (photo: Ohio State Athletics).

Raise your hand if you predicted at the start of the 2024-25 season that Ohio State would be playing for the Big Ten tournament championship this weekend.

If your hand’s up, you’re either a diehard Buckeye fan or someone whose familiarity with honesty is questionable.

Picked to finish last in the Big Ten preseason coaches’ poll, Ohio State advances to this week’s conference title game against Michigan State after beating Penn State 4-3 in semifinal action last Saturday.

The difference between where they were picked and where they are now isn’t lost on this Ohio State team or Buckeyes head coach Steve Rohlik.

“To be honest, when you play in the best league in the country, someone’s one and someone’s seven,” said Rohlik. “We never really talked about it as a team, but you know, guys see it … and we said the only thing that matters is what happens and what we believe in that room.

“All the credit to our guys. They just wanted to continue to get better. They just want to be players here and they really believe in our development process.”

In the win against Penn State, the Buckeyes’ best players combined at just the right time. After Matt DiMarsico scored late in the third period to tie the game for the Nittany Lions, Ohio State outshot Penn State 6-1 in overtime, with Gunnarwolfe Fontaine finding the back of the net from Riley Thompson and Davis Burnside – Ohio State’s top three scorers – at 14:31 in OT.

That goal, the 16th of the season for Fontaine, gives the Buckeyes the chance to play for the B1G conference title for the third time. Ohio State remains the only team in the league that has yet to capture that crown.

“One, I’m just proud of the guys that we have an opportunity,” said Rohlik. “Again, every week’s such a grind in our league.”

No one knows that better than Rohlik, whose Buckeyes needed three games to get past sixth-place Wisconsin in the quarterfinal round Mar. 7-9. “I say the toughest weekend of the year is that best two-out-of-three weekend in the Big Ten,” said Rohlik, “and if you can get through that, then all of a sudden, the next game – and what a game it was here.

“Now we’ve got a chance, but we’re playing the best team in the country, the No. 1 team in the country. They don’t have a lot of holes, but you know what? This is playoff hockey. We don’t have to beat them twice. We’ve just got to beat them once.”

Now Ohio State faces off in East Lansing against Michigan State, the top team in the USCHO.com Poll and the No. 2 team in the PairWise Rankings. The Spartans are now regular-season champions for the second consecutive season, and on top of that, Michigan State is the defending Big Ten playoff champ.

“Excited about our guys getting the opportunity to play another game at Munn,” said Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale. “In order to do that, you’ve got to win the regular season, which we did, and you’ve got to win another game, so now we have a chance to play another game in front of our home crowd.”

To earn that right, Michigan State won their semifinal game last weekend against a very determined Notre Dame team. The week prior to that – when the Spartans were enjoying a first-round playoff bye week – the Fighting Irish knocked off Minnesota on the road in three games to advance to the semifinal round.

Given that the Irish finished last in the conference and the Golden Gophers were co-regular season champs, Notre Dame came into Munn Arena and gave the Spartans all they could handle. After a scoreless two periods of play, Isaac Howard scored the only goal of the game on the Michigan State power play 19 seconds into the third period, assisted by Karsen Dorwart and Matt Basgall.

And just as it was for Ohio State against the Nittany Lions, the Spartans needed that their biggest scorers to step up in a very hard-fought game. That win is a lesson that can only help Michigan State in the remainder of the post-season, said Nightingale.

“Obviously, Munn was rocking and we were playing a team that was hot [and] playing some really good hockey, and I think our guys stayed with it,” said Nightingale.

“I think that’s the message to our guys. Playoff hockey’s hard. You can’t expect offense to be easy. We had to work for it. We stayed with it and I don’t think we deviated, and that’s a good reminder for us down the stretch in how we need to play.”

The Spartans enter Saturday’s championship game battle-tested in ways that the Buckeyes are not. In addition to their conference success of these two most recent seasons, Michigan State has won on some big stages. In December, the Spartans captured the Great Lakes Invitational tournament in Van Andel Arena, where the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Griffins of the AHL play, and in February, Michigan State won the annual Duel in the D, beating arch-rival Michigan in front of nearly 20,000 people in Little Caesars Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings.

Even finishing on top of the conference standing demanded the Spartans play their best at crucial time. One week after tying and losing to Penn State at home, Michigan State traveled to South Bend for what were Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson’s final home games, ever. Jackson announced his retirement at the start of the season, and as the last-place team in the conference, the Fighting Irish finished their season after that weekend on the road in the Big Ten playoffs.

The Spartans beat the Irish by a score of 5-2 each night of that series (Feb. 28-Mar. 1), each night in front of more than 5,000 hostile fans.

“To win the regular season this year,” said Nightingale, “we went on the road to Notre Dame and we needed some help, but we needed to win both hockey games and we got the job done.”

Here’s a look at how Ohio State and Michigan State compare, by the overall numbers.

Scoring offense: Ohio State, 3.18 (18th); Michigan State, 3.49 (eighth)

Scoring defense: Ohio State, 2.47 (18th); Michigan State, 2.00 (fourth)

Power play: Ohio State, 17.9% (43rd); Michigan State, 23.3% (17th)

Penalty kill: Ohio State, 77.9% (40th); Michigan State, 82.1% (20th)

Points leader: Ohio State, Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (16-23-39); Michigan State, Isaac Howard (24-23-47)

Top goal scorer: Ohio State, Riley Thompson (17); Michigan State, Isaac Howard (24)

Top goaltender: Ohio State, Logan Terness (2.25 GAA, .925 SV%); Michigan State, Trey Augustine (2.02 GAA, .927 SV%)

In addition to featuring the last two Big Ten teams standing, this series features a number of Big Ten postseason award winners.

Michigan State’s Isaac Howard is the conference player of the year and goaltender Trey Augustine is goaltender of the year. Howard is also one of the 10 Hobey Baker finalists, while Augustine is one of the four finalists for the Mike Richter Award.

“Both those guys have done a great job,” said Nightingale. “Trey’s obviously had a heck of season for us to win goaltender of the year, and then Ike player of the year, but I think with both those guys it goes back to what they really want – the root of it, why they do everything they do – is they want Michigan State to be great. They want Michigan State to win, and obviously they’re reaping the benefit of that with some individual accolades.”

Michigan State defenseman Matt Basgall was named to the conference first team as well.

No Ohio State players were recognized, but their coach earned coach-of-the-year honors. Rohlik credited everyone else around him for that accomplishment. “I’ve been very blessed to be around some really good coaches, a great support staff and some great players,” said Rohlik, “and they’ve all made me look good.”

As for any Ohio State players overlooked for year-end honors, Rohlik was philosophical about that, too.

“I think our team’s getting recognized because we’re playing in the Big Ten championship,” said Rohlik. “I think that’s the biggest thing I can say, and I think that every guy to a ‘T’ in there would give up any individual award to have a team award, and that’s why we go by team family and belief. That’s what we’re doing right now.”

There is no chance of Nightingale and the Spartans underestimating the Buckeyes, even though Michigan State took three of the four regular-season meetings between the programs, with the Spartans outscoring the Buckeyes 13-6 in those contests.

“I think Rohls does a great job,” said Nightingale. “Their staff does a great job, I think they play team hockey, they’re well coached, they’re organized and anyone can beat anyone in our conference.

“When you have a smaller number of teams in your conference and you look at the pedigree of the teams in our conference, there are no nights off.”

Like the Spartans, the Buckeyes know what they’re up against.

“We understand the animal we’re playing,” said Rohlik. “They’re well coached. Adam’s done an incredible job. But our guys have a belief … and all we have to do is win one game.

“It’s going to be a great atmosphere, playing in the Big Ten championship. What else can you ask for?”

Ohio State (24-12-2) faces off against Michigan State (25-6-4) at 7:30 p.m. at Munn Ice Arena. The game will televised by the Big Ten Network.

Looking at odds for Hockey East, ECAC, NCHC semifinals, CCHA, AHA, Big Ten finals: USCHO Edge college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 20

By Jim Connelly Dan Rubin and Ed Trefzger

-

March 20, 2025

USCHO Edge hosts Jim Connelly, Dan Rubin, and Ed Trefzger look at money lines and over/under for the Hockey East, ECAC, and NCHC semifinals, and the championship games in the CCHA, Atlantic Hockey, and Big Ten for March 20-22, 2025.

UConn +105 vs. BU -135; over/under 6.5
Northeastern +220 vs. Maine -298; o/u 4.5
Cornell +124 vs. Quinnipiac -160; o/u 5.5
Dartmouth +110 vs. Clarkson -140; o/u 5.5
Denver -175 vs. Arizona State +135; o/u 6.5
North Dakota +154 vs. Western Michigan -200; o/u 6.5
St. Thomas +180 @ Minnesota State -230; o/u 4.5
Bentley +135 @ Holy Cross -175; o/u 4.5
Ohio State +180 @ Michigan State -125; o/u 5.5

This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men’s Division I Frozen Four, April 10 and 12 in St. Louis. Get your tickets now at ncaa.com/frozenfour

Subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.

Check out all of USCHO’s podcasts, including USCHO Weekend Review and USCHO Spotlight, plus our entire podcast archive.

Continue

This Week in Hockey East: There’s still something at stake for Maine, BU, Northeastern, UConn in conference semifinals at TD Garden

By John Doyle

-

March 20, 2025

Cameron Whitehead made 30 saves in goal as Northeastern upset Boston College last weekend in the Hockey East quarterfinals (photo: Jim Pierce).

One could look at the Hockey East semifinals and assume there’s little at stake.

Only Northeastern, the No. 9 seed, is fighting for its survival beyond this weekend — the Huskies need to win the Lamoriello Trophy for a bid to the NCAA tournament. The other three schools — Connecticut, Boston University and Maine — are already in, based on their position in the PairWise.

But look again. UConn, with only two players who were on the team the last time it made it to Boston, would love to take some conference-championship vibes into what will be the program’s first NCAA tourney berth. Maine, having last year broken a 12-year semifinal drought, is itching to make it back to the final for the first time since 2012. And BU is looking to become the first Terrier team since 2009 to lift the Lamoriello Trophy and the Beanpot in the same year, and the first since Northeastern in 2019.

The 2022 tournament marked the last time UConn made it this far. That year Mike Cavanaugh’s club, as the No. 4 seed, beat top seed Northeastern 4-1 in the semifinals before dropping an OT thriller, 2-1, to No. 2 Massachusetts. Only forward Hudson Schandor and defenseman John Spetz remain from that team.

“We’ve got a group in there that’s really looking forward to competing,” UConn coach Mike Cavanaugh said. “We know we have a great challenge in front of us. (There’s) not a lot of holes in the Terriers, so we’re going to have to play extremely well.”

TD Garden will be the venue on Thursday night starting with No. 4 UConn vs. No. 3 BU at 4 p.m., followed by Northeastern vs. No. 2 Maine in the second game of the semifinal doubleheader. The championship game is set for Friday night at 7:30 p.m. All three games will be on NESN-plus.

BU last skated on the Garden ice just five weeks prior, beating rival Boston College, then ranked No. 1 in the USCHO men’s D-I poll, 4-1 in the Beanpot final.

“I think it certainly helps that our group has experience playing in that building,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo said. “It certainly can’t hurt you, that’s for sure. But I think once the game gets going, I don’t know how much it matters after that.”

After a breaking a dozen-year streak of zero appearances in either the Hockey East semifinals or the NCAA tournament, Maine was one-and-done in each in 2024. To go deeper in this year’s league tournament — and get a possible playoff rematch vs. BU, which eliminated the Black Bears in the 2024 semifinals — senior forward Harrison Scott said it will be important for his team to stay mentally focused.

“It’s just going to come down to the little things, the little details,” said Scott. “And it’s about managing the game in our head. We can’t get too worried about the external pressure, the noise. It’s fun, but it comes down to being locked in — being focused on what you need to do to win.”

Northeastern comes into this year’s Hockey East semifinals as the clear underdog/Cinderella story. With an 14-19-3 overall record and 9-14-3 conference mark, Northeastern pulled off a 3-1 win over conference regular-season champion (and defending tournament champ) BC in the quarterfinals.

The win was not an aberration to Northeastern coach Jerry Keefe, who noted his team has given up 10 empty-net goals this season, indicating it has played in a number of close games. The team has played in nine games decided by one goal, and one statistical analysis indicates it has endured the fourth-toughest schedule in the country.

“This time of year, that’s the goal — to try to flip those one-goal games,” Keefe said. “This group has some confidence right now. It’s not going to be easy (against Maine). It wasn’t easy (against BC), it wasn’t easy against Merrimack (in the preliminary round). We’re going to have to go into the Garden, stick to our plan, and win a close game.”

NCAA D-III Men’s Ice Hockey Quarterfinal Game Picks – March 22, 2025

Denver’s Buium named NCHC player of the year for 2024-25, WMU’s Ferschweiller top coach, North Dakota’s Boisvert best rookie

NCAA D-III Men’s Ice Hockey Quarterfinal Preview: Geneseo v. Aurora

Wisconsin’s McNaughton recognized as winner of 2024-25 Women’s College Hockey Goalie of the Year Award

NCAA D-III Men’s ice Hockey Quarterfinal Preview: Hamilton v. Curry

Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey standout Kraemer wins Julie Chu Rookie of the Year honors for ‘24-25 campaign

NCAA D-III Men’s Ice Hockey Quarterfinal Preview: St. Norbert v. Utica

BRACKETOLOGY EXTRA: Late-night 2OT winner by Maine in Hockey East gives Quinnipiac, Penn State, Michigan increased NCAA tournament odds

NCAA D-III Men’s Ice Hockey Quarterfinal Preview: Trine v. Hobart

St. Norbert hockey standout Carter Hottmann ‘peaking at right time’

Wisconsin women’s hockey coach Johnson chosen national coach of the year for 2024-25 season

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Frozen Four semifinal preview

Renwick lifts Maine to Hockey East title game, scores double-OT winner to bounce Northeastern

Muldowney’s hat trick leads UConn past BU for berth in Hockey East championship game

Women’s Division I College Hockey: The PodKaz Episode 43 – Frozen Four bonus episode: Hear from players on semifinal eve

This Week in Atlantic Hockey America: Holy Cross, Bentley meet this weekend for conference title, NCAA tournament automatic bid

Previewing the finals

Awards season, final edition

With gratitude

Union junior blueliner Prokop forgoes senior season, signs NHL deal with Maple Leafs

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Michigan State-Ohio State conference title game ‘going to be a great atmosphere’ in East Lansing

Looking at odds for Hockey East, ECAC, NCHC semifinals, CCHA, AHA, Big Ten finals: USCHO Edge college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 20

This Week in Hockey East: There’s still something at stake for Maine, BU, Northeastern, UConn in conference semifinals at TD Garden

Latest Stories from around USCHO

With Denver ‘home for me and my family,’ Carle inks multi-year contract extension to remain behind Pioneers’ bench

Bowling Green assistant coach Paskaris leaves bench, named assistant athletics director for development with Falcons

Women’s Division I College Hockey: The PodKaz Offseason interview – A visit with 2-time defending NCAA championship coach Joe Cranston of UW-River Falls

After 42 years coaching Amherst men’s hockey team, Arena retires as ‘heart and soul’ of Mammoths program

Western New England men’s hockey coach Young announces resignation after four seasons with Golden Bears

SUNYAC tabs Fredonia’s Sudbrink as conference men’s hockey scholar-athlete of the year for ’24-25 season

‘A proud day’ as former Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey captain Brodt tabbed new head coach for St. Scholastica

Denver sophomore blueliner, recent Wild signee Buium tabbed USCHO Player of the Year for ’24-25 season

Western Michigan’s Ferschweiler leads Broncos to national championship, named unanimous USCHO Coach of the Year for 2024-25 campaign

After 48-point freshman season with Boston University, Hutson adds to accolades with 2024-25 USCHO Rookie of the Year honor

Wisconsin’s Simms, McNaughton, Minnesota’s Primerano take home final women’s hockey HCA monthly honors for ’24-25 season

Final HCA men’s hockey monthly honors for ’24-25 season go to Western Michigan’s Washe, BU’s Hutson, Denver’s Davis, Bentley’s Hasley, Minnesota State’s Tracy