Adrian takes aim at another NCHA crown Saturday when it faces off against Aurora. (Photo Credit: Adrian Athletics)
Three games. Three titles. Three berths to the NCAA Division III hockey tournament on the line.
It all comes down to an exciting Saturday night of hockey in the west region.
The NCHA final features a pair of top 10 teams in the USCHO NCAA Division III men’s poll, with No. 3 Adrian and No. 8 Aurora battling for the Harris Cup.
St. Scholastica and Augsburg square off for the MIAC crown and seventh-ranked UW-Stevens Point battles UW-Eau Clair for the Commissioner’s Cup.
All three games are slated for Saturday. Here’s a look at my game picks.
Adrian (22-4-2) vs. Aurora (19-7-2)
The reigning national champion Bulldogs are the favorite. They swept the regular-season series against the Spartans, and did so in impressive fashion, winning the two games by a combined score of 16-6. They come into this title matchup having won their last three games and are 13-2 on their home ice.
Matus Spodniak is the player of the year in the conference and leads the country in scoring with 28 goals and 27 assists. If he’s on his game, the Bulldogs are going to be tough to stop as they take aim at a repeat.
The Spartans are just 5-5-1 away from home this season face a tall order taking on the Bulldogs with a title on the line.
But are they up to the task? Of course. Adam Keyes and Jack Jaunich are two of the best players in the league and have fueled the offensive attack of the Spartans, combining for 25 goals and 29 assists.
A quick start is key for Adrian. You don’t want the Bulldogs getting off to a hot start in their building. It won’t surprise me if Aurora pulls this off, but I’m going with Adrian. Adrian, 7-4
UW-Stevens Point (18-5-4) vs. UW-Eau Claire (18-8-1)
For the ninth consecutive year, the Pointers are playing for the Commissioner’s Cup. They enter the title bout on a five-game winning streak and look to keep the momentum rolling in their favor.
They went 2-1 against the Blugolds in the regular season, with one game being decided in overtime – a 3-2 win for the Pointers – and are seeking their first conference crown since 2019 when they won the national championship.
UW-Eau Claire has prevailed the last two times these teams have played for the conference title, including last year when it rolled to a 6-2 win on the road.
The Blugolds are playing well right now, winning four consecutive games, and they won’t make anything easy for the Pointers.
UW-Stevens Point is the top goal-scoring team in the conference with 95 goals. UW-Eau Claire has tallied 88. But I expect this one to be a defensive battle. After all two of the three times these teams played this season, one goal decided the outcome. UW-Stevens Point, 3-2
St. Scholastica (17-6-3) vs. Augsburg (15-9-2)
The fact that both of these teams are playing for the MIAC title isn’t a surprise. St. Scholastica has been the front-runner all season in the conference. Augsburg has made a habit of playing for the MIAC crown. The Auggies fell short of it a year ago but still made a run to the final four.
The Saints have won two in a row and are 11-2-1 at home this season. The Auggies are just 6-7 on the road but they know what it takes to win games like this.
In the regular season, the two teams played to a 5-5 tie in the opening game of their series before the Saints prevailed in a shootout. St. Scholastica finished out that series with a 4-1 win.
No team has put up more goals than the Saints, who hae 108 on the year. The Auggies rank second in goals scored with 89. I can definitely see this game being a high scoring affair, especially with the Saints featuring four of the top five scorers in the league, including goal leader Arkhip Ledenkov (21).
Gavin Holland of Augsburg ranks seventh in the conference with 13 goals. Augsburg winning wouldn’t be a surprise, but I think this special season continues for the Saints. St. Scholastica, 5-3
Kaylee Merrill was an offensive spark plug this season for Potsdam (photo: Evan Whitney).
Potsdam senior forward Kaylee Merrill has been selected the 2023 NEWHL player of the year.
The honor is voted upon by the head coaches of the NEWHL.
This marks the first time in the five-year history of the league that a player from a team other than Plattsburgh has garnered the conference’s top award.
The Cardinals’ Annie Katonka captured the award in 2020 and 2022, while Melissa Sheeran was selected as the player of the year in 2018 during the NEWHL’s inaugural season. In 2019, the honor belonged to Courtney Moriarty. The NEWHL did not compete in 2020-21.
Merrill, who jumped to the All-NEWHL First Team this season after earning Second Team accolades in 2022, is still among the leaders in multiple offensive categories despite the Bears not making the playoffs this season.
The veteran team leader tops the NEWHL in goals scored (27) and points (39), and she ranks second in game-winning goals with six. Her total of 12 assists is tied for 16th in the league, while her plus-15 rating is tied for 19th.
The NEWHL also announced its two all-conference teams, rookie of the year, and goaltender of the year.
Cortland freshman defensive player Ainsley Delacourt has been selected the 2023 NEWHL rookie of the year and is one of six players to land on the NEWHL’s All-Rookie Team.
Delacourt earned the honors for being the player who received the most points during voting for the NEWHL all-rookie squad. She follows teammate Mia Hlasnick, who claimed the award in 2022.
The NEWHL All-Rookie Team is voted upon by the head coaches of the conference.
Delacourt is a key reason behind Cortland’s return trip to the NEWHL championship game on March 4 in Plattsburgh. The rookie has amassed 20 points on six goals and 14 assists so far this season and is currently tied for 14th in scoring and tied for ninth in assists. She also has a plus-13 rating.
Canton senior Sirena Alvarez is the NEWHL goaltender of the year.
The award is voted upon by the head coaches of the NEWHL.
The NEWHL goaltender of the year award is presented to the goalie who receives the most points during voting for the all-league team.
Alvarez currently ranks fourth in the NEWHL in goals-against average with a 2.52 mark, while she is fifth in save percentage with a .920 rate.
One of the major workhorses in the NEWHL, Alvarez’s 664 saves rank second in the conference and her .543 winning percentage (12-10-1 overall record) is third-best in the conference.
NEWHL All-Conference First Team
F: Sara Krauseneck (Plattsburgh)
F: Kaylee Merrill (Potsdam)
F: Mia Hlasnick (Cortland)
D: Sierra Benjamin (Plattsburgh)
D: Amanda Zenstein (Oswego)
G: Sirena Alvarez (Canton)
NEWHL All-Conference Second Team
F: Ariella Haas (Oswego)
F: Simone Bednarik (Oswego)
F: Julia Masotta (Plattsburgh)
D: Ainsley Delacourt (Cortland)
D: Mattie Norton (Plattsburgh)
G: Molly Goergen (Cortland)
Danielle Serdachny helped Colgate to the 2022 ECAC Hockey championship (photo: Justin Wolford).
ECAC Hockey has announced the recipients of the league’s major individual award winners for the 2022-23 season ahead of crowning the ECAC Hockey tournament champion this weekend in New Haven, Conn.
Awards were determined by a full nomination and voting process involving the league’s 12 head coaches.
ECAC Hockey Player of the Year & Forward of the Year: Danielle Serdachny, Colgate
In a season unlike any other for the Raiders, Colgate captain Danielle Serdachny brings home the highest individual honor for a league competitor: ECAC Hockey Player of the Year. After shattering the program record for overall single-season points (previously held at 55), Serdachny also broke the Raiders’ record for career points (previously held at 163). A formidable presence on the ice but a compassionate, resilient leader off of it, Serdachny earns her second ECAC Hockey player of the year award to cap off an unbeatable 2022-23 campaign.
ECAC Hockey Defender of the Year: Emma Seitz, Yale
Seitz takes home ECAC Hockey defender of the year for the second year in a row. Through 22 league contests this season, the senior put up nine goals and added six assists, finishing tied for third league-wide in scoring among blue liners. Seitz also put up an impressive 27 blocked shots during league play and has helped the Bulldogs maintain their league-leading 34 goals against. A three-time ECAC Hockey defender of the week (Nov. 29, Jan. 31, Feb. 7), Seitz has also been unstoppable offensively this season.
ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Year: Pia Dukaric, Yale
Slovenian sophomore Pia Dukaric earns ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Year in her first full season between the pipes for the Bulldogs. With the most playing time of all of the league’s goaltenders, Dukaric still finished second in save percentage (.928) and goals against average (1.49) in the league, earning 19 wins through 22 games and making 400 saves en route to five shutouts.
ECAC Hockey Co-Rookies of the Year: Jade Iginla, Brown & Jordan Ray, Yale
Brown freshman phenom Jade Iginla and unanimous ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team selection Jordan Ray have been crowned ECAC Hockey Co-Rookies of the Year.
In her first season at the collegiate level, Iginla led the Bears with 12 goals, tied for second in the league among rookies, and added 3 assists for a total of 15 points. Three of her tallies were scored shorthanded and two were scored on the power play, with one game-winner and one hat trick (Feb. 3) to boot.
Ray was also a top performer for the Bulldogs and led league rookies in scoring with 13 goals and 18 assists during league play for a total of 31 points. She finished the season with a plus-25 rating and had two game-winners, along with tallying her first career hat trick in a 10-1 win over Union on Feb. 3.
ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year: Mark Bolding, Yale
For the second straight season, Bolding has earned ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year honors. In just his third season at the helm of Yale women’s hockey, Mark Bolding has continued to push his team to be their best and stay on top of the league and at the national level. In 2022-23, Bolding coached the Bulldogs to an unprecedented 19-2-1 league finish and the program’s first ever ECAC Hockey regular season title. After helping the team to a berth in the 2022 Frozen Four, Bolding has sights set on the league championship before turning attention to the national playing field.
First Team All-ECAC
Danielle Serdachny F Colgate Sr.
Elle Hartje F Yale Jr.
Gillis Frechette F Cornell Sr.
Emma Seitz D Yale Sr.
Sydney Bard D Colgate Sr.
Pia Dukaric G Yale So.
Second Team All-ECAC
Julia Gosling F St. Lawrence Jr.
Olivia Mobley F Quinnipiac Jr.
Izzy Daniel F Cornell Jr.
Kendall Cooper D Quinnipiac Jr.
Nicole Gosling D Clarkson Jr.
Hannah Murphy G Colgate So.
Third Team All-ECAC
Kristýna Kaltounková F Colgate Jr.
Claire Dalton F Yale Sr.
Gabrielle David F Clarkson Sr.
Allyson Simpson D Colgate Sr.
Haley Winn D Clarkson So.
Amanda Rampado G Rensselaer Sr.
ECAC All-Rookie Team
Jordan Ray F Yale Fr.
Jade Iginla F Brown Fr.
Elyssa Biederman F Colgate Fr.
Grace Dwyer D Cornell Fr.
Alyssa Regalado D Cornell Fr.
Taylor Hyland G Princeton Fr.
In addition, Serdachny has been named the winner of the inaugural Wayne Dean Sportsmanship Award.
The award, announced in November 2022, is named in honor of the late Wayne Dean, the former Yale deputy director of athletics who played a significant role in the growth and success of ECAC Hockey and NCAA collegiate ice hockey. Beginning this year, the award will annually honor an ECAC Hockey student-athlete (men’s or women’s) who demonstrates the highest level of integrity and sportsmanship; displays the utmost respect for student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and officials, as well as the game/sport; and encourages all individuals to demonstrate good sportsmanship and ethical conduct inside and outside of the competition setting.
Serdachny, the award’s first winner, has long been praised for her excellence and leadership on and off the ice, earning a reputation for honesty, intensity, and respect for the game. A two-year captain at Colgate, Serdachny has been involved in the Hamilton community since she stepped foot on campus as a freshman in 2019-20 and has made it her mission to give back not only to the community that has watched her grow into the accomplished player she is today, but to the game of hockey as well.
On the ice, Serdachny has impressed her competition, her teammates, her coaches, and her fans for years. In 2019, she won a gold medal with Canada’s U-18 team and recently earned her first selection to the Canadian women’s senior national team this fall when she represented her country in the 2022-23 Rivalry Series in December.
In her four years as a Raider, she has set and broken records, currently holding the single-season assists record (set in 2021-22, with 38, and again set in 2022-23 with 43), the single-season points record (set in 2022-23, currently at 65), and the career points record (set in 2022-23, currently at 172). She is a two-time ECAC Hockey forward and player of the year (2020-21 and 2022-23), and most recently led the Raiders to back-to-back ECAC Hockey tournament championships (2021 and 2022).
Also a co-founder and mentor for Rising Raiders, Colgate’s mentorship program for young female hockey players in New York, Serdachny has been committed to giving back to and supporting Hamilton in the same way the community has supported her and her teammates. She has helped organize inclusive learn-to-skate events, participated in Skate with the Raiders events, and volunteered with community initiatives to help clean up Hamilton.
“She leads our team in a very respectful and caring manner, supporting [her] teammates to help them be the best they can be,” said Colgate coach Greg Fargo. “She has been seen assisting children, individuals with disabilities, and aspiring young players with their skating or their game on numerous occasions, demonstrating [her] understanding that she has a responsibility to grow the game and give back.”
ECAC Hockey has also named the 2023 Mandi Schwartz scholar-athlete of the year, honoring Seitz for her excellence and leadership on the ice, in the classroom, and in the community.
The award is annually presented to an ECAC Hockey female student-athlete in honor of the late Mandi Schwartz, a Yale women’s hockey alum whose battle with cancer continues to inspire and empower the entire hockey community. Seitz is the fifth Bulldog to win the award, following Lucy Burton (2020), Alyssa Zupon (2013), Aleca Hughes (2012), and Jackee Snikeris (2011).
Seitz has not only been a part of a history-making Yale women’s hockey program but played an integral role in the team’s transformation into a national contender, establishing winning records in the regular season and making their first ever national tournament berth in 2021-22, winning all the way to the Frozen Four. For her hard work over the past four years, Seitz has been awarded First Team All-ECAC (2021-22 and 2022-23), Second Team All-American (2021-22), and Second Team All-ECAC (2019-20).
As outstanding as she is on the ice, Seitz is also deserving of recognition for her efforts in the classroom and in the community, where she has worked just as hard and stood out just as brilliantly as she has during game play.
As a senior pursuing her bachelor’s degree in economics, Seitz has demonstrated what Bolding describes as “outstanding academic aptitude and drive,” and maintained a 3.70 cumulative grade point average through seven semesters. During the 2021-22 academic year, Seitz was a part of the student organizing committee for Yale’s International Indonesia Forum Conference and was awarded a grant to study in Indonesia by the Yale Council on Southeast Asia Studies during the summer of 2022.
Dr. Dinny Risri Aletheiani, who serves on Yale’s Council on Southeast Asia Studies and has taught and advised Seitz for three and a half years now, describes the senior blue liner as “modest, independent, and adaptable,” and commends her for her “discipline, focus, excitement, and openness to learning.” Dr. Aletheiani also advised and worked closely with Seitz during her summer intensive study of Indonesian language and culture and her community and volunteering activities in Lombok this past summer.
Seitz has also demonstrated a devotion to serving others in the New Haven community. She is actively involved as co-director of the No Closed Doors initiative, a volunteer-run agency committed to providing professional assistance to un- and underemployed New Haven residents. Seitz has also been active on campus, serving as the Yale women’s hockey team representative on the Yale Women’s Athletics Council and mentoring high school students interested in pursuing finance/economics careers through Females for Finance.
“Emma is truly a consistent and selfless leader who is so much more than an All-American hockey player,” said Bolding. “She is a devoted and sincere young adult with the motivation and willingness to help others. I am honored to be her coach and know she is a true leader in the making for our country.”
Cutter Gauthier has been a star freshman this season for Boston College (photo: John Quackenbos).
A week ago, I wrote about two games where we felt the lines were off. Way off. And I told readers when there is a line that is off, it’s a must bet.
Well, I heard plenty from UMass fans when they upset Northeastern despite being even money at home. I get it, your team won, but from a gambling perspective if you bet on the Minutemen, you weren’t paid enough value.
So here is a quick math lesson. Here were the lines on Northeastern at UMass and Michigan Tech at Minnesota State.
NU (-115) at UMass (-115)
MTU (+180) at Minn. St (-235)
Our advice was to bet the two road teams. NU lost, MTU won. So let’s do the math.
A $100 bet on NU lost you $100. A $100 bet on MTU won you $280. That’s a net positive of +$80. So making both of those bets hoping even one of the two was a victory was a net positive play.
This week begins the postseason for four of he six leagues, all with best-of-three series beginning tonight (Friday). A three-game series is an interesting situation for bettors. There are a few different approaches you should consider when wagering.
If you’re looking to bet the underdog, the first game of the series is the best to bet. If the underdog wins (obviously you win), you won’t receive as strong odds on game two. If you’re going to bet the home team, sometimes a wait-and-see approach is necessary knowing that should the favorite lose game one, there will be more value in game two.
As for when there is a third-and-deciding game, look for value. Is the underdog a bigger ‘dog in game three than it was in game one? Has the favorite had its value reduced too significantly? Maybe they were -175 in game one but lost game two and now are -115 in game three?
All things to consider when betting postseason series.
Michigan State (+135) at No. 19 Notre Dame (-165); o/u 5.5 (Big Ten Quarterfinals)
Here is the perfect example of taking a betting approach based on which team you believe will win.
If you’re on Michigan State, betting at +135 brings in value. Notre Dame at -165 lacks value that might exist in game two, particularly if the Irish lose game one.
But you should consider motivation. Michigan State would like to earn its first-ever Big Ten tournament victory (you read that right). Notre Dame understands that it has to advance to have any chance at an NCAA at-large bid. Take both of those into consideration.
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 14 Omaha (+120) at North Dakota (-150); o/u 5.5
The NCHC doesn’t seem like it has much to play for in the final weekend, unless you take a really good look at the standings.
Yes, Denver will be the #1 seed and Miami will be #8. Omaha, Western Michigan and St. Cloud all locked up home ice. But everything else is up in the air. You have a trio that can finish 2-4. You have a trio that can finish 5-7.
North Dakota needs wins to have some momentum heading to the postseason. Omaha needs a victory to get a better PairWise spot (currently 16th and on the wrong side of the bubble).
What is most interesting about this matchup is that these two could possibly face each other again next week in the quarterfinals, setting up the chance of playing five straight over a nine-day span.
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
Massachusetts (-115) at Maine (-115); o/u 5
Here we go with the Minutemen again possibly being overvalued again by the books. The Minutemen pulled off the upset at home over Northeastern last Friday but then got routed on the road a night later.
This time they’re headed to Orono where the host Black Bears have been red hot of late. Maine is 11-4-1 at home this season and are 8-2-0 in their last 10 at Alfond. Maine should be a much heavier favorite at home (-150 or so), thus the -115 line is great value.
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 17 UConn (-115) at Boston College (-115); o/u 6
We’re going to look at this Hockey East matchup for the same reason as the UMass-Maine game – it seems like the line is a little off.
BC is a below .500 home team (6-8-4) and is coming off being swept by Maine. UConn is 6-3-0 in its last nine and has won two in a row, including stomping what had been a red-hot New Hampshire team, 6-1, last Saturday. The Huskies are fighting for the possibility of a home ice quarterfinal game as well as PairWise position.
For those reasons, we feel that UConn should be a slightly higher favorite (-135?). So there is some value in betting the Huskies here. It’s less of a slam dunk bet than Maine, but still a place to look for value
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 15 Northeastern (-135) at UMass Lowell (+105); o/u 5
This two-game series that begins at UMass Lowell on Friday has so much on the line. Northeastern is looking to win back-to-back Hockey East regular season championships after having never finish first until last season. They also are hoping to move back into an NCAA at-large position after dropping from 14th to 17th after last weekend’s split with UMass.
UMass Lowell is struggling a bit of late, battling injuries to some key upperclassmen. But the River Hawks should be motivated to move up in the Hockey East standings to avoid having to play in the opening round of the tournament.
The over/under of 5 is appropriate here as both team’s goaltending enter with fantastic stats all season long. You could expect a 1-0 or 2-1 game from these two teams
Nikita Kozyrev led Buffalo State this season from an offensive standpoint (photo: Buffalo State Athletics).
The SUNYAC has announced the 2023 men’s hockey top awards, which are nominated and voted on by the conference coaches.
The honors include the Herb Hammond player of the year, defensive player of the year, goaltender of the year and rookie of the year.
Herb Hammond Player of the Year – Nikita Kozyrev, Buffalo State
Kozyrev scored 14 goals and had 19 assists to lead the conference in points this season with 33. He scored a season-high two goals against Potsdam and Hobart. The junior forward had one goal and one assist in the SUNYAC first-round matchup against Cortland where he helped give the Bengals a three-goal lead in the first two periods. The Bengals beat Cortland 3-2 and advanced to the semifinal game where they faced top-seeded Oswego but lost 4-1. Kozyrev has been named to the All-SUNYAC first team and was also named athlete of the week Dec. 5.
Herb Hammond coached at Oswego (1969-80) and Plattsburgh (1981-83), compiling a 176-122-5 mark for the Lakers and a 52-17-4 record for the Cardinals. He was named the 1982 Division III coach of the year. From 1983 to 1988, Hammond coached at Brown before leaving coaching to become an NHL scout for 11 seasons. Hammond passed away on July 22, 2009.
Defensive Player of the Year – Alex Monteleone, Brockport
Monteleone had three goals and seven assists for 10 points this season for the Golden Eagles, in addition to nine blocked shots. He had a season-high three assists vs. Fredonia on Feb. 10.
Goaltender of the Year – Matt Petizian, Geneseo
Petizian, a senior, had a season-high 53 saves in a 4-3 win against Oswego on Feb. 3. Petizian only allowed 39 goals in 22 games this season, averaging 1.89 goals-against per game and he had a career-high .933 save percentage. The team earned a No. 3 seed going into post season and advanced to the semifinals but lost to No. 2 Plattsburgh. Petizian finished the season with a 14-6-1 overall record. He was named to the all-conference first team and was also the SUNYAC goaltender of the week twice this season.
Rookie of the Year – Colby Seitz, Cortland
Seitz scored eight goals and had 15 assists for a total of 23 points this season for the Red Dragons. The forward played in all but one game and had a season-high two goals in a win over Fredonia. The freshman scored one goal in the SUNYAC first-round game against Buffalo State where they fell short 3-2.
In addition, Buffalo State senior goaltender Emil Norman was named the SUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. This award is nominated and voted on by the conference sports information directors.
Norrman had an excellent final season for the Bengals, culminating in a second team All-SUNYAC selection. The senior finished the year with a 14-9 record and one shutout in goal. Norrman led the SUNYAC with 824 saves, while also finishing third in the conference with a .929 save percentage. Norrman’s 14 victories this year tied him for third-most wins in a single season by a Bengals goaltender. In the classroom, the business major has a 3.90 cumulative GPA and has earned Dean’s List honors in every semester at Buffalo State.
Endicott’s Andrew Kurapov leads the Gulls into the CCC title game against Curry in a battle of top five teams in the nation (photo by Endicott Athletics)
It all has come down to this weekend and the opportunity the conference finalists have to win a league championship and advance to the NCAA tournament. For St. Anselm and St. Michael’s it is all about winning the only title they can play for as D-II teams, but the D-III teams all know the one way to guarantee a spot in the national tournament is to win this weekend. Last week, I took some chances on upsets that didn’t happen and missed all the upsets the NESCAC quarterfinals produced so I finished with a mediocre 8-8-0 (.500) record which brings my overall record to 138-61-12 (.682). This is my final opportunity to finish the conference schedule on a high note before heading into this year’s East-West challenge with the esteemed West writer, Brian Lester, for the NCAA tournament games. I am just picking the Saturday NESCAC semifinal winners in what are big rivalry games with a lot at stake, along with all the other title games. Here are this week’s championship picks:
Saturday, March 4, 2023
CCC Championship
(5) Curry v. (4) Endicott
The Colonels found a way to solve the Endicott challenge in the final game of the regular season and Reid Cooper has been a brick wall in goal for Curry when they have needed him most. The home team showed great resilience last weekend with a stunning comeback win. This one is close all the way with overtime deciding the conference champion – Curry, 3-2
MASCAC Championship
Worcester State v. (10) Plymouth State
The undefeated regular season won’t mean much if the Panthers don’t close the deal and win the MASCAC title. Quite certain that everyone in the room is aware of the task at hand as the Panthers start fast with Myles Abbate showing his offensive pedigree to down a very determined Lancer squad – Plymouth State, 6-3
NEHC Championship
Babson v. (2) Hobart
The Beavers always seem to be in the championship game and are in fact the defending champions in the conference. To be the champ you have to beat the champ and Damon Beaver helps the Statesmen eke out a win in a very exciting, but low-scoring finale – Hobart, 2-1
NESCAC Semifinals
Williams v. Amherst
The Mammoths are delighted to host as a result of Trinity and Wesleyan being knocked off last week and won’t take their biggest rivals from Williamstown lightly. Home ice does matter here and Amherst takes advantage of the friendly confines of Orr Rink to secure yet another OT win courtesy of Matt Toporowski – Amherst, 3-2
Bowdoin v. Colby
The Polar Bears have not defeated Colby in twelve straight contests so here is my upset pick as the law of averages says that this strong team should be able to get it done once in what is this rivalry’s third engagement this season. Empty-net goal provides the final margin for Alex Kozic and company – Bowdoin, 3-1
NE-10 Championship
St. Michael’s v. St. Anselm
The Hawks have been solid through the month of February and won’t need a lot of motivation to win a title that has eluded them for several years. Nick Howard has been their anchor in goal and Matt Hayes and a deep group upfront are the difference in a wildly offensive affair that may need overtime – St. Anselm, 5-4
SUNYAC Championship
(6) Plattsburgh v. (11) Oswego
For the first time in several years the final does not include Geneseo. These two rivals have already played three times this season with the Lakers taking the first two and the Cardinals dominating the last encounter. All the past results are out the window as the Lakers and Cardinals have a history of great battles going back over decades. Add this final to the list of instant classics when the Lakers get it done on home ice in overtime – Oswego, 3-2
UCHC Championship
Nazareth v. (1) Utica
The Pioneers are also in a position where the regular season unbeaten streak is meaningless if they don’t close the deal with the UCHC title. Nazareth has been a contender all year and will need to be on their game from the opening puck drop as the Pioneers like to start fast and keep coming. Too much firepower wearing the blue and orange, but it takes goals in the third period for the comfortable win in front of the Pioneer faithful – Utica, 5-1
It really has been a remarkable season and it will be no surprise if the weekend’s results cause a little havoc for the selection committee and the NCAA tournament entries on Monday. First things first, time to win a conference championship – “Drop the Puck!”
It’s conference tournament championship weekend and by Sunday at lunchtime, we’ll know which 11 teams are heading to the NCAA Tournament this season. The ECAC and WCHA still have semifinal games left, while the other three conferences have played everything but the title game.
The whole sport shifted their postseason schedules a bit this year as the NCAA Tournament Selection show, which had been on Sunday evenings in years past, was moved to Sunday at 12 pm Eastern. (Streamed here).
As of Friday morning, the top ten teams in the Pairwise are:
Ohio State
Yale
Minnesota
Colgate
Northeastern
Wisconsin
Minnesota Duluth
Quinnipiac
Clarkson
Penn State
The 11th NCAA tournament spot will go to the winner of the NEWHA championship game.
There is still opportunity for movement within that group and upsets in the tournament could impact more than just placement. Clarkson is the team most hoping for straight seed wins in the other conferences while also looking to make a run at their own title.
The math says that barring a lot of wild outcomes this weekend, Clarkson should be a tournament team. But it was just two seasons ago that the Selection Committee decided that they didn’t want four teams from one conference (something they’ll have to grapple with in both the WCHA and ECAC this year) and selected UMD for the tournament, leaving Minnesota at home. They also left out a very talented Penn State team that was 4-0 against other teams in that field and had the second-highest winning percentage in the group out of the tournament.
While the NPI update and an expanded field are certainly new circumstances, what happened in 2021 was a convoluted picking and choosing of which criteria to apply to which teams and that is frankly only easier to do with a bigger field. This baffling field selection is much too recent history for me to feel like we can assume any team is a given based on where they land in the Pairwise and that there are now three more teams in the field.
CHA
Mercyhurst at Penn State – Saturday at 2 PM Eastern
I never count out a coach as experienced as Mike Sisti, which makes this matchup a closer contest than I think it looks to be on paper. This is still very much Penn State’s game to lose, but I also don’t think a win is a given. As mentioned above, the Nittany Lions have been on the outside looking in before and I think it’s hard to not have that in the back of your head. The program’s whole focus this season was to make sure they did everything they could to not be in that position again. They want to control their own destiny and not leave their first-ever NCAA Tournament bid up to chance or the whims of the committee. That puts a heck of a lot of importance on this one game. And while many of the current players weren’t around for the letdown in 2021, what that means is they’re a pretty young squad who have never been in this position before. Penn State has a lot of the mental side of the game to manage this weekend and how successful they are at that will likely determine the outcome of this game.
ECAC
Clarkson vs. Yale – Friday at 3 PM Eastern
Quinnipiac vs. Colgate – Friday at 6:30 PM Eastern
Championship – Saturday at 4 PM Eastern
As mentioned above, I think Clarkson is probably the most vulnerable of the teams that are still playing. The best way to handle that is to win their conference tournament. That’s a tough task any year and even more so this time around, with every other team left in the ECAC ranked above them and Clarkson carrying a season 1-5 record against them. That being said, teams with their backs against the wall are unpredictable and capable of just about anything.
Quinnipiac has struggled to close out the season and need to find their mojo again. They have the talent to win this tournament if they can put the regular season behind them and just play the fast, possession style of hockey that has been their signature. Colgate is looking to three-peat as winners of this tournament and are really just going to go out and play the same loose and flowing game they are known for.
Hockey East
Providence at Northeastern – Saturday at 12 PM Eastern
The Huskies have cruised through their schedule. Their last loss was in November and they seem automatic. They have one of the best forwards in the world as well as a number of scoring threats across their lines. They’re dangerous on special teams. There don’t seem to be a ton of cracks in the armor. But there are three blemishes on Northeastern’s record this season – two losses and a tie. And two of those came at the hands of the Friars, who handed them their last loss and fought them to a 2-2 tie. Northeastern has history and experience on their side as they’ve won the last five Hockey East tournament titles. But whatever the secret it is to interrupting the offensive machine of the Huskies, Providence seems to have figured it out. It has mostly felt inevitable that Huskies would win the regular season and tournament titles, but things became a whole lot more interesting here when the Friars defeated BC in their semifinal.
NEWHA
Saint Anselm at LIU – Saturday at 7 PM Eastern
Saint Anselm have been the team that just won’t quit the past few weeks and enter this title match battle-tested and confident in their ability to grind teams down. They came from behind twice in the rubber match of their quarterfinal series to win in overtime and scored twice in the third period in the semifinal to put the game away. The Hawks don’t quit and they play their best in crunch time. LIU is way more rested, having received a bye into the semifinals. They needed overtime to beat Franklin Pierce, but I think that game was a good wakeup call for the Sharks. In their fourth year as a program, they have an experienced group who went to LIU to build something new and set a legacy and they’ve done that every step of the way. Receiving the conference’s first-ever autobid into the NCAA Tournament would be an amazing cap to their careers.
WCHA
Minnesota Duluth vs. Ohio State – Friday at 1 PM Central
Wisconsin vs. Minnesota – Friday at 5 PM Central
Championship – Saturday at 2 PM Central
Every one of these teams has good and bad results against the other, which makes it difficult to predict any of the outcomes of these games. UMD has the least firepower of the four offenses, but they also have Emma Soderberg, who makes them a contender in any game all on her own. And that’s not to say that the Bulldogs can’t score goals, they just don’t have quite the cache of international-level forwards that the other three have. Ohio State has to manage the game and not let Minnesota Duluth try and slow the pace. They also need a stellar game from Amanda Thiele and a solid showing in front of the net.
The Badgers went into Minneapolis a few weeks ago and gave the Gophers everything they could handle over two games. Minnesota will be eager to erase that from memory and get some revenge. Wisconsin took all six months of the season to put things together and be the team they looked like they could be and aren’t going to want to give up any ground. Both teams need to be smarter – penalties played a huge part in that series a few weeks back and while some of it is to be expected between these two, there were also just some really boneheaded, undisciplined plays that can’t happen ever, but especially in a game like this. The Badgers have had some mental lapses in their own zone and turnovers and poor clearances really bit them in their final regular season series against Ohio State. They have to be smarter with the puck if they’re going to win this game.
Sophie Jaques has done it all this season for Ohio State (photo: Justin Wolford/WCHA).
The WCHA has named Ohio State graduate defender Sophie Jaques its 2022-23 WCHA player of the year.
Jaques, who was named WCHA defender of the year on Wednesday, was chosen for the overall honor by league head coaches and assistant coaches from among the All-WCHA First Team selections that included forwards Minnesota’s Taylor Heise (5Yr.) and Grace Zumwinkle (5Yr.) and Ohio State’s Jenn Gardiner (Sr.), fellow blueliner in Minnesota Duluth’s Ashton Bell (5Yr.), as well as Minnesota Duluth goaltender Emma Soderberg (Grad.).
On her way to collecting a pair of WCHA defender of the month honors, Jaques registered 42 points in the regular season on 19 goals and 23 assists. She tallied a nation-leading eight power-play goals on the year and scored the overtime game winner against then-No. 5/8 Wisconsin on Jan. 13.
A native of Toronto, Jaques set the Ohio State program record for career points by a defender when she surpassed 130 in her collegiate career. While skating to a plus-30 rating on the ice, Jaques added 42 blocked shots on the year.
Currently holding 150 career points, Jaques’ 19 goals, 42 points, and eight power-play goals, leads all defenders in the NCAA, while her 190 shots on goal and 5.59 shots on goal per game average both top the WCHA.
Jaques is just the second Buckeye to be honored as WCHA player of the year, joining fellow defender and 2008 winner Tessa Bonhomme.
Continuing to roll out the individual awards, Soderberg was named outstanding student-athlete of the year, joined by WCHA co-coaches of the year in St. Cloud State’s Brian Idalski and Ohio State’s Nadine Muzerall.
Heise was named 2022-23 WCHA scoring champion with her 51 points in 28 WCHA games played, while a 1.59 goals-against average in 23 WCHA appearances earned Soderberg the title of 2022-23 WCHA goaltending champion. Both honors are the second for their careers.
Muzerall led Ohio State to a 23-4-1 league record for its first WCHA regular season title in program history. In her seventh season, Muzerall led the Buckeyes to national dominance as Ohio State never fell below a second-place ranking in national polls over the course of the season. Her Buckeyes set several program records, including team and individual scoring records, and five landed on All-WCHA teams. Primed for the postseason, the Ohio State squad holds a 28-4-2 overall record while going 5-0-1 against all of its nonconference opponents.
After returning to the WCHA, Idalski has drastically turned around the Husky program in just one season after St. Cloud State earned its highest national ranking since 2008 as No. 12 this season, when they earned just nine overall wins and four league wins last season. Idalski led the St. Cloud State program to a win over a No. 1 nationally ranked opponent when the Huskies downed Minnesota 4-1 on Nov. 7, and ultimately claimed three WCHA points against teams ranked seventh and above. On the season, St. Cloud State also earned an undefeated 6-0-0 record in nonconference play.
The 2023 WCHA coach of the year honor is the first of Idalski’s career, and fourth of Muzerall’s after she earned the title in 2018, 2020, and 2022.
UMD’s Emma Soderberg has made an impact on and off the ice for the Bulldogs (photo: Justin Wolford/WCHA).
Soderberg adds academic achievement and community service to her well-rounded resume. A weekly volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club, Soderberg has built a 3.81 GPA as an economics major, while already having graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in organizational management in 2022. On the ice, Soderberg has consistently been a standout in the WCHA and at the national level as national goaltender of the month. As the only European on the UMD team, Emma has also represented her country of Sweden on several occasions, most recently in the 2022 Winter Olympics and 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championships, where she was named player of the game twice.
Described as the backbone of the Minnesota Duluth squad and showcasing top sportsmanship, Soderberg was voted as 2022-23 WCHA outstanding student-athlete of the year by the league’s eight faculty athletics representatives and was nominated by Minnesota Duluth’s Dr. Stephen Castleberry.
Behind a 1.59 goals-against average, Soderberg earns the title of 2022-23 WCHA goaltending champion. Determined by the best goals-against average in league play, Soderberg only allowed 36 goals against through her 23 games played and 1361:05 of action. Soderberg paired her goals-against average with a league-leading .932 save percentage as she made 493 saves as she played in 23 of 28 WCHA games for the Bulldogs. Soderberg became a Minnesota Duluth record holder as she set the program record with her 21 career shutouts, including a league-leading eight in league play this season. while building a 13-8-2 record. Soderberg made 30 or more saves in four league games, including a season-high of 44 in the 3-1 win at Wisconsin (Jan. 7). The award is the second of her career, after she was named 2020-21 WCHA goaltending champion behind a 1.34 goals-against average.
With 51 total points in 28 WCHA games played, Heise repeats as the league’s scoring champion for 2022-23. Earning her second consecutive WCHA scoring champion title, Heise net 19 goals and 32 assists for her league-leading 51 points to average 1.82 points per game. Heise led the league over the course of the regular season with her four short-handed goals, 32 assists, and 367 faceoff wins. Adding five power-play goals and three game winners, Heise’s league play included a hat trick against St. Cloud State (Dec. 10) while she skated to a plus-26 rating on the ice. Ultimately, Heise tallied a point in 24 of 28 league games, produced 14 multi-point performances, including a season-high of five points at Minnesota State (Dec. 3) and at St. Cloud State (Dec. 10).
Erica Sloan has been a regular on the Utica scoresheet this season (photo: Kayleigh Sturtevant/Utica Athletics).
The UCHC has announced its 2022-23 women’s award winners and all-conference teams.
The awards were selected through an all-encompassing survey of the league’s 11 head coaches.
Utica senior Erica Sloan was named the 2022-23 UCHC player of the year. Sloan leads all UCHC players in scoring with 45 points on 24 goals and 21 assists in addition to a league-best plus-47 rating. Sloan is sixth nationally in points and tied for fifth with six game-winning goals. She tallied 32 points and was plus-35 in 20 UCHC regular-season contests. Sloan has at least a point in 24 games this season and 11 multiple-point efforts with four different four-point games and two hat-tricks. She is the second consecutive Utica student-athlete to earn player of the year honors, joining teammate and fellow All-UCHC selection Georgiana Santullo.
Nazareth junior defenseman Julia Holmes is the UCHC’s defensive player of the year. Holmes has tallied 27 points on seven goals and 20 assists in 27 games this season, while playing at a plus-24 clip. Holmes is fourth nationally among all defensemen in scoring. An All-UCHC First Team selection, Holmes has helped lead Nazareth to the 2022-23 UCHC championship game.
Utica junior Angela Hawthorne has earned the UCHC goaltender of the year for the second straight season. Hawthorne is 16-2-3 on the season with a 0.97 goals-against average and league-leading .960 save percentage. Hawthorne is second nationally in save percentage and third in goals-against average, while her five shutouts are tied for tenth nationally. She made at least 20 saves in a game nine times, including a career-best 52-save effort against nationally-ranked Hamilton.
Katrina Strauts of Lebanon Valley is the 2023 UCHC rookie of the year after tallying 23 points on 12 goals and 11 assists in 26 games played. She tallied 10 goals and 16 points in 20 UCHC regular season contests, while helping lead the Dutchmen to the league quarterfinals.
Utica head coach Dave Clausen has been chosen the 2022-23 UCHC coach of the year. Clausen has led the Pioneers to a program-record 22 wins and No. 12 national ranking. The Pioneers earned 55 of a possible 60 points in league play and are set to take on top-seed Nazareth in the 2022-23 UCHC championship game on March 4. Utica is fourth nationally in scoring, with 4.89 goals per game, third defensively, allowing 0.89 goals per game and is third in scoring margin (4.00). The Pioneers are in the top-10 nationally in nearly every team category. It is Clausen’s second UCHC coach of the year honor (2021). Clausen, the only head coach in Utica’s 22-year history, has 325 career wins.
First Team All-UCHC
Forward: Gabrielle Cox, Manhattanville
Forward: Georgiana Santullo, Utica
Forward: Erica Sloan, Utica
Defense: Julia Holmes, Nazareth
Defense: Madison Novotny, Utica
Goaltender: Angela Hawthorne, Utica
Second Team All-UCHC
Forward: Allison Corser-James, Chatham
Forward: Abbey Luth, Nazareth
Forward: Ally Watrous, Nazareth
Defense: Olivia Gilida, Alvernia
Defense: Holly Silva, Utica
Goaltender: Julia Beaven, Alvernia
USCHO Edge hosts Jim Connelly, Dan Rubin, and Ed Trefzger pick out five games among top 20 D-I college hockey teams, looking at money lines and over/under as well as a further analysis of the matchups.
This week’s games:
Michigan State (+135) at Notre Dame (-165); o/u 5.5
Omaha (+120) at North Dakota (-150); o/u 5.5
Massachusetts (-115) at Maine (-115); o/u 5
UConn (-115) at Boston College (-115); o/u 6
Northeastern (-135) at UMass Lowell (+105); o/u 5
This college hockey podcast is sponsored by the NCAA Men’s Division I Frozen Four, April 6th and 8th, 2023 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Secure your seats at NCAA.com/mfrozenfour
Minot State has been an ACHA powerhouse over the years (photo: Sean Arbaut/Arbaut Photography).
The Minot State men’s hockey team is set to meet two NCAA Division I programs on the ice.
The Beavers, two-time ACHA national champions, have signed a deal to play at Denver and Colorado College this coming December.
Minot State, who wrapped up the regular season ranked No. 1 in the latest ACHA poll released this week, will play at Colorado College on Friday, Dec. 29, and then at Denver on Saturday, Dec. 30. Both games will be exhibition contests.
“This is an incredible opportunity for our program to play two premier teams at the highest level of collegiate hockey,” said Minot State coach Wyatt Waselenchuk, who was initially approached about the contests by Denver University, in a statement. “I couldn’t be more excited for our players to experience the atmosphere and the competition. We will certainly have a challenge ahead of us, but we are going to embrace it every step of the way.
“We are honored to not only represent Minot State University, but the ACHA as a whole. I’d also like to thank coach David Carle at Denver and coach Kris Mayotte with Colorado College for putting this together.”
Minot State athletic teams frequently compete with NCAA Division I foes in sports like track and field, and in November of 2021, the Beaver men’s basketball team played an exhibition at in-state NCAA D-I foe North Dakota State, but for multi-time national champions from two different organizations – the ACHA and NCAA – to compete head-to-head provides a rare competitive opportunity.
“This is a huge step for our hockey program here at Minot State,” said Minot State sophomore forward Jay Buchholz, who is third on the Beavers this season in scoring with 38 points on 13 goals and 25 assists. “Being able to play these top Division I schools, and the opportunity to go out and compete, is something that we can learn a lot from. Who knows what kind of doors these could open for us in the future?
“It will be an unforgettable experience, and we are excited to be a part of the first two games in Beaver hockey history at the NCAA D-I level.”
The decision follows months of continuous efforts to find pathways for the university to continue its mission, according to a statement.
“I am deeply saddened to announce that due to a combination of demographic changes, with fewer high school graduates available, a steep decrease in interest in going to college among those graduates, and an unbearable debt load, Finlandia’s board of trustees met and have decided to not enroll students for the 2023-2024 school year,” the board wrote in its statement.
In a letter to Finlandia’s students, faculty and staff, Finlandia president Timothy Pinnow wrote to his community saying the decision follows months of “herculean efforts and constant and repeated attempts to mend Finlandia University’s finances and enrollment struggles.”
“I do want to assure you that the leadership team, the board of trustees and myself have left no stone unturned in an attempt to avoid this day,” Pinnow said in his letter. “Our efforts have been noble and unceasing and while none of us wanted this day to come, we have also realized that in order to honor Finlandia’s 126-year-old legacy appropriately, we must end its operations with grace and dignity.
“As the leadership of Finlandia, our focus must now turn first to making sure that all of our students have good options to complete their education at another institution and that we can fulfill our intent that our employees be paid for all the work and tireless effort they have put into this little Finnish-Lutheran school way up north in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.”
The board stated that Pinnow and his leadership team are working diligently to help Finlandia’s current students wrap up their studies and will help them smoothly transition to another college or university to complete their education.
Finlandia has finalized four teach-out agreements with Michigan Technological University, Bay College, Adrian College, and Wartburg College. A fifth agreement is in process with Northern Michigan University.
The Lions had men’s and women’s Division III hockey programs that were part of the NCHA conference.
More information about Finlandia’s intentions and next steps is available on the university’s website. Specific questions not answered on the website can be sent to [email protected].
Abby Kuhns has been a standout player this season for Hamilton (photo: Josh McKee/mckeephotoarts.com).
Hamilton senior Abby Kuhns has been selected as the 2023 NESCAC player of the year by the conference coaches.
Kuhns is the fourth Continental to garner the award joining Stephanie Miguel (2009), Katie Parkman (2017), and Sam Walther (2018).
Kuhns, who also garnered a spot on the All-NESCAC First Team for the second straight year, is the first defender to earn the NESCAC player of the year award since 2013. She ranks third on the team in scoring with 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists). Of the seven goals Kuhns has tallied, six have been on the power play, which is second in the NESCAC. Kuhns’ 12 helpers rank eighth among the league leaders. She has also blocked the second most in the conference this season (30).
Amherst’s Natalie Stott was voted as the NESCAC rookie of the year and also earned a spot on the All-NESCAC First Team. The first-year goalie has started all 24 games she has played for the Mammoths and owns the best goals-against average in the NESCAC at 1.09 and also carries a .945 save percentage (third in the NESCAC). Stott has 10 shutouts and a 21-3-0 record in net while helping the Mammoths earn the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC women’s championship for the first time since 2010. Stott is the first goalie to be named NESCAC rookie of the year since 2010.
Hamilton head coach Emily McNamara was selected as the NESCAC coach of the year by her peers. McNamara earns the honor for the second time (2017) in her 11 years directing the Continentals. McNamara led Hamilton to the No. 2 seed, the highest in program history, in the NESCAC women’s championship after finishing the regular season with a 12-3-1 conference mark. The Continentals’ 19 overall wins (19-4-2) are a team record for most wins in a single season.
All-NESCAC First Team
G – Natalie Stott, Amherst, Fy.
D – Abby Kuhns, Hamilton, Sr.
D – Claudia Vira, Middlebury, Sr.
F – Rylee Glennon, Amherst, Jr.
F – Nancy Loh, Hamilton, Sr.
F – Meg Rittenhouse, Colby, Jr.
All-NESCAC Second Team
G – Evie Sheridan, Hamilton, Fy.
D – Avery Flynn, Amherst, Sr.
D – Bri Michaud-Nolan, Colby, Sr.
D – Leslie Schwartz, Amherst, Sr.
F – Melanie Conca, Connecticut College, Sr.
F – Jenna Letterie, Middlebury, Sr.
F – Maddie Tix, Williams, Sr.
Jake Lachance was an offensive stud from the Wesleyan blue line this season (photo: Emilia Thornton).
Wesleyan senior Jake Lachance is the NESCAC men’s hockey player of the year as voted by the league’s coaches.
Lachance is the first defenseman since 2016 to earn the honor and the third Cardinal (Tim Sestak, 2019; Keith Buehler, 2013).
Lachance helped the Cardinals earn the top seed in the NESCAC championship and post 15 wins, the most since the 2019-20 season. Lachance, who also earned a spot on the All-NESCAC First Team, played in 23 games and ranks second in the NESCAC with 26 points. Lachance scored seven goals, including three power-play markers, and handed out 19 assists, the second most in the NESCAC this season.
Hamilton’s Ben Zimmerman is the NESCAC rookie of the year and an All-NESCAC Second Team selection. The first-year led the Continentals in scoring and ranks fifth in the NESCAC with 23 points in 24 games. He tallied seven goals, three of which were game-winners, and ranks fourth in the NESCAC in assists with 16 helpers. Zimmerman is the third Hamilton player to garner the NESCAC Rookie of the Year honor (Michael DeMare, 2011; Gabe Tash, 2003).
Wesleyan head coach Chris Potter was selected by his peers as the NESCAC coach of the Year. Potter earns the honor for the fourth time in his career (2004, 2007, 2019) and the second time in four seasons. Potter led Wesleyan to the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC championship for the first time in program history and guided the Cardinals to a 15-7-3 record, the most wins since the 2019-20 season.
All-NESCAC First Team
G – Erik Voloshin, Wesleyan, Jr.
D – Jake Lachance, Wesleyan, Sr.
D – Jack Sullivan, Colby, Jr.
F – Wiggle Kerbrat, Wesleyan, Sr.
F – Gerard Maretta, Trinity, Jr.
F – Matt Toporowski, Amherst, So.
All-NESCAC Second Team
G – Devon Boback, Trinity, Fy.
D – James Philpott, Hamilton, So.
D – Emmet Powell, Wesleyan, Sr.
F – Carter Breitenfeldt, Colby, Sr.
F – John McElaney, Colby, Jr.
F – Ben Zimmerman, Hamilton, Fy.
Norwich defeats Southern Maine to advance to the NEHC final where they face #1 seed Elmira (Photo by Jasmine Olson)
Headed into championship weekend out east after all teams officially began conference tournament play this past weekend, whilst others continued with their respective tournaments. We’ll take a look back and highlight some of the main events that occurred, and I’ll give my picks for this weekend’s conference games.
The NEHC’s top-two narrowly advance
Elmira defeats William Smith 4-3
Elmira found themselves in a close one. It was a busy 1st period as both teams scored a pair of goals including a William Smith shorthanded goal and an Elmira powerplay goal. William Smith would then take the lead back at the 5:10 mark of the 2nd period and hold it until 6:49 of the 3rd when Morgan Mordini tied it up. Elmira’s Holley Riva would proceed to score the winner at the 12:56 mark of the 3rd. In this game, WS had 6 penalties for 12 minutes, whilst Elmira had 2 for 4 minutes. Shots were 45-19, heavily in favor of Elmira which is surprising considering the close score line.
Norwich defeats Southern Maine 2-1
This game was interesting, because like the previous NEHC game, the lower seed led most of the way, except Southern Maine was pitching a shutout until the 3rd period. USM scored at the 2:16 mark of the 2nd period and led all the way until Norwich tied it up at the 2:11 mark of the final period and then Ally Lague scored the winner at a late 14:35 to give the Cadets just enough to move on. Penalties in the game were 2 for 4 minutes against USM, whilst Norwich wasn’t called for any. Shots were 46-17 in favor of the Cadets, USM goaltender Haley McKim had a great performance, making 44 saves on the night despite the tough loss.
Double Overtime x2
*Photo from previous game* Oswego State goaltender Lexi Levy made 61 saves vs Cortland over the weekend (Photo by Colin Noftsier)
Two goaltenders that need to be highlighted this week are Oswego State’s Lexi Levy & Trinity’s Hannah Leclair for their performances in both of their respective team’s games. Levy made 61 saves during her 89:01 in net in the 2-1 double-OT loss to Cortland, whilst Leclair made 53 in her 90:33 minutes of play during the 2-1 double-OT loss to Colby. Neither goalie was exactly helped out by their team in terms of shots, Oswego losing the shot battle 63-25 & Trinity losing the shot battle 55-29. Both goalies are the only reason either of these games weren’t decided inside the first 2 periods of play.
*Photo from previous game* Trinity goaltender Hannah Lecalir made 53 saves vs Colby over the weekend (Photo by Trinity College Athletics)
Remaining east playoff results
CCC
Suffolk shutout University of New England 6-0.
Endicott shutout Western New England 2-0.
NESCAC
Amherst shutout Wesleyan 2-0.
Middlebury shutout Connecticut College 4-0.
Hamilton defeated Williams 3-1.
Colby defeated Trinity 2-1 in double-OT.
NEWHL
Plattsburgh defeated Canton 7-1.
Cortland defeated Oswego 2-1 in double-OT.
This Weekend’s Conference Championship Picks
CCC
Endicott at Suffolk: March 4, 2023 – 4:50 pm EST
My Pick: Suffolk 3-2 OT
I’ve liked Suffolk all year and I won’t stop now; the Rams will win their first ever conference title, but it’ll be a close one. In the three games these two teams played this season: Endicott 2-1 OT, Suffolk 2-1 OT, & Endicott 3-1. The series has leaned Endicott, but has been close every time, no game has been decided early and I don’t believe that changes here either. Give me the Rams to win a close overtime game which would mean 3/4 games these teams played versus each other this season were decided via overtime.
NEHC
Norwich at Elmira: March 4, 2023 – 3:00 pm EST
My Pick: Elmira 4-2
Both of these teams have battled it out this season, but Elmira’s been the more consistent team (which I would’ve been surprised to say a month or so back considering the rough patch they hit mid-season), but they recently handled Norwich in the season finale and have ended the season on an extremely high note. Both struggled last week as mentioned vs lower seeded opponents, Elmira hasn’t lost in conference play yet, so they’ll have to remain perfect. Norwich has been able to win some impressive games this year and could pull off an upset, just not sure if I can see it happening in Elmira. If it was in Norwich, I may lean that way. Goaltending has been solid on both sides and both have been relatively evenly-matched thus far. With that being said, I’ll go with Elmira to get the (highly-likely) lone NEHC NCAA tournament bid.
NESCAC (Hosted by Amherst)
Colby vs Hamilton: March 3, 2023 – 3:30 pm EST
My Pick: Hamilton 5-3
I’m going with Hamilton here, if you asked me before the season began, I would’ve taken Colby, but Hamilton has looked strong all year especially in their stretch of games where they played six-straight games vs ranked opponents, winning them all, including two over Colby. Obviously, the previous matchups don’t mean a whole lot in the conference playoffs especially in this conference, but I like how Hamilton has been tested all year and played more hockey unlike Colby. Hamilton as of late has just been the better team on the ice and records-wise.
Middlebury vs Amherst: March 3, 2023 – 7:00 pm EST
My Pick: Amherst 3-2
This one is tough because it’s still Middlebury, possible memory bias seeing them hold up the national title trophy last year makes me inherently want to pick them, but Amherst has been rolling this year and I’m going with the Mammoths. Amherst won the first two matchups handily, outshooting Middlebury in both games and holding them to a low 12 shots in the second matchup. Middlebury gets lots of late game powerplays which have resulted in goals this season, so who knows what could happen. It’s a toss-up, but I think Amherst stays hot.
*Hypothetical* Hamilton vs Amherst: March 4, 2023 – 7:30 pm EST
My Pick: Hamilton 2-1
Hamilton upsets Amherst, I know in terms of rankings it’s not a huge upset, but relatively speaking Amherst has been near the top longer than Hamilton and winning the #1 seed in the NESCAC usually speaks volumes about your season. Ultimately, these two teams haven’t played since opening weekend when they split the series, they’re both (very-likely) in the NCAA tournament via at-large bid at worst, but I think Hamilton pulls this one off. Amherst has the best freshman goaltender in the country at the moment in Natalie Stott, she’ll have a great game, but Hamilton pulls it out and wins the NESCAC.
NEWHL
Cortland at Plattsburgh: March 4, 2023 – 3:00 pm EST
My Pick: Plattsburgh 3-1
Cortland always plays Plattsburgh tough and even beat them this season 1-0, they also took Plattsburgh to overtime last season in this same spot, the NEWHL finals, in which the Cardinals won. Only reason I have this by a two-goal margin is because I think Plattsburgh adds an empty net in the last few minutes, otherwise, it’ll be a tight game and it wouldn’t be a shock to me if Cortland gets the win. However, I can’t bet against Plattsburgh here, they’ve won every NEWHL conference tournament that’s taken place and I don’t know if Cortland can end that streak at the moment.
UCHC
Utica at Nazareth: March 4, 2023 – 4:00 pm EST
My Pick: Utica 3-2 OT
This is a pick I’m not confident in at all because if there were a betting line it would be -115 to -115 for the money line, possibly -125 to -105 in favor of Nazareth. These two teams just got done playing a few weeks ago in which the regulation game tied, and Nazareth won the shootout, the next game Nazareth won in overtime to win the UCHC regular-season title. It’s no surprise they’re both back here again in the championship after battling it out for the regular season, but I think Utica can get it done here. Being on the road will be difficult, but the Pioneers I believe will win their first this season vs Nazareth and win their first-ever UCHC title & earn the NCAA tournament automatic-bid. I can’t see this game being decided by anything other than overtime or one goal maximum (outside of a possible empty netter, but don’t count on it).
Franklin Pierce’s Conor Foley lit up the scoresheets this season (photo: Franklin Pierce Athletics).
Franklin Pierce senior forward Conor Foley has been named the Northeast-10 Conference player of the year, as the league office announced its all-conference honors on Wednesday.
It is the third time in the past four seasons that a Franklin Pierce player has won NE10 player of the year honors, as Alex Lester earned the award in both 2019 and 2020.
Saint Anselm – the NE10 regular-season champion – had a pair of winners in Jack Murphy, the defensive player of the year, and Larry Rocha, the Lance “Duke” Brady coach of the year. Saint Michael’s Marshall Murphy won goaltender of the year and Post’s Nick Weber was named rookie of the year.
Foley, the second Franklin Pierce player to ever win player of the year honors, led all NE10 players this season in points (34), ranked second in goals (16) and tied for fifth in assists (18). He had 11 games this season with multiple points and three games with multiple goals, while tallying a plus-5 rating on the ice. Foley was also selected to First Team all-conference for the second-straight year – a feat shared with only SNHU’s George Thurston.
Jack Murphy was one of the biggest producers on the offensive and defensive ends for Saint Anselm this season, leading to his defensive player of the year honor. He led the NE10’s toughest defense which allowed a league-low 2.51 goals per game to opponents, while also tying for third among all players in assists (20). Murphy was second in points (23) among all defensemen. Saint Anselm won the NE10 regular season title and earned the top seed in the championship behind Murphy’s efforts.
Marshall Murphy is the first Saint Michael’s goalie to win goaltender of the year since Tyler Bilton in 2008-09. Murphy led all NE10 goaltenders with a .924 save percentage this season, while ranking second in goals-against average (2.81) and wins (12). The Purple Knights surrendered only 2.95 goals per game to opponents, the second-fewest goals allowed by a team in the NE10 this season. Murphy is also the First Team all-conference goaltender.
Weber had a strong first-year campaign for Post, as he tallied 26 points to tie for ninth among all NE10 players on his way to earning rookie of the year status. He scored 14 goals, which was tied for fourth-most in the league and accounted for 12 assists. Weber had six multi-point games for the Eagles, including a five-point effort (three goals, two assists) in a 6-5 win over SNHU on Jan. 20. He is the first Post player to earn a major award since the program became an associate member of the NE10.
Rocha is the third NE10 coach to win the Lance “Duke” Brady Coach of the Year award since its inception in June of 2019. He led Saint Anselm to a 13-5-2 record in conference games and the NE10 regular season championship, along with the top seed in the NE10 championship. The award is named in honor of Lance “Duke” Brady, the former head coach at Assumption who passed away in February of 2019.
FIRST TEAM
F: Conor Foley, Franklin Pierce
F: Jeremy Routh, Saint Michael’s
F: George Thurston, SNHU
D: Stephen Jacobs, Franklin Pierce
D: Jack Murphy, Saint Anselm
G: Marshall Murphy, Saint Michael’s
SECOND TEAM
F: Andrew Andary, Saint Anselm
F: Matt Hayes, Saint Anselm
F: Zach Taylor, Saint Michael’s
D: Nick Brewer, Post
D: Gabriel Gagnon, Saint Michael’s
D: Tim Usalis, SNHU
G: Nick Howard, Saint Anselm
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Ryan Decker, Assumption
Matt Horan, Franklin Pierce
Declan House, Franklin Pierce
Nick Weber, Post
Garrett Alberti, Saint Anselm
Luke Linart, Saint Anselm
Quinn McCarthy, Saint Michael’s
Brendan Lynch, SNHU
Tyler Watkins has collected nine goals and 17 points this season for Union (photo: Michael Mason).
Union head coach Josh Hauge faced a decision in his locker room on Saturday night.
His Dutchmen were already in the throes of an emotional night, and he needed to determine if he wanted to throw the added mix into the fire.
The team had entered the weekend tied with RPI, its Capital District rival, for the final transfer spot to host ECAC Hockey’s single-elimination first round, and after losing to top-ranked Quinnipiac on Friday night, the only way to grab one more game at the Achilles Center was to defeat Princeton in the last game of the season.
It was Senior Night in Schenectady, but Hauge didn’t want to spend too much time focusing on the possibility of another game in Messa Rink because he simply wanted the roster playing its best hockey without worrying about the numbers. At the same time, he realized that, in this age, there was no way to bottle word about scenarios or anything like that.
So he decided to make one simple mention and let the rest of the night take it from there.
Less than a minute into the first period, the Dutchmen answered any and all questions for him when they scored the game’s first goal. A couple of hours later, a win over the Tigers clinched what might have once felt like an impossibility – a home game this weekend in the postseason, ironically against the same team now relegated to the road by last week’s zero points taken against RPI and Union.
“The biggest thing for us has been to focus on playing the right way,” Hauge said. “We’ve been trying to play the way that we want to, as a group, and at some point, we’re going to have to go on the road if we want to make it to Lake Placid. If we got some home games, we thought it was great, but we wanted to make sure we were playing our best hockey heading into.
“That’s what we were working towards.”
Gaining that last home game involved a couple of strokes of luck for a team that once registered five out of a possible 24 points over an eight-game conference stretch between November and mid-January. Three points over St. Lawrence on Jan. 20 helped, but 12 points taken from Colgate, Yale and Brown boosted the Dutchmen and created separation between themselves and a Bears team that struggled with a brutal schedule down the stretch.
They rode the wave with their travel partner, and as the final two weeks approached, both teams appeared within striking distance of Princeton, which spent the second half of the season sliding closer to the two teams battling for eighth place.
Each still needed help, but as Yale started beating the Tigers with a 4-0 home win, a door crept open. RPI had previously seized enough initiative to allow itself through the front gate with a 3-1 win over Dartmouth, but Union failed in its attempt to catch the Tigers after it lost 1-0 to the Big Green after battling Harvard for the better part of Friday night.
That loss dealt a particularly damaging blow towards the team’s home ice quest. Princeton was still within reach, but the three-point advantage over both RPI and Union meant both teams needed a win, a situation easily compounded by the Tigers’ travel partner, Quinnipiac.
“I thought we played pretty well against Harvard,” Hauge said. “We had some opportunities, but Harvard just made some plays and, in the end, they beat us. With Dartmouth, I thought we lacked the energy in that game that allowed us to compete at a high level, and we have to be really dialed into our structure. That was missing, and Dartmouth did a really good job of frustrating us. It was a little disappointing, but we knew we still had an opportunity with Quinnipiac and Princeton coming to town.”
The simplest way forward was both the one that occurred and the one that involved the three teams. Quinnipiac expectedly defeated both teams to wrap up a 20-win ECAC campaign, and after RPI beat Princeton on Friday night, the final home slot fell to the head-to-head matchup between the Tigers and Dutchmen.
“We knew we’d have to play well just to give ourselves a chance [against Quinnipiac],” emphasized Hauge. “For us, again, it was just about tightening everything up. We’d have some games that got away from us against top teams in the conference, so it was important that we saw how we stacked up against a top team right before playoffs.”
The easy-to-understand formula generated the organic postseason drama expected around this time of year, but Union ensured the sparks and fireworks fizzled immediately after the game started when Josh Nixon scored shortly after the first minute expired. It held up through the first period, and in the second period, senior Chris Theodore scored on a rebound to ignite the home crowd with a 2-0 lead.
“You don’t have a script where you plan to score early,” laughed Hauge, “but you just want to establish your pace for the game in the first five minutes. Getting that first one was a bit of relief because we were kind of like, okay, the guys are ready to go here.
Liam Robertson later made the score 3-0 in favor of Union, and the Dutchmen assured themselves of one more home game with a 3-1 victory over Princeton. It triggered a celebratory mood best exemplified by goalie Merek Pipes’ entry into the game’s final seconds. He relieved Connor Murphy, who made 22 saves, and made a stop on one last shot that drew smiles from his teammates and brought the conversation back to one more game, one more time that the seniors would have a chance to play an opponent at home.
“We were super excited for Merek to get that opportunity,” Hauge said. “The football team was at the game, and they brought a ton of energy. The student section was going nuts, and then he made a save. It was a pretty special moment for him and the bench.
“I think, for us, we didn’t want to get on a bus if we didn’t have to. This allows for our fans to pack our place for one more game. We have all week to sell this game out and make sure it’s a crazy atmosphere. Our guys have an opportunity to skate one more game at home, so that’s exciting for them.”
*******
About that first round…
Completing the regular season brought a final ending to the wild, unpredictable 2022-2023 ECAC campaign. Quinnipiac clinched the Cleary Cup well before the final day with a 20-2 record that made the Bobcats the first team to ever record 20 wins in an ECAC regular season since the league expanded to 12 teams. Their record broke a record set by the 19-2-1 mark set by the 2002-2003 Cornell Big Red and bettered the 18-2-2 record set twice over by the 2004-2005 and 2019-2020 Big Red.
They will host whichever is the lowest remaining seed in the best-of-three Quarterfinal series with Harvard and Cornell clinching two of the other four byes, though the Crimson edged the Big Red for second place by a two-point margin.
The fourth spot went to St. Lawrence, which slid into the first-round bye after Colgate lost to Yale on Friday night and was forced into a shootout by Brown on Saturday. A Saints loss to Harvard kept the Raiders in play for Saturday night, but after they successfully rallied from two second period goals by the Bears, tying the game before the third period, the shootout win meant SLU snuck into the fourth spot by beating Dartmouth
The rest of the playoff matchups filled in with expected outcomes after Union moved its way into eighth. Clarkson finished sixth without much of a challenge from anyone in the league’s bottom half, and the ensuing chaos around eighth created the following matchups for this week’s winner-take-all event:
No. 12 Dartmouth at No. 5 Colgate
No. 11 Brown at No. 6 Clarkson
No. 10 Yale at No. 7 RPI
No. 9 Princeton at No. 8 Union
Unveiling the Lerchies, ECAC edition
When I covered Atlantic Hockey, I somehow always managed to unveil our end-of-season awards. The weird timing of it all meant I nicknamed the awards after Chris Lerch, and as a result, the Lerchies were born without a single thing he could do about it. There was one year where he renamed them the Rubies to get back at me, but since I’m covering ECAC now, he really can’t stop me.
I’ll be unveiling this year’s Lerchies over the coming couple of weeks, so stay tuned for the debate. I, of course, look forward to hearing about how I got them all wrong or how you all agree with them.
Matus Spodniak has been an offensive catalyst all season for Adrian (photo: Adrian Athletics).
The CHA men’s conference has announced its 2022-23 season award winners, including player of the year, coach of the year, freshman of the year, the all-conference team, and the all-freshman team.
The 2022-23 Player of the Year is Matus Spodniak, a senior forward at Adrian. The Kosice, Slovakia, native not only paced the conference in scoring but currently leads the NCAA Division III level in total points (28 goals, 27 assists, 55 points), points per game (1.96), and goals (28), while also sitting tied for third in assists (27) and tied for ninth in game-winning goals (4).
“Matus has had a career year – absolutely one of the best I’ve seen during my time as a coach,” Adrian coach Adam Krug said in a news release. “When it comes to his speed, shot, and strength, when any two of those three are on, I’ve never seen anything like it. Matus has the ability to take over a game at any moment. And there have been many. He has a knack for scoring in bunches and at big moments. It’s been a pleasure to be around him every day, it’s hard not to be a fan sometimes when he’s on the ice.”
Spodniak made his mark in NCHA action, rising to the top of all of the offensive leaderboards. In league play, Spodniak put together a 14-19-33 statline that gave him the top point, goal, and assist numbers league-wide this winter.
“It’s great to see a person like Matus get this recognition,” Krug said. “The growth he’s shown during his time here, too, has been tremendous. He works so hard: on the ice, in the weight room, and in the classroom. He’s undoubtedly one of the best people I’ve ever been around. This past December, he graduated with a 3.75 GPA, which is remarkable to me, given that English is his second language. His graduation being posted on social media caused some speculation that his time in college hockey was done and he garnered quite a bit of pro hockey attention, including several ECHL opportunities. To his credit, he stayed, and is pursuing a master’s degree. We are receiving calls daily from ECHL teams and a few AHL organizations have shown interest.
“I just hope we can keep this run going and I can continue to coach Matus just a little bit longer.”
The league coaches also voted for freshman of the year, resulting in MSOE’s Gramm McCormack earning the distinction. The newcomer put together an impressive campaign, finishing 13th in overall points (12-18-30 in 27 games), while compiling 18 points (8-10-18) in league play.
Krug is the 2022-23 coach of the year, marking three straight seasons he has now earned the distinction and five times in his career. He has led the Bulldogs to another impressive campaign, currently sitting at 22-4-2 overall and ranked No. 3 in the USCHO.com poll this week. The Bulldogs went 13-4-1 in NCHA play to claim the Peters Cup championship for the ninth straight season (and 15th time in the past 16 years) to extend an amazing streak. Krug claimed career victory No. 200 Feb. 17 and is now 202-44-13 for a winning percentage of .805, giving him the highest winning percentage of any active head coach across all NCAA divisions.
2022-23 Men’s NCHA All-Conference Team (alphabetical)
Forward: Garrett Hallford, Sr., Trine
Forward: Jack Jaunich, Sr., Aurora
Forward: Adam Keyes Sr., Aurora
Forward: Michael McCheseny Sr., St. Norbert
Forward: Sam Ruffin Gr., Adrian
Forward: Matus Spodniak, Sr., Adrian
Defense: Jaden Condotta, Fr., Aurora
Defense: Matteas Derraugh, So., Lake Forest
Defense: Brendan Mark, Sr., St. Norbert
Defense: Chase Spencer, Jr., Adrian
Goalie: Colby Muise, Sr., Marian
Goalie: Kolby Thornton, Fr., Aurora
All-Freshman Team
F: Hassan Akl, Aurora
F: Colin Bella, Lake Forest
F: Gramm McCormack, MSOE
D: Jaden Condotta, Aurora
D: Noah Pickart, Marian
G: Kyle Kozma, Trine
Hobart’s Luke Aquaro was a steady forward all season for the Statesmen (photo: Kevin Colton).
The NEHC men’s division has announced the recipients of the league’s major award winners, all-conference and all-rookie teams as selected by the league’s 10 head coaches.
Hobart’s Luke Aquaro was named NEHC player of the year after posting 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points in league play to lead the Statesmen this season. Aquaro also registered an impressive plus-20 plus/minus rating and notched four game-winning goals in league play. His six overall game-winning goals ranks him first nationally in all of D-III men’s hockey.
Norwich’s Drennen Atherton earned NEHC goaltender of the year for the second straight year. Atherton led the NEHC in league wins (11), posting a conference record of 11-2. The senior netminder also ranked third in the league in save percentage (.946), goals against (18), and goals-against average (1.39). He finished the regular season with an overall record of 14-4 between the pipes for the Cadets while also recording two shutouts in league play.
Hobart netminder Damon Beaver was selected as NEHC rookie of the year after finishing second in the league in both goals-against average (1.13) and save percentage (.952). His 1.09 overall GAA and .953 overall save percentage led all of D-III men’s hockey goaltenders in the nation this season. Beaver finished the regular season with an 8-2 record in league play and a 12-2 overall record for the Statesmen.
Hobart’s Mark Taylor was voted NEHC coach of the year by his peers for the second straight year after guiding the program to a 16-2 record in league and No. 1 seed heading into the NEHC postseason. Overall, the Statesmen are 23-2 and lead both the NEHC and the nation in goals per game, goals, assists, and goals against, among several other categories.
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Forward: Luke Aquaro, Hobart
Forward: Chance Gorman, Elmira
Forward: Jonah Alexander, Hobart
Defense: Amedeo Mastrangeli, Elmira
Defense: Joe Nagle, Norwich
Goaltender: Drennen Atherton, Norwich
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Forward: Clark Kerner, Norwich
Forward: Thomas Kramer, Babson
Forward: Curtis Judd, Southern Maine
Defense: Gagik Malakyan, Hobart
Defense: Austin Mourar, Hobart
Defense: James Perullo, Babson
Goaltender: Andrew Kormos, New England College
THIRD TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Forward: Kaeden Patrick, Skidmore
Forward: Philip Elgstam, Norwich
Forward: Bryce Irwin, Castleton
Defense: Callum Jones, Norwich
Defense: Danny Magnuson, Skidmore
Goaltender: Nolan Hildebrand, Babson
Southern Maine’s Haley McKim has been a wall in the Huskies’ net this season (photo: James Liebowitz).
The NEHC women’s division has announced the recipients of the league’s major award winners, all-conference and all-rookie teams as selected by the league’s 10 head coaches.
Ann-Frederique Guay of Norwich was named NEHC player of the year after leading the conference with an impressive 38 points on 16 goals and 22 assists in league play. The senior forward also led the NEHC in plus/minus rating (plus-42) and is tied for first in the league in game-winning goals (4). Nationally, Guay ranks second in Division III women’s hockey in assists (27) and fifth in overall points (45).
Southern Maine’s Haley McKim earned NEHC goaltender of the year for the second straight year. McKim played 16 games in net for the Huskies and posted a 10-5-1 record in league play. She ranked second in the NEHC in league wins, while her .940 save percentage ranked fourth in the league. McKim led the NEHC in saves this season with 518 and over 966 minutes played. Nationally, her 695 overall saves were third among all D-III women’s hockey goaltenders.
Elmira’s Emma Bradbury was selected as NEHC rookie of the year. The first-year forward finished the season with eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in conference play. Four of Bradbury’s eight goals in league play were game-winning goals, tied for first in the NEHC.
Castleton’s Tim McAuliffe was recognized as NEHC coach of the year by his peers after leading Castleton to a 11-7-0 record in the NEHC and 14-10-1 record overall. The Spartans had one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league, finishing second in power-play goals and third in goals, assists, and shots.
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Forward: Ann-Frederique Guay, Norwich
Forward: Mikah Baptiste, Norwich
Forward: Madison Chagnon, Southern Maine
Defense: Madi Morton, Elmira
Defense: Morgan Tefft, Norwich
Defense: Molly Flanagan, Norwich
Goaltender: Haley McKim, Southern Maine
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Forward: Morgan Mordini, Elmira
Forward: Aimee Headland, Norwich
Forward: Darby Palisi, Castleton
Defense: Jenny Heath, Elmira
Defense: Emma O’Neill, Norwich
Goaltender: Kristin DiCicco, Castleton
THIRD TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Forward: Emily Lenzen, New England College
Forward: Mary McCafferty, Elmira
Forward: Claire Meeder, Elmira
Defense: Lexi Hoffmann, Elmira
Defense: Katie Manning, Elmira
Defense: Annabel Ziskin, William Smith
Goaltender: Leonie Kuehberger, Elmira
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Forward: Emma Bradbury, Elmira
Forward: Olivia Boyer, Norwich
Forward: Meg Aiken, Castleton
Defense: Allyson Barry, Johnson and Wales
Defense: Caroline Thompson, Southern Maine
Goaltender: Leah Bosch, UMass Boston
