Plattsburgh sits at #3 ranked nationally with a 11-2-0 record at the conclusion of the first semester of play (Photo by Gabe Dickens)
Merry Christmas everyone! Today, we look back on the first semester of play from the east as we await the start of the second-half of the season in late December on New Year’s Eve. Many teams and players had successful first halves from the eastern half of women’s hockey, but these are the main ones who stood out.
First Half Winners
To start off our first half winners list, we have to give it to Plattsburgh who began the year with a preseason ranking of #3 and now currently sit in the #3 spot with an 11-2-0 record. Besides falling to Cortland 1-0 (which was the first time Plattsburgh had been shutout since 11/04/2018 vs Adrian 1-0), the Cardinals have taken care of business and their other one-goal loss (3-2) to current #2 UW-River Falls is nothing to be discouraged about. Currently, Plattsburgh has played six ranked opponents (at the time of the game) and won all but one: #9 Norwich 5-4 OT, #4 Elmira 7-0, #15 Oswego 3-2, #8 Elmira 3-2 OT, and #3 Adrian 1-0, their only ranked-loss was to #6 UW-River Falls by a score of 2-3. Seeing this, it’s hard to say anyone other than Plattsburgh out east has been more impressive after one semester of hockey.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Cardinals fare once they open up the second half of the season as they are tested once again, visiting #8 Middlebury who’s had a rough start to the season, but can’t be overlooked. They then have a two game home series three days later vs #15 Oswego State.
Our second winner has to be Amherst and they’ve come on to the scene similar to Adrian out west in terms of their preseason ranking and their current ranking. They began the season ranked at #10 and as with all NESCAC teams, we didn’t see any action from them until late November unlike the rest of the D-III hockey world. They now sit at #5 in the USCHO poll with a 7-1-0 record after pulling off some huge wins early. They split a weekend series with (at the time) #15 Hamilton and they haven’t lost since. Their most notable wins coming against (at the time) #3 Middlebury, defeating them 4-2 both days and seemingly dominating them on the stat-sheet.
Amherst has been the biggest surprise of any team this year, yes I know that can be odd to say considering they began the year ranked in the top-10, but there aren’t many people besides Amherst fans (and they would be lying) that would’ve picked them to sweep Middlebury and put them on a three-game losing streak for the first time in a long time. Interesting to see how they fare the rest of the way in the highly-competitive NESCAC conference.
My final east team I’ll give a winners spot to this first semester is going to be a wildcard, I’m giving it to Norwich, and not the pick everyone may expect in Colby. Here’s the reasoning: Colby has a perfect 8-0-0 record and is ranked #6, however, they’ve played teams with a combined record of 32-37-1 including three wins over a single opponent in Bowdoin, they also haven’t faced a ranked opponent thus far. They will be tested come the second semester as they open up with #13 Hamilton and #8 Middlebury, but at the moment, I can’t give them more credit than Norwich based on the two résumé’s.
Focusing on my winner in Norwich, they’ve faced (at the time of game) four ranked opponents and fared decently against them, going 2-2, but keeping each one close. They defeated #9 Endicott 5-2 & shutout #8 Elmira 6-0, but fell to #3 Plattsburgh 4-5 in the final seconds and 3-4 to #3 Adrian. They’ve been solid thus far and are looking to make-up for last year’s disappointing season to their normal standards. They seem to be on the right track so far, look for the Cadets to make an NEHC title run this season and hunt for the automatic NCAA tournament bid where they could definitely win a few games.
Standout Players *all stats via USCHO*
Many players have stood out so far this season, in terms of forwards, some players have loaded up points on the stat-sheet. Forwards who’ve stood out so far:
Ann-Frederique Guay of Norwich University currently leads the east with 22 points through 11 games (Photo by Jasmine Olson)
Ann-Frederique Guay, a senior at Norwich University, currently through 11 games has 22 points (6 goals, 16 assists) to lead the east (third nationally). This includes 1 GWG (game-winning-goal) and 2 powerplay goals. She’s been fairly consistent, tallying 4 points on four separate occasions.
Kaylee Merrill, a senior at SUNY Potsdam, currently through 14 games has 20 points (14 goals, 6 assists) (tied third nationally for goals) comes in second in points out east. Her best game was on 11/25/22 vs Kings College where she had a pair of goals and assists for 4 total points in the 9-0 victory.
Gabrielle Cox, a senior at Manhattanville College, who transferred after her sophomore year from Mercyhurst University (NCAA D1), currently has 18 points through 11 games (14 goals, 4 assists) (tied third nationally for goals). What makes her season standout is the fact she had racked up 12 goals and 3 assists in the first four games of the season. Even though she’s had a quiet stretch as of late, look for her to make an impact for the Valiants the rest of the way as she’s shown she can put up huge numbers quickly.
I talked about how grading/ranking defenseman in terms of the stat-sheet isn’t always a true representation of the best defenseman in my west analysis, but for the sake of this analysis and the fact I’m unable to see every defenseman play live, here are the defenseman out east who stood out the most based on their stat-sheet:
Sierra Benjamin, a graduate-senior at Plattsburgh State has separated herself from the rest so far, recording 15 points through 10 games (2 goals, 13 assists). The senior defenseman is well on her way to her best statistical season of her lengthy Plattsburgh career as she only needs 7 more to tie her previous season-high of 22.
Mattie Norton, a sophomore at Plattsburgh State, currently has 13 points through 13 games (3 goals, 10 assists).
Julia Holmes, a junior at Nazareth, currently has 13 points through 11 games (4 goals, 9 assists).
We’re now at the position known as the last line of defense besides the goalpost, here are the goaltenders who’ve stood out the most after one semester:
Rei Halloran holds a 6-1-1 record for Wesleyan University at the end of the first semester of play (Photo by Emilia Thornton – Wesleyan Athletics)
Rei Halloran, a senior at Wesleyan University, all the way from Tokyo, Japan, takes the top spot in first half of goaltending-winners. She’s got a 6-1-1 record, a .965 save-percentage, and 3 shutouts. Currently she’s a name not many may know since Wesleyan finds themselves outside the top-15 with a 6-1-1 overall record. She’s having her best statistical season of her college career so far.
Lilla Nease, a senior at Plattsburgh State, holds a 10-2-0 record (tied for most nationally), a .935 save-percentage, and 2 shutouts.
Angela Hawthorne, a junior at Utica University, holds a 7-1-1 record, a .958 save-percentage, and 2 shutouts.
Leonie Kuehberger, a sophomore at Elmira College, holds an 8-3-0 record, a .929 save-percentage, and 4 shutouts.
Paige Bolyard, a sophomore at Colby College, is currently 5-0-0, a .951 save-percentage, and 1 shutout.
We look ahead now to the second half of the season, as I said in my first half west analysis article, the first semester of play went very fast unless you’re a sore and tired player who’s currently recovering. It should be an interesting second half and it’s almost here with some east teams returning to play December 31st on New Year’s Eve!
Adrian College holds a ranking of #4 after starting the year at #12 with a 10-1-0 record. (Photo by Carly Costello)
Merry Christmas Eve everyone, as we sit tight waiting for the second half of D-III Women’s hockey out west to start up once again, we now look back on the first half of the season so we know who to look out for in the second half and beyond. Many standout players and teams on both sides of the map, but here’s the west recap.
First Half Winners
Let’s start off with one that some may have overlooked at the start of the year due to their preseason rank of #12, that’s Adrian, who sits at #4 with a 10-1-0 record. In my preseason article I made it clear I believed they would be great and making a run at the title this year and they’ve shown us just that. They’ve outscored opponents 44-9 and goaltender Sophie Goldberg has 4 shutouts so far. The team has been tested regularly, they swept (current) #15 Oswego on the road handily, they then swept Augsburg after the Auggies gave Gustavus a run and then shocked UW-River Falls in the opening weekend of play. They recently took down #5 Norwich and their only loss came to #4 Plattsburgh by the score of 1-0 after giving up a goal at the 57 minute mark of the game.
Adrian is my biggest first-half winner due to their low ranking of #12 to start the season and watching them seemingly dominate most of their opponents thus far.
My second winner is #2 UW-River Falls (9-2-0), who in my opinion, are currently the best team in the country and should be #1. They’ve shown us outside of opening weekend where they dropped a game to Augsburg, that they can beat anyone and do it when it matters. They bring an impressive résumé with them as in the first half they faced many ranked tests, and won all except one. They defeated (all rankings at the time of win) #8 UW-Eau Claire 3-2, #3 Plattsburgh 3-2, #1 Middlebury 3-2 OT, & #1 Gustavus 3-0… Their only loss coming to #1 Gustavus 2-0.
No other team has a better résumé so far than UW-River Falls and they should be rewarded for that. Their preseason ranking was very high at #5, but have moved themselves into their current #2 spot.
The final winner I’ll mention is of course #1 Gustavus. The Gusties were undefeated until facing #2 UW-River Falls and split with them to end the half with a record of 11-1-0. They’ve been dominant in nearly all their games, outscoring opponents 48-7. Goaltender Katie McCoy has been a top-2 netminder holding a record of 10-1, 5 shutouts, and a .964 save percentage. Beginning the year at #2 behind Middlebury, coming off a runner-up finish in the NCAA tournament to the defending champions Middlebury, hopes and expectations were high for Gustavus entering the year, they’ve lived up to those expectations and earned themselves the #1 ranking.
Gustavus has passed all their tests so far except for one, splitting with #2 UWRF, I expect them to possibly win-out or drop one game to UW-River Falls as they face one more time, but due to their overall schedule strength and dominance they’ve shown so far, it’s hard for me to see them losing again outside of UWRF.
Standout Players *all stats via USCHO*
Many players have stood out so far this season, in terms of forwards, some players have loaded up points on the stat-sheet. Forwards who’ve stood out so far:
Darci Matson of Aurora University leads all players in points this season with 32 through 11 games (Photo by Steve Woltmann)
Darci Matson, a sophomoreof Aurora University leads the country in points and is eight points clear of the next most for a player out west, in 11 games, averaging nearly 3 points per game, she has 32 points (17 goals & 15 assists), this includes 5 GWG (game-winning-goals) and 2 short-handed goals. Her best game was vs Finlandia on 11/11/22, she totaled 4 goals and 3 assists in the 10-0 victory.
Sophie Rausch, a senior at UW-Eau Claire, has totaled 24 points in 12 games (17 goals, 7 assists) including 3 GWG, 4 powerplay goals, and 1 short-handed goal. Her most notable game was on 12/6/22 vs Hamline where she had a hat trick in the 4-1 win.
In terms of defense and those who play it, it’s an objective position to rate in terms of stats. Some of the best defenseman have very few goals or assists, you would need to see them all in person which is near impossible, but some defenseman that rack up points may not be the ideal type of player a team may want either depending on their style of play. With that being said, here’s the one defenseman whose stood out so far on the stat-sheet:
Hallie Sheridan, a senior at UW-Eau Claire, leads the west with 16 points in 12 games (5 goals, 11 assists).
These players have 11 points, which is tied for second amongst the west:
Grace Lankas, sophomore – St. Olaf (2 goals, 9 assists)
Kathryn Truban, junior – Adrian (3 goals, 8 assists)
Ava Jaschke, senior – St. Norbert (2 goals, 9 assists)
Finally, we have the last line of defense, the goaltenders. Here are the goaltenders who’ve stood out the most, hint, there’s a lot.
Katie McCoy of Gustavus wins MIAC Athlete of the Week (12/5/22) Photo by Jordan Modjeski – Gustavus Athletics)
Katie McCoy, a senior at Gustavus has the best record at 10-1-0, .964 save-percentage, and 5 shutouts.
Sami Miller, a graduate-senior at UW-River Falls, has an 8-1-0 record including 2 shutouts and a .947 save-percentage. She also has a 4-1-0 record against top-10/top-5 opponents, she’s built an impressive résumé thus far due to the overall strength of opponents she’s faced.
Stephanie Martin, a graduate-senior at UW-Eau Claire has the second most wins with a 9-1-0 record, 3 shutouts, and a save-percentage of .933.
Brynn Waisman, a sophomore at St. Norbert, holds a .969 save-percentage with a 5-1-2 record.
Sophie Goldberg, a senior at Adrian, has an 8-1-0 record including 4 shutouts, and a .959 save-percentage.
Notable mention: Samantha Steciak, a junior at Aurora, has only 4 games played but a 4-0-0 record, with a nation’s-best .984 save-percentage.
We look ahead now to the second half of the season, the first half went very fast, it seems as though we just began our 2022-2023 season last week (unless you’re a player who’s sore and recovering at the moment next to the fire). Great hockey so far and looking forward to seeing it continue in the coming weeks and months!
Longtime ECAC Hockey commissioner Steve Hagwell has announced his retirement, effective at the conclusion of the 2022-23 fiscal year.
Hagwell is the longest-serving commissioner of ECAC Hockey, having seen the storied league through its evolution to a single-sport conference and into one of the most competitive leagues in the sport.
“Having had the honor, privilege and blessing to serve ECAC Hockey for 24 years, including 18 as commissioner, I have decided that it is time for me to conclude my tenure with the league,” said Hagwell in a news release. “My love for ECAC Hockey is boundless, but as much love as I have for the league, it is the administrators, coaches, student-athletes, staff, on-ice officials and volunteers, to whom I am forever indebted. I thank each and every one for allowing me to serve the greatest league within the NCAA structure for nearly a quarter of a century. It truly has been a blessing beyond anything I ever imagined.”
Hagwell is widely recognized in the hockey community as an individual who has devoted himself and his career to advance the interests of college hockey and the “good of the game” in front of any obstacles that might be posed by personal, league, regional or gender agendas. As the commissioner of ECAC Hockey, Hagwell has been at the forefront of both league and national decisions that have shaped the sport and provided a path to excellence both on and off the ice for countless student-athletes.
Hagwell’s tenure has seen five ECAC Hockey teams raise the NCAA national championship trophy, as well as many student-athletes continuing to professional and international careers on both the men’s and women’s sides, including more than 200 players in NHL, Olympic, and World Championship competition.
“It has been a pleasure working with Steve over the course of his distinguished tenure with ECAC Hockey,” said Harvard women’s head coach Katey Stone. “He has led our league with a steady hand and genuine professionalism. We, who work and play at an ECAC Hockey school, believe it is the ideal league to embrace strong academics with a best-in-class Division I hockey experience. We are grateful for Steve’s stewardship in maintaining the league’s rich tradition of success.”
One of Hagwell’s focuses has always been the student-athlete experience, a focus that is shown in his efforts to pursue top-tier championship experiences for the league. In August 2012, Hagwell led the initiative to reach an agreement with the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority to conduct the league’s men’s championship at the 1980 Rink-Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y. The men’s championship tournament is still hosted in Lake Placid to this day.
On the digital front, Hagwell’s leadership guided the league to be among the first to announce a multi-year partnership with ESPN, which became the official streaming provider for ECAC Hockey men’s and women’s programs at the start of the 2018-19 season. As of the 2020-21 season, all 12 ECAC Hockey institutions are streaming all home ice hockey contests on ESPN+ in the United States and via Stretch Internet internationally.
Equity and equality between the men’s and women’s programs has been a primary charge of Hagwell’s leadership since becoming the first commissioner of ECAC Hockey after the league moved away from the ECAC and transitioned to a single-sport conference. He is responsible for the creation and development of the league’s current infrastructure that represents the country’s longest-standing women’s league and next year, will become the only conference with both men’s and women’s championship structures featuring 12 teams in each bracket.
It is partially due to Hagwell’s unwavering support for equity in the sport that the women’s league has seen immense growth and success during his tenure, including three national championships, many seasons with multiple teams in the NCAA tournament, and at the time of this release, five of the top 15 teams in the national rankings.
“Steve Hagwell represents the best of college athletics,” said former ECAC Hockey commissioner Joe Bertagna. “His motives have always been pure and transparent. He was always available to help promote the game, not just his conference. I have had no better friend in my four decades as a college hockey commissioner than Steve Hagwell.”
In 2004, Hagwell led ECAC Hockey through a formal process to consider prospective institutions for league membership. After a lengthy review, Quinnipiac was added as a member, effective with the 2005-06 season, which gave the conference 12 members and stability during the major conference realignment that took place in 2011 and 2012. ECAC Hockey was the only Division I men’s hockey conference that neither gained nor lost members during that tumultuous time.
“Steve Hagwell has been synonymous with ECAC and College Hockey for the past 23 years,” said Union director of athletics Jim McLaughlin. “The league has seen tremendous growth and success at the highest levels of men’s and women’s ice hockey under his leadership. He was a passionate supporter of all the ECAC hockey members and cared deeply about the experience of our student-athletes. We thank Steve for his commitment and service over the past 20 years and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
On the national level, Hagwell served as president of the Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) for a decade, in that capacity providing unparalleled leadership in setting the group’s agenda and growing its influence in both men’s and women’s hockey. Hagwell also played a key role in the establishment of College Hockey Inc., and has represented the league on multiple committees and panels.
“I have had the opportunity to work closely with Steve on multiple committees through the American Hockey Coaches Association,” said Clarkson men’s coach Casey Jones. “Steve is a respected voice in NCAA hockey circles and has been a tremendous16164 advocate for the ECAC and hockey in general. I wish him nothing but the best going forward.”
“Steve will be missed not only in the ECAC but by all of college hockey,” added current Hockey East commissioner Steve Metcalf. “I know I speak for all of the other commissioners in saying we’ll all miss his advice and wisdom and the countless ways he helped make college hockey as great as it is. Personally, he has been a great colleague and friend, and I wish him all the best in his retirement.”
Hagwell joined the ECAC in Aug. 1999 and was named associate commissioner for men’s hockey in 2000. In that role, he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Divisions I and III leagues and served as the liaison to the coaches and athletics administrators in seven leagues. In 2003, he took on the additional responsibility of overseeing the Division I women’s league operations.
“Steve has served ECAC Hockey with unwavering integrity, professionalism, grace and humility,” said Cornell deputy director of athletics for intercollegiate athletics and senior woman administrator Anita Brenner. “He is a champion of fair play and has devoted his career to enhancing the student-athlete experience. College hockey is better for Steve’s leadership.”
In April 2004, the administrators of the 12 Division I ECAC hockey schools voted to change the structure of the league and make it an independent affiliate of the ECAC with its own governance and operations. Hagwell was named acting commissioner of the newly structured ECAC Hockey League and was given the permanent role in 2005. In that role, he built an infrastructure that has provided a first-class level of service to the league membership and provided a stable base for excellence on the ice.
Prior to joining the general ECAC staff, Hagwell worked at NCAA headquarters in the public affairs office for more than seven years. At the NCAA, Hagwell was the assistant manager of publishing where he served as liaison to the Men’s Ice Hockey Rules Committee and the NCAA Baseball Research Panel. He also was responsible for supervising a staff of editors.
Before his stint at the NCAA, Hagwell spent time on the sports information staffs at the University of Kentucky, University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, and University of Florida.
A graduate of Michigan Tech, Hagwell and his wife, Carrie, have three children, Jordy, Joshua, and Jack.
A national search process for the next ECAC Hockey commissioner will begin in early 2023.
Nathan Burke has been a go-to player up front this season for Bowling Green (photo: Stephen Linsky/BGSU Athletics).
It’s that time of year again.
I’m not talking about the holidays. I’m talking about the end of the first half of the college hockey season, when my editors generously let me write a thousand or so words where I get to pretend like I’m Nostradamus.
And, if you’ve been following the CCHA at all in 2022, you’ll know that things have been especially chaotic and that any attempt to try and predict what is going to happen after Christmas is probably going to blow up in my face.
However, with that caveat out of the way, let me get right into it. I’ve categorized the eight CCHA members into three different tiers: “The Contenders,” “In The Hunt,” and the special category entitled the “I have no idea what’s happening here” teams (you’ll see what I mean about that one when you get there).
I think it’s pretty clear that the three teams in the “Contenders” category have the inside track to win the MacNaughton Cup, but also remember that this league is so tight that I think any of the top six teams in the conference have a chance to make a run and win the thing.
So please don’t yell at me about Bowling Green being just two points behind Bemidji State and Michigan Tech – I’m aware, I can read the standings, but I have reasons for why I think this. (Also — and this is important — I’m not a wizard and do not have the power to see into the future. Unfortunately.)
The Contenders
Bemidji State (25 points)
The Beavers (9-5-2, 7-2-3 CCHA) have been quietly plugging along, mostly under-the-radar, but once they took five of six points from the Minnesota State to jump to the top of the standings, people started to take notice. They’re now tied with Michigan Tech for first but have two games-in-hand.
And if you look into the numbers, you’ll see that it’s no fluke. They’ve taken at least three points from every conference series so far this year and have the highest points-percentage of any teams in the league.
Their defense has been outstanding in those conference games, too – goaltender Mattias Sholl and BSU’s experienced back line that includes Elias Rosen, Kyle Looft and Will Zmolek has allowed just 24 goals in 12 league games. That bodes well for them in the second half, but their big obstacle to winning the MacNaughton Cup is going to be scoring. The past four games have seen them score at least three goals each time, but otherwise they have struggled to find consistency up front.
Michigan Tech (25 points)
This season’s success for the Huskies (11-5-3, 7-4-3 CCHA) has been somewhat unexpected. I think most people expected some sort of regression after Tech lost a slew of talented offensive players, including Hobey Baker top-ten finalist Brian Halonen. And unlike Bemdiji State, which also found itself in a similar predicament, the Huskies did not have quite as many top defensemen returning to the fold. They did, however, have goaltender Blake Pietila, who, along with Sholl, has been one of the top goalies in the conference. Pietila leads in save percentage (.928 to .922) while Sholl has the slight edge in goals-against (1.95 to 1.98).
The only real difference right now between the Beavers and the Huskies? The fact that the Beavers took five of six points from Tech in Houghton way back in October. On the other hand: The Huskies are a perfect 4-0 in nonconference play while the Beavers are 2-3-1, which currently puts Tech at No. 19 in the Pairwise and are the team with the best shot at an at-large bid as things stand. Tech has two nonconference series left (both tournaments – the GLI and the Desert Classic) and can further improve their standing with four more wins there. And you’ll want to circle Feb. 3-4 on your calendars. That’s when the Huskies travel to Bemidji for what could be the deciding series in the race for MacNaughton.
Minnesota State (24 points)
Are the Mavericks in crisis mode? Maybe not quite. After all, they’re still in third place. But it sure is odd to take a look at the Pairwise and have to scroll all the way down to No. 24 to find Minnesota State. And it’s even odder still that their record is just above .500 – just 10-9-1 overall and 7-6-1 in conference play.
Can we possibly just chalk it up to a bad December? MSU went 2-4-0 this month, but the odd thing about this was the “how.” The Mavericks lost four straight home games (against Ferris State and Bemidji State) for the first time since 2006, but those losses bookended an emphatic sweep at Bowling Green.
The Mavericks are still scoring, with David Silye and Jake Livingstone leading that charge. And I think we knew coming into the season that life without Dryden McKay might be tough.
In The Hunt
Bowling Green (23 points)
The Falcons (8-12-0, 7-7-0 CCHA) were atop the conference standings for a long time, but that’s mostly because until recently they’d played four more games than most of their conference rivals. Now that games played has evened out a bit, BG has sunk down the standings. Looking a bit closer at their 7-7 record, it seems clear the Falcons are, at least so far, exactly where they’re supposed to be. They’ve beaten the teams they’re supposed to beat (having swept St. Thomas and Lake State), lost to the teams you would expect (0-4 against Minnesota State) and split with the rest of the teams in the league aside from Bemidji, who they haven’t played.
The Falcons could go on a run in the second half of the season and compete for the league title, but the fact that they can’t seem to keep the goals out of their own net doesn’t bode well. (Their 69 goals allowed are among the worst in the country and behind only St. Thomas’ 71 as far as the conference goes.) If you take that into account, it seems much more likely that they will be fighting for the fourth and final home ice slot.
Ferris State (20 points)
I think you’ll find that all three teams in this tier have somewhat similar profiles (lots of splits against their mid-table peers), but the big difference with the Bulldogs (8-8-2, 6-5-1 CCHA) is that they have yet to be swept in conference play. Also big for the ‘Dawgs: Their sweep of Minnesota State in Mankato earlier this month.
The Bulldogs, at least to me, seem to be the team trending best in this group. Those six points against MSU were obviously a big help, but the second half of the season sees them get to play Lake Superior four times, along with more matchups against BG and NMU. They also get to play Tech, Bemidji and Minnesota State at Ewigleben Ice Arena – a place where weird things have been known to happen to the best of teams. A fourth place finish would be outstanding for a team that went 1-23-1 just two seasons ago.
Northern Michigan (18 points)
The Wildcats (11-9-0, 7-5-0 CCHA) are another team that has struggled to put consistent results together, but they, too, found a way to defeat Minnesota State in Mankato (I’m sensing a pattern here).
NMU has one of the top scorers in the country in AJ Vanderbeck (11g-13a-24pts), and teammates Andre Ghantous (4-16-20) and Artem Shlaine (8-9-17) are among the CCHA leaders. What NMU needs is for some of their secondary scorers like Kristoff Papp, Joey Larson and David Keefer to become more consistent so they can start getting more than three points on a weekend to move further up the standings.
The “I Have No Idea What’s Going On Here” teams
St. Thomas (14 points)
As you’ll see, I’m grouping St. Thomas (5-14-1, 4-9-1) and Lake Superior State together for different reasons, but let’s start with the Tommies. They are likely not going to be playing for home ice in the second half of the season, much less the MacNaughton Cup, but they aren’t to be overlooked.
Rico Blasi has assembled a talented young squad that seemingly needed about a month-and-a-half together to really gel. They lost 12 of their first 14 games to the likes of St. Cloud State, Penn State, Minnesota State and Michigan Tech, but they were competitive in every game. Since then, they’ve gone 3-2-1 with points in every series.
As the Tommies’ young players keep growing and getting better, they’re going to be dangerous. Josh Eernisse and Mack Beyers are both in the top five in scoring in the conference with 10 goals apiece, and Lucas Wahlin’s 17 points are already a Tommies’ Division I record. I don’t think anybody in the top half of the conference is going to want to match up with St. Thomas in the first round of the CCHA tournament.
Lake Superior State (7 points)
I have the Lakers (3-13-2, 2-9-1 CCHA) grouped here partly because I think it’s going to be hard for them to move up in the league standings, but mostly I have them here because I’m not sure why they’re here. They returned eight seniors and 10 juniors. Many of them were key pieces of the team that won the WCHA tournament in 2021 and went to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1996. Forward Louis Boudon and defenseman Jacob Bengtsson were both all-CCHA second-team players in 2022.
So it doesn’t make sense that a team with so much talent is so far from contention. I believe I had them picked to finish third in the conference, competing for a title and possibly making some noise in the Pairwise. That hasn’t happened, and although Boudon is still scoring, the rest of the team hasn’t followed suit (just 36 goals scored in 18 games). Maybe some of the other experienced forwards (like Brandon Puricelli, Logan Jenuwine and Harrison Roy) can step up and help the Lakers be more competitive and try to get out of the cellar.
Special observer status
Augustana
This isn’t technically one of the categories I had listed, but I felt I needed to mention soon-to-be-CCHA-member Augustana. There hasn’t been a lot of news out of Sioux Falls, but if any South Dakotans are reading and want to get excited about next season, you can watch their brand-spanking-new Midco Arena be built in real time!
Happy trails, P.A.
One last thing. I know he probably hates the attention, and I know Matt Semisch mentioned him in his Monday 10 piece earlier this week, but I think every CCHA fan needs to take some time to thank and acknowledge the work of former Minnesota State sports information director Paul Allan, who retired last week after 37 years. His last game in the MSU press box was the Mavericks’ Dec. 16 game against Bemidji State.
Allan started at MSU in 1985. That was when the Mavs were (briefly) in Division III. He’s seen Minnesota State play in three different divisions and four different conferences (the NCHA, the two versions of the WCHA and the CCHA). He worked under the legendary Don Brose as well as Troy Jutting and Mike Hastings. He’s seen the Mavericks play in five Frozen Fours – including two at the Division I level. In other words, he’s seen it all, and his knowledge of college hockey is deep and enthusiasm for it is boundless.
I started working with him when I arrived in Bemidji in 2012 to cover the Beavers, and one thing that’s been a constant is how hard he is willing to work to help arrange interviews, credential requests, photos, whatever people need–and always with a joke and a good-natured attitude. You could always tell how much he loved Minnesota State athletics (he did it all, too–not just hockey) and the Mankato community and loved getting more MSU coverage out in the world.
I think most of us Midwest-based college hockey writers have great memories of working in press boxes with Allan, but if not, here’s a nice podcast interview/tribute the Mavericks made with the help of USCHO alumnus Shane Frederick that captures the essence of P.A.
Happy trails, Paul, and enjoy being able to kick back and watch the Mavericks as a fan!
(Of course, right before this piece published, it was announced that P.A. isn’t ACTUALLY retiring. He’s going to be working as director of communications for the USHL. Another gig he’s going to be GREAT at, and one that keeps him somewhat involved in the college hockey world. Congrats, P.A.!)
Bob Nygaard (and Champ) works a regional tournament game in Fargo, N.D., during a recent NCAA tournament (photo: Matthew Semisch).
As much as we focus during the holidays on the giving and receiving of gifts, it’s important to make room for gratitude, too.
I’ve been reminded of that lately in my personal life. On Oct. 22, I broke the top of my arm in three places in an accident on my day job, and my father insisted on coming up from Nebraska to North Dakota to help out while I started my recovery.
I’m the kind of person who hates asking for help with just about anything, and the past couple of months have taught me to be better about that, and about paying things forward. Thank you, Dad. I appreciate you more than you know.
I also want to shout out the NCHC member schools’ sports information directors, past and present. I’ve always wanted to write a column like this, and with Minnesota Duluth about to name the Amsoil Arena press box for former Bulldogs SID Bob Nygaard, now’s the time.
Nygaard was among a now shrinking number of the NCHC’s original team SIDs, but his start with UMD’s athletic department far predates the birth of the NCHC. He became the university’s assistant SID in September 1983, then headed that department later that year.
He entered the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame in 2015. It was a much-deserved honor for a SID who spearheaded numerous community and Bulldog team initiatives during his tenure at his hometown university.
On top of creating promotional campaigns for a NCAA-record six different Hobey Baker Award-winning Bulldogs, Nygaard in 2003 created the Shjon Podein Community Award, given annually to a UMD student-athlete who best combines leadership qualities and local humanitarian contributions.
The UMD Team Impact Award, given annually to the university’s team with the most community service hours per player, was also one of Nygaard’s initiatives, as were several local grade school-related programs.
Nygaard’s position at UMD was eliminated in April 2020, one of many taken out as part of what the university said were planned budget cuts and not related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless, it sadly marked the end of a 37-year era for the longest-serving member of UMD’s athletic department.
Naming the Amsoil press box after Nygaard is unquestionably the right decision, and I’m glad to see him honored for his decades of work. I hope that he gets a standing ovation when the ceremony takes place Jan. 7, when UMD hosts Bemidji State.
At the risk of sounding like I’m kissing up to them, the NCHC has always been full of great characters helping to boost the profiles of their respective schools. We, reporters and fans alike, are in their debt.
Thank your local SIDs. Like great parents, they’re never thanked enough.
Harrison Scott has six goals in the first half for Bentley (photo: Maddie Schroeder/Bentley Athletics).
With the first half of the Atlantic Hockey season in the books, let’s hand out some mid-term grades:
Air Force (6-10-2, 2-7-1 AHA)
Atlantic Hockey Standings: Ninth
Points Per Game: 0.70 (Ninth)
PairWise Ranking: 55
The Lowdown: The Falcons have some quality wins, including over Colorado College and RIT. But they’ve dropped five in a row and have one win in their last eight games. Under the AHA’s new playoff format, Air Force would be on the outside looking in if the season ended today. First-Half Grade: C-
American International (10-7-4, 8-5-2 AHA)
Atlantic Hockey Standings: Second
Points Per Game: 1.80 (Tied for third)
PairWise Ranking: 31
The Lowdown: The four-time defending champs may actually be a bit ahead of schedule. For the past few seasons, things came together for AIC after the holidays when the Yellow Jackets started their move from the middle of the pack to the top of the mountain. This season, after a 5-6-2 start, AIC is 5-1-2 in its last eight games and moved from sixth to second in the standings. The Yellow Jackets have the top defense and second-ranked offense in the conference. First-Half Grade: B+
Army West Point (6-9-2, 5-5-1 AHA)
Atlantic Hockey Standings: Tied for sixth
Points Per Game: 1.36 (Seventh)
PairWise Ranking: 52
The Lowdown: After a 1-7-1 start to the season, the Black Knights are 5-2-1 since, picking up points in their last four conference series. Army West Point has 15 conference games remaining, nine on home ice. First-Half Grade: B
Bentley (4-13, 2-8 AHA)
Atlantic Hockey Standings: Tenth
Points Per Game: 0.60 (Tenth)
PairWise Ranking: 58
The Lowdown: The Falcons’ defense will look to improve on a league-worst GAA of 4.29. The good news is that Bentley still has 16 conference games left to make up ground. The potentially bad news is that 10 of those games are against teams currently in the top half of the standings, including four against first-place RIT. First-Half Grade: D
Canisius (5-11-2, 3-5-2 AHA)
Atlantic Hockey Standings: Eighth
Points Per Game: 1.10 (Eighth)
PairWise Ranking: 54
The Lowdown: Canisius has played the second-toughest overall schedule in Atlantic Hockey to date (ranked 47th in Division I, behind Sacred Heart’s 45th), and faces some challenges in the second half of the season, including six straight road games against league opponents. In all, the Golden Griffins will play only five more regular season games on home ice. First-Half Grade: C
Holy Cross (5-12-1, 4-7-1 AHA)
Atlantic Hockey Standings: Tied for sixth
Points Per Game: 1.25 (Sixth)
PairWise Ranking: 51
The Lowdown: The Crusaders have exceeded expectations so far. Picked to finish last in the preseason coaches poll, Holy Cross sits in the middle of the standings at the break, thanks in part to ending its first half on a three-game winning streak. The Crusaders will play 10 of their final 16 games at home after getting just five home games in the first half. First-Half Grade: C+
Mercyhurst (6-10-2, 5-3-2 AHA)
Atlantic Hockey Standings: Fifth
Points Per Game: 1.80 (Tied for third)
PairWise Ranking: 48
The Lowdown: Don’t sleep on the Lakers, who are lurking in the middle of the pack with games in hand over the teams ahead of them. Mercyhurst had a five-game winning streak snapped by Army West Point in their last game, and faces crucial series with Sacred Heart, AIC, and RIT to open the second half of their season. First-Half Grade: B
Niagara (9-5-2, 5-5-2 AHA)
Atlantic Hockey Standings: Fourth
Points Per Game: 1.59 (Fifth)
PairWise Ranking: 28
The Lowdown: The Purple Eagles have been the league’s bright spot in terms of non-conference play at 4-0. They’ll return to action after the break with series against Miami and St. Lawrence. Niagara has shown to be a legitimate contender in Atlantic Hockey this season and can make up some ground with a few more home wins. The Purple Eagles are 6-2-1 on the road compared to 3-3-1 at Dwyer Arena so far. First-Half Grade: B+
Rochester Institute of Technology (12-4, 10-2 AHA)
Atlantic Hockey Standings: First
Points Per Game: 2.5 (First)
PairWise Ranking: 18
The Lowdown: The Tigers are off to their best start in the D-I era, holding a three-point lead over AIC in the standings but with three games in hand. They also hold tiebreakers over AIC and third-place Sacred Heart. RIT is the only AHA team within striking distance of an at-large NCAA bid, currently 18th in the PWR. The Tigers boast the top power play, offense, and second-ranked defense in the conference. RIT begins the second half with a home-and-home series with No. 5 Penn State, First-Half Grade: A
Sacred Heart (8-7-1, 7-4-1 AHA)
Atlantic Hockey Standings: Third
Points Per Game: 1.92 (Second)
PairWise Ranking: 30
The Lowdown: This season has all the makings of a memorable one for the Pioneers, who will open the Martire Family Arena
on Jan. 14. SHU has had some on-ice success as well, currently sitting in third place, but second in points per game. The Pioneers are ranked third in Atlantic Hockey in both offense and defense. A rough non-conference slate lies ahead, including Boston College, Quinnipiac, and possibly Connecticut based on the first-round results of the annual Connecticut Ice Tournament. First-Half Grade: B+
Merrimack has been the surprise team in Hockey East over the first half of the 2022-23 season (photo: Merrimack Athletics).
We’ve reached the unofficial halfway point in the Hockey East season.
Unfortunately, your usual scribe, John Doyle, is under the weather so you’re stuck with yours truly filling in to give some thoughts – with the assistance of Hockey East commissioner Steve Metcalf – on some of the topics around the league and college hockey.
Get well very soon, JD!
So, in no particular order, here are a few bullet points from the season to date:
• The standings are hardly what anyone expected. The two teams sitting atop the league are Merrimack, picked to finish eighth and Connecticut, chosen seventh preseason by the coaches. Back in 2019, the athletic directors voted to eliminate the bottom three teams from the postseason. Because of the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season and changes made during the COVID-challenged season of 2020-21, it was the only year in recent history that teams were eliminated after the regular season.
Two of the teams to miss the postseason that year? You guessed it – Merrimack and UConn. Which proves a team’s fate can change rather quickly.
“Any preconceived notions that you have about, ‘This is the way it used to be in Hockey East,’ are gone. Now it’s just so competitive and deep,” said Metcalf. “There’s a combination of new kids coming into the programs. Whether it be from another program, a grad transfer or a freshman, some of these kids can really change the way the program looks like.”
• Metcalf is a PairWise watcher. He admits that every Monday morning it’s part of his routine, and as things get later in the season, those checks of the rankings that mimic the NCAA tournament selection process become even more frequent. And right now, you have to like what you see for Hockey East. The league has six teams in the top 16, including aforementioned Merrimack leading the way in third. Add to that Boston University, UConn, UMass, UMass Lowell and Providence with both Boston College and Northeastern – a team currently battling injuries that will be dangerous if it gets healthy – sitting near the PairWise bubble.
• Non-league play has been good to Hockey East thus far, with teams posting an impressive .629 winning percentage outside of conference play. The only league with a better mark is the Big Ten, which is winning at a .758 clip.
Surprising to note, though, is that Hockey East still has almost 40 percent of its non-conference games ahead of it. The first few weeks back from break combined with the Beanpot games for BC, BU and Northeastern, as well as teams that fill second-half conference bye weeks with non-conference games will account for the more than 40 games remaining out-of-conference.
• It doesn’t take a conversation with Metcalf to understand that the return of the Friendship Four, the Thanksgiving weekend tournament played in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was a smashing success. With more than 22,000 fans passing through the turnstiles of SSE Arena, it’s clear that the region was more than happy to welcome the event back for the first time since November 2019.
And while there is a strong desire to keep things going with this event, Metcalf says that it is more likely than not that the tournament will alternate between a men’s and women’s event each year going forward. Thus, the 2023 edition will likely be comprised of women’s teams before the men head back to Belfast in 2024.
“Belfast will continue, which is good news,” Metcalf said. “It will be women’s games in 2023, so next season, and then the men are likely going to an every-other-year tournament.”
All great news as international hockey is great for Hockey East and college hockey.
• There are a lot of new faces around the league right now. Sure, there were two new coaches this year in Jay Pandolfo at BU and Greg Brown at BC (two hires that could be filed under the “that was obvious category.”) But you also have four new athletic directors that will help guide and shape this league in the coming years.
A couple of those faces were very familiar as Boston College hired former Maine AD Blake James to take over their department. And after legendary AD Bob Driscoll retired at Providence, he was replaced by Steve Napolillo, who has nearly two decades of leadership experience in Providence College athletics, including being an integral part of the committee that hired current coach Nate Leaman.
The other two faces aren’t as familiar to Hockey East. Maine this week announced that Jude Killy will take over as AD in late January. Killy does come from a college hockey school, Miami. And New Hampshire hired Allison Rich, who spent the last nine seasons at Princeton.
Having a college hockey background is hardly a requirement for an AD position, but for any commissioner having those athletic directors familiar with the nuts and bolts of a niche sport like hockey is a luxury.
“It’s great having [ADs] in those positions who support hockey, and are familiar with hockey,” said Metcalf. “That’s good for me. For our schools, hockey is a priority. It’s great to have ADs in there that a very familiar with college hockey.”
• Another great thing for college hockey was the recent announcement that outgoing Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker will be taking over as president of the NCAA in March. It may not seem like a direct correlation to college hockey or Hockey East, but Baker is indeed a college hockey fan.
He recently traveled to Belfast for the Friendship Four and, as Metcalf noted, was very into the games, especially as UMass came within a hair of knocking off Quinnipiac in the title game, a tie and shootout loss for the Minutemen.
But Metcalf recounted a conversation he had with Baker while in Belfast about the 2014 Union team that won the national championship. Baker’s son was attending Union at the time and the family followed the team’s Cinderella run to the national title.
“He was shooting off names of players like Shane Gostisbehere and their goaltender [Colin Stevens],” said Metcalf. “He feels like he’s a pretty good fan.”
• And finally, if you don’t have them yet, now is a perfect time to purchase tickets to Frozen Fenway and the 2023 Hockey East championship at the TD Garden. Both make great holiday presents!
Cornell’s Dalton Bancroft celebrates a recent goal with teammate Matt Stienburg (photo: Matt Dewkett/Cornell Athletics).
Ah yes, the holidays.
It’s a time for family and friends to celebrate a jolly fat man in a red suit as he squeezes his way down chimneys with a reckless abandon for the possibility of getting roasted by the embers of burning winter yule log. It’s a time to sit around the table and enjoy a glass of creamed raw egg while children try to stay up late, all for the right to assemble things for absolutely no credit while attempting to stave off exhaustion before the inevitable pre-dawn wakeup.
The holidays are the best time of year, and while they never required oodles of gifts for me, I always felt that the well-lit, well-decorated scene of a family sitting around a table with a great meal is the best way to celebrate. It doesn’t matter what holiday you’re observing in that regard, and it transcends and navigates its way from one holiday to another.
With that in mind, let’s have some fun this week and wrap up the first half of the year at USCHO.com with a look at the Christmas wish list for the ECAC Hockey programs.
We can only hope that the jolly man fits his way down their respective chimneys, and on behalf of our entire staff, we wish you and yours the happiest and healthiest of holiday seasons as we prepare for the home stretch that starts after Jan. 1, 2023.
Brown: Liquid Schwartz
I might be dating myself, but does anyone else remember the scene at the end of Spaceballs when Barf opens the glove compartment and pours the Liquid Schwartz into the Winnebago engine? It immediately puts Lone Star’s ride into hyperspace, and he returns to Druidia to save Princess Vespa from a life spent with Prince Valium.
I’m pretty sure that movie would never get released in the modern era, but I’d like to think that Brown could really make some noise in the second half of the season if it hits the gas pedal in those first two January games against UMass and Merrimack. Both are on the road and are the precursor to a very manageable six-game homestand against Union-RPI, Dartmouth-Harvard and St. Lawrence-Clarkson.
The Bears have tools in all three phases and are starting to develop an offense around Ryan Bottrill, and the defense and goaltending are as steady as any team in ECAC. With a three-week long break between games, a well-rested Bruno squad could really damage UMass and Merrimack if everything comes together. There hasn’t been the full consistency yet, but a rebooted start to the second half could send the team flying into home ice consideration and possibly beyond.
Clarkson: Dan drops off the bandwagon
The preseason favorite to win the Cleary Cup opened the season with four straight losses, three of which were by one goal and two of which were in overtime. Another one-goal loss later happened against Union, and despite a five-game winning streak in November, the Golden Knights broke for the holidays with a road loss sweep to Princeton and Quinnipiac and a two-point weekend at home against Brown and Yale.
None of that really made sense, and it still really doesn’t add up for a team that’s seen literally every possible type of defeat along the way. A team that averaged nearly 30 shots per game last year posted 15 shots on goal in the loss to Mercyhurst, then lost to Union despite outshooting the Dutchmen by a 36-17 margin. A goalie with a 2.58 goals against average surrendered four goals in the first period against Princeton, and a 2-0 lead against Brown ended in a shootout loss before a comeback tie against Yale ended with the same outcome.
Everyone knows I love me some Clarkson, and I still think this is going to iron out in the second half of the season with plenty of time to clinch a top-four spot, which in turn opens the door for a run to and through Lake Placid. But maybe that’s the problem. I have a well-known curse (see also: I kept picking against Robert Morris in the second half of the 2013-2014 season, and the Colonials eventually won the Atlantic Hockey conference), so dropping me off the bandwagon might have the desired effect.
Playing .500 hockey isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it’ll be interesting to see what happens to Clarkson in its holiday tournament games in Milwaukee. Beating UMass would trigger some good juju, and I think coming east to play Holy Cross one week before the weekend at Harvard and Dartmouth could galvanize this team with a good-looking win. My only concern is the lack of home games at Cheel Arena, where the train whistle is still the loudest goal horn on the planet. Exactly one game against St. Lawrence is at home between now and February 10.
Colgate: A first-round bye
Colgate roared to life at the end of the first half of the season when it smacked Brown and Yale before sweeping the Dartmouth-Harvard weekend. Two non-conference losses to Niagara sat in between the sandwich slices of playing Ivy League ECAC teams, but those 12 points thrust the Raiders into the bulk of the conversation.
The seas are kind of parting for a Colgate run in the second half of the season. Clarkson has to complete makeup work on the road to catch the front four, and Princeton played more games to reach the same amount of points. The second half schedule is difficult, but it’s hard to envision someone catching the Raiders if they play January and February like they did at the end of December.
Cornell: Some attention
See also: Colgate. It’s basically the same thing, and with a 4-1 record at Lynah Rink, any road going through Ithaca could potentially end in the fabled gorges.
I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about Cornell. The Big Red smoked UConn in New York City before taking Harvard to overtime, and the defensive back line held Brown, Sacred Heart, Dartmouth, St. Lawrence, and Princeton to one goal or less. Quinnipiac didn’t exactly blow the doors off the Cornell defense, and the 1.8 goals per game allowed is better than any team in the country.
Cornell isn’t the top team in this league right now, but any conversation about Quinnipiac or Harvard needs to include the Big Red as a factor and a potential roadblock. The league is shaking down in a way that’s going to be difficult for anyone to catch them in the second half of the season, and asking a team to win twice in Ithaca is a tall order.
Maybe it’ll start with me in the second half of the year, but that pesky 12-year drought without a Whitelaw Cup could be in serious jeopardy.
Dartmouth: A home-cooked meal
Whatever finagling sent Dartmouth on the road for virtually the entire first half of its year had an inevitable drawback after the Big Green took five points from Yale and Brown at Thompson Arena. They lost both games at the Capital District before getting swept in Belfast, and returning home to play Colgate and Cornell laid a six-game gauntlet that stretched the team to its limit before playing UMass Lowell in early December in their third home game of the season.
It was a known hurdle to clear, but the good news is that despite the team’s record, Dartmouth plays almost its entire second half at home with an opportunity to still move into the league’s middle tier. The road trip to Brown and Yale carries the potential for two wins, and traveling to Dartmouth in January and February isn’t easy for any opponent. Maybe it’s obvious, but even Quinnipiac has a difficult road to Hanover since it’s the back end of a weekend that starts at Harvard.
Facts are on the ground that Dartmouth has an uphill battle, but glances within the numbers show how the margin really isn’t that large. Opponents are putting 30 shots per game on the Big Green’s net, but Cooper Black is still allowing less than three goals per game with a .904 save percentage. The penalty kill has only allowed five goals, and removing the six empty net goals brings the team’s differential down nearly half of a goal per game.
In ECAC talk, the Big Green are 11th in the standings, but that preseason breakout is still very much in play.
Harvard: A Crimson-colored speed bump in front of Quinnipiac
It’s kind of weird to consider the Crimson underrated when they’re ranked ninth in the country, but the late start to the Ivy League season meant top-ranked Quinnipiac had a head start at charging towards the top of the DCU/USCHO Division I men’s hockey poll. They’ve been every bit as good as Quinnipiac short of a couple of extra losses, but the refusal to acknowledge an 8-2-1 team in the same breath as a 14-1-3 season is mind-boggling.
Harvard has a home-and-home with Boston University and Northeastern on the horizon, and the Princeton-Quinnipiac weekend looms with the Tigers’ centennial celebration at Hobey Baker Rink, but if the Crimson come through that stretch intact, voters should probably take note of what’s happening in Cambridge.
Princeton: Rodney Dangerfield
Plenty of reasons exist for why Princeton doesn’t receive the same respect as any other team in the league’s top five. The Tigers required three more games than both Cornell and Colgate to reach 16 points, and their winning percentage skews deeper into the league’s race than the top four. Their situational numbers, including their goal ratio, poke holes in the notion that they might challenge their Ivy League counterparts in Ithaca and Boston, and their remaining schedule includes a trip to the North Country, a trip that requires a trip from a location just north of Philadelphia and Trenton to a spot closer to the Canadian border.
But isn’t that why we should believe in Princeton? Games against Colgate, Cornell, Clarkson, St. Lawrence, Harvard, RPI and Union mean the Tigers control their own destiny, and every single one of those teams has to play Quinnipiac before or after playing in New Jersey, and the dynamic of being the more overlooked team feeds the notion that Princeton is simply that – overlooked.
A team averaging nearly three goals per game on 30-plus shots per game deserves more, and Princeton’s 19 percent power play is better than than its standing in ECAC would imply. The fact that individual teams are probably better in certain areas only means that the Tigers are remarkably consistent, and in this league, playing consistent hockey is a great way to push and reach for better standings.
Quinnipiac: One King-Size Snickers
Seriously, what do you ask for when you have literally everything? The Bobcats are undefeated and untied in league play and are 14-1-3 overall. The fact that they aren’t No. 1 in the nation is probably the result of anti-ECAC bias by voters who love cycling the top spot among Big Ten and NCHC teams, and confidence in the Big Ten and Hockey East are at an all-time high.
The otherwise clogged mix at the top of the rankings keeps Quinnipiac out of the No. 1 spot, but I suppose any doubters will turn into believers if the run continues clear through an April trip to Tampa, though. In any event, if you’re hungry, grab a Snickers.
Rensselaer: More home games against Union
On October 28, RPI hosted and defeated Union in a 2-1 hockey game at Houston Field House and a sellout crowd of 4,700 fans. Kyle Hallbauer and John Evans both scored in the first two periods, and Jack Watson and Connor Murphy dueled in net in the third period of a game that pushed the Engineers to 5-1 on the season. Since then, though, RPI won just two games while beating Alaska at home in a shootout, and the team’s 2-6 conference record sits in a clumped pack fighting over the bottom half of the league.
Over half of the nine overall losses have been by a goal, including the Princeton game in the last weekend of the first half, so it’s a little hard to judge how good or bad that first half went. The high was unquestionably the Union game, and it showed the potential of how the Engineers can recapture a bit of the magic from an outstanding night at their own barn. Wins just need to start dropping, though it’s hard to favor anyone at this point, so maybe grabbing a couple of extra momentum swings along the way would go a long way.
St. Lawrence: Water bottles of Appleton Arena water
St. Lawrence is a very good home hockey team that went 7-3 at home in the first half of the season. It’s also a team that struggled on the road by going 1-5 in the first half of the season. In the end, the 8-8 team is averaging just about the same offensive numbers as defensive numbers allowed, though the lone exception is the power play, where the Saints are skating at 10 percent compared to a 23 percent opposing success rate.
The bad news is that the majority of games in the second half of the season are on the road. The good news is that none of them are truly long distances until the trip to Brown and Yale on February 3-4. The even better news is that the following weekend against Princeton and Quinnipiac is at home – which means the Saints don’t have to board the bus for two incredibly long road trips on consecutive weekends.
It feels like SLU is just kind of hanging around enough to really damage someone’s hopes while making a run at the top four. In all likelihood, someone is going to have to win at Appleton in the second half or in the postseason, and judging from the wins over Brown, Union and a sneaky good Colorado College team, that’s easier said than done.
Union: More home games against RPI
Remember a couple of minutes ago when I mentioned the RPI win over Union at home? The next night in Schenectady produced a 6-0 win for the Dutchmen and set the stage for the following weekend’s 3-2 win over Clarkson.
A later win over Dartmouth kept Union afloat and ahead of the aforementioned pack, but there’s still a need to separate entirely from Dartmouth, Brown, Yale, and, yes, RPI. The 2-0 loss to Princeton didn’t help (especially with those notes about how the Tigers can keep a top-four spot), but nothing else from the first half really indicates that the Dutchmen are doomed to a road game in the first round.
In fact, I’d argue that Union has more hockey left in its pistons than most ECAC teams, and the very quiet start to the season only cast some uncertainty over how to judge it. The bounce-back win over RPI was a huge statement, and the Dutchmen could make some serious noise if they recapture the magic from that win.
Yale: A copy of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds
Yale found itself inserted back into the ECAC conversation with the way the first half ended, so the Bulldogs could really use a case of good vibrations when the second half restarts the season. The other half of travel partner Brown’s aforementioned second half home start, they haven’t played much hockey at Ingalls Rink, but fighting through the adversity on the road forged the roster together at a time when the season could have fallen apart.
It took a while for Yale to put everything together, but after struggling for the first month of the season, it really feels like the Bulldogs are primed to venture into the second half with plenty of makeup space. A lack of separation offered cushion for the team’s fall through the standings, and if Dartmouth, RPI, or Brown all falter, it’s not unreasonable to expect a second half run for home ice from a team that’s starting to gel within its offense, defense, and goaltending.
Liam Souliere has emerged as the No. 1 goaltender for Penn State (photo: Penn State Athletics).
With the first half of the season behind us, it’s a good time to reflect on how things have gone so far in the Big Ten.
The B1G picture
For the Big Ten, the first half was productive in several ways. With a record of 44-13-3, B1G Hockey has the best inter-conference win percentage (.758) among all D-I leagues and it isn’t even close. Hockey East (.629) and the NCHC (.609) are the only two other leagues with winning nonconference records. It should be noted, though, that Hockey East is the only conference with a slight edge (4-3-1) over the Big Ten.
There are several Big Ten teams performing well on the national stage, but none so well as Minnesota. The Golden Gophers (15-5-0) are at the top of the PairWise Rankings, lead the nation in scoring (4.30 goals per game) and Minnesota has the second-best scoring margin (1.80) nationally.
The Gophers aren’t the only B1G team that contributes to the conference’s overall success. Nearly everyone does. Penn State (No. 5), Michigan State (No. 8), Ohio State (No. 10) and Michigan (No. 11) would all currently make the PWR cut if the season ended today, and Notre Dame (No. 16) is on the bubble.
Six of seven B1G conference teams high enough in the PWR at midseason to be eyeing the NCAA tournament is quite a statement.
Some snapshots
While there is a possibility that the effort it takes for nonleague foes to defeat Big Ten teams will translate into postseason success, the flip side of that is that conference play will be very tough in the second half. Every team in the league – no matter how successful in the first half – has something it needs in the coming months.
Here are quick hits on each team, in the order of the current B1G standings.
Minnesota
The Gophers are, indeed, golden – but Minnesota would certainly like to tighten up its defense.
Tied for 16th nationally with five other teams, the Gophers allow 2.50 goals per game. That second-best scoring margin wouldn’t be so hefty if the Gophers weren’t scoring so many goals.
With 30 points, Minnesota is eight points ahead of second-place Penn State in Big Ten standings. The Gophers will play the Nittany Lions on the road late in the season. Minnesota starts the second half with an exhibition game against Bemidji State Dec. 31 followed by a home-and-home series against St. Cloud State Jan. 7-8.
Penn State
The Nittany Lions are also 15-5-0 on the season and are tied with Minnesota nationally for defense (2.50).
Averaging 3.65 goals per game, the Nittany Lions are another powerful offensive team with a top-10 scoring margin (1.15).
In their final two first-half conference series, the Nittany Lions went 2-2 – which is the most predictable thing ever, as Penn State split with every B1G team this season with the exception of their sweep of Wisconsin. If the Nittany Lions are going to catch up to Minnesota and contend for a regular-season title, they’ll need game-to-game consistency moving forward.
Penn State will play a home-and-home series against a tough RIT team Dec. 30-31 before returning to league play on the road against Michigan State Jan. 13-14.
Michigan State
Ten points out of first place, the Spartans (12-7-1) ended their first half with a home-and-home split against archrival Michigan to bring their December record to 1-3 – which is a bit deceptive, given that two of those losses were against Minnesota, the only team to sweep Michigan State this season.
In the second half, all the Spartans need to do is to continue to improve. Michigan State is playing as a cohesive unit, with committee-type scoring, defense that is solid and improving – very close to where Minnesota and Penn State are (2.55) – and some of the best goaltending in the league from Dylan St. Cyr.
The Spartans will be tested immediately after Christmas at the Great Lakes Invitational in Grand Rapids, Mich. Dec. 27-28. The field includes Ferris State, Western Michigan and Michigan Tech. The Broncos and Huskies are top-20 teams.
Ohio State
Ohio State (12-7-1) is a team not to be overlooked.
With a .500 record in B1G play, the Buckeyes are tied with Denver nationally for the 10th-best offense (3.55 goals per game) and have absolutely had their way with several nonconference teams, as they did to end the first half with a sweep of Bowling Green in which the Buckeye outscored the Falcons 14-6.
The Buckeyes are the third team in the Big Ten to be part of the national cluster of teams tied for 16th defensively (2.50), but they have an insanely good penalty kill (.905). That specialized focus translated into five-on-five hockey would be a real benefit to the Buckeyes in the second half.
After a real midseason break, the Buckeyes resume play at home against Michigan State – a team Ohio State dropped two games to in the first half – Jan. 6-7.
Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish and the Wolverines each have four wins and 12 points in conference play. Neither team is playing up to its potential, but both in very different ways.
One thing that Notre Dame needs that Michigan does not is scoring. Averaging 2.50 goals per game, the Irish are tied for 45th nationally in team offense.
A few weeks back, coach Jeff Jackson said that Notre Dame (8-8-2) is still looking for better chemistry. The Fighting Irish have split their last four two-game weekend – three of which were against B1G opponents, and one weekend a loss to Boston University and a win over Boston College. In those four weekends, the Irish lost every Friday game and won each Saturday night, including their last first-half game, a 5-3 win over Penn State in which the Irish allowed two late third-period goals.
Notre Dame hosts Alaska Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 before traveling to Wisconsin for two Big Ten games Jan. 6-7. All four of Notre Dame’s games against Wisconsin – the only team really beneath them in the standings right now – are in the second half, and the Irish end the season with a two-game set against Michigan, the team with which they are currently tied.
Michigan
The Wolverines are a puzzle – or maybe they’re not.
After a summer of controversy and now adjusting to a new coach, Michigan (12-7-1) has enough stars to light the evening sky and has been successful enough in nonconference play to sit fairly nigh in the PWR in spite of a losing record in Big Ten play. Unlike the Fighting Irish, chemistry doesn’t seem to be a problem. Consistency, though, is a bit of an issue – consistency from period to period in losing games as much as anything else.
A quick look at Michigan’s first-half results tells a story similar to that of everyone else in the Big Ten other than Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Wolverines have split with Penn State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin and most recently Michigan State. They’ve been swept by Minnesota – and in B1G play so far this season, only Ohio State and Penn State haven’t been swept by Minnesota – and they have yet to play the Buckeyes.
The Wolverines are scoring. Their 3.80 goals per game is sixth-best nationally. They are 37th defensively, though, and that will hamper them in the second half.
After a Jan. 6 exhibition against the U.S. National Development Team, the Wolverines start the second half of the season at home against Ohio State Jan. 13-14 – a brilliant move, as they’ll be without six players for the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Wisconsin
With one Big Ten win and 27 points separating them from the first-place Golden Gophers, the Badgers need more than a little to improve their standing in the second half of the season. Wisconsin (7-11-0) is tied for 45th in scoring nationally (2.50) with Notre Dame and is tied for 48th nationally defensively (3.39) – with Holy Cross, if you’re curious – making the Badgers the only team in the league with a scoring margin in negative digits (-0.89).
The Badgers finished the first half with a sweep at the hands of Minnesota – again, not an uncommon thing for any team, but they surrendered 13 goals in the set. The weekend before that series, the Badgers earned their only B1G win with a home split against Michigan. That win was impressive, with the Badgers scoring four unanswered goals after surrendering the first two, going on to win 6-3.
Wisconsin will participate in the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off in Milwaukee Dec. 28-29, playing Lake Superior State the first night and either Clarkson or UMass the second. The Badgers host Notre Dame Jan. 6-7 to begin second-half Big Ten play.
IIHF World Junior Championship
Ten of Team USA’s players in the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship will be from Big Ten teams, but each B1G team with players on that roster will be impacted differently.
Five Wolverines will play for Team USA and one will play for Team Canada. Michigan forwards Gavin Brindley, Dylan Duke and Rutger McGroarty will join defensemen Seamus Casey and Luke Hughes representing the U.S., while forward Adam Fantilli will play for Team Canada.
The tournament runs from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5, and the Wolverines don’t return to D-I play until Jan. 13, meaning that (barring injury) all players who participate in this year’s World Juniors should be available for Michigan’s first second-half series.
Minnesota forwards Logan Cooley and Jimmy Snuggerud are joined by defensemen Ryan Chesley and Luke Mittelstadt on Team USA. The Gophers may or may not be affected by their participation when they play that home-and-home series against St. Cloud Jan. 6-7. The tournament is in Halifax, N.S., and Moncton, N.B., so travel may be a factor.
Wisconsin forward Charlie Stramel also joins the U.S. team and will miss the Holiday Faceoff and may not be available for the Badgers’ series against Notre Dame Jan. 6-7.
On the heels of his successful book on the Hobey Baker Award that was published two years ago, Brian Shaughnessy is at it again, this time with “Frozen in Time: A History of the U.S. Men’s College Hockey Championship.”
The book takes a look at the 75-year history of the Frozen Four, though the terms “Frozen Four” and “NCAA” do not appear in the book due to NCAA intellectual property rights. Instead, he useds generic phrases like “semi-finals,” “finals,” “Division I,” and “U.S. collegiate.”
A unique aspect of this book is that 100 percent of its sales will benefit the non-profit Matt Brown Foundation, which provides equipment and other assistance to individuals living with serious spinal cord injuries. Brown was a high school hockey player in Norwood, Mass., who became paralyzed during a game in 2010 when he was checked into the boards. He has gone on to obtain his college degree, author a book, and become a noted motivational speaker.
Brown has a distant connection to the Frozen Four in that his uncle, Peter Brown, was an All-American defenseman for Boston University in the mid-1970s and a key player on three Terriers teams that reached the national semifinals.
The book contains more than 130,000 words and 200 photographs, as every school that has won a Division I title provided photos for the book. In addition, Sports Illustrated and Getty Images donated other rare photographs of past Frozen Fours, “which really enhanced project,” according to Shaughnessy.
“I was inspired to write the book with the passing of Travis Roy in the fall of 2020,” said Shaughnessy. “Travis would have played in at least two Frozen Fours if not for his injury in 1995, and since a book had never been authored about the history of the tournament, I figured, ‘Why not write something about the national tourney?’ I knew it would take me a year or two to write, and that the 2022-23 season would be the 75-year anniversary of the first national championship. Thus, the timing of the project worked out perfectly.
In writing the new book and researching the game, Shaughnessy said he learned new facts about college hockey.
“Many years ago, before I began researching college hockey history, I thought the early NCAA hockey tournaments were dominated solely by Canadian-born players, and that Americans only made their mark on the sport after the 1980 Winter Olympics — this wasn’t the case at all,” Shaughnessy said. “The early years of the tourney featured U.S.-born stars like Wally Grant at Michigan, goalies Roy and Willard Ikola at Colorado College and Michigan, respectively, and the incomparable John Mayasich from the University of Minnesota. Boston College’s 1949 national championship team was comprised entirely of American-born talent, as were Minnesota’s three title-winning teams under Herb Brooks in the 1970s.
Brian Shaughnessy has now authored two historical books on college hockey.
“Of course, there was no shortage of Canadian-born superstars in pre-1980 NCAA hockey, including the likes of Frank Chiarelli (RPI), Bill “Red” Hay (Colorado College), Bill Masterton (Denver), Red Berenson (Michigan), Ken Dryden (Cornell), Tony Esposito (Michigan Tech), Peter McNab (Denver), and Keith Magnuson (Denver).”
While the finished product is a must-have for college hockey fans, Shaughnessy said he faced many issues in compiling the more-than-200-page book.
“The biggest challenge I faced was lining up interviews of past players and coaches,” said Shaughnessy. “Since I’m not a reporter or a member of the sports media, my access to people in the college hockey community was somewhat limited. I still had some contacts from a book I wrote about the Hobey Baker Award back in 2019, so that certainly helped. As a Hawaii resident, the five- and six-hour time difference with most individuals I was attempting to contact was also a challenge at times.
“Collecting the more than 200 photographs that appear in the book was also quite time-consuming. I was very fortunate that nearly every school that has won a Division I hockey championship donated photos to the book. I also received numerous rare photographs of past Frozen Fours from Getty Images and Sports Illustrated.”
Overall, Shaughnessy said “Frozen in Time” is about rehashing fun memories of NCAA tournaments of years gone by.
“This book is all about recognizing the great players, coaches, and teams of college hockey’s past, and raising funds for the non-profit Matt Brown Foundation,” Shaughnessy said. “My goal was to blend the characteristics of a coffee-table book with a detailed story on the history of the tournament. The book is packed with statistics, accolades the key players and coaches received during their collegiate careers, and the noteworthy accomplishments of players and coaches in their post-NCAA hockey lives. I also referenced the significant academic achievements of dozens of players in the book.”
Rory Herrman spent his college years playing at RPI (photo: Liz Brady).
The EIHL’s Cardiff Devils have signed Rensselaer senior forward Rory Herrman for the rest of the 2022-23 season.
Herrman, a native of Poway, Calif., played in 33 games last season and 16 so far this season before graduating early and making himself available to sign a professional contract. By signing a professional contract, Herrman is forgoing his remaining eligibility to compete for RPI.
“I am very thankful and appreciative for all the love and support I received during my time at RPI. The memories are countless,” Herrman said in a news release. “I am very excited to be turning pro and I know all the things I learned from the coaching staff, my teammates, and the trainers will help me succeed at that level. I am thankful for this next chapter in my life and grateful for the opportunity.”
In 70 games with the Engineers, Herrman posted four goals and seven assists for 11 points.
According to a Cardiff announcement, Herrman has a British passport, will be flying in this week, and will hopefully be in the lineup on Thursday in Manchester.
“He’s a young guy who is hungry to take the next step into pro hockey,” said Devils head coach Brodie Dupont in a statement. “He understands the role we are looking for. We are short on bodies, and we are looking to add players that can bring energy to our lineup. Rory fits that mold. He likes to hit, is reliable defensively, and is excited for the opportunity to come to Cardiff.”
Dawson Sciarrino and the Pointers are on a roll heading into Christmas. (Photo credit: Addison Young, UW-Stevens Point Athletics)
It’s time for another letter to Santa. I should have gotten this out a lot sooner, but hey, as they say, better late than never.
And with modern technology alive and well, you don’t have to rely on the mail getting this letter to the North Pole in time.
Not sure how much you’ve paid attention, but it’s been an interesting first half of the season out west in the D-III hockey universe.
I’m really not sure what to ask for in regards to the MIAC. Things seem to be business as usual in the conference so far.
The standings are tight. Tighter than some of those chimneys you try to squeeze your way down on Christmas Eve. Only one team out of nine didn’t enter the holiday break with a win or tie.
St. Olaf currently holds down first place with 13 points, two more than Saint John’s and Bethel, but the sixth-place team, Augsburg, is just five points behind. You really can’t count anyone out just yet.
I’d love to see the Oles continue their impressive run of success since winning the MIAC tournament as an underdog last season. They are definitely not a one-hit wonder.
And let’s keep the conference as competitive as ever in the second half of the season. It’s fun seeing every weekend matter in the MIAC, and really it’s anyone’s game at this point.
Saint John’s, Bethel, St. Scholastica, Saint Mary’s and Augsburg are all capable of making a run at the title.
Even Concordia isn’t out of the discussion yet. The Cobbers, after all, did end the pre-Christmas slate on a two-game winning streak.
Oh, and if it’s not too much to ask, could you help out Hamline and Gustavus a little bit.
The Pipers and Gusties have had tough starts so far. Hamline has just one MIAC win. Gustavus has yet to win a conference game.It wouldn’t be a bad thing to see them get a little momentum and help to make things even more interesting in the next couple of months.
Over in the NCHA, it’s difficult to ask for anything more than what has taken place so far. We have a very competitive race for the title. Usually, it’s Adrian and St. Norbert all the thunder.
And look, both teams are very good. The Green Knights have yet to lose a conference game and sit in second place with 18 points. The reigning national champion Bulldogs are in third with 11 points, but don’t let that fool you. They are as dangerous as ever.
Aurora is holding down the top spot at the moment. Few teams have been better than the nationally ranked Spartans, who have won three in a row and have nine games overall while remaining unbeaten in the NCHA.
Let’s keep Aurora rolling along. The Spartans deserve a shot at winning the NCHA championship and more this year. After all, they’ve never won a conference tourney crown. Not sure if you have that kind of power, Santa, but it’s worth a shot asking.
But let’s also make sure Adrian gets a shot to at least play in the NCAA tournament again this season and have an opportunity to defend its title. The talent is there to do it.
And Santa, allow St. Norbert, Trine and MSOE to stay in the mix for the championship as well. Those teams have all had good starts to their seasons with the potential to do more. And the more teams in the discussion, the more entertaining things will be over the next two months.
Last, but definitely not least, how about that WIAC?
Talk about a league where things have really ramped up this year.
UW-Stevens Point has emerged as the team to beat, rattling off six consecutive wins and surging to the top of the conference standings.
UW-Superior, UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire are hardly teams you can count out, though.If you could just keep things as interesting as they have been so far, that would be great.
And on a serious note, bring a little success to Northland here in the second half. It’s been a tough stretch for Northland, on and off the ice, and it could use something to smile about. I trust that you will do what you can in regards to that.
But more importantly, hockey aside, the one thing we all want more than anything is an amazing 2023.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, including you Santa, and here’s to more fun on the ice when the games resume after the holiday.
RIT captain Kobe Walker has the Tigers at the top of the Atlantic Hockey standings at the Christmas break (photo: Caroline Sherman).
Each week during the season, we look at the big events and big games around Division I men’s college hockey in Tuesday Morning Quarterback.
Paula: Well, Jimmy, we’ve finished a very interesting first half of the season and a much-needed break for everyone involved. The schedule was light over the weekend, and no one plays again until the Great Lakes Invitational begins Dec. 27.
Maybe I’m looking forward rather than back because the small number of member teams really intensifies Big Ten play after Jan. 1, and I think there’s a bit of World Junior anticipation that propels me forward, but I am so invested in a couple of conference races already that it’s hard not to get ahead of myself a little.
Also, the PairWise Rankings are at the point of having gathered enough data that they merit some discussion.
I don’t want to deprive you of first-half observations if you want to make them, but I’m far more interested in this: what do we see now at the end of the first half that most likely provides a solid glimpse into 2023?
Jim: I don’t mind a little second-half prognostication.
I do see some interesting scenarios beginning to form. Merrimack in Hockey East is easily the most interesting story of the year, somewhat topping another league team in Connecticut, which had been the dark horse darling for much of the season.
I’m very impressed with what Bemidji State is doing in the CCHA, particularly after taking five of six points against Minnesota State this past weekend.
Not a lot surprises me in the Big Ten, ECAC Hockey or NCHC as the teams I expected near the top are there.
And then there is RIT. The Tigers are not just leading the Atlantic Hockey standings, but at 12-4-0, they are a PairWise bubble team and could be in the position, if they can’t close the deal in the AHA tournament, of possibly creating a second bid from Atlantic Hockey, something we haven’t seen in a decade.
Those are all the storylines I will watch as games restart right before the New Year. How about you?
Paula: RIT is a great story to follow in the second half because of their first-half success. It’s so tough for teams from Atlantic Hockey to play themselves into the NCAA Tournament directly without the conference playoff title, but I think that the Tigers have a good chance of doing just that – if they prove themselves to be an effective road team.
They have two games against Penn State to close 2022, a golden opportunity for a win against a team high in the PWR and RPI. That’s a home-and-home series with the first game in their own barn. Ten of their 18 remaining games are on the road, including a series against Arizona State – must-win hockey for the Tigers to remain in the PWR mix without having to rely on an autobid.
And wouldn’t it be fun to have two teams from Atlantic Hockey in the tourney?
I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to another photo finish in Hockey East, especially since Merrimack’s in the mix.
Bemidji’s not the only team impressing me in the CCHA. Michigan Tech took four of six points from Minnesota State in late November and the Huskies have one of the best defenses in the nation, allowing just over two goals a game. Bemidji hosts Michigan Tech in early February, so I anticipate a down-to-the-wire finish in the CCHA as well.
Speaking of Tech, I’ll be eager to see how the Great Lakes Invitational does Dec. 27-28 in Van Andel Arena. It’s very disappointing that the event has been moved out of an NHL arena. The GLI didn’t draw well at Little Caesars Arena, but I felt the Red Wings’ commitment to the event waned even in its final years at Joe Louis Arena. I love that Western Michigan and Ferris State are joining Michigan Tech and Michigan State, and I’m hoping that fans will show. I do think that Michigan State needs to emerge from the GLI with the title for second-half momentum and to avoid dropping in the PWR.
Are there holiday tournaments that you’re looking forward to, Jimmy?
Jim: Well, I think the two top tournament fields for holiday tournaments are the GLI, with three of the four teams ranked in the top 20 and all four at .500 or better. And the Desert Holiday Classic in Tempe, Ariz., at the new Mullett Arena, features two top 20 teams (for the record, Michigan Tech, a to-20 team, participates in both of these tournaments as they are scheduled a week apart).
For me, though, what is disheartening is how many of the legendary holiday tournaments are disappearing. The Mariucci Classic in Minnesota was one of the best tournaments every year. Vermont held its tournament for many years. The Denver Cup has disappeared. And even though short-lived, the tournament in Vegas was an awesome experience for teams every year in an emerging hockey market.
Talking with Derek Schooley on our USCHO Weekend Review podcast on Monday, he said the key is the cost. You need to fly/bus out three teams (sometimes four, say, in the case of the tournament in Milwaukee where even host Wisconsin needs accommodations) and house/provide meals for them all for a few days. If the tournament is off campus, there is additional costs.
Thus tournaments depend on sponsors, which understandable might not see enough payback for the overall cost of the event given that it can be difficult to draw crowds when students are nowhere near campus.
I also proposed that holiday tournaments should receive exemptions from the 34-game NCAA cap, similar to what the Ice Breaker tournament is given at the beginning of the season. That might make for an easier scheduling decision for coaches.
Paula: Those are excellent points about the tourneys, Jimmy – and, of course, Schooley is right (as he so often is about so many things). I agree that an exemption for holiday tournaments is a solid idea.
I am with you when it comes to lamenting the days of holiday tournaments past. At the risk of sounding like one of The Olds and shaking a fist at clouds for raining, one of the most exciting things about college hockey when I began covering in the mid-1990s was the holiday play.
There were great tournaments, as you said – the Mariucci Classic, the Catamount Cup, the Badger Showdown, the Denver Cup, the Rensselaer Holiday Tournament, even the Florida College Hockey Classic. Once upon a time, they provided a great in-season opportunity for nonconference play, a treat for fans and a good test for many teams.
They felt like special events and in some years a midseason taste of the NCAA tournament.
Even before the pandemic disrupted everything in 2020, I had already begun to feel – again at the risk of being one of “those people” – that college hockey had lost some of what was making it an appealing alternative to many other college sports, and the dwindling number of holiday tournaments played a part in that.
We have some significant tradeoff now, of course, in that so many college hockey games are accessible via network and streaming services – but I haven’t yet seen the evidence that this has done anything to make up for what was lost in allure, nor have I seen proof that the sport has grown its fanbase. I can’t speak to the revenue end of things.
Jim: Here is one thought I will leave everyone with, and this was told to me by a successful Division I men’s head coach. He loved to play holiday tournaments because, in his opinion, these events mimicked an NCAA regional.
You had to play two games in two days to win something. Game times weren’t always 7 p.m. as so many teams are used to throughout the year. You might get a 1 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. start, just like you would in a regional.
Now with NCAA regionals being split over three days with a day off between games, these seasonal events don’t mimic a regional quite as well. But the change of routines for a players, I though, are excellent.
This season, we’ll at least get four tournaments over the next few weeks – the aforementioned GLI, the Quik Trip Holiday Face-Off in Milwaukee, the long-standing Ledyard Bank Tournament at Dartmouth and the Desert Classic in sunny Tempe.
All great events that I know you and I and many college hockey fans can appreciate!
Hosts Jim Connelly, Derek Schooley, and Ed Trefzger look at the games of the past weekend and the news of the week in this D-I college hockey podcast.
This podcast is sponsored by DCU – Digital Federal Credit Union – at dcu.org
Topics include:
• Bemidji State sweeps Minnesota State
• St. Thomas splits with Ferris State
• Lindenwood takes No. 1 Denver to the brink
• Alaska sweeps Governor’s Cup series
• Northeastern staves off LIU in OT
• Looking at the four holiday tournaments:
Great Lakes Invitational (Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Mich.)
December 27-28, 2022
No. 18 Western Michigan (10-9-1) vs. No. 17 Michigan Tech (11-5-3)
Ferris State (8-8-2) vs. No. 11 Michigan State (12-7-1)
Kwik-Trip Holiday Faceoff (Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee)
December 28-29, 2022
Clarkson (7-8-2) vs. No. 15 Massachusetts (7-6-3)
Lake Superior (3-13-2) vs. Wisconsin (7-11-0)
Ledyard Bank Classic (Thompson Arena, Hanover, N.H.)
December. 30-31, 2022
No. 12 Providence (9-4-5) vs. Yale (1-8-1)
No. 6 Merrimack (13-4-0) at Dartmouth (1-10-1)
Desert Hockey Classic (Mullett Arena, Tempe, Ariz.)
January 6-7, 2023
Air Force (6-10-2) vs. No. 8 Boston University (11-5-0)
No. 17 Michigan Tech (12-7-1) at Arizona State (9-10-0)
(Our apologies for audio issues during the second part of the first segment.)
Alaska’s Payton Matsui and Alaska Anchorage’s Maximilion Helgeson battle for the puck last Saturday night (photo: Skip Hickey/UAA Photography).
Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
1. Bemidji takes two on road in Mankato
Bemidji State last week earned its first sweep over in-state rival Minnesota State since 2006, taking both games of a CCHA series on No. 16 MSU’s home ice.
Mankato native Kyle Looft scored the overtime winner in Bemidji’s 4-3 victory Friday at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, firing into the net with 28.5 seconds left. The Beavers had to come from behind late, as two MSU power-play goals in the first 2:56 of the third period put the Mavericks ahead 3-2, but Aaron Myers drew the visitors level at 7:22.
Saturday’s 4-1 Bemidji win was a little more straightforward for the Beavers. The game was tied 1-1 early in the second period, but three unanswered goals for the visitors helped BSU sit atop the CCHA standings at the holiday break.
2. Top-ranked Pioneers get a scare
Denver didn’t have everything the Pioneers’ way last weekend at home to Lindenwood.
Or, at least, not in one of the games.
Five different DU players scored in the Pios’ 5-0 win Friday, when goaltender Matt Davis pitched a 19-save shutout.
Saturday provided a much different story. Denver led 3-1 in the second period after Mike Benning scored back-to-back goals, but in the third, Mitch Allard and a second goal of the game from Cade DeStefani tied the game at 4-4, only for DU’s Justin Lee to wrap up his team’s 5-4 win with 2:27 left.
That seems to say plenty for a Lindenwood team in its first NCAA Division I season, and which lost 9-1 at Denver at the start of last season.
3. Buckeyes take two over in-state foe
Fourteenth-ranked Ohio State picked up two wins last weekend in a home-and-home series against former CCHA rival Bowling Green.
Five different Buckeyes scored Friday in a 5-2 win on BGSU’s home ice. Three goals in less than a minute in the third period opened up what had been a tight game.
Saturday’s rematch in Columbus was just as eventful. Ohio State opened up a 7-0 lead but won 9-4. Joe Dunlop and James Burnside both scored twice.
4. Nanooks claim Governor’s Cup again
Alaska last weekend continued the Nanooks’ recent dominance over in-state rival Alaska Anchorage, taking both games of a weekend set in Anchorage.
One week after Alaska beat UAA twice at home, four goals from as many players helped the Nanooks to a 4-0 win Friday, and a 17-save shutout Saturday from Matt Radomsky saw Alaska win 1-0.
Chase Dubois scored the lone goal on a night when the Nanooks claimed the Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup for the 12th consecutive time.
5. Upper Peninsula rivals split series
Michigan Tech and Lake Superior State split a weekend series on LSSU’s home ice.
MTU outshot the host Lakers 41-21 Friday, but couldn’t solve goalie Ethan Langenegger in a game where Lake State won 3-0. Benito Posa scored twice for LSSU.
The Huskies exacted revenge Saturday, when five different Tech players scored in a 5-1 win.
6. Tommies, Bulldogs split, too
St. Thomas and Ferris State split a CCHA series on the Tommies’ home ice in Minnesota.
The Tommies scored back-to-back goals on three separate occasions in a 7-4 win Friday, when Mack Byers and Luke Manning both scored twice.
Ferris fought back Saturday, scoring three unanswered in a 4-2 victory. Four different Bulldogs scored, and Brenden MacLaren had a goal and an assist.
Lammers has led the Purple Eagles to two Atlantic Hockey semifinal appearances, and until last week, Niagara was the only AHA team to receive votes in the DCU/USCHO.com poll over the past 11 weeks.
Niagara is 9-5-2 at the semester break. The Purple Eagles opened the season with a road sweep over Omaha and won five straight between Oct. 29 and Nov. 26.
Other countries are joining in on the fun. Michigan forward Adam Fantilli will play for Canada, and Providence’s Jaroslav Chmelar made the Czechia roster.
The tournament, held in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, begins Dec. 26.
9. Minnesota State SID retires
He might not love my saying this, but a sports information legend retired last week after serving more than 37 years at Minnesota State.
Paul Allan, MSU’s senior deputy athletic director for external operations, joined the university’s athletic department in 1985. Friday was the last day for a tenure longer than any current athletic communications staff member at a Minnesota college or university.
Allan entered the College Sports Information Directors of America hall of fame in 2009, and in his time at MSU, he helped oversee the Mavericks’ transition from Division III hockey to Division I.
I got to know him while I was an Omaha and WCHA men’s hockey reporter with USCHO.com and have missed working with him since my role here changed with the advent of the NCHC.
All the best, Paul.
10. Northeastern survives LIU test
Hockey East’s Northeastern ended up getting all it could want in a road trip to independent Long Island, eking out a 4-3 win Sunday.
The visiting Huskies built up a 3-0 lead, that LIU would tear down over the second and third periods. Sam Colangelo’s second goal of the night, this one coming in overtime, was the decider.
Northeastern’s win snapped a four-game skid, dating back to mid-November.
Boston College freshman Cutter Gauthier has been an offensive spark plug this season for the Eagles (photo: John Quackenbos).
With the 2023 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship getting underway, rosters are being finalized for the event that will take place Dec. 26, 2022 to Jan. 5, 2023 in Moncton, N.B., and Halifax, N.S.
The United States roster is chock-full of NCAA players as 21 of the 25 players named are currently on a Division I roster.
GOALTENDERS
Trey Augustine, U.S. NTDP *Committed to Michigan State
Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College
Andrew Oke, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
DEFENSEMEN
Sean Behrens, Denver
Seamus Casey, Michigan
Ryan Chesley, Minnesota
Luke Hughes, Michigan
Lane Hutson, Boston University
Luke Mittelstadt, Minnesota
Jack Peart, St. Cloud State
Ryan Ufko, Massachusetts
FORWARDS
Jackson Blake, North Dakota
Gavin Brindley, Michigan
Tyler Boucher, Ottawa 67’s (OHL) *Boston University 2021-22
Kenny Connors, Massachusetts
Logan Cooley, Minnesota
Dylan Duke, Michigan
Cutter Gauthier, Boston College
Noah Laba, Colorado College
Sam Lipkin, Quinnipiac
Chaz Lucius, Manitoba Moose (AHL) *Minnesota 2021-22
Rutger McGroarty, Michigan
Red Savage, Miami
Jimmy Snuggerud, Minnesota
Charlie Stramel, Wisconsin
In addition, Michigan freshman forward Adam Fantilli has been named to Canada’s National Junior Team and Providence freshman Jaroslav Chmelar has been named to roster of the Czechia National Junior Team.
Buffalo State goaltender Emil Normann is one of six D-III players representing the Tre Kronor at the World University Games in Lake Placid NY in January (Photo by Buffalo State Athletics)
Sweden announced their World University Games men’s ice hockey roster and the team includes several players from the D-III ranks. Head coach Johan Kling (former player at Bethel) has selected several key players including Tom Skold from Westfield State who has been named captain of the team. Here is the complete list of D-III players announced:
Goaltenders
Emil Normann Buffalo State
Elias Sandholm Trine University
Westfield State defenseman Tom Skold has been named captain for Sweden’s men’s ice hockey team at the World University Games (Photo by David Fried/Westfield State)
Defense
Tom Skold* Westfield State
Forwards
Henrik Overvall Adrian
Alexander Ray King’s College
Philip Elgstam Norwich University
Sweden plays in Pool A with Canada, Latvia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, and Japan. The team’s first game is on January 12 against the Czech Republic.
Like this Plymouth State first half goal and Teddy Bear toss celebration, there is great excitement about what the second half will bring in D-III East hockey in the New Year (Photo by PSU Athletics)
Dear Santa –
We all have been thoroughly thrilled by the action in D-III in the first half of the 2022-23 season and would collectively be even more excited if you could give us more of the same in the second half, right through the national tournament in March. That may be a lot to ask for from the fan base, but we deserve it based on all we have endured in recent years with the challenges the pandemic has brought to our hockey spirit. More importantly, it is what the players and teams deserve as they continue to work hard and play with great enthusiasm across each of the conferences in the east. Here are some specific requests for each of the leagues with the hope you can deliver something wanted and needed to each and every conference this holiday season. We will make sure to leave out some cookies, not some over-baked “pucks” to enjoy on your yearly sleigh ride. Here are some conference wishes for the remainder of the season and new year:
CCC
Each of the big four in the conference, Curry, Endicott, Salve Regina and University of New England have been nationally ranked at some point in the first half and the race seems to be shaping up to once again be a dogfight to the finish amongst them. While that is always fun to see, Santa how about helping the new coaches at Nichols (Alex Gacek) and Suffolk (Shawn McEachern) to help make the race in the second half a little more exciting and competitive.
On the player front, it is hard not to get excited when Timmy Kent steps on the ice for Curry so let’s make sure he gets a little stick magic for the second half. Oh and Santa, Shane Miller at Western New England almost had a 20-point first half as a defenseman. How about some more offensive magic for him and the Golden Bears to make the title chase more interesting.
Independents
Alright big guy, we didn’t get this last year off our wish list, but the Independents could use a little love, and nothing says we love you like some votes in the polls. The Falcons from Albertus Magnus have been flying high in the first half, including a 10-3-0 record and news that they will be joining the NEHC for the 2024-25 season. They have big wins over Hamilton, Wilkes, and an overtime win over Trinity, again, this year. So, could we maybe spice up the DCU/USCHO D-III poll with some votes if not a top 15 ranking for the Falcons, as an Independent, if they continue flying high?
Logan Bateman may be the best goaltender in D-III that no one talks about. All he has done this season includes a .928 save percentage; a 1.91 goals-against average; ten wins and two shutouts. How about some love for the man behind the mask in the Falcon goal Santa – he certainly has earned it so far this season.
MASCAC
While Plymouth State sits atop the league at the break, the next two teams are just two wins behind in the points race. Santa, that means we should have an awesome race for playoff positioning and a great playoff in the league which means great hockey for the MASCAC fans across the board. Let’s keep the action building right to the end with all the teams in the hunt for the conference title. And Santa, if PSU wins the league again this year, how about the Panthers getting an NCAA win on their resume. They were so close last year, and Craig Russell’s team wants it even more this year.
Santa, Bob Deraney has really boosted the Worcester State team since his arrival and their positioning near the top of the standings is no accident. How about Brendan Ronan and company find a little Holiday magic in the second half and make the MASCAC race even more entertaining.
NE-10
It is a race top to bottom in the NE-10 with just six points separating the top five teams. No one has been able to run away and hide like Southern New Hampshire did last year in the first half. The new conference schedule where teams play each other four times seems to be bringing the teams tighter in the standings so let’s make sure that this race comes down to tiebreakers deciding playoff seeding and an exciting playoff round to crown the conference champion.
Santa – Franklin Pierce has been a lot of fun to watch this year and especially Conor Foley who already has 12 goals and 22 points in the first half. How about you make sure his sticks have some extra goal magic in the second half that we might see a 20-goal and 50-point player in the league this season?
NEHC
The other conferences probably wish the NEHC would suffer some horrible drop-off amongst its top tier and ranked teams to create more opportunity for others in consideration for post-season tournament qualification. That isn’t really in the spirit of the season so Santa, how about this idea? The more the merrier, right? Let’s get Skidmore some respect and in the discussion along with the usual suspects and see if the second half can also continue to invigorate New England College, Massachusetts-Boston and Castleton to make things a little more chaotic in the race for the home-ice seeds and conference championship.
Santa – sometimes you need to do things for the greater good and Hobart coach Mark Taylor has taken on an in-season international tournament for Team USA at the World University Games. The USA roster also includes forward Luke Aquaro and defenseman, Cooper Swift from Hobart. The Statesmen finished the first half a perfect 11-0-0 so let’s make sure they continue their strong play under assistant coach Tom Fiorentino so that coach Taylor and staff can stay focused on getting a medal for the USA in Lake Placid.
NESCAC
Well Mr. Claus, you certainly got our attention with the great starts for Amherst, Bowdoin, under new coach Ben Guite, Colby, and Wesleyan in the first half. And thank you for making sure Jack Arena didn’t have to wait to 2023 for his 500th career win. So now, about the second half, there really isn’t a league that historically sees the parity in the standings top to bottom like NESCAC does so let’s not go tinkering with the recipe here. More of the same please with everyone battling to the bitter end for points and playoff position where anything can happen and usually does.
Oh, and one last thing for me as a “Midd” hockey alum if you could Santa – it’s the Panthers 100th year anniversary of hockey (that’s a big deal) and there is a big celebration on January 27-28. Is it too much to ask for some Kenyon Arena magic on the ice and a pair of wins for the fans, players and alums to celebrate? Hope there is room in the your gift bag for this wish.
SUNYAC
While Geneseo is in an unaccustomed position looking up in the standings, the defending champions are right there in the mix as just four points separate the top four teams. Oswego is enjoying the view from the top and Plattsburgh is close behind in what should be a thrilling race in the second half. Oswego and Plattsburgh will potentially face each other two more times in the regular season including a possible championship matchup in the Cardinal Classic to open the New Year. Oh Jolly One, let’s keep the action and rivalries great on the ice in the second half because we already know it will go to the next level of intensity come playoff time.
Santa – please keep Geneseo’s Peter Morgan healthy as he is worth the price of admission any time he steps on the ice and has the puck on his stick and while you are at it, how about a hot streak from Luca Durante and the Cortland Red Dragons to make the title chase something beyond the usual suspects come February.
UCHC
While it is no surprise to anyone that Utica is unbeaten in UCHC play and sits near the top the league standings, the same can’t be said for second place Nazareth who reeled off five straight wins to open conference play and sits at 6-2-0 in the UCHC. The Golden Flyers might be this year’s surprise team in the conference so let’s keep coach George Roll’s boys, especially Henry McKinney and Raphael Provencher “Roll-ing” in the New Year to make the playoff battle even better.
Games in hand aside, just five points separate the top eight teams in the league and we certainly have not seen the best from Stevenson and Wilkes, yet! Santa – let’s make “yet” happen early in January and have the tiebreaker gurus go into circuit overload with playoff permutations come February.
WUG (World University Games)
A brilliant staff has been organized and the roster announced just this week that will keep some of D-III’s best players occupied as they wear the USA sweater in Lake Placid for the 31st edition of the World University Games. These players will miss a couple of weeks with their college teams but will be the first to represent the USA in this prestigious international competition. Please help coach Taylor’s staff and players represent the USA well and most importantly have fun while playing on the world stage. Finally, let them all return to their schools healthy and ready to have all the teams competing at full strength for the conference titles and NCAA tournament qualification.
Santa, I hope your receiving this over a week before the big day gives you some time to generate some of the seasonal magic for the wishes above. All the hockey to date has been great and at its most competitive level ever across the country. Here’s hoping your gifts just make that even better in the new year!!
No matter what holiday you celebrate this time of the year, here are best wishes to all for the very best of the season and a joyous and healthy New Year!
Back to it with coverage for end of year tournaments and action into 2023!!
Max Itagaki tallied six points in six games in November and was named Atlantic Hockey’s rookie of the month (photo: Army West Point Athletics).
The first half of Army West Point’s 2022-23 season came in two parts, according to coach Brian Riley.
And his team needed to go through some rough times in Part One to get to Part Two.
“I saw somewhere that we have the second-youngest team in college hockey,” said Riley, in his 19th year behind the Army West Point bench. “And in the first part of the season, which was basically October, we were committed to playing everybody. We have to get these guys some experience. Unlike other schools, we can’t add experience via the (transfer) portal. We have to get guys experience, starting with the first-year players.”
That meant some growing pains, as evidenced by the Black Knights’ 1-7-1 record through Nov. 5.
But after a rough series with Lindenwood that saw Riley’s team get swept 2-1 and 5-3, it was time to reassess.
“Bye week came at a perfect time,” he said. “After Lindenwood, we took a hard look at how we were playing without the puck and defending in our end. We made a commitment to being the Army team that people expect — hard to play against.”
Since then, the Black Knights are 5-2-1, all in conference, sweeping Bentley and taking at least three points in series with Canisius, Mercyhurst, and Niagara.
“I give our guys all the credit,” said Riley. “It was like a switch got flipped. (Over the past eight games) we’ve been stable with our lineup. Guys have been able to get comfortable with who they’re playing with.”
A key change Riley made was platooning goaltenders Gavin Abric and Justin Evanson.
“After we had that weekend against Lindenwood, I took them aside and told them that each was going to get a game against Bentley,” said Riley. “That way, they were both focused on Bentley and just a single game. (Evanson) has stepped in and his numbers (.947 save percentage, 1.72 GAA) have been unbelievable. Gav’s numbers are not as good but he’s 3-1. He’s been getting the job done.”
Rookie forward Max Itagaki leads the team in scoring with 16 points, including eight in his past eight games.
Small in stature, Itagaki brings a large presence.
“You want to be on his line,” said Riley. “It’s been a roller coaster with him, but you expect that from a young player who is getting a lot of ice time. He’s got unbelievable vision and hands. You better be ready for the puck when you’re on the ice with him because he’s going to find you.
“Some guys who are 6-2 play like they’re 5-5. Maxy is 5-foot-5 but plays like he’s 6-foot-2.”
The Black Knights are off until Jan. 2 when they travel to Yale, followed by a single game at Sacred Heart and then home to host Providence to close out their non-conference schedule.
Then it’s 14 Atlantic Hockey contests to finish out the season, nine of which will be at home.
“Right now, I wish we could keep playing,” said Riley when asked about the holiday break. “The good news is that when we come back, two of our first three games are non-league, which allows us to get back on our feet and ready for the final push.”
Bemidji State and Minnesota State renew their in-state rivalry this weekend in Mankato (photo: BSU Photo Services).
It’s a holiday tradition unlike any other: Minnesota State versus Bemidji State in mid-December for a chance at first place in the conference at the break.
If this scenario sounds familiar, it’s because it’s happened before. It’s unclear if it’s some kind of grand design or just how the schedule has happened to play out, but the Mavericks and the Beavers often seem to meet as the first half of the season comes to a close, as was the case during the past two seasons.
In the COVID-shortened 2020-21, it was a nonconference game, but last season in Bemidji the teams were No. 1 and 2 in the standings. The Mavericks, who had a five-point lead going into the series, swept the Beavers in that series, widening the gap and separating themselves from the CCHA pack en route to their fifth consecutive MacNaughton Cup.
This season, the situation is similar, as the Mavericks and the Beavers are once again playing for a chance to be atop the CCHA at Christmas. However, there’s one important difference: One of three different teams could lead the league at the end of the weekend.
Here’s the situation: The Mavericks are currently tied with Bowling Green for first place in the conference with 23 points. MSU has two games in-hand on the Falcons so unless they are swept by the Beavers on Thursday and Friday, they will pass BGSU (who is playing a nonconference series with Ohio State this weekend). But that doesn’t mean they will be in first place. Bemidji State is just three points behind in fourth place and could leapfrog both teams with the right combination of points.
Confused yet?
Good, because there’s a fourth team in the mix: Michigan Tech. The Huskies are in third place but just a point behind MSU and BG. They travel to Sault Ste. Marie to play Upper Peninsula rivals Lake Superior State on Friday and Saturday.
“These are obviously big points right now,” Bemidji State head coach Tom Serratore said during his weekly media session. “When you take a look at the standings, even though it’s early, there’s mass chaos right there. Who’s in first, who’s in second, who’s in third, who’s in fourth? There’s so many different variables because there’s a discrepancy in games and everything else. But this is going to be our league this year.
“It’s going to go down to the wire, and every game is going to be really important because I have a feeling it’s going to be tight the whole year.”
To simplify things: By Saturday, one of three teams (Minnesota State, Michigan Tech or Bemidji State) will lead the CCHA as the first half of the season ends. It’s a far cry from last season, where the Mavericks’ crown was never really in doubt. They may very well be on top as 2022 comes to a close, but it’s clear the MacNaughton Cup is very much up for grabs for the first time since 2017, when Bemidji State lifted the cup as WCHA champions. The year before, Tech and Minnesota State shared the title.
The CCHA (and the previous incarnation of the same teams in the WCHA) is usually known for parity, but for things to be this jumbled this late into the season is unusual.
Minnesota State head coach Mike Hastings is always clear-headed about how tough it is to win in the CCHA (as it also was in the post-realignment WCHA) but this season especially he knows nothing is a given, despite how his team has dominated in recent years.
“One of the goals we have at the beginning of the year is getting home ice,” Hastings said. “We’re in a battle for that. Another one of the goals is trying to win a league championship. We’re in a battle for that. We want to play in the NCAA tournament, and we’re on the outside looking in right now. All of that combined just puts a little more importance when you’re playing your rival.”
The Mavericks (10-7-1, 7-4-1 CCHA) are No. 20 in the Pairwise while the Beavers (7-5-4, 5-2-3 CCHA) are No. 24. The only CCHA team close to an at-large bid at the moment is Michigan Tech (10-4-3, 6-3-3) at No. 16. It’s very likely the CCHA will be a one-bid league this season, so winning the conference title and earning the highest possible seed for yourself come tournament time is very important.
“We’re playing our in-state rival, our biggest rival in the league, and a team that we have so much respect for, a team that’s so well-coached and a team that has dominated the league,” Serratore said of playing the Mavericks. “We’re chasing them. We’re trying to catch them. We’re having a decent season, we’re pretty happy with our season, but at the end of the day these games have a lot to say where everybody’s at at the end of the season.”
