Cornell hosts Harvard tonight to kick off the weekend (photo: Harvard Athletics).
As this season has gone on and we’ve been able to watch the trends upon which sports books have set their lines, we’re certainly seeing a more cautious approach to line setting.
Well, most of the time.
This week, in two of the five games we’re looking at the lines have become almost lopsided towards the favorite, which as we’ve mentioned in the space before often creates opportunities for a bettor to make profits.
That said, the only way to make a hefty profit is for that underdog to win. So how likely is that for the aforementioned games?
Wisconsin beating Michigan doesn’t seem that likely given the Badgers track record in Big Ten play. But Arizona State against Denver? Well, the game comes just six days after the Sun Devils upset then-No. 2 Minnesota. Is there that much difference between beating No. 2 at home and No. 1 on the road? Read on.
All odds provided via DraftKings Sportsbook
No. 4 Minnesota (-150) at No. 13 Michigan State (+120); o/u 6
It’s highly unlikely many people had this weekend’s Minnesota-Michigan State series circled on their calendars before the season began as one of the marquis series in the Big Ten.
But with the Spartans playing like it is 2007 under coach Adam Nightingale, suddenly this two-game tilt against the Gophers could end up deciding which team will be in first place at the midseason break.
History favors Minnesota, which holds better than a .700 winning percentage all-time against Sparty. A year ago, the Gophers swept the season series, outscoring Michigan State, 17-7.
But this year’s Michigan State team is plenty different, particularly in net where Dylan St. Cyr boasts a .934 save percentage, tied for fourth nationally.
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 7 Harvard (-125) at Cornell (-105); o/u 5.5
The renewal of the two biggest Ivy League rivals takes place on Friday in Ithaca, N.Y., as Harvard travels to Cornell.
Two weeks ago, the line on this game would have heavily favored Harvard, possibly making the Crimson as high as a -200 favorite or greater.
But a loss and tie for the Crimson at Michigan last weekend and four straight wins, including a 6-0 drubbing of then-No. 6 Connecticut last weekend, for Cornell at bookmakers have basically turned this line into a pick ’em.
Those who follow along know this is typically an area of opportunity for bettors as the Crimson likely won’t be as low as a -125 favorite in ECAC play too often this year. Certainly, this line takes into consideration the location of the game (at Cornell) but is that a reason to consider betting the hosts?
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 10 Providence (-115) at Boston College (-115); o/u 5.5
Similar to the Harvard-Cornell series, this line might not have been so close a couple of weeks ago. But Providence’s loss to Brown last Saturday seems to be getting the attention of those setting the lines.
That loss, though, was the first for the Friars since October 22, which almost makes the -115 road line for Providence seem value filled.
Boston College has had some good moments of late, including a 4-2 win over that same Brown team this past Tuesday as well as wins over Northeastern and UMass Lowell.
But simply matching up these two teams and it feels like Providence should be a more significant favorite.
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 5 Michigan (-225) at Wisconsin (+205); o/u 6.5
Michigan as a -225 favorite feels much more like 2021 than 2022.
The Wolverines have rarely been such a huge favorite this season (they were -220 favorites vs. Western Michigan earlier this season), but given Wisconsin’s struggles in Big Ten play (0-6-0), the line seems appropriate.
The Badgers have won four straight though those games were against independents LIU and Lindenwood. Not exactly the caliber of Michigan.
Yes, there might be value if you’re feeling good about the Badgers, but bet this one carefully.
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
Arizona State (+230) at No. 1 Denver (-290); o/u 6
Arizona State is coming off the biggest win in its program’s short history, a 6-5 overtime victory against Minnesota.
That victory came in the friendly confines of Mullett Arena, though and the road has not exactly been kind to the Sun Devils (1-5-0, plus 1-0-0 on neutral ice).
Denver has been steady at home – for the most part. Last Friday’s 3-0 loss to Omaha at home opened some eyes, but didn’t do much to dissuade bookmakers. The -290 line for Denver is among the highest any team has posted in this column this season.
Garrett Hallford said coming back for one more season of hockey at Trine was an easy decision to make. (Photo Credit: Trine Athletics)
Garrett Hallford had one last year of hockey eligibility left and he chose to use it.
Already one of Trine’s best players in program history, the fifth-year senior knew coming back for one final season was a no-brainer.
“We’ve built a great culture here and being a part of it has been great,” Hallford said. “Not winning (the NCHA) last year made me really want to come back, to have one more chance to try to achieve that goal And I love the guys and playing for coach (Alex) Todd. It made the decision pretty easy.”
Hallford has 42 goals and 55 assists in his career with the Thunder, who set a program record with 19 wins a season ago and are hoping to build off that success this year.
It’s been an up and down year so far, and while Trine is 4-5-1 officially from a record standpoint, they do have a big win over reigning national champion Adrian and tied nationally ranked Utica this past weekend. Three of its losses have been by just a goal.
“Our record doesn’t give us justice,” Hallford said. “We feel confident we can beat anyone. We just have to bring our best game every night. When we do that, we are a tough team to beat.”
Hallford has three goals and three assists through the first 10 games of this season. And sure, he would love to his stats up a little more, but in the end, the team matters more.
“I feel like I’m playing well,” Hallford said. “I don’t have the points you might expect for a fifth-year guy, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is winning. That’s all that matters. It’s about working on the little details to help lead us to success in the big picture.”
But even if the goals and assists aren’t always there for Hallford, his leadership is.
“I teach the younger guys what i can and show them the ropes of college hockey,” Hallford said. “You have to come in and give it your all every night.”
Last season Trine took a big jump forward and put itself on the college hockey radar a little more. Hallford said the goal now is to stay there.
“We put ourselves on the map and are getting some of the praise and recognition we deserve,” Hallford said. “We hold ourselves to a higher standard and we know we have to keep working hard to have success.”
He loves the way the team battles for each other, as well as the bond that has been forged on and off the ice.
Being a part of a program that has come a long way in a short period of time means everything to Hallford and he is thankful for the opportunity he has been given here.
“It’s been unbelievable. I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Hallford said. “It’s great being part of a program that went from starting out to being recognized as one of the better teams in D3. It’s awesome to be a part of it.”
USCHO Edge hosts Jim Connelly, Dan Rubin, and Ed Trefzger analyze five games among top 20 D-I college hockey teams, looking at money lines and over/under as well as giving an in-depth look at the matchups. We also consider why college hockey is such a tough sport for oddsmakers.
The World University Games are the second-largest multi-sport winter event in the world, after the Winter Olympics and are put on every two years by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) as “a celebration of international university sports and culture.” While the competition is a large and competitive event for countries all around the world, it has failed to gain much traction here in America.
Brendon Knight
Brendon Knight, coach of the women’s hockey team for the tournament, is hoping that changes in 2023.The US has never finished higher than third in women’s hockey at the World University Games. In 2019, the team placed fourth.
Knight is joined on staff by recently-retired Syracuse coach Paul Flanagan, who Knight coached under, as team general manager. Emily McNamara, head coach at Hamilton college and Melissa Piacentini, Director of Hockey Ops at Northeastern are also on staff.
“I’ve never had a chance in the past to coach in an international event. I saw this as a great opportunity. The more and more I found out about the event, the more and more I got excited about it. It’s really going to showcase the best players, particularly at Division III and give them an opportunity to play for their country,” said Knight.
The rules state that athletes must be between the ages of 17 and 25 and have to be currently enrolled in school or have graduated in the past year. So 2022 graduates are eligible for the team. In the past, teams have been made up of club hockey and DIII players. Knight said the mandate was to field the most competitive team to be able to compete for the ultimate prize. With the NCAA in season, options are somewhat limited, but he has begun to put together a roster of current and former players from DI and DIII.
“I think it’s just a big disadvantage because other countries have treated this event differently in terms of sending higher level players to represent them. It’s no disrespect to the club players (who represented the USA in the past). I think they were put in an almost no win situation in the last few tournaments,” said Knight.
The weight and meaning playing US hockey in Lake Placid meant there has been more of a focus on the teams America will send out. The men’s team, which is also usually made of club players, is going to be made up of DIII players.
Knight said his group will have very limited time physically together before the Games. They’ll meet on Zoom several times to talk X’s and O’s, but they’ll have one three-day mini camp with a few hours of ice time to prepare to play together.
“It’s going to be a challenge to have all these players from different leagues and different levels to come in and all get on the same page. We’re going to try to keep it as simple as possible and really play to the strengths of our roster,” Knight said.
Of course, that roster is only about ⅔ complete. He has five more days to finalize it and then one month to make the team gel. The other challenge is that the team will not have much information about their opponents before playing them. They’ll need to keep things simple because of the short preparation time, but also need to rely on their own game without worrying too much about what strengths or weaknesses the other teams have. It’s a difficult balance.
“We’re going to focus on ourselves, and we’re going to be prepared and we’re going to compete hard and whatever happens happens,” Knight said.
“These players are playing for the country and these players are gonna be ready. From a coach’s perspective, we have no concerns about any of the players. It’s going to be a well-balanced team. We look forward to seeing what they’re going to be able to accomplish.
So far, the roster includes former Yale goalie Gianna Meloni, who holds the program record in goals against (2.11) and is second on the career list with a .921 save percentage is the likely starter in net. Meloni had a stellar senior season for the Bulldogs and made 36 saves in the national semifinal 2-1 loss to Ohio State last March.
Haley Lunny was Providence’s best scorer last season and showed off her 200-foot game as she recorded a team-high 128 shots on goal and 47 blocked shots. Lydia Passolt (Bemidji State) lost much of her final season to injury, but is back on the ice and brings an incredible sense for when and where to take her shots.
Callie Hoff of UW-River Falls won the 2022 Laura Hurd Award as the best player in Division III. She led the country with 26 goals and 41 assists for 77 points and averaged a stunning 2.58 points per game.
Plattsburgh’s Annie Katonka was the second leading scorer in the country, averaged 2.19 points per game and led the nation with 35 goals.
Madi Leidt (Middlebury), Eliza Beaudin (Elmira) and Erin McArdle (Plattsburgh) joined Hoff and Katonka as First-Team All-Americans and will now skate for Team USA in this tournament.
The tournament features six teams (Canada, Czechia, Great Britain, Japan, Slovakia and the United States) playing a round robin tournament, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinal. Knight expects there to be streaming and possibly broadcasting of games throughout the tournament, though those details have yet to be finalized. All women’s preliminary round games will be played at Maxcy Hall on the campus of SUNY Potsdam. Tickets are $10.
Find more about the World University Games 2023 in Lake Placid at Lakeplacid2023.com
St. Thomas earned a weekend sweep over Lake Superior State, making some team history in the process (photo: Rebecca Twite).
There comes a point in the life cycle of every college hockey program where something that was once considered a “milestone” stops being significant and simply becomes “routine.”
This past weekend St. Thomas did two of those things – both of which head coach Rico Blasi would much prefer are soon just routine things his program can do without anyone making a big fuss.
On Friday night in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, the Tommies beat Lake Superior State 4-0 backstopped by Aaron Trotter’s 23-save shutout – the first in the program’s Division I history. The next night, the Tommies made some more history. Their 2-1 win over the Lakers finished off St. Thomas’ first series sweep of the Division I era.
Blasi said he was happy with the way the games played out but knows these milestones are just steppingstones.
“We obviously feel good about what happened this past weekend, but it gets harder as we go along here,” Blasi said Monday. “It’s a step in our process because it was the games we had to play this weekend. Our culture and our focus is always taking it one day at a time. I know that’s cliche, but that’s the truth. We can’t get ahead of ourselves. We have to try and be the best we can each and every day.”
Coming into the weekend, the Tommies (4-12-0, 3-7-0 CCHA) had been in the midst of a six-game losing streak. All six losses came against the top three teams in the CCHA standings (Minnesota State, Bowling Green and Michigan Tech), but St. Thomas was competitive in every game. Four of those were one-goal games, and the other two were tied going into the third period.
So against the Lakers, finishing strong was the key both nights. In Friday’s game, the Tommies scored three times in the second period (including two goals from freshman Josh Eernisse) and finished off the game with a power-play goal in the third to make sure the Lakers didn’t have a way back into the game. On Saturday, it was a more white-knuckle affair. Luke Manning gave the Tommies the lead on a power-play goal late in the second period. Eernisse scored shorthanded four minutes into the third frame to make it 2-0, but LSSU’s Posa Benito got one back midway through the period to cut the lead in half.
From there, the Tommies defended well and didn’t fall into the same habits as they did in some of their more recent losses. Trotter, a freshman, got the win again on Saturday, stopping 21 shots.
“After Friday’s game, we talked about how to be better for Saturday. We knew that it was going to be a tough game,” Blasi said. “Now that’s over with, and now the media don’t have to talk about St.Thomas sweeping anybody. But we know it gets harder as we go.”
The Tommies have already passed their win total from 2021-22, when they finished 3-32-1. That’s also something that the media doesn’t need to talk about anymore, because no matter what happens, the Tommies are already setting new program records.
Another potential record to watch for: Most goals in a season. Eernisse already has seven. Manning, a senior, scored eight last season as a junior (he’s got five this year).
Blasi on Monday praised Eernisse for his consistency – not just every weekend during games but every day in practice.
“We get a chance to see him every day, and what you see in games is what you see in practice. That’s that consistency that we’re talking about. You don’t go from 0 to 60 on Friday or Saturday, you have to do it during the week. You have to prepare every day like it’s gameday, and Josh is one of those guys that does it constantly,” Blasi said. “What happens on Fridays and Saturdays is no surprise to us. Maybe it’s a surprise to different people around the country, but we get to see that every day. And we have a lot of guys who do that.
“We feel like we have a good group that works hard every day and we’re just learning to be consistent in our approach and the little details that make a difference. Obviously, Josh is leading the way for us right now in that category, and we have to have some other guys follow suit.”
That word – consistency – is one Blasi used often during Monday’s media conference. He said he thinks that’s the key to what makes a program successful. The Tommies aren’t quite there yet, but it’s the goal.
“There’s a reason why the Bemdijis and the Mankatos and the Northerns and Bowling Greens have been up there,” Blasi said. “They have the talent, and they have the depth that keeps them consistent on a week-to-week basis. That’s what we’re trying to build our program around, trying to get that skill level, consistency and effort each and every night.”
Omaha’s Matt Miller had three goals, two assists and was plus-2 last weekend against Denver (photo: Mark Kuhlmann).
One reason unranked Omaha pulled off last weekend’s biggest upset victory, on Friday at top-ranked Denver, is a junior Mavericks forward who’s now on a four-game goal streak.
Matt Miller posted a point in eight of his first 11 games this season, and the United States National Team Development Program product scored twice in UNO’s series-opening 3-0 win over the defending national champion Pioneers.
After Cameron Berg scored 12 seconds into the second period, Miller’s goals 1:29 apart quickly gave the Mavericks a commanding lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. Former American International goaltender Jake Kucharski finished with 22 saves in his first UNO shutout.
Miller scored another goal and set up two others in UNO’s 6-3 defeat Saturday at DU’s Magness Arena. He now has six goals and 11 points on the season, keeping him on pace to set new career-highs in both categories.
He missed three games with an upper-body injury suffered during UNO’s road sweep Oct. 28-29 at Long Island, but has otherwise kept paying dividends for Mavericks. He was their second-top scorer last season with 10 goals, and in 2020-21, he led the team’s freshmen with eight.
None of this surprises UNO coach Mike Gabinet.
“Every year, he continues to get better and take steps,” Gabinet said of Miller. “He’s an elite person and an extremely hard worker. He has really embraced our development model, and he continues to excel. He’s going to do nothing but continue to improve.
“When you get somebody with Matt Miller’s work ethic and character, what we like to talk about is developing our players, and we’re a good fit with each other. He’s hungry to learn and get better, and we’re hungry to teach him and help him grow.”
An Indiana native who committed to Michigan State at 16, Miller is making a habit of starting seasons well. He scored his first two UNO goals in his second game as a freshman, and was the NCHC’s spotlighted rookie that week during the COVID-era conference pod on the Mavericks’ home ice. He then scored goals in four of the team’s first five games last season.
He has continued to be a difference-maker since then, and his absence was felt in the Mavericks’ second game at LIU and a loss and tie the following weekend against North Dakota. Since his return, Miller has posted a combined five goals and seven points in back-to-back splits against Minnesota Duluth and Denver.
“It’s nice to have him back, not only as a player but as a leader, as well,” Gabinet said. “He’s been consistent from the start of the year, and I don’t think he was scoring at the same rate, but you can tell his process is very good.
“He just stuck with it, and practices the exact same way he plays, so it was just a matter of time before he got hot like he currently is.”
When asked what he wants to see Miller do going forward, starting this weekend at home to Western Michigan, Gabinet suggested that more of the same would do.
“He’s doing it,” Gabinet said. “He just has to stick with his consistent approach to every game, and he’s going to be just fine.”
Unbeaten Bowdoin travels to Waterville to face long-time rival, and also unbeaten Colby on Saturday night in one of college hockey’s longest and best rivalries (Photo by Bowdoin Athletics)
Last week, despite all the surprising and exciting outcomes over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I finished a solid 7-4-1 (.625) to move to 35-17-4 (.661) on the season which is solid if not spectacular week. The schedule has some great matchups including some head-to-head affairs between the few remaining unbeatens as well as marquee games between ranked opponents this weekend. There are just a couple of weeks remaining in the first-half so every locker room is focused on playing well and earning a positive result to build some momentum before the semester break. Here are this week’s picks to open December:
Thursday, December 1, 2022
Plymouth State v. Framingham State
The re-match of last year’s MASCAC title game takes place on the Rams home ice and they need to challenge the Panthers early to get them off their game. A Panther rally needs an empty-net goal for some comfort with a win – PSU, 5-3
Worcester State v. Salem State
The Vikings and Bill O’Neill always seem to start finding their game after a few weeks of play so the calendar turn to December should mean a big MASCAC win for the home team at “The Rockett” – SSU, 3-1
Friday, December 2, 2022
(10) Norwich v. (6) Babson
This is one of the marquee games of the weekend and always a battle that is usually low-scoring and fast-paced. Home ice is worth a goal and the Beavers will get one late from an unlikely source to eke out a big win – Babson, 3-2
Curry v. Salve Regina
The Seahawks have flown under the radar so far this season but the Colonels aren’t looking past an opportunity to make a statement in the CCC with a big road win. Timmy Kent and company get it done with special teams – Curry, 3-1
Southern New Hampshire v. St. Anselm
The Hawks return home on a high having won the Terry Moran Invitational tournament while SNHU fell a bit short in their Stovepipe tournament. Big points on the line in the NE-10 standings and the home team uses their power play to take the win – St. Anselm, 4-3
Wesleyan v. Amherst
The Cardinals are out to a 4-0-0 start and will face a very gritty Amherst team who rallied for a road tie against Geneseo last weekend. This one is tight to the end with a couple of late Cardinal tallies continuing their win streak – Wesleyan, 3-1
Saturday, December 3, 2022
Skidmore v. (1) Hobart
Another contender for game of the week status finds a big NEHC tilt at “The Cooler.” Skidmore has shown depth and balance and great goaltending. The Statesmen will be ready for a tough game and may need overtime to take a win against the Thoroughbreds – Hobart, 2-1
Bowdoin v. Colby
Yes, there are some great rivalries in all of college hockey, but one could argue this should be near the top of the list for both quality and longevity. Always a major meeting for the teams, players, schools, and alumni and better that it is the only game of the weekend for both teams. Both teams are off to a great start but the home team in front of Andy Beran takes a hard fought win – Colby, 3-2
(9) Plattsburgh v. Potsdam
This is the trap game of the week and the Cardinals better not take the Bears lightly after a big weekend that saw wins over long-time rivals Middlebury and Norwich on the way to the FirstLight Tournament title. Slow start and big finish get it done – Plattsburgh, 6-3
(7) Oswego v. (3) Utica
This game certainly has star power and two very talented teams looking to capture a big win against a ranked opponent. If that isn’t enough, there is also the annual Teddy Bear toss that dwarfs all others in college hockey. So far, I believe that home ice is worth a goal and I am not deviating here with the Pioneers taking an overtime thriller with a lot of bears going to children – Utica, 4-3
Wilkes v. Chatham
The Colonels really need to start putting some wins together and the Cougars want to show they are a contender in the UCHC. Time for some consistent play from Wilkes who does enough to earn an important win – Wilkes, 3-2
Johnson & Wales v. Anna Maria
Both teams can score some goals so look for a lot of up-and-down the ice action with a lot of scoring chances by both teams. Back to my pick theme on home-ice and the one goal which favors the AmCats in this non-conference affair – AMC, 5-4
I do not recall a more exciting start to the D-III season and the action is not likely to drop-off over the final weeks of the first half. Always great when the schedule has great match-ups and this week has some thrillers on tap to excite fans everywhere – “Drop the Puck!”
Bowdoin defeats #5 Nazareth 2-1 in overtime (Photo by Brian Beard – Bowdoin Athletics)
This past weekend on the eastern front of hockey, we saw Bowdoin pull off a big upset during the annual Codfish Bowl tournament hosted this year by UMass-Boston. We saw Oswego continue their recent momentum, while also revisiting the Cardinal/Panther Classic from the east perspective.
Bowdoin takes down #5
This year’s Codfish Bowl hosted by UMass-Boston featuring: Bowdoin, #10 Colby, #5 Nazareth, and of course the host UMass-Boston. Colby shutout the hosts 3-0 to advance, whilst Bowdoin defeated #5 Nazareth 2-1 in overtime to shock the Golden Flyers of Nazareth. The game was interesting as Emma Merrill put Bowdoin up early, scoring at the 7:01 mark of the 1st period. No goals would occur until early in the 3rd when at the 5:03 mark Nikolle Van Stralen of Nazareth tied it at 1 on the powerplay. Then finally, at the 1:43 mark of overtime, Sara Ito-Bagshaw of Bowdoin scored to pull off the huge upset of Nazareth and give the Polar Bears a signature win for the program. Someone that should also be given a mention is goaltender McKinley Hoff of Nazareth who made 40 saves in the game only allowing two goals in the loss. Danielle Marquez made 27 saves in the victory for Bowdoin.
In terms of rankings this was a major upset, however Nazareth, coming off a 27-2 season, falling to Elmira 2-1 in last year’s NCAA tournament (their only other loss on the season was also to Elmira losing 2-1) had a large graduating class with this being the fifth year of existence for the program, so holding the rank of #5 and being expected to equal a season of 27-2, was quite unlikely to happen. Nazareth should currently remain the favorite in the UCHC conference, teams such as #14 Utica and Manhattanville look close behind them as well.
Oswego finds their way into the rankings
#15 Oswego State (7-3) started the year 0-3 after getting swept by (now #5) Adrian at home, then falling to Potsdam on the road. However, they’ve now won seven games in a row, their last three of four victories coming against (at that time) ranked opponents: #12 Cortland (twice) and #13 Hamilton. In their most recent game against Hamilton, goaltender Lexi Levy got the victory making 23 saves.
Oswego State (7-3) defeats #13 Hamilton College for their seventh-straight win (Photo by Joshua D. McKee)
Oswego has cleaned up the penalties which became a major issue in their early games, most specifically vs Potsdam and Canton where they totaled 15 penalties during the two game span. In their four most recent games, they’ve only committed 10. Coach Mark Digby talked about what his team’s been doing during this winning streak and most specifically this recent hot streak against ranked opponents: “Our consistency from shift to shift and start of shift to end of shift has certainly improved. I think we’ve been able to find a steady compete level, even if we aren’t necessarily playing our A game at the moment, we’ve remained consistent with our energy and it’s been able to keep us in tight games until we find a way to create some offense.”
Oswego’s next games are against Buffalo State on the road and #4 Plattsburgh State at home, Coach Digby spoke on the upcoming game vs Plattsburgh: “Biggest key to this game is playing well vs Buffalo on Friday. Nobody wants to back into a big game, so playing to our standards on Friday is our main focus at this point. Once we get to Saturday, we’ll have to focus on staying disciplined in our game. You’re not going to outscore mistakes against Plattsburgh, so limiting opportunities for them will be important.”
East perspective of the Cardinal/Panther Classic
UW-River Falls took home the trophy this past weekend in the CPC, defeating the host Plattsburgh 3-2 and then defeating #1 Middlebury 3-2 in overtime, ending their 31 game win streak going back to the start of last season where they went a perfect 27-0. The UWRF tournament recap can be read here, but in this week’s east recap, we’ll talk about how the three fared. In game one involving Middlebury and Elmira, Middlebury won 3-1, Britt Nawrocki led the way with two goals and her teammate Ashley McDonald tallied two assists. Goaltender Sophia Merageas made 23 saves in the win.
Plattsburgh shuts out Elmira 7-0 in the third place game of the Cardinal/Panther Classic (Photo by Nathanael LaPage)
The third-place game featuring Elmira vs Plattsburgh, ended up being a lopsided victory for the Cardinals, winning 7-0. Penalties were a problem for both teams, Plattsburgh committing 6-12 and Elmira 5-10. However, it was a story of two powerplay units, Elmira went 0-6 on the PP, while Plattsburgh went 4-5. Plattsburgh had seven unique scorers in the game, while Mattie Norton led the way with 1 goal and 2 assists. Her teammate Mae Olshansky also contributed 3 points in the game with 3 assists.
Both Elmira and Plattsburgh eye the upcoming Norwich East-West Hockey Classic on Dec. 10-11 as the two face off again in round one and then will face either #6 Norwich or #5 Adrian depending how the first round games finish up.
Other Notable Games
#10 Colby won the Codfish Bowl, defeating UMass-Boston 3-0 and Bowdoin 4-1.
#11 Amherst defeated Manhattanville 1-0.
#14 Utica defeated Morrisville 3-2.
Williams defeated Cortland 6-1.
Potsdam swept King’s College, winning 9-0 & 3-0.
Wesleyan won a pair, defeating Manhattanville 2-0 & Castleton 2-1.
Trinity defeated Univ. New England 2-0 & Salem State 7-0.
Salve Regina defeated Anna Maria 2-0.
Morrisville shutout Lebanon Valley 4-0.
Another week is in the books as we await the second major eastern tournament Dec. 10-11 in Norwich, VT. We also await the winter break period of little to no hockey taking place in the middle-end of December, but then we pick right back up in January with the second half approaching and the first half’s end quickly approaching.
Mercyhurst players are all smiles after a goal last Friday against Air Force (photo: Ed Mailliard).
Mercyhurst wasn’t getting a lot of puck luck earlier in the season.
Coach Rick Gotkin, in his 35th season behind the Lakers’ bench, felt that his squad was better than its 1-9-2 record indicated.
“I think that our early record said as much about our opponents as it did about us,” he said. “We played some really good teams.”
October presented challenges to a Lakers team looking to replace key pieces of a squad that reached the Atlantic Hockey semifinals last season but lost two of its top three scorers as well as its starting goaltender.
Gotkin ticked off his team’s early opponents.
“We had a ranked team in Ohio State and another in Penn State,” he said. “The better team won all four, but the games were close. We won at Clarkson and lost the second game, but I thought we actually played better the second night.
“We had good series with Niagara and Sacred Heart with overtimes where we had all kinds of chances to win and couldn’t get it done. The only real disappointment was (two losses) against RPI. We did not play well and deserved to lose.”
So when asked what has changed between those first 12 games (1-9-2) and the last four (4-0 including sweeps of Holy Cross and Air Force), Gotkin’s answer was, “Not much.”
“We’re really playing the same way because we weren’t all that bad,” he said. “I was really happy with our play. Holy Cross has been a tough place for us to play, historically. And Air Force has shown to be one of the best teams in the conference.
“That said, we still have a long way to go.”
Mercyhurst has had success in recent weeks with the platoon of rookie goaltender Owen Say and senior Tyler Harmon, a transfer from Vermont.
“We’ve been alternating them, and they’ve responded,” said Gotkin. “We like all three of our goalies. (Sophomore) Matt Lenz is a returner who has started a game for us as well.”
Senior Rylee St. Onge leads the team in scoring with 11 points, including a team-high seven goals. Behind him are sophomore Kyler Head (6-3-9) and junior Marko Reifenberger (3-5-8).
The Lakers are off this weekend, then host Army West Point on Dec. 9 and 10, followed by a three-week break. That means that after playing 16 games in nine weeks, Mercyhurst will play just twice over the next four.
Is Gotkin worried about losing the momentum of a four-game winning streak?
“I have mixed emotions,” he said. “Playing (this weekend) would probably have been a good thing. But that said, we’ve played a lot of hockey so far, so it will be nice to take a deep breath. We have Army and then we’re off for Christmas. Hopefully, we’ll use the downtime in a productive way.”
Even though the Lakers lost a huge group to graduation and the transfer portal, they’re a mature team with 13 seniors, looking to get back to at least the conference semifinals.
The recent winning streak vaulted the Lakers from last to a tie for fourth in the tightly packed Atlantic Hockey standings with a lot of hockey left to play.
The standings are even more critical this season thanks to the conference’s new postseason format. Only the top eight teams will qualify, leaving two (three next year with the return of Robert Morris) out in the cold.
This is due to the league dropping the neutral site, final four format and moving all postseason games on campus, holding the semifinals at the two highest seeds and the championship game at the highest surviving seed a week later.
The format has been successful for the CCHA, but that league has only eight teams. With ten and soon-to-be eleven schools, Atlantic Hockey would need an extra week for an additional round to include everyone. That’s not happening.
Gotkin isn’t in favor of the change.
“Student-athletes want to be able to compete as much as possible,” he said. “We’re denying a group of them the ability to compete in the postseason.
“I’m excited for (all rounds played at) on-campus sites, but not at the expense of a positive experience for every player. There’s nothing like playing for a championship.”
Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Western Michigan head coach Pat Ferschweiler to talk about this year’s Broncos, the evolution of college hockey, what he enjoys about the job, this season’s NCHC, and the upcoming series at Omaha.
For the first time in six years, Brown claimed the Mayor’s Cup with the Bears’ win over the Providence last weekend (photo: David Silverman Photography).
The ride from Brown University’s Meehan Auditorium to Providence College’s Schneider Arena isn’t a very long trip across Providence.
It only takes two or three miles to head down College Hill, and the drive largely avoids the busy downtown area around Federal Hill and the Providence Place Mall. It stays on the periphery, and with green lights and no traffic, it might only take 10 minutes to go across I-95 with a quick stop at a local Dunkin.’
It’s actually a shorter road trip than any of Hockey East’s Boston-based rivalries, but on last Saturday night, Brown head coach Brendan Whittet wished the trip would have taken a little bit longer after his team claimed its first Mayor’s Cup in six years with a 3-2 over the then-No. 8 Friars.
“It’s a ride you want to extend a little bit longer, but it was nice to end that drought,” said Brown coach Brendan Whittet. “We had been doing pretty good (winning two of four titles in the mid-2010s), but there was nothing better than beating Providence at Schneider and coming away with a trophy. Being able to bring it back to Meehan is a huge accomplishment, and it’s well-earned.”
The win embodied a shift for a Brown team that lost three straight one-goal games earlier in the year, and it broke through a previously-constructed barrier around weekend wins. An unkind November sent the Bears up to Harvard and Dartmouth after the year began with a weekend split against travel partner Yale, and consecutive series against Quinnipiac and Princeton, and Cornell and Colgate forced them into a corner with an early, uphill battle defined by missed opportunities borne from some inconsistencies.
Those results were perfect indicators of both Brown’s successes and struggles as the season ramped up. Against Colgate, Matthieu Caron made 42 saves, but the team surrendered a third period goal to force overtime, where it lost 3-2 after a second period rally turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 advantage. One week earlier, Brown went toe-to-toe with Quinnipiac but gave up two power play goals as part of a 4-3 loss. The next night, the flashes shown against a top-ranked team disappeared in a 1-0 loss to Princeton.
“The guys had been playing some good hockey, but it was just a little inconsistent,” Whittet said. “It was a period or a shift, but it wasn’t a complete game, and it was a little self-inflicted where we’d been in the box too much. We’d seen glimpses, and I think it infused our locker room with a belief that if we continued to play physically, with pace, and with fast transitions, we could be really good.”
The breakthrough came this last weekend when the Bears fought past a physical Holy Cross team before banging home the win over Providence. They largely avoided the penalty box against the Crusaders and scored twice in the third period to earn a 3-0 shutout, and they avoided the letdown associated with a third period goal the next night after the second period staked them to a 3-1 lead over the Friars. Brown again avoided costly penalties and used its ability to score in bunches to pile momentum in the second period.
The offense clicked, and two goals by Ryan Bottrill offered a glimpse at which players might step into the offensive void left by the volume of scoring that departed in the off-season. He added an assist against Boston College on Tuesday, an added consistency after having two assists against Quinnipiac earlier this year.
He bolstered the shared responsibility of an attack with seven players with multiple goals in the first seven games and helped address an area of need. The defense, meanwhile, has only allowed about a half of a goal per game more than the offense scored, and Caron’s steady presence placed him among the 15 best goalies’ save percentage in the early goings.
“The two wins were great, but we really played right for six periods,” Whittet said. “When I say the right way, I mean our right way. We have to be really good defensively because we want the puck more. We need to have possession to generate offense and honestly, against some of these teams that we played that are elite teams, we want to be an elite team. It’s a process, but we made strides over the weekend.
“I know there are going to be ups and downs, but it gives us faith and belief that we can compete at a high level.”
Brown returns to action this weekend with a pair of games at LIU before heading to Clarkson and St. Lawrence to wrap up its first half. That the wins were in non-conference play are a footnote because they won’t impact the race for playoff seeding, but finding wins was key for a team that’s historically won the first game of a postseason, three-game series.
Putting the Bears into a situation where that one game advances them to the second round is a threat hanging over the second half of the season, especially given the parity under the four top teams, and the potential for opening a door on a high seed can only widen if they find their ability now rather than in deep March.
“It’s a maturation and growth process,” Whittet said. “We’re still dealing with COVID because our season was shut down, and it affected how much the seniors played. We lost three games by a goal, but it’s about tweaking it and finding the right combination of who works well together. We’re much further along this year in creating some offense and sustaining some things to play a certain style I want to play.”
Dylan St. Cyr has been solid in goal this season for Michigan State (photo: Michigan State Athletics).
Raise your hand if you knew at the start of the season that Minnesota and Michigan State would be battling early for the top spot in Big Ten conference hockey.
Come on, now. Don’t lie.
This weekend, the “original six” of the Big Ten take the ice – everyone but Notre Dame – in three great conference series, but the hottest ticket is a team in Michigan that doesn’t play in Ann Arbor.
And don’t think for a second that the visiting head coach doesn’t know what his team is facing.
“We go to Michigan State, who quietly may be one of the better teams in the country right now,” said Bob Motzko, speaking to Golden Gophers long-time play-by-play announcer Wally Shaver this week in “Gopher Hockey Weekly with Bob Motzko.”
Motzko said that the Spartans’ “camaraderie and how they’re playing as a team” will make guarantee that the Gophers will have their hands full.
“We’ve got to make sure that they’ve got their hands full, too,” said Motzko.
After eight conference games, the teams in the top three spots in the Big Ten standings are Minnesota, Michigan State and Penn State, each spot separated by a single point.
While the Gophers were picked in the B1G preseason coaches’ poll to finish at the top of the conference, Michigan State was tabbed for last place. Motzko told Shaver that there are several things contributing to the Spartans’ early success, starting with first-year head coach Adam Nightingale.
“You get a new coaching staff that comes in,” said Motzko. “They’ve got two freshmen that are leading scorers right now.”
Motzko mentioned the renovation of Munn Ice Arena and how that injects excitement into the program, plus the addition of grad student transfer Dylan St. Cyr – the first Big Ten star of the week after posting his second shutout of the season and whose .934 overall save percentage is fourth-best in D-I hockey. Motzko also praised Michigan State’s corps of solid veteran players.
Motzko said the Spartans “may be one of the better teams in the country right now” and called them a “feel-good hockey team.” He said, “They’re playing as a team. We’ve got to go in there and play darn good hockey and get dialed back in.”
Last weekend, the Golden Gophers split a pair of road games against Arizona State, winning 3-2 Friday and losing 6-5 in overtime Saturday, so the dialing back in that Motzko mentioned is more than just returning to Big Ten play. Motzko said that the team was distracted a bit by the peripherals of the trip, like the entire team and their families spending Thanksgiving Day at the home of forward Matthew Knies’ family in Phoenix.
“It turned out to be a vacation with two hockey games, and we kind of had a little vacation mode in us,” said Motzko, who added that the team wasn’t dwelling on it. “I don’t know if you can avoid it.”
While the Gophers were in Arizona, the Spartans traveled to Oxford, Ohio, where they swept former CCHA rival Miami, a team that Adam Nightingale characterized as having “just had a good weekend splitting on the road with North Dakota.”
In his weekly press conference, Nightingale said that Michigan State continues to benefit from scoring that is spread out across the team.
Said Nightingale, “Guys contribute at different times.”
Six different Spartans scored Michigan State’s nine goals, including freshman Karsen Dorwart, who registered his first collegiate hat trick in the 4-0 Saturday win, earning him the third Big Ten star of the week. Sophomore Jeremy Davidson had two goals in Friday’s 5-3 win and the first assist on Miroslav Mucha’s game-winner.
Nightingale said that coaching this season is fun because the entire Spartan squad is dedicated. The contributions of the younger players also holds a lot of promise for the program’s future.
“What I really like about the group is that there’s zero entitlement,” said Nightingale. “They know they go out and earn it, and they practice that way, they play that way, and that’s something that’s important to our program and important to our university, that you earn things.”
In the week leading up to the Miami series, Michigan State senior Jagger Joshua released a statement on Twitter about having been on the receiving end of racist comments made by Ohio State forward Kamil Sadlocha during MSU’s Nov. 11 road game against OSU and Joshua’s disappointment in the Big Ten’s handling of the incident.
After Joshua released his statement, Michigan State and Ohio State each released statements, followed by a Twitter statement by OSU athletic director Gene Smith in which Smith apologized to Joshua on behalf of Ohio State.
Unrelated to what had transpired, Joshua was a healthy scratch for the Friday game against Miami, and Nightingale was frank about it.
“Super proud of Jagger,” said Nightingale. “Obviously, he had a lot going on that week, but before any of that, we’ve talked about playing smart and playing with discipline, and there’s been multiple times when he’s taken penalties. I’ve had conversations with him, so it got to the point where it needed to take away ice time.”
Nightingale said he talked to Joshua about the need for the coach himself to follow up with what he says to the team, that telling the team that he needs to follow through when he tells the team that they’re going to play with discipline and accountability.
Nightingale said that Joshua was “great” and told Nightingale that he appreciated the coach “being honest” with him about it.
“I thought he really responded well on Saturday at Miami,” said Nightingale. “I think there were a couple of incidents that had we not sat him, he might have took a penalty. Because he still needs to play physical, that’s a huge part of his game, he needs to bring that edge, but we also can’t put the team in a position where we’re killing off five-minute power plays.”
Heading into the weekend against the Gophers, Nightingale said that the Spartans are preparing the same way they do against every opponent.
“Every weekend we play, we want to take a step regardless of who we’re playing,” said Nightingale. “I really do think that throughout the season, each weekend we’ve gotten better. That will be the focus going into this weekend.”
Like Motzko, Nightingale knows what his team is facing in this series.
“They’ve got a lot of depth, a lot of speed, a lot of skill throughout their lineup,” said Nightingale. “They play a brand of hockey that’s really taxing. You’ve got to be really good away from the puck.”
Michigan State is winless against Minnesota in their last nine meetings dating back to Dec. 3, 2020. The Gophers outscored the Spartans 35-14 in that span. MSU’s last win over Minnesota was a 4-2 win in Minneapolis Feb. 8, 2020. The Gophers are 18-3-0 against the Spartans dating back to the 2017-18 season.
“This will be a really good test for our group,” said Nightingale, “and we’re excited for it.”
Matt Brown has been an offensive spark for BU this season (photo: Matt Woolverton).
According to the latest line chart issued by the Boston University men’s hockey team, there are 12 players on the Terriers’ roster drafted by NHL teams.
So it’s interesting that the team’s top scorer does not have the logo of a pro team printed underneath his No. 37.
With eight points in his last six games, senior forward Matt Brown has led the way for BU with an overall total of seven goals and 10 assists (17 points), helped the Terriers to an 8-4-0 overall record (5-3-0 in Hockey East) and a No. 9 record in the latest DCU/USCHO.com men’s D-I poll.
“I’m sure there’s teams watching him,” first-year BU coach Jay Pandolfo said. “He’s producing every night. I think he’s a guy (who’s) very good with offensive players. It’s going to help if he plays with offensive players, because he can finish. He’s got speed and he’s on the puck. That’s his game.”
An exhibition loss to the U.S. under-18 national team over Thanksgiving weekend aside, the Terriers enter December having won five of their last six and look to keep the good times rolling this weekend with a home-and-home series vs. New Hampshire.
A 5-2 win over No. 20 Notre Dame last week, plus a series split at now-No. 5 Michigan in October gave BU a 2-1 mark vs. teams from the Big Ten, the significance of which is not lost on the Terriers’ rookie coach.
“It shows that we’re competitive,” Pandolfo said. “Hockey East is a very competitive league. Big Ten is obviously a great league as well. We want to make sure that when we’re playing out-of-conference teams we play well.”
Playing well defensively for the Terriers has been junior Cade Webber, who made a diving save on a loose puck in front of the goal during the second period of an eventual 5-2 home win over No. 20 Notre Dame last week.
“He’s been excellent this year,” Pandolfo said. “He logs a lot of minutes on the penalty kill and does a great job. (He) understands what he is as a player and that’s what you need. You need guys to accept their roles, and ‘Webs’ does it better than anyone.”
Pandolfo also had high praise for Brown’s contributions on defense.
“He’s taken more ownership of playing well (in the) defensive zone first before trying to go on offense,” Pandolfo said. “That’s something he’s done a really good job with. I talked to him about it at the end of last year, that he has to be better there. He’s done that.”
Even though Brown is not currently affiliated with an NHL team, Pandolfo said his leading scorer has a solid shot at an eventual pro career.
“You see it more and more throughout college hockey — there’s a lot of players that go undrafted and they start developing a little later,” Pandolfo said. “I think you see it a lot nowadays, where these guys are getting signed as free agents and contributing in the NHL. Hopefully Matt’s another guy that’ll happen for.”
Arizona State players celebrate a goal during the Sun Devils’ win over Minnesota last Saturday on home ice (photo: Sun Devil Athletics).
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.
Ed: Last week, Paula, you and Jim ended this column highlighting teams that had turned standings upside down in their conferences. So I thought maybe it would be good to dive in a little deeper on that topic.
Even though I’m kicking this week’s conversation off, I’m going to start where you often start and that’s in the Big Ten. Two teams are outperforming everyone’s expectations, Penn State and Michigan State. I’m not as surprised at the success Guy Gadowsky’s Nittany Lions have had so far, as Penn State has won the games they should win and have split with Minnesota, Michigan, and Michigan State in the league.
However, I am fascinated with Michigan State’s turnaround so far. Jim Connelly and I spoke a couple of weeks ago with Spartans head coach Adam Nightingale on our USCHO Spotlight podcast, but he didn’t reveal any big secrets about what has been the catalyst for Michigan State’s 11-4-1 record. Grad transfer Dylan St. Cyr has been terrific in net so far, which is not unexpected, but what else do you see contributing to Sparty’s fast start?
Paula: Everything that Nightingale does is from a player development perspective. I think we are seeing a new generation of collegiate and professional hockey coaches who approach the sport, the business, and their players very differently from the kinds of coaching that you and I encountered when we first began covering hockey decades ago. And this is certainly a different approach to coaching than what we saw when we were kids.
Nightingale brought in like-minded coaches in Jared DeMichiel as associate head coach. DeMichiel — who you remember from his RIT playing days, Ed — and assistant Mike Towns. And former MSU captain Brad Fast has returned to his alma mater as director of player development. That commitment to helping players reach their potential in college play and placing them in situations where they can be successful while developing them to play high-level hockey following college is part of what’s paying off now.
In addition to the new coaching staff, the Michigan State team is an interesting mix of newcomers and veterans. You mention Dylan St. Cyr, a goaltender who has settled into East Lansing very well, but there are other transfers who are contributing insight and experience as well. Grad transfer Miroslav Mucha transferred from Lake Superior State and has five goals in 16 games. Another grad transfer, defenseman Mike Underwood, is shoring up the blue line after four years with Clarkson — which, incidentally, is where assistant coach Mike Towns was most recently.
Then you have four freshmen accounting for 19 of Michigan State’s 58 overall goals, about a third. And there are talented upperclassmen who are hungry to see some success as Spartans — like seniors Jagger Joshua and Nicolas Muller and grad students Cole and Christian Krygier.
It’s the perfect mix so far. Sometimes with new coaches and an influx of new talent, a team can take some time to find its feet. The Spartans seem to have a kind of alchemy that goes beyond that new-coach bounce that benefits some teams. It’s like the perfect mix of ingredients.
You, Ed, have a first-person view of what’s going on with RIT, another team exceeding expectations in the early going. Atlantic Hockey is fascinating this year. Picked fourth, RIT is first. Picked first by a lot in the coaches’ preseason poll, AIC is third. Then there are two teams from whom coaches had low expectations who are putting together very respectable seasons — Mercyhurst fighting to recover from a pretty bad start to the season and Niagara solid out of the gate.
What do you make of Atlantic Hockey, especially RIT’s success so far?
Ed: Full disclosure: I see RIT a lot as their radio play-by-play voice, and I’ve seen them a lot for, um, decades.
So many things are going well for the Tigers, despite a stumble against Princeton on Saturday. Special teams have been stellar so far, with a power play clicking at a fourth-in-the-nation .286 and a penalty kill at .879, seventh in D-I. RIT sophomore netminder Tommy Scarfone is 10-1 — with his only loss a 4-3 season opener at Union on October 1 — with a .923 save percentage.
What really has been a difference for Wayne Wilson’s 11-3 Tigers is scoring from defensemen. The top pair of Gianfranco Cassaro and Aiden Hansen-Bukata each has 15 points in 14 games, with Cassaro tied for the team lead with seven goals and Hansen-Bukata leading with 13 assists. Last year’s Atlantic Hockey rookie of the year, Carter Wilkie, leads the deep squad of forwards with seven goals and 10 assists.
Niagara has been a pleasant surprise for the AHA in its 20th anniversary season. Goaltender Chad Veltri has been terrific with a .921 save percentage and a 7-1-1 record. The Purple Eagles are 4-0 out of conference, including an early-season road sweep of Omaha, and regulation and overtime wins last weekend over Colgate by identical 3-2 scores. Coach Jason Lammers’ Purps haven’t lost a game since October 22.
Atlantic Hockey is still going to have a hard time getting more than one team in the postseason, but if the league can get the current .356 non-conference winning percentage a bit closer to .400, there’s an outside chance.
While we’re talking eastern teams, let’s look at two teams shaking up the Hockey East old guard, Merrimack and Connecticut. Anyone watching over the last few seasons has seen the steady progress of the Huskies, but unless you were paying attention last year, you might have missed Merrimack’s ascent. I know it’s not your regular beat, but how about those two teams and that conference overall?
Paula: I am really high on Hockey East this year, and the first two months of play in that conference appear to be an extension of the progress that league made overall in 2021-22.
I loved the photo finish of last year’s Hockey East regular-season race, with Northeastern winning five of the seven games it played in the last 17 days of the regular season to stay one point ahead of Massachusetts and UMass Lowell for the Huskies’ first ever regular-season title — I mean, that was really one of the most exciting things to happen in all of men’s D-I hockey last season.
That Northeastern is two points behind Connecticut in Hockey East standings shouldn’t surprise anyone — nor should anyone be surprised by Connecticut or Merrimack, as you mention, as they each were among that tight top tier last season, when only six points separated first-place Northeastern from the three teams tied for fourth, including UConn and Merrimack plus Boston University.
I don’t know how things will shape up as the season continues, but we’re seeing a little of that glut at the top of the HE standings with pretty much the same teams from a year ago each vying for position.
I find it interesting that neither frontrunner has “Boston” in its school name. It’s part of the waxing and waning that I’ve been talking about here for a couple of weeks, and I don’t know how that plays out in terms of heightening the profile of the sport — the theory being that schools with name recognition attract the most attention — but I do love how interesting it is for fans of college hockey. If every conference were as tight as Hockey East, we’d have something even more special to promote.
Perhaps even more interesting than how things are developing within Hockey East is how strong the conference is in inter-conference play. While the Big Ten leads all D-1 leagues in nonconference play (.750), Hockey East is second (.623) and is the only conference against which B1G Hockey has a losing record (3-4-1).
Speaking of nonconference — as in no conference whatsoever — I’m liking the noise that Arizona State is making this season. They made a strong effort but fell short at home against Minnesota Friday but then beat the Golden Gophers in overtime Saturday. Dylan Jackson had the late third-period goal to tie the game for the Sun Devils and then BU transfer Robert Mastrosimone had the game-winner in the 3-on-3 OT.
The Sun Devils weren’t the only independent team to bring down a ranked opponent last week. Long Island earned its first win over a ranked foe when they beat Ohio State 3-2 Friday night in Columbus.
That was the Sharks’ second win of the season. The Sun Devils, though, have been around longer and are well on their way toward building something lasting, but I have to ask this question: how far can they realistically go outside of conference play?
What do you think we’re seeing happening there, Ed? And there are six independent teams — one fewer than the number that play in the Big Ten. How much of a problem is this for the sustainability of those programs?
Ed: Those teams need a home. Arizona State has shown that it can compete for an NCAA berth, but it needs a well-crafted schedule and near-perfect execution to make the tournament. That’s no small task, and I respect the outstanding job Greg Powers has done. With the new Mullett Arena, ASU has shown that it is ready to join a league.
Is that league the Big Ten? In the post-game press conference after its 6-5 OT loss to ASU, Minnesota’s Bob Motzko caused a bit of a laugh as he walked away from the podium when he was asked if the Sun Devils were ready for the Big Ten. That would be a perfect fit hockey-wise, but Arizona State is not a member of the Association of American Universities — a research university organization favored by the Big Ten.
LIU’s play over the last two seasons has shown that it could become a member of Atlantic Hockey, but I’m told that the membership is hesitant to allow them in without a permanent, and preferably on-campus home rink.
I am concerned for Alaska, Alaska Anchorage, Lindenwood, and Stonehill until there’s some reorganization. They can keep going for a while, but the lack of postseason opportunities and the struggle to put together a schedule could become a huge obstacle.
The success of ASU and LIU notwithstanding, it’s time for reorganization, as this column has discussed before.
But I also think that’s true of college hockey overall. We have teams that are not good fits for their conferences, either because of travel or competitiveness. Are you hearing rumblings of discontent about their situation from some programs as I have?
Paula: Ed, I haven’t heard rumblings about discontent but that is very likely because in covering the Big Ten this season, I haven’t had any interaction with coaches outside of the conference.
And let’s face it — the Big Ten isn’t likely to be a conference where the kind of grousing that you mention would be a factor. It’s competitive, its resources are considerable, and every team in the league with the exception of Notre Dame is a member of the Big Ten. And with the exception of Penn State, the footprint of the conference is pretty compact (in a relative, Midwestern kind of way).
What’s interesting about the speculation that the Big Ten would reject Arizona State on the basis of its lack of membership in the AAU is that Notre Dame is also not a member of the AAU — nor is Nebraska, and the Cornhuskers are Big Ten members. I wish I had some insight on all of that other than what is publicly known, but I don’t.
As for Motzko’s reaction to that question you reference, I don’t think that any individual coach in the Big Ten would be in a position to answer that. His laugh? Well, his team had just lost in OT. I don’t think there’s anything more to read into his response than that.
You and I and people like us have been calling for a discussion of reorganization in college hockey for a long time, and we’ve both known coaches who have been pretty vocal about it.
Look at what the last iteration of the WCHA did.
It was clear that those seven member schools who voted to leave didn’t want the hassle — including the unrealistic financial burden — of traveling to Alaska and Alabama. I’m certain that the decision to gut that conference and re-form the CCHA wasn’t done lightly, as doing so would potentially doom Alaska, Alaska Anchorage and Alabama-Huntsville. I, too, fear that both Alaska teams will go the way of the Chargers.
So, no, I’m not hearing any rumblings right now because from where I’m sitting, folks seem pretty content. Big Ten hockey would love another member or two — from current B1G schools.
The cynic in me, Ed, thinks that all of this is a bigger issue that no one associated with D-I men’s ice hockey wants to address right now. Rather than a wait-and-see attitude regarding newcomers LIU, Lindenwood and Stonehill, it appears to be more that D-I college hockey is stepping back to see whether or not these programs sink or swim.
I worry about programs that are geographically isolated. ASU, at least, has huge financial and local support — and teams like traveling to Tempe. LIU isn’t too isolated (but there is the problem of the on-campus rink). Stonehill is technically located within the Greater Boston Metro area.
I do not know how much longer the two Alaska programs will remain viable. Lindenwood concerns me, too. The D-I opponent nearest to St. Charles, Mo., is Miami University, about 350 miles away. The NCHC is the only geographic fit for the Lions, but will that happen? Huntsville is about 420 miles from Oxford, Ohio — a bus trip in the old CCHA days, and only 30 minutes longer than the trip that the RedHawks used to make to Big Rapids to play Ferris State. Shorter than their trips to Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State.
I hope I’m wrong, Ed, but I don’t think that any concrete steps will be taken toward reorganizing men’s D-I hockey — even to address the concerns of coaches whose teams are already parked in a league — in time to save the Alaska teams and perhaps one or more of the newcomers.
UW-River Falls wins the Cardinal/Panther Classic, defeating Plattsburgh 3-2 and then Middlebury 3-2 in OT (Photo by Nathanael LePage)
The University of Wisconsin – River Falls made the headlines this weekend after their big tournament victory in the annual Cardinal/Panther Classic held this year in Plattsburgh, NY. There weren’t many games played by west teams this weekend, none holding a large amount of significance besides UWRF. Some teams played earlier this week on Tuesday Nov. 22, but River Falls stole the headlines by winning two games that caused a major shakeup amongst the top teams in the polls after two statement victories.
UW-River Falls Wins the Cardinal/Panther Classic
The Cardinal/Panther Classic, hosted this year by Plattsburgh State, held four of the top teams in the country (three east, one west) this past weekend. #1 Middlebury (3-0), #3 Plattsburgh (7-0), #4 Elmira (7-0), and #6 UW-River Falls (6-1). In the first round games, Middlebury defeated Elmira 3-1 and UWRF defeated the host Plattsburgh 3-2. In the championship/third-place games, Plattsburgh dominated Elmira 7-0 and UWRF defeated Middlebury in OT 3-2 to leave with the trophy.
In UWRF’s first game vs Plattsburgh, the game was tied 2-2 entering the 3rd period until Aubrey Nelvin scored the eventual game winner at the 6:52 mark of the period, while goaltender Sami Miller recorded 24 saves in the victory. In the championship game against #1 Middlebury, both teams were tied entering the 3rd 1-1 until UWRF’s Maddie McCollins scored at the 7:25 mark of the period to put the Falcons up 2-1. Then things got interesting: with less than 15 seconds remaining, Middlebury’s Britt Nawrocki scored a powerplay goal at the 19:45.2 mark of the 3rd period to tie the game up. The Falcons then got the job done in overtime as MaKenna Aure scored the winner late in the OT period with less than a minute left (4:03.6 mark) in the period to end Middlebury’s 31-game winning streak that was started last year when they went a perfect 27-0. Goaltender Sami Miller also recorded 30 saves in the championship game, bringing her total to 54 on the weekend.
River Falls longtime Head Coach Joe Cranston, following the tournament win, talked about being the lone team from out west in the event and leaving with a victory, also what he believed the team did well throughout: “We left River Falls Friday at 3:00 am, and got to Plattsburgh at 3:00 pm. I just wanted to make sure we stayed healthy and to not be sluggish. We had a really good practice that night. I think the team did a very good job of not getting distracted and staying focused on the opportunities ahead of us. It was fun to represent the West, we had a great team effort this weekend; every player contributed to our success!”
The updated records and rankings (11/28/22) after the tournament: #2 UW River Falls (8-1), #3 Middlebury (4-1), #4 Plattsburgh (8-1), #7 Elmira (7-2).
UW-River Falls now sets themselves up with a 1v2 matchup as they face the new #1 Gustavus in a home-and-away series Dec. 7/10 at 7:05pm/2pm CT.
Other Notable Games
Adrian defeats Chatham 6-1 this past weekend *Photo from 11/18 game vs Trine University* (Photo by Carly Costello)
#7 Adrian defeated Chatham 6-1 on Saturday 11/26 to remain undefeated 9-0 on the season. Tia Lascelle had 2 goals and an assist, while Jessica VonRuden added 1 goal and 2 assists. Adrian now heads out east to Norwich, VT to participate in the Norwich Tournament (Dec. 10-11) where they will face #6 Norwich and then depending on the result on both games, either #4 Plattsburgh or #7 Elmira.
#9 UW-Eau Claire defeated Hamline 4-2, Sophie Rausch and Sydney Johnson both tallied 2 points apiece, both netting a goal and an assist. Goaltender Stephanie Martin recorded the 19 save victory for the Blugolds. Eau Claire faces Northland College next, hosting them tomorrow (11/30) at 7pm CT.
St. Norbert shutout UW-Stevens Point 5-0, leading the way for St. Norbert was Abbie Tollefson (2 goals, 1 assist) and Erin Huerta (1 goal, 2 assists). Goaltender Brynn Waisman recorded the 23 save shutout victory. St. Norbert’s next games are this weekend (Dec. 2/3) as they play a home-and-away series with Concordia Wisconsin.
This week wasn’t too eventful outside of the pair of top 3 wins for UW-River Falls, but now the current polls have three west teams inside the top-5, four inside the top-10 (#1 Gustavus, #2 UW-River Falls, #5 Adrian, & #9 UW-Eau Claire), so the west is certainly representing themselves well at the top!
UW-Eau Claire swept St. Norbert over the weekend. (Photo Credit: UW-Eau Claire Athletics)
UW-Eau Claire jumped into the top 15 of the DCU/USCHO.com NCAA Division III men’s hockey poll this week after a pair of wins over nationally ranked St. Norbert.
The Blugolds, ranked 11th this week, stretched their win streak to four games over the weekend, beating the Green Knights 3-2 and 4-2 on the road.
Trailing 2-1 a minute into the second period, the Blugolds scored three times to put the game away. Ryan Green, Austin Becker and Quinn Green all scored to lift the Blugolds to the sweep.
Quinn Green scored a pair of goals in the win and also had an assist while Ryan Green tallied a goal and an assist.
In Friday’s game, Jack Johnston scored off the power play at the five minute mark of the third period to give the Blugolds the win.
Max Gutjahr made 23 saves on Friday and added 25 more saves on Saturday.
The wins improve UW-Eau Claire to 6-2 on the year, and they are also the first of the season over a nationally ranked opponent.
Check our more weekend hockey action below.
Superior sweeps Lumberjacks
UW-Superior closed out a series against Northland with a 7-0 win on Saturday. The Yellowjackets scored four goals in the third period to finish off the win and stretch their winning streak to three games.
Seven different players scored as UW-Superior improved to 7-3 overall and 3-1 in the WIAC.
Ty Proffitt tallied a goal and an assist, as did Austin Paul, while Zach Bannister came through with three assists.
UW-Superior also won Friday’s game against Northland, coming through with a 3-0 win. Colton Friesen scored twice and dished out an assist while Dylan Meilun made 16 saves for his third shutout of the year. He’s the first UW-Superior netminder to start his career with five consecutive wins since the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons when Dan Graichen was in goal.
Raiders on a roll
Two second period goals were enough to carry MSOE to a 2-0 win over Saint John’s and complete a huge non-conference sweep over Thanksgiving weekend.
Matt Hanewall scored twice off the power play in a span of less than two minutes late in the period as the Raiders took control and never looked back.
Austin Schwab helped make sure MSOE didn’t allow Saint John’s back into the game as he came through with 32 saves. Schwab’s shutout was his third of the year and he is now one shutout away from tying the single-season school record in that category.
The Raiders, winners of three consecutive games, now stand at 7-2 on the season, their best record since opening the 2019-20 campaign with a 6-1-2 record.
MSOE opened the series with a 3-2 win. The Raiders scored twice in the opening period before the Johnnies tied the game at 2-2 after two.
Jackson Hughes scored the game winner with less than three minutes to play.
Royals come through with sweep
It was a good weekend for the Bethel Royals, who took care of business in a series against Lake Forest. The Royals opened with a 7-1 win and completed the sweep with a 3-0 victory on Saturday.
Bethel has now won three consecutive games and is 7-2-1 on the season. The Royals are unbeaten in their last five games.
In Saturday’s shutout, Austin Ryman racked up a career-best 51 saves. Jack Brown, Jack Bayless and Dylan Giorgio all scored in the win.
On Friday, Giorgio scored two goals to pace the Royals, who scored the final seven goals of the game, including three in the third.
Oles stay hot
St. Olaf continues to be one of the best stories of the season in the west region of NCAA Division III hockey. The Oles swept Marian over the weekend to stretch their unbeaten steak to seven games. They have won four consecutive games during that stretch.
Ashton Altmann highlighted Sunday’s 4-2 win as he scored twice, marking the first time in his college career he has tallied two goals in a game. Tyler Cooper added a goal and an assist. A total of nine players tallied at least one point.
With the sweep, St. Olaf has now outscored the opposition 23-12 during its unbeaten streak and have given up two goals or less in six games during the streak.
Freshman Johnathan Panisa came through in crunch time for the Oles on Saturday, scoring the game winner in a 3-2 victory in overtime.
It was the first game winner of his college career and he scored with just under a minute left in OT.
The Oles trailed 2-1 at one point in the game before rallying. St.Olaf had gone winless against Marian in its previous five meetings that date back to the 2013-14 season. Casey Parker added a goal and an assist for the Oles.
Thunder tie Utica
Trine held its own against nationally ranked Utica over the weekend, playing the Pioneers to a 2-2 tie on the road Saturday.
Garrett Hallford’s goal at the 6:09 mark of the third tied the score at 2-2. Tim Organ also scored for the Thunder while Cristian Wong-Ramos came through with 30 saves against a Utica team currently ranked third nationally.
It marks the second consecutive weekend where Trine as won or tied a team ranked in the poll.
On Sunday, Trine battled Plymouth State tough in a 1-0 loss. The Thunder are now 4–5-1 on the season. Wong-Ramos made 24 saves.
Spartans split tournament games
Aurora bounced back on Sunday in a game against Middlebury, using a three-goal third period t secure a 5-2 win. The Spartans were coming off a 4-2 loss to Norwich one day earlier in the FirstLight Shootout.
Giovanni Procopio and Jack Jaunich both tallied a goal and an assist. Adam Keyes did the same as the Spartans improved to 7-2-2 overall on the season. Kolby Thornton made 25 saves in goal.
Aurora was tested on Friday as it battled Norwich in a game featuring two nationally ranked teams.
The Spartans, currently 14th nationally, fell 4-2 to Norwich in the FirstLight Shootout. Akl Hassan scored a goal and tallied an assist while Derrick Budz came through with a goal. Tanner Marshall made 33 saves against Norwich, which is 10th in the latest poll.
College Hockey America has set new dates for the postponed Syracuse-Mercyhurst series and has changed the dates for the Syracuse-RIT home-and-home series originally set for Jan. 27-28.
The Syracuse-Mercyhurst series originally scheduled Nov. 18-19, 2022 was postponed due to a severe winter storm. The series will now be played Jan. 28-29, 2023 at Mercyhurst. Both games will begin at 1 p.m. ET.
To accommodate the new dates for that series, the CHA has moved the RIT-Syracuse two-game set previously slated for Jan. 27-28, 2023 to Jan. 24-25, 2023. The Jan. 24 game will be played at RIT with the Jan. 25 contest to take place at Syracuse. Both games will begin at 6 p.m. ET.
Denver and Omaha battled to a split this past weekend on the Pioneers’ home ice (photo: Denver Athletics).
Denver is again No. 1 in the latest DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, getting 17 first-place votes in this week’s rankings.
Quinnipiac moves up two spots to No. 2 and picks up 14 first-place votes.
St. Cloud State stays No. 3, getting 10 first-place votes, while Minnesota is down two to No. 4 with three first-place votes. Michigan is again No. 5 with two first-place votes, while Penn State rises one to sit sixth with four first-place votes in this week’s poll.
Harvard is up two to No. 7, while Connecticut is down two slots to No. 8, Boston University jumps up two to sit ninth, and Providence is down two spots to sit 10th this week.
Minnesota State falls out of the top 10 to No. 11, while Ohio State tumbles from No. 12 to No. 17. Michigan State moves up three places to No. 13, and UMass Lowell is down two to No. 16.
Michigan Tech is the lone new team in the rankings this week, coming in at No. 19.
In addition to the top 20 teams, 13 other teams received votes this week.
The DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll is compiled weekly and consists of 50 voters, including coaches and media professionals from across the country. Media outlets may republish this poll as long as USCHO.com is credited.
DCU (DCU.org), a not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by and operated for its members, is the sponsor of this poll. DCU serves more than 900,000 members and their families in all 50 states.
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:
• Just one team in the top 10 swept, Penn State
• Quinnipiac had a good weekend winning the Friendship Four
• Michigan/Harvard series
• Omaha splits with Denver
• Arizona State gets split with OT win vs. Minnesota
• UConn downed by Cornell
• Providence drops Mayor’s Cup to Brown
• Michigan Tech picks up four points vs. Minnesota State
• Friendship Four a success
Plus, our first edition of Buy or Sell for this season, talking Minnesota State, Michigan Tech, UConn, BU, Hockey East, Denver, RIT, Niagara, Harvard, and Quinnipiac.
Skidmore’s Kaeden Patrick scored the game’s first goal in Skidmore’s 4-1 win over nationally ranked Oswego to capture the Skidmore Invitational title (Photo by Bill Jones/Skidmore Athletics)
Oh, I think I said earlier this year that surprise results aren’t really upsets anymore and this weekend really showcased that as many of the ranked team dropped at least one contest over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Skidmore’s Tate Brandon said on Twitter “I don’t think they are really upsets” as he and the Thoroughbreds knocked off Oswego to win their own Invitational tournament. I am open to suggestion on what to call the new phenomenon in D-III hockey and will open with a ROK (Ranked Opponent Knock-off). Lot’s of ROKs to get to in tournament action and non-conference play. Here is this weekend’s wrap-up:
Skidmore Invitational
After knocking off Rivier, 5-3 on Saturday, Skidmore awaited the outcome of the Wilkes v. Oswego game to determine their championship opponent. The Lakers won 5-1 setting up the final everyone wanted and expected to see.
In the championship game the Lakers couldn’t stop Thomas Finck who scored a natural hat trick or solve goaltender Tate Brandon who finished with 32 saves on 33 shots in the Thoroughbreds 4-1 win over Oswego. The tournament win was the third consecutive title for the host school that saw Finck named tournament MVP and Brandon and Kaeden Patrick voted on the All-tournament Team along with Alex DiCarlo and Ryan Dickinson from Oswego; Matt Carlson from Wilkes and Kurt Watson from Rivier.
First Light Great Northern Shootout at Norwich
Plattsburgh used two early power play goals from Ryan Bonfield to set the tone in a 5-0 win over Middlebury in the first round and awaited the outcome between Aurora and Norwich for their championship opponent. The Cadets did not have an easy time with the Spartans who scored early in the third period to threaten Norwich before Callum Jones sealed the 4-2 win with a goal in the final seconds.
In the title game, the Cardinals took advantage of two goals from Jack Ring and 30 saves from goaltender Eli Shiller to take the tournament title for the seventh time in program history by a 3-1 score. Shiller was named the tournament MVP surrendering just one goal on 54 shots in the tournament for Plattsburgh. The Cardinals moved to 7-1-2 on the season with the ROK over No. 11 Norwich.
Terry Moran Invitational
The host school, Castleton, knocked off Franklin Pierce, 5-1 with Andrew Stefura scoring twice for the Spartans. That setup a championship match up with St. Anselm who defeated Buffalo State 5-2 with two goals from their own Andrew Andary.
In the championship game, the Hawks opened the scoring with Andary breaking the ice in the second period. They extended the lead to 2-0 with Matt Hayes scoring on the power play with an assist from Andary. Max Burum with an assist from Jack Murphy extended the lead to 3-0 before Castleton scored two goals early in the third period to trim the deficit to one goal. Chase Reynolds scored the ultimate game winner on the power play with Hayes and Andary assisting and Nick Howard made the 4-3 score stand up with several great saves in the final minutes of regulation. St. Anselm won the tournament and Andary earned Tournament MVP honors with three goals and two assists in the two game tournament.
Stovepipe Tournament
The opening round saw a couple of thrilling games. In the opener, Southern New Hampshire raced out to a 3-0 lead over Tufts only to see the Jumbos rally to tie the score at 3-3 with Tyler Sedlak scoring twice. The Penmen answered back quickly on a goal from freshman Ryan Pomposelli and held Tufts scoreless in the third period to advance with a 4-3 win. New England College and Massachusetts-Dartmouth also played a tight game with the Corsairs taking one-goal leads twice only to see the Pilgrims answer for a 2-2 tie through regulation. In overtime Anthony Cinato scored an unassisted goal to give the Pilgrims a 3-2 win.
In the championship game, the Penmen took an early 1-0 lead only to see NEC rally with three goals in the second period for a 3-1 lead. Ryan Coady cut the gap to a goal with his tally in the first minute of the third period before Cinato added an insurance goal in the 4-2 win. New England College took the Stovepipe title and Cinato earned Tournament MVP honors with his big goals helping the Pilgrims capture the title.
Bowdoin/Colby Face-off
Both Maine schools are off to 4-0-0 starts courtesy of a pair of wins over Johnson & Wales and Massachusetts-Boston in the annual face-off event. On Saturday, the Mules used goals from Jack Sullivan, Max O’Brien and Michael McEachern and a 28-save shutout from Andy Beran to give head coach Blaise MacDonald his 100th win at Colby with a 3-0 victory over the Beacons. On Sunday Colby needed a three- goal rally to remain unbeaten with a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Wildcats.
Bowdoin continued its hot start under new coach Ben Guite with five different players scoring in a 5-2 win over J&W before blanking UMB on Sunday, 6-0. The balanced scoring continued with 12 different players recording a point and Bobby Pearl, Jesse Lycan and Ethan Kimball each picking up two points. Alex Kozic made 17 saves to earn the shutout for the Polar Bears.
Delta by Marriott Utica Thanksgiving Showcase
The three team round robin featured Plymouth State, Trine and the host team. On Friday, the Pioneers received two goals each from Mic Curran and Khristian Acosta in 5-3 win over Plymouth State. On Saturday, Trine played the Pioneers close. After a scoreless first period, Tim Organ gave the visitors a 1-0 lead before Luca Herrmann and Jakob Breault answered for Utica. The 2-1 lead did not stand Garrett Hallford scored shorthanded to tie the score at 2-2. No scoring in overtime meant a three-round shootout where Dante Zapata scored the only goal for the shootout win – the NCAA records the game as a 2-2 overtime tie.
On Sunday, Plymouth State Brendahn Brawley made 38 saves and Payton Schaly scored his first career goal to give the Panthers a 1-0 win over Trine. The win was coach Craig Russell’s 200th career win and helped PSU finish at 1-1-0 in the tournament.
North Country Tournament
The tournament hosted by Potsdam featured Canton, Stonehill and Hamilton. In first round action Hamilton downed Canton, 3-2 while Potsdam lost an early 2-0 advantage in a 4-3 loss to Stonehill.
On Sunday, Stonehill took a 7-5 decision over Canton while Hamilton knocked off Potsdam by a 4-1 score. The Continentals spotted the Bears an early lead before scoring four unanswered goals led by Cade Groton’s pair that ensured a 2-0-0 weekend in the north country.
Non-Conference
Albertus Magnus once again knocked off in-state rival and nationally ranked Trinity with a stunning 5-4 overtime win on Saturday. Sam Anderson scored the tying goal in the third period before netting the game winner in the overtime session. While Trinity rallied for a weekend split with a 3-1 win over Post on Sunday, Wesleyan enjoyed a sweep of Connecticut schools with a 7-1 win over Post and an 8-2 win over Albertus Magnus to remain unbeaten on the season. Forward Go Uemura scored twice in each of the wins for the Cardinals.
In the round robin of games between Williams and Amherst facing Geneseo and Babson, the great hockey and surprise results continued. On Saturday, a 48-save effort from Evan Ruschil and an overtime goal from Connor Tobin helped Williams knock-off Babson, 2-1. Up at Geneseo, the Knights built a 3-0 first period lead only to see the Mammoths score three times including two from Ben Kuzma in a 3-3 overtime tie. On Sunday, Babson took a 3-1 win over Amherst while Geneseo needed overtime to get by Williams, 4-3. After Jonah Gold tied the score at 3-3 for the Ephs, Stefan Miklakos netted the game winner for Geneseo who finished 1-0-1 against NESCAC on the weekend.
Stevenson traveled to Maine to face a ranked University of New England team and skated away with a 6-2 win over the Nor’easters. Garrett Devine scored a pair of power play goals sandwiched around Aidan McDowell’s power play goal for the Mustangs and a 2-1 lead after the first period. From there it was all Mustang hockey as they recorded five unanswered goals over the next forty minutes with McDowell adding his second goal for the game. Ryan Kenny made 19 saves in the win that brings Stevenson to 4-5-0 on the season.
Three Biscuits
Thomas Finck – Skidmore – scored a natural hat trick in the Thoroughbreds 4-1 win over Oswego in the championship game of their own tournament.
Evan Ruschil – Williams – stopped 48 of 49 shots including 19 in the third period as Williams took a 2-1 overtime win over Babson.
Eli Shiller – Plattsburgh – earned a shutout win over Middlebury before making 30 saves and surrendering just one goal in the Cardinals 3-1 win over Norwich giving them the FirstLight championship.
It is already December so the action will ramp up for another couple of weeks before the semester break. Some teams don’t want the break to come just yet while others are looking to finish out strong and reset for the second half.
