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Monday 10: More changes coming at top of college hockey rankings, Harvard lone unbeaten team in nation, Lindenwood gets first sweep

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Merrimack players celebrate a goal during the Warriors’ weekend sweep over Boston College (photo: Merrimack Athletics).

Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.

1. Another unbeaten falls

Coming into the weekend, there were just two undefeated teams remaining in college hockey: No. 13 Penn State and No. 15 Harvard.

The former was 8-0-0 going into their matchup with top-ranked Michigan, and the Nittany Lions kept their streak going Friday night with a 3-0 shutout of the Wolverines, with Ture Lindon, Ashton Calder and Xander Lamppa scoring to keep their streak alive.

In Saturday’s finale in Happy Valley, the Lions needed a furious comeback to give themselves a chance to make it 10-0. Michigan had a 3-0 lead after the first two periods but PSU scored three times in the third – capped by Lamppa’s game-tying tally with just under five minutes to go – to get it to overtime. But their chance to complete the comeback fell short quickly, as Adam Fantilli scored 28 seconds into overtime to end the game and help Michigan salvage a series split.

2. Harvard still undefeated

Meanwhile, Harvard is the lone unbeaten left at 4-0 – albeit with the caveat that, as an Ivy, they started later than most other teams and have a smaller sample size.

Still, the Crimson were impressive this weekend, beating Brown 5-2 on Friday then turning around to blank rivals Yale 4-0. Alex Laferriere had three goals on the weekend, including two on Friday, while also assisting on two additional goals to give him nine points on the young season. The Crimson will attempt to keep their unbeaten streak going next weekend on the road against RPI and Union.

3. Rumble in the Rockies

Perhaps the juiciest matchup of the weekend took place in Denver, when the No. 2 Pioneers hosted No. 4 St. Cloud State in a big-time NCHC series. Ultimately, it ended in a split, with the Huskies winning 4-3 in overtime in a back-and-forth game on Friday before the Pioneers took game two 3-2 Saturday.

Jami Krannila and Grant Cruikshank both scored a pair of goals for the Huskies on the weekend while Denver was led by Massimo Rizzo, who had a goal and two assists over the two games. The four-point weekend gives Denver (7-3-0) overall the early conference lead, with 10 points in four league games.

4. Friars sweep Minutemen

Riley Duran’s hat trick on Friday, coupled with Brett Berard’s overtime winner on Saturday, helped No. 14 Providence sweep No. 5 UMass for the first time since 2017. Berard also scored twice in Friday’s 7-4 Providence win.

The Friars are unbeaten in four games since being swept on the road at Denver, but a big home-and-home matchup with Hockey East leaders UCONN is on tap this weekend.

5. RIT, SHU lead AHA

The Atlantic Hockey race is already shaping up to be a fun one.

It’s still early, but RIT and Sacred Heart are currently in pole position, tied for the lead with 20 points apiece. Last weekend, RIT earned a road sweep with reigning champions AIC. In both games, the Tigers got clutch late-game goals to emerge victorious. On Saturday, Gianfranco Cassaro and Cody Laskosky turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 RIT win. Then on Sunday, Tanner Andrew broke a 2-2 deadlock early in the third frame to help RIT win 3-2.

Sacred Heart, meanwhile, got five points on the road against Mercyhurst. The Pioneers won 6-3 on Friday, rallying from 3-1 down in the first period to score the next five goals and earning the victory. On Saturday, Mercyhurst came from behind to force overtime but the teams skated to a tie and it was Sacred Heart who earned the extra point. Goaltender Luke Lush made 48 saves on the weekend for SHU.

As it happens, the Tigers and Pioneers will be facing off this weekend in Rochester with first place on the line.

6. Big weekend for Warriors

A week after their upset of No. 5 UMass, the Merrimack Warriors did something they hadn’t done in 25 years: sweep Boston College. The Warriors won 3-1 at home Thursday before dominating the Eagles 5-2 on Friday in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Ben Brar, Filip Forsmark and Alex Jefferies all had a goal and assist on Saturday.

The Warriors are 6-3-0 and have victories this season over two ranked teams in UMass and Clarkson.

7. Troubles continue in Madison

Wisconsin’s season of woe continues. Since their inexplicable road sweep of Minnesota Duluth, the Badgers have continued to drop games (and B1G points). Their latest debacle: A pair of losses to Michigan State in East Lansing in which they gave up five goals on both Friday and Saturday and scored a total of one.

Wisconsin is now 2-8-0 overall, and, according to USCHO editor emeritus Todd Milewski, it’s the first time in 54 seasons of conference affiliation that the Badgers are 0-6 in conference play.

The good news for the Badgers, though, is they step out of B1G play for the next two weekends with nonconference series against independent foes Long Island and Lindenwood.

8. Mavs off to a fast CCHA start

No. 6 Minnesota State has, so far, taken 11 of 12 conference points in their early run of conference games. After taking five points from Bowling Green last week, the Mavericks took all six points from St. Thomas in a home-and-home sweep that was much closer than the score indicated.

In Friday’s victory, the final was 7-2 Mavericks, bit it took a five-goal third period after the Tommies had tied it up late in the second period.

On Saturday, MSU won 4-3 in a hard-fought game that featured three major penalties, numerous reviews and a Tommies’ game-tying goal waved off in the first period. David Silye scored five goals in the series, including a natural hat trick on Saturday.

MSU takes on Northern Michigan next weekend in Mankato.

9. Gophers sweep Irish

No. 3 Minnesota eased to a sweep of No. 12 Notre Dame in Minneapolis over the weekend. On Friday night, Jimmy Snuggerud scored twice, with the Gophers outshooting the Fighting Irish 54-25 in their 4-1 victory.

Saturday’s game featured a 21-save game from Justen Close in Minnesota’s 3-0 victory – his second shutout of the season.

10. First sweep for Lindenwood

In a first for the program at the Division I level, Lindenwood completed a series sweep of Army in West Point.

The Lions won 2-1 on Friday behind a 45-save performance by goalie Trent Burnham before turning around and winning 5-3 on Saturday night. Caleb Price and Hunter Johannes each scored two goals for Lindenwood, who is 4-8-0 in their maiden season in Division I.

D-III West Hockey Weekend Wrap-Up: Blue Devils stun Auggies

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Dawson Green made 37 saves in an upset win over Augsburg Saturday. (Photo Credit: Reese Kupsky, UW-Stout Athletics)

 

It was perhaps the biggest win of the weekend. With the odds stacked against it playing nationally ranked Augsburg, UW-Stout came through with its own version of a miracle on ice.

Peyton Hart scored a game-winning goal in overtime to help the Blue Devils overcome a two-goal deficit and stay unbeaten on the season with a 3-2 win.

Dawson Green was impressive in goal for the Blue Devils (4-0) as he stopped 37 shots and helped his team move within four wins of matching last season’s win total.

The fourth-ranked Auggies (0-1-1) jumped in front 2-0 on goals by Austin Dollimer and Erik Palmqvist. Kobe Keller and Jacob Halvorson both scored to tie the game at 2-2.

Hart then scored less than two minutes into the extra session.

UW-Stout started last season at 0-6 but has been a different team this year. 

The Blue Devils rolled past St. Scholastica 4-1 on Friday night. Tyler Masternak made 32 saves. Noe Perez scored a goal and dished out two assists.

UW-Eau Claire knocks off Saint John’s

UW-Eau Claire took advantage of an overtime goal by Connor Szmul to knock off Saint John’s Friday night in its season opener.

The win wasn’t an easy one to pick up. The Blugolds found themselves down 2-0 heading into the third after a pair of goals in the second period by Auggie Moore and Nick Michel.

Momentum began to shift in the final period. Quinn Green and Ryan Green both scored to tie the game at 2-2. Michel then answered with his second goal of the night to put the Johnnies back up by one.

Ryan Green answered with his second tally of the game with just over five minutes to go in regulation.

Enter the heroics of Szmul. He picked up a rebound out front and punched in the game winner. 

Max Gutjahr started in goal for the Blugolds. The freshman managed 20 saves against the Johnnies (1-1).

UW-Eau Claire capped its weekend with a 3-0 win over Gustavus. Szmul also scored a goal in that game.

Gusties battle Pointers tough

Gustavus was unfazed by playing on the road against No. 12 UW-Stevens Point Friday night.

The Gusties played the nationally ranked Pointers to a 2-2 tie in their season opener.

Nate Stone and Mason Hendrickson pushed the Gusties in front 2-0 before the Pointers rallied behind goals from Connor Witherspoon and Wilson Northey.

Jackson Hjelle played all 65 minutes for the Gusties and made 45 saves. Ryan Wagner played the majority of time for the Pointers in goal (40 minutes) and recorded eight saves.

UW-Stevens Point (1-1-2) finally got its first win of the year on Saturday as it edged St. Scholastica 2-1. Matthias Smith made 24 saves in his first career start.

Bulldogs still unbeaten

Adrian has yet to lose a game this season and the reigning national champion’s unbeaten streak is now at 35 games.

The Bulldogs dominated UW-Superior, rolling to a 7-3 win. They took 29 shots and scored their seven goals off 10 assists.

Sam Ruffin and Matus Spodniak each scored twice for the Bulldogs, who improved to 3-0-1 on the season. Adrian has scored at least two goals in every game it has played in this year.

Yellowjackets reach milestone win

After losing to Adrian on Friday, UW-Superior did bounce back on Saturday by holding off Concordia (Minn.) 5-4 to pick up its first win of the season.

MacGregor Sinclair paved the way as he recorded a hat track in the come-from-behind win at home. The victory was the 800th in program history.

The Yellowjackets trailed 3-1 at one point in the game before taking control. Sinclair’s final goal of the night was the game winner.

Aurora sweeps Trine

The No. 14 Spartans scored twice in the final three minutes of regulation to hold off Trine 5-3 in a tough battle between a pair of NCHA teams on Saturday.

Trine had rallied to tie the score at 3-3 on a goal by Garrett Hallford before the Spartans used goals by Jack Jaunich and Giovanni Procopio to secure a win. Procopio’s goal was his second of the night. Aurora improved to 4-1 overall and to 2-0 in the NCHA.

The Spartans opened the weekend with a 4-3 win over the Thunder. Aurora scored twice in the third period to nail down the win.

The Spartans scored three goals off the power play in the win over Trine (2-2, 0-2). Jaunich tallied a goal and an assist while Simon Boyko came through with a pair of assists. Tanner Marshall made 34 saves.

MSOE sweeps Lake Forest

A big night offensively was enough to help MSOE complete a sweep of Lake Forest on Saturday in NCHA action.

The Raiders rolled to an 8-5 win, scoring five of their goals in the second period as they improved to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference.

Jackson Hughes helped pave the way as he delivered a breakout performance. Only a freshman, Hughes scored twice and dished out three assists. He is tied for the team lead in points. Christian Sabin also scored twice in the victory. Austin Schwab made 16 saves.

On Friday, the Raiders recorded their second consecutive shutout in a 3-0 win.

Schwab made 19 saves in the win.

UW-River Falls wins battle of the Falcons

UW-River Falls completed a sweep of Concordia (Wis.) with a 4-1 win on Saturday.

The Falcons scored three times in the third period and Dylan Skinner made 32 saves as UW-River Falls improved to 3-1. Concordia is now 0-4.

Alex Davis, Connor McGrath, Billy Feczko and Gibb Coady all scored for the Falcons. Both teams took 33 shots in the game.

McGrath scored his first goal as a Falcon on Friday night in a 2-0 win. Coady added an empty-net goal in the win. Skinner racked up 18 saves for his second shutout of the season and the fourth of his career. The 52 shots taken by the Falcons is the most since taking 53 against Concordia back in 2009. They won that game 10-1.

Rankings roundup: How the top 20 NCAA hockey teams fared, Nov. 4-5

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Quinnipiac defeated both Colgate and Cornell over the weekend (photo: Rob Rasmussen/P8Photos.com).

Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Oct. 31 fared in games over the weekend of Nov. 4-5.

No. 1 Michigan (8-2-0)
11/04/2022 – No. 1 Michigan 0 at No. 13 Penn State 3
11/05/2022 – No. 1 Michigan 4 at No. 13 Penn State 3 (OT)

No. 2 Denver (7-3-0)
11/04/2022 – No. 4 St. Cloud State 4 at No. 2 Denver 3 (OT)
11/05/2022 – No. 4 St. Cloud State 2 at No. 2 Denver 3

No. 3 Minnesota (7-3-0)
11/04/2022 – No. 12 Notre Dame 1 at No. 3 Minnesota 4
11/05/2022 – No. 12 Notre Dame 0 at No. 3 Minnesota 3

No. 4 St. Cloud State (8-2-0)
11/04/2022 – No. 4 St. Cloud State 4 at No. 2 Denver 3 (OT)
11/05/2022 – No. 4 St. Cloud State 2 at No. 2 Denver 3

No. 5 Massachusetts (5-3-1)
11/04/2022 – No. 5 Massachusetts 4 at No. 14 Providence 7
11/05/2022 – No. 14 Providence 4 at No. 5 Massachusetts 3 (OT)

No. 6 Minnesota State (7-3-0)
11/04/2022 – No. 6 Minnesota State 10 at St. Thomas 2
11/05/2022 – St. Thomas 3 at No. 6 Minnesota State 4

No. 7 Quinnipiac (5-1-2)
11/04/2022 – Colgate 2 at No. 7 Quinnipiac 3
11/05/2022 – RV Cornell 0 at No. 7 Quinnipiac 2

No. 8 Connecticut (9-1-1)
11/04/2022 – Maine 2 at No. 8 Connecticut 3 (OT)
11/05/2022 – Maine 2 at No. 8 Connecticut 3

No. 9 Ohio State (7-2-1)
Did not play.

No. 10 North Dakota (4-3-2)
11/04/2022 – No. 10 North Dakota 4 at Omaha 1
11/05/2022 – No. 10 North Dakota 3 at Omaha 3 (OT)

No. 11 Boston University (4-3-0)
Did not play.

No. 12 Notre Dame (4-4-1)
11/04/2022 – No. 12 Notre Dame 1 at No. 3 Minnesota 4
11/05/2022 – No. 12 Notre Dame 0 at No. 3 Minnesota 3

No. 13 Penn State (9-1-0)
11/04/2022 – No. 1 Michigan 0 at No. 13 Penn State 3
11/05/2022 – No. 1 Michigan 4 at No. 13 Penn State 3 (OT)

No. 14 Providence (6-2-1)
11/04/2022 – No. 5 Massachusetts 4 at No. 14 Providence 7
11/05/2022 – No. 14 Providence 4 at No. 5 Massachusetts 3 (OT)

No. 15 Harvard (4-0-0)
11/04/2022 – RV Brown 2 at No. 15 Harvard 5
11/05/2022 – Yale 0 at No. 15 Harvard 4

No. 16 Northeastern (6-2-2)
11/04/2022 – New Hampshire 2 at No. 16 Northeastern 6
11/05/2022 – No. 16 Northeastern 3 at New Hampshire 0

No. 17 UMass Lowell (7-3-0)
11/04/2022 – Vermont 0 at No. 17 UMass Lowell 4
11/05/2022 – Vermont 0 at No. 17 UMass Lowell 2

No. 18 Western Michigan (7-4-0)
11/04/2022 – Miami 1 at No. 18 Western Michigan 7
11/05/2022 – Miami 2 at No. 18 Western Michigan 5

No. 19 Minnesota Duluth (5-5-0)
11/04/2022 – No. 19 Minnesota Duluth 0 at Colorado College 5
11/05/2022 – No. 19 Minnesota Duluth 3 at Colorado College 1

No. 20 Bemidji State (4-2-2)
11/04/2022 – Ferris State 2 at No. 20 Bemidji State 2 (OT)
11/05/2022 – Ferris State 1 at No. 20 Bemidji State 2 (OT)

RV = Received votes

Denver alum McNab, who led Pioneers to national championship final in 1973, passes away at 70

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Peter McNab was a highly productive point getter at DU from 1970 to 1973 (photo: Denver Athletics).

Denver alum Peter McNab passed away on Sunday at the age of 70.

McNab revealed in September 2021 that he was battling cancer but announced this past February that it was in remission.

“Peter was always a great ambassador for the Denver hockey program, both during his NHL playing days that featured nearly 1,000 games played and for the past 35 years as one of the best hockey broadcasters in the business,” said Denver coach David Carle in a statement. “Peter was a great storyteller of the game and had an incredible ability to connect viewers and fans with not only what was happening on the ice but the history of the sport as well.

“It was always great to see him around the rink, and we’re honored to have Magness Arena host the ‘Miracles On Ice’ camp every summer to introduce the game of hockey and provide educational classes to kids in the city of Denver that might not have the chance to get that experience. It is a program that we know was near and dear to his heart.

“We’re heartbroken to learn of Peter’s passing, and the prayers of all Pioneer hockey are with his family, friends and colleagues in Colorado and across North America. We’re so proud to have Peter part of our Denver hockey family.”

Born in Vancouver, B.C., McNab grew up in San Diego, Calif., before playing three seasons on the Denver hockey team from 1970 to 1973. He was enshrined into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2021 last December.

McNab helped DU to top-four NCAA finishes each year and as the national runner-up in his final campaign in 1972-73. A member of the NCAA all-tournament team that season, he also earned first team all-WCHA honors after registering a team-leading 72 points (32 goals and 40 assists). He averaged 1.61 points per game at DU and his 170 career points (78 goals, 92 assists) still rank 10th-best in school history.

Drafted 85th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1972 NHL Draft, McNab played parts of 14 seasons with the Sabres, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils. He had seven consecutive campaigns with 70 or more points and six straight with 35 or more goals. The forward helped his teams to 10 Stanley Cup playoff appearances, including a trip to the 1975 Stanley Cup final with Buffalo. He ranks 21st among Americans in NHL history with 813 points (363 goals, 450 assists) in 995 career regular-season games.

On the international stage, McNab suited up for Team USA at the 1986 IIHF World Championship.

After retiring from his playing career, McNab spent eight years as a color analyst on the New Jersey Devils broadcast beginning in 1987-88 before making his way back to Colorado in 1995 to serve in the same role for the Avalanche. He was on the Avalanche’s broadcast team since the organization’s inaugural season in Denver and the 2022-23 campaign marked his 27th in that position with the franchise.

McNab also served as an analyst for NBC during its coverage of NHL games and provided color commentary for the network during the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. He worked for TNT as color analyst for the 1998 Olympic games in Nagano, Japan, and served as a TSN studio analyst and host for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.

SATURDAY RECAP: No. 1 Michigan escapes with OT win at No. 13 Penn State, No. 14 Providence upsets No. 5 UMass in OT, No. 15 Harvard takes Tim Taylor Cup after blanking Yale

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Joe Bertagna presents the Tim Taylor Cup to Harvard’s Alex Laferriere after being named MVP of the Crimson’s 4-0 win over Yale Saturday night (photo: Harvard Athletics).

Alex Laferriere had a goal and two assists to lead No. 15 Harvard to a 4-0 win over Yale on Saturday night at Bright-Landry Hockey Center.

Laferriere earned the Tim Taylor Cup for the second straight season as MVP of the Harvard-Yale game played at Harvard, the award named after the legendary Yale coach and Harvard alum.

Crimson goaltender Mitchell Gibson helped Harvard earn the shutout, making six of his 10 saves in the third period, as Harvard killed off three Yale power plays to keep the Bulldogs off the scoreboard.

Marek Hejduk scored once and Alex Gaffney twice for Harvard in the win.

For Yale, Nathan Reid took the loss in goal making 26 saves.

No. 1 Michigan 4, No. 13 Penn State 3 (OT)

Adam Fantilli’s goal 24 seconds into overtime led No. 1-ranked Michigan to a 4-3 win over No. 13 Penn State on Saturday at Pegula Ice Arena, handing the Nittany Lions their first loss of the season.

The Nittany Lions scored three goals in less than four minutes (Tyler Paquette, Kevin Wall, Xander Lamppa) late in the third period to tie the game at 3-all, but Fantilli won it early in the extra session.

Mackie Samoskevich scored twice for the Wolverines along with a single from TJ Hughes.

Noah West made 32 saves for the win in goal for Michigan. At the other end, Liam Souliere stopped 21 shots.

No. 2 Denver 3, No. 4 St. Cloud State 2

Jack Devine and Casey Dornbach scored first-period goals for second-ranked Denver, and the Pioneers never trailed in downing No. 4 St. Cloud State 3-2 at Magness Arena Saturday night.

Kyle Mayhew also scored for DU as Magnus Chrona finished with 28 saves.

For SCSU, Grant Cruikshank and Jami Krannila scored and Dominic Basse stopped 32 shots between the pipes.

No. 3 Minnesota 3, No. 12 Notre Dame 0

The third-ranked Gophers used a 22-save shutout from Justen Close to down No. 12 Notre Dame 3-0 Saturday night at 3M Arena at Mariucci.

Jaxon Nelson (in his 100th career game), Matthew Knies and Logan Cooley provided the Minnesota offense.

Notre Dame netminder Ryan Bischel turned aside 29 shots in goal.

No. 14 Providence 4, No. 5 UMass 3 (OT)

Brett Berard capped a frantic comeback with an overtime goal as No. 14 Providence rallied from a two-goal deficit in the third period to score a 4-3 overtime victory over No. 5 UMass on Saturday night at the Mullins Center.

Providence earns five of six points on the weekend and sweeps the Minutemen for the first time since 2017.

Patrick Moynihan scored at 9:10 of the third period and Parker Ford made it 3-3 at 11:12. Berard then won it 1:28 into the OT.

For UMass, Ryan Ufko, Michael Cameron and Mikey Adamson scored.

In goal, Philip Svedebäck made 19 saves for the Friars and Luke Pavicich stopped 30 for the Minutemen.

No. 6 Minnesota State 4, St. Thomas 3

Sixth-ranked Minnesota State got three first-period goals from David Silye in going on to claim a hard-fought 4-3 win over St. Thomas Saturday night at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.

Lucas Sowder also scored and Keenan Rancier and Alex Tracy combined to stop 15 shots in net.

Luke Manning, Jake Braccini and Luc Laylin scored for the Tommies with Ethan Roberts making 26 saves in goal.

Air Force 3, Alaska Anchorage 1

Air Force earned its first sweep of the season with a 3-1 victory over Alaska Anchorage Saturday night at Cadet Ice Arena.

With the come-from-behind win, the Falcons extended their winning streak to three games.

“I couldn’t be happier and not just with the win, but how we won,” Air Force coach Frank Serratore said. “Last night, we battled through and found a way to win behind our goaltender. Tonight, we were the better team. I liked how we managed the game and how played tonight from start to finish.”

Anchorage opened the scoring at 7:04 of the first period when Matt Allen gave the Seawolves an early 1-0 lead.

Air Force tied the game midway through the second period on a Holt Oliphant goal and then got two more goals from Clayton Cosentino and Mason McCormick.

Guy Blessing made 13 saves in the game while UAA goalie Nolan Kent made 29 saves.

FRIDAY RECAP: No. 13 Penn State stays perfect, upsets top-ranked Michigan, 3-0; No. 8 UConn keeps rolling with OT win over Maine; No. 14 Providence explodes for seven against No. 5 UMass

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Ashton Calder scored a back-break goal in the third period as Penn State shutout top-ranked Michigan, 3-0, on Friday (Photo: Craig Houtz/Penn State athletics)

The number one raking continues to be a bit of a curse as, for the third straight weekend, the nation’s top team falls.

This time it was the high-flying Michigan offense that was completely shutdown by No. 13 Penn State, as the Nittany Lions held the Wolverines off the board in a 3-0 victory.

Penn State dominated the possession game, putting 49 shots on Michigan goaltender Noah West, beating him twice. On the other end, Michigan was able to muster just 17 shots, all of which were stopped by Liam Souliere who posted his second-consecutive shutout.

Ture Linden got Penn State on the board at 7:18 of the second period, scoring what remained as the only goal of the game until late in the third period. Ashton Calder gave the Nittany Lions some breathing room at 12:38 of the third and Xander Lamppa put the game away with a shorthanded empty-net goal with 2:49 remaining.

Penn State remains perfect at 9-0-0 on the young season while Michigan drops just its second game, falling to 7-2-0.

SCOREBOARD  |  USCHO. COM POLL  |  STANDINGS

No. 8 Connecticut 3, Maine 2 (OT)

UConn extended its best-ever start as Ty Amonte scored unassisted 44 seconds into overtime, earning a 3-2 victory over Maine.

Amonte, who missed the last game for the Huskies, picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, accelerated and fired a shot past Black Bears netminder Victor Ostman to send the 3,020 fans in Hartford home happy.

The Huskies trailed early as Maine’s Jake Sirota scored 4-on-4 at 10:50 of the first. UConn answered with two goals in the middle frame on tallies by Chase Bradley and Tabor Heaslip.

But Maine had the equalizer with 5:25 remaining in regulation to force the OT and earn the single point for the Black Bears in the Hockey East standings.

No. 14 Providence 7, No. 5 UMass 4

Two of the best defensive teams in Hockey East threw all caution to the wind on Friday, playing a crazy, offense-filled affair with host Providence emerging, 7-4, over UMass.

The Friars jumped to a 4-0 lead scoring shorthanded, on the power play and twice at even strength in the first 21 minutes of the game. But UMass had pushback, cutting a 5-1 Providence lead to 5-4 on Cal Kiefiuk’s goal at 1:13 of the third. But Parker Ford buried a dagger at 7:11 and Riley Duran scored into an empty-net with 10 seconds remaining.

Providence is now unbeaten in its last three (2-0-1) after getting swept on the road by Denver.

Duran finished the game with three goals for the Friars while Brett Berard added two goals and an assist.

No. 3 Minnesota 4, No. 12 Notre Dame 1

Jimmy Snuggerud scored twice for the Gophers and Justen Close stopped 24 of the 25 shots his faced as Minnesota knocked off Notre Dame, 4-1.

The Gophers scored twice in the second and twice more in the third to dominate the game. Minnesota held a lopsided 54-25 advantage in shots in the game.

Close was 46 seconds away from a shutout before Notre Dame’s Justin Janicke scored the only tally for the Irish.

 

D-III West Hockey Game Picks – Nov. 4-5, 2022

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November has arrived and the hockey season is just getting ramped up. Some teams are playing for the first time this week while others already have a couple of games under their belts.

One of the more interesting matchups will be Saint John’s taking on UW-Eau Claire and Aurora facing off against Trine.

Here are some picks for the weekend. It’s almost time to drop the puck on D-III hockey action out west.

Friday, Nov. 4

Saint John’s (1-0) at UW-Eau Claire (0-0)

Both teams are receiving votes in the latest poll, which means this game should be a dandy. The Johnnies are coming off a win over UW-River Falls in their opener and hope to see history repeat itself. A year ago, Saint John’s blanked the Blugolds 1-0. The Johnnies scored three unanswered goals last week to nail down a 3-1 win. UW-Eau Claire is playing for the first time this year and brings back nine of its top 14 players.
Saint John’s, 3-2

Gustavus (0-0) at UW-Stevens Point (0-1-1)

When it comes to openers, they don’t get much tougher than taking on UW-Stevens Point. The Gusties return only one player who finished in double digits in points. It’s quite the opposite for the Pointers, who are ranked 12th nationally and seeking their first win of the year. They are led by one of the top scoring threats in D-III hockey in Jordan Fader, who scored 15 goals last year.
UW-Stevens Point, 5-1

St. Scholastica (1-1) at UW-Stout (2-0) 

The Saints split their games last weekend. They have their top three scorers back from last season and have shown how good they can be offensively, scoring nine goals in a season-opening win over Concordia (Wis.) last week. The Blue Devils went off for 15 goals in their season-opening series and hope to keep the offense rolling. This should be a fun one to watch.
St. Scholastica, 4-3

Saturday, Nov. 5

Augsburg (0–0-1) at UW-Stout (2-0)

The fourth-ranked Auggies are coming off a huge game with No. 1 Adrian in which they forged a tie with the reigning national champions while snapping their 33-game win streak. The key here is avoiding a letdown. With the experience this team has, it shouldn’t be a problem. For the Blue Devils, it’s a big test. They might not win, but if they can be competitive, it’s a big step forward for the program.
Augsburg, 5-2

Adrian (2-0-1) at UW-Superior (0-0)

The reigning champs are still unbeaten, extending their streak to 34 games.The Bulldogs have a lot of options from an offensive standpoint, putting that on display in an 8-3 win over nationally ranked Utica last week. UW-Superior opens its season tonight, and there might not be a more challenging opener than this one. The Yellowjackets are seeking their 800th win in program history.
Adrian, 6-2

Friday and Saturday

Aurora (2-1) at Trine (2-0) 

A good early-season NCHA test for both teams. Aurora is ranked 14th in the country and is looking to shore up things defensively after a tough loss to Lake Forest earlier this week. Trine, coming off its best season in program history, received a vote in this week’s poll and is unbeaten so far. For the Thunder, it’s a chance to make a statement. These two teams split last year in a couple of high-scoring games. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see a repeat of what went down last year.
Trine, 5-3; Aurora, 4-3

Lake Forest (2-0-1) vs. MSOE (1-1)

The Foresters are off to a good start, especially offensively, scoring five or more goals in their first three games. They got a huge boost of confidence this week with a shutout win over No. 14 Aurora and look to build on that momentum. The Raiders recovered from a season-opening loss to UW-Stout by knocking off St. Scholastica in a shutout win. Their defense will have to be on its A game to have a shot against the Foresters.
Lake Forest, 5-3

USCHO Edge: As ’22-23 college hockey season moves along, which teams are undervalued, overvalued?

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Providence faces a tough challenge this weekend at home against UMass (photo: Lydia Vigneau).

We are now more than a month into the college hockey season (excluding the Ivies) and part of me feels like the bookmakers are beginning to get a pulse on the college hockey beat.

Trust me, it isn’t easy. And this week, I’ll try to explain why some lines even feel a tiny bit lopsided. But let’s go back to week one, where there were a handful of underdogs that never made sense. I don’t feel like this week’s line measure the same capacity.

Let’s go back a week ago. The only technical upset was Bemidji State (+160) handing St. Cloud State its only loss on the year. The Huskies responded a night later with a win, balancing off the series. But Friday bettors earned something from the Beavers.

It is more difficult to pick a winner this Friday. Is Notre Dame under-valued? If so at +165 line at Minnesota (-205) looks attractive. Can St. Cloud State win on the road at Denver pulling a somewhat-attractive +125? Hard to tell battling a Denver squad that’s won four in a row (-155).

It’s a difficult week to handicap.

All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook:

No. 5 UMass (-135) at No. 14 Providence (+105); o/u 5.5

How does one handicap a UMass-Providence series? Well, for one, it always makes sense to grab the road team. The visitors have won more of late in this matchup than the home.

But that’s trend betting. What about just looking at this year? One has to believe UMass comes into this game a little hungry after a road loss in OT to Merrimack. Is that enough to spur this UMass team on while away from Mullins Center? One should hope.

But Providence seems like a strong defensive team, winning a lot of the puck possession battles. While there isn’t a ton of value betting either team, one should consider where the line will be for either team when they face easier opponents.

If you like a team in here, bet for value.

Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G

Michigan Tech (-130) at Bowling Green (+100); o/u 5.5

Neither of these teams have performed lights out to this point, but Michigan Tech’s defense and goaltending continues to shine.

If you’re looking for one differentiator this weekend into series, it’s the back end. Bowling Green has allowed 30 goals to Michigan Tech’s 11. A line of -130 might not feel like value, but on the road, grab anything that is close to even, even if you feel like Tech might be such a heavy favorite.

If there is a caution against Bowling Green is that this team always seems to get up for rivalry games, and MTU is considered that. Road motivation is dangerous.

Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G

No. 12 Notre Dame (+165) at No. 3 Minnesota (-205); o/u 6 

Should Minnesota be a lock this week?

Maybe. But let’s look at some numbers.

Yes, Minnesota has a run-and-gun offense averaging 3.88 goals per game. But Notre Dame can be shutdown (average 2.50 GPG against) and has been of late.

Value is usually what one should look for in making a bet. Love the Gophers as much as you want, but there is no value in laying $205 to make $100. You may never get Notre Dame again this season at +165. Is that a reason to bet? I’m no sure. But if I’m making a bet on this game, I love Notre Dame.

And the under at 6, it may push often, but this should be more about defense than offense.

Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G

No. 10 North Dakota (-130) at Omaha (+100); o/u 6.5

Bookmakers have really begun to fade North Dakota.

I can’t imagine a worse time to do that. The Fighting Hawks may be 1-3-1 in their last five, but this team wins games.

I expect Friday’s effort against Omaha to be one of the best this season, making the -130 a slam dunk play. Since this line came out, it does seem like there has been some position movement for North Dakota. Expect that to keep going.

Get North Dakota anywhere south of -150, make that bet.

As for Omaha, sure there could be value, but this team has proved nothing to this point. Consider that before wagering.

Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G

No. 4 St. Cloud State (+125) at No. 2 Denver (-155); o/u 6

Denver’s two-game sweep at the hands of Massachusetts definitely give everyone a little pause on the Pioneers. Since that times, two sweeps of Providence and Miami have seemingly set this team back on course.

Where, then, does St. Cloud State fit? The Huskies are 7-1-0 and they lost to Bemidji State on the road last Friday. Is this a valuable underdog? Is Denver the test SCSU needs?

All that is difficult to determine. I love the value of +125 for SCSU, as they may never have that figure tacked with them again this year. But Denver seems pretty solid at home. This is a tough one to handicap, though I will say I love the under on this one. Expect a 3-1, 3-2, 2-1 type game.

Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G

UW-Stout hockey standout Dylan Rallis helps Blue Devils start off strong

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UW-Stout Hockey vs. UW-Superior / UW-Stout Sports Information

Dylan Rallis said that when the offseason began he talked with his coaches about what he could to do play his role in helping the the UW-Stout hockey team be a much-improved squad in 2022-23.

It came down to Rallis not putting a ton of pressure on himself and working hard to be the best player he could be entering the new year.

It seems to have worked.

Rallis has a goal and two assists two games in, and after a winless start to the season last year, the Blue Devils are off and running at 2-0, scoring 15 goals in their first two games. Seven different players scored a goal on opening weekend and 14 had at least one assist. Matt Daehlseide led the team with three goals and three assists in a sweep of MSOE.

“Consider last year we were 0-6 at the start, I can’t explain how good it feels to start the way we did,” Rallis said. “We want to keep it going. A lot of players got on the score sheet, and that’s good for the confidence.”

And about that offseason? Rallis did most of his work off the ice.

“I just want to do whatever I can to help the team,” Rallis said. “I really didn’t do anything specific. I’m a big dry land, weight room guy, rather than skate (in the offseason). I worked to become the best athlete I could be. I felt like I came in in the best shape ever.”

Rallis, a senior forward out out of Minneapolis, began his hockey at national power Utica. He appeared in six games as a freshman and did not play as a sophomore.

He looked at only one school during the transfer process. And that was UW-Stout.

“They also had construction management. I didn’t look anywhere else,” Rallis said. “Having the season I did last year, there was a lot to be proud of.”

Rallis was eligible to play right away last season and played in 26 games, earning first-team All-WIAC honors. He scored nine goals and dished out eight assists. The team, though, finished just 8-19.

“I had a decent year individually, but it’s tough when the team is’t doing well. Winning as a team is more important, and so far, we are off to a good start,” Rallis said.

He points out that it’s clear things are starting to change within the program.

“Myself and some of the other older guys are working to change the culture, and I think we have. It’s noticeable,” Rallis said.

On a personal level, Rallis wants to become more of a playmaker.

“I’m looking to get in the assist column more this year,” Rallis said. “If I have a chance to score, I’m going to shoot the puck, but I want to get my teammates the puck as much as I can.”

Rallis would love to be all-conference again, but his biggest focus is on helping the team put together a winning season, especially since it could be his final season.

He does have another year of eligibility but isn’t sure if he’ll use it yet.

“It’s up in the air,” Rallis said. “I’m just taking it one day at a time. I really want to see the team have success, to do what I can to help us have a good season.”

Minnesota, Denver are heavy favorites while North Dakota at Omaha is close: USCHO Edge podcast Season 1 Episode 5

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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 discuss possible reasons why there was no money line on Michigan at Penn State this week.

This week’s games:

• No. 5 UMass at No. 14 Providence

• Michigan Tech at Bowling Green

• No. 12 Notre Dame at No. 3 Minnesota

• No. 10 North Dakota at Omaha

• No. 4 St. Cloud State at No. 2 Denver

This college hockey podcast is sponsored by DCU – Digital Federal Credit Union – at dcu.org.

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

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

Continue

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Shift in emphasis helps Quinnipiac to 9-0 start

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The Quinnipiac Bobcats have won nine straight games to open the season and have moved up to #4 in the national polls – their highest-ever ranking – after a pair of impressive weekend wins over Cornell and Princeton.

The Bobcats looked to be in a great position heading into this season, returning much of the roster that carried them to 2 overtimes against eventual national champion Ohio State in the NCAA quarterfinal last year. Then they added graduate transfer Shay Maloney from Brown, as well as stellar rookie Madison Chantler, who won gold with Canada at the U18 Women’s World Championships last summer. In a crowded and competitive ECAC, they have already set themselves apart. And it’s just the first week of November.

With so much veteran talent, Quinnipiac has been able to start this season in a more advanced place. They come in with experience and a hunger that comes from losing in such a heart-breaking fashion last season. But the experience of the postseason as well as games against other ranked opponents also gave them the confidence and sense of belonging that comes with holding your own against the best of the best.

Coach Cassandra Turner said her team saw what was possible and what they are capable of, but also saw where they can be better. Those are the things driving them this season.

Having such a veteran team has allowed Turner and her staff to really push the players on their development. The basis that was built before means the team is much more advanced in the things they’re talking about so early in the season.

“A lot of the good habits that those players have built over several years have put us in a position where we were really able to start the year focused all on offense. Some of these things we’re talking about right now are things that we would regularly talk about in the second half of the year and we’re executing them,” said Turner.

A team that was long known for its smothering defense, the Bobcats have continued to evolve as a program so that their dominance at the blue line has spread to all parts of the ice. Their strong forecheck leads to turnover, quick transition and the ability to control the puck for much of the game.

“We haven’t made a huge switch. In terms of how we play, I think it’s just where we started our emphasis,” said Turner.

“We really dove into building on how we’re playing offense. Our team is driven to figure out how they can be as consistent as other top teams and make plays that will change games and put them in our favor. It’s going to be the team that’s most consistent that wins at the end of the day.“

Chantler has benefitted from skating with Maloney and Olivia Mobley, something Turner said the rookie is well aware of. She recently told the coach how lucky she is to be playing on such an experienced line and that awareness is just part of why Chantler has had success so far.

“How she takes in information and applies it is amazing. I don’t know that I’ve seen many first years be in this place that quickly. It’s putting her in a really good position to learn and grow,” said Turner.

Maloney has added a physical presence to the ice for Quinnipiac. Her ability to control space, protect the puck and find passing lines is something the team needs. She’s putting the puck where her linemates can turn them into goals and drawing defender attention, giving them more time and space to get to the net.

Aside from the top line, the combination of Maya Labad, Sadie Peart and Alexa Hoskin has proved to be a very good one. They skated together last season and after not initially being paid up, were once again put on the same line this season and Turner said the three work together in a way that makes them even better than the sum of their parts. Labad has started her sophomore season with more confidence in herself and her abilities in part because of how well she skated in Hockey Canada camps this summer.

“All three are playing stronger hockey than they did last year and with a different confidence. They’re playing a better puck possession based game in the offensive zone. They’re not afraid to hold on to it and cut back and create more offense down low. I think they’re they’re improving how dynamic they all are offensively,” said Turner.

It’s highly unlikely that her team’s unbeaten streak will last, Turner knows. But the fundamentals the team is built on mean that the final result of any single game has very little bearing on how the team feels about what they’ve accomplished. She said their strategy is planned out in advance, so that nothing they are doing is reactionary to an individual win or loss. That helps the team forge their own identity separate from the outcomes of games and puts them in the best position to keep moving forward throughout the season.

One reason the Bobcats are in such an advanced state of preparation in early November is the clear, open communication between the staff and players. It’s never easy to find a balance between coaching the athlete and guiding the student, but Turner said it’s important to her and her staff to make sure that the women on her team don’t only focus on winning games or championships. If the only thing that grows during their time at Quinnipiac is their athletic ability, the staff has done something wrong.

“A big part of our philosophy is just how we connect and collaborate with our players,” said Turner.

“In coaching it’s not always what you’re teaching, it’s how you’re teaching and how you’re affecting and communicating with people. This journey teaches them all those intangible skills that will help them to be that confident woman at the end.”

This Week in CCHA Hockey: St. Thomas aiming for better results with hard work ‘part of the process that we’re going through’

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Ethan Gauer has been a steady blueliner this season for St. Thomas (photo: Nick Wosika).

After dropping both games to Penn State two weeks ago, St. Thomas coach Rico Blasi said he wasn’t much for “moral victories.”

The Tommies had lost to the Nittany Lions 6-2 in their series opener before rallying in Friday’s finale and losing 3-2 in overtime.

Clearly, Blasi is attempting to build the newly-promoted St. Thomas program into something other than a team that’s just “happy to be here.”

This weekend, the Tommies continued to build to that, and drove back to St. Paul with no mere moral victory. St. Thomas split with Ferris State in their CCHA opening series, losing 3-2 in overtime on Friday before winning 5-2 Saturday. The Tommies (2-6-0, 1-1-0 CCHA) returned from Big Rapids, Mich., with four of the possible six conference points.

“You want to make sure you’re making progress and that we’re actually seeing something for all our hard work,” Blasi said during his weekly media availability on Monday. “I don’t think I’ve left the rink after a practice or a game saying that our team doesn’t work hard. We have a lot of tough lessons to learn so we talk about that a lot. But at some point as an individual, you want to see something happen. So walking into the locker room after a win because we talked about some things Saturday and actually did them is important, because that’s part of the process that we’re going through.

“Once that starts to happen, hopefully our guys don’t think about it any more, we just do it.”

One big adjustment the Tommies made from Friday to Saturday involved special teams. St. Thomas scored on the power play but ultimately lost the special teams battle on Friday, as Ferris scored both a power play and shorthanded goal in the series opener.

The Tommies ended up with three power play goals and a shorty on Saturday.

“We thought as a staff it was going to be a special teams game, so we really were focused on making sure we didn’t take any unnecessary penalties, even though we did. But they did as well, and our power play did a really good job,” Blasi said.

Freshmen Lucas Wahlin and Ryan O’Neill each finished the weekend with three points to add to their team-high eight points apiece. Whalin’s line, which also consists of freshman Josh Eernisse and sophomore Cameron Recchi, had six points. Eernisse and Mack Beyers scored two goals apiece on the weekend, while Whalin, Grant Docter and Luke Manning also lit the lamp for the Tommies.

In all, St. Thomas’ lineup – which this weekend featured 13 freshmen or sophomores – finally seems to have become comfortable playing with one another.

“We’ve kept the lines together now for a few weeks, so guys are starting to feel good about where each other are going to be and are feeding off each other,” Blasi said. “A lot of it has to do with bearing down and shooting the puck and getting to those nasty areas. We know 90 percent of the goals are scored in front of the net, so you have to get there, and you have to pay the price, and our guys are starting to understand that.”

The Tommies, who won just three games a season ago, are two-thirds of the way to that mark already this year. And last season, it took them until Jan. 15 to record win No. 2. This season they even have a nonconference win – something they didn’t do last year – after they beat Alaska 3-2 on Oct. 8.

Their other two nonconference series thus far were both against top-15-caliber opponents in St. Cloud State and Penn State, so this weekend’s home-and-home series against No. 6 Minnesota State won’t faze the Tommies.

“It’s another opportunity for our team to see where we’re at and where we need to go,” Blasi said. “I think we’re up for the challenge. We’ve played already four games against top-10 opponents, and Mankato is no different. We have to play our game, make sure we’re paying attention to detail and that our habits are good, and we know they’re going to come in waves. That’s part of the process, and part of us learning how to play with those teams. “

New-look Panthers comfortable with fewer goals

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Plymouth State defenseman Ted Austin leads a mobile blueline group focused on winning the MASCAC title again this season (Photo by Plymouth State Athletics)

Last year’s Plymouth State team won the MASCAC conference again while scoring 117 goals in 27 games through the first round of the NCAA tournament. The 4.3 goals per game was amongst the leaders in the country but with the departures of JR Barone and Peter Laviolette, there are expectations that the output will be reduced and that is just fine with head coach Craig Russell.

“I am really comfortable with us maybe scoring less and playing more of a 200-foot game,” said Russell. “Last year I think we always knew we could score to cover up any defensive mistakes or playing shorthanded a bit too often. I still know we have a lot of talented players upfront starting with last year’s MASCAC Player-of-the-Year Miles Abbate. I think we have great depth and experience on the blueline and a big strength with Kalle [Andersson] returning in goal that should mean we could be ok scoring fewer goals knowing we aren’t going to be scored on as often with more of a commitment to defense and special teams.”

Unlike the end of last season, the blueliners return healthy and ready to go this year led by captains Ben Chipman and Ted Austin along with junior Colin Tracy. This year’s group is deep and mobile and should provide very efficient breakout and transition play to this year’s dynamic offensive group.

“Ted [Austin] and Colin {Tracy] had double-digit points last season but the group overall is focused on playing defense first,” noted Russell. “It’s great to have strong goaltending available from Kalle and Brendahn [Brawley] but we don’t really want those guys having to bail us out all the time because we get loose or make fundamental mistakes that give the opponent good chances.”

With Andersson unavailable to open the season, the Panthers opened the season with a 2-2 overtime tie against Plattsburgh in their home opener before dropping a 3-2 overtime decision to No. 7 ranked Babson on Saturday night. In the two games, the Panthers were outshot by a combined 89-58 margin with Brawley playing outstanding while making 84 saves against the Cardinals and the Beavers combined.

“Last year we won a one-goal game in the opener and lost a one-goal game to Babson,” stated Russell. “We want to play a difficult schedule right from the first puck drop so we are mentally ready to play anyone and really be able to focus when league play starts. I think this team has amazing perspective and most of all a love of playing the game. Just minutes after last year’s heart-breaking overtime loss in the NCAA tournament to UNE, the group in the room was talking about how much fun playing that game was. They pushed aside the disappointment and quickly got back to why they play. I think that attitude will help us out this season for sure.”

This week conference play begins on Thursday with a big rivalry game against Fitchburg State. The games between the two are always physical and more importantly, have helped shape the playoff positioning in MASCAC over the past several seasons.

 

D-III East Hockey Game Picks – November 3, 2022

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Geneseo’s sophomore sensation Peter Morgan looks to contribute more points against a challenging Skidmore squad on Saturday (Photo by Geneseo Athletics)

The week two matchups bring a lot of conference intrigue along with teams looking to get on track after a tough set of opening games. Last week I opened the season with a 6-4-2 record (.583) which is above average but not stellar by any standard. This week sees some pivotal early season games in conference play that can not only benchmark where your team is but potentially generate a lot of momentum for the remainder of the first half with some successful results. Here are this week’s picks:

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Plymouth State v. Fitchburg State

The Falcons got off to a good start last weekend while PSU recorded a loss and a tie. The high-flying Fitchburg offense could pose a problem for the Panthers especially in front of their home fans  – Fitchburg State, 4-3

Anna Maria v. Westfield State

The AmCats dominated some scoresheets statistically last week and hoping the feasting of goals against Worcester State continues against the Owls. Much closer game in this matchup but the visitors get some timely goals to earn another “W” –  AMC, 3-1

Friday, November 4, 2022

Nichols v. (15) Endicott

The Bison enter CCC play on a high after winning last weekend’s Woo Cup Tournament. The start to conference play means a battle with perennial contender Endicott to benchmark where Alex Gacek’s team is as a threat in the conference. The Bison are better than advertised but so are the Gulls – Endicott, 3-2

(7) Babson v. (3) Hobart

Hobart was off and running with wins over Oswego and Potsdam to open the season and the freshmen goaltenders acquitted themselves well. The young Beavers also showed some mettle with an OT win over Plymouth State. This one will be close, but home team earns a win with a late goal – Hobart, 3-2

Saturday, November 5, 2022

Skidmore v. (2) Geneseo

If you like goalie matchups this could be the game for you. Geneseo’s Matt Petzian vs. Skidmore’s Tate Brandon is as good as it gets in the blue paint. Petzian has a better supporting cast as the Knights squeak one out in front of a raucous home crowd  – Geneseo, 3-2

Chatham v. King’s

The Monarchs stunned Wilkes in overtime last week and aren’t likely to sneak up on the Cougars, but Jack Cooper and Ismael Ralsten are looking to show that conference honors from last week are hardly a one-off – King’s, 5-3

Plattsburgh v. Cortland

The Red Dragons host a dangerous Plattsburgh team with both looking to prove they are going to be in the title fray. Bragging rights go along with the points and Luca Durante makes sure Cortland gets both –  Cortland, 3-1

(5) Utica v. Stevenson

The Pioneers played a great game without a result on Friday against Adrian and then were blown out on Saturday. 0-2 on the season doesn’t sit well for Coach Heenan’s squad and what better place for redemption than a visit against a key rival for the UCHCX title. A lot of offensive weapons make it tough for Ryan Kenny and the Mustangs – Utica, 4-2

Wentworth v. Curry

The Colonels had one of the best home-ice records in the conference last season and Coach Roundy will want to continue to make the Ice House a tough place for opponents. Timmy Kent and company get it done – Curry, 4-1

Franklin Pierce v. Assumption

The Ravens are off to a great start with their win of the Western Massachusetts Invitational Tournament backed by Conor Foley’s offense and the goaltending of Kyle Martin. Big Ne-10 battle between two teams that want to show they are contenders. Visitors steal a road win – FPU, 3-1

Every game is important and some of these early season battles may have results that impact things come playoff time next year. Maintaining momentum or establishing some are all on the plate for teams this weekend. More conference games are kicking off this weekend – “Drop the Puck!”

 

This Week in NCHC Hockey: After dropping U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game to Arizona State, North Dakota planning to ‘turn the page’

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North Dakota’s Gavin Hain has collected five goals in seven games thus far for the Fighting Hawks (photo: Shannon Valerio/DU Athletics).

Many things come to mind when North Dakota fans think about their hockey team’s unique selling points.

There are the eight national championships, but more recently, the Fighting Hawks have also become known for their destination games.

The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game, exempt from teams’ 34-game regular-season limit, is a tradition that has taken UND just about across the width of the country over the last six years.

Those games can take place at schools’ home rinks, too, but UND played Cornell in New York in 2016, Minnesota as Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena in 2018, Penn State in Nashville, Tenn., last season and returned to Las Vegas last weekend to meet Arizona State on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.

The last two such games didn’t go UND’s way. The Hawks dropped a 6-4 decision last October against Penn State, and on Saturday, a heavily pro-UND crowd of 15,503 saw the Hawks cough up a 2-0 first-period lead and lose 3-2.

Gavin Hain and Jake Schmaltz scored 2:03 apart in the first period for UND, and that had the home of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights buzzing. Fans from the de facto home team would go home happiest, though. Arizona State tied the game on two power-play goals before Robert Mastrosimone buried a breakaway chance 24 seconds into the third period.

“A ton of our loyal supporters turned out for it, and it was a situation where it was a one-game weekend and I thought we didn’t play our best as far as what we bring to the table,” UND coach Brad Berry said.

“I congratulate ASU because I think they played a really good team game and played well, and at the end of the day, we have some things to work on here and try to get better at. In saying that, it’s early in the season here, and we’re going to get to work and we go into our conference schedule, where it’s a blank slate. We turn the page and we’ll try to build our body of work within our league now.”

UND has four more nonconference games left this season, against Bemidji State and Lindenwood’s new Division I squad. Three of those games will take place at the Hawks’ Ralph Engelstad Arena, and until at least the fall of 2025, UND’s nonconference schedules will look a little more normal with no more additional destination games currently in the works.

UND is open to playing more of those somewhere down the line. The Hawks have even traveled outside the country to play — they had exhibition games in suburban Vancouver in 2014 — and can do so once every four years. Hockey East and ECAC Hockey teams take advantage of this dispensation by participating in the Friendship Four, a tournament that returns this month after two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID has wiped out UND games across the Atlantic Ocean, too. The Hawks tentatively planned to play exhibition games in Sweden and Finland in August and September 2020 before the world — not just the hockey one — changed.

“We haven’t really explored that opportunity since COVID, but that’s not to say that we won’t,” said Berry, who played one year of professional hockey in Sweden. “I know they have that college series in (Northern) Ireland every year and they keep doing that, and we’re open on doing it but I think it’s a situation where you want to try to give your players the student-athlete experience, whether it’s a destination game or something else.”

But now, Berry is focused on the start of UND’s conference slate, starting with a trip this week to Omaha. The Mavericks are UND’s travel partners in the NCHC, and this Friday-Saturday set could provide an intriguing preview for when the teams meet again March 3-4 in Grand Forks.

“It’s two teams that play relatively the same way: fast, hard and there’s a lot of intensity to the games,” Berry said. “We’ll play them again at the end of the regular season, and those games mean a ton for both teams, with potentially a Penrose (Cup, the NCHC’s regular-season championship) or whatever that weekend looks like.

“Last year, we won the Penrose on the Friday night in overtime (in Omaha), and it’s coming back to our building this year. When you’re playing that last game of the season in March against your travel partner, it’s special.”

D-III Women’s East Hockey Week 1 – Two coaches get their first-ever wins, ranked matchup recap, and more

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Kalie Grant gets her first ever win as a Head Coach in her first ever game with SUNY Canton, defeating Lebanon Valley 5-4. (Photo by Ali Servati | SUNY Canton Athletics)

Week one out east featured two coaches winning their first games as Division III head coaches. Kalie Grant, head coach of SUNY Canton and Jake Bobrowski, head coach of Elmira, both got the job done in their first games at the helm of their respective teams. There weren’t a ton of games played this weekend involving east teams compared to their western counterparts, but there was still great competition and a game involving a pair of ranked teams. 

Head Coach Kalie Grant – SUNY Canton  

Coach Kalie Grant, alumnus of St. Lawrence Univ. (Women’s D1), playing all 4 years and holding the assistant captain & captain role, also former Adrian College (Women’s D3) assistant coach, got her first win of her head coaching career as her Canton Roos defeated Lebanon Valley 5-4 on the road. “It was relieving to get the first win as a Head Coach out of the way in the first game of the season. I give all the credit to my players who battled through the highs and lows of the game to come out on top. I truly couldn’t ask for a better group to share this accomplishment with. It is a moment I will forever cherish as a coach.” 

Grant, coming from various successful programs, believes the program’s future is bright. “We have something very special in our locker room this year. That is where it all starts. Our group has been extremely receptive to new perspectives and the vision I have for the program, which has driven all of us to show up each day with a strong work ethic and lots of energy. Finding a way to maintain this mentality throughout the entire season will be important in continuing our success.”

Grant and her Roos’ next games are home: 3pm ET Friday vs Buffalo State and 3pm ET Saturday vs Oswego State.  

Head Coach Jake Bobrowski – Elmira College

Coach Jake Bobrowski, former Hamline (Women’s D3) assistant coach and Univ. of Minnesota (Women’s D1) assistant coach, got his first win as a head coach for his Elmira Soaring Eagles, defeating Utica University 3-2 at home. Talking with Coach Bobrowski about his first win and how he’s been interacting with his team so far: “It was very exciting, too exciting with the game being very very close! They are a great group of young women. They are a group that wants to learn, wants to get better, and they seemed to have welcomed me into the Elmira family.”

Jake Bobrowski gets his first ever win as a Head Coach in his first game with Elmira, defeating Utica University 3-2 at home (Photo by Collin Hetherington (Elmira College Athletics)

Facing a team like Utica who has their hopes set on a big year, returning many players and looking to maintain what they built last season, Coach Bobrowski was very pleased with his team’s effort and their outlook moving forward: 

“First and foremost Utica is a very good team.  We knew that going in it wasn’t going to be easy and it wasn’t.  What I liked about the win was we had to come from behind against a well coached team with a very good goalie and who plays the game really tough, they don’t give you much, especially down the middle.  After the first period, we talked about challenging ourselves and doing the simple things we have worked on in practice and can we play with some toughness ourselves.  I think as the game went on we became more comfortable and took steps  to gain a new identity with a new team and obviously with new coaches.” 

Elmira’s next games this weekend are both on the road. 6pm ET Friday vs Univ. Southern Maine, then 3pm ET Saturday vs Salem State Univ.

Ranked Matchup of the Week – #9 vs #11

#11 Norwich visited #9 Endicott Tuesday night, coming away with the 5-2 victory over the Gulls. Mikah Baptiste scored 2 for Norwich, her first goal coming in early, 2:59 into the first period to make it 1-0. 

Other notable performances on the night were from Norwich’s Ann-Frederique Guay who tallied 1 goal, 3 assists and goaltender Leocadia Clark who made 31 saves on 33 shots. For Endicott, goaltender Michaela O’Brien who made 35 saves on 40 shots and Kaylee Liberty who was a factor on both of the Gulls’ goals, tallied a goal and an assist.

#11 Norwich defeats #9 Endicott 5-2. (Photo by – Leanna Puccio, Endicott ’24)

A win against a #9 Endicott is big for the Norwich program who saw themselves have a down year last year to their normal standards, losing their last 3 out of 4 games, exiting in the NEHC semifinals to Castleton. A win like this, coming early in the season, can be one that helps drive them to a successful season and a potential NCAA Tournament berth.

Other Notable Results

Oswego State fell to the visiting #10 Adrian 4-1 & 5-0. Full recap here:

Hilbert College, dropped their first ever regular season games as a program, losing 11-1 to Alvernia and then 7-0 to Lebanon Valley. 

#3 Plattsburgh swept St. Michael’s in their two exhibition games, defeating them 2-1 & 6-0. 

Ranked Teams in Action This Weekend

#3 Plattsburgh begins their regular-season games, visiting SUNY Morrisville for a pair of games, Friday 4pm ET / Saturday 1pm ET.

#4 Elmira visits Univ. Southern Maine & Salem State, Friday – 6pm ET / Saturday – 3pm ET 

#6 Nazareth, coming off a historical season for the program with a 27-2 record, hosts fellow UCHC opponent Chatham for a pair of games, Friday 7pm ET / Saturday 3pm ET.

#9 Endicott play a home-and-home with Nichols, Friday on the road at 4:40pm ET & 4pm ET Saturday at home.

#11 Norwich hosts Johnson & Wales and UMass-Boston, Friday 6pm ET / Saturday 3pm ET.

#14 SUNY Cortland hosts Stevenson for a pair of games, Friday 3pm ET / Saturday 3pm ET. 

This weekend should show us more in terms of rankings and ability levels as all non-NESCAC teams will begin regular season play. NESCAC will begin play Friday November 18 as the defending champions #1 Middlebury hosts Trinity for a pair of home games.

This Week in Atlantic Hockey: No power outage for RIT as Tigers’ man advantage clicking during early part of ’22-23 schedule

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RIT’s Kobe Walker prepares to take a shot against Sacred Heart during the 2021-22 season (photo: Jaiden Tripi/RIT SportsZone).

Rochester Institute of Technology has opened the 2022-23 season 6-2-0, its best start in four years.

While there are several reasons for the strong start, one number sticks out.

The Tiger power play is clicking at 33.3 percent, tied for third nationally and double the 16.2 percent rate for RIT last season. And while Wayne Wilson’s team is taking more penalties than he would like, they’re cleaning up the mess with an 89.2 percent penalty kill rate.

What’s the reason for the marked improvement in special teams?

“To be perfectly honest, I don’t know if there’s one thing you can point to,” said Wilson. “We’ve got new personnel on the power play after having basically the same unit for two years. That was a concern going into the season, but it’s been working out.”

New players on the power play units have clicked with each other, said Wilson.

“Call it chemistry or whatever, but it’s working,” he said. “So far it’s gotten better and better as guys move into these roles.”

Graduate student Kobe Walker and sophomore Carter Wilkie have three power play goals each to lead the way.

Defensemen Aiden Hansen-Bukata and Gianfranco Cassaro quarterback the first unit. Cassaro, who transferred in from Massachusetts last season, leads the team in scoring with four goals and six assists. That’s second-best nationally among defensemen.

“Things have really opened up for him this season,” said Wilson. “Sometimes it takes a while to adjust. He’s turned into the player that we hoped he would be. He has a lot of confidence right now.”

Wilson says there are some unsung heroes on the penalty kill.

“Guys like (grad students) Andrew Petrucci and Spencer Berry have been integral,” he said. “Kobe Walker scores goals but he’s also an excellent penalty killer.”

In net, sophomore Tommy Scarfone has seen the most work at 5-1 with a .915 save percentage and a 2.83 GAA. Wilson says that senior Kolby Matthews (1-1, .915 save percentage, 2.03 GAA) will also continue to see time in goal.

“Tommy finished last season strong and came in as the Number One,” said Wison. “But we also firmly believe in Kolby Matthews. We’re taking it weekend by weekend.”

RIT is coming off a series that saw the Tigers take five of six points at home against Holy Cross, winning 5-2 on Friday and prevailing 3-2 in overtime on Saturday.

That puts the Tigers in second place in the Atlantic Hockey standings, one point behind Sacred Heart and five points ahead of third-place American International. RIT travels to AIC for a pair of games this weekend.

“They’re the champions until someone else can beat them,” said Wilson. “Eric (Lang) does a really good job. Their philosophy is a little different, they rely on more transfer players than we do, so that means they have a lot of new players, but many with college experience.”

“It’s two good teams that are playing well. We’re looking forward to it.”

When is a sweep not a sweep?

Both Sacred Heart and RIT recorded two conference wins last weekend, with the Pioneers sweeping Canisius, 6-3 and 3-1.

As noted above, RIT beat Holy Cross twice, but one of those was an overtime win, worth two instead of three points in conference play.

An overtime victory is considered a win by the NCAA for the purpose of determining a team’s record, but worth only 66 percent of a regulation win when it comes to the PairWise rankings, used to select at-large teams and seed the NCAA tournament field.

Does a sweep mean two wins or six points? Or 2.0 wins vs. 1.66?

Based on the questions and comments in my Twitter DMs, people are rightfully confused.

And, of course, we have shootouts if overtime doesn’t produce a victor. Winning a shoutout can feel like a win, and teams get the same number of conference points (two) as a victory in overtime. But the NCAA (and the PairWise) consider the game a tie, and a team’s record reflects that.

“I’m not crazy about (the current system),” said Wilson. “People want a winner, so we make sure we get a winner. But a win should be a win. That goes for regulation and overtime.”

What about the shootout?

“I’m dead against it,” said Wilson. “I’d rather have a tie.”

Colgate’s Serdachny, Wisconsin’s Harvey, Northeastern’s Philips, Clarkson’s Pasiechnyk named first HCA women’s monthly award winners for ’22-23

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From left, Danielle Serdachny, Caroline Harvey, Gwyneth Philips, and Michelle Pasiechnyk (photos: Colgate Athletics, Wisconsin Athletics, Northeastern Athletics, Clarkson Athletics).

Colgate’s Danielle Serdachny, Wisconsin’s Caroline Harvey, Northeastern’s Gwyneth Philips and Clarkson’s Michelle Pasiechnyk have been named the first women’s Hockey Commissioners Association players of the month for the 2022-23 season.

Serdachny, the player of the month, rang up 1.90 points per game off eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in 11 games, leading the NCAA through October.

Her efforts also launched Colgate to a 10-1-0 start and a No. 6 national ranking.

The rookie of the month, Harvey’s 19 points in 12 games (6-13-19) led all rookie skaters in the WCHA and were third among all WCHA players.

Harvey also topped all WCHA players with her plus/minus plus-22 rating on the ice.

Phillips and Pasiechnyk were named co-goaltenders of the month.

Philips proved up to the task of following two-time goalie of the year Aerin Frankel by going 8-1-1 with an 0.81 GAA and .961 save percentage for the Huskies.

Pasiechnyk compiled a 7-1 record in her eight games for the Golden Knights, compiling an 0.75 GAA and a save percentage of .961.

Michigan’s Fantilli, St. Cloud State’s Basse named first HCA men’s monthly award winners to kick off 2022-23 season

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Adam Fantilli and Dominic Basse put up sparkling numbers for their respective teams in October (Fantilli photo: Michigan Photography/Basse photo: St. Cloud State Athletics).

Michigan’s Adam Fantilli and St. Cloud State’s Dominic Basse have been named the first men’s Hockey Commissioners Association players of the month for the 2022-23 season.

Fantilli, the player and rookie of the month, leads the nation in scoring as he begins his freshman campaign at Michigan.

In eight games, he has eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points. He has at least one point in every game and recorded his first career hat trick on Oct. 21 at Lake Superior State. The following day, he tallied his first four-point game with a goal and three helpers.

Basse, the goaltender of the month, was a perfect 4-0-0 with NCHC-leading numbers of 1.25 GAA and .945 save percentage.

His numbers include a 34-save performance in a 4-3 win over then No. 2 Minnesota State.

This Week in Hockey East: UMass prepared to get everyone’s best shot every night as conference play continues

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Luke Pavicich has been solid in goal for UMass this season (photo: Thom Kendall/UMass Athletics).

It’s no secret that the Massachusetts hockey team plays close games against intra-state rival Merrimack.

UMass won all four meetings last season by a single goal, including twice in overtime. Over the weekend, the teams split a pair of overtime contests during a home-and-home series, with the Minutemen winning 3-2 on their home sheet on Friday night before the Warriors returned the favor 2-1 the next night in North Andover.

It was the Hockey East opener for UMass. The teams are slated to meet once more this season, Dec. 7 in Amherst.

The close games versus Merrimack likely set the tone for the Minutemen as they begin conference play. Their string of recent success — winners of two straight conference tournament championships, plus an NCAA championship in 2021 — means UMass knows it will get every team’s best effort every night.

“I don’t think (about) a target on our back,” UMass coach Greg Carvel said following Friday night’s game against Merrimack. “These guys know there’s a standard of play that if we play (up to it), we’ll be fine. If not, we’re going to have to scratch and claw like we did tonight.”

The Minutemen are 5-1-1 overall and enter this weekend ranked No. 5 in the latest DCU/USCHO.com D-I men’s poll. Five of their next six games are against ranked teams, starting this weekend with a home-and-home series versus No 14 Providence that begins Friday at the Friars’ home rink.

“Hockey East games are a lot harder; we have to be prepared for that,” said sophomore defenseman Ryan Ufko, who scored a goal and assisted Taylor Makar on the game winner at 1:12 of overtime vs. Merrimack on Friday night. “They’re going to get up, they’re going to come out flying at us. Every team is this year, especially in Hockey East. I think we need to realize that and play really hard.”

Makar, a sophomore forward, recorded an assist on the first goal vs. Merrimack on Friday night (scored by Ryan Lautenbach) and has three on the season so far.

“He creates the first goal, he wins the battle,” Carvel said about Makar. “He’s using his size and his speed and he’s not exposing pucks. (His) size (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) is tough to deal with. That’s what we’ve been trying to convince him of — that he has those assets. He’s got to maximize them, and he has been. The last number of games, he’s becoming a big factor and that’s huge for us.”

Sophomore Luke Pavicich has the majority of the Minutemen’s starts at goalie. He’s 4-0-1 so far and has posted a .956 save percentage to go along with a 1.41 goals-against average. Makar said it helps the offense to have a confident goalie behind it.

“This team’s had that for a lot of years,” Makar said. “It’s really nice — any mistake you make, hopefully he’s there to save it. (Pavlich’s) been doing a great job — all three goalies, actually.”

Juniors Henry Graham and Cole Brady also have seen solid playing time between the pipes for UMass — collectively, the goaltending unit boasts an overall 1.26 GAA and a .961 save percentage.

Things don’t get much easier for the Minutemen in November — following the Providence series is a home-and-home vs. No. 11 Boston University, a game at New Hampshire followed by a trip to Ireland for the Friendship Four tournament, where they will face No. 7 UMass Lowell and possibly No. 7 Quinnipiac.

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