Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky to talk about the Nittany Lions’ 8-0 start, the strength of the Big Ten, the college hockey atmosphere at Pegula Ice Arena, putting together a non-conference schedule, and this weekend’s series at home against Michigan.
Michigan players celebrate a recent goal (photo: Michigan Photography).
Michigan interim head coach Brandon Naurato is a teacher by nature, and that teaching approach to coaching is already bearing fruit for a Michigan team with a 12-member rookie class.
“I feel like I’m so blessed to have really good people from the freshmen to the other kids around that they want to be the best versions of themselves,” said Naurato.
Through eight games, the Wolverines are 7-1-1 and have outscored opponents 42-22. Michigan leads the nation in offense, averaging 5.25 goals per game with freshmen doing 45 percent of the goal scoring.
Rookie Adam Fantilli leads all scorers nationally in points per game (1.88) and is third in the nation for total goals (eight). Both Fantilli and classmate Rutger McGroarty have registered their first collegiate hat tricks. McGroarty notched his first three goals of the season in Michigan’s 6-5 overtime road win against Western Michigan, all three goals scored on the power play. Rookie defenseman Seamus Casey had the first assist on all three of McGroarty’s goals.
McGroarty credits the entire University of Michigan, the coaching staff, the athletic department’s support staff, and fifth-year forward and captain Nolan Moyle for creating an environment that helps this year’s freshmen feel welcomed and supported.
“It’s unbelievable,” said McGroarty. “Playing high-end hockey is something we came here to do, and I love every second of it.”
McGroarty said that he and his classmates are as supportive of each other as they are competitive, a mindset that permeates this Michigan team. “We come to the rink every single day with an attack mentality, and we just want to keep getting better and better.”
“Going into every weekend, we’re looking for a sweep. I think that anything less than a sweep is not good enough.”
Because of their record – and their ways to find wins in the two high-scoring, back-and-forth games against Western last weekend – the Wolverines became the new No. 1 team in the DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll. Naurato said that he’s especially grateful that he works with players who don’t want to be lulled into becoming too comfortable.
“We had a conversation about being No. 1 in the country, and it means nothing,” said Naurato. “You want to be No. 1 in the country at the end of the year. Now with that said, they should be proud of themselves for what they’ve done to date, but I [told them what] the record is when Michigan first becomes No. 1 and it’s well below .500. You’ve got a bigger target on your back and let’s not get complacent.
“We keep this learning environment so when you’re not having success, it’s not about coaches yelling and screaming and you’ve got to work harder. it’s about teaching – and winning’s about teaching, too.”
Naurato developed his coaching style by developing other players. After his own four years as a forward at Michigan, Naurato played another four in minor league hockey before moving to player development. From 2012 to 2020, he worked with USA Hockey as director of player development. From 2018 to 2021, he also worked with the Detroit Red Wings as a player development consultant.
After having served as assistant coach for a year under Mel Pearson in 2021-22, Naurato was tabbed in August to shepherd the Wolverines through their first year of the post-Pearson era. Pearson was let go from Michigan in August of this year following the release of a report by WilmerHale, a Washington, D.C. law firm hired by the University of Michigan to investigate allegations that former Michigan goaltender and volunteer coach Steve Shields had been fired in retaliation for bringing Pearson’s alleged abuses to the attention of the school.
The WilmerHale report did not find that Shields was let go for being a whistleblower, but it did bring up concerns about Pearson’s conduct, including allegations that he pressured hockey players to lie about COVID-19 testing, contributed to a toxic environment for women employees and forced goaltender and team captain Strauss Mann to leave the program when Mann went to Pearson with concerns regarding team culture. In part, the report stated, “Our investigation did identify cultural issues within the hockey program that warrant attention.”
Red Berenson was the head coach when Naurato played for Michigan, but Pearson was the associate head coach under Berenson as well. Naurato sounds sincere when he walks a diplomatic line talking about what he, associate head coach Bill Muckalt and assistant coach Rob Rassey are doing to change the culture of Michigan hockey.
“I see a lot of things in the media and it’s hard to talk about what I plan to do because personally, I don’t feel like we as a staff have proved anything and I don’t want to talk out of turn,” said Naurato. “I’m trying to be respectful. But we really want to create a learning environment.
“We talk to the kids about being vulnerable with each other, and even us owning things at different times. It’s just so important as a coach to earn respect. Do I need the players to like me? Yeah, I think they need to like me. When they like and respect you, they listen. There may be guys that don’t like certain things at times, but if they respect you, I think it holds weight because they know you have their best interests in mind.
“The old school mentality’s gone. You still need to be firm, but they need to know you care.”
Naurato said that pressure on players can come from agents, parents, and coaches while they’re “trying to figure it out,” creating an environment that may make learning difficult.
“They’re kids,” said Naurato. “There’s things that they just don’t know. We can’t get upset with them. Can you imagine getting upset with a kid for not knowing how to ride a bike?”
The teaching-centered approach paid off in tangible ways against the Broncos. While the Wolverines surrendered nine goals in the series, they found a way to score 11 and sweep a very good Western Michigan team. The freshmen were “point-a-game players” heading into that series, said Naurato, “and I think I met with almost all of them, and they want more.”
Eight of Michigan’s goals against Western were scored by freshmen, and the rookies registered six assists, including Jackson Hallum’s helper on Nolan Moyle’s game winner in Friday’s 5-4 home game.
Naurto said that the freshmen are all “students of the game” and that they all “want to be the best versions of themselves.”
“It’s very rewarding as a coach to work with guys that are chasing success and want to be better,” said Naurato. “I’m just trying to be honest with them, show them where they’re at, pat them on the back.
“Everything’s teaching. Everything’s a learning environment, and they’re embracing it.”
The Wolverines open Big Ten conference play this weekend when they play undefeated Penn State on the road in a two-game set.
Alex Laferriere had a four-point night to lead Harvard to a 5-2 win over Dartmouth in its season opener Oct. 28 at Bright-Landry Hockey Center (photo: Harvard Athletics).
The banners at Harvard’s Bright-Landry Hockey Center tell stories of tribute to the champions of years past.
They form a road of sorts along the ice sheet, and each flag links generations of hockey players who once wore the fabled crimson and white uniforms by listing the individual years’ glory next to one another.
It’s a common practice employed around the country, but the presentation of those years specifically offers a unique embarrassment of riches for the Crimson’s hockey history
As defending ECAC Hockey champions, last Friday night’s season opener started Harvard’s hopeful road towards listing another year on the postseason banners, but when the puck dropped against Dartmouth, the Crimson simultaneously started both a title defense and a yearning charge for a championship race that bubbles under the surface of the more obvious college hockey discussion.
It was the first game of the team’s Ivy League season subset, and for the players and coaches of the six schools involved in that race, the critical subplot remains an integral piece of why games between college hockey’s Original Six still matter, even as the half-dozen schools start their college hockey season almost a full month after the remainder of the sport’s programs.
“You get so excited for that season to start,” said Harvard coach Ted Donato. “You pay attention to what’s going on, and I think, in some ways, you enjoy the fact that your stress level isn’t turned up to the max just yet. But as a coach, you sit there and watch to see how teams are playing or which teams are doing well or not doing well. It sometimes gives you ideas of how they run a four-on-three or six-on-four, or situations that we haven’t practiced, like defending with five minutes to go in the game.”
The Ivies have always had a place in the college hockey discussion, but the historic universities represent the roots of the sport’s oldest days. Five of the six schools that still sponsor the sport are the oldest Division I hockey programs ever founded, having begun play before or at the turn of the 20th century.
They remain one of the most continuous pieces of the sport’s conversation, and with the exception of Penn, which sponsored the sport for a decade before cutting the program in the late-1970s, they’ve always managed to stay together as a concrete, indivisible unit. They helped found the ECAC Hockey when it was a loose conglomerate of hockey-playing schools and later formed one of the three divisions when the formal conference split and reorganized.
The Ivy League has always stayed together, and after the East Division broke away in the 1980s to form Hockey East, it merged with ECAC Hockey’s West Division before evolving into the league more recognized as part of today’s modern game.
Through it all, the league crowned its own internal champion, and even though bigger prizes are awarded at the ECAC Hockey and national levels, earning an Ivy League championship reverberates through historic institutions that compete against one another at an elite academic and athletic level.
Harvard, for example, entered last year’s late-season weekend series at home against Princeton and Quinnipiac barely needing points to clinch a first-round bye. The third place Crimson were nine points clear of fifth place Colgate and 10 points behind league-leading Quinnipiac with a handful of games remaining, and it was unlikely that anything other than seeding would be determined by their last few weekends.
Princeton was a full 11 points behind the Crimson while battling for home ice in the first round of the ECAC Hockey postseason, but the Tigers remained very much within striking distance of an Ivy League subset championship with a 5-1 record. They had been undefeated before losing to Dartmouth four days earlier, but with four of their last six games against Ivy League competition, including two against a Harvard team that was 6-1-1 against the other six schools, the informal championship very much remained in doubt.
That Friday night game subsequently felt like a playoff game, and after the Tigers scored twice in the first period, Harvard roared back with four unanswered goals to take a 4-2 lead before the halfway point of the third period. Princeton, undaunted, scored again with a little less than nine minutes remaining, but the Crimson held onto a 4-3 win and eventually clinched their 24th Ivy League championship and first since 2017 with an 8-1-1 overall record after beating Princeton in a rematch on the final day of the season.
“I just think the rivalries are so strong that those games are super important,” said Donato. “The players realize that these are programs that have the same expectations as student-athletes, and the reality is that we have other sports that only play for an Ivy League title. So amongst their peers, when it’s an Ivy League game, it’s really important. It means something. Our biggest rival is Cornell, and that’s because there’s such a great tradition of the two programs meeting up for some important games [because] there’s certainly something special about those Ivy League matchups.”
This past weekend, the drive in earnest for those six schools began again when everyone except for Cornell played one another. Harvard swept Dartmouth and Princeton at home while Brown split with Yale. This weekend, the Bears head to Harvard and Dartmouth while Princeton hosts Cornell as part of a weekend that includes Colgate.
Next weekend, the Tigers head to Yale and Brown before the Big Red host the Bulldogs and Bears on Nov. 19-19, and Cornell later hosts Harvard and Dartmouth in early December in a typical round robin that allows for the teams to play one another in the early stages of the season.
“You’ll always learn a lot about your team in the first handful of games,” said Donato. “Somebody is poised to make another step as a player that you haven’t seen yet in a game, and a lot of stuff gets ironed out in the first four or five games. For us, we just can’t wait to play someone else.
“We were entirely sick of playing [internally] against one another, and we’re fortunate that our first several games [include] games within the Ivy League, so we’re playing against teams that are in a similar situation.”
Harvard’s games this weekend are both scheduled for 7 p.m. with Brown playing in the front end before Yale arrives at Bright-Landry Hockey Center on Saturday.
Augsburg upsets #5 UW-River Falls 4-3 (Photo by Pat Deninger)
Week 1 has concluded and we had many shakeups occur including the upset of #5 [now #7] UW-River Falls at the hands of Augsburg [now #13] who’s had a promising start to their season. #12 [now #10] Adrian headed out east to Oswego and got the weekend sweep, whilst #6 [now #5] UW-Eau Claire survived and got two wins over the College of Saint Benedict.
Augsburg Pulls off the Upset
The Augsburg Auggies, led by Head Coach Michelle McAteer, has gotten off to a very promising start this season as they lost to #2 Gustavus by the slim score of 1-0 and then defeated #5 UW-River Falls 4-3 on the road. The Auggies success has gotten them ranked inside the top 15, coming in at #13 this week. When asked about her team’s early success and promise, Coach McAteer said:
“We played Gustavus Adolphus College and UW-River Falls twice last year, and had similar results – played them both tight in one game, and blown out in the other. The returners on this year’s team learned a lot from that, especially when it comes to competing relentlessly. Our team chemistry overall is in a great place right now and our leadership has been excellent. One last factor – Chloe Stockinger was very strong in both games, and was a difference maker for us in net.” Stockinger made 22 saves on the night and made 29 the night before vs Gustavus.
Augsburg heads to #10 Adrian next weekend who’s 2-0 and looked good in their pair of road wins over Oswego State this past weekend. When asked about the challenge of Adrian ahead after a pair of difficult games to start, Coach McAteer added:
“We are excited to hit the road and take on a tough Adrian team. We don’t have many long road trips in the MIAC, so it’s something we look forward to, and this group really enjoys being together. We know that it will be tough games, which is why we schedule them. It will be a challenge, and it’s another opportunity to see where we are at. We are excited and hope to build off a promising start.”
Adrian Dominates out East
The Adrian College Bulldogs traveled to Oswego State over the weekend for a pair of games, looking to seek revenge from last year when Oswego came to Adrian and got the 2-1 win. Adrian did just that, they defeated Oswego handily 4-1 and 5-0. Goalkeeping was a highlight of the weekend as Adrian goalie Sophie Goldberg made 16 saves in game one and 21 in game two, earning her a shutout win. It should also be noted that Karmen Anderson of Adrian had 3 goals and 1 assist in the two game series.
Adrian College defeats Oswego State 4-1 and 5-0 in their two games this weekend (Photo by Alexis Fragapane)
Next up for Adrian is a two-game home series with #13 Augsburg who’s coming off their big upset victory over (now ranked #7, former #5) UW-River Falls.
UW-Eau Claire Avoids Disaster
UW-Eau Claire came into the weekend ranked #6 (now #5) and visited the College of Saint Benedict (Minn.) for a pair of games. Game 1 Eau-Claire handled well, winning 4-1. However, in game two, Saint Benedict led Eau-Claire 3-1 after the 1st period, and led 3-2 until the 16:58 mark in the 3rd period when Sophie Rausch scored a game-tying power-play goal to send the game into overtime. Rausch would then bury the game winner halfway through the overtime period (2:32) to give the Blugolds the 4-3 OT win.
Coach Erik Strand and his UW-Eau Claire Blugold’s avoid the upset, defeating Saint Benedict (Minn.) 4-3 in OT (Photo by Shane Opatz, UWEC Photo)
Coach Erik Strand of Eau-Claire, when asked about his team’s performance this weekend, narrowly avoiding a major upset, said: “We played 30 mins of hockey this weekend out of 120…. So we learned a valuable lesson about how hard every team is gonna push us…. The 30 we played were the last 30 tonight [Saturday]! Really had to dig in!!”
Eau Claire’s next game is Tuesday 11/1 at home vs Concordia Wisconsin.
Aurora Stays Hot
Last season, Aurora shocked everyone, going 22-7 and making it to the NCHA championship game. In the process, they shutout Adrian in the semi-finals 3-0 and then capped it off by defeating St. Norbert 5-1 in the title game, granting them an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Aurora came into this season ranked #14, they’ve now somehow fallen to #15 after getting a weekend sweep of Chatham to start their season 2-0.
Aurora defeated Chatham handily, 6-1 and 5-2, Peyton Elliott and Madison Gasper both had 2 goal games this weekend, whilst two goaltenders for Aurora also had solid games, Samantha Steciak made 18 saves in her game and Tia Glube made 22.
Aurora will hit the road against Bethel this weekend for a pair of games on 11/4 & 11/5.
Other West Notables
#2 Gustavus shuts out #13 Augsburg 1-0.
UW-Superior starts the season 2-0 with 5-0 & 3-2 OT wins over Lawrence.
St. Catherine’s won its first two games, dominating Finlandia 11-1 & 5-2.
Lake Forest sweeps Saint Mary’s, winning 4-2 & 3-2 OT to begin the year 2-0.
Games Involving Ranked West Teams This Week
#2 Gustavus hosts Lake Forest on Friday/Saturday at 7pm CT / 2pm CT.
#5 UW-Eau Claire hosts Concordia (Wis.) on Tuesday at 7pm CT & Saint Marys on Saturday at 2pm CT.
#7 UW-River Falls visits Saint Marys on Friday at 7pm CT.
#10 Adrian hosts #13 Augsburg on Friday/Saturday at 7pm ET / 3pm ET.
#15 Aurora visits Bethel on Friday/Saturday at 7pm CT / 2pm CT.
Connecticut players celebrate a goal in the Huskies’ 5-1 win over Boston College last Thursday (photo: Clarus Multimedia Group).
Each week during the season, we look at the big events and big games around Division I men’s college hockey in Tuesday Morning Quarterback.
Paula: Hello, Ed! How nice to chat up some college hockey with you again this season! Last week’s TMQ featured an all-Massachusetts cast. This week, it’s a couple of New Yorkers – even if one resides in Michigan.
I can hear the cries of Western bias now. Won’t readers be surprised when I ask you how good you think Hockey East is? (Spoiler alert: I think Hockey East is spectacular.)
But I’m getting ahead of things here. Let’s start with how we’ve just witnessed another riveting weekend of college hockey, one that had twists that few would have predicted. There were several splits among top 10 teams, resulting in Michigan sitting at the top of the DCU/USCHO Men’s Division I Poll. There were 13 overtime games. The Ivies joined the conversation. Penn State is the only undefeated team that’s played more than a couple of games. And Arizona State handed North Dakota its second consecutive U.S. Hall of Fame Game loss.
Last week, our good friend Jimmy Connelly pointed out that this early in the season, the top of the poll seemed a little janky to him. I think his point was a good one in that it was difficult to justify Minnesota as last week’s No. 1 and St. Cloud – which had been undefeated prior to the Huskies’ loss to Bemidji State this past weekend – sitting in second place.
A week later, though, and the top of the poll looks a little more reflective of the current college hockey landscape to me, but I can’t help but hear Jimmy’s valid argument echo in my head. If it could have been argued last week that St. Cloud could reasonably have been No. 1 as a 6-0-0 team three weeks in with wins over St. Thomas, Wisconsin and Minnesota State, why is Penn State No. 13 with sweeps of Canisius, Mercyhurst, St. Thomas and Wisconsin? (Full disclosure: I have Penn State at No. 11 on my ballot this week.)
What are voters seeing right now that are influencing the way they rank teams? How accurate a reflection of reality is the poll this early in the season?
Ed: It’s great to talk with you in this new season, Paula! You’ve asked three great questions, and I’ll start with the last one first.
I think the poll is an accurate reflection of reality simply because the ballot is so fractured. Top teams have scheduled early non-conference games against other probable NCAA tournament contenders, so almost nobody is running away with unbeaten records. With six teams getting first-place votes – including Connecticut, which makes me wonder if there’s a Nostradamus among the voters seeing something extra in a very good Huskies team – it speaks to the tough games and split weekends those programs have had. These early-season tilts will have major PairWise implications come March.
As they assemble ballots, voters are asking “what have you done for me lately?” Performance week by week weighs heavily in ranking big-name programs.
You also asked about Penn State. It’s because the sweeps they’ve made are over the teams you mentioned that they haven’t polled higher. None of Penn State’s opponents are expected to be at the top of D-I college hockey this season, so there’s some recognition of that in the Nittany Lions’ position. Stick a weekend into the Penn State schedule so far with a sweep or even a split with a top team and they’d have a great argument to be in the top 10. Give Guy Gadowsky’s squad this: they have won every game that they were expected to win.
A team that needs to watch how every game impacts the PairWise Rankings more than anyone else is Arizona State, which battled back to defeat North Dakota in Las Vegas at the Hall of Fame Game last Saturday. Coach Greg Powers has put together a schedule that can get his team in as an at-large, but without a lot of room for error. The Sun Devils need to do really well against top tier teams and win all the games that they “should” win. I am optimistic about Arizona State, but I have concerns about North Dakota, 1-3-1 in the last five games.
Paula: Everything you say here about Arizona State is something that I’ve been thinking about since the start of this season. Powers is building something beyond solid there, and the Sun Devils’ schedule leaves little room for error. It says a lot about ASU that they rose to that occasion – in a hostile building, given the number of North Dakota fans present – and won on such a huge stage.
Sharing their rink with the Arizona Coyotes can only be a positive experience for the Sun Devils. They’ll be NHL adjacent all season in ways that other teams are not. I do not know what the relationship between the two programs will be – how much interaction that will actually take place – but they are sharing a rink with an NHL team and that will bring benefits that can’t be overstated.
As for North Dakota, I’d say a 1-3-1 stretch heading into NCHC play is something to be concerned with, yes. The Fighting Hawks have played a challenging nonconference schedule at the start of the season, but even so, this isn’t the way the Fighting Hawks want to begin a long campaign.
To be honest, though, with the exceptions of Denver and St. Cloud, the NCHC as a whole looks a little down to me at the start of this season. That may change, but the conference doesn’t seem as dominant from the get-go as it has since, well, since its inception.
I wonder if parity is finally catching up with the NCHC. You and I know that these things can go in cycles. In contrast, I think that Hockey East looks good and really, really deep.
What are your impressions about the relative strengths of conference?
Ed: I agree with you about Hockey East. In our podcasts for USCHO, Jim Connelly and I have talked about how it seems that teams that have been toward the middle or bottom of the conference standings each year in that conference are alll getting better. UConn is a team to watch out for and Merrimack just split a home-and-home weekend with UMass in two overtime games.
One objective measure we have of conferences is each league’s non-conference record, which also significantly impacts the PairWise Rankings. The Big Ten has the best winning percentage and is only sub-.500 against Hockey East at 2-3-1. Hockey East is second and is above .500 against every conference except the NCHC. Meanwhile, the NCHC is third and is one game below .500 to ECAC Hockey and the Big Ten. The CCHA and ECAC Hockey are just above .400 and Atlantic Hockey is .333 in non-league play.
I’d rank them in much the same way as those numbers, also considering the prowess of the top teams in each conference. I’m giving the Big Ten a slight advantage so far as the best league of 2022-23, with the NCHC and Hockey East neck-and-neck just below. Then comes the CCHA and ECAC Hockey, with Atlantic Hockey nipping at their heels. We could spend a whole column on various comparisons but I’m going to leave it there.
I do think it’s safe to say that the gap between the top and bottom teams within leagues and overall across D-I men’s hockey is shrinking because there is so much talent and too few programs.
So far this season, I’ve been marveling at the skill and speed in the D-I game and reflecting on how it’s changed in the last decade or so. I’m sure you’ve noticed the rapid evolution of the sport, too.
Paula: I would agree about the parity within conferences, Ed. One thing I’ve found fascinating since the days when I covered the old CCHA — which was such a mixed bag of academic institutions — was how programs lacking some of the advantages of R1 schools (for example) drew top talent and remained competitive.
I still think this remains an issue within college hockey as a whole. It is, I think, some of what hampers Atlantic Hockey and it has been the reason that B1G Hockey’s underperformance on the big stage has drawn criticism. There are aspects of it that are easy to define while other related issues are more nuanced, but even with the growing talent and small number of D-I programs, it persists to some extent.
But you are correct, Ed, in your observations about the skill and speed development in just the last 10 years. We see this in women’s hockey as well. The game is analyzed more, athletic performance is studied through the lens of science, and hockey as a whole seems at the cusp of taking some big strides forward.
I watched a lot of hockey this past weekend, and I was struck by how fast the Western Michigan-Michigan games and Minnesota-Ohio State games were — faster than last season even. It’s exciting for fans of the game. It will be interesting to see if it translates into expanding and developing the fan base.
Ed: The other part of expanding the fan base is marketing the excellent show that’s on the ice.
College teams and conferences have followed the NHL in giving us Instagram photos of players heading to the arena – and dressed for Halloween – video clips of games and interviews, and plenty of other social media content. Game production is more elaborate. Streaming video of every game is available.
We can’t forget College Hockey Inc.’s part in raising awareness of the sport. You can’t watch an NHL broadcast without hearing about college players, and some of the best young players in the NHL – Makar, Zegras, Caufield, Quinn Hughes, and I could keep going – are former college stars.
Even head coaches who hate the glitz and gimmickry of three-on-three overtime or shootouts have to admit, sometimes grudgingly, that college hockey is an entertainment product.
And I’d argue that after more than four decades of watching, it has never been more entertaining.
Max Macchioni made the most of his first start for Fitchburg State earning a 309 shutout win over New England College (Photo by Fitchburg State Athletics)
Well, that was a lot of excitement stuffed into the first weekend of competitive play in D-III action. Ranked teams won and lost and maybe with that growing trend I will stop calling games upsets seeing how the competition level across all D-III continues to get better and better. There were some thrilling overtime games along with some masterful shutouts and while there was little conference play, those games set the tone for some great races this season as well. Here is the weekend recap for week one of what is going to be a great 2022-23 season.
CCC
Nichols gave new coach Alex Gacek his first wins as they repeated as Woo Cup Tournament champions with wins over Anna Maria and Assumption to capture the title. In Friday’s first round win over the AmCats, goaltender Tyler Boat stopped 57 of 58 shots and four different players scored in a 4-1 win. Sunday’s title game against Assumption was a battle as neither team could gain more than a one-goal edge found the game in a 3-3 tie through regulation. In overtime Nichols took advantage of an early power play to win the game and tournament championship off the stick of Nathan Carl. Carl was also named the tournament MVP.
Curry opened the season with a non-conference game against Massachusetts-Boston and the Colonels came out flying racing to a 3-1 first period lead on goals by Kevin Pitts, Timmy Kent and Gage Dill on their way to an easy 5-1 victory over the Beacons.
Endicott earned a split in their opening two games with a win over Salem State and a loss to Norwich. In the season opener, a five-goal second period including two shorthanded tallies from Connor Amsley led the Gulls to a 7-1 win. On Saturday, the Gulls ran into a hot goaltender in Norwich’s Drennen Atherton and fell 3-0 to the Cadets.
Independents
Canton played Stevenson in a two-game series and came away with a split. On Friday night, the Kangaroos stunned the hosts with a 4-3 win in the final 10 seconds of regulation. Zac Sirota opened the scoring in the first period and provided the game-winner on the power play just before the final buzzer. Filip Schlyter made 30 saves in the win for the Roos who lost the second game 4-0 to Stevenson completing a 1-1 weekend.
MASCAC
The post-Brian McGrath era began successfully for the Fitchburg State Falcons as goaltender Max Macchioni earned his first win and shutout in a 3-0 win over New England College. Cole Archambeault, Wyatt Wilmshurst and Toivo Kramer for all the scoring in front of Macchioni and his 27-save effort.
Massachusetts-Dartmouth scored a pair of goals in the third period to break open a 2-2 tie and down Massachusetts-Boston, 4-2 on Friday night. The Corsairs were led by Michael Mania’s two goals and 52 saves from goaltender Daniel Davidson.
NE-10
St. Anselm had a strong opening weekend with a pair of victories. The Hawks downed cross-town rival Southern New Hampshire on Friday by a 5-1 score. Five different goal scorers found the back of the net for the Hawks with Max Burum and Jack Murphy having two-point nights. On Saturday, there was a bit more drama against Southern Maine where Matt Hayes scored to tie the game late in the third period before Tommy Schwartz scored the game-winner in overtime for a 6-5 for the Hawks.
NEHC
Hobart hosted a ranked Oswego squad on Friday night and took advantage of three power play goals in route to a 5-2 win over the Lakers. Five different players scored goals for the Statesmen in the win. On Saturday, Matthew Iasenza led the way with a pair of goals as Hobart downed Potsdam 7-2.
Norwich opened their season on the road at Endicott and in typical Cadet fashion won an efficient 3-0 game over Endicott. Drennen Atherton made 25 saves to earn the shutout win while Brendon Jones, Clark Kerner and Noah Williams provided all the scoring.
A young Babson squad hosted Plymouth State on Saturday night with the first period played scoreless. The next two periods saw the teams exchange goals leaving the score deadlocked at 2-2 and sending the game to overtime. In the extra session, first-year forward Egan Schmitt scored the overtime winner to give the Beavers a dramatic 3-2 win.
SUNYAC
Geneseo opened their season 2-0 on the strength of wins over Neumann and Nazareth. On Friday night, the Knights took advantage of 25 saves from goaltender Matt Petzian and goals by Tyson Gilmour, Peter Morgan and Justin Cmunt for a 3-0 win in their home opener. On Saturday, two first period goals were enough in a 2-1 win over Nazareth.
Cortland opened the season with a solid 7-2 win on the road against Lebanon Valley on Friday night. Seven different goal scorers supported a 28-save effort from Luca Durante in the win.
After the opening night loss to Hobart, Oswego returned home on Saturday to face another NEHC team in Elmira. The Lakers built a 4-0 lead on goals from Shane Bull, Connor Sleeth, Daniel Colabuto and Tommy Cahill on the way to a 5-2 victory to finish the weekend at 1-1.
UCHC
After dropping a 6-1 decision to Brockport on Friday night, King’s found answers to all of Wilkes’ challenges on Saturday earning a hard-fought overtime win over the Colonels. Jack Cooper twice gave the Monarchs the lead only to see Wilkes answer on goals from Joe Johnson and Cam Lowe. In the extra session, Aaron Frenkel won the game for King’s giving them a lot of momentum for the UCHC/MAC schedule.
Utica traveled to face the nation’s number one ranked team and dropped a pair of games to Adrian to open the season. Know that my counterpart in the West will be covering in his weekend wrap-up but kudos need to be shared for the Bulldogs’ Matus Spodniak who scored five goals in the series including the overtime winner in Friday’s 4-3 OT thriller and a hat trick in the 8-3 win on Saturday.
Three Biscuits
Nathan Carl – Nichols – scored the overtime winner in the Woo Cup Tournament win over Assumption that also earned him Tournament MVP honors.
Emil Normann – Buffalo State – backstopped the Bengals to a 4-0 win over Lawrence stopping all 36 shots he faced.
Max Macchioni – Fitchburg State – made 27 saves in his first collegiate start to earn his first win and shutout in a 3-0 Falcon win over New England College.
Bonus Biscuit
Matus Spodniak – Adrian – was the dominant player in the weekend series with Utica scoring five goals including the opening goal both games, the overtime winner on Friday and a hat trick in Saturday’s 8-3 win to sweep the Pioneers. (Have to give the extra biscuit here even though Matus doesn’t play in the East)
Week one is in the books and teams were definitely ready to play games with real results. Expecting more and better as we progress through the first half sprint to the semester break.
Adam Fantilli has been on a tear to start his freshman campaign for Michigan (photo: Michigan Photography).
With 22 first-place votes this week, Michigan is the new No. 1 team in the DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, moving up three spots from last week’s rankings.
Denver garnered 15 first-place nods and is No. 2 this week, up from No. 3 a week ago.
Former No. 1 Minnesota (five first-place votes) sits third this week, followed by St. Cloud State (six first-place votes) at No. 4, dropping two spots, and Massachusetts (one first-place vote), holding steady at No. 5.
Minnesota State is up two to No. 6, Quinnipiac remains seventh, Connecticut moves up two to No. 8 and also earned a first-place vote, while Ohio State rises two to No. 9, and North Dakota falls four to No. 10 this week.
Bemidji State is the lone new team to enter the rankings this week, coming in at No. 20.
In addition to the top 20 teams, 11 other teams received votes.
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:
• Arizona State rallies to beat North Dakota in Las Vegas
• No. 1 Minnesota splits at No. 11 Ohio State
• No. 5 UMass splits OT wins vs. Merrimack
• UConn is surging
• Ivies are underway with Harvard at 2-0 and Cornell getting swept at Minnesota Duluth among prominent games
• Denver sweeps Miami; Are the Pioneers back on track?
• UMass-Boston University game creates some goalie interference controversy (see video here: https://twitter.com/jimmyconnelly/status/1586748488821391362)
• Have the points of emphasis for 2022 already been discarded?
Nelli Laitinen’s shot from the point midway through the first had the Gophers up 1-0 after the first period and it looked like that would hold into the second intermission. But Ohio State scored twice in :39 in the closing minutes of the second frame to take a 2-1 lead into the third. Jenna Buglioni and Sophie Jaques each put away a rebound to give the Buckeyes the lead. Minnesota responded immediately when the third period began as Taylor Heise made it a 2-2 game. Petyon Hemp banked in a shot from below the goal line and Abigail Boreen cleaned up a loose puck to give the Gophers a 4-2 win. On Saturday, there were 13 penalties assessed and more than a period’s worth of game time was spent on special teams. Once again, Minnesota jumped out to a lead as Abbey Murphy and Josefin Bouveng had them up 2-0 before four minutes had passed. Makenna Webster, who’s playing field and ice hockey at Ohio State and had not played on Friday, cut the lead in half late in the first. The 2-1 score held through the second and in the third, things got frenzied. Murphy scored in the first minute to make it a 3-1 game. In the middle of the third, the teams combined for four goals in 3:39 of game time. Jenn Gardiner made it 3-2 and then Sophie Jaques scored on the power play to tie the game. Sixty-six seconds later, Taylor Heise took off during an OSU power play and scored a short-handed goal to put Minnesota ahead 4-3. But it took Jaques just 33 seconds to get her second power play goal, which tied the game and forced overtime. The extra frame could not decide this and it goes down as a tie, with Ohio State getting an extra conference point for winning the shootout.
(3) Wisconsin at (5) Minnesota Duluth
In the first game, the Badgers outshot UMD 16-6 in the first period and Lacey Eden scored with under two to play to give Wisconsin a 1-0 lead. She picked off a pass in the neutral zone and took it in alone, beating Emma Soderberg. But the Bulldogs kept pushing back, keeping UW off the board and putting more pressure on their net. Gabbie Hughes broke through with 2:50 left in regulation to tie the game and force overtime. She was left alone in front of the net and cleaned up a rebound. In the extra frame, Nina Jobst-Smith’s shot from just above the circles deflected off Cammi Kronish’s pads and into the net to give Minnesota Duluth the 2-1 overtime win. Saturday’s game was back and forth and in a rarity for the Badgers, they were outshot 38-26. Wisconsin got on the board first as KK Harvey’s wrister from the left faceoff dot on the power play gave the Badgers the lead. The Bulldogs responded with a similar goal on a power play of their own as Hannah Baskin scored her first career goal. Gabbie Krause put UMD up 2-1 early in the second. Wisconsin took advantage of a 3-on-2 rush as Britta Curl slid a pass across the slot to Eden, who tied the game at 2. Harvey gave UW a lead as she crashed into the slot to clean up a loose puck before wristing it home. Nicole LaMantia saw an opening from the left side and made it a two-goal lead early in the third. Jesse Compher was given a five minute major and game misconduct for slashing the back of Soderberg’s head as she was sprawled on the ice after covering up a puck. Harvey took an interference penalty toward the end of the major and Ashton Bell made Wisconsin pay, cutting the lead to 4-3. It looked as though the Bulldogs had once again come up with a late game equalizer, this time from Naomi Rogge, but the Badgers successfully challenged for offsides and ended up taking the 4-3 win.
(4) Colgate at (7) Quinnipiac
Sadie Peart buried a slap shot from behind the left circle seven minutes into the first to give Quinnipiac a 1-0 lead and the Bobcats held off the Raiders until the waning minutes of the game as Olivia Mobley and Shay Maloney scored on the empty net to secure the 3-0 win.
(4) Colgate at (10) Princeton
Princeton kept the game close through the first two periods, but Colgate pulled away in the third to earn their 10th straight win. Late in the opening frame, Kaitlyn O’Donohoe put away a rebound on a Danielle Serdachny shot to put Colgate up 1-0. Princeton quickly responded with a snipe of a wrister by Sarah Fillier. The Raiders second goal once again came thanks to Serdachny as Sydney Bard buried a rebound after her long-distance shot. Sara Stewart’s wrap-around goal made it 3-1. Neena Brick turned a turnover quickly into a goal to make it 4-1 and Kaitlyn O’Donohoe went short side high to make it a 5-1 win.
(6) Northeastern vs. (13) Providence
In the first game, Northeastern outshot the Friars 33-14 and dominated from start to finish. Petyon Anderson, Chloe Aurard, Mia Brown and Maude Poulin-Labelle each scored to lead them to a 4-1 win. Claire Tyo scored the goal for Providence. On Saturday, Noemi Neubauerova corralled a rebound with her skate and shot the puck back in the net to give Providence a 1-0 lead. A few minutes later, Abbey Marohn did the same thing on the other end to tie the game up for Northeastern. In the third, Tory Mariano’s long distance shot came off Katy Knoll and Murphy was able to place it top shelf to give the Huskies a 2-1 lead. In the third, Lauren DeBois had room to move the puck at the top of the zone and she turned at the point and released a wrister to tie the game. This one could not be decided in overtime and goes down as a tie, with Northeastern getting an extra point with the shootout win. Both goalies played well, but Sandra Arbstreiter excelled in the extra frame, stopping seven shots for a total of 48 in the game.
(8) Cornell at (7) Quinnipiac
The Bobcats showed why they’re being underestimated in the polls by taking a pair of wins over ranked teams. They are one of just three undefeated teams left in the country (Minnesota and Yale are the other two). Madison Chantler and Shay Maloney traded goals and primary assists to put the Bobcats up 2-0 at the end of the first. Gillis Frechette’s shot ricocheted in early in the second to cut the lead in half. Maya Labad ensured the victory for Quinnipiac by putting in a pass from Alexa Hoskin and hitting an empty-netter to make it a 4-1 win.
(8) Cornell at (10) Princeton
The Big Red were led by rookie McKenna Van Gelder on Sunday. She scored first on the PP, cleaning up a rebound left by Princeton goalie Jennifer Olnowich. Tiger freshman tied it up with some pretty stickwork to beat Deanna Fraser and tie the game. Van Gelder’s shot from the left circle gave Cornell the lead with nine to go in the game. Izzy Daniel added an empty-netter to secure the 3-1 win.
(9) Yale at Harvard
Freshman Jordan Ray had ten shots on goal and scored twice in her first first game as a Bulldog to give Yale a 2-1 win in their season opener. Gabi Davidson Adams scored late in the game to ruin the shutout and get Harvard on the board.
(9) Yale at Dartmouth
The Big Green scored first in this game, but Yale reeled off four unanswered to come away with a 4-1 win. Jenna Donohue scored eight minutes in for Dartmouth. Carina DiAntonio evened the score on a power play goal late in the first. Vita Poniatovskaia scored midway through the second to make it 2-1 and DiAntonio added her second of the day to make it 3-1 heading into the final period. Anna Bargman added an empty-netter to make it a 4-1 win.
(12) Penn State at Lindenwood
The Nittany Lions outshot the Lions 46-20 on Friday and eked out a 4-3 win. Rachel Goff scored first for Lindenwood, but Penn State quickly responded with an unassisted goal from Alyssa Machado. Morgan Neitzke’s power play goal early in the second once again put Lindenwood up, but Tessa Janecke scored short-handed to tie it up once again. Izzy Heminger’s power play goal gave the Nittany Lions their first lead of the game as they headed into the second intermission. In the third, Olivia Wallin’s late game goal would prove to be the game winner as Neitzke found the net late to close the gap. In the second game, Courtney Correia tallied her second hat trick of the season to lead Penn State to a 7-0 win. Tessa Janecke added two goals and an assist.
(15) Boston College at (14) Vermont
Vermont rallied after being down 2-0 to take a 3-2 win on Friday. Gaby Roy scored in the opening minutes of the game and that had BC up 1-0 into the first break. Hannah Bilka doubled the lead early in the second. But from there the Catamounts took over. They outshot BC 44-13, including 34-9 over the final two frames. Maddy Skelton started Vermont’s run later in the second and Natalie Mlynkova scored 20 seconds into the third to tie up the game. Late in the third, Lara Beecher poked in a rebound from a Sara Levesque shot to win the game. Special teams were the difference in Saturday’s game as BC took a 2-0 lead before 11 minus had lapsed in the game thanks to two power play goals – one each from Cayla Barnes and Kate Ham. Theresa Schafzahl made it 2-1 in the closing seconds of the first period. Bilka scored again in the third to give BC a 3-1 lead, but once again, it was Schafzahl closing the gap. In the third, Lily Humphrey tied the game up for Vermont, but they could not complete a second comeback and Kelly Browne scored in overtime to give BC a 4-3 win.
Arizona State celebrates its victory over North Dakota this past weekend in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena (photo: Arizona State Athletics).
Each week, USCHO.com will pick the top 10 moments from the past weekend in our Monday 10 feature.
1. No. 16 Penn State continues to roll
With a home sweep of Wisconsin in their opening weekend of Big Ten play, the Nittany Lions have improved to 8-0-0, the best start in the program’s history.
The 4-0 Saturday win was the first career shutout for junior Liam Souliere, whose 1.50 goals-against average and .945 save percentage put him within the top 10 in both categories among goalies nationally.
Through eight games, the Nittany Lions are averaging 4.62 goals per game, second nationally to B1G rival Michigan.
Penn State remains the only undefeated squad among teams with more than two games played this season.
Wisconsin falls to 2-6-0.
2. Vegas loves the Sun Devils
Trailing 2-0 by the midway point of the first period, Arizona State scored three unanswered goals to beat No. 6 North Dakota 3-2 in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Saturday night.
Juniors Matthew Kopperud and Lucas Sillinger scored the first two ASU goals and senior Robert Mastrosimone had the game-winner less than a minute into the third period.
North Dakota is the highest-ranking team knocked down by the Sun Devils since Arizona State beat then-No. 4 Denver in 2019. With the loss, the Fighting Hawks are 3-3-1 on the year so far.
Following a sweep of Colorado College Oct. 21-22, Arizona State extends its win streak to three games. The Sun Devils are now 3-0 all-time in games played in Las Vegas. They’re 5-4-0 overall this season.
3. Vegas loves college hockey
The attendance at the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game in T-Mobile Arena, home of the Las Vegas nights was 15,503. By all accounts, the vast majority of fans in attendance were rooting for North Dakota.
According to Grand Forks Herald reporter Brad Elliott Schlossman, Fighting Hawks fans traveled from all over the U.S. – and some internationally – for the game.
Here's the latest map on where fans are traveling from to attend the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game. I believe I count 84 different cities in North Dakota, 94 in Minnesota… as well as a lot of states. https://t.co/grI9TzzXmA
North Dakota lost the 2021 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game to Penn State in Bridgestone Arena, home of the Nashville Predators.
4. No. 1 Minnesota splits first B1G series of season
The top-ranked Golden Gophers split their first Big Ten series of the season in Columbus against No. 11 Ohio State with a 6-4 loss Friday and a 4-2 rebound win Saturday.
After Friday’s game, coach Bob Motzko said, “Our energy was low, and we’re trying to find it, and you’ve got a few guys pushing. It was like a trip to the dentist tonight.”
The Gophers found the energy they needed Saturday, especially in the second period when goals scored 63 seconds apart put Minnesota ahead. Junior forward Mason Nevers scored his third of the season at 15:38, and sophomore forward Matthew Knies scored his fifth of the year at 16:41. That goal was Knies’ second game-winning goal this season. Minnesota improves to 5-3-0 overall.
Six different Buckeyes scored in their Friday win. Ohio State is now 7-2-1 overall.
5. No. 2 St. Cloud splits home-and-home with Bemidji State
Bemidji State became the first team to beat St. Cloud State this season with a 3-1 home win Friday night.
“I thought we played a really good 55 minutes,” said BSU coach Tom Serratore, whose Beavers are 3-2-1 overall. “The first five minutes, obviously giving a up a power-play goal right away, things could have went south. I thought our guys hung in there. We played good. I thought at the end of the day, we were hard to play against.”
The Huskies are 7-1-0 after earning the weekend nonconference split with a 4-1 home win over the Beavers the following night. Freshman forward Adam Ingram had the game-winning goal at 14:12 in the second period. It was Ingram’s second career goal and quite literally a highlight-reel play.
— St. Cloud State Men's Hockey (@SCSUHuskies_MH) October 30, 2022
6. No. 5 Massachusetts splits first Hockey East series of season
In another split featuring a top-10 team, Massachusetts and Merrimack exchanged overtime wins, each winning in its own barn in the opening HEA action of the season for the Minutemen.
Sophomore forward Taylor Makar had the game-winning goal in Massachusetts’ 3-2 home win Friday, scoring his third of the season at 1:12 in OT.
Senior Ben Brar’s goal at 3:37 in overtime Saturday gave the Warriors the 2-1 home win.
7. Splitting is trendy – as No. 9 Boston University knows
The fourth of the top 10 DCU/USCHO Division I Men’s Poll teams to split a weekend series was Boston University, who exchanged a pair of 2-1 games with No. 18 UMass Lowell, losing Friday and winning in overtime Saturday.
Freshman defenseman Lane Hutson had the only two goals in BU’s overtime win – the game-tying goal at 17:51 in the third, and the OT winner at 2:29.
Boston University improves to 4-3-0 on the season, while UMass Lowell is 5-3-0.
8. Extra! Extra!
There were 13 OT games on the weekend – seven Friday, six Saturday.
Among the notable overtime games was the 1-1 tie between No. 12 Notre Dame and Michigan State.
After beating the Spartans 4-0 in South Bend Friday night, the Fighting Irish trailed 1-0 Saturday until fifth-year defenseman Nick Leivermann netted his third of the season late in the second to knot it up.
After the teams remained scoreless through overtime, the Spartans earned the extra conference point in the shootout. Through 65 minutes of play, Michigan State’s Dylan St. Cyr made 38 saves and Notre Dame’s Ryan Bischel stopped 41.
The Spartans are 4-4-1 overall. Notre Dame is 4-2-2.
9. Another Michigan rookie hat trick
For the second time in two weeks, a Wolverine newcomer has netted his first career hat trick. The first was when forward Adam Fantilli scored three on the road against Lake Superior State. In Michigan’s home-and-home sweep of Western Michigan this past weekend, it was Rutger McGroarty with his first three collegiate goals – all on the power play, all in Saturday’s 6-5 OT road win.
In the two high-scoring, one-goal wins, seven of Michigan’s 11 goals came from its freshman class, including three more for Fantilli.
In Saturday’s OT win, the Wolverines scored four power-play goals for the first time since 2018, and with the 11-goal weekend, Michigan is now averaging 5.25 goals per game, first in the nation.
10. Welcome to the season, Ivies
All six Ivy League schools that make up the ECAC played their first official games of the season this past weekend.
In nonconference action, No. 20 Cornell dropped two road games to No. 19 Minnesota Duluth, 3-2 and 4-2.
Brown and Yale split a home-and-home series, with Yale winning at home 2-0 Saturday and Brown taking Sunday’s game 2-1.
No. 14 Harvard beat Dartmouth 5-2 Friday and Princeton 4-2 Saturday. Additionally, Dartmouth lost 8-3 to Army in nonconference play Sunday.
Reigning national champion Adrian swept Utica over the weekend. Photo courtesy of Adrian Athletics.
The streak continues.
In a weekend series worthy of being played in March, reigning national champion and top-ranked Adrian swept No. 3 Utica, capping the series with convincing 8-3 win on Saturday.
That win came on the heels of a 4-3 overtime win on Friday.
Adrian has now won 33 consecutive games, their last loss coming to Utica in the 2021-22 season opener.
Matus Spodniak paved the way in the finale, recording a hat trick and also adding an assist to his stat line.
Zachary Heintz came through with two assists and a goal while Sam Ruffin and Ayodele Adeniye both dished out two assists apiece.
Dershahn Stewart started in goal and made 31 saves.
Spodniak was the hero on Friday. The Bulldogs raised their championship banner before the game and then went to work in a tight battle from start to finish.
In overtime, Spodniak struck for the game-winning goal in OT.
Utica led 2-1 after one period and went up 3-1 in the second before rallying. Mathew Rehding cut the lead to one and Riley Murphy tied the scored in the third.
Nic Tallarico started the opener and tallied 21 saves.
Below is a look at some of the other games that took place over the opening weekend of the season.
Green Knights unbeaten against Pointers
Sixth-ranked St. Norbert wrapped up its weekend with a 1-1 tie against 10th-ranked UW-Stevens Point.
St. Norbert opened the series with a 3-2 win in OT on Friday before Johnny Roberts racked up 44 saves in a 1-1 tie with the Pointers on Saturday. That total is a career high, with 10 of those saves coming in OT.
Brendan Aird scored the lone goal for the Green Knights. Mick Heneghan scored UW-Stevens Point’s lone goal.
The Pointers held a 45-25 edge in shots.
On Friday, Liam Fraser came through with a power-play goal in OT to lift the Green Knights to a victory. Ben Schmidling tallied two goals and an assist for the Green Knights. Wilson Northey had a goal and assist for the Pointers.
Foresters cap weekend with win
After playing to a 5-5 tie against Saint Mary’s on Friday, Lake Forest took care of business Saturday with a 6-3 win.
The Forresters trailed 3-2 after one period but scored four goals over the next two periods to seal the deal.
Colin Bella’s second goal of the night gave Lake Forest the lead for good. It was the first game winner of his career.
Friday’s game did go to a shootout and the Cardinals won it 3-2.
Bud Winter scored twice for the Cardinals. David Cohen finished with two goals for the Forresters.
Matt Sankner made 34 saves for the Cardinals and Carson Poulin made 33 saves for the Forresters.
Thunder sweep opening series
Trine got off to a 2-0 start to the season with a sweep of Fredonia. Trine won the opener 5-1 and needed OT to win on Saturday.
Brett Piper scored the game-winner in the extra session to lift Trine to a win. Rookie Kyle Kozman started in goal and made 23 saves.
Brad Jenion had a goal and two assists on Friday.
Blue Devils roll through opening weekend
UW-Stout won only eight games last season. The Blue Devils showed this past weekend that they might just be a different team this year.
UW-Stout opened with a 6-2 win over MSOE on Friday and then crushed Concordia (Wis.) on Saturday.
Against MSOE, the Blue Devils scored five goals in the second period, including three off the power play. Kobe Keller tallied a goal and two assists and Jordan Halverson finished with a pair of goals. Tyler Masternak made 28 saves.
A hat trick highlighted Saturday’s win. Peyton Hart recorded a hat trick while teammates Matt Dahlseide and Peter Verstegen both scored two goals apiece. The Blue Devils scored eight of their goals in the final two periods. The nine-goal outburst is the best by UW-Stout since the 2013-14 season and the eight-goal margin of victory is the largest since 2009.
Dawson Green got the job done between the pipes, earning his first collegiate win on a night when he made 20 saves.
Johnnies rally for win
Saint John’s trailed 1-0 early but scored the final three goals of the game for a 3-1 win over UW-River Falls in its season opener.
Mason Campbell tied the game with the first goal of his career and Joe Papa put the Johnnies ahead for good. Max Borst also scored while Bailey Huber made 27 saves in his first start at the college level.
The Falcons had much better luck on Friday, rolling over Hamline 4-0. Gibb Coady tallied a goal and an assist in the win.
Royals off and running
Bethel dominated Finlandia in its first two games of the season. The Royals scored eight goals in both games, winning 8-2 and 8-1.
They scored six goals in the opening period on Saturday and never looked back. Braden Bartoo finished with two goals and Jarrett Cammarata tallied three assists. Austin Ryman made 12 saves.
Cammarata recorded a hat trick-plus one on Friday, scoring four goals for the Royals. Justin Kelley added two goals and Travis Allen tallied 15 saves.
No. 6 North Dakota (3-3-1)
10/29/2022 – RV Arizona State 3 vs No. 6 North Dakota 2 (U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game, Las Vegas)
No. 7 Quinnipiac (3-1-2)
Did not play.
No. 8 Minnesota State (5-3-0)
10/28/2022 – Bowling Green 2 at No. 8 Minnesota State 3 (OT)
10/29/2022 – Bowling Green 2 at No. 8 Minnesota State 4
No. 9 Boston University (4-3-0)
10/28/2022 – No. 9 Boston University 1 at No. 18 UMass Lowell 2
10/29/2022 – No. 18 UMass Lowell 1 at No. 9 Boston University 2 (OT)
No. 10 Connecticut (7-1-1)
10/27/2022 – RV Boston College 1 at No. 10 Connecticut 5
No. 11 Ohio State (7-2-1)
10/28/2022 – No. 1 Minnesota 4 at No. 11 Ohio State 6
10/29/2022 – No. 1 Minnesota 4 at No. 11 Ohio State 2
No. 12 Notre Dame (4-2-2)
10/28/2022 – RV Michigan State 0 at No. 12 Notre Dame 5
10/29/2022 – RV Michigan State 1 at No. 12 Notre Dame 1 (OT)
No. 13 Providence (4-2-1)
10/28/2022 – No. 13 Providence 2 at New Hampshire 2 (OT)
10/29/2022 – New Hampshire 1 at No. 13 Providence 3
No. 9 Boston University celebrates Lane Hudson’s overtime game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over No. 18 UMass Lowell. Hutson scored late in regulation to force the extra session. (Photo: BU Athletics/Caroline Fernandez)
Overtime was the theme of Saturday as three key games featured late goals to force overtime with some favorites holding serve, but unranked Merrimack finding the game-winner to hand No. 5 Massachusetts its first loss of the season.
Mac Welsher scored the game-tying goal with 32 seconds remaining in regulation and Ben Brar delivered the game-winner at 3:37 of overtime as Merrimack hand UMass its first loss of the season, 2-1.
A night after UMass survived on home ice on Taylor Makar’s overtime game-winning goal, the Warriors enacted their form of revenge in North Andover.
UMass grabbed the 1-0 lead early in the second on Reed Lebster’s third goal of the season, an unassisted tally, at 3:15.
That’s where the game stood until the final minute of regulation.
Merrimack never led all weekend yet, in the end, splits the six available points with the Minutemen. It was the first loss of the season for UMass, which falls to 5-1-1 on the season. Merrimack improves to 4-3-0 overall.
No. 4 Michigan 6, No. 19 Western Michigan 5 (OT)
In a highly-anticipated weekend series between two of Michigan’s in-state rivals, Michigan bounced back from letting slip a two-goal, third-period lead to earn a 6-5 overtime victory on Luke Hughes overtime tally at 3:27 of the extra session.
Combined with a 5-4 victory in Ann Arbor in Friday, Michigan completes the two-game sweep of Western Michigan, in a series where offense was king and defense seemed optional.
Rutger McGroarty registered a hat trick for Michigan and Adam Fantilli added two goals. Ryan McAllister scored twice and added an assist for Western Michigan.
The weekend series between these two teams was highly anticipated after Michigan canceled its matchup against Western Michigan last December when the Wolverines were missing a large number of players during World Juniors.
No. 1 Minnesota 4, No. 11 Ohio State 2
The visiting Gophers jumped out to a 3-1 lead through two periods and never looked back, earning a 4-2 victory over Ohio State to earn a weekend split with the Buckeyes.
Jimmy Snuggerud notched a goal and two assists and Jackson LaCombe added a goal and assist for Minnesota. Justen Close earned the victory making 20 saves.
Ohio State was hampered by penalties on the evening, giving the Gophers eight power play attempts that resulted in a single goal. Joe Junlap was ejected from the game in the third period after receiving a major penalty for kneeing with 5:27 remaining.
No. 9 Boston University 2, No. 18 UMass Lowell 1 (OT)
Despite being stymied for much of the night and the weekend, Boston University’s offense – and in particular Lane Hutson – woke up at the right time.
Hutson scored an extra-attacker goal with 2:09 left in regulation and then added the overtime game-winner at 2:29 of the extra session as the Terriers earned the weekend series split with UMass Lowell, 2-1.
The River Hawks, who won on Friday by an identical 2-1 score, seemed poised to walk away with a sweep when Matt Crasa broke the scoreless deadlock late in the second period.
But BU had plenty of chances in the third, outshooting Lowell, 16-3, and even appeared to have the regulation game-winner with 5.8 seconds when Chase McCarthy’s goal was eventually disallowed for goalie interference.
Arizona State 3, No. 6 North Dakota 2
Robert Mastrosimone’s goal 24 seconds into the third period broke a 2-2 tie as Arizona State rallied from 2-0 down to upset No. 6 North Dakota, 3-2, in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game in Las Vegas.
In front of a partisan North Dakota crowd, the Sun Devils fell behind early on goals by Gavin Main and Jake Schmaltz just 2:03 apart midway through the first period.
But Arizona State responded to cut the deficit to one when Matthew Kopperud tallied with 3:35 remaining in the first. Lukas Sillinger evened the score at 10:31 of the the second period, giving the Arizona State fans in the packed T-Mobile Arena plenty to cheer about.
Arizona State limited the Fighting Hawks to just 15 shots on goal as the Sun Devils defense blocked a remarkable 22 shot attempts.
Taylor Makar celebrates his overtime winner Friday night that led UMass to a 3-2 win over Merrimack (photo: UMass Athletics).
No. 11 Ohio State improved to 7-1-1 on the year and 3-0 in the Big Ten with a 6-4 victory over No. 1-ranked Minnesota Friday night at Value City Arena.
The Buckeyes led 1-0 after the first period before Minnesota tied the game early in the second. Ohio State scored three of the next four goals and led 4-2 after the second, later pushing the advantage to 6-2 less than eight minutes into the third.
Minnesota scored the game’s final two goals for the 6-4 final.
“[It was] our work ethic against the best team in the country,” Ohio State coach Steve Rohlik said on the Big Ten Network postgame show. “As much talent as they have, you have to play above the puck. I thought our forwards did a great job of coming back and playing above the puck and that was the difference.”
Twelve Buckeyes had a point in the win, led by Travis Treloar with two goals and Joe Dunlap with a goal and an assist. Jakub Dobes made 27 saves in goal.
“Obviously, we are not real happy right now,” Minnesota coach Bob Motzko said. “That was not a great effort by us. Our energy was low and we were trying to find it. When you don’t have your energy, you make some poor decisions.”
Four different players netted goals for the Gophers, Aaron Huglen posted two assists, and Justen Close turned aside 21 shots in suffering the loss in goal.
Bemidji State 3, No. 2 St. Cloud State 1
After Zach Okabe scored for St. Cloud State, the Beavers rattled off three unanswered to take the 3-1 win on home ice at the Sanford Center.
Jere Vaisanen, Adam Flammang and Alexander Lundman scored for Bemidji State and Mattias Sholl stopped 17 for the win in goal.
For the Huskies, goaltender Jaxon Castor made 25 saves to take the loss.
No. 3 Denver 4, Miami 0
Carter Mazur recorded a natural hat trick and goaltender Magnus Chrona stopped all 24 shots he faced to lead Denver to a 4-0 shutout victory against Miami on Friday night at Goggin Ice Center.
Mazur’s three goals marked his first career hat trick, with Massimo Rizzo and Casey Dornbach picking up assists on each marker.
Dornbach recorded his 100th career point on Mazur’s tally in the second period that made it a 2-0 game at the time, and his three helpers in the contest extended his team scoring lead to 11 points on the season (four goals, seven assists).
In goal for the RedHawks, Ludvig Persson collected 33 saves.
No. 4 Michigan 5, No. 17 Western Michigan 4
Michigan captain Nolan Moyle notched the game-winning goal with 9:02 left in the third period on Friday night inside a sold-out Yost Ice Arena as the fourth-ranked Wolverines outlasted No. 17 Western Michigan in a 5-4 nonconference matchup.
Goalie Erik Portillo stopped 31 of 35 shots to earn his sixth win of the season.
Cameron Rowe finished with 28 saves for the Broncos, while four different players scored and Ryan McAllister and Jason Polin each recorded two assists apiece.
The two teams head to Kalamazoo, Mich., Saturday to wrap up the home-and-home series.
No. 5 Massachusetts 3, Merrimack 2 (OT)
Taylor Makar scored his third goal in as many games 1:12 into overtime to help lift No. 5 UMass past Merrimack in its Hockey East opener at the Mullins Center on Friday night.
“We were fortunate tonight,” said UMass coach Greg Carvel. “I thought for two periods Merrimack out-competed us and we started to play in the third. I liked our third period and we get the lead and quickly turn it back. It was another tight game with Merrimack. Every time we play them it seems to go to overtime and we were, once again, lucky to find our way on top. I thought we did a good job in overtime with our execution 3-on-3 strategy, which led to the odd-man rush. It was a frustrating game.
“I don’t think we were ready to compete tonight and that’s on me, but as the game went on, we got a little bit better, but we were fortunate to come out on top tonight.”
Luke Pavicich finished with 25 stops for the Minutemen and Hugo Ollas had 16 saves for the Warriors.
Merrimack’s Alex Jefferies had tied the game at 2-all at the 7:12 mark of the third period.
No. 8 Minnesota State 3, Bowling Green 2 (OT)
Mavericks captain Brendan Furry scored 4:05 into overtime to give eighth-ranked Minnesota State a 3-2 win over Bowling Green Friday night at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.
Minnesota State held a 2-0 lead heading into the third period in the game, but BGSU scored twice in forcing overtime, with Austin Swankler tying the game at 19:04 of the third period with a six-on-four marker after BGSU netminder Christian Stoever went to the bench for the extra attacker.
Alex Tracy made 13 saves in getting the win for Minnesota State, while Stoever stopped 29 for the Falcons.
No. 18 UMass Lowell 2, No. 9 Boston University 1
The River Hawks’ Scout Truman scored twice in the second period and UMass Lowell held off a furious Terriers rally at the end of the game to secure the win at the Tsongas Center.
In goal for UMass Lowell, Henry Welsch kicked out 32 shots.
“Overall, we’re excited about getting some points at home against a very good opponent,” UMass Lowell coach Norm Bazin said. “I thought we started the game a little slower than we would’ve liked and ended up defending most of the first period. As the game progressed, I thought we got a little bit better, and I thought the third period was much better. PK was decent. We scored a power-play goal. That’s something we’ve been working on this week. The goaltending was strong again. But I think we’ve got several areas where we have to shore up if we hope to have any success against a team that good.”
Ethan Phillips scored for BU and Vinny Duplessis made 19 saves between the pipes.
American International 8, Army West Point 2
Jordan Biro scored twice for the Yellow Jackets, Blake Bennett went for a goal and two helpers, and Julius Janhonen and Josh Barnes chipped in with a goal and an assist each at Tate Rink.
In net, Alexandros Aslanidis earned the win with 26 saves before being lifted at the third-period media timeout for Troy Kobryn, who made eight saves on eight shots in the final 7:41.
For Army West Point, John Keranen and Lucas Kanta scored, Anthony Firriolo assisted on both, and Gavin Abric and Evan Szary combined to stop 23 shots in goal.
Michigan Tech 6, St. Lawrence 0
Michigan Tech overwhelmed St. Lawrence 6-0 Friday night at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena to begin a nonconference series.
Six different Huskies scored, 12 tallied a point, and Blake Pietila made 18 saves to extend his school record with the 12th shutout of his career.
“I’m happy with the win, and I thought our guys played hard,” MTU coach Joe Shawhan said. “We got better as the game went on and our goaltending was tremendous. A big difference was special teams, and I also think the guys fed off the energy in the building.”
In his 100th game as a Husky, Parker Saretsky finished a three-point night – his second of the season – when he scored on the power play 3:46 into the third period. He added two assists in the game.
Emil Zetterquist started the game in net for the Saints and stopped 16 shots in the first 43:46. Francis Boisvert made 15 saves in the final 16:14.
Jordan Fader leads UW-Stevens Point into action against St. Norbert this weekend (Photo Credit: UW-Stevens Point Athletics)
Hello hockey fans. It’s time for another season. And you can’t ask for anything better than a couple of matchups on the opening weekend that are worthy of being played late in March.
Reigning champ Adrian battles Utica, the last team to beat Adrian, and UW-Stevens Point squares off with St. Norbert in a huge in-state battle featuring a pair of top 10 teams.
Here’s a look at few of the games on tap for this weekend.
Friday and Saturday
Utica at Adrian
Utica handed Adrian its only loss a season ago before the Bulldogs rattled off 31 consecutive wins on their way to a national title.
This is a huge test for both teams. The Bulldogs go into the year as the No. 1 team in the nation.
Both teams execute well on both ends of the ice and this is a series could easily end in a split. But the Bulldogs are the team to beat until proven otherwise. Adrian, 3-2, 2-1
Stevens Point vs. St. Norbert
Like the Adrian-Utica series, this matchup is one worthy of the NCAA tournament. The Pointers are ranked 10th in the country and the Green Knights are sixth.
It’s a series that features two of the best scorers in the game in the Pointers’ Jordan Fader and the Green Knights’ Liam Fraser. UW-Stevens Point, 5-3; St. Norbert 4-3
Lake Forest at Saint Mary’s
The Foresters are looking for a turnaround season and have a roster with 23 returning players on it. Lake Forest has a chance to get off to a great start to the year. But so are the Cardinals. After managing only eight wins last season, the Cardinals have a chance to build some confidence early. They return 25 players. Lake Forest, 3-1; Saint Mary’s, 2-1
Fredonia at Trine
The Thunder are coming off their best season in program history and have the potential to be even better this season.
Trine faces a team that won 10 games last year and welcomes back one of its best players in Garrett Hallford, who is back for a fifth year and scored 10 goals while dishing out 22 assists.
Fredonia won only three games on the road, which means Trine should have the edge.
Trine, 4-2 and 5-2
Friday
St. Scholastica at Concordia (Wisconsin)
The Saints are poised to be one of the better teams in the MIAC this season and have an opportunity to get started on the right foot. They return their top three scorers and that should make all the difference in the world for them. Saint Scholastica, 4-2
Saturday
Saint Scholastica at MSOE
This might be one of the more interesting matchups in the early part of the season. The Saints have a good number of their returning players back, and not just offensively. They also have two goaltenders that have experience.
The Raiders have a lot of young talent but expectations are high and beating a team like the Saints would bolster their confidence. Saint Scholastica, 5-2
Saint John’s at UW-River Falls
The Johnnies and Falcons are consistently two of the better teams in the west region and this year should be no exception. Saint John’s is led by team captain Auggie Moore, who led the team in points (28).
The Falcons bring back a talented cast of returning players, including Noah Ganske, who spent part of his summer at the Edmonton Oilers’ development camp. Saint John’s, 3-2
Stevenson’s Ryan Kenny looks to put his team in the win column as they open against SUNY-Canton this weekend (Photo by Sabina Moran)
The end of the exhibition season is upon us and while the action was exciting it hasn’t counted just yet. Thankfully, the official puck drop to the new season is upon us this weekend and, WOW, what a slate of games with a few top-ranked teams playing each other. Tournament action is also on tap this weekend with the Woo Cup Tournament in Worcester, MA among the local institutions with hardware on the line to open the season. Here are the first prognostications of the season from a varied and exciting group of non-conference action:
Friday, October 28, 2022
Salem State v. (14) Endicott
The Battle of the North Shore opens the season with the Gulls playing host to the Vikings. Expect this one to be close but the CCC ekes it out over MASCAC with some power play goals to get the “W” – Endicott, 4-3
Massachusetts-Dartmouth v. Massachusetts-Boston
The Beacons and Corsairs have been playing each other for many years despite different league affiliations. The rivalry is always a lively encounter and fast paced. The combination of Sam Best in goal and some new incoming offensive talent leads the Beacons to the win – UMB, 4-1
(13) Oswego v. (5) Hobart
Nothing like a top 15 matchup in the Cooler to open the season. While the Statesmen are finding out about their goaltending their skaters can stifle an opposing team with their skill and immense crowd support. Home ice is worth at least one goal in this one and the home team needs it – Hobart, 3-2
Plattsburgh v. Plymouth State
The Panthers won’t be looking past the Cardinals on Friday night, especially opening at home. Look for a physical game that includes a lot of special teams play. Power play is the difference in this one with Myles Abbate making the winning difference for the home team – PSU, 4-3
Stevenson v. Canton
The Mustangs need to be very focused and not worry about who is visiting their barn next weekend. Best to avoid the upset alert and take care of business against the Roos. Ryan Kenny makes sure the boys are focused in a semi-comfortable win – Stevenson, 5-2
St. Anselm v. Southern New Hampshire
This NE-10 opener may be a preview of something we see much later in the season – oh, like next March. Nick Howard vs. Aaron Mercer in goal for the respective teams are the two best in the conference. George Thurston scores for the Penmen but not enough to beat the Hawks on opening night – St. Anselm, 3-2
Saturday, October 29, 2022
(2) Geneseo v. Nazareth
The Knights are always looking to start fast, and an early lead here provided by Justin Cmunt and Peter Morgan leads to a comfortable lead. Matt Petzian in goal assures a Geneseo win on the road – Geneseo, 5-2
(3) Utica v. (1) Adrian
The Pioneers love a challenge so nothing like starting the season on the road against the defending national champions. Experience in big games matters for Utica and they leverage it on Saturday in a thrilling one-goal win – Utica, 5-4
Cortland v. (11) Wilkes
The Red Dragons went to Wilkes last season and won, and Luca Durante did not play in that game. Flip the script where he is in the blue paint for the home team and Cortland opens the season with an upset win over a quality ranked team – Cortland, 3-1
Chatham v. Skidmore
Rob Hutchison’s group isn’t going to surprise anyone this season based on their success last year. Tate Brandon will build off his solid freshman season and the Thoroughbreds will ease past the Cougars with the help of a late insurance goal – Skidmore, 4-2
Plymouth State v. (7) Babson
The Beavers open their season with a young lineup that will be tested against Plymouth State. Last season saw a one-goal game between these two teams and this year will see more scoring but same differential – Babson, 3-2
St. Michael’s v. Albertus Magnus
The Falcons do not want to repeat last season’s slow start so a win, or two, on opening weekend is just what their coach is looking for. Logan Bateman does his thing in goal and Alex Gagnon and company find enough to win – Albertus Magnus, 3-1
It is the first half sprint that kicks-off this weekend through early December. Everyone is looking to start hot and get some important wins and momentum in their favor. It should be a very exciting season across every conference. Buckle up! It’s going to be a crazy ride. My weekly game pick sign-off is always in homage and appreciation to John “Jocko” Connolly for letting me use it over these many years. It’s time – “Drop the Puck!”
Mattias Sholl has been steady in net this season for Bemidji State (photo: BSU Photo Services).
We are four weeks into the USCHO Edge column and I’m beginning to see a trend: for the most part, the oddsmakers are doing a better job at setting lines.
Last weekend, four of the five games we handicapped were won by the favorites and the fifth was taken by an even-money (+100) underdog, Notre Dame.
That said, three of the five two-game series were splits (UConn/BU, North Dakota/Minnesota and Western Michigan/Notre Dame), so Saturday’s rematches were won by the underdogs (all were slight technically slight underdogs or pick ’em, though).
My point: it’s getting more difficult to find any value, particularly when you’re betting two nationally-ranked teams. The books consider these matchups razor-thin and often times even when you bet the underdog, you’ll be giving money (see below: Penn State).
If you’re looking for advice, find edges. Find games where you think there could be an underlying storyline (See below: Michigan-Western Michigan). Another area to find value can be the over/under (always indicated on the end of the line as o/u). Currently, college hockey goals are up season-over-season. That trend usually corrects itself but right now the puck is jumping in the net for some teams.
For instance, both Michigan and Penn State are averaging better than five goals per game. So if you see an over/under for these teams around 6 or 6.5, the over becomes an obvious bet. Will it always win? No. But the odds are in your favor that it will.
Here are this week’s breakdowns:
All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook:
No. 1 Minnesota (-140) at No. 11 Ohio State (+110); o/u 6
The nation’s top-ranked team is only a slight favorite here, which likely factors in two things: the game is being played in Columbus and Minnesota is coming off an emotional weekend against North Dakota.
It will be hard to recreate the atmosphere from 3M Arena at Mariucci this weekend in Columbus and thus a slow start for the Gophers is a distinct possibility.
That said, it’s still difficult to pick against a team whose two losses have come against Minnesota State and North Dakota (in overtime), two teams ranked in the top 10.
If there is something to look for in Minnesota this weekend it’s the ability to close out an opponent. The Gophers haven’t had a comfortable victory since week one against Lindenwood. That closing ability could be notable as the season moves along.
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 9 Boston University (+100) at No. 18 UMass Lowell (-130); o/u 5.5
While UMass Lowell and Boston University aren’t one another’s true rivals, this series always has some rivalry-like emotion to it. This weekend, it will pit two coaches in BU’s Jay Pandolfo and UML’s Norm Bazin who played against one another in some heated games back in the 90s.
Yes, that was nearly 30 years ago, but expect both coaches to bring some 90s emotion to their respective locker rooms.
Neither team has been good in games to begin a two-game series. UMass Lowell dropped their openers against Miami and Michigan State while BU fell to Michigan and UConn in their first of two. Something has to give on Friday.
This is a tough game to handicap, though you can expect a solid home crowd for the River Hawks that might be enough to put them over the edge.
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 17 Western Michigan (+180) at No. 4 Michigan (-220); o/u 6.5
Let’s travel back in time to last December when a controversy was stirring in college hockey around a scheduled game between Western Michigan and Michigan. The game was supposed to be the second game of the Great Lakes Invitational when the Wolverines were missing many of their key players to World Juniors.
Michigan decided to cancel the game leaving many Western Michigan fans – and likely their coaches and players – irate. Since then, it feels like this weekend has ben circled on the calendars in Kalamazoo.
That said, this is a home-and-home series that begins in Ann Arbor, a place that Michigan has been 21-6-1 since the start of last season and 14-1-0 since the start of this calendar year.
Western did knock off Michigan at Yost in this exact series last season (and won in Kalamazoo the following night). And Western Michigan at +180 feels like one of the best values we’ve seen for any team this season.
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 16 Penn State (-105) at Wisconsin (-125); o/u 6.5
It’s tough to imagine a team that is a perfect 6-0-0 receiving so little respect from bookmakers, but thus is the case for Penn State.
Tied with Michigan for the highest-scoring offense in the nation, the Nittany Lions are a technical underdog, though will cost you money to bet (-105). It’s obvious the books don’t respect PSU’s strength of schedule (sweeps of Canisius, Mercyhurst and St. Thomas) and are crediting Wisconsin for its sweep of Minnesota Duluth a week ago.
This might be a good place to bet the over (6.5), as these two teams average combined total is close to 7.5 goals per game. Wisconsin scored eight goals in its two wins last weekend, which means the offense my finally be figuring things out.
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 2 St. Cloud State (-195) at Bemidji State (+160); o/u 6
St. Cloud State might be the most popular favorite this weekend and for good reason.
The Huskies are 6-0-0 and completed am impressive weekend sweep of Minnesota State last weekend, proving they can win tight games late, scoring the game-winner in the third period of each game. This St. Cloud State team feels resilient.
But Bemidji State has battled well through four games, rebounding from a loss to Arizona State with an overtime win in the second game of that series and then taking 5-of-6 points against Michigan Tech.
This is easily the biggest test for the Beavers, but Tom Serratore’s teams have always seemed to find a way to play their best competition tough.
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 whether major penalties and high power-play percentages are affecting over/under.
Austin Dollimer is among the key players back for the Auggies, who reached the national semifinals last season. (Photo: Augsburg Athletics)
Anything can happen on any given night in the world of MIAC hockey.
Take last year for example. The Auggies went into the conference tournament ranked fourth nationally and riding a 16-game home winning streak only to see seventh-seeded St. Olaf play spoiler and win the MIAC crown for the second time in program history.
Coaches will tell you the MIAC might be the deepest it has been in quite some time and that means this year’s title is up for grabs.
While the Auggies and Oles will be among the top contenders in the league, Saint John’s and Concordia should also be in the mix for the title. And don’t overlook Saint Scholastica either, which was a top four team in the conference standings last season.
The puck drops on a new season this weekend, and the regular-season championship isn’t likely to be decided until the final weekend. And once tourney play begins, the top seed might be favored but that doesn’t mean a lower seed can’t pull off an upset.
Augsburg (25-5, 14-2 MIAC)
All last season the Auggies were one of the nation’s best teams. And despite coming up short in the MIAC tournament, Augsburg went on to make a run at the Frozen Four before falling to eventual national champion Adrian.
With 20 players back for second-year head coach Greg May, expect the Auggies to be a title contender in the MIAC and nationally again this season.
Among the key players back is Mason Palmer, an All-American who dished out 22 assists during his first season with the Auggies. Palmer came to the program last year after transferring in from Northern Michigan.
Fritz Belisle was an All-MIAC pick who scored 16 goals and dished out 10 assists. Jared Blackowiak also returns. Anther All-MIAC selection, the senior standout scored 13 goals and dished out 12 assists.
Five other players earned all-conference honors last season while Samuel Vyletekla was on the all-rookie team as a goaltender. He went 11-3, recording five shutouts and saving nearly 94 percent of the shots he faced. All-MIAC selection Jack Robbell went 14-2 in goal and had one shutout. He saved just over 92 percent of the shots he faced.
Austin Dollimer scored 10 goals and dished out 22 assists while Gavin Holland tallied 13 goals and 16 assists. Both were All-MIAC picks.
Logan Kons (4 goals, 8 assists) and Nick Woodward (5 goals, 5 assists) were also earned all-conference honors.
Augsburg, coming off its 11th MIAC regular-season championship and seventh trip to the national tourney, also have several key newcomers, including St. Thomas transfers Vincent Weis and Michael Ferrandino.
St. Olaf (11-15-3, 5-8-1 MIAC)
The Oles are not only the reigning MIAC tourney champs, but they are also coming off a season where they played in the NCAA tournament, nearly stunning nationally ranked St. Norbert before falling in overtime.
Eddie Effinger begins his third season as the head coach and he worked the recruiting trail hard, with his newcomer class earning a top 10 ranking for the second straight year.
That talent is merely an addition to a young roster stacked with players capable of rising to the occasion on any given night.
Tyler Cooper returns as the team’s top goal scorer. The All-MIAC and USCHO All-Rookie team pick scored 14 goals last year while also dishing out nine assists
Sean Walsh is also back after scoring 12 goals last season. He ranked second on the Oles in that category and also ranked second in points.
Lukas Haugen will handle goaltending duties once again after fashioning an 8-6 record last season. He saved more than 91 percent of the shots he faced.
Haugen should get plenty of support from the offense as Cooper and Walsh are among the players back who accounted for 80 of the 82 goals the Oles scored and all 127 assists.
As talented as the Oles are, they are still young as only four seniors are on the roster.
Saint John’s (17-8-2, 9-4-1 MIAC)
The Johnnies finished third in the conference standings a year ago, reaching the MIAC tourney
for the fourth consecutive year, and they have high hopes of contending for the title this year.
They are certainly in a position to achieve that goal, especially with Auggie Moore back in the fold. The team captain led the Johnnies in points (28) and finished second in goals scored (15) and assists (13). Four of his goals were game-winners.
Jack Johnson is also back after scoring two goals and dishing out seven assists last season, and Peter Tabor is the team’s top returning defenseman, finishing with three goals and 14 assists last year. His assist total was the second-most on the team.
Top goal scorer Lewis Crosby also returns for the Johnnies. He punched in 17 goals last year and ranked second on the team in points with 23. He’s the first player in the program to score 17 goals in a season since Matt Erredge in 1999. The former St. Thomas player also tallied three hat tricks.
Joe Raleigh tallied four assists and Jack Olsen, despite playing in only nine MIAC games because of injury, finished last season with 11 assists.
Nick Michel came through with 10 goals and nine assists after transferring in from Alabama-Huntsville.
The Johnnies also still have Spencer Rudrud on the roster. Though he missed the final five games of the year because of injury, he finished with a team-best 15 assists as he turned out to be one of the league’s top rookies.
Jackson Sabo is also back. He appeared in 13 games and scored four goals while dishing out four assists.
Saint John’s also welcomes in six key newcomers, including Long Island transfer Justin Thompson.
The Johnnies will be tested early this year as they play seven of their first nine games away from home.
Concordia (13-10-3, 10-4-2 MIAC)
Don’t count out the Cobbers as a contender this season. A total of 23 players return for first-year head coach Kirk Olimb, including Cole O’Connell, an All-MIAC selection who tied for the team lead in goals and was second overall in points. He came through with 10 goals and 14 assists a year ago.
All-Rookie team pick Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe is also among the returning players. He finished third on the team in scoring with nine goals and nine assists.
Jaret Lalli is also back after playing in all 26 games for the Cobbers last season and scoring two goals while dishing out seven assists.
Jackson Nelson returns as the top goaltender for the Cobbers. He played in 20 games and fashioned a 2.08 goals against average while winning 11 games. Nelson made 448 saves.
The Cobbers will also count on several newcomers to contribute, including Bauer Barry, Joe Harguindeguy, Liam Haslam, Caden Triggs and Jack Westlund, a transfer from Gustavus who scored five goals and tallied seven assists last season for the Gusties.
Saint Scholastica (11-10-2, 7-6-1 MIAC)
The Saints are hoping to build off last season’s success. They’ll look to do it with Dave Williams as the head coach. He coached under the interim tag last season but had that removed in March.
A former player at the school, Williams led the Saints to a fourth-place finish in the conference last year.
The top three scorers all return fo the Saints, led by Arkhip Ledenkov, who scored 11 goals and dished out 13 assists. The goals were the most on the team.
Filimon Ledenkov is also back. He ranked second on the team in scoring with nine goals and 13 assists, tying for the most assists on the team. Tyler Hinterser returns after scoring seven goals and dishing out 10 assists last season.
Nathan Adrian is also a key returning player. He scored 10 goals last year, the second-most on the team, and tallied four assists. Jacob Seitz tallied one goal and came through with 11 assists.
Danylo Sukhonos (1 goal, 7 assists) and Bryce Johnson (4 goals, 3 assists) are also returning players who will be key contributors for the Saints. Sam Fuss (2 goals, 5 assists) and Brodie Girod (3 goals, 3 assists) are also back.
Depth at goal won’t be an issue either. Jack Bostedt started 19 games last season and made 544 saves. He went 11-7-1. Jack Branby and Oliver Quinn also saw playing time.
Bethel (15-11-1, 7-8-1 MIAC)
Last season wasn’t a bad one for the Royals, who boasted their highest winning percentage (.574) since the 2007-08 campaign. They’ll look to take bigger steps forward this season.
Chris McKelvie enters his fifth season as the head coach of the Royals and welcomes back 24 players.
Among them is Luke Posner, who is coming off a season in which he punched in eight goals and dished out nine assists.
Jarrett Cammarata tallied six goals and led the team in assists (16) and points (22). He played in all 27 games a year ago for the Royals.
Dane Soyanoff played in all 27 games as well. The durable defenseman scored twice and tallied nine assists.
Two transfers should help the Royals’ cause as well. Forward Justin Kelly comes in from St. Thomas and goalie Austin Ryman is a transfer out of Alaska Fairbanks.
One of the keys to success for Bethel will be its play defensively. It showed a lot of promise last season, tying the single-season mark for shutouts (3) and giving up just 75 goals, the fewest since the 2013-14 season.
Saint Mary’s (8-14-1, 5-7 MIAC)
The Cardinals are looking for their first winning season since the 2016-17 campaign when they finished 13-10-3. They have the potential to start strong as they play eight of their first 11 at home.
A total of 25 players are back, including leading scorer Brady Lindauer, who came through with five goals and 11 assists last season.
Bud Winter and Trevor Schroder also return and were among the top five in scoring last season. Winter finished with five goals and six assists, good enough for third on the team in points, and Schroder tallied three goals and seven assists, ranking fifth on the team in points.
Gabe Potyk also returns for the Cardinals after scoring a team-high seven goals. He also dished out two assists.
Saint Mary’s should also get key contributions from Landon Poellinger and Callahan Nauss. Poellinger scored four goals and racked up four assists last year while Nauss registered a goal and seven assists.
The Cardinals will be playing their fourth season under the direction of Ryan Egan.
Hamline (4-18-4, 1-10-3 MIAC)
Shane Wagner begins his second season at the helm of the Pipers, who are hoping to get things turned around after a year where wins were hard to come by.
Carson Simon is the top returning scorer for the Pipers after ranking third in points last season with five goals and seven assists.
Bailey Sommers is also back for Hamline. He finished fourth on the team in scoring, tallying four goals and six assists.
Andrew Erwin will also be a key contributor. He scored three goals and dished out six assists last season. Erik Dahl will be counted on to play a key role as well. He tallied two goals and eight assists last season.
Kevin Lake gives Hamline an experienced player in goal. He started 22 games last season and made 562 saves.
Newcomers such as Liam Guerin, Bodie Jorgenson, Jordan Halverson and Quinn Chevers-Whorms could make an immediate impact.
Gustavus (6-16-4, 0-9-3 MIAC)
The Gusties return only player who finished in double digits in points as Dylan Gast is coming off a year where he scored three goals and dished out seven assists.
Jack Suchy is also back for the Gusties. He tallied four goals and three assists last season.
Toby Sengvongxay also returns for Gustavus after tallying three goals and three assists a year ago. Joey Gimberlin (3 goals, 1 assist), Michah Gernander(1 goal, 3 assists) and George Hansen (1 goal, 3 assists) are also key returning players.
Jackson Hjelle is the only goaltender back with experience. He finished with 183 saves last season, appearing in 14 games.
Holy Cross and Bostin University will be part of the women’s doubleheader at Frozen Fenway 2023 (photo: Hockey East).
The city of Boston, ECAC Hockey, Hockey East, and Fenway Sports Management announced Thursday that Frozen Fenway 2023 will feature women’s college matchups between Boston University and Holy Cross and Harvard and Quinnipiac on Friday, Jan. 6.
The pair of women’s college hockey games will be followed by the previously announced men’s college hockey doubleheader matchups featuring Northeastern vs. UConn and UMass vs. Boston College on Saturday, Jan. 7.
“We are thrilled to invite more schools from New England to play at Frozen Fenway,” said Brett Miller, director of special events at Fenway Sports Management, in a statement. “Opening this historic ballpark up to new fanbases and making Frozen Fenway a regional celebration is something we’re looking forward to as we kick off the new year, and these matchups are sure to deliver an action-packed experience for fans in the stands.”
Friday, Jan. 6, 2023 (women’s doubleheader):
Harvard vs. Quinnipiac, 3 p.m.
Boston University vs. Holy Cross, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023 (men’s doubleheader):
Northeastern vs. UConn, 2:30 p.m.
UMass vs. Boston College, 6 p.m.
“ECAC Hockey is thrilled that Harvard and Quinnipiac, two of the premier programs in ECAC Hockey and NCAA collegiate ice hockey, shall showcase their talent and skills as part of Frozen Fenway 2023,” said ECAC Hockey commissioner Steve Hagwell. “We are especially excited for the student-athletes, coaches and staff to participate in such a unique and memorable event.”
The Hockey East women’s matchup features the joint-winningest school, Boston University, against the conference’s newest member, Holy Cross. In the ECAC matchup, Harvard and Quinnipiac boast a combined 15 NCAA tournament appearances.
