Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Boston University first-year head coach Jay Pandolfo about this year’s Terriers and returning to coach at his alma mater after a 15-year NHL playing career and assistant coaching positions at the NHL level.
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Is this B1G Hockey’s big season?
Finally?
While Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Wisconsin have 23 national championships among them, not one of those titles was captured as a member of the Big Ten.
Since its inaugural season in 2013-14, B1G Hockey has sent teams to the Frozen Four seven times, and two B1G teams have played their way into the very last game of the season. In 2018, Notre Dame lost the title game to Minnesota Duluth, and Minnesota fell to Union in 2014.
All told, three teams that have been in the Big Ten since the league’s inception – Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State – have made a collective five Frozen Four appearances since 2014. Notre Dame adds another Frozen Four appearance in 2018, at the end of the first season of B1G Hockey for the Fighting Irish.
Granted, having the smallest number of teams of any D-I conference gives the Big Ten a probability disadvantage for Frozen Four appearances, but given the high expectations of this high-profile league, the lack of national bragging rights becomes increasingly conspicuous with each passing season.
Tick tock, B1G Hockey.
It’s difficult for programs to win conference championships, let alone national titles, during times of change. In the earliest years of B1G conference play, season-to-season results varied considerably because of ongoing program changes that several teams were navigating. Then COVID hit. Then came the transfer portal.
And now both B1G schools in Michigan have new head coaches, each hired for very different reasons – and each inheriting very different teams.
At Michigan State, Adam Nightingale takes over after Danton Cole shepherded the Spartans through a five-season record of 58-101-12. Like Cole, Nightingale is a Spartan alum, having transferred to Michigan State from Lake Superior State midway through his collegiate career, and playing two years with the Spartans (2003-05).
Nightingale inherits a team that finished in last place in 2021-22. In fact, Michigan State has anchored the Big Ten standings for five of the last seven years, and the two years that the Spartans rose above last place during that span saw them finishing one spot above last place.
“Everyone knows what Michigan State hockey can be,” said Nightingale. “It’s our job to get it there. We know that where we want to get to doesn’t happen overnight as well.
“Right now, it’s about laying a foundation of doing it the right way, and practicing the right way, and eating the right way, and sleeping the right way, and doing all those little things it takes to be a special program.”
Nightingale served as head coach of the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2020 to 2022, and he spent one season behind the Detroit Red Wings bench as an assistant (2019-20). He says that he’s grateful for the opportunity at Michigan State, but even more excited for his players as the season begins.
“Any time there’s a coaching change, [players] want to get out there and show the coach and show the staff and show the fans that you can be a big part of the solution.”
Just over an hour away, Brandon Naurato has begun his first year as interim head coach of the Wolverines after Michigan declined to renew Mel Pearson’s contract following the release of a report that detailed issues with the climate and culture of Michigan’s hockey program.
As head coach from 2017 to 2022, Pearson led the Wolverines to a record of 99-65-16. The Wolverines finished second in the Big Ten last season and under Pearson, Michigan went to the national tournament three times and made two Frozen Four appearances.
Naurato doesn’t inherit a program that’s rebuilding. Naurato inherits a culture that needs rehabbing. Since taking over as interim head coach in early August, Naurato has said repeatedly that he’s committed to transparency and communication. After spending 2021-22 as an assistant at Michigan, Naurato has confidence that his players know what to do.
“Our culture in the locker room last year was unbelievable and that’s a credit to Nick Blankenburg and the other seniors and captains,” said Naurato. “I think [captain] Nolan Moyle has followed that up with his leadership group this year. Everyone treats everyone the way they want to be treated – with respect.”
Like Nightingale, Naurato brings some NHL experience to the Big Ten. From 2018 to 2021, Naurato was a player development consultant for the Detroit Red Wings. For eight years prior to that, he was director of player development for USA Hockey.
For the third consecutive season, Minnesota has been voted the team to beat in the Big Ten preseason coaches poll. In 2020-21, the Golden Gophers placed second to Wisconsin. Last year, the coaches were right on the money.
After capturing the regular-season title last year, Minnesota lost to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament championship, but the Gophers played their way through to the Frozen Four, losing to Minnesota State in semifinal action. That was a particularly painful loss, as Minnesota bowed out against Minnesota State in the NCAA West Regional final game the year before.
“We are knocking on the door,” said coach Bob Motzko. “It’s going to happen and that’s what we have to do. The fact that we’re short, 60 minutes to getting to the championship game, we got to go back and build it again. It’s the journey to get there, and we got heart, character and leadership that wants to get there.”
The Golden Gophers will have keen competition for that top spot from several teams in the league, most notably from the Fighting Irish, who were picked in the preseason poll to finish second. Notre Dame returns an overall veteran core and add to that experience with six graduate student players, including three who have transferred for this season.
Michigan may be in the first-place mix as well. The Wolverines are gifted.
As the 2021-22 season closed, it was clear that the Big Ten was a three-tier team. Minnesota and Michigan were the top contenders, as the regular-season and playoff champions, respectively. The Fighting Irish flirted with greatness, but Notre Dame and Ohio State – right behind the Irish in the standings – never could find the consistency to challenge for the top spot.
After fourth-place Ohio State, the results for the remaining teams dip dramatically. The Buckeyes finished with 42 points; Wisconsin and Penn State, tied for fifth place, had 20 points each. Michigan State finished with 17.
To take a step this season, Ohio State coach Steve Rohlik said, “We want to build from the net out. Hopefully our goaltenders will have the same kind of year that we had last year. We’ve got to score by committee.”
Build from the net out. Score by committee. Words for nearly every B1G team to live by.
HEAD COACH: Brandon Naurato (first season, interim)
LAST SEASON: 31-10-1, 16-8-0 B1G (2nd)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Sophomore defenseman Luke Hughes (17-22—39), sophomore forward Mackie Samoskevich (10-19—29), junior goaltender Erik Portillo (31-10-1, 2.14 GAA, .926 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: Forwards Matty Beniers (20-23—43), Brendon Brisson (21-21—42), Thomas Bordeleau (12-25—37) and Kent Johnson (8-29—37); defenseman Owen Power (3-29—32)
KEY ADDITIONS: Forward Adam Fantilli (USHL), forward Rutger McGroarty (U.S. NTDP)
2022-23 PREDICTION: It’s difficult to know how this season will go for Michigan, for reasons both on and off the ice. The good news is that interim head coach Brandon Naurato has 12 freshmen who weren’t associated with the tumultuous events surrounding Mel Pearson’s departure. A dozen rookies – that can also be the not-so-good news. Newcomers bring energy. The veterans who return are very talented. Can I roll some dice?
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: Third.
HEAD COACH: Adam Nightingale (first season)
LAST SEASON: 12-23-1, 6-18-0 B1G (7th)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Fifth-year defenseman Cole Krygier (4-7—11), sophomore defenseman David Gucciardi (5-6—11), junior forward Jeremy Davidson (11-11—22), senior forward Erik Middendorf (12-8—20)
KEY LOSSES: Forward Mitchell Lewandowski (7-12—19), defenseman Dennis Cesana (8-8—16), goaltender Drew DeRidder (9-15-1, 2.94 GAA, .918 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: Transfer goalie Dylan St. Cyr (Notre Dame), transfer forward Miroslav Mucha (Lake Superior State), forwards Gavin best (NAHL) and Daniel Russell (USHL)
2022-23 PREDICTION: After languishing at or near the bottom of the Big Ten standings for years, the Spartans get the chance to rebuild with a new head coach, a renovated Munn Ice Arena, and a veteran team that includes six graduate students and a fifth-year senior. Picked to finish last in the preseason coaches’ poll, I like the bounce that new coaching – among other things – will bring.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: Sixth.
HEAD COACH: Bob Motzko (fifth season)
LAST SEASON: 26-13-0, 18-6-0 B1G (1st)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Junior defenseman Brock Faber (2-12—14), senior defenseman Jackson LaCombe (3-27—30), sophomore forward Matthew Knies (15-18—33), senior goaltender Justen Close (14-5-0, 1.95 GAA, .925 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: Forwards Ben Myers (17-24—41), Blake McLaughlin (13-20—33) and Sammy Walker (14-13—27)
KEY ADDITIONS: Forwards Logan Cooley (U.S. NTDP) and Connor Kurth (USHL), defensemen Ryan Chesley (U.S. NTDP) and Jimmy Snuggerud (U.S. NTDP)
2022-23 PREDICTION: The Golden Gophers are another team with a large freshman class, but Minnesota’s rookies are promising. Additionally, the returning talent is tested. If the newcomers can contribute offensively, there’s a very good chance that Minnesota will once again prove the predictors correct.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: Second.
HEAD COACH: Jeff Jackson (18th season)
LAST SEASON: 28-12-0, 17-7-0 B1G (3rd)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Grad student Nick Lievermann (6-21—27), junior forwards Trevor Janicke (15-9—24) and Landon Slaggert (12-14—26), sophomore forward Ryder Rolston (10-17—27), junior Ryan Bischel (10-4-0, 2.08 GAA, .924%)
KEY LOSSES: Forwards Max Ellis (16-12—28) and Graham Slaggert (12-13—25), defensemen Spence Stastney (7-20—27), goaltender Matthew Galajda (18-8-0, 1.90 GAA, .933 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: Transfer forwards Chayse Primeau (Omaha) and Jackson Pierson (New Hampshire), transfer defenseman Ben Brinkman (Minnesota), forward Finlay Williams (BCHL)
2022-23 PREDICTION: With only four freshmen on the roster, the Fighting Irish may be the most experienced team in the Big Ten. With consistent play from Bischel in net – and the right chemistry – I think that Notre Dame may be the team to chase this season.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: First.
HEAD COACH: Steve Rohlik (10th season)
LAST SEASON: 22-13-2, 13-9-2 B1G (4th)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Fifth-year forwards Jake Wise (10-18—28) and Gustaf Westlund (8-8—16), senior forward Tate Singleton (10-5—15), sophomore defenseman Mason Lorei (4-25—29), sophomore goaltender Jakub Dobes (20-12-2, 2.30 GAA, .932 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: Forwards Georgii Merkulov (20-14—34) and Quinn Preston (7-12—19), defenseman William Riedell (3-7—10)
KEY ADDITIONS: Transfer defenseman Scooter Brickey (Western Michigan), defenseman Tyler Duke (U.S. NTDP), forward Stephen Halliday (USHL)
2022-23 PREDICTION: For the past few seasons, the Buckeyes have been the proverbial “this close” to turning a corner. That is likely where Ohio State will be at the end of this campaign as well – and not for lack of trying or lack of talent in several positions. Dobes is the real deal in net, but the team defense in front of him is inconsistent and the Buckeyes need some fire up front.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: Fourth.
HEAD COACH: Guy Gadowsky (11th season)
LAST SEASON: 17-20-1, 6-17-1 B1G (tied 5th)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Senior forward Kevin Wall (16-13—29) and Connor MacEachern (14-14—28), sophomore forward Ryan Kirwan (13-13—26), fifth-year defenseman Paul DeNaples (2-6—8), sophomore defenseman Jimmy Dowd (3-18—21), junior goaltender Liam Souliere (7-7-1, 2.87 GAA, .905 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: Defenseman Clayton Phillips (5-7—12), goaltender Oskar Autio (10-13-0, 3.12 GAA, .893 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: Transfer forwards Ashton Calder (North Dakota) and Ture Linden (Rensselaer), defensemen Carter Schade (USHL) and Jarod Crespo (USHL)
2022-23 PREDICTION: To finish higher than near the bottom of the Big Ten standings, the Nittany Lions need to improve well beyond last season’s team defense, which was 41st in the nation. There is some new blood on the Penn State blue line and returning goaltender Liam Souliere has promise. The Nittany Lions can always score, but defense wins games.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: Seventh.
HEAD COACH: Tony Granato (seventh season)
LAST SEASON: 10-24-3, 6-17-1 B1G (tied 5th)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: Grad student forwards Brock Caufield (7-12—19), Jack Gorniak (5-10—15) and Dominick Mersch (5-5—10), junior forward Mathieu De St. Phalle (10-12—22), sophomore defenseman Corson Ceulemans (7-15—22), senior goaltender Jared Moe (8-16-3, 3.04 GAA, .916 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: Forwards Tarek Baker (5-12—17) and Roman Ahcan (5-7—12), defenseman Jesper Peltonen (2-5—7)
KEY ADDITIONS: Transfer forward Ty Smilinac (Quinnipiac), transfer goaltender Kyle McClellan (Mercyhurst), forwards Cruz Lucius (U.S. NTDP) and Charlie Stramel (U.S. NTDP), defenseman Tyson Jugnauth (BCHL)
2022-23 PREDICTION: In the preseason Big Ten coaches’ poll, the Badgers were picked to finish fourth in conference play – one spot down from where they were picked at the start of the 2021-22 season and one spot above where Wisconsin actually finished. The Badgers ended last season with the 54th-best team defense nationally (3.57 goals allowed per game) and 54th-best offense (2.05 goals scored per game). I would like to have the optimism that the B1G coaches do.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: Fifth.
The first season of the CCHA’s return to competition was nearly perfect.
We’ll stress the word “nearly” there.
Minnesota State came within a period of winning its first-ever national title, leading Denver 1-0 going into the third period of the NCAA championship game before ultimately losing 5-1.
That, of course, wasn’t the way the Mavericks – or anyone in the newly-reconstituted league, for that matter – wanted the season to end. But it wasn’t a bad way for the league to announce itself coming out of the gate.
“We want to build off last year’s success,” CCHA commissioner Don Lucia said during the conference’s preseason media conference call last month, giving a laundry list all the league’s accomplishments in its first season:
• Minnesota State and Michigan Tech made the national tournament
• Minnesota State played for a national title
• The Mavericks’ Dryden McKay won the Hobey Baker Award
• A sold-out, drama-filled, instant-classic conference championship game in between MSU and Bemidji State in Mankato
• The league recorded a .478 nonconference winning percentage – better than the old WCHA ever had since realignment
• The addition of both St. Thomas and Augustana to the league. The Tommies joined last year from Division III while Augustana is starting its program from scratch and will start playing competitive games in 2023-24.
“A lot of things happened in the CCHA and we’re hopeful we can continue to build off that,” Lucia said.
One theme touched upon often during the preseason conference call was the league’s unpredictable nature. Aside from the Mavericks, who were picked to win another title by six of the conference’s eight coaches, nobody can say with much certainty where any of the other teams will finish. That says a lot about the caliber of programs in the CCHA.
“You look at individual polls that come out or players that you voted on for preseason player of the year, there’s so many teams that have very good rosters this year that, you look top to bottom, there’s no holes in our league right now,” said Northern Michigan coach Grant Potulny, whose Wildcats were picked to finish second in the preseason poll and garnered the other two first-place votes. The Wildcats added to an already-impressive roster in the offseason, with the addition of freshman forward Joey Larson – the coaches’ pick for preseason rookie of the year – and UConn transfer Artem Shlaine, a New Jersey Devils draft pick.
“I think with the exception of Mankato, you could make an argument for almost anyone to move one, two, three or four places,” Potulny said.
Nowhere was that more apparent than with a team like Lake Superior State. The Lakers return a ton of experience, including preseason all-CCHA pick Louis Boudon, yet they were only sixth.
“We were picked sixth two years ago when we hung a banner and went back to the tournament and that’s where we expect to be again this year, competing for a banner and returning to the tournament,” LSSU coach Damon Whitten said, referring to the WCHA tournament title and NCAA tournament berth the Lakers won in 2021. “This is again our best team in nine years. And I think the polls will prove to be a little bit off in that regard.”
Ty Eigner, whose Bowling Green Falcons were picked to finish third, said one thing he appreciates about playing in the league is how familiar the coaches are with the other programs.
“We know it’s going to be a competitive league, we feel like we’re a team that if we can play to our strength and do the things that we were recruited to do, we’re going to be a team that is difficult to play against and be in a position, down the stretch in February, to be contending with three or four other teams for the league championship,” Eigner said.
All of the coaches agreed that Mankato was the team to beat and should be considered favorites until proven otherwise – and rightly so. But even despite this, there could be an opening for someone else. The Mavericks lost McKay after his Hobey Baker season and will also be without Nathan Smith and Julian Napravnik, the top two scorers in the CCHA last season.
Mavericks head coach Mike Hastings certainly won’t take anything for granted.
“Our conference keeps you honest,” he said, noting that turnover is a part of life in college hockey and it’s up to the next crop of players to take advantage of their opportunities.
“The coaching staffs in our league are very pronounced in their experience, and they’re very good at what they do. What it shows you is that in our league, there are no easy outs. And there’s not going to be any this year. It’s an incredible challenge to play in this league and trying to compete for championships. That’s what we’re all trying to do and we’re excited about what’s in front of us this year.”
HEAD COACH: Tom Serratore (entering his 22nd season at BSU)
LAST SEASON: 19-20-0 (14-12-0 for third in CCHA)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: D Elias Rosen (Sr., 7g-19a-26pts); F Eric Martin (Jr., 3g-16a-19pts); D Will Zmolek (Sr., 5g-10a-15pts); F Ross Armour (Sr., 8g-8a-16pts); G Mattias Sholl (Jr., 13-13-0, .904SV%; 2.75 GAA).
KEY LOSSES: F Owen Sillinger (17g-30a-47pts); F Lukas Sillinger (17g-21a-38pts); F Alex Ierullo (16g-26a-42pts); F Ethan Somoza (10g-12a-22pts).
KEY ADDITIONS: F Mitchell Martan (Tr., Canisius, Atlantic Hockey, 5g-17a-22pts); Kaden Pickering (Tr., St. Lawrence, ECAC, 6g-13a-19pts); F Adam Flamming (Cedar Rapids Roughriders, USHL, 27g-19a-46pts); D Vincent Corcoran (Wichita Falls Warriors, NAHL, 8g-44a-52pts).
2022-23 PREDICTION: Last season’s Beaver squad was deep and talented up front, but the team as a whole was inconsistent, with a sub-.500 overall record and a 14-12 conference mark. Still, that was good enough for a third-place CCHA finish and an unforgettable (for more reasons than one) run to the conference title game. BSU couldn’t manage to earn a back-to-back NCAA tournament berth last season, and it could be even more difficult this year, as they lost four of their top five scorers to graduation and transfer. A stout defensive corps anchored by Rosen, Zmolek and School returns, but until the Beavers find some people to step up on offense, they are likely a mid-table team.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: 5th
HEAD COACH: Ty Eigner (entering his fourth season at BGSU)
LAST SEASON: 15-19-3 (11-14-1 for sixth in the CCHA)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Taylor Schneider (Sr., 8g-22a-30pts); F Austen Swankler (8g-18a-26pts); F Nathan Burke (16g-7a-23pts); F Alex Barber (Sr., 10g-15a-25pts).
KEY LOSSES: F Coale Norris (10g-9a-19pts); D Gabriel Chicoine (1g-18a-19pts); F Sam Craggs (9g-5a-14pts).
KEY ADDITIONS: F Chase Gresock (Tr., Miami, NCHC, 9g-10a-19pts); D Zach Vinnell (Tr., Merrimack, Hockey East, 4g-12a-16pts); F Brett Pfoh (Spruce Grove Saints, AJHL, 27g-37a-74pts); D Dalton Norris (Lincoln Stars, USHL, 26g-28a-54pts).
2022-23 PREDICTION: Unlike last season, in which the Falcons lost 11 players to either graduation or the transfer portal, this time around BG has a number of important offensive players returning. That bodes well for the Falcons, who struggled to a sixth-place finish and a first-round, three-game elimination at the hands of Bemidji State. Because all four of BG’s top scorers are back, expect a more competitive Falcon team that should be competing for at least an NCAA bid (if they play their cards right, I think competing for a league title is possible).
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: 2nd
HEAD COACH: Bob Daniels (entering his 31st season at FSU)
LAST SEASON: 11-24-1 (9-16-1 for seventh in CCHA)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Dallas Tulik (Sr., 7g-12a-19pts); F Bradley Marek (So., 10g-9a-19pts); F Stepan Pokorny (3g-11a-14pts); G Logan Stein (Jr., 7-16-0, .885 SV%, 3.60 GAA).
KEY LOSSES: F Justin Michaelian (8g-15a-23pts); D Brendon Michaelian (1g-12a-13pts).
KEY ADDITIONS: D Matt Slick (Tr., Holy Cross, Atlantic Hockey 5g-7a-11pts); F Connor McGrath (Humboldt Broncos, SJHL, 35g-49a-84pts); F Caiden Gault (Spruce Grove Saints, AJHL, 46-27-73).
2022-23 PREDICTION: Ferris State did a great job bouncing back in 2021-22. Their 11 wins were the Bulldogs’ most in four years and signaled a marked improvement from their dismal one-win campaign in 2020-21 – by far the worst season in program history. Perhaps most importantly, the Bulldogs were competitive last season and beat quite a few teams in the top half of the standings, including Minnesota State and Bemidji State. Even further improvement can be expected and having them ranked seventh is more a reflection of the overall quality of the league and not necessarily a sign of stagnation.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: 7th.
HEAD COACH: Damon Whitten (entering ninth season at LSSU)
LAST SEASON: 18-18-1 (13-13-0 for fourth in CCHA)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Louis Boudon (Sr., 15g-29a-44pts); D Jacob Bengtsson (Jr., 3g-24a-27pts); F Brandon Puricelli (Sr., 13g-9a-22pts); D Logan Jenuwine (Sr., 9g-11a-20pts); G Ethan Langenegger (Jr., 10-11-1, .912 SV%, 2.65 GAA); G Seth Eisele (8-7-0, .911 SV%; 2.73 GAA).
KEY LOSSES: F Miroslav Mucha (10g-25a-35pts); F Josh Nixon (8g-12a-20pts); D Jacob Nordqvist (5g-11a-16pts); F Dustin Manz (7g-7a-14pts).
KEY ADDITIONS: D Jared Kucharek (Tr., Western Michigan, NCHC, no stats last season); F Connor Milburn (Chilliwack Chiefs, BCHL, 9g-14a-23pts); D Bryan Huggins (Fargo Force, USHL, 1g-10a-11pts).
2022-23 PREDICTION: The Lakers return nearly everyone from a season ago, including star forward Louis Boudon and their outstanding goalie tandem of Ethan Langenegger and Seth Eisele. With a deep, experienced roster – LSSU added just two seniors and a transfer this year – the Lakers should be on track to compete for home ice, an NCAA tournament berth and maybe another trophy.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: 3rd.
HEAD COACH: Joe Shawhan (entering his sixth season at Tech)
LAST SEASON: 21-13-3 (16-8-2 for second in CCHA)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: G Blake Pietila (Sr., 21-13-2, 1.91 GAA, .918 SVG%); F Logan Pietila (13g-10a-23pts); F Tristan Ashbrook (Sr., 11g-8a-19pts); D Brett Thorne (Jr., 5g-12a-17pts).
KEY LOSSES: F Brian Halonen (21g-23a-44pts); F Trenton Bliss (12g-28a-40pts); F Tommy Parrottino (11g-17a-28pts); D Colin Swoyer (5g-18a-23pts).
KEY ADDITIONS: F David Jankowski (Tr., St. Lawrence, ECAC, 4g-12a-16pts); D Ryan O’Connell (Tr., Ohio State, Big Ten, 0g-10a-10pts).
2022-23 PREDICTION: The Huskies lost the bulk of their scoring output from last season’s NCAA tournament team, including 40-plus-point-scorers Brian Halonen–a Hobey Baker Top 10 finalist a year ago–and Trenton Bliss. Tech might struggle in that area, but luckily, they have Blake Pietila back in goal. The Huskies will need him to keep his sub-2.00 goals against average and find some scoring if they want to compete for home ice this year.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: 6th.
HEAD COACH: Mike Hastings (entering his 11th season at MSU)
LAST SEASON: 38-6-0 (23-3-0 for first in CCHA)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Brendan Furry (Sr., 13g-31a-44pts); F Cade Borchardt (Sr., 15g-26a-41pts); D Jake Livingstone (Jr., 9g-22a-31pts); D Akito Hirose (Jr., 2g-24a-26pts).
KEY LOSSES: G Dryden McKay (38-5-0, 1.31 GAA, .931 SV%); F Nathan Smith (19g-31a-50pts); F Julian Napravnik (18g-31a-49pts); F Reggie Lutz (15g-13a-28pts).
KEY ADDITIONS: G Alex Tracy (Sioux City Musketeers, USHL, 27-10-3, 2.50 GAA, .896 SV%); F Simon Tassy (Salmon Arm Silverbacks, BCHL, 38g-40a-78pts); F Luc Wilson (Penticton Vees, BCHL, 29g-46a-75pts).
2022-23 PREDICTION: For the first time in what seems like forever, there will be a goalie competition at Minnesota State. Dryden McKay has departed, leaving a huge, but important question mark in the MSU lineup. The Mavericks are well-stocked in front of the net, though. Despite losing the high-scoring Nathan Smith and Julian Napravnik, they have plenty of forwards back, and the defense will be in good hands with reigning CCHA Defenseman of the Year Jake Livingstone leading the charge. Will the loss of McKay give any other team an opening to knock off the Mavs this year? It’s possible, but I wouldn’t bet against Minnesota State. Until proven otherwise, they are going to be the presumptive favorites once again.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: 1st.
HEAD COACH: Grant Potulny (entering his sixth season at NMU)
LAST SEASON: 20-16-1 (12-13-1 for fifth in CCHA)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F AJ Vanderbeck (Sr., 24g-19a-43pts); F André Ghantous (Sr., 10g-25a-35pts); F Michael Colella (15g-12a-27pts); F David Keefer (10g-12a-22pts).
KEY LOSSES: F Hank Crone (13g-31a-44pts); F Joseph Nardi (3g-11a-14pts); D Trevor Cosgrove (9g-19a-28pts); D Ben Newhouse (5g-22a-27pts).
KEY ADDITIONS: F Joey Larson (Muskegon Lumberjacks, USHL, 32g-34a-66pts); F Artem Shlaine (Tr., UConn, Hockey East, 7g-10a-17pts); D Simon Kjellberg (Tr., RPI, ECAC, 8g-19a-27pts); F Kristóf Papp (Tr., Michigan State, Big Ten, 2g-10a-12pts).
2022-23 PREDICTION: After just missing out on home ice a season ago, the Wildcats return with an intriguing lineup mix hoping to take the next step this year. They lost Hank Crone, but return a pair of scorers in AJ Vanderbeck and André Ghantous. However, what NMU is adding seems even more enticing. CCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year Joey Larson joins the team after a 66-point campaign in the USHL, and the team adds four transfers to the mix, including Artem Shlaine, a Devils draft pick from UCONN. The Wildcats played well last season against a tough schedule, including sweeps of both Minnesota Duluth and Boston University. If they can continue that kind of form, they should be in good shape for home ice.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: 4th.
HEAD COACH: Rico Blasi (entering second season at UST)
LAST SEASON: 3-32-1 (3-22-1 for eighth in CCHA)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Luke Manning (Sr., 8g-7a-15pts); F Matthew Jennings (Sr., 4g-10a-14pts); F Cameron Recchi (So., 5g-7a-12pts); D Trevor Zins (Sr., 3g-7a-10pts); D Nolan Sawchuck (Sr., 1g-9a-10pts).
KEY LOSSES: G Peter Thome (3-24-1, 4.53 GAA, .876 SV%); F Christiano Versich (5g-10a-15pts); F Grant Loven (7g-5a-12pts); F Kyler Grundy (7g-5a-12pts).
KEY ADDITIONS: F Mack Byers (Tr., Northern Michigan, 5g-1a-6pts); F Lucas Wahlin (Lincoln Stars, USHL, 31-30-61); D Braidan Simmons-Fischer (Austin Bruins, NAHL, 7g-10a-17pts); F Ryan O’Neill (St. Cloud Norsemen, NAHL, 30g-50a-80pts); F Jake Braccini (Muskegon Lumberjacks, USHL, 25g-23a-48pts).
2022-23 PREDICTION: The Tommies took their lumps as expected during their first Division I season, but they got noticeably better as the year went on and, despite a roster that continued many Division III holdovers, were holding their own against the likes of Minnesota State and Michigan Tech admirably by the end of the season. It’s too early to expect the Tommies to finish much higher than eighth this season, but it’s clear Blasi is building the blocks of a successful program that will be very strong very soon.
2021-22 PREDICTED FINISH: 8th.
Merrimack announced Tuesday the death of men’s hockey assistant coach Josh Ciocco.
He was 38.
No details were immediately known, but a statement was released from the school.
The Merrimack community and men’s hockey program are deeply saddened by the passing of assistant coach, Josh Ciocco.
Josh was entering his fifth season with the Warriors and was tireless in recruiting talented and dedicated student-athletes to Merrimack, and equally passionate in his commitment to coaching them to reach their greatest potential.
Prior to arriving at Merrimack, Josh served as an assistant coach at Brown University and the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Josh earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2007 from the University of New Hampshire where he was a four-year member of the hockey program, captaining the Wildcats in his senior season. He returned to UNH in 2010 to earn his MBA after competing for two seasons in the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers and Fresno Falcons.
Our prayers and deepest condolences are extended to Josh’s parents, brothers and all members of the Merrimack men’s hockey team and coaching staff.
Christopher E. Hopey, Ph.D.
President
Jeffrey A. Doggett, Ed.D.
Executive Vice President
Chief Financial and Operating Officer
Jeremy L. Gibson
Director of Athletics
You’ve clicked on a link to this conference season preview, so chances are you already know how strong the NCHC is.
So does Heather Weems, who spent the last decade as St. Cloud State’s athletic director before being named in May as the NCHC’s new commissioner. She succeeds Josh Fenton, who previously accepted another NCAA Division I commissioner role with the Summit League.
Weems knew all about the NCHC landscape before taking her new job. A Denver graduate, Weems oversaw a SCSU athletic department whose teams meet Minnesota Duluth regularly in league action, mainly as part of the Division II Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. St. Cloud State also has long-standing rivalries with North Dakota and Omaha from the old WCHA and now-defunct D-II North Central Conference in other sports.
Weems remains in Minnesota, but will be on the road most weekends this season to take in games in a conference that, collectively, has always been at or near the top of the D-I tree since NCHC hockey began in 2013. This includes last season, which finished with Denver earning its ninth national championship all-time, and the Pioneers’ fourth in this millennium.
But that’s not all that the NCHC boasts. Denver also won it all in 2017, Minnesota Duluth won back-to-back national titles in the following two years, and in 2016, North Dakota claimed that crown.
“It’s not just one defending national champion, it’s that we’ve had five in the last six years of NCAA national championship play,” Weems said. “I think there’s a real commitment and understanding that, on our campuses, hockey is a major player and not just a major player for student-athlete experience, but in many cases, it’s a revenue driver and an energy creator.
“It is a rallying point for our campuses and our communities, and so there is very strong respect and a sense of responsibility by our institutions to ensure that our hockey programs are well positioned to maintain success, and that goes back to being able to recruit and retain elite-level athletes.”
That generally hasn’t been a problem, as from top to bottom, NCHC member schools continue to regularly attract recruits that ping on the NHL Central Scouting radar, as well as that of national team selectors.
That, year on year, has maintained the NCHC’s reputation as a meat grinder. There’s no room for complacency, even for a team that went all the way just five months ago.
“It’s a brand-new year and a brand-new team, and everyone starts at zero,” Denver coach David Carle said when asked if the Pioneers’ success last April in Boston changed how the team operated heading into its exhibition game last Saturday against UNLV’s ACHA team.
“We’re all at base camp, trying to climb to the top of the mountain again. We’re turning the page and refocusing with a team that will have a different set of strengths, weaknesses, challenges and identity, and we’re just working to develop that with this year’s group.”
That team identity will likely come together quickly, partly because of the company the Pioneers keep.
In-state rival Colorado College returns its top four scorers and will look to have more success this season in the Tigers’ new arena. Longtime rival North Dakota will look to win another national championship in Florida, like the Fighting Hawks did during a 34-win season in 2016.
Minnesota Duluth is always in the conversation, too, St. Cloud is only two years removed from a national runner-up spot and Western Michigan is fresh off an impressive season under a first-year head coach. Miami and Omaha aren’t too far removed from their most recent long postseason runs, either, and they’ll feel they have the potential to get back there.
That means there are a lot of targets on a lot of backs. Ask Carle about that, though, and he seems to welcome it.
“We’ve talked a little bit about that, just in the sense that everyone knows who we are this year,” he said. “We’re going to get everyone’s best game, but we’ve earned that right through our play last season and what we accomplished.
“Also, I think it’s a really good thing that we’re getting everyone’s best, because we need to make sure we’re giving our best every night in order to have success. We’re not going to be able to sneak out wins on a team’s off-night. We’re going to have to earn everything.”
Sounds familiar.
HEAD COACH: Kris Mayotte (entering his second season at CC)
LAST SEASON: 9-24-3 (6-17-1 for 7th in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Hunter McKown (Jr., 13g-8a-21pts); F Stanley Cooley (So., 6g-12a-18pts); D Jack Millar (Jr., 1g-5a-6pts)
KEY LOSSES: D Nicklas Anderson (3g-14a-14 pts); F Jordan Biro (6g-7a-13pts); G Dominic Basse (6-15-2, 3.23 GAA, .888 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Ryan Beck (Dubuque Fighting Saints, USHL); F Noah Luba (Lincoln Stars, USHL); G Kaidan Mbereko (Lincoln Stars, USHL).
2022-23 PREDICTION: Colorado College returns its top four scorers from last season, plus the Tigers’ two returning goaltenders with playing experience from last season. There should also be a good amount of chemistry, too, on a team that didn’t bring in any new transfers this season. Five seniors and a graduate student in defenseman Brian Yoon will look to make Ed Robson Arena a happier hunting ground than it was in its inaugural season, and the Tigers could compete for home ice in the playoffs. However, recent history keeps us from imagining CC, which hasn’t had a winning season in a decade, pulling up trees.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: 6th.
HEAD COACH: David Carle (entering his fifth season at DU)
LAST SEASON: 31-9-1 (18-6-0 for 1st in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Carter Mazur (So., 14g-24a-38 pts.); D Mike Benning (Jr., 15g-23a-36pts); G Magnus Chrona (Sr., 28-8-1, 2.11 GAA, .911 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Bobby Brink (14g-43a-57pts); F Brett Stapley (18g-25a-43 pts); F Cameron Wright (23g-11a-34pts)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Rieger Lorenz (Okotoks Oilers, AJHL); F Aidan Thompson (Lincoln Stars, USHL); D Kent Anderson (Green Bay Gamblers, USHL).
2022-23 PREDICTION: What’s not to like about a defending national champion that brings back a lot of its core from last season? Even with Hobey Baker finalist Bobby Brink leaving for the NHL, Denver has plenty of established weapons up front and held onto an exceptional goaltender in Chrona. Denver grabbed 10 of 14 first-place picks in the NCHC’s preseason media poll, and while winning this conference is the opposite of easy, the Pioneers have more than enough talent to do it, and to book a return Frozen Four trip. There might be more national championship rings on the way, too.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: 1st.
HEAD COACH: Chris Bergeron (entering his fourth season at MU)
LAST SEASON: 7-27-2 (4-19-1 for 8th in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F PJ Fletcher (Sr., 8g-16a-24pts); F Matthew Barbolini (Jr., 10g-12a-22pts); D Dylan Moulton (Jr., 3g-7a-10pts); G Ludvig Persson (Jr., 6-23-2, 3.93 GAA, .894 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: D Derek Daschke (4g-24a-28 pts); F Matt Barry (8g-15a-23pts)
KEY ADDITIONS: F William Hallén (Dubuque Fighting Saints, USHL); D Axel Kumlin (Dubuque Fighting Saints, USHL); F Max Dukovac (Langley Rivermen, BCHL).
2022-23 PREDICTION: Ever since Miami’s NCHC playoff title in 2015, the RedHawks have struggled to regain the momentum they had around that time, when they reached the NCAA tournament nine times in 10 years. Miami is yet to win 10 games in a season under Bergeron, but the RedHawks haven’t been short on good recruits. Persson is better than his goals-against average from last season suggests, and forward Red Savage, who earned NCHC rookie of the week honors four times last season, could be even better after his World Juniors showing this summer. Someone has to finish last, and eventually Miami will be back to finishing comfortably above the basement. Is this the year where that starts? We’re not sure it is.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: 8th.
HEAD COACH: Scott Sandelin (entering his 23rd season at UMD)
LAST SEASON: 22-16-4 (10-10-4 for 5th in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Blake Biondi (Jr., 17g-11a-28pts); D Wyatt Kaiser (Jr., 2g-17a-19pts); F Quinn Olson (Jr., 6g19a-25pts); D Owen Gallatin (So., 2g-15a-17 pts.)
KEY LOSSES: F Kobe Roth (16g-13a-29 pts); F Koby Bender (7g-19a-26pts), G Ryan Fanti (20-12-4, 1.82 GAA, .929 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Isaac Howard (US NTDP); F Cole Spicer (US NTDP); G Zach Sandy (Minot Minotauros, NAHL).
2022-23 PREDICTION: Sandelin was awarded a two-year contract extension this summer, keeping him in Duluth through the 2026-27 season, and it’s easy to see why UMD wants to keep him around. The Bulldogs won back-to-back national titles in 2018 and 2019, and they seem to always be in the discussion. Even last season, when the Bulldogs got into the national tournament despite posting a .500 record in their league. There’s a lot to replace this time around, and it’ll be interesting to see who becomes the new No. 1 goalie with Fanti departing, but if enough pieces fall the right way, this UMD team could be up there with any that we’ve seen in recent years.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: 3rd.
HEAD COACH: Brad Berry (entering his eighth season at UND)
LAST SEASON: 24-14-1 (17-6-1 for 2nd in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Riese Gaber (Jr., 15g-22a-37pts); F Jake Schmaltz (So., 8g-16a-24pts); D Ethan Frisch (Sr., 9g-6a-15pts)
KEY LOSSES: F Connor Ford (4g-24a-28 pts); D Jake Sanderson (8g-18a-26pts); G Zach Driscoll (22-11-1, 2.34 GAA, .908 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Jackson Blake (Chicago Steel, USHL); D Ty Farmer (Massachusetts transfer); G Drew DeRidder (Michigan State transfer)
2022-23 PREDICTION: North Dakota’s eighth and most recent national championship came six years ago in Tampa, and with the Frozen Four set to take place there again in April, you know Fighting Hawks fans are already eyeing that potential trip. UND hasn’t been to the Frozen Four since then, though, and while the Hawks haven’t had a losing season in 20 years, they know as well as anyone in the NCHC that nothing is guaranteed. There are some significant departures from last season that need replacing, but enough is back to keep UND plenty competitive. Penciling UND in as a Frozen Four candidate isn’t a bad idea.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: 2nd.
HEAD COACH: Mike Gabinet (entering his sixth season at UNO)
LAST SEASON: 21-17-0 (11-13-0 for 6th in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Tyler Weiss (Gr., 8g-25a-33pts); F Cameron Berg (So., 8g-16a-24pts); D Kirby Proctor (Jr., 5g-7a-12pts)
KEY LOSSES: F Taylor Ward (19g-20a-39 pts); F Brannon McManus (9g-23a-32pts); G Isaiah Saville (16-14-0, 2.52 GAA, .907 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Tyler Rollwagen (Fargo Force, USHL); D Joaquim Lemay (Lincoln Stars, USHL); G Jake Kucharski (American International transfer)
2022-23 PREDICTION: Weiss was announced late this summer as returning to Omaha for his fifth season, and the Mavericks will need him. Five of their top seven point-producers from last season have moved on, so Weiss and New York Islanders draft pick Berg will be focal points on a team with 10 freshmen. There will be a new starting goaltender, too, as Saville signed a pro contract and Austin Roden transferred to Providence. Could the Mavericks finish much higher than where we have them? Of course, but we’ll wait and see.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: 7th.
HEAD COACH: Brett Larson (entering his fifth season at SCSU)
LAST SEASON: 18-15-4 (10-10-4 for 4th in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Jami Krannila (Sr., 15g-15a-30pts); F Zach Okabe (Sr., 11g-17a-28pts); D Spencer Meier (Gr., 5g-13a-18pts)
KEY LOSSES: F Kevin Fitzgerald (17g-19a-36 pts); D Nick Perbix (6g-25a-31pts); G Dávid Hrenák (16-11-4, 2.26 GAA, .914 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Adam Ingram (Youngstown Phantoms, USHL); F Ethan AuCoin (Lloydminster Bobcats, AJHL); D Cooper Wylie (Waterloo Black Hawks, USHL); G Dominic Basse (Colorado College transfer)
2022-23 PREDICTION: St. Cloud State made the NCAA tournament in three of Larson’s first four seasons behind the bench, and we think the Huskies will get there again in 2023 despite losing quite a lot of high-end production across the ice. Plenty of talent returns, and Basse transferring in from CC is an interesting wrinkle for a Huskies team that bade farewell to a very good goalie in Hrenák. It might take a little time for this squad to fully gel, but we’re not worried for them. Don’t be surprised if they finish higher than we think they will.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: 4th.
HEAD COACH: Pat Ferschweiler (entering his second season at WMU)
LAST SEASON: 26-12-1 (14-9-1 for 3rd in NCHC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Jason Polin (Sr., 16g-10a-26pts); F Cole Gallant (Gr., 9g-17a-26pts); D Aidan Fulp (Jr., 2g-11a-13pts)
KEY LOSSES: F Drew Worrad (9g-36a-45 pts); F Ethen Frank (26g-13a-39pts); D Ronnie Attard (13g-23a-36pts); G Brandon Bussi (26-12-1, 2.54 GAA, .912 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Ryan McAllister (Brooks Bandits, AJHL); D Samuel Sjolund (Dubuque Fighting Saints, USHL); G Cameron Rowe (Wisconsin transfer)
2022-23 PREDICTION: That WMU just awarded Ferschweiler a new contract that runs through 2025-26 says much for how well the Broncos did in their first season under him as a head coach. There could be some growing pains this time around, though. Western’s top five point-producers from last season are gone, and so is former starting goaltender Brandon Bussi. There’s a lot that’s new about this season’s Broncos, including six transfers, but we think Ferschweiler will keep the team plenty competitive with an eye toward much higher ground than where we have the Broncos for now.
2022-23 PREDICTED FINISH: 5th.
The past two years offered some of the most shape-shifting and chaotic times in college hockey.
Conferences realigned, teams expanded and contracted, and new leagues formed.
Future changes were thrust into a white-hot spotlight, and the bedrock emotional culture of the sport ranged from anxiety and fear to excitement and anticipation.
Through it all, ECAC Hockey long stood as a pillar of stability. Even after three-quarters of the league’s membership opted out of the 2020-21 season, the conference remained intact, and the 2021-22 season returned the dialectical sides of its membership to the commonly-paved road stretching from October to March.
The only problem was how the league looked upon its return. Losing that one year forced proud programs to enter full-blown rebuilds on their rosters, and ECAC spent most of last year clearly behind its peers in the race to the national tournament. It took Harvard’s postseason tournament championship to avoid becoming a one-bid league, and despite Quinnipiac winning the second-most regular-season games in the nation, the Bobcats entered the tournament as a No. 2 seed behind more powerful teams from the NCHC and CCHA.
To a degree, it didn’t matter because the rest of the league was back, but as the 2022-23 season dawns, the fight to fully move past COVID centers on efforts to restore ECAC’s prominence as games get underway for the six teams not affiliated with the Ivy League’s usual delayed start.
“Getting good is the easy thing, but staying there is harder,” said Clarkson coach Casey Jones. “I think what I’m most proud of is that we have a culture where our guys really like to work towards their development, so when we recruit a guy, it’s the right type of player that we’re getting. Guys are serious about [getting better]. They want an education, and they’re serious hockey players. We enjoy it at the rink as a staff, and we’re proud that we’ve been able to forge our name with historical value to our program.”
The Golden Knights are expected to rank right next to Quinnipiac as the conference’s cream programs this year, but getting the league back to multiple bids will require more wins from a conference that’s been historically strong from top to bottom.
Harvard, for example, won the Whitelaw Cup last year, but the Crimson play six games against its own conference, including its first four games against fellow Ivy League teams, before it plays a non-league game against New Hampshire. Two games at Michigan await after that, and a late-December matchup against Boston University offers juicy possibilities before the Beanpot in February.
Winning any number of those games could boost the Crimson past last year’s 18th-place finish in the Pairwise and negate the need to win the postseason tournament, but success outside of the conference is likely to pull other teams with it. A team like Cornell finished 24th in the Pairwise last year, and a better coefficient against other conferences is easily constructible if the Big Red defeat grab wins at Minnesota Duluth or Boston University while avoiding slips against Sacred Heart or UConn.
“There’s a lot of refocus going on in our program and kind of getting back to the basics,” said Cornell coach Mike Schafer. “We learned some lessons as a coaching staff last season and learned some lessons as a team, and I’m excited for our season to begin and see where this journey will take us. Expectations have always been high around our program, so we’re looking forward to proving ourselves.”
The upper echelon of the league likely won’t change – the preseason coaches poll reflected that opinion by putting Quinnipiac, Harvard, Clarkson and Cornell in the top four slots – but the real underpinning of the league’s return to prominence will rely on the undercurrent of development that occurred at the remaining schools, where a perceived chasm separated the conference’s preseason poll into clear tiers.
A decided drop separated fourth-place Cornell from fifth-place Colgate, but RPI’s seven vote differential from the Raiders reflected last year’s finish. Another drop moved from the duo down to Union and Dartmouth in the transition spot for home ice in the postseason, while two more separators explained the perceptions between Yale and the bottom two pairing of Brown and Princeton, and how the teams advance or disprove prognosticators is more related to how teams with the aforementioned rebuilds are able to progress into a second year.
“We had 16 kids who suited up last year that had never played college hockey,” Dartmouth coach Reid Cashman said, “and the unique challenge at Dartmouth was that I was the only new head coach. My first day of practice, we had 29 guys that didn’t know if a drill was the same drill they ran the year before. Our freshmen couldn’t look at our seniors and ask what the expectations were, and they all kind of learned it at the same time. That was exciting for us as a staff, but there was a big challenge and a big learning curve.”
“We’re just trying to work every day so that when the puck is dropped, we’re performing the way that I think we can,” added Brown coach Brendan Whittet. “Where that puts us at the end of the year, time will tell, but I’ve been here for 14 years and like the makeup of the team. I like the way we’re trending and the mix of guys that we have, and I think this year could be a special year. What we make of it will be up to us, each and every time we step out on the ice.”
HEAD COACH: Brendan Whittet, entering his 14th season at Brown
LAST SEASON: 7-20-4 overall (6-12-4, 25 points, ninth in ECAC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: D Luke Krys (Sr., 3g-10a-13pts); D Samuli Niinisaari (Sr., 1g-11a-12pts); F Nathan Plessis (Sr., 3g-4a-7pts); D James Crossman (1g-2a-3pts); G Mathieu Caron (6-14-4; 2.74 GAA; .911 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Justin Jallen (10g-7a-17pts); F Tristan Crozier (6g-9a-15pts); F Michael Maloney (10g-3a-13pts)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Ryan Bottrill (Maryland Black Bears, NAHL); D Nick Traggio (Bonnyville Pontiacs, AJHL)
2022-23 PREDICTION: Losing seven straight over the first two months made Brown look cooked, but after dropping a 4-0 defeat to Providence around Thanksgiving, the Bears found their sea legs and pushed their way into the home ice conversation by winning hockey games. A home sweep over Harvard and Dartmouth included back-to-back shutout wins for the first time since the 2009 postseason, and a win over Cornell plus earning extra points in shootout wins over Union and St. Lawrence kept them in the fight until the last day of the season.
Falling short was a reflection on how last year started, and the Bears should avoid some of the issues associated with October and November by having a full offseason to train. Goaltender Mathieu Caron could very well wind up on an All-ECAC team this year, and defensemen Luke Krys and Samuli Niinisaari are two-way threats capable of playing Zdeno Chara-like minutes. Getting James Crossman back healthy should also help the blue line continue to build depth.
The more significant issue is up front, where Brown lost virtually all of its goal scoring from last year’s line chart. That likely means some growing pains and a possibility of a second consecutive slow start, which itself would be problematic given the eight league games to start the year. If someone emerges and the Bears survive that stretch, then things could get real interesting once the team clears its non-conference hurdles.
PREDICTED FINISH: Ninth
HEAD COACH: Casey Jones, entering his 12th season at Clarkson
LAST SEASON: 21-10-6 overall (14-4-4, 51 points, second in ECAC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Alex Campbell (16g-17a-33pts); F Mathieu Gosselin (11g-22a-33pts); F Ayrton Martino (7g-22a-29pts); F Anthony Romano (15g-13a-28pts); D Noah Beck (5g-17a-22pts); D Tommy Pasanen (3g-4a-7pts); G Ethan Haider (13-10-5, 2.39 GAA, .908 SV%); G Jacob Mucitelli (8-0-1, 1.30 GAA, .944 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: D Lukas Kaelble (7g-15a-22pts); F Luke Santerno (12g-5a-17pts)
KEY ADDITIONS: D Trey Taylor (Youngstown Phantoms, USHL); F Brady Egan (Pembroke Lumber Kings, CCHL); F Brandon Buhr (Alberni Valley Bulldogs; BCHL)
2022-23 PREDICTION: It’s insane to consider how much COVID-19 impacted the last three years, but because of the pandemic, Clarkson’s senior class has never played in a single NCAA tournament game despite winning 60 games and finishing second in ECAC over the last three seasons.
Maybe that doesn’t mean much to this year, but adding more motivation to the Golden Knights is a spicy combination for a team that’s just as good as Quinnipiac. It’s impossible to find holes in the lineup as it is, and removing the usual bumps associated with any season, it’s more believable that Clarkson could lead the league wire-to-wire behind a roster capable of doing everything with multiple goalies who could start anywhere in the country.
There’s a possible postseason preview in Milwaukee when Clarkson plays UMass, and four of the final eight games are against teams projected to enter the postseason with a first-round road series. Considering how it breaks down, there’s a whole lot of momentum available for a team that could very well lead the league wire-to-wire and put pressure on the national conversation.
PREDICTED FINISH: First
HEAD COACH: Don Vaughn, entering his 29th season at Colgate
LAST SEASON: 18-18-4 overall (9-9-4, 33 points, fifth in ECAC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Colton Young (15g-17a-32pts); F Alex Young (10g-21a-31pts); F Matt Verboon (10g-18a-28pts); D Nick Anderson (1g-18a-19pts); G Carter Gylander (7-8-0, 2.76 GAA, .908 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Josh McKechney (14g-13a-27pts); F Griffin Lunn (12g-7a-19pts); D Elliott McDermott (2g-11a-13pts); G Mitch Benson (10-7-3, 2.39 GAA, .922 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: D Reid Irwin (Tr., Denver, NCHC); D Bobby Metz (Minnesota Wilderness, NAHL); F Simon Labelle (Prince George Spruce Kings, BCHL)
2022-23 PREDICTION: Colgate might have finished last year as the No. 5 seed, but the Raiders set the bar for the rest of the league. They started hot, cooled off in the middle of the season, and finished with 18 wins and their first trip to the semifinal round of the postseason since 2015. They won one-goal games, and while some teams finished with better records, few teams did more to maximize a dark horse status.
That’s why it’s okay to expect Colgate to challenge for a top four seed while simultaneously predicting a fifth-place finish. Nearly everyone returns, but it’s up to the blue collar areas – the depth scoring and special teams, along with good goaltending and solid plus/minus numbers – to see about getting the Raiders into that next echelon occupied by the teams perceived as being better at the start of the season.
One thing about the Raiders: they aren’t afraid to travel. They’ll open the season at home but will spend back-to-back weekends in October going to Arizona State and Merrimack at opposite ends of the Division I geographical spectrum, and their non-conference schedule is evenly split and spread out between home and away. A Thanksgiving weekend trip to Niagara is a nice break from home weekends in league play, and the home games against Maine are a good way to shake off any holiday rust before rejoining ECAC play after January 1. Even the end-of-season home-and-home with Cornell and St. Lawrence/Clarkson weekends don’t look bad, and lining up three games at home before ending the year at Yale and Brown could make for a push at whichever team is in the No. 4 spot.
PREDICTED FINISH: Fifth
HEAD COACH: Mike Schafer, entering his 28th season at Cornell
LAST SEASON: 18-10-4 overall (12-6-4, 39 points, fourth in ECAC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Matt Stienburg (12g-16a-28pts); F Max Andreev (9g-14a-23pts); F Ben Berard (14g-8a-22pts); D Sam Malinksi (4g-17a-21pts); F Ondrej Psenicka (12g-8a-20pts); D Travis Mitchell (3g-12a-15pts); G Ian Shane (7-6-3, 1.72 GAA, .933 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Brenden Locke (6g-12a-18pts); F Kyle Betts (6g-11a-17pts); G Nate McDonald (7-1-1, 2.38 GAA, .904 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Gabriel Seger (Tr., Union, ECAC); G Ryan McInchak (Tr., AIC, Atlantic Hockey)
2022-23 PREDICTION: An absurd amount of scoring, a stodgy lineup, and stingy goaltending made for a striking return to the ice in Ithaca, where Cornell plowed its way to 10 wins in the first half of the year. It was hard to find a hole on the Big Red until a midseason slip in February dropped them out of top-10 consideration, but after clinching a first-round bye with a win over Princeton in the season’s final game, Cornell lost to Colgate in three games and didn’t advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2016.
It doesn’t look like the absence is going to be long-lived, and the lack of rink rust entering last year showed that a program that advanced to three straight NCAA Tournaments before COVID will rightly be in the conversation once the Pairwise numbers shake out. Nearly everyone is back, and it’s likely the losses are overlooked because of what’s returning. If there’s any slip from Quinnipiac and Clarkson, there’s no reason to think the Big Red won’t ascend to the top, a spot they held for the three years leading into the pandemic.
Getting there should be half of the fun after the season opens with two games against Minnesota-Duluth, the Princeton-Quinnipiac weekend and St. Lawrence-Clarkson. Every single one of those games is on the road and precedes the game at Madison Square Garden against Connecticut, two games against four-time Atlantic Hockey champion AIC, and a game at Boston University. If Cornell sweeps or does well in that whole slate, the Big Red could enter the postseason in the same position as Quinnipiac last year.
PREDICTED FINISH: Second
HEAD COACH: Reid Cashman, entering his second season at Dartmouth
LAST SEASON: 7-22-3 overall (5-15-2, 21 points, T-11th in ECAC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Sean Chisholm (9g-14a-23pts); D Tanner Palocsik (4g-16a-20pts); F Mark Gallant (11g-7a-18pts); F Braiden Dorfman (8g-10a-18pts); D Ian Pierce (4g-10a-14pts)
KEY LOSSES: G Clay Stevenson (6-14-2; 2.70 GAA; .922 SV%); G Justin Ferguson (1-8-1, 3.98 GAA, .872 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F John Fusco (Tr., Harvard, ECAC); G Cooper Black (Nanaimo Clippers, BCHL); G Mikey Roberts (Taft School, USHS-Prep)
2022-23 PREDICTION: Dartmouth might be the feel-good story in college hockey after returning to the ice last year. Sure, the Big Green finished tied with Yale for 11th, but they pushed RPI to three games in the first round when the majority of people expected the season to go bust after new head coach Reid Cashman essentially rebuilt his team without being able to skate for a year.
How the team builds on that performance is up to a roster that didn’t really lose anything in the offseason. The entire goaltending backline is gone, but it’s otherwise difficult to poke holes through a roster with its returning depth and a recruiting class that carries some good potential. That’s not a guarantee that Dartmouth will make an automatic leap, but it does mean the Big Green did something different from the other teams in the bottom four. Everyone else lost something. Dartmouth didn’t.
Leveling those expectations means the Big Green should be a fun team to follow, and they’ll represent ECAC with Quinnipiac among a Friendship Four field featuring UMass Lowell and UMass in Belfast. The annual Ledyard Classic features Providence, and there’s a seven-game homestand between January and late February.
PREDICTED FINISH: Eighth
HEAD COACH: Ted Donato, entering his 18th season at Harvard
LAST SEASON: 21-11-3 overall (14-6-2, 46 points, third in ECAC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Matthew Coronato (18g-18a-36pts); D Henry Thrun (7g-25a-32pts); Alex Laferriere (14g-17a-31pts); F Sean Farrell (10g-18a-28pts); D Ryan Siedem (3g-17a-20pts); G Mitchell Gibson (18-10-1, 2.17 GAA, .918 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Casey Dornbach (8g-17a-25pts); F Nick Abruzzese (9g-24a-33pts);
KEY ADDITIONS: D Mason Langenbrunner (Fargo Force, USHL); F Joe Miller (Chicago Steel, USHL); F Casey Severo (Madison Capitols, USHL); Philip Tresca (Muskegon Lumberjacks, USHL)
2022-23 PREDICTION: Simply watching Harvard win its first league championship since 2017 offered a template for other programs to emulate since the Crimson simply didn’t lose. They were never the most dominant team in the ECAC toolbox, but they beat the two best teams in the conference to clinch the championship, and in the NCAA Tournament, they pushed top-ranked Minnesota State to within a goal in the final four minutes of the third period.It felt nondescript, but that’s exactly why Harvard’s likelihood to repeat as champion is just as strong as the likelihood of a new banner winner.
No team has won consecutive titles since Union’s three-peat from 2012-2014, and Harvard has never repeated as conference champion, but the number of returning players combined with a similar road to the top four means the Crimson have a really good chance to add regular season champion to their postseason resume. They’re going to win a ton of games, and their home ice advantage is as dominant anywhere in the country. Even a Beanpot championship, which hasn’t happened since 1993, is very much in the equation.
PREDICTED FINISH: Third
HEAD COACH: Ron Fogarty, entering his ninth season at Princeton
LAST SEASON: 8-21-2 overall (7-14-1, 23 points, 10th in ECAC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Ian Murphy (7g-8a-15pts); F Spencer Kersten (6g-9a-15pts); F Adam Robbins (5g-5a-10pts)
KEY LOSSES: F Corey Andonovski (9g-12a-21pts); F Christian O’Neill (2g-10a-12pts); F Finn Evans (6g-4a-10pts); G Jeremie Forget (6-8-2, 3.49 GAA, .888 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Kevin Anderson (Notre Dame Hounds, SJHL); F Brandan Gorman (St. Sebastian’s, USHS-Prep); F David Jacobs (Cowichan Valley Capitals, BCHL); D Tyler Rubin (West Kelowna Warriors, BCHL)
2022-23 PREDICTION: Entering last year with an overhauled roster was commonplace in ECAC, but Princeton took some of the more direct shots for a rebuilding team when it lost nine straight games in the first half of the year and ended the year with a second tough stretch. There were a couple of good outings and a high-scoring win over Cornell, but the numbers skewed against the Tigers due to bad nights against Clarkson, Providence, Quinnipiac and Union.
All of the returning pieces should take a step forward, but it’s hard to imagine a Cinderella run with the way the season opens. What opens with a single game against Harvard turns into the Cornell-Colgate weekend and a home-and-home against travel partner Quinnipiac. There’s a weekend against fellow rebuilders Yale and Brown in there, but it’s on the road, and a later, sneaky-tough trip to RIT exists before home games against Clarkson and St. Lawrence.
Princeton is a tough team that will unquestionably embrace that challenge, but it makes the situation hard to predict a path for the Tigers out of the first round. That said, if they can find the right offensive combinations and the defense and goaltending rapidly improves, there’s a very good chance it’s Princeton that kickstarts the next step of its rebuild by jumping into the conversation for home ice.
PREDICTED FINISH: 12th
HEAD COACH: Rand Pecknold, entering his 29th season at Quinnipiac
LAST SEASON: 32-7-3 overall (17-4-1, 54 points, first in ECAC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: D Zach Metsa (10g-27a-37 pts); F Ethan de Jong (11g-21a-32pts); F Michael Lombardi (14g-13a-27pts); F TJ Friedmann (13g-10a-23pts); G Yaniv Peretz (22-5-2, 1.17 GAA, .941 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Wyatt Bongiovanni (16g-18a-34pts); F Oliver Chau (13g-20a-33pts); F Ty Smilanic (13g-10a-23pts); G Dylan St. Cyr (10-2-1, 1.16 GAA, .936 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Collin Graf (Tr., Union, ECAC)
2022-23 PREDICTION: Last year offered the typical, successful standard of winning for a Quinnipiac program that finished first for the third time in four years. Another national tournament berth occurred, and head coach Rand Pecknold was tabbed as the head coach of the 2023 United States National Junior Team after his team caused a conversation about how mathematics and statistics can force a 30-win team into a No. 2 seed.
The Bobcats have a system that works, and there’s really no indication that the team will do anything other than finish near or at the top of ECAC. Goalie Yaniv Perets is the next successor to the long line of goaltending greats, and there isn’t any reason to think the returning firepower can overcome the losses of Wyatt Bongiovanni and Oliver Chau.
It would take a meteor the size of Texas to stop Quinnipiac from finishing in the top four, and it’s likely headed for another national tournament berth with a schedule loaded with the likes of Boston College and North Dakota. The given strength of Harvard, Clarkson and Cornell doesn’t mean a championship is a given, but that also doesn’t mean anyone should bet against the Bobcats.
PREDICTED FINISH: Fourth
HEAD COACH: Dave Smith, entering his sixth season at RPI
LAST SEASON: 18-23-2 overall (10-12-0, 30 points, sixth in ECAC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Ryan Mahshie (7g-13a-20pts); F TJ Walsh (4g-15a-19pts); G Jack Watson (9-9-0; 2.39 GAA; .922 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Ture Linden (19g-20a-39pts); F Ottoville Leppanen (9g-21a-30pts); D Simon Kjellberg (9g-18a-27pts); F Jakub Lacka (8g-16a-24pts); F Justin Addamo (14g-6a-20pts); F Zach Dubinsky (10g-10a-20pts); D Jake Johnson (2g-14a-16pts); G Linden Marshall (9-13-3; 2.54 GAA; .895 SV%)
KEY ADDITIONS: D Nick Strom (Tr., Western Michigan, NCHC); F Austin Heidemann (Tr., Mercyhurst, Atlantic Hockey); F Brendan Budy (Tr., North Dakota, NCHC); F John Evans (West Kelowna Warriors, BCHL); F Sutter Muzzatti (Austin Bruins, NAHL); G Carson Cherepak (Dauphin Kings, MJHL)
2022-23 PREDICTION: There’s no real way to sugarcoat RPI’s offseason: the Engineers lost their top six scorers either to graduation or the transfer portal, and along with one of their two goalies, there’s more than a few holes that head coach Dave Smith has to plug. Given the interruption caused by opting out of the 2020-2021 season, that also means his fourth-year seniors essentially started their careers, stopped to take a season off, then returned for last year’s third season without any game experience.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that even with the hardships, the team found a way to finish the ECAC season with 10 wins, and after beating Dartmouth in the ECAC First Round, RPI pushed Harvard to two overtime games, including a double-overtime thriller while facing elimination, before essentially paying a one-goal game in the third game. So despite the inherent struggles, there’s a good chance the program can weather the storm and still emerge unscathed, especially if the incoming class produces one or two instant stars.
The better news? The season opens with a favorable schedule that will allow players the opportunity to log valuable ice before the bulk of ECAC play really gets firing. The exhibition against the University of Toronto will help in offering critical minutes, and the first six games are against three Atlantic Hockey teams, an independent and the US National Development team. With plenty of hockey to go around, that’s a great indicator of how a team can gel before conference play starts with the annual home-and-home against Union.
PREDICTED FINISH: Tenth
HEAD COACH: Brent Brekke, entering his fourth season at St. Lawrence
LAST SEASON: 11-9-7 overall (7-10-5, 26 points, eighth in ECAC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Justin Paul (8g-10a-18pts); F Aleksi Peltonen (4g-10a-14pts); D Philippe Chapleau (4g-9a-13pts); F Max Dorrington (8g-4a-12pts); G Emil Zetterquist (11-16-7, 2.57 GAA, .904 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Kaden Pickering (6g-13a-19pts); F David Jankowski (4g-12a-16pts)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Jan Lasak (Janesville Jets, NAHL); F Tomas Mazura (Tr., Providence, Hockey East)
2022-23 PREDICTION: Christmas came early in Canton after goalie Emil Zetterquist opted to return after playing over 2,000 minutes last season for the Saints, and his presence for a fifth season further stabilizes a team featuring returning scoring and defense. If everyone steps forward another year, having a top-flight goalie offers the opportunity for St. Lawrence to surprise people with a possible return run through the ECAC standings.
Both Justin Paul and Max Dorrington developed their scoring touch late in the season and were contributing factors in St. Lawrence’s three-game series win over Brown, and two of Aleksi Peltonen’s four goals came during the postseason series against the Bears and Quinnipiac. Even with the loss of two of the roster’s three top point-tallying skaters, a top-heavy lineup is usually enough to drive an ability to win hockey games.
The schedule is the only thing truly preventing St. Lawrence from earning dark horse status. After playing eight home games before Thanksgiving, the Saints play seven of eight games on the road during a crucial stretch that starts and finishes with grueling road trips to the easternmost part of the league. Combined with the home-and-home against Clarkson and a trip to the Capital District, that’s an exhausting stretch that could make or break anywhere from fourth to eighth place.
PREDICTED FINISH: Sixth
HEAD COACH: Josh Hauge, entering his first season at Union
LAST SEASON: 14-19-4 overall (9-11-2, 27 points, seventh in ECAC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Liam Robertson (13g-6a-19pts); F Chaz Smedsrud (5g-11a-16pts); F Tyler Watkins (4g-12a-16pts); G Connor Murphy (14-18-3, 2.66 GAA, .919 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Brandon Estes (7g-22a-29pts); F Collin Graf (11g-11a-22pts); F Gabriel Seger (7g-14a-21pts); D Dylan Anhorn (7g-13a-20pts)
KEY ADDITIONS: F Ethan Benz (St. Cloud Norseman, NAHL); D Greg Japchen (North Iowa Bulls, NAHL); F Colby MacArthur (Summerside Western Capitals, MHL); F Chris Theodore (Tr., AIC, Atlantic Hockey); F Josh Nixon (Tr., Lake Superior State, CCHA)
2022-23 PREDICTION: Perhaps the greatest compliment of Union hockey was how the Dutchmen never lost their way through the turbulence of last season. The team lost its head coach in late January when Rick Bennett resigned, but the six wins amassed after the controversy settled pushed the team into a home series, a first-round sweep, and two overtime games at Clarkson before bowing out in the ECAC Quarterfinals.
The question now is if Union can elevate into the next tier and separate from those transition spots reserved for first round matchups. Hiring Josh Hauge from Clarkson’s staff was a big win, but after losing three 20-point scorers to the transfer portal, the Dutchmen hit the ice with a number of new faces forced to gel with one another. Some are first-year college hockey players, while Chris Theodore and Josh Nixon are older, experienced skaters who saw success at programs in Atlantic Hockey and the WCHA.
Getting new players on the same page with a new system is a challenge, but Union opens the season with eight non-conference games that include a number of beatable opponents. Road trips to Army West Point, Connecticut, and RIT are going to offer strong team-building experiences, and a late-October trip to UMass for two games is a good step-up in competition before ECAC play starts. Ending the season with four home games over the last three weekends will enable Union to figure out its home ice postseason fate against the teams trying to unseat it.
PREDICTED FINISH: Seventh
HEAD COACH: Keith Allain, entering his 17th season at Yale
LAST SEASON: 8-21-1 overall (7-14-1, 21 points, T-11th in ECAC)
KEY RETURNING PLAYERS: F Ian Carpentier (8g-5a-13pts); F Cole Donhauser (4g-8a-12pts); F Briggs Gammill (3g-9a-12pts); F Niklas Allain (4g-7a-11pts); G Luke Pearson (2-6-0, 2.42 GAA, .916 SV%); G Nathan Reid (6-10-1, 2.71 GAA, .901 SV%)
KEY LOSSES: F Justin Pearson (3g-8a-11pts); D Graham Lillibridge (4g-4a-8pts)
KEY ADDITIONS: F JoJo Tanaka-Campbell (Vernon Vipers, BCHL); F Elan Bar-Lev-Wise (West Kelowna Warriors, BCHL); D Jason Marsella (Powell River Kings, BCHL)
2022-23 PREDICTION: Yale’s entry into the 2021-22 season all but ensured an uphill battle, but the Bulldogs rallied from losing the first six games of the season to put respectable results on the board by the end of the season. The Bulldogs were outscored early to the tune of a 23-5 deficit and didn’t score their first goal until the third game of the season, but they finished the season with a full 12 points against RPI and Union while simultaneously beating Clarkson on the road before the year ended. For a roster full of players who entered the year without any college hockey experience, that’s a great sign of things to come.
Because Yale returned so many players, bridging the seasons is going to be easier than other programs, and the foundation is there for head coach Keith Allain to continue building around an offense that got better as the year progressed. The return of two goaltenders helps, but how the team plays in front of them has to be an area of focus.
It’s unfortunate, then, that Yale starts the season with 10 consecutive league games, of which three are at home. It’s incredibly unforgiving, and after a home-and-home with travel partner Brown, the Bulldogs head to Dartmouth and Harvard, Cornell and Colgate, and St. Lawrence and Clarkson before the first semester ends. The only home weekend involves Quinnipiac and is sandwiched between the Dartmouth-Harvard and Cornell-Colgate trips, so any acceleration in the team’s progress has to happen quickly.
PREDICTED FINISH: 11th
With 41 first-place votes, Denver is again the top team in the DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll.
Minnesota stays No. 2 and earned six first-place votes, while North Dakota moves up one to No. 3, picking up one first-place vote.
Minnesota Duluth is up one to No. 4, followed by Minnesota State, down two spots to No. 5.
Quinnipiac moves up one to No. 6, grabbing a first-place vote, while Michigan is down one to No. 7, also notching a first-place vote in the process.
DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll – Oct. 3, 2022
Northeastern remains No. 8, Boston University is up three to No. 9, and St. Cloud State jumps three places to sit tenth this week.
All teams 11-20 were in the Sept. 26 poll, save for UConn, which enters this week’s poll at No. 20.
In addition, 18 other teams received votes in this week’s poll.
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.
This podcast is sponsored by DCU – Digital Federal Credit Union – at dcu.org
Topics include:
• What did we learn from the first weekend of play?
• Can we take away anything from exhibition results?
• First head coaching wins for BU’s Jay Pandolfo, Union’s Josh Hauge, and Alaska Anchorage’s Matt Shasby
• Replay, shootouts, and a perhaps nitpicky protocol enforcement revealed new rules and emphases for 2022-23
Subscribe to this podcast on Apple podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.
(1) Ohio State at Minnesota State
The Mavericks took an early lead thanks to Kelsey King’s snipe three minutes into the game. Ohio State tied the game midway through the first on a goal by Gabby Rosenthal. Jennifer Gardiner put OSU up less than two minutes into the second and that score held to give the reigning national champions their first win of the season. In the second game, Ohio State needed three third-period goals to keep a clean record. Sofie Lundin scored her first as a Buckeye to get them on the board first, but then Mankato scored three unanswered to give them 3-1 lead heading into the first intermission. Anna Wilgren, Madison Mashuga and Claire Butorac gave the Mavericks that lead. Kenzie Hauswirth cut the lead in half midway through the second, but early in the third, Brooke Bryant pushed it back to two, giving MSU a 4-2 lead. Madison Bizal, Gardiner and Rosenthal each lit the lamp over about seven minutes of game play to put Ohio State up 5-4. A late power play gave Minnesota State a number of opportunities to send the game to overtime, but they couldn’t find the net and the Buckeyes escaped with the win and weekend sweep.
LIU at (3) Northeastern
Tindra Holm made 60 saves, but the Sharks could not hold off Northeastern as the Huskies took a 3-1 win. Mikayla Lantto scored for LIU first to give them a 1-0 lead in the second, but Northeastern answered just 37 seconds later to tie it up on a goal from Peyton Anderson. Freshman defender Jules Constantinople scored her first career goal midway through the third to make it 2-1 and Holly Abela added a goal late to give Northeastern the 3-1 win. In the second game, Alina Mueller had three goals and an assist, Chloe Aurard had a goal and three assists and Holy Abela had two goals to lead the Huskies to a 10-1 and weekend sweep. Bri Eid scored late for the Sharks to ruin the shutout.
(4) Minnesota Duluth vs. (11) Penn State
The Bulldogs took a bit of time to find their rhythm, but showed why they were last year’s national runner up with an explosive final frame. Mannon McMahon’s power play goal midway through the first would be the eventual game winner, but Anneke Linser scored twice in the second and McMahon added an even-strength goal to lead UMD to a 4-0 win.
(4) Minnesota Duluth at St. Lawrence
On Thursday, the Minnesota Duluth outshot St. Lawrence 38-23, but needed a power play goal in overtime to escape with a win. Anna Segedi, who returned to the Saints after a year off for the Olympics, opened the scoring just three minutes into the game. Gabbie Krause responded just seconds later to tie the game at one. Kristina Bahl gave the Saints the lead heading into the first intermission on a gorgeous power play goal as she weaved through the Bulldog defense and backhanded the puck into the net. Ashton Bell continued her quick start to the season with a power play goal in the third to tie the game and Maggie Flaherty scored in overtime to give UMD the 3-2 win.
Lindenwood at (5) Wisconsin
In the first game, Sophie Shirley, Maddi Wheeler and Lacey Eden each scored twice to lead the Badgers to a 6-0 win. On Friday, nine different Badgers combined for 10 goals to make it a weekend sweep. Jesse Compher was the lone UW skater to score twice. Caroline Harvey had five assists while Eden and Casey O’Brien each had a goal and three assists.
(6) Colgate at Mercyhurst
Sydney Bard, Tanner Gates, Kalty Kaltounkova, Sara Stewart and Danielle Serdachny each lit the lamp to lead Colgate to a 6-0 win on Friday. The teams played a scoreless draw into the third frame on Saturday before Danielle Serdachny scored the game winner. Kaltounkova added an empty-netter to secure a 2-0 win and sweep.
(15) Boston College at (8) Quinnipiac
Rookie Madison Chantler needed just three games to break out as she went beyond just scoring her first collegiate goal to tally a hat trick and lead the Bobcats to a 5-0 win on Friday. Quinnipiac dominated the game, out-shooting the Eagles 54-13 and controlling the flow of play.
New Hampshire at (8) Quinnipiac
Lexie Adzija and Madison Chantler scored and Olivia Mobley added two assists as the Bobcats took a 2-0 win on Sunday.
Bemidji State at (10) Clarkson
Anne Cherkowski had a goal and two assists and Gabrielle David added three assists to lead the Golden Knights to a 5-0 win on Friday. Rookies Ashyln Ham and Sena Catterall each scored their first career goals in the victory. In the second game, Beaver goalie Hannah Hogenson had a stellar game as Clarkson outshot Bemidji 34-19 but the game ended in a 2-2 tie. The teams traded power play goals in the first, with Ella Annick scoring for BSU and Darci Lappan lighting the lamp for the Golden Knights. In the second, Oliva Hanson’s goal put Clarkson ahead 2-1. Claire Vekich knotted the game and forced overtime, where the teams weren’t able to find a winner and the game ended in a 2-2 tie.
(11) Penn State vs. St. Lawrence
The Nittany Lions secured their first-ever win over St. Lawrence thanks to grad transfer Courtney Correia scoring her first career hat trick en route to a 4-2 win. She and Alyssa Machado bookended a St. Lawrence goal by Julia Gosling in the second to have a 2-1 lead heading into the third. Correia added a power play goal to stretch it to 3-1 before Abby Hustler cut the lead to one. Correia’s empty-netter ensured the win.
RIT at (14) Vermont
Sophomore Evelyne Blais-Savoie, who had four goals all of last season, is already halfway to that number after one game as she led Vermont with two goals in their 5-2 win on Friday. Hailey Burns put the Catamounts on the board in the first, but it was a three-goal outburst from Theresa Schafzahl, Natalie Mlynkova and Blais-Savoie that put the game away. Chloe McNeil scored twice for RIT to ruin the shutout. On Saturday, Jaymee Nolan put RIT on the board first, giving them a 1-0 lead after the opening frame. Schafzahl and Corinne McCool gave the Catamounts a 2-1 lead heading into the third. Sara Levesque, Maddy Skelton and McCool extended it to a 5-1 win before Kyla Bear put one more on the board for RIT.
Here is a rundown of how the top 20 teams in the DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll of Sept. 26 fared in games over the weekend of Oct. 1-2.
No. 1 Denver (0-0-0)
10/01/2022 – UNLV* 0 at No. 1 Denver 10 (exhibition)
No. 2 Minnesota (2-0-0)
10/01/2022 – Lindenwood 0 at No. 2 Minnesota 4
10/02/2022 – Lindenwood 4 at No. 2 Minnesota 6
No. 3 Minnesota State (0-0-0)
10/01/2022 – No. 3 Minnesota State 2 at RV Omaha 7 (exhibition)
No. 4 North Dakota (0-0-0)
10/01/2022 – Manitoba* 1 at No. 4 North Dakota 5 (exhibition)
No. 5 Minnesota Duluth (2-0-0)
10/01/2022 – RV Arizona State 2 at No. 5 Minnesota Duluth 3 (OT)
10/02/2022 – RV Arizona State 1 at No. 5 Minnesota Duluth 4
No. 6 Michigan (0-0-0)
10/01/2022 – Windsor* 2 at No. 6 Michigan 8 (exhibition)
No. 7 Quinnipiac (0-0-0)
10/01/2022 – Toronto* 2 at No. 7 Quinnipiac 4 (exhibition)
10/02/2022 – No. 15 Providence 2 at No. 7 Quinnipiac 4 (exhibition)
No. 8 Northeastern (1-0-0)
10/01/2022 – LIU 2 at No. 8 Northeastern 3 (OT)
No. 9 Notre Dame (0-0-0)
10/02/2022 – U.S. NTDP* 5 at No. 9 Notre Dame 3 (exhibition)
No. 10 Massachusetts (0-0-0)
10/01/2022 – RV Sacred Heart 3 at No. 10 Massachusetts 2 (exhibition)
No. 11 Harvard (0-0-0)
Did not play.
No. 12 Boston University (1-0-0)
10/01/2022 – Bentley 2 at No. 12 Boston University 8
No. 13 St. Cloud State (2-0-0)
10/01/2022 – No. 13 St. Cloud State 3 at St. Thomas 1
10/02/2022 – St. Thomas 0 at No. 13 St. Cloud State 4
No. 14 Western Michigan (1-1-0)
10/01/2022 – No. 14 Western Michigan 1 at Alaska Anchorage 3
10/02/2022 – No. 14 Western Michigan 4 at Alaska Anchorage 1
No. 15 Providence (0-0-0)
10/01/2022 – Western Ontario* 2 at No. 15 Providence 5 (exhibition)
10/02/2022 – No. 15 Providence 2 at No. 7 Quinnipiac 4 (exhibition)
No. 16 Ohio State (2-0-0)
10/01/2022 – No. 16 Ohio State 4 at Mercyhurst 2
10/02/2022 – No. 16 Ohio State 4 at Mercyhurst 1
No. 17 UMass Lowell (1-0-0)
10/01/2022 – St. Lawrence 0 at No. 17 UMass Lowell 4
No. 18 Clarkson (0-0-0)
10/01/2022 – Ottawa* 3 at No. 18 Clarkson 7 (exhibition)
No. 19 Cornell (0-0-0)
Did not play.
No. 20 Michigan Tech (0-0-0)
10/01/2022 – Lake Superior State 2 at No. 20 Michigan Tech 5 (exhibition)
RV = received votes
* = not eligible for poll
Two NCAA Division I men’s head coaches picked up their first collegiate coaching wins – Jay Pandolfo for Boston University and Josh Hauge for Union. And in non-exhibition NCAA games, all of the nationally-ranked teams held serve, even if it took overtime. That highlights the opening night of the Division I men’s college hockey season.
No. 12 Boston University 8, Bentley 2
The Terriers offense, led in large part by its freshman class, exploded for eight goals, including a two-goal, one-assist game from rookie Ryan Greene, as Boston University glided past Bentley, 8-2.
The victory was coach Jay Pandolfo’s first as a collegiate head coach. Pandolfo served as an associate head coach last season after a long career as an assistant with the Boston Bruins.
Five of the eight goals by Boston University were scored by rookies, but the back end was supported by the experienced veteran Drew Commesso. The junior netminder and second-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks stopped 22 of the 24 shots he faced to earn the win.
Tonight's No. 1 star – freshman Ryan Greene – pushed the lead to 4-0 with his first two goals as a Terrier!
Here's the first… pic.twitter.com/oTWgZzgpvq
— BU Men's Hockey (@TerrierHockey) October 2, 2022
The Terriers scored four goals in the first 14:08 of the game to take early control. That included both of Greene’s tallies as well as goals by fellow rookie Quinn Hutson and senior Matt Brown. Jeremy Wilmer and Devin Kaplan were freshman who scored in the offensive barrage in the Terriers opener.
DIVISION I MEN’S SCOREBOARD | DCU/USCHO.COM POLL
Union 4, RIT 3
Union first-year coach Josh Hauge joined Pandolfo in earning his first collegiate coaching win, but his hardly felt like smooth sailing.
The Dutchmen fell behind 2-0 and 3-1 before rallying with the game’s final three goals, including the game-winning tally from Carter Korpi with 1:33 remaining in regulation to lead Union to a 4-3 victory.
UNION WINS!!!!! pic.twitter.com/9bxwoce79P
— Union Hockey (@Unionmhockey) October 2, 2022
Korpi’s goal capped a two-goal performance for the rookie. Senior goaltender Connor Murphy earned the victory stopping 22 shots.
RIT grabbed an early 2-0 lead on first-period goals by Tanner Andrew and Evan Miller.
Korpi closed the lead to one at the 2:38 mark of the second period, only to have RIT’s Cody Laskosky response at 4:48 to extend the lead back to two goals.
That simply set up the Dutchmen’s comeback. Caden Villegas scored in the second before Josh Nixon buried the equalizer at 6:59 of the third and Korpi completed his heroics late.
MOMENTS YOU MIGHT WANT TO SEE…
Here are some of the moments around college hockey from Saturday that you might like to see with your own eyes:
Rookie Derek Daschke scores at 1:50 of overtime as No. 5 Minnesota Duluth wins in overtime again Arizona State
@derekdaschke secured the win with the OT goal! pic.twitter.com/u2Gj8nhOBy
— UMD Men's Hockey (@UMDMensHockey) October 2, 2022
Another rookie with a big snipe as No. 8 Northeastern gets the OT winner from Vinny Borgesi again LIU
HUSKIES WIN!! HUSKIES WIN!!
Have yourself a night, Vinny!
📺 https://t.co/9sLjfDDGEY#HowlinHuskies pic.twitter.com/hl49sPVYIp
— Northeastern Men’s Hockey (@GoNUmhockey) October 2, 2022
Yes, this might have been an exhibition game, but how about these hands from Michigan’s Seamus Casey
What a beauty from Seamus Casey!@NJDevils #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/okGMavv4Vg
— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) October 2, 2022
… and another
Talk about last minute! Grano makes it 8-2 with a minute left pic.twitter.com/By8fzQLMbp
— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) October 2, 2022
Every coach has a different philosophy for how to fill out their non-conference schedule. In larger conferences, there are fewer slots that need to be filled. In a conference like the CHA, with only six teams, there are more. Add in that last season and this one, the CHA is playing with just five teams, and that leaves 20 or so possible non-conference games to schedule.
Penn State coach Jeff Kampersal likened scheduling to a complex jigsaw puzzle. And there are far more things that go into creating a non-conference schedule than picking an opponent. Most programs agree to a home and home series, where the teams play at each participant’s home venue, usually over the course of two seasons. Increasingly, as we see this weekend at St. Lawrence, teams that are traveling a long distance will schedule a round robin, where one team hosts and two teams travel to the site and they all play each other once. There are also various tournaments around the holidays and winter break.
Beyond logistics, Kampersal said he considers things like how non-conference opponents prepare his team for the season and also how a positive result for the Nittany Lions against a ranked team benefits his team’s chances for an at-large bid at the end of the season, especially now with the expanded field.
Kampersal pointed to what now retired coach Paul Flanagan accomplished at Syracuse and how successful Mike Sisti has been at Mercyhurst and the progression of those programs as reference points for what he’s trying to emulate.
“We’re trying to follow that model to play the best (teams) to elevate our program,” he said.
Playing games against prestigious universities is also an important component of recruiting, said Kampersal. He knows the CHA can have a reputation as a weaker conference and that it could make recruits want to go to school somewhere else. The only CHA team to win an NCAA tournament game is Mercyhurst. They are 5-17 and their last NCAA win was in 2014.
“I believe we have strong teams at our conference, but the perception is still kind of what it is, so we’re trying to change that perception,” said Kampersal.
Much like with recruits, the importance of these games on campus is as much about how people view them as anything. The Nittany Lions’ win over Wisconsin last week was a big step for the program, but it also provided a huge boost in the perception of the team on campus and around town. Wisconsin is a prestigious women’s hockey program with six 
national championships – but maybe more importantly in State College, they’re a Big Ten rival. That win had name recognition beyond women’s hockey and that makes a difference when it comes to winning new fans at a sports-crazy university. And it had an immediate impact. There were 40% more fans at the second game in the series.
“That’s our goal, to get more and more fans and people involved in our sport,” said Kampersal.
Of course, none of this matters if Penn State doesn’t win these non-conference games. Last season his team went 0-3-1 in four games against St. Lawrence and Boston College to start the season. They rebounded by going 8-3-1 in games against Brown, Holy Cross, Minnesota Duluth, Ohio State, New Hampshire, St. Cloud State, Boston University and Cornell.
Kampersal said he’ll definitely evaluate the strategy if his team fails to win any more of their games against these opponents this season, but he doesn’t foresee that being the case. This is all part of the process of building his program to a point where they can be successful. That means having the depth to push top-ranked teams, something that wasn’t necessarily the case in the past.
The team learns from these games, even if they lose, and Kampersal said having played them makes his team stronger when it comes to the postseason. He again referenced Syracuse, who won the conference tournament championship – and NCAA autobid – despite placing third in the conference.They were ready for increased pace of play and more physical games because of the non-conference schedule they played, he believes. Keeping that in the back of his mind played into choosing which teams he added to his schedule. Wisconsin is deep. Minnesota Duluth is fast. St. Lawrence is creative. Colgate is high-skill.
“All the teams have slightly different styles. For us, it’s good to play against the best and to show future recruits that we’re not going to duck anybody. We will play, anybody anywhere. If we take lumps, then we then we take lumps, but they’ll be good ones and ones that we can learn from,” he said.
Hosts Jim Connelly, Derek Schooley, and Ed Trefzger look back at news from this summer and look ahead to the new season.
This podcast is sponsored by DCU – Digital Federal Credit Union – at dcu.org
Topics include:
• Who are our No. 1 teams right now and who are some dark horses?
• Coaching changes at four top programs: Boston College, Boston University, Michigan, Michigan State
• Will we see a new Division I men’s hockey conference soon?
• Analyzing the rule changes for this season, especially video replay
Subscribe to this podcast on Apple podcasts, in your favorite podcast app, or on Spreaker.
Northeastern were the coaches preseason pick to win their fifth straight Hockey East regular season title, but the path there isn’t as assured as it has been for the Huskies the past few seasons. The gap between them and other teams is smaller than normal and there’s a chance for someone to really step up, though that’s not been a strong suit of any of the teams right behind them in the rankings.
Last Season
19-14-1, 16-9-1 (fourth). Lost to Maine in the Hockey East quarterfinals.
Names to know
Thanks to two Olympic centralizations, the first of which came after she’d already started her freshman year, Cayla Barnes is just now officially in her senior season. The diminutive defender is now a national team mainstay, as well as the anchor of the Eagles’ defense.
Senior Hannah Bilka was third overall in scoring at the most recent women’s world championships. She and sophomore Abby Newhook led the team with 16 goals each. Last season I had this was a team in want of a standout forward and these two delivered. Both players are smooth and skilled skaters that move well with and without the puck. Watching them weave in and out of the defense is a delight and they both have an eye for the net and the touch to put the puck where they want it.
What to Watch For
The Eagles had a stranglehold on the conference for much of the 2010’s, winning five straight titles. Since then, they’ve had two second place and two fourth place finishes, including last season. They have all their pieces on the ice this season, but it’s difficult to trust that they’ll be able to put it all together and make a run at Northeastern. They have a solid goaltender in Abbey Levy, an experienced defense and explosive offense and an early game against Quinnipiac should be a good test of where they stand.
Special teams should be an area of focus – and concern – for BC. They were 7th in Hockey East on the power play, converting just 12.75% of the time. Their 86% penalty kill was 6th in the conference.
Crystal Ball
I’m picking BC third.
Last Season
12-15-6, 11-9-5 (sixth). Lost to Connecticut in the Hockey East tournament quarterfinals.
Names to know
Grad transfer Andrea Brändli was the winningest goaltender in Ohio State program history. She’s also the starting goalie for Team Switzerland and made more saves than any other netminder at the Beijing Olympics.
Senior Julia Nearis is the Terriers’ highest returning scorer. She was second on the team with 20 points from 4 goals and 16 assists.
What to Watch For
The Terriers are without two of their top three scorers from last season and that team scored just 2.19 goals per game. Only seven players on that squad passed the double-digit threshold in points, with only two scoring 20 or more. No one on this year’s squad scored more than 9 goals last season. Simply put, this team has to produce more. They allowed 12 more goals than they scored and managed to pot just eight power plays goals on 90 attempts. Brändli will be a big help on defense. She’s shown herself more than capable of handling a high quantity of shots. But even if she puts up a ton of clean sheets, BU still needs to score. Having her back there may give the blue liners more confidence to be able to jump into play on the offensive end.
Crystal Ball
I’ve got the Terriers fifth to start the season
Last Season
24-9-4, 16-7-4 (third). Lost to Northeastern in the Hockey East championship game.
Names to know
Tia Chan spent last season playing for Team China in the Olympics. Rookie Megan Warrener split time in net and player herself into a bunch of minutes. The Huskies have used a goalie tandem effectively in recent years, so I’m guessing unless one of these players really excels, we’ll see them share the net again. Chan was on the league All-Rookie team two years ago and then faced a ton of high level competition. I’d bet the college game seems a lot slower to her now.
Grad transfer Carlie Magier comes over from Holy Cross, so she’s familiar with the competition and level of play and should be a good boost for UConn.
What to Watch For
All six of the Huskies’ top scorers from last season have moved on, taking 65% of the team’s scoring with them. There is nothing but opportunity for young players to excel here and UConn’s fortunes will hinge on how quickly the team finds their groove. Last year’s freshman class played behind a bunch of veterans. Now they’ll need to take what they learned and become step everything up.
Connecticut can focus on reestablishing their offense with the new roster because they have been one of the best defensive teams and there’s no reason to expect that to change this season. They allowed just 1.73 goals per game last season and that gives their offense the ability to be relatively low scoring while still winning games.
Crystal Ball
I have them sixth.
Last Season
3-30-0, 1-26-0 (tenth). Lost to New Hampshire in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.
Names to know
Junior Madison Beck played in eight games last season and is joined by two rookies on the roster to fight for the starting job.
Senior Darci Johal led the Crusaders with 11 goals and 15 points. She anchors the offense while senior Hailey Langefels and her 60 block last season hold down the defense.
What to Watch For
It was easy to see this team improve as the season went on. Their record is deceiving – the Crusaders lost four of their final six games by a single goal and three of those were in overtime. They bring on nine rookies this season but have a solid upperclassmen core that can help this team build on what they were accomplishing in February and March last season.
They have a relatively friendly schedule in the second half, which should give them the opportunity to build up as the season progresses and get some wins to show for their hard work.
Crystal Ball
I have Holy Cross tenth.
Last Season
8-9-1 (fifth). Lost to Providence in the opening round of the Hockey East Tournament.
Names to know
Senior Ida Kuoppala led the team with 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points last season.
Senior Amalie Andersen had two assists for Denmark, sophomore Mira Seregély had a goal and an assist for Hungary, Luisa Welcke had a goal and Lilli Welcke had an assist for Germany at the Women’s World Championships in Denmark in August.
What to Watch For
Molly Engstrom was named the new head coach in mid-August, which didn’t give her a lot of time to get up to speed on this team before they hit the ice. There was clearly some dishevelment happening behind the scenes, which makes me wonder about what kind of summer regimen the players had. Engstrom’s assistant coaches were announced less than a week ago. There’s a whole lot of upheaval and change happening while the Black Bears are without goalie Loryn Porter, who’d moored them for the last few seasons.
There are players from eight different countries on this roster – US, Canada, Hungary, Denmark, Switzerland, Finland, Germany and Italy. The non-North American players bring a wealth of international – and life – experience. Most are older than traditional American college students. While having so many different levels in one locker room could make Engstrom’s job harder, their maturity and knowledge of how to quickly adapt to different teams and coaches may actually put this team ahead of others in terms of getting up to speed. That being said, it has been an arduous international season and these players did not centralize or take the college season off. They played World Championships and Olympic qualifying and the Olympics. I’m very worried for all of them, across the NCAA, not having enough of a mental or physical break.
Crystal Ball
I’m putting Maine eighth.
Last Season
8-25-1, 6-20-1 (ninth). Lost to Northeastern in the Hockey East quarterfinals.
Names to know
Senior Teghan Inglis joined the Warriors last year from Ohio State and proceeded to lead the team in goals with 13 and points with 18 as a defender. The 13 goals were tied for the league lead from a blueliner. She was third in Hockey East in blocked shots with 69 and finished tied for ninth overall in league scoring.
Grad transfer Celine Tedenby stood out in her time in Maine and helped play herself onto the Sweden roster at the last World Championships. She brings a scoring touch, a wealth of experience and some great stickwork to the Warriors offense.
What to Watch For
Merrimack improved significantly on both goals scored and goals allowed last season and look to bring those two numbers closer in line with each other. They’ll rely on goalie Emma Gorski, who dropped her goals against average by more than half a goal and won seven more games than she did in either of her first two years. The Warriors are able to build out from the net and have brought in players last season and this one that are a bit more dynamic on offense.
They won their first ever Hockey East tournament game last season after not qualifying for the tournament the two years prior. It’s another small but important step for them in their growth as a still relatively young program.
Crystal Ball
I think they’ll finish ninth.
Last Season
11-21-2, 9-16-1 (eighth). Lost to Merrimack in the opening round of the Hockey East tournament.
Names to know
Sophomore Kira Juodikis is a 5’11” forward that somewhat quietly led the team in goals (12) and tied for the lead points (20). Senior Tamara Thiérus is the physical opposite at 5’3″ but tied her with 20 points. It’s fun to watch the two of them be successful at very different styles of play.
Grad student Ava Boutilier has had one of the best goaltending careers in UNH history. She holds the career record for saves, is currently fourth in minutes played and third in save percentage.
What to Watch For
After winning 18 games two seasons ago, last year was a bit of a drop off for the Wildcats and then they lost their opening round playoff game to Merrimack. It was obviously not the way they wanted to build off that great season and they’ll be looking to use their experienced squad to try and move up the standings in Hockey East.
Boutilier helps keep games close and gives New Hampshire a chance to win every game. Their goal differential is just slightly upside down, so if they can find a way to get a little more done offensively, they have a very good chance of putting pressure on the teams above them in the rankings.
Crystal Ball
I have UNH seventh.
Last Season
31-5-2, 21-3-2 (first). Lost to Minnesota Duluth in OT in the national semifinal.
Names to know
Grad transfer Maude Poulin-Labelle was a Second Team All-American, Hockey East Co-Best Defenseman and Hockey East First Team All-Star in 2021-22 at Vermont last season. She set a program record for most points by a blueliner with 35.
Senior Gwyn Phillips has the immense task of following Aerin Frankel in net. She’s not coming in completely green – over her first three years, she played about the equivalent of one season in games and minutes. While Frankel was known for a lightening quick glove hand, Phillips catches with her right, so her teammates need to adjust not just to her style of goaltending, but to her playing the puck out differently, as well.
What to Watch For
The Huskies hit the ice without 12 veterans that took the team to their second straight Frozen Four. The defense has been shored up and the offense is still led by Maureen Murphy, Alina Mueller and Chloé Aurard. They also add U18 Women’s World Championship gold medal winner Holly Abela. The roster is still plenty loaded, but their biggest question mark will be in net, as five-year starter Aerin Frankel graduated.
Northeastern’s blueliners have been heavily involved in the offense over the past few seasons precisely because they had Frankel behind them. It will be interested to see how the team plays with Phillips behind them. They were quick in transition and pushed ahead quickly, leaving a lot of empty ice behind them that they didn’t worry about getting exploited both because of the speed of players like Skylar Fontaine and the prowess of Frankel. It gave them a more dynamic offense, as well. There may be some adjustments there that will take some time.
Crystal Ball
This is Northeastern’s conference to lose.
Last Season
16-14-6, 12-12-3 (seventh). Lost to Vermont in the Hockey East quarterfinals.
Names to know
Grad student Sandra Abstreiter has been one of the most consistently good goalies in women’s hockey over the course of her career. Her .945 save percentage was fourth best in the nation and her 1.73 goals against was good for 11th in the country.
Grad transfers Ida Press and Noemi Neubauerova are good gets for Providence. Press is a solid defender that’s great in the corners and Neubauerova is a strong, grounded forward with a solid shot.
What to Watch For
The Friars were short on offense last season. Abstreiter and the defense were 11th best in the country, allowing just 1.9 goals per game. Unfortunately, the offense also only mustered 1.9 goals per game, good for 30th in the country. Their grad transfers alongside talented rookies like Reichen Kirchmair should help them be more aggressive toward the net. I have them fourth for now since I’d like to see them score some more before I believe they can push Vermont and Northeastern.
Providence has a very friendly second-half schedule. They can’t squander the opportunity and must get maximum points from those games. If gives them time to solidify as a team and find their footing, but they have to keep getting better as the season evolves. Every one of those games is winnable for this roster.
Crystal Ball
I’m putting them fourth.
Last Season
22-11-3, 18-7-2 (second). Lost to Connecticut in the Hockey East semifinals.
Names to know
Grad student Theresa Schafzahl was the first player in program history to receive the Cammi Granato Award as Hockey East Player of the Year. Her 46 points were equal to her first two seasons’ output combined and set a single season Catamounts record. Her 25 goals were good for fifth best in the country, as were her seven power play goals.
Junior Natálie Mlýnková led Czechia with six goals and was second with eight points at the 2022 Women’s World Championships where they won their first ever medal. She was fifth on Vermont in scoring last season, but has taken huge steps in her game in the past 12 months and should be a much bigger part of the Catamounts’ offense this season.
What to Watch For
It was a record-breaking season for Vermont, whose 21 regular season wins and 18 conference wins were both program records. They were ranked in both polls for the first time ever and now their Hockey East preseason ranking is their highest in program history. It’s also the first time they’ve been ranked nationally in both preseason polls. They were among the best in the country on the power play and penalty kill
They will be without Hockey East Best Defenseman Maude Poulin-Labelle, but otherwise return most of the roster that took the team to new heights last season. Junior goalie Jessie McPherson continues to be impressive and thanks to Schafzah and others, the offense is scoring more than a goal more per game than they did just a few seasons ago.
Crystal Ball
A strong finish to the season leaves me to believe they can finish second.
Defending Cleary Cup champion Quinnipiac has finished atop the preseason coaches poll with eight of 12 first-place votes.
Harvard, who won the 2022 Whitelaw Cup with an overtime victory over Quinnipiac, received four first-place votes and finishes in second place.
In addition, a preseason all-ECAC Hockey team was announced.
ECAC HOCKEY PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL
(First-place votes)
1. Quinnipiac (8) 118
2. Harvard (4) 109
3. Clarkson 105
4. Cornell 90
5. Colgate 77
6. RPI 70
7. St. Lawrence 57
8. Union 45
9. Dartmouth 43
10. Yale 32
11. Brown 26
12. Princeton 20
PRESEASON ALL-ECAC HOCKEY TEAM
G: Yaniv Perets, Jr., Quinnipiac
D: Zach Metsa, Gr., Quinnipiac
D: Henry Thrun, Sr., Harvard
F: Matthew Coronato, So., Harvard
F: Alex Campbell, Jr., Clarkson
F: Alex Laferriere, Jr., Harvard *
F: Mathieu Gosselin, Sr., Clarkson *
* Denotes tie in voting
Back-to-back ECAC Hockey tournament champion Colgate has been selected by the league’s head coaches to win the 2022-23 regular season in a poll announced on Sept. 14.
In addition, a preseason all-ECAC Hockey team was announced.
ECAC HOCKEY PRESEASON COACHES POLL
(First-place votes)
1. Colgate (6) 115
2. Yale (3) 98
3. Princeton (1) 97
4. Quinnipiac 92
5. Clarkson (1) 86
6. Cornell 73
7. Harvard (1) 67
8. St. Lawrence 60
9. Brown 33
10. RPI 30
11. Dartmouth 27
12. Union 14
PRESEASON ALL-ECAC HOCKEY TEAM
G: Lucy Morgan, Sr., St. Lawrence *
D: Emma Seitz, Sr., Yale
D: Rory Guilday, So., Cornell
F: Danielle Serdachny, Sr., Colgate
F: Kalty Kaltounková, Jr., Colgate
F: Elle Hartje, Jr., Yale
* Unanimous selection
(3) Wisconsin at (14) Penn State
The first game of the season was an upset as Penn State earned its first victory over a top-5 ranked team in program history. The Badgers’ Casey O’Brien scored six minutes into the game with a short-handed shot that slid under Nittany Lion goalie Josie Bothun. But the game was all Penn State – and all Tessa Janecke – from there. The rookie scored around the midpoint of the game to tie it up and Kiara Zanon scored the eventual game-winner just a few minutes later. Janecke scored her second on the power play in the third and then assisted on Julie Gough’s empty-netter to give Penn State the 4-1 win. Saturday’s game looked like it might follow suit, as PSU netted a power play goal in the opening minutes of the second to go up 1-0. But O’Brien tied the game up a few minutes later and that seemed to shake up the Badgers. They would go on to out-shoot Penn State 46-23 for the game. Britta Curl and Lacey Eden each added a goal in the second to make it 3-1 Wisconsin heading into the final frame. Sophie Shirley extended the lead in the opening seconds of the third period to make it 4-1. Then the Badgers reeled off four goals in 2:41 seconds to blow the game wide open. Eden had her second and then Laila Edwards, Kirsten Simms and Jesse Compher each scored their first goals as Badgers to make it 8-1. Shirley scored once more to give her two goals and two assists on the night, giving the Badgers the 9-1 win.
(5) Minnesota Duluth at LIU
The LIU Sharks gave Minnesota Duluth a bit of a scare on Saturday, but the Bulldogs put away two empty-net goals to earn a 4-1 win. The Bulldogs outshot LIU 65-6, including a new program record for shots in a single period with 36 in the second. Taylor Stewart’s rebound goal was the only tally until midway through the second, when UMD doubled their lead on a goal from Anneke Linser. The Sharks cut the lead to one with a power play goal from Paula Bergström with under four minutes to go in the third. Taylor Anderson scored two empty-nets goals in the final minute to secure the win. On Sunday, Ashton Bell had a hat trick to lead UMD to a 5-0 win. Gabbie Hughes and Gabby Krause also scored in the win.
Syracuse at (6) Colgate
The Raiders unfurled their ECAC championship banner and opened the season with a 3-0 win over the Orange on Saturday. Sara Stewart’s first career goal was the game-winner. Neena Brick and Kaitlyn O’Donohoe’s power play goals helped ensure the win.
(8) Quinnipiac at Maine
It was another close game for a ranked opponent as the Bobcats needed overtime to earn their first win. Olivia Mobley scored the game-winner with just 10.1 seconds left in the extra frame to give Quinnipiac a 3-2 win. Sadie Peart’s goal midway through the first has QU up after one, but Maine’s Ida Kuoppala tied the game just 35 seconds into the second. She also assisted on Mira Seregely’s 5-on-3 PP goal later in the period to give Maine the 2-1 lead heading into the third. The Bobcats scored a player-advantage-goal of their own when Lexie Adzija buried a rebound from the slot off a shot from Mobley. The two combined again for the game-winner as Adzija won a faceoff and Mobley put the puck over the goalie’s pads. In the second game, Nina Steigauf opened the scoring with a pretty top shelf shot on a breakaway to make it 1-0. Maya Labad extended the lead on a delayed power play and then Adzija and Mobley did it again, this time with Mobley winning the faceoff and Adzija firing the puck home.
(9) Clarkson at Sacred Heart
On Friday, the Golden Knights had 90 shot attempts, with 46 on goal as they took a 3-0 win to open the season. Gabrielle David, Baylee Kirwan and Anne Cherkowski lit the lamp for Clarkson in the win. In game two, David’s goal in the opening minutes looked like it might be the game winner as more than 40 minutes passed without another. In the third, Darcie Lappan doubled the lead to 2-0 with under eight to play, but Sacred Heart wasn’t done fighting. They broke the shutout with a power play goal by Delani Mackay with three minutes left in regulation to make it 2-1, but were not able to complete the comeback as Clarkson got the weekend sweep.
Franklin Pierce at (15) Boston College
Boston College outshot the Ravens 49-18 en route to a 4-1 win. Cayla Barnes scored midway through the game to put the Eagles up 1-0, but Franklin Pierce rescinded with a goal from Ava Kison to send the game to the third tied at one. Kate Ham scored the game-winner for her first career goal before Hannah Bilka scored on an impressive display of skating and puck handling to extend the lead. Gaby Roy’s goal with five to go secured the win.
Western Michigan has announced a new contract for hockey head coach Pat Ferschweiler.
Ferschweiler’s new contract runs through the 2025-26 season.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to guide the Bronco hockey program forward,” said Ferschweiler in a statement. “I would like to thank AD Dan Bartholomae for his trust in me and my staff and the incredible support he has shown the hockey program. Being entrusted to lead this program is a huge honor and responsibility. My staff and our players look forward to building on the many program firsts that we accomplished last season. Will we continue to raise the bar for Bronco hockey and pursue excellence in the classroom and on the ice.”
In his first season at the helm in 2021-22, Ferschweiler coached the Broncos to unprecedented heights. WMU made the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Finals for the first time in program history, secured a No. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history, and oversaw the program’s first-ever NCAA tournament win.
“It is no coincidence that Coach Ferschweiler experienced unprecedented success in his first year as our head coach,” said Bartholomae. “He is the epitome of a Bronco – an alumnus with grit and determination that cares deeply about the experience of the student-athletes he coaches. His team not only achieved history on the ice, but in the classroom as well with a record 27 NCHC All-Academic team members. We know we are primed for more historical performances with Fersch on our bench and appreciate the continuity in leadership that this affords our hockey program.”
The history books continue to be written in NEWHA as the conference starts its season with a new defending champion in Franklin Pierce and a new member institution in Stonehill. This will be the first season that the winner of the conference tournament will receive an autobid into the NCAA tournament. The preseason coaches poll has the top four teams within 9 points of each other and just five points separating teams 2-4. This should be the most competitive and hard fought year of competition. Franklin Pierce has the nod atop the preseason poll as defending conference champions, followed by LIU, Sacred Heart, Saint Anselm, Stonehill, Post and St. Michael’s.
Last Season
22-9-1, 16-4 (first). Won the NEWHA conference tournament.
Names to Know
Junior goalie Suzette Faucher was the only netminder in the country to have a goals against average below one (.99) and her .961 save percentage also led the nation. She is fully rewriting the career and single-season goaltending records for the Ravens and she’s only halfway through her career.
Senior Ava Kison and junior Emilie Prive are the top returning scorers from last season. Prive was named to the All-NEWHA first team and Kison was on the conference all-tournament team.
What to Watch For
The Ravens won their first ever title with a relatively young team. There’s been a little bit of roster turnover, but the basis of that title run, including nearly all their top scorers and their spectacular goalie are back on the ice for this season. It’s always harder to defend a title, but they responded well to adversity last season and that will serve them well here. After a very rough December where they lost four of the five games they played, Franklin Pierce closed their season on a 14-1 run and set a program record with their 22 wins.
Crystal Ball
I believe they have what it takes to repeat as champions and I have them first.
Last Season
17-5-3, 15-3-2 (second). Lost to Saint Anselm in the NEWHA semifinal.
Names to Know
New coach Kelly Nash brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience. The two-time national champion at Wisconsin, she was most recently an associate head coach and head scout with the Premier Hockey Federation Metropolitan Riveters.
Sophomore Jeannie Wallner was a member of our All-Rookie team last season. She was first on the team – and fourth in NEWHA – with 18 assists. Her 30 points were second-best on the team and good for fifth in the conference.
Senior Megan Bouver was named captain this season. She paced all of NEWHA with 16 goals and was second in the league with 33 points, both of which were a significant jump from the one goal and two assists she put up the previous season.
What to Watch For
Long Island won a share of the regular season title, their first, and became the first team to end the season with a winning record in program history, but were upset in the conference semifinal round. It was a disappointing end to a very good season and something I’m certain the players have been stewing over ever since. Nash brings a new dynamic to the team and it will be interesting to see how the players respond to her and the new staff.
The Sharks open their season with games against two Frozen Four teams. These games will be tough, but should help the team set the bar for what they hope to be able to accomplish at the end of the season. With a tournament berth on the line now, I like seeing LIU put themselves in a position to know what to expect if they’re the ones that win it.
Crystal Ball
The distance between them and Franklin Pierce is miniscule and I think the Sharks will push hard to get back to the top of the table. I have them second.
Last Season
6-26, 3-17 (fifth). Lost to Sacred Heart in the opening round of the NEWHA conference tournament.
Names to Know
Gretchen Silverman takes over the head coaching duties at Post this season. It will be her first coaching role in the college game, after having spent the last nine years at The Taft School. A member of the US team that won the gold medal in 1998, she still holds a number of offensive records at Dartmouth.
Sophomore Julia Wysocki has good vision on the ice and uses her size to win pucks before dishing them off to her teammates for scoring opportunities. She’s an asset on both ends of the ice who probably needs to take a few more shots herself when the opportunities are there.
What to Watch For
The Eagles showed improvement last season and their rookies began to make a big impact as the season wound down. Last year’s 11 freshmen bring that year of experience back to try and push their way up the conference standings. All four of their goalies got a number of starts in net, so it will be interesting to see if any one of them wins a majority starting role. Grace Glasrud had the best numbers, ending the season with a .922 save percentage.
They were last in the country in total offense, averaging just 1.23 goals scored per game. It’s a good thing they’re so good on the penalty kill (they finished fourth in the country with a 93.53% success rate) because they were the most penalized team in the nation, spending more than 10 minutes a game in the sin bin. They also scored just five power play goals. It can be really easy to point to special teams as something teams need to work on, but in this case I think cleaning up their play and being stronger with the skater advantage would be a really good first step toward improvement for Post.
Crystal Ball
I have them sixth.
Last Season
16-15-2, 10-8-2 (fourth). Lost to Franklin Pierce in the NEWHA semifinals.
Names to Know
Grad student Kelly Solak is the reigning NEWHA Defensive Player of the Year. She’s great at cutting off angles and protecting her own zone, but also was fourth on the team in points and tied for third with nine goals. She
What to Watch For
The Pioneers had the best penalty kill in the country and were right alongside LIU and Franklin Pierce in the top third of the country for Team Offense. But they’ve had a lot of turnover this season and now look to replace their top two scorers and goalie Frankie Sanchez. They have their work cut out for them as the rest of the conference continues to improve. I expect Sacred Heart to be able to keep pace, but their nine freshmen and two transfers will need to acclimate quickly.
When they come back after the winter break, they’ll be hitting the ice at a brand new, on-campus arena instead of a shared space 10 miles away.
Crystal Ball
This might be a bit of a rebuilding year for Sacred Heart with all their new players. I’ve got them third, but think they can make waves if they gel quickly.
Last Season
16-13-3, 11-6-3 (third). Lost to Franklin Pierce in the NEWHA championship game.
Names to Know
Senior goalie Allie Kelley was second team all-NEWHA last season and her .940 save percentage was sixth best in the country.
Sophomore Tyra Turner was NEWHA Rookie of the Year and was a finalist for the AHCA National Rookie of the Year. She was tied for the team lead with 14 goals in an impressive first season.
Grad student Kelly Golini returns to lead the offense. Her 14 goals were tied for second in the conference last season.
What to Watch For
Saint Anselm played it’s first full schedule of National Collegiate level games last season and earned wins over Maine, Dartmouth and Brown in addition to their 11 regular season conference victories. The Hawks have been in four consecutive NEWHA championship games, winning it all in 2019.
Crystal Ball
I have them fourth, but think they have something to prove and could give the top three more difficulty than they are anticipating.
Last Season
3-23-1, 1-18-1 (sixth). Lost to Saint Anselm in the opening round of the NEWHA tournament.
Names to Know
Sophomore Angela Ruiz was second on the team with six goals. She also racked up 26 penalty minutes.
Junior Leah White earned the starting role in net last season and looks to be a solid backbone for St. Michaels.
What to Watch For
Thanks to the pandemic, the Purple Knights had 18 players make their college hockey debut last season and they add five more rookies this season. A quick glance at the roster wouldn’t make it clear exactly how young and relatively inexperienced this team is. The key now is to build on what they learned last season. The team takes too many penalties, but is a top half team on the penalty kill – their defense is actually better short-handed. They need to find a way to channel that same shut-down energy during the rest of the game and work on transitioning the puck up ice.
Crystal Ball
I have them seventh, but am excited to see how they’ve grown.
Last Season
This is Stonehill’s first season.
Names to Know
Head coach Tara Watchorn was a 2014 Olympic gold medalist who has spent the past four years as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Boston University. She is also an assistant coach for Hockey Canada’s U-18 women’s team. A standout defender herself, she has focused on that part of the game in her assistant coaching roles.
In addition to a tremendous playing background, assistant coach Lauren Willians has a Masters of Education in Counseling with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counselling and has done extensive work with mental health and mental performance coaching. She will be an asset on the ice, but also brings an interesting dynamic of off-ice coaching to the table. It’s unique for a program to put so much emphasis on this part of the game from the get-go and I’d imagine it will be a big benefit to the Skyhawks’ players.
Rookie Lucie Turcotte played three years on France’s U-18 team and attended prep school in the US.
What to Watch For
There are just four women on this roster with previous college experience. Watchorn did not fill the roster with transfers, but instead focused on building from the ground up. Other NEWHA coaches were impressed with the group she brought together and picked Stonehill fifth. It will be a steep learning curve as they all get used to the pace of play, but having that large group do it all together will only serve to strength the team as they move up together each year.
Crystal Ball
I’m sticking with the coaches and picking them fifth.
Two-time defending conference champions Colgate were given the vote of confidence for a three-peat in the coaches preseason poll, but there are plenty of talented teams here that will make that very difficult. The Raiders have some rookies that should make an immediate impact. With their mix of veterans and one of the best incoming classes this season, it feels like folks are wildly underrating Cornell at this point. Princeton gets Sarah Fillier back, Quinnipiac returns much of the roster that pushed Ohio State to the very brink in the NCAA quarterfinals and Yale graduated just four players. Elite rookies are joining Olympic and World Championship medalists on already impressive rosters to make this one of the best top to bottom outlooks for the ECAC, possibly ever. Seven conference teams were ranked in the first national polls of the year.
Last Season
6-18-5, 6-12-4 (ninth).
Names to know
Junior Kaley Doyle started the majority of games in net for Brown and her .932 save percentage put her in the top third of goaltenders nationally.
Brown’s top two scorers from last season graduated, but sophomore Anna Hurd was an immediately impactful rookie and was second on the team with seven goals. Madie Stockfish and Maya Mangiafico were contributing underclassmen that will need to fill a bigger role this season.
What to Watch For
The continued growth of Brown Bears hockey. It has been 13 years since the last time this team managed six conference victories and nine years since they last won six games in a season overall. There is not one single thing or player to point to and hang last year’s success on. Everything the Bears did was just a bit better last season. They allowed 30 fewer goals last season than they did two years ago. They scored a few more goals, took a few more shots, did a bit better on the power play. Six of their losses were by a single goal and they pushed Princeton, St. Lawrence, Cornell and Penn State to ties while winning games over the nationally ranked Bobcats and Yale.
Things surely aren’t where coach Mel Ruzzi wants them to be, but they are absolutely moving in the right direction in very clear and obvious ways. In a conference this tough, making significant moves up the standings won’t be easy, but Brown showed last season that they’re willing to do the work.
Crystal Ball
I’m picking Brown ninth.
Last Season
22-12-3, 13-8-1 (fourth). Lost to St. Lawrence in the ECAC Tournament.
Names to know
Sophomore Michelle Pasiechnyk won the starting job in her rookie season and ended up 10th in the country with a 1.68 goals against average, but Clarkson brings in sophomore transfer Holly Gruber from UMD and freshman Julia Minotti alongside sophomore Alexa Madrid, so the situation may not be as settled this year.
Defenders Haley Winn and Stephanie Markowski were strong pieces of the blue line. They aren’t afraid to block shots or get the puck to the net. They bring dimension to Clarkson’s game in both directions.
What to Watch For
The Golden Knights’ fortunes took a hit with both Laurence Frenette and Dominique Petrie suffering major, season-ending injuries before the season even started. They also will be without highly-touted recruit Sarah Swiderski, who was introduced as part of their incoming class but then not listed on their roster. I was told she “is not on our active roster at this time.” They were already going to have to replace the scoring and leadership of Caitrin Lonergan. They’ll be counting on the continued output of Brooke McQuigge, Gabrielle David and Nicole Gosling.
Clarkson is a fairly experienced team, with just four freshman skaters and a rookie goalie joining the lineup this year. The most recognizable names from the roster have moved on in the past two seasons, leaving a lot of room for players to fill new roles, take on leadership and lead the team.
The Golden Knights’ schedule will allow them to ease into the season, but they finish by running the gauntlet of all the other top ECAC teams starting at the end of January. Every point will matter there, but it should prepare Clarkson for the post-season and put them in good position to be playing their best hockey at the right time.
Crystal Ball
I have Clarkson sixth. They’ve taken a big hit via injuries and there’s just not a lot of wiggle room here.
Last Season
30-8-1, 16-5-1 (first). Lost to Yale in overtime in the NCAA regional finals.
Names to know
Junior Kalty Kaltounkova and senior Danielle Serdachny tied for the team lead with 53 points each, which put them at seventh in the nation. Kaltounkova’s 28 goals were third best in the nation.
Freshman Elysse Biederman showed off her speed at the U-18 world championships, scoring a short-handed goal. On an impressive team, the way she moved with and without the puck stood out.
What to Watch For
The Raiders won the regular season and conference titles, missed out on the Frozen Four by virtue of an overtime loss and return their goalie and all of their top scorers while adding impressive freshmen. They are a solid, confident and impressive team that should be able to pick up right where they left off.
While there is scoring up and down the roster, there are definitive drop offs in production from line to line. With the depth of so many teams in the ECAC, I’m not sure being reliant on one group will be enough. Adaptability has long been a key to the style of play at Colgate and I’d like to see players further down the line chart get the puck to the net a bit more.
Crystal Ball
The more previews I write, the more I waffle on this. In my preseason national poll voting, I had Quinnipiac, Cornell and Princeton ahead of them, so for consistency’s sake, I’ll put them third here with the full knowledge that they have all the pieces to prove me very, very wrong.
Last Season
14-14-2, 12-8-2 (sixth). Lost to Colgate in the ECAC quarterfinals.
Names to know
The whole incoming class. But to play by the rules, I feel like people will immediately notice Sarah MacEachern on the ice. She is a strong, patient and calm defender who makes plays all over the ice and was also quick to jump into offensive play.
Sophomore Rory Guilday was something of a surprise addition to Team USA for the senior World Championships, but the 5’11” defender saw ice time in every game and tallied a goal and an assist. She uses her size to pinch off lanes and force the play to the outside.
What to Watch For
In addition to returning all their top scorers, the Big Red have possibly the best, but very definitely a top three incoming freshman class. That being said, rookies usually take some time to transition, Ivy schools take a little longer because of their delayed start and Cornell has struggled with this in the past. On paper, this is one of the most talented teams in the country and poll voters are either not prepared to give them credit until the prove it or are unconvinced the young talent will turn into successful college players quickly.
Like Wisconsin in the WCHA, Cornell does not have a clear frontrunner in net heading into the season, but with the team they have, I’m not sure how much that’s going to matter. This is a team that has always been very good on defense and, on paper at least, has a fully dynamic offense. They may simply be capable of outscoring most teams and figuring out the rest.
Crystal Ball
I apparently have a lot higher expectations for Cornell than most others. I have them fifth in my national poll, just behind Quinnipiac, so I’ll put them second here and quietly wait for the Big Red to surprise everyone, I guess.
Last Season
9-19-1, 3-18-1 (eleventh). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Junior Tiffany Hill is the kind of player you’ll find all over the ice. She’s as likely to be blocking opponents shots as she is to be taking them herself. She was one of three skaters that tied for the team lead with 14 points.
What to Watch For
The Big Green return six of their seven top scorers from an offense that was more prolific than it has been over the past few years. Just three points separated their eight top point getters last season, showing depth and the ability to spread the puck around. Unfortunately, they also gave up more goals per game than they had been. Last season’s team was young and coming off not playing for a season and still managed a win total that hadn’t been seen in Hanover since the 2014-15 season. They have more experience and comfort, particularly in net, and will look to make some more moves up the standings.
Last season, Dartmouth made a splash with early wins over Cornell, St. Lawrence and Vermont, but were not able to sustain that success throughout the season. They’ll have a chance for some early marquee wins again this season, but I’m much more interested in seeing how they hold up down the stretch, particularly when they run the gauntlet of ranked teams in late January and early February.
Crystal Ball
I have Dartmouth finishing tenth.
Last Season
22-10-1, 16-5-1 (third). Lost to Minnesota Duluth in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Names to know
Senior Kristin Delle Rovere was first-team All-ECAC and All-Ivy and is the team’s top returning scorer. Her prowess on faceoffs allow the Crimson to set up their offense. She’s adept at dishing the puck and will need to become a bit more scoring-minded.
Senior Anne Bloomer comes up big in big situations. She led the team in power play goals and was second with four game-winning goals. She’s got a nose for the net and isn’t afraid to let a shot fly.
What to Watch For
There are currently only two goalies listed on Harvard’s roster. Daisy Boyton did not see any ice time last season and Alex Pellicci appeared in just three games.
There are 17 underclassmen on this team. The 12 sophomores helped carry the team to the NCAA tournament in their rookie campaign and now have that experience, but overall, this is still just a young team. I expect to see growing pains, particularly in the defensive end.
In November, they head to Minnesota to play two games in Duluth followed immediately by a Tuesday game against Boston College. That’s a really interesting non-conference run and I think will be a good measuring stick for all three of those teams.
Crystal Ball
I have the Crimson finishing seventh.
Last Season
13-15-5, 9-10-3 (eighth). Lost to Yale in the ECAC semifinals.
Names to know
Yes, Sarah Fillier is only a junior and she returns to Princeton after leading Canada to their latest World Championship August. Her five goals and 11 assists led the team. Before that, her eight goals at the Beijing Olympics were second among all skaters. It was a truly impressive year away and now she’s back to wreak havoc in the NCAA.
Senior Mariah Keopple and junior Stef Wallace anchor a defense that will be called upon to give the young goaltenders a chance to get settled in. Rachel McQuigge was an imposing, calm presence in back for the Tigers. They’re one of several teams looking to a set of inexperienced options to take over the starting job.
What to Watch For
It’s going to be a question for a lot of players that returned to the NCAA this year, but feels like it might be most poignant here with the way her play has placed even more expectations on Fillier. It was a busy, exhausting past year for players that were centralized. They played two World Championships and an Olympics in about 13 months and now jump back into their college teams with very little time having passed since they were in Denmark. Fillier has the bonus of the late start to the Ivy calendar, but that schedule is absolutely going to wear on them mentally and physically. There are a lot of hopes and expectations pinned to Fillier and how she – and the team – manage that will be crucial to whether they are ultimately successful or not.
In her rookie season, Fillier and Connors were a potent one-two punch and I’m excited to see them play together again.
Princeton will play Northeastern in Nashville on Black Friday, which should be the best non-conference game of the season.
Crystal Ball
Ranking ECAC teams right now feels impossible. Just assume that on any given day 1-5 are completely interchangeable and that putting Princeton fifth has no meaning.
Last Season
26-10-3, 15-7-0 (fourth). Lost to Ohio State in 2OT in the NCAA Regional Final.
Names to know
Grad student Logan Angers was the starting goalie two seasons ago and then started a third of the Bobcats’ games last year, with transfer Corinne Schroeder taking the bulk of the time in net. Now Angers is once again the presumptive starter. A tall but agile goalie, she matched Schroeder’s goals against average and puts Quinnipiac in a much better position than most programs who have to replace a standout goaltender.
Junior Kendall Cooper is a bit of a sleeper as an offensive defender. She reads plays well on the breakout, dishes the puck and is a good option for a shot from the blue line. Her 20 assists put her in the top 20 among defenders nationwide.
Freshman Madison Chantler tied for the Team Canada lead in goals and tied for second in overall points at the U18 World Championships in June. She picked up confidence as the tournament progressed and if she can be a little more pointed in her shots, I think she’ll be another immediately impactful rookie for Quinnipiac.
What to Watch For
Quinnipiac is the reason I feel so confident in saying teams like Cornell are not getting the attention they should. Last season, they were overlooked in preseason polls and were a breath away from eliminating Ohio State on their home ice and advancing to the Frozen Four.
Like Colgate, this is a successful team that’s icing nearly the same roster as last season that should be able to pick up right where they left off. I said last season that the ceiling was high and while the Bobcats had a great year, I still don’t think they’ve reached their peak.
Quinnipiac alum Melissa Samoskevich is one of the best players the program has produced in recent memory and she is back in Hamden as Director of Player Development and Operations after spending two seasons as an assistant coach with Penn State. This is one of a number of former player hires across the country this year and we really love to see it. It’s important in terms of creating and growing a coaching pipeline for women, but it’s also incredibly impactful for players to have someone close in age who’s been successful to connect with on and off the ice.
Crystal Ball
Using my above logic, I had them ranked highest in my national poll, so I’ll stick with it here.
Last Season
9-23-0, 5-17-0 (tenth). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Freshman Nina Christof played for Germany in the most recent Women’s World Championship and tallied a goal for her country. The small, crafty forward should be a good complement to senior Marah Wagner, who led RPI in scoring last season.
Senior goalie Alyssa Rampado was the backbone of many of RPI’s close games this season and her 945 saves were the third most in the country. She improved her save percentage over the previous season and faced an absolute barrage while sitting eighth among goalies for minutes played. Having her experience gives the Engineers so much confidence to be more aggressive on offense.
What to Watch For
The Engineers bounced back last season after their winless 19-20 campaign and had a strong showing against a number of ranked and top-of-the-table teams, including wins over #9 Providence, Clarkson and Boston University and narrow losses to Cornell, Colgate, Princeton and Harvard. It is clear that this is a team capable of making waves and pushing for a berth in the ECAC tournament.
One place they made big advances was on offense, nearly doubling the number of goals they scored their previous season. They’re solid on the defensive end and added a scoring threat in Wagner that completely changed how they approach a game. I’m hoping we see them take that even further this season.
Crystal Ball
I have RPI finishing eleventh.
Last Season
15-15-7, 10-8-4 (seventh). Lost to Yale in the ECAC Tournament quarterfinals.
Names to know
Junior Julia Gosling is a 5’11” forward that was the youngest player to centralize with Canada prior to the Beijing Olympics. She didn’t make the final roster, but traveled to Beijing as part of a taxi squad and
Senior Lucy Morgan was one of the top goalies in the country, finishing seventh with a .939 save percentage. But St. Lawrence has brought in Denmark national Emma-Sofie Nordström this season and may want to get her some experience. Nordström was on Denmark’s Olympic squad and uses her size to cover a lot of the net. Morgan played more minutes than any other goalie last season, so we may see her get some more rest this year.
What to Watch For
Can St. Lawrence break through to the top? The competition is fierce, but sitting in the middle of the pack isn’t what they want to accomplish. They’re a solid team with a number of returners and a dynamic forward in Gosling that I’d like to see a bit more from. With six one-goal losses and seven ties, they seem to be falling just short of being able to break through and close out games. That being said, they also lost five games by three goals or more. There’s a lack of consistency that keeps them as a mid-table team and with an uphill battle come the postseason.
An early season set of non-conference games against Providence, Minnesota Duluth, Penn State and Syracuse should help gauge where the Saints measure up to the rest of the country as a whole.
Crystal Ball
I’d love to see them move up, but it’s rough going at the top of this table, so I have them eighth.
Last Season
5-28-1, 2-20-0 (twelfth). Did not qualify for the ECAC tournament.
Names to know
Junior defenders Allison Smith and Meredith Killian combined for 135 blocks – 35% of the team total. They sell out their bodies over and over again to stop the puck, consistently getting themselves in position to shut down opposing offenses.
Senior defender Emily King led the team in shots. She’s not afraid to get the puck to net and hope for deflections or second-chance opportunities. On a team that has to be more offensive-minded, she’s dishing the puck from the blue line to try and jump start the team.
What to Watch For
Last season goaltending duties were split between Sophie Matsoukas and Olivia Rinzel, who has since transferred to DIII Hamline. First year goalie Emily Evans and junior Hope Crisafi will be looking to earn time away from Matsoukas.
Union will also be without Grace Heiting, who was a leader for the team on and off the ice, as well in goals. Her combination of sharp shot and physical play were central to the team and they’ll need to find another player that can step into that role. As always, this is a team in need of more offense, sitting at the bottom of the field with just 1.24 goals scored per game.
Crystal Ball
Union finishes twelfth.
Last Season
26-9-1, 16-5-1 (second). Lost to Ohio State in the NCAA semifinal.
Names to know
Junior Ella Hartje broke the Yale single season record with 35 assists and her 51 points were the second most by a Bulldog ever. She led the ECAC in points per game while leading her team with 46 blocks. It was a total performance in which she doubled her output from the 19-20 season.
Sophomore Vita Poniatovskaia was second among ECAC blueliners in goals with nine goals and was named to the ECAC All-Rookie team. A strong skater with deceptive speed, she is great in transition, not afraid to let loose with a shot and is always a threat for a short-handed tally.
What to Watch For
The Bulldogs’ goal for last season was to move into the top half of the conference and they did it in a big way, making their first Frozen Four appearance and finishing second while obliterating the previous program record for wins in a season. They are returning all but one of last year’s top scorers, but will need to fill the very capable skates of goalie Gianna Meloni. Pia Dukaric started about a third of Yale’s games last season, so isn’t coming in cold, but will still need to step it up. The Bulldogs were third in the nation in team defense and Meloni was a large part of that.
They were good in every part of the game and part of what worked for them is that they didn’t have one single standout player they relied on. Sure Hartje had a stellar year, but they had eight skaters with 20 or more points and were able to count on all of their lines to be impactful. Yale plays a very complete style of hockey that’s just really fun to watch as they wear down opponents, move the puck well and involve every player to earn a win.
Crystal Ball
It feels like it makes no sense to say Yale is fourth, but I also don’t know where I would move anyone above them down. I’m looking forward to all of these teams somehow proving me very wrong.
