Minnesota sat idle last weekend before ascending to the top of the DCU/USCHO.com poll Monday (photo: Minnesota Athletics).
Minnesota is the new No. 1 team in the DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll, picking up 31 first-place votes.
The Gophers move up one spot from their No. 2 ranking of a week ago.
Minnesota State is up three spots to No. 2, getting 14 first-place votes, while Quinnipiac is up five places to No. 3, garnering three first-place votes.
Former No. 1 Denver falls three spots to No. 4, and Michigan is up one to No. 5 with a single first-place vote.
Massachusetts moves up seven spots to sit sixth, North Dakota falls four to No. 7, St. Cloud State moves up two to No. 8, also getting a first-place vote, while Boston University stays ninth and Minnesota Duluth is No. 10, dropping six spots from last week’s rankings.
Northeastern falls out of the top 10, going from No. 7 to No. 12 this week.
No new teams enter the top 20 in this week’s poll.
In addition to the top 20 teams, 10 other teams received votes.
The DCU/USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll is compiled weekly and consists of 50 voters, including coaches and media professionals from across the country. Media outlets may republish this poll as long as USCHO.com is credited.
DCU (DCU.org), a not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by and operated for its members, is the sponsor of this poll. DCU serves more than 900,000 members and their families in all 50 states.
On Saturday, the Buckeyes earned their first shutout of the season thanks to Raygan Kirk in net and two goals and an assist from Sophie Jaques en route to a 4-0 win. OSU outshot BSU 38-14. Kenzie Hauswirth and Jenna Buglioni also scored in the win. On Sunday, despite holding the Beavers to a single shot in the opening frame, the Buckeyes needed three unanswered final frame goals to earn a 5-2 win and weekend sweep. Emma Maltais scored late in the first to make it 1-0. Riley Brengman extended the lead in the second before Bemidji’s Genevieve
Hendrickson made it a 2-1 game. Early in the third, Kendra Fortin tied the game at 2. At the midpoint of the period, Sydney Morrow scored on the PP and Jaques followed that up 26 seconds later with a goal to make it 4-2 and put the game out of reach. Jaques added an empty-net goal with two seconds to play to make it a 5-2 win. Hannah Hogenson made 45 saves in the loss and 79 on the weekend.
(2) Minnesota at Minnesota State
In the first game, the Gophers recorded their largest margin of victory over the Mavericks in program history as they dominated in an 11-0 romp. They were led by Grace Zumwinkle’s three goals and an assist as they put up 60 shots on MSU. In the second game, Josefin Bouveng scored her first career goal for Minnesota and then followed that up with two more, to record the Gophers’ second straight hat trick on the weekend. Minnesota staked out a 3-o lead in the first thanks to goals from Abbey Murphy, Catie Skaja and Bouveng. Alexis Paddington scored just before the break to make it 3-1 and then right away again as the second started to but the lead to 3-2. Audrey Wethington pushed it to 4-2, but the Mavericks responded again, this time on a goal by Sydney Shearen. Minnesota punished the lead to 6-3 early in the third before Madison Meshuga scored to make it 6-4. But the Gophers shut down on defense and added three more on offense to earn a 9-4 win and weekend sweep. (3) Northeastern at Merrimack
The Huskies held Merrimack to four total shots in a 5-0 win. Katy Knoll, Mia Brown, Lily Shannon, Chloe Aurard and Alina Mueller all scored in the win. In the second game of the series, Molly Griffin, Abbey Marohn Mueller and Aurard each lit the lamp to earn Northeastern a 4-1 win. Sydney Lynch scored late for Merrimack but it was not enough.
(5) Wisconsin at St. Cloud State
In their first game, Wisconsin cruised to a 5-0 win thanks to two goals and an assist from defender Nicole LaMantia. Lacey Eden, KK Harvey and Jesse Compher also scored for the Badgers in the win. On Saturday, St. Cloud State, who tied the Badgers 1-1 last season, again gave Wisconsin all they could handle. UW out-shot the Huskies 45-14. SCSU had a 2-0 lead midway through the second frame thanks to two pretty goals from Jenniina Nylund. The Badgers got on the board right before the period break thanks to a power play goal by Britta Curl. Casey O’Brien forced overtime with a goal with 1:01 left in regulation. Harvey scored in overtime to give Wisconsin the 3-2 win.
RIT at (6) Colgate
On Friday, Colgate took down RIT with a decisive 9-0 win. They were led by Kalty Kaltounkova’s three goals and two assists and Danielle Serdachny, who tallied two goals and three assists. In the second game, the Raiders set a program record with 67 shots on goal. Maggie MacEachern, Serdachny, Elyssa Biederman, Dara Greig and Kaitlyn O’Donohoe each scored to lead Colgate to a 5-0 win and weekend sweep.
(7) Quinnipiac at (13) Harvard
Captain Lexie Adzija recorded her 100th career point as she scored two goals to lead Quinnipiac to a 5-2 win. She, Veronica Bac and Madison Chantler had the Bobcats up 3-0 before the first media timeout in the game. Kristin Della Rovere cut the lead by one to send the teams to the locker rooms with the Bobcats up 3-1. Shay Maloney was the only goal scorer in the second to make it 4-1 and Adzija had her second to make it 5-1 late in the third. Anne Bloomer put another in for Harvard, but they ran out of time and Quinnipiac came away with their first ECAC win of the season.
Syracuse at (11) Clarkson
Anne Cherkowski, Kirstyn McQuigge and Darcie Lappan each scored to have Clarkson up 3-0 by the opening minutes of the second. Tatum White scored on the power play to narrow the lead to 3-1 after two. Late in the third, Gretchen Branton scored to make it 4-1. Sarah Thompson’s power play goal narrowed the gap again, but Cherkowski scored an empty-netter to give the Golden Knights a 5-2 win. On Saturday, Maya D’Arcy scored with the extra attacker to put the Orange on the board first. But Clarkson responded on the next shift as Cherkowski scored her third of the weekend to tie it at 1. Gabrielle David put Clarkson up 2-1 past the midpoint of the game, but Madison Primeau’s power play goal with under a minute to play in the second sent the team’s into the final frame tied at 2. But David converted less than two minutes into the third and the Golden Knight defense shut Syracuse down to get the 3-2 win and sweep.
(11) Penn State at (14) Boston College
PSU coach Jeff Kampersal earned his 400th career win on Friday as the Nittany Lions survived a late scare to win 3-2. Kiara Zanon scored in the opening minutes of the game and Karley Garcia doubled the lead a few minutes later to put Penn State in the driver’s seat early. Leach Stecker made it 3-0 in the second, but Boston College fought back in the third. Hannah Bilka scored an unassisted goal with 5:30 to go to make it 3-1. Kate Ham’s goal with under three to goal made it 3-2, but the Eagles ran out of time and Penn State took the win. On Saturday, most of the action happened in the second as Tessa Janecke opened the scoring with a shorthanded tally. Alexie Guay tipped in a goal to tie it up and then Janecke scored her second to give the NIttany Lions the lead heading to the third. Abby Newhook tied the game with just more than ten minutes left in regulation, but the extra time was not enough to decide this one, which ended a 2-2 tie.
Holy Cross at (15) Providence
Providence swept the Crusaders with a pair of 4-0 wins over the weekend. On Friday, Brooke Becker, Reichen Kirchmair, Hunter Barnett and Lindsay Bochna eat lit the lamp. On Saturday, Sandra Abstreiter became the only goalie in program history to record four consecutive shutouts. Sara Hjalmarsson scored twice as Rachel Weiss and Delaney Couture each added a goal.
No. 16 UMass Lowell (3-2-0)
10/13/2022 – No. 16 UMass Lowell 3 at Michigan State 4
10/14/2022 – No. 16 UMass Lowell 3 at Michigan State 2
No. 17 Connecticut (5-0-1)
10/14/2022 – No. 11 Ohio State 0 at No. 17 Connecticut 0 (OT)
10/15/2022 – No. 11 Ohio State 1 at No. 17 Connecticut 6
No. 18 Western Michigan (4-1-0)
10/13/2022 – RV Bowling Green 1 at No. 18 Western Michigan 4
10/14/2022 – No. 18 Western Michigan 8 at RV Bowling Green 2
Luke Pavicich pitched the shutout in goal Saturday night for UMass (photo: Thom Kendall/UMass Athletics).
Massachusetts completed the sweep of No. 1 Denver, as the 13th-ranked Minutemen downed the Pioneers 3-0 Saturday night at the Mullins Center.
Luke Pavicich stopped all 30 shots fired his way and Cal Kiefiuk registered a goal and an assist for UMass.
“Last night was a pretty disjointed game and I came away just happy to win the game,” said UMass coach Greg Carvel. “Tonight, I was very happy with the way we played. I’m very proud of this group. I’m sure everyone will say ‘the team made a statement,’ but most importantly we made a statement to ourselves. I think this group created an identity this weekend, very similar to our teams in the last couple years. I saw so many positives tonight and, of course, it starts with the goaltender. I thought our defense played way better tonight. To shut out that team, that’s quite a feat. I thought we got a little lucky at times.
“We had some puck luck this weekend for sure, but I walk away tonight feeling like we earned the victory tonight for sure.”
Scott Morrow and Matt Koopman also scored in the win.
In goal for DU, Magnus Chrona finished with 21 saves.
Denver returns home next weekend to play its third straight Hockey East opponent as No. 15 Providence visits Magness Arena on Friday (7 p.m. MT) and Saturday (6 p.m. MT). The Pioneers will raise their 2022 national championship banner prior to Saturday’s game.
No. 8 Quinnipiac 6, No. 3 North Dakota 2
Quinnipiac scored five unanswered goals to rally for a 6-2 win over North Dakota on Saturday night from Ralph Engelstad Arena.
UND held a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes, but the Bobcats turned the tables on the hosts with a trio of goals over a 4:01 span in the middle frame to hand the Fighting Hawks their first loss of the season.
No. 5 Minnesota State 2, No. 4 Minnesota Duluth 1
Minnesota State players celebrate one of Sam Morton’s two goals Saturday night (photo: Mansoor Ahmad).
Minnesota State got two goals from Sam Morton in downing Minnesota Duluth at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center to finish off the weekend sweep.
Freshman netminder Alex Tracy, who earned a shutout in Friday’s 6-0 win, finished with 15 saves Saturday night.
No. 10 St. Cloud State 2, Wisconsin 1
St. Cloud State edged Wisconsin Saturday night (photo: Tom Lynn).
Kyler Kupka had a goal and an assist as SCSU edged the Badgers at the Kohl Center.
Grant Cruikshank also scored and Dominic Basse made 19 saves between the pipes.
For the Badgers, Corson Ceulemans scored and Kyle McClellan stopped 25 shots.
No. 15 Providence 2, No. 7 Northeastern 1
Philip Svedebäck made 30 saves and Patrick Moynihan recorded his third game-winning goal in as many games as the Friars defeated Northeastern 2-1 at Matthews Arena.
Third power play goal in as many games for @pmoynihan19! Great feed to the back door by Brett Berard. Nick Poisson also earns an assist.
Ty Amonte finished with two goals, while freshman Matthew Wood, also a top NHL draft prospect, finished with one goal and two assists.
Arsenii Sergeev made 28 saves in goal for UConn.
St. Lawrence 4, Colorado College 1
Tyler Cristall scored his first career goal and eight different Saints earned points as St. Lawrence used a balanced attack to defeat Colorado College and sweep the weekend series at Appleton Arena.
“We made bad mistakes at bad times and they are a tough team to come back on because they make it hard on you,” Colorado College coach Kris Mayotte said. “We didn’t manage situations well, (and) we didn’t manage momentum well. We weren’t really on until we scored. We have to get past that.”
Rensselaer 7, Army West Point 4
TJ Walsh’s hat trick paced the offense for the Engineers, who got a 14-save outing from Jack Watson between the pipes.
“We really needed to get that win,” Air Force coach Frank Serratore said. “After giving up a lead against Notre Dame last week, and then the disaster of last night, that was a must-win for us. Give our guys credit. We deserved to win this game. We won two of the three periods, we never trailed, and just played a better game than last night.”
Omaha 4, Lake Superior State 4
The Mavericks did tonight what no other team in program history has done.
Omaha erased a four-goal first period deficit to force overtime and secure a tie with Lake Superior State at Taffy Abel Arena.
It is the largest comeback for the Mavericks since Dec. 18, 2020 when they overcame a 3-0 Western Michigan lead to down the Broncos 6-5 in the NCHC pod.
American International 5, Niagara 2
The Yellow Jackets completed a weekend sweep of Niagara, scoring in every period of the finale on Saturday at Dwyer Arena.
Blake Bennett scored twice for AIC and added an assist in the win. Duston Manz and Alexander Malinowski each posted a goal plus a helper.
UMass and Denver battled Friday night, but it was the Minutemen that came away with the 4-2 victory in Amherst, Mass. (photo: Chris Tucci/UMass Athletics).
Massachusetts scored two goals while killing a major penalty in the opening five minutes of play and never looked back, taking a 4-2 victory over No. 1 Denver on Friday night at the Mullins Center.
The win was the Minutemen’s seventh all-time over a No. 1-ranked opponent.
“That was a highly unusual game, but in my time at UMass, it seems like every time we play that team it’s not a usual game,” said UMass coach Greg Carvel. “Today was just another version of it. It was an unbelievable response by our guys. We wanted to get out to a quick start, we didn’t think it would happen with a five-minute major, that was obviously huge in the game. What a statement made by ‘Pav’ (UMass goalie Luke Pavicich). That was, what, his third career game and he puts up 45 saves? He was outstanding and we needed him to be. Denver’s an outstanding team. Our kids played hard.
“We were very opportunistic and there’s a lot we need to get better on, but that’s a huge win for this team early in the season.”
Just 38 seconds into the game, Cal Kiefiuk was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct for hitting from behind. The 13th-ranked Minutemen responded with Kenny Connors and Scott Morrow finding the back of the net.
Tyson Dyck later scored in the period to make it a 3-0 UMass lead after 20 minutes. Reed Lebster made it 4-0 early in the second.
The Pioneers scored twice with the extra attacker in the third period as Carter Mazur and Shai Buium cut the deficit to 4-2.
Denver goalie Magnus Chrona made 11 saves but didn’t play for most of the final eight minutes while the Pioneers had the extra attacker on the ice.
Lindenwood 7, Air Force 6
Lindenwood earned its first NCAA D-I win Friday night on home ice in suburban St. Louis (photo: Don Adams Jr.)
Lindenwood scored three goals in the third period, including the game-winner with 1:40 remaining, for a 7-6 win over Air Force in a non-conference game at the Centene Ice Center.
The win was the Lions’ first at the NCAA Division I level and in the team’s first home game.
“I’m in shock,” Air Force coach Frank Serratore said. “This is a punch in the gut. It was a tale of two games. We played our game and controlled play in that second period, but we knew they are a handy team that plays free and is confident offensively. We have not played well with the lead the last two weeks. We have a lot to work on and we have a quick turnround for tomorrow’s game.”
The score remained 6-4 in favor of the Falcons until Hunter Johannes injected life into the building, scoring a shorthanded goal at the 12:54 mark of the final period. Shortly after David Gagnon scored his second of the night, tying the game 6-6. Lindenwood pushed for the go-ahead goal and got it with less than two minutes to go as Ryan Finnegan tallied the milestone goal.
Trent Burnham made 39 saves for the win in goal. Aaron Randazzo turned aside 15 for Air Force.
In a wild game at Ralph Engelstad Arena, Quinnipiac led 4-1 midway through the second period, only for North Dakota to score the next four, including three in the third period.
CJ McGee’s goal at 10:25 of the third period for the Bobcats knotted the game at 5-all.
Quinnipiac goalie Yaniv Perets made 38 saves on the night, including 29 in the first two periods. Drew DeRidder and Jakob Hellsten combined to stop 17 shots for the Fighting Hawks.
No. 5 Minnesota State 6, No. 4 Minnesota Duluth 0
Minnesota State players celebrate one of their six goals Friday night (photo: Jackson Forderer/SPX).
Minnesota State tallied four power-play goals and freshman goaltender Alex Tracy didn’t allow a goal as the Mavericks skated past the Bulldogs at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.
The Mavericks got out to a three-goal lead in the first period and cruised from there.
Cade Borchardt finished with a three-point night on a goal and two assists, while Akito Hirose had three assists.
In goal, Tracy, who was making his first career start, finished with 16 saves in picking up his first career win and first career shutout.
Zach Stejskal and Matthew Thiessen combined on a 28-save effort for UMD.
No. 6 Michigan 9, No. 9 Boston University 2
Mackie Samoskevich and Seamus Casey each scored twice and added an assist in the Wolverines’ blowout win at Yost Ice Arena.
Gavin Brindley, TJ Hughes, and Rutger McGroarty all notched their first career goals while Adam Fantilli put together a three-assist performance to run his multi-point streak to three games.
UConn is off to a 4-0-0 start, its best beginning to a season since the 1975-76 season (photo: Clarus Multimedia Group).
Gambling, indeed, is a fickle beast.
Proof positive was last Friday’s upset by Miami (+120) on the road of UMass Lowell. The River Hawks dominated the game in many aspects – shot attempts, shots on goal, face-offs – but Miami jumped to a 3-0 lead and walked away with what was really the only major upset on the slate of five that USCHO columnists picked.
Denver, Minnesota, Quinnipiac and Ohio State all took care of business, some as slight favorites. And a five-team parlay on a $100 bet paid $1655.24. Better yet, if you took the majority favorite on each game (Wisconsin/Ohio State was a split, so taking OSU as favorite), you’d be up three units.
Which brings another explanation of betting units. Most prognosticators like to talk in units rather than actual money. For to me or you, a $100 bet might be too expensive, but a $10 wager would be considered reasonable. Thus, think of your bets in units that you can afford (if you’re gambling).
Thus, if you followed our staff’s favorite on each game, you would have won four bets and lost one, so you would be ahead three units (yes, there are money lines involved, so this isn’t the perfect measurement, but let’s try to keep this as simple as possible).
This week brings forth the first weekend where on Friday we have 10 nationally-ranked teams battling one-another. We may not come across such a scenario too many times this season, so let’s think of this like a unicorn. Rare, but still kind of exciting?
One week ago, we’d look at this matchup and think that Denver is such a massive favorite. But oddsmakers love the recency bias and last weekend Denver won twice against a nationally-ranked Notre Dame team and Maine to capture the IceBreaker.
UMass, on the other hand, had to rally from 2-0 down to earn a 2-2 tie was AIC, something that, regardless of AIC’s recent success, will be frowned upon by sharp bettors.
Thus we’ve manufactured a heavy home underdog in the Minutemen. Denver, as a defending national champion, will show as a bulked up favorite until it loses. UMass should get that respect but simply isn’t right now.
This is one of those games that should be easy to lay off as Denver’s price isn’t right and UMass feels like a risk, even at home. But if you’re so tempted, the odds may not be this good for UMass for a while.
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 9 Boston University (+200) at No. 6 Michigan (-250) o/u 6
If you think UMass has a long price, take a look at fellow Hockey East foe Boston University which is a +200 road underdog.
This is a sensible line given that no one knows exactly what to expect from Jay Pandolfo’s team, it’s only test an 8-2 win over Bentley. But even so, this feels like a long line to set for a BU team that seems to have high expectations nationally.
But Michigan is Michigan and returns enough of a nucleus that many still believe this team can accomplish plenty. Some may say this team has even more upside with less superstars as more players can be cast in to roles as opposed to trying to find time for first-round draft picks on the third line.
Another game we’d advise to bet carefully.
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 11 Ohio State (-115) at No. 17 Connecticut (-115) o/u 5.5
This is the first true “pick ’em” game that we’ve featured in USCHO Edge this season. Last week, we had a couple of games where both teams were taking negative money (i.e. -125), but neither had the exact game line. Well, OSU-UConn provides that new scenario.
Two teams that are perfect thus far in the season each face their biggest test. Can home ice prove to be enough of an advantage for the Huskies? That might be the biggest question.
Ohio State has a 15-7 scoring edge in four games; UConn a 15-8. Both are 4-0-0. Both has played two conference games and won each. Razor thin margins at this point. Which could tell us more at the end of the weekend about the leagues than the actual teams.
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 8 Quinnipiac (+145) at No. 3 North Dakota (-180) o/u 5
Well-known college hockey scribe Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald made a very bold pick to begin the season.
Twelve months after correctly picking Denver as his preseason favorite to win the national championship, Schlossman, trying to ride his hot streak, picked Quinnipiac. The North Dakota faithful look at this weekend as a chance to hang their favorite scribe by his preseason pick.
In seriousness, Schlossman had perfect reason to select the Bobcats given their offensive prowess and the return of sophomore Yaniv Perets in goal, only the best true rookie netminder in the nation a year ago.
The fact that the Fighting Hawks are a favorite at home isn’t surprising. But how heavy favorite, -180, speaks more to Quinnipiac’s struggles last weekend at LIU as anything. Under Rand Pecknold, the Bobcats have gotten up plenty for big games, so this feels like a juicy line to challenge if you love the underdog.
Jim
Ed
John
Dan
Chris
Jack
Matt
Paula
Nat'l
Nat'l
HEA
ECAC
AHA
CCHA
NCHC
B1G
No. 4 Minnesota Duluth (+105) at No. 5 Minnesota State (-135) o/u 5
Another great weekend of intra-Minnesota non-conference hockey is upon us. And once again, the pundits have a difficult time setting a line.
The atmosphere at Minnesota State last Saturday likely led to the slight favorite status for the Mavericks on Friday. But the reality is these two teams could flip a coin every time they play.
An underlying storyline that might play out for the final time this weekend is Sandelin vs. Sandelin as Duluth coach Scott Sandelin faces his son Ryan, a senior on Minnesota State, for what could be the last time.
But the way, talk about an easy over/under to set. These teams each have posted a total of five goals in their last two respective games. Thus, the over/under of 5 feels like the automatic push.
USCHO Edge hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger analyze five games among top 20 teams, looking at money lines and over/under as well as giving an in-depth look at the matchups. Jim also explains in this episode how and why money lines shift leading up to the weekend.
Joe Cassetti has a three-game goal streak to start the 2022-23 season for Miami (photo: Bella Sagarese).
It has been an interesting first two weeks of the season for a Miami team in a unique spot both geographically and competitively.
Fourth-year RedHawks coach Chris Bergeron has no complaints over Miami being rooted to the bottom of the NCHC preseason poll, after his team’s 1-4-1 start to the 2021-22 campaign continued at pace toward a 7-27-2 finish.
So far, though, things seem to be looking up for the RedHawks this time around.
A 2-2 tie and 4-1 home win over Ferris State to open the season brightened the mood in Oxford, Ohio, as did Miami’s 3-1 upset win Friday at No. 15 UMass Lowell. Junior forward Joe Cassetti increased his goal streak to three games, and Swedish import Ludvig Persson’s 38 saves cemented Miami’s first three-game unbeaten streak since early in nearly four years.
Miami on Saturday picked up the RedHawks’ first regulation loss of the season — they dropped a shootout against Ferris State — when four consecutive goals, three in the third period, saw Lowell win the series finale 4-2. First goals of the season from Ryan Savage and PJ Fletcher couldn’t help Miami to what would’ve been its first road series sweep since January 2021 at Western Michigan.
Bergeron feels his team crossed off most of its to-do list for this group of RedHawks’ first four games, while also dealing with adversity as a couple of players missed time due to illness. A promising start might have even made preseason prognosticators reconsider their choices, but Miami would do well to keep a chip on its shoulder.
“For me, preseason polls talk about previous years, and we deserve to be where we are,” Bergeron said. “(Being listed eighth in the NCHC) is not what I want, and that’s not the expectation, but based on what we did last year, that’s what we get.
“I don’t know what the players think, and we don’t talk about it because we don’t want last year to have any effect on this year, but for me, I’ve always looked at it that people are going to base preseason expectations on what you did last year. Nobody knows about the upcoming year, and I don’t put too much into it, but I understand they’re necessary, and I hope that if the guys take anything from it, they get angry and want to do something about it.”
Miami is off this week ahead of another Eastern time zone trip Oct. 21-22 to Canisius. The RedHawks will bus to Buffalo, New York, whereas they flew to Lowell.
The Lowell trip was contractual from before Bergeron took over at his alma mater, and Miami will host Arizona State next fall and then visit Tempe in the fall of 2024. Going forward, though, the RedHawks’ general focus for nonconference scheduling is to stay reasonably close to home.
Yet, that appears easier said than done for the NCHC’s easternmost team, in a state with three Division I men’s hockey programs.
“When (conference realignment) came, it became more difficult for Miami,” Bergeron said. “That’s just the reality. I wasn’t here at that time, but I’m here now and, unfortunately, we don’t have Ohio State or Bowling Green on our non-conference schedule for the foreseeable future.
“That’s not a choice of mine. I think we should be playing both those teams home-and-home every year but, unfortunately, it’s not something we’ve been able to solidify, and when Western Michigan is our closest rival in-league, and that’s a six-hour bus ride, that makes it difficult, but that’s the situation we’re in, and we’ll make the best of it.”
After the Canisius trip, Miami begins its NCHC slate Oct. 28-29 at home to defending national champion Denver.
Ryan Naumovski has been steady up front so far this season for Niagara (photo: Niagara University).
Heading into this season and every season for the past decade, hope springs eternal for Atlantic Hockey to get more than its playoff champion into the NCAA tournament.
That will require a team to have a strong enough record to not need the automatic qualifier awarded to the playoff champion.
It also requires a strong, or at least decent, non-conference schedule as that’s critical in the PairWise Rankings formula as a way to gauge the strength of teams from different leagues.
A good rule of thumb on this is a non-conference record of at least .400.
Unfortunately, things are not off to a promising start after two weekends of play. AHA teams are 2-13-4 out of conference (.211). Three of the four ties ended in shootout wins, but those non-conference shootouts are for bragging rights only.
The two wins were by Niagara in a sweep of Omaha last weekend. On Friday, the Purple Eagles opened a 4-1 lead and held on for a 4-3 win, with goaltender Chad Veltri making 31 saves, including 23 over the final two periods.
Saturday was a different script that saw Niagara come back from a 3-2 deficit in the third period for another 4-3 win. Ryan Naumovski got the game winner with 3:12 to play.
Veltri was solid both nights, stopping 61 of 67 shots on the weekend, but the offense also sparked.
“The offense putting up four goals in each game obviously helped,” said Niagara coach Jason Lammers. “We were very opportunistic. Scoring the first goal (on Friday) gave us a lot of confidence. A big part of that was Chad. Saturday, we got off to a slower start, but the guys did an awesome job of staying committed to how we play.”
Veltri was in midseason form, helping Niagara to its best start in its Division I era.
“He had a really good summer, working on his mentality and physique,” said Lammers. “(New assistant coach) Nate Skidmore has been working with Chad and it’s paying off.”
Opening on the road had the bonus effect of bringing Lammer’ team, which features 11 new players, closer together.
“We’ve traditionally gone on the road (to start the season) for those reasons,” said Lammers. “It worked out with the result (of two wins) but also some team building which is 98 percent of why we do it. Playing in some really hard environments together builds chemistry. On the road, all you have to concentrate on is each other and the task at hand.”
The sweep gives Niagara some confidence as it opens conference play this weekend, hosting defending champion American International.
“Great team,” said Lammers. “We know who they are and what they’re going to bring, and we have great respect for them. If we’re going to win, we’re going to have to outcompete them, and they make that hard.
“But knowing what we can do, we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Old friends
The offseason saw several top players in Atlantic Hockey opt for the transfer portal. Of the six members of the All-Conference first team, one (Canisius goaltender Jacob Barczewski) returned, one (Army West Point’s Colin Bilek) graduated, and the other four transferred.
In the first two weeks of the season, we’ve seen some of the players who moved on face off against teams from their former league:
* Former AIC goaltender and conference all-star Jake Kucharski is now at Omaha and got the start against Niagara last Friday. He made 14 saves in a 4-3 loss.
* Another former Yellow Jacket, Chris Theodore, the AHA Player of the Year last season, had three assists for his new team, Union, in a 4-3 win over RIT on Oct. 1. He was held off the scoresheet in a 2-2 tie with Army West Point the following afternoon.
* Defenseman Drew Bavaro, a first-team AHA all-star last season, is now at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish tied Air Force last Saturday, 5-5. Bavaro had a pair of assists, including on the tying, extra attacker goal with 1:12 to play in regulation.
* Former Holy Cross goalie Matt Radomsky, now at Alaska, went 1-0-1 against AIC the opening weekend of the season, making 27 saves in a 1-1 tie and another 20 in a 2-1 win.
* Austin Heidemann, who scored 19 goals in two seasons at Mercyhurst, transferred to Rensselaer and played against his former squad last Friday. He didn’t record a point in a 6-3 win by the Engineers over the Lakers.
It has been an unprecedented 18 months in women’s hockey. No, not because of the pandemic – or at least, not directly. In just over a year (381 days) from August 20, 2021 to September 4, 2022, players on their respective countries’ senior national teams played in three major tournaments – two World Championships and an Olympics. The 2022 tournament was the first time the IIHF Women’s World Championships had been played in an Olympic year.
Taking that further, in March 2021, players like Wisconsin’s Lacey Eden, Ohio State’s Emma Maltais and UMD’s Ashton Bell played in the Frozen Four to start the month. From there, they went also immediately into selection camps for their respective countries in order to vie for a spot on the 2021 World Championship team. They entered centralization and spent the above-mentioned 53 weeks practicing and playing at the highest level. There was a small break following the Olympics before players were back at the National Festival/selection camp in advance of the second World Championship.
Players for countries that didn’t centralize, like Northeastern’s Alina Muller (Switzerland) and St. Cloud State’s Jenniina Nylund (Finland), participated in those international tournaments while also continuing to play a full NCAA schedule.
The 2002 World Championship gold medal game was on September 4. NCAA schools were able to be on the ice the first day of classes, which for most schools was somewhere between Aug 22 and September 6. College teams obviously gave returning players a rest, though in preseason media calls a number of them said the players were eager to be on the ice.
Though their schedule wasn’t quite so rigorous, many of the oldest players on the US and Canada rosters at the U18 Women’s World Championship in June were planning to go right from that tournament to their college campuses. A number of US players missed their high school graduation ceremonies to be in Madison. In the case of the Wisconsin commits, they went to campus for the World Championship and then went right into summer school classes and training programs. Move in was immediately following the close of the tournament at a number of universities.
The players would all tell you that none of these things have been an issue and that they are just happy the tournaments took place and they were able to play.
In college hockey, we see the intersection of one of the longest seasons for any NCAA sport with some of the most physically demanding games. Even under the most well-rested and prepared circumstances, the season takes its toll.
It seems impossible that the rigor of the last 18 months won’t have an effect on these players.
My concerns about this have lingered in the back of my mind since I started talking to coaches about it on preseason phone calls, but was brought to the forefront again this week when Olympique Lyonnais and French National Team player Wendie Renard was quoted in the French newspaper L’equipe talking about fatigue and injuries.
Women’s soccer players ended their season in Europe in June and had about a month before they played in the 2022 UEFA European Women’s Football Championship (Euros) through the month of July. Two weeks later, Olympique Lyonnais was back on the pitch for the warm up to the season. The players were back with international teams this past week for friendly games in the ramp up to World Cup 2023.
Paraphrasing from the French, she said, “We must not forget that we are human beings and that at certain times we need to recover, if only psychologically.”
Boston College coach Katie Crowley, who skated in three Olympics and six World Championships, told me before the 2022 Worlds gold medal game that the big tournaments take more out of you. She called them grueling and exhausting.
In this day and age, mental health should be a focus among all programs at all times. But in light of the death of a number of female student-athletes by suicide, I hope women’s sports teams on campuses are receiving even more care and support. And I hope the women who returned to campuses
I had been worried about an increase in injuries to tired, overworked bodies. Renard’s comments about the physiological toll of being “on” and expected to be your best with little to no rest showed that the concern here needs to be about so much more than muscles or tendons.
Zack Rose is 2-0-0 in net on the young season for Bowling Green (photo: Stephen Linsky/BGSU Athletics).
Bowling Green hasn’t had much time to get settled into a “normal” routine this season.
The Falcons have been a little busy picking up conference points and splitting some nonconference home-and-homes.
“We tried to stress to our guys that we understand, we have not had a ‘typical’ week since we’ve gotten into our official full season,” BGSU coach Ty Eigner said earlier this week, reflecting on the fact that his team’s schedule hasn’t allowed them that luxury.
The Falcons kicked off the season not with an exhibition game like many teams but with a real CCHA series, at Northern Michigan. After that they had a short week’s turnaround, taking on Michigan State in a home-and-home last weekend. And now, following that MSU series, the Falcons will again have a short week, taking on Western Michigan in an atypical Thursday-Friday home-and-home.
So far, it seems as though momentum and adrenaline have offset the lack of consistency in the schedule: BGSU is 2-2, with 13 goals to their name and four CCHA points in the bank. That season-opening series in Marquette, Eigner said, was important.
“Playing two real games that first opening weekend allows you to put guys into situations that are difficult and get valuable experience,” Eigner said when asked if it was good for them to play a real conference series as opposed to an exhibition like some teams. MSU, for example, played the USA Under-18s, losing 4-3. “On one side of it, we went up to Northern and played two real games and Michigan State played an exhibition. So were they more fresh because they just played the one? Did we get valuable experience because we just played games that counted? I’m not sure, but I think it’s a little bit of both.”
Playing games that counted did allow the Falcons’ depth to be fully on display. Take Ryan O’Hara. The sophomore forward, who scored four goals total last season, has now equaled last year’s output with four in these first four contests.
“He wanted to be in this role,” Eigner said. “Being a guy that can be counted on and contributing to the offense. His hard work and preparation has put him in this spot and he’s taking advantage of his opportunities.”
Another place of improved depth for BGSU this season is in goal. Zack Rose and Christian Stoever have split the game time so far, but Eigner is excited to have four healthy goaltenders for the first time in a long time. Rose injured his hip in January and missed the remainder of the season.
Rose, who was named the CCHA’s goaltender of the week, made 38 saves in Friday’s 3-1 win over Michigan State before coming in briefly to relieve an injured Stoever in Saturday’s 2-1 loss. Stoever injured his hand and went to the locker room early in the game but would return. He made 39 saves in the loss.
“Depth has been something we’ve been talking about for a long time here, and we want to have depth at every position. This is the first time we’ve had four healthy goalies who are potentially able to play, and up to this point we’ve needed all four,” Eigner said, referring also to goalies Salvatore Evola and Pete Eigner. “It’s really a luxury to have out there.”
Eigner said he expects to see both Rose and Stoever at some point this weekend against Western Michigan, which will be another test of BGSU’s depth and resiliency. They play a road game at the always-tough Lawson Arena on Thursday before heading back to Slater Family Ice Arena for the home game on Friday.
After that, the Falcons get something of a breather with an exhibition game against Division III Adrian on Oct. 22. After that, the “normal” schedule should kick in, with a typical Friday-Saturday trip to Minnesota State set for the last week in October.
“Our schedule is what it is, so we’ve got to do the best that we can,” Eigner said. “We’re trying to do the best we can, trying to be aware of giving them enough rest and not pushing too hard in practice to make sure they do have enough gas in the tank when we play games, but it’s just, if we can get through this weekend in terms of the schedule, and next week things should be back to normal in terms of our Monday through Friday routine.”
Hosts Jim Connelly and Ed Trefzger are joined by Arizona State head coach Greg Powers as his Sun Devils open up Mullett Arena with a weekend series against Colgate. We also discuss this year’s team, building an independent schedule, and ASU’s desire to join a conference.
Minnesota’s Jimmy Snuggerud scored four goals last weekend in the Gophers’ split with Minnesota (photo: Minnesota Athletics).
It’s two weekends deep into Division I play and the Big Ten is already showing what it may do best this season: score.
In a dozen collective games, four B1G teams have put up some impressive goal differentials. Yes, it’s far too early in the season to project too much, but these early numbers are tantalizing.
In four games, Ohio State has outscored opponents 15-7 and Minnesota has a 16-8 differential. In their opening sets last weekend, Michigan outscored Lindenwood 10-5 and Penn State bested Canisius 12-7.
Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky called his team “aggressive” in the opening 5-2 win over the Griffins.
“We certainly didn’t sit back,” said Gadowsky. “We did a pretty good job of being aggressive ourselves. I like that. But we obviously have to clean up positioning and our exits where we turn over pucks.”
Sophomore Ryan Kirwan had three goals for the Nittany Lions, earning the B1G third star for the week. Kirwan had 13 goals in 36 games last season, and Gadowsky thinks this may be a sign of things to come.
“He’s very talented, as you can see,” said Gadowsky. “If that line of himself, Kevin Wall and Ture Linden can all continue even remotely what they’re doing now, it’s going to be fun to watch all season.”
The trio accounted for half of Penn State’s goals in the series and nine assists.
Nine different Wolverines scored in Michigan’s sweep of Lindenwood, with sophomore Mackie Samoskevich the only player to score twice. Michigan interim coach Brandon Naurato said at the start of the season that he knew the Wolverines would score by committee.
With eight freshmen skaters in the season-opening weekend, the Wolverines will take a minute to find their feet this year. Down 2-1 at the end of the first in Friday’s 7-4 win, Michigan scored five goals in the first nine minutes of the second before giving up two more in the game.
“When we do it the right way, good things happen,” said Naurato. “When we chase offense and we’re not above our checks, it goes the other way.”
Three Michigan rookies scored their first career goals on the weekend. Forward Adam Fantilli had a goal and two assists. Forward Jackson Hallum and defenseman Seamus Casey each had a goal and an assist. Fantilli, who had 37 goals and 37 assists for the USHL’s Chicago Steel in 54 games last season, is the leading scorer for the Wolverines after their first weekend of play.
The rookie that everyone is talking about this week is Minnesota’s Jimmy Snuggerud, who had four goals in the Golden Gophers’ split with Minnesota State. Snuggerud’s first three collegiate goals came in the form of a hat trick in Friday’s 4-1 win.
Minnesota coach Bob Motzko said that Snuggerud “was frustrated last week” after being held scoreless in the Gophers’ opening series against Lindenwood.
“Boy,” said Motzko, “did he come through tonight because he can shoot a hockey puck.”
Snuggerud is the B1G first star of the second week of the season, an honor that went to another Minnesota rookie in the first week. Logan Cooley had two goals and two assists when the Gophers swept the Lions Oct. 1-2. Minnesota outscored Lindenhurst 10-4 in those two games, with Cooley and sophomore Matthew Knies the only players to record more than a goal in the series.
The only Big Ten conference action of the season so far was last weekend’s Ohio State sweep of visiting Wisconsin. The Buckeyes beat the Badgers 3-1 and 4-3 and had to overcome a three-goal deficit to secure the sweep on Saturday after Wisconsin led 3-0 by the end of the opening minute in the second period of that game.
“We never felt like we were going to lose,” said Ohio State’s Jake Wise. “Even when they scored that third one, it was just right back to business. That’s kind of been the story of our team the last couple of years. We’re confident in our ability to win those third periods.”
Wise is a fifth-year senior who transferred to OSU last year after playing his first three seasons at Boston University, where he had three goals in 50 games. Last season, he netted 10 goals in 35 games with Ohio State. He has two goals through four games this season.
Through two weekends of play, three Buckeyes have earned B1G stars for their performances. Against Mercyhurst (Oct. 1-2), sophomore goaltender Jakub Dobeš was the league’s third star for his 1.51 GAA and .935 save percentage, while junior Travis Treloar was the top star for his goal and three assists against the Lakers.
This week, the Big Ten second star goes to Ohio State freshman forward Stephen Halliday, who had a goal and three assists in the sweep of Wisconsin.
Ohio State is 5-for-19 on the power play this season, with Wise and Treloar each scoring two of those goals and Halliday scoring one. Ohio State coach Steve Rohlik said that is a result of confidence.
“I think the guys have a different attitude when they step on the ice,” said Rohlik. “Instead of hoping to score, I think our guys expect to score.”
Greg Lapointe made his return to the ice last weekend for St. Lawrence (photo: C A Hill Photo).
Any college hockey coach will tell you that, at the end of the day, you must judge things by wins and losses. Which is certainly true.
But sometimes life changes that underlying philosophy.
And that’s the case for the St. Lawrence men’s hockey team right now.
When the Saints took the ice on opening night at UMass Lowell, there was a victory for the team prior to the opening faceoff. For that evening, as the starting skaters strode from the goal line to the blueline as their names were announced, out skated left wing Greg Lapointe.
With that moment, the Larries – and Lapointe – earned their first victory.
In the summer of 2021, Lapointe was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a rare cancer that attacks the lymph system of the body. He missed the entire 2021-22 season.
“Greg wasn’t even at school last year,” said St. Lawrence coach Brent Brekke. “He went through chemo and then ended up having to go through a second round because he had a spot pop back up.”
Lapointe wasn’t able to return in the second half of last season, remaining at home in Quebec undergoing treatment. The second round of treatment though left him in remission by summertime with a desire to head back to Canton, N.Y.
“He went into the second half of [last season] doing stem-cell treatment late winter/early spring,” said Brekke.
Knowing that he was ready to return to campus to begin this season, Brekke said, was a huge boost for the club. Seeing him come back ready to play hockey brought forth a different type of euphoria.
“To have in the locker rooms is a huge, huge shot in the arm for the guys,” Brekke said. “He’s been through the most challenging adversity anyone can have in their life. To beat cancer is a pretty significant thing. All of our guys recognize what he’s been through.”
Last Friday night, in a 3-1 victory over Merrimack, Lapointe tallied two assists, setting up a shorthanded goal by Max Dorrington at 13:46 of the first. He followed that up with a second assist on Drake Burgin’s insurance goal with 9:39 left that accounted for the final score.
The two assists are a precursor to what his coach knows will be a season that includes a few big goals, particularly given Lapointe’s skill level.
“He’s a kid who can score,” Brekke said. “He can plat out score. He has not lost his ability to put the puck in the net.
“It’s just a real nice story to have him back. We didn’t know where he’d be coming back to campus this year. It’s tough to put an expectation in place except to have him back and be part of things. His condition, strength will still take some time to get him back to where he was prior. But his ability, his personality in the locker room, his day-to-day has just been tremendous.
“If he never practiced or played a game, just to have him in the locker room would’ve been a huge, huge plus. He’s way ahead of where he thought he would be.”
Bobcats heading to Grand Forks for one of the early, premier matchups
Quinnipiac was impressive on Friday with a 4-0 win on the road over Boston College and on Sunday may have been a little disappointed settling for a 2-2 tie at home against LIU, letting slip away a 2-0 lead they held late in the second period.
But memories of the weekend will need to be short lived as the No. 8 Bobcats play one of the top weekend series in the country traveling to Grand Forks for a two-game road series against No. 3 North Dakota.
The two clubs have faced off just six times in history with North Dakota winning five of those battles. Quinnipiac earned the first victory in that series last October in Hamden, Conn., a 5-2 victory.
Of course, the most famous game between the Fighting Hawks and Bobcats came in Tampa, Fla., home of this year’s Frozen Four. It was the 2016 national title game where North Dakota cruised to a 5-1 victory when Drake Caggiula scored twice early in the third to break open the game.
A need for non-conference success
To date, the ECAC is 5-8-2 against non-conference opponents, good for a .400 winning percentage.
Not bad, but the league will need to continuously improve if there are hopes of getting more than one or two bids to the NCAA tournament.
But don’t fret, ECAC fans. The good news for this league that may not apply to leagues like Atlantic Hockey and the CCHA is that five of the 12 teams – the Ivies – haven’t even dropped the puck.
The ECAC has north of 100 non-conference games, so 15 games is close to about 10 percent of the total games the conference will player this year. Conversely, Atlantic Hockey has played closer to 20 percent of its non-conference games, limiting the time the league has to make up for a slow non-league start.
In other words, ECAC fans should hope for non-conference success and soon. But the grave for this league isn’t dug and shouldn’t be of any concern until, say, Thanksgiving.
The Dog House cheers on Northeastern as the Huskies battle Boston College in the 2022 Beanpot tournament at TD Garden in Boston (photo: Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University).
Anyone doubting that expectations are high this season for the Northeastern men’s hockey team just needed to check out the scene in the lobby of Matthews Arena about an hour before the Huskies started their 2022-23 season last weekend.
Enthusiasm for the team from the Northeastern student fan base is nothing new, of course, but the legions of fans lining up to buy their jersey for the new season, then immediately proceeding to the balcony to pack their own section — affectionately known as “The Dog House” — well before puck drop was just another indication that the Huskies are expected to do big things between now and March and possibly beyond.
“It’s great to play in front of them,” said freshman defenseman Vinny Borgesi, who had a memorable debut by scoring the game-winner at 1:16 of overtime in the Huskies’ 3-2 win over Long Island on Oct. 1. “Obviously, they give a lot of juice to the boys. We love them here.”
After finishing first in both the Hockey East preseason coaches and media preseason poll and landing at No. 8 in the DCU/USCHO.com preseason poll (where they currently reside at No. 7), Northeastern so far hasn’t disappointed. The Huskies (3-0-0) followed up their win over LIU with a home sweep of Vermont by scores of 5-2 and 5-0.
While the Huskies’ players enjoy the support from their fans, they aren’t buying into the national hype. Or, at least, they’re trying their best to tune it out.
“We really don’t think about that here,” said senior forward and Milton, Mass., native Aidan McDonough. “We’re looking to get better every day, build off of every single day. Pressure comes from other people.”
McDonough led the league in scoring last season and picked up three goals and a pair of assists vs. the Catamounts.
It certainly doesn’t hurt Northeastern that it starts the season with six straight games in front of its adoring fans.
“We saw (them) hanging up the signs, painting the signs, working all week,” McDonough said of the Dog House denizens. “They’re amazing. We owe so much to them.”
Going into a season as a favorite not only to win the conference but possibly go deep in the NCAA tournament doesn’t happen every year to the Huskies. Last year marked the first time Northeastern finished first in the regular-season standings since joining the league as a charter member in 1984.
“You want pressure,” second-year coach Jerry Keefe said. “If you’re a good team, you’re going to feel pressure. We don’t look too much into it. I think we focus on what we think of our group inside that locker room. That’s really what’s important.”
Doing his best to alleviate any pressure his team might feel, goalie Devon Levi has been as advertised so far in net for Northeastern. The reigning Richter Award winner and conference netminder of the year has backstopped the Huskies to a 1.33 GAA and a .955 save percentage, playing every minute so far.
Things will certainly get tougher, starting in the coming days. Though still at home, the Huskies face a tilt vs. No. 14 Providence on Saturday followed by a non-conference game against crosstown rival Boston College the following Tuesday.
“We want to make sure that at the end of the season, we’re high in the polls,” Keefe said. “That’s the key, right?”
The NCHA has announced the appointment of Jim Olson as the interim commissioner of both the men’s and women’s conferences.
“I am both humbled and honored to have been selected for this opportunity,” Olson said in a statement. “I am excited for the opportunity to serve the NCHA in this new role. I want to thank Don Olson for his exemplary leadership. He has been a mentor, coach, and most importantly a friend. I wish him the best in his retirement.”
Olson began his work as active commissioner on an interim basis as of Sept. 15 and takes over for Don Olson. He had previously been director of officials, a position he held since July 2007.
Don Olson, the fourth commissioner in the history of the league, served the post from March of 2017 until his recent retirement.
“It is with great enthusiasm that we welcome Jim Olson to the position of commissioner of the NCHA,” said Dr. Rob Barnhill, Concordia (Wis.) director of athletics. “As the sun sets on Don Olson’s tenure of excellent leadership, it rises on a new opportunity for Jim to continue the development and custodianship of one of the most respected Division III hockey conferences in the country. Jim is no stranger to the group, as he has served the NCHA successfully in the role of director of officials for many years. Jim’s intimate knowledge of Division III hockey, college hockey in the west, and the inner working of the NCHA as an organization made him a most logical choice.
“I know I speak for many when I say that we look forward working with Jim and we are blessed to have his experience and passion for hockey in our conference office.”
Wilkes has announced the hiring of Dave LaBaff as the Colonels new women’s hockey head coach.
LaBaff joins Wilkes after spending the previous eight seasons as the head women’s coach at Canton.
“I would like to thank Addy Malatesta and Phil Wingert and the entire search committee for all of their time and dedication to this process and for allowing me to see all that Wilkes University has to offer, LaBaff said in a statement. “I truly believe that success is driven by the people surrounding it, and without a doubt Wilkes University has some of the best people out there.”
During his time as head coach at Canton, LaBaff led the program to four postseason appearances including two semifinals.
Prior to his move to Canton, LaBaff served as an assistant coach for the Morrisville men’s hockey team in 2011-12. LaBaff earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Performance and Health Promotion from Morrisville in May 2012 and was a three-year goaltender for the Mustangs where he appeared in 10 games and logged over 350 minutes between the pipes, making 168 saves.
LaBaff was appointed to the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Championship Committee on Sept. 1, 2020 and will serve that role until Aug. 31, 2024.
“I’m excited to get to work ushering in this next chapter of Colonels’ women’s ice hockey together with our student-athletes,” LaBaff said. “I would like to thank my previous players and assistant coaches. If it was not for them, I would not have learned all the lessons that have made me the coach I am today. Finally, and most importantly, I’d like to thank my family, especially my wife Alysia. Their support during this process has meant the world to me and it made my decision to become a Colonel an easy one.”
Former NCAA Division I standout Kalie Grant has been named the next head coach of the Canton women’s hockey program.
Grant joins Canton after two seasons as an assistant coach at Adrian. She becomes just the third women’s hockey coach in Canton history, taking over for Dave LaBaff, who coached the Canton women’s hockey team for the past eight seasons before moving on to Wilkes.
Prior to her two seasons with the Bulldogs, she was a four-year player and captain for St. Lawrence.
“Kalie quickly rose to the top of a highly competitive pool of candidates,” said Canton director of athletics Randy Sieminski in a statement. “Her experiences in both D-I and D-III as well as her familiarity with the area will serve her well as our new head coach. She is a successful recruiter with numerous contacts throughout women’s hockey.”
While at Adrian, Grant assisted with developing practice plans, analyzing game film, creating game strategies, instructing on-ice skills, recruiting, scheduling and travel among other duties.
Grant appeared in 138 games, scoring 13 goals and racking up 31 assists, during her time with the Saints. She served as alternate captain her junior season, captain her senior season, and made the Dean’s List every year.
“I would like to thank President Szafran, Randy Sieminski, and the rest of the search committee for trusting me to be the next head women’s hockey coach at SUNY Canton,” Grant said. “I am thrilled to be returning to my roots in the North Country and look forward to continuing my coaching career at SUNY Canton. I am excited to meet the players as we look to continue the program’s success and contend for NEWHL championships.”
Grant graduated from St. Lawrence with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Business in the Liberal Arts with a minor in Sports Studies and Exercise Science. During here time in college, she spent three years on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and volunteered with Special Olympics in 2019. Grant also recently graduated with a Master’s degree in Sport Management from Adrian.
Adrian has announced the hiring of Trevor Coykendall as the new assistant coach of the women’s hockey team.
Coykendall was part of the Bulldogs’ men’s team’s national championship run this past spring. Over 31 games during the 2021-22 campaign, he posted a career-best 26 points on 13 goals and 13 assists, including the game-winning tally against Geneseo in the national championship game.
The latest addition to the staff at Arrington Ice Arena played four seasons for the Bulldogs while working towards a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Business Administration.
He also served as a representative of the Student Athlete Athletic Committee and completed an internship alongside Adrian athletic director Mike Duffy in the fall of 2021.
