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NCAA D-III Men’s Ice Hockey First Round Game Picks – March 15, 2025

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Hassan Akl leads a high-flying Spartan offense into the NCAA tournament against Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Saturday. (Photo Credit: Steve Woltmann/Aurora Athletics)

Here we are at the final three weeks of game action that will determine the 2024-25 national champions. Fourteen teams have made the cut for this year’s tournament and not without some surprises in the mix. Kudos to the NCAA (don’t say that often) for opening up the checkbook and spending some money to set the all-important travel schedules that align best with the seeding and regional alignment. The Frozen Four will be held at a yet to be determined site based on bids received from teams in the field so we will likely have a scenario like 2023 where Endicott was awarded the final rounds following the quarterfinal results. Could be interesting to see where the final games of the season will be played for the national championship trophy.

My picks last Saturday went 6-3-0 (.667) for the conference championship weekend with my Cinderella picks failing to find the glass slipper fit. My final season numbers stand at 137-63-10 (.676) which were overall pretty good but not at the 70% success rate I targeted way back in October, 2024.

As has been the tradition over the past several seasons, the final picks will be a competition between East (Tim Costello – TC) and West (Brian Lester – BL) for bragging rights to end the season. The competition has been pretty close over the past seasons with many other interested parties like D-III Hockey News, Let’s Go Knights, NESCAC Hockey and, of course, Mr. SUNYAC chiming in as competitors to our USCHO challenge – feel free to play along and see how you do as compared with the USCHO pundits. First round action is set for twelve teams on Saturday and the matchups are terrific. Here is how Brian and I see the outcomes for the first round:

Saturday, March 15, 2025

NCAA First Round

Oswego v. Trine

TC – The youthful Lakers have matured quite a bit in the second half including their capturing the SUNYAC title. The Thunder lost early in their conference tournament so have been waiting for the chance to get back on the ice and play for the season’s biggest trophy. The atmosphere will be electric in Angola, Indiana but the team that has been playing each weekend will end up finding the winning formula in a game where overtime is needed – Oswego, 4-3

BL – The Thunder are making history as they head to the NCAA tourney for the first time. And the experience is even better because they get to play at home. Ranked seventh nationally, they face a Laker team that is No. 14 in the country.

The Thunder didn’t win their conference tournament, but they are a tough team to beat and are battle tested. And keep in mind they are unbeaten at home, sporting a 12-0 record.

Oswego won the SUNYAC title and are led by Brandon Cohen, who has tallied 19 goals. This will be the first trip out west this season for the Lakers and it will be interesting to see how they handle it – Trine, 5-4

Hamilton v. University of New England

TC – Two teams that on paper and ranking appear to be very evenly matched will face-off in Biddeford, Maine. The Continentals are fresh off their first ever NESCAC title and have the sensational goaltending of Charlie Archer anchoring them. UNE hasn’t seen a competitive game since the semifinal round of the CNE tournament where they lost to Endicott. ENG creates final margin in a dogfight that goes to the visitors – Hamilton, 4-2

BL – It’s a matchup featuring eighth-ranked Hamilton and ninth-ranked UNE.

The Continentals come in with 20 wins on the season and have won their last three. They average nearly four goals per game and allow under two an outing. Luke Tchor leads the way offensively with 16 goals and 17 assists.

The Nor’easters have been tough at home, going 8-3 and they are putting up just over four goals per game. Drew Olivieri leads the way with 11 goals and 24 assists. They haven’t played in nearly two weeks, so it will be interesting to see how they handle the time off – UNE, 4-3

Stevenson v. Geneseo

TC – The Mustangs took out Wilkes to win the MAC and are very familiar with playing games in New York and playing low-scoring playoff style hockey. The Knights have been known for their fast starts and a strong first period on Saturday catapults the new UCHC champions to the quarterfinal round with a less than comfortable win on home ice – Geneseo, 4-2

BL – Fourth-ranked Geneseo battled unranked Stevenson in this one. The Ice Knights are UCHC champs and Filip Wiberg is one to watch after being named the tourney MVP. He has 15 goals and 15 assists on the year. Geneseo is in the tourney for the eighth straight season.

Stevenson is making its first NCAA tourney appearance and hoping to keep this historic season going. Ford DeLoss is tough in goal. He was the MAC tourney MVP – Geneseo, 5-2

Fitchburg State v. Utica

TC – This game features two teams that really can’t be coming from more opposite mental states. The Falcons have been on fire through the MASCAC playoffs and goaltender Max Macchioni has been sensational through their recent win streak. The Pioneers are pressing the reset button for the national tournament having been routed in the UCHC title game by Geneseo. Something has to give and the Pioneers take advantage of special teams to eke past a determined and aggressive FSU squad – Utica, 5-3

BL – Ranked sixth in the USCHO.com poll, Utica is looking to capitalize on home ice advantage. The Pioneers are hoping to shake off the sting of a tough 7-3 loss in the conference final against Geneseo. That’s not always an easy thing to do.

Fitchburg has won its last four but is just 6-5 on the road this year. The Falcons have a solid goalie in Max Macchioni and he’ll be key if Fitchburg is going to pull off a win on the road – Utica, 5-3

Gustavus Adolphus v. St. Norbert

TC – The champions of the MIAC and NCHA play a first round game with the Green Knights having an unbeaten record against the Gusties in past NCAA action. Logan Dombrowsky and Liam Fraser are among the premier offensive talents in the country, and they lead the home team to a solid win over a pesky opponent – St. Norbert, 4-2

BL – The third-ranked Green Knights have been one of the best teams in the nation all year. They are the back-to-back NCHA champs and are in the NCAA tourney for the 22nd time in program history, the second-most ever.

They have two of the best scoring threats in Liam Fraser and Logan Dombrowsky, and when that duo is on, the Green Knights are tough to stop.

Gustavus won the always interesting MIAC and is in the tourney for the first time since 2012. The Gusties have nothing to lose and would love nothing more than to pull off an upset here. They are certainly capable of doing it – St. Norbert, 4-2

Wisconsin – Eau Claire v. Aurora

TC – The regular season champions from the NCHA are appearing in their first NCAA tournament and face an UW – Eau Claire squad that got hot at the right time of the season to win the WIAC. The Spartans have never beaten the BluGolds but Hassan Akl and Landry Schmuck will have a lot to say about the outcome as these prolific scorers help the home team to their first NCAA tournament win with bonus hockey included – Aurora, 3-2

BL – The Spartans have had a year to remember and have been one of the nation’s top teams all season. This will be their first game against Eau Claire since 2016. The Spartans are 0-2 against the Blugolds.

Eau Claire has won six of its last eight and has momentum on its side right now after punching a ticket to the tourney for the first time since 2020. Though Eau Claire didn’t get to play in it that year due to the pandemic. Max Gutjahr has been impressive in goal, and he’ll be key against an Aurora team that has put up 134 goals – Aurora, 4-3

By Saturday night or maybe even early Sunday morning we will know who has advanced to the quarterfinals where the six winning teams will join Curry and Hobart with a chance to reach the Frozen Four. Everything is on the line now to advance or call an end to the 2024-25 season – “Drop the Puck

Hockey East men’s conference recognizes three all-star teams for ‘24-25 campaign

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Eamon Powell again wears the ‘C’ for Boston College during the 2024-25 season (photo: Brody Hannon).

Hockey East has announced its 2024-25 men’s all-star teams as voted by the league’s 11 head coaches.

First-Team All-Stars
G: Jacob Fowler, Boston College *
D: Eamon Powell, Boston College
D: Cole Hutson, Boston University
F: Ryan Leonard, Boston College *
F: Gabe Perreault, Boston College
F: Cole O’Hara, Massachusetts
* unanimous selection

Second-Team All-Stars
G: Albin Boija, Maine
D: Tom Willander, Boston University
D: Guillaume Richard, Providence
F: Quinn Hutson, Boston University
F: Joey Muldowney, UConn
F: Hudson Schandor, UConn

Third-Team All-Stars
G: Michael Hrabal, Massachusetts
D: Brandon Holt, Maine
D: Alex Gagne, New Hampshire
F: Ryan Greene, Boston University
F: Jake Richard, UConn
F: Cam Lund, Northeastern

Minnesota State netminder Tracy adds to honors, named CCHA player of the year for 2024-25 college hockey season

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Alex Tracy has been a wall in net this season for Minnesota State (photo: Minnesota State Athletics).

The CCHA has announced that Minnesota State junior goaltender Alex Tracy is the conference’s 2024-25 player of the year.

A Mike Richter Award semifinalist, he has been one of the top netminders in college hockey this season.

Tracy played in 25 of Minnesota State’s 26 conference games, going 17-5-3 with a 1.43 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage, which all led the league. He turned away 640 shots in 1514:48 minutes, picking up two shutouts.

Overall, he is 24-8-3 with a 1.45 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage, with four shutouts. A two-time CCHA and national goaltender of the month, he currently leads the nation in wins, GAA, SV% and was one of three finalists for CCHA goaltender of the year and a contender for the Hobey Baker Award, given annually to the top player in collegiate men’s hockey.

Voting for the 2024-25 CCHA year-end awards was conducted by the nine head coaches at each CCHA school, based on CCHA conference games only. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.

It’s NCAA tournament time for five D-III West men’s hockey teams

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Aurora is in the NCAA tournament for the first time. (Photo Credit: Steve Woltmann/Aurora Athletics)

It’s a special time of year as the NCAA Division III men’s hockey tournament begins today.

This is what every team has been shooting for since the season began back in November, and for five teams from the west region, they will get their shot to hit the ice in the national tournament.

Gustavus, St. Norbert, UW-Eau Claire, Trine and Aurora are all in. Two teams are assured of advancing as the Gusties play the Green Knights and the Blugolds face the Spartans. A total of three teams could advance, however, as Trine plays Oswego.

For Gustavus (16-9-2), it’s the Gusties’ first tourney appearance since 2012. The Gusties won the MIAC and what a story it has been for a program that won only 11 games a year ago. Tyler Walsh has taken Gustavus to the tourney in year one and that in itself is impressive. He’s guided the team to 16 wins this year.

Though unranked in the national poll, Gustavus has one of the top offenses in hockey, averaging nearly four goals per game. Jack Suchy has played a huge role in that success, scoring 15 goals and dishing out 14 assists. 

The Gusties face a St. Norbert team that started out the season like it might never lose. The Green Knights won their first 12 games and have been on a roll again as of late, having not lost a game since January.

They are the champions of the NCHA, going back-to-back, and they are in the tournament for the 22nd time. In other words, NCAA trips are the norm for the Green Knights (23-5-1)

They are putting up more than four goals per game and allowing just two goals per outing. There is no doubt the Green Knights are one of the best all-around teams in the country. And they are currently third nationally in the USCHO.com poll.

Liam Fraser has been impressive, scoring 21 goals while also dishing out 21 assists. Logan Dombrowsky has scored 16 goals and dished out 33 assists. Hunter Garvey has won 18 games in goal.

These two teams have met twice in the tourney before, not since 2012. The Green Knights are 2-0 against the Gusties in tournament play.

While NCAA tournament trips aren’t anything new for St. Norbert, they are new for fifth-ranked Aurora and seventh-ranked Trine. Both squads are making their first ever trip. 

Aurora has won 23 games this season, sporting a 23-4-1 record. The win total is the most in the 11-year history of the program. And it gets to play its tourney opener at home, where it has lost only once all year.

The Spartans have dominated offensively, cranking out close to five goals per game. Leading the charge are Hassan Akl and Landry Schmuck. Akl has dished out 39 assists while also scoring 13 goals. Landry Schmuck has put the puck in the net 30 time and has also tallied 12 assists.

Aurora has lost only once in its last 15 games and is one of the teams many believe have a shot of going all the way to the title game.

As for Trine, the Thunder have won 20 games this season, tying for the most wins in program history. They are 20-6-2 on the season.

One of the best things for Trine is that it gets to host its first round game. That’s huge because Trine hasn’t lost at home this season, sporting 12-0 record.

Trine doesn’t have one player who is just putting up eye-popping stats, but the Thunder have thrived with a balanced attack. Logan Fustenau leads the team with 11 goals. Sam Antenucci and Tyler Blanchard have scored nine goals apiece. 

But boy does Trine share the puck. Michael DiPietra, Alexander Babich, Drew Welsch and Jack Cooper all rank in the top 15 in the NCHA in assists. DiPietra has 17 assists. The other three have 16 assists.

As for Eau Claire, the Blugolds weren’t expected to win the WIAC. But here they are. They have gotten hot at the right time and have won six of their last eight overall. They might be under .500 from a record standpoint (14-15-1) but they are not a team you can look past.

Eau Claire, after all, has one of the top goalies in the game in Max Gutjahr, who ranks second in the country in shutouts with six, including a shutout win over River Falls in the WIAC title game.

For the Blugolds, this is technically their first time playing in the tournament since 2013 when they won the national title. But Eau Claire earned a tourney berth in 2020. The pandemic robbed the Blugolds of a chance to play in it. That won’t happen this time.

And that might be the best thing of all for NCAA D-III hockey in general. Five years ago, we had no postseason hockey in March. Five years later, we have a chance to watch teams compete for a national championship, including the five teams out of the west who come in with high hopes and high expectations.

FRIDAY COLLEGE HOCKEY ROUNDUP: Colorado College upsets Denver in NCHC quarterfinals; Western Michigan, Arizona State and No. Dakota get wins; UConn opens Hockey East quarters with win; Holy Cross wins in OT in AHA quarters

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Western Michigan’s Tim Washe celebrates his goal in the second period of a 6-2 win over St. Cloud in the NCHC quarterfinals on Friday night in Kalamazoo, Mich. (Photo: Western Michigan Athletics)

NCHC tournament 

No. 3 Western Michigan 6, St. Cloud State 2

Western Michigan opened the NCHC quarterfinals with a 6-2 win over St. Cloud State on Friday night at Lawson Arena for their NCAA-leading 27th win of the season. 

Matteo Costantini and Iiro Hakkarainen each scored two goals, while Tim Washe and Alex Bump scored once. Hampton Slukynsky made 25 saves in net to earn his 12th win of the season.

Colorado College 3, No. 6 Denver 1

Swept by the same team just one week earlier, Colorado College opened the NCHC quarterfinals with a 3-1 win at Denver in the first game of a best-of-three series on Friday night at Magness Arena.

Brady Cleveland’s first career goal and Kaidan Mbereko’s 33 saves led the Tigers to the win. Ty Gallagher scored to open the third period, the first of three unanswered goals. Noah Laba added an empty-net goal. 

No. 12 Arizona State 4, Minnesota Duluth 3

Anthony Down scored the only goal of the third period to stake No. 12 Arizona State to a 4-3 win over Minnesota Duluth in the first game of the NCHC quarterfinals on Friday night at Mullett Arena.

Ryan Kirwan and Charlie Schoen scored for Arizona State as the Sun Devils led 2-1 after the first frame. The game was tied 3-3 after two stops. Bennett Schimek had the other Arizona State goal. 

Arizona State goalie Luke Pavicich had 28 saves. 

No. 17 North Dakota 3, No. 20 Omaha 2

It wasn’t pretty, but No. 17 North Dakota skated to a 3-2 win over Omaha in the opening game of the NCHC quarterfinals at Baxter Arena in Omaha, Neb.

North Dakota built a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes before being outshot by a 17-0 margin in the third period. It was North Dakota’s first win on the road in an opening game of a conference quarterfinal since 1995 at St. Cloud State.

Goalie T.J. Semptimphelter finished with 31 saves to earn the first postseason victory of his career. 

Jayden Perron scored his 10th goal of the season to give him double-digits for the second straight year. Cade Littler notched a pair of goals. Jackson Kunz and Caleb MacDonald had two assists apiece. 

Hockey East tournament

No. 8 Connecticut 3, No. 7 Providence 1

Eighth-ranked Connecticut is headed to TD Garden for the first time since 2022 after beating No. 7 Providence 3-1 on Friday night in the Hockey East quarterfinals.

Joey Muldowney scored two goals for the Huskies, while Hudson Schandor provided the other. Tyler Muszelik made 32 saves in net.

Providence’s Guillaume Richard opened the scoring just 3:44 into the game to give the Friars a 1-0 lead. 

The Hockey East semifinals will be held Thursday in Boston.

ECAC tournament

No. 13 Quinnipiac 4, Brown 1 

No. 13 Quinnipiac is one win away from punching its ticket to Lake Placid, N.Y., following a 4-1 win over Brown in Game 1 of the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals at M+T Bank Arena on Friday night.

It was the seventh straight postseason win on home ice for the Bobcats, who scored in each of the first two periods before potting a pair in the final 20 minutes.

Victor Czerneckianair, Jeremy Wilmer, Andon Cerbone and Chris Pelosi all scored for Quinnipiac, while Matej Marinov had 20 saves in net. 

Quinnipiac has outscored its opposition 31-10 in its last seven home playoff games.

No. 18 Clarkson 3, Harvard 2

Ryan Bottrill scored a pair of goals in the third period, including the game winner with only 27.6 seconds left, as No. 18 Clarkson twice came back from a goal down to earn a 3-2 win over Harvard in Game 1 of the ECAC quarterfinals Friday night at Cheel Arena.

The Golden Knights moved to within one win of a trip to Lake Placid, N.Y, improving to 22-10-3 on the season while Harvard dipped to 12-16-3. Game 2 is set for 4 p.m. Eastern on Saturday.

Ellis Rickwood scored the other Clarkson goal and Ethan Langenegger had 15 saves in net.

Cornell 4, Colgate 1

Two-point nights from Kyler Kovich (two assists), Kyle Penney (goal, assist) and Charlie Major (two assists) helped lead the Cornell to a 4-1 win at Colgate at the Class of 1965 Arena on Friday night in the first game of a best-of-three quarterfinal ECAC playoff series.

Joining Penney in the scoring column were Jack O’Leary, Sullivan Mack and Jonathan Castagna. Goalie Ian Shane stopped 21 of 22 shots for the Big Red.

It was the 171st meeting between Cornell and Colgate as the Big Red increased their lead in the series to 91-63-17.

Dartmouth 3, Union 2

With a goal in each period, Dartmouth opened its best-of-three ECAC quarterfinal series with a 3-2 win over Union on Friday night. 

The Big Green twice erased one-goal deficits. Nikita Nikora, Braiden Dorfman and Sean Chisholm each scored for Dartmouth.

Emmett Croteau made 23 saves in net.  

AHA tournament

Holy Cross 3, Army West Point 2 (OT)

Devin Phillips scored 3:15 into overtime to give Holy Cross a 3-2 win over Army West point and a 1-0 lead in the Atlantic Hockey America quarterfinals on Friday night at Hart Center Rink.

It was Phillips’s second goal of the night. Matthew Kursonis also scored for the Crusaders.

Thomas Gale recorded a career-high 45 saves in net. With his 23d win of the season, Gale also broke the Crusaders’ single-season wins record.

Bentley 5, Sacred Heart 2

A.J. Hodges scored a natural hat trick in the third period as Bentley won Game 1 of the Atlantic Hockey semifinals over Sacred Heart, 5-2.

The Falcons trailed 2-0 just past the midway point of the second period but scored five unanswered goals to rally for the win.

Oskar Bakkevig and Nik Armstrong-Kingkade each scored for Bentley while Connor Hasley made 20 saves in net to earn his 19th win of the season.

NCAA D-III Men’s Ice Hockey First Round Preview: Hamilton v. UNE

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Senior goaltender Charlie Archer helped the Continentals to the NESCAC title and now focuses on an NCAA matchup with UNE (Photo by Joshua D. McGee)

It’s a good thing the games are played on the ice because a look at paper with statistics and rankings such as national rank, NPI and tournament seeding has the NESCAC champions from Hamilton and CNE semifinal round losing UNE almost in a dead-heat in a head-to-head comparison. While the Nor’easters have been away from game play since their overtime loss to Endicott, they do have the advantage of home-ice which should create an electric atmosphere for the home team that has seen strong results on the national stage in recent years.

“We’ve been in pressure packed games for weeks now and our boys have no fear of those situations,” noted Hamilton head coach Rob Haberbusch. “We’re No. 8 in the polls and they’re No. 9. They are No. 8 in the NPI and we are No. 9. It can’t get any closer. I am sure it’s going to be a great game – we are excited to play.”

The visiting Continentals weathered the gauntlet of the NESCAC tournament with wins over Conn College, a double overtime win over Middlebury in the semifinal round and a 3-0 shutout of Tufts in the title game. NESCAC goaltender of the year, senior Charlie Archer (20GP – 1.37 goals-against average – .943 save percentage – 5 shutouts) has made scoring very difficult for the opposition all season while conference player of the year, sophomore Luke Tchor (16G – 17A – 33 Pts) and linemates sophomore Devon deVries (7G – 16A – 23 Pts) and junior Jackson Krock (14G – 14A – 28 Pts) have made scoring a habit both at even-strength and on the power play.

While the Nor’easters have been out of game action for a spell, they have a playoff game pedigree and a roster that tasted the atmosphere of the Frozen Four just a couple of seasons ago. Senior forward Ryan Kuzmich (20G – 14A – 34 Pts), sophomore forward Drew Olivieri (11G – 24A – 35 Pts) and sophomore forward Dominic Murphy (16G – 18A – 34 Pts) can create offense at any time on the ice. A strong defensive group transitions to offense well in front of goaltender Stefan Carney (14GP – 1.83 goals-against average – .926 save percentage – 3 shutouts) who has split time in the crease for the Nor’easters with senior Joey Stanizzi (14GP – 2.44 goals-against average – .917 save percentage – 4 shutouts).

The two teams face-off at Harold Alfond Forum in Biddeford, Maine on Saturday, March 15 at 7 PM. The winner with move on to a quarterfinal date with top-seeded Curry on Saturday, March 22.

NCAA D-III Men’s Ice Hockey First Round Preview – Stevenson v. Geneseo

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Geneseo’s senior forward Peter Morgan looks to lead the Knights past MAC champions Stevenson on Saturday night (photo By Ben Gajewski)

In a battle featuring the UCHC champions from Geneseo hosting the MAC winners from Stevenson, the game showcases teams built for playoff hockey led by coaches who have winning reputations when it comes to the post-season in Geneseo’s Chris Schultz and Stevenson’s Dominick Dawes. Both teams secured their conference titles by defeating the no. 1 seed in their respective tournament as the road team and now look to parlay their strong play last week into winning hockey on the national stage.

“One game at a time,” noted Schultz. “Every team right now is feeling good about themselves. Every team has pretty good momentum heading into the tournament. We have to stick to our process and play to our strengths.”

The Knights strengths include a 12-1-1 record in the comfortable confines of the Ira S Wilson Rink and an experienced group of players including senior goaltender Adam Harris (19GP – 2.50 goals-against average – .916 save percentage), and senior forward Zach Purcell (16G – 11A – 27 Pts) along with sophomore forward Filip Wiberg (15G – 15A – 30 Pts) and sophomore defensive stalwart, Sean Melso (8G – 16A – 24 Pts.) The Knights have depth upfront and on the blue line and play a pressure game that challenges any team for the full 200-feet of the rink.

For Stevenson, their current five-game win streak has been led by a strong offensive attack featuring senior forward Liam McKinney (15G – 12A – 27 Pts) and junior  forward Blake Benson (17G – 8A – 25 Pts). Add in the clutch performances of Even Beers (4G – 14A – 18 Pts) and  Dylan Florit (4G – 14A – 18 Pts) and Stevenson has the tools to physically challenge the Knights on their home ice. Junior goaltender Ford DeLoss (24 GP – 2.24 goals-against average – .917 save percentage – 4 shutouts) has been stellar in goal for the Mustangs, especially in the MAC tournament where he surrendered just two goals in wins against Neumann and Wilkes.

“Our guys are excited,” said head coach Dominick Dawes. “They earned the right to be here. Playing in upstate New York is nothing new for us. We need to focus on our game and the things that have helped build the program up to this point.”

The Knights and Mustangs face-off on Saturday night at 7 PM with the winner advancing to a quarterfinal date against the winner from the Aurora v. Wisconsin Eau Claire first round game.

NCAA D-III Men’s Ice Hockey First Round Preview: Fitchburg State v. Utica

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Utica defenseman Brian Scoville leads a Utica squad looking to return to the Frozen Four and facing a red-hot Fitchburg State team in the first round on Saturday (Photo by Kaleigh Sturtevant – Utica Athletics)

The somewhat surprising Fitchburg State Falcons, winners of the MASCAC tournament will travel to play Utica on Saturday in the first round of the national tournament with both teams coming into the game in very different places. The Falcons are on a five-game win streak including three conference tournament victories that claimed their fist MASCAC title since 2018, so their confidence level is very high coming into the tournament. Meanwhile, Utica suffered a 7-3 loss to Geneseo in the final of the UCHC tournament and are looking for a post-season rebound having received an at-large bid based on their overall record during the regular season,

Fitchburg State has been led in their recent run by the sensational goaltending of junior Max Macchioni (9GP – 2.18 goals-against average – .940 save percentage) who took the crease down the stretch for the Falcons and surrendered just five goals in the three games of the conference tournament. In the semifinal against Salem State, Macchioni record seventy-six saves in a 4-3 3OT win over the Vikings. Offensively, the sophomore grouping of Hunter Dunn (12G – 15A – 27 Pts), Elowan Orme Lynch (8G – 15A – 23 Pts), and his twin Matteo Orme Lynch (6G – 16A – 22 Pts) have been opportunistic in the post-season leading the Falcons attack.

“We are excited for the opportunity, said long-time head coach Dean Fuller. “We are focused and ready to go.”

For Utica, the difference in one week is the size of the prize and the need to re-set following an ugly loss to Geneseo last weekend.

“The pressure is on us,” stated Pioneer head coach Gary Heenan, “Facing a team that is riding high while we are coming off a sub-par performance. This is when we lean on our leaders.”

Key performers whom the Pioneers relied upon all season have included graduate student Brian Scoville (4G – 16A – 20 Pts) on defense along with graduate student forward Jakob Breault (15G – 17A – 32 Pts) and graduate student forward Johnny Mulera (16G – 10A – 26 Pts). A deep roster will challenge the Falcons on every shift while Utica looks for first-year goaltender Ryan Piros (15GP – 2.06 goals-against average – .922 save percentage –   3 shutouts) to rebound from last week’s loss where he surrendered four goals in the opening period against Geneseo.

Utica will play host at the Adirondack Bank Center on Saturday, March 15 with puck drop scheduled for a 1 PM matinee with the winner advancing to face the winner of the St. Norbert v. Gustavus Adolphus game in a quarterfinal matchup.

NCAA D-III Men’s Ice Hockey First Round Preview: Oswego v. Trine

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Oswego travels to Indiana to face-off against No. 7 Trine in the opening round of the NCAA D-III Men’s Hockey Championship tournament (Photo by Taylor Streiff)

The newly crowned SUNYAC champion Oswego State Lakers will travel to Indiana to face nationally-ranked Trine on Saturday in the opening round of the NCAA D-III National Championship tournament. The Thunder received an at-large bid following an excellent regular season and semifinal loss to St. Norbert in the NCHA conference tournament back on March 1.

Oswego showcases a very youthful lineup that has grown up over the course of the season and found their complete game throughout the SUNYAC tournament winning their first title since 2011. Led by first-year forwards Ryan Burke (11G – 28A – 39 Pts) and Brandon Cohen (19G – 14A – 33 Pts), the Lakers boast nine players with more than twenty points on the season. Junior goaltender Brandon Milberg (24 GP – 2.22 goals-against average – .907 save percentage and 3 shutouts) has given the Lakers a chance to win and will need to continue his strong play against Trine on Saturday.

“Our young guys have been a work in progress all season,” said head coach Ed Gosek. “They still are this weekend which will be a great experience for them. I am excited for our guys and for the matchup with a really good Trine team – east vs. west matchups are always fun.”

Trine returns to the ice after a two-week layoff following their loss in the NCHA tournament but take the ice this week with new excitement about an opportunity to compete on the national stage. The Thunder did not play Oswego this season but were very successful against other SUNYAC teams winning a pair of games from both Fredonia and Buffalo State on the road during the regular season in non-conference action.

The Thunder showcase a deep roster with five twenty point plus players and a total of twelve players with more than ten points on the season. First-year Alexander Babich (6G – 16A – 22 Pts) and sophomore Logan Furstenau (11G – 10A – 21 Pts) pace the Thunder attack with Furstenau being particularly effective on the power play, netting six goals on the man advantage. In the crease, the Thunder have had success from three different goaltenders over the course of the season with first-year Ronnie Petrucci (9GP – 1.78 goals-against average – .918 save percentage –1 shutout) playing down the stretch for the Thunder in the conference playoffs.

The Thunder recorded twenty wins during the regular season and are playing in their first NCAA tournament and hosting a first round game in their inaugural appearance.

Puck drop is set for 7 PM on Saturday, March 15 with the winner advancing to the quarter-finals and a matchup with defending national champion, Hobart on March 22.

Analyzing three conference semifinal rounds, three key quarterfinal games for March 14-15: USCHO Edge college hockey podcast Season 3 Episode 19

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USCHO Edge hosts Jim Connelly (@jimmyconnelly), Dan Rubin (@DanRubin12) and Ed Trefzger (@EdTrefzger) look at money lines and over/under for three conference semifinal rounds and three quarterfinal games on March 14-15, 2025.

  • Bentley +145 @ Sacred Heart -188; over/under 4.5
  • Army +250 @ Holy Cross -345; o/u 5.5
  • Notre Dame +325 @ Michigan State -475; o/u 5.5
  • Penn State +105 @ Ohio State -135; o/u 6.5
  • Bowling Green +135 @ St. Thomas -175; o/u 5.5
  • Bemidji State +250 @ Minnesota State -345; o/u 5.5
  • UMass +150 @ Boston University -195; o/u 6.5
  • Cornell -125 @ Colgate -105; o/u 5.5
  • St. Cloud State +325 @ Western Michigan -475; o/u 5.5 (our “pizza money” game)
This episode is sponsored by the NCAA Men’s Division I Frozen Four, April 10 and 12 in St. Louis. Get your tickets now at ncaa.com/frozenfour

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

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

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Women’s Division I College Hockey: No. 9 Clarkson advances to NCAA quarterfinal with 3-1 win over No. 11 Boston University

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MADISON — The Clarkson Golden Knights advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season on Thursday night, jumping out to an early lead over Hockey East tournament champ Boston University and never looking back.  

Anne Cherkowski opened the scoring five minutes in on a break into the zone down the right side. She picked her spot and sniped a shot to the far post to make it a 1-0 game.

“They gave us a lot of time to skate on the breakout. I was able to gain a little bit of speed into the neutral zone and we were just trying to attack their defense as much as possible and put pucks on net,” said Cherkowski.

BU took a body checking penalty seconds later and Clarkson capitalized on the power play on a gorgeous passing play from Cherkowski to Sena Catterall to Rhea Hicks, who tapped the puck in to make it a 2-0 game just 31 seconds after the first goal. 

Boston University looked a little rattled and their game never really seemed to settle in. They struggled with puck possession and completing passes and got drawn into committing penalties. After a postseason stretch where they rarely led but managed to come back and win in overtime, their magic seemed to run out in Madison. 

“Their fore check was effective, and their defenders are so talented. They were shutting down plays. We’re really strong in transition, but I don’t feel like we got a lot of entries clean. I think we fought pucks a little bit all night,” said BU coach Tara Watchorn.

Goalie Callie Shanahan was a bright spot for the Terriers, particularly on a point blank save late in the second to keep the game close. Her defense did work in front of her, amassing 22 blocks.

A Terrier power play midway through the third looked to be an opportunity for BU, but the Clarkson defense, who had eight blocks of their 15 blocks over the final 15 minutes of the game, tightened up and kept Boston University from getting much dangerous on net.

“We knew how important that penalty kill was going to be in the third period. BU was starting to make a little bit of a push there. We wanted to make sure that that wasn’t a momentum builder for them,” said Desrosiers

BU broke through late, ending the shutout with 4:01 left in the third after pulling their goalie for an extra attacker. Lindsay Bochna cleaned up a loose puck after a scrum in front of the net to cut the lead to 2-1.

But the Terriers couldn’t find an equalizer and Sena Catterall’s empty-netter closed out a 3-1 win for the Golden Knights.

“I think just defensively as a team, we do a really good job picking up players. We pressure as soon as teams start coming down, we pressure. Everyone’s reloading hard. And I think we just do a really good job of not giving much up, so that kind of allows me to know that I can be aggressive and challenge,” said Clarkson goalie Holly Gruber.

Clarkson coach Matt Desrosiers was happy with his team’s play to start the game, but felt there were things to clean up as time went on.

“In the first period, I thought we did a great job just moving our feet and attacking and putting some pressure on them. We forced them into some turnovers. We weren’t allowing them to attack off the rush too much,” he said.

“In the second and third period, there were moments where I thought maybe we weren’t taking proper angles. We weren’t pressuring as much as we should have. We weren’t moving our feet to reload, which allowed them to attack off the rush a little bit and get into our defensive zone.”

It was a special game for Gruber, who is a native of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, about two hours away from Madison.

“A lot of my family was able to come up. I had a lot of extended family who’s honestly never seen me play an NCAA game, so it was really special to have them here and get the win,” Gruber said.

Clarkson will face top-seed Wisconsin on Saturday at 2 pm central. The teams have met three previous times in the NCAA Tournament, with Wisconsin holding a 2-1 advantage. They beat the Golden Knights 3-1 in the first round of the tournament in 2022 and won a semifinal against them 5-0 in 2019 en route to a title. Clarkson won their first meeting, beating Wisconsin 3-0 for the National Championship in 2017. Overall, Wisconsin owns the series between the two teams 5-1-1. 

Clarkson quartet dominates ECAC Hockey first team as three all-conference teams, one all-rookie squad unveiled

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Brett Chorske played a steady game up front this season for Colgate (photo: Brian Miller).

ECAC Hockey has announced its all-rookie team and three all-conference teams for the 2024-25 season.

ECAC Hockey First Team
Ayrton Martino,* F, Clarkson, Jr.
Ellis Rickwood, F, Clarkson, Sr.
Brett Chorske, F, Colgate, Sr.
Trey Taylor, D, Clarkson, Jr.
CJ Foley,* D, Dartmouth, So.
Ethan Langenegger, G, Clarkson, Gr.
*Denotes unanimous selection

ECAC Hockey Second Team
Dalton Bancroft, F, Cornell, Jr.
Mason Marcellus, F, Quinnipiac, So.
Jack Ricketts, F, Quinnipiac, Gr.
Tristan Sarsland, D, Clarkson, Jr.
Tommy Bergsland, D, Colgate, Sr.
Lawton Zacher, G, Brown, So.

ECAC Hockey Third Team
Tyler Kopff, F, Brown, So.
Brendan Gorman, F, Princeton, Jr.
Brandon Buhr, F, Union, Jr.
Tim Rego, D, Cornell, Sr.
John Prokop, D, Union, Jr.
Kyle Chauvette, G, Union, Jr.

ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team
Brian Nicholas, F, Brown, Fr.
Mick Thompson, F, Harvard, Fr.
Ben Muthersbaugh, F, Union, Fr.
Michael Neumeier,* D, Colgate, Fr.
Tate Taylor, D Clarkson, Fr.
Ben Charette, G, Harvard, Fr.
*Denotes unanimous selection

Minnesota State’s Murr, Tracy, Pitlick pick up 2024-25 year-end honors from CCHA

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Evan Murr was an all-CCHA second team pick and CCHA rookie of the year a year ago (photo: Bill Prout/Center Ice View).

Three Minnesota State players have earned year-end CCHA awards for the 2024-25 season.

Evan Murr is defenseman of the year, Alex Tracy is the goaltender of the year and Rhett Pitlick is the forward of the year.

Murr paced CCHA blueliners with 22 points in 26 CCHA games, scoring five goals with 17 assists. Amassing a plus-11 rating, he recorded 53 shots and 23 blocks defensive, with four power-play tallies and one game winner. He notched six multi-point games in conference play was assessed only three minor penalties. Overall, he has six goals and 19 assists for 25 points.

Tracy played in 25 of Minnesota State’s 26 conference games, going 17-5-3 with a 1.43 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage, which all led the league. He turned away 640 shots in 1514:48 minutes, picking up two shutouts. Overall, he is 24-8-3 with a 1.45 goals-against average and a .944 save percentage, with four shutouts. A two-time CCHA and national goaltender of the month, he currently leads the nation in wins, GAA, SV% and is a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award.

Pitlick produced a CCHA-best 30 points on 10 goals and 20 assists in 26 league contests, posting a plus-22 rating, with 68 shots and 12 blocks defensively. He collected two power-play markers and two game winners in conference play. Overall, he has 13 goals and 24 assists for 37 points, including five game-winning goals, which rank 10th nationally. He earned CCHA forward of the month honors in October.

Voting for the year-end awards was conducted by the nine head coaches at each CCHA school, based on CCHA conference games only. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.

This Week in Atlantic Hockey America: Quartet of teams off to conference semifinals, playing for automatic bid to 2025 NCAA tournament

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Sacred Heart players celebrate a recent goal in AHA play (photo: Maddie McCall).

After a wild quarterfinal round that saw seven of 11 games decided by a single goal, including four in overtime, the final four is set in Atlantic Hockey America: Holy Cross, Sacred Heart, Bentley and Army West Point.

Three of the four reaming teams have never won an Atlantic Hockey title.

Recapping the quarterfinals:

– The only series that didn’t go three games was between Bentley and Canisius, with the Falcons posting a pair of shutouts, 4-0 and 2-0. They were the ninth and tenth shutouts of the season for Bentley goalie Connor Hasley, tying him for third all-time in a Division I single season (Niagara’s Greg Gardner holds the record at 12 in 1999-2000).

– Holy Cross was taken to the limit by American International, with the Yellow Jackets fighting to extend their program by another week. Eric Lang’s team gave the top seed all it could handle, finally falling 4-3 in overtime on Sunday. The teams played three one-goal games culminating in Michael Abgrall’s goal 51 seconds into OT of Game 3.

– Sacred Heart bested Air Force in three games, with a wild two-overtime marathon won by the Falcons sandwiched between a pair of Pioneer victories. Air Force had advanced out of the first round with a double-overtime win as well. Saturday’s game was the longest in Air Force history at 93:27.

– Army West Point pulled off the only upset of the Quarterfinals, defeating host Niagara in three games. Both of the Black Nights’ wins came in overtime, with Mac Gadowsky getting the game-winner in double OT on Friday and Barron Woodring sending Army on to the semifinals with the game-winner on Sunday. Friday’s game was the fourth-longest in Army West Point history.

Previewing the semifinals

It’s no coincidence that the remaining semifinalists have the top four goalies in Atlantic Hockey: Army’s J.J. Cataldo, Bentley’s Connor Hasley, Holy Cross’ Thomas Gale, and Sacred Heart’s Ajeet Gundarah.

No. 5 Army West Point at No. 1 Holy Cross

The Black Knights will again look to extend the coaching career of coach Brian Riley, who is retiring after 21 seasons as head coach.

Army West Point last made it to the semifinals in 2021. The Black Knights advanced to the championship game once before, in 2007 when they lost to Air Force.

This is the third straight season that the Crusaders have made the semifinal round. Holy Cross’ last title was in 2006, when the Crusaders went on to a historic upset of Minnesota in the NCAA tournament.

Holy Cross took two of the three meetings between the schools in the regular season.

No. 3 Bentley at No. 2 Sacred Heart

This is the fifth postseason meeting between the schools and the first since 2017. It’s Sacred Heart’s third straight appearance in the semifinals and Bentley’s first since 2009. Bentley has reached the conference final once before, in 2006 when it lost to Holy Cross.

Bentley’s 20 wins this season is the most in the school’s Division I era and ties for the most victories in program history.

Sacred Heart’s 21 wins ties for the most in program history. Like Bentley, the Pioneers have never won an Atlantic Hockey title, coming close in 2010 when they lost to RIT in the championship game.

The teams battled three times in the regular season, with Bentley winning two of them.

The Rubies

My buddy Dan Rubin and I used to split Atlantic Hockey columnist duties, and Dan would jokingly refer to our picks for end of season awards as “The Lerchies” (update: he’s still doing it in his ECAC Column).

Therefore, I present to you, the “Rubies”. Here’s our choices for all-league. Our picks for the all-rookie team were posted last week.

Atlantic Hockey First Team
F Ethan Leyh, Gr., Bentley
F Liam McLinskey, Sr., Holy Cross
F Matthew Wilde, So., RIT
D Nick Bochen, Gr., Bentley
D Mac Gadowsky, So., Army West Point
G Ajeet Gundarah, Fr., Sacred Heart

Atlantic Hockey Second Team
F Trevor Hoskin, Fr., Niagara
F Jack Stockfish, So., Holy Cross
F Felix Trudeau, Jr., Sacred Heart
D Mikey Adamson, Jr., Sacred Heart
D Chris Hedden, Jr., Air Force
G Connor Hasley, Jr., Bentley

Atlantic Hockey Third Team
F Jay Ahearn, Sr., Niagara
F Tyler Fukakusa, So., RIT
F Matteo Giampa, So., Canisius
D Mack Oliphant, Jr., Holy Cross
D Michael Craig, So., Robert Morris
G Thomas Gale, Sr., Holy Cross

Check back for our individual awards next week.

This Week in Big Ten Hockey: Down to four teams in postseason tournament, only Notre Dame needs championship to make NCAA tourney

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Notre Dame celebrates a victory earlier in the 2024-25 season (photo: Notre Dame Athletics).

“The kids did what I asked them to do.”

That is what Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said after the Fighting Irish bested Minnesota in Big Ten quarterfinal action last weekend. After holding off the Golden Gophers for a 3-2 win Friday, the Irish lost 4-2 Saturday to force a deciding Sunday game

There was little doubt of the outcome. The Irish led 2-0 by the end of the second period on goals by Jayden Davis and Grant Silianoff, and after Minnesota got one back on the power play eight minutes into the third, Cole Knuble made it 3-1 four minutes later and Hunter Strand bagged the empty-netter.

Owen Say made 38 saves in that game, 14 alone in the third period in which the Irish were held to two shots on net.

Friday’s win marked Jackson’s 600th career victory, and packaged with knocking off one of the league’s regular-season co-champs could feel like a fitting sendoff for the man who announced his retirement prior to the beginning of the season.

But the season isn’t over. Now the Irish travel to East Lansing to face off against the other Big Ten regular-season co-champ and Jackson’s alma mater, Michigan State, in a single semifinal game.

As the top seed in the conference, Michigan State had a bye last week, and Spartans coach Adam Nightingale said that the team had two good weeks of practices but are looking forward to returning to action against “a really good Notre Dame team.”

“A ton of respect for their program,” said Nightingale. “We just played the recently, and I think you look at the talent they have up front, especially that top line, and the depth throughout and they’re getting good goaltending and they’re really good on the power play, so it’ll be a really good test for us.”

The other semifinal has Penn State traveling to Ohio State. The Nittany Lions were the other team to win their quarterfinal series on the road, sweeping Michigan with a 6-5 win in overtime Friday and a 5-2 win Saturday.

With his game-winning power-play goal at the five-minute mark of overtime – a goal he scored after putting the puck between his own legs – JJ Wiebusch completed his first career hat trick and gave the Nittany Lions their 11th win over Big Ten opponents since the start of 2025. Wiebusch added another Saturday, a game in which Carson Dyck’s second-period goal held up as the game winner.

Heading into that series in Ann Arbor, Penn State coach Guy Gadowsky said that his team was “mentally tough” because of what the Nittany Lions experienced this season, adding that their second-half performance is a testimony to “how far we’ve grown in that aspect.”

In the second half, the Nittany Lions have clawed their way up to 12th in the PairWise Rankings from being down so low in December that their ascent seemed impossible.

Now the Buckeyes – who needed three games to best Penn State in front of practically zero fans in Nationwide Arena last weekend – are rewarded for their quarterfinal performance with one game against college hockey’s hottest team.

Penn State took the opening game of that quarterfinal series 4-1 before Ohio State responded with two 3-2 victories. In Saturday’s game, the Buckeyes were down 2-0 late in the third before Jake Rozzi’s goal brought them to within one, with Gunnarwolfe Fontaine’s late third-period goal tying the game and Riley Thompson’s third game-winning goal of the season winning it at 7:30 in overtime.

Ohio State never trailed in Sunday’s deciding game. Rozzi notched his second of the weekend in that one, with Max Montes getting the unassisted game-winner in the third period. Logan Terness was in net for the series, with 90 total saves on the weekend.

Here’s how teams in the semifinal field compare in a few categories, by the overall numbers.

No. 7 Notre Dame (12-24-1) at No. 1 Michigan State (24-6-4)

Scoring offense: Notre Dame, 2.76 goals per game (37th); Michigan State, 3.56 (seventh)

Scoring defense: Notre Dame, 3.41 goals allowed per game (56th); Michigan State, 2.06 (fourth)

Power play: Notre Dame, 23.1% (16th); Michigan State, 23.3% (15th)

Penalty kill: Notre Dame, 77.5% (43rd); Michigan State, 81.7% (24th)

Points leader: Notre Dame, Cole Knuble (12-27-39); Michigan State, Isaac Howard (23-23-46)

Top goal scorer: Notre Dame, Justin Janicke (15); Michigan State, Isaac Howard (23)

Goaltender: Notre Dame, Owen Say (2.90 GAA, .917 SV%); Michigan State, Trey Augustine (2.09 GAA, .925 SV%)

No. 5 Penn State (20-12-4) at No. 3 Ohio State (23-12-2)

Scoring offense: Penn State, 3.53 goals per game (ninth); Ohio State, 3.16 (20th)

Scoring defense: Penn State, 3.06 goals allowed per game (43rd); Ohio State, 2.46 (16th)

Power play: Penn State, 22.9% (20th); Ohio State, 18.1% (42nd)

Penalty kill: Penn State, 78.6% (38th); Ohio State, 78.6% (t-36th)

Points leader: Penn State, Aiden Fink (23-28-51); Ohio State, Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (14-23-37)

Top goal scorer: Penn State, Aiden Fink (23); Ohio State, Riley Thompson (17)

Goaltender: Penn State, Arsenii Sergeev (2.63 GAA, .915 SV%); Ohio State, Logan Terness (2.24 GAA, .926 SV%)

Michigan State went 4-0-0 against Notre Dame in the regular season, outscoring the Fighting Irish 22-8 in those four games. The most recent series was the last of the regular season for the Spartans, a pair of 5-2 road wins Feb. 28-Mar. 1.

Ohio State was 2-1-1 against Penn State in the regular season, but the Nittany Lions got the better of the Buckeyes in Ohio State’s home barn. The Buckeyes swept 4-0 and 4-2 Dec. 5-6 in Pegula Ice Arena. Penn State took five of six points from the Buckeyes in Columbus Jan. 24-25 with a 6-6 tie and shootout point followed by a 3-2 overtime win.

Of the four teams in semifinal action, only Notre Dame needs the conference playoff championship to play in the NCAA tournament. The Spartans are No. 2 in the PairWise Rankings. At No. 10 and No. 12 respectively, the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions are safe, barring some serious post-season weirdness in other conferences.

The puck drops at 6:00 p.m. Saturday in Munn Ice Arena for the game between the Fighting Irish and Spartans. Penn State and Ohio State face off at 8:00 p.m. Saturday in Value City Arena. Both games are televised by the Big Ten Network.

This Week in Hockey East: Single-elimination playoff format, unique among conferences, appears here to stay

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Michael Hrabal has won 17 games this season for UMass (photo: UMass Athletics).

Hockey East is the only one of college hockey’s six conferences to stage an entirely single-elimination tournament.

That’s just fine with Massachusetts coach Greg Carvel.

“Love it,” Carvel said. “I think the three-game series are stupid.”

A best-two-of-three quarterfinal round was a mainstay of the Hockey East tournament until 2021, the first year post-pandemic when the league scrapped the format in favor of three rounds of one-and-done.

For Carvel, it comes down to quality over quantity.

“It’s not the NHL where you can play a seven-game series,” Carvel said. “You earn home ice, you got one game, you should win that game. Why should I have to beat this team twice to move on?”

Hockey East commissioner Steve Metcalf, while maybe not as adamant in his opposition to best-of-three as Carvel, also favors a single elimination tourney. He said the format allows all 11 teams to participate in a compact tournament that spans only eight days.

“There’s no bye week when you’re idle, and no coach wants to have a bye week,” Metcalf said. “You’re playing single-game playoffs, which is what you do in any regular-season tournament and certainly the NCAAs. So the format is similar. You’re not putting undue wear and tear on your team with a two-out-of-three series.”

Currently, every conference except Hockey East features a three-game series at some point in its tournament. NCHC’s eight-team postseason is set for best-of-three quarterfinals and single-elimination semifinals and final in Minneapolis. ECAC Hockey’s 12-team tournament is single elimination in the preliminary round and best of three in the quarters, followed by a single-elimination final four in Lake Placid, N.Y. B1G and the CCHA do the good ol’ three-game set for its first round and single elimination after that at campus sites.

Atlantic Hockey America takes it to a relative extreme, with best-of-threes in both the quarterfinal and semifinal round, followed by a single-game final, all on campus sites.

A single-elimination quarterfinal, of course, increases the chance of a lower seed pulling off an upset, and creating what some might perceive as a nightmare scenario with the semifinals at TD Garden populated by less heralded teams. However, that has not been the case in the four tournaments Hockey East has staged since converting to an all-single-elimination format. The lowest seed to play at the Garden was No. 7, which happened twice — UMass Lowell in 2021 and Providence in 2023.

In fact, one would have to go back to 2014 for the last time the No. 1 seed failed to reach the Garden — No. 8 Notre Dame eliminated top seed Boston College 2 games to 1 in the quarterfinals. (BC did go on to the Frozen Four that year, losing to eventual champion Union (ECAC Hockey) in the national semifinals).

“That possibility exists,” Metcalf said of a possible scenario where an abnormal number of high seeds were sent packing in early rounds. “We’re also of the mind that there are a lot of teams that would draw well at the Garden. And we’ve sold a lot of tickets to the Garden already without knowing what teams are going to be there.”

Metcalf said a single-elimination tournament makes the regular season more competitive. Since seeds 1-5 receive a bye into the quarterfinals, and 6-8 get home ice in a preliminary round game, it adds a layer of intrigue that he thinks would be missing if only the top eight made the tournament and home ice went to the top four seeds.

“You’re able to reward teams for their place in the regular season,” he said. “(Seeds) 1-2-3 get something more than 4; 4 gets something more than 5 gets; 5 gets something more than 6 gets. You’re playing for something right through to the end of the regular season.”

With the conclusion of Wednesday night’s preliminary round, the Hockey East quarterfinals are now set. On Saturday, No. 6 UMass (2-1 winner over No. 11 Vermont) will visit No. 3 Boston University; No. 7 Lowell (3-2 overtime winner vs. New Hampshire) is at No. 2 Maine; and No. 9 Northeastern (3-2 overtime winner at Merrimack and the only lower seed to advance to the quarterfinals) is at No. 1 BC.

One quarterfinal matchup was already set — No. 5 Providence will visit No. 4 Connecticut on Friday night. The semifinals and final are March 20-21 at TD Garden.

Hockey East men’s conference recognizes 2024-25 all-rookie team, half-dozen season-long awards

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Cole Eiserman popped a hat trick Jan. 11 for BU (photo: Matt Woolverton).

Hockey East has announced the 2024-25 all-rookie team and six other season-long awards as voted by the league’s 11 head coaches.

All-Rookie Team
G: Callum Tung, UConn
D: Cole Hutson, Boston University *
D: Francesco Dell’Elce, Massachusetts
F: James Hagens, Boston College *
F: Teddy Stiga, Boston College *
F: Cole Eiserman, Boston University
F: Colin Kessler, Vermont
* unanimous selection

Also recognized were a pair of graduate students for their defensive abilities, as Boston College’s Eamon Powell has been named best defensive defenseman while UConn’s Hudson Schandor was voted best defensive forward.

Two statistical awards have been formally announced, both awarded to Boston College sophomore forward Ryan Leonard, who became just the second player to reach 25 goals in Hockey East play since 2000-01. He was also honored with the Hockey East three stars award as he compiled the highest total number of points earned when named a first, second, or third star of the game in Hockey East contests.

Hockey East’s two sportsmanship awards have been bestowed upon Schandor, who will be presented with the Len Ceglarski Sportsmanship Award, given by the league to one player who has consistently demonstrated superior conduct and sportsmanship on and off the ice. The Massachusetts Minutemen were acknowledged with the Charlie Holt team sportsmanship award for accruing the fewest average penalty minutes per Hockey East game.

Wisconsin women’s hockey trio of Edwards, Harvey, O’Brien named top three finalists for 2025 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award

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From left, Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey, Casey O’Brien.

The Wisconsin trio of Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey and Casey O’Brien has been named the 2025 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award top three finalists.

This marks the second time ever (2013, Minnesota), that all three finalists hail from the same school.

The winner of the 2025 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be announced on Saturday, March 22, at 11:30 a.m. CT as part of a live show on the NHL Network at the McNamara Alumni Center on the Minnesota campus.

The live show – part of Saturday at the Women’s Frozen Four – is free and open to the public. Doors open at 11 a.m. CT. After the show, fans will have the opportunity to get autographs from previous Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Winners AJ Mleczko (Harvard, 1999), Krissy Wendell (Minnesota, 2005), Kendall Coyne Schofield (Northeastern, 2016) and Taylor Heise (Minnesota, 2022).

2025 PATTY KAZMAIER MEMORIAL AWARD TOP-THREE FINALISTS

LAILA EDWARDS • JUNIOR • FORWARD • WISCONSIN

Ranks third in country in goals per game (.79) and second in goals (30) … Tied for second in nation in points per game (1.71) and total points (65) … Ranks fifth nationally in assists per game (0.92) … Helped lead Wisconsin to the WCHA Final Faceoff Championship and WCHA Regular Season Championship, a record of 35-1-2 and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament … All-WCHA First Team selection … Ranks second in WCHA in points in conference contests (48) … Forbes 2025 30 Athletes Under 30 Selection … WCHA Forward of the Month for November … Two-time WCHA Forward of the Week (Oct. 14, Jan. 20) … Volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House of Dane County and American Family Children’s Hospital at the Badger Patio.

CAROLINE HARVEY • JUNIOR • DEFENDER • WISCONSIN

Leads defenders nationally in points per game (1.53), goals per game (.42) and assists per game (1.11) … Ranks third in the nation for all players in assists per game and sixth in points per game … Has 58 points (16G, 42A), the most of any defender nationally … WCHA Defender of the Year … Helped lead Wisconsin to the WCHA Final Faceoff Championship and WCHA Regular Season Championship, a record of 35-1-2 and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament … All-WCHA First Team selection … Named to WCHA Final Faceoff All-Tournament Team … Three-time WCHA Defender of the Month (October, November, February) … HCA National Co-Player of the Month for September … Six-time WCHA Defender of the Week (Sept. 30, Oct. 7, Oct. 21, Nov. 4, Dec. 2, Feb. 24) … Volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House and American Family Children’s Hospital at the Badger Patio.

CASEY O’BRIEN • FIFTH YEAR • FORWARD • WISCONSIN

Leads nation in points per game (2.18) and assists per game (1.53) … Ranks seventh in the country in goals per game (.66) … Leads the nation in points (83) and assists (58), and is seventh in goals (25) … Helped Wisconsin to the WCHA Final Faceoff Championship and WCHA Regular Season Championship, a record of 35-1-2 and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament … WCHA Player and Forward of the Year … All-WCHA First Team selection … Named to WCHA Final Faceoff Most Outstanding Player and also a member of the All-Tournament Team … HCA National Co-Player of the Month for September … Two-time WCHA Forward of the Month for September and October … Three-time WCHA Forward of the Week (Sept. 30, Oct. 7, Feb. 10) … Has volunteered at the American Family Children’s Hospital Bucky Locker Room Patio, the Ronald McDonald House and Augie’s Lunches with Love.

CCHA unveils ’24-25 awards as Bemidji State’s Jutting named top defensive forward, Michigan Tech’s Pietila best defensive defenseman, MTU’s Jansson rookie of the year

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Jackson Jutting had a solid season at both ends of the ice in 2024-25 for Bemidji State (photo: Brent Cizek).

The CCHA has announced three year-end award winners for the 2024-25 season.

Bemidji State’s Jackson Jutting has been named defensive forward of the year, Michigan Tech’s Chase Pietila was voted defensive defenseman of the year and Michigan Tech’s Elias Jansson has claimed rookie of the year honors.

Jutting was co-defensive forward of the year last season and returned to produce 10 goals and six assists for 16 points in 26 conference games. Posting a minus-4 in league play, he had 81 shots on goal, while blocking 12 and winning 313 draws, compared to 289 losses for a 52% rate. Overall, he has 14 goals and eight assists for 22 points in 37 games.

An all-CCHA first team selection, Pietila anchored the Michigan Tech blue line in all 26 CCHA games this season, collecting five goals and eight assists for 13 points. Producing an even rating throughout the conference schedule, he recorded 55 shots on goal and blocked 25 in his own end, with two power-play tallies. He had an assist and was a plus-3 in the Huskies’ 9-5 win at Bemidji State on Dec. 14, before blocking a season-best six shots against Lake Superior State on Jan. 10. Overall, he had seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points this season.

Jansson paced CCHA rookies with 20 points in conference play, scoring 10 goals with 10 assists. Totaling 61 shots, he was plus-1 with five power-play goals, one game winner and one hat trick. He also had two blocks defensively. Overall, he recorded 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points.

Voting for the all-CCHA teams and year-end awards was conducted by the nine head coaches at each CCHA school, based on CCHA conference games only. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.

NCHC announces trio of all-conference teams for 2024-25 college hockey campaign

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Jake Livanavage has been a force at both ends of the ice this season for North Dakota (photo: Russell Hons).

One day after revealing its all-rookie team, the NCHC unveiled its three all-conference teams for the 2024-25 season on Wednesday.

With the addition of a ninth member, this year marks the first time the conference has awarded an all-NCHC third team, after previously only honoring two all-conference teams its first 11 years.

2024-25 All-NCHC First Team
F: Alex Bump, Western Michigan, So. – 85 points (17 first-team votes) unanimous
F: *Jack Devine, Denver, Sr. – 81 points (15)
F: Artem Shlaine, Arizona State, Gr., – 66 points (12)
D: *Zeev Buium, Denver, So. – 85 points (17) unanimous
D: ^Jake Livanavage, North Dakota, So. – 63 points (8)
G: ^Simon Latkoczy, Omaha, Jr. – 62 points (10)

2024-25 All-NCHC Second Team
F: Aidan Thompson, Denver, Jr. – 55 points (6 first-team votes)
F: Lukas Sillinger, Arizona State, Gr. – 31 points (1)
F: Sam Stange, Omaha, Gr. – 29 points
D: Max Burkholder, Colorado College, So. – 44 points (5)
D: Noah Beck, Arizona State, Gr. – 42 points (2)
G: +Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan, Fr. – 39 points (5)

2024-25 All-NCHC Third Team
F: Ryan Kirwan, Arizona State, Sr. – 27 points
F: Sam Harris, Denver, So. – 17 points (2 first-team votes)
F: Carter King, Denver, Sr. – 15 points
D: +Joona Väisänen, Western Michigan, Fr. – 24 points (1)
D: Eric Pohlkamp, Denver, So. – 22 points (2)
G: Cameron Rowe, Western Michigan, Gr. – 36 points (2)

* 2023-24 First-Team All-NCHC
^ 2023-24 Honorable Mention All-NCHC
+ 2024-25 NCHC All-Rookie Team

The NCHC will announce its individual award finalists on Thursday. Individual award winners will be revealed at the final NCHC awards celebration in Saint Paul, Minn., on March 20 on the eve of the 2025 NCHC Frozen Faceoff.

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